Her eyelashes flutter. The crisp autumn air tickles her skin, playfully pushing the stray strands of her hair against her cheek. Iris squints at the sky. The blue barely peeks out between the ring of pokemon standing over her. Peach, Nettle, Hydra, Tanami, and Labrys stare down in concern. Upon seeing her awaken, the dragonite smiles and yells something over her shoulder. A cry of relief answers with a melodious tone that can only belong to Cadenza.

Iris scrunches her face in confusion. The chill of the ground is sapping heat from her body, with the exception of her head and legs. There's something soft underneath that isn't just the puffiness of her hair. Something like a thin pillow. But why would there be a pillow on the ground? Why is she on the ground? Tucking in her chin, she stares straight ahead. Her legs seem to be floating a few inches in the air. Unlike her head, Iris can't feel anything underneath them. Legs don't typically levitate on their own.

[What is going on?]

Soreness twinges and bursts in her muscles as she moves her elbows out, ready to prop herself up. But right as she starts, slender fingers splay across her sternum, pressing down with a gentle firmness.

"You need to rest."

The voice is calm, which isn't unusual because it's Colress; however, there's a softness that's edging close to kind. Turning her head to the left, she can see that he's kneeling next to her. His lab coat is absent. Sensing the questions in her eyes, he continues.

"You fainted. I presume it was due to overexertion. Don't worry, you've only been out for about forty-five seconds. No physical trauma either. That haxorus of yours raced over and caught you before you could sustain any injury. It's quite amazing, the power you've managed to bring out."

So that's it. Inwardly, Iris curses. She should have known better. Shoddy sleep that night combined with no hydration beforehand was poor preparation. Then there was the extra sets of exercises she promised to do. A quick lunch and water bottle couldn't possibly offset that. Sighing, she lets her elbows relax and leans back into the soft fabric.

"Thanks Labrys. And Colress…"

Facing her head towards him once again, she sees a bit of white out of the corner of her vision. What her head is laying on finally clicks in her mind.

"...Thanks for, uh, this."

Despite the ache, Iris bends her arm and gestures to the folded lab coat. He offers a small smile. She has one more question though.

"Um. Can I ask about my legs?"

"Ah that. The recommended first aid for fainting includes elevating the victim's legs above heart level so that more blood can flow to your brain. Beheeyem is holding yours up right now."

Colress turns his head over to the right and nods. His fingers tap out a peculiar pattern. Iris hears a strange assortment of beeps near the crown of her head, but can't actually see it. Beheeyem remains out of her field of vision.

"Thanks to you too, Beheeyem."

The pokemon gives a droning hum in reply. Its arm comes into view, red, green, and yellow digits flashing. Red. Yellow. Green. Green. Yellow. Red. Green. Yellow. Yellow.

Iris exhales. The tension and soreness of her muscles give way to relaxation, arms lolling to the side. Her head sinks fully into the lab coat, drooping to the left. Colress smiles down at her. The lights reflect off his glasses, a kaleidoscope lullaby. His voice, soft and gentle, thrums in her ears, an ease spreading down her body like a caress.

"Rest now. It should only be about fifteen minutes. Then you'll be ready to get up again."

An ever inviting blanket, her eyelids close.


Iris sprints, clutching the straps of her rucksack desperately as it thuds against her back. The cool morning air wicks the sweat from her face. She'd be thankful if she wasn't so focused on her destination. Kicking off her right foot, she makes a sharp turn at the corner. The bus stop appears. Relief quickly blanches into panic. The bus is already there, the door open! But she's still about fifty feet away! Two passengers are already making their way on.

"Please wait!"

Winded from running, it comes out as more of a wheeze. The plea flies forward before it drowns in the cacophony that is the bus's engine. Even so, miraculously, one of them turns and looks at her. With a grin, the man faces back toward what must be the bus driver. He's speaking, gesturing to her. Whatever he said clearly worked because the bus stays put. Breathing heavily, Iris braces herself on her knees, skidding to a top right behind her savior.

"T-thank you."

"Of course."

Pushing herself upright, she eyes the man curiously. Pale blond hair that's slicked back, save for some strange gravity-defying blue strands. His outfit doesn't seem suited for travel. A semi-formal suit with borders as striking as the blue of his locks.

The man boards, carrying a mass of strapped together luggage on his back. Iris walks behind him, checking out the available seats. Hmmmm. Where should she sit? Window seats are always nice. Watching the scenery may help her pass the time as she tries to wrangle in her excitement and nervousness. It might be too late to snag a back seat. The man and his luggage are blocking the aisle. It seems he has a lot to put away, but he's stowing it with a quick efficiency. The intercom crackles.

"All passengers please be seated. We are now departing."

The man closes the compartment, his task finished. His eyes flicker towards hers, a calm yellow. A polite smile graces his lips.

"Aren't you going to sit? Standing in a moving vehicle is dangerous."

He holds a hand out, offering the seat next to him. It's as good a seat as any.

But she was kind of hoping for some privacy, a bit more time for last minute mental preparation. Iris shrugs off her rucksack and plops into it, storing her bag underneath.

"Thanks for the window seat. Hopefully, you don't get too bored with yours."

The only benefit to an aisle seat is the ability to exit faster, and with only three passengers on this bus, it's kind of pointless.

"I don't think that will be a problem."

He faces her, eyes full of intent like she's the most interesting person in the world. Her heart beats a little faster, breath stuttering for a moment. He continues smoothly, not noticing his effect on her.

"Ah. I should introduce myself. I am Colress, a pokemon researcher. And if I'm not mistaken, you're Iris, Drayden's future successor."

"Yup!"

It comes out with a surprising eagerness. She touches a finger to her throat absentmindedly. Did that really come from her? She wasn't really in the mood for conversation. He leans in closer, intimately closer, filling her vision, capturing her eyes in his.

"Perfect. I'm looking into the legends of Unova's legendary dragons for a colleague of mine. As a dragon trainer with a connection to the Village of Dragons, you must have some useful information."

"I don't thin—YES, LET ME SHARE A BIT."

Pieces of folklore couldn't hurt. She does kind of owe him for convincing the bus driver to wait. And Colress had even been courteous enough to give her the window seat. It would be rude not to tell him anything.

Iris can hear her heart thudding loudly in her ears. He's waiting patiently, calmly, sweetly, kindly, quietly, faithfully, longingly—

NAME. Yeah, just a name couldn't hurt. No! The name that's on the tip of her tongue. The tip of her mind. Weighing heavily inside since the morning, practically begging to be set free!

m

Suddenly, a shiver surges through her body. Iris hugs herself tightly, fruitlessly trying to summon heat with the friction of her hands. Breaths are now a misty vapor. Swirls of frost creep up the armrest between them. There's something familiar about the pattern, tugging on her attention. Finally, she breaks her gaze from Colress, following the ice that's snaking around the windows now. Outside, traffic lights signal angrily. Red. Yellow. Green. Green. Yellow. Red. Green. Yellow. Yellow.

"I would like to know more about training Dragon-type pokemon. It's not my area of expertise, I'm afraid. Tips from someone as experienced as yourself would be quite the boon."

Tantalizingly close, his words tickle her ears, hot and enticing. Their warmth spreads down her body. She sinks into the comfort of her seat, of his voice. A giggle burbles out of her. How embarrassing. Did she really just zone out?

"Sure."

*Thunk!*

Iris whips her head behind her. It's hailing marble-sized chunks, thudding insistently against her window. The chill covers her again, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. The hail is growing. Giant, jagged fragments scratch and gouge the glass. She stares, fixated. With a vicious strike of ice, the window cracks and explodes and—

[Ugh! What is up with that guy!?]

Iris stands in front of her mirror. What is she doing? Training is going to start soon!

Cold. Green. Yellow. Ice. Red. Red.

.over her beckons Colress .bowls cardboard their in tantalizingly sit proteins and vegetables fried Stir .thing a such believe can one if takeout healthy ,takeout smell can she stairs the down Walking

The bus. No, her room. No, the kitchen. No, the backyard. The scenery warps and bubbles like stew. Her head pounds, the world becoming an indistinct blur. Snow and colored light clash. The lights surround her, bombard her. They flash, striking and disorienting. She closes her eyes in vain. The snow isn't deterred. It whirls around her, creating a protective vortex. White upon white upon white, blocking out the light.

Finally, she can open her eyes.


"Bwah!"

Iris gasps, startling Beheeyem into dropping her legs. She springs up, alert, but then it fades into uncertainty. Colress throws a questioning glance at his pokemon. It just stares at him. With a small sigh, he stands up and approaches Iris cautiously.

"Is everything alright?"

She looks at him. A mix of feelings rise up. Warmth. Gratefulness. He was helping her, wasn't he? She had just fainted, so he was administering first aid. Colress always seemed ready to help, like when he delayed the bus for her, or bought Drayden and her lunch.

"I'm fine….I think."

As she speaks, one last feeling bubbles up to the surface. Nervousness. Her pulse quickens as he nears. She can't seem to take her eyes off of him. A heat that can't be attributed to her workout prickles under the collar of her uniform. Ever the gentleman, Colress extends his hand out to her. It's a bit hesitant though.

"If you insist. Perhaps I could persuade you to command from the sidelines, if you truly wish to finish your training session?"

To his pleasant surprise, Iris takes it and allows him to lead her into the shade. There's no suspicion or other such obstructive emotions. It seems like it did work after all. That wake up was a bit worrying at first. He'll have to get the full report from Beheeyem later. It won't be long now before he gets what he wants from her.

Compliant test subjects are much easier to work with.


Author's notes: This chapter ended up creepier that I intended, hahaha (kinda fun to write though). I blame Colress and the fact that he has a Beheeyem on his team. I mean maybe not as creepy as Hypno, but a pokemon that can rewrite memories is bound to be used for immoral things. I want to write a kind of half chapter featuring Colress and Beheeyem next. Things didn't exaaaaactly go as planned after all...I'm sure you can guess who interfered with that. Good news is that we'll be switching to Kyurem's POV for a while. What's been up with it, anyway? Why so distant?