Happy New Year! Originally the next two chapters were one, I spent a while editing them and later decided to split them up. Additionally, this chapter is a nod to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, where Dimensional Screams are introduced; here they are just called "visions" as they have not been identified yet.

Chapter 23

Desperate to avoid having more 'training sessions,' I made sure to keep busy with my team every day. Mewtwo never protested; instead, he began testing my abilities (and my patience) in other ways. Sometimes he liked to sneak up behind me and scare me as he did that morning, but more frequently, and to everybody's surprise, he started waking me up from all my nightmares.

He made sure to be the first one in the room at any sign of my discomfort, somehow beating Togekiss, and I would quickly wake up with his hands on my arms. I protested this the first few times it happened, but I was secretly relieved to not have to deal with those horrifying dreams any longer. Unfortunately for him, Mewtwo was always left disappointed; I never burned him again after that first time.

The days seemed to fly by, and before I knew it nearly four months had passed since I captured Mewtwo. It was around this time when I first caught myself thinking about the day that he would decide to leave; eventually, it got to the point where I was concerned that he would quietly slip away without any warning at all. I repeatedly told myself it was irrational to think he would do that, though I also thought it was odd that I had no idea what his plan was.

I knew Mewtwo must have heard the thought cross my mind many times; it was obvious that he was nearly always reading my mind. After I thought the anticipation was going to kill me, I finally gathered up the courage to ask him aloud while we were out training with my team one day.

"Hey, Mewtwo?"

"What is it?"

"Do you know . . . I mean . . . when are you gonna—"

Before I could actually get the sentence out, Mewtwo pressed his hands to the sides of his head and groaned loudly.

"Are you okay? Is it one of your injuries?" I asked, coming to his side.

"No, just a massive headache," he grumbled, turning away from me, "I will go home and rest for today."

"Oh, okay! Feel better—"

He disappeared before I could say "soon." I stood there for a moment, trying to figure out if it was something I said.

"He didn't have a headache," Togekiss murmured suddenly.

"He didn't?" I asked, turning to look at him.

"No, but his aura did change dramatically all of a sudden."

His reaction puzzled all of us, and I did not attempt to ask him so directly again. But on another occasion, I decided to test Ash's theory about him not wanting to leave.

"Good morning!," I called to nobody in particular, as I came down the stairs another morning, "It's such a nice day outside!"

"Yes," Mewtwo replied absentmindedly, "can you give us a few minutes?"

"… Huh?"

I kept walking toward the living room and my question was answered; he and Ampharos were locked in a fierce game of checkers. The determination on Ampharos' face almost made me laugh; I had never seen her more serious about anything in her life.

Though I was nearly overcome with the desire to ask when he found time to teach Ampharos how to play, I could not let myself be distracted.

"Actually, I'm thinking about taking it easy today," I said, also trying to be nonchalant, "we've all been working hard. Why don't you go to Hoenn and visit Ash?"

He paused for a moment, then moved a piece and looked at Ampharos expectantly.

"I could do that," he said, his expression blank as he waited for his opponent's decision.

"Oh," I said, hardly able to disguise my surprise, "alri—"

"But what will you do if it becomes stormy during my travels and I am electrocuted? Will you tell Ash that you let me leave your protection so I could make such a dangerous journey? How would you be able to handle the guilt? Moreover, how would you know if I died?"

"I . . . but . . . can't you—?"

By this point, Ampharos had made her move, but Mewtwo appeared to have lost all focus on the game. He looked up at me as he continued, "How dare you propose that I risk my life like that. Did Ash not entrust you with the task of protecting me? He would be very disappointed in you for suggesting something like this."

I was about to mention that not only could he teleport himself there, but he could also make the storm go away. Before I could get that far, he telepathically moved a king across the checkerboard, jumping every single one of Ampharos' pieces.

"We will go over some more strategies later," he said in response to her shocked expression.

Without addressing the confusion in my head, he immediately rose from where he was sitting and went upstairs saying "Excuse me, I will go read a book now."

I had laughed then; this Aunt was never much of a reader, the only books in this house were cookbooks.

Though there were no more Team Rocket sightings, having to live so carefully was tiresome; the nightmares were shorter but had not stopped, which told me that we were not out of the woods with Team Rocket yet. Being so careful all the time was beginning to wear on everybody, including my Pokémon. At one point I started researching new regions to move to; I knew I couldn't stay here once this whole thing blew over.

"Mewtwo, have you been to Unova?" I asked as I scrolled through the region's website on our home computer one day.

"Once," was all he said.

I waited for him to explain further, but he didn't.

". . . Did you—"

"No, I did not like it. There are too many cities, and the pollution was out of control."

"Which region shall I move to?" I asked, mostly to myself.

"I do not know."

Though I wasn't talking to him, his response still shocked me.

"Wait, what was that?" I asked, turning to look at him.

He also looked surprised, then he coughed and said, "I mean, Sinnoh is the obvious choice . . . in my opinion."

"What am I going to eat for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Cereal," he said quickly, looking away.

"Nope, we just ran out of cereal!" I said victoriously.

He sighed, "Fine, you caught me."

"But I'm confused, can't most Psychic Pokémon see the future?"

"I can see the future," he replied, rolling his eyes, "but just . . . not yours."

"What? Why not mine?"

"I also do not have the answer, I was hoping to figure that out by studying your abilities further."

"How come you never told me?"

"It never came up, and I knew it would worry you."

"Should I be worried?" I asked, starting to worry.

"No," he said reassuringly, "I am sure that it is related to being fused with a supernatural being, I just wish I knew why."

His confidence set my mind at ease again; over the last few months, Mewtwo became much more forthcoming than when we first met.

"But you can read my mind, right?"

"It is difficult not to, your thoughts are quite loud," he sighed.

"Really? Thoughts can be loud?"

"I did not realize how loud they can be until I met you. It is a good thing that you do not have other Psychic-Type Pokémon, they would have a difficult time handling them," he joked.

"Now you're just being mean," I said, somewhat hurt by his words.

"But still not as loud as those of Gyarados," he added under his breath.

On the day of the fourth month, the late summer rain finally arrived. It was coming down hard and fast, so I decided to take the day off and stay home with my Pokémon. Ironically, Mewtwo thought it would be a good opportunity to wander around Kanto a little; he left after promising to be home by dinnertime. With him gone, I was home with Ninetails, Togekiss, Arbok, and Ampharos, while Gyarados was outside enjoying the downpour. Ninetails, Amphy and I were sitting on the couch watching Super Contests, while Arbok was comfortably curled up under the coffee table, fast asleep.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

Arbok woke up and banged her head on the table, hissing in annoyance. Ampharos yelped and accidentally knocked me in the head with her tail, and I couldn't help but jump in surprise.

Wait . . . we have a house phone? No one ever calls here.

"Calm down Arbok!" I yelled after she continued to hiss, "It's just the phone!"

I ran at top speed toward the kitchen, slid across the wood floor in my socks, and picked up the phone as I continued to slide into the counter.

"Donahue residence!" I said to the phone.

"Hello?" said a female voice on the other end, "Is there a Lilly home?"

The voice was familiar, but it certainly was not my Aunt Claire.

". . . Speaking," I said hesitantly.

"Oh!" the woman said, suddenly excited, "It's nice to meet you! I'm your Aunt Clare's friend, she just wants to know what you're doing at her house."

I knew that I had heard the voice somewhere before, but I could not remember who it was for the life of me.

"I'm . . . um . . . do I know you?"

"This is your Aunt's friend, Sue!" the voice insisted, "The one your Aunt came to visit in Hoenn!"

"Can I talk to my Aunt? How did she know I was here?"

"She's busy with something right now, I'll tell her exactly what you tell me."

I heard Ninetails get up from the couch and come toward the kitchen.

"What's your name again?" I asked the lady, purposely stalling.

"Sue, my name is Sue!" she said, beginning to grow impatient.

"Sorry, there's a big storm and . . . uh . . . you're breaking up, goodbye!"

I slammed the phone back into the holder and started walking back toward the living room, completely freaked out by that point. Just as I was about to say something to Ninetails, my vision began to darken.

"Oh no," I moaned, knowing exactly what was coming, "not this again."

I saw Ninetails run toward me as I sank to my knees before completely blacking out, and the flash of white light came as the vision started.

I was in my Aunt's room, sitting on the edge of her bed and looking out the big window. It was dark outside, but there were no stars, and the air was misty from earlier rainfall.

Moments later, a loud rumbling was heard in the distance. Its source came into view when the helicopter alighted next to my house; one with a big red 'R' painted on its side. I gasped and ran out of the bedroom, tripping over my own feet in my surprise. When I got back up again, I sprinted down the hall and into Mewtwo's room, where he was sleeping for some reason, then jumped on his bed in the attempt to wake him up. By the time he opened his eyes, it was too late; the Rockets were already in the room. The first one held up a strange gun, aimed around me and at Mewtwo, and pulled the trigger. I screamed, there was another bright flash, and my vision darkened again.