At this very moment, the Pokémon Center's lights glowed soft and peaceful, and the air seemed to carry a blend of disinfectant mixed with some reassuring, calming scent.
Mewtwo stood before the counter, his usually sharp and cold purple eyes now somewhat unfocused.
He was staring at the door leading to the treatment room behind Nurse Joy, not blinking for what felt like ages, his gaze locked firmly on it.
His mind was no longer performing the high-speed, precision calculations it had during battle. Instead, it was flooded by an unprecedented chaotic torrent, like a tangled mess of threads.
Mudkip... no, to be accurate, it should be Marshtomp now. That last look it gave him, tinged with guilt, and that uncontrollable surge of protectiveness welling up inside him, both kept echoing in his mind, making him feel strange and unable to comprehend.
There was only one reason he would have such emotions.
After countless rounds of reflection and contemplation, he'd finally arrived at an explanation that made sense of it all.
These Pokémon weren't "tools."
They possessed something special, just like he did. Something that could touch each other's hearts and stir different emotions within him.
Mewtwo had reached this conclusion. Yet what he still didn't understand was: if Pokémon weren't tools, then what exactly were they? And what was that special something?
Just as Mewtwo's thoughts were in total disarray, the clear chime at the treatment room door rang out, signaling that the treatment was complete.
Nurse Joy, wearing her professionally warm smile, handed him two Poké Balls, her sweet voice ringing out.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Your Pokémon have been fully restored to health. Please feel free to visit the Pokémon Center again whenever you have any troubles or concerns. We'll do everything we can to help you."
Mewtwo almost instinctively took the Poké Balls from her hand. The moment he touched their metal shells, he seemed to feel a strange vitality emanating from the coolness.
A system notification popped up before his eyes.
[Marshtomp and Beedrill have joined the party!]
Below that line, two green, completely full HP bars representing both Pokémon's status appeared.
Clearly, they'd fully recovered.
Yet right now, an intense, unprecedented urge surged through Mewtwo's heart, compelling him to open the Poké Balls.
In the past, with his personality, he would've immediately grabbed the Poké Balls and hit the road without hesitation.
After all, the game notification had already told him both Pokémon's status.
But now, for some reason, he just wanted to confirm their condition with his own eyes, not merely by seeing full HP bars on the data screen.
Following Mewtwo's action, red light flashed. Marshtomp, noticeably more robust after evolving, appeared at his feet.
On the other side, Beedrill hovered in the air, its twin stingers gleaming with dazzling, sharp light.
After that last battle, both Pokémon had leveled up to 18, clearly stronger than before. Yet Mewtwo's attention wasn't on that at all.
After confirming both Pokémon were unharmed, he felt, inexplicably, like a weight had lifted from his chest, and he relaxed.
When that feeling faded, he felt his calm and rationality reclaim his mind once more.
He shook his head, preparing to recall both Pokémon and continue on his way.
But Marshtomp's action interrupted him. It suddenly looked up, gazing at Mewtwo with those lively, round eyes, and let out a vigorous cry: "Magu!"
The voice was full of post-evolution strength and unguarded affection.
It even gently nuzzled Mewtwo's leg with its head. The trust contained in that gesture had far more impact on Mewtwo than any data ever could.
---
Beedrill also flew closer, emitting a soft buzzing sound, tapping Mewtwo's arm with its antennae, as if comforting him or indicating it was fine now.
The scene before him left Mewtwo completely stunned.
He looked down at Marshtomp nuzzling him without any reservations, then glanced at Beedrill expressing its goodwill.
An indescribable feeling washed over him: warmth, a bittersweet ache, and a stirring he couldn't name.
Was this... the thing that interfered with his rationality during battle?
Was this the reason he, as a trainer, was willing to use his own body to block attacks?
His gaze involuntarily shifted to the Pokémon Center lobby.
There, a young trainer was crouching, carefully drying a Pikachu's rain-soaked fur with a towel. Pikachu comfortably closed its eyes, letting out affectionate "Pika-pi" sounds.
On the other side, a travel-worn trainer was handing all his Poké Balls to Nurse Joy, his tone exhausted yet full of concern: "Please take care of them, Nurse Joy. My partners just went through a tough battle."
And there was a pair of twin children, happily distributing berries to their Meowth and Skitty.
Countless scenes, countless sounds, now flooded into Mewtwo's perception with crystal clarity.
He no longer saw simple biological categories of "humans" and "Pokémon," but countless invisible yet incredibly resilient "threads."
These "threads" were called care, trust, reliance...
They tightly connected trainers and Pokémon, forming a complex relationship that went far beyond the definition of "tool" and "user," something he'd never found in his mental database of knowledge.
[...]
A peculiar sensation, accompanied by all the warm scenes around him, suddenly rushed into Mewtwo's heart.
He found that he seemed to... understand a little.
So that discomfort wasn't interference, and those impulses weren't abnormal. Rather, they might be something close to "instinct."
A powerful urge to imitate suddenly welled up inside him.
He watched the trainer petting Pikachu, then looked down at Marshtomp still nuzzling him at his feet.
That hand of his, originally meant to unleash devastating psychic energy and born for destruction, lifted stiffly and slowly toward the smooth, firm top of Marshtomp's head.
His movement even carried a trace of obvious hesitation and... careful caution.
Just as that hand was about to make contact with Marshtomp's blue skin—
"CRASH!"
The Pokémon Center's automatic doors were violently kicked open with a piercing sound, instantly shattering the warm, peaceful atmosphere inside the hall!
۞۞۞۞
~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones