"Of course it's Mewtwo," John muttered as he selected yes to enter the dungeon.
The moment he released his Pokemon, a silver-white figure materialized in the sky above the castle at the island's far end. What followed was an exact repeat of his encounter with Shadow Mewtwo.
Complete annihilation.
Despite having just defeated Deoxys in a level 95 dungeon, the gap between that challenge and this level 100 encounter felt insurmountable. The level 95 dungeon housing Deoxys had definitely reached that difficulty threshold, but both "Darkness Comes" featuring Dark Mewtwo and "Mewtwo's Counterattack" were capped at level 100, the Gameboy's maximum dungeon rating.
However, judging by the actual battles, both Mewtwo variants possessed comparable strength. The key difference lay in their fighting styles.
Shadow Mewtwo's assault was relentless, its shadow-infused moves dealing double damage to any Pokemon. Regular Mewtwo, while lacking that shadow power enhancement, employed far more sophisticated tactics. Its mastery of various Psychic moves made it as elusive as a greased Magikarp, actually harder to defeat than its shadowy counterpart.
After this humbling experience, John resolved not to challenge Mewtwo again until his entire team reached maximum level.
Using Surf, he continued south toward the Orange Islands.
After more than ten minutes of digital navigation, John spotted another massive island. More importantly, this one had cities!
He quickly guided his character to shore and disembarked.
The scenery shifted as John transitioned from reality into the game world, finding himself in a bustling harbor city.
"Just like Altomare, the water city," John mused. "Places that exist only in the anime automatically allow full immersion."
A thriving metropolis sprawled before him, complete with heavy traffic and busy pedestrians.
"Go, Gardevoir!" John tossed a Pokeball.
His shiny Gardevoir emerged gracefully.
"Let's find the nearest Pokemon Center."
"Garde~" Gardevoir pressed her hands together, invisible psychic waves rapidly spreading through the surrounding area.
She quickly locked onto the Pokemon Center's location.
In the next instant, John and Gardevoir materialized outside the facility via Teleport.
Passersby immediately stared, drawn primarily to Gardevoir's unusual coloration.
"A shiny Pokemon!"
Several people approached for a closer look.
John snapped his fingers. Zoroark's form slowly materialized behind him, illusion power spreading as Gardevoir cast Hypnosis.
The gathering crowd suddenly dispersed, returning to their business as if nothing had happened.
"Having Zoroark makes all the difference," John sighed contentedly. With Zoroark's abilities, he could walk the streets like any ordinary person.
He handed his Pokeballs to Nurse Joy for treatment while making conversation.
"Do you have a map available?"
"Certainly!" Nurse Joy quickly produced one.
John studied it carefully. Most of the map showed blue water areas dotted with countless islands of various sizes. This confirmed his suspicions, he'd reached the Orange Islands.
His current location was Hamlin Island, at the Orange Islands' southernmost tip.
"Is there a registration process for the Orange League?" John asked.
"Just register your Pokedex."
John handed over his device. Since he was here anyway, might as well earn another championship.
The Orange League differed significantly from previous regions he'd conquered. Despite numerous islands, only four gyms existed, and defeating them granted direct access to the final champion battle. Apparently, they skipped Gym Leaders and Elite Four entirely.
Moreover, these four gyms operated under different rules than traditional ones. The Orange Islands served as a vacation destination, making their gyms more entertainment-focused, emphasizing Pokemon sports competitions over straightforward battles.
This should prove easier than expected.
"Registration complete, Pokemon fully healed. Have a wonderful journey!"
Taking his Pokedex and Pokeballs from Nurse Joy, John left the Pokemon Center.
He reopened the map for another look. The Orange League's four gyms were scattered across the islands' corners. Completing the circuit would require traveling the entire archipelago.
The nearest gym sat on Kumquat Island in the Orange Islands' northern corner. From Hamlin Island, he'd need to continue south to reach it.
"No rush," John said, retrieving the treasure detector from his backpack. "Since I'm in a new environment, might as well explore." He handed the device to Gardevoir.
"Can't expect legendary Pokemon items everywhere," he reasoned. "If they were that common, they wouldn't be so valuable."
The detector's pointer deflected quickly, indicating the south shore exit of Hamlin Island. The deflection wasn't particularly strong, suggesting a decent treasure rather than legendary Pokemon equipment.
"Seems like a good secret treasure at most," John guessed, his appetite having grown after finding several legendary items previously.
John and Gardevoir began rapid Teleport jumps toward the treasure's location.
They arrived at what barely qualified as an island, more like a collection of sea-bound reefs. No vegetation grew here, only rocks pierced by some tremendously powerful attacks. Strange stone formations stood sentinel while shipwrecks littered the coastal waters.
This place felt like a forbidden zone for all living things.
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM!
A sharp, furious roar echoed from the island's depths.
"Zaaaa!" The cry was filled with unbridled rage.
Suddenly, scarlet eyes opened deep within the island. The entire sky immediately filled with thick, pitch-black storm clouds. Dark red lightning rolled through them, roaring like some primordial beast.
A menacing figure launched itself from the island's depths, plunging headlong into the thunder-filled darkness before sweeping northward with the storm clouds!
On another island, hundreds of nautical miles from Hamlin Island, countless dark red lightning bolts began falling from the sky, bombarding the earth with chaotic, reckless fury.