"Mom stop!" I felt myself wailing, my throat swelled up while my eyes were burnt by their own salty tears. My mother shoveled all that I thought I cared about at the time into a plastic bag the color of soot. "Stop!" Was all I managed to repeat like a broken record, only growing louder every time.

The mud-haired woman spun sharply, "Stop crying!" she demanded, glaring at me with her caramel eyes. In her hand that she pointed at me accusingly with was a stuffed Bulbasaur doll. The leafy bulb of the pokemon plush starting to tear at its poorly made seams, cotton tumbling out like a fog down my mother's hand. With a rage, she threw it deep into the bag. "You are ten years old now! Too old for these- these petty children toys!"

"But mom!" I continued to whine, practically diving at the bag she threw my childhood in. Her hand extended to push me back from the toys, eyes cold.

"Leaf, please!" she begged, her eyes saying that she was the one hurt by all of this. Her voice lowered in volume, but the condescending tone was unavoidable. "This is good for you, you're too old for these things. Now go outside and play like a normal child. There are so many nice kids in this neighborhood."

The word "normal" stung.

"But I don't wannna play with them!"

"Why not? Don't you want to be normal?"

There it was again.

"They're strangers! Now give me back my toys!" I tried to wipe my tears away while stumbling forward towards the garbage bag and threw myself into it. Being ten, I fit quite nicely. My arms flailed around, taking back what was mine to the point they all were overflowing in my arms.

My mother grabbed the back of my shirt and forcefully yanked me out and tossed me onto my bed. "Cut this out, Leaf. This is for your own good!" She continued to push her persuasion on me, stealing away what I coddled in my grip.

"But mom---"

"Stop being silly! Stop hiding yourself in your room all the time. You need to make friends, go out, and meet people!" Her cold voice started to turn unfamiliar, to someone I wanted to be a stranger.

"I'm only ten!" I shook, hoping I could keep what I had buried under my shirt, "Mom..."

"Grow up."

My body was still while I huddled in around myself when Alice grasped my wrist, trying to drag me away. As well as I could, I slid what I held under my shirt to my bed covers while fighting back.

I knew I wouldn't win, but it gave a distraction to hide the crimson GameBoy. I was pulled from my now dismal room and through the house. "I need you to help me here! It's just you and me, Leaf. It always has been. It's very difficult, please understand and just play with other children!" She snatched open our front door and, as if to make everything up, gently set me outside. Kneeling to my height and kissed my forehead, wiping the residual salt-water from my tear-stained face with her thumb tip.

When I spun around, it all melted away. The illusions dripped back to my new reality. Cotton covers brushing my nose was the first sense I felt that brought me back. When I had pulled my eyelids open, they felt hot, steaming actually. The skin of my cheeks was tightened to lines where tears seem to have rolled down. Sitting up, I smudged it all away taking in a trembling breath. "Kay. It's okay," when I pulled to slouch forward I let out the air my lungs shook with. "It seems I forgot. Now, I remember. It would have been better if we were just strangers."

"Leaf! Don't you think you've spent enough time hiding in your room?" a voice laughed from around the stairway, the tone bouncing off my walls.

I let another breath drip into my chest before I put forward a bright tone, "I'll be down in a minute, mom." The final word caught on my lips for a moment before it snaked out, followed by my feet pressing into my flooring. I padded over to my closet and tossed on in infamous ensemble of clothes which I happened to have an endless supply of.

I took a few steps down the stairs, nuzzling my cheek into my shoulders in case anymore tears were left before trotting back down to see what my mother always seemed to be doing. She smiled at me, washing dishes with a cloth. Today, her river of hair was tied into a loose bun as she smiled to me, "And the vampire rises!"

I laughed quietly, The mom I wish I had. Slowly walking, I pecked my mom on the cheek. "I am heading out. I may be the champion but I am going to capture the legendary Mew now!"

It wasn't a lie.

Though she laughed hardily and wished me good luck as I snatched up an apple. I found my way out the door and into the clear day that hung over Pallet. Where to start... I thought tentatively, beginning to pace though the small town of now four buildings. Oak's lab, my home, Red's home and--- Blue's.

Staring at the house, I didn't even notice that my feet had stopped moving. My heart fluttering around.

"... Leaf?"

I spun around too quickly at his voice, "Y-Yes?"

There stood the spiky haired ginger, his carefree air floating around like a haze. His finger's intertwined with a beautiful girl's. The girl had naturally straight hair the color of barley, her eyes like ocean dew drops. The blonde's glossed lips pushed off into a corner as she stared at me flatly. Blue's grip gently tightened with his girlfriend's and said, "What are you doing in front of my house?"

"Well..." I began, trying to drown this burning fire in my chest. "I am going to begin to start looking for that pokemon. Do you have any clues where to begin?"

"Your mess," he spoke so bluntly, his russet hues resembling the same look he gave me when we first met as strangers. "You clean it up."

"Well! You don't have to take that tone with me. I was just asking," I suddenly turned defensive.

"Well," Selphy's tone mocked my own, "he's my boyfriend now so shoo! You can't steal him no matter what." Her periwinkle sundress fluttered in the light breeze of Pallet.

My fists clenched, fingernails digging into the skin as I gritted my teeth. "Like I would ever want to date such a self-induced man like him." I took only a few steps, sending out my Pidgeot when I heard from over my shoulder, Blue call out.

"Try checking where you last saw it, noob."

I rolled my eyes, preparing to respond with, "And where would that be?" but instead, I recalled it. The Pokemon Mansion. Cinnabar Island. So I gave him my reply of a thanks as I boarded onto my flying type. Nestling in tightly I whispered the location into my tawny feathered pokemon's head.

"Smell 'ya later."

I shrouded my face into the back of the large bird as he took off, the wind tossing around though me as I laughed a bit. When he said his last words, it seemed--- softer.

Once we touched down to the island after a few minutes of, terrifying, flying I turned to my pokemon and thanked him before calling him back to his capsule. My eyes scanned the building that loomed over threatening to collapse at any moment. Its charred scars broke through the jagged window glass and tore at the outside. From where I stood, I could hear the instability of it creaking loudly, scurrying of small pokemon scratched at the wood.

Letting in the moisture-logged air float into my mouth, I took my steps into the building. Rubble from the estate's original collapse scattered about the ash coated tiles that I shuffled against. I didn't spend time dawdling around while I rounded the corners of the staircase after deciding there was no Mew around. Every now and then I would find deep marble pokemon statues, two meters high- forcing me to look up to them. I had lost the ability to decipher which pokemon I was looking at since the fire had severely deformed the figures.

I wandered around that sweltering death trap for about two hours, jumping around rubble and fending off weak pokemon, when I found the first clue.

"July 5th-

Deep within the jungles on the Quest, our team has discovered a new pokemon. At Tanoby Ruins, ancient scripts depicted our creature."

The pages of the book I held were in critical condition, almost turning to cinders in my fingertips. The leather binding that kept it all together was hardened, what leather does after cooling from exposures to extreme heat. Still, I could see this journal had endured much more before that.

Many of the pages had been torn from the book, visible tear edges from the inside of the spine.

They couldn't have gotten too far, I told myself.

Though I found them out of order, the readings that I pieced together by date, my shoulders drooped. I've read them before in the game. But now--- more pages were added, more words to the original pieces. With words that terrified me in a way that couldn't be explained.

July 10th-

We have christened this newly discovered pokemon Mew. Though only seen in pictures at ruins, the DNA sample is proof of its existence.

August 7th-

Returning back to the labs, we found that the DNA sample was far to minuscule to replicate. We needed more. I have to return back to Pallet Town soon though, my son's birthday is tomorrow.

October 21st-

I missed it. His birthday. I had to return to the jungles to find more DNA, but I can't. It's not here! If it goes on like this my life would have been a waste! What contribution would I have made if I left it like it is now? Crazy old Mr. Colress Fire went batty after his first discovery... No. I must find an alternative.

December 11th-

I found it. My alternative I spoke of earlier. Red doesn't know how big his part is, just need a bit more of his DNA. Keeping the boy here until we get a success.

January 30th-

Another failure. Off to Cerulean Cave the blob goes. Red is starting to miss home. But he can't return. He is the only one with the matching DNA. Yes, he has a part of mine and his mothers, but the combination is perfect. The Mew chromosomes are most reactive to his for replication. Impossible once thought.

February 1st-

(The handwriting became childish and written in crayon, from the curve of each sloppy letter- the writer seemed scared. Multiple of the words were spelled incorrectly.)

Dady is Scarry-iNg me. If No for the fox-PoKmon herE      I gEt No foOd. I Miss mOmmy. I wanNa Go Hom E. Dady com-iNg!!!! I HaV to gO!

Febuary 6th-

From series of trial and error, Mew has finally "given birth". The DNA fusion was a success this time. We call this new child: MewTwo. Seems close with Red. I keep the boy here so the two get along.

April 13th-

MewTwo going though much training with the boy. The boy seems to fall behind but MewTwo keeps pushing forward. It is so strong. I am going to increase their training levels to test further. But MewTwo is over empathetic towards the boy, Red. Every time he trips, the creation helps him. Not good. I will drive out that empathy soon.

May 9th-

Today is my wife's birthday. We are divorced now. She took the boy away. It was for the better. MewTwo is now more concentrated on the training. But, its eyes are cold. Empty. No matter, it must be stronger.

July 23rd-

MewTwo is becoming destructive. It seems angry. No matter, I feel this will be a great triumph for humanity. The ultimate pokemon, obedient to only its master with no strings attached. He is perfect. Work will be done in triple the time but much less labor for us and the other pokemon!

August 1st-

MewTwo is far too powerful.

We have failed to curb its vicious tendencies.

I'm so sorry, for everything I have done. At least, death will come and I will be judged fairly.

(There was no date on the final page, just rough writings in what seemed to be blood- controlled by something more than a pen)

This World Will Burn. Leaving Me As The Most Powerful Of All.

My stomach plummeted. Red. Why was his name there, was all I could ask. Was it the Red I knew? I wouldn't know then. But I was determined to find out. I ran as fast as I could out the building and sent out Pidgeot, who ruffled his head crookedly at me. Could it have been another Red? I still distracted myself from the obligation who waited for an order.

Not even stopping to mount, I took a leap running and then requested in a demanding tone, "Mt. Silver." I landed onto the avian's back just before bolting off. My fingers rustled though the pokemon's feathers as we flew like jet in the sky. The grey mountain began to rise on the horizon, whipping, wild, winter winds slammed into the two of us though we continued.

Pidgeot could sense the aura of urgency I oozed and he went straight for the summit. Reaching there, I returned my pokemon whose airfoils had frost gathering on. The storm was worse than I had ever seen from my previous visits I had found unworthy of speaking of.

With no jacket, the pellets of snow mixed with ice started to bruise my bare arms which were as blue as my sweater vest, "Red," I bellowed, the low voice carrying with the screaming winds that wrapped around the trainer who waited.

Always waited.

He turned gradually, his red eyes sinking on me. His lips pulling into a mild smile for a greeting. Though once he read my expression, he turned sharper. His black eyebrows squishing into one another like Caterpies in question.

I held the tattered observation journal in my hands and demanded in a dark tone.

"I need an explanation."