Dominic was crazy, that was it. He was crazy or he was hallucinating or he had died and gone to Hell—that had to be the answer, because what he was looking at made no damn sense.

Mewtwo. Mewtwo and Alakazam's prone body, Mewtwo with blood on its hand/paw/claws as it looked on to them with bright red eyes. It shifted its gaze and Dominic followed to see Reyes lying completely still with his body flayed and just barely held together by fraying vines. He reluctantly dragged his eyes back to it, who was hovering in place and looking at all of them with an oddly detached look.

Well, I didn't expect all of you to make it, it said after a while, all humor gone from its voice as it narrowed its eyes a little. You though… You're annoyingly obstinate. It directed the statement at Dominic.

"Is he…you know…?" Dominic pointed at Alakazam, who had a big bloody gash on his forehead. Mewtwo stared at him for a long time.

Possibly. He's exhausted his use anyhow.

"Am I the only one that has no damn idea what's going on?" Jay asked.

"Nope," AB said. He went over to see to Reyes, which Dominic was grateful for.

"Do we get an explanation of some sort?" Sinclair asked with no inflection.

Why? I'll just kill you. It would be wasting my breath. It twisted its hand as it spoke, the blood slowly pulling from its skin to form a spinning red ball just next to its shoulder. But you've managed to live this long, so I guess I do owe you for giving me this much of a challenge. Rarely do I get to exercise my mind so much. It looked at Dominic and its expression became dark. This part of the story starts with you.

"M-Me?" he asked dumbly. Mewtwo looked at the blood as it was flattened into a rectangle, then it changed into the shape of a Zorua.

Yes, you. I saw you all those years ago and I took you for someone that would die within the first three minutes of the revolution, and instead you're here threatening everything that I've worked up to. Dominic remembered Mewtwo saying those words to Reyes. It clenched its fist and the blood turned into a midair splatter. Although I'm not free of blame. I expected all to be perfect, and Rayquaza was the first to oppose me. The first of many, I would soon see.

"Yeah, I'm still lost," Jay said. Mewtwo sighed as it slowly descended to the ground. It moved past them with zero resistance and went towards Reyes.

"Stop!" Dominic tried to block its path but he was waved away easily, his shoulder colliding hard with the ground and most definitely dislocating. AB's form swelled in size until he was like a wall of poisonous gas, but again Mewtwo just passed through like it was nothing. He reformed a few feet away, stunned. Mewtwo looked down at Reyes and raised its index finger, drawing a short line down the air. Mimicking the action, Reyes' chest started resealing itself, the vines growing in like lots of little stitches. Then it unceremoniously spilled the unknown blood all over Reyes' chest and partly open mouth, turning his skin a little pink. He opened his still remaining eye, which was dull and unfocused, and looked up at the ceiling dazedly.

I'd like it if all of my audience can listen, Mewtwo told him. Reyes opened his mouth to reply but his voice didn't come. Mewtwo had fixed his outsides but not all of his internal damage. He still could…would…die. All right. This may come as a surprise to you all, but I was the catalyst for the revolution eight years ago. It let it sink in for a moment as the unawares exchanged dubious and shocked glances. Sinclair's expression turned blank when Dominic looked at him. Of course, it was something that would've happened eventually, I just sped up the process. Why? I felt that humans needed their comeuppance and pokémon needed their grievances aired. Still, some Pokémon disagreed with my methods, like Rayquaza. There's a reason you haven't heard about that one in quite some time.

"So is causing an eight-year war just a pastime for you, or…?" Jay said. Mewtwo glared at him, causing him to retreat into Dominic's mane, but this time he was too preoccupied to be bothered.

I expected this to be a short-time thing until humans realized the error of their ways, but they're astonishingly inflexible… And so, the revolution continued. It sighed with an amazing amount of pity. Pokémon lives were lost, which is regrettable in any situation, but what's done is done. And don't get me wrong, I've tried to shorten this whole thing, but things like this are best resolved by the instigators.

"That is a very twisted sentiment," Asterisk growled. Mewtwo smirked, unabashed. "And you are a twisted Pokémon."

You're not the first to say so, and surely you won't be the last. So, I decided to let the revolution run its course, but there were a few Pokémon who threatened to derail my progress—eight Pokémon, to be exact. Eight Pokémon whom I've been chasing for eight years. It matched Sinclair's levelled look as its eyes flashed. I was not nearly dumb enough to jump into this without considering the consequences. There were plenty, of course, but namely eight Pokémon with certain traits, be they individual strength or leadership or plain stubbornness that, with the right circumstances, threatened the revolution. I had a choice: ensure that these random future events didn't happen, or pull the facilitators from the equation altogether. The second option was less volatile, and so you have it.

"So you spent the whole revolution hunting down and killing Pokémon that just had a chance of causing less death all around?" Dominic accused, pointing at him. "Eight lives on top of the other hundreds you just totally blew off like nothing—"

Now you're being annoying. With a swipe of its arm, Dominic felt three of his ribs smash into bits. He fell to his knees with blood swelling from his throat, feeling one of his lungs rip from the fragments. And I'm almost done too, it sighed. I spent eight years tracking down each Pokémon, who proved to be decent at evading my efforts, but eventually they all fell. Mick the Golurk, Nine the Banette, Kyou the Weavile, Neon the Raichu, Oliver the Pidgeot, Ella the Vaporeon, and Bonnie the Exeggutor have already met their demises—you were left. But you were a little hard to get to past Blaziken, so I had to pull you away from your defenses somehow.

"And so you controlled Alakazam so he could give Reyes that order?" Sinclair asked. Mewtwo smiled—not smirked, full-on smiled.

You're wrong there. I didn't just latch onto Alakazam for this little task of mine—he had been my figurehead for years. It was, after all, less conspicuous than making myself known as a Legendary Pokémon. But it had already lost them. That was probably the hardest one to swallow. Alakazam was just the puppet all that time? It didn't make sense to Dominic and he hoped it made even less sense to the others. Then again, it was hard to make sense of a lot of things when he was drowning in his blood. Oh, Alakazam still was conscious, it continued, gesturing vaguely to his body. It was him that chose to begin the revolutionaries, and it was there that I started my influence on him.

At this point in time, I had a bigger task to handle. I had been outrun by an afflicted Zoroark and betrayed by one of my best soldiers, it continued vehemently, eyes glowing brightly as it clenched its fists. Never had I been so undermined, as a Legendary Pokémon, by those under me. And you two continued to undermine me, somehow slipping from under my grasp each and every time for weeks! I couldn't come after you no matter how much I wished it, because unlike my predecessor I cannot turn invisible to pass easily through the masses, and I couldn't use Alakazam—even my abilities have limits, and I would've been unable to properly control him if he strayed too far—and so I had to rely on these insipid, brainless drones to do something that should have been easy in their hordes, yet they could never catch you…! It let out a cynical laugh before raising a hand. The ground between them suddenly fissured, forcing Asterisk and Sinclair, Dominic and Jay apart as Mewtwo rose into the air, a glow surrounding its body.

"Looks like break time's up," Jay commented, getting to his feet with electricity streaming off of him in all directions. Asterisk leapt up with her wrists and ankles aflame, bouncing anxiously as he tensed for a fight. Sinclair chuckled softly as he grounded himself and raised his tail. Dominic continued lying prone on the ground, rubbing his chest as if that could fix his lung. He couldn't get up, couldn't fight, and hell, he could barely breathe. He clenched his throat as blood started filling it, feeling his life slowly drain as his organs shut down from lack of oxygen. He raised his eyes to Alakazam, who still wasn't moving and just barely breathing, and mentally laughed at everything.

"Hear me…?" he whispered with his last few breaths, smirking slightly at Alakazam. "Can ya…hear… Yer…we're…pitiful…all of us…" It was stupid. It was ridiculous. It was…insane.

Mewtwo held them off with just one hand, its psychic powers beyond comprehension. They had come there ready for Alakazam, who was already a legend in his own right, but that was a Legendary, something in a completely different class. Asterisk was the only one able to hold her ground—well, she was a Champion's Pokémon—but on her own she wasn't going to last too long. He tried to brace his claws against the ground but his blood made it too slippery to get a grip and he fell on his face. He stared down through the glass floor and into the gears beneath. He remembered that they were the power generators for the room, giving electricity to things like the health screen and the lights and the—

The alarm! I forgot!

The alarm was synched to the health screen: if the challenger's Pokémon had zero HP left, but was still getting attacked (yeah, even Champions could get a little sadistic) then there would be a silent alarm for the room to restrain the Champion's Pokémon. That could help, but the problem was that it had to be preset; it wouldn't just activate and grab Mewtwo. He just had to stand up; if he could actually stand on his feet, then he could figure out the rest. He coughed out a glob of blood that splattered inches from his face. Getting up would be harder than he anticipated.

Sinclair and Jay made a combined Thunderbolt large enough to split an average-sized house in two. Mewtwo waved its arms and created a faint barrier that split the bolt in two and sent it right back at them. AB blocked with his own Psychic, dispelling the electricity, then he rushed Mewtwo with his tongue out. Mewtwo's eyes glowed a second before AB exploded into a cloud of violet dust, then he propagated some ways away to form into an eyed blob. It was a good thing he was already dead, otherwise that would've hurt. Well, maybe "hurt" was an understatement.

Asterisk took a particularly powerful hit in the stomach, sending her skidding so quickly that her talons cut deep gouges in the thick glass. She gritted her beak as sweat formed on her forehead from the pain. Her flames flickered for a moment before puffing out altogether. "Asterisk," Sinclair said worriedly, breaking his focus to look at her. Mewtwo slashed its finger in the air, creating a literal blade of psychic energy that slammed into the ground centimeters from him. Dominic couldn't see Sinclair well from his angle but he did see a spray of blood surge as he hit his back. Jay's ears raised as he started running towards him, unaware of Mewtwo's eyes following his path.

"J…Jay…don't…" Dominic tried to warn, but all that came out was more blood and a bad wheeze that even AB, who was closest, couldn't understand. Mewtwo used both hands this time, made an Aura Sphere the size of a golf ball, and fired. Dominic stupidly assumed it wouldn't do much damage, then it hit Jay in the side and exploded in size. Dominic's ears were still intact past the blood rushing through them, and with them he could hear each and every one of Jay's bones crack on impact. He hit the ground inches from Sinclair and became just as still.

No… No no no no no…

AB's form trembled as he solidified back into a Haunter, his eyes turning scarlet beneath his pupils as his fists clenched. Dark energy radiated from him that he concentrated into something vaguely resembling a Pichu, then he released it into wild pulses that looked like sickles. Mewtwo raised an arm with intent to block, but its barrier shattered before their eyes, and it gasped in surprise as AB's Dark Pulse cut through its skin and created thin streams of red blood all over its body. It bared its teeth at AB, fists clenched.

Mewtwo is a Psychic-type… As strong as it is, it's still weak to Dark-type moves…

AB exploded into gas again as it rushed at Mewtwo, looking like a mini tornado as he drilled through the air, and Dominic believed that he had a chance. Mewtwo closed his eyes, exhaled, then opened them. They still glowed, but with an iridescent light. AB froze with his claws just short of touching Mewtwo's nose as the rainbow light encased his body. The gas started bubbling, changing color to a lighter purple, and AB groaned in pain. Then his eyes widened as he turned solid again, apparently not of his own accord. Mewtwo smirked as it pressed its index finger to the space between AB's eyes, watching him tremble with his mouth agape.

You're the first Pokémon to have injured me in years, it mused. Let that thought comfort you on your way down. A white force field formed from their point of contact, rapidly expanding to envelop AB's entire body. Tears streamed down his face and Dominic suddenly remembered something terrifying:

We're the same age. He's a child too.

AB's gaseous body swelled and exploded within the bubble, but this time there was no reform. There was blood as if he was alive, and when Mewtwo released the bubble it all splattered on the ground to join the rest. Asterisk gasped before directing her gaze back at Mewtwo, her flames popping. Dominic was glad he could barely see; it meant he could die faster and just escape that place. Ali, Steven, Reyes, Sinclair, Jay, AB… He knew it, he always knew that those who got involved with him died, but he thought he had a chance, that he could put on a good person's mask and maybe trick Fate, but that was how his life would always be: his personal Hell. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to die a little quicker, but he knew it was the coward's way out. Had the King been there, Dominic would've had some common sense bashed into him.

The King isn't here. I'm fighting with my own strength…and I'll win with my own strength.

He forced his eyes open even though his body told him otherwise, even if all he wanted to do was lie there and die, and focused his scattered brain. He believed, with all of his might, that his body wasn't as broken as it was, and so he took his first deep breath in what felt like years. He brought his feet up and rose, not a bit of unsteadiness left in his body as he turned towards Mewtwo. It had Asterisk by the neck, her legs kicking wildly at its torso as it kept its grip. Its eyes narrowed in concentration as she began twisting from its psychic grip, her legs bursting into flames and raking across his cheek. Its head snapped to the side from the impact, and when it turned back part of its mouth had been gashed open, showing its bloodied teeth. Its eyes glowed and slowly, the fight left Asterisk's body. At first, Dominic thought that it had killed her, then he saw that she was still moving, albeit weakly. On the other hand, Mewtwo grabbed her arm and clenched its fist, instantly breaking her radius and ulna without even using Psychic.

You don't know how much I hate getting injured, Mewtwo said, grabbing Asterisk's beak with its other hand. She bit down on its fingers hard, hard enough that blood ran down its arm, but it didn't even flinch. It held a tight grip on her jaw and pulled down, forcing her beak open, and pulled even harder until her muscles were stretched to the limit.

"Augh!" Asterisk cried out as her skin started tearing. Dominic didn't give Mewtwo the chance.

You should be dead, it said, releasing its grip on Asterisk and letting her hit the ground. Dominic didn't respond, sinking his claws even deeper into the space between Mewtwo's shoulder blades as his arm erupted in hellfire. Mewtwo waved its hand, probably to crumple Dominic into flesh paper, but it had no effect. He didn't give it time to think and pulled free before dealing Power-Up Punch right in the wound. Mewtwo ungracefully fell on its stomach, tail in the air, and Dominic honestly found it a little funny. It floated to its feet with a wry smile on its face. But obviously, you're not.

"I've survived this long, haven't I?" he taunted, giving Mewtwo two middle claws. Even so, he could feel his broken ribs jangling in his chest and his lung crying out in pain. "I'll die, and soon too," he admitted, "but before that, you're going to suffer the pain of everybody you killed in this pointless war, and when that's done with, I'll drag you to Hell with me." Mewtwo's eyes widened as it became aware of the hellfire slowly burning a hole in its back.

Wha— What is this? It tried to dispel the fire but it was ineffective. Arceus! it exclaimed pitifully, falling to its knees. Dominic gave it a thumbs-down.

"Doesn't feel very nice now, does it?"

No, it doesn't, it said in a different tone, and without warning it shoved its arm into the growing flame. It instantly extinguished with a puff. Did you forget that the blood of a Legendary Pokémon can put it out? That's poor even for you. It raised its hand in the air and before Dominic's eyes its wounds began to heal. It will take a lot more than that to kill me, it warned.

"Let's just see." He put his claws in his mouth to stretch it out and let his tongue loll out. Mewtwo stared, initially too stunned to react. Dominic then opened his eyes wide and pulled his ears out to full length, like a Buneary. Mewtwo growled, irritated, but still didn't move.

I don't like being patronized.

"I'm not patronizing you." He blew a raspberry, then he turned around and gave Mewtwo a perfect view of his behind. "I'm having fun. See?" He looked over and saw Mewtwo gain a faint black aura.

You Rattata. It threw its hands out but had no effect again.

"Yeah, I guess your Miracle Eye wore off," he said, slashing his claws together. "And now you can't touch me." Dominic ran forward as Mewtwo took a stance, holding a fist out to block him. He dodged under its fist and instead got a knee to his stomach, knocking his breath out, then Dominic grabbed Mewtwo's wild tail and slashed it almost deeply enough to sever it. Mewtwo gripped Dominic's muzzle like a vise and tossed him back with Asterisk's strength, sending him skidding across the ground and creating cracks from the force of impact. Mewtwo raised its hand, but aside from a few paltry sparks nothing happened. It gritted its teeth and shot a murderous glare at Dominic. "Taunt," he smiled, trying to fix his dislocated shoulder. Dominic saw Mewtwo ready itself for another attack and rushed to his feet, stumbling towards Reyes. He could hear it still, a faint heartbeat—

Give Rayquaza my best when you join it, Mewtwo said coldly, creating another tiny Aura Sphere that rushed towards Dominic like a bullet. He only grazed Reyes' arm before it hit his leg, instantly breaking his bones from the bottom-up in a way even his illusions couldn't fix, and he hit the ground to join the others.