I suppose I owe you guys a kind of apology. I know this hasn't been updated in a long time, and I know it was mean of me to put this off, but I was really busy! I still am. But I wanted to give you guys another chapter, because it has been too long! Hopefully you all haven't given up on me! I will warn you that this won't be updated weekly like I normally try and do, I'm not sure what the schedule will be like but I will try my best to produce this story as best I can. Have faith in me!

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(Sapphire2112) Hey! So so so sorry about the Hiatus! I was not having writers block (I don't tend to have that as much as you'd think!) I've just been having a crappy time at managing my schedule. *sad face* Don't worry though, this story is going to be finished. I can't stand an unfinished fic. Thank you for your support, it means so so so much to me. Much love!

(Like Hi So Duh) Thank you so much! I will try to make updates as quick as I can...hehheh *nervous laughter* and long too. This one is only about 4,400 words but when I get in the swing of things that number will rise! POKESHIPPING I CAN CONFIRM :D

(Woah) I am not dead! Just...flustered with managing my workload, heh heh...BLAME SCHOOL OKAY! Thank you for reviewing, and hopefully you are still reading!

Anyway thank you all who have read, reviewed, favored, followed, etc. Means a lot!

The girl's dorms are on the third floor of the Institution, and directly above, on the fourth, lies the boy's. This means May, Drew, and Ash will be splitting up. The thought of being alone for the night makes May a bit uneasy; not that she knows the feeling of being alone, or rather, remembers. Still, she knows better than to go against the institution's rules, especially when they were kind enough to grant her a place to stay.

Misty yanks May's arm, pulling her away from the table. "Come on," she orders, "we're already passed curfew. You should rest anyways, you look like you need it."

May can't argue with that - she's exhausted. Besides, Misty is insanely strong, and May doubts she would even have a chance to escape from the girl's iron grip. "Alright," the brunette agrees.

"Night May!" Ash yells after her, waving his hand from side to side and smiling widely. May matches his smile, and waves her hand back just as enthusiastically. When her gaze sweeps towards Drew's, however, she finds that he is still brooding. She sighs; it looks like it's going to take a lot to get him to open up to her. May knows he likes to joke around, especially when it means teasing her, but whenever he gets depressed, there's nothing she can do to cheer him up. May doesn't know why, but her whole heart seems to deflate whenever she sees him sad.

In front of her, Misty scoffs, "Oi, quit goggling at him and hurry up! You can see your boyfriend tomorrow!"

May chokes, "Wh-what!?" She feels a flash of heat rise to her cheeks. Her gaze flashes back at Drew, making sure he didn't hear their conversation, before she harshly whispers back at Misty, "Drew is not my boyfriend!"

"Oh?"

"S-stop smiling at me like that!" May can't believe that she would even suggest such a thing. Misty begins to laugh, and all May wants to do is crawl in a hole.

"Relax, I'm only kidding. Just giving you a hard time."

May pouts.

After dragging May up to the third floor, Misty happily presents her with what will now be her room. Her dorm is one of the first doors on the floor, and to May's delight it is painted a lovely dark red color. Misty smiles at her. "Go on," the redhead says, "open it up." Reaching out for the brass door handle, May takes a deep breath. She gingerly turns the knob and begins to peek her head Into the doorway.

"Wow," she breathes.

The room is cozy looking, with hard wooden floors the color of rich caramel, and a white circular carpet that ties everything into place. The walls are a soft pink color, and Misty makes sure to express her distaste for them, not that the brunette minds; she'd be happy with any color. There are two beds that lie against the wall directly in front of the doorway, and between the two of them is a rather large window - the first one May has seen her whole time here. As if reading her thoughts, Misty says, "Yeah, windows are pretty rare here. God knows Howard just hates cleaning the damn things. This is one of the only rooms that has one; the only drawback is you don't get proper lighting at night." The redhead pulls out a match box from her pocket, and calmly walks over to the dresser beside the beds. On top of it lies a candlestick, and with a smirk Misty lights it, an orange glow enveloping the room as she does so. "Luckily for us he lets us have these candles."

"This room is so beautiful!" May chirps happily.

"You think? Personally I think it could do with some proper cleaning."

May walks over to the left side bed, admiring its handiwork, before caressing the blankets with her hand. There is a red and white striped quilt covering the mattress, looking to be handmade. "Is it really okay for me to stay here?" she asks quietly. All of the things here are so wonderful, May doesn't understand why Howard would be so willing to share.

"Are you kidding? You're one of us now, May-" Misty smiles, "-that means you're family. I'm sure the other kids will love to meet you." As if remembering something, Misty's smile falters, and a pensive look overtakes her face. "That is of course, when they aren't training…You know, many of them take things quite seriously here, which I have to say is pretty vital. Most of them would kill for this room; they wouldn't have to share with someone else."

"Why is sharing a problem? I wouldn't mind."

The redhead sighs, before settling her body against the doorframe. "Look," she begins, "the infectees, er, sorry that's what we call you guys, are working their butts off trying to get cured. They don't have time to waste fooling around with friends. Sure, bonds are made or whatever, but what's more important is getting better."

May's face falls. "Oh."

"I don't mean to sound so heartless, but that's kind of the reality here. You spend so much time training and working that there's never any time for friends." Misty frowns. "Trust me."

"I guess I understand." May sits down on the bed, fingering the stitches in the quilt. "What about Ash and Drew though? Are you saying I won't have time for them?" The thought makes May's heart heavy.

"Eh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. That Ash kid doesn't seem to take a hint; I'm sure he'll want to hang out with you even if your work piles up. Kind of like a puppy dog, isn't he? As for the green kid, I'm not too sure. I guess what I'm trying to say is, May...you're new here. There's a lot you'll need to know. But you're your own person, and only you can decide how you spend your time. Yes you have to work hard - and yes you have to prove yourself - but if I've learned anything here, it's that one of your greatest assets is the people you meet. The others here don't seem to understand that."

"But hey," Misty says, changing the subject, "I wouldn't overthink anything, especially tonight - you need your rest. In fact, I think I should leave you to that. I'm heading off now, see you in the morning!"

May swallows hard. "Yeah, okay then." The redhead saluts, before quietly closing the door. "Good night."

May lies down on her new bed, her head filled with thoughts of the day's events. She knows it's stupid to do, but she can't help but think about her companion. Wherever he is, she hopes he's okay. The brunette closes her eyes then; she'll try to get as much sleep as possible before the next burning fit arrives. After all, not even sleep can escape its reign.

Misty must have understood this, because three hours later when May wakes up screaming, she's there in seconds.

Morning light seeps into May's room from the window. It's a slow process, the light traveling inch by inch, rising up until its golden light kisses May's face, and flutters her eyes open. It's a soft light, and provides a bit of heat in the otherwise chilled room. After her eyes completely open, May stares blearily up at the ceiling, trying to remember where she is.

Right, the girl remembers, I'm at the Institution.

Her shoulder aches, but that's normal, and after stretching out her body, May throws her legs over the bed, planting her bare feet on the floor. Instead of feeling the wood that should be on the ground, May feels fabric. Looking down, she spots a set of clothes laid out before her, and a note.

These are for you, I hope you enjoy! I'm guessing they'll fit you, at least from the description I was given about you. If not, please don't hesitate to ask for a different set! There's more inside your dresser.

-DB

May tilts her head to the side curiously. That's odd, she decides, who's DB? The girlish handwriting doesn't provide any clues. Still, it was a nice gesture, and May hopes she can thank whoever gave them to her. After putting down the note on her nightstand, May reaches down for the clothing. There is a loose, long sleeved blouse the color red, and a blue skirt laid out before her. They seem to be new, and freshly washed; the act of generosity makes May's heart warm. She can't believe someone would go through all of the trouble just for her. She's about to put them on when she remembers the clothes she's already wearing: the ones belonging to her companion.

A wave of sadness washes over her.

It almost feels wrong to just get rid of them, especially when they're her only memory of her savior. She doesn't want to take them off. Still, she knows they'll want her to wear the new clothing. Coming to a decision, May peels the shirt off of her torso, and stuffs it into her dresser; if she can't wear his shirt, she will at least keep it as a momento. As for her other clothing, she quickly sheds the soiled white dress and tosses it to the floor. Then, she begins to dress. The red shirt feels nice against her skin, and the skirt fits well, coming to rest just below her kneecaps. May keeps the bandana on top of her head.

"There," she says, "all done." With that, the brunette exits her room, hoping to find a familiar face.

Misty is waiting for her when she steps downstairs. When her green-blue eyes spot May, they seem to brighten. "May!" she greets. "I see you found the new clothes, do they fit alright?"

"Oh," May says, a bit surprised, "yes, they fit fine, thank you. Have you been waiting for me?"

Misty crosses her arms over her chest, and let's out a puff of annoyance. There is a small blush of red across her cheeks, as if she was just caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. "N-no! Well...yes, but it's not like I wanted to or anything! I just feel like you need someone to watch out for you during these first couple days. It's not just you…" At this point she begins to mumble, "I'm waiting for your friends Ash and Drew too."

As if on cue, said boys come barreling down the stairs. "Hurry, Drew!" comes the sound of Ash's bellowing voice. "Misty said that if we didn't get down here quick, we'd lose our breakfast privileges - I can't handle that kind of stress!"

"Ash calm down, if you don't stop running you're going t-" there is a loud crashing sound as Ash slips down the marble steps. Drew sighs. "You're going to fall." Ash's body lands straight at Misty's feet, and May debates whether or not she should run as far away as possible, or stay to see the drama unfold.

She goes with the latter.

Misty, of course, begins to twitch. "You," she seethes, her face going red, "are an idiot! You could have killed somebody!"

Ash groans, "I could have killed myself."

"That might have done all of us a favor," mumbles Drew under his breath. May raises an eyebrow at him.

"Wow," she remarks, "you sure got up on the wrong side of the bed. I guess you're not too much of a morning person." Drew spares her a glance, and May can see a tiny smirk playing on the edge of his lips. Inwardly, the brunette groans; what has she started now?

Drew is quick to retort, "And you are?" He chuckles. "Your bed-head says otherwise. Not even a bandana can save you from that train wreck, April."

Let's just say, after that, the four of them spent most of their morning on those steps arguing.

"Alright," says Brock, as he sits across from May, Drew, and Ash. "I'm going to give you a rundown of the day."

The three of them had barely enough time to get breakfast, considering the fact that by the time they actually arrived at the cafeteria, Cilan was already getting ready to prepare lunch. Luckily for them, Cilan was a kind person, and he saved some food for them. Now, they are sitting down on one of the tables, listening to Brock brief them on what they will be doing, and trying to avoid Misty's death stare. "It's your fault you guys missed breakfast!" the redhead had said balefully, "and now you're going to miss the first classes of the day! If Howard gets on my case about this, YOU ALL ARE SO DEAD."

"As you know, you will all be attending classes to inform you more about what your mark is, how to stop it, cure it, and, let us not forget, how to train," Brock continues.

"How to train?" asks Drew. He clutches his heart absentmindedly, Howard's words echoing in his head: "Training to get better requires physical work." Drew knows that whenever physical exercise is involved, his heart rejects it. This usually means it puts Drew through excruciating pain. If that's one of the requirements at the institution, he doesn't know how much of it he can take. Or worse, if he will be able to.

How will he survive?

He is brought back to reality when Brock's booming voice speaks once again, "When I say training, I mean a number of things. There's training for your body, your mind, and something else. I suppose that it's better if you learn that in class though."

"So basically, our days are going to be spent...learning?" Ash asks. "Ah man, I've never liked school."

Brock laughed. "Well, this isn't what you would call a 'normal' school. At least, there's no math here, bud."

"Right," Misty interjects, "so I suggest all of you pay attention. This stuff is actually vital."

May stares down at her bowl of oatmeal. "So when do we begin?" she asks, picking up her spoon and stirring thoughtfully.

"As soon as you all finish eating."

Their trio stands in front of the door to their first class, feeling a mixture of emotions, all ranging from nervous, wary, and above all else, scared out of their minds, but at the same time can't help but feel an excited buzz. Finally, they will be able to escape from their black marks - escape from the feeling of hell wrapping it's embrace around their mind and soul every waking day they spend alive. Whatever lies behind that door, scary or not, will all be worth it in the end.

With a deep breath, and a push from Drew, Ash turns the doorknob.

"Ah," greets an aged man as they enter, "you must be the new recruits." He is standing in front of a group of children around their age, all of whom don't seem to be the least bit thrilled about their arrival. He on the other hand, seems elated. There is a friendly smile plastered on his face that emphasizes the wrinkles around his eyes, and an aura of gentleness around him that makes May visibly relax. The man is wearing a long white lab coat that reaches down below his knee caps. "My name is Professor Oak."

May swallows, before nervously speaking, "Er, hello! Sorry for being so late, we were-"

"No need to apologize," the professor interrupts, "just take your seats. It's normal for new arrivals to be late. I understand." He gestures to the seats in front of him. "Let's get on with the class, shall we?"

The three of them nod. May, Drew, and Ash eventually make their way to the chairs and desks, choosing from the empty seats at their disposal. May sits herself down behind a boy with purple hair, who keeps his head straight ahead, not bothering to pay any of them attention. Drew sits two seats over from her, and if May moves her gaze ever-so-slightly, she can see him from the corner of her eye. Finally, Ash makes his way over to a seat beside a blonde girl, only to trip over someone's foot the last minute. Luckily for Ash he catches himself in the nick of time, but it's not enough to stop the laughter that erupts in the room. The raven haired boy smiles sheepishly, his hand flying up to the back of his head, and a flush of red appearing on his neck. May frowns as she hears an especially loud laugh from the boy who tripped him, and turns her head in the direction of the smug looking brunette. She hears Drew growl.

"Alright class, settle down," admonishes the professor. "It's time to get to work." The man paces in front of them, his back towards the large green chalkboard that has the words, D/A/R/K G/H/O/S/T, written on its expanse in clear legible handwriting. "Now we have been learning about just what these black marks of yours mean, and more importantly how they appeared. For our new arrivals, could any of you explain to them what these marks are?"

A girl with long black hair raises her hand. Professor Oak is quick to call on her. "These marks are the result of a blight; in other words, something that inflicts damage on as the result of an infection," she answers, as simple as it were an observation of the weather. The professor nods.

"Right, and how were all of you blighted?" he asks again. This time the boy with purple hair in front of May answers.

"It's simple," he says, sounding almost bored, "we were infected by a demon." May's heart skips a beat.

"Not just by any demon," reminds Professor Oak.

"No," the purple haired boy corrects himself, "by a certain kind of demon. From what you've told us, there are two types of these: ghost types, and dark types."

"Correct." The professor locks eyes with May. "You all have been blighted by demons, special kinds of demons at that. I have researched these creatures, and from what I've gathered, we have a vague understanding of how this works. For whatever reason, be it out of hunger, or a need to survive, these demons take it upon themselves to infect humans. They require life force to survive, so in order to do this, they hurt the human, and feed upon their life force through the mark. What these burns are essentially doing is breaking down your energy, soul, mind, and strength, and transferring it to their own bodies."

May's eyes go wide. The mark on her shoulder suddenly feels a thousand times heavier. He means to tell them that they've been attacked... by a demon? Not only that, but their marks are actually a sign of the demon feeding off of them? The thought disgusts her, and churns something horrible in the pit of her stomach.

Ash raises his hand, not bothering to wait until he is called upon before speaking. "So then, how do we stop this exactly?"

The brown haired boy who tripped Ash laughs at him. "It's simple," he says. "You have to purge the damn thing of course."

"Purge?"

"Do you know anything?" The kid rolls his eyes. "To purge means to remove something from someone. In this case it means getting rid of the demon inside of us."

"Wait, what!?" May yelps. After realizing she had said that out loud, the brunette covers her mouth. She shifts uncomfortably under everyone's gazes. "Er, I mean-" she feels her face get incredibly hot, "-sorry I was just surprised. You mean to tell us that the demon is...inside of us?"

The professor sighs, "yes, I'm afraid that is true. The demon is essentially eating you from the inside. It will continue doing this, burning away your life force until you are no more, before moving on to its next target. Unless of course, you purge it."

Silence encompasses the room's expanse. May feels as if her world is crashing down around her. The idea is so….unfathomable. Now she understands why the Branders are after them: they believe that they are all possessed. In a way, May supposes they are, but not in any normal way. They are still in control of their actions and thoughts, at least, May hopes so.

"Well all of this is valuable information," Drew speaks up, catching everyone's attention. He flips his hair with his hand. "But it means nothing if we don't know how to purge it. How does one even try to do that? It seems so unreal."

"Well, I have researched this considerably. I've worked here for many years, and in that large amount of time I have figured out just how this works," the professor states. He walks up to the board, and with a piece of white chalk, begins to draw. When he turns backs around, there is a spherical shape drawn neatly and precisely. "This is what my team has developed. We call it a Demon Ball."

"A demon ball," Ash voices in awe.

"It is designed to capture the demon, or in other words, purge you." The professor draws something else on the board: a creature. It is a rough sketch, but that doesn't do anything to hinder the sheer intimidation of the being.

"What is-?" Drew begins to ask.

"That," the professor says, "is a ghost type."

From what he drew, the being appears to be floating, it's hands reaching out towards the class almost as if it were trying to pull them in. They are claw like, and have three pointed fingers sharpened to points, deadly looking. It's mouth is opened in a sneer, and it's eyes tilt upwards, with snake-like slits for pupils. It's head is round, and has spikes reaching up to the sky: two on each side of its head, and a larger two on top. The darkness of the board is emphasized with the white of the chalk, and almost makes the drawing appear as if it is made of shadows. But of course, that could just be May's mind playing tricks on her.

"That thing is inside us!?" asks a girl up front.

"Yes, and if it's not one of those...it's a dark type," the professor says gravely.

"What does a dark type look like!?"

"Are all of them the same!?"

"How do you know it's like that!?"

"That's evil! Are we going to turn into that!?"

"CALM DOWN!" roars the professor, glaring daggers at the class, reducing them to silence. "Please. I know that this is a lot to take in, but please, don't over exert yourselves."

As if on cue, two kids from the back fall out of their seats and onto the floor. Their strangled cries cut through the room's expanse, and the professor rushes towards them.

Class was dismissed early.

May spends her lunch time sanctioned off in her room. It's not as if she isn't keen on socializing (especially when there are loads of people worth talking to), but after Professor Oak's class, all of her energy seemed to fly right out of the window.

(She still can't believe that coursing through her body at this very moment is some kind of beast).

So she finds herself leaning against her bed frame, staring up at her ceiling. Outside she can hear a steady drizzle of rainfall, and it's almost hypnotic, the drip-drip-dripping sound vibrating across her chest.

There is a mirror she didn't see the night before leaning against the wall to her right, and May finds herself staring at it - or rather herself. To think, this is the first time she has caught a real glimpse of herself (she has forgotten every last increment of her past life, after all, and that includes what she looks like). It comes as a bit of a shock to her. Blue eyes stare back at her, pale and rimmed with pink. Sleepless nights have clearly taken a toll on her, but then again, she supposes, everyone like her is just as sleep deprived. There are dark bags below them, and May reaches her finger towards them in an attempt to smooth them out; it doesn't work. Next, her gaze flicks towards her lips: they are cracked, and May hasn't realized until now just how much they hurt; in the middle of the night, May usually wakes up biting them, as if holding backs a scream (which she often is). She guesses she's done it enough times to inflict damage. All in all, she looks terrible. With a deep breath, May forces her head away.

She doesn't know what she expected; maybe that when she saw herself, there would be just what the Branders and everyone else seem to fear in her: a monster. There wasn't that. Instead, all she saw was a girl.

There is a knock on the door that breaks her out of her thoughts. "May?" comes a voice on the other side, "it's Ash." There is a kicking sound next, and a muffled groan that follows.

"...and Drew," comes the other voice. May giggles.

"Come in," she yells, and sits up straighter on the bed. The two boys oblige, and she can't help but smile at the sight of them. Drew looks a bit disgruntled, but there is a lazy smirk on his face that tells her everything is okay, and Ash's cheeky smile is just as reassuring.

"I know you might want to spend your lunch time alone," Ash starts, "but we thought you might fancy some company after...well after everything that has happened." He rubs his neck awkwardly - one of his nervous habits.

May turns her gaze towards Drew, and a playful smile graces her features. She teases him, "We? Does that mean you too grasshead?"

Drew's smirk falls, and a scowl comes across his face, but only for a moment before he regains his composure. "I just came to walk Ash to your room so he wouldn't get lost," he says, flipping his hair. "But I suppose since you're begging me to stay, I can hang out with the two of you." May rolls her eyes.

"Yay!" Ash cheers. "Scoot over May!"

Her day seemed to get a thousand times better then.

Oooh so a lot has happened huh! Can you guess who the mysterious DB is? And what pokemon I was hinting to? Thanks for reading!