As for the final incubation chamber, it was completely different from the others. There were no tubes, no nutrient fluid—only a softly glowing mass of pale yellow light floating quietly within.
Dr. Fuji did not explain what it was, but Giovanni didn't need him to.
That gentle, flickering light was the preserved soul of his daughter, Amber—saved through extraordinary means after her death and now manifested through electronic projection.
"Hmm…" After listening to the full report, Giovanni gave a faint nod. He said nothing at first, one hand idly stroking the Persian at his feet while the fingers of his other hand tapped rhythmically against the armrest of the sofa.
After a moment of silent contemplation, he lifted his gaze toward Dr. Fuji on the screen and spoke in a calm but commanding tone.
"From now on, administer growth hormones to Ash-2. Keep the same ten-month timeline—but when the time comes, I don't want to see a newborn infant."
"I want a boy of six or seven years old… someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the original."
"This…" Dr. Fuji hesitated briefly, but in the end, he nodded. "Understood."
Giovanni's authority within Team Rocket was absolute. Whether it was his overwhelming strength or his commanding presence, no one under him dared question his decisions.
Meanwhile, far away from all of this, Ash had no idea what was unfolding behind the scenes.
During his earlier encounters with Team Rocket, they had secretly obtained a strand of his hair and extracted his genetic material—what they internally referred to as the "XZ Gene."
To enhance the potential of the Mewtwo project, Giovanni and Dr. Fuji had not only fused the DNA of Mew with aggressive human genes—but had also incorporated Ash's genetic code.
From a biological standpoint, Ash had unknowingly become one of Mewtwo's "genetic parents."
If he ever found out, he would probably lose his mind.
"I'm a six-year-old kid! And Mew is basically a pink little mythical pokemon—what kind of messed-up situation is this?!"
Of course, Ash didn't know. Mew didn't know either.
Otherwise, Ash would likely have teamed up with someone like Coldlight and stormed New Island to settle accounts with Dr. Fuji once and for all.
Using his genes to stabilize Mewtwo was one thing—that could at least be justified.
But using the leftover "XZ Gene" to create a full clone of him?
A second "Ash" designed to study the mysteries of Viridian Power and serve as a future weapon for Team Rocket?
That crossed a line.
If Ash had known, he wouldn't have waited four years. He would have turned on Giovanni and Team Rocket immediately.
After all, no one wants to share their existence with a clone—especially one that could one day replace them.
Yet for now, Ash remained completely unaware.
He knew about the New Island experiments from his memories of the original storyline, and he knew Team Rocket was attempting something dangerous there.
But he didn't know that his own extraordinary talent—his early rise as a prodigy trainer and a one-in-a-million psychic—had already made him a target.
And so, everything continued quietly… in the shadows.
Meanwhile—
"Gary, Green, where are you two heading? Did the remote capture plan work?"
Ash had just arrived at the Pokémon Center when he spotted Gary and Green hurrying toward the exit, both looking visibly excited.
"Oh, Ash! Your idea worked perfectly!" Gary said, grinning. "Remote video command for Pokémon capture—it's completely viable."
"With help from Tierno and Trevor, I successfully caught a Fletchling. And Green here, with Serena and Shauna's help, also managed to capture a Flabébé."
Both of them were clearly thrilled.
After all, they had just achieved something incredible—capturing Pokémon from a distant region without ever leaving Kanto.
And this wasn't just a small trick.
In a world where the Pokémon League strictly cracked down on poaching and illegal trading, Ash's idea offered a legitimate, scalable alternative.
Instead of traveling across regions, a trainer could simply send their Pokémon, coordinate with trusted allies, and command battles remotely.
It was revolutionary.
Gary and Green were too caught up in the excitement to realize it—but Ash immediately saw the bigger picture.
This wasn't just a clever trick.
This was an entire industry waiting to be born.
If developed properly, it could reshape regional cooperation, create massive economic opportunities, and open up a brand-new commercial ecosystem.
Ash's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
"This kind of system… it's bound to spread sooner or later."
"But I'm already busy with the skill shop. And in the future, I'll have even more on my plate—building an entertainment company, developing Serena's career…"
"I don't have the time or energy to run something like this."
He paused, then suddenly—
A spark lit up in his mind.
"…Wait."
"I don't have to run it myself."
"I can patent it."
A slow smile spread across his face.
"License the idea, collect royalties… and let others do the work."
"Now that… is efficient."
In that instant, Ash had unknowingly taken the first step toward shaping an entirely new era of the Pokémon world—one where distance would no longer limit ambition, and innovation could change everything.
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T/N:
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