The instant the earthquake struck—
The sun in the sky flared even hotter and more merciless.
And beneath that searing sunlight, a crimson silhouette slowly emerged from across the platform.
The God of the Earth—Groudon!
Unlike other Legendary Pokémon that appeared from the heavens, this deity stood firmly rooted to the ground, claiming the earth as its domain.
At that moment, a golden shape rose slowly before Groudon.
And as soon as it appeared—
The once-bright sky was swallowed once more by darkness.
But when that golden figure ascended to its highest point, the entire sky was draped in radiant, seven-colored light.
The glow shimmered like a sea of stars.
That golden figure was none other than the Wish Pokémon, the legendary being said to awaken only once every thousand years—Jirachi!
Meanwhile—
Within that boundless starry sky, two figures flashed past in an instant.
They were identical in form—and unlike any ordinary Pokémon.
They were extraterrestrial beings from beyond the planet itself—Deoxys.
The moment the two Deoxys vanished into the veil of light, a new figure blazed into view—a streak of emerald green soaring across the heavens.
The Savior of the Skies—Rayquaza!
Rayquaza's fierce eyes glimmered coldly as a devastating Hyper Beam burst forth from its jaws.
The entire projection screen shifted in sync with the beam's angle.
And as the perspective turned—
The audience finally saw Rayquaza's target clearly.
It was none other than the "Big Dog" himself—Lucario!
Among all these Legendary Pokémon, Lucario's presence looked out of place—like a husky wandering into a pack of wolves.
Lucario leapt high into the air, narrowly dodging Rayquaza's attack, then landed steadily atop a towering cliff of stone.
The scene shifted again—
Beneath Lucario stood the three Legendary Titans: Regirock, Registeel, and Regice.
All three charged up their beams simultaneously—then fired!
Confirmed—Doggo > Titans!
Their combined Hyper Beams pierced straight through the darkened sky, flooding the world once more with light.
But then—the ocean began to tremble!
The waters surged, and from the depths burst forth a massive blue shape.
The God of the Sea—Kyogre!
Kyogre glided hundreds of meters over the water's surface before diving back into the waves.
Beneath the sea, as Kyogre's form faded into the distance, a smaller, playful silhouette darted after it—
The Prince of the Sea, Manaphy!
At Manaphy's gentle laugh, the camera soared upward.
In an instant, the view shifted from the deep ocean to outer space.
The entire Earth appeared, framed within the shining veil of light.
Two silhouettes crossed paths before it—one pink, one gold.
The pink glow could only belong to Mew, while the golden aura belonged to none other than the Rainbow Guardian, Ho-Oh!
Professor Oak: I can't take it anymore! So many Legendary Pokémon gathered in one place—what on earth is happening!? Don't tell me this "Tower of Time and Space" is really that terrifying!
Cynthia: Something feels off. Neither Darkrai, Dialga, nor Palkia appeared in that footage.
Leon: Maybe the broadcast is pulling a trick like before—a "hidden in plain sight" moment, where only special people can see certain details.
Ash: I don't think so. I didn't see anything unusual this time.
Professor Kukui: I think the key detail is Lucario. Didn't you notice? Every other Pokémon was Legendary—Lucario was the only one different.
Bea: Professor Kukui's got a point. I don't know all those Legendary Pokémon, but Lucario really didn't fit in.
Professor Rowan: I doubt it's just a tease. The broadcast wouldn't mess with us like that.
Steven Stone: Yeah, and if something special was happening, Ash would've noticed. Since he didn't—it's probably nothing.
Gary: Or… maybe that Lucario is the same one from the story of the "Wave-Guiding Hero." After all, only that Lucario could command the three Titans.
Elaine: No, Sir Aaron's Lucario is still sealed inside the staff. I've tried lifting the seal myself—it can only be undone by someone with Aaron's aura, which means Ash.
Flint: Then something's not right. If that really was Aaron's Lucario, then what we just saw wasn't from our world!
Steven: You know what—that actually makes sense. Both Groudon and Kyogre should still be sealed away; they shouldn't be able to move freely.
Cynthia: Then what's the purpose of showing us all this?
Ash: Maybe it's not that deep. The broadcast might just be reminding us that these Pokémon are gods.
Professor Rowan: Hm… Ash might be right. Maybe it's just setting the stage—to contrast with the upcoming Darkrai.
Aaron (Elite Four): Then just how terrifying are these next three going to be, if the broadcast's going to such lengths?
Everyone drew a sharp breath.
The Pokémon that had appeared just now were all divine beings—holders of cosmic authority.
Even those that weren't, like Mew or Celebi, possessed powers beyond comprehension.
Even Lucario—the "Big Dog"—had shown the most powerful Aura Force yet seen.
So what kind of Pokémon could possibly surpass them?
A chill crept through the audience.
Was this going to be… an actual world-ending crisis?
And if it was—
Would everything once again depend on Ash?
In the projection—
After Ho-Oh and Mew's silhouettes crossed paths, the light faded into blackness.
But the darkness didn't last long.
In the next second, a pinkish-yellow face filled the screen.
Anyone familiar with it knew instantly who it was.
Ash's loyal partner—
The strongest Electric Mouse in history—Pikachu!
"Pika pi!"
With Pikachu's crisp cry, the camera zoomed out.
As expected, Ash appeared beside it.
But this time, he wasn't wearing his usual blue-and-white outfit.
Instead, he wore a black-and-yellow jacket over a white T-shirt, and his cap—once the familiar red-and-white—was now a striking red-and-black.
The breeze ruffled his hair gently as Pikachu perched on his shoulder, both of them staring into the distance with determined eyes—like heroes ready to face destiny.
Behind them stretched a vast blue sky dotted with clouds.
Then suddenly, the background shifted—
The sky split into four panels, highlighting Ash at the center.
Each quadrant began replaying fragments of his past—
His battle against Mewtwo, his Charizard fighting Lugia—
…and many more scenes flashed by.
Then Brock appeared beside him.
The screen expanded again—this time into a nine-panel grid, displaying glimpses of every Legendary Pokémon that had appeared before.
Ash riding Suicune…
Ash and Misty's encounter with Celebi…
Deoxys, Rayquaza, even a shot of Pikachu standing atop Rayquaza's head—
Wait, what?!
As the montage continued, a girl in a black skirt appeared beside Ash.
The grid shifted once more—becoming sixteen panels—each showing Ash's encounters and friendships with Legendary Pokémon throughout his journeys.
These images radiated warmth and awe, illustrating the bonds between Ash and the divine.
Then, as suddenly as it began, all the vibrant lights faded.
The calm blue sky returned.
This time, Ash was joined not only by Brock but also by that same black-skirted girl.
The three stood atop a seaside cliff, gazing out over the vast ocean, as if admiring a legendary view.
Beside them were their Pokémon—
Pikachu as always at Ash's side.
Brock cradled a pink Pokémon in his arms.
Pachirisu and Ambipom chased each other playfully, while high above, Staraptor soared over the sea.
But among them all, the most striking figure was Croagunk, standing in the corner—its wise, watchful eyes staring directly at the viewers through the screen, as if aware of being watched.
Sabrina: So those are Ash's new companions? They don't look that impressive.
Bruno: Wait, I think I've found something big. That same dark-skinned guy was with Ash in "The Wave-Guiding Hero." Yeah, that's Brock!
Bruno: And I remember him—he's been with Ash since Kanto! Then in Hoenn, he traveled with that girl May!
Bruno: So if this is Sinnoh, that means… Brock's been with Ash for four regions!
Bruno: Therefore, my bold conclusion—Brock is Ash's true partner! Maybe even something… more!
Sabrina: !!!
Cynthia: !!!
Delia (Ash's Mom): !!!
Brock: Hey! Elite Four Bruno, don't start rumors! Ash and I are purely friends! I'm a breeder, okay? A breeder!
Misty: Brock, don't tell me all your "flirting" with girls was just an act?
Brock: No, no! My heart belongs only to older women, I swear!
Delia: Misty dear, don't worry so much—you can trust my Ash's… ahem—
Ash: What are you guys even talking about!? I don't understand a single word!
Cynthia: Shh. Don't worry about it, Ash. Just keep watching.
Lance: You're all focusing on the wrong thing! Did none of you see the scenes in those little panels? That was unbelievable!
Alder: You're telling me! I've lived a long time and never seen that many Legendary Pokémon before!
Lusamine: At this point, I'm convinced Ash must be Arceus's illegitimate child. Otherwise, how could every Legendary Pokémon adore him?
Professor Birch: Hah! Professor Juniper, that's your field—care to explain?
Professor Rowan: Hey! I only study Pokémon origins, not humans!
Birch: But that's the point! If Ash's origins tie to Arceus, you might actually find something big!
Ash: Huh? I'm just a normal kid from Pallet Town! Nothing special about me!
Ash sighed, frustrated.
Why did nobody ever believe him?
He really was just an ordinary boy.
Making friends with Legendary Pokémon? That was their kindness, not his power.
(Ho-Oh, please—just give me a chance, be my friend.)
Just then, a warm hand ruffled his hair.
Ash looked up—Cynthia was smiling down at him.
For a moment, Ash thought her smile felt… strangely comforting.
It was a feeling he'd never known before.
Cynthia watched as his cheeks flushed red, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
So this was the boy said to bring fortune—Ash Ketchum, the child who met the gods.
How blessed she was to see so many Legends firsthand!
And by the look of things, most of what had been shown hadn't even happened yet.
If she stayed by Ash's side, she might witness those miracles herself…
Perhaps even catch one of those mythical beings.
The thought made her eyes soften in delight.
Such a wonderful feeling.
Up to this point, the viewers still hadn't realized what the so-called "crisis" of this special episode was.
In the previous special, The Wave-Guiding Hero, the theme of war was clear from the very beginning.
But in The Battle of the Tower of Time and Space, nothing seemed amiss.
Neither the tower, nor the three great Pokémon of time and space, had appeared.
But… was that really true?
On the screen—
The peaceful seaside scene faded away, replaced by a vast expanse of clouds.
It seemed to be high above the earth, tranquil and serene.
Yet the calm was deceiving.
The very next second—
The entire screen dimmed.
Not blacked out, but darkened in an unsettling, unnatural way.
From within that gloom came deep, echoing roars—sounds so haunting they made the viewers' hearts pound.
Something enormous was hiding in the dark.
Threads of light twisted faintly through the blackness—like warped strands of time itself.
Then suddenly—
A single point of light exploded, blooming into a blinding white flare!
The shockwave tore through the darkness, shaking the void itself.
And then the audience saw what had been hidden—
Countless Unown, floating in silence.
They murmured softly, enduring the violent shockwave without protest, as though oblivious.
One by one, their bodies began to shine—until the whole space glittered with their light.
But when the brilliance faded…
Silence.
Only endless, oppressive black remained.
Then—
In that abyss—
An eye opened.
Just one look—
and the world seemed to fall into it.
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