At that moment, the on-screen image (Beedrill's eyes swirling as it collapsed, no longer able to battle) pierced into Mewtwo's thoughts like a cold needle.
For a brief instant, he froze.
That intense, familiar discomfort surged up again from the depths of his consciousness, sharper and clearer than when Mudkip had fallen earlier in the battle.
The feeling was a tangled mess of irritation, unease, and a heavy dose of anxiety: an emotional interference that disrupted his normally calm, rational mind, making it increasingly difficult for him to accept what was happening.
But he was still in the middle of a battle. He drew in a deep breath and forcibly pushed those turbulent emotions down, mentally labeling them as efficiency-disrupting interference that needed to be ignored. Then he shifted to solving the immediate problem.
He began processing the situation at lightning speed.
[Tool has lost combat capability. Cause: Rock-type move delivered double effectiveness against Bug type.
Conclusion: Prior threat assessment of 'tool' Beedrill versus Rock-type opponents contained a critical error—insufficient durability to withstand this attack pattern.]
[Lesson learned: When facing Rock-type opponents, avoid deploying Beedrill unless the opponent is a non-threatening Grass-type (e.g., Cradily) and lacks priority moves or significant offensive threat.]
His in-game character acted with perfect calm, showing no trace of emotional disturbance.
Mewtwo picked up a Poké Ball, precisely recalling the fallen Beedrill in a flash of red light, then pulled out another and immediately sent out Mudkip.
[Opponent specializes in Rock types - obvious weakness to Water. Among currently available combat units, Mudkip's Water-type moves hold the highest effectiveness coefficient. It is the optimal and only choice. Deploy Mudkip. Proceed with Water-type attacks.]
His thoughts were crystal-clear. Red light flashed again.
Mudkip's small blue form appeared on the rocky battlefield. It seemed to immediately sense the tension in the air, its body tensing slightly as it shook its head, uneasy from the lingering pressure.
But when it turned and met Mewtwo's gaze, it straightened up, trying to steady itself. It let out a soft growl, as if signaling its readiness and waiting for his command.
"Water Gun."
Mewtwo's voice was concise and direct.
But the opponent struck first.
Roxanne's Archen wasted no time, unleashing a sharp screech. Invisible energy condensed in the air, and a barrage of jagged, angular rocks materialized from nothing, crashing toward Mudkip with a terrifying roar.
Rock Slide again!
The storm of rocks slammed into Mudkip. After the dust and shockwaves faded, its HP bar dropped sharply, landing in the yellow zone with barely over one-third health remaining.
This was only thanks to its status as the most durable of Hoenn's three starters; any other would have fainted on the spot.
Even so, Mudkip had clearly taken heavy damage. It trembled, letting out a faint whimper. But its large eyes stayed wide, fixed on Mewtwo with a gaze full of pure trust and unshaken dependence.
That look made Mewtwo falter. He couldn't understand: why would a "tool" look at him like that?
Still, he issued the command again without hesitation.
"Use Water Gun."
His voice showed no emotion, as though the violent assault and Mudkip's pain were completely irrelevant.
Mudkip heard the command and immediately acted, summoning what little strength remained. It opened its mouth and released a stream of water—but the animation was clearly weaker than before.
The jet of water hit the airborne Archen directly. The "It's super effective!" notification flashed, and its HP began to drop.
But Water Gun was one of the weakest Water-type moves. Even with a type advantage, it couldn't inflict serious damage. Archen's HP stopped just below halfway, flashing yellow, the same as Mudkip's.
At that moment, Mewtwo's mind was already calculating again. Based on the damage output, he quickly arrived at a conclusion.
[Opponent's HP: under 50%. Mudkip's Water Gun can secure victory... but the opponent possesses move priority. Rock Slide will land first.]
Mudkip would fall.
This cold calculation, this mechanical prediction of defeat, made the emotions Mewtwo had been suppressing surge violently.
Was it because... he hated losing?
No. That wasn't quite it...
His thoughts became unfocused. A strange, unfamiliar impulse took hold: he wanted to rush onto the battlefield and shield Mudkip with his own body.
The idea horrified him.
Where had that come from? Why would he have such an irrational urge?
Why should he care about a meaningless tool?
Even if it fainted, there would be chances to restart. There was no real loss.
But the battle wasn't waiting for introspection. The next round began, and Mewtwo instinctively chose Water Gun again.
Hearing his command, the trembling Mudkip immediately steadied itself, raising its eyes to glare at Archen with newfound determination.
Watching that small figure (bruised, exhausted, and yet still defiant), Mewtwo fell into a strange daze.
In that moment, he realized something.
No... this wasn't right.
They... didn't feel like tools.
They had something, something the same as he did.
But what was it?
As Mewtwo searched for the answer, the new round began.
Archen attacked again.
Roxanne's command was sharp and simple: another Rock Slide.
The rain of jagged stones returned, hurling down toward the frail Mudkip like a meteor shower. It looked ready to collapse at any moment.
But just before the impact, Mudkip turned and looked at Mewtwo again.
Its eyes held... guilt?
Even as it faced defeat, it blamed its own weakness.
At that moment, Mewtwo's thoughts froze completely. Everything ground to a halt. That surging discomfort, that rising sense of dread, all peaked in one overwhelming wave.
[No!]
The cry burst from deep within him, unspoken but undeniable.
Then, just before impact, a change occurred.
Archen suddenly wavered, a subtle gray flash of light signaling a stat shift.
Its pressure faded, like air escaping from a balloon. Even the power behind the falling rocks seemed to dissipate.
Bang!
The move landed.
Mudkip's HP bar flickered, but miraculously stopped just above zero. A sliver of red remained, so small it seemed impossible.
It hadn't fainted!
A system notification appeared.
[Archen's Defeatist ability activated! Its Defense fell sharply!]
Kairos, watching closely, wasn't surprised. He'd noticed Archen's HP earlier and had expected this.
Mudkip really was the best starter for Rock-type gyms, and this was exactly why.
He could already see how this battle would end.
On the battlefield, Mudkip's latent power finally awakened.
Blue light and churning water burst around its body. Torrent had activated.
"Mu——!!"
With a cry far louder than its size should allow, Mudkip no longer fired a simple stream of water. It unleashed a thick, high-pressure blast: a full-force Water Gun empowered by Torrent.
[It's super effective!]
The water slammed into Archen like a cannon.
Its HP bar emptied in an instant.
In the animation, Archen's body twisted from the impact, eyes spiraling as it collapsed, unable to fight.
Roxanne looked stunned by the sudden reversal. After a short pause, she recalled Archen and sent out her final Pokémon: Nosepass.
But the glow of Torrent still burned around Mudkip. The power boost hadn't ended.
Before Mewtwo could even react, Mudkip acted on its own. Another Water Gun surged forward.
The just-entered Nosepass didn't even have time to move. The blast hit it squarely.
[It's super effective!]
With no time to respond, Nosepass was flung back like a ball, slamming into the rock wall. Its HP dropped to zero, KO'd instantly.
The battle ended.
[Congratulations! You won the battle!]
[Congratulations! Your Mudkip leveled up to Lv. 16!]
[Oh? Mudkip is…!]
A rainbow glow enveloped Mudkip. Its body rapidly shifted, growing more solid, transitioning from four legs to two, paws reshaping into arms.
[Congratulations! Your Mudkip evolved into Marshtomp!]
Despite the victorious fanfare, Mewtwo remained motionless. The joy of winning was entirely overshadowed by the conflicted feelings still roiling inside him. Even Mudkip's evolution couldn't snap him out of it.
Gym Leader Roxanne approached, smiling appreciatively.
[I never expected you and your Pokémon to be stronger than bedrock. I acknowledge your strength, but next time, I won't lose.]
She handed over the Stone Badge and the Rock Tomb TM.
But Mewtwo barely noticed. Dialogue boxes flashed by, skipped at maximum speed. He didn't even glance at the badge in his hand; it might as well have been just another item.
Then, Marshtomp collapsed.
The energy spent during the fight and the evolution had left it utterly drained.
Mewtwo instantly snapped back to awareness.
He recalled Marshtomp without hesitation, turned, and sprinted out of the Rock Gym at full speed, headed straight for the Pokémon Center in the city's corner.
He burst through the automatic doors, ignoring the other NPCs, and charging straight to the counter. He shoved the Poké Balls for Marshtomp and Beedrill toward Nurse Joy, demanding treatment.
The entire process was fast, almost too fast, carrying a sense of urgency completely unlike his usual composed efficiency. Even he didn't notice how frantic he seemed.
Kairos, watching it all, turned to the emotion monitor. The "Care" and "Anxiety" values had spiked violently and were just now settling down.
He rubbed his chin, thoughtful.
As expected, just as I predicted.
Mewtwo wasn't inherently cold or twisted. Much of his current state came from Team Rocket: years of forced ideology and brainwashing that had warped his worldview.
What Kairos was doing now was it... forcibly restoring Mewtwo's original understanding of life and Pokémon before it was too late?
Huh. It really did feel like he was a preschool teacher.
But still, if things only progressed at this pace, it wouldn't be enough.
He'd have to find a way to give Mewtwo something... stronger.