Chapter 70 What if Ash went on a trip to the Sinnoh region first?
Compared to the Master Ball, the Mewtwo Poké Ball is, in a sense, even more overpowered, completely ignoring any rules.
However, compared to capturing Pokémon with a Poké Ball, this Mewtwo Ball is more like a small cage, forcibly trapping the target inside.
If the system shop hadn't been empty of Mewtwo Balls, Xia Mu really wanted to see what the description would be.
"What a strange-looking Poké Ball, I've never seen one like it before." Sonia also came to Xia Mu's side, carefully examining the Mewtwo Ball.
Xia Mu looked at her, then at Mew.
At this moment, Mew had already left her embrace and was in the laboratory watching the cloned Meowth.
Ordinary people wouldn't notice, but Xia Mu and Lucario, who possessed the power of Aura, could sense that its aura had changed. This aura was serious, earnest, and somewhat angry.
It seemed to be displeased because of this machine.
In its consciousness, it believed that life should not be forcibly created in this way.
These were, after all, progenitor-like beings, Pokémon that existed since the dawn of the world, possessing the genes of all Pokémon. It didn't like this kind of cloning.
"What's wrong?" Sonia noticed Xia Mu was lost in thought and waved her hand in front of his eyes.
This brought Xia Mu back to his senses, and he refocused his attention on the Mewtwo Balls.
"This place is strange. Not only are there cloning machines, but it also involves Mew. And these Poké Balls give me a bad feeling. I'll take some back for now; maybe I can research something."
He naturally knew everything, but he couldn't say it aloud, otherwise, questions would arise about how he knew.
Using this excuse, Xia Mu picked up a Mewtwo Ball, examined it carefully, and put it in his backpack.
He took some Mewtwo Balls for two reasons: first, to see if he could research something later; and second, if these Mewtwo Balls were indeed similar to Master Balls, they might actually be useful in the future.
After hearing Xia Mu's words, Sonia also picked up a Mewtwo Ball.
She didn't object to Xia Mu's actions, even though it was unauthorized theft. However, it did reek of conspiracy, and if these Poké Balls were suspicious, serious consequences could follow.
As a League researcher, she felt it necessary to investigate.
Having taken ten Mewtwo Balls, Xia Mu ignored the two Sonia had taken.
He couldn't stop her from taking them anyway.
They were empty, containing no Pokémon, so it was fine.
Even if Sonia handed the Mewtwo Balls over to the League for official research, it wouldn't cause any conflict.
Just then, a loud explosion suddenly erupted above, causing the underground space to tremble.
Everyone's attention was drawn.
This anomaly told Xia Mu that the plot had begun.
Almost simultaneously, in the culture dishes connected to the cloning machine, cloned Charizard, cloned Venusaur, and cloned Blastoise awoke and voluntarily emerged from their containers.
Whether it was due to their newly awakened state and lack of awareness, or because they didn't perceive Xia Mu and his companions as intruders, the three Pokémon completely ignored their presence and headed straight for the elevator doors. While
others might not know, Xia Mu was certain that the plot above had progressed to the point where Mewtwo was about to battle its trainers.
After the battle, there would be a wave of forced captures and mass cloning.
"What's going on? They suddenly woke up and didn't even realize we were there," Sonia asked, puzzled.
"Perhaps it can be understood that although they've already been cloned, their consciousness isn't complete, they don't understand this world, and therefore don't know we're enemies," Xia Mu casually explained.
"Meowth has a bad feeling. Something terrible might be happening up there, Meowth," Meowth chimed in, leaning closer.
Pokémon's intuition is often quite sharp, and its sudden feeling was correct.
'Lucario!' Lucario chimed in, echoing the sentiment.
"Should we retreat now? At least we haven't been discovered yet," Jessie said hesitantly.
Without any unexpected events, there would be no reaction. But now that something has changed, this tendency to back down in the face of adversity is showing.
Kojiro, influenced by her, is also somewhat tempted, but since they're now tied to Natsuki and the others, they need to ask for their opinion first. If they're not allowed to leave, they can't go even if they want to.
"Don't look at me like that. If you want to leave, you're welcome to. But judging from your actions and responses just now, you seem to be capable people. You call yourselves Team Rocket, but I've never heard of you before, so you must be some nobody.
"Interested in working for me? I can not only clear your name, but also give you considerable power to do legitimate things. And this talking Meowth, maybe I can train you to become stronger." "
Xia Mu said in a teasing tone.
He didn't expect them to accept immediately, but at least he wanted to express his willingness to recruit them.
As for the outcome, it didn't really matter whether they were willing or not.
It would be best if they were willing, and it would be fine if they weren't.
Xia Mu's words surprised Sonia, who was beside him.
At this time, Xia Mu actually said such a thing.
She also began to seriously examine the three of them and realized that Team Rocket was an evil organization.
Jessie and Kojiro stared wide-eyed, and Meowth also showed an incredulous expression.
They were Team Rocket, after all. This woman didn't know their identity, but this man knew and still dared to say such recruitment words.
"Don't joke around, Meowth, we are Team Rocket! Once a member of Team Rocket, never betraying Meowth." Meowth's answer was decisive and direct, very tough.
"That's right! The white hole awaits us tomorrow. You think you can make us betray Boss Giovanni with just a few words? You're dreaming." "Musashi clenched her fist, demonstrating her loyalty.
And they truly were loyal, from the beginning of the story to the very end, always believing that a miracle would happen.
To put it bluntly, they were just at odds with Ash, influenced by the protagonist's halo; otherwise, with their abilities, they could easily capture some Pokémon and achieve a decent status.
It's a pity they were fixated on a Pikachu that nobody respected.
Kojiro didn't say anything; his status was never comparable to Musashi's and Meowth's from the start.
The reason he joined Team Rocket was to escape his family and his fiancée.
Although he was always proud to be a member of Team Rocket in the original story, he was actually just looking for a free life.
Kojiro is the type of rebellious youth who, even with a vast fortune, is unwilling to inherit the family wealth and lose his freedom.
Although reality truly crushes him, when he truly understands how cruel the world really is, one day he will have an epiphany and realize how naive his past actions were.
"Look at you guys, you can't even afford to eat, yet you're so loyal. If you had power, that would be one thing, but loyalty without any value is the most useless." "I'm just giving you a path to choose from. If you ever want to find a way out, you can go to the Xia Group on Round Island and ask for my contact information. Of course, you can also remember my League number..."
As Xia Mu gave his contact information, Musashi and Meowth didn't listen at all. Kojiro, however, was quite clever; Xia Mu noticed that he had diligently memorized his contact number.
No longer focusing on them, Xia Mu walked to the elevator entrance and observed the adjacent emergency staircase.
Using his Aura, he saw some familiar scenes.
"There's a battle going on upstairs right now. It's the Mewtwo mentioned in the previous video, the one that was created, commanding Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise. So, the so-called strongest Pokémon trainer is actually him," Xia Mu said,
explaining the current situation.
Sonia, knowing Xia Mu possessed Aura, wasn't surprised by this, but found Mewtwo's claim to be the strongest trainer unbelievable.
"A Pokémon as a trainer, and calling itself the strongest trainer—what does it want?" "Sonia spoke up.
Natsuki didn't answer, shaking her head.
She'd find out as things unfolded.
Jessie, Kojiro, and Meowth, with their rich imaginations, were puzzled, wondering how Natsuki knew.
'Mimi~ Mimi~' (You can now skillfully use Aura power.) Mew came to Natsuki's side.
"Yes, I have to thank you for your help, but I can only perceive and observe within a small range. Speaking of which, Mewtwo was born because of you, what are your plans?" Natsuki asked with a smile, looking at Mew.
'Mimi~' (Mew came because of it.) Mew said earnestly.
"Then let's go together, but I think it's better to wait and see how things develop up there," Natsuki added.
Mew agreed with her idea.
... Time passed slowly, second by second.
Although invisible to the naked eye, Xia Mu and Lucario, possessing the power of Aura, could roughly discern the situation above.
Mew could also sense it through its psychic abilities.
During this time, Sonia and the Team Rocket trio remained undisturbed.
Sonia stayed by Xia Mu's side, doing nothing, while the Team Rocket trio secretly engaged in considerable communication.
In terms of cunning, no one in the original anime storyline surpassed them; it's just that some of their actions and thoughts were rather naive.
Just then, a commotion arose, and the rows of Mewtwo Balls were enveloped in a white light and vanished.
This startled Xia Mu, who immediately checked his storage space for Mewtwo Balls, which hadn't disappeared.
Sonia's two Mewtwo Balls were still there, likely locked onto those rows of shelves, preventing them from being taken beyond that range.
Shortly after, the previously static cloning machine began to operate automatically.
Everyone's attention turned to it.
"What's going on? Have we been discovered?" Kojiro couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
This was no good sign. Jessie and Meowth were clearly terrified, trembling as the three huddled together.
"Everything here is controlled by Mewtwo. I used my Aura Sense to see Mewtwo up there using those special Poké Balls to steal other people's Pokémon." Xia Mu's expression was cold, revealing nothing of his true feelings.
"Stealing Pokémon?!" Sonia exclaimed in shock.
The Team Rocket trio exchanged glances: "Can you capture other people's Pokémon with Poké Balls?"
"Perhaps that's what makes these Poké Balls special," Xia Mu casually remarked, then looked at the transport tunnel connecting to the space above.
One Mewtwo Ball after another fell from above, then were continuously fed into the cloning machine via the transport belt.
Cloning in progress! This scene shocked everyone once again, even Xia Mu, who already knew the plot, couldn't help but be taken aback.
A short while later, another violent scream rang out.
Under everyone's gaze, a person emerged from the tunnel entrance.
It was Ash.
He was still struggling, clutching a Mewtwo Ball and desperately trying to break free.
Xia Mu knew that Pikachu was inside.
However, these mechanical arms were difficult even for adults to withstand, let alone a ten-year-old child.
He truly lived up to his reputation as a super rookie; when he went berserk, even legendary Pokémon would tremble.
"It's that brat!" Team Rocket exclaimed, their minds momentarily blank.
Ash saw them, and although surprised, he didn't want to pay them any attention: "I don't have time to talk to you now, damn it, let go of my Pikachu!!"
This frantic behavior triggered the cloning machine's self-protection mechanism.
"Lucario, give him a hand," Xia Mu commanded Lucario beside him.
'Lucario~~!' With Lucario's intervention, the mechanical arms were severed, and Ash was freed.
Was that the end of it?
No! As the core of the cloning machine flashed with electricity, Xia Mu suddenly had a bad feeling. Recalling the scene from the original story, he immediately shouted, "Oh no! The machine is overloaded and about to explode! Everyone, find somewhere to hide!"
Almost the next second,
a deafening 'BOOM!!!' resounded.
The cloning machine was destroyed, and the explosion also destroyed most of the laboratory's functions.
However, all the necessary genes had been collected, and Pikachu, just like in the original story, couldn't escape the blast.
Long after the explosion, the smoke gradually dissipated.
Everyone finally came to their senses.
Xia Mu held Sonia, shielding her from all the damage at the last moment.
It was thanks to Mew that everyone was safe; it used its psychic powers to block the shockwave, preventing serious injuries to everyone.
Ash was only concerned with his Pokémon, and only after confirming that all his Pokémon were unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Then, he had the mind to consider where he was and what had happened.
Team Rocket was there, as were Xia Mu and Sonia.
There was another Pokémon he didn't recognize, and whose Pokédex entry wasn't there either, just like the Mewtwo above.
"Brother Xia Mu, Sister Sonia, what's going on? Where is this place? What are all these things…"
Seeing the data of various Pokémon appearing on the screen, and then seeing these Pokémon being cloned one by one, he was dumbfounded.
"It's great to see you're safe and sound. I roughly understand the situation upstairs, but the situation here is a bit complicated. Let me explain it to you simply…" Under Xia Mu's explanation, Ash finally understood what was happening.
Especially seeing that even his Pikachu, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur had been cloned, a surge of anger burned within him.
Stealing other people's Pokémon and then copying them!
Watching the cloned Pokémon emerge from the culture dishes and enter the elevator to the ground, Xia Mu intervened to stop Ash from going berserk.
There was no need to stop him, because doing so here would only worsen the situation.
It would be better to let them go up, following the original storyline.
Besides, they had important things to do: rescue the Pokémon inside the Mewtwo Ball and destroy the place to prevent it from being used again.
Under Natsuki's command, not only Ash but also the Team Rocket trio joined in to help.
When all the Pokémon were released, their emotions were clearly terrible, on the verge of going berserk.
The upcoming battle between the original and its clones in the original story was influenced by this negative emotion.
It felt like being forcibly captured and replaced—no one could accept that.
Natsuki used his Aura to communicate with the Pokémon, and with the help of Sweetie's Pokémon, he brought the situation under control.
After all, Sweetie's Pokémon were quite familiar with him; Natsuki had even bought them some Energy Cubes.
With no Pokémon causing trouble, Natsuki's next step was to have Lucario destroy the place.
Ash was dumbfounded. After all, he was still a novice, and although he had done a good job in the original story, he still acted with a childlike innocence.
"Brother Xia Mu, what kind of Pokémon is this Lucario? It's not even listed in the Pokédex. Is it a legendary Pokémon like Mew?" Ash asked.
Xia Mu smiled and replied, "Although Lucario is indeed rare, it's not a legendary Pokémon. Your Pokédex is only the Kanto region version. When you travel to other regions and upgrade your Pokédex, you'll see many more Pokémon you haven't seen before. Lucarios don't have wild footprints in some regions. The region with the most is probably Sinnoh."
"Sinnoh? There are many Pokémon I haven't seen before?" Ash's eyes lit up, forgetting the current situation.
Seeing this, Xia Mu couldn't help but think of a certain possibility and exclaimed, "Holy crap!"
Speaking of which, in the original story, Ash went to the Orange Islands first, then the Johto region, the Hoenn region…
because of this one sentence, Ash skipped all those regions and went straight to the Sinnoh region. I can't even imagine it!
However, if that were the case, it would be quite interesting.
After his change, Ash's fate has begun to change.
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(End of Chapter)