Battle Pyramid, Frontier Facility.
Thick black mist swirled through the pyramid's interior.
"Mr… Brandon." Ash's voice caught in his throat as he stared at the man writhing in agony before him.
"Y-Young man…" Brandon's body, wreathed in an almost tangible darkness, fought for a sliver of clarity. He strained to speak:
"Give me… the Imprison Stone Orb!"
"Dream on!"
'Brandon' stomped a boot onto the orb, his face twisting into a sinister grin—then muttered to himself, "Did you truly think I agreed to your battle out of courtesy?"
"In the end…"
Brandon—or rather, the King of Pokélantis—flung three Poké Balls into the air. In a flash of white light, the silhouettes of The Three Regis materialized.
"I should thank you… for delivering the three Ancient Colossi into my hands!"
Regirock.Regice.Registeel.
The Three Regis exchanged glances, then turned toward the familiar-yet-strange figure of Brandon behind them. For a moment… they hesitated.
"What are you waiting for?"
The towering figure in camouflage gear—'Brandon'—crossed his arms and coldly commanded, "Eliminate the enemy before you!"
Seizing the moment of hesitation from the Three Regis, Brock threw his Poké Ball: "Go, Steelix!"
BOOM—
The arena trembled as the colossal metal beast crashed to the ground, shielding Ash.
"Hyper Beam!" Brandon roared furiously.
"Regirock.Regice.Registeel—!" Finally, the patterned crystals of the Three Regis flickered with a dangerous red glow. Three blinding beams of light surged forth, intertwining into a terrifyingly powerful blast.
Rumble…
The entire pyramid shuddered faintly, sand and pebbles raining down. The radiant light dimmed the moment it erupted.
Brock's expression was grave, his silence heavy.
Mega Steelix, levitating magnetic crystals around it, stood like an unshakable fortress against the Hyper Beam—yet in a single exchange, it lost all battle capability!
CRASH!!
Steelix collapsed, exhausted. The ground split beneath its massive weight, a fierce shockwave sweeping through the area.
Ash finally snapped back to reality, pressing down on his cap's brim as it flapped in the wind, gritting his teeth.
"Senior Brock! What do we do now?!"
"What do we do?"
Before Brock could answer, the King of Pokélantis—possessing Brandon's body—curled his lips into a cold smirk.
"Of course, we start by dealing with you, you brat!"
Recalling the earlier battle, the King of Pokélantis trembled with rage.
With thousands of years of experience, this was the first time he'd seen someone tank a Thunderbolt with their bare body—and even force him out of his host.
Luckily, when Brandon tried to imprison him using the Stone Orb, the King of Pokélantis had turned the tables.
If not for this body… he wouldn't have been able to control the Three Regis at all.
He hadn't captured Ho-Oh, but millennia later, he had mastered the power of the Legendary Titans—
A wild grin spread across 'Brandon's' face as he burst into uncontrollable laughter.
The Three Regis stood before him, unmoving, their crystals pulsing with warning red light.
"In any case."
Brock released all his Poké Balls: Kabutops, its blades sharp enough to slice water, and Golem, fists clenched tight.
Three Geodude linked hands, forming a protective ring that flew above Ash before landing, shielding him.
"Leave the dangerous work to me."
Brock narrowed his eyes, his voice steady and reassuring as he crossed his arms.
"Get out of the pyramid… and contact Natsume-sensei as fast as you can!"
"Kabutops? Golem?"
Brandon scoffed, displaying the magnanimity of a king as he sneered:
"A double battle? Fine. Registeel, Regirock—handle them!"
"Registeel.Regirock—!!"
The Registeel and the Regirock stepped forward, their presence suffocating.
As the crystals glowed red—
The double battle erupted, four Pokémon colliding in a deafening clash.
The arena floor shattered under the force of the impact, yet Brock stood firm against the shockwave, unshaken.
Ash's pupils contracted, his teeth sinking into his lower lip. For the first time, he truly felt the weight of his own powerlessness.
The King of Pokélantis had possessed Brandon—a Frontier Brain.
With all Three Regis under his command, Brandon could even hold his own against a Champion.
And right now…
Brock was only buying time by battling the Three Regis.
Ash, who had grown complacent after earning five Symbols, clenched his trembling fists.
After one last glance at Brock's back, Ash turned and shouted:
"I'll be back soon—wait for me, Brock!"
With Pikachu on his shoulder, Ash sprinted toward the pyramid's exit.
But the Regice, lying in wait, fired a freezing beam, sealing the entrance in solid ice.
"Trying to run?"
Brandon waved a hand dismissively. "Regice, deal with that brat!"
"Regice—!" Regice's arm fired a beam of subzero ice.
"Don't underestimate me and Pikachu!"
Ash's eyes burned with determination as he roared, "Pikachu, Volt Tackle!!"
"Pikachu!!!"
Dashing at blinding speed, Pikachu dodged Regice's Ice Beam, transforming into a streak of crackling blue lightning.
THUD!!
"Regice—!" The ancient Regice was actually forced back several meters.
Electricity surged wildly through the pyramid, drawing the attention of both Brock and 'Brandon.'
"How beautiful."
The King of Pokélantis stared, mesmerized, at the panting Pikachu—before his lips twisted into a sinister grin.
"Very well. I shall allow this Pikachu to serve me!"
"Pikachu! (╬◣д◢)"
Brock glanced at the frozen exit, then at the Stone Orb beneath the King of Pokélantis' foot, saying nothing.
A moment later, he calmly commanded: "Kabutops, Liquidation!"
"Kabutops!" Though battered, Kabutops swung its blade in a sweeping arc, water slicing through the air like ink. The strike landed on the Registeel's body with a metallic clang, sparks flying.
"You… still struggling?"
The King of Pokélantis paused, then sneered. "Fine. I'll indulge you!"
"Registeel, Regirock—use—"
Rustle…!
At the exit, the ice sculpture suddenly trembled, cracks spreading rapidly.
CRACK!
As if struck from outside, the ice shattered completely.
Blinding sunlight flooded into the pyramid.
A Garchomp stood silhouetted in the light, retracting its scythes as its roar echoed through the chamber.
"Garchomp!!"
"This is…" Ash froze in place.
When he recognized the newcomers, his expression shifted from shock to excitement, his body trembling too much to even speak.
Even the ever-stoic Brock showed a flicker of emotion.
His shoulders relaxed slightly as he exhaled in relief.
"Sorry… took me a while to get here."
Backlit by the sun, the figure's sharp jawline was just visible.
A tall young man stood there, a Gengar and an electronic Pokédex floating beside him. His voice was steady, instilling confidence.
"Leave the rest to me!"
"Gengar~! (￣▽￣)／"
A golden-haired beauty in black, posture impeccable, stepped forward alongside Garchomp, her high heels clicking against the stone.
For a moment—
The King of Pokélantis, still possessing Brandon, paled.
This… overwhelming pressure.
No—there's no way I can lose!
I wield the power of the Three Ancient Colossi!
Yet, despite himself, fear forced a hoarse question from his throat:
"Who—who are you two?!"
Cynthia didn't answer. Instead, she raised a single arm, the Poké Ball in her palm glinting faintly.
Her gray eyes swept over the wounded, fallen Pokémon.
Then, they sharpened—blazing with resolve.
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No More Waiting - The Story is Complete!
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