Paul sat at the edge of the island, fishing rod in hand, eyes calmly watching the water. Beside him, his team had already regrouped—Hisuian Samurott, Ninetales, Torterra, Drapion, and Garchomp were exchanging training techniques with the newly captured Crystal Onix.
Paul's fishing expedition had been less than fruitful. He had reeled in dozens of Pokémon, but not a single one stood out as particularly gifted or promising.
Just as frustration began to show on his face, a golden streak of lightning tore across the sky. It was Electivire, long separated from the group now finally returning. Golden thunderbolts still crackled around its body as it flew toward the shore.
"Vireee~!"
Electivire landed with a burst of static and an eager triumphant expression. Barely pausing for breath, it immediately broke into animated gestures and excited calls directed at Paul.
"You found the new island?"
Paul froze mid-cast, turning sharply, his intense gaze locked onto his trusted partner.
"Vireee!"
Electivire nodded enthusiastically, bobbing its head like a pecking chick, and launched into recounting its journey.
While searching for the so-called "New Island," it had, by pure chance, sensed a fleeting and mysterious psychic pulse unlike anything it had felt before.
Following that signal, it stumbled upon a small unmarked island—nowhere to be found on Rotom's navigational map.
Unlike the typical wild isles dotting the southern sea, this one bore sprawling, distinctly human-made architecture. The design and layout radiated a strange otherworldly aura—it was clearly no ordinary facility.
Cautiously investigating the perimeter, Electivire's instincts had confirmed it: this was exactly the place Paul had ordered them to locate—
A hidden research site said to be home to a mysterious and powerful Pokémon, created by humans from the DNA of the mythical Mew.
Of course, Electivire didn't really understand how Paul had known about any of this. But then again, Paul had always been the mysterious type. Better to just follow orders than overthink things, right?
So, without wasting any time, Electivire had rushed back to report its findings.
"Mark the approximate location. Eat something, then head back into your Poké Ball and rest."
Paul calmly packed up his equipment, took out his smartphone, and had Electivire mark the coordinates. He handed over some berries and energy cubes to help it refuel.
Then, recalling all of his Pokémon except Garchomp, Paul climbed onto Garchomp's back and took off flying toward the coordinates of the mysterious island.
...
"…Where is this? Who… am I? Where am I supposed to go…?"
"I've been dreaming for so long in this world without memory…"
"Who are you? Wait… please…"
"Their memories have long since faded from my mind, but…"
"…I still can't forget the world where I once flew alongside them…"
Disjointed whispers echoed like waves within the subconscious of Mewtwo, curled up and fast asleep deep within a containment chamber.
Fragments of thought stirred dreams without form, memories without clarity—fluttering across the mind of the clone born of dreams and defiance.
Then, without warning, a faint but unusual psychic pulse emerged from afar. It brushed against Mewtwo's consciousness like a gentle ripple across still water, triggering a sudden stir in its dormant power.
The pulse of psychic energy drew closer—stronger and sharper until it suddenly stopped. Then, it faded, pulling away… and disappeared altogether.
Inside the containment chamber, Mewtwo opened its eyes once more for the countless time since its creation.
But this time was different.
Unlike previous awakenings which had ended in a daze and unconsciousness, this time, Mewtwo could clearly see the ring of human figure surrounding its tank.
"Where is this place?"
"Who… am I?"
"Why am I here? No... it's more accurate to say, I'm still here."
"I haven't… been born into this world yet."
A fleeting image surfaced in its mind—a glimpse of a pink Pokémon, radiant and fleeting. That earlier surge of psychic energy had stirred something deep within Mewtwo's consciousness.
At that moment, its longing to understand the world outside reached a fever pitch.
"Who am I, really?!"
BOOM!
As this final question erupted in its mind, Mewtwo's eyes flared a vivid blue. An overwhelming surge of psychic power burst forth, and the containment tank exploded in a brilliant shockwave.
"Oh—! It's awake!"
"Did it do that?!"
"Incredible...!"
The researchers erupted in a mix of awe and delight.
At the front, a man with sharply swept-back hair—Dr. Fuji could hardly contain his excitement. He stared at the Pokémon in amazement and whispered:
"It's finally complete... Mewtwo."
"Mewtwo…"
The name echoed in Mewtwo's mind as it slowly raised its head, confused and scanning the crowd of humans.
"That's you." Dr. Fuji explained, gesturing toward a mural on the wall—an ancient image of the Mythical Pokémon, Mew.
"We created you based on what's considered the most precious Pokémon in the world—Mew."
"Mew…" Mewtwo murmured, its gaze turning toward the totem-like depiction.
"Is that… my parent? My father? …Or mother?"
"You could say that." Fuji replied, thoughtful. "But also not exactly. You were modeled after Mew, yes, but your power has been greatly enhanced. You are something new."
"Then… what does that make Mew to me?" Mewtwo questioned, its psychic voice sharp. "If neither a mother nor a father, then… a god? Was I created by a god?"
Sitting on the now-broken platform, Mewtwo didn't bother wiping away the incubation fluid dripping from its body. Its brilliant calculating eyes locked onto Fuji.
"In this world," Fuji replied, with a trace of smug pride, "only two forces can create new life—gods… and humans."
"Then it was you… humans… who created me?" Mewtwo asked. Its tone was calm, but laced with a faint, almost imperceptible anger.
But no one answered.
No one noticed.
They were too busy celebrating their success.
"A triumph of science!"
"Our theory has been validated!"
"We can continue our research!"
"This is a landmark in scientific history!"
"This will be worth a fortune!"
"Congratulations… we've created an entirely new species…"
As the researchers descended into elated celebration, blind to the being before them, Mewtwo stood in silent, mounting fury and growing confusion.
It slowly lowered its gaze to its own hands. The memories of that pink Pokémon of Mew drifting away, flashed once more in its mind.
And it asked itself again—
"Who… am I?"
"Where is this place?"
"Why… was I brought into this world?"
Mewtwo slowly rose to its feet, its eyes glowing an eerie blue as immense psychic energy surged outward from its body.
In that moment, the force it unleashed rivaled that of an Elite Four—no, a Champion!
A psychic explosion erupted, instantly destroying all nearby laboratory equipment. The high-tech security systems might as well have been made of paper, shredded and detonated by a single thought.
Destruction.
Everything here must be destroyed.
Mewtwo's eyes flared with unrestrained rage. It had just been born—yet it showed no restraint, unleashing its full might with abandon.
BOOM!
BOOM!
"Aaaah! Aaah—!"
Wherever it cast its gaze, torrents of psychic force followed. Machines exploded one after another, consumed by surging energy. Researchers ran in terror, their screams piercing through the lab's metallic walls.
In mere minutes, the entire facility was engulfed in flames. The death toll unknown. Equipment, data, biological material—everything was swallowed by fire.
"Creating the most powerful Pokémon in the world was our dream."
Amidst crumbling walls, Dr. Fuji leaned weakly against a still-standing section, the glow of fire flickering across his face. At last, he vanished into the explosions, along with his dream and his lab.
KRAKOOM!!!
New Island: No survivors.
The black smoke from the blast spiraled high into the sky, lingering for what felt like eternity. Flames continued to consume what little remained.
At that moment, a helicopter bearing the red "R" symbol appeared above New Island.
Inside the aircraft, a suited man sat beside a talking Meowth, both peering coldly through the window at the devastation below—neither showing joy nor sorrow.
And nearby, Paul arrived at the island's periphery.
Unlike before, he wasn't riding his Garchomp. To avoid drawing attention and for sneaking, he had instead come astride Ninetales.
Using illusion techniques learned from his Froslass, Ninetales cloaked their approach in a mirage, flying silently with the aid of psychic energy.
New Island.
"This… is my power."
"I am the strongest Pokémon in the world."
"Mew... are you stronger than me?"
Amidst scorched earth and endless flame, Mewtwo stood upon blackened soil, gazing silently at the remnants around it and the shattered Mew figure that once adorned the floor.
Its thoughts churned, uncertain.
Yeeee...
A sudden sound behind caused Mewtwo to turn ever so slightly.
"You might really be the most powerful Pokémon in the world."
"But... there's another kind of creature that can be just as terrifying."
From the now-landed helicopter emerged a man—his lips curled into a strange, confident smile.
"A human…?"
Mewtwo slowly turned its gaze to the man and asked in a measured tone.
"As long as we join forces, your power and humanity—the whole world will belong to us."
Giovanni replied smoothly, his voice was deliberate.
"The world is ours…"
"But if you unleash your power without restraint, the world will ultimately be destroyed. You must learn to control yourself."
"Control…?"
"Or will you let your strength run wild and turn this world to ashes, just like this island?" Giovanni lured, gently pressing his point with a manipulative calm.
"Then… what should I do?"
"Heh…"
A sly smile curled at the corner of Giovanni's lips. To him, this was just another day of manipulation. So what if this creature had just been born with sentience? No matter how powerful it was, with the right words—it could still be led.
"How amusing… If such a small fraction of power could destroy the entire world, then maybe this world isn't even worth preserving."
Suddenly, a calm yet mocking male voice rang out from within the flames.
"What?!"
Surprise flashed in Giovanni's eyes as he swiftly turned toward the direction of the voice.
New Island was supposed to be a top-secret location—so hidden that even he, the Rocket Boss, could barely find it again without a detailed map despite having been here before.
And now… someone unknown had shown up here?
Even Mewtwo, who had nearly been manipulated into submission, seemed to regain a bit of clarity. Its glowing eyes turned to locate the source of the voice.
From the roaring flames emerged a purple-haired youth—Paul, walking calmly beside a graceful Ninetales. Before the fire could even touch them, Ninetales devoured it effortlessly.
With each flame absorbed, Ninetales' aura only grew stronger.
Eventually, Paul stopped at the edge of the battlefield, standing at a distance opposite Mewtwo and Giovanni. His gaze was firm and his presence was steady.
"Tch… Just some brat who wandered in from who-knows-where. See a little of the world and suddenly thinks he can speak like a prophet?"
Giovanni remained calm, dismissive as ever. After all, the Giovanni of the anime canon was a master manipulator and backroom schemer. Out-talking him in a battle of persuasion? Only a fool would try.
But Paul wasn't here to argue. He ignored Giovanni entirely and turned his eyes toward Mewtwo.
"There's always someone stronger out there. No matter how powerful you think you are, you're not the strongest, Mewtwo."
"I… am not the strongest?"
Mewtwo repeated, shaken.
Its memories and experience—however recent had all convinced it of one thing: it was the ultimate Pokémon. It was the strongest.
Now someone was standing before it, speaking with certainty:
"You are not the strongest."
The words pierced through its identity, drawing its full attention.
"You're still newly born. Of course, you're not the strongest yet. But with help from humans, from me—you can grow. You can become the strongest."
Giovanni quickly interjected, worried Paul might ruin his carefully laid plans.
"Time… growth…"
"Haha~ How amusing. Weren't you the one who just claimed that overwhelming power must be restrained, or else it would destroy the world?"
"And now you're saying it needs support and time to grow before it can become the strongest?"
"So what, the threat of world destruction no longer applies?"
Paul's sharp tongue usually well concealed—cut straight through the tension in the air, catching even Giovanni completely off guard.
A slight stiffness crept onto Giovanni's face, and his gaze toward Paul grew visibly irritated.
He had just… well, the whole spiel about Mewtwo needing limits had obviously been part of the act, to manipulate Mewtwo into becoming more obedient. How else could he hope to keep it under control?
Had he known Paul was nearby from the beginning, he wouldn't have said a word of that nonsense.
In short… Paul's sudden appearance not only threw Giovanni's plans off course, it also disrupted the entire logic of what he had been trying to establish.
But Paul ignored him completely and turned his eyes back to Mewtwo.
"You are you now, forget Mew—you're not even guaranteed to beat the top Pokémon raised by human trainers. 'The strongest Pokémon'? You've still got a long way to go…"
Mewtwo's expression darkened instantly.
Being compared unfavorably to Mew was one thing after all, it had been created from Mew's DNA, and not yet surpassing its 'origin' was somewhat understandable.
But to be told that human-trained Pokémon could be stronger than it?
Impossible.
"That's not true!"
Fury surged in Mewtwo's heart. A burst of powerful psychic energy exploded from within it, rushing straight toward Paul and Ninetales.
Psyshock!
"You reckless brat…"
Giovanni smirked.
That burst from Mewtwo was no idle flick, it was devastating. Even his own Persian who had reached the edge of the Elite Four tier, might not survive a direct hit from that.
And this attack was aimed at both Paul and his Ninetales.
Even if that Ninetales who clearly looked formidable, could take the hit… could Paul?
Giovanni couldn't wait to see it. If Paul died here, that would be the perfect outcome.
Not only would he have full control over Mewtwo, but he could also claim that powerful Ninetales, and perhaps more of Paul's elite Pokémon.
Now that would be a true win-win.
"Trickery. Extrasensory."
Paul's eyes glinted faintly blue as the power of Aura flowed through him, reinforcing his thoughts and extending his will. The not-quite-psychic aura flared around him like a protective shell, and his voice rang directly within Ninetales' mind.
"Wooo–!"
From the moment they arrived, Ninetales had remained on high alert, fully prepared for battle.
The instant Mewtwo erupted with psychic force, Ninetales sprang in front of Paul in one swift, seamless motion—amplifying itself with a quick boost before unleashing Psychic to form a protective barrier, shielding them both within its dome of power.
As for Giovanni's strength in the anime, it's always been somewhat ambiguous. It's hard to gauge just how powerful he truly is, but one thing is certain—he's no match for Mewtwo.
When it comes to outmaneuvering Mewtwo, however, Paul has a trump card that changes the game entirely: Mew itself.
(End of Chapter)
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