Chapter 23: Midnight Confrontation
Mewtwo teleported with Charizard to a forest far from Town. Charizard nodded and called out, "Fight me."
"Senpai, is this really the way?" Mewtwo asked hesitantly.
A jet of flame responded. Mewtwo sighed and, with a gentle wave of his hand, redirected the flame jet back toward Charizard. Charizard's eyes narrowed: "This isn't a technique—it's simply an application of psychic power."
"But don't think you're the only one who can improve. I'm constantly getting stronger too," Charizard declared.
Flames ignited around his claws. It was Fire Punch, but the technique evolved, becoming two giant flaming talons. With a swipe, Charizard shattered the reflected flame jet. With a powerful wing beat, he struck at Mewtwo with his blazing claws, his entire body engulfed in the newly learned Flame Charge. He concentrated all the intense flames onto his right claw and struck Mewtwo's protective Barrier.
"Don't underestimate me!" Charizard roared, shattering the psychic shield and sending Mewtwo flying.
Mewtwo flew backward, using his psychic powers to remain airborne. A flash of white light washed over him as he used Recover to restore his strength. Mewtwo sighed and said, "Senpai, Ryan said sparring is fine, but going all-out isn't. You've lost your way."
At the same time, he reached into the air, and a massive spoon materialized in Mewtwo's grasp. It wasn't a physical object, but a weapon conjured from pure psychic energy—a manifestation of his Psychic-type power.
Mewtwo dodged as the psychic spoon collided with Charizard's flaming claws. Charizard flapped his wings, sending a scorching Heat Wave toward Mewtwo. Mewtwo focused intently and used his telekinesis to disrupt Charizard's attack. Meanwhile, the psychic spoon and Charizard's blazing claws had already clashed dozens of times.
"Nidoking! Crobat! Golbat! Hyper Beam!" a voice commanded, and three destructive beams simultaneously struck the distracted Charizard and Mewtwo.
An explosion echoed through the forest, and both Charizard and Mewtwo crashed to the ground, battered and bruised. Mewtwo looked at the masked figure approaching, the "R" emblazoned on his uniform, and for some reason felt an overwhelming urge to destroy him completely. Suppressing his destructive impulses, Mewtwo used Recover to restore his strength while telepathically communicating, "Who are you? Why are you attacking us?"
"Haha! I didn't expect the Pokémon created by that fool Giovanni would escape Team Rocket. But now that I've found you, I'll capture you myself. With this Shadow Ball to empower me, I'm the real boss now!" the masked man laughed, throwing two strange black Poké Balls at Mewtwo and Charizard.
Mewtwo stood up and, with a swipe of his psychic spoon, sent the Dark Balls flying. With a surge of powerful telekinesis, the two corrupted Poké Balls exploded and were completely destroyed.
"Damn it! You're asking for death!" the masked man roared. "Nidoking! Crobat! Golbat! Destroy them!"
The three Pokémon launched a barrage of Hyper Beams, blasting Mewtwo and Charizard back repeatedly. Mewtwo, protecting Charizard, teleported out of harm's way, but seeing the three Pokémon continuously unleashing their ultimate attack without pause, Mewtwo raged, shouting, "Stop! You're draining their life force!"
"They're just expendable tools. What does it matter if they die? I'll destroy you even if it kills them!" the masked man shouted. "Increase your power, you worthless creatures!"
Mewtwo fell silent, his fury building. Born and raised with Ryan and Lillie, he had witnessed the world's purest kindness. Now, he encountered its evil counterpart. The masked man's cruel actions only intensified his desire for destruction.
With a wave of his hands, countless Psycho Cuts lashed out at the three Pokémon, instantly rendering them unable to battle. With a single gesture, he detonated the four remaining Shadow Balls embedded in the masked man's belt. Just as the Team Rocket member was about to flee, Mewtwo gestured, causing his legs to twist unnaturally. A scream of agony echoed throughout the forest.
Seeing the masked man still trying to crawl away, Mewtwo swept his arms, instantly crippling his movement. Watching the Team Rocket grunt still writhing on the ground, Mewtwo's eyes gleamed with murderous intent. He pointed a finger at the man's head, ready to finish him with a focused Psychic attack.
"Enough," Charizard said, grabbing Mewtwo's arm. "Don't let evil consume your heart. Your trainer will be heartbroken."
Charizard's words successfully dispelled Mewtwo's destructive urges. Glancing at Charizard, he nodded, then used his telekinesis to bind the masked man with forest vines like a cocoon, sealing his mouth with a ball of mud.
Charizard gently patted Mewtwo's head and said, "Your power has far surpassed mine, but your mind is still developing. Be more careful in the future."
"Yes, I understand. Senpai, no matter how powerful I become, you are still my senior, and I will always remember the care you all showed me when I was just hatched." Mewtwo nodded. Although he had grown stronger, he always remembered that when he was born, it was Ryan who introduced him to the world, and his senior teammates who had tenderly cared for him. This bond was a lifelong treasure, something he would never forget.
Seeing Mewtwo's sincere expression, Charizard chuckled to himself: "It seems I really was overthinking things. Even if my strength is surpassed by my junior, so what? I'm still Ryan's original Pokémon, and Ryan would never abandon any of his team."
Having reached this understanding, Charizard felt a great weight lifted from his heart, and everything became clearer. In that moment of clarity, Charizard felt his bond with Ryan had strengthened significantly, and his comprehension and execution of techniques had become even sharper.
"Let's head back. Ryan will probably be worried if he notices we're gone," Charizard said. "Bring this criminal with us. He's clearly up to no good—let Ryan decide what to do with him."
Mewtwo nodded and teleported everything away in an instant, including the three unconscious Pokémon and the shattered remains of the six Dark Balls.
Ryan felt two familiar presences return behind him and settle onto the floor without making a sound. Although he didn't know whether the two had resolved their issues, he felt relieved that they had returned safely. He took a deep breath as waves of drowsiness washed over him. Ryan finally surrendered to sleep, falling into a peaceful slumber. But what he didn't know was that the next morning would bring a big surprise—maybe more than one. Tomorrow would definitely be full of unexpected developments for Ryan.
(End of Chapter)
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