Sunlight streamed through the clouds onto the lush mountains, and Ash, pulling down his hat, excitedly shouted, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
"Pika—chu!" The golden electric mouse leaped high, its body erupting with dazzling electric light, illuminating the entire hillside like a small sun. The current carved a brilliant trajectory through the air, striking the target on the opposite rock.
Brock's Vulpix gracefully flicked its six fluffy tails, condensing a scorching flame in its mouth. "Vulpix, Flamethrower!" Brock commanded steadily.
Flame and lightning collided in mid-air, creating a deafening roar. The energy shockwave spread in all directions, making the rocks on the mountain creak.
"Wow! That power is incredible!" Xiao You sat on a nearby rock, her rotom phone playing a video of "Top Breeder Training Guide."
She looked up at the two battling, her eyes sparkling. "You two are becoming more and more coordinated!"
Suddenly, an unusual tremor came from beneath their feet.
"What's going on?" Brock vigilantly looked around.
The mountain began to shake violently, and the sound of rocks cracking echoed continuously. A huge fissure spread across the mountain wall in front of them.
"Get back!" Ash scooped up Pikachu, pulling Xiao You away quickly. Brock also picked up Vulpix and followed closely behind.
Accompanied by a deafening collapse, large sections of rock slid down, revealing a dark cave entrance. After the dust settled, a stone door carved with strange runes appeared before everyone.
"This is..." Ash's eyes widened in surprise.
Xiao You's rotom phone suddenly flew up, "Ancient energy fluctuations detected, roto! Advise caution, roto!"
Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder, its ears perked up vigilantly: "Pika Pika? (What is this?)"
Ash squatted down, gently tracing the patterns on the stone door: "It looks like some kind of ancient ruin. These symbols..."
"Those are ancient Kalosian characters!" A clear female voice came from behind them.
Everyone turned around to see a young woman wearing glasses and a khaki explorer's outfit, accompanied by five or six assistants, walking quickly towards them. An Archaeology Society badge hung on her chest, and her brown hair was tied back in a neat ponytail.
"Hello, I'm Dr. White, a professor of archaeology at Kalos University." She pushed up her glasses, her gaze eagerly fixed on the stone door. "I never expected to find such a well-preserved ancient ruin here!"
Ash stood up and extended his hand: "I'm Ash, and these are Brock and Xiao You. We accidentally discovered this place while battling."
Dr. White quickly shook Ash's hand, then immediately turned to the stone door to start taking photos and documenting. "It's perfect! These inscriptions record the history of the super ancient era." Her fingers gently traced the faded text on the stone slab. "It mentions two powerful guardians... Alakazam and Gengar..."
"Super ancient?" Xiao You curiously leaned closer.
"Yes, a civilization from at least three thousand years ago." Dr. White's assistants had already begun setting up equipment. "Legend says that in that era, there were gigantic, terrifying Pokémon, and their wars almost destroyed the entire region."
Brock mused: "Like the super ancient Groudon and Kyogre in the Hoenn region?"
"Similar, but more..." Dr. White suddenly stopped, her expression turning serious. "Wait, the text after this... This is a warning!"
She quickly translated the slab's content: "'When darkness covers the land, the two guardians shall awaken. Only the Rainbow Hero can quell their wrath...'"
Ash and Pikachu exchanged glances. "Pika..." Pikachu's ears drooped, looking worried.
"Doctor, what does this mean?" Xiao You asked.
Dr. White took a deep breath: "This means that two super ancient Pokémon—Alakazam and Gengar—are sealed within the ruins. They were once guardians, but for some reason became destroyers and were sealed here by the ancients."
As dusk fell, Dr. White's team set up a temporary camp in front of the ruins. Ash and his two friends decided to stay and help, also out of curiosity about the ruins.
"Ash," Brock whispered while helping set up a tent, "if what the doctor says is true, and super ancient Pokémon are sealed here..."
Ash nodded, touching the Ultra Ball at his waist: "I have a feeling they might be needed this time."
Xiao You leaned over, asking mysteriously: "What are you two whispering about?"
"Nothing," Ash smiled, "just discussing what to have for dinner."
Night fell, and the campfire in the center of the camp crackled. Dr. White was in her tent, studying the photos of the stone slab taken during the day, while her assistants took turns guarding the entrance to the ruins.
Suddenly, a commotion came from a distance.
"Who's there!" The assistant on duty shouted loudly.
"Since you asked so sincerely!"
"We will tell you with great mercy!"
The familiar opening lines almost made Ash, who was eating dinner, choke. "Team Rockets!" He stood up abruptly.
Indeed, Jessie, James, and Meowth's hot air balloon rose from the trees, followed by several small drones.
"To prevent the world from being destroyed!"
"To protect the peace of the world!"
"We are the evil of love and truth!"
"Cute and charming villains!"
"Jessie!" "James!"
"We are Team Rockets, traversing the galaxy!"
"A white hole, a white tomorrow awaits us!"
"That's right, Meowth~"
Xiao You was dumbfounded: "Do they have to be this dramatic every time they appear?"
"You'll get used to it." Brock sighed.
Team Rockets' hot air balloon hovered above the ruins, and Jessie shouted triumphantly: "I never thought following the twerps would lead us to such valuable antiques! Minions, take everything valuable!"
Drones quickly landed around the ruins, beginning to scan and transport various artifacts.
"Stop!" Dr. White rushed out of her tent. "These are priceless historical heritage!"
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash shouted.
"Pika!" Pikachu transformed into a golden lightning bolt, charging towards the hot air balloon.
"The same move won't work on us!" James pressed a button, and an insulating barrier popped out from the bottom of the hot air balloon, blocking the Thunder Shock.
At the same time, a drone accidentally crashed into the relief in the center of the ruin's stone door. With the sound of machinery shattering, a purple energy wave spread out from within the stone door.
The entire valley suddenly fell silent.
"Uh... did we mess up?" Meowth swallowed hard.
The ground began to shake violently, even more intensely than the collapse during the day. The runes on the stone door lit up one by one with dazzling purple light, and then—they exploded with a roar!
Two massive figures slowly rose from the dust.
"Pika... Pikachu!" Pikachu retreated a few steps in horror.
An Alakazam, five stories tall, floated in the air. Its body was dark gold, its eyes blood red, and a huge golden badge hung on its chest. Opposite it, a Gengar of similar size grinned, its purple body covered with eerie black patterns.
"Super... super ancient Pokémon!" Dr. White's face turned pale. "The seal has been broken!"
The two giant beasts looked at each other, then let out a deafening roar. Alakazam raised its giant spoon, and a Psychic beam struck Gengar directly; Gengar opened its gaping maw, and Shadow Ball shot out like cannon fire.
"Everyone, find cover!" Brock shouted, pulling Xiao You behind a large boulder.
The shockwave of the explosion overturned Team Rockets' hot air balloon, and the trio screamed as they plummeted into the distant forest. "That's a nasty feeling—"
Ash shielded Pikachu, pushed back by the air current. "Pikachu, use Surf!"
"Pika—chu!" Pikachu summoned a giant wave, attempting to block the attacks of the two super ancient Pokémon, but the water was instantly vaporized upon contact with Psychic and Shadow Ball.
"It's useless," Dr. White shouted, lying next to Ash, "the attacks of ordinary Pokémon are almost ineffective against them!"
Ash gritted his teeth. Pikachu jumped back onto his shoulder, panting: "Pika... (Their energy is too strong...)"
"I understand." Ash took a deep breath and took three Ultra Balls, inlaid with golden patterns, from deep within his backpack. "It seems I'll have to ask them to come out."
Brock peered out from behind the rock: "Are you sure, Ash?"
"No time to hesitate!" Ash suddenly stood up, raising his Poké Balls high, "Mewtwo, Ho-Oh, Mew, Zapdos—I choose you!"
Four dazzling lights flashed, and four legendary Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. The silver-white Mewtwo floated in mid-air, the colorful Ho-Oh spread its magnificent wings, the pink Mew playfully spun around, and Zapdos was surrounded by raging electricity.
"Mew! (It's been a long time since I've been out to play!)" Mew happily rubbed Ash's face.
Dr. White and her assistants were completely stunned. "This... this is..." The doctor's glasses slipped to the tip of her nose. "Legendary Pokémon... and four of them!"
"Mewtwo," Ash pointed at Alakazam, "use Psychic to suppress it! Ho-Oh, aim Sacred Fire at Gengar! Mew, use Life Dew to protect the surrounding humans! Zapdos, use Thunder!"
"Understood." Mewtwo replied concisely, its eyes glowing with intense blue light.
"Chuu—" Ho-Oh let out a long cry, and colorful flames erupted from its beak.
"Mew~ (Leave it to me!)" Mew scattered a shower of sparkling water droplets, forming a protective shield over the camp.
Mewtwo's Psychic power collided with Alakazam's Confusion in the air, as if space itself was warped. Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire forced Gengar back repeatedly, making it let out painful roars.
Zapdos also summoned several lightning bolts that struck Alakazam and Gengar.
"Pikachu, use Swift now!" Ash shouted.
"Pika!" Pikachu leaped high, its body enveloped in Flying-type energy, striking Gengar like a meteor.
Gengar was hit in the head by Pikachu, its movements momentarily halted. Ash seized the opportunity, throwing an Ultra Ball: "Go!"
The Ultra Ball struck Gengar's massive body, drawing it inside. The ball shook violently, bouncing repeatedly on the ground.
Meanwhile, Mewtwo had completely suppressed Alakazam with its Psychic restraints. Alakazam roared in anger but could not break free from Mewtwo's powerful Confusion.
"Ho-Oh, Encore Sacred Fire!" Ash commanded.
The colorful flames struck Alakazam again, and it let out a wail, its power noticeably weakened. Ash quickly threw the second Ultra Ball: "Capture!"
The Ultra Ball drew Alakazam inside, falling to the ground and shaking next to Gengar's ball.
The entire valley fell silent, everyone holding their breath and staring at the two Ultra Balls.
"Ding!" "Ding!"
With two crisp beeps, the shaking stopped.
"It worked!" Xiao You cheered, jumping up.
Ash let out a long breath and walked forward to pick up the two Ultra Balls. However, the moment he touched the balls, they suddenly became scorching hot, and black energy seeped from their seams.
"What's going on?" Ash looked at the balls in his hands in surprise.
"Their power is too strong; ordinary Ultra Balls cannot fully contain them." Mewtwo explained telepathically, "If no measures are taken, they will soon go berserk again."
Ash nodded, taking out a ring embedded with colorful gems from deep within his backpack—the azure flute.
"Arceus said that the azure flute can balance imbalanced powers." Ash held up the ring, and the gems began to emit a soft light. "Let's try it together."
Mewtwo, Ho-Oh, and Mew formed a circle, channeling energy into the azure flute. The light grew brighter and brighter, eventually forming a pillar of light that enveloped the two Ultra Balls.
Within the pillar of light, the massive figures of Alakazam and Gengar could vaguely be seen gradually shrinking, eventually returning to normal size. But the black patterns on their bodies remained, though much fainter in color.
The light faded, and the Ultra Balls in Ash's hand returned to normal temperature. He cautiously released the two Pokémon.
The normal-sized Alakazam and Gengar appeared before everyone; they looked tired but calm. Alakazam floated in the air with crossed legs, while Gengar floated beside it, curiously looking around.
"Alakazam... (Where is this?)" Alakazam looked around in Confusion.
"Gengar? (How long have we been asleep?)" Gengar scratched its head.
Ash breathed a sigh of relief, walking forward with a smile: "Hello, I'm Ash. Welcome to the modern world."
Dr. White approached cautiously, her eyes filled with awe: "This is incredible... You not only captured the super ancient Pokémon but also restored them to their normal size!"
"Only temporarily." Ash looked at the faint patterns on the two Pokémon's bodies. "The dark energy hasn't been completely purified. I need to take them to the Tree of Beginning, to completely heal them with the life energy there."
"Pika Pika! (We'll go together!)" Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder.
Brock walked over and patted Ash's shoulder: "I knew you could handle it."
Xiao You excitedly circled Alakazam and Gengar: "Oh my goodness! I actually saw super ancient Pokémon with my own eyes! Rotom, quick, take pictures and record!"
"Capturing the best angle, roto!" The rotom phone flew in the air, its flash constantly blinking.
Alakazam and Gengar looked at each other, then bowed slightly to Ash.
"Alakazam Alakazam. (Thank you for rescuing us.)"
"Gengar Gengar! (We are willing to follow you, Rainbow Hero.)"
Ash smiled and nodded: "Welcome to our team. But before that..." He turned to Dr. White, "Doctor, is there anything else we need to know about these ruins?"
Dr. White pushed up her glasses: "According to my research, this might just be part of a larger complex of ruins. The slab mentioned the 'Rainbow Hero,' which I think refers to you, Ash. The super ancient civilization seems to have prophesied your arrival."
"Prophecy?" Ash frowned. "That sounds like there's an even bigger challenge waiting for us."
"Pika..." Pikachu looked at its trainer worriedly.
Brock crossed his arms: "Whatever it is, we'll face it together."
"That's right!" Xiao You raised her fist. "The adventure has just begun!"
As night deepened, starlight sprinkled into the valley that had just experienced a great battle. Ash looked at the azure flute in his hand, feeling the energy of his new companions, his heart filled with both anticipation and a subtle unease.
Mewtwo's voice echoed in his mind: "The gears of destiny have begun to turn, Hero."
Ash clenched his fist, his gaze firm: "Whatever lies ahead, we will face it together."