"Absolute power? Could it be a new ace Mr. Giovanni raised? What kind of Pokémon is it?"
"Maybe Garchomp, the pseudo-legendary from Sinnoh? It's a dual-type Ground/Dragon Pokémon that takes a long time to mature, but it's incredibly powerful."
"Garchomp? That's definitely possible! It's a monster. If I remember right, Sinnoh Champion Cynthia's ace is a Garchomp. That one Pokémon can tear through Sinnoh's Elite Four."
"Maybe it's a Legendary Pokémon!"
"You know, that might actually be it! Brandon, the Pyramid King over in Johto, caught Legendary Pokémon. I'm sure Mr. Giovanni could do it too."
Giovanni's talk of "absolute power" instantly captured everyone's curiosity.
The stream's activity soared as the audience debated one possibility after another.
To everyone's surprise, however, Caster shook his head so hard it was practically a blur and answered with a troubled expression, "No, thank you, Mr. Giovanni. I'd rather not see it."
The people inside the Gym and everyone watching the stream were left dumbfounded.
Even Giovanni stared at Caster in surprise.
This was nothing like what he had expected.
Under ordinary circumstances, a Trainer who had become this powerful at such a young age would be extremely proud.
Someone like that would never shrink from a powerful opponent.
Yet Caster had refused without missing a beat. He had not hesitated in the slightest.
After a stunned pause, Giovanni could not resist asking again, "Young man, are you certain? This is absolute power, the kind of power that would shock anyone who witnessed it."
To Giovanni's disappointment, Caster nodded firmly without a moment's hesitation. "I'm sure, Mr. Giovanni!"
Caster might have looked resolute, but his back was nearly soaked through with sweat.
The others might not know what Giovanni meant by "absolute power," but how could Caster not know?
He meant Mewtwo!
Given Mewtwo's terrifying strength, even Lance might not be able to subdue it, never mind Caster as he was now.
Caster knew his limits. Even if he sent out every Pokémon under his command and Mega Evolved Gyarados on top of that, he still would not stand a chance against Mewtwo.
The moment Mewtwo entered the field, Caster would probably be crushed just as thoroughly as Gary had been.
Caster was no masochist. He might love Mewtwo, but he had no desire to meet this version of it.
There would be plenty of opportunities to see it in the future.
For now, absolutely not!
Meanwhile, beyond a metal shutter, Armored Mewtwo had sensed everything happening on the battlefield through its psychic power.
Caster's refusal surprised Mewtwo as well.
It had been all set to go on a killing spree.
Recently, however, it had begun to tire of battle and killing.
It had spent much of its time contemplating philosophical questions.
"Humans!"
"Pokémon!"
"Battles!"
"Life!"
"Meaning!"
"Amber!"
Light flickered in Mewtwo's eyes as it turned toward Caster's position.
The opaque wall between them could not obstruct its psychic senses.
Caster's appearance had given Mewtwo's philosophical questions several new directions.
Back on the platform overlooking the arena, Giovanni glanced at Caster, then at the Rotom Phone still broadcasting the stream. The boy's refusal had spoiled the demonstration he intended to make.
After a brief pause, his expression cooled. "Very well. Forget it, then."
Giovanni's opinion of Caster changed once again.
He felt he had misjudged the boy. To Giovanni, Caster's refusal suggested that the boy lacked the nerve required to become truly strong.
Giving him one last measuring look, Giovanni said, "You've already proven your strength to me. The Earth Badge is yours."
With that, Giovanni tossed the Badge down from the platform, turned, and disappeared into the darkness without giving Caster a chance to respond.
There was no strategic value in continuing with the third round.
No matter which Gym Pokémon he sent out, Caster and Dragonair would defeat it.
As he watched Giovanni leave, Caster finally felt the tension drain from his body.
He was safe!
The audience, on the other hand, was thoroughly dissatisfied. The chat filled with demands for an explanation.
"Caster! Why wouldn't you let us see Mr. Giovanni's 'absolute power'?"
"You might not want to see it, but the rest of us do!"
"Caster, kiss your tip goodbye!"
Faced with their questions, Caster considered his words for a moment, then said solemnly, "Guys, remember this: When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back into you."
Caster's words clearly conveyed profound wisdom.
The audience remained unimpressed. They were gazing into the abyss through Caster's camera.
The abyss would only gaze back at Caster. It could not stare through the internet at the countless people watching from home, so they had nothing to fear.
His fans' displeasure meant Caster earned considerably less in tips from this stream.
He did not care. Grinning from ear to ear, he carried the Earth Badge out through the Gym's front doors.
"All eight Badges, finally! My ticket to the Indigo League Conference is officially in hand!"
Caster could hardly contain his excitement.
The sight of the Earth Badge made him think of the beating Gary would one day receive from Mewtwo.
After a moment's thought, Caster called Gary and asked, "Gary, have you gotten the Earth Badge from Viridian City yet?"
"You haven't? You're planning to challenge the Gym tomorrow? Good!"
"Take my advice. When you challenge Mr. Giovanni, don't get cocky, act flippant, or start taunting him. If you absolutely have to show off, wear a helmet during the battle. It might reduce the damage a little."
Caster hung up as soon as he finished.
On the other end of the call, Gary sat in a luxury car with a woman tucked under each arm. He stared blankly ahead.
"A helmet? Who wears a helmet to a Pokémon battle?"
Gary was a smart young man. After thinking it over, he quickly grasped Caster's implication.
If he challenged the Viridian Gym, he might encounter real danger and even suffer bodily harm.
Gary had already earned ten Badges, securing his place in the Indigo League Conference even earlier than Caster.
But Gary wanted to sharpen his skills in real battles. His original plan had been to arrive in Viridian City that afternoon, rest for the night, and challenge the Gym the next day.
Now he found himself hesitating.
In the original Pokémon timeline, Gary's early journey had gone so smoothly that he remained several steps ahead of Ash. As a result, he had become arrogant and proud, looking down on almost everyone around him.
Even when facing Giovanni, he had dared to mock his Pokémon for being too weak to be worth battling.
But after Caster had humbled him time and again, this world's Gary had grown much calmer and more mature.
Gary closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then called Caster back. "Caster, you got the Earth Badge, right? You're still in Viridian City, aren't you?"
Once Caster confirmed it, Gary's eyes lit up. "Viridian City is close to my hometown, Pallet Town. Want to come visit? I know you love fishing, and Pallet Town is right by the ocean. There are plenty of good fishing spots."
"My grandfather is the world-famous Pokémon researcher Professor Oak. There are all kinds of Pokémon in our backyard. I guarantee they'll blow your mind."
"Pallet Town?"
Caster raised an eyebrow, deeply tempted by the invitation.
It was not because Pallet Town was by the ocean and offered plenty of places to fish. It was because of the Pokémon in Professor Oak's backyard.
The stronger the Pokémon Caster reeled in, the greater the reward his cheat ability granted him.
And Pallet Town was renowned as the cradle of Pokémon Champions!
Leaving aside what Ash would accomplish in the future, Pallet Town had already produced two Champions: Red and Blue.
Red in particular was a World Champion-caliber Trainer.
Professor Oak was the one who had given Red his Pokédex.
It stood to reason that Red's other Pokémon were most likely boarded in Professor Oak's backyard.
"If I can reel in one of Red's Pokémon, I'll hit the jackpot!"
At the thought, Caster's eyes gleamed, and he felt light enough to float.
Lorelei was an Elite Four-level Trainer. When Caster reeled in her Cloyster, he had been rewarded with an item as valuable as a thousand-year-old Never-Melt Ice.
If he managed to reel in one of Red's core Pokémon instead, he could scarcely imagine how generous the reward would be.
"Pallet Town sounds great! I have to go!"
Caster rubbed his hands together excitedly and grinned. "I've actually wanted to pay the world-famous Professor Oak a visit for ages."