Chapter 19: Gastly, Gastly!
Chapter 19: Gastly, Gastly!
"Keh?"
Gastly's viewing pleasure was interrupted by the sharp screech of a chair sliding across the floor. Curious, it looked over at Jing He.
Is he still rambling on?
Once Jing He confirmed there was no immediate danger, Gastly refocused on its phone. However, it had no idea what Jing He was going through at that moment.
As a renowned psychologist, Jing He was usually very confident in his self-control. But when he saw the words "Mewtwo" in the chat box, even he felt a momentary lapse.
Mewtwo!
There isn't a single Pokemon enthusiast who doesn't know this name.
In the previous timeline, the Pokemon games expanded to regions like Kalos, Alola, Sinnoh, and even the Galar region, where many powerful and terrifying Legendary Pokemon appeared. While saying Mewtwo is the strongest Pokemon might be a bit hasty, in the hearts of many seasoned Mewtwo fans, it undoubtedly holds a very important and special place.
Jing He was no exception. He was intimately familiar with Mewtwo.
Mewtwo, the Psychic-type Legendary Pokemon, was artificially created by Team Rocket using Mew's genetic material. It possesses immense power and destructive capabilities. However, because it is a man-made Pokemon, it is constantly searching for the meaning of its existence.
If Jing He had encountered Mewtwo in a game, he would have been elated. But in the real world, encountering Mewtwo was far from a good thing.
With Mewtwo's abilities, eliminating a person, a Pokemon, or even an entire town would be no trouble at all.
More importantly, Mewtwo, which constantly questions its existence and value, is not an easy Pokemon to get along with.
It is a Pokemon that is both lost and determined, powerful and unpredictable, and can easily spiral into a fit of madness.
In terms of psychological issues, Mewtwo would probably rank second to none in the entire Pokemon world.
Then, Jing He recalled the content of their previous conversation and the username "Who Am I." Everything started to make sense.
Wait a moment!
Jing He's expression became increasingly strange.
Based on Mewtwo's current state, it must have just been created, right?
That means it was recently deceived by Giovanni and joined Team Rocket, becoming a tool for their wild Pokemon and resource plundering?
So the "person" he mentioned last time was Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni!
And he suggested Mewtwo have a meal with that person.
An image of Giovanni wearing an apron and cooking popped into Jing He's mind.
Ah, the scene was quite bizarre.
"Phew—"
Taking a deep breath, Jing He calmed himself and sat back in front of the computer.
Looking at the chat box, he felt a slight headache.
Knowing that the other party was Mewtwo and understanding its condition was one thing, but "curing" it was a whole different matter. It would be a challenge for any Pokemon psychologist.
But soon, a sense of excitement began to rise within Jing He.
This was probably the only case of its kind in the entire Pokemon world!
Jing He placed his hands on the keyboard, his mind racing as he began to type.
"So, who do you think you are?"
He didn't dwell on the name "Mewtwo," nor did he show any surprise or interest.
Because, as a powerful Legendary Pokemon, Mewtwo was actually searching for the ordinary and the common.
It longed to be like other Pokemon, a true "Pokemon" rather than the unique "Mewtwo."
It's like a child born into a family with immense wealth, standing at a finish line others can never reach, yet yearning to be a regular person.
In reality, no matter how hard they try, they can never truly experience what it means to be "ordinary."
This is something decided at birth.
So, ignoring its uniqueness is the first step in communicating with Mewtwo.
In both the anime and manga, those who can communicate with Mewtwo, whether it's Ash or Red, first treat Mewtwo as just another Pokemon before acknowledging it as Mewtwo.
This is the difference between "Pokemon Mewtwo" and "Mewtwo."
"I don't know."
Sure enough, Mewtwo didn't show impatience when faced with Jing He's question; instead, it was puzzled.
This also revealed that it was willing to communicate with Jing He.
"For example, my name is 'Gastly,' and your name is also 'Gastly.' How would you differentiate between me and you?"
Mewtwo was momentarily at a loss.
"Are there any two Gastlys in the world that are exactly the same?"
“
“I don’t think so.”
Jing He smiled faintly and continued, “Then, how can we distinguish between so many Gastlys?”
“I don’t know,” Mewtwo pondered deeply.
“What if one Gastly likes to eat noodles, and another likes to inhale gas? Could you tell them apart?”
“Yes.”
This time, Mewtwo’s response was quick and decisive.
“How do you distinguish them?”
“Their preferences are different.”
“Very good!”
Jing He’s fingers flew over the keyboard, as if he were writing a well-rehearsed paper. He asked again, “What if there are four Gastlys, two that like to eat noodles, and two that like to inhale gas? How would you distinguish them?”
“I don’t know.”
“If one of the two Gastlys that like noodles always floats in the air, and the other often burrows into walls, could you tell them apart?”
“Yes, their behaviors are different.”
Jing He was pleased to see Mewtwo’s quick responses.
“So, can you summarize?”
“Preferences, behaviors, thoughts, goals.”
Mewtwo’s response exceeded Jing He’s expectations. He hadn’t anticipated that Mewtwo could not only summarize but also apply the concepts to new scenarios. This piqued Jing He’s interest even more.
Mewtwo’s learning ability was indeed impressive.
“Now, let’s bring the question back to you. You said you don’t know who you are. If you were faced with two dying Gastlys, one burned and one starving, and you could save only one with a single thought, which one would you choose?”
Mewtwo fell silent for a moment before answering, “I’m not sure. I can’t make a choice.”
“What if you knew the burned one? How would you choose?”
“I think... it would be the burned one?” Mewtwo’s response was hesitant, ending with a question.
“Very good. You are the ‘you’ who would save the burned Gastly.”
Jing He continued with a series of questions.
“What if the starving one dies, would you regret it?”
“Would you feel guilty for inadvertently causing a Gastly’s death?”
“If you were given another chance, would you still choose the burned Gastly?”
“If the burned Gastly blamed you for not saving its companion, would you be angry?”
“If given another chance at that moment, would you choose differently?”
“If...”
At this moment, it was all Jing He’s questions, and the other side was completely silent.
Jing He was not in a rush, giving Mewtwo the time to think independently, as this was a process of self-discovery.
The general concept of “I” primarily refers to the “self,” reflecting the individual’s unique characteristics.
After about thirty seconds, Jing He typed the final line.
“Regardless of how you answer these questions, the ‘you’ who provides the answers is the true ‘you.’ This ‘you’ is the one that no matter how many Mewtwos appear, they cannot become!”
He hit the send button.
Thud!
The computer emitted a dull sound, indicating that the message had not been sent successfully.
Then, Jing He noticed that Mewtwo’s account had gone offline! The system prompt read, “The other party is not online and cannot receive messages.”
“Huh?”
Jing He was taken aback.
“Achoo—Achoo—”
A Gastly nearby was sneezing uncontrollably, its saliva splattering all over the screen.
“Gast?”
The Gastly kept rubbing its cheeks.
Is it sick?
Or is someone thinking about me?
In Kanto City.
In a nearly sealed underground laboratory.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The alarm lights on the wall flashed wildly, the rotating red light casting the entire laboratory in a crimson glow.
At the center of the laboratory, a Pokemon clad in highly modern armor stood with its eyes closed and a furrowed brow, standing still.
From its back, numerous data cables, power lines, and control lines extended out.
Meanwhile, dozens of researchers in white lab coats scurried around like ants on a hot pan, frantically operating numerous computers and control panels, some on the verge of a breakdown.
“Damn it, what’s going on?! Are we being hacked? The network is completely down!”
“Hacked? You think our Team Rocket’s ‘Polywrath Firewall’ is just for show?”
“Polywrath Firewall? Look at Polywrath! It’s passed out!”
“And what the hell do these ‘Gastly, Gastly’ messages mean?!”
On the large screens on the walls and various smaller monitors, the words “Gastly, Gastly” were flashing continuously, densely packed and impossible to count.
Gastly, Gastly!
(End of Chapter)
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