The migraines grew worse as the SS. Anne neared Cinnabar Island. It meant Yellow knew she was on the right track.

But the pain still wasn't fun.

Knowing what she did about Looker, there was no doubt that he would grow suspicious of her ailments if he didn't have his own concerns during their voyage. He was apparently terrified of being on the water, and so preoccupied with his own phobia that he didn't have time for odd psychic phenomenon.

Despite herself, Yellow couldn't help but smile at the way Looker danced off the gangway and dove into the sand when the SS Anne finally arrived at Cinnabar's beach, thoroughly ruining his outfit in the process. Ignoring the weird looks the rest of the tourists were giving him, she skipped down after Looker in a far more composed fashion, giggling a little at how he kissed the 'sweet' ground.

"I've always wanted to visit Cinnabar when I was a kid. Maybe we could take a raincheck on the investigation and have a nice beach day?"

"No." Looker rose to his feet, business as usual. Unfortunately, his suave mannerisms were a little undone by the sand caked around his mouth like a beard. "For all we know, Koga's already aware that his ninjas didn't kill us off. We need to find what we need to and go into hiding. My list of questions is a long one."

A stab of pain right between her eyes was enough for Yellow to fall to her knees, her vision going blurry. A drop of blood fell from her nose and stained the sand below.

"And your little episodes fall at the very top of that list. Why are they happening, and why do they become more intense and frequent over time?"

Still grimacing, Yellow managed to force a sheepish smile. "I thought you...hadn't noticed…"

"Well, I'm a detective. I'd be a pretty poor one at that if I didn't notice your violent impulses and glowing eyes."

"Wait, my eyes glow? What do you mean?"

"Yellow, they're glowing right now. Glowing pink. How did you not know?"

"Well, I don't exactly look in the mirror when I—" Another stab of pain, and Yellow's sass turned to a squeak. "Can I go to a hospital?"

"No." Looker knelt down beside her. "Answers first, medical treatment later."

"This….cannot be….legal…" Yellow managed to hiss out.

"Trust me, nothing I've done since I've arrived at Kanto has been legal. Please answer me, now."

But Yellow had one advantage that Looker didn't. Somehow managing to force her hand to her belt, she tapped the button on a poke-ball.

"Ergh...guys...help," Yellow grunted out. Alphonse and Edward exchanged a glance, before swinging a claw that Looker was forced to spring back to avoid. Al's beak scooped up Yellow like a newborn kitten and the Doduo took off.

Feeling herself losing consciousness, she turned back to see if Looker was giving chase. He wasn't, instead merely dusting the sand off his shoulders. He met her eyes briefly, but she wasn't able to interpret his expression before the world went black.


"Hello, Yellow." A giggle. "Has anyone ever told you that that rhymes?"

"Red reminds me constantly."

"Oh, I love Red. He's such a sweetie!"

"I do too."

Yellow never had dreams. Only conversations in her sleep that she could always remember the day ever. The high pitched, feminine voice didn't tell her much, only asked. About her day, about her feelings. So, Yellow answered. In truth, she had never really questioned the disembodied voice until it had made its first request.

"Thank you for coming this far, Yellow. You're really close."

"Why does it have to hurt so badly?"

"I'm sorry. That's me. I can't control it."

"Okay, well can you warn me next time so I can get some Tylenol or something?"

"The pain's the only way I can communicate with you in the first place, silly!"

"Oh."

"But I promise, if you find your way to the mansion, I won't bother you again. You'll get a nice long break."

"Okay. I kind of like talking to you, though. You're nice."

"Oh, I'm so happy I picked you, Yellow. You're so cute! But, can you really say you'll miss the headaches? Hiding the headaches?"

"Oh...no, I can't say I will."

Another giggle. "We'll talk soon, Yellow. But everyone deserves a break sometimes. Just a little longer, Yellow, and you can rest."


There was something so nostalgic about Cinnabar, Looker thought. He couldn't quite place it, though, much like most his life before becoming a police officer.

The beaches were beautiful, miles of white sand surrounded the vicinity of the island, and though Looker had initially thought his loud Alolan touristy-getup was a little on the nose, he was surprised to find that the island's inhabitants style was remarkably similar. Looker didn't stand out at all, which of course was what he wanted.

Yet Looker had been to Alola, and somehow Cinnabar painted a different picture. The lifestyle seemed so much more manufactured, the people looking to the island as an escape from their lives rather than going about their day in that carefree Alolan way. There was tension in the air as well, from some of the older, long-lasting residents, as though insecurities were hidden by a curtain of false comfort.

He supposed that given this place was apparently the clone's home of origin, that wasn't surprising. There wasn't a city in Kanto that didn't carry its share of secrets.

Still, he shrugged as he took a sip from the juice in his coconut. That wouldn't stop him from enjoying himself.

He sat on a stool at the snack bar, musing over his failure to get information out of Yellow. It had been pretty cold of him to grill her while she was essentially having a cosmic aneurysm, but she was unlike any person he had ever met. Strikingly competent despite her stature and nature, with eyes that glowed with an intense light when she had her migraines. Looker had a feeling Oak hiding her wasn't an accident.

He'd jumped the gun, though, and now he didn't know where she was. No doubt it related to the clone, though.

Time wasn't on his side. It wouldn't take long for Koga to realize that it had been his own ninjas that had been assassinated. Looker would have to go into hiding, but he had two objectives to complete first.

Firstly, Cinnabar was the home to the clone's creator, Blaine Scorcher, who also happened to be the local gym leader. No doubt having the answers to all of Looker's questions, as well as a potential means to find the clone's weaknesses, Blaine's knowledge could potentially turn the tide of the whole affair. His account could be enough to alert the other regions to take direct involvement, at the very least.

Then there was Yellow, who Looker was beginning to understand was far more important than likely she even knew. And if Oak kept her close to the chest, he could assume that her capture could mean cataclysmic results. Beyond learning her secrets, he'd need to find her before the ninjas that would not doubt be as insistent in tracking her down as they were him.

Looker grumbled at his own luck. Who would be more difficult to handle, the experienced gym leader or the girl powerful enough to take down a ninja bare handed?

He hated his job.


Looker was surprised to see as many trainers as he did around the Cinnabar gym. He had assumed that, since Blaine was a shut in, his gym was simply shut down. He was proven wrong, though, by the way intense flames lit up the gym's windows, and the muffled shouts of an active audienced.

He patted one of the trainers, a girl a few years older than Yellow, on the shoulder. She turned to give him a very scandalized look.

"Is Blaine in there?"

"Who, Blaine himself? No, he has a stand in to send out Pokemon and earpieces to communicate orders to them. How do you not know that? What, are you from another region or something?"

She said it with a sneer, as if being from another region was the worst thing one could be.

"Yes, actually. I'm er...a tourist. From...Alola…" Looker said. "Could you tell me where he lives, by any chance?"

The girl pointed upwards.

Looker rolled his eyes. "Thank you very much."

"No, idiot. His house is up on Mt. Crimson. You know. The volcano."

As she stalked off, muttering about stupid tourists, and Looker resisted the urge to strangle her, he turned to watch the smoke unfurl from the volcano far off on the horizon; no doubt a trek that would take a few hours.

"So much for a nice vacation," Looker muttered.


Blaine's home, a small mansion at the base of the active Mt. Crimson, seemed like an accident waiting to happen, or more accurately an accident that had already happened. The windows were cracked, painting had been stripped to reveal shaky, wooden foundations, and there were more than a few cobwebs stretched from the rooftop to the walls. If he hadn't known that Blaine was hiding here, he would have assumed the mansion was abandoned.

Yellow was sitting on his front steps, almost bored, as though she were waiting for him. Looker approached cautiously, worried he'd scare her off, but when Yellow's eyes caught his own only recognition lit up in her features. The Doduo next to her looked less calm, the feathers on their twin heads standing up straight.

"Hello," Looker said, keeping a wary eye on the tense Doduo.

"Hi. Down, guys, it's okay." She gave her Pokemon a stern stare, and they slumped on the ground. "Are you going to threaten me to answer your questions again?"

"No," Looker said, giving her what he hoped was a convincingly guilty expression. "I'm sorry, it was wildly inappropriate of me to grill you while you were at your weakest."

Yellow smile was thin and knowing, as though she were reminded of an inside joke. "I was at my strongest, actually."

"Oh. Okay."

"I'm not opposed to sharing my secrets," Yellow admitted. "But it'll be a trade. I don't know anything about you, Looker. No one does, so forgive me for being hesitant."

"As I said before, that's quite fair." Looker sat down beside her, trying to ignore the evil look on Yellow's Doduo's faces. "I could...explain myself, as it were, once I'm sure I can trust you as well."

"So, that leaves us at an impasse, eh?" Yellow giggled. "We're just going to be talking around in circles at this point, aren't we?"

"Well, then I'd say it's time we looked at what's in front of us." Looker pulled himself up to his feet, aggressively marching to Blaine's front door.

"Wait, I knocked already," Yellow said, springing up behind him. "No one answered."

"Well, in a moment he'll have a lot to answer to," Looker growled. "Stay behind me, Yellow."

With a grunt, he barreled into the old and battered door, breaking it down with ease. He turned to smirk at Yellow, who was staring at him in surprise, before sprinting in, reaching for the single poke-ball on his belt.

Looker had at one brief look at the interior of Blaine's home—judging by the sleeping bag and clothes strewn about, Blaine never left his foyer—before someone tackled him and sent them both crashing over broken furniture.

Looker gasped in pain as he hit a wall, the impact enough to toss a painting to the floor and shatter. Long, cold fingers closed around Looker's neck, and though he tried to wrestle the old man away (Blaine, most likely), he had a surprising amount of wiry strength.

For a moment, Looker stared into Blaine's eyes, crazed and desperate. Though he was completely bald, his beard was long, unkempt, and matted, and Looker could smell stale liquor on his lips. He wondered if these would be his last sensations, when Yellow threw herself upon Blaine from behind and Looker was free to roll away.

Blaine shouted and writhed, Yellow locking herself tightly around his waist, and the two stumbled around as Looker looked on. Yellow growled like a wild Pokemon and bit down on his shoulder, eliciting a screech from the old scientist. Aggressive reflexes were enough for Blaine to rip her off him, and he actually threw her across the room. Yellow's head smacked against the far wall.

Looker bit back a curse as she crumpled to the floor, exchanging a glance between her and a very at large Blaine, who ripped out a poke-ball from the pocket of his dirty bathrobe.

"You think you can take on a gym leader?" Blaine's voice was hoarse, as though he weren't used to using it, and his teeth were rotten and yellow. He tapped the button on his poke-ball, and Looker gulped, raising his arms defensively and trying to prepare for the flaming onslaught that was sure to follow.

Only...it didn't.

Blaine looked just as confused as he did. The poke-ball was glowing and vibrating, as though it were fighting a losing battle. Whatever was inside couldn't seem to escape.

"What?" Blaine hissed, tapping the button repeatedly. "Open up, you blasted-"

Looker turned to see Yellow rise to one knee.

Her eyes were glowing again, an intense pink aura channeling around her irises, her closed fist enveloped in that same hue.

Looker didn't understand how, but Yellow was keeping that ball from opening.

She spat out blood, and Looker had never been more scared of a little girl before. "Edward, Alphonse! Now!"

Looker had forgotten all about the Doduo, who sprinted through the front door and pounced on Blaine, forcing him to the floor with ease. He struggled only a moment before apparently realizing the attempt was fruitless, and he slackened.

"Are you...er...all right?" Looker asked Yellow, staring at the dent Yellow had made to the wall when she'd been thrown against it.

"My head hurts," was Yellow's simple response as she marched past him, wiping away the blood on her lip. She kneeled next to Blaine.

"HI! I'm Yellow! I'm looking for the underground laboratory. Could you help me?"

Blaine's glassy eyes focused on her. "How could you possibly know about that?"

Yellow giggled. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you're in a position to ask questions. Where's the lab?"

There was an edge to her tone, and the Doduo's talons flexed, digging deeper into Blaine's chest.

Blaine whimpered. "Take a left. There's a staircase that leads directly to it."

"Thank you!" She turned to Looker. "I trust you can question this guy? There's something I need to do down there."

"Yes, I imagine I'll want to do my own investigation once I'm finished up with him." Looker thought a moment as she turned to leave. "Yellow."

"Hmm?"

"Once we learn what we need to. I'll tell you about myself. I think you earned it, considering you saved my life."

Yellow smiled, and with a swish of golden hair she had turned the corner.

"Well, I'm happy she's on my side," Looker said, shivering, before gesturing to the Doduo to let up Blaine. The old man, no longer aggressive and now merely trying to make himself as small as possible, wouldn't meet the International Police Officer's eyes.

"Blaine Scorcher. Founding Father of Kanto. Top Scientist. Gym Leader. Er….I think you were host of a quiz show, at some point-"

"Okay, I get it!" Blaine snapped. "Please, just get on with it. If you're going to kidnap or kill me…"

"Oh, Blaine, of course we're not going to do that. We're the good guys, after all."

"You assaulted me in my own home!"

"Well, I was getting desperate. You're the father of the clone, the scourge of Kanto and Johto. I couldn't not get your account, and you were being, well, difficult."

"I see," Blaine said through gritted teeth. "So that's what this is about."

"Precisely. I'm Looker, of the International Police. And it's about time I got some concrete answers."


"It's kind of sad that I can only physically appear in the place where I went through the most pain."

Yellow stared at the apparition next to her, a pink ball of light, glimmering and warming the dreary and demolished laboratory. She began to poke at it, noting the ball to be quite squishy.

"Stop it."

"Oh," Yellow yelped, dropping her hand. "Sorry!"

"It's alright, Yellow, dear. But yeah. I don't like this place very much."

"This is where Mewtwo came to be, right?" Yellow looked over the destroyed lab equipment, keeping an eye out for the broken glass that had never been swept up. She noted that her migraines were gone, maybe because the voice in her head could actually take a physical form.

"Yeah. He wasn't very happy here, as I'm sure you can tell."

Yellow shivered. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the bright light, she was beginning to notice all of the blood stains coating the walls and the floors. "Why did you bring me here then?"

"Well, besides the fact that it's the easiest place to talk to you, there actually is something here that brings me joy. Shall we?"

"Er, after you."

Yellow resolved herself to keep her eye on the floating ball of light, doing her best to ignore the increasingly grim surroundings. Bloodstains everywhere, decaying bodies...she pressed the top of her shirt against her nose and mouth so she wouldn't vomit. Blaine clearly had never gone down here after the clone had escaped, and she couldn't blame him.

"Oof," the ball of light said. "I'm glad I don't have a sense of smell anymore."

"Yeah, I really envy you right now," Yellow whimpered through her shirt.

"Well. Here we are!"

The ball of light floated out of Yellow's way, leaving her face to face with a crib.

This little room, off on one of the lab's wings, seemed to be designed to be a little more comfortable. For one thing, this room was the only one with painted walls, a pretty aquamarine. Toys littered all over the floor, stuffed Pokemon and quite a few toy flutes. A mobile hung above the crib, plastic Tauros dancing in circling motions.

"Oh." Yellow said. "Is this where he…"

The ball of light shifted from pink to a low purple, basking the room in an Indigo glow.

"I can take some of this with me, if you want," Yellow said.

"The spoon, on the nightstand."

Yellow stepped over to it. A wooden spoon, bent so aggressively it was nigh unusable.

"That was the first application of his psychic powers.." the voice's tone didn't quiver, but it dripped with longing. "The photo next to it…"

Yellow had heard descriptions of the clone, all of them terrifying and difficult to internalize. Now she saw Mewtwo as an infant. Smaller than she was, and purring up against the scientist posing for the photograph like a kitten with its owner. Its eyes, probably haunting when opened, were closed in contentment.

"Everyone starts out like this, huh."

"They still are. Or at least, that's what I want to believe. Do you mind if….I don't have a body. Could you cry for me?"

"Cry?" Tears that weren't hers began to leak from her eyes, tears that weren't hers. "Oh."

Yellow stood there, letting the ball of light cry for her as she gathered up what belongings it seemed the most attached to. Maybe she should have felt a little bit amused, but to her it seemed that everyone, even beings as powerful as Mew, needed time to grieve once in a while.