I do not own Pokémon. Credit goes to Satoshi Tajiri and Game Freak.
Also, credit goes to Laurleen aka Emi-Xstitch on DeviantArt for co-writing the first four chapters and then RubyDaSquirlz on DeviantArt for the successor chapters starting at chapter 5.
With Jessie, James and Meowth unsure of whether to continue their battle or simply drop the stolen goods and run, Squirtle and Pikachu stared them down.
"Let's go…!" Meowth started sneaking away.
James gritted his teeth before grabbing Meowth by the scruff, eliciting a startled yowl out of him as he dropped some of his loot.
"Hey!" Meowth protested, "what's the big idea?! Put me down!"
Mewtwo took a step forward, sending chills down Jessie and James's spines.
"If you return the possessions you stole," Mewtwo demanded, "I'll let you three leave peacefully."
Meowth struggled in James' grip, trying to reach what he dropped before giving up and staring up at Mewtwo. James ignored the Legendary's warning as he sent out his Koffing. Ekans flicked its tongue while Pikachu sparked his cheeks again.
"Piiikaaaa," Pikachu growled.
"We have a task to complete, Meowth! Koffing," James ordered, "use Smokescreen!"
"Ekans," Jessie commanded, "Poison Sting!"
The Ekans spat out spindles of poison towards the two smaller Pokémon, moving towards Pikachu as though figuring out its mistress' intentions. Koffing spewed dark toxic gases out of its protrusions and mouth, spraying it on its targets. The instant the gases reached Mewtwo and the young trainers, Leaf felt her eyes water and a stinging sensation of embers in her throat. Mewtwo pushed the smog away with a barrier in the obscured environment, moving to cover the Pikachu and Squirtle as well. The brunette coughed for a brief moment while the smoke continued to linger.
"Squirtle," Leaf choked, "get 'em with a Water Gun!"
Mewtwo lifted the barrier long enough to let the Squirtle go through with its attack before lowering it again as the smoke cleared, hearing the water spray impact the Koffing. The Ekans readied to dig at Jessie's command again. Meowth climbed James' arm to perch on his shoulders and stared at the barrier.
Just as the smoke dissipated, Mewtwo blinked twice and grimaced when he noticed Ekans wasn't in his sight. Without warning, Pikachu yelped when he felt the ground open up beneath him and the snake Pokémon dragged him down and trapped him in its coils. Red let out a sharp gasp as he scanned his surroundings, tilting his head towards the ground.
"Pikachu!" Red panicked.
Mewtwo scanned around for the mouse, using the barrier to clear the smoke away. Meowth grinned at Red's distraught expression.
"Yes!" Meowth purred quietly.
When Leaf noticed her Squirtle glaring at the hole, she reached into her bag and pulled out a Poké Ball, giving Jessie and James a piercing glare. She quickly sent out her Sandshrew, watching as he stood next to the hole in the ground.
"Sandshrew," Leaf pleaded, "dig after them!"
"Sand!"
Sandshrew studied the hole and quickly burrowed after them, following Pikachu's scent. Ekans' grip on Pikachu tightened when it felt the vibrations of the intruder. Just when the snake Pokémon started making its getaway, the shrew Pokémon kept up his pursuit. Ekans started climbing up the other end and Jessie moved to help pull it out.
"Thank you, Ekans," Jessie praised, patting her snake on the head.
Ekans stuck its forked tongue out while it released Pikachu from its coils. The electric mouse didn't have enough time to react when James reached down and grabbed him by his scruff.
"And where do you think you're going?" James grinned.
Pikachu glared and started to spark his cheeks harder. Meowth moved to swipe at him with his claws out.
"Oh no, you don't!" Meowth threatened.
Without warning, Sandshrew popped out of the hole in the ground, eliciting a startled yelp out of Jessie and James.
"Sandshrew," Leaf called, "use Rollout!"
Sandshrew curled into a ball and started spinning rapidly. Before Jessie and James could react, the shrew Pokémon charged into them, knocking them backwards and causing James to loosen his grip on Pikachu. Meowth dug his claws into James' shoulder to hold on. The electric mouse landed on his feet and sparked his cheeks while he glared at them.
"Piiiikaaaa…"
"Really?" Red snapped, "you guys can't just find a wild Pikachu for yourselves?!"
Pikachu jumped back while Ekans and Sandshrew stared each other down.
"You think we can find a Pikachu like yours in the wild?" James glared back.
Mewtwo narrowed his eyes at them.
"I believe they saw yours feeding Magnemite and believe it's a unique ability or amount of power," Mewtwo spoke into Red's mind.
Leaf shuddered while her Sandshrew tackled into Ekans.
"Creepy," Leaf muttered.
"Quite," Mewtwo agreed, "should I get the stolen goods back inside?"
Pikachu glanced back at Red, cheeks still sparking and charged. Jessie growled while she recalled her Ekans and James recalled his Koffing.
"We didn't want your stupid junk, anyway!" Meowth hissed.
Red turned on his feet and dashed back inside. Mewtwo kept glaring at Jessie, James and Meowth as they started making their getaway. He huffed and used his telekinesis to bring the stolen goods to the group while Red came back and picked some of it up. Officer Jenny emerged from the hole with her Growlithe accompanying her seconds later. He smiled at her and showed her the stolen goods.
"It was Team Rocket," Red explained, "I don't think they took anything when they left."
Jenny and her Growlithe took a moment to inspect the boxes before they let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank Arceus!" she exclaimed, "who knows what kind of trouble they could've brought if they took the TM with them."
Pikachu started cleaning the dirt off himself while he sat next to Red, who knelt down and started combing through his Pokémon's fur to help him out. Leaf smiled and gave her Sandshrew a pat on the head.
"You did great, buddy!" Leaf praised.
"Sand!" Sandshrew chirped.
Leaf recalled her Sandshrew and checked on her Pokémon team. While the married couple emerged from the house to collect their possessions, the brunette trainer reached for her Pokégear. She scrolled to her mom's number and initiated the call.
"H-Hey, mom?" Leaf said.
{Oh! Afternoon, sweetie,} Kisa replied over the Pokégear, {how are you doing?}
"Well," Leaf smiled, "I got my badge from the Cerulean Gym and we're waiting for Gary."
Mewtwo smiled upon hearing her mother's voice and made a mental note that she was on his safe list, silently listening as the natural sounds restored the surrounding ambience. Red helped the couple take their stuff back inside and inquired about helping fix the massive hole.
"Before I head out to Vermilion City," Leaf continued, "I was thinking of swapping in Nidoran. The Cleffa I have with me isn't ready for battles yet."
{I see,} Kisa agreed over the Pokégear, {I'm sure your Jigglypuff could babysit Cleffa while Nidoran's away.}
"Thanks!" Leaf smiled, "Cleffa will be there shortly."
{Take care, Leaf,} Kisa told her over the Pokégear, {I'll be sure to send you your Nidoran while you're at it.}
Once Leaf hung up, she reached into her bag for her PokéBox. She placed a kiss on the Poké Ball holding the Cleffa before she inserted it into the slot. She tapped on the trigger, watching as the device transported the Pokémon. She waited for a few minutes before another Poké Ball appeared in the slot, so she pulled it out and sent out her Nidoran. The female poison pin Pokémon scanned her surroundings and gave Leaf a confused look.
"Hiya, Nidoran!" Leaf smiled and waved her hand, "you wanna tag along?"
"Nido?"
Leaf knelt to the ground and extended her hand. After she waited for a couple moments, the Nidoran skittered up to her and sniffed her hand. Mewtwo smiled, still pleased by the positive interactions between humans and Pokémon. Moments like this warmed his heart, even if he wouldn't admit that to anyone outside of himself. A few more seconds passed before the blue Nidoran smiled and stood on her hind legs. The Nidoran placed her paws in her hand, mostly for balance but almost to show trust. Mewtwo glanced over to them, drawing his tail back up under his cloak.
The middle-aged man pulled out the TM and let out a sigh in relief before he tilted his head towards Red.
"Do you have a moment?"
Red blinked twice before he returned his gaze towards the man.
"Sure," Red nodded, "what is it?"
The middle-aged man started his approach and held out his TM before Red.
"Why're you giving me that?" Red objected, "you seemed upset about losing that most?"
"I suppose you have some Pokémon who could learn Dig?" the man told Red.
"You use it first," Red declined with a smile, "we'll be ok, but thanks, sir."
The middle-aged man sighed before he shifted his attention towards Leaf. She watched as her Squirtle and Nidoran exchanged an affectionate headbutt.
"Excuse me, ma'am," the man called over, "but do you have a Pokémon that would like to learn the Dig move?"
Leaf snapped out of her thoughts while her Nidoran shifted her gaze towards the middle-aged man. The Nidoran's ears twitched as though she recognized the word and scampered over to the stranger.
"Nido Nido!"
Mewtwo couldn't help but smile at the little one's enthusiasm. Leaf blinked twice as the middle-aged man knelt before her Nidoran.
"Well," Leaf commented as she adjusted the strap of her bag, "it seems my Nidoran is interested."
Nidoran sniffed the TM and twitched her ears again, looking to Leaf as though asking permission.
"Go for it, buddy," Leaf smiled.
Nidoran chirped before she stood on her hind legs, encouraging the middle-aged man to press the TM to her snout. Nidoran sniffed as she memorized the move in her head. After a moment of silence passed, the man completed the process and stood to his full height. Nidoran blinked twice and jumped up happily.
"Nido! Nido Nido!"
Nidoran happily skittered over to Leaf, encouraging her to stroke the Pokémon's head with her hand. While the wife carried a box back into the house, Officer Jenny took a moment to stretch her arms.
"I'll take care of everything from here," Jenny told Red.
"Thanks, officer," Red nodded.
Red scooped his Pikachu into his arms while Leaf recalled her Nidoran. Mewtwo led the two young trainers through the hole and they made their way out of the house through the front door. He offered a hand to Leaf to ensure she stepped over safely.
"I'll bet Gary earned his badge by now," Red mused.
Leaf grasped Mewtwo's hand with her Squirtle following close behind. Red scanned his surroundings and noticed a couple police cars nearby. Mewtwo led the way to the Gym, scanning around for any sign of the Rockets. Once they reached the entrance to the Gym, the doors slid open and Gary made his way outside. He paused in his tracks when he spotted his rival to his left.
"Red?" Gary paused.
Pikachu smiled and waved his paw.
"Pika!"
"Did you win your badge?" Red called as he walked over.
Gary grinned as he opened up his badge case and displayed the badges inside.
"Now that Cerulean is out of the way," Gary proclaimed, "you think we could make it to Saffron City before dark?"
Red scratched his head while Leaf lifted her Squirtle into her arms.
"Unlikely," Mewtwo shrugged, "but if you wish, we can try."
Red and Gary stepped away from the Gym entrance and stepped over to the sidewalk. They took a moment to check their inventory. Mewtwo readjusted his tail under his cloak while Squirtle settled into Leaf's arms, gently wagging his tail.
"Uh, Gary," Red paused, "did you bring a sleeping bag?"
Gary paused in his tracks.
"Nah," Gary replied, "did you, dude?"
Mewtwo tilted his head.
"Did you assume you'd have a Center bed to sleep in every night?"
Gary gave Mewtwo a blank stare.
"Geez, Helios," Gary grumbled as he facepalmed, "no need to be a buzzkill!"
Gary started his stroll down the street. Leaf and her Squirtle exchanged confused stares while Red and his Pikachu locked eyes onto Mewtwo and tilted their heads sideways. Leaf sighed and lowered her head.
"I don't have one myself," Leaf admitted.
Mewtwo watched as Gary walked off and looked back to Red.
"Apologies," Mewtwo bowed his head, "the other humans I've seen enjoy spending some nights out in the open, given the vastness of the land between the cities. We can purchase them, perhaps?"
Red nodded with a smile before he took a step forward.
"Well," Red suggested, "we'd better catch up with him."
And with that, Red led Mewtwo and Leaf as they followed Gary down the block until they made their way to the Poké Mart. Once inside, they found the professor's grandson at the aisle displaying assorted camping equipment. Squirtle examined everything, pointing to food related items and giving excited mumbles. Mewtwo picked up and carried a basket for them.
"I'm sure they will, little one," Mewtwo spoke into Squirtle's head.
With Gary picking out sleeping bags, Leaf browsed the tents while Red examined each cooking utensil.
"Hey, Leaf?" Red asked, "did you ask Helios if he ever considered carrying a backpack before?"
Leaf took a moment to think over her question before she shook her head. She paced back and forth while she browsed Itemfinders on a shelf.
"I haven't," Mewtwo admitted, "should I? I wonder if I can carry the heavier items to spare your growing spines."
"It's up to you, buddy," Red shrugged.
Upon cue, Mewtwo shifted his gaze towards the aisle displaying various backpacks on hooks. He took a moment to examine each one while Gary picked out the third sleeping bag for Leaf.
"Which one would you recommend, for what you'll want me carrying?" Mewtwo glanced over to Red's aisle.
After picking out a pot from his aisle, Red returned the gaze and examined the backpacks. Mewtwo spotted a rather large one half the kids' size and picked it out.
"If that works for you," Red agreed, "great."
"We may have to test what fits in here and what doesn't," Mewtwo held it against himself to see how the size compared.
Red observed Mewtwo's demonstration while he browsed other backpack options.
"Gary," Red called over, "you have any suggestions?"
Gary blinked after he finished picking out some pillows before he made his way to the aisle displaying backpacks. It was only seconds later when Leaf showed up with three Itemfinders in her basket. Her Squirtle examined the backpack Mewtwo held before his paws imitated a camera.
"Squirtle Squirt Squirtle," Squirtle mumbled.
"You approve, too?" he grinned at the Squirtle before gazing at Gary and Leaf.
Leaf stepped closer to Mewtwo and held her hand above her head. She even examined the supplies they all gathered during the moment of silence.
"Well," Leaf answered, "I think it should be large enough."
"Yeah," Gary agreed as he brushed some hair strands out of his eyes, "just the right fit for our buddy here."
Leaf took this chance to snag a few Pokémon toys off the shelf and place them into her basket, including a ball and a feather teaser. Feeling confident with his choice for a backpack, Mewtwo led Leaf, Red and Gary over to the food aisles where they collected some ingredients for quick meals fit for a campsite.
"Thank you," Mewtwo smiled, "I'm glad to be of assistance rather than being the mysterious tagalong."
Red nodded while he gave Mewtwo a wink. Now that they had all the supplies they needed, they made their way to the checkout counter.
Feel free to drop a review, because Mewtwo is in need of emotional support!
Mewtwo and Leaf would also like to see any memes you can come up with related to this fanfic!