By Moonlight Chapter 4: By Moonlight, a pokémon fanfic

By Moonlight

A Pokemon Fanfic.

Written by RogueMoon

"…But in a far away city, stories are told of a mysterious pokemon who roams freely. But always, by moonlight." – Pokemon: Mewtwo Returns

Chapter Four: By Moonlight

Ash shoved the Poke-Dex back in his pocket and broke the eye contact with Mewtwo. His attention focused back on the opposing trainer, who stood there with a puzzled look upon his face. The thoughts going through his head were most likely the same as the questions filtering through the crowd. Ash's grin was replaced by his battle smirk and he called out, "For my third pokemon, I choose Mewtwo!"

Behind the black haired boy, Misty's jaw was grazing the ground as she fanned Brocks' face. The squinty-eyed one had fainted from shock just as Ash had started to record the new Poke-Dex entry.

Ash's opponent crossed his arms, "I've never heard of this Pokemon! And I didn't see you throw out a poke-ball either. How do I know it's yours?"

Ash rolled his eyes, "You haven't seen a lot of pokemon, obviously. And just 'cause I didn't throw out a poke-ball, doesn't mean he isn't mine."

Mewtwo, who had started to study his opponent, jerked his head around and glared at the brown-haired trainer, letting him and the rest of the crowd hear his voice, "It is not your place to question who I choose to fight for, human. If you are so good as you think you are, thief, then tell Alakazam to battle, I grow more annoyed at you with every breath of air you waste."

That shut up the trainer and most of the crowd. Although there were a couple of exceptions. Ash and Misty were having a hard time keeping from laughing outright. The two managed to keep it more to a silent body shake, with their mouths and eyes clamped tightly shut.

When Ash was able to recover, the first thing he saw was the brown-haired trainer visibly fuming, "Hey pipsqueak! We going to do this or not?"

Ash wiped a tear from his eye, "Hoooo….. You can have first move."

"Your Pokemons' funeral. Alakazam! Swift attack!"

The Alakazam ignored the boy and sent out its Psychic attack.

Ash countered immediately, "Mewtwo! Reflect!"

And though the self-proclaimed greatest trainer in the world disliked taking orders, he had gotten himself into this situation. So, for a moment his eyes glowed a bright blue and the air in front of him shimmered slightly. Alakazam's attack hit and turned right around, going full force for its originator.

"Teleport then do it again!"

"Mewtwo, Counter!"

"Agility to dodge it! No!"

"Yes! It's down! Ha!"

"This isn't over yet! Go! Jolteon! Pin Missile Attack!'

"Barrier!"

"Quick Attack!"

"Ha! It can't get through the barrier! Great! Mewtwo, Psychic!"

"What?! No! This isn't fair! Your Pokemon hasn't moved once since the start of battle!"

"He doesn't have to move to do his attacks!"

"Grr! Fine! Deal with this! I choose you! Umbreon!"

"What?!"

Mewtwo turned to Ash, curious about the boy's new found worry, "What is wrong?"

"That's a Dark Type! They're immune to all Psychic attacks and have the advantage in battle!"

Mewtwo tilted his head to one side and the air surrounding his left paw started to shimmer, "And who said that all I can do is Psychic attacks?"

The opposing trainer shouted, "Hey pipsqueak! Stop talking to yourself and get ready to battle!"

"I'm ready whenever you are! Mewtwo! Go!"

And the strangest thing happened. The air near Mewtwo's left paw darkened and collensed into a large silver spoon. An odd sight to see indeed. A nearly seven foot humanoid purple pokemon, holding a giant spoon. The ultimate outward symbol of a Psychic Pokemon' power. Had Alakazam seen the size of Mewtwo's spoon, it would have retreated to it's poke-ball and refused to fight, no matter the consequences. It's own spoons were only a few inches long, and not nearly as shiny.

The ultimate Psychic pokemon held his spoon loosely. And a second later was in the air above Umbreon holding his spoon like a bat, coming down fast for the strike. Umbreons' trainer didn't have time to give it an order, but the dark type wasn't stupid and barely dodged the blow in time. Mewtwo stopped himself before he hit the ground where Umbreon had been, a blue glow surrounding him. The same blue glow as his eyes were now.

"um…uh…Umbreon! Tackle!"

"Mewtwo, fly!"

The same time Umbreon hit the spot Mewtwo had been, said pokemon was in the clouds. The sight of him lost to those on the ground.

"Umbreon, get ready to dodge…"

Mewtwo teleported back to the ground, appearing behind the Dark type and swung his spoon. Umbreon was thrown forward by the hit, skidding along the ground to stop at his trainers' feet. The brown-haired boy glared angrily at Mewtwo who was slowly advancing on his opponent, and then glared down at his pokemon, "Get up you worthless thing! You're supposed to win this for me! Not get beat by some no account psychic type!" The boy kicked his Umbreon as it tried vainly to get up. The blow from it's own trainer knocking it out.

Mewtwo stopped in his tracks and his Spoon disappeared. The trainer was going in for another blow when he found himself floating about twenty feet off the ground. Mewtwo's voice once again entered the minds of those gathered, "Your Pokemon did everything you asked of it and this is how you repay her loyalty? Her trust? You are worthless and deserve to be treated the same as you treat the pokemon you claim as yours. Although this one is the only one you can truthfully say you caught 'fair and square'. Perhaps if you could feel what they feel, you would treat them differently…"

"Mewtwo stop! That isn't the right way!" Ash yelled from behind.

"It works."

"But it isn't right! And anyway, he lost the battle so he has to take his pokemon to the Center for…"

"The abuse inspection, I know. It's most assured that they will find him negligent and take his pokemon away. But what then? What will happen to the pokemon? They will either be put up for adoption or set free. The first guaranteeing they will have no control over their environment, and the second a fatal sentence for those who have never lived without a trainer. And what of Alakazam. He isn't even this boy's pokemon. The only reason this fool has him, is because his trainer thought he was going to get him back after he got his depts paid. He was supposed to return Alakazam two months ago. His Jolteon he won off a ten-year-old girl who had just gotten it for her birthday. She and her Jolteon had never fought before. This waste of air told her that real trainers put their pokemon up as the stakes of a match. What of them? Shouldn't they get a choice in their fate?"

"Of course they should!" Misty piped up from behind Ash. "And they will."

Ash nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah. I'll see to it myself that the Pokemon get to go wherever they want. And if they want to go back to their real trainers, I'll take them there myself. But frightening trainers and tying them up has got to stop Mewtwo."

Mewtwo swung his head around, his eyes two fields of bright blue and his mental voice barely a whisper, "Frightening them? All I've done is shared with them the feelings they instill in their own pokemon. And tying them up? I simply did to them what they threatened to do to their pokemon and some actually did do. The girl you saw earlier today strung her Hoothoot up like dirty piece of cloth for three day s without food because it failed to learn a fighting move the first time it tried. I have done nothing to any of the trainers that they weren't willing to do themselves."

Ash lowered his head, "I know it's bad, but not everyone is like that. And there are ways to stop them without going to the extreme you have. That's what laws are for."

"Laws that have done nothing to help before now."

"But they will!" Officer Jennie joined in, "The City thanks you for bringing to its attention a problem left alone for far too long. But it would be for the better if you stopped your vigilante work. I'm assuming from the conversation, you've been doing this without your trainers' knowledge. Otherwise we'll have to take the young man into custody…"

"Today is the first day this boy has been my… 'trainer'…"

"Well, in that case… could you please put that young man down? I do need to take him into custody and re-confiscate his pokemon."

For a long moment, the crowd held it's breath as Mewtwo and Jennie locked eyes. A full minute went by before the boy was lowered to the ground. However, when Jennie went to cuff him, all of his poke-balls were missing. Mewtwo held his paw up, four red and white balls hovering over it, "I will see to these." He looked down at the unconscious umbreon, his eyes flashing intense blue for a second and then the pokemon turned into the red energy all pokemon did when being recalled to its poke-ball.

******

Off at the other side of the competition grounds, a meowth standing erect had his arms crossed and was glaring at the man in front of him, "I can't believe you. You had a purrfect chance to capture Pikachu and you didn't take it?"

James rolled his eyes and rested his cheek on a fist, "I told you already, I was busy trying to scam some money off a girl. If I hadn't you wouldn't have had the pastry you just downed."

"That don't matter! Pikachu is our top priority! And if you think…"

"Meowth! James! You won't believe it but the brat is here!"

James and Meowth said as one, "We know."

"Then what are we waiting for? We have to capture Pikachu!"

James warily stood, dusting himself off, "How was your match, Jessie? Did you win the badge?"

"Yes." The redhead dismissed the subject with a wave of her hand. "It was easy. All I had to go up against were some whiny brats that were easily defeated. Now, to get out of our disguises and into our uniforms. That way when we come back to use the badge, we won't be recognized!'

"Good plan Jessie!"

"Yeah, Meowth! I can't wait to use that badge! Free food, here Meowth comes!"

******

Ash picked up Pikachu, the mouse still unconscious from it's battle, and turned to go to the Pokemon Center, "Hey, Mewtwo, I'm heading for the Center to get Pikachu seen to. Would you mind bringing that Guy's pokemon along for me?"

Mewtwo didn't have a chance to answer as a plunger flew out of nowhere and latched onto Pikachu, and then pulled the electric mouse out of Ash's arms. "Wha? Pikachu!"

Laughter rang out from nowhere.

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie's' voice came over the top of the crowd.

"And make it double!" James' voice joined hers as their Meowth balloon came out from behind a nearby building.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!" The red head posed, one foot on the edge of the balloon basket.

"James!" The man posed with his back to the majority of the crowd, looking over his shoulder and holding a rose.

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!" the cat pokemon finished as he jumped onto the balloon with his prize held above his head. "Looky looky! We got Pikachu!"

Jessie laughed, leaning over the edge of the basket, "And there's nothing you can do!"

James waved some fans around for no apparent reason, "And Pikachu's out cold so no shocks this time!"

Ash did what he normally did, yelled at them, "GIVE ME BACK MY PIKACHU!"

"Make us!" Meowth shot back, pulling down an eyelid and sticking his tongue out.

Mewtwo sweat-dropped for the first time in his short, unnatural life, "This happens often?"

Misty sighed, coming up next to the pokemon as Ash and Team Rocket continued to share insults, "Every day it seems like. But they're easy to get rid of. Usually Pikachu just shocks them... But since he's out of commission right now, Ash'll probably just get Bulbasaur to razor leaf the idiots."

Mewtwo didn't respond. He didn't need to. But he did use his powers once more. With his power, he lifted Pikachu out of Meowths hands, settling the mouse down into Ash's arms. He then grabbed hold of Team Rocket's balloon and sent it flying off.

In the distance could be heard, "Team Rocket's blasting off agaiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnn!"

Ash laughed happily, hugging Pikachu to his chest, "You're safe! Thanks Mewtwo!"

Misty smiled at the pokemon, "That was really nice. You're not as scary as I've always thought you to be. You're actually really sweet." She put a hand on his shoulder, and pulled him down to her level as she stood up on tippy toes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Smiling again, she took off after Ash, who was already halfway to the Center.

Mewtwo stayed still, staring after the two, the crowd around him giving him curious looks as they milled about waiting for the official battles to start again or for another trainer battle to happen.

~Sweet?~

Announcer: And so our Hero's journey continues. Will Ash win the Moonlight badge? And what of Mewtwo? Find out next time on~

"OH SHUT UP!" Jessie yells, pulling the announcer off screen.

James appears, "Please continue reading, this chapter will not end for a few more pages. The Author found herself having a lot of fun writing this. Enjoy!"

******

Mewtwo walked slowly to the Pokemon center. It was his first time in the streets of the city, his first time viewing it as the Humans did, walking the pavement as the humans did. He got many a curious look from the city's inhabitants, human and pokemon alike. For many pokemon wandered free of their poke-balls, some were even wild. Though all those were bug type, common enough that most humans did not see any reason to capture them. He supposed he did make an odd sight, a large pokemon walking through the crowd being followed by four floating poke-balls.

The buildings he had always known to be tall, but looking at them from this vantage added a strange feeling of …wonder, perhaps? to his being. He could smell things here that he hadn't noticed before. He could smell the stench of the humans, yes, but also the fleeting smells of nature that endured in the concrete forest. And as he neared the Pokemon Center, he could smell the various scents of those pokemon and their trainers that came through the city.

The Center looked different from this vantage as well. From above it looked like a simple red dome with a few windows at semi regular intervals. But from the front it actually looked inviting. To Mewtwo's pokemon senses, it gently cooed "Come on in. You'll be fine. It's safe…" Perhaps that is why pokemon did not complain when they were taken there, but did when they were told they must leave. Many a thought had broken through his shields that screamed of not wanting to leave.

Mewtwo stopped at the bottom of the steps and simply gazed at the Center's entrance. His appearance and lack of movement gathering the attention of those within its walls. Humans and pokemon looked out at him, curiosity written on their faces. Mewtwo slowly walked up the steps and stopped once more before the doors.

The trainers and pokemon still stared at him, would he come in? Or was he just going to stay there staring? Nurse Joi broke the silence that had fallen and opened the door, bowing politely to him, "Hello and welcome. My name is Nurse Joi and I run this Pokemon Center. Would you care to come in? If there is anything I can do to help you or the other Pokemon with you, please let me know. Or if you would just like something to eat or drink, you are welcome to have what we can provide."

Mewtwo looked at her smiling face for a long moment. Turning his attention back to the Center, he took a tentative step forward. Then another. Two moments later Nurse Joi was closing the door behind his tail and walking back to the counter, her smile never moving, "If you'll come right over here, I will get you in the register and then we can see to your fellow pokemon."

Mewtwo went to the counter and lowered the poke-balls onto its surface.

Joi started typing into her computer, "First off, I'll need your name and Pokemon type."

"I am Mewtwo."

"I'll take that as being both. Do you have a trainer?"

A voice piped up from Mewtwo's right, "He's with me Nurse Joy!" Ash's head appeared from around a corner. "Just put him in under A. Ketchum, Pokemon Type Psychic Rare, leave out his name and species name for now and the pokemon he has with him are to be put under the Abuse inspection file. I asked him to bring them here for me 'cause I had my hands full with Pikachu."

Joi smiled at the boy as he disappeared back around the corner, "Alright. Thank you. Okay Mewtwo, I'll need to take these pokemon to the back for the Police to do their inspection. Chansey! Please bring a tray to carry these to the back. Room 12 C."

A chansey in nurse's clothes bounced out of the back carrying a silver tray, "Chansey!"

Mewtwo looked at it and spoke to it alone, "Is that so?"

"Chansey!"

"Really?"

"Chansey!"

"We shall see…"

"Chansey!" she said and turned to bounce back the way she came, the poke-balls balanced perfectly on the tray before her.

Nurse Joi smiled and came back out from behind the counter, "If you'd like, you can wait here in the common room. There are plenty of couches and tables for everyone. Can I get you anything to drink? Would you like a snack?"

"No."

"Alright then. I'll be over here at the counter if you need me." Her smile never faltered.

~What is with her? Even the nurse Joy I enslaved was not this perky.~ Mewtwo thought to himself as he walked to a small booth in a shadowed corner. As shadowed a corner as one could get in such a well lighted room.

He sat down, glaring at the small crowd, daring any of them to come near, when a small girl did just that. Her brother tried to stop her, but wasn't able to catch the back of her dress in time. She had short black hair, bright green eyes and the cutest little button nose. Mewtwo's glare became worse. "What?"

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

She stuck a finger up one nostril and started to pick at her nose, "Talk wif-out talking."

"You mean, how do I use my voice without moving my mouth?"

She pulled her finger out of her nose and stuck it in her mouth, "Uh-huh."

Mewtwo was thoroughly discussed. Ash came to his rescue, "He's a Psychic type pokemon. Almost all of them can do that with their trainers. Mewtwo just does it with everyone."

The little girl turned her wide-eyed stare to the boy as he took her by the shoulders and turned her around, "Now why don't you go back to your family, kay? I'm sure you'll want to be there when your pokemon is brought back to you."

"Okay, mister." She waved shyly at Mewtwo, "Bye. Bye."

The purple one simply kept up his glare.

Which was when Brock charged through the Center's doors and into the counter where he stopped to catch his breath. Nurse Joi looked down at him, "Can I help you?"

Brock recovered immediately, "Well I think a nice romantic ride through the park in a carriage pulled by a Ponyta would really help us get to know each other."

"Huh?"

"And perhaps afterwards a candlelit dinner for two at your house with some… Ow ow ow ow…Misty!"

Misty drug the boy away from the counter by his ear and over to the corner where Ash and Mewtwo sat. Ash directly across from the Pokemon who seemed to want nothing to do with any of them, but still had no inclination to leave. Brock's jaw dropped, "I thought it was just a dream…"

Ash laughed, "Brock, Misty, this is who I saw earlier. When we were at the crime scene."

Brock stayed frozen, Misty covered her mouth as she laughed, "Nope. Definitely not a bug pokemon. Guess I didn't have to worry. So how's Pikachu?"

Ash's whole mood changed, "Well, he's going to be fine, but both him and Quilava won't be able to battle again until tomorrow. So I'm going to have to get Prof. Oak to send me a couple others for my match but I just don't know who to ask for."

Misty thought for a moment, "How about one of your Toros? I'm sure one of them would love to get off the ranch and see you. Or maybe Muk? He's done a good job before and I know he would love to see you again."

"Don't remind me! Last thing I need is for him to smother me in an attempt to say hello!"

Misty laughed, "He just likes you is all. And he fights really well. He always does his best for you."

"Yeah, he does. So I guess that's decided, but who will I get to replace Quilava in the match. I think the rules said it was going to be a six on six…"

"Stop staring at me."

Misty and Ash both looked over at Mewtwo. Brock was still staring at the pokemon.

Ash was confused, "Brock, you've seen him before, what's so special about him now?"

Brock started and then yelled angrily at his friends, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? He's quite possibly the rarest, most powerful pokemon alive and he's actually choosing to sit at a table with us and even fight for you!"

Ash blinked. Looked from Brock to Mewtwo, who was looking the other way, attempting to scare everyone else off with his glare, and doing a very good job of it, then scratched the back of his head, "Oh yeah! Heh heh… Thanks Mewtwo, for winning the battle for me. Although I'm sure it was so you could punish that one trainer, I still appreciate it."

Mewtwo didn't turn around to look at the boy, but nodded his head slightly to one side.

Misty, who had been contemplating Ash's problem, decided to speak, "I know! You could barrow one of mine or Brock's pokemon! I know Togepi and Psyduck aren't the greatest, but my Starmie, Staryu and Poliwhirl are good fighters. As is my Seaking."

"Thanks Misty, but since there's no pond around here, I think a water pokemon might be a bad choice. Except maybe Poliwhirl. And I didn't see any tanks set up, I think they're just using the street and part of the park near there for the official battles."

"Oh… Well, maybe one of Brocks?"

Brock, hunched over in defeat, nodded his head, "If you want to barrow Zubat, Onix or Geodude, I'm fine with that. And Vulpix. Of course you'll have to ask them, it's their choice."

"Thanks Brock, I'll ask one of them depending on if I need to use all six in the battle."

The trio went on to talk about travel plans for the next day and what shopping had to be done. Mewtwo sat quietly, just listening to them, getting an occasional look from others who entered the Center. He didn't really know why he stayed there, but he did. Perhaps it was the strange feeling of not being totally out of place. He felt like he might actually… belong?

The hours passed and the group had dinner. The human called Brock made decent enough food that even Mewtwo ate some. Ash used the vid phone to check in with Prof. Oak and found Tracy attending the phones. The friends talked for a few minutes and Tracy sent over Muk who promptly smothered Ash with his hello.

Mewtwo watched in fascination. Surprised that anyone could be that happy to just see someone again. But also worried somewhat, for the emotions rolling off of Muk were similar to the ones he had felt when he realized that Ash was in the city, only his were not as strong. Not as… obvious, overpowering. ~Do I …feel for the boy? Is that why I sought him out earlier? Why I fought for him? Why I stay near him now when I really don't need to? When I most probably shouldn't?~

And as he sat watching Ash and Muk laugh as they were reunited, Mewtwo felt a pang of emotion, so strong, he nearly let it show. He didn't know what to call it, for he had never felt it before, but it stabbed at him. Telling him he did have a heart. And for some reason, it hurt. Spending time with the boy and his friends, listening, watching them interact with each other, it was all affecting Mewtwo. Affecting him in ways that his months of isolated musing on the effects of emotions had not been able to think of. He felt both a strange belonging and a pointed feeling of being out of place. Felt them both at the same time. And all he could think to do was sit there and continue observing. Continue feeling.

******

The group groomed what pokemon they had on them (Psyduck wandered off and flirted with the wrong Elekid and ended up having to share a room with Pikachu and Quilava) and then readied themselves for Ash's match.

Ash had gotten himself worked up over it, as he always did, and was jumping around from one side of the street to another on the short walk to the contest grounds. Misty chided him for being so foolish and Brock chided Misty for chiding Ash. Mewtwo followed around five feet behind them, floating inches off the ground instead of walking. He had decided that the trio walked too much.

Ash and company arrived fifteen minutes before his match was scheduled to begin and they all, with the exception of Mewtwo, settled down to watch the match that was currently going. Ash getting far too excited over the battle.

Mewtwo stayed back, in the shadow of the nearest building, just watching. Normally he would be patrolling the city, now that night had fallen, but instead, he had stayed out during the day. The first time since leaving Purity Lake that he had stayed out all day, while the sun traced its path through the sky.

~Now is my time. The night is my realm. Like the moon that will soon rise, I too am a pale reflection of those who were born naturally. But also like the Moon, I can sometimes come out during the day and suffer no ill consequences. Today has proved that. But I can no longer stay here, in this city. For it is time that I move on. Move on and look at the world around me like I have not before. Your presence let me do that today, Ash. Always with your presence to I learn something new.

~What is it about you that does that? Is it because …you… are like the Sun? Is that why I felt that way when your Muk and you were reunited. Because he could bask in your light and I… I cannot? Not yet… Perhaps.

~When the Moon is able to travel the sky with the Sun, I too will return and seek you out. Perhaps by then I will have learned more about my heart…~

Mewtwo floated up, over the buildings, over the clouds, his eyes never leaving Ash's form.

The sky cleared, the clouds disappearing, letting the rising moon shine down on the lighted streets below, where Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and his two friends celebrated his newly won Moonlight Badge.

~…And I will be worthy enough… to be in yours…~

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