Ash had barely managed to fend off Mewtwo's opening salvo, but the other trainers were already beyond the point of reason, their fury stoked by Mewtwo's insufferable arrogance.
Coreya trainer sporting a rugged flight jacketcould no longer contain his indignation and marched forward.
"Enough of your grandstanding!" Corey roared, his fingers white-knuckled around a Poké Ball. "Once I've captured you, we'll see if you can still talk this big!"
Floating in mid-air, Mewtwo looked down at Corey with cold, detached eyes, as if observing a particularly insignificant insect. "Yet another human who does not know the limits of his own strength."
"Rhyhorn, use Take Down!" Corey yelled, putting all his strength into the throw.
The massive Rhyhorn materialized and charged toward Mewtwo with a thunderous roar, each heavy step sending tremors through the floor. However, just as it was about to collide with the legendary Pokémon, an invisible barrier shimmered into existence.
Rhyhorn was repelled with even greater force than it had exerted, sent flying backward to crash violently into the wall. It was knocked unconscious instantly.
"Do you see now?" Mewtwo's voice echoed, devoid of all emotion. "My innate abilities are far superior to any Pokémon on this planet. Your human concept of 'capturing' is nothing more than a pathetic, self-deceiving lie in my eyes."
Mewtwo slowly raised a hand, and the entire hall began to groan and shake. "Since you are so obsessed with battling, then allow me to show you what true power looks like."
A flash of brilliant blue light blinded the room. When it faded, everyone found themselves teleported to the center of a gargantuan, circular Arena. Towering stands surrounded them, yet they were devoid of spectators, filled only by cold, silent stone seats.
Mewtwo hovered at the center of the Arena, its voice resonating directly within their minds. "I shall send forth clones I have created to duel your Pokémon. Let me prove that without human command, Pokémon can unleash even greater power."
Three beams of light shot from Mewtwo's hand, condensing into the forms of three Pokémon: Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur. However, these creatures had hollow, empty eyes and radiated an unnatural luminescence. They were clearly the clones Mewtwo had spoken of.
Ash stepped forward without a second thought. "I accept your challenge!"
Neesha and Corey stood beside him, the three of them exchanging a determined nod. Ash sent out his Charizard, Neesha released her Blastoise, and Corey called out his Venusaur, creating a perfect set of mirror matches.
The three battles erupted simultaneously, the Arena instantly illuminated by the kaleidoscopic glare of various moves. Ash's Charizard engaged its clone in a fierce aerial dogfight. The two dragons soared through the sky,
their Flamethrowers colliding in mid-air and erupting into a magnificent shower of sparks. Relying on its wealth of combat experience, Ash's Charizard deftly avoided the clone's strikes while biding its time for a counter-offensive.
"Charizard, remember the techniques from our special training!" Ash shouted.
Charizard understood immediately. It executed a sudden, sharp dive, pulling up at the very last second just above the ground. The clone Charizard was too slow to react and was blasted by a precise Dragon Rage. Before it could recover, Ash's Charizard followed up ruthlessly, grabbing the clone and using Seismic Toss to slam it into the earth with crushing force.
Meanwhile, the situation on the other two fronts was far more dire. Neesha's Blastoise was being utterly suppressed by its clone; the power behind the clone's Hydro Pump was extraordinary, nearly flooding the entire combat zone. Corey's Venusaur was also struggling to survive as the clone Venusaur's Vine Whip moved with the fluid grace of a living creature, binding its opponent tightly.
In the end, only Ash's Charizard stood victorious. The other two duels ended in the total defeat of the trainers.
Observing the results, Mewtwo showed no sign of disappointment. Instead, a look of satisfaction crossed its face. "It seems your Charizard is indeed somewhat special. However..."
It suddenly raised its hand again. Several black Poké BallsMewtwo Ballsflew from its palm, streaking directly toward the Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur that had performed so well in the match.
"Stop it!" Ash yelled. His Aura Power surged to its limit, forming a barrier in the air that deflected the Mewtwo Ball aimed at Charizard.
Misty pointed an accusing finger at Mewtwo. "What do you think you're doing? Stealing other people's Pokémonis this what you call superiority?"
Ash added his voice to the reprimand. "Forcibly capturing another's Pokémon after a battle is over is a grave violation of the rules!"
Mewtwo responded coldly. "Rules? Those are merely ridiculous constraints manufactured by humans. I am simply collecting superior data to create even more perfect clones."
Even more Mewtwo Balls launched from its hands, raining down like a black storm upon the trainers' Pokémon. Ash did his best to block them, but there were simply too many. He could only barely protect his own Pokémon and those of the people closest to him.
"Everyone, recall your Pokémon now!" Ash warned loudly.
The trainers frantically pulled out their Poké Balls, attempting to withdraw their partners. However, something horrifying occurredthe Mewtwo Balls were able to penetrate the light of the Poké Balls, capturing the Pokémon along with their original containers!
Fergus's Gyarados, Corey's Rhyhorn, Neesha's Blastoise... one by one, the trainers lost their partners. The black Mewtwo Balls danced through the air, returning to Mewtwo's hand as soon as they secured a target.
"This is impossible!" Corey cried out in despair as he watched his Poké Ball turn into a streak of black light and be absorbed by a Mewtwo Ball.
Ash used his Aura Power to shield against the onslaught while covering the others' retreat toward the Arena exit. Yet, the Mewtwo Balls were relentless, pursuing them as if they had a mind of their own.
"Pikachu, knock those balls down with Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu's electric discharge successfully blasted several Mewtwo Balls out of the air, but more surged in from every direction. Ash gritted his teeth, expanding his Aura Power to create a larger protective radius.
In the midst of the crisis, Ash thought fast and moved to recall his own Pokémon. Charizard, Wartortle, Bulbasaur... one by one, red beams of light hit them. But just as Pikachu was about to be pulled back into safety, a Mewtwo Ball curved in from an impossible angle.
"No!" Ash screamed.
The Mewtwo Ball collided with the beam from Pikachu's Poké Ball, creating a strange resonance. To everyone's horror, the Poké Ball itself was enveloped and absorbed by the black sphere, which then soared back into Mewtwo's grasp.
Ash stared blankly at his empty palm, where Pikachu's Poké Ball should have been. An unprecedented rage began to burn within his heart. His Aura Power erupted uncontrollably, whipping up a violent energy storm that swept through the Arena.
Mewtwo looked at the ball containing Pikachu and nodded with satisfaction. "Finally... I have obtained an interesting research subject."
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