"Ancient Power."
Several white spheres of energy condensed around Ho-Oh, then shot toward Ash at extreme speed.
"Kamui—intangible."
Ash's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan spun open. His body instantly shifted into a dimensional phase-out, leaving behind only a blurred afterimage. Ho-Oh's Ancient Power passed straight through him.
"What!?"
Ho-Oh's eyes widened. It felt as if its attack had passed through a being from another dimension entirely.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
The sea surged upward, forming a massive wave that crashed toward Ho-Oh, who was forced into a low flight path after Ash's earlier strike.
"Burn Up!"
A blazing beam of condensed fire erupted from Ho-Oh's mouth, splitting the enormous wave cleanly in half. But before Ho-Oh could regain distance, Ash appeared five meters in front of it—instantaneous.
"Amaterasu."
The tomoe of Ash's Mangekyō rotated. Wherever his gaze landed, black flames erupted—clinging to Ho-Oh's divine feathers.
"What—these flames…!"
Even Ho-Oh, a Legendary Pokémon embodying the Law of Fire, felt pain burn through its body. Its mastery of fire was unparalleled, yet the black flames refused to be extinguished.
"Good… it worked."
Ash exhaled sharply, his body trembling. "As long as Amaterasu keeps burning, Ho-Oh's stamina will drain fast… looks like this battle's mine."
The strain was clear. He had been continuously outputting ocular power to sustain Susanoo's armor around Mewtwo, on top of using Amaterasu, divine abilities, and massive amounts of Sage Chakra. Fatigue pressed down on him heavily.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Mewtwo and Lugia clashed repeatedly, locked in brutal close-quarters combat. Without the protective frame of Susanoo, Mewtwo would not have been able to fight Lugia head-on.
"Now!"
Mewtwo thrust out its hands.
"Sandstorm Quicksand."
Psychic-infused sand surged upward, ensnaring Lugia—whose balance was already compromised by the previous impact.
"Sand Burial—Great Collapse!"
"BOOM!"
As Mewtwo's hands clenched together, the sand sphere compressed violently. A crushing gravitational force radiated outward—its power unmistakable.
A future Gardevoir would need at least champion-level psychic mastery to even attempt a technique of this scale, Ash thought distantly. Any weaker Pokémon could only use it once before collapsing.
The psychic sand dispersed. Lugia—scarred and battered—fell from the sky. Ho-Oh, still burning with inextinguishable black flame, soon followed as its stamina rapidly deteriorated.
"Bang! Bang!"
Both Legendary Pokémon crashed down onto the sea island, their immense bodies shaking the ground. At that moment, Susanoo's armor around Mewtwo shattered and dissipated.
"Victory…"
Landing beside Mewtwo on the island, Ash finally let his legs give out. He dropped to the ground, leaning back against a tree. Mewtwo sat heavily beside him.
"That was an excellent fight."
Mewtwo smirked with deep satisfaction. He truly was a battle maniac. Anyone who saw the way Mewtwo fought Suicune and Dragonite daily on Fantasy Island would understand.
"I didn't expect to lose so decisively."
Ho-Oh rose slowly, having recovered a portion of its strength. "Your power truly defies understanding."
"The wager was lost… and yet, my opinion of humanity remains unchanged. Trust means placing one's faith in you."
"With strength like yours, there is no need for you to covet the power of Legendary Pokémon. Among humans, you are the one we can trust most."
Lugia's words brought genuine relief to Ash's tired face.
The crisis had finally passed.
And above all else, Ash vowed silently—Nothing like this must ever happen again… not on Fantasy Island.
Ash glanced at Mewtwo and realized they were thinking the exact same thing. Mewtwo enjoyed battle, yes—but even it didn't want to clash with opponents of that scale every single time.
With the fighting over, the people of Kanto, Johto, and the Orange Islands erupted into cheers. Relief washed across the crowds; Ash and Mewtwo had saved two islands—and the tension that had gripped everyone finally loosened.
Ash struck a match, lit a cigarette, inhaled, then exhaled slowly.
The crushing pressure that had been weighing on him throughout the battle vanished completely.
His hair—soaked from seawater and sweat—clung to his ears, neck, and forehead. Combined with the faint smoke curling upward, Ash's entire presence felt sharp, weathered, and calm in a way that only those who had faced death could carry.
"Screee!" ×3
"Roaaar!" ×2
The three Legendary Birds under Lugia's command, along with the two Legendary Pokemon under Ho-Oh, arrived swiftly. They circled their respective leaders, eyeing Ash and Mewtwo with tense caution.
"You don't have to worry," Ho-Oh said softly.
Its warm voice immediately calmed its subordinates, though they maintained a protective stance around the recovering Legendary.
Meanwhile, the three Legendary Birds stood beside Lugia without raising their guard. They had witnessed the entire battle—and two of them had personally been overwhelmed by Ash before.
They understood perfectly: being wary would change nothing.
"Ho-Oh," Ash asked suddenly, recalling something from their fight, "earlier, you said I'd also grasped 'laws.' What did you mean by that? Can you explain it to me?"
Ho-Oh lifted its head, the sunlight reflecting against the lingering blackened marks where Amaterasu had burned it.
"You noticed," Ho-Oh said. "Then listen carefully."
Ash leaned in slightly, anticipation rising in his eyes.
[New Insight Triggered — 'Laws of the World' Unlocked.]
Ho-Oh continued, voice calm but resonant.
"You humans call them 'elements' or 'energy.' But among us Legendary Pokémon, they are known as laws—the deeper principles that shape the world. To command them is to exceed the limits of ordinary existence."
Ash's pulse quickened.
"You wield more than Chakra, more than Psychic energy, more than Aura. The power you showed today—the black flames, space distortion, dimensional intangibility—those are not simple techniques."
Ho-Oh's eyes narrowed in recognition.
"You have begun to touch the Law of Space, the Law of Flame, and even the Law of Force. Whether you intended to or not, you stepped into the realm that only Legendary beings walk."
Ash felt his breath catch.
"Me… mastering laws?"
Ho-Oh nodded.
"I saw it clearly in our battle. And so did Lugia. That is why we entrusted you with the fate of the islands. Your power is no longer human… nor Pokémon."
A pause.
"It is something beyond."
Mewtwo smirked beside him.
"I told you, Ash. You're not normal."
Ash took a slow drag of his cigarette, exhaling upward as the wind shifted across the quiet island.
"So that's what you meant…"
His eyes sharpened—not with arrogance, but with resolve.
Whatever path he had stepped onto…
He would walk it to the end.