As Ash and friends docked at Shamouti, went to the Big Tiki Hut, heard the Festival Maiden's ethereal flute lody, and listened to the yearly custom, a terrifying storm soon engulfed the seas around Shamouti Island.
lody looked anxiously outside and murmured, "This weather… probably isn't suitable for going to sea."
"Pika…"
Pikachu's ears drooped, face downcast.
Its Trainer Ash wore the sa look. In so ways, this Trainer-Pokémon pair was remarkably alike.
The orange-haired Misty cautioned, "Heading out in this weather is unrealistic. For safety, let's wait until the storm and sea calm down."
As a Water specialist, Misty knew well what terrifying power the ocean was brewing.
Nearby, Pokémon watcher Tracey stroked his chin, brows tightening.
The sea is fickle and ever-changing, sure.
But this shift was far too sudden, carrying a whiff of sothing abnormal…
Not long after they decided to postpone going out to sea, the teorological centers across several Orange Islands simultaneously received anomalous weather alerts from their monitoring stations.
Torrential rain, tsunamis, cyclones—even earthquakes.
As if the world itself were weeping over sothing.
Staff facing this for the first ti were stunned, not knowing where to begin.
Worse, the phenonon wasn't confined to the Orange Archipelago. According to sensor data, the climatic rampage was spreading outward!
At this rate, it would reach Kanto's vicinity in a few hours, wrap Johto within half a day, then Sinnoh, Unova… and after a day or two, the other half of the planet as well!
In the weather centers, so greenhorns who'd never seen anything like this, with fragile nerves, covered their faces and began to sob quietly.
On Valencia Island, a shapely, intellectual woman in a lab coat—Professor Ivy—had just helped her assistants rescue a few Oddish shivering in the storm.
Soaked to the bone, Brock asked in confusion, "Professor Ivy, wasn't the forecast for clear skies these next few days? How did this happen so suddenly?"
Ivy frowned at the sky, the clouds looking heavy enough to crush it, and recalled a glimpse of odd behavior from Water-type Pokémon earlier—all rushing in the sa direction.
As a professor who researches regional forms, she knew the Orange Archipelago well. That direction pointed only to Shamouti and a few islets.
She'd gone to survey it briefly and heard so legends from the islanders.
The Fire Guardian, Thunder Guardian, Ice Guardian, and the Sea Guardian…
After a mont's silence, Ivy ignored how her rain-soaked clothes clung uncomfortably to her skin.
She strode to the phone and dialed an important contact listed beside it—Professor Oak!
Perhaps only the authority of the Pokémon research world, Professor Oak, could answer her doubts.
…
At the source of the incident, on Thunder Island and Ice Island, two pairs of sharp eyes suddenly opened. Monts ago, they had sensed the disappearance of the Fire Island guardian's aura.
After but a mont's hesitation, the two guardians made different choices.
With a rumble of thunder from the clouds, Zapdos flapped, electricity crackling, golden wings seeming cast from light, and sped toward Fire Island.
If Moltres's aura had vanished, then it should claim that island!
Articuno, however, chose to remain on its own island. For so reason, a vague sense of danger lingered in its heart.
Dense lightning fell ceaselessly from the cloudtops. The deafening booms pressed down on the soul. In a cliffside cavern at Shamouti's edge, Slowking watched the world with its hands clasped behind its back, looking troubled.
"This is… rather tricky."
In this weather, would the "conductor" appear?
Slowking pictured wtwo. If it was that special Pokémon, it might stop this disaster—but it happened to leave right before this began.
At the storm's eye, the massive airship ignored nature's howls. Lightning poured over it like floodwaters through a dam. Countless turrets flared, firing Ice missiles—super effective against Flying-types.
Zapdos twisted through the skies, weaving and rolling with agility beyond even the greatest fighter pilots, dodging the Ice rounds.
But under such dense fire, it could not avoid being grazed. A thin layer of frost ford over its shining wings.
Ordinarily, that wouldn't matter—only slightly affecting maneuverability. Zapdos could simply amp its output and shatter it.
But its opponent wasn't a human or a Pokémon. It was an AI that calculated everything and never missed fleeting chances.
The instant Zapdos's movents slowed, the sa capture ring that had snared Moltres launched, chasing Zapdos down and trapping it in a special magnetic field, forming a cage it could not break.
Inside the ship, the emotionless voice continued:
["Thunder Guardian captured. Ice Guardian location locked. Mr. Lawrence III, proceed to Ice Island?"]
"Depart when preparations are complete."
Leg over leg, Lawrence III smiled and gave the order.
He was in a good mood. With Fire and Thunder captured, once he took Ice, the Sea Guardian would certainly appear.
With Zapdos captured, the relentless lightning and storm over the Orange Archipelago finally eased a bit—enough to make going to sea possible.
Ash and friends took a speedboat toward the three islands—and ran headlong into Articuno, whose triangulated balance had lost two points. Tied to the balance of nature, it too was affected, its heart growing violent until it lost rationality!
From Valencia's direction, a helicopter lifted off—Professor Ivy, Professor Oak, Delia (worried for Ash), and, urgently arriving to protect her native Sevii Islands from spillover, Kanto's Ice Elite, Lorelei!
…
Paldea region, Los Platos.
Late night.
The upheaval on the other half of the planet hadn't reached here yet. Lucas's rural corner didn't even have a computer, let alone a high-end rig capable of infiltrating the Orange Archipelago's surveillance network.
wtwo teleported to Los Platos, collected a heap of what looked like scrap, and—using micro-control with psychic power—sohow hand-built a supercomputer in short order.
By the ti it finished, it was near midnight.
wtwo had considered teleporting back to its base to use existing gear.
But to shake off Team Rocket's relentless pursuit, it had destroyed anything that could expose it. Besides, even for it, teleporting back and forth across half the planet wasn't trivial.
In terms of raw reserves, wtwo's ntal power was actually less than w's—but it could continue to grow, and its control far exceeded a w that didn't even train.
A couple round trips would drain it. With what would it face potential imminent crises?
wtwo's vigilance wouldn't allow it to burn through its power carelessly.
While infiltrating systems to trace Lawrence III, wtwo also checked for strange incidents in the Orange Archipelago—and suddenly spotted a live broadcast surging in popularity.
It was simulcasting a TV news segnt, featuring big nas. wtwo clicked in.
["Nurous Pokémon capable of crossing the sea are moving toward Shamouti Island. Those who can't are massing on the nearest shores."]
["On this phenonon, let's consult Professors Oak and Ivy."]
["Legend says Shamouti is ho to the Fire Guardian, Thunder Guardian, and Ice Guardian. Their balance keeps deep ocean currents flowing gently, birthing the first life on this planet. In other words, the heart of those currents is where life began."]
["At this mont, an unknown factor has disturbed the balance. Pokémon seem to sense sothing…"]
When the professors finished, the cara cut to aerial shots outside. You could see, in sea and sky, countless Pokémon moving in one direction.
Then Lorelei, who'd been silent, spoke gravely: ["Regarding this incident, I will represent Kanto to investigate. Citizens, please don't panic and stay in safe places…"]
wtwo closed the stream.
Its infiltration of Kanto systems paused. This was no natural incident. wtwo frowned, recalling the trio and their balance.
Had sothing happened in the re day it was gone?
After a brief silence, wtwo chose to wake Lucas from his sound sleep.
The mont Lucas saw the broadcast, his drowsiness vanished.
From the bottom of his heart, Lucas exclaid, "No way!"
So Lawrence III's operation had already begun—or was about to—when wtwo ca to him?
Because of the distance between regions, wtwo hadn't sensed the imbalance yet. It'd take days for the disturbance to reach Paldea.
A chain of coincidences and near-misses—and other factors—ant the stream had already reached this point. Lawrence III was likely halfway to success.
There was no more ti for sleep. Intuition told Lucas that subtle changes were afoot. At the very least, Lorelei hadn't appeared in his mory!
If it were a purely local issue, Lucas might not stick his neck out. But this imbalance clearly radiated worldwide.
Even if, in the best case, other Legendary Pokémon would intervene once the disturbance crossed into their domains—Lucas couldn't bet on Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza, or the spaceti trio Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, or Zygarde—who, in the sa hemisphere, might already be in trouble.
Even just for the farm's safety, he felt he had to go—just in case.
He made preparations based on his mory, cradled Delibird, and looked to wtwo, indicating he was ready to head to Shamouti.
But wtwo didn't move. Instead, it gazed toward the true triad of birds, roused by the commotion and peeking in.
"Bring them too. They might be useful."
wtwo's telepathy sounded in everyone's mind.
Moltres imdiately bristled. Might be useful? What do you an might!?
But faced with wtwo's Luxray-tier pressure, Moltres could only sulk.
Articuno and Zapdos looked bewildered. Why bring them?
Weren't they here to work and enjoy good food?
As if reading wtwo's mind, Lucas thought for a mont and looked at Zapdos and Articuno.
Moltres wasn't a worry. The question was how to persuade Zapdos and Articuno to co.
"If we make it back, I'll double the luxury of your als compared to before. How's that?"
Zapdos & Articuno: !!!
Zapdos, having no concept of restraint, waddled over like a land-chicken, while Articuno, after a mont of coy hesitation, was ultimately conquered by desire and ca over too.
Yet wtwo still didn't move.
Glancing at the birds still outside—and absolutely not admitting that teleporting too many at once would drain a lot of ntal power—wtwo said blandly, "Return them to their Poké Balls. If they don't have one, catch them on the spot and release them when we're back."
Lucas: …
Zapdos & Articuno: !!!!
In the end, Zapdos and Articuno entered the standard red-and-white Balls Lucas produced. They could break out anyti if they wanted—no big deal.
Definitely not because wtwo threatened to crumple them into balls if they didn't cooperate!
Under Oranguru's gaze, light flashed, and Lucas, wtwo, and Delibird vanished.
Oranguru murmured, "A crisis for the world…"
…
"Screee!!!"
Dragging its beautiful tail feathers, the usually elegant ice-blue bird had lost all reason. Frigid beams that could freeze anything swept out, and the gusts from its wings made it feel like the far north.
Under Articuno's rampage, swathes of ocean froze into solid ice, halting the currents and further destabilizing the world's balance.
On the endless ice, tiny figures fled in panic.
They were lody and Ash's group.
Articuno's indiscriminate, wide-area attacks had frozen their speedboat in the sea, and they could only run on the ice to avoid its sweeping blasts.
Misty's orange hair was frosted white. Hugging a shivering Togepi, she couldn't help but complain, "What is even happening—!"
It was supposed to be a routine outing after a storm—just going through the motions—so why did it turn into this!?
lody gripped the flute that was said to soothe the three birds' rage, face grave. "The prophecy… it's all coming true. The world is heading for destruction!"
Tracey's face contorted in fear. "The world's ending? You've got to be kidding!"
Dodging another lateral sweep of Ice Beam, lody said in a low voice, "We have to follow the prophecy: gather the three treasures, place them on the temple altar, and play the flute to calm the gods' fury!"
"Charizard, Flathrower! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
Ash hurled his Poké Ball. Charizard, now willing to obey, aid at a branch of the Ice Beam sweeping toward them, throat swelling, and unleashed a torrent of fla.
Pikachu released golden lightning on the other side. Fire and electricity together collided with the icy ray.
Charizard and Pikachu gave it their all—but that only nudged the beam's path, causing the energies to interfere so it exploded early behind them.
And that was just a branch of the Ice Guardian's Ice Beam. If it focused on them with a targeted attack, how terrifying would that be?
Perhaps provoked by Charizard and Pikachu's counter, the wrathful Articuno focused on Ash's group. Murky, furious eyes fixed on them as brilliant light gathered in its beak.
This ti… Sheer Cold!
Tracey cried out, "We're done for!"
Even as a non-Trainer, he knew that locked-on move from Articuno was terrifying.
Not to ntion the killing intent suffusing it!
Misty stopped running and hugged Togepi tight. Water and Ice are related—she knew how vast Sheer Cold's range was.
They couldn't outrun it on foot.
Even the ever-optimistic Ash felt a pang of despair—but more than that, stubborn resolve. He clenched his gloved fists and shouted, "Pikachu, Charizard—again! Thunderbolt and Flathrower!"
The others, moved by Ash's tenacity, sent out all their Pokémon to resist.
In the next instant, a brilliant torrent roared forth. Compared to it, the light from their combined moves was like fireflies before the moon—instantly frozen by Sheer Cold.
At that desperate mont, a woman's voice rang out: "Lapras, Sheer Cold! Slowbro, Protect!"
A smaller—but still massive—ice torrent t Articuno's head-on and canceled it out. anwhile, red light flashed in front of Ash's group.
Slowbro planted itself before them, a barrier bolstered by psychic power absorbing the residual force that broke through Lapras's Sheer Cold.
Then the whir of rotors sounded overhead. A red-haired woman leapt from a hundred ters up without any gear, landing in front of them thanks to Slowbro's psychic support.
Recognizing her, Misty cried out, excited, "Elite Lorelei!"
At the sa ti, the helicopter descended. Professor Oak, Professor Ivy, Delia, and reporters disembarked. Caras trained on the wrathful Ice Guardian in the sky, everyone stunned.
Staring intently at Articuno, Lorelei said gravely, "I'll hold it off. Professors Oak and Ivy, please find a way to stop this collapse of nature's balance!"
No sooner had Lorelei spoken than a deafening explosion thundered from farther across the sky. Flas shot up so high they were visible even here.
What happened over there?
…
Over Ice Island, Lawrence III's airship had just arrived when he noticed the Ice Guardian's presence had vanished.
The AI chid again.
["Mr. Lawrence III, Articuno's energy signature has appeared 25 kiloters away in the sky. It may have masked its aura and flown there in one burst."]
Frowning, Lawrence III said, "Change course. Target—contain Articuno."
["Affirmative."]
Just as Lawrence III turned to return to the controls, a faint spatial ripple spread through the ship.
Red warning lights flared, and shrill alarms blared.
Lucas, Delibird, and wtwo appeared right in front of Lawrence III.
["Intruder detected… Intruder detected—"]
"Silence! I see them!"
Lawrence III showed no panic. Instead, he looked at wtwo with great interest, brow arching. "An unfamiliar Psychic-type. Teleported here?"
"This should be ten thousand ters up, right?"
A normal Psychic-type couldn't teleport to this altitude.
Lucas and wtwo ignored him. Upon reaching Shamouti, wtwo imdiately sensed the imbalance. After speaking to Slowking and accepting its request, wtwo—prompted by Lucas—quickly found the airship hidden above the clouds.
Lucas glanced at the trapped Moltres and Zapdos—no sign of Articuno. Fortunately, they weren't too late.
He also noted that Ash and Team Rocket weren't here despite the birds being present. The story had changed.
"Got a way?"
Lucas looked at wtwo, asking with his eyes.
wtwo nodded slightly. Though this was tech that could capture the Fire and Thunder Guardians, as a wholesale dealer of black tech, wtwo knew that pushing any single performance to the limit ca with flaws.
Like these cages: inside, the birds couldn't use their power at all—no chance of escaping on their own.
But from the outside, a little force would break them easily.
Being ignored, Lawrence III was unbothered. He even chuckled. "I don't like uninvited guests who lack manners, but since you brought a housewarming gift, I'll forgive you."
"Now then, please introduce yourself. For instance—how should I address you?"
"Lucas. Just a passing farr."
Looking at the man who wanted to destroy his peaceful life, the Poké Balls in Lucas's hand flashed red.
In the next instant, before Lawrence III's clearly stunned face, the figures of Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos appeared one after another.
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