Once darkness had settled itself upon the mountainside, Mewtwo returned to flight, heading southeast between the Johto and Hoenn regions like a silver bullet. His small, pink counterpart’s cryptic statement had only served to agitate Mewtwo’s flustered thoughts further and now his mind refused to be silenced. He needed to keep searching for where he belonged, but even moreso than that, he needed to understand why. It was the very same question which had faced his troubled spirit from the moment he had begun to exist.
Yes, Mewtwo was aware of the selfish motives that had caused him to exist. The guilt still haunted the Pokémon at his frustrated responses three years ago; the actions which had only served to promote further suffering and prove Mewtwo almost as horrific as the one who had ordered his creation. Pushing the emotion back yet again, the figure returned his focus to the task at hand. He had tried to make his own purpose, and that had failed. But Mewtwo was certain there had to be a place for him, even in a world he found so hard to understand. There had to be somewhere he could redeem himself.
To turn to those whom he found hardest to look upon…had Mew been implying that he was to seek the guidance of humans to understand his past? The only humans Mewtwo assumed knew of his past were the same cold-hearted scientists whose ‘ingenuity’ had been responsible for his confusion in the first place! What good could they possibly offer him?
Even the concept of Lucario’s partnership with Aaron had been a difficult one to grasp. It had taken Mewtwo long enough to figure out why a Pokémon would resign themselves to teamwork with a human companion, but after some deep thought it finally made sense. Humans were such irresponsible creatures; so full of themselves…and yet so fascinating, inspiring…even at times, admirable. Even in the back of Mewtwo’s mind there lay some long-forgotten memory of human warmth.
He had often tried to reach it, but it seemed so small, so very far away…
Gazing down at the ocean a few metres below, Mewtwo took in his own reflection for a moment before glaring firmly toward the glittering lights of an approaching island. The Pokémon did not wish to hide his face behind the visage of another; why should he have to? He was not ashamed of his appearance, but neither did he wish to feel out of place amongst a sea of cold and frightened stares. Sure, he could use his psychic abilities to manipulate the minds of those around him if he so wished. But this would hardly make his circumstances realistic. Mewtwo did not want an artificial acceptance; but would he ever find figures who welcomed him for who he was?
Mewtwo had felt the strong psychic auras from this island a few miles back. It felt reassuring and calming to his senses; a perfect location for a quick snack before moving onward. Carefully making sure he kept to the shadows, the Pokémon hovered by open windows where figures lay in slumber and made his way across the empty town square. There was an abundance of Remoraid in the many canals here; Mewtwo had become quite adept at using his fine-tuned abilities to select the best morsel and make sure its end was quick and painless. Pausing for a moment upon a ledge to eat his newly acquired meal, Mewtwo realised someone was watching him. He swung around angrily, only to lock eyes with that of a puzzled-looking young boy who was examining the Pokemon’s appearance from between the barred fence of a nearby balcony. Mewtwo’s expression softened.
If only the rest of humanity were to view me with that very same innocence that you have, he murmured, before taking to the air. A few moments later the boy found himself being picked up by a rather anxious-looking parent who had been previously unaware of their son’s wandering.
“But mom!” came the excited response to such chastisement.
“I’m not telling tales! I really did saw a giant cat-type Pokémon that talked without moving its mouth!”
If he was to stay well hidden, Mewtwo would have to consign himself to the seemingly infinite streets of a big city. At least for the moment; the Pokémon glanced toward the rising sun and gave a silent nod of acknowledgement. It was time to find himself somewhere inconspicuous to rest.
Landing gently in a darkened alleyway and causing the scavenging Meowths and Ratattas to bolt from sight, Mewtwo took to examining his surroundings for threats to his privacy. Then he stopped, his mouth dropping open slightly in a mixture of surprise and horror. Just beyond the mouth of the alleyway there stood a girl, no more than 10 years of age, with teal coloured shoulder-length hair. She was dressed in a tattered long coat and bore a deeply worried expression which she cast from side to side as if searching for something.
And then their eyes met. Mewtwo felt his body tense, caught between staying put or taking to flight. He couldn’t understand why he was being so hesitant over leaving and making the girl forget he was ever there. He couldn’t understand why he didn’t want her to forget.
The girl showed no signs of fear. Instead, the corners of her mouth turned upwards into a faint smile. It was a saddened smile, but a smile nonetheless. Mewtwo felt his legs beginning to weaken; the familiarity of such an expression was at the forefront of his mind and yet the memory attached to it was not. He lowered his head, eyes shut tightly and brow furrowed in an onset of frustration.
Why can’t I remember? Why?
Mewtwo was quickly shaken from his anger by the loud blare of a horn. The girl was glancing in the opposite direction now; paralysed with fear as a shadow fell across her fragile form and grew larger and thicker by the second. Panic overthrew logic for just a moment, forcing Mewtwo into a loping run and bringing him to the roadside just in time to see a huge truck bearing down upon the girl with no intent of stopping.
AMBER!
Part of the telepathic scream became something more vocal as Mewtwo dove forward across the path of the oncoming vehicle, snatching the child up in his arms and tumbling the remainder of the distance to the opposite side. As the truck sped past accompanied by further horn blasts, the Pokémon and its rescued charge lay beside eachother for a moment; chests heaving from the exhilaration of it all. Mewtwo was the first to get to his feet, gazing down at the girl with a genuine smile. But the happiness was quick to fade. The recollection of a name, a face, and still no meaning behind either of them only served to cause the creature further hurt within.
By the time the girl had opened her eyes and prepared to offer thanks, Mewtwo had already vanished.
***~~***~~***~~***~~***
Perched on a ledge of a tall building somewhere else in that very city, Mewtwo sat in a state of deep anguish. Here he was, a psychic Pokémon with the ability to alter the thoughts of others. And yet he had no way of retrieving memories from the back of his own mind that had been hidden from him, or covering ones he so desperately wished to forget, just as everyone else had been made to. Glancing to his left, Mewtwo caught sight of a Manectric that was carved into a pedestal on the corner of the ledge; its jaws wide open in a silent cry. The carving bore an uncanny realism, almost as if one had taken a living Pokémon and trapped it within the stone itself. As Mewtwo stared at such a creative marvel, he could not help but feel an element of sympathy for its inanimate state.
How long must we be tormented like this? he muttered in a tone full of remorse. We are both consigned independence, a life in the open air, but neither of us truly have freedom. You are trapped upon these walls, whereas I…I am trapped within my mind.
Is there not something…someone who could shine a light upon the darkness that is the empty space in my memory?
Mewtwo flinched as his thoughts were infiltrated by a surge of psychic energy from somewhere below him. Instinctively assuming he was about to be attacked, the Pokémon raised a shield around himself. But no attack came. Blinking in puzzlement, Mewtwo tried to make out just what it was that had generated the psychic signal and from what direction. Since his eyes were far from capable of seeing at such distances, the Pokémon closed them and took to relying completely upon his greater abilities. In a matter of seconds, Mewtwo had pinpointed the source of the energy, poised hesitantly beside the outer wall of a building with a convex roof. It looked as if the figure had been attempting to break into the building prior to Mewtwo’s psychic interruption. He decided to act, feeling obliged to do so as means of soothing his aching conscience somewhat.
The cloaked figure uttered a cry of surprise as the six foot beast descended from the air and landed behind him with an eerie grace, its eyes glowing bright blue.
Stop right there, human, Mewtwo boomed. Forcing Pokémon to cause suffering, whether directly or indirectly, is unforgivable.
He paused, realising that the person in the shadows was the only being present. This served to throw Mewtwo off guard somewhat – was it possible that it had in fact been the human responsible for generating the psychic energy? Neither figure moved, both taking ownership of a thread of fear over the situation’s absurdity. Then, they both spoke up in perfect unison.
Surely not…
Mewtwo’s mouth dropped open a little way as the hood of the unknown figure’s cloak was pulled back to reveal a shock of dark brown hair, tinted in one place by a thick streak of platinum blonde. The man glanced back at him with wide eyes, a bead of sweat trickling down an elaborate marking etched across his cheek. It was Mewtwo who regained composure first.
Do not attempt to resist, he said sternly. My psychic power is undoubtedly stronger than your own.
“I would agree,” the man responded with surprising calmness. It appeared his perspiration had been as a result of his efforts prior to Mewtwo’s arrival, and not due to the creature’s presence. ”But what I have come here to do…it has to be done. I must take the Mask of Talasi from this place – it does not belong here.”
And what right have you to say whether this mask belongs here or not? Mewtwo inquired with a frown.
“This isn’t about my rights,” the man insisted. “This is about everyone’s rights. The people that work in that laboratory…if they were to uncover what gave this mask and the staff that accompanied it their power over Pokémon, they could use that information on a scale far beyond a single village. Maybe even extending similar control over humans too!”
Mewtwo said nothing. He was both surprised and impressed by the level of this figure’s knowledge. Something told him such knowledge had hardly been gathered by the man alone, though Mewtwo’s recently developed sense of morals forbade the Pokémon to pry open his mind to find out more.
What is your name? he asked.
“I am Akiva,” the man replied. “I thank you for requesting the information instead of taking it for yourself.”
It is my responsibility as one empowered to use my gifts wisely, Mewtwo gave a nod. As for you, it seems you have not been left without gifts of your own.
“You mean my psychic Cho’moken?” Akiva began to smile. “Yes…it was why the Seer Elders chose me to undertake this task in the first place. They were the ones who taught me how to handle my abilities after I discovered them, so they know what I am capable of.”
Hmmm… Mewtwo tilted his head to one side and examined Akiva’s expression. He had barely been in the man’s company for more than a few minutes and yet the Pokémon found himself encompassed in a strange sense of peace. Almost as if he had found a kindred spirit.
These ‘Seer Elders’, he began. They must be endowed with great wisdom, to have helped you find your true self. Do you suppose…they would be able to do the same for me?
“I could not guarantee it,” Akiva replied solemnly. “But there would only be one way to find out, and that is if I were to take you to the Agrarian Seer repository not far from here. Still…”
You need to bring the mask back with you, Mewtwo concluded.
I shall help you get what you came here for.
***~~***~~***~~***~~***
Far above the city buildings and partially shrouded by the night, two Pokémon flew. One was a Noctowl at least eight foot in length, with Akiva sat astride it. The other was Mewtwo, keeping careful watch on the Noctowl’s movements as the aged winged creature swooped and banked with surprising speed. Away from the island they flew, southward across the ocean until the seemingly-infinite expanse of water became an expanse of undulating hillside smothered with trees. It was far from the harsher mountains of the region where Mew’s home was located; neither did it contain any thickly-populated cities like Johto or Kanto. The apparent untouched state of this region prompted Mewtwo to inquire as to their location.
“This is Fiore,” Akiva told him. “A province of Sonoria and the largest area of Pokémon preservation in the world. Fiore is quite unique in the sense that very few humans live here, and those that do are usually recruited as Pokémon Rangers.”
Pokémon Ranger? Mewtwo tilted his head to one side like a curious child. What is that?
“It is someone that dedicates themselves to protecting the welfare of Pokémon by temporarily recruiting other Pokémon to assist them in their duties,” Akiva explained. “Pokémon Rangers can be found in other parts of the world, but the organization’s origin lies here in Sonoria, and this is where you’ll find most of them at work.”
So why are we here? Mewtwo asked.
“Fiore is also where the Seer Repository I study at is located,” Akiva smiled, pointing towards the dual spires of a distant building that had recently emerged from amongst the hills and continued to rise as the figures flew closer. It was a structure with an appearance much like that of Cameron Palace, though with far more discreet finishing touches that enabled it to blend more easily into the surrounding landscape.
Robed figures (which Mewtwo could only assume were Repository Watchmen) shouted excitedly from tiny windows within the building’s spires as Akiva lifted up the mask which he had been keeping safely close to him. Their enthusiastic response was quick to dwindle into troubled stares and stiffened limbs upon sight of the psychic feline which accompanied the Seer and his Noctowl. Regardless, they made no move to prevent Mewtwo from entering with Akiva, and he landed gently beside the man and his Pokémon upon an outstretched platform which looked to have been designed for air-bound arrivals.
A young woman stood upon the platform nearest the repository entrance, hands clasped together and resting across her front. Her body was clothed in a dress of deepest burgundy with slightly puffed sleeves and a large white collar, while her head was completely encompassed in a flat, round hat of similar colour with a jewel embedded into the front. Mewtwo felt his heart skip a beat upon sight of the woman and her attire – it bore a startling resemblance to that of the nurse he had taken from a Kantoan Pokémon Centre and used as a representative of his intentions against her will. Surely this was not a coincidence.
“Well, here we are,” Akiva accounted, stepping from his Noctowl’s back. “Thanks, Breacher. You did a wonderful flying job once again.” The Seer returned the Pokémon to its Pokéball and secured the article upon his belt before turning away from Mewtwo – seemingly to leave him behind.
Where are you going? Mewtwo asked hurriedly. There was a note of fear in his voice which sounded quite unusual coming from a creature of his size and power.
“I have to take the Mask of Talasi to the artefacts chamber,” Akiva explained. “But I shall be back very shortly. In the meantime, why not put your queries forward to Sister Wakanda?”
‘Sister’…?
“Yes,” the deep blue-eyed woman replied softly, adjusting her hat and eyeing Mewtwo in a calm yet thorough manner. “My name is Megan, but here we refer to each other as brothers and sisters - for while we may not be related directly by blood, we are related in our ideals, hopes and purpose.”
Related by purpose... Mewtwo pondered this concept. This is something I never considered possible.
“You had something to ask me?” Megan raised a hand, snapping Mewtwo out of deep thought. He glanced back at her, almost longingly.
Your people seem to know much of things I have not yet learned, he said. You see…there is a blank space in my mind which I’m sure is meant to contain memories of some sort…
“And you were hoping the Agrarian Seers could shed some light on them?” Megan concluded. Mewtwo nodded in response, prompting his human companion to smile warmly in return. “Your memories may be out of reach, but we do have the means to look into your past. All that is needed is some knowledge of where you were at the time.”
Mewtwo shuddered. The visions of surfacing into consciousness, surrounded in ghastly orange fluid and watched by unsympathetic human faces, were all too clear.
Obtaining that won’t be a problem, he murmured.