Chapter Sixteen: Mewtwo

That figure. That stance. That attitude. So recognizable that even with a scrawny, thin Pokémon imitating it, the strong movement only belonged to one person. The Barrier Pokémon had even gotten down the one-sided smirk, the lowered eyes in permanent glare, the professionalism and power that hesomehow radiated... The way he contradicted himself by constantly stroking that blasted Persian, presenting an image of gentleness and fondness that clearly did not fit.Debonair and despotic at the same time. The power-hungry human would jump at any chance for strength, any prospect of power, any lucrative opportunity.

It was impossible that Giovanni remember the past. Mewtwo had wiped the human's memory—and the memory of every Team Rocket member. They didn't know he existed anymore. There was no way Giovanni could be hunting Mewtwo like before, using him like before.

Unless…

If Giovanni had seen Mewtwo again, on one of the human cameras, would it have been enough to give him…flashbacks? A clue to give him echoes of the memories Mewtwo had taken?

No, it could not be. Mewtwo had been thorough in cleansing their minds, in order to defend both himself and his clones, and to leave Giovanni behind him. But the threat that he may never be able to escape his wretched creator, the human he had trusted and been betrayed by, created emotions of anger and fear throughout his body and mind that he couldn't control. They would lash out unless he came to grips with them.

So he would ignore what the Mr. Mime had shown him, for now. He would find out the truth when he finally confronted the humans who dared to 'buy' his cells.

Follow me,Mewtwo said, moving towards the door.

The boy jumped in his way and Mewtwo stopped, puzzled at the child's behavior. "Wait," the boy said. "It's completely open out there. Anyone could see you. Isn't there another way in and out of this room?"

There is, Mewtwo nodded, yet it is night outside. I shall remain in the shadows and not be seen. The place where we will watch for my cells, however, is this way. The boy didn't look convinced. Mewtwo frowned. What has you so concerned?

"I'm just worried for you," the boy admitted. "There are a lot of trainers here, if you get spotted."

Mewtwo wasn't sure how to respond to the child's solicitude. He hesitated, then decided to merely cast off the small human's unmerited concerns. I believe I have proven myself to be fairly adept at remaining unseen.

Just then, the door Mewtwo was trying to go through opened, taking both him and the child by surprise. An older human in an orange-and-yellow vest walked through, eyes on a clipboard he was holding rather than watching them. He took only three steps in before he realized they were there and froze, his widened eyes swinging between Mewtwo and the boy.

The clipboard clattered to the floor.

A long moment passed, in which the three of them simply stared at each other, completely nonplussed.

The new human recovered first. He cried out in alarm and leapt back from Mewtwo. But Mewtwo, regaining himself at the shout, shot out his hand and psychically slammed the exit shut from across the room, cutting off the escape. The human leapt back from the loud door as if it too were a freak cloned Pokémon.

Mewtwo grimaced and grasped the human with his powers, holding him still, though he shook within Mewtwo's untouching grip. Mewtwo's own mind began to coil around the human's, piercing through the panic and reaching for the memoires…

But then he hesitated, glancing at the boy.

This is preposterous,Mewtwo thought to himself. Just do it. It needs to be done, whether the boy likes it or not.

But you did make a promise.

Gnashing his teeth together, Mewtwo swallowed his pride and addressed the child with utmost formality. I am going to erase his memories. Are you at peace with that, human?

The child, who had been staring at the other human in shock, jumped. Mewtwo held onto his thinning patience best he could. He had made a promise, and he intended to keep it. Hopefully the boy would see that sometimes such mind control was necessary,at least in Mewtwo's life. He couldn't allow everyone who saw him to remember it. When he had let Team Rocket keep their memories, they had come for him. And the boy's father…

The boy, after shaking his head puzzledly, met Mewtwo's eyes. For a moment, Mewtwo knew the child was going to say no—he could feel it in his mind. But then the impulsive reaction was thankfully replaced with ratiocination. The boy looked back at the petrified human before his gaze dropped to the floor. "Yeah, I guess so."

Needing no more than that, Mewtwo plucked the minute memory from the human's mind like a weedy Paras from a garden. A blank look covered the human's face. You do not see us, Mewtwo commanded, his voice filling into the blank space in the human's mind. You never saw us. Continue as you were before.

With a dreamy green-eyed look, the human wandered over to his fallen clipboard and picked it up. After checking the list, he briefly walked around the room before he found a box, picked it up, and then carried it out with him. Neither Mewtwo nor the boy said a word as they watched him, just in case the command didn't follow through.

After the door clicked shut, Mewtwo spoke first. That proved nothing.

"Didn't it?"

Mewtwo lashed his tail. That was merely a coincidence, and I handled it. I am still perfectly capable of remaining hidden.

"Mewtwo," the human said insistently. "I'm not trying to offend you. I just want you to be safe."

Mewtwo went quiet. He couldn't blame the boy for his trepidation, as it did come from genuine care. When someone was saying that he couldn'tdo something, it was easy for Mewtwo to rise to the challenge and prove himself. He didn't like chains, didn't like limits. But this human didn't think any less of him for being a bit…conspicuous.

But still. He wasn't staying here. I cannot look for my cells cooped up here, Mewtwo said matter-of-factly. Perhaps there was a compromise. He looked side to side at the boxes, and spotted an old brown blanket in one. He called it to his hand and it swung through the air into his grip, and then Mewtwo draped it around his shoulders like a cloak. This will help. If anyone sees me from a distance, they will not be able to see enough details to recognize me.

When exploring another city a few years ago, Mewtwo had once used an actual cloak to hide his appearance as well. Anyone who saw him mistook him for a human or humanoid Pokémon. Though Mewtwo liked how the clothing helped hide him, it also got in his way and eventually was torn and ruined when he returned to the wild. But he was experienced enough to use this blanket as one.

The child did not look reassured, but he backed away from Mewtwo's path without further objection. Mewtwo swept by him, out the door. The radiant sunlight across the runways had vanished, replaced by artificial human lights that allowed shadows to creep in. The concrete was painted in ombres of different illumination. Giant planes, with light-tipped wings, loomed their way into the dark sky nonetheless.

Slipping through the shadows, Mewtwo made a path through the darker areas, the human trailing less elegantly behind him. Finally, Mewtwo found a satisfactory spot. Up there.

The boy caught up with him and turned his head up to where Mewtwo was looking, a corner on the roof. "Up there?I don't see a stairway. How am I—"

Rather than answer, Mewtwo lifted the child off the ground with his telekinetic powers. The boy gave a cry of alarm at the sudden disappearance of the ground and of gravity, flailing panic, but Mewtwo kept the human's body at his side as he flew up the building. They landed together on the rooftop, and though Mewtwo set the child down on his feet, the boy immediately fell to his hands and knees to grip the gravel as if afraid it would be taken from him again.

Mewtwo allowed a small smile. Careful with how you cried out like that,he teased.You might have attracted attention.

"Why didn't you warnme before you did that?" The boy snapped back, clearly not as amused as Mewtwo was.

By now you should know how insouciant I can be, Mewtwo said back lightly.

The boy glared at him angrily, but they were interrupted by the roar of a plane engine as it took off. Fury forgotten, the child turned around to watch the plane, a large, heavy metal contraption, soar out into the open air with the strength of a hundred Staraptors and fly off into the night. The sight of something so heavy managing to fly reminded Mewtwo of a giant Tropius, strange but powerful in the air.

Mewtwo had chosen the spot well; they had an unobstructed view of all planes in the airport. They could see the hurrying people and Pokémon trying to load and unload the planes, guiding them to dock, and fill them with fuel. They also, in particular, had a clear line of sight of where passengers disembarked. As they watched, several humans filed out of a plane, many were clearly young trainers.

"Wow," the boy breathed slowly. He shuffled around so he could face the view. "…You can see a lot more from up here."

Mewtwo glanced at him, and then the city beyond. When he was flying, the city didn't look all that impressive to him. Mewtwo flew at such speeds that he could pass through it easily and never gave the details of its structure much thought. His psychic powers could construct castles if he so desired, so human feats gained no attention from him. Yet he had to admit the fine details and grand scale of architecture required quite a lot of his thought and focus, especially for one as fastidious as him. Yet when he was here on the ground, with the boy, he had to admit it was hard to imagine powerless human beings creating edifices of that magnitude. Skyscrapers, as the humans called them, were like artificial perches that allowed them to stand at the same level of the flying-types that usually ruled the air.

Is that not one of the points of you humans constructing such tall buildings? Mewtwo asked, taking a step near the edge to watch the trainers make their way inside. He saw none that looked suspicious.

The boy shrugged one shoulder carelessly. "I guess. I'm still not used to it, really. I've only been here for a little over three weeks."

Mewtwo glanced at him curiously. The boy had told him he was new to the city several times now, but Mewtwo was now curious how different the city was to his previous lifestyle.You said you were in a small town before. What was it like?

"It was pretty far from here." The boy waved one hand vaguely to his left. "No skyscrapers at all. You can't even see Ryme City from there. I rarely left it." A closed-off look came over the boy's face as he watched the trainers laugh and talk amongst themselves, still exiting the plane. In the energy between them, Mewtwo detected a sense of wistfulness and remorse. "I bet they've been all over the place."

Mewtwo scoffed. Finding a location where trainers don'tgo is impossible. I count myself lucky when I find a place they rarelygo.

The boy got a thoughtful, almost puzzled look at that statement. "I never thought of it that way."

Mewtwo didn't blame the boy for his ignorance; humans seemed to think that they were entitled to be able to go wherever they wanted. He was, however, grateful at how easily the boy had realized and accepted how invasive humans could be once Mewtwo had pointed it out.

Another plane loomed before them, its wings scintillating with multicolored lights. Soon its metallic silhouette vanished into the darkness, its dimming bulbs growing further as well. The breeze it kicked up billowed Mewtwo's cloak around himself.

"Trainers are just…thirsty for adventure, I suppose," the child went on. "For friends, for exploration, for knowledge... I bet they know a lot more about Pokémon than me."

In those last few words, the boy sounded a bit resentful and jealous. No doubt he was contemplating his choice not to go on such a journey. Mewtwo found himself in the odd position to provide reassurance, something he was not at all experienced at. He did, truly, admire the boy for his desire to be independent unlike almost every other human on this planet. The boy shouldn'tbe jealous of the other humans below. Thiswas the one who had gained Mewtwo's trust. Thiswas the one who had impressed him, out of all of the others.

You knew how to handle the Mr. Mime,Mewtwo said tonelessly, for that was the best he could do. I still do not understand what exactly you did to make it get so defensive. Every threat I gave it, the Pokémon merely mimed a way to protect itself, not even appearing afraid.

His encouragement worked, to Mewtwo's own surprise. The boy grinned. "It's really not that complicated, Mewtwo."

Mewtwo considered being insulted over that jab at his intelligence, but in the end decided it was pointless. There were plenty of things in this world he did not understand. An example was sitting right next to him.

The boy continued on. "Mr. Mime uses its pretend-defenses in order to protect itself. But I think it sometimes gets too wrapped up in its own little world. If you mime as well, he'll get caught off guard and panic."

Mewtwo tried to mull that over. The odd thing was, it was vaguely familiar to his own psychic powers. It was easy to get engulfed in the psychic energy that soaked into the mind. Its power was potentially limitless; Mewtwo was a living example of that. His own psychic strength was unparalleled. What Mr. Mime lacked in raw power, he made up for in precision, at a level that Mewtwo had never bothered—nor would probably ever bother—to try.

A brief silence fell over them, eventually broken by the boy. "So are we just staying here, watching and waiting for your cells to arrive?"

Mewtwo turned to the boy. Do you have somewhere else to be?

The boy shook his head. "My Dad's asleep, and probably won't wake up until spring. I was just curious about your plan."

Mewtwo turned back to watch the runways, his eyes patrolling over each human who came and left. We find the human who has my cells. We take them back; whatever means necessary.

Mewtwo sensed a bit of nervousness suddenly spike in the boy's mind. A moment later, he heard it in the child's voice. "Will you…hurt anyone?"

Mewtwo would never be able to comprehend how the humans relished in Pokémon battles and dreaded any other kind of fight. He vaguely remembered the handful of humans on New Island being filled with grief at the sight of the battle between his clones and their originals. He hadn't paid them much attention, distracted by his own battle with Mew, not that he would have cared at the time.

The Pokémon battles were certainly safer and voluntary (and part of a deep level of natural Pokémon instinct, too), but the human specie's drastic change in attitude from excitement to terror was apparently esoteric, at least to Mewtwo. Perhaps it had something to do with how he had been madefor unrestrained fighting, to battle to the death rather than lightly wrestle for friendly competition. He had been born and bred for aggressive behavior, often felt compulsive delight when he took out his rage on his opponents. In all the shifts in his worldview, that innate part of him had never changed.

He turned his wandering mind back to the boy's question. I will avoid it if I can.

The boy's unease, which had been pressing onto Mewtwo like an annoying Joltik sucking energy from an outlet, relaxed marginally. "But how will you do that without being seen?"

That was a fair point; it was very likely that in order to reclaim his cells, Mewtwo would have to step into the open, in view of everyone, exposing himself. He could erase memories, but in such a crowded place and an entire city to escape into only a short distance away, humans could easily slip through his fingers before he caught them. And there was little he could do if they recorded images of him.

If I must be seen by others in order to retrieve my cells, then so be it, Mewtwo said gravely. He didn't like it, but he couldn't let it hold him back. This city has already witnessed my presence several times. Yet even if that were not the case, I would still be willing to show myself if necessary, to retrieve my cells.

"…You're very determined," the boy said suddenly, snapping Mewtwo out of his contemplations.

Mewtwo gave the boy a doubting look. Have you not noticed my pertinacity before?

He shook his head. "I mean, there's a lot you're willing to do in order to get them back. Is there anything you wouldn'tdo?"

The question took Mewtwo a little off guard, and he had to think on it. He wouldn't allow himself to be captured, certainly. The devastation of the laboratories flashed before his eyes and he held back a shiver. He would try to avoid that,as much as he could.

The boy took his silence as a no. "You know, I don't think you're as indifferent towards others as you pretend to be."

Mewtwo's head swung up. And what is that supposed to mean, human? he inquired, a note of warning in his tone.

The boy ignored it. "You act like you don't care about people or Pokémon or the danger they're in, but the whole reason you're after your cells so relentlessly is because youknowhow dangerous it would be if another one of you was made. You're protecting others, in a roundabout way."

Mewtwo needed a short moment to follow that logic, but he responded curtly. Another Mew clone would be equal to my strength. It would be as much a threat to me as everyone else.

The boy leaned back. "Yeah. Sure."

Mewtwo straightened up. Do not take that impertinent tone with me, human.

"My name's Tim," the boy corrected simply, and Mewtwo huffed.

You humans are invariably incapable of showing proper respect.

"You're one to talk, you can't even call me by my name."

Mewtwo glared forward silently. The boy had been pestering him about his name for quite some time now, and each time Mewtwo had ignored him or redirected his attention. If he called a human by their name, unless there was a title along with it that kept things impersonal, it meant he cared about them enough to be associated with them. To see who they were rather than what they were, as his creators had failed to do for him. But he repudiated all of mankind, and there were few exceptions. Giovanni had created him and guided him, and there was no escaping how tangled their pasts were. Ash had changed his life in a way that Mewtwo would always treasure, and in truth he believed that one day their paths would cross again. Howard Clifford was a human Mewtwo loathed almost as much as Giovanni, having brought Mewtwo's worst nightmares to life in a way Mewtwo couldn't possibly have imagined. But this child beside him? Once Mewtwo had his cells, he planned to leave Ryme City and not come back, and he would probably never see the boy again.

Or would he?

Mewtwo's life, before his abduction by the child's father, consisted of sequestering himself in deep forests far from civilization, and occasionally slipping into a city or other to inspect the events of the rest of the world. He had told the boy he needed to do something great with all the power and intellect he had at his disposal. But the boy had claimed Mewtwo could do as he wanted.

What did he want?

To be free. To be respected as a living, intelligent creature. To direct his powers and skills towards a worthy cause, to feel that he was doing somethinggood in this world. Something that gave him a reason for being. To learn and understand exactly what the ubiquitous yet elusive bond between humans and Pokémon truly was. To deny that slavery he had originally been created for, and to grow into something else. To…change.

What path gave him those things?

Mewtwo noticed the boy yawn. You should rest, he said softly. I will wake you at any sign of my cells.

"Thanks, but I really don't think I could sleep here," the boy said, rubbing his foot on the rough gravel and gesturing to the loud planes, which took off and landed every few minutes.

Then allow me to provide assistance. And without another word, Mewtwo pressed into the boy's mind and enveloped it with sleep. The boy dropped to the ground, at once unconscious.

Mewtwo stared at the slumbering human for a moment, before he reached forward and rearranged the hood of the boy's jacket to better cushion his head from the rocks. But then he saw the gravel digging into the child's hands and through his clothing. After another brief pause, Mewtwo unwrapped the blanket-cloak from around himself and psychically wove it around the human, tucking it around him snugly. Up here, he would not need the cloak to hide himself; the boy needed it more.

Putting the needs of a human before your own? a dark voice in Mewtwo's mind whispered nastily. What, are you growing fond of him?

But rather than getting resentful at the idea as Mewtwo normally would, he considered it. Yes, actually, he was genuinely fond of the boy. This one wasn't like other humans. He had been helpfulto Mewtwo…Mewtwo wouldn't have found his cells without him. He never would have sensed their energy all the way out to the lab, so far outside the city, and as he tended to avoid mass areas of human transportation such as this, he would not have been near the airport. Yes, it was true he had yet to actually find his cells…but without the boy, he never would have gotten close.

Normally Mewtwo scorned engaging with others, humans and Pokémon alike, but in the boy's company, he found he didn't mind him at all. Was it the way the boy treated him as an equal? The way the child brought new ideas and arguments to light that Mewtwo hadn't considered? Simply because the boy was congenial? Or merely because Mewtwo found, for the first time in his life, enjoying the company of another?

Settling himself on the ground, Mewtwo stood guard. Watching for his cells…and watching over the boy.

OOO

The dawn came, and its rays fell directly on the boy's unguarded eyes. Mewtwo was watching the airport still, its inhabitants sleepy and barely paying attention to what they were doing as they lackadaisically ambled into the city. He heard the human's groan, and the shuffle on the gravel as he got up.

"Did I…fall asleep?"

Mewtwo flicked his tail carelessly. I assume so, unless you were simply lying down with your eyes closed for the last few hours.

The boy was too muddled with sleep to be annoyed at Mewtwo's jibe. "The last thing I remember is saying I wouldn't be able to fall asleep here." He pushed himself up, rubbing his legs which had dug into the gravel. "Huh."

Mewtwo was silent at that, and decided right then that he wouldn't tell the child he had psychically pushed him into sleep. The boy would not be pleased with it, but Mewtwo knew it was for his own good. Humans needed more sleep than he did.

The boy didn't seem to notice Mewtwo's slight unease. "Did I miss anything?"

Mewtwo relaxed, happy to change to a subject in which he could be honest. No, he said. I sensed nothing of my cells, nor the doctor who took them, nor anything else strange.

The boy froze in the midst of stretching. "Do you think Mr. Mime lied to us?"

Mewtwo paused and considered. Normally he would immediately doubt such a lowlife Pokémon, but he remembered Mr. Mime's impression of Giovanni… That was dangerous and valuable information, not something to be merely tossed out. No, Mr. Mime hadn't been lying. I do not believe so,Mewtwo answered slowly.

"Yeah, he seemed pretty scared of you," the boy agreed. "His information was right before, when my Dad and I interrogated him. But he said last night, and now it's morning…"

Did you not say you had another source about an inactive platform? Mewtwo inquired.

"I don't doubt Lucy, but she had nothing that connected the platform to any kind of illegal activity or shady dealings," the boy sighed.

Mewtwo was familiar with the boy's father, but he knew nothing of this girl he spoke of. How do you know this human female?

The sudden twist of emotion in the boy's psyche was completely unexpected. Vagaries of feelings seeped into the air—embarrassment, shock, a trace of fear, and—

Ah. So thatwas the nature of their relationship.

"I, uh, met her a few weeks ago," the boy stuttered. "She helped me. Helped me find out what happened to my Dad, that is. Before we, you know, knew that he was actually Pikachu. She's my—" His mind whirled like a Pidgeot's Hurricane "—friend. Good friend. Yep."

Human coquetries were something Mewtwo never bothered to pay attention to even when he was tolerating them. He had no intention of starting now. I see,he said coldly. The boy winced. Mewtwo moved on. What information did she give you exactly?

"She said it was shut down for last night and most of today. Mr. Mime said last night. So, since those two times overlapped, I thought for sure it would be here by now."

Mewtwo waved a hand at the runways before them. Are your metal planes always precise with their scheduling?

The boy barked a sudden laugh and almost doubled over, clutching his stomach. Mewtwo glanced at the humans and Pokémon walking below, but they could not hear the boy's laughter over the sound of the roaring engines. He looked back at the boy curiously, whose eyes were now watering with glee.

"No, they aren't, Mewtwo," the boy pushed out once his laughter had died down somewhat. "No, they aren't."

Odd, the Noctowl hadn't had a very high opinion of airports, either.

Mewtwo crossed his feet and sat back a little, preparing to wait, then. Why are they not?

The boy waved a hand vaguely towards the planes. "They're temperamental machines. Airports are infamous for their chaotic schedules. We have to be careful with the planes, because if anything goes wrong with them, they could crash and cause lots of damage. And, obviously, they need proper weather to fly, too. A thunderstorm or blizzard is too risky for them to travel in."

They are at the whim of the weather? Mewtwo asked, astonished. Earth's climate was always changing. Both naturally, and by the wills of mercurial Pokémon like Kyogre and Groudon. Yet there were hundreds of thousands of human aircrafts that webbed around the world. To base so much on something so unstable was inane.

"Well, often planes have Pokémon inside that can affect the weather if something goes wrong, but even they can only do so much."

Weak Pokémon, maybe, Mewtwo thought silently. He had caused world-wide apocalyptic storms with a wave of his hand. He was a legendary, his power trumped most others. For the first time, he wondered how his own storm had affected such transportation.

A design obviously created by foolish humans, Mewtwo muttered.

The boy tilted his head at Mewtwo. "You call us foolish a lot." Then a hint of a smile quirked at his lips. "What's the most stupid thing you've ever seen a human do?"

Run directly into the crossfire beams of two of the most powerful Pokémon in the world.But that might lead to questions Mewtwo did not want to answer at the moment. Besides, there was something else, something more recent. He had yet to tell anyone this and he was slightly curious if the boy could offer an explanation.

There was once a human who tried to capture me with a standard Pokéball,he admitted. It had happened just a few years ago. Mewtwo had been hiding in the wild when a trainer had stumbled upon him. Before Mewtwo could wipe his memory, the young human had pitched a Pokéball at him. It hadn't even landed on Mewtwo—he had deflected it psychically long before it could touch him—yet still, Mewtwo could not imagine anything more futile.

"Tried to catch youwith a regular Pokéball?" the boy cried, alarmed. He straightened up to stare at Mewtwo, as if unsure Mewtwo was serious. He was aghast. "That is stupid! How cheap!"

His medical bills weren't cheap,Mewtwo muttered softly.

"What?!"

But Mewtwo was saved from having to explain when a particularly large and loud plane loomed up into the air. In honesty, though, Mewtwo hadn't laid a hand on that boy from years ago…yet he had defeated his entire party with ease, and, of course, erased his memory. It certainly had taken those Pokémon some time before they recovered. And had likely been a tough job for whatever nurse or doctor had to tend to them.

Not wanting to have to explain that, Mewtwo tried to distract him before the boy could inquire more. You scoff at that human's imprudence, but what of you? Don't tell me you've never done anything careless. The boy was different, but not thatdifferent.

At this, the boy looked sheepish. "Well…" He glanced off, and Mewtwo waited, his curiosity piqued. "A few weeks ago, when my Dad was still Pikachu, he ended up facing a Charizard at one of the battle arenas."

He did what?!Mewtwo demanded, straightening up in alarm. But his human consciousness would have no idea how to use the moves and abilities of the Pokémon! That kind of battle would be worsethan a human against a Pokémon—because the detective would be in the tiny body of the Pikachu. And Charizards' rage and temperament could prove a challenge. Mewtwo knew, because he had lived with one.

The boy grimaced. "We didn't know that at the time."

How did he survive? Mewtwo wondered aloud. It was horrifying to learn that his attempt to save the detective had almost all been for nothing. He had put the human into the Pokémon so that he could live, but apparently he had been put in danger anyway.

"This is the reallydumb part." The boy shuffled his feet. "Right before the Charizard could strike him, I ran into the arena and stomped on its tail."

Mewtwo stared at the boy with the amount of horror one might feel when encountering a delicate Floette in a Gyarados's jaws. The idea reminded Mewtwo of when Ash had tried to punchhim, another one of the most idiotic human actions he had ever witnessed. In fact, the premise was uncannily similar. This boy had run into a battle he had no chance of victory in to protect his Pokémon and his friend.

Still, Mewtwo needed this to be clear. You did that on your own? There was no Pokémon with you?

The boy shook his head. "No. Just me."

Once again, Mewtwo found himself impressed that the boy did not have a Pokémon partner, but instead chose to do things himself. It was something he had never expected to see in mankind, and it just as amazing as the first time he had seen the moon in its gentle radiance.

He hesitated a moment, and then offered, It was not entirely foolish, though. Attacking the tail—a Charizard's weak point—is a fairly clever move.

The boy's eyebrows went straight up. "Was that a compliment, Mewtwo?"

Mewtwo allowed a small smile. Do not get overconfident, human.

The boy smiled back, but then, Mewtwo was distracted. In the dense cloud of human and Pokémon presences, Mewtwo sensed a variation. Small and faint, but too powerful to just be an everyday life form. He knew it.

His cells were here.

Mewtwo stood up and scanned the runway with both his eyes and his mind. It all was going through the same routine as usual—planes come in, load and unload, and then go out. Only now, Mewtwo's cells were among them.

They are here,Mewtwo said to the human, as he tried to narrow down their location. He closed his eyes and reached for them, trying to get a more precise location. To the left…getting closer…

"You sense them?" the boy said, getting up as well. "That must mean Dr. Drew is here."

Yes,Mewtwo said absently, curling his fists together.

"So I wasright," the boy said, a hint of smugness in his voice. "Dr. Drew did come back to Ryme City. Mr. Mime was sure that the buyer would be meeting him here. And if Lucy's hunch is also true, then they'll have a landing platform all to themselves."

Mewtwo was barely listening, more focused on reaching for his cells. All I need to do is find my cells, and then I can retrieve them.

"No, wait a second," the boy said, holding out a hand before Mewtwo. "Remember—airport full of trainers who are looking for you. You've got to lay low if you can help it. And don't we want to catch the buyer as well? We should wait until they show up, and then we can catch everyone who's after your cells."

Mewtwo opened his eyes to look at the boy. His first and immediate instinct was to say no. He could cast out all of those trainers, and he needed his cells as quickly as possible. He could not give them the chance to escape again. He also didn't wantto confront the buyer, if it was who he thought it was.

But I have to,Mewtwo realized. If Giovanni somehow knew about him again, and was after him…then Mewtwo should know and be on guard.

After a few moments of contemplation, Mewtwo nodded slowly. Very well. How do you suggest we find them? The human with my cells could trade them away from our view, off the runway.

"Put me down," the child said, pointing to the ground below them. "I'll go check it out. You stay here, out of sight."

Mewtwo sighed internally, but he knew the human had a point. To reveal himself now would instantly make their target aware of their presence, and he would flee—as well as make Mewtwo a target for all of those overeager trainers. The boy, however, was much less likely to raise an alarm.

Mewtwo lifted his hand, his eyes glowing with psychic energy, and he lifted the boy gently off the roof. He saw the human bite his lip to stop from gasping in surprise, as Mewtwo gently sent him over the edge and lowered him to the ground. Once the boy landed, he waved assurance at Mewtwo and then jogged to the closest entrance to the airport.

Once he was out of sight, Mewtwo sat back down. And now…he waited.