What's this? I walk through the open doorway.

That doesn't make sense. Here it looks like I'm going into the building, and then it looks like I'm coming out of it. Definitely weird.

I look around. I am most assuredly not inside a building. Only more rubble, more broken streets, more doors…

There are so many of them. Which one do I Choose?

–* * *–

"Where are you gonna go first, Ash?" asked Brock, as he finished packing up his bag. "Do you have any idea where to even begin looking for a new Pokémon?"

"I've got a hunch," he answered. "Remember that old abandoned lab on Cinnabar Island?"

"Yeah, the one where they made Mewtwo all that time ago?"

"Right. Well, I was thinking we might find a lead there."

Professor Oak overheard. "Oh no, you're not talking about Mew, are you? Because Mew doesn't exist anymore, you know that."

"Maybe, Professor, but there's gotta be some clues there. Maybe not Mew, but something."

"Okay Ash, but you be careful. You too, Misty, Brock." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "I don't want you to end up like–"

"Ash, sweetie, you forgot something!" His mother came running at them with a satchel. "Ash, you almost left all the clean underwear I packed you! Make sure you change them every day, and make sure you eat your fruits and vegetables, and don't forget to call Professor Oak every week, and always remember–"

"Uh, thanks, Mom… We'd better get going soon, they're getting antsy," he said, glancing at the squadron of water Pokémon ready to pull their raft along the aquatic route to Cinnabar Island.

"Squirtle-squir!" They began moving.

"Okay, goodbye everyone, take care of yourselves!"

"We will! Bye!" the three of them said together.

"Pika!"

– – –

Ash's stomach grumbled loudly. "Ugh, are we there yet? It feels like we've been on this raft for hours."

Brock turned around. "Look, Ash, I see it! Cinnabar Island!"

"Oh, I'm so excited!" said Misty. "We haven't been there in so long! Remember how nice the beach was?"

"Ah yes, the beach…" Brock's sentence trailed off into a vision of bikini-clad beach patrons.

"Suit yourselves," said Ash, "but me and Pikachu are heading straight for the old laboratory as soon as we can. I want to get to the bottom of this."

"Are you sure you want to go alone?" asked Brock. "Something about that place would always give me the creeps. And it seemed like Professor Oak was trying to warn us about something."

He gestured with embarrassment, protesting, "Please, I don't want to be a bother, go have fun at the beach, I can handle myself, really!"

Misty placed her hands on her hips. "Ash, whenever you go snooping around mysterious abandoned places, we always end up having to come and rescue you. Better save some time and just come with you from the start."

"Yeah," Brock agreed, looking around, "and besides, the, uh, turnout at the beach wasn't quite as great as I'd hoped, if you know what I mean…"

Squirtle was tying up the raft at the dock, as Ash surveyed the beach. "Whaddya mean Brock, there's plenty of guys to hang out with here."

"Uh, you keep thinking that Ash… but anyway: we're coming with you, and that's that."

"Oh, all right. But let's get something to eat first, I'm starving!"

– – –

"Careful Ash!" whispered Brock, as they tiptoed warily across the creaky floor of the Cinnabar Lab. "We don't want to disturb any of the wild Pokémon!"

"Right." Ash swept his flashlight back and forth, illuminating a beam of dust. "It might be behind that door?"

The heavy metal portal swung open with a squeal of rusty hinges, prompting them all to wince nervously. It revealed a floor covered with broken flasks and test tubes, a table of decrepit instruments, and a computer on a desk covered in a thick layer of dust.

"What are you looking for, Ash?" Misty asked.

"This is where they created Mewtwo, remember?" he replied. "That means that they must have had some way of making completely new Pokémon. There's gotta be something about it here." He rummaged through the drawers of the desk.

"Did you hear that?" asked Brock nervously.

"Hear what?"

"Oh… nevermind…"

"Hey you guys, look at this!" Ash opened a folder with a faded label "PROJECT MU." He read off of the papers inside.

"It says here, 'The machine arrived from Silph Co. last night. We are ready to begin tests… A Rhydon was successfully synthesized, although its behavior is not normal…'"

"They made a Pokémon from a machine?" Misty interrupted. "What kind of machine can do that?"

"I don't know," said Ash, "but I've gotta find out. Here… look! It says, 'The UTM appears to be functioning as specified.' What's UTM?"

"Hmm…" wondered Brock. "Lemme see that…" He ruffled through the pages. "UTM, UTM… uh-oh–"

"What is it Brock?"

"Take a look at this." They huddled around to read the document.

TOP SECRET – DO NOT LEAVE LYING AROUND!

UNIVERSAL TECHNICAL MACHINE – SPECIFICATIONS SHEET

An experimental-phase field-programmable device with the capability of emulating any Technical Machine or Pokémon abstract representation. May cause erratic behavior if used outside standard parameters.

Model No.: 47176870

4.194304MHz, 8KB

DC6V 0.7W

…

"What's all that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know Ash," Brock replied. "But I don't like the sound of it."

"Hmm… does it say anything more about this machine?"

"Well, let's see… Look at this one!"

Dear Professor,

We regret to inform you that Silph Co. has discontinued the UTM series due to irresolvable system instability issues. The prototypes have been kept for research purposes, although our legal counsel cautions us that we must formally advise against the continuation of this research.

Sincerely,

Silph Corporation

"I guess they didn't take the advice," said Ash.

"I guess so," Brock agreed. "What are we gonna do now?"

"Isn't it obvious? We need to try and find those prototypes. Silph headquarters is in Saffron, right?"

"Ash, how can you possibly think that this is a good idea?" Misty objected. "Do you even know what happened to these people? Whatever it was, they left and didn't come back. And these are professionals we're talking about. And really… you're just some kid from Pallet Town."

"Just some kid? You're talking to the famous Ash Ketchum, the one who Caught 'Em All!"

"Guys, could you keep it down a little?" exhorted Brock desperately.

"Well, maybe if you weren't so full of yourself you wouldn't–"

A loud clang of metal on metal resounded down the hallway. And what sounded like a screaming cat.

Then footsteps.

"Crap, guys! Argue later! We have to go now!"

[Author's Note: See you next Friday!]