LIFE

CHAPTER ONE: BIRTH

I'm flying over a tall mountain… the wind feels heavenly on my face as I soar… I'm high enough to see every tree on the island… and beyond it, the vast ocean...

No. I'm not on the island. I'm in a cold, dark place. I feel constrained, uncomfortable. There are distant voices all around me.

Now I'm back on the island, in the forest. A group of humans has arrived… rare, but not unprecedented. They're searching for something. Many are equipped with shovels… many Drillbur and an Excadrill with them...

Why am I here? Why am I surrounded by this darkness? I want to go back. Why am I alone?

"You're not alone!"

~o~O~o~

Cinnabar Island, present day

As she walked around the busy streets of Cinnabar Island, Iris attracted a lot of attention to herself. It had to do many facts, like the way she enthusiastically greeted everyone and often stopped to chat with people, or the fact that her bushy hair was almost as big as her whole body, or that a small dragon-type Pokémon that had never been seen in Kanto was following closely behind her.

Most importantly, she was asking around about the island's gym leader, Blaine, whom the townspeople were reluctant to talk about. Eventually someone vaguely mentioned his gym and house to be at the foot of the volcano, but warned Iris that Blaine could be a tad "eccentric".

And so Iris would notice. She could only step on the doorstep of the gym and reach for the doorbell, when the gym's door unexpectedly opened. Before Iris could protest, she was roughly dragged in, and her Axew managed to follow her inside just before the door slammed shut.

As the gym's lights were turned on, Iris found herself in the grip of a tall, bald man with a thick, Walrein-like moustache. Iris couldn't see Blaine's eyes, as they were covered by the man's dark sunglasses. He also wore a dingy, slightly burned lab coat on top of a suit.

"Who sent you?" Blaine growled with a raspy voice and squeezed Iris' arm. "Why are you asking around about me? Are you with Team Rocket?"

"Um, hi there, Mr. Blaine," Iris squeaked and tried to act like this happened to her every day. "You seem to have the wrong idea… I'm a student from the University of Opelucid in Unova. Um, Professor Juniper sent me to see Professor Elm about this subject I'm researching and… he asked me to come to you… and now I'm here!" she added.

"Yeah, I can sort of see that," Blaine said and let go of Iris, though he still eyed her suspiciously. "Elm did send me word someone was coming… and I do owe him a favor… I would have been chased off this island after it… it happened…"

Suddenly, Blaine walked away to what seemed to his kitchen. A Magmar wearing a chef's hat and an apron (Iris wondered how they didn't catch on fire) was cooking something with its flamethrower attack, while Blaine opened one of his cupboards, took out two badly dented coffee mugs and slammed them on the table. He impatiently waved Iris to come in and sit down. Iris gulped, but remembered that she had come this far. Unova was hundreds of miles away, there was no turning back.

"Hold on!" Blaine yelled, almost making Iris jump in the air as she was approaching the kitchen. "Why did you bring that mutt in? It could be wearing a wire!"

Iris was confused for a while, but seemed to figure out what Blaine was talking about as she picked up her Axew and held it in her arms. The green dragon-type blinked its big, red eyes at Blaine cutely and tried to look as innocent as possible.

"Oh, don't be silly," Iris told Blaine and petted Axew's horn. "It's my Axew! One of these days, it's going to be a mighty Haxorus, and I'm going to become Opelucid's gym leader! That's actually what I'm studying for, and-"

But when Blaine just glared at her, Iris put the Axew in her hair. Even Blaine raised his eyebrows when the dragon Pokémon effortlessly disappeared in Iris' long bush of purple hair.

"But, we're not talking about me here, aren't we," Iris continued nervously, observing Blaine's reaction. "So, um, I was gonna ask you about…"

Iris looked up at Blaine, finding it incredibly hard to say the word out loud, especially when Blaine kept staring at her with his arms crossed. When Iris just stuttered and her voice faded away, Blaine decided to help:

"Mewtwo, right?"

"Um, yes," Iris said softly. "You know, whatever you can tell… I mean, I thought it was just legend before, but…"

Blaine took a moment to consider Iris' words, making the girl uncomfortable by staring at her – the sunglasses just made it more awkward. Finally, Blaine walked to one of his cupboards and pulled out a file folder stuffed full of papers. However, instead of giving the folder to Iris, Blaine just waved it in the air as he paced back and forth, still considering.

"I could give these files to you," Blaine said slowly, "but I need to test you first… with a riddle!"

"Why?" Iris wondered.

"Don't you like riddles?" Blaine asked so quickly that Iris almost fell off her chair.

"Actually, I love them!" Iris said cheerfully. "But why do you-"

"Then, hear me out!" Blaine said and started pacing again. "So, two Pokémon Rangers, a big one and a small one, are sitting on a rock. The big one is the small one's dad but the small one is not the big one's son. How is this possible?"

"Ooh, I love brainteasers," Iris said excitedly and started pondering. "Hmm… adoption? No, the riddle implies a biological connection. Although emotional factors should be considered too… maybe the riddle is from the perspective of the son who doesn't know he's adopted… or maybe…"

Blaine watched Iris ponder the riddle, impatiently tapping his foot and drumming the table with his fingers. Finally, when he seemed like he was about to burst, Blaine gave in:

"Okay, fine! The small one is a girl!"

"Ooooohhh…" Iris said slowly and blinked in realization. "Well, that would have been my next guess…"

Blaine handed Iris the notes, then sat down and watched her read across the table.

"From the files of Dr. Fuji," Iris read and looked up at Blaine. "I thought these were your notes?"

"Oh… well…" Blaine started twirling his moustache nervously. "I acquired Fuji's notes before the… disaster. Fuji was the administrator of the lab at the time and co-director of the Mewtwo project."

"Is he related to Mr. Fuji from Lavender Town?" Iris asked.

Blaine didn't seem to mind Iris' curiousness. Quite the contrary, he looked more relaxed and his tone of voice was less gruff than before. He seemed to stare past Iris as he talked to her, however, completely immersed in his memories.

"Yes… he was…" Blaine said quietly.

Iris didn't pry, but kept on reading. "August 6th. Today my colleagues will reach the site on Faraway Island, where an ancient civilization may have created a shrine to Mew, the most powerful Pokémon to have ever existed…"

"You'll find my own notes somewhere in there too," Blaine mumbled as he stared at the opposite wall.

Blaine hadn't forgotten anything – the pain in his right hand made sure he would relive the moment every night and day. It was impossible to tell to anyone, so he preferred Iris to read the notes, while he was once again lost in his memories…

~o~O~o~

Pokémon Mansion, Cinnabar Island, several years earlier

Blaine had pulled a chair next to a cylinder that was approximately ten feet tall and full of strange, orange liquid. Floating in the liquid was his latest creation. The creature had feline traits, but its feet resembled that of a rabbit's. It had a grayish purple complexion and an incredibly long, purple tail. For now, the creature was less than three feet tall and was suspended in a fetal position and its eyes were closed. It was surrounded by some sort of thin, blue bubble.

Just like all the other clones in the facility, this one hadn't gained consciousness, even though its other vital signs were strong. And yet, Blaine sat by its side every day. While his job was to observe its heartbeat, brainwave activity and growth, he would also talk to it, teach it, attempt to communicate with it and even read to it. Currently, he was reading a book called "The Myths and Legends of Pokémonology" to the creature out loud, praying for at least some signs of acknowledgment.

"…these two islands, called Fullmoon and Newmoon," Blaine read and occasionally drank a sip of coffee. "Cresselia lives on the former and Darkrai lives on the latter. They say Cresselia brings about the day, and when its time for it to go, Darkrai comes in to bring the night. But to make sure we wouldn't feel lonely even at night, they created the moon and the stars. It is said that Darkrai is the source of our fears and nightmares, even though it doesn't intend to, so it isolates itself to live near Cresselia, who can end these nightmares."

Blaine turned to look at the tube – the creature still hadn't awakened, nor did it show any signs of movement.

"You know, these two Pokémon were once said to be one entity," Blaine said, "but even when they split up, they decided to coexist. Because no matter how bad our life seems like, we must endure the bad so we can enjoy the good."

Blaine quickly glanced at the tube and cleared his throat.

"Or, you know, if you believe in this stuff, that is," he said and started turning the pages of the book, looking for something specific. "Ah, here we go…"

Even though the creature in the tube couldn't see it, Blaine showed the picture in the book to it. It was an artist's impression of a mythical Pokémon that resembled a floating pink cat with big, baby blue eyes. In some respects, it almost looked like an embryo.

"And that huge thing between its legs is its tail, okay?" Blaine clarified. "That, we believe, is called Mew. Maybe it's extinct now, we don't know. All we know is that you were created from it. Isn't that something? You're like… like its brother or sister or something… that's why we christened you 'Mewtwo'!"

Blaine walked to the tube and pressed his hand against it, but was talking to more to himself than to the creature.

"But, you're not just Mew," he said quietly. "During the process, I used a bit of… a bit of myself." He showed the creature in the tube his right hand, which was fully covered by a purple glove. "In that respect… you're almost like…"

Blaine cleared his throat again, looking rather embarrassed.

"But that's only because of my orders," Blaine grunted. "Because of him. He merely wants to control the most powerful Pokémon in the world. He specifically requested Fuji to use Mew's DNA. All that bastard wants is power, and Fuji isn't any better… working on something 'highly classified' in his own private part of the lab. But to me… this is a chance to unlock the key to recreating life itself…"

Blane's ranting was interrupted by static from the intercom, followed by a tinny voice:

"Dr. Blaine. Sorry for interrupting, sir, but there's a Mr., um… Mr. Giovanni has come to see you."

Blaine frowned and clenched his right hand in a fist. Hearing Giovanni's name made it hurt even more. But the man had financed the project, and Blaine and Fuji had no other option but to agree. Blaine pressed a button on the intercom.

"Tell him to wait in my office," Blaine growled. "I'll be there in a moment."

"Yes, sir."

Blaine looked at the Pokémon in the tube one last time before leaving the room.

~o~O~o~

"What are all those… all those sounds around me?"

"They're voices. That's a friend of my daddy's, Blaine."

"It sounds so… familiar. But… who are you?"

"Oh, they call me Ambertwo, but I'm still just Amber. And I remember everything about my life, too."

"Amber… so then… who am I?"

"Well… you look like a Pokémon, but you talk. I didn't know a Pokémon could talk a like a person."

"A Pokémon… a person... what are those? Which one am I?"

"Maybe it makes a difference to you, but no to me."

"Where are we?"

"Does it matter? We're together, aren't we? Don't you like it here?"

"…I do, now."

"That's nice. And there are so many things I want to tell you!"