Prologue: Poké-Rats
"We've done it! We've successfully spliced Skarmory wings onto an Umbreon!"
Zephyr opened his eyes slowly for the first time since his operation. Everything was bright and blurry. That was most likely because he was still under the effects of the drugs the scientist had put him on beforehand. It was obvious given how light headed he felt. He wasn't even sure what room he was in. He slowly slipped back into unconsciousness.
"Psst, Zephyr. Zephyr! Ey, Zephyr, wake up!"
The now metallic colored Umbreon groaned as he opened his eyes to see the armored, red ringed, Umbreon crouched down with his face at least a foot away from his own. "Ugh, Shade?" Zephyr groaned. He tried to stand and instantly regretted it as his head swam again. He was still drugged up, but it was beginning to wear off.
Now he knew what a hangover felt like. He didn't have to explain it to Shade since he was injected with the same drug for his operation a few days ago. The room he was in was the one he was familiar with: an empty room, save for his cellmate, with metal walls, reinforced windows, stone floors, and mechanical sliding doors. He looked at his new Skarmory wings.
The front most blade of each was the same metallic black the majority of his body now was, the mutation probably a side effect of Skarmory's Steel typing, while the rest glowed in perfect sync with his rings, which now were slowly lighting up before gradually fading. Again, probably from being drugged up or possibly from just being in a weakened state due to the operation. Both were very likely. The way he was now, he wasn't going to be able to tunnel out like in their original escape plan.
His large wings would get in the way of traveling through whatever tunnel he tried to dig. Even with them folded up, he just wasn't used to walking around with them. "I guess we're not breaking out any time soon," he sighed.
"I dunno about dat. I think I might be able to melt through da walls if I can make strong enough flames," Shade mentioned.
"Unfortunately, brute force isn't exactly subtle," Zephyr pointed out. "Any rumors floating around the other Pokémon?" he asked.
"Yeah, it sounded like da scientists experimenting on us are tryin' to create a new Mega Evolution," Shade replied. Zephyr's lips formed a smirk.
"Alright, change of plans. We find out who this Pokémon is, and we spring him or her with us," he explains. "It's bad enough those fools are experimenting us and holding us all here like the lab experiments we are, but now they're literally playing with forces they can't understand."
"Which is why after we're home free, we'll find a way to destroy da place," Shade agreed. He wasn't the smartest Pokémon locked up here, but he did know as well as Zephyr that this was not a place they could leave standing, but they knew of no way to destroy it on their own.
Unfortunately not many of the other Pokémon hauled up in the facility were cooperative with it. They either accepted their fate, or just didn't like Zephyr for a leader. Most of them couldn't even remember their old lives. Shade had more wires crossed than Zephyr (quite literally at that), but he still remembered most of his old life while Zephyr only remembered bits and pieces. It probably helped that the name the scientists gave Shade was the one he went by before he was locked up.
There was another problem now though. Being a winged Umbreon made hiding a lot harder. He would both be viewed as an outcast among other Pokémon, and sought after by trainers. Shade was slightly better off. After all, no trainer would even get to use him in official matches due to his armor, which, unfortunately, didn't come off. Any surgery to remove it all was risky, plus without it, he would overheat because of his own power. If either of them had any shot at hiding, it was now Shade.
Of course Zephyr already figured that he wouldn't have much time to plan an escape. No doubt those scientists were going to study him closely to see if he could use his new wings.