The Level 2 Tauros units didn't wait for Caleb's command, they charged straight into the outer walls (fences) of the territory with Raging Bull.
The already flimsy walls now looked even more fragile, swaying like a delicate flower in the wind. With each thunderous impact, their durability plummeted.
Ewan didn't react in time...
'Damn it!' He stood there with his mouth agape, inwardly cursing himself.
He'd treated this Instance like a standard strategy game, completely overlooking the Pokémon's extraordinary abilities to teleport and breathe fire!
Every player ranked among the top twenty on the leaderboard was exceptional. After a moment of self-reflection, Ewan quickly snapped back to action, pulling six Poké Balls out of thin air and tossing them upward.
At the same time, his gaze swept toward Caleb, who stood nearby with a 'let's see what you've got' expression.
It looked like Caleb didn't bring the other Pokémon from his team, only Mewtwo... Ewan's previously anxious heart surged with joy at this, but quickly turned to shame and anger.
They were both high-profile players, but it seemed like Caleb was looking down on him.
Ewan shouted, "Blastoise! Arcanine! Gyarados! Scizor! Skarmory! Ludicolo! go!"
Then, with a wave of his hand, he remotely summoned all his troops from the barracks via the Lord panel.
Each territory spawned different fixed soldier types, so instead of Pidgey or Tauros, Ewan deployed a swarm of Electrodes crackling with electricity.
Their target was clear... they charged straight at the Tauros units that were attacking the walls.
The two sides clashed instantly, sparks flying and dust billowing.
Caleb glanced at the chaotic battle below, then shifted his gaze to the six incoming Pokémon...
"Are you going to Mega Evolve?" Caleb asked.
He wasn't the type to underestimate his opponent... After all, they were both top-ranked players. Besides the Judgment move card, Ewan surely had other powerful items.
However, Mewtwo simply narrowed his eyes and replied: >..No need..<
Before the words had even finished, Mewtwo vanished from his spot and reappeared directly in front of the fastest Pokémon, Arcanine.
A torrent of psychic energy surged outward like a tidal wave, sending Arcanine flying backward instantly.
Next came Skarmory.
Mewtwo's movements were fluid and elegant, almost like a performance.
'As expected of Mewtwo, he's absolutely formidable!' Caleb thought, then turned to look at Ewan.
That single look alone nearly made Ewan explode with rage. Though Caleb said nothing, Ewan instantly understood the meaning behind his gaze, 'That mother f*cker! He's looking down on me! If that's how it is, don't blame me for being ruthless!'
With a loud snap, Ewan pulled out his most powerful item from his inventory, a massive key radiating a dark, shadowy aura:
[Key of Banishment: SS-tier item. When used on a designated Pokémon, it
banishes the target to the Distortion World.
- Duration: until the Instance ends. Usable once per Instance...]
Originally, Ewan hadn't planned to use this item, because it required a cringe-worthy incantation to activate. But compared to the humiliation of being wiped out six-on-one, he'd rather suffer the embarrassment!
So he shouted at the top of his lungs: "O key that harbors the power of darkness! Reveal your true strength before me! By the name of your master, Ewan Calder, I command you: Seal, release!"
Caleb was stunned.
Mewtwo paused mid-motion.
At that moment, the key expanded several times over, emitting a blinding black light.
Then, a rift tore open behind Mewtwo, and a massive suction force dragged him inside.
*Ding!*
[The opponent has used the item 'Key of Banishment'. Your Pokémon, Mewtwo, has been banished to the Distortion World and cannot be used again until this Instance ends!]
Caleb: "…"
'Alright, now I get what that bizarre performance was all about...' He thought.
"Let's see what you've got now!" Ewan snorted coldly. He then pulled out an item that instantly restored his Pokémon's HP and healed Blastoise and the others.
Caleb: "…"
Ewan studied his expression closely, hoping to see a trace of panic on the face of the top-ranked player. But after staring for ages, he found nothing.
On the contrary, that handsome face remained calm, even bordering on nonchalance.
Ewan tilted his head in confusion, 'No reaction? Not even a hint of fear?'
Caleb: "I wasn't planning to use it yet, but since you attacked me yesterday, I suppose I'll return the favor and send you packing."
Ewan froze, 'What did that little bastard just say? Send me packing? Without Mewtwo, how?'
"You–" Ewan tried to speak, but the next moment, he was speechless.
A massive black rift tore open on the same spot where Mewtwo had just vanished.
Seeing this, Ewan's pupils contracted, and alarm bells rang in his mind.
'No! No way! Since when did Mewtwo possess the power to escape from the Distortion World?! Did my item get counte–'
"Roar!"
Before he could think further, a deep roar echoed from the rift.
Then, a massive figure with black, red, gold, and gray coloring flew out.
"Giratina?!" Ewan's eyes widened, his expression filled with disbelief.
He'd never heard of Caleb capturing Giratina, and that creature clearly wasn't a General-class NPC spawned by this Instance!
That's because the moment Giratina emerged, it affectionately pounced on Caleb, its cry full of joy and excitement from a long-awaited reunion.
It was obvious that Giratina was familiar with Caleb.
Ewan began to question his sanity...
But the next moment, an even more shocking scene unfolded... From the still-open rift emerged a creature radiating divine energy, a pure white llama embedded with eighteen plates!
Ewan's mind almost short-circuited.
Forget Ewan, even Caleb was stunned at this unexpected turn of events.
He had only used the item 'Giratina's Aid Opportunity' obtained in the Dystopia Instance to summon Giratina. So he failed to understand what Arceus doing here...
Arceus didn't know either. It had been resting when it suddenly sensed a disturbance from the Distortion World, an intrusion of power not belonging to their universe.
So Arceus rushed to investigate, only to see Giratina escaping through the rift.
The moment Giratina left, Arceus clearly sensed its aura vanish from the universe.
Seeing that, Arceus turned its gaze toward the rift, realizing that beyond it rift lay a different reality...