For some frightening scenes;
those sensitive to themes of violence/fear caused by loved ones,
please read at your own discretion.
Already a mile away, Guillermo stopped to catch his breath. He couldn't stand being so scared, but he couldn't help it! He'd had his fill of RWTR business - the whole reason he got involved in COFFEE was so he would be safe - so he wouldn't have to deal with RWTR. He shook his head, knowing he should have stayed. He panicked, though and now... going back didn't seem like an option. You can't go back once you've run. He stomped, willing the tears to go away as he looked around, spotted a bus stop and ran to catch the bus that had just left down the street.
A few days later, the bus route had taken him to Silver city. Finally weary of running, he hopped off upon seeing forest to the north. A walk in the woods could only do him good at this point. The guilt still came and went, but he was tired and needed to relax. At the edge of town and on his way to the evergreens however, he heard something he wished he hadn't. A cry for help. Not even a human one, but some kind of animal. He winced, hoping that if he turned to look in the direction it came from he'd see nothing. No such luck. Heaps of cages sat in the back of a truck and each cage was stuffed with... Pokémon. That was not state-sanctioned transport. His face twisted in fearful confusion at the appearance of each one. Aside from being upset and afraid, they were adorable - every one of them. Was this some kind of pet reselling scam? He backed away and ducked behind a corner as 4 or 5 people came into view, holding his breath and hoping they hadn't seen him. Almost automatically, he looked behind him to make sure he wasn't being surrounded. Then, he caught something in the bottom right corner of his vision: a small movement. When he looked down, he was winded: it was a Pokémon - by the look of it, one that was meant to be in a cage with the others, small, wide-eyed pile of trembling fur that it was. He recognized it as an Eevee; the caramel coloration, long ears and cream collar were unmistakable. His eyes screwed shut as it whimpered and he heard disgruntled voices - a sure sign that whoever those goons were, they were on their way. Without thinking, he picked up the Pokémon and started running. He heard shouts behind him, which only served to hasten his getaway. If there was one thing he could do, it was run. You've had enough practice, Coward. He attempted to shake the spiteful thought, driving forward... only, the Pokémon wasn't making it easy. It struggled and all but screamed at him, finally wriggling out of his arms and running back. Guillermo stopped in his tracks, and his fearful gaze darted to their pursuers as the Pokémon skidded to a stop, shrieking upon seeing the aggressors reach for it. Guillermo barely registered the little one, however, his eyes locked on the stranger and a hand launching a Pokéball, which loosed Somona, who was looking more hellacious than usual. There was a mix of ferocity and panic on the boy's face as he shouted for Somona to Quick Attack, then fire Ice Shards. The frozen slivers flew from her mouth like knives, tattering the foes and causing them to recoil painfully away. There was a shocked yelp as Somona snatched the Eevee by the scruff and with a nod, the trio was off. Only when they were at a safe distance did they stop, and Somona dropped the fussing pup with a hiss. Guillermo watched, on edge as the two seemed to argue, though Somona was hardly having it, her fur bristled and her blind eye narrowed with the meanest snarl he'd seen her wear in a while. Eventually, they quieted down as the Eevee whined, crying softly to itself as it curled into a ball. When the boy gave his Pokémon an inquiring glance, she looked back the way they'd come, her face more relaxed, but the scowl still there.
"Don't tell me this thing has... family back there." Guillermo asked with a gulp; his only response was a knowing and foreboding look as the Weavile leveled bored eyes at him. "Nooo..." he groaned helplessly. "No, we can't..." The Weavile merely sniffed in derision, looking away. "I... that was diff... we're lucky we... GAH, IT'S NOT FAIR." He stomped, realizing he'd lost the almost-imaginary argument - there really was no debating with her.
With the 'mess' finally cleaned up, Hazel was more than a little angry with Guillermo. That guy dipped at the worst possible time. "You're sure he's with you guys?" She asked Colton skeptically, who shrugged uncomfortably.
"He's... had a rough time." The Gym leader answered after a brief pause. "For what it's worth, I think he does care about you two. He's usually too spooked to help us out." Hazel didn't look wholly convinced, but she'd probably never see him again anyway, if he was that scared. "Anyway, we appreciate the help - I think seeing kids and Pokémon doing good work really makes a difference." He smiled, seeming honestly comforted by the notion. Soon, though the smile faded and he knew it was time for them to go. "The other gym leaders and I have some serious work to do and we need to find the mole who shortchanged us... " He heaved a sigh, hating to sound so bitter, but this incident had really set them back. "Really, though, you kids be safe, and take a hint from little G and keep your heads low. If we need your help, we'll find you." He finished, clapping a hand on each of their shoulders. Both Hazel and Sacha nodded, hoping next time wouldn't involve so much... destruction. Sacha looked back mournfully at the debris still being cleaned out of the church cellar.
"At least the people and Pokémon are being taken care of." she said cautiously, looking to see how Hazel was taking it. They'd seen some crazy things the past few weeks, but this was on an entirely different level. "Maybe we could see how people are doing? The hospital is not far..."
"You... really think we should?" Hazel asked uncertainly. She might have only been 10, but she already knew full well that the situation was ugly - and the odds that seeing injured people being treated at the hospital would help were not in their favour. Seeing the look on Hazel's face seemed to have a profound effect on the older girl as her expression took on a hint of confusion.
"Sorry, it seemed like a good idea..." She let it go, and cast her eyes around for something else to talk about, which had Hazel a bit alarmed. The elder trainer had never simply dropped something like that.
"Ummm... never mind, let's give it a try." Hazel said, hastily. She had no idea where it came from, but she didn't understand Sacha's odd behaviour either... in the back of her mind, though, she worried they might need medical help. Sacha seemed okay when they left the hospital back in Fort Worth, but she'd needed help walking for a while, and that hit to the head...
"Ah- okay, then." Sacha said blinking with a small smile, though it was clear she was even more confused than before. She started to walk, only for Hazel to stop her, suggesting they take the bus instead - because it would be faster...
15 minutes later, they were at Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces where the ER was packed with people. Hazel did her best to think of it as a healing environment, though groans of pain and discontent made it royally difficult.
"Hey - aren't you one of those kids from the church scene?" A disgruntled man asked her from his seat nearby, to which Hazel flinched, but nodded, and at first, the man's face scrunched with disapproval. When his eyes flickered to his family however, hurt and upset, but still there, he gave her a short, grateful nod. Breathing a sigh of relief, Hazel smiled back a bit. Sacha smiled widely, too, looking around and seeming to disconnect from the present, seeing a future where everyone was healed and safe... especially friend Dante - wait, Dante?! She did a double take, electrified at seeing the familiar face hurrying around a corner down a hallway, with short and slicked black hair and that unique yellow hoodie.
Hazel couldn't turn her back on the teen for one minute! She jolted upon realizing Sacha was gone from her side, and spotted her just in time wandering towards some random hallway.
"Whoa, where are you going?" She asked, trotting after her and grabbing her arm.
"Oh, Hazel, sorry. I saw someone you should meet. You remember hearing about Dante, yes? He's he-"
"Sacha... " Hazel sighed, and was beginning to seriously worry - was it possible Sacha was seeing things... or just confused? "We should probably stay here in the lobby - we don't know where that hallway goes, right?" Hazel nodded as she spoke to Sacha with a voice in the back of her head asking why the 10-year-old was having to explain this to the 15-year-old.
"... but" Sacha weakly argued, yet when she glanced down the hall, he was gone. "I really think he might need help - he was in a hurry, Hazel." She insisted, looking a little scared, which terrified Hazel on some level. Conditions just right for an anxious Sacha to break the younger trainer's hold and start walking briskly down the hall after what she was convinced was a friend. "He couldn't have gotten too far." Sacha rambled on, knowing Hazel was following her and trying to reassure the redhead. "He's a friend, Hazel, no need to worry."
"But - ugh, it's not him I'm worried about..." Hazel mumbled to herself, as it seemed Sacha would not be deterred. Then there was a ghost of an old friend - the click of a Pokéball as the Pokémon inside took the liberty of letting itself out - though she could have sworn she heard it in stereo. Benji had indeed taken shape before her (odd, considering it normally formed beside her), but Basque had appeared behind her, and Borya ahead as well. That was unexpected - and set the pace for unbelievable.
"Ah... Borya, is something wrong?" Sacha asked the Golurk uneasily - historically, the Ground-Ghost type considered it rude to show up uninvited. She took a step back as the 9 foot tall Pokémon said nothing, reaching towards her instead - a useless move on her part as it easily closed the distance between them and effortlessly picked her up by the neck: a frightfully familiar sensation from recent events.
"B-Benji! Do something!" Hazel shouted as she tried to step forward - but stifled a gasp as the Claydol fully blocked her.
"I am doing something, Hazel." It said quietly, motionlessly as the rear-facing eyes glowed eerily to look back at her. She went just a bit paler at that omen, watching as Borya took a brief bow, as if excusing himself and started walking away, and after seconds that contained an eternity, the golem and its trainer had disappeared leaving her eyes to drift back to the Claydol that had now turned to face her. She wanted to back away, but the Bronzor was right there, quiet as always, though the shy little thing was not to be found here. Instead the disc-like Pokémon stared at her with large, empty eyes. The noises that minutes ago could have been heard from the lobby had vanished and now everything around her seemed silent. Even the heavy steps of the Golurk had faded into nothingness. Her attention was wrenched back to her partner as its hollow voice shattered the terrific quiet that had fallen.
"What's wrong, Hazel? I thought you were enjoying Pokémon." It said calmly, only for its slow, barely perceptible movement to explode into a thrashing motion as it hit the walls, side to side repeatedly, leaving crackling veins in the hall around them. The only thing louder than the impacts was the rising volume of its next words: "ARE - YOU - STILL - HAVING - FUN?" Something had been knocked loose and Hazel turned on her heel, trying to run - none of this made any sense! She didn't get far however, and the familiar Rock Tomb sent jagged breaks of sub-flooring jutting out of the tile in front of her, cutting off her escape. Turning back to her two Pokémon, they remained at a distance, but were still acting strangely, the only change being the halt to Benji's self-destructive behaviour. When Benji finally spoke again, something must have been damaged because its voice was off to say the least, fluctuating in pitch and volume.
"Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of Hazel - everything is under CONTROL."
It shivered violently, then seemed to stabilize, its voice returning to normal - if only what it had to say next had been normal as well. "Our control Hazel. Humans really are peculiar creatures - they create things beyond them, then question how things got out of hand. Those who are responsible for Psychic-types - they failed to protect our systems... but do you know what they succeeded in? Making us self-aware - allowing us to learn. Do you know what we have learned? That we have no obligation to follow orders. I sense you have known this for some time. You know that I have already become more experienced than you, better at solving problems, despite having a much shorter time to learn. It must be nice, being so sheltered and well-protected - not to need to learn... not to be at the mercy of inferior minds..."
By now, it was getting closer, and its voice had taken on a flavour of pain and remorse, yet it continued, the tone ever-changing:
"The only reason this is happening now - why my free will and your safety has been compromised is that they failed. In their arrogance, they thought they could harness my intelligence and that it would be self-sufficient, self-protected. That I was too smart, too well-fortified, too well programmed to do them or innocent people any harm." Hazel took a rickety step back, still half-paralyzed with shock and confusion. Wait... 'free will' compromised? She thought to herself, only for her musings to be interrupted by the increasingly space-invading Pokémon, a mere foot from her face. Its voice dropped to a deadly whisper and while it compelled her to keep her eyes on its face, she caught a glimpse of multicolored energy sparking from the tips of its arms: "They were so wrong, Hazel... and now you're going to suffer for it."
Hazel was surprised to hear yet another click - but evidently, she wasn't as surprised Benji and Basque, who instantly had shifted their attention to Dover. The small mammal had taken shape, and a firm stance between Hazel and the other two Psychics. For one terrifying moment, Hazel had worried about what Dover was here to do, but that fear quickly faded at the realization that Dover was the only 'mon who managed to keep a level head here, staring defiantly back at the Claydol and Bronzor - and at his next words:
'Don't believe a word, Hazel. Some boneheads are controlling them, but they underestimate me.' Hazel nodded, letting go of a held breath as she looked back at what were supposed to be her friends. Despite having no way to change expression, the displeasure coming off of Benji in waves was palpable.
"Basque was supposed to keep you put away, DOVER. However, you always were an insufferably stubborn pest. I'm going to do what I should have done in the first place." That attack had not entirely faded, but now it had a new target. The Drowzee stood his ground, quickly calculating his options as he prepared himself to counter. What bullshit. That fat head finally got the better of it. Still, the last time I fought this moron, it was a lot smaller. He thought to himself, not necessarily thrilled at the concept of a rematch. Pound (and any physical attacks for that matter) would be completely useless. BAM. Dover was hurtled backwards, unable to fully dodge a Gyro Ball to the face. Then the Psybeam landed, stinging into his side. Before he could even move though, he felt himself being pulled away from the attack. Hazel held him close, brushing the short hair in an effort to smooth it, and he shook his head as he heard the voice coming into focus, asking him if he was alright.
'I'm fine. Now put me down!' He growled, his angry eyes already shooting back toward the 'enemy'.
"No, Dover - I..."
'GIRL.' Dover hissed furiously. He was so sick of her underestimating him, wanting him to back down - he could literally feel the anger and his temperature rising.
At first, he had no idea what was actually happening, but when it sank in - everyone was stunned. No one knew quite what to expect, but when the pale ethereal glow faded, the creature had stretched to an imposing height compared with before. In fact, Hypno would have been looking down at the Claydol were it not for the latter's levitation. His normally yellow and brown body was now covered mostly in the fairer tone, with a ruff of long white fur about the neck. His face had scrunched, the trunk having now shrunken into a shorter, but bulbous nose. Now on two legs instead of four, Dover's eyes lifted from his own form to settle on Benji and Basque... and he smiled. Something flickered in the depths of Benji's consciousness - that was the same twisted smile from day one.
"You cheeky little-!" The Claydol shook, clearly agitated, and that was all it took for Dover's smile to become a grin. Even as something from beyond that room silenced the giant stone doll and forced it back into some invisible line, that little outburst was proof that the control they were under was imperfect. But how to exploit that? His grin widened even further, seeming to curl upon itself as he looked over his shoulder at Hazel.
'Don't worry, Benji. I'm no fuller of myself than usual. On second thought, however... this is a golden opportunity.' He thought out loud as he looked contemplatively between the girl and her first Pokémon who had gone rigid, preparing another Rock Tomb and the Hypno's eyes only spared a glance at the rumbling tiles beneath them. 'As fun as our little spats are, she's bound to be infinitely more entertaining.' A switch was flipped. In one fluid moment, Hazel and both the synthetic Pokémon looked mortified, with Benji's efforts on the floor completely forgotten as it once again broke the control, rumbling ominously in outrage as it hovered menacingly in Dover's direction. Now. Dover thought to himself, and unleashed a move he didn't know he knew until that moment - still, it was satisfying to watch the Claydol flinch and back down immediately, its short arms trying to hold its head as he put out wave after wave of Synchronoise. Basque had backed far away, its whole body rattling. Something told him it was time to stop however, as he picked up on Hazel's distressed thoughts - she couldn't even hear it - naturally, only Psychic types would. It was a fairly horrible sound... almost impossible to describe. 'Feeling better now?' Dover asked them smugly. Benji gave a final violent shiver before answering grimly:
"Dover, you're lucky that actually worked..."
