Dr. Fuji stood before the tempered glass of the laboratory, his fingers flying across the control panel. His white lab coat was stained with sweat and unknown chemical reagents, and his eyes behind his glasses were bloodshot.
In the cultivation chamber at the center of the lab, a blurry figure was slowly taking shape in a pale green nutrient solution.
"Doctor, the gene sequence of Mew's eyelash fossil has been successfully imported," his assistant's voice came through the communicator. "But the cell fusion rate is only 43%, far below the expected value."
"Continue to increase the voltage and the concentration of the nutrient solution," Fuji's voice was hoarse but firm. He had been working for 72 hours straight without sleep, but at this moment, he was more awake than ever. The life form in the cultivation chamber was his only hope.
In another cultivation chamber in the corner of the lab, a little girl of about ten years old floated. Her eyes were closed, as if she were merely sleeping. That was Ai, Dr. Fuji's daughter, who had died in a car accident three years prior. Her body was long cold, but Fuji believed that science could conquer death.
"Team Rockets is pressing for progress again," the assistant whispered a reminder. "Boss Giovanni said if there are no results by next week, he will withdraw funding."
Fuji's hand trembled slightly. He knew what he was doing—violating the laws of nature, challenging life ethics. But whenever he saw Ai's pale face, all moral qualms vanished.
"Tell them the experimental subject has entered the final stage," Fuji adjusted the parameters of the cultivation chamber. "Give me three more days."
The figure in the cultivation chamber began to convulse violently, and an ear-piercing alarm sounded. Fuji lunged at the control panel, frantically inputting commands. The nutrient solution became cloudy, and currents surged wildly within the chamber.
Just when everyone thought the experiment was about to fail, the figure suddenly opened its eyes—they were purple, full of wisdom yet incredibly bewildered.
"Mewtwo..." Fuji softly called out to the life form he had personally named, tears blurring his vision. He believed this was the answer he was searching for, a bridge connecting life and death.
However, good times did not last. Three days later, all clones except Mewtwo began to rapidly decay. Ai's clone dissipated into points of light in Fuji's arms, while Mewtwo exhibited an extremely unstable mental state, nearly destroying the entire laboratory.
Ultimately, Fuji had no choice but to personally inject a sedative into the creation he had poured all his heart into, watching it fall into a deep sleep.
"I'm sorry..." This was the last thing Mewtwo heard before it fell asleep.
Years later, when Mewtwo awoke again, those memories were blurred. It only remembered a voice calling its name and a deep-seated loneliness.
The laboratory walls were torn like paper by its furious psychic power, and Team Rockets agents fled in terror. Giovanni tried to restrain it with a special controller, but those currents and sound waves were nothing more than annoying mosquito bites to it.
"Who am I?" Mewtwo floated above the ruins, looking at its purple hands. "Why do I exist?"
There was no answer. Only the wailing of the wind through the ruins responded to its questions. So it decided to find the answers itself—by challenging human Trainers who claimed to understand Pokémon.
"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"
Golden lightning streaked across the sky, and the opposing Raticate fell to the ground. Ash adjusted his cap, revealing a confident smile: "Great job!"
"Pika Pika!" The yellow electric mouse happily jumped onto his shoulder.
Brock put away his Pokédex and smiled: "This is the third victory today. Ash's command is getting more precise."
"That's because we have the best partner, right, Pikachu?" Ash ruffled Pikachu's head.
Xiao You, who was feeding her Togepi some Poké Puffs nearby, turned her head and said, "Don't get too carried away. The Indigo League is about to start, and there are many masters there."
As the group discussed their next plans, a sudden whooshing sound came from the sky. A Dragonite landed in front of them, a delicate metal box hanging from its neck.
"Is this... a Dragonite?" Ash looked at the rare Dragon-type Pokémon in surprise.
The Dragonite let out a friendly growl and pointed to the box on its neck with its claw. Brock carefully took down the box, which contained three gilded cards.
"To the most excellent Pokémon Trainers..." Brock read, "You are invited to a special banquet at New Island Pokémon Castle, where you will have the opportunity to spar with the world's strongest Pokémon Trainers. Please present this ticket at Old Shore Wharf before dusk tomorrow for a special boat transfer. —From the Master"
Ash's eyes lit up: "The world's strongest Trainer? That sounds amazing!"
"Wait," Xiao You frowned. "This invitation came too suddenly, and it's unsigned. Don't you think it's suspicious?"
"But it was delivered by a Dragonite!" Ash was already jumping with excitement. "A Trainer who can tame a Dragonite must be extraordinary!"
Pikachu also chirped eagerly: "Pika Pika!"
Brock pondered for a moment: "Old Shore Wharf isn't far from here. If we leave early tomorrow morning, we should be able to get there before dusk."
And so, the three decided to accept the mysterious invitation. That night, Ash tossed and turned, constantly imagining what the "strongest Trainer" looked like. Was it a Dragon-type master like Lance? Or a fighting expert like Bruno? In any case, it would be an encounter worth looking forward to.
The next morning, the three set off early and finally arrived at Old Shore Wharf in the afternoon. However, the sight before them greatly surprised them—the wharf was crowded with anxious Trainers, and the sea was covered with dark clouds, with strong winds stirring up huge waves.
"Due to severe weather, all boats to New Island are suspended." The wharf broadcast repeatedly announced this message.
A woman in a uniform hurried over, her name tag reading "Port Manager Joy." "I'm sorry, Trainers, we cannot set sail today. It's too dangerous to go out to sea in this weather."
Jenny was also maintaining order nearby: "Please understand, this is for your safety and your Pokémon's safety."
Ash looked at the turbulent sea in disappointment: "Are we just going to give up?"
At this moment, he noticed some Trainers had already released their Water-type Pokémon, preparing to cross the sea on their own. A red-haired boy riding on a Gyarados's back shouted to them: "Hey! You guys! If you want to go to New Island, follow me! What are these small waves!"
Xiao You grabbed Ash's arm: "It's too dangerous! We can wait until the weather gets better!"
"But the invitation says we have to arrive before dusk today..." Ash bit his lip, thinking.
Just then, a hoarse voice came from behind them: "If you want to go to New Island, I can take you."
The three turned around and saw an old fisherman standing next to a dilapidated small boat. The boat was patchy and looked like it could fall apart at any moment, but the old man's eyes were unusually firm.
"Is this boat... safe?" Brock couldn't help but ask.
The old man smiled: "I've sailed in these waters for forty years and seen worse weather than this. But the price isn't cheap, and I only accept cash."
Ash felt his pocket and pulled out all his cash: "Is this enough?"
The old man counted it and grinned: "Barely enough for one person."
"What?" Xiao You exclaimed, "That's too expensive!"
"Special times, special prices." The old man shrugged, "It's up to you whether you go or not."
Ash looked at his companions and made up his mind: "I'll go alone. Brock, Xiao You, you wait for me here."
"No!" Both objected in unison.
In the end, the three pooled their money for the fare and boarded the small boat that looked like it would sink at any moment. The old man skillfully steered the rudder, and the boat plunged into the raging waves like a leaf.
Huge waves crashed against the small boat one after another. Xiao You gripped the gunwale tightly, her face pale. Brock's Rock-type Pokémon stirred restlessly in their Poké Balls. Only Ash and Pikachu stood at the bow, letting the seawater drench them, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Look! New Island is ahead!" After nearly two hours of difficult sailing, the old man suddenly pointed into the distance.
Through the rain, the silhouette of a Gothic castle was faintly visible. The castle's spires pointed directly at the overcast sky, giving an ominous premonition.
When the small boat finally docked, the three were exhausted. The old man refused to come ashore, only saying: "I will wait here until midnight if you want to go back." Then he sailed away into the rain.
In front of the castle gate, a woman in a pink uniform was waiting. Her face felt strangely familiar to Ash.
"Welcome to Pokémon Castle, Trainers," the woman smiled. "I am Joy. Please follow me."
"Nurse Joy?" Brock asked in surprise. "But isn't the Pokémon Center in Fuchsia City run by another Joy?"
The woman did not answer, only turned and led them through a dimly lit corridor. The interior of the castle was even grander than its exterior; crystal chandeliers illuminated the red-carpeted hallway, and the walls on both sides were adorned with portraits of various Pokémon.
Finally, they were led to a circular hall. In the center of the hall was a huge battle platform, and several Trainers were already standing around it. Seeing Ash and his companions enter, a young man wearing a bandana snorted: "More overconfident fools have arrived."
"Ayi, be polite," a girl with a ponytail reprimanded, then turned to Ash and his group. "Hello, I'm Atian. These two are Kong Nan and Hai Nan. We also received invitations."
Ash introduced himself and then asked: "Where is the 'strongest Trainer'?"
As soon as he spoke, all the lights in the hall suddenly went out. In the darkness, a deep voice came from all directions:
"You have finally arrived, humans who claim to be excellent Trainers."
When the lights came back on, a purple figure floated on the battle platform. It had a humanoid appearance, but its entire body was covered in carapace-like biological armor, its tail swayed gently, and its purple eyes coldly looked down at everyone.
"What... kind of Pokémon is this?" Brock quickly pulled out his rotom phone and opened the Pokédex, but the screen only showed a jumble of garbled code.
"I am Mewtwo," the creature spoke, its voice directly resounding in everyone's minds. "Created by human hands, yet an existence beyond human comprehension."
Hai Nan was the first to react, releasing his Gyarados: "Stop playing games! Gyarados, use Hyper Beam!"
A golden energy beam shot straight at Mewtwo, but the latter merely raised a hand slightly. The beam suddenly veered off course a few centimeters from it, shattering a stained-glass window on one side of the hall.
"Is that all you've got?" Mewtwo's voice carried clear disappointment. "If you wish to challenge me, follow me to the true battle arena."
It turned and floated towards another large door. Ash and the others involuntarily followed. Passing through the corridor, they arrived at an open-air arena. Towering stands surrounded the field, but they were empty. The rain had stopped, but dark clouds still hung low, as if ready to press down at any moment.
Mewtwo floated in the center of the arena, purple energy swirling around its body: "Now, who will go first?"
Ash clenched his fists, his heart racing. This was no ordinary Pokémon battle, he could feel it. The deep confusion and anger in Mewtwo's eyes reminded him of some wild Pokémon he had encountered that had been hurt by humans. But at the same time, the power radiating from Mewtwo was so astonishing, far exceeding any Pokémon he had ever seen.
"Wait," Ash suddenly stepped forward. "Before you battle us, can you tell me why you're doing this?"
Mewtwo's gaze flickered, seemingly not expecting anyone to ask this question. After a moment of silence, it replied: "To find answers. About the meaning of my existence, about the relationship between humans and Pokémon... Perhaps in battle, I can find some clues."
Ash wanted to say more, but Hai Nan had already impatiently rushed to the battle position: "Enough talk! Gyarados, use Hyper Beam again!"
Mewtwo sighed and raised its hand: "It seems you are more accustomed to communicating through battle. Very well, then as you wish."
Purple light gathered in its palm, and the air in the entire arena began to tremble. Ash's hair stood on end from static electricity, and Pikachu jumped alertly in front of him, its cheek pouches crackling.
The battle was about to begin.