Shadowed Reflection

Title: Shadowed Reflection

Rating: R

Author: Morfaron

Warnings: AU. Violence, Pokemon abuse, H/C, angst, and an original Mewtwo character. Also, there may be implied (or outright) slash, but I\'ve not decided yet.

Summary: Mewtwo discovers that the erasing of Team Rocket\'s memories of him has brought about serious repercussions when he finds that they have succeeded in what they think no one has ever accomplished: the cloning of Mew.

Author\'s Note: I\'m just jumping into the story. There will be plenty of flashbacks and other such thingsin later chapters that will hopefully clear things up as we go along.


Chapter 1: The Encounter


History is doomed to repeat itself.

He had heard this human saying once before, but never actually paused to ponder the validity of their meaning. Perhaps that was because he had never before entered a situation where their wisdom was needed.

*I should have foreseen this.*

But he had not, and it was because of his folly that control over this series of events had eluded him. The only course of action thorough enough to ensure the complete destruction of this circumstance involved just that: complete destruction.

And he, who had spent years and years in meditation and philosophizing over many an unanswered question, knew in his heart that the enforced exile had done nothing to inhibit his conscience. If anything, his perusal and gain of knowledge had only provided a catalyst for it. He could not kill in cold blood.

And there were technologies available within the realms of humans so great that they could even deter his abilities. He had long known that.

So it was, that after his long search ended and he had finally been awarded a chance at a successful rescue, many months had passed. He knew not what he would find, but his instincts warned him of power equal to his own when he had first sensed this strange presence, years ago. It would be prudent to use extreme caution.


------------------------------------------------


Pain. It was everywhere. Agony blazing from within and without, making him moan in absolute misery.

Those who had brought pain upon him had all been dealt with. Thrown against each other and the ground until their bones broke and their spirits fled. It had not been an act of courage, or anger, or hatred and desire for revenge that had brought about the attack. It had been fear. Pure, unadulterated terror, that had allowed him to break through his years of training and fight the inhibitor collar, crushing it under the weight of his power and frantically reaching out to push those who would do him harm as far away as he could manage.

But in his panic and the abrupt release of the inhibitor collar, he had no control over the level of power he was projecting. He had just been trying to push them away so that they would not hurt him, but the human body was such a fragile thing...

Now he lay curled on the floor of the tent, his body riddled with wounds that still bled, entirely exhausted and unable to do anything but curl into himself and tremble in agony and continued fear.

He had killed them all.

Even had he the strength to rise, he had spent his entire life dependent on human guidance. To no longer be in the presence of any humans for miles sent him into a deeper panic. The area was likely filled with wild Pokemon whom he would be helpless against in this state, should they decide to investigate. And he knew that once the smell of death began to flow through the forest, several would be drawn to the potential source of food.

He did not even have enough strength to perform the meditation that would force his body into accelerated healing, having been drained from his uncontrollable use of power. And all of the supply bags and their contents had been destroyed as well, ensuring that there was no hope of him finding even a mouthful of potion to aid in giving him the strength to search for other sources of health beyond the tent.

What was he going to do?

Would someone notice that the team had not contacted in several hours? Would they come and find him here, amongst the broken bodies? Once they discovered what he had done, he was surely to be punished. Again.

But he knew that he would rather take any punishment they saw fit to be dealt, than be left here to die alone, among these bodies with their sightless eyes. He had seen death before, many times, but had never been a direct cause unless under the orders of his Master. This act had been entirely under his own will, even if it was a will borne of blind terror.

\"One of the most grievous sins of a mastered Pokemon is to attack his own handler.\"

Tears began to well up in his eyes, and desperation drove him to dare do something he had not done since he had been a youngling.

*Come for me, Master, I beg you. Please don\'t leave me alone here to die...*


------------------------------------------------


*Please don\'t leave me alone here to die...*

Mewtwo\'s eyes widened in surprised as the voice hummed through his mind in psychic waves. The words were no more than whimpers, and he felt a ghost of the fear the creature was experiencing, making his own fur stand on end for a moment as he shuddered. He hovered for a moment more, listening intently for any sounds, telepathic or physical.

Would the creature\'s master answer his pleas? From the desperation in the voice, the injured Pokemon clearly hoped so.

Should he leave now, and allow it to wait and be found by the one it called out to?

He removed the idea from his head almost instantly. Under no circumstance was he about to leave this injured and frightened being to suffer alone.

Careful to not disturb the dry leaves below as he hovered closer to the tent, Mewtwo tried to exude an aura of peace. He carefully inspected his surroundings as he reached the opening of the shelter, ensuring that no Pokemon would interrupt this encounter, as he had a feeling he would become suitably distracted once he and the creature inside met.

Satisfied that no curious Pokemon had come about just yet, Mewtwo allowed himself to land on the forest floor. Leaves crunched under his weight, and he knew without a doubt that the other Pokemon was now alerted to his presence.

Using his paw, he moved the flap of the large tent aside, and was greeted with a fresh blast of the smell of death that had been permeating the air. He glanced briefly at the bodies, a worried furrow beginning on his brow as he remembered a time when he had been driven to violence from confusion and hate.

A shifting movement appeared in his line of sight, near the corner of the tent where shadows stretched and kept the other Pokemon from full view. Almost immediately a low rumbling sound began. It was rough and grated on his ears, and it took a moment for him to realize that the creature was growling at him.

*I am not here to harm you.* Mewtwo said, taking a step forward.

The growling grew louder, and Mewtwo instinctively held his powers at the ready should he be attacked. He continued to approach.

With every step the sounds coming from the Pokemon became louder, more savage, until it sounded like they were shredding the creature\'s throat. But he had nearly reached it now, could almost make out the outline.

Then, as he took another step, a dark body scrambled away from him on all fours. It shakily stood, and nearly rose to its full height, pressing itself back into the other corner of the tent even as it regarded him with large, frightened eyes and continued that unearthly sound from deep in its chest.

But Mewtwo could only stand in shock, for what he saw standing there was something that had never even entered his wildest dreams.

It was himself.

TBC...