"Let's meet tonight at the Saffron Department Store," Nozomi said.
He braked to a stop at a crucial moment and spoke to Lorelei.
The Saffron Department Store was the largest shopping mall in the city — and when it came to meeting a girl, this was definitely the perfect choice.
Lorelei didn't think too much of it. She nodded with a soft smile."Then, I'll see you tonight."
After returning to the Saffron Gym, Nozomi didn't rest right away. Instead, he and Sabrina went to the gym's training arena.
Once he had dismissed the gym's students, Nozomi took out the Master Ball containing Mewtwo, under Sabrina's watchful, eager gaze.
"So this is Mewtwo?"Sabrina looked at the Master Ball in his hand.
Even through the Master Ball's surface, she could feel the immense psychic pressure emanating from within. This feeling was completely different from the restrained Mewtwo she had seen before — that one had been shackled, controlled; this one was wild and overwhelming.
Nozomi released his Metagross, then triggered its Mega Evolution, turning to warn her:"Be careful. I'm opening the Master Ball."
As the first person ever to use a Master Ball — a true pioneer — Nozomi had no idea how much control it could actually exert over a Pokémon like Mewtwo.
To others, he might seem overly cautious, but Nozomi knew better. Every year, there were trainers attacked by their own ill-tempered Pokémon. And this wasn't just any Pokémon — this was a Legendary. When facing a being of that level, no amount of caution was excessive.
Sabrina nodded, though worry flickered in her eyes."Mewtwo… isn't going to destroy my gym, is it?"
"Uh… probably not," Nozomi said after a pause.
Her concern sounded exaggerated — yet the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. If Mewtwo suddenly went berserk and he failed to stop it in time… well, there might not be a gym left afterward.
Still, backing down wasn't in Nozomi's nature.
He signaled to Mega Metagross to stay alert, then pressed the button on the Master Ball.
Bang!
The Master Ball burst open, releasing a flash of pale lavender light that coalesced into Mewtwo in the middle of the training field.
At once, a suffocating wave of psychic pressure rolled through the entire gym.
The ceiling lights flickered erratically; the glass windows rattled in their frames.Every student elsewhere in the gym who was practicing psychic meditation suddenly felt their focus shatter, jolted out of their trance by a pulse of instinctive dread.
"What was that?""It came from the arena!""What a strong psychic wave… is Miss Sabrina training again?"
They murmured among themselves — unaware that the very "Miss Sabrina" they spoke of was herself struggling to stay upright beneath the crushing weight of that power.
Her teeth clenched, her eyes glowed blue, and psychic energy whirled around her body in defiance of Mewtwo's oppressive aura.
"Nozomi…" she forced out through gritted teeth.
But Nozomi didn't answer.
He stood frozen, locked in a silent stare with Mewtwo.
Trainer and Pokémon — human and creation — gazed into each other's eyes, tension hanging heavy in the air.To an outsider, the scene might look eerie, but Nozomi had a hunch: Mewtwo was studying him.
They say eyes are the window to the soul — and Mewtwo, it seemed, was looking for something.Was it assessing him? Testing whether he was worthy to be its master?
That, Nozomi suspected, was exactly what was happening.
Outwardly calm, he met Mewtwo's gaze without flinching.
If he had any virtues worth mentioning, they were humility — and honesty.He didn't try to fake a friendly façade; he faced Mewtwo simply as himself.
As long as Mewtwo didn't immediately lash out, Nozomi could handle whatever came next.
They stared at each other for a long time.
Finally, Mewtwo looked away first.
"Human… you are strange."
The voice echoed not in Nozomi's ears, but in his mind.
"Strange? Me?" Nozomi blinked, touching his face. "How so?"
"I have met many humans — including Giovanni," Mewtwo said, its voice calm and resonant in his head."When they face me, all of them try to hide their true selves. Only you stand unguarded. Tell me… why?"
It spoke like a philosopher, its tone contemplative, ancient beyond its age.
Nozomi couldn't help but think the Mewtwo he had caught felt… different from how he'd imagined.But then again, for a Pokémon born asking the question 'Who am I?' — this kind of introspective behavior was only natural.
So he answered plainly:"Because I'm confident I can beat you."
It wasn't bravado — just fact.
Yes, it would technically be three-on-one, but still. If he sent out Mega Metagross, Dragonite, and Steelix together, this newborn Mewtwo, still in its growth stage and far from mastering its full power, wouldn't stand a chance.
Mewtwo fell silent.
It didn't know the source of this human's confidence, but after their earlier battle, Nozomi had already proven his strength.Now, facing that unwavering certainty again, Mewtwo couldn't help but believe him.
"So what do you plan to do now?" it asked quietly.
Its long, purple tail twitched nervously — a subconscious sign of tension.This Mewtwo was still young, still inexperienced with the world.And when faced with someone stronger than itself, even it felt uncertain.
"Become my so—" Nozomi coughed mid-sentence, correcting himself with a grin."No, become my Pokémon!"
He flashed a warm, almost paternal smile and extended his hand.
Mewtwo hesitated.Born from human experimentation, it had never known acceptance — only purpose, only control. Its existence had always been a question mark.
It had once pinned its hopes on Giovanni, believing the man might give meaning to its life…But Giovanni had only ever viewed it as a tool — a weapon for his ambitions.
Even without Nozomi's intervention, Mewtwo had already been planning to leave him.
Now, facing another human who sought to claim it, Mewtwo's heart wavered.Was this any different from before?
It didn't know.
But before it could reach a conclusion, Nozomi spoke again — his voice firm yet gentle:"I heard you've been searching for the meaning of your existence. Maybe… I can help with that."
That same bright, sincere smile spread across his face — one so effortlessly human that even the genetically engineered Pokémon couldn't ignore it.