For frightening scenes;
those sensitive to themes of violence/fear caused by loved ones,
please read at your own discretion.
5 minutes prior...
"Borya... what- are you do..." Sacha was having trouble breathing, much less speaking as the stony golem continued silently down the hallway, farther and farther from Hazel. Even in her increasingly hazy state, it occurred to Sacha that the girl's own Pokémon had also been acting strangely. It had to be related, but what could it have been? Synthetic Pokémon were not easily manipulated on account of being... programmed...
Realization dawned behind the teen's eyes as it became apparent that her friend Borya had been reprogrammed. She had no idea how it happened, but she had to stop it. She'd seen Borya change so much in the few short years they'd known each other - she just had to reach out to it.
"You know what you are don't you?" The inquiry came from nowhere, in such a hushed voice that she barely heard it. It was Borya's voice, no question - for it always spoke quietly - but it rarely asked questions at all, much less ones so cryptic. Still, she answered, hoping to reason with her possessed friend. Borya loosened its stranglehold just enough to ensure her ability to answer
"A... human?"
"Close..." it whispered again, pausing thoughtfully before it continued: "you're a disappointment. You have been from the time you were born. Think on it: your parents didn't want 2 sons and a daughter. They wanted 3 sons. So stubborn and deep in denial were they about your shortcoming, they gave you a boy's name... Sacha." The girl was helplessly both hurt and disturbed at this point. Borya hadn't always been warm, but it was never cold like this, either. She couldn't understand where this was coming from... of course, she'd told it such things - confided in it over time, like she did with Kliment - but for it to use those memories like this - it didn't make any sense. She tried to choke out the words 'that's not true', only to be interrupted: "You failed as their child, and now you've failed as a trainer." The words stung, but Sacha knew it was sounding less and less like her friend. It had a way of speaking, and whoever was controlling it clearly didn't understand that. "You talk a good game, and claim to have deep bonds with these ... things ... but when the time comes to make tough decisions, you don't have what it takes. You fight the truth so desperately: the truth that you are weak. You always have been - and you always will be." Sacha fought back tears with a knowing frown. She knew it couldn't actually be Borya saying this, but to hear it in her friend's voice still caused her pain. She couldn't call on any of her Pokémon; asking them to fight one another was a non-option. Borya straightened up, putting on a courtly appearance and for a puzzling moment, Sacha wondered if it had woken from this trance. "Don't cry, though Sa-cha... it will be over soon." Any glimmer of hope vanished at the tone as it tightened its grip and even without its next words, Sacha already knew the puppeteer was playing games: "I will personally end your embarrassment." A few last tears were pushed out of her eyes as she scattered the Pokéballs from her sleeve pockets and the others quickly formed.
"Hold him." Sacha grit the words out between her teeth and gasped for breath. Kliment already had a hoofed foot pressing down on the Golurk as he toppled it. The Rapidash and Rockruff each pinned one arm - or at least tried to. The diminutive canine's mass and strength were pitiful against the synthetic's limb and she was easily tossed while their target thrashed, finally beating away the larger fire-types until they relented. Raisa nickered in frustration while Kliment uttered a grunt of pain - both looking to Sacha in confusion. Anya, by contrast, was still struggling to her feet, having been sent flying into the corridor wall behind them - the wince and look of fear was still firmly in place, etched into Sacha's features. She was running out of options...
Meanwhile, in the lupine Pokémon's head, an entirely different conflict was taking place. She'd been with Sacha for 3 years - 3 long years and watched her pack-mates grow stronger and stronger, evolving each one of them - while she was left behind. Even the newcomer, that Rapidash had surpassed her. What did the equine Pokémon have that she didn't? It wasn't the drive - it wasn't the opportunity - they'd even fought side by side in the last bout of training. She never questioned her trainer's methods until now. The human was always so good to them, but now, the Rockruff wondered how good. Too good? Better to the others than to her? It boiled her blood just to think that Sacha had purposefully held her back. The others probably knew, too. Well, she'd show them.
She remained in the shadows of the hall she'd been thrown into, no light coming from her body despite the change it was undergoing. Her fur darkened to a rusty, then bloody color; the rocks disappeared under a thick mane that stretched over her face which grew longer... and toothier. She snickered almost inaudibly at the huge claws, even as it pained her to form them - for she could easily lift them off the ground and scrutinize her new weapons now freed from their previous task of carrying her weight. Walking on two legs was odd granted, but a sensation she would gladly get used to if it meant being able to do more damage.
Slow, heavy steps sounded as long, sharp nails scraped the tile floor - and the newly evolved Lycanroc rounded the corner into her team's view.
While Borya seemed only marginally affected by the development, Sacha, Raisa and Kliment were visibly shaken. For some reason, Anya looked even more menacing than their hijacked comrade who finally broke the silence.
"So the bitch grew a thicker skin. This changes nothing. In fact, I dare say this is even bett-" The last syllable was lost as the Golurk was charged and toppled in a heartbeat. Though Anya was still one-third her opponent's size, she seemed 10 times more vicious. Within one heartbeat more, she was slashing angrily at the earthen armor, much to Sacha's frantic protest.
"NO, Anya! We don't want to hurt him!" the girl shouted, even as she watched the seal on Borya's chest fly to the side and a deep, guttural laugh was heard.
"Like I said," the golem groaned, yet cruelly in amusement, Sacha noted - "even BETTER." It made it's last word pointed as it threw the werewolf Pokémon off itself once again and now the normally ambient glow was pouring violently from its eyes, markings and the cracks in its chest. Kliment and Raisa almost, almost took a step back, hit by the wave of raw energy that carried an undercurrent of killing intent - though they soon realized it was coming from two distinct sources. Sacha was scrambling for a solution to this worse situation turned worst, flattened against the wall farthest from them along with the Camerupt and Rapidash as the Lycanroc and Golurk's bloodthirsty auras dominated the space. No. NO, NO, NO. This is the opposite of what was supposed to happen. Sacha thought to herself in disbelief, her breaths fast and deep. This surreal animosity between family - this was not how it was supposed to be. As her eyes fell on the seal, lying forgotten on the other side of the confined arena, one thought crystallized: she had to stop it.
"Stay." She commanded the fire-types under her breath as she darted along the edge of the narrow hallway - breaking both Borya and Anya's concentration as she snatched the seal. Racing to stop the fight before it truly began, she turned to replace the covering, trying not to think about the pain in her arm which the Golurk caught her by, trying to take it - before being tackled in turn by the furious lycanthrope. Kliment and Raisa tried hastily to move the two as Sacha quickly found herself at the bottom of an incredibly dense dog pile. She forced the stone strip into place after much panicked effort, coughing and trying to clear her blurred vision as Borya had all but thrown itself back. She could see it sputtering incredulously, felt herself lifted off the ground and set on her feet - its voice was muffled, but she could hear the concern and 'I don't know what came over me.' before he fussily asked the still fighting mad Anya if she was 'quite finished'.
The Lycanroc was panting and shaking - though whether it was from exhaustion or still unspent fury, no one could tell, and it made them all uneasy.
"Is this a bad time?" A familiar voice came from behind and Sacha whirled about to see Dante, followed by a Houndoom dragging an unconscious stranger by the collar. "Umm... " Dante continued awkwardly as he followed their questioning eyes "he was up to no good... he's not dead, if that's what you're thinking." he added just a bit defensively.
Little did you know:
Benji had his own feelings about what happened...
Ah, juicy gossip...
And Borya, too...
Oh, really?
"Dover, you're lucky that actually worked." Benji muttered as it shook off the last of the chill that had seeped into every molecule. "But whatever controlled us is likely still active. Until we stop it-"
"Ah, no need." Dante explained with just a hint of awkwardness in his voice. He'd finally gotten his Houndoom to drop the body off in a closet along the way so as to avoid further questions. "We took care of the guy responsible, but um... you two should follow me." Hazel was about to ask what he meant when he beckoned someone behind him. Hazel's eyes widened to see Borya now carrying Sacha like a child, who was in turn carrying another Pokemon. It almost seemed like a bigger, red version of - oH... the younger girl was about to congratulate Sacha and Anya on her evolution before realizing that the two did not look happy at all. Sacha was in quiet tears, holding the canine close and stroking the mane obsessively as she buried her face in the Lycanroc's fur. Borya looked quite uncomfortable as well, at a loss for words or any gesture to comfort its trainer while the Lycanroc that formerly had been fuming finally seemed to calm down, her lanky and heavy-ended paws resting on her trainer's shoulders.
"Hazel - ah, sorry." Sacha spoke up, seeing that they'd already been reunited as she was broken out of her drowning thoughts. Hazel held up a hand in uncertain greeting, noting that Sacha was keeping half her face hidden.
"Wha-" she started, but was interrupted by the young man who was looking around the corner from where they came and turned back to face them.
"Other way. Other way..." he started back toward them, taking Hazel's wrist and trying to push the Golurk who reluctantly began walking along with them.
"Whoa, hey!" Hazel protested, being quickly shushed. "Sacha, this better be the Dante friend I've heard about - and a friend..." Hazel muttered, looking up to the teen, who just nodded, looking back in confusion - while Dante kept moving forward, eyes wide.
"It's too dangerous to leave you guys alone now. Hazel, you're more like Jonah right? The careful one? Well, I'm sorry, but you're involved now. I don't know exactly what you two did, but you've made someone in RWTR angry." He stopped walking to turn and look at her directly. "I'm expecting a report soon - and I might have to intervene before something else like this happens - I'm taking you two and your Pokémon with me - are you ready?"
Guillermo held the Eevee protectively, surly about the fact that it was only cooperating on the condition that he tried to save the others. This was not his style - he was NOT a hero - subsequently, he was not happy. But Somona was a constant reminder of what RWTR could and would do to Pokémon... and she knew what they had to do... what he had to do.
"We'll... talk to Jethro - he's got to be around here somewhere. He's been on the inside forever..." Guillermo whispered to himself, following at a safe distance and hoping to spot the mole. Jethro had been operating inside RWTR for COFFEE since before Guillermo even knew they existed. More than once, the Lurker who reported directly to the anti-RWTR top brass, had fished Guillermo and others out of sticky situations, even faked a death or two. The boy knew he could count on that mole to get help - then he'd have done something and he could get away from those lunatics. After all, RWTR terrified him. Nothing was sacred to the henchmen or whoever commanded them.
As the trucks hauling Pokémon approached some kind of checkpoint station, his eyes locked on to a built man in his 40's that walked out to meet them. His shaved head and icy blue eyes were the only areas of flesh that really showed - the rest of him was swathed in layers of dark and drab clothing and even his hands were gloved. He looked mean enough to be part of RWTR, but that was the idea. With one hand holding a clipboard, he put the other on the cage, eyeing the trapped Pokémon empirically before he walked back to the cab. Indistinct conversation was all Guillermo could make out, but he waited patiently for the short caravan of trucks to move on.
Finally, when the coast was clear, he skirted along the walls to get closer.
"Jethro..." he whispered once he was close enough, to which the man shot him a look.
"Memo - what are you doing here? And since when did you carry them around?" He asked with a hint of worry, though it was mostly masked by skepticism. He'd never known the boy to actually get involved with COFFEE operations...
"... I just... this one got away, but it keeps freaking out about the others. It wouldn't just..."
"Leave well enough alone and get out with its own hide?" The man known as Jethro finished with a raised eyebrow as he looked around, making sure no one was nearby. The low-occupancy checkpoint building was his easiest post yet - allowing him to keep interruptions to a minimum. Guillermo just nodded with a huff, provoking an amused chuckle from the adult.
"Makes sense - Pokémon like that live in groups - they're social animals..." he continued in a hinting tone - "kind of like humans... either way, your timing is perfect - I'm stuck here longer than I thought I was going to be and I need you to get a message to the Vanguard."
"A message?" The boy echoed a bit worriedly.
"Yeah - make sure Dante knows where these Pokémon are headed: Las Vegas. I didn't hear any details, but sometime between now and when they arrive in Sin City, they're going to do a real number on those Pokémon, okay? For some big fkn show they have planned - the team needs to stop that before it happens." He was about to continue when they both heard the roaring of an engine in the distance, their gazes snapping to the side road from where it was coming. "One more thing - we finally got a name: Jensen. That's the head honcho here. Apparently he's stationed in Vegas, too..." he snorted at how fitting the city must have been as a base. "Take the tunnel under the tile by the water machine - stay out of site and take the first exit you find, it should be far enough away."
"Wait, I can't-?" Guillermo started, flustered.
"No, you can't. These guys aren't on their way to Vegas." he cut in, pushing the teen into the building as a dark blue truck rounded the corner. Jethro knew that RWTR had a color code and dark blue was not his favourite color. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been expecting this visit...
