Elimination

Humans are an annoying bunch.

They get content with whatever they have, and then the next moment, they start lamenting on what they do not have. They can get happy one second, and the next moment, sad and blue. They can get angry for trivial reasons, and then pleasant for others. They are of many different colors, and that was what I could never comprehend.

They lavish in luxury, yet they crave for more, and more, and more. I was born from their avarice, from their knowledge, from their violence. I was programmed to be a battling monster, created from science, created from hate, created from the hands of men who were never satisfied.

And I despised it. I despised humans.

I do not want to have anything to do with them.

Someday, a child will come for you, Mew had said. Be his strength.

I scoffed at its words. I belong to no one. I am of my own strength, never of others'. I said such words to Mew, my origin, my 'parent', and it merely chuckled and left. It was never one to care for others, and never one to care about anything. And that goes the same for me.

I stayed in the Cerulean Cave, certain that no one would come.

No one dared to come.

"You've got to be kidding me," Green groaned as he lifted his foot and found strands of sticky goo on his shoes. He cursed slightly, before he shone the flashlight towards the inky darkness. Meanwhile, Red and Brendan stayed quiet as the trio continued to walk forward. Frankly, they did not have much idea on where they were going, but they had no other choice.

After grabbing lunch, and barely hiding from the public's view, the three trainers had managed to sneak their way into Cerulean Cave, and for the past two hours, they had been trekking around the area, all dirtied with sweat and grime. A strange smell lingered in the air, and Green was especially disgusted by it, as he would pinch his nose and try not to breathe. Pikachu, on the other hand, pouted, displeased about his half-filled stomach.

Meanwhile, Brendan was simply observing the gritty and lumpy walls of the cave, all the while giving a small smile.

Steven would love this place, he remarked in his head.

"Red, how much further?" Green muttered, feeling cranky.

Yet Red had no idea on how and where should he find Mewtwo in this deep, dark, and dangerous cave, and could only shake his head. Green sighed as he pointed the light forward, and the three of them continued to traverse the path.

"Mewtwo is a Psychic Type, right?" Brendan asked, as he frowned a little.

Red glanced to the trainer before he nodded his head in reply.

"You could try calling it, if that's the case," the Hoenn Champion suggested. "Chances are, it may hear you, and come."

"Let's try it," Green murmured as he noticed that the path led to a wide empty corner of the floor. "I'm sick of walking around in caves."

The Viridian City Gym Leader then stood there, his flashlight pointing towards the middle, while Red hesitantly shuffled forward, as he scanned the area.

"Well, go on," Green said as he shook the light. "We don't have all day."

"... But…," Red began, before he glanced back the empty spot. "...How do I call him...?"

Green groaned out loud, before he smacked his forehead, murmuring incomprehensible comments, while Brendan tried to suppress a laugh.

"Well, I don't know?" Green sneered. "Perhaps we should ask the trainer who nearly released it in the first place?"

"Pika pika!" the electric mouse squeaked, annoyed.

"Oh, and I totally will not judge if you start saying 'hey, Mewtwo, it's me, your lovely trainer'. Yes, I totally won't," Green added with a smug look on his face, while Brendan chuckled in response to the boy's sarcasm.

Red glared at Green for a while, before he sighed, and turned towards the empty space that was dimly lit by the flashlight.

Taking in a deep breath, his chest rose.

"Mewtwo! It's me, Red!" he yelled, while Green chortled in laughter at the back, causing the light to shake a little. Red got ready to turn around and tell him off, until the ground shook.

The three of them immediately gasped, and instinctively, all three grabbed hold of their Poké Balls, while Pikachu jumped down to the ground and let out a battle cry, ready to confront the Pokémon that was undoubtedly coming their way. The rocks tumbled, and the ceiling vibrated violently.

"Sceptile!"

"Arcanine!"

"Charizard!"

In that instant, three bright lights materialized into three Pokémon, which all let out a collective, fearsome roar, that shook the ground even harder. Sceptile, the reptilian, bipedal Forest Pokémon, arched its tail as it got ready to face the foe. Arcanine, its majestic figure was in a fighting stance, its teeth menacing and violent-looking. Charizard, who growled, the fire on his tail turning slightly redder than usual.

A ginormous thud cracked the ground without warning, rendering the three trainers to nearly lose their balance, and Brendan quickly unleashed a few metal chains, his body glowing with a silver light.

"Get behind me!" he shouted urgently while the cracks extended out, circling around the trainers and Pokémon.

"I can handle myself just fine, Champion!" Green yelled, feeling rather irked that he had to be protected. He then clicked his tongue and tried to hold on tighter to his flashlight. A strong draft blew, and all of them tried to hold their footing as a fearsome aura resounded from all around the cave

"...It's coming!" Red cried out before the three trainers braced themselves for the Legendary Pokémon to reveal itself.

The ground stopped shaking, the cave utterly soundless. None of the the trainers and Pokémon present dared to breathe, as before them, a pair intimidating, savage-looking eyes peered at them. Green carefully raised his flashlight, shining the light upon the Pokémon standing before them.

It was a bipedal, humanoid creature, primarily gray with a long, purple tail. On top of its head were two short, blunt horns, and a tube extended from the back of its skull to the top of its spine, bypassing its neck. It has a defined chest and shoulders, thick and muscular thighs, making it very powerful even in its appearance.

"... Mewtwo," Red uttered as he stepped forward. "It's me."

The Legendary Pokémon then eyed the human cautiously, before its eyes lit up in genuine surprise. It started striding towards them, prompting Green and Brendan to back away, alert and cautious.

"... It's alright," Red said with an assuring tone. Mewtwo was now erect before all three of them, and the bloodlust in his eyes a few seconds ago had seemingly disappeared.

You look different, it spoke via telepathy. Is this what you humans call growing up?

"... Yes... I suppose," Red answered, amused.

Mewtwo let out a laugh, stunning the other two trainers, who were befuddled that such a vicious Pokémon would be capable of laughing. Brendan finally relaxed his shoulders, and retracted his chains, while Green recalled Arcanine and stood there, observing. Meanwhile, Sceptile and Charizard regarded each other with polite nods, before both silently watched Mewtwo.

Mewtwo glowed purple for a while, and the next instant, five Ultra Balls appeared in his hands. He twirled the floating capsules, and glancing at Red, he passed all five to him.

I believe these are yours.

With a smile, Red took the Ultra Balls, and the trainer then looked into the eyes of Mewtwo, who seemed to freeze for a little, clearly not used to a human being staring him straight in the eye.

So, what do you plan to do, human?

The trainer pursed his lips, before he replied, "...War is breaking out..."

Mewtwo paused, as it studied the trainer's expression, which was a mix of confusion, agitation and determination. Yet, it was this trainer who had conquered him, and was one of the better humans it had the fortune of meeting. The Pokémon stared into his crimson eyes, which held a certain power that had garnered the Legendary's respect those few years ago, after it was defeated by this young child.

"... Be my strength, Mewtwo," Red said as he extended a hand.

Mewtwo glanced at the boy's hands, suddenly remembering Mew's words. A rare, distinct smile emerged on its stern countenance, and it returned its hand to the boy.

Gladly.

In the vile darkness of the study, a single man paced around, his eyes luminously lighting up the room. He groaned, out of pain, as he clutched his chest, and cursed vehemently, an unspeakable hatred washing over him. At the same time, next to the door, the man made no noise while he watched his master trying to suppress the pain that had been torturing his body.

"Master," Brutus finally said as his master collapsed into his chair with a lethargic sigh. The pain had finally ceased, and the man released the tight grip on his chest. His face was distorted, mad, and utterly hostile, a frightening and deadly bloodlust oozing out from the man, as he gripped the armrests, nearly crushing it.

"Neo... That scum...," the man muttered gruffly. "He's still going against me."

"Master," Brutus spoke up once more, but the man did not seem to hear him.

"Just because he's slightly more powerful, he thinks he can control me?" his master said with a sneer, a horrifying smile forming on his lips. "What nerve!"

He started to laugh softly, wickedly, his shoulders shaking slightly, before he broke out into a loud, nasty guffaw. Brutus stood unmoving next to the door.

"Once this plan is complete, once I recover whatever that man stole from me," he breathed in a dangerous tone. "They will pay, every last one of them."

He glanced up, and his eyes narrowed mockingly when he looked at the butler. "Our game, Brutus, will be most exciting, won't you agree?"

"Yes, Sire," the butler agreed with a nod, before he gazed at his master and continued, "I have something to report, Sire."

The man rested his head on his clenched fist, his eyes wide and vicious-looking, and he murmured monotonously, "What is it."

"It's seven o'clock in the evening," Brutus answered.

The man seemed to straighten himself up, his hands shaking with trepidation while the smile stretched further across his face, his teeth starking white, filling the room with fear.

"Sire, Red has arrived at the Indigo Plateau."

The receptionist was staring up and down, at the piece of paper in her hand, at the teenage trainer that was standing in front of her, and at the cute yet familiar Pikachu that was perching on the trainer's shoulder. Her fingers shook harder than she thought as she looked through the database, and when she saw the invited visitors list, she scrolled down carefully, freezing the moment she saw a name. Even though the higher-ups had inform her that a special visitor was coming to the Indigo Plateau, she had expected it to be one of the Elite Four, or a Gym Leader.

But never would she have thought that this special visitor, is the missing former Champion, Red.

"Please come with me," she said, keeping her tone professional, even though her legs feel like jelly and she could not believe what was happening. The trainer before her nodded his head, while Pikachu let out a soft growl, and when she stood up, she caught a clearer glimpse of his countenance, realizing that the once young child was now mature-looking, with few signs of his past self remaining.

The two of them started walking towards one of the rooms, and Red felt goosebumps all over his skin the moment the nervousness got to him. The receptionist opened one of the blue doors, and with a shaky word of thanks, he hurried in, just to see a man sitting inside on one of the four armchairs, with a black and modern-looking coffee table positioned between the armchairs.

"Welcome, Red," the man said with a smile.

"... Hello... Clyde," the trainer said, recognizing the man as one of the head Gym Guides, and a key personnel in the Indigo League. He was rather plain-looking, and has a businessman feel to him as he courteously smiled back to Red.

"Take a seat."

Red nodded, before he walked around, and sat down, his whole body rigid and tense. Pikachu lightly jumped down from his shoulders, landing snugly onto the adjacent armchair, and he let out a satisfied cry.

"We have heard much about your side of things from Professor Oak, the Viridian City Gym Leader, and Champion Ethan himself," Clyde began. "The League also does understand that you have your own plans."

"..." Red gave the man a knowing look, his red eyes wide and clear. Clyde's expression softened slightly, and he nodded in return.

"I shall go straight to the point, former Champion Red," Clyde said, as he interlocked his fingers tightly.

"The League wish to borrow your prowess in Pokémon battling, in the upcoming war against Deoxys," he said calmly. "As a decorated trainer who was inducted into the Hall of Fame three years ago, with a record of having a total of four Legendary Pokémon and one mythical Pokémon, an estimated three hundred and forty-eight official League battles won during your reign, your presence and abilities will greatly assist us."

"... Four Legendary…," Red said softly.

"Pardon?"

"... Mew is a free-spirited Pokémon...," Red explained, as he remembered that two hours ago, when Mewtwo had conveniently teleported all three of them to the various locations of three Legendary Birds resided, they were however, unable to pinpoint Mew's location. The trainer himself decided that, considering Mew's nature, there will be no need to bring such a carefree Pokémon to battle.

So, after retrieving his four Legendary Pokémon, the three trainers had dinner together. They then bid each other farewell, with Brendan saying that he will have to return to his temporary residence for tonight, since most of the Hoenn trainers would arrive early dawn the next morning, and he would have to wait till tomorrow before he was transferred to the hotel where all the Hoenn trainers would stay at.

Green, on the other hand, left for Viridian City, and reminded Red to come over to his Gym to stay for the night before both of them prepare and head over to the party together the next evening.

"It's time for you to spice up your fashion sense, and wear a suit," his friend had declared before he flew off on his Pidgeot.

Meanwhile, Clyde merely smiled, and said, "No worries, but that aside, I implore you to assist us. Personally, I believe that the League's previous administration was rather lacking, which was perhaps one of the reason for your sudden disappearance, and for that," the man then bowed deeply, hands on his thighs as he said, "on behalf of the League, I apologise."

Red's eyes narrowed as he remembered Green's words.

"...Who made the change... in the system...?" he asked.

Clyde looked up, surprised, and he uncomfortably sat up straight, before he answered, "It was the previous Director."

"...The previous Director...?"

"Yes...," Clyde said hesitantly. "No one knew what made him change it so suddenly. Many objected to it, but he is the one who makes the final call, so the system altered the way he ordered it to. He has since left office, and our current Director was elected right after your disappearance."

"But even so, it was under our jurisdiction, and the mistake lies with us. We are very sorry for the excess work we had forced upon you three years ago," Clyde said as he bowed once again. "Currently, you are no longer directly associated with us, but we hope that you can lend us a hand."

Red stared at the earnest man, whose head was down as he seeked for the teenager's forgiveness.

"...I accept," he said finally. Clyde looked up, his eyes filled with gratitude, and he bowed deeper than before.

"Thank you, Red."

Suddenly, Clyde sat up straight, looking surprised, and he quickly excused himself, and went off to the corner of the room to take a call. A few murmurs and nods of his head, he returned back to his seat, his phone in hand.

"The Director wish to speak to you," he said, and clearing his throat, he passed the device to Red, who grabbed hold of it gingerly, and put the speaker next to his ear.

"...Hello...?" he said, and a strange noise greeted from the other end.

"Good evening, Red."

At that instant, the trainer's blood ran cold, his hair standing on end, his irises turning a startling red, while Pikachu's ear perked up, the Pokémon noticing that something was wrong.

He had heard this voice before.

A cold, hard, emotionless voice that had haunted one of his dreams.

You don't amount to anything, boy.

His heartbeat sped up, and he gasped, cold sweat running down his skin. He swallowed a lump down his throat, and softly, fearfully, he asked, "Who... are you...?"

"You know who I am, Zero."

Red's grip on the phone tightened while the strange noise continued to reverberate from the speaker. Red had gone absolutely still, causing both Clyde and Pikachu to stare at the trainer incredulously.

"The game, has begun," the voice continued. "And the first player to be eliminated is-"

A loud beep followed, and suddenly another voice spoke, this one sounding cheerful and friendly.

"Good evening, Red!" the new voice said. "I apologise, there was a short interruption, I hope I did not keep you waiting."

Red gasped, as he took in short breaths, and Clyde gazed at the trainer worriedly, wondering what had happened to make the trainer to appear so frightened.

"It's...," he said, lips quivering. "... Alright."

"Good, good," the Director said happily. "I'm a new Pokémon League Director, and I'm still rather wet behind the ears. Regardless, thank you, Champion Red, for helping us to fight this crisis."

"..."

"A Champion of few words, as I've heard," the Director commented lightly. "Clyde will brief you quickly on our mode of action, later. I will see you tomorrow at the Welcome Party."

"...Yes."

They exchanged words of farewell, and finally the call ended.

"Is something wrong, Red?" Clyde asked, concerned while he retrieved his phone. "You're awfully pale."

Red stayed quiet for a while, contemplating whether he should tell Clyde, and the man gazed at him, worried.

"... There was an interruption...," Red said slowly. "... And someone else spoke to me."

"What?" Clyde exclaimed, shocked. "Who was it? And what did he say?"

Red glanced at the man, and shook his head. Clyde pursed his lips, and scrolled through his call log.

"I will have someone look into this," Clyde said as he looked through his phone.

"No... there's no need to..."

"We have to, Red." Clyde corrected. "The League has not yet inform the other trainers, but we are suspecting that Deoxys' heightened cloning abilities is scientifically enhanced, meaning that-"

"Someone... is instigating the war," Red concluded, his face looking grim, while Pikachu nudged his trainer, looking rather perturbed by Red's conflicted expression.

"You catch on quick, Red," Clyde said. "To be honest with you, we have been experiencing strange technical problems for the past six months, such as frequent electricity shortages, and interruptions on our local radio waves. The Goldenrod City Radio Tower nearly went out of commission three weeks back. And we are guessing that, something, someone, is hijacking our electricity sources to fuel something."

"Is it... Deoxys's cloning?"

Clyde tightened his fists, and he replied, "Yes. That's why we need to gather whatever clue, any sort of data we can retrieve, such as that call interruption."

"... I see," Red said, thinking, before he looked up at Clyde and slowly, he asked, "Can I ask you... something...?"

"Oh, sure," Clyde replied.

"The Ruins of Alph... One of them collapsed, a few days ago…," Red said, as he tried to stop the trembling, and to stop thinking of the scary scene of where the rocks were tumbling onto him, nearly trapping and killing him inside, had not the Unown saved him.

"How did you know?" Clyde suddenly asked, the man having a stunned expression. "No one should know..."

"I was caught in the collapse…," Red explained. "I... was there... inside... when it exploded..."

Clyde gasped, as he clapped a hand over his mouth. "Oh, my Arceus. Were you hurt?"

Red shook his head, and Clyde breathed a sigh of relief.

"Actually," Clyde said. "The explosion was done under the League's name."

"...!"

"But, the odd thing was, we didn't know who exactly ordered it to be demolished," Clyde said, as he gritted his teeth. "Someone overwrote a part of our system, and installed a bomb in that specific Ruin, resulting in some confusion in our database. A few of our staff had to go there, and we found the place to be strangely cordoned off under the League's authority. And when we discovered the ruin, it was too late; the whole thing had collapsed entirely."

"..."

"Were you the only one present when it collapsed?" Clyde inquired.

Red acknowledged with a nod.

"We will look into it," the man murmured, looking distraught. "I'm sorry for putting you into harm's way... The problems had just been increasing, and it may not be obvious, but the League has our hands full on trying to handle all of them. Even the Elite Four and the Champion, we owe a lot to them."

"... Ethan?"

"Yes, he may not look like it, but he is quite a capable child," Clyde said with a satisfied smile. "However, we dare not push too many responsibilities onto him considering his age, so we have been rather busy ourselves. That aside, Champion Red, we should get back on track."

With that, the man took out his briefcase, which had been sitting harmlessly next to him. He took out a piece of paper, and slid it across the coffee table. The paper showed a blueprint of a large building, and Red scanned through it, wondering what it was.

"For the past six months, the League has been collaborating with Silph Co. to creating a training facility, hidden from view of the public. It will be our main information and relay centre during the war, and it is located underground in an empty plot of land, with the nearest route being Route 14, and the nearest city being Fuchsia."

"...Is that the forested area... near the Safari Zone?"

"Yes," Clyde said with a smile. "I'm surprised that you will know that place. Not many would expect the training and war preparation facility to be built there, I suppose. It is quite secluded, after all, and well, our Director has took the liberty to name it."

Clyde chuckled, "'The Ghostship'. A rather befitting name, in my opinion. That aside, I have to one last thing to say."

Red and Pikachu exchanged glances, both already knowing what the man was about to tell them.

"It's about having a formal announcement on your return to the public," Clyde said as he observed the tired looks on both Pokémon and trainer. "The League understand your circumstances, and your reluctance, but trust me, announcing your return will makes things much easier for all parties. There have been rumors about you floating about, and the League will need to register you in order to grant you mobility, but if we do that, the rumors will just increase, and it will-" Clyde stopped short, as he gazed at the outstretched arm of the former Champion.

"I... understand," Red said, while Pikachu glanced back and forth at both humans. "...Tell me what I have to do."

Clyde clasped both hands together, and went off to explain, "The League plans to release the news after the Welcome Party itself, first, to prevent a flood of reporters at our doorstep during the event itself, and second, to give you some time to prepare, both mentally and physically. We will then hold a press conference shortly afterwards, and you will be required to show your face, and answer a few questions. That'll be all, and please leave the rest to us. We will ensure that your reputation and privacy will not be compromised."

Clyde then gazed at the former Champion, who readjusted his cap, and for a moment there, the man forgot to breathe when he saw how red the trainer's eyes were. It was a calm, dignified color in his irises.

"I accept," Red replied.

"How did it go?" Green said, smirking. His friend sighed for a long while, and merely shook his head. Green was already wearing a simple blue shirt and casual pants, and his Gym was already closed for the day.

"... I'm beat," Red replied lethargically, while Pikachu nodded sluggishly in agreement. The mouse was clearly tired, his eyelids already on the verge of closing.

Green chuckled, before he extended a hand out, introducing the trainer to the place.

"Welcome to the Viridian City Gym," Green said proudly. Red and Pikachu blinked their eyes in surprise as the interior of the Gym greeted them. It had dark, metallic walls that had sleek looking protrusions that added a futuristic touch, and a chic looking floor, except that there were various arrows in blue, red and yellow pointing at different directions, clearly a sliding sort of puzzle. Blue lines zigzagged around the floor, giving the gym a sci-fi feel.

"Cool, right?" Green said. "Took me ages to think of this design."

Red eyed his friend, and then glanced back at the interior design of the Gym. This was true Green Oak-style.

"It's... alright," he muttered. "But... not my cup of tea..."

Green Oak's face fell, looking almost shocked that his friend did not appreciate the coolness and modernistic look of the Gym. He grumbled a little, before he glanced at his Xtransceiver, which displayed the time.

"Well then, since it's not your cup of tea, I suppose the great Red wouldn't want to stay here for the night," he said with a mocking tone. Red shot him a glare, and Green simply smirked back. The Gym Leader then waved his hand, and started walking across the Gym. Red tagged along behind, and before long, they exited to the back of the Gym, where a a few bedrooms, a kitchen, and living room were hidden.

"I took it upon myself to add a few rooms," Green explained. "I wouldn't want to travel back and forth between Viridian and Pallet."

Red glanced at the various furniture, which were simplistic yet modern-looking. The color scheme was also much less fancy than the Gym arena, and Red gave an approving nod.

"Your room's that way, and mine's this one," Green said as he pointed to the rooms. "Rest up, we've got shopping to do, and a party to go to tomorrow."

"...Shopping?" Red exclaimed, surprised.

"Well, you wouldn't want to wear those clothes to a party where three regions worth of trainers are coming to gather, amiright?" hesaid, opening the door to his bedroom, before he let out a huge yawn. He waved his hands, and said, "Well, I've left a change of clothes in your room, feel free to use the shower."

Green Oak yawned once again, and ruffled his hair as he muttered, "Good night."

With that, he swung his door shut. Meanwhile, Pikachu was crawling slowly on the floor towards the bedroom, too tired to even stand properly.

"...Oh, you rascal," Red chuckled, as he picked up the Pokémon, and carried the yellow mouse towards the other room.

"Pika…," the mouse moaned. Red swung open the door, and gently put the Pokémon onto the bed, and he himself fell flat onto the furniture. He stared at the plain ceiling, as he remembered whatever had happened that day.

The ghost told him not to trust Green.

He glanced at the snoozing Pikachu, and he frowned slightly, before he sat up and gazed at the door.

Yet he wanted to trust him.

The game has begun, and the first player to be eliminated is-

Red buried his face into his hands, as he tried to calm down. He took off his glove, and stared at the tattoo on his hand, feeling so drowned in a sea of questions, and unable to sort out his thoughts.

"Who...?" he muttered, yet no one could answer.