Deep blue light erupted from Greninja, its aura flaring as it forcibly wrested control of the weather from the surroundings.
Wei's face twisted. "Hmph! Kingdra, use Tsunami!"
Tsunami—the evolved form of Surf. Kingdra gathered the torrential rainwater, molding it into a gargantuan wall of water that surged toward Greninja with the weight of the ocean.
"Greninja, Ice Beam!" Feng Che commanded, his voice a pillar of calm.
Greninja slammed its frost-covered palm onto the ground. A surge of absolute zero energy burst forth, and everywhere the pulse touched, the earth was instantly encrusted with jagged ice pillars. The towering wave was frozen solid in mid-air, a shimmering monument of ice.
"Impossible! My Kingdra's Tsunami... frozen solid?!" Wei's pupils constricted. He stared in disbelief as the lower half of his Kingdra was sealed within the ice, unable to budge.
Greninja's hand flared with a massive Water Shuriken. It leaped, slicing through the frozen wave. A blue flash of cold light flickered, and every ice pillar in the clearing shattered into a million fragments. Kingdra let out a pained moan and collapsed.
"Hmph. Kingdra, you were too careless. But I haven't lost yet!"
Wei's Octopus-like tentacles lashed out, snatching Kingdra from the ground. He began funneling his synthetic weather-control power directly into the Pokémon's body, turning it into a mindless puppet of raw energy.
Kingdra's eyes snapped open, glowing with a hollow blue light. Under its forced influence, the weather turned catastrophic. Jagged bolts of lightning tore through the black clouds, homing in on Greninja. Before the ninja could react, a golden bolt struck it directly.
Wei's face split into a triumphant grin. But the smile died instantly. He watched as the "charred" Greninja began to flicker and dissipate into thin air.
"A phantom? I hit an Afterimage?!"
"This can't be! I have the power of the Gods!" Wei screamed, his voice reaching a fever pitch. "A common Pokémon cannot escape me! The lightning just wasn't fast enough!"
He manipulated the sky again, raining down a barrage of zigzagging bolts. The air was filled with Greninja's afterimages as the Pokémon moved with supernatural speed, utilizing Double Team to weave through the storm.
"It's over, Wei."
Feng Che snapped his fingers. Wei turned in horror to find the real Greninja standing inches from his face. A frost-covered palm slammed into his chest, and in a heartbeat, Wei was encased in a block of solid ice.
Feng Che, aren't you going to finish him? Mewtwo asked, curious. It understood the necessity of "pulling a weed by its roots."
"I want to study how he manipulates the weather," Feng Che replied. "If I can decode it, it will be a massive boost for Greninja." He shoved the frozen statue of Wei into his storage ring.
The Parasite Purged
"Feng Che, I need your help," Maki said, finally stepping forward.
"I know," Feng Che replied, his clear eyes meeting hers. "You want me to remove the mental seal in your head, right?"
"Yes." Maki nodded, handing him a USB drive. "I've gathered everything on the Pure Heaven Sect, including Shaka's experimental data."
"Close your eyes and steady your heart." Feng Che took out the Green Leaf Orb, using it to amplify his Power of Viridian. A pale green light enveloped Maki.
She felt a gentle warmth seeping into her skin, but the moment the power touched the Sky Miasma within her, it reacted like oil on fire. The corruption flared up, causing Maki to scream in agonizing pain.
"Hold on. It'll be over soon." Viridian power was the natural enemy of the miasma. Under the Orb's boost, the darkness began to melt like snow.
However, as the power reached her mind, it met a massive wall of resistance. Feng Che projected his consciousness into Maki's mental sea to investigate. There, he was met by a terrifying sight: a gargantuan Black Ho-Oh descending from the mental sky.
"Feng Che... you truly have a knack for ruining my plans," the Black Ho-Oh hissed, its eyes fixed on him with hatred. "But you cannot stop my return. Soon, I will shatter my seal and descend upon the world. When that day comes, every 'Child of Viridian' like you will be wiped from existence."
"I intended to use Maki as my vessel. Since this body has been 'defiled' by your power, I shall discard it."
The Black Ho-Oh's form began to expand violently.
Not good! It's going to detonate in her mind! Feng Che realized. If her mental sea shattered, Maki would either die or become a vegetable. The avatar was a fail-safe to prevent her from revealing the Sect's secrets.
Feng Che desperately funneled Viridian power to wrap around the bird. The shadow shrieked as the light touched it.
"You dare desecrate the majesty of a God? When I arrive, I will burn you in the fires of hell for three days and nights! Wait for me!"
The Black Ho-Oh exploded. The mental shockwave hammered against Maki's psyche. Her face turned deathly pale, and a trickle of blood escaped her lips. At the last microsecond, Mewtwo intervened, using its peerless psychic strength to stabilize her mental sea.
The Final Ascent
"You've officially defected," Feng Che said to the weakened Maki once they were back in reality. "I've cleared the miasma from your system. Take Taki and Zhi to my nursery in Celadon City and wait for me there."
He checked Taki and Zhi as well, finding they lacked the lethal mental seals, likely because they were seen as more expendable tools than Maki.
"I understand. Be careful, Master Feng Che," Maki whispered. Zhi's vines gently wrapped around Maki, glowing with green light as she used her Viridian Leaf power to begin the healing process.
Feng Che finally reached the summit of Mt. Tensei. Before him sat a massive, altar-like rock formation.
"Ditto, fly to the top of the altar," he commanded.
Ditto flapped its gold and silver wings, heading for the heights. Suddenly, a Shadow Ball crackling with black electricity tore through the air, cutting off Ditto's path.
Marshadow has revealed itself. Should Feng Che let Ditto face the shadow guardian alone to prove its worth as the Hero's Pokémon, or should he call out Gengar to engage in a battle of shadows?