Ash looked upon the destruction. He was standing on a hill, just outside Saffron City. Black smoke rose up into the sky, as the city's buildings crushed down. There were explosions everywhere. With every one of them, there was a flash of purple light. Ash sighed. There was nothing he could do. He had tried his hardest to stop Giovanni from unleashing the monster, but without success. And now it was going to destroy the city, the region… Maybe even the world!

Behind Ask was his Pokémon team; a Charizard, a Pikachu, a Pidgeot, a Poliwrath, a Grolem, and, last but not least, a Porygon. Pikachu ran towards Ash and climbed up his body. He sat down on his master's shoulder and patted him on the head. Ash knew that his Pikachu was trying to comfort him. Ash smiled as he thought of his first and encounter with it. Back then the world was still good. And now it had changed.

"Ash!" a female voice shouted from behind them. Ash turned around. He knew the voice. It was Misty's, "Ash!" Misty huffed, as she ran towards him. She was out of breath, "What do we do?" She asked.

"What can we do…" Ash replied, as he looked at the city, "It's too late! The power of Mewtwo has been unleashed upon the world! Giovanni was right!"

"Right with what?" asked Misty.

"He said to me that if he couldn't have the world, nobody could," Ash explained, "And now he unleashed a force that will destroy it!"

"There might be a way to fix things, though," an old, male voice said. Ash and Misty turned around, as they saw a Dragonite landing behind them. Two people got off its back; Lance, the region's champion, and Professor Oak, the region's best Pokémon professor. It was Oak who said it that there might be a way.

"Professor Oak! Lance!" Misty exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"The world is in trouble, where else would we be?" Lance answered to her question, "Professor Oak told me you two are some of the best trainers he knows, and the only ones capable of this job!"

"That is right," Professor Oak smiled, as he got a Poké Ball out of his pocket. But it wasn't just any Poké Ball. This one was purple and white, with two red-pinkish things on top, and a big 'M' on it.

"A Master Ball…" Ash gasped, as he looked at the rare Poké Ball, "Which Pokémon is in there? Articuno, Zapdos or Moltres? Or maybe Ho-Oh or Lugia! I think I know what you're gonna say; 'Ask, you're the best trainer I know! Take this legendary!'. That's it, isn't it?"

Lance shared a look with Professor Oak, "Are you sure this is the right one?" he asked.

"He might not be the right one," replied Professor Oak, "But he is the only one who can do this!"

"Could you tell me what?!" shouted Misty angrily. She had a quick temper, and not much patience.

Professor Oak laughed. Then he got serious again, "We want you to go back in time and defeat Mewtwo before its creation is completed!"

Ash's mouth fell wide open in shock, "Wait what?!"

"It will be able with the Pokémon in the Master Ball," Lance continued explaining, "Celebi!"

Ash got his Pokédex out of his pocket and started it up, "Dexter, search for a Pokémon called 'Celebi'!" He ordered.

"Celebi," Dexter replied, as a picture of a small white and green Pokémon appeared on the screen, "Also known as the time travelling Pokémon. It is capable of time travel, and only appears in times of extreme emergencies. It has the ability to change and manipulate time without causing a paradox."

"So why us?" Misty asked after having hear Dexter's entry, "Can't Lance and the Elite 4 do it? Or the gym leaders? We're just simple kids!"

"But you two are the ones that know the most of Mewtwo," Professor Oak explained to her, "You know where he was hidden, who created him! Plus, to travel to a certain point in time with Celebi you need to make a psychic link with it. You must focus on the point where you want to go and it will take you there! You are the only ones capable of this!"

"But will it be dangerous?" Ash asked, as he looked at the picture of Celebi.

"More than dangerous!" answered Lance.

Professor Oak looked at him angrily, "Did you have to tell them that?"

"We need to tell them the truth, okay?" Lance said, trying to protect himself, "What's the point of lying?"

Ash sighed, "I don't know… It's very dangerous, by the sound of it…"

"But there is no hope anyway," Professor Oak added, "Kanto is falling, and many regions are yet to come! The world is falling apart!"

"Can't 'the Creator' stop it?" Misty put in.

"Arceus doesn't just act for every single thing," Lance told her, "He only helps for universal catastrophes, not for just one simple planet getting destroyed. Eventually, if Mewtwo gets further than just Earth, he may act, but it's too late by then!"

"I'll do it!" Shouted Ash, silencing everyone.

"Alright, alright," admitted Misty, "I'll go with him! But what about Brock?"

"Where is he?" Professor Oak asked.

"He has been kidnapped by Giovanni!" Ash explained, "We don't know where he is, not even if he is alive! And that last thing even convinces me more to change time…" Ash sighed, "But if it goes wrong… I don't know… To be honest – and this is a rare moment – I admit that I am scared!"

Lance put his hand on Ash's shoulder (not the one Pikachu was sitting on) to comfort the boy, "I understand. I am scared too. But you two are the only ones that can do it. The future lies in your hands! The whole world depends on you!"

"Give me the Master Ball, professor," Ash told his mentor, as the professor handed him the ball, "So when do we start?"

"As soon as possible!" Professor Oak frowned, "So right now, I suppose!"

"Okay," Ash became very nervous as the big moment drew nearer. He looked at Misty. She was clearly nervous as well. Ash pulled his six empty Poké Balls from his belt, and let his entire team return into them. Even Pikachu, who hated sitting in one, "Right… Go, Celebi!" He threw the Master Ball into the air. It opened, and the legendary, fast flying Pokémon flew out!"

"Wow…" Misty was amazed by what she saw. Never had she expected to see a legendary Pokémon just flying circles above her head.

"Okay Celebi," Ash continued, wondering what to say next, "Time Travel?"

Celebri flew down and landed in Ash's arms. It looked up at its new master, wondering what to do next.

"Right, Misty, hold on tightly to Ash!" Lance instructed carefully. Misty did as he told her to.

"Ash, Celebi has created a psychic link with you," Professor Oak explained, "Think of the moment you want to go back to, and it will take you there! Good luck!"

"Thanks…" Ask replied, as he felt his heart pounded quicker and quicker, "Right then…" He quickly thought of all that had happened, and then picked the spot he thought was best, "Okay… Hold on Misty! Here we go!"

FLASH!

In a bright flash of light the two children and Celebi were gone. Professor Oak sighed, as he looked at Lance.

"I had never expected it to go so far…" He mumbled sadly.

"Nor had I," Lance added in, "But it's the only way. God help them!"

At this point you're probably wondering what happened to get things so far. What's the whole thing with Mewtwo, and why did Brock get kidnapped? How did Professor Oak and Lance get a Celebi? And where – and how – did Ash get all the members of his current team?

I will explain that to you all in the following chapters. They are set quite some weeks before this point. And after that, we'll go back to their current adventure… Enjoy! :)