In the black world—
Faced with Mewtwo's question, Ash answered calmly.
He took off his cap and set it aside, wiping the sweat beading on his forehead,
Then spread his arms and legs and flopped onto the ground in a big X.
From the way he'd just pounded on Mewtwo—leaving Mewtwo with no power to fight back—you'd think it had been easy for him.
It wasn't.
If Mewtwo had been able to hold out just a bit longer, Ash would've been the one to collapse.
Champions weren't cabbages you could just pick and fight whenever you felt like it.
After hearing Ash's answer, Mewtwo went quiet for a moment,
Then slowly spoke.
You win… I never thought I would lose to a human.
I'm willing to accept that. I lost, and I'll honor that loss. I'll listen to everything you have to say—and if you want… as the victor, you can do whatever you like with me.
No matter how you look at it, I'm a danger to humans. If you take me in, at least you'll have removed one ticking time bomb.
Ash smiled.
"Why would I 'take you in'? If I accepted you like that, it'd go against what I just said."
What you just said?
"My original idea."
"Didn't I say it already? We can sit down and talk."
He pushed himself up from the ground and sat cross-legged, facing Mewtwo.
"I said it before—the act of revenge is wrong in itself."
"But I'm not really qualified to demand that you let go of that mindset, because you do have your reasons to want revenge."
"It's just… what comes after?"
"Let's say you kill Giovanni. Let's say you wipe out all humanity. After your revenge is done… then what?"
Mewtwo fell silent.
He had never truly thought that far ahead.
Revenge was his short-term, all-consuming goal.
He wanted to strike back at the humans who had created him.
They had brought him into the world—
But in return, had given him nothing but life itself.
Giovanni had used him to burn, destroy, and plunder.
Every atrocious deed fed Mewtwo nothing but negative emotions and nihilism.
He didn't know what the meaning of his existence was.
To exist just to destroy and steal?
He felt that was meaningless.
So Mewtwo was lost.
After revenge… what else would there be?
Seeing the confusion on Mewtwo's face, Ash spoke bluntly.
"That's why I said 'taking you in' goes against my original idea."
"From the way you act, I'm guessing you haven't been alive very long."
"Everything you've seen and heard has come through Team Rocket. So in your mind, Rocket equals humanity."
"So you think all humans are like that—doing whatever they want, abusing Pokémon, treating them like tools."
"But…"
"The world isn't like that."
Ash lifted his head and looked up at the full moon hanging like a silver mirror in the sky,
His tone turning quietly wistful.
"The world is huge. A lot of people can't even travel it all in a lifetime."
"There are all kinds of Pokémon everywhere, and some of them even look different depending on what region they live in."
"Ever since I was a kid, my dream has been to become a Pokémon Master—"
"To be friends with Pokémon all over the world, and become the strongest Trainer there is along the way."
"To do that, I want to travel the world, meet all kinds of people and Pokémon, and feel my life get a little fuller every time I reach a new place."
"That's what I'm working toward."
"What about you, Mewtwo?"
Mewtwo also looked up at the full moon, confusion deep in his eyes.
I don't know…
"That's exactly why you have to go find out."
"Your power is definitely incredible—but to call yourself 'the strongest in the world' is a bit much."
I know. I can't even beat you.
Ash: …
That was true.
But why did it sound so unfair when Mewtwo said it out loud?
...
[Lance: Yeah, that "I can't even beat you" line hits hard.][Bruno: Mewtwo never in his life imagined the one to beat him wouldn't be some legendary Pokémon—but a human.][Bea: At this point he doesn't even count as "human" anymore!!][Ash: That's way too exaggerated! I'm still human…][Korrina: Look at the scene where the whole island shakes when Black Ash punches him, then repeat that with a straight face. That's "human"?]
[Cynthia: What I really want to know is what kind of potential you have, Ash. Just where does training end and this begin? When I have time, let me examine you properly.][Bea: I want to check too!][Korrina: Me three!][Ash: …]
Yeah, no thanks. He was not signing up to be dissected.
Women were terrifying.
...
In the black world—
Ash cleared his throat, a little embarrassed, then continued speaking to Mewtwo.
"Ahem, anyway, that's not the main point. The point is…"
"There are lots of strong Pokémon in this world. The first one I ever met was a Pokémon called Ho-Oh."
"His power is way beyond anything you or I can imagine. If you fought him now, forget taking a hit—he'd flatten you before you could blink."
Mewtwo: …
Not even one exchange?
Was there really such a powerful being in the world?
Ash had nearly exhausted himself just to barely bring Mewtwo down—
Just what kind of monster was this "Ho-Oh"?
"And even among humans, it's not like no one can ever beat you. I'm not talking about myself here…"
"There are people called Champions—each one is the strongest Trainer in their region, and their teams are monsters."
"Like Lance in Johto, Steven in Hoenn, Cynthia in Sinnoh…"
"They're the one-in-a-million geniuses who dominated their entire region."
"My short-term goal is to win the Indigo Plateau Conference."
"My long-term goal is to beat all of them and become the strongest Champion in the world."
"If I can do that… maybe that'll be the first real step toward my dream."
Becoming the strongest… is just your first step?
Mewtwo murmured softly.
If becoming the strongest was only the first step, then how hard was Ash's ultimate dream supposed to be?
But despite that, Ash showed no trace of confusion.
He just kept moving forward.
"Telling you all this is just to say…"
"The world is huge. Go out and see it."
"If you stay trapped in one place, you'll never grow—and you'll never find your answer."
"Travel the world. Maybe then you'll find the meaning of your existence. Your own goal."
"Don't get hung up on the idea of being a 'copy' Pokémon."
"You were born into this world. That means you're you. There's no 'real' or 'fake' about it."
"And besides—you don't even look like Mew. How are you supposed to be his copy?"
"Myo~"
As soon as Ash finished speaking, a small pink Pokémon suddenly appeared beside him,
As if it had always been there.
Mewtwo's eyes went wide.
Mew? Since when have you been here?
"Probably… since the very beginning," Ash said. "Your psychic powers can only observe what's on the surface. Aura can see what's underneath."
"When I first saw you, I subconsciously scanned New Island with Aura, and I felt this huge Aura that was different from yours."
"At first, I wasn't sure it was Mew. But when I was lying on my back just now, this little guy popped up right in front of me…"
Ash reached out and scratched Mew lightly on the head.
Mew didn't dodge at all. Instead, it closed its eyes and purred with contentment.
Aura could see outlines and the flow of energy—
But that was about it.
So at first, Ash hadn't been able to confirm Mew's presence.
Until Mew decided to appear on its own.
So this guy really has been watching the whole time, Mewtwo thought sourly.
His telepathy carried a faint edge.
He still hadn't fully let go of his identity as "just a copy."
"It's not really 'watching the show,'" Ash said. "More like curiosity."
"You don't need to dwell on what Mew thinks of you."
"What you should be thinking about is your own future. Your own goals. Your own hopes."
Ash released Mew's head and rubbed his hands together.
Mew opened its big blue eyes, stared curiously at Mewtwo,
Then began circling around him.
The reason Mew had come was simple:
He'd suddenly sensed an Aura very similar to his own—
But also very different.
So he'd followed it,
And found Mewtwo.
Mew felt no disgust at Mewtwo's existence.
In fact, he was happy.
Because he thought,
A being so similar to himself might just become a great playmate.
Unfortunately, Mewtwo clearly didn't appreciate his arrival.
Mewtwo's gaze tracked Mew as it floated around him.
He forced himself to stay calm and asked:
How do you feel about my existence?
"Myo~"
Playmate? I am not your playmate. I'm your copy. I was created to surpass you. My name is Mewtwo!
"Myo~"
Mewtwo. Playmate~
…Did you not hear me? I said I'm your copy!
"Myo, myo~"
Copies can be playmates too. Copies are still life~
Your Aura is very different from mine. Strictly speaking, we're not the same individual at all.
Maybe they just did a poor job copying you?
Mewtwo: …
He liked the first half of that.
Mew didn't see him as some "faulty copy," but as an independent life form.
So why did the last part hurt so much?
If not for Ash's guidance, he really might've lobbed a Shadow Ball at Mew on the spot.
"Well, I think this little drama has gone on long enough," Ash said, standing. "Send us back."
"Honestly, I'm really glad I got to meet you."
"I've met so many Pokémon on my journey, and today I finally met Mew too. That alone makes this trip worth it."
Mewtwo didn't answer right away.
A soft blue light rose over his body.
Recover.
This time, however, the healing took longer.
After a full half-minute, Mewtwo finally returned to peak condition.
Ash couldn't help being a little stunned.
If he had to fight Mewtwo now, he'd absolutely be the one to go down.
Psychic-types were ridiculous.
Once he'd recovered, Mewtwo rose slowly into the air.
He looked at Ash, then at the others nearby.
After a moment's thought,
His telepathy echoed in everyone's minds.
I'll take your advice, Ash. I'll travel the world and search for the meaning of my existence.
I don't know if I'll find it—but like you said, the sky is high and the world is wide. The more I see, the better I'll understand what I want.
Ash, Gary, Brock, Misty… I'll keep the memories of the four of you.
For everyone else—and your Pokémon—I've erased your memories of what happened here. These weren't particularly happy memories to begin with.
Truthfully, Mewtwo hadn't planned to preserve only Ash's memories.
But the other three had come with Ash.
So their memories stayed as well.
He now trusted Ash from the bottom of his heart.
If someone with Ash's character wasn't worth trusting—
Then no human was.
And anyone who traveled with Ash couldn't be bad.
But…
Do you know these three?
With a wave of psychic power, Mewtwo plucked three figures out of their hiding spot and floated them over—
Jessie, James, and Meowth of Team Rocket.
Ash's lips twitched.
Why are they here too?
They'd followed all the way here…
And hadn't shown themselves even once.
"Erase their memories too. They're with Team Rocket…"
Team Rocket…
The name of the organization he loathed.
Just hearing it didn't stir much rage anymore.
Mewtwo muttered the name, then, under the terrified stares of the trio,
Floated them over and placed them with Corey, Neesha, and Fergus's group.
None of the three other Trainers objected to having their memories erased.
It wasn't just that they had no say in front of this overwhelming power.
They wanted those memories gone.
Otherwise, they'd be carrying this trauma for life.
Finally, Mewtwo turned back to Ash.
Anything else, Ash?
Ash scratched his cheek.
"How should I put this, Mewtwo…"
"You're the most unusual human I've ever seen. Even if I travel the whole world, I doubt I'll ever meet another human like you."
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean? If we're talking battle power, I don't think I'm the strongest human or anything."
Mewtwo: …
Could this guy not ruin the moment when he was trying to be serious?
In short… sign the contract.
Ash: ?
"Contract? What contract?"
He wondered if he'd zoned out and missed something in Mewtwo's speech.
Before he could ask,
The black-and-gold Ultra Ball on his belt suddenly shook free and floated into the air.
It snapped open on its own—
And drew Mewtwo inside.
The ball didn't even wiggle.
A clear ding sounded.
Mewtwo had been caught.
Ash: …
Everyone else: …
What just happened?
Why did Mewtwo suddenly jump into a Poké Ball?!
Didn't he just say he wouldn't "accept" a Trainer?
Ash had been traveling for nearly half a year,
And this was the first time he'd seen a Pokémon grab the Poké Ball itself and go in willingly.
A moment later, the ball popped open,
And Mewtwo reappeared on the field.
There. The contract is complete. From now on, you are my Trainer.
"No, hold on—you're about to travel the world—"
Exactly. I'm going to wander the world, see more of it, and seek out strong opponents.
I'm going to challenge them and search for the meaning of my existence.
But that doesn't conflict with you being my Trainer.
Now that this ball has captured me, it bears my mark. When you… woke me up with your fists just now, I realized something.
Aura is the power that connects hearts. In the future, whenever you're in trouble, you can use Aura through this Poké Ball to contact me.
Ash: !!
That was a thing?!
So this was basically a legendary-grade phone line.
More strange knowledge acquired.
He'd never imagined that after beating Mewtwo half to death with Aura-enhanced punches, Mewtwo would casually invent something like this.
Until we meet again, Ash.
Mewtwo's psychic power surged.
He disintegrated all the Rocket data stored on the island,
Then wiped the memories of everyone except Ash, Gary, Brock, and Misty.
After that, he teleported them all back to the harbor.
Outside, the storm had vanished.
The clouds had parted,
Revealing a brilliant rainbow arcing across the sky.
Ash and the others stood on the pier, looking up.
They watched Mewtwo and Mew fly away together into the distance.
Along with them went the three cloned Kanto starters that had fought by Mewtwo's side.
They would follow Mewtwo
To search for a reason to live.
What Ash didn't know was—
Mewtwo had already found his meaning back there, the moment he entered that Poké Ball.
From the instant their contract formed,
Everything went quiet.
...
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