Author's Note 1:
This entire chapter is one of Arcanine's dreams. It was intended to be part of Chapter 16, but it grew big enough that I decided to break it off into it's own chapter.
Author's Note 2:
Chapter 2 (Absol's introduction) has been almost entirely rewritten, with almost 10k words added.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chapter 16.5: Scars
The ascending rows of concrete benches towered around them, as empty and silent as always. They were in the gym back on Cinnabar, Arcanine though. It was a stadium, really, but it felt odd to call it that when no one would ever come to watch them battle. Who had Mewtwo expected would use them? Nurse Joy enjoyed watching them train, but she preferred to join them on the field, where she could chat with everyone.
Sandslash stepped forward into the ring. It was a square, really, about fifteen meters on a side, one of four painted on the polished concrete floor of the gym, but everyone called it the ring. When there was only one battle and everyone was watching, the used the whole gym, and that was a lot more fun. When they broke into smaller groups to train, the rings kept things orderly. Each of the four senior clones officiated one ring.
Sandslash looked so much younger here than he did now, Arcanine thought, so much happier. His face was open and relaxed, not the stoic, guarded pain he had borne for so many years. The softer scales across his belly were unmarred.
Squirtle swaggered to the opposite side of the ring and mimed covering a pistol. "Howdy, pardner. Reckon there ain't room in this ring for the both of us."
Sandslash's arms swung out and down, like Wolverine unsheathing his blades. "Sure, bub."
They both laughed.
Beside him, Wigglytuff, Rapidash, Fearow, and Meowth all watched from the sidelines. This was before he and Sandslash and Vaporeon and Vulpix had been Team Vicious, and Blastoise, Squirtle, Gyarados, and Dewgong had been Team Shipwreck. The early days after the younger clones had been decanted, when they were still experimenting with mimicking Human culture.
"Learned Fury Swipes yet?" Squirtle asked.
"Maybe." Sandslash grinned, rubbing his claws together.
"I don't think so. You're too calm for Fury Swipes."
Annoyance flickered across Sandslash's face. He didn't answer. He was a skilled battler, and everyone knew he was sensitive about the difficulty he was having learning the move. Squirtle didn't mean any harm; it was just good-natured pre-battle banter. Still, Arcanine thought, it would be better to get the fight started than let them continue.
"Ready?" Arcanine asked.
"Ready!" Sandslash and Squirtle answered in unison.
"Begin."
The two combatants bowed and recovered, then burst into action.
Squirtle opened with a quick Aqua Jet, catching Sandslash in the chest before he could finish his Defense Curl. Sandslash stumbled back, coughing, one hand wiping the spray from his eyes while the other went reflexively to his chest. There wasn't much visible damage, Arcanine thought, but it might have cracked ribs, and would probably leave a large bruise.
Sandslash finished Curling and began to Rollout, gaining speed as he approached Sandslash. Arcanine could see Squirtle's cheeks filling as she prepared her Water Pulse. She let him get most of the way across the ring, then stepped to the side as she fired.
The tough plates of Sandslash's back deflected most of the force of the Pulse, but it Confused him briefly, and he nearly rolled past Squirtle and out of the ring before regaining control.
"Missed me, missed me, now you -"
Sandslash quickly reversed direction and rolled back toward her, and Squirtle aborted her taunt to fire another quick Aqua Jet. It splashed harmlessly off Sandslash's back.
Squirtle had no time to dodge after her attack, and Sandslash slammed into her. She fell backward, landing on her back shell with Sandslash atop her.
Squirtle snapped at Sandslash's face as she struggled to free herself; while her teeth were blunt, there was still a lot of force behind her Bite. Instead of dodging, Sandslash hunched down, Countering with his shoulder spikes.
Squirtle's jaws closed on Sandslash's shoulder with crushing force. She yelped in pain as Sandslash's spikes dug into her jaws and gouged the thick, leathery skin of her face.
Squirtle opened her mouth again, blowing an Icy Wind in Sandslash's face. The flurry of ice shards, flecked red with blood, did little damage, but drove him back. Squirtle rocked quickly forward and back, gathering momentum to roll back to her feet.
The combatants circled each other slowly. Squirtle's face was a mess of blood, and Sandslash's arm on the side she'd bitten was curled protectively against his chest, covering the spot her first Aqua Jet had hit. Both of their injuries were temporarily debilitating, but, with the resilience of Pokémon, wouldn't leave any lasting damage; training injuries seldom did.
At this close range, neither of them had any good options to attack. Squirtle wouldn't try Biting again. Sandslash's claws, while fearsome, wouldn't do much damage against Squirtle's shell without the aid of a Move, and Arcanine was fairly sure that Sandslash still didn't know Fury Swipes.
"Furious yet?" Squirtle teased.
Sandslash grunted. His dark eyes were difficult to read, which, combined with his usually calm demeanor, gave his a reputation for being unflappable. Now, though, Arcanine though he could see a glint of frustration.
Sandslash jabbed with the claws of his good arm, and Squirtle stepped back, blowing another Icy Wind in his face to try to force him back. Sandslash swung again, and Squirtle stepped back again with another Icy Wind. Arcanine couldn't tell if she had a real strategy, or was just taunting her opponent. Suddenly, Sandslash snarled and lunged forward. Ignoring the stinging shards of ice pelting his face, he Swiped Furiously at Squirtle's unguarded lower shell.
The first Swipe caught Squirtle solidly in the belly, cutting deep gouges in her shell. She stumbled back from the unexpected assault. The second blow cracked her shell, and Squirtle collapsed, toppling onto her back as she fainted.
Battles ended on a knockout. Always. It wasn't just a rule, it was a law of nature, an instinct which all Pokémon shared. Even predators paused before finishing off their prey. As Arcanine opened his mouth to declare Sandslash victorious, Sandslash's claws rose and fell again, punching completely though Squirtle's weakened front shell with a sickening crunch.
"Sandslash, stop!" Meowth cried beside him.
Arcanine was already running as Sandslash's claws fell a fourth time, driving deeper into the wound. His claws rose a fifth time, and Arcanine slammed into his side. They went rolling together across the polished concrete floor.
When they came to a stop, Sandslash was unconscious. Arcanine looked him over quickly; no serious injuries. He could wait. The others were all gathered around Squirtle. Wigglytuff's hands glowed pink with Heal Pulse as he pressed them against either side of the gaping hole in the center of her front shell. Rapidash joined him, the light of his Morning Sun radiating around them. Flesh grew across the wound, stopping the flow of blood, but the jagged hole in her shell remained. She would have internal injuries as well, Arcanine though; additional wounds received after fainting were often much more serious and difficult to heal.
Arcanine felt Mewtwo's presence force it's way into his mind. Sensations flashed by rapidly, like a videotape on rewind, as Mewtwo searched for the information he wanted, and Arcanine had to sit down until it passed. He didn't object; it was Mewtwo's privilege as their master. It was so different from the gentle touch that Mewtwo used now.
#Who's fault?# Mewtwo demanded as he joined them. He didn't need to ask what had happened; he knew better than any of them did. Arcanine knew that he'd already watched everyone else's memory too, on his way.
"Mine," Arcanine answered immediately, bowing his head in shame. He should have seen Sandslash losing control. He should have responded more quickly. Everything that happened in his ring was his responsibility; that was the rule since they'd voted to adopt Bushido six months ago.
#Rapidash, Meowth, get Squirtle to the infirmary. Arcanine, a month extra duty. Everyone else, join another ring for the day.#
Arcanine bowed in acknowledgment. Rapidash knelt, and Wigglytuff, Meowth, and Fearow lifted Squirtle onto his back. Arcanine followed them out of the gym.
Extra duty was Mewtwo's favored punishment; it meant one had to try to complete everyone's chores each day. Actually doing so was generally considered impossible, though Venosaur, with his combination of strength and dexterous vines, had once come close. It was the effort which counted. The chores weren't really the punishment; the punishment was not getting to study and train and play with the others. Chores were just something to occupy the time.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The sound of the dinner bell rang through the mansion intercom, calling everyone to eat. Arcanine abandoned his attempts to stack the most recent shipment of Pokefood cartons in the storeroom. Having earned more extra duty than any of the others, he thought he ought to be good at it by now, but some tasks just weren't practical for quadrupeds. Instead of joining the rest of the clones in the dining hall, however, Arcanine headed to the infirmary, hoping to talk with Squirtle alone while everyone else was eating.
Squirtle's abdomen and chest were wrapped in bandages, and a metal frame bolted around her shell kept it rigid while she healed. Her face was pale and pained, and she poked disinterestedly at a plate of salad as she spoke quietly with Nurse Joy.
"Arcanine." Squirtle looked up and smiled as he approached, and waved for him to join them.
"You okay?" Arcanine asked, sitting in the aisle beside her bed.
Squirtle nodded slowly. "I'm fine. It's-" Squirtle winced and seemed to choke for a moment, then began to cough. Her face contorted in pain as she pressed a hand against her chest.
"Slow breaths," Joy told her, reaching out to support both sides of Squirtle's shell as she rocked back and forth with each cough, "not so deep."
Her coughs subsided. Squirtle gasped once, then exhaled slowly and deliberately. She motioned for Joy to explain.
"She's punctured both lungs, among other things," Joy said, "she's fortunate that Wigglytuff and Rapidash were right there. Her shell should regrow in a few days, with proper nutrition." Joy glanced down meaningfully at Squirtle's mostly-uneaten dinner. "But she'll probably always have the scar. Some of the internal injuries will take longer to heal."
"Sandslash came by...earlier to apologise," Squirtle said carefully between breaths, "he's such a nice...Pokémon. He even...brought flowers...Blastoise and...Gyarados wouldn't...let him in...can you tell him...I'm not mad?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The setting sun the next evening threw long shadows across the floor of the empty gym, turning the shredded foam and splintered wood from dozens of training dummies into ranges of shadowy mountains. Arcanine made a game of it as he pushed the broom, trying to find the exact width necessary to catch every bit of debris without overlap.
Reaching the wall, he paused to stretch his jaws before turning around to begin the next pass. The big push-broom had been fitted with a handlebar to fit a quadruped's mouth, but using it for long still made the muscles of his jaws and neck cramp painfully. The dim light and echoing silence of the gym made it easy for his mind to wander.
He needed to made time tonight to check on both Sandslash and Squirtle before bed, Arcanine thought. Still confined to the infirmary, Squirtle was probably frustrated and bored, and Sandslash was probably still feeling guilty; he had a gentle heart under all his spikes. The sun dipped below rim of the stadium seats, extinguishing his imaginary terrain. Now he was going to have to turn the lights on and ruin the mood.
"Arcanine."
Sandslash's familiar voice and the scrape of claws across the floor pulled Arcanine from his musing.
"Sandslash," Arcanine lay down the broom handle and greeted him. Sandslash looked awful, Arcanine thought; his shoulders slumped, and his feet dragged with every step. He stared at the ground, refusing to meet Arcanine's gaze. The broom in his hand dragged behind him. "You alright?"
Sandslash nodded silently.
"Why are you here?" Arcanine asked. It was late enough that everyone should be off-duty, and Sandslash ought to be in the library, or out playing with the others, like he normally was this time of night.
"You shouldn't have taken responsibility," Sandslash said, "it was my fault."
"My duty," Arcanine said, "my ring, my fault."
"I asked Mewtwo to punish me instead. He won't. I'm helping anyway."
Arcanine didn't argue. Extra duty meant he had to do everyone's chores. There was no rule that other Pokémon couldn't choose to do them also. If it made Sandslash feel better, why not? Besides, it was nice to have company. The two of them worked side by side for a while in silence.
"Battled Golduck today," Sandslash said eventually, "Mewtwo ordered me to use Fury Swipes."
Arcanine stopped and put down his broom again. He didn't know what to say, but the gesture, at least, indicated a willingness to talk.
"I couldn't. I just stopped fighting, let him knock me out."
Arcanine turned to face him; this was more serious than he had thought. He should have been keeping an eye on Sandslash instead of allowing his extra duties to take all his attention.
"He made me practice a thousand times on the dummies." Sandslash shuddered. "I...every time I hit it felt just like Squirtle's shell cracking. He's going to make me do it again tomorrow, I'm sure. I don't think I can."
Arcanine couldn't see Sandslash's face in the evening gloom, but he didn't need to; he could hear the quaver in his voice and smell the sharp scent of tears.
"I'll talk to Mewtwo tonight. This is wrong."
"No." Sandslash shook his head. "Mewtwo is our master. It's our duty to obey him. I don't need help, I just want you to understand. You've been such a good friend."
"Sandslash..." Arcanine pulled the smaller Pokémon around to face him. "It was a training accident. Everyone gets carried away sometimes. Squirtle isn't even upset, she knows it was an accident."
"I've disgraced myself. Blastoise and Gyarados won't talk to me. I lost control. I could have killed Squirtle. I disobeyed Mewtwo. If I go to training tomorrow afternoon, I'll disobey him again. I can't."
"Sandslash, you can. Mewtwo wants us to make our own choices."
"We tried making our own choices; we ended up fighting each other. Everyone has been happier since we agreed to Bushido."
"What are you going to do, then?"
Sandslash hesitated before answering. "I can't obey him. I can't disobey him. There's only one alternative."
It took Arcanine a moment to figure out what Sandslash was proposing, and he felt suddenly ill.
After they all decided that democracy wasn't working, Mewtwo had proposed something entirely different, based on a translation of an ancient Johtoan book. It was simple and elegant, befitting warriors like them, with few rules to abuse and little room for disagreement.
No one had taken the idea of ritual suicide seriously, or imagined a circumstance where it would be necessary; it was the parts about duty and honor and loyalty that had appealed to everyone. They had joked that a nation of Humans with laws for killing themselves must be crazy, because normal Humans had laws for killing each other.
"No! You and Mewtwo both taking this too far. Mewtwo loves us. Think this is what he intended?"
"It doesn't matter," Sandslash said, "We all voted for it. We have to go through with it."
Sandslash didn't want to die; Arcanine could see it in his eyes, and smell his pain and fear. He felt trapped and guilty and alone. He and Mewtwo were both too stubborn to admit that they were wrong. Arcanine sat down and wrapped a foreleg around Sandslash, pulling him close in an embrace. Sandslash resisted for a moment, then leaned into it, reaching up to wrap his arms tightly around Arcanine's neck. Arcanine could feel his body shaking. Sandslash would never admit to crying, and he would never suggest it.
This was Mewtwo's fault, Arcanine though, and he need to talk to their leader right away; in person, where Mewtwo couldn't block their connection. Sandslash wouldn't do it tonight; seppuku needed an audience, and the other clones would be spread around Cinnabar Island now, exploring and playing. Still, he should take precautions.
"Going to talk to Mewtwo anyway. Can you do something for me?" Sandslash couldn't refuse if he phrased is as a favor, Arcanine thought. He couldn't see Sandslash nod, pressed against his chest, but he could feel it. "Wait till lunch tomorrow."
He couldn't stop Sandslash, Arcanine thought; it was his life, and to deny him the right to choose it's disposition would be the ultimate disrespect, but that bought him about fourteen hours to try to find Sandslash another solution.
Vulpix and Vaporeon's worried scents were fresh by the door as he left the gym. They must have just been there, eavesdropping. He ran after them. Both of them got along well with Sandslash, and they would be good company for him.
"Oh hi, Arky," Vulpix said as he caught up to the pair, "we were just coming back from a stroll."
"Is he okay?" Vaporeon asked.
"How much did you hear?" Arcanine asked. Despite her feigned nonchalance, he could see that Vulpix was just as concerned as Vaporeon was, but she dealt with her worry by sarcasm and denial.
"Not much," Vaporeon admitted, "you were across the room."
"Go keep him company. He needs friends."
"Where are you going?" Vulpix asked.
"Upstairs." The living areas of the mansion were on the upper levels; bedrooms, several common areas, and the library. Mewtwo's suite was above that, overlooking the bay. A grand spiral staircase connected it directly to the foyer on the ground floor, one level below them. There were more than a dozen staircases in the mansion, but only one 'upstairs'.
"Is that a good idea?" Vulpix said, "you probably don't know cause you weren't at training, but he's a bit grumpy today."
"Don't worry, we'll take care of Sandslash," Vaporeon said.
"Thank you."
Vulpix splayed her forelegs and dipped her muzzle to the floor in mockery of the formal bow they used in training, and Vaporeon stretched her head up to brush her cheek against his as he passed. He sprinted down the stairs and across the foyer, past several other clones, who watched him curiously, without stopping to talk.
They foyer was an opulent, silly room, Arcanine thought, three stories tall and twenty meters across, with a polished marble floor, and walls and columns all painted gaudy gold. Fountains and a moat around the perimeter flowed to the hum of electric pumps. The massive window behind the spiral stairs looked out over the bay, and in the evening, the setting sun stained the whole room orange. It was supposed to impress visitors, Arcanine supposed. They where hiding here, and the closest thing they'd had to a visitor since he'd been decanted was Nurse Joy, when Mewtwo had first abducted her. She had laughed aloud when she first saw it, despite being surrounded by potentially hostile Pokémon. Even Mewtwo admitted now that his taste had been awful when he designed it.
Arcanine bounded up the stairs and stopped for breath a moment before he scratched at Mewtwo's door. It was a formality; Mewtwo already knew he was there. He could smell Mewtwo's fresh scent through the crack at the bottom of the door, hear the hum of his computer and the click of keys. There was no answer.
He scratched again. They typing paused for a moment, then resumed. Mewtwo valued his privacy, and ordinarily, Arcanine would not have interrupted him. This wasn't an ordinary time, and they didn't have time for this. Let Mewtwo be angry.
Arcanine took a few steps back, then charged. The door wasn't a security door, but it was fire-rated; solid, heavy wood in a metal frame, and sturdier than it looked. Something in his shoulder popped under the impact in a blinding white instant of pain. The latch gave way as well, and the door slammed open against the wall. Mewtwo looked slowly up from his desk, eyes glowing with restrained power.
#I heard you knock,# Mewtwo said calmly, #if I wanted to speak with you, I would have answered.#
The pain from his shoulder stabbed down his back, and he couldn't feel his foreleg below it. No matter, Arcanine thought as he limped into the room; it would heal, and he wasn't here to fight Mewtwo.
"Why are you doing this to Sandslash?" Arcanine demanded.
Mewtwo raised an eyebrow. #Doing what to Sandslash?#
Mewtwo's face was calm, and devoid of emotion. Vulpix was right; this had been a bad time, but tonight was the only time they had. Mewtwo's instincts were usually right; he loved everyone, wanted to help them. When Mewtwo suppressed his instincts and tried to act purely rationally, that was when he was most dangerous. He though that he could foresee every probability, manipulate everyone at the same time to achieve a perfect outcome.
"Forcing him to train Fury Swipes. Know how he feels about it."
#It's a good move for him.#
"Statistically good move for young Sandshrews. Sandslash hates it, he'll never be effective."
#He will learn.#
"Won't. Know what he's planning."
#That's his choice, not mine.#
"Not his choice. Put him in an untenable position. Doing this because the only way he knows to satisfy you."
#None of you understand how fortunate you are, here on the island. The world is a harsh place, and I won't always be able to protect you. You all must learn to be strong.#
"Strong enough tomorrow when he's dead?" Arcanine demanded. He heard movement in the hall behind him; they had an audience, now.
#Is this how you address your master?#
"Woke up in the tank, you were there. Promised us friendship. First thing I remember. Told the younger clones the same thing. Is this friendship?
#It's necessary.#
Arcanine growled in frustration. "Mewtwo, we've tried every major type of Human government, none of them work. Bushido isn't working either."
#It worked for Johto and Kanto for hundreds of years. They were major military powers, despite their size.#
"Had millions of people," Arcanine objected, "we have exactly twenty-seven."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was Vulpix, Vaporeon, and Sandslash waiting in the hall; Arcanine wasn't surprised. Vaporeon rubbed up against him as the pure, white energy of her Wish sparkled around them. Wish had been her egg move, though she'd never hatched, inherited from one of the champion Pokémon whose DNA Mewtwo had used to create her. She was already quite skilled with it, and never missed an opportunity to use it.
Arcanine's shoulder itched intensely for a few seconds as fractured bones grew back together. He tested the leg. It still ached, and wasn't ready to bear much weight, but there wasn't anything seriously wrong with it.
"Thank you." Arcanine leaned his chin on Vaporeon's back.
"So Mewtwo won't do anything?" Vulpix asked.
"No." Arcanine sighed. "You two help me gather everyone? Need to have a meeting."
"It's late," Vaporeon said, "They'll be spread around the island."
"I know."
"Vappy, you check along the coast," Vulpix said, "Arky, check the field and the hill. I'll look around the mansion and courtyard."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
By the time Arcanine returned, most of the clones were already gathered in the conference room, split predictably into groups. Vaporeon, Vulpix, and Ninetales were clustered together, and they moved to join him as he entered. Blastoise, Gyarados, Wigglytuff, Golduck, and Psiduck formed a protective circle around Squirtle. Bulbasaur, Vileplume, Rhyhorn, Nidoqueen, and Scyther were gathered around Venosaur; and Pidgeot, Dragonite, Fearow, and Rapidash around Charizard. Pikachu and Meowth, who resented any resented any authority besides Mewtwo's; Dewgong, who identified with the other aquatic Pokémon but considered Blastoise and Gyarados too belligerent; and Hitmonlee, who considered himself impartial as a matter of principle, formed their own group at the side of the room. Squirtle still wore her bandages and frame. Her face was still pale, and she moved carefully and slowly.
"Sandslash refused to come," Vaporeon whispered.
Arcanine allowed Vaporeon and Vulpix to explain the situation; they were both more articulate than he, and the other elders were more likely to listed to a plea for help from subordinates than from a rival. Blastoise and Gyarados, in particular, would be sympathetic to Vaporeon as a fellow Water-type.
"If Sandslash wants to perform seppuku, we don't have any right to stop him," Charizard said.
"Of course he doesn't want to," Vaporeon said, "he thinks he has to. Unlike some of you, he takes the rules seriously."
Many of the clones looked around uncomfortably. They had all been guilty, at some point, of treating their former systems of government as games to be won instead of taking them seriously. Unlike all of their previous attempts, the current system lacked a mechanism for changing the rules; at the time, most of them had considered that a benefit.
"Still, though," Venosaur said, "it's his choice. There's nothing we can do."
"Of course there is," Vulpix disagreed, "we can change the rules."
"Can we?" Dragonite asked, "with Champions, whoever won could declare it. All our other systems had some method of voting. What do we have now?"
"Mewtwo's authority," Ninetales said, "if we agree on something, Mewtwo will accept it."
"Mewtwo can order it," Charizard said, "but Bushido was his idea. We've never had a situation like this."
"Mewtwo wants us to make our own choices," Vulpix said, "that's why he encouraged us to make a government."
"Arcanine is the last one who should be asking us to change government," Blastoise said, "you broke the last one."
"And me," Charizard said.
"We were wrong. Admitted that." The two of them had meant it as a prank. They'd talked to more than half of the clones in secret, and offered to do their chores for a week if they voted to ban water-types from the monthly tournament. Some of the others had thought it was funny, but Blastoise and Gyarados were furious. All of the Water-types, even Vaporeon, had stormed the gym during the final battle between Arcanine and Charizard, and knocked them both out.
"Come on, guys," Vulpix said, "We gave up on Champions because you four idiots just kept challenging each other in a circle. We gave up on Republic cause we all should have known who'd get elected, and you guys couldn't agree on anything. We gave up on Consensus because we all couldn't agree on stupid pokefood flavors. Sandslash is more important than that, right?"
"We all agreed those weren't working," Venosaur said, "Bushido has gone well so far. We can't change for one person."
"It works well, except the part where we have to kill ourselves when we make mistakes," Vulpix said, "unless you're all planning to cheat when it happens to you."
"Venosaur is right," Charizard said, "it's been four months since Mewtwo's had to intervene in a fight. We're all more focused on training and studying instead of secret meetings and fighting each other."
"Every other time we've changed the rules, it was for everyone's benefit," Venosaur said, "we can't start changing every time someone has a bad day.
"Don't we all benefit from having Sandslash?" Vulpix asked.
"Why isn't he here? If he wanted us to change the rules for him, he'd ask."
"He's too proud to ask," Vaporeon said, "and he thinks everyone is mad at him.
"We are mad at him," Gyarados said, "look what he did to Squirtle."
Blastoise nodded in agreement.
"I'm not mad at Sandslash," Squirtle said, "it was an accident, like when I shot Golduck in the eye and he couldn't see right for a week, and no one wanted me to die. Anyway, I shouldn't have been teasing him."
"You two are part of the problem." Vaporeon looked at Blastoise and Gyarados. "You've been rude to him since it happened, and not letting him into the infirmary to apologize was just cruel."
"Vaporeon," Gyarados said, "you're Water-type, why are you siding with them?"
"There shouldn't be any sides," Squirtle said, "aren't we all friends? I think we should delete the suicide part, and all go up and apologize to Sandslash."
Squirtle pushed between Blastoise and Gyarados, shouldering the two much larger Pokémon aside with her metal supports. Reluctantly, they parted to allow her through. Hitmonlee rushed to support her, helping her into a chair in the middle of the room, where she sat alone.
"How many of you would really be willing to kill yourselves in Sandslash's situation?" Pikachu asked, "raise your hands. Remember, honesty."
Pikachu didn't raise his hand. Hitmonlee, beside him, did. Around the room, Scyther's, Vileplume's, and Fearow's limbs slowly followed.
"Four out of twenty-six?" Meowth asked, "that's all? If 85% of us admit we'd cheat, I think that's proof that the rules are wrong."
The argument continued for several hours. Eventually Pokémon began to drift away; Blastoise's group first, except Squirtle, who refused to leave, then Venosaur's, then Charizard's. Eventually it was only himself, Vaporeon, Vulpix, Ninetales, Squirtle, Pikachu, Meowth, and Dewgong left in the room.
"Well, we're all with you," Vulpix said, "but what now?"
"We need to go see Mewtwo again," Ninetales said.
Arcanine started for the door, expecting the others to follow.
"Wait," Ninetales said, "Arcanine, not you. Go talk to Sandslash again. We're going to beg, and you don't beg well."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"This isn't really what you want, is it?" Arcanine asked.
Sandslash's mouth opened, and closed again without speaking. He turned away. That was answer enough, Arcanine thought. Sandslash had a right to choose his own fate. Arcanine had a duty to respect the rules that they had all agreed upon, just like Sandslash. He wasn't going to treat them like a game this time, like he had before. He also had a duty to help and guide the younger clones. What was most important? Why wasn't Mewtwo stepping in?
"I'm sorry," Sandslash said, "I shouldn't have involved you."
"No," Arcanine said, "glad you did. Want to help. Don't know how."
Sandslash leaned against his shoulder, and Arcanine rested his chin on Sandslash's head
It was his fault, he thought. Sandslash and Squirtle were both so good-natured that he had not been as vigilant during their battle as he should have been. He should have anticipated trouble afterward, and kept an eye on Sandslash instead of allowing his extra duties to take all his attention. If Sandslash wouldn't back down, if the others didn't see reason and change the rules, if Mewtwo didn't relent, he would be responsible for Sandslash's death.
Bushido left him only one method to absolve himself. It was a terrifying but strangely liberating conclusion; perhaps Sandslash wasn't being so unreasonable after all.
Vulpix and Vaporeon returned eventually, along with Squirtle, who paused in the doorway. All three of them looked furious, Arcanine thought. Their meeting with Mewtwo must have gone poorly.
"Is it okay if I come in?" Squirtle asked hesitantly. Her brace was gone; Arcanine was certain that Joy hadn't yet given her permission to remove it.
Sandslash nodded. Squirtle leaned against Arcanine's side, next to Sandslash, and Vaporeon and Vulpix sat beside them.
"Mewtwo says we can figure it out ourselves," Vulpix said, "Arcanine, what's wrong with him? This was all his idea anyway, why won't he help fix things?"
"Maybe that's the problem," Vaporeon said, "he was so sure it would work better than everything else we've tried, and it did, for a while. If he intervenes again, he's admitting he was wrong."
"Sandslash," Arcanine said, "most of the others think you're taking this too far. Change your mind, would be embarrassing, but people would understand."
"I can't. I've made too much of a scene about it already. Anyway, Mewtwo would still make me train Fury Swipes tomorrow."
"Refuse. Punishes you, won't be alone. I'll join you."
"Me too," Squirtle said.
"And us." Vulpix answered for herself and Vaporeon, "and I bet Ninetales, Pikachu, Meowth, and Dewgong would, and probably other people too. That's more than a third of us. Eventually Mewtwo will have to admit it's not working."
"You can't all disobey Mewtwo. He's our master. He created us."
"We're not disobeying," Vulpix said primly, "He told us to work out our own rules, and we are."
"Technically, could order you not to kill yourself," Arcanine suggested.
"You wouldn't." Sandslash looked betrayed.
"Not unless you want me to. Give you an excuse. Let me take the blame."
Sandslash shook his head. Squirtle had her arm around Sandslash's back, now, and her face was grim. What was she thinking, Arcanine wondered. Vulpix and Vaporeon moved closer, both laying their heads in Sandslash's lap. They had nine hours left, but no one knew what else to do.
It was only a few hours to dawn, now, and the rest of the clones were probably asleep. At breakfast, he could challenge the other elders to duel. There was no way that he could beat all three, but if he fought Charizard first and Venosaur second, there was a chance he could beat two. He could bet anything they wanted in exchange for their support, because if he lost, he wouldn't be here to pay.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Arcanine limped up the spiral staircase again. With Charizard and Venosaur and their entourages, and his own, and Meowth, Pikachu, and Squirtle, he had more than three-quarters of the clones behind him.
#Arcanine,# Mewtwo said, #you can have any government you want, or none. That's for all of you to work out, but so long as you live on my island, you're all going to learn all of your moves.#
That was it, Arcanine thought as the others dispersed. There were no options left, and no time; all he could do was join Sandslash in the courtyard.
His claws weren't long enough or sharp enough to do the job, like Sandslash's. He needed something with a sharp edge, he thought, and long enough to reach his belly. There weren't any weapons in the mansion, Pokémon didn't need them. There were tools, though, surgical instruments in the infirmary, rarely-used knives in the kitchen, even more rarely-used tools in the shop in the basement.
Nurse Joy cowered in the corner as he ransacked the infirmary, yanking drawers from their tracks and pulling boxes from their shelves and scattering their contents across the floor. It was disrespectful and uncivilized. He didn't care. He didn't have the time or the hands for a less destructive search. In half an hour, it wasn't going to matter any more what she or anyone else thought of him. There were scissors and scalpels, but nothing long enough to stab himself with.
He repeated the procedure in the kitchen. There were drawers full of utensils and napkins and tablecloths and other things that no one used. Why had Mewtwo had them shipped here after rebuilding the mansion? What perverse instinct made him need to mimic Human ostentation here, where no one but themselves would see it? There were knives of various sizes and shapes. One of them had a narrow blade, almost a foot long, with a slight curve. He hadn't any idea what cooking operation it was intended to perform, but it would be good enough.
"Arcanine! What are you doing?"
He turned to see Fearow and Psiduck watching him from the doorway. They had sided with Blastoise last night. They scrambled back around the corner as he answered with a Flamethrower. Seconds later, the smoke alarms began to sound. Mewtwo knew what he was doing, of course. Mewtwo could have stopped him, but must have chosen not to. Fearow and Psiduck would go for help, though. He didn't want to have to fight the others.
Everyone else was already gathered when Arcanine reached the courtyard. Sandslash crouched on a white towel spread on the ground, He smelled as if he had just bathed, but it did nothing to mask the scent of fear and guilt. His plates and spikes were polished, and he wore a bright green ribbon tied around the spike on the top of his head; Vulpix had told him once that it looked dashing. Scyther stood beside and behind him. Their faces were grim, and neither would meet his gaze.
Arcanine sat beside Sandslash and placed the knife on the ground in front of himself. There was no way he could make a proper, deep cut. He wasn't coordinated or flexible enough with his mouth. He was going to have to stab himself as best he could and let Scyther finish the job. He hadn't thought to bring a towel, but that was okay. He didn't want it to be dignified. Unlike Sandslash, he didn't care how the others remembered him. Let it be messy and horrible. Let it be something none of them were willing to see again.
"Arcanine, what are you doing?" Sandslash asked.
"Joining you. Maybe what it takes for everyone to see reason."
Squirtle stepped forward from the crowd, producing a long, thin knife which had been hidden within her bandages. Vulpix and Vaporeon followed close behind her. The two of them stopped, looked at each other briefly, then trotted forward in unison.
Their faces were grim with determination. This wasn't a hasty decision, Arcanine thought; the three of them had been planning it for hours. Squirtle had probably picked up the knife on the way back from their meeting with Mewtwo.
"No," Sandslash whimpered, "no one else." Sandslash's claws plunged deep into his belly. He hesitated an instant, face frozen in shock, then jerked them across.
This was wrong, Arcanine thought. Everyone was wrong. He was wrong, too.
Scyther's scythe slashed down. Arcanine lunged. The scythe sank deep into his shoulder, and his foreleg gave way as he collided with the two of them. Instead of a tackle, he flopped forward, knocking both of them down and collapsing half on top of Sandslash.
Sandslash screamed in pain and rage, claws flailing wildly, slashing deeply into Arcanine's chest and belly. Arcanine brought a heavy paw down against the side of Sandslash's head, and he went limp. In less than two seconds, it was over.
Vaporeon and Vulpix were already beside them, the pure white light of Wish sparkling from Vaporeon's fur to surround Sandslash.
"Arky, get off him." Vulpix said.
Dazedly, Arcanine tried to stand. He left foreleg, the one Scyther had hit, didn't want to move. The right one, which he'd broken on Mewtwo's door and reinjured fighting Charizard, wasn't yet fully healed, and it buckled under his weight. Looking down, he saw that his chest and forelegs were already soaked with blood. Sandslash's claws must have hit something important, he though; it didn't hurt as much as it probably should.
Venosaur's vines wrapped around him and dragged him the rest of the way off Sandslash. They didn't let go. Arcanine didn't have the energy or the will left to care; maybe he could just faint now, and not have to hear whatever judgment Mewtwo would pass. Sandslash was going to hate him now. Maybe everyone would. He closed his eyes; he'd done what he had to do. Vaporeon's scent filled his nostrils and something pressed gently against his forehead. He could feel the flesh on his chest growing closed as the pain receded.
"I'm calling an assembly," Ninetales said, "Motion: repeal Bushido."
Everyone looked around, unsure how to respond.
"I don't think you can do that," Charizard said eventually, "we're not a democracy any more."
"Of course we are," Ninetales answered confidently, "we voted to become a feudal monarchy, just like all the other laws we passed. We can repeal it the same way."
No one disagreed with her. No one wanted to disagree with her, even if they all knew that hadn't been their intent. She was offering them a face-saving way out of their current situation.
"I second Ninetales' motion." Vulpix stepped up beside Ninetales.
"All in favor, with me," Ninetales said, "all opposed, over there." She pointed to an empty spot on the other side of the courtyard. They'd tried raising hands to vote when they had first adopted democracy, but their wide range of morphologies and sizes had made that difficult. Gyarados hadn't any forelimbs to raise, and Vileplume couldn't get his above his petals where the rest of them could see.
Arcanine struggled to rise. Venosaur didn't release him, but did help him limp to Ninetales' side. Eventually, only Sandslash and Mewtwo were left in the middle of the courtyard.
Vulpix walked over to him. "Do you want to vote?" she asked gently.
Sandslash raised a hand and pointed to the far end of the courtyard; the 'opposed' side.
"You're sure?"
Sandslash nodded once.
Vulpix pushed her head under Sandslash's arm and helped him to his feet. She guided him carefully to the other side and lowered him down. She leaned in close to him, and whispered something that none of the rest of them could hear. Sandslash reached up to touch her cheek, and then turned away.
Mewtwo followed Vulpix as she returned to the 'in favor' group.
"Motion passed," Ninetales announced formally as soon as they arrived, "with dissent."
#I've summoned Nurse Joy,# Mewtwo said, #Bulbasaur, Hitmonlee, help Sandslash to the infirmary. Venosaur, Dragonite, help Arcanine to the infirmary as well. You're both to stay there until breakfast. Squirtle, join them and let Nurse Joy put your brace back on. Everyone else...I suggest we take the rest of the day off. I think the current training regimen has worked well. I suggest we continue, but you should all chose your own groups and movesets.#
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Arcanine lay on one of the large infirmary beds, an IV line dripping fluids into his neck, one of the several patches that Joy had shaved. Magical healing closed wounds, but it took a heavy toll on the body. Sandslash lay curled on a smaller bed two places down the row. He looked miserable, and hadn't spoken to any of them since before. His wound was healed, but the scar remained; it always would, Joy had told him.
Squirtle sat on the edge of his bed, her shell not quite touching the spikes of Sandslash's back; Joy would order her back to her own bed when she returned, and Squirtle would obey, for at least a few minutes.
The room as as tidy and clean as always, save the stack of broken drawers in the corner by the door, and he was grateful that Joy hadn't said anything about his earlier behavior. He was going to apologize, he thought, when she came back to check on them.
Vaporeon, Vulpix, and Ninetales crowded on the bed between them. He didn't know whether Mewtwo had assigned the three of them to guard him and Sandslash, or they had chosen to keep them company. Either way, he appreciated their presence.
"So if we're not a monarchy now," Vulpix asked, "what are we?"
"A democracy, I suppose," Ninetales said, "it was all I could think of."
Vaporeon leaned against Ninetale's shoulder. "I'm glad you did. I was terrified all five of us were going to die."
"Me too," Vulpix agreed, "but what now? We already know democracy won't work."
"I don't know," Ninetales admitted, "lets just try to keep everyone alive overnight, and we'll worry about that tomorrow."
Squirtle caught his eye and smiled wanly. With her frame back on, she couldn't bend very far, but she leaned over as best she could and tapped herself on her bandaged chest. "Guess we match, now," Squirtle said quietly, "Arcanine, thank you for stopping us."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Republic was doomed from the beginning," Vulpix said "we all knew who would get elected, and you guys couldn't agree on anything. Democracy was too, cause it only took fourteen of us to ruin stuff for everyone.
"Maybe we're thinking too big," Hitmonlee said, "most of the things we've tried were invented for millions and millions of Humans; there are only twenty-seven of us. Maybe we're more like a Team?"
"A Team?" Charizard wondered.
"Yes, like Team Rocket. Mewtwo is the boss, and you four are the generals." Hitmonlee nodded toward the four elder clones. "And we're the grunts."
"That's...actually fairly accurate," Venosaur said, "but we can't tell Mewtwo we want to be like Team Rocket."
"That's not really a system anyway," Dewgong said dubiously, "we'd still need actual rules."
"Maybe we don't need rules?" Vulpix suggested.
Charizard frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Every time we make rules, someone abuses them. We all know what we should do," Vulpix said, "we all know it was wrong to vote the Water-types out of the tourney." She looked at Arcanine and Charizard. "We all know it was wrong to shun Sandslash." She looked at Blastoise and Gyarados. "We all know it was wrong for Mewtwo to insist Sandslash train Fury Swipes right after the accident. Can't we all just be nice?"
The room was silent for a moment, and then everyone was talking at once. Vulpix's proposal had a surprising amount of support, Arcanine thought as he listened to the conversations around him, not only from the Pokémon who had wanted to change the rules for Sandslash, but those who had opposed it as well.
It couldn't be that easy, could it? Humans would have figured it out ages ago. Or, maybe it didn't work for Humans. Like he'd told Mewtwo last night, there were lots of Humans, and only twenty-seven of them; the same assumptions didn't hold.
It wasn't like they would have no rules at all; Mewtwo would still have rules, but those were different. Those were rules for training and studying and not damaging the house, not rules for getting along with each other.
"Hey!" Vulpix called, loud enough to get everyone's attention over the noise of discussion, "we're voting now. Motion: adopt being nice to each other as a form of government."
Arcanine expected Vaporeon or Ninetales to second her, but they didn't. As he opened his mouth to do so, Ninetales turned unexpectedly, hitting him in the face with her tails. He took the hint and remained silent.
Blastoise strode across the room to stand beside her. "I don't think this is going to work, but I second Vulpix's motion."
Squirtle, Ninetales, and Vaporeon immediately joined Vulpix and Blastoise; theymust have discussed it in advance, Arcanine thought. Most of the others hesitated, talking quietly in their own groups, and for a moment, Arcanine thought Vulpix's motion would fail. Pikachu, Meowth, Dewgong, and Hitmonlee reached a decision, and moved to join them as well. That was the catalyst that the others needed, and the whole room flowed to surround Vulpix.
Twenty-five for," Ninetales announced, "Mewtwo and Sandslash absent. The motion passes."
Vulpix sat down abruptly and began to groom, and Arcanine could see that she was shaking. She wasn't ordinarily nervous or hesitant to speak her mind, but this was an unusually important situation. Everyone waited politely for her to recover.
"Who's going to tell Mewtwo?" Vaporeon asked.
Mewtwo would already know what they had decided, but telling him was a necessary formality.
"Our generals, of course," Vulpix said, "Mewtwo's less likely to disintegrate you guys."
"Arcanine." Scyther stopped him on the way out of the conference room. His face was inscrutable. Scyther was a difficult Pokémon to read, and they hadn't spoken since before...before.
"I couldn't refuse when Sandslash asked me to second him," Scyther said, "you know he would have done it anyway."
Arcanine nodded in understanding. He didn't know what else to say.
"I'm not sure I could have lived with it. I...don't know if it was the right thing, but I'm glad you stopped us."
Arcanine still didn't know how to answer, so he leaned his head against Scyther's chest. The flats of Scyther's blades pressed briefly against his shoulders, then released. Unlike most of the clones, Scyther didn't like too much physical contact, but that was enough to express what Arcanine couldn't find the words to say.
Mewtwo's door was mostly closed. It hung slightly crooked now, and there was a splintered hole where the latch had been. The four of them paused and glanced at each other. Charizard hooked two fingers through the hole to hold the door closed, and knocked with his other hand.
#Come,# Mewtwo said immediately.
Mewtwo was slouched back in his chair with an unaccustomed lack of formality. His eyes were red, and he looked like had hadn't slept at all. Arcanine's first thought was that he ought to have trouble sleeping, after what he had done to Sandslash. He immediately censored it as unworthy. He didn't understand Mewtwo's choices, but he knew that they hadn't been made from malice or selfishness. Mewtwo wanted the best for them. He always had, only sometimes, despite his intellect and psychic powers, Mewtwo's ideas about what was best just didn't work.
The four of them clustered around his desk as Charizard explained their conclusion. Arcanine could hear the others waiting and listening in the hall.
#That's it?# Mewtwo asked once Charizard had finished, #no rules, just being nice?#
"Yes," Charizard said.
Mewtwo sighed, leaning forward to rest his face in his hands. #So be it. Everything I've tried has been a disaster. Maybe you all know better than I do.#
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The moonlight shimmered off the rippling water in the bay thirty meters below. The blades of the turbine behind him spun lazily in the breeze, casting shadows across the roof as they passed. Somehow, Vulpix had been right, he thought; after all the complicated systems Humans devised to control each other, it turned out that all they really needed was respect. Maybe, he thought, that was what set Humans and Pokémon apart.
Arcanine heard the scrape of claws on the roof tiles behind him.
"Arcanine." Sandslash's voice was soft and hesitant.
"Sandslash."
For four weeks, Sandslash had avoided him. He'd eaten on the other side of the dining hall, gone the long way around to avoid passing him in the halls. Arcanine had taken to sleeping in the infirmary to avoid disturbing Sandslash at night, and still on extra duty, had tried to plan his chores so that he was out of the way. They hadn't spoken since the incident.
Sandslash sat beside him, stubby legs dangling over the edge. It would be a fatal fall for a Human, from here, but perhaps not for a Pokémon. For an hour or more, they sat in silence. Arcanine wanted to say something, to apologize, to make everything okay, but he didn't know where to begin.
"I'm sorry." Arcanine said finally.
"Sorry?"
Arcanine nodded, then realized that Sandslash wasn't looking at him. "Yes."
"I came up here to thank you," Sandslash said.
"Why?"
"Vulpix and Vaporeon took me up on the hill this morning to watch the sunrise. I didn't want to go, but they insisted. It was beautiful. I'm glad I was here to see it."
"So am I."
Sandslash looked up at him. He wasn't quite smiling, but the hopeless expression he'd worn for the last four weeks was gone. His hand slid across the roof until their claws were just barely touching.
"For weeks," Sandslash said, "everyone was telling me I need to lose control, to get angry enough to learn Fury Swipes," Sandslash said, "Arcanine, it was awful. I knew what I was doing. I couldn't stop myself."
"Everyone loses control, sometimes."
"Not me. Never again."
He had kept his word, Arcanine thought; for the next twelve years, Sandslash had kept an iron grip on his emotions. Stoic and solemn, he had never again lost control, but sometimes the pain on the inside still showed through.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I've had some questions about how Arcanine's dreams and the events from the movies fit together, so here's a timeline of events, dated from the beginning of Instruments of Creation. There shouldn't be any spoilers here, if you've read this far already:
31 Years Ago: Mewtwo wakes up as an adult, destroys the lab/mansion, and joins Giovanni. I've called the island Cinnabar (from the game) because WTF kind of name is New Island?
28 Years Ago: Mewtwo leaves Team Rocket and returns to Cinnabar, where he begins rebuilding the lab and attempting to recreate the cloning process
26 Years Ago: Mewtwo begins growing Arcanine, Charizard, Blastoise, and Venosaur
25 Years Ago: Arcanine, Charizard, Blastoise, and Venosaur fully grown. Dream in Chapter 1. Mewtwo begins to train them
21 Years Ago: Mewtwo begins growing the other clones
20 Years Ago: Other clones complete
17 Years Ago: Dream in This Chapter about Sandslash
15 Years Ago: Mewtwo finds renowned trainers with Pokémon of the same species as his own, and invites them to Cinnabar to compete. Dream in Chapter 3
13 Years Ago: Dream in Chapter 5: Trouble in Meadow Town watching the moon with Mewtwo
8.5 Years Ago: Events of PMD: Rescue
8 Years Ago: Absol's mother leaves Team Go Getters and returns to Mount Freeze. Absol conceived
7.5 Years Ago: Absol hatches
7 Years Ago: Dream in Chapter 8: Bounty where Arcanine is injured training with Mewtwo, and they discuss Team Rocket searching for them
6 Years Ago: Dream in Chapter 11: Captive discussing cubs with Sandslash, Vaporeon, and Vulpix
5 Years Ago: The events of Mewtwo Returns. Dreams in Chapters 11, 12, and 15 about fighting Team Rocket and recovering from injuries. Arcanine arrives in the PMD world
4 Years Ago: Events of PMD: Explorers