"An Ultra Wormhole, huh?"
"If I can open one—even if it only leads to the Glutton King's world—it would still be as valuable as discovering a vast treasure."
In the anime, the Ultra Wormhole connected to the Glutton King was located at the Ultra Megalopolis, and in that story, the Ultra Beast had once brought about the destruction of a future timeline. Its insatiable hunger far exceeded that of the famously gluttonous Snorlax—its stomach was like a black hole that could never be filled!
"No point in theorizing. I'll see it for myself!"
Although Charles still intended to rebuild Team Rocket someday, that plan could wait until he returned from the other side of the Ultra Wormhole.
He selected an open clearing where he could create the wormhole directly.
Ordinarily, opening an Ultra Wormhole required the assistance of the Cosmog family. However, the wormhole that led to the Glutton King's domain had been stabilized by his system's power—it could now be fixed at any location and opened or closed at will.
"In that case, I might as well place it near the entrance between the Breeding House and the Nature Reserve. If the environment inside proves livable, I could even relocate a large portion of the Pokémon population there!"
After all, the Extension Charm had its limits. Though he had reinforced the space multiple times, expanding it further each time, the Reserve was slowly approaching capacity. As the Pokémon continued to breed and their populations grew stronger, this space might eventually fail to sustain them.
"Open—Ultra Wormhole!"
In an instant, the deep-blue sky fractured with a web of purple-blue lines. At the web's center, space began to sink inward—as if time itself were collapsing—until it tore open a complete passage.
"So this is an Ultra Wormhole…" Charles murmured in awe, then unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it high. "Come out—Roaring Moon!"
The ancient, legendary Pokémon appeared at once.
Charles had earned Roaring Moon as a reward after Harry had slain Quirrell. Its immense power and superb flight ability had temporarily replaced Pidgeot's role as his mount. That said, now that Charles possessed a Mega Stone, Pidgeot could Mega Evolve—and in pure strength, even Roaring Moon could not surpass that form.
In truth, Roaring Moon's role as his steed had little to do with power. It was simply that its back was broader and more stable, its wingspan greater, making it a far smoother ride.
Charles mounted the Pokémon's back. Even with its own Trainer aboard, Roaring Moon still looked fierce and ill-tempered, its eyes burning with perpetual rage. That was natural—Roaring Moon's temper was notoriously worse than even Salamence's.
"Roaring Moon—fly into the Ultra Wormhole!"
"Rooooar!"
Spreading its crimson wings like a blood-red crescent moon, the beast roared and shot upward, jet-like in speed and sound. The air thundered around them as they ascended—and then, without hesitation, they plunged into the gleaming wormhole that, though small in appearance, opened into a vast otherworldly expanse.
It was Charles's first time entering such a strange, blue-tinted void. Roaring Moon seemed uneasy, so Charles placed a hand on its head and cast a Calming Charm to ease its emotions.
"Don't be afraid. Just fly straight through."
"Rooar!"
The Pokémon quieted—not so much because of the spell, but because hearing Charles's confident tone reminded it of his overwhelming strength. That alone was reassuring.
He wasn't sure how long they flew—perhaps only a few minutes—before they finally broke through the other side. A crushing darkness swallowed them.
Thunk!
Roaring Moon's wings struck against something metallic.
"Are we indoors?" Charles bent down slightly and sniffed the air—it reeked of pollution and decay.
"You can return for now, Roaring Moon." He recalled the Pokémon and cast a Bubble-Head Charm on himself, sealing the toxic fumes away. He now looked rather like a celestial noble with a bubble helmet.
"Lumos Maxima!"
A brilliant light burst from his wand, illuminating the narrow space.
Charles walked forward slowly, observing as he went.
"These facilities are ancient… looks abandoned."
Rust covered the thick ventilation pipes that lined the walls, many of them dented or twisted out of shape. Some even bore the unmistakable imprint of teeth.
"Looks like this really is the ruined world. The air and water are polluted beyond repair. If I recall correctly, in the Ultra Megalopolis setting, the people of this planet fled to another world to survive?"
"If that's the case, it could actually make a perfect new site."
He continued climbing through the corroded tunnels, but no sign of the Glutton King appeared.
At last, Charles emerged from the stinking pipes and beheld the outside world.
The sky was a sickly yellow, as though buried beneath an endless dust storm. The city below was silent, the only sound the mournful howling of the wind through empty streets—a ghostly metropolis swallowed by sand.
The skyscrapers had long since decayed, their shattered glass glinting faintly beneath the haze. Dunes had piled up to more than ten meters high, nearly submerging the city's ground floors.
"The environment's far too harsh. I'll need to restore it before anything can live here again."
Even Pokémon would struggle to survive in air this foul.
For a wizard, that wasn't impossible—though the "Ultra Megalopolis" might have once been a tower, it was in truth but a fragment of a massive world. The corruption stretched far beyond this place.
"Still, no rush. Like the Reserve, I can start by restoring a smaller zone."
He decided the first region to purify would be the Megalopolis itself—a fragment of what the Alola islands might have become after destruction.
"But first, I need to deal with the one responsible for all this—" Charles turned sharply toward the approaching shadow. "—the Glutton King!"
It loomed closer, a monstrous sphere of black supported by two thick, muscular legs with yellow, saw-toothed markings across the knees. Each foot bore three claws. At its center gaped a vast yellow mouth lined with double rows of jagged teeth—yellow in front, black behind.
Two massive, tonguelike pincers extended from its lower jaw, their clawed ends serving as a second set of "hands."Atop its round body sat a small, conical head with a pair of glowing blue eyes. Four short spikes ringed its skull, flanked by two enormous, curved horns.From its back jutted a tail like a medieval mace.
The Glutton King had arrived.
(End of Chapter)