When Ray awakened, he found himself in a lab, locked in a cage. It was just large enough for him to move around without hitting the sides, but he had to stay bent over. Sleeping beside him, taking up about half the cage, was a Pokémon he had seen only in movies.
He was locked up with a Latias.
Ray yawned, confused. His Poké Balls were missing. He got up and crawled over to the Latias on all fours. It was wearing some sort of glowing harness. And as far as he could tell, the Pokémon was real.
But then the Latias suddenly woke up, hovering slightly and backing away from Ray. It cried faintly. It was afraid of him.
"What's wrong?" Ray asked the Latias, which was up against the back of the cage. It looked into Ray's eyes, and seeing something there, seemed to relax a little. It rested on the floor, curled up at one end of the cage, miserable.
Ray looked around. Nobody was in the lab, but a few small machines where whirring away. The room was white, roomy and uncluttered, like it was brand new and had barely been used. The cage was in the corner, resting against a big vent in the wall.
Ray couldn't help but stare at the Latias. He had no idea why it was there.
The Latias turned and looked straight at him again, making eye contact once more. Suddenly Ray was flying around a different lab, knocking things over and thrashing around. A pinch in his side: tranquilizer. Then he found himself strapped down to some sort of device. He couldn't feel his legs—must have been the tranquilizer. The device switched on, flooding Ray with pain. He squirmed and even begged, but couldn't escape. Then he was strapped in a tight harness and thrown into a cage.
Ray blinked. It had been a vision. He recalled a movie about Latios and Latias, where they had used visions to show humans how they felt. It wasn't all fantasy, then—Ray was sure the Latias had just done it. They were using her, too.
The Latias lay still after the vision ended. Ray wanted to speak to her, but couldn't think of anything good to say. When he moved his arm to touch her, though, she didn't object. Her wing felt soft, yet smooth like glass—unlike any texture Ray knew. She turned her head, staring into the corner of the room. Ray let go, not knowing whether to apologize or not. He held his tongue, for now.
Ray sat down next to the Latias, resting against the cage. He looked up at the lab's many counters and tables, wondering what was going on. Nothing gave any clue, except that Horizon had science labs. But after a few minutes, a guy in a lab coat entered the room.
"Oh, so that's where they're keeping you," he said as the door closed behind him. "I guess they really have no space in this building. Be glad you're not in a broom closet or something." He walked over to one of the tables and looked through a microscope.
"What's going on?" Ray called out. He knew it was a stupid question.
"Nothing I'd tell you would make any sense," the scientist said, not turning from his work. "Besides, I think you know why you're here already. Your mind is on both worlds, so it'll help us bring them together."
"Why's she here?" Ray continued, looking at the Latias. She was still motionless.
"If something's not in its original world, it generates a force that—well, you wouldn't understand."
"She's from the other world?"
"Right," the scientist said, opening a journal and scribbling in it. "I'm studying its physiology. Nothing seems to be much different about the Pokémon from the other side." He put down the journal. "I've pretty much finished my research," he continued. "I won't have much use for it once convergence happens."
"How do you know it's going to happen?" Ray asked.
"I'm a biologist, not a physicist," he said, shrugging. "They're the ones who know about all that stuff. Pretty smug about it, too."
Ray looked at the Latias, who was practically choked by her harness. "What's with the harness?" he asked.
"It interferes with its psychic powers," the scientist revealed. "Otherwise, she would just transform or teleport or who knows what." He glanced in Ray's direction. "It's locked on tight. Don't get any ideas. They won't work." He turned and left the room without saying anything else.
Several minutes passed in quiet monotony, with Ray afraid to bother the Latias again. After a while, he laid eyes on the scientist's lab journal, thinking it might answer some questions. If not, at least he had something to read. Pierre had said there was about a day left until convergence came around.
But the journal was far out of his reach.
He felt irritated because of that, and also because of how they were treating the Latias. He turned to her and gently tried to get a finger underneath the harness. But it was on too tight.
The Latias turned and looked at Ray again, with damp eyes. She had been crying. Not knowing what else to do, Ray crawled over and hugged her neck. An odd feeling spread through him—a mixture of gratitude and affection. It warmed him.
"It'll be alright," Ray said to her.
She lifted her head, looked from Ray to the journal, then closed her eyes in concentration. The journal started shaking, then lifted off the table. Just barely hovering, it drifted over to the age and slipped through the bars into Ray's lap. It looked more like guided falling than levitation.
"You did that for me?" he asked the Latias. She nodded once, then rested her head on the floor.
He stared down at the journal's cover. Property of Matthew Clerkson, Ph.D. "You didn't have to," Ray murmured.
The Latias shuddered. Ray could actually feel her mental exhaustion. She turned to face Ray, then closed her eyes.
Now he couldn't resist reading the journal. Ray flipped open to the first entry. Sloppy writing filled the page.
June 14, first day on the job, the journal read. The lab here is nice, even if I have to take the elevator six floors belowground. Brought in all my biology stuff, but they told me to come watch the physicists and techno-wizards do some experiments. Pierre preached to me about convergence, a world ruled by Pokémon, all that. They put an Ultra Ball in this machine, and apparently zapped it to the other world in an instant. The physicists say that objects in the wrong world exert a force in an attempt to get back to their own world. I don't argue with them. They told me to prepare to study life from the other world. It seems like busy work, if we're all just crossing over without any of our stuff.
Ray skipped a handful of pages, because they were full of tables and notes of actual research.
July 1. Word came in from the guys setting up the power grid in Chargestone Cave. Apparently, they had almost set up completely in Wellspring Cave before realizing they screwed up. I wouldn't be terribly shocked if the idiots gave us away! The machinery has a repulsive effect on Pokémon, some people were bound to notice. Anyway, some people are going to get suspicious, especially after the accident on the bridge, where Pierre had to pull some strings...
Despite all they had put him through, Ray was still surprised to find Horizon at the heart of a bunch of seemingly-unrelated incidents. Their technology must take a lot of energy, if they have to tap into Chargestone Cave.
July 7. Ray skipped past the lab notes. The accident in Nimbasa was related to a power shortage... they apparently underestimated the energy needs of the device. Oh well. Nothing happened, I guess. I tried to look at the previous experiments on the physics side, but it's kept under wraps or something like that. I wonder what the physicists have been doing. They sure make "pure" science sound fun.
July 8. Physics side is proud to have taken a Pokémon from the other world. They say I can finally be somewhat useful. Jerks. They decided to keep it in my lab. As if I don't feel guilty enough working for these guys. It's Latias, too, straight from the movies. They put a harness on it that screws up its psychic powers. The physicists get to run tests on it, for now. Good thing they found a living thing from the other world to help bring the worlds together. Rumor is that the worlds aren't going to collide unless we actively make them. I told them that since Latias, by legend, has a psychic bond with its mate, that the converging effect will be even greater. They seem to agree. Somewhat useful my ass.
July 10. Finally gave me Latias, so I can run tests. Took skin samples as well as saliva. Test results should be by tomorrow. All I can do now is wait and talk about science like a good little biologist. Actually, Mark says Professor Juniper is coming out with a theory of some new kind of evolution, with analysis of fossil evidence. It's called permanent evolution, where the characteristics of Pokémon change over extremely long periods of time. It changes the species, while transient evolution is the one we're all familiar with. Mark says it's crap without real evidence, but I think it makes sense.
July 11. Ray noted that that was today's date. The entry was short. They caught the kid Pierre has been obsessing over. Locked him up with the Latias like an animal. I run a laboratory, not a dungeon. I assume they're just locking him up until the big day tomorrow. All the physicists are excited. They say between the kid, and Latias, and all the messing they've done with the two worlds, convergence is definitely happening.
Ray closed the journal. He thought about going back and reading other entries, but decided against it. The guy could come back any minute, and Ray wanted to avoid trouble—even if he was pretty deep in it already.
"Hey... Latias?" Ray asked quietly, touching her wing. "Can you put this back?"
She stirred and tried to replace the journal, but couldn't lift it up to the table. It shuddered, then fell to the floor.
"It's alright," Ray said, tentatively petting her. "Gravity helped last time." She sighed through her nose morosely, but Ray still felt the warm feeling from before.
Now that the both of them felt more comfortable with physical contact, Ray gently inspected the harness for some way to free Latias—that would be the easiest way to escape. All he could find was a small hole on the back, where some sort of key probably went.
The harness looked impossible to mess with, so Ray sat for a while to think of a plan. He figured Latias could only do little things like hovering and very light telekinesis. She was probably still exhausted from giving Ray visions.
Ray's brainstorming was interrupted by Latias, who yawned at him. She seemed to be telling him to get some rest.
"But I only have one day—"
She moved towards him, insisting. Ray yawned.
"Are you making me tired?"
Latias rested her head on Ray's lap. It felt light, like a pillow.
"I don't want to sleep," Ray moaned. He desperately looked for a way out.
Something was on the floor next to the journal—a thick plastic card. A key card? Had it been in the journal the whole time?
"Latias," Ray nudged. "Get the card, it might open the cage!"
She sighed, got up, and used her psychic abilities one last time—to get Ray the card. It floated over with ease compared to the heavier journal.
Ray grabbed the card as soon as it was through the cage bars. He crawled over to the cage's door panel, feeling the flat surface on the other side. Ray couldn't see anything from inside, but he could reach through the bars and slide the card everywhere.
Eventually, the door clicked open. Latias perked up, but didn't move.
"Come on," Ray urged quietly. He hoped nobody would be coming soon.
Latias tried to hover on out, but it seemed the last of her strength was gone. Ray reached into the cage and pulled her out, making sure not to get her wings stuck. With both of them out of the cage, Ray shut the door and hid the card key in his pocket. Latias gave him a helpless look.
Ray reached under her belly and lifted, finding her to be surprisingly light for her size. Ray stooped a little, nonetheless. He was holding her in front, with both arms underneath her—a bit like a hero carrying his damsel, but that thought thoroughly embarrassed Ray.
"Let's go, then," Ray panted, walking over to the door. He wanted to replace the journal, but he didn't want to put Latias down, either. He pushed open the door—no handles—and turned to fit Latias through the doorway.
The hallway was poorly lit, but thankfully deserted. Ray couldn't see a sign for the elevator, so he started walking, wondering how he would get Latias's harness off. He found the elevator on his own after a few minutes, but hid in a nearby closet instead. It was just large enough to fit the two of them.
"Sorry," Ray mumbled when Latias uttered a little cry, in protest of the tight space. He pulled off his C-Gear, punching some buttons.
"Ray?" Gabe answered over the phone. "Where have you been?"
"I was kidnapped by Horizon," Ray whispered into the C-Gear. "They've got me and a Latias here, so they can carry out convergence."
"I thought it was happening on its own."
"They found out they have to do it themselves—look, just come and help me, okay?"
A pause. "Why didn't you call the police?" Gabe asked.
"Pierre can control them, I think. If he can close the bridge, then—"
"That was him?"
"Shh!" hushed Ray. "I'm in a closet on floor B6. Right by the elevator. You gotta help me."
Another pause. "We have a way in," came Stanley's voice. "Just stay there." The call ended.
Ray put his C-Gear back on his wrist. "We gotta wait," he whispered to Latias, stroking her side. She didn't respond, except by moving slightly. She put her head on Ray's lap again—this time, only because there wasn't much space.
Ray sat quietly with Latias, nervously wondering how much Stanley could be trusted to save him. Latias fell asleep on Ray's lap, but he didn't know whether it was from boredom or exhaustion. He wondered if he would die if he was caught, or if he'd be in a coma again. Permanently, this time. Not wanting to dwell on that subject, he began thinking about what Pokémon he would want to be in the other world. He couldn't decide on one, but he knew it would be really cool to talk to his own Pokémon.
His daydreaming was interrupted by the door slamming open.
"They're here!" confirmed a heavyset guy in a security uniform. He blocked the doorway.
Ray started to get up, relieved, with Latias in his arms. "Thanks for—"
"Don't move." The security guy pushed him back down with his foot. Then he stepped back through the doorway, to let Pierre in.
"I see you're determined to make things difficult for us," he said, drawing close. "It appears, though, that the harness remains untampered with. How did you think you were going to escape?"
Ray wasn't paying attention to him. He was staring at the person hiding behind him. "What're you doing, Gabe?" he called urgently.
"Gabriel may have just saved convergence entirely," Pierre mumbled.
"It'll be better over there," Gabe persuaded. "He said we can be whatever Pokémon we want—"
"What if he's lying?" Ray yelled. "Don't you remember what he did on the news?"
"He—he never told me they wanted you! He asked who I was looking for, and—"
"Shush, now," Pierre interrupted.
Latias was wide awake now, cowering in Ray's lap.
"What's going on?" said someone in the hallway. It was the scientist from before.
"You!" Pierre called. "If we work the device now, will convergence still be successful?"
"I'm not on the physics side," the biologist replied, rolling his eyes. "Um, my friend who is, though, says any time today or tomorrow should work easily."
"Good," Pierre said. Apparently, he wasn't the kind of company boss who let others do all the work. He turned to Ray. "We're going to do it now, then. Pity my gun is out of darts." He brought back his foot menacingly, then knocked Ray out before he could decide how to dodge.