This story is dedicated to Dana, Nicola and especially Blank7 for encouragement, feedback and help with tricky things like plots. If you hadn't wanted it first, this story wouldn't have happened.
I joined Kikuko on the outer wall of the Psychic clan fortress. "I've come," I said simply.
"I know."
One of the advantages of being Psychic is that it cuts back on unnecessary conversation.
"I'm concerned," Kikuko said. "Several of our trainers in the fields have disappeared recently."
I frowned. "Is that why--"
"Hai. Natsume, you are my deputy. I must stay here to guard over the younger trainers."
"And I must go and find the source of these disappearances," I said.
"You sound disappointed."
"The wedding--"
"Satoshi will understand."
One of the other advantages of being psychic is that it cuts back on arguments. I hated to miss Satoshi's mother's wedding--particularly since I knew I was one of the few people invited. But . . . well, he would understand. And the trainers disappearing . . . very few things can take out a fully trained psychic trainer.
"I'll go."
"The last trainer disappeared while in the Viridian forest."
"I'm on my way." I bowed to Kikuko then left to gather supplies for the journey. Another advantage of being psychic--the supplies had already being laid out for me according to my specifications by the time I got downstairs.
As I packed things into my bags I frowned.
Something felt . . . off.
Surreptitiously I pushed my mind out to check the defences we'd put up. I was pleased to recognise Kikuko's mind signature also at work checking out the defenses . . . I turned back to the task in front of me reassured knowing that nothing could get past Kikuko . . .
"Let's see . . . my sword has been sharpened, I've packed supplies . . ." My checklist was suddenly interrupted.
**Everybody! Leave the fortress now! Hide!**
**Kikuko?** I called, the mind voices of the other clan members echoing mine. **What's wrong?**
**There is no time to explain! You must run! And don't use your psychic powers except in an emergency! Now run--all of you!**
**Kikuko!** I said, grabbing my sword and following her presence. **I'm coming to help!**
**No! Get the others out first, Natsume, you must!**
I could never disobey Kikuko. I summoned Alakazam and teleported to the courtyard where the other psychic trainers were gathered with the clan Pokémon.
"Get everyone out of here now--" I started when one of the young trainers squealed.
"Natsume! The poison clan!"
I teleported to the walls immediately. Rows and rows of purple clad trainers . . . I gritted my teeth. "Teleport in groups of five. Go to the forest. I want you all to stay in your groups and make your way to the Storm clan or the Fire clan. Now go! After this, don't use your psychic powers!"
"But Natsume--"
"You heard Kikuko's orders! She's fighting back some powerful psychic force--it's probably in league with the poison clan--and she can't do that with you around here bothering her! Go!"
As the poison clan began throwing climbing spikes at our walls in a futile attempt to attack us, the groups of trainers began teleporting out of there. I went with the first group to make sure the woods were clear then jumped back to the fortress with Alakazam.
"Kikuko?" I whispered, looking around the main hall. It was a smoking ruin . . .
I knew better than to use my psychic powers to search for her. The force that had shattered our fortress's guards was strong and would be sure to detect me . . . Using my other senses I wandered through the empty halls of our stronghold, searching for Kikuko . . .
"Ala," my Pokémon told me.
"Something ahead?" I looked down the corridor and saw two shadows against the far wall.
"Hide! Quick!" I ducked into a room, pulling Alakazam after me,
"If you're so powerful why don't you just use your "amazing" psychic powers to find Kikuko?" An irritated sounding female voice came down the corridor.
"She is hiding from me. She is tricky for an old lady --she has masked her whereabouts."
"So? Why don't you just blast the whole fortress to bits? That'll take care of her."
I frowned. I'd recognised the voice-- it was not one I was fond of. Yamato. The time we'd spent as 'colleagues' when Kikuko had sent me to the Psychic clan had not endeared us any . . . she was as good as her threat. Violence and cruelty were nothing to her . . .
"We want the psychic clan leader alive, remember? What's that?"
"Haunter! Haunter!"
A light flared up in the corridor outside--Kikuko's Haunter, using a psy wave I guess.
"You will not stop me." Haunter's attack hadn't made the slightest difference to the new voice.
"Haunter!"
"It's gone!"
"Yes . . . but we will follow it. This Haunter will lead us to Kikuko."
Yamato passed the door of the room I was hiding in, alongside a . . . something . . . I gasped as I realised what it looked like. The legendary psychic Pokémon Mew . . . but no. I'd seen old carvings in the most ancient parts of our fortress that depicted Mew and that legendary Pokémon seemed a lot different, a lot smaller, a lot . . . cuter . . . than the being I saw before me.
"Wait . . . I sense a presence . . . " It paused, before spinning suddenly to look into the room. I'd expected this and had already ducked. Trying my best to think of nothing I waited . . .
"So? Is it anything important or can we get on to finding Kikuko already?"
"Haunter! Haunter!"
"Darn those insipid ghost Pokémon . . . " It turned away from the doorway. "Time to show them who they're playing with."
There was another explosion then I heard their footsteps moving away.
"Alakazam?"
I held up a hand for silence. Not until a good ten minutes had passed did I think it safe to speak. "I think they're gone."
"Alakazam. "
"We have to find Kikuko fast!"
"Ghastly!"
Long exposure to Kikuko's ghost Pokémon was the only thing that stopped me squealing with surprise. "You startled me."
"Ghastly."
"Can you take us to Kikuko?"
Ghastly nodded. Alakazam and I followed him down through the fortress, ending up in the council chambers.
"Where do we go from here?" I asked Ghastly.
"Natsume?" Kikuko stepped out from behind a tapestry. "I hoped you'd come. Follow me."
She led me even deeper in to the maze of tunnels. The rooms we were passing through now were the little used store rooms beneath the fortress.
"Kikuko?"
"Hush," Kikuko pulled me into one of the rooms then turned to Ghastly. "Go join your brothers."
Ghastly disappeared.
"Natsume," Kikuko said. "To prepare you for your role as leader of this clan I have instructed you in all of the history of the psychic clan, all the rituals, all the uses of your powers . . . yet there are some things I have never taught you."
"Lady?"
"There is a secret known only by the leaders of this clan and never passed down until the leadership is passed on. You know of course of the legendary birds, Articuno, Jynx and Moltres . . . it happens that the psychic clan has it's own legend. Mew."
"Mew?" I said. "But surely Kikuko, Mew can't be . . . " I remembered the glimpse of the creature in the corridor and swallowed. Mew was real. "Is that why the poison clan have come?"
"Yes," Kikuko said. "They want to force me to summon Mew, so they can destroy it--they fear it as the only thing who can destroy them. I have no intention of aiding them."
"What will you do?"
"I will give the secret to you, Natsume. And you will take it and hide."
"But--"
"Listen. The summoning of Mew works like this: The secret is placed in our minds like a seed awaiting light and water. You won't know how to summon Mew until such a time as you want to--and only when you want to. No matter how much you are forced, or how skilled a psychic tries to pick the information from you, it can't be taken from you. Now, we must do this quickly."
"I understand."
"Kneel."
"Alakazam," I said to my Pokémon. "Shield us."
Kikuko and I had often worked together at creating psychic fields--this felt like one of those times. I felt a slight pressure in my mind as Kikuko 'planted' the secret.
"Now, Natsume, you are the leader of the psychic clan."
There was a huge explosion. Kikuko and I ducked as the door of the store room imploded and bits of debris flew everywhere.
"Alakazam!"
"You should have known you could not hide from me. Your ghost Pokémon distracted me for a while but they could not prevent from finding you out."
"They were not meant to," Kikuko said, drawing herself up. "Now you have found me."
Streams of light flared from her hands as she countered the power of the creature. I watched anxiously. Kikuko was the strongest psychic I knew--and her power was nothing to this creature. Anytime I made a move to interfere she shook her head at me. I was torn--Kikuko needed my help but I couldn't disobey her . . . then I spotted Yamato creeping up to her with her sword out and knew she wouldn't disprove of me giving her this help . . .
"Yamato," I said teleporting to appear just beside her. "And what were you planning to do with that blade of yours."
She jumped. "Natsume," she growled. "Well, I always hoped we'd meet on opposite sides some day."
I countered the swing of her blade with my own. "I think you'll have to revise that hope."
Normally in a sword fight I had the advantage of knowing what moves my opponent makes. Yamato was tricky--she knew how to block my psychic powers. I had to focus on the battle between us and forget Kikuko . . . until the explosion that knocked both me and Yamato off our feet.
"Kikuko!" I cried out, rushing to my Lady. She was almost exhausted.
"Natsume," she said, pushing me away. "This battle is lost. Get out of here now."
"I--" Arguing with her was futile. She was right, she always was. "I go. I'll never forget you, Kikuko. I'll makes sure the Psychic Clan never does."
"You'll make a great clan leader. Be well."
Kikuko allowed me to help her stand and then she faced that creature.
"Are you ready to surrender?" the creature asked.
"Not yet," Kikuko said.
"You are a fool. If you resist me you will die."
"That's up to debate," Kikuko said. "Natsume, get out of here."
"Your will, my Lady," I said. "Alakazam--"
My psychic Pokémon needed no bidding. We materialised in a valley a full day's ride from the clan-hold, the limit of my Pokémon's strength.
We looked back to where our clan stronghold stood, silhouetted against the hill. Even as we watched a thin plume of smoke began to rise from our home . . . I frowned.
"The poison clan will not forget this either," I said dispassionately.
"Alakazam."
"Now," I said, turning away. "We'd better start walking."
