Chapter 398: I’m Just a Passing Trainer—You Better Remember It!
Battle Frontier Facility – Battle Pyramid
The entire interior of the structure was shrouded in dense black mist.
“Mr. Brandon…”
Ash, who had just regained his senses, spoke with a tight voice as he looked toward Brandon, who was writhing in pain.
“B-Boy…”
The dark, almost tangible aura coiled behind Brandon. He barely regained a sliver of clarity and forced out,
“Give me the sealing stone!”
“In your dreams!”
‘Brandon’ stomped down hard on the sealing orb, his expression cold. Then he muttered to himself,
“You think I agreed to your battle for no reason?”
“In the end—”
Brandon, or rather, the King of Pokélantis, tossed out three Poké Balls.
In a flash of white light, the silhouettes of the Three Regis emerged.
Regirock, Regice, Registeel.
The Three Regis looked at each other, then back at the familiar yet unfamiliar Brandon behind them, hesitating.
“What are you waiting for?!”
The bulky ‘Brandon,’ dressed in camouflage, crossed his arms and barked coldly,
“Destroy the enemies in front of you!”
While the Three Regis hesitated, Brock threw a Poké Ball. “Go, Steelix!”
BOOM!
The arena shook as the massive steel beast crashed down, shielding Ash.
“Hyper Beam!” Brandon roared.
“Re—gi—!”
Crystals arranged in a triangular formation on the Regis’ bodies glowed red with danger.
Three dazzling beams surged forth and intertwined into a terrifying blast of light.
Ssshhh—
The entire pyramid trembled. Stones fell from the ceiling, and the rainbow light quickly dimmed in the explosion. Brock’s face was grim, his lips tight.
Mega Steelix, floating with magnetized crystals swirling around it, stood like a towering wall to block the Hyper Beam.
It was defeated in just one round!
CRASH!!
Steelix collapsed, cracking the ground beneath it as a powerful shockwave blasted outward.
Ash finally snapped back to reality. He held onto his cap as the wind howled and gritted his teeth.
“Brock, what should we do now?!”
“What do we do?”
Before Brock could reply, the King of Pokélantis, in Brandon’s body, sneered.
“Of course, we deal with a snot-nosed brat like you first!”
He trembled with rage as he recalled the earlier battle.
Even with thousands of years of experience, he had never seen anyone take a Thunderbolt to the face and live—
And even worse, it shocked him out of the host!
Thankfully, when Brandon tried to use the sealing orb again, the King managed to turn the tables.
Without Brandon’s body, he wouldn’t have been able to control the Three Regis.
He failed to capture Ho-Oh, but thousands of years later, he had mastered the power of the “legendary giants.”
A smirk tugged at the corner of ‘Brandon’s’ lips.
The Three Regis stood imposingly before him, unmoving, their crystals flashing red.
“In any case…”
Brock released all his Poké Balls: Kabutops, with blades drawn; Golem, fists clenched.
And three Geodudes, holding hands in a protective circle. They flew over Ash, forming a barrier above his head.
“Leave the dangerous part to me.”
Brock narrowed his eyes, arms folded across his chest. His voice was calm and reassuring.
“Get out of the Pyramid… and contact Mr. Lu as soon as possible!”
“Kabutops? Golem?”
Brandon snorted with disdain. Playing the role of the magnanimous king, he declared:
“A Double Battle, then. Registeel, Regirock—you’re up!”
“Re—gi!!”
Steel and Rock Regi stepped forward, emitting an overwhelming pressure.
When their red lights ignited,
the four Pokémon clashed.
BOOM!!
The ground cracked and shattered.
Brock stood firm in the aftershock, unmoved like a mountain.
Ash’s pupils contracted. He bit his lip hard.
For the first time, he truly understood how small his strength was.
The King of Pokélantis was possessing none other than Brandon, the head of the Battle Frontier.
With all Three Regis, Brandon could even stand against Champions.
And now—
Brock’s goal in fighting the Regis wasn’t to win.
It was just to buy time…
Ash, who had grown cocky after collecting five Symbols, clenched his trembling fists.
Looking at Brock’s back, Ash turned and shouted:
“I’ll be back soon—hang in there, Brock!”
With Pikachu on his shoulder, Ash sprinted out of the Pyramid.
Regice, standing by, fired a gleaming Ice Beam at the door—
freezing it solid.
“Trying to escape?”
Brandon waved his hand. “Regice, go deal with that brat!”
“Re—gi—”
A chilling light fired from Regice’s arm.
“Don’t underestimate me and Pikachu!”
Ash’s eyes burned with resolve. “Pikachu, Volt Tackle!!”
“Pika-chuuuuu!!”
Pikachu dashed forward at high speed, dodging the Ice Beam, becoming a leaping surge of blue electricity.
WHAM!!
“Re—gi—”
The ancient, immovable Regice was knocked back several meters.
Electric sparks zipped wildly across the inside of the Pyramid.
Brock and ‘Brandon’ both turned to look.
“How beautiful…”
Watching the panting Pikachu,
the King of Pokélantis sighed in wonder, then declared darkly:
“Then I shall allow this Pikachu… to serve me!”
“Pika! (╬◣д◢)”
Brock glanced at the frozen exit, then at the sealing orb under Brandon’s foot.
He said nothing.
A moment later, he calmly gave another command:
“Kabutops, Razor Shell!”
“Ka-chah!”
Kabutops, battered and scarred, swung its blade like a wave of ink, slashing at Registeel—
Sparks flew on impact.
“You still dare resist…?”
The King of Pokélantis paused.
“Then I’ll grant you your wish!”
“Registeel, Regirock—use—”
RUMBLE!
The frozen doorway began to shake.
Cracks spread quickly across the ice.
CRACK!!
With a final shatter, the entire door broke apart.
Blinding sunlight flooded the interior of the Pyramid.
From the shadows stepped in Garchomp, retracting her blade. Her roar echoed mightily:
“CHOMP!!!”
“This is…”
Ash froze in place.
When he saw who had arrived, his expression shifted from shock to joy—
His body trembled, and he couldn’t even speak.
The rock-solid Brock showed rare emotion.
His shoulders relaxed slightly. He exhaled deeply in relief.
“Sorry… Took a bit of time getting here.”
Silhouetted by the sunlight, a tall, well-built young man stepped forward.
His face was sharp, calm, and commanding.
Floating beside him were a Gengar and a Rotom Pokédex. His voice was steady and confident:
“I’ll take over from here.”
“Gengarr~! (￣▽￣)/”
Behind him walked a golden-haired beauty in black, her posture upright.
Her high heels tapped the ground as she entered the Pyramid alongside Garchomp.
For a moment, the entire room fell silent.
The King of Pokélantis, still within Brandon’s body, flinched.
This pressure… it was overwhelming.
No. No—I can’t lose!
I have the power of three ancient giants!
Yet a creeping fear made the King rasp,
“Wh-Who the h*ll are you two?!”
Cynthia didn’t answer.
She raised one arm, her palm glowing faintly with the light of a Poké Ball.
Her gray eyes swept across the battered and fallen Pokémon—
Within them gleamed a razor-sharp light.
…