The subtle breathing of the mask reverberated within the Pokemon's ears, causing the sensory organs to twitch as she listened for what else could be there. When only a repeated intake of air could be heard within the otherwise oppressing silence, the Pokemon clenched its eyes as it felt the machine that held it tightly. Metal clamps grated roughly against it, the clawed appendages of the Pokemon clenching suddenly in an involuntary, spasmed movement as that happened. The Pokemon paused in its small movements as it considered upon what just happened - the grating of metal had been upon metal, producing an unholy, high pitched noise that had pained its inexperienced ears.
Slowly but surely, the Pokemon opened its eyes - not sure where it had gained the information to know how to see, but as it was reflexive, an already assimilated piece of information within its brain that had never actually strayed outside the machine. Both of its eyes opened with just a second to slide them open, before quickly shutting as somehow, the movement of opening its eyes pained it. This time, much more slowly, the eyelids of the Pokemon slid open, before blinking rapidly. The pain faded away quickly, leaving the Pokemon to gaze about with wonder as it saw for the first time beyond its own eyelids, and the destroyed cover of the machine.
It... saw. It just felt wonderful. After years of being physically and subconsciously bound in a machine, awakening periodically to the infuriating knowledge that it was still trapped, the Pokemon felt none of such fury as instead, serene wonder took hold of it. It could hear, it could see, and it could breathe. For the first time in years, it was acting independently of the machine that had been its cocoon, and yet prison, for so long.
Gazing about, the Pokemon took in its surroundings. It instantly knew, somehow from the fleeting pieces of knowledge in its brain that it couldn't grab hold of however much it tried, that it was underground. How, she didn't know - she'd never even heard it being said, written or even shown to her. But the Pokemon just knew given how it gazed at the ceiling. Slowly drifting its gaze around, the Pokemon saw the left wall of the basement it lay within - and saw only destroyed machinery. Panels with a few buttons on, screens with deep, embedded cracks running through the glass and toppled metal containers strewn against the wall. The wall in front of it was no better - a few scattered pieces of metal machinery, with smithereens of wooden furniture blown up against it. Looking upon the floor, the scattered pieces of machinery and furniture got noticeably much less, as if the wreckage had instead been forcibly pushed up against the walls - with pieces of plaster and building material now lying on the floor. Broken glass especially lay in front of it. Evidently, after whatever had shoved everything against the wall, pieces of the ceiling had caved in - judging from the gaping scars in the wooden panels above.
Another thought entered the Pokemon's mind as it looked around, causing the Pokemon to think upon it interestedly. Somehow, it knew that its surroundings were in complete darkness. And yet, somehow, it could see very well in this total absence of light - not well enough to see perhaps the distinguishing colours that the Pokemon couldn't envision yet knew of; but well enough to the extent that it could clearly see the objects around it.
A few seconds more of looking about soon drew its attention to the only other two organisms in the room - a pair of what, bipedal fleshy - humans a thought suddenly burst into its head; causing its head to twitch at the sudden intrusion of a new piece of knowledge it didn't know it had. Gazing upon them, the Pokemon saw something rather strange - the humans had appeared to have deliberately thrown themselves to the floor. Its eyes narrowed as another sudden thought caused him to reconsider.
Rather, it had appeared that the mother, of the now obvious woman and child, had pushed the boy to the floor and shielded him with her body. The boy was fine, she could somehow tell. The blue energy in him seemed wrong, warped into something that the Pokemon could instinctively feel was incorrect and yet didn't exactly know what it was - but otherwise he was just in some sort of sleeping state. The woman, on the other hand, had none of the blue energy within her...
She was dead. She had sacrificed herself for her child.
Her interest piqued, the Pokemon gazed more upon them as the sudden thoughts within her reached a crescendo - fleeting memories permeated her brain, flashes of pain and fury, boredom - but one stood out with startling clarity. She could remember the roars of pain and agony she had undergone -make it stop - the inaudible warbling of some synthetic voice in her ears; - shut up - the audible, deep thrumming charging of some energy around her body -why won't the pain stop! The shouts of some small boy, the scream of a woman concerned for her child - just shut up already! Don't make me - before the short yet crackling whining of the energy being converted into something. Then the ringing blast that had almost visibly shrieked in her ears, distorting and reverberating, pulsing within her very being that had sent white-hot agony searing through her nerves, explosions of pain and colour occurring despite the fact she'd never seen before - MAKE IT STOP! Then came the low groans of things toppling over, things breaking as the Pokemon sagged against the machine's restraints as the pain slowly faded, relief gripping the Pokemon as it was coming to a stop... Then finally came the silence.
It was infinitely clear to the Pokemon now that she had killed the boy's mother. Whatever she had done, she had in her mad state of pain and agony, commanded the energy to do something to make it stop. And whatever that something was, had caused the blue energy to leave the woman - and kill her.
Something seared within the Pokemon's brain then. Like electricity overwriting a piece of memory in storage, the Pokemon became fixated on the family before her. Whether it was guilt, pity, a sense of duty or redemption - the Pokemon did not know, but it felt the need to get out of the machine and at least help the boy. They had woken her up, allowed her to feel for the first time, given her a chance of freedom - and she had killed the mother in return. She needed to do something - but not to make it stop this time. But to help.
The Pokemon first tried to move its arm. A twitch was what she got in the right arm at first, the faint scratching of metal on metal reaching her ears before the mouth of the Pokemon involuntarily degraded into a scowl. She had to help. A second attempt went much better - the entire limb moved before it was restrained at the elbow and wrist by two separate restraints. But this still wasn't enough to the Pokemon - she had seemingly spent her entire life in this machine, and she wanted out. Both her sake, and the boy.
With a grunt, she tried again - with the same result this time. Just another clang of metal. The scowl deepened as she tried once more - only to get another clang. Wrenching the arm instinctively, the Pokemon poured as much strength as her inexperienced limb would allow into the movement before jolting it up and against the restraints. Clang.
The Pokemon roared this time, a deep reverberating sound as the fury over the years returned before she jolted the arm back and forth, wrenching it with as much strength as she could muster against the infuriating bars of metal that kept her from her goal. Sounds of clanging metal, furious growls and occasional roars reverberated around the basement then.
It was a cacophony of noise that could wake the dead, and that's precisely what happened with one Ash Ketchum. Groaning, the young boy woke up. The raven haired youth slowly opened his eyes, looking about groggily into the darkness he saw. Squinting, the boy wondered what had happened - before giving a gasp as he remembered that the flash of blue from the weird machine had sent both his mother and him to the floor.
Wriggling out his way out from being forced to the floor, the four year old stood up and could faintly see the outline of his mother in the quiet darkness. "What happened, mama?" The boy asked to his parent on the floor. "Is it over?"
The corpse gave no response, as neither did it move. Ash frowned.
"Do you need help, mama?" Ash asked, still frowning as his small stature only just reached over his prone parent on the floor. "Don't worry, I'll get the light!" His young, high-pitched voice was laden with worry as he briefly pondered about away to the wall.
He ran straight into the wall, and gave out a pained murmur as he rubbed his forehead, unable to see where he was going in the blackness. But his concern for his mother soon gripped his mind again, as the four year old felt along the wall for the fortunately, low placed light switch.
Crimson eyes watched him in the darkness, the only things visible if the child had turned around. They appeared to be something straight from a horror movie - the sclera of the eyes was a complete and utter deep crimson, the dark shade of blood encompassing the eye. A black pupil stood out on the expanse of red, watching the boy with interest. As soon as the boy had woken up, it had ceased all frantic activity to observe the organism with which it had become fixed to, wanting nothing but to aid in those moments.
Ash had just felt his way along the wall, almost falling over as his hand suddenly slipped off the wall due to him finding the opening in the wall which led to the stairs. Rather than take a moment to be scared in the dark with a racing heart, Ash took it as a sign of success - he'd found where the light was located. Patting the wall only a couple of more times, Ash soon found the switch, and curling his hand into a fist, banged the switch with it. He only hit the corner the first attempt. Letting out a pained yelp, Ash shook his hand a couple of times - before trying again and succeeding this time.
Light suddenly blazed on in the room, revealing the rubble strewn room to the young boy. Although shocked and initially put off at the sight of the destroyed room, worry for his mother soon took hold once more as he scampered over to the prone body. Seeing her eyes only drooped and that she wasn't moving a muscle, Ash breathed a sigh of relief.
He had come to the incorrect conclusion that she was only sleeping.
"Whew, mama." Ash breathed out as he dropped onto the floor and sat up against his mother. "That was scary."
Still no response came, but that was OK. He'd let his mother sleep.
"We're lucky we're probably not dead." The child rambled on. "That was really scary, mama. But I'm not scared. I'm a big boy, I can't be scared so long as I've got you."
Silence still yet filled the room. Ash, being a child, didn't take into account that the body he was sat against was as cold as the grave.
"Sorry if I disturb you, mama. I'll let you sleep." Ash spoke after a minute's silence, merely staying quiet afterwards as he grabbed his mother's arm and put it round him in an attempt like a hug.
Hugging the arm back, Ash could only be happy that he was being strong for his mother. The silence continued, and to any adult it would've been deafening as it pressed down on the eardrums.
"Mama?" Ash questioned, for the first time truly scared.
For the arm he had grabbed was stained with blood.
"Mama, are you bleeding?" Ash asked again, poking the arm, and achieving nothing against the blood encrusted limb. The floor itself had dried blood all around, something not even the Pokemon had noticed in the dark.
Poking the corpse harder, Ash tried again. "Mama?" He called out. "Mama, wake up!"
Nothing happened. Ash looked at her face to see if anything was moving, but saw only that her eyes were not completely closed as he first thought, but rather only drooped. The white sclera of the eyes had red, bloodshot cracks running through the dead woman's visual organs, the lifeless brown eyes only staring emptily at the wall instead of at her son. And that was what truly made Ash begin to worry.
Poking became gentle pushing against the body. "Wake up, Mama!" The boy cried out then, before finally collapsing against the body to begin full out sobbing. "Wake up..."
His hand brushed against a rough surface then on her back, and lifting his head up, saw it was edge of a sharp stone. A sharp stone that had blown straight through the woman's heart.
Ash gently pushed the body once more, but said nothing this time.
The Pokemon had watched all of this, staying quiet throughout it all. Now, seeing Ash only quietly crying as he occasionally pushed the body, inaudibly murmuring, the Pokemon got a new piece of knowledge.
"What's the matter, child?" The deep, metallic sounding voice of the Pokemon called out.
Ash gasped as a new voice rang out, and turned his head to where the call had come from. Seeing the big machine from before, Ash looked at the Pokemon within it. It was looking at him with those red eyes, only a friendly interest being displayed in them however creepy they looked.
The Pokemon was over six feet tall, and was firmly restrained to the machine if the metal bars holding the Pokemon were really as strong as they looked. Its arms and legs were seemingly made of metal, an obsidian black look to the limbs that reflected occasionally in the light as the Pokemon twitched. Five metal claws attached to the arm made up its hands, robotic looking sharp digits that clenched open and closed at his command. The torso was just as metallic, a black sheen to the solid surface that made up the torso, likely a plate to hold the electronics within. Wires around the armpit sections could be seen connecting whatever electronics were inside the torso to the arms. A thin neck extended up to support the head, visible wires connecting the head and trailing off into the torso through the neck area. The head itself had the structural shape similar to that of a human, with a navy blue metal plate similar to a helmet attached to the top of the head; which left only the crimson eyes visible as what was left of the bottom of the face was covered by two black armoured plates. They were shown to be retractable into the helmet as the left plate gave a twitch, giving the slight flare of red light from the facial area it covered where the mouth and nose should've been. To complete the look, two black tubes extended down from the back of the helmet and looked to be connected to the back of the shoulders.
"Who are you?" Ash asked the mysterious Pokemon trapped in the machine, who only cocked his head to the side with the question.
"To be honest, I don't know." The Pokemon stated, the confusion evident in its voice. "I know it's been years, but I've never been outside this machine."
Ash spared a thought for the Pokemon, before he turned back to the body beside him and gave it another gentle push when his young mind thought that whatever Pokemon it was, wasn't going to hurt him. "Can you help mama?" Ash asked the metallic creature in the machine. "She's not moving."
The Pokemon's eyes dimmed a bit, before it spoke with an uncertain emotion in its voice. "I'm trapped, child. I couldn't help anyone in this state." The Pokemon explained, before its head lowered a bit. "Besides, whatever I did caused the energy to leave her. I'm afraid your mother is dead, young one."
"What?" Came the quivering note in Ash's voice. "She can't be dead, she's just sleeping! But look, she's bleeding, she needs your help! I don't care what you did, just help mama!"
"Child-" The Pokemon began after a seconds pause, but was interrupted.
"No! Just help her, please!" Ash choked out, falling back on his mother and begin sobbing again.
The Pokemon seemed awfully put out at this, the thoughts in her head finally contributing for once. It seemed there was no surprise bit of knowledge that could help her, as if this was a complete unknown, as if unexpected that the child would beg for help rather than turn on her in anger for killing his mother. It seemed all the child cared about was the body. "But what am I meant to do-"
"I don't know!" Ash yelled out, interrupting once more in between his sobs. "You Pokemon are the ones with all the magic stuff! Just do it and help my mama, please!"
The Pokemon twitched as a thought of the topic 'Pokemon' suddenly entered her mind, informing her that she belonged to this classification of organisms before she shook it away. Staring at the child, the Pokemon felt something shift within her. "I... I can't even move, child." The Pokemon stated, the Pokemon getting a chaotic shift in emotions as she saw the child break down more and more, the blue energy within Ash warping erratically about his body. It was the dark blue shade of the deep ocean, and acted as such - like waves crashing about randomly.
"Well then, how can you move?" Ash cried out. He just wanted things to be normal again.
The Pokemon felt its adrenaline levels spiking, whatever that - hormone was. Gazing downward, the Pokemon saw with its own eyes within its metal arm that the same shade of blue could be found swirling about, seemingly moving about in a circuit like fashion - but erratically. "I... I..." The Pokemon seemed to move. The confusion was catching up to him - not just of what he was, of the knowledge that seemingly made no sense or how helpless she felt towards her self-imposed goal.
"Come on!" Ash yelled out to the Pokemon. "I don't care what you did, just help me!"
The energy behaved more erratically than before, seeming to want to leap out of the pores in the Pokemon's skin. "I- yes..." The Pokemon let out.
"PLEASE!" Ash screamed out, begging the Pokemon before him to help. He refused to accept otherwise.
The energy finally broke through the dam, rushing out and forming a cloak, an aura of blue energy surrounding the metal Pokemon that cloaked every part of the Pokemon in a shimmering blue haze of energy. With a roar, the Pokemon felt its very strength, power and being increase - and reacted accordingly. With just a tug of the arm, the restraints upon the right limb were wrenched off, snapping clean through the metal the Pokemon hadn't been unable to break before. With a similar application, the other three limbs restraints were wrenched off at once - sending the Pokemon toppling out of the machine. Before the heavy metal creature could smack into the concrete floor, however, the arms of the Pokemon shot out - and the metal being seemed to stop in mid-air. Eyes widening, the Pokemon only had time to wonder astutely for a moment before slamming head-first into the unforgiving floor anyway.
The energy surrounding the Pokemon only seemed to increase - pouring out more viscous than ever. To the point that the metal creature watched on with wide eyes as the energy solidified at on the fronts of the right arm she was staring at as she looked at it. In short order, metallic armour plates the same shade of dark, navy blue had condensed and attached to the front and back points between the elbow and hand, and elbow and shoulder; leaving the elbow free. It had felt - weird. Like warm, yet fuzzy as if she could feel every part - atom within the energy shroud fabricate itself into further parts of her body.
Feeling the same sensations in her other limbs, the Pokemon looked down - to see the same thing happening across her body. Navy blue armour plates had been constructed across the fronts and backs of the arms and legs, avoiding the joints to allow ease of access. The blue armour had also appeared upon the front of the Pokemon, forming a flat, rigid chest-plate that stretched across the torso and protected the obsidian black metal beneath it - a much thicker section of the blue condensed metal than any of her other limbs. Looking over her shoulder, the Pokemon could see the same formation of blue plated armour forming there on the back - as well as a sharp protrusion. Not that the Pokemon could see it, but the navy blue armour was forming over the back and spine so that each rivet of the spine could be seen, being just flexible enough so that it would minimally impact the movement of it. Two dorsal fins of the same colour slanted downward, positioned directly below where the mechanical tubes aligned with the shoulders.
Slowly, the Pokemon put its hands to the ground and began to rise up. Shakily at first, the Pokemon steadied itself as it gently shifted the weight onto its legs. She almost collapsed, but caught herself and soon righted herself - almost as if it wasn't her first time out of the machine and instead was beginning to naturally posturise the body. Looking down, the Pokemon admired itself, clenching its right fist to see that the navy blue had spread along the back of its clawed fingers, squeezing them together to just hear the metal plate armour sliding along the black constituent part of the hand. The blue aura cloak surrounding it slowly faded, dissipating as the Pokemon reigned in her emotions.
Raising its head, the Pokemon looked to the young boy as its arm dropped to its side, ruminations over as it remembered its self-imposed goal. Ash had scooted backwards across the floor, backing up as he stared both fearfully and wondrously at the being that had emerged from the machine. Nothing was said for a few moments as the Pokemon looked to the child and Ash stared back, wondering what this obviously powerful figure was going to do.
"I believe you wanted help, young one." The Pokemon spoke out with a low-sounding, very deep voice with a slight feminine tone, crimson eyes blinking concerned at the child.
Ash did nothing for a moment before slowly nodding and pointing subtly at his mother's corpse. "Mama won't wake up." He spoke simply.
Slowly turning its head, the Pokemon looked to the left where Ash had pointed and down further to the floor to the corpse. Stooping down once more, the Pokemon hovered over the body of one Delia Ketchum, red eyes looking down at the unmoving woman. Flicking her eyes over to the boy still huddled up a few metres away, the Pokemon could see the blue energy within him; then to the being's own hand which had the exact same shade of blue energy within it. But looking back at the unmoving human beneath it, the Pokemon saw none of the energy within the body that it would logically expect to see even if they were sleeping - leaving no doubt in the being's mind that they were dead.
Still, it would try - for the boy's sake. Contemplating, the Pokemon reached its finger out, and poked the body. As to be expected, nothing had been achieved. The Pokemon was really at a loss for what to do - when it had an idea.
Focusing hard, the Pokemon turned towards its own mind and focused upon finding a piece of knowledge from within the scramble of thoughts that was currently its brain that could help it. It closed its eyes to help, occasionally twitching as it focused. Finally, the Pokemon slowly opened its eyes as it achieved success - the Pokemon having focused hard upon the topic of awakening - resuscitating a human. Combined with the creeping thoughts of battle techniques the Pokemon clicked its fingers together in its right hand. Nothing was achieved in the first try.
Ash watched as the being had opened its eyes, before looking to its hand and snapping the armoured fingers together. The young boy didn't fully register on how the Pokemon was responsible for all of this - but rather just watched, part entranced and another part of him having an extreme unwillingness to disturb such a being. Especially as it was trying to make his mother wake up. Instead, Ash watched as the Pokemon tried again and again in snapping its metal clawed digits together, looking at the way the navy blue armour reflected entrancingly with a low profile in the dim light.
It was around the tenth try that the Pokemon gave a start, blinking as it registered what had happened - a yellow spark of electricity had come into existence then. Memorising methodically what that had felt and looked like, and precisely how her fingers moved, the being's computerised brain replicated it almost to the precise angle - but with more intensity. A yellow spark flared into life then, much stronger to the effect that it actually crackled in the Pokemon's ears before it faded from existence. But the Pokemon didn't stop there - it had felt the slight tingling burn in its receptors that had seemingly summoned the spark.
A minute's more focusing upon sustaining the effort, and the being was more or less in control of sparks flying in between its fingers. Its brain told it of how it was just beginning to learn the move thunder wave, but the Pokemon discarded that move for now. It didn't need to learn the rest of the move - merely how to spark some electricity between its fingers. Calling upon its rudimentary and new knowledge, the Pokemon jabbed its sparking hand directly onto the rough area of where the heart would be in the body.
An involuntary twitch in the torso and a slight movement in the arm closest to the Pokemon was what it got for its efforts. Clutching the arm as its rudimentary new knowledge had suggested - the Pokemon felt for some type of rhythm - heartbeat that should, apparently, have been obvious along the prominent red line in the upper area of the arm. Feeling nothing, the Pokemon's brain told her to try the process again, which it followed. A build up of weak, crackling electrical charge amidst its fingers was plunged onto the heart area once more, but this time it got an even weaker twitch.
Again, the Pokemon tried. Except, upping the amount of charge between its fingers did nothing but made the skin crawl between the Pokemon's other hand feeling for the supposed heartbeat. But her tries were becoming to of no avail. Eventually, the Pokemon stood up, and looked at the dead woman once more. There was just no sign of the blue energy, nor a single feel of a heartbeat pulse. Shaking its head, the Pokemon looked back to the boy who looked ready to begin crying once more.
"Come, young one. Remaining here will do us no good." The Pokemon spoke, trying to impression upon the boy of the need to leave.
"But what about mama?" The child spoke, quivering notes in the voice being noted by the mind of the Pokemon along with the slight tinge of hopefulness.
The Pokemon paused a moment, assessing its best options, before shaking its head once more, this time for itself. "I'm sorry child. But your mother is dead. It is best that we let other humans deal with this now - they will know what to do." The Pokemon spoke gently to the child, but firmly. "You need not worry. I will look after you now."
Ash seemed to have been smacked, his mouth slightly open as his eyes were widened. "B-but Mama? Mama can't be dead." Ash spoke, mumbling the sentences.
"I'm sorry, but it's true. It is best that we leave now." The Pokemon spoke to Ash, receiving only his teary gaze. "This is no environment for a child, especially for one as dependent as a human. Other humans and their organisational authorities will have to deal with this."
But it seemed Ash had been struck by an idea then. "That's it!" Ash cried out, standing up and waving to the Pokemon who blinked at him. "Can't we get mama a doctor?"
The tall Pokemon gazed at Ash for a moment, before looking back to the body to assess its chances; before the computer within churned out a conclusion. "I'm sorry, young one. My system will not permit me to lie to you and allow you to suffer longer term psychological harm that false hope and such emotions can bring."
The Pokemon kneeled down to the boy and looked at him, deep into the eyes. "You have my deepest apologies, child. But your mother is dead, and the longer we remain here, the more troubling it will be for you. Let us leave now."
The blue and black Pokemon extended a hand down to the boy, watching closely to see if the boy would take it. Ash himself was hesitant - he didn't want to leave his mother, no matter what the being claimed, but nor did he want to stay like this. The fear of the Pokemon was still there, but a small amount of trust had been garnered for the metal being who had displayed no actual negativity of any kind towards him.
The squeak of a floorboard above them decided it for them.
The Pokemon's head whipped round to glare at the spot, senses flaring and remaining alert. "Possible threat detected." The Pokemon stated aloud before looking back at Ash with a troubled look. "We have no time, child. We leave immediately."
With that, the metal Pokemon swiftly scooped up Ash into her arms, the boy giving a surprised yelp but provided no resistance to the being as she stood up. Instead, the boy instinctively clung on tighter as the Pokemon looked at the stairs, slightly alarmed as scenarios started to play out in its computerised mind. Battle moves and techniques that it had no experience with and perhaps no idea how to utilise played out across its brain which were subconsciously ignored as the being focused on the matter at hand.
The footfalls of the Pokemon were not quiet in the confined space as the metal landed as softly as the Pokemon could yet still a single metallic, resounding clang would sound out every time. Reaching the stairs, the Pokemon carefully looked around as much as it could, before slowly taking a single step onto the big part of the staircase to better look to the top of the staircase. Ash stayed quiet himself as the metal being deduced that the stairs were clear with the darkened flight of upward stairs being completely visible to it. However, the door to the top was closed - something the Pokemon was unsure of but chose to go ahead with anyway.
With no way to mask its own inexperienced movements, the Pokemon took the staircase cautiously but reached the top in just a few seconds, shifting the boy in her arms to the left one to leave the right one free. Listening for a few moments, the Pokemon heard nothing, and sensed nothing. Taking a breath, the being opened the door.
"Freeze." Came the shout of a feminine figure of authority.
The metal Pokemon did indeed come to a halt as it took in what lay before it. Unmoving in the doorway, the being saw that once it would be through the door, there was none of the building left that it had expected. Instead, the wooden floor it had seen in the basement was hidden under a sheer deluge of dust and rubble - chunks of broken brick and wooden planks scattered about with destroyed remnants of home furniture. The stump of a wooden panelled wall could be seen dug into the ground, the roots of which could not be seen due to the all the dust and only made it ten centimetres up before its chipped and ruined edge could be seen - completely having been blown outwards. The rest of the walls, ceiling, rooms and certainly house were non-existent - having joined the rubble in being blown outwards in what was likely the unleashing of the energy blast.
And stood there in front of the human and new Pokemon was a four foot tall, orange dog Pokemon with black stripes running along its body and a mane of ruffled white fur on its underside and head - Growlithe the metal Pokemon automatically assimilated from the thoughts in its head. Stood by the growlithe was a woman in a blue uniform, standing tall with auburn eyes and cerulean hair. Likely a member of the organisational institute of authority, the police, the Pokemon analysed.
"That's it." The woman spoke in a calm yet firm tone. "Now please take a step forward so your out of there."
The metal Pokemon seemed intrigued, and decided to comply as it took a long step forward so it was fully out of the basement area and now fully exposed to the light.
"Thank you." The woman continued. "Now, I don't know what kind of Pokemon you are, but if you could please put the child in your arms down, then we can proceed in a nice, orderly fashion."
The metal being seemed to take offence to that, its body hunching up into a slight defensive posture as Ash was slowly turned away from the police officer; the boy in question looking up to the metal Pokemon with a puzzled expression. He wondered why the Pokemon seemed to be angry with officer Jenny - she was always one of the nicest people in Pallet Town. Regardless, the Pokemon said nothing but rather shook its head slowly.
The officer Jenny in question frowned at the Pokemon's refusal, before speaking again. "Please release the boy at once, or assumptions will be made of criminal activities. This will include a hostage scenario that will involve whoever your trainer is as the perpetrator of the crime." Seeing as the Pokemon before her seemed to be listening, the policewoman wanted to impression upon it how serious the situation could be.
However, the Pokemon only caused its free hand to start sparking as it shook its head again, causing Jenny to become seriously concerned. She didn't recognise the Pokemon, and therefore it was a complete unknown variable - its power stats were unknown there, and its attack power could be such that it could sweep the floor with her growlithe. She would need help for an unknown variable.
Reaching into her pocket, Jenny slightly paused as the crackling of electricity in the Pokemon's hand intensified, but nonetheless pulled out a walkie talkie which she raised to her mouth. The Pokemon did nothing at the revelation of the device, merely to continue standing as the boy in the being's arms stayed quiet too. Likely having no idea what to do and scared he'd do something wrong if he did do something. "This is Officer Jenny at the Ketchum residence, reporting the appearance of an unknown Pokemon holding a boy. It is refusing to relinquish the boy, and I am as such requesting assistance."
Static sounded over the device for a second, before a masculine voice sounded out then. "Is the Pokemon and boy still at the site? Over."
"Yes. It's stood right in front of me." Officer Jenny replied quickly, casting an eye at the Pokemon who seemed to be figuring out what to do if the movements and twitches of its body and limbs seemed to say anything.
"Copy that. Assistance is on its way, over." The radio device responded, before falling silent which Jenny quickly put away. Just in time, as the metal Pokemon showed it had a reached a decision as it took a step forward. Growlithe stood taller then, fur standing slightly on end in a clear warning sign as it growled at the metal being whose crimson eyes blinked back.
"Hold it right there!" Jenny shouted at the Pokemon, who diverted its attention from the fiery dog before it to look at her. "You're going to stay right where you are, and I'm going to have to insist that you let the boy go!"
The Pokemon's eyes narrowed then, the first clear sign of warning or anger it had displayed as it shook its head for a third and final time, slower than ever just to imply its refusal. It took another step forward, holding its crackling hand before it in a clear sign to the policewoman - a test to the officer on what the policewoman was going to do about the situation. In the Pokemon's mind, a simple scenario - gauging whether the person before it and her dog Pokemon were a threat to the metal being and the child she had taken upon herself to protect.
"Growlithe, stop-" Officer Jenny began, but was stopped as the metal Pokemon gave an audible screech-like sound, crimson eyes flashing as the black pupils within them disappeared.
"Threat confirmed." An indifferent, robotic voice sounded out from the Pokemon then, taking Jenny aback as something happened then that was amongst the rarest thing on the continent - a Pokemon speaking. "Responding."
The crackling of electricity in the Pokemon's free hand, something that had scared Ash as he was so close to it, gave way to the deep thrum of charging energy as the metal being brought the arm close to its torso. The blue energy shroud covered its arm then, the thrum of charging energy reverberating in the humans ears as the light blue tint of the energy darkened into a shade of blue not unlike the armour plates on the Pokemon's body.
Knowing that whatever it was doing was likely not good for her health, and given the potential risk to the boy should she respond (and whether any of Growlithe's attacks would overpower the unknown Pokemon or not), Jenny shouted at her partner. "Growlithe, let's get out of here!"
The policewoman and her partner tried to escape, but being surrounded by rubble does not help one's escape - showing as the Growlithe had just jumped the stump of a wall when the metal Pokemon swung her arm. "Gravity blast." The robotic voice intoned.
True to the move's name, a distortion of air formed as the Pokemon swung her left arm in a sweeping, wide motion. A high-pitched whine rang out as the rippling vortex exploded outwards, crossing the distance between the two parties instantly. Officer Jenny let out a yell as did her Growlithe let out a pained bark as it seemed an invisible wall slammed forcefully into their bodies, cracking several bones upon impact before the explosive force of the vortex threw them tens of metres away. Fortunately for them, they landed in a field instead of into the neighbouring house - which had luckily been removed as an obstacle as it too was nought but rubble.
The complete crimson in the metal Pokemon's eyes remained as she walked out of the house in a careful manner, holding Ash tighter in her right arm as her head slowly surveyed the area. Seeing the area vacant for now, the Pokemon turned towards the forested northern area of Pallet Town, and quickly upped its movements into a hurried sprint as it darted for the woods.
"Stop right there!" A man's voice shouted out to the running Pokemon, causing the being to glance to the side to see a policeman catching up to her on a motorbike. "Police!"
"Threat confirmed." The Pokemon intoned again, but this time called out no move as it simply swung its body backwards; right leg shooting out and stabbing into the ground behind it in a computerised motion to stop it from falling over. "Responding."
The Pokemon was had just slid to a halt and was now facing the police bike after doing a complete turn of almost 180 degrees. The man on the bike looked shocked as he stamped down on the brakes, but it appeared too late as the man looked as if he was about to crash into the metal being. However, the Pokemon shot out its left arm again, jabbed directly at the motorbike as its clawed hand glowed blue - before swinging it upwards and bringing its arm back so that the forearm hit the triceps; locking the elbow in. The man gave a scream as the motorbike followed the motions of the Pokemon, clinging tighter to the machine as it was launched airborne, moving forwards and over the Pokemon's head. The metal being didn't even look as it simply shoved its full left arm forward to the left, losing the blue glow in its hand as the man screamed harder as both he and the machine were thrown far out from the field.
The Pokemon was about to turn and begin running again when its ears twitched, causing it to hiss in annoyance as it held the child closer to itself in what it hoped was a comforting manner. Ash certainly gave a fearful whimper as he clung tighter to the Pokemon, but didn't dare get in its way. The Pokemon had picked up upon incoming humans to the area, and from the sounds of it, a few Pokemon.
"Incoming possible threats." The robotic voice intoned again, hearing the shouts of an older male, a woman and several barks of dog-like Pokemon, indicating to the Pokemon of the possible arrival of several Growlithe and their police partners. The machine-like mind within analysed on how it was still configuring its systems and thoughts, and had no experience in dealing with actual Pokemon battles. "Possible multiple fire-type threats. Escape advised. Responding."
"-no, Leaf, don't! You saw what it did to Jenny!" Came the shout of an older male, the head of a grey-haired, elderly man in a white lab coat running into view as he chased a woman in a green hat in front of him.
"That's exactly why it can't get away!" 'Leaf' shouted back. "Venusaur, go!"
A white and red ball was thrown in the same second, expunging a mass of red energy and light which quickly formed into a Pokemon the same size as the newly created metal Pokemon. A large bulb-like head emerged, giving off a short, deep cry of 'Venusaur!' as the rest of its mass formed. A large blue, short body slammed down onto all four clawed legs as giant green leaves formed upon its back, a short tree with light-brown bark growing upwards out of the dissipating red energy. Pink petals forming on top of the crowned trees and two, green snaking vines shooting out of the leaves completed the formation.
"Venusaur, vine whip quickly! Get the kid from that Pokemon!" Leaf shouted out, getting a protest of indignation from one of the appearing police figures who didn't want to escalate the potential hostage scenario.
The plant Pokemon responded quickly with a cry of its name, the snaking vines that swayed alongside it shooting forth to cross the gap towards the metal Pokemon in a mere second. Aiming for the child in the Pokemon's arms, the Venusaur looked to be dead on target.
However, just like everyone before it, it was too late.
"Teleporting." The robotic voice let out before the air around the Pokemon shimmered, the metal being and child completely disappearing into thin air just as the vines whipped right through the shimmering air where the duo had once been. Letting out a cry of fury from its failure, the Venusaur quickly retracted its vines as the chasing group ground to a halt after seeing the disappearance of their targets.
"No... Ash..." Professor Oak let out as he doubled over, the running having been too much at his elderly age. But another look upwards from his hunched over position, clawing in air as he did so confirmed his fears - the child of one of his best researchers and the mysterious Pokemon had gone.