Searching for a specific Pokémon in this vast jungle was an almost impossible task. Team Rocket relied on Ryuuske's obscure technology and machines, whereas he depended on the Mewtwo inside the Master Ball at his chest.
Seated inside the Master Ball, submerged in genetic adjustment fluid, Mewtwo focused its mind, diligently searching for traces of Mew. Compared to Mewtwo's psychic detection range, neither Ryuuske as a human nor Gible as a Pokémon could match it. The duo continued their trek through the dangerous jungle, entrusting the task of locating Mew entirely to Mewtwo's psychic perception. If even Mewtwo couldn't detect it, Ryuuske doubted he would fare any better.
"We've been walking for two days already, and not only is there no sign of Mew, but we can't even find traces of those Team Rocket members."
Ryuuske wiped the sweat from his forehead, squinting as he leaned against a tree trunk, enjoying a rare moment of afternoon tranquility. After finishing lunch, he longed for a nap, but ever since his journey began, even his nighttime sleep was strictly limited—let alone a leisurely midday rest like he was on vacation.
The Viridian Forest was simply too vast. Dozens of people entering it were like pebbles sinking into the ocean; finding any trace of them was nearly impossible. The fact that he had previously discovered signs of Team Rocket and even located a squad captain was nothing short of incredible luck.
"That Rocket squad captain's body should have been found by now. I wonder how the other Rocket members will interpret it—will they assume he was killed by wild Pokémon? Or by a passing trainer? Or maybe even by Mew itself… Ha, one thing's for sure, they'll never suspect me."
Team Rocket was a vast underground criminal organization spanning Kanto and Johto, even causing trouble for the Pokémon League. Even if Ryuuske wasn't afraid of them, he had no desire to be on their radar every day. That being said, now that Mewtwo was traveling with him, avoiding their attention was probably impossible.
"Mewtwo, still no sign of the target? Our food supply is running low. At most, we can stay in the forest for three more days before we have to leave—no, wait, I forgot to account for the food we'll need for the return journey. That means we need to start heading out today."
Ryuuske abruptly straightened up, shifting from a relaxed posture to a serious one. He patted his forehead, chastising himself for his inexperience—he had completely overlooked the fact that he currently had no Flying-type Pokémon. The only way out of Viridian Forest was on foot. Taking out a compass, he checked the needle's position and muttered,
"…No issues with the compass. Thankfully, there aren't any weird magnetic fields here. But the signal is terrible—I can't contact anyone at all. Guess I'll only get reception near the forest's edge."
Just like in another world, venturing deep into grasslands or deserts resulted in poor signal. The technology in this world also had to account for interference from Pokémon energy fields. As for the specifics of how it worked, Ryuuske had no clue—he wasn't a scientist.
[…There are traces of psychic energy left by Mew nearby. It moves using its psychic abilities, so as long as it's in motion, I can sense it.]
After a long silence, Mewtwo finally spoke.
"That's great news! That means Mew has passed through here before. I just hope it lingers in one spot rather than wandering all over Viridian Forest. Otherwise, meeting it would be nearly impossible. If that's the case, Team Rocket must also be using some kind of device to track Mew's psychic energy waves. Mewtwo, where is the strongest residual psychic energy?"
[Northeast!]
"Got it. Let's move, Gible! We'll head northeast, then go straight east to leave the forest."
"Gyaaah—"
Gible sprang up from the ground, letting out an energetic growl.
Ryuuske walked to the river, filled a container with water, and didn't bother cleaning the grime off his body before setting off into the dense and perilous jungle once again.
—
Following the traces of Mew's psychic energy, they walked for an entire afternoon. As night fell, darkness enveloped the forest. If not for Mewtwo's psychic power allowing Ryuuske to see his surroundings, he would have given up moving forward long ago—nighttime in the forest was far more dangerous.
[If we still don't find anything, we should stop for today, Mewtwo. It's too risky to keep going at night.]
Not wanting his voice to attract hostility from wild Pokémon, Ryuuske communicated with Mewtwo through thought.
[Mew's psychic energy waves keep appearing all around us—sometimes far, sometimes near, with no clear pattern. No… wait! It's suddenly very close! Be careful!]
Upon hearing Mewtwo's warning, Ryuuske halted abruptly. Gible, perfectly in sync, immediately became alert, scanning their surroundings.
[Now that I think about it, Mewtwo, if you can detect Mew's psychic energy waves, doesn't that mean Mew can sense yours as well?]
[Now that you mention it… I suspect so. Apologies, Ryuuske, that was my oversight. Mew must have noticed our pursuit long ago and has been deliberately leading us in circles.]
Mewtwo's usually calm voice carried a clear tone of apology. Though it had been created over a decade ago, it had only left its incubation chamber a little over two months ago—its experience was still lacking.
[No need to apologize, Mewtwo. This is my fault too—I should've realized it sooner. But now's not the time for self-reproach. I don't know if Mew will attack us, and Gible definitely isn't its match in a fight. If it does attack, I'm counting on you.]
[Leave it to me, Ryuuske! I won't let you be in danger.]
Mewtwo's voice was steady and reassuring.
Ryuuske placed his hand over the Poké Ball on his chest, ready to release Mewtwo at any moment.
At that instant, a dazzling wind rose up around him, swirling like a vortex and encircling him in a rapid spiral.
Anyone with common sense would immediately realize—this wasn't a natural wind.
It was psychic power!
To be continued…