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Misty recoiled from those blood red eyes as they seemed to look straight through her soul. "Aahh!" She cried and tried to stand, Brock looked up and was also locked into the blood red gaze. Pikachu jumped up, tail twitching
"Pikapi?" [Ash?] The small yellow pokémon moved towards his trainer, looking into those red eyes, searching for the answer. He took a small step backwards; ears erect "Pipi!" This wasn't Ash! This was some strange force. It's cheeks sparked, as he began to attack the boy who was no longer his trainer.
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Ash felt something tap him on the shoulder, and wondered what was here in this black world. Turning around, he stared into blood red eyes for a moment, and then stumbled backwards.
"What are you?!" He yelled, looking at the clone of himself who grinned.
"I'm you, can't you see that?" The clone asked, unlike the real Ash, the clone wasn't illuminated; only the eyes glittered in an unseen skull.
Ash shivered. It sounded so much like himself that he couldn't speak for a little while
"You aren't me! You're just an experiment! An accident!" Those blood red eyes narrowed, and before Ash could move, something pummeled into his stomach and he skidded backwards across the black surface that acted as ground.
"Well, if that's how you see it…" Ash heard a snicker, and what sounded like footsteps on ice coming towards him.
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"What do you mean?" Brock had grabbed Pikachu and Misty, dragging them from the room, Tracey and Professor Oak had followed quickly, as Ash remained, for now at least, trapped inside by Brocks Steelix, though none of them knew how long Steelix would be able to hold the door shut.
[Something's taken over him, it's not Ash!] Pikachu said from Brocks shoulder, looking back to the room they had just left
"Well, he'll have to fight it then won't he? If something's taken over him, he'll have to fight it in his mind… we can't help…" Brock stopped as a roar of pain came from Steelix behind them, and they all turned to watch. The metal pokémon came charging down the hall, Ash walking after it. Brock recalled his pokémon, and stared long and hard at Ash.
"Fight it Ash! You have to!" Misty yelled at him, but took a small step back as the boy smirked evilly and looked at his hands, flexing the fingers. Pikachu stepped up again, with the two Pichu, three sets of cheeks sparking dangerously.
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"Ahh!" Ash was flung across the ground again, sliding his palms under himself to try and stand. The clone was walking over.
"You're friends won't be able to withstand my power" He cackled, and at Ash's confused look, continued "Oh, I've taken over your body. You are a prisoner in your own mind, with no release ever to come… unless of course you can beat me, and you can't…" He cackled again
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"You can't hurt them! The pokémon will protect them" Ash hollered, taking a step towards the clone, his hands clenched into fists. 'Ash' just smirked and raised his own fists, charging towards Ash, and Ash didn't have the time to change from offensive to defensive as he was knocked down.
As the Ash clone walked over to the real Ash, a long black sword materialized from absolutely no where into the clones grasp, and he raised it above Ash's skull.
Ash, was almost ready to give up. He ached in more than one place, and could barely stand. He couldn't even see his opponent who was no more than a pair of eyes. Why bother? What's the point? I've lost… I can't fight this… I'm not strong enough
An explosion of pale pink in his mind blurred Ash's vision for a moment, and he gasped for a breath. Brown eyes blinked slowly as a voice reached his ears… or more, thoughts ran through his head, yet they weren't his own, and that was easy enough to tell. The voice was warm and held strength and hope like Ash had never felt before, but also the words sounded angry.
"Hey, Ash? You're killing me here. Do you mind not giving up?"
There was another explosion of pink, though not inside his head this time, and Ash looked up, and gaped.
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Mew, the legendary pokémon, supposedly the strongest pokémon ever in existence floated just in front of Ash's nose. Blinking, Ash scrabbled backwards staring at the pokémon that had just talked to him. The clone was also looking at Mew, though he seemed more angered than shocked.
Stuttering, Ash tried to speak "What are you doing here? Where's here? Why am I here? What's going on? How am I killing you? Why are you talking to me inside? Where'd you learn to speak human?"
The clone grumbled and made a lunge for Ash but Mew turned and a huge blast of blinding light sent the clone soaring backwards. Mew turned back to Ash, and winked. Ash just stared as the clone froze mid-air, as if time had just stopped and paused. Ash blinked a few times in his confusion.
"Ok, now I have a chance to explain…" Mew sighed, flipping in a circle then dropping down to sit on Ash's arm, and brown eyes followed the pink cat like pokémon."Well, you are the Chosen One" Mew began "And as you know, I am one of, if not the strongest pokémon in the world. You may not remember a time, 4 or so years ago, when you received a piece of mail, taking you over the sea to an island. There, you met a pokémon, created by Team Rocket. A clone of myself, but there was one thing they could not copy, that I have deep inside of me. Good, pure intentions, and a light that keeps truth and hope"
"Anyway, there was a huge fight. Me, Mew, and Mewtwo, my evil clone. Mewtwo had created a carbon copy of every pokémon owned by some of the strongest trainers, you one of them. The pokémon were set to fight each other, Charizard against Charizard, Bulbasaur against Bulbasaur, Pikachu against Pikachu… Mew against Mewtwo"
"We all attacked, but none could win. Fighting with only their physical attacks, neither clone nor original was better or stronger. The pokémon were weakening, and soon they would destroy each other. As Mewtwo and myself attacked each other, something darted in between our fury. You. Foolish boy, you ran straight between the two attacks. None of us had ever seen anything like it, and I don't think we ever will again"
"Not caring for yourself, your life was drained, and you became lifeless as stone. However, the pokémon began to cry for you, and you were restored to the realm of living. Surprised that one could show such bravery and pure love for others, Mewtwo took all the clones and left to a place where it would be welcome. All the humans and pokémon alike lost all their memory of that time, and returned to the main land"
Ash broke in, eyes wide "You! I saw you after the huge storm! On the jetty! They all thought I was crazy!"
Mew sighed at the boys impatience, but held up a paw, continuing with a nod
"Yes, that was I. I went with Mewtwo first, but something was pulling me back, and I didn't know what it was. Instead of passing into the second realm, as Mewtwo and the clones have done, I was forced to remain here. I realized that when we attacked you, something happened, and you weren't returned to normal" At Ash's confused stare Mew continued slowly "You retained some of my thoughts, my power, my strengths, my weaknesses… my heart"
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Ash stared a little longer, then stood up swiftly, taking the Mew from his shoulder "That's it! That's why pokémons attacks don't hurt me like they should, that's why I see things, and know things! It all fits together now! It all makes sense!"
"Calm down! Please!" Mew cried, disappearing for a moment, then reappearing out of Ash's grasp, spinning and twirling in the air. "This is not a good thing! It puts you in danger, and anything that endangers you, endangers myself!"
Something else came into Ash's head and he took a small light step backwards over the glassy black surface that was unseen. "How do you live, with only half a heart?" Mew sighed again. "You have half of my heart, so, when you are hurt or injured, or vice-versa, what do you think happens to me? I have an entire heart, for I also have half of yours" Ash felt like he was going to pass out.
"When something hurts me… it relays through our joined hearts and… how can I have half a pokémons heart?? Doesn't that make me half pokémon?" Mew laughed "I see you have a lot to learn. Now, lets put this monster out of action" Mew motioned to the clone, and time started again, the clone falling to the ground with a thud. Mew shimmered and glowed, using a recover, and Ash felt his own strength begin to return.
"C'mon Ash! Let's show 'im!" Ash realized with a start that Mew had a distinctly feminine sound in its voice, but ignored it. "How?" Mew rolled its eyes, and its body went with the rolling action, flipping playfully in the air "Fight it!" Once again, Ash asked 'how' but jumped back as the clone came charging at him again, eyes glowing."Ahh!!" Ash brought his hands in front of him, and felt a tingle run from his chest through to his fingertips Huh? An explosion erupted from his hand, and Ash stumbled backwards from the motion. Glancing up, he saw Mew, grinning at him and giving a small twirl in the air, tail spiraling behind it. The black around him warped and Ash cried out as all the pain from the battle surged through him Did I just… win? He asked himself inwardly, and was surprised with an answering thought 'Yup little Ashy, you did!' Feeling weak Ash watched colour spill back into the world, and collapsed. The barrier around him faded and the electric attacks connected with their target.
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"Huh? Ash!" Brock said in surprise, as the boy collapsed onto the ground in front of them.
"Ash? Ash!" Misty yelled, running over to the fallen figure. Pikachu ran over and pounced on his trainer, 'til he realized Ash wasn't moving. Mew peered from around a corner at them all, not yet wanting to come from hiding. It giggled a little, looking at Pikachu's shocked expression.
"He's exhausted…" Tracey said, standing above them all. Brock grinned. "Why don't you give him a kiss Misty, I'm sure it would wake him up quick-smart. We all know you want to" Misty jumped up, hands in front of her defensively.
"What? No way! I don't like Ash! he's so stupid and incompetent! He always gets us lost, but constantly insists he's right, even when we're in the wrong place. I've never met anyone so immature or annoying in my entire life! It's his fault if he's got himself like this!" Brock and Tracey couldn't help but snigger slightly, knowing she was only covering up, but they all jumped as a voice came weakly from behind them
"So that's what you really think Misty?"
