A/N: All Pokémon speech is translated, unless otherwise indicated. Review thank-yous at the end of the chapter.

Light of a Dark Black Night

11: Reunion

Shadowgleam was completely surprised. Mewtwo's reaction didn't match the reputation of the Legendaries, who were said to distance themselves from humans and despise such Pokémon as they called 'willing human slaves'. Not that all trained Pokémon fell under this category - but many did.

But here was Mewtwo, the 'Manchild', turning to her with a judgement, an accusation, on behalf of a human. As if he blamed her for Gavin's pain which, somehow, he felt.

"Gavin is different," said Shadowgleam. "He has an awareness that he can't control. He hears when people think of him. Their thoughts weigh on him and he can't get rid of the weight." Mewtwo's expression was stony. In defence of herself, fiercely, she finished, "He heard when I cried out to him to come back, and he ignored me."

Glimmer nodded slowly, as if this explained a lot. Mewtwo looked at her. You have always had advice for me, he said, with faint sarcasm. What is your recommendation now?

"You could see this boy for yourself," said Glimmer. "I doubt even you would have encountered this power before."

Mewtwo looked at her, thoughtfully, as though he was saying something just for her. Both smiled, a little cynically. Unlike other legendaries, said Mewtwo, I mix with humans when I choose - although that is not often. Picture your 'friend', then, Shadowgleam.

Into her head, immediately, came the picture she had summoned when abandoned, the family-style portrait with Shadowgleam at Gavin's side, with Gavin in his full protection gear, with his other Pokémon around him. Gavin still symbolised an instinctive 'home' for Shadowgleam. She hadn't found any other - she had found a journey, and friends, but no home after her Pokéball, which she had electrified until it shattered, because Gavin had thrown it away.

A glimmering blue-blackness rushed towards her from the windows, replacing sunlight. It wrapped around her, pressed her on all sides, and retreated.

v v v

And then they were on a little hill, surrounded by trees, with dry-looking grass. Shadowgleam noticed that as well as Mewtwo, and her friends, the Pikachu had come.

Mewtwo started to walk down the hill, and everyone moved around him. Shadowgleam was happy enough that Mewtwo was setting the pace. If she'd had the choice, she didn't know whether she would have run to where Gavin was, or loitered on the hill for a while. Or held back, and waited for him to come.

He would know they were coming... even so, even though he must already know, she tried to dampen down her thoughts with a crude mental shield. Mewtwo glanced at her.

"Thank you," Glimmer said to him.

The Legendary turned to her with a quelling look. Glimmer stared back.

...I suppose it is your right to thank me, Mewtwo conceded.

v v v

"It is our right," Glimmer concurred.

Even when the thing you thank me for was not done to benefit you, but to benefit me? Mewtwo was speaking privately to her. His voice had a different sound to it, which she recognised quickly.

You're thinking like a human, Mewtwo, Glimmer thought, unable to send her thoughts 'out', but knowing Mewtwo could pick them up from her mind. It's simpler than that. If you deliberately do something that helps me, I thank you. It doesn't really matter if it helps you too - although I am grateful if I know you have helped me in spite of yourself. This is wrong only when you are lying to me or hiding the benefit to yourself.

That is a polite code, Mewtwo returned. But since when did Pokémon thank each other, anyway?

Pokémon have always had codes of giving honour when it is due, Glimmer mentally replied.

But this is a human way of following those codes.

You may be the unrivalled Pokémon expert on humans, Glimmer retorted, but you are far from being the only one of us affected or changed by humanity.

He seemed to sigh, but it was his only answer.

v v v

Shadowgleam guessed that they would find Gavin at the bottom of the hill, in a cave. No, not in a cave - he would come out to meet them.

Touchwood, spontaneously, gave her a quick sideways hug, then fell back. "Rai," she said, trying to laugh a little, for his benefit.

She tried to shield her thoughts again. If Gavin could hear her thoughts, he would know, generally, what she thought of him. Which was more information than she wanted to give him right now.

She wanted to see him again. But that didn't mean she wanted to forgive him.

And then the group came around the corner, and she did see him. Outside a cave. By a tree.

The other Pokémon were just behind him.

By that fact, Shadowgleam felt utterly betrayed. She didn't notice that the others had already stopped, as she stumbled to a halt.

So it was only me! Why me? It couldn't have just been your favourite that you dumped!

"Shadowgleam!" cried Breeze, the stupid furball, as if she couldn't see that the Raichu was upset.

"It wasn't him!" ColdCrystal cried, rearing up on his flippers, tossing his head in distress. "He wasn't himself!"

Shadowgleam shocked Gavin and ignored the Dewgong. It was a Thunderwave. It froze his despairing expression in place. She'd never seen that expression before. It had always been gone too quickly, even when she'd known it was there.

This is not catharsis, it is rage, said Mewtwo. You have asked me to explain; I will give you the explanation.

The Legendary lifted it out of Gavin's mind, and Shadowgleam saw it, a rational progression. Gavin won a tournament. Gavin had his picture in the paper. Shadowgleam was in the picture too. Minds assaulted Gavin. Shadowgleam had won the tournament for Gavin; Shadowgleam's Shining status had attracted attention; Gavin linked Shadowgleam to this. Gavin was unbalanced - and Shadowgleam was offered to share, briefly, this craziness, to share and understand and forgive it, but she skimmed it instead. Gavin tried to get away. Gavin threw Shadowgleam away. Gavin flew away, and was afraid to come back.

Gavin lived crazy, for a few days. The other five Pokémon were shocked. The other five Pokémon forgave. Gavin recovered. Gavin was afraid. Gavin was weak. Gavin stayed. Gavin grieved.

That is your explanation, Shadowgleam, was Mewtwo's comment on the end.

v v v

She opened her eyes and saw Mewtwo use Recover on Gavin. Gavin stood up again.

"Shadowgleam, please forgive me," he said, looking pleadingly at her. Direct eye contact.

You know what my opinions are, she thought. You can't help it. Don't you dare speak them, though!

"I understand what you did," she said, in her Raichu language that she expected him to understand. She wasn't saying these words completely willingly. She felt as though the others expected her to forgive, especially Mewtwo, who was gazing at her. She could do without their opinions.

Just like that, they were gone. So Mewtwo had been listening to her.

But without them, she felt more alone. They would have judged her, but Glimmer and Touchwood were still her friends. By herself, Shadowgleam felt threatened, alone with Gavin and the others of the team. Like before. But it couldn't be that way, because things had changed. Important things, to put her on one side of a gap with the other five Pokémon and Gavin on its other side.

"I missed you," whispered Gavin, speaking to her as if she was the only one who would hear him. She looked at him, but couldn't help seeing the others behind him.

"I heard you," Gavin continued. "Each time you thought to me."

"You could have come back!" In Raichu speech, of course, but for Gavin the meaning was clear.

"But I couldn't have, Shadowgleam. You know me."

I do know you. Does that tie me to you?

I'm not tied to you. Maybe I'll forgive you eventually. I think I will. But that doesn't mean you didn't hurt me. Breaking the bond between Trainer and Pokémon.

She began to turn away, but saw as she did that tears had started to fall from Gavin's eyes.

v v v

Later, Gavin felt Mewtwo's strange strong awareness and looked around to see him standing in the mouth of the cave.

"Who are you?" Gavin asked. "What kind of Pokémon are you?" The creature disconcerted him. Gavin didn't bother trying to hide it, because he knew that the psychic Pokémon would pick his feelings up anyway, and probably ignore them.

I - Mewtwo - was created by humans, Mewtwo said. I was a genetic experiment. Now I am a Legendary. And I am psychic.

Gavin wondered how any creature so sleek and deft could have been designed by people. Mewtwo was incredible. He was also unnerving, as he towered over Gavin - who was sitting on the ground - and reached out a blue-enfolded paw.

"What do you want?" Gavin asked, feeling tired.

A trade. I will learn your power from you. And I will give you the ability to shield yourself, so you have control.

Gavin caught his breath, and then that turned into a yawn, and he fell forward.

v v v

Glimmer and the others were leaving Shadowgleam alone, but her old team found her, and cautiously approached her.

"He didn't tell us what happened to you," Breeze said, "he just felt it. What did happen, Shadowgleam?"

"I felt abandoned," Shadowgleam said, resenting them. "I had been abandoned."

"We're not trying to tell you anything," Lanturn said, earnestly. "We wanted to listen."

What could she say?

"Gavin abandoned me," Shadowgleam muttered.

"He always wanted you back," FarReaches said. "He kept saying that you'd never forgive him, you'd never come back."

"You can't blame me if he was right," Shadowgleam muttered, but although that was fair, she already blamed herself.

v v v

Gavin woke up with a feeling of layers around him. His own thoughts seemed isolated, and he sought out someone else's immediately, realising once he found them that he had looked for Shadowgleam's.

He jumped, reacting to the nearness of those thoughts. Sitting beside him was "his" Raichu.

"Rai ah-i," Shadowgleam said, and her words took a moment to come through to him because of that veil... "Hello, Gavin."

"Shadowgleam -"

"I came back, didn't I?"

"Is it - have you -"

"You don't have to promise - I know you won't do that again."

He was starting to smile.

"I wouldn't have come back if I didn't know that," Shadowgleam said.

"At least you knew it. I obviously didn't."

She curved her mouth to mimic his huge grin of relief.

"The others say you've decided to stay out here."

"It won't be necessary now. Mewtwo gave me control."

Shadowgleam almost gave him a Raichu laugh. She had thought, now.

"But I'll be staying out here anyway. It's better. I want to. The others have been finding me foods I can eat, and we haven't been doing too badly. But there won't be any more battles for you, Shadowgleam."

"That's okay. I'm going to be living a different way."

He was dismayed again, as he tried to figure out what she meant.

"I will stay with you. But from time to time, I will go on journeys. I will wander."

But, essentially, she had said she would stay.

"I'm sorry, Shadowgleam."

"I've forgiven you."

v v v

"So what was your motivation?" Glimmer asked Mewtwo, as they stood on a hill. Shadowgleam had gone to talk to Gavin and she saw that Mewtwo knew what the result was. "Your benefit, or ours?"

Mewtwo considered. "Both, I think. And the obligation of a Legendary. And simple human curiosity."

"Manchild," said Glimmer, "I think the humans call that a feline trait."

Uniquely, Mewtwo laughed.

Lightning-Strike: F I N A L L Y !! But you still get an epilogue. One last chappy.

Miss Black Dragon: Hi, Spellingfreak, and thanks. :P Well, here you go. Maybe Mewtwo is earning his name. Poor lonely clone. I hope he's represented properly here.

Pikacar/Marle: Yep, you were right, that WAS what Mewtwo was saying. Remember Gavin's painfully sensitive. But not any more.

Caygirl: Thanks! I'm honoured… I hope that my writing style stands up to your inspection in my Forum Nation stuff. Anyway, have a… Mountain Dew or something… chocolate?

Carter Tachikawa: Lots of dialogue here! Given the nature of the chapter, I guess there had to be. Thanks for reading and appreciating. And lookie, finally I've given Shadowgleam an answer. But there's still an epilogue to write.

Lobo Kendo: Thank you! Mewtwo's castle is fun to write about - especially if you've watched The Return of Mewtwo too many times.