Chapter 7: Teacher and Student United

                The corridors seemed more like a maze than an actual building. The fact that the darkened walls reflected no light also made it a nuisance to pay attention where Mr. Eralch was walking. Kevin still managed to stay a few paces behind, using a type of walk that made him invisible to hearing. Meanwhile, Kevin was watching all the doors they passed to remember the path back to the tanks. The other hybrids have to be in there, he thought determined, remembering the other tanks that shielded his view to them.

                Finally, Mr. Eralch stopped at a door and slammed his fist against it. A voice shouted through it. "The door is locked, so don't bother coming in!" A female voice said.

                 "You haven't shown me any progress since we found this new world, Naria!" Mr Eralch shouted back angrily. "Unlock the door this instant or we'll force it open and use you for a test subject!"

                 "Mr. Eralch?" the voice said back. "Who said I was in here?"

                 "That's for me to know," he said gruffly. "Now open the door this instant!!"

                 "O-okay," she stammered. The door slid open after a few seconds and Mr. Eralch walked in, Kevin following close behind.

                Kevin glanced around at his new surroundings. The walls were still their black sheen, but the room seemed to have many beds and drawers that seemed to hold medical supplies on them. It occurred to Kevin that their "lab" might actually be their hospital area. In a far corner, a woman dressed in colors the same as the others he had seen stood next to a tank with a cloth quickly pulled over the chamber.

                Mr. Eralch looked at the tank, then at Naria. "What is this?" he asked. "Are you trying to hide how far you've gotten behind?"

                 "N-no," Naria stammered. "I just w-wanted to—"

                Mr. Eralch didn't even let her finish. Reaching forward and grabbing the cloth before she could react, he tore it down and revealed the creature inside. Kevin gasped quietly enough that the girl's shriek drowned out his noise.

                The creature startled Kevin. With a few exceptions such as smaller shoulders, the creature inside the tank was almost an exact replica of himself. It was almost as if he were staring at himself from outside of his body.

                Mr. Eralch stared at the creature, then at Naria. "What is this?" he barked. "Have you been stealing someone else's hybrid?"

                 "Absolutely not!" Naria shouted, stomping her foot. It was obvious she took that as an insult. "It took me nearly a month to perfect the cerebum formula enough that it would cause this transformation! While you guys thought I was delaying the event of being fired, I instead took the time to study creature and human compatibility!"

                Mr. Eralch looked over the creature. He thought for a moment. "This creature… it doesn't seem right… somehow." He looked over at Naria. "Show me your data on this!"

                Naria pulled off a laptop that was strapped to the top of the tank. "Here," she declared. "I can assure you that this is my work and not some copy you think it to be!"

                Mr. Eralch opened it and studied the data. Kevin studied the creature inside the tank, suspended in liquid and supplied oxygen through a mask. Something about the creature seemed to have a connection to him, but what, he couldn't figure out. It was almost as if he could recognize the person combined with the Scyther.

                However, Kevin's concentration was shattered by Mr. Eralch's outburst. "What in the rifts of dimension is all this junk?" he asked in anger. "Names for creatures? Study on some other hybrids?"

                 "I admit now that I had taken time to research this new world we discovered," Naria said. "But let me finish. The creatures in that world have some other form of intelligence. It's almost as if they can communicate with humans. In addition to that, I took some time to find names of some creatures of the world." She motioned her hand to the tank. "Apparently, the creature I combined the subject with is called a Scyther."

                 "Continue," Mr. Eralch said, Kevin detecting a low growl. "What's the study on other hybrids?"

                 "Well, while studying this new world, I happened to catch a glimpse of a 'scyther' that wandered into a village. However, it was unlike the original Scythers of its world. Disguising myself with the populace, I asked some questions and discovered that a scientist of his own world had created this one that I mimicked."

                 "And am I to believe that you took the data from this scientist for your own?" Mr. Eralch accused.

                 "No," Naria answered coldly. "Not only could I not get information leading to the scientist, but I also found that the hybrid remained because the original data was destroyed. So I had to work from scratch and figure out what the scientist found out."

                Kevin remained listening to the conversation while observing the Scyther creature. It suddenly occurred to him that the reason his attention was drawn toward the creature was because the subject was a girl. Of course! He declared. That's why the differences in our bodies!

                 "So to be precise," Mr. Eralch said after Naria finished, "You think that our Cerebum chemical is a failure?"

                 "No, I'm just saying that what we were using was not fit for transforming the body properly," she declared. "But on the flip side, the hybrid's composure isn't perfect, either. Perhaps for disguising himself with his surroundings, but with the exception of his hands, he loses everything that appears human. I then decided to try it with a female to see if it would affect any differently—"

                Mr. Eralch made a low hum in his throat. Kevin detected that his anger was rising again. "So you decided to use a female for this?"

                 "Yes," Naria nodded. "However, I also had to find a way to get the Scyther. Those things moved way too fast for our bolters to hit it and knock it out. So I chose a girl that was hardly known by others and had a fondness of Scythers herself, or at least held possession of one."

                 "Wait, wait… you're saying you took a civilian girl?"

                Naria suddenly realized what he was saying. She looked at the ground. "I… I don't think so… I mean, I think it is, now that I am talking about it, but one can't be too sure…"

                 "You fool!" Mr. Eralch shouted. "You know the regulations of our company! Do you realize what the penalty is for not using our supplied human subjects? And using a civilian… you're an abomination to this world!"

                Naria gasped. "Please! Don't do this!" she pleaded. "I need the money… do you know how long it took me just to get this job?"

                 "No, and I don't care anymore," Mr. Eralch growled. He got off the bed, dropping the laptop on the ground and destroying it. "Cut the power to that tank. I want you out of this company!"

                 "But sir, if I cut the power, the subject will suffocate! I haven't even had time to use the last of the Cerebum to erase her memory of her previous life!" she argued.

                 "That's the point!" Mr. Eralch growled, his anger at full capacity. "I want that… that 'thing' dead and you out in one hour! If you even dare to keep it alive and remove it from here, not only will our company see you as a spy, but others will, as well. You will suffer a fate worse than those of our criminals!"

                At that, Mr. Eralch stormed out of the room, leaving Kevin, the creature, and the nearly crying Naria. Kevin looked at the laptop. Well, so much for the formula to revert the hybrid back, he thought.

                Naria looked over to the tank. "Please… forgive me for what I did to you… I never meant to kill you," she pleaded with the creature.

                Kevin decided to take a chance. "Whether or not I consider the crime you did unforgivable, I'm willing to grant you a second chance," Kevin suddenly said.

                Naria's gaze shot up to Kevin's direction. "Who said that?" Naria said fiercely. "Are you a spy of another company?"

                 "Not even close," Kevin said, deactivating his human disguise. "Because of your kidnapping of my student, I managed to follow you back here."

                 "You're… you're the hybrid?" She said, startled at Kevin's appearance. "The hybrid of the new world we found? How did you manage to get here?"

                 "I discovered the outpost your so-called 'company' had established on our world," Kevin explained. "But now's not the time to explain. I came because I wanted to reclaim my student. The woman you thought was not known is actually appreciated by quite a bit of the populace."

                 "And you think I'll give my hybrid to you willingly after my boss made a statement like that?" Naria said, glaring. "I don't need to have you explain that you were probably listening to our whole conversation."

                 "His statement won't mean a thing if you decide to come with me to my world," Kevin bribed. "Though I consider your crime a great evil, I will give you a second chance. Since you consider our world so fantastic, I will find you a place among the populace of the world, so long as you help me here."

                 "How do I know that you won't turn your back once I help you with whatever you want here?" Naria asked suspiciously.

                 "You have my Loyalty. So long as you perform your end of the deal, I will perform mine. It is the way of the Champions of our world."

                Something clicked on in Naria's mind. "Very well then. What is it that you want?"

                 "I've been ordered by the 'creatures' of our world to reclaim all the hybrids that your company created from our world," Kevin declared. "Apparently, you have been trespassing."

                Naria gave a slight chuckle. "Sounds simple enough. After all, the creature I have created can perform the same things as you. If we have to fight, hopefully we can hold them off before they shut down the power to the portal."

                 "Fine," Kevin sighed. "Let's just get going. Don't bother with the Cerebum, because she needs the knowledge."

                Naria touched the glass of the tank, and some images appeared in it. Touching several of the images, several noises began going off inside the tank. The fluid inside the tank drained, and finally, the chamber opened, withdrawing the oxygen mask from the Scyther hybrid. Kevin waited, and a moment later he saw the hybrid's eyes flicker open.

                 "What… where am I?" the creature said, her voice almost a mixture of the Scyther and Jelza's. She cleared her throat and looked at Kevin. "Kevin? Is that you?"

                 "Yeah, it is, Jelza," Kevin said in a calm tone. "A teacher should never leave his student behind, and I finally found you."

                 "But… where am I?" Jelza asked again, almost in a dreamy tone.

                 "I'll answer that," Naria interrupted, looking into Jelza's eyes. "I made the mistake of thinking you not very well known and I kidnapped you for experimenting. My boss told me to… cut the power and kill you, but Kevin persuaded me otherwise."

                 "Kill me?!?" Jelza suddenly perked up into full consciousness. "What do you mean?"

                 "He didn't want you to… leave this place alive."

                 "Legends of the world, why not?" Jelza demanded, putting her hands on Naria's shoulders. It wasn't until then that Jelza suddenly was aware of her condition. She looked at her hands, then herself. "Wha… No! This can't be!"

                 "I know how you feel, Jelza," Kevin sighed. "However, I was so powerful no one could stop me."

                 "But I never wanted to be this!" Jelza wailed. "I was supposed to be a tutor, not a Pokémon! I don't want to be this!"

                 "I'm sorry!" Naria wept. "It's all my fault! I tried to create a hybrid and I ruin someone's life because of it. I can't even turn you back now!"

                 "Now, now, guys…" Kevin said, hoping no one was overhearing. "Look, Naria, you didn't know better, and Jelza, you were my student. It's almost inevitable that you would become like me."

                 "Maybe as a leader, but not a Pokémon!" Jelza shouted angrily at Kevin. "I can't go back to my tutoring like this!"

                 "What's going on—" Someone began as they walked into the lab. He froze as he saw Kevin and Jelza standing next to Naria. He then turned tail before anyone could react. "Sound the alarm! Two hybrids have escaped!"

                 "Dang!" Naria said, glancing toward the door before back to Kevin and Jelza. "Look you, Jelza, but you're going to have to shape up. Do you want to be a servant for the others in this building?"

                 "I don't want to be a servant for anyone!" Jelza said angrily. "I just want to be back to normal!"

                 "Then look," Naria explained. "I am ahead of your kind in technology. Just come back with Kevin and I to your world and I can probably find a way to revert you back to your human form. As for now, we've got to get the other hybrids. We don't have much time!"

                 "I'd rather that I were dead in this tank," Jelza said sadly, looking back at the chamber. She looked back at Kevin. "However, whatever world we're in, I can't go back. I'll help you, Kevin, but I can't go back."

                 "You are, whether you want to or not," Kevin said, pulling Jelza by the arm. "I promised those that you taught you would get back safely. Now let's go!"