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The wind howled.
Li Xiang gripped Suicune's flowing purple mane, gazing at what was called the Tree of Beginning.
He had originally thought it would be a crystalline lifeform, just like in the original story, but after flying up for a closer look, he realized it was actually a dual-form lifeform where plants and crystals coexisted.
Earlier, he couldn't see clearly because the crystals were dim, but now, looking at those emitting a faint glow, he could distinctly make out plant roots within the iridescent crystals.
Iridescent crystals, plants.
The resemblance to Xerneas grew stronger and stronger.
Suddenly, a silvery-white beam shot out from the rock layer, narrowly missing Raikou!
Li Xiang looked over and spotted a strange creature, its body a leaden gray with a pitch-black center, six eyes glowing red, and black smoke billowing all around it.
—Registeel.
This creature had clearly also been affected by the black aura, becoming indiscriminate in its attacks.
Despite the ambush, the three members of the Ho-Oh Guard did not engage it, instead flying upward at an even faster speed.
Engaging a Legendary Titan at this moment would be unwise. The priority was to find the source and eliminate it.
However, as they flew higher, the number of attacks increased. Countless moves came from a swarm of Aerodactyl and Archeops with blood-red eyes, their bodies exuding black smoke.
They attacked wildly, attempting to intercept the group.
Due to the sheer numbers, the Ho-Oh Guard had no choice but to stop and deal with them before proceeding.
Volcarona indicated it could hold them off alone, but Entei refused. Mo Ye took out a PokéBall, ready to use Gyarados for a swift resolution.
Fortunately, at that moment, more Aerodactyl and Archeops appeared, unaffected by the influence. They intercepted their rampaging kin, creating a path for the Ho-Oh Guard to advance.
The group was able to resume their journey.
The Tree of Beginning was extremely tall, its altitude likely surpassing that of Mount Everest in Li Xiang's previous life.
Otherwise, given the Ho-Oh Guard's flight speed, they would have reached the top long ago.
Furthermore, the fact that such a massive "tree" had never been detected by satellites in space was proof enough of the Tree of Beginning's mystery.
The air gradually grew cold.
Li Xiang huddled within Suicune's mane; the high-altitude cold currents had little effect on him. His combat suit was otherworldly advanced technology, highly resistant to cold.
Of course, it might also have something to do with Suicune shielding him.
To be honest, at this point, things had escalated beyond Li Xiang's ability to participate. But the Ho-Oh Guard didn't dare abandon their "burden."
The Tree of Beginning was in such chaos that leaving Li Xiang somewhere random would only be sending him to his death.
They had no choice but to wait until they identified their opponent before finding a relatively safe place to put him.
Beside him, Mo Ye rubbed his PokéBall, considering using Teleport to send Li Xiang away.
But whether Teleport could lock onto coordinates in the outside world, or even coordinates on the mainland, was also a concern.
Time flowing normally didn't mean they were still in the outside world.
Moreover, the maximum distance Starmie could Teleport in one go was three kilometers. Without precise coordinates, the destination would be a random straight line from its current position.
That was extremely dangerous.
The sea wasn't absolutely safe either. Perhaps it was better to keep him close for now. Mo Ye thought this to himself.
They continued to ascend.
They had encountered Registeel and Regirock, and Li Xiang had expected to see Regice, perhaps even Regieleki or Regidrago.
Unfortunately, they did not. The Ho-Oh Guard successfully traced the outer edge of the Tree of Beginning, piercing through the lead-gray clouds and reaching its summit.
It was now dawn.
The sun rose from the horizon, releasing a golden light that illuminated everything.
Below the Ho-Oh Guard, stretched an endless sea of clouds, a pale white that swelled like water on the verge of boiling.
It was somewhat distorted, yet possessed a beauty difficult to articulate. All around them was boundless, breathtaking vastness.
But these were not the main focus. The main focus was at the summit of the Tree of Beginning, where two energy spheres continuously collided.
One was a blackish-purple that induced physical discomfort, while the other was a seemingly cute pink.
Terrifying energy pulsed high in the sky, plumes of smoke and clouds dispersing as black fumes continuously streamed downward.
These black fumes were undoubtedly the culprits driving the Legendary Titans mad and affecting the three lakes and the Tree of Beginning.
The former, presumably, was what Entei called the source. However, shrouded by surging energy, no one could see what lay within.
Daring to approach was out of the question. The energy reaction was simply too immense.
Even they dared not recklessly intervene.
What in the—
Lightning flashed within the rain cloud on Raikou's back. It was the most impatient of the group.
Seeing the two sides locked in a stalemate above while chaos spread below, it was eager to eliminate the source.
But Entei stopped it.
Wait. Now is not the time for us to intervene. Be patient.
Entei flew toward the third-tier rock layer. He needed to let Mo Ye dismount first—
Bang!
A flash of light.
Mo Ye leaped from Entei's back onto the head of his Gyarados.
"No need."
He said this as he released Starmie for Li Xiang to ride.
"Stay with it. If things go wrong, it will take you away."
"Okay."
Li Xiang nodded, carefully sitting cross-legged on Starmie's head, clutching Aegislash tightly.
For now, he would watch.
Being inherently cautious by nature, Li Xiang didn't dare stay so close. He had Starmie descend a bit, creating a sufficient distance, and looked up at the two massive spheres of light, a guess forming in his mind.
Because the scene before him was far too familiar.
—In Mewtwo Strikes Back, when Mew fought Mewtwo, they clashed purely by unleashing their power.
The only difference was that Mewtwo had used blue psychic waves.
Not blackish-purple.
Li Xiang silently speculated about the Pokémon fighting Mew, but couldn't think of any Pokémon that could release such vast amounts of negative emotions, forming Dark Matter capable of affecting the real world.
But upon second thought, he felt it didn't necessarily have to be a Pokémon.
Dark Matter itself had a form, originating from hatred, sadness, and anger, and its appearance was spherical.
Thinking about it, the blackish-purple energy could basically be confirmed as Dark Matter.
Above, as if sensing the arrival of "uninvited guests," the blackish-purple energy mass began releasing even more energy!
Seeing this, the pink energy mass responded by amplifying its output without hesitation!
Now!
Seeing this gripping moment, the members of the Ho-Oh Guard didn't panic. Instead, they sensed a prime opportunity to intervene!
Mo Ye noticed it too.
He decisively drew his sword. The silvery blade reflected the morning sun, dazzling!
"Mega evolve."
He said in a low voice.
Beneath him, Gyarados showed no fear, unleashing a roar that shook the heavens!
Its elongated form was enveloped in the light of evolution, completely transforming within seconds!
Massive wings, with openings on each side that expelled water jets, allowed it to effortlessly hover at an altitude of ten thousand meters!
"ROOOAR—!!"
It roared at the blackish-purple energy mass!
In that instant, the two energy masses violently collided!
The brilliance was instantly consumed by the blazing light of the explosion.
The world turned white. Even the sun was outshone.
The roar seemed capable of shattering the air, more deafening than any thunderclap.
The shockwave shattered a part of the Tree of Beginning's summit.
Li Xiang hid behind Aegislash, which had deployed its shield, and heard the sound of the shield cracking.
Despite being hundreds of meters away, they were still affected by the explosion's aftermath.
Fortunately, Starmie had also deployed its shield. They were merely pushed further away.
They were even fortunate enough to land on a rock layer, allowing them to steady themselves.
It was no more than a large explosion.
Li Xiang dared not open his eyes, fearing the white light would blind him. The intense heat, blocked first by the shield and then by his combat suit, felt merely the direct exposure to ultraviolet rays on a scorching summer day.
Not even close to burning.
Yet even so, he didn't dare let his guard down. He crouched tightly behind Starmie and Aegislash, breathing steadily and waiting for the air to return.
The center of the explosion had incinerated all the air.
Sure enough, the next moment, the wind buffeted Li Xiang's body, its force more extreme than any typhoon.
If Starmie hadn't been anchored as if rooted to the spot, he might have been blown away.
The white light gradually dimmed. A cacophony of roars erupted.
They were unmistakably the voices of the Ho-Oh Guard and Mega Gyarados. They didn't seem to have suffered serious injuries. They were even able to press the advantage against the blackish-purple energy mass.
Li Xiang looked up, wiping the dust from his tactical goggles, and gazed at the scene high above.
There, he immediately saw, a humanoid creature, its entire body pitch-black, with sharp golden rock formations on its shoulders and a golden tail, manipulating a golden pillar of light, single-handedly holding off a total of six Pokémon.
Among those six Pokémon was undoubtedly a pinkish, adorable Mew.
But Li Xiang's attention was now completely captivated by the besieged Pokémon.
His eyes widened, and he muttered in disbelief:
"Dark Mewtwo!"
The most successful artificial Pokémon in the Pokémon world was undoubtedly Mewtwo.
Dark Mewtwo was a character that appeared in Pokkén Tournament. It was the form taken by a normal Mewtwo influenced by the Shadow Synergy Stone.
Its power was immense.
Its ultimate attack even possessed planet-destroying capabilities!
Clearly, this entity followed the rule of "three times stronger when darkened, three times weaker when purified."
But why was it here? Appearing as the source of the Dark Matter release?
What had happened?
When was Mewtwo created, and by which organization, without any information leaking out?
Li Xiang was utterly bewildered, and deeply worried that amidst the battle, this creature might suddenly undergo Mega Evolution.
According to the lore in Pokkén Tournament, this being was terrifyingly powerful!
Unfortunately, for now, he could only watch from the sidelines.
He could only hope that Mo Ye and the others, six against one, could defeat Dark Mewtwo, or at least completely exhaust its energy.
As he thought this, the first Pokémon to withdraw from the attack sequence appeared.
It was Volcarona. After being grazed by Dark Mewtwo's Psycho Cut beam, it fell like a goose with broken wings, landing on a rock formation not far from Li Xiang.