Who Would Be Stupid Enough to Provoke Mewtwo?
[Dr. Hotaka: I understand, Chairman.]
[Cynthia: I will also withdraw from the Mew Project, and I won't participate in research like this again. Pokémon lives are lives too—we can't be so selfish.]
[Ash: Miss Cynthia is right. Mew is a free Pokémon; it shouldn't be restrained.]
[Steven: Ash is right. We should respect the will of every Pokémon.]
Kanto, Hanako's house.
Because of this matter, the group sitting on the sofa after dinner suddenly became unusually harmonious.
Even Red agreed with Blue's viewpoint.
"How about I station myself in Orudrand permanently?" Misty raised her hand.
"With me there, those people with ulterior motives won't have any chance."
Her strength might not match the two monsters, Red and Blue, but dealing with someone on Lance's level was no problem.
After all, she had traveled together with Red and the others—her strength was absurdly high!
(Polite question: Lance, are you okay with this?)
Red: "Then why don't we go together? The Pokémon on Mt. Silver are all overwintering lately—I don't even have suitable opponents."
"Yellow wants to go too!"
Yellow raised her hand!
Misty glanced at Red, then at Yellow.
Her eyes spun rapidly—somehow, having them go together felt even more interesting.
Besides, Auntie Hanako had just been venting to her, complaining that her son was blind, that he liked no one, that she didn't even know if he'd ever get married, and that he might end up lonely for life.
Seeing Yellow gazing at Red with obvious affection, Misty instantly felt the burden on her shoulders grow heavier.
"Then… I'll go too. I'm free anyway—I'll take it as a trip to relax."
Blue's sudden interjection directly shattered Misty's train of thought!
No, bro—those two are clearly a perfect match going on a date.
Why is your ugly mug tagging along?!
As if sensing something, Blue's gaze swept across everyone present, but he didn't notice anything strange.
Finding nothing amiss, he shot Red a provocative look.
Although Red didn't talk much, it depended on the person.
Once Blue opened his mouth, Red instinctively fired back.
"You're just trying to hit on Queen Eileen, aren't you?"
"Yeah! Big Brother Blue is totally like that!"
Gary chimed in from the side!
That made Misty extremely uncomfortable.
"Stop arguing! We're all going! Ash, you're coming too!"
Still chewing on watermelon, Ash and Pikachu turned their heads in unison toward Misty.
They both pointed at their own faces.
"Huh? Me?"
"Pika?"
Misty facepalmed.
What kind of family is this, seriously?
Auntie Hanako, it's not that I didn't try.
The enemies are just too terrifying.
Or… should I sacrifice myself?
No!
Just imagining spending the rest of her life staring at Red's expressionless face made Misty shudder all over.
Yellow—sorry, it'll have to be you.
And so, amid this strange atmosphere, the group set off on their journey to Orudrand.
...
On screen—
Cynthia remained silent.
Her mind was still sorting through other information about Mew.
Soon, a long-buried memory flashed through her thoughts.
Before she could speak, Ash spoke first.
"The entire research direction of the Mew Project was wrong. Mew doesn't live on Mew Island at all. Mew is a Pokémon whose life is bound to the World Tree—its home has always been the World Tree."
As Ash finished speaking, both Gary and Cynthia turned to look at him, clear shock in their eyes.
"Ash… how do you know all this?"
Gary asked in a horrified tone.
In his memory, Ash had never read this kind of material.
How could he know something as obscure as Mew being connected to the World Tree?
Seeing their puzzled looks, Ash scratched his head and replied casually,
"Because Mew and I are friends. Back then at the World Tree, I almost died—Mew was the one who saved me."
Ash used the calmest tone to say the most terrifying thing.
Gary was dumbfounded.
When did you become this experienced?!
Why don't I know anything about it?!
Didn't we leave on our journeys at the same time?
Why does it feel like we're not even on the same timeline?!
What have you been secretly doing behind my back?!
Next time, remember to take me with you—we're childhood friends! Brothers!
(Ash: That'll cost extra.)
[Dr. Hotaka: I understand now. I never expected my Mew Project to end before it even began.]
[Professor Oak: No big deal—cutting losses early is good. I'll introduce you to a new project. For example, "The feasibility of humans and Pokémon conceiving life together" is a pretty good topic, and it aligns with your interest in the origin of life.]
[Dr. Hotaka: Thank you so much, Professor Oak!]
[Professor Juniper: Why do I feel like Professor Oak has ulterior motives? This topic feels tailor-made for certain people.]
[Gary: Definitely not me!]
[Blue: Not me either!]
[Red, Ash: Same here!]
Audience: ...
Damn!
That's the truth!
It's you, Red!
[Lance: I see it now—Professor Oak's project is clearly prepared for Red! I mean, who would like someone with a three-no-expression face?!]
[Red: ...]
[Red: You're dead.]
On the plane to Orudrand, everyone burst into laughter.
Only Ash looked utterly confused.
What's going on with everyone?
Why is Red's face completely red?
"Do you know what's going on, Pikachu?"
Ash asked.
Pikachu, staring out the window, turned its head.
"Pika?"
You're asking me?
I'm just an adorable Pikachu—how would I know whether humans and Pokémon can have children?!
...
On screen—
"Don't tell Dr. Hotaka and the others about this yet. After we confirm that there really is no Mew on Mew Island, I'll take charge of the subsequent plan."
After hearing Ash out, Cynthia pondered for a long time before finally speaking.
Ash and Gary nodded solemnly.
When it came to Cynthia, they trusted her completely.
The Research Institute—also known as the exploration airship—was fast.
Even though Mew Island was located near the seas of Kalos, it took only a day to arrive.
At this moment, Mew Island was shrouded in thick clouds and fog.
Dr. Hotaka spent quite some time before successfully landing the ship.
After disembarking, Sword and Asahi—who had been here before—looked tense and alert.
Both released their Pokémon immediately.
Unlike their vigilance, Ash was completely calm.
He stepped off the ship, swept his gaze through the dense fog, then suddenly looked up toward the highest point above.
There was something up there.
Everyone's eyes followed his gaze, focusing on the blazing sun overhead.
High beneath the sun, they could only make out a black silhouette.
The others raised their heads as well—and they saw it.
"Is that… Mewtwo?"
Cynthia walked to Ash's side and asked gently.
"Pika!"
Pikachu nodded. That aura was far too familiar.
It was Mewtwo, without a doubt.
Under everyone's gaze, Mewtwo slowly descended from beneath the sun.
In an instant, a suffocating pressure swept across the entire area.
"Outsiders. State your purpose."
Cold. Emotionless.
Just a single sentence was enough to make people want to kneel.
(A small buff to Mewtwo's traits—otherwise the legendary ability can't even eat berries, which would be way too weak.)
However, Mewtwo's gaze remained fixed on the direction where Dr. Hotaka and the others stood.
After a brief silence, a violent mechanical alarm suddenly erupted from beside Dr. Hotaka.
Panicking, he hurriedly shut down the device in his hands.
Only then did the deafening alarm stop.
Sword and Asahi turned to look at him, suspicion in their eyes.
"Gulp."
Dr. Hotaka awkwardly turned the device around and said with a strange expression,
"Mewtwo… what is your relationship with Mew?"
His voice trembled, his throat unbearably dry.
The instrument he held was designed to detect Mew specifically.
The alert it had just emitted was enough to explain everything.
Either the humanoid, cat-like Pokémon before them was Mew in a transformed state—
or it possessed genes extremely similar to Mew's.
Even without ever seeing Mew, Dr. Hotaka knew from worldwide sightings that Mew was gentle by nature.
The overwhelming pressure radiating from this Pokémon was absolutely not something Mew could produce.
Which meant—
Ash had been right.
There was no Mew on this island.
"Doctor, what's going on?! Is this thing Mew? Why did the Mew detector react?!"
Sword asked urgently.
Asahi nodded repeatedly beside him.
But faced with their questions, Dr. Hotaka didn't know how to answer.
Seeing this, Sword directly turned his gaze toward Mewtwo.
If he couldn't get answers from Dr. Hotaka, he'd ask the Pokémon itself.
But Sword's stare was openly hostile—an undisguised gaze of scrutiny.
"Are you Mew? Is your current appearance just a transformation?!"
Why would Sword say something like that?
It was understandable.
The Mew Project was their life's work—Sword's ultimate pursuit.
Now Ash had crushed his hopes completely, telling him the supposed home of Mew was false.
And yet, the Pokémon before him could activate a detector designed for Mew!
How could he possibly accept that?
But—how dare you speak to Mewtwo like that?!
This was the blood-soaked butcher.
A being that would actually kill.
Mewtwo, possessing human emotions, had its own values.
It was not bound by a Pokémon's instinct to be friendly toward humans.
So—
Kid, you're in serious trouble.
[Flint: I thought I was already reckless enough—turns out someone's even crazier! Whose subordinate is this?! With such a strategist, one could soar to the skies and build an eternal legacy!]
[Volkner: Enough—put the book in your hand down. It really doesn't fit your character.]
[Flint: What are you saying?! I demand my lawyer! Everyone in Sinnoh knows I'm a handsome young man!]
[Iono: Uncle, put the book away—Nurse Joy is here to change your bandages!]
[Lucian: There's a story here? Little miss, do tell!]
[Flint: Please! Don't say it!]
[Iono: Huh? Didn't Champion Cynthia beat you into hospitalization? Not embarrassing at all~ Oh, and she said you're paying for my Gym's repair costs—I'm here to collect~]
Gentle tone.
Explosive information.
Most people, however, looked delighted.
No helping it—Flint's mouth was just too foul.
[Lucian: Those who leave never understand the meaning of "don't court death."]
[Flint: I'm still alive, aren't I? That means courting death doesn't kill you!]
What a strange way of thinking.
[Volkner: Still, you'd better think about how to pay your debt. As far as I know, you've already spent this year's salary—and the next payout is three months away.]
[Flint: No! Volkner, save me! I'll do anything!]
[Volkner: Get lost. You disgust me.]
[Caitlin: These two are really close. Are they childhood friends?]
Nice one—Cynthia's comment instantly twisted the meaning of "childhood friends,"
turning it into a description of inseparable, love-hate rivals.
Weird. Very weird.
...
On screen—
Facing such questioning, Ash was just about to step in.
But Gary spoke first, visibly irritated.
"I suggest you watch your tone. He's Ash's friend."
Although they had once been teammates, compared to Ash, Sword was becoming more and more unbearable to Gary—
especially now that he dared speak like this to Ash's friend.
You really think I won't take offense?
"Hey! Answer me!"
Sword ignored Gary entirely, his gaze still locked onto Mewtwo,
as if trying to dissect its very essence.
Gary was about to say more—
But Mewtwo shot him a look, stopping him.
In that short minute, Mewtwo had already judged everything.
Those three were not with Ash.
Which meant—there was nothing to hold back.
With a mere lift of its hand, a solidified wave of psychic force slammed out.
In an instant, Sword was blasted to the ground.
"Ignorant one. Your words shall be punished."
Immediately after, Asahi and Dr. Hotaka were bound by Mewtwo's psychic power.
The crushing pressure left them unable to breathe.
"Release the doctor!"
Sword still had some grit—after all, their missions often involved Legendary Pokémon,
forging them tough physiques.
At the same time, he hurled a Poké Ball from his pocket.
A red flash burst forth from Asahi's pocket as well!
In an instant, two Pokémon of the same species—but different forms—stood before the three.
Urshifu—
a Legendary Pokémon from the Galar region.
The two that appeared were the Single Strike Style and the Rapid Strike Style.
The two forms of Urshifu were similar in overall build—both tall, muscular, and powerfully built, with comparable coloration and markings.
The most obvious differences lay in their head fur and coloration.
Single Strike Urshifu's fur jutted upward, its movements rigid and forceful.
Rapid Strike Urshifu's head fur hung forward like a bandanna, with white markings around the head.
It often adopted a one-leg-raised stance in preparation to attack, its movements relatively softer and more fluid.
[Leon: So these are the Kubfu from the backyard back then? I can't believe they've both evolved into Urshifu.]
[Bea: Wow, impressive! Those muscles look seriously strong!]
[Mustard: Of course! They're the pride of the Isle of Armor—true Legendary Pokémon!]
[Brandon: Since when did Legendary Pokémon trainers become so cheap?! First Darkrai trainers, now two at once! Do I not deserve any dignity?!]
Ever since the light screen broadcasts began,
Brandon felt the prestige of being a Legendary Pokémon trainer steadily decline.
Now two more appeared, making the title feel like generic villain fodder.
sigh
I'm tired. Just destroy the world already.
...
On screen—
As soon as the two Urshifu appeared, they immediately assumed defensive stances.
"Are you challenging the authority of a god?"
A question?
No.
A condemnation.
The tension on the field escalated rapidly.
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