He mentioned how the Galar region has similar fossil combinations, like Arctovish and Dracozolt, suggesting it's entirely possible for Team Rocket to create such incomplete fusion forms with their technology.
"The Dream Gene is truly versatile," said Professor Oak, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I almost want to get some for research."
At this, everyone instinctively took a step back from him.
Just then, Mew, who had been watching with amusement, appeared and waved a hand at the old man who was plotting against it.
In the blink of an eye, Professor Oak vanished.
"Where's Oak gone?" Granny Agatha asked anxiously.
Sabrina replied calmly, "He's experiencing the sensation of flying."
She noticed Oak's figure flickering in the sky, dropping a short distance before reappearing higher up. His Poké Balls had also stopped functioning.
Clearly, Mew was punishing him.
"Uh-oh," someone murmured after noticing Oak's predicament, hoping to plead on his behalf.
No one wanted to be drawn into his troubles.
"Anyway, he'll be fine. Consider it a lesson."
"Wait, what's happening?" Carl suddenly noticed that the once opaque barrier was becoming transparent.
As the scene came into view, his face shifted to a worried expression.
Mewtwo was kneeling on one knee, gasping for breath. Not far off, the fused form of the Legendary Birds, the Three-Headed Dodrio, was partially petrified.
"Mewtwo lost? And so quickly?"
"Mewtwo's defeated?"
Damaris and the others noticed the change in the barrier's appearance and looked at Carl for an explanation. They had felt the immense power of the legendary Pokémon through the battle's aftermath. Carl had mentioned that Mewtwo and Giovanni were evenly matched, so they anticipated Mewtwo might lose. But they didn't expect such a swift defeat—it seemed more like a complete suppression than an evenly matched duel.
Mew, hiding in a corner where no one noticed, watched Carl with glee. It thought, "Mewtwo got beaten so fast, let's see how smug you are now!"
"Mewtwo hasn't lost yet!" Carl suddenly interrupted its thoughts.
Mew's smile froze, and it quickly turned its attention back to the battlefield. Carl explained, "That's a Substitute technique." During the brief pause in battle, he had sensed Mewtwo's state through the barrier using his aura abilities.
The Substitute technique is special; a Pokémon can create a physical clone using a quarter of its health, while the true self hides in an alternate space, waiting for the right moment. This move can both block attacks and create opportunities for a counterattack.
Of course, Professor Oak and the others understood this technique, keeping their eyes glued to the scene on the barrier.
With a blast, Mewtwo's substitute exploded, generating a massive shockwave. Giovanni shielded his eyes with his hand, surprised. "It's a Substitute!" He had thought victory was assured, as he had pushed the Three-Headed Dodrio to attack continuously, resulting in severe petrification.
Seeing the Dodrio with only two heads left, Giovanni decisively commanded, "Use Heat Wave and Hurricane!" The fiery whirlwind, bolstered by the green storm, formed a blazing tornado, sealing off the surrounding area with immense power.
The dark barrier began to tremble, and Apollo and his team turned pale, hurriedly commanding their new Pokémon to relay Ghost-type moves. This special barrier was the result of their research into the spirit world, capable of suppressing psychic powers and enhancing Ghost-type moves.
Team Rocket had invested heavily this time. They used rare metals from the spirit world to establish the barrier, depleting resources accumulated over decades. Giovanni was determined to capture Mewtwo.
Another Mewtwo suddenly appeared, facing the incoming energy storm. Attempting to teleport failed, leaving it no choice but to brace itself and raise a shield. The collision of energies produced a shockwave that forced Carl to retract his aura—just observing such a battle was overwhelming.
As Lance arrived on his Dragonite, he witnessed New Island shattering amidst a tremendous explosion, the entire island crumbling like a giant cookie, pieces falling into the sea. The only intact section was a square area shrouded in black light—the barrier, though suppressing psychic powers, couldn't withstand the battle's aftermath.
"Chairman, New Island is collapsing!" Lance urgently contacted Damaris.
"We can see the situation from here," the Chairman's voice was heavy.
"What should I do now?"
"Stay put. This level of battle is beyond our intervention."
Lance stared at the distant energy storm, struggling to breathe. How could Giovanni and his team remain unharmed in such conditions? Even the outer shockwaves left him breathless, yet those at the storm's center were untouched.
Clearly, Giovanni didn't rely solely on personal strength to control the league; there must be some special reason.
Regarding this... Damaris turned her gaze to Carl.
"Here we go again, do they think I'm an encyclopedia?" Carl grumbled internally. This trip to Kanto was a disaster; he considered heading straight home afterward.
"This is the power of a divine realm," Carl explained with some impatience. "Simply put, it's like the innate divine abilities described in legends. Each Pokémon has unique abilities, and the divine realm is a special power only legendary-level beings can master. The principle is simple, like taming a legendary Pokémon."
Everyone exchanged glances.
"Taming legendary Pokémon? That's quite a high opinion of us!"
Yet, the way he spoke made it sound like he himself possessed legendary Pokémon.
"Did you hear that, Lance?" Damaris spoke into the communicator. "Just observe from the edge; rushing into the core area is too dangerous, and you wouldn't be able to help."
"Understood!" Lance replied, suppressing his anger. He never thought that when faced with Team Rocket's harm to Pokémon, all he could do was stand by.
"Carl, who do you think has the upper hand now?" Professor Oak sidled up to him.
The shift in address was quick—when there's a problem, it's "Carl," and when there isn't, it's just "Oak."
"Currently, it looks like Giovanni has the upper hand." Carl didn't mind the address change, analyzing seriously. "Although Mewtwo is incredibly destructive, it doesn't seem to have fully harnessed the power of the divine realm. The barrier maintained by Team Rocket's four generals must be suppressing it."
He glanced out at the massive black cube on the distant island. This was the method he'd previously predicted Team Rocket would use against Mewtwo. But the fact that even the Three-Headed Dodrio fell into Team Rocket's hands was indeed unexpected.
It seemed Mewtwo might fall into Giovanni's grasp this time.
"Are we really just going to watch?" Damaris asked gravely. Not only did Lance feel frustrated, but everyone present did too. Lorelei, Cynthia, and the others had dropped everything to come and stop Team Rocket, only to end up as spectators.
"Yes, there's nothing you can do," Carl responded bluntly.
In the face of the divine realm, the power on site was far from enough to cause any significant change.
However, Carl's choice of words was interesting.
He said "you," not "we."
Because being helpless never included him.
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