Day 16 — May 18th
Unknown Location
[Ash Ketchum…we meet again]
Able to move again, Ash rose to his feet and looked up. Standing over 100 feet away was a vaguely humanoid figure with several feline features. The figure was tall – well over six feet – and covered in grey skin, with a royal purple belly and long tail. Intelligent indigo eyes were set in a cat-like face devoid of a mouth, and the creature possessed hands and feet which only had three rounded nubs for digits. Two short extensions – almost like stunted horns – were the creature's ears, standing only a couple inches above its skull, and a tube-like piece of flesh connected the base of its skull to its spine. "Mewtwo!" Ash exclaimed.
[Ash, Misty, Brock] greeted Mewtwo, [Welcome to New Island]
The trio looked around. They were in a huge room with a domed ceiling hundreds of feet above their heads. Pillars bearing light were spaced every 50 feet, and several pools jutted out from the walls, their contents spilling out into a network of water streams. Mewtwo stood on a large circular slab of concrete in a pool positioned in the middle of the room. "How did we even get here?" Misty asked.
[That would be my doing] A small metal discus came shooting into the room, levitating 10 feet above the ground in front of Mewtwo. The device created a projection which extended to the floor, displaying Ash's battle in the abandoned Power Plant. Ash, Misty, and Brock watched as Kingler caught Zapdos' beak and slammed the Electric/Flying hybrid into the ground. The screen flickered to an aerial view of Charizard versus Articuno, where the dragon-like Pokémon threw the bird into a wall and then hit it with a burst of fire. The image changed again, depicting Snorlax's final crushing victory over Moltres. Finished, the device zipped away from where it came. [I have been keeping an eye on your battles. When I saw you had captured Moltres, I teleported you here] Mewtwo explained. [I am quite impressed with how you defeated Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres]
Ash opened his mouth to say something, but a resounding thud shook the floor and caused the three humans and Pikachu to jump. They whirled around to find Snorlax flat on his back and snoring peacefully. Without really thinking about it, Ash recalled the large Pokémon to his Pokéball.
"Wait a minute," said Brock, recovered from Snorlax's collapse. "Were you really just watching these battles?"
Mewtwo remained silent for a long moment, before admitting, [Yes, I will not deny that I may have…intervened…in your journey. Little things like the locking mechanism, or the blizzard, or the boulder]
Brock took a step forward and growled. "I knew that was weird! You could've hurt somebody!"
Ash stepped up to his friend and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. When the breeder heeded his unspoken request, the Frontier Brain turned to Mewtwo and asked, "Why?"
Mewtwo's gaze shifted to the trainer. [Tests] he said finally. [Over the course of your adventures, you have shown yourself to be a strong person with a good heart. It is not unreasonable to assume that you may be the prophesied Chosen One. But people change over time, and the true test of a person is how they act in the face of adversity.
[A long time ago, when we met, you showed yourself to be someone who cared about any Pokémon, cloned or otherwise. I merely wished to collect new data to see if those traits which defined you back then were still present. If I caused any sort of tension, I apologize for that. My intentions were purely scientific, and I took precautions with my tests to ensure no lasting harm was done]
There was a long moment of silence as Ash digested all he had just been told. "Okay," he said at last, "let's say that I believe that your intentions were all good. Why did you bring us here? I had to find and travel to Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres on my own; why not you, too?"
[Did you have any idea where I was?] Mewtwo asked, a note of bemusement in his telepathic voice.
"Well, no, but—"
[That is because I am not an embodiment of nature, as the Legendary birds are. I am an aberration, unique in my existence, and no research or lore would have led you to me if I had not deemed you worthy. And you, Ash Ketchum, are worthy; you are the only one with the capacity to claim to be my trainer. Ergo, it only seemed appropriate that I bring you to me. And it only seems fitting that our last fight takes place at the location of our first meeting]
"First meeting?" chorused the trio. "But we met at Mt. Quena," continued Ash, confused.
[Yes, about that…] Mewtwo pointed one three-fingered hand at the trio, his eyes glowing a deep blue.
"What are you—?" Ash began, but then broke off as images flashed before his eyes.
A great storm raged as three trainers – two boys, one on a Pidgeot and the other a Gyarados, and a girl on a Dewgong – braved the torrential waters to reach their destination.
Black Pokéballs materialized from thin air, roaming the room they were in and capturing all the Pokémon present.
A cloned Pikachu followed Ash's Pikachu, continually slapping him and crying for the real one to fight back, to put up some sort of defense.
Memories hit Misty and Brock like lightning: a young Ash running in-between a clashing Mew and Mewtwo, taking two psychic blasts head-on and turning to stone; the emptiness of thinking their best friend had suddenly perished in the midst of a war he wasn't part of; the joy of seeing the petrified body revert to tanned flesh as tears of all the Pokémon revived the boy.
As all three – and Pikachu – watched memories from 15 years past, the wall behind Mewtwo split apart and opened outwards. It revealed another huge room with the typical battlefield design – a large rectangle with a Pokéball design in the center – embedded in the ground. [Let the conclusion of this first stage of your challenge begin!] Mewtwo boomed.
The trainers all moved forward to enter the second room, minds preoccupied with their returned memories. Mewtwo moved to the trainer's box on the opposite end of the field, prompting Ash to awareness. "Wait…I'm not fighting you?"
[Perhaps] he replied. [It depends on how you perform in my challenge]
Ash groaned. "I thought I just passed your challenge."
Mewtwo's mouth quirked upwards in what could be considered a smile. [In a way. But this—] he spread his arms wide, [—is my battle challenge]
The Frontier Brain smiled, suddenly excited at the opportunity presented to him. "Fine then, if you wanna play that way. Whatcha got for me?"
[Fifteen years ago, I believed that Pokémon were foolish for allying themselves with humans. As a result, I cloned all the Pokémon that were available at the time, with the intention that they would defeat the originals. It was argued that in blocking their special abilities, the originals would defeat the clones, but that obviously did not pan out]
The Genetic Pokémon smirked. [I'm curious to see how the rematch would go]
"…You want to fight clone versus original?"
[Yes] confirmed Mewtwo. [Three on three, no substitutions. I have already decided who we will use. Our battle will depend upon your performance during this challenge]
Ash nodded. "Fine," he agreed. Misty and Brock took up places just behind Ash as their friend reached to his belt. "I guess it's your move."
A hole opened in the floor, the mechanical whir of a rising platform sounding in the arena. When the platform settled even with the ground, a small blue Pokémon with darker blue spots and a large green bulb on its back sat in the middle of the battlefield. "Bul-ba!"
Ash grinned slightly. Provided that the memories Mewtwo had returned were indeed true, the Psychic-type had only cloned Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charizard, all of whom had grown much stronger since they were copied 15 years ago. The trainer grabbed his own Bulbasaur's Pokéball and tossed it out onto the battlefield. The Seed Pokémon appeared with a cry and then sniffed the air. A confused expression crossed his features and he turned to face Ash. "Saur bulbasaur, bulba," he told his trainer.
"I know," Ash said, "that's your clone." The Grass/Poison hybrid shot him a skeptical look, and the dark-haired trainer merely grinned it return. "Don't worry about it, just focus on winning."
[Brock, would you be willing to referee the match?]
"Sure," shrugged the breeder. He stepped around Ash and walked the boundary of the arena to the midpoint. He glanced from Mewtwo to his friend and then back again. "Begin!"
"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" Ash commanded. Two thick green vines appeared from under the bulb on the creature's back and rocketed forward. The other Bulbasaur copied the move, sending out two vines which met in the center of the field and nullified the attack. "Razor Leaf," he called. This time, a mass of leaves appeared from under the bulb; the other Pokémon imitated the attack, and the leaves dropped to the floor in shreds.
Ash growled in frustration, and he could hear his Grass-type starter echo his feelings with a growl of his own. Testing a theory, Ash chose not to give Bulbasaur a command, waiting a full minute to see if his opponent would do anything. When Bulbasaur's clone didn't move, Ash yelled, "Hey! You can't just copy all of my Pokémon's moves!"
[I'm not doing anything] Mewtwo informed him. [The cloned Pokémon I'm using are not under my command. Rather, they fight with what they already know or observe. If Bulbasaur is copying your techniques, then he is doing it removed from my control]
Ash scowled. If all of the clones copied his strategies, then the battle would surely result in some form of a stalemate. That, however, seemed to defeat the purpose of the challenge, especially since Mewtwo must have believed on some level that Ash had the capacity to win.
Bulbasaur, stubborn and energized for a fight, was apparently tired of waiting. With a shout, he launched another Razor Leaf at his clone. This time, instead of countering with the same attack, two vines shot out and dispersed the leaves before continuing towards Ash's Pokémon. The Seed Pokémon cried out in surprise as the vines wrapped around his body and proceeded to slam him repeatedly into the ground. "Bul-ba, bul-ba, bul-ba," he grunted with each new impact.
"Ash, do something!" Misty cried.
"I'm thinking!" he snapped back. "Use Leech Seed, Bulbasaur!"
Despite the beating, Ash's Pokémon concentrated long enough to shoot a glowing brown seed across the arena. It hit the clone on his trademark bulb, sprouting springy vines with leaves that wrapped around Mewtwo's Pokémon. Bulbasaur's clone cried out as the vines glowed crimson and began to suck energy from him. The surprise attack was enough to end the modified Vine Whip/Slam combo, leaving a bruised and angry Bulbasaur on the ground.
"Are you okay?" Ash asked him. The plant-like creature shook himself off and responded in the affirmative, prompting his trainer to think. The move the other Bulbasaur had just pulled off resonated within him, drudging up the newly-unburied memory of a Venusaur doing the same thing to throw another Venusaur against the wall.
Maybe it would be better if Bulbasaur – and his other Pokémon – fought without his guidance. By allowing his Pokémon to fight their own battles, perhaps instinct mixed with years of Ash's influence would guide them to victory. While not ideal, maybe that was an unspoken part of the test Mewtwo had crafted these battles for. "Well, buddy, you're pretty much on your own. I trust you. Do your best."
"Bulba!"
By this time, Bulbasaur's clone had used Razor Leaf to dispatch the Leech Seed. Two pairs of red eyes stared each other down across the field. Bulbasaur pawed the ground before letting out a shout and charging. His clone also charged, both Pokémon meeting in the middle and butting heads. Both cried out before jumping apart, growling at each other, and then attacking again.
The exchange of attacks went on for awhile, Ash silently gritting his teeth the whole time. Leaves littered the floor from failed Razor Leaf attacks, and both Bulbasaur were wearing themselves out with constant Tackles and Double-Edges. Ash knew that if his Bulbasaur could pull of a Solar Beam, the fight would probably be over. Unfortunately, with no sunlight in the room, the time it would take to gather the energy for said attack would be too long without having the his Pokémon's clone interrupting.
Gazing at Bulbasaur's trademark bulb, Ash had an idea. "Bulbasaur, try shooting a Sleep Powder as high as you can!" he called. The Seed Pokémon grunted in confusion but did as he was bade, sending a glittering blue cloud of powder high into the air. "Now grab him with your vines!" Two thick green creepers lashed out and grabbed the cloned Pokémon. Wary, the other Bulbasaur wrapped his own vines around the original, putting the two at a stalemate.
Ash thought quickly. "Sweet Scent!" Bulbasaur tried angling his body, building up enough slack in the vines to aim his bulb closer to his opponent's head. An eruption of pink powder hit the cloned Grass/Poison hybrid in the face. The vines holding Ash's Bulbasaur loosened as a dreamy expression crossed the other Pokémon's face. "Now, throw him through the Sleep Powder and as far away as you can!"
"SAAAAUUR!" yelled Bulbasaur, giving a mighty heave and doing as commanded. Mewtwo's Bulbasaur flew through the sleeping agent and landed in an ungraceful heap on the other side of the battlefield.
Bulbasaur breathed in and out as Ash gave the command to jump back (to avoid the falling Sleep Powder) and charge up a Solar Beam. White energy collected at the small opening in the bulb on the Pokémon's back. Ash watched in tense silence as the opposing Seed Pokémon struggled to stand through the combination of Sweet Scent and Sleep Powder. His gaze drifted to his own exhausted starter Pokémon, Bulbasaur's breath coming in short pants. If Solar Beam doesn't work, Bulbasaur's not gonna have enough energy to continue battling.
The cloned Bulbasaur got to his feet, releasing a salvo of Razor Leaf at the original. Ash's Bulbasaur jumped into the air and unleashed the built-up solar energy. He fell to the ground with a cry as his Solar Beam connected with his clone, smoke engulfing the battlefield from the collision.
When the dust cleared, Ash's Bulbasaur could be seen with several cuts, having been clipped by multiple leaves from his clone's last attack. Across the battlefield, his opponent was on his side, unconscious.
"Bulbasaur is unable to battle, Ash and his Bulbasaur are the winners!" announced Brock.
Mewtwo nodded, his eyes glowing blue in conjunction with the cloned Bulbasaur's body before the plant-like Pokémon disappeared from the field.
His opponent gone, Bulbasaur slumped to his belly and moaned. Ash smiled lightly. "That was great, buddy, you deserve a long rest." Bulbasaur disappeared into his Pokéball with a halfhearted grumble of appreciation. "So who's next?" he asked, fingers twitching next to Charizard's Pokéball.
The mechanical sound of a moving platform sounded again, Ash mentally debating between Charizard and Pikachu. Before it finished rising, a white- and tan-colored blur shot out with a cry of "Pidjoh!" Large wings kept the avian Pokémon hovering in midair, fierce eyes glaring at the Frontier Brain. "What? I never had a Pidgeot when we met!"
[True] agreed the Genetic Pokémon, [but you have one now, do you not? Unless you're afraid that the clone of another trainer's Pidgeot is better than your own—]
"Ha! No way," Ash laughed with more confidence than he felt. It had been a long time since he and the Bird Pokémon had battled together, but he had faith in all his companions. "Pidgeot, go!"
The Bird Pokémon appeared in a flash of light, and Brock announced, "Round two, begin!"
"Alright, Pidgeot, start off with Tackle."
His Pokémon flapped twice and then sped towards the clone with a screech. The cloned Pidgeot's wings spread wide and then glowed white, a storm of white feathers cascading from the appendages and striking Ash's Pokémon. Under the assault of the Featherdance, Pidgeot was forced to veer off-course to get out of the attack's range.
Ash hesitated momentarily as Pidgeot righted herself. "Try again," he told his Pokémon. Pidgeot moved in for a second Tackle, the cloned Pidgeot preparing another Featherdance. As the feathers neared his Pokémon, Ash called, "Blow 'em away with a Whirlwind!"
Pidgeot flared and beat her powerful wings, sending a strong gust of wind at her opponent's attack. The Featherdance was disrupted, and Ash shouted, "Use Tailwind, then Wing Attack!"
The Bird Pokémon crowed in reply, her tail feathers glowing white. With a burst of speed from Tailwind, Pidgeot rocketed forward and struck the other Pidgeot with a wing before the clone could react. Pidgeot soared away, but the clone recovered, flapping its wings and sending a Gust at the other Pokémon. Ash tried calling for his Pokémon to dodge, but the wide range of the Flying-type attack prevented Pidgeot from evading completely.
Ash grimaced as Pidgeot regained equilibrium in midair and hovered there, awaiting further instruction. Okay, so it looks like Pidgeot could land a hit so long as we rely on speed. The bad news is that using Tailwind again might not be a viable option, now that the other Pidgeot knows about it. And since Featherdance lowered Pidgeot's attack, her Wing Attack probably didn't do as much as I would've liked. Let's try something new, then. "Alright, Pidgeot, let's try an Air Slash!"
As Pidgeot formed a blue sphere of condensed wind, the Pidgeot clone shot towards her, faster than Ash expected, too fast to finish the attack. "Attack now!" he cried desperately. Pidgeot loosed the partially-formed Air Slash, sending an attack slightly larger than Ash's head at her foe.
Mewtwo's Pidgeot performed a barrel-roll, avoiding the weak attack and homing in on its opponent. It struck the other bird's chest in a clash of feathers, and Ash could hear his Pidgeot screech in pain. Neither bird broke away, instead engaging in a fierce tussle of talons, beaks, and feathers in midair. Ash tried telling Pidgeot to stop, calling to her several times, but the Bird Pokémon refused to listen.
A gentle hand rested on his shoulder. "Pidgeot's too incensed to listen to you right now, Ash," Misty said quietly. "I think it's more a battle of pride now. Let Pidgeot fight the battle on her own."
He grit his teeth but nodded, knowing that his friend was right in her assessment. When she withdrew her hand, Ash noticed that she tucked it under her armpit, her limbs wrapped in a hug meant to trap warmth. "Hey, are you cold?"
"Yeah, a little. This place isn't exactly meant for swimsuits."
Ash knelt down next to his bag and rooted around inside before procuring his lab coat. "Here," he said, placing it around his friend's shoulders. "I don't need it right now."
"Thanks." Ash gave her a mute nod in return, and for a brief moment, they merely stared at each other. Then Misty caught sight of the aerial battle out of her periphery. "Ash, look at Pidgeot!"
The bird's trainer snapped to attention to find his companion plummeting to the ground in free fall. "Pidgeot, wake up!" The Bird Pokémon's eyes snapped open and she spread her wings, catching herself and alighting clumsily on the ground. Ash heaved a sigh of relief. That could've been worse. Pidgeot adjusted herself, settling into a sitting position before her body glowed green. Ash grinned. I forgot about Roost! "Alright, Pidgeot, keep it going!"
Unfortunately, the cloned Pidgeot wasn't going to give Ash's Pokémon the opportunity to heal. The airborne bird flapped its wings several times, creating a tornado which it directed at its grounded adversary. The Twister caught Pidgeot in the middle of roosting and swept her up amidst a screech of indignation and pain.
Trapped in the vortex, Pidgeot could do nothing as her foe prepared a large Air Slash and threw the blue sphere straight at her. It drove through the Dragon-type attack and struck Pidgeot, causing the bird to shriek. When the winds died down, Pidgeot succumbed to gravity and hit the ground with a thud.
Brock raised his left hand. "Pidgeot is unable to battle, so Mewtwo and his Pidgeot win."
At this announcement, Mewtwo teleported the Pidgeot clone from the field as Ash returned his Bird Pokémon to her Pokéball. "You gave it your all. Thanks, Pidgeot."
[It appears that we are tied. This battle shall determine whether or not you pass my challenge. Are you ready?] Ash didn't immediately respond, and Mewtwo took his silence as a yes. [It is time] Mewtwo called. A third motorized platform rose to reveal the very sight Ash had hoped to avoid: a Pikachu.
It wasn't necessarily that Pikachu couldn't defeat his clone – Ash had great confidence in his best friend as far as that went – but if the memories Mewtwo had returned were anything to go by, Pikachu was very unwilling to attack his clone.
To his greater surprise, Pikachu jumped into the arena. "Pika, chu pikachu pi-chu pi?"
"Pi-ka, chu-pi-pi, kachu," responded the clone, letting off some sparks from his cheeks.
Pikachu turned around and shot Ash a thumbs-up. "Chu, pikapika!"
Misty nudged Ash lightly. "What'd he say?"
"Pikachu says that the other Pikachu is doing this because he wants to, not because he's being forced to like last time. So Pikachu's okay with battling him," Ash answered slowly. "Alright, Pikachu, let's show Mewtwo just how much we've improved since we met!"
"Pi-ka!"
"Begin!" sounded Brock's voice.
Ash wasn't even able to get a word out before the other Pikachu released a Thunderbolt. Pikachu jumped to the side to avoid the bolt, stood on his hind legs to avoid the second, and then twirled and bent awkwardly to dodge the third. Then he got stuck in a position where he couldn't dodge. "Turn it into a Thunder," Ash advised.
Pikachu absorbed his opponent's attack into his tail, flinching as he did. Electricity danced along his body and built up in the red sacs in his cheeks. "Chuuuuu!" he cried, unleashing the powerful attack from his body. Mewtwo's Pikachu dodged the majority of the electric attack, but several errant bolts struck him. Both of the Electric-types paused to recover from the other's assault.
In retrospect, Ash had had better ideas. Electric attacks wouldn't be as effective against either Pokémon, but there would still be some residual damage. Unfortunately, with such a small time frame to consider his move, Ash hadn't had any better thought than to have Pikachu take the attack head-on and convert it to his own attack to reduce its effectiveness.
Pikachu's clone zipped forward in a speedy Quick Attack. The original split apart into a ring of copies with a chorus of "Chu," sounding from each one. Ash grinned at the success of PIkachu's Double Team, the development having taken a while using Agility as a basis, but it had been worth it. The cloned Pokémon charged through the first Pikachu, revealing it to be an illusion.
The next two passes also proved to be illusions, but the clone shot off electricity from his cheeks which destroyed the two fakes beside each target as well. Upon taking down the fifth, sixth, and seventh copies, Mewtwo's Pikachu turned around and darted for the next target. The original was forced to dodge sideways to avoid being shocked by the pulse of electricity emanating from his cheeks.
Double Team's purpose now nullified, the remaining illusions faded away as Ash's Pikachu became the target of another Quick Attack. "Counter Shield!" Ash shouted. Pikachu spun on his back, simultaneously releasing a cage of Thunderbolt which defended him from the assault.
To Ash's surprise, the Pikachu clone drove through the defense, absorbing some of the arcing lightning. Electricity crackled along his body, sparking around his tail as he turned and slammed the appendage into his opponent. Pikachu's own electric attack jolted his body, and he abruptly cut off the Counter Shield to bound away from his clone.
The battlefield was still as the Pikachu pair panted, taken a moment to recovery from the fight. While some Electric-type Pokémon – Jolteon and Electivire, for instance – were capable of easily converting outside currents into their own energy, it was much more difficult for others to convert an opponent's charge to be used against him. That they'd done as much as they had to this point was impressive in of itself, the toll clear on both Pokémon.
Maybe no more Electric-type attacks then. "Quick Attack!" Ash shouted. Pikachu blazed towards his opponent, leaving a white afterglow in his wake. The other Electric-type copied the move, and the two rodents butted heads before breaking apart with a cry. "Try using Iron Tail!"
"Chuuu-Pika!" cried the Pokémon, racing forward and slamming his temporarily-white tail into his clone. The other Pikachu squeaked in pain, but managed to grab on to the tail and send jolts of electricity into his opponent.
The two broke apart again, sparks leaping from their cheeks in a show of intimidation before the clone broke the stalemate, racing forward. Ash's Pikachu began the charge as well, but he coated himself in the golden electricity of Volt Tackle. The two met in the middle, Volt Tackle versus Double-Edge, and there was a fierce clash as each Pikachu fought for dominance.
As the two attacks collided, Ash knew the battle was over, he just didn't know who would be crowned the victor. Recoil alone from either attack would do enough damage to deplete what little stamina either of the Mouse Pokémon had.
The ensuing backlash of the attacks sent the two rodents flying in opposite directions. Both Electric-types ended up laying face-down on the ground, yellow bodies battered and bruised. "Come on, Pikachu!" pleaded Ash. "Get up, please get up!"
Slowly, with Ash's support, Pikachu managed to climb wearily to his feet, gritting his teeth in sheer exhaustion. Brock looked between the barely-standing Pikachu and the still-unconscious form of his clone before raising his hand and declaring Ash the winner. The Frontier Brain immediately ran out onto the field and gathered his most faithful Pokémon into his arms just as the creature collapsed. "You did an amazing job, Pikachu," he murmured to the mouse. "I owe you so much. Take a long rest."
He reached his trainer's box and deposited Pikachu into Misty's arms, petting the Electric-type one last time before his attention turned to the Genetic Pokémon across from him. "So, Mewtwo, it looks like I won. Does that mean it's you versus me, now?"
[No]
"Uh, what? What do you mean 'no'?"
[I was unaware of more than one definition of the word. However, since you need clarification, it is not you versus me]
"But…but I faced your challenge head-on!" Ash protested. "I beat your clones fair and square! What else is there?"
[You did, that is not in dispute] Mewtwo acknowledged. [However, you and I are not destined to battle here today. No, there is your opponent] he stated, pointing at a figure floating high above them. All eyes moved to where the Psychic-type was gesturing, finding a small pink creature with tiny arms and disproportionately large feet floating above them. It possessed a long, rope-thin tail – over twice as long as its body – which ended in an oblong shape. Its gentle feline features, while a start contrast to the Genetic Pokémon's stoic demeanor, suggested a general likeness to Mewtwo.
"Huh," Ash uttered, shocked at the turn of events.
"That's Mew…" Misty managed, stunned.
Mewtwo seemed to sigh. [You seem to have a knack for pointing out the obvious. You see, the purpose of the battles was to determine whom you would fight. Since you won the match, proving that your originals were stronger than the clones, you shall have the pleasure of fighting my original. I would hate to deprive you of a challenge]
"Of course."
[And if you defeat and capture Mew, I will come along as well. We are, as you might say, a package deal]
"Well that's unexpected."
[You'll need this] Mewtwo added, materializing a black Pokéball with two grey ridges and an eye design – yellow sclera, red pupil – on the front outlined in grey. The ball levitated across the field and landed in Ash's palm.
The Frontier Brain stared at the ball for a moment before looking at Mewtwo. "You used these to capture and clone all our Pokémon the first time. Isn't this equivalent to a Master Ball?"
[This ball has been created so that it will only capture Mew when it has been sufficiently weakened. As for rules, you may use six Pokémon, but three of them would have to be the ones you've already used in our battle]
"Oh, real fair!" Ash complained.
[Now Mew, it's your turn]. While there was no difference in Mewtwo's speech to any of the others present, Mew apparently heard this last part, for it turned its head towards its clone.
"Mew?" squeaked the pink Pokémon. It moved from the ceiling to the field, hovering just above the ground. The New Species Pokémon twisted its head in curiosity, flipping over its tail and examining its surroundings. Brock watched it maneuver in the air before glancing at Ash, giving him a look that plainly said to choose a Pokémon.
Ash caught Brock's look and grimaced, though it wasn't directed at his friend. Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Pidgeot are all too exhausted to fight. Kingler, Wartortle, and Snorlax are all out, too…
Mew finally settled on the ground, supporting itself with its large feet. Ash chewed on his lip before grabbing a Pokéball and chucking it into the arena. Tauros appeared in a flash of light, legs spread wide and mooing. Brock barely finished announcing the beginning of the match before Ash ordered an Earthquake.
Tauros reared back and slammed his hooves against the floor, powerful vibrations radiating from the point of impact. Mew let out a curious sound before levitating above the Ground-type attack.
Ash mentally berated himself. Right, Mew can fly. Duh. "Try Zen Headbutt." The three silver studs embedded in Tauros' head glowed blue before the Wild Bull Pokémon lowed loudly, dropped his head, and stampeded toward Mew. The Psychic-type floated a little higher, performing a back flip and avoiding the incoming bovine. "Use your tails!" Ash called as his Pokémon ran right under the Legendary.
Tauros' three tails whipped up with a suddenness that caught Mew unaware. One tail managed to grab Mew's own long tail, allowing the other two to wrap around the New Species Pokémon's body. Mew let out a gasp of surprise as Ash grinned. "Bring Mew to the ground!"
His Pokémon made a loud noise of agreement at this, bringing the Legendary into a hard meeting with the floor with a deft flick of his tails. Just before impact, Mew created a shield of psychic energy to minimize damage from the modified slam. With a chirp, Mew used its psychic powers to wriggle free of Tauros' hold. The small Pokémon put some distance between it and Tauros, tilting its head in curiosity as the bull turned around to face it. "Mew?"
Silence reigned for several moments as the Psychic-type observed Tauros. Finally, Mew lowered itself to the ground. It stood there for a second longer, appearing to ponder its options before it glowed a myriad of colors.
Ash brought a palm up and slapped his forehead, sliding it down to cover his face in its entirety. "Shit."
[This should be interesting] Mewtwo said, sounding mildly amused.
Standing in Mew's place was a Tauros, its three tails whipping ferociously. Ash's Tauros looked momentarily surprised at this transformation but recovered quickly, snorting in challenge and pawing the ground with his front hoof. Mew repeated the action, prompting Tauros to moo loudly and lower his head.
"Shit shit shit," Ash repeated. "Now Tauros, just calm down. Relax buddy, don't do anything—"
Tauros and Mew charged, the echoing of their hooves against the floor unnaturally loud.
"—rash," Ash finished uselessly. "Shit."
"It's kind of ironic to hear you tell someone not to do something rash," Misty informed him.
The Frontier Brain glanced at her, grinning crookedly. "That's true. Still, would've been nice if he'd listened. Now that Mew's transformed, Tauros isn't going to listen to me."
"A Tauros as bull-headed as his trainer. What're the odds?"
"You're hilarious."
[You're aware that Mew is playing around, correct?]
"…You're joking."
[No]
"Rrr, Tauros, back off!" The Wild Bull Pokémon didn't listen, unlocking horns for a second before ramming them together again with a moo.
The clash of wills – and horns – lasted almost five minutes before Mewtwo spoke up. [Mew, this is a pointless battle. Finish this so we can move on]
Mew-Tauros looked up at the directive and took Ash's Tauros' Horn Attack to the chest. It lowed painfully before backing a fair distance away, transforming again into its standard pink, feline form. "Mew," it agreed. The New Species Pokémon encased itself in a glowing pink sphere. Tauros tried charging Mew, but the Psychic-type released the gathered energy before the bovine got close enough to actually hit.
Tauros was thrown against the nearest wall with a bellow of pain. He managed to clamber awkwardly to his hooves, but once upright began to headbutt the wall. Ash grimaced; apparently Mew's psychic attack had left Tauros confused. The Wild Bull Pokémon had always been susceptible to confusion, and being caught normally signaled the end of the match. With a heavy sigh, Ash held up Tauros' Pokéball and recalled the bovine Pokémon. "Good try, Tauros."
Ash didn't even hear Brock call the battle. Mew was busy doing cartwheels in midair, seeming more interested in playing around than actually battling. The raven-haired trainer hesitated; Charizard was still fresh, not to mention strong enough to combat a Legendary Pokémon, but considering Mew's dexterity and flexibility, he probably wasn't an optimal choice for battling this Legendary.
Option two then.
"Muuuuuk."
Mew stared at the Sludge Pokémon, squeaking in confusion. "Sludge Bomb!" Ash ordered once Brock announced the fifth round. Muk opened its large maw and shot multiple dark globs of sludge at Mew. The New Species Pokémon dodged, but Ash told his Pokémon to keep up the assault, and the Poison-type complied, barraging Mew with a continuous outpouring of brown-black sludge.
Mew, in an impressive display of aerial agility, appeared to dance around and in-between the sludge pellets. "Okay, Muk, hold up." The Poison-type obeyed, and Mew shot it with that same curious look it had used on Tauros. Floating lower to the ground, Mew's body underwent the technicolor glow that symbolized its Transform. Ash grinned. "Now, Muk, Disable!"
Muk's body became outlined in a blue aura, and pulsating rings of psychic energy emitted from its sludgy mass. Mew became frozen a foot above the ground, just about ready to undergo its transformation. Capitalizing on the Psychic-type's immobility, Ash shouted, "Gunk Shot!"
With a belch, a veritable mass of purple sewage emerged from Muk's mouth and washed over Mew. The pink Pokémon squeaked as it was engulfed by the poisonous deluge of gunk.
Ash watched as Mew emerged from Muk's attack, a blazing pink aura surrounding it and a serious expression on its face. Mew's eyes glowed pink, and with a cry of its name, it sent out a wave of psychic energy. "Minimize to dodge!" A silvery sheen overtook Muk's mass, and the Poison-type's body constricted upon itself, making it a much smaller target. Unfortunately for the Frontier Brain, the nature of Mew's attack meant that, provided its target was still visible, it would still hit.
Muk gained a pink aura as Mew's attack swept over him before being lifted into the air and bodily hurled 50 feet. The purple Pokémon folded over himself as he landed, bouncing back with a groan of his name. Ash let out a relieved breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
Ash had started using Muk because of the Poison-type's amazing resilience to physical attacks and certain special attacks. Despite Poison-type's weakness to Psychic-types, several of the latter's moves – notably Confusion and Psychic – involved manipulation of the body or other physical objects that Muk didn't have much of a problem dealing with. It was one of the main reasons Ash felt confident in using the Sludge Pokémon in this battle.
Mew floated higher into the air, putting several stories of height between it and Muk. Then it began to move its paws back and forth, swaying its body in the opposite direction of its paws. Ash stared at the Legendary Pokémon, momentarily mesmerized by the movement before he realized what it meant. "Muk, stop that Metronome! Use Mud Bomb!"
Several brown pellets shot from Muk's mouth at Mew, but the pink Pokémon maneuvered its tail under its body and conjured a nearly invisible barrier which reflected the Ground-type attack. "Hit it harder!" Metronome was a complete game of chance, and while Ash normally counted himself a lucky battler, he also didn't want to be on the receiving end of an opponent's good fortune. Unfortunately, Mew's power negated the one drawback of using Metronome: the startup time. With that lull gone, Ash's only choice was to drive through the barrier with sheer force.
Muk opened his mouth even larger to follow through with the command, but Mew's middle fingers glowed white. The Psychic-type's mouth opened slightly and a jagged, frigid beam struck the Sludge Pokémon. He gave a drawn-out, shuddering groan as ice encased his entire being.
Ash stood on the sidelines, slack-jawed. Of all the—are you kidding? Ice Beam? And it froze Muk?
As the trainer continued to work through the improbability of the last attack, Mew swooped down next to the frozen Muk. It slapped the block of ice playfully with its tail and giggled quietly. Ash recalled his Poison-type, causing Mew to look at the previously-occupied spot and question its emptiness with a curious chirp.
"It's all up to you!" the Frontier Brain shouted, throwing out his last Pokémon.
Brock stared at the materialized form in surprise. Whoa.
[This is unexpected]
Misty blinked. I thought he'd use Charizard.
The Pokémon that appeared stood about five feet tall and possessed a staunch, rounded body with short arms and stubby legs. From the tip of its two spiked ears to its stubby tail, its entire body was colored a deep purplish-black. Spikes protruded down its back from the rear of its head, and two semi-circular red eyes were set above a sinister, grinning mouth. "Gengar," he rasped in a deep, empty voice.
"When did—?"
"Sabrina," Ash explained to Misty. "Apparently Haunter got into the fighting spirit and eventually evolved. When I came to see if Haunter wanted to come with me, Sabrina handed me this Pokéball. And now," he stated, turning his attention to Mew, "we can begin. Shadow Ball!" Gengar brought his arms in front of his body and created a black and purple sphere of ghostly energy. The Shadow Pokémon launched the Shadow Ball at Mew, but the Psychic-type effortlessly dodged the attack. It paused to observe Gengar before it tried using Transform again.
That's not happening. "Gengar, Shadow Punch!"
The Shadow Pokémon's fist sparked with purple lightning before he rushed forward and released a dark aura shaped like a fist in Mew's direction. When the attack struck home, Ash's suspicions about Mew's transformation abilities were confirmed; it couldn't manipulate its psychic powers in the middle of using Transform, unlike when it had used Barrier while preparing Metronome.
Ash figured it didn't matter much anymore anyway, seeing as how Mew (slowly recovering from the super effective attack) probably wouldn't try to transform into Gengar again. Mew reformed the pink bubble of psychic energy that it had used against Muk, this time diving straight towards Gengar. "Dodge it, Gengar," Ash commanded smoothly, and the Shadow Pokémon jumped up and to the side just before Mew struck the ground.
The New Species Pokémon extended its bubble, turning the cocoon of protective energy into a powerful Psychic attack. The wave of pink hit the levitating Gengar from behind, causing the ghost to grimace and close his eyes in pain. "Gengar, you have to hold on!" Crimson eyes shot open, and the Ghost/Poison hybrid quickly became intangible, phasing through the floor. Mew cancelled its attack, unable to locate its opponent.
One minute passed, then two, and Gengar didn't reappear. Ash gazed around the battlefield, reminded uncomfortably of how Haunter had disappeared when he'd gone against Sabrina the second time. Then his eyes caught a strange movement in Mew's shadow, and comprehension dawned upon him.
As a species, Gengar were renowned as pranksters – a trait his Haunter had embraced – and often hid within the shadows of other creatures to terrorize them. The trick was offset slightly by a Gengar's inability to regulate its own body temperature, which meant that if one was nearby, the nearby temperature would be several degrees lower than the ambient. Fortunately, Mew had resumed its levitation high enough above the ground that it couldn't detect the temperature difference Gengar put off.
Another minute went by, and Mew lost interest in its hidden opponent, choosing instead to chase its tail.
"Gengar, Dark Pulse!"
Two arms appeared from Mew's shadow, a ball of dark energy held between Gengar's hands. It blasted forward in a beam of black rings outlined by a purple aura and struck Mew from below. The Psychic-type tried to defend itself from the Dark-type attack by forming a barrier, but Ash preempted the defensive maneuver by shouting, "Now use Night Shade!"
Gengar's face came into view, crimson eyes glowing an incandescent red. Two jagged, coal-colored beams outlined with a red aura shot from the ghost's orbs, merging with the Dark Pulse and doubling the assault's effectiveness.
The Shadow Pokémon's attacks eventually ran out of energy. Mew, weakened by the combined attacked, began to descend to the ground. When it was floating five feet above the battlefield, Ash heaved the ball that Mewtwo had given him.
Mew found the energy to sweep its tail around and deflect the modified Pokéball. Ash raised his hand and caught the object, a frown marring his lips. Still not weakened enough yet, Ash thought. The feline creature's body glowed white as the large, silvery orbs that Ash recognized as Ancient Power were created and fired in rapid succession at Gengar. Without a word, the Ghost/Poison hybrid turned intangible and zigzagged around the field, belly hovering just above the floor.
The Shadow Pokémon neared Mew and shot up, attempting to get close and finish the battle. Mew allowed the energy from its Ancient Power to dissipate and quickly expelled a psychic burst which pushed the ghost backwards with a groan. As Gengar recovered from the attack, Ash thought about a new strategy.
Mew's playful demeanor had taken a backseat to this battle. While it was possible he could wear the Psychic-type out, it was more likely that Mew's power would overwhelm Gengar, which meant that he would have to find some way to attack Mew while under attack.
Got it! "Gengar, get close to Mew again!"
The ghost zipped over the arena, dodging Ancient Powers as they were hurled at him. Gengar then rocketed upward at Mew, repeating its earlier maneuver. Just like before, Mew cancelled its attack and focused its psychic aura on repelling the Shadow Pokémon. "Sucker Punch!" Ash yelled.
Gengar's malevolent grin grew wider as he disappeared from view. Mew let out a startled squeak at his vanished adversary and whirled around—
The Ghost/Poison hybrid phased into existence behind Mew, a purple glow surrounding his hand. He swung forward, the Sucker Punch striking Mew's back and sending the Psychic-type crashing towards the ground. Using its psychic abilities, Mew created a pink bubble to bounce off of, but Gengar used Night Shade and Shadow Ball to simultaneously pop the bubble and propel his opponent further into the ground.
When Ash threw the Pokéball this time, Mew was taken within its depths in a beam of light. It floated over to the Frontier Brain and minimized to the size of a ping pong ball. Both Ash and Misty stared in disbelief at the sphere, and Brock belatedly announced, "Uh…Mew is captured, so Ash and Gengar win the match." His task done, the breeder walked over to his two friends and clapped the other male on the back with a hearty, "Congratulations, Ash."
Gengar swooped forward with a cackle, gloating, "Gengar geng."
Ash laughed along with the ghost. "You did a great job, Gengar. I definitely couldn't have done this without you. Take five." With that, Gengar disappeared in its Pokéball. The Frontier Brain turned to face Mewtwo, his two friends beside him. "So now what?"
Mew's clone walked towards the trio, leaving about ten feet of space between them. Another of the black Pokéballs materialized in Mewtwo's palm. He handed the object over to Ash. There was a moment of silence before Mewtwo said, [You should probably answer that]
The ring of Ash's phone interrupted the impending question on the trio's tongues. He brought out the device and opened it, revealing a woman with a sharp face and magenta hair. "Heya twerp."
"Hey Jessie, what's up?"
"You've got a challenger here," she explained. "We told him we didn't know when you'd be back, but he's waiting here and we said we'd try to find out."
From off-screen, Mewtwo interjected, [Tell her you will be back shortly]
Ash blinked. "I, uh, guess we'll be back soon. Just have him wait."
Jessie quirked one hair-thin eyebrow, but accepted the answer. "Okay then, see you soon." The phone screen went black.
"Yeah, sure…"
[I offer you my congratulations. And while capturing me was part of our bargain, I would suggest waiting 30 seconds or so]
"Why?"
Mewtwo's eyes glowed blue, and the humans and their belongings all became outlined in the same psychic energy. [Prepare yourselves], Mewtwo warned. And then they all vanished.
The silence on New Island was deafening. In one of the darkened corners of the battlefield room, a small red light placed within the center of a metal discus blinked, then turned off.
-l-l-l-
Many miles away, hidden deep within the Five Isle Meadow on Chrono Island and disguised by multiple holograms, a nondescript man wearing black pants, a long-sleeved black shirt and black beret, and silver gloves and boots finished writing something and pushed away from a computer console. He pressed a button on the equipment, ejecting a small disc from the computer. The man turned around, revealing a large red 'R' imprinted on his shirt. He exited the room and took a set of stairs leading up, leaving behind an empty room with a large screen showing a Pokémon battling arena.
The man reached a room with long rows of Pokéballs organized in small compartments. He opened the glass case of one and removed the Pokéball there, releasing the creature inside with a flash of light. A large Fearow appeared, a small brown pouch hanging from its long neck. "Take this to the boss," he instructed, placing the disc and his handwritten note into the pouch. Fearow took off with a caw, flapping its large wings and leaving the island in the direction of Viridian City.
He watched the Beak Pokémon disappear. "Boss won't be too happy about this," he muttered. "Now we have to move our plans up." He spun on his heel and headed back to the video room, intent on looking through the video archives to find anything else useful. The interference of those three trainers into Team Rocket's plans was definitely going to be a hindrance and a setback.