When it came to the system's explanation, Ash was left speechless.
To think that some of the ancient ancestors of Pokémon were actually connected to the Four Divine Beasts…
Even if the bloodline had thinned to the point of being nearly undetectable, the idea alone was absurd.
Yet Ash had never encountered even one such creature in this life.
"Ash, what are you even mumbling about? What's the deal with these stone statues?" Lorelei asked, a hint of impatience as she tapped his shoulder.
Ash took a breath and answered:
"These represent three of the Four Divine Beasts—White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.
Their leader is the Azure Dragon. I only read fragments about them in ancient texts, so my understanding isn't complete."
Even so, every one of them was a powerhouse beyond comprehension.
"These beings are so strong that even a super–Legendary Pokémon like Ho-Oh would be defeated in minutes if it fought just one of them."
Ash's explanation shocked Lance, Lorelei, Agatha, and Bruno.
A Divine Beast… and Ho-Oh reduced to "delivery food"? It was unthinkable.
"As for the soul-fluctuation requirement… I can probably approach because of my unique earthy origin."
He frowned.
"But then why could Ash from the original timeline approach as well? And if only someone with that soul can get close… who was the one that placed these statues here in the first place?"
The mysteries piled up.
These three stone statues were clearly placed deliberately—but the Azure Dragon statue was missing.
Yet there were no signs of theft or displacement.
The altar itself was built to house only three statues.
Ash didn't know the truth:
The statues had no faith-power when first created—meaning no barrier existed at all, and anyone could approach them.
But after the Four Divine Beasts saved the world, humanity began worshiping them.
Only then did faith transform into a protective enchantment.
Over generations, with Kanto and Johto never facing another world-class crisis, the altar faded from human memory.
Now, with all three spheres in place, Ash sensed a dramatic shift.
The elemental energies began stabilizing:
Suzaku governed Fire
Black Tortoise governed Water
White Tiger governed Metal → represented here by Lightning
Balance was returning.
A sudden roar tore through the sky.
The once-calm sea churned violently.
A monstrous whirlwind rose, forming a spiraling water tornado.
With a thunderous crack, the vortex shattered—and a blue-white Pokémon descended from within.
A massive creature with elegant wings and gleaming silver scales.
Lugia.
The Sea Guardian.
"This is the Sea God—Lugia," Slowking declared solemnly.
"BOOM!!"
A shockwave exploded from Lugia's wings, blasting outward.
Every rock in its path shattered instantly.
"Hey—wasn't Lugia supposed to appear to save the world? Why does it look furious!?" Bruno shouted, startled as he dodged debris.
"Humans provoked the Pokémon under Lugia's protection," Slowking explained grimly.
"To Lugia, that's no different from insulting him directly. Even if the conflict with the Legendary Birds is resolved, Lugia now views humanity unfavorably—just like Ho-Oh once did."
Ash could feel it clearly through his Aura.
Lugia's fury was immense.
A true super–Legendary Pokémon… its power was overwhelming.
Ash's current strength was the peak of a first-tier Legendary, stronger than some super-Legendaries in technique, but raw power was a different matter.
Skill couldn't always compensate for the gap.
"So what do we do now? I should've never put those spheres back…" Bruno muttered in regret.
"It doesn't matter," Ash replied. "Those three spheres had to be returned. If they weren't, the overloaded elements in the atmosphere would have destroyed this entire region—and Lugia would have appeared anyway."
"The reason Lugia lives here is because this sea possesses unusually stable elemental energy," Ash continued. "That stability comes from the faith-powered statues. Humans can't sense the balance—but mythical-level Pokémon can."
With the Divine Beasts' influence in this region, controlling Fire, Water, and Lightning was far easier, which explained why Ho-Oh and Lugia's subordinate Legendary Birds thrived here.
Lance clenched his fists.
"Then what do we do? None of us can stop Lugia… The gap between a Champion and a super–Legendary is too enormous."
Ash took one decisive step forward.
"Leave Lugia to me."
"You all evacuate the Pokémon and civilians from the surrounding islands. If this turns into a real fight, minor techniques won't cut it—I'll need to go all out."
His Sharingan spun.
Aura surged around him like a rising storm.
This time… Ash would face the Sea God himself.
"And the water element here is surging again because of Lugia's appearance… but what I didn't expect is that the fire element is rising as well."
Ash's expression tightened.
"If this keeps up, I might even witness Ho-Oh, the Phoenix King of Kanto."
His words instantly stiffened Lance, Lorelei, Agatha, and Bruno.
Two super–Legendary Pokémon appearing at once…
If they fought, it would be no different from the end of the world.
"Lorelei, I'm leaving my Pokémon with you."
Ash exhaled, unclipping every Poké Ball from his belt and handing them to her.
Pikachu hopped down from his shoulder obediently.
"I understand," Lorelei said, voice trembling despite herself. "Be careful. Please."
Ash didn't respond.
He stepped forward, Chakra flowing under his feet as he performed Moon Step, rising steadily into the air until he hovered directly before Lugia.
"Lugia," Ash called out, his voice steady.
"The situation with the Legendary Birds has already been resolved. Why have you emerged like this? Why destroy everything?"
Even though he already knew the reason, he needed to hear Lugia state it himself.
The Sea Guardian's massive wings stirred, and its telepathic voice echoed coldly:
"Humans… No matter how much time passes, your kind always covets the power of Legendary Pokémon. My patience has reached its limit. I will not tolerate it any longer."
The air shook with the force of Lugia's resentment.
Ash's eyes hardened.
This wasn't a simple confrontation anymore.
This was judgment.