"The meaning of a Pokémon's existence..."
Hayashi Kaede took the pen in his hand, paused in thought, and finally wrote a single sentence:
"Existence itself is a kind of meaning. No living being has the right to question or judge the meaning of another living being's existence — and that includes you."
He carefully placed the paper into an envelope, put it away, then took out a large bag of Physical Energy Cubes from his storage ball and handed it to Dragonite, who looked at him in confusion.
"Thank you for the long journey. I'm sorry for the trouble you've taken delivering this letter. Could you please give its recipient a message from me — just as a way of communicating?"
Recalling the image of Mewtwo in his mind, Hayashi Kaede spoke slowly.
"When you've experienced more suffering and war, you might feel that the world is full of nothing but suffering and war.
But think about it — is what you've experienced all there is to the world?
The world is vast. If you have the chance, go out more often. Experience ordinary life. Only then will you understand what the world truly is."
"Woo?"
Dragonite took the bag of Energy Cubes, pulled one out, and popped it into its mouth.
Its eyes lit up immediately.
[Congratulations to the host for raising Dragonite's Happiness Value from 40% to 60%.
Rewards: three bags of Premium Fertilizer, one Premium Magic Candy, and one Premium Special Scale Fruit (which, when consumed, greatly boosts the Pokémon's Special Attack and Speed).]
"Hmm?"
Hearing the system's voice, Hayashi Kaede raised his eyebrows. The happiness gain wasn't huge this time… but the reward was surprisingly generous.
Did this mean the stronger the Pokémon, the richer the reward?
It seemed he had just discovered another hidden feature of the system.
"Woo~"
Munching on a handful of Energy Cubes, Dragonite grinned and nodded in satisfaction before spreading its wings. With the envelope clutched securely, it took off into the night sky.
In the blink of an eye, it was gone.
Hayashi Kaede couldn't help but envy that speed.
When would he be able to capture a Flying-type Pokémon of his own...?
He wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Huh… false alarm."
Instead of summoning Servine, he hurried home under the cover of darkness.
Meanwhile, in the Kanto Alliance region…
On a lonely island stood a fortress-like castle.
Inside, a pink, humanoid Pokémon gazed down at the letter in its hand.
"What is the meaning of a Pokémon's existence?"
Battle? Accompany me and help me become a powerful Trainer?
Of course it's battle. I love the passion and excitement of Pokémon battles!
I just like Pokémon, so I want them to be with me.
Dragonite is so big, can you make it my Pokémon?
Mewtwo's eyes grew colder as it scanned these scattered responses.
Among all the letters it had delivered, most answers were inextricably tied to one word: battle.
It was no different from the ideology it had learned from Team Rocket.
So… war, plunder — was that the meaning of a Pokémon's existence?
Or rather, was that simply the value humans placed on Pokémon?
A tide of anger welled up in Mewtwo's heart.
Powerful psychic energy burst forth from the castle, making the entire island tremble. The sky darkened like ink, waves rose high, and a suffocating sense of dread spread over the sea.
"So… I was created for war and plunder?
Fine. Then I'll—"
"Woo~!"
At that moment, Dragonite flew in, carrying a satchel in one hand and another bag in the other — the Energy Cubes from Hayashi Kaede. Only one piece remained, and it was reluctant to eat it.
"Another batch of letters?"
Suppressing its rage, Mewtwo took the satchel from Dragonite with telekinesis and began sorting the envelopes. But it quickly noticed Dragonite clutching the smaller bag protectively.
"What's that? Let me see."
"Woo?"
Dragonite tried to hide it behind its back, but its short arms failed miserably.
That only deepened Mewtwo's suspicion. With a thought, it levitated the bag into its grasp.
"Woo!"
Dragonite flinched, wanting to resist… but then recalled what it had just seen outside.
After a moment's thought, it decided to let it go. It had already eaten plenty — no need to get beaten over a single bite.
"Energy Cubes?"
Mewtwo frowned. Why guard them so carefully?
One cube floated up. Without fear of poison, it took a small bite.
The moment it chewed, its eyes lit up.
"Oh?"
Its mood shifted, anger melting away as the rich taste spread across its tongue. Without hesitation, it swallowed the rest.
"Where did you get this?" Mewtwo asked casually.
"Woo…"
Dragonite pointed a claw at an envelope in the satchel.
Mewtwo picked it up. At first, its expression was blank — then it turned serious.
It read the single line inside. Something about it held its attention for several minutes. By the end, there was a rare hint of satisfaction in its eyes.
"At last… after all this time, a satisfactory answer."
Dragonite blinked in surprise. It knew this powerful Pokémon had been searching for an answer for a long time. For that purpose, it had freed countless Pokémon from Team Rocket's captivity, brought them to this island, and sent them out to deliver letters to humans.
It had searched for ages, but no answer had ever satisfied it.
Now… had it finally found one?
After a moment's hesitation, Dragonite relayed Hayashi Kaede's spoken message.
Mewtwo fell silent, then the corners of its mouth curved upward. Soon, it was laughing aloud.
"Hahaha… experience ordinary life, and the bond between humans and Pokémon in that life?"
"Very well. Let's see if that can truly show me what this relationship means."
The next morning…
The system's voice echoed in Hayashi Kaede's mind.
[Congratulations to the host for raising Mewtwo's Happiness Value from -40% to 40%.
Rewards: five bags of Super-Grade Fertilizer, one Super-Grade Magic Candy, one Holy Ash (capable of reviving a creature before decay), and an Individual Value Breakthrough Potion (which allows a Pokémon to surpass its limits).]
But Hayashi Kaede's attention wasn't on the rewards.
It was on Servine.
"Servine!"