"Ka-kaah?"
Looking at the massive shadow charging toward it, Gengar picked its nose with a completely bewildered expression.
Wait, who are you?
Oh~ Without the bottle I almost didn't recognize you.
Hoopa Unbound immediately became furious. Already filled with rage, it temporarily abandoned its plan to snatch back its body from little Hoopa and truly lunged at Gengar.
Johan was speechless.
He could only say that his Gengar's ability to draw aggro was probably unmatched in the entire Pokémon world.
However, this was much better than the "Shadow" directly controlling little Hoopa to restore its full power.
"Gengar, Shadow Ball!" Johan quickly retreated with little Hoopa while giving commands.
"Ka-kaah!"
Gengar grinned wickedly and immediately rubbed a huge black sphere between its hands, hurling it at the lunging "Shadow."
Bang!!!
The massive Shadow Ball exploded the moment it contacted the black-red "Shadow," and the condensed black-red mist immediately scattered with the explosion.
"Success?" Meray shouted joyfully.
Johan couldn't help but glance at her from the corner of his eye.
Success?
Don't you know you can't say things like that casually in anime?
Whenever someone shouts something like that, the enemy is definitely unharmed—don't you understand the "no damage through smoke" rule?
Sure enough, just as Johan was complaining internally, the scattered black-red mist reconvened at an even faster speed, and angry roars came forth.
"Hoopa—is the strongest!"
Roaring, the black-red mist constantly shifted and twisted, actually transforming into a massive creature filled with evil aura—Hoopa Unbound!
Blood-red eyes, ferocious expression.
"No! Hoopa doesn't want to disappear!"
Little Hoopa hiding behind Johan saw this scene and immediately cried out in fear.
"Hoopa! Free!" The massive Hoopa Unbound grinned wickedly and roared. One thick arm after another appeared beside it—as many as six!
Perhaps because it had condensed a body, or perhaps because it heard little Hoopa's calls, Hoopa Unbound's crimson gaze finally fell on little Hoopa behind Johan.
"Disappear!!" Hoopa Unbound shouted in an unquestionable voice.
"No!" Little Hoopa hiding behind Johan almost reflexively shouted: "Hoopa doesn't want to disappear!"
"Your existence is Hoopa's shame!"
"Hoopa is not shameful!"
"You—"
"Ka-kaah!" Gengar suddenly spoke up, interrupting Hoopa Unbound's words.
Bastard, don't ignore me!
Speaking, Gengar again rubbed a black sphere, but this time it wasn't Shadow Ball, but Dark Void!
"Hoopa is the strongest!"
Facing Gengar's "greeting," Hoopa Unbound laughed disdainfully while gathering its hands at its chest. Extremely intense malicious energy condensed into a shockwave.
Dark Pulse!
"Ninetales, Misty Terrain!" Johan threw out a Poké Ball.
As a Psychic and Dark-type Hoopa Unbound, it was quadruple weak to Bug and double weak to Fairy. Ninetales' Fairy abilities undoubtedly posed a threat to it.
"Oowoo~"
As the Poké Ball was thrown, Ninetales landed gracefully while spreading its tails like a fan. The vibrant Misty Terrain immediately spread outward with it as the center.
"Fairy!!" Hoopa Unbound's laughter paused slightly, then became even more ferocious. "Useless against Hoopa!"
"Whether it's useful or not isn't for you to decide!"
Johan took a deep breath, and his aura power immediately spread outward from him as the center.
At the same time.
Gengar's Dark Void collided head-on with Hoopa Unbound's Dark Pulse.
But obviously.
Whether in terms of Gengar's current strength or attribute enhancement, neither could match Hoopa Unbound.
Boom!!!
Dark Void shattered, and Dark Pulse continued its assault.
"Tinkaton, Play Rough!"
Johan remained calm and threw another Poké Ball. The massive hammer appeared before its small, cute body, viciously smashing the remaining Dark Pulse energy to pieces.
Bang!!
After receiving baptism from Xerneas's Fairy Aura, both Ninetales and Tinkaton had shown considerable improvement in their Fairy abilities.
"Ka-kaah!"
Gengar puffed out its cheeks, dark mist constantly surging around its body.
Actually losing in a direct power confrontation made Gengar very indignant.
However, it didn't act rashly again, instead following Johan's intentions... slowly disappearing and sneaking into the shadows.
"Ninetales, Moonblast!"
"Oowoo~"
Though it was daytime, brilliant moonlight still scattered down, enveloping the massive Hoopa Unbound.
"Hoopa!!"
"Gengar!" Johan immediately shouted.
In the blink of an eye, Gengar had already moved from Johan's side to beside Hoopa Unbound, spreading its arms wide.
"Hypnosis!"
"Ka-kaah!" Gengar's eyes glowed red as its hands moved in circles.
Have a taste of our Old Johan Family's "signature move," you bastard!
Johan's aura also followed, assisting Gengar's hypnosis.
But the moment his aura contacted Hoopa Unbound, what he could feel was boundless rage, contempt for everything, and endless negative emotions.
In this state, hypnosis was impossible.
But delaying for a moment was enough.
Johan looked toward Giovanni, who had been inactive beside them.
Double weak to Fairy, quadruple weak to Bug!
Between him and Boss Giovanni, the only Bug-type was...
Just as his gaze shifted over, Giovanni had already moved, seemingly having perfect coordination with Johan.
Giovanni, in his immaculate suit, put one hand in his pocket while throwing a Poké Ball with the other.
Emerging in red light was... a Beedrill!
In its crimson compound eyes, there was no fear of the powerful, evil Hoopa Unbound—only disdain!
"Twineedle!"
Buzz—
That Beedrill actually moved at an extremely exaggerated speed, carrying bright white stingers like spears, charging toward the momentarily stalled Hoopa Unbound without any fear or hesitation.
Unstoppable, deadly piercing!
Like a sharp spear, it directly penetrated Hoopa Unbound's chest!
Bang!
In an instant.
The massive Hoopa Unbound figure condensed by the "Shadow" immediately scattered like a bubble, once again becoming the black-red mist from before!
"Now!" Johan called back.
Barza, who had arrived on Braviary, grabbed the fallen "Prison Bottle" from the ground, opened the stopper, and aimed the bottle opening at the "Shadow" transformed into black-red mist.
"Go back!"
Barza shouted, his chest Millennium Wrist glowing golden. Strange power drove the "Prison Bottle," and a strong suction force drew the struggling "Shadow" back inside.
Watching this scene, Johan's mind unconsciously conjured a word.
Mafuba?
"Ka-kaah~"
Gengar mischievously waved at the "Shadow" being sucked back in.
Bye bye now~
"Whew—"
After landing, Barza breathed a long sigh of relief and quickly plugged the stopper again, his heart filled with amazement.
Teacher Johan's timing was so precise?
He had been at Desert Tower working on how to create another "Prison Bottle" when he suddenly sensed strange fluctuations and rushed over to see Hoopa Unbound appearing.
Just as he was worried about how to handle it, he saw Hoopa Unbound being briefly controlled by Gengar and directly scattered by an amazing Beedrill. The timing perfectly coincided with his arrival and obtaining the "Prison Bottle."
The timing was so perfect?
"Little Jo is amazing!" little Hoopa exclaimed.
They subdued that hateful, evil thing just like that?
Me, amazing?
Johan pursed his lips and unconsciously glanced at Giovanni, who was silently returning Beedrill to its Poké Ball.
That Beedrill...
Is this the strength of a top Champion's ace Pokémon?
He wondered what Gengar's chances of winning would be if it went all out...
Giovanni paid no attention to Johan, as if he'd just done something trivial.
He waved his hand, having Team Rocket elites carry away Captain Ken.
Then he smiled at the already stunned Dahara City mayor.
"Cough cough, Mr. Mayor?"
"Mr. Gio-Giovanni." The Dahara City mayor snapped back to reality.
"Let's go over there and discuss contract details again." Giovanni said.
"Oh oh, okay, okay... hm? Wasn't the contract already finalized?" The mayor was slow to react.
"That was the previous price." Giovanni said flatly.
Dahara City had such a powerful Pokémon and Johan didn't mention it earlier?
What was "dangerous infrastructure construction"?
This danger assessment was clearly inadequate!
Could the contract price be the same as a few minutes ago?
As for the suddenly appearing Hoopa Unbound "Shadow"... Giovanni believed Johan could handle it. Worst case... he was here too.
With two Champion-level trainers present, Dahara City's current safety was much higher than most cities.
Setting aside Giovanni and the bewildered mayor going inside, Johan immediately took the "Prison Bottle" from Barza after the Hoopa Unbound "Shadow" was sealed again.
In the movie, it was precisely because Barza's training was insufficient and he was influenced by the "Shadow" that led to a series of events. This needed to be "prevented."
"Wasn't the 'Prison Bottle' seal fine?" Meray was the first to voice confusion.
Two days ago, Johan and Barza had just checked the seal and confirmed there were no problems, right?
Regarding this, neither Johan nor Barza knew the reason.
However, they could now confirm that some changes had definitely occurred at the seal location.
More importantly, the crack that appeared on the "Prison Bottle"!
"It seems closely related to this crack..." Looking at the crack on the ancient "Prison Bottle," Johan said helplessly.
"Now we must create a new 'Prison Bottle.'" Barza also said.
As long as the "Prison Bottle" existed, under the "punishment power," even if Hoopa Unbound's "Shadow" escaped, its power couldn't fully recover.
But if the "Prison Bottle" shattered and a new "Prison Bottle" wasn't completed...
The Barza and Meray siblings immediately felt urgency.
"At this rate..."
Johan held the "Prison Bottle's" slender neck, feeling the slight vibration of the object in his hands.
"I estimate it won't be long before the 'Shadow' escapes again."
Hearing this, the Barza and Meray siblings' expressions tensed.
Just the brief moment the "Shadow" escaped had left this place in ruins. It was hard to imagine what threat it would pose when the "Shadow" broke free again with even greater strength.
But both simultaneously thought: fortunately Teacher Johan is here...
"What happened?"
At this time, Flint finally arrived late, running over while looking at the chaotic garden and couldn't help asking.
"Was someone battling just now? The commotion was so loud."
"Yes." Johan said irritably.
It was this guy who "tricked" him into coming to Dahara City, then... inevitably got involved in this series of troubles.
Flint, this grudge goes on your tab, no problem, right?
"Little Jo was so amazing just now!" little Hoopa floated out and shouted.
Hearing this, Flint's eyes brightened with some eagerness: "Could it be... there was some very challenging opponent?"
Meray was about to mention Hoopa Unbound when Johan spoke first:
"Right."
"Where? I want to challenge it too!" Flint said excitedly.
"It's resting now. When it's done resting, you go first and I'll back you up."
"No problem!" Flint clenched his fist. "Teacher Johan, just watch—I'll beat it so badly it won't even know how to climb trees!"
The "Prison Bottle" in Johan's hands shook with greater amplitude.
Barza and Meray exchanged glances. Considering that Flint was an Elite Four member with definitely strong abilities, if the "Shadow" escaped again, he'd definitely be a great ally for Teacher Johan, so they didn't say more.
"Getting back to business, do you have the method for making the 'Prison Bottle'?" Johan asked.
Barza looked troubled.
"I know the method, but... I'm ashamed to say, though we both received great-grandfather's teachings, we're far from reaching his level..."
Meray also said:
"Our great-grandfather Ghris once borrowed Arceus's Water, Fire, and Earth energies, combined with his own power, to create the 'Prison Bottle' at Desert Tower's location."
"Time has passed, but Desert Tower still preserves the Source Water, Source Fire, and Earth's Source needed to create the 'Prison Bottle' back then, but..."
Barza pointed at the metal rings on the "Prison Bottle" in Johan's hands with a helpless expression:
"But we still haven't figured out how to make these things. They're probably the key to truly sealing power and bestowing punishment."
Johan briefly recalled.
In the movie, after Hoopa Unbound's "Shadow" completely broke free from the "Prison Bottle's" restraints and destroyed the "Prison Bottle," it indeed left behind these golden rings and the Prison Bottle's stopper.
It was precisely because these things remained that Barza and Meray could recreate the "Prison Bottle."
"So..."
Barza smiled bitterly.
"You have to wait for this thing to break before you can make it?"
You two siblings are really unreliable.
Not learning everything means learning nothing at all.
"What do you mean? This bottle broke and you want to make a new one but don't know how? Then just ask someone." Flint interjected.
"Elite Four Flint, you don't know—the one who could make 'Prison Bottles,' our great-grandfather, is already... no longer with us." Meray said.
"No longer with us?"
Flint paused, then said casually: "He didn't learn it out of thin air—someone must have taught him, right?"
"It was Arceus who taught him..." Barza's helpless expression grew heavier.
Whether his great-grandfather or Arceus, neither was someone they could currently ask.
However, Flint spread his hands and said:
"Then it's simple."
"Simple?"
"Right, just have Teacher Johan ask Arceus."
Barza and Meray paused and looked at each other.
Ask Arceus?
Teacher Johan?
The two looked at Johan in unison.
And Johan was looking at Flint with a complex expression.
He hadn't expected... this guy could sometimes bulldoze his way to a solution.
Asking Arceus—wasn't this more convenient than finding the method from Ghris?
It's just that ordinary people wouldn't think in this direction.
"Hey, you don't know—not long ago in Sinnoh, Michina, Teacher Johan and I beat up Arceus!" Flint said smugly.
Barza and Meray looked shocked.
Beat up Arceus?
If the two didn't know better, Flint's words would be like... Kobe and I scored 81 points together—what's the difference?
"Cough."
Johan coughed lightly, quickly interrupting Flint's continued bragging. They were about to ask Arceus—bringing up old wounds wasn't appropriate, right?
So Johan took out his Millennium Wrist from his inner pocket.
"This is..." Barza's pupils contracted.
"Hey, you two have them too?" Only now did Flint notice the Millennium Wrists hanging on Barza and Meray's chests. "But they're a bit different from Teacher Johan's."
"This is passed down through generations in our Valley of Creation, a token of faith in the great Arceus that grants us power closer to nature." Meray explained.
"Teacher Johan, yours is..."
"Oh." Johan lightly squeezed the slightly warm Millennium Wrist and said casually: "Arceus gave it to me."
Barza & Meray: "..."
Buzz—
Powerful aura flowed in, and through the Millennium Wrist, Johan attempted to contact Arceus.
However, Arceus didn't respond because Johan's "Millennium Wrist" had already provided the answer.
Slowly opening his eyes.
"Teacher Johan, what did Arceus say?" Flint asked impatiently.
Johan glanced at him and said flatly: "It said it wants to have a good chat with you next time."
Flint: Σ(゜ロ゜;)
No longer paying attention to him, Johan pointed at Meray and Barza's chests.
The two paused, then understood.
"So... it's the same material as the tokens..."
Using the "guidance" Johan received, those golden rings were the same material as Barza and Meray's "Millennium Wrists," designed to better transmit and preserve energy to seal Hoopa's "Shadow."
"I'll go back to the valley to find the elder!" Barza immediately said.
This material could only be used by elders in the Valley of Creation.
"Hoopa will take you!" little Hoopa immediately patted its chest.
Because they wanted little Hoopa to understand the meaning of "punishment," Barza and Meray had been forbidden from easily using Hoopa's dimensional teleportation abilities since childhood.
But in emergencies, who knew when the "Shadow" would break free from the "Prison Bottle's" restraints again, so after brief silence, Barza didn't refuse.
"Little Hoopa!"
Little Hoopa saw this and chanted while waving its arms. Golden rings flew from its horns and enlarged, constructing a passage to the Valley of Creation.
"Teacher Johan, I entrust Hoopa, the Prison Bottle, and Meray to you."
Before entering the passage, Barza requested.
Johan waved his hand.
After Barza disappeared, Johan stretched and said:
"Anyway, let's wait for Barza to return first."
"Mm." Meray nodded worriedly.
Living room, sofa.
Giovanni sat cross-legged, holding a wine glass and gently swirling it.
He seemed to be in a good mood, probably having gotten a quite favorable price from the Dahara City mayor.
But suddenly a hand reached over from behind and grabbed his wine glass.
Giovanni wasn't angry, just saying:
"Pour your own if you want some."
But that hand directly applied force and snatched the wine glass from his hands.
This was something Giovanni had never experienced before. He couldn't help but look at Johan with astonishment as he took the wine glass.
Johan walked to the sink, placed the "Prison Bottle" on the counter, then... poured out the red wine.
This made Giovanni even more bewildered.
What?
Taking control already?
But he heard Johan say irritably:
"Don't drink alcohol when you have health problems. Swirling a red wine glass—what's with that? A patient should act like a patient!"
After a pause, Giovanni suddenly laughed.
As the sound of washing the wine glass faded, his laughter gradually quieted until Johan put down the glass and looked directly at him.
"Cough cough..."
Coughing twice more, Giovanni also returned to his calm appearance and said flatly:
"You noticed?"
"Hard not to notice, considering what you said."
After another moment of silence, Giovanni changed the subject:
"Ken already told me the cause and effect. It was Team Flare."
Johan had originally wanted to continue questioning, but hearing "Team Flare," his attention was inevitably diverted.
"Team Flare?"
Giovanni nodded slightly: "A force based in the Kalos region. Originally a research institute with decent holographic imaging technology. We have some cooperation with them."
Johan rubbed his temples.
How did Team Flare get involved too?
But with Team Flare's involvement, he roughly understood the general situation.
It was nothing more than Team Flare somehow learning of Hoopa's seal location and attempting violent destruction, only to encounter Team Rocket members surveying the Valley of Creation's surroundings.
So either the battle's commotion was too great, or someone among them triggered Hoopa's "Shadow," and then Ken carried the "Prison Bottle" and replicated Barza's actions from the movie.
"You still haven't said." Giovanni pointed at the "Prison Bottle" on the counter.
Earlier, because the mayor was present and out of trust in Johan, he hadn't asked.
Johan exhaled: "'Prison Bottle,' sealing Hoopa."
"Hoopa..."
Giovanni silently repeated the name.
"The legendary Hoopa that defeated the ancient giant Regigigas over a hundred years ago?"
Giovanni was actually familiar with Kalos region legends and history.
Johan immediately added: "That was an inactive Regigigas."
As a good friend, he had to help defend it.
"Understood."
Giovanni nodded and stood up, walking toward the door while saying:
"In that case, I'll stay a bit longer for your sake."
"Boss Giovanni, you..."
"When it's time to act, I'll naturally act, just like earlier."
The two had shown perfect coordination earlier.
As for... Hoopa's strength...
Opening the door, golden sunlight streamed in, making him squint in the brilliant light.
Powerful?
Heh.
I am... Giovanni of the Earth!
"No, I wanted to ask where you're going?"
"Taking a walk."
Standing at the door, Giovanni half-turned his head with a slight smile: "Didn't you say 'patients' should act like 'patients'?"
Johan, who had wanted to continue questioning Giovanni about his health, shook his head slightly.
Forget it.
When this was over, he'd have Hoopa help call Celebi over—he missed it anyway.
"Ka-kaah..."
Gengar's eyes spun twice as it approached little Hoopa.
Leaning by little Hoopa's ear, it whispered something.
Little Hoopa's eyes grew brighter as it nodded repeatedly.
"Okay! Hoopa knows!"
Valley of Creation cliffs.
"Desire energy fluctuations appeared again, much stronger than before!"
Team Flare Executive Xerosic once again detected energy fluctuations.
"Dahara City?"
He had a strong feeling.
This power from "desire" could help Representative Lysandre achieve his goals and control Z2.
At the same time...
Xerosic's eyes behind his sunglasses flickered slightly.
The thing called "ambition"—he had it too!
Dahara City, Desert Tower, top floor sealed room.
"Solrock, Flash!"
Buzz—
Gentle light illuminated the entire room.
In the room's center was a mound-like area with a pillar in the middle, surrounded by three triangularly arranged stone slabs with golden rings embedded on top, their centers aimed at the central pillar.
"This is it." Barza said, placing materials obtained from the Valley of Creation elder on the central pillar.
"Then we need Pokémon power to activate the three source powers of Earth, Fire, and Water." Meray said.
The three stone slabs arranged triangularly around the pillar showed earth yellow, fire red, and azure blue colors respectively.
"Really is the power of plates..."
Johan wasn't encountering plates for the first time. Looking at the three standing slabs, he thought.
However, these slabs weren't the pure plates from Arceus's body.
In other words...
These three slabs had Arceus's plate power fused within them.
Otherwise, if they were true source plates, why would they need Pokémon power to activate them?
Just the power of three plates, used properly, might even have a chance to suppress Hoopa Unbound.
But this method of infusing and transforming power into sources actually benefited Pokémon greatly, allowing them to directly touch sources and better understand their own power.
"Teacher Johan, please." Barza said.
Hearing this, Johan nodded without waste of words and threw three Poké Balls.
"Coach Urshifu, Ceruledge, Tyranitar, feel the source power."
"Garruu! zzZ"
The three Pokémon stood behind the three slabs respectively.
"Bangi..."
Tyranitar looked at the earth-yellow slab representing "Earth" before it, sensing the familiar Earth Plate power within, and couldn't help drooling.
"Tyranitar, restraint." Johan coughed.
"Bangi!"
Tyranitar immediately showed seriousness.
"About ready." Johan waved his hand:
"Channel your power into them and activate the source power!"
Urshifu's water, Ceruledge's flames, Tyranitar's earth...
Buzz—
When their power flowed into the slabs, the strange patterns on the slabs suddenly lit up, forming three beams shooting toward the central pillar.
At the same time.
Barza and Meray exchanged glances and immediately ran to the pillar, extending their hands.
"Time, sky..."
The creation of a new "Prison Bottle"... began!
But soon, sweating Barza stammered: "Te-Teacher Johan, could you have your Pokémon restrain themselves a bit? The firepower is too intense."
"Uh..."
Johan rubbed his nose.
Too intense?
"Everyone, don't be too forceful..."
"Goka!"
Hearing this, Ceruledge sheathed one blade and stood sideways with one hand, looking incredibly cool.
At the same time.
As the new "Prison Bottle's" creation began, Hoopa Unbound's "Shadow" seemed to sense the threat. The "Prison Bottle" in Johan's hands immediately shook violently.
His expression changed slightly.
"The 'Shadow' sensed it. I'll leave this to you."
He hadn't expected the "Shadow" to start impacting the "Prison Bottle" again so quickly. It must be deeply wary of the soon-to-be-born new "Prison Bottle."
"Please, Teacher Johan!" Barza shouted.
"Teacher Johan, please take care of Hoopa." Meray looked worried.
Johan smiled slightly, turned around and grabbed a golden ring that appeared beside him. Before entering, he said:
"Don't worry. Today we might not even need that new 'Prison Bottle.'"
Then, under their confused gazes, he disappeared from atop Desert Tower.
Crack!
The moment he stepped out of the golden ring, a huge crack immediately appeared on the "Prison Bottle" in his hands, and surging black-red mist poured out in a more turbulent manner than before.
Johan immediately released his grip.
"Hoopa—is truly free this time!!"
Crack crack crack—
Spider web-like cracks appeared on the bottle's body.
In the black-red mist, crimson eyes immediately locked onto little Hoopa.
But at this moment, little Hoopa somehow found courage and put its hands on its hips, shouting:
"Hoopa isn't afraid of you! Hoopa isn't afraid at all!"
"You can disappear!" Hoopa Unbound roared.
Little Hoopa indeed showed its true colors, shrinking behind Johan again, but it still called out:
"Hmph! Hoopa has helpers!"
"Ka-kaah!"
Gengar somehow appeared before Hoopa Unbound.
"It's you again!"
However.
The next second.
"Ka-kaah~"
"Ka-kaah?"
"Ka-kaah!"
One Gengar after another appeared here, appearing before Hoopa Unbound.
"So, so many?" Hoopa Unbound was stunned.
Johan's Gengar grinned wickedly and slowly raised its hands from bottom to top, Ghost Aura immediately spreading.
It pointed at Hoopa Unbound and beckoned with its finger.
"Ka-kaah!"
Come! This time I'm fighting you one-on-one! A fair fight where nobody can cheat!
While speaking, those various Gengar entered its released "Ghost Aura."
Ghost Legion, activate!
Gen·Ghost King·gar!
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Powerstones?
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