Chapter #14: Strolling across one of the center's many practice fields, Jaden sighed happily and watched as other humans and pokémon went about their business. Sometimes he still wondered if it was all a dream. He was very much aware however, that his skills, particularly his new psychic abilities, were improving. Much of his time was spent developing his abilities and Jaden had to admit that Lucario was a very good teacher when it came to technical skills related to physical combat. He was already beginning to grasp the intricacies of the Pokéjitsu fighting style as well as tactics for battles with rival trainers. He also spent a great deal of time learning from Selena. Although he could tell that teaching was probably something new to her, the Celebi seemed to be pretty good at instructing him in how to control his new abilities; even though he still had much to learn. As he recalled, Aerithtwo was learning similar things from Rukia as well as physical combat techniques from Lucario. Lost in thought, Jaden almost missed hearing the feminine voice that called out to him. “Hey, kid.” Turning to his left, Jaden spotted the Raichu he'd seen in Agate Village sitting on a bench under a nearby tree. “I was just passing by to check in on Bianca and saw you. Have you seen her?” Raichu replied to his unasked question. Jaden shook his head. “Figures. That girl can be very difficult to locate sometimes.” Raichu muttered. “So, keeping your sanity with that motley crew of yours?” she asked after a pause. “Yeah, although sometimes I wonder with Arien.” Jaden replied. “I could have told you that kid considering you're only a rookie trainer.” Raichu admonished with a chuckle. Jaden blinked. “How did you know I...” “It was just a hunch I had when we first met.” Raichu replied. Jaden tilted his head to one side then shrugged. “Bianca's lucky to have you as a friend.” Raichu said after a pause. She then began talking about Bianca's past. Jaden learned that Bianca was an only child and that her parents had died in an accident when she was very young. He could certainly sympathize although he'd never experienced such a thing himself. He suddenly thought about his cousin Diana and J.D. and shuddered. They probably thought he was dead. Letting the thought go, he focused on Raichu and forced himself to speak. “Do you need any help finding her?” “No, I'll manage but I appreciate the offer.” Raichu replied. Jaden nodded as he spotted a familiar twin tailed feline approaching them. “I hope I'm not interrupting anything important.” the Espeon spoke up. “No, we were just catching up.” Jaden replied. The Espeon nodded. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaden saw another feline approaching. A slight shift in her eyes and a barely noticeable smirk were the only indications that Rukia had noticed the feline as well. Raichu meanwhile, merely cocked an eyebrow and smirked as the figure approached. The word ‘ambush’ came to mind full force as the creature drew closer, completely oblivious of what was happening as it reached them. Fighting back a chuckle, Jaden figured the kitten probably deserved whatever was coming to her as she squeaked in surprise at encountering the three of them. “I could use some assistance with a special project.” Rukia said after a pause. Jaden cocked an eyebrow. “I'll help.” he said. “I appreciate the offer but I understand that Selena has something special planned for you today.” Rukia replied, the smirk growing slightly. Over the sound of Raichu's amused snort, Jaden saw Jovi freeze up at the Espeon's response. The Mew then shot him an apprehensive look. As he replied, Jaden had to fight back laughter as Jovi tried, unsuccessfully, to discreetly dissuade him. The sound of Raichu's snickering and the way Rukia's mouth twitched indicated they were aware of it as well. “Well, in that case, Shorty here will be your volunteer.” He said placing a hand on Jovi's shoulder. In response Jovi's eyes widened for about half a second before she glared at him. “I-I am not short! I'm petite!” the kitten stammered. “So, let me get this straight. You’re not short...” Jaden asked. Jovi nodded, tail swishing as she did so. “...you just have a small and delicate build.” Jovi first blinked then squealed indignantly at him. “Stop using my own words against me!” she whined. “I wasn't using your words against you I was merely clearing things up.” Jaden replied. “Chauvinist Swinub!” Jaden raised an eyebrow and couldn’t help a small but decidedly wicked smile as he spoke. “That's a big word dear, can you spell it?” Over the sounds of the others amused chuckles, Jovi shot him a withering glare and yelped indignantly before turning away. “Good. Now come along, we've got a busy day!” Rukia spoke up amused. With that the Espeon turned and began walking away. Jovi meanwhile, uttered a defeated sigh that sounded like a cross between a growl and a whine before grudgingly following her as Jaden turned toward Raichu. “Are you sure you don't need any help?” “I'll be fine.” Raichu replied flippantly, hopping off the bench and wandering off in a different direction. Nodding to himself, Jaden hurried to catch up with Rukia and Jovi. Several hours later, he found himself passing through the same area as he headed back to his room. It had been a grueling afternoon and Jaden vaguely wondered how Aerith and the other psychics did it. Learning psychic abilities was hard. Beside him, Jovi looked to be as exhausted as he felt. Looking on, Jaden noticed that patches of her fur seemed to be rather damp and smudged. The Mew also seemed to be shivering slightly. “What happened to you? ...and don't tell me it was a fight with a rabid Bellsprout.” he asked. Jovi shot him a pointed glance and rolled her eyes. “No, I didn't fight a rabid Bellsprout. Do you have any idea how badly that sucked?” the kitten replied. “Depends on the job although it couldn't have been that bad.” Jaden replied. “That is a matter of opinion. By the way, I'm not thanking you for that!” Jovi retorted, pointing a finger at him. “I didn't expect you to. Besides, what was the worst job you've ever done?” Jaden countered, smirking. Jovi thought for a moment before responding. “Dishwasher.” Jaden snorted. “That's it? C'mon I've heard better excuses from my cousin's stepbrother.” he sneered. Jovi stared blankly at him for half a second before squealing indignantly. “Area beautification.” she shot back. “Quality control on cat food.” Jaden replied. Jovi cocked an eyebrow. “Stocking shelves in a refrigerated room.” she shot back. Jaden cocked an eyebrow and smirked at the statement. “Surely you can do better?” he asked. Jovi shrugged. “Outhouse cleaner.” he said after a pause. Jovi stared at him incredulously. “You're making that up.” she challenged. “During summer break sophomore year, my cousin's stepbrother 'J.D.' coned me into it. It was the hottest summer on record.” Jaden replied. Jovi winced. “Herding Miltank.” she said after a pause. “Sexing hamsters.” “J.D. did it, not me.” he explained as the kitten stared at him incredulously. Jovi smirked at the statement. “Babysitting a horde of adolescent Pachirisu.” she responded. “Roadkill removal.” Jovi recoiled at the statement. “Eeew! That's just gross!” “Looks like I win!” Jaden crowed. The kitten just shook her head prompting him to grin and shrug. “In all seriousness, given your species rarity, how exactly do you end up here?” he asked after a pause. Jovi stared at him thoughtfully for a moment before responding. “Well, there's not much to talk about on that subject. See there was a war between my race and Deoxys that occurred a really long time ago. I don't know any details about it though since I was born after the event.” Jaden nodded thoughtfully as Jovi continued. “I spent a considerable amount of time living in one of the forests in Johto where I met Alan.” “Who?” Jaden interrupted. Jovi cocked an eyebrow and stared at him dubiously before responding. “Ya know, the guy with the shades that runs this place.” Jaden responded with a polite but indistinct "Ah." “Anyway, as I said before I spent a considerable amount of time in Johto. I met Alan, who helped me deal with the same creeps you did on your first day, ...” Jaden snorted in amusement at the statement prompting the Mew to smirk. “... and decided to tag along. I've been here ever since.” she continued. Jaden nodded thoughtfully at the statement as a pause fell between them. “”Much like Kyle, I've been able to speak the human language for a while now ...so you’re not crazy anyone can understand me. Although, I suppose Hiroki's already told you we're related.“” Jovi spoke up somberly. “Yeah, he told me a little about it.” Jaden replied. “It's ironic that we're so different but still related.” Jovi commented sheepishly. She then began talking more about her past and how she and Hiroki were related. Jaden was fascinated to learn about the unique bond the pair had and questioned everything. For her part, Jovi seemed eager to tell him. “Even though Hiroki and I are so close, there was always a void deep inside me. When the project that produced sis was uncovered, that feeling seemed to fade with the knowledge that I was going to have a true sibling, although I've often worried about how sis would react to the news about her origins.” the Mew finished. “Although she didn't take the news very well, when I found out we talked and I was able to convince her that everything would be ok. You're welcome to probe my thoughts on the subject if you want.” Jaden remarked. The kitten exhaled softly in response to his statement. Moments later Jaden felt a tingling sensation at the back of his mind which he assumed was Jovi taking him up on his offer. As the tingling sensation came to an end, Jovi stared at him with the strangest expression on her face. The look resembled a cross between gratitude and something he couldn't identify. The little Mew had certainly blinked a lot during the exchange. “I appreciate that. Do you have any idea how hard it was to go to that dreadful lab on a daily basis, knowing what sis went through, and not being able to do anything?” Jovi muttered after a pause. “I've got a guess.” “At least now she'll be ok... but that still doesn't change anything between us.” the kitten retorted. Jaden smirked at the statement. “Why whatever do you mean?” he asked. “Next time, don't volunteer me without my permission!” Jovi snapped indignantly, scowling at him. “Where's the fun in that?” Jovi first blinked then squealed indignantly at him and turned away. Jaden really had to fight back a laugh as the kitten held up a paw and refused to look at him as he tried to speak to her again. Jaden recognized the gesture because his cousin 'Diana' was fond of using it also. “What brought all this on?” he asked. Jaden snickered as Jovi continued to ignore him. In fact, she actually gestured at the outstretched limb with her other paw while refusing to acknowledge him. “Oh, I see what's happening, you’re afraid that you'll lose to 'the master'.” “Master of what... the oblivious?” Jovi snapped. The kitten's eyes suddenly widened and she screeched softly as she realized she'd spoken aloud and immediately went back to ignoring him. “Well, if you think you can take on 'the master' then you won't mind coming to my room and proving it.” he sneered. “You're on!” the Mew roared. Grinning, Jaden lead the way back to his room as he made plans for the competition he and the little Mew were about to undertake. *************** As she stood watching the pair's retreating forms, Rukia sighed and reflected on what she'd just witnessed. Things couldn't have gone better if she'd planned it. It had been purely by chance that she'd stumbled across the pair when she did and was able to listen in on the conversation. As it were, over the two and a half years they'd known one another, Rukia had never seen the little Mew so open and relaxed as she'd just been. Normally, Jovi was rather wary when it came to others, particularly strangers. Although physically older than anyone else at the facility, Jovi was still young, barely old enough to produce an heir. As a result she was nothing more than a kit; and a very mischievous kit at that. The terms 'stubborn' and 'impulsive' also applied, although the little Mew had mellowed somewhat with the arrival of the clone. Jovi's counterpart Hiroki was much the same, if a bit cruder. He was also an avid prankster. Rukia was rather grateful that Jovi, at least, had some sort of impulse control considering Hiroki lacked any kind of impulse control at all. She recalled many of the pranks the duo had pulled and many others the Mew had managed to talk her counterpart out of. She also remembered observing Hiroki on many occasions gazing at the surrounding hills and prairies beyond the borders of the compound with a sense of longing. Rukia couldn't help but feel a surge of pity for the little Shaymin, knowing he wanted to experience the world the way others did but couldn't due to the limitation that being an artificial life form imposed. Rukia was also very much aware that both little legendaries resented her because she often felt obligated to discipline them for their conduct to prevent them from becoming willful and unruly. She couldn't help it. It just came naturally to her. Perhaps it was a mother's instinct but she didn't question it anymore than she questioned those she used in battle. She also did her best not to take the resentment personally, although there were times when that seemed difficult. On reflection it seemed rather sad that Jovi didn't have many friends. Much like humans, it seemed that Mew's tended to be super social creatures. The fact there were so few of them only compounded that problem considering Jovi tended to hide behind a wall of bravado to make up for her loneliness. Rukia knew all too well that there were a fair number of trainers the feline tolerated, and just as many that she refused to work with, but few the creature seemed truly close to. In fact, the only individuals Jovi seemed to really be fond of where her master 'Alan', Alan's daughter 'Rinoa', her own daughter 'Ebony', that odd Meowth 'Kyle', and 'Lucario'. Rukia vividly recalled how difficult it had been, given the little legendaries' nature, to find a proper trainer for the kit. As a result, it was no surprise to her that Ebony and Rinoa got along so well. They made a good team and it helped that the pair were Jovi's friends. As a maturing kit, the little Mew needed such affections. She knew of another group of pokémon that worked for the organization who didn't have trainers. They were mercenaries, and very powerful. From experience, Rukia knew the little Mew was nothing like them and didn't need to be around such influences. Deep down, she was rather pleased to see Jovi get along with Jaden so well. The fact that the little Mew had so openly discussed her past with the human was remarkable considering the little legendary had never discussed such matters with anyone else before. If the banter between the pair was any indication it showed just how fond of the human Jovi was. It didn't hurt that the boy seemed to be rather fond of the clone. That counted for something after all, didn't it? Rukia allowed herself a chuckle as she remembered her earlier fears about the creature. Looking back, she knew those fears were unfounded. Although the recovered data would undoubtedly reference the incident, Rukia recalled reading the files on the first clone that Alan had smuggled out. She hadn’t just read them, she'd memorized them and worried that the little clone might go berserk the same way the original had. However, after getting to know the creature, Rukia was relieved to know that Aerithtwo wasn't a killer. In fact the little clone was a decent enough girl, if not a bit rebellious. If anything, Aerithtwo was a lot like her sister. On reflection, Rukia found that she could live with that. A little humanity was a good thing after all, and was much better than the alternative. Rukia wasn't invasive enough to pry into the clones' past. She had learned enough about the creature from her 'inspection' and from other 'sources' to know what sort of trauma Aerithtwo had experienced when the Cipher scientists had tried to break her. It was a wonder, and a relief, that the clone could still be so trusting around humans even after what had been done to her. Rukia was aware that for many others trust would have been nearly impossible given the same situation. Rukia chuckled again as she thought about how events had progressed. It was ironic that the youngest of the legendary trio was the one who tried, the most, to act mature. Given the creature's background, Rukia wasn't surprised. She recalled that the clone seemed to be caught in some strange balance between the knowledge she had gained since her 'birth' and the memories she possessed from times before that. Rukia often noted Aerithtwo having to piece together what was being said around her. It seemed that she had gained the ability to recall things from her old life at will, which wasn't a bad thing. If anything, the ability seemed to reinforce the clone's child-like nature, although sometimes it did prove frustrating. From her own observations, Aerithtwo always wore the same expression while she was puzzling over something. Her brow would furrow slightly and she frowned the tiniest of frowns, so small as to be almost imperceptible. On many occasions, Rukia found herself having to firmly remind the clone to focus on whatever task was before her and block out distractions. It seemed that didn't always work and prompted the clone to display a very familiar display of temper. Surprisingly, despite the setbacks, Aerithtwo was more than willing to follow her instructions. The previous caretaker, Alice, had been an invaluable asset in coming up with creative ways to instruct the clone while creating a stable environment for her. Letting the thought go, Rukia reflected upon what she'd just learned. Although she was certain the human hadn't noticed, Rukia had recognized the Mew's look. In the brief time between the banter, Jovi's eyes had held not just gratitude but a sense of admiration that appeared to be so 'foreign' but somehow seemed to fit. In fact, the little Mew had been struggling to fight back tears. Rukia vividly recalled all the times she'd comforted the little Mew during the time Aerithtwo had been in the Cipher lab. At that time, the kitten had been beside herself with anguish at what the humans had done to her 'sister'; now she was happier then Rukia had ever seen before. Whatever it was that Jovi had witnessed during her mind scan had greatly soothed the kitten. It was obvious that the boy would be the best choice as a trainer for the little Mew, considering they got along so well. They were like a family. Such a revelation intrigued her and Rukia looked forward to seeing how things would develop. As she began walking back toward the administration building, Rukia made a mental note to inform the boy about Jovi's peculiar allergy to 'Leppa' berries. In all her years, Rukia had never seen such an unusual circumstance considering the berries seemed to cause the little Mew to become drunk. Although that particular berry wasn't known to cause drunkenness it didn't help that the little legendary seemed to be afflicted. Jovi was perhaps the only individual she'd ever met that reacted in such a way; although it didn't help that her own daughter was addicted to 'Sitrus' berries, which did cause drunkenness if consumed in vast quantities. She also made a mental note to instruct Selena in the proper techniques for child-rearing. It seemed only logical that the young trainer, and his entire team for that matter, would need proper supervision. Although her friend may initially resist, Rukia knew that such knowledge would be very useful to the mirage. After all, just because Selena was digital, and therefore infertile, didn't mean she was incapable; as Hiroki was fond of demonstrating with his fascination for 'adult' entertainment. Rukia shook her head, trying to clear it of disturbing thoughts. Instead she focused on the real issue, mainly that of what should be done now that Jaden was here. For all the excitement that the human's abilities had generated, it was still important to remember that Jaden was nothing more than a child and needed guidance if he was to be successful in this world. It helped that the boy had succeeded in figuring out how to properly earn a pokémon's respect. It was a skill that would serve him well in the future. She would defiantly keep an eye on the boy and his 'motley crew', since they had incredible potential and presented hope for the future.