Locked Away, Chapter 65
"Welcome..."
Dumbfounded, Ash watched the creature.
A lanky skeleton of nearly transparent, white flesh stared back at him. Not at all what Ash expected. Leathery, slightly purple, skin pulled across his features, masking what could have been a strong facade with an appearance that was hollowed and creepy. He hunched over aggressively, right paw extended while his concave stomach lurched when he breathed. Mewtwo's nostrils flared, as what remained of the fluids from the tank dripped from his body. An overgrown snake-Mewtwo didn't look at all the way he pictured it. No, Mewtwo was a sickly monster honing in on Ash with glowing blue eyes.
"..bri..." The small fairy whimpered into Ash's ear, drawing his attention to the woman collapsed on the ground. Jessie's body was still being pressed into the wall, held there by an extended claw from Mewtwo. His gaunt hand twisted at Ash's sight, curious to Ash's reaction when Jessie twisted in visible discomfort.
"Stop it, let her go!" Snapped Ash, immediately, cutting through the tension.
'Why do you care so much for humans?' His voice, or not his voice—what Ash heard in his head—was cold and distant. A deep, gurgled hatred burning behind the calm tone.
"Why wouldn't I?" Ash hissed as pikachu's fur spiked upward, and his cheeks sparked with electricity. He was preparing to attack, against all odds. Unconscious, Jessie coughed and clutched at her throat while Mewtwo prodded Ash's motives.
'Does it matter if she dies? Would it change the futu-'
"Pika!" the simple answer: yes.
Before the monster could rattle off any psycho-babble, pikachu leaped from Ash's shoulder with a volt tackle, plowing the creature into a wall, and knocking the wind out of him. Lighting burst through the room once, silencing all participants, and releasing Jessie from the creatures grasp—returning to a fitful sleep, but a live one.
"Pikachu!" The mouse hissed, preparing to run at Mewtwo once more while Ash still wrapped his head around the actions. Ash felt trapped in a fog, more than likely a result of being near Mewtwo, but unlike Ho-oh's presence, it wasn't crippling. A daze followed him around, but in time, he believed he could shake it.
"Be careful, pikachu!" Ash chanted, snatching togetic into his arm as he side stepped away from a piece of metal flying up from the wall.
The force of Pikachu's blast left a dent in the wall where the smoke cleared, breaking apart the foundation of concrete behind the thin sheet of steel. However, it was not enough to protect them from Mewtwo's fury.
A strong gust of wind nearly knocked Ash over, but he knelt to the ground instead, catching pikachu mid-flight. The mouse uttered a quick thank you as Mewtwo raised his arms toward the ceiling and the entire room cracked above them. Ash felt it in his bones.
The walls crumbled around him, brick by brick, one flying in Ash's direction. Flinching, he threw his hands over his head to protect himself as the objects shifted into a tornado around Mewtwo, whose blue eyes turned red in the cloud of dust.
I thought you would be different.
A brick hit Ash in the chest. Knocking him backward; another barely missed his head as shrapnel spun around the room.
I thought you would understand. The creature hissed once more, sounding more furious with each word. Seeing a piece of ruble nearly falling on Jessie, Ash dove forward, to move her away. Unconscious, she was too heavy to move, so instead, Ash flung himself over her body to prevent the concrete from falling on her—thankful, it wasn't a lot and togetic and pikachu broke the worst of it into pieces. Yet, the new sting in his back didn't dissipate.
"Sorry, to let you down!" Ash screamed, pointing his finger toward Mewtwo, pikachu knew to use a thunder attack without words. A small build-up, then a crack later, shocks of electricity ventured forward through the darkened room, striking the tornado.
Lightning was a bad addition, as it swirled dangerously around Mewtwo, adding electricity to his arsenal of frustration and anger. It shot through the wires, lighting up the broken control panels and flashing all the lights until they started exploding, one after another.
While protecting his face, Ash stood up. To protect Jessie, he extended his arms and exhaled.
"Stop this! Stop hurting people!"
As a response, another gust hit Ash, pushing him back as he tried to resist the force. Pikachu and togetic clung to his shoulders.
As muted shrieks echoed around them, the entire room shattered like glass. The walls exploded, erupting in a massive vortex circling Mewtwo. The ceiling blasted off into another part of the prison, taking with it whatever was upstairs, and what remained of the tank Mewtwo was sealed in. A cold wind hit Ash, and unable to fight it, Ash hit his knees and pressed his hands into the ground to keep himself balanced.
Mewtwo floated into the air, with the force of his power circling Ash like a typhoon. White eyes snapped point-blank at Ash, who was immediately sucked into the very convolution tearing apart the prison.
I will make you understand.
XOX
Far away from where Misty walked the long hallway through the cell block, a terrifying howl tore through the foundation. Hesitant, she looked worriedly over her shoulder.
What happened to Ash? Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. Should she go back? Oh... man, was she dense to believe leaving was better than staying at his side? With a pang of guilt, she held herself upright against the wall.
No, she couldn't think of that, she had to press forward. Couldn't let fear make her weak again. Ash could take care of himself. He proved himself repeatedly to be reckless, but he always came out on top. Misty had to believe in Ash.
However, as she descended into the long darkness, Misty felt she was wasting her time. Was she running? The action was going on behind her, flaking out on Ash over a simple gunshot was cowardice at its best. Honestly, she did not understand what she was walking towards, but given the alternative, she stuck to her path, shaking.
She wasn't ready to face him. She felt guilty enough that she willingly sent Ash alone. However, if she had stayed, who was to say that she wouldn't be used as a weapon against Ash again? Mewt... Even thinking of his name brought waves of nausea through her body bringing vomit to the back of her throat. Misty reminded herself again: as much as she wanted to help, Ash was better off facing that monster without her. Even if that meant she wandered into nothingness, searching for whatever was at the end of this hallway.
For all Misty knew, the old building was making noises. She thought it was a gunshot, but the longer she walked, the more she prayed it was the world playing tricks. If it was a standoff, she hoped Giovanni was standing at the wrong end of it, and not whichever previous Rocket member played the hero. Misty hated guns, their ease of access and readiness to encourage violence. Nothing good came out of them. That's why guns were so difficult to get a hold of in the Kanto region, to begin with. They may not have been inherently evil, but she didn't doubt that the weapons encouraged bad behaviors.
With a limp, she clawed at her right leg. Creating pain elsewhere kept her mind off the ache in her shoulder. Adrenaline pushed her steps before, but now that Ash was gone, fear was creeping in faster and faster, and oh Arceus, did it always hurt this much? Before she knew it, she pressed her right shoulder against the bars of an empty cell to catch her breath. They smelled pungent and rotten, and thankfully the blackness hid whatever was on the other side. Despite the aches she bore and the horrible scent wrapped around her, she held up her hand to her face, and marched forward, occasionally hissing in pain.
Time slipped away from her without the casual spark from Pikachu to light the path. Her muscles wanted to clench up, refuse to move. The pain that traveled down her back was excruciating and distracting. In a few short steps, a fog eclipsed her mind, and slowly, her steps turned into a slow shuffle, until she eventually stopped moving at all. Back leaned against a stone wall, she squinted into the darkness, swallowing back the pain.
She could stand here for a while, fade away.
A spark of red light flashed through the room, and she sighed at the sound of her pokemon escaping the constraints of its ball.
"Pssyyy." The faint whine echoed through the hallway bringing her back to the real world.
Misty's eyes opened slowly, revealing the yellow creature at her feet.
"...Hey." with a hoarse greeting, she patted Psyduck's head, who darted forward a few feet without her, then stopped to wait. With a smirk, Misty kicked off the wall and struggled to reach him. Guess he would not let her quit, either. Psyduck wasn't much for battling, but as a companion, he never let her down. For the entirely of their stroll, the small duck kept ahead of her, scouting the path before she followed, however, when he came to a stop Misty knew that her time was up.
Quickly, she stuck out her hand to prevent psyduck from continuing forward.
"We don't know what's up there," she said firmly, stepping out in front of him.
A faint light emerged from an ajar door ahead of them. Misty crept her way there, ducking away from the crack to remain hidden. Peering through, she saw that it wasn't too bright of a room. It was illuminated from an emergency power and the faint glow of switchboards. More importantly, James stood inside with a gun pointed at Giovanni, smoke rising from the chamber, and a bullet sprayed in the wall behind the criminal. It must have been a warning shot that she heard before. However, Giovanni did not appear fazed by the display of hostility.
Ironically, a warning shot also meant that James was okay.
Thank goodness, she sighed in relief at the sight before her.
At first glance, James appeared terribly upset. The grave tension between the two of them weighed heavily on Misty, who crouched in the shadows. After a moment of James swearing at the unimpressed Rocket Leader, the lavender haired man finally cracked.
"What happened to you, Giovanni?" James questioned, the way he said Giovanni's name was sinister, demonizing. Chills ran down Misty's spine, wasn't sure she had ever heard James use the name before.
"Look at where you are!" James threw out one of his arms. "You're in a disgusting, run-down prison. You were a mob boss. Not some tortured, evil dictator. " James sighed, shaking his head. Gesturing to the surrounding area, the leaking ceiling, the macabre setting with ruined walls, and the distant smell of rotting... Misty's stomach churned, putting the thought as far from her mind as possible.
Most of Giovanni's face was laced in shadows, but he appeared disinterested in James' nattering. His cheeks were gaunt and his skin was void of color. The auburn, slicked-back hair she remembered from her teen years was falling out, receding past the top of his head. His once pristine and spotless suit was marred by time, worn far too long to keep its gleam. Only now, looking at him in the emergency power lighting, did she notice how worn out he truly was. Walking dead staring at her. For someone who was supposed to be all-powerful, he appeared frail.
James waved his arm angrily. "Answer me!"
Silence. One that made Misty's heart yearn and brought the sound of howling wind in the distance. For a moment, she listened to the sounds washing through the hallway, but James' voice pulled her back into the conversation before her.
"You ruined mine and Jess' lives! What on earth can you expect to gain by destroying everything you've built? Team Rocket is a shell, a true villain now that everyone knows what you've done. The microchips, the lies..." James choked on his words. "You've gone mad and you should be disgusted with yourself... The least you could do is tell me why!"
Closure. James sought the very thing they all wanted. To know there was a means to an end.
A quiet passed, then James added: "I-We deserve to know."
Finally, Giovanni sighed while adjusting his worn-out shirt cuffs, saying nothing.
The way James swung his arm around when he was upset, Misty was beginning to understand how he may have accidentally fired off a shot. She shirked backward closer to the wall to keep hidden from Giovanni's gaze when James shifted dramatically.
"Jess and I did everything for you!" James yelled. Still, no reply from Giovanni.
James voice cracked. "You said that you had bigger plans after the attack at Bill's, but then you turned yourself in. Left Team Rocket to die, and everyone else who followed you. We were supposed to be about taking every means necessary to ensure peace—not being the evil ones. We weren't always evil."
Misty was uncomfortable with the direction of this conversation. James almost sounded remorseful. Her heart hurt for James. Everything they worked for, despite the current outcome, was supposed to be for the greater good. James, nor Jessie, knew how inherently evil Team Rocket was. At least, she hoped not.
At James' confession, Giovanni's face distorted slightly. His features darkened and his neck twisted unnaturally for a split second and then returned to the same passive glance. James didn't respond to the odd behavior, but Misty leaned closer for a better look. Giovanni was struggling internally, the way his body shifted unnaturally as if he were not comfortable in his own skin; it was familiar and alarming. A coolness ran through her veins and she exhaled uncomfortably.
Misty wanted to interfere with this confrontation, but she was tired and exhausted. Terrified passed through her brain, but she let it slip away as quickly as it came.
"You came here to kill me. Do it." Giovanni finally spoke, and when he did, his voice was low and hoarse.
The comment stumped James. Indecision reflected in his eyes while he shifted back and forth on his heels. His finger squeezed the trigger of the gun but released without firing.
Stuttering, in a low voice, James asked uncertainly: "Do you want to die?"
Immediately, Giovanni replied: "I will do whatever it takes to ensure my vision comes to life."
"But..." James started off quietly, "All of your bases, all of your members... there isn't a person alive crazy enough to follow you now. Everyone knows it was Team Rocket behind these attacks. You can't weasel out of this."
A grin formed on Giovanni's lips. "Do you truly believe I need any of that?"
A brief pause between the two allowed Misty to breathe and gather her courage to rise back to her feet.
"After today, I will control everything." His words echoed in the wind's howl as Misty watched Giovanni hurtfully. The haunting phrase hung in the air. It didn't sound like Giovanni. For a moment, Misty remembered her own time captured in the lull of that promise.
Suddenly, it made sense that Giovanni wasn't the same person he was before. Because when Misty first met the former-gym leader so many years ago, he was shrouded in mystery and power, but not insanity. Giovanni was supposed to be a business tycoon, a man with sharp eyes and an appeal to local government. Not a crazed lunatic locked inside of a decaying dungeon, surrounded by dead bodies and water leaks.
"You're insane." James added in total disbelief to what he was hearing.
Giovanni's face fell at the comment, his lips turned into a harsh frown that darkened the rest of his face once more. For the first time since meeting, he looked evil. Ready to attack James.
"Then shoot me." Giovanni ordered, taking a step closer to James. Misty held her breath, waving psyduck to stay back with a flick of her wrist. James didn't move, however, his hand shook with each step Giovanni advanced.
"You can't... And do you know why?" Giovanni's voice fell lower, his eyes blackened. "Because you haven't got the stomach."
In a flash, the emergency power that barely illuminated the room dissipated. Misty let out the breath she was holding as two shots went off inside, and the scuffle of feet echoed through her.
James! she screamed mentally as the shots deafened her.
Misty swore, panicked, and braced herself as she charged through the metal door. The pain in her shoulder vanished as adrenaline pumped through her veins in the darkness, where the duo had been standing, then, she tackled the first person she collided with. Obscenities flew around the room, but she was deafened by the sound of her own heartbeat.
With a thump, she hit the ground landing painfully on top of a man far larger than her and then rolled away. She couldn't see, but that didn't stop her from lurching backward when two hands went to grab her. Kicking once at their legs, she pushed herself forward with a powerful shoulder-thrust that separated the two of them. She reeled backward hitting the far wall just as the lights flickered on again revealing the pissed off Rocket leader who held a handgun lowered at his side. James laid on the ground beyond him, holding his face.
Misty squinted, trying to appear less panicked than she was, but the seizing lights hurt her eyes.
"Hmm, you're alive." Giovanni murmured as he tapped the barrel against his leg.
James sat upon the stone floor across from her, catching her gaze sympathetically. Briefly, they thanked heaven that both of them were all right. James noticed immediately that Misty was bruised and battered, shielded with a makeshift bandage. Misty noticed that his lip was busted and beginning to pool blood, he also held his wrist bitterly as his eyes slowly drifted to the weapon Giovanni took from him. James wiped at his jaw and struggled to his feet. This would happen to them, worse now that Giovanni appeared to have woken from his trance.
"You are the worst shot." Misty hissed to James from across the room, reiterating how useless guns were in her mind. James couldn't justify himself, appearing paler now. Probably more worried that his vendetta had another person involved. Of course, it would; Misty wouldn't have left him!
"It's two against one." James tried, attempting to distract Giovanni from Misty.
Giovanni scoffed. "A beaten woman, and a coward? Don't make me laugh."
"Shut up." Misty hissed. "You know that bad guys who underestimate the enemy always lose, right?"
Giovanni offered her an unimpressed glance in response: "Shame this isn't a television show."
Then, his eyes narrowed. "Misty Waterflower, isn't it? Why... I haven't seen you since you were a little girl. How have you been?"
Misty choked on the bile at the back of her throat.
"You should know, you tried to kill me and my friends!" Misty shouted at him, unable to control her anger. Suddenly, it was all bubbling up inside her again: the rage. The burning hatred for this man before her. Terror replaced by loathing.
"Perhaps... but I don't try to kill people." With that cocky stare, unlike his previous behavior, he smiled, then finally held up the gun. "Couldn't have been me." Meanwhile, he scratched his head and squared his shoulders. Collecting a steady breath he had been holding for some time.
James growled, puffing up his shoulders as the lights continued to flicker above them. "Now you'll talk?"
Giovanni thought about it for a moment, fixing his cuff links.
"One could say...I haven't been in the right frame of mind recently."
At that, Misty's head tilted, heart racing as she asked: "How long have you been controlled?"
Giovanni chuckled menacingly. "...To be honest, I can't remember. It happened so long ago..."
Behind him, James watched wide-eyed. It's like they were talking to a different person.
"Must be getting serious, if..." Then, Giovanni's head tilted to one side, as if he was listening to someone that neither James, or Misty could hear. The duo shared an uncertain look, and Misty took a step to her right as Giovanni raised his hand to stop her and a gust of wind hit the wall hard enough to shake the room.
"Don't move!" Giovanni screamed, and Misty growled trying to stay on her feet, despite the quakes.
"You know, Giovanni. It's not too late to confess to your crimes." Said Misty, trying her best to sound stoic.
"Because that worked out perfectly last time!" James hissed over her attempt to sway the leader, but Misty didn't back down.
"You can't want this-" Giovanni shook his head vehemently, interrupting her pleas.
"Isn't that always the story? The head honcho manipulated by someone else? Turns out to be the good guy, sacrifices himself to save everyone?" asked Giovanni, voice laced in sarcasm. "I may not have originally wanted this, but I've seen the end result. This is what's best."
"Best for who?" Misty's voice cracked, her heart beating in her throat as she spoke. For only a split second, she hoped that Giovanni might not have been so 'evil' after all, and based on James' expression, he let himself believe that as well. Giovanni turned to Misty, as James shared a very subtle nod with her.
"For the world."
"Fuck you and what you think is best for the world!" Misty swore furiously. "One person can't decide that!"
Using Misty's outburst as a distraction, James grappled Giovanni, and attempted to throw him onto the ground. As surprising as he was, it wasn't enough. The two struggled for a moment with James failing to knock away the gun, while Giovanni twisted out of James' hold, swearing.
"Be careful-" Misty tried saying, sidestepping away as the two went back and forth for a moment. A whistle blew behind her, caused by the wind pressure between two bricks—and then it shot out of the wall, nearly striking the duo, taking the sheet metal with it.
Silence masked James and Misty's surprise, but Giovanni seemed underwhelmed and used the opportunity to uppercut James, mocking him beneath his breath.
Misty spun on her heels, looking out of the small hole that formed in the wall, only to see that the rest of the prison was crumbling around them. The already flickering lights vanished completely but were quickly replaced by natural light. The invasive shaking was the destruction of the surrounding structure. She gasped and ducked once the rest of the bricks started to chip away, busting a hole in the surrounding walls.
"James look out!" shouted Misty from the ground, warning James as he was trying to recover from the punch. A brick whizzed over his head while he fell backwards once again.
Giovanni laughed in response, recomposing himself.
"Must be getting serious." He reiterated, straightening out his suit.
Beside Misty, a large chunk of the wall ripped out of the foundation, flying outside to join what appeared to be a tornado forming above...above... Right above Ash. Misty's heart fell from her throat, through the cavity of her chest, and directly into her stomach. A wave of nausea hit her, and while the nerves in her body screamed at her to get up before the rest of the wall was sucked up, along with her, she couldn't move.
Ash stood at the base of that whirling, electrified tornado. He wasn't scared, in fact, he challenged it. Shoulders squared, body resisting the pull.
Then, not even a second later, he vanished into the light, right above Jessie's body. Misty's stomach churned as she rolled over to get back onto her feet. She had to move now. Had to get up. Had to-
"Agh!" She yelped as the ground became unsteady, and she nearly fell through a mass of falling concrete. It wouldn't be long before the rest of the prison was taken with the vortex. The tornado appeared to be moving upward, but not before it took this desecrated place with it.
"James we have to-" As she turned to look at him, she realized she had been so distracted by the destruction, that she hadn't realized Giovanni was wailing on James. He was suddenly so angry, so violent. Like a monster, he played with his food—hitting James with the butt of the gun, rather than putting them both out of their misery. Misty's heart stopped, unsure of what to do.
The weapon was still loaded, and terrifying, and damn it, whose idea was it to bring that stupid thing, anyway?! Misty stood.
"Hey!" she screamed, picking up a small, broken part of the wall. With all the strength she could muster, she hurled it at Giovanni's back just as he was about to continue another assault on James. She picked up another when he turned at her menacingly.
"I was going to let you go." He muttered, but she doubted that.
Giovanni threw James's down, the latter held onto his chest and wheezed. He was surprised by the man's strength. Despite his gray features, he seemed otherworldly powerful. That, or James and Misty were overly exhausted—she was betting on the latter but would have to weigh the science behind it after she survived.
"You don't have to do this!" She tried, holding up her hands. "I know what it's like to be controlled by that...that thing! It's awful, and I know you don't want to be controlled for the rest of your life."
Giovanni shook his head and raised the barrel of the gun. "But I won't be. Not after this."
"What makes you think you're different?" Misty asked, her voice quiet. She tried to wait for an answer, but he only smiled in return, and her eyes locked on the end of the gun.
Would it hurt? Danced through her brain but vanished as quickly. Behind her, remains of the other floors of the prison were already beginning to crumble, this one probably not far behind. Beneath that, the ocean's waves clapped angrily against the rocks. With a step back, she could easily fall to her demise. However, walking forward wasn't looking any better.
Unova flashed before her eyes, and the cave outside of Saffron City—both times she had stared down a lethal weapon. However, those times Ash had been at her side. Gyarados had been fully charged, a chance to run presented itself, but not this time. This time, James was her only defense, and he groaned haplessly on the ground, struggling to reach her as Giovanni asked some petty questions that went through one ear, and out the other. And yet, all she could think was not here. Not today.
She met Giovanni's glare, despite his returning strength, his eyes were dead. Dark tunnels into an abyss far unreachable. Cold, and lifeless. He was fighting, but he did not understand what for anymore, blind loyalty, at the loss of agency. Misty's brows twitched, her hand raised to stop him from shooting, and words spilled out.
"Giovanni wai-" "Psyyyduck!"
Between the sound of the gun firing, and psyduck's violent shout, Misty ducked down, covering her ears with her hands, and waited for the pain to rush through her body. Would it hurt?
A moment passed, and when the pain didn't spike through her body, she was back on her feet, watching Giovanni collect himself after being sprayed with a torpedo of water. A few feet to her left, the bullet pierced the already crumbling wall, and now Giovanni stood at the absentee structure perpendicular to her.
"That's enough!"
As he swore, preparing to shoot the new target, Misty acted on the chance of opportunity. She jumped forward, with her arms extended, and pushed him the last inch he needed before his arm was even raised. At first, he was unsure of what happened. His hands opened, releasing the weapon, and his startled expression found Misty the moment his heel fell over the small gap, followed by his entire foot with nothing around to catch himself with. Then, his arms fanned out beside him, trying to reel himself up, to regain balance, but without help—there was no coming back.
Had she not just pushed a man to his death, the image may have been comical.
Time froze in that instant, her eyes met with his in a fury of panic. He should have been angry, furious that he lost. Yet, he smiled, a twinkle behind his eye. A smirk over his lips. People used to tell Misty that before death, life flashed before their eyes... However, she didn't see much of his. What little was left of the man seemed broken already. Tired.
Relieved.
Exhilarated.
...Remorseful.
"Tell him I'm sorry." Giovanni mouthed, his voice only a whisper because of the wind. Then, the second was over, and his body hit the ground below them unceremoniously.
Tell who? She might have asked if the world didn't fast forward from that moment on.
Shaking, Misty crept to the side and saw the force of his landing open another hole in the fragile structure, literally opening the ground that swallowed him whole. During her stupor, her stomach twisted unnaturally, and had it not been for James who grabbed her around the waist, and dragged her back from the edge, she might have joined him.
In fact, James pushed her frantically out of the decaying room, down the previously dark hallway before her brain caught up with what she had done. All at once, she wanted to scream, and cry, and fall down, but James wouldn't let her. With an iron-grasp around her arm, the bloodied man dragged her with psyduck trailing behind. The small pokemon catapulted debris with his physic powers, ensuring their safety. She hadn't even the chance to say thank you.
She wanted to say thank you.
"Snap out of it, Misty!" James shouted to her.
Perhaps it was the use of her first name, that he had only rarely used before, but Misty's wide eyes snapped at James. He yelled in her ear, shaking her harshly despite her injuries. After all, he couldn't drag her the entire way.
"I..."
"We don't have time for you to go into shock!" James shouted at her. "Do it later when we're out of here!"
It's not that easy. She wanted to say, but her feet moved despite her inability to register what was happening. Around them, everything fell apart and they only had a few minutes to get to Jessie, assuming she hadn't already been swallowed by the tornado hovering fifty feet about the prison, growing higher by the second.
Don't think. She told herself, pivoting to go up the breaking stairs while darting past flimsy holes in the wall, and being guided by pysduck. James was right, she couldn't allow herself time to think about what happened. Right now, she had to run like hell.
Everything else would come later
XOX
Ash laid on his back against soft, comfortable pillows. It was a nice change from the scenes he was used to.
He could have stayed there, wherever it was. Warmth pricked his skin, and softness enveloped his entire body. Sleep dulled his senses—how long had it been since he had a decent night of rest? It felt like years since he last slept. Hard to believe that for a time, he feared sleep. Now, it was what he wanted most. However, his muscles remembered. Man, were they ever sore.
Struggling to recall where he was at, Ash twisted bitterly around, testing his arms and fingers, and eventually finding pikachu curled at his hip, and togetic curled on top of his chest.
The simple days, Ash recalled blissfully. Back when the egg was a baby and still chirping in happiness, and pikachu was still a chubby house pokemon. Ash wondered if he would ever reach those pleasant memories again. Just a boy and his pokemon, relaxing in the warm clouds above...
A destroyed prison where a psychopathic monster was raging a war.
An illusion! Ash's eyes snapped open, but he struggled to his feet among the uneven flooring. What was wonderful to sleep on, was nearly swallowing him now. As he shifted violently, pikachu and togetic also awoke from their trance and fell into the same panic. Togetic took immediately to the air, while pikachu squirmed onto Ash.
"Chu!" the mouse squeaked, jumping up onto Ash's head, and nearly dropping him face-first into the soft ground. Walking through an island of marshmallows and pudding came to mind, thankfully, none of it stuck to him. Above them, togetic hissed in retaliation to what he was seeing, warning Ash to be careful.
"I was unsure if you'd wake up."
Ash froze, aside from his hands that were extended on either side of him, which were shaking. Slowly, Ash struggled to spin around to face Mewtwo, who floated above them and watched with a careless expression. His body wasn't the same mangled, grotesque creature in the tank he remembered, but a slim, fit pokemon. Healthy—more of what Ash recalled from the back of his dreams, so long ago. It was a lie, though, the same way that when Ash looked down at himself, he wasn't twenty-one and rearing to fight, but ten again. With his clothes matching the blue blazer, and jeans of his early years, tied together with a red ball cap, and puffy cheeks.
"What..." even his voice changed, which startled him as he glared at Mewtwo. Trying to discern what was happening, how the pokemon went from a snake, gangling monster, to a buff, soft pokemon. Habitually, Ash's patted down his pokemon belt and counted the balls there. Just in case this went south quickly, he needed to know he had some firepower.
The world that Mewtwo brought him to was peaceful. The sound of raging storms and fires vanished and was replaced with serenity. It was absolutely horrifying, as Ash did not understand what Mewtwo was planning.
"Welcome, chosen one."
Hearing the title now, after everything he had been through, Ash's heart fell.
"I..." Ash swallowed against the lump in his throat while trying to appear stronger than he was as a ten-year-old boy.
"I am not chosen." Ash finished, defensively.
"But aren't you?" Mewtwo asked monotone while raising his paw. Ash rose with his fist and landed on solid ground that quickly changed from soft clouds to blades of grass. Ash hadn't the time to stare in awe.
"No." Ash reiterated. He was not chosen. He was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, but far from chosen.
"Are you sure about that?"
Well, no. Ash wasn't certain. After all, no human could know their destiny. Mewtwo took his silence as a motion to continue.
"Observe your accomplishments so far... In your short time awake in this world, you've fought evil for the greater good. Faced your nightmares and stood valiantly as a leader. You've chosen to do good when you could have easily ignored the threats around you."
Ash rarely thought of his time around the world as more than hiccups in the life he chose.
"You've consistently tried to better the world, first in Kanto, then the rest of the regions. You are chosen."
Very slowly, Ash's head shook as he recalled Giovanni's words to him: played right into their hands.
"Giovanni said that I was only a part of your plan. A piece in your puzzle." Ash disputed, his voice low and solemn.
Mewtwo nodded dully.
"It was more than that. It was a test to observe your greatness. However, I never suspected you would be so successful with no prompt. With no direction, you did what was right..." Mewtwo settled the surrounding clouds. "Therefore we are on the same side."
Ash hissed rather abrasively. 'The same side'? Give him a break. Mewtwo was a crazed power-hungry creature that mind-controlled Misty and sabotaged the world around him. Ash shook his head.
"I have only acted in the best interest of the people around me. When my friends needed help. I helped them."
"...Why?"
Ash opened his mouth and then closed it as quickly. Beside him, pikachu grumbled, but Ash blinked. He didn't know these people when he woke up. Outside of Misty, he had no reason to help anyone. Not really. Misty once said it was a 'hero complex' and sometimes Ash used to think it was because he was destined for more, but lately, he would have settled for less. Adventures and excitement were better in books. Usually, Ash's involvement made everything worse.
"I..." Swallowing the lump at the back of his throat, Ash tried to answer but found no justifiable reason other than because he felt compelled. If he would not help everyone, then who would?
"It is because you have a purpose." Mewtwo flew lower to the ground, so he and Ash were at the same level, rather than Ash looking up at him. "A purpose that extends beyond the realm of this world. A way to fill the void you've carried since you awoke."
Furrowing his eyebrows, Ash gently shook his head in disagreement. "I...don't understand what you mean?"
Ash's shoulders fell as he listened to Mewtwo, who finally stretched out his hand and bubbles appeared, filled with images from Ash's dreams.
"I've watched you for a long time. Ever since you were a young boy. You are the only other individual who can understand the balance of a perfect world" Unlike before when Ash heard Mewtwo's voice, the sound was soothing rather than painful.
Curiously, Ash tilted his head to one side, sparing a glance to pikachu and togetic who were watching Mewtwo intently, with at least pikachu waiting for an opening to attack. However, Ash waved a hand over the small mouse, he wanted to hear Mewtwo out.
"A place where there was no death, nor fighting. Only harmony."
As Mewtwo prattled on about Ash's dream-world, he saw the images from the start of his journey dance before his eyes. Watching his young friends laugh at his side and the simplicity of that world's joy. A smile slowly crawled onto Ash's face as he watched himself take to the field one more time, for one more league match. Determined and without fear. It really was a different world entirely.
Mewtwo's voice drew Ash from his thoughts, the pokemon watched over Ash's shoulder at the memories.
"At first, I had not intended to see your visions, but over time, I saw what you saw. Experienced what you did. We were both trapped in our minds, but you somehow found peace in yours. A world, unlike this one. Unhindered by the cruelty of this one."
"I...I do miss that sometimes." Ash confessed, his heart heavy. Mewtwo nodded knowingly. The usurper's face changed as he floated away, believing that he had convinced Ash, until he turned back to the memories, and somehow, the images darkened.
"It was easier... simpler... but it wasn't real." Ash met Mewtwo's dark eyes, the first crack in the surrounding peace surfaced as a change in his child-like eyes. "It was concocted by the mind of a ten-year-old, who didn't know anything else."
Mewtwo disagreed with a shake of his head, and the bubbles faded away.
"It was far more than that. Your world... it had connections here. Knowledge no one person could have without years of experience. You were connected to the universe in ways you can only begin to understand. This world was...magnificent. Perfect."
Ash scoffed at the word 'perfect', but words didn't fight from his mouth. Watching Mewtwo's glinting, dead eyes, Ash found it hard to disagree. There wasn't a lot he understood about his coma—why he survived, why it happened to him—but Ash would have been lying if he said that he didn't occasionally lie awake at night, telling himself that his coma served some greater purpose. A reference? A guide? Was he supposed to lead this world to a new destination, or was it really a fever dream caused by inexperience.
Ash chomped down on the inside of his cheek, his mind stirring with dark thoughts he often refused to think about.
Chosen. Those were words he joked about in the forest with Brock and Misty, though they reassured him he was normal. Circumstances, he told himself, his personality put himself in certain circumstances. That didn't mean he was special, or different. Mewtwo began to speak as Ash inhaled sharply to get a hold of his emotions.
"If you do not believe me... allow me to show you."
In a flash, the lavender pokemon stood an inch away from Ash, his hand outstretched to gently touch Ash's forehead. Holding his breath, Ash expected his head to pop right off of his shoulders, but as soon as the pokemon appeared, he vanished. Behind his closed eyes flashed images through his mind of pokemon fighting on an island, Mew and Mewtwo matching blows, and Ash... laid in the center of the battlefield, encased in stone.
Lifeless.
Dead.
Gut-wrenching terror flooded his senses, and his heart plummeted into his stomach. Prying his eyes open he saw pikachu and togetic watching him worriedly, and as quickly as the memories came, the images disappeared, leaving only the scar behind.
Mewtwo took his winded response to elaborate.
"You were supposed to die then... In your coma. Your time was up, and yet, somehow, your spirit continued to touch the lives of the pokemon around you and you lived on. A beacon in the dead of the night. Hope."
Ash's stomach lurched, and he inhaled sharply to better grasp the new memories. How had he forgotten that? Vomit rose to the back of his throat, hit by another wave of nausea as he recalled another incident with Victini. For a world he created with no death, he seemed to be the only one who suffered.
Slowly, his blurry gaze met Mewtwo, whose true appearance showed for a faint second before returning to the smooth, gentle creature of the last few minutes. Ash held his knees, trying to hide his shudder.
"How..." Ash inhaled, fighting the tears at the corner of his eyes. "Why don't I remember these?"
"Because in your world these events, they did not faze you. That's why you are special."
Well, they were certainly fazing him now!
"I walked with you, I watched you. Witnessed the selection of your friends. Each moment of astute bravery and valor you created. Every moment had a lesson to be learned and true happiness reigned supreme in the land. Humans were not better than pokemon, but equal."
Head spinning from recovery still, Ash stood tall on wobbling feet and rubbed his face. He felt like someone punched him in the gut several times.
"You represent the perfect balance that this world can become."
Sniveling, Ash wiped his nose quietly and forced himself to think. His body was weak—tired, which wasn't uncommon, considering he had been running nonstop for days.
"How do you figure that?" He asked.
"You've seen the inequality between trainers and pokemon in this world. Master and servant. As well as between humans themselves. Egotistical maniacs. The feud between Team Rocket and the Kanto region was narcissistic and petty. While these things existed in your world, they were balanced. Every push had a pull."
"Unknowingly or not, you created a world with peace and prosperity. Those ideas shaped my very existence. Hope that a mere pokemon, trapped in a laboratory who was forced to do human bidding, could fix this world."
For once, Ash agreed. "I...I also want to show everyone what they're missing. What we could be if we can put aside all the fighting..."
Silence washed between them as Ash regained his footing and cleared his thoughts. Reliving the last ten years in such a short time left him with a wicked headache, but he tried to move past it. The warm breeze within the dome felt homey, and for a while, he felt safe within the confines of the dome. The world fell away, togetic, pikachu. They were parts of the puzzle, waiting for his call. Watching Mewtwo, the pokemon not only seemed sincere, but eager to bring light to the world Ash knew. That they both knew...
Peace was finally within reach... maybe they could stop all the bloodshed and...
A weight lifted from his eyes suddenly, he was clutching his hands. That calmness, the nostalgia. The pain in his chest and head. Mewtwo was trying to get into his mind.
Immediately, Ash snapped backward, smashed his hands into his face and screamed at the top of his lungs. Mewtwo ricocheted backward, startled by his outburst.
"Stay out of my mind!" Ash screeched, suddenly having the feeling that the reason he struggled to remember wasn't because of a mental block, but because the pokemon floating before him had an issue with allowing people to live their own lives.
"Why cause so much pain and destruction if all you want is peace!?" Ash screamed vehemently, feeling the dizziness wash away, "Why use Team Rocket to disrupt the regions? Why cause so much mayhem!?"
Mewtwo flew higher again to exert his dominance. Ash recalled the time Misty told him about authority. If someone was looking down on him, it made them appear stronger. Ash squared his shoulders in response, and felt his body shifting, literally, from ten to himself again. The illusion slowly wearing off, fading into the rest of the vortex's sham imagery.
"I simply provided everyone a common enemy to unify them."
"That doesn't explain shit!" Ash replied without thinking first. Memories of Infernape's pain rushed back to him, and the devastation of finding squirtle turned to stone at the ruins of Bill's laboratory.
"You used Team Rocket, sure, but what about the microchips? Why did you need to send thousands of innocent pokemon on a rampage? Why bother taking control of the legendary pokemon?"
A brief silence before Mewtwo elaborated.
"You are familiar with the deities. They will listen to you, and they will follow you. Aid you in this world's betterment. We need their involvement."
Hissing with his hand against his temple, a severe ringing developed in Ash's ear as he tried to concentrate. Ash vigorously shook his head, refusing to turn the tide of the conversation. He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands tightly, nearly drawing blood with his fingernails. Fire burned behind his brown eyes when he glowered at Mewtwo.
"Why did you hurt so many pokemon if all you want is a better world?" Ash demanded an answer again.
"Your dreams are-"
"Answer the question!" Ash snapped at Mewtwo's attempt to control the conversation, and the veil finally lifted, as did the hold over Ash's appearance and his mind.
Frustrated by Ash's resistance, Mewtwo finally answered begrudgingly. Eyes narrowed.
"To prove a point. To prove how... corrupt the world has become."
With the trance over, Ash stared in disbelief. For a moment, he believed that Mewtwo may not have been evil, that perhaps he was misunderstood. Instead, he was left with the same sinking feeling in his stomach, sickness. Mewtwo was the plague. Hinting at his frustration, the wind whipped Ash in the back, causing him to stumble.
"If it hadn't been me, there would have been someone else to take my place. Someone that didn't understand the greater picture like we do."
Ash held up his hand to retort, refusing to allow Mewtwo the thought that Ash was still on his side. There was no 'we'. No 'them'.
"Was the bigger picture burying Sinnoh in a snow storm? Destroying Unova with dragons? Burning Kanto to the ground? Kidnapping legendary pokemon like Lugia, who could have prevented these disasters but is now dead?!" Ash screamed the last part, bringing up Lugia made his entire body shake. "If that's the bigger picture, then the bigger picture is to destroy everything, not fix it!"
Silence answered him as the winds came to a screeching halt once more. Ash's glare was unwavering while Mewtwo hung lifelessly, swaying back and forth as they both ingested the information they were provided.
If Mewtwo wanted peace to begin, he could have started when Giovanni was imprisoned, rather than continuing to use humans like dolls, making them fight one another.
Suddenly, Ash felt his stomach churn once again. He never was one to pick up on plans quickly, but then again, he also didn't assume that end of the world and death to everyone was a legitimate issue he'd be facing.
Ash didn't need to voice his thoughts, Mewtwo read his face.
"This world is too far gone, you have seen it for yourself." Again, with a flick of his wrist, he revealed, in dark purple bubbles, images of the world. "They've exterminated pokemon for being 'troublesome', removed difficult people like they were varmints, created prisons for stray pokemon, and created mine-altering microchips...I simply utilized what humans already created, to demonstrate how rotten they truly were."
Ash licked his dry lips, trying to wrap his head around what he was hearing. What he already knew was true, but didn't comprehend as he was being told face to face.
"Their system is broken... and the only way to restore it, is from the ground up."
"Pi-kachu." 'Monster', Ash heard pikachu mutter under his breath. While Mewtwo inhaled, his tail flicking aggressively. It was survival of the fittest.
"But...thousands of people and pokemon will die. Lugia is already..." Perplexed and horrified, Ash trailed off. For a brief moment, he heard Ho-oh crying in the distance, and the same queasiness returned to his stomach.
"Why did you need them? Did you just need them out of the way?" were you trying to kill them? Ash nearly asked, but the words caught in his throat while pikachu dug claws into his shoulder and togetic rested protectively on his shoulder.
"I wanted to display how horrible these man-made devices really were. Once the rest of the deities realized this, they would see that humans are a parasite...Lugia's death was... unfortunate."
"Unfortunate?" Ash scoffed. "They're supposed to agree to what? Absolute destruction? If they are anything like I remember, they will be appalled by your ideas."
"Maybe... until they see what chaos humans created."
"That they made at your control! You want them to distrust us!" Ash inhaled, heart wrenching. "You want war!"
When his words fell on deaf ears. Nothing seemed to change Mewtwo's mind, Ash inhaled, trying another approach. "Do you honestly think they will listen to you, after all of this? There's no way they won't know you were behind this."
"They'll understand. That is why I need you."
"You and I... we have met several times. I have already tried to follow your rules, but this world...this world is so inherently broken that these humans cannot be reasoned with."
"And if we start over, it would be perfect, right? Just like you envisioned?" Ash shouted, head spinning.
"Like we envisioned." Mewtwo corrected him, and Ash was having none of it.
Ash took a moment to let that sink in, then inhaled through gritted teeth. "I gotta say... I spent ten years in a coma, and not once did I envision this. Don't rope me in with your crazy plot."
"We must restore this world to its true form."
"How could you know about that when you've been here your entire life?" Ash inhaled, "You never had a chance to live outside of this bubble you've created, which means you don't understand anything about this world but you want to change it! The only reason these people are at such odds is because organizations like Team Rocket have interfered with their lives! Because monsters like you have your own agenda that you're trying to force on everyone!" Screaming, Ash threw his arms up.
"You don't know what it's like to live in this world, and you have no right to try to change it to your liking! You're selfish!"
For a moment, there was silence. Until, the clouds above them started to churn, and the grass beneath Ash's feet started to wilt, and Mewtwo's eyes took on a faint glow.
"You're right. I was never given the chance to live. Since my creation, I have always been a weapon. I am the result of humans attempting to play god, and you accuse me of being selfish?"
Thunderstruck, and Ash noticed that as Mewtwo grew angrier, as did the scenery. The beautiful sky turned a fitful gray and black, while clouds swirled through the air. The warmth that embraced him before, turned bitter and cold.
"You would deem this world fun? When I started controlling the vile human known as Giovanni, the world was already a cesspool!"
Lightning curled around the room, reminding Ash that this wasn't a friendly environment, but a vortex that swallowed him, masking itself as a gentle bubble. Togetic and pikachu clung to Ash's arm, trying to listen as Mewtwo continued his vicious rant.
"When my back was turned they waged war against Unova, sent me to attack my own kind. Forced me to kill and harm other creatures, for their own agenda!"
"How is that different from what you're doing now?!" Ash reiterated once again, being dragged forward slowly.
"I brought chaos to give pokemon a chance to seek revenge on their masters! To even the playing field. I've given them the gift of freedom they were refused for years. Pokemon will no longer be pawns. Anyone who gets in my way will suffer!"
Now he sounded crazy.
Pikachu hissed, shaking his head, maybe hoping to get through to Mewtwo; his anger masked the hurt in his tone.
"Chuuu, pikapa pika chu!" What about the pokemon that love their trainers?
Ash had one eye on pikachu, as he explained that humans were his family. There was more good than bad. There was no reason to bring this much pain and suffering!
"You don't want peace, you just want revenge!" Ash agreed with his pokemon who remained firmly at his side.
These comments, however, did not sway Mewtwo's belief. If anything, he rolled his glowing eyes at them and waved his hand to reveal one, last image that stabbed Ash in the stomach like a knife. Reflected in the bubble was a darkened room, with two figures sitting in a cage: Delia and Cole.
Ash's stomach lurched.
"See what they do? They connive and deceive. Humans are corrupted, therefore sacrifices must be made to bring them to justice. Their way of life has failed, and we must start with a clean slate to reach perfection! Only then can we achieve your dreams."
Now it was 'justice', Ash thought. and now it was 'dreams', not the world. So much for equality. Ash forced the feelings in his gut down. Instead, he used the image of his family to fuel his disagreement even further. Mewtwo was delusional.
"And your grand plan to reach this was to control pokemon and torture them!? You can try to blackmail me, but I won't help you. Your 'greater good' nearly cost infernape his life, who was chipped in Sunnyshore. And countless other pokemon—including Lugia and Lapras!" Ash reminded him.
"...there must be martyrs."
"No, there shouldn't be! Violence is not the way to stop violence! Speaking as someone who brings destruction and chaos with me everywhere I go, if there's one thing that I've learned, it's that hope and love are far stronger than any savage lessons." He inhaled, sticking his hand out to Mewtwo. Ash was furious, but he knew when someone was suffering. Mewtwo was practically screaming at him. It wasn't fear that Ash was experiencing earlier, it was pain. Pain for Mewtwo.
"I understand, that sometimes when people hurt us, it feels like the entire world can fall apart. That it is sometimes easier to lash out, but I know that nothing can be obtained by spreading this hostility, Mewtwo. There are other ways to bring peace between humans and pokemon."
For a second, Ash thought he reached Mewtwo, as the pokemon hesitated, remaining oddly still until he shook his head slowly. The vision of his perfect image fading back to the gross pokemon hiding behind a glamour.
"This isn't only about me. It's about the world..."
Ash shook his head haphazardly, refusing to hear any more of Mewtwo's nonsense.
"You can say it's for the world, but you've done exactly what you've damned society for. Controlling people and pokemon around you to suit your needs! This world may not be the perfect utopia you've envisioned, but if you've truly been locked up for your entire life, you've yet to experience it!"
The wind seized, the thundering sky around them lulled, and for a moment, Ash thought he actually got through to Mewtwo. He exhaled, his posture growing stronger, his feet resting comfortably against the now-dirt below him.
"Nothing is black and white. It's all gray! There is more good than evil, and... I've grown fond of that. Of the different challenges! They may not always be perfect, but that uncertainty is what makes living so exciting! There's a lot that I don't understand, but there's so much more to learn." The way he spat out the word 'perfect' caused Mewtwo's eyes to twitch.
Ash extended his hand again. "I'm not going to budge. We aren't the same as you've said. I've grown to accept this world and embrace it for its flaws and its greatness. I honestly believe that people and pokemon can grow together—not forced to fear what will happen if they aren't good!"
"Pokemon and humans are not equal..." He tried, though he seemed unsure of his own resolve, and this washed relief through Ash.
"Maybe they aren't, but if we work together, it's something we can obtain. I know it. My dreams aren't achievable, but we can find something close to that. Something even better." Ash paused, watching how Mewtwo's face deteriorated back into the limp creation he saw in the control room, and yet, Ash smiled.
"There's still time to fix all of this, Mewtwo. Join me instead. And my friends. Come experience the world outside of your delusions! Let me help you understand how amazing this world is without control, without destruction!"
For a long time, Mewtwo watched Ash's hand. His eyes softened to their natural, black orbs, trying to comprehend Ash's offer. Despite everything, he and Ash had the same vision. They both wanted to show the world how wonderful pokemon could be, how amazing a world without tyrants and war could become... but Ash couldn't support Mewtwo's abrasive ways. Mewtwo stared, recalling the peaceful nature of the man standing before him. The kindness he bestowed everyone with, the unwavering determination. It was supposed to side with him. Ash was supposed to want the same world. They shared the same vision...
Mewtwo clenched his claws together.
"Long ago, I used to believe as you did. Hoping we could co-exist peacefully. After my creation, and discovery of you, I tried to implement your ideas. That hope you radiate from deep within you, even now faced with an ultimatum. I tried to reason with Giovanni, and his peers. I even tried to negotiate peace among trainers of all kinds, yet my attempts failed over and over."
"No matter how often I tried, they connived. No matter how honest, they lied. No matter how valiant, they betrayed. Political agendas and violence usurped even the noblest ideologies, and my path—your path—were left in a stasis that no pokemon could ever witness. That no human could experience."
"We were left with the aftermath, the petty squabbles, the death of hundreds, and in the end, no one was better for it. Time and again, humans proved that rather than settle for peace, they would rather fight for vindication. Creating mayhem where it did not belong."
"Then they created me, a disfigured clone of the all-powerful Mew, to rage wars, to win battles. To manipulate the enemies of my creators into submission. I was their puppet."
"...What they did not expect was a faulty life-expectancy. Their all-powerful creature was decaying right before their eyes. Humans could not be as godly as they presumed, and so they continued to hold on to that power by trying to recreate it over, and over and over again." Mewtwo's posture weakened.
"I lived in hope they would change and learn from their constant mistakes... but when I discovered that I would not live to see it... I enacted my own swift justice. Any means necessary to achieve my dreams." Mewtwo turned back to Ash, his eyes burning with righteousness again. "So I framed Team Rocket and silenced the champions. I stopped wars from being waged and forced Unova into silence. Yet, they continued to resist me."
A gust struck Ash, knocking the wind out of him.
"As I tried to fix the world, more pieces fell apart because humans refused to see the greater picture."
"That's manipulation..." Ash tried to reason, but another gust of wind knocked him further back, wobbling on his feet.
"So, YES, I used every weapon they ever created against them and I watched them suffer. After everything they have done, they deserve to burn, they do not deserve a second chance because they have already been given many. These people cannot be changed, or fixed. They must be relinquished of the choice."
As blinked several times, the tears batting at the back of his eyes. Mewtwo was lying to himself. He was so full of hatred, Ash could not see a silver lining. Part of him wanted to beg Mewtwo to reconsider his ideals. Convince him that destroying the world, to rebuild it was unnecessary. There was no getting through to Mewtwo.
"You... were supposed to be the one that understood it all. Someone who saw the greatness we could achieve."
"I do..." Ash hummed, recalling his dreams. "See the opportunities my dreams presented, but not like this. Not if it means destroying the world. There has to be another way." Ash confessed, fists clenched at his side.
Mewtwo's nostrils flared. "There is no other way."
"Why not!?"
"Because I am dying, and if I am not here to ensure our victory, who will!?"
Ash inhaled, then bit down on the inside of his cheek. "It's not about winning. It's about the journey you take getting there."
Despite his claim, Mewtwo did not back down, in fact, he seemed far angrier than he had been before. Ash sighed painfully. This wasn't his dream. If it had been, Ash would have been successful convincing Mewtwo to stand down. The irony wasn't lost on him—though he was sure it was lost to Mewtwo.
"I'm...sorry, Mewtwo." Ash said, bitterly. "I wish we had met on better terms because if we had, we could have changed the world together. Naturally. Without violence, without needing more power."
"You're a disappointment, Ash Ketchum." And as he was powering up a purple blast between his hands. Ash shook his head and turned his cap backward. The last figment of Mewtwo's illusion to persuade Ash faded as he prepared to battle.
With a click, Ash enlarged charizard's ball, and in a flash, the swirling vortex was swallowed with blue flames, as a beast with black scales emerged from the pokeball, rearing to fight.
Author's Note:
Real quick, I just want to say thank you to two people in particular who reminded me how much I love this story. Originally, I started to work on these chapters again because I didn't want to leave them incomplete, but as I got started, I remembered, again, just how much I loved writing this, even with all of its imperfections. So, thank you pok3ship, and dove-cotes. I've always known I would continue this story, but with how crazy life became, it was the last part of the puzzle I started to work on.
The original dialogue between Giovanni and Misty/James was very different. Calmer, there wasn't a fight. Basically it felt kind of dull to be the climax of his story. So I kept all the important parts, but changed it from a 'dying breath' to a 'dying fight'. (He originally got shot by accident by James, but that was super anticlimactic) PLUS, who doesn't love a good thrown off the edge to your death scene? I hope it wasn't too 'surprising' that Giovanni was being controlled by Mewtwo, or that I still kept him 'evil' after the fact. I wish there was more to it, but, unfortunately, sometimes, that's all you get.
I've changed the dialogue between Ash and Mewtwo so much... Honestly, it's never going to be as good as the original one that I crafted before I lost all my progress on this story. But... you know, at this point, I'm ready to end the story. So long as it reads as Mewtwo trying to be reasonable, selling a 'great idea' to his 'great idea' actually being chaos and destruction, we're good.
Thanks always for the support. If you've made it this far, kudos.
NINT