Mewtwo's return to consciousness is one filled with horrid pain. His head feels as if it is about to split in two. He growls as the pain throbs seemingly endlessly from within his skull. He tries to focus, to calm himself, but the pain keeps going. Finally, after a minute, it becomes unbearable and he passes out again.

He return to consciousness again with only a light throbbing. He is unsure how much time has passed. He looks around, he is laying on the floor of a spacious cavern. He can feel small pointy rocks poking his back, tights and tail. The only source of light comes from the blocked entrance. Rays of silver light passes through the leaves of the fallen tree. We managed to do it. He realizes. At least they should be safe.

He look around some more and find his newfound companion, the still nameless user. they are unmoving, looking like a doll whose strings have been cut. Mewtwo almost think they are gone, but through his throbbing mind, he feels the other user's own. They are still alive. Maybe they are recovering too?

He observe the strange being for some times. He had gone toward them for two main reasons. His curiosity toward the message left by those that put him in this world, and the hope that they would have answers for him. The meeting had been... chaotic to say the least, and the follow up run had sadly highlighted a problem Mewtwo had not anticipated. Communication.

The only way Mewtwo has to communicate is through a slight alteration of his Confusion move. But it comes at a cost, what he communicates becomes the recipient own. Dulled pain races through his mind once more and he stops even thinking of attempting communication again.

He overexerted himself, and he clearly need to rest now. Yet that limit seems somehow artificial.

A spasm suddenly makes the other user shudder and their head snaps up. Their hands become a blur as they interact with what Mewtwo assumes is their own screens. A flash of light exit their left hand and vegetables and leaves appear from thin air. The sight amazes Mewtwo.

----------------------------------------

I suddenly recover my sight. The darkness dispels and I behold the ground. I quickly look up as I summon my main screen. I have barely half a square of power left. On instinct, I access the inventory screen and remove all the food I have in it. I leave the berries the other user had with him, they do not seem to help me.

I then devour everything. Both of my remaining potatoes, my last tomato and even the leaves which are identified as spice leaves. I almost expect to throw up in response to the leaves, but instead ends up with almost triple my current power. It is NOT much. It seems to be above one and a half square, but barely. I can already feel the difference already. My left arm and my legs have recovered their previous dexterity.

I sigh contently. This should be enough to explore tomorrow. I look toward the exit. I am not going back out during the night. Not until I get some sort of gears. The next quest hinted at a sword. I would not say no to a sword. I would have loved a sword tonight. But how would I do that?

If I cannot right now, it will be later. I need to secure food as fast as possible! And possibly coolant... I am down to three squares. I hope water works as coolant. I quickly check the tutorial section out of curiosity and find out the list has grown quite a lot since the last time I looked. But later, once I have food, and water as a plus, I'll check the tutorials. If they work as indicated, there will be little I don't already know.

Now I guess I just have to spend the nigh here. The cave is rather dark, the little bit of light streaming through the tree barely light up anything. And that makes me realize something. My screens do not make light. They are luminous, but they do not project light. They might be only in my head.

I sigh. What do I do now? A shuffling sound reminds me of my new friend. Their presence had completely slipped my mind. I look toward them. They seem to be struggling to right themselves up. I slowly get up myself and approach them. They look up at me, curious at my actions. I get down beside them help them.

They seem pretty confused at first. But they quickly understand what I am trying to do and let me slowly help them to a sitting position. I then sit before them. I have just realized something. I have never introduced myself. But then again, would they understand me? They seem to be able to from what I have seen so far. I might as well just ask.

"Hey, I was wondering something... Can you understand me?" I ask. It feels blunt, but I might as well do it now.

They look at me with curiosity, then look away in though. At least that is what it looks like to me. They look back at me and make a wincing face while shaking their hand up and down. "Not really? You do and don't at the same time?" More wincing. They point at my head, and nod, then at my mouth and shake their head.

"Wait you understand my thoughs but not my voice?" They nod with a smile. Holy fuck they are a mind reader. And then some things start to slowly click. "You- You are a pokemon!" I realize.

And I should have realized earlier! The aura, the growls. The last attack they did! The star projectiles. That had been a Swift attack! The other user is a pokemon! But that realization brings up another question then. Why can I not identify them? My unlocking memories had been able to tell me what every pokemons I have met were up to this point. I look at the other user again.

They seem to be debating something. Their eyes glow and a soft whisper enters my mind. Mewtwo. I blink. There was none of the previous imposition of will. They had gotten that much better in such little time? And the name... the name... "Holy... fuck..." I look at them with both awe, fear and reverence. What is seated before me, what has been conversing and helping me, is a legendary pokemon. I blink. And then start to ponder. They- No, HE is the second user. His little message had come with multiple layers of understanding, like the others before. He is a the second user, the legendary psychic pokemon Mewtwo. My broken memories are completely flabbergasted for some reason, my unlocking memories drop facts after facts about the pokemon before me. I simply let it happen. I... I... I should introduce myself. That was the whole reason I started to this conversation.

"Well... Hello Mewtwo, I am Astra?" The name still feels conflicting. Both memories scream different messages at it.

Mewtwo look at me with interrogation in his eyes. "I... I am identified as Astra by the system. But other than that... No it's not important." I give up. I have no idea how to explain what is happening inside my head.

He points at me, and another whispered though enter my mind. Astra? It asks. "Yep." I point at myself. "Astra." I smile at him.

He nods, crossing his arms with a smile. His stomach starts to growl and a slight blush covers his cheeks. I let out a giggle and removes the berries out of my inventory. "They do not seem to be nourishing to me, but they are for you right?"

He nods and extend his arm. Nothing happens, and he winces in what appears to be pain. He sigh and reach for the berries, taking one and quickly devouring it. The next one disappears as fast and the remaining few are left alone. I leave them on the ground between us. What now?

Mewtwo looks at me, waiting. If his reaction to picking up berries is any indications, he is weakened or his powers are unusable right now. Maybe overexertion? Wait! Maybe I could get more information from him with the system! Now is the perfect time! He is the other user, we are relatively safe! I should be able to form a party right? Maybe it will help?

I look at the party section of my main menue. I quickly create a new party which I unimaginatively call "Users Party" and then touch the 'Add new member' mention.

A new window opens.

Nearby user detected. ID: Mewtwo.

Send invitation for "Users party"?

[Yes] __________________[No]

I touch the 'Yes' mention.

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Mewtwo finally knows the other user's name. Astra. Yet he can also feel the conflict this name seems to bring the other user. He had not looked too deep into Astra's mind, but the moment he mentioned his own name, a storm of conflicting feeling had filled his mind. It had been a disconcerting event to watch. But still, Astra was how he would refer to the other user from now on.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

A little window opens before him.

You have been invited to join the party "Users Party" by Astra

[Accept]____________ [Refuse]

A party? A party between users? This could mean more answers. He touch the accept button. All his screens disappear, with a single red one replacing all the others.

/!\ Warning /!\

You are operating under the redux version of the OS.

Full version detected.

Updating now. 0% done

The percentage slowly ticks up and Mewtwo has no choice but to let it happen. After about a minute, the red screen disappear and multiple screens become visible. His new ones are similar to the first but with a larger selection of submenues, such as a quest list, ingredients, tutorials and multiple encyclopedia on both monsters, pokemons and supposedly local fauna and local constructs. The more he looks, the more fascinating it becomes. There are so many options, so many things to learn. The most interesting part being the tutorial section. It explains so much, but also so little at the same time.

He finishes the tour of his newfound screens with the quest section. Some have already been completed, but an entire tree has barely been started. A single quest has been completed on that tree:

More than destruction

Hunt will be happy to see you kill things with your powers, but you can do much more with them.

Use you powers in a non destructive way: DONE

Rewards: Lessened stamina consumption; 5xp; 1 Exp. Candy XS

He blinks at the strange quest. He looks at the others, and realizes he could not have done any of the others. They have both their own quest line, Astra and him. He touch the rewards and feels a light feeling of refreshment somehow. The second reward seems to do nothing. The third reward, however, refuses to appear.

/!\ Warning /!\

No matter condenser detected, please acquire one before trying to claim any solid rewards.

Mewtwo blinks at the warning. Where would he even acquire such a strange device? What would it even look like?

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I look in surprise as Mewtwo's screens become visible. They are just like mine. I watch him as he explores the submenues. Did he not have them before? There seems to have been quite a lag before the "Invitation accepted" notification returned. However, when he accesses the quest submenue and looks through a quest tree I had not seen before, I become curious. I look at it on my own quest screen and my eyes bulge. He has his own quest line. We both have a quest line! I look at the first quest and a little warning sign pop next to the candy reward.

I touch it and am presented by a simple question

User Mewtwo is unable to receive solid rewards.

You can acquire them.

Please be responsible.

I look at Mewtwo. He looks back at me. "I can get the 'solid rewards' for you if you want." He nods in response. I claim the reward and it goes straight into my inventory, just like the others. I suddenly realize something: I never looked at these candies. I take one out. It is a transparent blue square-based pyramid. 'A candy that will grant a pokemon a very small amount of experience. Unusable by humans.' The description says it all.

I offer the candy to Mewtwo. Oh I can see his level? He has levels? Also, level 3? My unlocking memories tell me that this is low, my broken memories tells me it is surprising.

He looks at the candy dubiously, but put it in his mouth after some time. He chews on it for a few seconds before his eyes open wide in surprise. His level go from 3 to 5.

"I have a couple more if you want." I take out the four other XS candies and the S one. The Candy S looks just like the XS, only bigger. This one should give a small amount of experience compared to the very small on the XS.

He takes all five and gobble them. His level is now 10.

I thank you. The voice is crisp, clear and more importantly, closer to a voice than a though, yet I know I did not hear that.

"Wow! That was much better than before!" I exclaim.

He nods, clearly proud of his prowess. I look at the quest again and see the xp reward is still unclaimed. Can he not use it? Wait! What if that IS the case! This would explain the candies! We work together! Each quest we complete makes the other stronger!

"Mewtwo! I-" What am I about to say. I need you to complete your quests so we can grow stronger? Yeah... But that feels a bit... One sided. I need to complete mines too, but... "Do you know why you are here?"

The Marble quest. Same as me then.

"And... You want to complete it?"

You not? Oh not so perfect communication uh?

"I... I do not know. I don't know!" To be perfectly honest, I feel stuck. This world seems surprisingly more dangerous than I expected. Until the night had fallen, I had expected the world to be one of pokemons only, but now there are reanimated corpses and skeletons roaming the night. Strange monsters that can explode and who knows what else? Having a legendary pokemon at my side might help, but do I want to just rely on him for everything? How long before I am just a candy machine for him?

I confused too. I hoped you had answers. Guessed wrong.

Right, mind reader. Fuck.

I Sorry. Your mind, fully open.

Yup, mind reader. What now? I cannot lie to him.

"Okay, actual question: Why are we here beyond the quest?"

I not know.

"Yeah same with me. The quests clearly make us stronger. We both gain experience for completing them, you in the form of candies, me in the form of points. Also we both gain experience by defeating monsters."

Pokemons.

"And pokemons?"

Yes.

"I have not tried that yet, so I do not know if that applies to me. But you also get experience from battling pokemons." Just like the games, a part of my broken memory whispers. What game? I huff in annoyance, I will try to unravel that mystery when I get in a more stable situation than right now.

"Okay, so do we follow the quests to get stronger and be able to live without too much inconveniences here?"

Sound plan.

"It's not like we have a choice here." I sigh. "Alright. My next quest is to craft both a pickaxe and a sword out of stone. Oh right! I can build a lot of tools and material from what I forage around."

That why you move?

"Why I moved?" The lack of context that had accompanied the first psychic messages makes it harder to decipher the full meaning now.

During day?

"Ah, not really? I kind of distrusted the system at first, still don't trust it right now. I wanted to see what I could do with that body."

Mewtwo looks at me in confusion. You body?

"Hum... Okay, this is going to sound weird, but my current body? Part of me is convinced this is not my body. Hell I can barely remember anything from before I awoke today, or yesterday, depending on the time."

Understand. I not sure what am too.

"Well you are a pokemon, that is for sure. Your entry should be in the pokedex section. Look yourself up." And I realize my mistake the moment I finish my offer.

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Mewtwo had been right! His moves are only guidelines! And with the seven new levels, he had a new path to explore, but he could feel the branches of the other paths much easier now. This new level of awareness had allowed him to refine his communication. He now only sent the illusion of sound to Astra. He did not understand his spoken language but he could put meaning on the words the more he heard Astra talk. And now Astra had even given him a way to learn more about himself.

Mewtwo giddily opens the pokedex screen and scrolls through the mostly empty list. He sees pokemon he has seen today, other he has not, and after a bit of back and forth, finds himself. He starts to read and almost balks at the description.

I am a weapon? A heartless killing machine? This has to be wrong! Had he not felt slight remorse at the geodude's fate after their battle? Had he not felt pity for the hurt fearow?

This entry is a lie! He angrily sends to Astra.

"Hey, hum... I do not write anything on this. That's what the system is saying. There is no reasons to for it to be fully accurate!" Astra answers with slight panic. But his thoughs betrays him. He had realized the risk the moment he had offered Mewtwo the mean to learn more about himself. He is now afraid of him. Ready to try anything to placate what he sees as a possible monster ready to tear him limbs from limbs.

I am not a heartless machine. My actions today should prove it! Why would I come to your aid if I was? Why would I help you when monsters do not see me?

Astra's mouth falls open and stays that way for a few seconds. He then collects himself and apologetically bow his head. "I am sorry, you are right. I did make some bad assumptions just now. Maybe that is why the system made me unable to recognize you at first. You are nothing like your entry says you should be." He chuckles then freezes. "Hold on did you just say monsters can't see you?"