Inside Mewtwo's cloning laboratory, cold mechanical devices emitted a steady humming sound.
Ash ran through the maze-like corridors, guided by his Aura as he tracked Pikachu's presence.
Turning a corner, the sight before him made him suck in a sharp breath—
An entire wall was composed of transparent incubation chambers, each one containing a floating clone of a Pokémon.
Bulbasaur, Charizard, Squirtle… even Pikachu.
They all had their eyes closed, as if in a deep sleep.
"Pikachu…"
Ash pressed his hand against the chamber, his Aura sensing Pikachu struggling in pain within.
At that moment, Mewtwo appeared silently at the entrance of the laboratory.
"It seems you've found my collection room," it said, its tone carrying a hint of satisfaction. "Now that my experiment is complete, you may leave."
Ash spun around sharply, anger blazing in his eyes.
"Give Pikachu back to me!"
Mewtwo shook its head lightly.
"The storm is intensifying. If you leave now, you might still save your lives. As for these Pokémon… under my guidance, they will usher in a new era."
Suddenly, an alarm rang out across the laboratory.
Mewtwo frowned slightly.
"It seems some of the original Pokémon are becoming restless."
In an instant, it vanished from the lab using teleportation.
Ash seized the opportunity and rushed to the control console.
Using his Aura to resonate with the machinery, he quickly broke through the basic operating system.
One by one, the incubation chambers slowly opened, and the imprisoned Pokémon began to awaken.
"Everyone, go save the others!" Ash shouted to them.
With the Pokémon's help, Ash found the storage area for the Mewtwo Balls.
When he opened the cabinet, he discovered that all the original Poké Balls had turned black, with an ominous glow flowing across their surfaces.
"This… the conversion process into Mewtwo Balls isn't complete yet!"
Ash immediately began using his Aura to purify the Poké Balls.
Under his efforts, one by one, the Poké Balls gradually returned to their original red-and-white colors.
The freed Pokémon gathered around Ash, their eyes burning with anger.
Led by Ash, they surged back toward the arena in a mighty wave.
Mewtwo was arranging its clone Pokémon into formation. When it saw Ash returning with the freed Pokémon, it showed a clear emotional reaction for the first time—
Anger.
"You dare to disrupt my plan!" Mewtwo's voice was filled with fury.
Ash stood at the front of the Pokémon, unflinching.
"I will never give up on any Pokémon!"
"In that case, you will personally experience the gap between us!"
Mewtwo raised its hand and fired a blast of Psychic power. Ash quickly rolled aside to dodge, and the ground where he had been standing split open into a deep trench.
"Everyone, spread out!" Ash shouted to the Pokémon, while he himself charged straight toward Mewtwo.
What followed was a battle that left everyone stunned.
Ash displayed unbelievable close-combat skills, condensing his Aura into his fists and kicks. Every strike carried a faint blue glow.
Mewtwo's psychic attacks were repeatedly evaded at the last possible moment by Ash's precise movements, while Ash's relentless close-range techniques forced Mewtwo to focus on defense.
"This human…" Mewtwo grew increasingly shocked during the clash. "To think he can use psychic power to this extent…"
It knew very well that if Ash's psychic ability were on par with its own, or even close, it might actually be defeated.
Ash's strategy was clear and effective: he maintained close-range combat at all times, preventing Mewtwo from fully utilizing its long-range advantage; he used continuous attacks to disrupt Mewtwo's concentration; and whenever Mewtwo attempted to unleash a powerful move, Ash would interrupt it in time.
For a moment, the two figures moved rapidly across the arena, blue Aura and purple psychic energy colliding again and again, fighting on equal footing.
"I didn't expect Ash to have become this strong…" Misty murmured as she watched.
But the gap in strength could not be completely erased.
After a prolonged stalemate, Mewtwo finally lost its patience.
"Enough!" it shouted, unleashing a massive burst of psychic power.
This time, the attack covered too wide an area. Ash couldn't fully evade it.
Just as the psychic force was about to hit him, a pink figure suddenly appeared in front of Ash, casually opening a protective barrier.
"Mew~"
Mew spun playfully in the air, curiously observing both Mewtwo and Ash.
Mewtwo stared at the suddenly appeared Mew in shock.
"You… you are my original form?"
Mew happily nodded, flew around Mewtwo in a circle, then pointed at Ash, making a gesture inviting them to play together.
"Play?" Mewtwo's voice turned cold. "What do you take me for? A child in need of companionship?"
It suddenly attacked Mew, launching a powerful psychic blast.
Mew easily dodged, still wearing an innocent and cheerful smile, as if treating the entire situation like a game.
The two legendary Pokémon began a world-shaking battle within the arena.
Psychic power and shimmering mystical energy collided in midair, and the resulting shockwaves made the entire castle tremble. The Trainers had no choice but to take cover.
Ash watched the battle intently, his Aura fully activated as he searched for an opportunity to intervene.
He could feel that this battle was far more than a clash of power—it was a collision between two completely different ideals of existence.
Meanwhile, the cloned Pokémon were also changing.
The light around them became unstable, and their eyes gradually began to show signs of their own consciousness.
The Pikachu clone, in particular, looked toward Ash and actually used Thunderbolt on its own initiative.
Even more astonishing, all the cloned Pokémon turned toward Mewtwo at the same time, their gazes filled with doubt and defiance.
...