Violence Disregards Misfortune

A power equal to and opposite of my own.

I managed to stop it last time, but…

I have grown weaker as time has passed.

Kyle felt himself gain consciousness and snapped his eyes open. He pressed his hands against the smooth, cool, marble floor and jumped to his feet. He whipped his head back and forth to take in his surroundings.

Carol, Adrien, and Jordan were all awake, seated as they watched him. Carol and Jordan were giving him hard looks while Adrien's face was expressionless. All of their bags and belongings were gone, along with their jackets and coats. They were all in their shirts.

In the room with the man and the woman who picked them up from the shopping center. They were holding on to the bags and jackets while blocking one of the doors in the room. Kyle turned his head the other way and saw a man with a thin blonde beard. Kyle guessed he was the one who owned the Gengar.

Directly to the Gengar trainer's left was a leather couch. Sitting on that couch was a man who looked very similar to the Gengar trainer, except he had a much goofier look about him.

Could they be related? Kyle wondered.

The couch looked almost like a throne in the way it was positioned. Kyle guessed the one sitting on it was the one in charge, the one called "Leader." He was leaning forward intently, though his foolish grin made it look less intimidating. He was wearing a simple white t-shirt and black jeans. He wore no shoes, and he was tapping one of his bare feet.

"Seems like you're a little eager, Judgment," the man on the couch said. "How was your nap?"

"A little forced, I think," Kyle said. Then he added, "Leader," earning him a grin from the one he was addressing.

"Yes, well, we couldn't have you knowing where we were, could we?" Leader questioned playfully.

"I mean, it's not like there were any windows I could see clearly out of in that van."

Leader laughed. "Oh, I like you." He clapped his hands together and rubbed his palms against one another. "Alright, now that you're all awake, I have some questions."

Kyle felt jeans and found that the Dominance ball that held Eve was gone, as well as his phone. He searched around frantically, but couldn't find where it might be.

"Oh, if you're looking for your Pokemon and your phones, you needn't worry," Leader said. "Dream Eater has them."

The one with the blonde beard held up three Poke balls and one Dominance ball for the four of them to see in his right hand. He held up his left hand as well. In it were four phones.

"You'll get them back momentarily," Leader assured. "We just have to make sure you're trustworthy, first. You understand, I'm sure."

Kyle shrugged, though someone else holding Eve in their hand gave him an unpleasant feeling.

"No more interruptions," Leader said. "I have questions for all of you."

These questions shouldn't be too much trouble, even if he's testing our trustworthiness, Kyle thought. We'll probably be able to make stuff up. We just have to be able to think fast.

"First of all, what are your names?" Leader asked. "I know to call him Judgment, but I don't what to call the rest of you. You don't have to give me your real names, just something to call you by."

Carol, Adrien, and Jordan exchanged glances. Jordan shrugged and stood first, facing Leader.

"You can call me Flare Blitz," Jordan said.

Leader nodded as Carol stood up as well. "I'm Outrage,"

They chose names based on moves their Pokemon will learn when they level up, Kyle realized. Just like everyone else in Team Dominion. That should gain at least a little favor.

Leader must have realized this as well, for he grinned widely. "Okay. And what about you?"

Adrien hadn't stood yet. He was looking at the floor with his hands in his lap.

"Give him a sec," Jordan said, sighing. "He likes to think these things through."

Leader didn't seem agitated by this. In fact, it seemed like he enjoyed the fact that one of them was taking their time.

Adrien opened his mouth to say something after a few minutes, then paused suddenly. He cocked his head to the left as if he were listening to something.

"Shadow Force," he said quietly at last. His voice was only a little above a whisper. Kyle could barely hear it.

"I'm sorry?" Leader said. "If you could speak up?"

"Shadow Force," Adrien said more clearly as he, too, stood.

Leader frowned. "All right, sure."

Kyle knew why Leader was frowning. Shadow Force wasn't a move that he had heard of before. He was fairly certain it didn't exist.

"Well, anyway," Leader said, the smile returning to his face, "Now that I know what to call you I can ask you all questions. Tell me, Judgment," He turned to Kyle, who readied himself. "I'd like to know since you said he's your friend. What's Petal Dance's real name?"

The question caught Kyle slightly off guard. He was expecting a question asking why he would join Team Dominion. He had already prepared part of a backstory that involved a quest for revenge. Because of this, he hesitated a bit too long as he tried to think.

"I don't think he'd want me to just reveal his name like that," Kyle said hastily, stumbling over the words a bit.

Leader smiled. "Of course, of course," he said. "I was only curious. You don't have to tell me if that's not what you think he'd want." He turned to Carol. "You there. Outrage, you said? I'd like you to tell me how you all managed to hack into the CPP database."

So that's it, Kyle thought, realization dawning upon him. He's not looking for loyalty. He's trying to determine the validity of what I told him. If our answers are jumbled and inaccurate, he'll know something's off.

Carol blinked once. She knew that the story was that the four of them had worked together to hack into the CPP's files, but she knew nothing beyond that. All she could do was try and say something that might be plausible.

"Oh, I didn't do any of the actual hacking," Carol said. Her composure was excellent considering her position, but Kyle could hear that her words were shaking slightly. He hoped Leader didn't notice.

Leader cocked his head, confused. "You didn't? Judgment told me you all contributed."

Carol shook her head. "It was just the three of them." She waved her hand towards her friends. "All I did was set up the equipment and fix their computers if they broke down. They can infiltrate well, but don't know a damn thing about computer manufacturing. That's my specialty."

As far as Kyle knew, Carol didn't know much about it, either, but the way she said it made it all sound very convincing.

Leader nodded, then pointed at Jordan. "Perhaps you can tell me, then."

Now it would get difficult. Jordan couldn't pull the same stunt as Carol had, especially since she had told Leader that Jordan had directly helped in the hacking. Kyle was worried, but he soon found out he didn't have a reason to be.

Jordan, with an expression as calm as a light breeze, put his hands in his pockets as he began to describe in detail the process in which they supposedly found the information they had given to Team Dominion. Kyle couldn't make any sense out of what he said, but whatever it was seemed to satisfy Leader.

They had dodged two bullets, but Kyle knew there were more to come.

"And now a question for you, Shadow Force," Leader said. He said the name with a hint of regret in his voice as if saying it was like tasting table salt. "What exactly was it that you found? What did you provide us with?"

Kyle began to feel the beginnings of panic. He had neglected to tell any of them what Marcus had actually uncovered on his search. It was near impossible to guess, and making something up would give them away.

Adrien, as usual when it came to answering direct questions, looked a little uncomfortable. He looked towards Leader for a moment. Then he glanced at Kyle and the others for a moment before turning around to look at the members who were blocking their exit.

Come on, Adrien! Kyle thought as he tried to keep himself from fidgeting.

Adrien turned back towards Leader. "Could I have my jacket back?" He asked.

Leader's smile faded. "What?"

"My jacket," Adrien clarified, pointing at the black garment the woman was holding. "Could I have it back?"

Leader blinked once. "I suppose, sure." He gestured for the woman to give Adrien his jacket. "Just make sure their's nothing in it," he told her.

The woman shook out Adrien's jacket, then proceeded to search it, making sure there was nothing in the pockets nor any secret pockets. When she was satisfied, she took a few steps foward and tossed Adrien the jacket. He grasped it with both hands and pulled it on, zipping it up. He adjusted the sleeves and let out a deep sigh. Suddenly, he looked much more at ease.

"I have no clue what it was," Adrien said perfectly. "I just found it. The file had no label. I showed it to Judgment because I thought it was important. He was the one who managed to open the thing. He never showed us what it was."

In all the time Kyle had known Adrien, he had never heard him speak as if he were sure of his words until now. Usually, he seemed careful about what he said, causing him to misspeak every now and then. But the words he spoke to Leader seemed like they came from one who was greatly experienced in speech.

What the hell was that? Kyle wondered in awe.

"Very well," Leader said, sighing. "Those are all the questions I have for you three. Venoshock, take them to their rooms."

"Right," Kyle heard the woman acknowledge. She walked forward and grabbed Jordan's arm, who pulled it from her grip. She didn't try to grab it again. "C'mon. You two as well." She pointed at Carol and Adrien.

"Actually, I'd like you to leave that one here," Dream Eater spoke. It had been the first time he had said anything since Kyle woke up.

"Huh?" The woman - Leader had called her Venoshock - asked. "This one?" She indicated Adrien, who had his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, him," Dream Eater said.

Venoshock looked to Leader for the final order. Leader was busy examining Dream Eater's face.

"Whatever," Leader said. "Take Flare Blitz and Outrage. Judgment and Shadow Force will join them shortly."

Carol and Jordan looked like they wanted to protest, but they were thankfully both wise enough not to. However, it was slightly surprising for Kyle to see Jordan cooperate with them.

Soon, the only ones left in the room were Kyle, Adrien, Leader, and Dream Eater. They stood in silence, Kyle and Adrien on one side and Leader and Dream Eater on the other.

If I had to guess, I'd say these two will be our toughest obstacles, Kyle thought to himself, trying to form a plan in his mind. But we can't do anything without our Pokemon!

"Why'd you want to keep him here?" Leader asked Dream Eater.

Dream Eater stared intently at Adrien, who returned the look with a calm expression. "He's someone to worry about," he told Leader without looking in his direction. "Trust me, I can tell. It's best if he stays within my sight."

Leader shrugged. "I'll take your word for it." He focused on Kyle. "Now, I have a few more questions."

More? Kyle thought. He was getting tired of the questions. When would he earn their trust? They had answered their other questions well enough.

He couldn't keep himself from asking, "More? Haven't we proven ourselves already?"

Leader grinned. "Oh, we're just getting started." He stood up from his couch and began to slowly descend the steps in between him and Kyle. "I'll ask another question. This one is for both of you. Is it easy for you to tell when someone's lying?"

Kyle suddenly felt cold, and it wasn't because his jacket had been taken from him. "No," he said honestly, while Adrien nodded.

"Is it easy?" Leader asked Adrien.

Adrien shrugged. "Depends on the person."

"It always seemed to come naturally to me," Leader said fondly. "I could always tell apart the fibs from the truth." He turned back to Kyle. "With that in mind, do you think it's easy to fool me?"

Kyle found it difficult to swallow. His mouth was beginning to dry. "I doubt it."

"So, would you be surprised if I told you that I don't believe a word of what any of you said?"

Kyle broke eye contact and remained silent. Adrien didn't speak up, either.

"Now, I'll admit that I'm deeply impressed by how well you all managed to lie," Leader said sincerely. "I could barely tell it was on the spot. But it wasn't enough."

This was not how Kyle had seen things going. He clenched his fists and tried to think of a way to fix all of this. He needed to put himself in a better position. But how?

"So, I want to know why you're here," Leader said. "I already know you're not what you say you are. You're not a loyal member, and you're not a hacker, either. I know that. What I still can't figure out is your exact reason for being here. I have some ideas, of course."

What had I been thinking would happen, anyway? Kyle wondered. That I would just find myself in a lucky spot? That there would some convenient time where I could blow everyone away and take down an entire criminal organization? Damn, I'm such an idiot.

"My primary theory," Leader went on, "is that you work for the CPP. That would explain how you received those files without hacking." He reached the bottom of the steps and continued walking toward Kyle on even ground. "If that were true, then it would mean you were probably followed, in which case we'll be invaded soon enough by police. Is that it?" He looked at Kyle expectantly.

Kyle could no longer see any reason why he should lie. The fire that had been inside of him, the one that had burned on the fuel of the confidence that had driven him to take down Team Dominion, had gone out.

"No," he said. "They're not here."

Leader frowned. "Wow. You're not lying. So why are you here? Oh! Maybe you planned to contact them once you got here? Too bad I had you put to sleep. Yeah, I took your phone away too. Hey, you know what?" He stopped and turned around to face Dream Eater. "Toss me the gray one," he told him.

Dream Eater pulled out the phone with the grey case - Kyle's phone - and tossed it to Leader, who turned back around and continued to approach Kyle. When he was about five feet away, he stopped and held out the phone to Kyle.

"Here," he said. "Call them. Here, I'll even tell you where we are." He then recited an address. Kyle found himself believing that the address was real, as he saw Dream Eater raise an eyebrow when Leader said it.

Kyle took his phone and stared at it. He could call the CPP. But Leader seemed confident. There was no way he didn't have a plan in mind. Besides, Kyle didn't feel up for being a prisoner who needed rescuing, though he was feeling an awful lot like one.

"That wasn't my plan, either," Kyle said, letting his arm fall to his side.

Leader sighed. "Fine then. I give up. Tell me what you had in mind."

Kyle looked at the smooth marble floor. "I just thought…" He stopped.

There was a moment of silence. Then Kyle heard Leader begin to chuckle before it turned into raucous laughter.

"No way!" Leader exclaimed. "You thought you could do this all on your own?" He laughed some more. The sound of it made Kyle grit his teeth.

Carol had been right, he thought.

Leader settled down a bit before he continued to speak. "As funny as that is," he said, "it's disappointing. You're pretty much useless to me." He sighed, then turned to Dream Eater again. "Go put them in their rooms. I'll think about what to do with them. Have their phones destroyed and their Pokemon placed in Dominance balls under my ID. At least I'll get something out of all this."

The last part made Kyle snap. He jumped towards Leader and pushed him to the ground, raising his arms and trying to punch the head of Team Dominion in the face. Leader punched Kyle in the gut, causing him to groan in pain. Leader then kicked the boy off of him and got to his feet as Kyle lied on the floor, holding his gut.

Leader was breathing hard. Both Adrien and Dream Eater had taken a step forward as if they intended to interfere but had stopped when Leader had thrown Kyle off. Adrien walked over to Kyle to see if he was alright.

Kyle caught a glimpse of Leader's smile. "That was a little fun," he said, chuckling a little in between breaths. He turned back to Dream Eater. "Put him to sleep. He'll probably just cause more trouble if we keep him awake."

Dream Eater took out a Dominance ball and released his Gengar. Once again, Kyle was met with the chill of the ghost-type's presence. And once again, Kyle met the embrace of sleep as Gengar's sinister red eyes flared.

Kyle opened his eyes, blinked them to make sure he had actually opened them. The room he was in was as black as pitch. He couldn't tell how large the room was or where the exit was.

He could barely see his own body. He hoped his eyes would adjust soon.

Kyle wasn't tied up. He'd been expecting some kind of bondage.

I guess they don't see me as much of a threat, Kyle thought.

He didn't try to get up and find the exit. It would probably be locked. The best thing to do now was to sit still. He couldn't hope for anything to happen. Nothing could happen, after all.

Adrien hadn't been put under sleep. Dream Eater had carried Kyle while Adrien walked in front. He had thrown Kyle into his "room," which was small and empty. It was more like solitary confinement than a room. Adrien couldn't help but wonder if Jordan and Carol had been thrown into similar paces.

Dream Eater had taken Kyle's Dominance ball and pressed the sleeping boy's thumb against the button to unlock it before closing the door.

Dream Eater then took Adrien to his own room across the hall. When the door was opened, Adrien saw that it was practically identical to the one Kyle was in. Adrien walked inside a few steps before turning around to see Dream Eater holding out a Poke ball. Chu's Poke ball.

"Unlock it," Dream Eater said.

Adrien stared at the Poke ball, then looked back up to Dream Eater. "No thanks."

A wave of pain flashed across Adrien's face, he stumbled and hit the ground. He grimaced in pain as he felt strong hands grab his own and press his own thumb against something cool and metal. The button on the Poke ball. Then Dream Eater left and shut the door behind him without a word, plunging Adrien in darkness. Adrien sighed and sat down.

I guess we just got unlucky, he thought to himself. There was no way Kyle could have predicted all of this perfectly. I don't blame him. It was my choice to come along, too. It's my own fault I'm in this situation. At least I have my jacket.

Adrien closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall. He could at least try to fall asleep so he didn't have a headache while he waited.

Yo...ving...up?

Adrien sighed. He knew that there was no one else in the room. It was the voice inside of his head again. Adrien kept his eyes closed and tried to ignore it.

You're...giving...up?

Adrien opened his eyes this time. The voice was more clear, and he could understand what it was saying.

Answer me.

Adrien knew that talking to yourself led to insanity, but he didn't really care at this point. He was already pretty mentally unstable.

"I wouldn't call it giving up," Adrien said. "If an opportunity presented itself, I'd take it. But for now, there's not much I can do."

You could have resisted the one that brought you here. You could have fought back.

Adrien had half-expected the voice not to respond. He was a little surprised when it did, but he still talked with it nonetheless as if it were perfectly normal.

"I came along because there was only a chance that I might die," he said. "Sure, it was a big chance, but it wasn't exactly suicide, either. That's when it becomes fun."

Ah, I see. That's why you came. You wanted to feel close to death without actually dying. You find the feeling exhilarating. You must be very bored.

Adrien chuckled. "Yeah."

I get bored often, too. I'm in a place where I cannot interact with anyone. But I think this could be a good time for both of us. So, would you like to have some fun together?

The voice was getting clearer with every word. Adrien couldn't help but consider the voice as an actual separate being from him, and not just a voice.

Adrien smiled slightly. "Sure. I'd love to."

He felt a feeling inside of himself. It felt as if he were grinning widely, but when he felt his face, it was still his own half-smile. Was it the voice?

Good. Let's begin.

Adrien gasped as a wave of power and emotion began to course through his body.

The Poke balls belonging to the four captive trainers, along with their other belongings, were being held in the same room where Dominance balls were made. The room was perhaps the largest one in the building, with machinery designed to shape metal and computers for assigning the balls to Team Dominion members.

Fire Spin, one of the members of Burn Squad, had been tasked with transferring the Pokemon he had been given to Dominance balls assigned to the leader. He sat at a table in one of the corners of the room, away from the machines. Dream Eater had brought them there, along with a few jackets and backpacks. Fire Spin had asked about them, but Dream Eater hadn't answered.

The Poke balls had been unlocked, which saved a lot of trouble. He didn't need to find Extrasensory or someone else with hacking skills to unlock them. All he had to do was release the Pokemon, then quickly capture them with Dominance balls before they knew what was happening. Fire Spin had already contained three of them with this method: the Dratnini and the Monferno. Those two sat on the table next to him in Dominance balls

Fire Spin was preparing to do the next one. He wouldn't know what the Pokemon species was until he opened the Poke ball, but it wouldn't make much difference.

He took the Poke ball in his left hand and the empty Dominance ball in his right, preparing himself. When he was ready, he pressed his thumb against the unlocked Poke ball, opening it. A flash of light came from the depths of the Poke ball and began to materialize in the space in front of him. Right as it fully formed, Fire Spin shot his arm out and tapped once on the Pokemon, sealing it inside the Dominance ball. Satisfied, he placed it on the table. That one had been a Pikachu.

Now, what to do about the one inside the Dominance ball...

You think I can be so easily contained?

The Dominance ball holding Chu began to tremble slightly. The Team Dominion member didn't look over.

Only one has managed to imprison my power, and that one's own abilities are beyond compare to some measly device you filthy creatures created.

The Dominance ball began to shake. The Team Dominion member who had been lost in thought turned his head. The ball had apparently caught his attention.

DO NOT MAKE ME LAUGH.

The Dominance ball burst open, fragments flying in all directions. Chu, freed from its confinement, stood on the table.

The Team Dominion member held his hands up to his face. Through Chu's eyes, the Renegade could see blood from behind his hands. The metal fragments must have cut him.

"H-H-" the man stammered, stumbling backward.

GET OUT OF MY SIGHT.

Chu fired off a Thunderbolt, striking the man in the shoulder. He screamed, taking one hand away from his face to cover his new injury. When he took his hand away from his shoulder to inspect it, it was badly burned and charred.

"B-but you don't have a trans-attack!" The man insisted.

The Renegade knew he couldn't be heard, but it didn't stop him from speaking.

YOU THINK I NEED YOUR TOOLS TO BE POWERFUL?

Chu shot the man with another Thunderbolt, this time in the chest. The man fell still. The Renegade wasn't sure if the man was dead or alive. It wasn't used to using any power after so long. Quite frankly, it didn't care if the man was dead.

Chu turned to the other Dominance balls on the table. It focused on the one that held the Eevee. The one that belonged to that other human.

So, this is your puppet.

Chu looked the Dominance ball up and down. It placed its flat tail underneath it and hefted it into the air.

I could destroy it right now. What would you do, then? You'd have little chance of preserving your power.

Chu set the ball down.

Still, it's a chance. Destroying your puppet would have little benefit. Not only that, but it would make my vessel upset with me. I can't afford that.

Chu took a step back, then kicked the Dominance ball with the force and power of a god. The container shattered, and the Eevee materialized on the table in front of Chu.

Pokemon could communicate well with each other, despite not being able to speak. Chu told the puppet that their trainers were in trouble and that they needed to help. The Eevee understood.

Chu destroyed the other two Dominance balls, freeing the Dratini and the Monferno. Then the Pikachu explained the situation to them, as well. The Pokemon broke the door to the room down and began to search the hallways. Before Chu left, however, there was one more thing the Renegade wanted to do while they were here.

Chu turned on the machinery and began releasing powerful shocks of electricity, destroying every machine and computer in the room. Not another Dominance ball would be made after this. When it was done, Chu nodded its head in satisfaction before turning to follow the other Pokemon.

Adrien found it hard to describe the feeling that had come over him. It wasn't...anger. It was more of a strong desire to fight. For conflict. He desired violence. That was it.

He needed someone to fight. And there were plenty of people right outside that door. He just needed it to open.

As soon as these thoughts came across his mind, the door was blasted inward. It hit the wall opposite the entrance to the room. Light poured inside. Adrien watched as his Pokemon hopped inside and picked him out in the darkness. Adrien smiled at it.

There. Now, let's satisfy our need for excitement.

Kyle had tried to sleep, but couldn't. He couldn't stop thinking about how he had let everyone down. They could all die, and it was his fault. His own doing.

He punched the wall next to him. "Dammit!" He growled at the pain on his knuckles.

Just then, he heard a clicking noise as the door to his room opened. Kyle blinked as his eyes adjusted to the change in lighting. Then he blinked again because he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Adrien, Carol, and Jordan all stood in the doorway. They looked like they were having a bit of a rough time, except for Adrien, who was smiling a little. He waved at Kyle.

"Hey," he said.

Kyle pushed himself to his feet and walked forward slowly, mouth open in disbelief. The Pokemon were there, too. Eve ran up and jumped into his arms. Scarf was wrapped around Carol's neck. Fireball was leaning against Jordan's leg. Chu was sitting on top of Adrien's shoulder.

"How?" Kyle asked.

Jordan pointed a thumb to Adrien. "It was this guy. He just came up to my prison room and opened the door. All of the Pokemon were with him. I have no idea how he managed it."

Jordan looked like he was having the worst time out of everyone. His face was painted with bruises and cuts. Adrien had a mark, too, but Jordan's face was much worse.

"What happened?" Kyle asked, pointing.

"Oh, this? They wanted me to unlock my Poke ball. I didn't want to. That guy from the van did this as a result," he said. "Oh, yeah, your plan kinda failed, by the way. Didn't know if you'd noticed."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kyle said, sighing. "I'm just glad we're back on track." He turned to Carol, who had yet to speak. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Carol looked better than Adrien and Jordan as far as injuries went. She seemed relatively calm, too. At least, that was what he thought.

"Idiot!" Carol burst as she proceeded to punch Kyle across the face. He yelped and accidentally dropped Eve to the ground. The Pokemon landed on its feet and scurried behind Kyle.

"Hey! Come on, I know I deserve that, but-" Kyle was cut off as Carol went in again, this time embracing him in a hug.

Kyle would have appreciated the moment a lot more if Adrien and Jordan weren't staring. Jordan was laughing while trying hard not to make a sound. Adrien was still smiling with his hands in his jacket pockets.

Carol pulled away and wiped her eyes. She pushed Kyle off of her.

"Okay, let's go," she said. "I'm in the mood for beating the crap out of some criminals."

Kyle grinned. "Right." He hoped they'd have the opportunity to talk about the hug later. At the moment, they had something more important to focus on.

Adrien nodded, and Jordan punched his palm with a fist.