Pokemon (Detective Pikachu)
A Legendary Search
25. Mewtwo's Lessons
It felt surreal. His father had been missing for over three months. The police had, with all of their resources, tried and failed to find him. Yet Tim had. Here he was, just over in the next city, in the hospital. Unconscious.
There was that problem. Tim remembered Pikachu reading the messages on the man's cell phone about making a case study on a person whom they had no idea why he wouldn't wake.
But at least he was here. After this long, Tim was with his father again.
"I knew you would not disappoint me."
Startled, Tim and Pikachu, who'd been staring at Harry Goodman in the same stunned stupor that Tim had been, both whirled to find that they had a guest they had not expected. Mewtwo had returned.
"What… why…?"
"I told you, did I not? That you would have your answer before day's end. I did mean all of them."
Tim glanced at his father again, then back at Mewtwo, who watched solemnly.
"Ok… then start with this. How did you know my father, and how did he get here?"
"And tell it to us straight, Mewtwo." Pikachu added.
"Very well. At the time the incidents involving the chemical that you call "R" began, I realized my cells were involved. I began to search for them and for the people responsible, leaving a trail of my own destruction behind. I confess, I am not overly fond of humans. I did not take care to ensure the safety of innocents.
"It was then that I ran into a human doing the very same thing, on the trail of the very same people. At first meeting, I threatened him to tell me what he knew. He was on the trail of one of the people who did the "dirty work," as he put it, and he was using them to find the one behind it all. I told him to inform me of who this person was that he did know, so that I could do the following, and destroy those who dared tamper with my cells and use them to harm Pokemon.
"This man, of course, was your father. He immediately began to try to talk me out of it. He told me that even terrible crimes such as these do not deserve death. Everyone can learn differently, if they have the correct teachers, the right lessons. He argued that death merely prevents the person from having to learn what they did was wrong, releases them from having to live with what they have done. He said, as well, that even if they are terrible people, the people who love them are not necessarily, and their deaths may cause pain to innocents.
"I scoffed. I have never seen humans as much more than simply a race of greed. Humans created me because they wanted to use me, and for no other reason. My encounters of humans have been either betrayal, or simply that they thought I was just property of theirs. I did not trust any of them, nor did I care about which got hurt and which did not.
"Your father assured me that there was good in them as well. There was kindness as well as cruelty, selflessness as well as greed. He told me that I may find the human world to be tedious, but some humans can be dependable, and promised me that he would get my cells back to me if I were to give him a chance. He told me that if he did not do the job to my satisfaction, then I could take my rage out on him.
"I admit, his last statement took me by surprise. I expected him to try and tell me of the good qualities of humans in an effort to keep me from destroying them all in my search, but I did not expect him to offer to take my rage if I gave him a chance and he failed. I decided, then, that I would give him a chance, and see how he did.
"You know some of what happened next. Harry got close, then had his accident. He was hurt very badly. He would be a long time recovering, time that I did not want to wait. It was then that his Pikachu begged me to save him, telling me that he would do anything.
"I made Pikachu an offer then. I could save Harry, and teleport him to the hospital of a different place, where he wouldn't be known and would remain safe. I would keep his identity from being discovered, and keep his appearance a mystery. But Pikachu would have to make a certain sacrifice."
Tim's eyes widened. "His memories?"
"No, not exactly. Pikachu's memories are still intact, he just cannot access most of them right now. There is a reason for that. However, before I continue this story, I would like to talk to you about something else. I did answer your questions of how I knew him and how he got here."
"But you didn't explain what happened to him." Pikachu argued. Mewtwo looked at him.
"That was not one of the two questions Tim asked me to answer first. However, I will answer that, if you are patient for a little longer. There is something else I wish to speak with you about, Tim."
Mewtwo looked back at Tim.
"Have you not wondered why I simply did not just tell you? Have you, perhaps, even wondered why I have, in the past, told you just enough for you to keep going on your own?"
"I have wondered why you didn't tell me, yes. You could have the moment I asked when I saw you the first time. You had your cells." Tim said.
"I did, yes. But I wished to ascertain something else."
"What?" Tim's voice had a bit of a harsh edge now. "What was so important that you had to keep me from knowing where the most important person in my life was? I looked up to my father. With him missing, I… I couldn't…" his voice choked off.
"I am sorry for your pain. That is one thing I learned by watching. But I had to be certain."
"Certain about what?" Pikachu asked gruffly. "I told you to tell it to us straight."
"You did, but this matter is hardly straightforward. I had to be certain that Tim was the right person. You know that all psychic Pokemon have visions of the future, yes? That is actually not quite true. I do not have them, and I never have. My only guess is that perhaps it has to do with the way I was created, rather than born. Mew, however, has frequent visions, and often shares them with me. And the day that I was caught by that blasted signal, and Mew came to my rescue, it passed me a single one, through our telepathic link.
"In that vision, was that there would be a human, brave and pure of heart, who would make significant change in the world. The world full of humans as greedy as how I viewed them would change, become better, because of this human, but he could not do it without help- without help from me. He would need the ability to speak with Pokemon, which I could give him, and he would need the chance to realize what kind of change he could bring. Mew asked me to ensure that vision was true. Mew told me that the favour would be returned many times over if I were to do as it asked for that human.
"I did not believe Mew. I did not believe there would be such a human, capable of being good himself and much less change others to be so. However, one day, when I was watching Pikachu to see what he would do next in the promise I wanted him to keep, I saw a human get off the subway at the station, and I knew he was the one that Mew had showed me. And when I saw that the meeting between Pikachu and that human was impending, I decided I would run a test on that human.
"Tim. You, of course, were that human. I have been watching you since the day you left that station, pulling your bag over your shoulder and stepping to the side to avoid the dark-haired human girl you later befriended. I gave you the ability to speak with Pikachu- just Pikachu. I did not trust you would help as Mew had, but I knew you would need to be able to speak with other Pokemon in some way if you were to be any help at all to recover my cells, and with Pikachu in particular. So I allowed you speech with only him, and I watched while you went on your journeys. I wanted to see for myself if you were truly going to be what Mew had promised. I wanted proof that you were dependable, of good heart, and would not give up.
"You know, of course, how your adventure went. I myself have learned things along the way. I know now that what Mew told me, and your father told me, are right. There are humans who are good, too, and dependable. You are one of them, and you are certainly the one Mew was sure of, who would help to change the world.
"I- ok, wh, whoa, hold on here, this is, this isn't right." Tim shook his head, barely able to accept that what he was hearing was in fact what Mewtwo was saying. "I am not anyone special. There isn't any way someone like me could change much. I mean, the whole R case helped a lot of people, sure, but that wasn't all me, and that wasn't really… a change the world thing, it was just a lot of luck. There isn't anything that I can do that will actually matter much."
Mewtwo stared at him.
"Not matter much? Have you perhaps not been paying attention to your own accomplishments? Making sure that you do not become arrogant is a good thing, but forgetting all that you have done for the better is not. I have been watching you, the entire time. If you cannot remember, then allow me to recount what you have managed to do.
"Because of you, a little girl was reunited with a necklace that her late mother had given her, and still treasures it, as does a man whose family heirloom you recovered in the park. Because of you, two female humans survived an ordeal in a cold cave where a Glalie was driven berserk by R. You then went on to help a young scientist make her medicine, which will heal many sick Pokemon, found the cause of many strange incidents at that laboratory, cleared the name of the suspected Gengar who was then later welcomed as family, and found one who was creating R to put a stop to him, all in a matter of two days. You then went on to clear suspicion from an innocent man and discover the real culprit behind a string of incidents where Pokemon got hurt- do you not think that matters? Then, you saved a Buneary at Fine Park and brought hope to all that lived there that perhaps one day a treasured friend would return. Then, you stopped a plot to steal a young girl's most treasured possession and uncovered that an employee of a TV station was a distributor of R. Refusing to give up your search when he got away, you tracked down a warehouse where you found someone being held prisoner, and were able to send away what was needed for others to come and set that man free. You continued on the trail to find R, were able to stop a great many stolen items from being auctioned off, found the man again, and this time, captured him. When you realized that he had already set in motion a plan to hurt hundreds of people, you continued chasing the leads, and put a stop to it, catching the worst offender the city has known of.
"And that was simply what you did before the two of us had out first actual encounter."
Mewtwo stated as Tim's mind reeled. How close had Mewtwo been this entire time?
"After our first meeting, you reunited a mother with her babies when they would otherwise have been kidnapped, stopped a rampaging Feraligatr before there were any fatalities and gave hope to the owner of the shop he destroyed, stopped an innocent boy from having his dreams of being a Pokemon Ranger be shattered by cruel people and a criminal record he did not deserve, stopped that R distribution man again from hurting a lot of people, and uncovered the truth about illegal activities in a supposedly abandoned laboratory just in time to stop a Legendary Pokemon that was driven mad from causing far more damage than it did. Lives were saved, Tim. That matters. And even if we set aside the big things, which as you say can be put down to luck, and just look at the small things that you did, they still matter.
"Let me tell you something, Tim, something that you may scoff at but is true in its entirety. The big things that you have done, yes, they matter, but they are not, in fact, things that will change the world. In fact, very few big events are what truly changes the world. Some do, a little, but not really and truly. The people whose lives were saved today, they will be grateful. There will be people who look at you as a hero and people who will proclaim that people should strive to be more like you. But none of that is actually going to change the world. Most people look at heroes and think that only special people can do that. Most people will not change themselves to try to become better people- most people, that is. Because people, most people, like to look up to heroes, and not think that they are ordinary people just like them. They like to look at them and think that only special people can do those incredible things, and so generally, large events do not truly change the world.
"What will change the world are the ordinary things you do. People who are touched by those things will change themselves to be better, because one kindness will lead to another. Every little gesture, every small act of kindness… these are the world-changers. And Mew knew it would need to be someone like you to start changing the world, Tim, because many people, most people, will look at how many people in this world need help and give up in despair before beginning. But you don't think about that. You simply help. Each person you come across, each human or Pokemon you find in need, you simply help them without worrying that for every one you help, there are a hundred more who need it. Because Tim, each person who is shown a kindness will remember it. Each person learns from it. And each kind act will begin to encourage others to be kind. Others who are encouraged to be kind, will in turn encourage more. And that is how the world changes, Tim. Not through big acts of heroism, but through small acts of kindness that teach others to be kind. That kind of change can start with one person, any one person, and Mew found that the best person to make a start on it was you. You, who can teach people that heroes are ordinary people, and therefore ordinary people are heroes.
"And I agree with it. Watching you has taught me things, too. And so I was quite sure that Mew had it right about you. Because you do not give up.
"But I did still want to test one thing. That is why I did not simply tell you your answers earlier today. I wanted to be sure that you would truly keep going, no matter what. And you certainly did not disappoint me, for here you are. I was quite sure you would get here, but I wanted to do this final test, because I am afraid that there are still difficulties ahead of you. Ones that will test you to your limits. I wanted to be sure that you would not break during them. But I know now, that you will be fine. And so here is your reward; I give you all that you have earned. And I will answer your final question of what happened to your father.
"To save Harry Goodman, I required Pikachu to make a certain sacrifice. I still wanted Harry to keep his promise. He couldn't do that from a hospital. So I made an offer; I would put Pikachu's conscience inside Harry, and keep him in what humans refer to as a "coma" to keep any problems from resulting from that. I would then transfer Harry's conscience into Pikachu. Unfortunately, the memories would be difficult to transfer; it would be likely that only a few would transfer along with Harry's conscience, if any, and I would need to lock Pikachu's away in order for Harry's skill as a detective to be usable within Pikachu. I knew the end result would likely leave Pikachu in the coma within Harry's body, and Harry Goodman within Pikachu, very likely with amnesia. But it was the only option that I had to keep Harry Goodman in a state where he could keep searching for my cells. I presented the offer to Pikachu, and Pikachu agreed, rather immediately. Quite attached to your father, Pikachu was willing to do just about anything. And so that is how Pikachu came to you as he is now; your father, in a different body with few memories. Though I suspected on more than one occasion that some of Pikachu's original memories leaked through the seal I placed on them."
Tim, eyes wide, looked at Pikachu. Pikachu was looking back, with the same look of stunned disbelief that Tim was sure he had. It wasn't real. It couldn't be.
And yet…
His father had always liked coffee. From what Tim had heard, Pikachu started liking it after the accident. The same applied to the sweets Pikachu was always after. And there were other things, too. Pikachu telling Tim "You did good" when he was pleased- Tim had partly liked when he said it because it reminded him of his father, who frequently said exactly that when he was proud of him. The way Pikachu kept teasing him over Emilia- that was exactly his father's style, too.
But he couldn't have been searching for his father for all this time, only to find out that he was right next to him all along. It just… didn't feel real.
Pikachu, for his part, for once had nothing to say.
"I made one other deal with Pikachu as well. Mewtwo interrupted then. A deal regarding what to do once R was stopped and my cells located and returned. I gave Pikachu a choice of two options.
"One is that I could return Pikachu's conscience to Pikachu's body, and Harry's conscience to Harry's body, from a distance. I could do it, but it would be dangerous. Pikachu's memories, I could unseal, but in the distance that Harry's conscience would be traveling, I couldn't guarantee that Harry would wake up as the same person he was before the accident. It's very possible that his conscience, re-entering, would cause damage, or be damaged itself. He may be fine. Or he may lose his memories, or another ability of his mind. Or perhaps his personality could change. Any of those could happen.
"The second option is that he could continue searching for Harry. Upon finding him, I would switch them back. With both in close proximity, there would be no danger of any damage. Pikachu would be Pikachu, and Harry would be Harry again.
"When Pikachu chose the second option, I was pleased. I had wanted him to choose that option; I had wanted to continue testing you in that way, rather than a test of what you would do upon easily finding your father, as potentially a person very different from the one you remembered."
"Wait, you would have deliberately caused him damage to "test" me, if that had been the choice?" Tim snapped, getting angry. "I can't believe you, for any of this. I found you- we found you- your cells, so why keep tormenting us this way?"
"I would not deliberately have caused him permanent damage, no. And I am sorry. Believe that or not as you wish, but I, too, have been learning from you, and you have been learning from this. Learning things that you needed to know. I realized all along that it was likely you'd hate me for my decision, but that is no concern to me. My purpose here was not to make things easy for you, it was to ensure that Mew's visions came to be.
"Now that Lugia has been freed from captivity, the vision Mew has had of help that you give us has been fulfilled. Any other visions Mew knows of your helping others in the future will have to come true on their own. After Pikachu made the choice to find Harry, I partly removed his memory of the choice to simplify things. Now that you are all here, and I have explained everything, I will do as I promised, and restore everyone as they were."
Mewtwo lifted his arm towards Pikachu, and Pikachu glowed purple before lifting into the air with a small grunt of surprise. The legendary Pokemon moved its arm and Pikachu followed, floating over to the hospital bed, before Mewtwo lowered its arm and Pikachu landed gently next to Harry.
Once Pikachu stood next to the torso of Tim's father, Mewtwo lifted both arms towards them, fingers closed together, then opened them. Both Pikachu and Harry were surrounded by a blueish-white light that increased in intensity until Tim thought he was going to be blinded, then faded. Tim shook his head, blinking, as spots were left in his vision.
Behind him, Tim heard a deep voice that was entirely unfamiliar, and yet… he knew it at the same time.
"You were the one who came to me long ago and told me I needed a partner. That was when I started understanding humans and sensing even unnatural disasters. That is when I started feeling the almost overwhelming compulsion to stop the disasters I sense. Were you a part of that as well?"
Tim turned, but couldn't quite see yet who was talking.
"Yes. I knew you would be needed, so I used my powers to cause those changes within you."
Tim's eyes finally cleared to allow him to see that Absol had approached Mewtwo.
Absol opened his mouth, and the same deep voice as before rang through the room.
"You know, I must side with Tim, here. Your level of interference with people is not just downright dangerous, it is, in a word, sadistic. Those who manipulate others are of the worst kind of people."
Tim blinked.
"You are likely correct. I deemed it necessary, however, and there are far worse who manipulate others than myself.
"So you're saying the ends justify the means? I'm sorry, but no. It is better to do this to help others than to help yourself, true, but it should never be done at all. No matter your goal, it is precisely the kind of cruelty that you were telling Tim just now that needs to change."
"Perhaps. So how about this? I will leave you with the gifts, take away the curse, and you will be free to choose your own path from here on out."
Absol glowed with a light that had a green tinge, just for a moment, before it faded. Absol stood for just a moment, silent, before speaking again.
"I see. I keep the ability to sense all disasters. The compulsion to stop them… is gone."
"Yes. And you keep your understanding of human languages. You are free to look into disasters, or not. Or to work alongside humans. Or not. You may do as you see fit. My interference with you stops here, and once I have finished my discussion with Tim, my interference with him will stop as well. I am finished here. Once I have left, none of those in this room will ever see me again."
Tim glanced over to the hospital bed at those words, to see Pikachu and his father both unconscious. Looking back, he saw Mewtwo use his psychic powers to open the window in the room.
"Go now. I wish to speak with Tim one more moment in private, and you are free. Do as your own heart wishes, and concern yourself no longer with what I once told you."
Absol stared a Mewtwo, uncertain. Tim finally found his voice.
"H-how are you talking?"
Both looked over at Tim. Absol was the one who spoke.
"You understand me?"
Tim nodded, once. He felt like this would be a day he would try not to remember in the future. It seemed like it was just too much.
Absol glared accusingly at Mewtwo.
"And I thought you just said you had finished interfering?"
"I did. I made it so that Tim would understand all Pokemon before I spoke with you; do you not remember me telling him that I would give him all he had earned? Now go. I wish to speak with him another moment alone before I leave. I will not ask again; we are running out of time. If you are truly worried about my interference, then know that the faster you leave, the faster I will leave after speaking with him."
Mewtwo pointed towards the window. Absol glared.
"Fine. But I am not leaving the immediate area until I see you go."
"Very well. That is up to you."
Absol stepped over to the window. It seemed to have a little difficulty getting through it, due to his size, but he managed to squeeze through and step out onto the small area of roof that was just outside it. when Mewtwo shut the window, Absol glanced back with a final glare, then stepped out of sight.
Mewtwo turned back to Tim.
"You may not care much for what I have to say, now. But I do wish to tell you one more thing. Whether I interfere or not, you will continue changing the world- I know you will. Because it is in your nature to stop and help when someone needs it. I know that now.
"When I leave, I can promise that you will not see me again. I am still not fond of humans, but your father is right- they are not all like the ones who created me. Don't worry,"
Mewtwo added when he saw Tim glance again at the bed. "Your father and Pikachu are merely asleep. It is a strain on those who have their consciences switched around, but they will both wake soon. Before they do, I wish to tell you this:
"Humans are indeed a greedy race. Every race is; it is how you survive, by taking things for yourself. But while a person can survive by being greedy, they cannot live that way. Those who have nothing but their greed will have no one to stand by them when they truly need it. That sort of life, lived alone, is barely worth living- believe me. Teach people kindness, and teach them to stand by each other. When people come together, nothing holds them back. When people are united… there is nothing they need to fear. When the time comes- and you will know- then tell them that. Stand together. Live together. That is the only true way to live. With greed, you can survive. With love, you can live."
A groan from the bed drew Tim's attention towards it. His father was stirring.
"Now… I will leave you. You have my word that you will not see me again. I will continue blocking your pain and stabilizing your arm for a few minutes, so you and your father can talk, but I am afraid that I must remove my power from those areas soon.
"Farewell, Tim Goodman. May your kindness be, in the end, its own reward."
Tim didn't hear Mewtwo leave, but when he next glanced around, the Genetic Pokemon was gone.
A/N: Well, now. We have a few answers. Not all of them, but a few of them; we know exactly what happened to Tim's father, and why Tim seems to be getting the answers and the help he needs exactly when he needs it... and not one second sooner. Mewtwo has been playing around.
Next chapter, his father wakes up... and what an odd conversation that seems to be set up to be. What do you say to the person that you've been looking for for three months only to find that they were right next to you during the search?