According to legend and historical records, Latios and Latias once entrusted the Soul Dew to the ancestors of Alto Mare, using it as both a pact and a symbol of mutual trust. From that moment on, the twin dragons began their long vigil as the guardians of the Water City.
But no one had ever imagined that the Soul Dew possessed the power to influence Latios and Latias themselves.
No—perhaps it could not truly be called control.
At the very least, when faced with the Soul Dew raised high by the mysterious man, the two Legendary Pokémon were not completely stripped of their ability to resist. Yet the strength they displayed now was clearly far weaker than before, as though that enigmatic gemstone could suppress and weaken their power.
"About time."
The mysterious man murmured softly.
He held the Soul Dew aloft in one hand, while an unprecedented surge of psychic energy began to gather from his body.
The atmosphere trembled.
The ground beneath everyone's feet shook.
Even the once-clear, star-filled sky seemed to recoil—as though a demon had crawled up from the depths of hell. Thick black clouds rolled in from afar, swallowing the heavens and plunging the world into darkness.
Psychic winds howled and spiraled. The canal churned violently, boiling as if possessed.
Amid the horrified cries of Alto Mare's residents, the mysterious man suddenly raised his free hand and clenched it tightly toward Latios in the distance.
"RAAAARGH——!"
Latios convulsed violently in midair, letting out a piercing scream of agony. Latias tried desperately to rush to her brother's side, but under the combined influence of the Soul Dew and the overwhelming psychic force, her body felt as heavy as lead—completely unresponsive to her will.
"Yes… that's it. Stop struggling. Stop resisting."
The mysterious man's voice sank lower, darker.
"Obey my command. Become my possession."
The Soul Dew in his hand flared even brighter.
At the same time, the unknown Psychic-type Pokémon beneath his cloak unleashed even more power. Psychic energy flooded nearly the entire city of Alto Mare, filling everyone with dread. What kind of Pokémon could possibly wield such unfathomable strength? This was a level of power that many humans would never witness even once in their lifetime.
Some Trainers had already realized something terrifying—
If Latios and Latias had not been fighting together, then either one of them alone would likely have been no match for that unknown Psychic Pokémon.
Legendary Pokémon were revered in myths for their mystery and greatness. Latios and Latias had already proven they possessed enough power to destroy an entire city.
And yet, here and now, someone was proving—through a cruel and overwhelming method—that even Legendary Pokémon could be challenged by a truly great Trainer.
Legendary Pokémon cannot be defeated.
Legendary Pokémon cannot be captured.
Legendary Pokémon cannot be driven away.
This was common sense to every Trainer.
And yet, in the eyes of true power, that "common sense" was nothing but a joke.
Before everyone's eyes, a mysterious figure was shattering that belief.
"We'll start with you, Latios."
With those whispered words, psychic energy condensed almost into physical form—becoming a dense, invisible net.
Like a massive fishing net cast from the heavens, it dragged Latios through the air. From every direction, psychic particles throughout the city surged toward him, making it seem as though Latios was enduring attacks from all angles at once, without respite.
Some people could no longer bear to watch.
After enduring countless assaults, Latios' resistance weakened further and further. He stopped struggling, his body dragged helplessly toward the mysterious man by the invisible net.
Latias screamed in despair, trying to save her brother—but the overwhelming psychic pressure combined with the Soul Dew's power made rescue utterly impossible.
Latios turned his head toward his sister, releasing a low, strained roar. His dimming eyes were filled with urgency and sorrow.
Even without understanding Pokémon language, everyone knew what he was saying:
Run. Escape. Don't let yourself fall into his hands.
Latias let out a heart-wrenching dragon cry—one that made listeners' hearts ache and eyes sting with tears.
And then—
"Mewtwo—Shadow Ball!"
A cold, ruthless male voice rang out.
Out of nowhere, another figure appeared in the sky. Before him stood a tall, purple-and-white Pokémon nearly two meters in height. Between its hands, a ghostly sphere of dark energy formed and shot forward like a phantom.
"That person is—"
"It's the Kanto Champion!"
"He's here in Alto Mare?!"
"I saw him at the Pokémon Center earlier—I thought he'd already left!"
"This is great… if the Kanto Champion is here…"
"I've seen that Pokémon—Mewtwo! In the Cerulean City tournament! That thing has unbelievable power!"
The sudden appearance of Logan, the Kanto Champion, threw Trainers and journalists alike into chaos.
But more than shock, what people felt was relief.
That mysterious man radiated nothing but malice—and now the Kanto Champion had arrived to stop him.
Cameras instantly swiveled toward Logan and Mewtwo, capturing his calm, icy presence as he commanded Mewtwo from midair, standing as a barrier against catastrophe.
In that moment, Logan gained countless new admirers.
"The Kanto Champion?!"
The mysterious man's voice changed for the first time—clearly shaken by Logan's appearance.
Caught off guard by the incoming Shadow Ball, he hastily snapped his cloak and fired an Aura Sphere in response.
The two attacks collided at close range.
BOOOOOOM—
A thunderous explosion tore through the sky. The shockwave blasted clouds apart, ripped the earth below upward, and sent people on the ground scrambling to shield themselves from the violent winds.
Because the collision occurred so close, the mysterious man himself was caught in the blast. A pained cry escaped him, and the Soul Dew nearly slipped from his trembling hand.
"Mewtwo!"
Logan shouted again.
Mewtwo nodded, preparing to use its psychic power to rescue Latios and Latias.
"So strong!"
"He injured that monster with a single move!"
The crowd surged with renewed hope. The mysterious man had seemed utterly unstoppable—but now, with one strike, the Kanto Champion had wounded him.
The gulf between an ordinary Trainer and the Kanto Champion had never felt wider.
Just as everyone began to believe the battle was decided—that the mysterious man could no longer control Latios and Latias, and that he was doomed against two Legendary Pokémon and the Kanto Champion—
What he did next left everyone frozen in shock.
"Damn it! Of all times…!"
"But I won't lose!"
"Even if I can't take Latias—Latios will be mine!"
With a furious roar, the mysterious man pulled a Poké Ball from his sleeve. No one could see what kind it was.
Before anyone could react, he rushed forward—straight toward Latios, who was barely breaking free from the psychic net—and threw the Poké Ball.
Latios vanished into the ball.
"WHAT?!"
"That's impossible!"
"Latios was… captured?!"
Ignoring the stunned cries around him, the mysterious man clearly knew he could not defeat the Kanto Champion.
He hastily flung several Aura Spheres to stall Logan. Amid the chain of explosions, his body dissolved into psychic distortion—
And vanished completely.
Along with him disappeared Latios—
And the Soul Dew, the key to controlling him.
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