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Mewtwo walked up the path to Princess Peach’s castle alone. It was quiet, which was unusual for the area, but to Mewtwo’s liking. Peach had called him over with a strangely vague message, which was unlike her. Mewtwo approached the door and steeled himself, there was a chance something horrible had happened. He slowly opened the door with telekinesis, standing back at a strategic distance, and walked into the uncharacteristically dark room.
“Happy Birthday!” A chorus of voices called out. The lights in the castle turned on. Up on the ceiling was a banner reading ‘Happy Birthday Mewtwo’ with multicolored letters. Mewtwo didn’t know how to react. His eyes darted around the room. Peach was standing on the opposite end of the room, at the foot of the staircase leading upwards. With her was a small group of fellow Smashers, Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Ganondorf, Ness, and Lucas.
“How?” Mewtwo looked up at the banner again, confirming he read it correctly. “I didn’t know today was my birthday, how did you?”
“Oh, I have my connections,” Peach said. She stepped forward and offered her hand. “The cake and presents are upstairs. I hope you like them.”
Mewtwo let Peach lead him and the others up the stairs and to a room on the right. Inside the room was a dining table with a sizable cake and enough plates for everyone, with a small pile of presents by the chair at the head of the table. None of it felt real, even though he was used to Peach’s friendship and kindness. He didn’t need to be told that Peach had baked the cake herself and used his favorite berries, because she was that kind of person.
Peach led the others in singing ‘Happy Birthday.’ Once the song was over Mewtwo blew out the candles. He didn’t believe in making wishes, and couldn’t think of any at the moment. The first slice of cake went to Mewtwo. The taste was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. A survey of the table showed everyone else was appreciating it as well. Ganondorf took small bites, valuing each one. Meanwhile Ness dug into his slice and was already eying another.
“Should I open the presents now?” Mewtwo asked.
“Yeah, make sure to open mine first,” Daisy said.
“Daisy, they’re his presents. He can open them when he wants,” Peach said.
“It’s fine. I remember Daisy saying the best part of these parties is seeing what everyone else gave,” Mewtwo said. He examined the variety of presents. It was hard to think of any material good he felt a desire for, or needed. He decided to go with Lucas’s first. Lucas leaned forward when he realized his present was being unwrapped, there was a slight hint of anxiousness on his face.
Lucas’s present was a scrapbook. It contained pictures not just of the times Lucas, Mewtwo, and Ness trained together, but of all sorts of moments where Mewtwo was with the other Smashers. Memories returned to Mewtwo, camping with the others, showing them around the Pokémon Village, watching sports tournaments from a VIP box, and a host of other memories. “Thank you Lucas, I’ll treasure this,” Mewtwo said. Lucas smiled.
“A lot of people helped me get the pictures, but I put it together myself,” Lucas said. “I know you like being alone, but we really like it when you’re around.”
“So do I,” Mewtwo said. He set the scrapbook to the side. Ganondorf’s present was next. Mewtwo lifted it up and unwrapped it with telekinesis, then opened the large box. Inside was a set of gilded armor. Ganondorf had an embarrassed look on his face.
“I know you don’t have the best history with armor, but nobody is powerful enough to take a punch to the face like it’s nothing. The smiths made this to fit your form, not constrain it,” Ganondorf explained.
“You must have had some of the best work on this,” Mewtwo said. While he was no expert in armor, it certainly appeared to be the work of an expert. He tried on the helmet, which featured the symbol for psychic type Pokémon. It was oddly light, there was still weight to it, but not as much as would be reasonably assumed. “You’re right, in a battle it’s better to have something prepared in case of getting hit, instead of gambling on never receiving a single blow. This should keep me safe.” Mewtwo returned the helmet to the box. Ganondorf breathed a sigh of relief.
“That armor is so cool, what do I have to do to get a set?” Daisy asked.
“Pay people to make it,” Ganondorf said.
“What if I want it as a gift?”
“That depends on what you got me,” Mewtwo said. He let himself smirk as he unwrapped the present from Daisy and opened the box. Inside was a music player and set of headphones. The music player was loaded with various forms of white noise. “I see, with this I can focus even when everyone else is competing to be the loudest. Thank you.”
“Your welcome,” Daisy said.
“Are you sure you didn’t just want an excuse to make a racket and get away with it?” Peach asked. She had a sly grin.
“Hey, I am so not the loudest Smasher.”
“She’s right you know,” Luigi said.
“And that is how a gentleman talks to a lady.” Daisy held Luigi’s hand. Mewtwo decided to end the exchange by taking the next present, Ness’s. Ness watched the unwrapping process eagerly. The present was a book filled with logic puzzles, including a good number of sudoku puzzles.
“What do you think?” Ness asked.
“That these should provide an entertaining challenge.” In hindsight it was obvious Ness’s present would be something along those lines. Mewtwo had agreed to help tutor Ness, but struggled with it until he stumbled upon logic puzzles. Completing sudoku puzzles had given Ness an important boost in confidence when it came to math.
Mario and Luigi had teamed up for one present. Mewtwo didn’t know what to expect, but he hadn’t expected to find two mega stones. “Where did you even get these?”
“We found them while traveling in your world. Peach had the idea of making them a birthday present,” Mario said. Mega stones for artificially made Pokémon weren’t just lying around. Mewtwo was aware that the Mario brothers had some run in with Team Rocket, but they tended to be modest. Then a thought occurred to Mewtwo. There was a chance they were the ones who learned the date of his birth and told Peach. Had Peach sent them after Team Rocket solely for that information?
“Thank you.” Mewtwo didn’t intended to use mega evolution, but having the stones felt reassuring. It meant that people who wished him harm didn’t have them.
Peach’s present was the final one left unopened. Unwrapping it revealed a bag, specifically a magical bottomless bags. “Sorry for the boring gift, but I thought this would make carrying the other gifts around easier,” Peach said.
“Clever,” Mewtwo said. He started placing the other presents in the bag, being especially careful with the scrapbook.
“So that’s why you told us not to worry about the size of our gifts, now it makes sense. I was worried the armor might become a burden,” Ganondorf said.
“Why do you sound insecure?” Lucas asked.
“What should we do when we’re all finished with the cake?” Ganondorf turned away.
“Link will never believe this,” Luigi said.
“Nor will he hear of it.” Ganondorf aimed a threatening look at Luigi. Daisy retaliated with a stare of her own. The air was thick with tension. Then Daisy broke out into laughter, as did Ganondorf. Peach let out a sigh of relief. Eating cake quickly took priority over conversation.
“What do you want to do next Mewtwo?” Peach asked. Mewtwo contemplated his answer.
“I would like to see fireworks. Aside from that, there’s no particular activity I want. Though I suppose the armor could do with a test run at some point.”
“Alright then, I’ll go arrange the fireworks and we can all meet up for it later,” Peach said. She got up from the table and hurried off. Mario excused himself and followed after her. An idea came to Mewtwo, a way to repay Peach for putting together the celebration. Receiving so many presents without giving anything in return didn’t feel right to Mewtwo.
“Are you planning something?” Lucas asked.
“Yes. I need you all to insist on something with the fireworks.” Mewtwo outlined his minor scheme to the others.
Later that night
Bright constellations shined upon Princess Peach’s Castle. Mewtwo looked up at the sky in anticipation. Peach and Mario were by his side, while the others watched from another of the castle’s balconies. All was silent. Then the first firework went off, adding its drifting pink light to the sky. More followed it, filling the sky was a variety of colors.
Mewtwo waited for the right moment, then he teleported away, joining the viewing party on the other balcony. Peach and Mario looked around in confusion before seeing where Mewtwo had gone. The look on Peach’s face made it clear she knew the true reason why. She and Mario moved closer, standing side by side under the colorful sky.
A smile came to Mewtwo’s face as he looked at the other balcony, the fireworks briefly becoming mere background. “I didn’t take you for a matchmaker, I thought that was Robin’s thing,” Ganondorf said.
“Come on, who hasn’t tried to help hook them up at this point. Aside from Bowser I mean,” Ness said. The next wave of fireworks went off, its sound leaving no room for any further word in the conversation. Mewtwo didn’t mind, he enjoyed the show. And he knew the others did too.
Happiness wasn’t a foreign emotion to Mewtwo. But what he felt was greater than any happiness he had felt before. Gazing up at the fireworks with his friends, a thought came to Mewtwo, one that once upon a time had been unthinkable. He was grateful for being born.