Chapter 16: Home Sweet Home

The rain just didn't seem to let up. Its cause could have been divine or accidental, but it still served a purpose. The world was on hold, people and Pokémon alike retreated to their warm dry dens to wait out the storm. Mewtwo watched the droplets fall from the safety of Bill and Sabrinas living room. The familiar smells offered him comfort, but the events of the day before still make him feel uneasy. Like their two temporary houseguests who served as reminders of the battle the previous night. Sleeping on the living room floor was Copycat, now shifted into the form of an Eevee, while Mewtwo had given Cherry his hammock to sleep in for the night. The storm brought the traveling duo to their doorstep as it surprised them on their way to the lighthouse. As for everyone else; Bill was in his study, Sabrina was pretending to sleep, and Jamie and Little Two were sleeping in her room.

Mewtwo watched the rain trickle down the window panes. This was a problem he never thought he would have. For the longest time he had been the only one of his kind, and for just as long he had been content in his hatred of himself and those that created him. Now there were others, so many others. He could no longer afford to wallow in self-pity because now he had this responsibility dropped into his lap. Little Two had been a joy to take under his metaphorical wing. The kitten was a blank slate that he could raise to never know the horrors that he himself endured. But even this thought he knew was wrong. Little Two was his own person, and it would be unfair for Mewtwo to project his own ambitions on the kitten. This also raised the matter of the other mewtwo he had met. They were their own people. Some, like Cherry, just went where the winds of fate blew them, others, like Copycat, were willing to put their own safety on the line to help the rest. And still others like Teravolt, shunned the entire world and actively fought against it. As much as Mewtwo hated to admit it, he could relate more to Teravolt than any of the others.

And then there was the Mewtant. Had it been like Teravolt, hiding away in some distant mountain cave, unknown and suffering alone? Or had it been like Cherry, attempting to reach out until its body revolted? How many others out there were suffering the same fate? And ultimately, how much of a responsibility did he have to them? Lance had made it quite clear that if large-scale attacks of that nature became more frequent, it would mean trouble for all of his kind. They would be hunted down, stored in Pokéballs and possibly exterminated. After all, they weren't real Pokémon were they? Mewtwo closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the cold window for a moment.

If there was anything he could take away from all of this, it was that for his safety, and the safety of his kitten, they couldn't stay with Sabrina and Bill. He would also have to work alongside Copycat to get a census taken on all the escapees from Woodland Labs...and possible kittens that had been born in the years following. There was also the matter of the genetic instability to deal with. Bill had told him that he and a few other scientists and professors in Pokémon academia had been working on it, but it still remained a freelance project, and there was no promise that Copycat had enough medicine to deliver every month. Copycat did his best to make what deliveries he could of the treatments, but it was still just that; a treatment. What they needed was a cure.

Mewtwo lifted his head from the window and looked over at the sleeping, pink-striped Eevee. An emotion gripped his heart and put a lump in his throat. He felt ashamed that Copycat had taken so much upon himself. Teravolt had been right. Copycat had been the one to lead the others to safety while Woodland Labs burned, and Copycat had been the one to seek out the others to ensure their well-being. And while they called him the First, his actions thus far had been very selfish. That would have to change.

The world had changed during his absence. More Pokémon species were being discovered every day. New powers and techniques, and his own knowledge was woefully dated. He needed a place for his kind to gather, to heal, to learn, and to train. A base of operations of their own. But where?

The wind picked up outside again, tossing rain and hail against the house and windows. This was really quite a storm. He raised a gentle barrier around the house and gym to fend off the worst of the hail. Windows were expensive to replace, and all it would take was one getting broken to disturb the peace of the sleeping house. It had been a long time since he dabbled in large scale weather manipulation, he hadn't even tried to create a concealing storm since…

New Island.

Much like the intensity of Teravolts lightning, the idea struck Mewtwo. New Island was perfect. It was isolated, self contained and sustainable, with plenty of room for more of his kind as well as research and training facilities. With the added benefit of lab space that could be used to manufacture treatments reliably. Arceus, why hadn't he thought of that before?

Mewtwo left the window and instead went to the kitchen, stepping over Copycat in the process. He started a pot of coffee, then pulled a pad of notebook paper closer and levitated a pen over to his knobby fingers. When the smell of coffee filled the house, Sabrina came into the kitchen wearing a house coat over her pajamas. "Its four in the morning Two. You know better than to summon me with coffee before the sun comes up."

"You weren't sleeping anyway. I just gave you an excuse to get up. I know what I'm going to do. I need to re-establish New Island...and I want it to be a sanctioned Pokémon Gym."

"Touche." Sabrina poured herself and cup and sat down at the table with him. "You've been up all night thinking about this?"

"Its the best way to hide my kind in plain sight. And it should make the League happy in knowing they can keep me under their thumb."

Sabrina sipped her coffee. "Getting a Gym established is difficult though. This Gym has been here for a long time. I'm just the latest Gym Leader. But who knows, maybe the League will fast-track it for you."

Mewtwo looked at the blank piece of paper. "So...what you're telling me is that rebuilding my castle is going to be the easy part?"

Sabrina sipped her coffee and nodded.

Mewtwo clicked the pen and began writing a list, unaware of the victorious smirk that was taking over his features.


"Why can't I come with you Dad?" Little Two asked.

Mewtwo picked up his kitten and gave him a loving nudge. "When I finish the hard stuff, then you can come. In the meantime I'm sure Jamie is happy to have you back." Little Two hugged him and returned the nudge.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Sabrina asked. Mewtwo hadn't asked either of them to come along either.

"I'm sure. I'll be back in a few days, a week at the most," he set Little Two down and gave him a gentle scritch behind his ear. "You be good, and listen to Aunt Sabrina and Uncle Bill. And only use your powers when necessary...or if you are training."

"I remember Dad."

Bill came out of the house and gave Mewtwo a satchel. "Here. I packed a few meals, Pokéblock, some Poképellets, water, healing potions and a few other odds and ends."

Mewtwo accepted the satchel and while he wasn't a fan of either the block or the pellets, he couldn't deny that they were an easy to carry source of nutrition and energy. He would need both for his coming task. He slipped the satchel over his shoulder, then with a wave goodbye, took to the evening skies. He had spent all day getting prepared for his journey, and said goodbye to Copycat and Cherry when they left that afternoon. Cherry gushed over Little Two and couldn't seem to keep her paws off the kitten, and she offered numerous times to babysit before leaving. Copycat could transform into a rather convincing human, and he managed to talk Cherry into a Pokéball and away from Little Two so he could transport her out of the city safely and secretly, and Little Two would have a chance to rest. Cherry was heading for the Lighthouse but Mewtwo had given Copycat another mission; check up on all the wild 'twos he knows and get started on listing them by name, type and location. Copycat wasn't quite sure how the others might think of it, fair enough, but he'd do his best, especially if he came across any that he hadn't found by now.

Mewtwo had barely gotten ten miles away from the house and he was already missing his kitten. Funny, he thought that the opportunity for a bit of freedom would have been more welcome. For a moment he slowed, knowing that it would be a good learning experience for Little Two, but ultimately decided against it. He would be doing enough dangerous work without worrying about the safety of a kitten that hadn't quite gotten the hang of his powers yet...whatever those were. Unlike the other mewtwo that they had encountered thus far, Little Two didn't seem to settle on an element. Even the attacks and abilities he had were different in a way that Mewtwo had yet to fully understand. If anything, Little Twos powers felt like some kind of psychic energy uncanny valley. An energy masquerading as something else, if that made any sense. After Copycat and Cherry came knocking at their door thanks to the storm Mewtwo had asked Copycat about what Tormaline had meant by "Little White." And Copycat reluctantly told Mewtwo about Big White, and how it was very likely that Little Two was his kitten. Mewtwo was thankful for the information, and even more thankful that so far Little Two showed none of the aggressive traits that this Big White had. With this in mind, Mewtwo was even more convinced that he would need to provide a more stable home life for his kitten, and keep up on his training.

He left the glow of human cities behind him and navigated his way over the clouds by following the alignment of the stars. Soon the land below him gave way to ocean, and here Mewtwo began to descend. He followed the distant lights until he reached New Harbor, a small city on the coast known for its beaches. It was a tourist town, with the benefits of the ocean, the surrounding forests, and gentle hills. He turned away from New Harbor and headed out over the ocean until he spotted it in the distance. New Island. The place of his birth.

As his feet touched the grassy sands, he felt old memories rise. The island itself wasn't very big. It could be settled, but couldn't support a town. The island itself rose above the water a good thirty feet, all sharp cliffs and interspersed with maze-like caves and channels carved by wind and waves. Before when he lived here, it had a laboratory where his life had started...and then later, he had built his palace here, a combination Pokémon gym and cloning facility. Those days were locked behind a purple angry haze in his mind. Professor Oak had said that he suffered no long term memory loss as a result of his injuries, but that didn't mean that some of his memories from his younger days were fully intact. Maybe that was for the better.

He set his bags down, then stretched and went to work. He expanded his aura and felt all the familiar fixtures just underneath the surface of the island. Some of the caverns were still there, and even some of the underground rooms. The plumbing would probably have to be redone, but he could manage that easily enough. No, the hard part was going to be getting the Palace back. He jumped off the side of the island, formed a barrier around himself, and dove into the dark water.

All of those years ago he had learned a very valuable lesson, that the circumstances of ones birth were irrelevant, that it was what one did with their life that make them who they are. After that fateful night, he eliminated all traces of his existence from the humans around him, and destroyed his beloved home….or at least that was what he had led others to think. Instead of destroying his palace, he had sunk it to the bottom of the ocean, in the off-chance he would need it again. In light of current events, he was glad that this part of his past had escaped his infamous wrath.

He partly swam, partly flew through the water, maintaining his own bubble of air around him using his barrier ability. He made a small sphere of light and sent that into the depths to light his way. He went deeper, swimming past a variety of Pokémon before reaching his Palace. It was in decent enough shape, barely had any Shellder living on or in it, although we was sure other Water-types enjoyed calling it home. He created more light spheres and sent them out, each one finding a point on the Palace until the entire structure was illuminated under water. Mewtwo then took a deep breath to calm his mind. Each of the spheres wasn't just a light source, they were also focal points that allowed him to extend his aura, creating a web-like network of psychic energy. He exhaled and tightened that web. The Palace began to lift from the ocean floor. He grinned. He still had it. He was Mewtwo, the most powerful Pokémon on the planet. Not from sheer raw energy, but because he had the mental capacity to adapt and learn as the humans did.

Mewtwo followed in the wake of bubbles as the Palace lifted through the water. He encountered his first obstacle when the towers that had once been his windmills broke the surface of the water. Water was heavy, and lifting an entire palatial structure out of the water in one piece was tricky to say the least. He extended his awareness along the network until he came to the Gym doors. With a thought he opened the doors, allowing the saltwater to flow freely from the structure and also evict the colony of Cloyster living there. He spread his arms wide as the Palace left the water, shedding creatures and seaweed by starlight. His own toes left the water and his barrier dropped as he took in the fresh salt air. The palace continued to raise higher over the water and finally over the surface area of the island. Mewtwo telekinetically moved his bags and began to lower the Palace down. Thankfully nothing had set up nesting grounds here. The palace touched down, and Mewtwo held his network tight for a moment, allowing the building to settle. He released it by degrees, noting any structural cracks he would need to take care of, or weak points in the foundation after having been left on the seabed for a decade and some change.

When the structure finally settled, he took a drink of some high potion that Bill had packed for him, then began shoring up the foundation. It was still shedding water as the many rooms and chambers emptied out. When he was satisfied with his work, Mewtwo landed on the front balcony and stood before the large double doors there. With a thought and wave of his hand, he opened them and a flood of water, sea life, and seaweed came pouring out and down over the balcony and between the railings. He hovered inside, unwilling to let his feet touch that dirty floor just yet. And oh Arceus! The smell! He dug around in the bag for another high potion and his fingers touched a paper box. Mewtwo lifted a pack of cigarettes into the starlight and grinned. "Thanks Bill." He tapped one free, lit it up, and began the monumental task of mucking out the Palace.


Around ten in the morning, music began to fill Bill and Sabrina's home. It started off gentle, as Jamie made a few experimental twangs to test the air and her parents temperaments. It then became a chord and finally a series of strums and chords to make a proper song. Little Two sat on Jamies bed, watching her play, his blue eyes opened wide and ears set forward putting his full attention on her alone. The guitar seemed bulky in Jamie's lap, and her small hands could barely circle the neck to press down the strings. She played a nursery rhyme, singing along to it before finishing her song. Little Two clapped and then jumped off the bed. "Wow! You can really play!"

"My music teacher is better, his guitar is a lot bigger too. Mom says that when I get big enough she'll help me buy a new one if I'm still interested in playing." Jamie set the guitar back in its stand.

"I don't understand why you wouldn't be interested! You play very well!" Little Two touched the neck of the guitar. "Oh, the strings are really tough…do they hurt when you play?"

"They did at first. Still kinda do if I play too long. Mr. Marshall has been playing for a long time, and his fingers are weird looking." Jamie smiled when Little Two picked up the guitar. "Hey, I've got an idea, I'll play and you can sing!"

"In front of you?"

"Why not? Whats the use in singing if no one can hear you?"

Little Two grinned sheepishly. He usually had to make an effort for people not to hear him. "Okay, I'll try. Play the same nursery rhyme again."

Jamie picked up the guitar and Little Two cleared his throat. He closed his eyes as she played the opening bars, then began singing gently but clearly. For the briefest moment, Jamie caught a wrong note, but then picked up again, playing as Little Two sang. When the song finished, Little Two opened his eyes and saw Jamie with a big smile on her face, and Uncle Bill and Aunt Sabrina peeking into the doorway of their daughters room. Little Two blushed, then covered his face with his hands.

"Wow Little Two...you can really sing." Sabrina clapped her hands a few times, then nudged Bill with her elbow until he clapped too.

Jamie jumped up from her chair. "Take a bow Little Two, it was your first performance!"

Little Two lowered his hands, then made an awkward bow. Jamie then looked to her mother. "Mom, can he come with me to my music lesson?"

Sabrina finished clapping, then folded her arms. "Hmm...I dunno. Not sure how Two would feel."

"Oh come on, he's not going to do anything! I'll keep an eye on him and if anything happens, we just run away."

Little Two nodded. "I'm good at running, and flying."

"I don't doubt you kid...okay. But remember, no Pokémon battles, no showing off anything that doesn't have to do with your musical skills."

Jamie grinned. "Promise."

"I promise." Little Two nodded. He was excited to get out of the house for a little while. He missed the bit of freedom he had at Purity Canyon.

Jamie and Little Two practiced for the next hour, trying out different songs or looking up new chords for Jamie to test out. They were then loaded up into the van along with Jamies guitar, then dropped off at an unassuming building with a simple musical note on the door. Jamie went up and knocked, with Little Two following along behind her. A man with short silver hair opened the door, he had strange tattoos on his wrists and a Whismur at his side. "Hey Jamie, who's your friend?"

"Hey Mr. Marshall. This is Little Two! He's a singer!"

"Oh really? Should we put him with the Jigglypuff?"

Little Two couldn't help but frown, a huff escaping his lips. "I already know the Jigglypuff song."

Mr. Marshall's smile grew bigger. "You can talk? Far out!" he stepped aside and let Jamie and Little Two in. Little Two didn't know what to expect, but the sight was welcome all the same. It was a large room, with many carpets laid on the floor, pillows and soft chairs. There were a few microphone stands, music stands, and the walls were covered in some strange sponge-like material that looked like egg crates. There were a few other kids here along with their Pokémon. Including a Jigglypuff, two more Whismur, and a Loudred near the back wall. Little Two smiled despite himself. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, he couldn't ask for anything more.

Little Two stood behind Jamie and whispered in her ear. "I think...I'm going to like it here."


As it turned out, mucking out the Palace was the easy part. The headaches really started when Mewtwo began reworking the electrical systems. All of his old electronics, computers, monitors, screens, and primitive holograms had been destroyed by either the saltwater or the pressure of sitting on the bottom of the seabed. He discreetly disposed of those at night at the local junkyard with a few quick teleportations. When he had first built the Palace, he had stolen much of what he needed, either by invading the minds of humans to freely give things to him, or just walking in and taking what he wanted. Now that he had matured and was more experienced in the ways of the human world, the price of getting this place up and running again was astronomically high.

He had just ripped out the last bit of wiring to see what he could salvage when he heard the unmistakable bugle of a Dragonite. Mewtwo tossed the wire into a pile with the others and flew downstairs to the main hall. He had left the doors open to both the balcony and gym floor to air the place out some. He made his descent between the double helix of spiral staircases at the center of the hall with much less fanfare than he had in the past. Standing just in the doorway was a Dragonite, and in its shadow were two humans. One Mewtwo recognized as Bill, the other was Lance of the Elite Four. Bill carried a few bags over his shoulders, and even Lance had a small bag at his side. Bill waved then walked forward to meet Mewtwo.

"This is really an incredible place! I had no idea it was an actual palace!" Bill held his arms wide. "It would make a great Pokémon gym, eh Lance?"

Lance pushed his hands in his pockets and looked around. "It's got grandeur I'll give it that. But so far the only Pokémon I see is Mewtwo. Not to mention it needs a good cleaning."

Mewtwo could think of a few things he wanted to say, but none of them would be appropriate. He hadn't asked Bill to bring Lance here, but he knew the reasoning. "Its still in the early stages, I only just lifted it off the seafloor yesterday. I'm sorry I don't have any refreshments to offer my guests."

"None needed," Lance began to walk around. "So, what are you planning on doing with the place...aside from it being a Pokémon gym?"

Mewtwo shot a glance at Bill, who just waved him on as a go-ahead. "I intend to make it my home. And a place for others of my kind to gather and receive treatment...so that I don't have to see another of my kind suffer so much again."

Lance stopped at the foot of the spiral staircase and looked up. "I'm trying to figure out a way to sell this to the committee. It could be listed as a Pokémon sanctuary, but then you wouldn't be able to put a Gym here. If its private property, there's no good reason to bump this up to the top of the list over all the other privately owned Gyms. Who owns this island?"

Mewtwo already knew the answer to that. "Team Rocket."

Lance nodded his head slowly. "Well Bill, its just as you said."

"I can have them on the phone in two minutes."

Mewtwo looked back and forth between the two of them. He was tempted to start scanning minds, but resisted the urge. "What are you planning?"

Lance smirked and even chuckled a little. "Bill was already a few steps ahead of me here. I'm not arguing with you. Its a great spot for a Gym, and would help the town out too. But the problem comes with the ownership of the island itself. I can't grant you Gym certification if the island doesn't belong to you. But Bill brought up a very valid argument. Since the island is owned by Team Rocket, it can be confiscated as a known asset to a criminal organization. Not to mention it's now a blighted property...with the Palace as is. But this would tie it up in the legal system until a judgment is passed. Its much easier to just buy it outright."

Mewtwo shifted his gaze between them again. "And?"

"That's why I'm here." Lance peeked around a corner into a side hall. "You don't have the money to buy it, Bill and Sabrina are comfortable, but don't have the money to spend on an island. But I do. If I buy it, I'm allowed to play my card with the committee and have it fast-tracked as a Pokémon Gym. One of the perks of being in the Elite Four is that when you retire, you are allowed to establish a Gym of your own. I'm not terribly concerned with having my own Gym, but I can grant that 'get one free' privilege to someone else I deem worthy. So I want to know...what is your strategy? I can buy it, but I'm not going to make an investment and just have it sit here while someone else profits from it."

"So you wish to work out a rental agreement?" Mewtwo asked.

"More like a joint partnership with the option to buy. Either you buy me out, or if things don't work out and go sour, I buy you out. Gyms are money pits. Domestic living spaces are even worse. How will you make this island pay me back?"

Mewtwo growled low in his throat. Lance was right. Every step of the way. Sabrina was paid a stipend by the League, but she was considered the owner of the land, and most of their living expenses were covered by royalties from Bills inventions. This island didn't have much in the way to offer as a source of income. It was too small for most industry, and the ones it was suited for would do more harm than good. What good was a tower of rock? It wasn't even in a good place to put a light house. It was isolated, difficult to access, and at the whims of the weather. Why had Team Rocket even bought this place?

The answer came to Mewtwo and he looked to Lance, a smirk playing on his lips. "How will this island pay you back? I'll show you." he led both Bill and Lance to a side hall, then moved a section of wall to the side with a thought. Just as he suspected, the access point was still there and untouched for all these years. They descended down a long staircase carved out of the very stone of the island before stopping in a hallway. Here the lights were on, the floor was dust-free and clean while the walls seemed new. Doors lined each side of the hall. Mewtwo opened one with a wave of his hand, then with a flick of his wrist, the rest of the doors opened inward as well. "These are all research labs. Each fully outfitted with many if not all of the tools necessary for study. This is how New Island can pay you back. Team Rocket wanted the island as an isolated place to conduct experiments away from prying eyes. I haven't touched anything down here yet. The solid rock keeps the labs at a constant temperature and protects them from the elements. It also makes for ideal storage for fragile chemicals and compounds."

Lance began nodding slowly. "A research facility...not quite what I was expecting, but it will do." he held his hand out for Mewtwo to shake. Mewtwo looked at those five fleshy fingers before gently accepting the gesture. Lance gave a brief shake, then let go. "I'm looking forward to this partnership."

Mewtwo felt that word settle on his ears as a weight. The last time he was offered a "partnership" he was put in restraining armor and forced to fight anything that came his way. He didn't like the way it sounded, but this was how it had to be. He had to trust in Lance, and Lance was trusting him. Bill was already on the phone with James. Mewtwo didn't catch much of the one-sided conversation, but his friends excitement was hard to hide.

They went back to the main hall, and Bill was still on his phone. The hall didn't look so glum and dirty anymore. It had taken many years, but he and his kind finally had a place to call Home.


Little Two and Jamie waited near the door to the music studio later in the afternoon. Mr. Marshall stood with him while welcoming the next batch of students. Little Two discovered that Mr. Marshall had an interesting way of teaching his students to play. He had classes set up as rock bands, and they were encouraged to work together to improve and learn. The whole class had been a fun jam session as Jamie and the others went over songs they knew and picked out ones they wanted to learn. As Sabrina pulled up in her van, Mr. Marshall walked them to the curb, then knocked on the window. Sabrina rolled it down. "Hey, were they good?"

"The best Mrs. Sabrina. Little Two is welcome to come back any time!"

"That's great to hear." Sabrina looked to the backseat as Jamie and her guitar climbed in.

"Hey uh, I wanted to ask you a question. In a few weeks Saffron is having the Sitrus Berry festival, and they're having a battle of the bands during the event. I was wondering if Jamie and Little Two could join us."

"Oh that would be neat...Jamie?"

"Yes!" came the enthusiastic reply from the back seat.

"I want to go too!" Little Two seconded.

Sabrina's expression turned a little. "We would have to talk to your dad first..."

"Awww…" Little Two plunked back down in his seat. "He's gonna say no."

"Hmm," Sabrina turned back to Mr. Marshall. "Jamie is a yes, and Little Two is a soft yes."

Little Two looked up hopefully from the back seat.

"Great," Mr. Marshall stepped back. "I'll need them to come by at a different time so they can work with the other members of the band. We promise not to run too late."

Sabrina nodded. "No problem, see you soon!"

Mr. Marshall stepped back as the van drove off. Little Two began bouncing excitedly in his seat. "I had so much fun today, and Mr. Marshall said I could really sing! He taught me how to read music and find a beat and….Dad is going to be mad."

"You let me deal with your dad." Sabrina said as she threw him a look through the rear-view-mirror. "You two just worry about learning your music."

Jamie cheered as she hugged Little Two in the backseat. "We're gonna be rock stars!"


Mewtwo returned to Bill and Sabrina's late in the night. He entered the greenhouse quietly, then went to Little Twos room to check on his son. Little Two was curled up in his hammock, holding onto his tail just as he had done since he was smaller. Mewtwo gave him a loving pat on his head, then went into the kitchen to get a glass of water before retiring to his own hammock. The deal he had made with Lance was still turning over in his mind. They could call New Island home, and once he got the place cleaned up, he could start accepting Pokémon trainers...and start working toward the cure for the genetic instability of the other mewtwos out there.

How would he even begin to find them all? Copycat could only do so much, and only travel so far. How many were there? Mewtwo rolled over in the hammock, then remembered the hard drive that Jesse had given him years ago. It was still sitting in Bills study, in a box. Now that he had access to the labs on New Island again, he could begin recovery of information off the drive. That would at least give him a list. The rest would have to be trial and error. He closed his eyes and welcomed sleep. He had been running off potions and excitement for the past few days, and didn't stop to take a proper nap.

He was suddenly running down dark halls, with locked doors on either side. Panic filled his chest. He ran faster, attempting to fly and escape whatever was behind him. Mewtwo suddenly dug his feet in and stopped, then turned to face the fear. As soon as he did so, he awoke. Instead of his hammock, he found himself standing on the ground floor of the greenhouse in a battle pose with a Shadow ball charged between his palms. He wasn't alone here either. He looked around, spreading his senses and aura. Whatever this thing was, it was slippery and skilled at hiding its presence. Mewtwo spun and looked behind him, then felt energy gather once again at his back. He snapped back around, and saw it.

It was huge, bigger than him by several feet. A mewtwo, but not quite. The structure of its head was slightly different, as was the length of its tail, with three toes instead of two, and four fingers on each hand instead of three. It was solid white, from the top of its ears to the bottom of its feet. It stood defiant and wraith-like in the moonlight. It radiated fear and terror, seemingly manipulating these emotions in all who looked upon it. Mewtwo formed a barrier around himself, ready for whatever this creature decided to throw at him.

(At least we meet. Such a shame that you do not recognize me as your superior. In time. In time…)

It began to disappear, fading away at the feet before the rest of it vanished into the moonlight. It took several long moments for Mewtwo to finally stand down, and disperse the energies he had gathered. When he did, he noticed Sabrina standing in the doorway, looking in. What was that thing? She asked.

Mewtwo took a deep breath before answering. I think...that was Big White. And its not as dead as Copycat hoped it would be.