At that moment, Red opened one of the Poké Balls at his waist.
A flash of white light—
and Mewtwo appeared before Professor Oak and the others.
"M-Mewtwo?!"
Professor Oak's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the artificial Legendary Pokémon.
The next second—
he nearly fainted from excitement.
"H-hello! I'm Professor Oak! I've long heard of you—would you mind letting me study you?"
Mewtwo instinctively felt a wave of disgust.
Before things could escalate—
Gary stepped in front of Oak.
"Grandpa, now's not the time to look for research subjects."
"We need to treat Master's Ninetales."
Oak froze—
then looked at Mewtwo with deep regret… practically drooling.
"…What a pity. Come with me."
With Mewtwo and Professor Oak working together—
Ninetales' life-force depletion was finally stabilized.
Although her level dropped back down to Level 40—
Red didn't care.
As long as she survived, that was enough.
By now—
Ninetales' position in his heart had already risen to the same level as Marshtomp and Larvitar.
After the treatment—
Mewtwo ignored Oak's lingering gaze and brought Red to a quiet corner.
"I'm leaving."
Red wasn't surprised—
but he still felt a trace of regret.
After the battle on Champion Island—
Mewtwo had avoided dealing with the League by hiding inside Red's Poké Ball.
To Mewtwo—
Red might have been "the one who betrayed it"—
but he was also the only being it acknowledged as similar to itself.
So it had stayed.
At the time—
Red had nearly passed out from excitement.
After all—
this was Mewtwo.
If Lance stood at the peak of human strength—
then Mewtwo stood at the peak of the entire world.
Having it by his side would've meant walking the world without fear.
But Red knew—
Mewtwo would never stay forever.
"I can feel it."
"It's looking for me."
At the mention of "it,"
Mewtwo's expression became complicated.
"I have to meet it eventually."
"And… I want to see this vast world."
Mewtwo extended its hand.
"So this is goodbye, partner."
"Next time we meet—"
"let's have a real Pokémon battle."
"You and your Pokémon."
"Not that farce from before."
Red smiled and bumped fists with it.
"Anytime."
"Songzao Gym will always have a place for you."
A soft thud—
their fists met.
Blue psychic energy enveloped Mewtwo—
and in the next instant—
it shot into the sky like a supersonic jet.
The sonic boom forced Red to step back several times.
Watching it leave—
he suddenly shouted:
"Don't forget—look inward for your power!"
"Your current form isn't your limit!"
"As the most unique Pokémon in this world—your strength goes far beyond this!"
Mewtwo paused slightly midair.
"…Look inward?"
It nodded thoughtfully—
glanced back one last time—
and vanished into the unknown horizon.
Red knew—
Mewtwo was one of the rare Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution—
and even had two distinct Mega forms.
Its true power—
had yet to be unlocked.
"Good luck… Mewtwo."
He took a deep breath—
trying to steady himself.
But once Mewtwo was gone—
he sat on the grass, staring at the sky at a 45-degree angle.
"My Mewtwo… just left like that…"
Just then—
the Poké Ball at his waist suddenly shook violently.
A burst of psychic energy emerged.
"This Poké Ball is yours."
"If you encounter an enemy you cannot handle—"
"I will come."
Red blinked—
then smiled.
"So… a life-saving charm?"
"Summon Mewtwo when things go bad… not bad at all."
[Poké Ball (White)]
[Effect: Can summon a Pokémon for assistance in critical moments]
[Comment: Clench your fist and shout 'Mewtwo!'—help will arrive.]
"…That comment is way too cheeky."
Even though it was only a white-grade item—
to Red—
it was now his most valuable possession.
He shrank the Poké Ball, threaded it onto a string, and wore it around his neck.
"Even if Ninetales got weaker…"
"I've got a new bodyguard now."
As he returned to Oak's lab—
a soft voice called out.
Ninetales had already gotten out of bed.
She transformed into her human form—
ran over—
and hugged him tightly.
"Master… I thought I'd never see you again…"
Red chuckled, patting her head and fox ears.
"Alright, that's enough. Don't get so dramatic."
But Ninetales refused to let go.
Red turned to Professor Oak.
"Thank you, Professor."
Oak scratched his head awkwardly.
"I didn't really do much…"
Then he leaned closer and whispered:
"You've heard about Viridian Gym being shut down, right?"
"The Eight Gyms are the League's public image."
"Some things won't be made public."
"But… that leaves a vacancy."
"Red—this is a rare opportunity."
"You should seize it."
Red stroked his chin.
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted.
After all—
just the system rewards alone made it worth pursuing.
But he also knew—
becoming one of the official Eight Gyms of the League wouldn't be easy.
It required careful planning.
Right now, though—
there was only one thing on his mind.
"…Time to go home."
◇ You can read 60+ chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/ElaraVance1
✨ Bonus Chapter Goals ✨
10 Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter