Chapter 31: Memories
It wasn't long after leaving the cavern outside the academy did night fall. Everyone had no trouble sleeping in the beds in Sakuras room, everyone except Lloyd.
Lloyd wanted to sleep, his body protested his desire to stay awake but he still managed to keep from drifting off.
Come on, where are you Shadow?
Lloyd could do nothing but lay there and stare at the ceiling, just waiting and staring at the ceiling. Eventually, his exhaustion consumed him, and he can not help but fall asleep.
---
Images flooded Lloyd mind, unlike most of his dreams everything was so clear, but none of the images stayed in his head for very long. He felt like he was watching a video in fast forward.
He saw large tubes or strange, green fluid.
Then he saw a closer image of the tubes, inside several were the silhouettes of pokemon.
Several images of a snow covered valley came next, in the valley was a near buried building.
Next he saw the inside, many machines and tools that a scientist would use. He saw the only living thing in the whole room was a pokemon, a Pikachu like him.
The last image he saw was of a new pokemon, one he had never seen before. Before he could even absorb the image of the pokemon, everything went black.
"Rather rude of you to go to sleep Lloyd." It was Shadow.
Suddenly, Lloyd found himself in this dream like state, but he had full control of his body.
"Whoa, what just happened?" Lloyd asked.
"You were dreaming, but I interrupted it so we could talk, like I promised."
"We're talking... In my dream?"
"Its complicated really, I forced you inside your own head so that we could talk, right now your body is dead to the world and will be until either you or me goes back and takes over."
Lloyd looked around, trying to find where Shadow was speaking from. "Shouldn't I be able to see you?"
"Did you not think to look behind you Lloyd? I'm right here."
Lloyd turned around, what he saw he never expected. When he pictured what Shadow really looked like, he imagined him looking much like he did when he took over Lloyd body, covered in darkness and with red, glowing eyes. Instead what he saw was a pokemon he had recently come in familiarity with, a Celebi.
"You... You're a Celebi too?!"
"I was, only in your mind do I look like my old self. I'm glad you went to sleep, this is one of the reasons I'm talking to you like this."
"To show me your true form, and...?"
"Just you watch Lloyd, what you're about to experience is a memory of mine, but it involves us both."
"Your memory? But how does that work?"
Shadow didn't bother responding. Both he and Lloyd disappeared from the strange, blank realm that was Lloyds mind. Lloyd felt a funny sensation, and suddenly the blank space was replaced with a familiar setting.
---
Lloyd found himself somewhere in the wasteland, late at night, flying in the air, high above an endless plain of sand.
Whoa, what's going on?
But there was no response, and he had no control over where he was going.
He flew over a small oasis, the clear water reflected back a clear night sky, and the image of a Celebi. Lloyd understood now, he was experiencing what Shadow had when this memory took place.
Suddenly, both Lloyd and the past Shadow heard a sound coming up from behind. Shadows head turned and he and Lloyd saw a figure approaching them, it was running on foot and it was running fast.
"Oh no!" Yelled Shadow, a great deal of panic in his voice. He started to fly faster, the ground below becoming nothing but a blur, but Lloyd saw when Shadow looked back again that whoever was chasing him would catch up regardless.
From his brief look, Lloyd saw the pokemon in question that was chasing Shadow. He was pretty sure it was a Sneasel, a pokemon he had a run in once before when one attack him and Rita.
Suddenly, a large pillar of fire flew upwards and hit Shadow, causing him to crash into the sand below. Shadow looked up and he and Lloyd saw the source of the flame, a Charmander.
Wait a sec... Is that Zar?
Before Lloyd could get a better look, Shadow managed to recover and take off once again, but only to be knocked out of the air by another pokemon soon after. The pokemon that was chasing them managed to catch up, and up close Lloyd could tell it wasn't a Sneasel, but actual its evolved form, a Weavile.
"You're not going anywhere, the boss has been looking for you for a long time!" The voice belonging to the Weavile was female. "Zar, get over here and be useful, carry this little vermin to the base!"
"Right away!" Zar walked over and roughly picked Shadow up and slung him over his shoulder. "Ugh, this thing won't stop squirming!"
"Don't worry, I got it." The last thing Lloyd saw was the Weavile walking over and striking Shadow over the head. The blow must have knocked him out, the vision Lloyd was having went completely black and he could hear or see nothing.
---
"First you, and now me, why do they want us and who are they?" Asked Lloyd
"I know why they wanted me, they needed an extremely rare pokemon to use in their experiments. You... I have no idea, Pikachu were never rare or unusual in any way."Shadow shook his head. "Perhaps its best you wait until you see my second memory before you start asking any questions."
Lloyd didn't say anything. Soon he and Shadow disappeared again, and he felt yet another strange sensation as everything around them changed.
---
"So... w Goes... ex.. ment?"
This time, Lloyd saw through Shadows eyes that he was in a lab of some kind, a bright light from above nearly blinded them both.
"A few more minutes sir, then I'll dispose of the body and bring in the other subject."
"Good, I've waited quite a long time for this, do not disappoint me."
Shadows eyes adjusted to the light just as whoever had just spoken had left the room, Shadow began to panic when he realized he was strapped down and wasn't able to move. He pulled desperately to escape, but he was stuck.
"Do not try to escape little one, it is pointless to even try."
Shadow couldn't see the pokemon who was supposed to these experiments, Shadow was on some kind of table and it seemed the pokemon was shorter then the table was.
Lloyd heard the sound of buttons being pressed, each making a distinct beep sound, then a loud 'clunk' that sounded like a level being pulled. Suddenly, a machine above the operating table came to life, a large black box that looked like a mechanical coffin of some kind. It kept lowering until Shadow was totally boxed in, surrounded by the machine.
The experience reminded Lloyd of the machine they used in the spa in Havok City, the one they used to relax his body. But this machine was definitely not designed for anything good, Lloyd couldn't place his finger on it, but he knew something bad was about to happen.
Shadow was panicking much more now, he thrashed back and forth, tugging at the straps that held him down.
The machine started to work, out of several small holes came what looked like black lightning, all of it went straight into Shadows body. Shadow thrashed even harder and screamed in agony, Lloyd had no idea what the sensation could have felt like, but it was obvious it was extremely painful.
The black lightning coursed through Shadow for several minutes, when Shadow stopped struggling and was no longer screaming in pain, the machine stopped.
Lloyd was confused, he figured the vision would have ended like it did before. There was no way Shadow could have remained conscious after all that happened.
Suddenly, Lloyd began to float upwards, and after a few seconds he was sucked out of the machine by a nearby tube. He felt like he suddenly had entered the body of a speck of dust.
At the end of the tube, Lloyd found himself inside some kind of glass box.
"Brilliant! It works!"
Beside the box was the machine Shadow was forced into, it began to raise back up to where I was before, and on the table was the body of Shadow, limp and unmoving.
How can you be looking at your body like this in your own memory Shadow?
"Because, I was forced out of my body, what you're seeing right now is the viewpoint of my spirit."
They separated your spirit from your body? How?
"I really don't know, now quiet, this next part might be the most interesting for you."
"Ok then, part one of the experiment is 100% successful, come fetch the body and bring in subject two." Lloyd assumed the voice of the pokemon doing all this was speaking into some kind of intercom.
Several different pokemon all came in, half of them went to Shadows body and hauled him back out. The others carried with them another, very alive and very awake pokemon. One that Lloyd was very familiar with.
"Let go of me! Put me down this instant!" After hearing the pokemon voice he knew who he was now looking at.
The pokemon, and the second subject of this insane experiment, was Lloyd.
"I swear, if you don't release me right now I'll... I'll..."
"Put the subject underneath the machine and secure him, and be quick about it!"
Despite Lloyds struggle, he wasn't able to escape being placed on the table below the machine. Without hesitation the machine began to lower once again, and soon Lloyds past self was hidden within the machine.
Suddenly, the small tube that had sucked Shadows spirit from his body activated once again, and sucked Shadow the other way. As soon as the spirit reached the inside of the machine, it was immediately forced into Lloyds body.
For a few seconds nothing happened, then without a word of warning, the vision faded like the first, and everything disappeared into nothingness.
---
Lloyd once found himself in the blank realm, with only himself and Shadow around.
"I'm going to skip ahead a bit, nothing important happens for quite awhile and it is nearly morning."
Before Lloyd could say anything, he and Shadow disappeared.
---
Lloyd opened his eyes, but could see nothing except a thick green liquid.
I know where I am, I'm in the lab, I saw pokemon inside these tubes of green stuff in the dream I was having, before you came.
"Yes, I saw your dream, I'm guessing you were seeing images of things from your memory."
Does this mean I'm beginning to remember everything now?
"I don't know."
Lloyd suddenly heard a voice talking to him.
"Why, hello there, glad to see you awake!"
Lloyd recognized that as the voice from the second vision, belonging to the pokemon that left before the experiment. Lloyd wasn't sure how exactly he could hear him, he guess they had equipped him with some kind of ear piece so those outside the tube could communicate with him.
"I'm sure you'll be happy to know the experiment was a complete success! You now have a power inside you greater then you could ever imagine. I think it is only fair you repay me, you can do so with your total obedience."
The green liquid began to drain from the tube, Lloyd could now see the lab, and the pokemon in front of him who was speaking.
"Do you remember me? Its been a long time, but surely you haven't forgotten this face." Lloyd finally got clear sight of the pokemon. It was one he was not familiar with, light purple body, almost feline like body structure, standing tall on two legs. "I'm so glad you could you join us for our little experimenting session. You should be happy, one of your failed projects is finished, and a complete success!"
Lloyd could see his past self in the reflection of the glass tube he was held in, he could see his past selves face, full of hatred and rage, whoever this pokemon was that was holding him captive, Lloyd knew him very well.
---
"Well, I best leave you alone, you probably will want some time to yourself before we do the next experiment." The pokemon laughed. "Soon you will loyal to me, and only me. I'll leave you to enjoy your last moments of free thinking." Without another word, the pokemon left, leaving Lloyd alone.
Lloyd (the one in the memory) tried to get free from his prison, but his arms were shackled to the back of the tube, even despite the slick liquid that still soaked Lloyd, he couldn't slip free. He then tried to use what little strength he could muster to try to pull free, but that was even more futile then trying to slip free.
"I need outta here, come on, think!" He said to himself. "Errrrrrr, I just know..." Lloyd shook his head. "I'd give anything right now to be back at my lab... Or at least, out of here."
"Hey!"
"What?! Who said that?" Lloyd looked around frantically but couldn't see anyone in the room, he was still alone. "Wait... Its you isn't it? The Celebi?"
"Yes, its me, how did I get here? What's going on?"
"It seems we were the victims of one of my old inventions, the Soul Transfer Mechanism, or STM. Basically it ripped your soul right from your body, then forced it into the body of another, in this case, me."
"You created this thing? Do you know how to get me out? Back in my body?"
"Oh, yes, its quite simple, but unfortunately the device is no longer in my control. This lab used to be mine before it was taken over by that pokemon, Mewtwo."
"The big purple guy?"
"Yes, it's a long story really, all you need to know is Mewtwo hates my guts and is doing everything he can to ruin my life, and it seems he's doing quite a good job too."
"How can I help?"
"Simple, if I remember correctly, you just need to concentrate hard enough and you can take control of the host body. You, being a legendary pokemon, should have the strength needed to get us out of this tube. From there I'll think of something."
"So I just...?"
"Think of what you want, think very hard about taking control of my body, and eventually you will get it!"
"Ok..."
Lloyd concentrated as well, trying to relax so as to make it easier for him to give up control. After a few minutes, he felt the strange but familiar sensation of his soul being switched, and control of his body being given to the Celebi.
"Can you move?" Lloyd asked.
Lloyd was definitely no longer in control, but it was not unusual for a glitch to occur, where neither of the souls sharing a body took control, which was very complicated to fix. Lloyd of course, didn't mention anything about it, in case he caused the Celebi to panic.
"Yeah, I can move fine."
"Good, now try to pull yourself free."
Celebi tried to pull the shackles hard enough the pull them from the wall, at first Lloyd thought he wouldn't be able to do it, but after about a minute of tugging, both shackles came out of the wall in the back of large tube, and they fell to the ground.
"Excellent, now just break through the glass and we'll be out and..."
But, for some reason, Lloyd never finished that sentence, the would around him dissapeared, and he too joined it.
---
"Huh, what!?" Lloyd jumped up out of bed and fell to the floor. Shadow, what happened?
"Oh, great, you woke up, I can't show you my memories unless you're asleep."
Lloyd looked out the window that was over his bed, the sun was beginning to come up. So now what? He asked.
"You'll just have to wait until tonight for the rest of it."
Lloyd sighed and shook his head with frustration, he was hoping he could see the rest of the memory so he could find out what happened to him to make him lose his memorys. But he was glad to find out what he did.
So, I'm some kind of scientist... And the pokemon that's been hunting me all this time, its called Mewtwo. But... Why?