[Pokémon]: Latias
[Category]: Infinite-class Pokémon
[Type]: Dragon, Psychic
[Ability]: Levitate
[Potential]: Gold-tier
[Level]: 100 (Tier-1 Legendary Power)
[Moveset]: Healing Wish, Wish, Psywave, Safeguard, Charm, Helping Hand, Refresh, Dragon Breath, Confusion, Mirage, Recover, Psychic Shift, Dragon Pulse...
Latias—she finally broke through to level 100!
And she wasn't the only one.
Darkrai had also successfully shattered the bottleneck between level 99 and 100.
Of course, this so-called "level" only reflects their battle strength—it has nothing to do with their divine roles as Legendary Pokémon.
There's a huge difference between the ranking of divine duties (like Tier-1 or Tier-2 deities) and simple level-based strength.
Ash's team had battled ceaselessly—who knew how long it had gone on?
By the time Latias and Darkrai returned with the rest of the Pokémon, all of those grotesque, unclean wraiths had vanished completely.
Ash eagerly activated his Eye of Insight to scan through his team—and what he saw made his heart leap in joy.
This was a complete windfall!
Among his original core battle team:
Sceptile and Tyranitar had both reached Level 79, the peak of Champion-tier.
Charizard, always the top powerhouse among the core team, had soared to Level 85—already well into mid-level Tier-3 Legendary Power!
Pidgeot lagged slightly behind, sitting at Level 74.
But Gengar—this was the shocker. It had reached Level 80!
That was completely unexpected!
Gengar had been the first to reach Level 80 after Charizard! Ash quickly connected the dots.
"It must be due to Gengar's unique talent—Soul Grasp. That special ability is incredibly effective against those dark and filthy things. Even more so than Thunder and Dark-type energy!"
And Pikachu, with its Gold-tier Potential, obviously wouldn't fall behind in experience growth under identical conditions.
Sure enough, it had reached Level 82, steadily closing the gap with Charizard!
As for the newer Pokémon:
Gligar: Level 50
Riolu: Level 50
Grotle: Level 55
Electabuzz: Level 55
Floatzel: Level 56
Totally within expectations.
Then came a soft voice beside him.
"Ash… can we still get back?" Dawn asked tentatively.
Anabel also wore a look of concern.
Since they'd arrived, even the original entrance had vanished into nothingness.
But Ash didn't seem the least bit worried.
They were outsiders to the spirit world. While the native spirits were bound by some kind of law that kept them trapped here, they weren't.
Sensing Ash's look, Mewtwo and Darkrai both closed their eyes and began attuning themselves to the energy of the material world.
Moments later, they opened their eyes—then nodded in unison.
Ash understood. He returned all his Pokémon to their Poké Balls, leaving only Pikachu perched on his shoulder.
"We can go back. Close your eyes and hold on to me," he said calmly.
Dawn and Anabel instinctively obeyed, tightly clutching his arms.
In the next moment, Mewtwo and Darkrai each unleashed their power—two forces intertwined, and a Gate of Light tore open in the middle of the pitch-black void!
Mewtwo's eyes glowed a brilliant blue.
Teleport!
Shwoosh!
With a flash, Mewtwo transported Ash, Dawn, and Anabel through the Gate of Light, with Darkrai right behind them.
The moment they passed through, the gate shimmered once—and vanished completely.
Not even sixty seconds later, a massive monstrosity stomped into the place where they had stood.
It had the face of a horned demon and a body as colossal as a mountain.
Finding the intruders gone, it let out a rage-filled roar.
"RRRAAAGHHHHHH!!"
Following behind it were countless other abominations—many of which Pikachu and the others had fought earlier.
But the beast's roar was no ordinary sound.
It unleashed a shockwave that ripped through the air.
In that single scream, dozens of specters that were comparable to Level 60 or even Level 70 Pokémon were instantly shredded to pieces...
When Dawn and Anabel reopened their eyes, they found themselves standing once again in the familiar world of the living.
"W-We're back… we're really back…" Dawn whispered, her face pale as a sheet.
Anabel didn't look much better.
Their fear was visible—after all, what girl wouldn't be shaken by something so utterly nightmarish?
"Look—they made it!" came a voice from nearby.
It was Professor Rowan, who had already summoned Officer Jenny to the scene.
"Officer Jenny, the situation here is extremely dangerous. If any trainer dares enter this area again, it would mean certain death. I recommend we seal off this entire mountain and designate it as a restricted zone. If any similar gateways are discovered elsewhere, they should be immediately quarantined!"
Jenny and Rowan listened as Ash detailed everything that had happened.
Once he finished, he offered his suggestion to seal the site permanently.
"Thank you for your cooperation," Jenny said flatly. "But what happens next isn't for us to decide. We'll report this and take it seriously…"
But truth be told, Officer Jenny didn't believe a word Ash said.
The spirit world? Ghosts? Really?
To her, it all sounded like fantasy. Without any evidence, how could they justify sealing off a whole mountain?
But before she could finish dismissing his claims, something caught her eye—
A badge.
"Wait… you're an Honorary Pokémon Ranger!?" she gasped.
Her jaw practically dropped.
This was a massively prestigious identity—one that commanded enormous respect.
Honorary members of the Pokémon Ranger held authority even beyond elite trainers.
Jenny's attitude instantly shifted.
Ash simply nodded.
Then he released Floatzel.
"Floatzel, use Whirlpool."
"Flllooo-hahhh!"
Floatzel summoned a spiraling vortex that engulfed the entrance to the spirit gate.
"Now—Ice Beam!"
Crack! Crack! Crack!
With its level now higher, Floatzel had naturally learned new moves—including Ice Beam.
After all, it had Blue-tier Potential.
There was only one thing left to do:
Seal the entrance completely.
__
Today had yielded several major victories:
Ash's Pokémon levels had skyrocketed.
Both Latias and Darkrai had broken through to Tier-1 Legendary Strength.
Ash could clearly sense that Dawn and Anabel's feelings for him had reached a turning point. The way they looked at him now—it was no longer the same as before.
The intense, chaotic battles had hardened the foundations of his entire team. Now, they were ready for evolution.
All in all—this mission…
Was a perfect resolution!
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T/N:
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