The power in her diner flicked on and off as the crackle of thunder shook the small restaurant. It was a good thing the stove was gas powered.
Delia looked up to see the storm that seemed to only grow in intensity with each passing hour. Supposedly, it was meant to be sunny all week, yet the weather forecast service failed to predict the developing tempest.
Idly, the restaurant owner wondered if Kyogre was to blame, before deciding that it was silly to blame everything on Legendary Pokémon.
Instead, her thoughts turned towards her son, who last she heard of was spending his time on the beach to train for the upcoming Pokémon League.
Hopefully, Ash wasn't anywhere dangerous in this weather. "Hm, what would Ash want for dinner?"
"Mime! Mime!" Mimey, her Mr. Mime, answered by chopping onions and pulling something from the freezer. He was a new addition to her little family, and already he was making himself at home.
Then, the door to her restaurant chimed, barely audible against the background of the storm.
I thought I locked that. Who could that be in this weather and at this hour? Delia wondered as she turned her head and towards the front door. "Welcome to Pallet-" she paused as she took distinct note of who her new and only customer was.
"Mew…. Meeew! Mew mew mew!" A small cat-like creature hovered in the air in front of the cash register, bouncing back and forth as she spoke.
Normal people would have freaked out upon seeing a Legendary Pokémon, calling just witnessing such rare and elusive Pokémon a life changing experience; but for Delia, right now it was Tuesday. Besides, if her gut was reliable as it was back then, this Mew was someone she knew. Sadly, the same couldn't be said for Mimey.
"Mime MIME MI!" Mimey sputtered out as he also turned his head to meet the newcomer.
"Hello, Mew. Long time no see. It's been… fifteen years hasn't it?" she mused idly, thinking about her rather unique 'Pokémon Journey'.
"Mime!?" Mimey sounded incredulous.
Mew twirled in the air, spinning herself upside down. "Mew! Mew!" she laughed at Mimey's confusion.
Mimey blinked.
"Sorry, I can't understand you," Delia frowned. "Not anymore. Can you try telepathy?"
Mew slapped her head and made a laughing noise. Hello, Hanako!
"No one calls me that anymore," Delia laughed. "And you know, that's just a name I gave myself because I had amnesia, right?"
I know, but you'll always be Hanako to me!
"But my real name is Delia and you know that," the woman gave a little giggle.
"Do you want me to make you anything?" Delia went over to the stove. It was a slow night; most people were in their homes with the weather this bad. It would be good to have a guest to distract her away from the storm.
"Mime?" Mimey shrugged, but seemed to relax a little. Perhaps he just decided to go with what was happening.
I'd LOVE to have something from you, especially your chocolate chip cookies, but… I'm afraid that this is about uh… a job. A feeling of uncertainty and hesitation came from Mew's telepathic link. You know, the kind you used to do, before you retired.
Delia turned to her old friend and sighed. Well, if it wasn't important, Mew wouldn't have been here in the first place. She reached into the back of her cash register and pulled out a key. "Mimey, there's a safe in the basement under the floorboards. I need you to open it and bring me what's inside."
Mimey stared at her, almost afraid. He took the key and walked towards the basement.
Delia turned to her old friend. "What are the details? You do realize I can't… do what I used to do while I'm… like this, right?" she gestured to her body. As much as she liked how she looked, she knew her limits. "And it's been years since I've fought anyone."
I know, but we're really desperate here, and power alone was never why you were our hero. Mew answered. It is that other quality that we need more.
Mew stopped bouncing and instead bowed her head in apology. Besides, it's your son who is in danger.
Delia took a deep breath and let out her frustrations before they stopped her from doing what needed to be done. "Tell me, very clearly, why is my son in grave danger? It's bad enough that he's harassed by Team Rocket every step he goes."
Well, it's kind of my fault, really. Mew bobbed her head. See, I was in Guyana a while back and these people found some of my hair. I don't know why they wanted it, but apparently, they used it to create a Pokémon somehow.
Delia stared. She knew that Mew was not completely well versed in the hows or the whys of humans, but the private business owner and mother recalled a recently released movie that started the "Fossil Revival Craze" that swept the entire scientific community; Professor Oak would not stop talking about it. "They… cloned you?"
Hm, well… no. They didn't make another me, but they created this Pokémon that looks alot like me. Mew frowned. They call him Mewtwo and they wanted to make him into a weapon. He was born to be a slave.
"You… didn't stop them?" Delia was horrified. While she wasn't very active anymore, she did pay attention to the world around her. She knew the kinds of things people and Pokémon alike were capable of doing to make themselves more powerful.
I was not around to see this happening, otherwise, I would have. I only learned about this stuff after I did some research. Apparently, Mewtwo turned against his creators and is now loose. Mew sounded very ashamed. The reason why your son is involved is because Mewtwo has sent out invitations to humans who were in command of a Charizard, a Blastoise, or a Venasaur, probably because their unevolved forms are prestigious starters in this region.
Delia closed her eyes and imagined her son and that very disobedient Charizard of his. "But why me? I know how strong you are. We fought against each other a dozen times."
I could defeat Mewtwo. Easily. I could make it into a game and have fun with it even if he used all of his might to fight me. I can save your child, his friends, and everyone else there. Mew boasted. But I cannot save Mewtwo. You can.
At that moment, Delia Ketchum understood what Mew wanted, why she was being called back into service once more.
Mewtwo is a child, one who is lashing out at the world for the injustice of his birth. The storm that is around us, that is his hatred made manifest. Mew continued. She brought one of her hands towards Delia's. I wish I could speak to him, connect to him, but he hates me because of my role in his creation. You can speak to him where I could not.
"I understand," she said with conviction. The weight of the world pressed on Delia's shoulders, but it was not anything she hadn't done before.
"Mime?" Mimey walked into the room, a look of concern in his eyes. In his hands was a small satchel. He placed it delicately on the table to his trainer.
"Thank you, Mimey," she said as she reached inside. The first thing she pulled out was an ornate copper bracelet. It bore six gemstones on its rim: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple, and Orange.
Oh! Is that the Looplet your friends made for you! Mew shouted telepathically, as she sat ontop of Delia's head to get a better view.
Mrs. Ketchum did not mind. Mew was an old friend. "It is." She wished her friends, her partners in her youth could have been here with her, but she knew that was not something that could be done. And… it had been years since she had seen any of them. This mission would be something she had to do herself.
She wore the Looplet on her wrist and it glowed dimly. Delia could feel the dimmed sparks of the friendships she forged coursing through her.
She then looked into the satchel and inspected the other items inside. Overall, Delia knew she could have been better prepared, but her emergency bag had been made before Ash had been born. Several glass orbs were inside, they looked to be in pristine condition. The old seeds inside the bag were heavily dried out and unlikely to work as well as they could have. The last and most important thing, however, was the deck of cards at the bottom.
"Take me to my son." She lifted the deck of cards and handed them to Mew - this was something she was better at.
Mew graciously took the cards and levitated them around her hands.
"If this Mewtwo is a clone of you, he has to be powerful, even if he's young," Delia mused.
He is. He does lack precision and finesse, but he does boast plenty of power. Mew agreed as she started laying the cards onto the counter, each glowed faintly. It would be suicide for an ordinary human woman to challenge him, but that's why it would be best if you weren't you human when you faced him.
Mew's words slowly sunk into Delia's mind. "You're going to … change me? Here? "
No! Mew stuck out her tongue. She floated a pink gemstone over to Delia's hands. You're going to change yourself, using this.
"You mean… I could… " the woman sputtered before she regained her focus. "It's been a long while since I've been a Pokémon." Really, she should have expected that she would have to become one when Mew showed up with a job as important as this. And unlike any of the other times, it would be on this side of the gate.
Mew placed the last card in its sequence and a rift of swirling lights appeared within Delia's restaurant. A magnagate formed, the first such construct in Kanto.
Don't forget, you are as much Hanako as you are Delia! Mew looked at her with a smile.
The woman smirked back. She supposed that was, in a way, true. Hanako was a Pokémon, Delia was human. They just happened to be the same person.
Delia slotted the gemstone into her Looplet and it fit like it was always meant to be, seven stones, each a different color, the color of her old friends. She took her satchel and put it over her shoulder, was ready for one more battle.
"Mimey, please watch the restaurant. And maybe entertain Mew while I am gone," Delia told her Mr. Mime.
"Mime!" Mimey saluted her, though she could tell that he was worried for her. It was like with the townsfolk of whatever settlement she stayed in; they were often worried for her sake when she went into danger.
"I'll be back," she promised. "I can handle it."
Mimey nodded his head.
Delia took a step into the magnagate and exited out the other side.
With all Pokémon eliminated, my clones will inherit the Earth. A voice echoed throughout Delia's mind, an omnidirectional telepathic message that was sent to everyone within range.
Delia found herself within what appeared a stadium, yet made of chiseled obsidian and other volcanic rocks. Several Pokémon stood facing one another, one side with humans on it, whilst the other bore Pokémon distortions on their skin and led by a strange creature that looked like a man given some of Mew's features.
Her son, her Ash, stood with the humans. "It's not going to end like this, Mewtwo! We won't let it!" he shouted in defiance, looking at his opponent with a steely gaze.
On the one hand, she was so proud to see the kind of man her little boy was becoming. On the other, she knew the kind of danger he had invited upon himself.
She stepped forward and stole the attention. "I'm proud of you, Ash!" she shouted.
Everyone in the room turned attention to her.
"Mom!?" Ash sputtered. "What are you doing here?"
"Miss Ketchum?" Misty asked, also just as incredulous.
"I decided to show up," she said and turned her attention to the strange Pokémon. "Are you Mewtwo?"
Who are you? Mewtwo levitated towards her, stopping at about a stone's throw away. Menace radiated from. You know who I am?
"I overheard your plan, I can't let you destroy everyone and everything. I'm here to stop you!" she declared, letting the conviction in her voice speak for itself.
"Mom! You don't even have a Pokémon! Or… anything." Ash protested. He wasn't crying, but Delia could see her son tremble; he was scared for her.
"Don't worry, I have myself." She raised the Looplet in her wrist and let the power inside of it suffuse her entire being: mind, body, soul.
In an instant, growths of dark fur covered her body, ending in a dense mane that covered her entire upper body. Her bones broke and reformed her jaws into a bestial maw with her spine extending out in a star-tipped tail. But for her, the most important of all changers were in the eyes.
How could one explain sight to the blind? She opened her golden eyes and saw the world shift, its colors twisting and redefined under new eyes. The electromagnetic spectrum unraveled before her, each field no different from how a human's eyes could see light. Ultraviolet waves cascaded and clashed against the swirling rivers of magnetic fields. There was wonder in this world, just out of sight from mundane eyes.
"Mom!"
"She's turned into a Luxray!" someone shouted.
"That's… that's impossible!"
"Ya know," that talking Meowth that was always following Ash commented. "Dis seems outta place."
"From Mom to Mountain Lion!" said the blue haired one.
"Ash's mom?" Pikachu stared.
Even Mewtwo, who was created in the image of a Legendary, could only stare in disbelief.
In a way, Delia Ketchum had ceased to be, replaced by Hanako. They were the same person, but Hanako was the Shinx who became a Luxray and had to recover her memories, a piece at a time. Besides, she didn't feel like her human name suited her at all like this, just as much calling herself Hanako while managing a restaurant was so out of place.
Hanako stepped forward, sparks erupting from every step.
For the first time in so long, she felt her own power, she could see what she had been blind to.
Mewtwo righted himself, narrowing his eyes. Am I supposed to be intimidated? I am the strongest Pokémon on Earth.
Hanako could only laugh. She had seen many mortals and immortals fight before and more than once she had bested those who made such boasts. Admittedly, that was in her prime, when she had been actively training and fighting to challenge such monsters, but the point stood. "You're not." she growled. It was surprising just how deep her voice sounded like this.
You mock me? Mewtwo called out. His eyes glowed faintly. … Why can I not read your mind?
Hanako smirked as her mane bristled with a pulse. She had fought enough psychics in the past that it was a problem. Fortunately, she learned tricks to keep them out of her head, though only for a time. "I am stating the truth. I've seen some of the strongest and don't get me wrong, you're plenty powerful, but you aren't at the top."
"What are you saying Mom?" Ash shouted.
"Honey, I want you to stay back," Hanako snarled, raising one of her lower paws to point at the others. This was something she had never experienced before; she had never been a Pokémon around humans in any of her previous adventures.
"She's going to face Mewtwo!" Pikachu grabbed onto Ash's pant leg. "She wants us to stay out of her way!"
"Ya, Twerp." Meowth commented again. "Ya might wanna get outta da way!"
Ash seemed to understand that. "Okay, I get it." He steadied himself as he held back his worries "I believe in you, Mom!"
You speak in riddles. You claim to know more than I do. Mewtwo scowled.
With Ash's faith in her, Hanako turned towards Mewtwo once again. "I have experienced more than you have. Most of that is simply due to having grown up and traveled in my youth. That's something many trainers do, but I was never much of a trainer," She walked over and reached into the heart of the matter. "I explored the world with friends. Tell me, Mewtwo, did you make any friends?"
A normal human's eye wouldn't have seen it, but hers could see the slight twitch of Mewtwo's turn towards the Blastoise, Charizard, and Venusaur. Was there something in there, a spark of memory? Hanako knew she had found an opening.
Mewtwo closed his eyes and stared at Hanako. Perhaps you made friends, but this world is tainted and corrupt to the core. It is full of the weak and wicked and all will be purged in my storm.
"And kill everyone else who isn't weak or wicked?" Delia growled.
Everyone is complicit. We will begin this world anew, without flaws. Mewtwo declared with such confidence.
There was a surge of resolve that flew through all of the clones. They rose, bolstered by Mewtwo's order, their counterparts stood in position to them.
Hanako glared at the Psychic-type. She tried reasoning alone, but she knew that due to his position of pride, he was not likely to see negotiation. Further, it was obvious to her that Mewtwo's plans all came from a place of great personal suffering; no one who thinks like this was in a healthy state of mind.
As a result, Hanako mentally prepared herself to fight back. Mew may have been willing to toy with Mewtwo if she had been here, but Hanako had fought fang and claw against the worst the world could throw at her ever since she had been a cub.
And the first step to that was to remove outside factors, to simplify things as much as she could.
Hanako bounded in front. "Mewtwo, I personally challenge you to a duel, me against you, over the fate of the world."
"...Wow, Da Twerp's Mom is ridiculously brave," Meowth muttered.
"Like Mother, like Son," said Jessie.
"Does that mean he'll turn into a Shinx?" said James.
Mewtwo cocked his head in surprise. And why should entertain that notion and not just destroy you using my clones?
"Because that way, there would be more witnesses to this event. So that there would be more who could clearly remember this day. I have several titles declaring me a champion, among the strongest of Pokémon in the world." Hanako answered, goading Mewtwo with his pride. She leapt towards him and landed with a solid thud, discharging electricity into the ground. "If you truly are as strong as you say, you can easily best me. If you cannot, then you are not as strong you claimed to be."
Amusing proposition. Very well, human. I will entertain this request. You will not stop me. Mewtwo answered with a boast. You and I will face one another in this arena, with everyone else being witness to my triumph. Then, I will destroy the world.
Hanako turned to listen to her son talk amongst his friends.
"Mom's going to fight him?" Ash said.
"She's strong looking, but I don't know what to make of it," Misty suggested.
"... Should we do something?"
"I don't know," Brock said. "But she wouldn't have asked to challenge Mewtwo if she wasn't sure of herself."
The other humans in the room seemed at a loss for words, some of them still stunned that a moment ago, she had been one of them.
Still, no one tried anything and Mewtwo's clones were eager to listen to their creator. Some of them were even trying to cheer Mewtwo on, to give him their support.
The Luxray moved into position in the arena, whilst Mewtwo took his spot opposite of her. The rest of the room took seats either on the floor or in the bleachers, everyone eager to see the outcome of this fight.
Hanako was not lying about those titles, but she hadn't kept up her training regimen since she had last been a Luxray. Though her body was naturally strong, it was not at the level it had been when she battled versus Mew. Fortunately, she still knew what she was doing. Like riding a bike, she had never forgotten how her body moved and functioned. And most of all, even if her partners were not with her, she had experience on her side.
Hanako leaned her body close to the ground, preparing for a pounce.
Mewtwo looked at her with a disdainful scowl. I do not know what you hope to accomplish, but I will defeat you.
The Psychic struck without warning, telekinetic waves came towards Hanako from both her left and her right.
Seeing the air shift before the attack fully manifested, the Luxray leapt out of the way and primed the storm in her body.
From behind her, an explosion of telekinesis ruptured the earth where she stood and she let loose a spinning torrent of electricity towards the cat-like psychic.
A shimmering barrier of light encased Mewtwo, preventing the electricity from harming him. Weak! He snarled. He clapped his bulbous fingers together and the ground in front of him exploded in sequence as it raced towards the Luxray.
Hanako rolled herself out of the way of the attack, dust flaking her fur. She spun her tail and stars burst forth.
You cannot hurt me! Mewtwo batted away the stars, his shield absorbing all of them.
He levitated himself off the ground and rushed at Hanako, his barrier flaring as it burned through the air.
Hanako charged to meet him, the storm enveloping her body and surging forward in a spiral.
They impacted one another, sending flecks of light in every direction.
Frustrated, Mewtwo grabbed hold of her telekinetically and threw her down to earth.
But Delia had taken enough falls to recover. She spun herself in the air and landed on her feet, softening the impact and limiting the damage she could have taken.
You're just a Luxray… and a human. And yet, you still stand! Mewtwo said to her. He almost sounded impressed.
"One person's birth is not the sole factor in determining one's strength. I was born human, but I stand against you now," Hanako stated clearly, her eyes locked onto Mewtwo and his barrier.
It was obvious to her now that for all of Mewtwo's power, he was something of a brute. There was little finesse in his actions, no technique beyond the essentials. And because of that, he had never encountered some of the tricks she had learned.
She approached him once again.
Mewtwo retaliated by exploding more of the ground, but the Luxray charged forth.
You dare try to strike me again! Your pathetic attacks cannot harm me! Mewtwo truly was a child. He loved to talk about himself, to make himself important.
But Hanako could see the flaws in Mewtwo's constructs, the chinks in his defenses. As her attacks fizzled and broke against the barriers, the Luxray could infer their shape, their patterns, their direction from how her lightning diffused. Further, it was not impervious to sound.
She filled her lungs with air,filled them with the darkness within her, and Snarled. The thunderclap passed through the barrier as the force within failed to be neutralized.
Mewtwo's reaction was immediate. He winced in agony and reflexably put his hands over his ears.
Hanako rushed in and slammed her body against Mewtwo's shields.
Mewtwo raised a hand and emitted a pulse of psychic energy from his barrier, picking up several shards of stone and flung them at Hanako's direction.
Stone impacted her body, tearing into her fur, drawing blood.
Hanako stood, but everyone else in the stands shouted in concern, especially Ash.
"Mom!"
"Ash, don't go! You'll get yourself killed!"
"I know, but…"
"Be brave, my cub." She told her son.
Hanako drew from inside of herself and the jewelry on her wrist. Her Looplet glowed faintly, as the green gem released its power. Memories of Chikorita flooded her mind, always so attentive and caring; she was always there to patch her up.
The pain she had suffered dulled somewhere, and the Luxray stepped forward.
You are incredibly tenacious, but this is hopeless. Why do you fight? Mewtwo spoke to her.
"I fight because it is the right thing to do! Because, this is the world my friends and I cherish!" Hanako snarled. The red gem in her wrist glowed brightly, Charmander's fire, his passion filling her.
A swirling vortex of electricity formed around the Luxray and she threw it right at Mewtwo.
You are alone. The Psychic-type shuffled to the side, letting the roiling tempest miss him. Explosions detonated where he once stood. The bipedal cat raised a hand and a beam of psychic energy erupted forth.
"I am not alone!" Hanako avoided the attack by running under it as she threw more and more lightning at Mewtwo. "I haven't seen my friends in years, but they're still with me. And even then, I have my son, my family, my neighbors, and everyone else!"
The lightning impacted Mewtwo's barrier. He didn't dodge this time, letting the lightning chip away the shield he maintained.
Years? A twinge of jealousy and fear filled Mewtwo's psychic voice. Hanako knew she had found a weak point.
"How old are you?" Hanako spoke, maintaining the field of electricity that covered her. "I've met many people, seen many things. But times divide us, life drives us apart."
I refuse lose anyone else! Mewtwo snarled, anger and rage filled his voice. He brought both of his hands together and formed a torrent of psychic energy within his grasp.
Hanako dispelled the storm around her as she went to activate the blue Emera within her looplet. Her thoughts turned to those of Sheldon the Squirtle, a human who had been turned into a Pokémon just like her. He had sworn to protect her and this gift was his.
An array of tiny, semi-reflective planes formed in front of her.
Mewtwo unleashed a searing beam of light right at the Luxray, the Hyper Beam roared with intense and violent light.
As it neared, Hanako's shields intercepted it, refracting the one powerful beam into a scattering of stars in every direction. Explosions filled the midsection of the arena, destroying the stands and even causing parts of the roof to cave in.
… How! Mewtwo stared.
Everyone in the room gasped in awe.
"You're still disoriented from my Snarl and you aren't able to fully maintain your focus like you were able to earlier," Hanako revealed as Sheldon's gifted barrier dissipated around her. It might have been considered cheating to use a Looplet in a tournament setting, but this was hardly a sporting fight to begin with.
This changes nothing. Mewtwo spat.
"I believe it does. Who did you lose?" Hanako declared.
Mewtwo shuddered more than any attack could have done to him.
"I don't know much about you, but you reacted when I brought up my friends. You looked very closely to your Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur as well. And lastly, you declared that you weren't going to lose anyone again." One of the great perks about being a Luxray was the sheer amount of things she could perceive all at once.
You cannot understand my loss! Mewtwo shouted. He lifted the very ground that comprised the stadium, forming platforms in the air. Several of them came crashing down onto the Luxray.
Hanako leapt out of the way, trapezing over the terrain as it shook. She leapt over the platforms, darting between them as the collided. Thinking about Mewtwo's words, she drew upon old memories of a Pikachu who had sacrificed himself even knowing his fate. The Luxray gained in speed tenfold and she avoided Mewtwo's chaotic attack by outrunning everything.
Mewtwo was definitely a child, then; a child who had never learned that others suffered loss as well. "I lost friends as well! Everyone does!"
Mewtwo shook, as if that knowledge was something he had never encountered. The platforms remained where they were, no longer crashing into each other.
"I had a close friend, a Pikachu. We traveled together as explorers, both to chart the brave unknown. He fought for others, even at the cost of his own life." The Luxray did not use this moment of vulnerability to strike at Mewtwo. Hanako thought of a brave Pikachu, who in his final moments faded into light right outside the Spatial Rift. "His loss, I still feel it every day. It's one of the reasons why I was so delighted for my son to have befriended a Pikachu, as he reminded me of my long gone friend."
Mewtwo turned his back, his eyes glancing towards the three evolved starters.
All three of those Pokémon inclined their heads at him, concerned for his well being.
Hanako sensed that she had made a breakthrough, that she had gained a foothold.
… I was not the only clone in my batch. There were others. I created Charizardthree, Venusaurthree, and Blastoisethree in the image of fallen friends, but I could not recreate everyone. Mewtwo collected his thoughts and refocused his mind. It is because of them, I must preserve and see this world be born anew.
Hanako leapt out of the way a wave of destructive psychic energy lashed out at her. She could practically feel Mewtwo's conflict inside bubbling out.
She threw out lightning to intercept another roil of force.
"And what exactly is that supposed to accomplish?" She roared. "Why do you want to destroy the world?"
This world is full of evil and my clones will rightfully inherit a world free of it! Mewtwo hissed as he threw a ball of phantasmal energy. Imagine it, a world without humans to taint it with their arrogance!
Hanako drew electricity onto her body, storing it in her mane. The Shadow Ball impacted, but her defenses resisted the blow. "It won't be!" she roared. She had seen a world without humans in it and it was no different from her homeland.
Mewtwo threw several more Shadow Balls in a flurry. And you know this? Humans are a blight upon this world! They're the ones who created me out of a lust for power! And they lied to me!
"Pokémon, human, they're not as different as you think! Thievery, lies, manipulation, Pokémon do that, too!" The purple gemstone in the Looplet shined bright. Her thoughts flashed towards Delcatty, who guided her during her early days as a Luxio, despite having been a thief at the time. Hanako's shadow leapt from her body, forming several duplicates of herself. Most of them were quickly destroyed by Mewtwo, but Hanako herself was unharmed as she made an approach.
Then that only justifies the superiority of my clones!
"You're the same as us, capable of both good and evil!" Hanako and her copies all shouted at once, even as Mewtwo destroyed them. "Even if you did kill everyone, the clones that you made, they're still people! And people make mistakes and do wrong! They'll make the same mistakes as those you'll be destroying today!"
No! They are free of flaws! Mewtwo protested.
"Nobody is free of flaws! Anyone who says that is lying to themselves! Everyone is capable of evil, just the same as everyone is capable of good!" And that was when she let out her Snarl once more. Normal duplicates from a Double Team were nothing more than fakes, illusory copies. Delcatty's trick made them more than that.
Mewtwo hunched over as the sonic attack impaired him once more. However, he was learning quickly.
Hanako saw the change in the shields as he made them more resistant to sound.
The Luxray leapt away as Mewtwo eviscerated her copies in a single stroke.
Mewtwo's psychic powers grabbed hold onto her, and Hanako was lifted into the air and thrown against the ceiling. Unbearable pain filled her. Then as she recovered, she was then slammed into the floor.
"Mom!" Ash's voice reached out to her, calling the Luxray back to consciousness.
Hanako's body ached as she rose. The familiar life restoring energy of a Revival Seed coursed into her, dulling the pain and reknitting her wounds, though only partially.
It was doubtful that Hanako could win this fight. She was running out of tricks. Maybe in her prime, before she settled down and retired, she could have defeated Mewtwo the hard way, but Mew trusted her to do more than just defeat him.
"Suppose you defeat me this day, suppose that you complete your storm and destroy the whole world. Would that mean that if your new world turned out to be as flawed as this one, would you begin the cycle again?" Hanako said with conviction in her voice. "And then again after if that turned out to be just as flawed?"
… Again? Mewtwo seemed horrified at the thought of that.
"The Pokémon you created, the clones you made, how do you know they're perfect? How do you know that they will do everything you bid without question? How do you know they won't fight against each other for this or that reason?" Hanako continued. "And even if these Pokémon you created right here and right now, really were without evil, how do you know the generation after that will be the same? And the one after that?"
Mewtwo stared at her.
"We won't be as flawed as our predecessors!" snarled the Charizard
"We're better in every way!" agreed Venusaur.
Blastoise concurred. "We won't lie, we won't cheat, we won't steal!"
"And yet, you will resort to murder, to killing everything!" Hanako roared at them all. She was getting tired of these moralistic arguments that boiled down to overly simplifying life. She not only tore holes in the argument, she ripped out its foundations and exposed its implications. "What kind of lesson do you think future generations will take from this? Is it the appropriate response to destroy everyone and everything because they aren't sufficiently moral? That any person, any being who commits an error should be put to death, for the good of everyone else? Would you kill your own children, your own friends if they were insufficiently perfect? Will you allow them to kill you if you stray out of line?"
Stop it! Mewtwo lashed out wildly, no doubt upset at having his entire plan ridiculed like it was.
Hanako leapt out of the way as Mewtwo's attacks attempted to pin her down. Like any child being told of their errors, their flaws, the Psychic-type did not want to listen. Unlike most, Mewtwo actually held the power advantage.
It hurt her really, to so verbally thrash someone like this, especially someone who had been twisted by a cruel upbringing. Yet, she wouldn't be a good mother if she didn't press forward, to lay discipline where it was needed - and Mewtwo was truly lacking in anything resembling good parenting.
The ground in front of her exploding, Hanako leapt right behind Mewtwo and delivered her killing blow.
"Would your friends accept a murderer?" Hanako snarled. She knew that because she had not maintained her conditioning, she could never defeat Mewtwo or any Legendary in any physical combat. That was why Mew chose her, despite the vast gulf of power; she understood how people thought, she could see how they functioned. This capability, this was how she made friends, but also tore down her enemies.
Mewtwo staggered back as if hit by a truck. I am no… murderer!
"Then what do you call yourself?" she spat right in his face, her mane sparking as she tried to push against the psychic barrier he maintained. "You plan to kill so many people, to cleanse the world. Would your friends have approved of this plan? Would they be exempt?"
They were perfect. Amber especially! And yet, Mewtwo practically radiated desperation as he threw Hanako off his shield.
"How long have you known them? Have they disappointed you? Have you learned something about them you didn't like?" Hanako hissed. No one has perfect friends because no one was perfect.
…Not long. Mewtwo admitted even as he attacked. But they deserved to live! We were created together, but they were taken from me before we could see the world together!
Hanako smashed through a wave of force. "And would they want you to destroy it?"
Mewtwo did not say anything as he continued to lash out.
The clones of the three Kanto starters were also uncomfortably silent.
Choosing her words carefully, Hanako made one last play. "Then why didn't you go see it for them? Why are you wasting your time doing this instead of honoring their memory?"
… A waste of time? Mewtwo sounded lost.
"Yes! All of this… stuff, what's it meant for? All you'll really accomplish is destroying the world that your friends wanted to see!" Hanako told her. "In my youth, I walked to a castle in the sky, witnessed waterfalls that flew upwards, I even went into the deepest depths of the ocean and beheld beauty that few others would ever hope to see. "
It sounds so beautiful… They would have liked to see that… Mewtwo's gaze turned upwards to the raging storm overhead and radiated a great shame through his psychic connection.
Hanako did not run to him. She instead slowly walked over. "I don't know your whole story, nor do I know your friends, but I've learned from a lifetime that you can't waste it mourning loss and grieving for things that can't be changed."
…How do you keep going forward, having lost before? Mewtwo voiced a question, like any child might when faced with something outside of their experience.
"By putting one foot in front of the other, but also making new friends." Hanako admitted as she sat her rear down. "It's always painful when it happens, when you have to say goodbye; either someone dies or they simply move apart from you. But that time you spent together with friends and family, even if you are separated by both time and space, that's something you can always carry with you, in your own heart."
Hanako raised a paw and presented Mewtwo with her Looplet. "In my case though, I have this to help remind me of my adventures." The orange gem on the Looplet glowed faintly. Hanako remembered a young Riolu who had become a Pokémon solely to find her; he gave her her name back and reminded her of who she truly was. They went on one final adventure together, returning home to Pallet Town in the process; she missed him most of all.
I wish I had more memories of my friends… Mewtwo said as he looked into the gemstone. He looked at his hands as a soft rain fell from overhead. I… am alone. I had forgotten about it, but I… am without anyone else. All I have are scant memories of those that were created alongside me.
"No," Hanako shifted her gaze behind her, towards the gathering of clones. "You aren't alone, I can see right here many people concerned for your well being. You brought them into this world, they want to share it with you."
She got out of the way as Charizardthree, Blastoisethree, and Venusaurthree approached Mewtwo and wrapped him in a hug.
They sounded worried for him, each of them vowing to see the world that Amber and the others could not have.
Then came the rest of his creations, surrounding the Psychic-type and lending him their support.
Mewtwo grabbed onto them all as best as he could, letting himself feel the love of his friends for the first time.
Hanako waited for a moment before deciding that the battle truly was over. Mewtwo's rage had been quelled and from here would come the lengthy process of rehabilitation. Mewtwo was not currently a threat. "Mewtwo, if you need a place to stay for a while, I can offer you some support and guidance, if you want it."
Mewtwo did not turn to her, still entrapped within his friends. I almost wish that people forgot about this day. It would be simpler if no one else remembered but us or today's events.
"And you'd be fine with someone taking away an important memory of your life?"
I… need to reconsider that then. I may need that guidance you offer more than I thought.
Mewtwo sounded flustered.
"Good," Hanako nodded her head and decided that this would have to do for now. "I need to attend to my son."
Mewtwo only weakly waved a hand as Hanako departed.
"Mom!" Ash cried out as he ran to meet her.
Her little cub wrapped his hands around Hanako's neck.
"I was so worried! But you're so… so amazing!" Ash said. He wept tears from his eyes. "I didn't know you were so cool- Gah, I didn't mean like that!"
Hanako made a small chuckle. Oh, her precious cub. With an instinctive urge, he did something that she could have never have done as a human. She licked her most precious child in the face and rubbed her neck against his.
"Gah!" Ash giggled.
"Ash's Mom!" Pikachu sat atop her son's shoulder. "Can I be like you? You're the strongest Electric-type I have ever seen!"
She squinted an eye. "Don't think I've forgotten what you did when we first met!"
"Ash put me on a leash!" Pikachu said. "It was so embarrassing!"
Laughing, Hanako raised her Looplet and undid the spell that Mew wrought.
Delia became a human woman in her early thirties once again. The world dulled a bit, returning to its natural shades. Her naturally powerful muscles faded away, leaving her weaker, but more flexible. Her body ached slightly as the adrenaline faded. She grabbed onto her son and wrapped him a hug. "If I wasn't told better, I'd be grounding you right about now, little mister."
"Hey, how was I supposed to know that I'd be fighting for my life?" Ash pouted. "I wasn't expecting to face a Legendary Pokémon!"
Delia rolled her eyes. Honestly, so many of her own battles against Legendaries happened by complete happenstance. Hopefully, her son didn't get the same ridiculous luck she had. "If this ends up becoming a recurring problem, I'm either to ground you or whip you into shape!"
"Aw, Mom!" Ash made a groan.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu laughed at his expense.
"That was some really impressive fighting you did there, Miss Ketchum!" Misty said as she walked over, Togepi in her arms. "You were really strong!"
"Well, to tell you the truth, I've really let myself go," Delia smirked. "You should have seen in my glory days, when I was just a bit older than the three of you!"
"Who trained you?" Brock asked. "I mean, uh…I guess you weren't a trainer's Pokémon."
"Team Go-Getters did!" Delia smiled. "But that's a story for another time!" It was hard to forget the three of them; Sheldon recruited her as an additional member of their group the moment she told him she was human, too, even if she couldn't remember anything else.
The other humans in the room were also commenting, wondering just what they witnessed. Others, like her son's favorite stalkers, instead slowly backed away.
"She's looking at us," said the girl.
"Ya know, let's get outta here before she decides ta chomp on us!" Meowth said.
"Aw, but aren't you supposed to talk to your clone?" said the blue-haired boy.
"If ya wanna fight world's strongest mom-mon! Den go right ahead!" Meowth hissed.
Even Ash's Charizard seemed to regard her warily.
For a moment, Delia considered letting Mewtwo wipe everyone's minds, but then she decided that she was going to have to come clean eventually. Hopefully, Mew didn't cause any trouble.
"Aw, Mom, this is so embarrassing!" Ash told his mother as the Luxray licked the little Shinx's fur. He sat on her mother's front legs, trapped there by her grip.
"You wanted to be a Pokémon and part of doing that is learning to do your own hygiene my little cub," Hanako told her son in between licks. She bit and licked at his fur, cleaning it out to the best of her abilities. "Trust me when I say that it's better than bathing."
"Misty and Brock don't have to put up with this," the little Shinx. He turned towards Pikachu. "Not a word!"
Pikachu rolled on his back and giggled.
"Some friend you are!" Ash continued to spat.
But Pikachu continued to laugh.
Professor Oak walked over to them, a clipboard in his hands. "Delia, are you willing to… uh converse with me?"
Hanako smiled. It seemed like business was calling.. Content with her work, she let go of her son. "There, see how clean you are now?"
Ash leapt out of her grasp and shook himself.
Pikachu leapt over to his friend and grabbed hold of his head. "Hey, let's go shock Misty while she's swimming!"
Ash grew a leonine smirk. "That's a great idea! She'll never see us coming!"
Hanako smiled as the two Electric-types leapt away and ran out the door, eager to play with their friends.
Hanako became Delia once more and let out a laugh as she rose off the floor.
"Every time I see you do that, I'm wondering if anyone will ever take me seriously again," Professor Samuel Oak chuckled at his own expense. "I'm going to have a hard time getting people to believe that I met a Mew because she worked at your restaurant, let alone convince the scientific community that people could magically turn into Pokémon."
"Well, your speciality is in Pokémon and human relationships," Delia laughed. "So, this has to be a breakthrough."
"I'm sincerely considering accepting Mew's offer just so I could have a first hand glimpse onto what's happening," Samuel Oak commented. "How does it… feel anyways?"
"Natural, though I think that might be because I've spent whole years as a Pokémon." Delia looked down at her Looplet. She hadn't taken it off since the other day and since then, she had gone back and forth between her two forms. "I wasn't expecting Mew to give my son or his friends Looplets or Emeras."
"I wasn't expecting her in your diner!" Professor Oak said as he looked through his clipboard. "I honestly thought you had turned into a Mew because she lied about it."
"That is like her," Delia muttered. "So, what's going to happen to Mewtwo and the clones?"
"Well, legally, we're supposed to treat them as Pokémon. There's no real reason not to," Professor Oak turned a page. "But Lance and the others want to speak with Mewtwo about his experiences, maybe they can bring his creators to justice."
"I can go talk to him, see if he's willing to try that." Delia nodded. "He doesn't trust humans much, but he's slowly getting better at it."
Professor Oak nodded his head. "That's probably the best we can do. So far, he and the others have been fairly docile while in here, though I don't encounter him much."
He then made a laugh. "So, how long do you intend on hiding the fact that you can turn into a Luxray?"
"Maybe a little longer," Delia smirked. Though, with the other witnesses to the event, it was only a matter of time before the cat was out of the bag. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason. Lance just tells me that he wants to know about the trainer who fought Mewtwo to a standstill and whether or not they'd be interested in filling that vacant Elite Four slot. They'd also want to know your history and accomplishments..."
"Hm, do you think explaining Mystery Dungeons or turning into Pokémon would be easier?" Delia mused. "They'd probably accept that I fought and beat Kyogre, but I think they'd have a really hard time accepting that a Shinx did that."
"I'm still wrapping my head around the idea that Pokémon can form multi-species guilds if there's enough money to justify it." Samuel Oak rubbed at his temples. "It's so much all at once, that if you had talked about earlier, we might have said you needed psychiatric help. Just the entire part of you thinking of yourself as having a different name while you're a Luxray alone…"
"And that's why I didn't tell anyone else."
An alternate universe oneshot where Delia Ketchum is also an elite Pokemon Mystery Dungeon protagonist. My thinking was that since Ash's story is that he's someone who dealt the regions and stories of the mainline series games and went through them all until he retired, Delia or Hanako had the same thing happen, in that her adventures were an adaptation of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games.