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Ash twirled around, taking in the fresh air as sun rays glittered in his eyes.
Pikachu sniffed the ground, trotting next to Ash.
Putting his hands behind his head, Ash nudged at the dirt with his foot.
“Do you get the feeling that something is going to go horribly wrong at any time too?” Ash asked.
Tilting his head, Pikachu climbed onto Ash’s shoulder. “Pikapi?”
“Sure, ‘all official regional champions should pay closer attention to their region.’ But after what we’ve gone through?” Ash’s eyes glazed over with speckles of flowers. Pikachu nodded, cooing in agreement. “And what about the Orange Islands?”
“Pika?”
“Oh yeah, remember Lugia? It’s that feeling.” Ash glanced upwards. “I hope my mom and friends are staying safe.”
Pikachu’s ears drooped.
Only the gentle splashes of water lapping against the river bank answered Ash.
Squatting down, Ash placed a hand on the ground, tracing a Pikachu drawing into the loose dirt before patting some of the nearby flowers. Pikachu silently padded across the field, ears perked up.
Columns of flowers loomed around them like lonely crystal towers. Like forest guardians judging people’s intentions.
As Ash caught up to Pikachu, a blue blur raced past them.
Pikachu sweatdropped. Ash shook his head. “No, it couldn’t have been Sui-”
Like the ebbing of the tide, mist enveloped them. A pink? red? purple? blur followed.
Ash’s smile wavered for a moment.
Garden Island .
Pikachu side-eyed Ash, patting his leg and chirping.
Ash rolled his eyes. “Yeah, no thanks. I don’t wish to deal with another raging Groudon anytime soon, fake or not.”
Dramatically nodding, Pikachu pouted. Before Ash could say another word, a swirl of green and purple danced in front of his eyes.
Giggling.
“Who’s there?”
A little girl with teal-colored hair drifted over.
Petals gathered around her like light particles.
Ash and Pikachu glanced at each other when her body seemed to pulsate in and out of existence, fizzing with white stars.
“Hello!” she exclaimed. “I’m Ambertwo!”
Ignoring the tears pricking at his eyes, Ash smiled. “Nice to meet you, Ambertwo. I’m Ash. Can I help you?” Pikachu huddled closer to Ash.
Ambertwo tilted her head. “...Life is wonderful, isn’t it?”
“...” Ash sat next to Ambertwo. “Yeah.”
An overwhelming sense of nostalgia bubbled around them.
The sun. The moon. The wind.
A trio of starters with distinctive patterns. An adventure of marveling at nature and cities. A duality of meaning in the moon and life.
“Even when everything seems hopeless, you’re never alone,” Ash said.
He blinked.
Pikachu’s ears flickered up and down like the leaves fluttering in the wind.
Ambertwo only smiled. “I knew you’re the best for this.”
Ash swapped souls with Ambertwo, drowning in past forgotten memories.
Losing his entire family. The moon, always there to remind him he’s created. Tears are supposed to bring you back, Ambertwo! Who am I? What’s my purpose?
Lonely. Dark. Cold. Confused. Anxious. Don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry what good are these tears???
Isn’t life supposed to be beautiful?
Pikachu patted Ash’s cheek, ears twitching in utter confusion when Ambertwo said, “Mewtwo still feels conflicted over us.”
Softly humming Oracion to himself before taking a deep breath, Ash glanced off. “Is that why you’re here? Because neither of you are at peace?”
“...He does not remember me. Yet.” Ambertwo floated in front of Ash, dipping her head. “But I was there with him from the very start.”
Ash tucked his knees in, keeping grounded by petting Pikachu’s head.
Lights shimmering outside the cramped glass. Liquid sticking to his skin like the muffled words outside. Where? Who? What?
The glass shattered.
Chemicals. Plummeting temperature. Disgusting taste of the future.
Creators… Did they care for me like… Snarl. Their intentions and thoughts swarmed Mewtwo like a million pinpricks.
Humans are disgusting.
“You’re unique.” You’re fake. Created. Not natural. Stuck between worlds. Freak.
“You’re powerful.” And that’s your only purpose. You’re a weapon. Property. Experiment. Monster.
His anger burned the atmosphere. Smoke and cracks grew around him.
Scuttling movement, scattered screaming. A field of shrieking metal and glass shards. Wires sparked against the crumpled lab.
“So you were there when he…” Ash trailed off. Pikachu tilted his head, eyes wide.
Ambertwo trailed a finger against the flowers, marveling at its life. “I was always with him.”
A lone scientist, caressing the edge of a glass tube. Ambertwo’s death didn’t just stir up Mewtwo’s emotions.
He was...
Shutting his eyes, Ash rubbed his temples. “Dr. Fuji?”
Pikachu stared up at Ash, confusion clouding his eyes.
“Papa…” Ambertwo trailed off, fidgeting with the edge of her skirt, a sense of conflict surrounding her.
Ash reached for Ambertwo’s hand, freezing when Ambertwo shook her head.
Staring into Ambertwo’s translucent eyes, Ash gulped back the rising tears clenching his neck. Pikachu nuzzled closer to Ash, staring around them.
“I see. Thank you, Ambertwo.”
“No, wait. There’s something else you should know.”
Ash and Pikachu both stared at Ambertwo, but only Ash felt his inner soul twinge. “Giovanni?”
“Mewtwo took after both of his father figures, true. But no.”
Images of Mewtwo in armor fighting battles for Giovanni shuffled by. Arrogance. Pride. Hypocrisy. Betrayal. Fleeing.
Smart. Passionate. Selfish.
Creating clones to relieve his loneliness.
Violent. Cynicism. Cautiousness.
Being the savior by taking over the world.
“He’s trying,” Ambertwo murmured.
Ash nodded. “I know.”
“I know you know.”
New Island.
Ash froze. It felt like he was in an alternate dimension.
He knew these memories.
He didn’t.
Being the most powerful. That was his purpose. Dominating the world. Being the best. Carrying out his plans the way he wanted. Nothing could stop him.
Ash...
Ash held his head, eyes wide. Ambertwo was silent as she watched Pikachu wave a paw in front of Ash’s face.
Monster. Monster. Monster. What’s my purpose? If actions determine who you are, what does that make me???
Shame. Guilt. Fear. Isolation. Confusion.
Pikachu shocked Ash.
Ash jolted forward, feeling the electricity spread out into the ground around him. Feeling the grass below him, Ash watched his tears droop down the edge of a snapdragon plant.
“Mewtwo…”
“Pikapi!” Pikachu paced around Ash, his paws jittering up and down.
“In order for him to be at peace, he must come to terms with us.”
“...I understand.”
Pikachu stared between them, ears wilting.
Ice clung to Ash’s aura, a stone cage around his heart.
“He needs to move on from me .”
“I understand.”
A disappearing soul. Burying a shattered heart. Time didn’t fix anything.
“Can you take care of him for me please?”
“I understand. We’ve already adopted each other.” Pikachu sweatdropped as Ash blinked. “Or, at least I did.”
Ambertwo giggled, curtsying. “Thank you.” Before Ash and Pikachu could react, Amber dissipated into nature, with sunlight fizzing through her hair.
The mist rolled over them.
Scooping Pikachu into his arms, Ash scanned the area. A salty taste filled his mouth as the grass ruffled in the non-existent wind.
Pikachu nuzzled Ash’s cheek as Ash locked eyes with Mewtwo.
“Human.” Mewtwo descended next to them, as still as a statue.
Bittersweetness shielded Ash’s eyes. “I’m happy to see you again, Mewtwo! How are you doing?”
A twitch of his tail. Mewtwo blankly stared at them. “I’m… fine.” Ash grinned before pausing, glancing off. “I didn’t expect to meet you here. What did you want to converse about, human?”
Holding Pikachu with one hand, Ash covered an eye with his other. “...Pokemon tears are filled with life, huh?” he whispered.
Mewtwo blinked, his tail jolting up before drooping. His stance didn’t change.
“You remember… I erased your memories for a reason,” he flatly said, voice carefully monotone from experience. Ash raised an eyebrow, letting Mewtwo’s hidden guilt storm around them.
“Pikapi?”
“I’ll tell you later, Pikachu.”
Silence followed.
“...It must be quite shocking to remember.”
“Pun intended?” Ash joked. Mewtwo’s tail twitched. “Never mind. Listen, I can’t say this is the only time I saw someone else’s memories, or the only time I stuck with a pokemon to die or nearly die for them.” Pikachu and Mewtwo froze as Ash shrugged.
Pikachu patted Ash’s cheek, tail swaying back and forth.
“Shush Pikachu, I also learned that lesson, what do you take me for?” Ash laughed, causing Pikachu to face-paw. “Moving on, Mewtwo, have you met the other-”
“Human.”
Ash stroked Pikachu’s back. “What? I do wonder how they’re doing! I wonder why they had that form change, maybe because she’s better off?” Ash purposefully glanced at Mewtwo, eyes determined.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about, but that’s not what I meant. How are you so nonchalant?”
“Dunno! Guess I got used to it!”
“I turned you into stone.”
“Pika?!”
“Yeah, I empathize with Pikachu more now,” Ash said. Pikachu stared up at Ash before settling down, knowing his trainer too well to change anything. “Besides, I was the reckless one who ran into you and Mew’s attack. Spur of the moment and all, but someone always saves me from my mistakes in the end!”
“Pika...”
“Yeah we saw so many legendaries.” Ash smiled at Pikachu, but both of them knew it wasn’t a true smile. “What a surprise.”
Mewtwo blankly stared at them, not moving an inch.
Facing Mewtwo, Ash continued, “I forgave you. You learned from it. You’re trying to make up for it. That’s enough for me.”
“...I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“Didn’t I say everyone’s one of a kind already?”
Pikachu rolled his eyes, lunging around Ash’s neck.
“Says the chosen one.”
Ash and Pikachu froze. “Oh.”
“I met up with Lugia. I gathered the legendary birds. I ignored your little Rotom .” Mewtwo waved a hand. “You haven’t talked about what you did, have you.”
“...Nah. Like with Lillie and Magearna!”
“You’re still a- Like- How haven't you died yet?” Mewtwo blurted. Ash sweatdropped. “Never mind don’t answer that.”
“Don’t worry about it, Mewtwo,” Ash said with a shake of his head. “Yeah, chosen one. Me and Pikachu saw Ho-oh on our first day. I can’t count how many times we’ve fought a legendary and taken their attacks. Of course we’d be used to it!”
“Pikapi…”
Ash side-eyed Pikachu, sarcastically saying, “Wow thanks Pikachu, I’m definitely a Kangaskhan.” Pikachu waved a paw, forcing a smug laugh.
Brush the past aside, joke about the future. It was a routine they both knew.
Mewtwo glanced between them, staring at Ash when he held out a hand to him. “I get it, Mewtwo. It’s ok.”
Silence.
Mewtwo made no movement.
Ash dropped his hand when darkness scrambled across the ground. Pikachu narrowed his eyes as he glanced around.
Clouds rumbled, sparking red as they engulfed the sky.
Tail jolting, Mewtwo tilted his head.
Ash and Pikachu sighed, the former calmly saying, “Let’s get to Galar.”
“I’m coming along.”
Pikachu stared at Mewtwo, but Ash simply grinned. “Not acting like an urban legend anymore?” Ash faced Mewtwo, his eyes glistening. “Glad to hear it, old friend.”
A glimmer sparkled behind Ash, disappearing when Mewtwo turned to look. His eyes flickered blue for a split second.
Familiar…
Mewtwo chuckled, his eyes glistening like Ash’s. He hesitantly reached out a hand.
“Thank you, Ash.”