Elias, likewise, couldn't immediately process what was happening.
From the moment his vision was blocked to feeling something soft and slightly damp brush his lips—only a few seconds had passed.
What on earth is this silly kitten doing…?
But soon after, Elias realized something wasn't right.
Mew had been in front of him the whole time, so who exactly was covering his eyes from behind?
Moreover…
The soft, velvety paw pads pressing gently against his face felt distinctly different—unique enough to immediately conjure an image of another Pokémon.
Could it be that Mew had darted off earlier precisely because she'd located Mewtwo?
Noticing Elias remained stunned, Mew pulled back half a step, a triumphant grin spreading across her face.
Sure enough, he'd realized that the Pokémon behind him was indeed Mewtwo. This successfully diverted his attention from her own actions.
I really am a genius!
With a satisfied little lick of her lips, Mew happily turned her gaze toward Mewtwo, intending to praise her for her perfect cooperation.
However…
Upon clearly seeing Mewtwo's expression, Mew involuntarily took half a step back.
W-what's going on here?
The face glaring back at her was unexpectedly fierce. The Pokémon who shared her features was practically gnashing her teeth with anger.
Mewtwo felt a surge of rage bubble inside her as she stared at the carefree feline before her. She felt thoroughly humiliated.
This foolish cat actually dared to trick me into helping with something like that?!
Realizing the situation was deteriorating quickly, Mew swiftly reverted to her original form, immediately turning tail to flee.
She still didn't believe that Mewtwo would dare to seriously hurt her, but…
Caution never hurt anyone.
Yet, just as Mew darted forward, she felt a sudden tug on her tail. Turning her head nervously, she saw Mewtwo's free claw outstretched, psychic energy surging menacingly.
"Mew! (What are you doing?!)"
Mew shot her an angry glare, attempting to intimidate her into letting go.
But her display of anger carried no weight whatsoever with Mewtwo.
"Mewtwo?" Elias finally snapped back to his senses, tentatively calling out her name.
At Elias's voice, Mewtwo's body immediately stiffened.
He recognized her.
Just as she feared, her greed to get closer had ultimately exposed her.
This is all Mew's fault!
Without hesitation, Mewtwo placed the blame squarely on the silly cat who had tricked her.
Slowly releasing her grip on Elias's eyes, Mewtwo hovered over to Mew, who wore an anxious expression.
"What exactly did you do just now?" Mewtwo demanded icily, staring down menacingly.
Realizing she'd missed her chance to flee, Mew swallowed nervously.
Things… aren't going as planned at all!
"Mew! (All your genes came from me!)" Mew lifted her chin defiantly, reminding Mewtwo of her identity.
She felt Mewtwo clearly hadn't recognized her true status yet.
"Oh, really?"
Mewtwo raised her paw ominously.
"Mmmf…mmmf!"
Within the now-ruined hallway, Mew was tightly pinned against the wall by Mewtwo's psychic power. Even her mouth was firmly sealed shut, unable to utter a single coherent syllable.
Though Mewtwo had regained enough composure not to truly harm her, Mew was still effectively immobilized for the time being.
"Mewtwo," Elias gently called, walking toward her now that things had calmed down.
He glanced helplessly at the trapped Mew on the wall, shaking his head slightly. She definitely deserved this punishment for coaxing Mewtwo into such an embarrassing situation.
On the other hand, hearing Elias call her name, Mewtwo's mind once again went blank.
What should I do? Should I escape?
Her body froze rigidly as she wrestled with indecision.
Yet, even as Elias reached out, gently grasping her soft paw, Mewtwo still hadn't made up her mind.
"I… I'm not Mewtwo," she stammered anxiously, hoping Elias might let her go.
Hearing her hesitant denial, Elias couldn't help but smile teasingly.
"Oh? Then who are you—Mega-Mew?"
He laughed softly as he teased her.
Mewtwo was still young, barely larger than Mew herself. In the dark, it really was easy to mistake one for the other.
"Absolutely not!" Mewtwo reacted vehemently to the nickname, recoiling slightly.
She absolutely refused to become such a foolish Pokémon.
Realizing she couldn't evade this any longer, Mewtwo took a deep breath and finally declared:
"Since you're already safe, I'll be leaving now."
"From now on… I want to pursue my own life."
This was originally her true desire. Before meeting Elias, her only goal had been to destroy the lab facilities and claim her freedom.
Now, however, it had become a convenient excuse to escape the embarrassment of being caught.
Elias merely nodded calmly without argument.
For a Pokémon born in a laboratory, desiring freedom was perfectly understandable.
If he remembered correctly, in the original story, Mewtwo had even tried flying into space to escape the Earth entirely.
However…
"Pursuing your own life is great."
"But before you do that, we need to heal your body first," Elias said patiently.
He'd already examined her condition using aura. As expected, the situation was quite severe. If they relied solely on Team Rocket's current medical facilities, recovery would indeed be difficult.
However, with his Viridian Power and the Mind Plate's psychic influence, treating her wouldn't be excessively challenging.
Hearing Elias's words, Mewtwo hesitantly stepped backward.
How can he possibly heal me…?
To avoid revealing her condition, she quickly replied:
"I—I can heal myself."
"I refuse to return to those cold laboratories ever again!"
She trusted that by saying this, Elias wouldn't force her to stay.
But to her surprise, Elias gently placed his hand atop her head.
"Don't worry. You don't need to go back to any labs."
As he spoke, gentle energy flowed warmly through Mewtwo's weakened body, unconsciously prompting a relaxed expression across her face.
Suddenly, Mewtwo's eyes flew wide open, pupils trembling in shock.
The constant pain she'd endured began rapidly subsiding.
This was an ability Elias hadn't demonstrated when they'd first met, yet now it miraculously eased her pain just as before.
In the darkness, the soft emerald glow seemed especially bright and reassuring.
Mewtwo's heart, previously resigned to despair, once again began beating rapidly with new hope.
Perhaps…I don't need to leave anymore?
Thinking about her earlier stubbornness and hesitation, a faint blush warmed Mewtwo's cheeks.
"Elias."
She shyly lifted her head, softly beckoning Elias closer.
Curious, Elias leaned forward, lowering his head slightly to better hear her.
---
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