Chapter 2:

Note: If I get 20 reviews with 5 stars now, I'll post next chapter immediately...

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Chapter 2: The Mewtwo Project

The vast hall was bustling with people, yet the crowd moved in an orderly fashion. Various high-tech machines of unknown purposes were running, and researchers in white lab coats stood in front of glass containers, pointing excitedly and scribbling on papers. In the distance, a supercomputer's screen flashed with countless lines of data. Yulong Jie could barely understand that the rotating models on the screen were genetic structures.

In addition to these researchers in white coats, there were many men in black uniforms, wearing scarves and navy caps, standing at various empty spots in the research facility. The large 'R' emblem on their chests made Yulong Jie, even though he hadn't watched much of the Pokémon anime, recognize them as members of Team Rocket.

Unlike the often comical Team Rocket members portrayed in the anime, these men exuded cold, ruthless auras. Their sharp, fierce gazes and disciplined behavior gave off the impression of an elite, well-organized military force, truly embodying the image of an evil, terrorist organization.

Next to these Team Rocket members were Pokémon like Arbok, Golbat, Muk, and Hypno, all glaring menacingly at the researchers. Some even cast watchful glances toward the room where Yulong Jie was, keeping it under surveillance as well.

These Team Rocket members were not only the researchers' bodyguards but also their overseers.

In several of the glass containers throughout the hall, different Pokémon floated, though it was unclear whether they were alive or dead. The most eye-catching figure was in the central cylindrical container—a humanoid creature with its arms and legs bound by black iron chains.

Its pure white body and deep purple tail radiated a terrifyingly immense power, just from a single glance, making anyone feel a deep sense of oppression. Yulong Jie was all too familiar with this Pokémon. Having played the first-generation games, he knew right away that this was the legendary artificial Pokémon. In all the scattered descriptions of it, Mewtwo was always portrayed as a Pokémon with a cruel and violent nature.

However, for some reason, when Yulong Jie saw Mewtwo, he didn't feel its cold malice. Instead, he sensed an overwhelming gentleness and a deep, intimate connection, as if they were one and the same.

Upon hearing Yulong Jie's murmur, Professor Oak's stern eyebrows twitched. He cautiously asked, "...Jie-kun, do you remember it?"

"No, I don't. The name just popped into my head the moment I saw it."

Yulong Jie couldn't exactly reveal that he was a transmigrator who had never seen Mewtwo in person but knew its appearance. After a slight hesitation, he decided to ask the two people beside him some important questions. From their expressions, it was clear they were hiding something from him, and Yulong Jie had no intention of being kept in the dark.

"Uncles... Can you tell me who you really are? And can you explain what's happening? I can tell you're hiding something from me, but I'd prefer it if you told me everything, truthfully."

Yulong Jie stared intently at Professor Oak. Whether in the games or the anime, Professor Oak had always been a kind and trustworthy old man. If Yulong Jie had to trust anyone in this research facility, it would undoubtedly be him.

Hearing Yulong Jie call him 'uncle,' Professor Oak smiled and waved his hand, laughing heartily, "...I'm Oak Yukinari, a Pokémon researcher, though I'm just an old man now, not an uncle! Haha! Just call me Professor Oak, Jie-kun... As for this man beside me and the things you want to know…"

Professor Oak's expression grew hesitant. He didn't know whether he should reveal everything. He didn't want the boy to remember those painful memories but also didn't want to deceive him again.

"Sigh... I'll explain, Oak."

The bald man next to him sighed and walked over, patting Professor Oak on the shoulder. "...The mistakes I've made are mine to bear. Whether Jie-kun forgives me or not, if we continue to lie to him, my conscience will be even more troubled."

At the bald man's words, Professor Oak stepped back and remained silent.

"Jie-kun, what I'm about to tell you may upset you. The fact that you've lost your memory should be a relief, but since you asked, as the one responsible for all this, I can't lie to you anymore... My name is Blaine, the Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island, and I'm also the controller of this research facility. Additionally, I'm the head scientist for Team Rocket, the largest evil organization in the Kanto region."

When Blaine revealed his identity as a Team Rocket member, he averted his gaze, looking embarrassed. He removed his sunglasses, his eyes filled with a complex emotion as he stared at the central glass container in the research facility. Inside, Mewtwo floated like a prisoner, bound by chains. If it weren't for the machines flashing various data proving it was alive, Mewtwo's stillness would have made it resemble a specimen rather than a living being.

"That thing... It's a monster—a creature capable of destroying the world, created by my own hands. It's also the strongest artificial weapon ever recorded in human history."

Blaine's gaze at Mewtwo was filled with regret, pain, anger, and sorrow, among many other emotions. But what stood out most was his deep sympathy for Mewtwo and his overwhelming guilt toward himself.

Without caring whether Yulong Jie understood him or not, Blaine began to vent, spilling everything he had kept buried in his heart.

"In ancient myths, Mew is called 'the origin of life.' The ancients believed that all Pokémon originated from Mew. While modern research suggests this may not be entirely accurate, the ancients recorded these legends on clay tablets."

"Team Rocket once unearthed an ancient ruin, where they discovered a tablet about Mew and found a fossilized fragment of Mew's body structure. Using modern scientific techniques, we extracted Mew's genetic sequence from the fossil. To our amazement, the ancient legends were not unfounded. Mew's genes contained infinite possibilities. It carried the genetic structure of all known Pokémon. Even when compared with the genetic makeup of other legendary Pokémon, Mew's genes had everything, as if it truly were the origin of all Pokémon. This discovery even made us question the validity of the research from the Sinnoh region."

Blaine's tone was calm at first, but as he continued, his voice grew pained. He hugged his bald head, his expression filled with anguish. "...Team Rocket came to me, hoping I could help them with gene cloning and reconstruction. Using Mew's genes, which contained all Pokémon and infinite possibilities, along with human technology, they wanted to create the 'strongest Pokémon.' And the result, as you can see, is Mewtwo—the final product of this project, created in the name of surpassing Mew."

"...Scientists are all a bit mad. When I first heard about this project, I didn't think much of it. I was just excited to be part of something that could change the course of human history. Without a second thought, I agreed to Team Rocket's offer and dedicated my life's work to the 'Mewtwo Project.' It wasn't until the final product was nearly complete that I regained my senses, horrified at what I had done. I had created the strongest weapon for an evil organization. Now, Mewtwo has reached the final stage of genetic adjustment. Once it's fully controlled by Team Rocket, the Kanto region... No, the entire world will face a terrifying catastrophe!"

Yulong Jie listened calmly as Blaine spoke. He knew the basic origin of Mewtwo, though he didn't know all the details. Now, thanks to Blaine, he understood the entire backstory.

But—

"What does this have to do with me?" Yulong Jie asked the most critical question.

Blaine fell silent. He turned to look at Yulong Jie, and whether due to inner torment or fear, he put his sunglasses back on, avoiding Yulong Jie's gaze.

"The 'Mewtwo Project' took ten years from the discovery of Mew's genes to its official start. There wasn't much of Mew's genetic material available, so the researchers couldn't afford to experiment carelessly. The first few attempts all failed. The idea of creating a new Pokémon from Mew's genetic material was impossible. No matter how we reassembled Mew's genes, the result was always just a clone of Mew. It was as if some universal rule prevented us from cloning a legendary Pokémon, as if they were meant to be unique in this world."

Blaine paused for a moment before continuing, "...So I made a bold hypothesis. If Mew is a unique existence, and its genome contains the genetic data of all Pokémon, there's one species whose genes it would never possess—humans!"

"At first, I intended to use myself as a test subject, using my own genes as the base to nurture Mewtwo. But the leader of Team Rocket rejected my idea. He believed that since we had only one chance, it would be wiser to use the genes of someone with greater potential. Throughout human history, there have been individuals with extraordinary abilities, some of whom are still active on the world stage today. However, many of these individuals were beyond Team Rocket's reach, and others were too well-known to kidnap without drawing attention and risking exposure of the project."

"...In the end, we found you in Viridian City, Jie-kun, a descendant of the ancient lineage that once controlled the power of dragons,

now nearly extinct. We combined your genes with Mew's, and by merging human DNA with that of all Pokémon, we were finally able to create it!"

As Blaine's words trailed off, the head of the Mewtwo in the glass container seemed to move slightly. A force, undetectable to humans, pierced through space and time!

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Note: If I get 20 reviews with 5 stars now, I'll post next chapter immediately...