It was two days ago that Ash and company left Saffron City and went toward Celadon City.
During those two days, they have mostly traveled without making too many stops to train, since they did a lot of it in Lavender Town. They only made one stop to train the new Pokémon that hatched in Lavender Town.
They made that stop yesterday, and only spent few hours training since all of the new Pokémon are very young, and there is no hurry in training them.
"How long do we have till we get to Celadon City?" Misty asked, as she, Brock and Ash were walking toward one of the biggest City's in Kanto Region.
"We will be there before the end of the day," replied Brock.
"Yeah, we can have some rest tonight, and I'll go to the gym tomorrow after breakfast," said Ash, and Brock and Misty nodded their heads, meaning, they are ok with that.
A few minutes later, while they were walking down the road, Ash saw something coming from behind the bushes a little away from them. "What is that?" He pointed at what he saw.
"I don't know, it's too far," said Brock after he tried to see.
"Let's go and check it out," said Ash, and then they all went to it.
When they managed to get closer, they saw that it was an injured Pokémon, who has fallen on the ground.
"Hey, it's Mankey," said Ash, and then went to see if he was ok.
"Hey Mankey, are you Ok," asked Ash as he was checking to see if he was fine?
"Man Mankey," he said weekly as he looked at Ash.
"Don't worry, I'll heal you," said Ash while using his Aura to calm Mankey and to ease his pain. He then took his backpack, and puled one of the potions, which he always carries with him.
"Ok Mankey, this is going to sting a little, but after, you are going to feel just fine," Ash reassured Mankey, who looked him in the eyes and after a few moments nodded his head.
Ash smiled, and then used potion and sprayed it on Mankeys wounds. Mankey flinched a little when the spray got on his wound's but was able to hang tough as he knew he'll be ok after this.
After a few minutes all of Mankey's injuries were gone and he was now able to get up.
"There, I told you, you will be fine," said Ash, at which Mankey just nodded.
"Now are you going to tell me what happened to you to get so injured," Ash asked?
Mankey got angry when he remembered what happened to him, and just mumbled.
"Man Mankey Key (Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand me)!"
When Ash heard what Mankey said, he smirked. "Actually I can understand everything you say," Ash said.
Mankey's eyes widened at that, and he said. "You can. But how?"
"I have my ways," Ash simply answered. "Now tell me what happened to you!"
Mankey scoffed but said any ways. "I lost a battle against this Primeape I always fight. I guess you can say we are arch enemies."
"I see," said Ash. "Well if there is any way I can help you, just say."
"I don't think you can help me in any way. This is my fight and I'll do it alone," said Mankey and then he turned around to leave.
"You know Mankey, you are a very interesting Pokémon, and I really wish to help you," said Ash when Mankey started leaving. "So how about we make a deal."
Mankey stopped and turned around to look at Ash. "And what kind of deal do you have in mind," he asked?
"You and I go and find that Primeape, and you fight him with me as your trainer, and if you win you will come with me, and if we don't win, than you can choose what you want to do," Ash explained his plan, and made Mankey's eyes go wide.
"Are you serious," asked Mankey? "What makes you think I want to go with you in the first place?"
"I think I can help you become very powerful, and we could also be a great team," replied Ash.
Mankey stood there for a few minutes, looking at Ash and saying nothing. After a while, he sighed and said. "Ok let's see what you've got."
"That's great," said Ash smiling. "Lead the way."
Mankey then started leading Ash toward were Primeape is, and they were followed by Brock and Misty, along with Ash's Lucario. Pikachu was on Ash shoulder.
After 15 minutes the group has made it to the place where Primeape is, as well as a whole lot of other Mankey's. When they got there Mankey went ahead and challenged Primeape to another battle.
Primeape just laughed along with other Mankey's which made Mankey angry, but he accepted the challenge.
Primeape stood on one side, while Mankey stood across from him with Ash behind him.
"And what is that human doing there behind you," asked Primeape after he saw Ash? "Is he there to keep you from getting beaten again?"
Before Mankey can answer, Ash said. "Actually I was the one who offered to help him, and I'll be the one to call his moves, and if we win he will come with me. I could use another training partner besides Lucario."
Primeape and everyone else were surprised by what Ash said, and Primeape was also surprised that Ash understood him, so he narrowed his eyes at him and actually took a fighting stance because with Ash as his trainer, Mankey can prove to be a big challenge.
Mankey just smirked at seeing this and then he also took fighting stance.
"Hey Mankey, what moves do you know how to use," asked Ash before the battle started?
"I know Thrash, Screech, Scratch, Mega Kick, Cross Chop and Rage." Said Mankey, and Ash whistled. "That's quite the repertoire you have, Mankey. I'm impressed," said Ash, and Mankey smiled at the praise.
"Ok then, I'll be the referee," said Brock and stood on the side.
"This s a battle between Mankey and Primeape. The winner is the last one standing," announced Brock!
"Now BEGIN!"
"Ok Mankey, use, Screech," said Ash, and then Mankey opened his mouths and releases a loud yell causing a loud, piercing noise that went at Primeape and made him hold its ears in pain.
"Great job Mankey, now use Scratch, while Primeape is unfocused," Ash called Mankeys next move, and Mankey ran at Primeape and the started scratching him with his hands, causing Primape to scream in pain.
After a few moments of this, Primeape grew angry and managed to push Mankey off of him and then started using Thrash, which caused him to stomp around angrily, then chased after Mankey, and started punching and kicking him repeatedly.
"Mankey, quickly jump high in the air to dodge and then use Mega Kick," yelled Ash after seeing Mankey in danger!
Mankey heard what Ash said and somehow managed to jump high in the air, and then while he was falling down he put his foot in front and landed foot first, kicking Primeape, which sent the fighting type, flying far back.
"Great job Mankey, now finish it with Cross Chop," said Ash.
Mankey's arms glowed white, then he forms a cross with them, he then run at Primeape and hit him with its crossed arms, causing Primape to fall on the ground unconscious.
"Primeape is unable to battle! The winner is Mankey," announced Brock!
"That was great battle Mankey," praised Ash, and put his hand on Mankey's head, which earned him a smile in return.
"Thank you for this," said Mankey and suddenly started glowing white, which surprised everyone there, even Primeape who just awoke. After a few more seconds, the light disappeared and instead of Mankey, there stood Primape.
"Congratulation's, Primeape," said Ash and smiled.
"Thank you," replied Primeape.
"Wow that was great battle Ash, you really are a great trainer," said Misty.
"Yeah, you and Mankey managed to defeat Primeape in your first battle ever, and he is not your Pokémon yet," added Brock.
"Maybe I'm, but I don't think we would have won if Mankey wasn't already strong," said Ash. "Isn't that right Primeape?"
"Yes, that is right," replied Primeape, with his head held high, which caused everyone to laugh.
"So, are you coming with me now," asked Ash?
Primeape looked at him for a few moments, and then nodded. "Yes, I'll be coming with you."
"Great," said Ash, and then he pulled out one Poke ball, and held it in front of Primeape who just touched it and let himself be captured.
"Well, now that that is over, we can continue our journey towards Celadon City," said Ash and then they all turned around and left, leaving behind the defeated Primeape and several Mankey.
It took the rest of the day for the group to get to Celadon City. Once they were there, they went to the Pokémon center where they will check their Pokémon and spend the night, before Ash goes to have his gym battle tomorrow after breakfast.
But when we are mentioning Ash, he has been very quiet for the last two hours, and no one knows what is wrong with him. So Lucario has finally decided to see what's wrong.
"Father is there something wrong, you have been very quiet for some time now," asked Lucario?
Ash looked at Lucario after he heard his question, and after a few moments said. "Don't worry Lucario, I'm fine, I just have a headache."
"Well you probably need some sleep, you have been through a lot lately," said Brock, after he heard what Ash said.
"Are you sure it's just headache, it seems that there is something bothering you," this time it was Pikachu who asked, and drew everyone's attention with that question?
"Yeah I'm sure," replied Ash and smiled a little. "Don't worry, like Brock said, I probably only need some sleep."
"Ok, if you say so," shrugged Pikachu, and then everyone went to their room's, Misty in one and Brock and Ash in the other.
Once Ash got to his room he changed and went to bed to get some sleep, maybe when he wakes up tomorrow morning this weird feeling he has will be gone.
For the next few hour's Ash was trying to fall asleep, but he couldn't do it. Brock, Lucario and Pikachu are already asleep, but he wasn't. He still has this feeling that there is something wrong in this City.
'What is this I'm feeling,'he asked himself in his thoughts? 'There is some Pokémon in this City that has an incredible Psychic powers and it makes me curious. Last time I heard, there were no Psychic Pokémon this powerful. At least not in Kanto Region. So where did it come from?'
Ash continued to think for the next half an hour, until he couldn't take it anymore and decided to go and see who it is that has such high Psychic powers. He slowly stood from his bed, trying not to wake Brock, Lucario and Pikachu, and after he changed in his every day cloths, he left the room, and then went to follow the Psychic energy he was sensing.
For the next half hour, Ash was going through the City following Psychic energy he is sensing, until he came in front of the building.
On the building was written "Rocket Game Corner", and Ash could sense, that the Psychic energy he was feeling, was coming from bellow the building.
"Rocket Game Corner, could this be one of Team Rocket's buildings, and that what's bennet the building is something they head their hands in," Ash thought out loud?
"I better check this out," he said to himself, and went to the front door.
To his surprise he found the doors are not locked, and when he entered inside he saw that it was deserted, and there were some police tape's all over the place.
"I guess this really was Team Rocket building and the police raided this place after they arrested Giovanni," he thought. "But if the police was here how it is possible that they didn't find what is beneath the building."
Ash then started going toward the end of the hallway where he is sensing the energy coming from, but he hit dead end.
"There must be some hidden door here, and since police didn't have anyone who can sense Psychic energy they didn't even now there was something else below this floor," Ash said to himself.
He then started looking around the hallway searching for anything unusual but the only thing he spotted was a poster on the wall. He then went to it, and after he pulled it down he saw a switch on the wall.
"This must be it," he said, and pressed the switch, which then opened the path in the wall and revealed the staircase leading below the building.
Ash then walked down the stairs, until he came to the first floor below the building. He looked around and since there was nothing really important here he continued to the next floor.
The next two floors were the same as the first one, with nothing really important, besides few empty Lure Ball's and some regular Poke Ball's, as well as some evolution stones and items. He picked them all up and put them in a bag he found. He then took them with him since it would be a waste to just leave them there.
But when Ash went to the last floor, is when he felt that the Psychic energy he was sensing, was coming from here. This floor was different from the rest of them as there was a lot of papers on the floor, and it was much bigger then the other three floors.
Ash then picked some of the papers and begin to read. What he found, though, was very disturbing.
It sims that Team Rocket had their hands in Pokémon and people cloning, and the project was led by some scientist named Fuji, who was apparently Doctor who was using science to try to clone his daughter who died two years ago when she was only 8 years old, which would make her around the same age as Ash.
On the papers Ash read that when Giovanni found out about this, he offered Dr. Fuji to finance his research, but under the condition to clone a Pokémon for Team Rocket. It didn't say which Pokémon Giovanni wanted to clone, but it appears that they started to experiment with some simple Pokémon, like three starter Pokémon from Kanto region, and after they were successful with them and Dr. Fuji's daughter they cloned that other Pokémon as well.
"I cannot believe that Giovanni and this Dr. Fuji were trying to do something like this," Ash said with anger in his voice.
"But I wander which Pokémon they were cloning? Hm, now that I'm this close, I can feel that there is something familiar with this energy, it's like I have already sensed it somewhere. But where?" Ash continued to think out loud.
"I better go and see what they did," he thought and went down the hall where he can sense several different energy's coming from.
Ash continued to walk for a few more seconds, before he got in front of the door. He opened them and saw something that he will remember for the rest of his life. The first thing he saw was several human body's lying on the floor in their own blood. They were all dead for a day or two judging by the smell he was sensing.
The second thing he saw were a lot of glass tubes, with Pokémon in them. In three of those tubes, he saw three Kanto starters, but they were weird because they had some markings all over their bodies. In the fourth tube he saw a young girl, around eight years old with long blue hair. All three Pokémon, and the girl were attached to some wires, and floating in some green liquid, and the girl was naked.
He looked at the inscription next to the girl's tube and saw a name Amber.
"I guess this is Dr. Fuji's daughter that he was cloning," Ash thought as he remembered the girls name from one of the papers he read earlier.
He then looked around the room and saw another tube far from the others, and in it appeared to be some Pokémon. Ash went to it and saw a Pokémon he has never seen before, but for some reason it appeared to be familiar. He looked at the plate next to the tube and saw a name Mewtwo, and then he remembered why Mewtwo's powers felt familiar.
"This Pokémon was cloned from Mew," Ash said to himself, very surprised by this.
Ash looked around and saw a stack of papers and went to read them, the papers were written by Dr. Fuji, and they say that the cloning was full success, and all Pokémon and his daughter were alive and fully operational. It also says that he was supposed to awake them in a few days.
"I guess that you won't be awaking them now," Ash said, while looking at the dead body of Dr. Fuji, which was lying on the floor.
Ash then checked around some more, and found how to release them all from those tubes and awake them. Ash went to some computers, which were still running and appeared to hold them all in a sleeping state, and typed a few things that he saw on the papers. After few seconds, the liquid in the tubes started to flow out of them, and those inside started to awake.
Ash stopped in front of all tubes, and waited for all of them to awake completely. After few more minutes, Amber, Mewtwo and the three starters opened their eyes and looked around.
"What is going on, where am I," asked Amber while looking around the room.
"Amber is that you," Ash heard a voice ask, and looked at where it was coming from. He realized that it was Mewtwo who was using, Telepathy?
"Mewtwo, it's you," said Amber. "But where are we?" She than looked and saw that Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle are also awake and appeared to be fine.
"You are in an underground base in Celadon City," Ash decided to say, making everybody look at him.
"And who exactly are you," Mewtwo asked with narrowed eyes?
Ash smiled at him, and answered. "My name is Ash Ketchum, I'm the one who found this lab and all of you in it."
He then took of the vest he was wearing and gave it to Amber, who looked at him confused, before she looked down at herself and her face immediately turned as red as cherry, when she saw that she was completely naked. She quickly took Ash's vest and covered herself while still blushing.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"You are welcome," smiled Ash.
"Who exactly Am I," asked Mewtwo while looking at Ash. "I was never awake, and I only knew Amber, Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle, because we could talk with each other in our minds, but besides that I don't know anything."
Ash sighed when he heard this and said. "Why don't you all sit down and I'll explain everything I know." After that they all set down in front of Ash, and he told them everything he knew about this.
When he was finished, he saw Amber jump to her legs, and after stumbling a little from being weak on her legs, she went to see her father's body.
Ash, Mewtwo and the other three Pokémon's went to her and saw her on the ground crying over her father's dead body.
"Amber, I'm sorry," said Ash, not really knowing what else to say.
Amber's crying continued for the next few minutes, and Mewtwo and the other Pokémon went by her side and tried to comfort her as best as they could.
"Listen, I have to ask you something," Ash said suddenly and all of them looked at him.
"I will have to call the police and tell them what happened here so they can come. Because of that I want to ask you what do you want to do now when you are free and have your lives in your hands," asked Ash?
The others looked at each other and then Amber decided to answer. "I don't know. Now that my father is dead and I'm just a clone of my former self I don't know if my mother will ever want me back, I don't even know where she is right now."
"We as well don't know what to do. None of us knows anything about the world, and now that I know that I'm just a clone of another Pokémon created by humans, I don't know if I have any reason to live," said Mewtwo, while the other three Pokémon only nodded their heads and agreed with Mewtwo.
"There is always a reason to live," said Ash, and got the attention of Amber and the Pokemon. "You just have to find it. You have to find something that will make you want to live for, and continue to move forward."
"So what do you suggest we do?" Asked Mewtwo after being silent for a few moments thinking about what Ash said.
"I have a plan, and I hope you all agree with me and accept my proposal," said Ash, and got their attention again.
"And what is your plan," asked Amber?
"I'm going to ask my parents to adopt you," Ash replied and Amber's eyes shot wide open.
"WHAT," she shouted!
"You are eight years old. If my parent's adopt you, you can live with them back in Pallet Town until you are ten. Then you can start your own Pokémon journey, and take Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle as your Pokémon. I'm sure they have nothing against that," Ash explained while casting a look at the three starter Pokemon.
Amber looked at the three Pokémon as well, and they nodded their head's with a smile, which means they agree with this.
"And what about Mewtwo," Amber asked and looked at Mewtwo, who looked back at her?
"Mewtwo can come with me on my journey if he wants," replied Ash.
"Are you sure about that," asked Mewtwo? "What would I do if I come with you?"
"Well, you see, I have some special powers," said Ash which confused the others, since they didn't know about this.
"I have Aura and Psychic powers. When I was five years old I was attacked by a flock of Spearows, but then suddenly Mew showed up and saved me. Mew said that she decided to save me because I'm apparently very special as I have both Aura and Psychic powers, and no other human has ever had both of them."
"Mew than awakened my powers and since then I had a lot of training to learn how to use them. For my Aura powers I had a lot of help because my father and uncle are Aura users and they helped me train, as well as two other Pokémon who are best Aura users among Pokémon.
"But for my Psychic powers the only help I had was my Alakazam, who trained with me. There was no one else who could help me with Psychic training and because of that my Aura powers are more developed then my Psychic.
"If you come with me you can help me with my training, and I can teach you everything about this world. You can also find your reason to live while we travel," Ash finished his explanation.
Mewtwo then started to think if he should accept Ash's offer or not. He didn't really have anything else to do, or anywhere to go, so after a few minutes, he said.
"Ok, I accept your offer!"
"Great," Ash said with a smile. "Well let me call Officer Jenny and tell her about this place, so she can come and pick these people and give them to their families to be buried," Ash said, while taking his Pokedex from his pocket, to make the call.
XXX
Once Ash called Officer Jenny and told her what is going on, he and the others went out of the underground lab and in front of the building where they were waiting for Jenny to come. Officer Jenny and a whole bunch of police officers, as well as a group of forensics came 15 minutes later and saw Ash, Amber, and all of the Pokémon that were with them standing in front of the building.
She then went to Ash, and he told her in more details what is under the building. She then asked one of the policeman to take Ash and the others in the police station and wait there until she comes back. They obeyed and left.
Ash, Amber, Mewtwo and the three starter Pokémon spent the next two hours sitting in the station, until Officer Jenny finally came back, and took them all with her inside of one of the room's in the station, where she interrogated Ash and Amber. After they got to the station, one of the policeman gave Amber some cloths he found, so she was now wearing those cloths, instead of only Ash's vest, who is now back on Ash.
The interrogation lasted for about two hours, and in that time Ash told everything because earlier he couldn't give her all the details. Officer Jenny also told them that she has no problem with Ash's plan to ask his parent's to adopt Amber, and to keep the Pokémon from the lab. Because there is no one better to keep them, then the Aura Guardian, and the only person those Pokémon ever knew, which Amber is.
She also said that forensics are now working on the bodies from the lab. And that they will know what happened in a few days. As for Amber's father, his body will be examined and then handed to Ash's family, who will take care of the burring it, along with Amber once she gets to Pallet Town.
After the interrogation was over, Ash called his father and told him what happened, and asked him if he and Delia could adopt Amber and let her live with them in Pallet Town. Of course, Red was very surprised by what Ash told him, but in the end he agreed to adoption and said that he will take care of it in the morning.
When the conversation with his father was over, Ash decided to head back in the Pokémon center. The others are probably worried about him if they noticed that he is gone. He then went in the hallway and saw Amber asleep on one of the chairs. Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle are all around her sleeping. Mewtwo was just sitting on the chair next to Amber.
Ash smiled, and then went and took Amber in his arms, and Mewtwo took the three other Pokémon and then they went at the Pokémon center.
XXX
When Ash and Mewtwo entered in the Pokémon center, they were immediately greeted by shouts from Brock, Misty, Lucario and Pikachu, who were in the hallway waiting for Ash to come back.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN," yelled Misty right in Ash's face, not even noticing that he was caring Amber in his arms, or that there is an unknown Pokémon next to him? "Do you know how worried we were because we didn't know where you went, especially because you didn't feel well before we went to sleep?"
"Calm down, Misty, I'll explain everything tomorrow, but now I want to go and sleep because I had a tough night, and I want to get Amber to bed as well," said Ash, and walked toward his room while carrying Amber. Mewtwo was following after him, and the three Kanto starters were floating after him since he was using his psychic powers to carry them.
Misty and the others looked at each other and wondered. "Who was that girl that Ash was holding, and that Pokémon that was with him, I've never seen a Pokémon like that before," asked Misty?
"I don't know Misty," replied Brock, and looked where Ash walked to. "I guess we will have to wait the morning to find out."
While Brock and Misty were talking Lucario and Pikachu were talking as well, telepathically.
"Did you sense the power of that Pokémon," asked Lucario?
"Yes, I did. That was definitely a Legendary Pokémon, and his Psychic energy is equal to Ash's, and I have the feeling that's just the tip of the iceberg," replied Pikachu.
"Yeah, you are right," said Lucario. "But where did he come from? I'm sure I have memorized all of the Pokemon from the World, and I don't remember ever seeing one like that."
"I can only guess, and I probably wouldn't even be close to the right answer," replied Pikachu. "We will have to wait for the morning, and hear from Ash what happened tonight and who is that Pokémon and that girl."
"Come on guys let's go back in the room and have some sleep," called Brock, and then went back to his room and Misty to her room. Lucario and Pikachu decided to go back in the room as well.
XXX
"So Ash, are you going to tell us what happened last night, and who are that girl and that Pokémon that came with you," asked Misty, as she, Ash, Brock, Amber, Mewtwo, Lucario and Pikachu were sitting on the table in Pokémon center and having breakfast?
Ash looked at Misty and Brock, and after seeing that they can't take it anymore and must find out what happened last night, he sighed and said. "Ok, it's like this."
Ash then started telling them everything that happened since he got that weird feeling yesterday while they were coming toward Celadon City, until he came back to the Pokémon center late last night. It took him almost an hour to explain everything since there were a lot of questions while he was explaining.
"I cannot believe that Team Rocket would do something like that," commented Brock. "I mean cloning people and Pokémon is not something humans should be messing with."
"So what are you going to do now," asked Misty?
"I called my father last night after Officer Jenny released us, and asked him to adopt Amber so she can go in Pallet Town and live with my mother. He said that he will finish everything today, and then will come with my mother here and pick Amber and her three Pokémon that agreed to go with her. They should be here tomorrow," replied Ash.
"That's great," said Brock, while eating.
"What are we going to do today, are you going to have your gym battle," asked Misty?
"Yes, I will go and have a battle after we finish breakfast, and then we are free to go and have some fun around the City. I also want to show Amber how gym battles work and how to train Pokémon because she will go on her journey in less than two years," replied Ash, getting a smile in return from Amber.
"Thank you Ash, from everything you did for me, my Pokémon and Mewtwo," Amber thanked him.
"You don't have to thank me, Amber, I did what any human being would have done in my place," said Ash, with a smile. "And from now on you can call me brother, since we are family now."
"Ok, big brother," Amber replied with a blush, which caused everyone to smile a little, even Mewtwo who always seems serious was smiling.
After they finished their breakfast, Ash said to Mewtwo that he will have to carry him inside of a Poke ball so that not many people can see him and start asking questions.
Mewtwo agreed at this, and then Ash used the Master Ball that he got from Silph Co. President, and let him go inside of it. Before the Silph Co. President gave Master Ball to Ash he checked his status with Aura Guardian's and Pokémon League and increased the amount of Pokémon Ash can carry from 12 to 13, but that is only if he has a Pokémon inside of a Master Ball, then that Pokémon would be counted as 13th, and can be carried with him. Without it, Ash can still only carry 12 Pokémon at the time.
Ash than took Mewtwo's Poke ball, and attached it to a necklace he had specifically made to be able to attach Poke ball's to it. He made four of them, so now he has Lucario's, Alakazam's, Pikachu's and Mewtwo's Poke Ball's attached to it.
After they all finished breakfast, Ash switched some Pokemon he had with him with the ones on Oak's ranch, and started heading toward the gym, along with the others.