"She saved me, Mrs. Sheridan!" Maria pleaded.
"And before that she tried to escape, risking everyone's lives with an avalanche." Sheridan answered coldly.
"But—"
"Miss Lorynth!" the chief sharply interjected. "I will not have you constantly objecting to my choices as the head of this task force. You can be quiet or you can be escorted out."
Maria hung her head and turned to watch as Morai's unconscious body was wheeled into an operating room.
"Besides," Sheridan continued, "this is a minor procedure, one she's unwillingly had before. All they're doing is putting a tracking chip in her neck so that we'll always know where she is. It's a prototype, but it should also be able to give readings on her vitals so that we can keep better track of her health with all of the...chemical changes that have occurred."
"If we're doing exactly what Team Rocket is doing," Maria asked softly, almost afraid to say another word. "Are we any better?"
"Team Rocket only cared for her safety so long as it benefitted them, and they benefitted as she terrorized everyone else. We are not the same."
Sheridan returned to her office, taking a moment to steel herself. She hadn't been the same since Morai's attempted escape in Alola.
"I've failed," she sighed to herself, collapsing into her leather desk chair and putting her face in her hands. "As a mother, as an agent, as the chief of this force. All because I had a shred of sympathy for...her. She managed to hurt my entire family...and yet I was somehow stupid enough to take her to Alola. I—"
"Mother!" a voice yelled after Sheridan's office doors burst open.
"Evie, we've talked about this," the chief sighed. "You can't—"
"Don't call me that," Yvette interrupted. "Mom, why am I here? You brought me to the danger! Deserted in the middle of nowhere! Now I'm trapped here with her!"
"The danger is no longer a danger, and you know why you're here. Team Rocket now knows who you are, and if the events of two days ago are anything to go by, they're seeking out connections to Morai. Unfortunately, because of me, that includes you."
"So the solution is to stick me here with Morai?" Yvette groaned. "I'm an adult! I'm in my twenties, for Arceus's sake! I—"
Sheridan grabbed her daughter by the shoulders and directed her to her desk with the gentleness of a mother but the force of a police agent.
"Look at yourself," Sheridan said, handing her a small mirror. "It's my fault that you have those scars. I failed to protect you the night you were attacked and the same thing could've happened two days ago...under my watch! People have been hurt because I was so focused on helping instead of fixing. I let my sympathy for a former hero cloud my image of the monster I have in my custody. That changes moving forward. Morai can't hurt you now and Team Rocket won't either. In the meantime, you'll stay here until proper provisions have been made elsewhere."
Yvette looked from her reflection to her mother's.
"...All those years ago, if you just would've let me take the path I wanted...it would've been different. I could be standing here beside you right now because I had a badge instead of a scar."
Sheridan didn't answer. Instead, she smoothed out her blazer and fixed her hair.
"I have a meeting to get to," she sighed.
"Oh, can I go?" her daughter asked.
"No," she quickly answered. "I don't want you involved in this anymore than you have to be. This place is pretty big. Some of the company's not bad, either. Your father will be back sometime tomorrow. You'll find something to keep you busy, I'm sure."
Sheridan kissed her daughter on the cheek before promptly leaving the room. Yvette sighed and stretched her neck, turning it from side to side. She had been rushed to this place before she had the chance to prepare for it.
I wonder...
She sauntered over to her mother's computer, searching until she found the files of security camera footage, scrolling through days upon days, skimming through twenty-four hours worth of footage to find what she was looking for. Finally, it seemed she had found it. The day her mother was attacked by the monster she had sworn to change. Her finger hovered over the mouse, ready to click play.
Morai woke up to find herself in an unfamiliar place. A small amount of light shone through a small barred window, illuminating an almost empty room whose walls were comprised of old stone. It looked as though this cathedral room had been left largely untouched. She had half expected to find a warm hand on her arm amidst the cold, but there was no one there. Instead, she found herself completely alone, handcuffs around her wrists and a chain on one of her ankles, medieval style. It kept her from venturing further than about five feet from the bed and the door lied another five or six feet away. Her neck ached and she reached both of hands up to feel a bandage.
"Where...am I?" she asked herself, standing up to see how far she could reach. "A dream, maybe? Where's Maria? Is she alright? What is that...around my face?"
Morai reached her hands up again to feel leather straps traveling around her head, and to her horror she realized they were holding pieces of metal in front of her mouth.
"This...no...she wouldn't. This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed, tugging at the straps. "This is a stupid dream. No one can see me like this, anyway. I've got to wake up and find Maria. Morai! Hey, Morai! Is this some dumb dream you've put me in? It's not funny! It's not—"
"Morai," Sheridan said as she opened the door, causing Morai to squint as light from the outside filled the room and disappeared when the door closed behind her.
"H-hey, Mrs. Sheridan," Morai stammered, sitting down on the stone ledge in front of the window as the chief drew close to her with an even colder frown. Light reflected on the gun she had at her side. "I see you've made some interesting...choices..."
"You gave me no choice," Sheridan answered flatly. "In your attempt to escape you—"
"Is Maria alright?" Morai interrupted. "Where is she? Can I see her? No, she shouldn't see me like this..."
"What if she weren't alright?" the chief snapped. "Suffocating under snow is one of the worst ways to go, so what if she would have been buried under the avalanche you caused? What of the people whose lives you threw into the wind all to get a chance at freedom? Do you not care?"
"I went down to save you!" Morai argued, bursting from her seat. "But the helicopter was already there!"
"Oh, do you mean the helicopter piloted by a Team Rocket Executive?"
"I didn't know that!"
"Team Rocket showed up to take you away, to finish crafting you...corrupting you into whatever it wanted to that you'd wreak havoc on the world while it followed behind to reap the benefits in your wake. No one there cares about you, Morai! You nearly killed those that do care, and I'm sorry—no, I'm not sorry to say that your Alolan friends' patience has run out. Every important trainer in the region has come together to agree that a criminal who spills the blood of the region's citizens doesn't deserve the throne, rules or not. Morai, you are no longer the Champion of Alola, which should've been the case in the first place."
"And you throw me in here?" Morai asked, her red eyes glowing in the darkness, stepping forward as Sheridan knowingly stepped back and unholstered her gun. "You put this thing over my face? To do what? Try and teach me a lesson?"
"You...bit someone!" Sheridan answered. "And not in the weird vampire-type way everyone is used to, either. You flayed Pollie's arm! Do you want to see it?"
The chief held up a gruesome picture on her phone, illuminating Morai's pale face.
"You can't just bite people, Morai!" she continued. "If you're going to act like some kind of...beast...some kind of monster, then you'll be treated like one! My husband was correct in that regard. Remember him? The one who's now mostly blind in one eye? I refrained from saying it before, but I no longer care."
Sheridan paused, taking a few more steps as Morai followed until the chain kept her from going any further. Her eyes were red and angry and her sharp teeth were bared.
"...You're a monster, Morai. A terrible, bloodthirsty, violent, gruesome, creature who could care less for the people desperately trying to save her. You're no longer a child to pity. You're a beast to contain. That's why you're here and are in the position you are...to think. To ponder on what you are. To think about whether you'd keep your devilish disposition at the cost of your freedom and company of others...if your parents would look upon their dear child now in horror instead of loving admiration. If your own self a few years ago would even look you in the eye. Goodbye, Morai."
Morai looked away again as the light entered the room and subsequently disappeared. She couldn't explain what she felt inside, but it made her want to rip something to shreds and weep at the same time. She roared in anger and clawed at the walls with her restricted hands until she had tired herself out. She clawed at her own face, trying to get the contraption off her head to no avail. Finally, she retired to what was to be her new bed, seeking to lose her literal and metaphorical shackles as she ascended to the Realm of Dreams.
"First and foremost," Sheridan began, standing in front of the small crowd in what had become the designated meeting space, "I want to acknowledge my failure as the chief of this task force and apologize for it. Even after The Mask Maker's true face was revealed, to me it was still hidden by the innocence of youth and the heroic reputation for which she had been known. I won't make that mistake again. The path ahead is still shrouded in mystery, but for the time being she is where she belongs.
"And where is that, if I may ask?" Ingo asked with a pointed finger in the air. He and his brother had joined the meeting via video from the Battle Subway in Unova.
"That is something only those closely involved will know," the chief answered, "because she will not be seeing anyone for the foreseeable future."
"But, Mrs. Sh—"
"That is a rule that will not be changed," she continued. "It's up to her to get herself out of her current situation. Not you, Mr. Ingo."
"If we may," Emmet added, assuming the same posture, "my brother and I would like to point out that it was merely months ago that our former Champion sacrificed herself to save our entire subway! I was there the day it happened, of course, and so was my brother. The Morai we knew was aware that she was sacrificing her soul, yet she did it anyway. It's right here in the letter she wrote for the Morai of today!"
"In case you've forgotten, here's what she said," Ingo continued almost instinctively after his brother, holding the letter aloft, "I have this strange feeling. This feeling that, after I do what I'm about to do, I will never exist as I am now again. In a way, today is the day I die. It's strange to think that fate has shown its face to me so suddenly, but I feel calm. She goes on, of course, but she knew she was giving herself up to save us and everyone else in that building. Can a soul like that be utterly and permanently corrupted in a matter of months? If I recall, even though her recent actions were...rash...the very last one she made that day was saving Miss Maria there, and not only that, but she chose to save her over leaving with Team Rocket and getting hold of that serum! She sacrificed her remaining chance at freedom just like her predecessor sacrificed her very soul!"
"If that's not obvious kindness...even love...then my vision isn't nearly good enough to be operating an entire train system...a very precise and punctual one at that!" Emmet added with a smile, scooting away to reveal the schedule on the wall behind he and his brother.
Sheridan sighed yet tried to keep her composure.
"You provide good arguments, gentlemen, that she isn't too far gone just yet. Even still, her actions warrant a period of reflection. One good deed doesn't make up for an avalanche...excuse my word usage...of terrible deeds committed in the last several months. For whatever reason, she has committed to keeping one person free of her antagonistic tendencies, even—"
"She wrote me a song!" Maria exclaimed, jumping up from her own seat. "A very nice one, too! Irredeemable monsters don't do that, do they? And we danced and held hands and—"
"Alright, Maria, I think you've made your p—"
"AND we planted flowers together! Sure, she struggles with...human decency and not considering the consequences of her actions, but that doesn't mean we haven't made progress!"
"Alright, alright, Ms. Lorynth," Sheridan sighed, "You've stated your case."
"So, I can see her?"
"No," the chief returned, still unwilling to budge. Maria sunk back into her chair.
"There's not much for me to do but wander around!" Yvette argued, hands on her hips. "And I just so happened to end up here. In front of her cell."
"Miss Sheridan," the guard replied with a sigh, "you're asking to see the very person we've been explicitly told to keep you away from. Not to mention she's in solitary confinement."
"You know, I've heard that solitary confinement actually worsens behavior," Yvette said. "Besides, she's asleep, and from the looks of it can't go very far anyway. What's the risk?"
"The risk is that I get chewed out or worse, fired."
"Not if no one knows," Yvette said. "You just got here for your shift. I'll be out before you leave. Besides, I've even got Ursaring spray."
The guard considered Yvette for moment before sighing and entering the code to unlock the door. The chief's daughter carefully stepped inside and sat in a chair beside Morai's bed, farther away then the prisoner could reach.
"I need it," she groaned in her sleep, turning from one side onto her back.
"No," Past Morai said in the Dream Realm. "It won't help you. It'll only make it worse. Now, I'm going to sit over here and I'm not talking to you again. Mrs. Sheridan was right. I wish I could thank her for...containing you."
"I'm so thirsty," Morai sighed. Her exhale turned into a roar of anger before she lunged at her counterpart.
"Dreams won't fulfill your reality!" Past Morai argued, dodging the attack and hitting Morai with her staff.
"These dreams feel the same as the real world. Make me a dream person or something! You have the power to do that, right?"
"No, but..."
A smile crossed Morai's face while her counterpart's shoulders slumped at their collective realization.
"Of course! I've never ventured to that side of the Outlands before. If it brings good dreams, then surely I can get what I want."
The trainer left before Past Morai could argue. Morai didn't hesitate to run and jump off the edge of the garden, finding her way to the Outlands just like she had before. She was nearly mad with thirst for something. She ran through what had become a forest, searching for anything that breathed.
In the waking world, Yvette had scooted closer to hear what she was mumbling in her sleep. Her face was twisted in frustration and anger.
"You tricked me!" she roared, her hands pulling against her handcuffs as her body in the real world tried to move along with her in the Dream Realm.
Morai stood alone, surrounded by dead and dying trees. A figure emerged out of the shadows, and the prisoner prepared to attack on sight. Yet, when the soft morning light of this realm illuminated the figure, it was Maria. Her Decidueye followed behind her.
"Hi, Morai," Maria greeted. She seemed somewhat listless, as if Morai's ability to dream her up wasn't complete.
"No, not you," Morai whispered. "Anyone but you. Why you?"
"If people you care about grace your good dreams, I suppose I'm one of the handful of people left that you do care about," Maria explained. "Most of your friends don't live here anymore...you seem troubled. What's wrong?"
Morai had sat herself on the ground, head shaking in her hands. Her mouth hung slightly open and her breathing had become labored.
"Be careful, Morai, or this will turn into a nightmare. What you fear will happen might become reality."
"No, no, no!" Morai growled, an anger that made its way to her body in the waking world and causing Yvette to move back. The forest around her began to melt into a black liquid that pooled on the ground, and Morai began to laugh.
"I just can't help it in the end, can I?" she chuckled. Her laugh grew louder and more unsettling as she continued. "In the end, I'm just destined to hurt everyone I love. I'm a monster, after all. That's what they do!"
Maria's listless eyes widened, her feet becoming entrenched in the pool of inky liquid as it began to rise.
"You...you love—"
Morai lunged and joltingly grabbed Maria by the shoulders. Her bared teeth were mere inches away from her skin, yet something kept her from biting. It was as if there were an invisible rope pulling her backward. Saliva dripped from her mouth onto Maria's neck, but the dream mirage didn't move. Finally, Morai closed her mouth and eyes and rested her chin on Maria's shoulder. She felt two arms gently wrap around her waist.
"I...can't..."
"I can hear your heartbeat," Maria whispered. "You still have one, just like me."
Morai awoke with a start, causing Yvette, who had leaned in to hear what she was saying, to gasp and push her chair back with her feet. She grabbed her Ursaring spray from her coat.
"Oh, Mrs. Sheridan!" Morai said, still out of breath. "I didn't...realize you were here...watching me dream. I feel a bit violated, I have to say."
"Mrs? Arceus, I hope I don't look that old!" Yvette exclaimed.
"What?...Wait, you're not her daughter, are you? Urm...what's your name again?"
"You attacked me then harassed me two days ago and you don't know my name?" Yvette scolded. She walked up to the side of the bed, and Morai yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"...It is you! What are you doing here?" she gasped. "Trying to get me killed by your mother? Not happening. Hey, guard—"
Yvette pointed the bottle right at Morai, who quickly shut her mouth.
"I'm here because of you!" she exclaimed. "Team Rocket is on the hunt for people connected to you, and my mother's your warden! Not to mention I'm one of your victims. And you're a sorry sight. I'm glad to see it."
"Ah, so you don't care if I end up in a worse position? You can claim whatever you want and your word will always be taken over mine. Is that what you want? Revenge? Well, sound the alarm already and get it over with," Morai sighed, falling back in bed. Yvette put the bottle away and sat back down in the uncomfortable chair.
"Nah, it looks like you're already suffering," she sighed. "There's nothing to do here. As it turns out, the most interesting thing about this prison is its only inmate. It's interesting to see you now compared to your act outside on the streets...and satisfying."
"I was so close..." Morai sighed. Yvette sat and watched her for a minute before leaning forward in her chair.
"You know, had my mom not been so overprotective, I might be here bossing you around," she said.
"Is that right? You wanted to work for this...well, never mind. I can't blame them for doing their jobs, I suppose. I am a criminal, after all."
"Yeah, I did," Yvette sighed. "I wanted to become an agent like her, but she said it was too dangerous. I applied anyway, and you know what she did? Used the power she had to take my application right out of the stack and throw it away. I became a model instead, but had I been an agent, I could've fought you off that night. I quit my job, too."
"Because of me?" Morai asked.
"No, they didn't mind the injuries, even though I do," the woman scowled, running her fingers over her face. "I got tired after a while. I was hoping to work with Elesa one day, but I eventually realized that a chance at meeting her was the only thing keeping me there. I'd have better chances walking into her gym. After that, with all of the time I had, I made a group for the people you attacked and went on to protest your position as Champion."
"There's a group?" Morai questioned, surprised.
"Well, yeah! You attacked people, hypnotized them, and drank their blood! That's some scary and unique stuff!" Yvette scoffed, shaking her head. "You don't think about it? I guess not. Otherwise you wouldn't be here, chained up like some animal."
A knock sounded on the door.
"Yo! Shift change is coming up. You better leave unless you want to get caught."
"I guess that's my cue," Yvette sighed, rising from her chair. She headed towards the door before spinning around and waltzing over to Morai's bed, crossing over the safety line. "Or...I could stay. I can act pretty well, although if I provoked you enough I probably wouldn't have to. My mother would come in, see me writhing in pain, my blood on your hands. I wonder what'd happen to you then?"
"Alright, mini Sheridan, what do you want?" Morai sighed. "As you can see, I'm a little tied up here."
Yvette leaned in close, and even Morai knew that laying a handcuffed hand on her was a bad idea. She inhaled deeply, looking her in the eyes.
"I want...you to teach me how to fight."
Morai couldn't help but snort in surprise.
"...Come again?"
"If that other woman will teach me how to shoot while you're teaching me to fight, I'll prove to my mother that I'll make a damn good agent. I don't have much time here, so you've got to compress it a bit, but get me on the right track...do we have a deal?"
"No!" Morai scoffed, her eyes glowing in the dim lighting. "You can't come back here! If big Sheridan finds—"
"Oh, Arceus, you monster," Yvette whispered, a sudden horrified expression on her face. "You tried to attack me! You brought me over here with your hypnosis and...oh, I can't believe it!"
The young woman drew in an exaggerated inhale, about to call for a guard.
"Alright, alright!" Morai said, putting her hands up and shaking her head. "Fine...although, if you want premium lessons, you could sweeten the pot...with—"
"Absolutely not," Yvette interjected. "I'm not helping your weird vampiric tendencies."
Another warning knock sounded at the door and she said a brief goodbye before rushing out. Morai laid back against the wall, letting out a huge sigh.
"I've got to get it somehow," she whispered, pulling at her handcuffs. "I can barely stand it."
