Chapter 15: Crash and burn
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NOW – ALOLA
"No", Kukui said. "No, wait. Let's start from the beginning."
But Tobias was already looking over the edge of the roof, brow creased. "We don't have much time", he warned. "She's preparing to come after us."
Kukui stalked towards him, hands clenched into fists. "Miriam's your sister?" he demanded. "You just said your sister is the one coming after Ash! You really didn't think to admit this any earlier?"
Grimacing in pain, Tobias turned on his good leg to face him and raised one hand in front of him. "I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this", he grunted. "I haven't seen her in years, not since our mother died – but we really can't discuss this right-"
There was a flash in the corner of Kukui's eye, and when he looked over, he startled and almost stumbled back in shock as Miriam teleported near them with a gardevoir at her side.
Pikachu jumped from Ash's arms, standing tense and dangerous between her and its trainer. Miriam's eyes narrowed as she gazed at Ash, Kukui and Tobias.
"You really are only making this harder for yourselves."
Tobias limped up next to Kukui. "Why Ash?" he asked. "We know he has aura, but there are pokemon way stronger than him who can use their aura better and more efficiently. You won't need a kid to do that for you."
Miriam laughed, but it sounded off. "I see you still don't know everything that happened back then", she said in a mocking tone. "I've been following his career all these years while we were rebuilding everything from scratch. I've seen the things he's capable of. I've seen the way the world moves around him."
Kukui felt frozen, while Ash worriedly asked, "What's that even mean?"
Miriam grinned, all teeth. "Why don't you ask him?"
And to Kukui's horror, she pointed straight at him.
"The Professor?" Ash said, blinking. "Why?"
"Why?" Miriam repeated. "I bet he's been watching you real close these past years. I bet he's been real interested in your collection of rare pokemon and your innate ability to, oh, I don't know, attract legendaries?"
Kukui could see Ash silently mouthing attract legendaries, eyes widening at the edges, and he stepped forwards with his hands raised.
"Stop right there", he snapped, anger rising. "That's enough. We're putting an end to your operation – and this time for good."
Miriam laughed – sharp and high, almost manic. "Who's we, Prof? I only see you and my pathetic little brother over here. I'm not exactly scared."
"Hey!" Ash exclaimed, before Kukui could get a word in. "I'm here too!"
Kukui reached out and put a hand on his shoulder before he could stop himself. "Ash- I think you should-"
Ash jumped back, eyes flashing, hand on his belt. "No way! We went over this, right? I can fight. This is about me, isn't it?"
"This isn't just any pokemon battle", Kukui said desperately. "They are here to kidnap you!"
Ash's brow furrowed, like he still didn't get it. "I've been kidnapped before, and it was all fine afterwards."
Miriam burst out laughing again, while Kukui and Tobias just stared at him speechless.
"Now I remember why I liked you!" Miriam snickered. Pikachu's tail curled around Ash's calf.
"What did you mean?" Ash shot back. "About the legendaries?"
Miriam grinned. "I can tell you all about it if you come with me. I believe we have a lot to talk about."
She looked at the gardevoir by her side, and Kukui jumped into action, throwing a poke ball his own.
"Gardevoir, te-"
"Incineroar, throat chop!"
Incineroar was on Gardevoir before it could execute the teleport. Miriam stumbled back in shock as Gardevoir was thrown across the rooftop, tumbling into the middle of the large skylight window that covered the conservatory area below.
"Now, blast burn!" Kukui yelled, and Incineroar sent a scorching flame at the stunned psychic.
"Dodge it!" Miriam screeched, but Gardevoir was too slow. It wailed as the blast burn hit it full on.
Miriam ran across the glass towards the struggling pokemon. "Hold on! Get us farther away!"
There was a flash as Miriam and Gardevoir disappeared and appeared all the way to the other side of the rooftop.
"Hey!" Ash exclaimed and started sprinting toward them. Right then, the door to the rooftop opened, and a half a dozen of Miriam's grunts tumbled onto the roof. "Boss!" they shouted. "We're here!"
Miriam was too far away for Kukui to see her expression, but her voice sounded annoyed as she yelled back, "Take care of those two!", pointing at Kukui and Tobias.
"With pleasure", one of the grunts grinned, throwing his poke ball. "Stunky! Use acid spray on that incineroar!" The rest of the grunts followed suit with their own pokemon, completely cornering Kukui and Tobias.
"Dodge it!" Kukui ordered. He glanced at Tobias, who had released his Darkrai and was preparing to battle despite still struggling to stand on his injured leg. "Can you fight?" he asked under his breath.
Tobias nodded – he was pale, his mouth pressed into a thin line. "Yes."
The grunts were fully between them and Ash – who had already sprinted to the middle of the skylight, ordering his pikachu to go against Miriam's gardevoir. Kukui could only hope he could handle himself for the time being.
"Use darkest lariat!" he commanded, moving his focus back to the battle at hand.
"Ice beam, Darkrai", Tobias muttered, and together they began working their way through the grunts that surrounded them.
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They had nearly cleared their way when Kukui's attention was drawn by the battle going on farther down the rooftop.
It was Ash's Pikachu and Lycanroc against Miriam's Gardevoir and Cresselia. But what had gotten Kukui's attention was the unmistakable glow of the Z-ring on Ash's wrist.
"Maybe I broke the electric crystal the other day", Ash was shouting, "but I found this one just for you and me, Pikachu! Let's try this out!"
He had pressed the pikashinium Z to the Z-ring and the energy was already flowing freely between him and his most trusted pokemon.
"What are you doing?" Miriam screamed. "What move is that?"
Ash stood steadily, his feet apart and jaw set – and with the roaring ocean below him and the thunderous clouds above him, there was certain electricity in the air that was not just from the worsening weather. Kukui knew his bond with Pikachu had strengthened during the past couple of days and besides, Ash had always been a swift learner when it came to pokemon moves.
His own battle completely forgotten, Kukui pushed past the equally stunned grunts and walked closer to observe the show of true power.
"Let's go, Pikachu", Ash said. "With our full power!"
"Pika!"
It was a sight to see. Incredible power – ten-million-volt thunderbolt – and the stormy skies above only increased the effect. Miriam looked absolutely terrified as the attack built and built, as the sky opened above them, and-
"Mewtwo!" Miriam screamed, throwing yet another poke ball – an ultra ball. "Counter that!"
Kukui stumbled back in shock. Mewtwo? He had never seen-
"Ten-million-volt thunderbolt! Let's go!" Ash yelled, and the power surged forward. Mewtwo, the ultimate pokemon, floated towards it, its palms raised and covered in swirling purple light, and as the unstoppable force met the immovable object, the result was an earth-shattering explosion.
Well, Kukui thought numbly, as the glass skylight fractured below his feet, earth-shattering was quite the perfect word for it.
He caught a look from Ash, wide-eyed, seeming more perplexed rather than horrified, before the glass finally caved in with an ear-piercing crash – and he, along with Ash, Miriam and their pokemon, were falling straight into the conservatory down below.
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THEN – SINNOH
The medic was swift and efficient, but not that gentle.
She made quick work of Ash's face, disinfectant still stinging on his skin as she slapped a bandaid over his cheekbone, and then moved on to comb through his dirty, tangled hair.
"Oh, my", she tutted, as her thin comb barely made it through the tufts of matted hair. "You have such thick hair. You should take better care of it."
"I usually do", Ash muttered.
It almost felt nice. Ash closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of someone taking care of him, if even just for a moment. It felt like a lifetime ago when Burnet last brushed his hair, buried her hand in it a ruffled it just like his mom liked to do when he'd been smaller.
The medic soon found the wound in there – just a shallow cut, nothing to worry about – and squirted disinfectant there too. She wiped most of it away, taking the trail of blood with it, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Well done, that's the worst of it done", she said kindly. As if she'd expected him to flinch or squirm or complain. "Now, look over here for me."
Amenably, Ash stared into the middle distance as she shone a penlight into each of his eyes.
"Any nausea or dizziness?" she asked.
Ash shook his head. Not anymore.
"Try to follow my finger with your eyes."
Ash did, to the best of his ability.
The medic seemed satisfied. "He's fine", she told Miriam. "A tough one, this. Just let him get a proper good night's sleep in before his first mission."
"What about his arm?" Miriam asked, and the medic checked his forearm (just scrapes) and then under the fraying gauze wrapped around his shoulder and upper arm. She looked surprised, seeing the mostly healed puncture-wounds, but Ash didn't explain, and she didn't ask. She applied something that felt cold and soothing against his skin and wrapped it back up with clean gauze.
"Come see me tomorrow", the medic instructed. "I'll check how these are healing up."
Ash almost didn't know how to deal with this stranger being so kind to him, deep in this odd, dangerous place. "O-okay", he said, surprised. "Thanks."
To Miriam, the medic snapped, "Now, get some food in this boy. He's about to fall over!"
"I'm fine", Ash said, unconvincingly, and Miriam pursed her lips, unconvinced.
"We're in a bit of a hurry, but sure. Let's take a detour to the cafeteria."
She had unlocked the band from around his body for the checkup and didn't put it back as she led Ash away from the med bay. Ash rolled his shoulders as they walked. He was feeling much better now that his arms were free, and he didn't feel so beaten up anymore. His aura, too, had settled into a steady hum, curing the worst of his headache right away.
Despite his earlier pleas, Lucario had been taken to a different room away from Ash, and no matter how much he'd asked they wouldn't tell him where it was. But the visit to the medic had taken a while, so he decided to try again.
"So… What about Lucario?" he asked cautiously.
"Don't worry, we got it fully healed", Miriam said. "It needs to be at full strength for the next part."
Ash didn't like the sound of that, but he bit on his lip and kept walking. At the end of the hall, Miriam let him in ahead of her into an empty cafeteria, and Ash waited at a table as she picked up a couple of sandwiches and a bottled juice.
With a reluctant sort of intent, she dropped the provisions in front of Ash and sat down opposite of him. She glared away from him, towards the doorway, while Ash unwrapped the food and dug in with enthusiasm. A leathery beef sandwich had never tasted as good.
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Once Ash was done eating, Miriam told him to follow, and they started down another hallway.
"So…" Ash began, when their silence stretched, and his curiosity finally got the best of him. "What do you need me and Lucario for?"
Miriam gave him a sideways glance. "You'll see soon."
Ash was starting to get really annoyed about not getting any straight answers. These people treated him like nothing but a pawn in their games and that wouldn't do. He was also playing to win.
So, he prodded, "What's that project about? That M2?"
Miriam stopped in her tracks and turned around to face him. Her expression was tight, unreadable. Ash quickly shut his mouth and stood to attention.
"You are a strange one, Ash Harrison", she said after a moment. She sounded intrigued, like she was trying to figure out an interesting puzzle.
Ash swallowed. "Strange?"
"I can't quite figure you out", Miriam said. "I wonder if you really are who you say you are."
"H-how come?"
Miriam huffed. "You fit the description of a beginner trainer perfectly well, but there's something about you that seems… I don't know. Experienced."
Ash slouched his shoulders a bit, tried to look more nervous. He had probably been getting too bold.
"I dunno really what you mean", he replied warily. "Sorry if I asked the wrong thing or anything, I got curious. But I'm really just gonna do what you tell me to do 'cause I don't wanna get me or Lucario hurt."
"You have a strong aura", Miriam continued, ignoring him. "Exceptionally so. You probably could take me out with it right now if you wanted to. But you wouldn't, right?" She smiled, sharp as a knife's edge. "Because we have your lucario."
Ash recoiled, suddenly on edge, hands balling into fists at his sides. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You are terrified", Miriam said, watching him like an interesting specimen in a terrarium. "But not for yourself. You're terrified for your pokemon."
Ash stared at her. "Of course I'm worried for Lucario! What's that got to do with anything?"
"Oh, a lot, actually", Miriam replied, something dangerous in her voice. "Almost anyone in your position would prioritize their own survival, especially over a mere pokemon. A kid like you should be crying and begging for their freedom they just had brutally taken away. And-" She lashed her hand through the air, showing him the empty corridor they were in, "your aura clearly is strong enough, and your mind is clear enough to attack me in this deserted hall, but you haven't. Why? What is your goal?"
She advanced on Ash, and Ash stepped back, away and away from her until his back hit a wall.
Miriam leaned over him, and snarled, "Why are you really here?"
Agitated, Ash raised his hands in front of him, ready to push her away if necessary. "I already told you, didn't I!" he shouted. "Lucario's all I've got! If I don't save it, then it doesn't even matter if I get out or not!"
It was surprisingly easy to lie. Ash couldn't think of a scenario where he would rather run away than help his friend who was in trouble, so sticking with the cover story felt natural. Hearing how Miriam spoke about pokemon, how lowly she clearly though of them and their worth – well, it pissed him of. It majorly pissed him off.
Miriam surged, grabbing both his shoulders and pressing him against the wall. "I don't believe you, you brat!"
Ash felt his aura flare up. Before he could accidentally hurt Miriam, he gritted his teeth and dropped down, throwing himself to the side and half ran, half crawled down the hall to get away from her. He stopped a few paces away, both hands extended straight in front of him. Miriam was facing him in a similar position, face set in furious lines and an aura-emitter trained at him but not activated.
"Wait, stop!" Ash panted, heart racing. "Stop, okay?"
"Who are you?" Miriam demanded. "Answer me!"
"What are you gonna do with Lucario?" Ash yelled back. "Whatever it is, let me help! I've got aura too, so let me take its place! If this project M2 is-"
He chocked to a stop. He stared at Miriam, eyes widening as realization hit him. He felt his face paling, and his legs went numb under him, and he was suddenly frozen.
"M2", he repeated in a whisper. "Mewtwo. You're gonna create a Mewtwo."
Miriam regarded him coldly, but her hand holding the weapon wavered. "What do you know about Mewtwo?"
Ash was breathing hard. "When?" he asked. "When are you gonna create it?"
"It's already happening", Miriam said, and Ash's arms dropped, hanging slack by his sides. "It's already been going on for two days."
"No", Ash choked out. "W-why?"
It wasn't really a question, but Miriam answered him anyway.
"Isn't it obvious?" she scoffed, and… it was. Ash squeezed his eyes shut. It was always the same with people like her. It was always about the power and the money and the control. It was always the same, and no matter how hard Ash fought against any of them, there was always another to take over.
Two days. It had been going on for two days. Would it be too late to stop it already?
"And what's Lucario got to do with it?" Ash asked quietly.
Miriam eyed him incredulously. "Oh, what the hell", she huffed then. "You said you'd be willing to take its place. Well, it might just work. If you really want to see it, then follow me."
She turned on her heel and started walking away. Ash stared after her a moment before sprinting to catch up, though he stayed a half a step behind her. "What do you mean?", he demanded. "Where is it?"
"Normally, it takes a long time to create a fully formed Mewtwo", Miriam said, and Ash struggled to keep up with the change of topic. "According to the research made by our scientists, the last and only previous Mewtwo was held in a growth tank for years until it was strong and mature enough to break into the world by itself. That Mewtwo ended up destroying the entire lab with its uncontrollable fury."
"Giovanni's Mewtwo", Ash muttered half to himself.
Miriam glanced at him sideways. "So you know, then. It's a difficult process and has been attempted numerous times since – unsuccessfully. There aren't many who know cloning techniques well enough to even have a decent chance. But-" She smirked and lifted her chin, "we figured it out. And it's not going to take years, this time. I think we can finish it today."
Ash nearly stumbled over his feet in his shock. "Today?"
Miriam nodded. "When you think about it, it's not that complicated. A Mewtwo is a clone of Mew, but it's also something different. It's one of the strongest pokemon imaginable, so what would we need to speed up the creation of one?" She paused, and for a second or two Ash could only hear his own thunderous heartbeat.
Miriam continued, "Well, a lot of energy. A lot of that certain natural, innate power that all pokemon hold, though some more than others." She grabbed Ash's arm, pulling him to a stop. They stood in front of a doorway, and she pushed through, taking Ash with her.
"Maybe you figured it out already", she said, as Ash took in everything he was seeing in front of him. The wires and the lab equipment and the several huge tanks that filled the room.
And Lucario, hanging suspended in thick liquid in one of the tanks, connected to another tank that held inside it a nearly fully formed Mewtwo.
"Lucario!" Ash exclaimed, ignoring Miriam and the several scientists that were working in the lab minding the tanks and the wires, and sprinted across to lean against the glass. "Lucario!"
It didn't move, floating there limply, its eyes half closed. Ash's rapid breath fogged against the glass.
"It can't hear you", Miriam said, appearing behind his shoulder. Ash jumped back, fists raised in front of him. "You see, your lucario is donating its tremendous aura for a greater purpose. For the creation of the most magnificent pokemon of all – Mewtwo!"
"N-no", Ash rasped, and the louder, "No, stop, it's gonna die if you continue! Use mine! You said you could use mine instead!" He spread his arms, desperate, leaning against Lucario's tank. "Please, you said you could-!"
"Calm down", Miriam snapped, and Ash bared his teeth at her. "I'll keep my word. I can take your life force instead, if you're so desperate to get rid of it."
Ash glared after her as she stepped away to talk to one of the scientists. The lab-coated man glanced at him in clear shock but didn't object Miriam's orders.
"Prepare the secondary donor tank for a change of subject", she told them, and while the staff started working on removing Lucario, Ash took the moment to look around more.
There was another tank behind the one that held Lucario. And there was something small floating in it. Something tiny and delicate, with a long tail that nearly reached the bottom of the tank. Mew.
"Mew…" he whispered. Quietly, he walked up to the tank. Mew was pale and unmoving, almost translucent in its exhaustion. Its eyes were closed, and its paws loosely curled over its chest. It looked nearly dead.
Ash turned, furious now, to stare at Miriam. "What about Mew?" he yelled. "What's happening to Mew?"
Miriam's expression was cold. "Mew is the main donor. Its DNA matches almost perfectly to Mewtwo's, and so does its aura – and it has a lot of it. That's how we've managed to get a nearly fully formed Mewtwo in just two days. Now, we just need the last push, the last bits of energy – and you may be just what we need to achieve success today."
"You're hurting it!" Ash shouted, too desperate to care anymore about any kind of caution. "Can't you see it's almost dead?"
"That was a sacrifice we were willing to make", Miriam said bluntly. "But hopefully, with your and Lucario's contribution we can manage save its life."
They didn't care if they killed Mew, Ash realized. They only cared about creating Mewtwo as fast as possible. He felt sick. Realizing he only had minutes left to act, he fumbled for the bracelet around his wrist and pressed the button there.
An odd sense of relief filled him. It was done. No matter what was about to happen next, at least it might put an end to this inhumane experiment.
The lab team had lifted Lucario out of the tank and were laying it down onto the tiled floor. It was limp and unconscious, only the barest movement of its chest telling Ash it wasn't completely gone yet.
Ash set his jaw and stood up straight.
"Hurry up then", he said, and his voice was even. Most certainly sounding stronger than he felt, in that moment. "Hurry up and put me in there." Before it's too late for Mew, he finished in his head.
Miriam scoffed, but the curios look didn't leave her eyes as she instructed the scientists to prepare him for submersion. Determined not to waver, Ash stood perfectly still as they fitted him with an IV and a breathing mask, and then made him walk up the scaffolding that led to the top of the tank.
"In you go", the lab-coated man said, and Ash only hesitated for the briefest second before scooting over the edge and dropping down into the depths.
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floooopmh
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It was an odd feeling.
As the viscous liquid filled his ears, all the outside sounds got suddenly muffled. He felt heavy and light all over, felt like floating and under immense pressure at the same time. Eyes tightly shut, he held his breath until he no longer could, and it felt almost wrong to draw in a full breath while completely submerged.
Slowly, he opened his eyes too.
Everything was distorted and colored pale yellow. The liquid stung his eyes at first until he forced himself to adjust, and then he could see the hazy forms of Miriam and the scientists moving around behind the glass walls of his tank. His own assisted breathing roared in his ears like the waves of a thundering ocean.
Time lost all meaning. Something cold trickled through the IV below his elbow, and Ash found himself fading. Fading and fading until there was no longer a lab around him, no longer a sting in his eyes or the pressure of the mask around his face. Until… he was no longer.
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who are you?
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Ash opened his eyes to a different world.
He was floating – flying – and the sun was bright above him.
He wasn't alone.
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how did you get here?
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Ash looked around. He was with… oh. He was with Mew and Mewtwo, and the two pokemon were watching him carefully.
The sun didn't give away any warmth, and the colors of the nature around him were slightly wrong, like in a child's coloring book.
Ash realized he didn't need to breathe.
"My name's Ash", he said, and his voice sounded floaty and hollow. The two pokemon startled a little, backing away.
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why are you here?
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Ash shrugged. "I wanted to help."
Mew and Mewtwo floated a little closer. Mew reached its paw toward him and touched his face gently. Ash could feel a shiver go down his spine, all the way to the tips of his toes.
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You are weakening, human.
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Mewtwo was watching him closely. Ash could feel its strength in his bones – its overwhelming aura and the immense psychic powers it held.
It was getting harder to focus.
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why would you put yourself through this for a mere clone?
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Ash fought. Against the exhaustion and the confusion that was taking over. Fought to stay for a moment longer.
"There's nothing wrong with being a clone", he forced out. His eyes rolled, and he stared at the imaginary sun to keep himself awake. "There's nothing wrong with you, Mewtwo."
He closed his eyes.
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Mewtwo?
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Ash nodded.
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and what is my purpose?
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Ash had no more words. His fingers were numb, and his body curled inwards against his will, and he knew he was nearly gone.
As long as Mew and Mewtwo would live, it would be okay.
Yeah.
It would be-
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CRASSSHHH!
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All the tanks in the lab exploded – and Ash came back to awareness as he hit the floor, soaked and covered in glass shards – and a fully formed Mewtwo standing right above him.
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note
Ash doesn't remember what happened to him in the first movie, but (for the purpose of this fic at least) he learned the basics about Giovanni's actions and that particular Mewtwo during the events of the special "Mewtwo Returns".