Just an experiment?
Oh, my head. Huh? What's going on? I remember... I remember flying, then the Fearow, it hit me... It hurt. I beat the crap out of that thing, then I fell down, now where am I?
"Ah, you're awake."
Huh? Who was that?
"No need to use your psychic powers to talk, try your voice."
Psychic powers? What powers? Who are you? What's going on?
"Your name is Ketrine, but you are called Ket. You're at your home, and these are your parents."
Two people walk out. One, a female with long blond hair, runs to me and hugs me.
"Oh, Ket! I was so worried about you! When you fell off the bridge, oh, I thought you were gone, but somehow, you made it! Oh, I'm so happy!"
In irritation, I shove her away with my mental energy.
"Ket, honey, please. Your mother is just trying to make you feel better. I know you've been through a lot, but please try to be a little more respectful."
I shoot my "father" a look of anger. I know, I just know they're not my parents! The woman, she hesitated a little before she hugged me. That isn't how parents are supposed to act, is it?
"Well, since you seem to need a little time to recover your memory, I'm gonna leave now."
That was the strange man. There's something about him I don't like, he gives off a bad aura. In fact, I don't remember being human, but I also don't know what I was before. Well, there's only one way to find out; I get up, and walk to a large mirror. Standing before it, I see a young woman of about 15. She has large, dark-brown eyes and she's wearing dark blue jeans, a red tank top, and has on white tennis shoes. Her black-brown hair is pulled up in a ponytail, yet it goes past her shoulders. She is me, yet she doesn't feel like me. I stare at my hands. Red nail polish darkens the finger-nails. I feel like I've done this before, but that time my hands had been different. Only, I can't remember what they looked like. I clench my hands into fists. Whatever I am, I'm NOT the girl in the mirror! I shatter the mirror with a flick of my hand, and I watch, with some amusement, as the shards fall to the floor. The next few weeks fly by. My parents try everything they can think of to recall my memory. Stories, pictures, traveling to places we frequently went to, bringing out my Pokemon, Venusaur, Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon, Vileplume, and Raichu. Slowly, I begin to trust my parents, but none of these things, even the Pokemon, ring a bell. Funny, but I don't even remember starting this journey. My parents and I assume that it's just shock, and I'll remember eventually. I quickly become friends with the Pokemon, though, and finally, I start calling my parents Mom and Dad. Finally, I was allowed to continue my Pokemon journey. The day I left, my parents gave me my back pack, and bid me farewell.
"Ket, I want you to be careful. Try to stay away from bridges now. Ok?"
"Yes, mother." That was the first time I had ever spoken aloud. How curious. My father walks to me, tears in his eyes.
"Be careful now, understood? I know you'd rather not hear me say this, but the first guy you meet that you like, come back with him so we can meet him. Is that okay?"
I nod. "Yes, father. I'll be careful." Finally, they let me leave. As I walk off, I can't help but think that my father's request was strange. Bring back the guy I meet and like? Very odd. Oh, well. Several days pass. I camp out, battle wandering trainers, wonder about anything and everything.
One day, as I'm sitting in a tree, watching for trainers I can freak out by dropping in front of them before challenging them to a match, when I hear a small group coming. Judging by the sounds, there are three of them. Wait, no, four, but one's a Pikachu. Two of them, a boy and girl, are arguing. I assume this from the tension in their voices, for I can't hear them well enough to understand them. The other, also a male, is trying desperately to calm his companions down. Snatches of conversation drift my way.
"Ash, you've gotten us lost again, you idiot!" Hmm. So the boy's name is Ash, and he can't read a map, according to the girl. Interesting. The boy, this Ash, breaks my train of thought with a retort directed at the female.
"Well, Misty, then how come you're the one holding the map?" Cute. The girl's name is Misty. She starts to return his remark, when the older boy interjects.
"Guys, PLEASE! Could you two just stop fighting for a minute?! You're giving me a headache!" Oooo, he sounds so cute when he's pleading! I almost fall from the tree, I'm practically swooning. Catching myself at the last minute, I prepare to drop before them. They come within a few feet of my tree, and I drop.
"Ahh!" the entire group screams, much to my delight. I start to giggle as the younger boy jumps in front of the female. I fall over laughing as the girl pushes him to one side, her face bright red. The older boy is also red, and drooling. Oh, he's even cuter up close! With a wave of my hand, I close his mouth.
"Much better" I mutter, turning to the younger boy, who is dusting off his jeans. I smile, a Pokeball in my hand.
"Who are you?" His demand amuses me, his inability to grasp the obvious. I stare at him calmly. I start to speak, when Ash is pushed aside by the handsome young man. Amazingly, he's not drooling.
"Hi, I'm Brock. What's your name and do you have a boyfriend?" Girl crazy, figures. The red head is pretty, but she's obviously to young for him. Besides, Ash seems to have claimed her. I smile sweetly, deciding to play hard to get.
"My name's Ket. And no, I don't have a boyfriend." I giggle, and he turns redder.
"Would you like to go out with me?" I study his mind, using my powers. He has faced many rejections, yet still has the guts to keep trying. I won't be so hard on him.
"Not right now, maybe later." He looks downcast, then perks up when he realizes what I said. Leaving him in his trance, I turn to Ash and Misty.
"Wanna battle? Six-on-six." Ash nods and the two of us move to stand on opposite sides of an imaginary battle field. He holds up his first ball.
"Bulbasaur, go!" Ha, unevolved. Flareon will take care of that little plant.
"Firedance, time to play!" The boy and his Bulbasaur gulps Flareon appears. Then his face hardens.
"Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!" His plant tries to hit Flareon, but Firedance is no slouch. She avoids it, and stands ready for orders. Let's make this battle short and bitter-sweet.
"Firedance, Fire Blast!" His scrap of a Pokemon stands no chance. Fuming, Ash recalls a well-done Bulbasaur. He flings out his Squirtle. It shoots water at Firedance, who, not fully expecting the attack, is caught in the side as she dodges. I recall her, and hold up my Vileplume's ball.
"Go, Sunny!" Vileplume appears and Solar Beams Ash's Squirtle before it has a chance to attack. Angrily, he holds out the turtle's ball.
"Squirtle, return!" The said Pokemon disappears. Ash throws out another ball. Charizard, go!" A Charizard? This should be mildly entertaining. When the Pokemon appears, I notice the hesitant look in Ash's eyes. Apparently, the Pokemon doesn't always listen. He's taking a chance. Well, Vileplume can test out her new move. Let's end this.
"Vileplume, Razor Whip!" This move is a combination of Vine Whip and Razor Leaf. The Charizard, interestingly enough, moves out of the way. Ash brightens.
"Charizard, Flame-thrower!" Charizard looks at him, looks at Vileplume, then attacks Misty. A beam of fire shoots at her. At the last second, Ash shoves her to one side. The blast catches him in the chest. He falls, hard, most of his shirt burned away. His skin, and probably several layers beneath it, is severely burned. I watch Misty and Brock rush to him, checking for vital signs. Finding them faint, Brock lifts Ash and turns to rush for the hospital.
"Stop!" Brock and Misty turn and look at me, surprised.
"Why?" Misty is obviously thinking that I want Ash dead. She wears her suspicions on her face.
"Just lay him down." Hesitantly, Brock obeys, setting his friend on the hard ground. Calmly, I walk over, calling out Ocean, my Vaporeon, and telling her to incapacitate Charizard as I walk over. I crouch by Ash and take his pulse. Very faint. I remove my back pack, digging into it. Misty and Brock watch me.
"Shouldn't we get him to a hospital?" Brock sounds surprisingly calm, considering the circumstances. I shake my head.
"He's too weak. He would die before you got there." Misty sobs.
"Then what can we do?"
"You can back off. Go over there." Misty moves back, watching Brock and I. Finally, I find a super potion in my pack. Brock looks surprised.
"What's that for?" Doesn't he get it?
"For Ash."
"But that's for Pokemon."
"Yeah, but they work amazingly well on humans too." I don't wait for Brock to respond. Opening the bottle's cap, I pour to contents into Ash's mouth. Capping the bottle, I take Brock's hand and lead him over to the Charizard, who is near death as well. Ocean soaked him too much. She has that problem. While I treat Charizard with a super potion, Ash regains consciousness. He stumbles over to watch us, leaning over Brock's shoulder. As Charizard is waking up, Misty notices that Ash is alive, though his shirt still has the hole in it. She runs over, trips, and knocks into Ash, and the force of the blow sent him flying into Brock's shoulder. All three fly forward, piling on Charizard. He's not happy. I really don't want to go through the whole super potion thing again, so I separate everybody with a wave of my psychic powers.
"Call back Charizard." Ash obeys, drawing the groggy Pokemon back into it's ball. Over the next few weeks, I travel with Ash and his friends. They accept my psychic powers, along with my temper, and learn not to cross me. I, in turn, work on controlling my anger, so that I will be easier to get along with. While we travel, it quickly becomes obvious to me that Ash and Misty love each other, as Brock has known for a long time. Brock and I are falling in love too. It's a nice feeling, this warm, happy feeling I get when I look at Brock. I think he feels it too. Then, after weeks of traveling, I decide that Brock is the guy I truly love.
"Hey, would you all like to come to my place? It's been awhile and I'm sure everyone here could use a good meal." I smile sweetly at Brock, which brings looks of disgust from Ash and Misty. Even after all these weeks, they still can't understand why I continue to travel with them, and that I love Brock. Ash once told me, I suppose in an effort to get me away from Brock, that Brock scared away every girl he met. I told Ash to go kiss Misty on the lips. Finally, Brock and I convince the others to go with us back to my parents house. I feel very happy, my first love with me, and I'm gonna see my parents again. If only I had known what we would find there, I'd have never gone back. Unfortunately, I was in too good a mood to think about scanning the building for evil presence. We reached the house in less than two weeks. As we ascend the steps, I feel a sense of foreboding. I wonder if anyone else feels it. Ash, apparently, does.
"This place gives me the creeps." His words earn him a trip into the bushes, courtesy of Ket's Psychic Airlines.
"Don't diss my house." He steps back. I would too, if I was on the receiving side of the glare I gave him. Finally, we reach the top of the steps. I swing the massive oak door open, and we step inside.
"Hello! I'm home! anybody here?" My mother's voice answers. From the dining room, I think.
"In the dining room dear." Yup. I motion for the others to follow. We walk to the room. It's in the middle of the second floor. My mother and father sit calmly at the table, drinking coffee.
"Oh, you found some friends! Let me guess. The one in the blue vest is The Guy. Right?" Ash shifts uncomfortably.
"Actually, Ash and Misty are just friends." My mother looks disappointed. I pull Brock from the back to stand next to me.
"This is Brock. He is The Guy." Brock shoots me a confused glance.
"Uh, Ket, what are you talking about? The Guy?" His low voice carries a note of concern and confusion.
"Don't ask. I'll explain later." He looks slightly calmer, but not much. I swear, if Ash and Misty were Pokemon, they would look like Jolteon's. Especially right now. They are tense and wary.
"Ah, Ket, you're back." Huh? Who's that? I know the voice. Slowly I turn, a hand on Jolteon's Pokeball.
"Oh, come now Ket. No need to be defensive in your own home now." I'm not letting down my guard. I sensed bad vibes off him before, and things have not changed.
"I really don't care what you say, I'm not trusting you." His face, already cracked in a slight smile, grins wider.
"Ket, I'd like to thank you." I narrow my eyes, glancing around the room for people who might attack.
"What do you mean?" He continues to grin that weird grin. I think that if he doesn't quit that soon, I'll just kill him. That smile is making me nervous, a sensation I really hate.
"Why, for bringing me some fresh test subjects, of course!" TEST SUBJECTS?! Who? Ash, Misty, and Brock? What is he talking about? I step forward, placing myself between my friends and this madman.
"What do you mean?"
"I was really only expecting you to bring one. After all, you weren't programmed to make many friends." Programmed? I'm a program?
"Could you make this all a little clearer?" He sighs.
"You know, I had actually been planning to tell you this right before I killed you, but now is as good a time as any. okay, to start off, you are not really Ketrine Oshima. Those two aren't your real parents. They are your foster parents, but I use this term loosely." I cut him off, wanting to sort out my thoughts for a moment. I'm not Ket? Then who am I? My friends all look very worried. I try to smile reassuringly, patting Brock's hand.
"Continue." He nods.
"Well, to be perfectly honest, you have no real name. You have a specie name." What? What's he hinting at? No real name, but a specie name?
"Then what should people call me?" His glee at having my full and complete attention is evident.
"You're name is... Mewtwo." Behind me, I hear Ash, Misty, and Brock gasp. I hear Ash speak to Misty.
"She's not human? She's a Pokemon?" I turn partly to speak to him.
"Look, as long as I look like a human, I'm a human. Got it?" All three nod. I return to my staring contest with this man who has told me so much.
"If I'm a Pokemon, then how come I look like a human?"
"Genetics technology has greatly improved. Other scientists sculpted you from the DNA of several people and a Mew." I can't take this anymore. It's too much.
"Shut up! Give me a moment." I don't wait for him to respond. I turn to face my "parents." "You knew all about this didn't you?" My "father" nods.
"Yes. They paid us well to just sit and read off fake memories. A lot like acting, actually."
"Who are 'they'?" He looks at me, then laughs.
"Oh, yes. You don't know who they are. They are Team Rocket, and you are one of their experiments." The last word hits me hard. Just an experiment, that's all I am? Behind me, Brock takes my hand.
"I still love you, I want you to know that." His words comfort me. At least someone does. Surprising both of us, I turn and kiss him square on the lips. After we break, I return my attention to the doctor.
"Touching. I don't remember programming you to do that." I scowl at him.
"There are glitches in every program, you must know." He nods.
"I fully agree. Now, let's get down to the part most of us have been waiting for." Moving into an attack position, I glare at him.
"What, precisely, are you going to do with my friends, assuming you get them? And what about me?"
"Hmm. You are very good at being direct. For your friends, the younger two will undergo some minor stuff. DNA crossing with Pokemon, cross-breeding, that sort of thing." Ash and Misty shake. I send them psychic messages of reassurance.
"What about Brock?"
"Oh, I don't know. We can think of something, I'm sure. And as for you, we'll just lock you a dungeon, maybe return you to your Pokemon form so you can serve Giovanni faithfully." I shake my head. I really don't think so. Not if I can help it.
"No." He studies me.
"What did you say?" His eyes widen in surprise that I would even think of contradicting him.
"I said, 'No.' You're not taking them, and we are leaving now." Before I can TELEPORT us to safety, there's a swish of air, and Ash drops, clutching his arm. I pause.
"Fool, you can't teleport. This place has been protected against you doing that. And besides, your friends need help." Before I can turn, two more shots zip by. Brock and Misty cry out, dropping with hands over their arms. I turn around, fearing that they've been badly wounded. They are all asleep. Tranquilizers. One shoots for me, but I stop it with a wave of my hand. It turns and heads back at the person who fired at me. He slumps as it hits his arm. The other two try their luck, but they end up just as the other. I turn to my former parents, and knock them out with a HYPNOSIS attack. I hear another shot, and it hits me before I can react. No! I can't fall asleep! They'll take my friends. I'll be forced to serve Giovanni. I fight sleep with everything I have, but I fail. I fall hard, landing next to Brock. Everything goes black.
Slowly, I wake up. Blinking, I search the room for familiarity. Nothing. I move my hands to rub my eyes, only to find them shackled to the wall. I sigh. They really think that something as simple as chains will stop me? A wave of psychic energy destroys the chains. Now, to get out of here. A guard is outside the door. Asleep, this will be far too easy. I poke him, grinning at his confusion. Then, before he can react, a PSYCHIC attack slams him into the wall a few times. He loses consciousness. I check him, looking for signs of life. He's still hanging in there. Good for him. I blow the door away with another PSYCHIC attack. Then, I drag the guy into the cage, refit the door, and melt the hinges and lock closed with my eyes. There. He can find out what those cages are like. I turn for the stairs. As I'm reaching for the handle of the door at the top, I remember something. My Pokemon. I check my belt. They've been removed. Shoot. Oh, well. Time to see if I can really battle. I concentrate as hard as I can, focusing on the Pokemon within. I stare at my hands. They slowly lose two fingers, then turn white. I've done it. I'm Mewtwo once again. I practice a little, then find that I can easily and instantly switch forms. That should be helpful. Turning back to the human form, I open the door. Now, where are my friends? I pass several guards in my search. None give me any hints. I leave each one motionless. One tells me to "screw myself," and I leave him dead. When I'm going through the trauma I'm going through right now, I don't like to be crossed. I find another guard. He sees me and manages to throw out a Pokeball before I grab him.
"Tell me where my friends are." He spits at me, and calls to his Pokemon.
"Ninetales!" I turn, finding a fire-fox behind me, growling. The man smiles.
"Let me go. You can't take on my Ninetales, you're just a girl." He hasn't been filled in on who I am, has he?
"Who says a Pokemon can't battle a Pokemon?" He gasps in surprise.
"Y-you're a Pokemon?" I nod and TELEPORT myself back several feet. The Ninetales watches me cautiously. In the blink of an eye, I'm Mewtwo. Trainer and Pokemon gasp. My grin must look strange.
"Let's go." The man, still half in shock, sends out his Ninetales. She runs forward, bristling.
"Ninetales, Fire Spin!" She creates a tornado of flame around me. Cute trick, but not enough. I shove the fire away with my hand. I use a PSYWAVE, and she falls. The young man recalls his Ninetales just before I knock him out too. After returning to my human form, I continue my search. Peering into each room I pass, I soon find Ash. He's pinned to a table with thick leather straps, and has taken a good, hard beating from something. There are many burns and cuts on him. A man, holding a syringe of red liquid, is moving towards him. I break down the door with a MEGA KICK, and use my mental energy to make the scientist stick the needle in his own arm. Then I knock him out with HYPNOSIS. Hurrying to Ash, I remove the straps and help him up. He is very shaken, but for the most part, he appears all right.
"Did they inject you with anything?" He shakes his head, thank goodness.
"Why did you help me?" I am startled.
"Why wouldn't I? You're my friend." Now he is startled.
"But you're part of Team Rocket." Oh, just because I am a Team Rocket science project, I'm now evil. Right.
"Well, would you have preferred to be the one injected? Just because I was made by Team Rocket doesn't mean I'm like Team Rocket." He stares at me a second, then grins.
"You're right. I'm sorry." I pat his shoulder.
"It's okay. Did they tell you where they took the others?" He shakes his head. I pull him towards the door.
"Come on. I'm not leaving you. I don't know how may others they have around. You'll be safer with me." He nods and we head out, looking for anyone else. We pass by room after room, finding nothing. Down the next corridor, our path is blocked by a Rocket member.
"Hold it! You are the escapees, you're not getting past me. Go Raichu!" I turn to Ash.
"I'm gonna switch into Mewtwo. Don't be alarmed." Before he responds, I jump at Raichu, evolving as I do. Raichu stands no chance. A PSYCHIC attack and CONFUSION finish it off. HYPNOSIS takes care of the trainer. Returning to my human form, Ash motion for Ash to come over to me. He looks impressed.
"Wow, you're strong!" Yeah, I'm the strongest Pokemon in current existence. What do you expect?
"Come on, there's not much time." We run, and find Misty. She, too, is tied to a table, screaming. Ash cringes in horror. Her hair has been burned off a good four inches or so. Many cuts and burns mar her features. After telling Ash to wait outside, I take my Pokemon form and SLAM open the door and grab the scientist by the throat. In the terror of being attacked by a strange Pokemon, he drops the needle. Misty is staring at me in pure horror as well. Another scream rips from her lips.
"Ash! Get Misty!" Ash runs in and tugs at the straps. I hear him reassuring Misty and telling her what's going on. I focus on the scientist, tightening my grip on his neck.
"Are you going to tell me where my other friend is, or not?" He struggles and faints. Hmm, weak in the face of danger. I drop him and resume begin a human. Turning to my friends, I check Misty.
"Did they inject you with anything?" She shakes her head. Well, that's good.
"I thought you were a wild Pokemon for a minute."
"I am wild."
"But you were created by Team Rocket."
"Yeah, created, but not caught. Now, we gotta find Brock." The others follow me. We travel down a flight of stairs, and I hear, with my sensitive ears, Brock screaming. He's in the dining room. I take off in that direction, Ash and Misty on my heels. I really hope they haven't hurt him, I really hope so.
Ash, Misty, and I silently dash through the house, looking for any sign of Brock. When we come near the steps that lead down to the area before the dining room, my sensitive ears hear the sounds of pained screaming, laughter, the whistle and crack of a whip. I can't really tell who is screaming, but I'm certain it's Brock. I motion to Ash and Misty, and the three of us creep partway down the steps to where we can see the shadows of those in the room, while they can't see us. Crouching down, I motion for Ash and Misty to imitate my move. An upright table is arranged so that we can see the spiky-haired silhouette strapped to it.
"Brock." I force myself to refrain from commenting on Ash's remark. Returning my attention to the shadows, I watch Brock weakly jerk his body a few times, but he clearly doesn't have enough energy to do much damage. Upon noticing his moves, a long-haired female hurries over and slashes at my boyfriend's chest with her whip. I smother a gasp and we all cringe when he cries out. Then another shadow I hadn't noticed earlier appears. A man, holding a syringe. Only I can just barely hear the conversation that follows.
"Are you feeling all right?" The fake concern in the voice could be detected by a deaf person. Brock's response is punctuated by pained gasps through a badly damaged chest.
"Oh, yeah. I enjoy being whipped to death. Really." I can almost see the doctor's smile at Brock's pathetic attempt for sarcasm.
"Well, you won't have to go through it anymore."
"Why would that be?"
"I have a new syrup that I've wanted to test out, and you are a good subject." My eyes widen with horror and panic. All the memories of the DNA splicing and experimental testing fly back at me. If I don't stop them, Brock will go through the same horrible things.
"No." Ash hears my soft whisper, and turns to me.
"'No' What?" His whisper is very quiet. I send both of them my memories of the cages and injections, among other horrors. Misty gives my arm a sympathetic squeeze, while Ash looks stunned that even Team Rocket could be so cruel. We return to watching the shadows. Brock is struggling with everything he has, while Dr. Maniac is coming at him with a syringe in hand. The needle sinks into Brock's left arm, and he screams louder than ever before. While we watch in terrified wonder, Brock's silhouette becomes unrecognizable. The doctor's crazed laughter crosses Ash's line at that point. He jumps up, unable to listen to anymore. I panic when he starts down the stairs, and lunge for him with a mental hand. My panic throws off my aim, and I grab his throat, coming very close to snapping his neck as I jerk him back. Crud, now I don't have any backup. Misty manages to stop her shriek before it passes her lips, and hurries to Ash's side, where I am already taking his pulse. I send her a message of reassurance. He'll be fine. I'm going to get Brock, you two stay here. Misty nods, and takes Ash's head into her lap. If this weren't such a desperate time, I would think that was very cute. But right now I am creeping to the door. An unearthly snarl startles me, and I spring through the door.
As I land smoothly on my feet, a quick glance around the room catalogs the persons presently here and those who were here. The doctor is here, but the girl who was whipping Brock is not. Brock isn't here, but a strange creature is in a cage. Very odd, I've never seen anything like it. In fact, it has characteristics of some of the fiercest Pokemon. I recognize Arcanine, Pinsir, Scyther, and Nidoking, to name a few. Finally, I face my creator, my most hated enemy.
"Hello, doctor. Although you really don't qualify for anything but a mental institution." He smiles.
"Ket, nice to see you two. How was the dungeon?"
"Oh, very nice. One of your guards is enjoying it right now." He frowns.
"No, he isn't. When someone went to check on you, they found him dead." Mentally, I'm horrified, but my reply is calm.
"Isn't that a shame. Now, we both know what I'm here for, so why don't you give Brock so I can leave you with your brains intact?" He looks surprised, then laughs.
"I just love your straight-forwardness. But, sadly, you can't have Brock. He's... not here right now."
"What do you mean? Tell me!" I take a menacing step at him, transforming as I do. However, he only seems even more elated.
"You figured out how to switch instantly! Oh, that is good. As for your friend, he's over there." To my surprise, the doctor is indicating the strange Pokemon in the cage. It growls at me and barks.
"What did you do to him?" The doctor is proud.
"Meet Quarch, a Pokemon created from the DNA of the meanest Pokemon and added to a human. Also your death." Oh, no. Please don't tell me I have to battle my lover. Please no.
"Brock! Can you hear me? Snap out of it!" My shouts are in vain.
"Brock can hear you, but he isn't as strong as the DNA that has been added to him. Now, let's test out both of your battling skills." I shake my head.
"I won't battle." The doctor shrugs.
"Then you can be ripped apart by Quarch. Now, to the battle field!" For some reason, I follow him out to a large field. Misty and Ash, who has recovered, follow us out. I stand on one side, doc and Quarch, still in his cage, on the other. Suddenly, the doctor holds out his hands.
"Wait. You can't battle! You need a trainer. Only trainer owned Pokemon can battle here."
"Then I guess we will just forfeit and everybody goes home happy then." A strange grin spreads across his face.
"Actually, I forgot to mention this: the loser dies. You lose, and you and your friends all die." Geez, that's a toughie. Then it hits me. I turn to Ash.
"Ash, come down here!" Confusion all over his features, Ash climbs down the bleachers and stops before me.
"Ash, I want you to capture me." His eyes widen.
"Catch you?! I can't do that!" I sigh.
"Ash, look. If I don't have a trainer, I can't battle. If I can't battle, we all die. I want you to catch me so that I have a trainer. I'm gonna destroy the ball after, cause I am a human, no matter what. But for now, throw the darn Pokeball!" Finally, Ash agrees. A Pokeball hits my arm, and I allow myself to be pulled in. The Pokeball isn't so bad, just I'm not a Pokemon. A few seconds later, the red light goes out. I have been captured, whoo. I send Ash a message telling him to send me out, and a little later the ball flies with his characteristic pose and phrase.
"Mewtwo, I choose you! GO!" I won't kill him for calling me Mewtwo. I won't kill him for calling me Mewtwo. He just doesn't want to call me Ket right now. I appear in a flash of light, and, just for effect, I send a ball of bright blue light into the air. Through all this, doc and Quarch have been watching quietly. Well, doc has, but Quarch is busy trying to chew apart his cage. I'm ready. I turn to the doctor.
"Let's go, I am ready." Brave words, and about half as much confidence behind them as I project.
Ash moves to the trainer's box, and I step into the ring. Before I advance further, Ash grabs my arm.
"Please be careful. Don't hurt Brock too bad though."
"I have no intention of injuring him much. I'll just dodge until he runs out of energy." Ash nods and I TELEPORT to the middle of the arena.
"Ket, just so you know, Quarch will start attacking the moment it's released." Humph. I'm ready.
"That's nice, but does he even listen?"
"Yes, he does, but his first attack is always one of his choice. Now, Quarch, go battle." The cage door opens, and Quarch runs out, attacking with a FLAME-THROWER while he runs at me. I TELEPORT, and hear Ash begin to call out commands.
"Mewtwo, Psychic!" I jump up and stare at my opponent. Blue light surrounds me, and Quarch is thrown back.
"Quarch, FIRE BLAST!" The blaze catches my arm. Ow! Pain! I use RECOVER, and feel better.
"Mewtwo, use your PSYBEAM!" Quarch is 10 feet away, and is blown back another five feet by a thick blue beam.
"Quarch, SLASH!" The creature raises a claw and brings it down on my side. Blood appears, and boy, does it ever hurt. Ash is shaken, but recovers.
"Mewtwo, PSYWAVE!" Waves of psychic power pulse from my eyes and force Quarch to his knees.
"Quarch, HORN DRILL!" I manage to dodge, just barely.
"Mewtwo, MEGA PUNCH!" I punch Quarch with everything I've got, and send him reeling. "Quarch, CLAMP!" I fell the Pokemon's jaws clamp down on my arm, and pain shoots through my arm and up to my head. Blood appears from the deep bite mark.
"Mewtwo, are you okay?" I nod.
"Okay then, PSYBEAM!" The beam slaps Quarch back.
Quarch, BITE." Teeth rip at my ankle, more blood flows.
"Mewtwo, RECOVER!" I have no power points left to recover. I'm stuck with what energy I have left.
"Then, use PSYBEAM again." Another beam, another trip via Psychic Air. Finally, Quarch, who has no RECOVER attack, is close to dying. Even with my advantage of RECOVER, many of the attacks weren't fully healed, I've run out of power to perform RECOVER, and I am close to fainting or dying as well. Ash doesn't want to call out an attack, knowing that one more might kill his friend. So I have to. As I prepare a final blast, I think about how much I wanted to be a true human, not a half-breed like I am. I think about how much Brock must want to be human again. That is my last thought as I hit Quarch with a blast. To my surprise, I feel the message leave with the attack. While I had been revving up, Quarch had been preparing an attack as well. We blast at the same time, and neither of us has time to dodge. I take the hit square in the chest, and fly back, burning pain radiating through my body. I manage to drag myself over to Quarch. He lies still, blue light still surrounding him. He is defeated, and I remember our little agreement. I look at doc.
"We have a deal. Losing side dies. Good bye." I focus an attack at his chest, and watch him fall to his knees. His heart collapses under the pressure, and he falls hard. I am drained, death is near. I look at Quarch, and to my surprise, he slowly returns to being Brock. I stare at what the whip girl did to him. His vest is gone, and the orange shirt has been slit open, and many wounds will leave scars on his chest. I return to my human form, and that act, while so easy to do when I was healthy, drains me heavily. Tears flow from my eyes. I take no notice of Ash and Misty watching Brock and I from Ash's trainer box. Leaning down, I kiss Brock on the lips, my tears dripping down and splashing on his cheek. Then I lose all strength. I drop, my head falling on Brock's chest. The room dims, and I lose consciousness.
All my friends are with me. Everybody's happy. Brock is calling my name. Coming! I'm coming!
Slowly, I force my eyes open, and look around. A hospital room, for Pokemon. The Pokemon center. Why here? I look down and see that I'm Mewtwo again. The battle must have done something to my molecular structure. I concentrate for a moment, then I'm Ket again. Climbing off the bed, I get up and look around. A smiling woman in a nurse uniform walks in, sees me, and let's out a surprised noise.
"How did you get in here, miss? And where's the Pokemon that was here?" Ooo, she doesn't know. Fun time. She screams when I morph, and faints. Aw, what a wuss. I place her in the bed and wander out. Ash and Misty greet me happily in the reception room. Overjoyed, I hug them. But where's Brock?
"Ash, what happened to Brock?" Instantly, the happy atmosphere disintegrates. I brace myself for the worst.
"He's still in the hospital. They're not sure if he'll make it." No. It's my fault. I did this to him, the fight, it was too much. Wait, I have to see him. I run out the door, look around, then TELEPORT to the hospital. I casually walk up to the front desk.
"Excuse me, but could you tell me what room Brock Stonate is in?" All smiles and professionalism, she looks it up.
"ICU, room 239. I'll buzz you in." The door swings open, and I hurry down to Brock's room. He is alone, with dozens of tubes attached to his body. Tip toeing in, I sit down and reach for his hand.
"Brock, I'm here. You can wake up now." If he responded at all, it didn't show. I try again.
"Brock, you were named Best Pokemon Breeder." His eyes snap open, and he looks around.
"I won? Huh? Oh, hi Ket."
"Brock, I'm so sorry! This was all my fault." Tears begin to slide down my cheeks, but Brock reaches up and brushes them away.
"So what? You saved us, and I finally have a girlfriend!" I have to laugh, his comment is so true.
"Girlfriend? We're a couple?" He nods, and your lips meet. I wrap my arms around him, mindful of the tubes and such, and we break a good thirty seconds later.
"Whoo! Look who scored!" Ash and Misty stand behind me, gawking. Somehow, it's not embarrassing. My turn.
"You two, admit it. You love each other, so kiss already!" The room explodes in laughter, and Ash and Misty do kiss. Brock and I start up again, and then everybody is kissing.
You like? Send me questions, comments, but no flames!
E-mail me! haramoto@cmc.net
Oh, my head. Huh? What's going on? I remember... I remember flying, then the Fearow, it hit me... It hurt. I beat the crap out of that thing, then I fell down, now where am I?
"Ah, you're awake."
Huh? Who was that?
"No need to use your psychic powers to talk, try your voice."
Psychic powers? What powers? Who are you? What's going on?
"Your name is Ketrine, but you are called Ket. You're at your home, and these are your parents."
Two people walk out. One, a female with long blond hair, runs to me and hugs me.
"Oh, Ket! I was so worried about you! When you fell off the bridge, oh, I thought you were gone, but somehow, you made it! Oh, I'm so happy!"
In irritation, I shove her away with my mental energy.
"Ket, honey, please. Your mother is just trying to make you feel better. I know you've been through a lot, but please try to be a little more respectful."
I shoot my "father" a look of anger. I know, I just know they're not my parents! The woman, she hesitated a little before she hugged me. That isn't how parents are supposed to act, is it?
"Well, since you seem to need a little time to recover your memory, I'm gonna leave now."
That was the strange man. There's something about him I don't like, he gives off a bad aura. In fact, I don't remember being human, but I also don't know what I was before. Well, there's only one way to find out; I get up, and walk to a large mirror. Standing before it, I see a young woman of about 15. She has large, dark-brown eyes and she's wearing dark blue jeans, a red tank top, and has on white tennis shoes. Her black-brown hair is pulled up in a ponytail, yet it goes past her shoulders. She is me, yet she doesn't feel like me. I stare at my hands. Red nail polish darkens the finger-nails. I feel like I've done this before, but that time my hands had been different. Only, I can't remember what they looked like. I clench my hands into fists. Whatever I am, I'm NOT the girl in the mirror! I shatter the mirror with a flick of my hand, and I watch, with some amusement, as the shards fall to the floor. The next few weeks fly by. My parents try everything they can think of to recall my memory. Stories, pictures, traveling to places we frequently went to, bringing out my Pokemon, Venusaur, Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon, Vileplume, and Raichu. Slowly, I begin to trust my parents, but none of these things, even the Pokemon, ring a bell. Funny, but I don't even remember starting this journey. My parents and I assume that it's just shock, and I'll remember eventually. I quickly become friends with the Pokemon, though, and finally, I start calling my parents Mom and Dad. Finally, I was allowed to continue my Pokemon journey. The day I left, my parents gave me my back pack, and bid me farewell.
"Ket, I want you to be careful. Try to stay away from bridges now. Ok?"
"Yes, mother." That was the first time I had ever spoken aloud. How curious. My father walks to me, tears in his eyes.
"Be careful now, understood? I know you'd rather not hear me say this, but the first guy you meet that you like, come back with him so we can meet him. Is that okay?"
I nod. "Yes, father. I'll be careful." Finally, they let me leave. As I walk off, I can't help but think that my father's request was strange. Bring back the guy I meet and like? Very odd. Oh, well. Several days pass. I camp out, battle wandering trainers, wonder about anything and everything.
One day, as I'm sitting in a tree, watching for trainers I can freak out by dropping in front of them before challenging them to a match, when I hear a small group coming. Judging by the sounds, there are three of them. Wait, no, four, but one's a Pikachu. Two of them, a boy and girl, are arguing. I assume this from the tension in their voices, for I can't hear them well enough to understand them. The other, also a male, is trying desperately to calm his companions down. Snatches of conversation drift my way.
"Ash, you've gotten us lost again, you idiot!" Hmm. So the boy's name is Ash, and he can't read a map, according to the girl. Interesting. The boy, this Ash, breaks my train of thought with a retort directed at the female.
"Well, Misty, then how come you're the one holding the map?" Cute. The girl's name is Misty. She starts to return his remark, when the older boy interjects.
"Guys, PLEASE! Could you two just stop fighting for a minute?! You're giving me a headache!" Oooo, he sounds so cute when he's pleading! I almost fall from the tree, I'm practically swooning. Catching myself at the last minute, I prepare to drop before them. They come within a few feet of my tree, and I drop.
"Ahh!" the entire group screams, much to my delight. I start to giggle as the younger boy jumps in front of the female. I fall over laughing as the girl pushes him to one side, her face bright red. The older boy is also red, and drooling. Oh, he's even cuter up close! With a wave of my hand, I close his mouth.
"Much better" I mutter, turning to the younger boy, who is dusting off his jeans. I smile, a Pokeball in my hand.
"Who are you?" His demand amuses me, his inability to grasp the obvious. I stare at him calmly. I start to speak, when Ash is pushed aside by the handsome young man. Amazingly, he's not drooling.
"Hi, I'm Brock. What's your name and do you have a boyfriend?" Girl crazy, figures. The red head is pretty, but she's obviously to young for him. Besides, Ash seems to have claimed her. I smile sweetly, deciding to play hard to get.
"My name's Ket. And no, I don't have a boyfriend." I giggle, and he turns redder.
"Would you like to go out with me?" I study his mind, using my powers. He has faced many rejections, yet still has the guts to keep trying. I won't be so hard on him.
"Not right now, maybe later." He looks downcast, then perks up when he realizes what I said. Leaving him in his trance, I turn to Ash and Misty.
"Wanna battle? Six-on-six." Ash nods and the two of us move to stand on opposite sides of an imaginary battle field. He holds up his first ball.
"Bulbasaur, go!" Ha, unevolved. Flareon will take care of that little plant.
"Firedance, time to play!" The boy and his Bulbasaur gulps Flareon appears. Then his face hardens.
"Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!" His plant tries to hit Flareon, but Firedance is no slouch. She avoids it, and stands ready for orders. Let's make this battle short and bitter-sweet.
"Firedance, Fire Blast!" His scrap of a Pokemon stands no chance. Fuming, Ash recalls a well-done Bulbasaur. He flings out his Squirtle. It shoots water at Firedance, who, not fully expecting the attack, is caught in the side as she dodges. I recall her, and hold up my Vileplume's ball.
"Go, Sunny!" Vileplume appears and Solar Beams Ash's Squirtle before it has a chance to attack. Angrily, he holds out the turtle's ball.
"Squirtle, return!" The said Pokemon disappears. Ash throws out another ball. Charizard, go!" A Charizard? This should be mildly entertaining. When the Pokemon appears, I notice the hesitant look in Ash's eyes. Apparently, the Pokemon doesn't always listen. He's taking a chance. Well, Vileplume can test out her new move. Let's end this.
"Vileplume, Razor Whip!" This move is a combination of Vine Whip and Razor Leaf. The Charizard, interestingly enough, moves out of the way. Ash brightens.
"Charizard, Flame-thrower!" Charizard looks at him, looks at Vileplume, then attacks Misty. A beam of fire shoots at her. At the last second, Ash shoves her to one side. The blast catches him in the chest. He falls, hard, most of his shirt burned away. His skin, and probably several layers beneath it, is severely burned. I watch Misty and Brock rush to him, checking for vital signs. Finding them faint, Brock lifts Ash and turns to rush for the hospital.
"Stop!" Brock and Misty turn and look at me, surprised.
"Why?" Misty is obviously thinking that I want Ash dead. She wears her suspicions on her face.
"Just lay him down." Hesitantly, Brock obeys, setting his friend on the hard ground. Calmly, I walk over, calling out Ocean, my Vaporeon, and telling her to incapacitate Charizard as I walk over. I crouch by Ash and take his pulse. Very faint. I remove my back pack, digging into it. Misty and Brock watch me.
"Shouldn't we get him to a hospital?" Brock sounds surprisingly calm, considering the circumstances. I shake my head.
"He's too weak. He would die before you got there." Misty sobs.
"Then what can we do?"
"You can back off. Go over there." Misty moves back, watching Brock and I. Finally, I find a super potion in my pack. Brock looks surprised.
"What's that for?" Doesn't he get it?
"For Ash."
"But that's for Pokemon."
"Yeah, but they work amazingly well on humans too." I don't wait for Brock to respond. Opening the bottle's cap, I pour to contents into Ash's mouth. Capping the bottle, I take Brock's hand and lead him over to the Charizard, who is near death as well. Ocean soaked him too much. She has that problem. While I treat Charizard with a super potion, Ash regains consciousness. He stumbles over to watch us, leaning over Brock's shoulder. As Charizard is waking up, Misty notices that Ash is alive, though his shirt still has the hole in it. She runs over, trips, and knocks into Ash, and the force of the blow sent him flying into Brock's shoulder. All three fly forward, piling on Charizard. He's not happy. I really don't want to go through the whole super potion thing again, so I separate everybody with a wave of my psychic powers.
"Call back Charizard." Ash obeys, drawing the groggy Pokemon back into it's ball. Over the next few weeks, I travel with Ash and his friends. They accept my psychic powers, along with my temper, and learn not to cross me. I, in turn, work on controlling my anger, so that I will be easier to get along with. While we travel, it quickly becomes obvious to me that Ash and Misty love each other, as Brock has known for a long time. Brock and I are falling in love too. It's a nice feeling, this warm, happy feeling I get when I look at Brock. I think he feels it too. Then, after weeks of traveling, I decide that Brock is the guy I truly love.
"Hey, would you all like to come to my place? It's been awhile and I'm sure everyone here could use a good meal." I smile sweetly at Brock, which brings looks of disgust from Ash and Misty. Even after all these weeks, they still can't understand why I continue to travel with them, and that I love Brock. Ash once told me, I suppose in an effort to get me away from Brock, that Brock scared away every girl he met. I told Ash to go kiss Misty on the lips. Finally, Brock and I convince the others to go with us back to my parents house. I feel very happy, my first love with me, and I'm gonna see my parents again. If only I had known what we would find there, I'd have never gone back. Unfortunately, I was in too good a mood to think about scanning the building for evil presence. We reached the house in less than two weeks. As we ascend the steps, I feel a sense of foreboding. I wonder if anyone else feels it. Ash, apparently, does.
"This place gives me the creeps." His words earn him a trip into the bushes, courtesy of Ket's Psychic Airlines.
"Don't diss my house." He steps back. I would too, if I was on the receiving side of the glare I gave him. Finally, we reach the top of the steps. I swing the massive oak door open, and we step inside.
"Hello! I'm home! anybody here?" My mother's voice answers. From the dining room, I think.
"In the dining room dear." Yup. I motion for the others to follow. We walk to the room. It's in the middle of the second floor. My mother and father sit calmly at the table, drinking coffee.
"Oh, you found some friends! Let me guess. The one in the blue vest is The Guy. Right?" Ash shifts uncomfortably.
"Actually, Ash and Misty are just friends." My mother looks disappointed. I pull Brock from the back to stand next to me.
"This is Brock. He is The Guy." Brock shoots me a confused glance.
"Uh, Ket, what are you talking about? The Guy?" His low voice carries a note of concern and confusion.
"Don't ask. I'll explain later." He looks slightly calmer, but not much. I swear, if Ash and Misty were Pokemon, they would look like Jolteon's. Especially right now. They are tense and wary.
"Ah, Ket, you're back." Huh? Who's that? I know the voice. Slowly I turn, a hand on Jolteon's Pokeball.
"Oh, come now Ket. No need to be defensive in your own home now." I'm not letting down my guard. I sensed bad vibes off him before, and things have not changed.
"I really don't care what you say, I'm not trusting you." His face, already cracked in a slight smile, grins wider.
"Ket, I'd like to thank you." I narrow my eyes, glancing around the room for people who might attack.
"What do you mean?" He continues to grin that weird grin. I think that if he doesn't quit that soon, I'll just kill him. That smile is making me nervous, a sensation I really hate.
"Why, for bringing me some fresh test subjects, of course!" TEST SUBJECTS?! Who? Ash, Misty, and Brock? What is he talking about? I step forward, placing myself between my friends and this madman.
"What do you mean?"
"I was really only expecting you to bring one. After all, you weren't programmed to make many friends." Programmed? I'm a program?
"Could you make this all a little clearer?" He sighs.
"You know, I had actually been planning to tell you this right before I killed you, but now is as good a time as any. okay, to start off, you are not really Ketrine Oshima. Those two aren't your real parents. They are your foster parents, but I use this term loosely." I cut him off, wanting to sort out my thoughts for a moment. I'm not Ket? Then who am I? My friends all look very worried. I try to smile reassuringly, patting Brock's hand.
"Continue." He nods.
"Well, to be perfectly honest, you have no real name. You have a specie name." What? What's he hinting at? No real name, but a specie name?
"Then what should people call me?" His glee at having my full and complete attention is evident.
"You're name is... Mewtwo." Behind me, I hear Ash, Misty, and Brock gasp. I hear Ash speak to Misty.
"She's not human? She's a Pokemon?" I turn partly to speak to him.
"Look, as long as I look like a human, I'm a human. Got it?" All three nod. I return to my staring contest with this man who has told me so much.
"If I'm a Pokemon, then how come I look like a human?"
"Genetics technology has greatly improved. Other scientists sculpted you from the DNA of several people and a Mew." I can't take this anymore. It's too much.
"Shut up! Give me a moment." I don't wait for him to respond. I turn to face my "parents." "You knew all about this didn't you?" My "father" nods.
"Yes. They paid us well to just sit and read off fake memories. A lot like acting, actually."
"Who are 'they'?" He looks at me, then laughs.
"Oh, yes. You don't know who they are. They are Team Rocket, and you are one of their experiments." The last word hits me hard. Just an experiment, that's all I am? Behind me, Brock takes my hand.
"I still love you, I want you to know that." His words comfort me. At least someone does. Surprising both of us, I turn and kiss him square on the lips. After we break, I return my attention to the doctor.
"Touching. I don't remember programming you to do that." I scowl at him.
"There are glitches in every program, you must know." He nods.
"I fully agree. Now, let's get down to the part most of us have been waiting for." Moving into an attack position, I glare at him.
"What, precisely, are you going to do with my friends, assuming you get them? And what about me?"
"Hmm. You are very good at being direct. For your friends, the younger two will undergo some minor stuff. DNA crossing with Pokemon, cross-breeding, that sort of thing." Ash and Misty shake. I send them psychic messages of reassurance.
"What about Brock?"
"Oh, I don't know. We can think of something, I'm sure. And as for you, we'll just lock you a dungeon, maybe return you to your Pokemon form so you can serve Giovanni faithfully." I shake my head. I really don't think so. Not if I can help it.
"No." He studies me.
"What did you say?" His eyes widen in surprise that I would even think of contradicting him.
"I said, 'No.' You're not taking them, and we are leaving now." Before I can TELEPORT us to safety, there's a swish of air, and Ash drops, clutching his arm. I pause.
"Fool, you can't teleport. This place has been protected against you doing that. And besides, your friends need help." Before I can turn, two more shots zip by. Brock and Misty cry out, dropping with hands over their arms. I turn around, fearing that they've been badly wounded. They are all asleep. Tranquilizers. One shoots for me, but I stop it with a wave of my hand. It turns and heads back at the person who fired at me. He slumps as it hits his arm. The other two try their luck, but they end up just as the other. I turn to my former parents, and knock them out with a HYPNOSIS attack. I hear another shot, and it hits me before I can react. No! I can't fall asleep! They'll take my friends. I'll be forced to serve Giovanni. I fight sleep with everything I have, but I fail. I fall hard, landing next to Brock. Everything goes black.
Slowly, I wake up. Blinking, I search the room for familiarity. Nothing. I move my hands to rub my eyes, only to find them shackled to the wall. I sigh. They really think that something as simple as chains will stop me? A wave of psychic energy destroys the chains. Now, to get out of here. A guard is outside the door. Asleep, this will be far too easy. I poke him, grinning at his confusion. Then, before he can react, a PSYCHIC attack slams him into the wall a few times. He loses consciousness. I check him, looking for signs of life. He's still hanging in there. Good for him. I blow the door away with another PSYCHIC attack. Then, I drag the guy into the cage, refit the door, and melt the hinges and lock closed with my eyes. There. He can find out what those cages are like. I turn for the stairs. As I'm reaching for the handle of the door at the top, I remember something. My Pokemon. I check my belt. They've been removed. Shoot. Oh, well. Time to see if I can really battle. I concentrate as hard as I can, focusing on the Pokemon within. I stare at my hands. They slowly lose two fingers, then turn white. I've done it. I'm Mewtwo once again. I practice a little, then find that I can easily and instantly switch forms. That should be helpful. Turning back to the human form, I open the door. Now, where are my friends? I pass several guards in my search. None give me any hints. I leave each one motionless. One tells me to "screw myself," and I leave him dead. When I'm going through the trauma I'm going through right now, I don't like to be crossed. I find another guard. He sees me and manages to throw out a Pokeball before I grab him.
"Tell me where my friends are." He spits at me, and calls to his Pokemon.
"Ninetales!" I turn, finding a fire-fox behind me, growling. The man smiles.
"Let me go. You can't take on my Ninetales, you're just a girl." He hasn't been filled in on who I am, has he?
"Who says a Pokemon can't battle a Pokemon?" He gasps in surprise.
"Y-you're a Pokemon?" I nod and TELEPORT myself back several feet. The Ninetales watches me cautiously. In the blink of an eye, I'm Mewtwo. Trainer and Pokemon gasp. My grin must look strange.
"Let's go." The man, still half in shock, sends out his Ninetales. She runs forward, bristling.
"Ninetales, Fire Spin!" She creates a tornado of flame around me. Cute trick, but not enough. I shove the fire away with my hand. I use a PSYWAVE, and she falls. The young man recalls his Ninetales just before I knock him out too. After returning to my human form, I continue my search. Peering into each room I pass, I soon find Ash. He's pinned to a table with thick leather straps, and has taken a good, hard beating from something. There are many burns and cuts on him. A man, holding a syringe of red liquid, is moving towards him. I break down the door with a MEGA KICK, and use my mental energy to make the scientist stick the needle in his own arm. Then I knock him out with HYPNOSIS. Hurrying to Ash, I remove the straps and help him up. He is very shaken, but for the most part, he appears all right.
"Did they inject you with anything?" He shakes his head, thank goodness.
"Why did you help me?" I am startled.
"Why wouldn't I? You're my friend." Now he is startled.
"But you're part of Team Rocket." Oh, just because I am a Team Rocket science project, I'm now evil. Right.
"Well, would you have preferred to be the one injected? Just because I was made by Team Rocket doesn't mean I'm like Team Rocket." He stares at me a second, then grins.
"You're right. I'm sorry." I pat his shoulder.
"It's okay. Did they tell you where they took the others?" He shakes his head. I pull him towards the door.
"Come on. I'm not leaving you. I don't know how may others they have around. You'll be safer with me." He nods and we head out, looking for anyone else. We pass by room after room, finding nothing. Down the next corridor, our path is blocked by a Rocket member.
"Hold it! You are the escapees, you're not getting past me. Go Raichu!" I turn to Ash.
"I'm gonna switch into Mewtwo. Don't be alarmed." Before he responds, I jump at Raichu, evolving as I do. Raichu stands no chance. A PSYCHIC attack and CONFUSION finish it off. HYPNOSIS takes care of the trainer. Returning to my human form, Ash motion for Ash to come over to me. He looks impressed.
"Wow, you're strong!" Yeah, I'm the strongest Pokemon in current existence. What do you expect?
"Come on, there's not much time." We run, and find Misty. She, too, is tied to a table, screaming. Ash cringes in horror. Her hair has been burned off a good four inches or so. Many cuts and burns mar her features. After telling Ash to wait outside, I take my Pokemon form and SLAM open the door and grab the scientist by the throat. In the terror of being attacked by a strange Pokemon, he drops the needle. Misty is staring at me in pure horror as well. Another scream rips from her lips.
"Ash! Get Misty!" Ash runs in and tugs at the straps. I hear him reassuring Misty and telling her what's going on. I focus on the scientist, tightening my grip on his neck.
"Are you going to tell me where my other friend is, or not?" He struggles and faints. Hmm, weak in the face of danger. I drop him and resume begin a human. Turning to my friends, I check Misty.
"Did they inject you with anything?" She shakes her head. Well, that's good.
"I thought you were a wild Pokemon for a minute."
"I am wild."
"But you were created by Team Rocket."
"Yeah, created, but not caught. Now, we gotta find Brock." The others follow me. We travel down a flight of stairs, and I hear, with my sensitive ears, Brock screaming. He's in the dining room. I take off in that direction, Ash and Misty on my heels. I really hope they haven't hurt him, I really hope so.
Ash, Misty, and I silently dash through the house, looking for any sign of Brock. When we come near the steps that lead down to the area before the dining room, my sensitive ears hear the sounds of pained screaming, laughter, the whistle and crack of a whip. I can't really tell who is screaming, but I'm certain it's Brock. I motion to Ash and Misty, and the three of us creep partway down the steps to where we can see the shadows of those in the room, while they can't see us. Crouching down, I motion for Ash and Misty to imitate my move. An upright table is arranged so that we can see the spiky-haired silhouette strapped to it.
"Brock." I force myself to refrain from commenting on Ash's remark. Returning my attention to the shadows, I watch Brock weakly jerk his body a few times, but he clearly doesn't have enough energy to do much damage. Upon noticing his moves, a long-haired female hurries over and slashes at my boyfriend's chest with her whip. I smother a gasp and we all cringe when he cries out. Then another shadow I hadn't noticed earlier appears. A man, holding a syringe. Only I can just barely hear the conversation that follows.
"Are you feeling all right?" The fake concern in the voice could be detected by a deaf person. Brock's response is punctuated by pained gasps through a badly damaged chest.
"Oh, yeah. I enjoy being whipped to death. Really." I can almost see the doctor's smile at Brock's pathetic attempt for sarcasm.
"Well, you won't have to go through it anymore."
"Why would that be?"
"I have a new syrup that I've wanted to test out, and you are a good subject." My eyes widen with horror and panic. All the memories of the DNA splicing and experimental testing fly back at me. If I don't stop them, Brock will go through the same horrible things.
"No." Ash hears my soft whisper, and turns to me.
"'No' What?" His whisper is very quiet. I send both of them my memories of the cages and injections, among other horrors. Misty gives my arm a sympathetic squeeze, while Ash looks stunned that even Team Rocket could be so cruel. We return to watching the shadows. Brock is struggling with everything he has, while Dr. Maniac is coming at him with a syringe in hand. The needle sinks into Brock's left arm, and he screams louder than ever before. While we watch in terrified wonder, Brock's silhouette becomes unrecognizable. The doctor's crazed laughter crosses Ash's line at that point. He jumps up, unable to listen to anymore. I panic when he starts down the stairs, and lunge for him with a mental hand. My panic throws off my aim, and I grab his throat, coming very close to snapping his neck as I jerk him back. Crud, now I don't have any backup. Misty manages to stop her shriek before it passes her lips, and hurries to Ash's side, where I am already taking his pulse. I send her a message of reassurance. He'll be fine. I'm going to get Brock, you two stay here. Misty nods, and takes Ash's head into her lap. If this weren't such a desperate time, I would think that was very cute. But right now I am creeping to the door. An unearthly snarl startles me, and I spring through the door.
As I land smoothly on my feet, a quick glance around the room catalogs the persons presently here and those who were here. The doctor is here, but the girl who was whipping Brock is not. Brock isn't here, but a strange creature is in a cage. Very odd, I've never seen anything like it. In fact, it has characteristics of some of the fiercest Pokemon. I recognize Arcanine, Pinsir, Scyther, and Nidoking, to name a few. Finally, I face my creator, my most hated enemy.
"Hello, doctor. Although you really don't qualify for anything but a mental institution." He smiles.
"Ket, nice to see you two. How was the dungeon?"
"Oh, very nice. One of your guards is enjoying it right now." He frowns.
"No, he isn't. When someone went to check on you, they found him dead." Mentally, I'm horrified, but my reply is calm.
"Isn't that a shame. Now, we both know what I'm here for, so why don't you give Brock so I can leave you with your brains intact?" He looks surprised, then laughs.
"I just love your straight-forwardness. But, sadly, you can't have Brock. He's... not here right now."
"What do you mean? Tell me!" I take a menacing step at him, transforming as I do. However, he only seems even more elated.
"You figured out how to switch instantly! Oh, that is good. As for your friend, he's over there." To my surprise, the doctor is indicating the strange Pokemon in the cage. It growls at me and barks.
"What did you do to him?" The doctor is proud.
"Meet Quarch, a Pokemon created from the DNA of the meanest Pokemon and added to a human. Also your death." Oh, no. Please don't tell me I have to battle my lover. Please no.
"Brock! Can you hear me? Snap out of it!" My shouts are in vain.
"Brock can hear you, but he isn't as strong as the DNA that has been added to him. Now, let's test out both of your battling skills." I shake my head.
"I won't battle." The doctor shrugs.
"Then you can be ripped apart by Quarch. Now, to the battle field!" For some reason, I follow him out to a large field. Misty and Ash, who has recovered, follow us out. I stand on one side, doc and Quarch, still in his cage, on the other. Suddenly, the doctor holds out his hands.
"Wait. You can't battle! You need a trainer. Only trainer owned Pokemon can battle here."
"Then I guess we will just forfeit and everybody goes home happy then." A strange grin spreads across his face.
"Actually, I forgot to mention this: the loser dies. You lose, and you and your friends all die." Geez, that's a toughie. Then it hits me. I turn to Ash.
"Ash, come down here!" Confusion all over his features, Ash climbs down the bleachers and stops before me.
"Ash, I want you to capture me." His eyes widen.
"Catch you?! I can't do that!" I sigh.
"Ash, look. If I don't have a trainer, I can't battle. If I can't battle, we all die. I want you to catch me so that I have a trainer. I'm gonna destroy the ball after, cause I am a human, no matter what. But for now, throw the darn Pokeball!" Finally, Ash agrees. A Pokeball hits my arm, and I allow myself to be pulled in. The Pokeball isn't so bad, just I'm not a Pokemon. A few seconds later, the red light goes out. I have been captured, whoo. I send Ash a message telling him to send me out, and a little later the ball flies with his characteristic pose and phrase.
"Mewtwo, I choose you! GO!" I won't kill him for calling me Mewtwo. I won't kill him for calling me Mewtwo. He just doesn't want to call me Ket right now. I appear in a flash of light, and, just for effect, I send a ball of bright blue light into the air. Through all this, doc and Quarch have been watching quietly. Well, doc has, but Quarch is busy trying to chew apart his cage. I'm ready. I turn to the doctor.
"Let's go, I am ready." Brave words, and about half as much confidence behind them as I project.
Ash moves to the trainer's box, and I step into the ring. Before I advance further, Ash grabs my arm.
"Please be careful. Don't hurt Brock too bad though."
"I have no intention of injuring him much. I'll just dodge until he runs out of energy." Ash nods and I TELEPORT to the middle of the arena.
"Ket, just so you know, Quarch will start attacking the moment it's released." Humph. I'm ready.
"That's nice, but does he even listen?"
"Yes, he does, but his first attack is always one of his choice. Now, Quarch, go battle." The cage door opens, and Quarch runs out, attacking with a FLAME-THROWER while he runs at me. I TELEPORT, and hear Ash begin to call out commands.
"Mewtwo, Psychic!" I jump up and stare at my opponent. Blue light surrounds me, and Quarch is thrown back.
"Quarch, FIRE BLAST!" The blaze catches my arm. Ow! Pain! I use RECOVER, and feel better.
"Mewtwo, use your PSYBEAM!" Quarch is 10 feet away, and is blown back another five feet by a thick blue beam.
"Quarch, SLASH!" The creature raises a claw and brings it down on my side. Blood appears, and boy, does it ever hurt. Ash is shaken, but recovers.
"Mewtwo, PSYWAVE!" Waves of psychic power pulse from my eyes and force Quarch to his knees.
"Quarch, HORN DRILL!" I manage to dodge, just barely.
"Mewtwo, MEGA PUNCH!" I punch Quarch with everything I've got, and send him reeling. "Quarch, CLAMP!" I fell the Pokemon's jaws clamp down on my arm, and pain shoots through my arm and up to my head. Blood appears from the deep bite mark.
"Mewtwo, are you okay?" I nod.
"Okay then, PSYBEAM!" The beam slaps Quarch back.
Quarch, BITE." Teeth rip at my ankle, more blood flows.
"Mewtwo, RECOVER!" I have no power points left to recover. I'm stuck with what energy I have left.
"Then, use PSYBEAM again." Another beam, another trip via Psychic Air. Finally, Quarch, who has no RECOVER attack, is close to dying. Even with my advantage of RECOVER, many of the attacks weren't fully healed, I've run out of power to perform RECOVER, and I am close to fainting or dying as well. Ash doesn't want to call out an attack, knowing that one more might kill his friend. So I have to. As I prepare a final blast, I think about how much I wanted to be a true human, not a half-breed like I am. I think about how much Brock must want to be human again. That is my last thought as I hit Quarch with a blast. To my surprise, I feel the message leave with the attack. While I had been revving up, Quarch had been preparing an attack as well. We blast at the same time, and neither of us has time to dodge. I take the hit square in the chest, and fly back, burning pain radiating through my body. I manage to drag myself over to Quarch. He lies still, blue light still surrounding him. He is defeated, and I remember our little agreement. I look at doc.
"We have a deal. Losing side dies. Good bye." I focus an attack at his chest, and watch him fall to his knees. His heart collapses under the pressure, and he falls hard. I am drained, death is near. I look at Quarch, and to my surprise, he slowly returns to being Brock. I stare at what the whip girl did to him. His vest is gone, and the orange shirt has been slit open, and many wounds will leave scars on his chest. I return to my human form, and that act, while so easy to do when I was healthy, drains me heavily. Tears flow from my eyes. I take no notice of Ash and Misty watching Brock and I from Ash's trainer box. Leaning down, I kiss Brock on the lips, my tears dripping down and splashing on his cheek. Then I lose all strength. I drop, my head falling on Brock's chest. The room dims, and I lose consciousness.
All my friends are with me. Everybody's happy. Brock is calling my name. Coming! I'm coming!
Slowly, I force my eyes open, and look around. A hospital room, for Pokemon. The Pokemon center. Why here? I look down and see that I'm Mewtwo again. The battle must have done something to my molecular structure. I concentrate for a moment, then I'm Ket again. Climbing off the bed, I get up and look around. A smiling woman in a nurse uniform walks in, sees me, and let's out a surprised noise.
"How did you get in here, miss? And where's the Pokemon that was here?" Ooo, she doesn't know. Fun time. She screams when I morph, and faints. Aw, what a wuss. I place her in the bed and wander out. Ash and Misty greet me happily in the reception room. Overjoyed, I hug them. But where's Brock?
"Ash, what happened to Brock?" Instantly, the happy atmosphere disintegrates. I brace myself for the worst.
"He's still in the hospital. They're not sure if he'll make it." No. It's my fault. I did this to him, the fight, it was too much. Wait, I have to see him. I run out the door, look around, then TELEPORT to the hospital. I casually walk up to the front desk.
"Excuse me, but could you tell me what room Brock Stonate is in?" All smiles and professionalism, she looks it up.
"ICU, room 239. I'll buzz you in." The door swings open, and I hurry down to Brock's room. He is alone, with dozens of tubes attached to his body. Tip toeing in, I sit down and reach for his hand.
"Brock, I'm here. You can wake up now." If he responded at all, it didn't show. I try again.
"Brock, you were named Best Pokemon Breeder." His eyes snap open, and he looks around.
"I won? Huh? Oh, hi Ket."
"Brock, I'm so sorry! This was all my fault." Tears begin to slide down my cheeks, but Brock reaches up and brushes them away.
"So what? You saved us, and I finally have a girlfriend!" I have to laugh, his comment is so true.
"Girlfriend? We're a couple?" He nods, and your lips meet. I wrap my arms around him, mindful of the tubes and such, and we break a good thirty seconds later.
"Whoo! Look who scored!" Ash and Misty stand behind me, gawking. Somehow, it's not embarrassing. My turn.
"You two, admit it. You love each other, so kiss already!" The room explodes in laughter, and Ash and Misty do kiss. Brock and I start up again, and then everybody is kissing.
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