[Diantha: This Pikachu... is much more vicious than Ash's!]
[Flint: What a temper... even talking about "war." Is it really that fierce?]
[Cynthia: Perhaps it's the anger accumulated from being unable to go out into the world for so long. They've known for a long time what kind of existence forced them to hide in this corner.]
[Lorelei: Exactly. That's why Pikachu has such a deep hatred for Mewtwo's enemies—Team Rocket—who forced them here. The enmity between them has reached a point of life and death!]
[Lance: Team Rocket... they truly are despicable!]
Mount Quena: The Present
Mewtwo watched the footage of the army's arrival. As a bystander with high intelligence, he immediately understood why Team Rocket dared to be so blatant. Their primary targets were likely his companions on the cliff. Once his companions were taken hostage, even with his overwhelming power, his hands would be tied.
'If you dare come here now... I will show you what it means to be truly human!''As for that man named Lance... I'll go a bit easier on him when I deal with him...'
Lance had no idea that his good performance in the chat had temporarily moved him halfway off Mewtwo's "hit list." Whether he could be completely removed would depend on his future actions.
In the Footage—
Mewtwo looked at the moon and spoke calmly: 'The moon cannot shine without the light of the sun.''And the world illuminated by the sun is the world where the true creatures of this planet exist.''We clone Pokémon are merely their shadows, yet we cannot find a world where shadows can exist.'
The Mewtwo corrected by Ash's actions was no longer arrogant; he had become quite peaceful. Perhaps a bit too peaceful. The once-unbeatable Mewtwo had willingly accepted being a "shadow." It was an unbelievable transformation.
"Pika! Pikachu!! Pika!!" "Why do we have to be shadows willingly, meow?" Meowth translated. "Pika-pika! Pikachu!" "I know! There's a much larger world outside this lake! Why must we only exist here? Even after fleeing here, we are still hunted, meow!"
As the Clone Pikachu shouted, large tears fell from its eyes. It desperately wanted to see the world! But because it was a clone, and because people were constantly searching for clones, it couldn't leave Mewtwo's sight for a single step.
To leave was to invite death. Even under Mewtwo's protection, trouble had found them.
Watching the poor Pikachu's lament, even the Team Rocket trio felt their hearts soften. Deep down, they weren't really cut out for true evil; their "villainy" was just a habit.
Mewtwo watched the advancing Rocket fleet and murmured: 'I know there is a wider world... but we are clones.' He was stuck in a psychological loop.
The Capture
Mewtwo decided to take the clones and continue their wandering life. He didn't want to fight Team Rocket, even if they were there to capture him.
After all, Team Rocket were the "parents" who created him. He could disobey them, but he couldn't bring himself to destroy them. At least, the version of him influenced by Ash couldn't.
However, the Clone Pikachu didn't feel the same. It led a group of clones to confront Team Rocket. Unfortunately, bravery didn't equal strength; the clones were no match for the fleet's high-tech weaponry.
While Ash and the others built a boat to cross the lake, the Clone Pikachu's group was ambushed.
Rocket's advanced technology knocked them out instantly. These Pokémon, many of which had Gym-leader level strength, were captured in specialized Poké Balls before they could even fire a single move.
Only Ash's Pikachu, the Clone Pikachu, and the two Meowths managed to escape, fleeing into the woods.
[Lance: Oh... Meowth, have you finally officially defected?]
[Diantha: It's a crisis, but why do I find this funny? Team Rocket chasing Team Rocket's Meowth... pfft~]
[Professor Oak: Honestly, it would be great if Meowth reformed! Aside from his desire to do "bad things," his worldview is quite normal—even more moral than some humans!]
The Showdown: Giovanni vs. Mewtwo
As the situation grew dire for the fleeing Pokémon, Mewtwo intervened. With a casual Shadow Ball, he shattered the Rocket weaponry and used his telekinesis to burst all the capture balls, freeing the clones.
Then, Giovanni emerged from one of the transport planes. "We meet again... Mewtwo!" 'Hmph! You... my power is far greater than before. You think you can control me now?' "You are indeed stronger. But... do not underestimate human technology!"
Giovanni snapped his fingers. Two small machines—one red, one blue—flew out and flanked Mewtwo. They erupted with intense golden energy, slamming into Mewtwo and knocking him from the sky.
The audience gasped. Could a machine really beat a Mewtwo even stronger than the one from the first movie?
But Mewtwo slowly rose from the crater, completely unharmed. 'You think a heartless machine can defeat me?' "I wonder who you learned that stubbornness from," Giovanni sneered. "It is precisely because they have no hearts that they can capture you! Try this!"
The machines swirled around Mewtwo again. 'Try your worst.' Mewtwo's psychic field flared. Giovanni ordered Domino to "Increase output!" Two massive beams of energy surged forward.
Mewtwo held out his hands, and the terrifying force was frozen mid-air. With a sudden burst of power, Mewtwo sent the machines flying into the surrounding rocks with such force that they embedded themselves deep into the stone.
The rocks shattered, but the machines remained intact—Giovanni had clearly invested heavily in their durability.
"As expected of you, Mewtwo! Heartless machines cannot surpass your power; I know this well." "However... things with hearts have strength, but they also have weaknesses!" Giovanni pointed to the island in the lake where the other clone Pokémon lived—the ones who just wanted to live in peace.
"I have no chance in a direct fight against you. Even all of Team Rocket here couldn't beat you. But... what if the battlefield is that island?"
The Regional Chat: Red Joins the Fray
[Will: Wow! I've never seen someone so shamelessly proud of being a coward!]
[Lance: That's Giovanni for you. If he weren't this shameless, he wouldn't have been able to lead Team Rocket while hiding from the League for so long.]
[Red (Parallel World): The Giovanni in our world... was stronger than this.]
Red's comment was the final straw. Giovanni, sitting in his headquarters, gritted his teeth in rage. He could handle the Elite Four's mockery, but Red—a child who had defeated his world's counterpart—was too much.
To Giovanni, comparing him to the "failed" Giovanni of Red's world (who disbanded Team Rocket over a badge) was the ultimate insult.
[Giovanni: Brat! Don't think you're so great just because you beat the Elite Four and caught a Mewtwo! If you have the guts, come to Team Rocket's headquarters! I'll show you the difference between our worlds!]
[Red: Address.]
[Giovanni: Hoenn Region, Jagged Pass, the cave at the base of Mt. Chimney! Come if you dare!]
[Red: I'll be there tonight.]
Hoenn: Mt. Chimney
Maxie (Leader of Team Magma), reading the chat, felt his blood run cold. You son of a... whose address are you giving out?! Giovanni, you dog! Yesterday, they were discussing Groudon; today, Giovanni was stabbing him in the back! Red was a legend who had defeated High-Tier Legendaries. If he came to Mt. Chimney, Team Magma would be wiped out in a single night!
[Maxie: Giovanni, you're full of it! Red, listen to me—Jagged Pass is Team Magma territory! Team Rocket isn't even here!!]
[Red: Doesn't matter. It's all the same. My hands are itchy; I want a fight.]
[Maxie: ...](Immediate orders: ALL TEAM MAGMA MEMBERS EVACUATE NOW!)
Professor Oak's Backyard: "Red, you're really going?" Ash asked. "With Mewtwo, it won't take an hour to get there.
I wanted to stretch my legs, but Team Magma ran away the moment they heard my name. No fun... I guess I'll stay and watch the footage with you." Red's fighting spirit flickered out.
"Red, if you went there, wouldn't you just be a pawn for Giovanni?" Gary pointed out. "I didn't plan on doing anything to them, just practice.
Besides, if I attacked, Magma would hate Rocket even more. Giovanni was just digging a hole for himself." The group realized Red was thinking several steps ahead. Terrifying!
If you want to read more, join my P@treon/kazama677
I will drop 1 bonus chapter for every 50 Power Stones