Akima looked down. "How... what would happen?" Ravito looked over at the Nidoran on the table. "She would need a new body. We can create one for her, but if we are to do this, we have to do it now. She doesnt have much longer." Akima looked over at Celest... All this wouldnt have happened had they not met. She would still be enjoying
the air and the fields right now. But instead, she was lying on that table fighting for her life... "Do it. I cant watch her suffer. Please... do what you can."

Ravito gave a signal to the other doctors. "Ok, Akima. You have my word. Alright, everyone... lets get started."

Without another word, the doctors rushed Celest into another side room. Akima stood outside the door, worried that his love would die before her time... because of him.
Ravito looked down at Celest. He had a syringe in his hand. He had extracted DNA. He went over to a machine and inserted the contents of the syringe into a cylinder on the machine. "Ok, guys... cross your fingers and hope that this works...."

Akima looked around the now empty room. There were cages, but most were empty... One was not. He wandered over to the cage and peered in.

There was a Charmeleon in the cage... he was unconscious.

Akima poked his snout into the cage and nudged the poke inside with his nose. "Hey... you ok?" A groggy groan came from the Charmeleon. "...I..ah..I.. no...Im not...Help me ..out?"

Akima grabbed his arm and slowly and carefully pulled him out of the cage. The Charmeleon leaned heavily on Akima's side. ~Poor guy... he's so weak...~ He looked down. "Hey, why dont you ...rest for a while? You seem to have had a rough time..." He motioned the Charmeleon to a spot on the floor, then sat with him.

~I wonder what his name is... Ill ask later.~

~Ravito.~ The doctor was surprised by Akima's voice suddenly in his head. He cringed. A thing he'll never get used to. He pressed the telecom button. "*Yes?*" ~Come here now.~ He hung his head and pressed the putton again. "*In a minute...*" Akima didnt hesitate to answer. ~Now. You have something to explain.~

Ravito slammed his hand down on the desk. "Fine. Doctors, finish her, please." He got up and walked into the other room. There, Akima stood... or rather, sat... next to the Charmeleon they had captured. "Why was he in a cage?" Akima demanded.

"He was injured."

"Then wouldnt you have him in a ball? Instead of suffering in a cage too small?" Akima stared him down.

"We don't have them because we don't use them. So we had to cage him."

Akima looked down at his... charge. "Fine. Well, im taking him off your hands. He deserves more than a cage... even if he was injured."

Ravito nodded. "Ok, Akima... you can take him. His name is Mychelus... " His wrist comm rang. "yes? ... ok, thanks. Ill be right there." He looked back at Akima. "Akima,... Come with me. I have something to show you. Something youll like."

Akima followed the doctor back into the operating room. He stood at the door, a little afraid to go on further. Ravito motioned him on. "Come on... its OK, Akima."
Akima cringed a little, but kept going. What would he see...? What was this ... surprise?
He stepped up to the doctors, and they moved aside.

"...!"

Standing before him... was Celest. It was her... but she was different.
"...Ce..lest?" Akima stuttered.. "Yeah... its me." She gave a smile. "Now I'm like you..."

Akima was speechless... Ravito had kept his word. "You... youre... I...you.." He stuttered. Celest approached him and lovingly embraced him. "Shh... no words. Its ok... I'm here, and right now, thats all that matters..."

Akima was to the point of tears. "I..Im... amazed..."

Celest shook her head. "Shhh... shhh.... Dont talk... Just relax." She tightened her embrace just a little.

"...Just relax..."

Akima began to cry, and once it started he couldnt stop. Celest just pulled him close and let him cry it out. She could tell he was stressed...

A flicker of flame caught her eye, and she looked in its direction. A bedraggled little Charmeleon was sitting near the two, groggily looking up at them.

Celest freed a hand and held it out to him. "Come here.. Dont be afraid. I'm not a danger."

The little Charmeleon came close, but stopped on Akima's side, not wanting to come closer to her.

Celest smiled at him. "What's your name?"


He hesitated to answer. She came from them... could she be trusted?
He shook his head. No, he wasn't going to answer.


Celest just nodded. "On your own time, ok?" She looked back at Akima. Poor Akima... She couldn't begin to imagine what he was feeling right now...

The Charmeleon watched both of them carefully. She was nice sounding enough…

But she came from them.

Celest looked back down at him, and he ducked behind Akima.

Celest, despite the mood, had to giggle. She nudged Akima, who had begun to regain his composure. " You have a cute friend, there. I think he's fond of you." She whispered into his ear.

Akima, still blinking tears, was a little puzzled. "Hm?" She grinned and pointed behind him. Akima grinned a little as well as he looked. There was a small white-clawed red paw on his flank. Akima chuckled. "Mychel, what are you doing, hiding back there? Come on, meet her!"

Mychelus shook his head. "She… she from them. They bad…" He ducked back behind Akima.

Celest grinned and cocked an eyebrow.  "Quite a character he is. Charming, too. Glad to have met him…" She looked into Akima's eyes. "… through you."

Akima's face stayed straight only a second before the both of them burst out in a giggle fit.

Ravito just stood in the back shaking his head, with a smile on his face. Maybe we did the right thing after all…