Karuta glanced disinterestedly at the room he had found himself in after the surprisingly short car trip from the hospital. It was not a remarkable room by any standard, merely consisting of four concrete walls, a table, and two chairs. One of the walls was predictably adorned with a two-way mirror, no doubt he was being watched from the other side. However, at least the room wasn't in poor condition…he'd always seen those police dramas on television show these questioning rooms as little holes in the wall only for beating information out of prisoners…if that was what this room was for, then at least it was well kept. Even the stereotypical bare light bulb was absent in place of fluorescent lighting.

The upkeep of the room did not reflect Karuta's personal comfort, however. His hands were still bound, though the police had been nice enough to have him cuffs from the front this time. Their kindness dropped a few points in his opinions when they also decided to bind his ankles together with a short length of wrought iron chain and then connect both sets of cuffs with another length of chain. He could barely stand up straight with his hands and feet chained like they were and such a matter annoyed him to no end.

The heavy lock on the only door to the room clunked loudly as it was undone, the door swinging open to admit Officer Jenny and a young man he'd yet to have seen. The man was a foreigner by the look of him, much taller and with light brown hair that hung down to his shoulders in a conservative ponytail. Well…at least there were others who had a sense of style, Karuta thought absently, noting the man's pressed black suit. He suddenly realized just how much he missed his coat and started to mentally wander off thinking of where he could buy another before Jenny brought him back to Earth by sitting atop the edge of the table.

"Comfy, Aoyama?" she smiled faintly while the other man took the second seat and laid a briefcase onto the tabletop.

"Oh, sure. Four hours in a bare room unable to get up and walk around some? Just peachy. This is how I spend my weekends, actually." Karuta shrugged without care. He was already in this deep and knew a little sarcasm wasn't going to hurt any more than just making Jenny like him less…if that was even possible at this point.

"This is Jacob Walters, he's from a special cases division outside Kanto. He's been called in just for you, Aoyama. You should be flattered." Jenny's grin was beginning to get on his nerves. Walters didn't show he'd even heard the introduction at all as he went about setting up a camcorder and tape recorder from his briefcase. "We had a hell of a time bringing up your files, y'know. You did a good job of disappearing for nearly ten years now. That's a big gap to cross when it comes to recovering information."

"That happens when one starts training pokemon." Karuta muttered.

"Training…right. Even trainers have up-to-date information throughout their journeys. Names and payments at Pokemon Centers, registrations at gyms, entrance at league events. You've been using aliases with every one of these things and no paper trail…makes me really suspicious as to what you've been up to for the past few years."

"Jenny, I've already agreed to confess for the assault on the officers in Olivine City. I'm a pretty out-of-the-way guy, so you're not going to get much besides that confession. I don't like giving my name when I don't have to and cash is easier to maintain than a checking account given how much I travel, is all. It's common amongst a lot of trainers these days."

Officer Jenny just shook her head in what looked like a suspiciously pitying manner, leaving Karuta to feel even more uncomfortable than before. He knew that grin she had all too well…he'd worn it quite often himself when he knew he was dealing with somebody who had no idea what they were getting themselves into. The silent presence of that Walters man did nothing to ease his worries either…the stranger had produced some equipment Karuta didn't recognize along with a Hyperball. A deep feeling of uneasiness formed in the pit of his stomach

"Aoyama…just quit now. An interesting item arrived at the headquarters today. We don't know who sent it or how it was made, but it certainly raised a number of questions along with a few answers. Because we can't authenticate it since it has evidence of tampering to censor out what we believe to be someone's name, we've invited Walters to see if he can get you into a more cooperative mood." Jenny looked as though she'd won the lottery as she dug into the file she held and withdrew a small cassette tape. "If this is real, then we've got your full confession for the murder of Kounji Asuka.

"I've never done any such thing. If that's not just a bluff, then it's a complete work of fiction." Karuta scoffed disdainfully despite the fact that he felt like the floor had abruptly fallen out from beneath him. His stomach was twisting itself into knots as he forced himself not to look at the tape Jenny was waving around at all. That sort of thing couldn't exist…he'd never actually said…

A sudden realization hit him as his memory played back the conversation with Sakiyama back in Webber's clinic. That bastard had set him up…

"Like I said, we're not certain in its authenticity. Mr. Walters, you can start whenever you're ready."

Walters nodded, ever silent, and tapped the Hyperball on the desk briefly. The ball snapped open far quicker than Karuta was used to which made him jump a bit from the flash of red light. He was too on edge already and the creature that appeared made his eyes widen in sudden panic. It didn't look like much, but he knew the sort of power that the disproportionate, mustachioed monster held. The new heaviness in the atmosphere of the room as it appeared was proof enough as it seemed to be waking up from a nap, blinking its large, glowing eyes slowly to clear its vision.

"You can't do this…Psychic interrogation was outlawed years ago." Karuta felt the deep desire to put as much space between him and the spoon-wielding monster as it stretched and yawned absently, showing no concern for his worry.

"In normal districts, yes, it was. However, special division officers like Walters here were allowed to maintain such a method in cases where it was deemed necessary. Given the gravity of the potential crime, your case has indeed been deemed worthy of this sort of measure." Jenny's grin turned wicked as she gestured to the Kadabra that sat on the desk beside her. Walters was busy attaching sensor pads to various points on its head that led into the devices Karuta had failed to identify earlier.

"It's not like you'll find anything. I didn't kill anyone, so all you'll be doing is setting yourselves up for a hefty lawsuit thanks to unnecessary abuse of a suspect." Karuta's voice was confident, but inside he was ready to try and make a break for freedom right then and there. Even bound as he was, he was confidant he could take out Jenny and Walters, but there was no way he'd be able to get past the psychic pokemon. The Kadabra was watching him with wary eyes, its long face splitting into a disturbing grin as it waved its spoon scornfully at him…already, it was reading the stray thoughts that reverberated from his mind.

"Just try and relax, Aoyama. It'll all be over in just a moment." That was the first time Walters had spoken as he clicked on the devices to accept the information they'd be receiving soon enough.

An icy grip spread out from the center of Karuta's chest as the Kadabra chuckled menacingly at him, seeping along through his limbs and leaving them feeling as though they were made of lead. He didn't even have the time to think of resisting before he found his entire body held tightly within the mental embrace of the creature in front of him, his eyes tracking the movement of its waving spoon as it went back and forth in the air apparently of its own volition. A strong pressure was building at the back of his skull each second he spent under the straining gaze of the Kadabra…its brow suddenly perked and with that his entire world shattered away around him into nothingness.

All physical sensation abandoned Karuta as he found himself seemingly floating within a dark abyss, the only thing he could feel being the overwhelming presence of the monster lurking around in his mind as it pleased. It didn't bother creeping through the shadows of his consciousness, rather it blatantly charged through the void without care for anything, triggering long-buried thoughts with every wave of its softly humming spoon. The medium it focused its power through shook gently in its grasp as it summoned and sorted through his memories rapidly, leaving him only to watch on without the ability to defend himself from its assault. The utter helplessness he was forced into made him want to scream in indignation, but he could not even manage that…all he could do was watch as the monster brought up his past and tore it to shreds right before his eyes.

There was no sense in the images the Kadabra yanked out from the shadows around it. Random flashes of his childhood flared and died in his vision, leaving deep feelings of hatred towards the monster along with the emotions that forced themselves into the foreground to coincide with each scene that played through the darkness. He found himself suddenly laughing like a child when the monster pulled a memory of playing with friends of his younger years and then just as quickly falling into a fit of tears as the burial of his family's Persian was brought up from the deep darkness. All the emotions he went through he could feel telegraphing through the void like an echo…absently, he realized he was likely portraying the same reactions with his body…

Scenes of the Underground suddenly flashed into existence around him, so much stronger since they were fresh, actually manifesting to fill up the darkness around him. He found himself standing nearby on the shaking catwalk as the movement of the blurred people nearby went on despite his presence. The humanoid blur he knew to be Sakiyama toppled over the edge of the catwalk into the sea of poison below once again and the swelling of morbid satisfaction formed in his chest. The Kadabra seemed to find that train of thought particularly interesting and carried along with it, slowly inching out the rest of the scene rather than just ripping it from his psyche carelessly.

The surroundings were faded and blurring as if he were watching them through a smoked glass screen, pulled along for the action without wishing to be or even being able to resist it. He watched from a different standpoint than his own original perspective as the three trainers trudged along through the sewer system, beaten and bleeding in their escape. The blur he recognized as Nozomi suddenly coughed, blood seeped out from the corners of her mouth before she collapsed onto the filthy stone ground. Anger, panic, and fear flashed over his expression one after the other as the choice was forced on him. He couldn't carry them both…the tunnel was too small to bring out any pokemon capable of helping. He couldn't make out the slurring words the shadowy form of Amos barked at him as he was pushed away, the man's broad hand gesturing back at the fallen Nozomi. He remembered the look in his eyes…practically begging…yelling demands and curses at him as the foreign man refused to be helped anymore.

The Kadabra's presence was suddenly shunted back a bit as a flood of memories were brought out without its control on them, induced by the sight of Amos shouting demands. Scenes of Karuta's past experiences with Amos suddenly welled up and receeded back into the darkness like the ocean's tide: their very first meeting at Amos' gym in Crimson, the time they spent chasing and fighting each other for so many months, the vaguely peaceful moments when they'd been forced together to keep from being captured by the police. Karuta found himself mouthing along with the words of a particular memory of the two men sitting around in the forests during their period of hiding.

-Y'can't really do much 'bout that…sins of th'father, y'know.- Amos' voice sounded like a scratchy old record, barely audible at all.

-You think I don't already realize that? I'm over it…but sometimes it just comes back all of a sudden. You had it much better, it would seem.-

-Y'could say that. They never spent a moment apart that they didn't have to. When she finally went, he damn near went with her.-

-…-

-I know y'probably don't think much of my opinion, but I'm sorry 'bout what happened t'em. That's no way for two people t'go out of th'world…-

-I'm more surprised that she even had it in her…she was always smiling…I never would've thought that she could even…-

-Since y'don't mind it already, I ain't gonna step softly 'round th'fact that he was an ass for doin' that t'her. Honestly…a wife an' a kid an' he pulls somethin' like that, lyin' 'bout where he is when away at work…-

-I'm not saying he didn't have it coming…when I found out what was really going on, I felt like I wanted to get to him first myself.-

-So she just waited for him t'come home? Like nothin' was wrong at all?-

-Yeah…I wasn't home either when it happened; by the time I'd gotten back, somebody had already called the police from the noise. The whole area was roped off…I had to force my way through…I wish now that I hadn't tried so hard.-

-First him…-

-Then herself.-

-…Pretty damn selfish of both of 'em, if y'ask me.-

-I didn't.-

Amos' quiet, sympathetic visage blurred and faded into a different one as the Underground suddenly rematerialized over the forest setting…his face was angry but determined, even as it slowly became harder and harder to see. Karuta watched silently as he saw the foggy image of himself carrying the unconscious Nozomi, running down the tunnel as fast as his feet could carry him…with Amos left behind. The vague sound of the Muk's voices rang through the echoing pipes behind him as he hurried along, barely able to tell where he was going in his haste. The darkness behind him was lit up suddenly with a flash of red light before the throaty bellow of a Typhlosion shook the stone paths…that was the last he could hear before the memory suddenly faded into nothingness.

The Kadabra seemed thoughtful as it hovered the darkness of his mind, considering what it had just seen. Apparently that wasn't quite what it was looking for. It set about once more rending his memories to pieces in its search for incriminating evidence. It suddenly hit pay-dirt as the shadows of a forest-lined road came to bear…a single confidant looking girl faced off against the blurry form of Karuta's past self, coat flaring in the wind as he produced a sphere from his pocket. Karuta was forced to watch wide-eyed as the girl's pokemon was devoured instantly…just as the Rattata was plucked up into its jaws, the scene suddenly flickered as if it were laid atop a different scene entirely. For that brief moment, it was not an Arbok and a Rattata, but an Ekans and a Sentret. Night instantly shifted back to day as the girl charged forward with a fist rose, totally oblivious to the imminent danger lunging down at her from behind. Once again, the scene flickered…the girl was replaced by the crying image of a boy with short, dark hair, bleeding from a wound to the leg as an Ekans suddenly leapt forward for him…

The Kadabra winced sharply as it suddenly reeled, a hand going to its forehead in pain. Karuta, in comparison, had quite a different reaction. The young man's whole body was shaking like a leaf as his wide eyes stared blankly into space, looking like they were glowing from the glare caused by his cracked glasses. He gave a few stronger tremors before suddenly falling still, slack-jawed and stricken in expression as he slumped in his chair limply. The information feed into Walter's device promptly went dead and he shook his head gently.

"That…was one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen." Jenny said quietly. Her face was a little pale from the display she'd witnessed as the Kadabra had shifted through Karuta's mind. The man behaved like he was possessed, his expression shifting from emotion to emotion rapidly while he gibbered away bits and pieces from the memories that were pulled out, some being subtle whispers while others on the verge on maniacal screams.

"You get used to it after a while. At least he didn't soil himself like others do. Must've been one hell of an emotional block there to shrug off Kadabra's foothold in his mind. Something he's likely suppressed to the point of denial." Walters shrugged as he returned the pokemon to its Hyperball. "I'll have these readings interpreted back at the office so we can find out the specifics…I do believe we may have what we need to get a serious sentence on Aoyama."

"That's good. What are we supposed to do with him now? He looks like he's in a coma."

"He'll be fine in a few hours once the shock wears off. From the amount of trauma these readings show, this guy's no stranger to repressing painful experiences. Just leave him here until he revives."

Jenny nodded as she helped Walters collect up his things from the table. She hesitated by the door as she glanced back once more at Karuta's prone form, totally unchanged from the moment when he collapsed under the strain from the mental search. She almost felt sorry for him, though that brief hint of sympathy was snuffed out as she remembered that she had planned to visit her cousin in the hospital. The feeling of disgust with the treatment of the suspect was replaced by a dark satisfaction…with a little smirk pulling at he corners of her mouth, she turned off the light and closed the door behind her with a dull, echoing thud.