Right, review replies. I haven't really been able to get down and do it but, I shall start now.
Phoenix Espeon - I'm sorry if she sounded bratty but a person's gotta have faults, right?
Foxyjosh – Yes, it does get interesting here on in.
kari bunny – Sure, if you want her to…I guess…but I'll need a name for the Pikachu if you want the captured Pokemon to have a nickname…
Chapter 4: Surprise, Surprise
Kumori began to wake up and she groaned, gently touching her split lip. She took stock of her surroundings. Panic surged through her body when she realized everything was dark. Had she gone blind?
Okay, just stay calm…her logical, cool side said.
STAY CALM?! STAY CALM?! HOW IN THE WORLD AM I SUPPOSED TO STAY CALM, DAMN IT! the other side of her screamed in fury.
"Kyou? Twilight?" she called out into the darkness.
"Kumori, that you?" someone answered. It sounded like Kyou.
"Yeah, what happened?"
"That, I can explain, my dear," a tall man entered the room. The light from the hallway revealed that Kumori wasn't blind and that they were in a room with cages lining all sides. "You are here to participate in an experiment." He held aloft two syringes. "Open the cage door," he ordered.
"W-who are you?" Kumori asked, hating that her voice was shaking in fear. She also hated the fact that he was calling her, "my dear." She tried to sit up but her legs were cramped from being in one position for a long time and didn't let her.
"I am Xavier, leader of Team Elemental. We strive to create a world where Pokemon and human are one and I mean it literally. We are here in the place of Team Galactic. You may have noticed an increase in Kanto, Johto and Hoenn Pokemon in the Sinnoh region. We need to import Pokemon for our experiments." He replied. The light revealed that the liquid inside the syringes was red. Red as blood.
Clang.
Kyou's cage door was open. He was too weak to make a run for it or he would have. Kumori could only watch in helplessness as two Grunts grabbed Kyou and ripped his jacket sleeve, revealing the bare and pale skin underneath. Xavier then mercilessly drove the needle into his arm. Kyou's scream would forever stay in Kumori's memory.
Kyou collapsed, lying like a broken doll on his cage floor. They turned on her next. "Don't worry, my dear." Xavier spoke in soothing tones. "You'll be back with your friends soon." Her cage door opened and he stepped inside. Kumori shrank against the back of the cage, her eyes defiant though her body was quivering like a leaf.
He made her take off her jacket and he smiled, seeing her in her black tank top. Her lip curled in disgust. He then stabbed her with the syringe.
She screamed as she felt the strangely icy liquid flow into her body. "What is it?" she gasped out.
"The DNA of Mew. We have found that it is compatible with your own DNA. Your boyfriend has Raikou DNA. He seems very particular to electric types."
"He's not…my…boyfriend…" Kumori managed to gasp out before darkness claimed her. She drifted into a dreamless sleep.
-
"Oh my god, are you guys alright?"
"Where have you been?"
"We've been frantic…"
These voices buzzed in Kumori's ear. She groaned and tried to sit up. "Twilight…" she gasped out, remembering that he hadn't been with her in the cage.
"He's right here," someone said before the Riolu's warm weight was on her lap.
"Ri, Riolu!" Twilight said. Kumori could detect words behind it but it wasn't really making any sense right now.
"And Kyou?" she looked around.
"He's in no better condition," a different voice reported.
She felt somebody help her sit up. "Kumori, what happened?" Kotone asked softly.
"I just remember syringes, darkness, cages and a man named Xavier. Called himself the leader of Team Elemental…" Suddenly, she heard a gasp.
"Look at her head!" Aqua murmured in amazement.
Kumori felt the top of her head and gasped. A pair of warm ears was on her head. She glanced behind her, praying with all her might.
A Mew tail brushed the dir behind her. "Aw, crap…" she groaned.
She and Kyou were assisted back to the Pokemon center. "Nurse Joy," Rei said with uncertainty in her voice. "Have you heard about this? About people having Pokemon traits?"
"I have heard about such evil things," the nurse replied reluctantly. "But this is the first time I've seen it."
"And look at Kyou. He's got that Raikou tail and his hair's turned purple and it flows like the cloud that trails Raikou…"
"I'm just worried about what's going to happen to them. I've heard that people with this sort of thing usually develop the powers as well…Rei, please, as a favor for me, keep an eye on the two of them, will you?"
Rei nodded and then hurried to catch up with the others.
-
Kumori sighed, looking at her reflection in the mirror. It would take some getting used to, seeing the large pink ears on her head.
The tail wasn't helping. "Damn," she sighed, turning away from the mirror. Kyou grimaced from where he was leaning against the bathroom door frame.
"Hey, at least your hair didn't turn purple," he touched his new mane. "I'll have to cut it. And probably dye it back too. The tail is most definitely not going to improve what I look like. You could wear a hat to hide your ears but I've absolutely no idea what we're going to do with the tails." He sighed.
Kumori patted him on the shoulder as she walked past to go finish packing her stuff. She dug around in her bag for a hat but no luck. "Looking for a hat?" Kari asked, watching with sympathetic eyes.
"Yep," Kumori replied.
"Here," Kari tossed her a red bandana. "That'll do for now until we can get to a PokeMart."
"Thanks, Kari, you're a lifesaver," Kumori breathed in relief, tying the red cloth over her head and covering the ears. She flicked her tail. "Now what to do with that tail…"
"Maybe a cape would cover it? Or a long overcoat?" Aqua suggested, coming in and sitting on her bunk. She fidgeted, looking around uneasily.
"Oh, that reminds me!" Kumori dug into her suitcase and pulled out a long black cloth. "This should do." She fastened it around her neck, the cloth being a cloak. The black fabric effectively covered the tail.
"That's perfect! Now you just look like this really weird traveler!" Kotone exclaimed. Kumori rolled her eyes. Twilight was on her bunk and Kumori lifted him down. She released all her Pokemon.
"Alright guys," she said. She glanced around the room, suddenly realizing that everybody was looking at her in a strange way. She decided to ignore them. What she didn't realize was that she was speaking in Poketalk. (A/N: Bold means Poketalk from here on in.)
"What is it?" Twilight asked. Kumori blinked.
"I can understand you!" Kumori gasped.
"Yes, because you have Pokemon DNA in your body." Wildfire added.
"Kumori, what are you saying? All we hear is 'Mew, Mew, and Mew'!" one of her friends said in exasperation. Kumori looked at her friends strangely. It had been Rei who had spoken.
"I can understand her," Kyou said. The girls started, not having realized he was there. "Don't worry; I'm just as shocked as you are." He told Kumori.
"This is so freaky!" she replied.
"Damn it, guys, this is driving me crazy!" Aqua said.
"Oh, sorry!" the two replied at the same time before glancing at each other and laughing.
"Why are we so euphoric?" Kumori managed to gasp out.
"I know! Shouldn't we be, like, depressed instead now that we have Pokemon DNA in our bodies?" Kyou added. He managed to stop laughing but collapsed weakly against the bed frame instead.
The Pokemon were staring at their trainers strangely. "Yep, they've officially gone crazy." Twilight nodded his head solemnly. Kumori flashed him a reproachful glance. "Whoops…forgot you can understand me now…" Twilight shuffled his feet.
"Aw, it's alright," Kumori smiled, kneeling down and giving her Pokemon a swift hug. "This is also going to take some getting used to."
"I hear ya…"
"But, you do realize this is going to give us a huge advantage in a battle, right?"
Twilight nodded thoughtfully. He began to head for the door and Kumori followed. They headed for the back of the Pokemon Center. "Hey, guys! Call me when we're leaving, 'kay?" she shouted over her shoulder at her friends.
"Sure!" someone replied, presumably Kari.
Kumori sat on a rock, thinking. She had a sudden idea. If she was now part Mew, could she possibly have Mew powers as well? It was only then, after staring at her hands, did she feel a slight pressure on her neck that hadn't been there before. She reached for it and felt a leather collar with a small tag hanging from it.
"Hey, Twilight, can you read?" she asked. There was no need for the Riolu to answer. Kumori saw Kyou leaning against a tree, his eyes closed, long purple hair flowing around his waist. "Hey Kyou!" she called.
He opened his now dark golden eyes. "What?" he called back.
Kumori walked over to him. "Can you read what's on this tag?" she showed him the collar and his hand went automatically to his own neck, realizing he had one too.
"Sure, I'll read yours as long as you read mine." He waited for Kumori to nod. "This is what your tag says: 'Experiment 0113, successful. Status: Transformation and ability.'"
He dropped her tag. Kumori picked up his, trying to decipher the small engraving. "This is yours: 'Experiment 0114, successful. Status: Transformation and ability.' And underneath that, in this really small print, it says 'Property of Team Elemental'."
"I am not anybody's property!" Kyou protested. Kumori smiled, feeling her lips twist.
"It doesn't seem as if you have much choice…"
His Raikou tail lashed, the zigzagging limb giving off an electrical charge. All of a sudden, electricity flowed from Kyou's balled hands, striking the ground. He jumped in surprise. Kumori blinked once, realizing that she wasn't touching the ground anymore.
She was floating. "Aw, crap…" she groaned, trying to figure out how to land. She concentrated on the ground and then landed with a thump.
"Whoa!" Kyou murmured. Kumori nodded in agreement.
"Hey guys!" Kari called. "We're leaving!"
"'Kay!" the two shouted back in unison.
The six of them traveled along the road to Floaroma Town for a while. They stopped for lunch near a river. "I've always wondered, Kyou," Aqua said as she bit into her lunch. Kyou tilted his head. His hair was now shoulder length again but still purple. No helping that. "How did you get Star?"
"Oh, she was a gift from one of my brother's friends over in the Johto region. Volkner's friend heard that he had a little brother and decided to give me a Sentret when I was about nine. Then I decided to keep Star for my starter and then she evolved into Furret when I was on my way to Sandgem Town to get my Pokedex." He explained.
"Hang on…your brother's…VOLKNER?"
"Yeah," Kyou blinked.
The rest of the group sweat-dropped, at least, those that caught the last bit of the conversation. "T-then, who was the friend?"
"Lance," Kyou replied.
"Lance?" Kari pricked her ears at the name of her older brother. "My brother never told me he had a friend who was the last gym leader in the Sinnoh region!"
"Likewise." Kyou flashed Kari a swift smile. "I never knew Volkner had friends in any region outside of Sinnoh until I met Lance. He gave me Star."
"So…that's what happened to the Sentret egg…"
"Hold it," Kumori suddenly said. "So you're saying that we two people of this group are related to gym leaders? Not just any gym leaders but the gym leaders that reward a trainer with the LAST badge?"
"Apparently…yes," Kyou nodded.
Kumori shook her head. "And there I was, thinking that it would be hard just to be the daughter of a Pokemon professor."
"What I'm worried about is what your families are going to say once they see you with your new…um…features," Kari remarked. Kumori smiled ruefully.
They then passed under a tree. "Look up!" Twilight said. Kumori obliged, than started. There, in the tree, was a girl. She was sleeping with her back against the trunk of the tree, and her hair, which was black but streaked with sea green, draped over her slender shoulder in a long braid.
The girl opened her eyes and slid down the tree, landing in front of the group. Kumori swept her gaze over the tall and elegant girl, taking in her in. She took in the shades the girl wore and the slightly gothic clothes. She was wearing a denim short-sleeved jacket over a light gray T-shirt with black, plentifully pocketed and silver-chained cargoes, and black boots. She also wore a pair of fingerless black gloves that reached up to her elbows, thin silver chains for bracelets, and a pair of silver ravens as earrings.
"Who are you?" Rei asked, being blunt as usual. The girl lifted her shades, revealing dark red eyes.
"The name's Cassandra but call me Cass," the slender trainer replied. "And you are…"
"Kumori."
"Kyou."
"Rei."
"Kotone."
"Kari."
"Aqua."
"Interesting names…" Cass smirked. Kumori felt her eyes scan over them, taking in the strangeness of the group. She yawned broadly, speaking through the yawn. "Where you guys headed next?"
"Floaroma," Aqua immediately answered.
"Hey, I've got an idea. Let's have a battle." She smiled.
"Sure," returned Kumori. "Who do you want to have it with?"
Hope you guys liked that chapter too! And Phoenix Espeon, hope I didn't make Cass's description boring…
Please Read and Review!!!!