Chapter Six: Mewtwo

The Aipom's lead turned out to be a dead end. When Mewtwo went to the edge of the docks, he waited for any humans to show up, but none did. Perhaps the Aipom he released had warned them, or maybe the other got back and they fled. Again, his cells had slipped through his grasp. He tried to reconcile that he had at least retrieved and destroyed one of the vials.

Once he had given up on waiting, he had scoured the docks for any more traces of his cells. He had methodically flown through each warehouse, but every sign was stale and untraceable. Once the sun had set, Mewtwo had flown back into the city and tracked down the detectives' apartment. Having spent a little time with both humans, their minds were recognizable to him now. With focus, Mewtwo could easily differentiate them from the nebula of other psyches. He had waited atop their apartment building, feeling the two presences mingle together below, trading warmth and contentment. He was grateful that they lived in a less busy area of the city, so there wasn't much activity for Mewtwo to avoid. Once they had split apart, he had flown down to the boy's window, unlocked it from the other side, and slipped in easily.

You seem surprised to see me, human,Mewtwo commented as the boy blinked repeatedly at him, as if Mewtwo were simply some dust on the eye that could be wiped away. I told you I would come.

Now that Mewtwo was giving the boy a chance, he would have to be sure to pay more attention to the human's psyche. He wouldn't invade, of course, but raw emotions and loud thoughts strayed from the mind like heat from a star. Such little tips gave Mewtwo an edge in awareness and control. As of now, the boy felt mainly surprise, a small flare of irritation, and a little worry over getting caught.

The boy glanced back into the hall and hurriedly slipped into the room, closing the door behind him. "I didn't expect you to come barginginto my room like this," the boy said crossly.

Mewtwo scoffed as he slid down from the window, fully entering the boy's bedroom. Did you 'expect' me to knock on the front door?

"This is technically called breaking and entering, which is illegal."

Mewtwo didn't bother with strange human conceptualizations. I have not broken anything. He had unlocked the window with his psychic powers. It still worked fine.Is 'entering' illegal?

The human sighed and shook his head. Mewtwo briefly wondered if it was to answer no, or a sign of resignation. Probably the latter.

But that was all immaterial. Mewtwo got to the point as to why he had agreed to enter this human hive. You told me that you could be of use to me in searching for my cells. If you wish for us to work together, you best convince me quickly. What do you believe you can contribute?

"There are lotsof ways we could help each other." The human walked past Mewtwo and closed the window, before pulling a chair out from the desk and thumping down into it. Mewtwo crossed his arms, flicking his tail side to side impatiently, and waited for what the human had to impart. "My Dad managed to catch the other Aipom and get the R—"

He did?Mewtwo suddenly straightened in interest. He immediately reached across his surrounding with his mind and, sure enough, he could sense his cells in the proximity. Thatwas why he hadn't found them earlier at the docks. They were here, he could go retrieve them right now—

"Wait!" the boy leapt out of his chair and jumped up in front of Mewtwo right as he turned to the door. The human got a little too close for comfort again, and Mewtwo stepped back, irked at the boy's invasion of his personal space. Realization sparked in the child's eyes as he must have figured out what Mewtwo would now do. "You can't just takethe R—"

I certainly can,Mewtwo hissed into his mind. And there is nothing you can do to stop me.

Mewtwo was this closeto simply tossing the boy aside again when the child lifted his hands and spoke placatingly. "Yes, but hear me out."

'Hear me out.'Was this boy, this human,worth listening to? Mewtwo had come here to see how he could be of any help. But now he knew where some of his cells were, in the possession of humans, and it was paramount he retrieve them immediately. Mewtwo had been through too much to allow humans to have his cells. Why did this boy think he could convince Mewtwo otherwise?

But at least the boy acknowledged that he couldn't physicallystop Mewtwo. The immediate yield to Mewtwo's power made him pause, not used to reckless humans heeding his warnings. He had learned to strike first, or get struck.

Mewtwo was lashing his tail as the child spoke. "We were able to track down the laboratory the vial came from." Mewtwo blinked, having not expected that. "Or at least, where it might have come from. My Dad and I going to head there tomorrow. But if we hadn't gotten our hands on some of that R, we wouldn't have been able to figure that out. We needthat R, for now. It's evidence. We're using it to find the rest."

Where is the laboratory?Mewtwo asked immediately. He was hardly paying attention now, trying to calculate how to wipe out the facility without drawing too much human attention, or allowing himself to be linked to its destruction. Perhaps a fire, like the conflagration Mewtwo had erected after his creation.

The boy opened his mouth, but then paused. He slowly closed it and looked at Mewtwo suspiciously. "What are you going to do?"

It needs to be destroyed,Mewtwo answered simply. The human's eyes widened in alarm. Not a trace of my cells can remain.

For a moment the human was speechless. Mewtwo could feel his mind reeling. He regained the ability just before Mewtwo was going to move past him. "You can't do that! Innocent people and Pokémon are there!"

Mewtwo growled deeply, his mood darkening. You said you wanted to get the chemical away from humans. This is the priority. I must accomplish it. Mewtwo knew his eyes were starting to glow blue. He began to press against the human's mind, preparing to steal the information, if need be. Tell me where the lab is.

"We don't even knowthat R is there," the human argued, and that gave Mewtwo a pause. As much as he wanted to find his cells, he also didn't want to bring attention to himself any more than necessary. Demolishing a laboratory would certainly do that. The human saw his hesitancy and pressed on. "And, if they do have it, what if this lab knows where more R is? We could investigate them and track it down. But not if they're…" the human swallowed, "…destroyed."

Mewtwo thought about that for a moment. The reason he had come here, seeking the help of a human, was because he had wanted to find his cells faster.But now it seemed he had to wait.An annoying juxtaposition.

But, then again, Mewtwo wouldn't have even knownabout the laboratory without this human. Mewtwo's current search for his cells was merely flying around the city looking for them. But now, he had a destination to actually look into. The boy had already proven he had someuse. So perhaps Mewtwo would give him some credit in return.

…Very well,Mewtwo relented. I will allow you to investigate this laboratory. The human let loose a pent-up breath. But—Mewtwo added warningly, I told you that I will not leave my cells in human hands. Hand over the ones your father retrieved.

"What?" barked the human. He looked aghast. "But without that vial, we wouldn't have been able to find the lab. Can't you see that?"

Yes, Mewtwo granted, but I still cannot allow you to keep them. It is irrevocable.

"That vial is prime evidence," the human annoyingly persisted. But then, he changed his argument. "Besides, my Dad is keeping it. There's no way either of us can take it without him noticing. I thought you wanted to keep yourself a secret from him."

Another good point. Again, Mewtwo was derailed from his goal. Although the boy's father had rescued Mewtwo, the detective hadcaptured him in the first place. Mewtwo had saved him from his Greninja pursuers, although he still didn't precisely trustthe father. He would rather the older human be left out of this. He supposed he could take the vial and then erase the father's memory of it, but the vial was tangled up in the investigation. It would be impossible to do so without erasing much of the research from the human's mind, which meant he wouldn't investigate the laboratory he had traced the vial to.

One thing was for sure, though; these two humans wouldn't use Mewtwo's cells for anything. They didn't have the intelligence or resources to try cloning something. Mewtwo lashed his tail and took a threatening step closer to the boy. Fine. I will—ephemerally—allow you to keep my cells. But I expect them to be returned to me once you no longer need them. Am I clear?

The boy gave a slow blink. "What does 'ephemerally' mean?"

Mewtwo lifted his chin. You humans do not even know your own language.

"You asked me if I understood!" the boy said defensively. "I just want to be sure that I do."

Mewtwo almost rolled his eyes. Temporarily. Lasting only a short time.

"Oh," the boy said. "Why didn't you just say that?"

Mewtwo allowed a small smile. Forgive my erudition.

"Where do you getthese words?" the human asked exasperatingly.

Mewtwo didn't bother to answer, but pressed a different goal. Now that I have agreed not to destroy the laboratory, will you tell me where it is?

The human looked up at him. "Do you promise?"

Mewtwo hesitated, not liking the idea of promising a human anything. Theywere the ones who lied, who broke their deals. But the boy didhave a point. Mewtwo needed to be thorough when tracking his cells. This laboratory could not only have some, but lead him to more.

That, and he didn't wantto direct his wrath on those who didn't deserve it. Finally, he nodded. I give you my word.

The human smiled at him, making Mewtwo feel uneasy, before he went back to his desk and took out a laptop. Mewtwo stepped forward and looked over the human's shoulder while he typed. Mewtwo was familiar enough with human technology; during his quest to remake the world, he had created his own supercomputers and advanced clones. He hadn't dabbled in it for years, but being in the city and seeing the latest advancements…intrigued him. It had been over a decade since he had last inspected human technology, yet it appeared to have made salient improvements.

The boy pulled up a map of the city, and then zoomed out several times, before tracing a road with his finger. Mewtwo skimmed little descriptions of the city and the areas around it, linking them to his own observations of the area. Finally, the boy tapped on a little dot far outside the dense cluster of labels. "Ryme City Grass-Type Laboratory. That's the only lab near Ryme City that uses the kind of vial we found the R in. Not even Dr. Laurent's lab did. It's not proof that they have anything to do with R, but it's a good start."

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes at the human's back. You do not seem confident.

"Well, anyonecan order vials," the boy said, turning back to Mewtwo. "This is just the only place that had a direct link to one we found. I might be moreconfident if had more to go on…like if we had the other vial?"

Mewtwo had already destroyed it, so there was no point in even discussing that. Do not press your luck, human.

The boy scoffed, actually scoffedat Mewtwo. He frowned at the child, who was looking quite petulant. "Would you have found it if you hadn't been following me?"

Technically no. Mewtwo had been about to leave the stadium… If the boy and his father hadn't appeared, he would have missed his cells entirely. But he refused to admit such a thing.

Wouldyouhave gotten it if I had not been there? Mewtwo shot back instead.The Pokémon had escaped from you. I was the one who captured it.

"Hey," the boy said offendedly, uncrossing his arms and sitting up. "I mighthave caught it if you hadn't interfered."

I highly doubt that. You do not even have a Pokémon of your own.

Something crossed the boy's face that was hard to read—guilt? Regret? Even with what Mewtwo could sense of the boy's mind, it was a tangle of emotions. It caught Mewtwo's attention, and he tilted his head curiously. Why don'tyou have a Pokémon? Not that Mewtwo wantedhumans to have Pokémon, but he didn't think he had ever heard of a human without one. Especially in this city, where people and Pokémon walked side-by-side.

"I never thought I needed one," the human mumbled, ducking his head.

Mewtwo had never heard thatbefore. Humans were weak creatures, incapable of moves and physically impotent. The fact that stronger Pokémon were subservient to the weakling humans frustrated Mewtwo to no end. Yes, yes, they were partnersand friends,but the humans did still heavily rely on Pokémon in order to accomplish anything. They were as weak as a Kangaskhan's cub. Yet this one here was independent?Mewtwo barely hid the extent his shock.

The human didn't notice Mewtwo's stare as he turned back to the laptop. The boy's mind was nervous and shy, as if embarrassed by admitting it. "As I said, my Dad and I are headed to the lab tomorrow. We'll look into it and see if we can find any R."

Mewtwo took a moment to draw his focus away from the fact that this human had no Pokémon partner, and tried to bring his mind to the topic at hand.

I will go as well,Mewtwo said. The boy whipped his head around but Mewtwo lifted a hand before he could object. I promised you I would not destroy the laboratory. But if that dangerous chemical isthere, you will need assistance. I will remain close should you need me.

Mewtwo realized that it soundedlike he was offering to protect the human. Which he was not. He just wanted his cells as soon as possible.

"Alright," the human conceded. He lifted his hand to close his laptop, then paused. "What are you going to do tonight, then?"

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes at the boy. The human was being stupid. Go to the laboratory.

"It will take you an hour to get there, tops," the human put a hand on his hips. Actually, it would likely take Mewtwo less than ten minutes. "So you're just going to sit there all night?"

To ensure that I am not seen by humans, it is best I travel at night.

The human's suspicion relaxed a fraction. "Still, the night's not even halfway through yet." Mewtwo never would have guessed the next thing the boy dared to say. "Why don't you stay here?"

Mewtwo just stared blankly at him. Sleep here? Leave himself vulnerable? Anywhere neara human? That is preposterous.

"Then where areyou going to spend the night?" the boy pressed. "In the woods outside the lab? In a warehouse?"

Unlike a human, I do not need to be infantilized, Mewtwo said irritably. The boy had nothing else to show him, so Mewtwo drew himself up, preparing to leave. But first he pointed one of his fingers down at the boy. You have proven that you can help me. So I will work with you to retrieve my cells. But you may not reveal my existence to anyone. Once they are found, allof them will be returned to me. Is that understood?

The boy nodded. "Sure."

Mewtwo accepted the casual answer with a twitch of his tail and psychically flicked the window open. Perching himself on it, he paused and gave a glance back over his shoulder before he left. I am trusting you, human. Guard my cells carefully, and find the rest. On his last words, Mewtwo lowered his voice, making a clear suggestion of a threat. Then he leapt from the building and flew off.