"Thank you," Carl said to Mewtwo.
Mew looked puzzled, as if saying, "Shouldn't you be thanking me?" but then shrugged it off without a fuss.
"Mew, when does the second round start?" Carl suddenly asked.
"The second round?" Mew blinked, suddenly remembering that it was now her turn to hide while Carl sought her out. This was her chance to even the score. Her eyes gleamed with excitement, but instead of starting right away, she fixed Carl with a mischievous glare.
"What's that look for?" Carl raised an eyebrow.
Mew let out a playful trill, her eyes glowing blue.
Carl immediately recalled the image of Professor Oak looking utterly defeated. It seemed Mew was planning a similar prank on him.
"Can't handle losing?" Carl teased her.
Mew shook her head with a mischievous grin. She had already fulfilled her side of the bargain by helping Mewtwo remove its ankle ring. Now, it was her personal time.
"Being so bold in my home isn't very fitting, don't you think?" Carl tried to reason with her.
Mew shook her head again, making a defiant sound. "Whoever's stronger gets to call the shots."
"Alright, you said it!"
Carl sighed, reaching out to lightly tap Mew in front of him. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
Bang!
Mew was stunned. "What happened?"
She stared at Carl, confusion and a hint of fear in her eyes. Her psychic powers had suddenly failed her, leaving her powerless against him.
The light tap from Carl didn't physically harm her, but the humiliation was intense, almost making her lose her composure.
Worse still, when she tried to fight back with her powers, she found she couldn't muster them at all. Well, not entirely; she could still float, but affecting Carl was out of the question.
Her powers... where had they gone?
Mew tried to draw strength from the World Tree, but the shock left her trembling.
This was the first time in her life she felt cold sweat, but fear left her unable to care about such things.
"Didn't you say the strong make the rules?" Carl chuckled, walking over to scoop Mew up, giving her a gentle squeeze.
"Hmm, you're quite soft," he noted with satisfaction.
Mew looked at him, feeling utterly helpless.
"In this place, I make the rules," Carl said firmly.
"Let me go!" Mew pleaded, sounding pitiful.
This was the first time she had been so submissive. Even in front of Arceus, she was merely respectful, acknowledging that without Arceus creating the world, she wouldn't exist.
But she had never been afraid, since Arceus's true form was fused with the world and could only act through avatars. While powerful, Arceus wasn't invincible.
Of course, if Arceus truly wanted to end the world, that would be a different story.
But Mew had never been this frightened before. Even Arceus's avatars couldn't render her powerless.
Carl looked at Mew with a teasing smile. "I thought about playing with you, but since you made the first move, I guess a little payback is in order. I'll keep you here until I cool off."
He had caught a top-tier legendary Pokémon and had no intention of letting her go easily. The power of the World Tree filled him with confidence.
Mew tried to speak, but Carl raised a hand, sealing her powers and even her consciousness within her.
"You made me take quite a fall last time," Carl said, pinching Mew's cheek. "Now it's your turn to reflect on it."
Mew felt so wronged that she almost cried.
Satisfied, Carl lay back on his deck chair, basking in the sun. The Pokémon in the yard were in awe, especially Dragonite, Electivire, and Steelix, whose admiration for their master soared.
Even the legendary Mew had been subdued with ease. Their master was incredible!
Mew was utterly bewildered. She felt like she had been trapped in a never-ending nightmare. This wasn't how she imagined things at all!
Just then, a shiny Ralts appeared in her line of sight.
Mew's eyes lit up. This little one was a psychic type, right? Being the ancestor of Pokémon, she naturally had the favor of all Pokémon, especially psychic types. Although this Ralts looked weak, it might know Teleport. If it could help her escape...
She vowed never to bother Carl again if she could regain her freedom. After the world merged, legendary Pokémon like her were heavily restricted, which was why they feared the Unova trio—those guys were powerful and unbound.
Sometimes, power and responsibility were shackles. Now, she just wanted to be free.
Mew quickly realized that Carl's control over her was due to the special domain they were in. She didn't care about the details, only wanting her freedom.
Ralts became her only hope. Although she couldn't use telepathy, she tried to convey her plea for help through her eyes.
Help me! Mew's eyes were full of hope.
Suddenly, her vision brightened as she saw Ralts quietly approaching Carl, who was resting with his eyes closed.
Here was her chance!
As the distance closed, Mew's heart raced with anticipation. But in the next moment, she found herself crashing heavily onto the grass.
Ralts hadn't helped her; it had knocked her away.
The little Pokémon stretched and snuggled into Carl's arms.
"So loyal," Carl chuckled, stroking Ralts's head.
Ralts let out a contented sound.
Carl closed his eyes again to rest.
Mew lay on the ground, feeling utterly defeated. A mighty legendary Pokémon, bullied by a small Pokémon like this! She desperately called out for someone to rescue her. Suddenly, she felt her body lift, her vision rising.
In a flash, Mewtwo caught her steadily. Hope reignited within her. After all, Mewtwo was created from her genes and was somewhat like her child. Unlike the confused Ralts, Mewtwo was powerful, almost at the peak of a tier-three god. Leaving should be easy.
Mew planned to offer help to Mewtwo to advance to a tier-two god in exchange for her freedom. But then, she heard Carl telling Mewtwo, "Study her if you like. Even though she's a tier-one god, I've sealed her powers."
Mewtwo adjusted its glasses, an intrigued expression on its face, and then whisked Mew away. At that moment, Mew realized she had fallen into a new predicament.
Meanwhile, at the Silver Mountain League headquarters in the Kanto region, Professor Oak suddenly plummeted from the sky, crashing to the ground. This familiar scene left everyone, including Blaine, exchanging bewildered looks.
"Oh, Earth, how I've missed you!" Professor Oak exclaimed, clutching a nearby chair with relief. He had just experienced an endless cycle of falling.
Blaine joked, "Did Mew take you for another sky ride?"
"This time, it wasn't Mew," Professor Oak gasped, "but a strange ring device."
Agatha added, "We saw it too. If we hadn't seen Mew earlier, we might have thought some high-tech gadget had taken you."
Professor Oak sighed, deep in thought. "I might have Carl to thank for my escape."
"Carl?" Cynthia, contemplating lunch, turned her head. "He saved you?"