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As a uniquely gifted Pokémon, Mewtwo represented humanity's highest achievement in the field of genetic cloning. Who knew how much energy, financial resources, and creativity the North American Pokémon Research Institute had poured into this project to bring about this artificial weapon, created from a chance acquisition of Mew's genes and boasting the ability to overcome its betters. It could be said that Mewtwo was humanity's most magnificent piece of black technology at the current stage.
From the moment of its birth, it had transcended the basic concept of energy levels, progressing alongside legendary Pokémon. This monster, feared by both humanity and its creators like a nuclear bomb, could not be described with words or common sense.
Li Xiang, who was watching the battle, witnessed the meaning of Mewtwo's representation with his own eyes. That feeling was incomparable to the animation, which was restricted by storyboard composition and viewed through a screen.
When the lake water, controlled by psychic power, transformed into a waterspout that reached the sky, stretching beyond sight and easily parting the clouds, while its lower end scraped the riverbed, whipping up sediment, the sheer diameter of it completely submerged the giant Dragonite without a trace.
The falling rain was caught up, countless rocks and trees were uprooted and flew into the air, even sound was absorbed, leaving only the roar of the storm's condensation and rotation. Li Xiang deeply understood that Mewtwo equaled natural disaster.
Despite this massive waterspout, Mewtwo looked completely at ease, even having the spare mental capacity not to affect innocent Pokémon. It was like ordering food on an iPad, casually waving its right hand, the waterspout spinning faster and faster.
Li Xiang's face turned a bit green. An attack of this scale, not to mention that Shuckle Island was very close to Wisdom City, even at the edge of Mist Island, it would have been impossible not to see.
Sure enough, as Li Xiang tugged on Kingdra and sat on a tree stump, while the tree in front of him had already been uprooted and was flying towards the waterspout along with fragrant soil, the emergency communication channel on his waist-mounted device crackled to life, transmitting Mo Ye's distorted and intermittent voice.
"Crackle... sss... it's Mewtwo... crackle."
The energy Mewtwo was generating was so immense that it interfered with communications. Li Xiang had to respond to him, saying yes.
Mo Ye told him to hide far away and that he would come over shortly. Li Xiang replied, "No need... we'll come find you later. It's already over."
Yes, the waterspout had dissipated. Under Mewtwo's control, the sediment returned to the riverbed, the plants returned to their places, and the water returned to its basin.
Everything was restored to its original state—or at least, it looked that way. The only change was a massive, plump flying dragon, face-down in the lake with the back of its head pointing skyward, bobbing up and down in an unknown state between life and death. The weather was cool, and the air was as fresh as if it had been washed.
"I might have overdone it a bit." Mewtwo flew in front of Li Xiang, looking a bit embarrassed at the fallen fruits and leaves scattered on the ground. No matter how powerful it was, it couldn't reattach the fallen leaves and fruits.
"Compared to that, I'm more concerned about when that guy will wake up," Li Xiang said, looking at the giant Dragonite that had turned into a floating corpse.
As soon as he finished speaking, the creature suddenly lifted its head out of the water, spraying two streams of water from its nose, coughing and choking, looking around in confusion. It was hard to tell if it had been asleep or unconscious.
Seeing Li Xiang and Mewtwo, it flapped its wings and came over to the island.
"Oh dear, oh dear, I'm really sorry." There was no resentment on Dragonite's face; instead, it looked a bit apologetic. "I get a bit grumpy when I wake up. Plus, I didn't get to eat the jam I wanted. I'm truly sorry. I admit defeat. You are far stronger than me." It didn't mind its loss at all, even loudly acknowledging that Mewtwo was vastly superior.
"Thank you for the compliment." Mewtwo nodded in acknowledgment.
"But still, I hope you won't casually expose the Shuckle situation. You know, they've been living peacefully here for so many years..." Dragonite explained animatedly.
Li Xiang quickly interjected, "Of course not. I want to do long-term business with them. It's just that there are some things I'm not sure I can eat casually."
"That's good. Then I can rest assured," Dragonite said, flapping its wings and flying toward the horizon.
Only after its figure disappeared did Li Xiang turn to Mewtwo. "Let's go. We need to make a small self-criticism and also take care of the main issue."
"Self-criticism?"
"Just admit a mistake, show some submission, say you won't act rashly again, that sort of thing." Li Xiang waved his hand. "When you fight with the sages, the meaning behind it is more important than the outcome."
They had agreed that Mewtwo wouldn't come down from Mirage Island, but not only did it come down, it also started a fight. How could the Pokémon of Mist Island feel at ease?
"It feels so restrictive." Mewtwo was dissatisfied. It understood the reasoning, but it simply disliked it.
Why did it have to stay on the island without coming down a single step? It had already sworn an oath. What more did they want?
"In life, you'll always be bound by something. Some are burdens, some are responsibilities. It depends on how you see it." Li Xiang patted its shoulder. "Don't take it too hard. I saw that Dragonite had a good impression of you. Maybe this restriction will be gone soon."
Although the giant Dragonite left in a hurry, when it spoke earlier, its expression looking at Mewtwo was full of admiration. That was probably related to Mewtwo restoring the damaged environment and not harming any innocent Pokémon.
"How do you know everything?" Mewtwo tilted its head.
"Because saying it is easier than actually doing it, that's why I know." Li Xiang grinned.
"If we had to act on our words, I'm not as strong as you."
"Peak talker?" Mewtwo recalled the term Li Xiang had taught it.
"Exactly."
Li Xiang gave a thumbs-up and patted its back again.
"Let's go. Don't keep them waiting too long."
"Oh."
Mewtwo nodded and used its psychic power to lift the tree stump and Li Xiang, flying towards Wisdom City.
The impact of the battle between Mewtwo and the giant Dragonite was still considerable. When Li Xiang arrived at the base, he happened to run into Mismagius, who was about to leave.
It complained why Li Xiang and Mewtwo couldn't just stay on the island quietly, causing them so much trouble. Did he know how many Pokémon had been scared?
Li Xiang smiled sheepishly. A scene of that magnitude was indeed likely to scare people. He then explained the reason for the incident to Mo Ye.
After listening, Mo Ye was quite surprised. In all his years, this was the first time he had heard that the berry juice produced by Shuckle could increase a Pokémon's level.
After confirming with Mewtwo, Mo Ye took a bottle and collected some samples, saying he would find a reliable research institute to analyze the components as soon as possible.
Li Xiang nodded, saying there was no rush; the ordinary jam was safe to eat anyway. After that, they returned to Mirage Island, as it was almost time to eat.
As promised, Li Xiang showcased his culinary skills using the fresh and delicious ingredients. Pancakes made in a frying pan were simply better than those made in a boiler, and those made with oil were more fragrant than those made with some unknown liquid.
Besides that, Li Xiang also made some mixed stews, fried rice, and other dishes. Mist Island was rich in products; not only vegetables and fruits but also rice and soybeans. If he had known how to make it and had enough time, Li Xiang would have even liked to let Mewtwo try some stinky tofu.
However, just the dishes he had already prepared were enough for Mewtwo to finish the meal with an almost sincere attitude.
"If the food outside tastes this good, I think I have a goal," Mewtwo said with utmost seriousness.
"To eat all the delicious food in the world?" Li Xiang asked with a smile.
"Exactly!"
Mewtwo nodded.
"Food and satiety can make living beings happy. I am absolutely certain of this!"
"Hahaha." Li Xiang patted its shoulder.
"Since you're so happy, I'll leave the dishwashing to you."
"Of course." Mewtwo's eyes glowed blue, and it took the bowls, chopsticks, and pot towards the nearby river.
Young one. Sooner or later, you'll learn the saying: rather cook than do the dishes. Li Xiang silently mourned for the young Mewtwo.
Everything was ready. What remained was to eliminate all the phantoms on Mirage Island.
Undoubtedly, this was a huge undertaking. But with Uxie deliberately maintaining a seven-to-one flow rate, the process of the phantoms disappearing was very fast for the Pokémon of Mist Island.
Li Xiang also felt it was fast. His increasingly full wallet and the gradually disappearing phantoms reminded him that this kind of activity was rare. If he didn't seize the opportunity, who knew when the next one would be.
Although Mewtwo could also create phantoms, it took five minutes to make one, and it required using the earth's veins. Who knew if that would affect them.
During these exciting yet monotonous days, Li Xiang chose to step out of his comfort zone, walking on the edge of the possibility of being attacked by phantoms, forgoing safe protective measures.
If he didn't train his combat ability in the wild now, he would regret it later when he was crippled. As they say, real combat is the best teacher.
Under these circumstances, Li Xiang's skills improved day by day.
A month passed quickly.
For the outside world, less than a week had gone by; inside Mist Island, it was only about eight or nine days.
Finally, Uxie awoke from its slumber.
Compared to Mewtwo, who recovered after a single night's rest, Uxie seemed much more fond of sleeping. However, Mewtwo hadn't noticed, and it was only when Uxie was lured down by the smell of lunch that Mewtwo realized it was awake.
Looking at the bubbling iron pot, Uxie's face showed a look of longing.
"Oh dear, that smells a bit good."
"...Would you like a bowl?" Li Xiang asked hesitantly.
Unexpectedly, Uxie replied with lightning speed!
"Of course! A whole bowl!" It waved its little hand. "It's been so many years since I last ate food made by humans. How nostalgic."
Who said Uxie was shy? Please, step forward.
Li Xiang looked at this boisterous, squinty-eyed yellow sage, took a wooden bowl Mewtwo had made, and filled a bowl for it.
"Gulp, gulp." Uxie ate very quickly, almost finishing the food in the blink of an eye. It held its belly.
"Tastes good, a bit salty. Use less salt next time."
Then it turned and flew away without looking back, saying as it went, "I won't adjust the time for now. Keep up the good work."
It came down, said a few words, had a sip of soup, and left just like that? Li Xiang glanced at Mewtwo, whose eyes lit up faintly, as if observing Uxie.
"My psychic waves can't lock onto it." Mewtwo frowned, then said suddenly, "Something's wrong with it."
Li Xiang helplessly patted its shoulder.
"Maybe it has some special properties. Don't keep staring at it. What, you want to fight it?"
"...No." Mewtwo withdrew its gaze. "I've been reading the creation myth lately. I'm curious about how smart 'It,' who brought wisdom, really is."
'You seem to have misunderstood something... bringing wisdom isn't the same as sharing wisdom. It doesn't necessarily have to be exceptionally smart.' Li Xiang thought to himself.
"Does Arceus really exist?" Mewtwo looked at Li Xiang, once again entering its curious baby state.
"Why don't you go find out for yourself?" Li Xiang shrugged. "I've never seen it either."
"I will."
Mewtwo nodded, setting another goal for itself.