Kalos Region – Somewhere on a grassy plain
"Want to test your strength right now?"
They had more or less finished what they came to do. If there was a next time, they could always come back. But if Mewtwo wanted to try its hand at a challenge, Paul was willing to take it to the places he remembered where powerful Pokémon could be found.
"If there's one in the Kalos region, we can try it. If not, we'll just look for Mew back home." Mewtwo replied, not eager to waste Paul's time.
"Kalos…"
In Paul's mind, the only Pokémon in this region that could rival Mewtwo's power were Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde.
Xerneas and Yveltal appeared in the movie Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, but even if that wasn't a parallel world, Paul wasn't certain where they could be found here. Xerneas might be roaming a dense forest or slumbering in the form of a massive tree, while Yveltal was likely sealed away as the Cocoon of Destruction.
That left Zygarde as the most practical target—across multiple game versions and even in the anime, Zygarde had been found in Terminus Cave. That location was well-known among Kalos trainers as a prime spot for catching powerful Pokémon, so Paul could find it with a quick search.
The only question was: would Zygarde actually be there? And if they fought, would the battle cause too much of a disturbance?
"…Right, there's also that one!"
Paul's eyes lit up as he remembered an especially unusual Pokémon—Hoopa, the Mischief Pokémon, the "Djinn of the Rings."
Although Hoopa appeared in the movies, if it also existed in the anime continuity, then it should logically be in the same location here. Even if it was in its confined form and not at full combat strength, it still had its ring portals—perfect for summoning other Pokémon instantly.
In theory, if they found Hoopa, they could use it to "call in" almost any Legendary Pokémon in this world, saving them the trouble of hunting one down. And Paul remembered exactly where it should be—a place secluded enough that even an intense battle wouldn't endanger people or other Pokémon.
"There's really a Pokémon like that?"
Mewtwo looked intrigued. It had thought Mew's ability to transform into almost any Pokémon was broken enough, but here was something arguably on the same level—if it couldn't win a fight, it could just summon another Pokémon to battle in its place.
As Paul pulled out his phone to check the location of the city where Hoopa was supposed to be, the bushes ahead rustled. A black-haired boy in a dark outfit with a distinctive blue scarf stepped out, accompanied by a Charizard.
"A Pokémon I've never seen before… such overwhelming power—will you battle me?"
Mewtwo stayed silent.
Paul, not particularly interested in a random challenge, was ready to walk away. But given the outfit, the fact they were in Kalos, the Charizard, and having seen battle footage from the main world, Paul recognized him—Alain.
"Reason?" Paul asked flatly.
"If this were the Alain from the main world, I'd at least be curious enough to fight—maybe even earn some points from a ranked match. But this Alain? At this point in his journey, he's probably not much stronger than I am now." Paul thought.
"I'm Alain. I'm traveling the world, challenging strong trainers everywhere. My goal is to defeat every Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution and become the strongest." Alain said seriously.
"I can tell—you and your Pokémon are strong."
Not long ago, Alain had received a Key Stone and a Charizardite X from Lysandre, and he was in the middle of rapid growth. His hunger for battle was at its peak.
"Chaaar!" Charizard roared in agreement, eyes full of battle lust.
Paul was tempted to let his Monferno face the Charizard, but if it Mega Evolved, beating it without using Blaze or special enhancements would be difficult.
"…Fine. Let's go."
He tossed a Poké Ball.
"Metagross, battle ready!"
A silver-bodied Metagross landed heavily on the ground.
"Shiny Metagross?"
For a moment, Alain thought of Steven Stone, Champion of the Hoenn region. Even if this Metagross wasn't on Steven's level, it was still clearly stronger than his Charizard.
"Respond to my heart—Key Stone! Mega Evolve!"
Light flared from Alain's Key Stone and Charizardite X, linking together as Charizard's form shifted. In seconds, the black-and-blue flames of Mega Charizard X burned brightly.
"Roar, Charizard! Use Flamethrower!"
A blast of intense blue fire surged toward Metagross, the heat seeming to ignite the air itself.
"Psychic."
Metagross' eyes glowed, halting the flames midair before redirecting them straight back at Charizard.
Though Charizard managed to resist thanks to its Fire/Dragon typing, the attack still broke its momentum.
"Dragon Claw!" Alain called.
Charizard tore free from the Psychic grip, wings beating as it closed in fast. Twin green claws of draconic energy formed around its forearms.
"Gravity."
Just as Charizard reached striking range, a crushing force pulled it from the air, slamming it into the ground and dragging it forward helplessly.
Before it could recover, Metagross loomed overhead—its four steel limbs glowing white as they came crashing down.
Meteor Mash. Stomp. Over and over!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
When Metagross finally stepped back, Mega Charizard X had already reverted and collapsed, unconscious.
"…..!"
Alain stood frozen, mouth slightly open. He'd thought the battle was just beginning—that even with a power gap, he might find a way to win. Instead, it had ended before he could even mount a defense.
"The strongest? Hmph… you're still a long way off."
Paul shook his head, climbing onto Metagross' back as it lifted into the air with Mewtwo.
Looking back on Alain's career, Paul thought his true highlight was during the XYZ Special: The Strongest Mega Evolution, battling alongside Steven against Team Flare's forces and defeating the Kalos Fire-type Elite Four member. Later victories—like beating Ash for the Kalos League title or joining the Masters Eight—felt almost redundant.
He didn't dislike Alain, but he knew Alain still had much room to grow.
"The true strong are those who lead the way forward—not followers, not those who are led, and not the ignorant."
With those words, Paul flew off into the distance.
Alain snapped out of his daze. "Wait—what's your name?"
"Paul."
The voice lingered in Alain's mind long after Paul had disappeared from sight.
...
Kalos Region – Dahara City
This was a unique city in the desert, its edge brushing against the sea. Beyond the coastline, nothing but an endless expanse of golden sand stretched toward the horizon.
Towering skyscrapers rose in the heart of the city, ringed by rows of cubic white-stone houses.
According to legend, a century ago, a Pokémon arrived at the small settlement that would one day become Dahara City. It brought with it tremendous wealth, and under that prosperity, the town quickly flourished.
But the Pokémon, goaded on by humans eager to display its power, waged war against other Legendary Pokémon. The battle left the city in ruins.
Now rebuilt, Dahara City stood as a distinctive destination, attracting travelers from across the world for its striking scenery and unusual history.
It didn't take long for Paul to arrive—riding atop his Metagross and bringing Mewtwo along.
This was no vacation. He had come to find a very particular Pokémon—Hoopa.
Through telepathy, Paul projected Hoopa's image into Mewtwo's mind.
"I've sent you the general appearance. Search for it. If you can't find it here, we'll check the Valley of Creation and the Terminus Cave."
Given that most Pokémon movie timelines exist in parallel worlds, Paul couldn't be sure Hoopa actually existed in this city's reality.
If Hoopa wasn't here, their next stop would be the Valley of Creation—a place Paul didn't know the exact location of, but guessed it was somewhere in the nearby mountain ranges.
If that turned up nothing, they would head for Terminus Cave to see if Zygarde was present.
Failing that, the only option left was to return to the main world and call on Little Mew for help.
"Found it."
Closing its eyes, Mewtwo unleashed a wave of psychic power, scanning the city in a sweeping carpet-like search. In just two seconds, it opened its eyes again.
"That fast?"
The pulse had barely spread before Mewtwo located its target.
"I happened to detect a unique spatial ripple." Mewtwo explained simply.
"When I checked, I locked onto the source."
According to Paul's knowledge, Hoopa could use its golden rings to open dimensional portals—summoning people or retrieving objects.
By sheer coincidence, Hoopa was using one of its rings to sneak a snack when Mewtwo saw it.
"Let's go."
With that, Metagross, Paul, and Mewtwo vanished into the air.
On a quiet observation deck, a small, pink-and-gray Pokémon hovered—its two disembodied arms floating freely as it tossed miniature cakes into its mouth.
A braid of hair hung from the top of its head, golden rings encircled each horn, and a third ring sat around its waist. Below that, no legs—just a stubby gray tail.
"Hoopa?"
A sudden voice from behind made Hoopa's eyes widen. In one smooth motion, it turned and hid the cakes behind its back.
"Hoopa wasn't stealing food! Hoopa is very well-behaved!"
But realizing it wasn't Baraz and Meray calling out, Hoopa relaxed again.
"You're mean! Jumping out like that and scaring Hoopa… Here, here—let Hoopa give you a surprise!"
Still grinning mischievously, Hoopa popped another cake into its mouth and waved its hand.
A golden ring appeared above Paul's group, expanding rapidly as a torrent of seawater poured through.
Before it could crash down, Mewtwo's eyes flashed, sending the water back through the portal and sealing it shut with psychic force.
"Impressive! Then how about this?"
Hoopa summoned three rings at once, sending them flying toward Paul's team in an attempt to warp them elsewhere.
But—
With synchronized flashes in Metagross' and Mewtwo's eyes, telekinetic energy froze the rings midair, forcibly shrinking them until they dropped neatly into Mewtwo's hand.
Confiscated.
"Ah! My rings!!!"
Feeling its connection to the rings sever, Hoopa—veteran of countless battles, panicked and charged at Mewtwo.
It barely got close before Paul caught it by the braid like a chick by the scruff, lifting it effortlessly.
"Ah… No—! Give Hoopa's rings back!"
Hoopa flailed, trying to reach Paul, but its short arms even detached from its body, couldn't extend like they could in its Unbound Form.
In this Confined Form, Hoopa's power and level were sealed along with its appearance.
Without summoning allies through its rings, it probably couldn't even beat Paul's Monferno head-on.
Utterly helpless.
"Such a nasty personality. No wonder your power was sealed."
Hoopa wasn't truly bad—just overly straightforward, proud, mischievous, and prone to acting without thinking.
With great power but little wisdom, it had been all too easy to manipulate, leading to the catastrophe that saw it sealed away.
"You're the nasty one! Stealing someone's rings—give them back!"
Still thrashing, Hoopa tried to snatch them from Mewtwo, but the mere meter of space between them might as well have been a canyon.
"Hypnosis. Quiet down."
A wave of psychic suggestion washed over Hoopa, and in moments, it drifted off to sleep.
Seeing it finally calm, Paul took an empty Poké Ball from his pocket and tapped it to Hoopa.
There weren't many Mythical or Legendary Pokémon Paul aimed to capture—besides the masters of Time, Space, Distortion, Creation, and Willpower, Hoopa was one of the few.
With Hoopa, any of his Pokémon could request battles with strong opponents—Hoopa could simply use its "Summon" technique to bring in a random Legendary for them to face.
A perfect arrangement.
Whether Hoopa stayed Confined or became Unbound didn't matter much. In fact, the power limitation of the Confined Form might even make it easier to manage.
But…
As soon as the Poké Ball touched Hoopa, a strange violet light pulsed, blocking the capture entirely.
"What's going on?"
It was Mewtwo's first time seeing a Poké Ball fail this way.
"Probably the Prison Bottle." Paul replied after a moment. "It seals Hoopa's power, and it might also prevent capture."
In this anime-derived world, unlike the games, the Prison Bottle was a high-tier artifact—crafted from three of Arceus' elemental Plates.
In fact, it might even outrank the Red Chain in power.
The only known higher-level artifact was the Jewel of Life from Arceus and the Jewel of Life created from five Plates.
"So we just give up?" Mewtwo asked.
"Yeah. I'll just ask Mew later if it can transform into Hoopa, it'll work about the same."
If Mew could transform, then with a quick phone call, it could open a portal and summon allies instantly—saving travel time entirely.
Of course, if Mew could really do that, Paul suspected it would be ecstatic at the new possibilities.
(End of chapter)
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