Hey everyone,
Quick heads-up: I just started translating a brand new Naruto fanfic, Naruto: The Shinobi Hive, and honestly, I think it's the best Naruto fic I've worked on so far.
It's set during the Second Shinobi World War. The MC is an orphan Genin who can split his soul and take over empty bodies, stealing their memories and jutsu along the way. Expect dark plotting and a lot of canon characters.
I've tagged it in the author's thoughts. If it sounds like your thing, give it a try and add it to your library.
...
Giratina. The Legendary Pokémon that governed antimatter and gravity, one of the Sinnoh creation trio alongside Dialga and Palkia.
According to Sinnoh creation mythology, when Arceus created time and space at the birth of the universe, antimatter condensed into Giratina.
Naturally violent, it attempted to disrupt the order of time and space, and was banished to the Distortion World on the flip side of reality. A shattered realm of chaotic gravity and no sky, where Arceus ordered it to remain forever, devouring the contaminants of the real world to maintain balance between the two realms.
Why would a Legendary of this caliber, superior to Dialga and Palkia in raw power, appear here as Team Galactic's weapon?
Species: Giratina (Altered Forme)
Gender: Male
Type: Ghost / Dragon
Level: God-level Peak (Current output: High god-level)
Ability: Telepathy
Divine Authority: Distortion Space (Sealed)
Moves: Shadow Force, Shadow Claw, Dragon Claw...
Stats: Attack S(S), Special Attack S(S), Defense S(S), Special Defense S(S), Stamina S(S), Speed S(S)
Giratina's data appeared in Ash's mind through Aura Sight. This was the genuine article, but the status panel was full of anomalies.
First, the power. The value in brackets represented what Giratina could actually output right now. Meaning it could currently only unleash High god-level power, not its true Peak. Its Divine Authority over Distortion Space was also sealed and couldn't be used. This could only mean one thing: Giratina was being controlled.
Ash didn't know how, but now wasn't the time to worry about that. He had to break through Giratina first, then stop Charon before he could continue manipulating Molly.
Setting aside whatever effect the continued channeling of Unown power was having on Molly herself, the gradually forming Yveltal alone was an extreme threat. If two god-level Pokémon ended up on the field, even Mewtwo would struggle.
Ash's eyes swept across the solidifying shadow behind the seat, then fixed on Giratina's cold figure. There was no time. He suppressed his anger and focused. Subdue Charon first. Sever his influence over Molly. As long as the Unown's power stopped raging, Yveltal's phantom would lose its foundation. With only Giratina left, the situation could be turned around.
The tacit understanding between him and Mewtwo required no words. The moment the thought formed, Mewtwo vanished from the spot, appearing directly above Charon's head an instant later. It extended its arm, and light purple Psychic energy fell like an invisible net toward the old man below.
But as fast as Mewtwo was, Saturn's reaction matched it. He raised his hand almost the same moment Mewtwo vanished, his voice cold. "Giratina, cut them off."
Giratina's crimson eyes surged with suppressed rage as it planted its six thick legs firmly into the ground.
The interior space of the Crystal Tower seemed to be torn apart by an invisible hand. Centered around Molly and Charon, the surrounding air warped abruptly. Light refracted at impossible angles, and even sound became distant and muffled.
Mewtwo's Psychic power slammed into that distorted spatial barrier, produced a silent ripple, and was repelled entirely.
This was Giratina's Distortion Space. But its authority over Distortion Space was supposed to be sealed. So why could it still be used?
Mewtwo hovered in midair, its eyes narrowing slightly. This wasn't an ordinary barrier. The entire section of space had been severed from the rest of the Crystal Tower. With its current strength, breaking through was achievable, but it would take time.
And Giratina clearly wasn't going to give it that time.
Saturn stood behind Giratina, his expression unchanged. "Your attack on our Orange Islands operation was quite the surprise. But this time, you won't be able to stop us." He looked at Mewtwo, then at Ash, as if evaluating tools rather than opponents. "I don't expect Giratina to defeat you. But you won't defeat it quickly either. And that's enough."
With Ash's strength, he could defeat a god-level Peak Lugia. In its current sealed state, Giratina couldn't truly threaten Ash. But Saturn didn't need a victory. He needed time.
Ash glanced at Molly on the other side of the spatial barrier. The girl was still sitting on that tall crystal seat, holding the tile in her arms, gazing blankly forward with her lips moving slightly. Charon squatted beside her, his aged face full of a kindly smile as he kept muttering under his breath. The Unown's power continued to pour out. The situation was getting worse by the second.
Ash withdrew his gaze and took a deep breath.
"Mewtwo. Mega Evolution."
He raised his left wrist, and the Key Stone refracted rainbow light under the strange illumination of the Crystal Tower. That light resonated with the Mega Stone within Mewtwo, and the moment the two powers converged, Mewtwo's body was wrapped in dazzling light.
Its body grew sleeker, limbs lengthening, while its originally short tail vanished, replaced by a long, ponytail-like extension trailing from the back of its head. The Psychic power surrounding it deepened in color. In this state, Mewtwo could unleash far more terrifying Psychic power than in its base form.
Mega Mewtwo Y.
The moment evolution completed, the air inside the Crystal Tower trembled. Mewtwo's Psychic power swept in all directions like a physical wave, pressing down until the surrounding crystals creaked under the strain.
But the power still couldn't reach Charon on the other side of the spatial barrier. Even Saturn was completely unaffected. Both were now protected by Giratina's Distortion Space. Although this authority had much of its power sealed, covering a small area was no problem.
They couldn't enter the full Distortion World, but even a fraction of this authority was devastating in combat. As it stood, Ash had no way to attack them directly.
If not for that barrier, Mewtwo would have captured both of them already. Once the Trainer was subdued, the controlled Pokémon would lose most of its threat.
Saturn narrowed his eyes, looking up at the sleek figure hovering in midair. "This power is indeed impressive. If Giratina were at its peak, it might be an even fight. But with its power suppressed, it's at a disadvantage against your Mewtwo."
He didn't explain why Giratina's power was suppressed. Ash had no interest in finding out right now. All he knew was that he had to defeat Giratina as quickly as possible.
"Mewtwo, I'll leave Giratina to you. Pikachu and I will try to break through that spatial barrier." Ash frowned, ignoring Saturn entirely.
Mewtwo nodded. The next instant, it erupted with terrifying Psychic power and flung Giratina's massive body flying. Conveniently, it had plenty of anger to vent right now. A durable target was exactly what it needed.
Ash reached for his waist and threw out several Poké Balls one by one. Red lights burst open, and his Pokémon appeared across the spacious hall of the Crystal Tower.
Gengar came out first. His crimson eyes blinked, and the thousand-year-old Ghost's instinct immediately registered the aura emanating from Giratina in the distance. A genuine god-level wave. More terrifying than any power he had felt in his lifetime, because this was a Ghost-type god-level Pokémon. For Ghost-types, it possessed absolute suppressing power. If Gengar had to face that thing directly, a single glance might end him.
"Kid, why is it always a disaster when you call me out?" He floated over to Ash's side and lowered his voice. "If I'm not mistaken, that's the Legendary that rules the Distortion World. Giratina."
Ash nodded.
Gengar's lips twitched. "You don't want me to fight it, do you?"
"Relax. Mewtwo's handling the dragon." As Ash spoke, Mewtwo's Psystrike had already condensed and slammed into Giratina. The shockwave from the impact shattered more than half the crystals in the tower, and the entire structure teetered under the eruption of power.
Ash waved his hand, using Aura to offset the shockwave before it hit his team. Saturn, watching from nearby, narrowed his eyes. This kid, besides possessing a god-level Pokémon, was himself an extremely powerful Aura user. That kind of aftermath would heavily injure a normal Elite Four Pokémon, and the boy dispelled it with a wave of his hand.
No wonder Charon and Mars had suffered such a huge setback at his hands.
But today was different. Giratina was a top-tier god, controlled by Master Cyrus using the Griseous Orb. If Cyrus were here and unleashed Giratina's full power through the Orb, Mewtwo wouldn't last a single exchange. Currently, without the Griseous Orb present and with Giratina's own consciousness constantly resisting the control, Saturn could only draw out less than a third of its strength. Even so, stalling Mewtwo was more than enough.
As for the kid himself? What waves could he possibly make?
Ash scanned his companions. Champion Mid Gengar and Champion Beginner Gardevoir. Elite Four High Aerodactyl and Venusaur. Elite Four Lucario. Elite Four Blastoise. Plus Pikachu. This was every combat asset he could field right now. His strongest available lineup.
Charizard was still training at Charicific Valley, and there was no time to contact Liza for a transfer. He'd have to use this team to tear open the Distortion Space.
In the distance, Giratina's massive body surged toward Mewtwo like a collapsing mountain. Shadow Force activated. Its body gradually turned transparent during the charge, eventually dissolving completely into the air, leaving behind only a dark crack spreading rapidly along the ground.
Mewtwo raised one hand, palm aimed at the spreading crack. A Psystrike erupted from its palm the instant Giratina leaped out from the rift, colliding head-on.
The clash between god-level entities made the entire Crystal Tower shake violently, with shattered crystals raining down from the ceiling like a storm. Mewtwo remained motionless amidst the aftermath, while Giratina was knocked flying back, its six legs carving deep grooves into the crystal floor as it finally stabilized.
As Giratina took the hit, the Distortion Space it had projected rippled slightly. Ash seized the moment.
"Everyone, now! Everything on one point!"
He placed both hands at his waist, and a deep blue Aura Sphere formed between his palms.
Gengar attacked first. His Champion-level spiritual power poured without reservation into a Shadow Ball that slammed into the spatial barrier. Gardevoir's Psyshock followed immediately, then Lucario's Aura Sphere, Blastoise's Hydro Pump, Aerodactyl's Stone Edge, and Venusaur's Frenzy Plant. Finally, Ash's own Aura Sphere.
Under Ash's guidance, every attack converged on a single point and detonated together.
The violent shockwave fractured the Crystal Tower's floor inch by inch. And on the spatial barrier they'd targeted, fine cracks actually appeared.
Charon stopped mid-sentence. He stared at the cracking barrier, his mind going blank.
The Distortion Space created by a god-level Giratina using its own Divine Authority had just been cracked open by a human and six Pokémon.
The barrier hadn't fully shattered. But the fact that it cracked at all was already beyond belief. That was High god-level power backed by a divine domain. A human had no business putting a dent in it.