As everyone chatted, time passed slowly, and Miss Joy began bringing food to the banquet table. The abundance of dishes made it hard to believe they were prepared by a single person.
Except for Ash, no one else knew that, apart from Mewtwo and Miss Joy, there was no one else in the entire castle. They simply assumed the food was prepared in the kitchen and served by Miss Joy.
"Hmm~ It's so delicious!" Yusho exclaimed after taking a bite, his eyes lighting up.
Although Hiroshi acted somewhat pretentious, he had to admit the food tasted exceptional. His large appetite made him appear a bit embarrassed while eating.
"Brock, I feel your cooking skills are on par with this!" Ash and Misty frequently enjoyed Brock's culinary creations, and comparing them, they found the flavors to be similar. However, they weren't as surprised as the other three.
"Indeed! If possible, I'd like to meet the chef here," Brock remarked, acknowledging the chef's skill.
Hearing Brock's words, Ash shook his head slightly. He knew there was no chef; the one responsible for the banquet was either Miss Joy or the still-hidden Mewtwo.
If it were Mewtwo, Ash would have to marvel at its abilities. While Pokémon weren't incapable of preparing delicious food, the fact that Mewtwo had cooked such a feast was astonishing.
In addition to human food, Pokémon food was also available. Although not as nutritious as Brock's preparations, it rivaled his culinary skills in terms of taste.
Ash's Pokémon weren't particularly impressed, as the food they usually ate was just as delicious. However, the other three Trainers' Pokémon rarely indulged in such exquisite cuisine.
The banquet didn't last long, as there were only a few people, and everyone's appetites had limits. After the meal, Miss Joy cleared the table.
"The host hasn't shown up yet. When will this guy who calls himself 'the strongest trainer' appear?" Hiroshi asked, gritting his teeth in dissatisfaction.
He had expected the organizer to appear during the banquet and dine with them, but the host's absence throughout the meal felt disrespectful.
Feeling sleepy and exhausted from crossing the sea, Hiroshi longed for a good rest, but this clearly wasn't the place for it.
Yusho and Luna shared his sentiments but remained silent. Their emotional intelligence was higher than Hiroshi's, and unlike him, they didn't voice their complaints aloud.
Nearby, the Pokémon, having eaten their fill, yawned lazily. Boredom and a full stomach easily induced sleepiness, especially after consuming a large meal.
They didn't care much and simply lay down, closing their eyes to rest. Some even fell asleep.
However, Ash's Pokémon didn't exhibit this behavior. They stayed close to Misty and Brock's Pokémon, maintaining a serious demeanor.
Pikachu and Charizard sensed Mewtwo's presence within the castle, observing them. They had alerted their companions and remained vigilant.
"How long are we going to wait?" Misty whispered to Ash after a while, starting to feel uneasy.
The organizer had invited them, yet their prolonged absence raised suspicions of a possible conspiracy.
Just as Misty finished speaking, the entire hall darkened. A blue beam of light descended from the spiral staircase, illuminating the room.
This change immediately captured everyone's attention, and all eyes were drawn to the beam of light. They knew the main event was about to unfold.
"Pika—!" Pikachu's expression hardened as it assumed a fighting stance, facing the beam of light. Charizard, standing beside it, also tensed up, its face serious.
Both Pokémon could sense a powerful force emanating from above.
"Everyone, I apologize for the wait..." Miss Joy stood at the bottom of the stairs, facing the crowd with a blank expression. "The strongest Pokémon Trainer will appear shortly."
"Finally!" Hiroshi exclaimed, rising from his seat with a ferocious grin. He was eager to see who dared to claim the title of "the strongest trainer."
A figure began descending from the beam of light. Surprisingly, this human-shaped shadow floated in mid-air, slowly descending without any visible support.
"What is that?!" Although the shadow had a human form, everyone could see a tail trailing behind it, indicating its true nature was not human.
"Why does it feel familiar...?" Brock frowned slightly, his memory stirred by the sight of the descending shadow.
"Now that you mention it, I think I've seen it somewhere too..." Misty was taken aback, a look of astonishment on her face.
"Viridian Gym..." Ash answered their questions. He knew this shadow was none other than Mewtwo, the artificial Pokémon with power surpassing even Mew.
Mewtwo!
Brock and Misty were stunned, then looked at Ash in shock, and said in disbelief, "You mean, this black shadow is the undead that escaped from the Viridian Gym back then?!"
"That's right!" Ash nodded slightly, staring at Mewtwo who had landed on the ground and revealed his real body.
This is a Pokémon that is somewhat similar in appearance to Mew, but its body size is quite different. It looks like a half-human, half-cat animal, with a silver-white body, a purple tail and abdomen, and an external nerve protruding from the center of the back that extends to the back.
This is Mewtwo!
Mewtwo
Category: Genetic Pokémon
Ability: Pressure
Hidden Ability: Unnerve
Pressure: Pokémon with this ability can double the energy consumption of rivals when using moves.
Unnerve: Pokémon with this ability can prevent rivals from consuming held items.
Strength: ???
"This is Mewtwo's information..." Seeing Mewtwo's information given by the system, Ash's pupils shrank slightly. This was the first time he had seen a Pokémon with both a normal ability and a hidden ability simultaneously!
"Is it because it is a man-made Pokémon, or is there some other reason?" Ash stared at Mewtwo. Although Mewtwo was calm at this time, it gave off a feeling of a hurricane's tranquility before the rain, as if it would explode completely in the next moment, full of pressure!
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