Giovanni's actions were far beyond anything Gary could've imagined. As the leader of Team Rocket and the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto, he actually sent Mewtwo out just because Gary had mocked him earlier.
Was this still human behavior? Where was the dignity of a strong Trainer? Had he fed it to a Pokémon?
Misty swallowed hard. "So… this is the Mewtwo Blaine mentioned? Even through the barrier, it feels terrifying."
She instinctively reached out for Togepi, only to remember Togepi was still inside the barrier with Ash.
"The pressure is overwhelming," Brock muttered. "That machinery must have been suppressing Mewtwo earlier. Now that Giovanni removed most of it, its aura is dozens of times stronger than when it fought Gary."
No matter how strong Ash was, no normal Pokémon could defeat a Pokémon Blaine described as capable of crushing Champions like they were nothing. A six-on-one wouldn't even scratch it.
Unless Ash himself entered the fight, the odds were grim.
Giovanni heard their whispering and chuckled. "Blaine? So you really met him. No wonder you aren't surprised by Mewtwo."
He hadn't expected Ash and his friends to actually run into the elusive scientist. Giovanni had searched for Blaine with the entire strength of Team Rocket and still failed, yet Ash simply visited Cinnabar Island for a few days and stumbled right into him.
The efficiency was absurd.
But it didn't matter.
After today, Ash would join Team Rocket. Team Rocket would finally gain someone truly capable.
Misty and Brock covered their mouths, realizing they had accidentally revealed information. They had spoken extremely quietly, how did Giovanni even hear them?
Ash ignored the slip and said calmly:
"Yes, we met Blaine. He told us about Mewtwo… and called it an uncontrollable monster. But I don't believe that. Even an artificial Pokémon is still a Pokémon. What shapes its personality and temperament is its environment, and the humans around it."
He looked straight at Mewtwo.
"So the reason Blaine saw a monster isn't because Mewtwo was born evil, but because of how Team Rocket treated it. If it were raised properly, it would be no different from any other Pokémon. Isn't that right… Mewtwo?"
Mewtwo didn't answer. Only its palm trembled slightly, no words were transmitted, no emotion expressed.
Ash's eyes dimmed for a moment, then regained their determination.
'Fine. If I can't reach you with words yet, I'll defeat Giovanni first, then save you afterward.'
That was the only path forward.
Giovanni burst into laughter. "Trying to reason with Mewtwo? Foolish. It will never listen to you. We shaped its values, we shaped its strength, and it belongs to Team Rocket. Once we recover the missing piece inside it, the entire world will kneel before us!"
The 'piece' he referred to was naturally Mewtwo's missing Psychic origin. Because of the missing origin, Mewtwo could never reach the God Realm level. As long as it didn't reach theat level, even if Mewtwo had abilities far beyond ordinary Pokémon, it couldn't fight the entire Alliance alone.
That kind of feat was something only a god could accomplish.
Giovanni had been chasing Blaine for years, desperately searching for the missing Psychic origin. Yet what he sought was already right before his eyes.
"Weapon? You're comparing a living being to a weapon. As expected of you. Someone like you, absolutely cannot be forgiven!!"
Ash clenched his teeth. Fury burned across his face, and the power flowing from him into Venusaur surged to its peak.
"Go, Venusaur- World of Trees-Advent!!"
The battle reignited without warning. Ash commanded Venusaur to attack Mewtwo head-on.
Giovanni had never even heard of such a move, but the power condensing around Venusaur told him it surpassed Frenzy Plant entirely. Facing Mewtwo, Ash still chose Venusaur. In Giovanni's eyes, this was simply a newborn calf not fearing a tiger. Did the boy truly believe beating an High level Pokémon meant he could challenge a Champion-class one?
"Vena!!"
Venusaur roared, and countless rootlike vines erupted from the ground, instantly swallowing the entire battlefield.
"Frenzy Plant? Hah. So he made more of them and gave it a dramatic name. Changing the title doesn't make it your 'original move.'"
To Giovanni, it was still just Frenzy Plant. And inferior Grass-type attacks should have no effect on a Psychic-type.
But then;
"Vena!!"
Venusaur roared again. A deeper, heavier power shook the air, causing gravel at the arena's edge to rattle and bounce.
The Frenzy Plants suddenly transformed. Roots that had only been arm-thick moments ago swelled, infused with explosive life force, thickening until they were as wide as a man's outstretched arms.
Dozens of colossal roots surged upward like living serpents, racing toward Mewtwo. In seconds, branches and vines wove together into a vast, impenetrable lattice, completely engulfing Mewtwo's figure.
Within heartbeats, the battlefield had turned into a lush, ancient forest, exactly like the name Ash had shouted: World of Trees' Advent.
Even Giovanni, Misty, and Brock froze. This was no Frenzy Plant. The entire arena had become a forest domain.
Inside the writhing roots, pale pink blossoms bloomed, scattering a sweet fragrance through the air. Giovanni, protected behind Mewtwo's barrier, inhaled none of it.
Had he breathed in even a little, he would have instantly felt his limbs go numb and his consciousness begin to drift.
World of Trees' Advent was a refined, evolved Frenzy Plan, empowered by the core life force of Xerneas. It caused the technique to undergo a qualitative transformation.
The vines grew not only massive but also produced blossoms whose scent forced both humans and Pokémon alike into paralysis, followed by sleep. Because paralysis came first, even physical pain couldn't easily wake the victim.
On top of that, the move absorbed life force from any target it enveloped.
Once caught, the victim suffered massive damage, entered paralysis, fell asleep, and had their vitality drained to strengthen the forest.
"Crack… crack… crack!!"
Mechanical grinding echoed from deep within the forest, Mewtwo's restraints being strained to their limits. Giovanni's expression shifted instantly.
"Mewtwo! Use Psychic, tear those things apart!"
Muffled vibrations echoed from deep within the living forest. A few seconds later;
BOOM!!
The massive tree-roots imprisoning Mewtwo were blown apart by a violent shockwave. A surge of psychic force wrapped around Mewtwo's body, and every vine or root that tried to approach was instantly crushed to dust.
Ash's expression tensed. Those plants weren't ordinary vines, each one was nearly as tough as steel. Yet Mewtwo had pulverized them like brittle twigs. That alone showed how terrifying its power really was.
Within moments, every growing root was shredded. The lush forest Venusaur had created vanished completely, collapsing into motes of green energy before fading away. All that remained was a battlefield covered in deep craters where the vines had once been anchored.
Mewtwo, still bound in its armor, lowered its raised arm. Half its exposed face was lightly panting; clearly, erasing the entire forest hadn't been effortless even for it.
Still, the fact that Venusaur had forced this much exertion from Mewtwo, was already a feat to be proud of.
But Venusaur was paying the price. The moment the World of Trees dissolved, its posture sagged. That attack was similar to Charizard overlaying its moves with Sacred Fire, using divine power as a catalyst. For Venusaur's current strength, forcing out that technique drained nearly everything. At least eighty percent of its stamina was gone.
It was a trump card, nothing more. A one-shot miracle.
Ash never intended for Venusaur to keep fighting after using it. And with its strength stripped away, even brushing against Mewtwo's power now would injure it severely.
"Return, Venusaur."
Ash recalled it before Mewtwo could strike. Mewtwo's arm halted midway, the target gone, and slowly lowered again.
Giovanni gave a thin, mocking smile.
"So that was all it had. One flashy move, and now it's empty. I suppose you planned to use Mewtwo as some sort of test? But your Venusaur is spent, and you only have one Pokémon left. What exactly do you plan to send out against this?"
He gestured casually at Mewtwo, still hovering effortlessly, still emanating oppressive danger.
"That big move of yours was impressive, but ultimately superficial. Venusaur's stamina is gone. Now no matter what you send, it won't threaten Mewtwo."
He was confident, too confident.
Ash ignored him, closing his eyes and sinking his consciousness into the chat group.
Newbie Ash: Seniors, it's your turn. Who's taking over this time?
Champion Ash: Which of Giovanni's main Pokémon are we dealing with?
The Champion responded instantly, clearly waiting for this.
Newbie Ash: It's Mewtwo.
Champion Ash: Holy crap. Is the Giovanni in your world seriously that shameless?!
...
Stones Plzz
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