"Obviously," Misty smirked from behind Ash, keeping Togepi out of the evil man's sight.
Jessie, James, Meowth, and Mewsie were cowering in the very back (well, Mewsie wasn't cowering, but Meowth was holding the Mew tightly). The Legendaries had defiant looks plastered onto their faces, but none of their expressions rivaled that of Ash's.
He was feeling rather overconfident and righteous, or at least appeared to be outwardly, and his stubborn streak would beat any Tauros, hands down.
Add to that a bunch of Pokémon and an evil genius, and you had a major problem on your hands.
"Give us the Mew back, or else!"
Zapdos rolled his eyes and muttered, [Great goin', kid.]
Articuno covered her eyes with a wing. [I can't watch this.]
"Real tactical, Ash," Misty whispered to him.
But Ash ignored them. Giovanni stared at the boy for a long time before chuckling.
A cold, heartless, knowing laugh, that had no real humor in it, only bitterness and evil.
At last, he spoke. "Yes, I could give you back the Mew. But I'm afraid that Devon rather likes it where he is. Don't you Devon?"
The Team Rocket Leader's eyes were still on Ash, and he gave no indication of where the Psychic-type was hiding. The shadows shifted, growing and shrinking, and pretty much making the humans, their Pokémon, and the Legendaries nervous.
"Devon's already served his purpose, but he is content to do more than that. Willingly. And so is what I like to think of as his half brother...Maybe even an unidentical twin."
"What are you talking about?" Brock inquired, petting his Vulpix, which he had just let out of her Pokéball. She was pressed against his legs, looking more than a little frightened.
But Giovanni's eyes were still on Ash. Contemplating. Studying. Scrutinizing.
Ash Ketchum felt dirty with the man's gaze on him, and wanted nothing more than to run out of there and never look back. But he did not move. He was determined to win.
"Mew is an incredible Pokémon, stronger than strong, faster than fast...But when you have the most powerful Psychic-type in your hands, why not increase its strength and quickness even more? Not with trivial things like Carbos, but using a convenient thing called genetic manipulation."
A sinister grin spread across his face. "My new creation is very simply, bigger and better. But Devon has somehow managed to hold his own against him, due to my constant training...Your pitiful cats that you dare to call Mews do not even begin to have half the power that either has, even put together. The modified clone is called...Mewtwo."
The shadows seemed to whisper and chant, and grow and sway like wildfire.
But no one in the dark corners was speaking or moving, although it felt like some strange apparition was swirling through the stadium.
"Your pitiful little pipsqueak could not even singe my creations, Ash Ketchum."
"Hey!" Ash's temper started to rise. "My Pikachu could do more than singe your warped Pokémon!"
"Amusing that such a little boy would have such a big ego. And no brain."
"I do too have a brain, you--"
"Ash!" Misty tugged at his arm.
He tried to rush at Giovanni, but Brock and Misty held him back.
"Let me at him! I can take him on!"
Giovanni laughed at him, the rumbled reverberating off of the walls. "Young fool."
Before Ash could snap something back, Lugia spoke mentally, He's trying to rile you, don't let him.
"Yes, listen to your little bird friend. You won't be able to see him much longer," Giovanni snickered.
"Now listen here!" Ash demanded. "You're pure evil and I'm going to beat you. Not because I'm stronger, or because you're stronger, but because I have friends. Friendship can overcome the hardest of obstacles, and with all the friends I have here you are nothing but a bump in the road that shall be easily smoothed down! Good shall triumph! You know it, and I know it, and there is nothing you can do about it!" His eyes burned with a fire that would rival that of a Charizard's tail.
"What is good and evil, other than the misconception in someone's mind that ethics should determine everything?" Giovanni glared at him.
"A lawless society would last about as long as an Oddish in a volcano. Good is following what is right and just, and evil is just doing whatever you want when you want. Evil will stab evil in the back, but Good shall always be kind to Good. When a person acts evil, sometimes it is to hide hurt...Is that what is wrong with you?" Ash looked the man in the eyes. A strange feeling had come over him, and he felt words he would never otherwise utter come out of his mouth.
Giovanni seemed almost taken aback. Almost. "Nothing is wrong with me!" he snarled. "To me, you are the evil one, for you are against me. Unless...You wish to join me? If you become a member of Team Rocket you will one day be by my side when I have conquered the world...Imagine all of the Pokémon you would get, and the power that you would have..."
"Never!" the humans shouted simultaneously.
"Are you sure?...I think you said that a little too quickly. Come, come. It is your dream that you shall become the ultimate Pokémon Master, is it not, Ash Ketchum? If you joined my organization you would have that title soon enough. And Brock, think of all of the equipment for experimenting with Pokémon food and breeding...And Misty, you would have more Water-Types at your disposal than you have ever dreamed..."
"No," Misty said quietly.
Brock glared, "I wouldn't want to do it with your help."
"That would be cheating," Ash insisted.
"Are you calling me a cheater?" Giovanni chuckled. "It wouldn't be cheating, it would be merely having help--"
"Wait a minute," Ash broke in. "How did you know our names?"
"I know a lot about you," Giovanni responded seriously. After a moment's paused, he requested, "Join me."
"No!" Ash exclaimed. He was quiet for a moment, thinking of something he had heard two boys in Pallet Town talking about, when they hadn't known he was there. He had been tormented by the thought for years, and now he was finally going to give it some release. "I heard you killed my father."
Brock and Misty's eyes were instantly upon him. He never talked about his father. One time Misty had ventured to ask about him, and Ash had been mad at her for days, for reasons unknown to her. But now she knew part of what it was...
"No, Ash." Giovanni shook his head slowly, and almost pitying look in his eyes. "I am your father..."
"No!" Ash immediately denied, his hands clenching into fists. "That can't true! It's impossible! My father is dead."
"Did your mother ever tell you outright that your father was dead?" Giovanni asked, trying to appear politely curious but coming off as brutally sinister.
"She said that he was gone, and wouldn't ever come back."
"But she never said that he was dead," the Team Rocket leader pointed out.
"Everyone else did."
"To them, I was dead. But to your mother, I was just gone, never to come back. Your mother has no real job because I pay her child support. I agreed to pay and stay out of the way as long as she started you on your Pokémon journey. For I would not have a son who was less than the best at Pokémon battles. Join me, and we can rule the world as father and son, with our Pokémon at our side."
"Never!" Ash was pale, his hands were clammy, and he felt queasy. Giovanni was lying! He had to be! His mother would never have married such a cruel man!
"So be it. Son," Giovanni sneered, then snapped his fingers.
Like spiders, Pokémon jumped from the ceiling. Like tigers, Pokémon came stalking out from the shadows. Like moles, ground types popped their heads out from the stadium floor.
Like predators, they surrounded the Legendaries, humans, and human-owned Pokémon.
Giovanni chuckled deeply at their surprised expressions, a deep resounding laugh that sent chills down everyone's spines, with the exception of him and his Pokémon.
His Pokémon all had, not physically, but emotionally, dark eyes, and smirking faces. He had tormented them past the breaking point, and all they wanted to do was fight.
Quickly, Ash, Brock, and Misty let out their Pokémon, and the battle began.
A Magmar and an Electrode pounded furious Special attacks at Articuno, who sent back shards of ice.
Pikachu tried to zap the Vaporean that was spitting water at Moltres, as he dodged a Dugtrio and a Sandshrew.
Mewsie, Cat, and Lelia had risen above the furiously raging battle, and were searching for their brother.
But they could not see him.
Author's Note: I couldn't help it. Being an avid Star Wars fan, I had to have the whole "I am your father" thing in there.