In the Unova region, Opelucid City.
The bronze gates of Opelucid Gym burst open, and a burly old man stepped out with heavy strides.
It was Drayden.
This battle-hardened elder pressed a hand to his chest, his gray brows drawn tight. Some kind of overwhelming pressure, enough to make a Dragon-type Pokémon's scales stand on end, was surging in from every direction.
Slowly, he lifted his head, his gaze piercing the thick cloud cover.
Far above, at a height no ordinary person could ever reach, the outline of an airship hidden among the clouds flickered in and out of view.
"Team Plasma... what exactly are you after?"
Drayden rubbed the Poké Ball at his waist, the unease in his heart growing stronger.
This sudden storm was likely far more dangerous than it looked.
Uninvited guests had arrived on their own.
There was no need to think hard about it. Nothing good was about to happen.
"Forget it. I'd better call Alder first."
Drayden had just reached for his phone to report the situation to the League when several launch ports suddenly split open beneath the airship.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several icy blue missiles screamed downward, trailing flames behind them. The instant they touched the ground, they exploded.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
But the missiles did not destroy any buildings. Instead, they released waves of deathly white cold.
A terrifying frost surge spread outward from each impact point at high speed. Wherever it passed, buildings were instantly sealed under thick layers of ice.
In less than ten seconds, the streets of Opelucid City, the houses, even the stunned expressions frozen on the trainers' faces, all of it was locked inside glittering crystal.
Even the moisture in the air turned into tiny shards of ice and drifted down in a soft shower.
The entire city looked as if someone had pressed pause.
At that moment, the biting cold wrapped itself around Drayden's limbs. The white mist of his breath froze into ice crystals in an instant.
"This cold... why is it even worse than before?"
Drayden had seen more Ice-type Pokémon in his life than most trainers had eaten bowls of rice.
But this kind of ice energy left him completely at a loss.
He wanted to move, but the low temperature had already made his muscles stiff.
Bzzzz...
Then the airship high above let out a rising engine hum.
A massive shadow slowly swallowed the frozen streets below, and the Team Plasma insignia gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
It was descending.
And not even trying to hide it.
It was coming straight down without a care, not even bothering to look for a landing spot, as if it could stop wherever it pleased.
The Team Plasma airship was absurdly fast. In less than ten minutes, it had reached the ground.
Drayden could do nothing but watch as the Team Plasma airship forced its way down into Opelucid City.
Boom!
The instant the landing gear struck, the frozen ground shook violently.
The steel beast had finally settled onto the icy throne it had created with its own hands.
KRAAANG!
The hatch opened with a hydraulic roar, and a man in black papal robes stepped down the metal stairs one measured step at a time.
Behind the lenses of his winter mask, his hawk-like eyes shone with cruel delight.
It was Ghetsis.
One of Team Plasma's Seven Sages, and the true mastermind behind it all.
"What a heaven-sent opportunity."
Ghetsis ran a hand across the frozen statue of a trainer by the roadside. His voice emerged from behind the mask in a heavy, muffled rumble. "The Elite Four, even the Champion, are all busy fighting for glory in the Strongest Trainer Tournament. What's left behind is nothing more than a flock of lambs waiting for slaughter."
Ice crystals cracked apart beneath his fingertips.
Ghetsis turned his head and said softly, "Stand aside and hand over what I want, and I may still spare the people of this city."
"Ghetsis... is Team Plasma really going to go this far?"
Fury flared in Drayden's eyes. He hurled out a Poké Ball and roared, "Haxorus!"
A dark green dragon shot forward, its axe-like tusks flashing in the cold light as it tore through the air with a shriek, aiming straight for Ghetsis's throat.
"Heh."
With a cold laugh, Ghetsis's Poké Ball popped open at his waist.
Hydreigon opened all three of its gaping jaws at once, and three spiraling Dragon Pulse blasts roared out together.
The purple-black dragonic energy slammed into Haxorus head-on. The shock wave shattered the surrounding icicles to pieces.
Haxorus was forced back, its claws carving deep grooves through the frozen ground.
"Hax..."
(This environment is awful... I can't bring out my strength at all...)
Haxorus panted violently, frost clinging to its tusks and falling away in trembling flakes.
Then, all at once, a sharp sound like crystal striking crystal rang out from the sky.
Dozens of Cryogonal descended from above, their glittering facets reflecting frigid light as they surrounded Haxorus on every side.
Boom, crack!
Before Drayden or Haxorus could react, every Cryogonal spun in unison, and Ice Beams wove together from every angle into a perfect net.
Haxorus had not even managed to swing its axe-like tusks before the freezing light swallowed it whole.
Ice spread across its body at a speed visible to the naked eye, and in the end, Haxorus became a crystal statue still locked in its battle stance.
Even its final exhaled breath froze in midair.
"Hahahaha!"
Laughter rang out from behind Ghetsis's mask as he strode forward, crushing the ice on the ground beneath his boots.
At the same time, Hydreigon bared a savage grin, all three faces locked on Drayden.
"Stop struggling, old man."
Ghetsis raised his right hand in its metal glove, palm up, in a demanding gesture. "Hand over the DNA Splicers... and maybe I'll leave a few survivors in this city of ice."
"In your dreams!"
Drayden shouted in fury. The Poké Balls at his waist shook violently, but before he could release another Pokémon, the Cryogonal pinned him in place with more Ice Beams.
"I already told you not to struggle. There isn't a single trainer in Opelucid City who can beat me."
But the sneer on Ghetsis's face suddenly froze.
His eyes caught a flash of light in the distance.
One trainer, somehow still not fully frozen, was trembling as they held up a phone, the livestream camera reflecting the cold.
"Heh. Perfect."
Ghetsis threw his arms wide, his black cape whipping in the freezing wind.
Hydreigon raised its heads and breathed three streams of interwoven dragonfire into the sky, dyeing the heavens an eerie violet.
"Have you all seen it clearly now, you insects of Unova?!"
His voice spread across the entire region through the livestream. "This frozen city is the fate of all who resist! From today onward, this world will be remade by Team Plasma! Team Plasma will be the true ruler of the entire world!"
In the Unova region, at Liberty Garden, Grey watched the images on the livestream with a deep frown.
"What's wrong? We still have matches tomorrow."
Mewtwo teleported over, noticed Grey's expression, and reminded him.
"This isn't the time to talk about the tournament anymore. Look at this."
Grey held the phone screen in front of Mewtwo.
On it was Ghetsis's crazed grin.
A living, breathing lunatic.
He looked like a man who had just escaped from a psychiatric ward.
Honestly, Grey had never seen a villain this pure before.
No tragic excuse, no complicated motive, he just wanted to conquer the world.
"Damn it, Opelucid City got frozen over!"
A furious shout came from the stands as Drayton slammed his hand down.
His hometown had been invaded, sealed in ice, and even his grandfather was being trampled by the enemy.
He might be a slacker in school, but he still had blood in his veins. How could he stomach watching someone use his hometown's humiliation as a stepping stone?
"Drayton, calm down first. Even Grandpa Drayden got frozen. Forget whether you could beat Team Plasma or not, even if you left right now, they'd probably be gone by the time you got there."
Lacey was just as powerless, so all she could do was try to console him.
Liberty Garden lay far to the south in Unova's blue waters, while Opelucid City stood in the far north near Giant Chasm.
Even if they raced back from the tournament venue at full speed, crossing that immense north-south stretch would still take at least half a day.
By the time they arrived, all they would find would be a city full of ice statues and the aftermath of the tragedy.
"Damn it... I can't do anything."
Drayton smashed a fist against the railing and looked around.
The festive atmosphere here stood in cruel contrast to the disaster unfolding in Opelucid City, as though the two places belonged to completely different worlds.
And the more obvious that contrast became, the more desperate he felt.
Grey, on the other hand, stayed calm.
What had happened had already happened. Panicking now would solve nothing.
The only thing he could do was figure out how to deal with Ghetsis.
"Mewtwo, with your strength, how long would it take to reach Opelucid City with Teleport?"
"Two hours is enough."
Mewtwo let out a cold laugh. Its strength was at the high Champion level.
If it went all out, it could cross Unova from south to north in two hours with Teleport alone.
"Nice. Then I'm counting on you."
Grey gave Mewtwo's shoulder a pat. With Mewtwo's Teleport and his own Aura powers, finding Ghetsis would be a sure thing.
"But I refuse."
Mewtwo rejected him immediately and righteously.
"Huh?"
Grey raised an eyebrow. He had not expected Mewtwo to turn him down so fast.
"I told you before. Defeat me, and then I'll listen to you. Even if the world is ending, I will still keep to my principles."
Mewtwo had a code of its own. Only a human who defeated it had the right to command it.
Grey fell silent for a second.
"Listen to me this once, and I'll owe you a favor."
Grey raised one finger and said earnestly, "Now is not the time for stubborn pride. Sometimes principles can bend a little. You can always straighten them back out later."
"No means no. Grey, unless you defeat me right now, I will not obey you."
Mewtwo and Grey had reached a deadlock.
Seeing that, Grey did not bother arguing any longer.
"Mew, let's go. I'll owe you ten barbecue dinners."
Why get hung up on one Mewtwo when he had other options?
After all, he still had Victini and Mew with him.
And even if that failed, he could always have Victini boost Caitlin to Champion level for a short burst.
"Mew~"
(Since you're asking so sincerely, I'll be merciful and help. Victini, I need a hand.)
Mew knew this was a critical moment, so it did not fool around. It immediately called Victini over to help.
"Vini."
(I know, I know! Buff coming right up!)
Victini placed both hands on the little Riolu, pouring boundless power into its body.
"Mew~"
(That feels amazing~)
The little Riolu let out a delighted cry, then, right in front of everyone, changed back into its pink little-cat form.
Mew had arrived.
"Mew~"
(Grey, make sure you hold on tight~)
The moment Mew finished speaking, Grey's vision went black.
Then Mew thought for a moment and added one more thing.
"Mew~"
(Oh, right. That guy got the DNA Splicers, so he probably won't stay in Opelucid City. I'll take you straight to my old friend's place so we can ambush him there.)
In the Unova region, at Giant Chasm.
This was the northernmost part of Unova, west of Lacunosa Town.
Buried under snowstorms all year round, it was also Kyurem's territory.
"We're here, this is the place! That little dinosaur is here. I'll take you over and let him know!"
Mew led Grey through the twisting paths with practiced ease, finally bringing him deep into Giant Chasm.
"This script is a little different from what I imagined."
Grey scratched the back of his head and took a sharp breath.
In his mind, Mewtwo was supposed to teleport him straight to Opelucid City so he could search for Ghetsis with Aura.
Instead, Mew had brought him directly to Kyurem's home.
"Come on, I told you, we're setting up the ambush in advance. That human was obviously the type who escaped from a mental hospital. A total idiot. He only likes picking on the weak. The second he runs into someone tough, he'll flee like a Rattata with its head tucked down."
Mew's read on people was surprisingly sharp. It had sized Ghetsis up in no time.
"Vini..."
(Still... do we really have to come straight to Kyurem?)
Victini's voice shook a little. As a local Mythical Pokémon, its relationship with Kyurem had never been particularly warm.
Kyurem looked fierce enough that anyone could tell at a glance it was not easy to deal with.
Even before Victini had been trapped on Liberty Garden, it had gone out of its way to avoid Giant Chasm.
The number of times it had met Kyurem could be counted on one hand.
"We're already here. It's too late to leave now. Of course, if you want to go, you can leave by yourself."
Mew grinned.
Victini looked like it still wanted to argue, but in the end it shrank back behind Grey.
Rumble...
The earth trembled, and an extreme chill rolled toward them.
This was the aura unique to a top-tier Legendary. Grey narrowed his eyes, Aura gathering in his palm.
"Mew... why does the human you brought carry Reshiram's scent?!"
A dragon's roar rang out, deep and almost genderless, as a savage gray-blue dragon Pokémon slowly emerged from the depths of the cavern.
Its head was crowned with crystal ice, its golden eyes were enough to make anyone's skin crawl, broken wings of ice jutted from its back, and its body was powerfully draconic.
Kyurem, the Boundary Pokémon.
Kyurem had been asleep, but the moment it sensed Reshiram's presence, it woke up and came over step by step.
It sniffed carefully and found that Grey carried not only Reshiram's aura, but also the aura of one of its former defeated opponents.
And, on top of that, the auras of two Mythical Pokémon.
"Human, who exactly are you?"
Kyurem could not help looking at Grey a little differently.
He was not only acknowledged by legendary and Mythical Pokémon native to Unova, he had even been brought here personally by Mew.
Any thought of attacking vanished on the spot.
Kyurem was not some malicious Pokémon by nature. Even the time it had cut off Keldeo's horn had been an accident.
Keldeo had come charging into its territory to challenge it, and Kyurem had only answered with a casual Shadow Claw.
It had not expected the opponent to be that weak. One swipe had snapped the horn clean off.
Then Keldeo's three teachers showed up too, and their aggressive tone had annoyed Kyurem.
So Kyurem froze all three of them as well.
"As for who I am, I'm just an ordinary trainer from Kanto."
Grey gave a small shrug and smiled.
"That's true. You do look pretty ordinary."
Kyurem nodded in agreement with perfect seriousness. "You're different from the humans I usually see. You have a decent amount of self-awareness."
Grey went silent.
Was there even the slightest possibility that he had been trying to be modest?
"But you are also the human trainer I've seen who has been acknowledged by the most legendary Pokémon."
Kyurem had to admit that much.
With so many legends acknowledging him, Kyurem felt no anger at all over the intrusion into its territory.
"Kyurem, have you noticed any humans coming near your territory recently?"
Mew got straight to the point.
From everything they had seen in the livestream, besides Kyurem, there really was no other Ice-type legendary likely to be behind something like this.
Well, there were exceptions.
For example, the specially empowered Articuno on the Seafoam Islands.
On its own, Articuno could not compare, but together with the other two boosted legendary birds, it could reach the level of an ordinary top-tier Legendary.
"Humans? Of course there were some. A while ago, a few suspicious humans were sneaking around outside Giant Chasm collecting my ice energy. But I was sleeping at the time, so I didn't bother with it."
Kyurem thought back to what it had noticed a few days earlier. Just as Mew had guessed, people really had come into its territory.
But Kyurem was too lazy to move, so it had ignored them.
"Vini!"
(Kyurem, you have no idea! Humans used your energy to do something terrible! An entire city outside got frozen because of it!)
Victini finally gathered its courage and poked its head out from behind Grey to tell Kyurem what had happened in Opelucid City.
"?"
A question mark made of ice energy practically appeared over Kyurem's head.
"What does that have to do with me? I'm not the one who told them to do it."
Kyurem felt this was all completely absurd.
It had been peacefully sleeping, and somehow people kept using its name to cause trouble outside.
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