Extremely long note ahead and the same note across all stories I just updated.
In the first instance, the reason I am updating so many stories all at once is because I stick to my word and I did say if I passed my specialist exam, I would update every story that had a proofread chapter ready.
Studying for this exam has basically consumed two years of my life so it is a relief that it is over.
The reason I seem to have disappeared for most of the year is not because I've actually disappeared, but because I haven't been able to shift my focus.
After getting COVID on the back of last year, I started writing a Danmachi fic. It was fun, easy, and since the world is easy to encapsulate, I was focusing on that in the lead up to my exam, with the plan to switch to my Naruto story, TTONU, after the exam.
Then I failed the exam which was quite frankly a crushing blow to morale.
At the same time this was all going on, my dad, who has been sick for a while now, got a lot worse this year and passed away mid-year.
Even with all of that going on, I was still trying to study for the resit of the exam in October.
Then, my own health, which also hasn't been great, also worsened and I needed to be admitted to hospital briefly for some heavy immunosuppression.
Again, all this time I was studying for an exam which basically is a hurdle to ever get into a medical speciality and has limited attempts so I was very anxious and stressed.
How this ties into the fanfiction aspect of things, is given all of this happening, I just couldn't muster up the motivation to switch stories. What this has meant though, is I've written 300K+ of Danmachi fanfiction in the past year.
There is a second exam that I need to do next year, but it is a practical exam, not a memorise all of medicine multiple choice trivia exam.
I will keep writing for Danmachi up to a certain point, I'm thinking the Xenos arc, as that one I'm a little bit stuck trying to work out how to play it.
Coming to my other stories now.
I very much intended to finish TTONU this year but as above, lots of stuff happened. Once I switch from Danmachi, I fully intended to focus on it.
That being said, I will also be writing for other stories too.
Again, because of the exam, I haven't really been able to enjoy anything, as anything that was not study related, would bring up a feeling of guilt. For that reason, for most of the past 12 months, I've just been watching shows that I can passively watch in the background without distracting me, in other words, not anime. This means I have yet to watch the end of Naruto (really far behind), end of Fairy Tail (somewhat far behind), or Cour 3 of TYBW (releasing now).
I plan to write for these archives when I get around to watching them, which will probably be from the start of next year.
My pat reon has also been increasing in support so I am now doing two updates a month.
I also made a discord server, plus there is another shared writer discord server where I have been spending most of my free time this year
Remove spaces first:
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan personal discord - discord. gg/ mgAZ9GGuFG
Shared writers' discord - discord. gg/ veQrzjgNYh
Currently, I'm doing a rural term and the internet here is pretty spotty, so I'll be doing a lot more writing as I can't really do much else. As I said, I'm probably going to get out a decent amount of Danmachi in the first instance. I'm up to LN 5 at the moment and will probably work my way through to LN 7 or the just before the end of 8. Then I will start catching up on my anime and write for some other archives.
The thing is though, I do have a lot of chapters banked, even with all of these updates, I still have 8 raw chapters done and 39 proofread chapters ready to go, so I'll be doing double chapters every month with ease for almost 2 years, even if I don't write a single word, but of course I will be writing.
As I have said many times in the past, even if it takes years, I plan to finish each and every story I've started.
Thank you everyone for bearing with me and enjoying my stories, I hope to continue to deliver the best work I can for all of us.
TL;DR Life has been hard, hopefully turned the corner now.
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan.
Previously:
Ash and his friends would celebrate after his success at the league, before preparing for the gauntlet ahead. Gary would retrieve the GS ball, delivering it to Professor Oak, before Daisy and Misty would perform a small show for the group, while the others enjoyed the small break. The Gym Leaders of Kanto gathered in preparation for Ash's challenge, only for a Dragonite with an invitation to stop the gauntlet before it could start. As the others prepared, Ash would be approached by Sabrina who glimpsed images of his previous encounter with Mew and Mewtwo. All those gathered would take flight in the League Jet, braving a small storm with Ash and Sabrina's help, before arriving at New Island. The group would come face-to-face with Mewtwo, with Ash surprising Mewtwo of being aware of him already, despite Mewtwo having no idea who Ash was.
Disclaimer – I don't own Pokémon. All I own are my original characters and plot twists.
'Talking'
"Thinking"
"Telepathy"
*expression*
Flashback
Chapter 13 – Life
'Ash, do you want to explain what just happened?' Asked Lance.
'Not yet. Once I become Champion, I was going to tell you all the truth about everything. For now though, I need you to trust me.' Replied Ash calmly.
"So you aren't able to comprehend what you see before you all? Then allow me to explain, I am the strongest Pokémon Trainer and Pokémon in the world. I brought all of you here, the supposed elite, to test your worth. Once I defeat all of you, nothing will stop me from attaining my rightful spot in the world." Said Mewtwo telepathically, projecting his voice into the minds of those gathered.
'So you want to be champion of the world? That seems like an ambitious goal. I guess if you could manage to beat all of us that would definitely elevate your status. Once you become the champion though, what would you do next?' Asked Lance, momentarily catching Mewtwo off-guard, the brow of the Psychic creature furrowing slightly.
"Why would I need to do anything after cementing my place at the top?" Questioned Mewtwo.
"Because a real champion doesn't stop when they reach the top, they keep pushing the top even higher." Interjected Ash telepathically.
'Pika!' Chimed in Pikachu.
'Besides, if you want to be champion of the world, you need to start with me.' Declared Ash, pointing a thumb at his chest.
Mewtwo seemed unimpressed at this declaration, its form glowing slightly with a psychic aura, causing a panel to open behind the Genetic Pokémon, before three lumbering forms were heard. Moments later, the three forms were revealed to be the final evolutions of the Kanto starter Pokémon. Oddly though, the three Pokémon had a strange patterned black discolouration across their forms.
"I have gathered here the strongest forms of the Kanto starter Pokémon, Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. If you wish to prove your strength, I challenge you to take on my team with your own." Challenged Mewtwo.
'Leave it to me everyone.' Spoke Ash firmly, releasing three Pokémon, Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise.
'Sorry guys, I know the two of you were wanting a rest, but do you mind giving me a hand?' Asked Ash, addressing Blastoise and Venusaur.
Venusaur gave a small grunt, while Blastoise nodded his head.
"Very well then, shall we begin?" Said Mewtwo.
Ash nodded and looked at the three. Charizard was grinning in anticipation, not just for battle, but also to battle one of his own kind, which made the decision for Ash.
'Charizard, you're up first.' Announced Ash, causing Charizard to give an approving roar, as he stepped forward.
Mewtwo wordlessly raised his right arm forward and his Charizard stepped forward as well, a smug smirk on its face. Neither side made a move, waiting for the other one to show their hand first. Eventually, Mewtwo's Charizard shot forward in a Quick Attack, no doubt having received a telepathic command. Those spectating were impressed at the speed of the unknown Charizard, with many letting out small gasps at how quickly the distance between the two reptiles was closed. Ash's Charizard, having spent many hours of training against the agile Pikachu, easily in the top percentile of Pikachu for speed as well as power and endurance, had been forced to meet this impressive standard, which meant Mewtwo's Charizard may as well have been moving in slow motion. The two Charizard met in a quick lock-up, before Ash's Charizard backed off and smashed a Mega Punch into the face of his counterpart, staggering him. Not giving his opponent a chance to breathe, a blistering Fire Spin was launched out and ensnared the black streaked lizard. Despite the pain of two repeated attacks, Mewtwo's Charizard did little more than grunt, before forcing the Fire Spin to dissipate with sheer power. Ash's Charizard snorted softly, somewhat impressed with the strength of his counterpart. The two seemed to share the same thought, as both launched a Flamethrower at each other. Two ruffled beams of blistering orange and gold clashed in the small space between the combatants. The fiery clash leading to a sudden swell of heat washing over those gathered.
-line break-
'This is pretty intense as far as exhibition matches go.' Commented Gary.
'What makes you think this is an exhibition match?' Asked Lance, never turning his eyes away from the battle.
'Well, nothing is on the line.' Pointed out Gary, giving a small shrug.
'There is though. Pride.' Countered Lance.
-line break-
The two battling behemoths continued their deadlock for a minute, before both broke off their respective attacks.
Mewtwo's Charizard flew into the air, causing Ash's to smirk. Wings glowing white, Ash's Charizard blasted off to deliver a Wing Attack. The patterned Charizard balked at the speed shown by their counterpart, as the attack slammed into them in an instant. His opponent momentarily destabilised, Ash's Charizard attacked in a tried, true, and well tested manner, appearing behind his opponent and wrapping his arms around them. Flying high into the air and doing three rotations proved to be all the build-up Ash's Charizard needed, before shooting down and launching his opponent into the ground.
A cloud of dust was kicked up, before a brief flap of wings cleared it from below. Mewtwo's Charizard had managed to partially brace against impact, with two holes in the ground showing where his arms had punched through the floor in an attempt to reduce the impact. The arms themselves were slightly damaged, with many abrasions and small trails of blood along the forelimb.
Unfortunately for Ash, this damage proved to be enough for Blaze to take effect, as the flame on the tail of the wounded Charizard roared to life. Recognising this for the double-edged sword that it was, Ash wasted no time, with Charizard performing Agility to boost his already impressive speed. The wounded Charizard was undeterred though and glowed orange, before blasting out a quick stream of flames. Ash's Charizard deftly flew away from the attack, before a second burst was launched. This process repeated itself a number of times, before the pattern changed. Ash's Charizard suddenly changed direction mid-flight and charged straight for his opponent, who was between attacks. The attacking Charizard opened its mouth, and the tell-tale orange glow of a charging Hyper Beam was revealed. The already injured Charizard attempted to counter the attack with a powerful Flamethrower, only for the Hyper Beam to be released and cut through the enlarging attack, smashing into the face of Mewtwo's Charizard, causing a large explosion.
Ash's Charizard gave a sharp turn upwards and leisurely flew back towards Ash, coming to stop on the ground in front of him. As the smoke from the explosion cleared, Mewtwo's first ally was shown to be defeated. The dual Pokémon and trainer stared out at the battlefield, expression cool and measured giving nothing away. Mewtwo then levitated away the downed creature, bringing it back towards their side and behind them. Mewtwo then looked at his two remaining companions, before Blastoise gave a small nod, which Mewtwo returned. Ash looked to his Blastoise as well, the pair similarly giving each other nods. Charizard huffed softly and walked over to stand beside Venusaur while Blastoise stepped forward.
'Start off with Rain Dance.' Commanded Ash.
Blastoise angled his cannons up into the sky and shot two orbs of water into the air. The two balls seemed to dissipate before shifting into a clear cloud which started to darken and multiply, sending a light drizzle out along the field.
Mewtwo's Blastoise crouched down slightly, before two large blasts of water shot out at Ash's side.
'Rapid Spin.' Called Ash quickly.
Taking two steps forward, Ash's Blastoise suddenly leapt into the air with a twist and started to spin, appendages disappearing into the safety of his trusty shell. The beam of water ploughed into the airborne turtle, launching it towards the wall. Blastoise looked set to be embedded into the wall, before spinning off the main path of the beam, sending its large form flying off the side.
Instead of being embedded in the wall, as was likely Mewtwo's intention, Blastoise instead bounced off the wall, coming around with even greater rotational speed. The spinning behemoth looked set to smash into his counterpart, only for said counterpart to leap into the air, surprising all gathered at the size defying move. Mewtwo's Blastoise then charged up another Hydro Pump, only this one succeeded in its task of sending Blastoise into the wall.
The aggressor again charged up a blast of water, but this was no Hydro Pump, but rather, a Hydro Cannon attack. Ash grew nervous at the strength behind the attack, before calling out a counter.
'Use Mirror Coat!' Ordered Ash, a hint of urgency in his voice.
A pink transparent shield materialised in front of Ash's Blastoise, meeting the power of the Hydro Cannon head on. The beam appeared set to overwhelm the psychic defense, only for the attack to suddenly break off into four trails, which headed straight for Mewtwo's side. The streams of water lashed their original creator, causing the turtle to growl, before pulling its head in, raising its defense.
'Blastoise, use Hydro Pump, full power.' Instructed Ash.
-line break-
'That is quite the strategy.' Commented Lorelei.
'It sure is. Making use of a disadvantaged position to help boost your next attack's power. I never would have thought of seeing someone try something so risky, especially a kid.' Commented Lt. Surge.
'I sure hope the building stands up to something like this.' Commented Misty nervously.
'It will. This place was designed to be something of a fortress.' Commented Mewtwo's former puppet.
'Why would you need a fortress out in the middle of nowhere?' Asked Daisy.
'There is always a need for a fortress, especially in someone planning an assault.' Commented Koga.
'What do you mean?' Asked Nurse Joy.
'Mewtwo is not simply trying to prove superiority to humans. This entire event appears to be the first battle in a war.' Explained Koga.
'Going after the strongest trainers, is that really the best strategy though?' Questioned Brock.
'It is not the best, you are correct. It is the fastest however.' Commented Koga.
-line break-
Back on the battlefield, Hydro Pump was seconds away from meeting its target, before it was dodged, as Mewtwo's Blastoise ducked.
'No way!' Exclaimed Ash, in disbelief that his attack had been dodged.
Mewtwo seemed to take a small amount of satisfaction in Ash's disbelief, before signalling Blastoise. The Shellfish Pokémon grunted before jumping into the air and spinning as his counterpart had, floating across the Hydro Pump like a surfer over a wave. Ash momentarily lost his cool, giving a gasp of surprise, before regaining himself.
'Use Iron Defense, Blastoise.' Instructed Ash, with his embedded Pokémon following instructions, a light sheen covering its form.
The impact came shortly after that, with the large spinning disk crashing into the trapped Pokémon.
'Use Bite.' Said Ash, with his Pokémon quickly following his instruction, clamping his jaw down on his lookalike.
A quick groan followed this action before a canon was aimed towards the trapped Pokémon's face and a point-blank range Hydro Pump was released. This combined with his entrapment proved to be the final straw for Ash's Blastoise, who recoiled into the wall, shattering enough of the stone to dislodge himself, before collapsing to the ground unconscious. Ash returned Blastoise from across the distance, muttering a few words of encouragement, before sending a begrudging nod of respect to Mewtwo and Blastoise, who had made his way back towards his trainer. Venusaur stepped forward, prepared to avenge his fallen teammate, with his counterpart matching him.
The two Seed Pokémon mimicked each other, sending a storm of razor-sharp leaves at each other. The clang of grass sharpened to the consistency of steel making impact was heard, with the deadly blades embedding into the ground haphazardly.
'Vine Whip.' Called Ash, with Mewtwo mirroring his command.
Two pairs of vines shot out of the two green behemoths, before tangling around each other, turning things into an impromptu tug of war.
'Swing up.' Advised Ash, to which his Venusaur complied.
Like the uncoiling of a whip, Venusaur adjusted his vines causing the change in pressure to carry down the line, before meeting its intended target. Mewtwo's Venusaur tried to resist, but was lifted off the ground slightly, by the herculean strength of his counterpart.
'Now, use Sludge Bomb while they can't move!' Ordered Ash.
Even as Mewtwo's Venusaur started to descend to the ground, he would not be able to dodge in time, certainly not with the girth of his substantial form.
Mewtwo's eyes glowed and Venusaur seemed to steel his resolve, before pushing down against the vines. While the Sludge Bomb was released, it was followed up with a devastating earthquake, which again shook the stadium and floored some of the spectators.
-line break-
'That is some impressive power. Truly, Mewtwo's Pokémon have been honed to the pinnacle of their abilities.' Commented Bruno.
'Ash has no doubt done the same however, it is why the two are evenly matched.' Said Sabrina.
'I agree and that is why this will likely come down to experience where Ash has the edge.' Added Cynthia.
'Experience you say? I've never heard talk of a fresh trainer having experience before.' Commented Agatha.
'I guess it comes down to what you consider fresh. Ash hasn't been doing this for long, but he has been through a lot in a short time.' Revealed Brock.
-line break-
'Venusaur, use Synthesis.' Said Ash.
Venusaur was bathed in a light green glow as he recovered his stamina. His counterpart did the same, bringing the battlefield back to balance. Mewtwo took the initiative this time and attacked first, releasing another Razor Leaf. Ash countered with a Vine Whip, deflecting the projectiles while his Seed Pokémon moved closer to their opponent. Moments after the attack was over, Ash's Venusaur took off into a charge of considerable speed given his size. Mewtwo mirrored the attack, with the black streaked Venusaur, also beginning to charge up a Tackle as well. As the two met in the middle, it was clear that Ash's Venusaur had the momentum and speed, pushing his opponent back with relative ease. To counter this, Mewtwo commanded his Seed Pokémon to Bite his opponent. Ash strangely seemed to smirk at this, before vines launched out of his Venusaur and wrapped around their opponent. Seconds later a glowing ball of light was seen growing in the centre of the large flower of Ash's Venusaur. Moments later, a large beam of solar energy blasted into the surprised Venusaur of Mewtwo, launching it into the wall of the stadium, before it crumpled to the ground defeated.
A stunned silence passed across those gathered, as they processed the results of the battle. Mewtwo seemed to react first, floating Venusaur back to his side. Ash reacted next, as he met Venusaur part of the way across the field giving him a hug.
'Great job!' Praised Ash, with Venusaur giving a soft "Saur" in return, before returning to stand with Charizard.
Mewtwo then noticed Ash's position on the field and stepped forward itself.
"I believe it is time for the final round of battle now." Declared Mewtwo, a thin outline of purple psychic energy covering their feline form.
"I'm ready for you this time." Replied Ash, a blue glow covering him.
-line break-
'What's going on? Why are Ash and Mewtwo on the battlefield?' Asked Misty.
'It seems there is one more battle left to go after all.' Commented Lt. Surge.
'You can't be serious!' Protested Daisy.
'The boy doesn't stand a chance.' Said a smooth voice.
Those gathered turned to see who had spoken. Giovanni had spoken up for the first time since arriving at the Plateau.
'What makes you say that?' Asked Blaine.
'Because Mewtwo has already beaten him once.' Elaborated Giovanni.
'Surely you don't mean to say that Ash and Mewtwo have met in combat already?' Asked Koga.
'Ash is stronger this time and not being taken by surprise, but it won't make any difference against Mewtwo's awesome power. Add to that the sting of defeat… Mewtwo won't lose.' Continued Giovanni.
'You seem pretty confident in Mewtwo, I wonder why that is?' Asked Lance.
'Why wouldn't I have confidence in the ultimate Pokémon created for my own personal use?' Retorted Giovanni.
'You mean to say you created Mewtwo?' Asked Lance.
'Me? Oh no, I merely acquired Mewtwo. Perhaps in a different way most trainers capture a Pokémon since there was no Pokéball involved, but the two of us did enjoy a brief working relationship.' Revealed Giovanni, walking forward to step closer to the upcoming battle.
-line break-
"You seem quite confident." Commented Mewtwo.
"Last time you caught me off guard, I've been training in case we met again." Replied Ash.
"What a foolish notion, to think a human could believe they could match the ultimate Pokémon in battle." Scoffed Mewtwo, his disdain for Ash coming through clearly, even through telepathy.
"Everyone thinks they are the strongest, until they lose." Countered Ash.
Mewtwo glowed before the corresponding purple sheen latched on to Ash. Ash grit his teeth, before steeling his expression, as a blue glow crawled out from his skin and pushed back against the purple sheen, causing it to crumble. Mewtwo seemed to make an expression of mild surprise at this, before a flash of recognition seemed to pass through him.
"You were the challenger, the one who gave me the desire to escape. I never thought we would meet again, even more under circumstances such as these." Said Mewtwo.
"Why are you doing all of this Mewtwo? What are you hoping to get out of all of this?" Asked Ash.
"To prove my power and take my rightful place in this world of corruption." Replied Mewtwo.
"Who are you trying to prove your power to?" Asked Ash.
"Everyone. The world shall come to know the power of Mewtwo." Said Mewtwo.
"Couldn't you achieve that with a trainer though? Why make humans the enemy?" Asked Ash.
"Because humans are arrogant and have come to believe they are the pinnacle of life. I simply wish to correct this error in thinking?" Retorted Mewtwo, before pulsing his psychic powers and causing Ash to stiffen.
Ash closed his eyes and focused his breathing, before feeling the invisible bands restricting him break. Moments later, Ash made his first attack of the battle, running towards Mewtwo and attempting to punch him. A purple pane of translucent glass appeared in front of Ash, causing his punch to be bounced back. Not one to be deterred, Ash started to form a blue sphere of aura in his hands which he launched at Mewtwo. This time, a yellow rectangular shield appeared instead and bounced the ball of energy away.
"You do not have the power to beat me. While impressive for a human, you can never match a Pokémon, least of all the strongest of all." Taunted Mewtwo, before raising a hand.
Ash's form was forced into a crouching position before he was flung into the air. Ash tried to break through the power, but having been so suddenly thrown off his feet and launched, he was unable to focus himself to prevent impact. Instead of meeting the harshness of stone, Ash collided against a trampoline like bubble, which softly bounced him into the air, before he managed to come to rest on it without shifting around.
'Mew?' Questioned Ash, before finding he was unable to spot the small feline legendary.
"Mew? Do you mean to say Mew is here with you?" Asked Mewtwo, looking around but not finding his genetic predecessor.
"It is a suspicion. I would think your actions would bring Mew around." Admitted Ash, being unable to find the small feline.
"Is that so?" Questioned Mewtwo, before generating a Shadow Ball which he shot at Ash.
A pink reflective field appeared in front of Ash this time, but Ash knew it wasn't Mew, having felt the energy pulse come from the ground and spotting the purple glow coming from her. Mewtwo followed Ash's gaze and spotted the meddling of the psychic and launched a Shadow Ball at her as well. Much to Ash's surprise, a pink bubble appeared in front of Sabrina, bouncing the ball of ghostly energy back at Mewtwo who dodged the attack. Ash closed his eyes and focused his aura, reaching outwards and recalling the energy of the Mew they had encountered at the Tree of Life. Moments later, a small blip appeared on Ash's radar, and he caught a glimpse of a pink tail behind a stone fixture before it vanished. Ash's attention was brought back to the battle spotting Mewtwo gathering more energy and preparing to attack Sabrina again.
'Pika!' Shouted Pikachu from the ground, launching a bolt of thunder at the psychic feline, moving too fast for it to even attempt to dodge, striking it and cause it to project a displeased whine.
"This battle has become a farce." Said Mewtwo, annoyed at the multiple entities interfering in his fight with Ash.
'This battle was a farce from the start!' Countered Ash, jumping off the bubble and landing on the ground, a small purple bubble softening his fall before bursting, bouncing him to his feet.
'You gathered us to prove yourself, but all you've proved is your power as a Pokémon, not a trainer. A trainer constantly strives to get better, you think you've reached the top already.' Lectured Ash.
"Nonsense. You were not able to combat me without the assistance of multiple others." Retorted Mewtwo, even as Ash walked towards him resolutely.
'If you wanted a one-on-one battle, I have another opponent for you.' Offered Ash, grasping his Ultra Ball and holding it out to Mewtwo.
Mewtwo prepared to accept the challenge, only for a soft cry to break his thoughts. Mewtwo looked around, only to find that Mew was perched around Sabrina's shoulders, while the psychic had her eyes closed and was still focusing on the Genetic Pokémon.
"Living beings cry when in pain, but only humans cry from sadness." Said a voice inside Mewtwo's head.
Mewtwo started to see glimpses of a different time. Mewtwo was much younger, evident by his small stature. Glimpses of a young girl with teal hair and a cloned Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. Following these images, Mewtwo felt a wave of sadness wash over him.
The others gathered watched as Mewtwo stiffened, before dark purple energy seemed to crawl out from him, causing the building to shake as though an Earthquake attack had been used. On the other side, Mew and Sabrina continued to glow a light pink, trying to keep Mewtwo under control. Noticing the struggle, Ash focused on Mewtwo and pushed his mind against his, trying to soothe him, only to find himself pulled into Mewtwo's mind.
-line break-
'Hi there, I'm Amber, what's your name?' Said a voice, causing Ash to open his eyes to an inky darkness.
'I'm Ash?' Replied Ash in confusion, trying to find any discernible shape in the darkness.
Almost as if sensing Ash's confusion, a figure appeared in front of Ash. The figure was a girl, appearing around half of Ash's age with teal hair down to their back and wearing a white gown and slippers.
'Come with me, I'll take you to the others.' Said the girl.
'Others?' Questioned Ash.
'I'll show you.' Declared the girl, before the scenery seemed to change and the pair were now floating in the sky above a suburban neighbourhood.
The town was far more densely packed than most towns, the buildings appearing to be small homes, almost identical to each other. Ash searched for a familiar structure, such as a Pokémon Centre, but couldn't find any.
'This is where I lived.' Spoke the girl, answering Ash's unasked question.
The pair flew through the sky, the girl in the lead, before coming to a small home and landing in front of it. The girl walked up to the door and opened it without knocking, with Ash following in after. Inside were a patterned Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, playing around with Mew, floating out of reach of the three. Seated on the floor, was a smaller version of Mewtwo, looking up at Mew. Sitting across from Mewtwo was Sabrina, appearing as a child with greyish-blue hair, wearing a white and pink sundress, in addition to a white hat with a pink bow on top.
'Everyone, look, we have a new friend.' Announced the girl, causing the other to look at Ash.
Mew reacted first, floating over to Ash and floating around his head, before giving a soft giggle, hand in front of its mouth, before floating back, as the Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle approached Ash in curiosity.
'Ash?' Asked Sabrina, before walking over to him.
'Why do you look older than you do now?' Asked Sabrina.
'I guess this is what I should really look like.' Commented Ash, only now noting he had the appearance before he travelled back in time.
'Why are you younger?' Asked Ash.
'That's because here we become the age we want to be.' Explained the girl.
'Amber, what's going on?' Asked Mewtwo in a childlike voice.
'We're here to help you, Mewtwo, I just thought it would be nice to have a little fun first.' Said Amber.
'How are we going to help?' Asked Ash.
'That's a secret.' Replied Amber, before going to sit with Mewtwo, with Ash following.
Ash sat down on the floor a small distance away from the others, his size sticking out in the room of otherwise diminutive creatures.
'You see, we are Mewtwo's friends, but something happened so Mewtwo forgot about us. Mew helped us come back to play.' Explained Amber, with Mew giving a small playful squeak and coming to rest on Ash's head.
'We didn't get to spend a lot of time together, but Mewtwo was really nice when we were around.' Continued Amber.
'The problem now is Mewtwo doesn't have any friends on the outside, so we were hoping you would be Mewtwo's friends.' Continued Amber, revealing the reason for the others being here.
'I mean, Mewtwo was kind of my friend before, sort of.' Admitted Ash.
'So does that mean you will be friends with Mewtwo then?' Asked Amber.
'Sure. I mean, what I said on the outside is what I meant, Pokémon and trainers working together is the best friendship you can have. Pikachu and I have been through everything together.' Answered Ash.
'Pokémon and trainers… I still wonder, which am I?' Asked Mewtwo, only for Mew to appear in front of his clone.
'I think what Mew is trying to say is it doesn't really matter. Pokémon can be friends with Pokémon and trainers can be friends with trainers, but both can be friends with each other. Does it really matter which you are?' Interpreted Amber.
'I guess that makes sense. I mean, both Sabrina and I can use Pokémon moves too. I don't think it makes much of a difference either.' Added Ash.
'I never thought about it like that either, I just considered myself psychic, I didn't really think if that made me a psychic trainer or psychic Pokémon.' Commented Sabrina.
'See, so you don't have to be sad anymore Mewtwo.' Said Amber.
'I… I don't want you to go, I don't want to lose you again.' Mumbled Mewtwo, looking down at the ground.
'Silly, we never left, we were always inside you.' Chided Amber playfully.
Moments later, Amber and the three Kanto starters started to dissolve into particles of light, causing Mewtwo to look up.
Mewtwo started to shed tears, noticing the moisture accumulating in his eyes after a few moments, with Mewtwo's memories of his origin flooding back.
'Remember Mewtwo, life is wonderful.' Whispered Amber, before finally vanishing along with the starters.
-line break-
Ash snapped back into reality and quickly looked around, seeing the others looking perplexed, before spotting Mew using teleport after giving Sabrina a small wave of the tail. Mewtwo's power started to stabilise before slowly coming under control.
"So this is how it ends, with the realisation that I was in the wrong. I apologise for bringing all of you out here. I had thought I needed to prove my superiority and show my power, but it seems power was my only strength. I still have much to learn before I can claim to be the strongest Pokémon and Pokémon Master. Giovanni, you taught me that power was all that matters. Ash, you taught me that friendship is just as important. Sabrina, you and Mew showed me the line between us all is a broken one, not a solid one. I now understand I still have much more to understand about this world, but I will not bother you again. If either of you seek me out, I will meet you.' Declared Mewtwo, turning between the three humans he had mentioned, before turning back to his partners.
'Wait, Mewtwo, are those three your friends from before?' Asked Ash curiously.
Mewtwo shook his head.
'So you managed to do it yourself?' Asked Ash.
"Some questions should go unanswered." Replied Mewtwo.
Mewtwo walked over to his cloned Pokémon before the three of them started to float in the air.
"You may see us again one day, but it will not be one day soon." Finished Mewtwo, before the three floated out of the roof and into the cloudy sky, disappearing under the cover of clouds.
The group stared into the sky, as the Pokémon disappeared, before Ash walked back over to the group.
'So, I guess that's my win?' Said Ash questioningly.
'Indeed it was, you've now managed to overcome Mewtwo in two domains. It will be interesting to see what you accomplish as Champion now.' Commented Giovanni, before heading for the exit, as the clouds overhead cleared.
'So I guess we can go back to the Plateau now.' Suggested Lance.
'All things considered; we may need to postpone the battles to tomorrow though.' Added Lorelei.
'I agree, we've had enough excitement today.' Agreed Agatha.
'On the note of excitement, was that Mew that was helping you, Sabrina?' Asked Cynthia, getting a nod from the psychic.
'Fascinating, I've never seen a legendary bond so strongly to someone so quickly. I know the Lake Guardians can bond with those who express their trait strongly, but they are known to do so, while Mew is typically elusive.' Commented Cynthia.
'I guess being a psychic might have been the reason.' Supplied Brock.
'Well, that seems to fit the theme I guess.' Agreed Cynthia.
'I guess the same thing happens with Riolu and Lucario.' Added Cynthia after a moment of thought, with Ash giving a small cough.
'Yeah, how about we get something to eat first, I'm starving.' Interrupted Ash, before giving a big yawn.
'And sleepy. I'll see you on the ship.' Finished Ash, giving another yawn.
"Man Pikachu, I've never had to use so much Aura before, I'm exhausted." Thought Ash.
"At least you didn't die this time." Pointed out Pikachu.
"Silver linings I suppose." Joked Ash.