Chapter 10

It was amazing how quickly Misty adapted to living with Mewtwo in his human form.

Of course, it was strange at first, but as time passed by, his new body began to seem like the norm; in fact, it became more and more difficult every day for Misty to recall how he had been before, in his pokemon form.

Sometimes, she almost forgot he was a pokemon at all.

After all, Mewtwo's only features still reminiscent of his previous appearance were his violet eyes and his psychic powers, which he seemed to use less and less frequently these days. To Misty's surprise, he seemed to be growing more and more interested in doing things "the human way", without utilizing his special abilities to make things easier. For instance, Mewtwo had teleported food, a stove, and kitchen sink to the laboratory, but he insisted on preparing meals from scratch, and cleaning the dishes by hand.

Also, there was a new quality emerging in Mewtwo that Misty would have never expected to witness— he was becoming lighter, more carefree… happier. He allowed himself to laugh freely at silly comments she made without trying to restrain himself. He was becoming more comfortable around her, able to share experiences from his past with her without uneasiness, and he seemed to be increasingly more relaxed about casual physical contact with her; a touch on the arm, a hug, the occasional peck on the cheek.

And, of course, the two made love quite frequently.

Each time they lay spent in each other's arms after sex, Misty thought it had been absolutely perfect. Until, the next night, or afternoon, or morning, Mewtwo would prove her wrong— it could be better. Incontestably better.

It was one of those perfect moments, with the two of them lying side by side, exhausted but contented, that Misty finally realized she was in love with him.

She had fully admitted her physical attraction to Mewtwo before, but she had slowly come to recognize that her feelings went much deeper than that.

It also became more and more clear to her that it was Mewtwo she loved, not Ash. Even though they might look the same on the outside, they couldn't be more different, Misty speculated one day. The new quality of openness that Mewtwo had acquired during his time in human form made him transparent enough that Misty could begin to see the aspects of his personality that she truly loved. He was exceptionally intelligent, yet had a childlike innocence about him (this was because of the limited social contact he'd had in his life, Misty guessed). He was always honest and direct with her, as he had promised to be, and Misty knew in her heart he would do anything to make her happy.

He also amazed her, day after day, whether he used his powers or not. He seemed to have an unlimited capacity for learning, a constant drive for progress and advancement (and, to her immense satisfaction, he most definitely took this approach when it came to their lovemaking). She hoped that one day, he could use that quality for something constructive; ironically, it was the same aspect of his personality that had almost destroyed the world.

There was one evening they shared together that convinced Misty that whatever happened once they left New Island (and, she knew, that time would come eventually), she wanted them to stay together. She would do whatever she had to; endure harsh criticism from friends and family, help Mewtwo adapt in the human world, postpone her pokemon journey in order to be with him. At that point, nothing else mattered— Mewtwo was the one she wanted, and she was willing to fight for the relationship.

It began with a conversation about Mewtwo's past.

"When I first became human," Mewtwo had told her, "I thought that, perhaps, being inside a human body would help me to better understand my creators, and Giovanni."

Misty encouraged him to continue, interested to know where his train of thought was headed.

"But… now that I have experienced it… human emotion, that is… the opposite of my expectations has occurred," he said, "their actions mystify me even more."

"Why is that?" Misty asked curiously.

"I used to believe that those humans I had contact with early in life behaved so callously because they were human. I assumed it was their nature. But now… now that I have been in this body, and I have no urges to do wrong to any living creature… I know there was something within them that does not exist in me, or in you. Something unsettlingly sinister, and something I am glad to have never felt stirring within myself. I now realize it is not human nature to be evil; it is only the nature of those who choose to be."

That… that is exactly right, thought Misty, I just wish he could have seen it before.

"There is something else," Mewtwo continued, "I am frightened— terrified, actually— that once you leave this place, you will be returning to that world, where you will have contact with such… human shells, devoid of conscience. I would feel… torn apart, on the inside, if I discovered you were ever treated in the manner that I was."

"Mewtwo… don't worry, I—"

"I would give anything to spare you from that. Even myself." Mewtwo looked at her intensely, and she became lost in his deep violet gaze. He really means that, she knew.

She kissed him passionately, taking the lead only for a moment before he leaned her backwards, pressing his body tight against hers, dominating her. His hands ravaged her body and she moaned softly, surrendering to his touch.

Their lovemaking was a whirlwind; rushed, insistent, and desperate, as if they were both racing, begging for release, and Misty was nonetheless sated by it. As they lay side by side after, still sweating and panting for air, she placed her lips at the base of Mewtwo's ear and whispered,

"I love you."

….

Later that same night, Mewtwo awoke suddenly. The intense, all consuming agony he had experienced when he'd first morphed into Ash's body had returned, and it could only mean one thing: his new DNA was destabilizing. He was unraveling at the seams.

As quietly and painlessly as he could, Mewtwo got out of bed. For a moment, he thought he had disturbed Misty, because she sleepily rolled toward him with her arm outstretched, and whispered, "Ash…", but Mewtwo realized she was talking in her sleep. For some reason, hearing Ash's name hurt Mewtwo deeply. No, I am Mewtwo! he thought bitterly. Slowly, he tiptoed away from the bed and made his way back to his computer.

I have to fix this, Mewtwo thought frantically, beginning to run the program, I have to remain human… I must. He heard a little voice behind him.

"Pika!" The little mouse looked angry, and Mewtwo realized he had been neglecting his cloned pokemon almost entirely in the time he had been human.

"Leave me alone, pokemon," Mewtwo whispered irately. He had become unaccustomed to using telepathy. "Can you not see this is important?"

"Pika, pikachu." The pokemon sounded sad. Hearing the pikachu speak, and understanding that it had meant "you are a pokemon too" caused Mewtwo to have a disturbing thought. If I was truly human, he deduced, I would not be able to understand pokemon speech. However, the comment still infuriated Mewtwo.

"How dare you! I am human! Look at me! Look at this body!" The pikachu did not respond; it only stared at Mewtwo somberly.

In horror, he glanced down at himself and saw the body of a monster.

He wasn't quite human, nor was he entirely a pokemon. He was deformed, twisted, and terrifying. Fine white hairs sprouted from his skin. His fingers were changing shape. His limbs were quickly lengthening, and he stripped off Ash's clothes so that they wouldn't tear.

Witnessing this— his body, rapidly changing shape, out of his control— was a dreadful experience. Coupled with the searing, whole-body pain that accompanied the changes, it was one of the worst experiences of his life, rivaled only by his birth.

Trying to speak in his human voice, and failing, Mewtwo once again resorted to telepathy.

Pikachu… what have I done?

The small pokemon watched in incredulity as Mewtwo's body completed its shift back to its original form. Mewtwo was in sheer agony, and he used his psychic power to help speed up the process to end his suffering more quickly.

When the pain subsided, Mewtwo was reduced to his hands and knees. Reality came crashing down on him. I can never be human, he realized, miserably. Even if I change myself, I will always be a copy… a clone… a monster. He caught a reflection of his enormous violet eyes and catlike face in one of the cloning tubes, and, devastatingly, Mewtwo realized, Misty is not… could never be… attracted to me; only the body of Ash. He is the one she wants. If I truly love her, I must give her what she desires.

Mewtwo turned to Pikachu. "Tomorrow, we will leave this place."

…