I Am Not a Clone

I am the original! I am the best!

I care not what those journals say! They are wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!

I am the original!

…Aren’t I?

—-

A few hours prior…

[Takes place before the Cinnabar Volcano erupted.]

I fingered the Pokeballs attached around my waist. My Pokemon. My partners. My faithful companions. My best friends. Through thick and thin, we’d gone through the perils of Johto and into Kanto.

And now, here I was. Standing at the entrance to the old mansion.

I had been mesmerized by the beauty of a Ninetales I had battled against on my way here. I wanted one. I had to have one. The kind trainer told me that that Vulpix could be found in the old Cinnabar mansion, which was just about destroyed. Dangerous. But I was getting that Vulpix whether this stupid mansion wanted me to or not.

I double checked my party, making sure everyone was set and ready to go. My Feraligatr, Beedrill, Noctowl, Umbreon, and Rapidash all seemed ready.

But there was the question of whether or not he was ready or not…

I bit my lip, having been told by a friend of the journals that were scattered around the mansion. He had pointed out the connections to my dearest boy, and I, of course, denied every single thing he pointed out. I had to. My Pokemon were practically my children, and what parent would not try to protect their child?

But even I couldn’t ignore everything. I decided to just keep him in his Pokeball for this trip, even if his Psychic powers were good against the Poison Pokemon that practically ruled the place. I took the ball and shoved it down deep in my backpack.

I made sure I had plenty of Potions, Antidotes, and Burn Heals. After finding satisfaction in my stores, I slung the bag across my back and called out my Rapidash. I kindly asked her if she would light up the dark mansion for me, and the Pokemon whinnied and flared brighter. I smiled and thanked her, guessing that this was a ‘yes’.

—-

I’m so tired…

Where are we? I can’t tell. It’s dark and stuffy. It’s hot, too. Too hot. I don’t like it.

Why can’t I see?

This feeling… Why do I have it? Why do I suddenly feel so ice cold?

Wh-where are we?

—-

I felt the Pokeball rattle in my backpack. Considering my bag was so loaded with stuff, I was surprised I could feel it. My boy must be distressed. I frowned. I knew he didn’t like being in dark places, and yet I still did this to him.

He’ll be upset, but not as much as he would if he was out. The lesser of the two evils, I suppose. And I simply couldn’t leave him in the Storage System.

He’d live.

I slid my Pokedex out of my pocket, looking at the picture of the Vulpix on the screen. Studying it. I scanned over its info. I’d be ready to face this thing once I found it. I even had the brand new Ultra Balls in my pocket, ready to toss at the fox.

“Vulll!”

My gaze snapped up from the screen, my eyes wide. My prize had come to me, it seemed! Who was I to complain about that?

The Vulpix spotted me. With pinprick eyes, it took off down the decrepit hall. Grinning, I readied Feraligatr’s Pokeball and took off after it, my feet pounding on the moldy carpet.

—-

Ugh… I feel sick. I have a headache.

Is there anything for that? Maybe something for humans. Maybe it’d work for me, too. I’m not too different from them, after all, no matter how much it pains me to say so with some of them in the world…

Huh? We’re moving?

Urgh… That sick feeling got stronger. The air smells familiar. Are we in a cave? No, no, no, it’s not a cave. It feels too strange to be a cave.

Let’s see… There’s mold in the air. The air smells stale. We’re enclosed somewhere. It’s too dry to be a cave… The air isn’t dusty. There’s ash. Something’s burning or has recently burned. That explains the heat, I guess…

But there’s something… behind all that. It’s so familiar, it practically drills itself into my mind… And into my fear, it seems.

Where are we? Am I… In the bag? Is there something I shouldn’t see? Why not? I’m strong enough to handle it… I’m strong enough to handle anything.

—-

I chased the Vulpix through the dark. All of the sudden, it took a sharp turn to the right, into a room. Rapidash and I rushed into the room, my partner’s bright flames penetrating the shadows that lurked in every corner. It was almost eerie, now that I think about it.

I turned to the far side of the room. The Vulpix was trapped against the wall, hissing and spitting. I frowned. Water would just scare it more, I knew. So, with a quick Ember from my powerful Rapidash and a flick of the wrist, Vulpix was safely inside a Ultra Ball.

I walked over and lifted the Pokeball, tucking into a pocket in my bag. I’d stick it in the PC once I got back outside, I slung my backpack off, reaching down one of the side pockets to grab an Escape Rope.

That’s when I saw it.

The journal my friend had told me about. Why it was laying on the ground as though someone had pitched the old book against the wall, though, I’d never know. What was in that book, though…

I had to know.

My curiosity suddenly lurked in the front of my mind like my shadow on a sunny day. It was there. There was no getting rid of it.

Even though I practically promised myself and my boy I wouldn’t…

I reached forward and pulled the book toward myself, being extremely careful with the yellowed pages. I bit my lip, gently turning to the front of the book. I read aloud…

July 5th

Guyana, South America

We have discovered a new Species of Pokemon. It seems that all member of this species are now gone, sadly. This makes studying the new Pokemon very hard. Luckily, we have recovered samples of the Pokemon’s DNA. They appear to be very recent. Have these Pokemon only very recently gone extinct, or are they actually still alive?

—-

Why does this sound so familiar? It’s so painfully familiar… I can feel it in the back of my mind.

Why can’t I remember?

—-

I turned the page, surprised to find a few pages torn out. I turned to where the book was laying, finding scattered piles of tiny bits of torn paper. I frowned. There was no salvaging that.

I sighed and continued to read…

July 10th

Guyana, South America

Due to its supposed kitten-like appearance, we have decided to christen the new Pokemon Mew.

I smiled. Mew was a very cute name.

—-

Mew…

Mew… Mew… Mew…

The name is so easy to say. It rolls off my tongue as easily as my own name.

I can feel it burning in my mind. I know that name. Why do I know that name…

—-

I turned the next few pages, finding them torn out or simply destroyed to the point that only a few lines of text were readable.

Finally, I came to something useful.

February 6th

Cinnabar, Kanto

The tests on the Mew have proved successful. We have cloned a brand new specimen. However, the limited DNA we have will not work. Professor Blaine offered some of his own blood for the research. While the clone is not what we had hoped for, being very little like the original Mew, it will have to suffice. We have decided to call this creature Mewtwo.

Mewtwo appears to be rather powerful. We don’t, however, yet know the extent of this power.

I frowned and bit my lip. My friend had lied to me. He hadn’t wanted me to read these. He had pointed out ‘small similarities’ that were painfully real.

My Mewtwo… Was really a science experiment?

—-

No, no, no, no, no…

I remember, now. I remember it all, now. I don’t remember this.

I-I… I refuse to believe I am just a science experiment. I had emotions. I had thought.

I had to ‘suffice’…

I believed them. I believed those stupid Humans. I believed they cared. I am as stupid as them for believing their charade. They care nothing about life.

I just had to ‘suffice’ though.

—-

I was almost shaking. My poor Mewtwo… This was really what he was intended for?

My bottom lip quivered. I choked back tears. My Mewtwo… What would have happened had he not escaped? What fate would he have come to if he was not with me now?

I read on. I had to know what the end would have been if he didn’t…

September 1st

Cinnabar, Kanto

Mewtwo is far to powerful. All attempts to weaken its vicious tendencies have failed…

I flipped through the remaining pages, finding only blank paper. I threw the book against the wall and slung my backpack over my shoulder. I jumped on Rapidash’s back, trusting her to take me to the entrance.

I just had to get out…

—-

I remember now. Oh so vividly.

But, no matter how many times I run through it in my head… It just seems like a story. I am Mewtwo. I am myself. I am no one’s clone.

I realize I’m pushing into my dear trainer’s thoughts, but I don’t care. It’s better if someone knows what I’m thinking… I have to get it out!

I am the original! I am the best!

I care not what the journals say! They are wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!

I am the original!

…Aren’t I?

No matter how many times I say it, I can’t convince myself it’s true…