Chapter 8: Unsteady Ways

Route 6-Kanto/En-Route to Celadon City
6:45 PM/Saturday

They got about half the way to Celadon. Pretty good, Chris would later think 
back, considering they practically had what amounted to a small army after 
them. That and Mewtwo after all.

They were passing a particularly open section of the path with no trees 
around when it happened, a black helicopter zoomed out above them, it's 
blades causing a loud whistle in the evening silence. Karma was quicker than 
Chris, she had seen the red rocket painted on the helicopter. She knew what 
was coming.

She threw her pokeball in an arc, red light gushed forth and 'Piedra', her 
Golem appeared.

He appeared. Dressed in a simpled black suit, giving off an impressive aura, 
his eyes alive with the passion of having seen things that would drive any 
other insane: Giovanni. He smiled a calculating sneer, and greeted them 
warmly. Addressed himself as, Master Giovanni, and, calmly told Karma and 
Chris that they could either leave Growlithe here, drop their pokeballs on 
the floor, and scuttle on home. Or...

"Die," he grinned widely at them and winked at Karma. "And maybe a little 
more than that..."

Golem let out a deafening below and charged straight at Giovanni. In mid run, 
it jumped, curled into a ball, and was mere feet from slamming into Giovanni 
and transforming him into so much road kill when Golem simply stopped.

It's rotation didn't stop, it kept spinning, it just suddenly rose into the 
air, and strange blue aura engulfing it's body.

"Pathetic," scoffed Giovanni, and snapped his fingers. Golem opened up from 
it's spherical mode and went flying through the air, crashing into the ground 
with a resonating vibration.

"Piedra!" Karma cried out, she ran to her Golem. Chris stood rooted to the 
spot. A little white. Growlithe shook in awe.

It appeared. In a flash of dazzling light, a slender body appeared in front 
of Giovanni. Covered in a strange metallic armor, it's large tail protruding 
upward. "Mewtwo!" cried out Giovanni in a hoarse laugh.

"Mewt-?" a wave of blue energy flew out from Mewtwo's body and sent Chris and 
Growlithe flying off their feet.

Chris looked up. In his surprised and fearful state, the imposing Mewtwo and 
maniacal Giovanni seemed something more like a divine image than earthly 
danger.

A red light snapped Chris out of his daze. Cuerno, Karma's Ryhorn appeared. 
"Chris! Hurry up and lend a hand!" she practically fumed. Piedra was slowly 
rising to it's feet. Admittedly somewhat wobbly.

He reached for his pokeball, but a quick look from Giovanni cut him somewhat 
short. "Don't be a fool, boy. You're in some hot water now, but pursue your 
chosen course of action and you will end up in a world of pain."

Chris clenched his jaw. He really didn't like this guy. A red light and 
Chris' Bayleaf appeared. "No mercy, boy. This is one bad dude!"

"Ryhorn, Megahorn!" cried out Karma.

Cuerno lowered it's head and charged. It's first steps shook the earth and it 
seemed anything hit with that power would be no more. yet with a flick of 
it's long arms, Ryhorn went flying, landing several yards away. Golem was 
rolling again, it approached Mewtwo just as Ryhorn had been sent flying, yet 
just as before, it was stopped in midair and opened up from it's round 
posture.

"Hyper beam!" said Karma.

Golem roared and from it's mouth a bright orange sphere appeared. Instantly 
Mewtwo was engulfed in the beam that stretched from this point, but moments 
after the light died away, Mewtwo appeared completely unharmed. It had 
shrouded itself in a blue bubble, protecting itself.

"Razor leaf!" cried Chris, and seconds later, a steady stream of leaves flew 
out toward Metwo, but with a simple wave they ceased their direction and flew 
randomly away.

This distraction is all it took. Ryhorn appeared quickly from the side and 
rammed into Mewtwo, sending the feline figure sprawling to the floor.

"That's right! Teamwork!" said Karma in ecstasy. "No problem!"

Chris himself could hardly contain a smile at this small accomplishment. Or 
maybe it was at being praised by Karma a part of him wondered.

Mewtwo rose to it's feet slowly, as if judging something. When it was fully 
standing, it stretched out it's arms and roared. Blue lighting erupted from 
it. It branched out wildly and reached Bayleaf, Cuerno, and Piedra. 
Instantly, the air was full of their screams of agony, they were lifted off 
their feet and sent flying through the air, crashing horribly away.

'Never', the thought rose out toward them. 'Never ever dare to think. That 
any of you. Are my equal!' The thought was like a dagger that had been 
planted right into their minds, and Chris couldn't help but clutch at his 
head as the feeling passed.

"Cuerno! Piedra!" screamed Karma. She ran toward Piedra, but Mewtwo turned to 
her and suddenly she was flying. Suddenly in Mewtwo's fury, she was soaring 
through the air. Suddenly, all she was was a crumpled purple heap on the 
floor. Breathing haggardly.

Suddenly, Mewtwo stopped. Through it's metallic visor, it seemed to stare at 
Karma. As if it was startled suddenly.

Giovanni laughed. "Get the boy too. He needs to learn a little respect as 
well."

Mewtwo looked up and flicked it's hand. Chris was in the air, falling, and 
with a thud, he was on the floor.

It wasn't as hard a fall as Karma had suffered and Chris new it. It had hurt, 
nearly did knock him out, but it didn't and that was the difference. He was 
conscious. But just barely.

Growlithe was numb. It had seen it's friends get thrown. Those who had agreed 
to help it, to protect it, had suffered defeat. He had felt the raw power of 
this pokemon, Mewtwo. Now Growlithe was also feeling another familiar 
feeling: rage.

It was strange. Flashes of heat and moments of cold. Numb and anger, dreaming 
and awake. Growlithe roared. This roar was not a normal roar, it couldn't be. 
It was backed up with the power of something deeper than noise and sound. It 
was a sonic manifestation of fury.

For the first time since he had arrived, Giovanni looked startled, unsure. 
Mewtwo simply looked annoyed.

Mewtwo raised it's arms toward the sky and in one swift motion, rain began to 
pout. 'Rain dance will halve the damage you can do doggy, thought Metwo 
aloud. Oh and you should know, Thunder is unavoidable in the rain!'

The dark and rain struck sky lit up. A huge lightning arc slammed down on 
Growlithe, and suddenly the small puppy was down. Down and out.