Under Professor Oak's warm invitation, Aiden spent the night in Pallet Town.
The next morning, he boarded a flight back to Paldea—accompanied by Mewtwo and its cloned companions.
The trip to Kanto had been anything but ordinary.
He'd cooperated with international police to dismantle Team Rocket's headquarters, engaged in a brutal wild battle against Satsuki himself, and—on a side note—had walked away with a Special Pokédex and the title "The Legendary One."
All of that… in a single day.
What is this, the definition of a time-management genius?
No wonder they call you Teacher Aiden.
Seated on the plane bound for Paldea, Aiden gazed out the window—past the endless sea of white clouds—and at Mewtwo beside him.
Dragonite Flight Services was ideal for solo travelers; Corviknight Flight Services didn't offer inter-regional group services.
Even in the Pokémon world, airplanes still had their place.
Though he'd posted signs at the Gym announcing his "world-saving mission," and technically could've stretched his trip for days, Aiden—the dutiful Gym Leader—chose otherwise.
He decided to bring Mewtwo home first.
To let it see its new environment. To begin its new life.
Kanto could wait.
He'd explore it properly… later.
Perhaps because it was Mewtwo's first time on an airplane, it sat by the window, eyes fixed on the vast, drifting clouds beyond, shimmering with quiet wonder.
So… the world outside is this big?
No wonder Mew loved traveling so much. Every new place must bring new joys…
Then… if I follow Aiden to Paldea, will I feel the same beauty in this human world?
Mewtwo shook its head.
No.
Humans were too complicated. Too much noise.
As long as it could live alongside its cloned siblings… that was enough.
Would the Sunshine Gym become their sanctuary?
"Mew?"
Perched on Aiden's shoulder, Mew noticed the subtle shift in Mewtwo's expression.
It immediately floated over, patted Mewtwo's shoulder with a tiny paw, and radiated warmth through its psychic link.
'Don't worry. Aiden is good. He made a promise—he won't break it. He'll take care of you all.'
"…Yes. I know."
Mewtwo nodded, glancing at Aiden across the aisle.
Funny… could he hear their silent, encrypted conversation?
He couldn't understand Mew's language. Couldn't form a Psychic bond with it.
Yet… he'd still become its friend.
How?
How had he earned Mew's trust?
Mewtwo had questions.
But it said nothing.
Instead, it turned its gaze back to the clouds.
Perhaps… his human nature wasn't like the others.
It chose to trust Mew's judgment.
Anyone who could be Mew's true friend… could not be evil.
Aiden, meanwhile, noticed Mewtwo's sudden stare—and its quick return to staring out the window.
He blinked.
…What was that about?
"By the way…" Aiden suddenly brightened. "The Special Pokédex is said to contain data on every known Pokémon. Should we try scanning Mew and Mewtwo?"
He rummaged through his bag and pulled out the crimson Special Pokédex.
His old Rotom Pokédex was still at home—he'd transfer Rotom into this one once he returned.
After all… limited editions were always better.
He raised the device, aimed it at Mewtwo first, and pressed the scan button.
A soft beep-beep-beep echoed.
The screen flickered—
[No data found for this Pokémon!]
[If you've encountered an undiscovered Pokémon, please contact your regional Professor immediately!]
Of course.
Aiden wasn't surprised.
Mewtwo wasn't native to this world. Its entire existence—its creation, its history—had been buried under layers of classified secrets by Team Rocket.
Even Professor Oak wouldn't have access to its records.
And uploading Mewtwo's data? Forget it.
Even if he wanted to, he couldn't.
Sada and Turo? Lost in the Area Zero incident. The only thing left there was that AI.
Aiden nodded silently, then turned the Pokédex toward Mew—grinning, tail wagging, giving a little "V" sign with its paws.
"Mew~"
Aiden had seen this performance a hundred times.
He waited two, three seconds—
And then—
The screen flashed again.
This time, it wasn't an error.
[Mew – New Species – Psychic Type]
[Believed to be the ancestral origin of all Pokémon. Its genetic code contains the complete blueprint of every known species.]
"…It really does have a record?"
Aiden blinked, stunned.
No wonder Professor Oak was so sharp.
The entry was sparse—barely a sentence—but it was there.
Of course.
That's why he'd asked about Celebi.
He'd been curious—not just academically, but personally.
Even if they were worshipped as gods, they were still Pokémon.
A Pokédex without Legendary Pokémon wasn't complete.
Aiden smiled inwardly.
Just then—
Mewtwo, still staring out the window, suddenly stiffened.
Its pupils shrank.
It stood up—instinctively.
Both Mew and Aiden turned.
Aiden, lacking Psychic senses, could only see blurred shapes beyond the glass.
But he saw it soon enough.
Amid the pristine white clouds, a sleek, jet-black silhouette with golden engravings writhed through the sky—slowly, deliberately, gliding toward their aircraft.
"…"
Aiden's brow arched.
"Don't worry. That's someone I know."
Well, this was getting crowded.
The Legendary Pokémon he knew… were all showing up?
The distinctive golden patterns on its body gave it away instantly.
Black Rayquaza.
It hadn't appeared in a while.
The last time? The Dragon-Type Masters Tournament.
It had gifted his Dragonite a Mega Stone as a "welcome present."
Then… vanished.
No trace.
But given how it had behaved before… it must have liked him.
Aiden's words triggered a sharp glance from Mewtwo.
Even from a distance, its Psychic senses had sensed it.
That Pokémon… its power was beyond anything Mewtwo had ever encountered.
Even its fully grown self? It stood no chance.
Its tension had been high.
But now?
It relaxed.
Because Aiden had said, "I know it."
But another question bloomed in Mewtwo's mind.
…Aiden isn't as simple as I thought.
Besides Mew… he knows other Legendary Pokémon?
"Mew?"
Even Mew was startled by Black Rayquaza's sudden appearance.
But once it realized Aiden knew it, Mew's expression softened.
Back to its usual playful self.
Under the combined gaze of Aiden and the two Pokémon, Black Rayquaza pierced through the clouds.
Half its massive body emerged beside the plane, matching its speed perfectly—seeming to hover, motionless in the sky.
Aiden raised the Pokédex again.
He wanted to scan it.
Just like before.
At that moment—
His pocket erupted.
A Poké Ball rolled out, clattering onto the seat with a sharp pop.
"Sylveon!!"
Sylveon burst forth.
Mew immediately perked up—ready to greet its best friend.
But—
Sylveon ignored it completely.
Its eyes were locked on the Black Rayquaza outside.
"Vee!"
Perfect.
The perfect aerodynamic form.
The wild, unshakable confidence in its gaze.
That subtle, arrogant air—like it was doing them a favor by flying nearby.
If that was the subject… it could paint the most perfect masterpiece ever.
Sylveon's ribbons twitched gently, as if tracing the dragon's silhouette in the air.
It had vanished into its own world.
Art. Nothing else existed.
"…"
Aiden chuckled, shaking his head.
For Sylveon, whose dream was to paint "the perfect dragon," the allure of a Legendary Dragon Pokémon was overwhelming.
If this kept up… something truly absurd was bound to happen someday.
Still, Aiden didn't forget his original goal.
He raised the Pokédex again—aimed it at Black Rayquaza.
He remembered reading somewhere that large animals sometimes "bond" with humans.
Like orcas in the ocean, circling swimmers like they were part of the pod.
Was Black Rayquaza… doing the same?
He shook his head.
No.
That was ridiculous.
Rayquaza was the beast that punched Groudon and kicked Kyogre into submission.
It didn't do "cute social behavior."
He waited.
The Pokédex beeped.
[Rayquaza – Sky High Pokémon – Flying/Dragon Type]
[It is said to have lived in the upper atmosphere for hundreds of millions of years, never descending to the ground. Revered as a guardian deity by ancient tribes of Hoenn.]
It… really did have a record?
Aiden raised an eyebrow.
The Special Pokédex's data was compiled collaboratively by regional Professors.
So this entry? Must have come from Professor Rowan of Hoenn.
Yet—even though Black Rayquaza had appeared at the Dragon-Type Masters Tournament, no one had yet concluded it wasn't alone.
No one had realized it was part of a species.
In a way… the Professors knew less about Rayquaza than Aiden did.
Aiden smiled.
He didn't know why Black Rayquaza had reappeared—or why it had followed their plane.
But the moment he scanned it, the dragon seemed to sense the action.
It twisted its body—vanished into the clouds.
"Syl…"
Only Sylveon remained, blinking back to reality.
Its eyes wide with regret.
Why did it leave?
If it had stayed just a little longer… it could've reconstructed every scale, every curve, every glint of light in its mind.
But it was fine.
As the officially appointed genius painter of the Togekiss Master himself—
He had already memorized every detail.
He would paint it perfectly.
When he got home.
Sylveon puffed out its chest with quiet pride.
…
The minor Rayquaza incident passed.
The plane landed in Mesagoza.
After all, Black Rayquaza's domain was the skies of Paldea.
Seeing it meant they were close.
Stepping off the plane, Mewtwo looked around—bewildered.
For it, let alone Paldea and Mesagoza, it had almost no concept of human society as a whole.
It had never left the lab.
Not once, it had never set foot outside Viridian Gym.
Everything here was new. Strange. Overwhelming.
"Finally… home."
Aiden exhaled, stretching his arms.
Then, from his pocket, he pulled out a peculiar Poké Ball.
"It's your turn to appear, Miraidon."
"Gaaawww…"
The ball clicked open.
Out slithered Miraidon—its metallic body gleaming, yawning lazily, eyes half-lidded.
Aiden had kept it sealed during the Kanto trip.
It was a coward. Too prone to fleeing.
He couldn't risk it vanishing mid-battle.
But now? Back in Paldea?
Miraidon had a job to do.
Who had a Legendary Pokémon that refused to fight and just sat around eating?
"…This is…?"
Mewtwo stared.
It had felt the pressure before.
Another Pokémon. Immense. Terrifying.
But hidden.
And unlike Mew or Rayquaza… this one had been caught.
It had been stored in a Poké Ball.
And now… it had been released.
Add that to Aiden's other absurdly powerful Pokémon…
Aiden… wasn't just complex.
He was dangerously layered.
While Mewtwo was pondering, Aiden had already skillfully straddled Miraidon's back, somewhat amusedly patting its increasingly round body.
Eating and sleeping every day, with no other exercise except serving as his mode of transport, he felt that it would develop a huge appetite sooner or later, and might not even be able to walk... It seemed he had to find a way to help it lose some weight.
Aiden thought this, then turned to Mew and Mewtwo.
"Alright, hop on."
"We're going home."
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