Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon

-This is my first Pokémon fanfic and I've had this scene in my head for quite a while. I always wanted to see a scene where Ash and Mewtwo talk. This takes place after Mewtwo agrees to let Ash and his friends remember Mount Quena and before everyone leaves. Slight spoilers for Mewtwo Strikes Back and Mewtwo Returns. Please forgive me if the characters seem OOC

-This is an updated version of my original story. For those who have already read, reviewed, and favorite the original, don't worry. The essential plot and topics Ash and Mewtwo remain the same. I just changed the wording of some of the dialogue and corrected a spelling error.

One last thing, I wanted to give a big thank you to all who have favorited and reviewed my first draft. Four reviews and eight or nine favorites in one day! I was overwhelmed with the responses. And thank you to everyone who reviewed or favorite afterwards. The responses to this story have made me feel incredibly special! Thank you!

-Hi, I revised this story yet again. I added a lot more introspection for Mewtwo and tried to add a little more character reaction around the dialogue. Hopefully everyone still likes it.

Missing Scene: Ash and Mewtwo

Mewtwo smirked as he finished teleporting the Team Rocket leader and his combat unit at an abandoned town square and erasing their memories of him completely. A small part of him wished to drop them in an unforgiving wilderness with little chance of escape or at least some injuries, if not outright eliminate them. He resisted the urge, for he was not that kind of being anymore, and if he used those methods, he would be no better than Giovanni. He had already made that mistake on New Island, and Mewtwo had promised himself he would never be that creature again, no matter the temptation, no matter that Giovanni likely deserved that kind of punishment. Mewtwo would content himself with ensuring the safety of the mountain and the people and Pokémon here.

He could not, however, resist implanting in Giovanni a feeling that the man had been utterly defeated. It would likely bother the man for months, but considering his actions through the course of the day, Mewtwo deemed that a light punishment.

Just the thought of Giovanni raised Mewtwo's hackles. While he took full responsibility for his actions on New Island, a small part of him attributed the incident to Giovanni, or at least the motivation and beliefs which dictated Mewtwo's actions.

He would never forget the day Giovanni declared him nothing but a tool. Shock had hit him hard, followed swiftly be betrayal and grief. Fury had overtaken him next, much more than he expected.

He had never been sure why. Perhaps the reason was because he possessed the subconscious belief that humans were supposed to be friendly and caring. Searches through his mind for the source of this belief yielded nothing, except the occasional image of a little girl, whose name he could never recall. Perhaps she was the daughter of one the scientists there to watch her father work, and he had unknowingly connected with her. Or perhaps she was a figment of his young imagination.

Regardless of what she actually was, that image had led to his beliefs. Then the scientists' complete disregard for his own feelings, their views of him as nothing but an experiment, had aroused his anger and he had acted accordingly.

Then Giovanni had arrived, knowing the Pokémon was so much more than an experiment, offering him aid to control his powers and, most importantly, a partnership. Mewtwo found that he desperately wanted companionship and a purpose after the scientists, and accepted the offer. With Giovanni, he thought he might find his purpose in life.

Then, when Giovanni explained that Mewtwo was merely created to be a slave for the Team Rocket leader's own ends, Mewtwo had felt more betrayed by him than the scientists. They had at least been open about their intentions, Giovanni had employed subtle manipulation to obtain what he desired. He spoke as if Mewtwo should have known he was a slave from the beginning. His statement "You could never be our equal" had haunted Mewtwo for a long time after his escape.

He'd spent months planning, building the lab, cloning his Pokémon, studying trainers, choosing those he believed worthy. Everything had proceeded according to plan. The trainers he had lured to the island attempted to thwart his plans. They had been unable to do anything.

Except for one.

Mewtwo had tried to start anew afterwards. Not believing that he and the clones had a place in the larger world, he sought an isolated area where they could live peacefully. And for some time, they had, until Team Rocket finally tracked them down.

Meeting Giovanni again had aroused every emotion he had thought buried and forgotten. Determined not to act as the weapon the man viewed him as, or the villain he had been in the past, he took little action except to defend the clones who had left the island and try to think of a nonviolent solution, while simultaneously keeping an eye on Giovanni and his machines.

Unfortunately, watching Giovanni and the clones and resisting old temptations had claimed too much of his attention, and he'd been unable to sense or stop the capture of those on the island until it was too late. Until the only option was to submit, or let the clone Pokémon be destroyed or worse. He'd had no choice. He would obey the man. But Team Rocket would only control his body. Never his will.

Giovanni tried to break him. The human's pride and ego could have accepted no less than absolute control over mind and body. But Mewtwo was prepared to die before that happened. He never expected the trainers on the island to come to his aid and save his life.

But they had. And once the lake had healed his injuries, he focused his psychic powers on the surface just in time to hear Giovanni destroying the spring. Unwilling to stand for it, he'd shot to the surface, finally knowing the way to stop Giovanni and protect what was important.

Glancing around at his handiwork, he took satisfaction in the knowledge that the spring would be safe. Soon, it would be time for him and the clones to depart. He was only waiting for darkness so he could transport the clones that wanted to leave on their way without drawing attention to anybody who might be in the canyon. He could also arrange transportation for the humans who ended up down here with the Pokémon.

Speaking of humans…

His eyes fell on the young trainer who had played as big a part in his life as Team Rocket and the scientists, though for very different reasons: Ash Ketchum.

Ash Ketchum. The trainer who had not only released the original Pokémon and destroyed his lab, but then rushed headlong to the center of the battle, nearly dying for the Pokémon, both original and clone.

The human intrigued him—intrigued was not a strong enough word, but it was the best he could think of—and after the events on New Island, Mewtwo had often thought of him. He'd never thought to meet the boy again, and to see him hanging from the hot air balloon had aroused his curiosity and worry. Why would the boy be here?

The argument between the clones wanting to leave or stay, and the arrival of the Team Rocket combat unit had driven thoughts of the boy from his mind. But with the danger now gone, questions about the boy had returned to the forefront of his brain.

The psychic Pokémon couldn't understand why Ash had risked so much, risked the wrath of Team Rocket's leader to help him. He racked his brains for answers and found nothing. The reason Ash had given him on the way to the spring, that he simply wanted to help, Mewtwo found difficulty believing. A human risking his life, risking the wrath of the Team Rocket leader? Then again, the boy had run headfirst in between two blasts from two of the most powerful Pokémon he had likely seen at that point. But why? What made him so altruistic, so different from all the other humans the psychic Pokémon had encountered?

Mewtwo ran his eyes over the human, as if hoping a simple examination would yield the answers to his questions. He could have looked inside the boy's mind, but the Pokémon discarded the idea almost immediately. Ash had saved his life today, and he had too much respect for the boy to invade his mind like that without permission outside of anything other than a dire emergency. Despite his lingering aversion to human interaction, he would sooner ask Ash directly rather than search his mind.

Ask the boy directly. The idea, initially dismissed, was growing more tempting by the minute. The boy was sitting with his Pokémon only about twenty feet away. And from what he knew of the human, Ash probably wouldn't mind.

But Mewtwo didn't want to discuss these questions in front of the other Pokémon, and certainly not where the two remaining members of Team Rocket could overhear. The two seemed harmless enough, and the Meowth with them had sided with them today, even though he'd run and hid when Giovanni showed up. But Mewtwo still wouldn't take any chances; he was risking enough letting them remember.

He needed someplace private. He didn't want to risk going outside and being seen. Sitting on an alcove within the caves he'd created was still too public. The control room would probably work.

Mewtwo smiled at the irony. He wanted to ask a human about his compassion in the same place he himself had claimed he couldn't feel compassion for humans.

Mewtwo approached carefully. He felt odd to be approaching a human for any kind of talk.

He stopped about five feet away, and it took a moment for Ash to notice him. "Hey," he greeted with a smile. Mewtwo nodded in turn, but found himself unable to speak. "What's up?" Ash asked when the silence threatened to become awkward.

After another few seconds passed, Mewtwo tried again, but found himself faced with a dilemma. How did he address the boy?

"Human," he began, but was cut off by Ash's Pikachu.

"Pika, pika pika."

"You say I should address him by his name." Mewtwo translated.

"You can if you want," Ash spoke up, looking curiously at him.

"Very well." He paused. "Ash." Mewtwo felt odd calling a human by name, but it was strangely nice. "I wish to speak with you."

"Okay, sure." As Ash waited expectantly, Mewtwo felt increasingly awkward. "What do you want to talk about?"

Mewtwo resisted the urge to shuffle his feet. "I would prefer our conversation be private."

Ash looked confused, but he nodded.

With that, Mewtwo's eyes lit up and he used his psychic powers to lift Ash and himself into the air, flying towards the control room. As they flew upward, Mewtwo subtly nudged the minds of the other Pokémon and humans, just enough to ensure they didn't notice his and Ash's departure.

On the flight, Mewtwo tried to figure out exactly what he wanted to ask the human without giving too much away. While he agreed that it would be wrong of him to erase the memories of everyone on Mount Quena except for Team Rocket, he still believed that he was right to erase the memories of those on New Island. Though, maybe he could trust the boy with his secrets. Ash obviously knew about the Pokémon being clones and he had promised not to say anything about that. Still, Mewtwo wasn't sure what Ash would think of him if he restored his memories. The human hadn't seemed angry with him when he and the clones flew off, but he might be if he actually thought about the fact that Mewtwo's actions had nearly cost him his life. Realizing he actually valued Ash's opinion of him threw Mewtwo's already conflicted mind for another loop

Arriving in the control room, Mewtwo formed an extra seat for Ash and both sat down. He found it no easier to form words than he had earlier; the Pokémon simply wasn't used to conversations like this.

After yet another awkward silence, Ash spoke up. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Mewtwo exhaled softly, giving up on finding the correct words to phrase his thoughts and settling for a repeat of his earlier question. "Why did you help me earlier?"

Ash looked even more confused. "I helped you because you needed it. Do you need another reason?"

"No. You misunderstand." Mewtwo sighed to himself. "What you must realize is that my first interactions with humans have left me with an ill opinion of your species as a whole. The first humans I met considered me nothing more than a laboratory specimen." He paused. Maybe Ash had already guessed the truth. "I am a clone of the legendary Pokémon, Mew."

Ash looked surprised at first, but then his expression turned thoughtful. "I guess that makes sense, what with the other Pokémon being clones." He frowned suddenly, but Mewtwo didn't think the sudden anger he sensed within the boy was directed at him. "Wait, those people just thought of you as a lab rat?"

"Yes. The next human I met—the same one we fought today, actually—proved to be even more revolting. He offered to teach me to control my powers. I believed we were equals, partners." Mewtwo did not even attempt to hide the bitterness in his voice. "I later learned that he considered me his slave, a tool for his own selfish desires. Any belief in humanity's benevolence disappeared when he said I would always remain inferior."

"I see," Ash replied. His expression had gone from angry to downright furious.

"Yes. My encounters with humans have left me with a poor impression of them." Mewtwo gave a slight shake of his head. "Which is why, in both of our meetings, you and your actions have astonished and confused me."

"Both meetings?" Mewtwo froze, inwardly cursing himself. "We've met before?"

Despite his desire to keep the events of New Island a secret, Mewtwo couldn't bring himself to alter the last few minutes of Ash's memories. "Indeed we have, once. I erased the memories of those present, including yours, believing those events were best forgotten." Looking at Ash, he found himself explaining before he knew what he was doing.

"When we first met, I still believed that all humans were evil. A selfless action on your part demonstrated otherwise. If not for your intervention, many Pokémon would have likely been killed or severely injured, myself included." He admitted somewhat reluctantly. "You nearly lost your life as a result. Now, in our second encounter, you risked your own life yet again, against an extremely dangerous enemy and impossible odds, in order to save mine, a complete stranger." He looked Ash straight in the eyes. "Nearly every human I have encountered is either selfish or uncaring. You, however, act as their complete opposite." Mewtwo smiled slightly. "I cannot understand."

Ash looked awestruck. "Whoa." Mewtwo allowed him time to grapple with the revelations. It was a lot for anybody to absorb.

A few minutes later, Ash took a deep breath. "That's hard to believe. But now your question makes a lot more sense." He frowned. "I'm really the first person to help you?"

"Without an ulterior motive, yes." Mewtwo gazed straight into Ash's eyes.

Ash shrugged and exhaled softly. "Well, I can't imagine not helping those who need it."

At Mewtwo's questioning glance, Ash's focus seemed to turn inward. "I guess it's the way I've been raised," he finally offered, perhaps not knowing a better answer at that point. "My mom taught me to help others when they need it and that Pokémon and their trainers are supposed to be friends. And I've met plenty of people who help others the second they need it. I've also met plenty of trainers with really strong bonds of friendship with their Pokémon who'd be sick at the thought of Pokémon being slaves." He smiled apologetically. "I guess I really don't know how to explain it."

They lapsed into silence. Mewtwo debated within himself. He sensed truth in Ash's words, but he still struggled with the idea of such altruism. Then again, the boy's actions spoke for his words. He'd had nothing to gain from helping Mewtwo. A part of him really wanted to believe that, to believe humans could be as good as the image in his subconscious made them out to be. But how could he be sure?

Another idea struck him, one he dismissed almost immediately as insane, but which continued to nag him.

He could restore Ash's memories, see if the human still felt the same after remembering his ordeals and facing the cause of them. And if he were honest with himself, a part of him felt guilty for messing with the boy's mind when he had done nothing but help him.

Another part rebelled against the idea, citing the safety of Mt. Quena, the clones, and fear of Ash's reaction.

If any human deserves to remember, it is him.

It is too dangerous. It was best that you erased everyone's memories, and it is best for them to remain that way.

He has proven himself trustworthy. He has already agreed to keep what occurred on Mount Quena a secret, and there is no reason to question his honesty.

It is unnecessary.

As that other human observed, forgetting events does not mean they did not occur. Should he not know he nearly perished saving the Pokémon?

He might hate you.

The truth remains that he deserves to know.

Mewtwo sighed as he came to a decision. Turning to Ash, he asked slowly "Do you wish to remember our first encounter?"

Ash's jaw dropped. "Yeah, definitely! But why are you offering that?" Realizing his question could be taken offensively, he amended himself. "I mean, you must have had a good reason for erasing those memories and-"

Mewtwo smiled and held up his hand. "You have earned my trust." And to the Pokemon's surprise, he realized how true those words were. He frowned and added, "but the events you will witness must remain a secret; even from those you call your friends."

"Can I tell Pikachu?"

Mewtwo paused. But then he remembered Ash jumping down the chute to save his Pikachu and how Pikachu was the only Pokémon brave enough to contradict Mewtwo's statement that humans considered Pokémon to be slaves. "I shall restore your Pikachu's memories as well. But the two of you must not speak of them to anyone."

"Deal." Ash nodded.

With that, Mewtwo gently reached out into Ash's mind and located the memories he'd repressed. He backed out quickly after that.

Ash gripped his seat as his memories assaulted him. Mewtwo remained respectfully silent, allowing the human to absorb and process everything.

As the minutes dragged on, Mewtwo sat silently, wondering what Ash's reaction would be. He honestly wouldn't blame the human if he became infuriated and stormed off. A part of him desperately hoped for Ash's forgiveness, but he ruthlessly stomped that down. He refused to get his hopes up.

Absorbed in his own inner conflict, Mewtwo didn't notice Ash straighten up, studying Mewtwo for a few seconds before a smile lit up his face. "Hey, Mewtwo! It's good to see you again. How have you been?"

Mewtwo's head jerked up and his eyes widened, unable to believe what he'd just heard. "You are not angry with me?"

Ash looked confused. "Why would I be?"

"My actions nearly resulted in your death." Despite the psychic Pokémon's best efforts, hope rose in his chest. "You mean to say you forgive me?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Mewtwo could sense no deception from the boy. "How can you find it within yourself to forgive one who nearly took your life?" he asked, unable to hide the confusion in his voice.

Ash grinned. "I had the feeling you weren't evil, from what you said after I was revived. Everything I've seen and heard today proves it." He gave a small frown. "And with what you told me about the first humans you met, I get why you acted the way you did." His smile returned. "Don't worry, we're good. And I'm pretty sure Pikachu will forgive you too."

Mewtwo still didn't know what to say. He could only manage a "thank you."

"No problem."

Another silence fell. "It is astonishing you can forgive me that easily."

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you're not the only one who makes mistakes. Just ask Pikachu. We didn't get off to the best start. I had to save him from Fearow and Team Rocket before he trusted me."

Mewtwo turned his gaze to the ground "My mistake nearly resulted in a tragedy of great proportions."

Ash shrugged. "The only thing you can do is learn from your mistakes and try not to repeat them."

Mewtwo glanced at Ash from the corners of his eyes. "How would you suggest I accomplish that?"

After thinking a little, Ash replied. "Maybe travel around and watch other humans. See everything, not just the evil or just the good. You said you thought all humans were bad, right. Well, learn more about them. Study different kinds. Find some friends—Pokémon and human—and get to know them and hear their opinions."

Mewtwo could admit that was sound advice, but still… "Making friends is not one of my greater strengths," he confessed.

"Well, I'm your friend."

Ash seemed to have developed a talent for throwing Mewtwo's mind for a loop. "Are you, Ash?"

"Yeah. If you want me to be, that is," he added hastily, looking a little sheepish.

Mewtwo considered. "I would like that." He smiled.

A silence once more stretched between them, but unlike before, it was a comfortable one. Eventually, Mewtwo spoke softly. "I believe the time has come to rejoin our companions. I will be missed, and your friends are likely wondering what has become of you." He didn't want them to separate just yet, but he sensed the time for departure was approaching fast.

"Probably. I could stay up here longer if I needed to though." Mewtwo smiled, understanding the hidden message.

"Perhaps, but we should return. Our absences are likely to be noticed, and there is no need to cause worry so soon after our victory." Ash agreed, and Mewtwo flew the two of them back down to the others. As Ash went to rejoin Pikachu, Mewtwo called him softly. "Ash!"

Ash turned.

Mewtwo smiled. "Thank you."

Ash smiled back as he rejoined his Pokémon.

Ash Ketchum. His friend.

The End

So, did you like it? Were the characters too OOC? Please let me know. Oh, and there will be no sequel. Sorry!