Chapter 18: For the greater good

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NOW – ALOLA


"Give him time", Nurse Joy said as she left the room. "It'll take a while for him to gain his energy back."

Kukui just nodded numbly. They had Ash laid down on one of the beds in Aether's hospital wing, tucked between soft blankets and lush pillows and Pikachu's sleeping form. Besides a slight fever, he had been nearly fully healed by Nurse Joy's Blissey – and, as Kukui suspected, helped along by Mewtwo itself. Now, it was just a waiting game of when he would eventually wake up.

Kukui had been healed up too, though unfortunately no amount of healing power could make him forget the horrifying minutes he'd gone through inside the conservatory area. That final flash of light had been permanently burned into his retinas, and every time he closed his eyes, that scene would play again and again on the inside of his eyelids. He knew those memories would be haunting him for the years to come.

Kukui picked up one of Ash's hands into his. His skin was warm and dry, no longer unhealthily pale or covered in mud and dirt and blood. There were multiple scars littering his arm though, light and faded and clearly healed up a long time ago. It was obvious he'd not always been able to get medical help as swiftly and comprehensively as he had this time.

He'd been out there for years, saving others by any means necessary.

Over the years, Ash had told Kukui about the many incredible travels and encounters he'd experienced, multiple people from Ash's life had called him special and unique, and even first-hand Kukui had seen Ash do impossible things – but still, it was only now settling into his heart what all of that truly meant.

Kukui was never going to have him all to himself. Ash was on this Earth to make it a better place for everyone.

"Rest up, kiddo", he murmured to Ash. "I'll be here when you wake up."

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It took a couple of more hours for Ash to start stirring from his sleep. Kukui stayed mostly by his side, other than briefly going to see Burnet and the students to show them that he was all right. Lance had taken most of the responsibility on himself to explain what had been going on to the rest of the group, while Tobias recovered from his leg injury. Nanu had retreated with the prisoners to call backup for transporting Miriam, Faba, and the rest of the gang as far away from The Paradise as possible, as soon as possible.

"Hey, Professor", Ash mumbled, startling Kukui from his thoughts. He focused back on Ash, smiling in a way he hoped was reassuring. Ash was looking up at him sleepily, only a slight feverish shine in his eyes.

"Hey, Ash. How are you feeling?"

Ash rubbed at his eyes, squinting briefly at the ceiling. "Pretty good, I guess. What…" His eyes moved around in thought, a slight frown forming on his face. "What happened? Did I… Did Mewtwo get away?"

Kukui grabbed his hand, brushing his thumb over his knuckles. "Yes, it did. And it was very grateful."

Ash nodded to himself. "Well, good."

Kukui sighed. He didn't have the heart to scold Ash for his reckless actions, not this time, but he had to make sure Ash knew how much he'd scared him.

"I know you didn't see another way in the moment, but that could have gone so terribly wrong, Ash. For a second, I thought we'd lost you."

Ash shrugged slightly. "I wasn't sure if destroying that strange poke ball would release Mewtwo, but I had to try it. I don't think poke balls can be very easily destroyed, but if anyone could do it, it would be Mewtwo, right?"

Kukui suppressed a grimace. So it wasn't a heat of the moment thing – no, Ash had planned from the beginning to run in front of Mewtwo's most powerful attack. He'd seen Miriam holding the poke ball and ordered Pikachu to rush Miriam and slam it away from her grip so he could get it instead, fully intending to use himself as bait to try to have it destroyed in that way.

What a crazy, crazy kid.

"I don't get how you come up with plans like that, but it certainly did the trick", he huffed, both impressed and exasperated. "Mewtwo realized you had good intentions, so it was able to save your life. It left soon after, taking most of the pokemon from the conservatory with it – those that wanted to go along with it to start a new life. Mewtwo told me it had been a captive ever since it was created, forced to obey Miriam. But now, it's finally free, thanks to you."

Ash grinned, though he still seemed exhausted. "Thant's good! And… how's everyone else? Tobias will be okay, right? And you fell thought the roof too, Professor. And- and how was Champion Lance here?"

Kukui held up his hand to calm him down. "Everyone's fine. Tobias is already back on his feet, as am I. Lance is here to help, since he knew some of what had happened with Miriam in the past. He and Nanu are handling everything to do with that from now on."

"Nanu?" Ash asked.

Kukui blinked stupidly, before remembering that this Ash wouldn't know anything about Kahuna Nanu. He chuckled softly. "Nanu is an Island Kahuna and a police officer on Ula'ula Island. I called him in earlier to help with the fight against Miriam and her goons."

"Cool", Ash said. "Glad everyone's okay."

"Me too", said Kukui softly.

Ash gnawed on his lip for a moment. "I was wondering…"

"Yes?"

"Do you… know a lot about Mewtwo, Professor?"

Kukui couldn't help the surprised breath he took. "Mewtwo?" he asked hoarsely. "No, not that much. They are clones of Mew, incredibly powerful, and experts think there are less than a handful of them ever created."

Ash looked thoughtful. "That was the second Mewtwo I've met."

Kukui tried not to stare. "The second? When did you…"

"It was when I was traveling with Misty and Brock", Ash explained. "Someone was trying to capture Mewtwo, so we helped it to get away."

Kukui remembered how this Mewtwo had seemed to know Ash from somewhere. 'There's a part of him in me', it had said. 'A part of him he had donated willingly to me years ago, before I even took my first breath.'

"Miriam's Mewtwo knew you", Kukui told Ash. "Do you think it could've been the same one?"

Ash looked up at him, startled. "It knew me? No, this wasn't the same one. Their voices were different."

"I see", Kukui said, his brow creasing. Then they must've met during whatever was happening to his Ash in the past. What had Ash 'donated' to Mewtwo? And why?

"Do you think it'll be okay?" Ash asked suddenly. "Mewtwo, I mean."

Kukui smiled. "I think so. There's plenty of space on Alola for it to settle down. Or it could travel even father. Maybe there's an uninhabited island close by that it can claim as its new home."

"I hope so", Ash muttered.

The door to the hospital room opened, and Burnet stepped in quietly.

"Is he-" she whispered to Kukui, before noticing that Ash's eyes were open. She hurried across the room.

"Ash!" Leaning over his bed, she brushed hair away from his forehead, leaving her hand there briefly to check for fever. "Thank the gods you're alright. You scared us so badly!"

"Sorry, Professor Burnet", Ash grumbled, so unserious and childish that it made something warm and happy spread inside Kukui's chest.

"He's still a bit hot", she said to Kukui, who nodded.

"Nurse Joy said that it's normal. His body went through a big shock and is still recovering, even though physically he's fine."

"I guess it's lucky we were here at Aether", Burnet said. "So help was close by."

"That's true. And how are the other kids?" Kukui asked her, taking her hand in his. "Still doing alright?"

Burnet laughed shortly. "Yeah, they are fine. But I contacted their parents and told them briefly about what had happened, and that wasn't fun." She noticed Kukui's incredulous look, and hurried to add, "Not anything about Ash or time travel or anything specific about the situation. Just that there was an attack on Aether by pokemon hunters, so we are ending the school trip short and traveling back tomorrow."

"Right", Kukui said. "Good. Perhaps we can go ahead and start the summer holidays a bit early this year."

Burnet grinned. "I'd like that." She turned to look at Ash. "You'd like it too, wouldn't you, Ash?"

But Ash looked distracted. "What? He muttered.

Abruptly, his eyes widened in alarm, and he went white, like he was about to be sick. Kukui's grip on his hand tightened on instinct and he leaned closer, concern flaring up.

"Ash?"

Burnet jumped up. "I'll get Nurse Joy", she said briskly and hurried off.

Kukui stayed, frozen in place. Ash stared up at him with a strange look on his face, but Kukui wasn't sure he was seeing anything anymore. Seconds later, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted, going completely limp against the bed.

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THEN – KANTO


They weren't in the same forest anymore. They weren't even in Sinnoh anymore.

Ash staggered, suddenly standing on his own without Brock there to support him and looked around blankly. He took a step and almost fell, before someone grabbed him around the chest and hoisted him up.

"Easy, Ash", Kidd said quietly. She lowered him down, and Ash sat on the familiar, living, breathing floor of the Tree of Beginning and felt a dire sense of dread in his heart.

There was debris everywhere – remnants of Hunter J's attack just days before – and a soft, constant wail of pain could be heard from all around them.

"What's happening?" Ash asked, throat constricting around the words. "Where're Brock and May and Max?"

Kidd shook her head slowly. "Somewhere safe, I hope."

Pikachu jumped on Ash's lap, and he pat it gently, and then lifted his head and saw Lucario.

It kneeled by Sir Aaron's time flower, its expression serious and eyes far away. Next to it lay Mew, limp and faded and weak. The Tree wailed around them, dying along with its soul, and a sense of déjà vu hit Ash with the force of a gigavolt havoc.

"No", he whispered, but he was too dazed to even get up to his knees. "Lucario-"

Pikachu whimpered, and its nails curled into the fabric of his pants, and Kidd put her hand on his shoulder – not roughly, but firmly enough to halt any movement he might attempt.

"It's Lucario's decision", she said softly.

"No", Ash said again. They were right back where it had started. Back where Lucario had died, all those years ago. Back where Ash had just days ago been given a second chance. And he had naively thought… Oh, how stupid he'd been. Stupid stupid stupid.

"I failed", he said, hollow in his realization. "I failed them."

Mew had done the impossible – made him travel through time to stop this from happening – but here they were again. Mew was dying, again, and so was Lucario. And this time, only one of them could live.

"Mew spent the last of its energy teleporting us away, to here, from that battle", Kidd said. "It chose this place for a reason, I'm sure. To set things back on track. I think… this is how it was mean to be."

Ash shook his head numbly. "No way. No way! All that happened and nothing's even gotten any better? We dunno if all the bad guys got arrested and Mewtwo is still missing, maybe captured, and Mew and the Tree are about to die again! There's no way this was what I was supposed to do here!" Ash was trembling when he paused to catch his breath.

Kidd crouched next to him, hand still on his shoulder. "Ash…"

"It can't be", Ash said, and wiped tears of frustration away from his eyes. "I missed something. I should've done something different or been better somehow. I-I should've…" Kidd squeezed his shoulder and Ash stopped talking, focusing on drawing a deeper breath.

Lucario had pulled Mew onto its lap, and it held its head gently between its paws, swirls of powerful healing aura surrounding them both. Ash watched, numb fingers buried in Pikachu's fur, as the life force drained and drained and drained from Lucario, streaming into Mew.

The Tree sang, and Ash could feel its gentle warmth building under him into something stronger. This ancient tree of Kanto was a protector of the many towns and forests that surrounded it. It was an essential part of what made his home region thrive and flourish.

It was absolutely necessary that it survived. And that meant that Mew needed to survive.

It is all right, Ash, Lucario hummed. It sounded hollow and faded, even in telepathy. It will be all right.

"Let me help", Ash said, eyes wide, hands grasping and nails scraping against the ground as he shook Kidd off and struggled to crawl towards Lucario and Mew. "Maybe we can- maybe neither of us has to-"

No, that would not work, Lucario said softly. Your aura is fraying. It is barely able to hold your physical form together. But Ash, do not fret. Once I heal Mew, it will do the rest. I assure that you – that everything will turn out all right.

It closed its eyes, allowing the last reserves of its energy to flow freely. The aura is with me, like it was with Aaron.

And Ash watched, on his hands and knees, trembling like a leaf in the winds of fall, as Lucario started glowing brighter and brighter, in that familiar luminous blue, before all of it transferred into Mew, surrounding it all over. Lucario grunted in pain, cracks like static wrecking its body.

Thank you, Ash… it whispered. Thank you for being so kind to me… And showing me how truly beautiful and wondrous the world has become. But I do not belong here, in this time, not like you do…

It groaned, struggling to stay upright as the painful shocks shot through it. Its form was now completely see-through, faintly glowing.

"Hang on, Lucario", Ash begged, reaching for its hand. "Don't leave us!"

I think… it is time for me to see my greatest friend, once again…

Ash barely had the strength to wipe the tears away from his eyes. "Lucario…"

Lucario looked up at him, a soft look in its eyes, like a smile.

I… I have to go, Ash. Aaron… is waiting for me.

It faded completely then, forming a circle of light, expanding, and casting the entire cavern in its glow. Mew rose along with it, its eyes opening and head turning as it stared right at Ash.

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And now, it spoke. You know.

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Ash blinked, and he was somewhere else.

In his room, back in Pallet town, sitting on the well-worn, pokemon-patterned blankets of his own childhood bed.

Startled, he sat back, looking around in confusion. "What-?"

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Don't be afraid, Ash Ketchum.

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Ash whipped his head around and spotted Mew, hovering inches off the shelf where he kept all his medals and trophies. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times before he spoke. "Mew?"

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I see you're confused, Mew said, and there was a glint of mirth in its eyes. Luckily, I knew you would be, and that is why I conjured this room around us, to make you feel more comfortable. I do hope it was of help.

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Ash drew a shaky breath, head still spinning from everything that had just happened with Lucario and now being in this space with Mew. He tried to wipe away the tears he knew still streaked his face, but his cheeks were completely dry under his trembling fingers.

"You conjured… W-what's going on? Where are we, then, really?"
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Mew's long tail whipped gently from side to side.

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In a small pocket of time and space, made just for us, so we may have a moment to speak.

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"Speak?" Ash asked. "Why?"

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You are deserving of an explanation what has happened to you over this recent passage of time. Of how and why you were brought back into your own past – and how you shall now go on with your future.

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Ash pressed his palms against the covers on his bed. The surface was smooth, almost silky, even though he knew how scratchy these particular sheets were in reality. The realization made his breath catch, and he suddenly missed home more that he'd ever had during his many travels.

"Sure", he muttered, through the painful lump in his throat. "I'd like to know."

Mew hummed, and it floated closer to the floor, the tips of its toes brushing against the carpet.

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Something happened that has never happened before. Each of the creation trio – Dialga, Palkia and Giratina – were warned in a vision of a terrible fate that was about to befall over the region of Sinnoh, and other regions as well, in the near future. It would all start with the capture of a Mew – and only get worse from there. Eventually, a human would be able to harness the full power of both Mew and Mewtwo, and she would rise to rule over the entire region and beyond. With the power of those two pokemon, she would then go against the creation trio themselves, and that battle would be devastating for the world itself.

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Mew sighed, floating closer to Ash's legs. Ash stared at it, trying to comprehend all that he just heard.

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It had to be prevented, Mew continued. There wasn't much time. They didn't know if there would be anything strong enough to stop that future from transpiring. As you probably guessed, it was my imminent capture that would begin this string of events. And… the closest guardian we had to that starting point was you, Ash.

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Ash swallowed, hands curling into fists. "Guardian?"

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A creature with strong enough soul, and a steady enough heart to go against all odds and stop these events from happening.

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"But-" Ash choked out. "I'm not-"

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You were strong, back then, Mew interrupted, when you traveled with your friends from Sinnoh. But not steady enough. So, I reached through the void of time and pulled forward your current self. Just a temporary switch, for just long enough for you to push those dark events off their course and towards a brighter future.

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Ash gnawed on his lip, though there was no pain he could feel. "So…" he muttered. "It was never about saving Lucario? It- it was going to die, no matter what?"

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Mew shook its head slowly. It was never about anything particular. The only thing we were hoping you would be able to do was to stop that hunter from gaining all the power she was about to gain from having both me, and my child in her control. And, Ash Ketchum, you did the impossible. You succeeded.

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Ash frowned, leaning his elbows against his knees. "She's still created Mewtwo. She was still able to do that."

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That doesn't matter, Mew replied. As we just left them, the hunter is weak, and her operation has been all but destroyed. Mewtwo is an unruly captive, and it will take her years to rebuild and even begin to bend it to her will. You will see, once you get back to your own time, that in the end her efforts amounted next to nothing.

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Ash was too exhausted to feel any real relief hearing that. "I'm glad… I guess", he said quietly. "I'm just… I just hope everyone is alright… And that Lucario…" He closed his eyes, feeling the familiar prickle of tears behind his eyelids. He was trembling slightly, tired, and dismayed and sorrowful.

"Why's my memory different?" he asked then. "Why do I remember Lucario dying in a different way in my past?"

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You are now switching back to your own body and time, Mew explained. Meanwhile, your younger mind is traveling back – but, it is not advised for a human to know too much about their own future. That is why I will mix and meddle with your – and your companions' – memories so the events that happened between the two different days at the Tree of Beginning will be forgotten, and you will all wake up thinking they were just continuation of the same event. Your younger self will forget his time in Alola, and your friends will forget everything they experienced during these past three days in Sinnoh with you.

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"So…" Ash mumbled, his head hurting from trying to take in all the new information. "All of… this… had already happened while I was in Alola with Professor Kukui? And I just didn't remember it. I had already been to Alola before? Brock and the others had gone through all of this?" He stared at the floor blankly. "I- I guess that explains why all of our memories from the Tree and the following days were so blurry…"

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Yes, the merged memories won't turn out perfect. You and your companions might be able to recall some things in time, but that, unfortunately cannot be prevented. The most important thing is that for now, you are able to continue on with your journey as normal, and eventually end up at the point where you were when I pulled you back in time.

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Ash buried his head in his hands. "I'm… oh man, Mew, that's a lot to take in." Breathing unsteadily, he squeezed his eyes shut against the rush of emotions.

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I will heal your physical body, Mew continued. Replenish your aura and fill your immediate needs. But any other struggles you might face following this experience… those you'll have to find your own way through.

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Ash nodded into his hands. Mew took pity in him, placing a gentle paw on his knee.

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Rest now, child. You have done a great service to the world. And the world shall be eternally grateful to you.

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There was an intense feeling of vertigo, of the world giving out under his feet, and when Ash next opened his eyes, he was laying on a different bed, and Professor Kukui was gazing down at him with concern.