Chapter 64: Mewtwo
Souichi's group and Rio's group of Pokémon, still on the first floor, heard a huge noise from above and all looked up.
"Boom!" The ceiling of the first floor suddenly shattered, and a series of figures, large and small, fell down.
"Ah, it's Takuma and the others!"
Rio's eyes were sharp; he could tell that the falling figures were indeed Takuma's group and their Pokémon, who had split off earlier.
Before Rio could move to help, the Blastoise Boss beside him had already rushed forward like a shooting star. A stream of water surged from the ground, slowing the group's descent.
Machoke, Arcanine, and other Pokémon used their excellent physical conditioning to land steadily on the first floor.
After everything had settled down, Rio finally had time to look up and size up this newly appeared muscular hunk.
"You are... Brother Machop?"
"(Pokémon Language) I've evolved into Machoke now, haha." Machoke laughed heartily, then introduced the old man he was carefully protecting on his back to Rio. "(Pokémon Language) This is the respected Professor Kamiya."
After experiencing being bound and falling from the upper floor, Professor Kamiya still looked hale and hearty. The first thing he saw was the visor Rio was wearing and the familiar device hanging by his ear. He said with some surprise, "(Human Language) Oh my, this... isn't this the translator I gave to Machop before? In its current state, it's been modified quite well."
Takuma, who was eavesdropping nearby, was secretly pleased, but was then pulled away by his parents.
The Professor carefully observed Rio's visor, then looked at Rio with a rather interested expression. He bent down and shook Rio's hand. "(Human Language) Hello, you are... a Riolu, right? I never expected to be able to see such a legendary Pokémon."
Rio's heart skipped a beat. This was the first time in this world that his Pokémon species had been recognized. Truly worthy of a learned Pokémon Professor.
The Professor seemed to have a deep interest in Rio. After being helped down by Machoke, he circled Rio continuously, observing him and asking questions with great interest, completely disregarding the tense and volatile situation on the field.
One could only say that when an intellectual's desire for research flared up, even mortal danger could be ignored.
While Rio and Professor Kamiya were conversing here, over there, Takuma was finally able to embrace his parents.
"(Human Language) Takuma, let mommy see if you're hurt."
Mrs. Watanabe checked Takuma up and down with concern.
"Dad, Mom, these are all my Pokémon friends."
Takuma grinned and ran to the Blastoise Boss's side, reaching out to pat the latter's broad shell.
Blastoise Boss: o_o
Just as Takuma was feeling proud, he didn't expect Mrs. Watanabe to suddenly ask seriously, "(Human Language) But where did you get those explosive things? Haven't I told you many times not to play with such dangerous things..."
"Ah, this..."
Takuma looked embarrassed. His ear was then grabbed by his mother, who nagged him incessantly.
The group gathered together, talking, but they had overlooked an important figure.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, these temporary brainwashing tools are really shoddy."
Jerrod's disdainful voice sounded. Before him lay the fainted Gyarados, while the Golduck Leader stood by his side with its head lowered.
He kicked Gyarados forcefully with his foot, a look of disgust in his eyes.
"Forget it. I knew this trash couldn't be relied upon. In the end, I still have to use 'His' power." Jerrod casually took off his cloak, tossed it aside, and hooked a finger under the collar of his shirt, which bore the Team Rocket insignia, seemingly trying to dissipate the heat from his body.
At this moment, an unnatural flush appeared on his pale face, and his expression became fanatical.
"Let me show you all what the power of a god is. Tremble before this power! Struggle! Wail!" Jerrod laughed maniacally.
"Mortals!"
Is it finally coming?
Stopping their idle chat, Souichi, Rio, the Blastoise Boss, and the others fixed their gazes on the agitated Jerrod.
"Thump-thump," "Thump-thump." Rio actually felt a little like laughing at Jerrod's exaggerated performance earlier, but seeing what the latter did next, the amusement in his heart was instantly erased, leaving only his heart pounding nervously, heavily, beat, by beat.
"Be careful!"
Souichi said in a low voice to the Blastoise Boss.
The Blastoise Boss nodded, his eyes locked on Jerrod's every move.
Jerrod slowly took out a shrunken Poké Ball from his waist. The color of this Poké Ball was different from the common red-and-white scheme; it was a deep black that seemed to absorb all light, with only the dividing line and the button in the middle being a contrasting white.
"Beep." Jerrod pressed the button in the middle of the Poké Ball. The entire Dark Poké Ball expanded to the size of a fist.
Under the watchful eyes of all the humans and Pokémon, this unusual black Poké Ball began to seep a dark purple smoke, which swirled around the Poké Ball and Jerrod, an immense yet evil aura lingering within it.
"Ah, my god!"
A fanatical look appeared in Jerrod's eyes.
"Interrupt his summon! Blastoise, use [Water Gun], aim for that Poké Ball!"
Suddenly, Souichi directly issued a command, and the Blastoise Boss also, without hesitation, shot out a stream of water.
"Pachirisu, use [Thunderbolt]!"
After commanding the Blastoise Boss, Souichi turned and signaled for the Pachirisu on his shoulder to also attack.
"Ya!" Pachirisu leaped up nimbly, its body flashing with electrical light. The bright yellow electric energy was instantly charged. With a crackle, lightning shot out, mixing with the Blastoise Boss's water stream. The water, carrying electric energy, rushed over with astonishing momentum.
"Interrupt the summon? You can play like that?"
Rio's eyes widened.
This was truly a development that was both reasonable and unexpected. The turn-based rules of the games from his previous life naturally wouldn't apply in the real world. Seizing the initiative to interrupt an opponent's Pokémon summon was an brilliant offensive tactic. Although this wasn't allowed in official Pokémon battles, who were they facing now? An evil villainous organization! There was no need to talk about rules or morals with them. After all, the opponent wasn't someone who abided by morals and rules in the first place.
However, Souichi's plan was well-conceived. As long as they could knock away or snatch the Poké Ball before Jerrod summoned that powerful Pokémon, they wouldn't have to fight it.
The Thunderbolt-charged Water Gun was formidably powerful, but Souichi had overlooked the Golduck Leader, who had been standing quietly with its head down after falling to the first floor.
"(Pokémon Language) [Ice Beam]!"
An bone-chilling energy wave shot out from the Golduck Leader's mouth. Ice-type was not weak to Electric-type, so the electrical light mixed in the water stream didn't play its role. Instead, because the energy wave of [Ice Beam] had an extremely low temperature, when it collided with [Water Gun], it froze the water stream, which could only fall helplessly to the ground and shatter.
This brief exchange was enough time for Jerrod to summon his Pokémon.
Jerrod threw his head back and laughed maniacally, clutching his head with his left hand and throwing the ink-black Poké Ball with his right. "Hahahahaha, my great god!!"
"Show them your endless might!!"
"Make them tremble! Make them beg for mercy! Make them regret!!"
"Come out!!"
"Mew! Two!"
In that instant, time seemed to stand still, and space seemed to freeze. The air, which had been flowing ceaselessly, now moved slowly, as if bogged down in a mire. A strong sense of sluggishness appeared around everyone and every Pokémon.
And, silence, an absolute silence. Whether it was the sounds of various creatures around the experimental base or the gentlest breeze, at this moment of the god's appearance, they all completely vanished. A terrifying silence enveloped all humans and Pokémon.
Immediately after, an endless, dark purple light spread out. Although it was a dark-leaning light, it contained a soul-stirring rhythm that made it impossible to look at directly.
And then, a vast and mighty pressure, like a tidal wave obscuring the sky and sun, pressed down. Like divine wrath, and even more like divine majesty pouring down, it choked the throats of all humans and Pokémon, making them suffocate.
"Ugh..."
Rio gasped for breath desperately, his eyes unable to fully open. But through the slits of his eyes, he could barely glimpse the frantically overflowing Aura, so powerful it made his heart palpitate.
The light gradually faded. Left in the original spot was a supremely solitary and proud figure.
Two meters tall, its whole body silvery-white, with only its abdomen and tail a mysterious purple. Its limbs were slender yet powerful. A protrusion extended from its back straight to the nape of its neck. The entire Pokémon possessed both a humanoid form and the features of a feline.
Mewtwo stood levitating in mid-air. It looked at its raised right hand, its eyes as calm and indifferent as an abyss.
Lofty and superior!
Looking down upon all living beings!
Paired with the purple-black light that flickered in and out of existence around it, the deity had made its appearance.
"Thump-thump, thump-thump..."
Just by simply looking at Mewtwo, Rio's heart was already beating uncontrollably and frantically.
"Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger!"
The vast Aura he saw in his vision continuously sent him warnings.
It wasn't just Rio; the overwhelming pressure made everyone and every Pokémon present not even dare to breathe loudly. Only their madly beating hearts revealed their tension and fear.
"This is... the man-made god... Mewtwo?"
Even the well-informed Souichi couldn't help but be awed by this unfathomable Pokémon, muttering to himself.
"Don't..."
Rio was anxious. He knew that for this deity, some taboo words could not be spoken.
But before he could say it.
"Man-made?"
Mewtwo seemed to have heard something. A trace of ferocity suddenly flashed across its face. Its figure flickered, "swoosh," and in an instant, it appeared before Souichi, looking down at this human with its purple eyes.
"Wh—"
Souichi hadn't expected Mewtwo to appear before him in an instant. Before he could even cry out in surprise, in the next moment, without anyone or any Pokémon even seeing Mewtwo make a move, a fierce energy instantly exploded.
Souichi, as if struck by some immense force, was sent flying backward at extreme speed. His entire person crashed into the wall of the experimental base, making the whole base shake.
"Pfft... cough, cough..."
Blood sprayed from Souichi's mouth as if it were free. His right arm dangled at his side, clearly broken, while the Pachirisu on his shoulder lay limply, looking as if it had fainted.
"(Human Language) Mr. Souichi!"
Officer Jenny, Mr. and Mrs. Watanabe, and the others shouted anxiously, wanting to move to help, only to find their legs as heavy as lead, completely unable to move.
"I... detest... ants..."
A majestic voice sounded in the hearts of all the people and Pokémon.
The group turned their heads and saw that Mewtwo had, at some unknown point, returned to its original position. Its originally indifferent expression was now filled with cruelty and malevolence, its purple eyes emitting a black light.
It raised its left hand, and vast psychic power gathered in its palm.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, just like that! My god, please use your incomparably powerful strength to completely eliminate these ungrateful creatures!"
Jerrod held the black Poké Ball, his face flushed with an unnatural color, still shouting fanatically.
Mewtwo glanced back at Jerrod, then returned its attention to the front. The black light in its eyes grew brighter and brighter, even obscuring Mewtwo's original purple pupils.
"Cough, cough, be careful... can't... cough, fight it head-on! Run..."
Souichi, heavily injured, forced himself to stand up and shouted hoarsely.
He had originally thought that by relying on his familiarity with Pokémon and his command ability, which was not inferior to a top-tier trainer, and by coordinating with the visibly powerful Blastoise, they could take on this so-called "deity."
But cruel reality told him:
"A deity" was, indeed, a deity.