'Mewtwo?'
When Naoki saw who had just entered, he froze in place. At that moment, countless thoughts raced through his mind.
How did this legendary Pokémon suddenly appear in his tavern No—how did Mewtwo even know about this place?
Then, it struck him. Naoki remembered the photo that Baby Bear and Mew had sent him—the one where they were posing with Mewtwo and the clone Pokémon.
Putting two and two together, Naoki started to piece it all together.
He didn't snap out of his thoughts for a while. Instead sister Indeedee, though briefly surprised, smiled warmly at Mewtwo and the group of cloned Pokémon that had followed.
"Aia~" (Welcome~)
Mewtwo didn't reply. Its gaze scanned the tavern, moving past the curious Pokémon guests until it settled on Naoki—the only human present.
Mewtwo thought to himself, 'So, this is the human chosen by Mew?'
'He doesn't seem all that different from the others I've encountered.'
'But maybe I haven't yet discovered why. From the memories of Mew and Baby Bear, this human must be Naoki.'
'Naoki.'
Mewtwo silently repeated the name in its mind.
Seeing Mewtwo's imposing presence and the intimidating group of clone Pokémon, Sister Indeedee felt a bit worried. They looked powerful and a little frightening, especially with Mewtwo standing at the front. The group looked quite… serious.
She glanced at Naoki, who gave her a reassuring look and smiled calmly. "Welcome to the Pokémon Tavern. This is a place for Pokémon to relax and enjoy themselves. What would you like to drink?"
Mewtwo blinked, slightly taken aback. It took a moment to remember why it had even come here.
After its last encounter with Mew and Baby Bear, Mewtwo had gone to live in a hidden place called Clear Cliff, along with the other cloned Pokémon. But it wasn't long before humans, with bad intentions, discovered the location and tried to capture them.
Fortunately, with the help of Ash and his friends, they managed to stop Team Rocket's plan, and Mewtwo erased their memories of the incident.
Following the Clear Cliff ordeal, Mewtwo decided to continue its search for a peaceful place to live, alongside the cloned Pokémon. Yet, something stirred in its memory—the images from Baby Bear and Mew. The memories of a human, Naoki, who helped Pokémon without expecting anything in return.
For reasons it didn't quite understand, Mewtwo found itself changing course mid-journey, feeling compelled to seek out this place. Was it searching for answers? Or was it simply curious about the location Mew had visited?
Mewtwo remained silent.
Not only Naoki, but the other Pokémon in the tavern were also starting to notice the unusual guests. The atmosphere in the room shifted slightly as they began to recognize Mewtwo's commanding presence.
Naoki carefully observed Mewtwo. Its expression was calm—far from the turmoil and pain he had seen in the anime. There wasn't any hatred, just a quiet sense of reflection.
Naoki realized this must be the post-movie version of Mewtwo, the one that had started to find peace. Its personality had changed; it no longer needed to prove its power, but instead, sought a life of tranquility alongside the cloned Pokémon.
With this in mind, Naoki didn't try to overwhelm the legendary Pokémon with words. Instead, he simply said:
"If you're unsure, why don't you come in and have a drink?"
Mewtwo looked at him for a moment, then stepped inside the tavern. The cloned Pokémon followed close behind.
Suddenly, the tavern felt a bit cramped.
There wasn't enough space, so the new arrivals squeezed onto a table with the town's Pokémon. The Machamps and the Quaquaval, who were regulars, seemed quite curious about these reserved and unfamiliar guests.
Some of the more outgoing Pokémon, like Pikachu, approached the clone Pokémon, eager to learn more about them.
The clone Pokémon exchanged glances before one finally spoke in a slightly stiff tone: "Pika Pika…" (We come from far, far away...)
Hearing this, the town's Pikachu cried out warmly, "Pikachu!" (Well, you're in for a treat! The drinks here are great, and Naoki and the Indeedees make the best food in the world!)
The clone Pokémon looked at each other, unsure of how to respond to such enthusiasm.
Seeing this, Naoki asked brother Indeedee to entertain the group of curious clone Pokémon, offering them juice, milk, and sandwiches.
Though these clone Pokémon had complex origins and had gone through many hardships, their hearts were still pure and innocent. Soon enough, they were happily eating and playing with the town's Pokémon.
Mewtwo stood silently by the bar, watching the scene unfold.
It thought to itself, 'The memories from Baby Bear and Mew were true.'
'The smiles on these Pokémon's faces are sincere. They genuinely believe that this human is kind.'
'I never expected such a place to exist in the world. If I were just a regular Pokémon, I would probably enjoy it here too. No... I am a Pokémon.'
Suddenly, a drink with an unfamiliar and slightly odd aroma was pushed in front of Mewtwo.
Its attention shifted to the glass, and it raised its gaze to look at Naoki, who had set the drink down.
Naoki, noticing Mewtwo's quiet stare, couldn't help but wonder, 'Can Mewtwo sense thoughts telepathically? Why hasn't it spoken yet? Could it be that it, like Giratina, avoids talking to humans? No, Mewtwo's personality isn't like that.'
Though his thoughts raced, Naoki smiled and said, "Have a drink. It's on the house. It's meant to bring a little peace to your heart."
Mewtwo finally broke its silence. "What is this?" its voice calm, cool, yet deep.
Despite Legendary Pokémon typically being genderless, Mewtwo's voice carried a distinctly masculine tone.
Naoki replied, "It's beer. A new addition to the tavern's menu."
Mewtwo glanced at the golden liquid in the glass. Under the soft yellow light of the tavern, the transparent glass shimmered with a warm, intoxicating glow.
For a moment, Mewtwo felt a strange sense of calm wash over it. It didn't reach out with its hand, instead using its telekinesis to lift the glass and bring it closer.
Taking the glass in its grasp, Mewtwo lowered its head and took a sip.
The moment it tasted the beer, something shifted inside.
Its body suddenly felt lighter, as if it were floating on clouds. The relentless thoughts racing through its mind quieted for the first time, and its heart, which had been filled with pain and confusion since its creation, now experienced a deep sense of tranquility.
Peaceful. Calm.
Mewtwo's eyes became slightly dazed, and a soft flush spread across its usually stoic cheeks.
It had forgotten its troubles, lost in this serene atmosphere.
'No... this feeling... what is this?'
Mewtwo shook its head, trying to regain control, forcing itself to start thinking again.
Naoki, watching the legendary Pokémon's reaction, couldn't help but smile.
"You're drunk," he said softly.
Mewtwo looked directly into Naoki's eyes. It had human genes mixed into its DNA, along with the ability to sense spirits and emotions, which suddenly gave it a strange, yet familiar feeling.
The look in Naoki's eyes, the tone of his voice...
"You know me," Mewtwo stated confidently.
'He must have heard about me from Baby Bear'.
Naoki thought to himself. Raising his eyebrows slightly, he didn't deny it. Instead, he asked, "Who are you?"
'Who am I...' Mewtwo responded almost instinctively, "I am Mewtwo, a Pokémon created by humans using Mew's genes."
It seemed Mewtwo now identified itself as a Pokémon. Naoki nodded in acknowledgment.
Then, without warning, he saw Mewtwo gulp down the entire glass of beer.
After "switching off its brain," Mewtwo looked back at Naoki and nodded. Suddenly, it remembered why it had come. "Mew said you could help us."
"Huh?" Naoki blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
After a brief pause, Naoki asked, "How can I help you?"
Mewtwo, slightly tipsy, thought for a moment before replying, "No help needed. We're here... seeking an answer."
Naoki was left speechless for a moment. "An answer to what?" he finally asked.
Mewtwo's gaze shifted toward the group of clone Pokémon, who were playing and chatting with the local Pokémon, but Mewtwo said nothing more.
Naoki sighed inwardly.
Recalling Mewtwo's story, Naoki ventured to say, "You know, with something like this, it's not about what others tell you. You have to experience it, feel it, and figure it out on your own."
He gestured toward the clone Pokémon, who were now having fun. "Look at them. You're sitting here, drinking, just like the rest of them. Does it really matter whether you were created or born naturally?"
Mewtwo remained silent, lost in thought. And then, much to Naoki's surprise, Mewtwo fell asleep.
Naoki was stunned. 'Wait... is this legendary Pokémon's alcohol tolerance that bad?' He sighed and turned to his sisterIndeedee, who looked concerned.
"Take Mewtwo to the guest bedroom to rest," Naoki said, chuckling softly.
"Ai Yi," Indeedee and her brother nodded in unison.
The clone Pokémon were momentarily worried when they saw Mewtwo collapse. Naoki reassured them, explaining that Mewtwo was simply asleep. Relieved, the group returned to their playful chatter.
By ten o'clock, the Pokémon from the town began to leave, one by one. After the last guest departed, Naoki closed the tavern for the night.
He arranged for the clone Pokémon to sleep on the soft, grassy pasture, ensuring they were comfortable.
Yawning, Naoki finally returned to his room, carrying Pawmot, ready for some well-deserved rest.
The next morning, before Naoki had even woken up, Brother Indeedee knocked gently on his door.
Rubbing his eyes, Naoki opened the door. Indeedee pointed outside, saying, "Ai Ai."
Slightly puzzled, Naoki followed him outside. There, in the pasture, stood Mewtwo and the group of clone Pokémon, ready to depart.
Hearing the door open, Mewtwo looked up.
The memory of getting drunk the previous day still lingered in its mind. Thinking back to its behavior, the legendary Pokémon felt shy for the first time in its life.
At that moment, it saw Naoki walking toward it.
"Leaving?" Naoki asked, unsurprised. "Where will you go?"
Mewtwo responded calmly, "We plan to find a place that belongs to us, where we can live in peace."
A secluded place, where no humans had yet set foot. Perhaps someday humans might stumble upon it again, but if they did, Mewtwo was certain it wouldn't be like the last time. This time, they'd be ready.
Naoki nodded in understanding.
Without further words, Mewtwo's eyes glowed a soft blue, surrounding the clone Pokémon in its telekinetic aura. Together, they lifted into the sky, as if they had only come here for a brief visit.
Naoki stood in the grass, watching their figures disappear into the distance. Just as he turned to head back to the house, he suddenly heard Mewtwo's voice echo in his mind.
"Mew likes you very much," Mewtwo said telepathically.
Naoki froze for a moment.
He immediately remembered what Mewtwo had said when it was drunk the previous day.
'So that's why it came here—out of curiosity about why Mew liked me as a human?' Naoki thought. 'That's... really something.'
For a moment, Naoki was at a loss for words.
He glanced back toward his cozy little tavern.
Thanks to Mew and Baby Bear's stories, even a legendary Pokémon like Mewtwo had come as a guest.
The only regret was that he couldn't tame Mewtwo. But then again, with Mewtwo's personality, it was unlikely to ever be tamed by any human.
But that didn't matter!
As a humble rancher, just being able to meet such a legendary Pokémon in person was something most humans could only dream of.
Naoki grinned to himself.
Just as he was about to head back to the house, something caught his eye—a fountain of water suddenly sprang up from the nearby lake.
Naoki: "..."
A certain grumpy old dragon was acting up again.
Naoki went back to the house, grabbed a bucket of beer, and poured it into the portal to Giratina's Distortion World, then casually returned to the dining room.
Sister Indeedee had prepared a lavish breakfast.
As Naoki bit into the soft, golden bread, savored the perfectly fried eggs, and washed it down with sweet, delicious juice and milk, he couldn't help but think: 'Life is good.'
Meanwhile, in the Distortion World.
Giratina glared at the golden liquid floating in front of it, seething with frustration.
Since giving that human the reverse world water, Naoki had grown increasingly indifferent!
Feeling betrayed, Giratina's anger flared.
It decided then and there: 'That human is going to pay. I'll drag him here and trap him forever!'
But the next second, Giratina gulped down all the beer and promptly passed out.
After finishing his farm chores, Naoki thought about Giratina and its beer consumption. So, for fun, he made a bowl of poisonous mushroom soup and logged into the Distortion World.
Upon arrival, he found Giratina sprawled across a floating island, sleeping soundly, clearly drunk.
"Mewtwo can't handle beer, and neither can Giratina," Naoki muttered to himself.
With the big dragon knocked out, Naoki wandered around the Distortion World.
He remembered Giratina's earlier invitation—asking him to farm here.
Naoki had thought about it carefully.
The idea intrigued him, but the Distortion World was unique. Despite having water and land, it lacked the most essential element for plant growth—sunlight.
Standing on a floating island, Naoki studied the soil.
There were no trees here, but from his vantage point, he could spot a lone tree growing on a sky island floating higher up.
'Does this mean plants can grow here?' Naoki mused, deep in thought.
"I'll give it a try," he decided. If successful, he could turn this place into a backup farm.
And if the plants didn't grow well, he'd call in his trusty Gogoat or even the King of Bountiful Harvest to help the plants flourish.
....
[Extra chapter]