The sky is blue and the clouds are floating. Riding atop Garchomp, Paul soared through the air.
After leaving the forest and the city of Milyfa behind, he released Electivire mid-flight to accompany him as they veered southwest toward the Kanto region.
As always, Paul moved with purpose. His next destination had long been decided: the Battle Tower near the Tohjo Falls, a majestic cascade marking the border between Kanto and Johto.
His goal? To defeat Anabel the Salon Maiden, and Battle Tower's Frontier Brain.
If he could overcome her, Paul would have claimed all the Frontier Symbols except for the Symbol of Courage held by Palmer. Once Palmer fell, he would conquer the entire Battle Frontier.
His campaign was approaching its climax.
During the flight, Paul didn't speak with Mewtwo, review strategies, or admire the scenery. He simply made contact with Reggie, then transmitted Garchomp and Electivire's Poké Balls separately—only the Poké Balls, not the Pokémon themselves.
Because he had something important to do.
A call.
To that woman.
The call connected after a delay that felt designed to test his patience. Then, finally, a serene female voice answered:
"Sorry, I was busy and forgot to pick up. Hope I didn't keep you waiting."
"Expected as much. I'm not in a hurry." Paul replied coolly, cutting to the chase. "When can you send me those two?"
"You left them with me so casually back then. Taking them back won't be quite as easy now." said Sabrina, seated on a throne in the Saffron Gym. One hand stroked her Espeon's fur, the other held her phone. Her smile was laced with mischief.
"Not complicated. Just have your apprentice send them over. No need for you to personally grace me with your presence." Paul said flatly, his earlier courtesy was long gone.
This wasn't because they had gotten closer during his training sessions at the Saffron Gym with Froslass and Metagross.
It was because Paul now had leverage.
And that leverage—was Mewtwo.
Mewtwo, though newly born, was already on the verge of breaking through to Champion level.
Even now, without that breakthrough, it could unleash power rivaling a Champion. And once it crossed that threshold, there would be no competition.
Sabrina was powerful, yes. But was she that powerful?
Could she outmatch a Mewtwo using Calm Mind and Nasty Plot to max out its stats, protected by Barrier, Recover, and Protect?
If so, Paul would accept defeat.
If not, then there was no reason to hold back.
"..."
After a pause, Sabrina chuckled. "You've gotten stronger, haven't you? Your Pokémon have grown too. So, how do you plan to thank me?"
"I'll pay extra." Paul said sincerely.
"Money? I'm not interested in that."
"Next time we meet, I'll bring a surprise."
"A surprise? Now you have my attention."
She relented quickly. "Your Pokémon aren't of much use to me anyway. When do you want me to send them?"
"Now. I appreciate it."
"You're fascinating, Paul. Hard to read. Next time we meet, I hope you really do surprise me."
"I won't disappoint."
"You better not~"
Paul ended the call abruptly.
"Beep... beep..."
Sabrina wasn't offended. With a smile, she tossed her phone into her psychic storage and summoned two Poké Balls to her hand. After admiring them for a moment, she teleported them to her assistant.
Her thoughts lingered on Paul.
I wonder what you've experienced lately... how interesting.
Shortly after, Paul received the Poké Balls. He patted Garchomp on the head.
"Let's go down."
"Gaaaar~"
Garchomp began descending, with Electivire close behind.
Once they reached the ground, Paul retrieved a Hisuian-style Poké Ball and released Mewtwo.
Still meditating, Mewtwo opened its eyes.
"Is something wrong?"
Paul nodded. "It's about what I promised you."
"You mean..."
Mewtwo's eyes flickered, its body trembling slightly with anticipation.
Paul approached Garchomp and Electivire, resting a hand on each of their shoulders. Then he turned back to Mewtwo.
"There are many Mew. In both worlds I've encountered, they live near the Tree of Beginning. Garchomp and Electivire have seen them before. They'll take you there."
"Mew... I'll find the answer I seek."
Determination glowed in Mewtwo's eyes.
Paul closed his eyes and spoke slowly:
"True strength isn't about forgetting what you can't accept. It's about embracing it."
"If the moon didn't reflect sunlight, it would never shine at night."
"The world bathed in sunlight is the world all life shares."
"Go. Find your answer. Find your future."
Mewtwo stood silently, words echoing in its mind:
'Forget... accept... shine... answer...'
Paul didn't interrupt Mewtwo's thoughts. He looked at Garchomp and Electivire.
"Go. Take it. I'll meet you there."
"Vireee~"
Electivire grinned and held out a fist.
Paul chuckled and bumped fists with him.
"Don't slack off. Keep improving."
"Vireee~!"
'I, the great Electivire, the best in the world—never fall behind!'
Electivire grinned proudly, gave Mewtwo a sideways glance, then shot off as golden light streaking through the sky.
"Gaaarc~"
Seeing his bro take off, Garchomp sheepishly mimicked Electivire, extending his sharp claw toward Paul for a fist bump.
Paul looked at the claw that could pierce stone and sighed. Instead of a proper fist bump, he gave the claw a side slap.
"Keep pace with Electivire and Mewtwo."
"GAAAAAR!"
Garchomp roared and shot into the sky.
Their movement arouse Mewtwo from its thoughts. It exchanged a look with Paul, nodded, and telekinetically accelerated to catch up.
All three Pokémon were incredibly fast flyers, bursting into their top speeds at once—none willing to fall behind.
Mewtwo was powerful, but not yet at peak flight speed. That realization gave Garchomp and Electivire a small boost of confidence.
Soon, they reached the illusion-shrouded perimeter of the Tree of Beginning.
The illusion was potent, even the now-enhanced Garchomp and Electivire couldn't pierce through it. But Mewtwo, blessed with powerful psychic vision, saw through it instantly.
Its glowing blue eyes locked onto a towering, several-hundred-meter-tall crystalline tree—the Tree of Beginning.
There was no sign of Mew, but Mewtwo could feel a presence… a presence that shared its genetic core.
"Mew?"
Atop the tree, a pink Pokémon lounged on a bubble, playing a mobile game. Mew sensed something and glanced toward the horizon.
After a quick read, Mew cautiously hid the phone in a secret stash and vanished.
In a blink, Mew appeared outside the tree's border, curiously circling the newcomers. Garchomp, Electivire, and… a Pokémon it had never seen before.
Fascinated, Mew zoomed around Mewtwo, observing every detail—body, aura, and power.
The more it looked, the more amazed it became.
As the ancestor of all Pokémon, Mew held the genetic template of every known species. But this one wasn't in its database.
Stranger still despite being a new kind of Pokémon, it felt oddly familiar.
How weird…
"You're Mew?"
Mewtwo looked at the tiny creature that looked like the one on the ancient mural and felt both excitement and a grave seriousness.
Excitement was obvious. As for the weight…
It had expected Mew to be strong. But not this strong.
Mew's presence felt like an endless abyss. Despite its cuteness, facing Mew was like facing a world.
A voice deep inside told Mewtwo: here, near the Tree of Beginning, unless it could vastly overpower Mew, it had no chance of winning.
That thought alone was enough for Mewtwo to abandon any idea of challenging it.
This Mew was simply in a different version update.
"Mew~!"
This world's strongest, smartest, and cutest Pokémon was none other than the great Mew!
Mew teleported in front of Mewtwo, patting its chest and puffing itself up proudly.
"I'm Mewtwo. A human-created Pokémon, cloned from your genes—engineered to surpass you."
Mewtwo introduced itself solemnly.
"Mew? Mew-ha-ha~!"
'Strongest Pokémon? Pfffft...'
Mew paused, then burst out laughing. It clutched its belly, rolling mid-air as if it couldn't control itself.
'You're calling yourself the strongest? I, Mew, don't even dare say that! And you—this weak?!'
"What's so funny?"
Mewtwo frowned slightly.
Yes, it had heard from Paul and the internet that it wasn't the strongest, but this reaction felt excessive.
"Mew-Mew~"
'Because the strongest Pokémon doesn't exist in this world. Not here. Not anywhere.'
Mew finally calmed down, lounging on a bubble it conjured. As the Pokémon most deeply connected to the Tree of Beginning, it knew more than most.
Mew: 'I once met Them. That's why I'm what I am today.'
"Doesn't exist?"
Mewtwo didn't press the issue. Instead, it fixed its gaze on Mew.
"Then tell me… Who am I? What is my purpose? Why do I exist?"
"Mew~"
Mew tilted its head.
'How should I know? This is the first time I've met you. Why would I know what you're for? I exist to grow with and protect the Tree of Beginning. That's it.'
'Same with the golem guardians, they exist to protect the Tree. Me? I train, I play, I laze around. Why should I know why anyone else exists? Ask another Mew!'
"Do you think I'm a clone of you? Do I deserve to exist in this world as a clone?"
Mew gave a clear response:
"Mew! Mew!"
'Of course! Every Pokémon is a copy of me! And I'm a copy of them!'
Mew laughed, then flashed white and transformed into Garchomp, Electivire… and finally, Mewtwo.
It mimicked every detail: form, power, aura—perfectly. It looked more like Mewtwo than Mewtwo did.
Two Mewtwos floated, staring at each other. The moment was eerie.
Thankfully, it didn't last long.
With a giggle, Mew broke the illusion, dissolving back into its original form.
Mewtwo didn't laugh. Instead, Mew's words gave it pause.
After a long while, Mewtwo raised its gaze to the radiant sun above.
The shadows in its heart slowly lifted.
It remembered Paul's words:
'True strength isn't about forgetting the truth you can't accept. It's about learning to live with it.'
(End of Chapter)
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