It wasn't home. But as long as a place didn't make you uncomfortable to live in, it doesn't matter.
"Yeah… So how much longer are you staying here, big bro?"
Now that Reggie had arrived, it only made sense that they'd return to the Sinnoh region together eventually.
That made planning easy—Paul could coordinate his schedule around Reggie's.
"I came mainly to check on work here and to bring over a batch of Pokémon that have been trained in Pressure Point Techniques. I'll be giving some guidance and training sessions. Fastest I can wrap things up? About five days." Reggie replied after thinking for a moment.
"Five days… That should be just enough."
Paul did a quick mental calculation. It wasn't like Reggie would be training others 24/7, he'd definitely have free time to help Paul with a bit of Pokémon development.
Reggie might not be as good in intense training as Paul, but when it came to things like regulating a Pokémon's mental and physical states? That's where Reggie and his Drapion shined.
Not to mention…
"You only brought these three with you?"
Paul glanced sideways at the smiling duo of Gardevoir and Kirlia as they watered the plants.
"Yup. Don't underestimate Gardevoir and Kirlia, they're my go-to assistants now. Thanks to them, all the Pokémon at the daycare stay calm and emotionally balanced." Reggie replied with a chuckle.
Once Gardevoir started casting Heal Pulse and Heal Bell, even the most aggressive Pokémon would simmer down.
And if any of them still refused to behave emotionally… well, Reggie's Champion-level Drapion would make sure they calmed down physically.
"You could say they've found their purpose." Paul remarked flatly.
"Garde~"
"Kirli~"
Gardevoir and Kirlia both nodded with warm smiles. While they used to have their issues with Paul, Reggie's gentleness had smoothed everything out.
After all, Pokémon were fundamentally pure-hearted creatures.
"Exactly. Every Pokémon has its value… just like people." Reggie said with a quiet sigh.
"Is there a secluded area in the daycare?" Paul suddenly asked.
"Secluded area? Yeah, there are a bunch. The deeper zones are still undeveloped, hardly anyone goes there. Planning to train?"
"There are some Pokémon I want you to meet."
"Is it the Chimchar? I've already seen him. Or is there someone else?"
As he spoke, Reggie crouched down to Chimchar's eye level and gently patted his head with a smile.
"Yah~!"
Chimchar let out a comfortable cry and couldn't help but compare Paul and Reggie: one was cold on the outside but warm inside, the other was warm both inside and out.
"It's someone else."
"Oh? Let's go check it out then. After that, I'll come back and make you some food."
Reggie stretched and nodded to Gardevoir.
"Garde~"
Understanding the cue, Gardevoir used her Psychic to lift Paul's backpack and Reggie's tablet back into the house.
...
Viridian City – Pokemon Daycare – Remote Training Grounds
"Come out—everyone!"
Paul threw out a cluster of Poké Balls. In a flash of white light, Pokémon of all kinds appeared on the field.
"Wooo~"
"Viree~"
"Gaar~"
"Eeno~"
"Raaa~"
"Grroo~"
"Aggrr~"
"Chaah~"
"Ursah!"
"Draah~"
Not too many, not too few—exactly ten Pokémon emerged, either crawling, standing, or hovering. All of them looked in good shape. Upon seeing Reggie, their eyes lit up with joy.
"Hey there, everyone! Long time no see!"
"Roar~!"
Reggie waved, triggering a chorus of energetic cries in response. Clearly, these Pokémon respected him deeply.
But most of these were "old friends." Reggie turned his gaze back to Paul, waiting to be introduced to the newcomers.
"This one joined us recently… Mewtwo, come on out."
Paul tossed a rather ordinary-looking Poké Ball from the Hisui region. With a flash of light, Mewtwo appeared in front of Reggie.
"Greetings. I'm Mewtwo. I've heard a lot about you from Paul."
Mewtwo's voice echoed directly in Reggie mind—telepathy.
"A Pokémon I've never seen before… and it communicates via telepathy?" Reggie looked surprised but smiled warmly.
"I'm Reggie, Paul's brother. I'll be counting on you to keep him safe during your journey."
Such restrained but overwhelming pressure, Reggie had never felt an aura quite like Mewtwo's before.
"I will. No one will hurt him."
Mewtwo's tone was calm, yet radiated an absolute sense of confidence.
He was the ultimate destroyer, and also the strongest protector.
"Mewtwo is… unique. It's a Pokémon created by Team Rocket, using Mew's DNA combined with traits from other exceptional species. I caught him while traveling through another world. There's only one Mewtwo in existence."
Paul didn't hide this fact from someone as close as his brother.
Those well-versed in the Pokémon world knew, this wasn't a single-world universe. There were countless parallel dimensions. Reggie understood that. Paul had even once mentioned that he could use his phone to cross into different worlds.
"A one-of-a-kind existence… So, does this world's Team Rocket also have a Mewtwo?"
Reggie processed the implications quickly. If another Team Rocket made a Mewtwo, did the one in their current timeline do the same?
"Yes. The New Island incident was caused by Mewtwo."
In the movie timeline, Mewtwo had erased everyone's memories of the incident. But that didn't hold up in reality. Especially since Blue Oak had gone there with Ash as well.
Six near-Champion-tier Pokémon versus Mewtwo with Mew secretly involved too, Paul seriously doubted the real-world Mewtwo could have wiped all traces clean.
"Doesn't matter. Team Rocket may be dangerous, but as long as we're in Sinnoh, we'll be fine."
Reggie didn't seem too worried. Team Rocket's reach wasn't infinite, and they weren't as strong as people made them out to be. With the strength of both brothers, even if Team Rocket knew Mewtwo existed, they wouldn't dare make a direct move.
"There's one more."
Paul flipped his hand, revealing another Poké Ball—and threw it.
"AAHH!"
With a thunderous cry, Zapdos landed, scanning the area with a piercing gaze like a ruffled chick ready to strike at any moment.
Before Mewtwo could even step in, Ninetales and Metagross reacted first, releasing Gravity to pin the wild Zapdos to the ground.
Then, Electivire dropped a thunderous punch on its head, sat on it like a sack of potatoes, and used its twin tails to tie Zapdos down perfectly.
"Vireee~"
"So... you've captured Zapdos?"
Reggie's voice held astonishment.
Mewtwo may be a man-made Pokémon born from Mew's DNA, but artificial Pokémon are nothing new. There's Porygon, Magearna... Even if they're powerful and capable of telepathy, the shock value they carry is manageable.
But Zapdos? That's different.
In the Kanto Region, the three Legendary Birds aren't ordinary. They are said to transcend regions—seen not only in Kanto, but even in Sinnoh, where photos have occasionally surfaced of the trio flying through distant skies.
Apart from Red and Tobias having captured Articuno, there were no known trainers who'd successfully captured all three Legendary Birds.
"This one's a bit special." Paul explained. "Similar to Zygarde from the Kalos Region—who protects environmental balance, this Zapdos oversees air currents and weather patterns in the Orange Islands. I plan to release it after we're done."
In the Pokémon world, there are no formal gods—but there are pseudo-divine roles.
These pseudo-deities are Pokémon naturally imbued with powers meant to uphold certain systems: time, space, ecosystems…
"I see… then releasing it makes sense."
Reggie nodded in understanding.
While it was possible to keep Zapdos captive, the cascading consequences might ripple across the region, affecting humans and Pokémon alike. In Reggie's eyes, such collateral damage for the sake of keeping a single Pokémon was too cruel.
If they'd caught one already, they could always try again another time—even if that chance never came again.
"Zapdos commands intense electricity and is highly sensitive to electromagnetic fields. I'd like your help training Electivire with it."
Paul's plan was straightforward: Use Zapdos in the same way he had once used Zeraora to help Electivire hone its control over lightning and magnetic forces.
He didn't need Zapdos to actively teach, just to spar using its natural abilities.
But Zapdos wasn't a typical Pokémon. It had a volatile temperament. That's why Reggie's expertise in Pokémon psychology would be crucial.
"No problem. Leave it to me."
Reggie looked over at the legendary bird, who was currently pinned beneath Electivire's backside, thrashing wildly in protest.
Fortunately, Reggie had dabbled in Pokémon behavioral science.
As the two trainers strategized, Zapdos was furiously struggling nearby. Though weak, it refused to give up, attempting to break free from the combined suppression of Ninetales and Electivire.
"Torterra, use Life Dew."
"Raaa~!"
At Paul's command, Torterra released a warm, healing glow onto Zapdos.
"Ahh?!"
Zapdos froze as its body absorbed the energy. It began channeling the revitalizing force, mending its wounds and restoring stamina.
Seeing this, Electivire released its grip and backed off.
Zapdos, now fully restored, would be far too much for Electivire to handle head-on.
With a defiant shriek, Zapdos soared into the sky, launching a powerful Thunder attack directly at Mewtwo.
"...Impressive power, but it's not enough."
Mewtwo didn't flinch. Raising its hand, it summoned a psychic barrier. The lightning lit up the screen in blinding flashes, but could not penetrate it.
"Aaaahhh!!"
Enraged by the failed strike, Zapdos let out another cry and began charging its next move. Electricity crackled around its wings, doubling the power of its Thunder. With a mighty crash, the heavens roared—the lightning descended like divine punishment.
"Futile. I am the strongest."
Mewtwo's eyes gleamed blue. It raised both arms and conjured a massive purple shield, combining Protect with psychic reinforcement. The storm raged but could not breach it.
Zapdos wouldn't accept it.
It had once wounded Lugia—how could this opponent, however mysterious, be completely immune?
With a scream, Zapdos folded its wings and launched into a fierce Brave Bird dive. Lightning surged around its beak, bolstered by electromagnetism and gravitational acceleration.
At the critical moment, Mewtwo's eyes narrowed. A wave of force pulsed from its body, shifting every human and Pokémon nearby out of harm's way.
Zapdos smashed into the ground.
BOOM!
The earth trembled. A massive crater opened in the field. Zapdos emerged from the dust, hovering again—but frustration burned in its gaze.
They had dodged it. That meant they didn't dare take it head-on.
With a snap, Zapdos recalibrated the magnetic field—ready for round two.
But Mewtwo was done playing.
If it were facing an equal, perhaps it would need effort—but Zapdos? A fierce yet outclassed opponent.
"Let's end this charade."
Even before Mewtwo finished speaking, a crushing gravitational force swept over the battlefield.
Zapdos dropped like a stone, unable to counteract the weight.
"Ahhh!"
Frantic, it summoned electromagnetic energy to counter the force—barely halting its fall.
"Hmm?"
But Mewtwo intensified its Gravity, following up with a Psychic strike.
Zapdos' field shattered. It collapsed like a broken sculpture, pinned to the ground.
"Your turn."
Mewtwo floated away, calling over some eager Pokémon from the sidelines. It began to Meditate, uninterested in further engagement.
Ninetales and Metagross immediately tag-teamed. One reinforced Gravity, the other launched Psychic again—pressuring Zapdos and limiting its aerial mobility.
"Vireee~!"
Inspired by its teammates, Electivire charged toward Zapdos.
But before it even launched an attack, Zapdos seized its magnetic field, throwing Electivire off-balance.
Still, Electivire didn't falter—it dove right back in.
Despite the overwhelming suppression from two Elite-level Pokémon, Zapdos retained the upper hand through sheer raw power.
Electivire was repeatedly thrown aside—but always got back up, adjusting to the magnetic chaos each time.
Other Pokémon took turns assisting. When any grew fatigued or injured, Torterra restored them with Life Dew.
The session proved more effective than expected.
...
By evening, after Paul returned from dinner with Reggie, the training finally ended.
In the days that followed, Reggie wasn't able to help much with the "learning from Zapdos" plan.
The bird was just too stubborn.
Provocation? It bit every time. The moment Electivire baited it, Zapdos went berserk.
Forget strategy, it was all instinct and fury.
Luckily, Electivire was a master provocateur.
"Vireee!"
'C'mon, Silly Bird—I need your help to get stronger!'
"AAAGHH!!!"
Zapdos' eyes turned bloodshot. In a flash of thunder, it dove for Electivire again.
The battle resumed—lightning crashing, clouds swirling.
If not for Mewtwo conjuring illusions to mask the collateral damage, League agents might've already come investigating.
(End of Chapter)
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