Chapter 17: The World's Most Powerful Pokémon

Ash Ketchum wasn't aware that his friends were looking for him, or that his mother was in town. He wasn't even aware that what he was doing could be particularly dangerous. He was simply standing in the port of Vermilion City, explaining what he wanted to do to Pikachu and Latios.

"Giratina's a friend. Dialga and Palkia, too. If they're in trouble, we've got to help them. Mewtwo's way out there," Ash pointed out south over the sea. "He's another friend, and he's really strong! If anyone can help us out, he can! I'm just not sure how we'll get there… We can't steal a boat."

"(That didn't stop you before…)" Pikachu said.

"You went on that boat first," Ash reminded him. "Everyone else followed you." Which, admittedly, following a mouse sounded really stupid, but Pikachu's judgement was usually better than Ash's. Pikachu was older than him, after, all, so it stood to reason. Then again, Pikachu sometimes had better judgement than Brock, so age might not have had anything to do with it.

"If Pidgeotto had evolved yet, I'd just ask it to carry us," Ash said. "But I'm not sure how we're going to…"

Latios trilled, determination on his illusory face.

"… No, I don't want to ask you," Ash said. "I'm just trying to help you find your sister, remember? You don't even know Mewtwo."

Latios said something else, a determined hint to his tone and illusory face.

"(Even through you didn't know them, you still gave your all to help them, no matter what,)" Pikachu translated. "(He wants to repay that, in some way.)"

"Wow… You don't need to do that," Ash said. "… And I kind of got you…You know… You're going to do this anyway?"

Latios nodded.

"… Well, thanks," Ash said. "I promise, I'll figure out some way to make it up to you, alright? I guess it's time for another reunion with an old friend."

"(Will he remember us?)" Pikachu wondered. "(And… Wait, how did he know us last time?)"

Pikachu was still pondering the mystery of Mewtwo when they were shooting over the waves at supersonic speeds on the back of a dragon.

It didn't occur to any present how unusual that sentence was.

Luigi, Brock, Professor Oak, Delia, and Dragonite reached the harbor not long after Ash took off.

"When did Ash catch a Latios?" Oak asked.

"This… morning," Brock said, in-between trying to catch his breath.

"There's no way we can catch them…" Oak said, patting the side of Dragonite's head. "She certainly can't carry all of us."

"If I could transform, I might be able to catch them…" Luigi said. Noticing Oak looking at him, he clarified. "Oh, uh, it's not really what you think. Me and my brother can absorb energy from objects to give us temporary new abilities, sometimes with changes to our bodies, as well. Since I've been here, I've only transformed once… I think it was with something called the Moon Stone, way back on Mount Moon."

Brock looked up. "That's when you caught Clefairy! It must have thought you were interesting…"

"Well, I kind of helped it stop a cat from stealing the stone," Luigi said.

"Moon Stone, you say?" Professor Oak asked, beginning to dig through his lab coat. "I don't have one of those on hand, but I think… Yes, here, this might do the trick!" He produced a small rock with a leaf on it.

"A Leaf Stone," Brock said. "Well, will that work?"

"I think so," Luigi said. "But, um, I don't think you're getting it back."

"That's fine," Delia said before Professor Oak could. "If it really bothers him that much, I'll just buy him a new one. I don't want my baby going into any sort of dangerous situation without friends."

Professor Oak sighed. "Well, I suppose I've been spoken for… And I'd have given him it anyway! Well, here, Luigi. Show us what you've got."

Luigi took the stone, and immediately transformed. He knew right away what transformation this was – It was the second one they'd ever used, and it always held a place in his heart for just how much fun flying was.

"Perfect!" Luigi grinned. "Any of you ever seen a flying fox?"

"You have a… Is that real?" Professor Oak said.

"Um, yes," Luigi said. "Look, let's just go get Ash." He twirled his tail and grabbed Brock's hands, holding the boy under him as he flew.

"What… Hey!" Brock said.

"Don't worry, this'll be way better!"

"… Alright," Brock said. "Ash is more important, anyway."

Luigi nodded, and took off for the south. Latios was barely visible now, but he could still see where the others were heading. There was no way he could catch up, but now they at least stood a chance of getting there before something happened.

With only two passengers, Dragonite was able to keep up with Luigi. Luigi did his best to answer all of Professor Oak's questions, until Delia eventually got the researcher to stop asking them.

It was a wonderful day outside, but Luigi couldn't help but be filled with a sense of dread.

… Whatever was coming, it couldn't be that bad, right? As much as Luigi tried to convince himself, he didn't really believe it.

"(How is this here?)" Pikachu asked. He was perched on his best friend's shoulder, beholding the massive castle in front of them. "(This is incredible! How did he even get all the materials here?)"

Ash shrugged, understanding that Pikachu was talking about the castle. "Dunno, bud… What do you think, Latios?"

Latios had reapplied his illusion when they landed, not wanting to stand out too much. He shivered.

"… Are you trying to say it's kind of creepy?" Ash asked, with Latios nodding in confirmation. Now that he thought of it, the castle did look kind of ominous. "Huh… I guess it is. Let's go find Mewtwo!"

This proved to be harder than it seemed. The castle was deathly quiet and in a state of disrepair – Pikachu thought it looked as though the whole thing had collapsed and been haphazardly put back together.

Latios was nervous at the thought, but Pikachu assured him it would be fine. He and Ash had been buried plenty of times, and if Latios felt threatened he could always go back into his ball. The dragon had actually forgotten about that, even though it had only been a few hours ago.

"It's kind of weird," Ash said. "I feel like I've been here before, but I've never seen it. Do you guys get that feeling, too?"

Latios shook his head. This place was completely unfamiliar to him.

"(… I think this might be the place I keep having nightmares about,)" Pikachu said. "(I've never seen it awake, though…)"

Ash frowned. "D'you think there's something going on?" He knew about Pikachu's nightmares, but he hadn't been able to understand most of the details.

Latios stared at Ash in disbelief, and slowly nodded. Pikachu was clearly worried, but didn't need to voice his concerns. Latios decided to ask Pikachu about the nightmares. The little mouse shuddered, but told him. The nightmares came often back around when Ash had been preparing for the Indigo League, but had slowed down over time. They were always the same though: Two powerful Pokémon were fighting. Ash threw himself in the middle of the battle to stop them, and didn't come back out.

Latios didn't feel good. He hadn't really considered before how his death must have affected his sister… Pikachu was just Ash's Pokémon. They were close, but if Pikachu was this shaken by a bad dream, how had Latias dealt with the real thing?

"I think we should go this way," Ash said, pointing down another path. "I've got a feeling that's where we'll find Mewtwo."

'I knew it was wise to speed up my plans, but I did not realize how quickly I would be found.'

"Hey! Mewtwo!" Ash called out. "It's me, Ash! I wanna talk to you!"

The Genetic Pokémon floated into view from somewhere above, and Latios stepped back. This was a powerful psychic, far beyond anything a kid like him was capable of.

"How've you been, Mewtwo?" Ash asked. "Things got a little weird, huh?"

"(Ash,)" Pikachu said, trying to get his best friend's attention.

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes. 'You greet me as though we are friends, human. What sort of trickery are you trying to pull?'

"We are friends," Ash said. "… Is something wrong? Oh! You must not remember me… Well, that's a funny story, actually…"

'Your deception has failed you,' Mewtwo said. 'I know that you are no friend of mine.'

"What? No, I am a friend! Look, see…"

'Humans and Pokémon can never be friends,' Mewtwo spat. 'You are powerless creatures, yet you rule over far superior beings. You say you are friends, yet Pokémon have no choice in the matter.'

"(That isn't true!)" Pikachu yelled. "(Ash isn't like that!)"

'You are no different from the rest… This human isn't really your friend. He would never put himself in harm's way for you. He would never do half of what he expects you to do. He promises friendship, but humans never give it.'

"(You're wrong!)" Pikachu snapped, jumping from Ash's shoulder and standing protectively in front of his trainer. "(Ash is my friend! The very best! No matter what, I know that's the truth!)"

'Misguided loyalty…'

"(If there's someone who deserves it, it's Ash,)" Latios said quietly, still in his human disguise.

'… You are a Pokémon, who takes the guise of a human?' Mewtwo asked. 'You all still hold to these ideals… These fallacies have no place in my world. None of you will be spared.'

"Wait, what?" Ash asked. "Mewtwo, what's going on?"

'This world is flawed. A new world will be created on its ruins… A world free of the trappings of humans and Pokémon. An era of clones, with I, the first, as the leader of all.'

"You can't do that!" Ash yelled. "I won't let you!" He ran forward to try and punch Mewtwo, but was blown back by a barrier. Latios quickly dropped his illusion and flew over to catch him, and Pikachu tried to Thunderbolt Mewtwo to much the same result as Ash.

'I have more than enough genetic material gathered to remake this world…' Mewtwo said 'Though my plans have only but begun, you three will be a good test for the clones I already have.'

The feline raised his arms, and two holes opened in the floor. Out of them rose a human and a Pokémon – The human looking distinctly like a red-eyed version of Mario or Luigi. He didn't have a hat like the bros did, and was just wearing a simple outfit. The Pokémon was a Dewott, just like Mario's friend.

Mariotwo smirked. "So, these are my opponents, huh?" His voice was just as high-pitched as Mario's, but didn't have his accent or playful tone. "I've been aching to try some moves."

"Dew-dewott!" Dewottwo said, brandishing his scalchops.

'Keep them busy.' Mewtwo flew off to observe the battle. Ash jumped to the side a split-second before Mariotwo made the first move, somehow knowing what the cloned plumber would do. Too fast to see, Mariotwo slammed his fist into the wall behind where Ash had just been standing, burying his arm halfway through it.

Mariotwo glared, and yanked his hand out of the wall, causing it to collapse behind him.

Pikachu used Thunderbolt, and Latios scooped up Ash to get him away from the battle.

"Hey!" Ash said. "I need to get back down there!"

Pikachu used Quick Attack to dodge under Mariotwo's legs and jump onto Latios' back.

"(Ash, this guy just…)" The mouse said. "(If you hadn't jumped, you'd be… No!)"

Mariotwo jumped, clear from the ground to right above Latios. Ash grabbed his foot just at the apex of his jump, stopping him.

"What the…"

Ash threw Mariotwo behind him. "Sorry!"

"(Don't apologize!)" Pikachu said, as the clone landed on the palms of his hands and rolled into a standing position. "(He's fine, but we won't be! Get us out of here, Latios!)"

Latios spun to avoid a jet of flames, and shot through the hole Mariotwo had made in the wall earlier. Dewottwo chose that moment to show up using Aqua Jet to chase them, but Pikachu was quick to hit him with a powerful Thunderbolt, easily putting Dewottwo down for the count.

They weren't out of the woods yet, though. Mariotwo was chasing them through the hallways, just as impossibly fast as before, and far more maneuverable than Latios could ever be.

"Why would Mewtwo do any of this?" Ash asked. "Pikachu… I'm not remembering wrong, am I? He wasn't like this before, was he?"

"(Nothing like this!)" Pikachu said. "(That's not as important right now! I don't know how it's even possible, but he's gaining!)"

"(I can't go any faster without crashing!)" Latios said, rolling to the side of a fireball, Ash and Pikachu barely holding on. "(Which way out?)"

"(I don't know, just keep flying!)" Pikachu quickly clambered up to Ash's shoulder and held on as tightly as he could. His claws dug into Ash a bit, but the trainer didn't feel it. Pikachu took a deep breath, and unleashed the strongest Thunderbolt he could in front of Mariotwo.

He never saw it coming and ran straight into it, feeling the full force of Pikachu's shock. Ash barely noticed the powerful electric attack, and Latios didn't get hit at all.

Mariotwo was quick to recover and was on their tail again in seconds. Pikachu's plan had worked, though, and they had a little more breathing room.

"(I don't think we're getting anywhere,)" Latios said, beginning to pant from fatigue. "(Any ideas?)"

"(Um…)" Pikachu said. He did have one idea. He began to prepare a big Thunderbolt. "(Shield your faces!)"

"Pikachu, don't!"

"(Sorry, Ash!)" Pikachu used Thunderbolt to blow a hole through a wall, finally giving them a path outside. Latios gladly took it, and shot up higher than he thought Mariotwo would be able to reach.

The clone seethed on the ground below them, and started yelling at them about fighting fair. In Latios' opinion, there was nothing fair about fighting something like that.

"I need to get back down there…" Ash said. "I've got to figure out what's up with Mewtwo! Maybe talk some sense into him."

"(Is he stupid?)" Latios asked. "(I think our trainer's an idiot…)"

"(… He's confused,)" Pikachu said. "(I am, too. Ash, we need to stay up here for now. We'll figure something out, don't worry.)" He wasn't sure how they'd figure something out himself, but they'd managed to stay alive for the most part so far.

Ash huffed. "Why's he acting like this… What's with the guy down there?"

"I CAN HEAR YOU!" Mariotwo yelled. "STOP FLYING!"

"… Mewtwo called his friends clones, right?" Ash asked. "So… He cloned Mario? But… Wait, can Mario do all the stuff that guy is doing?"

"(Probably,)" Pikachu said. Before he could say another word, a very familiar voice called out from above.

"Ash Ketchum!" Delia called from atop Professor Oak's Dragonite. "What have you gotten into this time?"

"(Mom!)"

"Mom!" Ash echoed his starter. "Professor Oak?"

"Hey, Ash! We're here, too!" Brock yelled. Pikachu looked behind Professor Oak to see Brock being carried by… Luigi using a fox tail to fly.

"(Is that normal?)" Latios asked.

"(Well it's a first for us, but it's probably normal for him.)"

"Reinforcements?" Mariotwo asked. "It's not going to help you!"

Luigi nearly dropped Brock. "What the – Mario's back in Vermilion City!" Luigi closed his eyes. "Yeah, he's still answering questions. Ash, who is that?"

"I think he's a clone of your bother…" Brock said.

"… I don't follow."

"Mewtwo used a science-thingy to make a copy of your brother," Ash said. "He's got all the same powers and some memories but he's different. Mewtwo's being really weird, so…"

"… All of Mario's abilities?" Luigi paled. "Please tell me I heard you wrong…"

"COME ON!" Mariotwo yelled. "Stop talking and get on with the fight!"

"We can't fight him," Luigi said. "No, it's impossible… We need to go."

"No!" Ash shouted. "We've got to figure out what's got Mewtwo acting like this."

"We can't, not with him here," Luigi released one of Brock's hands for a moment, causing the teenager to yelp, and pointed at the clone of his brother. "He wants a fight. He won't listen to us, he'll just keep fighting, and… I can't fight him."

"You might have to anyway," Brock said. "… I'm not sure what it is, but I've got a very bad feeling about what's going on here."

"It's not just that I don't want to!" Luigi snapped. "That's nothing new! I always have to fight when I don't want to! It's that I can't beat him! Even with all of us together, we don't stand a chance! Don't you get it? This is a fight we can't win! Running, coming from another angle… It's the only way. If we go down there, we're never coming back."

"… This seems important to Ash," Delia said. "Sweetie, why don't you tell us what's going on, from the top?"

"HEY!" Mariotwo yelled. "I'M STILL HERE!" He tossed a fireball at the group, but it fell far short of them.

"Okay," Ash said. "So, we came here looking for Mewtwo. I don't really remember how it happened, but I was friends with him last time. I thought maybe he could help us with Giratina, Dialga, and Palkia – They're friends, too. But when we got here, he was saying that humans and Pokémon could never be friends. He said he'd destroy all of us, and create a new world of clones."

"Who is Mewtwo, exactly?" Luigi asked. "Mario mentioned him, but I didn't really get any information. We were too busy chasing you down."

"Mewtwo is an incredibly powerful Psychic-type Pokémon," Brock said. "Probably the strongest Psychic-type in the entire world. I've seen him levitate hundreds of Pokémon and… Erase people's memories…"

Pikachu and Ash realized it at the same time Brock did.

"He must have been like this last time, too!" Brock said.

"But then we came, and did something, and changed his mind," Ash said. "… And, made friends with him?"

"(But why would he make us forget?)" Pikachu wondered.

"I don't know, buddy…"

"If we befriended him last time, then we should be able to do it again!" Brock said.

"That means we've got to find him again," Ash said.

"… You're all crazy," Luigi said. "We can't just go in there…"

"Ash has a way of making things work," Professor Oak said.

"It runs in the family," Delia added. "Ash, honey, I'll help you out any way I can. If you need, I'll distract… Mariotwo, is it?"

"NO!" Luigi shouted, nearly dropping Brock. "No, you'd be killed! I can't let you!"

Delia rolled her eyes. "Give me a bit of credit. You don't grow up a Ketchum without picking up some skill."

Luigi sighed. "… If you're really insistent on this, I'll fight him. I don't think I can win, but I can at least make him sweat a little. If I'm hit too hard, my transformation will break, but until then… It does give me a bit of an edge."

"Then it's settled," Brock said. "Latios, can you carry another passenger?"

Latios looked up, startled. Pikachu imagined he'd just been overwhelmed, listening to everything that had been going on. The dragon nodded, and Brock jumped from Luigi's hands to land behind Ash.

"… One more thing," Luigi said, taking off his cap. The effect of seeing yellow fox ears on his head wasn't made any less disconcerting seeing them sticking out of his hair instead of his hat. His Clefairy was sitting on his head. "Keep Clefairy safe, alright? It's… Yeah, just keep him safe."

"I'll keep it safe," Delia said. "Come here, you little cutie!" Clefairy teleported to her, and she began playing with him.

"… Alright. Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum," Luigi said, as he put his hat back on. "Good luck, you guys."

"Good luck to you, too!" Ash said.

Luigi nodded, and flew down to meet Mariotwo in battle.

"FINALLY!" Mariotwo yelled. "Huh. You're new… But you're here, so you're against Mewtwo's perfect world, too, huh?"

"T-That's right…"

"You don't sound too sure." Mariotwo shrugged. "Ah, well. Let's see what I can do!"

Luigi dodged his punch and delivered a swift kick to his back, knocking the other down. Mariotwo recovered quickly and lunged at Luigi, but the green plumber was able to roll under him and kick him upwards.

Mariotwo laughed. "You're quick!" He blasted Luigi with a huge fireball, and Luigi countered it with his hammer. "Hey, no fair! I don't get a hammer… Gimme!" Mariotwo zipped forward to grab the hammer's head, but Luigi put it away and brought it back out in his other hand to smack him away.

"… I didn't expect that to work," Luigi said, before he had to dodge yet another blow.

"Gah! How do you always move so fast?" Mariotwo asked. "Seriously, it's not fair!"

It dawned on Luigi that Mariotwo didn't have all of Mario's skills. His raw speed and strength, definitely, but he didn't have Mario's reflexes or training to go with it. And without a hammer, he couldn't hit as hard or as easily.

Luigi ducked under a fireball and swiped Mariotwo with his tail, knocking him onto his back, and brought his hands together to send a jolt of electricity at his opponent.

Maybe he could actually win this…

Mariotwo recovered while Luigi was thinking, and grabbed him by the tail. By the time Luigi realized what was happening, he was already spinning, faster and faster.

Mariotwo let go, and Luigi slammed into the side of Mewtwo's castle, breaking his transformation in an instant.

Luigi stood up, pained, but Mariotwo was already upon him, and drove his fist into Luigi's stomach. As he was clutching his middle in pain, a spinning boot to the back of his head. He lay on the ground in pain, as Mariotwo spoke.

"Just one mistake and you're down, huh?" Mariotwo asked. "I was kind of hoping for a challenge… Well, I like to think I'm a sporting guy. I'll give you a minute… Let's see how you do in a fair fight."

It wasn't long into the castle before the other group came across the destruction. Now that they weren't being chased, they had begun walking along the ground, Latios once again as an illusory human.

"Oh my…" Professor Oak said. "That's quite some power, there… Mewtwo did that?"

"Mariotwo did," Ash said. "When he was chasing us. Pikachu did some of it, too."

"… I'm glad you weren't caught, my boy," Oak said. "Do you know where we're going?"

Ash shook his head. "Latios was going pretty fast, so I didn't see much."

"And you know how Ash is with directions," Brock said.

"You're one to talk."

"I only held the map upside-down a few times!"

"It's really not the time for this," Delia said, picking up a rock to examine it. "… These were already pretty badly damaged, but he still packs a punch. Are there any others we should be on the lookout for, Ash?"

"Um, there was a Dewott," Ash said. Pikachu said something from his shoulder. "Pikachu got him."

"What's a Dewott doing in Kanto?" Professor Oak asked. "Curious, if you ask me."

"… I think he's a clone of Mario's Dewott friend," Ash said.

"Right, Mario brought a talking Dewott with him to Lance's meeting. I'm… Not sure why he was there."

"Talking Dewott?" Delia asked. "… What was his name?"

"Oscar, I think," Brock said.

"… I'll have to speak with him later," Delia said.

"You know him?" Ash asked.

"We used to be pretty close," Delia said. "It's been years, though…"

"Wow…" Ash said. "… Did you go on adventures, too?"

"Well, not much with him," Delia admitted. "Our adventures were mostly separate from each other."

Professor Oak chuckled. "Ash, you shouldn't be surprised. It runs in the family, I'm told. I believe that's why your parents would never let you be a trainer?"

Delia nodded. "… That, and they needed someone to take over the restaurant."

"Did you ever get to meet a legendary Pokémon?" Ash asked.

"I've seen a few, but I don't believe I've had a proper introduction before," Delia said, giving Latios a glance. "On that note, it's very nice to meet you, Latios. I hope you're keeping Ash out of too much trouble. He's a magnet for strange situations."

Latios nodded.

"Thank you."

"… This could be pretty dangerous," Brock said, frowning. "We're looking for the most powerful Pokémon I've ever seen, and he's talking about destroying the world…"

"I trust Ash," Delia said. "If there's anyone who can make someone like that see reason, it's my son."

"Aw, mom…" Ash said. "You're not supposed to say stuff like that."

"And why not? It's true, after all," Delia said.

"… And we're not going to be in any less danger if we do nothing," Professor Oak said. "… Even when it seems hopeless, we can always pull through. That's something Ash taught me. With enough hope and determination, you can overcome anything."

"… I'm flattered and all, but… Aren't you kind of exaggerating things?" Ash asked. "I mean, I'm… just Ash."

Professor Oak chuckled. "Well… Ash, anything looking familiar?"

"… That hole up there," Ash said, pointing about fifty feet down the hall. "I think that's where Mariotwo punched out the wall."

"He punched through the wall?" Delia asked.

"… Well, he punched it and got his hand stuck. The wall collapsed when he pulled his hand back out," Ash said.

Brock winced. "If that's the kind of strength Mario and Luigi have, that's… I hope Luigi's all right out there."

"We have to trust him," Professor Oak said. "Right now, it's too important to do anything else."

The group entered the grand hall where the 'battle' between Mariotwo and Ash had taken place earlier, and found Mewtwo there. Dewottwo was resting near the Psychic-type, singed and unfit for battle.

'So, you return…' Mewtwo said. 'Along with a scientist. Do you intend to capture me? Run more experiments on me? That life has ended, and I am never going to return to it.'

"Mewtwo, we're just here to talk," Ash said. "Look, I dunno what happened to you…"

'Of course not,' Mewtwo interrupted. 'A Pokémon trainer would never even think about it. Never consider what happened to the catch of the day, never think that maybe he's in the wrong.'

"Hey!" Ash said. "I do think! I think a lot! I don't know what your problem is, but whatever it is, destroying everything won't solve anything!"

'Problem?' Mewtwo asked, floating over to the trainer. Ash looked him in the eye without a trace of fear. 'My problem, as you say, is the selfishness of your species. The world of humans is built on the suffering of others. The Pokémon trained by humans are no better. The only way to fix it is to end it.'

"You're wrong!" Ash yelled. "I know the world's got a lot of problems, but there's a lot of good stuff, too! You can't destroy the world."

'It's well within my abilities. My storm has already begun to form. The world you know will not see a tomorrow.'

"No!" Ash said. "Tomorrow, someone meets their partner! Tomorrow, someone realizes their dream! Tomorrow, someone becomes a trainer! I'll never let you take that away!"

Ash tried to punch Mewtwo in the face again. Just like earlier, he was flung backwards, his mother catching him and helping him to his feet.

Delia Ketchum glared at Mewtwo. "Listen up, you! I don't care how powerful you are. No one treats my son that way!" Delia marched over to Mewtwo, and stared him down just as Ash had before.

'What are you trying to prove?' Mewtwo asked.

"That my son knows a lot more than you do," Delia said. "Stop this nonsense!"

'You are just as blind as he is…' Mewtwo said. 'This pointless conversation is over. The only thing I've gained is more specimens to clone.'

"What…?" Ash asked.

Mewtwo teleported a huge mass of black Pokéballs into the room. 'Yes, your Pokémon... They will not be here, but their clones will see my new world!'

Luigi was not doing well. As he'd fought the clone of his brother, he'd run out of ways to surprise the other. Mariotwo could predict whatever he did, and Luigi was paying the price in bruises all over his body.

Luigi lashed out with a spin attack, but it was parried with a powerful kick. He tried to use his Thunderhand, but a burst of fire stopped it before he could even get the attack off. Whatever he did, Mariotwo was always a step ahead.

A slip-up, a move too slow, and Mariotwo slammed his fist into Luigi's left arm at full force. Luigi didn't see the impact, but he certainly heard the sound and felt the pain. He dropped his hammer, unable to move his arm, and quickly snatched it up with his other hand. He swung wide, but it was sloppy.

Mariotwo dashed past his guard and kicked Luigi in the shin. It hurt, and Luigi was limping, but it was nowhere near as bad as his arm. Luigi limped towards Mariotwo, hoping to do something, when the clone spoke.

"Good gravy, do you ever give up?" Mariotwo asked. "I won."

Luigi kept moving. Mariotwo clocked him on the head, and he went down.

"Well… That was a good battle," Mariotwo said to his unconscious opponent. "Wish it could've ended a bit less painfully for you, but… Mewtwo has a vision for a perfect world. I can't let you stand in the way of that."

Mariotwo scratched his head. "Who are you, though? If you were just a human…" He paused. "You're like me, though, aren't you, Luigi? But… Hm. Just trying to protect your friends, huh? Even if we have different goals, I can respect that."

Mariotwo wondered, briefly, how he'd picked up on that, or known the strange human's name. A message from Mewtwo interrupted that – A young human had chased his Pokémon into the cloning bay, and needed some attention.

The red-eyed boy shrugged, and was soon on his way. Even through only a day of life and some broken memories, he was intimately familiar with the layout of Mewtwo's castle, having rebuilt much of it himself. It took him only a few minutes to reach the cloning machine, and only a few seconds more to see that most of the mechanical arms had been torn apart.

The cloned Pokémon were in their vats of liquid, and the boy he'd been sent to find – The same one he'd been ordered to attack earlier, too – was the only one there.

He smashed open one of Mewtwo's special Pokéballs, releasing a Pikachu and giving the creature a hug.

"Are you alright, buddy?" The kid asked. The mouse responded, embracing the trainer back.

Mariotwo remained silent as he ducked behind one of the vats, wondering on what he'd seen. This boy… He'd thrown himself down here to find this Pokémon, for no other reason than… They were friends? He couldn't think of another explanation for the way they were acting, or why the boy was smashing Pokéballs left and right, releasing more and more of the Pokémon that had just been cloned from confinement.

… This wasn't at all in line with what Mewtwo had said about humans, Mariotwo realized. Something was up here, and he was going to figure out what, somehow. A few flashes of memory – The one he'd been cloned from was a shapeshifter?

Mariotwo focused on a Pokémon he'd only seen pictures of, one Mewtwo had collected a DNA sample of when the original Mario had been kept in a Pokéball. Combusken, a Fire and Fighting type. He felt himself getting smaller, and quickly lost his balance and faceplanted. He tried to bring himself to his unfamiliar feet, and realized why this wasn't part of his fighting instinct – even just different proportions with the same basic structure completely changed the way he moved.

He didn't have to bring himself to his feet, though, as the boy with the Pikachu helped him to his feet. He tried to get the hang of standing, but still wobbled on his now-clawed feet.

"Hi, Combusken," the boy said. "Or… It'd be Combuskentwo, right? I'm Ash… I guess you're with Mewtwo? Or maybe you're just new?"

Mariotwo didn't say anything – Partially because he knew Pokémon didn't talk, but mostly because he had no idea how to work a beak.

Ash frowned. "Mewtwo… He was my friend, once. But he's really different, now. He wants to destroy people and Pokémon…"

Mariotwo's eyes widened. Was that what Mewtwo was trying to do?

"He thinks that that'll help make a perfect world… Just like Lysandre…"

More broken memories flashed through Mariotwo's head. Battles, fighting… Villains who were so far gone in their delusions of grandeur… People who would corrupt others, destroy whole universes, just to create what they thought of as a utopia. People who had gone so far, that Mario couldn't do anything for them. After the fact, there was nothing left to do but wonder… If he'd acted sooner, would more people have been saved?

Mariotwo shuddered, coming back to himself and his own thoughts. Cackletta, the Shroobs, Dimentio, Antasma… The names meant barely anything to him, but he still knew what had happened to them in the end. Could Mewtwo be like that?

"It's not possible… Mewtwo is my friend," Mariotwo tried to say. It came out sounding like some vaguely-English clucks.

"… Never heard a Combusken like that," Ash said. "… Pikachu?"

"Pika…"

"… So, you can't talk, huh?" Ash asked. Mariotwo said nothing. "Well… Anyway. I need to find Mewtwo. If you want to come with me and my friends, you can."

His friends were a whole bunch of Pokémon – Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Clefairy, Croagunk, and Dragonite, that all stood with him, looking at the small flame chicken in front of the human boy. Mariotwo was amazed at the gathering in front of him.

Mewtwo couldn't have seen this, could he? Whatever the case, Mariotwo had made his decision. He would follow Ash for answers from Mewtwo. He didn't know what to believe, but he couldn't let Mewtwo meet his end the same way the ones from Mario's broken memories had.

Clones of Pokémon began to spill out of the vats, and began walking away – back towards where Mewtwo was.

"I don't know what's going on here," Ash said. "But I think I know where we're going to find out."

Ash, Mariotwo and the Pokémon followed the clones through a series of winding hallways, and it didn't take Mariotwo long to realize where they were headed. Mewtwo had built a massive stadium, where he'd fought Luigi earlier, but hadn't divulged its true purpose to Mariotwo.

As the clones were lifted into the stadium by Mewtwo's strange elevators, the group was hidden among them. Mewtwo's telepathic voice rang out to everyone in the area.

'Behold, the inheritors of this world.' Mewtwo said, to his audience of three humans. 'These clones lack the poisonous ideals that cloud the truth of the old world.' The storm above rumbled, lightning coursing through it

No… Mariotwo couldn't believe it. Mewtwo really planned on destroying everything? No ideal was worth that. He had to do something, but he didn't want to hurt Mewtwo. He looked around wildly, hoping against hope that there was something he could do.

He could see Luigi, far off on the other end of the stadium, slowly getting to his feet, clutching his broken arm. Slowly, the green-hatted boy began to walk forward. Mariotwo didn't know his plan, but it couldn't end well for Mewtwo.

Mariotwo reverted to his normal form at the same moment that Ash ran forward, both standing in front of Mewtwo to stare the legendary down.

'You again,' Mewtwo said to Ash. 'You are possibly the most stubborn creature I have ever met.'

"I've heard it before…" Ash said. "I'm still not going to let you do this!"

"Neither will I!" Mariotwo said.

'You betray me?' Mewtwo asked. 'Without me, you wouldn't be alive.'

"I know that! If anyone betrayed anyone, it's you!" Mariotwo glared. "Your ideals aren't worth sacrificing a whole world for! This boy… In just five minutes, he's proven everything you say about humans is wrong!"

'So… You stand against me as well… Fine. I'll allow you to prove your point.'

Most of the clones were encased in psychic barriers and levitated to the stands. Latios fell to the floor with a yelp, and tried in vain to levitate back up.

'I have disabled all of the Pokémon's special abilities. If this world is truly worth saving, then the Pokémon will have to prove it in battle. To the survivors go the spoils.'

The battle wasn't like anything Ash had ever seen, and that was not at all a good thing. The clones listened to Mewtwo, alright – they attacked. The only thing to be done about it was to fight back.

Butterfree bounced off of Butterfree, sending both bugs tumbling painfully to the ground. Latios tried to move without levitation, tried to help the others, but he couldn't accomplish anything more than rolling over. Clefairy and Clefairy trying to hit each other with their stubby arms. Pidgeotto flying at each other, crashing and falling. Dragonite grappling with Dragonite, both trying to throw the other to the ground.

Pikachu, just standing there and refusing to fight his clone, even as tiny yellow claws scraped across his face.

A terrible scene of Pokémon fighting without the joy that came with battle, without restraint or mercy, all bathed under an unearthly green light from the clouds above.

"No… This isn't right!" Ash yelled, running in between the two Dragonite and forcefully holding them apart. "Stop it! No one… The only thing you'll get from this is hurt!"

Ash looked to the other Pokémon. Both Butterfree could barely move, but at least they didn't look badly hurt. It broke his heart to see Latios completely helpless on the ground, but he wasn't hurt. Clefairy couldn't do any real damage… Neither Croagunk had bothered to do anything other than stare at each other and croak…

The Pidgeotto were quickly exhausting themselves.

"Ash!" Professor Oak said, running up to the trainer. "Let me handle Dragonite."

"… Okay," Ash said, releasing the Dragonite and allowing the Professor to take over.

"Oof… You're stronger than you look, Ash…" Professor Oak looked to one of the Dragonite. "Don't fight, girl… This won't accomplish anything."

Ash looked to the Clefairy – His mom had gotten both of them, and was holding the pink Pokémon apart from one another. Brock was holding both Pidgeotto down, treating their and the two Butterfree's wounds.

That only left Pikachu. Ash's best friend continued to stand his ground, refusing to fight. His clone kept slapping him, over and over, but was slowing down.

"Pikachu!" Ash ran over to his buddy, and Pikachutwo collapsed, exhausted. After a moment to make sure both of them were alright, Ash turned back to Mewtwo. "Don't you see what you're doing?" Ash yelled. "Don't you see what's happened? Look at the Pokémon! They're exhausted, and hurt, and it's all because of you!"

Mariotwo was standing there, torn. "… What was this supposed to accomplish, Mewtwo? Is… Is this the sort of world you want to build?"

'I shouldn't have expected you to understand… Unusual you may be, but you're still-'

"HEY!" Luigi yelled out. "CAT THING!"

'I am Mewtwo, not 'cat-thing'.' Mewtwo said, turning to face the younger Mario Bro. 'What do you want?'

"You…" Luigi winced in pain. "You're the one who's doing all this, aren't you?"

'Yes. You're another who stands against me. Another who will say I am wrong.'

"You are!" Luigi said. "You're just hurting people, and for what? Did anyone here even do anything to you? Threaten what you care about?"

'Humans are-'

"Shut up," Luigi hissed. "I don't care what you say next, that's not right. You're hurting my friends for something they didn't even do! Fight me!"

'What?' Mewtwo asked. 'You couldn't hope to beat me… Especially not in such an injured state.'

"That doesn't matter," Luigi said, stepping forward. "I can't just stand idly by when you've put people in danger! Mario… I might not be strong, or smart, or fast, or skilled… But I'm still a Mario Brother! I won't let you hurt this world, and I won't let you hurt my friends! Let's go, okeydokey?"

'I've already fought your brother… But fine. I'll let you have the first move.' Mewtwo said.

"Okay…" Luigi took a deep breath. "I can do this, I can do this…" Luigi struck a pose, wincing from the pain in his left arm. "L-Listen up! I don't give my name to scoundrels! Now watch, as Luigi punishes you for your badness! You may be strong, but you made one mistake that will be your undoing!"

Mewtwo wasn't impressed, and ignored Luigi's speech. Above, a short flash of light lit up New Island, as lightning flashed from one cloud to another.

"A storm… I can feel it," Luigi said. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pointed straight to the sky with his good arm.

"There's something very strange about this…" Brock said. "… Professor, look at the clouds. Does lightning usually act like that?"

"I can feel it," Luigi said again, "And I know what I can do with it!" Luigi thrust his left arm out to point at Mewtwo, wincing at the pain. Dozens of bolts lightning struck all at once, coursing through the sky into Luigi's hand. He directed them through his body, and sent them right back out through his injured arm.

A massive bolt of bright-blue lightning struck Mewtwo, causing the Legendary to screech. He collapsed to one knee, singed and panting. Luigi grabbed his shoulder, hissing with pain. Having a million volts of electricity flowing through a broken arm wasn't exactly pleasant.

"… To answer your question, Brock," Professor Oak said faintly. "No, that's not normal."

'How…' Mewtwo said.

"You fought my brother, didn't you?" Luigi asked, shaking. "T-then you know, we- we're not normal! But any-anyone can learn th-that! It's just m-magic!"

'Magic.' Mewtwo narrowed his eyes. 'Magic. You called down a bolt of lightning, and attribute it to a fairy tale."

"H-hey," Luigi said. "I mean, I-I guess maybe magic isn't well known a-around here…"

Mewtwo threw a Shadow Ball at Luigi, and Luigi reacted on instinct, countering it with his own green fireball… From his left hand, which left him clutching his broken arm in pain. Luigi grit his teeth, and tried to fight through the pain. He spun on the spot, and threw a ball of ice with his right hand, but it fizzled out before it reached Mewtwo.

Luigi hissed. He hated how difficult it was to use magic with his off hand.

Mewtwo vanished and reappeared, lifting Luigi with his psychic powers before he could react and pinning his arms to his sides.

"Let me go!" Luigi said, wincing from the pain.

'And then what?' Mewtwo asked. 'You can't use magic if you can't move, can you?'

Luigi paled. "Um, er, yes! I can!"

'You're a terrible liar.' With a flick of his wrist, Mewtwo sent Luigi hurtling into the wall of his castle at sonic speeds. The impact left a huge scar in the wall, and Luigi collapsed to the ground, unmoving. Brock rushed to his side to check on him.

'A foolish human… A futile fight, to continue to enslave Pokémon…"

"He was trying to prove you wrong!" Ash said.

"Pika-chu!" Pikachu agreed. "Pika, pika!"

"He didn't even have any Pokémon with him," Ash said.

"I don't think he even considered asking Clefairy to battle," Professor Oak added. "… Well, not that Clefairy could have done even half that, but…"

"Mewtwo… I don't know what I'm supposed to do to get you to believe me, but we were friends once," Ash said. "I came back in time, but I guess you didn't. Is there anything I can do to get you to believe me? Anything at all?"

'I suppose I could look into your mind,' Mewtwo said.

"Do it." Ash said.

"Ash," Professor Oak warned. "This is dangerous."

"I trust Mewtwo," Ash said. "Don't worry, Professor."

'Fine… Let's see what you believe.' Mewtwo said. 'If you are lying, it won't end well for you.'

The boy was not a psychic, but he had a powerful mind. Mewtwo would never admit it out loud, but it took all of his concentration for the delicate work of probing the boy's memories. The storm would lose energy and dissipate, and the Pokémon would have their abilities back, but he was honestly curious about this boy.

What he found was nothing like what he'd expected. Ash Ketchum, somehow, failed to understand the fundamental differences between humans and Pokémon. To him, thinking there wasn't a true difference was simply obvious and natural.

Adventures, danger, protecting Pokémon. A time when he and the boy had met in Johto, and he did indeed treat the boy as a friend.

Deeper, further. Something artificially blocked out. Somehow, blocked out by himself. Mewtwo easily moved past it.

The same plan. The same arguments. A fight with Mew, interference… The boy's conviction of his beliefs, and willingness to die for them.

The fact that he actually had. That his sacrifice had held such power that he'd been brought back by the tears of Pokémon, clones and originals united.

He'd seen what he needed to. Mewtwo pulled out of Ash's mind.

'Deep down, we're all the same.' Mewtwo said. '… That's what you believe.'

"I guess so, yeah…" Ash said. "… So… Are we friends now?"

'If this world can produce someone like you, then perhaps it truly does deserve to exist…' Mewtwo said. He looked, for a moment, to where Brock was tending to Luigi.

"We'll need to set his arm, and he has electrical burns all over, but apart from that he should just need some rest," Brock said, pulling Luigi onto his back with some difficulty.

Mariotwo walked up to Brock. "I've got a few of his brother's memories… They're made of really tough stuff."

'Why is it you came here, in the first place?' Mewtwo asked.

"Oh… Well, uh, it's not just because we're friends," Ash said. "See, I needed to ask a favor. Another friend of mine is in trouble, and I wanted to know if you could help."

"… Ash, asking the world's most powerful Pokémon might be overdoing it," Professor Oak said.

'I agree.' Mewtwo said. 'Very well, though… Which friend?'

"Giratina," Ash said.

'…What.'

"Giratina. It's a really powerful Legendary that lives in the Reverse World, but it was attacked by something and we've got no idea what it was."

'I know what Giratina is.' Mewtwo snapped. 'Just… How? How did you become friends with that?'

"You'd be surprised at the sort of friends Ash makes," Delia said. "You're not the first Legendary he's befriended. When he was a baby…"

"Mom, no," Ash said. "I don't think anyone wants to hear this…"

Delia laughed. "Don't worry, honey, it's nothing embarrassing. Until he was about three, he had a pretty unusual playmate. I never did get a good look at it, but a Mew kept sneaking into our house to play with Ash."

"Pika?!"

"I didn't know about that either, buddy," Ash said. "Mom, why didn't you tell me? That's incredible!"

Mewtwo placed a hand on his forehead. 'I really shouldn't be surprised…'

Delia laughed. "We're Ketchums, Ash. Weird things happen to us… Mostly you, yes, but one Legendary showing up isn't a big deal."

Brock spoke up. "If I may… It may be a good idea to get Luigi to a trained professional, and I don't think his brother is going to be too happy with him getting hurt like this."

'I can easily take you back,' Mewtwo said. 'I… I at least wish to ensure he's healed. After that, I do not know. Mariotwo, what are you going to do?'

"Me?" Mariotwo asked. "Well… I definitely don't want to meet Mario. I guess… I should just go on a journey, figure out what I'm supposed to do."

'… Take the other clones with you,' Mewtwo said. 'Make your own place in the world. I will follow soon.'

"… Yeah… Yeah, that sounds good," Mariotwo said. "I'll round everyone up, and… See you around, I guess."

"Hold on," Delia said. "I want to come with you, to see one of them. I think I know the guy that Dewott was cloned from, and I want to make sure."

"… Alright, lady. Come on, then." Mariotwo led Delia into the castle, the cloned Pokémon following along behind him (except for Croagunktwo, who hadn't stopped his staring contest).

"So…" Professor Oak said. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Professor Samuel Oak, Sam to my friends. This one is Brock – He's learning to be a doctor, and was formerly the Pewter City Gym Leader. Ash… Well, you saw. He's really quite extraordinary, isn't he?"

Mewtwo nodded in agreement.

"The last one – The one who fought you – That's Luigi. He's... Something else," Professor Oak said. "I don't think he's human. Ash has witnessed magic before, but nothing like that. He says he's from another world, so I suppose that's normal there."

"It's not," Brock said. "I don't know all the details, but he was telling me about how different he and his brother are from everyone else. He really seemed to think that we'd stop being his friends because of it."

Mewtwo looked at Luigi with a newfound understanding.

"Pika-chu?"

"I dunno… That's just kind of…" Ash trailed off. "Why would we do that? He's our friend."

"… By the way he was talking, it's happened before," Brock said. "Some people are afraid of him and his brother."

'Even so, he did everything he could to protect this world…' Mewtwo said.

"Is everything alright?" Ash asked.

'…It will be,' Mewtwo said. 'There's much I don't understand.'

"Yeah, me too," Ash admitted. "But, hey. Maybe we can help each other figure things out, you know?"

'I think that is something I need to do on my own,' Mewtwo said. 'Giratina… I know almost nothing about. If you have the one in the green hat and his brother, though, you truly don't need me.'

"… Oh," Ash said, looking down for a moment. "It doesn't really matter, though. We're friends, either way."

'Friends… Yes, I suppose we are.'

It's been a while, hasn't it? Story's not dead! ... just slow and inconsistent. This is the longest chapter yet!

While Mario is genuinely very powerful, most people in the Mushroom Kingdom overestimate his abilities. Luigi doesn't do it as much as most, but he still does. Also: Luigi's claims that he's weak are him comparing himself to Mario. He knows he's not really weak compared to most people, but he compares himself to Mario a lot. And, yes, Mario has regrets and mistakes.

Thanks to the people who have followed! Several people did as I was editing this chapter.