"Since Teacher doesn't object, then I'll choose the Beedrill Egg."
With that, Ash picked up the Beedrill Egg with its distinctive yellow-and-black striped shell—a Pokémon Egg with an exceptionally special and sensitive significance—and left the Persian Egg for his junior fellow disciple, Steyn.
However, Ashtwo wasn't the slightest bit jealous that Ash had chosen first.
On the contrary, when he saw that Ash had selected the relatively obscure Beedrill Egg while leaving Giovanni's most precious Persian Egg for him, his heart filled with gratitude and joy. He naturally assumed that his Senior was looking after him and giving him preferential treatment.
The reason he thought this way was quite simple.
Ever since his birth, Giovanni had never been separated from his Persian. Therefore, Ashtwo naturally regarded Persian as Giovanni's closest, most trusted, and strongest ace Pokémon.
Among the two Pokémon Eggs before him, the Persian Egg was undoubtedly the more precious one in his eyes.
As for Beedrill? He had barely even heard of it.
What was a Beedrill Egg supposed to be?
Did Giovanni's ace team even include some insignificant Pokémon like Beedrill?
After receiving their respective Pokémon Eggs from Giovanni, the three began their lessons for the day.
...
An hour later, after today's training session had concluded, Ash faithfully upheld his end of the agreement and carefully treated his junior fellow disciple, Steyn.
According to Giovanni, Steyn suffered from a congenital hereditary disorder that caused his cells to age far faster than those of ordinary people. His body was more fragile as well, making it highly likely that he would perish prematurely before ever reaching his full potential.
Since the illness involved every cell throughout his body, it was considerably more difficult to treat than ordinary external injuries. However, it was still far easier to deal with than Mewtwo's embryonic genetic chain, which had once been on the verge of total collapse.
After using Healing Grace to examine and treat Steyn's hereditary illness, Ash discovered that the Viridian Blessing was indeed remarkably effective.
The only problem was that it couldn't be completely cured in a single treatment.
Instead, it would require an extended period of time and numerous sessions of restorative treatment.
No wonder Giovanni had been willing to offer one of his ace Pokémon's eggs as compensation.
"Phew..."
"Junior Brother Steyn, how are you feeling? Do you feel any better?" After spending several minutes treating him, Ash asked as he looked at the boy wrapped from head to toe in concealing clothing.
"Mm! My body's warm and comfortable now, and I feel much lighter than before. Thank you, Senior Brother."
Feeling the changes within his body, Ashtwo couldn't hide his happiness.
If the accelerated aging of his cells could truly be resolved, then he would no longer have to worry about dying before he had the chance to grow stronger. He could live a normal lifespan instead of the mere eight to ten years that had once awaited him.
Yet amidst his joy and excitement, a sense of disappointment quietly arose within his heart.
As the clone of the person standing before him, both Teacher Giovanni and Doctor Fuji had repeatedly assured him that his talent and potential were no less extraordinary than Ash's.
But when he saw how exceptional his Senior Brother truly was—how effortlessly he wielded his supernatural abilities—while he himself had trained tirelessly for so long without even awakening the Viridian Blessing...
It was painfully ironic.
The very problem afflicting his own body was something that, theoretically, he should have been able to heal himself. Yet here he was, forced to rely upon another person's power.
"When will the Viridian Blessing within me finally awaken?"
"Can I really become someone as extraordinary as Senior Brother Ash?"
"Can I truly surpass him—the original body?"
Looking at Ash conversing warmly with Teacher Giovanni, Ashtwo found his confidence wavering.
Though both were clones, compared to Mewtwo—the clone of Mew—Ashtwo was significantly more fragile emotionally and possessed none of Mewtwo's overwhelming confidence.
Perhaps it was because he had only recently been born and had yet to receive sufficient guidance and training.
Or perhaps it was because Mewtwo was a super legendary Pokémon possessing a base stat total of 680—a being born with unimaginable power beyond the reach of ordinary lifeforms.
After all—
Power was the source of confidence.
"Teacher, my healing abilities are indeed effective against Junior Brother Steyn's congenital hereditary disease. However, I'm unable to cure it completely in a single treatment. It'll require an extended period of restorative care."
Paying no attention to the thoughts occupying Steyn's mind, Ash calmly explained the situation to Giovanni.
Treating Steyn was merely a transaction between himself and his Teacher.
Although he couldn't understand why he felt such inexplicable familiarity and closeness toward his junior fellow disciple, Ash had always been someone capable of separating emotions from reason.
Since they were destined to stand on opposite sides in the future, no amount of goodwill could change the objective reality that they would one day become enemies.
If that was the case, then maintaining some distance now would be for the best.
Giovanni had deliberately concealed Steyn's true identity beneath layers of clothing and secrecy because he didn't want Ash to learn the truth.
Likewise, Ash chose to suppress his curiosity and refrain from investigating further.
A purely professional relationship would suffice.
They would avoid forming emotional attachments and complicated bonds.
That way, when they eventually stood upon opposite sides of the battlefield in the future, he would still be capable of striking mercilessly—even delivering a killing blow if circumstances demanded it.
"Very good. Then I'll have to trouble you from now on, Ash." Giovanni replied with a benevolent smile.
"There's no need for such courtesy, Teacher. Steyn is my junior fellow disciple—it's only natural that I help him."
Having already received his compensation, Ash naturally didn't mind saying a few pleasant words in return.
"Teacher, Junior Brother Steyn, I'll be taking my leave now. See you both tomorrow."
After bidding farewell to his Teacher and junior fellow disciple, Ash picked up Pikachu, gestured for Greninja to follow him, and departed.
As his figure gradually disappeared into the dimly lit passage leading out of the Gym, his footsteps eventually faded into silence.
Only Giovanni and Ashtwo remained standing upon the battlefield where today's lessons had taken place.
Although Giovanni had always believed that Ashtwo's talent was no less extraordinary than Ash's, every time he saw Ash's boundless confidence and radiant brilliance—as though he were a sun illuminating all around him—he couldn't help but sigh inwardly with regret.
Compared to Ash, Ashtwo resembled a thin shadow—a shadow forever standing beneath Ash's light and following behind him.
For every additional measure of admiration Giovanni felt toward Ash, he couldn't help but feel another measure of disappointment toward Ashtwo.
Though he understood that Ashtwo had only recently been born and had yet to receive proper guidance, if he were being honest with himself...
He simply preferred Ash as his disciple.
Far more than he favored the clone, Ashtwo.
"Teacher, I'm here," Ashtwo hurriedly replied, snapping himself back to attention when he noticed Giovanni looking at him.
"Ashtwo, the reason I asked Ash to treat you using the Viridian Blessing wasn't solely to resolve the problem of your accelerated cellular aging."
"There's another purpose as well."
"I hope that by nourishing and stimulating your body through Ash's Viridian Blessing, we may use this opportunity to awaken the power sleeping within you."
"We'll see whether this can become the catalyst that allows you to finally awaken your own Viridian Blessing."
"I see..."
Hearing Giovanni's explanation, Ashtwo nodded in sudden realization.
Yet deep within his heart, there remained a question that he couldn't help asking himself.
Could he ever step out from beneath Ash's shadow...
And one day become a light of his own?