(A/N: Ok, so who saw Pokémon LIVE? Me… I missed it. But I did get to see it on YouTube. Now, I know it's not canon, but, who cares. I wanted to do a short story centering around MechaMew2. I felt kind of bad for him just dying like that. I know Pokémon don't actually die when they use Self-Destruct or Explosion, but that seemed to be what the play portrayed when MechaMew2 did it. Seemed a little strange for the most powerful of all Pokémon to just go out like that. So, I began to wonder, maybe there was more to it than that. Maybe MechaMew2 was more powerful than we thought. What would he do with his life once he was free from Giovanni? We all have to find our place in life; this is MechaMew2's story.)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"A PLACE TO BELONG"
Finally, everyone was gone. The last of the humans and Pokémon had left the destruction sight, leaving no witnesses behind. It was a good thing too, because he couldn't last much longer.
He? Was he really a he? It had never been specified, and he had never had the option to consider it before now. He supposed he was a 'he' since that was what he seemed to be identifying himself as, even though he was technically genderless.
But there would be more time to think about that, along with the many other things he had Learned later, and there was much to consider. For now, he had to act, otherwise he wouldn't survive. Even though he had self-destruct in a way very different from the way other Pokémon would Self-Destruct, he wasn't ready to die, not when he now knew the meaning of life.
The meaning of life was to live.
Blowing himself up was merely a coup to deceive his maker and former master, Giovanni, the leader of the criminal organization, Team Rocket. He knew that the crime boss would resort to any means to control the world's strongest Pokémon, and merely rebelling wouldn't have been enough, even though his PokéBall had been destroyed in the blast. Giovanni would have to believe he was dead. Everyone would; that would be for the best, just in case.
But if he didn't act now, then he really would die. Right now, he was just a mind, a consciousness. Like other life forms, he required a body to survive, but he had blown up his. Fortunately, his psychic powers were so great that he could build himself a new one. He was, after all, created to be the most powerful Pokémon of all, even stronger than Mewtwo.
Mentally reaching out amongst the rubble of what was once an unofficial Pokémon Gym, he detected the remains of his destroyed body. Pieces of metal began moving, unburying from the rubble. Everything from the largest intact pieces of his body to the smallest screw floated into the air. Pieces that were dented or bent out of shape smoothed out and repaired themselves. Parts that had been blown apart fused back together to become one piece as his body began to reform.
Some parts had been too heavily damaged to be repaired, or had been completely obliterated in the explosion, but even that was no problem as he reached out telepathically to his surroundings. He took what he needed from the destroyed gym, even the earth itself, stripping the material apart at the molecular level. Atoms disassembled and various elements came together, creating new ones and altering others, seemingly forming new parts out of thin air as other parts disintegrated as they were stripped down.
Reassembly wasn't suitable enough of a word for the process. Regeneration would have been more appropriate as his body continued to repair itself until he was as good as new. With his body intact, the threat of death was gone. Healing himself like this was nothing. He could be eternal if he so chose to be, repairing himself from any damage he may obtain. Nothing short of an apocalyptic event could truly destroy him unless he actually let himself die.
He wiggled his mechanical fingers and flexed his arms. Tilting his head side to side, he looked around at the destruction he had caused. Necessary destruction, he reminded himself. Far too much evil had been done at this secret base that had been disguised as a Pokémon Gym to lure Trainers here. All so they could meet him.
"I am MechaMew2," he said to no one.
Along with life, that was the name Giovanni had given him, and not much else. He had been an unthinking, unfeeling weapon, with no will of his own. His one and only purpose was to obey Giovanni and aid him in taking over the world. With his power, that was more than a possibility. And with his ability to Learn, anyone that opposed him would only serve to make him stronger.
Thank Arceus for his counterpart. With the entire Pokémon move-set at his disposal, his power greater than anyone else's, he had been unstoppable. That is, until Mewtwo had stepped in and had him Learn of love, compassion, friendship, everything Giovanni had denied him. In sharing this with him, Mewtwo had essentially given him sentience, consciousness, freewill. MechaMew2 would even go as far as top say that Mewtwo had given him life itself, as the empty existence he had had before couldn't possibly be considered as being alive.
Now his life was his own. All those that knew about him believed him to be dead. He was free. Which posed the question… What now? What did he do with his life? Live it, for sure, but how? He was alone in this world. He had no one, no one and nothing; nothing except for the big wide world before him.
Rubble crunched as it was flattened beneath his track as he rolled across the ground, crushing everything beneath his 4,587 pounds. So much senseless destruction. Why did humans have to create to destroy when they could create to save, to preserve, to aid? Even he had been made to be a tool of destruction, so Team Rocket could dominate the world. He wouldn't have it. He had learned to love this world, and now he would protect it. That would be his purpose. And, perhaps, he would be able to experience the things he had learned.
(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)
The months rolled by, and MechaMew2 saw much. He was wary of both humans and other Pokémon, keeping his distance, giving aid where and when he could. It brought him joy to see others happy and healthy, yet there always felt like something was missing, as if he had an empty space in his heart.
He realized what it was one day, a longing for companionship. Having learned of love and friendship, he wanted to experience those things. He'd been content to act from the shadows until now, but now he wanted more. He wanted friends.
Therein lied the problem. He was different from everyone else. He lived in this world, but he did not belong in it. There was no place he could belong. Him, an mechanical Pokémon created as a weapon, who just happened to gain life and sentience. Where was someone like him supposed to fit in?
That didn't stop him from trying though. He'd Learned how to use Transform, and could shape himself into any form. This had been his first attempt. He had tried blending in with other Pokémon while Transformed, but it did nothing to fill in the empty space in his heart. He knew why too. Even though he could blend in, he was living a lie by pretending to be something he wasn't. It was completely unsatisfactory.
He tried to connect with Pokémon similar to him instead, interacting with the likes of Magnemite, Klink, and their evolutions. He was accepted and welcomed, but for some reason, he still felt a type of disconnect. These Pokémon may have accepted him, but they couldn't possibly understand him. And so, he had moved on.
He began to wonder if, perhaps, it was because he was created rather than born that he did not fit in. Maybe other Pokémon that had been created could understand him. Several had, some by unnatural events, some by other Pokémon, some by humans. He briefly considered seeking out Mewtwo, but decided against it. His counterpart believed him to be dead. Perhaps it would be best to keep things that way.
He tried them all, the Legendary Beasts created by Ho-Oh, the Legendary Golems created by Regigigas, the Lake Guardians created by Arceus, and other Pokémon created by some other means other than through natural means. His biggest hope had been the Genesect, but not even among them did he feel that he belong.
His travels eventually brought him to LaRousse City. Here, he found the city filled with robots. He thought, perhaps, since they were similar to him, that they would be able to relate to each other. Alas, it was not to be so. Unlike him, the robots did not possess real life like him, but an imitation of life that had been programed into them. They had no consciousness or sentience, only programming, and they acted in accordance to it. Nothing from them was real.
His travels brought him near and far, but there was still no place MechaMew2 felt he would truly be able to call home, no one he would truly be able to call friend. He was just too different. He didn't belong anywhere, or with anyone. Perhaps he was meant to spend his life alone.
That was when he sensed it. He was flying near the Azoth Kingdom when he detected something, something he never thought possible. Someone like him. He could feel their life force. All living things possessed a life force. This one felt similar to his own, and he came down from the sky to land in the Nebel Plateau.
"Can it be?" he whispered to himself, and began rolling along. Had he finally found someone he could relate to, someone he could call friend? The possibility was overwhelming, and he rolled along to where they were.
The sun shined in the water of the lake MechaMew2 rolled by. A Magikarp leapt from the water, disrupting the surface, and the reflection of the sun flickered in the water. It drew MechaMew2's attention, and he looked at the lake. His own reflection danced on the water's surface, and he gazed at it.
As he continued to stare at his reflection, the hope in his chest began to die. What was he doing? He was an abomination. No matter how similar he and this other life form were, did he really think he would be able to fit in? He wasn't like them; he wasn't like anyone. All he was doing was getting his hopes up and setting himself up for failure. Was that not what he had experienced time and time again for all these months? Had he not just recently decided to live a life of solitude so he would not face these disappointments? He loved this world, and he would protect this world, but he could not be part of it. That was the simple truth. He did not belong.
Water manifested in his mechanical eyes and slid down his cheeks as he turned away. There was nothing for him here. There was nothing for him anywhere. Mewtwo had done him a great service by teaching him of love and friendship, but he had also shown him what he could never have.
(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)
Magearna sat happily in a field of flowers, gathering them up to make a crown of flowers. A few yards away, Volcanion slept peacefully, never too far from her side.
Glancing at his sleeping face, the artificial Pokémon giggled and carefully approached so as not to wake him. Placing the crown of flowers on his head, she stepped back and waited. She watched as his nostrils puckered when they caught the flowers' scent. His eyes suddenly popped open, and he sneezed loudly, making Magearna giggle.
Jumping to his feet, the steam Pokémon shook his head furiously and glared at her. "I told you not to do that!" His eyes darted up to the flower crown that had slipped down his head and now rested across his face. "What is this?"
"Mag, Magearna," his companion replied in her personal Pokémon language.
"A flower crown?" he repeated. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Magearna, Magearna."
Growling, Volcanion shook his head, ridding himself of the object. "I don't want to look cute. I protect this place. I should not look cute."
"Magearna?"
"I… didn't say I didn't like it. It's just…" A growl escaped him, and he turned away, lying down again. "Never mind."
Magearna placed her hands on her hips. "Magearna. Mag, Mag, Magearna."
"The princess shouldn't be teaching you such pointless things."
The artificial Pokémon threw her hands in the air and turned away. "Magearna."
A few seconds passed without either of them speaking. Volcanion finally cracked an eye open before reaching out with his tube-like arm and plucking a large flower. He placed it behind Magearna's ear, drawing her attention, and she looked back at him in confusion. "Magearna?"
He refused to meet her gaze as his tube arms reconnected. "Flowers look much better on you than they do on me."
Happiness bubbled up in Magearna's chest, and she hurried over to him, wrapping her arms around his much larger leg. Volcanion let her hug him for a few seconds before attempting to shake her off. "Alright, alright, enough of that."
Magearna released him and stared at the steam Pokémon affectionately. "Mag-ear-na."
A blush stained Volcanion's face, and he looked away. "Y-Yeah… me too…" Feeling awkward, he got to his feet. "Ah, since I'm up now, I might as well have something to eat, I'm starving."
"Magearna."
The two began walking along until Magearna came to a stop. She looked around before pinpointing what she had detected and turned to the forest. Volcanion realized she wasn't following anymore and looked back at her. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Magearna."
"Huh? What do you mean? Who's there?"
"Magearna, Magear."
Volcanion raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'someone like you'? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Magearna!" the artificial Pokémon exclaimed, and hurried off.
"Hey, wait! Don't just run off on your own. Don't you remember what Princess Kimia said; there's a Pokémon Hunter at large around here."
"Magearna, Magearna."
Volcanion growled. "So much for breakfast," he muttered, and hurried after her.
(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)
MechaMew2's head snapped to the right. It was coming. No they were coming; there was more than one. The one he had sensed, and a different one. Had he been detected? He must have been; they were coming right for him.
A rising panic he had never felt before built up in his chest, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why. Here he was, literally the most powerful Pokémon to ever exist, ands he was terrified of the prospect of meeting another like him. It was preposterous! Yet the thought of being rejected, the possibility of once again feeling that disconnect, this time by the only other one like him, destroying his last chance to have a friend, frightened him.
Immediately, he dove into the lake. He realized how foolish that had been a moment later. He could have just Teleported away, created an illusion, or even Transformed, but instead he had opted for hiding underwater. The thought made him feel ashamed.
Still, it presented him with the opportunity to spy on whoever was coming after him rather than just sense what they were doing. And as he looked on from down below, he saw the distorted figures of two other Pokémon stop beside the lake.
Magearna looked around in confusion. She had been sure it was right here. Had they left? She hoped not. Despite her love for Volcanion and all the friends she had, she had been looking forward to meeting another mechanical Pokémon like her.
Volcanion came up behind her, looking grumpy. "You see, there's nothing here."
"Magear, Magearna."
He raised an eyebrow. "Care to specify that? What do you mean, 'another like you'? You mean another Magearna? You do know that that's not possible; you are one of a kind. At most, a Ditto could have Transformed into you. Is that what you sensed?"
"Magear Magear."
This caught his interest. "Not another Magearna, but another artificial Pokémon? You are certain?"
"Magearna."
He looked around. "Well, if there was one, it's gone now. Or maybe it really was a Transformed Ditto."
Magearna glared at him. "Mag, Mag, Magearna, Magear."
He sighed. "Alright, I'll help you look. Just let me fill up on water; I'm running low."
He walked over to the lake and stuck his tubes in. He began sucking up water as Magearna looked around. He didn't doubt her, but he was skeptical. After all, who could possibly replicate Nikola's work to create another artificial Pokémon? True, humans were capable of creating robots and artificial intelligence, but it wasn't the same. They were lifeless, soulless, mindless, simply following a programming and acting out their functions. They couldn't think or act on their own. Not like Magearna. She was as real and as alive as they came, just like him.
Something slapped against one of his tubes, blocking the suction. Lifting the tube out of the water, he found a Magikarp stuck to it. Rolling his eyes, he let it fall, and the fish Pokémon splashed back into the water. It poked its head back out and began splashing around irritably. "Karp, Karp, Karp, Magikarp, Karp!"
Volcanion raised an eyebrow as the Magikarp disappeared beneath the surface of the water again. "Disturbances both above and below? What does that mean?"
He stared into the water, waiting for the ripples to subside. The water was a little murky, but he could swear that there was something gold down there. That was strange. Had humans been littering? No, that couldn't be, the only humans he allowed here were Princess Kimia and Prince Raleigh; and Ash and his friends, but they had already moved on.
Curious, he reached down with his tubes, the small fingers at the ends grabbing the shiny gold object. It was definitely something metal, and it was incredibly heavy, even for someone as strong as him. It must be something very big. He pulled on it, but it refused to budge. Gritting his teeth, he pulled harder, and, to his surprise, it almost felt as if it pulled back.
"Magearna?" his companion asked, coming up beside him.
"There's something down there," he replied, pulling all the more. "Whatever it is, it's really heavy."
Waddling up behind him, she gripped his tail and pulled. This did little to help him with his load, but he appreciated the effort and let her think she was contributing. He pulled, and felt the object move towards him. It suddenly pulled back, almost pulling both him and Magearna into the water. Was something pulling from the other end?
Steam escaped him as he attempted to rise into the air. The object stubbornly refused to budge. Then something struck his tubes, and he lost his grip. Both he and Magearna went tumbling through the air and crashed to the ground.
Something rose from the water, floating up into the air. Volcanion and Magearna stared as MechaMew2 hovered over them, dripping water from his body. Volcanion had no idea who or what this creature was, but Magearna had been right, it was definitely a mechanical Pokémon like her. "I think we found your friend."
MechaMew2 cocked his head to the side as he regarded the two of them curiously. His psychic powers told him that they were Volcanion and Magearna. His gaze settled on the latter, and he knew that she had been the life form he had sensed that was similar to him. And now that he had met her… he had absolutely no idea what to do or say.
He turned to leave, but Magearna held out a hand to him. "Magear!"
He stopped. "Why Should I?"
The artificial Pokémon tapped her hands together anxiously. "Magear, Magear, Magearna, Magearna."
MechaMew2 hesitated, still debating whether or not he should leave. Finally, he settled down on the ground. "You are the first like me I have met as well."
Looking at the two of them, he did a quick scan of their minds. Also a mechanical Pokémon, Magearna was technically genderless like him, yet she identified as female. He looked at Volcanion. The steam Pokémon was a male, he didn't need to scan his mind to see that, but what he did see surprised him. Apparently, despite their differences, the two regarded each other as mates. MechaMew2 found this to be very peculiar. How could a biological being and a mechanical being be mates?
His earlier suspicions had been right. Despite their similarities, he was different from her. He didn't belong here; he didn't belong anywhere. "I should not have come here. This was a mistake."
He turned to leave. Magearna gasped and hurried after him. "Magearna, Magear."
MechaMew2 stopped, looking at her curiously. "You say you don't want me to go?"
"Mag, Magearna, Magearna."
"You want to get to know me? To be… friends…?"
Volcanion approached. "I too am curious. I did not expect to ever find another like Magearna."
"Another like Magearna," MechaMew2 repeated. He looked down at the artificial Pokémon. She was looking at him hopefully, yet he felt apprehensive. All his instincts were telling him to flee. Despite them both being mechanical Pokémon, she had been created to have a life of her own. Not like him. He had been created to be a weapon whose sole purpose was to obey and destroy. And even though he knew that this was his best chance at making friends, he still felt the urge to run away rather than be rejected and condemned for what he was.
"I shouldn't…" he said hesitantly.
Magearna held out her arms, and a bouquet of flowers appeared. She offered them to MechaMew2. He hesitated some more before accepting them, not sure what to say. Aside from the gift of sentience given to him by Mewtwo, no one had ever given him a real gift before. "I… Thank you…"
"Magearna," the artificial Pokémon replied, and MechaMew2 sensed that she was smiling, even though her mouth did not work. Then she began swaying back and forth as a musical tune emitted from deep within her like a music box.
MechaMew2 felt his heart move. She was such a precious thing. Not like him, a weapon for destruction. She had lots of friends who cared about her.
But what was this? She could relate to being used as a weapon? Yes, he could sense it now. Her creator had designed her core to be able to be plugged into and power a mighty weapon in case the kingdom where she was created should ever come under attack, she would be able to defend it. Someone, a human, had attempted to abuse that power, but had failed.
They really were alike. Maybe this was a place where he could belong after all. The other Pokémon seemed to have accepted her for who she was. Could they do the same for him?
Despite his face not being able to display emotions, Volcanion seemed to know what MechaMew2 was feeling. "Why don't you just stay for a few days? You can leave whenever you wish."
"Ma, Magear," Magearna agreed wholeheartedly. "Magearna, Magearna."
MechaMew2 stared. He still felt the urge to flee, flee before he was cast out. But here was an opportunity to obtain what he desperately wanted, friendship. If Magearna could be accepted, then why couldn't he?
He looked down at the flowers Magearna had given him for a few seconds before turning back to them. "Very well, I will stay, for now."
(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)
For the next few days, MechaMew2 remained in the Nebel Plateau. Most of the Pokémon that lived there, he learned, had been hurt by humans in some manner. Volcanion kept them safe here, allowing only a few trusted humans in. MechaMew2 admired him for that.
For the most part, MechaMew2 kept to himself, interacting mostly with Magearna and Volcanion. It was nice being around others, though MechaMew2 still felt more comfortable around Magearna than the others. He was, however, slowly opening up to them. But despite that, there was still something, a wall of some sort, that prevented him from truly connecting with the others.
"How do you do it?" he asked the artificial Pokémon one day. "How do you find it so easy to be with the others? We are different, we do not belong."
Magearna gave him a look of bewildered disbelief. "Mag, Mag Magearna, Magear. Magearna, Magearna, Magear."
"You say there is no difference between us and them?" MechaMew2 repeated. "That before we are anything else we are all living creatures?"
"Magearna."
He contemplated this for a time, watching as Magearna interacted with the other Pokémon. It seemed she was right. The others didn't seem to mind that she was a mechanical Pokémon. Volcanion had minded so little that he actually took her as his mate. Truly, it didn't seem to matter at all that Magearna was different. So why should it matter with him?
Despite this, MechaMew2 decided to leave just ten days later. He didn't know why, but just knew that he had to get away. He had made the decision in the middle of the night as he thought back on the past several days.
He was growing fond of the Pokémon here. They were becoming his friends. And while that should have been a good thing, it scared him. It scared him because, he knew, that no matter how close they got, he could never be one of them. He was just too different. Even from Magearna, he was different. She may also have been designed as a weapon, but that was not her true purpose, merely a last defensive resort. Not like him, who was meant to be a weapon and nothing else.
He couldn't stay here any longer. He just didn't belong. And when that became apparent to everyone, it would make the rejection that much worse with how attached to everyone he was getting. That's why he had to go. No matter how much he desired friends and companionship, he couldn't change what he was.
"Magearna?"
He stopped. Looking back, he found Magearna following him. The last time he had seen her, she had been balled up beside Volcanion, fast asleep. He'd been hoping to sneak away quietly while everyone was asleep so he wouldn't have to say goodbye. And how had she snuck up on him anyway? He must have really been deep in thought to not notice her.
"Magearna, go back," he told her.
"Magear, Magear."
"I am going. It's time I moved on."
"Magearna?"
He shook his head. "No, I will not be returning."
"Mag, Magear?"
"Of course I like you. I like all of you."
"Mag, Mag, Magearna?"
"Because I am different. I do not belong here." He looked away. "I do not belong anywhere."
"How do you know?"
Volcanion had arrived. It didn't surprise MechaMew2, he was never far from Magearna's side, and the artificial Pokémon hurried over to him. "Magearna, Magear, Magearna, Magear, Mag."
"I can see that," he told her, and looked back at MechaMew2. "How do you know you don't belong here? You haven't even given it a chance?"
MechaMew2 cocked his head to the side. "I have remained her for a number of days."
"Yes," Volcanion agreed, "and I've watched you during that time. You kept to yourself and hardly interacted with anyone, save for Magearna and myself. For someone who claims to want friends, you've hardly made an attempt to make any." He gave MechaMew2 a hard look. "What are you so afraid of?"
MechaMew2 stood up tall. "I am the most powerful Pokémon ever. Even Arceus' power pales in comparison to mine. I fear nothing."
Volcanion took a step forward. "Having power doesn't mean you have no fear. It seems to me that you want friends, but are afraid to try and make any, so you keep everyone at a distance. Why are you so reluctant?"
"There is no reluctance. I simply don't belong here. I don't fit in."
Volcanion stomped his foot. "You're making excuses. I know because I did the same thing. When Magearna was taken, the group of humans we met wanted nothing more than to help. They were kind and friendly, yet I constantly rejected them, choosing instead to believe that they had selfish motives or hidden agendas. I did this because I was afraid that, despite the kindness they showed, they would hurt us in the end, so I did not want them to get close. But when it was all said and done, I accepted them, and we became friends." He gave MechaMew2 a hard look. "So, I'll ask you again. Why are you afraid?"
MechaMew2 stared at the two of them for a few moments before floating into the air. "You're wrong. I am not afraid. I simply am what I am. And I am alone."
He turned around and flew off into the night. Magearna called after him, but he didn't even look back as he vanished over the treetops. Volcanion and Magearna watched him leave, the latter turning to the steam Pokémon sadly. "Magearna, Magearna? Mag, Mag, Magearna?"
Volcanion sighed. "I'm afraid I don't know. He's dealing with something, some personal issues, I suppose. He's going to have to work through this on his own." He turned away. "Come on, let's go back." He began walking away. Magearna looked back in the direction MechaMew2 had disappeared in before following after Volcanion. In the distance, hidden in the tree branches, something glittered in the moonlight.
(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)
The Pokémon Hunter lowered his binoculars and smiled. So the rumors were true, Magearna was real, and it was here; his PokéDex confirmed it. Perfect, his parents would definitely approve of him.
Pokémon Hunting, though illegal, was a running occupation in his family. And now, at the age of 16, his parents had given him a mission, one he could not fail at. He had to Capture a rare and/or powerful Pokémon, or face the consequences.
A frown crossed his face, and his hand went to the PokéBall on his belt. He knew what the consequences would be. He couldn't afford to fail; he had too much to lose. That was why he had followed the rumors of Magearna. They didn't get any rarer than a one of a kind Pokémon. Magearna would certainly meet his parents' approval. And maybe he could even snag Volcanion too.
Reaching into his bag, he pulled out what could only be described as a modified rocket launcher. Dropping a PokéBall inside, he took aim at the artificial Pokémon. "Sorry, Magearna, but I need you."
He fired. The PokéBall sped through the air and struck Magearna in the side of the head. She was knocked off her feet, but never hit the ground. The PokéBall popped open, and Magearna's body transformed into light, and was promptly sucked into the PokéBall. It closed on her and dropped to the ground where it began shaking, the button lit up with red light as the artificial Pokémon attempted to resist Capture.
"Magearna?" Volcanion asked, glancing over his shoulder. His eyes widened as he saw the trembling PokéBall. "Magearna!"
His tube arms shot shout, grabbing the PokéBall. Before the Capture could take place. He pried it open, and red light came spilling out, forming Magearna once more. Volcanion sighed in relief before looking around furiously. "Who dares!?"
His gaze searched the trees, and he caught sight of something glittering. He recognized it as something man-made, and it sent his blood boiling. Crushing the PokéBall, he took aim with his tubes and used Scald, unleashing a spray of boiling water.
The Pokémon Hunter swore and leapt out of the trees moments before the spray of burning water hit it. "Guess we'll have to do this the hard way."
Steam escaped Volcanion's nostrils as he moved protectively in front of Magearna. "You dare to try and take Magearna from me?!"
The Pokémon Hunter smirked. "Sorry, nothing personal, but I'm not leaving without it." He grabbed the PokéBall off his belt, pressing the button to cause it to grow to hand-size. "Go, Deoxys!"
He threw the PokéBall in the air, and it burst open. White light spilled out and took form. Volcanion's eyes narrowed at the DNA Pokémon. He had never seen one before, but he recognized the alien being. Originally formed by the DNA of a virus from space that fell to Earth on a meteor, it had mutated when it was exposed to laser beams, and the Deoxys race was born. As rare as they were powerful, a feeling of unease ran through Volcanion.
The Pokémon Hunter pointed at him. "Alright, Deoxys, this is it. We can't fail here. Attack with everything you have. Psycho Boost."
Deoxys' four tentacles came together, forming a ball of energy. It fired at Volcanion, and the steam Pokémon launched himself into the sky with a burst of hot air. Deoxys' attack struck the ground where he had been, resulting in a powerful blast. Magearna immediately curled up into a ball for protection.
Roaring, Volcanion used his Steam Explosion. The attack flowed over Deoxys, the steam so hot that its skin began to peel off. It Teleported out of the steam, its body covered in various burns. Its regeneration kicked in, and the damage instantly healed.
"Well done, Deoxys!" the Pokémon Hunter called. "Now hit it with Dark Pulse!"
A beam of purple rings was fired at Volcanion. He countered with Hydro Pump, launching a powerful jet of water from his tubes and mouth, the three combining into one powerful stream. The attacks hit, reaching a stalemate, the rings preventing the jet of water from advancing, and vice versa.
Volcanion glanced at Magearna, stilled balled up. "Magearna, get out of here."
"Deoxys, use Thunderbolt."
The DNA Pokémon ceased firing rings and instead unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity. The attack made contact with the stream of water, traveling up the length, and electrifying Volcanion.
"Aerial Ace!"
Transforming into its Attack form, Deoxys began glowing and launched at Volcanion. It crashed into the steam Pokémon, knocking him from the sky, then doubled back, striking him again and again.
Volcanion finally hit the ground, hard, and Magearna peeked out of her ball form. She jumped up and rushed over to him in concern. Volcanion's eyes cracked open as he glanced at her. "I told you to get out of here."
Deoxys came at him again with its Aerial Ace, flying lower. Volcanion climbed to his feet and charged towards it, a purple sphere surrounding his body as he used Giga Impact. The collision resulted in an explosion, and Deoxys went spinning through the air, having reverted to its Defense form.
Volcanion stumbled around, his head pounding from the impact. Magearna moved in front of him and fired her Fleur Cannon. Deoxys held up its arms to black the attack, then shifted to its Speed form. Using Double Team, it split into four copies, and they flew towards the two. Volcanion and Magearna looked here and there as the four Deoxys flew around them rapidly.
Volcanion fired a Water Ball, but missed as one of the Deoxys sped by. Magearna fired an Ice Beam at another, but missed as well. The attack, however, caused a large tower of ice to appear, and one of the copies crashed into it and vanished.
"Deoxys, use Zap Cannon," the Pokémon Hunter ordered.
The three remaining Deoxys fired a ball of electricity. Volcanion threw himself on top of Magearna, shielding her with his body. The three attacks struck him, but only one did damage, the other two were mere illusion.
Volcanion glanced at the Deoxys whose attack had hurt him; that was the real one. He'd used up the last of his water, not having had much stored to begin with, but he had several other attacks. "Fire Blast!"
He breathed a burst of fire that shaped itself into the kanjī for Dai. Deoxys shifted to its Defense form, but the attack still caused substantial damage, and the other two copies vanished.
"Deoxys, use Recover," the Pokémon Hunter ordered.
The DNA Pokémon obeyed, its injuries and stamina restoring. It hovered over the two Pokémon threateningly, more than ready to keep fighting. "Deoxys, Deoxys."
Volcanion stomped his foot. "Over my dead body." He glared at the Pokémon Hunter. "It's because of people like you that there is such distrust between humans and Pokémon."
The Pokémon Hunter's eyes narrowed. "Don't presume to know me. You know nothing about me. I'm not leaving without Magearna." He cocked his head to the side, studying the steam Pokémon with interest. "Why don't you come along? I'll get twice the praise if I bring you back as well."
"I would rather die."
The Pokémon Hunter sighed. "The I have no choice. Deoxys, use Hyper Beam."
The DNA Pokémon shifted to its Attack form and powered up its attack, causing energy to gather between the meeting points of its four tentacles. Volcanion turned back to it, powering up his own Hyper Beam in the center of his tubes. Magearna balled up once more as the two fired their attacks. The two beams met and resulted in a massive explosion; it was a stalemate.
The Pokémon Hunter growled in annoyance. "Enough of this. Deoxys, use Hypnosis."
"Deoxys," the DNA Pokémon replied, its eyes beginning to glow.
Volcanion silently swore as waves of hypnotic energy began to flow over him. He tried to resist, but his eyelids were growing heavy, and his limbs were growing weak. If he fell asleep now, it would all be over; he wouldn't be able to protect Magearna.
Maybe the Pokémon Hunter would take them both, at least then they would be together. Until they were bided off or given to whichever client had hired the Pokémon Hunter. That was the difference between Pokémon Trainers and Pokémon Hunters; Trainers saw Pokémon as partners and companions, Hunters saw them as profit and property.
But Volcanion would not have it. Captured or not, they would escape. Hopefully before the Pokémon Hunter broke them in with whatever methods he used to force disobedient or stolen Pokémon to obey.
Dropping to the ground, his gaze landed on Magearna, still balled up in front of him. Reaching out with his tubes, he lifted her up, holding her tightly in his grip. Even if he fell asleep, he vowed he would not let her go. A moment later, his eyes closed, and he was fast asleep.
The Pokémon Hunter smirked. "Well done, Deoxys. But just to be safe, use Dream Eater."
"Deoxys, Deox." Deoxys's tentacles shifted into arms. Its hands began glowing red, and a shadowy hologram of Deoxys rose from its body, flying over to Volcanion, and entering his body. Volcanion's sleep immediately became restless, as if he were suffering from a terrible nightmare.
He cried out in his sleep as his dream was eaten and sprang awake. The shadow Deoxys rose out of his body, and returned to the real Deoxys, taking a good portion of his energy with it.
The Pokémon Hunter took out two PokéBalls. "Perfect. Now I'll capture both of you."
He threw one, then the other. Volcanion turned to him and managed to unleash a Flamethrower, knocking the PokéBalls off course. "I won't allow us to be Captured."
The Pokémon Hunter sighed. "I should have just tried to Catch you when you were asleep. Alright, Deoxys, hit it with a Psycho Boost."
"Deoxys!" it cried, its arms shifting back into tentacles again, creating another ball of energy, and it launched the attack at Volcanion. The steam Pokémon wanted to avoid it, but found he didn't have the strength, and couldn't bring himself to rise. He considered using the last of his energy to use Explosion, but didn't want to hurt Magearna in the process. All he could do was hold onto her tightly as the attack came at him.
Something appeared in front of Volcanion, shielding him from the attack. MechaMews2's eyes glowed as he caused the ball of energy to come to a stop in front of him. "Attack Back!"
The Psycho Boost more than doubled in size as MechaMews2 added his own power to the attack. It then reversed directions, slamming into Deoxys, and carrying it into the sky.
The Pokémon Hunter blinked in surprise at the unexpected appearance. He'd only caught a glimpse of it before, but this new arrival looked like the Pokémon he had seen fly away from Volcanion and Magearna earlier. He had only seen it for a brief moment from a distance, and hadn't been able to identify it, but even now that he saw it up close, he still didn't know what type of Pokémon it was, and he had extensive knowledge of every Pokémon that had been discovered.
"What Pokémon is that?" he wondered out loud, and pointed his PokéDex at it.
The image of MechaMews2 appeared on the screen of the PokéDex, along with a large question mark flashing over the image as a mechanical voice declared, "No Pokémon data available."
The Pokémon Hunters's eyes widened. No data available? But his PokéDex had information on every known Pokémon. Had he just discovered a new species?
"Deoxys!" he cried as the DNA Pokémon flew back down to them. "Hit it with a Psychic attack."
A blue aura of psychic energy surrounded Deoxys, and it launched it at MechaMews2. The mechanical Pokémon simply raised his hand, stopping the attack, and tossing it aside. Raising his other hand, his fingers transformed into vines, lashing out with Vine Whip. They flew at Deoxys, wrapping around the DNA Pokémon, bringing it down.
He slammed him on the ground repeatedly and crashed him into the trees before finally releasing it. Deoxys started to rise, and MechaMews2 hit it with a Dark Pulse, using Deoxys' Type weakness against it. The DNA Pokémon went down. It attempted to get up, but its body gave out, and it collapsed.
"Deoxys!" the Pokémon Hunter cried.
MechaMews2 held out his hand, and a blue psychic outline appeared around the Pokémon Hunter. He was suddenly paralyzed, unable to move. Turning back to Volcanion, MechaMews2 used Soft-Boiled, giving him some of his own energy, then used Recover to replenish what he gave up. "Are you ok?"
Volcanion slowly got to his feet and set down Magearna. "We're fine."
"Magear, Magear," Magearna replied.
MechaMews2 would have smiled if his mouth were capable of moving, then turned back to the Pokémon Hunter. "I think it's time for you to leave."
Still unable to move, the Pokémon Hunter struggled futilely. "I'm not leaving empty-handed."
A single thought brought him flying towards MechaMews2, and he glared down at the Pokémon Hunter. "You will leave, and you will leave all memory of myself and this place behind."
The Pokémon Hunter squeezed his eyes shut. "I can't leave. I have to Catch a Pokémon more valuable than Deoxys. I have to."
MechaMews2 stared, sensing something different from the Pokémon Hunter. It was not malicious intent or greed, but desperation. Curious, MechaMews2 dove deep into the Pokémon Hunter's mind and began rummaging through his memories. He was surprised by what he found, and soon backed out, looking at the human with new eyes.
"This is not what you want," he said simply.
The Pokémon Hunter gave him a bewildered look. "What?"
"This life style, this profession, it is not what you want. It never was. It was forced on you by your parents, who wished for you to follow in their footsteps." He set the Pokémon Hunter down, giving him back his mobility, and glanced at Deoxys. "This Deoxys of yours, it was Caught by your parents sometime ago for a client who was later apprehended by the police. They kept it to eventually sell it off to the highest bidder. You befriended it during that time. And now that your parents have found someone who wishes to make the purchase, you do not wish to be parted from each other."
The Pokémon Hunter stared at MechaMews2 in disbelief. "They said I could keep it if I Captured a more valuable Pokémon to take its place. But how did you…?"
MechaMews2 turned back to him. "I have seen into your memories. I see the life you have lived, and the one you wish to have. They could not be more opposite. A Pokémon Ranger, that is what you truly desired to be." He cocked his head to the side. "Tell me, why do you not pursue it?"
The Pokémon Hunter's fists clenched. "You think it's just that easy? I've been groomed my whole life to be a Pokémon Hunter. It's been the family profession for generations. It's what my parents raised me to be. You want to know what they named me? Hunter! As if my fate was decided before I could even take my first step. You think I can just walk away from that? I could never be a Pokémon Ranger."
MechaMews2 bent down so he was closer to Hunter's level. "You haven't even tried. You simply gave in to your parents' demands and done what they wanted, giving up on your dreams. But that dreams still shines within you, if you dare to go for it."
Hunter looked at his hands, they were trembling. "You don't know the things I've done. I haven't been a Pokémon Hunter for long, but I've done horrible things. If you saw into my mind, then you should know. I could never be a Pokémon Ranger now." He shuit his eyes. "The Rangers would never accept me!"
MechaMews2 rose up to his full height. "That is just an excuse. You are letting your fear of rejection hold you back. You don't even want to try to better yourself. If you never try, you won't fail, so you won't have to worry about rejection. So, instead, you've fallen back to what your parents want for you, making up excuses and saying you're not good enough and will never fit in where you want to. That is just like…"
He trailed off as his own words registered to him. They sounded eerily similar to what Volcanion had said to him before he had left. Suddenly, MechaMews2 felt as if he were looking in a mirror, and everything seemed so clear to him now.
"That is just like someone else I know who desperately wanted to make friends. He wanted it so much that he feared rejection to the point where he wouldn't even try. Instead, he would make up excuses by saying he was too different, or that he didn't fit in. And in doing so, he consistently missed several opportunities to make the type of friends he sought because he was too scared, even when they were all but handed to him."
He reached out and laid a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "But you cannot let fear stop you from going after what you want. If you do, you will never obtain the things you want in life, and will never find true happiness. Life is about taking chances. And those chances will eventually bear fruit. But not if you allow fear to stop you from taking those chances."
Hunter looked up at MechaMews2 in astonishment, his eyes shining with emotion. "Do you really think I can do it?"
MechaMews2 turned to Deoxys and held out his hand, healing the DNA Pokémon, then turned back to Hunter. "You will never know unless you try. Do not let your fear stop you. If you are to fail, then at least fail trying."
Deoxys rose into the air. Seeing its Trainer right in front of MechaMews2, it immediately shifted to its Defense form and Teleported in front of him protectively, shielding him with his body. "Deoxys, Deox!"
Hunter reached out and placed a hand on the DNA Pokémon's shoulder. "No, Deoxys, it's alright. I wasn't in danger."
"De, Deoxys?"
He gave it a small smile. "Come on, my friend. We're leaving."
Deoxys? Deoxys, Deoxys."
Hunter seemed to know what it was asking, and shook his head. "No, leave Magearna be. We're done with the Pokémon Hunting business; I don't care what my parents think, we're not going back to them anyway. I'm going to follow my dream of being a Pokémon Ranger." He sighed. "I know it means I can never go home again, but this is what I've always wanted. I won't be afraid to go after what I want anymore." He looked up at Deoxys. "Will you come with me?"
"Deoxys," it replied without hesitation.
"It says 'always'," MechaMews2 translated.
Hunter gave him an appreciative smile, and the two turned to leave. MechaMews2 watched them go as Volcanion and Magearna came up to stand beside him. The steam Pokémon glanced at MechaMews2, then looked back at the retreating Trainer and Deoxys. "Is it ok to let them go?"
"It will be fine," MechaMews2 replied. "I've seen into the human's head and heart. His Pokémon Hunting days are over. He won't tell anyone about this place, or about us." He hesitated for a few moments before turning to his companions. "I've been a fool."
Volcanion snorted. "No kidding. Did what you saw in that human's head hit a little too close to home?"
A sigh escaped the mechanical Pokémon. "Far too close. You were right. I didn't give this place a chance. I didn't give you guys a chance. I wanted friends so much that I feared rejection to the point where I made up excuses so I wouldn't have to try. I convinced myself that there was something wrong with me, that I didn't belong anywhere, and that no one would accept me. This way I didn't have to try since I 'knew' it wouldn't work out. And if I didn't try, I wouldn't fail, I wouldn't be rejected."
"Magearna, Magearna, Mag, Mag, Magear, Magear, Magearna, Mag."
"Magearna is right," Volcanion confirmed. "We accepted you the moment you got here. The hand of friendship has been extended all this time. All you've had to do was take it."
To emphasize her point, Magearna reached out to MechaMews2. He stared at her hand for a few moments before glancing at Volcanion, who nodded. Slowly, he reached out and took her hand.
Turning away, Volcanion motioned for them to follow. "Come on, let's go home."
Magearna began walking, but was held back as MechaMews2 stayed where he was, but did not let go of her hand. Then, slowly, he began to roll along with her as they caught up with Volcanion. As they moved along, a warm and fuzzy feeling filled MechaMews2's chest. It was the feeling of going home, of going where he belonged.
THE END
(A/N: I got inspired to write this after watching Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel. Magearna reminded me a lot of MechaMew2, and that's when I got to think, what if they met? And boom, the idea for this story came to be; it just took me a while to write it because, well, I wasn't sure what exactly I wanted to write. So, after some thought, I came up with this. MechaMew2 may be the strongest of all Pokemon, but even the strongest can be weak emotionally. And seeing as he was very new to experiencing emotions, it only made sense that he would feel insecure and vulnerable. I thought it would be interesting to see a character with so much power to be so emotionally vulnerable. So, leave me a review and let me know what you think.)
If anyone wants to see what MechMews2 looks like or read up on him, you can use the link below. Just replace the DOT with actual periods.
bulbapediaDOTbulbagardenDOTnet/wiki/MechaMew2