The scorching sun shone on the battleground of New Island Pokémon City, and a tense atmosphere permeated the air. Ash and his companions stood at one end of the field, facing Mewtwo, who floated in mid-air, its purple body radiating powerful Psywave.
"Send out your Pokémon," Mewtwo's voice echoed directly in their minds, devoid of any emotion.
A Yun bit her lip and was the first to step forward: "I'll go! Venusaur, I choose you!"
With a flash of red light, the massive Venusaur appeared on the field, its back flower exceptionally vibrant in the sunlight. A purple glow flickered in Mewtwo's eyes, and an almost identical Venusaur appeared opposite, only this Venusaur was covered in eerie black markings.
"Be careful, Venusaur!" A Yun shouted nervously, "Use Solar Beam!"
The flower on Venusaur's back began to gather solar energy, and dazzling light shimmered between its petals. However, Mewtwo's cloned Venusaur moved even faster.
"Energy Ball," Mewtwo commanded calmly.
The cloned Venusaur opened its mouth, and a emerald green Energy Ball quickly formed and shot out, directly hitting the charging Venusaur. Amidst the explosion, A Yun's Venusaur staggered back.
"No! Venusaur, hang in there!" A Yun exclaimed, "Counterattack with Vine Whip!"
Two thick vines shot out from behind Venusaur, lashing fiercely at the clone. But the cloned Venusaur nimbly leaped away, and at the same time, the flower on its back glowed again.
"Solar Beam," Mewtwo issued the same command.
This time, the cloned Venusaur's Solar Beam was almost instantaneous, a scorching beam of light striking A Yun's Venusaur directly. After the smoke of the explosion cleared, Venusaur was already lying on the ground, unconscious.
"Venusaur!" A Yun shrieked, wanting to rush forward, but a dark shadow was faster than her—a pitch-black Poké Ball flew from Mewtwo's hand, capturing the defeated Venusaur.
"What?!" Ash's eyes widened, "This is impossible! How can a Trainer's Pokémon be caught?"
A Yun fell to her knees, tears welling in her eyes: "Give me back my Venusaur!" She rushed towards Mewtwo desperately.
Mewtwo merely raised its hand gently, and a Psywave knocked A Yun unconscious. Brock quickly stepped forward to support her, looking angrily at Mewtwo: "You've gone too far!"
"Want your Pokémon back?" Mewtwo's voice echoed in everyone's minds, "Then defeat me and my Pokémon."
Hai Nan clenched his fists and stepped forward: "Let me! Blastoise, go!"
The giant Blastoise landed heavily on the ground, its cannons on its back already poised. A purple light flashed in Mewtwo's eyes again, and a Blastoise with black markings appeared opposite.
"Hydro Pump!" Hai Nan launched the first attack.
A thick jet of water sprayed from Blastoise's cannons, but the cloned Blastoise quickly retracted into its shell and started to Rapid Spin, easily dodging the attack.
"Rapid Spin followed by Water Pulse," Mewtwo calmly directed.
The cloned Blastoise spun and charged towards Hai Nan's Blastoise, then suddenly extended its limbs at the moment of contact, unleashing a Water Pulse at close range. Hai Nan's Blastoise was knocked over by the shockwave.
"Get up quickly! Use Skull Bash!" Hai Nan shouted.
Blastoise stabilized itself, its head glowing white as it charged towards its opponent. The cloned Blastoise remained unhurried, its cannons on its back aimed at the ground.
"Hydro Pump," Mewtwo commanded.
A powerful jet of water impacted the ground, and the cloned Blastoise used the recoil to leap high, avoiding the Skull Bash while adjusting its posture in the air.
"Ice Beam," Mewtwo continued to command.
The cloned Blastoise fired a cold blue beam from mid-air, directly hitting the Blastoise below. Ice crystals quickly spread across Blastoise's body, freezing it largely.
"No! Blastoise!" Hai Nan cried out in despair.
"Hydro Pump, finish the battle," Mewtwo's voice was cold and ruthless.
After landing, the cloned Blastoise immediately fired a full-power Hydro Pump. The frozen Blastoise was unable to dodge and was hit directly. The sound of cracking ice accompanied Blastoise's fall.
Another black Poké Ball flew out, capturing Hai Nan's Blastoise. Ash and his companions fell silent; two consecutive defeats made them realize Mewtwo's power.
"Who's next?" Mewtwo scanned the crowd, its gaze finally resting on Ash.
Ash clenched his fists, about to step forward, but Brock held him back: "Be careful, its cloned Pokémon are stronger than the originals."
"I know, but I can't back down," Ash said firmly, then turned to Mewtwo, "I challenge you!"
Mewtwo's lips curled slightly: "Interesting. Then, Charizard."
A massive Charizard appeared on the field, its black markings particularly prominent on its orange-red skin, and its eyes glowed with fierce light.
"Charizard, I choose you!" Ash threw his Poké Ball, and his Charizard roared onto the stage, its wings spreading to create a Heat Wave.
The two Charizard faced each other, sparks seemingly flying in the air.
"Flamethrower!" Ash launched the first attack.
Scorching flames spewed from Charizard's mouth, rushing towards the cloned Charizard. Mewtwo remained unhurried: "Dodge, use Dragon Claw."
The cloned Charizard deftly dodged to the side, its right claw glowing green, and charged fiercely at Ash's Charizard.
"Meet it with Dragon Rush!" Ash reacted quickly.
Ash's Charizard was enveloped in blue-purple Dragon-type energy and collided head-on with the cloned Charizard's Dragon Claw. The shockwave of the explosion shook the entire field.
"Dragon Pulse!" Ash seized the opportunity to continue the attack.
Charizard opened its mouth, and a blue-purple energy wave shot towards the cloned Charizard. Mewtwo immediately commanded: "Protect."
A green barrier appeared in front of the cloned Charizard, perfectly blocking the Dragon Pulse. But a smile appeared on Ash's lips: "Now! Dragon Dance!"
Charizard suddenly began to perform a mysterious dance in the air, a flash of light appearing on its body with each completed movement. Mewtwo seemed to realize something: "Interrupt it, use Blast Burn!"
The cloned Charizard spewed powerful flames mixed with sparks, but Ash's Charizard deftly dodged during its dance, finally completing the entire Dragon Dance.
"How do you feel, Charizard?" Ash asked excitedly.
Charizard let out a confident roar, its eyes gleaming with fighting spirit. Mewtwo showed a surprised expression for the first time: "All abilities boosted? Interesting."
"Flamethrower!" Ash commanded again.
This time, the flames were even more intense and covered a larger area. The cloned Charizard tried to dodge, but Ash's Charizard, with boosted speed, attacked faster and more accurately, the flames hitting directly.
"Dragon Rush!" Ash gave his opponent no chance to breathe.
Charizard's body was again enveloped in Dragon-type energy, charging at the still-staggering cloned Charizard with astonishing speed. Mewtwo hastily commanded: "Block with Dragon Claw!"
The two Charizard's attacks collided again, but this time, the cloned Charizard was clearly outmatched, being heavily knocked back and falling to the ground, unconscious.
Mewtwo was silent for a moment, then spoke again: "Blastoise."
The cloned Blastoise appeared on the field, its cannons already aimed at Ash's Charizard.
"Hydro Pump!" Mewtwo launched the attack directly.
A thick jet of water shot towards Charizard in the air, but Ash was prepared: "Dodge, then use Dragon Pulse!"
Charizard nimbly dodged to the side, simultaneously firing a blue-purple energy wave. The cloned Blastoise tried to evade with Rapid Spin, but was grazed by the Dragon Pulse, its movements noticeably slowing down.
"Flamethrower!" Ash pursued the advantage.
Scorching flames directly hit Blastoise. Mewtwo immediately commanded: "Retract into shell to defend!"
Blastoise retracted into its hard shell, and the flames burned on the shell's surface but could not cause much damage. Ash's eyes lit up: "Charizard, grab it and fly into the air!"
Charizard swooped down, its powerful claws grabbing Blastoise's shell, carrying it rapidly into the sky.
"What?" Mewtwo clearly hadn't anticipated this move.
"And then—" Ash shouted, "Use Dragon Rush to smash it into the ground!"
Charizard's body was again enveloped in Dragon-type energy, diving at high speed with Blastoise, releasing its claws as it neared the ground. Blastoise crashed heavily onto the ground, cracks appearing on its shell.
"Final blow, Dragon Pulse!" Ash gave his opponent no chance.
The blue-purple energy wave directly hit the fallen Blastoise. After the explosion, the cloned Blastoise also lost its battle capability.
Mewtwo's expression became even more serious: "Venusaur."
The last cloned Pokémon appeared, black markings spreading across its green body. Although Ash's Charizard had fought two consecutive battles, its condition was still good due to the enhancement of Dragon Dance.
"Solar Beam," Mewtwo launched the first attack.
The flower on the cloned Venusaur's back quickly gathered solar energy, but Ash's Charizard was already moving: "Interrupt it with Flamethrower!"
The scorching flames hit Venusaur a step ahead, interrupting the Solar Beam's charge. Venusaur stumbled back a few steps in pain.
"Energy Ball," Mewtwo changed tactics.
A green Energy Ball shot towards Charizard. Ash immediately commanded: "Break through it with Dragon Rush!"
Charizard, enveloped in Dragon-type energy, directly broke through the Energy Ball and crashed into Venusaur. Venusaur was sent flying several meters, barely managing to stand steady.
"Vine Whip bind," Mewtwo calmly directed.
Two thick vines suddenly wrapped around Charizard's wings and legs, restricting its movement. Sweat beaded on Ash's forehead: "Break free, Charizard!"
Charizard struggled fiercely, but the Vine Whip tightened even more. Mewtwo continued to command: "Solar Beam."
This time, the cloned Venusaur successfully completed its Solar Beam charge, and a dazzling beam of light shot directly at the bound Charizard.
"Oh no! Use Protect!" Ash shouted.
At the critical moment, a green barrier appeared in front of Charizard, perfectly blocking this fatal blow. The Vine Whip also loosened due to the energy fluctuations released by Protect.
Charizard's claws glowed emerald green, "Roar—!" With a furious roar, it violently swung its sharp claws, severing all the vines wrapped around its body. The cloned Venusaur staggered back from the recoil, the flower on its back trembling slightly.
"Now, finish the battle!" Ash's eyes under his red cap brim were sharp as knives, "Dragon Rush followed by Flamethrower combo!"
Charizard's body erupted with dazzling blue-purple energy, diving down like a meteor. Just as it was about to hit Venusaur, it suddenly opened its massive mouth, and scorching flames perfectly merged with Dragon-type energy, forming a purplish-red torrent of energy.
"Boom—!"
Amidst the smoke and dust of the explosion, the black-marked Venusaur was heavily thrown out of the field, its eerie markings gradually fading. Mewtwo raised its hand to recall the clone, its purple pupils showing emotional fluctuation for the first time.
"You are more interesting than I imagined, human," Mewtwo's telepathic message carried a hint of appreciation, "But next, you will face true power."
Ash wiped the sweat from his forehead, and Charizard landed beside him, panting heavily. The two exchanged a determined look, and Ash suddenly took a step forward.
"Mewtwo!" The boy's voice trembled but was full of resolve, "I'm going to catch you!"
These words made everyone present gasp. Hai Nan covered his mouth: "Are you crazy?" Tracey's rarely opened eyes widened: "That's a Legendary Pokémon!"
Mewtwo's floating figure paused slightly, then let out a low laugh: "Arrogant declaration. Do you think defeating a few clones gives you the right to challenge me?"
"It's not about qualifications!" Ash's fists were white, "I saw the loneliness in your eyes. Great power should not be used to take away others' companions; true battle should be—"
"Enough!" Mewtwo suddenly roared, its Psywave cracking the ground. But when the dust cleared, Ash still stood tall, his gaze unwavering behind his goggles.
A suffocating silence lasted for more than ten seconds. The purple aura around Mewtwo gradually calmed, and it slowly descended to eye level with Ash.
"Very well," Mewtwo's voice suddenly became calm, "I accept your challenge. However…" It suddenly raised its hand, and three black Poké Balls floated in the air, "How about we bet on these stolen Pokémon? If you win, they and I are yours; if you lose…"
Ash unhesitatingly took off his hat and pressed it to his chest: "My Pokémon and I will never lose!"
Mewtwo's lips curved into a dangerous arc, and a powerful Confusion field instantly enveloped the entire battlefield. Ash's goggles rattled in the energy storm, but he didn't retreat a single step. Charizard spread its wings, shielding its Trainer, its tail flame burning hotter than ever before.