Aside from the white-coated researchers, the spacious areas of the lab were also occupied by numerous cold-faced men dressed in black uniforms, scarves wrapped around their necks, and navy caps on their heads. The large "R" emblem on their chests made it clear to Ryuuske—even though he hadn't watched much of the anime—that they were Team Rocket.
Unlike the comedic relief Team Rocket members from the anime, the ones standing before him exuded a cold, intimidating aura, their sharp and ruthless gazes making them seem like an elite, disciplined military force. They gave off the impression of a truly sinister organization, more akin to a terrorist group.
Beside these Team Rocket members stood Pokémon like Arbok, Golbat, Grimer, and Drowzee, their eyes just as menacing as they glared at the researchers. Occasionally, some would shift their attention toward the room where Ryuuske was, keeping it within their surveillance perimeter.
These Team Rocket members served as both bodyguards and overseers for the researchers.
Inside the glass containers scattered throughout the hall floated various Pokémon, their status—whether alive or dead—unknown. But the most striking sight was the humanoid monster restrained by pitch-black chains in the central cylindrical tank.
Its pure white body and deep purple tail radiated an overwhelming sense of terrifying power just from a glance, exuding an oppressive presence. Ryuuske was all too familiar with this Pokémon—having played the first-generation games, he knew this was the legendary artificially created Pokémon, Mewtwo. From the fragmented lore about it, Mewtwo was described as an incredibly cruel and violent creature.
Yet, for some reason, the moment Ryuuske laid eyes on it, he didn't sense the cold, sadistic aura he expected. Instead, he felt an inexplicable warmth, as if it was intimately connected to him.
Hearing Ryuuske's murmuring, Professor Oak's stern eyebrows twitched. He cautiously asked,
"...Ryuuske, do you remember it?"
"No, I don't. But the moment I saw it, the name just popped into my head."
Of course, Ryuuske couldn't admit he was a transmigrator who knew Mewtwo from games and anime. After a brief pause, he decided to press the two men beside him for answers. Their expressions suggested they were hiding something, and Ryuuske had no intention of remaining in the dark.
"Gentlemen... could you introduce yourselves? And could you tell me what's really going on? I can tell you're keeping things from me, but I'd rather you lay everything out honestly."
Ryuuske fixed his gaze on Professor Oak. Whether from the games or anime, Professor Oak had always been a kind and benevolent figure. If there was one person in this lab he could trust, it was undoubtedly him.
Hearing himself called "gentleman," Professor Oak's aged face broke into a smile. Waving his hand, he chuckled warmly, "...I'm Samuel Oak, a Pokémon researcher. I'm just an old man now, hardly a 'gentleman,' haha! You can call me Professor Oak... As for the person beside me, and the things you want to know..."
Here, Professor Oak hesitated, unsure whether to reveal everything. He didn't want to dredge up painful memories for the boy, but he also didn't want to deceive him again.
"...Sigh. Let me explain, Oak."
The bald man beside him sighed, stepping forward to pat Professor Oak's shoulder. "...The mistakes I made should be mine to bear. Whether Ryuuske forgives me or not, if we keep lying to him, my conscience won't allow it!"
Hearing this, Professor Oak relented, stepping back silently.
"Ryuuske, what I'm about to say might upset you. Your amnesia was actually a blessing—it let you forget those painful memories. But since you've asked, as the one responsible, I can't bring myself to lie to you again... I am Blaine, the Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island, the overseer of this research facility, and the chief scientist of Team Rocket, the largest criminal organization in Kanto."
When introducing himself as a Team Rocket member, Blaine awkwardly averted his gaze. He removed his sunglasses, his eyes filled with complex emotions as he stared at the central tank. Inside the transparent fluid, bubbles rose as Mewtwo hung bound like a prisoner, its eyes closed. The flickering data on the nearby machines were the only proof it was alive—otherwise, its motionless form could easily be mistaken for a specimen.
"That thing... is a monster. A world-destroying monster I created with my own hands. It's the most powerful man-made weapon in recorded human history."
Blaine's gaze toward Mewtwo was a mix of regret, pain, anger, sorrow, and more. But the most striking emotions were sympathy for Mewtwo and self-loathing for his own actions.
He didn't care whether Ryuuske could understand him—he just poured out everything he had bottled up inside.
"In ancient legends, Mew was known as the 'Origin of Life.' Ancient people believed all Pokémon descended from Mew. Modern research suggests this might not be entirely accurate, but these legends were recorded on ancient stone tablets."
"Team Rocket once excavated ruins containing stone tablets with records of Mew, along with fossilized remnants of its body structure. Using modern technology, we extracted Mew's genome from the fossils and made a startling discovery—the ancient legends weren't baseless.
Mew's genes held infinite potential, containing the genetic makeup of every known Pokémon. Even when compared to the genetic structures of other legendary Pokémon collected by researchers, Mew's genes encompassed them all, as if it truly was the origin of all Pokémon. This discovery even made us question the validity of research from the Sinnoh region."
Blaine's tone had been calm at first, but as he continued, he clutched his bald head, his voice growing increasingly tormented.
"...Team Rocket approached me, asking me to help them clone and reshape the genes—to use Mew's all-encompassing, infinitely adaptable DNA and combine it with human technology to create the 'ultimate Pokémon.' And the result is what you see now: Mewtwo, the final product of this project, named to signify its purpose—to surpass Mew."
"...Scientists are all madmen. When I first heard of this plan, I didn't think deeply about it. I only saw it as a grand project that could change the course of humanity. Without hesitation, I accepted Team Rocket's offer, devoting all my knowledge to the 'Mewtwo Project.' But as the final product neared completion, I slowly regained my sanity.
Horror struck me as I realized what I was doing—creating the ultimate weapon for an evil organization. Now, Mewtwo is in its final genetic adjustment phase. Once it's complete and under Team Rocket's control, the entire Kanto region... no, the entire world will face a catastrophic disaster!"
Ryuuske listened calmly. He already knew the broad strokes of Mewtwo's origin, but the finer details were new to him. Now, Blaine's words had filled in the gaps.
But—
"What does this have to do with me?"
Ryuuske asked the most critical question.
Blaine fell silent. He turned to face Ryuuske, but whether due to guilt or inner turmoil, he put his sunglasses back on, unable to meet Ryuuske's eyes.
"The 'Mewtwo Project' took ten years of preparation—from the initial discovery of Mew's genes to the official start of experimentation. Mew's genetic material was scarce, leaving no room for trial and error. The first few experiments all failed.
No matter how we restructured Mew's genes, the result was always just a clone of Mew. But as if bound by some universal law, we couldn't create a clone of a legendary Pokémon. They seemed to exist as unique entities in this world."
Blaine paused before continuing.
"...So I proposed a bold hypothesis. If Mew was a unique existence, with genes containing the data of all Pokémon, then we couldn't modify its existing genetic structure. But there was one species whose genes it absolutely wouldn't possess—humans."
"At first, I planned to use myself as the test subject, offering my own genes as the cradle for Mewtwo's creation. But Team Rocket's leader rejected the idea. He argued that since we only had one chance left, it was wiser to use the genes of someone more exceptional.
Throughout history, there had been people with extraordinary abilities—some still active in the world today. But among them, somewhere beyond Team Rocket's reach, while others were public figures. Kidnapping them would cause too much commotion and risk exposing the plan prematurely."
"...In the end, we found you in Pewter City—a descendant of the nearly extinct 'Dragon Tamers,' people capable of controlling the power of dragons. We integrated your genes with Mew's, using human and Pokémon DNA as the vessel, and finally succeeded in creating it!"
As Blaine's words faded, Mewtwo's head inside the glass container seemed to twitch slightly. An imperceptible psychic ripple pierced through space and time!
To be continued…