"It's time, Ivysaur!"
Catching the moment when Mewtwo staggered backward, Nozomi shouted toward the Ivysaur that had long been standing ready at his side.
"Saur!"
Ivysaur nodded firmly, pushing itself up from its crouched stance.
The bud on its back, having long since absorbed enough nutrients, burst open with a blinding glow!
"Solar Beam!"
A searing column of sunlight fired straight toward Mewtwo.
In the distance, as it retreated, Mewtwo sensed the Solar Beam's energy — but it didn't take Ivysaur's attack seriously in the slightest.
To it, an attack from such a weak Pokémon couldn't even scratch its defenses.
Even if the blast struck head-on, the pain wouldn't compare to a ten-thousandth of the power behind Mega Metagross's Hammer Arm.
Still brooding over the humiliation of being overpowered by both Mega Metagross and Dragonite, Mewtwo's pride flared — it completed its disdain for Ivysaur both physically and mentally in an instant.
Such a proud creature naturally wouldn't stoop to blocking such a feeble attack. All of its attention was focused on the charging Mega Metagross instead.
But what Mewtwo didn't notice… was the faint smirk at the corner of Nozomi's lips.
Was Nozomi the type to do something pointless? Obviously not.
As a trainer who calculated every move and anticipated every detail in battle, there was no way he would command Ivysaur to use Solar Beam just to waste time.
There was a reason — a critical one — and it lay hidden within that very beam of light.
The Solar Beam struck Mewtwo squarely.
As expected, the attack barely caused any harm. The only result was a mild burning sensation across its skin — a small patch of singed tissue that healed instantly, without the need for Recover.
But inflicting damage had never been Nozomi's intent.
The key was what was concealed within the Solar Beam.
Bang!
Mewtwo felt something collide against its body from within the beam.
Click.
A sound — one it knew all too well.
It was the sound of Poké Balls being thrown by Team Rocket grunts to capture wild Pokémon after Mewtwo had defeated them.
At that moment, the brilliant beam dissipated.
A Poké Ball — half purple, half white, with two red arcs rising from its top shell — fell onto Mewtwo's body.
"A Poké Ball!?"
Mewtwo's eyes widened. For a fraction of a second, its mind froze. It hadn't anticipated that hidden within the Solar Beam… was a Master Ball.
That thought was the last one to cross its mind before Mega Metagross's massive Hammer Arm slammed into it, sending its body reeling—
And then—
Whomp!
The Master Ball struck the ground, landing with a crisp, echoing sound as it began to shake violently.
In the distance, Giovanni — who had been battling Lance — sensed that something was wrong. He turned, just in time to witness the moment Mewtwo was pulled into the Master Ball.
"Mewtwo!"
The instant he saw that purple-white shell, Giovanni knew exactly what had happened.
His emotions defied description — "complicated" didn't even come close.
His expression shifted rapidly: from shock, to confusion, to fury, and finally to sheer terror.
Right before Nozomi's eyes, Giovanni put on a one-man performance of face-changing mastery — his emotions flickering faster than the blink of an eye.
After all, Giovanni had come to Saffron City precisely for the Master Ball. The moment he laid eyes on it, he recognized it immediately.
Unlike in the games, reality's Master Ball wasn't a guaranteed success.
It could capture any ordinary Pokémon with a 100% success rate — but not Legendaries.
According to the Master Ball's developers, if it managed to draw a Legendary into the sphere, there was roughly a 50% chance of success.
That success rate depended on the Legendary's condition — the more exhausted and injured it was, the higher the chance of capture.
So Giovanni still held onto hope. The ball had hit — but unless it succeeded in sealing Mewtwo, all wasn't lost.
Eyes locked on the trembling Master Ball, Giovanni could only pray that it failed.
But fate had other ideas.
The shaking grew weaker and weaker… until finally, with a soft ding, the white button on the ball glowed a steady red.
The Master Ball stopped moving. It lay still on the ground.
"I… captured Mewtwo!"
Even Nozomi, normally calm and composed, couldn't suppress the shout that tore from his chest. His fist clenched tight.
It was Mewtwo — a Legendary Pokémon!
A Tier-One god, with a base stat total of 680 — one of the most powerful and beloved Pokémon of his past life!
Dragonite swooped down, carefully picking up the Master Ball and placing it into Nozomi's hands.
Through the translucent violet shell, Nozomi could see Mewtwo inside — glaring back at him, its eyes filled with hostility.
Nozomi wasn't bothered in the least.
He didn't expect instant loyalty or affection. A being like Mewtwo wouldn't warm up overnight.
He slipped the Master Ball into his pocket, ignoring the faint system notification in his mind: "First Legendary captured — Golden Lottery unlocked."
Then, turning to the distant Giovanni — whose expression was hollow, as though his soul had left his body — Nozomi smiled faintly.
"Giovanni," he said, "how about surrendering peacefully? I can make sure you get a private cell in the League's prison."
Giovanni looked up slowly at him — then chuckled.
"To think that all my plans would be ruined by some kid I once dismissed…" He shook his head. "Truly, my greatest miscalculation."
Hearing that, Lance frowned, his instincts instantly sharpening.
If Giovanni could still laugh now, did he have a trump card left?
Nozomi, on the other hand, wasn't worried. There was nothing Giovanni could possibly do that could overpower his Mega Metagross. Still, he decided to probe.
But before he could speak, Giovanni went on. "You may have won this time… but next time, the outcome won't be so certain."
"You still think you can escape?" Nozomi's eyes narrowed. "Your helicopter's already in pieces."
Then, noticing the flick of Giovanni's gaze toward the ground, realization hit him like lightning.
"Lance! Stop him—don't let him go underground!"
But his warning came too late.
Giovanni recalled his Kangaskhan and Nidoqueen in a flash, and had his Rhyperior block Lance's Pokémon.
Then, gripping the jagged spike on Aggron's back, he gave a command—
Aggron roared and burrowed straight into the earth, taking Giovanni with it, vanishing into the depths below.