Chương 39: Monsters II

I was not using my funds to buy this stuff. Mewtwo had apparently taken all of Team Rocket's funds for himself. Why? Not sure. He didn't use it to get any material he needed. Why would he need to do that? He was a god. I wasn't entirely sure, but it was convenient for me. Joy didn't want me stealing anything, so I was paying for supplies and whatnot. I was in a disguise, so while I received a few strange looks, it was nothing too suspicious.

As I placed the food, drinks, medical supplies, potions, etc, in the bag, I idly listened to the conversations going on. The conversations were typical. Route 20 frozen, Abandoned Power Plant malfunctioning, Sevii Islands in turmoil... It didn't make me feel any better, though. Quite the opposite; I hated knowing that the disasters in Kanto were currently revolving around my actions. I sighed, only to freeze at hearing something peculiar.

"I heard Gym Leader Sabrina is..." The freak? What happened to her? I paid for the supplies and vanished out of sight of anyone there, seamlessly taking my body to Saffron. It didn't take me more than a second to pinpoint where Sabrina was, and soon, I appeared directly in front of her. She looked awful. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes shut tight. She breathed harshly, looking as if she had seen better days. I crossed my arms with a frown. It didn't take a genius to see why she was suddenly under the weather.

After all, a psychic god was currently running rampant around the region. Was there anything I could do? Probably not. We were in a hospital room, and I hazarded she had been in here for a while. As I approached the gym leader, I watched in curiosity as one of her eyes immediately popped open. They locked onto my disguised face, and Sabrina breathed slowly.

"... Abomination?" she questioned quietly.

"You look like shit," I commented idly, removing a glove and putting a hand against her forehead. It was burning hot. At my touch, I watched as Sabrina let out a sharp breath. To my slight surprise, her condition seemed to improve in real time.

"What... did you do?" Sabrina coughed, pushing herself up. I shrugged.

"I dunno. I felt bad that my presence reduced you to something so pathetic, so I guess I unknowingly helped you out," I mused. Her eyes narrowed, face still red from exertion.

"What are you doing, Abomination? There is a series of misfortunes surrounding Kanto, and I know they revolve around you," Sabrina questioned slowly. I sighed.

"I don't quite know yet myself. A lot of things are blowing up in my face, Freak." Sabrina panted, breaking out into harsh coughs.

"I trust that you know what you're doing. I was most displeased to hear news of you being kidnapped." I said nothing, simply poking her forehead without much force. She collapsed back into her bed with a surprised yelp, and I turned away.

"Concern doesn't fit my arch nemesis. Next time we see each other, let's go back to the hatred I'm used to," I said blandly. I made to teleport, only to pause at the quiet voice saying, "Wait." Sabrina and I made eye contact, and I tilted my head at her narrowed eyes.

"You are different," she said.

"Wise observation," I remarked.

"..." Sabrina stared at me, gaze almost accusing.

"Very well... thank you for your assistance, Abomination."

"I didn't do anything, Freak," I replied coolly, vanishing without further prompting right as the door to her room burst open. I never noticed Sabrina's stunned gaze.

"He's... a psychic?" she questioned in a daze, ignoring the frantic calls of her name. As I teleported back to New Island, I nearly collapsed to the floor at the pressure weighing down on my shoulders. I huffed, pushing myself up with a small strain and meeting the blank gaze of Mewtwo, which would have made me jump back if I could move.

"Where have you been?" the psychic questioned.

"Fucking hell, are we married?" I groaned. At Mewtwo's unamused stare, I rolled my eyes.

"We needed supplies, so I went to buy some. I heard news that someone I despise was unconscious, too."

"And you visited them?"

"I did," I nodded. Mewtwo remained silent.

"I see... very well. After training, I would also like to make some visits. You've inspired me." I paused at that ominous statement. Something about Mewtwo's tone told me he wanted to meet someone he did not like. Who could that be? I wasn't interested in thinking about it. He'd probably bring me with him. I shook my head.

"You actually helped them out. I would have expected you to disregard my words and go brood," I mentioned, watching with a small smile as all the pokemon lie on the ground. They were sweating in exertion, clearly spent from the workout they had been subjected to.

"You raised valuable points. That is all. I will help them."

"Hm," I said noncommittally, approaching them. First, there were the Lokis. I stroked both of their hair, taking in the slight differences between them. Lokitwo had far less black on key parts of his body, predominantly in his hair. Red dominated it more, and unlike my Loki, he didn't have a bead holding it together. As a result, Lokitwo's hair ran freely. They both leaned into my touch before glaring at one another. The action caused me to raise a brow.

I don't know what it was, but the Lokis didn't seem to get along very well. It was surprising, considering Loki was one of my most sensible pokemon and Zoroark didn't typically have issues with one another. Hm. Both the Lokis yelped as I pinched their cheeks.

"Behave." My simple scolding achieved the desired results. Both the Zoroarks nodded at my words, getting a small smirk out of me.

"How was it training with someone else who can utilize illusions? Looking in a mirror is good help, you know; it gives you a new perspective on things." They both groaned in annoyance, causing me to chuckle slightly. I could only imagine how annoying fighting your tricky self would be. But that forced them both to get creative! To be creative in the art of illusions was to be a master in your craft. These two gained a unique experience, training with one another, and I hoped they would continue to do so.

I stood with a small sigh. With a few snacks and more head pats, I left the Lokis to their own devices. The next for me to visit was the Oberons. Their fur was matted to their bodies, and the two chatted with each other easily. It made me happy to see. They looked utterly at ease, seeming to find solace in one another. Oberon's fur was far shaggier than Oberontwo's. My Ursaring seemed wilder in the sense, while the clone seemed a tad gentler.

Earlier, Oberon had been beating on his poor clone, but now they looked like the best of friends. They were even exchanging gifts with one another... It was the cutest shit I'd ever seen. I just watched the two chat with a small smile, watching as they finally noticed my staring. They both jumped in surprise from my proximity, and I laughed. They both sighed in content as I reached out and ran a hand through their fur.

"Was the Gravity training fun?" I asked them both. Both the Ursarings nodded eagerly. Despite the exhaustion, they seemed to both have enjoyed the crushing weight. Good, I was pleased. This training would help them catch up to my rivals. After this was settled, I'd go full throttle on training. There was a lot I needed to do. I let out a grunt as the entirety of my body was completely swarmed by two serpents. My poor cheeks were being mauled by the incessant muzzle of both Freyja and Freyjatwo.

Considering the length of both of them, I was fully trapped and unable to move.

"Aren't you supposed to be tired?" I asked rhetorically. They both cried out, nuzzling me happily before allowing me to look them in the eyes. Freyjatwo probably sported the most visible change besides Lokitwo having his hair down, that being the same blue that made up her tail, tinged ever so slightly into the tips of the fins above her eyes. It made it easy to tell who was who. It was a good thing for that because if the two Gaia's love for me was genetic, the Freyja's love must have made up their entire being.

They practically poured their adoration into me.

"You guys can't hold me here forever, you know?" I asked curiously. They both scoffed in unison, as if saying, "Watch me." I blinked owlishly. Hm... it seems they took that as a challenge. Maybe I should just get comfortable.

"Sal," Ares rumbled, voice deep and terror-inducing. My gargantuan Salamence stared unimpressed at Freyja, a sneer on her face that was easily visible now that there wasn't a shell blocking her body. Quick as a flash, Freyja disentangled from my body and closed the distance between herself and Ares. Despite the situation, I couldn't help but tremble in excitement at seeing the two snarling at one another. A Salamence and a Milotic... After this was over, I'd have to let them duke it out.

It would be glorious to behold.

"Milo," Freyjatwo murmured to the calm Arestwo.

"Shel," Arestwo replied. Amusingly enough, it seemed like the clones of my two biggest rivals actually got along. Such a thought would no doubt make them gag. I smiled, watching as the Charcadets raced across the field. The two were playing with the Kanto trio, and I sighed fondly. At least some people were enjoying this. I idly watched the Gaias discussing with one another about something before leaving them be.

"Nature's Favorite Child gave the one called Mewtwo quite the scolding," Metang informed me. I jolted at that, turning towards them with wide eyes.

"She did what?!" I hissed.

"Scold me." I paused at Mewtwo's voice. Right... we were bonded right now. I stared warily at him.

"You didn't do anything to her, did you?" The warning wasn't noticeable, but it was definitely there. Mewtwo scoffed.

"We are going to pay a visit to someone. Let us make haste." I continued staring.

"Alright. Metang, bring this to Joy," I requested, handing the bag over to him. Metang whirred and accepted it, floating off. Amusingly enough, Metagross followed after its original. I watched them go.

"Worry not, I have taught them how to utilize Gravity. That way, they will not bother me for such a menial task again." I raked a hand through my hair.

"Where to?" I asked. Mewtwo's purple eyes glinted.

"Meeting again so soon. You're a really unlucky person," I commented, slightly surprised but not really at all at who we were visiting. I watched with no satisfaction as Fuji jumped and turned towards me. There was an expression of fear already there, showing that he definitely recognized my voice, and I noted that all that terror was for me alone. After all, only after fully turning did he recognize that Mewtwo was standing next to me.

"What...?" Fuji trailed off, eyes wide in horror.

"Hello, Dr. Fuji. Do you recognize me?" Mewtwo asked rhetorically. The caretaker trembled, taking a step back. His eyes darted between Mewtwo and me before helplessly staring at me with a pleading gaze. All he got was apathy. I wasn't going to stick out my neck for someone I had my own problems with. Whatever happened here had nothing to do with me.

"T-The clone of Mew—""Mewtwo. My name is Mewtwo." The cold voice interrupted the stammering immediately. The tense atmosphere only grew worse, Fuji taking a step back as Mewtwo's natural pressure invaded the air around. It was suffocating. I had long grown used to it from my time in Team Rocket. Mewtwo's pressure was an ever-present companion of mine, one that I no longer acknowledged. Unfortunately, I wasn't normal, and Fuji very much was.

I watched as the elderly man knocked over glass plates in his haste to keep distance from Mewtwo and me, who hadn't taken a single step since teleporting into the room.

"Dr. Fuji, tell me something. Why did you create me?" Fuji froze.

"I... it was a commission. I was tasked by Team Rocket to create you." His words spilled out, far more willing than when I was interrogating him. I would have commented on it, but I had a bad feeling about all of this.

"You accepted. Why?" Mewtwo continued. By now, I was side-eying the legend.

"Because... I wanted to save my daughter. I wanted to explore this technology to bring her back," Fuji explained nervously.

"Your daughter... Amber, correct?" Wait. Hold on a minute. This time, the psychic didn't wait for Fuji to say anything. It was a courtesy after all; Mewtwo was reading his mind the entire time.

"During my conception, I made a friend. Her name was Ambertwo, a child just like I was." Fuji's eyes widened in true terror. This must have been the same daughter I claimed not to give a damn about. Clearly, my brother did not agree with that notion.

"Unfortunately, Ambertwo died. She was not powerful enough to survive the process of cloning."

"That was the first time I experienced sadness." He was monologuing. Nothing good ever came out of a monologue.

"Soon after, I discovered I was a clone, meant to bend to the will of humans."

"Mewtwo... I just wanted to save my daughter!" Fuji attempted to plead. Mewtwo paused, staring coldly at the man.

"Save? Your daughter died. How exactly would cloning her have saved her?" Fuji stopped speaking abruptly, sweat pouring down his body. I froze as well. Oh no.

"Earlier, you called me the clone of Mew. You cannot discern between a clone and the original. You did not acknowledge Ambertwo as her own person... to you, she was meant to replace your daughter in full." The pressure built up steadily.

"You would not have given her the life she deserved. She would be forced to live up to the impossible standards of a deceased person."

"Hey, Mewtwo," I said warily, watching as the pressure built up. I was ignored. Of course I was, Mewtwo wasn't mad for himself... no, this was the most dangerous kind of anger. Anger because of the wronging of someone you loved. It's exactly what drove me to annihilate Team Rocket.

"Disgusting human. You are the cause of everything that has caused me turmoil. I was correct, there is no place in this world for a clone when humans like you exist."

"Mewtwo, wait!" I shouted with wide eyes. It was moot. I could only watch in horror as Fuji let out a panicked cry... before his body abruptly crumpled to the floor. It was as if his strings had been cut...

"I have gathered my resolve," Mewtwo said coldly. I watched numbly as a Cubone slowly walked up to the man. It confusedly tapped the elder with its bone. Even as Mewtwo teleported us away, all I could see was the tears of realization forming on the Cubone's face. All I could see was the Growlithe nudging Fuji's side. This time, thankfully, I did not hear the wails. It wasn't hard to imagine it, though. Joy took one look at me before dragging me to her room.

"What happened?" she asked immediately, grabbing my face with both hands.

"Nothing serious," I replied automatically. Joy clenched her jaw at my answer. I watched as a small scowl formed on her face and grabbed her hand before she even moved.

"Don't," I denied immediately.

"Don't?" Joy repeated slowly, turning towards me incredulously.

"Silver, look at you! You look like you're completely drained!" Joy looked irate.

"I don't give a damn what Mewtwo says, I don't give a damn what you believe... You are a 12-year-old boy, Silver. Just because you like to act all mature and strong, doesn't mean that's what you are on the inside." She pushed herself up with a huff.

"I can't even imagine what you would have ended up like if I hadn't voluntarily come here. You're a mess." The nurse muttered to herself darkly, prepared to stomp off and give Mewtwo a piece of her mind... I reached out and grasped her hand. It was tiny. Joy, in general, wasn't a very imposing person. She wasn't much taller than me, had a dainty figure, and probably radiated no ounce of intimidation. She was adorable, plain and simple. All Nurse Joys were.

Even with the scowl on her face, I didn't feel the slightest bit afraid of her. But this Joy was my friend.

"I stole Metang from the Stone Family," I said abruptly. Joy's expression turned into one of confusion.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"It was right after I met you. I traveled to North of Rustboro and raided the Stone Residence. It was really easy... I was in and out without a trace," I rambled. Joy's face turned slightly soft.

"I know you got some of your members by less than legal means, Silver," she said.

"Your Feebas is legit... but the Bagon and the Beldum?" I nodded.

"I took Ares from the Draconids. A Fraxure nearly killed me, and she saved my life. I got a nasty scar from it, though... but technically, I didn't steal her."

"The scar on your midsection," Joy observed. I nodded again. Joy sighed.

"Silver, I already know about your somewhat shady past. But I know the truth, too. It's not like I condemned you earlier... I was just curious. It's not every day you meet a boy so eager for growth that he didn't care about the risks behind it. I genuinely thought you were suicidal... but you just don't care about the risks to your life." I stared evenly at her.

"I know. Under your tough exterior is a sweet person."

"How ironic," Joy replied, a small smirk on her face.

"You're one of the few friends I have. The second one I ever made, excluding my pokemon," I revealed. Joy looked surprised by that reveal... but not really.

"Not a lot of people can put up with my nonsense. Even now, it feels like everything I say to Mewtwo gets turned against me in some way." I scratched my head furiously.

"I don't really know where I'm going with this, but—" Joy pulled me into a firm hug.

"Shh. I get it. You don't want me to risk my life, do you?"

"..." The nurse sighed.

"Now you know how I feel every time you do something stupid. Don't forget that feeling, Silver. A lot more people care about you than you think."

"I'm tired," I admitted.

"I know," Joy soothed quietly. I said nothing as she raked a hand against my head. If anything was going to keep her any longer, I'd take that. I could not watch her body crumple like a puppet with no strings. I have gathered my resolve.... Fine. The time for talk was over. It's only right that I gathered my resolve, too. The Color Gang, Jasmine, and Lorelei were all at Indigo. On the field, their pokemon were training with one another while they discussed.

Gold leaned against his fist, pushing his cheek in with a frown.

"I'm not gonna lie, guys, trying to track a legend who doesn't wanna be found is way harder than a Team Rocket Silver... somehow." Crystal groaned in agreement.

"Tracking Silver was almost impossible in the first place. I didn't think it'd be even harder than that." Green frowned.

"Jas... he didn't wanna come back with you, right?" she asked softly. Jasmine ducked her head despondently. Her right arm was covered in wraps, the burns from standing so close to that battle underneath the bandages.

"He looked so panicked when he saw me. Silver definitely still cares about us, but... he's dealing with something. His shoulders looked heavy," Jasmine observed. It was impossible to miss. The way Silver sagged over an invisible weight. Her best friend always stood straight, his posture perfect, and confident in that arrogant way of his. It was his way to fight the weight of the world that seemed to have a vendetta against him. Yet, maybe the weight of the world was getting to him.

Purple eyes with bags underneath, slouched figure... Silver looked like a shadow of himself. Gone was the utterly confident boy, replaced by a shade who seemed weary and spent. The sheer panic in his eyes as he saved her life... it was like Silver was doing everything in his power to grasp at the things he still had, wearing himself thin in the process. It was equally as flattering as it was horrifying to realize how much Silver valued them. Just how much did he hide under his thorny exterior?

It was impossible to tell. Silver must have been quite a kind person before Team Rocket successfully corrupted him...

"At the very least... he doesn't seem to be suffering more than necessary," Lorelei said soothingly. The Ice Master's eyes were furrowed, countless thoughts running through her head. Silver and Mewtwo had attacked the three Legendary Birds. Pokemon spoken about in myths, whose sightings were hardly believed.

"Silvy mentioned he knew all three locations of the birds, and he was right. Will he and Mewtwo just keep attacking legends?" Green wondered.

"But for what?" Gold asked, crossing his arms.

"Distraction, I think," Crystal replied immediately. Green nodded in agreement.

"He was trying to buy time. Silvy already mentioned that alone, the birds couldn't defeat Mewtwo." Lorelei's eyes widened in realization. Before she could speak about her thoughts, however, the most peculiar thing happened. An object seamlessly appeared on the table where their group resided. It was sleek and flat, looking quite advanced in nature with a blue and purple scheme.

"... What the hell?" Gold muttered, only to jump as a blue light emitted from the device. They all stiffened harshly as a familiar feline appeared on it.

"While I would normally have my subject relay this message... I will make an exception for this group," the hologram stated.

"Greetings, you may already know me, but if you do not, I am Mewtwo. I will keep this short and I will keep it simple." They stiffened as the hologram stared a hole into them. It may have been a recording, but it almost seemed like Mewtwo was still directly staring at them.

"I am formally inviting you to my abode. Should you arrive, you will find what you've been desperately searching for." With that, the message cut. Much like Mewtwo said, it was short and simple.

"He's dangling Silver over us," Gold scowled.

"What's he planning?" Crystal muttered.

"It doesn't matter, we're going!" Green snarled, snatching the letter. Lorelei listened to Mewtwo's words with a deep frown.

"Children... may you all go?" Lorelei requested. They looked at her in surprise.

"You're not coming?" Gold asked curiously. Lorelei nodded.

"I think I know what Silver intended to do. I must make sure his goals come to fruition."

"... Will you be okay? None of this will matter if you get hurt," Green pointed out worriedly. Jasmine's expression twisted into one of determination.

"I'll help you, Ms. Lorelei!" she said. Lorelei looked startled.

"You will? You won't travel with them?" The steel leader looked fierce one moment, and despondent the next.

"I want to, but... but I can't bear to look at Silver while he's like that. It'll make me useless! I'm better off allocating my uses somewhere else," she admitted. Lorelei's expression softened.

"I fear the same thing. My attachment to Silver has grown to a level that may prove detrimental, should I see the state he is in. We must approach this carefully... and I regret to say that I am not the most optimal choice."

"A-And I am?" Green questioned incredulously. Lorelei nodded strongly.

"You're far stronger than you give yourself credit for, Green... and you also underestimate how much Silver cares for you. I believe just your presence will be a boon." The Elite 4 member stood and smiled at them all.

"Truly, I'm glad that Silver met you. You will soon all begin to shape the world around your actions... so begin now," she informed them.

"I know you can do it!" Jasmine nodded strongly, getting the three to blush in surprise. Lorelei adored these little children. Part of her regretted not paying closer attention to the younger generation for so long. That would change starting now. She would ensure this group flourished.

"Naturally, I would feel terrible if I sent you all alone into Mewtwo's waiting arms... so I believe your best bet would be to bring Karen with you. She is fond of you all as well," she advised. Kanto was in utter chaos and they were being stretched thin trying to attempt damage control. It was so chaotic, even the younger Johto was attempting to help. They nodded.

"Okay! We'll strategize something!" Gold said with a cocky smirk.

"Mewtwo is going out of its way to invite us, despite having the power to do terrible damage. Maybe there's a way to work around this," Crystal muttered.

"We'll figure it out! Let's get prepared!" Green said strongly, fury igniting her eyes as if they were forests. The three members of the Color Gang nodded in unison, perfectly synchronized. It was another trait of theirs, able to seemingly slot in seamlessly with one another. Even Silver, loath as he was to admit it, did the same. While adorable now... it would be quite terrifying in the future. Blue stared at the letter with a frown, Blastoise lumbering near him.

He raked a hand against Umbreon with a contemplative expression. World's Greatest Trainer, eh? That didn't sound shady at all. He very nearly dismissed the letter altogether. He wasn't interested in getting involved with whatever stupid tricks were going on here. If he wanted to prevail at the league, he'd need to up his game... So why couldn't he keep his eyes off that damn letter?

"What worries you so, Trainer Blue?" Alakazam asked, voice confident and curious.

"Nothing. Just thinking about who would send such a stupid letter. As if anyone would fall for this," he replied, turning to his most recently evolved pokemon.

"Your thoughts have been heavy since you met with the Teacher. Are you thinking about the friendship that Green still desires?" Alakazam observed. Blue scowled.

"And if I am?"

"I see no reason why you would be upset about such a thing. If you wish to be a part of this Color Gang so badly, you simply need to speak to them."

"You have a nasty habit of saying things I don't like hearing," he pointed out. Alakazam's eyes curled up into a smile. Blue sighed. Knowing Green, she'd probably get a letter like this and go without hesitation. His childhood friend was reckless on the best of days, just following her heart in most scenarios... even if it led to being trapped. Her and Ash... He was the brains of their little trio...

though that certainly didn't help when they were younger, considering he was just as much of a thrill seeker as she was.

"Alright, I'll go," he decided. The brunette shoved his yin and yang necklace in his dark gray shirt, adjusted his purple cargo pants, and raked a hand through his light brown, nearly orange, hair.

"All of you, to me. We're going on a detour!" Blue watched as the rest of his pokemon —Ninetales, Rhydon, and Pidgeot —came to his location. He promptly returned all but Pidgeot, raking a hand against her beak.

"Fly me to the Old Shore Wharf, girl." New Island, huh? Never heard of it.

"World's Most Powerful trainer?" Ash mused, watching as Snorlax hoisted Misty's Golduck like it were a game instead of the spar it actually was.

"Are you gonna go?" Brock questioned. Ash grinned eagerly.

"Course I am! It sounds fun! I wonder how strong the most powerful trainer is!"

"I've never heard of a New Island," Misty noted, frowning in contemplation. Brock nodded in agreement.

"This seems a little fishy. The world's most powerful trainer is up for debate, but it's definitely one of the champions. I don't know any champion that would do something as fishy as this..." he pondered. Maybe Alder would. Brock never met Alder but it seemed like it would be up his alley...

"It sounds too interesting to ignore! I'm going!" Ash decided adamantly. Both Brock and Misty sighed.

"Alright, alright. Let's prepare then. It's not like we have anything planned," Brock decided. As they agreed with the new plans, a group of three watched from a further distance.

"New Island? That rings a bell," Jesse mused. James shrugged.

"We haven't been relieved of our duties yet... so I suppose we'll be following them?"

"Sounds good ta me," Meowth nodded.

"This storm's crazy," Gold complained.

"Forget the storm, look at the number of people here," Karen sighed, raking a hand through her silver hair. Green frowned.

"How many people did Mewtwo invite? They probably don't even realize what they're getting into," she said in concern. Crystal crossed her arms, eyes roving over the area. It was swamped, with dozens of people demanding to be let through so they could depart to New Island. She was honestly surprised that so many people were this eager to go. Was there mind control at work?

"I don't think these people are here for Silver. I'm pretty sure they got different letters than us," Crystal said, voice hushed to avoid being overheard.

"I'm sure of it... But whatever that letter said, it can't be anything good. Look at how many people are here, it'll be a slaughter if that legend decides to get violent," Karen muttered.

"What could he have said that would make all of them show up?" Gold wondered.

"Something about being the World's Most Powerful Trainer." The group paused at the familiar voice. At once, they turned and were met with a brilliant set of blue eyes staring at them.

"Blue?!" Green whispered in horror.

"The one and only," Blue greeted, a smug smirk on his face that dimmed slightly at seeing the rest of the Color Gang.

"Hey, dude, I'd love to get in an argument with you, but now is really not the time. You gotta get outta here," Gold said immediately. Blue's eyes narrowed.

"Why?" he asked immediately.

"We can't tell you," Crystal replied diplomatically.

"Then I don't have a reason to leave," the Oak shrugged.

"We don't have time for this!" Green interrupted.

"Blue will argue for as long as he feels like. Just leave it be!" Blue faltered at her total disregard, a frown forming on his face.

"This storm is wicked. I doubt 90% of these trainers will make it through," Karen said grimly. The Elite 4 member sighed.

"I've called some Jennys to keep it under control, not that it'll stop them. Trainers are a rowdy bunch and probably just see this as a challenge to be conquered. For now, we're going ahead." Crystal nodded, hand on a ball.

"Airee, can you fly us over? We'll need your help to get through this storm." The Dragonite nodded happily. The group of 4 clambered onto the dragon and took off without hesitation. Blue watched them go with a clenched jaw, eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"Something's going on at that New Island..." Alright, he was going.

"C'mon, Blastoise. Let's go," he said, ignoring everything and shooting for the waters. There had to be a reason the Color Gang had Elite 4 Karen traveling with them to this place. Besides, did they have any idea who they were trying to tell what to do? He was Blue Fucking Oak. If he wanted to go somewhere, he would go. Words were never enough to stop him!

"Whoa! This water is crazy!" Ash exclaimed, eyes wide in awe.

"I've got us covered!" Misty grinned confidently, enlarging a ball and sending it forward. Out of it came a pokemon that Misty used to be terrified of... but if she wanted to call herself a water master, she couldn't allow herself to be afraid of anything! She was way more terrified of losing the gym... and she needed a real powerhouse to kick Silver's ass! Her Gyarados roared its arrival, and the group of three quickly boarded.

"C'mon, Gyarados! To New Island!"

"I'll protect you both, but be on your guard," Brock warned, idly releasing Kabutops so that it could swim next to them.

"We got this! Let's go!" Ash cheered.

"It appears your allies will be arriving." I paused, whirling towards Mewtwo with an incredulous look.

"What? My allies?" I asked in mild confusion.

"The one you call 'Color Gang'. I took the liberty of sending them invitations. It appears that they will be one of the few to make it…" Mewtwo said idly, none to bothered by the revelation.

"Interestingly enough, our final brother will appear as well. The forgotten one." I took a sharp breath, stifling my anger to the best of my abilities. There was no telling how things would differ in comparison to the movie. Mewtwo Strikes Back was one of the few pieces of the Pokémon show that I actually watched in its entirety (which was years ago, by the way. I had no idea how I could even recall some of these things), but I may as well have not because everything was dangerously different now.

Namely, the entirety of the Color Gang would be here. Not even a single member had been here in the original. I didn't even exist in the original, and now I was a core piece of it all. There were too many anomalies now. I didn't know what was going to happen. I could not trust that movie whatsoever. This was my world now, not a piece of fiction where everything works out magically in the end. I needed to prepare." Observe closely, for you will be my Scribe." I said nothing. It's not like I had a choice.

Here's to hoping someone could stop us. Airee landed on the ground with a gentle thud that contrasted his size. Crystal gently patted his belly with a small smile as the group of four stepped off the dragon. The Dragonite disappeared in a flash, and the group of four took the time to take in the new area. Gloomy. That was the best word to describe New Island. They weren't sure how it looked before, but the ever-present storm gave off a depressing atmosphere.

That wasn't even mentioning the enormous castle looming over them.

"So this is it," Gold said with a frown.

"Be careful, kids. I'm not the best babysitter, but I'll protect you," Karen said firmly, eyes narrowed. Her Houndoom loomed next to her, larger than any Houndoom had any right to be.

"Our goal is to get Silver back. We'll figure out the complicated things later," Crystal explained. They nodded, only to pause at a voice that screamed, "No way, Elite 4 Karen?!" Karen grimaced. Now was not the time for a fan to show up. She didn't expect someone would get through the storm so quickly. It was a male who said that. One who owned a Pidgeot.

"I had no idea you'd be showing up here! I'm Corey! I'm a huge fan!" he greeted excitedly.

"Just here making sure nothing shady is going on. League business," Karen said smoothly.

"Seeing Elite 4 Karen in action with my own two eyes? No way!" Gold tuned him out completely. He was used to the constant gushing Karen got from when they teamed up. His eyes were instead trained on the sight of another trainer arriving by Gyarados. But that wasn't all. A Blastoise, Dewgong, and another Gyarados showed up as well. More trainers. Not good... but at the very least, it didn't seem like others were going to show up—"Gold?! Crystal?! GREEN?!"

Ash shouted excitedly, waving at the group as his own party landed. He rushed off Misty's Gyarados and bounded up to the Color Gang.

"A-Ashy?!" Green spluttered, horrified. Ash was oblivious to her horror.

"You guys are here to meet this powerful trainer, too, huh? I wonder how strong they are!" A very familiar snort caused Ash to stop his train of thought. An almost instinctive look of outrage appeared on his face, and the Pallet Town native whirled around.

"I knew that stupid snort could only belong to one person! What are you doing here, Gary?!" he barked. The other Pallet native snorted.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Blue mocked.

"Oh no no no," Green muttered in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. This was the last thing that needed to happen. Karen grit her teeth in annoyance as a figure grabbed her hand.

"Former Gym Leader Brock. If you value your balls, you won't say anything," she warned slowly. Quick as a flash, Brock bounded back over to Misty's side.

"Elite 4 Karen?!" Misty shouted in surprise. Karen held her head with a sigh as the other trainers, who didn't know it was her, began shouting excitedly.

"This is getting more complicated by the second."

"Are you gonna stay out here all day and just chat?" The large group paused, turning to face a bored-looking... Nurse Joy? Her lazy eyes roved over the entire group, lingering on the Color Gang for a moment, before she sighed.

"Come in if you want," was all she said, turning on a dime and walking off. Everyone blinked dumbly at the retreating figure.

"I'm going to tell you all now that this isn't some game. The League has no idea what any of this is," Karen stressed. Brock turned serious in an instant.

"I suspected this was something fishy. What's going on?" The Dark Master sighed.

"We're still figuring that part out. Stay on your guard and be careful."

"Yes, ma'am!" they all saluted. As the group hesitantly entered the castle, they never noticed two sets of purple eyes staring at them.

"What are you doing here?" I watched with a dull expression as the Team Rocket Trio jumped high into the air... and remained there, courtesy of me. They flailed about in shock, gazing at my outstretched hand in disbelief as I kept them suspended in midair. With a flick of my hand, I sent them flying into a wall. They shouted in distress and pain, wincing harshly and freezing as I appeared directly in front of them.

"I'm not really in the mood to play around, Team Rocket. You should surely know by now the reason your organization has gone under. Do you think approaching the cause was smart?" I asked blandly.

"S-Silver! We had no idea you were here!" James gasped in horror, blinking the stars out of his eyes.

"It's not what it looks like!" Jesse blabbered, slowly pushing herself up. I stared blankly at them.

"Why are you here?" My cold question was met with shudders.

"We were just keepin an eye on da twerp!" Meowth explained immediately. The feline was sweating bullets, deathly afraid of what might be incoming death.

"Why?"

"We um... don't really have anything better to do?" Jesse explained, not sounding too sure of that answer.

"We haven't gotten another order from Team Rocket! We don't even know what's going on, honest!" James joined. I continued to stare at them before scoffing.

"Whatever. Do what you want. Next time I see you, if you're wearing that uniform, I won't be so merciful." Then, I teleported away from the group. It looked like it was time to get started. The Rockets watched me disappear with stunned expressions.

"Let's just uh... not do anything," James decided.

"I think we'll die otherwise," Jesse said weakly.

"I don't have many more lives ta spare," Meowth agreed quietly.

"Why are we here?" Fergus asked Nurse Joy. He was a water trainer who had arrived here with one of the Gyarados from earlier.

"Didn't you listen to the letter? I'm not gonna repeat myself," Joy drawled. He reeled back in surprise.

"Hey, what's your problem?! You're the one who invited us here! Treat your guests a little better—""Shut up." Fergus, along with all the other trainers, went silent at the quiet and controlled voice. A figure walked next to Joy, no sound escaping them beyond the initial sentence they said. Apathetic purple eyes gazed at them all, trailing over all before halting on a specific group of people.

"What the hell?!" Misty gasped in surprise.

"Silvy!" Green shouted, eyes wide in relief as she gazed at her best friend. She faltered slightly as his purple eyes roved over to her. His expression softened dramatically, and Green resisted the sad frown as he practically drank in her appearance. Purple… so Green hadn't been seeing things when his eyes turned red.

"Green. Gold. Crystal," Silver greeted quietly.

"We're here to get you back, Silver!" Crystal said, full of determination.

"This time, we aren't letting you get away!" Gold scowled.

"Silver?! What are you doing here?!" Ash shouted. Silver closed his eyes, breathing slowly and quietly. He then opened it, his intense gaze shifting onto Ash with an unreadable emotion. He didn't respond to any of their words. A tense silence filled the atmosphere, making others shuffle about. Blue gazed at the redhead in surprise. Was that why the Color Gang was so hellbent on coming here? Wait a second... Silver had been kidnapped by Team Rocket. Didn't that imply that they had something to do with this island?

"Don't tell me this little squirt is the most powerful trainer alive?" Fergus asked, glaring at Silver. Obviously, he was put out by being told to shut up earlier. Silver turned towards him with a tilted head.

"If you're wondering if I'm the one who called you here... then no, it wasn't me," he said blandly. Fergus snorted.

"Yeah, like I'd believe you're the strongest around!" The Color Gang fidgeted nervously as Silver's ominous gaze landed on Fergus. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, but he was never one to take insults lying down.

"Silver, you alright there?" Karen asked, shooting Fergus a stern glare.

"I'm not the cause for concern here," Silver said simply.

"Then what are you doing here?" Neesha asked in concern.

"And why's there a Nurse Joy here too? What's going on?!" Corey demanded, on edge ever since Karen told them to be alert.

"Silence." A deep and commanding voice silenced the room once more. It carried with it an unexplainable pressure that caused a bead of sweat to form on multiple people's faces. Mewtwo floated down, landing directly between Silver and Joy. His purple eyes glowed as ominously as the redhead's, gaze roving over all the assortment of people.

"The one who invited you all here was I."

"Huh?" All but the Color Gang and Karen questioned.

"What are you supposed to be?" Corey asked suspiciously.

"I am the World's Most Powerful Trainer, along with the World's Most Powerful Pokemon. Unparalleled, unrivaled, and undeniable... You may call me, Mewtwo," Mewtwo greeted coolly, feet finally touching the floor. In an instant, he banished his powers, causing a gust of wind to blow that ruffled their clothing. Being this close to the legend... Karen felt goosebumps forming. Mewtwo's power had been showcased very clearly.

Parts of Kanto were in complete and utter chaos as a result of his battles with the Legendary Birds. There was a reason she was the only one of the Elite 4 here. The others were far too swamped with work to aid them. But Karen really wished another was here because these kids were hellbent on getting themselves killed. Lance could command a room with only a few words; he'd have gotten them to shut up without complaint. Fergus looked outraged, glaring at Silver.

"A pokemon is a trainer? Don't be ridiculous! Listen, kid, whatever game you're playing isn't funny! You're wasting our time calling us over here when we could be preparing for the League—" He choked on his words as an unsettling pair of purple eyes appeared directly in front of him, looming over him like a Golurk would a Durant.

"You're attracting too much attention to yourself, random. I'd be silent or else it may get bad for you," Silver warned quietly. With that, he shifted his stance and delivered a vicious side kick to his gut. Fergus's eyes widened as he slowly collapsed to his knees, hands going for his stomach. He tried to say something, but only managed to heave spittle. All the while, Silver stared at the crouched body with a blank expression.

"I'm not his trainer. He's not my pokemon. I'm just here to observe," Silver said simply. Everyone flinched away from the redhead, eyes trained on the coughing Fergus.

"What... did you do?" he wheezed.

"Kicked you. Better than death, right?" Silver asked in return, vanishing and appearing next to Mewtwo once more. Mewtwo's gaze lingered on Silver for a moment before he turned to regard the trainers once more.

"Who's to say a pokemon cannot be a trainer? I am better than all of you, with no equal, yet I'm expected to take orders? Simply because I am a pokemon and you are a human?"

"You say that while standing next to a human who's clearly taking charge! You're a pokemon with no master, but it sure doesn't look that way to me!" Corey shouted vehemently.

"No wait! You should really stop talking!" Crystal shouted, gleaning exactly why Silver had attacked Fergus. Silver exhaled tiredly.

"I don't understand where the lack of self-preservation comes from. It must be instinct guiding you to be so stupid." A sheen of blue converged around Corey, and the teen let out a shriek, convulsing in place as he was brought to his knees.

"Does this seem like something my 'trainer' would want me to do?" Mewtwo asked, easily lifting the trainer into the air. Gasps of horror rang out at the sight of the boy hanging helplessly in the air. Corey grasped his neck with eyes of terror, gasping uselessly as his windpipes were constricted.

"You would be wise to watch your tone. I am nothing like you and your weak pokemon, who would willingly allow themselves to be enslaved by such a foolish species. There is only one person in control now, and that is me," Mewtwo decided coldly, waving his hand and bashing the boy's back into a wall. Blood erupted from Corey's mouth at the moment of impact, causing everyone to shout in concern.

"Are you okay?!" Neesha asked, rushing the hacking teen. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He wheezed weakly, one hand grasping his chest and the other grabbing at his Pidgeot.

"This isn't good," Karen whispered, eyes never leaving Mewtwo as Houndoom stepped up. Silver remained utterly silent. His eyes just continued to watch the entire thing. They flickered over to Karen's direction, and in an instant, the boy was in front of her. Houndoom snapped at him, not that he paid the pokemon any mind.

"Don't battle, Karen. You too, Brock," he said blandly, staring a hole into her and then the former gym leader. A confused Karen didn't get to question him any further. He blinked back to Mewtwo's side, who was watching the affairs with a baleful expression.

"It is exactly for this reason that I am doing what I am," Mewtwo intoned.

"I attempted to work in unison with humans, but I was only left disappointed. You are selfish and entitled creatures, ones who believe that the world is theirs to rule and everyone under them must abide or suffer the consequences of not doing so." The psychic's eyes pulsed blue.

"I will adopt those same principles for the time being. You are all beneath me, so you will abide with my will or pay the price."

"You're full of it!" Ash barked, stepping up with a scowl. Mewtwo raised a brow, even as the Pikachu on the boy's shoulder gestured wildly.

"Silver's a trainer too, but you're not doing anything to him! You don't believe what you're saying!" he said firmly.

"Silver? He, just like I, has no real place in this world. Silver is hardly even human; that is why I tolerate him," Mewtwo replied in amusement.

"You shut your mouth!" Green shouted immediately, a heinous glare forming. Silver's eyes, which had shut, snapped open.

"You don't get to label Silver as anything! Leave him alone!" she practically roared.

"This isn't about me," Silver interjected immediately. Mewtwo, who looked poised to speak to Green, scoffed. The girl narrowed her eyes, almost poised to lunge, if not for Gold placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Why'd you call us here, Mewtwo?" Crystal asked diplomatically.

"Why? To test you," Mewtwo replied bluntly.

"Test what?" Gold asked bluntly.

"Is it not obvious? There is a reason I called myself the Most Powerful Trainer and Pokemon. I wish to battle you all with my own assortment of pokemon."

"And what does Silver have to do with that?" Karen asked firmly, eyes narrowed.

"He is my scribe for this. He will observe my triumph." Karen's eyes narrowed, and she scoffed.

"Mewtwo!" Mewtwo stopped.

"Give me back Silvy!" Green demanded, a furious expression on her face.

"Give him back?" Mewtwo questioned.

"You seem to be mistaken, Leaf Green. I am not holding him captive. In fact, I am the one who freed him from the ones holding him captive. This is how he will repay me." Green shuddered at that. Her expression tightened as she turned to Silver.

"Silvy?" she questioned. Green and Silver made eye contact for a long while. No words were exchanged, yet Green shuddered regardless. Then, Silver followed dutifully after Mewtwo. Green clenched her fist in distress.

"I get it now. I have to beat you to get Silvy back. Fine! I'll do that!" she decided.

"You plan on fighting that thing?" Blue asked slowly, doubt clear in his voice. If he was right, this pokemon was the reason everything in Kanto was going to hell.

"I'll do anything to get my best friend back!" Green said resolutely.

"Yeah! Did you hear him? He mentioned his own assortment of pokemon. He's not planning on battling us himself," Crystal observed. Gold grinned cockily.

"We'll beat whatever he throws at us!"

"Be careful, kiddos. Who knows what pokemon he might have?" Karen pointed out. She'd listen to Silver's warning for now and avoid battling, but if things got out of hand, she'd have to step in. What that entailed? She wasn't sure... Blue watched their resolve with wide eyes. What type of drugs were they even on? Did they even hear themselves?!

"You're the Color Gang, right?" They paused, turning towards the aloof Nurse Joy with curious gazes.

"Do me a favor... and save Silver, alright? He misses you guys," was all Joy said. Green's eyes squinted.

"Are you Silvy's friend?" she asked suddenly. Joy looked surprised.

"You know about me?" she asked. The girl nodded.

"Not much. Silvy's tight-lipped about you... But I know enough," she said.

"I'll save him! Watch me!" Green said, determinedly chasing after the legend.

"I'm getting in on this, too! He doesn't get to decide whether we deserve our pokemon or not!" Ash scowled.

"Yeah! I've got a whole lot of issues with that asshole!" Gold agreed.

"You still have to be careful!" Crystal shouted. Despite the situation, Joy watched them go with a small smirk. Silver had some good friends.

"Did Mewtwo kidnap you?" Karen asked simply, standing next to the nurse. Joy shook her head.

"No. I offered to go with him after he told me he had pokemon who needed help." Karen let out a noncommittal noise.

"Where are you stationed?" she asked.

"Fortree City."

"What?! From Hoenn?!" The Dark Master gaped. She let out an annoyed noise.

"Someone from Hoenn got dragged into this? Damnit all. That's gonna be annoying to explain..." Joy shrugged.

"I'm on paid leave." Karen stared dryly at her.

"That helps... not at all. Why are you talking to us so freely?"

"My work here is no longer needed. Hasn't really been for a while. I'm just here for Silver," she said bluntly. Joy stared at the woman.

"Elite 4 Karen, right? Save that brat for me... and he's been doing everything against his will."

"Don't worry. The kid's not in any trouble... for now. That could change depending on what happens today," Karen noted. The Dark Master shook her head.

"I've got a bad feeling about all of this. Absol hasn't been able to sleep."

"All of you seem eager for battle. I will allow 6 of you to battle one of my captures each." Mewtwo smirked.

"On second thought, let us make a competition of it. Whoever faints more pokemon will be declared the winner."

"And the loser?" Karen asked with narrowed eyes.

"Will deal with what I planned on doing regardless," Mewtwo replied confidently. Silver was seated in a chair, watching the affairs with a tilt of his head. Much like Mewtwo had intended, the redhead was sitting in a booth far away from them and high in the sky. Next to him, Joy was seated, keeping an eye on the silent boy. Corey huffed, clutching his ribs harshly.

"Fine then, I'll go first!" Fergus panted.

"I'm next!"

"Are you sure?" Neesha asked quietly, glancing nervously at the two.

"We can't let this bully run us over! We'll show him!" Fergus said intently.

"What about Elite 4 Karen?!" Karen watched the eyes shift to her before she stared at the booth housing Silver.

"I'll have to sit this one out. I'm preparing for something else," she informed them.

"Right! Karen will deal with that legend! You lot, how many badges do you have?" Corey asked. The Color Gang stared at the man, triple frowns on all their faces.

"None," Misty replied with a frown.

"Seven," Crystal replied for all of them.

"Eight!" Ash replied.

"Nine," Blue muttered.

"Same as him," Neesha and Fergus replied, pointing to Blue.

"I've got nine too. Guess it's settled who's fighting then," Corey responded, nodding. Gold stepped forward with narrowed eyes, only for Crystal to pull him back.

"Just let them. We'll preserve our energy. There's no point in doing this," she replied softly.

"They'll make us lose!" Gold hissed back.

"Look how confident Mewtwo is! Even if the three of us win, at best it'll be a tie, and who knows what he'll use as a tiebreaker," Crystal whispered in return.

"We'll just watch. If we can swing the tides, we'll do that." Gold scowled but nodded.

"Fine."

"Oh? Revenge, I suppose?" Mewtwo mused as Corey stepped up. His eyes roved over to the Color Gang, who didn't seem invested in battling, but he did not comment on it. The psychic made no fanfare, beckoning a hand forward. The gang stiffened as a Meganium trotted onto the field.

"Gaia?!" they hissed in surprise, eyes shifting over to the top of the stadium...... Where Silver looked utterly unfazed. He gazed down on the battlefield with that same neutral expression.

"That's not Gaia. Silver would never not react to any of his pokemon," Green said bluntly. Her brows were furrowed as she gazed at the pokemon who definitely looked like Gaia.

"Curious?" Mewtwo questioned, baritone voice reverberating through all their heads.

"She is a clone. A Meganium made to be more powerful than the average of their species."

"Clone?" Crystal said with a disturbed expression.

"He cloned all of Silver's pokemon?" Gold questioned.

"... That's not right," Green scowled, clenching her fist. Corey scoffed.

"A Meganium is nothing to us, clone or not! Bruteroot, let's show them a real grass type!" Gaiatwo's eyes narrowed at the sight of the Venusaur and at the words of the trainer.

"I think that Meganium's more like Gaia than we think," Green said nervously. Before anyone could question her, a column of leaves formed underneath Bruteroot, launching the surprised Venusaur into the air.

"What?!" Corey shouted in shock, gazing at the Grass Pledge in confusion. While Bruteroot flailed about, thick and numerous vines wrapped around it.

"Not so fast! Bruteroot, use Sludge Bomb!" he shouted. Bruteroot never got the chance as the vines wrapped cruelly around its face, gagging, blinding, and restraining it all at once. Gaiatwo brutally slammed the Venusaur onto the ground. It would have yelled in pain, but the vines prevented it from doing so. But the Meganium wasn't finished. She forcefully kept the Venusaur rooted to the ground and reared back before slamming her forelegs onto the battlefield.

Everyone stumbled about at the powerful Earthquake, eyes wide as the shockwaves ripped through the earth. None felt it more than Bruteroot, who had been forced to absorb the full damage. The Venusaur's body was being forced to hug the ground, and as a result, every shockwave, ripple, and tremor rocked its body.

"No... way," Corey muttered, stepping back with wide eyes as his Venusaur fainted from the swift assault. They hadn't even gotten to get an attack out. Gaiatwo bellowed victoriously, trotting over to Mewtwo's side. She gazed expectantly at the psychic, and Mewtwo side-eyed her.

"Excellently done. You performed within my expectations," he offered. The Meganium beamed proudly.

"I... think this is about to be a wash," Karen replied slowly.

"... I think so too," Crystal replied.

"We could take on Silver's team," Gold said bluntly.

"But an enhanced version of Silver's team?" Green questioned skeptically.

"Silver's original team already seemed strong. A juiced-up version of them isn't going to be easy for a lot of people here," Brock pointed out with a frown. Was that why Silver didn't want them to interfere? If they were just clones of Silver's team, they couldn't have been too powerful. Considering the gap in strength, Brock and especially Karen should be able to handle it.

"I've got a bad feeling about all this," Misty muttered.

"The score is 1-0, in my favor. You may send your next," Mewtwo said coldly. Corey numbly stepped back, watching as Fergus took his place immediately.

"Gyarados, let's do this!" he barked furiously, glaring daggers at Mewtwo. Gyarados roared violently, eyes pulsing in a familiar rage normal to its species. Mewtwo stared at it like it were lesser. He simply raised his hand and beckoned the next pokemon forward. Shock coursed through the field as a serpent burst out of the water. It released a loud croon, red eyes focused on the Gyarados.

"A Milotic?!" All who weren't aware of Silver's team gaped.

"Wait... a Milotic and a Meganium?! I've heard of you!" Neesha shouted, turning towards Silver with wide eyes.

"His name's Silver! He's a first-year trainer! One of the most promising of this year... along with..." Neesha slowly turned towards the rest of the Color Gang with wide eyes.

"The rest of his group..." she trailed off. Silver, to his point, said nothing. He just continued watching the ongoings, permanent downturn to his lips.

"You're telling me that Meganium is a clone of a first-year?" Corey asked in disbelief.

"Fergus, you should be careful! That Milotic is his strongest pokemon! Its clone will be powerful too!" Neesha tried to warn. Fergus glared.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"

"No! That won't work!" Neesha cried out. Gyarados opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of water. The Milotic made no move to dodge it, expression haughty as the Hydro Pump crashed into it.

"What?!" Fergus gasped, watching as she nearly absorbed the attack. He recovered quickly.

"No matter! If water won't work, we'll get close and personal! Use Crunch, Gyarados!" Gyarados roared violently, empowered by the rain. It lasered onto the Milotic and launched itself across the field...... Only to freeze as Freyjatwo winked at it. The Milotic crooned gently, eyes fluttering at the Gyarados. Gyarados did nothing... before excitedly roaring at the Milotic, no signs of violence in its body anymore.

"I know how serious this is, but you have no idea how horrible it is that Freyja knows Attract," Gold commented.

"Not now, Gold," Crystal chided, watching as Freyja's clone charged a truly gargantuan Dragon Pulse, firing it off at the immobilized Gyarados.

"Move outta there, Gyarados!" Fergus shouted desperately. It was a moot demand. The Dragon Pulse sent Gyarados soaring backwards, before a beam of ice froze it solid.

"I believe that is 2-0 in my favor." Mewtwo sounded condescending, watching as Freyjatwo floated to his position. Fergus looked on helplessly.

"That's not... one more round!" he barked.

"Are you sure you wish to do that? I imagine your allies would be quite disappointed if they were to go down 3-0 due to your incompetence," Mewtwo pointed out. The legendary was amused, a small smirk on his face. Fergus stammered, taking a step back in defeat. He beckoned with his hands, and a Metagross floated on the field. Neesha looked nervous at the pokemon.

"I'll take it from here. Rapidash, let's win this!" The fiery horse burst onto the field with a powerful neigh. It zeroed in on the Metagross, body exploding in even more flames. Metagross rumbled ominously, disappearing in a burst of speed.

"We won't get outpaced! Catch it, Rapidash!" Rapidash's hooves clacked against the floor, leaving fiery marks in its wake as it pursued with Flame Charge. The flaming horse blazed across the field at tremendous speeds, honing in on the speeding Metagross with deadly intent... Or it was supposed to be. It almost seemed as if no distance was being closed between them. Metagross kept the perfect distance away from the Rapidash, which shouldn't have been easy considering what type of pokemon they each were.

Rapidash was clearly getting frustrated, if the way it was huffing was any indication. All the while, Metagross leisurely kept its lead, no sign of distress on its face. Neesha's eyes narrowed in concern.

"Overheat, Rapidash! Don't give it anywhere to run!" she shouted. Rapidash neighed in agreement, mane erupting with enough firepower to turn white for a split second. The flames coalesced near Rapidash's mouth before it poured even more energy into the attack. The beam that fired out of its mouth left the Fire Horse temporarily spent, flames dying out for a moment to compensate for the size of the Overheat. It raced through the distorting air, aim true.

It crashed into the Metagross with enough force to engulf the entire monster, eliciting a roar out of it. Neesha jumped in excitement.

"Alright! Nice going, Rapidash!" With this, the score was 2-1— Rapidash let out a wail of agony, suddenly collapsing on the side. There was a pool of blood underneath the horse, caused by the random appearance of vicious scratch marks. Neesha watched in horror as a Zoroark phased into existence, mane of hair running freely down its head. It leered at the Rapidash, a violent gleam in its eyes as blood dripped from its darkness-enshrouded claws.

"N-No fair! That's a two-on-one!" she exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Mewtwo asked, voice tinged with mild amusement. Neesha spluttered.

"My opponent was Metagross, not Zoroark!"

"I would suggest that you look to where this 'Metagross' is," Mewtwo advised. A cold sweat formed on Neesha's head at that. She gazed warily at the spot where Metagross had been. Its body should have been burning because of the Overheat... But there was nothing there. She went pale at seeing an empty spot.

"You still do not understand. Your opponent was never Metagross. It has always been Zoroark," Mewtwo explained.

"You were chasing and expending your energy on an illusion this entire time. Do not claim foul play when your ignorance is to fault." Neesha stepped back in shock, numbly returning Rapidash to the ball. She slowly walked back to the crowd, taking in the tense air with a despondent frown.

"It is now 3-0. One more and I will be considered the winner," Mewtwo explained. The Color Gang exchanged a glance with one another.

"If it's Silver's team he's using... then he has Metang, Oberon, and Ares left. Charcadet too, but... maybe he won't use him," Green explained.

"I have the best odds against all those. Larvitaro has a good matchup against all three," Gold responded carefully. Crystal nodded in agreement.

"It's looking bad. Maybe we should at least even the odds—""Let's do this, Charizard! We'll show him that our bond is real!" Ash shouted, taking the helm with a furious scowl. If he was hesitant because of the previous beatings before, it certainly wasn't showing on his face.... Crystal's words died on her lips at that. The oldest of the Color Gang glanced at Ash with wide eyes. Suddenly, she understood why Silver got so annoyed with everyone all the time. Gold frowned grimly.

"Whatever. Something tells me if it looked like we were winning anyway, he'd have some special stipulation that lets him get involved. The longer he stays out of the action, the better."

"I don't know if we were beating buffed versions of Silver's team anyway," Misty muttered. Crystal and Karen nodded in agreement. Perhaps this was for the best. They still didn't know what Mewtwo wanted to do, regardless.

"Hm?" Mewtwo mused. Green's eyes widened in horror.

"No wait, Ash! Never use anyone from the Charmander line against Silver's team!" Ash turned in confusion.

"Huh? How come—""SAAAAL!" Everyone froze at the dreadful roar before a rocket smashed onto the ground, having taken vantage in the skies the entire time.

"Oh... my... Mew," everyone gaped, staring at the enormous figure. The Salamence howled proudly, gazing at Charizard with a hungry gleam. Charizard spat out flames, glaring at the Salamence in return.

"That Salamence is enormous," Corey pointed out nervously.

"You're telling me this kid owns a Salamence, too? One that size?!" Fergus gaped.

"His Shelgon is almost double the size of normal ones... I didn't realize that his Salamence would benefit from that too," Neesha stammered.

"Did Ares also evolve?" Crystal wondered.

"I think this is gonna go even worse than before. Ares has a crazy track record against the Charmander line," Green muttered nervously. Karen sighed. The other brats made things more complicated than they had to be.

"Prepare for mayhem, kids," she said. Brock already had one hand on his waist. Whatever was happening here couldn't be good for anyone. At once, they opened their mouths and unleashed a deluge of flames. They met near the middle, exploding in a shower of fire. The Salamence spread her wings and took to the skies, followed closely by Charizard. They spat continuous beams of energy at one another, whether it was draconic or fiery in nature. The two seemed to be testing each other...

Or, well, Arestwo seemed to be testing Charizard. Clearly, she was disappointed by what she discovered. Charizard opened his mouth and unleashed a powerful Dragon Breath... That was blown to bits by the Salamence's own. The turquoise beam was utterly overwhelmed, hitting the surprised Charizard on the chest. He roared in surprise, only for a blur to shoot past him. Dangerously sharp claws, sharp enough to gore most creatures, raked across the Charizard's belly.

The mere graze was strong enough to send the fire lizard tumbling through the air. Arestwo was relentless. She opened her mouth and fired an enormous Dragon Pulse that exploded on the Charizard's midsection. A plume of smoke formed from the explosion before a figure fell out of it and towards the floor. Charizard's eyes bulged, and he forcefully righted himself— Only for a clawed hand to crash his head onto the floor. Arestwo snarled victoriously, forcing Charizard to eat dirt by standing on his head.

Her muscles bulged, and a violent gleam entered her eyes, only for her to take a deep breath to calm herself down. She flapped her wings once and vanished back into the sky, roaring in victory.

"That went how I expected it," Gold exhaled.

"No way..." Ash trailed off with wide eyes.

"And that makes the overall score 4-0. I believe this competition is over. I would allow two more to take the stage, but I have seen everything I have needed to see," Mewtwo responded, eyes glowing ominously.

"What now?" Misty asked warily.

"Now? I will take my prize."

"Your... prize?" Brock asked slowly. Mewtwo smirked proudly.

"There is a reason I have called you here, and this has proven it to me. I already knew, but I wished to see if a clone—a copy—has a greater place in this world than its original. I have accepted that I am the strongest... but I do not yet know my place in this world."

"But I am figuring it out. Only one with my strength is fit to rule this world. I cannot leave it in the hands of you humans." Purple eyes gazed at them all.

"Eventually, the time will come when I take my place as the ruler of this world. For now? I will use your closest allies to make my own allies, free from the restrictions you would place on them." With that, Mewtwo waved his hand and captured every single trainer's Poke Balls. Shouts of shock and protests rang out as the psychic manipulated the devices, captured the released pokemon, and teleported them away in a flash. In an instant, more than 50 pokemon were confiscated by Mewtwo.

"Hey, you bastard!" Blue roared, eyes narrowed in anger.

"What are you doing?!" Gold barked, frantically reaching for his waist and feeling nothing there.

"Is it not obvious? I am cloning your team. Clones are superior to their originals, and I have grown fond of the idea of gaining more allies. Seeing as I am the victor, I will be taking my prize..." Mewtwo glanced dismissively at them.

"Afterwards, you are free to go. I will ensure that my desire to become the ruler of this world is something I want. In the meantime, you will leave me be until I am ready, or you will pay for certain."

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted in concern, turning a wild glare towards Mewtwo. Mewtwo regarded Ash with mild curiosity before his attention was grabbed by Karen stepping up.

"You seem pretty confident using those pokemon to pick on kids," she scowled, revealing that her 6 balls were still on her person. Mewtwo's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"A Dark Type trainer? I suppose it makes sense that you were able to evade me, even for the moment." The psychic smiled ever so slightly.

"Indeed, your team is powerful. Enough to stop almost all my clones." Karen's eyes narrowed.

"So you're gonna step in yourself?" she pressed. Mewtwo tilted his head.

"I said almost." A flapping of wings caught Karen's attention, causing her to glance up in mild confusion. She immediately froze at what she saw. Silver froze too, eyes shooting open in shock.

"Not something you accounted for, I take it?" Joy asked, refusing to show just how nervous the reveal made her. He said nothing, eyes darting in every direction. Joy could tell his mind was running a mile a minute... and she could also see that he was currently blaming himself. Why was he blaming himself? Well, that was because it looked as if Mewtwo had cloned the legendary birds. Karen stared off against Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres with wide eyes.

It wasn't hard for her to identify who exactly they were, considering there was footage of what these three were capable of doing. It was no wonder Silver told her not to fight.

"You understand now? I've achieved what I wanted here, and I always would have. Be glad that I even allowed you to battle the weaker clones, instead of myself. It would have been more one-sided than it already was," Mewtwo intoned.

"Well, shit," Karen muttered. This wasn't looking good. Staging an attack on Mewtwo alone seemed unlikely. How were they meant to battle Mewtwo, along with three legendaries who had wreaked havoc unto Kanto as collateral. The birds shrieked loudly, glowing with their elements as they took their position next to Mewtwo. Mewtwo smiled in mild satisfaction.

"As I said, you are free to go. I've achieved what I wanted for today. You have failed my test, and I have amassed my own clones. This is enough for me..."

"For now." While satisfied for the day, Mewtwo was not satisfied with the humans. He had given himself clones, filling that tiny void in his heart that had not recovered from losing his dear friends so long ago. But the humans... They could not be allowed to rule this world. Mewtwo was not sure of many things involving his existence, but he was certain that he could not let humans be in control. He was in control now. He would never allow a repeat of his situation to happen again.

"And what about Silvy?!" Green demanded, eyes narrowed.

"He is my scribe. I will not let him go yet."

"Then I'm not going anywhere! Give me back my friend, you asshole!" she snarled. Mewtwo looked surprised by her words.

"That is what you have an issue with? Not my declaration of war?"

"I don't care! Give me back Silvy! He's not your little plaything! He's my best friend!" Green scowled. She didn't look afraid of the fact that she was defenseless and facing off against four legendaries. No, her eyes were narrowed in raw determination. A horrified Blue stared at Green like she was going mental. Mewtwo stared at her, just as stumped. Why was it that she only cared about getting Silver back?

Mewtwo clearly informed them all that he was only sparing them for the moment, but there was only one thing on this girl's mind. Leaf Green... what a strange girl she was— Mewtwo's head swiveled in confusion at the loud explosion. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, immediately detecting that it came from the cloning room. Ash Ketchum rushed out of the smoke, Pikachu in his arms. Next to him, Gold and Crystal rushed out, each carrying a bag of Poke Balls.

"We got em, Karen!" Gold shouted. Karen smiled in some relief.

"Good going, kiddos... though, I didn't distract him the way I hoped to. Some things changed, but Green was able to keep his attention!" Crystal balked at the sight of the legendaries.

"I can see that!"

"We already had to fight one unstoppable legend, what's 3 more?!" Gold shouted.

"I can't forgive you. I won't forgive you!" Ash shouted, eyes narrowed in determination. Mewtwo gazed at the children, confusion rolling off him in waves.

"Those idiots..." Silver finally said, shutting his eyes with a sigh.

"They don't plan on leaving without you. What now?" Joy asked him, staring a hole into the child.

"..." Joy watched Silver clench his fist. His eyes tried to appear apathetic, but they were bursting with emotion. Ash clenched his fist in anger.

"I won't let you get away with this! I'm going to protect all my friends from you, you big bully!" With no hesitation, Ash rushed Mewtwo, fist poised to punch the psychic type… Only for it to get snatched out of midair. Ash stared at Silver with wide eyes as the redhead held his fist with an impossibly tight grip. His expression was carefully blank, purple eyes boring a hole into Ash.

"Silver?!" Ash trailed off in confusion.

"Stay out of the way, Hero," Silver chided coldly.

"To willingly get in the way of a fool. I suppose you do care for him in your own way. Even without knowing one another, you would still look out for your brother." Ash only had a moment to register the pit that formed in his stomach before a fist buried itself into his gut, knocking him unconscious with a weak wheeze. Silver stared at his body with an unreadable expression, allowing him to fall flat to the floor.

"Brother…?" Green and Blue whispered in horror, gazing at Ash's sleeping body… and then Silver.

"B-Brother?!" Gold and Crystal spluttered.

"BROTHERS?!" Misty and Brock gaped. What the hell did Mewtwo mean by brother? Ash and Silver were brothers?! That didn't make any sense!

"But Ash's mom is Delia, and Silvy's mom looks just like him too—" Green went pale as the realization hit her. Wait a minute... did that mean Ash's dad was... was Giovanni?! Silver shut his eyes and sighed, even as a blue barrier was conjured around him to block the stream of electricity from the furious Pikachu.

"You didn't have to say that. You picked up Team Rocket's habit of speaking unnecessarily," he said bluntly, gazing at Mewtwo with an annoyed gaze.

"That's no good. Here I was hoping no one else ever found out the two of us were brothers. Would have been simpler that way." Everyone gazed at Silver with stunned eyes. He was gazing at them with an unreadable look on his face, shaking his head at something only he could hear.

"It's over. You guys lost... so get off this island," he told them. The redhead waved his hands, dropping the necessary Poke Balls in each owner's hand. Then, he captured Ash's body in a sheen and launched it over to Brock. He let out a grunt of surprise as someone rushed him.

"But what about you?!" Green asked, grabbing his hands. There was a desperate look in her eyes that caused Silver to slightly avert his.

"I'm fine, Green—""Stop calling me that!" she interrupted immediately, glaring harshly at him.

"You should be calling me Leaf, while we travel the world and battle together! You aren't some plaything for a legendary! I'm not going without you, and so help me, if you try to knock me out again, I'll never forgive you!" Green barked. Silver stepped back awkwardly... or at least he attempted to, but Green's grip was unyielding.

"You're not staying here," he said firmly.

"Then you aren't either!" Green replied, just as firm.

"It's not that simple, Green! Just go for now; I'm doing fine!" Silver barked, annoyance in his gaze.

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING ME GREEN!" Mewtwo watched on in disbelief as the two began arguing with one another.

"Is now really the time for this?" Neesha asked nervously.

"I guess not even a threat to the world is enough to stop them," Gold laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's wholly inappropriate, but I missed this a lot," Crystal sighed fondly.

"I guess nothing can stop them," Karen mused. Green and Silver continued to glare at one another before a childish giggle rang through the air.

"Children, children! You shouldn't be fighting one another!" The two paused in confusion, only to shout in surprise as a tiny figure appeared directly between them. Both Green and Silver took a step back, eyes wide in confusion.

"What is that?!" Fergus shouted in confusion. Silver and Mewtwo's eyes widened in unison at the creature. Green gazed at it in awe. It was a pink feline, not even large enough to reach Green's knees. The feline had large blue eyes, tiny arms, and the cutest little three fingers on each one. The creature's tail was as long as its tiny body, swaying happily with the delighted pokemon. Mewtwo looked at the pokemon, stunned at the arrival." Mew? The pokemon said to be the rarest in the world…"

he greeted, not quite believing that it was here.

"You finally arrived. I was wondering if you were actually going to show up," Silver said idly.

"Mew? Is that what the humans call me?" The little cat seemed to spin in joy at that.

"I like it! Mew!" The legendary called out its namesake, giggling all the while.

"That's Mew?!" Crystal gasped in awe.

"I can see the resemblance," Gold muttered, looking between Mew and Mewtwo. Mew's eyes twinkled, a joyful look on its face. It vanished from its spot, seamlessly appearing in front of the surprised Gold and Crystal. The pixie placed a tiny hand on both their cheeks, giggling happily before floating over to Ash's unconscious form. Ash made no move as Mew gently patted him on the head, twirling happily despite the state of the boy.

Then Mew appeared in front of the surprised Silver, ruffling his red hair with their tiny paw." Hello, my child!" Mew's giddy voice rang out, mussing up his hair like a parent would do to their… child.

"My... child?" Silver repeated in confusion, hand reaching up to touch his hair. Before Mew or Silver could say anything more, a Shadow Ball crashed into Mew's back and sent it flying away into the sky. Mewtwo glared at Mew, eyes flooded with azure." You are the reason for my existence, Mew. I am but a clone of you… But I was made to be stronger. You will not ignore me." The cold and heavy azure aura surrounded Mewtwo, even as an unscathed Mew teleported back onto the field.

"Oh, little child of mine! You are a copy unaware of your purpose in this world! Do you truly think you can defeat me with such doubt clouding you?" Mew asked cheerfully. Mewtwo's expression pinched.

"We will find out." Mew giggled again before teleporting once more, this time to the opposite side of the battlefield. Much to Mewtwo's surprise, a pink sheen surrounded a stunned Leaf Green and brought her to Mew's side.

"What are you doing?" Silver asked immediately, eyes narrowed as his emotions flashed.

"I was watching you two battle the little birdies, and it looked fun! I wanted to try it too!" Mew replied, waving happily at the confused legendary bird clones.

"Mew?" Green whispered. Mew turned towards Green, blue eyes glowing with what seemed to be a near infinite amount of various emotions… but that playfulness never vanished." Leaf Green! Let's play together!" Mew cheered. Green gazed at the psychic with wide eyes before her expression hardened, and she nodded at the progenitor. Those brilliant green eyes of hers glowed pink before she turned to face the duo opposite them." I see," Mewtwo muttered.

"Very well. I will entertain this nonsense. Let us battle." Mewtwo turned towards Silver with narrowed eyes.

"Do not interfere. This is my reason for existing; I will not allow you to sully my victory," he warned. Silver shrugged.

"Fine by me. Have fun," was his simple response. The redhead took a step back, releasing his team leisurely. Every member stared at Green, causing the girl to look over at them. She put a hand over her heart at the happiness (and somberness) they radiated, vowing to defeat Mewtwo right here. Mewtwo scoffed, focusing on Mew.

"Keep the other guests entertained. Ensure no one interferes," he instructed the legendary. The birds shrieked in agreement, looming over the rest of the trainers... Only for a lance of fire, ice, and lightning to crash into them.

"What?!" Mewtwo's eyes widened as three very similar-sounding shrieks. The legendary bird clones paused in surprise, staring off with their originals. Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres shrieked furiously at their clones, gazes burning bright with their elements.

"You would dare create a copy of one?!" Articuno hissed.

"I'll fry you until nothing remains!" Zapdos howled.

"You have overstepped your boundaries, clone. I cannot stand by and allow you to do as you wish," Moltres finished. Gold and Crystal sighed in relief.

"Lorelei and Jasmine did it!" Crystal exclaimed. Silver's eyes widened.

"They brought the birds?" he asked in surprise, seeming to look for something. His eyes narrowed.

"I hope you didn't kill them in retaliation," the redhead snarled. Articuno scoffed.

"One would not allow a follower of Ice to perish. The only person whom One wishes to destroy is you, Abomination!" Silver stared at the ice type and scoffed, anger wearing off.

"Whatever, loser." Articuno let out a squawk of indignation at Silver's words before a gout of flames crashed into it. The clone of Moltres held none of the compassion in its gaze. The phoenix prepared to release another burst of flames, only for a bolt of lightning to smash into it. Zapdos howled furiously.

"BEGONE, MOCKERIES!" Thunder exploded as its clone matched its ferocity, colliding with the flames of Moltres. The birds glared at one another before vanishing in a blur. What followed next was a horrifying clash of elements high into the sky. Thunder roared, snow fell, and fire surged as the legendaries repeatedly battled out of their line of sight.

"This is crazy!" Corey said nervously, watching as a bolt of lightning crashed on the surging waves, causing sparks to plague the entire area.

"W-We didn't sign up for this!" Fergus stammered, watching a thin beam of ice freeze the waters effortlessly.

"Find cover! Do not stay out in the open!" Karen barked. Her dark types were out in a frenzy, facing off against the army of clones that Mewtwo created.

"But the clones!" Neesha gasped. Karen barely blinked.

"He didn't clone any of my pokemon. This'll be easy!" she said confidently. Brock stepped up, Ash draped on his back.

"I'll help too! If you can focus on taking my team out, I can help clear up the others!" Weavile grinned and brandished its claws, vanishing from its spot in an instant.

"Way ahead of you!" Karen said, right as the cloned Onix let out a wail. Weavile cackled happily, balanced precariously on the rocky spine that resided on the top of the rock serpent's head.

"We'll help too!" Crystal said in determination, watching as Airee crashed into Arestwo. The Dragonite and Salamence snarled at one another, only for another Dragonite to come soaring in, full body tackling Airee. Arestwo snarled, only to howl as a dark blur sent her careening. A Honchkrow laughed mockingly, firing a pulse of darkness that enshrouded the Salamence. The enormous dragon felt her eyes bulge, only for a set of vines to grasp her.

Arestwo met the gaze of Gaiatwo, who simply shook her head and beckoned towards Silver. The cloned Salamence ducked her head in guilt at seeing Silver staring at her. He simply tilted his head and patted the area around him.

"This isn't our battle, my clones. We've already solved our issues," he said. His simple declaration was all it took to deactivate his own clones.

"It seems like all of Silver's pokemon are gonna sit out," Crystal noted, watching the cloned Salamence land next to her original with a frown. Similarly, the rest of the clones of his team converged on his location.

"Good. Lokitwo would be a nightmare to deal with," Gold huffed, barely able to hear himself over the clashing elements. All over, the clones were battling the originals with bloodlust... But none of that mattered because the originals had Elite 4 Karen backing them. She was doing a targeted assault on the clones of Brock's team, ensuring the powerful Rock Types made no headway against the weaker opponents. Weavile was running rampant on their ranks, so fast that nothing could hope to catch it.

Already, it had dealt with Onix and Aerodactyl; now harassing the bigger of the two Tyranitars there. The Tyranitar roared in fury, only for it to become one of surprise as a tiny ghost appeared behind it, holding a ball of blue fire. The Sableye chattered with a smug grin, igniting it with the Will-o'-Wisp. Weavile cackled at the roar the Tyranitar unleashed, leaning in to deliver a Low Kick. The super-effective attack, combined with Tyranitar's immense weight, sent it crashing to the floor with a defeated roar.

"She's making it look easy," Blue muttered, watching as his Blastoise faced off with its clone... only for a giant Houndoom to leap into the fray, clamping electrified jaws around the clone of Blastoise. It was evident that the move was nothing but a way to thin the numbers even further, the helldog already bounding across the floor to pick its next target.

A little further off, he watched as his Umbreon teamed up with a slightly larger one to throw up Reflects and Light Screens that helped stop the onslaught of many of the clones.

"This is chaos," he muttered, eyes darting in every direction. He missed the Golduck charging him, only to whirl around with wide eyes as it neared... And got smashed by a vine in return, courtesy of the enormous Venusaur shooting him an annoyed look.

"Keep your head on a swivel, Blue!" Gold barked, Ataro to his left. Above him, little Wartaro was valiantly poking its clone, who fired back with just as much ferocity.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Blue barked back, eyes narrowed. Mewtwo watched the chaos unfold with narrowed eyes. It was evident that the reason they were losing had to do with the Dark-type user. Otherwise, his clones would be winning handily. Karen was calmly watching over the mayhem.

She nodded as Absol glided across the battlefield, cutting effortlessly through a Nidoqueen, smirked as Honchkrow dropped the Dragonite out of the sky, barked an order as Umbreon weathered the other Tyranitar, leaving it open to take three Hydro Pumps from a Blastoise, Feraligatr, and Kingdra. Perfect. It was a total wash. The clones stood no chance against her team of Dark Types. There wasn't much she could do against the legends, but trained pokemon? That was nothing, cloned or not.

It was a good thing she managed to avoid getting her team cloned. It would have been far more troublesome otherwise—"You are a nuisance," Mewtwo hissed, eyes glowing in malice. Karen's eyes widened, even as Weavile blurred over to her side. Mewtwo barely spared it a glance, holding out a palm and bowling the dark type over with a giant Aura Sphere. Weavile screeched as it was struck, flying backwards from the enormous orb. It fell unconscious mid-flight, body tumbling repeatedly on the ground.

"Shit," Karen said helplessly, even as those ominous purple eyes peered into her soul. Mewtwo never got the chance to silence her, a murky orb smashing onto his back.

"We're the ones playing, child! Leave the other mortals out of this," Mew giggled, spinning in place as it juggled five Shadow Balls like they were part of a circus attraction. Mewtwo's eyes narrowed. In an instant, he vanished from his spot, appearing in front of Mew. The clone towered over its original, cutting an imposing figure with its piercing purple eyes.

"Tall!" Mew awed, ignoring the Mewtwo forming a giant shadow ball.

"I can be tall too, you know!" Mewtwo nearly snarled.

"Be serious, Mew!" he hissed, firing the Shadow Ball... To no success. Mewtwo took a step back in surprise, as Mew smoothly changed its appearance to an enormous pokemon.

"See?! Look!" Mew cheered in all their heads. It was massive, being a predominantly white pokemon that had yellow bands on its shoulders and wrists, along with a yellow sloping section on its chest that appeared to be its head. Its "head" had seven black dots that appeared to be eyes. Green looked on in awe. All she had suggested was that the Mew turn into a normal type to avoid the Shadow Ball. She never expected to see... whatever the hell this pokemon was.

Silver's eyes widened in shock as he gazed at the pokemon.

"A Regigigas? Really?" he gasped.

"He recognizes it?" Mewtwo thought, seconds before this Regigigas smashed those three giant fingers against him. Mew giggled cheerfully as Mewtwo's body soared through the air. Mewtwo gasped in surprise at the pain, catching himself long enough to see the fingers closing in on him once more. He hastily teleported away, hissing at the near capture. The irate psychic summoned an Aura Sphere, pumping it with an incredible amount of energy that allowed it to rival the Regigigas in size.

Mewtwo promptly fired the attack, aimed true, and watched as it collided with Mew's changed body... Only for Mew to transform once more. Its body shrank drastically, doing a 180 in size from the gargantuan form it just took, into a pokemon closer in size to Mew. It was light purple with green eyes, yellow sclerae, a yellow ring markings on its forehead... The strange pokemon laughed mischievously, allowing the Aura Sphere to pass through a hoop. It did not take long for Mewtwo to realize it was a portal of sorts...

as an explosion rocked his back from his own attack. He flew forward from the force, capturing himself as a newfound rage built inside of him.

"Impossible!" Mewtwo exclaimed with wide eyes, unable to comprehend what was going on.

"That can't be good for it. Transforming into a ghost type like Hoopa must be hard... but I guess that doesn't matter to Mew," Silver mused, looking impressed despite his words. Mewtwo clenched his jaw as Silver identified another pokemon he could not.

"Enough of your evasion tricks. Are you too weak to battle me?" he hissed. That infuriating giggle rang through the air once more.

"Okay, child! Be careful what you wish for!" Mew's voice rang out.

"Hit him with a dark-type move if you can, Mew!" Green instructed carefully. The ring-bearing pokemon spun three times before its form shifted once more. Mew's once adorable appearance shifted once more, taking a far more sinister shape. It was as if that same ringed pokemon had been mutated into a giant monstrosity that even eclipsed Regigigas. The pink ponytail extended, shifting into a shade of purple, and the monster gained several more arms.

"What is that?" Blue asked in horror, staring at the towering monster with wide eyes. He had never seen something quite like this before. Well, honestly, Blue had never seen a lot of the things he was seeing today. Was this normal for the Color Gang?! Mewtwo watched with wide eyes as the monster's rings flew towards him. He attempted to float away, but a ring cut off his exit. This continued until the psychic clone realized he was surrounded.

An attempt to teleport was made moot as the rings immediately tracked his location, surrounding him once more. Seeing as there was not much he could do, Mewtwo summoned a barrier to block the incoming attack. He would soon realize how hopeless that was. It appeared Mew chose this form knowing exactly what Mewtwo was going to attempt to do. The rings expanded, and Mew sent its floating hands forward. Mewtwo braced himself for what was coming, strengthening his barrier to incredible degrees...

If only he realized that the barrier would do nothing to protect him. The first fist stunned Mewtwo; it phased through his barrier, shrouded in dark energy that sent him careening to the right— Into another fist. What followed next was a beatdown that would have humiliated Mewtwo, if not for how painful it was. He was repeatedly punched by a flurry of fists in every direction, given no time at all to retaliate or think.

His barriers were useless; he was unable to teleport or summon a psychic attack to blow it away... all Mewtwo could do was try to weather the storm of punches to the best of his ability.

"Holy shit," Gold said in awe.

"Hmph. It admits to stalking us against the birds, but only chooses now to show up. If I knew Mew could use moves like Hyperspace Fury, I'd try a lot harder to look for it," Silver scoffed, leaning against his awed members. If he was phased by Mewtwo being pummeled by Mew, he certainly wasn't showing it. Finally, Mew stopped the onslaught, allowing Mewtwo's body to drop to the floor. Mew gazed at Mewtwo before shifting its form for a fourth time.

Green felt a shiver crawl down her spine as Mew's body turned black, almost appearing to be a living shadow. The only thing that differentiated it from them was the long, billowing white hair, along with the red spiky growth around its neck.

"Sleep, child. You've had your fun for today," Mew said peacefully, firing a black orb that connected with Mewtwo.

"Yes! Nice job, Mew!" Green cheered, pumping her fist. In an instant, Mew turned back to normal, appearing in Green's arms with a happy cry. The two exchange equally giddy hugs. If Mew was uncomfortable by how tightly Green was squeezing it, the psychic made no indication, only seeming to grow more ecstatic.

"That was fun! You're fun, Leaf Green!" Mew beamed.

"... Thank you for playing with me, Mew," Green said earnestly. Mew giggled, gaze moving to the sky that pulsed with life. The psychic floated away from Green and flew into the sky, its appearance shifting once more until it took the form of a white creature that looked to be a mixture of an avian and a dragon. It spread its hand-like wings and opened its ridged mouth. The clashing elements immediately stopped at the piercing screech.

Six birds flew out, all reaching a stalemate that may have prolonged for years, and gazed at the transformed Mew with wide eyes.

"You're having too much fun! It's gonna disturb all the mortals!" Mew scolded. The birds squawked in confusion before slowly banishing their respective elements. They gazed at the transformed Mew with as close to a meek expression as they could give.

"Our apologies, Progenitor," Moltres said.

"What nonsense do you speak of? This is the Moon's Guardian," Zapdos grunted. Articuno scoffed.

"A brain as fleeting as their element. Progenitor, next time you'd do best to solve an issue that you caused." Mew giggled, turning back to normal.

"Wasn't it fun?" they asked innocently. Articuno's eyes narrowed. The bird shot a baleful glare at its clone, who stared back with their own scowl.

"Only you would find the complete mockery of this slight against us as fun. We should bury all the humans in ice for daring to clone us."

"I will not allow you to do that," Moltres said immediately. Articuno sniffed.

"Pathetic, all of you—" A pulse of raw psychic energy interrupted the conversation, silencing them all.

"You would dare speak like it's over?! Speak as if I'm defeated?!" Mew gazed back at the battlefield.

"It seems my child still wants to have fun!" Mewtwo's eyes blazed as he pushed himself up. His body glowed with the effects of Recover, bruises vanishing in an instant. There was a palpable fury on his face as everything began spiralling out of control for him. His clones were being crushed, his legendary clones were no longer battling... he was being defeated." I am the strongest! Me! My entire existence hinges on being more powerful than you. Without that, I am nothing! I WILL NOT LOSE TO YOU, MEW!"

Mewtwo hissed violently, azure aura blazing all around him. The legendary clone began to steadily lose it, eyes pulsing with madness as it drew upon more and more power…

"The only reason you won is because you dared to use a trainer against me instead of relying on your own strength. Let us see how you perform when I battle with my partner."... And more and more and more power. Silver howled unexpectedly, convulsing in place as his body surged with azure. He shot up from his previous position, unleashing another strangled screech as he gripped his head.

"SILVER?!" Everyone screamed in shock as the boy twitched in place. All of Silver's pokemon shouted in terror, watching as their trainer spasmed directly in front of them. Gaia shot out vines to hold him still, watching as his shaking grew progressively more violent. As her vines got closer to Silver, she could only wail in surprise as an unseen force blasted them away. She attempted to move forward once more, but stopped as Metang roared in its own discomfort.

All turned to face their most antisocial member, eyes widening in dread at the white sheen surrounding its body. But that wasn't all. The worst of it was the blue aura surrounding them both.

"What's going on?!" Loki hissed, eyes darting between Silver and Metang as they both convulsed in place.

"I don't know!" Gaia shouted, unleashing her aroma for the thrashing Metang to no avail. No, their entire body just continued to undergo a complete metamorphosis. Two legs formed, while Metang's arms turned into another set. They grew ludicrously, eclipsing the previous form. A large metallic cross formed on the center of its face, and the Metagross opened its visible mouth to let out a deep roar.

"Metang!" Freyja shouted in concern, watching as the Metagross collapsed in a heap. Green's gut turned inside out, and she instinctively rushed Silver, only to be held back by a pink aura, courtesy of Mew.

"L-Let me go! Please, Silver needs my help!" she begged. Mew was uncharacteristically quiet. The little cat stared at Mewtwo and Silver with a pondering expression.

"We have to help him!" Gold shouted, rushing forward and crashing into an invisible barrier. He grit his teeth and began shoulder-tackling the spot in front of him unsuccessfully.

"I... can't... get... through!" he strained. His efforts only grew more desperate as Silver's screams grew hoarse. Gold froze in disbelief as he heard a familiar shriek from behind. He hastily turned, eyes going wide in dread at seeing Wartaro writhing on the floor, body glowing white.

"What? But why is Wartaro evolving right now?!" he hissed, rushing his Rufflet with confused and horrified eyes.

"T-The clone is too!" Crystal shouted in distress, holding the cloned Rufflet with a worried look in her eyes. Gold already knew something was amiss with Wartaro's evolution, taking place at the same time as whatever was going on with Silver and Mewtwo. That feeling in his gut only solidified at the sight of white feathers instead of red. Braviary had dark red feathers... not white! While undoubtedly a Braviary... this one looked different enough for him to immediately know something was wrong.

If the situation were any more lighthearted, Gold would have cursed Silver for throwing another strange evolution his way.

"Houndoom! Get in there!" Karen urged, a curling in her gut at the screams Silver was letting out. She hardly knew the kid, but she wasn't going to let any child be tortured like this! Houndoom took a single step before a powerful force bowled over all of them, sending them backwards. All the while, Silver continued to shake. His eyes rolled to the back of his skull before something dropped out of his bag. Green never felt more dread than she had before, when she noticed that it was the Keystone...

the glowing Keystone. Karen's jaw dropped.

"What...? Why does he have that?! Why is it glowing? Don't tell me?!" she asked herself. Gold and Crystal watched in stunned silence.

"Oh shit," they both said at once.

"What? What's going on?!" Misty asked hastily, growing more and more nervous.

"What she said! What's happening?" Blue demanded. A rock settled firmly in Green's stomach." Don't tell me… Can Mewtwo—" None could keep the uneasy feeling from going away as Mewtwo glowed a bright white. He lost his tail and grew slimmer, while gaining two horns. From its head, an appendage that looked similar to the tail it had lost, extended past its legs. Silver stopped convulsing and nearly collapsed, only for a psychic sheen to cover his body and pull him upright.

His pupils reappeared, making Green's heart stop at the sight of them, and he idly captured the Keystone in a psychic sheen.

She watched in dread as the accessory began floating around his body, orbiting him constantly. It was as if he were a planet, and the Keystone was one of his moons. Around his head, across his chest, vertical, horizontally, diagonal... the Keystone ominously floated, never stopping in its movement.

"Wonderful. This form... this power, it seems even we are unaware of how limitless our potential is," Mewtwo and Silver said at once, eyes both a brilliant shade of red. Green shuddered as they spoke in complete unison, expressions overlapping with one another. Both Mewtwo and Silver gazed at their hands. They seemed to almost ponder something before a small smile formed on their faces." Let us continue. We have been enlightened." By now, action had halted completely, all eyes on the floating Mewtwo and Mew.

Even the birds kept a curious eye on the altercation, ensuring that neither side would interfere.

"You... what did you do to Silvy?!" Green roared furiously. That was Mega Evolution. This was... Mega Mewtwo, right?! Silver mentioned you needed to have a good bond with your pokemon, along with the stone... but she didn't think he had either with Mewtwo! Is that why he was in so much pain...?

"Leaf..." Mewtwo and Silver mused, fondness in their voice.

"Come at me with all you have. Don't you dare hold back." With that simple statement, Mewtwo instantly conjured a Shadow Ball that dwarfed anything it had summoned earlier. None of its limbs moved at the action; the murky orb simply formed in front of the psychic before launching itself at Mew. Mew instantly shifted forms, taking the appearance of that wispy shadow once more. It exploded in dark energy, destroying the Shadow Ball until nothing remained.

Then, it formed another dark orb—"Darkrai, a Dark Legendary Pokemon that specializes in tormenting foes in their sleep with powerful nightmares," Mewtwo intoned. Green's eyes widened at that. Mewtwo hadn't known any of that before. Why was he suddenly so knowledgeable? Was... was Mewtwo using Silver's deep well of knowledge, too?

"We do not require sleep, nor do we desire any more nightmares. Your Dark Void is useless." The orb collided with Mewtwo, but true to the psychic's words, he remained wholly unaffected by its effects. He stared unblinkingly at Mew, forming dozens of cannonball-sized Aura Spheres.

"Mew, ghost type!" Green instructed hastily.

"Ah, Hoopa. A Ghost and Psychic type. We expected that after its performance earlier," Mewtwo intoned, appearing directly in front of Mew, who had transformed into Hoopa.

"He's identifying everything so quickly," Green thought in horror. Mew squealed in surprise, transformation forcefully dispelled as Mewtwo fired a point-blank Shadow Ball. The tiny pokemon went careening away from the devastating attack. Mega Mewtwo Y was relentless, having clearly adopted Silver's nonstop aggression. It moved at speeds Green would find impossible to react to, if not for Mew assisting her directly.

As Mew soared through the air, Mewtwo effortlessly intercepted it, another Shadow Ball floating next to him. He forcefully adjusted Mew's trajectory downwards by slamming the Shadow Ball into the original once more. Mew caught itself, no longer laughing at the threat Mewtwo suddenly posed. In an instant, it transformed into that monstrosity that had soundly defeated Mewtwo before.

"Hoopa-Unbound," Mewtwo observed patiently, floating in place.

"A Dark and Psychic type Legend, capable of summoning mystical portals with various properties..." Mewtwo landed slightly above the floor, unmindful of the portals opening around him.

"... And the move you used was Hyperspace Fury. It is a move that we have no chance of guarding, even able to pierce the most powerful of barriers." Mewtwo's red eyes opened.

"So we will not guard against it." Everyone watched with an uneasy expression as Mewtwo's feet touched the floor.

"Is it not suspicious that despite being a clone of Mew, we seem not to possess either of its core abilities? The ability to transform and the ability to utilize any move..." Mewtwo and Silver both smirked.

"We suppose we should at least give proof that Mewtwo truly is a clone of Mew." With that declaration, Mewtwo began to change again. His slim and slender build bulked up tremendously, even larger than his normal form. He gained a foot of height, his horns grew longer, turning pointed in the process, two tubes formed behind his neck, and large purple ridges formed over his shoulders. Finally, his tail returned, shorter than normal.

"Another form? What exactly is Mewtwo?" Green thought in disbelief. Sharp blue eyes stared ahead as Mewtwo entered a boxing stance.

"Hmph. It's only right that we have our own ability to transform," Mewtwo and Silver said confidently. With that, the legend's fist glowed blue, quickly filling with destructive energy.

"In this form, we have gained the fighting type. You understand what that means, correct?" A familiar azure aura entered Mewtwo's eyes as well before the psychic began to move. Green was sure Mewtwo had never done a physical action in its life. It didn't need to when it wielded such awesome psychic power... But watching the psychic parry every single punch that flew out of the portal... it was a thing of beauty that Green hated acknowledging.

It was as if Mewtwo was born to be a fighter, moving with such fluidity and grace... Mewtwo barely moved an inch to evade the giant fist looking to cave his face in, punching down on another aimed to shatter the ribs of a normal person. His eyes darted in all directions in an instant, calculating his next movement too quickly for the human mind to process. Mega Mewtwo X's arms lashed out in every direction, colliding with each fist in a blur.

A thunderous noise emitted from every moment of impact, yet Mewtwo refused to slow down. Forward, backwards, sideways, upwards... no direction was safe from the fists. His shoulders rolled, he constantly pivoted... Mewtwo seamlessly aimed every fist exactly where it needed to be, colliding perfectly with each of Hoopa-Unbound's fists. Then, it spotted an opening, lashing out once more.

Green watched with wide eyes as the fist stretched farther than it had any right to, connecting solidly with the giant Djinn's midsection, shooting it backwards with the force. The fist snapped back to Mewtwo's location, the legend gazing at it in blatant interest.

"You cannot maintain that form for long. The energies of a Dark type, much less a fellow legendary, will drain even you, Mew." True to Mewtwo's observation, Mew shifted forms again, transforming into the white avian from earlier.

"Lugia, the Guardian of the Sea... The supposed leader of the elemental birds. In this form, you are likely to use Aeroblast, which would be quite effective against us." Mewtwo shifted once more, turning back to Y in an instant. The slim body floated upwards, red eyes full of confidence.

"In that case..." The sky screeched. Even nature was unable to resist Mewtwo's hold. The psychic forcefully grasped something before ripping it down. What it grabbed was soon revealed as an enormous bolt of lightning raced through the heavens to crash into Mew.

"It seems we are also capable of grasping moves at an extraordinary rate. We did not know how to use Thunder before." Mew was struck true by the attack, rain practically turning it into a homing missile. The legend finally cried out, body glowing from the brutal Thunder.

"Are you okay, Mew?" Green asked in concern, clenching her fists in dread at how swiftly the tides had turned.

"I'm okay, little one!" Mew chimed, voice still uppity despite no doubt feeling the blows in earnest. Green wasn't so sure about that. She underestimated just how much knowledge Silver had about pokemon. Mewtwo was perfectly predicting too many things, and it was using said knowledge to come up with constant countermeasures. She glanced at Silver, who was floating in place, Keystone still flying all over his body. His expression was blank, eyes shifting between red and blue to accommodate Mewtwo's transformations.

This... this couldn't be good for him.

"You're distracted. Being unable to keep a Calm Mind will lower your chances of victory," Mewtwo scolded, appearing in front of Mew with a Shadow Ball in one hand. The original quickly turned back into its default state, firing a Shadow Ball that was instantly consumed by Mewtwo's own.

"Where are you looking?" Mewtwo asked from behind, placing a palm flat on Mew's back. Mew squealed as Mewtwo unleashed a point-blank Shadow Ball, causing it to come off as an explosion instead. It spun away from the impact before hastily teleporting from the flurry of miniature shadow balls that looked akin to pellets.

"You are capable of transforming into other legends, but you cannot truly mimic their power," Mewtwo noted.

"It matters little, regardless. We are without equal." Green clenched her teeth. A dark type would be bad here. Silver would immediately identify it and have Mewtwo go to the fighting form. But without transformations, Mew would just be overwhelmed by the power Mega Mewtwo exhibited.

"Can you Mega Evolve too, Mew?" she asked carefully.

"Mega Evolve? Nuh uh. This is me!" Mew replied cheerfully. It was unnatural how Mew could remain cheerful despite how terrible the situation was. Green did not welcome it at the moment.

"Mew, is there a ghost type that they maybe don't know about?" she tried desperately. Mew put a tiny hand to their mouth.

"Okay!" Finally, their form shifted once more, body growing slightly. Mew turned smoky gray, headgear seeming to form around it that had two curled horns between them. Silver and Mewtwo cocked their head.

"We have seen this before... but we cannot remember," they said bluntly.

"Now's our chance, Mew! All-out assault!" Green cried out. Mew let out a battle cry, orange-red eyes glowing. They promptly vanished, causing Mewtwo's eyes to roam over the battlefield. He was waiting for some type of attack, but evidently, he didn't expect such a tiny creature to close the distance instead of widening it. Mewtwo let out a grunt of surprise as the strange pokemon burst from the shadows to deliver a hellish punch to his back.

The force was enough to send him flying backwards, body far frailer due to being Y. He gasped in pain, body spasming slightly with the ghostly energies injected into him. His eyes narrowed, and he summoned a large blade of psychic energy, only to get Sucker Punched in the face before the attack could be unleashed. Mewtwo tumbled backwards even further, instinctively transforming into X to not be thrown around like a doll. He held up a fist, blocking the shadowy overhead punch.

The psychic snarled in annoyance, blue eyes blazing as he lunged forward and phased through the creature, leaving him open to get clipped by a shadowy fist. The psychic's eyes narrowed. He vanished in an instant and appeared a safe distance away.

"You have disrupted our calm state. How? You are stealing something from us?" he wondered. The little creature said nothing, intently focused on his position. It held up its hands, mimicking his boxing stance from earlier. Mewtwo's eyes narrowed, falling for the bait. He lunged forward, fists glowing with psychic energy as the two engaged in a furious melee battle. It was unexpected, considering they were both psychics...

Mewtwo struck low, a blindingly fast blow that connected solidly with the ghost, who simply rolled with the punch, using it to catch its footing and launch itself forward. Marshadow vanished quickly, appearing directly in Mewtwo's guard to deliver a vicious uppercut on the psychic's chin. Mewtwo caught it before it could connect, only to hiss as the ghost phased out of existence once more. Mewtwo's heavy blow met nothing, and the psychic teleported in an instant to evade the 10 jabs that came out instantly.

Marshadow hissed, slipping sideways as Mewtwo blurred forward at tremendous speeds. A furious brawl ensued between the two. Both were faster than any fighting type, but Mewtwo specialized in heavy blows, each laced with enough force to shatter an island's core. Marshadow was different. It feinted to the right of a heavy blow before diving into Mewtwo's shadow and appearing behind the legend. A rapid flurry followed, fists flashing, as dozens of punches landed in an instant on Mewtwo's back.

Mewtwo hissed in annoyance, lashing out with a backhand strong enough to decapitate. It barely missed by inches, Marshadow ducking quickly to evade the blow. As the psychic turned, the ghost delivered a rising uppercut, making the psychic reel back. Marshadow pressed their advantage. The ghost was as shifty as mist, wafty and intangible. It leapt forward once, attempting to leap into Mewtwo's guard once more... Only for the psychic to erupt with power.

Marshadow hastily leapt back into the shadows, evading the blindingly fast blows.

"We are adapting to each other at near limitless speeds," Mewtwo observed, eyes narrowed in annoyance. Without any hesitation, Mewtwo punched the rocky ground with enough force to nearly uproot the island. Shouts of panic rang out as the helpless onlookers could only watch, but the legend only had eyes for its original. At the sight of Mew vanishing once more, Mewtwo huffed and held out a hand, ripping out metals from the castle. The metals from his advanced castle flew together, molding themselves into...

"A... spoon?" Green murmured in surprise, watching Mewtwo grasp the giant spoon.

"Interesting. This fills us with... deja vu," Mewtwo noted, seeming surprised by the weapon as well. He inspected it curiously before whirling on a dime to intercept the attack coming his way. The spoon clashed with a fist before Mewtwo pushed back the spectre. Mew squeaked, vanishing into the shadows right in time to dodge the psychic swipe. Mewtwo spun the weapon a few times before nodding in satisfaction.

He grasped it in one hand and tapped the floor with it, causing another Earthquake to rip through the battlefield. Then, he held out a hand, reversing the Gravity in the area. He ignored all the humans shouting in surprise as they began floating, intent on spotting any— There. Mewtwo vanished from their spot, appearing right next to where Mew was hiding in the shadows. The ghost seemed to anticipate this, bursting out with a Sucker Punch that was met with the spoon.

Then, he swung downward, weapon filled with psychic energy. It failed to hit anything as Mew backstepped it. Mewtwo was undeterred by the failure. He lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant, and began swinging with the intention of flattening the tiny creature. Mew jumped over a sweeping swing meant to trip before landing atop the spoon. It lunged forward in a Shadow Sneak, only to cry out as Mewtwo headbutted it. The psychic's dome was glowing with blue energy, Zen Headbutt doing crushing damage.

It left Mew reeling, stunned momentarily. Mewtwo took that small opening like a Sharpedo smelling blood.

"Such an unrefined method of combat. We will admit that it certainly yields results," Mewtwo mused, ignoring the pain of trading blows with the ghost move.

"We also thought that we should inform you that we are aware you are a Marshadow. A powerful and unique choice, able to swiftly adapt and eventually overcome any maneuver we throw at it. Though ultimately, it achieves nothing." With that, the psychic grasped his spoon, sharpened it forcefully with the effects of Psycho Cut, and began battering Mew. Strikes came from all directions. Mega Mewtwo X was a blur, utilizing raw speed over teleportation to attack from every angle.

The floor trembled with every heavy step as Mewtwo continuously landed and launched itself. Mew was helpless to stop the onslaught, forced to drop the transformation to weather the psychic storm. Finally, Mewtwo grasped the spoon with both hands and held it above his head, slamming down ruthlessly onto Mew. The spoon's bowl was larger than Mew itself, able to completely cover the pixie.

"Mew!" Green shouted in distress as Mewtwo struck down with the spoon like it were a guillotine, flattening Mew on the ground. The force was so tremendous that Mew's body rebounded, sending the legend back up... to be flicked by Mewtwo like it was a pesky bug. Even the flick wielded too much power. Mew bounced repeatedly on the floor before ending in front of Green.

"It's over. We are absolute!" Mewtwo announced, a gleam in his eyes at seeing Mew's prone body. Green watched on with despair as Mewtwo and Silver stood tall above them. Mewtwo looked on, still surprised by the outcome. It was almost as if part of him hadn't actually expected to come out of this battle victorious. Mew pulled itself up and slowly floated next to Green, a tired tinge to the playful air around it." Now you see. All of you see that we are the strongest!

We were made to be stronger than our original; that is the truth!" Mewtwo exclaimed, a tiny grin on its face that upturned only one side of its mouth.

"Our life is one full of lies... but at the very least, we can take solace in this being the truth."

"We're not… finished yet, Mewtwo!" Green shouted, clenching her fist tightly." You are, Leaf. There is nothing you can do to us. It was a valiant effort, one that you should be proud of... You did well," Mewtwo decided, almost kindly. Green clenched her fist at his tone. She glanced at the resigned Silver, the one who looked as if he knew the outcome of the match from the moment Mewtwo Mega Evolved, and felt her glare harden.

"Mew, can you keep going?" she asked tenderly. Mew twirled around and nodded, glowing white and restoring its injuries." It is hopeless, Mew. We are invincible. Despite everything, we are still related. We would be loath to eliminate you permanently... We are not interested in eliminating any of you," they intoned. The birds felt all their eyes narrow, but before they could attack, their counterparts shrieked warningly at them. Mew flew upwards, causing Mewtwo's gaze to shift to it.

"Again? We grow tired of this." Silver held out a hand; Mewtwo was already on the move, disappearing from his spot and appearing above the battlefield. His body changed back into Y, azure aura surrounding the entire area. The spoon slowly orbited his body as he gathered energy, blue aura turning further dense until it looked like you could grasp it.

"Behold, the depths of my power."

"Psystrike." A blue barrier surrounded Mewtwo before the world turned white. Green panted in terror as she was momentarily blinded, heart on her chest, before realizing she was safe. Similarly, every other person and normal pokemon had been cowering in terror, unable to fathom how they were able to even survive this battle. That was when they noticed a blue barrier was shielding them… A heave caught Green's attention, filling her with no small amount of dread.

She turned towards the source and resisted the urge to scream at seeing Silver crouched. The redhead was dry heaving. Blood dripped from his nose like a river as he collapsed over. He panted harshly, shuddering as Gaia wrapped healing vines around him in a panic. Wait... don't tell her. Had Silver been protecting the humans this entire time?! W-Was that why no one had been caught in the crossfire of Mewtwo and Mew's battle?

"Silvy!" Green shouted, pounding against the barrier in a frenzy. Miraculously, Silver heard her. He looked up and met her gaze… and Green watched as that frigid expression of his finally melted away. His eyes drooped, he trembled in place, and Green nearly cried at seeing the amount of sweat pouring down his face. His hair was splayed haphazardly, allowing her to see both his eyes. He looked utterly spent. There was a deep exhaustion in Silver's eyes that extended beyond just the battles today.

But despite that, Silver stared at her and opened his mouth.

"I'll fix this." That was all he said. With that, he pushed himself up. Green screamed unsuccessfully, dread welling inside of her. Tears formed in her eyes, and she battered against her prison. Words could not explain how horribly I messed up. Nothing I did was working. Every action I took was brutally punished. All of this was my fault. I needed to be the one to fix this mess I caused. This was my last resort… but it really didn't seem like I had much of a choice.

The reason I knocked Ash unconscious was that I didn't trust this world to bring him back to life. If things continued, he was going to get killed. Sure, it would help Mewtwo learn his lesson… but Ash was a kid. He didn't deserve to die. He didn't deserve to stake his chances on something I wasn't sure was real. People die in this world. I saw it clear as day, and with the changes I had made to Mewtwo, there was no telling what would happen. Mew was weaker than Mewtwo.

It had more versatility, but Mewtwo's strength was on another level, and that was because of me. I had fine-tuned Mewtwo into the perfect weapon that Giovanni wanted him to be. Even despite that, Mew would have won... Mew would have won because Green was sharpening it into that same scalpel. But I wasn't expecting Mewtwo to use the energy inside of me to Mega Evolve, but we had. I didn't think Mewtwo could Mega Evolve without a stone, but it made sense...

after all, why would there be a Mega Stone for an artificial pokemon? This world did its best to explain things that happened in the game that were somewhat difficult to understand, and the explanation for Mewtwo being able to Mega Evolve... was that I was the catalyst. We were intertwined now, bonded to our cores… I could feel Mewtwo; Mewtwo could feel me. He used my knowledge to become one of the most powerful weapons alive, while I used his power to protect the mortals who could not defend themselves.

Our very bond was a dichotomy of mortal and God... Which meant one thing.

"Mewtwo!" I shouted, gazing into the sky where the psychic stood. After his Psystrike, I could tell that Mew was spent. It had summoned a barrier to protect the birds after all... which probably required all of its power to do. It was only a matter of time before Mew fell, leaving the birds open to an assault by their clones and Mega Mewtwo. That was going to be a massacre. Mewtwo would come out of this battle as the absolute victor if things kept up. Which was why I had to fix this.

A pulse of confusion was all I received, but I knew Mewtwo's eyes were on me… because we were intertwined. Our bodies were one in this moment, our connection at its twisted peak… And that was why I was going to win this.

"Little brother, you were born with incredible power. You're overwhelmingly strong; You've known nothing but victory, but with that overwhelming sense of conquest comes the overwhelming stench of hubris …" I smiled, ignoring the blood seeping from me.

"You haven't learned a valuable lesson yet. It was a lesson I learned at the start of my journey when I went through that same overwhelming sense of conquest."

"Why are you monologuing?" Mewtwo demanded, staring at me with confused red eyes. I ignored him.

"I also kept winning. I felt unstoppable, like nothing could stop me. Every plan I thought of succeeded, everything I went for ended up being mine." I chuckled wetly.

"But I learned the hard way that I'm not untouchable... and you aren't either."

"Have you lost your mind? I am invincible! You more than anyone else can see that! My power is second to none," Mewtwo practically hissed. I just continued to laugh.

"You still don't get it. I don't blame you, you're young after all. You don't fully realize that Mew can't utilize the full power of its transformations."

"The biggest worry of your life right now isn't proving that you're better than Mew, it isn't finding the purpose of your life, it isn't making an enemy of the human race…" My eyes turned a bloodier shade of red, different from the color that I gained from bonding with Mega Mewtwo Y.

"Biggest worry... of my life?" Mewtwo asked in confusion.

"... The biggest worry in your life right now is pissing off the wrong pokemon. I learned that the hard way... now you will too. Being stubborn dumbasses until the end must run in our blood, partner." With that, I allowed the Foggy Fortress to surround Mewtwo and I's connection, much like it tried to do to Metang when they were a small Beldum. But this time, I forced it to attack instead of backing off.

I seized up, my eyes rolling to the back of my head before I abruptly collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. I didn't notice the same had happened to Mewtwo. He let out a raspy gasp of surprise as he was ripped out of his Mega Evolution, transforming back to normal as his body fell to the ground with an unceremonious thud.

"SILVYYYYY!" Green shrieked. Mewtwo did not know where he was. Mewtwo did not know what had happened. But Mewtwo felt uneasy. This was a feeling that he had never once experienced. One that made him feel like he was being watched from every single angle. He didn't understand. Victory had been in his grasp. After so much time spent pondering, he finally realized that he was the strongest, better than Mew was. He had proven that clones were superior! All of it had been right there for the taking!

He was the undeniable victor of this war... so why was he here? What happened?

"Oh. You're actually here." The psychic whirled at that, meeting the neutral gaze of Silver. In this expanse of darkness, it was all the stranger that he could see him so clearly. Silver looked on boredly, red eyes drilling a hole into Mewtwo.

"I wasn't expecting you to follow me here… but this is good too. Thanks, Mewtwo, you helped me with something I've been aching to figure out."" What…?" Mewtwo muttered, utterly bewildered.

"You're probably confused. So I'll explain it to you," Silver said calmly.

"You followed my plans almost perfectly." Mewtwo looked stunned.

"Plans?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I had plans for you. Plans that would help me win… I had so many plans set in place to stop you."

"But you shattered my expectations every time." Mewtwo looked at Silver like the anomaly he was, eyes truly wide.

"To be honest, Mewtwo, this victory rings hollow for me. Nothing I did was able to phase you. For all intents and purposes, you won," Silver admitted.

"I planned and I planned, making adjustments all the while when those plans continued to fail." He held up a finger.

"First. I joined Team Rocket willingly because I knew there was no stopping you… I didn't expect to get kidnapped by Team Rocket so soon, so I adjusted my plan on the fly. My new plan was to turn you against them… so that I only had to deal with you." Silver raked a hand through his hair.

"That plan worked out beautifully. Honestly, I thought you were going to kill me, but instead, you kidnapped me."

"Let's put a footnote on the killing me part for a second. I'll come back to it." Mewtwo watched in stunned silence as Silver held up a second finger.

"After you kidnapped me, I adjusted again. My original plan, if you just left me alone, was to go find a legendary that could defeat you... and I never really discarded that plan." Silver huffed.

"I didn't plan on bothering them again since they pissed me off, but since I had access to you this time... I sent you after the Legendary Birds because they refused to go after you first. By doing this, I was hoping their wrath would be invoked and you'd have to deal with all three of them by yourself."

"One of my plans was to awaken Lugia, the giant avian we battled. Initially, I was going to go to Johto to steal the Tidal Bell and Silver Wing... but since I sent you after the birds, I decided to take their feathers. Maybe that would have been another way to wake it up. After all, Lugia is their leader."

"You... that's why you took their feathers," Mewtwo muttered. Silver nodded.

"Well played, by the way. You unknowingly completely countered that part of my plan when you cloned your own set of birds. I didn't even see you steal their DNA."

"I..." Mewtwo trailed off, looking disturbed. Silver smiled wryly.

"You see, no matter what I tried, you overpowered it. You brute forced through every single plan I made, even using some of them to your own benefit." He raked a hand through his hair.

"... I had to adjust on the fly again when I realized that I made you stronger. You were growing in real time, to a terrifying anomaly that I was slowly losing confidence in dealing with," he admitted.

"When Mew showed up and you told me to sit out, I thought there was still hope in things solving themselves," he admitted.

"Imagine my surprise when you used me to Mega Evolve yourself. That hurt like a bitch, by the way. I'm going to be feeling that for a bit," Silver said flatly.

"You used me to discover that you had two Mega Forms. You used your Mew DNA to transform into both of them seamlessly... You used me to identify every legendary Mew transformed into, despite knowing none of them." Silver chuckled.

"Hell, you even used me to make that spoon. That made me laugh a bit. Inside joke, you wouldn't get it."

"But... how did you know all these things?" Mewtwo couldn't help but ask.

"I know far more than you ever could," Silver responded with a small smile.

"Part of me was hoping that learning about all the legends Mew transformed into would be enough to stop you. I thought you'd learn that there are a lot of strong monsters out there... but you're just as stubborn as I am." Silver held up a third finger.

"Those who rule by strength will naturally submit to a stronger force. I've done it, my mother has done it, my father has done it… But you are the strongest…" Silver chuckled.

"... Well, at least you think you are."" You mean to say there is…" Mewtwo trailed off, stunned to have been so thoroughly outplayed by someone so much weaker than him. If not for his strength, how long ago would Silver have defeated him?

"Confidence is powerful... but Arrogance is crippling. Such similar things, but what separates them is a person's ability. Those with confidence prosper. Those with arrogance think it's confidence until they die," I said flatly.

"My arrogance was rightfully punished by a Fraxure. It's luck that I managed to make it out of that alive... but I'm not arrogant enough to think I can rip your arrogance out of you alone." An ominous aura washed over the darkness, and Mewtwo felt something cold wash over him.

"Plan 3. Introduce you to something even stronger than you. I went through with this plan when you used me to Mega Evolve yourself, effectively binding us together... It was always my last resort, but I really hoped I didn't have to use it, especially now that we're bound like this." Silver looked Mewtwo did in his eyes, an unhinged gleam in his eyes.

"Do you remember that footnote? Well, if at any point, I died or was close to... I was just going to unleash this on you."

"Mutually assured destruction. I would have died, but you would have too. A fitting end for monsters like us," Silver said confidently. The redhead put a finger to his lip.

"Oh yeah, if you actually went through with killing my aunt, you would have all died. I would have unleashed this without a second thought... probably dooming all of Kanto in the process. Then, the world would follow right after." Not even Mewtwo could stop the shudder that rippled through his body, as two ominously glowing eyes, both blood red, appeared. It was as if all the light had been drained, absorbed by those eyes that engulfed the world in apathy. The same blood red as Silver's eyes. Silver laughed.

The sound caused Mewtwo to whip his head towards him.

"I knew it. The one who dragged me into this mess… the one who makes me a terror to all these pokemon… and the one who is in charge of this Foggy Fortress." The redhead grinned.

"Using Mewtwo was only secondary to my main goal… and that was finding out the one who did this to me. Thank you, Mewtwo. Because of you, I finally have my answer..." Mewtwo said nothing (he was unable to), staring at the black silhouette with wide eyes. Six tendrils, darker than even the expansive darkness, floated ominously. The edges glowed a sickly shade of red. Mewtwo had once told Ariana that he feared nothing. What would the strongest have to fear?

So long as he was the pinnacle of strength, all would fear him. But as apathy gnawed at him, whispering terrible nothings in thousands of different voices. As the void threatened to consume him, treating the psychic's power like a meal that would not sustain it for long, Mewtwo found himself feeling terrified. It was only made worse by the actions of Silver. While Mewtwo was being tormented by both everything and nothing, Silver had a wild grin on his face, a victorious gleam in his eyes.

"Pleasure to meet you in the flesh... Giratina."