Made For Team Rocket Chapter 13: Easier to Find You, a pokémon fanfic

After Petrel and Lixue, things changed. It was bizarre how fast it did, but it did.

"Tackle." Yellow ordered her holographic Nidoran, watching the reflection attack the other image. After two flickers, a quick beep notified of a win because of the knockout.

Lixue nodded. "Good job."

Clarity came after the shock. Yellow clapped her hands, bursting with excitement as Lixue allowed herself to smile.

"I won! I won! Madame Ariana won't hit me!"

"If you keep winning, she'll reward you."

"How do I keep winning?"

That question lingered in Yellow's mind until Lixue reported to Ariana about the improvement. The Executive eyed her student, looking relieved there was some light at the end of this long tunnel.

"I thought switching you to evening Pokemon training would work, Elite Captain Lixue." Ariana said, making Yellow cock her head. "Amarillo. Do you wish to keep working with Lixue? Or go back to Luka?"

Easy. "I want to stay with Lixue, Madame Ariana."

"Excellent choice, Amarillo. Elite Captain Lixue. Your schedule will accommodate Amarillo for Pokémon training." Her master stated, turning to the young woman. "Theros and Haust will split the difference. I will discuss it in the next meeting."

Lixue bowed. "Yes, Madame Ariana. I will inform the others right away."

Ariana motioned for Yellow to follow. "As for you, Amarillo. Lessons."

However, the young woman upstarted as if something bubbled to the surface. Ariana noticed the sudden change, taking pause before Lixue bowed in apology.

"Madame Ariana. I was wondering if we could discuss the issue with... leadership?" Lixue asked, her tone pressed with concern. "He asked me to transfer again and…"

Yellow could see Ariana sigh. "Archer. Kick him once and he keeps skulking around as if opportunity shows up. Kick him more and he enjoys it. Elite Captain Lixue, I will speak to Giovanni. Go on with your duties."

Another bow and Lixue disappeared. Ariana shook her head as she walked down the hall with the little agent in tow.

"Bad enough he wants to snipe my best agent, but turn it into a game? Unacceptable, really , as if-"

"Madame Ariana, is Lixue going to be okay?" Yellow interrupted, seeing Ariana look at her.

"Amarillo, don't worry about my agents. Concern with your work and your progress." Her scolding was harsh. "You don't have the time or aptitude to be focused on anything else right now."

If it wasn't plants, it was snakes. Big, giant snakes with angry red eyes on their bellies and sharp fangs as long as Yellow's leg. Ariana loved her danger, having on only one glove in front of a snarling, ferocious viper that could fill the room.

Next to the two was a large tank filled with cloudy water. Yellow could hear the chittering of frightened Pokémon that were helpless and too weak to escape. Most of them seemed like they just hatched from an egg.

"Make no sudden movements." Ariana instructed, extending out her ungloved arm to allow the snake's tail to coil around it. "Arboks will strike moving targets. A small girl like you resembles a Pikachu to her."

Yellow stared at the hissing cobra. Actually, Arbok thought she looked more like a Weedle and made that clear with the wiggle of their forked tongue.

"Little one," Arbok sneered. "Come closer so I can get a better look…"

"I'm… Madame Ariana…"

"Really, child, as if I would lock you in here alone. Be still." Ariana said, running her nails over the scales before cooing at the venomous beast. "There, there, darling. Relax. Dinner is coming."

Yellow hesitated as she saw her master go into a large water tank to pluck out a small blue Pokémon with branching gills. The little Pokémon wiggled in fright, seeing the vibrant and dangerous Arbok design written across the belly. It was obvious it was too small to defend itself, nor was it old enough to accept their own purpose or demise.

"No! No! Mommy, Mommy!"

The girl lifted her hands up to her ears by instinct, but the sounds were clear as day. Drops of water splashed on the Arbok, signaling a curious bite to identify the prey. However, Ariana dangled the little Pokémon as if it was a toy to a baby.

"Arbok. Catch."

Ariana tossed the Pokémon up and outwards, making Arbok snap into the air to catch it. Screams shrilled down the snake's throat, echoing through Yellow's brain as the fangs sank into the frail baby skin. Arbok's tongue slid out to curl from underneath, helping the prey down the throat.

The Pokémon went limp, but it did not die. And for Yellow, that was unbearably cruel.

"I can-can't move... Mommy... Mommy, it's dark…"

Her lips parted out a "I'm sorry." But it was useless.

Each fresh cry was quieter and quieter as Arbok swallowed the creature whole, forcing the small body down towards the gullet. In half a second, Arbok finished and uncoiled from Ariana's arm to wait for more foodstuffs.

"We can begin." Ariana announced, brushing off her sleeve. "We will have to feed her more in order to study her. Can't stand still for long."

Yellow tried to keep her face stoic, but her teary eyes gave her away. Ariana tutted as she rustled up her papers.

"Amarillo, do you expect me to not feed my Pokémon? Would you prefer to starve my Arbok so a Wooper can live?" Ariana questioned, watching Yellow stare at the ground. "Pokémon eat other Pokémon. You may be naïve, but nobody is that stupid."

"That's in the wild." Yellow protested. "You fed Pokémon like a...a...toy! It didn't stand a chance! It didn't even have a mother to defend it, Madame Ariana!"

"Do you expect the world to be so fair and gracious? Do you really have some proof that it ever has been? Or that your world will become something remotely similar to that?"

Yellow frowned, trying to think of something. After a moment, she shook her head and her master patted her cheek.

"Amarillo. Even you, a Pokémon saint, know that nature made some Pokemon to be food for the stronger, better ones. They exist to be eaten. If I did not get a Wooper, Arbok would go hungry. If she had children, they would have gone hungry. Should I blame Arbok for doing what they made her to do?" Ariana said, watching Yellow twist her ponytail around her finger. "It's very hypocritical, Amarillo, to be for one and not the other."

Yellow didn't know what hypocritical meant. However, she still stared at the Arbok, sensing a deep hunger from the belly of the snake. The Wooper wasn't enough of a meal and part of the young recruit was glad that she couldn't hear the death wails from the inside.

Pokémon ate other Pokémon; that was true. Even Mother Forest knew that. But there was a fight for their lives and a chance of escape. Predators had to plan their attack and prey had to plan their escape. Ariana just tossed the food to Arbok like it was an afterthought. There was no hope and no point in trying to flee.

To be waiting in a tank for their time to die… not even understanding what was happening or what was going on…

"Can we be sad for them, Madame Ariana?" Yellow eyed the Arbok's slithering maw, trying to forget the death rattles. "Even for a second?"

"Why? Do you mourn for your food, Amarillo?"

Actually, Yellow did. She still wept over her dinners as she swallowed the meaty lumps down to her insides. The poor child could not even stand going to the bathroom knowing what she had ingested and forced into waste. But Yellow had a hard enough time watching and hearing Pokémon cry, so she had no choice but to force the trauma into a tiny bottle in the back of her mind.

Maybe that was why it was so important to cling to the little things like a boat adrift in the raging storm.

"Mm." Yellow forced out, not wanting to incriminate herself.

"Perhaps you are too soft." Arbok slithered towards her, propping up the master's statement. "I have eaten Woopers since I was an Ekans. I have eaten Pidgeys and Spearows since then as well. None of them have complained as much as you."

Yellow glared at the Arbok as Ariana fished out another pair of gloves.

"Well, Amarillo. I suppose if we've moved on from this topic, you can handle the feeding from now on."

How Ariana said it made bile in Yellow's throat rise.

After Ariana released Yellow from the lessons, she raced to the bathroom with her hand over her mouth. It was a second to spare before the girl threw open the lid and unloaded all of her stomach contents into the toilet bowl.

Now another life wasted down the drain.

"Please stop throwing up, please stop throwing up," Yellow begged, sticking her face deep into the porcelain, "Stop throwing up, please stop."

"What was it?" A voice interrupted her vomiting for a second. "Feeding?"

Lancelot. Yellow peeked out from the side, seeing him stare at her from the entrance. She nodded into her arms, seeing him hesitate as he stepped forward. He extended his hand out and rubbed her back as she let out more of her sickness.

"They did that because you got upset." He said, kneeling beside her as his voice dropped to a whisper. "When you get upset, they force you to do it over and over again until you're not anymore."

"Why?" She asked, spitting into the drain. "Why can't we do something? Why can't we fight back?"

Lancelot grimaced. "Because it's not about doing something. It's about breaking you."

Yellow propped her head up on her elbow, seeing him listless in the thought. She tried to think again, but the sickness took over too quickly. Her muscles tightened around her nausea and Yellow forced it to hold still long enough to finish the conversation.

"What does that mean? Breaking me? I am not broke. I am walking."

"It means they take you and make you not you anymore. They know you now; they've been watching you. They know you better than you know yourself so they can make you into what they want you to be." Lancelot explained, eyeing the ceiling again. "When they break you, they change you. When you refuse the change, they break you all over again."

Yellow didn't understand that, but she understood his reluctance to reveal the conspiracy against her. Lancelot rubbed her back again long enough to let her rest her head on the toilet before getting up.

"Anyway. If you feel like being sick but you can't throw up anymore, you can stick two fingers down your throat. Sometimes, it makes me feel better." Lancelot suggested, readjusting his hat. "I have to go."

"Lancelot?"

"Yes?"

"How do I stop them from breaking me?" Yellow looked into the vast helplessness of her own sick refuse before flushing it down the pipes.

"I don't know. You can lie to them, I guess, if you don't get caught. But they always break you. They always know what to do." Lancelot shrugged, a little nonchalant about the concept. "It's better not to fight them."

"What if we try? Together?" Yellow asked.

Lancelot flinched, as if someone had burned him before. "Like I said. They always win. What's the point, Yellow? They're stronger, faster, and smarter than us. They've been doing this before we ever came along. Trust me. They can be a lot worse than making you feed Pokemon to others. You don't even want to know how much worse."

Yellow didn't want to cry and vomit, so she choked back her sadness in favor of her illness. Lancelot's face fell into a sympathetic glance, forcing him to look up at the corners before extending his hand again.

"I'll walk you back to your room. You can lie down there." He offered.

This time, Yellow got up and listened.

It took a day later and one person to snap Yellow out of her funk.

"Well, hello, gorgeous! It's good to see your pretty face around here!"

Lancelot groaned upon hearing Proton's voice again. The two forest children had left their tutoring and were making their way onwards to Pokemon training, but the teenager had ambushed them around the corner.

"Proton, Master Archer said if you touch me again, he's going to cut your balls off." Lancelot said before immediately adding, "He allowed me to say that verbatim too."

"Cute. I almost believed you." Proton wiggled his finger at him, winking. "You know, I'm toughening you up, kid. Aren't you going to be an Executive? Shouldn't future Executives know how to get out of sticky situations?"

Lancelot steadied his glare as Yellow backed him up with her own harshness. She had been working on it in the mirror of the training gym and she was getting better at looking ferocious. At least, Yellow thought so.

"Shouldn't you obey orders from verified future Executives?" Lancelot fired back, watching Proton twist into an irritated smile. "Time doesn't heal all wounds, Proton."

"It will be a chilly day in hell before I take you seriously as a pissant, much less a Rocket Executive." The older agent said, drawing out his statement with a fine line. "Maybe you need another couple of hours in the garbage, kid, to remember where you came from."

"He came from a forest, not garbage…" Yellow corrected, watching Lancelot sigh at her statement.

Proton took the opportunity. "His mother walked a little further than a dumpster. Isn't that where all unwanted children wind up, anyway?"

"Elite Captain Proton. Enough."

Archer was standing behind Proton, making the agent count on his fingers. After a sarcastic snap of the fingers, Proton turned around to face the older Rocket square in the eyes while sporting a smirk.

"Damn. Did we say your name three times?" Proton asked, watching for Archer to take the bait. However, Archer was much more astute and less prone to emotional triggers as he gestured to two children.

"You will not interact with these two children, Elite Captain Proton. Especially Lancelot. Find your emotional abuse victims somewhere else." Archer ordered as Lancelot stiffened into a familiar posture. "Touch the hair on their heads and you will find yours in my Houndooms' mouths. Is that not clear enough for you?"

Yellow wondered how she should feel about Archer defending them. On one hand, Archer did far worse than some teen bully throwing their weight around. At least he understood children should not be subjected to petty torment for the sake of their mental health.

Archer must believe their property value was too high to mess around with. Abuse was fine as long as it served Rocket's needs; otherwise, it was uncalled for.

Proton tried his damndest to hold out against Archer's icy glare, but eventually, he cracked like an egg. He held his hands up, throwing off his vulnerable side as a casual side-effect before walking off.

"I have better things to do than take out the trash today." Proton said. "See you around, kid."

"Don't see him around." Archer directed that at Lancelot.

"Yes, Master Archer." Lancelot said, bowing.

Archer waited until Proton left his sight before taking his sights on the two children. He pointed to his student as Lancelot awaited his next order.

"I do not want you two alone with him." Archer instructed, as if they were the ones who sought Proton out. "Incubo will escort you. If I hear you bicker like idiots again, I will have put you both in solitary. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master Archer." The two children said.

In a burst of light, a small puppy with similar markings to Enma appeared. The dog barked as if it received an order—maybe a little too bossy for its own good—before Archer whistled a hard shrill. In a second, the Pokémon quieted down and sat with perfect obedience.

"Master!" the dog squeaked out like a good soldier, "I am good, Master! Good!"

"Escort the children to the Pokémon training room, Incubo. Then wait for them to leave." Archer commanded.

"Yes, Master!"

Lancelot looked at the little dog, unnerved. However, Archer took his leave down the hall and Yellow bent over to the puppy. She put on a big smile as she tried to reach out to scratch behind its ear.

"Hello!"

"Don't! I am a good puppy!" Incubo snapped, "Master did not say talk! He said escort!"

"Oh." Yellow frowned as pulled back her hand. Another one who didn't want to make friends. "You're talking now."

Incubo growled before turning tail, ignoring her. He trotted, his tail pointed upwards to be alert. Lancelot followed as Yellow caught up with them.

"What's that one?" She whispered, but Lancelot gave her a look to shut up.

"It's Incubo. A Houndour. If you read your books, you'd know that." Lancelot said, edging on condescending. "They evolve into Houndooms."

Yellow rolled her eyes, accepting Lancelot's flippant remark as necessary. He must think that the Pokémon would report back on anything they said, and it was likely that the idea was true. She shuffled her books and looked down, wondering if it was better to have Proton bully them than a spy.

How long was Archer going to masquerade this Pokémon as their escort? In fact, how long had he suspected they were getting too close?

Yellow couldn't sleep that night. She didn't know why, and she felt stupid for wasting her precious hours on fretting. But no matter how hard she tried, her mind wouldn't stop replaying the things she had witnessed.

Poor babies. They were so small and helpless. Couldn't Ariana use ones that were older? At least they could be aware of things. But maybe it was best they didn't understand what was coming.

"Mother Forest…" Yellow said, closing her eyes. "Why can't you hear me? Don't you know I need your help?"

No answer. She took a deep breath, squeezing her mind shut to call out to the mystic forest again. Yellow could see the leaves blow through the wind and she could feel the faint aura of Lancelot's gifts nearby.

But it was nothing. Mother Forest did not respond, no matter how hard Yellow tried. Why abandon her daughter to Team Rocket? And not even comfort her in times like this? The whole train of thought was making Yellow despair at her long road ahead.

Hope was a terrible curse to have.

Shoving a pillow around her head, she tried to lay her face flat on the mattress. Maybe the lack of air would knock her out into a sleepless dream.

"Yellow."

Poking her nose out from the fabric, she glanced around the dark room. Did she imagine that? All she could see was the dim light coming from the ceiling light to help her see at night and spy on her.

"Sooooo… another one? Ohoho… aren't you a special little babe?"

The girl's heart stopped as Yellow removed her pillow. She did not imagine that. Both of her hands outstretched towards the edge of the bed, trying to find the harsh lettering of her alarm clock. What time was it? Was someone in her room?

She thought about calling out to Lancelot, but didn't want to draw him near if it was a dangerous energy.

"Who are you?" Yellow said, throwing her voice towards whatever solid object she could. "Where are you? What are you doing here?"

"Full of questions… dear, sweet child. You're like them, aren't you? A forest child… they're soooo special… soooo rare… ah, ah, ah…"

Yellow kept her jaw straight and firm, not wanting to reveal her fear. She wanted to scramble out of bed to turn on the lights and flush out whatever was waiting nearby, but it was impossible to see where this voice was coming from. It could be hiding under the bed or desk or…

"Shh… go back to sleep, little one… sweet, delicious little one… I have waited so long for a forest child… one so special and sweet like you… oh, you are a special daughter indeed…Mother Forest wanted to keep you soooo close to her...I can smell her on you..."

"Leave me alone." Yellow said, louder this time. "I mean it."

"Where are you… special, sweet forest daughter… ? Where are your forest brothers…? I have looked for a long time… such a long time for soooo long…"

Yellow straightened up. Forest brothers. Lancelot. Her worries overtook her and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to find the source of the noise. It had to be a Pokémon. If she could just see, just calm down long enough to see and think and—

"You're a strong one. Aren't you? Stronger than the boy…Oh, my, what a sweet child… How did you hide from me for soooo long? From Giovanni? If only I had my hands on you first…"

Yellow gripped the cold metal of the alarm clock, ready to throw it at a moment's notice. All of her physical training flooded back to her, and she knew that a distraction could give her some time to flee. But how could she hit what she can't see?

"Don't bother. Come here."

Yellow felt her body turn upside down as the room spiraled over. Her brains became scrambled as the ceiling became the floor and the door hung out of reach above her head. Her feet slid forward, as if she was on a steep slope, as the bed toppled off to the side. All the heavy objects razed around her small body, missing her by mere millimeters.

"No! No! Stop! Stop!" Her scream barreled up and over her falling furniture. "Help! Help! Someone help! Stop!"

Crash! Her feet went against the wall and Yellow struggled to stand up, finding it difficult to find her footing. The wall felt like it was burning—so hot, so much like the forest…

"Your pain is delicious, Yellow. Much like the boy's. And yet, so innocent. Giovanni doesn't have his claws in you. Sweet. Sweet girl. Sooooo delicious. Do you know how you taste? Like apples. Roasted, honey apples."

Yellow pressed her hands around her neck, swallowing. Trying to think. This had to be a dream. It had to be a dream. This couldn't be real. Still, a very real scream drew across the walls to regain her senses and emotions.

She had to run. But how? The door was now above her. There was no way out.

"Shhh. Be afraid. It makes it so much easier to find you ."

Yellow could see words crawl down the wall as if a million spiders burst from a sac hidden in the tiles. It dripped low to her eye level, long and stretched apart to announce an arrival of a guest she did not want to meet.

FOUND YOU

Her lips mouthed the words. Was there someone else that looked for her as well? More words started to drip down the walls, filling the empty space and bleeding across the metal like rust. Dark etchings of the bragging crawled towards her as if diseased, hungry energy craved her. She covered her mouth as the realization of what she had done struck her. Yellow had, unwittingly and unknowingly, signaled to something awful in the unseen realm that she was ripe for the pickings. And that something pounced on opportunity without second thought.

FOUND YOU

Yellow couldn't scream now as everything went cold inside her body. Her fingers twisted around her ponytail as she closed her eyes, trying to imagine being anywhere else in this place. Somewhere where she felt safe.

"Take me away from here. Take me away from here." Yellow pleaded, fighting back her tears. "Take me away from here. Take me to Mother Forest. Take me to Mother Forest."

"Yellow?"

One eye cracked open, and she saw Lancelot sitting up in his bed while wearing his sleep clothes. He tilted his head in a wide-eyed confusion and bewilderment as Yellow's mind tried to understand what the hell just happened.

How did she get here?

"I usually dream of Lixue." Lancelot said, frowning. "How come you're here?"

"Is this a dream?" Yellow croaked, stricken by flustered panic.

"Yeah. My dream." Lancelot shrugged. "Are...wait, are you the real Yellow?"

Her legs threw herself at Lancelot, shaking him. "Yes! Lancelot, I came here! I was in my room and… it went upside down and everything fell and… Lancelot, something was in my room! I came… here...but…"

Lancelot rolled his eyes. "You must be the real Yellow if you're this annoying. Well, leave my dreams alone. I don't want your nightmares, I have my own."

Yellow couldn't move. Something was crawling in the wall behind her. Something in the ethereal plane was following her and they had to move.

"Lancelot. Lancelot, something is wrong! Something is here. That same thing that was in my dream is in yours too! I… I must have...come here..."

"Even asleep, you're—"

His bottom lip dropped as his puzzlement melted into horror as the coldness grew around her feet. The crawling sensation ran up the tiniest hairs in her skin and forced a deep, dark evilness to cloud her senses.

"Run." Yellow squeaked. The words were coming back through the cracks of the door and spaces between the panels.

FOUND YOU

Lancelot threw himself out of bed and forced his arms around her. "Shit! What the hell did you do, Yellow?! What the hell did you bring here?!"

"I don't know! It followed me!" Yellow broke down into tears, tugging between accepting her fate and trying like hell to fight it. "I just wanted to be safe! I just wanted to be safe!"

The words trapped them now. Caged like little rats. Yellow hugged Lancelot, feeling his heart beat fast in her ear. Everything was suffocating now. Death was here and like the Wooper, all she could do was wait to be eaten up.

After all this pain, it meant nothing.

"What is this?" Lancelot uttered, stuck in his own disbelief and fear. "What is this thing? Is it a Pokémon? Ghost Pokémon aren't even this powerful… I…"

"Sooo perfect… both of you...the little forest children…"

Yellow thumped on Lancelot's shoulder. "That's the voice! That's the voice that's doing this! It's not a Pokémon! I can't hear its thoughts!"

Lancelot hugged her tighter, trying to use his stoic analysis to get him out of this. But the words drew too much energy from him, draining him of his courage into a messy puddle of terror. He swallowed and tried to hold onto his sanity.

"Helpless little children… the boy tastes like grilled, salty fish… fresh, fresh… sooo long I waited, sooo long I have been here…"

Rumbling. Rumbling from the ground. Yellow could feel Lancelot slip out of their tight hug as her heels gave way from underneath. Cracks formed around the words as the rumbling increased, shaking the ceiling down to the studs.

"Lancelot! Don't lea—!"

Darkness. Yellow fell into darkness as her peer disappeared from sight. Her body flailed, trying to grab onto anything to stop her from falling. Her throat hurt so much that she didn't know if she was screaming into the void or crying about her impending doom.

3. 2.

Numbers. Falling all around her like broken spiderwebs. The sight of them paralyzed Yellow as her body froze up in terror to defend herself. Three. Two. Why were they crowding around her? What did they mean?

A long line grabbed her by the waist, pulling her upwards so fast that Yellow felt the blood pool to her toes. Her brain became foggy as red light surfaced above her head like the surface of a lake.

"Amarillo. Wake up."

Yellow gasped, sucking in the air loudly as her body bolted upright. Dizziness settled in, forcing her to turn her head to vomit. Fear and panic clouded her judgement as tears ran down her tiny face.

"You're safe now, Amarillo. Breathe."

"Master Giovanni, Lancelot is awake as well. I need to give him a sedative, he's—"

"It's alright. They'll be fine. Amarillo. Shh."

Yellow tried to refocus her sight, but all she could feel was a comforting touch on her shoulder. Her hand gripped it for some dose of reality and she received a positive reaction. Oddly, it was one of the few she had gotten here.

"What happened? Where am I?" Yellow managed out, feeling her brain blink in and out.

"Don't—"

"Master Giovanni, please! Lancelot will bite through his tongue!"

Was that Archer? Was he worried? Yellow turned her neck to the right, seeing her peer's head being cradled by the Executive. Lancelot was shaking as blood leaked from his nose from whatever event he was hurtling through.

The two were lying in a hallway. She couldn't tell which hallway, but it wasn't their respective rooms. Did they walk here? They were dreaming?

"Just hold his head. He'll get through it."

Yellow realized that the person holding her was Giovanni. His presence overwhelmed her, making her eyes tremble right in their sockets. However, the older man pressed his hand against her temple as a soothing rush of relief burned through her veins.

Ariana had come into focus now, holding a bag of medical supplies. She dropped to her knees between the children and started digging through the tote before Archer smacked her hand away. He pulled out a strange-looking headset, much like the doctors Yellow seen wear before.

"His heart rate is too high." Archer reported, pressing his fingers against Lancelot's neck. "Lancelot. Lancelot, come back to me. Lancelot. Listen to the sound of my voice. Lancelot, come back to me."

"How is Amarillo?" Ariana asked Giovanni, brushing away Yellow's hair. "Is she out of the trance?"

Trance? What trance?

"She'll be fine. She pulled back faster than Lancelot." Giovanni said. "Get the ice pack. We have to keep them here in the waking world. Where is Petrel? Did he track it down?"

"I don't know—"

"Find out. Now."

Yellow felt a cold ice pack against her forehead. The sensation drew her fogginess away like a mist lifting from the ground. Giovanni left her side to tend to Lancelot, who was still struggling to maintain control over his shaking.

Archer had never looked so upset before, even through his professional presence. The boss pushed his palm against Lancelot's forehead, refocusing on the boy entirely. Yellow could see Giovanni's mouth move, as if he was counting down.

Seconds later, Lancelot relaxed. His head slumped in Archer's lap like a rag doll as the eyes stared at the ceiling. Archer stroked the boy's cheek, checking his vitals again before Yellow could hear the same quiet, obedient voice.

"M-Master Archer…? Where... what happened…?"

"Don't worry about that now." Archer resumed his calm, collected sternness. "Rest. I did not drag myself out of bed to watch you disobey me after a mild medical event."

Ariana darted her eyes towards Yellow, seeing her presence settle back into their base. "Amarillo. Easy now, dear. Why is it when I get called, it's about you being in trouble?"

Yellow didn't know why they were acting like this was now no big deal when they clearly thought differently two seconds ago. She pulled her chin up a little, feeling Ariana press harder on her cloth.

What happened? And what did Giovanni do? What was he talking about with finding something and keeping them here? Was there something that attacked them while they slept? It was clear from their sleep clothes that this incident took everyone by surprise.

Giovanni stood up, brushing himself off. Right as he did, Petrel ran up to the ground and saluted quickly to get the point.

"Giovanni, it was a Banette. It must have gotten in somehow. It disappeared as soon as we put the Houndooms and Honchkrow on it." Petrel said, looking over the two children. "We have all the sensors on."

Lancelot threw Yellow a curious look. This was something that he knew nothing about.

"It won't do any good. The ghost entered through the ether." Giovanni said, crossing his arms. "Get these children to the medical sector. Section it off entirely. Ariana. Archer. Choose your best agents to guard the entrance and make sure they have powerful Dark type Pokémon. Normal type as well."

What was an ether? Yellow knew it would be useless to ask questions now, especially with her master hovering over her with more important things on their mind. However, things moved quickly as Ariana lifted her.

At least they won't torment them today.

Lixue and another man were waiting for them by the time Yellow arrived at the medical room. A Liepard and Mightyena were sitting by the door as they rushed her through.

"Nobody is to be let in or out." Ariana ordered. "If any Pokémon are nearby, they are to be killed."

Yellow whined at the thought, but the Executive shushed her. Ariana laid the young recruit in a clean, white bed as Archer did the same for Lancelot. The bleeding had stopped from the boy's nose, but it was clear he was still not entirely coherent.

"Are we going to die?" A naïve question, but Yellow felt like she had a right to know.

Ariana tutted. "Amarillo. As if I would let you die this young."

That was comforting. She sank into the bed as Archer set up the machines. He checked Lancelot's vitals manually before taping white circles to his points, satisfied with the boy's current condition.

Then he moved onto Yellow. This was the first time she actually felt Archer's touch, but it was cold and stabbing against her skin. Like he had little pinpricks on his fingertips that set off her goosebumps.

Lixue seemed to want to jump in, but she recollected herself.

"Her heart rate is a little slow." Archer remarked, now taping her own set of circles. "Surprising, given the circumstances."

"Giovanni said she pulled through faster than Lancelot." Ariana stated before her voice dropped lower. "Do you think Lancelot is more sensitive to it?"

"I don't know. He's been around ghosts before. He's never been this affected." Archer said, finishing up. "The way they were so stiff, I thought they were already… well, I was wrong. The little things add up. At least Master Giovanni discovered it before it was too late."

Now Lancelot piped up. "Master Archer, what happened to us?"

Archer threw a knowing glance at his colleague before resuming his guardian role. "Nothing. You had a nightmare, and you started sleepwalking. We're keeping you here to prevent you from doing the same thing and getting hurt."

"Master, I never—"

"Lancelot. I do not argue with children."

The boy shut his mouth, settling into his own mattress. Archer cleared his throat before nodding at Ariana and the other two agents.

"Petrel will come soon and take the first watch. You and I will search outside. For the second watch, you will take over and, if needed, I will take third. Regardless of how the damn thing got in, the master can't be too far." Archer said.

Ariana turned her back to Amarillo and Lancelot, cocking her head towards Archer in a hushed voice. Amarillo could hear the Executive's scoff, as if the idea was ridiculous.

"There's no such thing. It is an imp looking to make trouble. It found it."

Archer certainly had a dim view on the spiritual side of the argument. Yellow scrunched up her face, looking at Lixue's Liepard to communicate. However, her brain hurt too much to make out the Pokémon's thoughts or heart.

Petrel arrived, looking haggard. It was clear he was working off little sleep, but was pushing through. Archer did a once over before gesturing for Ariana to leave. In seconds, the children were alone with the lanky Executive who was now attempting to play off the whole situation.

"Hey!" Petrel said, perked up as ever. "Well, if you wanted me back so much, you didn't have to go through all this commotion! I could always use a party!"

Lancelot frowned, looking upset. "Master Petrel, we did nothing wrong."

"I know." Petrel winked, ruffling his hair. "It just gets so borin' around here! Shake things up! Why don't you two get some sleep? I'll make sure that the concierge fluffs up the pillows for ya! Har, har."

Yellow shook her head. "Master Petrel, what's a Banette?"

Petrel shrugged, as if that Pokémon was just another creature in the vast world. "Ghost type. Looks like a scary doll. Nothing to worry about, they just turn chairs and tables upside down like some weird art project. Why? You saw one?"

"I heard you say it was a Banette." She insisted, watching him crack into another smile.

"Did I?" Petrel pretended to ponder it. "Maybe I was half asleep when I said that! Ghosts aren't my thing. Don't know much 'bout 'em. Gotta be a special trainer to own 'em. Nerves of steel since those buggers pop out of places to scare ya! And I'm kind of a big scaredy-cat."

Yellow giggled, and Lancelot fought to not smile at his joke. Petrel took a seat between the two, crossing his legs to get comfortable. She could see the lines in his face deepen as his thoughts overtook him, but Lancelot spoke up.

"Master Archer said you're going to watch us."

"Sure am! You want to hear a dirty joke?"

"N-no!" Lancelot flushed red, forgetting his predicament as he eyed Lixue. "I'm not supposed to hear your jokes, Master Petrel! I was just asking!"

Petrel ruffled the boy's hair again. "That's alright. Archer damn near castrated me after I told you that Pecha berry one. Say, why don't you change your hairstyle? I never liked this yuppie look on ya, Lancelot."

Yellow hid her giggling as Lancelot tried to fix his hair back up.

"Master Archer said I had to look presentable…"

"You could look cool instead. Why don't you do a shaved hairstyle where it's long on top? Or a rooster cut?" Petrel suggested, running his fingers through the pinkish red locks to lift it up. "Even just spiking it back would look good on you."

"Ah! Master Petrel!" Lancelot shook his head, but he giggled to himself.

Yellow wanted in. "Should I change my hair, Master Petrel?"

"I like the vintage ponytail look. But you should ask Ariana." Petrel stuck a toothpick between his teeth, chewing on the end. "I'm a sucker for that retro style. You could do it like Lixue's hair, all those braids."

Even Lixue sighed. "Executive Petrel. Even on the clock, you want to be so charming."

"Working?"

"A little, Executive."

Lancelot looked like he wanted to float over there and profess his love for Lixue by the way he was now staring at her. The woman pretended not to notice as she redirected her attention towards Petrel.

Yellow sat up on her knees as she tugged at Petrel's sleeve. "Master Petrel, are we going to stay here all day?"

"Ah, maybe." Petrel said, putting her back into bed. "You two need to get some sleep. Or you're going to be grumpy all day like the rest of us! Go on, sleep, sleep."

Yellow pulled the covers to her chin, seeing Lancelot turn to his side. It was so obvious he was trying to act natural for Lixue, but eventually, sleep took over his eyes. In moments, Yellow could feel the same coming on.

As she drifted off to dreamland, she could hear Petrel talking quietly to one agent. Judging by his tone, he didn't want the two kids to hear and waited long enough to think it conked them out of their strenuous events.

"I guess you could call 'em psychic vampires. They drain psychics of their life energies to sustain themselves, 'pecially children. Ghost Pokémon, their go-to methods. But Giovanni was always strong enough to deflect them…"

"Yellow drew them here, didn't she?"

"Yeah. She did. Lancelot never got discovered by them before. Someone knows about them."

After that, Yellow heard nothing more.