Why hello there wonderful people who have been waiting for the second part to this prologue :D

Not much to say lol. Just been doing the usual of sitting around while being lazy and unmotivated. 'Newayz, hows life?

Okay, that's only half true. That's what I was doing BEFORE, but I got Covid a few weeks ago, so I genuinely was sitting around actually dying. So I couldn't really conjure up any new content, even if I wanted to (though I've also been procrastinating the recent couple weeks I haven't had Covid for and, let's be honest, I probably wouldn't have gotten much done anyway even without Covid lol).

Anyways, I'll switch to asking about something I think is a bit more of a long-term issue. If anyone has suggestions for furthering motivation, pls let me know PLEASEEE. It's something I actually struggle with, and it affects more than just me updating my stories n stuff. I seriously need a way to overcome it, and even though I've tried, I can just never seem to push myself when I really don't feel like it.

ANYWAYS if you don't have suggestions or don't care or if you just didn't read that last lil paragraph, enjoy the second part of the prologue lol :D. Next part will be called Red Meets his Match.

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN POKEMON

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Arc I: Prologue (pt. 2/3)

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Giovanni Captures the Damned

The expanse of land he stood on was dead, yet full.

He was surrounded by territory that would've been a wasteland if not for the litter that surrounded him. Huge rock faces jutted out from the ground at odd angles all around him, ranging from small pebbles to stepping-stones to huge arcs that formed small passes. Dead trees, bushes, and other plants all lay plainly on the ground, not even able to decompose. The skeletons of small Pokémon were scattered all about the dirt, though many weren't complete. Most only had partial bone structures laying on the ground, while the majority of the rest were just one or two bones that scattered the earth.

But despite the dreary land that surrounded him, he made no effort to leave. Instead, he stayed where he was, hidden under a large stone arc and behind a particularly large uprooted tree.

He glared at the sky above him, waiting tentatively for what he knew would come.

And then it did.

An explosion.

He let out a primal hiss, and without even thinking, ducked down and raised his arms. A mild, purplish-pink glow began to surround him, and his tail swished from side to side in anticipation.

The wind around him whistled ominously, but he didn't even flinch. He kept a firm stance, and as the whistling grew louder and the wind picked up speed, he remained still, the glow around him beginning to brighten with each passing second.

And then, without warning, something small and fast suddenly dove from the sky above him, nimbly dodging around the rocky structure before ramming him right on the top of his head. He stumbled forward, almost falling, but recovered and then acted just as fast. The glow around him suddenly expanded, and the thing that hit him blew back like limp cloth, before crashing into a spiky expanse of dead brush a ways away.

But with the success came a new problem: the stone he was pressed against was cracking. The absolute power of the attack had shattered a small but important portion of the pillar he was under like glass, and it was now groaning as the weight at the top slowly but surely began to push down, furthering its inevitable collapse.

He was about to make a break for it, but before he could, he heard a deep, familiar voice shout, "SLASH, AND AIM FOR THE LEGS!"

He wasted no more time, kicking off the ground with enough force to leave a small crater in the earth and shooting into the sky with the power of a rocket.

But despite his impressive speed, his new opponent was faster still.

From the cloud of dust that had billowed out below, a sleek Persian lunged through and raised its right paw. With a lilting snarl, it brought its shining, extended claws down across the backs of his ankles, slicing huge divots in each before dropping back to the ground.

Blinding pain shot through his legs. He hissed and stumbled in the sky, small stars dancing at the corners of his vision. Before he had a chance to recover, the voice shouted once again, "Bring it down with Thunderbolt!"

He didn't stand a chance. Maybe at full strength, he could've shaken it off no problem. But he wasn't. So he couldn't prevent the scream that ripped from his throat as the electricity surged throughout him. He couldn't regain control as his body suddenly shut down on him and he started to plummet down to the ground. He barely even noticed when he hit the earth, he was already in so much pain.

He was aware, however, of the fact that three people were now approaching where he lay on the ground. He couldn't lift his head; the Thunderbolt had paralyzed him. He could only move his eyes, and strained just enough to see three pairs of legs when they stopped right in front of him, the two on the sides both wearing white knee-high boots while the ones in the center sported black dress shoes under sleek, formal pants.

"Nidoking, hold it down," a feminine voice ordered from the right side.

He grunted as something huge and heavy suddenly pressed down on his back, letting out a strangled gasp as the weight shifted between his shoulder blades and the air was suddenly pushed out of his chest.

"Don't suffocate it before we can bring it back," a male voice, different from the first, complained from the left.

"At least my Pokémon can actually help detain the thing," the woman snapped right back. "Your stupid Golbat is still in that bush, practically dead after one hit!"

"At least he was actually helping to fight it! You-"

"Domino, Proton," the first, familiar male - the man in the middle - suddenly said. He sounded calm and icy, with a warning undertone to his words. "We'll be having none of that right now."

The two immediately stiffened and quieted down, and even though he couldn't see their faces, he was pretty sure they both nodded in submission.

"Now," the first man, most likely their leader, continued. "Let's get it detained. Tell Petrel to bring the plane around, and once we get the nullifiers on we'll load it up and take it back to base."

"Yes sir," the subordinates affirmed simultaneously.

The leader turned on his heel and began walking away from them, while the other two pairs of legs both walked towards their still paralyzed target, one on each side. He couldn't even let out a sound of protest as he felt cool metal being strapped around his ankles and wrists, before his extremities were harshly yanked to connect the restraints with a short steel chain. He heard them step back, and after a moment the male gave a calm, lazy order.

"Psychic. Lift it up."

He felt his stomach drop as he was suddenly lifted off the ground, a bright glow similar to the one he had produced before but blue in color beginning to encase him. He winced internally as some sparks of electricity from the paralysis crackled about him, sending shocks of pain throughout his body. Thankfully though, the movement did allow him to finally get a look at the people and Pokémon surrounding him. And what he saw made his muscles strain to tighten in anger.

The woman, who stood on the right, was just a bit shorter than her partner, with long golden hair that framed her face in ringlets. She had cunning auburn eyes and wore a thin, devilish smirk across her pale skin. She donned a uniform consisting of the white boots he'd seen earlier as well as a matching hat, skirt, and long gloves. Her black shirt was tucked into the gloves and hidden behind smugly folded arms, while a huge Nidoking stood at her side. It was watching him carefully, looking as if it were prepared to jump into a fight at a moments notice.

The young man to her left wore a bit more of a serious expression, never once taking his teal eyes off of him. He had a uniform similar to the woman, although instead of a white skirt he wore black pants, with a black hat to contrast her as well. His arms were also crossed across his chest, though in more of a tight, anticipatory fashion compared to his partner. A Golbat hovered beside him, its wings beating rather dully and its body was riddled with deep cuts and scratches from the attack and less-than-desirable landing it'd sustained. Nevertheless, its eyes glowed a bright blue as it's Psychic held him captive in the air, the injuries not hindering its power in the slightest.

"Do you think we should knock it out before they get here?" the woman, Domino, asked, casting a small glance at their target before turning back to her partner.

"It'll be fine," the man, Proton, replied calmly. "Boss already weakened it, and with those nullifiers on, any attacks it tries will be barely even noticeable at most."

Domino nodded, silently turning back towards their captive and absently laying a hand on Nidoking's nose. The Pokémon let out a low rumble, relaxing slightly under her touch but still never moving it's gaze away from him.

Suddenly, he became aware of a distant humming coming closer and closer right above him. Like the whirring of large blades.

The noise kept growing louder and louder, until it was so close it was deafening in his ears. He wanted so desperately to be able to move his arms, not only to cover his ears but also to block the dust that was beginning to fly wildly around them from getting into his eyes and mouth. But no matter how much he willed himself to move, the paralysis as well as Psychic didn't lessen their hold, and he eventually gave up and let himself sag in defeat. Thankfully, moments later, the sound began to die down as it moved behind him, until it faded altogether.

"Bring it over," a new, ragged voice suddenly instructed. "And be gentle when you put it in. This thing cost a fortune, and it'll take a hellish amount of time to make a new one if you break it."

"Yeah yeah," Domino scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Just get outta the way, doctor, and let us work."

He felt his stomach drop slightly as he was suddenly lifted higher up and pulled backwards. He could see Domino and Proton following along, however their gazes were trained on something that sat behind him. Fear began to worm its way back through his stomach, more strongly than before, and he strained even harder against the mix of paralysis and Psychic that restrained him. He could see the Golbat faltering slightly out of the corner of his eye, but it only lasted a moment. The next second he felt it's power increase tenfold, pinning him together so tightly he felt suffocated. At that, he allowed himself to fall limp again, giving up on the idea that he might escape and instead focusing on his surroundings once more.

But before he could refocus his thoughts, Proton's voice suddenly said, "Curl it up to make it smaller."

Immediately, he was lurched backwards, and he felt a yelp of surprise hit the back of his throat. Before he could fully process the movement, he felt himself being pulled together even tighter, his body being rounded out into as much of a ball as it could manage. He twitched despite the paralysis, feeling his muscles scream in protest as they were forced to stretch even more. Thankfully, after another moment the Golbat ceased the work, and he allowed himself to feel a pang of relief. Painful as the position was, at least he wasn't being strained any further.

"Now put it in."

His relief was left behind as he was suddenly swept backwards once more. But this time, when he stopped short, it was after he'd been thrust into the shade of some sort of small capsule. His eyes, which were still facing forward, first took in the entrance he'd been pulled through, which was barely big enough even for his curled-up form. Next, he strained to make out the sleek metal walls and steel rods poking out from the top and bottom of what he assumed was his prison. His chest tightened, but this time it wasn't because of the Golbat's Psychic.

"Alright, let up a bit so I can get those things on it..." the oily voice belonging to the doctor suddenly mumbled.

Almost instantly, his body was able to relax as the Psychic loosened it's hold. He felt his muscles sag in relief, and as he tried to focus on loosening the rest of his body, he heard the distinct high-pitched ringing of multiple buttons being pressed, followed by a metallic humming. A split second later, the two metal rods poking from the ceiling suddenly shot down and latched onto the cuffs around his wrists, while the two below him jutted up and attached to the shackles around his ankles. Instinctively, he tried to pull back, but was immediately met with a tighter grip of the Psychic, as well as a painful shock as the paralysis reminded him of its presence.

"And now to finish up..." the doctor said, so quietly he might as well have been talking to himself.

"Can I let go yet?" Proton asked, his voice strained with mild impatience.

"Sure, sure," the doctor replied shortly, his tone curt and uncaring. "It can't leave anymore anyways. And once it fills up, we won't have to worry about it moving at all."

No sooner did the doctor finish speaking did he feel the Psychic suddenly drop it's hold on him, eliciting a light chill of unfamiliarity from the cold, still air he sat in. Nothing much was changed without the Psychic: he was still being suspended uncomfortably and against his will. But even more unfortunately, the doctor was right: already so weakened, and being held captive by whatever it was that made up his chains, he was powerless to free himself of his prison. So, as the door closed and a thick, white steam began to fill the small space, he allowed his eyes to flutter shut and body to shut down, before everything else his senses could pick up on faded away.

Minutes later, once the steam cleared, Domino, Proton, and the doctor all peeked inside the pod. It was completely still, covered with a thin yet noticeable white layer neither Domino nor Proton could identify.

"Good, it's in place," the doctor mumbled, pushing up his glasses before skimming his fingers over the keys of the tablet in his hand. "Now to actually fill it up..."

The duo beside him jumped as an acute, high-pitched noise suddenly pierced the air. Their eyes instinctively whipped back towards the pod, but a moment later it was clear the noise hadn't come from their captive awakening and attempting to break out. Rather, it came from two short, wide pipes that were now poking the interior. As they watched, the noise eventually died down, and in its place came a sound similar to running water but not quite that. Proton opened his mouth to ask a question, but closed it as soon as he saw a thick, liquid-like substance suddenly flood from the pipes and spill into the chamber, slowly but surely filling the small area up.

"And what exactly is that magic goo for, your geniusness?" Domino asked mockingly, making Proton wince ever so slightly. His partner, while smart and sneaky, really needed to work on her timing when making snide comments.

"That 'magic goo', as you feel so inclined to call it, is something Dr. Zager has been working on for quite some time now," a low, smooth voice suddenly said. "As for its purpose, even I can't fully comprehend as much, so I doubt if he explained it, you'd get much further from where you started."

All three whipped around in unison to see a tall, formally dressed man, no older than his mid-thirties, walking briskly over towards them, an ever-graceful Persian stalking forward at his side. His arms were crossed neatly behind his back, while his eyes rested half-closed in a leisure-like demeanor. His hair, short and dark, resembled an almost militaristic cut, his clean jaw and pristine, crisp mannerisms only backing up the look. His build was less intimidating, the only prominent feature being his broad shoulders. But despite that, the commanding aura about him was all it took to send chills down each and every one of their spines.

"Boss!" Domino yelped, falling forward into a messy bow. "I-I was just making a joke, it-"

"Are we done here?" he interrupted, sweeping past her and Proton as his focus was put solely on Dr. Zager.

"Just about," the doctor replied steadily, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. He gestured to the pod behind him, which was just below three-quarters of the way full. "Another few moments and we'll be all set, sir."

"Good," he murmured, striding forward until he stood in front of the capsule. Domino and Proton watched him uncertainly, while Dr. Zager nervously drummed his fingers against his tablet.

He stared inside for another moment, before slowly leaning forward to further close the distance.

"I told you after you first escaped," he murmured, a thin smirk curving at his lips as the creature inside remained still. "There's no getting away. You can't escape me; no matter where you go, no matter what you do, I'll always find you. Because just like you, I am inevitable."

Domino and Proton exchanged a nervous glance, while Dr. Zager just stared anxiously. Finally, after a few beats of silence, the doctor coughed, gaining his boss's attention. "Um, seeing as its full now, shall we get going sir?"

"Of course," he agreed smoothly, standing back up to height and offering a chilling smile. "I'll head on in now. Sort out anything else you need to do here." He whipped around and started towards the helicopter parked a little ways away, which housed another man, middle-aged and slouched over in exhaustion, in the pilot's seat. As he did so, he pulled out a Pokeball and returning his Persian, slipping it back underneath his suit jacket in one clean movement. As he hoisted himself through the entrance, he paused and shot them one last glance over his shoulder. "Oh, but be done in five minutes. We've gotta get moving."

Despite the barrier of his prison as well as his all but faded consciousness, he could still barely make out their words; orders were being barked out, presumably by Dr. Zager. But that wasn't what he cared about.

In that very moment, only one barely coherent thought was available to him. Or, more specifically, one word was being repeated over and over in the back of his mind. A word that held all his pain, that could surface every ounce of his anger in a split second. A word he'd been trying to escape for too long, yet that had bested him in this one fight out of many already as well as yet to be had.

Giovanni.

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