they took the human’s silence for confirmation, though they felt as if there were something…lost in translation. he seemed more despondent and disappointed than anything else, and mewtwo didn’t understand that reaction. even more baffling was the reaction after that to their name - and an obvious mistake about the relationship between mew and themself. it could all have been a ploy, of course - attempting to lure them into a sense of safety through sheer ignorance, but…even they had difficulty believing that, now. his excitement reminded them too much of ash’s friend - goh - to pin any malicious intention to him
- - but even the best of intentions sometimes led to very dark and dangerous outcomes. ( over twenty years ago a man’s quest to bring back his beloved daughter had resulted in the creation of a living weapon beyond anything humanity had known - and he’d died for it. )
“ i am. and…not evolution as you are thinking of. i was cloned from them, and my creators attempted to manufacture a creature more powerful than mew. likening it to evolution is not wholly inaccurate. only unnatural. ” they stayed silent for another long moment, before the man continued to speak of deliberately seeking mew out - which made them uncomfortable for several reasons. “ i am aware of mew here; they now live with me in this place. should any harm come to them, i will know of it. ” a warning to be sure, but this time it carried less of the feeling of a threat and more of a defensive statement. mew and mewtwo were connected, now - and would protect one another if need be.
they weren’t expecting him to answer truthfully- or really, at all. that hesitance would have made it all the more obvious that their initial suspicions had been correct, and they had been right to be wary and uneasy. instead, this all sounded…benign. yes, he mentioned research and documenting - but in the way of pokemon professors, individuals who (from their understanding) assisted new pokemon trainers. none of it sounded particularly sinister, and yet again they were reminded of goh - who stated that he wished to train all pokemon in order to learn about them. it sounded strikingly similar to his motivations, actually.
at the next question, they paused once more. did they not want to be known? or did they just not want to be used and trapped? the two statements often meant the same thing…but not always. was he really as naïve as he seemed to be? …mewtwo could remedy that very easily, if that were the case.. “ …i do not want certain humans to know of me. i have spent decades erasing evidence of my existence - only for my efforts to become useless in this place. ” well. that wasn’t entirely spirale’s doing; they had chosen to remain known in ryme as well. erasing an entire city’s memory had been within their power at the time, but…that meowth had been right all those years ago. erasing memories and running from the past didn’t guarantee a better life. just a safer one. an empty one.
“ … very well. if you wish simply to learn about me, then i will educate you. ” this time, there was no tense air to their voice or demeanor; just a neutral offer and a stoic expression.
The way Mewtwo describes its creation could be neutral, but it also sheds some light on the decidedly negative way in which it spoke before about research and labs. If it was made by scientists, but now distrusts them, then something must have happened to shape that low opinion. ...no wonder it reacted to Todd as it did.
“I would never hurt Mew— or anyone.” Todd’s almost affronted that Mewtwo would suggest he might, but he makes sure to keep any suggestion of that reaction out of his tone when he speaks. His statement is gentle, firm, and carries the unspoken message of “and that includes you.”
This is all so... troubling. Todd’s heard vague mentions of Pokemon poachers, of course, and has witnessed Team Rocket’s cruelty firsthand, but he can’t imagine what Mewtwo could have been through that would have driven it into such a reclusive life. He wants to make a vow right then and there to do whatever he can to help Mewtwo stay hidden, or to defend the Pokemon should those “certain” humans find it here on the island-- but he’s still not sure he’s earned Mewtwo’s trust enough for a bold statement like that to offer any real reassurance.
But they’re making progress, quickly and steadily; despite describing mere moments ago how it’s worked to stay unknown, Mewtwo is now freely offering to teach Todd about itself. He’s excited, but not for the reasons he usually is when given the chance to learn more about a new kind of Pokemon; rather than view this as an opportunity to study Mewtwo as a new species, Todd is grateful to be able to understand the Pokemon better as an individual, and hopefully better understand how to help it, too.
“Thanks, Mewtwo,” he says with as much genuineness as he can. This seems like a big step, and he wants his new acquaintance to know that he’s taking things seriously, and appreciates the trust it’s putting in him.
“Uh-- whatever you want to tell me. And again, I promise I won’t tell anyone else about you, no matter what!”
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