A/N: MOAR UPDATE: So yeah, yet another update to fix grammar/spelling issues. It's not necessarily a complete rewrite though; I'm just fixing a few silly mistakes and reworded some passages so that it seems…better. :P

Without further ado, read and review…

Friday, June 11 - Living Quarters SUB - PokéGene Inc.
Subject 001 / Name: Warren

"The new plug-in…for the formula! It's finished!"

"Osha?" "Sni?" "Cynda?" "Pip?" "Ral?" "Pika?"

"That's right; we've been working on a little something for you guys for the longest while! Took forever, but it's finally completed! Carter really outdid himself!"

Okay, Brian jus' cums bustin' in here an' then starts shoutin' and gaspin' about WHAT now? I swear ta… What's up now? Don't get me wrong, it's great that Brian has somefin' good goin' fer him, but whut could this all possibly be 'bout?

Max seemed jus' as surprised as the rest of us did, but fer sum reason he seemed like he knew somefin'. He looked at me and quietly asked, "Hey Warren? Buddy? Are you aware what this is about?"

I shook my head, and then asked back, "Well, do you?"

"I might have an idea, but I'm not exactly sure… I think it's pretty important though."

"Oh joy…"

Brian kept up with his little speech, "You all seem a little confused. Hmm, I suppose you would be… Anyway, I'm assuming you would want to know what this is all about."

Me and the others nodded, 'cause hey, of COURSE we wanted ta know.

"Yes, of course. Shouldn't have thought otherwise. Ahem, now then… I was going to keep this a surprise, but I'll be very direct. Allow me to bring out this syringe…" Brian pulled a tiny needle out of his pocket, fill'd with sum liquid stuff, and I noticed Max take a step back, lookin' a tad pale (paler than usual anyway). "Oh? Oh! S-sorry Maxwell, I forgot that you have a fear of needles… But as I was saying, we have figured out a "loophole" to something that CPT itself could not achieve. Let me ask you all: It's annoying that you can't speak to us like a person can, right?"

I nodded, as well as everyone else did. Y'all might've noticed how hard it is fer us ta talk with Brian, Frank an' the others, since we're…I dunno…unable to speak English? If ya haven't, then ya obviously weren't payin' attention. Cum on, it shud be obvious.

"Well, we've found a way around that. Can I ask for one of you to volunteer?"

None o' us moved. Max actually backed away sum more. Figures. But hey, I can relate. No one seemed to be willin' to step forward, so I did. May as well git this show onda road, right? But, 'magine my shock when Max pushed in front o' me.

"I'll do it, I'll do it…" he said, lookin' paler still. "Just get it over with…"

Brian looked purty surprised too. "Max? You're going to volunteer?"

My 'brother' nodded, seeming to grow whiter by the minute—even though his head was purty white ta begin with.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise! It's great to see you finally stepping up to plate on you own! Good for you!"

"Eh-heh… Yeah…" Max obviously wasn't comfortable, but hey. If he's so scared o' the needle, then it really makes me wunder why he would try to be courageous… Boy's got guts, ah'll give him that…

Friday, June 11 - Living Quarters SUB - PokéGene Inc.
Subject 006 / Name: Maxwell

Ugh… What was I thinking? I just willingly volunteered to be part of another experiment? Oye vey…

To be honest, I liked the idea of being the first to do something, but the first to do something completely untested is a bit…out of my league. Should I really go through with this? Or shouldn't I? Egh…it wouldn't matter either way, since by then Brian was already coaxing me forward.

Hesitating, I slowly waddled up to him. I'm sure he could see the fear in my eyes, since he tried to reassure me. "There there, this'll be easier than the CPT process. Much easier. Besides, the needle is nowhere near as big!"

That wasn't all that reassuring when he mentioned the needle size. Sure, it was only the LENGTH OF MY (short) ARM, but he didn't seem to think it was a big deal.

"In any case," he continued, "it's much less involved than CPT. It's merely a slight "tweak" if you will. I'll explain in a minute, but first I should give you the shot, seeing as it takes a few minutes to take effect."

No way would I willingly put out my arm for a needle, but in this case I had little choice, so it's what I did.

"Okay, it'll be nice and quick," he said. I closed my eyes tightly, hoping it would be over quick. "And…there!" I opened my eyes again. It was over? THAT quick? I looked up at Brian, who was discarding the empty syringe. "There," he said cheerfully, "easy as that!"

Whaaa…? Not even a prick? A poke? ANYTHING? Apparently not… I didn't feel anything the entire time. But when I looked at my arm, there was a little spot where I may have got the shot. I touched it, and it didn't hurt. A little tender perhaps, but nothing painful as I always likened it to be. I turned back to the others, and they informed me I actually did get the shot. Wow.

"Hm, didn't I say it was easy?" Brian said, smirking. "Doesn't hurt, right? Pokémon have a tendency to absorb more pain than humans. It's why they always battle! Heheh…"

Ah, so that's why. Convenient! Yet another reason to add to my list of "Reasons I Love Being a Pokémon." I'm at twelve already.

…Wait, did he say battle?

"So, as I was saying—"

Right as he began, a sudden tingly and scratchy sensation began in my throat, making me cry out—mostly from surprise, not from the actual feeling.

"Oh! Well, that was quicker than I thought. Taking effect already! Max, I just have to ask that you try not to speak or anything like that for now, okay? While the sensation is taking place specifically. Just to be safe."

I had no idea why he was even asking that, since I couldn't say anything anyway. My throat felt like it was being strained in such a way that I couldn't even rasp. Thank goodness I could still breathe, but it was a little tricky. I nodded, holding my neck with my paws to help stem the tingling (it didn't really help, though). My head also began to throb a bit for some reason.

"Great…I suppose. Heh. Anyway, the plug-in is simply referred to as the Vocal Chord Alteration Compound, or VCAC. It works in a similar fashion to CPT—it's a specially programmed bacterium—only it directly targets the vocal chords and brain, mostly. Through a complex, and quite hard-to-explain process, it can force the vocal chords, better known as the voice box, to interpret language into a recognizable context. Before, your Pokémon brains could only take your intended English, and make it into the language of Pokémon—PokéSpeak it's commonly known as—before sending that message to the voice box to produce those words. But now, the context is completely unaltered. Your brains are then capable of producing the message you've always intended to say: English. You have NO idea how hard it was to make this process work… We've been trying ever since CPT-008…"

His explanation carried on for quite a bit, and while it did that tingling, scratching feeling in my throat and slight throbbing in my head persisted. It was a tad uncomfortable, but thank goodness it eventually passed. When it finally did, I didn't feel much different than normal. Sure, my throat was a little dry, but nothing much else.

Brian gazed at me expectantly. "Well, Max? Is the sensation over?" he asked, obviously full of tension and excitement. I guess now we'll see if his experiment was a success.

I took a deep breath, and then released it, trying to relax myself. Finally, I answered, "…Y-Yes… It is…" And guess what sound I didn't hear? That's right; the Oshawott cries no longer came forth. I said it plainly and clearly.

Talk about your awkward silences. The rest of my brothers and sisters had the bottom of their jaws on the floor…metaphorically, anyway. They weren't actually on the floor but—oh, you know what I mean! Anyway, I was pretty shocked myself, so I had to ask, "D-did I say that just now?" Once again, the good ol' English language spouted from my mouth. (Okay, NOW their jaws were on the floor.)

Brian in particular seemed most excited. He apparently expected this to happen, so it's not like he was shocked, but he looked like he just won the lottery or something. "It worked! Amazing! To be honest, I was actually a little bit doubtful it would work…but no matter! This is excellent!"

I gazed up at him with a confused look on my face. I can…talk now? For real?

"Simply amazing! I can't even begin to express how great this is! Finally…all that effort paid off at last!"

"Uhh…" Well, apparently now I'm capable of speaking again! Only problem is (rather ironically), I was at a loss for words. Brian's explanation—which clearly stated that this stuff would restore our speech ability—never could've prepared me, or anyone else, for what the expected result was. "I'm…talking? Actually talking?"

"Your mouth is moving, and words are coming out, so yes!" Brian pointed out, adjusting his glasses. "And as a plus, you should still be able to communicate in PokéSpeak just as easily as English, too! In short, you can still talk to Pokémon!"

"…Really now? Huh…" I turned back to my adopted siblings and forced a smile (it must've looked kinda bad though). "…So, um…guys? You…understand me, maybe?"

No response from any of them. But of course, how silly of me… They were in too much shock to really say anything. A whole minute passed before Brian cleared his throat to break the silence. "What's up? None of you want to say anything?"

At this, they began to shift uncomfortably, obviously under pressure to say something. Finally, Warren decided to speak up at last. What I heard him say surprised me a little bit. "Pi, pikachu chu? Pika pi?" I'd gotten so used to hearing that being said so often, that I'd always recognize it as what I thought was English. But now, it's as if I'm just hearing that Poké-babble, only I know what it means. He had asked me, "Well, can ya understand me still? Maxwell?"

"Of course I can," I replied. "It sounds a bit 'odd' to me…but yeah, I can. Oogh…" Wow, that stuff really stirred my brain up, since I still had a slight headache from the after-effects. But never mind that…

"Pika! Chu chu!" Warren said, obviously shocked about my newly re-acquired (but painfully familiar and unspectacular) ability. I understood what he said as, "Hot dang! That's really amazin'!"

The others began to share Warren's disbelief. "Well, it looks like Brian the super-scientist does it again!" Matthew said in a half-witted tone, and then snickered. Mary gave him a quick jab in the stomach to quiet him down and snapped, "Enough with the sarcasm! This is really important stuff!" The Snivy didn't give a real rebuttal to this; he just shrugged it off and gently laughed to himself again.

Warren turned towards Brian and started slamming him with questions—obviously unaware the latter couldn't understand him. "Umm… Warren?" Brian said, interrupting the Pikachu. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but…can you allow me a moment to explain the VCAC, if you don't mind?"

Everyone, including Warren and myself, quieted down at once and began to listen intently.

"Thank you. Now, as you can clearly tell, the VCAC can, simply put, restore your ability to speak the English language, in addition to retaining the ability to understand PokéSpeak. We knew from the first tests that CPT renders a human unable to speak English after the transfer from human-to-Pokémon form, with rare exceptions, so we've been trying to implement a method of keeping that intact. It has proved incompatible with CPT, as you know, since it would interfere with the process if both CPT and VCAC were active at the same time. Of course, we recently found that we were looking at it the wrong way. How so, you may ask? Easy! All we had to do was keep both processes separate. Once we found that out, it was a mere matter of time before we made the VCAC plug-in. Are you all with me?"

UGH! What is with Brian and his ridiculously lengthy explanations? "Yeah, I get it." That was kind-of a lie, but I did hear enough parts of the explanation/rant to somewhat understand. "I do have a question though… You said something about 'rare exceptions'…?" The others made cries of agreement, since I assumed they were also curious about that part.

Brian raised an eyebrow at me, and smiled mischievously. "Glad you asked. Subject eight just came back from his family leave. He too was once in your position, only he actively volunteered; he came to us, so to say. The point is, he is here and is simply dying to meet you all."

"Are…you saying that…?"

"Yep. It was the luck of the draw really, but you would've met each other at some point anyway. Besides, it's nice to demonstrate living proof of my point! Oh, did I mention he's the first person to ever—in recent, non-mythological memory at least—become a Pokémon? Well, not including the Pokéhybrids back in the HYBR days, but that's a story for later."

Holy Miltank, is Brian serious? The first guy is still around? And he's here? Ready to meet us? (And what's that about 'Pokéhybrids'? Come to think of it, the man brought it up when I first met him…) Okay, now I started to get really nervous. Dozens of thought began running laps around my mind. What will I say? What kind of guy is he? Is he friendly? What kind of Pokémon did he become? Am I wearing my shell on straight? What about my hat?

Brian chuckled, which made me feel slightly less tense, and bent down to give me a pat on the head. "Don't worry, he doesn't bite. I'm serious you know, he's well-mannered and very friendly, so don't get yourself worked up." He looked back at the others. "You all too, okay? And remember to be on your best behavior—especially you, Matthew!"

Is it just me, or is Brian starting to sound like a parent?

"He's out in the hall actually; we better not keep him waiting… Come on in, Mark!"

Friday, June 11 - Brian's Office - PokéGene Inc.

Danny sat lazily in his dad's chair. To him, being left in charge of keeping his dad's office tidy was an everyday thing, but it was the most boring thing he could imagine doing. The only interesting thing he could do was sit in the chair, and spin it in circle until he either got dizzy or bored. Sure, it's a childish and unconventional way to pass the time, but he didn't care.

At last, the young intern started to grow weary, and felt like nodding off for a bit. So, he did. But right as he went to put his feet up onto the table to relax, he accidentally knocked over a stack of papers onto the floor.

Cursing his luck, Danny stood up and went to gather all the documents, knowing full well that he had to; otherwise his father would give him heck. But while gathering up and rearranging the papers, his eyes caught something interesting: A few pages stapled together, arranged into a report. The title of the report was "HYBR-1A to HYBR-2B Statuses."

At once, his interest was piqued. Danny remembered his dad talking about how the previous experiments before CPT came to be, which were referred to as the "HYBR Trials." Brian never told him though, about the exact details; aside from it being discontinued and noted as a "failure."

"We should never have tried," Brian once said to Danny. "But in hindsight, CPT would not have been possible without those poor souls…"

Wondering if the documents would contain anything interesting to read (if anything it could help kill some time), Danny set the other papers at the desk, sat down, and began reading through the report, dated almost 6 years ago (and judging from the faded text it certainly seemed that old). The first page was simply a title page, so he flipped to the next one and began to read to himself.

"HYBR Formula Summary: The Harmonized Yoctocellular Bi-Rearrangement Formula, better known as HYBR, is a molecular compound utilizing 'programmed bacteria' to alter the code of DNA to acquire traits of two different genomes. For example, a Pokémon and human genome combined."

"(Oh, so this is probably what dad had cooking before this CPT stuff,)" Danny thought. "(…But, what I don't get is…why?)" He continued reading.

"HYBR functions by taking the two DNA strands within each cell and merging them together in various ways. As a downside, the genetic alterations tend to be a bit arbitrary and imprecise; a trait that future formulas will need to amend. Even if two subjects with the same DNA (identical twins are an example) were given the exact same formula (coupled with a Ratatta gene, for example), they would most likely develop different traits. One could acquire only the fur and tail, while the other may get the ears and teeth. Such is the unpredictable nature of HYBR."

As he read, Danny could sense how everything was starting to fit together. HYBR apparently failed, and the idea of CPT succeeded it. Reason for that occurring seemed to be for the sake of efficiency. The page continued on with more complicated terms and biology nonsense that made little sense to Danny, so he skipped ahead to the page titled "Subject Details," and began reading.

"Subject HYBR-1A

Real Name: Bria Omay

Sex: Female

Age: 12

Formula Batch: 102-32

Personal Details: Bria is a strong-willed girl, admitted to the experiment at a rather young 12 years old. She was orphaned at a young age, and adopted by us at the orphanage outside Genta City. We asked if she would be willing to enter the HYBR program, and the girl hastily accepted. Smart, kind, and friendly. Instantly likeable.

Experiment Details: After some discussion, the agreed on DNA candidate is that of a Pikachu. Procedure is amazingly successful. Fur, ears, tail, and even electrical pouches develop within days with minimum discomfort. Even more so, she is capable of using basic moves like Thundershock. As of yet we are unsure of any psychological traits beneath appearances, but we remain optimistic of future successes.

Comments: A very cooperative girl indeed! I remain hopeful for things to keep going well for the HYBR Trials. Also, I find it rather odd that her name mirrors her subject code: HYBR-1A = Bria. Weird, huh?

State: Alive / Full Health."

The young man scratched his head with confusion. According to the report (he couldn't help but snicker at his father's comments; that was so like him) the first test was totally successful! How could it have failed? He read the next subject's details.

"Subject HYBR-1B

Real Name: Jack Umber

Sex: Male

Age: 13

Formula Batch: 127-16

Personal Details: A fairly calm, but somewhat odd boy. He never really talks a lot, but shows caring whenever appropriate. Found living on the street, and offered chance to be part of experiment. Though slightly hesitant, he accepted. Has a pretty good sense of humor (but is noted to be a little mischievous).

Experiment Details: In attempt to test merging with Pokémon with more extreme properties, Torchic DNA is chosen as the DNA candidate. Unfortunately, the internal flame sacs—which can cause stored temperatures at almost 1000 degrees—develop before the body can fully build up a tolerance, resulting in severe tissue damage. Subsequent operations repair most of this, however the pain may continue for weeks until fully healed. Unusually, but not unexpectedly, the flame sacs are the only trait to be developed aside from a light coating of feathers on the torso.

Comments: Not the best result we've had, but I owe that to the HYBR's unpredictability. I'm not happy about poor Jack getting hurt, but I'll deem this a partial success anyway. Hopefully the future carries better fortune for us, and the kids.

State: Alive / Moderate Health."

Danny started to realize the problem with the HYBR. As was mentioned on the first page, the results were simply too random, which had caused the subject named "Jack" to get hurt from the unbalanced changes. He read the entries from 1D and 2A (whose names were Jenny and Douglas, respectively), both of which were successful for the most part. 1C and 2B were different stories…

"Oh my god…" Danny's mouth dropped open as he read both of these entries.

"Subject HYBR-1C

Real Name: Wilson (no last name)

Sex: Male

Age: 16

Formula Batch: 134-22

Personal Details: Wilson was a distant, quiet kid. He never got along with many people, and had run away from home. Apparently, he tried to commit suicide on several occasions. Picked up from an orphanage, shortly after his latest attempt. Our oldest subject.

Experiment Details: He acted uncaring of what Pokémon DNA to splice with, so we decided for him: a Starly, to test effects of bird-like DNA on humans. Feathers and wings (though somewhat small) develop, as expected, but his mind seems to decay even more. Whether it was because of his natural, suicidal tendencies, or simply because he lost his mind, Wilson…jumped out a top floor window. He is currently buried in the facility's garden. Experiment is judged a total failure.

Comments: I am personally ashamed of this tragedy. Although I should have expected it, nothing could have prepared me for this kind of shock. Though Frank has assured me that it was done on his own suicidal mind, and not because of HYBR, I can't help but feel responsible. I'm starting to wonder if all of this is even worth it… (This is clearly no place for jokes, but I can't help but note the irony… HYBR-1C = HY BRIC = High brick. That would properly describe his flying ability in any case…)

State: Deceased

Subject HYBR-2B

Real Name: (None)

Sex: Male

Age: 8

Formula Batch: 112-43

Personal Details: Very little was known about this boy. He appeared on our doorstop, severely injured and begging for food. He said he had no name. We took him in, nursed him back to health, and gave him a home. Though he was still very young, we introduced him to Bria and the others and told him about the HYBR. He seemed eager, and begged to be entered into the experiment. Though we had issues regarding his age, the successes of 1D and 2A were inspiring. So we proceeded.

Experiment Details: Once again, we strayed from the typical DNA patterns. DNA from the artificial Pokémon Porygon was used as the candidate, as requested by the boy himself. Though we certainly expected issues, things got bad fast. Soon after receiving the formula, his vitals dropped sharply. Before we could realize what the problem was, it was too late. He flatlined. Yet somehow, his molecular structure was able to deresolute and simply vanish, though there is little hope of ever finding him.

Comments: HYBR is finished. This is the last straw. It was bad enough when Wilson…passed, but in this case it was the formula's fault that… I can hardly express my regret properly. We were idiots for trying artificial DNA anyway… There must be a better method of doing things…

State: Missing (most likely deceased)."

Danny dropped the report onto the table. He didn't want to read anymore. What had happened in the past… He understood every bit of it. Why HYBR failed. Why Brian would always act shameful whenever the subject of HYBR was brought up. But one thing lingered on Danny's mind: If some of those Pokéhybrids apparently lived…then…where are they now?

"So, curiosity got the better of you? Heh, I'd be curious myself."

Danny almost jumped right out of the chair. "F-Frank! I…"

The old scientist walked into the office, apparently to check on him, but was somewhat surprised to see him with the documents relating to HYBR laid out. "…Hmm." Frank walked up to the desk that Danny was at, and glanced down at the papers. "You've been studying, I see." He chuckled. "Odd, I never thought of you actually studying."

"Errr… Um…"

"Well, who am I to judge? This is interesting stuff after all. Rather…unpleasant stuff, but interesting nevertheless."

"I… I wasn't—!"

The old scientist sighed. "Come on, Danny. It's not like you're forbidden to see that. You would've found out eventually." Frank picked up the report, and thumbed through it. "…I miss those kids. They were really great."

Danny couldn't help but imagine an unpleasant image of their fate, and gulped. "W-what happened to them?"

The scientist sighed and shook his head. "That's just it. I have no idea. None of us do. One day, they just…vanished. Without a trace. This was just after word got out about this whole undertaking. Maybe the kids were afraid of attention, and ran away? Perhaps they feared what would happen to them if everyone were to learn of those experiments? Anyone's guess."

"Oh, that's too bad… What happened after that?"

"Eh, the government almost shut us down when they saw our records… They confiscated most of them—though we stashed some documents away, like this report here—and they would've taken the kids away had they not disappeared. Must be why they ran away… Oddly enough, the government tried to kill any rumors about the whole thing; the old-fashioned "deny everything" approach. Things settled down from that point on. PokéGene only stayed active because we were 'officially' working on a miracle cure. Back then, it wasn't really true, but it is now."

"'Wasn't really true'? Then what were you looking for?"

"…Nothing, really. It was all part of this fantasy your father had since he was a kid. He wanted to understand Pokémon better, in more ways than one, so it all led up to this. HYBR was the start, and then CPT came along, and well…here we are."

"Not to be rude, but that doesn't seem like much of a reason…"

"I suppose, in realistic terms, no. But, people can do weird things in the right - or wrong - state of mind. At least THIS weird thing has led to an actual miracle… Well, all aside, have you met Mark yet?"

"Who? …Oh, that guy who was the first to be a Pokémon and stuff?"

Frank smiled. "The very same. He came back to pay us a visit."

Friday, June 11 - Living Quarters SUB - PokéGene Inc.
Subject 006 / Name: Maxwell

"Come on in, Mark!"

Right as Brian called for whoever was outside the door, I heard the door open again. Everyone (myself included of course) immediately turned towards the door. A tall Pokémon by our comparison (roughly four feet) walked in, and I tried to recognize the species. He bore a resemblance to a jackal, with dark-blue and black fur covering most of his body, but with dull-yellow fur on his torso. A large metal spike dead center on his chest (along with similar spikes on the backs of his paws) confirmed his identity. "He's a…Lucario?"

The Lucario named Mark scanned the room with his red-irised eyes, then caught sight of us and Brian and smiled. "Hello. My name's Mark. You six must be the kids that Brian told me about," he said in a deep, but gentle and calm voice. "I've really been looking forward to meeting you at last."

"Uh… H-hi…? I'm M-Maxwell, but you can call me Max…" I'm not sure why I introduced myself first. I sorta did it involuntarily, but Mark seemed happy to meet me.

"Oh, well, nice to meet you 'Max'," Mark said, smiling, and bent down to shake my paw. He wasn't as tall or as big as Brian or Frank, but he was still a fair size larger than me. I returned the pawshake, but he somehow seemed to sense my nervousness. "…Heh, you're nervous, aren't you? Don't be, I won't bite! And another thing, you might want to stop dwelling on your personal issues. They seriously hold you back unless you just forget about them and move on."

Oh, great. Now there are TWO mind-readers in this joint. God help me.

The Lucario chuckled. "Your Aura is simply dripping with sarcasm right now. No, I'm not reading your mind; I'm just sensing your Aura. All Lucario can do it. They are also capable of understanding and speaking English. Well, I suppose that's a bonus, huh? Heheheh…"

"That's…great…" A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I turned to Brian. "Hey, wait a minute… Didn't you say that the CPT stuff can't make people into Pokémon higher than base evolutions or whatever? Then how come Mark is a Lucario? Aren't they…you know?"

Brian seemed to be expecting that. "I did. He never directly became a Lucario, only its pre-evolved form, Riolu. But as you can plainly see, he's evolved since then. Yes, you heard me right."

Hold up… Mark… EVOLVED? "Then does that mean…we can evolve too?" I actually enjoyed the prospect of being at least a foot or so taller.

"Most likely, since the nature of CPT-019 makes your genes perfectly identical to a real Pokémon, so I don't see why it can't be possible. Granted, most Pokémon evolve by battling and leveling up, so if you really want to go that direction…"

…On second thought, I'd like to not have my body damaged in any way, shape or form. "Uhh… It's not so bad being small and cute!" And no, I'm not being a chicken! Though one may wonder…

"Heh, if you're sure… So Mark," Brian continued, "Why don't you meet the others? They haven't been given the VCAC yet, but you can still talk to them, right?"

"Of course I can! I wouldn't deserve to be called a Pokémon if I can't even talk with one, after all." Mark walked past me and stood in front of my siblings, beaming. "A pleasure to meet you all. I'm Mark, as you know already. How's Pokélife treating you?"

"Uhh… Fine, I guess," Warren replied in PokéSpeak. "Beats mah human life in any case. …Oh, mah name's Warren by the by. Humbl'd ta meet ya, Mark." The two shook paws, and Warren found the courage to smile sincerely.

"Hmhm, I am too. Odd, you sure remind me of my brother…"

"Brother?"

"Oh, Brian never told you all? I actually do have a family. …Well, I have siblings, and grandparents, but no real parents. I was out on my own for a while, until I happened upon this place. To be honest, I never knew what was in store for me! But I don't regret my decision. My sister likes to pretend I'm a dog sometimes though…"

"Oh, I see… Unlike us, ya actually have a family ta worry 'bout… So…was it hard?"

"…Hmm, I don't often dwell on that… It wasn't an easy choice, no, but whatever family I had left was accepting of it."

"We also had to swear them to secrecy," Brian interjected, clearing his throat.

Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind: my cousin, Wendel. I had completely forgotten about him! "Uhh, excuse me, guys?"

They all turned to look at me, and I continued. "I actually have a family member too! Well, just a cousin actually…but still!"

Brian seemed briefly confused, and then a look of realization suddenly appeared on his face. "Oh, that's right! You said you did right when we first met I believe… But silly me, I never took proper note of it…" He trailed off, apparently thinking this through.

"Well… It's just that I normally write to him, so…if I never do, he might get really worried about me."

"…That is a situation… I suppose we can…" He trailed off again, only now he managed to think of something. "Oh! Well, why don't you just write a letter explaining the situation? I can help with that if you need it!"

Hey, no complaints here! Any excuse to "talk" (at least, via letter) with my cousin again sounds good enough to me. "Sure! …Uh, where's a pen and paper?"

Friday, June 11 - Living Quarters SUB - PokéGene Inc.
Subject 003 / Name: Steve

"Great then," Brian said. "As for paper, there's plenty of that in my office. Let's go!"

So, both Maxwell and Brian waved goodbye to us and left the room to do that letter thing, leaving me, Warren, Sam, Mary, and Matt with the Lucario named Mark.

The moment I saw that guy, I could just feel the power that was emanating from him. It would've been impossible to tell that he was once human. His mental power was also rather powerful, as it shrugged off my attempts to get a decent read on it. And that, my friends, proves that my sibling's minds are weak-willed. Heh, more fun for me.

After he was done exchanging pleasantries with Warren, Mark got acquainted with Samantha, Mary, and Matthew (in that order) before at last coming up to me.

"…So, a Ralts, huh? Your name is?"

"Steve," I replied, "just…Steve. Please don't call me Steven."

He nodded. "Duly noted. I'm Mark, pleased to meet you."

"Likewise, sir."

"'Sir'? Heheh, I suppose you can call me that…even though we're technically brothers."

"Somehow I expected you to mention that. It's because Brian "adopted" you in a sense, is that correct?"

"Well now, polite and intelligent. That's right; I was technically alone in the world, since I never wanted to live with gramps, so when I found Brian at this building he offered to take me in. He's a really nice guy…"

"I agree. He truly does care about us. Though he might have a tendency to act a bit overexcited about his research…"

"I know that for a fact, Steve. Anyway, it's nice to meet you at last."

"Same here Mark. I have to ask though…what are you going to be doing from now on?"

"Well, I'm just planning on visiting for a while. I'm not sure, maybe a week or two at least, a month at most. In any case, you guys should get used to me, because I'll be hanging around for a bit."

"Hm…"

The others seemed happy about Mark, and his plan to stay for a while. But for some reason I couldn't shake off an uncomfortable feeling about him… It might just be my psychic-type nature responding to his fighting-type, which is what my type is good against. It didn't seem like a simple feeling of rivalry though…it was like…I can't really describe how I was feeling… You know that sense of dread when you're walking down a dark street with no one else around? It was like that.

Why I felt that way is beyond me, but it doesn't seem to be Mark's fault… It's like…he's carrying some kind of ill fortune on him…

And that's when I saw it. For an ever-so-brief moment: a sight of peril. I couldn't make it out very well, but I could remember seeing a small figure, trying to defend another equal-sized figure from a much, much larger one. It looked like David versus Goliath to me, only in a slightly detailed context. For example, the "Goliath" held a long tool that looked like a shaft with a hoop on the end, and the two "Davids" were on the defensive. One was cowering in fear; the other was defending its companion with some kind of weapon.

But what did it mean? I had no idea. I did realize that Mark had nothing to do with the image I saw. In fact, my mind told me that it had something to do with an ill fortune that was, is, or will follow him at some point in time. Whether the image I saw was present or past I could not tell.

But…is it possible that I saw…the future…? …No, impossible. I may have been taught by one of the greatest clairvoyants I ever knew (she predicted her own death, remember?) but I admit that I couldn't have ever learned all of her skills. I may know a thing or two, but seeing events to come is beyond my level of expertise.

"…Steve…Steve…Steve!"

I heard voices that seemed to come from nowhere. At once, I broke free from a trance that I was unaware I was in, and realized I had fell backwards on the floor. Warren and Mark were standing over me, trying to get me to respond to them somehow. "Wake up, Steve!" Warren almost yelled in my ear. "Cum on, git offa the floor! Ya hafta!"

"Nrgh…" Slowly, I got to my feet and rubbed my head. It was quite sore all of a sudden. "What happened…?" I groaned, unsure why I had fallen.

Mark shrugged. "I'm not really sure, but before you fell I sensed an odd spike in your Aura energy, and you just seemed to slip into some kind of trance… What did you see?"

Once I had regained my balance, I recounted the description of my vision. The two small Davids, the Goliath that stood before them… Of course, I left out my suspicion of Mark of course, but I did explain what I believed it meant. Even so, I was quick to discredit the whole thing, telling them that I didn't believe that it was a future sight or anything.

"You never know," Mary said, looked somewhat distressed. I couldn't blame her, or anyone else for that matter.

Matthew looked at me with a rather blank stare. "Well well, little mister Psycho-Steve has a vision of some sorta fight going on," he said, rolling his eyes. "Heh, I can see where this is going…" Now it was Warren who gave him a quick shut-up jab and hissed "Quiet, you!" in the Snivy's ear.

"All aside, this is pretty concerning…" Mark stared into my eyes, apparently looked for any signs of dishonesty, but I displayed none so he shrugged off the thought and seemed content with my explanation. "I need to have a talk with Brian for a bit. I'll explain this to him as well, just to be safe."

Personally, I didn't think it was a big enough deal to need to tell Brian or Frank about it, but I didn't object and silently nodded. The Lucario gave us a quick wave goodbye and tiny smile before he left out the door, and the five of us were alone.

"…This is a tad awkward…"

Friday, June 11 - Brian's Office - PokéGene Inc.
Subject 006 / Name: Maxwell

Brian led me down a few hallways, and after a short while we came up to the door to his office. It wasn't an automatic sliding door like the one to my room, but that's only because it's most likely supposed to be private. "Welcome to my 'inner sanctum', Max," he told me, and opened the door to allow me first entry.

Upon walking inside, I saw that the room was already occupied! Both Danny and Frank were in here, apparently having some kind of discussion about something. They stopped talking the moment me and Brian stepped into the room, and greeted us.

"Hey Brian, Maxwell," Frank said as we entered. "What brings you here?"

"For starters this is my office Frank," Brian pointed out, chuckling, "so I should be asking you that! I know I left Danny in charge of keeping things tidy, so—" He noticed the mess of papers on his desk, and Danny shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "And…this is?"

Frank whispered something into Brian's ear, and thusly I couldn't hear what was being said. Neither could Danny apparently. At once, Brian seemed to understand whatever Frank was trying to explain to him. "…I see. Well, no matter." He shrugged off whatever thought was on his mind and then turned back to me. "So, where were we?"

While Brian gathered together the paper and utensils needed to write the letter, Frank and Danny were quick to vacate the premises. Something about Danny seemed a little "off" though… When I saw him pass me by I noticed a guilty look on his face.

Brian put me up onto his desk, where I was to attempt to write that letter myself (though I had little faith in that expectation) and when he turned his back for a few moments I couldn't help but sneak a peek at the documents spread out onto the table.

I had very little time to read, but I was able to make out a few distinct pieces of information: A series of experiments dating back six years; the word "Pokéhybrids" being written down numerous times; genetic research and stuff on combining DNA; and most intriguingly, a formula by the name of "HYBR".

Before my mind could properly analyze whatever data I was spoon-feeding it, Brian turned around and I looked astray from the papers, acting as if nothing was the matter. "I found a pen! One that actually works that is…"

He walked back to the desk I was at. "Let me just put this stuff away," he said, and neatly re-organized the papers and slipped them back inside his desk, effectively nullifying my curiosity of whatever those reports were about. "So, here's a fresh paper, and a working pen. Think you can write?"

I casually shrugged and shook my head at the same time. "Probably not… But I could try I guess."

"Exactly. No sense in not trying, eh? Oh, and your cousin's name is…?"

"Wendel. That's his name. He lives out far away… Way out in Unova, actually."

"THAT far? Wow, it must take weeks for your letters to go back and forth… You don't just use email?"

"They have no computers at the orphanage. Wendel doesn't have one either, so mailing by post is how we communicate."

"Oh, I see… Well, go ahead and start, if you wish."

I nodded and looked down at the blank sheet of lined paper before me. Brian had handed me the pen, but since I have no thumbs I had to grab the pencil with both paws to hold it steady. It was a slight bit awkward to hold it this way, but I managed to make it work. I settled on a simple, but still detailed letter about what happened over the last few days…

'To cousin Wendel. Hello, I hope you are doing well. Sorry if the handwriting seems messier than usual, it's just that I still have to adapt to using both hands to write. Though you may not believe me, I'm being perfectly honest. A few days ago, I met a scientist from PokéGene Inc named Brian. Get this: They're working on experiments with DNA, and they had asked me to participate! The shocker? I actually became a Pokémon! If you still don't believe me, then sorry. I know this seems sudden, but it's the truth. Now I'm here, as a Pokémon—specifically an Oshawott, because I personally think they're cute—along with five others who also became Pokémon as well! I hope you understand the circumstances that have been going on here, seeing as how it may seem unbelievable. This was my own decision just so you know, so don't feel bad for me or anything. My arm's starting to get sore, so I'll stop now. Hope to hear back from you. Regards, Maxwell.'

Though it isn't as careful and meaningful as I usually write them, as I found it hard to find proper words to describe my situation (and I really couldn't be bothered), it was a letter nevertheless. All I really needed to do was try and explain the gist of what went on here, so my cousin might understand. (But eh, if Wendel still doesn't believe it, then what more could I do anyway? I'd be wasting my time at that point.)

During my write-up of the letter, I noticed that Mark had quietly entered the room to speak with Brian. They took their conversation outside, so I had no idea what it involved. Honest to Mew, if I had a Pokédollar for every time a secret was kept around here…

It took me about a half-hour to finish writing the whole letter (not counting the times I accidentally let the pen slip from my grip). There were quite a few spelling errors, sure, but I wasn't feeling that able to put a lot of effort into this, so they slipped my mind. After I was finally done with writing (my arms were indeed sore after that effort) I dropped the pen onto the desk and looked over the letter. "(Yes, this should explain everything,)" I thought. Soon it occurred to me that Brian still hadn't returned from talking with that Mark guy. Where was he?

I waited for about two more minutes until Brian finally returned. "Sorry about the wait," he said apologetically. "But there were a few important matters to discuss that demanded my attention. Just so you're aware, Mark will be staying with us for a few weeks; he'll be sleeping in one of our spare subject rooms. I'm sure you'll get around to liking him!"

That Lucario named Mark…he seems like a nice enough guy, so I really should try to get to know him better later on…

"Anyway, how's your letter coming?"

"Finished," I replied. "I'd been done for a couple of minutes now. Turned out okay, I think…"

"Hmm, do you mind if I have a look?"

I nodded, and handed him the letter.

"…Well, the handwriting might not win any awards but it's great nonetheless; considering your lack of opposable thumbs. Other than that, it's well-written! Nice work! Oh, and his address is?"

I told him my cousin's address, as well as postal code and such.

"Okay… I'll just write that down… There! I'll mail it for you sometime later, okay?"

"Thanks Brian," I said, smiling, "it's just something I thought I should get out of the way is all."

He chuckled. "Think nothing of it; it's only the right thing to do." Suddenly it seemed like he remembered something. "Oh! Almost forgot to tell you, I had taken some of that time I was gone to give the others the VCAC plug-in. Judging from the results, I'd say VCAC is a complete success!"

"Wait, you managed to…"

"Yep. Warren, Samantha, Steve, Mary, and Matthew all have the ability to speak English again!"

"Woah… Cool… Now we can ALL talk to you just fine!"

"Exactly! Now communication between everyone is totally on par. A real breakthrough, huh? Though I'd love to see if some kind of medicine can be produced from what we found out…"

Just as me and Brian were about to leave his office, I remembered an issue that was brought up earlier today. "Uh, Brian?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask a question?"

"Shoot."

"Just a thought really… When do you think we can…I dunno…go outside and get some fresh air or something?"

"…Well, I haven't really thought about that very much… I would LOVE to bring all you kids out somewhere to town—just the seven of us—but…well, it's sort of complicated."

"How so?"

"I'm just worried that bringing you all into a heavily populated area is a bad idea. One of you could get lost, or perhaps even stolen… I don't want to risk anything, but…it's not fair to you or any of the others to not go outside at all…"

"Then…um…what do we do about that?"

"I might have an idea… But it'll have to wait. For today, at least. I'll see what I can try tomorrow, or the day after."

"Sounds good."

"Great then. Well, we should be getting you back to see your friends, shouldn't we?"

A quick run down the hallway later, we arrived at the door to the living quarters. Brian led me inside, then mentioned that it was getting a bit late before leaving and wishing me goodnight. Feeling pretty happy about myself, I walked over to the living room where everyone was busily chatting with one another. In English. Brian wasn't kidding, that stuff worked on them too!

"Hi guys!" I said as I approached them. "You all can talk now?"

Warren shrugged. "Well, technically we could all talk b'fore, but now we're talkin' in English. So if that's what ya mean, then yes!"

"Ah, it's nice to hear the sound of my voice again, I simply love it!" Matthew said, and chuckled to himself in a pleased manner.

"Someone here sounds a little narcissistic, heheheh…" Steve joked, stifling a laugh. Both Mary and Sam couldn't help but giggle at this. Matt glared at the three of them.

I smiled brightly at the rest of my family. Where else could I possibly find friends like these? And to think, it's only the third day of me being here! Now I wonder what the rest of my whole life contains…

Later that night…

Everyone else was asleep, but I hardly felt like doing the same. Dinner was good, as usual, so it wasn't that that was bugging me. No, it had to be a sense of foreboding. Like Brian told me earlier, he would try and figure out a way of letting us go out into the world again… But something didn't feel right. It was odd, actually, like a feeling of dread.

But why this? I have no idea. To calm myself, I jumped out of my bed and waddled over the large wall-sized window on the one side of the room. Drawing the curtains slightly, to reveal the star-filled night sky hovering over the darkened landscape, I was immediately wracked with a feeling of desire - prompting me to lean and press my face against the glass pane. I suddenly cared about being free, about roaming about on my own, or with someone else…

…And I soon came to my senses, having just shaken off the thought of running away. What was I thinking? I have to be patient is all; Brian will take us all out together, as a family, tomorrow or the day after. Yet…I couldn't help but feel slightly upset.

Sighing, I returned to my bed and crawled underneath the covers, making sure I was comfortable. Almost without realizing it, my tiredness finally came and I slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

As Maxwell fell deep asleep, two other figures—pretending to be asleep—rose from their beds and looked at the sleeping Oshawott, then at each other. One was a Pikachu, the other a Ralts.

"Do you think we should tell him?" Steve asked, gazing curiously at his adopted brother (the sleeping one).

Warren sighed. "I dunno… Is it really that important?"

"Not really. But it wouldn't be fair if he were the only one to not know about it."

"I see yer point, but he's had 'nuff crazy stuff go on fer him…"

"True…true…"

"We shud jus' leave 'im be then… Uh… G'night, Steve."

"…Night, Warren."

A/N: UPDATED: As per usual, I fixed spelling/grammar junk, and did a little bit of rewording. Other than that, there isn't much else to speak of. :P Nevertheless, I hope you readers (new or old) enjoyed it.

Review where it's due, osha! Until next update, fare thee well!

-TheAuthorGl1m0