Celadon City.
Red was currently watching a group of shady Team Rocket grunts scouring the area. He was with Blue (the girl).
"I heard they're hunting a rare Pokémon called Mew," Red whispered. "Even Green is obsessed with catching it. If I can catch Mew first, it proves I'm stronger than Green."
"Blue, are you sure about this? Can your machine really track Mew's trajectory?" Red asked, feeling skeptical.
Suddenly, a voice spoke from the shadows behind them. "Following Blue is indeed the fastest way to find Mew."
Feng Che stepped out into the moonlight. "Don't you two know that provoking Team Rocket is a recipe for disaster? Listen to me: give up on Mew."
"But if Rocket catches it, the world is in trouble anyway!" Red countered, recognizing Feng Che as Professor Oak's associate.
"Rocket won't catch Mew," Feng Che said dismissively. "An enraged Mew is more powerful than the Three Legendary Birds combined. The only reason it isn't feared is because it's too lazy to fight. It's the ancestor of all Pokémon—if it truly felt threatened, the world would buckle."
"But we're so close!" Blue protested.
"Suit yourselves," Feng Che shrugged. I can't stop the 'Child of Destiny' from playing his part, he thought.
Suddenly, a chaotic wind began to swirl around the clearing.
"It's here! Mew is here!" Blue shouted. "Red, get ready!"
While the two kids prepared their capture devices, Feng Che closed his eyes and reached out with his mind.
[Mew: You... you smell like me. (^.^) ]
Mew's voice giggled in his head.
"Why are you letting them 'catch' you?" Feng Che asked. "You could vanish in a heartbeat. Why let Ivysaur bind you?"
[Mew: Because I like playing with pure-hearted people, heehee! But you... why does a human have my genetic signature? Something is very strange about you.]
"Humans found a sample of your DNA," Feng Che explained, transmitting a mental image of the laboratory. "They've used it to create a new life—Mewtwo."
[Mew: How scary. These humans are playing at being Arceus. They actually succeeded? Wait... does that mean this new psychic Pokémon is my brother? Or my child?]
Feng Che sweat-dropped. Mew, your priorities are all over the place.
[Mew: Based on your memories, this 'Mewtwo' is starving. Its psychic core is hollow. You're giving it crystals, but that isn't enough. It needs a 'Primal Source' to survive. I sense others approaching... I have to go.]
[Mew: Here. Give this to Mewtwo. Consider it a gift from me.]
Mew cut the connection and played along with Red's capture attempt. Feng Che looked down at his palm. Resting there was a gem-like droplet of deep, "pigeon-blood" red liquid.
Mew's Primal Blood.
Mew was an embodiment of the world's natural laws; its blood contained the very essence of psychic potential. Feng Che tucked it away and vanished before the kids noticed he was gone.
Team Rocket Headquarters.
Feng Che arrived to find Sabrina waiting for him. "Boss Giovanni wants to see you."
She led him to a massive training arena. Inside, Giovanni was warming up. His Beedrill was a blur of golden light, moving so fast that Feng Che had to use his psychic sight just to track its silhouette. Around the field, Giovanni's Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Rhydon, Dugtrio, Golem, and Onix were all undergoing high-intensity drills.
"Feng Che," Giovanni said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Sabrina tells me the mission to Indigo Plateau will be exceptionally dangerous. I decided to give you some... personal guidance."
He gestured to the Beedrill. "Don't worry, I'll use my weakest Pokémon. You may release your entire team against it."
Liar, Feng Che thought. Everyone knows that Beedrill is your true ace. "Weakest," my foot.
Feng Che didn't hold back. He released all nine: Ditto (Arbok), Corvisquire, Litten, Froakie, Ivysaur, Aerodactyl, Scyther, Vulpix, and Alolan Vulpix.
Giovanni's eyes narrowed, then he nodded in approval. He had been testing to see if Feng Che would hide his strength. "Nine Pokémon? That's quite a handful. I suggest rotating them; focus on a core few to push them to the limit. Once they can train themselves, you leave them at the Gym."
Giovanni signaled the Beedrill. "Come. Show me what you've learned. Don't hold back—my Beedrill is a master of evasion."
The Beedrill vanished. The buzzing of its wings was replaced by a deadly silence, punctuated only by a golden streak in the air.
"Froakie, Hydro Pump! Corvisquire, use Air Pressure to track its position! Aerodactyl, set an Ancient Power trap! Ivysaur, wait for the signal to use Vine Whip! Arbok, Litten, prepare your strongest area attacks! The rest—stay with me for defense!"
Giovanni smiled. "Smart. Keeping three back for personal protection."
[Froakie: This Beedrill is terrifying... I have to go all out!][Litten: Weakest Pokémon? This thing could shred a Nidoking in seconds. Shameless Boss!]
"Don't panic!" Feng Che's voice cut through the tension, instantly steadying his team.
To settle nine Pokémon with a single sentence... impressive, Giovanni thought. But my Beedrill isn't so easily pinned.
Froakie slammed its palms onto the ground, erupting pillars of water to compress the Beedrill's flight path. A Beedrill's speed came from its wings; if they got wet, the match was over.
"Not enough," Giovanni said calmly. "My Beedrill has undergone extreme training. It can weave through a rainstorm without getting a wing damp. You'll need more than that to catch it."