Footsteps echoed outside the hall.
Hearing them, Sam rolled his neck, stretched his shoulders, and loosened his muscles. Ash and the others had arrived.
Which ant—
wtwo would appear soon.
"It's finally here! Great—the party hasn't started yet!"
Ash rushed into the hall excitedly.
Misty looked around—and her expression imdiately fell. This gloomy stone chamber was nothing like the grand banquet she had imagined.
"Sam!" Ash waved. "You're here!"
Sam walked over slowly, glancing at their soaked clothes with a faint smile.
"Looks like the trip wasn't smooth."
"Not exactly…" Brock muttered, recalling the terrifying boat ride. The more he thought about it, the more frightened he felt. If luck hadn't been on their side, they might have sunk into the sea.
"Ash," Sam said calmly, "have you t the castle's owner yet?"
Ash shook his head eagerly. "Not yet! Is the strongest Trainer here?"
"Not yet," Sam replied. "But soon."
Almost as if on cue—
The lights dimd.
A dark blue glow appeared at the main seat in the hall.
Sam's eyes sharpened.
"It's starting."
The hall fell silent.
No one dared to speak.
Even the Pokémon sensed sothing overwhelming. Togepi buried its face in Misty's chest, trembling.
Nurse Joy, now dressed in black gothic attire, stepped forward expressionlessly.
"Thank you for waiting," she said chanically. "Allow to introduce the master of this castle—the strongest Pokémon Trainer."
The blue light intensified.
From the darkness—
A figure descended.
Tall. Pale. Inhuman.
wtwo.
"Yes," Nurse Joy continued in a flat tone, "this is Master wtwo. The strongest Pokémon Trainer. The strongest Pokémon."
The lights returned.
The hall filled with tension.
Sam felt the athyst in his arms grow cold.
Deoxys was reaching a critical point.
It was close.
wtwo's gaze swept across the hall—and briefly locked onto Sam.
Cold.
Silent.
But aware.
---
Rebellion
The burly man who had arrived earlier slamd his fist onto the stone table.
"A Pokémon as the strongest Trainer?! What kind of joke is this?!"
He had crossed a stormy sea for this?
He couldn't accept it.
wtwo's expression darkened.
"No?"
Its voice echoed coldly.
"It is up to ."
At the sa ti, Nurse Joy repeated the sa words in perfect synchronization.
The Trainers realized it instantly—
She was being controlled.
wtwo could control humans.
A terrifying ability.
wtwo raised its right hand.
Psychic power surged.
The burly man was lifted into the air by invisible force, screaming in pain.
With a cold snort, wtwo flung him into the pool at the side of the hall.
Sam watched carefully.
wtwo wasn't killing him.
Despite its anger—
It was restraining itself.
There was confusion within it.
And sothing like loneliness.
---
Counterattack
The soaked man climbed out of the pool, furious.
"Gyarados! Teach it a lesson!"
A massive Gyarados burst from the water, roaring as it lunged at wtwo.
"Hyper Beam!"
Golden energy gathered in its mouth, the hall shaking as power condensed.
After several seconds—
A destructive beam blasted toward wtwo.
The hall trembled.
But wtwo did not move.
It extended one hand.
Psychic energy ford multiple translucent shields.
The Hyper Beam struck—
And vanished.
Completely absorbed.
"How is that possible?!" the man shouted in disbelief.
"Your turn is over," wtwo said coldly. "Now—mine."
The absorbed energy reford—stronger.
A more powerful Hyper Beam erupted from the Psychic barrier.
This ti—
Its target was Gyarados.
The beam struck.
Gyarados was hurled backward more than ten ters, crashing violently.
Silence filled the hall.
"wtwo… wtwo…" Ash muttered, eyes widening.
He finally rembered.
"The Pokémon that defeated Gary… was called wtwo!"
And now—
It stood before them.
The true beginning of the storm had arrived.
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