For the week after I gave up Ikusaba to Mewtwo, I wandered Littleroot. I remember visiting the town years and years ago. When we moved to Hoenn from Kanto, we were originally going to move into one of the houses there, but another family got it.
Every day, I visited Mewtwo-Ikusaba, who Professor Birch was taking care of in his lab. Yuudai had left after I gave Ikusaba up, and went back to Mauville City. When Mewtwo merged with Ikusaba, he gained the ability to shapeshift between his two forms, Pokemon, and Human. While in Pokemon form, he was as he was before. In his human form, he took on the memories and personalities of Hikaru Ikusaba, but still mixed with Mewtwo's. His psychic powers were also retained in this form, too.
Birch had him strapped down, and attached to a lot of equipment, to monitor his condition. Every day, when I left the lab, I went to the house we were meant to buy all those years ago and visit the family that lived there. That was where I was staying. The family consisted of three. The Petalburg City gym leader, Norman, a young Pokemon trainer named Sapphire, and her mother.
When I got back from the lab, I went out to Route 101 with Sapphire and helped her train her Treeko. We also aimed to get Treeko up at least one level a day. In return, Norman helped me train Kabutops and Dusclops. Dusclops was a bit harder to train, given that Norman specialized in Normal types. By the end of the week, Kabutops was a lot stronger than he had been. Birch said that he had to be at least level seventy, judging by his tests.
On the first day of my second week in Littleroot, Birch noticed something wrong with my Pokemon. He believed that both Kabutops and Dusclops had contracted Pokerus. "Pokerus is a very helpful virus transferred only between Pokemon. It can help with experience grinding and such. I'd be interested to see if Hikaru here could contract the disease."
"So then I could level up Dusclops faster then?"
"I'd say so, yes."
When I got back from the lab, and before I went to Route 101, I told Norman about the virus. "Amazing. I recall my Slacking contracting it a while back."
"That why it's so damn strong?"
"Indeed it is."
After that, Sapphire and I met on Route 101 for our daily training session. She sent out Treeko, and encountered a Zigzagoon, and she began to battle with it. While she was distracted with the battle, I released both Kabutops and Dusclops. I was planning on having them infect Treeko with Pokerus, which would cut the training time virtually in half.
Midway through the battle, Treeko became determined, and adrenalin began pumping through it's veins. The Pokemon had been infected. "Pound!" Sapphire somehow also seemed more determined now. The gecko collided into Zigzagoon, sending it backwards fainted. "Yeah! Beat it!" We high fived before we noticed the white light that had enveloped Treeko.
The light shone brighter, almost too bright to look at. Treeko began to change shape. "Oh my god…" Sapphire had never witnessed Pokemon evolution before, "It's beautiful…" I thought back to my first Pokemon evolution. I was six years old. I was down on the Slateport shore, battling tubers. Kabuto began to glow, and became the Kabutops I grew to love.
After a few minutes, the evolution was complete, and Grovyle stood before her. "I… I did it!" Sapphire ran immediately back into town, her Grovyle following her. I followed their trail, into her house. I found her dancing around her living room with her parents and Grovyle. My work with her was done.
I slipped out before they noticed me there, and I visited Professor Birch's laboratory one more time. He was engrossed in his work. It seemed that he had succeeded in his Pokerus theory. "Takashi!" He ran up to me with excitement in his voice, "I have succeeded! I have infected Mewtwo-Ikusaba with Pokerus!"
"Um… Good job?"
"You don't sound excited…"
"Well is it really a good idea to do that to… it? I mean, Mewtwo was pretty bad, and that's just what we saw of it. But then Ikusaba, he was an actual criminal. You realise that right?"
"But… don't you think what happened to them would have changed them?"
"No. Did you actually have to spend any time at all with either of them?"
"No, but…"
"But nothing. You need to find a way to cure it."
"I… I'm not sure I can…"
"Well you need to find some way!"
"I-I-I… I don't know how…" I pushed Birch to the side and approached the infected monstrosity and tried to rip all of the tubes from under it's skin, but they were stuck, being held in by the creature's tight skin.
"God damn it! What the hell're we gonna do?!"
"I- I'm sure we'll be alright…"
"You know that's not true!"
"Well I don't know what you expect me to do!"
"Reverse it!"
"How many times do I have to say it?! I don't know how!"
The lab was evacuated, and the walls and roof were reinforced. We didn't want another Slateport on our hands. We expected Mewtwo-Ikusaba to use Pokerus to its advantage, to become level 100, and to destroy the town. I waited for Sapphire to come back to her house before I entered Route 101. When I reached the first patch of tall grass, the sound of Mewtwo waking and trying to escape the lab turned me back.
I released Kabutops, and we ran back to Birch's house. Sapphire and the Professor joined me outside, each releasing a Pokemon of their own. Sapphire releasing Grovyle, and the Professor releasing Swampert. We made our way to the lab, each taking a different spot around the building. Each bang of the walls came with a flinche, hoping that we were not hit by Mewtwo or debris.
Finally, Mewtwo crashed through the ceiling of the lab, and landed on an intact portion of roof. Mewtwo shifted into Ikusaba, who wore an angry face. He turned to me, his face turning red with anger. "You bastard!" With this remark, Kabutops sprung off the ground, landing next to Ikusaba, who, in an instant, was Mewtwo again. The two fought on the roof, each gaining advantage with every attack. Kabutops swiped at Mewtwo, the beast dodging the move and countered with its own, connecting with Kabutops' head. Kabutops toppled over, Mewtwo climbing onto the flat body, sending a barrage of Shadow Ball attacks at close range.
Sapphire ordered Grovyle to join the battle, distracting Mewtwo with a series of weak Leaf Blades. This gave Kabutops just enough time to stand again, and catch Mewtwo in the back with a Slash. Mewtwo gave a growl, and was hit with a powerful Hydro Pump from the Professor's Swampert. The attack sent Mewtwo off of the building, and crashing into the trees that surrounded the town. Kabutops and Grovyle joined Mewtwo, and hit it with a series of Leaf Blade and Slash attacks.
It seemed that Mewtwo was defeated, so Sapphire, Birch and I recalled our Pokemon, and were about to pick up the defeated monster's body, when Mewtwo awoke, and sent us flying backwards with an extremely powerful Psychic attack. I managed to release Dusclops, who began to fight without instruction.
Dusclops fired two shadow balls, which Mewtwo absorbed, and countered with its own. The ghost dodged, swiping at Mewtwo's head. Its hand connected, and he it was thrown to the side. It collided with a small tree. I managed to stand, and I recalled Dusclops, re-releasing Kabutops.
"Give it hell, Kabutops!" The brown plated beast sprung from the ground and onto the fallen body of Mewtwo, digging it's scythe hands into its torso. Mewtwo made a noise that resembled a scream, and exploded in a blast of energy. Dust cleared, and Kabutops was lying in front of the standing Mewtwo, still. Mewtwo grunted, and darted into the air, so quickly that it was impossible to see it. I recalled Kabutops and ran to Sapphire and Birch.
"Are you guys alright?" Birch sat up with a painful grunt.
"I- I think so… Is Sapphire okay?" I turned to Sapphire, who still hadn't woken up. I shook her a few times and then took her home.
Her parents took her in, and Birch and I retreated back to his own house. We sat down at the downstairs table, and began discussing the most recent attack. "I told you that it wasn't a good idea." Birch frowned.
"I know. I made a mistake."
"Yeah, well, this mistake could cost lives. A lot of lives."
"We need to find a way to detain it. It's too powerful… I think ive heard of a device that dampens the powers of Pokemon… Somewhere in the Johto region…"
"How do we get it?"
"Well, we'll need to go there."
"I'll go. You stay here, make sure Mewtwo doesn't destroy anything else."
"O-Ok… You know what? My son is coming into town later this week. Let him go with you. He's a very talented trainer."
"Ruby?!"
"Yes, do you know him?"
"Do I know him? Everyone does. He was the champion! He beat Steven!" Birch wore a smile that reached both his ears.
"Ah, yes. I remember when Ruby first began. He came out to me on Route 101 – I was doing some field work – and I was being chased by a Poocheyena, much like how we met. He took his Torchic out of my bag and fought it off. Then he started his journey, collected all 8 gym badges, and beat the Pokemon League Champion in battle."
"So he's coming later this week?"
"In two days, yes."
"Then I guess we're going to the Johto region."
To be Continued…