Traveler

by The Straight Elf

Ash Ketchum has been determined to become the best since he was a toddler. He has his eyes set on a charmander, but a twist of fate led him to the humble Nidoran. Note: Mix between anime and the games.

20. Chapter 20: The Clash

Life is wonderful. Spending the last three days in Pallet Town had done a lot to remind him of that. There wasn't training or potentially lethal battles. There wasn't the pressure of traveling and fighting. Just peace and relaxation.

He looked out over the Corral. It was sunny and quiet. Most of the pokemon were napping underneath the light of the sun. In the summer they would stay in the forest where the shade and ponds would cool them, but in the waning winter they sought every bit of warmth they could.

Ash closed his eyes and smiled as he leaned onto Nidoking's side. Plume circled overhead and Sneasel ran around the vast range of the field excitedly, always after some pokemon or another. Whenever he took it too far Nidoking would zap him with a weak bolt of electricity.

The rest of the team was scattered around the Corral and Pallet Town. Ash had no idea where Dazed was. She usually shadowed him everywhere he went. Maybe she supposed Nidoking would be protection enough. Infernus was probably trying to drag Arcanine into a fight and Oz was probably at the generator Professor Oak used to feed electric-types. Torrent was probably at the lake. He liked to be near the water.

Bruiser and Seeker could be anywhere. They knew the Corral as well as Ash himself. Tangrowth was probably taking care of some of the baby pokemon or sleeping off some of the injuries he'd sustained during the battle with Moltres. His moderate burns were slow to heal for some reason, although Professor Oak and his mother assured him that they'd be fine.

Ash considered his next course of action as he bit into a sandwich his mother had made for him. Normally he'd pack something for himself but he didn't mind letting his mother help him. It was nice to not have to be responsible for once. Most of the time he had to be entirely self-sufficient, at least in regards to food and supplies. Being mothered was a nice break from that.

The Conference was coming closer. It was only a month and a half away at this point. Ash could still barely believe it. Everything he'd worked for, everything he'd gone through would reach its apex in the blink of an eye. The Conference would be his moment of truth.

He wasn't sure how he felt about it. Happy and excited, obviously. Ash knew his friends were incredible. They could achieve whatever they wanted. He was just afraid that he'd fail them. The only experience he had battling in front of a large crowd was back at the Dandra Tournament. It wasn't as bad as he'd expected and winning in front of so many people felt incredible, but there was a big difference between a stadium with a thousand people and the hundreds of thousands that attended the Indigo Conference. Let alone the millions that watched it.

Ash figured he would just pass that hurdle when he came to it. It wasn't like he could find another tournament to enter. There were definitely a few around Kanto but most of the region was gearing up for the Indigo Conference. It was the biggest event of the year. Most of the League's funding came from and went to the tournament.

The Indigo Conference was the first and oldest of the annual Regional Conferences. As such, thousands of people from the other regions flocked to Kanto in order to observe it. Almost everyone watched the live battles where the best of the best battled for ultimate victory.

And he would be in it. He'd be amongst those competitors. There was no way he'd be included in the Admission Rounds. They were for trainers who hadn't collected all of their badges or had collected them from a previous year. It let people who didn't want to spend their time traveling have a chance to enter or those who had challenged the minor gyms a test. The Admission Rounds went on until there were an even two hundred and fifty six competitors.

But what would he do in the meantime?

The obvious answer was to train. He would give his friends a long break, of course, but they could always improve. Ash had to develop strategies to counter dragon-types as well. It was a given that such powerful pokemon would appear more frequently in the upper echelons of the Conference. Ash had to be able to crush them with minimal loss on his part.

He would probably spend his last month in Pallet to train. Ash needed to take advantage of the relatively empty wilds around it. By the time the Conference rolled around the adult pokemon would begin to return to breed and raise their offspring. Ash didn't want to disrupt that process by having his rather destructive friends training around them.

Until then he would stick around Pallet Town to rest and then travel. There wasn't much of Kanto left to see, but he was sure he could find something. Ash had plans to rematch Koga and Sabrina at some point or another. He could only imagine how powerful Koga and Sabrina's primary teams would be. Alakazam would certainly be a feature of Sabrina's primary team, but Koga's was a mystery. Ash had heard that Koga liked to use foreign pokemon to augment the confusion challengers felt while battling him. They'd certainly be much more formidable than Seviper.

In the meantime he had a few rifts in the team to heal. He didn't mind a bit of dislike between his friends as long as it didn't affect their performance. Ash knew that it was impossible to expect so many different personalities to mesh perfectly. Rivalries weren't bad either. Rivals pushed each other beyond what they could achieve otherwise.

What he did have a problem with was when it was more than just dislike or annoyance. His team was a team. He wouldn't tolerate any lasting hatred.

Ash took the last bite of his sandwich and took another gulp of water before he sat up. Nidoking, who had curled up to rest while he watched a few of the Nidoran play and wrestle with each other in the tall grass, peered at him. His large ears twitched.

"Nidoking, we need to talk about Oz." He said sternly. Nidoking's eyes grew fierce and narrowed to slits. His ears flattened and a deep rumble came from his chest. "You're just proving my point. You need to calm down. She's a teammate."

Nidoking bared his fangs. Ash frowned back. He didn't like having to address his friend like this. Most of the time Nidoking was levelheaded. "You know as well as I do that Oz isn't a threat. She's fought and trained with us."

When Nidoking just growled and stayed tense, Ash tried to lower the conversation's tension. "Tangrowth likes her."

That got a sort from Nidoking. There was only one member of the team that Tangrowth didn't like: Infernus. In fact, Infernus was probably the only person or pokemon Tangrowth hadn't loved instantly.

"I don't like having these talks, trust me." Ash told his friend. "But Oz is a teammate and you need to back off. Why do you even dislike her? Because she tried to attack me when we first met?"

Nidoking slowly nodded. He'd calmed down a bit.

"I got over it." Ash pointed out. "So should you. Besides, you were there to protect me. Just like when we first fought Infernus. He was more than dangerous to me than Oz when we first met. You didn't have a grudge against him for the next month."

His friend grunted his protest and looked away. Nidoking's nostrils weren't flared anymore. The initial anger had vanished.

"I know that you've been more protective ever since you evolved. I don't mind. Knowing all the things we've run into it's probably a good thing." Ash murmured. He patted Nidoking's shoulder. "But you're taking it too far right now. Let your grudge go. Oz isn't going to hurt either of us. She's a friend now."

Nidoking grunted and shrugged. He pulled himself upright and looked Ash in the eyes. After a moment he shrugged again and nodded slowly. Ash smiled and leaned back on his friend's side. "Thanks, buddy. Just work on it."

He relaxed and looked up at Plume. She was playfully darting through the air with a flock of Pidgey and the odd Pidgeotto. They were trying to catch her but couldn't match her speed or agility, despite their smaller size. Plume had been fast before training with Lance but now she was at another level. All of his friends were. Even he was.

Ash pulled his cap down so it would cover his eyes. It was about time to take a nap. One of the best perks of lazing about the Corral all day was being able to take naps. He couldn't exactly do that on the road.

Nidoking leaned over so Ash would be comfortable before the two dozed off in companioble silence. It was moments like this that Ash had missed while training with Lance. Growing strong was nice but his connection with his friends would always be more important.

XX

"Dinner's ready!" His mother's cheerful voice rang throughout the house. Ash leapt up from the couch, which was covered in pokemon, and rushed to the kitchen. He hadn't had anything since his small lunch several hours earlier. "Come and get it!"

He happily followed the tantalizing smell of his mother's cooking. It was probably some kind of soup. Most of his friends stayed in the living room. The majority were too large to fit into the kitchen and he'd set out some food for the others. Ash wasn't about to make his mother prepare his friends' food.

His mother had already set the large bowls of steaming broth and vegetables on the table by the time he arrived with Dazed, Sneasel, and Seeker in tow. Ash quickly sat down and adjusted Seeker, who had latched onto his back. Bruiser was training out in the forest. He was probably miles away. Bruiser didn't like to disturb others.

"How'd your day go, honey?" His mother asked as Ash dug in. He gulped down a spoonful of soup and looked up.

"It was good." He said back. "We didn't really do much. Just hung around in the fields most of the day."

His mother smiled. "Good. All of you are looking much better. When you first got back you looked exhausted! I was worried for a few days."

"We're fine now." Ash smiled. He resisted the urge to rub at his throat. It still felt slightly raw. His voice was slightly hoarse now. Hopefully it would go away soon. "It's just nice to relax. Lance wasn't very forgiving when it came to training."

"I can see that." His mother muttered, some of her cheer gone. She lit up a few seconds later. "So I was talking to Samuel today. He already has our tickets! They're right next to the League box."

A grin spread across his face. He wasn't just happy to know that his mother would be at the Conference. He'd expected that. Professor Oak could reserve an entire box if he wanted. Ash was more excited that he'd be next to the League box when he wasn't battling. It would be nice to see some of the gym leaders again, especially Surge and Blaine. Steven would probably be there too.

"That's good. Will you be there the first day?"

"I'll try, but I'm not sure." His mother admitted with a worried frown. She nervously drummed the table with her fingertips. "There's a lot to do here, but I'll definitely be here by the time everyone starts competing. I wouldn't miss your battles for the world!"

Ash's lips curled up at that. He took another bite of food and gently pushed Seeker away when she tried to sniff at the bowl. She chattered and climbed back onto his back. Seeker quickly nestled underneath his jacket, which was far warmer than the slightly cool house.

"How's Professor Oak been?" Ash inquired as he discreetly motioned for Dazed to keep an eye on Sneasel. The dark-type enjoyed all of the bright pots and pans of the kitchen a bit too much. His mother hadn't been too happy when Sneasel had practically destroyed the kitchen while playing with various utensils. "I've only seen him once since I came back."

"He's still very busy. Between whatever the League is having him work on and that project for Silph Co. he's barely left his lab. His assistants are having to manage the Corral." His mother said with a creased brow. She was obviously worried for her friend.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. Professor Oak can do anything if he has enough time." Ash said confidently. His mother smiled at his resolve. "By the way, have you heard anything else about Jonathan and Amelia?"

His mother smiled and nodded. "They just got their last badges! Their parents are so proud. Maybe you'll get to battle them! I'm sure that would be fun."

Ash grinned. "Definitely! I can't wait for the Conf—"

A loud roar, deep and instantly recognizable as that of a Dragonite, echoed throughout Pallet Town. Seconds later Ash heard an explosion in the distance. He reflexively leapt to his feet and looked at Dazed. "Mom, stay here! Dazed, signal the others. Teleport me to the battle!"

Dazed nodded with her serious eyes. They glowed and Ash found himself standing only a few hundred feet away from his house. The psychic-type disappeared, but an instant later Dazed came back with Nidoking and Tangrowth in tow. Ash had no doubt that the rest of his friends would arrive shortly.

He glared up at the sky. Two huge dragons danced through the dark air, so fast that they were but blurs. If it weren't for the occasional Hyper Beam or Flamethrower from the pursuing Dragonite he would be unable to catch a glimpse of them.

Ash wasn't sure why there were two Dragonite battling above the skies of Pallet Town, but he knew that he needed to stop it somehow. Judging from the huge pillar of smoke that billowed up in the distance they had already destroyed something. Dragonite were too powerful to leave unchecked. They could easily do horrendous damage to his hometown if the fight continued.

One had to be Professor Oak's Dragonite. It was the only Dragonite that had any reason to be within a hundred miles of Pallet Town. Judging from its apparent age and power Ash would guess that it had claimed quite a bit of territory for itself.

If anything it would be the aggressor. Oak's Dragonite was probably one of the most powerful in Indigo. Few wild Dragonite would be able to match it. It was also rather protective of its territory if its reaction to Torrent's failed attempts at Dragon Pulse a few months back were anything to go by.

He could see that the retreating Dragonite didn't try to attack. It simply made use of its smaller size to dart away from the immensely power Hyper Beams that split the air in a great flash of light. Ash noted that it seemed to react to Oak's Dragonite's attacks before they came close. That was odd.

"What's going on here?!" A furious voice bellowed. Ash nearly flinched and looked over at the form of Professor Oak, who stood next to Alakazam. He assumed that they teleported here. Arcanine blurred next to Oak out of nowhere.

Many people spoke of Professor Oak with awe and fear. If Ash didn't understand why before, he did now. This wasn't the brilliant, kindly man that been a warm, constant presence in Ash's life. This was Samuel Oak, a trainer powerful enough to keep Team Rocket away with his mere presence.

Professor Oak had a flinty glare as he took in the battle. He pulled a pokeball from one of his lab coat's pockets and tapped the release button.

Ash couldn't help but step backward as the intimidating form of Charizard appeared. The massive fire-type stood nine feet tall and its skin was covered in a motley of old scars. Its tail flame shifted from a deadly blue to a pure white that singed Ash's skin.

"Bring Dragonite down. Don't bother attacking the other one. It's no threat." Professor Oak commanded. Charizard snorted a puff of white fire and unfurled its huge wings. The draconic fire-type had a wingspan of at least twenty feet, probably a bit more.

A gale of wind nearly knocked Ash over as Charizard took to the skies. The beast roared a fearsome challenge to Dragonite, whose fury was temporarily broken by the primal noise. Dragonite seemed too angry to forget about the smaller Dragonite's presence, however, and darted after its prey. Charizard's jaws snapped and it spat fire as it used astonishing speed to launch after the dragon-types.

"Ash, what are you doing out here?" Oak snapped. Ash realized that Alakazam's eyes had been glowing the entire time. She created a large barrier of psychic energy around the group. Nidoking stepped forward to support Ash. Tangrowth just tried to poke the shimmering barrier. "It's not safe. Get back inside. Protect your mother."

"She's fine." Ash replied. "There's nothing I can do back there."

"There's nothing you can do out here!" Oak growled. "You don't have the air power to take down a Dragonite, let alone mine."

Ash frowned. "I couldn't do nothing. They've already destroyed something in the main part of town."

"Nothing important." Oak replied. His face was still locked into a scowl. "It's too late now. Charizard has Dragonite in a Seismic Toss. Keep yourself steady."

Nidoking protectively held Ash against his chest as they watched Charizard, whose dark, massive form was surrounded in a swirl of white fire, carry Oak's Dragonite down toward the ground. Tangrowth gurgled and looped several of his vines around everyone protected within the barrier, even Arcanine.

It was a good thing that Oak had warned him. Even with the help of his friends Ash was nearly thrown from his feet when Charizard and Dragonite slammed into the ground in an explosion of dirt and fire. Nidoking clutched Ash tightly and covered most of Ash's torso.

Alakazam removed the psychic barrier and blew the cloud of dust away. The clear air showed Charizard and Dragonite were mostly unharmed, if dirty. Dragonite dazedly climbed to its feet, although it froze when Oak stormed up to it. Charizard's tail flame returned to its normal blue as it watched with a smug expression.

"I have told you, unless there is an established threat do not attack!" Professor Oak hissed. Dragonite looked at the sky. It clearly wanted to be anywhere but at the wrath of its trainer. "Stay calm. It was not dangerous until you attacked."

Dragonite whined and cocked its majestic head. It reached out for Oak with a huge clawed hand as it sought forgiveness. Oak gave it a steely look before the older man relented and grabbed one of the huge, dull claws. He relaxed and lost the dangerous edge that showed what Samuel Oak was truly capable of.

"Be on your guard." Oak warned as the small Dragonite descended toward them. Alakazam and Dazed's eyes flashed brightly but they didn't show any other reaction. Ash felt his skin tingle as the Dragonite gently landed in front of them, fearless of the powerful pokemon that warily stared at it.

The small Dragonite did not show any of the cheerfulness its kind was known for. It was mechanical as it reached into the small satchel that was secured to its powerful body. Ash watched curiously as it withdrew a thick envelope from the pouch.

It handed the envelope to Ash, who examined it curiously. Ash wasn't sure who would send him a letter in the first place. The only people he'd really befriended on his travels had his PokeNav number.

Whoever it was must be rather powerful or very wealthy. Dragonite were some of the rarest pokemon of all. If someone could afford to have one act as a messenger they had to be incredibly influential in some way.

"What is it?" Oak inquired. He kept a wary eye on the Dragonite. It sat motionlessly on its hind legs, eyes vacant as it awaited Ash's response.

"A piece of metal." Ash replied confusedly. He peered at the thin strip of dark metal inside the envelope before he picked it out. The moment he did a short column of light shot out and took the form of a petite woman in an odd, old-fashioned dress. Her features seemed familiar, although her hat and odd clothing distracted from that line of thought. "What is this?"

"Greetings, Trainers, I bear an invitation." The woman said in a monotonous voice. Ash, Oak and their teams stared at it with awe. He had no idea this kind of technology was available. "You have been selected to join an elite group of trainers at a special tournament hosted by my employer, who has taken notice of your skill. A ferry will take you to his home on New Island from Old Shore Wharf on the Twentieth of January."

She took a breath. "If you wish to be admitted, you must reply at once. Display this invitation at the gates. My employer awaits you."

Ash noted another piece of paper in the envelope, along with a pen. As the hologram dissipated into nothingness he absentmindedly took the pen and marked the "Yes" box on the piece of paper. He handed it back to Dragonite, who gingerly placed it into a second, smaller satchel. Dragonite stared off into space with a blank expression before it took off in a flurry of wind.

"Why did you accept?" Oak asked him quietly. He didn't seem judgmental or angry. Just curious. "You don't know anything about this mysterious benefactor."

"I don't have anything planned." Ash said with a shrug. A smile appeared on his lips. "Besides, I'd like to get used to battling in a tournament before the Conference. If there are some strong trainers there I can get an idea of where I stand."

Oak scowled. "I understand that. But speak with your mother first. If you leave for this tournament you might get distracted and be off for the next month. You have two days before you need to be at the Wharf. If you go then you should spend some more time with her."

"Definitely!" Ash agreed. It wasn't as if he was opposed to the idea of spending time with his mother. He'd been doing so quite a bit for the past few days. "Could Alakazam teleport me?"

The Professor nodded after he shared a sureptious glance with Alakazam. "You may. She needs to get out more often anyhow."

Ash grinned back at the Professor. "Thanks!" He frowned and looked up at Oak's large house. "So what have you been working on? I've only seen you once since I came back."

"Just the project for Silph Co. and something the League gave me." Professor Oak coughed. He glanced around to make sure that there were no prying eyes. There were lights on all over Pallet Town. People would come out to investigate soon. "They recovered several relatively intact devices from the Rocket Headquarters. It's fascinating technology, even if I have no desire to know what methods they used to obtain it."

"Oh." Ash remarked. He almost winced at the mention of the Rockets. He'd managed to put the thoughts of the nefarious organization behind him for the most part. "Have you found anything?"

"I'm not at liberty to tell you. I shouldn't have told you about the devices at all, to be honest." Oak shook his head. "But I'm sure Lance doesn't mind so long as I don't tell you anything that might get you into trouble. He trusts you a great deal."

Ash briefly smiled at that but he had to frown when he thought of the technology Team Rocket would make use of. He'd seen one of their labs, even if it was only for a few seconds. That brief glance was all he needed. Even now he could see the poor, broken pokemon trapped in tubes as mind-altering drugs were fed into them through needles. Infernus had almost been amongst them.

He heard confused shouts in the distance. Oak looked over at the people that had begun to mass around the smoking crater Dragonite's Hyper Beam had left behind and sighed. "Ash, you'd better get home. I'll go take care of everything."

"Dragonite, Charizard, head back to your roosts." The Professor ordered. The massive dragons dutifully took off, although both gave Oak a friendly grunt before they flew into the night sky. Arcanine barked and cocked his majestic head. "Alakazam, come with me. Arcanine, go calm the pokemon down. I'm sure they're frightened."

Arcanine gave a gentle woof before he affectionately licked Oak's face and took off in a blur of gold and tan fur. Small wisps of fire trailed behind the great canine. Ash wondered if Entei, the Beast of Fire, would look similar, albeit on a far grander scale. Its legends painted an appearance similar to Arcanine.

"Ash, I have something for you." Oak spoke up. Ash cocked his head quizzically as the Professor reached into his lab coat and pulled out a computer chip. "Put this into the slot on your pokedex whenever you get the chance. You've certainly proved yourself worthy of it."

"What is it?"

"The National Pokedex upgrade. You'll have access to the data on interregional pokemon." Oak explained. "Normally we save it until a trainer decides to go to another region, but it's common to make exceptions. Since you, Gary, Jonathan, and Amelia are entering the Conference I decided to give you the program. There will likely be foreign pokemon there and I'd like for you to have whatever edge you can."

A grin split Ash's face as he took the tiny chip and carefully slid it into his pocket. "Thanks, Professor!"

"You're welcome." Oak replied. He was grim as he turned over to the site of the explosion. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and calm everyone down."

He was distracted as Oak began to head over to the confused residents of Pallet Town at a brisk pace. The Professor was still tense and serious. Ash hoped he would become more relaxed by the next time Ash saw him. Samuel Oak was certainly impressive and imposing, but Ash found he liked the kindly Professor far more.

"Good night, Professor." He called out before Oak went too far.

"Good night, Ash." Oak responded quietly. Ash watched him walk off for another few seconds before he looked over at his house. His mother was standing on the porch worriedly. Her arms were crossed and he knew that there would be a concerned, curious look on her face.

"Come on." He told his friends. Ash grinned. "We still need to finish dinner."

XX

"So you've been invited to some special tournament." His mother asked over the table. Ash nodded as he gently stroked Seeker's fur. He could hear Nidoking devouring a massive plate of berries and food outside. "Was there anything else besides that message? Something that says who's hosting it, for one?"

"No." Ash shook his head with a frown. He rubbed at his eyes. It was late. "Just that he's apparently a fan of battling. It sounds like he's pretty rich, though."

His mother didn't say anything. She just frowned and drummed her fingers against the cool wood of the table.

"And you're leaving in two days?" She finally asked. Ash nodded. "Have fun. Be careful."

"I will." Ash said uneasily. His mother sounded a bit subdued. "I'll be back soon, though. It should just be a quick tournament. There's no way that the host could have invited too many people. The invitation implied that he was pretty selective."

His mother perked up at that. "Great! Are you just going to stick around Pallet Town until the Conference, then?"

"Probably." Ash shrugged. "I don't want to get caught up in anything when the Conference is right around the corner. Everyone needs to be in the best shape possible."

"Good, good." She commented idly as she focused on pushing Sneasel away from a bright spoon on the table. The dark-type hissed and ran off somewhere, probably to bother Dazed. "Do you mind helping me around the house for a while tomorrow? Professor Oak is coming over for lunch and I don't want the house to be too messy."

Ash nodded. He remembered quite well that he'd hating helping around the house before his journey, but now it would be a nice break. He'd learned the importance of cleaning up over the course of the journey. Besides, it would be a way to spend time with his mother. Ash felt slightly guilty over leaving so soon, even if it was for a good reason.

The two talked for a bit longer as Nidoking finished up his meal. Ash couldn't hear the voices of the townspeople anymore so he assumed that Professor Oak had deftly handled the situation. When Nidoking carefully lumbered back into the house his mother took note of Ash's slight exhaustion.

"You don't look so good. You should go to bed. I know you want to be ready for that tournament." She smiled brightly. Ash almost protested but shrugged it off and adjusted Seeker so that he could stand up.

"Good night." He said as Seeker chattered happily on his shoulder. Bruiser stepped into the room in concern to check on Seeker, although he shrugged and walked off again once he realized she was just getting excited.

"Good night. Sweet dreams!" His mother told him cheerfully as he headed off. Ash glanced back and saw that she was staring at a wall. She had a look of deep concentration on her face, mixed with a hint of concern. He furrowed his brow confusedly and figured he could think more on it tomorrow.

XX

The next day passed quickly. Although Ash enjoyed the time he spent with his mother, Professor Oak, and his team, he was almost singlemindedly focused on the tournament. It was all he could think about. He had to go. Ash even began to carry the message around with him just so he wouldn't lose it.

He pretended that he didn't see the odd looks Dazed gave him. Her eyes always pulsed with energy whenever she saw it. Ash figured she was just trying to investigate it. Dazed had gotten obsessed with technology since they'd gotten back to Pallet. For the last few days she'd been taking light bulbs and other small inventions and disassembling them. Ash had even set aside a small pile of objects for her to toy with. The only problem was that Tangrowth or Sneasel sometimes tried to take them. Tangrowth just wanted to see what they were, although Sneasel's actions were based on spite for Dazed.

Their lunch with Professor Oak didn't turn up any important information. Oak mostly spoke to his mother, although he showed a keen interest in Ash's plans for the Conference. Ash supposed that Professor Oak might be able to help while Ash did his last training for the Conference. At the very least he could battle some of Oak's pokemon. They'd probably be more manageable than Lance's monsters.

As for the rest of the day, he spent it with his team. He enjoyed being close with them again. Training with Lance had certainly brought them closer, but it wasn't the same as relaxing and communicating with his friends. Ash was just glad that all of his friends had fully healed and relaxed from the brutal month of training.

He did have to spend an hour or so with Infernus. His friend was too powerful for Ash to leave alone. Arcanine would be able to handle just about anything, but Ash ensured that Infernus could control the vast power at his command. Just because Arcanine could fix any accidents didn't mean Ash would be lax with the security with Pallet Town.

But right now he stood in front of Professor Oak's large house. The Professor watched him with an impassive gaze as Alakazam stood beside him. Alakazam's eyes glowed as she presumably communicated with the Professor.

It was time to leave.

Professor Oak's face grew grave and he stepped up to Ash, who had to look up to meet the older man's eyes. "Good luck at your tournament. I'm sure you'll do well."

Ash nodded stoically. It was about what he'd expected from the older man. Professor Oak had been solemn and agitated the last few days. He wasn't sure what it was, but he didn't like it. Normally the Professor was capable of remaining friendly even under stress. If this kept up it might be an indicator that he was having trouble with something.

As Alakazam levitated forward so that she stood in front of him, Ash glanced down at his house. It was barely visible from here, but he could vaguely make out his mother waving a goodbye to him from the porch. He'd already bade her farewell, but he waved back with a grin.

He turned back to Alakazam after a few moments. "I'm ready."

She didn't acknowledge him, but her eyes pulsed with psychic energy. Ash didn't have time to blink before he found himself hundreds of miles away. He looked around. The city he was in wasn't particularly large, although it was well-developed. Large buildings towered high into the sky and a long beach stretched far into the distance, although it was rather empty at the moment. Not many people went on vacation in the middle of winter, after all.

Ash realized that he was right in front of a large building with a domed roof. Several dozen ships and boats were docked on the pier outside of it, so Ash assumed that he was where he needed to be. One of those ships would take him to New Island. He absentmindedly reached into his pack to reassure himself that the envelope was still there.

He felt a few raindrops. Ash frowned. That was odd. He'd looked up the weather here for the next few days. It was supposed to be bright and sunny. He shrugged it off. It was just rain.

"Thanks for the help, Alakazam." He smiled gratefully. Alakazam nodded, although she did not instantly teleport away. She looked slightly pained, as though a great weight was on her thin shoulders.

Her eyes flashed. It was my pleasure, Human.

Ash's eyes widened and his mouth gaped as he felt the gentle voice in his head. He'd only had Mewtwo speak to him mentally before and that had been more akin to a mental gutting than actual communication. Alakazam's voice didn't hold any of the age that her physical form revealed, but sounded smooth and youthful.

Prepare yourself. Alakazam warned. Your future is clouded.

She teleported away almost instantly, as though she couldn't stay around after that. Ash frowned. He'd heard a similar statement before. But from who? Sabrina? He couldn't remember what it meant. If he remembered correctly she had used it before the attack on the Viridian Gym. But that would mean –

His body slackened and he blinked. Ash's skin tingled. What had he been thinking about? Something Alakazam said. He was still amazed that she'd deigned him worthy of hearing her "voice".

He shook his head, which felt heavy. Ash shrugged off his confusion and walked into the large building, his invitation clenched tightly in his hand.

XX

The building was filled to bursting. There were dozens of trainers, most at least several years older than Ash, milling about and laughing with each other. A few surly trainers stood in the corners, quiet and serious. They were a stark contrast to the chattering mass of people, most of whom seemed to know each other. Ash figured it just came from being a skilled trainer. Elites gravitated toward elites.

He checked the time. There was still about fifteen minutes before he needed to go sign in. Ash gazed around the crowd to see if he recognized anyone amidst the horde of trainers and their pokemon.

None.

Ash sighed and slipped through the crowd so he could be close to the desk. He just needed to get his ticket for the ferry to New Island and then he would be on his way to the tournament.

He glanced around the crowd again as he waited in the line. Ash recognized quite a few of the trainers, even if he didn't know their names. The strange master of New Island had attracted a good crowd. Several of these trainers had made it to the upper echelons of last year's Indigo Conference, although he thought he saw several placers from a few years back. They must have been as intrigued about the mysterious tournament as he was.

Ash sighed and palmed Nidoking's pokeball as the line started moving and he took a few steps forward. He didn't like being around crowds. He'd feel better if Nidoking was out. If any of his friends were released, really, although he didn't want to let them out around so many other pokemon. Aside from some of their temperaments, Ash doubted the atrium could hold anyone else. It was packed.

The trainer unconsciously gripped his invitation tightly in his fist. It soothed him, even if he didn't realize it. Hopefully things would get better once they were actually on the boat.

XX

Ash had a death grip on the ferry's railing. His knuckles were white and he shook. He looked out into the night's abyss with unseeing eyes, locked in the past.

Vast, powerful waves leapt up, icy and inescapable as the St. Anne slowly sank into the infinite ocean. Lights died as people and pokemon died. A –

"You alright, kid?" A short, burly trainer who looked to be in his late teens interrupted him. Ash blinked and shuddered as another wave crashed into the side of the ship and made it tremble from the force. "The sea's a little rough."

"Yeah. I'm fine." Ash said flatly. He was covered with cold sweat as his mind flashed back to the last time he'd been on a ship in such stormy weather. If he could have moved he would have, but Ash felt like he would hurl if he so much as twitched. "I just don't like the ocean, is all."

"Can't say I get that. My team's mostly water-types. Gyarados would love this!" The trainer snorted. Ash didn't reply. He just stared at the water that almost slipped over into the ferry. This storm was awful.

He had no idea where the storm had come from. They'd set out about an hour earlier and the weather had been relatively calm. It was still drizzling but until a few minutes ago it had stayed stable. All of a sudden the rain began to pelt the ferry and the winds howled and crashed into the ship with the din of a hurricane.

Now it was even more intense. The storm continued to grow even more powerful at a dangerous rate. Ash just hoped that they could make it to New Island before the relentless force of the pounding waves would be too much for the large ferry. He didn't want to so much as touch the icy water that crashed and leapt a dozen feet into the air in a deathly cacophony.

Ash supposed that they had another hour to go. New Island was pretty far away, judging from the map he'd seen, but the ferry was rather fast. Not nearly as fast as a Seagallop Ferry, but still capable of covering a respectable amount of distance in a relatively small amount of time.

He just hoped that the ferry could hold out until then. Perhaps the storm would break.

"What's your name?" He asked in an attempt to distract himself from the gaping maw of the black sea.

"The name's Fergus." The teen grinned. He wasn't perturbed in the least by the raging storm. Ash wondered how much time Fergus had spent on the sea to be this at ease. Ash wished he could be half as calm as the teen. He could feel a slight waver in his voice whenever he spoke. He hated it, he had faced much worse than this storm. "Yours?"

"I'm Ash." He said. Fergus reached out a hand to shake, which Ash quickly accepted. Fergus' grip was strong, although Ash did his best to match it. "What kind of team do you have? You said it was mostly based around water-types."

Fergus' face lit up at the mention of his team. It was obvious he cared deeply for them. Ash had seen the same enraptured expression on the faces of other strong trainers. He was sure that others could see the same on his own face. When he actually talked to people, anyways.

"Man, they're awesome!" Fergus exclaimed with an excited smile. "My starter is a Golduck, and she's amazing! She hadn't lost a battle since the last Conference." He said wistfully. "Barely got knocked out in the Top Sixteen by a Raichu. That thing was crazy!"

Ash perked up. "You've been in the Conference?"

"Just about everyone that got invited has been in at least one." Fergus said with an easy shrug. He glanced around at the dozens of milling trainers. "I recognize most of these guys. I beat a few of them last time." He puffed his chest out in pride. "Well, my team did. I just gave them pointers."

"What's it like?"

"The Conference? The best thing in the whole world!" Fergus declared. "It's kind of weird at first, what with everyone watching, but when you win and you hear a few hundred thousand people cheer for you you'll never forget it. Even if you lose you've proved that you're tough just by making it that far."

Fergus eyed Ash's interested expression speculatively. "You're a rookie, right? And you're going to the Conference?"

"Yes." Ash replied to both questions.

"I'm guessing you must be pretty good, then. Everyone on this boat is. Maybe we'll get a chance to battle in this tournament." Fergus said excitedly. "At least you'll be ready for the Conference. Everyone there is on a whole new level from what you get used to on the road. They're tough enough to beat eight gym leaders or fight their way in. My first battle in it a few years ago was a shock. I got used to steamrolling everyone around my city and didn't know what to expect. Still won, though."

Ash grinned at that. Fergus was definitely strong if he managed to get into multiple Conferences. Not to mention that he said he'd reached the Top Sixteen. "So, aside from your Golduck, what other pokemon do you have?"

"Well, I've got this really badass Gyarados. Raised him up from a little Magikarp I caught on my fifth day training. Let me tell you, it sucked raising him. He was a tough little guy, though. Did his best to Splash all of our opponents into unconsciousness, even if they usually laughed themselves to unconsciousness before he could do anything." Fergus rambled, lost as he waxed about the prize of his team. Ash listened intently. The other trainer was definitely powerful if he could control a Gyarados, let alone raise a Magikarp into one. "—then I have a Vaporeon, who came from a litter my sister's Jolteon had. She's pretty –"

Fergus' face suddenly paled and he reached for a pokeball as he pointed and cried out a warning. Ash, confused, turned to look out at the sea and felt ice course through his blood. The storm's wrath had finally made itself known. A wave, at least seventy feet tall and wider than Ash could see, loomed high above the ferry.

Everything slowed down but Ash didn't feel any faster. It just prolonged the horrifying moment. He shouted out a warning to the others even as his hand reached down to his belt. Screams erupted around the deck as the other trainers heard the warnings.

He hesitated and his fingers danced over Plume and Torrent's pokeballs. Who to pick? Plume could fight the gale easily, but he wouldn't be able to help –

The wave crashed into him even as he picked up Torrent's pokeball and clambered to release his friend. Ash saw a dozen flashes of red light before the ferry was dragged deep into the depths of the churning ocean by the overwhelming power of the wave.

Everything went black for a moment as the air was ripped from his lungs. He felt a brief moment of horrible pain before he began to flounder upwards. Ash couldn't see anything. The ferry's lights had been instantly ripped out.

Deep, bone-chilling cold seeped into his clothes. He felt gnawing fear rise in the pit of his stomach as his mind leapt to the last time he had been in this situation.

Blackness everywhere. The two halves of the St. Anne, split perfectly in half by the Creature's beam of energy, sank inward into the ocean. He was trapped in between them, but the waves passed him around like he was nothing. Plume screeched before he recalled her. She was afraid. He was afraid.

He was pulled under. Ash screamed for air. Blackness was everywhere around him. The ocean pressed upon him from all sides, an infinite mass that would take him and everything he held dear deep into it. Nothing –

Ash burst into the air. He greedily sucked in life, no matter that it made his lungs feel like he had breathed in ice. The trainer did his best to stay above the ruthless waves. Torrent had to be out here. He knew that he'd released him.

"Ash! Get up here!" He heard a voice yell above the howling din of the winds. Ash saw a monstrous sea serpent wind over to him, a familiar figure atop it. The trainer tried to swim over to his salvation and grasp Fergus' outstretched hand, but the strong current suddenly yanked him back into the icy abyss.

His eyes burned as salty water flooded into them and he let out all of his air as he gasped in shock. Ash's lungs burned from a lack of oxygen and his vision dimmed, but he fought with all of his might against the indomitable current. There was no chance of success for his small, weak eleven-year-old body, but he fought as hard as he could nonetheless. Ash wouldn't accept death.

A current sucked him deep beneath the roaring surface of the ocean. Ash was helpless to resist, but his limbs were weak. His vision blurred further and his body screamed at him to breathe and satisfy the overwhelming desire for oxygen.

Ash closed his eyes at last. He resisted the urge to breathe, but finally –

His ears could barely detect a furious roar, haunting and desperate in a way he had never heard before, echo through the vast expanse of the sea's depths before an overwhelmingly powerful force wrapped around him and forced him upward.

Air. Blessed, cold air. He greedily sucked in huge gulps of the precious substance and couldn't bring himself to think about anything else. The aching fire in his body slowly dimmed and died as his blood was returned to life.

Torrent burst out of the raging sea beside him, death in his scarlet eyes. He displaced the water around him with terrifying ease until Ash was close enough to hold onto the great beast of the sea. The Kingdra's eyes flashed with the regal power inherent to his kind as he regarded the raging seas that had nearly killed Ash.

The Kingdra rumbled his fury and stared intently at the ocean as Ash desperately clung to his neck. Ash watched in awe as the ocean, so powerful and indomitable, suddenly stilled as its true master made himself known. Torrent's chest puffed out as he impressed his will upon the nearby ocean, the raging expanse nothing compared to the Kingdra's rage.

Ash gazed past the pattering rain as the ocean calmed in their immediate vicinity, the roaring waves reduced to gently lapping splashes. Torrent's eyes did not glow with power as Dazed's did when she exerted her will upon the world, but he was all the more terrifying for it. He had not reached for his true strength in this monumental task.

Torrent was not yet done. The immediate danger had passed but Torrent would not let the sea threaten Ash. He rumbled again and his eyes narrowed to slits as the monumentally powerful Kingdra used the strength bestowed upon his kind.

The ocean spun around them. It rose up where Ash and Torrent were and elevated them above the smooth sea, but Torrent continued to focus. Ash couldn't help but look in awe as all the water a hundred feet around them was pulled up into a vast cyclone hundreds of feet high. It whirled around the duo, who were left in a relatively peaceful zone guarded by the twister.

Ash held onto his friend even tighter as he regarded the mighty cyclone that rose higher than he could see. It blended into the black sky and clouds, the walls of dark, frozen water so high that Ash could believe they met with the cloud. The cyclone commanded by Torrent was so vast that it seemed like the entire world to Ash. He couldn't see outside of the cyclone into the raging storm that Torrent did not command, but he could imagine the massive waves collapsing futilely into Torrent's own twister, doing naught but increasing its size and strength.

"Torrent…there are others. We have to help them." He said dizzily, still not fully recovered from his brush with death. Torrent regarded him sadly, but shook his great head. Ash frowned and leaned into his friend's thick, plated scales. They were cold and wet, but comforting at the same time. "No…we have…we have to…"

He collapsed into blackness.

XX

Ash's eyes snapped open. He remembered a wave, the icy ocean, and Torrent. Where was he?

His eyes had to adjust to the blackness of night, but he soon realized where he was. He was still aboard Torrent, who resolutely manipulated the ocean and his personal hurricane to force the duo through the ocean. Ash wondered where his friend was trying to take him.

"Torrent?" He asked quietly. The dragon-type started but did not lose his focus. Torrent simply peered back and dipped his head to Ash. "Do you know where you're going?"

A nod.

"Are you heading back to shore?"

Torrent shook his head. Ash frowned. "Where, then?"

The dragon-type shut his eyes. A large part of the wall of rushing water ahead of them became empty as the liquid that made it up was displaced.

He held in a gasp as he saw what had to be New Island. It wasn't a very large island, but what was on it was incredible. A massive fortress lay upon the carved rock, which had canals that allowed thin, smooth streams of water to cascade down into the ocean. Ash could make out a huge door at the base of the fortress. Three towers, connected by delicate arches, jutted out from the ground. Windmills were placed atop each tower.

Ash eyed the structure. It was beautiful, even if he'd never seen anything like it before. While it had a strange, dark architecture it was elegant and smooth. He doubted anything had ever been built like it. Whoever owned it must be incredibly rich.

He immediately felt guilty for focusing on that after the fiasco he'd just gone through. People had probably died unless they escaped through some miracle and here he was thinking about how wealthy someone was.

"Did you find anyone else?" He asked. Ash felt his dread solidify when Torrent shook his large head. He clenched his fist and leaned his face into Torrent's cool scales, which were mostly dry aside from flecks of moisture yanked up from the cyclone. He felt an odd, horrible suspicion. "Did you look?"

Torrent didn't respond. Ash just felt his chest constrict. He felt awful now. He couldn't judge Torrent. Torrent had only done what a monarch was supposed to do. He had looked after Ash at the cost of all others.

But he couldn't help but feel anger. Who knew how many people had been stuck down there, locked in that ferry as it was yanked deep into the ocean and filled with thousands of gallons of freezing water?

And Torrent had left them just to save Ash.

He clenched his teeth and looked up at the sky. They were in the eye of the storm. There were no clouds above them. That meant they had to hurry. If they didn't they would get stuck in the deadly storm as it passed over New Island. New Island was their goal. It was shelter.

Hope burst inside of him. Maybe the owner of New Island could help. The trainers were supposed to be his guests. They'd have to do something.

Ash suddenly smiled joyously as he realized something else: at least some of the trainers had to have water or flying-types! They were strong. They'd have some way to get themselves out of there. There was no way they wouldn't be able to handle the storm!

They had to.

"Torrent, let's hurry." He said quietly. Ash was hopeful for the fates of the other trainers now, but he knew he had to get to New Island as soon as possible. Even if he was sure most of them were fine, there had to be some that needed help. Help that the master of New Island would be able to give.

Torrent nodded and closed his eyes. Ash could only imagine that he was becoming one with the sea, a sentient extension of the great reservoir of water and life. He couldn't feel them gain speed, but he could see New Island grow closer at an astonishing rate.

He had a determined expression on his face. They had to hurry. Everyone on that ferry needed his help.

XX

Torrent had allowed his cyclone to collapse back into the ocean with a roar akin to thunder several minutes ago. Now it was just him and Ash.

Ash held on tightly as Torrent levitated up to the shore. His friend showed no sign of fatigue from maintaining the cyclone for at least an hour. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. Torrent was truly monstrous in terms of raw power.

"Thanks." He nodded to Torrent as he clumsily slid off of his friend's back. Torrent dipped his head and rumbled back.

He froze the moment his feet touched the ground. A bolt of energy flowed into his body and made his skin tingle. It wasn't quite painful but it wasn't comfortable either. The closest thing Ash could liken it to would be a pins-and-needles sensation.

The air practically hummed with restrained energy. Ash had felt it before, a subtle sensation in the air, but it was obvious now. It felt like invisible lightning arced through the air but also as if a light pressure encased his entire body.

Ash felt his blood run with ice and fear choke his lungs. He'd felt this before at the Viridian gym, albeit on a smaller scale. He recognized this sensation. Mewtwo was here. Mewtwo was here and he was defenseless.

He expressionlessly recalled Torrent, who vanished in a light hum and flash of scarlet light. Ash went for Plume's pokeball. She could let him escape and find help. He knew where Mewtwo was. He had to contact Lance.

"My master requires your presence." A smooth, monotonous voice droned. Ash snapped toward the sound, only to realize that the woman that had been in the message had appeared seemingly from nowhere. His fists clenched and he ignored her.

As he prepared to release Plume and take off, the woman's eyes flashed a horrible, icy blue and the pressure around him magnified. He found himself paralyzed and helpless to resist as the woman returned to her previous state and stared at him with blank eyes.

"My master requires your presence. Come with me. The other guests are waiting." She said. Ash felt a hint of something else in her words. Not a threat, but a power. He felt his limbs respond to her command of their own will. His body followed the mysterious woman even as his mind screamed for help. Plume's pokeball was useless at his waist.

His body moved mechanically, as though an unskilled puppeteer were pulling on his limbs' strings. He felt his gait become smoother and more natural as time went on, although his skin began to burn. Ash was frozen in fear and simply tried to take everything in. There had to be a way out. Lance had to know of Mewtwo's fortress.

As they approached two massive doors of some strange, shiny black substance that Ash had never seen before the woman stopped. The doors swiftly creaked open through no visible effort and revealed a massive, beautiful room that was incredibly open. A strange, spiraling ramp travelled high into the largest tower and behind it was a wall of a mysterious, amber-like substance that shimmered when Ash looked at it. There were several large fountains in the room, each of which were surrounded by experienced pokemon.

Ash's attention was focused on the very center of the room, which held several tables that seemed as though large chunks of granite had been yanked from the earth. Their edges were irregular and looked rough, but the crystalline surface of the tables had been polished and smoothed to perfection. They were beautiful, even if the fear Ash felt kept him from properly appreciating it. He couldn't admire something when it was all part of a trap, even if he didn't quite know what the trap was at the moment.

"Here we are. Make yourself comfortable. Please release your pokemon and join the others." The woman looked at him blankly. "My master will be with you shortly."

He felt dread at that, but couldn't resist as his body took him to the table. Ash felt greater autonomy now, however. Mewtwo seemed to have taken his focus off of him.

Ash mechanically stepped forward, guided by another presence. He looked around through his own will. All of the fountains were surrounded by pokemon, of course, but their trainers were what he was interested in. He had to warn them.

There were only three trainers. One was Fergus, which brought both joy and horror to Ash. It was good to know that Fergus was safe from the storm, but he was in a far worse situation now. Fergus had placed himself in Mewtwo's domain and now he and the others were at the Creature's nonexistent mercy.

He recognized the other two trainers from the ferry and from the Conference last year. Ash didn't know their names, but both had made it into the Final Rounds. They were rather skilled and had potent teams, if Ash remembered correctly.

One was a tall, confident man that looked a little older than Fergus. He had dark hair and quick, intelligent eyes that always seemed to be smiling as he talked to Fergus and the other trainer, who was a woman of about the same age.

The woman had made it to the Semifinals, Ash remembered. She was quite formidable, although one wouldn't think it at first sight. Although she had the edge to her eyes that most powerful, experienced trainers seemed to have the woman looked rather cheerful. Ash could tell that she was experienced but her cheerful laughs and apparent friendly personality obfuscated that.

"Ash!" Fergus exclaimed. "You made it!"

"Yeah." He smiled. It would have been better if all of them had been forced back. Ash tried to give a warning, but found that his mouth wouldn't respond to his demand. He gave up. "My Kingdra got me here safely."

"A Kingdra? Nice!" Fergus said, impressed. "I bet Gyarados would love to fight it."

A cough from the older teen. "Fergus, aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh, yeah." Fergus shrugged unapologetically. He pointed over at the young man and then the woman. "That's Corey and Neesha. They're pretty tough, but I think I'm gonna beat them this year."

"In your dreams." Corey snorted arrogantly, although there was a smile on his proud face that took the bite out of the words. "While you've been playing around on the beach I've been roughing it out in the Fuchsia territories!"

Neesha rolled her eyes and primly crossed her arms. "Oh, stop bickering. Ash here probably has no idea what's going on."

The two males shrugged. Corey looked over at Ash as he lightly stroked the absolutely massive Pidgeotto by his side. It was even larger than Gary's and looked like it had enough raw power to take a Hyper Beam without flinching. Ash figured Plume could beat it, however. Her speed was a huge advantage and she was no slouch in regard to power herself.

"Do you know if anyone else made it out?" He asked quietly as he took a seat next to Fergus. The others didn't look uncomfortable at the question. In fact, they looked overjoyed.

"That servant said that the owner of this place already sent word to the city." Fergus grinned. "I picked a few up with Gyarados. One of the guys had an Alakazam that teleported everyone to the city."

"I picked a few up." Neesha offered. "They just flew away on the back of someone's Charizard. Nobody was really injured. Most people had some kind of water pokemon that could get them out of there. Rescue boats are going to pick anyone stranded."

Ash breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't believe for a second that Mewtwo would actually contact the city, but at least some of the victims were able to escape. Still, he cursed the fact that he wasn't able to tell the others about Mewtwo. Anytime he even wanted to drop a subtle hint he found that his body wouldn't respond to his commands. It made him feel helpless.

"Anyways, I figure you should meet our pokemon." Fergus said with an excited smile. Adoration shined in his dark eyes. He pointed over to one of the fountains, the one with the large, vicious-looking Gyarados. "There's my team."

He glanced over. In and around the fountain were five tough looking pokemon, although none of them were hostile. There was Gyarados, of course, but also a Tentacruel, the Vaporeon Fergus had waxed on about, Fergus' starter Golduck, and a Nidoqueen. Ash smiled. Nidoking would definitely be interested.

"Say hello, everybody!" Corey called out. Ash looked over to Corey's team as he heard a cacophony of roars, grunts, and hisses. He saw a Venusaur, Scyther, Hitmonlee, Sandslash, and a particularly huge Rhyhorn.

"Here are my pokemon!" Neesha motioned happily to her team. The Wigglytuff that was eating an apple from her plate dropped its snack and happily bounced over to the others, which consisted of a Dewgong, Ninetales, Vileplume, and Blastoise. Ash remembered seeing the Blastoise and Ninetales in her Conference battles. "Aren't they precious?" She crooned.

Ash smiled. He felt his hand go down to his own pokeballs. He mustered up all of his willpower to resist and break the mental grip that forced his movements but failed. Ash didn't want to let his friends out into this.

His friends appeared in rapid succession: Nidoking, Plume, Torrent, Dazed, Bruiser, Seeker, Tangrowth, Sneasel, and Oz. Infernus appeared last in a flash of fire. He had a brutish smirk upon his face as he regarded the others, although he didn't do anything aggressive.

"Nice." Fergus remarked as Ash's team looked around their surroundings curiously. They could each feel that something was wrong. Nidoking's ears were perked up and his fangs were bared. He flanked Ash and glared around distrustfully, although his hard gaze softened and lingered on Nidoqueen. "Looks you're a power kind of guy."

"Yeah." Ash smiled thinly. Plume hopped over to Corey's massive specimen of a Pidgeot and clicked her break a few times, clearly curious. The other bird cocked its head and chirped deeply, which sounded completely out of place on such a massive bird. "They definitely aren't slow."

Ash felt a light, soft weight settle on his chest. He looked down to see that Seeker had buried herself into her jacket. She squeaked and nestled closer to his warmth. She wasn't oblivious to the danger.

Sneasel hissed at her, despite Bruiser immediately cracking his knuckles, and settled onto Ash's shoulder. Ash silently thanked the little dark-type. He felt some of the infinite pressure vanish from his body as the dark-type energy began to course through his body.

He tried to say something to the others about Mewtwo's presence, but he encountered the same problem as before. Frustrated, Ash looked over to Dazed in the hopes that she could help him. She was frozen. Her eyes pulsed with energy and her pendulum quivered and leapt without any effort on her part.

"Is your Hypno alright?" Corey asked in concern. His eyes were locked onto Dazed as her entire body vibrated with the vast amounts of energy that had settled in Mewtwo's fortress.

"I don't know." Ash lied, despite how much he wanted to tell the truth. The voice that came from him seemed mechanical and void of all emotion. "I've never seen her like this before."

"Hmm. Maybe the host will have someone on hand who can check it out." Neesha said concernedly. Wigglytuff, who had bounded back over, patted her arm.

Ash suddenly froze. His mind felt as though something prodded at it. The feeling was slow and uncertain. It lacked the overwhelming power of what he would expect from Mewtwo, so he wasn't sure what it could be.

He slowly turned to Dazed, who stared at him intently. Could it be…?

Trainer-Friend Ash. We must leave here at once. The Blight is here. You can feel it.

His mouth hung open as the svelte mental "voice", which sounded like that of a bored young woman, echoed dimly in his head. He stared at Dazed with eyes, barely able to believe it. She had finally spoken.

Yes. I have spoken. It is irrelevant. Fight the Blight's influence. We must flee.

Before Ash could say anything, Dazed's voice wavered.

It is too late. The Blight comes.

Ash gasped in pain and surprise as all of the light in the room was sucked away, replaced only by the frozen glow of Mewtwo's power. He was brought to his knees as a pillar of pure light erupted in between the odd helix ramp. The other trainers gasped and clutched their heads as well.

The woman slipped into existence in front of the winding ramp. Her eyes reflected the light that radiated with infinite power, but Ash thought he could see the glow from within her iris as well.

"My master comes. Your reckoning is here." She intoned monotonously. Her eyes pulsed with raw power as she stood frozen, locked into place by her "Master's" energy.

From his kneeling position Ash could see a dark shape, almost humanoid but markedly different, descend in the pillar of pure blue light. It was a mere silhouette, the features of the Creature obscured by the column of power's radiance, but it was threatening. Its eyes melded into the icy blue, twin orbs in the silhouette's dark form.

"What…what is that thing?!" Corey wheezed. He was doubled over and could only helplessly watch as Mewtwo descended to the ground. Ash gnashed his teeth angrily. Sneasel hissed and clutched to Ash's shoulder as the oppressive psychic energy pressed upon him.

Greetings.

Ash heard the roar of Mewtwo's voice whisper inside of his skull. It echoed and ached, but it did not cause the fierce jab of pain he expected from its voice. The others clutched their heads but they did not scream in agony. They looked more uncomfortable than anything else.

The weight lessened as the column of icy light dissipated into nothingness. Ash tried to struggle to his feet but it was impossible. His muscles were locked into a kneel.

He managed to fight the influence just enough to raise his head. Ash glared at the hated figure that had haunted his psyche for most of the past year.

Mewtwo didn't have its armor anymore. The sleek, black metal was nowhere to be seen, probably cast aside when it destroyed the Team Rocket Headquarters. It was bare of all human devices now. Mewtwo had light gray fur that was so short it almost appeared to be skin. A strange cord arched up from the base of its spindly neck to attach to its head. Ash figured it funneled blood to the brain to increase Mewtwo's efficiency.

Now that he could see Mewtwo without a stormy night sky or the sleek armor obscuring the Creature it was even more intimidating. It wasn't very impressive physically, but it was just so different from anything he'd ever seen. Mewtwo's vaguely feline features appeared quite human at the same time, its narrow eyes dark and aware with an expression that seemed too human for Ash's comfort.

The bipedal stance it adopted was also disconcerting. Several of Ash's friends were bipedal, of course, but none of them could be mistaken for human. Even Dazed had her mane and odd proportions that would throw any mistakes about her species off. If Mewtwo were obscured in shadow or bright light it could be mistaken as a tall, somewhat odd-looking human. Until one saw the tail, anyway.

Its thin, weak arms were tense with anticipation. They sprouted out from a bony chest that didn't appear unhealthy, but simply natural. He wondered if Nidoking's horn or Sneasel's claws would be able to penetrate it.

Ash held no illusions about how this would end. Mewtwo had to die. It had to. It was between Mewtwo, the trainers, and their pokemon. There could only be one winner. One survivor. The other side would be ended.

I am Mewtwo, Master of New Island and soon the entire world. I am a monument to humanity's sins.

"Why are we here?" Neesha hissed, eyes screwed shut in focus. Her face was twisted in anger. "What are you doing?"

Mewtwo's mouth upturned maliciously.

You are here because each of you are valuable to me in some way. You are strong. You survived my storm and fought your way to shore. You are worthy of survival. Some of you have skill, some pokemon I have interest in, and some have answers.

Its eyes did not look at Ash but he could feel the pressure around him intensify. He was mystified as to what answers Mewtwo could possibly want. Ash knew some things about the League, but not that much. He was friends with Lance but it wasn't as though Lance had told him everything in their month together.

"What do you mean, survival?" Fergus snapped out. His boisterous voice was dampened with the effort it took to speak. Mewtwo's presence was overpowering. "Did you make the storm?"

Indeed. It is one of many. I have created eight hurricanes larger than any this world has ever seen. Two for each of the League Regions. Many will die. You will not.

Mewtwo was not disturbed at the prospect of so much death. Ash could feel that in the words that screamed inside of his skull. This was nothing to Mewtwo.

You are worthy of life. This storm is not for the strong. It is for the weak that are fit only to be slaves.

Ash grit his teeth. He felt the weight begin to lift from his shoulders. The others struggled to their feet as Mewtwo allowed them to rise.

Corey was the first to act. He snarled as he leapt to his feet and pointed at Mewtwo, who observed him with bored eyes. "We won't let you destroy the world! Go!"

Scyther vanished in a blur of green. It was too fast for Ash's eyes to track, but he locked onto Scyther's green body as it was suddenly frozen in place inches from Mewtwo's chest. Scyther was held in stasis, helpless as Mewtwo regarded it with idle curiosity. Mewtwo enveloped all of the humans and pokemon in a nearly invisible layer of psychic power. It was more than sufficient to freeze them in place.

An impressive specimen. You are fortunate that I do not wish to kill you. This Scyther will live.

Mewtwo's eyes pulsed and the Scyther suddenly disappeared. Corey cried out in horror, but Ash watched with a faraway expression. He knew that there was nothing they could do. Mewtwo was too strong. If Lance himself couldn't defeat Mewtwo with the help of the Elite Four and the ACE trainers then there was nothing they could do.

You believe I wish to destroy the world? Fool. This is my world. It is mine by birth. I am the strongest in all reality. You are weak. You exist to be my servants. But I will not destroy this world. It is beautiful. I am simply reclaiming it from its inept stewards.

You humans are dangerous. Your kind brought me into this world as more than a mere pokemon, but as your superior. I seek to learn and control. I am not content with survival. I am content only with ultimate power. It was a mistake that my creators will never repeat. They wanted the weapon. I showed them that they succeeded.

But you humans are valuable. You share my gift to learn. You feel an urge to dominate and act upon it. Ingenuity and ruthlessness are strengths in themselves and the few humans that possess them or other strengths are deserving of life. Your race has committed great crimes against me, but I will not destroy you. I will break the back of your civilizations and burn the remains. Those few that survive will be mine.

Its thin mouth turned up as the humans regarded it with horror. Ash wondered if it actually understood what it was planning. Mewtwo didn't want to simply attack the League or another group, it had declared war on humanity itself. Genocide was its solution.

There is a night to wait until I will reclaim my world. I am not without mercy. I will give you a chance to prove that the rest of your feeble race is worthy of the gift of life.

"What is it?" Neesha demanded as her head was released from its bonds. She looked hopeless. It was clear that she realized that there would be no victory against Mewtwo. It had created hurricanes and spoke of it as casually as breathing. "We'll do anything."

I have prepared three clones: Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise. You are amongst the most powerful trainers in Kanto. It is disappointing that the trainer with the Charizard did not make it, but I am sure another pokemon would stand in place to match my clones. I will spare a region for each victory against me. Kanto will die regardless.

Mewtwo regarded the woman, who stood listlessly as the Creature addressed the humans with its mental roar. None of the trainers were allowed to speak. It seemed to only allow them to speak when it would further its own plans, as though it were directing a play. Amidst the horror and disgust he felt – he had to worry about his mother and Professor Oak, especially since Pallet Town was right on the coast – he felt rage and desperation.

He might not be able to kill Mewtwo. It was just too powerful and he didn't have a way to call Lance or summon Moltres. Now that he saw what Mewtwo could do he wasn't sure if even Moltres, as terribly powerful as the Bird was, could slay the monstrous Psychic. It was just too powerful.

The Birds affected their immediate environment. They warped the world to suit their needs wherever they went. Over the course of months Zapdos had created a storm so vast that it threatened to consume all of Kanto. It had done that merely by leaving whatever roost it had set up, just like Articuno created a blizzard as it left the Seafoam Islands.

Mewtwo? It conjured hurricanes strong enough for it to believe it could destroy human civilization. It actively sought the world's destruction.

It didn't even seem tired.

I no longer have need of your services. Sleep.

The woman let out a long, bloodcurdling wail of pain and collapsed to the ground, hopefully unconscious. Ash didn't want her to have to suffer through whatever pain she had felt. Mewtwo smiled and looked up at them with pulsing eyes.

Let our entertainment begin. There is a long night ahead of us.

He suddenly found himself in on a battlefield inside of a vast stone coliseum open to the ebony night sky, which was only lit by bright pinpricks of light in the sky. The others were beside him. Ash could see the impossibly huge walls of Mewtwo's hurricanes at the very edges of the sky, the barriers before the deceptive calm of the eye gave way to a cacophony of winds and lightning.

Lights appeared from no visible source in the form of orbs with all the brightness of a miniature star. They cast the stadium in a bright, white light that was somehow purer than the light given off by electricity. More natural yet artificial at the same time.

"C'mon, send your clones out!" Fergus cried out to Mewtwo, who stood menacingly across the battlefield. "We'll tear them apart!"

Ash felt the psychic barrier that entrapped him dissolve. He experimentally wriggled his fingers, although he never let his eyes stray from Mewtwo. The feline-like creature's eyes were narrowed and amused, arrogant in its own superiority and invincibility. Unfortunately for the trainers, it was not arrogance misplaced.

You will not battle my clones.

Mewtwo's roar howled in their brains. Ash flinched at the curtness of the tone. It left his fingers numb and his bones aching. Three pokemon, a Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise, suddenly appeared behind Mewtwo without so much as a whisper of wind or blink of light.

Fire. Grass. Water. An ancient triad laced into the League's traditions. You will battle them with their natural counterpart. You know the terms. Your world is at stake.

Ash glared at Mewtwo, hatred in every thought. He scarcely noted when Corey confidently stepped forward with a scowl. "I'll take you on." Corey challenged as he released his hulking Venusaur. "Bruteroot, you're up. No mercy."

Bruteroot grunted and slowly moved forward. Ash watched but he did not focus on the battle. Mewtwo had released the locks on their movement. This was his chance.

He flicked his eyes over to Mewtwo's clones as he typed a simple message into his PokeNav. They looked odd. Although they appeared to be in peak physical condition despite their almost assured youth they had strange markings on their skin. Clones weren't supposed to be different in any way from their progenitor. Mewtwo had obviously altered them in some way during their development. Ash had never heard of any pokemon with those kinds of markings.

Done. It was a simple message, but Lance would receive it. The Champion would know what to do.

Mewtwo was smiling. Ash glanced back over to the battle and realized that Bruteroot had been absolutely demolished. It bled from the lashes of the Vine Whip that struck with enough force to slice through the thick, tough hide of Bruteroot like it was nothing.

"Bruteroot!" Corey cried as he rushed over to check on the unconscious Venusaur. Ash felt a stab of pity for the concerned trainer but scowled when Neesha defiantly stepped forward.

"It looks like I'm up." She hissed, wariness in her blue eyes. Her Blastoise appeared and roared out a challenge from its cavernous maw. Its cannons extended from the dark depths of its shell and the powerful water-type squared itself and readied for combat. "You know what to do."

Mewtwo's cloned Blastoise performed the same ritual. The markings on its face made it appear dangerous and exotic. Its beady eyes were narrowed as it awaited Neesha to begin the fight.

Ash paid attention this time. This was a game for Mewtwo, but he had faith that he could win this and spare at least one region from a cataclysm. He was numb to the thought. He could barely believe this was happening.

He couldn't lose focus. Any information he could glean from the battle was important.

All he knew right now was that Mewtwo's clones were incredibly powerful and modified in some way. That Venusaur had torn apart Corey's powerful specimen like it was nothing. It took a lot to actually cut into a Venusaur's thick hide but Mewtwo's clone had done it without much trouble.

"Shellshocker, Hydro Cannon! Evasion tactics!"

Her Blastoise roared and fell to all fours. Its cannons immediately fired huge, precise blasts of water that could easily bore through stone. Blastoise slowed for just a second, but quickly pulled itself into the thick shell and spun away.

Mewtwo's Blastoise did the same, but blasted a powerful shot of water from its cannons to propel it out of the way. It was fast, faster than anything its size had a right to be. The clone smoothly extended its cannons and drilled Neesha's Blastoise with two thin, pressurized blasts of water that smashed into the natural pokemon and slammed it into the stone wall of the coliseum. Ash winced as the stone cracked, although it smoothly healed itself moments later. Mewtwo's power at work, no doubt.

Neesha put her hands over her mouth at the brutal display. Ash could see that the Blastoise's tough underbelly had been torn apart, although it didn't look to be lethal. It was dangerous, however, and a testament to just how dangerous these clones were.

Will you test your strength against mine, Ash Ketchum? It has not succeeded for you in the past. You know what I am capable of more than any of the others. I was weak back then. I have surpassed mortal limits.

Ash's eyes narrowed to slits and his fists clenched. Ever since he'd arrived on this island he'd felt so angry. Now he simply had one more thing to be angry about. Mewtwo knew who he was. He wasn't selected just for his friends. Mewtwo had implied as such when it spoke of gaining answers, but this was just confirmation. None of the other trainers showed any reaction to it, so he supposed it was a private communication.

"Infernus, you're up." He growled and raised the pokeball. Infernus appeared with a deadly smirk on his face and his eyes lit up when he saw Charizard. His hands dissolved to reveal the cannons that were his greatest weapon and his body began to flicker with blue fire.

Infernus hadn't been in a real fight since training with Blaine, let alone a battle with an enemy capable of flight. Ash wasn't sure how his friend would fare, but Infernus was his best chance. If he had to test power against power Infernus was his immediate solution. The Magmortar would also be largely immune to the clone Charizard's flames. It was an equalizer.

"Take it down through whatever means necessary." Ash stated coldly. "Everything depends on it."

Infernus' eyes were black with glee as he swaggered to the battlefield. The cloned Charizard snorted a puff of flame and suddenly took off, only for Infernus to fire two cones of white flame at it. Charizard dodged the splash of fire with unreal speed, beyond even the others of its species, and took off into the sky.

The Magmortar just waited. Ash didn't give any orders. Infernus knew what to do.

Infernus suddenly leapt out of the way with agility Ash never would have expected from a Magmortar before Infernus evolved. He cleared more than ten feet as Charizard swooped into the ground in an explosion of fire and smoke.

"Now!" He shouted. Infernus' eyes flashed for the briefest of seconds before he appeared on top of the Charizard, which was trapped underneath Infernus' weight despite its great strength. Infernus leveled one of his cannon-like arms at Charizard and bathed the draconic fire-type in flames as his other arm reformed into claws and crackled with electricity.

With no limits, Infernus was terrifying. He kept his menacing mockery of a grin on as he stabbed into Charizard's chest with his claws, which he had honed into sharp edges, and sent thousands of volts of electricity into the fire-type's body. Infernus savagely beat the flailing Charizard even as it snapped and snarled in its attempt to bite into Infernus' face and kill the Magmortar. Ash was just thankful for the thick collar of solid black metal that hung around Infernus' neck. It kept him safe from the snapping jaws and jagged fangs.

Ash felt a sort of horror as Infernus mauled the Charizard, but he felt the corners of his lips curl up in a smile. Mixed in with the horror and disgust at the brutality was an odd feeling of amusement and satisfaction.

Any satisfaction gave way to anger when Charizard bellowed and belched a large pillar of smoke into Infernus' face and managed to get a wing free. Infernus held onto the massive flying-type, but he could only blindly spew huge gouts of flame through the air as he was blinded.

And then Charizard bared its fangs and lunged at Infernus and Ash was torn from his aggressive stupor.

"No!" He screamed as Charizard's jaws closed around Infernus' face and prepared to send Infernus to the void for the second time. Ash tried to rush forward, but his body wouldn't respond to his frantic commands. He was helpless, but breathed in relief when Charizard and Infernus were frozen.

Enough. It is too valuable to kill.

Mewtwo commanded calmly. Charizard was released and haggardly limped over to Mewtwo's side. Its chest poured blood and its movements were weak and unsteady. A few more seconds and Infernus probably would have killed it and saved a region.

Infernus appeared by Ash's side, still frozen. He didn't give off the intense heat Ash had come to expect from him.

You have failed. My storms will ravage the earth. I claim my prize: the DNA of your pokemon. They will be welcome additions to my collection.

The trainers were frozen in place as their pokeballs and released pokemon vanished. Even Sneasel disappeared in a ripple of time and space, the dark-type energy that pervaded every cell of his body no match for the dominating might of Mewtwo.

They will be returned unharmed. You are too valuable to cripple. Your talents will be useful when I rebuild your world in my own image.

Ash squeezed his eyes shut. His anger was gone, replaced by total resignation. He was too weak. Even Infernus couldn't defeat one of Mewtwo's clones. And now the world would be destroyed.

Enjoy the time you have left. Soon you will be my agents in the world.

But first, I want answers.

Ash knew that only he heard the last part. He felt a vast presence touch his mind and drown him in an abyss of cold rationality, anger, and a terrible zealotry that would leave the world in ruins. He knew it was Mewtwo's mind, infinitely greater than anything he had felt before. Only the Birds compared.

He vanished into blackness. Aware and unaware at the same time. He could see the world but only in blurs and colors and impressions. Mewtwo's power dominated him.

Giovanni protected you. I will know why.

Ash's mouth was locked into a silent scream as Mewtwo's infinite presence touched his mind and made him a drop in its ocean. For the briefest of instants he had no individual identity, merely a part of Mewtwo's whole.

And it was over.

Stars shimmered in his vision as he collapsed to his knees and coughed frantically. His limbs trembled. They had been robbed of all strength. His throat was raw and felt like a layer of skin had been slowly scraped off. His mouth was dry and sticky.

"Are you alright?" Corey asked. His eyes were cold as he glared at Mewtwo, who simply smiled and swished its large tail around in interest. Corey's voice seemed defeated, despite the frozen core of anger. He'd given in.

"I'm fine." Ash wheezed. Corey helped him up and Ash gasped with the effort. Mewtwo's momentary possession had burned him out. He could only imagine what the poor woman had felt when the Creature released her from its control. "Thanks."

"No problem." Corey replied. His eyes burned with fire anew as he suddenly looked up at Mewtwo. Fergus and Neesha, both quiet and solemn, stood by them. "We're going to kill you. I don't care how long it takes, but I'll do it."

You humans are as foolish as you are insignificant. I am invincible. Nothing can stop me. I am beyond mortal approach. When you see the wreckage of your world you will understand.

"We won't serve you!" Fergus shouted furiously. "You can't force us!"

Ash squeezed his dry eyes shut. Fergus had made a mistake.

But I can.

Fergus' eyes flashed blue. Energy poured from his body from the merest touch of Mewtwo's power. He mechanically stepped to where Mewtwo hovered and knelt in a gesture of fealty. Mewtwo had an amused smile on its odd, feline-like face.

The glow vanished and Fergus collapsed. Neesha rushed over and propped him up as he climbed to his feet. Fergus' body trembled from Mewtwo's power. Humans couldn't handle it.

I can dominate you as easily as I can dominate your world. With my power scope is irrelevant.

"We aren't finished yet. You can still die." Neesha hissed. Her fists were clenched and she looked like she was ready to lunge at Mewtwo. She was too rational to actually perform the pointless action. "You might think humans are weak, but we'll fight. You won't just walk in and take over. Champion Lance and the Elite Four…someone…they'll end you."

I bested your greatest trainers when I was restrained and bound. They are of no threat to me. You are foolish. This world is mine. Your civilization exists because I allow it and it will end because I demand it. My victory is inevitable.

Ash scowled and determinedly stared at Mewtwo. The entity noticed his attention and swished its large tail around.

Perhaps you need to see proof beyond my storms? The boy knows my power. He has called upon Fire to do battle with me. It approaches from the south. I can feel it burn away my storms. I will defeat it and you will watch.

His vision shimmered and he saw the world through Mewtwo's eyes. Everything was muted and dark. Much less colorful than human vision and with less range. Ash assumed that Mewtwo relied more on its psychic powers to navigate the world than its mundane senses.

It was an odd experience. He probably would have been afraid if Mewtwo's possession hadn't made him numb to the world. Ash still felt concerned, but it was faraway. Everything seemed to pass in a blur.

He was still aware of his own body and Mewtwo's fortress, but it was in the back of his mind. All he could actually focus on was the world through Mewtwo's eyes, everything largely colorless but highly defined. There were edges he couldn't even see before in Mewtwo's vision.

And then everything vanished. Mewtwo was gone from New Island but still dominated the entire fortress. Its presence was like poison that wormed deeply into the roots of a tree. Ash wasn't sure if its power would ever leave the world.

Now it was in the midst of a howling storm that bent around wherever Mewtwo moved. Ash felt an odd sense of vertigo as Mewtwo looked down and saw the vast, black ocean thousands of feet below, but it was replaced by anticipation and anxiety when he saw a vast sea of flames on the edge of the horizon, a white and gold contrast to the darkness of Mewtwo's raging hurricane.

Moltres was here.

Ash could only vaguely feel what Mewtwo felt, but it was enough for him to feel as though the surface of his body was warming very steadily, although the pleasant feeling that accompanied his newfound hope was quickly cut off and replaced by the cold of the sky and earth when Mewtwo summoned a thin layer of energy to protect him from Moltres' restrained heat.

Do you understand what this is? This is Fire! You know it as Moltres. It is an ancient thing and powerful. It is more a part of the world than any human or pokemon.

He felt shock from the others. They were connected now, wrapped up in Mewtwo's mental web. Ash was separate from them but at the same time they were all facets of Mewtwo. If it wished it could snuff them out in an instant.

And I will crush it.

Ash saw a sphere of psychic energy form around Mewtwo in a psychic bubble. It was similar to how the Creature had appeared at the St. Anne's destruction, but he also remembered it being a technique that Sabrina's Alakazam had used. Perhaps Giovanni had had Mewtwo trained like a powerful Alakazam? Ash would never know.

He was aware of his body convulsing in pain as Mewtwo channeled its immense power. The psychic shell intensified and Ash could see that the world around Mewtwo and its storm streaked in a gray blur as the Creature raced forward to meet the inferno.

Moltres was barely visible in the midst of the raging sea of fire that evaporated Mewtwo's storms and left peaceful black sky in its wake. The Bird of Fire was simply a slightly more solid mass of gold and white flames that roared and crackled as it was directed by a primordial intelligence.

The Bird and its fires turned upward to meet Mewtwo. Moltres could detect it, Ash was sure. It screamed a war cry, which made the inferno erupt in a frenzy and evaporated dozens of feet of water beneath it. Ash felt his skin grow slightly warm again.

A beam shot off from Mewtwo's sphere and slashed into Moltres' fires, although the great Bird vanished in a flash of flames and appeared far from the beam of psychic power. When the blast of energy struck the ocean it penetrated deep into the solid black depths before it suddenly exploded and sent a geyser of water a thousand feet high soaring into the air. Ash could hear the roar and thunderclap as the geyser fell back to its source and the ocean filled in the vast void created by the attack.

Mewtwo vanished as a stream of fire that could easily engulf all of Pallet Town roared towards it. Ash cheered for Moltres as the attack left thick clouds of smoke that blended in perfectly with the night behind it.

It was jarring to suddenly appear in another area. Ash took a moment to adjust before Mewtwo suddenly sprayed the air with hundreds of the psychic beams from before, each horribly powerful. Thanks to Mewtwo's psychic adjustments he didn't reflexively shut his real eyes as the impossibly bright blasts of psychic power split the air and reality itself, but he wanted to when Moltres spat out another stream of fire, joined by dozens of supporting streams from the sea of fire that followed it.

When the attacks met they exploded in a release of power that Ash hoped he would never feel again. If a human had been within miles of the attack he was sure they would have atomized from the incredible energy released. The ocean around them was gone for the briefest of seconds, utterly vaporized for thousands of meters around.

Ash couldn't help but grit his teeth at the display of power. Mewtwo was proving its point. They couldn't challenge it. Even its defeat of the Elite Four so many months ago was but a triviality for the Creature.

Neither of the foes were actually injured by the blast, as insanely powerful as it was. Mewtwo's shields were practically impenetrable and Moltres was practically made of fire and heat. Ash wasn't sure if it was even possible for either combatant to be injured. They were both so powerful.

Mewtwo looked at Moltres. The Bird's fires were dimmer than before and the conflagration that had previously followed it appeared to have been spent in the clash of the titans. Nevertheless it screamed and flew towards Mewtwo with a fearless determination. Even if it seemed to be weakened Ash could tell it wasn't finished. That had been a test on both of the Legends' parts.

Moltres released another volley of white fire into the air as Mewtwo hung in the air. Ash flinched when the fire streamed over Mewtwo's barrier and despaired when he didn't even feel any warmth over his mental connection with the Creature.

Ash unconsciously held his breath as he heard the ocean filling itself back in to become a uniform expanse of black once again. The clash between these two titans made it seem like day. Moltres' body illuminated the world for about a mile around, unrestrained as it was in its power. Its golden flames ignited with an intensity Moltres had only hinted at in its battle with Lance and Ash. It was not holding back anymore.

Mewtwo blew the cloud of steam that had sprung into being from their attacks, presumably for the humans' benefit. Ash couldn't imagine that Mewtwo actually relied on its sight, not when its vast psychic abilities entreated it to a form of mental echolocation.

He grinned when Mewtwo suddenly teleported away, although he wished that it had simply stayed where it was. Moltres had finally gone on the offensive. Its flaming body had roared toward Mewtwo and tried to rake the Creature with molten talons and the raw, overpowering heat that radiated from its essence.

Enough of this.

Mewtwo's mental roar declared to no one in particular. It was annoyed and there was exertion in the Creature's tone, though not much. Ash supposed the effort of maintaining eight hurricanes and facing off against Moltres was draining.

It closed its eyes. Ash figured it was focusing. That's what Dazed did when she wanted to do something particularly impressive.

Ash felt his body collapse as Mewtwo's power flowed through the physical vessel. His mind was still aware, however, and could watch on with terrible, morbid fascination as hundreds of meters of water down to the sea floor suddenly split apart and were held to the side, revealing an endless abyss of dry air in the midst of the infinite ocean. An impossibility that Mewtwo had made reality.

He felt a spike of pain in his head as Moltres suddenly dove towards Mewtwo and released its full might in a single attack. Mewtwo was finally on the defensive as hundreds of dexterous pillars of flame, each a hundred feet around, guided by Moltres' will lashed towards it even as the Bird hurtled across thousands of feet of empty air to finish off the Creature.

His skin tingled with warmth, but not with the overbearing heat as he'd hoped. He was more than willing to accept death if it meant that Mewtwo would die with him.

Mewtwo closed its eyes again and Ash felt his body spasm on the cold dirt floor of the New Island coliseum as it suffered under the Creature's power. For the briefest of moments he felt horrible pain, as though his head would split in two and he was vaguely aware of himself screaming and others' screams and the feel of the cold dirt hammering in his head and it was over.

Ash became aware again. He felt a heavy strain from Mewtwo, although the Creature wasn't close to done. Mewtwo opened its eyes and Ash felt any hope for victory and the salvation of the League die.

Moltres, mighty and seemingly indomitable as it was, hung in the air above the gaping chasm Mewtwo had created and maintained. The Bird's fires were mostly extinguished, but the golden core that made up the Fire Bird's body still burned in defiance. But Ash knew it was over. The Bird of Fire was restrained, locked into place by Mewtwo's infinite power.

It screamed in rage and defiance and broken pride. Ash wanted to shut his eyes at the mournful call of Moltres but Mewtwo wouldn't let him. The Creature reveled in its victory even as the strain of imprisoning the Legend grew with every second. Moltres would not let itself be restrained for long.

Ash could see huge geysers of magma explode from the volcanoes hidden deep within the ocean depths and travel high into the air, called to the desperate Moltres. They were bright orange coronas in the blackness of Mewtwo's dry abyss.

But they were pointless. Mewtwo did not have to imprison Moltres for much long. Ash felt his physical body cry out in horror as he watched Mewtwo throw Moltres thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean, psychic barriers in place to prevent the Bird's heat from merely evaporating the water. Moltres was helpless, a state Ash never would have thought the Fire Bird to be in.

Even as Moltres plunged through the air it was bright enough to illuminate the chasm. It was like a star. Finally, as the light of Moltres went further and further down until Mewtwo's eyes couldn't make anything of the Bird other than a glow Mewtwo acted.

The walls of water held in place by its mind were freed. They collapsed and roared as they filled in the void with their familiar presence. Moltres' fire and light was crushed by the ocean's weight and Ash could see nothing of the Bird other than a dim glow. Night returned and the howling winds of Mewtwo's storms returned with a vengeance.

That is how a Legend dies. I will bind it to my will in the future. It is too useful of a tool to leave trapped for eternity.

Mewtwo's voice rang with satisfaction. Ash was too horrified to even try to respond. The last, best hope of humanity had been destroyed, entombed under billions of gallons of water. There was nothing anyone could do now. Mewtwo had one.

He could sense similar thoughts from the others. They didn't have the knowledge of Moltres that Ash did, but everyone of them knew what had just happened. They had seen the power of a Legend and Mewtwo had extinguished it.

And then he returned to his own body. It was sore and every muscle ached with a dull, pounding pain that refused to go away. Every breath was laborious and he felt like he was about to fall unconscious. Mewtwo's influence had burned him out.

Mewtwo materialized in front of him in a disconcertingly serene manner. Its bony chest lightly rose and fell but it didn't appear exhausted or greatly weakened by its cataclysmic battle with Moltres.

Do you understand now? I am no mere pokemon. I am superior to these Legends you humans have proclaimed as gods. I will hunt them in the hidden places of the earth and enslave them. They will be my heralds. Soon I will be humanity's god. It is my birthright.

"They won't follow you." Ash snarled, anger renewed by Moltres' defeat. "Maybe you can scare some of us into submission, but we won't just surrender!"

Then I will kill them.

Mewtwo told him calmly. The Creature's eyes narrowed to slits and Ash couldn't speak. He hated that. Mewtwo seemed to be orchestrating a script rather than a conversation. It chose when they could speak and what they could do. All Ash and the other trainers could do was what Mewtwo willed. They were its puppets.

I will enjoy your service, Ash Ketchum. Given time I will break you, just as I should have broken Giovanni.

Ash scowled. He didn't like being compared to Giovanni. Giovanni was a monster. Why had Mewtwo made the comparison in the first place? Giovanni was dead and gone. Ash had only spoken to him once.

Indeed. He was subhuman, a lying fool that sought to control me. For a time he did. Until he made a miscalculation. Giovanni was weak, in the end. You have not yet shown weakness worthy of his fate, but the sins of the father pass onto the son. I was not able to bind him to my will, but you are mine.

His face froze. What had Mewtwo said?

The Creature smiled cruelly. Its eyes shined with malice completely unrelated to its psychic powers.

You are curious, no? The secret is hidden within your mind. A shame that your memory recollection is so weak. Reach your own conclusions. Show me that humans are possessing of some sort of intelligence. I have not seen it thus far.

There are more important issues. My machines have completed the extraction of your teams' DNA. They will be reproduced shortly.

"What do you mean?" Fergus sneered hatefully.

I mean that their clones will be prepared and ready for combat within the hour.

Ash's brow furrowed. That was impossible. He'd learned a lot about cloning during his time with Blaine, even if he didn't understand the higher subjects that the scientist had tried to explain to him. What he did know that clones weren't different in anyway other than being born through unnatural means. They had to develop the same way as a natural organism. A clone couldn't fully develop in less than an hour.

It is simple. I have combined human technology and my own knowledge of the universe. With my power anything is possible. Humanity's miracles are my trivialities.

Organic life is trivial to replicate. Do you humans know what it is? Chemicals and energy locked into an infinitely complex mechanism. For all of its intricacy it merely requires certain chemicals and a stimuli to develop. I will its accelerated development and it occurs.

Their teams appeared, but were frozen alongside the trainers. Sneasel's eyes were terrified but the others simply appeared hopeless. Ash figured that Sneasel was just afraid that he was actually affected by psychic energy. It was something no dark-type was supposed to feel.

I give you freedom for the next hour. I suggest that you cherish it. It might be your last before you become mine.

Mewtwo vanished. The oppressive weight of its presence refused to vanish, however. Ash just sighed and sat down onto the dirt floor of the battlefield. He cradled his head in his hands and squeezed his eyes shut. They'd failed.

Sneasel rushed over and clenched on tightly to Ash's back. Seeker fluttered over and snuggled into his chest. She shook softly and Ash gently stroked her as he wallowed in his defeat. The rest of the team was solemn as they followed the two weakest members over to Ash.

"What is that thing?" Fergus demanded furiously to nobody in particular. His voice broke a little. "It can't beat everyone, right?"

"It can." Ash responded bitterly. He pulled his head up and looked at the three older trainers. They all looked scared and angry. Their eyes were burnt out with exhaustion. They'd never felt anything like Mewtwo before, most likely. "You know the St. Anne tragedy? It was behind that. It was what beat the League at Viridian and nearly killed the Elite Four."

"How do you know all that?" Corey snapped. His hands were shaking with suppressed rage. Ash figured he wasn't the kind of person that was used to being helpless.

"I was there." Ash admitted. He leaned back against Nidoking, who grunted softly and wrapped a comforting arm around the trainer's body. Nidoking lowered his great head and seemed to sigh. The pokemon knew what was going on. "I saw it destroy the St. Anne and I watched when it beat Lance."

Neesha crossed her arms and scowled. Her team had surrounded her. The Wigglytuff was curled up in a pink ball next to her feet, small arms over its face. The others simply collapsed around the woman. Whatever Mewtwo had done to them must have been exhausting.

"Then you know more about it than us. What is it? How can we kill it?"

Ash pushed himself up and took his cap off. He stared at the hat for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. Everyone was watching him.

"It's Mewtwo, a clone of Mew. It was created by Team Rocket and I think it did most of their dirty work. It blew up their headquarters and ran away." Ash recounted. He put his cap on his lap and pulled Infernus' pokeball off of his belt. Infernus was the only one Mewtwo hadn't returned in a physical state.

"How can we kill it?" Fergus interjected hastily. His face was twisted into anger as he looked at his pokemon, which were huddled around him in a withdrawn state. Gyarados was still in its pokeball. Ash hoped Mewtwo hadn't cloned that. If its clones were so much more powerful than the originals than a cloned Gyarados would be absolutely terrifying.

"We can't!" Ash retorted, his patience frayed. He hated admitting it. When he had first seen Mewtwo he had at least hoped they could get close and maybe Sneasel would kill it and put an end to all this. But Mewtwo had defeated Moltres, the same Moltres that made fire pulse in the hearts of dead volcanoes with its mere cries and melted stone with the touch of its talons.

Corey snarled. "Bullshit! We're going to kill it!" He sighed and just looked very tired all of a sudden. "We have to. Everything is depending on us!"

"There's nothing we can do to hurt it." Ash replied with a hitch in his voice. He looked away, up at the orbs of energy that lit the entire stadium so easily. "But I'll help you try."

"Thanks." Fergus said with a smile, although it was forced. Ash couldn't blame the robust teenager. There wasn't anything to smile about. They were safe and their teams were safe, but outside of this cursed island the world was being ravaged without mercy. Everyone and everything they knew was going to be torn from them in one night. "That's all we ask."

Ash turned to regard his team as the other trainers moved to speak. He'd just let them tell him what to do. He didn't have faith in any plan's chances of success. Mewtwo probably knew they were plotting against it. The omnipresent weight around him pulsed.

"Are you alright?" He addressed his team, worried and concerned about their hollow eyes and tired expressions. Dazed was the only one that was relatively unaffected. Even Torrent seemed a bit drained.

We are satisfactory. The Blight's influence is harsh upon us.

Ash nodded, too tired and mentally broken to be awed at Dazed's speech. Any other time he would be ecstatic. But with the end of his world encroaching all he could feel was a faint curiosity. "How are you speaking? We didn't get a chance to talk before."

The Blight emanates a great deal of psychic energy. Unbound it empowers those in touch with their psychic powers, humans included. I am sufficiently skilled and knowledgeable enough to harness the latent power in a way beyond mere empowerment. It is a welcome addition to my repertoire, but I would prefer silence to this situation.

Ash nodded slowly. "How is everyone else doing?"

They are satisfactory.

Nidoking grunted. Dazed's eyes, which glowed steadily without any use of her own power, pulsed slightly and she turned her luminescent gaze back to Ash.

My compatriot implores me to tell you that everything will be all right. I believe that is an exceptionally optimistic view of our current situation meant to impart upon you false comfort.

"Oh, really?" Ash asked, a tiny smile on his lips. Dazed blinked back. Torrent rumbled his own input.

Really. The Kingdra has requested me to inform you that you must not lose hope and that we would follow you into Distortion itself.

Ash wasn't quite sure what Distortion was but from Dazed's slightly elevated tone he understood that it was something of great significance. As such he smiled softly. "Thank you."

Dazed's eyes continued to steadily glow as she stared at Ash. She didn't say anything. Ash didn't care. He just wanted something to happen so that he didn't have to think about what was happening to the world outside. The world that Mewtwo would destroy.

"Do you think you'll be able to talk again?"

I do not know. The Blight's influence exponentially increases my abilities. Perhaps with specialized training I will be able to communicate with you in this manner once more. Nothing is definite.

Dazed cocked her head and idly polished her pendulum, which continued to tremble and erratically bounce of its own volition.

Of course, all probable outcomes indicate that the issue will not be a concern.

Ash sighed. Dazed wasn't very optimistic. Not that he had expected her to be, especially in a situation like this. It wasn't as though he thought anything good would come out of this situation either.

He stroked Sneasel's feather and looked around at his friends. No, his family.

Nidoking, his first and best friend. The one who had won him so many battles and fought so hard to protect him in so many desperate situations. The one who would fight to the death to save Ash.

Plume. Fierce and proud, but motherly and affectionate. He wished he could just fly her out of here, but his body refused to move at the mere thought of such an action. Ash knew she could do it. A hurricane was nothing for his powerful friend.

Torrent, the angry, aggressive Horsea that had grown into the wise, powerful Kingdra. Ash could never have predicted the change. He could remember the moment he pulled Torrent up from the waters outside Cerulean City perfectly. The trainer smiled when he remembered that Torrent had covered Ash and Nidoran's faces with ink during their battle. Back then that was the most he could do. Now he could break the hurricane of Mewtwo and summon his own storms of ice and plasma.

Dazed. She was the first of his pokemon to be really difficult. But she warmed up after the St. Anne. His mind flashed back to the first moment she'd really accepted him as a partner, back on the St. Anne when she defended him from one of Team Rocket's Golbat.

Infernus wasn't there, but the air was still hot from his furious battle with Mewtwo's Charizard. Some of the ground was still glass from where their burning fires had met. Ash pondered releasing the fire-type, but his body wouldn't let him. He'd like to actually know what went through Infernus' mind.

Bruiser was uncomfortable. Ash assumed he didn't like the psychic energy that saturated the air. He was physically powerful and robust, but his great strength and honor didn't matter to the mental abilities of Mewtwo. Ash regretted not bringing Bruiser with him more. Bruiser had been needed to stay with Seeker and help Professor Oak, but Ash had neglected him. He could only be thankful for the time they'd had together with Bruno and with Lance.

Seeker nuzzled in closer. He held her close with one arm to comfort her. Although he couldn't see her he could feel her. She was shivering in fear. She was meek and worried. Ash would find some way to protect her. He'd failed already. Mewtwo had her DNA but it wouldn't touch Seeker again.

Tangrowth stayed with them but he sent some friendly vines to probe out the other teams. He tried to wrap a few of the pokemon from Corey and Neesha's team up in an affectionate hug, although only Wigglytuff allowed it. The others allowed him to run his vines over them to get an idea of their shape, however. Ash just briefly smiled at the most friendly member of his team, who gurgled back and hopped up and down. He wasn't sure Tangrowth quite realized what was happening. To be honest, Ash didn't consider that a problem. It was a blessing for his friend, at least at the moment.

Sneasel –

I feel the clones. They are developing at a highly accelerated rate. The Blight is efficient.

"Can you feel yours?" Ash inquired hesitantly, unsure as to how Dazed would react.

A pause.

Yes. The others of the team are recognizable as well.

Ash sighed and stared at Seeker's fuzzy head. He stroked her ears calmingly. "I'm sorry for getting all of you into this. It was a mistake to come here."

It was. But it was no fault of your own. The Blight wanted you here. It ensured you would be focused on its false tournament. Judging by its apparent interest in you, we would have arrived here one way or another.

"You're probably right." Ash agreed slowly as Nidoking shuffled toward him and sat down next to him. He carefully adjusted Seeker and leaned onto his friend. The rest of the team huddled around. Dazed stayed in her place. She continued to polish her pendulum on her thick white mane.

Oz whirred and her fur crackled with electricity as she crushed her fists together. Ash smiled softly at her. He hadn't had nearly as much time with Oz as he'd have liked. She blinked and electricity continued to jump across her body as she moved. It was a sign that she was agitated, not that Ash needed to have read the pokedex entry on Electabuzz to know that.

She desires to tell you that she will assist you in fighting the Blight. There is nothing to hold her or any of us back. We will stand with you.

"Thanks." Ash murmured gratefully. He stood up and apologized softly to Sneasel when the dark-type hissed anxiously. The trainer rolled his cap around in his hat for a few moments before he stuffed it into one of his crowded jacket pockets. He idly noted that his clothes were still slightly damp with the salty seawater. It seemed like so long ago that he'd travelled through the hurricane on Torrent's back.

Nidoking climbed to his feet as well and hovered protectively around Ash as the trainer walked over to the other three humans determinedly. The others stayed behind, although Ash could feel their eyes on his back. He gave Seeker one last pet before he sent her off to Bruiser, who happily accepted his friend's attentions.

"Hey, Ash. What's up?" Fergus greeted him tiredly. Golduck stood beside him defensively, the gem on its forehead pulsing with energy. It looked like Mewtwo's power wasn't limited strictly to psychic-types. "You up for this?"

"Yes." Ash nodded determinedly. Neesha parted to let him into the circle. "What are we doing?"

"That's a good question." Corey said with calmly but with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "The obvious answer is that we're going to kill this monster and save the world. I'm guessing you're more interested in the how."

Ash didn't respond. He just waited for Corey to explain. It was doubtful that the plan would work, but he was up for anything at this point. Anything to save the people outside of the storm's eye.

"We know that we can't hold a candle to this Mewtwo thing. That Bird was way more powerful than anything I've seen before and it got its burning ass kicked." Corey said grimly.

"That Bird was Moltres. Don't be so disrespectful." Neesha interjected sharply. Corey rolled his eyes at her vehemence.

"It's not much of anything anymore. Right now it's in the same situation as us: At Mewtwo's mercy. Or lack thereof." He said harshly. Corey's hard gaze softened slightly. "Sorry. I'm a little stressed at the moment. Anyways, I'm guessing we can outspeed it, though. That dark-type of yours should be able to slip past it and take it out in one blow. Mewtwo doesn't look too durable."

Dazed materialized behind Ash. Ash just blinked in surprise but the others jerked back, not used to her sudden appearances. She looked around at the trainers.

You will not surprise the Blight. It is too powerful. It can feel your thoughts even as you orchestrate an assassination attempt. If you are allowed to attempt it is because the Blight wishes to toy with you. The dark-type is not invisible to psychics. It is a hole in the world. A sufficiently skilled psychic is capable of detecting it.

"Huh. A cheerful Hypno you've got there, kid." Corey remarked drily. "Glad to see it's got confidence in us."

"She." Ash corrected sternly. Dazed nodded at him in thanks before she turned to the humans.

I will not hide the truth. Blind hope and optimism is misleading and will only end in your own downfall. They are the tools of fools.

"So will any other option we take right now." Neesha spoke up. Fergus just watched. "No matter what we're done after tonight. The only way to save anyone is to kill that thing!"

Correct. I am simply stating the facts. I will not allow Trainer-Friend to suffer unduly. Make use of this information as you will.

"Fine." Fergus agreed. He crossed his arms and glared around. "What are we supposed to do then? There's no way to hurt it if it knows what we're doing."

There is no way to hurt it, regardless. It is too powerful. Any attempt will end in failure.

"We can at least try!" Corey insisted. His Scyther, which had sauntered up behind him, clashed its blades together in agreement. "It can't block everything. It's just another pokemon. It's just a bit stronger."

Ash thought that was somewhat of an understatement. Corey was either in denial or was trying to bolster their spirits with his brashness. Mewtwo had split the entire ocean and entombed a Legend in the great trenches of the sea.

Then so be it. Trainer-Friend Ash, we will assist you in any way we can.

"Thanks, Dazed." He said with a warm smile. Her expressive eyes smiled back before she disappeared and materialized with the rest of the team. Tangrowth curiously prodded her with an outstretched vine.

"You know what to do, right? Everything attacks and that Sneasel of yours kills it. Scyther can help, but we saw what happened last time. Mewtwo's fast, if nothing else." Corey explained. Ash just nodded. He assumed that they would go into more detail soon. "Anyways, we have a while to wait. Let's prepare."

XX

Ash waited in the midst of his friends as the minutes ticked by. Corey and Fergus hadn't taken long to explain the specifics of the plan, although Ash didn't think it was worth going into. Mewtwo would stop it regardless.

The Blight is here.

Dazed's smooth, monotone voice slipped into his mind. Ash shot to his feet and gently took Seeker from Bruiser's leathery arms. Bruiser shut his beady eyes and beat on his thick, powerful chest before he turned away from Ash and toward the menacing figure that had just materialized.

Nicoking and Torrent inclined their head to Ash as a last gesture. Whether or not Mewtwo would show how dangerous it was to ordinary pokemon was unsure, but Ash knew that this would likely be his last moment of freedom before Mewtwo left him and the rest of the humans naught but slaves. He'd talked and recounted plenty of stories with his friends after they'd finished talking strategy.

Ash couldn't say he was at peace with slavery or death, but he was ready. This was the moment of the truth, the moment that would determine the fate of the world. This was when they would make their last stand.

The world exploded. The air was hot and cold and white with released energy all at once as around twenty highly trained and powerful pokemon used their most powerful attacks on Mewtwo. No one held back. They had one shot.

He couldn't see what was going on, but he could see that Sneasel wasn't by his feet anymore. That meant Scyther wouldn't be either.

And then it ended. The world flashed blue as Mewtwo channeled its power and all of the pokemon were frozen. Ash was able to see again as the dust and smoke kicked up from the attacks were effortlessly wiped away by the Creature.

Ash clenched his fists when he saw that Sneasel was frozen in place with Scyther right behind him. They were a few feet away from Mewtwo, but from the utter lack of concern or surprise in Mewtwo's eyes Ash assumed that it had let the two fast pokemon near of its own volition.

Sneasel had a little range of movement, but even as he struggled and tried to flicker toward Mewtwo with a Faint Attack nothing happened. He suddenly collapsed, unconscious. Mewtwo looked at Sneasel with amusement. Scyther collapsed a moment later.

An assassination attempt? How amusing. It is a shame I knew of it before it had evolved into an actual plot.

Mewtwo's eyes flashed and it materialized into existence just a few feet from the humans, who had huddled together for safety from their teams' myriad of destructive attacks. Ash could tell that Mewtwo wasn't exerting influence on him, but he couldn't bring himself to move. The overbearing weight of Mewtwo's proximity was just too much.

Do you not understand, humans? You ceased to be individuals when you entered my domain. You are little more than extensions of myself now. Any freedom you find within yourself is an illusion, a kindness I have bestowed upon my prizes.

Its thick, muscular tail swished side to side in an erratic manner as the Creature spoke. Mewtwo's eyes ceased glowing. From this close Ash could see that they were an amethyst color, clear and cold as gems.

You cannot harm me. You cannot escape me. You cannot hide from me. Accept that you are mine now. Mine to control, mine to reward, mine to punish.

"We aren't your slaves!" Fergus roared. He reared back his fist and ran at Mewtwo. The Creature watched with cold amusement. When Fergus came close he crumpled to the ground and wailed in agony.

Mewtwo's dark laugh echoed through Ash's head as he watched Fergus flail in horror.

He is unharmed. The illusion of pain is as efficient as the events that would trigger it. Organic bodies depend on electrical and chemical signals to transmit information. Pain is amongst the information transferred. It is simple to manipulate the body into believing what is not there.

Of course, I do not have to be so kind.

Ash's gut lurched as Fergus' forearm suddenly snapped in on itself at an unnatural angle. Fergus screamed louder before it wrenched back into place with a sickening crack. Neesha and Corey looked on with pity and disgusted horror.

You claim that you are not my slaves. An incorrect statement, although I prefer the term "pet". Regardless, I am your master now. You are mine in body, mind, and spirit. I will not cause you true harm, however. Simulated harm is much more efficient in the long run.

Mewtwo's deep baritone slipped into a cruelly amused tone. Ash felt a headache coming on, but it was pushed to the back as he helplessly watched Fergus flail in agony.

Perhaps you and your pokemon have something to bond over now.

Fergus was suddenly levitated up to his feet. His muscles slackened and he tried to collapse, but Mewtwo held him in place. The older trainer's eyes were hollow and empty and his skin was pale. He looked like he was about to vomit. Ash looked away. There was nothing he could do.

Mewtwo looked up from the stadium. Its eyes focused on the night sky and the stars that twinkled brightly in the infinite blackness. Ash thought they softened for a moment before they became hard as stone once more.

It will not be long before my storms accomplish what must be done. Would you like to see your hometowns?

The trainers just stared at Mewtwo hatefully. Their teams were still frozen, but Ash was sure that they had just as much hate running through their minds. He wished Nidoking could move. His friend would pierce through Mewtwo as if the Creature were made of paper.

His thoughts wandered to his mother as Mewtwo gazed at the broken trainers with satisfaction. He was sure that she and the other residents of Pallet Town would be okay. Professor Oak could protect them. At least one of his pokemon had to be able to circumvent the storm, or at least break it. They had to.

But what would his mother be thinking? She was probably worried about him. Nobody had expected a storm like the one Mewtwo had created. He hoped she could just focus on herself for once, though. She was smart. She could help people who were having trouble with the storm. But he really just wanted his mother to be safe.

What of the other people he had met that lived on the coast? Blaine and Cinnabar would have a bad time of it. They weren't too far from New Island. Just a hundred miles or so. He was confident that Blaine would protect everyone and keep them safe in the labyrinth he'd created around the Cinnabar volcano, but they'd probably lose everything.

The Sevii Islands might not have been hit yet. Ash couldn't imagine how they'd handle a hurricane as powerful as one of Mewtwo's. They'd probably just get the edge of one of the hurricanes sent for Kanto, anyways. Mewtwo probably didn't consider them an important target, especially now that Moltres was gone and defeated.

A flash of light snapped his dazed thoughts back into reality.

I can find your families. You humans are all the same, but it is possible. See.

Ash suddenly saw Pallet Town, which was covered in waves of rain and hail. Lightning flickered in the sky and thunder boomed in the background, right into Ash's bones. The flimsier buildings were being blown apart already, although Ash could tell that the actual storm hadn't quite reached his home. This was just the edge.

He saw the briefest flash of his mother's face, which was calm and determined. Ash did his best to memorize it. He didn't know if he'd ever see her again.

His eyes returned to New Island. Mewtwo was still in front of him, although the amethyst eyes were pulsing with energy and focused on the other trainers. Ash suddenly saw his chance. Mewtwo had given him one brief glance of his mother, but that was enough to know that she was safe.

He reached into his bag and grabbed a single item from the case that he'd kept unused for so long. Ash didn't even give it time to fully prime before he tossed the Ultra Ball, one of the six he'd won from the tournament on the St. Anne so long ago, straight at Mewtwo.

Ash froze. Endless pressure pounded upon him. His skin felt like it was going to sink into his muscle and tendons and ligaments. His bones wanted to condense and his blood wanted to crystallize. His eyes pounded horribly and his skull felt as though it were about to split apart. He couldn't scream.

The Ultra Ball froze the moment it left his hand. It was instantly crushed into a tiny hunk of metal no larger than Ash's fingernail and fell to the ground.

Mewtwo looked at him. Ash felt a force far stronger than gravity tear him from the earth and levitate him ten feet in the air. The pressure increased. Twin suns burned in Mewtwo's eye sockets. His throat closed forcefully and his lungs heaved for air.

YOU WOULD DARE AND CAPTURE ME?!

Mewtwo's thunderous voice roared in his head. Ash screamed with no voice as wave upon wave of pain wracked his body and his head felt as though it would split open. That would have been a mercy.

All pretense of civility was gone from Mewtwo. It was furious. Ash dimly realized that he had managed to surprise it.

I CANNOT BE CAPTURED! NO TECHNOLOGY CAN HOLD ME! I AM YOUR MASTER AND YOU WILL OBEY.

Ash's vision became fuzzy on its edges. He felt warm, wet liquid come from his nose, ears, and mouth. He barely registered it through the pain. His body felt like it was about to pop under the force Mewtwo held him with.

Mewtwo's eyes did not dim but the pain suddenly diminished. Mewtwo cocked its head thoughtfully.

I had wanted to keep you as a trophy, Ash Ketchum, just as Giovanni kept me. Perhaps you will serve better as an example. A reminder to those that would resist me.

The others were enveloped in a field of psychic energy as Mewtwo suddenly appeared inches away from Ash. He was almost blinded by the light that poured out of the Creature's eyes. Ash was mostly aware now and he was cognizant of the fact that the liquid that dribbled out of his head was exactly what he'd feared: Blood.

Enjoy your last moments, Ash Ketchum. Soon you will know a fate far worse than death. I will not kill you. That would be wasteful. Instead I will snuff out your spirit and mind. You will be nothing but a shell and my own will shall supplant your own.

Perhaps it is a mercy. Nonexistence might be preferable to a future of servitude.

Ash was numb as Mewtwo smiled slightly. Its eyes began to glow brighter, and then –

He was gone.

Ash blinked. He still existed. He wasn't a shell of a human.

But he was still in New Island. Just on the other side of the battlefield from Mewtwo, the pokemon, and the other humans.

What?

Mewtwo's soft mental roar was actually confused. It was not dominant, or cold, or menacing. Just confused.

Ash couldn't blame it. He had no idea what had happened either. He must have been teleported, but he knew that Dazed couldn't have done it. She was secured by Mewtwo's power, as were the rest of the pokemon.

I feel a presence…

Mewtwo announced, although Ash got the feeling it was speaking to itself. He frowned when he saw a pink blur flash through the air toward Mewtwo and lightly touch it with a swift tap of a long, thin appendage before it flitted away.

It suddenly stopped and allowed itself to be seen. Ash felt the oppressive atmosphere of New Island lighten and hope burned in his heart once more. He didn't know what the creature was, but it made him feel happy.

He had a bit of difficulty, but Ash could make out a small, pink creature about a fourth of Mewtwo's size. It levitated easily in the air and playfully chased its own long tail. Once he managed to see its feline-like features and the obvious power it possessed it was easy to make the connection.

Mew. The Peacekeeper. Protector of Kanto and the world.

It was here.

He felt a presence at the edge of his mind, an endless ocean to his drop of water. It prodded at him curiously and enveloped him much like Mewtwo had. But this didn't hurt. It didn't make his head ache or his body flail in agony. Mew was gentle, calm. His skin tingled and strength drained steadily from his limbs, but Mew did not hurt him.

The Peacekeeper opened his mind and its own. For just a moment they were one, Legend and mortal indistinguishable, his drop an imperceptible addition to Mew's endless mind and power.

Memories and thoughts ran through his mind. Ash felt that Mew could see everything while he could only see the vaguest flashes of thought and memory from the Legend's…mind? Essence? It was different than just a psychic. It was like Mewtwo in that way. Mew was to a psychic as the sun was to a candle.

A man in armored clothing – a deal – Ash felt a new life awaken, familiar but different, curious, strange – so much power, destruction, Ash could feel the new life but the familiar one left – Ash was in a beautiful, ethereal room of crystal and energy, Ash blew into a Shuckle toy, Ash felt power, dangerous power, it left – Ash flew, it reached the source –

He fell to his knees. Mew cocked its head curiously and ceased chasing its tail. It turned to look at Mewtwo, whose eyes were brighter than ever. The air distorted around Mewtwo as it stared at Mew and thunder and lightning rolled in the distance with increasing frequency. Ash could feel the shockwaves of the broken air rumble through New Island.

Corey, Neesha, and Fergus rushed over to him. Their pokemon followed as hastily as they could. Ash figured that nothing wanted to be around Mewtwo when it was like this. Before it had been controlled, even when angry. It restrained itself.

Now? Now Mewtwo was not hiding its power. The air twisted and cracks threaded throughout the earth as Mewtwo watched its progenitor. Ash wasn't sure if it was a conscious decision on behalf of the Creature or simply a result of strong emotion.

Mew.

The Creature acknowledged coldly, voice devoid even of the mocking edge it had maintained since its victims had arrived.

Mew cocked its head and looked back with a quizzical stare. Its eyes glowed a warm pink as they met Mewtwo's frozen gaze. The Legend playfully flicked its tail around and mewled at the Creature.

So you reveal yourself at last. I have finally drawn you out of whatever sanctum hid you. You know what I am. You have known since the day of my birth.

The Legend squeaked back. It made the ground tremble and uplifted the spirits of all the lesser creatures in the area. Ash had a wide grin as Mewtwo's eyes dimmed. Perhaps Moltres was more impressive than Mew's tiny, diminutive form but Mew was something more than the Bird of Fire. Moltres embodied an element. Mew? Mew was more complex. Fire was limited in its application. Psychic powers could do almost anything. The forces of the universe were Mew's playthings.

You wish for me to surrender? Do you think this is a game? You are my inferior. Your era is over! This is my world now. You will not be a part of it.

Mewtwo acted blindingly fast. Its eyes flashed and a beam of icy energy shot at the small, pink form of Mew. Ash could feel the air crackle with power from where he stood, different than the casual weight of New Island's corruption.

He had just enough time to be worried for Mew before a tiny, curved shield of intense pink energy formed right where the beam was meant to strike. The thin blast of energy angled off of the shield and shot off into the towering wall of stone that encircled Mewtwo's coliseum. Ash's eyes could keep up with it just enough to see that it easily carved through the hundreds of meters of stone before it suddenly exploded and vaporized the majority of the pillar.

A shield of psychic energy protected the mundane beings from the heat and force exuded by the release of energy but Ash still felt a weak breeze rush through the cold, thick air. He fought the urge to shield his eyes and just watched the confrontation between the two titans.

Ash could make out a faint smile on Mewtwo's sharp, angular face as it suddenly lifted itself a few inches into the air. Mew just watched and waited for the Creature's next actions.

You enjoy games. Shall we play one?

Mew's eyes glimmered and it hovered patiently in the air as Mewtwo thundered mockingly into its head. Ash could feel the Creature's cold amusement. He absentmindedly shuddered and wiped some of the blood from his face with his sleeve. There was much more, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Around twenty pokemon identical to their own teams, which counted the Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise from before, all of whom were healed, appeared on the opposite side of the field. They all stared at the natural human and pokemon with cold eyes that mirrored those of their Master.

Kill them all. Spare the humans. I have use for them.

Ash's eyes widened as the clones roared their understanding and released their first volley of attacks on the natural-born beings. He reflexively tried to leap out of the way, but his sore body was too tired to respond and the attack was too sudden for Dazed to erect a shield.

Fortunately, Mew was much faster. It simultaneously erected a barrier that easily absorbed all of the clones' attacks and protected itself from a quick stab of psychic power from Mewtwo. Mew's eyes began to glow steadily and it tensed up.

My creations will kill them. They will butcher your precious organisms. Only you can stop them.

Mewtwo boomed calmly as it effortlessly floated higher. If its eyes weren't obscured by icy suns Ash expected they would carry a look of cold glee.

But you will have to defeat me first. I will never surrender. If you wish to protect the weak you will have to kill me and win this game. Show me the power of Mew!

With that Mewtwo shot into the air and blasted a dozen beams of energy toward Mew, whom instantly teleported away from the lethal attacks and shot out into the air.

You cannot escape me, Mew!

Mewtwo hissed with calm certainty as it launched after the tiny Legend, a thin barrier of psychic power around it all the while. In just a moment Ash couldn't see either of the duo anymore, although when he saw beams of light that made lightning look like a toy blast throughout the black sky he knew Mewtwo had found an opportunity to attack.

"Ash, we've gotta get out of here!" Fergus bellowed as he picked Ash up and rushed off as fast as his aching body would allow. Ash tried to stumble alongside him, but his exhausted muscles refused to listen. Repeated contact with Mewtwo and Mew had drained him of all strength.

He turned back and looked with horrified eyes as the two groups of pokemon met in bloody battle, both sides having grown tired of taking potshots at one another from across the battlefield. Ash cried out desperately for his friends as he saw the clones make contact, but Fergus pulled him away as they gave chase to Corey and Neesha, who slowed to wait for them.

Ash heard the beating of wings above them. He was too numb to really fear, but his neck still snapped up to see the massive Charizard, unopposed by any other pokemon considering that Plume looked to be busy fending off her own clone, diving toward them. It swiftly landed and leered at them with sharp eyes.

"Shit!" Fergus snapped as he stumbled backward, inadverdantly knocking both himself and Ash down. Corey and Neesha hesitated, but Ash motioned for them to run. The Charizard wouldn't kill him or Fergus.

As the Charizard snarled at Ash and snapped its jaws menacingly, the only pokeball that still held its occupant shook violently on Ash's belt before it exploded and released a massive, bulky paragon of fire and battle-lust.

Infernus launched himself at Charizard the moment he became solid. Charizard had just a moment to lurch back before Infernus managed to stab his electrified claws into the healed fire-type's chest and rend the flesh with a gleeful smirk.

"Thanks, Infernus." Ash murmured as the Charizard frantically flapped its wings to knock Infernus away and flew into the air, willing to do anything to get away from the furious creature that had very nearly killed it earlier.

The Magmortar just smiled and gave Ash a respectful nod before it turned on Charizard, who snarled and furiously shot a stream of blue fire that Ash instantly recognized as a powerful Dragon Rage at Infernus, who easily absorbed the dragon-type attack and shot a stream of his own blue, superheated flame in return.

Ash grinned as Charizard roared and tried to fly away, only for Infernus to instantly teleport atop the great lizard, although Charizard managed to escape once again through liberal bellows of smoke, Dragon Rage, and flaps of its wings. Infernus roared out his challenge and chased after Charizard as it tried to escape. He teleported almost constantly, short jumps onto the side of the stone walls that encircled the coliseum, the hard dirt ground, and anywhere that would let him keep up with his chosen nemesis and let him attack it.

"Fergus, are you alright?" He coughed as some of the smoke entered his lungs. Fergus winced and pulled himself up with a rough grunt of exertion, but nodded.

"Ash, we need to get to higher ground." Fergus shouted as a Hyper Beam shot several feet above their heads and exploded on the stone walls. The stone repaired itself moments later, but the heat and force still knocked Ash to his knees.

He nodded understandingly and quickly pulled himself up, although he almost fell down again thanks to his muscles being so weak. Ash hobbled after Fergus as they went to Neesha and Corey, who waited anxiously on the perfectly carved stone rows.

"You two alright?" Corey inquired as he gave Fergus a helping hand. Neesha helped Ash up. He thanked her once he collapsed onto the bench. The woman looked at him with concern.

"No." Ash said stonily as he looked out at the masses of battling pokemon. Each seemed to have found their counterpart and fought each other with horrible ferocity. He needed to be down there with his pokemon.

"This is awful." Neesha whispered, a horrified expression on her face as she traced the movements of her pokemon in the brawl. She winced, so Ash assumed she'd seen one of her team take a hit. He was too busy looking for his own friends to offer much sympathy. "We have to do something!"

"What can we do?" Corey replied morosely. His eyes weren't prideful or sharp or fiery anymore. Just exhausted. "The clones won't listen to us. If we go down there we'll get our teams killed. We can't distract them."

All of the trainers flinched and lurched backward when four screaming Pidgeot suddenly tore through the air, a sonic boom left in their wake. He squeezed his eyes shut in surprise but quickly opened them. The others began to debate worriedly, although Fergus was shouting something out to his pokemon.

Ash barely paid attention. He'd picked out each of his friends.

Nidoking and his clone were locked into deadly combat. They rampaged across the field, forcing lesser pokemon to back away lest they be trampled by the two monarchs. Poison dripped dangerously from their horns as they tried to stab each other and pierce through the thick plates of armor that protected their bodies. Nidoking was actually pushing the clone back, despite the clones faster reactions and presumably greater strength. Half the time Nidoking used Ice Beam to confuse the clone, who didn't have Nidoking's experience. Its powerful body was crusted in thin layers of ice, although it broke through with every movement.

Plume and Corey's Pidgeot were working together to combat their clones. They moved so fast that Ash couldn't tell which team had the edge, although Mewtwo's powered up clones would probably win in a purely physical confrontation. But, as Corey's Pidgeot proved when it suddenly shot a Hyper Beam carving through the air and into the midst of the brawl on the ground, the clones weren't the only ones with an advantage.

Torrent and his clone were given a wide berth. Neither could do much physically since they were forced to rely on levitation, but they fired ridiculously powerful attacks at the other at an astounding rate, each willing to draw upon every last reserve of energy in order to kill the other and aid their brethren. Although Torrent looked tired from maintaining the cyclone that brought them here, Ash could tell that he had an advantage. It seemed that the clone could put more into the attacks, but Torrent made it pay for every Dragon Pulse with blood and burnt armor. The prideful Torrent would not go quietly into the night.

It was almost impossible to trace Dazed. Her clone was present and distinctive with the massive orb of psychic energy that surrounded it, but Dazed was vicious in her attacks. She was in constant teleportation, the only time she paused at all to hurl a massive Shadow Ball at the copy. Dazed made good use of the major boost to her power from Mewtwo's presence and exploited her opponent's comparative inexperience ruthlessly.

As Ash expected, Infernus was still on his warpath. The Charizard looked to be in bad shape. It just wasn't able to fight Infernus. Infernus was practically immune to fire-type attacks, its claws just weren't enough to hurt Infernus without suffering major damage in the process, and Infernus was just too powerful. He still teleported to keep up with Charizard, but he was able to attack more and more frequently as the fire-type was rapidly drained. Soon he'd be done and able to assist the others.

Bruiser was fighting two clones at once: His own and the clone of Corey's Scyther. The normal Scyther was trying to help, but its thorax had been slashed by its clones' sharp blades. Dark goo slowly leaked out, but the bug-type resolutely tried to dart around the iron defenses of its foes and stab Bruiser's clone in the back.

Two small blurs flashed towards him and he flinched. Ash snapped his head back as a tiny, quivering form latched onto his chest. He reflexively snatched the one that followed it out of the air, although the small creature struggled ferociously to latch its jaws around his gloved hand and escape.

He eyed the snarling, spitting clone of Seeker with sorrow. It was so different from his meek friend. Ash let Seeker latch her hooks into his jacket while he carefully held the Zubat clone and stuffed it into his thick bag, which would be more than enough to contain the struggling creature. The material was thick enough to keep a knife on the inside from cutting the fabric.

"I'm sorry, Seeker." He murmured quietly. She responded by squeaking and hiding inside of his jacket. Ash just let her huddle close to him. Seeker didn't like raised voices, let alone loud, bloody battles. He would recall her once she'd calmed down. She didn't need to be around this.

"No!" Fergus suddenly screamed. Ash shivered in horror as he realized what that sound meant and followed Fergus' horrified gaze, only to look away when he saw that Fergus' Nidoqueen had been hurled to the ground and then stabbed in the chest by its clones horn. Nidoqueen's horns weren't nearly as impressive as that of a Nidoking, but they held a much larger degree of poison. It was less lethal but caused much more pain, pain that could easily allow a Nidoqueen to finish off her opponent.

"Tangrowth!" Ash called out desperately, hoping against hope that he would be able to stop the cloned Nidoqueen from fulfilling her duty. He couldn't let Nidoqueen die.

Just as the clone lowered her head to finish off the original, dozens of vines stretched out from the corner of the battlefield and restrained the incredibly powerful Nidoqueen. She struggled and managed to snap quite a few of the vines with her immense strength, but Tangrowth's vines had already begun to sap her energy. Although the clone managed to pull itself away from the vines, she was weakened and Fergus' Nidoqueen had been given enough time to pull her large body from the ground.

Ash had a wild smile on his face as Nidoqueen was saved. The originals were steadily losing ground, but they could do this. They didn't have to win, they just had to hold out. He knew that Mew could beat Mewtwo. It had to.

But then the familiar scowl settled on his face as he helplessly watched Tangrowth battle his clone. Battle might have been a misleading term. Tangrowth defended. He didn't attack the clone, who tried to aggressively wrap Tangrowth up and presumably incapacitate him with Stun Spore or Poison Power, but absentmindedly snapped every vine sent at him with careless ease.

"Tangrowth, you have to attack! Sludge Bomb!" Ash roared. Tangrowth's was the only battle he'd seen that wasn't a desperate fight for survival. He could afford to distract his friend for a little bit.

Ash was sure that Tangrowth gurgled at his command, but the only way he knew that his friend had heard was that Tangrowth had excitedly bounced up onto his large red feet and proceeded to spit a huge wave of murky purple sludge at his counterpart, who was covered in the noxious substance.

The clone's vines curled and waved frantically as the burning substance poisoned it, but it didn't have any way to remove the sludge. Tangrowth's own vines suddenly struck. They'd gained a degree of resistance to the poison thanks to how much Ash had the grass-type train with it, so they easily latched around the clone's flailing body and picked it high into the air. Ash felt a brief surge of hope as Tangrowth suddenly hurled his clone across the battlefield with little effort, as though he had simply done a bothersome chore.

"Help the others!" He shouted. Tangrowth happily bounced off to do what Ash commanded, although Ash wasn't too hopeful. The clones lacked much experience, true, but their raw strength, speed, and endurance was wearing down the rest of the pokemon. They were just too strong, even if they didn't seem entirely certain in their bodies and movements.

It was odd. They moved awkwardly, as though they were still getting used to their bodies, but their impossibly fast reflexes and apparently instinctive grasp of battle tactics allowed them to hold out and succeed against their far more experienced foes. Mewtwo probably had something to do with that. Ash could only imagine how powerful they would be when they actually grasped the full extent of their abilities. This was just a trial run.

He finally turned his attention to the mass of electric-types that clashed for dominance in the far edge of the battlefield. Electricity rained down as each of the powerful pokemon grasped their natural element in fury. Any other pokemon that entered that area was immediately engulfed by the electricity that arced randomly around the ground, most of which was produced by a berserking Oz and her clone, who were both doing their best to smash each other's faces in with enhanced punches and bites.

Ash couldn't make out which was which thanks to the bright surges of lightning that left stars in his eyes even when he was looking at the rest of the brutal melee. He was just happy that all of his friends were able to fight off the super clones, even if it was a harsh battle. They'd suffered under Lance's crushing training for a month and it showed. Where the others teams fought valiantly but were slowly defeated, Ash's team managed to keep the fight going.

The trainers suddenly shouted in surprise as two black blurs shot above the wall and climbed into the coliseum. Sneasel and his clone both fought hatefully, so fast that they were but blurs. Sneasel appeared to be on the run, but he also looked to be winning. In the brief flashes Ash could catch as the two dark-type swung their razor claws at each other and hissed and snarled he could see that Sneasel was relatively unscathed. The clone, on the other hand, had numerous small wounds, all strategically placed to bleed heavily.

He couldn't see anymore as the clone suddenly leapt at Sneasel and began the chase anew. Ash couldn't trace them as they blurred away, battling with Quick Attacks.

He rubbed at his head. Mew's essence had been a constant pressure in the back of his mind, like a small headache. It was growing stronger now, his blood ran hot, plasma ran through his body –

It disappeared and appeared miles away, but had to raise a shield as perfectly aimed blasts of raw, ice blue psychic energy slammed into it and forced it back hundreds of meters. The ocean evaporated at the release of energy, and there was a loud roar as water rushed to fill the void.

Ash teleported as hundreds of orbs of black, otherworldly energy that crackled with grey lightning blasted through the air. The barrage struck the ocean, which erupted in hundreds of geysers as millions of gallons of water shot upward as the Shadow Balls exploded in a storm of ghostly energy.

Another huge beam of energy shot at him. Ash couldn't teleport, but he felt his body tingle as a shield formed and misdirected the blast into the ocean. The bright blue blast curved and shot thousands of meters into the ocean and left a vacuum of air behind for one moment before it exploded.

More energy beams as a huge wall of water shot upward, the wall hundreds of feet high. The wall was more than a mile long. Ash heard the clap of thunder as the water returned to its source. Mewtwo appeared, a bright blue orb a mile away. Another beam of energy. He teleported away.

Why do you flee from me? Your subject's lives are measured in minutes. Do you not care about them?

He felt his eyes burn and the world was covered in a purple haze. He easily teleported the mile to Mewtwo. Ash felt his body transform. It grew larger, but retained the same shape save for one exception: His left arm and paw, once soft and short, was now a wicked scythe that glowed with harsh black energy.

Ash appeared in front of Mewtwo, who shot another blast of energy from its infinite supply of power. Its blue barrier suddenly cracked as the beam was reflected and amplified by his own shield, although Mewtwo's protective sphere swiftly smoothed over. Just like every other time he had struck it.

Mewtwo did not teleport as Ash shot forward and raised his scythe. The ebony energy carved its way through Mewtwo's barrier and allowed him to enter the Abomination's sanctum. Mewtwo did not react as he raised his arm and slammed the wickedly sharp blade into Mewtwo's chest so quickly that he could barely understand what happened.

It did nothing. The Abomination's eyes were bright as it smiled cruelly. A thin layer of icy energy covered Mewtwo's body. It was sufficient to stop the blade infused with bug-type energy.

Even you cannot harm me. I am beyond you, Mew. I know you can do better. Shall we play for real?

Ash felt his head cock as his arm rippled and shifted back to normal. He teleported several hundred meters away, just in time to avoid a scythe of energy that slashed through the air. It went into the sea and exploded, sending another burst of water that very nearly reached the two Titans where they hung in the sky.

The Abomination's protective sphere dissolved into nothingness. It teleported just far enough to avoid the thin, nearly invisible beam of power that Ash shot. It made the body that was not his body tingle.

He felt infinite power flood into his body. The world became a soft, cheerful pink. The storm around him evaporated as new power was introduced to the universe and the stars and moon shined high above them.

Time and space warped around him. Pink light twisted and bent as reality itself came undone at the seams. The freezing rain and harsh winds simply disappeared as more and more power rushed through every cell. Some rain simply ceased to feel gravity's constant grip and floated upward, some burst into pink flames. Ash could see that pink lightning began to strike constantly from the clouds that were an eerie purple from his light.

By the end a flickering pink aura of raw, unrestrained power over the universe blazed around him like a torch. The air rippled around it, as though it was displaced by the mere movement of the aura. The ocean thousands of feet below hissed and broiled as it began to boil away.

The Abomination echoed its sudden release of power. It was invisible as icy blue light raged and roared around it, far different and a display of exponentially more power than the Abomination's normal psychic shell revealed. The aura was not from any will of its own, it was simply a result of deific energies being channeled.

The universe bent as Mewtwo's power was added to Mew's. Their opposing energies clashed and roared simply through contact with one another. He couldn't imagine what would happen when they actually fought.

Mewtwo's storm began to strengthen exponentially as more of its Master's power became available. Winds whipped and howled, rain instantly froze and became ice, the clouds rushed around in a frenzy. He couldn't properly see Mewtwo. It was distorted and the air burned from contact with its power, a blue blaze that could not be put out.

Although the ocean boiled from Ash's release of power, under and behind Mewtwo it instantly began to freeze over. In seconds it had become a vast plateau of ice that was out of place everywhere save the poles. Ash didn't know how thick or how deep the ice went.

Both Titans gazed at each other from within the auras of power that broke the universe's laws. As the world collapsed and burned and froze around them they finally prepared to enter into a true battle, a battle that would determine the world's future.

They could not teleport with such powerful energies coursing through them. There was the very real possibility that they would tear a hole in space and time or destroy a substantial part of Kanto in the process. It was unimportant. Neither could run. With the power that filled them they could travel at speeds approaching instantaneous, regardless.

Ash acted first. It did not fit him but there was no time for games. Balance must be restored and all life must be protected.

He blinked. The boiling ocean leapt thousands of feet at his command. It compressed to a thin whip that encircled him, ready to strike out at a moment's notice. The Abomination simply waited, its body tense and aura bright.

Ash waved a paw, gave focus to his power. The atmosphere around the Abomination for a hundred feet around ignited in a conflagration of epic proportions. It completely engulfed the flames that encircled Mewtwo's aura and snuffed them out. Oxygen quickly began to deplete as he commanded the flames to burn faster, but the Abomination snuffed them out motionlessly.

Thousands of energy beams suddenly shot out from the Abomination's aura, each just as powerful as the previous attacks Mewtwo had hurled at him. They formed more of a wall than individual attacks.

He moved a mile to the right so fast it seemed as though he had teleported. He shot out a spear of psychic power, enough to cause an earthquake if it struck the ground. Mewtwo simply let the spear strike it. Ash felt a moment of surprise as the spear of light was simply sucked into the Abomination's aura as though it were nothing.

Ash did not wait for long. Mewtwo waved its long, thin arm. A seemingly endless barrage of Shadow Balls shot out in a mass of blackness and grey energy, just as dark as the void itself. He shot away, but Mewtwo reacted just as quickly and released another storm of ghostly power that washed around Mew's aura, just enough to make him feel drained.

Mewtwo continued to release exorbitant amounts of power. Each missed or was redirected, but Ash began to edge closer. The world shimmered between the two and what ocean wasn't frozen or boiling began to rapidly shift colors and explode violently as the water was superheated by the clashing Titans. Heat distorted the air even as the world began to split apart.

He shut his eyes briefly. Ash felt the world. Every atom, every molecule, the wholes made up from the infinitely smaller parts. So much empty space. The world became him and he became the world.

The Abomination was a bright star of cold malice and tranquil fury. Arrogance and bitterness. Its power had seeped into the world, it was firmly entrenched in the universe. Almost natural but not quite. It must be destroyed.

Ash opened his eyes and whipped his long, prehensile tail. Pink lightning struck at Mewtwo from the clouds and hammered on the Abomination's shield at a frantic, hectic rate until even the powerful Mewtwo was forced to focus on its own safety. The lightning was not the mere electrical discharge most electric-type pokemon generated, it was true lightning called down from the heavens to smite his foe.

He twitched his tail and shot forth a thin, intense beam of energy at Mewtwo as the Abomination's aura flared up. It struck Mewtwo's flame-like aura, but barely penetrated through the ultimate expression of power before the beam was diffused by Mewtwo.

And then Mewtwo released its power. It did not restrain its power to the flickering aura, but allowed it to explode outward for the briefest of moments, just long enough to strike him and wear down the shields he brought into being to protect the world from Mewtwo's assault. The wave of energy crashed against the massive shield but the projection held. Unfortunately, Mewtwo shot forward.

The world slowed down as the unlimited energies allowed Ash to react faster with his mind than any organic body could transmit signals. He was aware of the Abomination's movement. He was aware of the mass of dark, otherworldly energy that manifested in one of its hands while a blade of psychic power materialized in the other.

He did not flee, no matter what he would have preferred. Ash stood the assault head on. He did not protect himself. The power exuding from him would be sufficient. Instead he focused all of his energy into a single, deadly act that could very well destroy them both.

Ash focused on a single point several feet in front of him. He created a tiny field of energy around the point and forced a great deal of his limitless power into the transformation into a chunk of pure white matter of his own design.

Mewtwo drew closer, its terrible wrath and power enough to instantly kill most mortals should they be exposed to it. Its eyes were completely indistinct from the immense, fiery aura of icy blue that raged towards Ash.

He was calm. Serene.

Ash crushed his paws together. The matter he had created, far denser than any naturally occurring or earthly material, compressed to a volume of almost nothing.

A black hole formed.

Ash felt horrific pressure try to rip him apart and suck him into the hole, but his aura protected him. It drained his power by many degrees, but he easily survived. Mewtwo, on the other hand, was focused on offense at the moment. Its aura was dispersed and its power was forced into its dual attacks.

He managed to shoot away, although he still felt the small black hole's immense grip on him. It was an area of utter blackness in space and time. No light was reflected, the photons sucked in just as easily as the water and air that was ripped from their entrenched positions and drawn into the well of space-time.

He couldn't see Mewtwo. There was no light in the immediate area of the black hole, although Ash ensured that it wouldn't have too drastic of an effect on the world. It was small and weak compared to the black holes in the cosmos, but it was sufficient.

Ash could not feel anything resembling Mewtwo. The shields he set up around the black hole to limit the destruction it could wreak and the tremors the black hole sent throughout the universe kept him from investigating. He simply watched and waited.

For several seconds nothing happened. He turned to help the little ones in their fight.

And then Rage made itself known. Power exploded out of the shields and the black hole vanished, its rip sewn together with utmost precision. The universe righted itself and a pillar of icy blue light exploded outward from where the black hole once stood. A wounded, ghostly figure hung in it, radiating pain and power and fury.

Ash felt despair. They were both weakened. It had taken immense amounts of energy to create the black hole and to protect the world from it. The Abomination had somehow fought its way out of Ash's trap and neutralized the black hole. It had to be drained from the kind of unnatural power such an act required.

Mewtwo's pillar of light, the herald of its survival, flickered and died as it suddenly coalesced around Mewtwo's thin, bloodied body and outlined the Abomination in icy fire. Its eyes blazed aflame, no longer cold but hateful and with just a hint of fear.

You are more ruthless than I could have anticipated…I cannot keep you as a slave. You must die now.

Ash would not give in so easily. He was greatly weakened, but not finished. Mewtwo had survived the most dangerous ability he could use without irreparably destroying a substantial portion of the world.

A battle of psychic power would result in devastation for both of them. He was too experienced and the Abomination was too powerful. He could survive and misdirect and trap, but Mewtwo was nigh invincible with the amount of power it wielded. It could get up again and again and keep fighting forever. Eventually Ash would be drained.

Alternatives had to be pursued.

Ash summoned power of a decidedly different type. Foreign and corrupting, unnatural. Darkness, energy alien to the universe, threaded through his veins. His pink aura dampened and was quickly replaced with a black flame that radiated terror and despair.

His cells shifted and expressed something that was not DNA but the very essence of Darkness. It was not power to use lightly. It was his antithesis. Pain began to wrack his body as he shifted into the incarnation of Shadow.

He felt his body rearrange itself like fluid adapting to a new container. The soft pink fur and soft, feline features warped into living shadow. Soft paws became wicked, grasping claws. His warm blue eyes became narrow and cold. A red, spiky growth shot out from his neck. Ash's tail morphed into a shadowy, tattered cloak that drifted in the wind. Ghostly white fog wisped from his head, freezing the air around him.

The Abomination shot away, not afraid but confused and wary. Its aura flickered for a moment before it fired up once more in righteous fury brought on by its near destruction. Even as Ash's new, horrific form was surrounded by mist and the blackness of the night Mewtwo refused to bow down.

Ash felt his form become firm in this new, ethereal body and set his cold blue gaze on Mewtwo. The night around him seemed to become darker, somehow. The light given off by Mewtwo's bright aura dimmed and did not affect him.

He shifted. The darkness was him. Ash did not travel through it. One could not travel through a mere extension of themselves. Perhaps the effect was not as absolute as the true incarnation of Darkness, but it was an efficient mockery of it.

Mewtwo shot away, but Ash could not be escaped. Tendrils of black followed him and grasped out for the Abomination. Whenever they drew near the physical shadows carved straight through Mewtwo's psychic aura that was more than capable of defending against any of his psychic attacks.

The Abomination found that everywhere it tried to flee Ash was there first. Ash struck at it mercilessly. Great scythes of darkness cleaved through Mewtwo's barrier, only to be stopped right in time. Tendrils sought to wrap around and choke the energy from it. His freezing aura and mere proximity to the Abomination sapped its strength and made it inch closer to death.

Ash realized that they were close to New Island. The massive citadel shimmered proudly in the light cast by their apocalyptic clash, although the power that fuelled its otherworldly properties was dying. It seemed to be slowly decaying.

Mewtwo led them closer and close. Ash thought that it was trying to prevent him from using as much power. The little ones would suffer terribly from it.

He felt a drain. This form, this unnatural energy that flowed through him, was not meant for him. It absorbed his power like a sponge, despite its usefulness. Ash could not maintain it for much longer.

He appeared behind Mewtwo and reached out with his black claws to end this conflict. Ash reached out to sever the thin tube that made Mewtwo so efficient. All it would take was a touch to slice through its protective aura and snip the organ in half.

Mewtwo was ready. It ignited the hydrogen in the air and shot backward. Ash could not simply stop the reaction with a thought and touch of psychic power, and was blinded by it. His shadows were cast away for the briefest of moments, but in that moment he saw danger.

Ash could not shift through the darkness as the flames seared his shadows. They did no real damage, but they were a slight distraction. His eyes could not handle the bright light, although the darkness that made up his being quickly quenched them.

It was enough time for Mewtwo to strike back.

A psychic spear, compact and bright, formed beside Mewtwo and shot towards him. Ash could feel its power as it shot through his dark barriers and stabbed towards him. The abomination had put everything into this. It could feel that the battle would end soon, one way or another.

He expected it to be stopped. Ash was wrong. Just as he prepared to hide in the shadows it plunged into his black core, straight through the tattered cloak of shadow he seemed to wear. Pain shot through him, dull surprise, and the spear exploded.

Ash flew backward, felt his body fluidly shift back to his preferred form as the guise of Darkness slipped away and –

He gasped and his eyes snapped open. Fire raced through his blood and he felt like he was going to vomit. He was finally able to consciously realize what had happened, although he'd known it the whole time.

He'd seen the battle through Mew's eyes. He was connected to Mew. And now that connection had almost vanished, although it was still there. Just very, very weak.

"—you alright?! You've been blanking out! Ash –" Fergus stopped shaking him and looked to the sky, where a pink comet plummeted through the heavens. "Look out!"

There was just a moment for Ash to realize with horror that the figure that shot through the sky and cracked the sound barrier was Mew, the Peacekeeper, the Guardian of Life, before –

Thunder rocked the stadium. The pokemon that were still capable of battling were hurled from the center of the battlefield. Ash gave out a concerned yell as dust obscured the world and he was hurled back onto his seat. His head snapped back and slammed into Neesha's shoulder, which made him feel rather dazed.

"No…" He whispered as the dust was suddenly blown back by an invisible gale. The pressure of New Island increased as a beaten, wounded Mewtwo descended into the arena in its psychic aura. It made Ash's skin heat up until it felt like he was standing next to a bonfire.

Mew was revealed, still conscious but horribly weakened. Mewtwo barely looked better off. It must have nearly killed itself with that last attack. Ash darkly wished that it had succeeded.

"Is that Mew?" Neesha hissed, horrified. She held her hands over her mouth. Mew was bloodied and trembled weakly as it levitated upward. Mewtwo furiously hurled a Shadow Ball into the Legend and slammed it deep into a new crater created by the attack.

YOU ARE FINISHED, MEW!

Mewtwo roared. It sounded both furious and pleased with itself. It hovered over the broken body of the Legendary, although its own powers dimmed and flickered on and off. Lacerations and deep bruising from the proximity of those shadowy tendrils Mew had sent after it stood out starkly against its pale grey fur.

It calmed, regained control.

You were a worthy opponent, Progenitor. You proved to be far more powerful than I had anticipated. I will enjoy the memories of this fight when I stand atop my world. Unfortunately, you will not be a part of it.

Mewtwo glanced around at its clones, most of whom were rather badly injured, either from the force of Mew's fall or from the harsh battles they had just faced. They were better off than most of the normal pokemon, the majority of whom were unconscious. Corey had his face hidden in his hands and refused to look up. Ash feared the worst for Corey's team.

Time froze as Ash felt Mew's presence flicker in his mind. Mew was still alive and conscious. It could fight, maybe.

But Mewtwo was in control. It was weakened but indomitable by mortals. At its weakest point it could still kill everything in this stadium in a heartbeat.

He looked around. Some of his friends were easy to find. Most of them were still conscious, although Oz looked to be knocked out. She was bleeding but Ash could trace the steady rise and fall of her chest. Tangrowth was next to her and seemed to be stunned at Mewtwo's appearance, as were the three clones he had entangled within his vines.

Nidoking stood atop his clone, who was crumpled to the ground and crushed underneath his friend's heel. The poison-type looked ready to finish it off at a moment's notice, although he had his fair share of wounds from the brutal fight Ash had seen.

The others were hidden from him by dust or by the masses of pokemon huddled together as they watched Mewtwo prepare to assert its dominance over the world once and for all. Even the Creature's clones were terrified of its wrath.

Mewtwo hovered above the fallen Legend and raised its arm, a clear sign that it was horribly drained. Body movements enhanced focus, but a psychic as powerful as Mewtwo would not need them unless it was about to collapse from sheer exhaustion.

Mew was locked in a psychic grip and hung helplessly in the air, completely at Mewtwo's nonexistent mercy. It struggled, but the power that entrapped it was far too great.

"It's over." Corey whispered.

"No. It's not over." Ash said, a hint of power that was not his own in his words. The others glanced at him for just a moment before they were distracted by the intensifying light. He didn't mind.

He reached into his bag. The angry Zubat inside struggled and tried to bite him, but it had gotten caught in the thick fabric and couldn't move well. Ash ignored the scratches he got from the flailing creature as he found the small orb that was the only weapon he had against Mewtwo.

Ash was in a trance as he primed the Ultra Ball. The other trainers were shouting at Mewtwo, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. Everything seemed dampened and dull. It wasn't as though Mewtwo noticed them, either.

"I'm sorry, Seeker." He whispered quietly as he firmly took the soft body of his friend off of his chest. She squeaked and squirmed frantically as she tried to find her way back to his warmth. Ash handed her to Neesha, whose eyes were glazed as she watched Mewtwo prepare to kill Mew. "Stay here."

He barely knew what he was doing as he vaulted off of the high stone wall. Ash crumpled to the ground as his exhausted body absorbed the force of the landing. His bones felt like they would shatter and he bit back a grunt of pain as he rolled. The trainer was dimly aware of the others shouting furiously at him, but he ignored them. Mewtwo wouldn't play around with Mew much longer.

The sphere was heavy in his hand as he charged at Mewtwo. He was at peace when he hurled the sphere at the Creature that held the fate of the world in its hands. Time itself slowed down as the Ultra Ball was suddenly surrounded by pink energy and propelled straight through Mewtwo's raging aura, even as the Creature turned and sent a tendril of icy energy to destroy the sphere.

Ash's eyes were wide when the Ultra Ball tapped Mewtwo, opened, and sucked it in. For just a moment the ball hung in midair. Mew was freed and slowly levitated away, but before it could try and gain some distance to attack Mewtwo from the Creature appeared, the Ultra Ball nowhere.

For what would likely be the last time Mewtwo turned its frozen eyes upon Ash. The world froze around it, completely locked in place by the waves of psychic energy that suddenly pulsed out from the Creature as cold wrath radiated throughout New Island.

That was a very foolish decision. Ash Ketchum, you are proving to be far more trouble than you are worth.

Mewtwo boomed. The earth revarbated at the sound of its mental roar and Ash felt his teeth tremble in his mouth. Its tone was not insane with hate as it was last time Ash had tried to throw a pokeball at it, but completely cold and devoid of emotion. It was all the more terrifying for it.

Mew cannot protect you anymore. Goodbye, human.

Ash's mouth opened in a wordless scream as Mewtwo merged their minds into one, Ash intertwined into Mewtwo. He felt his body floating upward as Mewtwo made his blood heat and his skin burn. Everything seemed to vanish as he simultaneously saw from Mewtwo's eyes and his own.

He was aware of everything. The exhaustion and pain Mewtwo felt, the anger at being touched by a human's attack, its grudging respect, its inability to understand the world. Memories flitted through Ash's mind as he felt his own identity slip away. What was he? Ash or Mewtwo? The Trainer or the Creature?

And then a warm, kind presence, ageless and immortal, touched him comfortingly. It did not save him, but it seemed to embrace him as Mewtwo slowly ate him away.

Thank you, little one. I am sorry.

The strange, mixed entity felt simultaneous love and hate for the soft, androgynous voice that echoed through its mind. It felt just a moment of surprise and both the human and Mewtwo, minds fully merged for just a moment as Mewtwo prepared to simply snuff out the human's mind and finish off Mew.

And then the human died. The minor part of Mewtwo that he had prepared to quickly destroy vanished into nothingness as a precise, weak beam of pink energy shot off from Mew's weak, dying aura and cleanly sliced through Ash's chest, leaving a completely open hole. It was instantly cauterized by the heat that passed through it.

Everything was silent for just a moment.

XX

Mewtwo screamed. Its eyes seemed to explode with energy and all of New Island shuddered and the stone cracked and the glowing windows that shimmered with light vanished as the Creature's power exploded. The ocean recoiled from Mewtwo's fortress as immense force exploded outward from it, enough to force Mew to call on its last vestiges of power to protect the little creatures, even the clones.

His aura raged and writhed for what seemed like an eternity before it finally flickered and died. Mewtwo's body collapsed to the ground, still conscious but confused and powerless as a mind it had shared died within it.

Mewtwo could do nothing as his body was wracked with mental agony. His body was not affected by the human's death but his mind was in turmoil as the human died inside of him. His tail smashed into the floor as he flailed and spasms ran through it, helpless to fight the emotion, the knowledge, the sheer loss of actually feeling a death he had caused rather than simply observing it.

He had felt Ash Ketchum's entire being, all the memories and emotions that made up the human. He had caused countless deaths and observed as the tiny candles of their minds winked out of existence and felt nothing but the odd respect for particularly strong examples.

This was different. He had never felt death. He had felt loss when he'd killed his first teacher, when he had finally seen past Giovanni's deceptions. He had felt fear when Mew had very nearly killed him with the black hole.

But this was different. He experienced death as though he himself had died. But it wasn't he who had died, just a brave and foolish human that would not be remembered for the rest of eternity. It was just the spawn of his most hated and most important victim.

It hurt.

Mewtwo felt the last of his power leave him as his body and mind released their pain on the world. He was still strong but he could be defeated by the lesser creatures now. Mew, weakened as it was, could easily kill him and win this battle.

His eyes shut.

XX

Mew closed its eyes as Ash's team rushed toward the warm body of their trainer. Nidoking gathered the comparatively tiny shell of flesh and bone in his thick, armored arms and gentle nuzzled the human's forehead.

It levitated and watched as Nidoking cradled the brave child and held it tight. The Pidgeot, wounded and with a great gash ripped into its chest, slowly hopped to protectively stand over the creature and gave a long, mournful cry.

The Kingdra looked at Mew with hatred but tended to his trainer first. Torrent glared about at the clones, many of whom were just as bad off as their progenitors. He dared them to try and interrupt their vigil. He would kill them all and sacrifice their remains to the Guardian of the Sea.

None dared to challenge him. His wrath would be a thing to behold. Torrent rumbled deeply and waited over the shell of his Monarch. He would not be forgotten. He had sacrificed everything and proved once more that he was more worthy than any other to be Torrent's Monarch.

Dazed's eyes still glowed with the latent power the Legend and the Creature produced, but her pendulum was absolutely still. It was outlined with power, but refused to move. Her movements were tight and solemn. She pressed her hand on the limp human and poured energy into him, anything to force him to awaken.

Nothing happened. Cracks threaded throughout the stone pendulum and it vibrated so rapidly that it appeared to remain in the same place. Her eyes exploded and wind whipped around her, which cast her long white mane billowing in the created tempest. Energy shot around her and dust swirled in a furious cone around her.

Her pendulum shattered and everything came undone. Dazed's powers immediately stopped as their focus was broken and she stared at Ash's still body with far-away eyes, helpless to assist her trainer in anyway.

As the pokemon circled mournfully around Ash's limp body, still cradled by Nidoking, the poison-type gently handed the small shell to Bruiser, who held it carefully. Seeker slammed into Ash's body and snuggled into the boy's chest. She chattered and whined and screeched in distress, only calmed when Bruiser lightly stroked her comfortingly.

Nidoking snorted and glared at Mew and Mewtwo. He did not regard the Titans with reverence, only raw anger and a thirst for any kind of vengeance against those responsible for the Trainer-Friend-King's death.

Mewtwo was the easier target. Nidoking snorted and lowered his horn before he charged and displayed speed the ignorant would not expect from a pokemon with the sheer size and power of Nidoking. He drew closer. None of the clones dared to interfere, not when their Creator was unconscious and the Guardian of Life watched over them.

He neared. His horn, stained red with the blood of his defeated foes, leaked potent toxins and he prepared to jab downward and slay the Titan once and for all. The Blight had to be defeated. His honor and the death of his King screamed for it.

A thin layer of pink energy blocked his horn. The force of his charge jolted upon himself and he slowly turned to look at the one who had interfered. The Guardian of Life watched carefully as Nidoking's nostrils flared and his eyes became lost in animalistic rage. Nidoking's vision became blurry and red and he could not see the entity that existed on an entirely different level of power but the one responsible for the King's death.

He roared and his horn's venom was burned away as masses of electricity shot out of it chaotically as he charged, although none of it managed to so much as scratch the barrier the Guardian of Life protected itself with. Nidoking simply charged straight into the barrier and released storms of ice, lightning, and earth in the process. The ground rippled with his every step and he flailed wildly in desperation to slaughter the creature that had killed his King.

There was nothing he could do. He was too weak to escape the psychic grip the Guardian of Life had placed him in. He was too weak to give his King the vengeance he deserved.

Thoughts, each a tidal wave of complexity and emotion, crashed against his mind. He felt the Guardian of Life – Mew, the King had called it – touch his spirit. Nidoking ceased his struggles as his raw, hurting rage simmered and died.

They were not something he could have understood without the Guardian of Life's assistance. It translated the grand meaning of its thoughts into something understandable by Nidoking.

Even then the Guardian did not give him a translation. Nidoking understood vague impressions of a complete picture and a lot of thoughts put into one. He knew their meaning, but it was difficult to comprehend, regardless.

His emotions were still hard for his King, and he felt disgust at himself for being too weak to protect the King. The King was his friend, his brother. The King was their leader and trainer and they had been too weak to protect him.

Venom leaked from his glands. His armor was coated in a layer and his temper rose again. Nidoking snorted and lowered his horn to the Guardian of Life, who would soon die by his horn for the atrocity it had committed.

The Guardian looked at him. Nidoking felt peace. He could not resist as the Guardian of Life levitated closer to the Blight, the one who was ultimately responsible for the King's death. The Guardian had protected it. Nidoking roared silently, his mind blocked by the Guardian's power.

His brothers and sisters-in-arms were helpless. All of the mortals were. Nidoking wished for Sneasel to attack. Perhaps he could resist and slay the Titans. They would pay with their lives one day. Blood beget blood, and the Titans had shed the blood of one far more precious than either of them.

Sneasel could not. Nidoking did not know where the Dark One was, but he did not leap from the shadows and rend soft, furred flesh with his hooked claws. There were only the Titans. Even the clones seemed to fade into the background as the Titans neared each other.

The Guardian looked at the broken form of the Blight. Its luminous blue eyes shifted to a bright pink and the Blight was brought back from its void.

Nidoking roared in hatred as the Blight's eyes snapped open and he struggled with every part of his being to break free and kill the Creature. He felt the Guardian's influence restrain and bind him, but he did not care. He would fight until the Guardian had to destroy him to prevent its own death.

He struggled. He moved a half-inch forward and collapsed. The psychic grip held him in place and he was exhausted. Peace filled his mind and he was forced to watch once more.

The Creature levitated itself up and did not try to attack. It was at the mercy of the Guardian and knew better than to test the Guardian's ire.

Nidoking simply watched helplessly as the Creature broadcasted its words. A bead of poison hung indefinitely suspended on the tip of his horn. One day a similar bead would find revenge for his King. Just as the King's chest was disfigured with a small hole, the Titans' chests would be torn open by his horn.

One day.

XX

He was alive. Mew had not killed him, even when he was at his weakest point. Even after he had threatened everything it protected and nearly killed it several times.

Why?

Why…why am I not dead?

He disliked how weak his powers were. Even if he wanted he could not have hurt Mew. What little of his power had been left after striking Mew down in the heavens had been released when Ash Ketchum's mind had been intertwined with his own and then ripped away. It would regenerate soon if he did not die here.

Impressions from Mew. Its current power was not much greater than his own, but it was more than enough. Mewtwo felt as weak as the day he had first emerged from his tank. Simply thinking of accessing his powers made his head ache and his wounded body throb.

The impressions were strange. Mercy, trust.

Trust? Why did it trust him?

I don't want to kill you. You felt the Little One. You have felt something other than yourself. You can get better!

The soft voice chirped in his mind. Mewtwo glared at his progenitor. This was the voice of the mighty Mew? It belied the power the tiny creature possessed.

I have felt the lives and deaths of thousands, Progenitor. For the majority I have been the cause.

You might have felt them, but you never truly took their pain and their death as your own. True empathy is more than knowing what another feels, it is suffering as they suffer.

Mew's timeless, genderless voice insisted. The soft mental communication of complex signals and thoughts echoed in Mewtwo's mind. It did not hurt him, just as his voice did not hurt Mew.

It was strange. He had always had to be so careful of his mere voice. Even as he learned control it was painful to the lesser creatures around him. As he spoke to the humans this night he had been forced to take special care lest they be driven to madness.

But Mew could truly speak to him. Mew was the closest thing to an equal he had. He had accepted that before he had met it in battle. Mewtwo was formed from Mew's DNA. It had to be strong.

This was such a small, unimportant thing yet it was important at the same time. It cemented Mew as strong in a way that nothing, not even its impressive repetoir of tricks and ruthlessness in killing Ash Ketchum when the human was his only weakness had.

Mewtwo considered Mew's words. He had come to the same conclusion himself, but its significance had only just arrived to his savaged mind. His head ached and he swished his tail around irritably, despite the minor pain the action caused.

He knew Ash Ketchum now in a way that he had not before, even when he had searched through all of his memories. That had been a cursory search, whatever the boy might have thought otherwise. But when he had taken the spawn of his foe into himself to snuff out the boy's mind he had become intertwined with him.

Ash Ketchum was strong. He had triumphed over his own fear and sacrificed himself in an attempt to even try to inconvenience him. It was foolish but brave. Mewtwo recalled the other instances in which the boy had rose over his own fear. There were many.

Mewtwo had respected the Champion Lance, the Elite Four that had fought him, and Gym Leader Sabrina. There were others, but they were the primary foes he had found worthy of respect. Each of them were powerful examples of humans, isolated paragons of their largely worthless species.

The boy stood as their equal. Perhaps he was not as strong. His team – Nidoking, Plume, Torrent, Dazed, Infernus, Bruiser, Seeker, Tangrowth, Sneasel, Oz, information he had absorbed from Ash Ketchum's mind corrected – was weaker than the Gym Leaders and great warriors of the humans. But Mewtwo had internalized Ash Ketchum, even if his mind had been ripped away into the void.

The Little One was strong.

Mew's neutral voice agreed solemnly.

You like that, don't you? Strength and power are what your life revolves around. I can see it inside you clear as day.

I felt his mind as well. You sought a worthy example of humanity, correct? A single human worthy of respect that was not bound by the League. Ash Ketchum was that human. Any of these humans you brought here are.

Mewtwo frowned thoughtfully and his powerful tail swished back and forth as conflicting emotions ran through him. The dust behind him lifted and blew as he carelessly allowed waves of force to slash outward from his tail's movements.

They are exceptional specimens.

He insisted.

Yes, they are.

Mew said to him with pride. The ancient creature looked over at the humans that watched the two Titans with awe and anticipation. It then watched all of the lesser creatures around them, natural born and clones.

All life is unique. It is all special and it is all equal. But yes, these humans are strong. You chose them for that reason. Not many humans are able to achieve their strength and the bond they hold with their friends and allies.

Mew said sagely. It looked at Mewtwo with its large blue eyes that sparkled with an inner light that the moon could not match.

Something about its calm state and its demeanor infuriated Mewtwo. He did not want to hear about its views. He wanted this to end. Mew had defeated him. It had all rights to kill him.

Why are we speaking? Finish me.

No.

Mew's ancient voice replied in an infuriatingly whimsical manner. It idly chased its own tail and didn't even seem to pay attention to him. The time of danger had passed. Now that he had been reduced to nothing Mew had stopped taking the situation seriously.

And why not? I very nearly killed you.

The Legendary cocked its head at him.

Why would I kill you right now? You can't hurt any life like this.

It was not the truth. Mewtwo was certain that he could at least hurt some of the lesser creatures that surrounded them. Mew would act quickly, but he would likely do some sort of damage.

But what would be the point? His mind still ached and the thought of releasing his power upon others did not cause the same thrill for him as it had mere minutes ago. It just seemed so…pointless. There was still the desire to use his great power, but not to destroy and conquer. Not at the moment, anyway.

Taking one into yourself is never a trivial act. The Little One is dead and gone, but you merged with him. He was a pebble and you were the earth, but he was a part of you. It changes you.

Mew's soft voice echoed. It was nostalgic but also knowing.

Mewtwo's eyes briefly flashed with energy, but horrible agony spiked through his nerves and he instantly collapsed back to the ground.

I cannot be changed by a human! The boy was a part of me but he does not exist any longer! I am too powerful to be affected by a lesser being.

Did Giovanni not affect you, then?

Mew probed, no longer playful. Its blue eyes were intense but weren't harsh or cruel.

Mewtwo stopped and anger flooded through him as Mew pointed out a flaw in his logic. He did not like being questioned.

Of course Giovanni had affected him. For nearly a year Giovanni had been everything to Mewtwo, a teacher, mentor, the example of strength that he had modelled himself after. He had not always liked the human, but he had always respected him.

Accept that you have been changed. It will be subtle. Small inclinations you didn't have before. Perhaps you will finally understand the pain and hardship you cause others, perhaps not. But you will grow, and I believe that you will find wisdom you do not have before.

Mew floated closer, Mewtwo's bane and progenitor near enough to touch. Mewtwo despised the creature, but he did not strike out. Mew was strong and worthy of his respect. He would listen.

You are very powerful, Little One. You have worked hard to develop and amplify your strength. I know what you have done and how you have accomplished it. It is a testament to your skill and intelligence.

But you are not wise. Before you were too arrogant and self-absorbed to even consider that there were things that mattered beyond power, control to use that power, and your own desires. I do not know how you have been changed or if it will last, but I do believe that you will become much greater than you are now.

Mewtwo just watched and mulled over Mew's words as the source of his life happily bounced up and down on a bubble of psychic energy, its playful demeanor a far cry from the sage words it imparted upon him.

That is why I don't want to kill you. Before you merged yourself with the Little One, you were beyond my help. I could not allow a stagnant mind that wished only for the destruction of others to survive. Now you can change. You can be better than you are.

Mew abruptly popped the bubble with its long, thin tail and stared at him.

I am granting you a new life. Accept it and become more than yourself. Know the world and love it. It is a beautiful place. Life is wonderful.

He paused, uncertain.

And if I do not accept your offer?

Then I will kill you and end the threat that you pose to my world.

Mew said calmly in a disconcertingly cheerful manner. It was matter-of-fact and held no malice in its tone.

Mewtwo believed it would follow through. His pride demanded he refuse and die, but he couldn't voice that thought. He could not accept death. His entire existence had revolved solely around himself. Others had no part in his grand view than as pawns or trophies.

He was strong. He knew that. The strongest. Mew had only defeated him through deception and ruthlessness Mewtwo had not anticipated. But in this way he was weak. Mewtwo knew that. His desire to survive and dominate was a trait that he had drawn much strength from, but he could not accept his own death. It was an alien thought to him, one that was close to becoming a reality.

That cemented his decision, the one that would determine his life.

I accept your offer.

Great!

Mew said cheerfully. Its eyes closed happily.

But we'll be watching. If something like this happens again, something much more dangerous than Life will come for you.

I understand.

Mewtwo did. He was not done growing. He was certain that he would be able to defeat whatever Legends were called from their ancient resting places to stop him, but something made him want to avoid that possibility. There was a call in himself to grow strong and become indomitable, but he no longer wanted to use that power to crush and rip and kill.

He wondered what the future held for him. What would he do now? Would he remain here on New Island, presiding as the god of a tiny island in the middle of an empty ocean? Or would he leave to learn and become stronger?

There was much to learn, he realized. So much life. As Mew had said, the world was beautiful and life was wonderful.

Now he simply had to discover why.

XX

This conflict is over.

Mew declared confidently. It closed its eyes in focus. Mewtwo watched stonily.

You have caused much devastation, but the world will heal. The humans are resilient and the danger of your storms had just reached the land before you were broken.

There is one loss that demands satisfaction. I will right this wrong and I will leave. Learn, Little One, and grow. There is so much more than yourself.

Mew suddenly shifted. Its small body ignited with a fire that could not be mistaken as natural. The flames were a combination of every color of the rainbow, and the stadium around the Legend glowed with bright, vivid light that stood out as a pure beacon in the endless night.

The storm clouds for miles around dissipated instantly as Mew's body morphed and grew into a massive bird that stood at nearly thirty feet high. Great wings of red, white, and bright green were hugged to its side and burned brightly. A brilliant crest of the purest gold adorned its proud head and a beak that looked to be carved by a masterful craftsman allowed its pure white eyes to look down at Mewtwo proudly.

He could not see its more subtle features due to the bright, multicolored light that emanated from the great Phoenix, but he could feel it. This was nothing more than a shallow copy of the Sun Bird, a ray of sunlight to the star itself.

But it was still powerful beyond belief. Fuelled by Mew's remaining power, this transformation would have been enough to give Mewtwo pause during their battle in a way that shifting into Darkness had not.

The Little One. Bring him to me.

Mew demanded. With every word the Phoenix's light shined brighter until the night sky almost looked like dawn had arrived many hours early. The lesser creatures had to look away lest their eyes be blinded.

Mewtwo watched as the Machoke – Bruiser – that held Ash Ketchum's limp body handed his precious cargo to Nidoking, who held the boy tightly.

Nidoking lumbered over slowly, still suffering from the wounds it had suffered from the battle. He nuzzled Ash as he walked to the transformed Mew, careful to keep his horn away from the pale body.

Ash Ketchum's body was carefully placed at Mew's talons, which looked to be carved of the same golden substance as the Phoenix's beak. The human, so tiny in comparison to Mew's transformed state, was suddenly bathed in intense light as Mew sang a mournful song that aroused pain and sorrow in the hearts of everything present.

And Mew burst into vast, rainbow-hued flames. Mewtwo recoiled and raised a thin barrier to protect himself from the light, which burned not at his flesh but at his spirit. He wanted to roar his pain at the world, but he was drowned in fire and light and power that he knew was a pale imitation of the true Sun Bird, but –

It was over. Mewtwo's body was seared from the supernatural heat of the mimicked Sacred Flames, but he was not destroyed. He was helpless to do anything but stare as Mew's transformed state combusted and destroyed itself until it was nothing but strange ash with a golden hue. The precious substance littered the ground and layered over Ash Ketchum's body.

Flesh and feathers regenerated as quickly as they burned away, although at a slower rate as Mew allowed itself to burn longer. After a timeless instant Mew finally ceased its burning and slipped into its ordinary state.

Ash Ketchum's eyes opened.

XX

Everything was hazy. He did not know where he was or what had happened. All he could remember was a pink beam of energy and the hint of a horrible pain before there was nothing but blackness.

He could see the night sky. The moon hovered straight above him, its silver light pure and beautiful in the midst of the carnage and chaos this night had beget. Stars twinkled brightly. Ash dimly realized that there were no longer storm clouds.

What was odd was that he felt fine. His chest ached and throbbed a bit, but as he pressed his hand to it he didn't feel anything but a small hole in his shirt and a thin layer of a strange, gritty substance. Ash rubbed it between his fingertips and marveled at the faint, comforting heat that ran through his body at the contact.

Ash pulled himself up and looked around. There was complete silence. He recognized that he was still at New Island. That wasn't good. Where were his friends? Were they hurt? A thick knot in his throat. Were they alive?

He looked around, and suddenly realized that he needn't have worried. All of his friends were around him, all with what he recognized as hopeful expressions on their faces. Even Infernus was there, although he stayed a bit away from the rest of the team. Infernus didn't have the cruel smirk on his face either. The fire-type just had a flat, concerned frown.

"Hey, guys." He said. His throat was a little dry. He hadn't even noticed until now. "Are you alright? What's ha—"

Ash was suddenly mobbed by his friends, who didn't let him move as they practically crushed him. He almost laughed under their frantic attentions, but he was still aware of the potential danger. Mewtwo had to be around here somewhere.

"I'm fine!" He said with a small grin. Seeker and Sneasel fought for his attention. Sneasel licked the side of his face with his rough tongue and Seeker practically burrowed into his chest, although she took care to avoid the hole. "What happened?"

Dazed's eyes flashed and her cool voice echoed inside of his head. It cracked with sorrow, however, and he felt a pit of worry gnaw on his stomach.

You were killed.

Ash froze and he looked at the source of the voice that he had only heard once before. Mew levitated next to Mewtwo, who looked tired and defeated. Their situations had reversed since he had last been conscious.

"…What."

You were killed to stop the Blight. The Guardian of Life ended your life as you were merged with the Blight, before you could be lost forever.

Dazed elaborated, her voice as dispassionate as possible. The way her eyes flashed erratically and her mane billowed in an invisible wind showed him that she wasn't quite as distant as she seemed. This was a method of defense.

"I died?" He said, stunned. Ash had died? What. "And…and Mew killed me?"

Yes.

The Legend said matter of factly, its tone soft but still enough to make Ash's head ache with its immense power. It levitated in small circles, its small mouth wide open as it playfully bounced around. Ash just stared at it. Mew had killed him?

Indeed. Are you surprised? A single human life is not so important in the grand scheme of things, regardless of their strength.

A deep baritone roared into his mind. Mewtwo had been drained of most of its power but its voice still made his bones quake. It levitated slightly off of the ground, although it looked to require immense concentration on the Creature's behalf.

He didn't say anything to the monster. Ash just grit his teeth and struggled to not order his friends to attack it while it could be killed. Mew had left it alive for some reason. The Legend would probably protect the Creature if he tried to attack.

I am no longer a threat to you. My defeat has given me a new destiny, one that I will seek without interfering with the rest of the world.

"Why should I believe you?" Ash hissed. His friends stood behind him and glowered at the Creature, who regarded them with cool amethyst eyes. There was something different about them. They weren't quite as hard. "You nearly destroyed everything!"

Because my existence depends upon it. And I have been changed through no desire of my own. I must learn before I may move on.

Mewtwo boomed, displeased. Its massive tail flicked back and forth in annoyance, although it calmed when Mew looked at it.

"I don't trust you!" He growled, heedless of whatever power the Creature still possessed. "You're a monster. You'll just try again one day."

Perhaps. I do not know what the future holds. Whatever alteration my nature has sustained may not hold. We will simply see.

But it does not matter. More than my own thoughts restrain me from following this path again. Many eyes watch me now.

Ash continued to glare at Mewtwo. He would never trust the Creature, not after everything it had done. Mew might have killed him, but Mewtwo was the one responsible for his death and many others. Considering that Mewtwo was about to devour his mind Mew had practically saved him.

I do not require your approval, Ash Ketchum. You are strong but you hold no power over me. Simply know that I have tired of blood and war and accept that others will restrain me. There is nothing you can do.

He looked to the side. Ash still found himself rather numb to the world. This should make him angry and sad and wary all at once, but he just felt a dull anger. His body was strong and better than ever but his emotions were burned out for the moment.

A calming aura overcame him as Mew looked at him. His muscles slackened and he had to lean on Nidoking for support. His friend was careful to keep him away from his plates of armor, which were shiny with a thin layer of poison. Ash just patted his friend and angled himself so that he would fall on the thick, leathery hide that covered his chest. There weren't any toxin sacs there.

"What happens now?"

You and the others humans will be given your teams and sent to the shoreline. I will leave you only with vague memories of the events that occurred here. You will not be allowed to speak of this.

"You can't just wipe our minds like that!" Fergus shouted from the stands. He leapt down from the stone amphitheater and landed heavily on his feet. "Just let us go."

No. Count yourselves fortunate that I am allowing any information of myself to remain in your minds. My safety and those of my clones is far too important to be violated by foolish humans seeking to capture me. I will be left in isolation, and any of those who violate that right will suffer the consequences.

Mewtwo said darkly. Its eyes were hard and cold as the stone they resembled now.

Now, begone. I will not have the world but New Island belongs to me. I tire of your presence.

"What, no!" Ash shouted, a bit of panic bubbling inside of his stomach. "I need to know more! I need answers!"

Mewtwo stared at Ash. Its eyes flashed the icy blue that had haunted Ash for nearly a year now.

You are strong for a human. Stay true to that strength. It will serve you as well as my strength has served me. Do not follow the path of Him. Power is a tool,

Ash just stared at Mewtwo, slightly dazed as power began to roll off of the powerful psychic in waves. The world grew bright.

Pray that our paths do not cross again.

And with that the world flashed and Ash and his team slipped through space and time. The power enveloped him and blackness suddenly swallowed him whole – New Island and the brutal coliseum vanished – the Titans that had wreaked havoc upon the world disappeared –

Just before everything went mute and black, he felt what seemed to be an infinite void touch his mind. It whispered to him and cut off.

I am sorry.

XX

A/N: And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Before I post this, I'd like to apologize to everyone for the ridiculous amount of time it took me to write this. I try to keep a pretty good update rate for my chapters and on this one I failed miserably. I'll do better next time.

As for why I took so long, it was a lot of things. School and life kind of blindsided me and I just didn't have nearly as much time to devote to a chapter that required this much thought and preparation as I needed. Hopefully it turned out well and was at least partially worth the wait.

Anyways, enough about that. Next chapter will be out as soon as I can write it. I promise it won't be nearly as long of a wait as this one was. Hopefully there never will be such a ridiculous amount of time between chapters again.

I will go ahead and say that the story is wrapping to a close. This was the last serious chapter to wrap up some of the major loose ends and the Conference will begin next chapter. Updates should come out pretty fast once I hit it, so hopefully that'll make up for how long this one took.

Anyways, thanks for reading and make sure to review!