Ur-Didact vs Mewtwo
"I now know my power… but what is my true reason for being? Why am I here? A partner to humans? That was something I was left to believe from the man in the suit. I was led to believe I was in control of my destiny now, but as time progresses, I do not know if that continues to be true. Who… am I?"
Mewtwo stood on the verge of a wormhole, the very fabric of reality contorting into the singularity, twisting and beckoning him forward. The cloned Pokémon stood alone in the massive rectangular room, wires and miscellaneous scientific contraptions lining the walls leading to the wormhole before him.
"Step into the singularity," a voice came across the speakers hidden in the corners of the room, though Mewtwo could sense the voice truly came from the observation deck built behind the wall opposite the wormhole, thick reinforced glass separating the chamber from the experiment room.
Behind the glass, holding the microphone close, was the orange-suited man, Giovanni, his brow furrowed as he attempted to peer into the portal himself. He was surrounded by four men in white lab coats, similar to the coats worn by the scientists at Mewtwo's awakening. They made him uneasy, a feeling in the back of his mind he could not shake, but he focused on Giovanni.
"What lies beyond the portal?" Mewtwo asked.
"A test of power, Mewtwo. An in turn, more power that will allow us to focus your power even further, and finally achieve your true purpose." Giovanni said, gripping the microphone tightly. Mewtwo passively scanned the man's mind, whether he sensed anger or ambition he could not tell. The helmet around Mewtwo's head clouded his mental powers, as it had from the first time he adorned it. He turned his head to examine the rest of the armor around his body, covering his torso and every limb in patchwork covering, leaving only his tail exposed.
"If I am to test my power, I cannot have these restraints suppressing my psychic abilities," Mewtwo declared, motioning to the mechanical plates.
"Nonsense," Giovanni declared, clenching his fist. "It focuses your power, gives your wildfire direction, until your true power is found you will obey."
Mewtwo's brow twitched at the last word to leave Giovanni's mouth. An anger welled within him, but he waved it aside, having little reason to distrust this man yet.
"Into… the portal?" Mewtwo turned, gazing into the singularity.
"Yes. In the Ultra Wormhole you will find power beyond our wildest imagination. Find the source of power, bring it to us or what remains of it and I will tell you of your true purpose."
Mewtwo took a step toward the wormhole, glancing through the corners of his eye to the scientists. He took a deep breath. His drive for purpose overtook his unease as he passed into the portal.
[Another Universe, Planet Requiem]
In all possible futures, your arrival, your very existence, was incalculable. A being worthy of the Mantle? No. Perhaps sent to allow my ascension. More likely. My tomb is witness to life once more at the dawn of a new era and the close of the old. My time draws near. Prepare.
Mewtwo floated through the dimensional wormhole, using his psychic manipulation to keep himself centered in the circular tube-like structure. His vision flashed as he passed various branches within the wormhole. Through passing glances he witnessed worlds whiz by, of worlds his mind could only barely comprehend. Passing infinite possible worlds he wondered when he would know which portal to exit through, which unknown demons to confront in the reality he chose.
A strong intuitive wave pulled Mewtwo's attention ahead, down one of the many branched pathways, not dissimilar to any of the others, but he was drawn to it. At the last possible moment the Pokémon ducked his shoulder, twisting his body into a spin as he hurdled into the branching path into the new reality.
The psychic Pokémon stepped foot out of the portal as it closed behind him, feeling his feet land softly onto cold, grey metal. Mewtwo surveyed his surroundings, the platform he now stood upon stretched only about 150 feet over a massive chasm, a miasma of fog obscuring the bottom to suggest an infinitely long drop. Floating beyond the platform was a giant metallic sphere, its base glowing a dull orange as it thrummed with unknown energy. He craned his neck, finding ceiling above disappearing behind a similar haze. The walls of the building were equally distanced, the only reason Mewtwo knowing there were walls and ceilings at all being that there was no natural light, spare faint blue electrical illuminations wove into the intricately molded metal.
Mewtwo cautiously stepped forward, his metal armor echoing with every step through the dead silent chamber. At the end of the platform were two small pylons with bright blue symbols illuminated against their dark metal. Though Mewtwo could not make out the symbols, his curiosity drew him nearer.
Mewtwo's helm buzzed with a quick surge of static as he approached, though he paid it no mind, approaching the two pylons. They grew brighter as the Pokémon approached, seemingly inviting his presence.
Activate the pylons. Attain the Mantle.
A disembodied voice rang in the Pokémon's ear. His hands shot up instinctively glowing with psychic energy, his eyes rapidly scanning the room.
Nothing moved barring the giant sphere, bobbing in anti-gravity. He slowly lowered his hands.
"Where are you? What is your purpose here?" Mewtwo closed his eyes, calling out with his mind. In his mind's eye the room spread out before him in blue and purple hues, psychic energy radiating everywhere, pulsing outward from the giant sphere in the center.
You seek power. I am the one you seek. Free me from my prison, and witness the power of the true guardian Mantle of Responsibility, Mewtwo heard as he hovered closer to the pylons between himself and the sphere. He cautiously reached out his hands, his eyes now focused on the sphere.
Every nerve in Mewtwo's mind told him to run, but whether it was out of commitment to duty or pure curiosity he reached out both hands to the pylons, pressing them onto the cold metal. As he did, the tops of the pylons glowed a dull orange and the entire room buzzed to life.
The Pokémon immediately retracted his hands, but the orange glow flowed down the tops of the pylons via recessed grooves along their sides. The sphere in the center of the room illuminated from its base, electrical sparks shooting lightning from the sides of the room into the sphere like a mad science experiment, the same dull orange glow spider-webbing up and splitting the sphere into massive, geometric sections.
An energy pulse shot out from the sphere sending Mewtwo sliding backwards, though still standing, his hands once more readied with blue psychic energy. The geometric metal patterns along the bottom of the sphere folded outward, revealing a blazing star-like structure on the inside. Mewtwo's mind was bombarded with psychic energy as a circular platform descended from the star-like structure with three metal spikes pointed upward on its edges.
Mewtwo squinted his eyes to focus on the platform, the three spikes folding downward and revealing a humanoid figure beginning to stand from a kneeling position.
"So fades the great harvest of my betrayal." The being grinned as his neck turned, a grandiose air about him as he locked eyes with the purple Pokémon on the bridge. "Your nobility has blinded you, as ever."
The figure began levitating a few feet above the platform, his body's muscular structure like red cords through his torso and arms and running up his neck. Where his muscular structure was not highlighted, the figure had pale white skin, particularly on his face, sporting two black eyes set deep in their sockets only illuminated by a pair of orange irises. He bore two small tusks folding over his bottom lip, peeling it back to reveal a set of perfectly white teeth between them.
The figure held out his arm revealing a six fingered hand, and as he did metal fragments began to fly from the pylons on the platform, encasing his body in silver piecemeal armor, small grooves in the armor glowing orange.
"The Librarian left little to chance, didn't she?" the figure continued, metal pieces still flying to join his body. "Turning my own world against me. But what hubris to believe she could protect her pets from me forever. The Forerunners… have returned."
With this line of monologue, the final pieces of metal form encased his head in a menacing helmet, two now glowing orange eyes fixating on the purple Pokémon. Mewtwo had been probing the figure's mind since the moment he appeared, but was suddenly cut off when the helmet fitted around his skull. The only thing he could gather from the figure's mind was a single name: Didact.
The glowing orange eyes of the Didact's helm focused on Mewtwo, his head tilting curiously.
"You, creature, I do not recognize your species, though to release me from my prison you must hold some intelligence. To what race do you owe allegiance to?"
"I… do not know what I am," Mewtwo responded, his fight or flight nerves firing.
"Your exosuit," the Didact pointed up and down Mewtwo as he floated toward the platform with the pylons. "Primitive, human-made. You serve their purposes, do you not?"
"I am a partner to humans, I do not serve them." Mewtwo said definitively, keeping his distance as the Didact landed on the platform outcropping. Didact was nearly twice as tall as the Pokémon, Mewtwo's neck craning to look the alien in the eyes.
The Didact scoffed, waving an indignant hand.
"Humans partner with no one. They are naturally purists, resenting having to live among other species. They're among the most contentious, bigoted, self-centered… I never understood how my wife tolerated them. Surrender and I will hunt down your oppressors and give them the end they deserve, in service to me."
Mewtwo pondered these words. He could not be telling the truth, for how could this creature know of the humans from his dimension? Some humans, like the scientists at his birth perhaps were as amoral as the Didact set forth, but the man in the suit surely wanted what was best for him, didn't he?
"You are wrong." Mewtwo clenched his teeth, psychic energy whirling around his hands. A telekinetic push surged outward from his body, pushing the Didact a few feet before his boots dug into the ground to steady himself. "I cannot allow you to enslave humanity. All creatures ought to control their own destinies, and if you stand in the way of that then I must use my power to protect them."
"Your actions tread between honor and foolishness," Didact sighed, holding out his hand. As he did, Mewtwo felt an invisible force seize him, making him unable to move as the force pulled him into the air. "Embrace your sad fate and retain your nobility. I am already beyond you."
With a wave of the Didact's hand, Mewtwo was flung across the room and slammed into a wall, falling to the metallic ground once more. Mewtwo rose to his knee, seeing the Didact wave his hand once more to create a blue swirling portal at the end of the long walkway.
"I cannot allow you to leave," Mewtwo said grimly, a shadowy ball of energy forming in his hand as he flung it at the portal. Just before the Didact could enter the portal, the shadow ball slammed into its event horizon, causing a small explosion that caused energy ripples to shake the room. The Didact staggered backwards, his head turning angrily toward the Pokémon.
"You truly believe these theatrics will prevent my departure?" Didact asked, holding out his hand once more to seize Mewtwo. "You will relent or perish. All life is choice, and it is now time for you to choose."
The invisible force held Mewtwo for a split second before he used his telekinetic shove once more to free himself before flying toward the pylon platform to confront the Didact.
"You should fear my power most of all!" Mewtwo shouted as he manifested two more shadow balls in each hand, slamming each into the side of the Didact's head. The force of the ensuing explosion enveloping the two warriors in a cloud of smoke. Mewtwo's head gear analyzing wildly trying to locate his opponent as the targeting parameters flashed.
A single hand stretched from out of the smoke, surprising the Pokémon and grabbing Mewtwo by the head, lifting him into the air. The Didact's orange eyes pierced through the haze first before the smoke dissipated around the two, revealing the Didact's armor completely intact.
Mewtwo's eyes widened as the Didact slammed the Pokémon into the ground head first, smashing the helmet into smithereens. Mewtwo was dazed as he looked back up, seeing the hand once again reaching for him. The sharp-fingered hand grasped around Mewtwo's torso plate, tearing away the armor plating.
"You impress me, creature. Your singular valor will be preserved and studied, once your Composition has been completed."
"Composition?" Mewtwo's thoughts raced. The Didact raised his hands together, bringing them down and slamming into the Pokémon's exposed chest, taking his breath away. Mewtwo gasped, coughing up a bit of blood.
The Pokémon would not give up, however, as his psychic powers surged, surrounding the Forerunner with a purple energy and flinging him into the wall that Mewtwo had crashed into earlier.
Mewtwo rose to his feet, looking at the remaining pieces of armor on his arms and legs. Why was his power stronger now? Did his helmet and breastplate suppress his powers like he had told the suited man? He knew his concentrated powers were stronger now. He had many questions, too many questions, but he had not the time to ask them now.
The Didact rose as well, a wave of his hand materializing a new metallic pathway with bright orange particles emitting from the recessed illuminated grooves. The pathway stretched between the two warriors as the Didact stomped heavily to approach the Pokémon.
"Your persistence is admirable, but futile." Didact said reaching out with his hand to use his telekinesis to hold Mewtwo in place as he materialized a rifle-like device in his other hand. He pointed the rifle at Mewtwo, walking close enough to press the barrel into the Pokémon's chest.
Mewtwo struggled, his eyes glowing as a bright blue sphere formed around the legendary Pokémon, encasing him and slicing through the Forerunner's wrist holding the rifle. The Didact recoiled, holding the stump of an arm that once held the rifle.
"So that is what it takes to stop you," Mewtwo said, now free of the telekinetic hold.
"The Mantle of Responsibility shelters all, but the Forerunners are its only masters! You cannot possibly hope to control its power!" The Didact shouted, an unseen anger coming from behind his helmet as a portal formed behind him. He took one step toward it before stopping dead in his tracks.
Mewtwo held up a 3-fingered hand, holding the Forerunner in place as he slowly levitated him into the air.
"Why do you flee? Are you afraid to find out which one of us is greater?" Mewtwo said coyly, using his telekinetic power to turn the Didact horizontal. The Forerunner struggled but could not move as his body slowly moved toward the portal he had previously opened. Mewtwo floated the alien's body into the portal, allowing only his helmeted head to peer out of it as another shadow ball formed in his offhand.
"Your reign was short, but rest knowing your cruelty shall be remembered by none," Mewtwo said as he hurled his shadow ball into the portal. The Didact was only able to utter a shriek as the portal collapsed around him, decapitating the warrior and his helmeted head tumbled to the ground, rolling on the metal floor.
Mewtwo tore the remains of his metal exoskeleton away, feeling raw psychic power flow through him once more. He had even more questions for the suited man now, of his powers, of his purpose, and of what this foe had so certainly said about mankind. He grabbed the oversized head of his fallen opponent and began looking for a new way to return to his own universe.
Winner: Mewtwo
/Sorry for such a long wait for such a short battle, the concept in my head was better before doing research on power levels and scaling realizing it was a lot more of a one-sided battle than what I expected. Next battle should be a little more even and hopefully interesting in terms of powers and abilities!