Requiem Upon Birth
A woman with long, beautiful, flowing silver hair and dark silver eyes walked through double doors. She was guarded and escorted by two, young, armed women walking on either side of her. The escorted woman was wearing a hospital gown.
The two women wore matching dark purple uniforms that resembled suits. They carried rifles pointed down in a non-offensive position. Both women had backup twin handguns to their hips and were out of sight along with their knives for close combat. Their ammunition was also hidden. With the latest in designs, technology, and placement, it was as if the women were just carrying their rifles with no other evidence of hidden weaponry. Their sunglasses concealed their eyes and their identity to others. Their purple combat gloves matched their uniform. They both had long blonde hair in ponytails.
The silver-haired woman sighed, "You two didn't have to come you know," her eyes flashed with concern. She did not know why, but she felt uneasy in the lab they were in. She was afraid for the well beings of the two women on either side of her. They were not only her bodyguards, but they were also her best friends. She tried her best to put up a strong front.
"Don't worry about us, Serena!" The woman to her left assured.
"Yup! If anything bad happens then our twin powers and skills will save us all!" The woman to her right said.
The young women beside Serena, Daisy and Donna, were twin bodyguards who both became professionals early in their life. Daisy had a faded line of a scar across her face that stretched from her left temple down to the right side of her mandible. Donna had a similar scar that mirrored Daisy's—right temple to the left mandible. The scars did nothing to take away from the twins' beauty.
Serena was nineteen and pregnant.
Serena signed a contract about nine months prior to the day of walking through the empty hallway with her friends. She was a modest person who worked for Cipher. She was one of the few people who were not evil and corrupt, but had a positive outlook on the organization she worked for despite its infamous reputation. Daisy and Donna worked for Cipher as bodyguards and were also kind-hearted people with similar positivity.
The contract Serena signed was supposedly a contract for power and fame. Though, knowing Serena, she would never abuse it. She might even be promoted one day to lead Cipher and then work to change Cipher's reputation to a well-respected organization. That contract she signed was one she did not think through properly, nor read properly. She focused so much on her righteous goal that she signed almost unconsciously with the sugary words she was told. That contract was made to agree to create something. Or someone.
A Shadow Human.
Unlike the Shadow Pokémon, a Shadow Human should—by theory—grow up like a regular human being should. A human with powers like a Shadow Pokémon, able to create Shadow Pokémon by will, and control Shadow Pokémon by will regardless of Trainer.
Serena thought she would get married then have the child, the Shadow Child. She agreed to have a child by age Twenty-five, a woman too old would probably cause problems for the child's development and a woman too young may not survive the process. In theory, according to Cipher scientists, the Shadow Child was delicate and needed a very good environment to develop in when he or she is in the womb. Serena always kept up with her healthy lifestyles which was a bonus to the development of the Shadow Child. With her good health, the Shadow Child should have no problem developing in her womb. The consequence of violating the contract was death.
She was planning on having a child anyway. She was a beautiful young woman, intelligent, and people enjoyed her company. Marriage, a child, then raising that child, and living her life as she normally would. Signing the contract would have little impact on her life right? Just a few shots here and there. Just some needles. An easy contract for Serena right?
Wrong.
She signs the contract and is directed to a room for her to wait in. The room is dark. "H-hey... wha-what's happening?"
A voice behind the door responded, "The contract was for you to have a baby by age twenty-five. There was nothing to say on what terms or how."
The door opens and then locks. Serena could only make out the ivory hair and purple eyes of a man.
There is scuffling. Sounds of resistance. The door locks from the outside. She bangs on the door with her fists.
"Stop...please!"
After an hour, the door opens and the man leaves. Tears stream down Serena's face. She leaves the room after regaining her composure.
Serena still could not believe she was walking down the hallway again. 'A contract is a contract. Damn me...why am I doing this? Oh yeah, the threat of death...and I can't let this child die...' She rubbed her belly gently.
Two armed men were at the door and asked Daisy and Donna to wait by the doors or leave if they wish. They chose to stay. Serena walked through the double doors. A blonde woman in a lab coat instructed Serena to lie down on the bed next to her. The woman then sat behind a computer and typed in codes to authorize the machine and clicked on a few commands. A machine carefully pierced Serena's womb and injected a purple liquid. Serena flinched at the sting and was instructed to lie down and wait. Serena appeared to grow pale and weak over the time she waited.
"Just relax, dear. Calm down. Do you need a drink?"
A few hours passed and Serena's water broke. The woman in the lab coat quickly called up the medical team waiting nearby and they went to work immediately.
After a long wait, Daisy and Donna heard crying. The baby was born.
The guards let Daisy and Donna through. They cooed in adoration of the baby. The baby had just been washed and confirmed as a boy.
The newborn baby boy had silver-white hair and purple eyes. The baby had stopped crying almost as soon as he started. He was in Serena's arms.
"What would you like to name this baby boy?" A doctor asked.
"Soza..."
"Rest up, honey," the woman in the lab coat said, "You're baby boy will grow up to be a fine young man one day."
Serena laughed weakly, "I-I'm sure..."
Daisy and Donna exchanged looks. Serena was the only person in the room who did not have a grave look on their face. She was not supposed to grow pale and weak after she was injected with the final purple fluid. No one wanted to tell her that her current condition was not in the listed side effects.
But Serena did not notice.
Soza fell asleep. "Daisy, Donna."
"Y-yes?" The twin bodyguards responded.
Serena, despite her pale complexion, had a face full of bright excitement and joy. "We're going to have fun raising the baby together right?" The mother looked at her baby boy and said gently, "Auntie Daisy and Auntie Donna are here, Soza," he awoke and looked at his 'Aunties' and then at his mother, he blinked before falling asleep again.
"Y-yes… lots of fun." Daisy smiled, but was on the verge of tears.
"What's wrong...?"
"It-it's just..." Donna was dangerously close to spilling her tears. She was usually the strongest. Her twin sister held her. "A beautiful moment. Yeah…that's it…"
The electrocardiogram in the room beeped at a falling tempo.
Serena smiled. "I'm really tired..."
...Beep...
"Well? Do we have the extra supply of blood?" A doctor whispered.
"No…" The assistant said.
The doctor grabbed the assistant by the collar of his shirt, "Hurry up and find it!"
"B-but we don't have-"
"I'm going to sleep. See you when I wake up?"
The twins simply nodded.
...Beep...
"Good night..."
Serena closed her eyes and slept with the most content smile on her face.
The beeping came to a long fermata. It was the only sound in the room for a while.
The twins could not hold their tears back any longer.
Hours had passed by and the twins were still by their best friend's side as they tended to the sleeping Soza.
A short old man wearing a purple robe with gold outlines walked into the room, he supported himself with a cane. The double doors were opened by two men. The old man was bald and had glasses. His eyes appeared closed, but he navigated himself just fine.
The old man was accompanied by two men. Both men wore what looked like sleeveless black robes over a long sleeve robe. One man wore red underneath the black and the other wore blue. A sash was tied around their waist with their respective color. They both wore black fingerless gloves and black boots. Their hair matched their respective colors. The man in blue had longer hair than the man in red. They both wore sunglasses.
"Oh my..." The old man muttered.
The twins ceased their mourning and immediately kneeled to the old man. Their eyes were still red from crying, but not a stutter was heard. "Grand Master Greevil, Sir." They chanted.
Any medical staff still in the room also kneeled down with their heads bowed.
Greevil waved this off. "No need for that. Serena was a good friend of yours, correct?"
"Yes, Sir." they simultaneously chanted.
"Please, stand up."
They stood at attention.
"What is this child's name?"
"Soza Reinhart, Sir." Daisy responded.
"At ease, please. Are you two able to raise this child? You two are constantly training and working."
The twins shifted to parade rest. This time Donna answered, "Truth to be told, Sir, no, we cannot raise this baby boy."
"Hmmmm..." The Grand Master took a moment to consider his next action, "Very well. I shall raise him. Please feel free to visit Soza whenever you ladies have time. You are always welcome to visit him."
"Thank you, Sir." the twins chanted once again kneeling.
"Very well," Greevil looked up at the men in red and blue, they looked at each other and after a silent argument, the man in blue gently moved Serena's arms aside and picked the sleeping Soza up from the lifeless arms of his mother. "Carry on. Please take the next few days off." Greevil exited the room followed by the two men. Before leaving, the doors were left open and the three men gave a slight bow in respect.
Soza was still sleeping in the arms of the man in blue.
The twins saluted Greevil and dismissed themselves.
Soza lived a normal life with Greevil. He went to school, had good marks, and played with other children. He was a quiet boy and has never cried since his birth. He was well-behaved, obedient, and never threw a tantrum. He never asked for too much. He watched Saturday morning cartoons and played some video games occasionally.
Greevil raised Soza as if he were his own son. The men in red and blue were known as Eldes and Ardos respectively. Ardos and Eldes were like older brothers to Soza. The two young men were kind and treated Soza well. About once or twice a month, his Aunties came over to visit him. Every summer vacation, Soza would live with his Auntie Donna and Auntie Daisy. Summer was the season when they had the least training and work to do. In the fall, he would move back with Greevil.
Every month, Soza had to have a 'Clinical examination' as Greevil put it. Even during the summer. The appointments only took about forty-five minutes and occasionally longer for other medical regulation humans need.
Soza has had contact with Pokémon once and only one in his regular life being raised by the old man. He pet the Pokémon, but at that moment it suddenly felt like the Pokémon had changed slightly. The Pokémon had not changed physically, but a strange presence—an unseen aura—seemed to resonate. The Pokémon was taken away very abruptly afterword.
Soza: Age 12
"Get ready soon. Auntie Donna and Auntie Daisy will be coming over to pick you up in an hour." Greevil said.
"I am already packed and ready to go, Father."
He was not his biological father, but Greevil was the father figure for most of Soza's life.
"Very good!" Greevil praised as he ruffled Soza's hair.
"I will take a shower before I get picked up." Soza informed.
After his shower and another check of his bags, Soza waited quietly at the foot of the stairs and sat down. He heard whispering from the next room over. He had a strange feeling about the conversation. He hid behind the wall and listened to the conversation. If he had the choice to take back this action then he would not be sure what to do.
In the living room, Donna and Daisy had already arrived and were talking with Ardos and Eldes.
"The very first Shadow Human." Ardos said. Soza knew better than to eavesdrop, but he stayed quiet and listened.
"He is the first." Eldes said.
Soza silently shuffled closer.
"Maybe he'll be an essential part of Cipher one day." Daisy added.
"He is proof that humans can contain the power of the Shadows." Donna said.
"A successful experiment. That kid is something else, isn't he?" Ardos said.
They talked about the events from his birth to the current present. About Serena, about what the 'Clinical examinations' really were, about Shadow Pokémon.
Everything.
'So that is all I am… an experiment… even my Aunties lied to me…'
Soza's purple eyes widened.
"What..." Soza whispered, but loud enough to be heard.
Ardos, Eldes, Donna, and Daisy turned around quickly and to their surprise, Soza stood nearby with a complexion full of a mix of disbelief and slowly contorting rage.
Ardos broke the silence, "Oh...hey, Kiddo...how much did you-"
"Just enough...I heard just enough..." his voice increased in malice.
Eldes and Daisy were speechless, staring at Soza in worry.
Daisy gulped, "Calm down, Soza, honey,...we're sor-"
Soza was seething in anger and by some strange instinct he put his right hand to his chest.
A purple glow blinked and a purple flash exploded. A Hydreigon appeared next to the enraged Soza after the flash. A very aggressive Hydreigon was glaring at the four adults. The dragon seemed to be in touch with the young boy's emotions.
Hydreigon is a three-headed, dragon-like Pokémon. Hydreigon has six black wings on its back. On Hydreigon's neck is a fuchsia-colored flower-like collar which opens to its head. The main head is a dark blue and its eyes are black with fuchsia pupils. Its hands, also black, harbor a head in each one; these heads are also blue with black eyes. There are small collars on the inside of Hydreigon's hands. On its abdomen are two overall-like fuchsia stripes. Its feet appear atrophied, having no claws or defined soles and two or three small toes. Its tail also sports a fuchsia stripe with a black tuft on the end of it.
Soza looked to his left to see the Hydreigon. Without thinking, he ordered it.
"Destroy them!" He ordered in pure rage.
At the order the Hydreigon roared and blasted the four adults away. They barely managed to escape. A Poké Ball from Ardos' belt fell and rolled until it hit an old man's foot and that old man picked it up. The Hydreigon stopped after the first attack.
"Did I tell you to stop? Keep going! KILL THEM!" He shrieked. Soza was blind to his surroundings. All he could see and focus on was killing the four adults. His so-called "family" had thought of him as an experiment?!
A girl about eight years old with pink hair in two long ponytails going down a little past her knees was writing on a piece of paper; eagerly taking notes. Her emerald eyes were in deep concentration, her safety goggles were on top of her head. She wore a baby blue, long sleeve minidress-style lab coat with white stripes going down the sides, matching lab boots, black jeans, and pure white gloves. As an admin, she was allowed to make her own custom uniform to distinguish herself from the regular grunts.
Greevil returned the Pokémon that had teleported him into the lab back into its ball.
"Grand Ma-"
"I'm in a hurry, no need for a greeting." Greevil said cutting the pink haired girl off. "I must borrow XD001. Now."
The young girl's eyes grew wide in shock, "B-but, Sir! XD001 isn't ready yet! It will be ready in a few years, but why? For what-"
"Lovrina! Silence! I do not care that XD001 is not complete! It does not matter to me not that you are a prodigy scientist. If you do not bring me XD001 you will be fired and you will be replaced!" Greevil shouted, slamming his cane for an added effect.
"Y-yes, Sir...I apologize for my outburst. Please forgive me." Lovrina bowed, quickly left her lab, and came back a few minutes later with a purple Poké ball with a 'C' on it. "Excuse the wait, Grand Master Greevil, XD001 is in here."
Greevil took the ball and used the Pokémon from earlier to teleport him back.
Donna, Daisy, Ardos, and Eldes were in a corner. Hydreigon stared them down and opened its mouth readying the final blow. The adults were unconscious.
"Kill them now!"
"Not so fast!"
Just as Hydreigon was about to fire, it was blasted away to the side by something. The house was almost completely in ruin. Dark clouds could be seen below, but they were not storm clouds.
Greevil stood beside a purple and white creature. Its right eye pupil was red and an eye piece-like crest was silver and jagged while the left was a brown eye with a smooth and dark blue eyepiece. There were a mixture of dark blue protruding squares and dark purple protruding spikes. The right foot of the creature had sharper claws than the left. The belly was a swirly mix of dark blue and light purple. Streaks of dark purple looked as if it were smeared starting from the right side of the creature's face all over the creature's usual white body.
"This," Greevil said, "is the incomplete XD001, Shadow Lugia." XD001 roared, "I see that you have heard the secrets we have kept from you since birth," Soza was seething, but he listened on, "Last chance! You have caused too much destruction and you have proven to be unstable. Give up and apologize and all will be forgiven. Or fight and I will be forced to destroy you."
"You're not my father and you killed my mother!"
"She signed a legal contract. She should have known the possible consequences."
"SHUT UP!" Soza screeched. He ordered his Hydreigon to attack.
"Very well. You choose destruction." Greevil concluded. He turned to XD001 and gave a simple order, "Get rid of the Hydreigon and then destroy the boy if I have not by then." XD001 roared and spread its wings to fly straight away to carry out its orders.
XD001 fired a purple beam at Hydreigon; Shadow Blast. The dragon dodged the move and took to the skies to initiate aerial combat.
"Now," Greevil said, turning his head towards Soza, "I may be an old man, but I can still fight." Greevil removed his purple robe and threw it to the ground, he still had a hold of his cane, and he wore a plain white shirt. The old man had some muscles, not too big and not much, but enough to look threatening for an old man. The Grand Master seemed to now open his eyes. They were a wise and sinister looking gold. "Now, come at me boy." He ran forward with surprising speed at such an age and when he was close enough, he hit Soza with his cane across the face. "Afraid to hit an old man?"
Soza rubbed his cheek and threw a punch, but Greevil simply used his cane to redirect the punch to the side. Greevil jabbed Soza with his cane and jumped in the air to strike with his cane again. Soza rolled forward and when Greevil landed, Soza leapt towards him and kicked the old man aside.
The old man recovered almost right before he hit the floor. He ran at Soza with his amazing speed once again and unleashed a flurry of punches, jump kicks, and swings with his cane. Soza deflected every attempt with counter attacks of his own as if he were a fighting expert for years—as if something had been unlocked.
Up above, XD001 and Hydreigon were fighting. They constantly fired attacks from a distance; hitting or missing. XD001 flapped its powerful wings and a storm of Shadow energy formed; Shadow Storm. While XD001 was preoccupied flapping its wings to make a powerful storm to partially camouflage itself, Hydreigon concentrated purple energy from all of its mouths, flew up above XD001 and fired. Before XD001 could react, it was hit clean and crashed down to the hidden island below the clouds. Hydreigon quickly pursued XD001, not wanting to miss a moment to kill the opposing Pokémon. XD001 parted a hole in the dark clouds that was quickly filled back up after Hydreigon pursued downwards.
Soza released a sliver of purple energy at Greevil from his fist as he went for a punch and was just surprised as the old man when he realized what happened. Greevil fell over from the pain but still got up.
"You are able to manipulate Shadow Energy. You are a successful experiment after all. Congratulations, First." Greevil said with a cough.
Soza said nothing as he experimented with his powers, fueled with rage. He roared in his rage and a wave of Shadow Energy crashed into the Grand Master. Soza's nickname, First, fills him with rage as it made him feel even less human.
XD001 gave a weak roar as it struggled to get up. It had crashed with incredible force; enough so that getting up took a great effort. XD001 got up anyway and took to the skies groaning. The incomplete Shadow Pokémon was rammed by a powerful force and was hit by a pulse of energy straight after. Hydreigon roared at XD001 thirsty for a fight. XD001 fired a weak blast of energy that Hydreigon simply rammed through. The multi-headed dragon bit XD001 and tossed it up towards the flying home base with a simple toss.
XD001 weakly, but surely, recovered from the assault with a flap of its wings and had difficulty keeping itself in the air. Despite its strange urge to fight to the death, it landed itself on the flying base panting heavily to rest even for just a bit. Hydreigon quickly flew up to XD001's left side and roared visible sound waves, blasting the incomplete Shadow Pokémon back down to the island. Hydreigon looked down at the island before dark clouds obscured its vision. It fired a purple beam of energy downwards where XD001 fell, snorted, and turned, concluding the opponent to be too weak to continue fighting.
Greevil flipped forward and struck Soza across the face with his fist and cane. Soza grabbed the cane and pulled it towards him to punch the tiny Grand Master as it sent him flying across the room. Greevil hit a wall and landed roughly and was not moving. The old man was still breathing. Hydreigon appeared by Soza's side and Soza ordered his Hydreigon to cause as much destruction as possible around the area. Hydreigon roared and Shadow Energy formed around in a circle and with another roar, the energy scattered around the area in frenzy, the air base, Soza's former home, was the eye of the storm. Soza assisted to the destruction by experimenting with his new-found powers.
Several explosions occurred during the Shadow Storm from a single machine caught and destroyed in the attack; The Dark Cloud Machine. The dark clouds hiding the air base disappeared upon destruction of the machine. Hydreigon flew back beside his master, awaiting further orders. Soza was exhausted. If the data he read about Shadow Pokémon applied to him too then if he became too emotional in a fight then he would have no check over his own powers.
"Come, Shadow Hydreigon, help me look for Greevil, Ardos, Eldes, and my Aunties. When found, kill them and make sure they are dead, understood?" Soza ordered casually. His eyes held no care for his former 'family.' His loyal dragon nodded and proceeded with the search. A few hours passed and Soza called for his Hydreigon to come to him. Soza had found some files and documents from a master data base file cabinet and a black backpack. He put the files and documents neatly in the bag along with the food and water that he could salvage; he zipped the bag up and put the backpack on his back. "They have escaped somehow," Soza climbed on Hydreigon's back, "I do not care where we go, just fly." Hydreigon grunted in response and took to the skies.
"Frank Taya and Roselina Taya, the heads of my 'Experiment' and the very reason why I am like this. This thing that I am." Soza sat on his bed at the Pyrite Super Grand Hotel. Despite being called a Super Grand Hotel it was just a run-down area and only slightly better than the rest of the town itself. "They live in the Under in House 13. Unlucky. Is this a coincidence? Or is this fate?"
Two weeks had passed since Soza's attack. The boy checked out of the hotel and walked out to the empty night of Pyrite. He touched his heart and his loyal Hydreigon appeared before him in a purple flash. Hydreigon took Soza down to the Under by flying him down the large opening of earth under the bridge leading to the town colosseum.
The Under is an even more so of a run-down pit with concrete and buildings. The Under was cold, dark, and uninviting and was dully lit by some signs. Soza ignores the cold and dark and proceeded to look for House 13. After a few hours of searching he found it. Soza touched the door and the house took an eerie and faint purple glow. The faint purple glow looked like reinforced walls. He knocked.
A man grumbled and shuffled as he went to open the door. He opened the door to see the twelve year old Soza standing in the dark, "You know what time it is? Look, kid, if you need somewhere to stay for a bit you could stay for a while I guess-" he was tackled by a dragon and the twelve year old boy closed the door behind him when he entered. In the dark, it was very hard to see anything; the man's face was not visible to the normal human eyes at this time of the night in the Under. Neither was Soza's. Hydreigon held the man down.
"Does the Taya family live here?" Soza asked.
The man's voice was gruff under his struggle, "Yes, why-"
"You can struggle and scream for as long and as loud as you want. No one will hear you or help you." Soza took out a knife and stabbed the man in the left eye.
The man roared in agony. A woman was shuffling downstairs and a girl could be heard crying. Hydreigon got off of the man and charged at the woman. She was tackled to the ground and Hydreigon played with her flesh. Playfully tugging her skin around as she screamed in absolute agony like her husband. Soza slowly removed the knife from the man's eye and made a light trail going down towards the man's lungs. He barely skimmed his throat and plunged his weapon in again into the man's lungs. Blood stained Soza's hand, but he did not care. Killing this family slowly is all that mattered right now. The man sounded like he was begging and crying for mercy, but it fell on deaf ears and blind eyes. Soza wriggled the knife around inside the man's lungs delicately.
A girl who was crying watched in absolute horror. Her tears flowed down her cheeks as she hugged an egg close to her chest. When Soza finished torturing the man, he threw him to the wall. The man was alive, but barely. The woman was still screaming from her torture. Soza wanted her to be quiet. The boy ordered Hydreigon to stop playing and to throw the woman over to where the man was sputtering blood.
"Shadow Blast." The three-headed dragon obediently spat Shadow Energy at the two bodies. Red decorated the wall in the dark. With a direct hit the screams stopped. Soza spotted the little girl up the stairs. The house was no longer glowing. Soza looked tired. He became too emotional for one night or any other day for that matter.
Soza walked up the stairs to the little girl. Hydreigon flew at her to attack, but Soza held his hand out to stop him and the dragon stopped where he was and waited. The little girl was frozen with fear and she clutched the egg she held a little tighter. The twelve year old boy stared down at the little girl. She looked about five years old. He knelt to her level and extended his arm, the little girl reacted and slapped his hand away. Soza did not seem to react to this and tried again. The girl flinched and opened her eyes in surprise to feel no pain, but her hair being ruffled. "I am sorry you had to witness that. I will not kill you because you have nothing to do with my existence. You are only an innocent bystander and an innocent little girl. What is your name? I am Soza. Soza Reinhart."
"Z-Zoe Taya..." She could see well in the dark. Why?
"Zoe…" Soza paused, "When you grow up, I suppose you will want revenge for the murder of your parents. You may not understand now, but you will." Soza looked at the egg Zoe was holding, "Train hard and when we meet again you will be stronger. That will be the day we battle. Will I hold back? Maybe. Remember that. Farewell, Zoe."
Soza exited the house and took off with his Hydreigon.
The egg in Zoe's arms started to glow. She could see the Pokémon with the fading light.
It was small bird Pokémon with dark blue feathers with patches of red on her chest and forehead, the patch on her forehead having a triangular upper tip. Her wings have wingtips that are elongated, thus making the wings seem configured for speed and maneuverability. The undersides of her wings also have white coloration. She possesses two sharp tail feathers. Her yellow beak is somewhat short, but wide, and her black feet have yellow nails.
She has seen this Pokémon several times before, mostly in her books. "A Taillow?" The bird Pokémon chirped her name in response. "Does Robin sound like a good name to you?" The baby Taillow nuzzled Zoe in response. She took that as a yes.
She hugged Robin lightly, so as not to crush her, and cried. Robin sensed her sorrow and nuzzled her to try to comfort her.
Zoe cried herself to sleep that night.
A/N: Please check out and like my Facebook page: ShinyShadowUmbreonX