Just as Logan confirmed that he had found the person he was searching for, Mewtwo's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Hearing those words, Logan immediately understood how the man before him—Professor Fuji—knew such intimate details about Mewtwo. At the same time, a faint wariness rose in his heart. After all, anyone who had once worked alongside Blaine to create Mewtwo must have been involved with Team Rocket.
But it was nothing more than vigilance. With Logan's current strength, he rarely ever felt true danger anymore. Even if Giovanni himself appeared here and now, Logan would not flinch.
Professor Fuji was no fool. With a lifetime of experience behind him, he read the slight shift in Logan's eyes and quickly waved his hands, rising from his desk.
"…I no longer have any ties to them," he said firmly.
Then he bent down toward his granddaughter, speaking with gentle warmth. A small Cubone stood faithfully at the girl's side.
"I have important matters to discuss with our guests. Why don't you take Cubone and go play for a while?"
"Okay! Big brother, big sisters—you talk with Grandpa, I'll go play."
The girl waved sweetly at Logan, Cynthia, and Yellow before scampering out of the office.
For a moment, Logan considered asking Yellow to join her. But when he glanced at the girl's upright posture, sitting stiffly and seriously as if trying to act grown-up, he held his tongue. She was no longer a child he could treat as one forever. She, too, needed room to grow.
Cynthia and Yellow remained silent, content to simply listen. Neither interrupted nor sought to steal the moment from Logan. They understood well what an exceptional woman should do when a man was engaged in serious discussion.
"Here, have something to drink," Professor Fuji said, setting bottles of soda before them before lowering himself onto the sofa across from Logan. His face sank into thought.
"Thank you," Logan replied as he accepted one. Then, after a pause, he spoke in a calm, steady tone. "Although Mewtwo was created by you, Professor, I don't believe you and I have ever crossed paths before."
Fuji blinked at first, then his eyes lit with sudden realization.
"…Mewtwo told you this, didn't it?" His voice carried certainty even though the words formed a question.
The Professor was an older man, his head completely bald, his age somewhere between Blaine and Professor Oak. In fact, his appearance bore some resemblance to Blaine's. And his next words confirmed Logan's suspicion.
"I was originally from Cinnabar Island. Blaine and I have known each other for decades—we were close friends. Together, we once accepted Team Rocket's invitation and joined what became known as the 'Mewtwo Project.' Under our direction, the project advanced smoothly. But in the end, we encountered a terrible, insurmountable obstacle…"
"…I'm sure you know what it was, Champion. Mewtwo was designed as a clone of Mew. But to truly 'surpass Mew,' something was required—something that Mew itself lacked."
Professor Fuji's voice grew heavy.
"Human DNA," Logan answered flatly. Few outside the project leaders understood as much as he did. After all, he himself had been both the beneficiary and the victim of that plan.
"Yes. Human genes," Fuji confirmed grimly. "They were easy enough to acquire. But through our research, we discovered that any human who provided them would suffer catastrophic backlash—Mewtwo's genetic essence would corrode their cells, threatening their lives. Team Rocket proposed capturing innocent people to use as test subjects. I opposed it, but no matter how fiercely I argued, my protests went unheard."
Fuji sighed, regret thick in his tone. "…It was then I realized Team Rocket was not a research institute at all—it was a criminal organization. So I fled, taking my granddaughter and escaping to Lavender Town."
"After that… you know what happened. Blaine had planned to use his own genes, but Team Rocket wanted Mewtwo to be even stronger. Behind Blaine's back, they forcibly integrated the DNA of another innocent person."
Logan said nothing. He simply glanced at his companions. Yellow's face was blank with confusion—she knew only that Team Rocket was an evil group, nothing more. Cynthia, however, had an expression of thoughtfulness, and when Logan's eyes met hers, her soft gray gaze reflected nothing but concern and understanding.
Logan had no desire to use his past as a story for pity. He was content with the life he had now, and he was still striving toward his own goals with all his strength.
"If you called me here only to apologize, Professor, then allow me to answer: I accept. There's no need for you to carry this weight any longer. The past is the past. We must always move forward. You bear some responsibility, yes, but not the greater share. And if your conscience still troubles you… then let me say it clearly: I forgive you."
Logan's voice was steady, carrying the composure and magnanimity of a true Champion.
After all, if not for the Mewtwo Project, I might never have crossed into this world in the first place, he thought with a wry smile.
"Heh… Champion, you are truly magnanimous. Hearing you say that lifts a great burden from my heart."
Professor Fuji's lips curved in relief. "But aside from that matter, I asked you here today for another reason—a reason to thank you."
"Thank me?" Logan tilted his head slightly.
"Yes, to thank you. After the Mewtwo Project collapsed, Team Rocket attempted to restart it. As one of its former architects, I became a target. My presence in Lavender couldn't remain hidden forever. Once they discovered me, they dispatched an executive to this very town. Their aim was twofold: to seize the Pokémon Tower as a base—and to capture me."
Fuji's tone grew somber, even trembling slightly with the memory. "…That Cubone you saw earlier? Its mother was slaughtered by Team Rocket during that assault. My granddaughter was kidnapped as well. But then, it seemed Team Rocket had provoked someone—or something—far more terrifying. Their entire force here was annihilated, and though my granddaughter survived, she remained trapped inside the Pokémon Tower."
"…If not for you, Champion, she would likely have perished there."
"It was nothing," Logan replied with a casual wave of his hand. "A small effort, that's all."
To him, the Lavender Town incident had indeed been incidental. He had gone there originally to rescue Blue Oak, and saving so many others in the process was little more than a byproduct.
"To you, perhaps it was nothing," Fuji said, his voice thick with emotion. "But to me, it was everything. My granddaughter is my only family. If she had been lost… I would not have wished to go on living. Seeing her safe, seeing her grow up happy—that alone makes my life complete."
Overcome, Fuji rose from his seat and moved behind his desk. With great care, he unlocked a drawer and withdrew a small, ornate wooden box, placing it gently upon the desk.
"Genetics was only one of my pursuits. Compared to Blaine, I lack the same mastery of scientific theory. But my true life's research… is this."
He pushed the box toward Logan, his expression now utterly grave.
"Tell me, Champion—have you ever heard of the ancient power passed down for generations in the Kalos region?"
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