"I will remember you...always..."

I often wondered about that boy... It's been a while since I last spoke to him.

He's twenty now...A strong young man, fearless and headstrong, and every bit as determined as I remember. He really hasn't changed a lot. For which I am glad.

His battle is being aired by satellite, but I chose to come myslef and watch it. It is cumbersome, as I must remain hidden, but I felt I had to be here.

He still wears that baseball cap. He's dressed simply in jeans and a casual black t-shirt. The same style of clothing that he wears everyday, despite this grand occasion. Nothing special to set him apart from anyone else. At least, not on the outside.

This is the last battle...If he wins, he will take the highest place in the Indigo league. He will be the last test of all who challenge the Elite Four. If he can win.

The two trainers shake hands. He is exited, and honored, that much I can tell. More so than any opponent he has ever faced. He greets his opponent with the respect he always gives, and states his hope that this will be a great match. And he takes his place.

His Pikachu is still on his shoulder, in it's usual spot of honor. After all this time, I have realized that those two could never be separated. He has a bond of trust with his pokemon, and their loyalty to each other is astounding. For me, it is hard to understand. For me, who was betrayed by the only one I ever trusted...

His mom is cheering him, louder than the rest of the crowd. She and an old professor are holding up a huge sign. I cannot see what it says, but it embarrasses the boy. He pulls his hat over his eyes and groans. But he is smiling, too. He is happy they came. The two members of Team Rocket that always follow him around are holding up a sign, too. It says "Ash, DON'T BLOW IT!" I think he is pretending not to notice that one...

The battle is about to start, and a tremor of excitement comes over him. He is like a child again, always exited for a new challenge, and he is not going to back down. He's been waiting his whole life for this.

I hope he gets it.

He deserves some glory. He saved the world, after all. More than once, I am told.

There is nobody in the world like him.

"You're one of a kind, too. Everybody is."

But he doesn't realize just how great he is. Yes, his ego is often a fault of his, or was. He keeps it in check much better these days. But I don't think he ever realized just what it was about him that made him so great...It wasn't his skills as a trainer. It was his purity. His kindness. His courage.

"Do you always need a reason to help somebody?"

He was only a boy of ten when I first met him. On New Island, so long ago. I wanted to make a new world, one I could control... Instead of living in the present, where I was the controlled. But the six trainers who came at my request fought me. For their kind. For their Pokemon. For themselves.

"You can't do this... I won't let you."

But he fought for the world. Human, Pokemon, Clone...it didn't matter to him.

I see the fire in his eyes as he waits for the referee to begin the battle. He has a fighting spirit, but it is not the fighting that he loves. It is challenge, and competing. For him, it is about learning, growth, and fun. Even if he loses this, he will feel he has gained; both experience and possibly a new friend. But raw fighting...that he does not love...

"Someone's gotta take a stand...Someone's gotta say no, and refuse to fight..."

That someone turned out to be him, and he died for it. I thought he was a fool, when he sacrificed himself for the Pokemon, but when I saw all the Pokemon crying over him...I realized I was the fool.

I could not tell them apart, unless I used my psychic abilities. He had died for all of them, regardless of their birth, and they all cried for him, master or no.

Even at that young age, he knew there were things worth dying for. Dying for, so that others might live to see them. Something worth standing up for, even though it may never make a difference in the end.

I didn't see him again for a long time, but when we did meet, he hadn't changed. It must have been destiny that led him there, to the far mountains.

But not my destiny. His.

He was destined to stop me, on that tiny little island. He was destined to find his way to that lone obscure mountain in Jhoto, and save me. He was destined to be in Greenfield on the day that the Unown appeared. Chosen to be present when Jirachi awakened, and to save the Guardians of the Water.

He is the chosen one.

And he was perfect...

I wanted to know more about this boy. Who he was, what made him so different from many other humans I had met? After our latest stand to Giovanni, I built myself a computer.

I'm pretty good with technology. I rebuilt an entire cloning lab, after all.

I searched the internet for Ash Ketchum. There wasn't a lot of matches that came up. A record of his current gym winnings. His dental records. Nothing of importance. There really wasn't much I could find.

But I did find something on the Greenfield news website. Their archive contained every breaking story in the past twenty years...

Greenfield News Network

"...woman named Delia Ketchum kidnapped by a strange Pokemon as her son gives chase..."

I clicked on the link. The same last name, so perhaps it could lead me closer? I was a bit inexperienced with humans and their need for multiple names...

A video clip appeared, and I saw that boy and his Pikachu...I read the articles on that event. An entire town, seized by crystal from ancient Pokemon? Unown, and Entei...I had never heard of them. Few people had ever seen them.

But this boy had witnessed it.

Sadly, what happened in that mansion is unknown to me. I would have liked to know the part he played in the rescue of the town.

Even sadder, this information had been easy to find, compared to others.

Every time a legendary pokemon appeared or a strange phenomena occurred, that boy was present. Every time. Though, for each event, the information surrounding his involvement was miniscule, and even harder to find. So often, I would only come across a snapshot, a photo and see his face, to know he was even there. Maybe find his name listed in a hotel registry. Many times, I had to track down the people involved and ask their accounts. And then wipe their memory, so they'd forget I asked.

Man gave this boy no glory. But then, he never asked for it. Granted, he can't remember some events...like mine. But he didn't brag about the most impressive feats in history, that he had either witnessed or preformed. He didn't demand that he be treated better for what he had done. Even though he deserved it. Oddly enough, his ego only got in the way over little things. Finding a lucky coin, winning a battle, or admitting his feelings to a girl. He is a strange one...

There was one report that always struck me as odd, though. Because there was no record of him at all. A strange weather occurrence in the Orange Islands threatened to wipe out life on earth. Tidal waves, northern lights, undercurrents...everything was haywire. Pokemon from all over the world flocked to the spot, uncertain of what to do, but wanting to help. All of them came, for no one wanted to risk that the one that could save the world wouldn't be there.

But they weren't the ones who were chosen to save it. It was a human.

But, for all my efforts, I couldn't figure out who. I had my suspicions, but there was no record. Scientists came out with papers on this Legendary Guardian, Lugia, as well as the three legendary birds. But, nothing about this strange legend... Scientists often refuse to believe that which they cannot understand.

The legend spoke of a chosen one, who could activate the power contained in three spheres, tame the Guardian, and restore harmony to the world. But it did not say who. I sent out emails, put out notices on web pages, asking for anyone who knew what had happened in the Orange Islands, or knew Ash Ketchum.

And one day, I finally received the answer I needed, from a girl named Melody. She had been there, and she told me all she saw.

I was shocked. This boy saved the world! Nearly died again, even! And nobody knew...

Now, he is beginning his battle. Starting off with his most trusted ally, the Pikachu. They've been training together so long, that that tiny pokemon must have titanic power...But this battle will not come easy for him.

His battles rarely do, both in Pokemon and in life. When he began his journey, no one believed in him but his mother, and at times, Professor Oak. It was all a game to that old man. He saw something special in Ash, as did I, but he wanted to see if it could compete with his grandson, who was more the traditional success trainer. Both boys had good training methods, talent and relationships with their pokemon partners.

But only one is going to be the greatest of all.

Even his friends did not always believe in him. They nagged him for being lazy, being an idiot, and for being self-centered. Sometimes they were right, and it kept his ego in check. But if they knew all that he was capable of, if one could see his divine destiny, they would have bowed...

He won his battle. I am not surprised, really. His face bears a look of incredulity, of shock. The gravity of the moment weighs down on him, as he realizes what he has done, what he has just accomplished...

And then it is gone, as he jumps and punches the air, like he has done so many times before. To him, this is like every other victory, another great battle to join the thousands of others he's had. His Pikachu runs to his arms, and he squeezes it close.

"Pikachu, you rock!" He praises, his eyes growing wet. "You're my pride and joy..." I smile. This is just like him.

He shakes hands with his opponent, praising him on his technique. Hoping for another match someday. His opponent is disappointed, but you can see in his eyes that he knows that the best trainer won.

The boy that has been such a puzzle to me...he is the current champion. The world's greatest pokemon master...

For now, anyway, I smirk. He will have to fight to keep that title. But he will, and he'll enjoy every second of it.

His friends flock around him, congratulating his victory. His mom kisses his cheek, and he blushes in embarrassment. I wait until they are all gone. I wait until after the ceremonies, the celebrations, and the people have all left him to his thoughts. I wait until it is night, and he is alone in his hotel room.

He is leaning against the balcony outside, staring up at the stars, like I have often seen him do. He sees me coming, and backs away. As I get closer, though, he recognizes me.

"MewTwo..." he smiles as I descend. "Didn't think I'd ever see you again." I smile back as my feet touch the floor.

"I came to congratulate you." He leans back with his elbows on the railing.

"Thanks," he grins. There is a bit of a silence as he tilts his head up to the stars again. He does not know why I am here, but he does not ask. He waits for me to bring it up.

"I came to give you your memories back." He looks at me.

"Huh?" Confusion flickers across his face, followed by understanding, "Oh, you mean of that..."

"Yes," I nod. "If you want them."

"I thought you said you couldn't restore them?"

"I lied." He smirks at me, but nods. As I focus on my power, a blue glow encompasses me and he steps back as it engulfs him as well. His eyes close, remembering the events of the past.

We stand in silence as he digests what happened that day. His face is unreadable to me, and I hope that I have made the right decision. What if this was a mistake? What if his attitude changes?

"Wow..." he breaths, as he gets his bearings. "I can see why you would be afraid to let me remember that." Why is he smiling? There was nothing comical or happy about that memory. He nearly died, after all.

But it is his nature to be optimistic, and forget mistakes off the past.

He shakes his head in amazement. "Did I really do that?" he asks. I nod. "Wow," he says again.

"You are a remarkable individual." Brown eyes blink up at me. They carry the same qualites I saw in him as a child, but there is a maturity there that adds to their strength.

"Not everyone would agree with you there," he replies, giving a chuckle.

"But they should." The lights of the city flicker, framing his head like a crown, reinforcing my statement. "You should be on a throne, people bowing before you when they learn what you have done."

He looks embarrassed as he runs his fingers through his hair. "Then no one would wanna battle me." He smirks. "And I didn't do anything special, either. I was scared to death, to tell the truth."

"But you acted anyway. That makes you a hero, and many times since then have you deserved that title." The surprised youth stares at me, then shakes his head. "Gee, do you know everything about me?"

"I know that you have done more in your lifetime than others have in millennia." I am surprised when he shakes his head.

"I don't always save the day, and I couldn't have done it alone, ever. I just help, and sometimes I just watch..."

"But what you have seen... people spend their lives searching for the Pokemon you have seen. How greatly the world would be indebted to you for your knowledge." Laughter again.

"They'd never let me leave the lab," he laughed. "Doesn't sound like much fun for me. And some things are meant to be kept secret, huh?" he sneaks a sideways smirk at me, and I know to what he is referring.

"It is not right that you have no glory," I murmur. There is a silence as he turns his gaze back to the inky sky. When he speaks again, he is quiet and serious, not his usual mood.

"I have seen a blue-eyed Pikachu and a feild of Bulbasaur evolve. I've rode giant bird Pokemon, tobogganed across an ocean, and beat down Team Rocket at least two hundred times. I've seen things people still don't believe exist, and things that I can't even name. I've befriended a boy who was born over forty years before me, and a Pikachu who hated me. And, I've seen countless sunsets, and thousands of stars..." He gazes up, fondly. "It's enough for me to remember, and when I look back on my life I can know that I made the most of it. I didn't always do the big things. Sometimes I saved the day, sometimes I helped someone else, and sometimes I just witnessed. When it comes to the greatest events in history, it's okay to not be remembered by the world. I want to be able to look back at those events and say that I was there. And the world doesn't have to know it."

The stars twinkle, as if by his will. I watch them, wondering at what he has said. He breaks the silence.

"The stars are pretty, aren't they?" Quizzically, I nod. "You should enjoy them, too."

I want to say something, but I can't. He has interrupted me. "And it's time you walked in the sun..." I look at him, incredulously.

"What makes you think I do not." He shrugs.

"You snuck over here at night." I sigh, and lean against the rail like he does.

"You're one of a kind, too. Everybody is."

"I do not know what I am..."

"You are terribly perceptive, human."

He grins. " 'Terribly' being the key word, MewTwo." I frown. He uses my name, yet I segregate him by calling him a human. For him the line is blurred, and friends may come freely from either species. But for me...

It is very clear that I am different. Not like the rest.

"Perhaps my destiny is to always hide in the shadows." He shakes his head and smiles.

"I know of only two things that are destined to only live in the dark." He points up to the sky. "The moon and the stars." He winks and looks at me. "If you're going to spend your life in the dark, I want to see you shining."

I stare in awe. "And what is my destiny, then?" It is the question I have asked myself since the beginning: What is my purpose for being? Some lied, and turned my inexperience against me, causing me to look on many humans with a feeling of distrust. And, at times, hatred. I look to him for an answer to my question.

He merely shrugs. "You have to decide that for yourself. See the world for a bit, find out what you like, and what you want. And your purposes will become clear."

"Purposes?"

He yawns. "Don't you think there's more than one reason why we're here? I was destined to save the world in the Orange Islands, but maybe my purpose was also to be a friend, and get Pikachu to start trusting humans again... To help other people, make my own tiny bit of difference in the world." He grins broadly now. "And, of course, to be the world's greatest Pokemon Master!"

"You are," I reply, confused. "You're the leader of the Elite Four." He brushes it off.

"There are still more trainers out there to prove myself against... And some people I need a rematch from before I can truly call myself the best." He laughs suddenly. "And you're on that list!"

I raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"The world's greatest pokemon trainer challenged me to a match, and I lost!" he chuckles. "Don't you see? I have to try again!" I hang my head.

"I was not the best..." I begin. "And I am not human-"

He cuts me off. "So? You still beat me."

"I no longer train Pokemon." A look of disappointment crosses his face, but he decides that it can't be helped.

"Too bad for me..." he sighs, a rueful smirk on his face. "Why'd you give it up?"

"It is strange, having a Pokemon submit to another Pokemon..." I answer, "And it really holds no interest for me." He nods.

"Ever try battling? As a Pokemon, not as a trainer?" I grit my teeth, and he senses the pain in my voice. "Didn't go well, huh?" I nod.

"Not well at all." My brows furrow. "I won't submit or be controlled again..." The thought of Giovanni burns my mind whenever I think of him. He was not the partner I had hoped for, but a controlling master, who wished to subdue me by any means possible. Even endangering my friends.

He puts a hand on my shoulder, and I jump at the contact. "You don't have to, MewTwo. You can do whatever you want! It's a huge world out there. I'm sure you'll find your purpose if you keep looking for it."

I smile, a genuine one. "Perhaps you are right..." I think aloud. "Maybe I need to go on a journey of my own..." I turn to him. "Thank you, for all you have said."

"Naw, thank you!" he grins. "I was worried I'd never see you again. But I guess friends never go away forever, as long as we remember each other."

I begin to float into the air, after receiving my last shock of the night. Friends?

"So, you say, I am wrong? That you are not this human's servant; you are his friend?"

"Pika!"

"You are more pathetic than the rest..."

I give one more look over my shoulder as I fly away. That isn't true, I know now. This boy is friends with all, human and Pokemon alike. And it does not matter to him if they are different...

I heard his voice calling after me... "Remember! I want to see you shining!"

I have yet to meet another like him. He combines his childlike qualities with a maturity that solidifies them, and he has since he was young. The lives he has changed are many... every living thing that meets him is affected, including myself. I hate to think of how things would be, what my life would be like if I had not met him. I feel privileged to have known this boy...no, known the man that he's become, and perhaps, always was. For he hasn't changed.

"MewTwo, where are you going?"

"Where my heart can learn what yours knows so well..."

He will go down in history, if not as a hero, than as the great trainer he wants to be. The world will never know all of the details surrounding his life, but they will look back on his memory... He deserves all the glory that can be given, though the world will never know. Will never know the things he knows, or the things his heart can tell. Will never know of the lives he changed and the difference he made. Will never know that he was the chosen one, and, in my opinion, still is. They will never know. But, I suppose, for me it will be enough...

...Just to say I was there.