Meanwhile, after hearing Ash's words, Mewtwo fell silent.
It didn't know how to answer.
Sitting on the ground, it raised its head toward the sky, quietly reflecting on everything Ash had said.
Ash knew that, with Mewtwo's current mindset, there was no way it could come to an understanding overnight.
Words alone wouldn't be enough.
Only through real actions could he gradually change Mewtwo's way of thinking.
So, beside the crystal-clear spring on the island in the middle of the lake, Ash prepared to put the second part of his plan into action.
He took out some Psychic-type Pokémon food that he had exchanged from the system shop and held it out to Mewtwo.
"Here. Give this a try."
Then Ash turned his attention to the spring at Mount Quena.
The water was incredibly pure, without the slightest trace of pollution.
He couldn't help wondering what it would taste like.
Curious, he bent down and took a sip.
The moment the cool spring water entered his mouth, a refreshing sensation spread throughout his body. His entire mind became crystal clear, and even the Aura within him responded faintly.
The system soon explained that the spring water of Mount Quena naturally enhanced one's physical constitution, which was why he had experienced such an effect.
"This really is an amazing place..."
Ash silently committed the location to memory.
Perhaps someday in the future, this mysterious and beautiful place would prove useful.
Of course, Ash knew he wasn't like Naruto, capable of changing someone's heart with words alone.
So instead, he chose something far more tangible: food.
Sharing a meal was the quickest way to shorten the distance between himself and Mewtwo.
Seeing the Pokémon food Ash offered, Mewtwo accepted it almost instinctively. Somewhere along the way, it had already begun to trust him.
It took a tentative bite.
Its eyes immediately lit up.
"Delicious!"
After giving an honest compliment, Mewtwo quickly finished everything Ash had given it, yet still looked somewhat unsatisfied.
Smiling, Ash took out another serving and handed it over.
Sure enough, no matter the era or the person, delicious food was irresistible.
Even a Pokémon with Mewtwo's extraordinary intelligence had only existed for less than a year. Faced with genuine delicacies, it simply couldn't resist.
However, this peaceful and harmonious scene was about to come to an abrupt end.
Ash's keen senses detected numerous human aircraft rapidly approaching the area. They were sweeping the surroundings with countless red searchlights, clearly searching for Mewtwo's location.
Mewtwo sensed them as well.
After swallowing the last bite of food in one gulp, it looked up at the sky.
"Ash... perhaps this is fate."
"I didn't expect Giovanni to move this quickly. But remember... you are yourself. No one has the right to control you."
Giovanni was someone Ash knew he would have to keep a close eye on.
Back when he wasn't strong enough, he had reluctantly allowed Gary to act as the first to test the waters, and the results had been exactly what he had expected.
From everything Ash knew, every one of Giovanni's Pokémon was exceptionally powerful.
Among them, the one most renowned was his Beedrill.
For some reason, Ash had a strong feeling that one day in the future, he and Giovanni were destined to clash in battle.
"But now isn't the time to be thinking about that."
"Pika! Pikapi, pika!"
The cloned Pikachu suddenly left Ash's side and ran over to Mewtwo, chattering urgently.
"You're saying... at this point, we have no choice but to fight? To protect the place where we live, this is no longer just a battle. It's a war?"
Mewtwo translated the cloned Pikachu's meaning aloud.
The cloned Pikachu nodded.
Ash let out a helpless chuckle and looked at it.
"I didn't expect such a little guy like you to be so eager for a fight. Even my Pikachu isn't this fierce."
"Pikachu!"
As Ash looked toward the approaching aircraft, he also spotted a familiar hot air balloon.
It was unmistakably Team Rocket's balloon.
On board were Team Rocket's trio, along with Brock and Misty.
As for the blonde young woman, she had slipped away on a hang glider at some point without anyone noticing.
Ash shook his head with a sigh.
"Mewtwo, bring them over as well. With them here, at least we'll have more help."
Mewtwo nodded.
Using its psychic powers, it gently guided the hot air balloon toward the island, allowing it to land safely.
"Brock, Misty, this is Mewtwo. You still remember it, right?" Ash introduced.
"Mewtwo?"
Both Brock and Misty stared in shock.
They hadn't forgotten how terrifyingly powerful Mewtwo was.
But seeing Ash standing beside it unharmed put them greatly at ease.
"Twerp?!"
Team Rocket, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as fortunate.
After being tossed around and crashing onto the ground, they looked up and saw Mewtwo.
Instantly, painful memories from the past flooded back into their minds.
Ash turned toward the others.
"Brock, Misty, you arrived just in time."
"What's going on, Ash?"
"We're about to go to war."
After briefly explaining the situation, Ash continued, "I'm counting on both of you to protect this island. Mewtwo and Team Rocket are bound to clash head-on. We need to make sure they have nothing to worry about behind them."
He then released two of his Pokémon.
"Alakazam."
"Houndour."
"I'm leaving them here to help defend the island."
Ash looked toward Houndour and smiled.
"Houndour, you don't have to suppress yourself anymore. It's time to unleash your true power."
A brilliant white light enveloped Houndour.
As the evolution light faded, a majestic Houndoom stood proudly before everyone.
Mewtwo looked at the group.
"They're dependable."
"When the fighting starts, have all of your cloned Pokémon follow Alakazam's commands. Alakazam, can you do it?"
"Alakazam!"
Alakazam nodded firmly.
"That one is very reliable."
Mewtwo gave a rare word of praise before looking back at Ash with hesitation.
"Do we really have to fight?"
"Mewtwo, are you afraid because you still don't feel like you belong?" Ash asked softly. "After all, the people you're about to face are the ones who created you."
His words struck directly at Mewtwo's deepest concern.
Mewtwo stared at Ash in surprise before quietly nodding.
"But don't you have me now?"
Ash smiled as he patted Mewtwo on the shoulder again.
"We've eaten together. We'll fight together. Doesn't that make us partners?"
He met Mewtwo's eyes with a reassuring smile.
Recalling everything that had happened between them over the past little while, Mewtwo slowly nodded.
It finally acknowledged that bond.
"Then..."
"Let's prepare for battle."
This little side quest was almost cleared.
...
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