Chapter 27; the secret of the island
Sonic was observing the horseas swimming outside the ferry while petting raichu as they headed for Cinnabar island. It was relaxing and rejuvenating after all the negativity he had been through lately.
His battle with Agatha had helped him come to terms with Jolty's death, having decided to live their life to the fullest as much as they could. After all mourning and feeling bad was hard to bear but easy to do. Living and embracing the beauty of life was easy to bear but not always easy to do. Those who smiled in the hardest times were the strongest for a reason. And Sonic's journey so far, having taught him to smile in bad situations, regardless of the origin of the situation was an invaluable lesson.
Now he was burning with the desire to continue his journey and eventually get to the tournament and the first part was finding the 7th gym leader. A part of him was wondering how the battle would go. He had easily bested Sabrina back during his dark hour and while coming to terms with that darkness had a very close battle with an elite four member.
"She used only 3 pokemon though" he thought "I have a lot to learn before reaching her level. But where would the 7th gym leader stand in terms of power?"
As the ferry docked on Cinnabar island and the passengers disembarked, Sonic decided to first stroll around for a while and see if there was something cool to do. After all where was the fun in the journey if you rushed it?
Taking a walk through the town, they were recognized by a lot of people. Sonic graciously accepted the fame but asked not to be called a hero because in his own words.
"I'm no hero. I just did the right thing".
To his surprise that brought him even more attention than before. A group of kids wanted to hear details from the battle when he passed by the town's central square and several trainers challenged him. All of them fell to his pokemon.
While sitting at a restaurant to have some well earned food after a while, the waitress kept coming to his table, sometimes to bring him more water despite him already having a lot of it, sometimes to pet raichu and even decided to spent her whole break having a conversation with him. Sonic didn't mind though aimless flirting wasn't his thing but decided nonetheless to just enjoy the moment.
"So you have six badges already?" the waitress asked him. Sonic noticing the name tag after a while, responded using her name.
"Yes Sally I do. And soon enough they will be seven".
"Hmm. I like guys with determination. Hope you have the same determination to find Blaine".
"Blaine?"
"The gym leader. He isn't always at his gym. No actually he is almost never at his gym. It has reached the point the island is being addressed as having no gym leader".
"Oh I see" Sonic said while analyzing internally the new info "any idea where I could possibly find him?"
"Many places. The beach on the north of the island, the mouth of the volcano, the mansion…"
"He has a mansion?!" Sonic asked in surprise.
"No. It's an abandoned mansion. Used to be owned by someone until a few years ago. Weird thing is no one ever saw the owner".
"And why is abandoned?" Sonic asked her intrigued.
"Noone really knows but there have been rumors going around. Some said experiments were run there and one went horribly wrong. Another says that there was a massacre there".
"Massacre?!"
"Yes. Again no details but a rumor says a lot of dead bodies were removed once".
"Woah. If that's the case why does Blaine go there often enough that he can be found there?"
"He is a bit eccentric".
"Huh. Eccentric enough to go to a mansion around which such rumors are going?"
"I guess so. But I doubt the hero of Kanto would have a problem with an abandoned house" she said blinking her eyes in a cute way.
Sonic was flattered but asked again not to be called a hero. Sally eventually had to return to her shift but commented that she liked guys with determination and humility. Sonic smiled and checked if raichu had eaten.
After paying for their lunch and having to bid goodbye to Sally as she immediately darted out for the farewell, he too the chance to ask her where the mansion was found. She instructed him to the northwest part of the island.
"When you return I'd love to hear what you found. Maybe over a cold refreshment" she said winking and returning to her shift.
Sonic was impressed by her attitude and confidence and set out to find that mansion. The path was long and jagged but he didn't mind. While taking a five minute break to rest and relax looking at the sea, he saw a flying type pokemon flying amidst the clouds. For a moment he thought he noticed a little bit of fire on the pokemon but the next moment he was sure he had imagined it.
"Someday soon Moltres" Sonic thought looking at the wing hanging from his backpack "someday soon I will stand before you again".
After that moment of recollection the duo returned to following the path. The path eventually led them deep into the woods. As the shades of the trees were cast upon them Sonic was creeped out but braved on. They were sometimes jumped by wild pokemon but raichu valiantly drove them away. After all the crazy battles it had had, wild pokemon were a walk in the park.
Soon enough they came face to face with a closed metal gate. Pushing it they found it to be sealed shut.
"Damn" Sonic said annoyed. Looking around he saw a small hole in the wall.
Using the hole to enter the mansion grounds, they were impressed by the plethora of wild pokemon staying inside the mansion grounds. They curiously observed as Sonic walked through them and approached the giant mansion doors.
Pushing the doors open they walked inside to find a huge room with a set of stairs leading to the next floor, as well as doors to the sides of the room.
"Anybody here?" he asked loudly but got no response.
"Rai".
"I know raichu. I didn't expect to find him here. Well maybe he will come by later. What say you we actually explore a bit?"
"Rai" raichu cried out excitedly.
They started by taking the left door and finding the dining room. A giant round table with chairs around it. Dust covered the entire room. It covered the entire mansion as a matter of fact. Sonic wondered how long it was since the last time anyone had been here.
Noticing a book on the table his curiosity got the better of him and approached it. To his surprise the book's pages were either ripped or the contents were tampered with beyond understanding. One page however was visible. The first page. Blowing the book from the outside wondering who would do such a thing to a book he noticed it was a diary.
"A diary here?" he wondered as he got to the only readable page. It only had a date and a phrase.
July 5. We discovered a new pokemon deep in the jungle.
"A new pokemon?" Sonic wondered aloud "Could it be the flying pokemon I saw after my battle with Moltres?"
He went to put down the book but decided to take it with him instead.
"Nah. Flying types usually live in the mountains. I doubt such a majestic pokemon would live in the jungle".
Going to the other side of a dining room through the door, they found themselves in the kitchen. While approaching the counter he was disgusted to find moldy leftovers of what looked to be a stew once.
"Ew gross" he thought to himself as he looked around to see if there was anything else there. Seeing nothing but dust he proceeded to the next room.
Entering what looked like a gigantic living room, he realized its exit would lead back to the first room. Approaching a smaller table with 2 couches next to it by a fireplace, he noticed something inside the fireplace. Picking it up in question, he found it to be a piece of paper. It was readable. Again it was another phrase and a date.
July 10. We christened the newly discovered pokemon Mew.
"Mew?!" Sonic whispered in shock "I thought it… it was just a myth. How..?"
Raichu looked at him curiosity.
"It's ok buddy. It's just my mother used to read me and Jet a book called the tale of mew when we were kids. The book spoke about a mythical pokemon supposedly containing the genes of all pokemon. Like a common ancestor for all species. At least explained in terms kids could understand" he clarified looking back at the page.
"Could Mew be real?"
After that he searched thoroughly throughout the room, now intrigued to find more of the diary's pages.
"Why would someone scribble the entire diary but separate some of the pages like that?"
Afterwards he returned back to the first 2 rooms he explored just to make sure he had not missed anything. Confirming there was nothing else, he headed upstairs. The first room in front of him just after walking up the stairs, was the main bedroom. Entering he saw in front of him a huge four-poster bed. On the bed pillow was a piece of paper.
Sonic picked it up anxious to learn more but found it wasn't a page of the diary. It was a 3 digit number.
"A passcode perhaps?"
Exiting the bedroom he explored the rest of the floor but found nothing. Except for the last door. It was equipped with a 3 digit lock. Sonic entered the combination but found it not working. 3 red colored lights appeared on the door lock and one of them was turned off.
"Wait. So if I don't get it right within the next 2 tries it's locked permanently? Shit".
Thinking it over and over he decided to explore the floor again sure he had missed something. And he had indeed.
Visiting the mansion study again he saw a safe on the side of the room. He had previously thought it to be a box.
"Could the passcode on this be for the safe?"
He tried the combo on the safe holding his breath.
The lock unlocked and the safe opened. Raichu immediately put its head inside and to Sonic's surprise and excitement took out another piece of paper and handed it to Sonic's with its mouth. Scratching it as thanks he read the message.
February 6. The day everything changed.
We obtained a new pokemon from Mew. We have named this new pokemon 'Mewtwo'.
"WHAT?!" Sonic yelled in shock, his voice echoing throughout the empty mansion.
"What the fuck?!" he said still in shock as he dropped on the desk chair unable to stand. Raichu was looking at him ready to act in case anything happened.
"So… someone tried to play god? Create a new pokemon? This is the craziest thing I have ever heard… and they actually did it?" he muttered looking at the page.
February 6. The day everything changed.
"The day everything changed. February 6. 02/6. 026!" he said in realization "that could be the code to that locked room!"
Rushing back to the locked door, raichu following as fast as it could, Sonic typed the code. It was right. Bursting with anxiety he pushed the door open.
The room was empty. Not a single bit of furniture.
"What the?" he thought entering "why would someone lock an empty room? No,no,no. There has to be more than meets the eye" he said as began looking around to see if there were any loose parts of the wall he could push.
After about an hour of searching bit by bit, helped by raichu, Sonic found something; a loose brick. Pulling it out he found a lever. He pulled the lever expecting a hidden compartment to open. And it did.
But not on the wall next to him. Instead it opened right under his feet.
Dropping through the trapdoor screaming, he crashed on the hard ground in pain. Surprised he had survived, he saw a ladder leading back up to the empty room. Raichu's cry came from the hatch he had fallen inside.
"I'm alright buddy!" he screamed inside the hatch "wait for me I'll be back up soon!"
Seeking with his hands inside the absolute darkness, he found a small light switch. He pressed it but nothing happened. Knowing he needed a light source he went back to the hatch.
"Raichu! Change of plans! Jump down! I'll recall you so you won't crash!"
Raichu cried out and jumped. When Sonic could see its shadow approaching he pressed the button on its pokeball recalling it. Sending it back out it got scared by the sudden darkness and stuck to his feet.
"It's ok buddy" he said petting it to give it courage "Oh damn I forgot. You can't use thunderbolt to reactivate the circuit. Ok plan b. Alakazam!" he said calling it out.
"I want you to use psychic on raichu as soon as it charges its thunder punch. Then hold the electricity in place to dispel the darkness".
Alakazam hummed in agreement. Raichu charged its thunder punch. Alakazam used psychic on the electricity raising it in the air. The room was lit dimly by the rotating electricity.
"Woah what the?!" Sonic said in shock looking around.
They were inside a ruined lab. An old computer on the side desk was broken. A giant test tube was smashed. But to Sonic's horror the worst was the many skeletons lying on the floor. Some of them were horribly misaligned as if something had bend them the other way on every part of the body that could bend. Seeing a head being bent so far back that it must have snapped when the person was still alive, he got to his limit and puked. Raichu looked at him worried.
"What happened here?!" he asked terrified after drinking some water.
Cautiously approaching the giant test tube, he noticed the glass shards around it.
"It broke from the inside. Whatever was in broke free".
Looking around more, he found an old picture. Blowing it to clear it up, he saw a group of scientists around the intact test tube. Inside a white pokemon with a purple long tail was curled up like a baby.
"Was that…?" he wondered silently as he looked at the date the picture was taken on the down left side.
02/6
"February 6! That was Mewtwo's creation!" he whispered in disbelief.
Approaching the computer last, he saw a data floppy disc was still inside. Knowing he needed to take it with him, he forced the disc out. Thankfully it remained intact. And to his surprise, on the chair of the desk laid another page of the diary.
"What am in for this time?" Sonic thought as he read the page.
Septemeber 1. Mewtwo has grown too powerful. It's beyond even us. We have failed to curb its violent tendencies.
"Violent tendencies?" Sonic thought with a bit of fear "a pokemon this strong… violent? I can't imagine… they created a monster!"
Raichu looked at him worried.
"Rai?"
"It's alright raichu. I'm fine. Let's… let's just get out of here".
Going back out of the hatch, resealing the passage, hiding the lever with the loose brick and leaving the mansion, Sonic had realized how much they had lost track of time. It was almost nighttime.
"Guess Blaine wasn't here today. Guess we will try somewhere else tomorrow. Maybe the volcano".
Taking the path back to town, Sonic kept going over his discoveries.
"They created a new pokemon. Who would be crazy enough to play god like this? And Mewtwo… is it alive still? Is it out there somewhere? And… since Mewtwo is a thing… does that mean Mew is also real?"
So many questions at the same time bombarded his mind that Sonic couldn't think straight anymore. What had started as a fun search for the gym leader had turned into a dark secret revelation.
"Those skeletons… back there" he thought disturbed "they must have been the scientists. Mewtwo broke free… and massacred them".
Sonic tried to imagine what had transpired back there. From everything he had read about Mew on its myths it was considered a psychic type. Mewtwo being created from it must have been a psychic type as well.
"Dear lord" Sonic thought as his mind played an imaginary scene of Mewtwo breaking the tube coming out of that embryonic state he saw in the picture and killing everyone in the room in the horrific way their skeletons were suggesting.
"But what happened to it after?"
Reaching the town again he went to get a cold refreshment to clear his mind.
"Good evening hero of Kanto" a familiar voice spoke to him.
Caught off guard, Sonic turned to meet Sally's eyes.
"Oh… hey".
"I see you remembered our date. You're sweet" she said pinching his cheek. Sonic again was impressed by her confidence while he blushed.
"Y-yeah".
Taking a cold refreshment each, Sonic narrated his exploration of the mansion but chose to hide the secret lab, the messages as well as Mewtwo's existence. Sally surely was cute but Sonic barely knew her so telling her about such a dark and possibly dangerous secret was out of the question. Furthermore it was obvious to him that she was all flirty more because of his hero status than he who he was beyond that which again wasn't exactly his style.
Despite all those thoughts Sonic made sure to have a good time regardless. After splitting up, he went to see if the local pokemon center had any rooms. They didn't so Sonic decided he would just sleep in the wilderness for once. After all it had been a while he and his pokemon had gone camping.
Before leaving however he asked if there were any available computers for use to do some work on. There were but their use wasn't free. Sonic payed the fee for use, then requested for a computer with headphones available as he suspected that, whatever the floppy disc contained, it should stay with him.
Going to the far side of the computer room and putting on the headphones, he put the floppy disc inside the computer. Most of the date of the disc were corrupted. Sonic cursed in his mind before he noticed one uncorrupted file. A voice recording.
He looked around instinctively to make sure he was alone despite the headphones. He then played the message.
"September 3. Dr Fuji research log. I need to get this on tape. I have made a terrible mistake. Creating this… this monster. My benefactor intends to use it as a weapon. I can't let that happen. I must destroy my research… and my creation. Before their designs reach completion. May god, if one exists, forgive me because I will never forgive myself".
Sonic was at a loss for words. Dr Fuji whoever that was, had attempted to destroy Mewtwo.
"This must be the reason Mewtwo killed everyone" he thought "makes sense. It felt threatened. So it defended itself… all that loss" he said as he walked out of the pokemon center thinking of were to make camp.
"And that means that it still out there somewhere. But if it really is… how come no one knows about it?" Sonic thought as he built the tent he had bought at Pallet town. If he was going to go camping again he would do it right.
Curling inside the tent close to Raichu, he decided to stop thinking about Mewtwo for the time being. Today had been fun albeit dark too and all but he was on this island for a reason. And what would transpire on the next day would be his greatest achievement thus far.