'I have found a trustworthy Trainer.'
That single sentence made Ash freeze in place.
That fast?
She had only just climbed out of a mindset where she wanted to overturn the world, and now she was saying she had already found someone she trusted?
"I'm telling you, Mewtwo, you absolutely cannot go back to Giovanni," Ash blurted out immediately. "No matter how long you stayed with him, he is definitely not someone you can trust. He's the leader of Team Rocket, he…"
'Not Giovanni. It's you.'
Mewtwo's calm voice cut him off mid sentence.
Ash went completely blank.
"Me?"
Why him?
They hadn't even spent a full day together, had they? And Mewtwo had already decided on him?
'Ash, you are a very good person.'
Mewtwo paused for a moment, then continued.
'From our first meeting onward, I could feel your passion for Pokémon and your kindness toward all living things. It's just that before, I was blinded by anger and discarded everything I had observed.'
'Even though we haven't known each other long, I have watched every decision you made. On New Island, everyone saw me as a dangerous existence. Only you didn't.'
"Of course I didn't," Ash said casually, clasping his hands behind his head with a grin. "You couldn't even beat me. What danger could there be?"
Mewtwo, Pikachu, and Gardevoir all fell silent.
'Did he really have to say something like that at such a serious moment?'
Even if it was technically true, saying "you couldn't even beat me" right now was incredibly tone deaf.
"Ahem. What's with those looks?" Ash scratched his cheek. "I was joking. What, not funny?"
Mewtwo shook her head slowly.
"Alright, fine. Not funny," Ash sighed. "Let's get back on track. Mewtwo, do you really want to stay with me? Not go see the outside world?"
'Staying with you does not prevent me from seeing the world,' Mewtwo replied softly. 'And I believe that only by your side can I find the meaning of my existence.'
"The meaning of existence?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you already find that?"
Mewtwo shook her head.
'At that time, my mind was unstable. What I called a meaning was nothing more than an impulse. The desire to overturn the relationship between humans and Pokémon.'
"Then you should absolutely find a new one," Ash replied without hesitation.
That kind of "meaning" was definitely better left abandoned.
'You're really blunt,' Mewtwo said with faint exasperation. 'Are you not afraid that I'll get angry, leave, and continue what I was doing before?'
"You won't," Ash replied immediately.
His smile faded, replaced by a calm seriousness.
"You're not the same anymore."
Mewtwo felt a warmth spread through her chest. A faint, unfamiliar smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
'You truly believe in me… Very well. Please take care of me from now on. If one day I determine that you are not a Trainer I can entrust myself to, I will leave. So Ash… don't disappoint me.'
"Hey, you can count on that!" Ash said confidently. "I'm the man who's going to become a Pokémon Master. You'll definitely accomplish great things with me!"
He extended his fist toward her.
Mewtwo frowned slightly, confused.
Was he planning to fight her again?
"Fist bump," Ash explained quickly. "It's a symbolic gesture of trust between Trainer and Pokémon. Well, between people too, but anyway. Just bump fists."
Mewtwo hesitated, then slowly extended her hand and tapped her fist against his.
At that instant, something stirred deep within her body.
A strange warmth spread outward, as if something long dormant had begun to awaken.
"This sensation…" Mewtwo's eyes widened slightly. "Mega Stone?"
The Mega Stones embedded within her body were reacting.
But how?
MEGA Evolution required a Key Stone and a powerful bond between Trainer and Pokémon. Ash possessed a Key Stone, but their bond had only just formed.
And yet, the Mega Stones were unmistakably responding.
'Ash,' Mewtwo said quietly, 'I want to try MEGA Evolution.'
"So sudden?" Ash blinked, then grinned. "Alright. Let's try it. I don't even know what'll happen with two Mega Stones inside you!"
…
That afternoon, Ash returned home.
The moment he stepped through the door, Misty and Brock, who had been restless all day, jumped to their feet.
"How did it go, Ash?"
"Where's Mewtwo?"
"Are you alright?"
Their questions came out in a rush.
Even though Ash had defeated Mewtwo, her danger level was still unquestionable.
Mewtwo losing to Ash was not because she was weak, but because Ash was simply too strong.
This, however, was no longer the deserted New Island. This was Pallet Town, a place filled with ordinary residents. If Ash were to fight Mewtwo here, he would inevitably be constrained. No matter who won, Pallet Town would be destroyed in the aftermath.
That was why this meeting with Mewtwo had been a negotiation from the start.
Even if they failed to reach an agreement, Ash could not possibly stop her by force. If things escalated into a real battle here, Pallet Town would be finished.
Because of this, Misty and Brock were extremely anxious. They pressed Ash the moment he returned, desperate to know how things had turned out.
"So?" Misty asked nervously. "What happened with Mewtwo?"
"Did the negotiation work?" Brock added.
"Mewtwo?" Ash said casually. "She's right here."
He took out a Poké Ball and placed it on the table.
Misty and Brock froze.
"In… inside there?" Misty's breath caught. "You didn't let her out?"
"Weren't you supposed to negotiate?" Brock stared at the Poké Ball in disbelief. "How did you end up bringing her back?"
"I did let her out," Ash replied calmly. "We talked properly. She said she wants to stay with me and see the world."
Ash tapped the Poké Ball lightly.
"Right, Mewtwo? Say hello."
A voice echoed directly in their minds, completely different from the cold, oppressive tone they remembered.
'Hello. I am Mewtwo. I apologize for my previous actions.'
The voice was gentle, calm, and sincere.
Misty and Brock's minds went blank.
Stay with Ash?
Did that mean… Ash had captured Mewtwo?
A God Level Pokémon?
"It's exactly what you're thinking," Ash said, clipping the Poké Ball back onto his belt with a relaxed smile. "Mewtwo is my Pokémon now."
"Though I'm technically on probation," he added cheerfully. "If she's ever dissatisfied, she can leave anytime. Those were her conditions."
He spoke as if it were nothing.
In truth, Ash really did not mind. Not because he didn't care about Mewtwo, but because he believed he would never become someone unworthy of her trust.
If that day ever came, it would mean he had lost himself entirely. And if that happened, he would have no one to blame but himself.
Misty and Brock exchanged stunned looks.
Just like that?
A short conversation, and Ash had not only reconciled with Mewtwo, but gained a God Level Pokémon?
If that was the case, then wasn't Ash already the strongest Trainer in existence?
With Mewtwo joining the team, another problem naturally arose. Ash now had seven Pokémon, exceeding the standard carry limit.
But since he was currently in Pallet Town, it wasn't an urgent issue. He rotated Pokémon frequently anyway, and during the Indigo Plateau Conference, switching team members would be unavoidable.
Which Pokémon to send to Professor Oak's lab could wait.
That evening, after dinner, Professor Oak called.
The Elite Four had arrived.
They had already handled the aftermath of New Island and finally had time to sit down and speak with Ash properly.
Too many strange, unbelievable things had happened around him. They had countless questions.
Previously, the Indigo Plateau Conference preparations had occupied all of their time. Only because the New Island incident was so severe had they temporarily put everything else aside.
When Ash arrived at Oak's Laboratory, he immediately felt the atmosphere change.
Professor Oak and the four Elite Four members were seated neatly in the living room.
The moment Ash stepped inside, all eyes turned toward him.
Being stared at by four Elite Four members simultaneously was a different kind of pressure altogether.
Even though Ash had just fought a God Level Pokémon, he still felt a chill run down his spine.
They were all looking at him as if he were something that needed to be studied.
"Uh… is there something on my face?" Ash scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Nothing," Bruno said seriously. "We're just trying to figure out whether you're human."
Ash froze.
"Mr. Bruno, what kind of joke is that? If I'm not human, what else could I be?"
"A Legendary Pokémon wearing human skin," Bruno replied with a perfectly straight face.
Ash stared at him.
What stunned him even more was that Lance, Lorelei, and Agatha all nodded in agreement.
How could someone fight Mewtwo like that and not be a Legendary Pokémon wearing human skin?
How could a human possibly exert that level of power? Even among Pokémon, aside from Legendary beings, only a handful in the entire world could wield strength of that magnitude.
"Alright, alright, stop teasing Ash," Professor Oak finally said, raising a hand to interrupt the Elite Four. "Do you still want to hear him explain MEGA Evolution or not?"
That immediately snapped everyone back to attention.
Understanding Mewtwo's situation was important, but the true reason the Elite Four had come this time was far more significant. MEGA Evolution was not just a new battle technique. It represented a possible path forward… perhaps even a doorway to that realm.
"Right, right. Enough fooling around," Bruno said, his serious expression giving way to a broad grin. "Business first."
"Ash," Lorelei said softly, leaning forward slightly. Her burgundy eyes behind her glasses never left him. "How is Mewtwo now?"
Instead of answering immediately, Ash simply took out a Poké Ball and tossed it into the air.
A flash of light.
Mewtwo appeared beside him.
In an instant, all four Elite Four members stood up, instinctively taking defensive stances. The air tensed for a heartbeat.
Then relaxed just as quickly.
Mewtwo was calm. Composed. There was no trace of hostility in her presence.
"My apologies," Lance said first, straightening himself. "That was a subconscious reaction. It seems the two of you had a proper conversation."
He then inclined his head slightly toward Mewtwo. "I spoke recklessly before. For that, I apologize."
Lance still remembered his words on New Island, dangerous existence. If that single phrase were to ignite Mewtwo's hostility again, he would never forgive himself.
'It's fine,' Mewtwo replied, her voice echoing gently in their minds. 'From your perspective, vigilance was natural. I was dangerous then. What I did before was wrong, and I owe you all an apology.'
The Elite Four exchanged stunned glances.
Was this really the same Mewtwo?
The one who had torn apart an island with a single clash of power?
Her tone, her demeanor, everything was different.
After a brief hesitation, Mewtwo bowed deeply toward the Elite Four.
This was the highest form of apology she understood in human society, short of kneeling.
"It's fine, it's fine," Bruno said quickly, waving his hands. "Everyone gets lost sometimes. And after being stuck with that scoundrel Giovanni for so long, it's no surprise."
Agatha snorted softly. "If anything, it's a miracle she didn't go further."
Lance nodded, then his expression turned serious again.
"Mewtwo," he said, "I need to ask something important. Are you certain that the cloning technology and the black Poké Ball technology have been completely destroyed?"
His gaze was sharp.
Lorelei had already briefed him on the matter. That technology should never exist. If even fragments remained in Team Rocket's hands, the consequences would be catastrophic.
...
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