In an instant, countless Pokémon surged toward Ash and Red!
Flames, poison, lightning, falling boulders—
Every move that could be unleashed was thrown at them without restraint.
The villain alliance spared nothing.
Though Ash and Red looked young—
The alternate Team Rocket trio had already warned them of these two's terrifying strength.
So their strategy was simple:
Drown them in attacks immediately.
Leave no room to resist!
There was no coordination.
No formation.
Just overwhelming numbers and raw saturation firepower.
Like a tidal wave of destruction, the attacks swallowed the battlefield.
Anyone else—
At the sight of this—
Would think only one thing.
Run.
This wasn't something a human could withstand.
Even an ordinary Legendary Pokémon might fall under this kind of bombardment!
But—
The alternate Team Rocket trio and the villain alliance had forgotten something.
Their opponents—
Were not ordinary people.
Red.
The strongest Trainer of the current era.
Ash.
The future Pokémon Master.
And now—
The brothers stood side by side.
In perfect sync, they raised their arms, revealing the Mega Stones embedded within.
Index and middle fingers pressed together against the stones—
And in the next instant—
A radiant seven-colored beam erupted into the darkened sky!
"Soar! Mega Charizard X!"
Ash blinked and glanced sideways at Red.
"Bro, together!"
"..."
After a moment of silence, Red gave a small nod.
He was an adult now.
Shouting lines like that felt… childish.
But Ash was his little brother.
Indulging him was part of the job.
"Soar! Mega Charizard X!" ×2
The rainbow light connected to the two Charizard—
And at that very moment—
The countless incoming attacks shattered against the blazing radiance!
Mist swirled around the two figures.
Within the haze—
Black silhouettes.
Azure flames burning to the bone.
"Dragon Claw!"
Red swung his arm.
His fully evolved Mega Charizard X burst from the mist—
Target locked on the alternate Team Rocket trio.
Catch the thief by catching the king.
Red understood that perfectly.
Seeing the black figure closing in—
Musashi panicked.
All those attacks—
Did nothing?!
That's impossible!
It's still a Pokémon!
"Quick! Meowth! Stop it!"
Alternate Meowth stared blankly.
"Me?! Meow?!"
Are you overestimating me a little?!
But—
Unlike his counterpart, this Meowth was a battle fanatic.
Claws extended.
Fury Swipes unleashed.
He charged forward without hesitation!
Red's Mega Charizard X merely snorted.
Azure flames leaked from its jaws.
It didn't even consider Meowth worth acknowledging.
Claws collided—
White claws shattered instantly under the emerald Dragon Claw.
With a casual flick—
Meowth was sent flying.
Musashi barely caught him.
In desperation, she shoved Wobbuffet forward.
"Counter Shield! Activate!"
Blue light enveloped Wobbuffet.
The hope of the entire squad rested on it!
But—
You underestimate Mega Charizard X.
In the next second—
It was already upon them.
Eyes met.
Wobbuffet instantly lost its nerve.
"Wobbu—!"
Dragon Claw came down—
And struck cleanly.
"Hahaha! You fell for it! Counter Shield!"
Musashi grinned triumphantly.
No one had ever broken through Wobbuffet's Counter Shield!
Block this—
And it's our turn!
(Oh re no tan!)
Unfortunately—
She miscalculated one crucial detail.
This—
Was Red's Charizard.
And Mega Evolved.
With a brutal uppercut—
Wobbuffet was launched skyward.
A blue streak—
Becoming a distant star.
"Wobbu—naaaance~"
Musashi's mouth opened—
But no words came.
"You… you don't play fair!"
Mega Charizard X grinned wickedly.
"Hmph."
"It says it's not human, so it doesn't need to play fair! Meow~"
Even heavily injured, Meowth faithfully translated.
"..."
Don't say that out loud!
We're supposed to be the righteous ones here!
They're Team Rocket!
Too late.
Mega Charizard X wasn't waiting for more dialogue.
A sweeping Dragon Tail—
And the trio followed Wobbuffet into the sky.
"Blasting off again—(Meow~)!" ×3
Red patted Ash's shoulder.
"That's done. Let's see who clears their side faster."
For once—
Red's usual expressionless face curved into a grin.
But why did that grin look just as wicked as his Mega Charizard X?
Who are you?!
The Red we know is mysterious and cool!
When did he become this mischievous?!
From aloof legend—
To grown-up Ash with a devilish streak.
And somehow—
That made him even better.
Back to the Battlefield
With the trio gone—
The villain alliance collapsed into chaos.
Team Aqua and Team Magma alone could barely tolerate standing in the same space.
Without centralized command—
It became every group for themselves.
"Hey! You two! Just die already!"
Red tilted his head toward Ash.
"Was he talking to us?"
"…Probably."
You're really brave, huh?
Ash and Red were already in battle mode.
No more words.
Dragon Claw.
Dragon Tail.
Breaking Swipe.
Dragon Pulse.
The battlefield erupted like drums and firecrackers.
Round after round—
The alliance began to understand despair.
Two Trainers.
Two Mega Charizard X.
Cutting through them like a hot knife through butter.
They couldn't even mount basic resistance.
"Ash. Looks like I win this one."
Red watched his Charizard dominate with satisfaction.
Showing his younger brother the strength of an elder sibling—
It felt good.
Ash clenched his fist.
In this speed contest—
Red had demonstrated ruthless efficiency.
Every strike of his Mega Charizard X was decisive.
No wasted motion.
Every attack landed.
By contrast—
Ash's Charizard, though fierce, allowed a few dodges.
Even suffered minor counterattacks.
The gap—
Was real.
"Don't be discouraged. After this, my Charizard will train yours."
Red's voice softened slightly.
Ash's gloom vanished instantly.
"Really?! That's awesome!"
If Big Bro said it—
It was guaranteed.
And with the World Championships approaching—
His Charizard needed to grow stronger.
For the sake of becoming a Pokémon Master—
(And the world's strongest Charizard!)
Together—
They would keep climbing.
Soon—
All opposing Pokémon were down.
The once ferocious villains now trembled like lambs.
"D-Don't come any closer!"
If saying that worked—
Why would Officer Jenny exist?
"Dragon Pulse."
Red raised his hand.
A massive seven-colored dragon erupted from Mega Charizard X's mouth—
Engulfing the last of the resistance.
Clean sweep.
The battlefield fell silent.
"Let's go. Only the final piece remains."
Red strode forward—
Toward the summit.
Ash followed, glancing upward.
The spacetime turbulence intensified.
Even the Adamant Orb and Lustrous Orb in his hands struggled to stabilize the distortions.
After all—
They carried only fragments of Dialga and Palkia's power.
And ahead—
Were the true gods themselves.
At the Mountain Peak
Giovanni stood at the summit, gazing down.
His eyes carried unmistakable caution.
After all—
In another world, this red-clad figure had annihilated Team Rocket alone.
"Maxie. Archie. Prepare yourselves. He's coming."
Red and blue figures stood beside him.
They didn't seem concerned.
"Relax. We've invited that one."
"Giovanni, you worry too much."
Giovanni said nothing.
As long as they stalled—
It would be enough.
The gate to the new world was nearly open.
"Rainbow" was about to be realized.
And somewhere—
One question lingered.
What exactly—
Was "Pal"?
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