Chapter 85 Xia Mu: So I Took the Blame
It was evening.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the harbor of Cinnabar Island.
After the storm, everything had returned to calm. Apart from the puddles everywhere, it was hard to imagine the terrifying scene from before.
Xia Mu and Sonia stood on the shore, unable to recover for a long time.
Just a moment ago they were on New Island, and the next second they were here.
And everything had changed, even a new memory had appeared in their minds.
This memory seemed to overturn their previous experience, but it also told them that this memory was false, hidden by the real experience due to an irresistible external force.
Xia Mu was the first to recover, feeling around on the Pokémon buckle at his waist.
After confirming that his Pokémon were all there, and that the Master Ball was still there, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.
His Aura could connect with the Pokémon inside the Poké Balls, and he could even resonate with Mewtwo inside the Master Ball and have a simple conversation.
"[This is the terrifying power you and Mew combined to unleash.
It's unbelievable that you could achieve this. Is it the same for me, and for everyone else? Or…]"
Xia Mu thought to himself, not continuing, his gaze shifting to Sonia beside him.
Mewtwo seemed to sense his question and responded with her psychic power: "
[Erasing all traces of existence. Mew and I's psychic power covers all known areas. Everyone except you will have their memories of me replaced by that false memory.]"
"[As expected!]" Xia Mu was even more shocked by the answer.
This kind of power truly only exists in the real world. How could it exist in a game?
A god!
This is the power of a first-level god.
"[But why did you shift the blame to me?
You can read my memories?
So you modified them to all challenge me?]" Xia Mu was somewhat amused and exasperated. This was actually a very serious question; he needed to know.
His memories were no small matter.
"Initially, I did want to access some of your memories for confirmation, but my abilities weren't sufficient.
So, I retrieved recent events from most trainers.
To make the whole thing seem more natural, I defined the strongest Pokémon trainer as a false claim, and then used you as the acting gym leader to divert everyone's attention.
Thus, everyone will only know that you, the powerful trainer, are at the Cinnabar Gym, and everyone will challenge you." Mewtwo's answer was simple and straightforward.
She didn't even ask if he was willing.
To be fair, Mewtwo had tricked Xia Mu.
But since he had already caught Mewtwo, he might as well take the blame; it would certainly boost his reputation.
In short, all trainers now knew of his formidable strength, making him even more famous.
As for the original story, Xia Mu didn't want to delve into it, since everything had changed.
Xia Mu was also very fortunate that at least his memories hadn't been accessed by Mewtwo.
The fact that Mewtwo couldn't access his memories immediately reminded Xia Mu of the cheat device simulator, which shielded him from external interference.
Otherwise, as a human, despite possessing the power of Aura, Xia Mu didn't consider himself particularly special.
Lost in thought, Xia Mu thought of Mew again, intending to ask about her whereabouts, but ultimately didn't ask.
Just as Xia Mu was deep in thought, Sonia also snapped out of her reverie, and their eyes met.
"Xia Mu!" Sonia exclaimed, seemingly trying to determine if this was a dream or reality.
"Hmm." Xia Mu remained calm and tentatively asked, "Do you remember how we got here?"
"How did we get here?" Sonia paused slightly, then quickly replied, "Of course I remember. Mewtwo and Mew are amazing; they can modify memories at this level, making it seem like a dream."
Hearing Sonia's answer, Xia Mu sighed inwardly.
He had thought that Mewtwo and Mew would also erase her related memories, but it seemed that Mewtwo and Mew had tacitly agreed not to forcibly alter the memories of anyone or any Pokémon related to them.
Therefore, Sonia's situation was the same as his.
"Mewtwo told me that what they did to us was simply to add a new memory to our minds. For others, it's different; this false memory becomes a real memory, thus erasing any trace of their existence. So remember not to let it slip; it's best if too many people don't know about their existence," Xia Mu said.
"Of course I know that. Don't worry, I'm very tight-lipped," Sonia nodded seriously.
Just as she was about to say something, she caught a glimpse of Ash, Misty, Brock, Sweetie, Sora, and Fergus in the distance. They were standing quietly on the shore, admiring the sea view.
As for Nurse Joy, she wasn't there. Xia Mu could guess without asking that she had been sent back to the Pokémon Center by Mewtwo.
Wherever they were taken, they were sent back.
"Let's go check on them," Xia Mu beckoned to Sonia.
According to the fabricated memories, the group had come to Cinnabar Island port to escape a storm, which was how they met.
She tried to find loopholes in Ash and the others' memories by using clever language, but to her surprise, their memories of Mewtwo and Mew had completely disappeared.
Without those memories, their gazes towards Xia Mu changed.
Excitement was clearly visible on their faces; they wanted to compete with Xia Mu.
Only Sweetie was different. She already knew Xia Mu, and her purpose in coming to Cinnabar Island was to see if the title of "strongest Pokémon trainer" was real.
They arrived to find nothing, only to discover it was fake, much to their disappointment.
Xia Mu readily accepted their challenge, but not immediately; they could challenge him later at the Cinnabar Gym, provided he was there.
After bidding farewell to the group, Xia Mu, unsure if it was just his imagination, sensed a hint of confusion and strangeness in Pikachu's eyes when their eyes met.
Returning to the Cinnabar Island port, Xia Mu and Sonia subtly communicated with the trainers. Their enthusiasm for Xia Mu's arrival was overwhelming.
Clearly, Mewtwo had been modified too much; this feeling of being surrounded was comparable to being besieged by an Elite Four member.
Xia Mu couldn't be offended, so he accepted it, using the opportunity to let everyone go to the Cinnabar Gym if they wanted to challenge someone.
He would still be there for the next two days anyway; otherwise, who would clean up this mess?
After some investigation, Xia Mu and Sonia confirmed that everyone's memories had been wiped clean and replaced with new ones.
Not just the trainers, but everyone!
…
Leaving the passenger terminal, Xia Mu and Sonia strolled along the harbor shore.
As they walked, they gazed at the calm sea, their hearts filled with emotion.
This experience became uniquely theirs, and only they remembered the true details.
"What are you planning to do next, Xia Mu?" This incident brought Sonia and Xia Mu closer.
She asked proactively, and Xia Mu was slightly taken aback, glancing at her curious expression. "What are you planning to do?
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(End of this chapter)