Chapter 152: Asahi: Am I Really That Terrifying?
"We're blocked!"
"Arbok, Acid Spray!"
"Shadow Ball! …Damn it, even Ghost-type moves don't work! What kind of Pokémon is using Light Screen?!"
The Rocket Team members were helpless against the invisible wall blocking their escape.
Meanwhile, the officer stared at Asahi's gentle smile, recalling the intelligence reports that described his ruthless methods against enemies. A shiver ran down his spine.
Professor Blaine, standing nearby, was stunned.
He had been on Cinnabar Island for a long time, cut off from outside information. He had no idea why an official League Gym Examiner like Asahi could make an entire Rocket Team squad react like this just by name alone.
"So, are you going to tell me about your boss?" Asahi asked.
Although he already knew Giovanni was the Rocket Team leader, having a direct confession from Rocket Team personnel would give him the legal grounds to convict Giovanni.
But anyone who could rise to the rank of Rocket Team officer was a die-hard loyalist.
Despite his overwhelming fear of Asahi, the officer gritted his teeth and remained silent, his actions conveying his answer.
"Tyranitar, Earthquake!"
Tyranitar stomped forward, its foot slamming down with tremendous force.
Cracks spread rapidly from where it stood, racing toward Asahi.
Yet Asahi's expression remained completely calm. Before he even needed to say anything, Mew had already used Psychic to lift Tyranitar into the air, stopping the attack mid-action.
The officer watched in stunned disbelief.
His Tyranitar was his strongest Pokémon—most of his promotions within Rocket Team were thanks to it. Yet now, it had been completely immobilized by Psychic.
Asahi smiled. "What a shame… You made the wrong choice."
Though he said "what a shame," there wasn't a hint of regret on his face.
With a flick of his wrist, he grabbed two Poké Balls from his belt.
Bang!
A flash of white light.
"ROAR—!"
With a wild, primal bellow, a massive Salamence appeared.
Standing atop Salamence's head was an excited Gengar.
For weaklings like these, there was no need for Gardevoir or Eevee. This was a perfect opportunity for Gengar to get more experience in unpredictable battles.
And besides… considering how much Salamence ate every day, it was time for some exercise.
"Go easy on them," Asahi instructed.
Salamence and Gengar nodded, then—
ROAR!
Salamence spread its wings and flew straight toward the Rocket Team members. Using its thick abdominal armor and sheer stamina, it tanked their attacks head-on as it closed the distance.
Once it was right above them, its mouth opened wide.
The officer's face changed drastically. "Dodge!!"
But before they could move, Salamence unleashed Dragon Pulse straight down.
BOOM!
The shockwave ripped through the Rocket Team ranks, sending both trainers and Pokémon flying.
The surviving Rocket Team members weren't just going to stand there and take it. Salamence was strong, but they were the elite of Rocket Team.
A single Dragon Pulse wouldn't be enough to take them down!
Just as they were about to counterattack—
Mew's Psychic "slightly" interfered with them.
Only a few of them were fast enough to react in time and barely withstand the attack by using their Pokémon as shields. The rest were frozen in place, helplessly enduring the full force of Dragon Pulse.
And those lucky few who had avoided it?
They turned in horror to see Gengar, still standing on Salamence's back, grinning widely as it hurled a pre-charged Shadow Ball at them.
BOOM!
Another round of explosions rocked the battlefield.
When the dust settled, only one Rocket Team trainer remained standing—the officer, who had been the first to shout "Dodge!"
As for the cost of his survival…
Tyranitar had fainted, and the Nidoking he had just sent out as a shield had collapsed as well. His own body was covered in injuries.
Looking around, the officer saw that, just as Asahi had instructed Salamence, no one had died.
But the number of Rocket Team members with broken limbs twisted at odd angles was staggering.
At that moment, the officer had only one thought.
The intelligence reports were right—The Demon Ranger was that terrifying.
He forced himself to his feet and turned to Professor Blaine. "You got lucky today. But Rocket Team never forgives traitors!"
Then, turning back to Asahi, he said, "You won't get anything from me. I'll never betray the boss!"
With that, he slammed his head against the wall and knocked himself out.
Asahi, who had just walked over, was briefly stunned.
"Was that really necessary? I'm the Kanto Division's No.1 in 'Civilized Law Enforcement.' Not a single complaint against me since I started."
Green, who had just walked in, looked at him in confusion. "…Wait, we have a ranking for that?"
And Asahi being No.1…
Had he just awarded himself that title?
Leaving Green and her Blissey to handle first aid for the Rocket Team captives, Asahi turned back to Professor Blaine with a smile.
"Professor, I think I just overheard something very interesting. Do you have anything you'd like to explain?"
Professor Blaine glanced at the fallen Rocket Team members. "Ahem, well… here's the thing—"
[...]
"So, you once made the wrong decision and joined Rocket Team's research division. But when guilt consumed you, you chose to leave, which is why they're hunting you down now?" Asahi asked.
Professor Blaine nodded. "That's right."
The attack had exposed his past ties to Rocket Team, but at the same time, it proved he was now their enemy.
To prove his sincerity, he continued, "I also have information on a top-secret Rocket Team project."
Asahi, however, showed little reaction.
A bit unnerved, Professor Blaine pressed on. "Rocket Team is creating a Legendary Pokémon!"
"..."
"A Pokémon named Mewtwo!"
"..."
"They're this close to completing it!"
"..."
"They used a Mew's eyelash as the genetic material!"
"Mew?"
Asahi finally reacted.
Professor Blaine was about to continue when he suddenly felt something was off.
That voice just now…
It wasn't Asahi's.
Was he hearing things?
As he turned toward Asahi in confusion, Asahi smiled. "Tell me more about Mew's eyelash."
"Mew!"
An irritated voice called out.
This time, it wasn't his imagination—the sound had come from Asahi's shoulder.
There, in full view, sat a pink, cat-like Pokémon.
Professor Blaine's eyes widened. "That's… Mew?!"
But Mew ignored him, instead glaring at Asahi with a face full of embarrassment and annoyance.
"Alright, alright, I won't ask anymore, okay?" Asahi quickly surrendered before turning to Professor Blaine. "Let me introduce you—Mew is currently teaming up with me to track down Mewtwo."
Professor Blaine was just about to say something when, suddenly, a strange sensation came from beneath the bandages wrapped around his right arm.
His face instantly paled as he clutched his arm, his body going weak.
If Asahi hadn't reacted quickly and caught him, he would have collapsed.
After a long moment, Professor Blaine finally caught his breath. "Thank you… It's an old problem."
"This is related to your bandaged arm, isn't it? Mew just told me—it sensed Mewtwo's presence beneath those bandages."
"...So, I've already been found out, huh?" Professor Blaine let out a bitter laugh. "That's right. My arm has been invaded by Mewtwo's cells."
As he spoke, he tore off the bandages on his arm.
Green, who had just finished dealing with the Rocket Team captives and had walked in, gasped in shock.
Underneath the bandages, a mass of cells, writhing as if possessing a will of its own, was constantly shifting and squirming.
"As you can see," Professor Blaine said, his voice heavy, "my body is deteriorating due to the invasion of Mewtwo's cells. At this rate, it won't be long before I lose my life."
At this point, Professor Blaine's expression grew heavy—no one could truly be indifferent to life and death.
"Maybe it's not entirely hopeless. Mew?"
Asahi turned to Mew, hoping it could try treating Professor Blaine. Good Gym Trainers were already hard to find, and if Blaine died, Lance would have an even bigger headache.
"Mew~"
Mew bit its finger in thought, then extended its tiny hand, releasing a soft pink glow.
Swish!
The writhing cells on Professor Blaine's arm shrank instantly upon contact with the light.
But the next moment, they became even more aggressive—almost like… a rebellious teenager?
For some reason, that was the first comparison that popped into Asahi's mind.
Mew, now visibly irritated by the disobedient cells, huffed, "Mew!"
It intensified the energy output, and eventually, the cells could no longer resist, settling down obediently.
Under Mew's power, the surface of Professor Blaine's arm looked nearly normal again, aside from some uneven texture. His face also regained some color.
"Mew~"
Mew floated back to Asahi's shoulder and spoke to him.
Asahi, acting as the interpreter, relayed the message to Professor Blaine. "Mew says it can temporarily suppress the Mewtwo cells in your arm. But to fully solve the problem, we need to find Mewtwo."
"Of course, there's also a quicker solution—before the Mewtwo cells spread throughout your body, we could just cut off your arm." Asahi made a snip gesture.
Professor Blaine had been relieved to hear there was another solution, but the mention of amputation instantly made him uneasy.
Even though prosthetic technology in the League had advanced significantly, keeping his original arm was obviously the better option.
"You mentioned before that you're looking for Mewtwo… I know where it is."
"As someone who was once a researcher involved in Mewtwo's creation, I know very well how powerful it is."
"We absolutely cannot let Rocket Team get their hands on Mewtwo…"
His words were half for himself and half out of genuine concern.
He had abandoned the Mewtwo project precisely because he foresaw the terrifying power it would have. If Rocket Team truly gained control over Mewtwo, the entire League would be in jeopardy.
That was why he had defected, even at the cost of being hunted down endlessly.
Asahi nodded. "Your reasoning is convincing, Professor. But with the limited evidence I have, I can't fully trust you just yet, so…"
"I'll need to keep you under observation to ensure you won't pose a threat to the League in the near future."
Gengar, who had been sitting nearby playing with its fingers, suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
"Observation?" Professor Blaine asked, puzzled.
Asahi explained, "Don't worry, I'm not locking you up. I want to invite you to join my department—there are others like you who have defected from Rocket Team."
Since Asahi had put it that way, Professor Blaine assumed his department was something like an auditing or evaluation division for the League.
He figured the invitation was just a way to monitor whether he had truly defected, so he didn't refuse.
"I'll join. What's the name of the department?"
—