Misty was excited to see them when both visited. She wrapped Ash in a hug as she called his name, squeezing him tightly. She had grown out her hair, now held back in a loose ponytail, but it was as bright orange as before. Ash would never dare to call her carrot head, but it had always been true.

Her large eyes fell on Mewtwo and she really gave him a once-over. If she was surprised to see the unique being so openly by his human partner's side, she didn't show it.

"Finally worked out you can't be alone all the time?" was the first thing she asked.

Ash laughed, running a hand through his tousled hair. "Yeah."

"Wasn't talking to you, actually." There was an unholy, teasing light in her eyes. "But good for you, too. Took you long enough." Her eyes narrowed at the psychic Pokémon. "For being a superior intelligent psychic being…"

Mewtwo glowered a little, but she wasn't cowed.

Misty had grown into a strong, independent woman, from a strong and independent girl that had sometimes made Ash's journey life quite interesting. Never one to hold back with her opinion, she had been one of Ash's trusted friends all his life, whether they had travelled together or not.

"Are you two okay? Haven't heard a lot of what happened on the news anymore. Seems like they're trying to fade it out, more or less pulling a blanket over it."

"Yeah, they do. I think it's how the city heals. But yes, we're okay."

"How long have I told you?" she challenged. "To get your act together? To stop being such a dumbass?"

"Ages?" Ash hazarded a guess.

She scowled. "This wouldn't have happened if you had a shred of Master Trainer in you, Ash Ketchum!"

Mewtwo bristled at the words.

"Oh, chill," Misty added with a look in his direction. "Ash was the best, probably still is, but the moment you two hooked up, his brain somehow forgot how to work. Training, Ketchum! Training! You wasted years and look what happened!"

"Yes, mom," he laughed. "And we didn't hook up, Misty. We didn't even know there was a connection."

"I give you the first years, but later? That was pure dumbassness."

"Is that even a word?"

"Bite me. You were and still are one of the best, Ash," she drove her point home again. "If you hadn't pulled out of the whole business, you would be a Pokémon Master and you would be among the top five, if not better!"

Mewtwo rumbled, ill at ease because the words roused old emotions, old memories. Ash soothed the spikes automatically, instinctively. He refrained from petting the powerful being, but he was tempted to touch him. He held back, though. This was no longer the privacy of them and a few wild Pokémon. Mewtwo wasn't all too much at ease to start with.

::You know she's not implying I'm your master, Mewtwo::

::She might as well have!:: came the outburst, then Mewtwo fell quiet, emotions settling quickly.

Yes, he was getting better at that. Ash's constant presence was truly an anchor for him, able to smooth the unhealthy surges, giving Mewtwo the necessary balance. It was a compromise between outbursts and eating it up all inside. Neither was healthy in the long run and Mewtwo was learning that. He was learning to open up to the possibilities.

::But she's right that we need to work on a lot. We wasted time, partner. A lot of it.::

::Because we have eternity::

Ash's brows dropped a little. ::Not an excuse. This whole thing happened for a reason and the reason was not to make either of us vulnerable. I want to learn and that means training. Both of us need to train::

Misty smirked at them, quite aware that there was a silent argument going on.

"Still a sore spot, hm? You're rather sensitive for such a big hitter, Mewtwo."

He reared back a little, eyes wide at the audacity, and Misty gave him an unrepentant smile. Ash swallowed his laughter.

::I'm not sensitive!::

"I didn't say Ash is your keeper or trainer or whatever else you don't like. You're friends. Like Pikachu and Ash are friends." She met the fluctuating gaze. "But Ash and Pikachu trained. Together, learning weak spots and personal strengths. So what I meant is that Ash should know better! He is the one who traipsed all over the world, met all those people and Pokémon. He's a bottomless well of Pokémon knowledge, right down to physiology and medical needs. But the moment he connects with a psychic Pokémon of your caliber, he loses all common sense."

Ash shrugged, looking a little embarrassed.

Mewtwo transferred his gaze to the young man, mollified to a degree. ::She's right. You are slow, Ash Ketchum::

::Thanks. Look who's talking::

::Touché::

"You two were made for each other," Misty declared.

The small sting Mewtwo felt at the word 'made' quickly dissipated. This wasn't personal. Most of the time nothing uttered to him was that personal, and in certain circumstances it was meant as a joke or banter, little jibes and teasing.

::She's right:. Ash said, smiling at him. ::I think we were made for each other::

Mewtwo didn't reply, but his warm hug around Ash's mind was answer enough.

xXxXxxXxXxxXxXx

Misty dragged Ash around the gym, proudly presenting her work, her achievements, her plans for the future. The Water Pokémon Gym had been completely refurbished, was bigger, with more training areas, and daylight filtered in through gigantic skylights.

Ash was impressed.

Mewtwo had opted out of being seen by everyone. They had arrived early in the morning and by now the gym was filling up with young, aspiring trainers, all with starter Pokémon, and they were going through the motions.

Ash felt a wave of nostalgia as he watched them, looked into their earnest, young faces, and Misty elbowed him gently.

"Memories, hm?"

"Yeah. Lots of them. Only good."

"Pika," Pikachu agreed, avidly watching a young boy and his Squirtle as they tried out a few moves.

"You never thought about your own gym?"

"Maybe. A long time ago. Somewhere between wanting to be the best and realizing that I was psychically connected to a powerful Pokemon." Ash smiled a little as the Squirtle greatly overestimated itself and the boy was doused in water. "I decided it's not the way I want to go."

"To be stationary," she translated.

"Maybe. There is so much still out there, Misty. So many people who can teach me, who I can help, who can help me. There are places I want to see or see again."

She smiled softly. "You'd make a great teacher yourself, Ash Ketchum."

He chuckled. "Maybe."

"Definitely. But I know you. You won't ever be tied down."

"Probably."

"I repeat: definitely! Speaking of tying down: did you hear that Brock is ready to tie the knot."

Ash's brows shot up. "Really? Brock? Ladies man Brock? Who is the lucky girl?"

"She's a former trainer herself and her name is Inaki. He told me they met at come medical center. Brock was there for some kind of new breeding program and she was one of the speakers. He was head over heels."

"He always is."

"Yes, but this time it was really serious. Serious enough for him to propose and she actually said yes."

Ash smiled. "Good for him."

"Yeah. They have big plans. He's got a good rep as a breeder and a vet, and Inaki seems to have a knack for breeding rare Pokémon." She glanced at him and smirked. "Well, rare, non-legendary ones."

He snorted.

"Keep an eye on your mail folder. I think they're getting ready to announce a date. Not sure Mewtwo would be the plus one."

Ash grimaced at her and gave her a friendly shove. Misty shoved back and snickered.

"We can be each other's plus one," he offered.

"Sure. Psyduck might be disappointed, though."

"Brock would forever thank you for not bringing a Psyduck to his wedding."

They watched the children with their water Pokémon and Misty called out a few tips, getting relived thankyous in return.

"Hungry?" she asked.

"You know me."

"Bottomless void."

"What can I say?"

"You're no longer growing."

They walked toward the staff kitchen, still bantering, and Ash felt like back when they had been travelling together, enjoying the sharp wits and sharper tongue, the bright spark in his friend's eyes, and he knew it had been a good decision to stop by.

A very good one.

xXxXxxXxXxvxXxXx

"How bad was it?" Misty asked over lunch, finally breaching the topic they had skirted around all day long.

"Bad enough," he answered truthfully, pushing steamed vegetables around his plate. "Worse than Giovanni bad."

The red-head winced.

Ash told her in detail what had happened, what Howard Clifford had done, and the rage in her face would have scared the hardiest of men. Actually, Misty looked like she wanted to unleash her wrath on Clifford right this very moment.

"What a bastard!" she exploded.

"Yeah. And then some."

"And I thought Giovanni and Team Rocket had been bad."

"Well, no." Ash smiled humorlessly. "Giovanni had some decency left. He only wanted Mewtwo as a weapon. He never went as far as to erase his mind to use the body as his own."

Misty poked at her food, suddenly looking a lot less hungry. "Sick bastard," she muttered.

Ash whole-heartedly agreed.

"But we're good. Started to train. Nothing like near-annihilation of a mind to push you into acceptance."

She wagged a finger at him. "Told you. You might be the chosen one, and you did some seriously legendary stuff, downright freaky sometimes, especially after you got blasted by two insanely powerful psychic Pokémon, but you're still slow on the uptake sometimes."

"Noted."

She scowled at him. "This could have been more than bad, Ash."

"I know, Misty. I was there for the fallout. This tore his soul almost apart. Another might not have come out of this with his mind intact. If Clifford had won, Mewtwo wouldn't be there anymore."

She grimaced.

"And it drove home the point."

"Good. You always needed the extreme measures, Ketchum. A simply knock on the head didn't get through that thick skull. So, are you going to stay for a while? I have rooms for guests and fellow trainers." She raised her eyebrows. "And you can make use of the gym. It's off season and not much is going on, so if you want the full experience, let me know. I can close off space just for the two of you."

Ash smiled at her. "That actually sounds like an offer I can't resist."

"Knew it!"

xXxXxxXxXxxXxXx

It helped to have a gym to train in, even if it was water. There were other areas, not so well-frequented, and it was where both had privacy in the early and late hours of the day.

For Ash it was a familiar setting, the surroundings adapting to their needs, and spectators were kept out.

It still wasn't about fighting prowess and fire power. Mewtwo was a heavy hitter and could take punishment in a battle. For them it was about continuing the exploration of the depth of their connection, of reaching the other through psychic blocks in a setting that required Mewtwo to constantly adapt and Ash to try himself in a more active role.

Not that he had mysteriously developed active powers. Nope, nothing in that regard. What he managed was to reach out and envelop his partner in a mind shield, balancing him, keeping emotional spikes level.

Misty had some of her Pokémon try and disrupt them, right down to her Psyduck blasting the two unsuspecting partners so hard, Ash was having vertigo for the rest of the day and Mewtwo was glaring furiously at the gym's owner.

Misty regretted nothing.

Psyduck was bashful, agitated and quite pleased in one.

Sitting next to his human partner, Mewtwo fought down another murderous thought. He would never harm another Pokémon, nor would he hurt Misty, but still…

::We asked, she delivered:: Ash mumbled, eyes closed, still fighting the vertigo. He felt a little sick, but not bad enough to start throwing up. He was tougher than that.

Mewtwo had to agree that yes, that was exactly what had happened. He was simply extremely unhappy about Ash getting hurt.

::I'm okay, Mewtwo. Chill::

He growled softly, then caught himself.

"Psy-duck?"

Mewtwo's eyes narrowed at the water Pokémon, trying not to glare but failing. The Psyduck's eyes were huge, the pupils pinpricks, and it looked rather frightened. That it had approached the two partners showed its own development, aided by Misty's training.

"Hey," Ash said in a soft, friendly voice. "Hello, Psyduck."

"Psyduck!"

"No hard feelings. It's training. Thank you for your help."

"Psyduckpsyduck!"

Mewtwo towered over Ash, brows drawn down.

::Calm down. She's upset enough. One explosion was enough:: Ash told him.

::I am calm::

::Uh-huh::

"Psyduck? Psypsyduck?"

"Yes, I'm okay. And thank you again. You were a great help."

The little duck preened and nodded excitedly. Then she waddled off, looking immensely pleased.

Pikachu had watched it all with amusement. He looked at Ash, flicking an ear, then hopped after the happy Psyduck.

Ash closed his eyes and flopped back, an arm thrown over his head. A head that hurt.

Mewtwo reached out mentally and brushed over the aches, easing them one at a time. The tense lines disappeared.

"You're better than any pain pill."

::I would hope so. I also would hope that there won't be a repeat of this::

Ash cracked open an eye. "To get better, you repeat where you ailed."

Mewtwo glowered.

He lifted a corner of his mouth into a humorless smile. "But for now I agree."

::Good::

xXxXxxXxXxxXxXx

"You won't perfect this within just a few days," Misty told Ash as she joined him over a very late breakfast. "You had years and didn't really work on it. Don't expect it to just fall into your laps."

He chuckled, running a hand through his unruly hair. "I know. We reached the same conclusion a while ago, actually before coming here. It's a start. And I think we'll get a hang on being a team. I'm not leaving him alone. New book, new page, and all that."

"This will be an encyclopedia soon," she teased. "Hope you keep up on your reading skills."

Ash grinned.

::You are horrible at reading:: Mewtwo commented and touched down next to the two friends. ::You like to skip::

Misty burst out laughing and Ash rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Mewtwo. Really. Thank you."

The tiny smirk on his partner's lips was worth the teasing and Misty's laughter.

Mewtwo was loosening up more and more. It was like he allowed himself to be more open, to learn from the human he was linked to, and it surprised and pleased Ash to no end. Especially when it were wickedly sharp and teasing comebacks.

"I know you're way outside my expertise, even as a Gym Leader, but I can tell you that you're two sides of the same coin."

Ash raised his eyebrows.

"Offense," Misty said and pointed at Mewtwo, "defense," she continued and pointed at him.

Mewtwo gave her a thoughtful look. ::It is an appropriate description::

"Hm, yeah," Ash agreed. "Because I'm really only just the shield. I have no abilities."

The violet eyes narrowed a little. ::You are not 'just the shield', Ash Ketchum::

Ash met the intense gaze and found himself almost mesmerized by the force behind those eyes.

::You are my partner:: Mewtwo stated. ::You are my balance::

Ash's smile was open, warm, almost blinding. Misty grinned knowingly.

"Two sides," she repeated. "And that's how you learn. Listen to yourselves. You can work this out the same way you worked out everything, Ash. Absolute stubbornness coupled with determination, luck and your charming good looks."

He laughed. "Thanks, Misty."

"You're welcome. But seriously: go about this how you started everything, Ash. Think of it as a developing relationship with a Pokémon, Sure, you've known Mewtwo for years, but you never treated your partnership like you did everything else. You train, you learn, you grow. Just think outside the trainer box. Open up to new possibilities. Forget the rule book on Pokémon training. You two are unique in what you have. And if you ever need a place for a downtime, you know where to find me. Alternatively, I'll kick your butt from here to Alola."

Ash shook his head, chuckling. "I can't thank you enough, I believe."

"And you never will."

Mewtwo's tiny smile had Misty smile widely at him, eyes sparking with laughter.

xXxXxxXxXxxXxXx

He actually stayed longer than planned, spoke to Brock about his coming wedding, promising to be there, and he helped around the gym more and more. It was fun and Misty teased him relentlessly.

Ash finally packed every nook and cranny of their trusty RV with canned and dried food, liquids, utilities, and whatever else Misty declared he would need for going on a journey of undetermined length into the great unknown.

"Call," she told him sternly. "Email. Letters. Send a Pidgey. Whatever. I want to know how you two are doing."

"You're worse than my mother."

"Who is a very wise woman, like me. Listen to us, Ash Ketchum."

He hugged her. "I always do."

"Right. At least I know that Mewtwo is going to keep a very close eye on you."

Mewtwo simply inclined his head. ::I will::

Ash almost rolled his eyes.

xXx

Ash had no idea where they would go. There were so many places, like Sinnoh, like Alola. Or they could go somewhere completely new, which would be an adventure. There were a few corners of the world Ash hadn't been yet.

He met the violet eyes, smiling at his Pokémon partner. Mewtwo was completely open, his mind wrapped around Ash's, close.

::Ash?::

"Ready?"

::Of course::

Wherever they would go first, he just knew it was a journey unlike any he had ever taken on before.

fin!

Hope you enjoyed yourselves. I had a ton of fun writing in this universe!