[bonus chapter for Powerstones]
Unova Region—
Ghetsis stared at the barrage of comments on the Heavenly Tally screen in silence.
After a long moment, he turned to Colress.
"Reshiram on-screen clearly isn't using its full power.
That means our control device still has flaws.
Improve it later."
He paused—eyes narrowing.
"And one more thing…
If the chance ever arises—no matter the cost—kill Lance of Kanto and Johto.
That man is too dangerous to let live."
Lance's "toxic prophecy" had shaken Ghetsis to his core.
Once could be a coincidence.
Twice—luck.
Three… four… five times…?
Every time Lance analyzed a situation,
every time his reasoning sounded perfect—
The result ALWAYS went the opposite direction.
It was as if Lance's mouth bent reality itself.
And now Charizard—something Ghetsis considered barely above a rare specimen—
was pressuring one of the world's strongest Legendary Pokémon
BECAUSE Lance said Reshiram would crush Ash.
Even if Reshiram weakened,
that shouldn't strengthen Charizard, right?!
But it DID.
Somehow, despite its damaged foundation, Ash's Charizard was fighting on par with a Second-Rank Legendary.
Who in their right mind could have predicted that?!
"That man… cannot be allowed to live.
If he ever subconsciously imagines Team Plasma becoming 'weaker',
We'll collapse for no reason at all.
He's basically a causality weapon in human form."
Colress nodded sharply.
"Understood, Lord Ghetsis!
I will issue a full bounty on Kanto's Champion Lance—
Master of Dragons, the dual-region Champion, the—"
"Stop reading the titles, you fool, my head is throbbing!"
Even he knew—
If you prefaced the bounty request with all of Lance's achievements,
no Plasma Grunt would dare go near him.
This required careful planning.
Back in the present—
"This is… the bond between Ash and his Pokémon?
It can even stand against Reshiram…"
N's voice trembled.
Deep in his heart, N had always feared Reshiram.
When he was a child, Ghetsis used him to summon Reshiram—
But Reshiram saw the evil within Ghetsis
and realized N was being exploited.
So Reshiram did as the legends said:
If humans reject truth and indulge in selfish desire,
Reshiram will burn their kingdom down.
And so it did.
The Plasma Castle was reduced to ashes.
That day, N understood the truth.
He fled the organization.
Now, seeing a normal Pokémon—
a Charizard—
clashing with the same dragon that incinerated Plasma HQ?
How could he NOT be shaken?
And so, his curiosity toward Ash deepened even further.
What kind of "bond" created this strength?
(Author's note reminder: Leon's Charizard can withstand Eternatus—basically a weakened First-Rank Legendary. Ash's current Charizard is valley-trained, below Leon's but equal to around Second-Rank Legendary with a defective foundation. A full-power Reshiram would still win.)
Reality—
"Charizard!! You've gotten so incredible!!!"
"RRAAAOOOH!!"
Charizard roared proudly—
Who wouldn't?
He had pressured a top-tier Legendary!
He opened his mouth, ready to spit fire in celebration—
WHACK.
"Pika!"
Teacher Pikachu slapped him with his tail,
eyes narrowing meaningfully.
The roof JUST got repaired.
No fire.
Froakie watched with starry-eyed awe.
He had never seen anything this magnificent.
Was his trainer this strong?
This massive dragon was his partner?
Resolved—
Froakie made a vow inside his tiny amphibian heart.
He would chase Charizard's footsteps.
He would become that strong someday.
Elsewhere—
Gary Oak was sweating bullets.
"Calm down… calm down… he's not THAT strong yet…
I can still beat him…"
His voice cracked.
Ash was his rival.
Of course, they would meet at the Indigo League.
But that Charizard?
Even the "current" Charizard was more than enough pressure.
Never mind the future Charizard empowered by the Rainbow Wing.
Or Pikachu—
Ash's walking cheat code.
Back to the battle footage—
After the clash of moves, the two dragons engaged in close combat.
Reshiram fought with raw instinct.
No technique.
No strategy.
A controlled dragon was still a dragon—
But without wisdom, its combat style was wild and unrefined.
In close quarters, Charizard held the advantage.
"Dragon Claw!"
"Dragon Claw!"
Emerald claws extended from both dragons' limbs.
SLAAM!
The first collision sent a shockwave exploding outward.
Reshiram's claws were knocked aside.
"My Charizard didn't just train brute strength in Charicific Valley!
Charizard—strike again! Dragon Claw!!"
"RRRAH!"
Charizard crossed his glowing claws
and SLASHED downward.
SCRRRRRRIIIP—!
The sound made even the viewers' teeth ache.
Reshiram's fur felt soft—
But its body was tougher than steel.
The attack only left shallow marks…
But the force sent Reshiram CRASHING through the ruins below,
buried under dust and rubble.
Legendary defense.
Even weakened, a blow that would flatten most Pokémon
Only rattled Reshiram.
Even so—
"Charizard! Follow up—Dragon Pulse!"
Purple energy surged in Charizard's mouth—
then launched like a cannon bomb.
BOOOOOM!!
The ruins exploded completely,
collapsing the fragile ground beneath.
And below—
Lay the true White Ruins structure.
Ghetsis retaliates—
"Reshiram! Fusion Flare!"
Even without seeing Reshiram directly,
the control staff allowed Ghetsis to command it.
Spiraling flames erupted from beneath the ground.
Charizard easily took to the sky, evading it.
"Attacks with no technique won't beat us!
Charizard—use Flamethrower!"
A massive wave of fire blasted downward.
Meanwhile—
Iris, Cilan, and N had finally reached Ghetsis's position.
They aimed directly for the control machine.
Charizard and Reshiram's battle drew attention away,
And the berserk Pokémon had all been blown aside earlier.
The screen is split into two:
Charizard vs. Reshiram
and
The infiltration team is approaching the machine.
[Lance: Good! If they destroy the device, Reshiram will break free!
It'll turn on Ghetsis—Charizard wins without fighting!]
[Diantha: Shut up! DON'T JINX IT!]
Seconds after Lance spoke,
the infiltration team was discovered instantly.
Plasma Grunts and controlled Pokémon swarmed around them.
Lance stared blankly.
"...Are you kidding me?!
This is the future!
If my mouth was really that powerful, I'd already be World Champion!"
He was in full disbelief.
And yet the evidence was undeniable.
Ghetsis and Colress quickly realized the threat.
"Fools. My machine is built with reinforced plating.
Unless someone has an Elite-level destructive force,
it cannot be destroyed!"
"With you brats? Ridiculous!"
"Ash! Pikachu—Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu appeared behind them—
Ash had quietly positioned him beforehand.
A massive surge of golden lightning shot toward the machine—
Only for a massive white bear-like Pokémon to leap in front.
Beartic.
It took the entire Thunderbolt head-on,
screaming in pain but enduring just long enough
to protect the device.
Ghetsis and Colress both broke into a cold sweat.
"So THAT'S the true power of this filthy little rodent…
If that Thunderbolt had hit the machine,
my entire plan would've been ruined!"
Colress smirked.
"That's why I left a final guardian.
If the machine is threatened,
the Beartic I control automatically intercepts!"
"And now—
let's test your precious 'bond'!"
He aimed the control device at Pikachu.
The crowd screamed.
It could control Legendaries—
Of course, Pikachu couldn't resist it.
A beam fired—
And Pikachu was struck.
His eyes turned crimson.
His expression twisted into feral rage.
"Pikachu!"
Ash's voice echoed—
But Pikachu was no longer his Pikachu.
"Now—
Shock your trainer.
Thunderbolt!"
"PI-KA—CHUUUUU!!"
Lightning erupted,
striking Ash directly.
Charizard screamed and tried to rush back—
But Reshiram pressed him relentlessly.
Without Ash's guidance,
Charizard's rhythm faltered.
The tide of battle flipped instantly.
Ghetsis laughed maniacally.
"Hahahahaha!! You see now?!
Your so-called bond and friendship are NOTHING before my machine!"
"And the only reason I didn't control Charizard
was that I needed a specimen to measure Reshiram's output!
Otherwise? I could have controlled him ANY TIME!"
(He absolutely had been stunned earlier and forgot.)
Ash ignored him completely.
"Pikachu… It's me…
I'm Ash.
Do you really not remember everything we've been through…?"
Lightning hit him again—
But he kept walking.
"Your real Thunderbolt hits harder than this.
Right now your power is weak…
because you're being forced."
"Pikachu…
Please hear me.
Use Thunderbolt!"
Two strikes.
His body was smoking, shaking.
But he didn't stop.
Pikachu staggered.
His red eyes flickered—
"Pi… ka…"
He was resisting.
Overcoming the machine.
And then—
PIKA—CHUUUUUU!!!
Lightning exploded outward,
not toward Ash—
but toward Ghetsis, Colress, and the machine.
All three were swallowed in thunder.
The device overloaded instantly.
Charizard and Reshiram's battle froze—
And Reshiram went berserk, spewing Fusion Flare wildly.
One deadly fire blast streaked toward Ash—
But Pikachu unleashed another surge of lightning,
blocking the torrent of flames with his entire body.
Ash roared:
"Charizard! Grab Reshiram—
SEISMIC TOSS!!"
"RRRAAAAAHH!!"
With his trainer's voice grounding him again,
Charizard regained all focus.
He seized Reshiram by the wings,
forced it upward into the heavens.
The white dragon struggled violently,
flames burning across its body—
scorching Charizard's arms painfully.
"Charizard—don't give in!
Use Dragon Pulse to suppress the flames!"
Charizard roared—
a wave of purple energy engulfing his body,
dampening the fire.
High above the battlefield, beyond sight—
They spun.
Faster.
Faster.
A blazing meteor formed.
Then—
CRAAAAAAAAAASH!!!
A star fell to the earth.
"WATCH CLOSELY—
I'M ONLY DOING THIS ONCE!"
Dragon-Type Seismic Toss.
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