Professor Oak walked over to the window.
From there, he could clearly see Delia's house, wisps of cooking smoke curling into the air.
Through the glass, he could vaguely make out a table crowded with people.
In an instant, an indescribable sense of loneliness washed over him.
Just as Professor Oak was about to wallow in his sorrow alone—
A knock sounded at the laboratory door.
"Coming!" he called out, hurrying over to open it.
Still, he couldn't help feeling puzzled—who would come at this hour?
The moment he opened the door, he saw Ash tugging along an unwilling-looking Gary, standing right outside.
"Professor Oak! My mom asked me to bring you some chicken soup!"
Looking at the lunchbox in Ash's hands, wrapped in a red cloth—
Professor Oak felt a warmth bloom in his heart.
Delia really is a good person!
All those years I spent taking care of Red and Ash weren't for nothing!
…
On-screen—
"Ugh, this food is awful. I should've just gone home and had my mom cook."
After one bite, Ash and Pikachu stuck out their tongues at the same time and spat.
The food was honestly bad to an impressive degree.
"Is Ash's mom really that good at cooking?"
Cynthia asked, frowning as she stared hesitantly at the unidentifiable chunk of meat in her chopsticks.
"She's not just good—she's amazing!"
Before Ash could even answer, Gary spoke up first.
"Champion Cynthia, I'm telling you, Auntie Delia's cooking is the best in all of Pallet Town!"
Growing up, Gary and Blue had been raised alongside Professor Oak.
If Delia hadn't constantly brought meals for the two brothers—
They probably would've starved to death eating cup noodles with Oak.
"Is that so? Then I really would like to try it someday."
After hesitating for a long while—
For the sake of her own safety—
Cynthia finally put down the unidentifiable meat.
"If there's a chance… Ash, would you be willing to invite me to your home for a meal?"
As she spoke, Cynthia looked straight at Ash.
If one looked closely, they'd notice her ears were already bright red.
Such straightforward words were unbearably embarrassing for Cynthia.
Even so—
She was still eagerly awaiting Ash's answer.
"Of course! No problem at all! Next time you're free, please come to my house for a meal!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu raised a paw in agreement.
And just like that, the terrible food somehow took on a different flavor.
However—
Some people weren't happy at all.
Gary stared at Ash and Cynthia in shock.
What are you even doing?!
Leave me a way to live, will you?!
Catching the Legendary Birds is already hard enough—
Are you now adding conquering a female Champion to my list of impossible tasks?!
Ash, are you a demon?!
Gary's eyes flickered with all kinds of emotions.
There was no helping it—
Ash's actions were truly mind-blowing!
Even Cynthia, known among trainers as the Iceberg Beauty, was smiling.
Gary unwillingly lowered his head—
Only to see two playing cards that had somehow blown over onto the ground.
The Joker and the Joker.
No, wait—
It was the front and back of his dropped Trainer ID.
Unconsciously, his nose turned red.
At this moment, he was no longer a Trainer—
He was a joke.
[Delia: Miss Cynthia, if you have time, please do come visit my home. I'll prepare a hearty meal in advance.]
[Cynthia: You're far too kind. If I have the time, I'll definitely visit. I'll be troubling you then.]
[Delia: No need to be so polite—we're not outsiders.]
[Caitlin: Oho~ "We're not outsiders~"]
[Lusamine: How wonderful~]
[Flint: I'd love to try Auntie Delia's cooking too!]
[Lucian: Where did this filth come from?]
Flint was just about to joke a bit more—
But when he noticed the sunny window outside suddenly darken with a shadow—
He knew he was done for.
Because that shadow—
Belonged to Garchomp.
…
On-screen—
Staring at the table of inedible food, the group decided to just forget it.
It had barely been tolerable at first.
But after Gary's description, Cynthia was completely repulsed by what could barely be called food.
Since there was still time—
Cynthia immediately booked a flight back to Sinnoh.
Returning once more to the research facility on Mt. Coronet—
This time, it was no longer empty.
Three people were already inside.
When the lab door opened, the three all looked over.
Seeing that it was Cynthia and Gary, they simply nodded and went back to what they were doing.
Instead, Dr. Hodaka—the final executor of the Mew Project—enthusiastically approached them.
"So this must be Ash. I'm Dr. Hodaka, the one in charge of executing the Mew Project."
Dr. Hodaka didn't look particularly old—
But his scruffy beard made him seem like a weathered man in his forties.
"Hello, I'm Ash. This is my partner, Pikachu."
"Pika!"
Ash and Pikachu greeted him together.
Dr. Hodaka warmly invited them to sit down inside the lab.
When he learned that Ash had already completed the entry challenge—
And successfully obtained Moltres's feather—
His praise for Ash was endless.
Upon hearing this—
The two people leaning against the wall both turned to look at Ash.
A boy who looked so young—
Yet possessed such overwhelming strength.
Their opinion of him immediately rose.
After that—
Dr. Hodaka grabbed a remote control and turned on the screen in the lab.
Then, he began to explain the Mew Project in detail.
"The purpose of the Mew Project is to locate Mew, which is believed to reside atop a mesa on a certain island. The execution window is only one week during the transition from the rainy season to the dry season. If we miss it, the area will return to the rainy season, shrouded in heavy fog and unsuitable for exploration."
As he spoke, Dr. Hodaka's eyes shone with a longing for the unknown.
For a researcher—
Nothing was more exciting than exploring the unknown.
However—
After listening to Dr. Hodaka's explanation—
Ash's expression turned strange.
Especially when he mentioned a certain island—
It sounded absurd to Ash.
"Dr. Hodaka, may I ask—have you really researched Mew? Do you understand Mew's habits?"
Ash raised his hand to ask.
Even Pikachu on his shoulder sensed something was off.
What Dr. Hodaka described completely contradicted everything Ash knew about Mew.
The moment Ash questioned him—
The atmosphere in the lab froze.
"Do you know what you're saying?!"
Xiaojian's face twisted with anger.
Dr. Hodaka, however, waved his hand.
Instead, he praised Ash for his courage to question—
And looked at him with interest.
"It's like this. Mew's habits are a mystery to the entire scientific community. As everyone knows, Mew is the most mysterious Pokémon in the world—so much so that no one truly knows where it lives."
"That's why the Mew Project was initiated. The island mentioned in the plan is based on the location with the highest number of Mew sightings worldwide over the past ten years."
"So I boldly concluded that this island is where Mew resides. Unfortunately, the environment there is extremely harsh, so we can only select the strongest Trainers to investigate."
After finishing, Dr. Hodaka quietly watched Ash—
Expecting to see surprise on his face.
Yet Ash remained unmoved.
He pointed at the island displayed on the screen.
Then said firmly to Dr. Hodaka,
"If you're talking about this island, then I think you're looking in the wrong direction. I was there not long ago, and the Pokémon living there isn't Mew."
"It's another Pokémon born from Mew—Mewtwo. Mewtwo has a very bad temper. I strongly advise you not to provoke it."
Ash spoke with utter seriousness.
The two others instantly turned their gazes toward him.
Dr. Hodaka leaned in so close his face was nearly pressed against Ash's.
With a trembling voice, he asked,
"Is what you're saying true? Do you have proof?"
The Mew Project was Dr. Hodaka's life's work.
If Ash was right—
Then years of effort had been in vain.
"Hey, Ash, right? Don't speak nonsense. Everything requires evidence."
Xiaojian glared at Ash coldly.
As one of the earliest members involved in the Mew Project, he knew exactly what Ash's words implied.
The other member, Asahi, nodded repeatedly in agreement.
However—
Faced with the gazes of all three—
Ash showed no fear.
He looked over them calmly.
Then said with absolute certainty,
"I can swear that what I'm saying is true. If possible, I can even take you to meet Mewtwo."
Just moments ago—
Ash had already contacted Mewtwo through the psychic barrier Mewtwo had set up in his mind.
After explaining the situation—
Mewtwo agreed without hesitation.
Although Mewtwo's feelings toward Mew were complicated—
If people kept coming to search for Mew and disturbing its life—
Mewtwo really might go on a killing spree.
After all—
Mewtwo's kindness was reserved only for Ash and Pokémon harmed by humans.
…
[Professor Oak: I feel like Hodaka's being a bit reckless. That's Mewtwo—how has he dared explore that island so many times?]
[Professor Birch: Is it possible he doesn't know Mewtwo exists? Otherwise, no one would willingly provoke Mewtwo.]
[Bruno: I don't like that guy Xiaojian. How dare he talk to Master Ash like that!]
[Mustard: Cough cough. That Xiaojian is an outstanding disciple of my dojo. He passed my trial and received Kubfu… and five years later evolved it into Single-Strike Urshifu.]
[Leon: Master, your teaching might have some issues. This junior doesn't seem very good at speaking.]
[Flint: Where is he?! I'll go teach him a lesson! I'm in a terrible mood right now!]
After getting beaten up by Cynthia, Flint's anger was off the charts!
Just wait until I'm discharged—
Then the sky's the limit!
…
On-screen—
"Why should we listen to you? The Mew Project isn't your personal decision! And you're just a newcomer!"
Xiaojian still refused to believe Ash.
Dr. Hodaka and Asahi remained silent—
Clearly siding with Xiaojian.
"Hey, cut it out. Ash might be annoying sometimes, but he never lies."
Gary glared at Xiaojian.
This guy dared to doubt Ash?
He'd thought Xiaojian was a fellow seeker of truth—
Turns out he was just an arrogant fool.
Not just Gary—
"Pika!"
Pikachu leapt onto the table.
Electric sparks crackled on its cheeks.
If Xiaojian said one more offensive word—
Pikachu's Thunderbolt would come crashing down without mercy.
At that moment—
Cynthia stepped forward and stood beside Ash.
As one of the initiators of the Mew Project—
Her strength and knowledge were unmatched here.
She gently placed a hand on Ash's shoulder.
Then swept her gaze across the three.
In a calm yet icy voice, she said,
"The Mew Project was initiated by the three of us, and I have the right to decide its course. Since Ash says Mew isn't on this island, we must verify the truth of his claim."
Once Cynthia spoke—
The three fell completely silent.
The Champion's aura pressed down so heavily they could barely breathe.
Even Xiaojian, the strongest among them, owner of a Single-Strike Urshifu, looked terrible.
The oppressive presence of a Champion filled the lab.
Cynthia even pulled out her phone and called Professor Oak.
When Oak's image appeared—
Dr. Hodaka tried to speak—
But Cynthia cut in first.
She repeated everything Ash had said.
The call fell silent for a long time.
Then Oak finally spoke,
"I watched Ash grow up. He would never lie. Since he says Mew isn't on that island, let's investigate according to Cynthia's suggestion."
After that—
Cynthia ended the call and put her phone away.
Her gaze landed on Dr. Hodaka.
He immediately felt a chill down his spine.
Resistance was impossible.
Going to the island would waste one exploration opportunity—
But with Cynthia and Professor Oak both agreeing with Ash—
Dr. Hodaka had no room to object.
He could only pilot the "research facility"—also known as an exploration vessel—
Away from Mt. Coronet and toward Mew Island.
As the ship departed—
Xiaojian and Asahi finally sat down.
Clearly, neither of them truly believed Ash.
After all—
They had invested too much into this plan.
Ash's words had essentially overturned all their prior research.
As for Ash's group—
Cynthia led Ash and Gary into the lounge to rest.
Sitting on the sofa—
Gary was furious.
"I thought Xiaojian was a friend. Turns out he's someone who doesn't even dare pursue the truth—a coward."
[Blue: As expected of my little brother. Your attack power still needs work. Sometimes, fists speak louder than words.]
[Gary: I taught myself! Once I'm as strong as you, I won't hesitate—I'll throw hands immediately!]
[Professor Oak: Uh… that's not necessary. This is a research project—doubt is normal. But that attitude was indeed bad.]
[Dr. Hodaka: Sigh. Who would've thought? If I hadn't seen the livestream, hadn't seen what Ash went through in Orudruin… I might've continued down that wrong path.]
[Queen Ilene: Mew is the guardian of the World Tree. Its existence isn't for human research. Anyone insisting on searching for Mew—ask them, and the answer is: you're declaring war on Orudruin, and on all of Kanto.]
[Chairman Damarak: Queen Ilene speaks for the League's will. The so-called Mew Project should never be mentioned again. If Mew were injured in battle, the backlash to the World Tree would be nothing less than a world-ending catastrophe.]
…
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