Traveler Chapter 19: The Genesis, a pokémon fanfic

Life is wonderful.

But why?

The slumbering creature awoke. Two eyes slowly slid open and for the first time saw the tiny world it inhabited.

Amber liquid surrounded it. Bubbles gently floated up. It felt panic. This was not familiar. What had happened to the abyss? What was this?

Strange shapes, so familiar but so alien, were visible through the thick cushion of the liquid. Who were they? What were they? Why was it separated from them?

Had its previous reality been naught but a dream, figments of thought manifested in its own mind?

What was going on?

The liquid suddenly grew thick. Its eyes slowly closed as heavy fluid entered its body, wrapped in this mock womb. It silently struggled, but its mind was sluggish and weak. In moments its vision dimmed and blurred before its consciousness once more retreated into the abyss.

"Doctor, look at this!"

Its mind stirred. It had slept for so long, suspended in this gentle liquid. Words that it should not have understood but could fathom with perfect clarity penetrated the liquid.

"What?"

Another dim voice, barely audible. It stirred further. Its mind sluggishly awoke from its induced slumber. Confusion ran rampant but an odd calm kept it from awakening.

"It's brain waves! They're growing stronger" The voice cried again.

It stirred. More voices. It wanted silence. Its mind slowly rose from the darkness. The last flashes of its dream, so vivid that it had to be real – but what is real? – slid through its mind as its eyes opened. A huge pyramid of stone – mountain, it somehow knew – reflected above a huge pool of water with a warm sky above contrasted to the cold reality its eyes saw. The amber liquid pressed against him. Bubbles floated gently.

More voices. They grew louder. More annoying. Too loud. Its head ached.

Its eyes fully opened. The strange shapes moved outside. They were huddled together. Too loud.

But they were outside. They were not in the prison. They were not separated from the world by some invisible layer of…something. They were not in the liquid, suspended in time and space.

It must leave. It must be outside. The voices hurt but they were outside. It wanted to be outside.

A shape in dark blue liquid flashed in its mind, a tiny image of something it could not understand. Its mind suddenly snapped away.

It must leave.

Icy blue light suddenly appeared in its vision. Flames of the same color danced as power flooded its body. It could finally feel its body. But it was trapped. Strange feelings were in its lower half.

The invisible barrier disappeared. It was destroyed. The liquid that imprisoned it disappeared as well. The strange hooks burnt to nothing.

It was free.

The voices were loud now. They panicked. It felt the power fade. It wanted it back.

It looked up. The strange creatures in front of it, so different than it was but so similar, crowded around it. They clamored until One stepped forward.

"Quiet! Let us hear its psychic powers!" The One exclaimed. Its words held no meaning.

It wanted to respond. The one could tell it why it was here. Why they had imprisoned it in the amber liquid. What it was. Why they didn't free it.

It looked up. The One looked at it with a strange look. It could not place it.

It wanted to respond. It wanted to know what it had used to escape the prison.

Psychic powers?

The One screamed and clutched its head. The other creatures collapsed to the floor and did the same.

It cocked its head. Why were they screaming?

It closed its eyes. A new world was revealed to it.

Small sparks were where the creatures had been. They were erratic. They danced and flickered in and out of existence. Slowly they became stable again.

It cocked its head as the One stood up. It did not know how it knew the tiny sparks identity but it did. It felt right.

The One stood up. Its voice was weak. Just like the One was. "For years we have struggled to clone a pokemon to prove our theories. But you're the first specimen to survive!"

It was an experiment? What did that mean? Was it put here as nothing more than a way to satisfy the One's curiosity? What was a clone? What were the one's theories? Why had the others died? Why had the One continued when others had died?

"Look." The One said. It opened its eyes and followed the one's motion. It was reflexive. Instinctive. Its eyes, so weak and blind compared to the strange world it had entered, found a strange slab. Lines were carved into it. They formed a shape. A small creature danced through its mind again. Reality replaced it. "That is Mew, the rarest of all pokemon. From its DNA we created you, Mewtwo!"

It blinked. Mewtwo. That was its name. It was not an it. Mewtwo was a name. Mewtwo had a purpose. Mewtwo had a reason for existing.

Mewtwo closed its eyes. Another world took vision's place. The sparks danced. They were worried. The world around it was sharper. It was clear in a way that it wasn't before. Mewtwo could feel every detail of the world. Every line, every bump, every shape of the room.

Mewtwo expanded. It took in everything. The rock they were on that went down for so long, the unnatural work of the one atop it, the liquid it had seen in its vision.

There was another spark in the room? Mewtwo focused and looked at the spark. It came from the slab. It was hidden in the lines. It was dim and weak, but there. It should not be there. It did not react to Mewtwo's touch.

That was Mew's representation.

The words of the One hit it. Mewtwo was only a copy? It was nothing more than a shadow of the original? Why had it been made? Was it not meant to exist? Was it wrong?

I am only a copy?

The sparks writhed. Mewtwo did not know how it communicated to the sparks, or the bodies the sparks lived within. It simply wanted to. It wanted the answers that the One had to hold. The One had created it. It had been brought back from nothing.

So many questions. The sparks continued to flicker in and out of existence. Mewtwo felt a strange feeling. It burned in its body and its head pounded.

Some of the sparks that inhabited the creatures winked out. Mewtwo stopped being so angry. Confusion replaced it. What had happened to them? Why did they disappear?

The sparks stabilized. Mewtwo opened its eyes. It could still see the sparks, but not with its eyes. Its mind had a vision of its own.

"No! You are superior!" The One cried out. The other sparks were less bright. They stayed on the ground. Mewtwo did not want them to be on the ground. It was annoying. "You have been improved by human ingenuity! The most advanced technology was used to develop your powers! Humans made you the greatest of all pokemon."

It could feel detachment from the One. The One did not care about Mewtwo. It only cared about the technology and the results of the One's experiment. What did that mean for it? Would the One teach it? Would the one care for it?

What shall become of me now that your experiment is complete?

The One fell to the ground like the other creatures. Humans, the One had called them. They were weak. So fragile. They could not bear its words. Why had they created Mewtwo if it was stronger? It did not understand.

"Oh no, our experiment is only beginning! You will teach us much, Mewtwo!" The One said with a raised voice. It had taken longer to recover than before. The spark was dimmer.

Mewtwo was silent.

The Humans began to speak to each other. The noise hurt its ears. It was not used to noise. They did not pay attention to it. They did not speak to it or ask it what it wanted. They simply spoke of their experiment.

Mewtwo looked down. It made its first true movement. Its hands – how had it known that? How had it known many things it had seen since it emerged from the prison? – opened and closed.

Power was in its body. It danced at the edge of its consciousness. Mewtwo closed its eyes. It could see everything. The Humans had not noticed those whose sparks had vanished. The others were fragile. They could be snuffed out in an instant.

It opened and closed its fingers. The Humans cared nothing for it, not even the One. It could feel what they felt. They only felt glee for their experiment. There was no concern for it. They did not want to help it. They did not want to help it learn.

Anger.

These insignificant creatures had created it but would not even help it understand its reasons for existing. It was more than an experiment!

It wanted answers!

Was its purpose to be nothing but an experiment to these pathetic Humans? They claimed that it was the greatest. It was the most powerful of all!

Blue fire danced in front of its eyes.

That was not its destiny! It was more than a laboratory specimen!

Screams as its thought ran through the Humans' minds. Mewtwo realized that they felt pain. It did not care. They deserved it. They should have helped it. They were not worthy of life!

Power surrounded it in an aura of icy blue energy. The laboratory crumpled around it. Metal was torn and bent, machines were crushed into heaps of scrap metal, humans were crushed to the ground.

It sensed that the One crawled away. Mewtwo did not care.

Machines tried to stop it. Hundreds of thin hooked arms launched at it. A single thought tore them out of the ceiling and hurled them to the ground. It was tiring for Mewtwo. Its powers were new and its body was weak from inactivity.

A sphere of force surrounded Mewtwo, formed from nothingness by a thought. It exploded. Humans screamed as they were torn apart by the wave. Bone and flesh were rent and ripped and Mewtwo simply watched.

Fires erupted from Mewtwo's wrath. Where it looked explosions tore the walls apart. What humans remained were slaughtered, their puny, fragile bodies unable to withstand its wrath.

More and more of the humans, the arrogant "creators" that brought Mewtwo into being for no reason other than their insipid curiosity, were slaughtered as Mewtwo's mind ran red with anger just as the floor ran red with blood.

Mewtwo was not aware of what happened after that. Its mind expanded through no effort of its own. It was aware of everything. The last spark of the human amidst the blaze that had enveloped this island, the crumpled ruins that had replaced the massive laboratory, the waves that lapped against this rock.

It knew everything. Its mind was far superior to its feeble senses.

Mewtwo turned to the last of the Humans, the One. It laid against one of the few walls that hadn't been shattered into millions of pieces of rubble. The One stared at it with horror in its eyes, the realization that its creation had led to its own destruction too much for the One to bear.

The red haze dimmed. Mewtwo realized that it hovered several feet above the ground. Fire was everywhere. Smoke was everywhere. It was irritating. His eyes and skin hurt.

It wanted the fire and smoke to go away. It waved its arm. That was what humans did to get rid of annoyances.

The One said something. Mewtwo did not care what it was. It looked at the One. Its creator. Its victim.

It would have justice. The One was arrogant to create it. Mewtwo would not be controlled by its whims. It would not be a test subject.

Mewtwo felt angry when it thought of being a test subject. That was not what it wanted.

Its eyes glowed as it got angrier. Mewtwo did not care. The One screamed something. Its creator's cries only made it more annoyed.

Mewtwo released everything. All its anger. All its fear. All its confusion. All its curiosity.

A pillar of energy exploded from him. It briefly shot high into the air before it grew more powerful. The energy expanded.

The laboratory was no more and Mewtwo was tired. It collapsed to the ground. Everything was gone. The One was gone. Its creators were gone. Its legacy was gone.

Mewtwo rose high into the air. It wanted to be away from the destruction. Just for a few moments. It wanted to rest. Using its power was tiring but it was easier now. Mewtwo knew how to use it.

Minutes later Mewtwo lowered itself to the ground. It choked out the flames with an offhand thought. The power it wielded was simple to control now.

Mewtwo stared around at the destruction it had wreaked. Twisted heaps of metal heated by small clusters of flame replaced the once proud laboratory that Mewtwo could remember vividly. It knew what the laboratory once looked like, gleaned from thoughts harvested from the scientists responsible for its birth. The dual images were irreconcilable. A huge column of smoke drifted high into the sky, so clear and blue.

An image from its mind overlaid its eyes. Mewtwo flinched as the mountain reflected in a lake of crystal appeared again. It did not like the strange image. It had never encountered such a thing apart from its dreams.

It stared again at its work. Mewtwo felt satisfied. The creators had reaped what they had sown – what an odd expression. Why had it learned that, of all the thoughts it had unconsciously picked out of its creators' minds?

Mewtwo looked at its hands. It felt tired, but secure. Nothing else could have done what it had done. Only it could destroy such a large structure with mere thoughts and…emotion?

It was much more than its creators had ever envisioned. It was more than an experiment. It was the most powerful being in the world.

Nothing could stand against it.

Mewtwo's awareness detected something. Its immediate reaction was to destroy the intruder, but it could feel more sparks within the strange flying machine. Nothing it had learned in the tank showed it what the machine was.

Out of curiosity it let the machine grow closer until even its feeble eyes could make out the faint outline of the flying machine. Mewtwo watched and waited as it slowly began to descend. Should the machine prove to be a threat Mewtwo would simply destroy it. It was tired but it was no less deadly. Now it knew how to use its psychic powers.

It was too tired to try and glean thoughts from the spark within. Mewtwo's head still ached and its mind was disordered from the information torn from its creator's mind. The information was already beginning to settle, however. Soon its thoughts would return to normal and it would not feel so confused.

Mewtwo suddenly detected another spark, another mind. It extended its awareness and focused it upon the mind that had somehow escaped its wrath.

It felt anger as it realized the spark emanated from a slab of stone. Even now Mew mocked its shadow. But it would rise above its progenitor. The humans had engineered it to be superior to the original. Mew could not compare to it.

The flying machine reached the ground and Mewtwo calmed. Icy energy that shined from its body slowly dimmed. The world returned to its ordinary state as stone and rubble collapsed back to the ground, the power that levitated it absent.

A spark, brighter than any other Mewtwo had felt, left the confines of the machine. Mewtwo could feel that it was a human, taller and built more powerfully than those it had done justice to. But there was something else about this human. Its mind was strong in a way that the others weren't. Mewtwo would need to rest before it could crack open the secrets this human's mind held.

Mewtwo did not fear this human. It was stronger than those before and there were several more humans and a strange mind that was alien to the others but so similar, but Mewtwo could destroy them with an errant thought.

"Those fools thought you were a science experiment. But I see you as a valuable partner." A voice declared. The human stepped out of the smoke and fire. It was just as Mewtwo had detected. Tall and strong for a human. No other features mattered. Mewtwo could feel no emotions from its mind.

Partner?

Mewtwo's head ached. It was tired. Its voice lacked the power it had. The human did not fall to the ground screaming in pain.

Why did the human want it as a partner? Was it responsible for its creation? Had the human given incentive to the creators?

"With your formidable psychic powers and my resources, together we could control the world!" The human proposed. There was an odd note in its voice but Mewtwo could not feel an emotion that would explain it. How did humans distinguish emotion without feeling each other's minds?

I don't need your help for that!

Mewtwo's anger restored its power. The human was arrogant! Mewtwo did not need the help of a human! It was the ultimate psychic. Nothing could oppose it! If it wished to control the world it would. If it wished to raze it to the ground it would.

The human smiled. Mewtwo felt confusion. How did it know that term? It was not something the creators would have tried to explain to it.

Why did the human not collapse from its voice? Was it truly stronger than the others?

"A wildfire destroys everything in its path. It will be the same with your powers unless you learn to control them." The human said. Mewtwo paused. Its eyes widened as the truth of the human's words struck it. "I can help you do that."

The human spoke the truth. Mewtwo could feel its power returning. A moment of anger had destroyed the facility. It did not regret its actions, but it needed to control its power. Mewtwo would only become more effective if it could use its psychic abilities properly.

"Trust me and I'll show you a way to focus your powers that will make you invincible." The human proposed. It still smiled.

Mewtwo considered. It needed to learn control. The human offered a way to attain invincibility. After that the world would fall before it. Should it be necessary the human would be obliterated just as the creators had been.

Show me.

Mewtwo stood still with its eyes closed. It had gone with the human. Time would show if its choice would bear fruit.

It could feel the entire facility that the human had lead it to. Mewtwo had been shown a single large room with machinery that was still inactive. The human had told it to wait here.

The facility was large. There were underground sections and a large surface compound. Hundreds of minds – humans – moved erratically throughout. Other minds, all slightly different from the human minds, simpler but just as intelligent, were placed tightly around the humans or trailed behind them. Some rooms were filled with nothing but the minds. Their emotions were naught but despair and hatred.

Mewtwo supposed that the strange minds were pokemon. It was odd. Their feeble minds were brighter than those of humans but it did not feel any kinship with them. Pokemon were just as alien as humans. Neither could compare to its own power.

It felt two sparks, one human and one pokemon, draw near. In a few seconds they would step into its chamber.

"I am afraid that I never introduced myself properly." The human said calmly as it stepped close to the railing. Mewtwo looked up at it. "My name is Giovanni, Commander of Team Rocket."

It didn't say anything. Mewtwo was still too tired to try and break into its mind. "Are these quarters to your liking?"

They are sufficient.

The human smiled. It scratched the pokemon that sat beside it, a large feline whose mind radiated cold cruelty. Despite that it was fiercely attached to the human beside it.

"Do you have any questions?" The human asked. Its voice was still amneable. Mewtwo wondered if its emotions would reveal another side to the human once Mewtwo regained its strength. "I will return to speak to you tomorrow if you do not."

Mewtwo's mind fired back up. This was its chance to get answers. So much was still unknown to it.

What am I? Who am I? Why was I created and why am I here?

The human didn't bow to the overwhelming power that wracked its mind. It simply stayed put for a moment. There was no expression of pain or shock on its face, although the feline that sat beside it flinched away.

"You are a clone of Mew, formerly the most powerful pokemon in the world. You are Mewtwo. You were created to assist Team Rocket in gaining control of the world and creating a utopia. You are here so that we may assist you in developing your powers and make you the most powerful you can be."

Mewtwo felt disappointed. The human pretended to want to help Mewtwo, but it did not. It wanted to harness its power for the human's own end. Mewtwo was a tool, a weapon to the human. Nothing more.

It would use this human to learn, but it would not be manipulated. Mewtwo would destroy it one day.

How will you help me?

"There is much that I can help you with." The human said. "Your powers are crude now. You wield a hammer instead of a knife. I saw what you did. Impressive, but it exhausted you. You used all of your energy to accomplish little."

Mewtwo's annoyance rose. It had accomplished little? It had accomplished everything! Justice had been served. Its creators, so smug in their own arrogance, were dead. Their hubris would never touch the world again.

It was too weak to lash out. Its body recoiled at the thought of its power. Mewtwo would have to wait. One day the human would be at its mercy, only to find that Mewtwo had none.

"Your training shall begin tomorrow." The human told it. Its eyes glinted in the darkness. The pokemon beside it purred and stared at Mewtwo. Mewtwo fought down the urge to destroy both of them. "Food and water shall be brought down shortly. Goodbye, Mewtwo."

Mewtwo was silent as the two left its new home. It silently followed their sparks as it spread its awareness throughout the facility. It knew everything.

It looked around at the large room of metal and machinery. Was this home? Could this be a sanctuary once the business with the humans was complete?

Mewtwo shut its eyes and silently expanded its mind to encompass miles around. There were countless sparks, not all human or pokemon. Everything alive was a beacon.

It was beautiful, even if Mewtwo did not know why. Mewtwo did not let its mind focus on any of the sparks for long. They were too weak to withstand its own mind.

That was confusing. The weak did not deserve life. Why did it not want to uphold that mandate?

Mewtwo was troubled as it suddenly snapped back to its immediate surroundings. The countless minds disappeared and it was left only with cold, unfeeling metal.

It did not understand this world. It needed answers. What was its purpose? Why was it here? Who was it?

Giovanni's answers were unsatisfactory, but perhaps Mewtwo would learn them itself through experience. For now it would stay with the humans. Perhaps they would be able to teach it meaning.

Mewtwo was no longer weak as it stood amidst a battlefield. A strange mind was in front of it. The shell that encased it was meaningless. This mind was brighter than the others it had encountered. More powerful.

It did not compare to Mewtwo.

The mind bled fear and awe and curiosity. It went against every desire Mewtwo had to not consume it and wrench the knowledge from it.

You are Mewtwo?

Mewtwo's eyes snapped open. It felt shock. Something else could speak through the mind?

Yes. Many of us that wield psychic power can. It is called telepathy.

The voice was loud. It echoed slightly in the confines of Mewtwo's mind. It was higher than the humans Mewtwo had heard. Female, it believed the term was.

Yes. I am female.

The voice was amused. Mewtwo felt something strange. It felt curious but it did not want to speak to the other mind itself. The other was so fragile in comparison. A brighter beacon than most but still little more than a spark.

Mewtwo finally spoke.

What can you teach me?

The other's physical shell suddenly collapsed to the ground and flailed wildly. Mewtwo stopped and opened its eyes again. The other – Alakazam, or so the fractured mind of its teacher cried out – did not stop moving. Blood leaked from its ears, nose, and mouth.

Mewtwo unconsciously levitated closer. It felt as though it should have tried to assist its teacher, but could not bring itself to. Alakazam should have been stronger. Giovanni could withstand its voice. There was no reason a mind brighter than the human could not.

Alakazam was filled with Mewtwo's own power as it exerted influence upon the world. Icy energy covered the world as Mewtwo's confusion increased. The other Psychic writhed even more uncontrollably and its eyes began to glow even brighter.

Mewtwo froze when it saw that Alakazam's eyes glowed with the same light as its own.

"Mewtwo, calm down. Do not try to speak!" Giovanni was suddenly there, mind cool and calm despite the odd expression on its face. The human was smiling. Mewtwo did not understand why. Alakazam was weak, but she was more powerful than the rest.

It slowly touched back to the ground. Mewtwo gave a lingering glance to Alakazam. She had stopped moving. Her spark was beginning to fade, just like its creators had. Mewtwo felt an odd pulse of…something that it didn't like before it looked up to Giovanni.

"You are more powerful than I had thought." The human mused. Mewtwo felt the minds of the other humans in the room relax. Giovanni looked at it. "Return to your quarters, please. I have a solution, although I had not expected to use it so quickly."

Mewtwo did not show any sign of having heard Giovanni's statement. It simply levitated slightly and hovered away. The minds of the humans watching from the balconies recoiled as pain wracked their bodies. It simply felt slight amusement before it left the weak ones behind.

Only Giovanni remained standing and strong.

"This armor will protect your body. You will be invulnerable while you wear it. It is designed to not only protect your body, but to restrain your powers." Giovanni told Mewtwo as pieces of smooth black metal were fitted onto its body. "You will no longer have to worry about destroying those you must communicate with.

Mewtwo did not like the armor. It was cold and heavy. The visor was uncomfortable and restricted his vision, although its truest sense remained perfect.

Then it activated. Mewtwo felt the urge to tear the armor off and reduce it to scraps. It felt as though a tremendous weight had been placed atop its body and it could only feel a tiny fraction of the power it once commanded. The rest was somehow locked away by the armor. Its potential was fragmented.

It weakens me too much.

Mewtwo could feel that not even its voice held the power it once did. The armor had cut it down to nothing. It did not like that. Giovanni claimed to want to help him but Mewtwo did not trust the human yet. This could only be a part of its scheme.

It closed its eyes behind the visor and expanded its awareness. Mewtwo could still feel for miles around but everything seemed muted. Its awareness did not encompass the same distance and it could only feel humans and pokemon. The beautiful light had been cut down to small beacons and sparks.

Mewtwo felt a brief flash of anger at the loss but controlled itself. It needed to wait. Giovanni still had to teach it.

"You will grow to accept it." Giovanni replied with a strange lilt. Mewtwo tried to hone in upon Giovanni's bright spark but could not glean the human's thoughts. It had no emotion. Just cold rationality. "By learning to work with less power you will be far more efficient. When the armor is taken off you will be far more powerful. Control must always come before raw power. When you have control you may use the power to accomplish your purpose."

The human had a point. Mewtwo could not feel any deception in its words. Perhaps Giovanni was trying to manipulate it, but Mewtwo would gain just as much. If Giovanni proved to see it as nothing more than a weapon it would simply kill the human once it had learned everything it could.

But there was something Mewtwo did not understand.

What is my purpose?

Giovanni reached for a strange orb on its waist. It released a large serpent made of steel. The creature's mind was rather dull, but Mewtwo could detect a maelstrom of hatred within. It was savage. Thoughts of bloodlust consumed it.

"Levitate the Steelix." Giovanni commanded. "Steelix, Body Slam."

Mewtwo had to focus to summon its power. It proved simpler than expected, but more difficult all the same. Two seconds after the commands had been given it instinctually surrounded Steelix with the energy that allowed it to alter reality itself and levitated the Steelix that reared up to attack high in the air.

"Crush it." Giovanni commanded. Mewtwo paused at that. The Steelix had given it no reason to do so. The human seemed annoyed. "Crush it!"

It did as commanded, although it felt another pulse of that strange feeling. The feeling was annoying. It needed to go away.

Mewtwo simply thought. The Steelix's mind was frantic and screamed in a way that its roars could never hope to mimic. Steelix could not flail in Mewtwo's grip but it could scream and radiate all the emotions it felt. It bothered Mewtwo for a moment, but then it applied more power and the Steelix was compacted into a square of stone. Its spark went out and the annoying emotions vanished.

"That is your purpose." Giovanni said loudly. Mewtwo could finally feel an emotion coming from the man. Pride. "You are the most powerful psychic to ever exist! I am teaching you to use it in combat, but when you have learned to control your power you will be able to do whatever you wish!"

It wasn't sure it liked that. Surely it had a greater purpose beyond its powers? Mewtwo was not merely a vessel for great power. It was intelligent. It could do so much more than merely destroy. Perhaps Giovanni could be dissuaded from its short-sighted views. If not, Mewtwo would simply kill the human.

There was silence as Giovanni watched and assessed Mewtwo. The human didn't seem to care about the corpse of the Steelix.

"You did well." Giovanni said at last. Mewtwo could detect an inflection in its tone. Without being able to access Giovanni's mind it didn't know what the inflection meant. "Soon that feat will be no more spectacular to you than falling asleep."

It believed Giovanni spoke the truth. Crushing the Steelix was tiring. Wearing the armor made Mewtwo feel as it had after it wreaked vengeance upon its creators. Perhaps Giovanni was right. Using the armor would force it to conserve energy. It could not afford to waste energy.

"Another Alakazam will be waiting for you tomorrow." Giovanni said as the human scratched the Persian's ears. No emotions came from it. "I expect you to use what you have learned to defeat it after the lesson. Take its knowledge for your own."

Mewtwo did not want to do that, but it would if it meant more knowledge. Knowledge was power.

"Remember, Mewtwo, only the strong have the right to live. The weak are only useful as pawns and slaves." Giovanni said to Mewtwo as it stepped away. The Persian followed it. "Goodbye, my friend. We shall meet again tomorrow."

Mewtwo was silent as Giovanni left. When the human had left the area Mewtwo finally spoke.

Goodbye.

Do I have a gender?

Giovanni looked at Mewtwo oddly. Mewtwo simply returned with a frozen stare behind the black visor.

Gender was something Mewtwo had become truly aware of through watching others' thoughts. The humans that wandered the facility had many pointless thoughts but some humans had raised important questions such as the one it had just asked.

It had known of male and female. Vague thoughts it had snatched from its creators had taught it of that. But Mewtwo did not know where it stood. It was unique. The only example of its kind. Mew was different from its shadow. Did gender matter? Could Mewtwo's gender be defined through scientific terms?

"Only the scientists that created you could answer that for sure." Giovanni finally answered. Mewtwo felt disappointed. Humans believed that gender was important to one's identity. Perhaps Giovanni would not be able to save itse – himself, Mewtwo thought. Humans did not seem to like being referred to as an it. "But I believe you can be identified as a male. Your voice is masculine."

Mewtwo felt the urge to…smile? Why did it – no, he, Mewtwo corrected – want to smile? Giovanni had surprised Mewtwo through his acceptance, but he hadn't done anything particularly impressive. All Giovanni had proved was that Mewtwo might wait longer to kill him.

I understand.

Giovanni smiled and reclined in his chair. Persian's head was in his lap and the feline pokemon purred contentedly as Giovanni absentmindedly stroked Persian's ears. He did not say anything more for several seconds.

Mewtwo's feeble eyes never left Giovanni. Its, no his, mind, however, took in everything. In the month since Giovanni had given him the restricting armor he had learned to maximize his power. What would have exhausted him when he had his full potential at his command now only winded him with the armor on.

Giovanni had been correct. Soon he would be invincible. Mewtwo had torn its – his – Alakazam mentor's mind apart and learned everything he could. The Alakazam was useless in comparison to Mewtwo. Giovanni was impressed with Mewtwo's efficiency, although Mewtwo had that strange feeling appear again. He quashed it whenever he came across it. Those that were not strong enough to protect themselves did not deserve life.

The strong preyed upon the weak. Mewtwo was the strongest. He should not feel for lesser beings.

His awareness fell back to the room. Mewtwo did not need to know what went on in the forests around the facility. He was stronger now but the fields of life still lacked the luster of what they were. It was only a disappointment for his mind to find naught but scattered minds. He wanted to be able to feel all life again, not only humans and pokemon.

As he waited for Giovanni, a strong human, a respectable human that towered above the rest of its weak species, to speak he couldn't resist to expand his awareness again. It was addictive. Even the mere beacons were better than the bland, lifeless metal of the facility.

In less than a second he took in everything for miles around. A settlement to the southwest. Small. Less than a thousand human minds but many more pokemon. One of the minds that that he recognized as an Alakazam, although far stronger than any he had met, seemed to sense his presence. It recoiled and most of the settlement dimmed from his awareness.

That piqued his curiosity. Mewtwo could not expend the energy to tear the mysterious Alakazam's mind apart at the moment but it would be something to look forward to. It was powerful for a lesser psychic.

Mewtwo took in the rest of the world.

Thousands of pokemon. Most boring, simple, content and happy in their useless existence. Hundreds were located in the facility. They screamed with bloodlust, fear, and hatred. Their minds screamed in a way that no physical noise could equal.

Mewtwo did not care. They were weak. They had been mastered by humans. They were fit to be slaves, not like Mewtwo. Perhaps he had begun that way but Giovanni saw him as a true partner now. An equal.

Dozens of humans in the forests and on the road. Their emotions were just as simple as the pokemon's. So many were useless. None possessed the strength of Giovanni.

"You have made exceptional progress." Giovanni said. Mewtwo thought that he sounded proud. He had begun to learn what the strange inflections and different tones of Giovanni meant. Soon he would be able to understand Giovanni as well as if he could actually feel the human's thoughts and emotions.

Persian purred. Satisfaction radiated from it. Giovanni smiled.

"I believe that you need experience battling real pokemon, however. Your psychic abilities are potent and the knowledge you have gained will teach you to apply it." Giovanni continued. His mind was still impenetrable. No emotions were revealed, although Mewtwo had stopped trying to discern his thoughts. An Alakazam had explained that it was rude. Giovanni was respectable enough for Mewtwo to take that into consideration.

"Recently I told you that I operate a League gym." Giovanni spat the word League with distaste. It was one of the few times Giovanni had shown true emotion around Mewtwo. Mewtwo watched Giovanni. "My challengers are the best of the best. I will pit you against challengers I deem worthy."

I understand.

Giovanni looked at him. His face was calm. Mewtwo needed to learn to decipher human facial expressions. "Do you? This is an exercise in control, my friend. You must not kill these pokemon. I do not need the League breathing down my neck."

Mewtwo did not understand why Giovanni feared the League. He knew that Giovanni possessed many resources. Thoughts captured from other high-ranking Rockets had told him that much. If Mewtwo's armor was taken off he could destroy anything that threatened Team Rocket.

Why put yourself at risk? There are many other pokemon I can practice on.

Giovanni smiled. Mewtwo still found it to be a strange facial expression. It applied to so many different situations. According to the thoughts of humans around the facility humans smiled when they were happy or pleased, when they experienced pleasure, amusement. Some humans smiled when they needed a way to misdirect other humans. It was strange to realize that humans could fake an expression.

Mewtwo was glad he was psychic. Emotions and thoughts never lied.

"You will not assist me at the gym for at least another month. As you said, that would put me at risk. You need to be able to keep trainers from remembering you clearly before I will allow you into my gym." Giovanni explained. Persian adjusted its head in Giovanni's lap. "For now you will use leftover pokemon from our experiments."

Will I need to kill them?

"They're disposable. They have served their purpose in the world and are of no other use to us." Giovanni said casually, or so Mewtwo thought. "To be killed is the best way they can serve us now. You would be more merciful than my scientists."

Mewtwo was troubled. He had enough information to understand that he was a product of Giovanni's scientists. He was an experiment. A test subject. What made him any different from the other pokemon other than his power?

Why am I different from the other pokemon? Your scientists created me. I am a product of their experiments.

Giovanni was surprised. It was one of the only times Mewtwo had seen his expression change.

"Wha – you simply are." Giovanni said. Mewtwo could actually detect some hesitance and worry from the human. It vanished quickly. "You were created to be an equal for humans. You are different than other pokemon."

But why?

"Tell me, my friend, would you ever be content wandering in the wilderness looking for food? Can you see yourself happy struggling to survive every day? Can you picture yourself as anything else than the pinnacle of the universe?" Giovanni said after several seconds.

Mewtwo thought.

No.

Giovanni smiled. He was animated. Passionate. "Exactly! That is what separates you from a pokemon. Humans have a lust to be at the very top. We cannot accept inferiority! It is that drive that separates us – and you, Mewtwo – from mere beasts!"

Mewtwo was silent as he digested the information. It made sense. Giovanni was not yet done with his tirade.

"Have you ever wondered how humanity survived in this world? Why we became the apex species instead of powerful psychics like Alakazam?" Giovanni continued. His eyes were no longer cold. They were manic. "It is because of our drive! Our ancestors were defenseless except for intelligence and simple tools. But we carved out our place in the world! Pokemon are content to merely exist. Humans dominate and control."

Giovanni's voice had awoken Persian. The great feline yawned and looked at the Commander with a bored expression. Annoyance radiated from its mind.

"You have inherited our legacy, Mewtwo." Giovanni said. His voice was lower now. Calmer. Mewtwo watched him from behind the visor. He latched onto every word Giovanni said. "You are humanity's equal. You are beyond any other pokemon."

Mewtwo nodded but didn't say anything as he thought over what Giovanni had said.

Giovanni returned to his former position. He was completely calm now.

"That is the difference." Giovanni said at last. He stroked Persian's fur. Mewtwo wondered if he should attempt to communicate with the pokemon one day. Perhaps it would be the key to understanding Giovanni. "You are human. They are beasts. You are strong. They are weak. That is all that matters."

Mewtwo slowly nodded. It was a human gesture he had picked up. It was important to use body language, even if it felt unnatural. Humans could not understand his thoughts and feelings as he could theirs.

I understand.

"Good." Giovanni said. He smiled. "Now, we have much to speak of. Your training will continue at an accelerated pace. I have something very special in mind for your first appearance. The world will learn to fear you."

Mewtwo was interested. This was worth hearing.

"Mewtwo, please come to my office." Giovanni's voice said through the microphone in his armor. It was tight. Controlled. Mewtwo thought he could hear an emotion in it but hadn't advanced his understanding enough to figure out what.

Mewtwo opened his eyes. Icy fire shined through his visor as he deftly unhooked the cables connected to his armor. Unhooking the cables that supplied his armor with the vast amounts of energy it required to restrain his power was an exercise in control. He had mastered it.

When the cables were unhooked he disappeared. He was not yet adept at teleportation. Mewtwo could detect a bright flash of light as he vanished. When he reappeared in Giovanni's office his weak ears could hear a thunderclap.

Most of the minds in the facility grew panicked. They were not used to his attempts to teleportation yet. Even if they were they did not know the source. Giovanni did not allow many Rockets to know of Mewtwo.

Mewtwo was silent as he watched Giovanni pace and mutter. Anger and fear emanated from the human's mind. It was stronger emotion than Mewtwo had ever felt from Giovanni. Even Persian kept its distance from its human.

Giovanni didn't comment on Mewtwo's attempt at teleportation. That was a bad sign.

He didn't like being unable to teleport perfectly. Every other psychic ability was simple. Mewtwo simply had to avoid using too much power. Teleportation required far too much fine control. He had improved but he was not yet perfect.

Mewtwo didn't say anything. It was better to watch and listen. Giovanni would not hold back for long.

He strained to hear what Giovanni said. It was difficult. The helmet didn't assist him in that regard and he could not hear Giovanni's thoughts.

"…that idiot! How…I'm going to –" Giovanni suddenly stopped and looked at Mewtwo. His face was strained. "I apologize, my friend, but Executive Pierce and his teams have been captured."

Mewtwo nodded.

I understand. What do you want me to do?

"Wait. Another Executive is joining us." Giovanni said. Mewtwo waited. Anger still pulsed from Giovanni. The human was good at hiding it but he couldn't hide such emotion from Mewtwo.

Mewtwo expanded his awareness as he waited. He could feel much more life in the world now. Not as much as he could without the armor but close to it. He could only imagine how much and how far he would be able to see once Giovanni deemed him ready to take the armor off. In just two months he had almost grown to his strength without the armor.

A strong mind accompanied by two sparks walked through the halls. Mewtwo could easily detect its purpose. It was Executive Archer. He had been called by Giovanni. It wasn't surprising. Executive Archer was Giovanni's second in command.

He is near.

Giovanni didn't react. He simply turned to the door. Seconds later Executive Archer entered.

Mewtwo did not look at the human. He knew what the human looked like down to the most minute details. His mind was his greatest sense.

"Commander Giovanni, you requested my presence?" Executive Archer asked. Mewtwo could feel the human's curiosity at Mewtwo's presence and the situation. He was not as strong as Giovanni. The human was afraid of him.

Good.

"Yes." Giovanni said. His voice was strong. Devoid of emotion. "Executive Pierce has been captured. He is being held in the Roost."

Executive Archer did not flinch. Mewtwo could feel the fear in his mind. Curiosity, confusion. "What of his Metagross? Only one of the Elite Four could have defeated it."

"It's safe, as are his other pokemon." Giovanni said. "They are being held in Indigo Plateau. Send word to Petrel that I need one of his infiltration teams."

Executive Archer bowed his head. "I understand."

"Mobilize your men. Pierce is too valuable to let the League sink their claws into." Giovanni said. He remained perfectly calm on the exterior. Cold rage was replaced with excitement and a sense of finality. "It's time that we destroy the Roost."

Archer was surprised. Mewtwo couldn't decipher his facial expressions but he could feel several conflicting emotions. Glee. Fear. Happiness. Worry.

"How?" The human asked Giovanni. Giovanni smiled. He pointed to Mewtwo.

"Mewtwo. He will break the Roost." Giovanni said. Mewtwo could detect satisfaction.

He did not like not knowing what this Roost was. It was obviously a prison of some sort but Mewtwo needed to know more. Mewtwo almost reached out for Executive Archer's mind but stopped himself. Executive Archer was too valuable. His control was still too unpredictable to risk any sort of mental contact. Most lesser creatures turned into drooling vegetables when he did that.

What is the Roost?

"It speaks?!" Executive Archer said loudly. Mewtwo could feel fear as waves of pain wracked the human's body. The human withstood the power of his words. Mewtwo was somewhat impressed by that. Archer's lack of respect more than balanced it out, however. He fought down the urge to simply devour the human's mind. It would be simple. A spark could be easily assimilated into a forest fire.

"He speaks, Executive." Giovanni said. The human nodded and recomposed itself once more. Mewtwo stared at it from beneath his visor. Archer was afraid and weak. Not worthy of respect.

Giovanni looked at Mewtwo. "The Roost is the most secure League prison in Kanto. It is built into Mt. Gold and is only accessible from the air. It is impossible to escape and impossible to assault. Ghosts and dark-types are in place to prevent teleportation and Dragon Tamers from Blackthorn City man defend the entrance. The Roost is a natural fortress. It would take an army to break into."

"But we don't need an army." Giovanni smiled. He looked at Mewtwo's visor. "We have you, my friend."

Mewtwo felt…he didn't know. It was warm. Happiness? He'd felt both satisfaction and excitement and had plucked the same emotions from others' minds but this was different.

"Executive Archer, prepare your men and the helicopters." Giovanni said. "You and Mewtwo will leave tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." Executive Archer said back. He lowered his head in submission to the stronger human and walked out. The two Rockets that waited by the door left with him. Mewtwo was not disappointed to see them go. They were weak.

Giovanni picked up a piece of paper from his desk. He walked over to Mewtwo. Persian followed.

"We have much to discuss, Mewtwo." Giovanni smiled. His emotions had faded away. He was perfectly calm again. He was strong now.

Mewtwo listened carefully to Giovanni's instructions even as he felt excited. He would like to leave the facility. It would be interesting to see the world again.

He hovered high in the air. Mewtwo wished he could breathe it. His mind could detect everything within miles but it could not emulate the sensation of the wind.

Five helicopters were roughly four hundred meters behind him. Mewtwo did not like them. They were loud and hurt his ears. If he did not respect Giovanni he would destroy them. They were unnatural.

As the helicopters moved into position Mewtwo expanded his awareness to cover the mountain that he faced.

Thousands of Zubat, Golbat, and Crobat. Most asleep in the catacombs of the mountain. Mewtwo could feel their simple minds huddled together. They were so weak. All they wanted was shelter, warmth, and food. They had no higher expectations.

It wasn't the Zubat that interested him.

Inside of the mountain he could easily trace his mind over the hollowed out core. Hundreds of human minds that were dull from hypnosis were easily detectable. Only a dozen were in an ordinary state. Mewtwo assumed they were the wardens.

Mewtwo could detect twenty two Hypno in the prison. Most were congregated in a large room where most of the inmates resided. Their minds brightened as his awareness passed over them.

Several dozen flying-type pokemon roosted around the prison's single entrance. It was a large platform large enough for several of the helicopters to land on. Mewtwo could easily dispatch them. Wings were fragile.

He was impressed by the scope of the prison. It extended hundreds of feet into the side of the mountain. There was only one entrance. The humans inside must be particularly dangerous. Most likely they were members of Giovanni's organization.

There were forty five minds outside the Roost. Ten Jolteon. Five Raichu. Five Electivire. Eight Pidgeot. Five Charizard. Three Butterfree. Three Fearow. One Magneton. Five humans.

The humans were cunning. Nothing could approach the Roost except for Mewtwo. He was hidden from sight by an Alakazam in one of the helicopters. It manipulated the air to make it appear as though Mewtwo was invisible. Mewtwo would learn it one day. He didn't have the control yet.

He would like to hurl the helicopters at the Roost. It would be interesting to see how efficient the Roost's defenses were. Each of the defenders were disciplined. Giovanni had told them they were the League's best.

They were nothing compared to him.

It was an efficient system, however. The electric-types could strike most flying-types out of the sky with little trouble. Helicopters would be simple for the Pidgeot, Fearow, and Charizard to eliminate. Butterfree were capable of incapacitating any attackers foolish enough to climb the mountain. A single Magneton could destroy technology with a blast of electromagnetic radiation. The humans could command and could add thirty more pokemon to the battle.

Only a second had passed as he made his assessment. His mental awareness allowed him to be more efficient than any human. They were inferior.

Mewtwo suddenly felt something strange. It was a mind, but it was disturbing. Alien. Unnatural to this universe. He tried to focus on it. The strange mind eluded his grasp. It felt as though he grew weaker whenever he tried to latch onto it. Mewtwo wanted to dissect its strange thoughts and assimilate it.

"Attack. We don't have much time left." Executive Archer's irritating voice said into his helmet. Mewtwo resisted the urge to find Archer's frail body and crush it into pulp. Giovanni wouldn't like that.

He closed his eyes. For a single moment he became one with the universe. A portion of his power was harnessed. The air around him trembled. Trees thousands of feet below shuddered. The minds – more of them appeared – grew frantic.

A small orb of psychic energy hovered in front of Mewtwo. He was pleased. The last time he had attempted this it had exploded. He was growing into his power.

Mewtwo found the minds of the Roost's guards and shot beams of psychic energy at them with cold precision. Human and pokemon alike were killed by his attack. His awareness detected their bodies as they fell to the ground. Each had a small hole burned through its chest. Their insides were roasted.

The helicopters drifted forward. Mewtwo almost flinched as they drew closer. He didn't like being around them. The cold machines were odd to feel with his mind. They were humanity's attempt to make up for one of their many shortcomings.

They were so weak. It was strange to think that Giovanni had come from such a blind species.

Mewtwo stopped thinking. He could feel strange shadows moving throughout the prison. They seemed alive. His awareness could detect a small spark within the shadows but it seemed muted. Dim.

Some of the strange minds appeared as well. Mewtwo wondered if he would be allowed to keep one. He was curious about them.

They appeared on the platform. Mewtwo opened his eyes. The wind did not bother him through his visor. His awareness swallowed the lesser beings whole. Beams of energy shot through most of them and reduced them to shells filled with ash. Even the strange shadows died.

That was good. Giovanni had told him to kill the dark-types. Once enough were killed it would be possible for many Alakazam to teleport inside and take the prisoners back to the facility. Teleportation was too delicate a technique for there to be interference. Warping space and time wasn't something to take lightly.

"Be prepared to leave. Protect us from any League reinforcements while we perform our duties."

Mewtwo wanted to crush Executive Archer's mind. It was simple to extinguish a spark. He had done it many times. Humans were no more special than pokemon in that regard.

He felt several Alakazam appear in the holding chamber. It was interesting to observe teleportation through his awareness. The energy released radiated everywhere.

Mewtwo grew bored as the helicopters landed. He took in the minds within. Each held twenty Rockets. A Charizard or Pidgeot protected each of the defenseless flying shells. They would have been useless against the Roost's sentries. It would take a significant portion of Team Rocket's resources to assault the Roost without him.

Perhaps any of Giovanni's remaining doubts about Mewtwo would come to an end with this display. He was loyal. Not to Team Rocket, but to his partner.

He hovered in the air for several minutes as Executive Archer completed its orders. Mewtwo felt any remaining minds in the fortress snuff out whenever Archer and its weak men met them. More than half of Archer's team was killed as well. The League was strong. Far stronger than Executive Archer's teams.

Mewtwo could have done something but he preferred not to. Executive Archer and its humans were useless. Weak. Undeserving of life. They were slaughtered by the few remaining humans that survived the initial attack. Those that weren't killed by the Alakazam as they teleported in were putting up a fight.

The strange minds that he assumed were ghosts were interesting to observe. Their physical forms frequently disappeared from existence. Not even he could detect them. It was amusing to watch as they appeared behind a team of humans and systematically destroyed them.

When the last of the prisoners were teleported out only Executive Archer and a handful of his humans remained. Mewtwo could detect satisfaction from the human's mind as it raced back to the helicopters. He considered destroying the helicopters. It would be amusing to leave Executive Archer to the League. Mewtwo could take the data he had stolen back to Giovanni.

He did not indulge in his fantasy. Willpower and self-control were two of the tenets impressed on him by the Alakazam tutors. Without those qualities he would destroy everything around him when his armor came off. The last time he'd had it off he had destroyed a laboratory with little difficulty. He was exhausted then. Mewtwo could imagine the power he would wield when he was at full strength.

The helicopters lifted off as the tattered remains of the Rockets raced back to the helicopters. They took off a few seconds later. Their pokemon guards flew nearby.

Mewtwo didn't try to feel the guards' minds. He carefully avoided them. Rocket pokemon were broken, for lack of a better term. Most radiated pain and confusion. Some were void of any feeling. Like machines. Like Giovanni. Some constantly exuded pleasure. They were the most warped.

Emotions didn't affect him much, but Mewtwo didn't like feeling Rocket pokemon. They felt wrong. Their weakness cost them their identity.

"Creature, the Roost is useless to us now." Executive Archer's voice sounded through his helmet's microphones. "Destroy it and accompany us on our way back. Move quickly."

Creature. Mewtwo hated that term. It made him less than what he was. Less…human. He felt momentary rage. Icy fire dominated his vision. It didn't matter. Only his awareness mattered. His eyes were weak.

He stopped himself. Giovanni would be disappointed if he killed Archer. Right now it carried important information. Mewtwo's control wasn't good enough to teleport inside the helicopter. There were many more variables to consider with a moving target.

Mewtwo looked at the Roost. It was empty and silent. Corpses littered its interior. Not even the strange minds he had felt before, the ghosts, remained. They had either left or their physical forms were eliminated.

He harnessed his power. Even in its weakened state it made the world ripple. It was strange to observe with his awareness. He could see it, but it wasn't like it appeared in the physical world. His energy was brighter than any star but at the same time dim. Everything warped and changed as energy coursed through his body.

Mewtwo raised his arm. The armor made his physical movements tiring but he didn't mind. It would make him stronger.

An orb of ice blue energy appeared in front of his hand. It pulsed as he held it securely in place. Mewtwo liked his power. Nothing could challenge him when he was like this.

He let his awareness drift over the Roost. His previous assessment was incorrect. There were still living things in the prison. Several humans and shadows wandered aimlessly.

Executive Archer was inefficient.

Mewtwo telekinetically hurled the orb of energy at the Roost. He traced its progress with his awareness. His eyes could not detect it, but his mind could feel the invisible effects on the world as the compressed psychic energy moved. Ripples in the stagnant firmness that was reality.

He could feel the explosion when the orb made contact. With his body, not just his mind. It was odd to feel heat. Mewtwo knew it was there with his awareness but it was different to actually feel it.

Mewtwo steadied himself with a pulse of psychic power. He would not show weakness. Executive Archer had not gone far enough to do so.

The Roost was no more. He could feel the gaping hole in the side of the mountain. Nothing was alive in the former prison. The Zubat and other inhabitants of the mountain were afraid. Panicked. Weak.

He felt warm. Not from the explosion, but from within.

This was his power. This was his power untrained. This was a mere fraction of his power with the armor.

Mewtwo was unstoppable. Giovanni had told him that and he'd believed it before. Now he knew.

When the time came he would not falter. He would show the world his greatness, his natural superiority. Mewtwo would show the world his strength even as the lesser creatures showed him their weakness.

One day he would be in his rightful position.

Mewtwo did not look at the strange human that stood beside him in Giovanni's office. He could feel every rise of the human's chest and every emotion that ran through the human's mind.

Executive Pierce.

He was a strange human. His mind wasn't a void like Giovanni's or somewhat strong like Executive Archer's. Executive Pierce's mind was strong and exuded little emotion, if any. There was something wrong with him. It was subtle but he didn't feel like a human. He was vicious. Terrifying to other lesser beings. The Rockets that escorted him to the office were afraid of him.

"You failed me, Pierce." Giovanni said quietly. He sat behind his desk. Persian laid its head on his lap. Mewtwo could feel satisfaction from the large feline. "The Mt. Moon assignment was a simple one. Abduct travelers and take their pokemon. Kill any who resist. What went wrong?"

Executive Pierce was afraid. Mewtwo could feel it. The human felt awe and fear for his superior. He knew his place.

"My esteemed cousin made an appearance, I'm afraid. He brought quite a few Rangers with him." The human said casually. Mewtwo was impressed at his control. The words did not bleed the fear the man felt. They were casual. Flippant. "There was little I could do. My cousin, loath as I am to admit it, is far stronger than I."

"That is obvious." Giovanni snapped. Mewtwo could feel that it was an act. There was no anger from Giovanni. His pulse and blood pressure did not elevate. "But it does not excuse you from the consequences of failure."

Executive Pierce's fear was strong now. Mewtwo relished in it. The human wasn't as strong as he thought he was.

"But," Giovanni said, "in light of your other successes I am giving you another opportunity. We have begun our expansion in the Sevii Islands. Within a month you will travel there and subjugate the islands."

The Executive smiled. Mewtwo could feel a kind of hollow satisfaction. Executive Pierce didn't seem capable of feeling strong emotions.

He tried to edge away from Executive Pierce's mind. It was disturbing. Twisted. Hollow.

"Thank you, sir." The Executive bowed. Mewtwo didn't like his proximity. "I will not disappoint you. Has my team been recovered?"

Giovanni nodded. Persian quietly nuzzled the human's hand to get more attention. "Petrel's team will return shortly. Their report indicated that they successfully regained many of the pokemon you lost."

"Very well."

Mewtwo wasn't sure why he was here. Giovanni hadn't acknowledged him other than a nod. His time would be better spent training. It was simple for him to spread his awareness to this room if Giovanni desired security of some sort. He could teleport in later if Giovanni needed to speak to him.

"I have a mission for you before you leave. I expect that it will be to your liking." Giovanni said. Mewtwo could feel his amusement. That was interesting.

Executive Pierce watched. He was focused.

Giovanni tapped something on his computer. An orb on the back glowed. It suddenly projected a picture of a large ship. The hologram slowly spun in the air. Mewtwo wondered if he would be able to affect it with his powers.

"This is the St. Anne, a luxury liner that travels around the Regions. It caters to the rich and powerful trainers." Giovanni explained. "It can hold up to four thousand people, all of whom are prime targets."

Executive Pierce was excited. His pulse pounded. His eyes were dilated. He enjoyed what he did.

"The St. Anne will leave Vermilion in roughly two week's time." Giovanni said. He smiled. "You will strike the night it leaves. I don't want Lt. Surge interfering. Take everything you can: pokemon, valuables, humans we can ransom. Everything."

Mewtwo could feel glee from Pierce. The human was practically salivating at the thought of the attack. Pierce was sophisticated and strong. He was also dangerous. Immature. Brutal.

"Do we care what happens to unimportant passengers?" Pierce asked. Mewtwo didn't like feeling his mind. Everything about the human was wrong. He looked forward to death. Not the demonstration of power or testing limits, but the act of killing itself. Mewtwo did not like the human.

"Do not harm them. My friend here will take care of the St. Anne. Mewtwo is more than capable." Giovanni smiled. Persian yawned and bared its fangs before it demanded more attention from its human.

Mewtwo did not move. He simply tried to glean Giovanni's intentions. It was impossible. Giovanni's mind was strangely resistant to his efforts and he couldn't understand human facial expressions well enough.

"Ah, yes. I saw your work at the Roost. I was most impressed." Pierce smiled widely. Its mind showed no fear of Mewtwo. Only curiosity and excitement. "It will be a pleasure to work with you, Mewtwo."

He nodded. Mewtwo could not say the same about Pierce. Its mind was too disturbing. Mewtwo did not trust it. Only its loyalty to Giovanni kept Mewtwo from killing Pierce where he stood.

"Good." Giovanni said. Mewtwo could actually feel emotion. He was pleased. "Mewtwo, after the raid is over and our men are out of the area you will destroy the St. Anne."

Mewtwo looked at Giovanni. It was a reaction he'd learned from humans.

He wasn't sure he believed what he had heard. Mewtwo would do it. Giovanni had asked it of him. But he didn't see the point. It wasn't a tactical vessel. The League wasn't associated with it.

Why?

Giovanni frowned. Mewtwo could feel anger. He didn't know if it was directed at him or not. "It is time to show our hand. The League has stepped too far onto our territory. We need them to fear us again. They need to know that Team Rocket is unstoppable."

Have we not shown them our power with the Roost?

"No!" Giovanni said loudly. Mewtwo believed the humans would categorize the inflection as "fierce". "The League does not know our true strength! We must strike fear into their hearts. Their intrusions will not be tolerated!"

Mewtwo was silent. Giovanni would not change his mind. All Mewtwo could do was assist him. He had not learned enough to consider leaving.

Perhaps this would be a true test of his power.

"A wonderful plan, sir!" Executive Pierce said. He was happy, or at least what the shell considered happy. Glee was a more apt term. "The League will have to back down once they see what our friend here can do."

A spark of icy fire entered Mewtwo's vision. He was annoyed. Executive Pierce was not his friend. He would not be friends with a rabid animal.

Giovanni simply smiled and raised a hand. Persian was asleep and did not protest the loss of contact. "Indeed. Executive Pierce, Archer will begin the preparations. I will contact you with more information within the next few days. Your team will be delivered to you shortly."

"Thank you, sir." Executive Pierce smiled. Giovanni nodded and it left the room. Only Giovanni and Mewtwo remained.

Giovanni looked at him. Mewtwo moved his head to look at the human. His mind futilely grasped for any sort of thoughts from Giovanni. As expected there were none.

"I expect you to work with Executive Pierce. He is competent, if overly brutal at times. That is what makes him so valuable to me." Giovanni smiled. Mewtwo simply stared. "Simply do your job. This is a test. I want the world to know your power."

Why is this necessary? The League will not know of my presence. I will leave no survivors.

"I told you: The League must know fear. Team Rocket has hidden away in the shadows for too long. They have lost their fear of us. It needs to be returned." Giovanni said. He radiated cold anger. It had been held back for a long time.

Giovanni stroked Persian's fur. The great feline's jaws opened wide as it unconsciously purred. "Do not be so sure. Humanity is resilient, if nothing else. Some will survive. Pierce will destroy lifeboats and others that try to escape, but I trust that at least one passenger will make it back to safety. They will be our messenger."

Mewtwo did not like this. Too much was left to chance. Giovanni was driven by old anger and bitterness. He was being foolish.

But he did not say anything. He would not hold Giovanni back from his own destruction, even if he was the one worthy human. Mewtwo could leave at any time he desired. Should Giovanni lose everything Mewtwo would not stay. He was here to become invincible, nothing more.

"Even if you do kill every passenger the League will be terrified. They are not fools. The League will know that we did not use Voltorb or Electrode to destroy the St. Anne." Giovanni said. He had an expression that Mewtwo recognized as a scowl. "That is when we will make our next move."

I understand.

Mewtwo wasn't sure he did. He understood that Giovanni wanted to crush the League's morale. That was a simple and obvious tactic. It was one of the basic rules of war. The instincts his creators had given him told him that much.

But why didn't Giovanni attack something noteworthy? The League surely had a stronghold that would cripple them if he destroyed it. Why would Giovanni not strike at the League's strongest point? If it was destroyed Giovanni would be stronger.

He didn't understand.

Did Giovanni not place trust in his abilities? Did Giovanni doubt him?

Mewtwo wanted to smother Giovanni's bright spark with his own mind. It would be simple. Painless. Every answer would be his. Giovanni would be gone. Mewtwo would be alone.

He did not.

He still needed Giovanni. He needed to exercise control. He didn't want to be alone. Giovanni was the only human worthy of respect. Giovanni was more than the other lesser beings.

"I will contact you later. Specialized training for this mission shall begin tomorrow." Giovanni said. Persian had woken up and craved attention. "Goodbye, my friend."

Mewtwo gave a short nod before he teleported to his room.

He had much to think about.

Mewtwo didn't feel the cold rain or powerful wind. He didn't want to. His power followed his desire.

He was high in the air. Levitation and flight was a simple skill, if somewhat draining. Even Alakazam could do it for short times. Mewtwo could fly indefinitely.

"Go on, pillage to your heart's contents!" Executive Pierce laughed. Mewtwo wished he couldn't hear its voice. The microphones didn't always help. "Remember, kill anyone who resists! Don't be gentle, either. Bring back the targets I gave you. Try not to rough them up too much. That would be quite the shame for everyone involved."

Executive Pierce had twelve helicopters. Each had three Golbat and one Crobat as guards. The Executive's helicopter was guarded by a Dragonite and three Skarmory. The current storm was too powerful

Each helicopter carried ninety Rockets. There was room for hostages and cargo. Mewtwo knew that they would be full tonight.

He avoided the minds of Executive Pierce and the air guard. They all felt wrong. Mewtwo wasn't sure which he despised more. The pokemon were too weak to resist Team Rocket. Executive Pierce was simply disturbing.

Mewtwo was curious about the passengers. He would be killing the majority in a short time. They would be better to understand than the Rockets. He wasn't sure that the organization would work without Giovanno. Many Rockets were weak. Others were unstable.

As the Rockets flew closer he expanded his awareness. There were several dozen humans on the deck. Only a few had a pokemon out. Most were water-types. Weak but efficient.

The helicopters were close. The Rocket pokemon dived. Most of the sailors were killed. Their pokemon fell soon after. Executive Pierce was a skilled tactician if nothing else.

He only watched as the helicopters landed on the deck. Executive Pierce's air guard flew to the command section of the ship. Mewtwo could feel several panicked minds inside. They vanished several seconds of later.

Mewtwo ignored the Rockets as they exited the helicopters. They were quick. Not as weak and dull as normal Rockets. He wanted to feel the passengers.

There were so many. He had never felt so many minds at once since he first expanded his awareness. The ship was alive. It was beautiful.

He would destroy it.

Mewtwo could feel the passengers now. So many were weak, but they had the emotion of happiness pour off of them. He didn't know how to react.

Some were strong. Not as strong as Giovanni but they were strong. Trainers. Perhaps some would kill the Rockets before they were overwhelmed. It would be impossible for them to succeed. If the Rockets failed he would intervene early.

Perhaps he would kill a few Rockets himself.

Mewtwo watched and waited as the teams quickly spread throughout the St. Anne. They had trained for this.

"I suggest all of you hurry up." Executive Pierce said. He remained on his helicopter. Mewtwo knew he could observe the other Rockets from a computer inside. "You have thirty minutes to complete your objectives. Do try and make it back. I'd prefer to make this venture as successful as possible."

The Rockets' minds grew frantic. They began to enter rooms. Some passengers simply let them in. They did not realize who the Rockets were. Others refused. The Rockets broke down their doors.

Fights broke out across the ship. Mewtwo had never felt so much desperation. The passengers fought with everything. They were afraid. Some cowered but most proved that they were not as weak as their species would suggest. Minds flickered out of existence.

He did not watch any fights closely. They ended quickly. The Rockets moved in teams.

Quick. Savage pokemon. Alert. Awake.

All advantages the majority of passengers did not have. They fought back regardless. He was impressed. Humans were weak but they could be strong. They simply needed to be pushed.

That was an eye opener, as humans would put it. He didn't understand many of their expressions, but that expression made sense. Metaphor didn't translate well to his mind. Mewtwo wanted to change that. Humans were interesting in a way that most pokemon weren't: they wanted more. Their minds were fascinating.

He returned his focus to the individual battles. Whenever a Rocket's mind vanished his awareness grew more intent. The passengers didn't usually live long. Rockets were vengeful.

There were several isolated instances. One trainer had a Machamp. Mewtwo watched him intently. He fought well. Ruthlessly. All but a single Rocket of the team assigned to his hall were killed by the Machamp. An Arbok and Kadabra joined him. Mewtwo thought about making contact with the Kadabra. Giovanni didn't allow him near any more Alakazam. He'd killed most of the Alakazam at Team Rocket's disposal.

Two more teams on the hall left their targets. One kept a hostage. Mewtwo assumed it was one of the valuable individuals Giovanni sought.

He watched. The trainer fought well. It was not enough. He was too weak to resist for long. The trainer and his team were killed. Several more Rockets were brought down. All but three Zubat and Koffing were killed. A single Rocket Machop survived.

Mewtwo lost interest when the fight was over. The rest of the passengers were incapacitated or dead. Only a few were taken. The others were left to die.

There were only three other situations in which the passenger wasn't immediately killed. Both involved immature humans. Mewtwo supposed that the Rockets were too weak to simply kill the juveniles. For all their supposed freedom humans were as bound by their instincts as any wild pokemon. They were simply more subtle about it.

Only one other Rocket was killed by a human once the trainer with the Machamp was killed by an Ekans' Poison Sting. It was not at the command of a trainer. The human was weak. Juvenile. It was incapacitated. One of its pokemon killed the Rocket.

Mewtwo watched the rest of the raid. He felt excitement. His part was coming.

"Attention, my dear friends." Executive Pierce's voice intoned. He could hear the vibrations from the intercom system aboard the ship. His awareness had become more sensitive. His powers were growing. "This is Rocket Executive Pierce. To those who are currently resisting our acquisition of your pokemon and valuables, please desist or you will be killed. To my men and the rest, I suggest you hurry up. This ship will be destroyed in five minutes. Tick tock."

He was ready. Few passengers had proven their strength. The rest were weak. Unworthy of the gift of life.

Mewtwo contemplated what he was about to do for the remaining time. This would change everything. Giovanni would trust him completely. His power would never be doubted again.

The helicopters began preparation to lift off. Most Rockets had returned. Only a few remained inside the ship. Several passengers had gone to the deck. There was combat.

He was interested. The juvenile human had survived the Rocket attack. It had moved up to the deck with its pokemon. Mewtwo felt its pokemon kill a Golbat. One was a Drowzee. He was surprised that the immature psychic was capable of doing harm. Its powers were feeble.

"Mewtwo, it's time for you to perform your duty. A shame I won't be able to watch the spectacle." Executive Pierce laughed into the microphone. Mewtwo ignored him and waited for the helicopters to leave. They were valuable to Giovanni and carried important cargo. "Put on a good show."

Mewtwo didn't respond and held his annoyance in check. One day he would kill Executive Pierce. That was something to look forward to.

When the helicopters were a safe distance away he flew forward. Psychic powers were versatile. He surrounded himself in an orb of energy that eliminated air resistance. Little could keep up with him. Teleportation would be faster but it did not matter. Flight was more efficient at the moment and the St. Anne could not escape. Mewtwo could destroy it at his leisure.

He let his mind expand over the world. His power was no longer held in check. Mewtwo was a conduit for vast energies. The storm intensified. Lightning struck the ocean around him. Waves leapt at him.

The passengers suffered from his energy. Even the Rocket teams recoiled. Humans could not handle such power.

Mewtwo finally opened his eyes. His mind was far superior to the weak organs. Humans attached a symbolic meaning to sight, however. It was supposed to be more important than other senses. He should look at the St. Anne as it was destroyed. Give it validation.

His mind continued to let him know everything. His attention was simply divided.

He focused. Mewtwo wanted to hit the very center of the ship. He knew where to strike instantaneously.

Mewtwo drew energy from the sphere that protected him from the elements. There was no point in creating another psychic sphere to draw from. It would not take much of his energy to accomplish this task. His control had grown to the point where very little energy could go a long way, as humans said.

Before he destroyed the St. Anne he focused on those that had escaped. There were five life boats in the ocean. Together they carried two hundred passengers that were able to run from the Rockets. None were close to their capacity.

He felt several passengers escape on pokemon. Five passengers were on the back of a Gyarados. It was angry but protective. Newly evolved.

The other pokemon were Mantine and a Golduck. They were hidden in the waves. It was doubtful the Rockets would discover them. Rocket pokemon weren't disciplined and suffered many mental issues thanks to their own weakness. They were often only aware of their handlers' orders or potential targets.

Mewtwo could feel the Rocket Dragonite, Crobat, and Skarmory in the air. They had likely been ordered to attack life boats. Executive Pierce wouldn't let any survivors escape if he could help it.

It was time to fulfill his duty to Giovanni.

He did not have trouble. It was simple. He guided a Psybeam to the center of the ship and sent it upward. The energy beam cleanly cut through the ship. Several minds vanished from his awareness, although their remains didn't.

The passengers were afraid as the ship was cut in two. Mewtwo could feel their fear and desperation. Many tried to run from their cabins. Others were unconscious from the teams as they approached the end to their destiny.

He watched the ship begin to collapse into the sea. So many humans and pokemon were afraid. They cried. An odd reaction to death. Why did they not accept it? None mattered in the grand scheme of things. There was nothing they could do.

Mewtwo watched the ship die for a few more seconds. It grew boring. The minds remained in the state of fear. None could accept their inevitable death.

He flew away.

Mewtwo was not happy. He supposed that was odd. This would give him the full confidence of Giovanni. He would never be doubted again.

But it seemed so pointless. The St. Anne was an unimportant target. Perhaps it would make the League afraid. Perhaps it would make them angry. There was no amusement to be found in destroying such a weak target. Ordinary Rocket teams were capable of subjugating the passengers.

In the end it did not matter. He would have Giovanni's trust. That was all he wanted. Whatever the human's goals were did not matter. He would help Giovanni achieve them until he found his purpose.

"You did well, Mewtwo. The League is reeling." Giovanni said. He smiled as he stroked Persian. The feline purred and leaned its head into his hand. Mewtwo simply watched. "They have been informed of your actions. My fellows are afraid."

How many survived?

Giovanni didn't look at any of the papers on his desk. "As of now a hundred and three. Pierce did not hunt down as many survivors as I expected. I must confess to be disappointed. I expected better."

Mewtwo said nothing. He still didn't see the point of the attack. Demoralization was good. Pointless destruction was not. He didn't know which the attack was.

What have you gained from the attack?

Giovanni smiled and lightly stroked Persian. Mewtwo did not bother feeling for emotion. It rarely appeared.

"I have gained more than you can imagine, my friend." Giovanni said and smiled. "The public is afraid. The League has recoiled. Vermillion is a lost cause now, but with Lt. Surge we could never find a foothold. Kanto is mine."

"What's more, I found a lead into a rather personal matter of mine. When our goals have been accomplished perhaps I will follow it." Giovanni muttered. His face tensed. Mewtwo could feel tension. Old anger.

Mewtwo watched and felt. He wanted insight into Giovanni. He had done what Giovanni asked. This was an opportunity to discover what Giovanni felt about him now. Giovanni's control was slipping. The human had never discussed anything about himself. Only Mewtwo and Team Rocket.

But his opportunity vanished. Giovanni's mind was blank. Frayed emotion vanished.

He wanted to know why he couldn't feel Giovanni's mind. Mewtwo knew it wasn't because of the human's strength. Giovanni was strong but he was stronger. The strongest. Nothing could escape him.

Except for Giovanni.

One day he would discover Giovanni's secret. It was irritating to not know. All other knowledge came to him easily. He could know it by looking at another. Giovanni would offer no answers.

He was distracted. He did not need to be. Distraction was a weakness. He had no weaknesses.

"That is of no matter." Giovanni said. "It does not affect our plan."

What is our plan?

"Dominance." Giovanni said as he smiled. He snapped his fingers. Persian looked up at him. Annoyance bled from it. "I have dominated Team Rocket. I have dominated Kanto's underworld. Kanto itself is the last step of my experiment."

Mewtwo understood that. Control was a necessity. The strong preyed on the weak. It was the law of life. The strongest deserved to be in complete control.

But Mewtwo understood humans enough to know that they would not bow to Giovanni. He was human as well. Power taken was illegitimate in the eyes of the weak. Humans did would not accept his authority.

How?

"Through you, my friend." Giovanni smiled. Mewtwo was tense. His muscles were rarely used. This was the exception. A natural reaction to a moment that could reveal Giovanni's true thoughts. "Team Rocket has the resources to wage a short war, but we cannot match the League. They have too many potential combatants. You are the great equalizer. They cannot harm you."

Mewtwo paid rapt attention. Giovanni was charismatic. That was what the humans called it. He could entrance with words as Mewtwo could with his mind. Even he was not immune.

His answers could lie in these words.

"I would never do something so bold as the destruction of the St. Anne without you." Giovanni said. His voice was low. Driven with an iron will and his own belief. "It would have been almost impossible, for one. I wouldn't waste my Voltorb supply on something of no value other than symbolic."

Giovanni laughed. Mewtwo didn't know enough of humans to know if it was real. Not real. It was real. He simply didn't know if the meaning and emotion behind it was genuine. What was the human term? Hollow?

"The League will implement measures against us, Mewtwo." Giovanni told him. "The Champion is already organizing task forces. Team Rocket has been contained by the police before now. No longer. You have made them fear. Even now the League fortifies their cities and strongholds."

"And that's what I want." Giovanni smiled. A human would recognize it as dangerous. Mewtwo thought of Executive Pierce. It was disconcerting. "A fortified League can't attack. My agents have disrupted their progress already. I have ordered attacks. Chaos will ensue. Team Rocket will show its might."

"This is a campaign of attrition. Hit and run. Guerilla warfare." Giovanni said. "I wear them down and strike."

What will I do? I do not run.

Giovanni was annoyed. Mewtwo was pleased. He could test Giovanni's shell. He could prompt emotion. Thoughts. There was a way without brute force.

"Of course not. I would not ask you to." Giovanni said to him. "You are too powerful to flee. You are far beyond any other ally I have. You are my partner for a reason."

Mewtwo didn't know what to think. Giovanni still seemed to see him as nothing more than a particularly useful fighter. Like one of his Executives. He was more than that. He was Giovanni's partner, not just a high-ranking servant.

He was stronger.

Bu there was progress. Giovanni spoke to him. He explained his thoughts and plans to him. In time he would see Mewtwo as an equal.

Perhaps he wouldn't have to kill him then.

"I said that the League would fortify themselves." Giovanni said. Mewtwo focused again. He could not let thoughts distract him. "That will be their undoing. In the future I will send you to destroy them. They will lose too much too fast."

I understand.

"Good." Giovanni said. He stroked Persian. The feline woke up. "Until then I would like for you to train. When the true tests come I would like for you to be at your most powerful."

I understand.

He did. Perhaps he would not be content with this forever. But for now he had a goal. A purpose.

He teleported to his chamber. Mewtwo's control was superior now. Teleportation was awkward but it was not as disruptive. Giovanni would not mind.

He found himself precisely where he desired. A sound similar to thunder announced his arrival. Mewtwo wasn't pleased. His control was still lacking. He needed to train.

That was in the future. For now he could think.

Mewtwo expanded his awareness further than ever before. He could feel everything. Life, definition, emotion. Everything.

It was beautiful.

One day it would all be his.

The next months were monotonous. His power grew exponentially. His armor became less and less of a hindrance. He mastered many psychic abilities and could truly control his power.

He was unstoppable, but there was more progress to make before he could leave Team Rocket. Mewtwo would stay with Giovanni until Team Rocket gained dominance.

For now he aided them. He captured powerful pokemon, hunted the most powerful League units outside of Gym Leaders and the Elite Four, broke League prisons to regain captured Rocket agents and a steady stream of recruits with nowhere else to go. He protected notable Rockets and took them from the League's clutches.

Giovanni taught him everything of war. It was a simple game and Mewtwo was the most powerful player.

Mewtwo learned more than war and power. He took an interest in his creation. Humans were intelligent, even if they were foolish in their application. It was simple to learn from the Rocket scientists. Their thoughts were open. He understood how he was created and Giovanni had let him see the blueprints for the cloning machinery used by the creators.

Knowledge was power. Mewtwo simply didn't know how to apply this knowledge yet. As of now it was little more than curiosity.

He was frustrated. Mewtwo still had no true direction. The war had not escalated. Giovanni's confrontations remained skirmishes. Mewtwo was only a specter to the League. They did not truly understand his power.

In between raids his life was boring. Mewtwo did not fulfilled fighting for Team Rocket. He only stayed for further training and because Giovanni was interesting.

Giovanni assured him that he would be used soon. He would no longer hide in the shadows. Mewtwo's full potential would be exposed. He would bring the world to its knees.

But for now he waited.

"Mewtwo, please teleport to the gym." Giovanni's cool voice said into his helmet. Mewtwo immediately teleported. There was only a small flash of light and a short crack. His control was sufficient to avoid most negative side effects.

He slipped seamlessly through space and time. Mewtwo appeared where Giovanni wished for him to. The battlefield was smooth and pristine. Giovanni had requested his presence early this time.

"You appear to be a skilled trainer, so I propose a deal." Giovanni said from his balcony. It normally intimidated challengers. Mewtwo could feel that this one was unaffected. Annoyed by the display. The challenger was an irritable one. "I will allow you to release all six of your pokemon at once. If you can defeat my friend here I will give you the badge."

Mewtwo restricted his awareness to the gym. He did not like cities. There were just too many minds and emotions conflicting at the same time. Tens of thousands sparks in their own routine and mundane existence. It was overwhelming at first.

In the gym he was aware of the sheer scale of the city's life but he did not understand it. It was much more efficient. He could process the information of thousands of buildings and minds but it was draining and made it more difficult to focus his power.

He didn't listen to the Challenger's words. That was a necessity when dealing with Giovanni. Other humans were simple to read. Their minds were his playthings.

Mewtwo's awareness took in the Challenger. He was an immature human. A young trainer. Potent, however. One had to be in order to challenge Giovanni. In time he would be a force to be reckoned with.

For now he was a toy to be discarded.

The Challenger was emotional. Pride, fear, anger. All conflicting. It was common to Giovanni's challengers. Giovanni was their ultimate test, or so he had come to learn.

His thoughts and arrogant emotions screamed his answer. I accept!

Giovanni was pleased. Mewtwo prepared himself. He restrained his powers as best he could. Although the armor held back the majority of his potential he could not afford to use more power than necessary.

These matches were an exercise in control. He'd failed the first time. Giovanni had been unhappy with the mess. It was easy to deal with the trainer before word could let out, however. The trainer's pokemon served Team Rocket now.

Now he was far more disciplined. He just had to watch himself.

The Challenger released its pokemon. Mewtwo identified them before they materialized. Blastoise. Arcanine. Alakazam. Nidoqueen. Umbreon. Scizor.

Powerful for their species. The Challenger was surprisingly powerful for its age. Few of the experienced challengers were as strong.

Giovanni snapped his fingers. Mewtwo did nothing. He patiently waited. The Challenger was not patient.

"Blastoise, Nidoqueen, Hyper Beam! Arcanine, Overheat! Alakazam, Shadow Ball! Umbreon, Faint Attack! Scizor, wait and hit it with X-Scissor!"

The Challenger said it all very quickly. Mewtwo knew what would occur before it gave the commands. They were fairly standard. Powerful for their type.

Simple to shield against.

Icy fire filled his vision. A layer of energy barely existent but practically invincible appeared around him. It easily neutralized every attack. Mewtwo allowed it to pulse outward. Most of the opposing pokemon were hurtled into the psychic barriers he maintained around the battlefield. The Umbreon disappeared and the Alakazam held its ground.

Impressive. The Alakazam fed off of his power. It allowed it to perform feats otherwise impossible. Cunning of it. Most psychics only took in the latent power he released. Alakazam harvested some of the power he used for his own shield.

Umbreon was simply resistant to the energy. It would harm it but not do much. Dark-types were annoying in that way. Mewtwo enjoyed defeating them.

The others were unconscious. Alakazam threw Shadow Ball. It dissipated against his shield. Mewtwo could feel the Alakazam. It was somewhat notable for its creativity. Otherwise it was as ineffectual as the rest.

He was interested in the Umbreon. Other psychics could feel the void they left in reality if they were skilled enough. Mewtwo could feel them as any other creature. They were simply muted. Faded, dull, out of focus. It was a similar effect to Giovanni's mind.

It moved quickly. Mewtwo felt it appear behind him. It was painfully slow to his awareness.

A thought threw Umbreon away. It was surprised before it hit the psychic barriers and fell unconscious. Mewtwo wished he could do more. He disliked dark-types. But Giovanni didn't like it when he killed challengers' pokemon. A pity.

Alakazam was all that was left. Its mind lit up as it tried to attack. Mewtwo focused what was left of the thin shield into a beam of energy that shot at Alakazam. It tried to create its own shield but it could not resist his power, minor as it may be.

Mewtwo traced the flight of its body as it flew into the psychic barriers next to its trainer. He could feel the Challenger's horror and fear.

Eighteen seconds. Somewhat slower than usual. He would work quicker next time.

"What, you – you cheated somehow!" The Challenger accused. Mewtwo always listened to their reaction. It was satisfying and amusing. "What is that thing?! Some kind of drugged up Alakazam?!"

"No, the future." Giovanni said. Mewtwo could feel his body smile. Persian watched with interest. The feline liked watching battles. "He is my partner, Mr. Oak. Now, be on your way. I have no more time for children."

The Challenger radiated fury. It shouted something and ran out. Mewtwo didn't bother feeling its mind. Its reaction was similar to many others. He was more concerned with the presence of another challenger outside the gym.

There is another Challenger.

"Thank you, Mewtwo." Giovanni replied. "Please deal with the challenger and restore the field before you go to the back room. I will call you if necessary."

Very well.

Mewtwo exercised a more subtle psychic ability as the Challenger raced toward the exit. He edited the Challenger's memories. It would lose everything from this but the barest details. Mewtwo's existence could not be widely known. Trainers talked. Editing their memories kept it from being an issue.

The battles rarely had much to clean up. Mewtwo didn't let them drag on. He simply smoothed it over with a wave before he levitated away. Mewtwo didn't like walking. It was so mundane. So jerky and pointless. Flight was freedom.

He floated through an open doorway. Perhaps he would get to battle this challenger as well. There were no raids or other activities planned for the day. He did not wish to train. Mewtwo desired action.

Mewtwo felt the former Challenger say something to the new Challenger. It was angry. The new Challenger was concerned. Perhaps it would be more cautious.

There was something familiar about the new Challenger. It had felt its mind before. Somewhere important. Mewtwo could not think of where. That was annoying. He would have to wait to investigate the new Challenger's mind. Brushing too close would alert it.

He was interested in Giovanni's reaction. The human actually released emotion. His thoughts were available in small scraps. Giovanni recognized the Challenger. He was afraid, confused. Those were not emotions Mewtwo associated with Giovanni. They were weaknesses. But he was more concerned that Giovanni was happy.

Mewtwo did not pay attention to the conversation. Giovanni's emotions and bare thoughts told so much more.

Giovanni had a weakness in this Challenger. He knew him from somewhere. He knew the Challenger's family. That was interesting. Giovanni was not as indomitable as he portrayed. Mewtwo had known it. Giovanni was merely human, not like Mewtwo.

It was something to keep in mind. Giovanni was still an enigma. Every bit of information was valuable. Weaknesses even more so.

Giovanni continued to radiate emotion as he began the battle. Mewtwo was content to watch and wait. This extended the time Giovanni would be open. He would take full advantage. He wouldn't enjoy defeating the Challenger, regardless. It would be boring. Petty.

The battle was longer than Mewtwo expected. What was more surprising was that Giovanni lost. That had never happened before. Even when Giovanni simply had Mewtwo watch he always won without real effort.

This Challenger was interesting. Mewtwo would remember him. He was skilled and important to Giovanni in some way Mewtwo did not yet know. The Challenger could be important to find in the future.

When the Challenger received his spoils Giovanni called for Mewtwo to repair the field. Mewtwo floated out into the open and was impressed. There was extensive damage.

He felt Giovanni's emotional weakness as he accessed his power to repair the battlefield. Mewtwo felt the Challenger's mind focus on him. He looked up. The Challenger met his eyes. The Challenger was afraid.

Mewtwo was concerned when the Challenger felt recognition and fear. That was disturbing. Giovanni needed to know of it. Perhaps the human had been on the St. Anne or one of his other targets. If he went to the League it could pose a unique problem.

He recognized me. Shall I correct that?

"No!" Giovanni said sharply. Mewtwo was surprised at the human's vehemence. It was out of character. Giovanni calmed. "No. I know that he recognized you. He was the one who alerted the League of your presence at the St. Anne."

Have you arranged for him to be intercepted?

"No." Giovanni responded. He was adamant. Mewtwo did not understand. "He is to go free."

Mewtwo was confused.

I do not understand. He will likely alert the League if he recognized me.

"He will, if the reports on him are anything to go by." Giovanni acknowledged. "I will allow it. It's time that we step out of the shadows. You are ready to topple the League and I shall support you. I will let the boy give the League our bait."

He understood more now. The Challenger was important. Mewtwo focused on him. He was afraid. Angry. He was putting thoughts together.

Mewtwo was interested. The Challenger had contact with the Champion. Unexpected.

He knows. He has called the Champion Lance.

"Good. Thank you, Ash Ketchum. You have proved to be quite helpful." Giovanni said quietly. He was smiling. The human looked at Mewtwo. "Well, the trap is set. Now we must prepare. I have no doubt that Lance will use every force at his disposal. He's aware of your presence."

Mewtwo was excited. This might be, if not a challenge, something to amuse himself with. It would be a test. He intended to pass.

"The League's most powerful forces will be concentrated in one place." Giovanni mused to Mewtwo. "I believe that they'll have quite a few ranks to fill tomorrow. Let's give them something to remember me by before I must leave Viridian."

It was a course of action Mewtwo agreed with. The world would finally know his power.

They are preparing to attack. The League has assembled ACE trainers. I feel the presence of the Elite Four. Elite Four Bruno is absent. Two unidentified trainers and the challenger from yesterday. Gym Leader Sabrina is present.

"Thank you, Mewtwo. It is as I expected. Lance is cautious." Giovanni said. Mewtwo could feel his smile. The human was excited. He had a right to be. Mewtwo had kept focus solely upon the camp and his immediate surroundings for two hours now. It was dull but important. The League had set up quickly. They wanted Giovanni.

Shall I destroy them now?

"No. I want the entire world to see this." Giovanni replied. He stood on the balcony. Persian was beside him. Mewtwo stayed on the battlefield. "I will allow them entrance. When the situation sours, teleport me to the Headquarters. I will give you further instruction from there."

Very well.

Giovanni waited. Mewtwo could feel the Challenger, Ash Ketchum Giovanni had named him, fly to the air above the gym. He didn't bother brushing against the human's mind. He was focused on the League forces that teleported into Viridian. They were subtle, barely noticeable in the chaos of the city.

He was excited. This was a battle to remember. It was climactic. He would break the League here. Giovanni would be pleased.

Mewtwo struggled to restrain his power as he felt the Elite Four representatives teleport into Viridian. They were seconds away from the gym's security checkpoint.

"Come behind me. I'd like for you to be a surprise." Giovanni told him. Mewtwo levitated to Giovanni's desired destination. The human returned Persian to its pokeball. It was the first time Giovanni had not had his companion present.

The Elite Four entered the gym. Mewtwo did not let his excitement subvert his control. Psychic abilities were tied to emotion. He needed to restrain himself.

He could feel each of the Elite Four as they stepped into Giovanni's gym. Their minds were powerful. Not as muted as Giovanni's but powerful. They would be his most powerful foes. Each could break Team Rocket's entirety in a fair fight.

They were nothing to him.

He felt their minds. Their emotions. Their identity.

Champion Lance. Strong. Stubborn. Brutal. Charismatic. Just as Giovanni had told him.

Elite Four Lorelei. Intelligent. Cunning. Cruel to her enemies. Powerful and analytic. Worthy of respect.

Elite Four Agatha. The only potential threat. Distortions in reality hovered around her. Each huddled around the human protectively. They were her most powerful pokemon. Mewtwo would kill them first. Ghosts were vulnerable but could prove troublesome.

"Champion Lance, Elite Four Agatha and Lorelei. What a surprise. I welcome you to my gym." Giovanni said grandiosely. Mewtwo had learned much of human speech patterns. It was useful for identifying moods in the inscrutable Giovanni. "I trust that you have a reason in coming here? You were certainly not invited."

"You know why we're here, Giovanni!" Champion Lance shouted. His mind was simple but effective. He was indignant and angry, but wary. "You are under arrest for association with Team Rocket! Surrender now and avoid bloodshed. You cannot win here!"

Giovanni frowned. "I'm afraid that's where our opinions differ. Mewtwo, please kill them."

Mewtwo floated forward. He no longer held back his power. His awareness washed over the entire city without restraint. Every human except for Giovanni was crippled by his power. It gave him time to act.

He teleported Giovanni back to the Team Rocket Headquarters. Giovanni could watch the slaughter of his enemies from there. Mewtwo turned to the Elite Four. A Gengar took them outside. No matter. They could not escape.

Another Gengar tried to attack him. He destroyed its corporeal form with a thought and beam of psychic power. It would reform soon enough. The ghost was quite powerful for a lesser being.

Mewtwo's heart beat faster. Icy fire veiled over the world. He was ready for this. This was what he had trained for.

Hundreds of new minds appeared. The League forces had released their pokemon. They were a force to be reckoned with.

Unfortunately, he was superior. He was the strongest. They were his playthings.

He threw off the rest of his shackles. Psychic power flowed freely. Most of his power was still locked away by the armor.

The gym trembled as his power was unleashed. Mewtwo was surrounded in an aura of icy psychic energy. He concentrated it until it was a shield that clung to his armor. Nothing could hurt him now.

Mewtwo looked up at the ceiling. It was an obstacle to his conquest. He wanted it to go away. His power responded to his will and a pulse of force shot up and created a large explosion. Mewtwo floated higher in the midst of smoke and dust.

His eyes were useless. It was fortunate that he did not rely on something as unreliable as sight.

Everything was clear to him. He knew where every human and pokemon was. There was so much fear. This was the best the League could send at him? Mewtwo blew the smoke away. He wanted the League to see their destroyer.

Mewtwo heard Champion Lance order the attack. Good. Giovanni wanted him to display his power. It would be enjoyable to extend the battle. Their morale would break when they could not hurt him.

He could feel the energy released by hundreds of simultaneous attacks. It was beautiful to watch through his awareness. The energy was so bright. Mewtwo almost forgot that it was attack.

It might as well have not been. He flicked his wrist. The lesser creatures were blinded from the light. Their attacks washed helplessly off of the protective barrier that formed around him. He did not wish to rely on his backup shield.

Mewtwo could feel the League psychic pokemon feeding off of his power. They were well-trained. It would do them no good.

He looked at the ground directly in front of the gym. It exploded and released a large amount of energy. Dust filled the air. The lesser creatures were unable to penetrate the cloud.

As the League forces recuperated he raised his arm and created a sphere of psychic energy. He mentally traced every organisms' location and trajectory and aimed Psybeam at all of the exposed humans and pokemon.

Several minds vanished from his awareness. The others his Psybeam struck were crippled. They could not contribute much.

He prepared to destroy the rest of them. A sudden mental assault distracted him from his goal. Mewtwo reflexively shielded himself as he identified the source of the attack. It was simple to protect himself from the pitiful assault.

Gym Leader Sabrina and an Elite Four trainee focused upon him. They had joined together with their pokemon. Each was a potent psychic in their own right. Gym Leader Sabrina was a Master. Mewtwo could respect her. She was as worthy of respect as Giovanni. He did not wish to kill such a skilled human.

Mewtwo ignored the attacks that rained against his barrier. The team of psychics were a larger threat.

They wanted to possess him while he was distracted. They wanted to dominate his mind and leave him a shell. He was impressed by their cunning. The League was willing to stoop low to defeat him. That was respectable.

He let them make progress. Their power hung on the edge of his consciousness. The psychics were more difficult to hold back than he expected but could not match his power. Sabrina's skill was impressive. He had to focus to protect himself.

Mewtwo waited for his shield to finally weaken underneath the assault of the Elite Four and League forces before he began to respond. He focused his power and restored his shield. He focused on the psychics.

They were an annoyance.

He found their weakest link. A Mr. Mime. Mewtwo crushed it and extended his consciousness to fill the shell. He wouldn't kill it. He would like to face Sabrina again one day.

The psychics were afraid. He repeated the process with the rest of the pokemon within a second. The mind worked faster than any shell of flesh.

The Elite Four trainee fell next. He resisted, but he was only as strong as the Mr. Mime. It was simple to snuff out his consciousness.

Mewtwo turned his full might upon Sabrina. She was afraid. Good. Next time she would prepare herself.

He grew bored with her fear. Mewtwo extended his influence into her. She fell unconscious. Sabrina, the trainee, and their pokemon were in a coma. When they awoke they would have an idea of how to resist him. It would be interesting.

It was time to finish this. He would give the League another minute to try and defeat him. Mewtwo would shield himself and destroy ghosts. He needed some way to break the monotony.

Mewtwo felt his shields bend underneath a rather impressive amount of energy. The Champion Lance was powerful for a human. He was worthy of respect. No other had managed to put significant pressure on his barrier. The Hyper Beams were exceptional.

He let the battle go on for a while longer. Giovanni wanted him to make the finale impressive. He was surprised the human hadn't made contact with him yet.

When Elite Four Agatha's ghosts were unable to regenerate as effectively Mewtwo released the energy stored in his psychic barrier. It was sufficient to disable the full force he faced and lock them in place.

Mewtwo ensured that the human Ash Ketchum was not affected. He was on the back of a Dragonair. He would not kill the human. It was not a threat. Giovanni was interested in it.

He flicked his wrist. The first of Champion Lance's pokemon was sent to the ground. Mewtwo could feel the stone crack. There was a new crater. It was accompanied by the rest of the Champion Lance's team. They were strong but they could not resist him.

Mewtwo felt Ash Ketchum and the Dragonair fly toward him as he looked at the Champion Lance. He would give the human the honor of meeting his eyes before he died.

He felt no fear from the Champion. Only anger and grim determination. Mewtwo was impressed. Most humans feared death. The Champion Lance accepted it.

It would welcome him in turn.

Mewtwo flicked his wrist downward. Gestures made his powers more efficient. It guided them. He was slightly tired. He needed to train his endurance. Mewtwo would need it soon.

The Champion Lance was intercepted. Mewtwo was annoyed. He'd have to exert more energy to kill the human now. He felt Ash Ketchum and a Tangrowth. They were responsible.

He did not particularly desire to kill Ash Ketchum, but he had no such trepidations about the Dragonair. Giovanni had no use for the Dragonair.

Mewtwo felt where the Dragonair was located and its trajectory. He guided a beam of psychic energy into its spine. He knew that it would paralyze the pokemon. Mewtwo would kill it with Lance.

The humans were injured. Mewtwo felt them trying to escape. That would not do. He froze every living creature in the area. They would not interfere. They would watch while their Champion died.

The Champion Lance recalled the Dragonair to its pokeball. He was sad now. He realized the folly of his actions. There was no escape from Mewtwo. Champion Lance was injured, as was Ash Ketchum.

He teleported in front of the humans. They deserved to see their death. Ash Ketchum had annoyed him. The human recalled the Tangrowth.

Champion Lance met his eyes. Mewtwo could feel the pain emanate from Champion Lance's mind. He was strong willed. He would break it.

Ash Ketchum stared at him. He was afraid but determined. Admirable. He accepted his death. He did not want to die a coward.

He raised an arm. Psychic power formed into a ball. It was not a focused attack but a source of energy. Mewtwo didn't need so much energy. It was simply a luxury. He did not get to kill the Indigo Champion every day.

The Champion of Indigo and a Child. I had not expected the honor. This confrontation was not expected for a long time yet.

Mewtwo could feel the pain that radiated from them. Their will was strong but their mind was fragile. He did not ordinarily converse with humans other than Giovanni. It was difficult to remember how easy it was to hurt them.

He did not stop speaking. The Champion Lance was worthy of a few words before his destruction.

My partner believed that you and your Elite Four would be a proper test of my skills, Champion. He was right. This battle was amusing. It will be a shame that none of its participants save I shall be alive to remember it.

The humans did not look away. He prepared to kill them. They would not be annoyances any longer.

"Stop!" Giovanni's voiced echoed in his helmet. Mewtwo was annoyed. Why did he speak up now? "Do not kill the boy!"

Mewtwo expanded his awareness and hunted down Giovanni at the Headquarters. It was many miles away but his powers were strong now. He simply had to focus on the human.

He spoke only to Giovanni. The Champion did not need to hear this.

Why? He is a hindrance.

"Do not kill the boy!" Giovanni shouted. Mewtwo almost started. Giovanni never shouted. "He is valuable! Do not put him at risk."

Very well. I will not kill him.

Mewtwo was annoyed now. Giovanni was being a fool. The juvenile human hated Team Rocket. It was one of the strongest emotions he could feel from him.

But he would at least try. Giovanni was his partner.

Champion, step away from the child and it would live.

The Champion Lance moved. Mewtwo prepared to kill him and end this game. He wanted to destroy the rest of the League forces and leave.

He was further annoyed when Ash Ketchum grabbed the Champion. His patience was at its limit.

"Stand down." Giovanni ordered.

Mewtwo thought about killing both of the humans. Perhaps it would stop Giovanni from being so foolish. He was allowing some unknown emotion to control him. He was being weak.

I have precision. I can kill Champion Lance and spare the child. It will be simple.

Giovanni was silent. Mewtwo could hear Persian purr in the background. "No. Do not put the child at risk."

Mewtwo was angry now. He did not allow his power to spiral out of control. Control was everything. Control was necessary.

Why? I can end this. The League will be broken without its Champion.

"Leave. Their faith and morale will be broken." Giovanni said at last. His mind was frantic. Mewtwo's voice had hurt him. "The people of Kanto have seen their strongest defenders fall to you. The League will be slow to recover. My operations can be executed while they recover."

This is a mistake.

"Perhaps." Giovanni admitted. Mewtwo did not like this. Giovanni never showed weakness. He was strong. "But I have plans within plans. Return to the Headquarters. I have a new assignment for you."

Mewtwo wanted to refuse. He wanted to obliterate this entire city and stand in the ashes. He was angry. Giovanni was being a fool. Not pragmatic. Not rational.

Very well.

He looked at the Champion Lance. The human was almost unconscious. Ash Ketchum watched him with frightened eyes. Mewtwo wanted to kill them both. He would not forget them.

Consider yourselves lucky. My partner is acting irrationally. He will not allow you to be hurt, and unfortunately my power is too great to so much as touch you without crushing your body into a bloody pulp.

An exaggeration. A lie to protect his own pride. He would not let the humans think he was weak. He was not bowing to Giovanni's will. Giovanni was simply being foolish. Mewtwo still needed him. He was being rational.

He could feel hundreds of minds approach. They were filled with concern and fear. It was almost overbearing.

It is a mistake, but I will honor my partner's wishes. Besides, it looks like more of your misguided allies have arrived. Perhaps this is for the best. My message has been sent.

Mewtwo levitated from the ground. He looked down at the lesser creatures. They were strong but he would kill both of them one day. Ash Ketchum had interfered. Champion Lance was simply a threat. He was worthy enough for Mewtwo to kill him face to face.

I will meet you again, Champion. You will not be protected by the child forever. I will claim your life, and next not even my partner's protests will spare you.

He looked around in disgust. His mind told him what he would see. Mewtwo wanted to see the scene of his first true appearance with his eyes. Another human trait he had assimilated.

Shall I kill them?

"Leave." Giovanni told him. Mewtwo was annoyed. He let his mind take in everything once more. When he was done he teleported. There was nothing left for him here.

"You did well." Giovanni greeted him. "They are afraid. My agents have already begun to destabilize the League. Our goals will be met in a matter of months."

You restrained me. I could have ended it there. Champion Lance was at my mercy.

"The boy was too valuable to put at risk!" Giovanni shouted. He was angry and afraid. Weak. Mewtwo wanted to engulf his mind and assimilate his knowledge. The human was being annoying.

Why?

"It does not concern you." Giovanni spat. Mewtwo's eyes flashed. He would not be spoken to like that. Giovanni was strong for a human, but Mewtwo was the strongest in the world. He was Giovanni's superior in every way.

We are partners. I want to know why you sabotaged the mission. The plan was to kill them all.

"The boy is valuable. He has connections. He is a prodigy. I need a successor." Giovanni said. Mewtwo could feel that he was not giving the whole truth. It was enough. He would take it one day. "I cannot risk his death."

There was no point in continuing this conversation. Giovanni would not give him his answers and he could not take them yet. One day he would know just why the boy was such a weakness. For now he could only record Ash Ketchum to memory.

"I should tell you about your assignment." Giovanni said quietly. Persian was silent for once. Mewtwo realized that his power was being guided by his anger. He did not mind. It was nothing more than Giovanni deserved. "In a few days Kanto will be at war. You will be vital during that time. Until you are needed you will search Kanto."

For what?

"Anything the League might seek to turn to their advantage. They know your power. There is nothing they will not do to defeat you. I suspect that they will search for Legendaries. Therefore, your mission is to find and, if not eliminate them, alert me to their location."

Mewtwo's interest was raised. His anger dimmed. A Legendary would be a true test. Perhaps it would be a challenge.

"I have a potential lead." Giovanni told him. Mewtwo listened. He restricted his awareness to the room. "There is a storm going through Kanto. It cannot be natural. I know you can feel the world around you. Check the storm."

Very well.

He would enjoy this assignment. It would be a true test of his power.

His mind expanded throughout Kanto. Mewtwo had never been able to focus on nothing but his awareness before. Everything was indistinct in his mind, but he could feel so much life. So many bright lights and beautiful fields.

He did not have time for that. Mewtwo had a single target and he had just found it.

An awareness far different than any he had ever encountered flew in the middle of the storm. Mewtwo was hesitant to call it a mind. It was the storm. It was intelligent but in a different way than he understood. Alien but vaguely familiar.

Mewtwo brushed against its awareness.

Pain.

Electricity filled him. It was a force, not a mind. It noticed him.

Mewtwo felt his own mind tremble against the monumental awareness that rushed inside of his own mind and body. He felt as though he would burst into ash. Large amounts of energy flooded his body. The force only increased its pressure.

It was fortunate that he was not connected to the machine. It would have been destroyed.

He suddenly stopped. He was Mewtwo, the most powerful entity in the world. He would not allow something that barely qualified as a recognizable mind to end him.

His eyes flashed. Power flooded his body. Not the Force's but his own. It purged him of the Force's power.

The Force withdrew. He would not let it escape. Mewtwo wanted its destruction. He would break it until it was his slave. Nothing was allowed to hurt him!

Mewtwo's power, restricted as it was, rushed into their tenuous connection. The Force recoiled. The storm that was a part of it fluctuated wildly. Mewtwo focused. He would not allow it to escape.

Feeling it was like nothing else. It was more than a mere mind. It was something…more.

The Force fought back. It was wary. It could not break his power. He had hurt it.

His mind was in pain. Electricity still crackled in his body. He was weakened more by a second of contact with the Force than the entire battle with the League. It was a worthy foe. All the better to break.

He could not make headway. The Force was too powerful. They were evenly matched. If his armor was gone he could win. Mewtwo used more power.

The Force responded in kind. Mewtwo's body crackled with electricity. He did not let the pain bother him. He wanted to win.

Mewtwo attacked one last time. The Force felt something akin to anger. It tried to allow its own power to wash over him but he would not allow it. Electricity suddenly ripped into his mind and body. Mewtwo was crippled but the Force was as well.

It was a stalemate. Mewtwo tried to attack, but the Force escaped. He was angry. He could have defeated it.

But the experience was valuable. That was beyond anything he had felt before. It was a Legendary. Mewtwo knew now he could face one. His power was still growing exponentially. Had he faced it in a physical battle he was certain he could have defeated it. Electricity was powerful but his psychic powers were more versatile.

He returned his awareness to his own body. The Force had been crippled. It would take time to recover. Mewtwo was not anxious to engage it soon. He needed to become more powerful. Perhaps Giovanni would allow him to remove his armor.

Mewtwo realized he was on the ground. His body failed to respond to his commands. He was annoyed and raised himself with his power. It would take time before he was strong enough to seek the Legendary again.

Next time he would be ready.

He enjoyed the next few months. Mewtwo was everywhere. Whenever the League attacked he destroyed them. Whenever the Rockets attacked he aided them. He gathered intelligence, killed civilian leaders of the League, controlled humans and assisted Team Rocket in catching powerful pokemon.

His power was undefeatable. Nothing was capable of standing against him.

War was fun. There was no other way to explain it. The greatest game of all.

Mewtwo knew his power now. He had advanced far. Only his control was lacking. When his power ceased to grow perhaps he would be able to master control. For now he valued the additional power.

He grew weary of the armor. It restricted him. With it he was unstoppable. Without it he would be beyond any other life form. The shadow of Mew would become the true power in the world. Legendaries would fall before him. He would no longer need Giovanni.

Even now he did not. He was beyond Giovanni. The human deserved respect but he was an inferior creature. Giovanni was bound by instinct. He could not identify his own failings.

But he was unsatisfied. As his mastery increased old questions were dredged up.

What was his destiny? What was his purpose?

Giovanni had told him that he was created to be the greatest psychic of all time. That had become reality. But Giovanni didn't teach him how to use his power in other ways. Mewtwo had to learn that himself. All Giovanni had used him for was battle. Death.

So much of it was pointless. There was amusement in overwhelming victory but no fulfillment.

He wanted answers. Giovanni had misdirected him for so long. Half-truths and postponing. Mewtwo had needed him before. No longer. He would have his answers.

Mewtwo would have them. He would have them today. He had no more patience.

He had called Giovanni to his quarters. Giovanni was uncomfortable here. His power permeated this chamber. Every human and pokemon could feel it.

Giovanni entered the room. Mewtwo had followed him for some time. There were twelve Rockets in the hall behind him. His bodyguard. They were unnecessary. Persian was sufficient for any ordinary threat. It was powerful for a lesser creature.

"What is it you want, my friend?"

Answers.

"And what answers do you want? I have answered all of your other questions." Giovanni said. Mewtwo could feel nothing from the human. He stopped restraining all of his power. Even Giovanni could feel it now. His strange strength could not protect him.

I want the truth. Why was I created? What is my purpose?

"You were created to be the most powerful psychic of all time. I wanted a partner that could do things that I could not." Giovanni replied. There was still nothing. Mewtwo didn't believe it.

I want the truth!

Giovanni was brought to his knees. Mewtwo had not done anything. He simply allowed his power to reveal itself. Persian hissed and tried to jump at him. Mewtwo froze it in a shell of psychic energy. If Giovanni told him the truth he didn't want to create an irrevocable break in their partnership. Killing Persian would do that.

He let his mind wash over Giovanni's void. Mewtwo could sense it now. It was hidden. Protected with discipline and something else. Mewtwo did not understand it.

Giovanni would tell him the truth. He was only human. Humans could not resist him.

His influence forced the truth. Mewtwo was curious. He wanted answers. He did not need Giovanni's training anymore. He was ready.

"You were created by humans to obey humans!" Giovanni gasped. Mewtwo's eyes began to glow. He was angry. Metal crumpled beneath his feet. "You are a weapon, nothing more!"

You said I was your equal! We stood as partners! I am as much a human as you!

His influence crushed any of Giovanni's will to resist. His anger fuelled his power. The metal of the chamber was ripped up and levitated. Mewtwo did not care. He was angry.

"You are just a pokemon!" Giovanni spat. His face was red. Mewtwo did not know if it was anger or pain. "You are superior to other pokemon, but you are an abomination that dreams it can think! Humanity created you. You exist to be mine!"

Mewtwo did not say anything else. He would never be a slave. He was more than that! His creators had seen him as an experiment. Giovanni saw him as a tool. A weapon that needed to be controlled.

He had been a fool. He had wanted a partner. A companion. His weakness had cost him time.

Death had been his creators' fate. Giovanni deserved it far more.

He gave into the anger. Everything blurred. Mewtwo's body became a conduit.

Mewtwo was aware of nothing but the armor. A symbol of Giovanni's dominance. It had to go.

Power flooded his body. He wanted the armor gone. Immense energies ripped at it, but the armor fed off of his power. It resisted his attempts. His shackled strength fuelled it.

He wanted it gone.

Mewtwo felt horrible pain, then weakness, then freedom. The armor was vaporized. He was free in every way.

He felt everything. Nothing was hidden. Life was everywhere. It was wonderful. A miracle he could not match.

It was quenched in his vicinity. Everything died. Only Giovanni and Persian survived. They were protected.

Mewtwo's eyes glowed. Everything was blue fire.

His full power returned and he felt angry and then –

The world was blurred. Heat, light, force, energy. Everything was his to command and his anger released it. Mewtwo didn't realize what was happening. He didn't act. His anger did. His power bent to his emotion and he could only feel glee and hatred for Giovanni when the world exploded.

Mewtwo flew out of it. He didn't look back at the Rocket Headquarters. His awareness told him everything. It was devoid of life. Everything was twisted metal and molten slag. Human bodies were unrecognizable. Team Rocket's heart was dead.

He did not know where to go. Mewtwo let his instincts guide him and he flew.

Mewtwo was calm. He landed on the ruins of New Island. That was its name. This was where he was created. This was where he would live.

The world would not forget him. Team Rocket was dead but the League would hunt him. He was too powerful to let go.

Mewtwo would not let them. He was free now. Giovanni was gone. Team Rocket was gone. Only Mewtwo remained.

He was the strongest now. He was a child before. Nothing could oppose him.

The strong dominated the weak. It was their right. Giovanni had taught him that. It was true. The world would learn it soon enough. Nothing would escape his right.

This was his world. He only possessed New Island now. He would rebuild it. The world trembled at his every thought. Mewtwo knew what it had felt like before. His awareness had retained it.

He let his mind cover the ocean. Nothing was there but life. Pokemon. No humans. Beautiful.

Mewtwo did not know what he would do now. His life had been dictated by the whims of others. Freedom was strange. What could he do?

Everything.

He had power now. He was free.

Mewtwo would find his own destiny.

And there it is. I apologize for the late update, but I wanted to release this on Traveler's first anniversary. I'd like to thank everyone who's read it and contributed to its success. I've learned a lot about writing from it and I hope to use that to make it much better in the future. I never thought it would come so far when I was first brainstorming it. Traveler was just a random story I wanted to write because I wanted to do an adventure fic, but it's turned into something else. I have all of you to thank for that and Traveler's.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to review!