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"Ah… I see…"
Minutes later, Aiden rubbed his forehead—now sporting a large, tender bump courtesy of Mew's headbutt—and glared at the tiny pink creature with a look of wounded betrayal.
With Mew's mastery of psychic energy, there had to be a thousand more elegant ways to share memories than… bashing your skull in like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
"Mew~"
Mew, caught in the glare, stuck out its tongue playfully, then floated closer and gently patted Aiden's swollen forehead.
"Ow—!"
Aiden sucked in a sharp breath.
This little brat did that on purpose.
But now wasn't the time to scold a legendary Pokémon who'd just delivered a life-altering memory dump via cranial impact.
Thanks to Mew's "Psychic Headbutt," Aiden had now experienced, firsthand, everything that had transpired in Kanto.
Hmm…
The images replayed in his mind—and his expression twisted into something between amusement and grim understanding.
In a way, Mew was Mewtwo's biological mother. After all, Mewtwo was cloned from a fragment of Mew's genetic material—its very essence.
And yes, Mewtwo had been captured by Giovanni far earlier than Aiden had anticipated.
But… it wasn't catastrophic.
One thing was certain:
Mewtwo harbored no malice toward Mew. Even under Giovanni's mind-suppressing armor, its instincts had fought to shield Mew from harm.
That alone proved their connection had been profoundly successful.
Mewtwo wouldn't become the tragic, obsessive creature from the movies—hellbent on proving itself superior by destroying Mew.
A Mewtwo that doesn't need to overthrow its originator? Now that's a Mewtwo worth rooting for.
But alongside this relief came another concern.
Aiden had originally advised Mew to approach Mewtwo slowly—to nurture its growth in the nutrient tank, waiting until it could survive independently before attempting rescue.
He hadn't anticipated that Giovanni would know Mew was coming… and strike first.
That was a blind spot in his planning.
But even that wasn't fatal.
Team Rocket, though powerful—nearly capable of toppling the entire League—had also become too visible.
Their threat was now undeniable.
And the Elite Four were watching.
Beyond his role as Kanto's Dragon Master, Aiden's "old friend Lance held another title:
Chief Instructor of the International Police.
Nearly every Officer Jenny and IP agents across Kanto and Johto answered to him.
So… could Aiden just call in some backup?
Facing Giovanni alone? Maybe a bit… difficult.
Facing Giovanni with a full team of Elite Four, Gym Leaders, and international agents?
Child's play.
And he'd already given Sabrina tactical advice—urging her and other Gym Leaders to infiltrate Team Rocket from within.
They'd be invaluable when the time came.
Team Rocket might look powerful—but beneath the surface, most of its executives were probably double agents.
Advantage: Ours.
Aiden's mind settled.
"Mew?"
Noticing Aiden's shift in demeanor, Mew's frantic energy calmed. It tilted its head, puzzled.
Has Aiden figured out how to save Mewtwo?*
"Don't panic yet. Let me make a call."
Aiden ruffled Mew's head with a sigh, then pulled out his phone.
Question: Who is Team Rocket's #1 fan? The one who'll sprint across continents the moment they hear the word "Rocket"?
Answer: Lance!
…
Kanto Region, Periphery of Viridian Forest.
On the back of a dragon, a red-haired man stared down at the trembling Team Rocket grunts below. He hadn't even spoken—and yet, his presence alone crushed their morale.
"Damn it… we walked right into a trap…"
The silver-uniformed young officer clamped his teeth together, gripping a Poké Ball in his trembling hand.
The mission had gone smoothly—until they noticed a tail trailing them.
He'd planned to lure the stalker into Viridian Forest, overwhelm him with numbers, and erase the problem.
But the "stalker" was Lance.
Are the Elite Four just that bored?!
"Brothers! Fight! Execute Plan B!"
With the safety of numbers, his voice gained strength.
At his signal, the grunts snapped to attention like soldiers.
Their Pokémon? Standard fare: Weezing, Arbok, and Muk—easy to breed, easy to control.
This squad? Almost entirely Muk.
Lance remained motionless, arms crossed, his cape billowing behind him as he watched the grunts scramble.
A man alone, surrounding an entire squad.
He was… curious.
What the hell was this "Plan B" they kept whispering about?
"Muk, use Minimize!"
As the first command rang out, Lance understood instantly.
Ah…
They were trying to shrink their profiles to avoid attacks—trade power for evasion, stretch the fight into a war of attrition.
Lance's lips curled into a cold smirk.
Aiden had introduced this tactic ages ago.
Originally? A heartwarming contribution to help Nurse Joys defend Pokémon Centers.
After the Chansey and Blissey squads started using Minimize, center crime rates plummeted to zero.
No fights. No theft. No chaos.
Aiden had meant it as kindness.
But… someone had copied it.
And not just anyone.
Team Rocket had studied Aiden's videos.
And like Lance himself, they'd adopted, adapted, and weaponized them.
While the International Police improved, so did the villains.
But here?
It's like trying to teach a master swordsmith how to hold a knife.
No one understands Aiden better than I do.
"Dragonite. Continuous Dragon Rush."
Lance's voice was ice.
Without hesitation, he leapt downward—his Dragonite already charging, gathering every ounce of energy into a spiraling, ground-shattering dive.
BOOM!
The Minimized Muk collapsed instantly, unconscious.
Their trainers followed moments later—knocked out by the shockwave.
"Good job, Dragonite."
Lance landed gently, patting the dragon's head with a proud smile.
Minimize was powerful—but it made targets easier to hit with wide-area attacks.
Like Dragon Rush.
Aiden had labeled it a "Crush-Type Move." Perfect counter.
(T/N: For those who don't know, taken straight from Bulbapedia:
Generation VI onwards
If the target has used Minimize, Dragon Rush now deals double its regular damage and bypasses accuracy checks to always hit, unless the target is in the semi-invulnerable turn of a move such as Dig or Fly.)
"Still… why are Team Rocket agents suddenly showing up so often in Viridian Forest?"
As he bundled the unconscious grunts into a sack, ready to call in his team, Lance frowned.
In the past, Giovanni had kept this area clean. The forest had been cleared of Rocket presence years ago.
Yet recently, sightings had spiked.
Viridian Forest was a critical nexus—linking Viridian City and Pewter City, and extending westward into Johto, making it one of the important passages between the two regions.
Was Giovanni neglecting his duty?
Or had Team Rocket expanded their reach… intending to use this corridor to invade Johto?
As Lance pondered, his phone vibrated.
He pulled it out.
The caller ID made him freeze.
"…Aiden?"
He'd never received a call from Aiden before.
Was this… urgent?
Lance answered without hesitation.
"Aiden?"
Aiden's voice crackled through the line—barely containing laughter.
"Lance… feel like taking on a big job?"
"..."
Lance's brain nearly short-circuited.
What the hell did he mean by "big job"?
That sounded like something a villain would say.
But… Aiden? The guy who taught Officer Jennys strategies? The man who made Pokémon Centers safe?
No. Impossible.
Before Lance could ask, Aiden continued:
"It's about Team Rocket."
Lance's spine straightened. His eyes sharpened.
"Tell me everything."
Even as he spoke, his heart leapt.
Finally!
If it's Team Rocket, I'm the expert!
If I doubted for even a second, I'd be disrespecting this badge!
Aiden smiled to himself.
"You're right to be curious, Lance. Lately, haven't you noticed a surge in Team Rocket activity around Viridian City?"
"???"
Lance glanced down at the neatly arranged pile of unconscious grunts at his feet.
Did he just… predict the future?
Could this be coincidence?
Maybe.
But Aiden? The mysterious, ever-just boy who'd somehow turned a livestream into a global tactical revolution?
Lance found it plausible.
"How do you know?"
He asked, voice low.
"I guessed."
Aiden replied, casually.
Lance stared at the phone.
That's it?
Aiden had no proof. But the logic was flawless.
Mewtwo had been created.
Giovanni was now using it as a training tool for new challengers.
That meant his plan was accelerating.
Even if the full scope was unclear, one thing was certain—he was preparing for war with the League.
At this stage, Team Rocket would consolidate its forces, retreating to secure strongholds.
So Aiden had taken a leap.
And now, the next move was simple.
Aiden, the 'Logic Genius', continued:
"Doesn't it strike you as odd, Lance? Viridian City has always been the gold standard for safety. Giovanni is known as the fiercest enemy of crime. So why… has he done nothing?"
Though Aiden was in Paldea, tracking Kanto's recent events via the internet was trivial.
The once-ubiquitous Giovanni—once the first to respond to every crime—had vanished. His public presence had dropped to near-zero.
Combine that with the sudden rise in Rocket activity?
The conclusion was inevitable.
"You think… Giovanni is connected to Team Rocket?"
Lance's brow furrowed.
He understood the implication.
But… why?
Why would a respected Gym Leader, poised to become an Elite Four member after the retirement of the Elder Lady, risk everything by joining a criminal syndicate?
"It's more than connected," Aiden replied, smiling faintly. "And the connection is quite deep."
Let's be honest.
From the League's perspective:
Giovanni was the strongest, most disciplined Gym Leader. A pillar of order. A future Elite Four candidate.
And now… the man who built that image… was secretly the hidden mastermind behind Team Rocket?
Who would believe it?
Even Aiden didn't outright say it—he knew the credibility was too low.
But the truth?
It was even stranger than Lance imagined.
"..."
Lance inhaled sharply.
If Aiden was right—
The enemy wasn't outside.
It was inside the League.
And if even Giovanni couldn't be trusted…
Who could?
How had Kanto's proud system fallen so far?
Lance sighed, weary.
"So… you want us, the International Police, to arrest Giovanni immediately?"
The official process would take weeks.
But as an Elite Four member, Lance had authority to act independently.
He could lead a raid on the Viridian Gym under the guise of investigating Rocket activity.
If Giovanni was guilty—he'd resist.
"Not yet."
Aiden's voice cut through.
"Since Rocket forces are consolidating in Viridian and nearby cities… why not let them get comfortable?"
"Let them gather. Let them lower their guard."
"Then—strike together. With every Elite Four member, every trusted Gym Leader. Sweep them all away."
"Don't worry. The other Gym Leaders are loyal. I've already contacted them through Sabrina."
"..."
Silence stretched across the line.
Lance, who kept detailed notes from Aiden's livestreams for his agents, knew the truth.
Aiden's fanbase?
Half of Kanto's Gym Leaders were regular lurkers.
His videos?
Not just tutorials—tactical manuals that had secretly upgraded the entire IP force.
He'd unified Elite Trainers across regions—something the League itself had never achieved.
Of course he knew more than Lance.
Of course he had eyes everywhere.
And now, as the realization settled—
Lance looked back at the path he'd walked.
If justice could be achieved in its purest form…
…then Aiden wasn't just a helper.
He was the MVP.
"I understand."
Lance didn't hesitate.
He trusted Aiden completely.
If Aiden weren't already a Gym Leader in Paldea—if he weren't Geeta's golden goose—
Lance would've kidnapped him.
'If only he were from Kanto…'
He thought, quietly.
—
Back in Paldea, Aiden ended the call with a grin, turning to Mew—whose eyes were wide with horror.
"There you go. With allies like this, Team Rocket won't stand a chance."
"In two days, we head to Kanto. We're rescuing Mewtwo."
"Mew!"
Mew chirped in agreement.
But inside its mind?
Aiden's network is terrifyingly efficient.
No wonder humans—despite having no natural power—rose to dominate the world in just a few thousand years.
You humans… (specifically, Aiden)… you've got dirty hearts.
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