Story Notes:
Pokemon, recognizable characters, and settings are copyright to their owners. The specific characters and story are copyright to the author. The author in no way is making a claim to Pokemon or any related properties. This is meant as a work of parody.
The Forgotten One
Sanji and his Fearow watched the other invited trainers depart from the dock. Despite the warnings of the local police officer and the dock manager, and despite the horrible weather conditions, they had decided to leave on their own to answer the call of their unknown host. The rain came down in torrents, and the waves crashed against the cement pilings of the dock, often cascading down on the people gathered at the harbor. Of the trainers who had arrived hoping to find passage out to New Island, only Sanji and another trainer, who he recalled as being named Ash, remained.
Fearow nudged Sanji sharply in the back. Obviously eager to follow the others, the pokémon wanted to waste no time. But Sanji was apprehensive. Although he was a strong flier, he was wary of how his partner would stand up in a storm like this. And there was this whole affair besides that. The message he'd received bidding him to go to New Island had been cryptic, at best. The woman in the hologram hadn't even told him who was doing the inviting. All Sanji knew was that someone apparently wanted strong trainers to visit them for...well he couldn't even really answer that question, could he? This whole thing felt bad.
Then again, Sanji hadn't gotten to where he was as a trainer by being afraid of a challenge. And the unknown was the greatest challenge of all, wasn't it? Perhaps he should answer the call, after all. If worst came to worst, he had Fearow and his other pokémon to get him out of a jam. He looked to Ash, standing a few feet away with his two trainer companions. Although Ash looked just as apprehensive about the situation as he was, there was also a sense of determination to the younger trainer's face. It showed a resolve that Sanji had often felt in himself, and that he knew was an essential quality to a trainer.
"What do you think, buddy?" Sanji asked, turning to his Fearow. "You think you can do this?" His Fearow jumped to the edge of the dock in answer. The trainer felt a thrill rise up in him. "Alright, then. Off to New Island!" He jumped on his partner's back, and the Fearow launched from the dock, taking to the sky in a whirl of feathers and a blast of cold, wet air.
Looking back to the dock as the pair of them gained altitude, Sanji saw Ash and his friends get into an odd-looking boat with an equally odd-looking trio of individuals. The boat looked none too seaworthy, and he didn't like the look of the people crewing it, either. He hoped Ash would make it to New Island alright. The few words he'd exchanged with him had been cordial, and he didn't want to see a fresh-faced trainer like that come to an untimely end.
An hour into the flight, Sanji wished he'd thought things through a little bit more. Fearow was fighting hard against the gale, and he'd nearly been knocked off several times. Worse still, he'd lost sight of the other trainers and couldn't be sure if he was still on the right course.
Sanji leaned down to speak to his Fearow. "Are you sure this is the right way?" he shouted. Fearow cocked his head back and cawed uncertainly. "That's what I was afraid of! We need to find a place to set down and get our bearings!"
Fearow started to descend to the sea, or whatever was beneath them, but the wind was growing even stronger. The pokémon was tossed from side to side, and Sanji held on for dear life. They broke through the storm clouds, and below all they could see was the ocean stretching endlessly in every direction. There was no place in sight for them to land. Fearow was slammed to a few feet above the water by a gust of wind.
No invitation is worth this, Sanji thought. Fearow cackled in dismay. Sanji looked up to see a solid wall of water rushing towards them. "Go up! Up!" Fearow struggled to rise higher, but he couldn't make it in time. The pair was crushed by the titanic wave. Sanji was thrown off of Fearow and into the ocean. The water closed over his head. He kicked hard and managed to pop back up for a moment. The trainer tried to take a deep breath, but he got a mouthful of seawater. His head slipped back underneath the waves, and he lost consciousness.
Warmth spread through Sanji's body, coaxing him awake. Slowly, his eyes opened and he sat up, groaning with pain. His whole body ached. He looked around.
Wherever he was, it looked like some sort of a cave. The ceiling was too high for him to see, but it wasn't very big around. The space might have been thirty feet in any direction but up. There were tall stalagmites on the ground. Strange, purple crystals studded the floor and walls of the cave, and they emitted an odd luminescence, bathing Sanji and the rest of the cave in a soft violet light. A wet trail led from where he was sitting to a hole in the ground. He stood up and walked over to it. His footsteps made loud squelching noises; his shoes and his clothes were soaked.
The hole looked just large enough for a person to fit through. Although not quite sure how it happened, Sanji guessed that was how he had arrived in the cave. He looked inside the hole. Water came right up to the top. The light cast from the crystals illuminated the surface, and he could just make out the shapes of fish swimming around. The realization suddenly struck him that he had to be in an underwater cave. The thought sent chills through him despite the odd warmth that filled the space. He didn't think he could make it out through the hole. Sanji's Poliwag was the only water pokémon on his team, and he wasn't nearly a good enough swimmer to...
"My pokémon!" Sanji yelled. He slapped his waist and was dismayed to find his belt, which held his poké balls, missing. Likewise, Fearow was nowhere to be seen. "Oh, God, where are they?" He frantically searched the cave, but his search was in vain. All that could be found was himself and the wet spot where he'd lain. Suddenly drained and utterly disheartened, all he could do was sink to the ground and cry softly. He was all alone, and who knew where his pokémon were?
*Don't cry.*
Sanji started, his tears vanishing in the face of sudden fear. He looked up. There was nothing to see. Yet he had clearly heard...something speak inside his head.
*Behind you.*
He turned around and almost fell backward into the water hole. A strange creature floated in front of him, apparently having appeared out of thin air. The animal, if it was an animal, was small, not much more than a foot tall, but with a very long, thin tail that ended in a puff of fur. It had strong-looking legs and small, stubby forearms. The creature had a cat-like face with pointed ears, and its face, with its sparkling blue eyes, would have seemed comical if Sanji hadn't been so afraid. Its entire body was covered in short, soft-looking pink fur. The little thing seemed familiar...somehow.
*Don't be afraid,* the creature said...or thought. Sanji realized that it must be speaking to him telepathically. He wasn't sure how he knew that, but the idea seemed right. *I'm not going to hurt you.* The voice was decidedly female.
"How...how did I get here?" Sanji asked.
The creature cocked her head and blinked. *I brought you here, of course. You were drowning. I pulled you into my home.*
"You...live here?" Sanji asked. The little cat gave a meowing giggle.
*Of course I live here. Where else would I live?*
"Er..." Sanji couldn't come up with an answer to that one. "Well, thank you for saving me. Who are you?"
The little animal drifted down and sat on the ground in front of Sanji. *I have no name of my own, but you humans have, in the past, called me...Mew.*
Realization flooded Sanji's head. He remembered where he'd seen Mew before. In his picture books from when he had been a child. The legends of Kanto spoke of a creature which had existed before time itself. According to legend, this "original pokémon" was the mother of all pokémon. Was Sanji looking at the original pokémon right now?
Mew leaned forward. *And what do you call yourself?* she asked.
"My...my name is Sanji," Sanji said. He looked around. "I...I don't mean to be rude or anything, but you wouldn't know where my pokémon are, would you?"
*Your pokémon?* Mew asked. She looked puzzled for a moment. *Oh, you mean the pokémon who were with you. They are fine. I have taken them to a safe place for the time being.* At a wide-eyed look from Sanji, Mew hastened to elaborate. *There's no need to worry. This place is perfectly safe as well.*
Sanji calmed down. "When can I see them?" he asked.
*In good time.* Mew stared at Sanji for a while. He began to feel uncomfortable with her gaze. Her blue eyes seemed to be piercing his very soul. *Well...goodbye for now.* Mew flipped over Sanji's head and splashed into the water. He rushed to the edge of the hole.
"Hey, wait!" But Mew was gone. Only the echo of her laugh remained in the cave.
Hours later, Sanji was still in the cave, and Mew was still gone. He had spent the time uneventfully. Mostly he'd just sat on the ground, watching the hole and waiting for her to return. He wished she had explained a little more about where he was and why she'd taken away his pokémon.
Sanji's stomach started to rumble. He realized he hadn't eaten since quite a while before he'd left the dock on Fearow's back. Now he was very, very hungry. To try to take his mind off of his hunger, Sanji got up and started walking around. After several minutes of this, his eye was caught by one of the glowing, purple crystals. He took a closer look at it. Little balls of light were pulsing up and down inside the crystal. Curious, Sanji reached out and touched the crystal.
Thinking things through hadn't been Sanji's strong point lately. As soon as his finger touched the crystal, he felt an influx of thought begin to rush into his head. All at once, it seemed like he could hear the thoughts of everyone in the world. He tried to pull his finger away, but it seemed to be rooted to the spot. The thoughts built up in his head until he thought his brain might explode. Trying as hard as he could, Sanji finally was able to wrench his hand away from the crystal. He fell back onto his rear end on the cave floor. He shook his head. Lights were flashing in his field of vision, and they didn't go away when he closed his eyes, although they began to fade after a few seconds.
*I probably should have told you not to touch those.*
Sanji turned around. Mew's head was poking out of the water hole. She carried a fat fish in her mouth. He watched her hop out of the water and plop the fish down on the cave floor.
*I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you something to eat,* Mew said. *I hope you like fish. I know I do.*
Sanji eyed the fish dubiously. "Um, it's not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but do you really expect me to eat that?"
Mew cocked her head to the side. *What's wrong with it?*
"Well...it's raw."
*Oh...I forgot that you humans like to cook your food.* Mew screwed up her face. She began to glow slightly. The fish started sizzling on the floor, and before long it grew blackened. Sanji had to admit that it did smell rather good. *That should be sufficient.*
Sanji picked up the fish and took a tentative bite. A little overdone, perhaps, but it still tasted good to his ravenous appetite. He made short work of the fish. Mew watched him while he ate, evidently very interested. When he finished, he sat back, his hunger somewhat abated. His mind returned to the crystal he'd touched.
"What are those crystals, anyway?" he asked.
*They're the reservoir for my psychic energy,* Mew answered. *When I sleep at night, they recharge me. You should try it sometime. It's very refreshing.*
"I'll take your word for it." Sanji watched Mew do a few cartwheels in the air. She created a small ball of light in her hands and began to bat it around playfully. "You know, you're not what I imagined a legendary pokémon as."
Mew stopped playing with the ball, and it extinguished itself. *Oh? What were you expecting?*
"A little more seriousness or something like that."
The pink pokémon flipped onto her back and paddled backwards through the air. *I tried that for a few thousand years. It got old pretty fast. I prefer being mysterious and carefree. It's a lot more fun.* Mew laughed again and descended back to the floor. She settled in Sanji's lap. *I've got an itch on my tummy, and, well...* She waggled her arms. *These aren't the best for scratching with. Would you mind?*
Bemused, Sanji rubbed his fingers over Mew's belly. She purred and one of her legs began to thump at the air. It turned out to be rather cathartic for him. He started enjoying it himself when Mew rolled off and hovered in the air before him.
Sanji frowned. "Listen, why am I still here?" he asked. "You're all-powerful, or so the legends say. You could have sent me back home at any time. So...?"
*I have something that I need from you,* Mew said. *Well, something I want to ask of you. I won't force you to do it if you really don't want to. But first, I have to show you something.* She floated over to Sanji and touched her forehead to his. *Please, try to relax and just let my mind flow into yours.*
"But I..." Sanji gasped as images began to flow into his mind. He saw a strange laboratory. Weird and scary things were floating in liquids. The image focused on an odd form suspended in a large glass tube. Whatever the thing was, it bore a distant resemblance to Mew. "What is that thing?"
*That is an abomination,* Mew answered. *It was copied from my body. The humans who made it called it Mewtwo. They found it an amusing play on words, I'm sure.* Sanji watched as this thing, Mewtwo, escaped from its glass tube and blasted the laboratory to the ground. The images flashed to what Sanji recognized instantly as the gym in Viridian City. He'd been there several years ago, but he hadn't seen Mewtwo there. A trainer fell to the floor, his pokémon defeated by Mewtwo. The psychic power of this twisted copy of Mew was devastating.
Mew now showed him an image of Mewtwo standing in a darkened building. It looked like it was waiting for something. A woman stood beside it, sheathed in shadows. Sanji recognized her as the woman from the hologram invitation. Lightning flashed, and her face was revealed. Sanji was shocked to realize that she was the local nurse from the port town, missing for quite some time. The image shifted to several shots of strange machinery in rapid succession, and then froze. Mew apparently broke the connection with Sanji, because he found himself once again in the underwater cavern.
"That...Mewtwo...," Sanji breathed. "Its power was incredible. Horrible." He shuddered. "Why did you show me that?"
Mew drifted over to the water hole and dipped her feet in the sea, splashing around a bit. *When this world was created, two races of sentient beings were created for it: humans and pokémon. I was tasked with creating all pokémon. They are my children, so to speak. This world was made so that humans and pokémon would have a special relationship, a balanced relationship. For thousands of years, that balance has been maintained. But Mewtwo threatens to upset that balance. It will shatter the bond between humans and pokémon. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it will do away with the world altogether, eventually.
*For the entirety of my existence in this world, I have tried to remain aloof from humans. But now I need to understand you. I need to understand how you interact with pokémon, with my children. That is why I decided to save your life, and it's a part of why I need you right now. I have already spoken with the pokémon that you travel with. Now I wish to hear what you have to tell me. Or, rather, what your mind has to tell me.*
"What are you talking about?"
Mew drifted close to Sanji and once again touched her forehead to his. *Please allow me to join my mind to yours,* she said. *I want to evaluate you. Look into your memories. See how you came to be the person that you are.* Her eyes met his. *Will you let me do this?* She put a paw over his mouth before he could answer. *Think this through for a moment. This will take a huge amount of trust on your part. This could be very painful, emotionally, for you.*
Sanji didn't like the sound of that. But, he reasoned, Mew did save his life, after all. And it's not like what she was planning could hurt him physically, could it? What she was asking seemed relatively easy. Sure, there were some memories in his past that would be hard to look at again, but they were just memories.
"Well...I guess that would be okay," Sanji said. "It's going to help stop Mewtwo, right?" Mew nodded once. "Then go ahead. I trust you. If you can't trust a goddess, who can you trust?"
*I wouldn't exactly call myself a goddess, but I appreciate the sentiment,* Mew said. *Well then, if you are in agreement, I will proceed.* She closed her eyes. *Please relax just like you did before. This may feel a little weird.*
Sanji did his best to blank his mind. He shivered as he felt his head begin to pulse. His brain seemed to simultaneously shut down and go crazy all at once as Mew merged her thoughts with his.
The first memory that Mew accessed was the Sanji's very first experience as a trainer. It was the day that he received his first pokémon, Spearow. Sanji watched himself take the poké ball from Professor Oak. He had barely been able to contain himself as the professor counseled him on the basics of being a successful trainer. As soon as he had finished, Sanji had rushed out of his laboratory and into the world. After a tearful farewell from his parents, he'd set off to become what he'd always dreamed of.
His first battle with Spearow had gone spectacularly. Apparently, Sanji had a natural talent with pokémon. They had bonded quickly and soon they had captured their first new partner, a Caterpie. Sanji had set to training him as soon as possible.
*Interesting,* Mew interjected. *Your Fearow never mentioned a Caterpie, and there wasn't one of that family of pokémon among those I found with you.* Sanji said nothing. *I need to examine further, I suspect.* Sanji fervently wished her away. He hadn't expected to come across such a painful memory so soon. *Now, now, you agreed, remember?*
Reluctantly, Sanji allowed Mew to pry into that section of his mind. The memory was from several months after he'd set out from home. Since that time, his Caterpie had evolved into Metapod and then to Butterfree. Sanji had established a team of Fearow, Butterfree, Poliwag, and Ivysaur. They'd set out one morning to try their luck at getting through the Rock Tunnel to make it to Lavender Town. While in the tunnel, Sanji had encountered and defeated several trainers who were also trying to make it through. He was feeling pretty good and was, by his estimation, about halfway through the tunnel. Then he encountered a wild Onix.
Feeling confident, Sanji had sent Butterfree out to battle the wild rock-type. He wasn't thinking about the severe type disadvantage that his bug- and flying-type pokémon would be facing. Butterfree had done well at first, but the Onix had slowly worn down his friend. Sanji wanted to call Butterfree back, but it had stubbornly refused to comply with his orders to retreat. He allowed himself to hope that his friend would prevail.
And then the Onix landed a crushing blow directly on Butterfree's head. Sanji, both in the past and present, watched in horror as the butterfly pokémon struggled to stay in the air, bleeding from its ruined skull. His friend sank to the ground, its wings flapping pitifully for several long minutes as it slowly died. The wild Onix fled, forgotten by Sanji. All he cared about was his pokémon. He kneeled beside it and sobbed uncontrollably.
Mew brought Sanji out of the trance for a moment. *Are you alright?* she asked in a concerned voice.
Sanji blinked. He felt real tears trailing down his cheeks. He nodded. "I'm fine."
*Very well.* Mew resumed the connection. The memories she accessed next were happier ones. There were many memories of triumphant battles won with his pokémon by his side. Gym Leaders had fallen under the assault of his team. The crowning achievement of his career to this date had been his rise to the semi-finals of the annual Indigo League Tournament. Sanji swelled with pride as he watched himself receive his certificate and commemorative badge at the closing ceremonies.
*You seem to have a strong bond with the pokémon you have befriended over the years,* Mew said. *I'm impressed. I can see now why my ill-conceived relative chose you for his schemes.* Sanji suddenly felt a twinge of pain interfere with the connection. The pictures flowing through his head grew dim and fuzzy. *I...I only wish...it didn't have to end this way.*
What? Sanji thought. End? His eyes cleared as the connection broke.
Sanji blinked. Mew was no longer floating in front of him. He looked all around. Nothing could be seen except for the purple crystals, glowing serenely in the silence of the cave. He was confused. Finally, he looked down at the floor. Mew laid there, her eyes squeezed shut and her body trembling slightly. Sanji could feel her pain, somehow. He put a hand on her. She flinched and he quickly removed it.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "You...you're hurt!"
*I'm...dying,* Mew said. *My...time has come.*
"But you can't die!" Sanji said. For reasons unknown to him, tears began to flow again. "You've existed since the beginning of time! You're an immortal being."
Mew giggled weakly. *Not...exactly.* Her telepathic voice sounded labored, as if she was struggling to focus her thoughts. *I can die...But when one Mew dies, another is born. This one's time is almost over. But...I wanted to learn what you had to teach me...before I passed.* Mew convulsed once.
Sanji was utterly confused. "But...why?"
*I...I wanted to be sure...that you were the right one.* Mew looked at him. *To be reborn...I must use the body of a human. One pure of heart, who embodies the relationship that mankind was meant to have with pokémon.* She struggled to take a breath. *If you allow me to do this, you will cease to be the person you were. You will...become the new Mew. It will be your...our...responsibility to stop Mewtwo. If you do not...then the world itself may be doomed.*
Sanji's mind was jumbled. He was having trouble distinguishing his thoughts from Mew's. "This...this is..."
*It's your destiny, if you wish to think of it that way.* The cat pokémon giggled, and her tail playfully batted at his face before limply flopping to the ground again. *It's why I saved you...from drowning.*
"I...I understand," Sanji said. Surprisingly enough, he found he did. It was the last thing that he ever would have expected, but...something inside him had changed while he'd been with Mew. "I just have one question, if there's time for it."
*There...is time...for one question.*
"What about my pokémon? What will happen to them?"
Mew closed her eyes. *You will make...a good Mew,* she said. *Your concern for your friends...is admirable.* She whimpered. *You needn't worry. They have already...been released into the world. They will not remember you, but they will live happily and freely for the rest of their lives. Does that satisfy you?*
Sanji nodded. "Yes."
Mew shivered. *It's...time now. It...it's so cold.* She gazed plaintively at him. *Sanji, could you...hold me? I don't...want to feel alone...while it happens.* Sanji picked up the small pokémon and cradled her in his arms. She rubbed her face on him, and purred softly. Several tears dropped from his face and onto hers.
*Don't...cry...*
Mew gave a final, brief mewl of soft laughter, and then she grew still. Her purring ceased. She was dead.
Sanji bowed his head. The crystals in the cave dimmed. As he looked at Mew's body, it began to shimmer. Light radiated from within her, and her body grew ethereal, finally disappearing into the air. For several minutes, nothing happened. And then Sanji felt his body begin to tremble of its own accord. He forced himself to relax.
It's okay, he thought. I'm ready. All at once, the crystals began to shine brighter than they ever had. Sanji was blinded by their brilliance. He collapsed to the floor. If someone had been able to look at him, they would have seen his body convulsing uncontrollably. The last thing he remembered was the sense that he was growing smaller, and then he blanked out.
The crystals returned to their original state, and Mew opened her eyes. She felt renewed, and she rose up, hovering over the cave floor. Inside her head, she felt the slowly diminishing presence of Sanji's mind, replaced instead by her own. His thoughts bid farewell to hers.
*Goodbye, friend,* Mew said. *Thank you. I could not do this without you.* With a final touch at her mind, Sanji drifted off into oblivion. Mew giggled and whirled up, up to the roof of her cave. She plunged back down, spinning and twisting around the crystals as she went. She halted just above the ground and surveyed her home. Other than the bones of the fish, there was no evidence that Sanji had ever been there.
The mother of all pokémon felt sadness, but it was short-lived. She did not want to dishonor the memory of Sanji. He had given his life so that she might continue on. She would make sure his sacrifice was not in vain.
Mew dove into the water hole, swimming out from her cave and up to the surface of the ocean. New Island, and Mewtwo, was waiting for her.Chapter End Notes:I know some of this story conflicts with facts in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, but I think the story comes out fine anyway.
Let me know what you think, and, as always, please continue to email me your requests