CHAPTER 2: LOST PARADISE

Across the cerulean lake, Briar road upon Blastoisetwo, their passage in the clam waters of the early morning leaving a frothy foam in their wake. Occasionally, cold droplets would splatter against her skin and cloak, yet she took no discomfort from it, instead holding Bulbasaurtwo in her arms, with a sack across her shoulder. As they reached the shore, the two of them hopped off his back, thanking him as he lay out on the sands to relax from the trip and wait for them to return. Scythertwo, having arrived earlier in anticipation of the venture, waiting nearby, his blades gleamed in the dull light. Without a word, they set off to gather their bounty—as assortment of fruits, nuts, tubers, and wild vegetables to help satiate the others throughout the day. As they wandered through the forest, the grass pokémon choosing the edibles and picking and slashing them for her to place in the bag, she kept herself from grimacing in pain as the underbrush scratched and bit as the soles of her feet. She would not complain. It was one of the terms of the arrangement she'd made with Mewtwo.

She could not lament her current life. She could not deny the group any help they asked for. She would gather food for them, attend to their injuries, and would not ask for things for herself unless they were essential. She would stay in the cavern beside their leader's, so he could keep an eye on her, and she wasn't supposed to speak or act in any way that could be interpreted as aggressive. There were other things, personal restrictions she had for herself, such as bathing alone in one of the outward flowing rivers. It was an unspoken law that she was not to touch the spring in the garden, nor would she be allowed to hunt animals for food. Of course, it was not so much her eating meat that Mewtwo didn't want—he simply didn't want her to have anything resembling a weapon. Whether this was for her sake or the clones hadn't been stated.

She had been told what they all were out of necessity. When Mewtwo had elaborated on the "special circumstances" surrounding Nidoqueentwo and Rhyhorntwo, who were going to be parents within a few months, it would have been foolish to hide that information. To be honest, while she had been surprised, them being clones explained a few things—like why their group was so varied in its members, and their increased strengths in their special abilities, as well as the markings on some of them. They were a race of misfits, and a family in a way because of it. If she could have some place in it, even if it was in an omega position, she would be content with that.

"Briar, look! Apples!" Bulbasaurtwo cried out suddenly, drawing her from her thoughts.

She watched as he tried to reach them with his vines, but failed. Scythertwo also attempted to reach them, jumping up and slashing towards them. His blades cut into the lowest-hanging leaves, to no effect. The little one seemed to be ready to use razor leaves to bring the apples down, and the insect ready to fly up there, but she shook her head and stepped towards the tree. She climbed into its branches, pulling off apples and stuffing them into her bag. She bit into one, the crimson skin breaking under her teeth, the juice flowing over her tongue and down her chin. She tossed a few down to the others afterwards. Their eyes gleamed happily, and they ate their late breakfast, watching the sun rise over the mountains. Then they moved on—the sack was not yet full, and they still had some time left before they needed to return to the island.

Eventually, the cloned insect came up beside her. "Your feet are bleeding, human."

She had been around his kind long enough that she could understand some of his words, or at least his meaning. She also had seen him glance at her feet, so she assumed they were what had caught his attention. "I know. I'll wrap the cuts up later."

He murmured something else, too subtle and soft for her to comprehend, though she suspected from his tone that he was cursing. She shrugged and moved on. Soon enough they found themselves in an open meadow full of flowers, not yet destroyed by the chilly, volatile weather. Several bug pokémon munched on crisp leaves and suckled on the nectar. Briar searched the area nearby, looking for beehives. She wanted some honey on hand for both superficial injuries—honey having natural antibiotic effects—and for the sugar crystals. Both would no doubt be useful in the coming winter months.

As it turned out, one hive owed the clones for some near-disastrous incident with an ursaring earlier in the year, and were willing to offer them some honeycomb as payment. Briar was delighted, but tried not to show it, instead wrapping the honeycomb in leaves to keep the wax seals over the honey from being broken. Afterwards, they made their way back to the lake. Despite the blood oozing from her feet, Briar was pleased. She had done her task well, and she hadn't had to steal from anyone in the basin to do it. She'd followed Mewtwo's rule in that too. Thinking of him made her smile fade, though. The others, though suspicious of her presence, accepted her willingly enough, trusting in their leader's judgement. Some had even shown signs of liking her, but the feline…well, he was another matter entirely. It many ways, he made her wary, and though it was he who suggested that she remain here, he seemed the least welcoming of the lot. That felt like a contradiction to her, but she didn't necessarily blame him for that—from what he'd told her, his encounters with humans had been less than pleasant.

As they crossed the lake, she let her feet drift in the water to clean them and numb the pain. From the waves, Gyaradostwo lifted his mighty head, asking them in a roar that shook them all who was injured. Briar only sighed and showed him her raw feet. She gave him a small, reassuring smile. The wounds were superficial—there was no reason for him to fret. Even so, when they arrived, some of the others were waiting for them on the shore, having been alerted to the taint in the water. Making her stomach jolt, Mewtwo was among them, and before she could jump to shore, he lifted her with his telekinesis and brought her into the caverns, as if unwilling to let her soil the sand, or unwilling to carry her himself. She supposed that would have meant him touching her, and he seemed unwilling to do such unless it was absolutely necessary. Once he set her down, he commanded for her to follow him in a low voice, which she did, leaving partial, bloody footprints in her wake.

They arrived in her quarters, which had two long windows casting light into the space. On the ledge was a few blankets he had provided for her when he'd given her this place to sleep in. There was also a table and a stool similar to the ones he had in his own room, which had a few items on it that hadn't been there earlier that morning. She stood there staring for a moment, before limping over to see what it was. There was a fully stocked medical kit, including bandages and splints, potions and antidotes and salves of various sorts, and even a few sets of vaccines. He'd managed to acquire an entire unit. She sat down more from shock than weariness. Someone would surely miss all of these medications and the tools he'd found for her, would they?

The clone sat down on the other stool and several items in the pack floated over to him, glowing in azure light. His levitation tugged on her heel next, and she tried to jerk out of his psychic hold, startled by it. He glanced up at her. "Relax. I do not intend to harm you."

She tried, but hissed as he scrubbed at the cuts on her feet with a cloth drenched in peroxide. The fumes from it burned in their nostrils, her eyes watering as he wiped the remaining blood away and applied antibiotic ointment on the marks. He then wrapped her feet in a layer of bandages. Afterwards he let her go and put the underused material back into the kit. Briar tried not to look as confused as she felt. Why would he attend to her when she could do it herself? He didn't care about her personally, after all….

But she was useful for him. Yes, that had to be his reason.

"Tomorrow, you will have proper footwear waiting for you outside of your room. If there is anything else you need, tell me before this evening, so I do not have to make more trips into the city."

She mentioned a few necessities, including some that she wasn't entirely comfortable about talking to a male with—but it wasn't as if she could go without them either. If Mewtwo himself was uncomfortable with references to her cycle, though, he did not show it. He merely nodded and left her be.

Briar sighed, then went about preparing the foodstuffs that she and the others had gathered, searching for each of the clones and giving them their preferred meals. She made a special treat for Nidoqueentwo—chestnuts drizzled with honey—and felt her face warm when Nidoqueentwo and her mate roared their appreciation at it. In any case, Nidoqueentwo's pregnancy was going well from what she could discern, though not having ultrasound equipment with her was a hindering from knowing specifics. She suspected they would be having a large litter, though. They'd seemed pleased when she'd told them that.

Then she went to give Mewtwo his meal. It wasn't really necessary for her to make him one—he usually fended for himself—but Briar thought it was only polite, since he had wrapped her feet. The others gave her funny looks as she headed in the direction of his cave, as if to say, "Okay…but it's your funeral if you annoy him," which she decided not to heed. He didn't like her anyway, so it wasn't as if she could worsen his opinion of her by extending a gift. She picked out some of the fresher apples and berries, then drizzled some more of the honey over them, while Scythertwo—who'd sliced the apples for her—licked the juice off of his blades. She wished she could do more, but her options were limited. Unlike with the others, whose species she'd studied, she wasn't sure what he ate. His teeth suggested that he was an omnivore, but for all she knew, he could have a diet of raw meat. She imaged that he would be a skilled hunter, as the other clones had proven to be, but she wouldn't know for certain unless she asked. And she got the distinct feeling that he didn't like talking with her.

When she reached his quarters, she called out to him, only to receive no answer. He was a psychic, so he should have sensed her approach before not and acknowledged her. Maybe he wasn't there, then. As she peered into his room, though, she saw that he was—he was laying on a ledge and huddled into one of his cloaks. From the evenness of his breathing, she guessed that he was sleeping, though he was turned away from her, so she couldn't tell for sure. Wondering what she should do with the meal, she decided to leave it on his table. It might go to waste now, but at least he would know she'd thought of him. And in the cool weather, it was unlikely to spoil soon.

As she set the bowl—which was made from the shell of a gourd—she heard a shuffle of fabric on stone. Glancing back at the clone, she saw him stir and shudder as he dreamed. As his movement began to grow more agitated and he began to growl, she walked over to him and hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn't wake up, which surprised her—she would have thought he would jerk awake, being as alert to his surroundings as he usually was. When she saw how his brow furrowed and how he was panting, she whispered to him. "It's alright. It's just a nightmare." Because surely that must be what it was?

He started awake at her words. He twisted suddenly, grabbing her wrist in his fingers, his tail lashing to sock her in the stomach. She grunted as the breath was knocked out of her, and when she got it back, she made a sound of pain and protect. He blinked and his eyes focused. He released her roughly. He looked away from her, a rumble rising from his throat, a clear warning not to get so close to him again.

"I'm sorry. I thought—" She'd thought he'd needed help.

"I am fine. Though you will not be if you sneak up on me like that again." When he noticed how she winced at that, he sighed. "I do not mean that as a threat. You humans are simply…so fragile. And I do not always have control of my abilities when I am only half-awake," he explained. He shook his head. "I will never understand how your kind came to dominate this world. You have no fangs, or claws, and rarely possess elemental powers. It seems like a mockery of some sort, though I cannot imagine who would find it funny."

Briar made a face at that—she didn't have an answer for him—but then went over to the table and brought his meal back to him. "You should eat. You'll feel better if you do."

He looked at the food as if it might be poisoned, before his hunger and common sense got the better of him. The mixed fruit and honey tingled his taste buds, and as he watched, the woman sat down near him, holding her wrist in her other hand. He wondered if it would bruise. It seemed likely. Humans were such weak creatures….

"You know, we have stories about that subject. Would you like to hear one?" she asked him.

She didn't normally start conversations, so he couldn't help but lift a brow at her offer. "Is it a child's story?"

"They're the best kind," she said.

He leaned back, closed his eyes, and allowed it with a nod.

Her voice rose, quiet and soft, the tone making him think of the dreams he'd had when he was younger and searching for answers. "Once upon a time, when humanity was in its infancy and pokémon were already old, there was a brutal winter which lasted for hundreds of years. In this time, many species perished in the cold, their remains buried under dunes of snow. While many pokémon managed to endure the winter, humanity struggled to survive. They wandered through the blizzard in small clans, searching for the paradise they had lost when the storms had started. Many died in the process."

He glanced at her. Clearly this was not a cheerful story. She went on. "Eventually some pokémon took pity on the humans. They saw how easily their lives were lost, so they decided to protect humans through the winter. They taught humans how to work together to forage and hunt, how to create fire, and some even came to love the humans so much that they decided that they wanted to stay with them and serve their needs. Others found their involvement degrading, though, and eventually their arguments about what to do with the humans turned into fighting, which turned into a war as lives were lost, and the pokémon forgot about what they had been fighting over in the first place. When the greatest of their kind—the ones humans would eventually consider to be gods—learned of the bloodshed, they were appalled and turned to their leaders for a solution. They asked them what path they should follow—should they help man or leave them to their dooms?"

"Were the mew their leaders?" Mewtwo asked.

She nodded. "Like the other Legendaries, the mew had dwindled over the centuries—and maybe it was due to their sadness over that they decided to turn away from the conflict at first, leaving it up to their people to decide. However, one of them eventually had a vision that humanity's survival could result in great good or evil in the future, depending on how they were treated. In the hope of winning humanity over, that mew took in a lost human child and gave the boy a gift—a portion of her power. The boy grew up to become a great king and healer to his people, uniting the clans and leading them to a safe haven in the mountains, ensuring their survival. Her actions enraged those who wished for humanity to die, and sadly the war was reignited. The Legendaries found themselves to be the targets now, and though they were powerful, they were also outnumbered. Many died defending that mew's choice, including her and most of her people. A few of them lived to see the world warm and the war end, but by the time spring came in full, the mew were gone." She gave him a wry smile. "At least according to the story."

Mewtwo's brow furrowed. He wondered if there was any truth to that story. He would have to ask Mew, the next time he saw her. "Is that the whole of it?"

She frowned. "Well, eventually the pokémon stopped fighting and learned how to tolerate humans again, and they flourished in the warmer world with them. But humanity didn't seem to learn that lesson as well, since the clans started warring with each other afterwards. And they never really stopped, either."

"Is this a tale that you believe, Briar?" he asked her.

She stood and smoothed out the creases in her clothes. "I guess I don't disbelieve it. There is historical evidence to support some of the main points in it. We know that many species died out during the last ice age, and that around that time, trainers emerged and saved my kind from dying out, with the help of their pokémon. We know that mew as a species seemingly went extinct shortly afterwards, and that many pokémon started avoiding them before that happened, despite their supposedly playful attitudes. And many religions have the idea of a lost paradise in them—that we were sent out wandering in the harsh world for a while, due to a mistake on our parts. So there are some threads in that story that might have really occurred."

He wondered if her story was intended to suggest that humankind had taken over the world by taking advantage of the generosity of others. He doubted it, given its emphasis on the need to work together, but he couldn't help but see it as humanity snubbing their benefactors after they no longer needed them to thrive. He wouldn't be surprised if that had been the case. Humans did not seem to have much honor to them, in his experience. They broke their promises more than they ever kept them.

As she left, taking his empty bowl with her, he wondered if she too would betray their trust. His advisors had suggested as much—that it was unnatural for a human to willingly give up her freedom to serve others, so she must be planning something. Most of them would rather die than be controlled and kept in unpaid servitude. He knew that to be the true from what he'd observed with Giovanni and those in his employ…but Briar seemed different from those people. She didn't seem to place much value on herself, for one thing—which probably should concern him, but she seemed to be doing alright now. She hadn't attempted to throw herself off of another cliff, at any rate. Maybe it was enough for her that she could live in this place, doing simple tasks that benefited others. Maybe she took pride in that. If so, that made her different from the others he had encountered, except for the boy on New Island. But that boy had had a fierce soul to go along with his compassion for others. Briar's wasn't nearly so intense. It was muted somehow, as if her light had been smothered some time ago.

She had been broken by something. He had guesses as to what had happened, but had little interest in finding out if he was right. He didn't think she would like him prying more anyway. But if there was something to be gleamed from her story, was it that she felt a sense of debt to his kind from hers? Did she think she had to be the one to pay it, and in doing so, would redeem her kind and find the way back some mythical paradise? Or was he overthinking it? Was it simply that she longed for a home—a home that may have never existed in the first place? If so, she was shouldering a heavy, but ultimately futile burden onto herself. She was a human and would never belong here fully, just as he and the clones couldn't, no matter how amenable Mt. Quena's other occupants seemed to their presence.

Sighing, Mewtwo waited until the sun had fallen to leave Mt. Quena to retrieve what Briar had requested. When Briar awoke the next morning, she found what she had asked for, along with one other thing: a necklace made with coarse, black cord, with a silver bell on it. So you can't sneak up on anyone again, Mewtwo had written on the note that accompanied it. But Briar, as she put it on, couldn't help but think that there was another meaning behind it—that by giving her a collar, she was somehow being claimed.

"I don't care," she whispered to her empty room.

And why should she? He was still treating her better than anyone else ever had.