"Of course, it's been wanting to meet you as well."
As Paul spoke, a Poké Ball at his belt suddenly opened on its own. In a flash of light, Mewtwo emerged, standing face to face with… Mewtwo.
"Hello, Mewtwo. I'm Mewtwo."
The Mewtwo that had just arrived regarded its counterpart with the same solemn stance, greeting it in kind.
"Hello… my kin."
The native Mewtwo slowly raised its hand toward the newcomer, as though needing to touch and confirm its existence.
When their hands met, their psychic auras intertwined—formless yet profound. In that moment, each confirmed the other was real.
"I was created by Team Rocket's scientists on New Island. Where were you created?"
The native Mewtwo finally voiced the question it had been holding back. It remembered clearly—when it searched the files on New Island, there had been no record of another Mewtwo.
Logically speaking, Team Rocket would never have run the same experiment in secret under two separate teams without one knowing of the other.
"Same as you, New Island. But from another world's New Island."
Feeling its counterpart's authenticity, Paul's Mewtwo allowed itself the faintest smile.
By following Paul, it had not only found itself—it had found another self.
"Another world… So that's it… no wonder…"
The native Mewtwo's mind raced, swiftly piecing together the logic.
It knew well enough the world was not singular. Which meant the Mewtwo before it was, in truth, its counterpart from another reality.
They were interdimensional equals.
"How were you captured?"
Paul's Mewtwo cast a glance at Red standing nearby and posed the question.
On the night of its own awakening on New Island, it had been at the weakest moment of its entire existence—both mentally and physically. Even defeating the so-called Elite Four would have been difficult. When Paul appeared then, its defeat and capture had been understandable.
But this world's Mewtwo had clearly existed for much longer. Its power should have accumulated to a level surpassing even Champions. How could it possibly have been caught by an ordinary human trainer?
Though Mewtwo did not wish to mock its counterpart, the fact was plain: with such overwhelming strength, being unable to even escape capture… was humiliating.
"I was living in seclusion near Clear Cliffs with the Pokémon I had created. Then Team Rocket came. I was gravely injured protecting them… and at that moment, Red appeared."
The native Mewtwo recounted its story—a tale much like the one in Mewtwo Returns, though with key differences.
In this version, Ash and his companions were absent. Team Rocket was stronger and more ruthless, nearly pushing Mewtwo to defeat.
At the critical moment, Red—already the strongest Trainer in Kanto and training alone in Johto's remote mountains—arrived. With his overwhelming strength, he crushed Team Rocket, driving them into retreat.
With Red's help, Mewtwo relocated its clone Pokémon to a remote island where they could live in peace.
Over time, Red challenged Mewtwo to battle.
The outcome was predictable. This was not the beastlike Mewtwo of Pokémon Origins, roaring without reason. Though not yet at its peak, Mewtwo still defeated Red decisively.
Yet Red stayed. On the island, they battled again and again—losing, trying, and losing again.
Until one day, perhaps swayed by Red's unyielding spirit, or perhaps through the quirks of battle and held items, Red at last managed to defeat Mewtwo and successfully capture it.
"I see."
Paul's Mewtwo nodded, neither approving nor disapproving of its counterpart's path.
At the very least, both had walked the road they believed in.
"That form of yours—what is it?"
After more conversation, the native Mewtwo asked the question burning in its mind.
For all paths, greater power was always the goal.
Even now, it believed its own natural strength surpassed its counterpart's. But if the other could Mega Evolve—then it would surely be the stronger one.
As for type advantage against Mewtwo X's Fighting typing?
That was meaningless. Type multipliers only mattered if the attack landed. Superior strength could shatter, evade, or endure any blow.
Of course, if its counterpart wished to conceal its secrets, that would be understandable. Few desired to hand greater power to someone weaker than themselves.
"…"
Beside them, Red silently held up his Pokégear. On the screen was the image he had just captured: Paul's Mewtwo in its Mega X form, crushing Regigigas moments ago.
Clearly, he too wanted answers.
For a Pokémon as unique as Mewtwo, data was scarce. Red had only just learned Mewtwo could Mega Evolve at all.
And since Mega Stones for Mewtwo didn't exist in the real world, the only way forward was to ask the one who had already mastered the transformation.
Paul's Mewtwo glanced at him, and when Paul gave a faint nod of indifference, it smirked:
"Want to learn? I'll teach you."
"Yes, I want to learn!"
The native Mewtwo didn't hesitate.
"Don't resist. Feel it carefully."
Paul's Mewtwo rested its hand lightly atop its counterpart's head. It transmitted the memory of its Mega Evolution into Mega Mewtwo X, guiding the other to sense the dormant power.
As for Paul's forced Mega Evolution bangle hidden in his pack, that artifact was too dark and unsavory to reveal.
"How interesting…"
The native Mewtwo focused hard, white light sparking faintly around its body. But the glow flickered out each time, leaving its form unchanged.
It was not discouraged. After asking several more questions, it tried again.
Once. Twice. Three times…
At last, after nearly ten minutes, a flash of light engulfed it.
Mewtwo had successfully transformed into Mega Mewtwo X.
"I did it! I can feel the strength within me, it's incredible…!"
Clenching its fists, the newly ascended Mega Mewtwo X marveled at the raw physical power coursing through its body.
It had thought Mega Evolution was nothing special. But this, this overturned its understanding. Mega Evolution was broken beyond belief.
Its physical power now matched its psychic might, and the stronger its psychic power had been before, the more immense its physical strength after.
Not to mention its speed… terrifying. In this form, it could easily overpower its un-Mega-evolved self.
Red, though silent, couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes as he studied Mewtwo X.
Only Paul and his Mewtwo exchanged a glance, shaking their heads with quiet sighs.
The real reason they had taught the native Mewtwo so generously was to see whether it could also achieve the Y form.
But so far, there was no sign.
"Do you sense any other dormant power within you?"
Paul asked, unwilling to give up just yet.
"Other power…? No. I feel nothing."
Mewtwo X closed its eyes, quietly probing deep within itself, yet it sensed no trace of any hidden power.
"…What a pity. I thought you might awaken another Mega Evolution form."
Paul shook his head slightly.
"Oh, come on now. Mewtwo's already so strong—and it can Mega Evolve. If it could be like Charizard with two Mega forms, freely switching between them… wouldn't that leave the rest of us no chance at all?"
Akari, ever straightforward, offered words of comfort.
Mewtwo's strength kept climbing. With Mega Evolution, its future potential could rival even Origin Forme Dialga or Palkia. If it had another form on top of that, that would be outright unfair!
"Other forms? I don't sense any. They probably don't exist."
At those words, Mewtwo X once again pushed its Aura and psychic powers deep into its genetic core. But as before, it found nothing—no hidden psychic resonance, no dormant force.
"…Perhaps."
Paul didn't press the issue. As a traveler between worlds, he was certain Mewtwo could also Mega Evolve into Y. But maybe in this reality, only one path could naturally be unlocked.
If that was the case, then so be it. In the future, he could always seek that power elsewhere—or even step into the game world itself to search for a Mewtwonite Y.
"Why are you all standing outside? Come in and sit."
The door opened, revealing Reggie, wearing an apron.
"Chat all you like. For now, let's head inside."
Paul led the way in, Akari following close behind.
"…"
Red gave Mewtwo a polite nod before stepping inside as well.
He rarely spoke, but Red wasn't without manners.
Once everyone was indoors, the two Mewtwo exchanged a glance, then soared skyward. With psychic voices resonating between them, they left for the edge of space—eager to witness what the cosmos looked like firsthand.
Inside, Paul, Red, Reggie, and Akari sat together in casual conversation.
In truth, most of the talking was done by Paul, Reggie, and Akari.
Red stayed silent, only occasionally tapping on his Pokégear to share a note or image when he wanted to express an idea.
"Say, with so many young trainers rising up to challenge regional Champions—like you two, how come the Masters Eight haven't seen any replacements yet?"
Reggie finally raised the question. He knew that while World Coronation rankings were recalculated from scratch for every new competitor, by now, surely some challengers had qualified to force turnover in the Masters Eight. Yet there'd been no word of replacements. It was puzzling.
"In past tournaments, maybe one or two Masters were rotated out at most. But this time, the number of trainers strong enough to compete has grown."
Paul explained his view, then looked toward Red for confirmation.
"At least four of us are already confirmed to enter Masters rotation challenges—me, Ethan, Champion of Johto, Calem, Champion of Kalos, and Brendan, Champion of Hoenn. Under the old rules, that could create too many redundant matchups."
"…"
Red nodded in silence, then tapped on his device, showing everyone an internal proposal.
"…Such a big change, huh? Battles are about to get a lot more interesting."
Reggie chuckled after skimming the document.
"Exactly! This kind of format really lets trainers show their full power. That's how you decide the strongest."
Akari read over it and couldn't help but agree.
"…Makes sense."
Paul gave his approval as well.
The proposal was simple, but it would reshape the entire structure of the World Coronation Series.
Drafted by Red himself, the proposal redefined the battle system: from Ultra Ball tier upward—including Masters Eight, trainers would no longer be limited to just one battle mechanic per match. Instead, they could freely use any and all systems they possessed.
Take Ash Ketchum for example. In the Masters Eight, under this proposal, he could use Dynamax, Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, and Bond Phenomenon—all in the same match. If he had more, he could use them too.
In short: at Ultra Ball rank and above, if you had the systems, you could unleash them all.
By the old rules, Paul had always felt awkward. His Garchomp for example, could Mega Evolve on its own without a Key Stone or Mega Stone. Did that count as using up his one allowed mechanic?
If it counted, then Garchomp's transformation meant he couldn't use anything else. If it didn't count… well, no opponent would believe it wasn't Mega Evolution. In practice, he was forced into that limitation.
But now? He could use everything.
Reading the proposal solidified Paul's decision to eventually visit Paldea.
He wasn't after anything grand. He just wanted to encounter new Pokémon, obtain a Tera Orb, and maybe even see what it felt like to live as a Dragon Tamer.
...
Meanwhile, the two Mewtwo continued to rise higher and higher. As they left Earth's ozone layer, the temperature plummeted—hundreds of degrees below freezing.
It was as though they were constantly being struck by the Ice-type move Sheer Cold.
Even beings as powerful as Mewtwo could feel the bite after a while. Instinctively, one of them raised a psychic barrier for protection.
The other did not, enduring the void with only its body.
"…What do you think of this place?"
Finding a meteor to rest on, the first Mewtwo sent the thought.
"…Cold. Mysterious. Silent."
The other Mewtwo gazed at the desolation, feeling oddly serene.
"And what about that?"
Mewtwo pointed toward the distant, glowing Earth.
"…Beautiful. Alive. But not everything there is as perfect as it looks."
The clone's memories drifted back to Team Rocket—their chains, their cruelty.
"The world's imperfections are what make it worth seeking—seeking beauty, protecting it, creating it."
Mewtwo stared at the blue planet, lost in thought.
But soon, the cosmic chill overcame it. A layer of frost formed on its body.
"You could block the cold with psychic power. Why endure it like this?"
"…To feel the greatness of the universe. To know my own smallness. To sense power, adapt to it, grow stronger through it."
Rather than shield itself or use Recover, Mewtwo shifted into its X form—resolute, enduring.
"…"
The clone fell silent, half-amused, half-shaken. Imagine being lectured by a younger version of yourself.
Just then, a Rayquaza, sensing intruders, rocketed toward them.
But when it spotted the figures on the meteor, it froze in shock—then turned tail and bolted.
'No way…' Rayquaza thought.
'The Pokémon that beat me up before… has a clone now? Impossible. I must be seeing things. Better go home and sleep this off.'
Its strange behavior caught both Mewtwo's attention.
Mewtwo: "It ran so fast… like it's been beaten before."
"Mewtwo": "…Yeah. Last time I passed through, it was acting cocky. I gave it a thrashing."
Mewtwo: "…Funny. I beat one in another world, too."
(End of Chapter)
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