~Moonlight...~ They rubbed their tired gritty eyes, and turned into a fractionally more comfortable position on the thin cot. The light of the moon had always had a calming effect on them. ~A reminder...? Yes; that even in the night the sun is shining on you... no matter where you are...~ Though they tried to supress it, a certain memory from a previous camp surfaced. ~There was nothing I could do about it... move on...~ A stream of images and words flowed through their head: their father, saying he loved them as the guards pulled him away to another train, struggling to get free; the train door slamming shut and leaving them in the putrid darkness. There was the shared struggle of the passengers; someone had pressed a ball into her palm, saying "You need this more than I do...". And suddenly, the rattlle of the train had ceased, and they filed out along with all the others. They were stripped and thouroughly disinfected, and had their head shaved. The ball they'd received from the stranger on the train he been taken.

There was snow, and Pokemon battles for adequate clothing as well as food. ~She stopped eating... she never said but I could tell... I should have been the one giving food to her...~ A rash had appeared on their arm, and the thought of it made them scratch at it. ~Margot too.~ While they'd had plenty to eat hauling rocks and digging rolls of sod all day had worn them down, weakening their body and spirit. ~To build their empire... they hate us so much, but I think it's because they hate themselves first...~ Then a cloud passed over the moon, and they closed their eyes.

-Meanwhile, in Bergen-Belsen holding pens-

The guard quietly opened the latch, and put down his bag. Jericho saw him, and whispered. "Umbree!" ~He's back!

The guard had overheard their "colleagues" talking about giving their Pokemon vitamins, and using the latest Technichal Machines developed by the scientists of Team Rocket. And so, to make things fair, they snuck some of those vitamins and Technical Machines to the Pokemon here. They were their friends; they loved them almost as much as the girl who was their owner. Ditto knelt down and unzipped the small carry bag. The protein vitamins were a favorite of Gabriel, who quickly ate them up despite having no moving mouth. The carbohydrate formula was favored by Moortje and Sleipnir, who also was partial to the calcium vitamins. Jericho and Calypso both shared a preference for zinc and iron vitamins, when they took any. The pair would usually pass them on to other Pokemon in the holding pen. Ditto itself took the "vital plus" pills, which it'd heard had extracts of maidenhair leaf and some type of fruit seed in it, as well as other things with extremely long names.

The Pokemon gathered around Ditto and the bag. "Red pill blue pill, old pill new pill. Technical Machine, the label in green." ~Solar Beam... sounds shiny.~ Ditto placed the items on the ground around the bag, and watched the Pokemon assemble themselves near their favorite vitamins. A Pokemon who didn't usually choose anything from Ditto's liberated vitamins walked over.

The Servine scoffed, "Ser, servine!" ~'Scuse me, make way please! The snake-like Pokemon with a cream colored belly and short leaf shaped arms and limbs nudged aside Jericho and picked up the Solar Beam T.M. "Servi, serv. Vin." ~I'll be taking this. Bye.

"Per." Not so fast, Moortje said, blocking Servine's way with his paw. "Persia per?" ~Anyone else want it?

"Ja, inja." ~Let him keep it, Said Gabriel. "Shedinja din din." ~We all need to help each other.

"War," ~Exactly. Calypso agreed, nodding. ~Even if we have to take one for the team.~ Calypso took one of the iron vitamin pills, and held it up to Sleipnir. "Tortle." ~Here, try it.

"Ra," ~Eh, why not. Sleipnir licked up the vitamin pill. ~Hmm. Not bad, actually. Reminds me of the taste of wild hickory nuts.~ Sleipnir recalled how his previous trainer had sometimes given them to him as treats even though they weren't all that sweet. Savoring the aftertaste, he helped Calypso distribute the vitamins, pushing them towards the waiting Pokemon with his hoof. ~"We all need to help each other..." This may be a competition, but we're on the same team.~

Ditto cleared its throat. "I'm leaving for a bit, but I'll be back in a minute. I'll return the bag, now that nothing is in it." Pulling its cap low to disguise the unchanged dot eyes and linear mouth from its original form, Ditto opened the gate and closed the latch behind it.

-Secret laboratory in Auschwitz-

~"Josef, do remember when I told you the Third Reich must independently establish itself as a legend?"

"Yes my Fuhrer. And we are well on our way."

"I want you to develop a new Pokemon for us, the most powerful Pokemon of all time..." He just started rambling on after that, said something about Arcanine blood and Mew DNA...~ Josef Mengele observed the Pokemon in the tank, its gray and purple body contrasting with the neon green liquid. ~The Mew DNA was a success but the Pokemon convusled during the Arcanine blood transfusion... The "wings of a Fearow" would be extraneous; it seems to be able to hover.~ Mengele strolled around the tank, eyes scouring the Pokemon for any perceptible flaws. ~The external spinal cord...~ he noted, seeing it arch up from the base of the neck to the back of the head. ~Not the most pleasing aesthetically, but integral to the expanded mental capabilities. Perhaps another would be in order, to give it some symmetry-~ He quickly jotted down the necessary parts on his well worn notepad, while walking around to the other side of the tank. He bumped into someone as he returned to the front. "Excuse me-" Josef glanced up and saw who it was. "Ah! Forgive me my Fuhrer!"

"You are excused." As Hitler turned and started going around the tank to get a better view, Mengele noticed the dictator's hand was trembling. "How far along is it?"

"It passed all the preliminary movement tests with flying colors, sir. I noted that it had the ability to hover when focusing its powers."

"Of what element?" Hitler questioned, eyes following the sweep of the Pokemon's long purple tail.

"It- it did not display an affinity towards any one element, my Fuhrer. But I strongly suspect it will have formidable psychic power."

~The strength and purity of the Aryan mind, yes...~ Hitler stroked his mustache. "...What has happened to the wings? The Pokemon's image needs to include wings."

"...As I mentioned, Fuhrer, it easily passed the preliminary movement tests. I would also expect it to be able to learn from any number of Flying type Technical Machines-"

"The image, Mengele! How many times must I say it? Without the proper image we could rule the world and still look like a fool with our pants on the ground!" Hitler inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to bring his temper under control. Though he still sounded livid, he tried to ask politely: "Is there anything else you want to tell me now?"

Josef Megnele depserately cast about for something to say. He settled on a random piece of gossip he'd heard from one of the guards earlier. "Uh, I- I heard there's a Jewish girl in Bergen-Belsen, in the Pokemon quarter. Winning nearly all her matches." Hitler turned to Mengele, his attention captured. ~And come to think of it, that's not the first I've heard of her...~ "And I received a report during the winter she challenged a Westerbork guard, and won."

"You had better pray that what you've just said is false..."

Mengele swallowed. ~Then I'd better not tell him I heard someone is stealing Technical Machines and vitamins from the Bergen-Belsen item safe...~ "Perhaps, these are more a reflection on the-"

"NO! They are failures! Failure, failure, failure! Are my orders meaningless? I-" Hitler threw his hands up. "Damn it, I will do it! I will see this mess myself, and personally decide how these failures will be dealt with!" Hitler heaved a sigh, and silently paced around the tank for a moment, looking at the Pokemon inside. "And what have you named this failure?"

"We have decided to call it Mewtwo..."

-The Bergen-Belsen Pokemon Arena-

~I can feel him watching me.~ Before her battle today, Anne had been informed two top-ranked Nazi officials would be observing the match. ~I can't concentrate...~ However, she was facing a girl of only eleven, who owned the Servine. Anne had chosen Moortje to battle today.

The girl could see Anne was distracted, but wasn't quite sure of how to take advantage. "Sly, use Vine Whip again!"

"Servi!" ~Last time! Sly whipped forwards his arm, and a vine snaked out and wrapped around Moortje's ankle, bringing him down and dragging him to the side a few feet.

Anne nodded to Moortje, and he leapt at Sly in a blur. One, two, three times he clawed at Sly, scratching at Sly's yellow collar-like growth. The hits were enough to knock Sly over. ~Those Vine Whips don't seem to be very effective...~ "Sly, try using Leaf Tornado!"

"Ser! Vine vin!" ~No, it's not strong enough! Instead, Sly began to use Solar Beam. The three palmate leaves on his back and tail began to glow and sparkle, drawing in sunlight.

Anne raised her eyebrows. ~He definitely didn't know Solar Beam the last time we battled... and there are some times my Pokemon have learned odd moves...~ Anne decided to use one of them, while Sly was charging Solar Beam. "Moortje, use Work Up, please."

"Per." ~Finally. Moortje spat out. ~Time to finish this twerp off.~ Work Up would, as its name implied, raise Moortje's attacking powers. Moortje arched his back, and his skin turned red, visible beneath his fur. The red intensified until Moortje's fur shone red, and then a red aura of energy surrounded him. "Persian!" ~Get ready, twerp! Sly raised his short leafy arms and a golden white sphere of energy formed between them. It burst into a large beam, which lanced towards Moortje. It connected with him and exploded into a column of light. Though Solar Beam was a very powerful attack, Sly was still young and not nearly so strong as Moortje. After Solar Beam's glare faded, Moortje was still standing. ~Alright. So that one stung a little bit, not bad.~

"Moortje-" ~Not Power Gem, I couldn't handle another bright beam of light now-~ "Just use Slash." He hissed and sprung forwards, and gave a full power swing of his paw at Sly. The Grass Snake Pokemon was instantly knocked out, and fell over limply.

"Halt! Victory goes to B 101476!" The guard glared at Anne, not at all happy with the outcome of the battle.

Anne turned to the young girl, and mouthed "Sorry." ~I don't like this anymore than you do... but Margot is too sick to move and I have to take care of her.~ She looked back to Moortje, who licked his paw and rubbed it between his black-rimmed ears as if nothing had happened. ~I don't know what's gotten into him since he evolved; he's so snappy.~ Anne recalled Moortje to his ball, and turned to hand it back to the guard when she saw a man walking towards her. The Pokemon ball dropped to the dirt. ~Dear God, protect me...~ She had seen the man during her brief stay at Auschwitz, directing the incoming prisoners towards either the gas chambers or the bunks.

Josef Mengele saw the fear in Anne's eyes and wondered how she would react to his news. ~"The pride of the Aryan race is at stake!" ...but not from this Jew girl. Gas her and be done with it.~ "B 101476, my superior has set a date..." Mengele let the silence stretch out. "For a Pokemon battle... between you and him. The fifth of March." ~To be captured on cameras, and broadcast on radio.~ "He will return in five day's time. And you should know..." Mengele let a delicious grin spread across his face. "Only a god is superior to the Angel of Death." He turned around, and left Anne to think over the coming battle.

~"Only a god" ...? They're all madmen, who could he...? No... no no no...~