The Council of Elders of the New Empire was well aware of the situation: the mythical Pokémon of Unova had fallen back, some even assimilated into the virus swarm.
But to the New Empire, the surge of wartime sentiment among the public wasn't a problem. On the contrary, it was an opportunity, a perfect chance to dismantle the old League order and rise to global dominance.
The Council immediately mobilized across multiple sectors: while assessing the damages, they began laying out the next phase of their strategy.
They understood clearly that the outcome of the mythical Pokémon's battle would ultimately decide the war, but that didn't mean they could afford to neglect the societal front.
Thanks to the infection's hyper-efficient communication between hosts, military forces across several continents had already begun mobilizing.
In truth, these deployments had long been prepared, this was merely the excuse to set them in motion.
At the same time, the Empire swiftly dispatched organizations and medical teams to the devastated cities, rescuing both people and Pokémon from near-total ruin.
Citizens of the New Empire, human and Pokémon alike, possessed remarkable regenerative resilience. As long as they hadn't perished on the spot, most would recover thanks to their potent self-healing abilities.
...
Meanwhile.
Within the Reverse World.
A vast host of mythical Pokémon had entered this place, a realm where up and down, left and right held no meaning, and space twisted in impossible angles.
In this shadow of the world, eerie darkness reigned. Here and there floated bubbles, some small, some immense, each reflecting corresponding locations in the real world.
The Reverse World was a mirror dimension, a layer overlaid upon the planet's structure. Though it matched the world in scale, even mythical Pokémon found it difficult to locate Giratina within it.
Tracking Giratina's aura alone would take far too long.
But the group had a better way.
They weren't the only ones here, two humans had entered with them, aboard a massive aircraft.
It was none other than Professor Newton Graceland, obsessed with Reverse World research, and his assistant, Gero.
Thanks to ongoing support from Hive, the League, and corporations like Devon and Greater Mauville Holdings, a device capable of reading dimensional ripples and emulating the power of distortion had been completed years ahead of schedule.
"Let's move," Professor Newton said, staring at the control panel's signal display. "This craft can trace Giratina's movements."
Wherever the ruler of the Reverse World passed, it left spatial ripples, clearly detectable by the ship's sensors.
Powered by an ∞ Energy Engine, the vessel moved swiftly, ferrying the mythical Pokémon in pursuit of Giratina.
They had to reach it before Arceus did.
...
Above Hero's Summit in Unova.
Now that Arceus had departed, its divine light no longer warded the skies. Lucius emerged from the body of Primal Groudon as a mass of ever-shifting black mist.
"Kyurem," the mist echoed with a voice that pierced straight into the mind, "you know full well the gap between us."
Though the voice was only meant for Kyurem, the Extraterrestrial Dragon, it brought searing pain to its mind and carried an eerie, invasive energy.
Had it not been for the golden shield left behind by Arceus, Lucius could have corrupted Kyurem's consciousness with his voice alone.
"My power may not match yours," Kyurem replied with unshaken calm, its temper no longer the violent storm it once was, now reformed through the fusion with Reshiram and Zekrom. "But I don't need to defeat you. I just need to delay you, long enough for Arceus to reclaim its dominion. When that happens, you won't be able to stand against it."
"You truly believe that?" Lucius's voice swirled through the mist. "Even if Arceus absorbs Giratina, it still won't return to full strength. By then, I'll have control over this entire world. At best, it'll be a standoff."
He continued, "Arceus might be able to hold its own, but it won't be able to save you."
Kyurem fell silent, unmoved.
Though called a mythical Pokémon, Kyurem was not native to this world. Especially after absorbing a portion of Arceus's energy, the resulting internal conflict had even caused it to split apart.
Lucius's words rang with disturbing truth. Arceus hadn't only shed its power into Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, it had fragmented itself into all living beings: humans, Pokémon, even plants.
Almost all life traced its origin back to Arceus. But to reclaim its full self, it would need to absorb every piece.
And now, most of those pieces were infected by the virus. Taking them back would be inviting destruction, and even Arceus risked infection.
It wouldn't dare. Which meant it could never return to its prime.
"We could strike a deal," Lucius offered, black mist shifting like a serpent. "Whatever Arceus promised you, I can do better. Think it over. Time is short."
Kyurem remained wordless.
Not far off, Mewtwo's expression changed. Without warning, it teleported away.
Far across the skies.
Mewtwo reappeared in the air miles away, completely cloaked, aura suppressed, tailing a dark cloud moving at tremendous speed.
It was a detached part of Lucius, split from him while he negotiated with Kyurem.
When Arceus had revealed itself earlier, Mewtwo had instantly recognized that awe-inspiring presence, the ultimate being of life.
It was the origin of all things, Pokémon born from eggs, humans from wombs, plants from seeds, and even itself, born of engineered DNA.
That revelation had changed everything. Mewtwo understood now: it was not a mistake. It was no abomination. Like every other being, it, too, had a rightful place in the world.
Before departing for the Reverse World, Arceus had given Mewtwo a task:
Surveillance. Watch the virus.
The moment Mewtwo reappeared, Lucius noticed. Stealth was no use, microbes in the air betrayed Mewtwo's position.
But Lucius didn't strike. Instead, his black mist split into dozens of streams and scattered in every direction.
Mewtwo realized it had been exposed. Its eyes flared blue, and a psychic wave exploded outward.
Pressure Surge.
The fleeing black mist froze in place, like insects trapped in amber, suspended midair.
But only for a moment.
In the next instant, the mist slipped free of Mewtwo's psychic grip, reshaping itself into a flowing cloak that lunged toward him.
Mewtwo flickered across the sky with Teleport, evading the creeping cloak with blinding speed.
Golden light erupted from its body, expanding and flooding the surrounding skies for miles.
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