Just as Ryuuske was feeling conflicted, a strong, firm hand pressed down on his shoulder. Raising his head, he saw Professor Oak, his expression solemn and his tone grave, saying,
"…Ryuuske, don't dwell on it. These are things you must inevitably face. Battles between Pokémon—whether for the Pokémon themselves or their trainers—are never easy. Real combat isn't some risk-free competitive sport for trainers. The stakes are extremely high. The slightest misstep could cost you your life. That's why, no matter the region, the number of true Pokémon trainers has always been few."
Professor Oak's tone carried a hint of nostalgia, as if recalling his own past. The hand on Ryuuske's shoulder tightened slightly.
"…But Ryuuske, you must also remember—never lose yourself in the power Pokémon grant you. Don't let it cloud your judgment and lead you to abuse that power recklessly. That will only bring misfortune upon yourself."
Ryuuske stared at Professor Oak, taking in the wisdom and advice of an elder. For the first time, Ryuuske felt as though he was truly seeing Professor Oak—not as a character from an anime, not as data from a game, but as a real, living person standing before him. He had his own emotions, his own ideals, and now seemed all the more genuine.
Kind yet not naïve, loving Pokémon without being a pure-hearted "saint." He mourned the deaths of both Pokémon and humans but would never resent the natural law of survival of the fittest. His entire being radiated extraordinary experience and reassuring wisdom.
A truly captivating old man.
Ryuuske pressed his lips together and nodded. "…I understand, Professor Oak."
Ryuuske wasn't truly a naïve fifteen-year-old. He had work experience and had witnessed the complexities of society. He knew that if he were to lose himself in this sudden surge of power, believing himself invincible and acting without restraint, the end result would be making enemies of the entire world.
Of course, freedom and doing as one pleases weren't inherently wrong—it was just that Ryuuske wasn't yet at that level. Only when he became a truly powerful trainer would he need to consider such things, and even then, he would face the world without fear.
Professor Oak patted his shoulder and said nothing more. He could sense the intelligence, caution, and eagerness to learn in this young man he hadn't known for long—as well as the glint of battle lust in his eyes. These were all qualities of an outstanding trainer.
By now, the surviving Team Rocket members who had been surrounding them had long since fled. The safe room was finally safe. Blaine interjected, "…We should leave now while we can. Those Team Rocket members are probably regrouping. If they delay us here and their reinforcements arrive, we'll still be in danger. Mewtwo can't fight outside for long—it would place an enormous burden on Ryuuske's body!"
"Blaine, you and Professor Oak go ahead first. I'll catch up soon."
Ryuuske took two steps forward, approaching Mewtwo. His hand gently stroked Mewtwo's body—its skin was incredibly smooth, even softer than a young girl's, without any of the roughness of human skin.
"Ryuuske, you—"
Blaine was about to say something when Professor Oak cut him off. "…Let him go, Blaine! Besides, this evil research facility has no reason to remain standing. Too many Pokémon and humans have lost their lives here in misery."
"If you say so, then fine. But Ryuuske, remember—you only have twelve minutes. If you exceed that, Mewtwo's cells will become hyperactive and completely erode your body!"
"Twelve minutes? That's more than enough! Mewtwo, let's go!"
Ryuuske patted Mewtwo's body, and Mewtwo nodded in response. Its eyes once again glowed with a faint purple light as its psychic energy lifted both itself and Ryuuske into the air. A powerful psychic barrier enveloped Ryuuske, providing absolute protection as they rushed into the depths of the research facility at speeds rivaling Rapidash's gallop.
The sensation of flying was surreal, as if he had grown wings. Ryuuske and Mewtwo didn't even touch the ground as they swiftly searched for their targets.
Soon enough, they found a lone fleeing Team Rocket member.
"Disable!"
Given the absolute difference in strength, the Team Rocket member and his Pokémon stood no chance against Mewtwo. Staring into the man's twisted expression and terrified eyes, Ryuuske watched as his body stiffened like lead, unable to move. His face, however, betrayed his desperate struggle—yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape Mewtwo's psychic grip. The only thing he could still control was his conscious mind.
As Ryuuske floated before him, he could clearly see the plea in the man's eyes. But Ryuuske remained unmoved, simply issuing another command to Mewtwo.
"…Use Hypnosis, Mewtwo."
Mewtwo obediently complied, its gaze locking onto the Team Rocket member. The man's eyes gradually dulled—not only was his body immobilized, but his mind was now under Mewtwo's control as well.
"Just how far can your psychic abilities go? Erasing memories? Creating illusions? Altering personalities? Reading thoughts? Warping perceptions?"
Ryuuske didn't believe that psychic and Ghost-type Pokémon's abilities were limited to simple energy-based attacks. They had to be far more complex.
[Aside from altering personalities—which is more troublesome—I can accomplish all the rest. If I maintain my psychic power, I can easily control the actions of any human or Pokémon.]
Hearing Mewtwo's telepathic response, Ryuuske raised an eyebrow. "…Can other Psychic-types do the same?"
He found this somewhat alarming. These abilities were absurdly overpowered. If all Pokémon were this terrifying, how had humanity survived? Then again, this did align with his impression of psychic powers—"mental manipulation" was practically a staple of the genre.
[I haven't encountered many Psychic-types, so I don't know if they can. But based on the ones in this facility, their psychic abilities are far weaker than mine and lack my precision. Unless humans are completely unprotected by Pokémon, they wouldn't be able to succeed.]
"Protection from Pokémon? Like the move Protect?"
Ryuuske ignored the Team Rocket member, letting Mewtwo erase his consciousness as the two floated away.
Mewtwo turned its head slightly, as if puzzled that Ryuuske didn't know something even it was aware of.
"Uh, sorry. I'm not really a trainer yet, and my knowledge of Pokémon is pretty limited—just what I've read over the past couple of days."
Ryuuske felt a bit embarrassed, like an illiterate fool.
[Sorry? Is that how humans speak? How interesting.]
Mewtwo's telepathic voice carried a hint of curiosity, even sounding livelier. There was no trace of mockery—just patient explanation:
[Every Pokémon emits an energy field. When a Pokémon is with a human, the human is also protected by this field, which greatly weakens a Pokémon's power—unless the gap in strength is overwhelming.]
"I see. That explains why the books say trainers shouldn't stand too far from their Pokémon in battle. I always wondered why—if you're right next to your Pokémon, wouldn't you also get hit by enemy attacks? At first, I thought it was just to ensure commands could be heard, but with modern technology, you could just give your Pokémon an earpiece or something…"
"But with your explanation, standing too far actually puts you in danger—you lose your Pokémon's protection. Meanwhile, standing together might seem risky, but it's actually the safest option… Mewtwo, you really know a lot, huh."
Ryuuske was quietly relieved that Mewtwo was like a blank slate, unaware of mockery. Otherwise, if Mewtwo had laughed at him, he'd have no choice but to blush and pretend not to hear.
[I don't actually 'know' these things. I can just sense the energy fields around Pokémon.]
"Alright, let's leave it at that for now. I'll study up later. For now, let's follow my plan and set things up here before we leave. Aside from a few stragglers, most of the Team Rocket members have already fled. We can't let Blaine and Professor Oak run into their main force. Besides… our time for fighting is almost up."
After having Mewtwo scan the facility with its psychic power and confirming that most of the people had fled after Mewtwo's escape, Ryuuske spoke up.
[Understood. Let's begin.]
"Yeah. How should I put it? The bond between us tells me we're already completely tied together. So, Mewtwo… for the rest of our lives, let's get along."
[Get along?]
Mewtwo's telepathic voice carried confusion, but through their mental link, it grasped the meaning. The corners of its mouth curled upward, as if smiling, and its ethereal voice took on a cheerful tone:
[Let's get along, Ryuuske.]
To be continued…