The-Poptart-Cat: Thank you! I'm glad to know it caught ya. There's so much emotion in the movie, so much possibility for what could've happened. I had fun exploring it, seeing where it would take me.

Everyone who faved and followed, thank you! I'm glad to see y'all enjoyed it. Now, why don't you go see what became of one Ash Ketchum?

Chapter 2

Rebound

Calm, peaceful, and quiet was his slumber. Or it was until a quiet giggle reached his ears. It tickled like a feather against skin and was as sweet as honey. Even still, he did not want to rise. He was comfortable. Vastly different from the last few shards of memories he had, full of nothing but numbing pain.

"Little human," the giggle whispered, "Please wake, little human. There is much we must discuss."

As much as he didn't want to listen, there was something about the voice that had him stirring from his slumber. With the speed of a slowpoke, hazel eyes opened, taking in the white expanse around him before he pushed himself into a sitting position. Rubbing at an eye to clear away the fog, he looked up and froze.

Standing in front of him wasn't just the legendary Mewtwo but also, floating beside him, was Mew. The pink cat pokemon hummed as she floated up and around the larger bipedal fighter's shoulders. He could only stare, unable to comprehend the sight of the two legendaries standing before him. One seemed as if he didn't want to be there, and the other acted like this was nothing new to her.

After a moment, that same giggle echoed in his head, causing the trainer to frown. He'd heard that same kind of echo before, but his memories were jumbled. They were like shards of a mirror, each reflecting a part of a scene that would all make sense if only he could piece them together.

"It is okay, little human." Mew stopped her bouncing and floated down to him until she was low enough to set a paw on his forehead. "What is your name?"

That feather feeling was back, drifting through his head like the soft tickle of a light zephyr. He wanted to follow it, find out where it was going, what it was doing, but Mew's question stopped him from doing so. Instead, he turned down another path in his mind, away from the shattered mirror, until he came upon the piece of information she wanted.

"Ash." He opened his mouth to reply but was surprised once again when no sound escaped. He knew he'd said it, knew he'd heard it said, but not once did a sound reach his ears. Blinking, he closed his mouth and redirected his thoughts, the ability coming to him startling easily. "Ash Ketchum... f-from Pallet Town."

That's what he remembered but there was something odd about it as if there was a distance between what he knew to be true and what was true. It bothered him, on a subconscious level, that he would question his origins, but there was just something about this whole situation that was throwing him for a loop.

Somehow, someway, the adolescent knew his answer had upset Mew. It was hard to tell for certain, her expression never changed and her eyes held that constant playful gleam, but there was just something in her demeanor that told him she was worried.

"It's okay, Ash." She hummed once again. "We will tell you everything in due time. For now, remain still. You helped us and, in return, we will help you."

Mew, the phantom legendary and mother of all pokemon, had asked him to sit still. Ash was most definitely going to remain stationary. In the meantime, he turned his focus inward, watching the feather as it crept through his memories and mind alike, until it landed on something he'd never known was hidden in the very back. Of course, he hadn't gone looking through his mind before, not like how Mew had led him to do, but it still shocked him nonetheless.

Ash could see it in his mind's eye. An ice blue crystal sitting in a darkened crevice. With the feather resting on it, to Ash it felt as if the crystal had come alive, softly pulsing in time with his heartbeat. Mew's demeanor brightened, still worried, but there was a hint of excitement that made the legendary's tail flick faster.

"This is good. This we can work with. Tell me, Ash. Do you wish to continue your journey and travel the world?"

The answer was on the tip of his tongue. Every time he'd said it before played through his mind in a matter of moments, some serious, others playful. But something was holding him back. A flare of anger that confused him. It made him pause and consider his answer to the legendary.

"I want to continue my journey and become a Pokemon Master but, before I can, there are things that must be done." Movement outside the familiar twitch of Mew's tail drew Ash's eye to the other pokemon present. Mewtwo looked surprised, the shift in his stance having caught the trainer's attention. "I may not know how or why I ended up here, but I do remember you invited us to that island Mewtwo. You blamed all of humanity when it was just a few who hurt you and caused your mistrust. I can't take back what they did, but I can stop them from doing it to others. Ever since I started my journey, Team Rocket has chased after us, trying to steal Pikachu and my other pokemon from me. I know others aren't as lucky to have kept theirs, and I want to put a stop to it."

Hazel eyes met eyes the color of orchids, conveying the truth and solemnity of his statement. After a moment, Mewtwo nodded and looked at Mew, who had never taken her attention off of Ash. "Mew, of all the humans, I feel we can trust him. Are you sure you and I can pull this off?"

Mew rolled her eyes, something Ash had only ever seen Pikachu do when he was exasperated. "We can do this. We were able to pull him out before Giratina arrived, so there won't be much trouble, but that is not a worry for here and now. There is something I must first explain before I return you, Ash, to Earth."

Unable to help himself, Ash tilted his head in question, earning a light slap to the cheek from Mew's tail. He smiled sheepishly at the pokemon, and she sighed, the feather within his mind beginning to drape itself around the crystal.

"You possess the capabilities to be an Aura Guardian, Ash. I know you don't understand what that is just yet, and I cannot explain it to you, but I can use those abilities to return you to Earth, I can do this by binding your aura to someone else's, someone you share a close bond with. I cannot control who you are bound to, nor will I be able to alter the bond once it is made. To attempt such will be your end, and not even my strength will be able to stop Giratina from taking you. Am I understood?"

There was so much about that to absorb, but Ash knew he could worry about the rest later. For now, he listened to what Mew had said. When he nodded, the legendary's tail began flicking around with happiness.

"Good." She chirped. "Prepare yourself. What I'm about to do will be disorienting."

"Yes, Mew," Ash replied quietly, feeling the feather engulf the crystal within his mind. Unlike the shards from before, there was no pain, only a gentle warmth as the crystal combined with the feather, before soft blue light spread throughout his body. Once the power settled, drowsiness began to fog his mind. He tried to fight against it, tried to remain awake, but again felt Mew tap his forehead.

"Sleep. We apologize you were caught up in our troubles, but we also must thank you. Without you, our world would have been destroyed." No longer able to fight it, Ash let his eyes close, and would have fallen backward if Mew's psychic hadn't slowed and gently set him back down.

Confusion much? Answers...shards? Yeah...he's not in his right mind. Can someone say broken mirror? AND! It's not over yet. Find out next week in Chapter 3: Rivals and Friends.

Grizzly out for the night.