INM 1: The Leaders Crest Project

You are again probably dead floating in hall of origins, the pokemon world equivalent of heavens pearly gates.

"For fuck sake, how many times am i gonna have to see a new soul come through here... if i wasn't so busy trying to revive all my dead legendaries this job would be much easier..." said a large etheral goat like llama thing, she sounded upset.

"Whatever... welcome my child, i am Lord Arceus, the original one... creator of all that exists in this realm, i see you are quite dead huh..." She asked.

You nod.

"Look as you can see i have a LOT of paperwork to do... reviving legendaries who have been caught in Master Balls by a weird Pumpkin creature isn't exactly easy, even for a god like me so you'll have to wait here for a while..." Arceus told you.

You sit in the cloud like space, eventually you start getting bored.

"I noticed something is irritating you my child, i apologize for being too busy to send you to the afterlife yet, i guess i can make it up to you by reading you a book..." Arceus went towards a bookshelf, she glanced through the covers.

MNI? Nah too long... TLP? Too weird... TBOL uhhhhh she might save that one for herself...

"Ah here we go! INM! You see now that you're dead you must think, man my entire life really lead up to this... nothing interesting happened? Well you'd be surprised how many people feel your exact same way..." Arceus began saying as she opened the book and we zoomed inside.

This is the story of Buoh Pluma, an average kinda normal brown bird, raised in the suburbs of Unova he'd had the most average life you can think of for a Hoothoot species pokemon.

We see a bully shoving a nerdy looking Hoothoot against some school lockers.

"For the last time Bradley these are my eyes, they're not actual glasses..." Buoh looked annoyed at the Pawniard who was trying to take off his "glasses"

"Shut it nerd!" Pawniard scowls, next to him was a Scrafty and a Charmeleon.

Bradley shoved him inside a locker.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me! Well i guess it can't get any worse than this..." Buoh looked annoyed.

Suddenly milk was being let into the locker through the holes.

"OH WHAT THE FUC-" Hoothoot looked pissed off.

As time passed bullying became quite frequent; nobody really did anything about it cause the plot kinda demanded for it.

While others went to parties and slacked off in school, Buoh Pluma decided to just do what they were already good at and push their academic skills to the limit, always studying always perfecting and mastering any subject from history to science to math.

As genius as this bird was, he was quite humble about his intelligence never really needing to brag, altough that could be due to the fact he had no one to really talk to about it.

One typical day in Exnam High School, a classic round of bullying began on the poor hoothoot, but this time something awful happened that would forever stick by him.

"Look how fat he is everyone!" Laughed Charmeleon.

"I am not fat, i am spherical!" Buoh looked annoyed.

"You're hungry owl boy!? Here eat this!" Scrafty was holding a small pebble.

Hoothoot instantly recognized it.

"Wait wait wait! The sediments of that look just like a... Everstone... where did you get such a rare mineral!" Buoh looked shocked.

"Found it, and now you will eat it!" Scraggy grins as Pawniard and Charmeleon holded Hoothoot down.

"You can't be serious! That's not only a huge choking hazard but i could never evolve afterwards!" Buoh yelled.

"Skill issue." Scraggy shoved the everstone on buohs mouth and forced him to swallow, the three bullies laughed and finally let him go.

"You bastards! I'll get my revenge someday!" Buoh glares.

"Psh yea right, you'll be a small hoothoot forever while we grow to be big and strong!" Pawniard grins.

"Fuck off pipsqueak." Charmeleon chuckled.

Buoh was just left there feeling frustrated.

"Those hoodlums... they'll amount to nothing in life while i thrive, i will create something amazing that will change the world!" Buoh looked confident.

As Buoh went to one of the most expensive and well rated Universities, he focused on studying evolution canceling; how certain pokemon force themselves to not evolve by holding back energy or using of course an everstone.

Buoh was hoping to find a way to maybe reverse this effect, so he could finally be free and become a Noctowl, as it was quite weird for him to be an adult yet still look like a Hoothoot.

"Everyone that wants to date me is either a child or a pedo..." Buoh looked very annoyed in his dorm room as he practically gave up on a dating life while he looked like this.

"I wish i could just look normal, i wish i could evolve again but everstone removal technology just isn't there yet... it's not something that can be controlled..." Buoh glanced at a large whiteboard in his room with notes and theories; nothing gave him the result he wanted tho.

"The problem with being born in this age, is either almost everything is already invented or what could be invented just can't be just yet..." Buoh was drinking a fruit punch like if it was a beer.

He glanced at his alarm clock, 4:38AM.

"The joys of being a nocturnal pokemon..." Buoh rolled his eyes.

Buoh glanced at the TV, yet another boring pokemon reality TV show was playing, it was probably called Battle for Pokemon Island or something like that...

"Yeah i know she was so surprised!" Said a Steenee.

"Really?!" Dolliv asked.

"Oh for sure i mean, it was just a little Caterpie but Sunflora went crazy!" Steenee waves her arms.

"OMG Sunflora is really afraid of bugs!" Dolliv grins.

Hoothoot looked boredly at the TV.

"These shows are so stupid, it's obvious who always wins... the nice ones..." Buoh changed the channels and looked around to find something good.

The owl was now pondering what to do, all his university assigments were up to date and complete, he had no friends to hang out at all, he could maybe watch an episode of his old favorite childhood show, Pignite the Science Guy.

"Oh fuck it.. what's one episode gonna do?" Buoh shrugged.

He binged the entire first season.

University was over quickly for the owl, as his extreme intelligence made it a breeze to complete.

Afterwards getting a job in evolution research companies was extremely easy; he picked working the nightshift in one of the most famous and recognizable ones in all of Unova.

Energy Corp.

"Alright team, corporate said they were gonna be handing out a new evolution item for research today... which one is it." Buoh came in later than others since he was branch manager.

"Um apparently we have to research a Leaders Crest." Audino spoke.

"Uh huh i see..." Buoh glanced at it with a bit distain.

"Altough evolution does make Bisharps way stronger, they're also... stuck forever sitting in a chair." Croconaw explained as she fixed her glasses and looked at her notes.

"Yeah i noticed that too." Buoh was looking at a fancy board with data about Leaders Crest.

"We been meaning to research the effects on a Bisharp evolving into this life changing effect for a while but, we obviously cannot find any volunteers." Audino frowned.

"I wonder why." Buoh rolled his eyes.

"Most Bisharps that evolve into Kingambit are males that are extremely old, so we need to find a young Bisharp to test out a new form of Leaders Crest, one that will evolve the Bisharp by touch." Croconaw spoke.

This caught Hoothoots attention.

"Excuse me? Leaders Crest isn't an evolution item that is touch activated, it's mechanic is a bit more complicated than that..." Buoh began saying.

"We know but recently the branch over at energy research and production has figured out a ray that boosts an items special evolution properties." Audino spoke.

"Imagen Metal Coat evolving without being traded or being able to evolve without evolutionary stones!" Croconaw smiles.

Hoothoot looked amazed. "What?! Since when has this energy branch been doing this amount of progress on this experimental rays?!" Buoh asked.

"It's fairly new and unstable, that's why we been needing test subjects to use it on..." Audino explained.

"Imagen the profits corporate can do if we perfect and are able to sell this energy!" Croconaw grins, however Hoothoot was deep in thought.

"Forcefully evolving Bisharps into Kingambits seems pretty... unethical..." Buoh frowned looking at the work roadmap he was given by corporate higher ups.

"That's what the bosses want, can't really object... you know what happened to the last worker to deny experimenting on fictional friendship evolution..." Croconaw looked worried.

Buoh remember for a moment, that was back when he wasn't a manager just a simple scientist; they were working onba helmet that gave an overload of false happy memories which in theory should force out friendship evolution.

It did work but also the fake memories kind of lobotomized the subject and completely changed their personality, old memories and brain.

The current manager refused to research more shut down the project, few days later she was promptly fired and Buoh was the new manager.

"You gotta do what you gotta do..." Buoh shrugged.

"But sir don't you think this is going a bit too far..." Audino whispered knowing there are cameras in the labs.

"Listen Anna, we just do what our bosses tell us to do, so if anything WE'RE the victims alright, they can't really do anything to us cause we are just following orders." Hoothoot spoke looking serious.

Both girls glanced at eachother worried.

"Greenlight the Leaders Crest Project and start finding Bisharp test subjects preferably those on a suicide watch or homeless shelters as they're more willing to give in." Buoh began giving orders and both girls began writting down what he was saying.

"Also make sure to NOT reveal what the scientific project is.." Buoh added.

"But sir..." Croconaw said hesitantly.

"Carol if they KNOW they will be stuck in a chair they won't WANT to do the experiment, just give them some bullshit that it's something to test out the greater good of pokemonkind, something that will make their lives matter for once..." Buoh ordered.

Both girls nodded and wrote that down.

"Send the order to energy branch to modify Leaders Crest and order a shipment of Leaders Crest, the company will pay for it; we need to show results to the corps by the end of the month so i want good progress by the end of this week understood?" Buoh looked serious.

"Yes Buoh." Both Audino and Croconaw nod.

Few hours later Buoh was flying towards his house, it was a large suburbs like house, way too big for someone that lived all alone but he had the money to buy it so why wouldn't he?

He was getting a call on his laptop, Buoh flipped it open.

"Namaste Buoh! How is our little genius doing?" Asked a female Noctowl, she had a red dot on her forehead.

"Very good mother, i just green lit another project for the company I'm working on." Buoh looked confident.

"That's great son but we need to talk to you about something important." a male Noctowl spoke.

"Uhhh what is it paapa?" Hoothoot looked worried.

"We noticed you're still single and well we been talking to a nice family here back in our home region..." Female Noctowl spoke.

"maan please don't go there, i am perfectly fine being single... i don't need someone else to hold me back." Buoh was saying.

"She's your age and she also has trouble evolving! She's a Murkrow! You know how expensive evolution stones are here in our home region..." Female Noctowl spoke.

"maan the region you live is not my region, I've lived here pretty much my whole life with chaacha when i migrated to Unova as a kid, i don't want anything to do with your traditions..." Buoh began explaining.

"Buoh listen, the wedding is already planned-" Male Noctowl told him.

"WHAT?! With who's permission did you already set up a wedding for!" Buoh glared.

"We don't need permission to do this, we are your parents... we are the only reason you're even in Unova, we wanted you to have a good future!" Male Noctowl yells.

"Give her a chance, i know you'll love her!" Female Noctowl said smiling.

"Love her? I don't even know her name!" Buoh looked angry.

"She's called-" Female Noctowl began saying.

"Doesn't really matter, you'll just call her wife once you two are married." Male Noctowl looked irritated.

"Pretty sexist paapa.." Buoh looked bored.

"All your cousins will be there from the Unfezant family to the Pidgeots!" Female Noctowl cheered.

"I never liked the Unfezants." Buoh scowled a bit.

"The wedding is scheduled for November, we will travel to Unova and celebrate there, you'll also meet her for the first time there." Male Noctowl told.

"Please don't do this, i already said i am fine on my own." Buoh told them.

"This isn't up for debate, it's something that will happen... now it's getting late and we have to sleep..." Noctowl said as it was daytime for them.

"Alavida!" Both Noctowl parents waved.

"Alavida..." Buoh sighed and the video call ended.

Hoothoot was left all alone in his dark empty home, contemplating was just happened before he growled and yelled in frustration; the wedding was happening whether he wanted or not.

A few days later in the Energy Corp Research Facilities.

"Alright team... what's the update on test subjects..." Buoh looked a bit uninterested.

"We managed to get quite a lot of Bisharp "volunteers" to try a brand new energy that could help aid future pokemon life!" Audino spoke.

"Mhm, okay." Buoh was still looking at his phone.

Croconaw glanced at his phone and saw he was looking at a bunch of Murkrow pictures.

"Murkrow huh, never thought you'd be into goth chicks." Croconaw teased.

"I'm not, it's just a stupid arranged marrige i am stuck on now." Hoothoot glares.

"Bruh your parents can't force you to marry someone!" Audino looked furious.

"Technically they can..." Buoh sighed. "Just show me the test subjects chambers."

"Fair enough boss, here we have a large selection of viewing chambers for many Bisharps we recruited." Croconaw fixed her glasses.

"Names." Buoh said as he walked throigh the chambers with his science assistants.

"Garret Seymour, 27, Homeless; Jane Moe, 20, Homeless; Tyler West, 34, Suicide watch; Kevin Cilla, 26, homeless; Betty-" Croconaw was reading a list of names.

"Wait... Kevin Cilla?" Buoh instantly stopped.

"Yeah...?" Croconaw frowned.

Buohs mind was racing, remembering that small Pawniard that always bullied him, always treated him like shit, always laughed at him... his rage had reached a boiling point.

"Start Leaders Crest Project on him, immediately." Buoh ordered.

Both girls looked a bit confused but followed their boss orders.

Kevin was told to face the wall and count to 30.

The dirty tired looking Bisharp did just that, while unknown to him an Energy X-Ray Machine powered by Leaders Crest was charging, once he reached 30 the blast shot him straight on the back; the Bisharp could not move as the energy radiation went all over his back.

His silent screams echoed inside the sound proof chamber as the three scientists just watched, Buoh however grinned with sadistic satisfaction.

After it was over Kevin had become a Kingambit.

Audino used a built in mic to talk to the subject outside of the chamber. "Kevin, you feeling alright?" She asked.

"My... my hair... i... i have a CHAIR ON MY BACK!" Kingambit screamed.

"The evolution caused metallic hairs on Bisharps back to rapidly grow and harden into the shape of a throne-" Croconaw explained to Kevin.

"Oh please, it's too stupid to be called a throne just call it a chair." Buoh rolled his eyes, Croconaw frowned.

"What should i write about the test subject?" Audino asked.

"Mark it down as test one is a sucess but more data is needed to be done; go forward on testing the other Bisharps, I'll catch up." Buoh ordered.

The two girls looked confused but went on to continue the tests.

Once they were gone far enough Buoh pressed the button outside the test chamber to talk to the subject.

"It is quite unexpected to see you in this predicament old foe." Hoothoot spoke.

"Who is that! What have you done to me! I can't stand up!" Kingambit spoke as he had flipped over on his back, the chair making him unable to stand.

"Do you remember what a piece of shit you used to be, do you remember how much pain and misery you enjoyed causing you sadistic piece of shit!" Buoh spoke into the mic.

"I- what?! I thought i was gonna help people! I thought i was gonna do something good for once!" Kingambit cried, still flipped on his back.

"You really thought one good deed would've erased all your past sins, all the atrocities you have done!" Buoh snarled.

"I... i didn't do any-" Kevin began saying.

"FALSE! YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID! YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE! You are just scum of the planet so you deserve to be treated this way, i told you i would get my revenge..." Hoothoot glares.

"What are you talking about! Who are you!" Kevin cried.

"So now you will tell me you never remember forcing a Hoothoot to swallow an everstone huh..." Buoh glares.

Kevins eyes widened in horror. "...Buoh?"

"Pluma." He replied.

"...look man I'm sorry! I was an asshole back then okay i admit it! It fucked up my life! I... i regret everything i did... just change me back please!!!!" Kevin begged.

"Too little too late you monster, just like swallowing that everstone forever confirmed how I'll look for the rest of my life... this is how you will now look for the rest of your meaningless life, goodbye chairboy." Buoh told him and began leaving the test chamber.

"NO! NO PLEASE COME BACK!!!! PLEASE GIVE ME A CHANCE TO PROVE I CHANGED! BUOH PLEASE!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!" Kevin was crying trying to stand up but the gigantic chair on his back made it impossible for him to stand.

Buoh had got away and reunited with his two scientist assistants.

"How are the tests going." Buoh said in a serous and dark tone.

"Um... we noticed a certain... side effect..." Audino frowned.

"Which is?" Buoh asked.

"Usually Kingambit metallic hair isn't as sturdy or stiff and can even become wavey, but this ray seems to be too strong... the metallic hair always stiffens to an unbreakable real steel level of density and the chair seems quite unmoveable..." Croconaw read her notes.

"Tell Energy Branch to lower the concentrated X-Rays and see if that fixes the issue, it's almost clock out time... all test subjects are to remain here." Buoh spoke and began walking away, the sun was rising.

"Mister Buoh... I'm not sure about this..." Audino spoke.

"What do you mean?" Buoh turned back uninterested.

"I studied evolution energy because i wanted to help pokemon find their true potential... maybe even help pokemon that can't evolve like me find an evolution..." Audino spoke.

"You can evolve, it's called an Audinite." Hoothoot rolled his eyes.

"Sir! Don't you think the experiments we are doing here are a bit... cruel! Twisted?" Audino asked; Croconaw frowned hearing this.

"We are just following orders for the boss, we gotta do what we gotta do." Buoh shrugs.

"Well i don't know if i can continue doing this knowing it causes so much pain to other pokemon..." Audino frowns.

"So you want out?" Buoh asked.

Audino was silent and looked away, Croconaw looked awkward and didn't say anything.

"I'll make it easier for you then... you're fired." Buoh spoke.

"W-what?!" Audino asked.

"You don't have loyalty to Energy Corp, you don't want to search stuff that could potentially benefit all pokemon species, you are just gonna slow us down." Buoh told her.

"But sir i just-" Audino begged.

"Do yourself a favor and get your shit out of my laboratory, you're done." Buoh ordered.

"But..." Audino pleaded.

"NOW!" Buoh yells.

Audino cried and left.

"Ugh... imbeciles..." Buoh sighed.

"You doing okay boss, you seem pretty... stressed..." Croconaw frowned.

"I have to manage this large project which we are behind schedule, file reports on the test subjects, write multiple emails to the energy branch and come to terms with my wedding..." Buoh looked tired.

Croconaw felt a bit guilty, all she really did was clean the place and test on subjects sometimes; Buoh always did all the paperwork.

"I could maybe help you out if you need..." Croconaw blushed a bit.

"Thanks Carol, that would be quite appreciated... let's go rest now... tomorrow we have a lot of experimenting to do, for science." Buoh smiled at her and extended his wing.

"For science." Croconaw shook his wing smiling.

The next night Buoh was getting ready to go to work, he was cooking himself some fried Rattatas to eat while watching the news on his big flatscreen TV on the living room.

"This just in! Energy Corp Conspiracy Shutdown!" Rhyperior Reporter spoke to the camera as he was standing infront of where Buoh works, a lot of police outside the building.

"WHAT?!" Buoh asked.

"Energy Corp has been raided after spies have leaked illegal experimenting on pokemon using unfinished energy materials! Many employees and corporates have been arrested!" Rhyperior Reported.

It showed a bunch of pokemon wearing black suits in handcuffs, and many scientists in white lab coats being arrested... including Croconaw...

To think Buoh would've been one of them if he didn't go to work late like usual...

"We are still in search for many missing corps and scientists, they are wanted including Lizzy Osborn, Sceptile, Corporate; Cordie Ditts, Hatterene, Corporate; Remy Bloon, Ceruledge, Scientist assistant; Buoh Pluma, Hoothoot, Branch Manager-" Rhyperior began reading out a lot of names and showing pictures of the wanted personnel.

Buoh couldn't hear anything else... there was a faint ringing in his head; he was wanted by the law... his entire life was over; they had all the documents over there in Energy Corp of all the dubious experimenting he had done.

Buoh instantly flew towards his room and bega shredding every single corporate file he had that linked him to the experiments, abandoned the now overcooked Rattata on the kitchen.

Afterwards he got all the money he had saved up from a safe and began flying far away as far as he could; he was panicking... he didn't know what to do, his life was pretty much over.

He traveled north to the Avonuh Region, hopefully the law wouldn't look for him as much there... he bought food at a convenience store and rented a shitty motel to stay there

4 days later.

Buoh was a fucking mess, he was ungroomed, drinking alcohol to ease the pain, his life was indeed pretty much over.

Maybe if he was able to evolve, he could change his appearance, name, and live somewhere far away under a new identity... but he was stuck forever to look like a Hoothoot.

Buoh had no choices, he was a bit paranoid, thinking SWAT or FBI would knock at his door at any second, he cried as he watched the TV.

"Water evaporates and turns into vapors which then condense on clouds and rain down to start the cycle again! Isn't science so awesome!" Pignite the Science Guy cheered on TV.

Buoh threw the remove at the TV breaking it, he cried.. frustrated and having no idea what his next move could even be.

Suddenly a golden envelope teleported infront of Buoh, he looked at it surprised and suspiciously.

It was just... floating there waiting...

After a while the brown bird hesitantly went to grab it and silently read it.

Dear Player #163 Hoothoot (Buoh Pluma)

We are excited to announce you have been probably randomly selected to participate in... PumpKingKings Newest Afterpiece!

(This show is my finale masterpiece lol)

You will endure harsh challenges, eat nasty food and try to survive eachother... as your fellow competitors AND THE VIEWERS will try to vote you off the show to win.. One Wish! (But for real this time ;p)

You will meet brand new players who have never played on our competition show before and also some hardcore all-star veterans from our MANY previous seasons.

Some previous not participating veteran players may even make cameos and host challenges they created themselves!

You are free to admission and join; if you wish to attended... just say the word I'm Ready; so you will be teleported away into the gameshow!

If you do not wish to join, say Fuck Off by the end of this week... all injures you receive... I'll heal and revive so no need to worry about it being too dangerous; so... you wanna have some inmense amounts of chaotic fun?

Signed, The PumpKingKing (Stamp of approval)

Buoh was at a loss for words, a game show.. PumpKingKing, what did this all mean?

"A game show... like pokemon reality TV... i uh wouldn't that just expose me to being broadcasted..." Buoh looked worried but then kept reading the letter.

One Wish.

One Wish for anything he wanted? Could they really actually give a wish, no that's impossible it defied all science... magic wasn't real.

"I have no experience socializing or in game shows its a doomed cause... how do those idiots always win anyway..." Buoh thought.

He thought hard on what always happens in those shows.

"The nice ones usually always win... huh..." Buoh frowned, then he heard cars parking outside.

Hoothoot peaked through the blindfolds and saw it was police cars, multiple.

Hoothoots heart skipped a beat, he ran towards the bathroom holding the letter.

He tried to recompose himself as he said "I'm Ready." half expecting nothing to really happen.

He heard a voice said "-Anywho next is." and then in a Pop he was teleported to a beach, he was nervous as a lot of pokemon stared at him, so he just went for it and said.

"Greetings Name's Bauh let's all get get along alright?" Hoothoot smiled giving a fake name.

and once he was teleported to an empty white void, he had never felt safer.