Author's Note: Riley, Lilly, and Zack are fifteen. Zack doesn't appear until chapter 2
My name is Riley or at least that's what everyone calls me. At first, I felt uncomfortable with it being a girl's name and all but I decided to let it be. My friend, Lilly, and I are known as the best trainers at our home region, Jhoto. We left the Jhoto region and continued our journey in Hoenn, collecting all of the gym badges as well as defeating the Elite Four. After defeating the champion, we received a mysterious letter telling to meet the stranger in Canalave city which is in the Sinnoh region.
"What do you think the stranger wants to meet us?" Lilly asked me as we arrived at Canalave.
"I'm not so sure," I wondered, "Probably just heard about us in Jhoto or something."
"We need to rest for awhile," Lilly said softly. "I don't think that Sparky can take another step."
Sparky was Lilly partner. Lilly received Sparky when he was just a Pichu. Now he's a Pikachu and they both grew stronger as well as creating an unbreakable bond.
"Yeah Squirtle looks like he's getting tired too," I added by looking at my turtle like partner.
We sat near the bridge, searching for something to eat in our bags.
"Are you two Riley Tanner and Lilly Barber?" a voice asked.
We both looked up and found a tall man with short blond hair, dressed in all black, wearing shades, and has a huge scratch mark on the left of his face.
"Yes, we're them," I replied slowly. "Who are you?"
"I'm Damion," the man replied. "I'm the one who sent you two the letter. My initial is on the back."
Lilly pulled out the letter from her back pocket. We both noticed a faint D at the end of the letter.
"So why you wanted to meet us?" Lilly asked. "Did we do anything wrong?"
"On the contrary," Damion smiled. "I'm impressed about how you two fight in battles with such power and grace."
"Is this about a battle?" I asked, "because we traveled all the way from Hoenn and we're exhausted from our journey."
"Oh no, I'm not interested in a battle. You see, I'm actually a scientist and a researcher. I'm having some difficulty with my recent project and I heard you two are one of the strongest and experienced trainers there are in the world. I was hoping that you two can help me with the project."
We both look at each other, thinking if we should help him or not.
"Do you want to?" I whispered.
"If you want to," Lilly whispered back.
"Looks like you found some help," I smiled to Damion.
"Excellent," Damion said deviously. "Let's head to the boat if we want to get to Iron Island."
We felt the warm sea breeze as we set sail towards the island not to far away from the coast of Canalave. I leaned against the railing, finding the island in the horizon. I felt a a slight tug on my leg and looked back, finding Squirtle next to me.
"Are you alright?" I asked him.
Squirtle didn't reply at all, he was too busy staring at Damion.
"Do you feel uncomfortable with Damion?"
He nodded and I kneed down.
"Don't worry," I assured, "I as soon as we finish, we'll go back and try to make poffins that don't taste like crap, okay?"
"Squirtle," he said faintly.
"Squirtle is acting up too?" Lilly asked as she walked towards us with Sparky in her arms.
"Yeah," I said.
"Apparently, Sparky is suspicious of Damion," Lilly said softly. "He's never like this."
"So is Squirtle," I replied back. "I told him that we'll head back as soon as we're done."
We looked at the horizon and we saw an Island with a big building at the side.
"We're here," Damion announced. "Welcome to Iron Island."
Damion carefully docked the boat and told us to get off. Lilly and I were amazed as Damion led us to the front of the building.
"You work here?" Lilly gasped.
"Also live here with others who are working with me in the projects," Damion pointed out.
"If you have other researchers and scientists, why are you asking us for help instead of them?" I asked.
"They're busy reviewing with the data we've collected from other projects," Damion said after a short pause. "Let's hurry inside."
I looked at Damion oddly.
"Squirtle?" Squirtle asked.
"Yeah, I see what you mean," I whispered back.
After Damion showed us around the building and explained their first project was studying a bonds of a trainer and their pokemon. Damion led us to a dark room full of monitors and scientists with a machine in the that raised my brow.
"So what project are you having trouble with?" Lilly asked as we sat on the steel stools nearby, holding our pokemon.
"It's basically the study of the Eevee evolutions and the effects of the project," Damion explained.
"Why do you need us again?" I asked, trying to figure out the truth why we're here. "You have researchers in almost every floor of the building."
I can tell by the way he shifted his eyes that I was onto him.
"Let's get to the chase," Damion said quickly, avoiding my question. "You two are here because past records of yourselves shown that you can out stand anything unpredictable."
Was he checking us? I thought.
"What do you mean unpredictable?" Lilly questioned.
I looked at Sparky's red cheeks which were giving off sparks and Squirtle was glaring at Damion.
"Listen," I lied, "we sort of have someone waiting for us back in Canalave and if we don't come back by sundown they'll call the cops. I told we're with you in Iron Island."
"Oh really?" Damion grew interested. "When did you have time to contact them? There's no reception within miles of this place."
He was onto me.
"I called my sister we'll be in Canalave before we've arrived in Sinnoh," Lilly said softly. "She's in Jubilife and she'll go look for us if we don't go to the Jubilife Pokemon Center by nightfall."
"I see," Damion said sinisterly. "The problem is that the boat just left the dock to get some supplies so you two be will be here for awhile."
"We can swim our way to shore," I said slowly, avoiding contact. "Squirtle is a fast swimmer."
"The waves are strong at this time of day. You two would be swept into the ocean before you can even the coast of Canalave in the horizon."
Lilly and I held our pokemon tightly as we looked at the door.
"Do you have any idea when the boat will arrive back?" I asked.
"I really don't know," Damion said darkly. "It could be hours, it could arrive tomorrow, next week, or it might of crashed on the jagged rocks scattered around the area."
Damion gave a sinister look at us and our hearts started racing.
"You two shouldn't be worried about the boat's arrival. Just relax and enjoy this cool beverage."
He handed each of us a glass of soda. By looking at Squirtle's eyes, I can tell that he put something in it. I threw the drink at Damion, causing him fall of the stool and shout in pain.
"Come on!" I told Lilly.
We both got out of our stools and tried to get out.
"Its locked!" Lilly exclaimed as we tried to opened the door.
The scientists noticed our attempt of escaping and grabbed us.
"Sparky!" Lilly screamed as one of them took Sparky away from her in rubber gloves.
"PIKA PI!" Sparky exclaimed.
"SQUIRTLE!" Squirtle exclaimed as another one took him off of my arms violently.
"I'm not letting you take them!" I yelled as I broke out of the hold and ran after them.
Damion got up and tackled me down.
"Where do you think you're going?" he questioned angrily. "You're helping me with my project remember?"
He took me and Lilly to the machine, kicking and screaming.
"Let me go!" Lilly yelled. "We don't have anything!"
"You have yourselves," Damion announced. "That's enough for us."
They threw us in the machine and locked the door. I got up and looked through the little window.
"Get us out of here!" I screamed.
"You two are part of the project," Damion gave a devilish smile.
He walked towards the computer and pressed a random amount of buttons.
"What's going on?" Lilly said as bright lights from above us turned on.
The bright lights started flashing as it spun around in circles. I quickly ran towards Lilly and hugged her tightly. We both look up and saw a bright flash and everything spiraled into darkness.
I opened my eyes and I found myself buried in my clothes, feeling groggy.
"Riley?" Lilly called out.
I slowly got out of my clothes and found an Espeon not too far away from me.
"Lilly is that you?" I asked.
"Apparently," she replied. "It affected you too."
"What affected me?"
"Look at yourself."
I had black fur all over my body, two ears with yellow rings on them, a tail matching the rings, paws, rings on my legs, and a ring on my forehead.
"I'm a Umbreon?" I grew shocked.
The door opened and I huddled with Lilly. Damion looked at us with a sinister smile as he held leashes and tied each one to our necks.
"Another success!" He announced as he took us out.
All the other scientists and researchers were clapping and gasping in awe. I looked around to find Squirtle and Sparky, but they were nowhere in sight.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?" I growled but on the other end it sounded, "UMBRI! BRI! BRI!"
"Looks like someone's a little agitated," Damion said darkly. "Maybe you two need some rest with the others."
He grabbed the leashes tightly and took us out of the room as Lilly and I showed resistance and tried to escape.
"Let's face it," Lilly said with her voice full of sorrow, "we're stuck like this forever."
"Lilly," I gasped and then looked down. "You're right."
As Damion led us down the dark hall, my old life along with Lilly's died away.