Chapter Fourteen
Pandora's Box

(A/N: WARNING. This chapter probably contains some of the most graphic gore I will ever put in a story. If you are uninterested or uncomfortable in reading that part of the story, I will provide an ample warning later. No flaming if you read it, none if you don't. ~Nano)

It was three days since the cave collapsed. No sign of Rex. May had won her contest, while Max's injury had apparently infected him with Pokérus. Normally, humans can't get that, but it's more like the common cold than anything else. He'll be fine in a week, according to Nurse Joy. I'll just have to stay in Verdanturf Town with May until then.

May had gone to the local trainer's school for more information about contests. She took Joshua, saying that he needed to spend time outside of sleeping in our rented room. Kiara wanted to be on her own today, for reasons I won't ask for due to privacy's sake. That left Pandora and I alone. She walked up and down in the room as I read a book (Famous Trainers and Their Accomplishments). I dog-eared the first page on the chapter on Cynthia, and asked: "Pandora, what's up? We've barely talked since we got here."

"I was just… waiting for the right time to talk to you about something…" She said, stopping and sitting down.

"Well, we're alone, and May won't be back with Joshua 'till later. We have all the time in the world to talk now." I stated, patting next to me on the bed. She jumped onto the mattress, and lay down, facing me. I went to stroke her fur, as most Pokémon enjoy, but she backed off.

"Remember what I said about helping you? That I wanted help in return?"

"Yeah. You finally gonna tell me what you need exactly?"

"M-hm. Now… I need help in… finding someone."

"Who, exactly?"

"Shut up, I was getting to that." Pandora took in a deep breath, then exhaled. "It went like this…"

(Sixteen Years Ago)

A young boy and girl human pair were running through a grassy field, near A small village somewhere in Eastern Hoenn. "Hey, brother, what's this?" The girl asked, pointing towards a round shape in the grass. It was pearl white, with a dark blue crescent on one side.

"It looks like a Pokémon egg, sis!" The boy said, reaching down to pick it up. "Let's take it back to mom and dad!"

"Terrance and Sonya were there for me, even as I was just an egg… If it wasn't for them, I might not have been alive." Pandora said, explaining to me her past. I grabbed the soda on the nightstand next to me, sipping.

"What happened next?"

"I'm getting to it…"

Some years later, two older children, about ten each, were standing on a tree fort outside the nearby city. An Absol was crouched in the corner. "C'mon, Talia, let's play some more!" Terrance said, towards the Absol.

"Yeah, let's play some more!" Sonya added on.

"Alright, alright." Talia said, closing her eyes. "One… Two… Three…"

"They seem nice, Pandora. But who's this Talia character?"

"Shut up, Zack. Sorry, but we'll be here all day if you keep interrupting me."

The children were hiding in the tall grass around the village. "…One hundred. Ready or not, here I come!" Talia shouted. She jumped down, and ran through the grass, trying to find her "prey."She crouched low, and jumped out at a female figure in the grass, pinning her to the forest floor.

"Aw, no fair, Talia, you always find me first…" Sonya complained.

"That's because your brother is faster. Let's go find him, shall we?" Talia responded, jumping up. Sonya climbed onto Talia's back and the two raced off.

"He was going on and on about the cliffs nearby, when you were counting."

"Then let's go to the cliffs." Talia stopped short of the destination, and started a slow crawl towards a male figure, trying his best to hide amongst the rocks. Talia jumped in between the boy and the cliffs, to prevent him from falling.

"Hey, you found me!" Terrance exclaimed.

"Yes, I did. Now climb up with your sister, Terrance. It's almost lunch time." Talia ran, back towards the village where she lived.

"This is nice and sweet, Pandora, but why do you need my help?" I ask, confused.

"I'm getting to it…" Pandora said, faltering. "It's just so… bad, what happens next…"

I moved to pet her fur again, and this time she let me. "I'm a good listener, Pandora. Go on."

(IS THIS ENOUGH AMPLE WARNING FOR YOU? SKIP THE NEXT OF THE ITALICIZED TEXT IF YOU HATE GORE.)

Talia gasped in shock as she reached the village. As she padded through, she saw the humans who live there dead, their blood painting the walls of the homes a sickly red. One poor man was hanging from a tree, the last few drops of blood dripping out of his wounds.

"What's going on…?" Terrance said from atop Talia's back.

"Why is everyone dead..?" Sonya added on. The children were used to death, since the village was prone to disease and other hazards. But neither of them, nor Talia, had seen this much before.

A low growl filled the area. {More humans!} A Pokémon's voice said. Of course, it belonged to a mightyena. At the time, however, the Absol and her friends could not understand them.

"Hold on, kids, this could get rough…" Talia said. Six Mightyena formed a circle around her, licking their lips. Bloodstained lips.

{Hold, my brothers,} a voice said. Another figure jumped down from a tree, belonging to an Absol. His horn, face, tail and claws were red, however, not blue like Talia's. {Why do you let yourself be degraded by humans, sister?} He asked.

"I…I don't know what you're saying…" Talia responded to the Absol's grunts.

{You speak their language? You have been corrupted, sister. I shall promise you safe passage to Arceus.} He lunged at Talia, knocking Sonya off. The Mightyena swarmed the poor girl.

"Talia! Help me!" Was all she could say before one of the wolf Pokémon ripped out her throat.

"Sonya!" Terrance shouted. His eyes started to water, and he clung to Talia's neck. However, Talia's eyes glowed red with fury.

"You'll pay dearly for what you've done, you monster!" Talia roared, launching a focus blast at the Absol male. "I'll send you to Arceus in a million pieces!"

{Pity you sided with them, sister.} The male said before he bit Terrance off of Talia, leaving him for the same fate as her sister. The male pinned Talia to the ground, forcing her to see. {This is what they deserve, sister. Death. Nothing more can save our world from the human plague.}

"You… son of a…" Talia said, before the older male slashed at her neck, forcing her to lose consciousness.

I had tears in my eyes just from listening. "What happened then?"

"Talia picked herself up when she awoke, and limped in no general direction. She felt trapped in a box of misery, and wanted to die. She eventually found herself at a human city, I think Forttree. The humans took her in, and healed her."

"I feel so bad for Talia. But how does this all tie in to you?"

"When she felt better, Talia dedicated her mind to revenge. In spite of the box of misery she felt trapped in, she renamed herself Pandora, and has been hunting down that murderous Absol and his pack of Mightyena ever since."

(A/N: Chapter a week, right? Okay, moving on to the next one. If you feel bad for Pandora the B!tc# now, I understand. She has a reason for being the way she is. Also, if you're wondering what happened to our little Riolu friend, I am working on a little spin-off story detailing what he's going through as I continue my journey. See you next week! ~Nano)