บท 19: Gastly, Gastly!
Can say for sure that this is when the story gets interesting.
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"Ka-kah?"
Gastly was thoroughly enjoying the show on Johan's phone when the sharp screech of a chair sliding across the floor interrupted it. Curiously, Gastly turned to look at Johan.
Is he still acting strange?
Seeing that Johan wasn't in any immediate danger, Gastly quickly refocused its attention back on the phone.
What Gastly didn't know was that Johan had just experienced something truly mind-boggling.
As a psychology scholar, Johan prided himself on his mental composure. But when he saw the word "Mewtwo" pop up in the chat window, he couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
Mewtwo.
There isn't a single Pokémon fan who doesn't know that name.
In his previous life, as Pokémon games developed and introduced regions like Kalos, Alola, Galar, and even Paldea, more and more powerful and terrifying legendary Pokémon emerged. While claiming Mewtwo to be the strongest Pokémon may be a bit presumptive, there's no denying that in the hearts of many die-hard Pokémon fans, Mewtwo occupies a special and crucial place.
Unquestionably, Johan was one of those fans. He knew Mewtwo's story well.
Mewtwo, the Psychic-type Legendary Pokémon, was artificially created by Team Rocket using Mew's genetic material. Mewtwo possesses immense power and destructive capabilities, yet it constantly grapples with its sense of purpose, wondering about the meaning of its existence because it was created, not born.
Encountering Mewtwo in a game would surely be an exciting experience for Johan. But meeting Mewtwo in the real world...
That's a completely different story.
With Mewtwo's abilities, wiping out a person, a Pokémon, or even an entire city would be a trivial task.
More importantly, Mewtwo's constant existential crisis makes it a difficult Pokémon to deal with.
Mewtwo is a Pokémon that is both confused and stubborn, grappling with its purpose, and when it gets trapped in its mental struggles, there's no stopping it.
In terms of psychological issues, if Mewtwo claims second place, there isn't another Pokémon in the world that could claim first.
Johan's thoughts quickly shifted to the earlier conversations he had with this user, "Who am I." Suddenly, everything started to make sense.
Wait a minute!
Johan's expression became even more peculiar.
Judging by Mewtwo's current state of mind, it was likely recently created.
Which means... it had just been manipulated by Giovanni and joined Team Rocket, becoming their tool for capturing wild Pokémon and looting resources.
So, when Mewtwo mentioned "that person" before, it must have been referring to Giovanni!
And Johan had suggested that Mewtwo and Giovanni try cooking together…
In Johan's mind, the image of Giovanni, the infamous Team Rocket leader, wearing an apron while cooking stirred up—an absurd, comical picture.
Cough, what a bizarre thought.
"Whoo—"
After taking a deep breath, Johan calmed down and sat back at the computer.
Staring at the chat window, Johan felt a slight headache coming on.
Sure, now he knew that the other person was Mewtwo and understood its symptoms, but figuring out how to "treat" Mewtwo was not something any Pokémon psychology expert could easily tackle.
But despite the daunting challenge, Johan couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
This kind of case was unique—there would never be another like it in the entire Pokémon world!
Johan placed his hands on the keyboard, his mind racing as he typed.
"So, who do you think you are?"
He didn't dwell on the name "Mewtwo," nor did he express surprise or pay it any attention.
As a Pokémon with immense power and a complex psyche, Mewtwo had always been in search of normalcy.
It longed to be like other Pokémon, to be a regular "Pokémon" rather than a one-of-a-kind "Mewtwo."
It was as if a child born into unimaginable wealth and privilege wanted nothing more than to live as a normal person. Despite being born at a level others could never hope to reach, this child yearned for simplicity.
But no matter how hard they tried, they could never truly experience what it meant to be "normal."
It was a fate sealed from birth.
So, ignoring Mewtwo's uniqueness was the first step in communicating with it.
Whether in the anime or manga, those who successfully communicated with Mewtwo—whether Ash Ketchum or Red—did so by treating Mewtwo as just another Pokémon first, and as Mewtwo second.
That was the key difference between "Mewtwo the Pokémon" and "Mewtwo."
"...I don't know."
As expected, Mewtwo didn't display any impatience at Johan's return question. Instead, it responded with confusion.
And crucially, Mewtwo was willing to continue the conversation.
"For example, let's say my name is 'Gastly,' and your name is also 'Gastly.' How would we tell ourselves apart?"
"I..." Mewtwo seemed momentarily lost.
"There are many Pokémon in the world, even many of the same species. Are there two identical Gastly in the world?"
"I don't think so."
Johan smiled and pressed further, "So how do we tell apart all the different Gastly?"
"I... I don't know."
Johan continued, "What if one Gastly loves to eat noodles, and another Gastly loves to inhale gas? Could you tell the difference then?"
"Yes."
This time, Mewtwo answered without hesitation.
"And how would you tell them apart?"
"They have different preferences."
"Exactly!"
Johan's fingers flew across the keyboard like he was writing a well-rehearsed thesis. He posed another question:
"Now, imagine there are four Gastly. Two of them love noodles, and the other two love gas. How would you tell them apart?"
"...I don't know."
"Among the two who love noodles, one floats in the air constantly while the other hides in walls. Can you tell the difference now?"
"Yes, because they behave differently."
Johan felt a sense of satisfaction. Mewtwo was starting to grasp it.
"Good, now what have you learned?"
"Preferences, behavior, thoughts, goals..."
Mewtwo's response surprised Johan—it wasn't just summarizing but also drawing inferences.
Johan's excitement grew. Mewtwo was a fast learner.
"So, back to your original question. You said you don't know who you are. Let me ask you this: If you were facing two dying Gastly, one with burn injuries and one starving, and you could only save one with a thought, which would you choose?"
Mewtwo was silent for a moment. "I'm not sure. I don't know how to choose."
"Now, what if you knew the burned Gastly personally? What would you choose then?"
"I guess... I'd choose the burned one?" Mewtwo responded hesitantly.
"Exactly. You are the version of 'you' who would save the burned Gastly."
Johan continued with a series of probing questions.
"If the starving Gastly died, would you regret your decision?"
"Would you feel guilty for indirectly causing the death of the other Gastly?"
"If given another chance, would you still choose the burned one?"
"If the burned Gastly blamed you for not saving its companion, would you get angry?"
"If you had the chance to change your decision, would you?"
"If..."
Johan bombarded Mewtwo with question after question. The other end of the chat was dead silent.
But Johan wasn't in a hurry. He wanted to give Mewtwo the time it needed for introspection. After all, this was a journey of self-discovery.
Roughly thirty seconds passed before Johan typed out the final message.
"Ultimately, it doesn't matter how you answer these questions. The moment you begin to answer them, the 'you' who is giving those answers is the real 'you.' It's a 'you' that no other Mewtwo, no matter how many exist, can ever replicate."
He hit send.
Thud!
The computer made a dull sound as the message failed to send.
That's when Johan noticed that Mewtwo had gone offline.
The system displayed: "User is offline. Unable to deliver message."
"Hmm?"
Johan frowned.
"Ah-choo! Ah-choo!"
Nearby, Gastly started sneezing uncontrollably, splattering saliva all over the screen.
"Ka-kah?"
Gastly rubbed its face repeatedly.
Am I sick? Or is someone thinking about me?
In a nearly sealed underground laboratory in Viridian City...
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The alarm lights on the walls flashed frantically, casting the entire lab in an eerie red glow.
At the center of the laboratory stood a Pokémon clad in sleek, modern armor. Its eyes were closed, its expression tense, as it stood completely still.
From the back of its armor, a network of cables and wires—data cables, power lines, and control lines—extended outward.
Dozens of researchers in lab coats scurried about like ants in a hot pan, furiously working at computers and control panels. Most of them were in a state of panic.
"Damn it, what's happening?! Did we get hacked? The entire network is down!"
"Hacked? Are you kidding me? Do you think Team Rocket's 'Porygon Firewall' is a joke?"
"Porygon Firewall? Take a look at Porygon! It's passed out cold!"
"And what the hell does 'Gastly, Gastly!' even mean?!"
Every screen in the lab, from the massive monitors on the walls to the smallest displays, was covered in text repeating the words "Gastly, Gastly!"
The words were endless, filling every inch of the screen.
Gastly, Gastly!
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