Join my p@treon for more chapters
[email protected]/Tempest_29
Giovanni had defeated Articuno with overwhelming power, and only Harley knew about it.
He was the only Team Rocket member who had remained conscious during the battle. The other members were still lying unconscious on the ground.
Because of this, Eddie and Green, who had already left the Seafoam Islands, had no idea what had transpired.
But it didn't matter. Eddie and Green's objective had never been to rescue Articuno in the first place.
Eddie was simply looking to gain battle experience and had treated the Seafoam Islands as nothing more than a brief stop on his journey.
As for Green, her original purpose for coming here was to gather intelligence on Team Rocket. While her goals had shifted somewhat after meeting Eddie, her primary mission remained unchanged—to discover what Team Rocket was planning.
Neither of them cared about Articuno's fate. Even if they learned that Giovanni had defeated and captured the legendary bird, they wouldn't be particularly surprised.
"That stupid bird got itself caught. So be it. I never liked that thing anyway," Eddie muttered to himself.
"Besides, even if I had stayed at the Seafoam Islands to rescue it, I couldn't have remained there permanently to protect it, could I?"
Eddie was riding on Garchomp's back, lost in thought.
After that long-distance telepathic conversation, he had already realized something important. Whether the enemy arriving at the Seafoam Islands was one of the three Team Rocket executives or Giovanni himself, Articuno was destined to be captured.
Team Rocket had specifically targeted the legendary bird. Even though Eddie had defeated a large group of their operatives, the organization would inevitably send more forces to capture Articuno and further their plans.
There was no way Eddie would stay behind to protect a cowardly bird that was too afraid to even fight back against Team Rocket. More importantly, he simply didn't care what happened to Articuno.
After all, even in the manga, when Red saved Articuno once, the legendary bird was captured again later. This meant that regardless of whether Eddie rescued Articuno now or not, Team Rocket would eventually capture it anyway.
Since Articuno's capture was essentially inevitable, why should Eddie waste his time protecting it?
If he truly wanted to save the legendary birds, it would be far more effective to rapidly improve his own strength and then defeat Team Rocket decisively in one major battle. That would be the only way to truly save them all.
Of course, none of this aligned with Eddie's actual goals. He had never intended to rescue the three legendary birds from the beginning. His only objective was to eliminate any Team Rocket forces that blocked his path.
Therefore, his priority was to increase his strength as quickly as possible. That was all that mattered.
"Speaking of which, that voice told me to use my power, didn't it? But why?" Eddie wondered aloud as he rode atop Garchomp.
"I did consider using it to treat the aftereffects of linking with Mewtwo, but shouldn't this power be more effective on Mewtwo directly? I thought it should be used on Mewtwo itself."
Yes, the one who had contacted Eddie on Cinnabar Island was undoubtedly Mewtwo.
Eddie examined the unusual marking on his hand and recalled his previous preparations. It would be strange if he hadn't figured out that the voice belonged to Mewtwo.
"Well, I might as well try. Since Mewtwo and I are linked together at a cellular level, perhaps the Power of Viridian will also work on me through that connection."
With this hypothesis in mind, Eddie extended his left hand and slowly channeled the Power of Viridian toward his right arm.
For a moment, Eddie felt his body growing lighter. The pain he had been experiencing seemed to diminish significantly.
"Hmm... nice. It seems the Power of Viridian really does work," Eddie said with satisfaction. "Maybe if I use it directly on Mewtwo, it could repair its genes the same way it did for Eevee. Then neither of us would have any problems."
"That way, Mewtwo wouldn't have any time limitations. Unlike in the manga where it could only be used for short periods, I'd be able to fight alongside it indefinitely."
Eddie could already imagine himself riding Mewtwo into battle, overwhelming any opponent who stood in his way.
Of course, when facing situations that weren't truly critical, there would be no need to release Mewtwo. Both Eddie and Mewtwo possessed proud spirits.
Unless circumstances were truly dire, he wouldn't release Mewtwo just to bully weaker opponents.
"We're about to clash with Team Rocket. If the situation plays out like it did in the manga, then maybe we won't need Mewtwo. But if things turn out differently, then we'll have to rely on Mewtwo's power," Eddie reasoned.
"Although, judging from everything I've witnessed so far, I can tell this conflict won't be simple. The likelihood of needing Mewtwo is almost guaranteed."
"Besides, Mewtwo is calling me over right now. Maybe Blaine is being pursued by a mind-controlled Moltres, just like in the original story."
Eddie continued analyzing the current situation. He needed to determine who his next opponent would be.
When facing Moltres—even if the legendary bird was suppressed and controlled by Team Rocket—Eddie knew he couldn't win easily.
The scene in the manga where Red defeated Moltres while carrying a newly revived Aerodactyl was absolutely ridiculous. Eddie had nearly thrown the book across the room when he read that scene.
"Perhaps it was the legendary protagonist's aura taking effect, allowing Red to defeat and drive off Moltres so easily," Eddie mused.
After thinking it over, that was the only explanation he could accept for such an unreasonable outcome.
Of course, Red was the protagonist. He possessed the protagonist's aura and could accomplish impossible feats.
But Eddie was different. He didn't believe in such convenient plot armor, and he absolutely wouldn't gamble his life on such illusory luck.
"So, no matter what happens, I need to reach Mewtwo first. Otherwise, if I face Moltres with just Gym Leader-level Pokémon, I'll simply be annihilated."
No matter how much the three legendary birds' power was suppressed, they definitely wouldn't be defeated by several Gym Leader-level Pokémon. Eddie estimated they would retain at least Heavenly King-level strength.
A legendary Pokémon at the Heavenly King level would conservatively require a Champion-level Pokémon to suppress it. After all, they were legendary Pokémon. How could ordinary Pokémon of the same level compare to a legendary being?
"Except for some extremely powerful pseudo-legendary Pokémon, no regular Pokémon of the same level can fight against legendary Pokémon. Even if they can, they're only evenly matched at best. Otherwise, why would they be called legendary Pokémon while you're just called regular Pokémon?"
"To actually suppress one would probably require someone like Giovanni—someone with vast experience who can exploit any opening, or someone who can control nature's power itself."
"So when I encounter Moltres, I absolutely cannot confront it head-on. The key is to reunite with Mewtwo as quickly as possible."
After thinking it through thoroughly, Eddie had made his decision. He must not act recklessly when facing Moltres. Only after obtaining Mewtwo would he have the strength to fight.
While he was still deep in thought, Garchomp had already carried Eddie to Cinnabar Island.
Eddie had spent the entire morning with Misty, so they had set out to cross the ocean around noon and arrived at the Seafoam Islands in the afternoon.
Originally, if he had traveled at a normal pace, he should have reached Cinnabar Island after nightfall. But thanks to Mewtwo's warning and Garchomp's incredible speed, Eddie was able to arrive here at dusk instead.
What Eddie saw at this moment was the evening scenery.
He could already make out the towering mountains characteristic of Cinnabar Island and the active volcano with smoke rising from its peak.
The orange light of the setting sun bathed Cinnabar Island, painting the clouds a brilliant orange-red, like flames burning across the sky.
"The sunset clouds over Cinnabar Island? They're quite beautiful. If I weren't in such a hurry, I would have taken a photograph," Eddie observed.
"Wait... No! The temperature is wrong. Even for Cinnabar Island with its active volcano, this temperature is far too high!"
"It's as if the entire sky is burning with heat! I understand now—Moltres is here!"
"KRAAAAAAW!"
The moment Eddie finished speaking, he heard the cry of a legendary bird emanating from Cinnabar Island. The piercing cry was like rolling flames—sharp yet mixed with fury. The fiery clouds above transformed into a deep crimson red.