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Now, if there was one thing everyone in the room knew, was that Ash Ketchum, without a shadow of a doubt, was special.
It was impossible not to realize. How he seemed to connect so well with every Pokemon, how he seemed to be able to understand what all of them were saying and feeling so well, and how he somehow managed to draw Legendaries towards him like he was some kind of beacon.
But another thing everyone in the room knew was that he, while knowing when to get serious, was, without a shadow of a doubt, a kid.
While there was nothing wrong with that, he was just fourteen after all, the change from Sinnoh to Unova was simply too abrupt for Cynthia and Dawn not to notice.
In Sinnoh, while still acting like a kid and getting excited all the time, he was much more like a soldier instead of a kid when it came to more serious matters or even just battling in general. There was something cold in the light of his eyes, and it was sometimes painful to watch.
Dawn, being the one present for pretty much everything, felt more relieved than anything, thinking that Ash had managed to loosen up in Unova and that he was finally back from whatever had caused him to become like that in Sinnoh. But Cynthia didn't feel relieved. Not at all.
She could see it, ever since they met again. And thank Arceus they did, life was getting kind of boring without Ash and his tendency to attract disasters wherever he goes. Him being probably the nicest person she's ever met also helped.
She didn't even realize how much she missed him until they met again, all smiles and childish excitement over seeing her again.
She should be happy for him. But all she felt was dread.
When did she start caring so much about him?
But all of that didn't detract from the fact that she could still see the look in his eyes when he thought no one was looking. That haunted, contemplative look so unlike him that it made her feel scared for the first time in a long while.
But she kept her mouth shut. She knew Ash, and she knew very well that the chances of him saying anything, even if he trusted her and Dawn more than he trusted Iris and Cilan (It was obvious he did. The way he acted around them was too obvious not to notice. Cynthia wondered what was the cause of that.) was close to none. She knew that Ash had a lot in his head, and that he was most likely trying to not keep thinking about it, since that was probably the best way to not go insane.
After seeing and hearing about everything he's dealt with, she doesn't blame him. Not at all.
But that still didn't quell her worries, and that only grew when Mewtwo showed up.
Honestly, Cynthia and Dawn were wondering how Ash didn't suffer some kind of emotional whiplash from the way he suddenly became a child soldier again. It was like a switch had been flipped. Even Iris and Cilan were clearly worried, not having seen this part of Ash in any part of their adventures, besides maybe with Victini.
Dawn and Cynthia reminded themselves to tear him a new one later for being such a reckless idiot, but they both knew that it wouldn't change anything. He would still almost get himself killed every time a new legendary needed his help, and then miraculously pull through, claiming it was not a big deal.
For him, it probably really wasn't.
But even knowing this was probably just another Tuesday for Ash, (not to mention that having a Legendary that was apparently a clone of Mew casually floating in front of Ash who was even more casually sitting in the huge sofa in front of the clone should be WAY weirder than it sounded), seeing him and Mewtwo talk like they were two old war veterans was no less heartbreaking.
"Things sure have changed. I never imagined a region so peaceful as this existed back then. But I guess disgusting humans with too much power are a constant no matter what happens." Mewtwo was saying, his voice so disdainful and bitter that the four people in the room wondered how the fourteen year old boy had gotten through him.
So it was even more shocking when Ash just laughed, his face displaying some of the childness that was still there, but his voice was hollow, like it somehow hurt to laugh at the moment.
The raven haired trainer brushed the tears out of his eyes- from sadness or amusement, they didn't know- and stared at the clone with those unfamiliar eyes, so full with experience and baggage that it made Iris want to punch herself for every time she called him a kid before.
She would much rather have that Ash than this Ash.
"That's the most terrifying thing Mewtwo. Things change, that's inevitable. I changed, you changed, Pikachu changed, hell, even Team Rocket changed. But the world? Oh, buddy, the world is just the same as it has always been. There's just way less reasons for you to want to live in it." The boy said while casually standing up, Pikachu in his shoulder, going towards the bar that was imbued in the room and completely ignoring the flinch that everyone sans Mewtwo gave from the implied meaning in his words.
The Legendary followed him immediately, sitting in one of the chairs beside him, and the four of them immediately knew that they were supposed to stay exactly where they were.
"You have certainly changed. I don't remember you being so... collected last time we met." The clone said, and even though he was speaking telepathically, there was a hint of worry in his voice that all of them could notice.
Ash just snorted, petting Pikachu to calm himself and the mouse, who refused to leave his side ever since Mewtwo appeared after their encounter with the Genesects. He really knew his trainer better than anyone, and that was something none of them ever questioned. But still, today, Pikachu and Ash were pretty much a package deal. It was like there was some kind of history lesson going on, but it was being told in a language none of them could understand.
They didn't know if they should feel thankful or frustrated towards that.
"Like I said, it's been a long time. Things were... hard, in Hoenn and Sinnoh. But here it's like things just calmed down for a while. Like Arceus finally decided I deserved a break or something. Even though we ran into Zekrom the first five seconds we arrived here." That earned different reactions. Mewtwo just snorted, while Dawn and Cynthia just shook their heads.
Iris and Cilan though... they just looked betrayed. Damn. Ash really didn't trust them much. Not that Cynthia and Dawn blamed him. Still, it was hard for them to fathom the raven haired trainer lying or being distrustful towards anyone, but as they clearly realized, he was kind of an expert in doing that. They both looked at each other, and realized how much they missed Brock.
"Why am I not surprised?" The artificial Legendary drawled, and Ash laughed again, a little less fake than the last one, but still definitely not his real laugh.
"Well, at least he didn't try to kill us." He said, and immediately flinched as Mewtwo's head and tail lowered, realizing his mistake immediately. "Sorry. Didn't mean to say that. Just me being stupid." The boy said, looking more apologetic than they have ever seen him, and then suddenly everything fell in place.
Didn't try to kill us.
Mewtwo immediately looking like a wounded puppy.
Oh...
Oh God.
They all had to hold a gasp as they finally realized what was happening. If Ash and Mewtwo realized, they didn't show it.
"I can't believe you're the one apologizing when I was the one who killed you." The clone said bluntly, and they were all trying really hard to not cry right now.
"I ran into the middle of the attack. That was my own fault. And Mew hit me just as hard." Was Ash's immediate response. Mewtwo didn't seem to feel any better by it, so the trainer just sighed, rubbing the Legendary's head gently and remembering a time where he would have died for even thinking about doing that.
For once, he was glad things changed.
"Pikapi..." Pikachu muttered sadly, speaking up for the first time since Ash and Mewtwo started to catch up. His trainer immediately rubbed him behind the ears, muttering reassurances that meant nothing and everything to the mouse at the same time.
"Unova has been so docile and uneventful that I really just decided to shove everything that happened before away for a while, just until the world decided to end again. But it didn't happen, not even with the Legendaries we met until now. It has been so good. Although to be honest with you..." Here, his voice went back to that dark whisper that they were still shocked that he was capable of producing. He looked down, seemingly trying to collect his thoughts.
Once he did, the boy just smirked, looking directly into Mewtwo's eyes. "We had our fair share of trouble, trust me." The Legendary contemplated this, before smirking right back at Ash. "You've been busy." Was all the clone said.
The raven haired trainer looked back towards them, and when they met his eyes, they realized: He did trust them. He wouldn't be having this conversation in front of them if he didn't. But then why...
He just grinned at them, and for once, it was genuine. "I had help."
They grinned back at him, completely ignoring the tears that were leaking from their eyes.