On Fantasy Island, Mewtwo unrolled the scroll Ash had sent and read through it twice.
Tekkai. A technique that distributed power evenly through the body, hardening the skin to the density of forged steel against incoming force. Universal in application, brutal in the training required to develop it, and completely attribute-neutral, meaning any Pokémon could learn it regardless of type.
Mewtwo was a psychic type. Close-range combat had always been his acknowledged blind spot. If something got inside his barrier range, his options narrowed considerably.
He looked at the scroll for a long moment, then set it down and fired a blue Aura Sphere straight up through the open ceiling of the castle.
The signal burst in the air above the Dream Forest like a flare.
...
They came in ones and twos at first, then all at once. Lugia and Charizard arrived together, which was becoming a habit. Blastoise came low and fast from the direction of the lake. The others filtered in behind them until the castle's main hall was crowded with the full roster of Ash's core partners, filling the space with overlapping auras and the particular charged energy of Pokémon who trained together regularly.
"Master sent this," Mewtwo said, holding up the scroll. "For all of us."
The room went quiet while they read it in turns.
Then everyone started talking at once.
"This is incredible."
"He invented this himself?"
"My defense is already strong but if I layer this over it..."
"I keep losing speed after my last evolution. If I can compensate with this..."
Lugia was the last to finish reading. He set the scroll down with the careful deliberateness of someone processing something genuinely surprising. "I've lived a long time," he said. "I haven't seen a human create a technique applicable across species before."
"He keeps doing things that aren't supposed to be possible," Charizard said, not particularly bothered by this fact.
"Start drilling it," Mewtwo said. "The conditioning sequence is in the lower section of the scroll. It's going to be unpleasant."
"How unpleasant," Blastoise asked.
"The notes say 'sustained self-application of force to build resistance across the full body surface.'"
A brief silence.
"So he wants us to hit ourselves repeatedly," Charizard said.
"Essentially."
"Fine."
They got to work.
...
Alto Mare, noon
The square was busy with midday foot traffic when Ash arrived with Sabrina, James, Jessie, and Meowth. Bianca was already waiting near the central fountain, Latias hovering close in her human disguise and Latios a careful distance behind, watching Ash with the measured attention of someone who hadn't fully decided yet.
"You came," Bianca said, smiling. "Grandfather said he'd like to meet you too. Come on."
She led them through two side streets and a garden gate into a property that James initially mistook for a small castle.
"It's a museum," Bianca said, before he could finish the observation.
Inside, the collection was extraordinary. Display cases of artifacts from the incident four hundred years prior, maps, written accounts, preserved materials that predated the modern Johto League by centuries. The whole space had the quiet weight of a place that took its history seriously.
An older man came to meet them at the entrance, broad-shouldered in the way of someone who'd spent a lifetime at sea, with a warm face and a handshake that meant business.
"Lorenzo," he said, gripping Ash's hand. "Bianca's told me about you. I've been curious."
"Ash. This is Sabrina." He gestured. "And the rest are friends."
Lorenzo smiled at the group and ushered them inside. They settled in the museum's back room, the kind of space that was half living area and half storage, with tea and bread appearing from somewhere without anyone formally asking.
The conversation found its way to the point naturally.
"I'll be honest," Ash said, setting his cup down. "I came here partly because of the legend. The ancient trainer who fought Latios, the Sea Crown, the Soul Dew. I want to understand the power involved." He paused. "And I'd like the chance to battle Latios and Latias, if they're willing. Not to force anything. Their choice."
Lorenzo leaned back and looked at him without any particular alarm. "Latios and Latias aren't native to Alto Mare," he said. "They come here because the Soul Dew is here, because it carries what remains of their father. If they want to go with you, I won't stand in the way." He folded his hands. "What I care about is whether the person asking is worth trusting."
Latios, who had been standing near the doorway in his true form, turned his head slowly toward Ash.
Ash looked back at him and said nothing, letting the Aura speak for itself.
Latios held the gaze for a long moment.
Then, almost imperceptibly, his posture eased.