Hello Reader, can I spare a moment of your time, so I do not receive comments of confusion, I'm going to make a few things clear. Pokemon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos and yes mega evolution will be in the story. Pokemon from Hisui, Alola, and Galar including their region variances will not. Why?

Hisui is technically Sinnoh hundreds of years ago, Alola is essentially Hawaii, out in the ocean in the middle of nowhere, and to be perfectly honest I know very little about Galar and Dynamaxing and writing about something you have no knowledge in is never a good idea.

Now here's where it gets interesting Pokemon moves. I don't want to spend hours figuring out which generation each move came from. So if they can learn it in one generation be it red, blue and yellow or sword and shield they can learn it (Scarlet and Violet hasn't come out yet). There will be a few rules so it doesn't get crazy (it will still likely get crazy). Moves that can be learned by level up, TM, HM, and TR, can be learned (some will be easier to learn than others), egg moves are still egg moves and they can also be learned if they exist as a level up, TM, HM, or TR in a different generation. Tutor moves can only be learned if another pokemon who knows the move teaches them the move.

X - new day or 24 hour or more time jump

— - 2 to 12 hour time jump

**** - Pokemon speeking

'Internal speaking'

"External speaking"

The Pokemon world and non-original characters were created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori and are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures. I do not have any ownership over any of this. The only thing of my own is the original character who the story follows.

OK that's all I got for now enjoy the story.

Dull eyes cracked open at the sound of a dull tone. The weightlessness of her stomach spun, making its presence known. A fleeting thought of 'maybe will be fed today,' flitted across her mind. Getting up from bed along with dozens of others, a line was formed with hushed conversation. A set of uppers walked in causing conversation cut short save for a few ips and whimpers. They spoke in a clipped tone and the unit responded in kind her voice droned out by the other numbered. Everyone spoke together and no one out of turn. They were a one, a unit. Besides what more would tools like they ever want.

A set of uniform lines made of tiny bodies walked down the hall. A sharp call was issued halting the march, "POST AND SALUTE." A possession of uppers led by the division's leader with matching black hair and yellow eyes. Withholding her tongue in asking her creator if she would be fed today. She may have higher talking privileges, she may be just slightly different then all the they of their unit, but anyone who asks, is never fed, and if not fed today, may not have energy to get up tomorrow. Entering a large room with sparsely patted flooring, the training room, letting out a slow breath, 'we're fighting for extra,' her mind supplied.

"You'll be fighting your line par."

She glanced to her right, this it of their unit, their they, was female and likely same age.

'A useless bit of info,' she thought, 'but similar size and build,' she nearly nodded at the useful piece of information.

"For a quarter portion more food."

Staring down our opponent upon the thin mat that did little to ease falls, pulling a blade made for small hands from a thigh scabbard. She lunged forward stopping just out of arm's reach. Fear pricked in the eyes of her opponent as a blade was swung out instinctively. Grabbing the wrist and pressing her thumb into the flashy spot of this they just below the palm, its grip slackened yet the blade did not fall. Running her blade through the upper flash in the arm. Stifling a whimper as this struggling unitstruggled to regain control over a weaponised hand.

'To long,' she thought, hearing the screams and bodies hitting the floor, 'Need to end now.' Stabbing her blade through the skin just below the arcing bone beneath the neck. Letting out a pitiful scream before clapping their mouth shut in fear. This enemy unit's body was yanked forward and the blade slipped from this they's grasp. She followed her teachings and kicked their leg out from under them. A loud noise was made by their body when it landed hard before she found it curling up, hand over the lower part of their neck. She sighed, foot standing on the forgotten weapon, glad that her creator was gracious enough to teach her just a few tricks when she was 4.

Big steps stopped next to her, she turned but never looked at the uppers face. The sound of beeping was heard as they typed in her number; 3517, a short number compared to the rest, she knew it by heart. Orders were rattled off, she nodded and sheathed her blade, her steps quiet on the mat as she went to join the others.

Meal time, it was a time of stuffing one's portions down her throat before others finished and started eating hers. Afterwards bathroom, group bath, and more training. During five minute rest a lower called her number before leading her away.

The doors opened to the grand office, uppers sat in chairs looking over papers. On the far end of the room behind the big desk, her creator, glancing down at her before waving away the lower.

AN: If the above part is hard to read then yes it was hard to write. The main character's perspective is extremely limited thus writing the main character's perspective must show this.
To clarify the upper grunts that take care of her 'class' have always referred to and treated them as a unit or a they, so that is what the kids believe. They're only form of individualism, is their number and how useful they are. Age and gender are not considered differential identification.
So all that the main character knows is, 1. she part of this unit, 2. her number is much shorter than everyone else's, 3. her mother refers to her as a she thus she is a she giving her a gender identification that no one else in her unit has. (every other kid in her unit refers to themselves as a they. Main character is the only one who doesn't.)

"Good, you're fighting skills are passable, you're at least more useful than the last one." Her creator sighed, "Why did I even keep that one around," they mumbled, standing up. "Where is the best place to catch Scyther?" They asked as they walked to the door a set of upper guards flanked behind.

"In Viridian Forest." She answered in a monotone voice.

"And why is it better to evolve it?"

"Scizor can advance to a higher power."

She continued answering questions thrown at her by her creator a few she stumbled on. Earning rapped scolding's for each before continuing. Two lower's came forward, saluting her creator.

"Report."

"Third Team C just made its return from Fuchsia Nursery ward with a total of 15 newborns. Third team A and B were wiped out, all k-rings successfully set off."

"Lovely, make sure they are properly cared for, and if any show signs of disability, physical or mental, get rid of it."

"Yes ma'am," They saluted before continuing down the hallway disappearing round a corner.

A chime went off on her tablet, she hummed with interest, "It seems our receiving team has gotten an interesting shipment from our strike team."

"Shall I send 3517 back?" One of the flanked followers asked.

Her creator paused, "No, this will be a good chance for her to learn an important part of our facility. Get the Weavile, the two Mightyena and two of our strongest Houndoom from storage," her creator sent one of their guards away with a wave. Picking up the pace traveling down many hallways and making multiple turns to areas she's never been in. They entered a room of soft noise with beeps and hums and many things she's never seen. In the center was a giant clear cylinder. A pokeball sat connected to some … thing in front of it.

Her curiosity ended up getting the best of her using her extra talking privileges to ask her creator what pokemon it was.

"An Alakazam, one not only from the Saffron Gym but from the Gym Leader himself, Adam Yosuke!"

"Oh, then it is good."

"Yes and this will be grand, Psychics are known for their vast intelligence. As our dark types keep it under control our… whatever the scientists call this thing can pull unimaginable amounts of knowledge out of it on the league," their creator let out a high-pitched voice that they did sometimes. It was called a laugh.

"League?"

"Aahh, right you'll learn about all that when you're 6, well no matter." Her creator gave a wave in signal that talk and questions were over. "Stay put, keep quiet and just watch."

A minute later their guard returned with the dark pokemon in hand and soon the go-ahead was given. When it was released she had to fight the need to step back. The power it released was even more than her creator's Excadrill and that thing was strong. Blowing out air before getting her first look at the very desired pokemon. 'It's yellow and brown,' was the first thought, 'And it has objects.' It's squinted eyes glanced around before it stopped on her, gaze widening.

"Child…" A voice, low sounding, likely male, coming from… around.

"Child… child…why a child, so young, in such a place," she didn't understand, child, what was a child? "…no no no…the missing babies…no no this is wrong so very wrong, they should be with their mother, their parents, THIS IS WRONG," she flinched at the volume wanting to speak to move but her creator said to stay put and gave the signal to stay quiet. "creator? You are not one of the missing, but born among those in this facility… no you are still a victim…you do not know the horrors, the darkness of this organization. You know nothing…" she squeezed her hands.

'Nothing, nothing, I know how to hold and handle a blade. I know about many different pokemon. I know you're an Alakazam and you're a strong Psychic pokemon.' She didn't know why it could hear inside her, she didn't like it.

"You have quite the tenac–" it cut out suddenly and the others around her jumped startled by something, her creator laughed again.

"Not for us to have? You really think you have any say in this? You'll give us what we want!" Laughing again before encouraging the uppers to keep digging. She didn't understand.

She…heard in self, a hum "I fear I will not escape here alive, and the walls make it impossible to transmit any knowledge…but…I could pass on the knowledge of the outside world to another…nothing about the league internals of course…but the knowledge one should know, one should need to survive outside…" Their eyes started glowing blue. "Apologies, it will hurt…and will take many months for your mind to process everything but, if you ever do escape, you will have what's needed to survive…"

She didn't understand, and then her head hurt a lot. Her hands jerked, desperate to grab her head to try to ease the pain but she was told not to move. The pain continued, squeezing her eyes shut. Thoughts, feelings, words, places, objects, concepts, there was so much…information, too much it was too much! Grabbing her head she screamed in pain, it was too much! Everything became weird…faint. There was the sound of glass breaking. She's never heard glass break but she knew what it was. Screams, both human and pokemon rang out. The voice of her creator…no, mother rang out. "STOP IT! DON'T LET IT ESCAPE!" Everything went dark.

X

Blurry eyes opened and checkered ceiling tiles slowly came into view, 'Oh Arceus my head hurts…Arceus…thats a pokemon, a god…WHY DO I KNOW ABOUT THAT!' Fingers snapped in front of her eyes, she flicked them to its source. A man. Doctor? Scientist? She wasn't sure but they were in a…lab coat.

"How long…" she cut herself off, 'speaking too much will get me in trouble here but–'

"Three days, too long." Her crea–no, mother, 'no she was never a mother,' spoke as she leaned against a wall.

"You've lost far too much training time. Let's hope you haven't gotten too far behind."

She wanted to retort but held her tongue, 'that will get me in trouble around here.'

"Well, since you're doing better you can go join your group, and train for the rest of the day," she opened her mouth to ask if she could eat first but immediately closed it.

'Again that will get me in trouble,' Nodding before hopping down from the bed following one of the upper grunts that beckoned to her. She let muscle memory of how to walk guide her while her mind wandered.

'Ok, it seems whatever happened –still have to figure that part out– I now know a lot more than I did before, a lot more, and that's dangerous among this…organization, if it's found out, I'll be killed. Okay, if I want to survive I need to act like my old self and I need to get out of here.'

Entering the training room she was paired up with a boy, he was a bit taller than her but she knew some tricks her mother…that monster taught her and felt like she knew more… shaking her head knowing this was not the time, and she could look into this later.

—

Her breath came out in pants, 'how many is that now 7? 8? Although I'll admit the adrenaline rush is…nice.' A loud tone went off. 'End of training, good we can go…no we only get food every few days…that's not right.' She sighed knowing there was nothing she could do.

She came to the realization of what a she was, 'Humans are male or female–no most living things are male or female. Why?' she found herself pondering over this strange line of thought. There was more to it than just head hair and waste extremities, but she didn't understand, and it felt like a sense of self, but she didn't understand that either.

Unable to stop herself from glancing around the room as she walked to bed it felt very strange. She shouldn't be turning her head and looking around and before she felt like she was part of this they, this unit but now she wasn't, all she felt now was a sense of wrong. This was wrong. She forced her current thought process to stop, it was to much right now.

Climbing into the bed, pausing over thought that she should probably be changing into pajamas first. She wanted to take a few minutes to think about everything flowing through her mind but sleep took over before she could.

X

Hungry. That was her first thought when she woke to the oh so memorable annoying tone. 'Honestly, how did I go as long as I did without getting annoyed at that sound…well it's not like I knew much back then,' a partial sigh broke through before she found the will to cut it off, 'Get used to it…aah 3517…that doesn't feel like a name…ok in celebration of escaping I am giving myself a name.' Sitting up to experience vertigo, so much fun, and climbing out of bed to stand in line with everyone else.

'Probably from Hunger or lack of sleep…or the fact that my brain now has more information than yesterday… WHAT?'

The silent walk was accompanied with thoughts of why?

'Why? How? I thought I knew everything I needed to know. Why do I know more?'

A flickering memory of a voice she did not recognize floated through her mind, 'take many months for your mind to process everything…' Wincing in pain afterwards, 'Many months? To process everything? So am I just going to experience vertigo and headaches for the next few months?!' She sighed as they walked into the training room and earned a few quick glances, they were going to fight for extra food again. 'Well I guess I'd rather have this knowledge than not.'

X

The days that passed turned into weeks, unfortunately without a clock, calendar or sun, keeping track of time was rough. Soon she wasn't just training and waking with new information but found herself in different classrooms being taught by Team Rockets upper grunts their trade and tactics. The immense amount of knowledge on pokemon was headache inducing and although she did her best, her careful restraint over her new emotions slipped up. She ended up in the readjustment room.

A dark soundless room with only bitter flavored water for sustenance. For days she stayed in that crammed minuscule room with barely enough room to take more than three steps in any direction. She lost all concept of time in the perpetual darkness and what she assumed was a sense of numbness came over her mind. With the only company being screams and cries of other fellow kids, terror reigned supreme here. The experience only gave her some thing for her darker dreams to fester on and the fear of small spaces. The feeling of being completely and utterly alone grew stronger with broken time.

Two years went by and she estimated she was midway through her seventh year alive. Something new happened. Her very first big act of rebellion.

X

"… easy to draw plenty of power with the right persuasion and incentive. This is where some of you will be working. Now the right way…" the upper grunt jabbered on to her group about the ways they convinced electric pokemon to continuously power their facility like it wasn't completely cruel and inhumane.

She glanced around the room, nearly two dozen glass boxes of pokemon all crammed together with barely enough room to move. Dozens of Tynamo swimming in circles, their faces bruised from battering each other and the glass. Emolga and Pachirisu squished against each other, some holding hands to seek comfort and a mountain of near a hundred Joltik in another.

She felt a pang of sorrow at their state but what could she do, she was just an emotionally wrecked child. The sound of an agonizing howl made her repress flinch. Her head was turned to a muzzled and chained Luxray getting its electricity sapped. One eye remained closed and blood steadily dripped out of its nose. Its scream of anger at the ones who prodded it had the hair rising on the back of her neck, adding another layer of disarray to her hairs static state.

"Now electrics are very useful in battle, sadly most are either too small or have a body shape that is difficult to fit a k-ring on," she gritted her teeth hearing that word.

K-rings or kill rings were essentially a ring of explosives in a collar or implanted around one's neck. And apparently pokemon weren't the only ones that had them, glancing at the neck of their tour guide grunt and just spotting the bumps. She knew she would get one eventually and she would have to escape before she did. Another howl and the clanking of chains were heard.

"CAN YOU SHUT THAT THING UP!" Her tour guide hollered at the lower grunts with the Luxray.

"Now as I was saying–"

CLANG A screeching of metal with a roar accompanied and human screams followed.

"Oh hell just my day…ALL OF YOU GO OVER THERE!" They yelled, pointing in the opposite direction of the escaped Luxray. They released a set of pokemon into the room and her mood soured even more seeing both of them wearing collars.

"Breloom! Mach Punch! Nidorino, Double Kick!" Breloom charged forward slamming its powered fist into its side.

The luxray grunted from the hit before smacking an Iron Tail in its face sending the Breloom flying. It turned to face the tour guide grunt before yelping out at the Double Kick slamming into its back.

She felt the air escape her lungs, the first pokemon battle she has ever seen with her own eyes. A horrible marvel to watch. She knew the day she escaped would be the day she could start building her team, create her own family.

"Tik, tik, tik…" a noise drew her attention to her left where the glass box of Joltik sat unwatched. They huddled together in a mountain of static, well most of them. The ones that weren't were motionless, some were blinking slow, having given up and others eyes had closed, having already parted from this world, dying or dead. But there was one that caught her eye, one whose eyes shined with tenacity, who kept trying to stand. Its mandibles clicked in anger and it stared down the bloody battle? Was it the hunger for power? Or just the will to live? She didn't know and really, at that moment, it didn't matter. 'Why wait in making that family when I can start now.'

A clang of Metal was heard when the Luxrays' muzzle was slammed into the floor. They heaved themselves back onto their feet and stared them down with its one good eye, static sparking flung off their fur. A massive Spark blinding those in the room was released with a howl accompanying it and she could here the bolts creating a clash of noise as they slammed into metal and walls. It was a shame it would take a lot more than that to break the glass boxes.

'Now or never,' clicking the latch of the door panel next to her and sticking her hand in just barely making out the Joltik through the blinding light. A small squeak along with a zap ran up her arm. Bringing it just under her mouth, "Don't or we're dead, stay low," speaking in a barely above nothing whisper. The latch snapped back into place as she moved the Joltik under her hair to the back of her neck. Pulling the back of her shirt out a bit she could feel it crawl just under the hem.

Her eyes wandered to see if any other childern noticed her actions and the tension sunk away when she noticed everyone was still focused on the fight. Returning her own attention back to the fight just as the Luxury howled landing on its side and not getting up again. She wasn't sure if it was out cold or dead but it would be soon.

After the ruthless unexpected battle all pokemon not in glass boxes were promptly returned to their balls, their savior decided to brag, "Yea see that, that is how to properly subdue a deranged pokemon." She blocked out his vain speech and focused inward on the knowledge she's obtained over the years.

'Joltik a bug electric, though not powerhouses or dragon killers, they're fast and mainly type specialists, based on the pattern in its eyes it's got Compound Eyes that makes moves like Thunder practically a guaranteed hit even without a storm if trained right. Dangerous.' She had to fight back the smile creeping onto her face.

—

"Ok so here's the deal," she murmured to the Joltik attached to her neck, shifting the blanket higher.

"An incident that happened two years ago that I still can't remember caused me to gain an insane amount of information on the outside world. If it's found out that I have this information, I'm dead, so I need to escape before a k-ring is placed on me."

Feeling a few taps against her neck as if encouraging her to continue. "Right so I've been assessing the area, watching the guards rounds and escaping is going to take a lot of impossible damn luck." more tapping, "so I'm working towards an outer guard training position. If our luck is well, we will be out and gone before they can do anything."

She yawned, "Sleep now, you'll learn the schedule quick. Oh and we only eat every few days." Two taps along with a quiet click ended the conversation.

X

The next few months were a blur of sameness, nothing substantial happened, well until two near back to back events happened.

"The interrogation room. I do hope I never see one of you in our stockades. The Litwicks are quite the talented bunch in drawing out the pain," high pitched laughter followed their own personal joke. "Ya see it's really a shame, Litwick are one of those solid ghost types but their body shape makes it impossible for k-rings. That, along with the fact that dusk stones are near impossible to find in Kanto and Johto."

They continued rambling about the unfortunate situation and they were kind of right. Ghost types, though particularly difficult to handle, can become ludicrously powerful. Agatha, the second oldest elite four, was a perfect example of that. The only reason she didn't have one herself was because of a Litwicks diet.

"Yea see they're one of the minority ghosts whose diet consists of souls in fact it's the only thing that sustains and lengthens their lifespan. There like the predator version of ghosts! Isn't that wonderful?" Apparently this guide really likes ghosts. Looking over the Litwick who could almost be mistaken for regular candles if their eyes were closed. Contrary to popular belief, they didn't have blue flames until they mastered their fire. They sat in special cells while there pokeballs shined below. Her mind went to what she knew.

They were type specialists but apparently could use a few moves from the other two mind types Psychic and Dark. Food might become a challenge when they're in the outside world… Actually they would need to hunt creatures to feed herself and Joltik and their souls could sustain one. Pokemon and human souls we're far more sustainable than unintelligent wildlife yet for some reason she bizarrely felt morally wrong in doing such things.

'Probably it's some emotional thing from the knowledge I gained, but survival is far more necessary then some random life,' she argued. Who cares if a few things die, everyone dies eventually. Fire is useful for survival as well. But how am I going to get one?

—

A nightly under the blanket conversation and they had a plan. Joltik wasn't exactly excited about the prospect but they needed someone who could kill and fast. There will be another tour in a few days. If all went well Joltik would talk to it, give it the plan then short-circuit the lights. 3517 then would snatch its pokeball, recall it, shrink it into stasis and have Joltik hold it till their back in bed.

X

Walking back through that grimm doorway, their tour guide babbled happily about those Ghost types and torture devices. She on the other hand was completely focused on the wall of Litwick. Some swayed to a silent rhythm, others stayed bent to one side and looked dead on the inside. One seemed to have slumped down on itself; its fire flickered from time to time but stayed bright. That one.

As they made their way down the ramp past the cages, slipping her hand to scratch the back of her neck, a fuzzy body crawled up her sleeve, waiting. Touching the bottom of the cage for support to check if something is on the bottom of her shoe before continuing on. 'Now the waiting game begins.'

"Hey," Joltik whispered. The Litwick glanced down, two stubby arms appeared from the wax around its flame raising high as if to pull the soul out from the bugs body.

"Do that and you will never escape and gorge yourself," Litwick's arms froze. That got the ghosts attention.

"We are escaping soon and we need a silent killer. When the lights go out put out your flame, and when re-released Do. Not. Make. A. Sound. Clear?" A grin wasn't much of an answer but it was enough.

"Ghosts are difficult to handle and unfortunately there are very few we can k-ring. Some of them we have had consistent success with collaring like the ones from the Golurk and Gourgeist line along with my fa–" A fizz and pop was heard and suddenly the only light in the room was from the Litwicks flames.

"INIKO IF YOU'RE SABLEYE IS PULLING PRANKS AGAIN, I SWEAR TO ARCEUS I AM PUTTING IT IN STASIS FOR THE NEXT MONTH!"

Stepping back as their guide screamed their head off, she yanked the pokeball below one dark cage. Recalling the unlit Litwick with a simple button press. A small body smacked into her side before scuttling up her back. Holding the button down as she stepped back to the group, she felt the ball shrink to a fourth of its size, passing it to Joltik. Their mandibles gripped tight to the capsule containing an ally member and maybe even a family member.

"DAMMIT, Ok will finish the lesson tomorrow. Go to training room 5, you can practice your endurance till bed."

—

Her head covered in sweat dipped under the covers as Joltik nestled into the open crevasse between her torso and legs. Whispering a thank you for holding a new ally. She enlarged and twisted the button for a silent release.

One of the more useful lessons was about pokeball functions. The button could be turned to one of the four options. The top two allowed the pokemon to remain conscious while inside except in stasis. The bottom two set them unconscious when inside. The left two made for a sound release while the right two made for a silent release.

Litwick took in the small space before one of its waxy drips formed and reached for its wick. "No light," she said in a hushed voice and held back any sense of disturbance when their eyes slid along their waxy body without any such turning of the head, "In a few days I'll be put in outer guard training, that's when we will make our escape."

Receiving a few clicks from the mandibles on Joltik and a sound like a warped moan came from Litwick. "Litwick you'll need to remain in your ball in stasis. I can't feed you until then. I'll let you out when I can. First chance we get, mooch as many souls as you want and then we're gone." The candle seemed pleased with the words and they dozed off with thoughts of soon in their head.

X

"You'll be given a new uniform since you're now 8. It will be waiting for you after your integration." The upper grunt stated. Passing down new hallways and rooms with sealed doors they key carded one on the left, stepping to the side and turning to let her pass. A room with three machines with drawers both empty and full. What caught her attention was the table in the middle of the room. The lights above it were attached to moving arms and two grunts in white coats were looking over a terminal. The whole room felt…off she tried her best to shake the feeling as the door wooshed closed behind her. The White coats got up and she took notice of a set of clothes next to them.

"Ah yes this will be your new uniform you'll be wearing when we're done," one responded to her glance, likely a common question.

"Done?"

"Yes with your integration, now shirt off and blade in the drawer you'll get a new one later."

Nearly jumping at the response, with her back to the door she removed her shirt, faking a struggle to give Joltik time to move,"Good hop up on the table, belly down."

Her arms were pulled down to her sids and a strap pressed down on the mid upper of her back. Cold fear washed over as she squirmed to escape only to have more straps placed over her lower back and legs.

"No no, we don't need you moving while we're marking you. It needs to be clean, yea know." The talking one laminated in a robotic fashion.

Eyes squinting in thought, 'The monster of a mother spoke briefly about that. Said their left shoulder only hurt for a few minutes then was fine.' She thought it was a tattoo or tag, but with this kind of extreme setup…

The sound of metal re-drew her attention, twisting her head to peek back and immediately wish she didn't. It wasn't a tattoo or a tag, it was a backwards R of red hot iron. They were going to brand her. She wished she was born a Slugma cause it fucking burned. Clamping her jaw shut because if she screamed, Joltik would be in a Fury Cutter frenzy to get out. Sharp pain blossomed from her right shoulder blade and neck different from the burn. Cracking an eye open through the pain and could only watch as a small metal disk slid into her flesh.

'Oh Arceus, it wasn't just a marking, it was a k-ring as well.' letting out an almighty scream, hoping Joltik would get the message and zap them down in time. Writhing as lasers of light sealed the cuts.

"Stop moving or we won't be able to finish the connecti–" a flash of light and two sets of groans were heard. Opening tear stricken yellow irises to a ball of electric fuzz with worry evident.

"Get Litwick, remove them from the living. We need to leav–"

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOO

"Raid…" looking back at Joltik, "Go!"

Joltik scrambled off the table for Litwicks pokeball. The horn with the groans and scuffles of the white coats were joined by a ghostly wail. One thump, then a second, a high pitch call of wick was released with ticking from Joltik.

"Can you cut the straps?" Joltik gave an affirmative and a dozen Furry Cutters later and the pressing weight was gone.

"Tick tik jo," rising onto her hands and knees, a wamp sound was made as her butt landed on the table. Shaky breaths were released as she ran her fingers along the back of her shoulders and neck.

Three Bumps.

"Shit," Joltik tapped and clicked and Litwick let out quiet high cries, wanting to be on the table as well. Glancing at a sparking Joltik and a Litwick releasing small Embers its flame much brighter than before though they still slouched. Sucking in a breath to steady their nerves.

"We need to get out of here while the facility is still getting raided," she stumbled down from the table, grabbing the new uniform. Dark navy jeans paired with a solid black shirt with one red stripe on the right arm and rugged boots. The siren rang loud a second time and normally at this point she and her unit would have taken the teleportation pad out. A rumble representing the tons of stone and cement making the ground roll sent her bed, the training room with the pointless mats, classroom and the eatery, we're reduced to nothing but rubble. Rubble buried under dozens of feet of rock.

"Ahh they really weren't kidding when they said the ceiling would collapse after we teleported out," She let out a breath at the relief that the wing she sat in wasn't on the collapse list. Anything on the collapse list was everything Team Rocket desperately did not want the League to know about.

She grew mad at herself for being glad she had a mother who told her all this. Yes it was useful but why did it have to come from the mouth of that monster. A sigh broke free as she was leaving, when something on the terminal caught her attention. A file. Her file.

Deciding to risk it and spare a few minutes checking it out. It was open and…could be freaking altered. She knew they needed to run but this would buy them time a year maybe two. Marking the k-ring connection had been completed (it had not) and changing her status to dead. Submitting it and taking a breath.

A tick from Joltik. A question. "Check the drawers, see if there's any spare pokeballs," another click this one of confirmation before tiny claws taped away and the tactile click of the keyboard filled the space.

"Litwick get your pokeball." Ghostly wails with questioning intentions floated throughout the room.

"I'm unassigning your ball, when we get out of here, if you wanna be free, will find a ghost house and break your ball. I'm going to do the same thing with Joltik."

She made quick work as one with minimal training on one of these machines.

"Tik joltik jo jo," a bin of spare balls and even a few belts were found. Joltik rushed back and taped her leg, chattering away. She had a guess what…he? she? 'I never learned Joltiks gender did I. Wow. I feel cruel.'

"TICK," she jumped and the volume of the call and Joltik taped one pokeball she had rolled over by her foot.

"Ahh right you want to…stay…with me?" Joltik nodded letting out a few clicks before tapping the unused pokeball. It was an instant catch. Grabbing it along with a ten slot belt plus six other unused ones (who knows how many she'll use) and deregistering all of them from the system.

"Now for the final touch…" she released Joltik. "Fry it. Litwick Ember all over the room. Start a fire."

Stepping back and nearly stumbling over one of her dead torturers as Litwick made fast work of the room and the building of the heat made her eyes water, Joltik even joined in with Fury Cutter.

The once pristine room was completely trashed, littered in cuts and the fire had become far to intense to stand. "Let's go. I don't want to stay in this hellhole any longer," picking up Litwick, Joltik jumped onto her back, she winced at the action. "It's all right I can't really feel anything right now because of adrenaline," She responded to Joltiks uneasy chatters. Opting to not mention that she'd feel it a hell of a lot more later though.

All eight pokeballs clipped to her belt as she swiped the card stolen from one of the white coat grunts. The hiss and clank of the door opened, the vacant hallway that greeted them set everyone on edge.

"Now, I don't exactly know what moves you two know, besides the basics, and I don't really have the time to learn, so if we run into trouble, use what's necessary but save what you can." The child said as they passed down unknown hallways making best guesses at intersections with the wailing alarm to hide footsteps. She paused at the next 4-way intersection and a scent passed by her nose.

"Smoke. That's smoke isn't it?" She had realized she had smelled this back in the room but wasn't fully aware of it at the time. Litwick released a tone, seemingly positive in agreement though having spent less than a week with… 'again I don't know their gender. Really need to fix that.'

"Litwick, is there any chance you can figure out which direction the smoke is coming from?" Another note similar to the last before swaying and pointing down to the left. The sound of the human voices rang down from that hallway as well so… not that way.

Fighting down a cough as the dirty air irritated her throat and headed straight before she took a right up an incline. The walls changed from a sterile flat white to green with gray stripes that ran horizontal along them.

"Ok I'm going to hope the wall change is a good sign." Excited clicks and chatters came from Joltik and Litwicks flame waved in…delight? They had just arrived at a room with half a dozen passageways, her adrenaline was starting to wear off and her pain was edgeing the forefront of her mind.

A roar with enough power and volume to put even a Tyranitar to shame rocked the facility enough for a pseudo earthquake.

Swearing a few times over while glancing in the direction where the deafening call came from, her pain turning into a distant memory. "I really hope that was not Redmond's Charizard." Her exasperated response earned a few taps from Joltik.

"Redmond is the champion of Kanto and Johto and we stand zilch of a chance against that behemoth." Her voice dripped in fear as she booked it down one of the less dangerous pathways that would not involve crawling through serrated rubble or dealing with angry tyrants.

Skidding to a stop, a lower grunt stood just ten feet away, a collared Cubone hunched with lifeless eyes walked next to them.

"Hey what are you doing!" A male voice yelled. Panicking, well aware she should not be in this area.

"Ember!" Litwicks flame wavered and grew before firing off a palm sized fireball. It slammed into Cubone who didn't even dodge. The poor thing looked shabby, patches of fur missing and one of its bone helm horns severed.

"Ahh Headbutt! Bone Club! deal with her pokemon!" They yelled with an overly dramatic point before charging. Electricity snapped off Joltik as they leaned forward to zap the incoming Cubone.

"It's Ground type, cut it! Litwick, stay with me. I'll need you in a minute." Joltik let out a cry before leaping off her shoulder to strike it, front legs giving off a faint green glow. Reaching for her blade…that was not there. She looked up to see her attacker barreling towards her. Ducking and dodging a 5 inch blade from a teenager who was bigger, stronger, and taller than her. There really was only one way she was winning this fight.

Grabbing their outstretched wrist and yanking them forward and kneeing them in the one place no guy wants to get hit. He let out a Golduck-like honk as she held Litwick up to his face calling out, "Do it now!" A shriek that seemed to come from everywhere rang out. The clang of the knife and a sudden heavy and very dead weight leaning upon her was enough signal that the deed had been done. Shoving him off, they hit the floor with a thud.

A screech to her left, showed Joltik standing tall next to a Cubone covered in cuts including a particularly nasty one across its chest. Trying not to focus on how big its blood pool was getting and instead checking over Joltik for injuries. A bit of fluff was missing but other than that they were fine.

"Let's keep going," standing up and taking the step, her boot kicked the handle of the assailant's knife. Grabbing it and sheathing it before taking off down the corridor. It ended with the path ahead collapsed and the right hallway had three closed doors, two on the right and one on the left.

"Try the doors or go back?" Joltik launched forward towards the doors. "Ok, doors it is then." Joltik stopped in front of the first right door as she slid the stolen key card through, the hiss of the door was soon accompanied by one from Joltik. Another operation room but this one bigger. She took a step back, "Lets try the next one," she mumbled, swallowing her fear as best as she could. A baritone beep was released when swiping the card on the next door.

"Joltik you think you can shock force it open?" An affirmative was given before leaping onto the panel, zapping and stabbing their legs into it. A minute one by then two, a buzz suddenly sounded and followed by a clank and the door swung inward an inch. Pushing the heavy door in just enough to reveal an unmaintained corredor. Dim hanging lights dripped from the ceiling with cobwebs and dust as decorations.

"Deep breath… OK let's go," walking away from the shaft of light into the endless dark. She held Litwick out a little farther allowing…them to increase their flame making it brighter and a bit warmer.

"While we're walking there's something I wanna ask you two that I feel very stupid for not asking earlier," Joltik taped her shoulder twice the signal to continue. "Umm… What's you two's gender?" Silence. "TICK!" She winced at the volume. Litwicks fire flared in anger as their eyes turned or slid around around facing her, "I'm sorry I've been so focused on just getting out alive that I never thought about little important things till very recently."

The sound of Joltiks mellow chittering and soft taps calmed her, they could understand the stress she's been constantly under. Litwick looked away but their flame still snapped, likely a little miffed. Joltik tapped her till she turned to look, then taped her check before taping themselves on the head. It took a few attempts to understand.

"Same?" Joltik nodded. "We're the same? Female?" A joyful cry was released from Joltiks small mouth and Litwick joined as well. High positive ghostly nots floated into the dark.

"Also female?" Litwicks flame bobbed up and down. "All right…so what do you girls say we get out of this dark tunnel?" There was a unanimous agreement and for the first time in her life. She laughed. It was silly, full of tiny breaks. It went high then loud and her friends, her family joined in.

Picking up the pace they ended at a set of dilapidated rocky stairs to a six foot landing. A flat cover sat over the top. Setting Litwick down on the landing, Joltik was still clinging to her shoulder, climbing up to stand on rusted beams where the wall was crumbling away. It took two tries before she managed to budge it an inch. Flecks of light came through cutting into the darkness. Shifting it more brought in more light. Squinting her eyes shut at the sudden blinding light. It took her a minute to adjust. Giving one last heavy shove to move what was a false gray rock to reveal a ceiling of not white but blue. A beautiful rich blue. An endless blue.

"Sky…it's sky."

She stared for what felt like hours at the ever expanding blue. A cry from below reminded her of Litwick still sitting on the landing. Clamoring down to grab her before scrambling back up. Her fingers touched soil for the first time. It crumbled under her fingertips warmer than the cold stone tile she was used to. They all could only breathe, taking in the surroundings. Trees, they're leaves rustling in the breeze. The sound and dance was beautiful. The wind cooled her skin as the sun warmed it. Smells of greenery flooded her nose, nothing ever smelled so sweet. The air tasted fresh and clean, not the common stale and dull.

An explosion goes off behind them. She whirled around. Thick black smoke rose in the distance.

"We…we should probably go," another explosion accompanied by a rush of flames going skyward, "Yep that's our cue to move." She scrambled to her feet, taking off into the trees. Holding Litwick close to her chest with her left and using her right to keep her face and Joltik from getting smacked by low hanging branches. She knew she should be running scared from the destruction raging behind her but she couldn't help but smile at the feeling of simply running through trees.

Chatters from Joltik redrew her attention to see her frantically looking around, "Where are we going? I don't know and I don't care as long as we get some distance." Irritated ticks along with taps for more questions, "Are you asking about a plan?."

"TICK!"

"Umm, kind of got one. First get some distance and second find berry trees and or a river for fish."

"Lit litwick lit lit," she could feel a faint presence, almost like a flowing, on the edge of her mind. It felt like one was confused about something. The sudden intrusion nearly caused her to stumble. "Whoa, was that you in my mind Litwick?"

"LIT!" A positive and a negative, no, an irritated emotion passed through her mind.

"Right so you're glad about the mind emotion talk thing and irritated about your question not being answered?" She slowed to a fast jog as another positive note floated through the edge of her mind.

"Ok, right you're question then. Um I didn't get it uh…"

"Jo jo tik tik," Joltik swang one of her legs in the air around and thanks to the months of short talks with her, she had a small grasp on her sounds and body language.

"After… you mean after distance, berries and fish?" A yes from Joltik. "Um not really sure…I guess…" Pausing while hopping over a log and maneuvering through some thick brush.

"I guess find a city, a town, gather some knowledge and info, and if you don't want to stay with us, then a ghost house for you." Feeling positive notes wicking in and out of existence through the faint stain growing on her mind's edge.

Her breath slowly became more and more haggled. Forced to slow to a slow jog and for once glad at all the training she was forced to do. The sudden click and tug at her uniform from Joltik alerted her.

"Something of interest? Berries? Water?" A yes was called when the word water was said. "Ok, will try to catch something to eat. Then, I guess keep moving."

The babbling of a slow flowing river soon reached their ears. Stopping at the bank and glancing down at the rippling water the trio spotted a few wriggling long gray bodies gliding by.

"Ok, um…spearfishing. Yea, there's something called spearfishing. Um, we need a long pointed stick and we just stab them," she made a stabbing motion with her hand while her companions stared blankly. "Well do either of you have any better ideas then." She sighed.

Joltik tried to zap them, but it just spread out over the water and Litwick could neither go near or in the water. Joltik gave up on the zapping after nearly getting swept away. "Ok, is there anything else we can do? We don't have a fishing rod or a net or–"

"JOLTIK JO," she hollered before spitting a weak String Shot into the air.

"That. might. work! Ok. Let's get some sticks and build a net."

After much trial and error to make a working net, they managed to catch a total of three fish. Litwick consumed their souls before Joltik and her messily gutted and fileted the fish.

"Litwick, can you light the sticks on fire, please." She asked, pointing to the pile of wood they collected. The first one they overcooked. Joltik asked for that one, not minding the taste. 'Maybe an electric quark,' she wondered, half keeping an eye on the second fish cooking.

The second two turned out better although Joltik determined they needed to be cooked longer.

"It's not bad, honestly it has more flavor then the meat they gave us…That's supposed to be sad isn't it?" Joltik clicked a few times as an absent minded thought crossed her mind. "Huh, we can eat everyday now can't we."

They finished eating, kicking dirt over the remaining embers and took a chance to just…sit. Staring over the water, listening to the babel and swish of the leaves. The sky had turned from a gemstone blue to hues of reds, yellows and golds.

"Wow, that's pretty. That's…that's a sun set, yea it's really pretty." She paused as other bits of information flowed in. "A sun set…sun is setting. When the sun sets it gets cold and dark." Litwick let out a ghostly call, expanding her flame, "As nice as the extra light is, it would probably be better to not draw attention. Can you increase the heat instead of the light or do both need to increase for that to work?" Letting out another call one outward and another inward through the flow, one she was starting to label a yes note.

Litwick thrummed, minimizing her flame and it slowly changed color, taking on a bright yellow tone. Picking up the candle pokemon and scooting back against a tree, she laid back against the rough bark. A chattered question came from Joltik. "It'll be hard to get anywhere without falling when we can't see. So will try to get some sleep and keep moving when the light comes back around."

The tiny spider taped the ground, shaking, before pointing up the tree. "I can't sleep in a tree without falling and there's no way to secure myself to it." Joltik clicked while pointing at the discarded fishing net they made. "Yeah that might work. We could find some strong branches and you could string a net between them. Like a…like a hammock! Okay."

Joltik, happy with the answer, wandered off to find a suitable tree for a hammock. Carrying Litwick and following her family deeper into the brush. "Make sure we can find the river in the morning. We don't want to get turned around." Litwick gave a yes through the flow and Joltik suddenly flinched before turning and asking a question in which Litwick responded with an outward voice then an inward voice.

"Joltik, did you hear Litwick's mind voice?"

"Tik jol click tik," a yes along with something she couldn't understand but felt related to the conversation was given.

"Huh that's interesting… maybe we can make use of that…" She started brainstorming as Joltik scurried up a tree building the frame of a hammock 15 feet up.

"Yea we could definitely make use of it! When we get better at understanding each other and your flow connection gets stronger with us, we could use it as a form of silent communication!" Joltik clicked in response and continued her work on the hammock and Litwick's flame perked up in response, almost urging her to continue her train of thought. "Like in a fight, an enemy won't know what to prepare for if they can't hear what we're gonna do! That's a huge advantage, we can be completely unpredictable!"

She looked down at Litwick before a realization crossed her mind, "Ah that's if you want to stay with us…" A humm seemed to emulate from the flow before Joltiks cries from above pulled their attention. Pausing her hammock making to stoutly converse with Litwick, the conversation was too fast to be understood.

When they finished talking Joltik went back to complete the hammock and Litwick stayed quiet, eyes closed and posture of one deep in thought. When the hammock was completed she scaled the tree by placing Litwick on ever higher branches. A poke from the flow in the feeling of a question let her know Litwick was ready to talk. There was a short discussion before Joltik translated, making a few clicks and taping her mouth.

"Food? You're asking about food?" a yes note. "Food really won't be a problem, we need to hunt and fish to get meat we can't live completely off berries." Litwicks flame flickered for a moment before seemingly nodding.

"Lit litwick!" Joltik chattered in joy and a strong positive flow ebbed along the edge of her mind, the strongest one she's felt yet. She laughed, not needing an interpretation for that. "Welcome to the family Litwick!"

Taking a moment to celebrate in the fading light of day before curling up in their string hammock, swaying as they settled in for the night Litwick increased the temperature careful to not burn their bed. As a precaution Joltik strung a few securing strings over her side. She took a breath, focusing on the fact that she was free in the forest, her back pressed against the tree trunk not strapped to an operation table. The soothing mental waves from Litwick calmed her and lulled her to sleep.

And that's the first chapter. Don't worry they'll be more. I plan on updating monthly. Next chapter will be released on August 1st 2022

If you find any inconsistencies or oddities let me know I'm still very much a novice when it comes to writing and storytelling. Thanks.