A researcher walked over holding a stack of data and said, "Doctor, another failure."
The man addressed as the doctor quietly stared at the culture medium on the other side, which contained the consciousness of his daughter, Amber.
The researcher tactfully put down the data and left.
After a long while, the doctor picked up the data and began to examine it closely. The experiment was nearing its end, yet that final distance remained an insurmountable chasm.
To surpass Mew, it was not only necessary to successfully infuse all the genes inherent to Mew into the body, but also to implant human genes to make the subject more adept at self-reflection.
They had now figured out how to make multiple genes coexist within a single body, but the flaws were glaringly obvious. Even in the extremely rare cases where a subject survived without gene riots, the lifespan would decrease drastically as the number of gene types increased.
Clutching the data in his hands, tears welled up in his eyes unbidden as he pounded the silver machine in frustration.
Only by truly creating a perfect vessel could Amber—Amber would definitely be resurrected!
I cannot give up!
If Chen Ming's consciousness were still around, it was hard to say what he would think of all this. As a father, he was undoubtedly completely qualified, but no matter who looked at it, what he had done was intolerable.
As if struck by an inspiration, he remembered the meteorite brought back from the ruins; perhaps starting from there would bring a new breakthrough.
Yes, exactly, that must be it!
Wiping away his tears, nothing remained except boundless obsession.
If Chen Ming were here, he would surely find it helpless to be associated with this; he really had nothing to do with Mew in the slightest.
He called an impromptu meeting late into the night and brought out the long-stored meteorite.
To be safe, the researchers stepped up their analysis of the meteorite, but try as they might, they could not figure it out, save for one point: life could be born within that meteorite.
This realization thrilled many researchers. Because it had been brought out from the ruins of Mew, linking it to Mew seemed entirely appropriate.
Unfortunately, according to their projections, life born from the meteorite would take at least several hundred years. If they really waited that long, the opportunity would have long since passed.
They abandoned the plan to let the life inside the meteorite be born naturally and turned to a backup plan: to see if they could crack it open, release the life energy inside, and harvest it.
Such a crude method was something they originally wished to avoid, but making no progress whatsoever, they had no other choice.
Their original intention was not to obtain some Mew, but to create a Pokémon that surpassed Mew. With this thought in mind, they resolutely executed the plan.
Another month or two passed, and even Giovanni started pressing them about why the experiment wasn't progressing. The researchers were at their wit's end; that meteorite simply could not be cut open with existing technology.
In the end, the doctor made the executive decision to use the entire meteorite directly in the experiment. If the gentle approach wouldn't work, they would resort to force.
The experimental data already contained detailed protocols for mixing and reorganizing all the genes within Mew.
Whereas they had previously fretted over how to create a vessel capable of bearing it, now they could just throw everything in all at once. The entire process was practically effortless.
It was like walking a straight but thorn-filled path at the beginning, which had now been turned into a shortcut, albeit one riddled with potholes.
Everyone held their breath in cold sweat, terrified that an explosion would instantly destroy the entire laboratory. Even though they had backed up the data beforehand, rebuilding the lab would take a long time.
Fortunately, they succeeded in the end.
Using the meteorite, Mew's genes, and human genes as a foundation, manufactured according to the previously conceived prototype blueprint for Mewtwo, a juvenile version of Mewtwo was soon disgorged from the machine.
The doctor breathed a sigh of relief on the side. The first step could be considered a success; now they would just have to see what happened next.
Suddenly, before they even had a chance to fully relax, they heard alarms blaring from the computers and other equipment. They were well-accustomed to such things, but they hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
The physical incompatibility brought by frantic gene reorganization—referred to for short as a gene riot—would successively trigger obvious physical changes. Muscle atrophy and decay were ordinary occurrences, and sometimes the body would even rot into purulent liquid.
The group once again watched with bated breath, because this happened far too quickly. Among all current experiments, the speed of this gene riot was by far the fastest.
The meteorite was originally too hard to be melted, but the power contained within it detected a chance to become a suitable life form and spontaneously began to awaken.
That power was a gift from the old man, which essentially guaranteed that Chen Ming could stay alive. As for how long he would live, that wasn't up for him to decide, but fortunately, Chen Ming had good fortune; legendary Pokémon could live for an immensely long time.
Soon, that wave of gene riots abruptly subsided and returned to calm.
Weeks later, the researcher who came to deliver the report did not hold the data with the same apprehension he once had when facing Giovanni. It seemed the experiment had truly made massive progress.
Giovanni stared at the researcher before him, thinking realistically.
"Put down the data and go back. The resources and funding you're due won't be withheld. Keep up the good work."
"Yes!"
It was rare for Giovanni to take an interest in reading the data; usually, he would at most glance at it a few times and cast it aside.
The report mentioned that the experimental progress was changing by the day, and they were not far from creating the strongest Pokémon.
The end of the data mentioned the demand for Pokémon. It wasn't as high a demand as before, since they had Chen Ming's version of Mewtwo serving as a trial-and-error subject.
For the Pokémon that would be captured for experiments in the future, perhaps this was a good thing; the number of experimental subjects needed was much smaller now, wasn't it?
Chen Ming could be considered to have helped them indirectly.
Throwing the meteorite into the experiment without any preparation brought out all the flaws that had previously gone unnoticed.
The seemingly complete data actually had massive flaws. In any ordinary case, the subject would have self-destructed within the first two or three tries, long before these researchers ever got to observe it.
Precisely because of this, their experimental progress was nothing short of miraculous. No matter what problem arose, the vessel transformed by Chen Ming resolved it smoothly, and all they had to do was identify the problem and implement a fix.
They could not replicate the bizarre solutions occurring within Chen Ming's body, but compared to the alternative solutions, they could easily think of them.
Until one day, all experiments were declared concluded, officially entering the final creation phase.
Chen Ming, serving as the reference sample, had successfully achieved gradual self-perfection of his vessel after enduring countless rounds of genetic reorganization and destruction.
The consciousness that had been deeply buried for a long time, the lonely soul that had crossed the barrier of worlds, ushered in his brand-new life in the Pokémon World.
All of this was happening quietly, completely imperceptible to anyone.
The group set about formally creating life, starting first with the first partner Pokémon, and then other Pokémon. Without exception, all of them contained genes from other species, endowing them with extraordinary potential.
The price, however, was a shortened lifespan; the stronger they were, the shorter they lived.
The researchers did not care about this. The subjects were created using hair extracted from ordinary Pokémon, and as long as they didn't suffer gene riots or show any abnormalities, that was enough.
Hundreds and thousands of batches later, those were fresh lives paving the way.
They were not unthinking flesh and blood from the initial stages; rather, the moment they emerged, they understood the meaning of their existence as clones—pathetic and helpless.
Having paved the way with a sufficient base, the researchers finally chose to use the Mew eyelash fossil, injecting it into the pre-prepared Mewtwo-sized body to water the flower of their ideals.
Everything went smoothly. When the massive machine successfully disgorged the initial small-scale form of Mewtwo, all the researchers cheered—their experiment was truly a success!
"All vital statistics normal."
"Upper and lower body mechanics normal."
"Life consciousness wavelength normal."
...
The researchers reported their data one by one, while the doctor listened quietly from the side.
Staring deeply at their masterpiece with an almost infatuated gaze, the doctor muttered words that no one could clearly hear. Amber, your resurrection is coming soon, soon...
At that exact moment, Chen Ming's life consciousness wavelength flickered a few times, though no one noticed.
So noisy—
My body hurts so much! That old man feels so clumsy! It hurts like hell.
Retaining his memories from the time of his transmigration, Chen Ming was driven to extreme anger by the pain, and his emotions boiled over.
This quickly caught the attention of the researchers.
"How could this be? Why is there a problem at a time like this? Doesn't that mean the Pokémon we created still has a flaw? We don't have a second Mew fossil anymore!"
The female researcher sitting at the front observing the data said in a hoarse voice.
The people around her panicked as well.
"Don't panic! Calm down and go check what the issue is!" the doctor called out decisively.
Compared to the failure of the entire experiment, he would feel annoyed, but as long as Amber could be resurrected, everything was worth it!
After a long while, repeated testing finally revealed that it was merely a case of violent emotional fluctuations in the experimental sample, rather than a new flaw manifesting.
"Phew—good thing it's not a major issue. But how could a sample whose wavelength had always been calm fluctuate so violently?"
No one could answer this question. Having witnessed countless issues like gene riots, none of them believed the sample could survive; that was the most reasonable deduction.
Ever since the sample's life had perfected, it had become difficult to accurately observe the genetic problems within his body, but from the glimpses they caught, the outlook wasn't optimistic.
The doctor adjusted his glasses frame and explained, "Increase the dosage of the tranquilizer to calm the sample down. It's probably just a flash in the pan as he feels himself dying."
From the researchers' words, they never acknowledged that the sample also belonged to Mew. After all, a defective product, no matter how much it wore the same appearance, remained defective.
As the dosage was increased, Chen Ming's consciousness lapsed back into slumber, though right before he fell asleep, his consciousness was yanked away by an inexplicable force.
From the external data, however, he simply returned to his usual state.
"Very good, everyone's hard work has paid off. The experiment has finally reached its final stage; let's quietly await the birth of the strongest Pokémon we've created."
The crowd instantly erupted in cheers. After all, the fruits of years of painstaking effort were now just waiting for time to ripen and release their sweet fragrance; to say they weren't excited would be a lie.
At this moment, Chen Ming's consciousness found itself in a strange space—a vast expanse of pure white, empty of everything.
Suddenly, a mass of white mist parted and converged into a familiar shape.
"Little fellow who successfully arrived in a different world, first of all, this old Daoist congratulates you. Originally, your probability of success was extremely low, but since you have such good fortune, it is only fitting that you live a few more days."
Little did the old Daoist know, it wouldn't just be a few more days—it would be an immensely long time.
Chen Ming tried to question the phantom, but received no response. He figured it was a pre-recorded video, and the trigger condition was the awakening of consciousness.
Wiping away non-existent sweat, he hoped the insults he had hurled at the old man earlier hadn't been heard.
"Listen well to what I have to say. The common golden finger meant for you will also awaken. As for what it is, only you will know. You brat have scored a massive bargain, costing me so much immortal energy."
With that, the recording ended and dissipated on its own.
A voice rang out abruptly in the space—Your golden finger has arrived.
Chen Ming instinctively activated the golden finger with his consciousness. It felt like an instinct, something he was born knowing how to do, presumably because they had merged into one.
Activating—
Permanently bound—
Forced unable to close—
...
Species: Mewtwo (Chen Ming)
Base Stats: %&#& (Due to reality constraints, numerical values cannot be quantified; glitch repair in progress)
Base Stats (Repair Complete): Innate Legendary Pokémon Potential
Learnable Moves: All
Special Abilities: Aura/Omnipotent Power, Telepathy max, Diluted Rayquaza blood
Energy Points: 100 million
Status: Severe genetic reorganization destruction, teetering on the verge of death at any moment (continuously consuming energy points to sustain life)
Without dwelling on the familiarity of the golden finger, he stared in shock at the species line for Mewtwo.
So... did I steal Mewtwo's body?
Fortunately, seeing the status line made him relax. Mewtwo was supposed to be the most perfect; that problem shouldn't exist.
Does that mean I'm one of the experimental Mewtwo subjects?
I became a counterfeit Mewtwo?
His guess was quite accurate, except that he was the only one who had used the Mewtwo form as an experimental sample.
Having figured that out, he began to ponder the strange features of the entire interface.
As expected, it felt very familiar.
Slapping his forehead, Chen Ming instantly remembered—isn't this the cheat he made before he died?
Freely modifying base stats, automatically increasing effort values, and forcibly breaking the effort value limit meant he could add as many points as he wanted. Furthermore, any Pokémon could freely learn whatever moves desired.
However, why was it incomplete? He remembered completing the development.
Oh well, having it at all was better than nothing.
Speaking of which, how was he supposed to escape that laboratory? He certainly wasn't as combat-capable as Mewtwo.
Whether this world's worldview belonged to the anime or the games was also a question.
Right now, he should be trapped in the container's liquid. Originally, Mewtwo shouldn't have left yet; if it had really left, he probably should have been incinerated already.
So... should he go cling to a powerful benefactor?