The conversation didn't last long. By evening, when Reggie was preparing dinner, Mewtwo returned. Red politely declined the invitation to eat together, recalled his own Mewtwo, and left without another word.
"How was it?"
Paul looked toward his Mewtwo as it came back.
"Not bad. Seeing another of my kind from a different world… it makes me feel a little less alone."
Uniqueness was valuable, yes—but if one was the only one, that wasn't necessarily something to be happy about. That had been part of the reason Mewtwo once rejected so much about the world.
"You two sparred, didn't you?"
Paul was curious. Whose Mewtwo was stronger—his, or Red's?
"We exchanged a few moves. No one really won or lost. Under normal conditions, it's stronger than I am. In Mega Evolution, though, I'm more practiced, so I held the advantage there. But once it fully adapts… it'll still be stronger."
Mewtwo's voice was calm, almost serene, as it acknowledged its counterpart's power.
It was just a casual spar, no stakes, no victory or defeat. Neither side went all-out. Still, if they had battled seriously, Paul's Mewtwo felt that defeating its counterpart would not have been particularly difficult.
Over the years, beyond fully mastering its Rage Power, it had also dabbled in Awakening Mode abilities. If it unleashed everything, even Dialga and Palkia in their primal forms before they were captured—might not have stood against it.
And that was still before it had reached its peak.
"I see. Then I hope, when the time comes in a real battle, you prove yourself."
Paul nodded.
Once a power was revealed, others would inevitably study it, adapt it, and counter it. Even Paul wasn't sure if Rage Power might someday be learned by other Trainers and Pokémon.
For now, he had no intention of revealing it.
Unlike the bloodline-based, this was a universal, temper-driven power. Ordinary Trainers would be better off not dabbling in such a dangerous force.
Besides, mastering Rage Power required innate talent. There was no universal training method. Paul's own Pokémon had only managed it under Mewtwo's guidance, working together and figuring it out through trial and exchange.
"I will." Mewtwo answered seriously. Nothing was more valuable than finding kin. And nothing more thrilling than defeating another version of yourself.
"By the way, Paul." Akari, who had been quietly snacking on fruit nearby, suddenly raised her hand.
"That event you mentioned, when's it starting? If it's still far off, I'll take Dialga and Palkia back to Hisui for a bit."
For Hisui's safety, until new guardians of time and space appeared, Dialga and Palkia couldn't stay away from the region too long. Prolonged absence might cause unforeseen distortions.
"It's almost time. We'll go check tomorrow. If something unusual happens, you can return first—I'll contact you later."
Paul opened his phone, browsing the cross-world network for anime-world news. At this point, Ash had already finished competing in the Lily of the Valley Conference and was now traveling through Kalos, having collected several Badges.
By that timeline, the moment Paul was waiting for should be about to begin.
"Yes!" Akari cheered, tossing her fruit peel into the trash before rushing into the kitchen to help Reggie serve dishes.
Paul shook his head slightly, then returned to his phone, looking up information on several key figures to further confirm the timing.
After some searching, a thought struck him—his "other self". Quietly, he typed "Paul" into the search bar.
His eyes widened slightly as he read the entry.
According to the records, "Paul" had originally been challenging Gyms in preparation for the Lily of the Valley Conference… when suddenly, inexplicably, he went to Kalos for a period of time.
Only when the Conference was about to begin did he rush back to Sinnoh, barely completing his Gym challenges in time.
"What on earth happened back then?"
It didn't add up. Even if Paul had wanted to travel to Kalos, he would have gone after the Conference, or after earning all eight Badges.
He would never wait until the last possible moment, scrambling back just in time for the League. That wasn't his style at all.
...
Long Ago, in the Anime World
The Paul of that world stood in Kalos, expression blank, staring at the mischievous Hoopa before him.
"Can I go now?"
"Of course! I didn't force you to stay." Hoopa chirped, happily munching a cupcake and waving him off without concern.
Only when Paul left did Hoopa grin slyly.
About ten hours later, as Paul crossed the desert, landed back in Sinnoh, and walked out of the airport—an ominous ring shimmered into being above his head.
His face froze.
In the next instant, his vision shifted. Hoopa once again appeared before him.
"…"
Paul was silent for a long while before finally saying: "That person wasn't me."
Hoopa blinked. "Hoopa knows that, of course."
Paul asked again, "Then can I leave now?"
"Sure!" Hoopa replied innocently.
Paul nodded, turned, and walked away.
But when he once again crossed the desert, landed in Sinnoh, and stepped out of the airport—only to see the ring appear overhead again—he fell completely silent.
After a moment, he pulled out his phone and sent Reggie a short text:
"Something came up. I'll be staying in Kalos for a while. Don't worry about me."
Message sent, he slowly raised his head toward the wide-eyed, and playful Hoopa. A dark smile crept across his face.
...
Half a Month Later...
"Go on, Paul! Leave this place already!" Hoopa cried.
"I'm not leaving. This is a perfect place for training."
Paul didn't even look up, busy searching for data on Legendary Pokémon, planning how to get Hoopa to summon another one so he could battle it for experience.
"But you need your Badges to enter the League!" Hoopa protested.
"The League? It doesn't matter. I can grow plenty strong here."
Sure, Paul wanted to compete. But even if he couldn't return, it wasn't the end of the world.
The League was just a means of improvement. If training here could grant him the same growth, then why cling to the League?
He had made peace with it.
"Please! Just take your Pokémon and go already!"
Hoopa looked miserably at the bully Pokémon around them, who had stolen all of its precious snacks. Its heart was breaking.
Paul countered smoothly: "Not unless you summon Zapdos so I can battle it."
"…Fine!" Hoopa huffed.
Not long after, the battle ended—with Paul defeated.
Once his Pokémon were healed, he honored the deal and left Dahara City.
But the very next day, a blur flashed by. Hoopa's snacks were snatched away.
"Vireee!"
Electivire munched on treats with one hand while casually lifting Hoopa by its pigtails with the other.
Tears welled in Hoopa's eyes. "Why are you still here?"
"I left. Then I came back. This time, summon this one."
Paul sat down without hesitation, showing Hoopa an image of Darkrai.
"No! No no no! Not summoning!" Hoopa shook its head furiously.
"Then you'll do." Paul replied coolly. "Electivire, get ready for battle."
"???" Hoopa froze.
Much later, battered and bruised with its power sealed, Hoopa snapped. Furious, it summoned Lugia in desperation to intimidate him.
"Hoopa scare you now…"
But instead of fear, Paul's eyes lit up with burning excitement. His gaze on Lugia, and on Hoopa itself—grew even more intense.
In that moment, Hoopa's heart completely sank.
Paul: 'This time, I really don't want to leave.'
Hoopa: ╥﹏╥
...
There were still many things about this "Paul" that baffled the real Paul.
In the Lily of the Valley Conference, "Paul" had actually defeated Ash Ketchum, and then directly inherited the chance to face Tobias, the so-called Legendary Trainer.
Despite knowing nothing of Tobias' team other than Darkrai, "Paul" managed to defeat him without too much difficulty and claimed the Sinnoh League Championship.
Clearly, that inexplicable period he had spent in Kalos had made "Paul" far stronger, granting him valuable experience in battling Legendary Pokémon.
After the Lily of the Valley Conference, Ash traveled on to Unova to compete in the Vertress Conference, while "Paul" returned to Kalos once more to train, and easily won the League there.
By the time Ash set foot in Kalos to continue his journey toward the League, "Paul" had already stopped pursuing tournaments. Instead, he roamed from region to region, challenging the strongest Trainers and hunting encounters with Legends.
Now, fresh from his Alola journey, "Paul" had moved on to Hoenn, beginning yet another stage of his trials.
"…Interesting."
The real Paul narrowed his eyes at this alternate life track. He couldn't help but wonder, when the World Coronation Series finally came, would this "Paul" take part? And if so, how high would he climb?
"Paul! What are you thinking about? Dinner's ready!"
"…Yeah."
...
Hoenn Region, Anime World
BOOM!!
In a mist-shrouded forested mountain, a fierce battle was underway.
A Mega Charizard X, its black body wreathed in blue flames, clashed against a shining silver Mega Metagross. The latest explosion had been caused by Metagross' Flash Cannon.
"Flash Cannon's secondary effect weakened Charizard's endurance."
The handsome blue-haired young man smiled as he spoke.
"Then I'll finish this before you finish me."
His opponent, a black-clad youth with a scarf patterned like Charizard's flames, clenched his left fist and slashed his right hand like claws.
"Dragon Claw!"
Charizard's wings beat violently. Green spectral claws formed around its hands as it slashed down onto Metagross, slamming it to the ground in another eruption.
"Meteor Mash!"
The blue-haired Trainer's voice rang out. Astonishingly, Metagross shrugged off the Dragon Claw entirely. Its four fists combined into one shining strike, blasting Charizard away and smashing a rocky peak.
But Charizard wasn't finished yet. Roaring, it tore free from the rubble and soared back into the battlefield.
"Blast Burn!"
Charizard gathered its full might, slamming its fists into the ground. In an instant, volcanic fire burst upward beneath Metagross, engulfing it in a violent eruption.
BOOM!!
The forest shook from the blast, but Metagross endured it, standing firm in the inferno.
"You'd better not underestimate my Metagross."
The blue-haired youth smiled calmly.
"Dragon Claw!"
"Meteor Mash!"
Once again, the two Pokémon lunged, powers colliding head-on. But just as their attacks were about to land, a Flamethrower streaked in from the treeline, aiming to stop the fight.
At the same instant, a Thunderbolt intercepted the flames midair.
CRACK!!
The clash of fire and lightning forced both battlers to halt. Charizard and Metagross pulled back to their Trainers' sides, sensing something was wrong.
The battle was interrupted.
"Raaaargh!"
A Pyroar landed like a meteor between them, its glare vicious. It looked ready to attack either side should they try to continue fighting.
"Would you mind pausing this battle?"
A middle-aged man with a fiery lion's mane of red hair appeared on a nearby slope, calling down to them.
"How arrogant. Don't you know battles shouldn't be interrupted?"
From the other side of the forest, a purple-haired youth stepped out, Electivire at his side, his gaze cold as he stared at the lion-maned intruder.
"Representative…? That man!"
The black-haired Trainer, Alain, froze. He was surprised to see the lion-man, but when his eyes fell on the purple-haired youth, he was utterly shocked.
"My apologies. But there are reasons."
Lysandre inclined his head politely toward Paul before approaching the blue-haired youth.
"My subordinate was rude, Champion."
"Champion?"
Alain's eyes widened again.
"This is Mr. Steven Stone, Champion of the Hoenn League."
Lysandre placed a hand over his chest, bowing slightly with a smile. "Forgive the late introduction. I am Lysandre, head of the Lysandre Labs in Kalos. I've tasked Alain here with investigating Mega Evolution."
"Investigating…?" Steven murmured.
"You're… Paul?"
Alain suddenly stepped forward, struggling to voice the name.
"And you are?"
Paul frowned slightly.
He had won two League Championships, yes, but his fame wasn't that great. Even Champions and Elite Four from other regions might not recognize him. Why would some Kalos Trainer know his name?
"You don't remember me?"
Alain clenched his fists. His mind flashed back to Kalos, to the day Paul's Metagross had crushed his Charizard without effort.
"…Strange."
Paul's reply was cold. He had no idea why this boy was acting so dramatic. It wasn't as if he were a Champion or some world-renowned powerhouse. Why should Paul remember him?
"Damn it… you really forgot? Back then, your silver Metagross defeated my Charizard. And now you just brush me off like some stranger?"
Alain bit his lip hard. He couldn't believe Paul had forgotten so easily.
"Charizard? I've never battled a Charizard with Metagross."
Paul denied flatly.
He had only just caught his Shiny Metagross near Strong Wind Town. He hadn't even used it in many battles yet, before Hoopa dragged him to Kalos. There was no way he had fought Alain.
Wait—
Paul's eyes narrowed as realization struck. His Shiny Metagross… hadn't someone else once told him where to find it? Which meant that person, too, should have a Metagross of their own.
Which could only mean—
"You're sure… you battled me?"
Paul's tone grew serious.
"Of course! I'll never forget your Mega Metagross."
Alain's answer was firm.
That Metagross had seemed unremarkable, but its true strength had been terrifying, no less than Steven's own just now.
With just two moves, Gravity and Stomping Tantrum, it had forced Alain's Charizard out of Mega Evolution and defeated it.
"…I see. Now I understand."
Paul lowered his head, a faint smile curling at his lips. He hadn't expected that person to leave behind so many surprises.
(End of Chapter)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want to access the complete chapters, please visit: patreon.com / PMadz_23