(Warning: Mature themes; TRIGGER WARNING: Rape, sexual assault, and physical violence. Please do not read if this subject material may trigger you. You can skip ahead to Chapter 28. The following chapters deal not only with rape but child abuse, family themes, and trauma.)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Ghetsis knew he was lying to himself when he told Colress that she meant nothing to him. She was as disposable as everyone else but he wouldn't quite call her nothing. She was a new toy still full of potential and he wasn't ready to throw her away just yet. There was still fun to be had.

He truly didn't care what opposition she posed to him. He had a fail-safe for dealing with any threat to his perfect plans. He had batted her around just for the amusement of seeing her tear-stained face. His actions when he cornered her in the darkness of Relic Castle weren't a ruse gone too far but in his opinion, he hadn't gone far enough.

The paragon of hope that dared to stop his inevitable rein was only a girl. Her victorious skirmishes against Team Plasma meant nothing. He alone had forced her into submission and left her broken with little to no trouble at all just by spreading her legs. He knew the effect of his degradation and it ignited a dark passion within him that would accept nothing else. The flames of his lust were fanned by her unwilling submission.

It was another lie when he said he wanted to impregnate her, a lie he told just to enrich the taste of her fear. Yet the more he thought about it, the better the idea became. Why settle for a mere one-night stand when he could use her any time he got the whim? Even with the emotional subtext aside, he had enjoyed the way her body reacted to his affections. He wouldn't mind having her at his beck and call, her only purpose being to satiate his urges. If he couldn't persuade her to serve him willingly, then a child to linchpin them together would be just fine. At the very least, it would put an end to Colress' insubordinate deviations.

He sat alone in his study smiling at these thoughts when there was a knock on his door.

"Who is it," he asked contemptuously.

"It is I, Sage Ghetsis," came the voice of N. His voice was as soft as a cat's footfall as he opened the door and poked his head through the crack. "I seek audience with you."

"Naturalis," he sighed with annoyance though his contempt failed to lessen. "Enter, you may speak."

"I've been thinking about the days to come," he said as he approached with his eyes to the floor.

He walked with his back straight as he had been taught. Yet with no amount of tutoring could he brave raising his head to look his own father in the eyes. Eyes that he knew burned cold in hatred for him.

"You're not having doubts now, are you? Haven't we been through this enough times already," he asked with obviously strained patience. "I'm not in the habit of repeating entire conversations just to appease you."

"It's not that. I only… I wish…"

He stood stock still and let his mind go vacant. It was a thankful relief, a coping mechanism he had mastered under Ghetsis' parenting. It was better to avoid confrontation, to make himself almost entirely absent with only the most basic of thoughts left behind, than to stay and suffer the consequences.

"Don't stammer," Ghetsis yelled.

"I wish to begin! How long must I continue to let my friends suffer under the tyranny of human beings? I have befriended Zekrom. I have become to Hero of Legend. I can easily topple this regime. But..."

He slowly snapped back to his senses as her image entered his mind.

"Amira stands against me. Will my victory in battle really change her mind? I wish to befriend her but I doubt her acceptance will come of-"

"No!" Ghetsis had answered too quickly and cleared his throat to hide his mistake. "No, you cannot befriend her."

He stood and walked over to N, lifted his head in his hands, and stared him in the eyes. His eyes were sky blue and like his soul, as transparent as crystal. His own eyes were red, his iris' bloodied from the disease that ravaged his body and would ultimately kill him in the end. His mother had passed it to him and in turn, he had passed it to his daughters. Women carried the disease but it only affected men.

Yet N, his only son, had been spared while he himself had not.

Every time he looked into his clear eyes, his hatred for his miserably pliable offspring grew. He was a waste of everything that should have been his; health, youth, and power over a legendary being. His only inhibition to physically harming him was that he needed him for his plan to work. At least until it was complete.

"Naturalis, listen to me," he said with all the sympathetic concern he could feign. "I have been observing that girl. I even spoke to her in an attempt to reason with her for your sake. I don't want any harm to come to you or your friends. But her nature is adamantly destructive."

He sighed and shook his head, closing his eyes and opening them again as if he were recalling a painful memory instead of the joy he had felt while raping her.

"She refused to even listen to me. She attempted to derail me with licentious invitations. When I would not submit to her immodest proposals, she turned violent. I barely escaped."

N's mouth dropped, aghast at what he was hearing. Violent perhaps, but he had never known Amira to be sexually forward. Yet he questioned how well he knew her at all. He had only observed from a distance. Her true nature could very well be a complete surprise to him.

"She's dangerous," Ghetsis continued. "She and others like her, they support only what fits their narrow definition of morality and denounce all else as a lie. You must not let yourself be swayed. Do not deviate from your purpose. Remember, your friends need you. Do you understand?"

N wanted to speak up. He wanted to ask more questions but as always, his words and strength wilted under his father's direct gaze.

"Yes. I understand."

"Good."

He let go of N just and turned to resume his seat. Before he could, the Shadow Triad emerged from the shadows and stood in the threshold of his doorway. He didn't care if they had been watching or not. There was only one person who needed to be shielded from the truth. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the Triad expectantly.

"We have completed our task, Lord Ghetsis," said one as he gave a deep bow. He shot an annoyed sideways glance to N before continuing, choosing his words carefully. "We have come to ask your approval…"

"Very well." Ghetsis followed the Triad and spoke parting words to N as they passed. "You're dismissed, Naturalis. I will call for you when the time is right. Heed my warnings. Do not further my disappointment in you."

"Yes," N answered with his head bowed once more. He waited until Ghetsis shadow completely passed through his own and when he knew he was long out of earshot before finishing, "…father."

In the dank underground of the castle catacombs, behind impenetrable bars were kept all the Pokémon Team Plasma had liberated. Here in the darkness they would stay until they were needed. It didn't matter if they died of starvation, disease, or were worked to the grave. Their numbers were plentiful, their uses numerous, and the only thing that mattered was their productivity.

Every once in a while, a few would get the idea to fight back. Casualties on either side were hardly a cause for concern. The solution was always the same as any uprising. All it took was a few choice murders to serve as an example to the others. Their corpses were grotesquely displayed, and new beasts brought in to replace the old. They were only numbers and their lives nothing more than a cycle that got repeated every few years.

Ghetsis followed the Shadow Triad past the rows of cages and bars. He deafened his eyes to their cries even though he could hear them clearly. He could hear their voices as if they spoke in human tongue and their emotions flooded him as if he possessed their souls.

When he was younger, the unwilling empathy overwhelmed him to the point where he'd lose consciousness. The repeated fainting spells and his ignorance in how to control it caused his health to fail him early in life. He blamed the Pokémon for his sickness and calloused his heart to their existence. It was because of his attempt to shut them out that he never learned how to control it. When the cursed disease was passed on to Anthena and Concordia, he mistakenly thought them immune because they were female. In truth, it was their graciousness to all living creatures that shielded them as they grew.

When N was born, he expected to watch the exact same fate as his to befall him. Instead, N found only delight in his abilities. It was then that he decided the child had been spared one too many times. Not only had disease passed him over but so too had the pain. This enraged him beyond rationale.

Seeking to teach him a lesson about the true harshness of life, he had stolen the toddler N from his mother and abandoned him far in the desolate woods. He had planned to leave him there for dead. It wasn't until he had finished concocting his plan that he realized he needed an innocent heart to manipulate.

He never curbed his bitterness but never laid a hand on his son. He didn't need to when the damage he could cause with words was more gratifying. For the rare times when his composure threatened to unravel, there were still others to take the place of his object of envy.

"We've detained the creature in here, Lord Ghetsis."

"Good. Stand by for further orders."

The Triad melted into the shadows as he stepped into a small room.

Held at bay by a collar two sizes too small around his neck was a young man in a blue jacket. His clothing, much like his body, was scraped, torn, and bloody. Blood dampened his shaggy brown hair, pooled at the bottom of his large brown eyes, and ran down his cheeks like tears. He growled at Ghetsis as he approached and bared fangs. His threat was made all the more ineffective by his glassy eyed look, even as his pupils faded away, swallowed in a sea of deep blue.

"So this is how you've eluded us for so long," he taunted. "Following that pitiful trainer around? And to what ends? Do you honestly think she's capable of being some kind of savior?"

"She'll stop you!" He pried the words from his mouth in pain and began to cough up blood. "The hero…"

"She can't even protect herself," he roared back with a laugh.

"N will…," he began. Tears welled in his eyes as he thought of N. "N will fight!"

After he had lost his mother to poachers, he masqueraded himself as a small boy and lived on the streets. He stole from humans and Pokémon alike in the hopes of finding food. Days turned to weeks that turned to months. When it seemed hunger would be the death of him, N appeared to him like a savior from a heaven beyond what he knew. He was just a child then, they both were, but he somehow saw through his illusion.

N treated his fear with kindness and took him in. He had very well saved his life and he only wanted to return the favor. He not only followed him home but followed N wherever he went, be it the forest or this gilded cage. N was more than his best friend, and he knew his purity was being abused by this monster.

"You're even dumber than the rest of these animals if you think that beaten mongrel will defy me," Ghetsis snorted. "In all his years, that bastard child's never had a spine. He's not suddenly going to grow one now."

His ears rung with the insults he had hurled at N. Not just the one, but the many he had used to damage him over the years. He couldn't bear to stand by, idle and submissive, and watch him suffer. He had seen his chance and ran away as soon as Ghetsis put his plan into motion. He regretted turning his back on N but clung desperately to the sliver of hope that he would find help. N had reached out to that girl and so he did too. He had followed her, trying to keep her safe so she could in turn protect N when he needed her.

He had helped her in Nacrene and Castelia, he had pulled her from the fire on Route 4, and fought for her in the Lostlorn Tower. Despite it all, he couldn't help her when she needed it most. She had fallen into Ghetsis' hands in the Relic Castle and so had he, right into his trap.

The young man lashed out in all his rage. His hair turned from brown to black. It spread into a voluminous coat all over his body with a deep red mane and black tips. He tore at the chain with long, curved red claws but it failed to give. His large brown eyes turned a familiar clear blue as he let out a blood-curdling howl. His mind filled with how much he hated the man before him; for all the lives he touched, he destroyed.

"I'm glad to see you still in fighting shape, Zoroark." Ghetsis' eyes gleamed and a chilling smile crossed his face as he leaned in close to the enraged fox. "Listen well. You and I are going to throw a little party. I want you to be on your best behavior. We're going to invite a very special guest."

Amira decided to leave Black City as soon as possible. She had gotten what she needed and the town offered nothing else but bad memories. She still suffered some pain and undoubtedly attributed them as the effects of her date with Colress. Still, she refused to seek outside help. She took matters into her own hands by injecting herself with Paralysis Heal. The medicine was specifically stated to be used for Pokémon only but nothing on the label said it'd be harmful to humans. After a few minutes, she started to feel dizzy. Her head buzzed as the medicine coursed through her veins and then she felt nothing at all. She assumed that meant it worked. After packing up, she was on her way back to Nimbasa City.

She had already received a call from both Alder and Drayden inquiring as to her whereabouts and if she was alright. She told them of her investigation at the Relic Castle with a forced smile on her face and made no mention of Ghetsis or Colress.

"There's still been no sign of N or Zekrom," began Alder, "which I'm a bit worried about. Team Plasma may be plotting something. Amira, they might do something to try to shake you. Forgive me for over-stepping my boundaries but I'm putting your safety first. I'm going to have to impose my authority and ask that you stay in my care."

She wanted to tell him that it was too late for precaution but a part of her felt guilty for what had happened. Instead, she answered with a nod and accepted. If staying with Alder kept Team Plasma away, then she didn't care.

"Yes, I understand. That's fine."

"Good. If you're at Relic Castle, Volcarona and I will come pick you up."

"Actually! I'm on my way back to Nimbasa. Would it be possible to meet me there instead?"

There was no stigma that she knew of associated with Black City but she figured it wouldn't be the best place to get caught.

"Sure," he answered. "I'll see you in a bit."

Amira took off on her bike and pedaled as fast as she could. There was no way she'd beat Alder and his Volcarona but she didn't want him to have to wait too long for her. She didn't know how exactly she'd make it in time but knew if she took the whole two days to make the trip, he'd become more than a little suspicious. Theodore let out a small bray of fear as she pedaled hard to go as fast as she could.

Route 16 out of Black City was a paved road that went through mountainous terrain. When she felt the chain of her bike start to slack, she let herself coast down its gradual inclines as she focused solely on keeping the bike in control. It did its job and brought them safely to the second leg of their journey. The route ascended up the mountain in the middle and either direction eventually came to an uphill battle. She dismounted her bike to run up the incline rather than forcing herself to peddle. Theodore remained riding in the basket, much to his pleasure. The hike wasn't easy but not as hard as it would've been had she not undergone her father's training. She reached the top and was surprised to find herself not at all winded.

She took the ride back down and let her mind swirl as she tried to make sense of everything that had happened. Right now, she couldn't see her life amounting to sucking any more than it was currently. Alder's words had given her some perspective but didn't take away her self-disgust. Her interaction with Colress hadn't made Ghetsis' attack sting any less.

If anything, his experiment had helped her hone one skill. She could black out the pain and bad thoughts, at least until another time. She couldn't feel anything at all when she shut her mind and forced it into nothing. She could make herself aware of only what she wanted.

Right now, she forced herself from any thoughts or memories and focused only on getting to Alder. She didn't want him to be upset with her for keeping him waiting. She picked up speed once she hit level ground and was determined to breeze through Route 15. It was a grassy route and the paved road dotted in and out of the landscape. She kept her straight path through the foliage under the assumption that she'd come out through the other side. It was only by the slight of wind that she noticed that she had made a gross miscalculation.

She stopped her bike but was too hesitant to dismount. The trees were too close together for her to ride through them. She looked around the woods in the hope of spotting a way out before taking out her X-transceiver to check. All she could get was static. She pressed button after button in hopes of retrieving the map feature or to make a call but it was all the same, only a crackling noise and a white blur. She didn't like the thought of being lost in the woods without a compass and began to panic inside. She took another look around, this time paying close attention to her surroundings.

It was eerily silent. There was no sound or sight of any creatures, birds or animals. She thought there was a breeze that brushed against the trees as they swayed slightly back and forth but she could neither feel it nor did it make a sound. She looked up at the sky and noticed how late it was. The Sun should've shown some fatigue and began to make way for evening yet it hung high and pert as if time had stopped perfectly at noon. She looked back toward the path that they had come from but it was no more. The trees hugged close together in a formation that would've been impossible for her to pass in a straight line as she did.

She planted her feet firmly on the ground as she dismounted her bike and removed Theodore from the basket. He sniffed the air and let out a growl of aroused suspicion. The air wasn't normal. It was a subtle change yet he was picking up an unfamiliar scent of sweetness. What he had expected was the slight tart and firmness of the fir trees that surrounded them or the bitterness of fallen leaves. Yet this scent contrasted everything around them. He was picking up the smell of an open field but to his eyes, they were clearly in a heavily wooded area. One thing or the other was a lie.

They both jumped at the suddenness of the surreal sound that echoed from deeper in the woods. A gentle weeping drifted through the air. She followed the sound across a brook and deep into the woods.

Ghetsis congratulated himself on how well it was working. He had predicted her reaction and she carried out his expectations like perfect clockwork. No matter her own uncertainty, she would shrug off her doubts to come to the aid of anyone in trouble. He had seen her foolish altruism at work in the past and knew it would be her own undoing. He licked his lips at his perceived poetic justice, her punishment for her kindness would be at his hands. It was a sweet taste indeed.

The woods opened to a small clearing with a trailer parked in the middle.

"Hello? Is someone in there?"

She called aloud out but got no answer, yet the crying persisted. It was louder and certainly came from the trailer. She yelled again, and again received no response. Her anxiety grew as she considered that this was most certainly suspicious.

Theodore shared her concerned as he sniffed at the scent once more. The strange sweetness was stronger here. There were two familiar scents but mixed together, they became harder to identify.

She resolved to bite the bullet come what may, as the sobbing rang in her ears. Her conscious wouldn't allow her to turn her back on someone who may be in need.

"Hello? I'm coming in..."

As she took a step forward, Theodore ran in front of her and began pushing at her feet while roaring loudly. He didn't know what the trailer held but knew he didn't want her to go any further.

"Theodore! It's just a trailer. Someone inside may need help. Come on," she said as calmly as she could. "Everything's okay as long as we're together…"

She kneeled down to pick him up, hoping that holding him would comfort the both of them at once. He mewled louder but offered no resistance as they stepped closer to the trailer. Her instinct to run began as soon as its door opened on its own. From its impenetrable darkness shot familiar strips of linen that wrapped themselves around her feet.

She screamed and dropped Theodore, sending him tumbling away as his panic turned him head over heels. As soon as her hands moved, Cofragrigus' cloth wrapped around her wrists. Theodore could only watch in horror as she was dragged away into the darkness.

He got to his feet and quickly scampered after her but the door slammed in his face. No matter how he tried to ram it, he didn't even leave a dent. Joule was not with him to open the door this time. He knew things would be different if he were stronger or bigger like Dharma and Otto. If his claws were sharper, he could've cut her free. If only he had moved fast enough. If only he evolved…

Things would be okay if they were together but what was he supposed to do when he was alone?

She was dragged inside and into Ghetsis waiting arms. The cloth slipped from her wrists as he pinned them together, pulled them above her head and slammed her against the wall.

"Am I being too rough," he purred. "I don't want to break you before we've had the chance to properly get started."

She continued to scream while trembling at the sound his voice. She knew that tone. Its implications sent her heart racing as she fought to escape. She lifted her feet and flailed her legs, kicking him and the wall as she tried to pull away as she shouted for her Pokémon to rescue her.

"Scream as much as you want but they won't come. The same signal that scrambled your communicator also renders Poké Balls inoperative. It's just the two of us."

To illustrate his point, he threw her against the kitchenette and she doubled over as its jagged edge hit her sharply in the midsection. She tried to right herself in defiance of the pain when he grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back as jerked her to her feet once more.

He threw her onto the bed hard enough to hear a solid thud as she hit the wall and yet she still attempted to crawl away. He grabbed wrist once more and pulled, using the pain to direct her movement. He straddled her waist while forcing her to turn over onto her back, held her down with one hand and began spreading her legs.

"Stop! Stop it! Get off!"

He laughed as he reached around and began undoing her clothing, "I haven't even begun."

He watched with heightening euphoria as he reduced her to tears with his perverted conquest. He gave in to his enraged lust with a smile on his face as he swore to impress himself on every part of her. If she would not yield to him willingly, he would break her to it. Her screams mingled with her tears was music to his ears. Her distress was just as delicious as the first time.

"What's the matter," he taunted. "You're not so feisty today. Are you enjoying it? If I had known this was all it took to get you out of my hair, I would've done this long ago!"

He wrapped her in his arms as he remembered every time he encountered her in the past. It was true in a way, he would've looked her very differently if he knew then what he knew now. He had first seen her in Accumula Town, clutching that bear Pokémon like a child with a plush doll. He spotted her in the crowd but paid her no mind. He had no reason to suspect she'd be any trouble.

The second time he ran into her was regarded as mere coincidence. After all, she had been in the company of a Gym Leader when she barged into their hideout in Castelia City. She was still nothing in his eyes but for that, he still sought revenge.

By their third encounter, he knew her well. She had interfered with his minions numerous times before but as idiotic as they were, it was nothing that garnered special attention. Yet the third time, when he saw her in Driftveil, they were well established enemies. It was obvious she would be an obstacle in his plans and so he had tested abilities as a trainer. That she had outshone even N, his own creation, demanded he pay very close attention to her from then on.

Meanwhile, Theodore had followed the scent of fresh air out of Zoroark's illusion. From Route 16, he ran straight on to Nimbasa City. He ignored the fear that coursed through him and instead, thought only of his trainer. She was in danger and he knew it was up to him to save her, somehow. On his own, he doubted he was strong enough to do anything. He had to find help but who and where? Every person he ran into only tried to capture him. He had fled from more trainers then he had from wild Pokémon. Those whom he pleaded with for help didn't seem to understand him at all.

He didn't stop trying and kept his paws moving. He made it to the Nimbasa City Amusement Park, praying to find someone there. He remembered Elesa and headed for the gym thinking that maybe she would help him the same way he had seen her help Bianca. That's when Alder's voice caught his attention. Theodore didn't particularly care for him. Still, he knew he was a friend and now wasn't the time to be picky.

"Hey there, little cub," said Alder as he approached.

He picked up the cub and Theodore fought his every instinct to bawl, thinking Alder would again hoist him high over his head. He was completely taken aback by Alder's changed demeanor. He remembered him being loud, noisy, and usually smelling like a granary but at this particular moment, he seemed sad and smelled like river water. Alder held Theodore to his chest and cradled him in one arm as he looked around curiously.

"Alright," he said hesitantly, "you're here but where's Amira? She was supposed to meet me here... You two are usually inseparable, aren't you?"

Theodore began mewling wildly. It almost slipped his mind that he needed to fetch help. Even though he was sober, Theodore doubted that Alder would understand him. Having been frustrated to the point of tears, he scratched at his face. His claw caught in the rope necklace of Poké Balls that Alder always wore. Thinking quickly, Theodore jumped from his arms with the necklace in tow and hurriedly ran off, praying that Alder would take the hint and follow.

Done reminiscing about the past, Ghetsis was focusing on enjoying his dominance. Demeaning her on the most basic of levels, reducing her to less than an object, to a mere form of entertainment, heightened his pleasure to a state of near delirium. He sought to leave her utterly devastated.

Her will to fight was completely drained. Her attempts to stop him and escape were meek and empty. He would have her just as he wanted, helpless to defy him. He had one arm pinned behind her back and took joy in twisting it to the point of near dislocation. His other hand was on her neck with his fingers clasped around her throat. He enjoyed her descent into panic every time he squeezed just tight enough to stop her breathing, as much as he did her choked gasps for air once his grip loosened.

She screamed as reached the culmination of his pleasure. The door to the camper was pulled from its frame, broken from its hinges, and forced open. He stared at the intruder with glazed eyes and a mocking joy as he pulled her closer to him, positioning her as both a shield and a hostage.

"Well, if it isn't the Champion. Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

His voice was cold but the smile on his face never waned as he stared in post-orgasmic bliss. He forced her in front of him further so that the evidence of his victory was more clearly visible. Amira didn't dare raise her face. Shame burned through her body as she choked on her tears. They fell harder than before at the thought of her disgraced appearance in front of Alder.

"Let. Her. Go." Alder's words were calm but held no deception of his wrath.

"She's here of her own will," said Ghetsis as he gave her a small lick on the cheek but kept his eye on Alder. "You're the one interrupting an intimate moment between lovers."

"That is an order!"

His voice roared with such viciousness that it shook the camper and the fleeing sounds of various Pokémon could be heard.

Ghetsis took a deep breath and slowly slid her off his lap, making a display of it. She choked on the pain of her exposure. She let out a gritted scream of revulsion and buried her face in the sheets. He lowered her on to the bed with a wistful look of adoration at her distress. Before their skin parted completely, there was the shattering of glass and the sound of an explosion as the camper flooded with a noxious black smoke.

She felt a thick cloth being thrown over her and heard the panicked cries of Theodore. It was the last of her senses before being consumed by darkness.