Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.
I just watched the episodes, The Princess and the Togepi and The Togepi Mirage, and I began to wonder what would happen to the Shedinja and Ninjask after Colonel Hanson was taken to the dungeon. Looking at the real world for inspiration, I thought of this...
Ninjask remembered when he was a Nincada, living with his twin sibling whom he simply labeled as 'Brother', alongside an enthusiastic little human boy. Those seemed like brighter times, more innocent, where the three of them would play together in the park until well after the sun went down. When the child turned ten, they went on their official adventure, training to be strong both mentally and physically. The young trainer had no aspirations to be a Pokémon Master, or the Elite Champion. No, it was all just for the experience of it. The sheer joy of traveling and meeting new friends and battling one's enemies...
It took a couple of years, but when the two little Nincada evolved, it was a momentous occasion for everybody. Ninjask remembered seeing the proud glint in his trainer's eyes and he remembered flying in celebratory circles with his twin. It wasn't too long before his shed became animated and then the joy intensified as their trainer quickly claimed the ghost as his own. They all waited for Brother's shed to gain life as well, but it never did. He remembered his Shedinja explaining to his dejected sibling that there were no other spirits around to claim it, and reassured that there was nothing wrong with the shell itself. It didn't matter, he supposed, as his trainer was happy with one Shedinja and Brother quickly got over the loss when he told him that they can share the husk's attention.
Even more years passed, and the young teenager grew into an adult. He took a job by the King and Queen's side as Mirage Kingdom's military official and quickly advanced to rank of Colonel. The other humans would call him by his last name, Hanson, for reasons Ninjask didn't understand. To him and his two brothers, he would always be Bobby.
The now-Colonel was loyal to the other humans for a good while, and obviously loved his job and the authority it carries. With the three of them by his side, there wasn't anything they couldn't accomplish.
But as the human got older, things began to change. He still loved them of course, but he began to obsess over other things. He would tell them about the importance of Togepi in gaining the throne, and how nice it would be to actually be a part of royalty, of history! Ninjask remembered the day he finally confided in them that he wanted to rule the kingdom. He earned it after all, with his years of hard work and undying loyalty. Plus, he had pointed out, the King and Queen had to have taken the crown from somebody else, so why could he not do the same?
He and his brothers didn't really understand his new passion as their lives were good as it is, but they stood behind him regardless. And it was with their help that Bobby finally got his wish, if not for a short time.
But now...
Sitting in a cage at the back of a van, he cuddled with Brother for warmth. Shedinja was being kept in a separate cage above them, the carapace muttering as he tried to figure out a way to get free. They've been confined like this for several hours now as they waited to arrive at their destination. But it wasn't their trainer transporting them; he would've never put them in a cage as he didn't even like confining them in a Pokéball. No, the other humans took their beloved trainer away and, despite their struggles, the three Pokémon were shoved in here.
He didn't like small spaces, especially if they restricted his wing movement. But there wasn't anything they could do, at least not for the moment...
The ride was a very bumpy and uncomfortable one. There were bowls of food and a water bottle, as well as a soft blanket lining the bottom of the cage. But it was still cramp and cold and dark. It took forever in his mind before the van came to a stop and they heard the humans stepping out. Their voices were muffled and incoherent as they walked around the vehicle and opened the door.
Ninjask and his brother winced as the bright light shone inside, turning their eyes away as the Shedinja above them began to snarl.
"Let us out, you simple-minded fools!" the ghost demanded, slamming his hard body against the bars in emphasis. But the humans didn't let them out as they instead took their cages and began carrying them into a large building. The two Ninjask huddled even tighter together as the door open and a wave of scents washed over them. And immediately, they can both smell that this was a place of fear and despair...
Unlike the living insects, Shedinja had no real sense of smell, but he could still sense a large number of Pokémon in this facility as well as their negative emotions. And as they headed deeper into this place, they saw these said Pokémon in cages like them. A lot of them just sulked in a corner, some were muttering about how they'll be 'adopted' soon. And a few gave the three newcomers pitying gazes, as if sorrowful that they would share the same fate.
The humans took them inside even further until they arrived at a large room. It looked medical in nature, like the Pokémon Centers Bobby would take them to sometimes. Setting their cages down, Ninjask heard Brother whimper and he shushed him soothingly as he listened in on what the humans were saying.
"These three were taken from one Colonel Robert Hanson, a truly corrupted man," At this, all three of the insects hissed in protest. How dare these humans judge their beloved trainer so harshly when they don't even know him! Seeing this, the human spoke quieter although the insects could still hear him. "All three are dangerous Pokémon, as they've attacked people on more than one occasion."
"But on Hanson's orders." the other human stated matter-of-factly. "Perhaps with proper training, they can be rehabilitated."
"They've already shown that they have the will and the power to hurt people. We both know they can't be trusted even with training; they'll be too set on their ways. And who knows what other vile things Hanson's taught them. They're damaged Pokémon, unsuitable for adoption and too risky for release." the first human spoke up. His voice was highly professional, almost unfeeling as if he's done this many times before.
"Well, if they can't be put up for adoption or be set free, then we only have one option." his companion muttered, obviously more sympathetic.
"It won't be a complete loss." the other replied with the first note of reassurance since the conversation started. "Shedinja are rare Pokémon that we know very little about. We can send this one to a laboratory for study. But unfortunately, you're right: the two Ninjask will indeed have to be euthanized."
"What does that mean?" Ninjask heard Brother whisper in confusion. "Euuuuuthan...ized?"
But he didn't have an answer and merely shook his head, watching as the humans broke off their talk, one preparing what looked to be a needle and another getting a long pole with a loop at the end. The human with the pole began walking towards them, and the three Bug-types began to hiss once more. But the human ignored their hisses and Shedinja's halo began to glow threateningly as the two Ninjask instinctively flared open their wings as much as they could within their prison.
Again the human ignored this and began to open the Ninjask's cage just a little bit. But before the two could even conceive of making a break for it, the pole slinked inside. Cringing away, the two cicadas snarled at the pole as they pressed against the opposite corner. They swiped at it with their claws, but it did nothing and the loop eased over Brother's head before tightening around his neck. Ninjask flinched as his twin shrieked in panic, thrashing against the pole and trying to bite it.
The human began dragging his twin out and he made no hesitation in grabbing Brother's abdomen in his claws, trying to rescue his sibling and pull him back into the cage. He didn't know what was going to happen, but judging from the way these humans were talking, it couldn't be good. But despite their struggles and buzzing wings, it was useless as the human pushed back the pole to knock the interfering Ninjask off and succeeded in taking his twin, closing the cage again as the struck insect tried to recover from the shove.
Accomplishing that quickly and throwing himself against the door, Ninjask clung to the bars as he watched his twin struggle relentlessly, helpless to stop this madness.
"LET GO OF ME!" Brother screeched in fear and anger. "TAKE ME BACK TO MY BROTHERS!" The captured Ninjask tried to lunge at the human, but the pole prevented this. He tried to form a Shadow Ball, but a stunning jolt of electricity from the loop coursed through his body as a preventive measure. Wheezing as he fell limp, he looked pleadingly at his siblings as the human continue to drag him away. "Help... Don't... Don't let them... hurt me..."
The enraged Shedinja immediately began striking his body against the bars relentlessly, to no effect. He wanted so badly to launch a Solar Beam at these ignorant humans for daring to hurt the little Ninjask, but there was no sufficient sunlight in this cursed building. He already learned that Shadow Claw would have no effect on the specially-designed cage and Swords Dance and Grudge certainly wasn't going to do anything...
Watching as they hoisted Brother onto the metal table, Ninjask shook the bars of the cage, trying to distract the humans with the noise. But it was no use and he felt tears begin to sting his eyes as he met his sibling's desperate gaze, his claw reaching out between the bars as if that would do anything. "No! Let him go, please! Take me instead..."
His pleas fell on deaf ears as the human kept his stunned twin pinned to the table, the other human walking over with the needle. Shushing the little Ninjask in an almost soothing tone, the human stuck the needle in the bug's arm, still shushing as he removed it a few seconds later.
"What is that...?" the captive Pokémon muttered helplessly, hiccupping through his tears. "What did... you... No..." With a whimper, Brother closed his eyes and fell asleep against his will. There was silence and stillness for a moment as the other two insects waited for something to happen. The Needle Human then took another needle and carefully injected its contents as well.
"Wha..." Ninjask asked, looking up at his shed although he couldn't see him. "What're they doing to him...?"
"I..." he heard the soft responding whisper. "I don't know. I-"
Shedinja was interrupted when the unconscious Brother gave a soft gasp, twitching a bit before falling still once more. The other two continued to watch intently, waiting for movement of any sort. But there was none; no more twitches of the wing or claw and even the motion of breaths seem to come to a halt.
"No..." Ninjask heard Shedinja whisper and he whimpered.
"What? What's wrong with him?!" he cried out, feeling the horror within him build at a quick pace, dreading the answer but needing it as well.
"I... I saw his soul... leaving his body... He..." A sharp whimper came from the husk. "He's gone..."
"WHAT?! NO!" Hearing this, Ninjask began thrashing against the bars, the rattles echoing through the room. Tears began to flow more heavily as he sobbed, staring at his twin's body as his own began shaking. "He... He can't... How could they..." Humans weren't supposed to kill Pokémon! All his life he felt comfortable knowing that he was safe from any real life-threatening danger, no matter the circumstances. But now, looking at Brother's corpse, he felt as if that security blanket has been snatched from his very claws and torn into tiny little pieces right in front of his eyes.
Curling into himself as he sobbed, he had no real time to grieve as he heard the human approach his cage again. Hearing the cage door open, he didn't even think before he lunged out recklessly. Unfortunately, in this lapse of rash behavior, he flew right into the loop and cried out as he felt it tighten on his neck. The terror that no doubt had flooded through Brother's body now overtook his and he struggled as much as he could.
"NOOOO! YOU'RE NOT TAKING ME!" He grunted as he braced his claws to the floor. But it was useless as he merely slid forward despite his efforts, his claws hooking into a tile's crack for only a second before being ripped loose. Eyes wide as he stared at the dreadful metal table, he saw the other human wrap his twin in a blanket before setting him aside. Glancing back at his Shedinja, he cringed as the husk let out a piercing screech that split the air of the entire facility.
Gathering every bit of his rage-filled strength, Shedinja held absolutely nothing back as he slams headlong into the cage door. He felt it shift a bit and a spark of hope flared up. Again and again he struck, the cage easing closer and closer to the edge. Seeing this, the Needle Human quickly left from the table's side and took another pole just as the cage tumbled to the ground with a loud crash.
Feeling his heart lift, Ninjask kept up his struggles to buy his shed time to come to the rescue, regardless of how exhausted his stressed body was getting. The husk took an instant to recover from the impact before throwing himself out the cage door and reorientating himself. His empty eyes focusing on the human holding his brother captive, he lunged with brutal intent... Only to feel a noose around his halo.
A jolt of pain overwhelmed his body and he shrieked, his body automatically coming to a halt to prevent having his halo torn off. The human cursed softly before shifting the pole and loop to release the halo and wrap around his neck instead. It didn't help matters though, as Shedinja tried to pull away now that his halo was no longer in critical danger, turning to his Ninjask as he called out.
"I'll take care of them! You try to break free and fly! And whatever you do, no matter what happens, DON'T look back!" the husk instructed, earning a nod from Ninjask. Keeping up the struggles to keep his captor occupied, Shedinja was about to lash out at the other human with a Shadow Claw when his plan hit a snag, the Needle Human pulling him harshly to the ground and pinning him down.
"Shedinja!" he heard his Ninjask cry out as the human gave the cicada a stunning shock so as to hoist him onto the table. But both humans had their hands full and Ninjask's captor turned to the Needle Human.
"Incapacitate the Shedinja, so you can give the solution."
Growling upon hearing this, the husk began to glow purple, ready to steal his captor's soul at the slightest glance upon his back. But it was in vain as dark energy erupted from the loop and washed over his hollow body. He had expected this pole to give off electricity, as was the case with Brother, and that his Wonder Guard would be able to protect him. But it would seem that this pole was more specialized to deal with Pokémon like him, and he felt his body grow numb.
He felt the human release him, but he couldn't even hover an inch off the ground as weakness overwhelmed him. Fighting off unconsciousness, he caught only glimpses of things...
Like the humans giving Ninjask the shots...
And the white haze of spiritual energy rising from the ninja's deceased body.
Even as his vision went out, his thoughts were swimming within his head, fading slowly into incoherence as he finally eased into the darkness awaiting him. How... how dare you... I won't let you get away with this... Never...
Never...
Hehehe... I named Hanson Bobby! But in all seriousness though, I feel bad now... Maybe I should stop torturing all these characters... Nah, hardship makes things a bit more interesting. Anyway, please review and I'll be getting the next chapter all written up!