Chapter 1
"The Beginning Of The End"
The freezing cold nails dripped into my heart, surrounding the core and trapping it.
I understood my dreams. I understood what was going on…
I understood the prophecy.
I began speaking without even realizing what I was doing. All the while, I felt the dark energy surrounding me with growing strength.
……When humans have forgotten about us and their connection to Pokémon. They warned us of a time of great conflict between good and evil. From the midst of the evil will come a Mew more powerful than any other Pokémon and even Mew in existence. With nothing but hatred in its heart, it will create a storm unlike any other. This storm will destroy the world, leaving nothing to be mercied by this unfeeling being…We call this Mew the Dark Mew…The last Mew to come into existence…
…ash…
I turned around. Nekiro was just waking up.
Nekiro… I said regretfully, …You were wrong this whole time……I…I know who the Dark Mew is……and…
I looked at the ground.
…I know how to stop…him………
I throat tightened but I continued.
…me…
Ash! Nekiro gasped, wide awake now.
I shook my head. I know it's true, I said solemnly, I've seen it… I looked at Mewtwo. You've seen it too, haven't you?
Mewtwo didn't answer. It was too scared, I could tell…but I knew from the look in its eyes that it had seen it…
I stared down at my paws and the black power that was coursing through them. I closed my fists tightly.
…There's only one way to end this… I said softly, and it has to be before it starts…
I gathered my power in front of me and held it up so we could all see it clearly.
…Look at that… I remarked, It's not even a normal color…It's black and white……
I gave the sphere all the power that I could muster then aimed it…
ASH DON'T! Mewtwo cried out, suddenly realizing what I planned on doing.
…at me.
…Maybe they tried to stop me……I don't know…All I felt was the pain…cold and burning…melting the claw that held my heart…but cutting me in half while it did that…I felt a sizzle and an unbelievable jolt of pain before……
* * *
I awoke with a jolt. It was night…Dark…Peaceful…I sighed and looked around me. Everyone else was sleeping soundly…
Those dreams…They seem so real……
I tried to calm my heart's rapid pace.
These ones were different though……I don't feel sick anymore……If anything I feel………stronger…
I puzzled over that.
…Could the dream have made me stronger…?
I shut my eyes and tried not to believe it.
…How could death make someone stronger…?
* * *
I saw him at the last second. It was already too late. He ran and tried to stop us from battling…but……
* * *
Ashura! Are you awake?
I rolled over and saw Nekiro floating by the bed.
Yeah, I'm awake… I groaned.
I still felt kind of sick, but I was awake.
…Ashura, come with me… Nekiro said, There's someone who wants to talk to you…
Huh…?
Who would Nekiro know that would want to talk to me?…A Mew?
Come on, Ash… he said, I could sense his urgency.
I pulled myself out of bed somehow. It felt weird…since it had been such a long time since I'd done that…but…again I felt that strength that almost seemed to come from the dream…
…Do you think you're strong enough? Nekiro asked.
Strong enough? Definitely.
I only nodded as a reply.
He suddenly seemed reluctant but gave me a nod.
Ok…Come with me…
I felt the Teleport light flow through me, and in a brief moment, we were somewhere else.
I glanced all around me. We were forest……Not an unfamilar one either…In fact……
This is the same one that……
I found myself staring at the ash tree at the far end of the clearing.
No…We can't be here…No! I never wanted to come back here!!
…Ash?…Ash, are you okay? Nekiro asked.
I pried my gaze off of the tree and stared at Nekiro instead.
…Ash?
Okay? How could I possibly be okay? Do you know where we are!!?
…Ash?
A different voice spoke this time. I turned to stare at the source…and somehow found my voice.
…Mewtwo?
What is Mewtwo doing here!?
I felt an icy claw slip over my heart…
Mewtwo nodded.
I came here because I need to talk to you Ash.
No…
Mewtwo took a step forward. For once, it seemed unsure of itself.
…I've been having…these strange…dreams… it began.
I nearly choked on myself. I stared at him with a new fear.
Mewtwo took a deep breath.
…You've been in all of them, Ash, it continued quietly, …and…in all of them…
It looked away, as if ashamed.
…Well, let's just say it wasn't pleasant, it whispered.
Mewtwo closed its eyes and turned away.
Nekiro looked at me with pleading eyes.
Ash, you have to tell us about your dreams too, he said, They're important. They have to be……We need to know.
You want to know?…You need to know?…You lie…No one needs to know about my dreams…
I found myself staring at the ash tree again.
What happens to me is my own business and no one elses…
The memories the fog and the memories that it brought with it flashed in my mind.
I have no reason to be here again. They can't make me do anything!
…Ash, are you okay? Nekiro asked.
I turned on him angrily.
Am I okay? I asked, Am I okay!? Do I look okay to you? Do I sound okay!? No. No, I don't. You know why? Because I'm not! And…I…just…can't……stand it!!
Ash, what are you-?
Nekiro floated over to me.
No! Stay away from me!
In pure reflex, I blasted him away before he could get close. He shot straight out and smacked into a tree trunk, then fell to the ground in a heap.
Mewtwo instantly went into alert mode. It glanced from me to Nekiro and back again. Its eyes were wide with surprise and fear…even confusion.
Ash! Why did you do that!? it demanded.
Why? I asked dangerously, To tell you the truth I'm not even sure myself, but that doesn't really matter, now does it?
Ash… Mewtwo said in a hushed voice.
I can't…No…I can't do this…
I narrowed my eyes.
I have to.
Mewtwo, I said quietly, I still owe you a battle…don't I?
Mewtwo's expression changed to one of shock.
Ash… it started.
……Let's begin… I said, then added, Don't you want to find out which one of us is greater?
I could tell immediately that he recognized that.
My dream… he said in awe.
Right, I answered, You wanted to know about my dreams, right? Welll…here we go.
I charged up a sphere of negative energy and fired it at Mewtwo. It tried to protect itself with a barrier of light. My attack hit its shield with a blinding flash. I added more strength to my attack and then simply watched as a screaming crack pierced shattered through the air. Mewtwo was engulfed in my power and fell to the ground. I knew one more attack would finish it. I floated to Mewtwo and hovered over it. Mewtwo stared up at me with pain in its eyes, but sadness as well.
I looked down at it and tried to figure out where my emotions had run off to…I could feel nothing…
What's happening to me…?
I suddenly jerked myself back into the current situation. I lighted on the ground and stared at Mewtwo.
…What did I do…? I whispered.
Mewtwo winced and pulled itself up. It stared at the ground for a moment, then looked up at me.
The ice dug its sharp claws into my heart, piercing the skin…
* * *
I ran. I ran, knowing there was nothing I could do to stop it, but knowing that I had to try anyway.
"You've gotta stop this right now!"
I heard the hum of their psychic attacks.
"STOP!!!!!" I cried.
* * *
The freezing cold nails dripped into my heart, surrounding the core and trapping it.
I understood my dreams. I understood what was going on…
I understood the prophecy.
I began speaking without even realizing what I was doing. All the while, I felt the dark energy surrounding me with growing strength.
……When humans have forgotten about us and their connection to Pokémon. They warned us of a time of great conflict between good and evil. From the midst of the evil will come a Mew more powerful than any other Pokémon and even Mew in existence. With nothing but hatred in its heart, it will create a storm unlike any other. This storm will destroy the world, leaving nothing to be mercied by this unfeeling being…We call this Mew the Dark Mew…The last Mew to come into existence…
…ash..
I turned around. Nekiro was just waking up…I jerked away and closed my eyes.
What do you want now? I asked.
Ashura……what are you…? What……? I…
I tightened my fists and glared at him.
Nekiro…I think you have too much faith in me………Didn't you listen to the prophecy…?
He held himself up with his front paws and stared at me.
…Oh wait……You couldn't understand it……You……… I tried to think of the right word… …You couldn't…see it……Right, Mewtwo?
…What?
I felt the ice seep through the holes it had made and begin to fill up the warm space inside…
…The last Mew to come into existence……Me………
I looked at Mewtwo.
You were second to last. You came close, but then I evolved…
I looked at the ground…The same ground where I had………I closed my eyes and tried to shut out the image in my mind, but it only grew stronger.
The cold in my heart spread to fill me and began to freeze…
This is the same place where I……I killed……and……ate………my fellow Pokémon……but no……they weren't really my fellow Pokémon back then…were they?……And does it even matter anymore…?
…Why should I care about what does and doesn't matter? Does anything really matter…?
…Mewtwo, you believe in fate, don't you…? I asked, keeping my eyes shut.
Uh-! Well………Yes, er……I do…… he replied hesitantly.
……You saw what happened…in the seeings………and you know what I have to do……
Ash…
I didn't open my eyes. I could feel Nekiro's confusion and fear…but I could almost touch what Mewtwo was feeling…The cold frenzy of frightened knowledge…The wild disbelief of what he was witnessing……
And then there was me…losing track of who and what and where and when and why, but there I was, all the same……
* * *
I don't know what happened to me that day…Looking back at it now, I wonder if it was a matter of simply making the wrong decision……but there's nothing I can do about that now. No one can change the past.