"BOOM!"
A wave of telekinetic force nearly tangible in its intensity, crashed against the barrier of psychic energy, instantly unleashing a storm of mental pressure.
Caught within the impact zone, Ninetales visibly stiffened, struggling to maintain the defensive screen.
But within barely two seconds, the barrier shattered with a sharp bang, sending Ninetales hurtling backward—launched dozens of meters through the air.
"Boom!"
The residual force of the psychic blast—powerful enough to obliterate a Gym-level Pokémon didn't dissipate. It surged onward, crashing directly into Paul's arms as he threw himself in front of the attack.
And yet…
The anticipated scene—Paul being annihilated, defeated, or crippled never occurred.
"Not bad. That's real power."
Paul muttered calmly, shaking his hands slightly as if shaking off the numbness and pain. His razor-sharp gaze locked onto Mewtwo without fear.
"What…?"
Giovanni narrowed his eyes in disbelief. Unaware of Paul's unique constitution, his mind reeled in shock.
Among humans, there were indeed rare individuals strong enough to battle powerful Pokémon, but even that strength had its limits. Especially when facing attacks from Ghost- or Psychic-type Pokémon, humans were generally helpless.
Aside from that uncontrollable psychic in the legends of Saffron City, Giovanni couldn't believe someone else could take a direct hit from Mewtwo and walk away unscathed.
"…Perhaps I don't know this world as well as I thought."
As the surge of energy died down, Mewtwo silently studied the unharmed Paul—its focus intensifying. For the first time, it fully calmed itself.
Only now did it realize, it couldn't see through Paul at all.
And it wasn't just due to Paul's unusual physicality or powerful will.
There was something else… a presence.
A strange aura that felt familiar… yet alien.
As it focused more intently, Mewtwo found itself falling into thought and distant memories.
"The world is far bigger than you realize. Don't let your eyes fix only on what lies before you."
Paul spoke softly. Seeing that Mewtwo seemed lost in contemplation, he didn't say more. Instead, he knelt beside Ninetales who had limped back to him, and gently ran a hand along her injured side.
Ninetales cautiously kept an eye on the contemplative Mewtwo. Without drawing attention, she began quietly charging up—initiating Nasty Plot and Calm Mind in tandem.
She knew she couldn't beat Mewtwo now. Not yet.
But if she maxed out both her Special Attack and Special Defense, she might stand a chance.
At the very least, if a situation like earlier repeated itself, she'd be strong enough to protect Paul.
Meanwhile, Giovanni's mind was racing.
He frantically searched for a way to break through the deadlock. But the more he thought, the more frustrated he became.
Paul's sudden interference had unraveled the structure of his carefully crafted expression. He had been trying to manipulate Mewtwo with emotionally charged appeals but now, those words lacked coherence and impact.
Mewtwo might still be "naïve," but it wasn't stupid. Sweet-talking alone would no longer suffice to gain control.
At that moment, the Rocket grunts and Meowth finally arrived, quietly lining up behind Giovanni. None dared to breathe too loudly, all of them staring tensely at the standoff between Mewtwo and their leader.
As for why didn't Giovanni just seize Mewtwo the moment it was born, when its power was at its weakest and forcefully capture it?
The answer is simple: he wasn't strong enough.
As the boss of Team Rocket, Giovanni was undoubtedly powerful—feasibly the strongest Gym Leader in the Kanto region.
But the idea that he possessed Champion-level strength like in Pokémon Adventures, where his Beedrill could run rampant through enemies? That's a stretch.
If Giovanni truly held that kind of power, he would've toppled the Pokémon League himself. Why would he even need to create Mewtwo?
So, by extension, Giovanni's overall combat strength in the anime can only be compared to someone like Volkner, the strongest Gym Leader in Sinnoh.
At most, he's at an Elite Four level. There's no way he could go toe-to-toe with a freshly awakened Mewtwo, whose full power already rivals that of a Champion.
So why resort to psychological manipulation and smooth talking?
Because he simply didn't have the strength to subdue Mewtwo otherwise.
A Pokémon of that level, if it doesn't acknowledge you can forcibly destroy a Poké Ball even from within.
That's why the anime's Giovanni practically chose to control Mewtwo through armor instead.
Of course, there was another factor: this version of Giovanni is not just a field operative—he's the mastermind pulling the strings. He's used to commanding from behind the scenes. Naturally, he doesn't carry his full team of ace Pokémon on him at all times.
And with Mewtwo's awakening catching him completely off guard, Giovanni only had a limited selection of Pokémon with him.
Before Giovanni could formulate a counterstrategy in this rapidly shifting situation, Mewtwo suddenly raised its head and teleported directly in front of Paul, locking eyes with terrifying intensity.
"Mew... Yes! Mew!"
"You carry Mew's scent! This resonance in your genes, this primal echo—I can't be mistaken!"
"You've seen Mew recently. You've come into close contact with it!"
As Mewtwo spoke, its pressure began bearing down on Paul, attempting to use sheer mental force to extract the truth.
Why didn't it use hypnosis?
Because Paul possessed an unusual physical and mental constitution, his psychic resistance was exceptionally strong.
Unless he offered the information willingly, no amount of telepathic intrusion or brainwashing would yield anything.
"Mew?!" Giovanni's composure cracked instantly. His eyes locked onto Paul, losing the poise of Team Rocket's infamous boss.
Mew.
Team Rocket had poured countless resources into acquiring even a fragment of information about Mew. The effort to obtain just a single fossilized eyelash cost them enormous manpower and wealth.
Years ago, his own beloved mother who preceded him as the original head of Team Rocket, had gone missing alongside Miyamoto during an expedition to find Mew.
(Giovanni's mother, the former Team Rocket boss, was close friends with Miyamoto and sent her along with a small team to track Mew after receiving a rare lead. None of them returned. It's believed Giovanni's mother later went searching for them herself and also disappeared.)
Now, standing right in front of him, was someone who had directly encountered Mew.
How could Giovanni stay calm?
"Mew? Yeah, I've seen it. Not just one, but two. Both of them are stronger than you."
"I know exactly where they are. Want me to take you to them?"
Despite the overwhelming pressure radiating from Mewtwo, Paul remained utterly unfazed. In fact, he even smirked.
"Take me to them!"
Mewtwo's aura became increasingly unstable. Terrifying waves of psychic energy rippled outward, as though it were on the verge of exploding but it held itself back.
It couldn't harm Paul, not when he might hold the answers it so desperately sought about Mew.
"Alright."
Paul agreed readily—but in the next moment, he turned his gaze coldly toward Giovanni and the Team Rocket members behind him.
"But these people aren't just bystanders. If they find out anything about us, it'll be a huge problem."
Giovanni's heart sank. Then Paul's next words drove dread straight into the bones of every Team Rocket agent present.
"Erase all their memories of us or eliminate them. Then I'll lead you to Mew."
Paul said this without a trace of emotion.
He'd never been the type to show mercy to evildoers. The last villain who crossed him was Hunter J, who had already met her end.
Giovanni hadn't provoked him personally, and honestly, once Paul left this dimension, Giovanni wouldn't be able to trace him anyway.
But Paul wasn't about to risk Giovanni shifting his attention toward this world's version of "Paul." He had to be thorough.
What consequences might arise from Giovanni losing all memory of Mewtwo or even dying outright? Paul didn't care in the slightest.
"Hyper Beam!"
The moment Paul gave the command, Giovanni sprang into action. As his Persian launched its attack, Giovanni simultaneously released the rest of his Pokémon and without the slightest hesitation, turned and began retreating.
But it was still too late!
At this moment, Mewtwo was at its most "pure" and also its most ruthless. Having just destroyed the laboratory and eliminated the researchers, erasing a few more humans posed absolutely no burden.
After forcibly suppressing its rage for a while, Mewtwo turned its head and exploded with power. A terrifying wave of psychic energy manifested into a tangible attack.
The devastating force immediately shattered the Hyper Beam launched by the Persian, instantly overwhelming it and tossing the fainted Pokémon aside.
With a flick of its hand, Mewtwo forcibly shut the Poké Ball Giovanni had just thrown before it could even open, tossing it next to the unconscious Persian.
Having dealt with the Pokémon, Mewtwo turned its gaze toward Giovanni and the retreating Team Rocket agents. A surge of mental energy erupted, invading their consciousness like a storm.
With violent precision, Mewtwo shredded massive portions of their memories before casually flinging them aside, not even bothering to check if they lived.
Only then did it turn its eyes to Paul.
"Take me to Mew!"
"Not yet. First, rest up. You need to recover quickly."
Paul gently stroked Ninetales' head as he spoke.
"Wooo..."
Ninetales cautiously eyed Mewtwo and gave a hesitant shake of its head. With such a ticking time bomb standing right there, it didn't feel safe. It insisted on staying close.
"Fine. Rest first."
Paul hadn't expected such concern from Ninetales, and for a brief moment, it stirred something in him.
But still, he decisively returned Ninetales to its Poké Ball, then pulled out another one and tossed it.
Thanks to his Rotom-Arc Phone, as long as Mewtwo didn't randomly obliterate him in a flash, he could return to the main world at any time.
There was risk, of course—but when is there not risk?
A trainer must not fear risk.
"Garchomp, go find Mew."
"Gaaar~!"
Garchomp cast a wary glance at the overwhelmingly oppressive Mewtwo next to Paul, then lowered itself so Paul could climb on. With a mighty flap, they soared toward the mainland.
And just like that, Paul led the way atop Garchomp, while Mewtwo followed closely by their side. The trio streaked through the sky at incredible speed, heading inland.
"Garchomp, land over there."
After flying for a while, Paul suddenly pointed to a small desolate island—void of both humans and Pokémon, with a single glance covering the entire place.
"What are you trying to do, human?"
Mewtwo, who had been silently contemplating its past and future thinking about how to face Mew—immediately grew alert at Paul's sudden shift in tone.
"Just follow me."
Paul didn't elaborate. Once Garchomp hovered about ten meters above the island, Paul leapt down, relying on his psychic powers to land gracefully.
"Gaaar~"
Garchomp touched down behind him, standing like a bodyguard.
It didn't know exactly what Paul planned, but it guessed it had something to do with that mysterious Pokémon.
"Return."
But before Garchomp could think more, Paul returned it to its Poké Ball and slipped it into his pocket.
"What trick are you trying to pull, human?"
Mewtwo landed in front of Paul, eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"I'm running out of time."
Paul casually pulled out his phone and began tapping.
"Time for what?" asked Mewtwo.
"I don't belong to this world. Crossing worlds comes with a time limit. I've got less than two hours left here, nowhere near enough time to help you find Mew."
Paul showed Mewtwo the countdown page on his phone and explained calmly.
"What do you mean? Are you playing me for a fool?"
Mewtwo, though newly born was highly intelligent. Upon grasping Paul's meaning, a trace of fury slipped into its voice.
After all, this wasn't the more composed, enlightened Mewtwo who had once escaped Giovanni's control. And when it came to Mew, its genetic origin even that later version of Mewtwo could barely stay calm, let alone the current one.
Paul's words shifted something in Mewtwo's expression. The way it looked at him had changed.
Yet Paul met its gaze without fear and said steadily:
"There's a belief I hold: the strongest trainers should partner with the strongest Pokémon. That's how you truly become stronger. Right now, I may not be the strongest trainer. You may not be the strongest Pokémon. But I think… we'd be a good match."
Mewtwo: "?"
"Battle me, Mewtwo. I want to capture you."
Paul's eyes sharpened as he slowly pulled out a Poké Ball from his pocket.
"I know where Mew is, it's in the same place across two different worlds. Win or lose, I'll tell you the exact location. With your power, it won't be hard to find it once you know where to look."
Challenging Mewtwo now was a decision Paul had carefully considered.
After all, time flowed strangely in the anime world. Ash had traveled for decades and still remained ten. Who knew how long it would be before Paul returned again?
And Mewtwo grew incredibly fast. Even if both worlds passed the same number of days, its growth would far outpace that of any of Paul's other Pokémon.
So realistically, if Paul waited, his chances of capturing a weaker Mewtwo were slim. It could take years—possibly over a decade.
But now… this was a newborn Mewtwo.
It hadn't even reached the Champion tier officially, yet could already erupt with Champion-level power. Still, its mastery of moves, battle experience, number of techniques, understanding of the world—everything was at its lowest point.
And with Paul's advantage from his own world's experience and training, this was the ideal moment to try.
"You think you can defeat me with those few Pokémon of yours, human?"
After a few seconds of silence, Mewtwo looked seriously at Paul.
It still didn't want to entrust anything about Mew, its origin to some human's vague promises. But it couldn't deny the presence of this mysterious man who had shown no fear from the beginning.
"Battles aren't just about power levels or species. Your strength is immense, but as long as it's not completely overwhelming… my Pokémon and I still have a shot."
Paul held the Poké Ball with calm conviction, speaking not just a truth but a declaration.
"Then let's see it, human. Just don't forget your promise."
Mewtwo floated a hundred meters away in front of Paul, levitating midair.
"I'll show you my full power."
A newborn, peak Elite Four–tier Mewtwo versus an Elite Four–tier Paul.
The battle was about to begin!
(End of Chapter)
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