Wow, I'm nervous about this chapter. Let me know how I did, okay? Also, I won't be updating next month. It is National Write Your Own Novel Month, and I will be participating. Enjoy the chapter, though.

Chapter 17: Curse

Hannah and Danny had to wait for a few hours. It was dull as sand. The group sat, continuously scanning the crowd for Mr. Clark. Danny Even turned himself invisible and left to check for his lavish car on occasion. Ditto was tired due to the constant strain he put on himself, but he seemed to be holding up okay, sitting next to Hannah as a Zoroark. They passed the time by talking.

"Do illusions work differently as a Zoroark?" He nodded absently.

"Yeah. It's less like connecting a wire to your power, and more like attaching the illusion itself to the person, including yourself. They each have their radius of effect. So if I wanted to put an illusion to make you look like a Growlithe, I could do that, and people nearby would see that, for as long as I make the illusion go. It's a lot less taxing than what Danny pulled at the mountain." Hannah grunted.

"Why did he freak out in the fairy zone, anyway?" Ditto smiled at the question.

"Dark types don't do so well with fairies."

"Oh, okay… I guess that makes sense."

Ditto looked at her, concerned. "Speaking of random stuff, how are your injuries? That Eelektrik did a number on you." Hannah waved it off.

"I'm sore, but I'm doing better. I hope Lolektrik is doing well, though…" Ditto looked surprised.

"He has a nickname?" Hannah nodded.

"Yeah, so I started calling him by it before he turned. I don't blame him, though. He just wanted to go home. Who can blame wanting to return home?" Ditto was silent, pondering.

"So you're willing to forgive him for attacking you twice?"

Hannah nodded. "If he wants to be forgiven, he will be." Ditto and Hannah stayed silent for a few more minutes, scanning the crowds.

"Say this is all said and done, and we think up a way to turn you guys back to normal. What are you going to do?"

Hannah thought for a moment. "Honestly? I'll probably stay like this. I can still blend in all right. But you guys put a psychic quarantine on the virus, right? That probably won't last forever, so it all just depends on whether or not I change drastically."

Just then, Danny glumly appeared in front of them, concealed behind Ditto's illusion instead now.

"His cars still here. Arceus, this is boooooooooring." He mocked pouting, as though it were some terrible joke."

Hannah sat up straight a few minutes later, and stared intently at a particular man leaving a hallway marked "Faculty only." It was Mr. Clark. Hannah nudged Danny and Ditto. She pointed to Mr. Clark. They all nodded and crowd-dodged their way to the building he came from. When nobody seemed to be paying attention, they slipped through the door.

Danny silently led the way, using his now acute sense of smell. To guide them through a long pathway of doors and corridors. They all looked the same to Hannah, but Danny seemed to know where he was going.

A few minutes later, they reached a door. Hannah let them through it. Ditto was sluggish by now but continued moving. They reached another door.

Danny froze. His eyes widened. All at once, he collapsed on the floor, muscle spasms taking over as he covered his nose with his paws, shivering.

"D-Danny? What's wrong…?" Hannah asked him, voice shaking.

"The smell… The smell… The smell…" He chanted, eyes squeezed shut. Dear Arceus.

"I-is this where they are?" Hannah stuttered, growing scared. Still shivering, Danny nodded. Hannah quickly tested the door. Surprisingly, it opened. Perhaps Mr. Clark had not expected to be gone long. Maybe he was merely going for a meal or drink. He'd be back soon if that were the case.

Several terrible smells assaulted Hannah's senses. The two most prominent being the scent of blood and the smell of burnt flesh. Hannah felt a chill go down her spine.

"Leave this place now, intruders," A mechanical voice warned. With her exceptional ability to see in the dark, thanks to needing it to see underwater, she could see a single, large pokémon. It was a Metagross.

Ditto stepped forward, transforming into a Charmeleon, his tail flame lighting the room. "Did that man, Clark, put you up to this?" He asked slowly.

"Yes. He is my owner, and as such, I am obligated to obey him. Now leave this place!"

"Hannah! Danny!" Hannah turned her head to a small, black box on a shelving unit. Rachael's voice had come from it! She was in there! Her voice was so hoarse, though. When was the last time she'd had water? Hannah ran over to the box, only to be abruptly stopped by some strange force. She saw a purple force field around her, Danny, Ditto, and Metagross. It was a psychic barrier.

"Let us get to them," Ditto commanded, still clearly exhausted.

"I cannot," Metagross replied instantly.

Ditto sighed. "He won't listen to reason, no matter what we say."

"So we have to fight him?" Ditto nodded.

Danny grinned. "Been looking for a chance to use these in a fight." His eyes changed from blue to red. There was a purple flash, and suddenly, he was gone.

"Signs of aggression detected. Do not proceed, intruders."

"Well, that'd be no fun! Plus, our friends are in a cage, so we kinda can't, even if we wanted," Danny's voice echoed from everywhere.

"This is such a bad idea…" Hannah mumbled, worried. She couldn't exactly fight. Maybe she could play cannon fodder for a while. She chuckled nervously at the thought. Ditto gave her an "Are you insane?" look; she was.

Ditto stared down the Metagross. There was a flash of light, and he morphed into a Charmeleon. Despite having not moved, he was already breathing heavily from the strain he put on himself earlier.

He charged at Metagross. His claws elongated into a metal claw. The Metagross was unfazed when Ditto scraped his claws against him. Ditto opened his mouth, his teeth growing larger. He jumped over the Metagross, intending to try and use a bite. He froze, midair, a purple aura surrounding him.

Hannah screamed as Ditto was thrown backward into the barrier, landing with a thud. He grunted, and charged again. His claws lit up into a hypnotic flame. He sidestepped a purple ray and slid under Metagross.

With and upward thrust, he jabbed the fire punch into the bottom of the mechanical pokémon. Metagross raised up a little at the powerful thrust but was otherwise unfazed.

"You cannot defeat me, blue Ditto."

Danny's voice echoed from everywhere. "Do you think I can? May as well try!" Danny suddenly appeared above Metagross. His paws began to glow a fluorescent purple. He landed on Metagross heavily, sending shockwaves of purple and black through his body.

Momentarily, he seemed to stumble. A bright pink surrounded Danny as he was thrust to the end of the bubble. Ditto growled and shifted into a Charizard this time. With a roar, flames spewed from his mouth. Metagross did not flinch as they engulfed him. Hannah could only stand back and watch. Suddenly she heard a voice. It was quiet, though.

"Only you and Ditto can hear me. We're going to break a hole in the bubble. Get whatever notes you can, then save Michael and Rachael." It was Danny's voice. Hannah prepared herself. Ditto continued his onslaught, alternating between fire breathing and using melee attacks.

Metagross' eyes glowed violet. Ditto struggled as he became encased in psychic energy. With a shout, Danny landed on top of Metagross, sending purple sparks through his body. The dark type attack released Ditto, who blasted more fire, this time to his side in a highly focused ray.

When the fire died out, a small hole was formed in the barrier. Hannah dove through it, crashing into the cabinets behind it with a thud. She groaned and shook her head. Behind her, Danny, Ditto, and Metagross continued fighting; Ditto now took the form of a Mightyena to resist the psychic attacks. Hannah begrudgingly turned away from the fight. The bubble must have been blocking the noise. That explained why nobody had come to the lab yet.

Hannah turned her head quickly. A desk was covered with papers. Hannah rushed over to the papers and skimmed over them. Several notebooks lay open with free ones covering each other. Many of them were listed with chemicals and notes about them Hannah didn't understand. She also noticed a metal box that held several vials of sealed liquid. She quickly latched it shut.

She pulled the backpack off her shoulders and haphazardly thrust the papers into her bag, crumpling many of them in the process. Zipping the bag up once the desk was cleared, she ran over to the cage. Its latch was not locked, thankfully, though it was tight, and impossible to be forced open from the inside.

Nothing could have prepared her for what lay inside.

Hannah stumbled backward at the horrendous sight. The smell of blood assaulted her senses. Rachael and Michael were sitting next to each other in the back of the cage, leaning against each other for support.

Rachael's wings were bound. Her feathers were horribly ruffled, and many missing in several locations, where blood had taken its place and clotted, staining her red. Her neck, in particular, was incredibly raw, with blood showing in many areas. It looked severely burned, most of the feathers missing. Her foot was by far the worst. It was twisted and distorted gruesomely, turning many shades of blue and green. Hannah wanted to puke at the sight of it. Her eyes were distant and her breathing sporadic.

Michael was even worse. His body was covered in far more clear cuts, even worse than Rachael's. His paws were tied behind his back as well. More of his fur was red rather than blue, caked with dried blood. His face was the worst offender, showing very little of the natural colors, all seeming to come from his eyes, which he held shut. His breathing was shallow as well.

"Oh, Arceus…" Hannah whipped her head around, looking for something to cut the bindings. She noticed a key sitting nearby. She quickly gripped it and reached carefully for Rachael, who only gave her a distant gaze. On the top of the bindings, there was a small keyhole. She unlocked it, the bindings falling off. Her wings fell limply from the lack of blood flow. Quickly, Hannah rubbed them in an attempt to help Rachael get some feeling back into them. Rachael winced in pain until she was able to move them back to her sides.

She reached for Michael, who started shaking. "Michael," Hannah said in a shaky voice. "It's me. Hannah. You're safe now." He didn't stop shivering. She quickly unlocked the bindings. Michael's arms fell to his side, equally as limp. Hannah spent a minute helping him get feeling back into his arms. She grabbed them both and set them on an empty table. It had an odd cord attached to it, though.

"Chirp…" Hannah turned to see Rachael shivering violently, with her head tucked down. Michael was now curled into a small ball. "Th-the chord…" Hannah eyed the cord she seemed to be afraid of. When she looked closer, she could see it coated in a thin layer of blood. Hannah's eyes widened.

"Arceus, was that around your neck?" Rachael nodded mutely. Hannah gaped, at a short loss. She quickly turned to see Ditto still fighting Metagross. Danny, however, was still in the bubble, staring at them. His eyes were wide, and his jaw dropped. Ditto noticed Danny staring, as his eyes drifted over to the two. He was still for several seconds. He slowly turned to face Metagross.

There was a blinding light, as Ditto increased in volume. When it faded, there was a full-blown Mewtwo in his place.

"Ditto! No!" Hannah shouted in fear. He couldn't handle a form like that for long. Ditto's eyes were shadowed and full of rage. Purple consumed the bubble like a torrent of pure energy. It spiraled around the edges of the bubble until nothing inside was visible. Hannah could only see the visage of Ditto slamming into the Metagross with a psycho cut full of rage and hatred. The light got brighter as the bubble vanished, and the light died down. Ditto stood, towering over an unconscious Metagross. Danny was unharmed, thanks to being a Dark-type.

Ditto swayed. Light engulfed him, and he collapsed, returning to his true form as a blue Ditto. Silence.

…

…

…

Michael listened as Danny and Hannah spoke in hushed voices about what they should do. He kept his eyes shut as he remained in a ball on the Arceus-forsaken table. He shivered. Rachael was next to him. Green joy lined a new, innate fear that consumed her. Purple swirled around Hannah and Danny. They were truly at a loss about what to do.

Footsteps.

Michael made an animalistic shriek of fear. Rachael's joy vanished in an instant.

"Hannah? What are you doing here?" It was his dad's voice. It was cold and dark. Michael shook uncontrollably.

"Mr. Clark. Are you aware of whom you've been experimenting on?" Her voice was equally as dark and stony. She was done pretending.

"So you know? I must ask. How?" His father was forcing down surprise, replacing it with a cold demeanor.

"When your friends go missing after transforming into pokémon, you tend to find ways of locating them."

The room was silent. Michael watched as his father's emotions became many things. The rage vanished. He was blank for several seconds. A slow, blue whirlpool began to churn. It grew into a torrent of purple and blue after a short while as Hannah's words sunk in.

"What?!"

"Well, if you leave berries full of poison in your car, and we eat them, things happen. It turned them into pokémon. You turned them into pokémon. The Zorua? Danny. The Staravia? Rachael. The Riolu? Michael." Her voice was completely deadpan as red thrummed through her.

"No! You're wrong! My son is dead! He isn't a pokémon! He is not a Riolu!"

Hannah remained unwavering as his father was consumed with horror.

"Yes, he is. And you tortured him."

"NO! My son is not a pokémon!" His voice echoed through the room, full of heartache.

"Yes, he is. Accept that."

"No." Michael heard the sound of something being removed from his father's belt. Rachael started shaking again.

"It's a gun… It's a gun, and he's pointing it at Hannah!" Rachael whispered in a panic.

Michael knew what he had to do. He had to use it! He had to use the curse Snowfire gave him! But it was his father! Was there no other way?

Michael stood up slowly. He let out a shout.

"Riolu!"

His father turned to look at him, with a new perspective. "You are not my son." Michael stumbled back at the words.

"Riolu…"

"No! You are not my son! You are a beast! Nothing else!"

Michael felt tears drip down his face, drawing fresh blood from his wounds. What should he do? Curse his father, or let Hannah die?

Michael turned his head down. He moved his hands behind him. He felt that odd energy Ninetales had given him. It pooled itself into his cupped paws. Te energy spiraled around them, compacting them into a sphere. He could see where his father's rage, hence, his father was.

He chose his friends.

Michael pointed the sphere at his father, focusing in on him. He released the sphere of energy, as it flew to his father, hitting him directly in the chest. Michael felt a new, odd power surge through him.

His limbs grew longer, his tail, bigger. He was barely aware of this. The main thing he noticed, was what he could see. The lab was clearly visible, yet stained blue. He heard stories of aura being used to see when one could not or would not use eyes. It was an aura. He was sensing aura.

He watched, with his aura vision. His father's limbs jerked back and forth, as though being pulled like a marionette. He collapsed on the floor, writing in pain. His form grew to be transparent, as Michael saw the aura of the stone floor behind him. The dull, gray of it.

Michael could only watch as his father's arms twisted and distorted, shrinking. His legs completely vanished, replaced by a tail. His very face seemed to stiffen, until it fell off, revealing the rounded head of the ghost pokémon: Yamask. He was unconscious, splayed on the floor.

His father was a Yamask. Michael had turned his father into a Yamask. He collapsed to the ground, shivering once more.

"Michael…" Rachael muttered, numb.

"Lucario…" Was his only reply.

…

…

…

"You wished to speak with me?" Snowfire asked her friend, staring at the beautiful sunset.

"Michael did it," Xatu replied mournfully. "He gave the curse to that who deserved it."

"I see. How is he?"

"He is unwell. He and Rachael. They suffered greatly to reach this end." Xatu, for the first time in years, closed his eyes to mourn that which he had caused.

"I did this to him. It was the best decision, and yet, I wonder if it would have been better another way."

"We can only speculate."

"He is destroyed. We destroyed him." Xatu opened his eyes, once more, future, present, and past flooded to his eyes.

"I suppose we did," Snowfire admitted sadly. "I suppose we did."