Chapter 166. Reject Childlike Aesthetics
Natsume's words left Mewtwo a little dazed.
Mewtwo turned and looked toward the distant arena, at Mew surrounded by everyone.
"Wow, you're so cute!"
Misty hugged Mew's head, and behind her Honora and Jessie couldn't help reaching out to pat it.
"Well? Are you starting to understand?"
"Reject childlike aesthetics," Mewtwo said.
Natsume: "…"
In a sense, Mewtwo and Ash Ketchum are very alike.
Their will is practically unbreakable.
Natsume stood and looked toward Team Rocket's trio, who were about to slip away into a corner.
A ghostly light flashed in his eyes, and in the next instant Jessie was yanked over by an unseen force.
"Hey, hey, hey, Natsume, what do you think you're doing!" Jessie flailed.
"Yeah, meow, what are you doing, meow!" Meowth and James turned to look at Natsume.
The commotion drew Mew's attention.
It twisted its body and appeared in front of Natsume.
"Hmm?" Mew circled Jessie, studying her curiously.
"Hey, what do you want? Put me down, now!" Jessie glared at Natsume.
"Have you seen a woman who looks like her?"
Natsume asked Mew.
At the same time, the Rotom Phone flew out on its own and began recording.
Natsume hadn't forgotten that Giovanni needed information about Jessie's mother.
Though Natsume was very curious what he wanted it for.
"A woman who looks like Jessie, meow?"
Meowth fell into thought.
It remembered that not long ago, when funds were low, they had kidnapped James and shot a ransom video.
The woman on the other end who called herself James's fiancée looked very much like Jessie.
"Hmm—" Mew nodded.
"Is she still alive?" Natsume felt there was hope.
"Why is Natsume asking whether your fiancée is still alive, meow?" Meowth looked oddly at James.
"No idea," James said, not finding it strange.
They had never been able to make sense of this researcher's logic anyway.
On the other side, the levitating Jessie stopped struggling and turned, staring tensely at Mew.
"Hmm—" Mew shook its head.
"Meowth, does that mean it doesn't know, or that she's dead? Translate for me, now!"
Natsume set Jessie down, and she immediately punted Meowth into the air, then caught it by the scruff with one hand.
"Why are you so worked up?"
"Cut the chatter!"
"It said it doesn't know, meow."
"Where did you last see Jessie's mother?"
As Rotom recorded, Natsume also took out his little notebook.
"Mmm—" Mew looked up at the sky, hesitant.
A second later, telepathy sounded in Natsume's mind.
"She was taken away by a golden door."
Mew's voice carried a hint of doubt.
"A golden door?"
Natsume started, thinking of the scene from that day when the three ancient Pokémon departed.
What would Arceus want with taking Jessie's mom away?
No—each world's Arceus is merely an avatar, and the true body's location is unknown.
In a worse scenario, it might not even be in this world.
"Natsume, what are you talking about? I want in on this too!"
Jessie, agitated, grabbed Natsume by the collar and yanked him up.
"I've sent the intel to Giovanni.
You can go ask him directly."
Natsume couldn't be bothered to explain, his mind spinning with guesses.
Giovanni's aim couldn't simply be to find Jessie's mother.
What he wanted to know was probably that golden portal.
The more Natsume thought about it, the more it seemed like that was the only data point striking enough to draw his attention.
So beyond that portal, is it really Arceus?
Natsume had no way of knowing.
"Giovanni?"
A figure landed like a cannonball, and Mewtwo fixed its gaze on Natsume.
In an instant, all the cloned Pokémon stood behind Mewtwo of their own accord.
"What are your thoughts on Giovanni?"
Natsume casually turned the Rotom Phone to face it.
Mewtwo said nothing, only frowning slightly.
At this point, it could feel that everything it had brought about was inseparable from Giovanni.
From the moment Giovanni tossed it that first book—whether intentional or not—Mewtwo no longer felt like pursuing the matter further.
Turning, Mewtwo looked at Ash Ketchum.
"Your name is Ash Ketchum, right?"
"Huh?" Ash nodded blankly.
Then Mewtwo looked at Natsume.
"I'm Hundred-Eyes," Natsume introduced himself.
"Your name is Natsume." Mewtwo's mouth twitched.
"If one day you hear your names being called somewhere and feel you can stop your steps, that might be me."
As if in farewell, Mewtwo rose into the air, and the cloned Pokémon behind it were lifted by telekinesis, floating upward.
"What are you going to do?"
Everyone looked at Mewtwo in puzzlement.
"I will lead them to seek a new home," Mewtwo said coolly.
"Actually… I think some Pokémon don't want to go with you." Natsume rubbed his nose.
"Bibarel!!!"
Four Bibarel below jumped up and down, hurling abuse at Mewtwo.
They even started stacking themselves; the one on top tried to sock Mewtwo, but couldn't reach.
"Where are you taking our cut?!"
The four Bibarel could only glare at Mewtwo.
In the sunlight, the QR code tags around their necks gleamed.
Behind Mewtwo, four cloned Bibarel struggled with all their might, trying to get back to the ground.
With terms this good, miss this chance and there won't be another!
Mewtwo: "…"
They were hopeless.
Mewtwo's mouth twitched, and it tossed the four Bibarel down.
"Bibarel—"
The eight Bibarel hugged each other in excitement, forming a lump like a big mangosteen.
"What sort of place counts as a good place?
How about the mountain behind the Natsume Research Institute?"
"No need.
I will search for them, for a new home—a comfortable and safe one."
"I have seen a snowy mountain.
It might do."
With that, Mewtwo vanished with the Pokémon.
Mewtwo had indeed seen that snow mountain.
Natsume looked up at the sky in silence.
"What are you thinking about, Natsume?"
"I'm thinking about how to persuade a remarkably promising would-be researcher to devote himself to research."
"Sigh, is it Gary Oak?" Ash suddenly darted over.
"Gary Oak—" Natsume blinked.
Ash's words did remind him.
From a psychology perspective, the following are likely to interest Mewtwo next: human and nature; human and Pokémon; nature and Pokémon.
These three directions are very likely where Mewtwo's curiosity will turn.
It has been force-fed too much knowledge in too short a time and has little lived experience.
If it can't hold that in check, it's easy to fall into the black hole of nihilism.
That is precisely the stage Mewtwo is in.
Generally, people at this stage either choose destruction—wipe everything out.
Or they choose religious faith—construct something to place above their heads.
Or else, they can only go into nature and ask heaven and earth for an answer.
Given Mewtwo's temperament, the second path is unlikely, and the first has already been stopped by us.
Only the last possibility remains.
But the last is the hardest and the most difficult to achieve.
The first two numb oneself to some extent; the third requires truly setting foot on the ground, experiencing things, and realizing some truths.
Mm… sounds like a good candidate to roam the wilds.
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