All credits to ReallyDarkandWindie for fakemon.
Anna woke up on a stretcher being carried through a poorly lit hallway by a pair of Haxorus.
Where am I? she wondered.
"Where am I? Can you help me?" the Eevee asked.
They did not respond, simply continuing to walk.
"Hello! Are you listening?"
Soon, they came to what seemed to be a prison block. Rows upon rows of cells containing pokemon in various states of hysteria and depression lined the hallway.
One set down the stretcher and unlocked the door of a cell, shoving Anna inside. The other hauled a dead pokemon from a puddle of blood on the floor. They were a bluish wolflike pokemon unlike any Anna had ever seen, with white paws, tailtip and head, as well as a white ruff down their belly and shoulders. Many whipmarks, some semi-healed, some open and bleeding, covered their back.
The haxorus seemed to ignore the gruesome scene before them, or the whimpering and screams of the captured pokemon. It was like they saw this as a regular occurence, not even making comment.
The cell was gloomy, lit by only the flickering incandescent strips in the hallway. There was no bedding or furniture aside from two pairs of steel bowls. The concrete was coated with a mixture of blood and grime.
Two other pokemon were inside her cell. One was doglike with dark blue fur. They had a yellow tail, paws and ear tips, as well as matching diamond markings on their cheeks and a lightning bolt marking on their forehead.
The second was easily recognizable- a Houndour.
Both had several whip and burn scars on their backs and legs. Blood and grime was crusted into their fur. They looked decrepit and haggard in every way.
"Name's Andi. Ask me all the questions you want." said the dark blue pokemon.
"Well, what exactly are you?"
"A Leerup." she replied.
Anna stared out at the hallway as a Haxorus dragged a gagged and struggling Nidorino off into a corridor marked "TEST BAY 1".
"What are they doing?" she asked the Leerup.
"I dunno. But all I know is that they do some kind of testing in there."
"What was with the corpse they removed earlier?"
"That was Cam the Pupreez. He tried to escape, and the guards whipped him until he fell unconscious."
"Why?"
"That's their definition of fair punishment. They don't care if we die- they've got plenty more pokemon here."
"They just left him to bleed out?"
"Yep. And Hammy over there tried his best to wash the wounds. He's still soft enough to waste water on somemon who's going to die either way." Andi said, pointing at the sleeping Houndour."They left the corpse in here for two days as well."
"Why?"
"Again, they only removed the corpse because they had another reason to come here. You."
A loud crash rang throughout the hallway suddenly. A bipedal dinosaurlike pokemon; with a skulllike growth over its face, purple spikes on its neck and purple and green marbled scales was hurling itself against the bars of its cell across the hallway.
Three haxorus guards, two equipped with long spearlike rods ending in three metal spikes, and the third with a short rod ending in a pair of vicious-looking hooks ran towards the cell.
The one with the rod unlocked the cell, and the other two drove their spears into the pokemon. A jolt of electricity leaped from the spikes and brought the pokemon to its knees. It lifted a claw to swipe at the guards but was interrupted by a ferocious jab from a spear.
"What are they using?" Anna asked.
"Those spears are electric prods. They send a big jolt of electricity through your body if you get hit by one. Mostly they use them on the bigger pokemon."
The guard with the hooked rod brought it down hard on the back of the pokemon. The hooks ripped through the hide viciously. Again and again they brought it down, the hooks flensing the pokemon's flesh to pieces. The pokemon seemed to be determined not to show the pain it was in, gritting its teeth hard.
Eventually they stopped, shoving the pokemon into the cell roughly.
"Well, we do have to feed the damn things, so might as well do it now while we're on patrol." one said, nonchalantly.
The two others muttered something in agreement, heading off to a side room marked "PANTRY". They came back with a large bag each, stopping at each cell to pour a pile of spherical pellets into two of the bowls inside each one. One bag had green pellets and the other brown. Apparently these two kinds of pellets were kept separate.
Eventually they came to Anna's cell. She backed up away from the guards as they poured the pellets into the bowls.
Anna suddenly felt a twinge of hunger at the scent of the pellets.
She rushed over to the bowl of green pellets and licked a few up. They crumbled in her mouth easily before turning into a thick, sticky paste that tasted like a mixture of a charcoal briquette and sour, wilted lettuce.
"Gah!" Anna exclaimed. "It's so weird!"
"You'll get used to it." remarked Andi.
"I don't think I ever will..."
Hammy the Houndour had woken up, and had eaten some of the brown pellets before turning to the corner, where a small circle had been carved in the grime coating the floor. He busied himself flicking a pellet at the circle.
Suddenly a pair of guards approached the cell and unlocked it. Anna's heart skipped a beat.
"Come on, little Eevee. We've got some testing to do."
Andi nudged her forward gently.
"Last Eevee that went with them came back as a perfectly healthy Jolteon."
"But what if I don't want to evolve?"
"They don't care. I don't care. It's your life."
Anna stepped forward. The Haxorus led her into the Test Bay corridor, shoving her into a small room with an observation deck overhead.
On the deck was a single pokemon, a pink foxike pokemon with purple feet and belly and a matching head ruff; as well as frilly ribbons extending from its shoulders and a similar-looking tail. Its muzzle was darker pink, as were the ribbons.
Levitating beside the pokemon were several clipboards and pens.
One of the Haxorus spoke.
"Your Eevee test subject is here, Ms Esphlare." they said.
That's Dila to you, DD67. Can't you tell the difference between different Esphlare? The voice seemed to be inside her head.
"Sorry, Dila. My bad."
I tire of your presence. Leave the subject here, and complete your next job.
The Haxorus left the room quickly, locking the door behind them.
Suddenly the entire room went dark.
Do you feel any changes?
"Uh.. well, no."
Dila left her in the dark room for a few more minutes. Her eyes were growing more used to the darkness.
Has anything changed now?
"Well, I can kind of see a little better."
Can you see color?
"No. Just grays."
The lights came back on. One of the pens was making notes on one of the clipboards, from what Anna's glare-blinded eyes could make out.
Good. Let's try and make you a Vaporeon, shall we?
Suddenly two vents in the chamber opened up, beginning to flood the room with water. The water swirled ever higher, eventually swallowing Anna in the tides. She tried to kick her way up to the surface, but the currents sucked her deeper down under, no matter how much she struggled.
Suddenly, she felt something tugging at her neck and paws. Probably just the current. She gasped for air, but got only water.
I'm going to drown! she thought in a panic.
She felt calm, and peaceful.
The water wrapped around her, sinking its cool tendrils into her body.
Then the reality of her situation woke her from her stupor. Surprisingly, her ascent was swift and unhindered.
She broke the surface, gasping in the stale air above.
It worked. My theories were correct!
The water drained away beneath her except for a shallow ankle-deep layer.
Now for a battle. Last pokemon still conscious wins.
A small green hummingbird-like pokemon was raised up through a hatch in the floor.
Introducing- Tweetum!
The Tweetum took off, charging forward at Anna in a Tackle.
Anna twisted aside, letting the Tweetum plow into the ground. She then slammed into the the downed Tweetum with a Quick Attack, knocking the bird across the battlefield.
The Tweetum got up surprisingly quickly and darted in, uppercutting Anna with a swift Wing Attack. It pulled up, readying another Wing Attack. Anna instinctively raised a stiff disc of water overhead in a reflexive Protect. The Tweetum's attack collided with the disc, knocking it out of the air.
How'd I do that?
Then she realized. She had evolved into a Vaporeon. Now was not the time to think.
She reached forward towards the water, curling it swiftly into a swirl of rain around the Tweetum.
Then she flash-froze the water, turning it into jagged spikes that shot rapidly at the Tweetum in a Icicle Spear.
Wow. Didn't know Vaporeons could use that move. Battle over.
The Tweetum's eyes flashed magenta briefly.
You have potential, Anna the Vaporeon.
Suddenly a voice blared over the intercom.
"Cadaver removal requested in Test Bay 1 Chamber 2."
We're in Chamber 3, don't you worry.
How'd she know I was worried? Anna wondered.
"Hey! Are you reading my mind?" she exclaimed.
Sure am. Eliminates all those pesky questions.
"That's rude."
You know what, how about I just move you to another cell block..One with less grime. These haxori can't be arsed to clean unless they're being threatened. Savages.
"That would be nice."
Have a good night! Hope you enjoy it, cause you won't see this side of the century any time soon..
"Wha-"
A pair of haxorus entered the room, grabbed Anna roughly(cutting her off) and hauled her off to a large room filled with tanks.
Most were filled with pokemon floating peacefully with a tube inserted at the back of their neck.
The haxorus shoved Anna into a non-filled tank and left.
She felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck and liquid swirling around her.
Then everything was spinning, until it faded to black.