Chapter 25: Lord Helix

"We are here with Duplica, our first trainer that specializes in ditto," a brunette reporter lady said before pointing her microphone at Duplica. "Can you tell us a bit about this new pokémon?"

"Of course," Duplica said while holding her ditto in her arms and having another one on her left shoulder. "They can take the form of any other pokémon and can even turn into objects. The one I have on my shoulder cannot replicate the size of anything larger than itself though."

"Where did they come from?"

"Well, I spoke to Mewtwo recently and he found out that the ditto were created in the same laboratory where he was made, on Cinnabar Island. The scientists there didn't treat them well and … they revolted. But I swear I will gather all of the ditto I can find and tame them! I will become the world's first ditto master!"

"We wish you good luck, Duplica!" the reporter said. "This was Helen Jade for pokéTV."

"Thank you, Helen," the blonde news lady said, sitting at her desk in the studio. "Speaking of Mewtwo, we have finally managed to catch up with the famous trainer pokémon, and we have an interview with him right now thanks to our reporter, Ben King. Ben, you are live."

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen! We are here in Vermilion City where Mewtwo and his human companion Yan are about to set off toward their next adventure via ferryboat," Ben said. He pointed the microphone at the trainer pokémon. "Mewtwo, where is your destination this time?"

"I am returning to my birthplace. Cinnabar Island. I've heard there is a gym there. Naturally, I want to challenge it."

"So, you will be fighting Blaine and his fire pokémon. For most trainers, the Cinnabar Gym is among the most difficult in Kanto to take on, but we know you have quite a lot of victories under your belt, so you'll probably have an easier time than most."

"My pokémon and I will continue to train along the way," Mewtwo said, "but we won't let our guard down once we get to battle Blaine."

The ship's horn sounded off.

"Yo! Mewtwo! We gotta go before the ship leaves without us!" Yan said while waving his arms frantically.

Mewtwo nodded to him. "Right." He looked back at the reporter. "Sorry, we have to cut the discussion short because we have a ferryboat to catch."

"Good luck, Mewtwo!" Ben said. His transmission was cut abruptly just before it could end.

The news lady said, "Breaking news! There is a vicious pokémon alert in Lavender Town! The situation is so dangerous that only pokéTV managed to take any footage of the attack by sending in a drone."

The drone's view showed a charizard that roared as it flew through the sky, sporting a constant death glare that the drone could see once it zoomed in on the creature's face. The pokémon blew fire at a car and melted it just after a young woman and man came out of it. The two humans took shelter inside a convenience store that ended up being attacked by the charizard's flamethrower twice, fortunately not causing much damage to it. The destruction and chaos ended when the charizard saw something glitter in the sky and went to chase it, leaving the town.

"Oh, my!" Professor Oak said, putting his cup of tea on the plate he held in his left hand. He sat in his favorite leather armchair while watching the 5 o' clock news in horror. "That charizard continues to terrorize Kanto. It must be captured before it kills someone."

Willow, his asistant, stood on an armchair to the left of the professor. He had also been having tea before the breaking news hit the screen. "If it were a Venusaur, I would have tried to calm it down. But a charizard? Too many variables. It's too dangerous."

Oak continued to stare at the screen as the charizard flew toward the horizon. "Let's hope the police will deal with it. This has been going on long enough."

Mewtwo and Yan made it on the ferryboat and found the room they were assigned: 102. There, they leaned their backpacks against a wall and sat on the edges of their beds.

"Why aren't there any ships going directly to Cinnabar Island?" Mewtwo asked.

Yan said, "The currents are too strong in the eastern side of it, so we'll have to go to the Seafoam Islands to rent a lapras that will take us to Cinnabar."

"What's a lapras?"

"It's a pokémon. They're trained to carry people on their backs, and they are known to make it safely to destination even when the sea is churning."

"It will be interesting to meet them. Oh, it's time to get dinner for ourselves and the pokémon."

"Right," Yan said. "We'll have to go to the dining area though. The sign on the door said not to bring food here."

Giovanni held the phone to his right ear and spoke into it. "The news just revealed Mewtwo's whereabouts. He's on a ferryboat heading toward the Seafoam Islands. Go keep an eye on him. I'll send backup when everyone's ready. Make sure to have him cornered when the squad gets there."

"You can count on me!" a youthful female voice said through the phone.

"I sure hope so," he said before hanging up.

"Omy! Use water gun!" Mewtwo ordered.

Omy spat a thin jet of water that hit the geodude of a teenage guy. It wasn't enough to knock it out, but it made the geodude soggy and weaker. The battle was taking place on the deck of the ferryboat.

"Geodude! Use earthquake!" the teenager ordered. His geodude slammed its body into the ship's deck, causing vibrations that went into Omy's body, hurting him.

"Hang on, Omy!" Mewtwo said. "Hit him with water gun again!"

The omanyte gathered his sprawled tentacles and then faced his opponent again. His body was in a bit of pain, but he could still stand. This was his chance to prove to Mewtwo that he could win. He took in a deep breath, and then spat out another jet from his mouth, hitting the geodude between its eyes. It fainted.

"Great work, Omy!" Mewtwo said, picking him up.

Omy had a look of pride on his face. He stared down at his fainted opponent as it was recalled. "Om! Om!"

"Omy's first victory!" Yan said, then grinned at the omanyte.

"That pokémon is rad, man!" the teenager said. "Here, have some berries. Maybe he'll like them." He gave Mewtwo four yellow fruit.

Mewtwo gave one to Omy, who quickly devoured it.

"Well, thanks for the battle, poké trainer dude! I'm off to get Geodude healed."

"It's been nice battling your team, Rey!" Mewtwo said as the teenager left.

Yan saw something in the sky. A red, triangular object that flew toward the ship. A human was under it. "Is that a glider?" As it came closer, he could see that the person was a blonde teenage girl dressed entirely in pink and wearing a pink hat that had a white front. She landed on the deck as her glider shrank into her lilac backpack. "Why would she go gliding while on a ferryboat trip? Hmm, maybe she's trying to hitch a free ride."

"Yan, look!" Mewtwo said while pointing at a creature that was mostly black with an orange underside. It was similar to a houndoom, but instead of horns it had floppy ears, and its tail didn't have an arrow shape at its tip. An old man who had a fluffy mustache and was dressed formally stood next to the creature. "What pokémon is that?"

Yan's eyes widened. "That's not a pokémon! It's a dog!" He went closer to see the creature and then looked at its master. "Nice dobermann, sir!"

"Thank you!" the man said with glee. But then he sighed. "I wish I could meet more dog owners. Most people are now getting pokémon pets instead of dogs. This breed has become so rare ... Only a few breeders are left to keep it from extinction."

Yan petted the dog on its head. It seemed to enjoy it based on the heavy breathing noise it was making while sticking out its tongue and wagging its tail. "Well, pokémon make amazing pets due to their powers, but … I can understand why someone would prefer a dog. They are smart enough to help out with everyday stuff, and they're not as dangerous as pokémon if not trained well."

Mewtwo stared at the dobermann before him. Its mind was different from that of humans and pokémon. He could not understand its thoughts – they did not seem coherent – but he could sense its happiness. "Take good care of Ruffler, sir. It is one of the most interesting creatures I've ever seen."

"How did you ..." the old man said, but then he realized something. "Oh, I forgot. You have telepathy. Ha ha! I've heard about you from the news. Well, of course I will take care of him. He's been my buddy for ten years so far."

The dog wagged its tail and barked, as if to confirm his master's words.

As Mewtwo and Yan continued their discussion with the man, the ferryboat traveled on.

The sun was on its way to setting, and the ship arrived at its destination: the Western Seafoam Island.

Mewtwo stepped onto the sand and let his feet sink into it. "The ground here feels so good!"

"This is a beach, so no wonder the sand is so fine," Yan told him.

Omy, who was sitting on Mewtwo's left shoulder, looked at the many seashells that were all over the beach. He jumped off and went to take a closer look at them, as they were similar to his own shell, but much smaller and spikier.

"What are those things?" Mewtwo asked.

Yan picked a shell up and showed it to him. "Sea snail shells. My mom told me that they would sometimes wash up ashore, still alive, and she'd put them back into the sea. That was thirty years ago. No one has seen any live ones for over twenty years now. I guess they went extinct."

Mewtwo sighed. "Much like Omy's species."

"Maybe one day those scientist guys will be able to revive animals too," Yan said, juggling the seashell. "It would be nice to see what a Tyrannosaurus Rex really looked like."

"Lord Helix!" a teenage boy said while running toward Omy.

"What?" Mewtwo and Yan said at the same time while looking at the guy.

The teenager dropped on his knees in front of the omanyte, his red and white cap dropping on the sand that he put his hands on. "Hail Lord Helix!" He had dark brown hair, brown eyes, a red jacket with white lines along the zipper, blue jeans, and white sneakers with red accents.

Mewtwo formed a question mark with his tail. "What's going on here?"

"It's true! He finally returned!" the teenager said while Omy touched his hair with a tentacle.

"Who? Omy?" Mewtwo asked.

"Dude, it's just a pokémon!" Yan said while crossing his arms. "Sure, it's been resurrected from a fossil, but it's still a pokémon, not some … lord."

The teenager raised his head and scowled at him. "He is not just a pokémon! Have you no idea about the Return of Lord Helix?"

Yan scowled back. "We're not from around here! We haven't heard of your weird legends!"

After getting back on his feet, the teenager said, "Well, let me educate you. The ancient scripture says that there will be a great battle on this island. That is when the reincarnated Lord shall summon the power of the ancients and put an end to the battle, sacrificing himself once again, until his next resurrection."

Omy seemed confused. "Om?"

"I think you got the wrong omanyte," Yan said.

The teenager picked up his cap and put it back on his head. "There is no other omanyte. His power extends even to the Helix Fossils. I have one of those fossils; I pray to it every night, and I have won all of my battles. I have no doubt that the legend is true." He pointed at Omy. "This is Lord Helix himself, back from the dead!"

Yan looked at Mewtwo. "I think we should get going. This guy seems a little bit … off his rocker."

"Red!" a semi-bald old man with a big belly and long, white beard said. He was dressed in orange attire with palm tree prints, fitting for a tropical island. "What is all the commotion about?" He stopped in his tracks the moment he saw the blue pokémon with yellow shell. "Oh, my!" After running up to Omy, he also knelt and began to praise the omanyte. "Oh, Lord Helix! What can we mere mortals do for you?"

"Omyyy ..." Omy said, looking worried. He decided to slowly go into his shell. Those people were acting too strange for him.

The old man looked at the shell. "Are you saying … that we are not worthy of your presence, my Lord?"

"No!" Mewtwo said, stomping the said with his right foot. "Omy never asked to be worshiped! He is a pokémon who, just like me, is trying to make sense of this world after being created by some human scientists. He isn't your Lord, he's just a kid!"

The old man got up and rubbed the sand off his palms. "Even if you do not believe in the ancient legend, would you stick around with us for tonight? We want to celebrate this event with a grand feast."

"Well ..." Mewtwo said while looking at Yan.

"No, no!" Yan whispered.

"Come on, Yan, we're staying here for tonight anyway. Why not join them if we get free food?"

"I don't trust these people. They are fanatics."

"I have read their minds. They seem genuinely happy that Omy's here. And they really do have a feast planned!"

After thinking for a bit, Yan finally gave in. "Alright. Free food does sound nice too."

"We'll join you at the feast," Mewtwo said to the two strangers.

"Thank you," the old man said. "By the way, you can call me Tamar."

Mewtwo smiled at him. "Thank you for inviting us, mister Tamar!"

As the night settled over the Western Seafoam Island, Mewtwo and Yan were at a round, wooden table, in open air, with Red and Tamar. There were all kinds of fruit, some yellow, some orange, some purple, and a few red ones. Omy was at the center of the table, tasting the food. The rest of Mewtwo's pokémon, along with Yan's raticate, were also taking some fruit from the table and eating. Next to them, Red's pokémon ate as well. He had a charizard, a pikachu, a venusaur, a blastoise, a lapras, and a snorlax.

"Hey, Red, could you and your lapras help us get to Cinnabar Island?" Yan asked.

"Sure. It would be an honor to help Lord Helix and the famous trainer pokémon. Lapras loves to travel through difficult waters. Right, Lapras?"

"Praaas!" said the long-necked, blue pokémon with curled ears on its head and a hard, bumpy, gray shell on its back. The creature had thick flippers that weren't suited for walking on ground, but were powerful enough to face the most turbulent of waters.

"Hey, Mewtwo?" Red said.

"Yes?"

"You know, before I came here to praise Lord Helix at the local shrine and take some time off from being a trainer, I used to be the champion of the Indigo League. I was only 11 years old when I became champion. I prayed to the Helix Fossil since I was 10, and it worked!"

"Wait … You're that Red?" Yan said, staring wide eyed. "The champion Red who used to mop the floor with Team Rocket's grunts six years ago?"

"Yeah. I've heard that they're back. I might have to go out there and chase them again soon."

"I'm also looking for any sign of Team Rocket," Mewtwo said. "The next time they'll show up, I'll literally give them a piece of my mind! Anyway, what was it like when you reached the Indigo Plateau?"

"If you're serious about going there," Red said, "you must know that the path toward that place is long and full of obstacles. It's called Victory Road. There, ace trainers will be fighting their way to the Indigo Plateau. Many run out of supplies and are forced to head back to the pokémon center of Viridian City. The League rules state that you must arrive at the Plateau with at least one pokémon still capable of fighting, otherwise you are disqualified. It's their way of weeding out the less skilled, since more and more trainers are aiming for becoming champions with each passing year."

Mewtwo squinted his eyes. "What happens once some of those trainers manage to reach the Indigo Plateau?"

"Another selection. They get to battle the Elite Four – League trainers who specialize in training pokémon of certain types. And after a trainer defeats the Elite Four, he or she has to fight the champion. The champion can be dethroned several times until either there is no challenger left or the competition ends. All of this happens within a single day, so you better stock up on supplies to be prepared, and you better make sure you get to the League Reception Gate as early as possible."

"I'll be prepared," Mewtwo said.

Yan decided to start a new conversation, this time with the old man. "Hey, mister Tamar, could you tell me more about the legend of Lord Helix?"

"Sure, my boy. You see, long ago, our ancestors lived on this island alongside a few omanyte like the one you've brought here. One day, the legendary bird of ice, Articuno, declared war on our ancestors. It wanted to claim their land. But one of the omanyte stood up in front of the ice titan. It used the power of the ancients, banishing the bird of ice into the cave you see in that mountain. The battle exhausted Lord Helix, and seemed to have led to his death and petrifaction. But three days later, the Lord came out of his rocky tomb. With the power of the stars, he became an omastar and blessed the people with rain before leaving into the ocean with his fellow omanyte, going to slumber for many years until he would reincarnate."

Yan raised his left eyebrow. "Are you sure there weren't any scientists reviving these from fossils back then?"

"We are talking about people who hadn't even invented the poké ball at that time. Thousands of years ago."

"Strange. But what if Lord Helix just … made a cocoon or something?"

"No, the scripture says he died for sure, then turned into stone, then came back to life."

Yan shrugged. "Okay then."

It was getting late, so Yan and Mewtwo chose to set up Yan's blue inflatable tent on the beach. Once they got inside and took Omy with them too, they zipped the tent's clear tarpaulin door, shutting themselves in. They could see the outside through the door's material, and they observed the Milky Way galaxy that seemed to have sliced the dark blue sky in half with its clump of stars.

"It seems pretty comfortable," Yan said. "And all three of us fit in here. This is perfect!"

"Yeah, you did well by buying this tent," Mewtwo told him.

Yan took a flashlight out of his backpack. "I'll be right back. I need to pee."

A few minutes later, Yan had finished answering the call of nature by adding to the ocean, and then was on his way back to the tent. At that moment, he heard someone's hurried footsteps, so he turned to his right to see what was happening.

Mewtwo was watching Omy sleep, still waiting for Yan to return. Then he heard the youngster scream his name. Mewtwo got out of the tent to see what was happening and froze when he saw Yan surrounded by twelve black flowers. Next to Yan and the flowers, there was that same teenage girl with swirly blond hair whom they had seen while they were on the ferryboat.

The girl pointed at Mewtwo and said through her smirk, "Come along peacefully, or the kid becomes a bonfire."

Five Team Rocket grunts arrived to back her up, poké balls at the ready.

▶ To be continued.