Mewtwo, who hadn't been online for a long time, suddenly came back online?
And not only that, it kicked things off with a deep existential statement.
It felt like one of those moments where someone says, "Master, I have achieved enlightenment," leaving Johan momentarily speechless, unsure of how to respond.
Before Johan could think of a reply, Mewtwo sent another message.
[Who Am I]: But I still don't know what my purpose is. Why was I born? And what am I supposed to live for?
Well…
This was both expected and unsurprising.
It was essentially a question about the "superego."
The "superego" operates under moral principles, with three key functions: it inhibits the impulses of the "id," monitors the actions of the "ego," and strives for perfection. But in order to understand the "superego," Mewtwo first needed to grasp the "id," which represents its most primitive, instinctual desires—those subconscious behaviors that exist beyond intellect.
The "superego" and "id" are opposing forces. Without the "id," the "superego" wouldn't exist.
Johan rubbed his temples.
In Mewtwo Strikes Back, Giovanni once gave Mewtwo a similar answer.
At that time, Giovanni responded by saying, "Pokémon exist to be used by humans, to serve human purposes." This was essentially an attempt to impose the "id" onto Mewtwo, suppressing its "superego."
Naturally, this led to Mewtwo's furious outburst.
However, Johan had already anticipated this moment and had some thoughts prepared. After carefully choosing his words, he began typing.
[Grain in the Field]: Before you can figure that out, you need to answer a more immediate question—where are you?
[Who Am I]: Where... am I?
[Grain in the Field]: The world is vast. There's the universe, planets, continents, cities, houses—on a large scale and a small one. If I'm in bed, I'm there to sleep. If I'm at the dinner table, I'm there to eat. If I'm at work, it's to earn money. "Where" may seem like a vague question, but it's a crucial reference point to understand your inner self.
The "id" is tied to instincts, which are in some ways shaped by one's environment.
Take wild animals, for example. Their instincts include fighting, hunting, and mating. But to fight, hunt, or mate, there needs to be another animal or a territory involved, right?
Once you add moral codes or rules to that environment, that leads to the "superego."
There was a brief period of silence.
Johan used this time to wash up, waiting for Mewtwo to process everything and reply.
[Who Am I]: I remember... I was in a container. I saw Ai Two, Charmander Two, Squirtle Two, Bulbasaur Two... I kind of miss them.
[Who Am I]: I feel something in my eyes. Ai Two once told me about something called "tears." I... I can't stop them. What should I do?
Reading the words on his phone, Johan fell into a brief silence.
He knew about Ai, and he also knew about Ai Two.
Ai was the deceased daughter of Dr. Fuji. Ai Two was a virtual being, created as a replication of Ai's consciousness in the form of electrical waves, as Dr. Fuji couldn't bear the reality of his daughter's death.
Dr. Fuji was one of the scientists involved in the creation of Mewtwo.
Ai Two was also the first being to make contact with young Mewtwo, teaching it about the sun, the wind, the moon, and the stars, providing it with the first real comfort in its lonely existence.
So, Ai Two held a very special place in Mewtwo's heart.
[Who Am I]: I want to see her. I want to see Ai Two again!
Bzzzt!
Suddenly, Johan felt a small electric shock run through his hand. His brow twitched as he quickly placed his phone on the table.
Yikes!
The Hoenn region and the Kanto region are so far apart!
"Ka-kah?"
Noticing Johan's strange reaction, Gastly, with white frosting smeared all over its mouth, raised its head and squinted at him.
You want some?
It asked this while sneakily wrapping its foggy body around the small cake with its gaseous form.
Johan, still preoccupied with Mewtwo, ignored Gastly for the moment. After confirming that his phone was working fine, he picked it back up.
In reality, this was a good sign for Mewtwo.
At least now it knew what it wanted.
"Guiding Mewtwo is so difficult…"
Johan thought, feeling a bit helpless.
One wrong move, and it might not lead to the end of the world, but it would certainly lead to massive destruction. That much was almost guaranteed.
He shuddered at the thought of what might happen if he was standing in front of Mewtwo in person and it suddenly lost control.
For now, he couldn't even risk guiding Mewtwo toward complete freedom.
One reason was that doing so would definitely put him at odds with Team Rocket.
But more importantly, once Mewtwo was free, Johan might lose all contact with it. If Mewtwo showed up unrestrained at something like the "Trainer Conference," the destruction it could cause would be catastrophic.
[Grain in the Field]: For now, I suggest you try to contain those feelings. You must learn to control your instincts.
As soon as Johan sent that message, Mewtwo's name on his contact list dimmed once again.
"Well, there goes the connection. Probably fried the network again."
"Let's hope nothing major happens... But even if Mewtwo causes trouble, it'll probably be limited to inside Team Rocket's facilities, right?"
Johan wasn't overly concerned.
After all, there were very few things in the world capable of harming Mewtwo.
Turning back, he saw Gastly, who had already devoured dinner, dessert, and was now making quick work of some energy cubes.
Sometimes, Johan wondered if he was raising a Snorlax instead of a Gastly.
Still, Gastly had worked hard during the day's training, and Johan had multiple ways to earn money now, so he didn't scold it.
"Gastly."
"Ka-kah?"
"Want to watch a movie?"
"Ka-kah!"
In Kanto.
In Viridian City, inside Team Rocket's underground base...
Boom! Boom!
Amidst flashing red lights, machines burst into flames. Dozens of scientists and Team Rocket grunts scrambled to control the situation, commanding their Pokémon to extinguish the fires.
In the center of the lab, Mewtwo stood calmly in its armor, staring ahead at a raised platform.
On the platform stood two figures, both seemingly unbothered by the chaos around them.
"Boss, this is the second time now... Every time Mewtwo connects to the network, this happens... But thanks to the precautions we took earlier, at least we managed to preserve some of the database information this time," reported Domino.
Giovanni, however, seemed to ignore her, silently watching the motionless Mewtwo below.
The two gazes met in the air.
Suddenly.
Giovanni chuckled softly, his deep voice echoing through the lab.
"So, you want to leave, Mewtwo?"
Buzz!
Under the mirrored visor of Mewtwo's helmet, its glowing blue eyes slowly appeared.
For an instant, it was as if time had frozen. The flames, the crackling electricity, the frantic voices, and the Pokémon working to put out the fires—all came to a sudden halt. Even Domino, standing beside Giovanni, was frozen mid-motion. Only Giovanni remained unaffected.
"This is your idea of self-control? Turning everything into a disaster?"
Giovanni showed no fear in the face of Mewtwo's immense power. Leaning on the railing, he leaned forward slightly.
"If you want to destroy everything—every person, every Pokémon, everything around you—go ahead. I won't stop you."
For the first time, Mewtwo looked around at its surroundings.
Did I cause all of this?
Destroy everything... Destroy people?
Buzz!
A terrifying wave of psychic energy rippled out from Mewtwo, and in an instant, all the fires were extinguished.
Yet, after doing this, the glowing eyes behind Mewtwo's visor dimmed once more.
It remained standing there, motionless.
Everything around it began to move again, as if time had resumed its flow.
If Johan had been present, he would have been relieved to see this. Although his final message hadn't gone through, Mewtwo had, in fact, learned to restrain itself—to suppress its "id."
Under its helmet, Mewtwo slowly closed its eyes.
I want to see her... and him...
Giovanni took one last deep look at the now-silent Mewtwo before turning to leave.
Domino quickly followed after snapping out of her daze.
"Boss…"
"Domino, we managed to preserve some of the database this time, right?"
"Uh, yes—yes, we did."
"Then find him."
Him?
Domino hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Understood!"
Giovanni's smile grew slightly wider, but his eyes narrowed with amusement as he muttered
to himself:
"A person who can teach Mewtwo to control itself... I must say, I'm rather intrigued by him."