Crystal Cliff — this place overflowed with Mewtwo’s memories.

A year and a half ago, Team Rocket somehow discovered this sanctuary. They made a desperate attempt to seize control of Mewtwo’s power again, dispatching a large force.

However, thanks to several boys and girls — and a strange trio — their plan once more failed. Mewtwo erased all their memories of that incident.

Afterward, it sent the cloned Pokémon that had lived here with it to various corners of the world.

Though they were copies, they had true lives. So, they set off on journeys to live freely.

Later, Mewtwo also began its own journey — searching for the answer to what it meant to be alive.

It had visited Cerulean Cave, left footprints in bustling cities, wandered to distant lands, witnessed myth and legend, fought powerful humans, and even seen bizarre space-time rifts… and now, after all that, it had returned to Crystal Cliff.

The underground cavern was still vast, the Mirror Lake shimmered as ever, moss clung to the stone walls — but the other Pokémon were gone.

So this… was what loneliness felt like.

As Mewtwo reflected on those events, it felt confused — and just a little regretful.

Because back then… it hadn’t seen Giovanni.

If Giovanni had been among the attackers, Mewtwo could’ve wiped his memory too — so that man would never recall Mewtwo’s existence again.

During its travels, Mewtwo eventually learned the truth.

Giovanni and the Team Rocket executives had all been defeated by a group of young Trainers. And though Team Rocket’s operations had simply moved into the shadows, Giovanni himself was no longer at HQ.

That man had gone back on the road — in search of true strength. He even left a message to Team Rocket:

“…Let me be clear. No matter how strong someone is, they can still fall. If you can’t admit defeat, you’ll never move forward. To build a stronger organization, I now begin a journey alone. Someday, I will revive Team Rocket.”

Hearing this, Mewtwo felt… strange.

The man who once saw Pokémon as nothing more than tools of power, who showed no love at all — was he really trying to start over? When that boy defeated him, did it shatter his pride as well?

Mewtwo took out a human device — a Pokémon gadget it had learned to use while traveling through the cities. With its illusions, it forged an identity and gained access to this technology.

Now that human society was rapidly developing, the internet was incredibly convenient — once you knew how to use it.

“Thank you for the item. The Calyrex plush is incredibly effective.”

Just holding it seemed to wash away all its worries, immersing it in peace. Its emotional wounds were healing — and memories Mewtwo didn’t even know it had began to surface.

Was the world… always this vibrant?

Despite all it had seen — despite the journey, the return to “home” — something dark still lingered deep inside. But now, those shadows were melting away like winter snow in spring sun, flowing into streams and giving life to the valley.

Flowers. Trees. Sky. Breeze. Clouds. Sunlight. Rainbows. Ocean. Forests. Gravel. Earth…

To live, to feel, to think — to understand — and finally, in the stillness, to awaken.

Mewtwo @-mentioned Hikaru in the merchant group and left a review beneath the workshop’s store page.

In human society, it had learned that many shops encouraged good reviews. More praise meant more customers — a cycle that helped business.

And, to support someone, one could buy their products. Besides, Mewtwo could already see the future — every item the workshop sold was authentic and powerful. Unfortunately, there weren’t many Psychic-type tools available yet.

Not that Mewtwo needed any power boosts. Its power, even if not the greatest in the world, was among the highest.

Power isn’t everything. That much it had learned on its journey a year ago.

Now, all it wanted… was peace. A quiet place to live — a corner of the world no one could find.

Just like that mysterious craftsman’s home.

Mewtwo unknowingly slipped into meditation.

As its mind calmed, deeper memories surfaced — fragments that made its brow furrow.

A little girl… and several Pokémon.

Something wet fell on Mewtwo’s face. It reached out — and found it was a tear.

Tears…? I… have tears?

What was that feeling just now? What were those memories? Vague and uncertain — had it really experienced them?

“Tears… when the body feels pain, they fall. But only humans cry from sorrow.”

Strange memories surged — tranquil and pure, from a time Mewtwo didn’t recognize. A wave of fatigue washed over it.

Hesitating, it opened a private message to Hikaru:

“I need to revise what I just said. The Calyrex plush triggered some strange memories. Is that normal? They feel like memories from right after I was born… buried deep inside me. Are those… my deepest psychological scars?”

A response soon came:

[Can you explain in more detail? I’m not a licensed therapist, but I need to know your symptoms to help guide you. It’s not my job — but you are my customer, after all.]

[Since my product triggered this, of course I’ll help you.]

Mewtwo went silent.

After some thought, it disguised its identity — one it often used while living among humans. It slightly altered the recovered memories and integrated them into the “backstory” of that fake identity.

[I see… So you had a girl and three Pokémon as companions when you were young. And only after holding the plush did you recall them — but after the memories returned, you remembered that they all suddenly vanished without a word, right?]

Mewtwo: “That’s right. And… I remembered her name.”

“Ai. Yes… she was Ai.”

The name in its memory was actually Ai No. 2, but Mewtwo knew that girl wasn’t a real “human” — and so, it left out the number. A designation like “2” would be inappropriate.

Who was she? What was she really?

Why… why does my heart ache with the urge to see her again?

[…]

“…What is it?”

[Nothing. Childhood traumas are often hidden by the mind — but they don’t disappear. They become buried thorns in the soul. Did you know that forgetting is actually a psychological defense mechanism? It’s one way we protect our mental health.]

[It helps us escape negative emotions and pain, allowing us to stay emotionally stable. Trauma also leads to avoidance — avoiding places, people, and even topics that trigger those memories. I remember you once said you avoid speaking with other psychics unless necessary. That’s also a form of avoidance.]

[But… you aren’t just avoiding psychics. From what I can tell, you’re avoiding humans — or rather, strangers.]

Mewtwo was silent.

That… hit home.

Thinking it over, Mewtwo realized it was true.

It had traveled many places, met many humans. But even while disguised, it had always avoided crowds. It avoided contact — not just out of fear of exposure, but because…

It truly felt distant from humans.

If there was anyone it could acknowledge — it would be that boy called Ash.

“So the best solution is to forget these memories again? But… the urge to see her won’t go away.”

Even though I know she doesn’t exist anymore… Mewtwo thought quietly.

[Forgetting is one solution — it protects your mind. But… haven’t you already understood what “the meaning of life” is?]

Mewtwo froze.

The meaning of life… Who am I? These were the questions it had once obsessed over. But after meeting that boy Ash, it had found its answer.

“At the very least, it means I’m a being who can live on this planet.”

And now — only the Trainers who once helped it, and Giovanni, knew of its past.

“Who… are you?”

[Huh?]

Hikaru’s confused response made Mewtwo blink — and chuckle. It shook its head.

Guess I’m overthinking it.

Right — Hikaru was just a strange human with mysterious power. Maybe not someone who could see the future, but perhaps “the meaning of life” was just a common psychological concept.

It didn’t know much about psychology.

[I don’t know why you suddenly asked that, but I guess my words touched something deep inside you. Let’s say you have understood the meaning of life. Once someone finds that meaning, they not only feel happiness — they also gain strength to face any hardship. Even in the face of suffering, guilt, or death, they can remain optimistic.]

[There’s only one true form of heroism: to love life after seeing its harsh truths. A human once said that.]

In that moment, Mewtwo felt a beam of light pierce its heart.

Not from the plush — but from the words themselves. A powerful will, from far across the world, had reached into its soul and deeply moved it.

Yes… no matter the past, the fact that I’m here now means it’s behind me.

But still… even knowing the truth of reality, why did it feel unwilling to let go?

The girl’s voice echoed in its memory. She once said:

“Living will surely be fun.”

That was what the girl called Ai No. 2 had said.

[So… after everything, I want to give you something. Some tools. I hope they’ll help you regain your strength.]

[There are three ways to heal childhood trauma. First is forgetting — avoidance. Shameful, maybe, but effective. The second is to confront it. Face it, step past it, and overcome it.]

[And the third… do you want to see her again? If you could, wouldn’t that resolve everything? I can’t guarantee it’ll work, but… I want to give you a gift.]

Mewtwo’s hands clenched tight. Even its breath faltered.

O mysterious craftsman…

Please… help me.

(End of Chapter)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep