The potion's effects hit instantly—Ash could feel it working the moment it entered Mewtwo's system.
"It really is incredible medicine… no side effects, and the recovery is nearly instantaneous. I didn't expect you to be holding onto something this powerful."
Feeling his physical strength, mental energy, and even deep internal injuries fully restored, Mewtwo spoke calmly as a ripple of deep blue psychic force radiated from his body.
Ash nodded. "Yeah… it's one of my trump cards. Hard to make—honestly, I can barely make them at all. I only have five left."
He smirked as he felt Mewtwo's psychic field shaping and stabilizing.
"Looks like you've learned it. With that ability, you should be able to fight alongside the Legendary Pokémon."
This was the same externalized psychic-control technique taught by Ino in Naruto—Ash had adapted and passed it to Mewtwo. After all, Mewtwo was also his Pokémon.
"It's still difficult," Mewtwo admitted, pride coloring his tone. "Control is the hardest part. But after training nonstop, I've finally reached this stage."
Even Ash's Kirlia—who had learned the technique as a newborn Ralts—required extensive guidance. Without that, mastering externalized psychic manipulation would've been nearly impossible.
"What?!"
Lugia, also a Psychic-type Legendary, was stunned by the amount of psychic energy spiraling behind Mewtwo.
"Externalized psychic release? That's something only top-tier Legendaries should reach. How is a first-tier Legendary pulling this off?!"
Even Lugia couldn't do it—not yet. Mewtwo achieving it now was nothing short of shocking. It wasn't a stealth technique, but the ability drastically increased close-quarters power. It was a skill any Legendary Pokémon would crave… Lugia included.
"I believe it's self-created. No wonder he's considered humanity's strongest. He's even allowing Pokémon to challenge beyond their tier."
Ho-Oh answered Lugia, eyes narrowed with a mix of awe and tension.
A warning pulse struck Ash's senses.
"It's coming."
Mewtwo answered with a curt nod.
The moment their preparations aligned, Ash and Mewtwo shot forward like twin cannonballs—Ash heading straight for Ho-Oh, Mewtwo clashing with Lugia.
Ho-Oh's regeneration was monstrous; even with Mewtwo's power, a long battle would only drain him. Lugia matched Mewtwo's typing, and while Flying-type moves resisted Fighting, a drawn-out clash still favored Lugia. This needed to end quickly.
"Rankyaku!"
At less than ten meters away, Ash twisted into a spinning roundhouse kick. A razor-thin blue blade of compressed air shot from his foot, tearing toward Ho-Oh.
Ho-Oh's pupils contracted.
"Gale Shield."
His wings swept forward—and with one powerful flap, a violent gust exploded outward, diverting the Rankyaku's trajectory and sending the air blade spiraling off course.
"Tch."
Ash followed immediately with three more Rankyakus, the blades slicing the air in rapid succession.
But Ho-Oh's voice rang out, calm and commanding:
"Do not underestimate a Legendary. Psychic."
Though a Fire/Flying-type, Ho-Oh possessed psychic capabilities. A massive wave of mental force slammed into Ash's own psychic sense like a cannonball, staggering him and almost knocking him into brief unconsciousness.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Even as Ash faltered, his three Rankyakus struck Ho-Oh's body, driving the Legendary back several meters.
Meanwhile—"Sand Coffin!"
Mewtwo's battle with Lugia raged overhead. Sand formed from condensed psychic particles surged around Lugia, trying to trap him. Unlike Kirlia's slower technique, Mewtwo controlled externalized psychic particles with terrifying speed and precision.
"Damn it… this skill is too troublesome!"
Lugia gritted his teeth as he weaved through the collapsing walls of psychic-sand, anger boiling beneath his calm exterior.
"To think a first-tier Legendary would force me to this point…!"
The battlefield trembled under the clashing forces of two worlds—Naruto-style psychic techniques and Legendary Pokémon might.
At that moment, the blue fin along Lugia's back snapped shut, and his body plunged into the sea.
Mewtwo's psychic force did not continue chasing—not because he didn't want to, but because underwater resistance made externalized psychic manipulation drastically slower and less effective.
Although Lugia was a dual-type Pokémon—Psychic and Flying—he possessed a hidden Water attribute. Unlike typical Water-types, Lugia barely relied on conventional water-type moves.
Instead, he combined Psychic techniques and Flying-type power with the few water abilities he did have, turning them into forces capable of natural disaster–level destruction.
This hidden attribute was what allowed Lugia to dominate both sky and sea. His underwater speed was one of the reasons he was revered as the Guardian of the Sea.
Meanwhile, the battle—one human and three Pokémon—was being broadcast live via satellite across Kanto, Jhoto, and the Orange Islands.
Just like nation-based broadcasting in Ash's previous life, regions had their own satellite coverage, so the entire event spread rapidly.
An incident of this scale demanded explanation from the Pokémon League. Broadcasting the battle was the most direct and transparent method—especially for Kanto, which took every opportunity to highlight Ash's overwhelming strength. They did not hold back in using the battle as part of their public communications.
The conversations between Ash, Ho-Oh, and Lugia were also aired unedited. Many viewers cursed the greedy individuals who had provoked the Legendary Pokémon, leading to the current crisis. Most people could only pray that Ash and Mewtwo would stop the looming catastrophe in time.
For many, this was their first real look at the power of Legendary Pokémon—especially the guardian pair of Kanto and Jhoto: Ho-Oh and Lugia.