In the backyard of the Oak Institute, an event capable of shaking the entire world was quietly unfolding.
Red, the legendary trainer who had conquered Kanto at ten in a parallel world, was facing off against Leon, the undefeated Champion of this world who had never lost a professional match since his own debut at ten.
Mewtwo had already prepared the battlefield—a standard arena-sized space. No matter how much the earth shattered inside, Red could easily repair it with psychic power afterward. It was merely a small stage for titans.
S-Mewtwo (Ash's) stood by Ash's side. People looked at the two Mewtwos with immense curiosity. While they appeared identical, their temperaments were distinct.
S-Mewtwo possessed a fierce independence, having led a revolution of clones and contemplated the meaning of existence. R-Mewtwo (Red's), by contrast, was a colder, more clinical engine of destruction.
Inside the barrier, Red and Leon stood opposite each other. Without a word, they released their aces simultaneously: Charizard! It was to be a battle of fire against fire.
"Mr. Leon, you truly deserve the title of this world's strongest trainer. Your reputation is well-earned."
Beside the Fountain of Life, Red was feeding spring water to his battle-scarred Charizard. He poured some over the dragon's wounds; the gashes healed within ten seconds.
Leon's Charizard was in even worse shape, barely conscious. Leon followed suit, treating his partner with the miraculous water.
"You are the stronger one, Red," Leon said with a graceful, if tired, smile. "If we had continued... I definitely would have lost."
Red had called for a draw toward the end, stating he had seen enough of Leon's strength. But Leon knew the truth: his Charizard was not the equal of Red's.
Even in tactical command, Red had suppressed him. Is this the strength of the strongest from another world?
"I felt it was unfair to continue since you couldn't use your strongest tool—Gigantamax," Red said noncommittally. "I would very much like to fight a Gigantamax Charizard one day."
Red believed Leon could still grow. This wasn't his peak. If Leon had a rival to push him every day—someone like Blue was for Red—he would reach even greater heights.
"That battle was amazing!" Ash cheered, his eyes shining. "Charizard, we have to reach that level too!" "Roar!" "Pika-pika!!" "Haha, you too, Pikachu! All of us! We're going to stand at the top of the world!" Ash declared. But then, a loud stomach growl broke the tension, and the gathered legends burst into laughter.
"We should head back for lunch. Mr. Lance, have you all eaten?" "The League provided for us," Diantha answered for Lance.
"But a certain Champion who snuck away definitely hasn't eaten yet~" She looked at Cynthia, who was crouched on the ground, teasing Pikachu.
"Cough! What do you mean 'snuck away'?" Cynthia stood up, smoothing her clothes. "I just felt there was an ice cream I absolutely had to buy! And... I got lost on the way back. That's all!" Diantha: "..." You could just admit you ditched us for snacks, you know.
"Would you like to come back and eat with us, Miss Cynthia?" Ash invited. "Will it be a bother to your mother?" "Not at all! Mom always makes extra. The more the merrier!"
Thus, "Free-Loader Cynthia" joined the group.
"Red, after lunch, can I have a match?" Lance asked. "And me!" "I want to see the strength of the parallel world's best!" "Let's see if your fire can melt my steel!" The Elite Four and the other Champions threw down their gauntlets.
Red's lips curved into a rare smile. How long had it been since so many people dared to challenge him? In his world, everyone except Blue had long since given up. This was exactly what he wanted.
"After we eat," Red promised.
The lunch at the Ketchum house was a grand affair. With Ash, his friends, Red, and two Mewtwos, Delia had essentially prepared for eight people.
S-Mewtwo found Delia's cooking to be far superior to any Pokémon food he'd ever tasted.
Afterward, the battles began. R-Mewtwo dutifully maintained the barrier. Red used only two Pokémon—Charizard and Pikachu—and systematically dismantled the aces of every Champion present.
Even the proud Lance was humbled.
"Impressive! To defeat Leon and then us... Your strength is extraordinary! Just you wait, Red, I will grow stronger and defeat you one day!" Lance declared.
Diantha leaned over and whispered, "Lance, by saying that, you've probably guaranteed you'll never win for the rest of your life. You know how your luck works." Lance: "..." I've had enough of you!
Eventually, R-Mewtwo went on strike. 'This is the last one! I am a God, not a portable arena generator!' "Last one, last one," Red pacified him.
The final duel was Lance vs. Diantha—
A battle to vent their frustrations and decide who would be the primary target of the chat's future jokes. Lance used Dragonite; Diantha used Gardevoir.
Unsportsmanlike as it was, she immediately Mega Evolved. Lance's face turned green. He had no Z-Move, no Mega Evolution, and Gigantamax was disabled here.
He was purely being bullied by the "system."
Lance lost. His status as a Champion dropped by one tier in the group's eyes.
As the champions exchanged training tips with Red, they learned a terrifying truth: Ash's Pikachu could already touch the power of a Champion. Even if it was only for one strike before fainting, that was a feat most geniuses took years to achieve. Ash had been traveling for only six months.
With the Champions staying as "guest coaches," Ash's training team became the most luxurious in history. Every one of his Pokémon had a Champion or Elite Four member assigned to them.
The afternoon arrived: The Top 8 Match of the Indigo League. The world watched with bated breath. Ash's opponent, Lily, had prepared extensively.
She led with Rhydon, specifically to counter Charizard and Pikachu. She expected Ash to be overconfident.
Instead, Ash led with Squirtle. He had read her perfectly. Rhydon's 4x weakness to Water led to a quick defeat. Ash proceeded to sweep five of her Pokémon without losing a single one of his own.
For the final clash against her Ivysaur, Ash released a silver-purple figure. "Heavens!! What am I seeing?! Ash's sixth Pokémon is... Mewtwo! Ash Ketchum has caught Mewtwo and is using him in the Top 8!!" The commentator's voice shook the stadium.
The world went silent. Lance and the others were stunned; they didn't know Ash planned to use him. If Mewtwo were on the field, even a Champion would have to kneel.
'I will fight only this once. I will not appear in the matches following this,' Mewtwo's voice echoed through the stadium's speakers via telepathy.
With a casual wave of his hand, a psychic shockwave sent Ivysaur flying, instantly knocking it out.
The match was over. Ash's victory was expected, but the debut of Mewtwo was a message. It was a warning to every evil organization on the planet: Ash Ketchum was under the protection of a God.
Lily was terrified, and Ash later went to apologize to her privately. She didn't mind, though she remained curious about one thing...
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