Mewtwo was an indispensable cornerstone of Team Rocket's current development. Pulling it away would be akin to breaking one of Team Rocket's wings...
Psychic-type Pokémon already possessed extraordinarily formidable abilities, and Mewtwo was the pinnacle of them all.
In the anime, beyond standard Psychic-type moves, it had demonstrated unique capabilities such as mass teleportation, weather manipulation, and even erasing human memories.
Even in this era of advanced technology, Giovanni remained deeply wary of Mewtwo. He understood Mewtwo's terrifying potential... and so did the Resistance.
A gleam of excitement flashed in Nozomi's eyes as she asked, "When are we going to storm Giovanni's hideout and take him down?"
At this, Reika grew equally animated.
Though they were no match for Team Rocket in a direct confrontation, with Mewtwo on their side, they could wage a guerrilla war against the organization.
Caleb: "..."
While the plan was somewhat underhanded, he had to admit it was the most effective strategy available.
Vermilion City was a considerable distance from Rocket City. Unsure whether Mewtwo could teleport such a long range with passengers, Caleb decided to return to his room and consult Mewtwo directly.
But Mewtwo wasn't there...
Nozomi, who had followed him, asked curiously, "Is Mewtwo your Pokémon?"
Caleb glanced at her and shook his head, "No, we're just temporarily cooperating."
Before Nozomi could say more, her smart bracelet lit up.
Reika's voice came through:
<..Mewtwo is in the Eco Zone..>
"Got it." Nozomi acknowledged the message, hung up, and turned with Caleb toward the ecological zone...
Along the way, she couldn't contain her curiosity, "Are you a Trainer? Aside from the Dragonite that appeared in the news, do you have other Pokémon?"
Caleb: "Yes. A Mimikyu and a Lucario."
"Mimikyu? That little Pokémon draped in tattered cloth, the one that looks like Pikachu?"
"Mm."
The ecological zone wasn't far from the residential area. Soon, the two arrived in a sprawling grassland bathed in warm sunlight and fresh air.
Though the sky and sun were artificial, they were indistinguishable from the real thing. In the morning, the sun rose in the east, and by evening, it set in the west.
Drifting clouds moved lazily across the sky, creating an atmosphere of serene comfort.
In the shadows of the distance, Darkrai and Mewtwo hovered side by side, silently observing the wild Pokémon playing joyfully below.
"Mewtwo looks so lonely," Nozomi whispered.
It was true...
Caleb chose not to disturb Mewtwo. With the sun shining so beautifully, he tossed three Poké Balls into the air.
Amid flashes of white light; Dragonite, Lucario, and Mimikyu materialized before him.
"Go play with them for a while." he pointed toward the frolicking wild Pokémon.
Yet none of the three moved... Dragonite lazily lifted an eyelid to glance at the scene.
Dragonite: 'Pathetic. I would never roll around on the grass like those immature little creatures...'
Lucario, by nature, was reserved and taciturn. Such lively gatherings were never its style. Besides, it had never tried something as undignified as flopping onto its back and rolling in the grass.
Mimikyu initially took a few steps forward, but suddenly hesitated. Afraid its appearance might frighten the other Pokémon, it retreated to Caleb's side.
Seeing this, Caleb sat down on the grass, gently placing Mimikyu on his lap and tugging at its cloth ears.
Then he turned to Lucario and called out, "Lucario?"
Lucario shifted its gaze from Mimikyu to its Trainer.
Caleb beckoned.
Without hesitation, Lucario obeyed, always so dutiful.
"Sit here and rest for a bit." Lucario's ears twitched slightly as it settled obediently beside Caleb.
"Wuu!"
Not to be left out, Dragonite lumbered over and plopped down on Caleb's other side, forming a perfect isosceles triangle with him and Lucario.
Watching this, Nozomi couldn't hide her envy...
She longed to have a Pokémon of her own and to travel the world with it like the Trainers of seventy years ago, adventuring together.
On rainy days, she would shelter in caves, huddling close with a team of Pokémon while listening to the rhythmic patter outside.
On sunny days, they'd sprawl on the grass for picnics and bask in the warmth, then stargaze together at night.
Unaware of her thoughts, Caleb focused on helping Lucario practice its Aura abilities...
According to the Anime, Aura was a form of spiritual energy and was described as the essence of every living being.
Its applications were vast, with known uses including:
- Telepathy...
- Sensing others' Aura, surveying environments, and perceiving through objects...
- Projecting Aura... That is, creating barriers or attacks, Aura Sphere being a prime example...
- Transferring Aura to other beings... though this was often fatal to the user.
An example of this is found In the movie 'Lucario and the Mystery of Mew', where Sir Aaron and Lucario sacrificed themselves by channeling their Aura into the Tree of Beginning...
- Activating Time Flowers... However, since these flowers only grew around the Tree of Beginning, this ability had limited utility...
During the three years in the previous Instance, Caleb had guided Lucario through hands-on training, using his own Viridian ability to communicate with Pokémon as a reference.
Now, Lucario could engage in telepathic conversations without physical contact. The only downside was that Lucario rarely spoke.
When it did, its responses were brief and simple words like 'Mm', 'Here', or 'Okay'...
Nozomi watched, green with envy. She crouched beside the timid Mimikyu and asked, "Can I pet it?"
Mimikyu shrank back slightly, eyeing her nervously.
Using his abilities to gauge its feelings, Caleb spoke for it, "Of course."
"Thank you!" Nozomi beamed as she carefully took Mimikyu from Caleb's hands, giving one of its ears a gentle squeeze.
It felt hollow, as if there was nothing inside. She studied Mimikyu thoughtfully, "Is this really a cloth covering its body?"
Caleb nodded, "Yes."
"Wouldn't fighting with this cloth on be inconvenient?" Nozomi murmured, biting her lip as if struck by an idea.
"The material is special. It can block one attack for Mimikyu," Caleb explained, "In older Pokémon academia, it was classified as an ability called 'Disguise'..."
"Disguise…" Nozomi's eyes lit up. She looked at Caleb eagerly and said, "Would you mind if I tried something with this little guy?"
Caleb: "What are you planning?"
Nozomi: "Have you seen Iron Man? Tony Stark used nanotech to create the MARK-50 armor..."
Caleb blinked, asking, "Your world has Iron Man?"
Nozomi looked puzzled, "Yeah… why?"
Caleb shook his head and allowed, "Nothing. Go on."
'If an infinite-multiversal dimension exists, Iron Man movies existing in some of the worlds isn't that surprising...' he mused.
Nozomi regrouped and continued, "The MARK-50 has self-repairing biomimetic properties, shape-shifting, high energy absorption, lightweight construction, extreme environment tolerance, and high-density energy storage. Hmm… I could even integrate an energy propulsion engine to amplify the power of Pokémon moves..."