I would have liked to have my Pikachu, Ninetales, Gyarados, or Scyther on my team for this one, but that would have been a little redundant. Curse those trainers for having some of my favorite Pokémon!

I have kind of a random funny thing related to my story. About a month ago, there was this Pokemon thing where they gave away shiny Eevee. I wanted one, and it was amazingly close to my house, so I went. I got to know the people in line with me. One of them was named Ben. Now, I like to use the name Ben cause I really don't know anyone named Ben. But that's not all. In an email, he told me that he took apart and put back together a DS to try to fix it. And I thought:

O-O

A Pokemon-liking Ben that's good with electronic stuff. That's a bit of a scary coincidence. Though I run into a lot of coincidence stuff like that…

Polaris – Ponyta, Charren – Charizard, Ferry-Lapras, Kinesis-Alakazam, Jarday-Joltion, Flarga-Flareon.

New Island

As we pulled ourselves onto the dock, we saw that there was someone there waiting for us. It was the woman who had appeared in the holographic card.

She had a strangely blank look in her eyes. Everything about this island seemed… unnatural. And to top it off, she began to speak in an level, almost robotic voice.

"My master bids you welcome to New Island. Will you kindly present your invitation?"

Ash pulled his card from his pocket. I scrambled to retrieve mine from my now drenched bag. The water didn't seem to harm the cards at all, because the holograms appeared once more and said that we were allowed to enter.

Suddenly Brock burst out, "I knew I recognized that face!"

"What?" replied the woman, blankly.

"Aren't you the nurse who's missing from the treatment center?" Brock asked.

I blinked and squinted to get a better look at her face in the dim light. She did look a little like a Nurse Joy, but she sure didn't act like one…

The woman denied this claim, saying that she'd always worked for the master of the island.

Really, every moment was creeping me out more and more. It's something that comes from being able to talk to Pokémon – sensing things that most don't notice.

The woman began to lead us up a dreary pathway. I wasn't paying too much attention to my companions. I was glancing around, trying to get a feel for this place. I gulped and tried to beat down the anxiety within me. If I was too nervous, my reflexes would be compromised. I had to be alert, but not panicked. It's easy to say. Not too easy to do.

We arrived at a pair of massive double doors that opened by themselves. All of us stepped inside.

The nurse Joy look-alike began to speak again.

"Now that you are here, all trainers worthy of an audience with my master are present."

I looked across the room. It was a cavernous hall lined with columns that held lamps. A table stood in middle of the room. Behind it was a strange spiraling structure that reached all the way to the ceiling. The wall opposite us seemed to be made of some strange stained glass.

There were only three people seated at the table. Their Pokémon teams were gathered around the huge room.

I tuned back in time to hear the woman saying, "Only the trainers capable of braving the storm have proven themselves worthy in my master's eyes."

I clenched my fist. Did that mean what I thought it meant?

"Do you mean that storm was some kind of test?" Brock asked, echoing my thoughts.

The woman didn't reply, but instead said, "Please release your Pokémon from their Pokéballs and join the others. It will not be long before my master's intentions are clear."

To complete that ominous statement, the two great doors swung shut behind us.

The others began to release their Pokémon. Ash let out his Squirtle and Bulbasaur to join his Pikachu. Brock let out a Vulpix and Misty released Psyduck. She also had a Togepi. It had been hiding in her bag, but she pulled it out to walk along beside her.

I hesitated, then let out my team: Polaris, Charren, Ferry, Kinesis, Jarday, and Flarga.

"What took you guys so long?" Asked the boy with the Pidgeot.

I began to examine the teams of the other three trainers.

The boy who had just spoken was named Corey. He had Pidgeot, Venusaur, Hitmonlee, Scyther, Sahdslash, and Rhyhorn.

One side of the hall held a large pool. It contained Vaporeon, Tentacruel, Gyarados, Golduck, and Seadra. There was a Nidoqueen standing beside the pool. That team belonged to the larger boy, Fergus.

The girl's name was Neesha. She had Wigglytuff, Blastoise, Vileplume, Dewgong, Ninetales, and Rapidash.

All of their Pokémon did look in good shape. They seemed formidable opponents.

The lights went out. My hyperactive nerves made me jump badly. Polaris steadied me by placing her head against my back.

For a moment, everyone glanced around in confusion. The Pokémon fidgeted uneasily. Then everyone turned to the tall spiral structure. A beam of light had suddenly appeared in its center, stretching all the way down to the ground.

The strange woman turned to us and said, "You are about to meet my master. The time has come to encounter the greatest Pokémon master on Earth."

Something appeared at the top of the spiral. It was floating down through the center of the column of light. From a distance, it almost looked human. But as it drew nearer to ground level, my insides turned to ice. It was a purple Pokémon with a long tail. Mewtwo. The very Pokémon I'd been searching for.

I lost my balance for a moment and fell sideways against Ferry's neck. I braced myself there, feeling suddenly dizzy.

Mewtwo landed at the base of the spiral. The woman continued to speak. I heard her through a daze as she said, "Yes. The world's greatest Pokémon master is also the most powerful Pokémon on Earth. This is the ruler of New Island and soon the whole world. Mewtwo."

Part of the dream flashed through my mind, and for a moment, I once again tasted that hatred that Mewtwo had felt when he'd destroyed the lab.

I didn't even realize that I'd fallen to my knees until Charren tugged on the back of my shirt. I staggered to my feet again.

I was dragged from my daze when Fergus jumped to his feet and shouted, "A Pokémon can't be a Pokémon master! No way!"

I flinched. After what I'd seen in my dream, the last thing I wanted to do was upset Mewtwo. But the woman had said that he planned on becoming the ruler of the Earth.

Just then the woman spoke again. There was a strange echoing quality to her voice. It took me a moment to realize that Mewtwo was speaking in unison with her, using his telepathy.

"Quiet, human. From now on, I am the one who makes the rules."

Mewtwo raised an arm and blue energy glowed about him. Fergus let out a cry of pain as the blue energy surrounded him and lifted him high off the ground. Mewtwo gave a small chuckle, and then cast the boy into the pool with his Gyarados. Fergus surfaced and furiously set his Gyarados on Mewtwo. Gyarados opened its jaws wide and blasted out a Hyper Beam. Mewtwo causally raised an arm, and the Hyper Beam twisted in mid air and doubled back, striking Gyarados and slamming it back against the wall. It slumped into the pool.

"Child's play," said Mewtwo and the woman in unison.

Then Mewtwo spoke on his own. "Your usefulness has ended."

He gave a wave of his hand and the woman tumbled to the ground. Her head dress fell to the ground, revealing that distinct red hair of Nurse Joy. Brock had been right.

Brock rushed to her side as Nurse Joy came to. So, Mewtwo had been controlling her. He had that kind of power… it wasn't limited only to destroying things.

"How did I get here?" Nurse Joy asked, glancing around in confusion.

"You have been under my control," Mewtwo explained calmly. "I transported you here from the Pokémon center. Your knowledge of Pokémon physiology proved useful to my plan. And now I have cleansed your tiny human brain of memories from the past few weeks."

His plan. What was that? Up till this point, I'd been hoping to find Mewtwo to help him. But now… I was afraid he'd gone too far. He was a danger to the world. With power like his… was there any way to stop him without getting rid of him?

"Who are you?" Brock demanded.

"I am the new ruler of this world, the master of humans and Pokémon alike. You humans are a dangerous species. You brought me into your world with no purpose but to be your slave. But now I have my own purpose. My storm will create my own world by destroying yours."

I felt like I should say something. Do something, but I was frightened. And I didn't know what I should do. I thought of Ben, Mom, Dad, and the other friends I'd made during my journey. All of them were in danger. And I was just standing there.

"So, you hate all humans? And you're going to destroy us to save Pokémon?" Brock shouted.

Mewtwo shook his head. "No. Your Pokémon will not be spared. They have disgraced themselves by serving humans. Those Pokémon are nothing by slaves."

"No!" I shouted, stepping forwards. "That's not true! It's a partnership! We help them and they help us!"

Mewtwo sneered, but was distracted from me when Ash's Pikachu jumped forwards. He started shouting to Mewtwo in Pokémon talk.

"So, you say I am wrong?" Mewtwo replied to Pikachu. "That you are not this human's servant, you are his friend?"

Pikachu nodded.

"You are as pathetic as the rest." Mewtwo's eyes glowed, and he sent Pikachu flying backwards. Luckily Ash caught him.

"Humans and Pokémon can never be friends," Mewtwo continued.

The unprovoked attack against Pikachu made the rest of the trainers angry. Corey sent his Rhyhorn at Mewtwo, but once again. Mewtwo sent his opponent flying backwards. Rhyhorn skidded across the table and crashed to the ground.

"Fools." Mewtwo sounded annoyed. "Your Pokémon attacks cannot weaken me. My powers are too great. No trainer can conquer me."

"Then you won't mind proving it in a real match!" Ash shouted.

For the first time, Mewtwo smiled. "Is that a challenge?"

"You bet it is."

I wondered if Ash had just done something very stupid. What kind of Pokémon would Metwo have to battle with?

Then three Pokémon appeared, rising up into the hall through holes in the floor.

It was Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. But they were different. Strange green markings covered their bodies. They weren't normal.

"Like most Pokémon trainers," Mewtwo explained, "I too began with Charmander, Bulbsaur, and Squirtle. Bur for their evolved forms I used their genetic material to clone even more powerful copies."

The large stained glass wall covering one side of the hall suddenly opened, revealing a huge stadium behind it. Lights flashed on, illuminating the arena. So, there was a stadium here. He'd planned this battle from the start. That worried me.

"Your fake Venusaur can't beat my real one, right Bruteroot!" Shouted Corey.

"We'll blow away that Blastoise, won't we Shellshocker?" Neesha announced.

I turned sharply to Charren. She was tough. One of my top players. But honestly, I didn't want to take part in this fight.

I was saved from entering Charren when Ash pulled out a Pokéball of his own "It may not have a nickname, but I do have Charizard! I choose you!"

He threw out a Pokéball, revealing a Charizard of his own.

I could tell instantly by the look in that Charizard's eye. It was half wild.

This was proved a moment later when Charizard blasted flame out at Mewtwo, much to Ash's shock.

I sunk my head into my hands. That Charizard couldn't win. I should have told Charren to fight…

The flames cleared, showing that Mewtwo had been completely unscathed by the heat. "Your Charizard is poorly trained.

I lagged behind as the rest of the trainers entered the stadium. Why was I here? Mew, she'd called me. That was the only reason I knew what was going on. That was also the reason I felt too sacred to do anything. I felt so useless. I hadn't even volunteered to battle against Mewtwo's team. Why was I here?

Bruteroot, the Venusaur, stepped forwards. The cloned Venusaur stomped up to face its opponent. And the battle began.