Mewtwo has appeared as a central character in several books related to the "Pokémon" franchise, including novelizations of "Mewtwo Strikes Back" and "Mewtwo Returns", both of which closely follow the events of the films. In December 1999, Viz Media published the children's picture book "I'm Not Pikachu!: Pokémon Tales Movie Special", which featured children taking on traits of the characters from the film, including Mewtwo. In May 2001, Viz released a second children's book, "Mewtwo's Watching You!", which featured a shy Mewtwo interestedly watching other Pokémon play.