“Mew!” I gasped at the Mythological Pokemon.

“Mew?” Mew said softly, its head cocked to the side, staring at me intently. The eyebrows on its adorable face seemed furrowed. The Pokemon’s pink tail was raised high over its head, where it curved and came back down, stopping right over its ears.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

A Mew was floating in the air above me. A creature often described as the most powerful Pokemon! A Pokemon so rarely seen, some scientists believe the species is extinct, and any reported sightings are simply mirages!

“A Mew…” I said, mesmerized by the Pokemon.

Mew’s eyes suddenly flashed white, and I was blinded.

I screamed.

*

I was standing in Pallet Town, staring at a Rattata. I glanced away and looked at Prof. Oak's mansion before I stared back down at Rattata, but it was now gone. Looking back up to Prof. Oak's mansion, from out the corner of my eye, I saw something near Route 1. A tail? Rattata? I had thought as I turned towards it. I had seen the tail of the creature.

It wasn’t the gray tail of a Rattata. It was white. Or pink, maybe. And… it was in the air!! This was a flying Pokemon that just flew off into the tops of the trees! I didn't get to see any of its body other than the tail before it disappeared. A tail like Rattata, only a different color? But something wasn't right. That tail was tickling a memory of something else in the back of my head.

Something from deep within me was urging me to go after it.

There was something about that tail.

Something deeper than a Rattata.

*

My hands on my knees, I inhaled and exhaled heavily, swallowing what little saliva I had in my mouth down my dry, dying throat. My eyes scanned my surroundings once more before I let out a defeated sigh… only to hear a rustle in the grass! I turned around and saw a Spearow.

It was hidden behind a clump of grass, staring at me.

I ignored it and looked about my surroundings for a while. When I looked back, the Spearow was still looking at me. “What do you want?” I said angrily to it.

It just stared back. Like it was hiding something…

“HEY!” I screamed.

Spearow took off, flapping its wings frantically.

I ran after it and leaped, trying to grab it with my bare hands.

It quickly turned mid-flight and pecked my fingers.

I screamed in pain before making another desperate lunge at Spearow, but it was out of my reach.

*

Mew stared down from above the trees of Route 1, watching my Charmander and Mankey battle while I yelled at them to stop, all of us surrounded by a swiftly worsening fire that had been started. The Mythical Pokemon suddenly spun and rose even higher into the air. Its body became outlined in blue, and then flashed in the same color. With a gentle cry, the blue removed itself from Mew’s body and rose into the night sky, Mew still twirling up through the air.

The blue popped gently and then vanished.

Mew stopped spinning and looked down silently.

I was now holding the Poke Ball with Mankey in it, smiling, but it faded quickly as I turned to Charmander furiously.

A raindrop fell right by Mew.

*

Kiwi and I were surrounded by a group of various Psychic type Pokemon including Alakazam, Spoink, Grumpig, Gardevoir, and Gallade, all of them glaring at us with glowing, bright red and blue eyes, yelling out in one angry shout as they got ready to attack us.

A bright flash of light came from the Gastly disguised as the Dimensia Badge on the ground near my Badge case, and several of the Pokemon disappeared!

The other Pokemon flew backwards and hit the ground.

“Kiwi, look!” I said, grabbing her shoulder and shaking it.

Kiwi lowered her hands from her eyes a little and stared at the Pokemon on the ground. “Wha…?”

The remaining Pokemon stood up and looked around angrily. They glared at us quickly and then ran away!

*

“You have no idea of how much power you have,” Gene told me softly.

“What…?” I asked shakily.

“You truly don’t know how much power you hold within you.”

I shook my head in confusion.

“Don’t you give up. You cannot change the future,” Gene said solemnly. “It is set in stone. But the things you encounter along the way can influence your ultimate decisions. The future has been finalized, the path laid out already, and always has been, but your path is only that which is laid out depending on the things you encountered, what you learn, and how you will react. Remember this, Gary. It’s all up to you. Believe in your power, Gary. Remember me in the gray area.”

*

A bright flash of light blinded me, and before I knew it, I was staring into Mew’s blue eyes.

I understood a lot, now.

Mew had been the Pokemon I had seen back in Pallet Town after I had left my mom’s house in a rage before heading to Prof. Oak’s Lab to choose my Starter Pokemon. It had been in the form of a Rattata, and then Transformed back into Mew, which was what I had seen get away from me. Mew then turned into Spearow before getting away from me again.

Mew had also been there during the time Charmander had attacked Mankey on Route 1 and left us there, in danger of getting burned in the flames he had left behind. Mew had used Rain Dance to save us from the fire.

Mew was there during me, June, and Kiwi’s travel through Route 7, climbing the mountain to Saffron City. It had been drawn there, like the other Psychic Pokemon, by the strong psychic happenings in Saffron.

Mew had even been there during my discussion with the spooky lady, Gene, and her Psychic Pokemon, Xatu and Natu, when Gene comforted me about what had occurred in Lavender Town when Aly had been killed and I had been blaming myself for her death.

Gene’s mysterious words were put back into my mind now. Words I had promised to never forget, but had faded from my memory over time.

“Mew!” Mew said.

“You’ve run into me a few times since my journey started, Mew,” I told it.

Mew just stared at me. Its narrowed eyebrows gave it a serious face, but it still seemed really cute and harmless. I was sure that was just how it looked, and that it wasn’t glaring at me purposely.

“You haven’t been following me, though. You just have run into me on occasion, huh?” I asked it.

“Mew?” Mew hung upside down, keeping its eyes on me.

“Thank you for saving me and Mankey back on Route 1, Mew,” I thanked it.

“You cannot change the future,” Gene said solemnly. “It is set in stone. But the things you encounter along the way can influence your ultimate decisions. It’s all up to you. Believe in your power, Gary.”

“Yeah,” I said confidently, staring up at Mew. “I can’t give up, Mew! I can’t give up on Kiwi! This isn’t over. Team Solace can’t win!”

“Mew.” Mew tumbled in the air before coming to a stop, and it continued to watch me.

“Mew, why are you here? Have you come to help me?” I asked it hopefully. “Will you help me against Kyurem?”

“Mew.” Mew shook its head. “Mew!” Its eyes glowed an array of various colors.

My sight was blinded by a flash of white light, and then, I could see again. I was now looking over the edge of the cliff I had just fallen from! “What?” I gasped, looking down at the bottom. I could see numerous standing trees and far stretches of land, both covered in snow.

“Gary?” I heard a familiar voice gasp.

I whipped around quickly. “Kiwi!”

Her surprised face turned to anger. “Are you kidding me?!!”

June and Robin were still being held captive by Gigalith and Conkeldurr, all of them looking at me in shock.

The two men with guns were also looking at me with stunned eyes.

“Gary, you’re okay!” June cried tearfully.

“You’re not dead?” Robin exclaimed.

Kyurem looked at me with its dead, yet glowing, yellow eyes, emotionlessly.

I turned to Kiwi. “Kiwi, this can’t go on any further! I won’t let it! I can stop you! I have the power to do so!”

“You’ve no power against God, you idiot!” Kiwi snarled at me.

“Kiwi, stop it!” I demanded. “You’re not a god! You’re a thirteen year old girl from Pallet Town!”

Kiwi’s face softened. “Is that so?” She nodded. “I don’t know how you’re standing here before me, but I’m glad you are. You might even live long enough to see just how truly powerful I am. Just how truly great I am!” She turned away from me and walked over to Kyurem.

“Kiwi, what are you planning to use Kyurem for?” I called out to her.

Kyurem got down lower to the ground.

Kiwi suddenly tossed her cane aside and reached out to Kyurem, grabbing a hold of the Pokemon and climbing onto its back.

The men next to June and Robin suddenly moved quickly. In their other hand not holding a gun was a Poke Ball. They held them out to the two Pokemon holding my friends and returned them back.

June fell into the snow beneath her, crying out in pain, no longer held by Conkeldurr.

Robin groaned loudly with relief as Gigalith was removed from his back.

The two men ran to Kyurem and stopped, turning to each other and then back to Kyurem.

“Move it!” Kiwi screamed at the men.

They jumped in fright and then hesitantly climbed Kyurem’s back.

Kiwi then looked at me. “You already know Team Solace’s ultimate goal, Gary. It’s been told to you since the beginning. With Kyurem, this plan will be pushed even further.”

“Kiwi, Team Solace never proved that Pokemon were evil! Never!” I shouted desperately. “Using Kyurem won’t further that goal! Pokemon are not evil! Not all of them!”

Kiwi kept her eyes on me, but didn’t speak.

“There are good Pokemon like there are good people! Pokemon and people can also be misguided! But it’s not common that we run into people or Pokemon doing evil, knowingly! We all have different definitions of good and evil! We can only really act on how we feel sometimes, just like how you are right now! I know you’re hurt about Aly, and that’s had a major effect on your opinion on things, but you can’t act this irrationally! You have to understand the truth about things, Kiwi! You’re not seeing things clearly! I think we just all need to talk this out, together! This can be resolved if you give me the chance!”

“I’ve had all the time I need to think everything out for myself,” Kiwi said coldly. “You choose to disobey what I’ve come to understand perfectly well, so there’s nothing more to speak on.”

“No, Kiwi!” I yelled determinedly. “All you have is an opinion, not the facts! Opinions are important and deserved to be listened to, but you need to understand the truth about things before going off on your own ideals!”

“And just how do people obtain these ‘truths,’ Gary?” Kiwi asked me impatiently. “What’s the proper way to live, Gary? How should everybody be living their lives, huh? How does anyone even know they have this ‘truth’ you’re so sure exists? How can you be so sure you’re fighting with the ‘truth’ on your side? What if you’re just living by an ‘ideal’ implanted in your young mind?”

My mouth opened to shout, “I’m not!” But I couldn’t say that. I couldn’t say anything to her. I was stumped on how to prove my point.

Kiwi nodded. “Exactly, Gary. Truth. Ideals. Black. White. So different, yet they tread alongside each other in this world on a constant basis. I’ve had enough of it all. I will live without either, in a gray world. There is only one way to truly cast judgment upon this planet, and it must be done by my hands.”

“Kiwi!” I shouted.

She looked away from me and towards the sky. “Kyurem, go!”

With a roar, Kyurem stood tall. It then took off into the sky with incredible speed.

I stared up at the Pokemon in disbelief. I couldn’t believe any of what had just occurred. Kiwi just flew away on the back of a Kyurem? I questioned. She plans to deliver judgment to the planet. Wants to wipe the planet of the life of those who don’t side with Team Solace somehow. Wants to create a gray world…?

“Remember me in the gray area,” Gene’s words repeated in my head.

Could this be what Gene meant about the gray area? I pondered. Kyurem? A gray world? Footsteps in the snow behind me made me whirl around quickly.

Robin and June were staring at me, on their feet, hunched over. They both looked like they were in a lot of pain.

“Gary, we have to stop her,” Robin insisted in a low voice, a Poke Ball in his hand.

I grabbed a Poke Ball from my waist and turned to the sky. “I know. She’s getting away. We don’t have time to waste! Charizard!” I tossed his Poke Ball into the air.

Charizard came out with a powerful roar and landed hard on the ground.

I ran over to him. “We have to follow Kiwi and that Dragon she’s riding! Let’s go!”

Charizard bent down and allowed me to climb on his back.

“Dame Hydraen, come out!” Robin sent out his Shiny Dragonite that came out from her Poke Ball in a sparkle of colors.

I turned to June, who was staring at me with wide eyes. “Come on!” I said angrily.

“Right!” June hobbled over to Charizard.

I helped her onto his back and watched as Robin got on his Pokemon. “Okay!”

Charizard roared as he stood up tall and flapped his wings. In the next instant, he was soaring through the sky, Dame Hydraen right behind him.

The snow and wind were starting to lighten up considerably.

“Do you see them?” Robin called out.

“I see something!” I called back, keeping my eyes on a small figure far away. “Faster, Charizard! We need to catch up with them, now!!”

Charizard acknowledged my statement with a sharp snarl and flew faster.

June wailed out.

I wrapped my arms around Charizard’s neck tightly, squinting and blinking through the strong wind blowing into my face and tearing up my eyes.

Dame Hydraen pulled up alongside Charizard, Robin screaming with excitement and shock at his Pokemon, hugging her back.

Both Pokemon were trying to outspeed the other.

Dame Hydraen was quickly shown to be the faster Pokemon as she flew ahead of Charizard.

Charizard grunted as he increased his speed and flew as fast as he could, but he was no match for the Dragon type who continued to get further away from him.

I didn’t mind their little competition if it got us to Kiwi and Kyurem faster. It wasn’t long before I could make out the form flying so quickly ahead of us. “It’s them!” I yelled, staring at Kyurem. The snow was gone now, and I started to feel hot and uncomfortable in my coat, but I didn’t take it off, my focus on Kyurem.

The tiny dots that were Kiwi and the two guys she was with were on the back of Kyurem.

The closer we got, the easier I could make out the three individuals.

“KIWIIIIIIIIII!!!!” I exploded.

Charizard and Dame Hydraen were no longer paying attention to each other, now focusing on Kyurem with determination.

Kiwi looked back and she bared her teeth, narrowing her eyes at her pursuers. She turned to the two men behind her.

The men looked back at her, gripping Kyurem’s body for dear life.

Kiwi then adjusted herself on Kyurem’s back and turned her whole body around to face the two men. With a swift movement, the back of her hand went across the face of the man closest to her.

He screamed as he fell from Kyurem’s back.

June gasped. “What is she doing?”

The final man raised one shaky hand and waved it at Kiwi, pleading not to be hit.

Kiwi crawled over to him without hesitation, pulled back her arm, and mercilessly slugged him in the face, forcing the screaming man off of Kyurem. She looked up at me, Robin, and June, and then shouted out something I couldn’t understand.

Kyurem looked behind it and opened its jaws in a roar. A thick, white fog escaped from its body and surrounded the monster.

Several clear objects, barely visible amongst the fog, were now circling Kyurem’s body. They grew in size quickly, and I soon began to recognize what they were. Gigantic, deadly sharp icicles were spinning in circles around Kyurem, pointing at the Legend. Kyurem roared again, and the icicles flew away from its body and towards me and my friends, the white wave of mist following them as it spread out towards us.

“Charizard, look out!” I freaked.

June shrieked.

“Dame Hydraen!!” Robin let out.

Dame Hydraen cried out sharply and moved to one side while Charizard moved to the other.

With a shout, Dame Hydraen flew around swiftly, staying clear of the attacks. The Shiny Dragon and her Trainer then glared up at Kyurem.

The remaining icicles shot at Charizard, me, and June.

Charizard grunted as he too flew around the attacks, ducking and dodging from left to right to avoid being hit. Suddenly, he roared deafeningly as he was hit by the final spear, jabbing him in the stomach.

June and I screamed as his body was rocked hard.

I clung for dear life to Charizard’s neck, desperate not to fall off of him.

Charizard’s roar weakened as he tumbled down. His wings flapped hard and he managed to stop his fall, hovering in the air.

June’s shriek made me look down.

“JUUUUUNE!!!” I bellowed.

June had fallen off of Charizard’s back!! She was diving quickly, nearing the trees and the grassy plain beneath us!

Charizard roared with energy and dove down after her.

“Dame Hydraen, get her!” Robin shouted urgently.

June was dropping like a weight, but Charizard was right behind her. He swooped underneath her, catching her on his back, June landing right in front of me. With an exhausted moan, Charizard continued to fall. He smashed through several tree branches, crying out, and he finally landed with great force on the ground.

June looked up at me, shaking hard from fright. She seemed unable to speak, but trying to.

Dame Hydraen and Robin arrived, landing right next to us. “You guys okay?” Robin asked, jumping off of Dame Hydraen’s back.

I stared up through the treetops, but I couldn’t see anything but the dark sky. I cursed, removing myself from Charizard, and I angrily stomped once on the ground.

Charizard moaned weakly, his eyes closed tight.

“Hey!” I walked over to him and got down on one knee as I placed my hand on the side of his head. “Charizard, are you alright?”

“Charizard took one hell of a stab, there,” Robin commented as June got off of Charizard’s back slowly.

She sat on the ground, still trembling, her eyes on my Pokemon.

I softly rubbed Charizard’s head. “Take it easy. I can’t believe this.” I turned to the sky once again. “Damn it!” I glared at June. “Are you serious, June?!” I flipped out.

“Huh?” She looked up at me, still shaking.

“You made us lose Kiwi and Kyurem! Why do you have to screw everything up?!”

“I-I-I’m sorry,” June whined sadly.

“Sorry ain’t gonna help us catch them!! Now how in the hell are we gonna find them, June?? Dragonite can’t carry us all! Who knows where Kyurem and Kiwi even are right now?! Why do you always have to be so stupid??! You couldn’t hang on any tighter??!”

“Hey, don’t talk to her like that!” Robin stomped over to me.

“Keep your emotions in your pants, Rob! I don’t wanna hear it!” I barked at him as I stood up. The heat in my coat was becoming unbearable, and I unzipped it, pulled it off of me, and furiously tossed it to the ground.

Robin froze, looking taken back by my choice of words.

“We almost had her!! We almost had Kiwi!! She’s gone, now!!” I was so frustrated, saying things I shouldn’t have, and feeling close to tears because there was nothing else I could do.

“I know, Gary,” Robin said more calmly. “I get it. I do! But yelling at us like this isn’t gonna help us find her. Would you rather Charizard have continued pursuing Kiwi?”

His question triggered my body to freeze as I stared back at him and considered what he had just asked me. Slowly, a calm started to come over me. I sighed and my shoulders slumped. My eyes turned to June.

She stared back at me sadly, and then lowered her eyes.

“Of course not…” I said. “I’m sorry, June.”

A powerful roar from far away rang through the forest.

BOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!

The terrifying sounds grabbed our attention, and we turned to where they were coming from, Charizard grunting but not looking.

“What was that?” I asked uncomfortably.

Another strong roar from Kyurem rang out.

BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!

BOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!

Faint screams reached my ears, and the four of us exchanged worried glances.

“Kiwi,” I told my friends.

“What is she doing?” Robin questioned, staring in the direction of the sounds of more terror.

“Let’s find out.” I turned to Charizard. “We’ll get you fixed up real soon. Thank you for saving June.” I returned him to his Poke Ball and then bent down and picked up my coat, slinging it over my shoulder.

“Dame Hydraen, get back for the moment until I call for you, okay?” Robin returned her.

I reached out a hand to June.

She smiled as she stared at me with tear-filled eyes and grabbed my hand strongly with both of hers, pulling herself up.

“You alright?” I asked her.

An explosion was what answered me.

June looked away from me, towards the noise behind me. “We have to stop her, Gary. She’s doing something really bad with Kyurem. A Legend in the hands of Team Solace isn’t good for anyone.”

“It’s not in the hands of Team Solace, June,” I insisted. “It’s in the hands of Kiwi. We can get through to her.”

June shook her head. “Gary, she tried to kill you. She tried to kill us all! She’s crazy! We have to battle and beat Kyurem, and then…” June hesitated on finishing her sentence. “…we have to get Kiwi…”

I nodded. “We’ll get through to her. There’s no doubt. She’s just troubled right now.”

“No,” June whispered, and then cleared her throat. She spoke louder this time. “We can’t talk with her anymore. She’s out to kill us. To kill people on this planet. To wipe out all Pokemon! She has to be stopped, Gary!”

“She’s not really going to do it, June,” I argued. “I’m telling you. I know her. She won’t do anything. I just have to try harder to get through to her.”

“Did she not knock you off a freaking cliff, Gary?” June shouted in frustration. “She attacked us and nearly killed me! Is that the Kiwi you know?”

I paused for a moment before speaking again. “And what exactly are you suggesting we do, June? I’m trying my best to get through to her. I’m trying to talk some sense into her!”

“Gary, you don’t get it, do you?” June cried emotionally. “We can’t talk to her!”

“Then what do we do, June?” I said loudly, tossing my hands into the air.

“She may have to be-” June wasn’t even able to finish her own sentence. She inhaled deeply and then swallowed hard, her eyes stuck on mine.

I stared back at June silently. Seriously.

June had her eyes on me, and then she looked to Robin, and then to the ground, finally returning her eyes back to me.

“You’ve got some nerve thinking that shit,” I said to her strictly.

“Gary, if she’s trying to kill-” June tried.

“Get out of here with that crap! You think I’m gonna let anything happen to Kiwi? You seriously think I’m going to bring any harm to her? You think after all I’ve gone through, I’m gonna lose another friend?!”

“We have to at least attack, Gary!” June pleaded. “You can’t underestimate her! She’s running an entire crime organization! You can’t just talk to a crime boss!”

I closed my eyes and lowered my head. Kiwi, a crime boss? No way. I shook my head. This is Kiwi Tot, from Pallet Town, who received a Pidgey from Prof. Oak because I had chosen Charmander, Aly had picked Bulbasaur, and she lost the coin flip against Robin for Squirtle. This was the same girl with spunk and energy I’d grown up with. This was, is, one of my best friends in the whole entire world. Robin, Aly, Kiwi, and me. Our group of four. There was no clique more closely knit on the planet than us…

*

“Whatever happens, we have to make sure we all get at least eight Badges and all compete in the Kanto Pokémon League,” I said.

“Yeah, Gary!” Kiwi agreed. “We all have to make it so I can beat you all and say I defeated truly tough competitors. So make sure you’re all strong so my victory against you all is at the Pokemon League in front of millions.”

“Yeah, right,” Aly waved nonchalantly. “My team of Pokémon will be the best ones and you’ll all be kissing my butt as I stand on the podium as the winner and you guys will be applauding me humbly, tears in your eyes from my incredible victories during the tournament. You peasants.”

Me, Kiwi, Aly, and Robin, laughed.

“Whatever happens, we’ll do our best,” I said. I reached out my hand. “One.”

Aly stood up and walked over. She placed her hand on top of mine. “Two.”

Kiwi placed her hand on top of Aly’s. “Three.”

Robin walked over and placed his hand on top of Kiwi’s. “Four.”

“KANTO!” we all cheered, throwing our hands in the air.

*

What happened to that? I asked myself. What happened to our friendship? Everything has changed. Because of… Pokemon…? I wondered. Our friendship… Everything has changed… Because of… Pokemon…

More screams and loud noises of destruction accompanied another frightening roar by Kyurem from far off.

My eyes opened and I stared towards the sounds of chaos. My head slowly shook, and then I turned to June. “We don’t have to attack, June. I told you already. This isn’t Team Solace. This is Kiwi. Our friend. I know she’s not well in the head right now, but I won’t attack her, and neither will any of you.” I looked to Robin. “Right?”

Robin stared back at me sternly, but he didn’t answer.

“Rob?” I said.

Robin looked towards where another explosion was heard, followed by shrieks from people. “Kiwi’s there. Why waste time talking about how to stop her? Let’s just get there and do it already before she gets away and hurts more people.”

We all nodded in agreement.

We all ran towards the destruction taking place.

Without a plan.

We all ran as one.

Determined to stop Kiwi and Kyurem.