The Reign of Mewtwo

Of all 251 Pokémon, none have quite the standing of Mewtwo. Perhaps it's because he's more powerful than them, or because he's appeared in every Pokémon game (save Pokémon Puzzle Challenge). What? You don't believe me?

1-3. Pokémon RBY: Final Boss
4. Pokémon Pinball: Indigo Plateau
5. Pokémon Snap: Hidden Picture
6. Pokémon Trading Card Game: Card
7. Pokémon Stadium: Final Boss
8. Pokémon Puzzle League: Final Boss
9. Pokémon Gold/Silver: Trade Over
10. Hey you, Pikachu: On the cover of a book on the floor (in your room), you can see a really blurry picture of him.

There. Anyway, let's start at the beginning. When Pokémon first came out in America in official form, the TV show, the first Pokémon the US saw was Mewtwo. Not Pikachu, not Mew, not even a human Pokémon character. So it was each day, as people would watch the show and wonder, "What is that creature?" The answer would not come swiftly.

Red and Blue

Of course, most people never even heard about our 6' 7" friend until they reached the Cinnabar Island Lab. At this point, information on the creature was still sketchy. Not until access was gained to the Cerulean Cave did one realize the power they had stumbled on.

The Tradition Begins

As I mentioned (and Puzzle Challenge aside), Mewtwo has appeared in some capacity in every Pokémon game (and no, Super Smash Bros. is not a Pokémon game), even if it means it's an extremely blurry picture on the floor of some kid's room.

Take Pokémon Snap. Mewtwo is little more than window (ice cave?) dressing, and why not? At this point, Mewtwo is a cult Pokémon, while Pikachu grabs all the spotlight. The only people interested in Mewtwo are the serious tournament battlers. That, of course, includes myself, who was forced to catch his Mewtwo without the aid of a Master Ball.

And so the games passed: Snap, Pinball, the physical card game's Base and Jungle sets. It was not until the Fall of 1999 that Mewtwo grew into his own. The Pokémon TV show featured a strange being in armor (fascinating fact: None of these episodes actually use the voice of Mewtwo. Mewtwo's voice doesn't actually come on the TV show except in one episode-Bye Bye Psyduck-Where he's the Who's That Pokémon).

Of course, here Mewtwo was just plotting his takeover. On November 10th, with much fanfare, Pokémon: The First Movie was released. Mewtwo even made sure that the container for his Burger King toy wouldn't (so far as I know) kill innocent children.

The Die is Cast

So now, Mewtwo is regarded as the ultimate Pokémon, and his Movie Promo card rips through the TCG scene. In this period from November 1999 to March 2000, Mewtwo sat on the Pokéthrone and ruled over all. Pokémon Stadium made him the final foe yet again, and the Game Boy Trading Card Game had several Mewtwo cards.

Then, of course, the inevitable happened: The countertrend. Mewtwo became so popular, that people just had to come up with a way to beat him. Some decided the best way to beat him was with their own Mewtwo. Others attempted to create "Mewtwo Killers," Pokémon supposedly with just the right combination of techniques to beat the Psychic powerhouse. I opted for the former route, with the Pokéwatch Mewtwo moveset (Psychic, Amnesia, Recover, Swift).

Mewtwo still had to make one last push before he would be obscured by Gold and Silver. In the 2000 Pokémon top 15 countdown, Mewtwo managed a number one upset over Pikachu, stunning at least one web site editor.

However, Mewtwo's greatest achievement was achieved in Pokémon Puzzle League. Sensing the significance of the first near-simultaneous Japan-US launch of a Pokémon game, Mewtwo was basically omitted from any official documents pertaining to the game. The only way to know Mewtwo was in it was to use the sound test or actually face him.

Switching Tracks

Want to know the big reason Gold and Silver were created? Mewtwo. First off, he was a psychic type, who had no true weaknesses. Then he had amnesia, which raised the then-unified special rating. This combination (along with a killer set of moves) made Mewtwo so powerful as to be almost unbeatable except by himself.

The solution? Split up special, create two new types resistant to psychic, and give ghosts a real attack. Did Mewtwo get angry? Of course not! This was a new Mewtwo, tempered by experience and forged with wisdom. We wish him well in his travels.

Mewtwo: And if you believe that, would you be interested in a New Island timeshare condo? Honestly, this thing is like the True Hollywood Story. What on Earth were you thinking, Steve?

Steve: About you.

Mewtwo: Why do I even try?

Steve: Beats me!