Although Ash had barely managed to withstand Mewtwo's first wave of attacks, the other Trainers were already completely enraged by its arrogant attitude.
A Trainer known as Corey—wearing a flight jacket—could no longer hold back and strode forward.
"Stop spouting nonsense!" he roared angrily, gripping a Poké Ball tightly in his hand. "Once I capture you, let's see if you still dare to act so arrogantly!"
Mewtwo hovered in midair, looking at him indifferently, as if observing an insignificant insect.
"Another overconfident human."
"Rhyhorn, use Take Down!" Corey threw his Poké Ball with force.
The massive Rhyhorn charged toward Mewtwo with a roar, each step making the ground tremble slightly.
However, just as it was about to collide with Mewtwo, an invisible barrier suddenly appeared.
Rhyhorn was rebounded back at an even faster speed, crashing heavily into the wall and losing its ability to battle on the spot.
"Do you see?" Mewtwo's voice carried no emotion. "My innate power surpasses that of any Pokémon on this planet. Your so-called 'capturing' is nothing more than a laughable act of self-deception in my eyes."
It slowly raised its hand, and the entire hall began to shake.
"Since you are so obsessed with battling, then I shall show you what true power is."
A flash of blue light passed, and everyone suddenly realized they had been transported to a gigantic arena.
The arena was circular, surrounded by towering stands, yet the seats were completely empty, filled only with cold stone.
Mewtwo floated at the center, its voice echoing in everyone's minds:
"I will send out the copies I have created to battle your Pokémon. Let me prove that Pokémon, without human command, can unleash even greater power."
Three beams of light shot out from Mewtwo's hand, condensing into the forms of three Pokémon before it—Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur.
However, their eyes were hollow, and their bodies emitted an unnatural glow. They were clearly clones created by Mewtwo.
Ash stepped forward without hesitation. "I accept your challenge!"
Neesha and Corey also stepped forward, the three of them exchanging determined looks.
Ash sent out Charizard, Neesha chose Blastoise, and Corey sent out Venusaur, forming three mirrored matchups.
All three battles began at once, and the entire arena was instantly illuminated by the flashes of various moves.
Ash's Charizard engaged in a fierce aerial battle with the clone Charizard. The two weaved through the sky, their Flamethrowers colliding midair and bursting into dazzling sparks. Relying on its rich battle experience, Ash's Charizard skillfully evaded the clone's attacks while searching for opportunities to counterattack.
"Charizard, remember the techniques from our training!" Ash shouted.
Charizard understood immediately. It suddenly made a sharp dive, then pulled up abruptly just before hitting the ground. The clone Charizard failed to react in time and was struck by a precise Dragon Rage. In the next moment, Ash's Charizard pressed the advantage, using Seismic Toss to slam the clone heavily onto the ground.
Meanwhile, the battles on the other two sides were far less optimistic.
Neesha's Blastoise was completely suppressed by the clone Blastoise. The clone's Hydro Pump was far more powerful than normal, nearly flooding the entire battlefield.
Corey's Venusaur was also struggling to hold on. The clone Venusaur's Vine Whip moved like a living creature, tightly binding his Venusaur.
In the end, aside from Ash's Charizard claiming victory, the other two battles all ended in defeat for the Trainers.
Mewtwo looked at the result. Not only was it not disappointed, it even showed a satisfied expression.
"It seems your Charizard is indeed somewhat special. However…"
It suddenly raised its hand, and several black Poké Balls—Mewtwo Balls—shot out from its palm, flying straight toward the Pokémon that had performed well in the battles: Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur.
Mewtwo Balls?!
Misty pointed angrily at Mewtwo. "What do you think you're doing? Stealing other people's Pokémon, is that your idea of superiority?!"
Ash also shouted sternly, "Forcibly capturing an opponent's Pokémon after a battle is a serious violation of the rules!"
Mewtwo replied coldly, "Rules? Those are nothing more than laughable constraints created by humans. I am simply collecting superior data to create more perfect clones."
More Mewtwo Balls flew from its hand, raining down like black droplets toward the Trainers' Pokémon.
Ash did his best to block them, but there were simply too many. He could only barely protect himself and the Pokémon of those nearby.
"Everyone, recall your Pokémon!" Ash shouted.
The Trainers hurriedly took out their Poké Balls, trying to retrieve their partners.
But something shocking happened—
The Mewtwo Balls were actually able to pierce through the light of Poké Balls and capture both the Pokémon and their Poké Balls together!
The sailor(Fergus)'s Gyarados, Corey's Rhyhorn, Neesha's Blastoise… one Trainer after another lost their Pokémon.
Black Mewtwo Balls flew through the air, returning to Mewtwo's hand each time they captured a Pokémon.
"That's impossible!" Corey cried in despair, watching his Poké Ball turn into a streak of black light and be absorbed.
While using his Aura to fend off the Mewtwo Balls, Ash shielded everyone as they retreated toward the arena exit.
However, the Mewtwo Balls pursued them relentlessly, almost as if they were alive. One by one, the Trainers lost their partners.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt to knock those balls down!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu's electric attacks did manage to shoot down a few Mewtwo Balls, but even more came rushing in from all directions.
Gritting his teeth, Ash expanded his Aura, forming a larger protective field.
Charizard, Wartortle, Bulbasaur… beams of red light shot back toward their Poké Balls.
But just as Pikachu was about to be recalled, a Mewtwo Ball flew in at an unbelievable angle.
"No!" Ash shouted.
The Mewtwo Ball collided with the light of Pikachu's Poké Ball, creating a strange resonance.
Under everyone's stunned gaze, Pikachu's Poké Ball was enveloped, absorbed, and ultimately transformed into a black sphere that flew back into Mewtwo's hand.
Ash stood frozen, staring blankly at his empty palm—where Pikachu's Poké Ball should have been.
An unprecedented fury ignited within him. His Aura burst out uncontrollably, sweeping across the entire arena in a violent surge of energy.
Mewtwo looked at the Mewtwo Ball containing Pikachu in its hand and nodded in satisfaction.
"At last… I've obtained an interesting research specimen."
...