(A/N: 'Sup everyone. The Iron Raven here landing in the Pokefiction world once more. I've finally done rewriting the prologue and if you've read The Great Uprising, you'd notice that I've molded both prologues into one chapter this time. I've done a ton of grammar and spelling fixes and altered the plot the way I see fit. I hope you find all the improvements acceptable. One way to find out. Read on...)
Rating: Rated T for now for general violence, suggestive themes and language. May be switched to M later on if necessary.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon and all other registered trademarks that are to be mentioned throughout the fic. All rights belong to their respective owners.
"Text" = Telepathy
'Text' = Poke-speech
Text = Sound effect or thoughts
Prologue
In the aftermath of the Great War with its horrific toll that nearly decimated civilization, majority of the nations of the world have come to a mutual understanding. Most forms of government underwent dissolution, territories were divided into smaller city-states or regions, and most military branches worldwide undertook disarmament on a massive scale. The new system functioned unexpectedly well with the newly founded regions and their economies. Soon, the world was headed once again to stability. However, the lack of military presence paved the way for large criminal organizations with the likes of Team Rocket which terrorized these regions to no end. That was where it was agreed that some form of paramilitary groups must be maintained strictly only for a region's defense.
Meridian Foundation, a global economic superpower that had rose to uncharted heights from the profits it made mainly from the Great War was the first to take the initiative with its vast array of available resources on the ready. And thus, the Sentinel Defense Network was born. It is an ever growing military presence that safeguards its host regions from threats on land, sea, and air. For twenty years, these brave men and women stood stalwart in their duty of protecting the peace.
After twenty years, it all finally changed...
***xvx***
Somewhere on the skies above Rock Tunnel...
Blake threw his head back, gladly welcoming the mad rush of wind on his face. Letting it ripple through his navy blue clothes and dark hair. A small grin slowly crept up his lips as he savored the ever familiar rush on his nerves. "C'mon Sal, take it a little higher."
"Sal!" The mighty Salamence grunted in approval, soaring upwards and gaining a little more altitude. They burst through the thin clouds, everywhere around them except below was an infinite stretch of sky blue. He can't help but laugh to himself. It's still early and they have enough time to do some more flying before arriving home exactly by lunch, a few lazy hours of him and Sal unwinding through the whole afternoon, and of course tonight is a very special night indeed. Nothing can ruin such a perfect day.
A short beep signalling an incoming transmission from the Oculus device on his wrist reminded him of an exception. The call hadn't come unexpected though. With his current rank serving in the Sentinel Pokemon Corps and being recently accepted into the Vanguard Spec Ops unit, duty is now always ready to call right around the corner. Keeping his Salamence on a steady glide, he pushed a button on the watch-like gadget (it does tell time too so it's also literally a watch) and the communicator in his ear buzzed to life. There was a sliver of static before the line became clear and the operator spoke up. "Rook to Third Leader, come in. Repeat, Rook to Third Leader, come in. Do you read?"
There goes the day off they promised. Just like that. Blake sighed before responding. He'd just left Viridian city's Whiteclaw Airbase not half an hour ago and is currently headed for home after being stationed there for five grueling months of countless anti-Rocket operations. Now they're recalling him already so soon. "This is Third Leader, I hear you loud and clear..."
"Copy that, switching line to 0-1 Alpha."
Blake's brow perked up as he listened to the familiar electronic tone and waited. Usually, they reserved this line for total emergency situations.
There was another short moment of static before a husky voice spoke on the other end sounding rather relieved. "Ah Vermilion, we have a situation. This is an S-class priority one operation and we need every Vanguard operatives available."
"Go right on with the details, sir." He replied in a serious tone. For the colonel to call him personally, something really bad must be going down.
"Very well." The man cleared his throat. "At 0932 hours, exactly forty-two minutes earlier, we have received reports of high hostile activity at the Cerulean Cave. Scout teams report various aircraft including a large transport with several flying Pokemon escorts. I don't need to give you a hint, you know who they are."
Blake frowned in disbelief wondering if he heard it right. "Rockets sir? I thought Operation Moonlight crippled majority of their assets in this region?"
The colonel sounded weary as he went on with the details. "It has thanks to your Wing's efforts, but apparently they have managed to acquire resources from a yet undetermined source. The matter at hand is that they've laid siege on Cerulean Cave and had overrun our outpost stationed there. There can only be one Pokemon they're after and they have succeeded in doing so once again. Mewtwo is currently held on a lone An-225 heading on a course to Lavender Town . The rest of their strike team are currently assaulting Saffron City with no other intent but to divert attention. We are mobilizing the response teams as I speak to help out the local defense force and fend off the assault. First Wing is already en route to the target's location and you're strongly advised to rendezvous with them. Time is essential and your primary and only objective is to assist in the attempt to track down and if possible retrieve Mewtwo."
"But sir, Saffron's-"
"I understand son, but there's more at risk here. Review your priorities..." Blake's superior cut him off. "I don't expect you to carry the entire load of the mission as you are called upon with a support role. Your Salamence would be a definitive boost in First Wing's firepower while they attempt retrieval. Understood?"
Blake felt his chest tighten upon hearing Saffron being under attack and he can't rush to its defense. If only he hadn't gotten carried away with all the flying and hadn't resulted to taking this longer path home, he could've at least secured his family. It took him a few seconds to answer. His voice was strained and barely audible from both the lack of volume and the roar of the wind. "Understood, sir. I'll do what I can."
"Good luck. Colonel Sanderson, out." There was a short beep signalling the transmission to be over but he didn't notice. His chest felt heavy and a strong urge made him want to drop it all and head straight for Saffron.
"Sal?" His Salamence was looking up at him as if saying Where to?
He took a deep breath, mumbled I'm sorry, and tapped his old friend on his scaly neck. "Let's get Mewtwo back, shall we?"
"Salamence!" Sal folded his broad crimson wings for a steep turn then soared towards Lavander town.
***xvx***
Somewhere 4 miles east off Lavender Town's shoreline...
Their plane was fast.
Blake had to give them that. It had been half an hour before he finally glimpsed its shadowy figure about half a mile above approaching his direction. A huge Soviet-era transport plane capable of transporting a few full-sized main battle tanks. Mewtwo definitely didn't take up that much cargo space and he was left to wonder with slight dread on what other things are being carried from all those extra space.
"So it's true that some hotshot Vanguard's gonna come crash in on my party." Her voice suddenly spoke over his communicator shattering his train of thoughts in a rather good way. "Great news! Saffron's fine. There'd only been minimal civilian casualties. They came just in time."
"Glad to hear it." His mood seemed to lighten a bit when he heard her voice and the news literally took half the weight off his chest. "Always up for competition, eh Claire?"
He heard her giggle through the other line making him grin. "Not letting you steal the show now so try and keep up! First Wing, on me!"
As if on cue, five Flygons zoomed above him in a V-formation with their trainers aboard moving to strike the cargo plane. He laughed to himself barely catching a glimpse of her long blonde hair flailing wildly. "C'mon Sal, let's show these guys how it's done..."
Sal let out a roar and followed suit.
***xvx***
"Break formation!" Claire barked and the Flygons scattered. A jet of flame shot out on where the team were a second ago. "Aerodactyls, where'd they get so many? Prepare to intercept!"
It turns out that about ten Aerodactyls were clinging to the plane's large fuselage the whole time, ready to engage any potential threats. Claire and her team were having a hard time as the Aerodactyls prevented them from going anywhere near the plane. The sky was filled with flying Pokemon locked in dogfights spraying columns of Flamethrower and Dragonbreath attacks at each other and clashing with claws and bites.
"My Flygon's hit! I-I can't shake them off! They're unto me!" One of Claire's teammates cried out, trying to outmaneuver two Aerodactyls with her injured Flygon. One of them finally caught up and was about reach in for a Bite attack when it was blasted by a Dragonbreath from above.
"Sal, Dragon Claw!" Blake called out while on a steep dive straight towards the pursuing Pokemon.
"Sal!" Sal's claw began to glow as they closed in and struck directly on the Aerodactyl's broad gray-toned back sending it spiraling out of control towards the sea hundreds of feet below.
They both didn't have time to admire their handiwork as another came at them with a bellowing roar that made them flinch. Blake pulled to a sharp left as it zipped pass through him in an attempt to hit them with an Iron Head. They spun half-way, a perfect striking position on the Pokemon below. "Dragonbreath!"
Sal's Dragonbreath was a ray of pure raw power as it closed in on the target, filling the air with the scent of ozone. The Aerodactyl cried out as the attack grazed its wing, searing the thin membrane almost completely. It then stiffened, obviously paralyzed from the attack's side-effect, and inevitably dropped down onto the blue void below. They have cleared the defenders above the plane but the other Aerodactyls also noticed this and moved up to intercept them. He and Sal made another dive, aiming to land on top of the plane just right. Sal dug his claws on the aluminum surface serving as an anchor while he shot out more powerful and concentrated bursts of Dragonbreaths.
"Blake, keep them off me. I'm going in!" She called out to him as her Flygon swept off an attacking Aerodactyl barely a few feet behind the Salamence and his rider with a well-placed Dragon Tail lashing out at the target's midsection.
"Not without me you're not. Alright Sal, take us in." Not waiting for her to protest against it, he urged Sal to use Dragonclaw to effortlessly break through the plane's thin plating. Claire's Flygon did the same until they both opened a large enough hole for Blake and Claire to slip through.
The plane shook from the sheer turbulence. The hole where they slipped through created a tiny but strong vacuum that sucked in any small object nearby. Blake and Claire were barely able to stay on their feet. The pilots would be alerted by the breach by now and they'll send guards in their position soon.
They stealthily crept along the tight claustrophobic corridors minding their footing among the metal grilled floor. They quickly ducked behind a crate as the sounds of about a dozen footfalls from a couple of men and what sounded like a few Scythers rushed urgently nearby. Their footsteps clunking noisily against the plane's flooring. Claire pulled out her weapon, a standard M9. She glanced at Blake quizzically, expecting him to draw his weapon as well. He simply shrugged, rather stupidly to his regret. He was off-duty and he didn't bring his weapon, save for Sal who was wreaking havoc outside. The urgency of the situation also didn't grant him the opportunity to properly rearm back at the airbase as standard procedure required and even at least recognize his lack of weapons before entering the plane. Claire let out an exasperated sigh and pulled out a knife and offered the handle to him.
"That's it?" Blake flipped the standard issue combat knife on his hand.
"Hey, I'm the better shot and it's not my fault you didn't bring a gun..." Claire retorted but in a whisper. Blake raised his hands in a mock surrender earning him an eye-roll from her.
They managed to reach the cargo hold undetected but getting in there now is a bigger problem. About a dozen men in Rocket uniforms stood on guard armed with submachine guns. Along with them are a couple of Scythers.
"You ready?" Blake said in a hushed tone. Claire nodded, both with a Pokeball on their hands as they hid by the doorway.
"Go, Luke..." Blake called out, still hushed. A Lucario knelt beside him and waited.
"Ivysaur, come out..." Claire called out her Ivysaur. "Alright Ivysaur, sleep powder..."
" 'Saur!" The Ivysaur shoots out a volume of green powder across the room. The men and Pokemon started feeling drowsy but the room was too large and the powder dispersed easily and too thinly which was expected.
"What the? T-they're here! Secure the cargo!"One of the Rocket grunts that hadn't lost consciousness called out, trying to shake the drowsiness off and resist his heavy eyelids. Meanwhile, most of the Scythers had already been knocked out cold, their keener sense of smell being their downfall.
"Now!" Blake and his Lucario burst out of the door. Blake tackled the nearest trio of Rockets while Luke used Extreme Speed and a flurry of Quick Attacks to take out the rest of the disoriented crew inside. The room's occupants were all subdued within seconds.
"Not too shabby." Claire and her Ivysaur joined them once they cleared the room.
"We've had cleaner take-downs." Blake patted Luke's shoulder who simply nodded before proceeding to piling a couple of Rockets in a heap by a corner.
The "cargo" lay right in the middle, a large rectangular metal container with a dozen or so machines connected to it. There was a small round glass window revealing the static face of Mewtwo. He looked so serene but both can see he's in pain from all the visible wounds in his face. He obviously tried to put up a fight but was eventually overwhelmed. Blake and Claire stared at the fabled Mewtwo for a few more seconds. Until recent years, the legendary Pokemon was but a myth to the general public and somehow still is and the Foundation had strictly instructed the Sentinel to keep it that way.
"Luke, can you try to get it open?" Blake ordered the Pokemon who nodded but Claire stopped them.
"This is a Cryo-Stasis capsule. Opening it by force might endanger its life even more. We need to move the container out. This just got a bit more complicated." She explained as she ran her hand on the edge of the glass window before speaking again softly. "Poor thing, they just can't leave you alone can they?"
"Alright then, Luke, try to help me unhook this thing." With much effort, Blake and the Lucario managed to pry off one of the steel rigs holding unto the container. They were about to do the other one when the remaining three unlatched by themselves with a resounding hiss.
"Always had to do it the hard way. That's my Blake..." Claire muttered typing furiously on a nearby machine's terminal as she worked through the container's secondary steel reigns through the computer. "And...done!"
There was another resounding hiss and the container popped loose, shaking loosely with the turbulence.
"Call in the team, I'm opening the hatch and letting it slide out." Blake said as he moved by the hatch's lever.
"Ivyyyyy~!" Claire's wounded Ivysaur smashed against the screen of the terminal she's using in a shower of sparks, a wide slash mark clearly on its side bleeding heavily. She looked up at the doorway in rage and saw a Scyther and three Rockets armed with MP5s.
"Luke, Flash Cannon!" Blake cried out as Claire grabbed Ivysaur and hid behind the broken terminal. There was a blinding flash followed by the angered screams of the Rockets. The men open fired sending bullets ricocheting around the room.
"Ivysaur, return!" Claire had managed to return her Pokemon before being tackled by Blake to the ground and rolled them both behind the cover of Mewtwo's capsule. The terminal she had been using was ripped apart in a shower of sparks in the next two seconds. Luke made his move and bounded off at the direction of the men with graceful precision, using his momentum to nimbly scale through the wall and propel himself upon the panicked grunts.
"Aaahh! Get back you!" The half-blinded men sprayed their guns wildly at Luke's general direction but the Lucario's superior speed had gotten the better of them, sending the Rocket grunts hurtling across the cargo hold one by one along with the Scyther. One had managed to step back and was about to shoot but Claire shot him in the shoulder and arm, throwing off his aim as he yelped and clutched his wounds. Luke finished the job with a well placed kick on the chest that sent the grunt through the door and out of sight.
Blake peered from his cover and saw Luke standing triumphantly but with a paw clutching his side. His best friend Russ, Luke's original trainer, had been going on about the Lucario's combat abilities for like forever and he always had his doubts. That had changed today.
"Scyther!" SHLINk!
Before he could react, Blake found himself lurching forward, a warm tingle starting to spread from his shoulder all the way down his back. He heard someone call out his name but the voice was drowned by the mad pounding of blood on his ears. A furry hand appeared out of nowhere and caught him on the chest, preventing him from hitting the metal grill flooring.
Two shots rang out and something slumped before his and Luke's feet, a dead Scyther. Two holes were punched neatly right above its jawline where fresh blood started to trickle as it convulsed.
Blake winced as the searing pain starts to creep up more prominently all over his back. He also noticed that Luke was breathing heavily before he saw the Lucario's bleeding side, barely visible from his matted dark raven fur. They both dropped to their knees, leaning on each other for support. Claire rushed over to them sidearm in hand.
"Oh, Blake...I'm sorry. I wasn't fast enough!" She gaped at the sizable cut running almost entirely all the way down his back and bleeding profusely. Her frantic fingers fumbled for the medikit on her belt.
"Don't be. It's my fault I spaced out." Blake hissed and grunted from the pain as he fished out Luke's pokeball, cursing himself inside for his amateurish mistake and also the ever-growing burning sensation that danced along his back.
"Kill 'em all!" Another voice called out a little further away before the two could proceed further. A Rocket who hadn't been fully incapacitated had pulled out a pokeball. A brief flash and the room suddenly lurched, throwing them all off-balance, as something massive and heavy came down with a loud thud. The looming form of a Metagross larger than any they've both seen materialized in the middle of the cargo hold. Its eyes glaring at the three with apparent bloodlust.
The Rocket who released Metagross laughed manically before losing consciousness. The Pokemon lunged forward with Metal Claw. Luke, still able to move despite his injuries, managed to push Claire and Blake out of the way. Metagross barreled past them and smashed into the rear cargo hatch almost tearing it completely apart. in a blur, Luke sprang up above the metallic behemoth, his claw clutched and glowing.
"META!" The Metagross turned to face them once more but was hit by a bluish orb of an Aura Sphere right on its face sending it stumbling back.
"It'll wreck the whole plane before we can get Mewtwo out!" Blake said in a shaky breath. The pain on his back is beginning to cloud his senses from everything else and clearly slowing him down.
Luke danced around the Metagross, keeping it busy with its blinding speed and Quick Attacks while Claire dragged Blake next to Mewtwo's capsule. "Stay here, I got a plan. Make sure you hold on to something."
There was a pained howl and Luke smashed against the capsule as he caught a claw square on the chest. Blood loss from he gunshot wound had finally caught up with him, slowing him down just enough for the attack to connect. He couldn't take anymore punishment and had fainted so Blake finally managed to returned him.
Metagross, now finished with the distraction, proceeded to hunt the two humans. It saw the female, clinging against the wrecked walls of the fuselage for support. With Metal Claw ready and none but unrestrained rage in mind, it charged at her.
Claire saw everything as planned, at the exact moment, she dove aside, not caring where she landed. But Metagross, already learned from past events, slowed just in time and faced her.
Claire's eyes grew wild, she whipped out her M9 and fired at its face but the rounds ricocheted harmlessly off the Pokemon's pure metal-based skin. Metagross made a low grumbling sound in what might sound like sinister laughing but then stopped when Claire smiled. "Didn't see this coming, huh?"
She pressed the detonator on her Oculus and a large portion of the fuselage to her right was blown off by the small amount of explosives she had set up on the walls beside Metagross creating a large enough vacuum that sent the Pokemon out of the plane in the next second.
"Claire!" She turned to Blake who as doing his best to hold down Mewtwo's capsule and keeping it from getting sucked off as well. More blood was starting to seep through his shirt making her heart wrench at the sight.
"Danny, Amber, we have the package and we're tossing it out. I hope you're ready to catch it!" She radioed her teammates. Hang on. Please hang on.
"Say again? Oh. Gotcha!" Amber replied. "We're in position!"
"Blake, let go!" Claire cried out and Blake let Mewtwo's capsule get sucked away into the breach.
The plane shuddered and groaned having taken too much damage, and started to lose altitude. The rear cargo hatch gave away and the two held on tight by a railing as various objects around them was ripped violently and carried off. Amber along with Claire's Flygon hovered behind the plane dodging the various dismembered debris.
"Jump for it!" Amber called out. The two were about to let go when an explosion rocked the plane and tilted it violently leaving a trail of debris behind. "It's a Metagross!"
Another Hyperbeam punched through the cargo hold melting metal and earning a groan from the massive wounded aircraft. The two still managed to hang on for dear life. Blake's face was flushed from the strain of holding unto the rail and the ever-growing wave of pain across his back drained his energy. They held on to each other, waiting for the right time to let go.
"I hope this doesn't happen every time I ask you out..." Blake smiled weakly as he tried to keep his focus. Sweat marred his features and matted his dark hair.
Claire pressed her lips on his for a second and pulled away. She snaked one arm around his waist in case he loses his grip and also just to bring him closer. "Let's hope not. See you later at nine if we live."
They both braced themselves as the entire tail end of the plane broke away. The Flygon team scattered to evade it.
"Now!" They said in unison and let go. Sal and Claire's Flygon were already waiting for them and caught the two cleanly.
The whole team watched as the fiery remains of the plane headed straight down to the ocean leaving a trail of dark gray smoke in its wake. The Metagross broke away from it and levitated towards them, still shooting off occasional Hyperbeams which were rather easy to dodge from the distance and the enraged Pokemon's faulty aim.
"I've had enough of that bastard. Sal, let's go for it."
"Sal!" Sal tucked his wings for a dive, both its claws started glowing ominously. The duo spiraled all the way down amid the flurry of half-charged Hyperbeams with one purpose in mind. "Dragonclaw!"
The impact of the claw on Metagross' face, right in the middle of the large X, made its entire body shudder upon impact. It stopped it in its tracks dead on but Sal wasn't finished yet as he viciously drove the other claw at the same spot.
The Metagross fell limply towards the ocean. Sal was still letting out a deep growl. Obviously not yet satisfied.
"Alright, for Luke." Blake tapped Sal's neck. "Finish it with HYPERBEAM!"
Sal let out a loud roar and shot a beam of pure energy straight down at the helpless Metagross cutting off its descent time by more than half.
The duo watched for a few moments, panting heavily before rejoining Claire's team. The remaining Aerodactyles have fled and Claire's team had secured Mewtwo's capsule.
Blake and Claire's communicator buzzed from an incoming transmission from the colonel. "Mighty fine job there First Wing and Third Leader. I want the package dropped off at Mindspike. The medical team will take it from there. And Claire, clear off your entire schedule for today and rest up, you've earned it. You all have."
"Thanks da- I mean, thank you, sir!" Claire replied trying to retain the subordinate attitude.
"I hope you're still not going out with that bloke. I just don't think he's the type of man." The colonel said sternly.
"Gee, I feel so wanted. Thanks..." Blake rolled his eyes with Sal letting out a grunt of approval. His adrenaline's starting to fade and blood loss is taking its toll.
Claire suddenly perked up, her face all red as she saw her Wing members sharing awkward looks. "Daddy! He can hear you, you know!"
"Can't your old man have any fun around here?" The man chuckled. "Son, take care of my little girl. Do anything out of line and you'll be lucky to even get Court Marshall'ed. Just a reminder."
"Count on it, sir." Blake said in a monotone. Trying to hide his annoyance every time Claire's dad enjoyed referring to him as "bloke" which the colonel found more suiting than his actual name. He also didn't have the energy to come up with a clever retort or anything.
"Good. Mindspike is waiting. Sanderson, out..." There was a short beep, ending the transmission.
"Alright, First Wing listen up! We're heading for Mindspike. I just sent the coordinates on your Oculi. Amber, you take point while I stay behind and administer first-aid to Captain Vermilion here." Claire nodded to her team and they took off. Blake winced and shook his head as he watched the Flygons move on ahead.
Mindspike was a codename for one of Meridian Foundation's countless global research facilities that constitutes their gargantuan system. Almost every known field has a few facilities dedicated for each with military technology, space exploration, and biological research being at the foremost.
This particular facility located deep within Viridian Forest is dedicated to research, development and rehabilitation of psychic-type and psychic-affiliated Pokemon or so they were informed. It also publicly functions mainly as a mental asylum for Pokemon of all shapes and sizes. Even with Blake and Claire's current rank as Captain and Wing Leader along with being in the Sentinel's fabled Vanguard special operations unit, Mindspike's classified nature and strict protocols only granted them Level 4 access at maximum. Blake had heard of rumors that it goes way down by four more levels deep below the surface. Whether true or not, he can only guess what was being done beneath.
Blake couldn't wait to drop off Mewtwo there and head to Saffron. He doesn't usually 'believe in what his gut tells him' but he can't deny the swirling maelstrom of dread it's giving out at the moment. To couple that is the strange but sure feeling that the answer's awaiting him back in Saffron city. Something was definitely off...
***xvx***
Sentinel Central Psychic Research Facility
Codename: Mindspike
Level 5: Surface Docks
Location: Viridian Forest surface
"That's it...a little more...alright you're good!" GLUNK!
The foreman steps back as four Flygons from the First Wing carefully dropped off their cargo by a manned forklift.
The dock crew shuffled around in a busy but organized blur of activity as they brought forth Mewtwo's capsule towards the cargo lift. A few medical personnel with a vast array of medical equipment in tow had joined them before the lift started its descent. With all the manpower and equipment concerned, it would obviously be a very complicated procedure.
Blake leaned against the concrete wall wincing for what felt like the hundredth time. He felt extremely fatigued but also irritated from the throbbing pain in his back. Claire had applied first-aid which at least stopped the bleeding but didn't dull the pain one bit. The rest of the First Wing had gone their separate ways, some going to the auxiliary barracks reserved for visiting Sentinel personnel to rest or to the infirmary to treat their own and their Pokemon's wounds. Blake's Third Wing had been tasked to help defend Saffron and he's dying to get the news from them concerning his family.
Claire joined him shortly, wrapping her arms around his waist and placing her chin on top of his shoulder careful not to press herself too tightly against his freshly injured back. They're officially off-duty now making it completely legal but it still earned mixed glances from the few crew and officers that took notice. "We should have that checked out. C'mon."
Blake stretched his neck, tilting it tightly on both sides making small popping sounds as he did. The simple act gave him a brief soothing feeling as his tensed neck relaxed. "I need to get back to Saffron and check on them. I'll have this taken cared of there."
"Cut that out, creep!" Claire frowned and punched his side lightly before tugging on his arm to bring him to the infirmary. She never got accustomed to that neck habit of his. Always making her feel like he'll accidentally break a vein or two or get his neck stuck whenever he does it. "At least have your wounds patched by a doctor. I think I did a sloppy job back there."
"It isn't for someone doing it in mid-air." He smiled and pecked her forehead instantly melting her pout. "I'll be fine. Be back before you know it."
Claire pursed her lips. Knowing her boyfriend since they were kids in Rustboro, she knows there's no convincing him. She just shook her head and kissed him goodbye. "Be careful. And don't be late again tonight!"
"You were the one late last time." Blake chuckled and pulled away, heading towards Sal who was having a small snack and some water near the hangar's gate still on his kevlar saddle which Blake didn't bother to remove since he'd plan to head off again in a short while anyway. He smiled and waved at her one last time before mounting on his Salamence and taking off.
Claire remained there leaning against the wall where he was earlier with a small smile thinking of how their second date would go. Her face flushed as she recalled their first where she had a blast. She still found it hard to shake off that girly giddiness she felt whenever she would come across the thought that being with him like this had been just a fantasy for her until lately. It was definitely a dream come true.
Neither of them knew what terrible things awaited Blake in Saffron, things that would change both their lives together.
***xvx***
Level 0: Omega-class Sector
Location: Mindspike 200 feet below Viridian forest surface
Doctor Hansel Elric Vandelburg casually strode along the white corridor. His short dark hair was trimmed properly and fixed, glasses wiped spotless, face well-shaved, white lab coat and black pants neatly pressed, and his leather shoes shined to perfection. He looked especially resolute today, a habit he had acquired through the years whenever he would embark upon a new project.
His face remained passive as he trudged on, coming across a couple of scientists who greeted him and whom he ignored. The air was crisp, kept at a standard temperature of 20 degrees with a constant sterile scent. The hard soles of his shoes echoed along the now-desolate plain white-tiled corridors as he continued in a normal pace. His outwardly calm demeanor featured nothing special to a casual observer. He appeared rather bored even but the case in truth is quite in fact the opposite.
The moment he received word of his new assignment, anticipation lapped viciously at his insides. To many, it was just another normal day in the on their respective projects of little meaning, logging and filing reports of their pitiful failures and occasional albeit microscopic successes on hopeless subjects. Successes who were by far expressing very little potential and featuring barely any extraordinary features that can lead to new breakthroughs in the field. But not for him and a selected few. No, this is a day of reckoning! A day he had waited for ever since that incident at Cinnabar! At long last, he finally sets his hands on it again.
A microscopic smile formed in the edge of his lips as he stood in front of the lab's automated door. A dozing guard straightened up in attention upon noticing him approach, clutching his carbine tight across his chest. The scientist fished out his access card and swiped it at the card slot, typed in the access code and had his retina scanned. There was a small hiss as the locks disengaged and the door slid open. A cool automated female voice spoke as he passes the doorway. "Welcome to Subject 0001 Holding Chamber. Have a good day, Dr. Vandelburg..."
A good day indeed. He thought to himself. He passed across a small deserted lounge complete with restrooms, a small living quarters and a kitchen. He headed straight for the holding chamber. His arrival was rather early and he never expected nor looked forward to meeting anyone else save one Pokemon. The well-lit laboratory was spacious, kept at a standard 20 degree-Celsius room temperature. Supercomputers lined the walls while rows of terminals and life-support equipment were attached to the large containment chamber which was made of thick state-of-the-art high-quality polymer glass. In it, lay the price. Floating from the greenish liquefied life-support solution with tubes attached to its wounded body, was Mewtwo currently in stasis.
He walked briskly towards it, beholding the sight. A wicked glint slowly forming in his eyes.
"It's an honor to have you here, Dr. Vandelburg." An elderly scientist with dark-shaded yet noticeably graying hair, a wrinkled lab coat, and smudged grimy glasses, scooted over a terminal and running scans on the Pokemon's health status. He had recognized him from a previous research project they had worked on together years ago. "The other members of the science team are out for lunch. I suggest you do the same. The orientation is yet to start until three in the afternoon."
"That can wait, Doctor Heather. I simply-"
"Kirlia!" A tiny voice piped up by the doorway.
He was visibly irritated when a Kirlia bounded inside the laboratory, skipping in delight and holding some sort of white square object in front of its chest. It stopped beside Dr. Heather and reached out with the small square object he then realized was a sandwich. The elderly man chuckled and got down on one knee and took it before ruffling its green hair as if it were a child. "Why thank you, Alice! Now, why don't you go play with Ruby? I am very busy right now. See? That Pokemon is seriously hurt and I'm looking after it. I'll try to join you later."
Alice the Kirlia responded gleefully and went on skipping towards the lounge room. A Combusken was waiting by the door with its arms crossed.
"Sweet little thing isn't she?" The elderly man was still letting out small chuckles as he bit on the sandwich before pausing mid-chew and offering it to him. "A bite?"
Dr. Vandelburg simply shook his head slightly and glanced at the now-empty doorway with clear disdain before returning his gaze to Mewtwo. The uneasy churn in his stomach as he watched the brief exchange wasn't easily fought down and he just had to voice it. "Please do not tell me that the Kirlia is Subject 0002."
Dr. Heather spoke through a mouthful, his eyes glued to the screen of his terminal. "Why, she is of course and her name is Alice. That little Ralts I took in years ago? Remember? "
Dr. Vandelburg gave him a stern look. His jaw tightened as he recalled the day Heather first showed up with the thing. It was obviously born riddled with countless abnormalities that even he himself marveled at how it lived longer than the first few days. But beyond that, it featured nothing special but presented countless problems instead. Its gene structure was very erratic and he saw no immediate solution to cure it. However, that didn't stop his old colleague. "You do know that test subjects aren't allowed to wander around the premises let alone unsupervised? Especially a Level 0 patient. Also, the way you treated it..."
"I am head of Project 0002. SHE is under my care and it's my say on how SHE should be treated." Dr. Heather glared at him and held his stare for a few seconds before returning to his screen, his features softening into a rather melancholy one. "Her sub-developed genes are very unstable and require extensive care if I am to attempt to repair them. That is the point of this whole project of mine is it not? I apologize for my rudeness, I was rather...too defensive of my procedures. She possesses a Dampener module of my latest design so her powers are perfectly restrained. Completely safe, I assure you."
"I will never understand why the Foundation wastes its funds on such petty matters." Dr. Vandelburg muttered under his breath. Dr. Heather didn't manage to hear for he was still lost deep in his thoughts, even with the room being generally in dormant silence. "No matter. Our main focus now should be the full recovery of this specimen. Afterwards shall be the execution of the preliminary psionic development phases of Subject 0001 to be initiated as soon as possible."
"I beg your pardon?" Dr. Heather snapped from his trance and faced him once more. "Did I hear it correctly? Psionic development phases?"
"You can see for yourself if you'd like to." Dr. Vandelberg stepped forward and handed him a folded letter. "I've just arrived from Evergrande. The order came straight from Central itself."
Dr. Heather stared wide-eyed at the document, then his gaze came across the details of the Advanced Psionic Development Program which made his mouth gape. His hands shook as if the very piece of paper was some volatile substance he wasn't sure how to dispose of. "It-it can't be...Central seriously isn't planning to do this?! It's...it's inhumane, illegal in every aspect! This makes us no different from them!"
"They made me head of this project and I say Subject 0001 is under my care now. It's a Pokemon. A very powerful Pokemon. Try grasping at the reality for once, Adrian. Just imagine the potential power we can unleash!" Dr. Vandelburg's gaze remained fixated on Mewtwo's sleeping form. His eyes were filled with a fiery glint that Dr. Heather couldn't decipher but the slow sinister grin creeping up on the younger scientist's lips certainly made the hairs on his arms stand. "And if you look at it closely, we're not following the steps of the Rockets, Aquas, or whatever other sorry lots out there. With the technology and knowledge at our disposal, we are entirely on a different league of our own. They will all be staring in awe once we're done!"
"This is insane!" Dr. Heather threw the paper aside. "You, are insane!"
"We all are!" Dr. Vandelburg simply turned to him with a wide grin. "And it's just the beginning..."
(A/N: End of Prologue. I hope I've done it better this time. I'd like to know what you all think as always. That's all for now. Iron Raven out... )