Pokémon Darkshade

by Sara T. Fontanini

Prologue: Chronus

Giovanni looked up at the monitor. He could not see the figure on the other end of the line, but then he didn't need to. He knew too well with whom he was speaking.

"So, they are unaware?"

The leader of Team Rocket nodded. "Correct. They have no idea of their respective roles in our plans."

"Good. Then, we can take them by surprise."

Giovanni stared in puzzlement. "Sir?"

"The time has come to end this gallivanting. Capture Ketchum, and dispose of the trash, we don't need them anymore. We need to initiate the Chronus Experiment."

Giovanni bowed. "At once. I shall do as the Syndicate demands."

"Perfect."

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Ash Ketchum woke up groggily. Last thing he remembered, he was walking down the road with his friends.

He opened his eyes and looked around in shock. He was locked up in some kind of weird chamber. He banged his hands on the transparent walls, but they did not break.

"Help!" he cried. "Let me out!"

"No can do." A voice chuckled.

Ash looked around himself, but did not see anyone.

"Oh, don't bother looking for us." The voice said smugly. "You won't be able to find us. We are in a separate room, overseeing things. No need to endanger ourselves, after all."

"Where are my friends?"

"Relax; they're safe, and far more comfortable than you are. However, if you continue to even ATTEMPT resistance, I cannot guarantee that for much longer."

Ash growled, and backed away from the chamber wall. "Who are you? Why did you take me?"

"We need you, and only you, for a certain....experiment, shall we say. So, we used a knockout gas, putting you and your friends to sleep, and then we took you." The voice said nonchalantly. "As for whom we are, you may call us.... The Syndicate."

"I've never heard of you." The young boy asked.

"No, you wouldn't have." The voice replied proudly. "We keep a low profile, unlike our proxies."

"Proxies? What does that mean?"

"No time for questions." A new, educated sounding voice said. "The experiment's starting." It added, excitedly.

Ash was confused, and noticed a purple glow surround him. He looked around himself, fear rising, and noticed a large symbol drawn across the ground beneath him.

"Finally." The smart voice said, triumphantly. "The perfect melding of science and the occult. Gentleman, assembled guests, I introduce to you......CHRONUS!"

Ash looked up as something fell through an opening in the ceiling of the chamber. It was a large, black, metallic object. A single, red eye opened up, looking at him, and it leapt at him. Ash could only watch in mounting horror as the fiendish device melded with his arm and torso.

And the light around him intensified and brightened. He screamed as he fell through the glowing floor, as if it weren't there.

He could only see the intense light, hear only a distant rumble in the air. But, the one thing that stuck with him was the sensation of his body...melting, twisting.....changing.

He could not hear his own screams.

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Ok, a little short, but it'll get longer.

This stemmed from a strong desire of mine to see a serious villain in the Pokémon universe, someone irredeemable, unlike other Pokémon villains. This eventually evolved into a plan for an RPG game (using rpgmaker), and has become what you see now.

What do ya think so far? Pretty intriguing?

I may in future be able to bring up some picture for this story (and maybe for my other fics) on ym deviantART account, but only once I get a scanner!

Look forward to future instalments, and, as always, please comment!