Deviation Actions
Literature Text
Chapter 5: Revelations
My body began moving before my mind could even comprehend what was happening. It was too horrific; the image of Ernest’s face burned into my mind as I ran blindly back up the stairs in the direction of my room.
It couldn’t be…not another murder…not right after Scooter…
After running through the darkened halls, mind racing and my heart pounding, I finally made it to my door and swiped my card—only for the scanner to start beeping red to indicate that it didn’t register it. I didn’t have time for this; I started to pound furiously on the door.
“KALIN! MARIE! WAKE UP! LET ME IN!”
I didn’t care that I was being loud, didn’t care that I would probably get yelled at. I just needed to in my own bed, in my own room, where I would wake up from this insane nightmare!
At that moment, the door slid open again, startling me and knocking me on my hindquarters. I immediately looked up; expecting to see the Krokorok’s snarling snout or the Miltank’s tired face. Instead, I saw a rather-familiar looking silhouette, glaring down at me from within the shadows of the room.
“WHO THE HELL IS KNOCKING SO LOUDLY THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING?!”
The figure stepped out into the emergency-lit hallway, and I could see who it was. It wasn’t Kalin or Marie—it was Tara! I shot a glance to the room number: Room #416; in my blind rush to escape the scene I must’ve accidentally run to Tara’s room instead of my own.
Tara looked down at me, noticing who I was for the first time since opening the door, “Dalton? What the heck are you doing here?”
"Stairs...crowd...body...Ernest...murder!" I blurted out trying to stay calm and rational.
Maybe it was my panicked state or the sudden realization I was in the wrong place, regardless my words just spewed out causing all of them to fight with one another to be the first one said.
“What?” Tara asked, raising a brow.
I took a deep gulp of air and tried again, “There was another murder! Ernest he…”
Tara put her claw on my mouth before she poked her head out and shot a quick glance down the hall both ways.
“Come inside, quickly,” said breathed before grasping my paw, yanking me into her room and closing the door.
Once inside, Tara flicked at the wall switch—but to no avail, the power was still out.
“Huh…that’s weird, our power systems never fail…” she said to herself.
I sat nervously on her couch, my heart thumping; partly from running up two flights of stairs and partly from being in Tara’s presence again. My eyes were adjusting to the darkness, and I glanced up towards top of Tara’s bunk bed, noticing it was unoccupied.
“Hey Tara, where’s Angelica?”
She looked up to the top bunk to see it was unoccupied, “I guess she went out early; she does that sometimes…though I guess it’s lucky we’re the only ones here.”
I blushed, grateful that the darkness concealed my face as Tara flicked the switch a couple more times and shook her head. She approached the couch and sat next to me, her tail brushing my backside as I turned to face her.
“Okay Dalton, tell me exactly what happened.”
I explained the situation as best as I could: waking up early, noticing the power outage, going down the stairwell, and seeing Ernest’s body hanging from the handrail.
“It was horrible…” I breathed, “His face was…his eyes were…when Scooter died, I felt bad but…this is totally different…”
I felt tears welling up; I tried to hold them back and tried to maintain face but I could feel the dam about the burst. I felt Tara putting her claw on my shoulder.
“Anything else Dalton? Any clues at all?”
I tried my best to recreate the image in my head, “He was blue…there wasn’t any blood, I-I guess that meant he was strang-”
I couldn’t continue; I started to weep; the tears were falling as I let out a weak shuddering sob.
“I-I’m so scared Tara…I don’t know what’s going on…I yelled at him, I didn’t mean to be like that…and he’s dead…I stood up to Scooter…and he’s dead…what if…this was my fault somehow a-and…”
Tara wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into her body; the faint scent of mushrooms filled my senses. She reached over to the side table and pulled out a tissue—the same one she gave me when I got a nosebleed from her door. I wiped my eyes as she pulled me closer to her.
“Dalton, I know you’re scared, but none of this is your fault. I know you Dalton, you’re a kind soul, and I know there’s absolutely no way you’re capable of hurting anyone, especially after you stood up to Scooter. We’re going to figure out who’s behind this and make them pay.”
I buried my head into her shoulder, sniffling a bit, but I felt myself calming down. Tara laid me down on the couch.
“Stay here Dalton; I’m going to the PRT HQ to see what’s going on. Wait for me to return before you go back to your room, do you understand?”
I nodded as Tara quickly slipped out of the room, leaving me alone in the darkness. I lied down on my side and curled up into a ball.
What’s going on…two murders back-to-back like that…and both involved people I had a negative relationship with…it can’t be coincidence…there has to be an explanation for this insanity!
My brain was so rattled with thoughts that I didn’t notice my eyes beginning to close…
---
“Hey.”
Huh…?
“Kid. Wake up.”
I felt something prodding my side as I groaned sleepily. I opened my eyes, half expecting to see Kalin or Marie, but only seeing what looked to be a bandaged torso with a spot of dried blood on it. Then I remembered where I was and immediately sat up; expecting to see Tara standing over me. I rubbed my eyes; it wasn’t Tara, it was Angelica, who had shaken me awake with one of her tentacles.
“Why were you asleep on the couch?” she asked plainly.
I quickly sat up, my paw unclenching from my locket, “I uh…”
I managed to finally gain bearing on my surroundings: the lights were back on and the digital clock on the wall was lit up again, showing it was 8:45 in the morning—I had been asleep for two hours.
“Where’s Tara?” I asked tentatively.
“I dunno, probably doing PRT stuff. I just got back and found you on the couch. Power was out for a bit but it came around again.”
I held my head, “So wait…you don’t know what happened this morning?”
She merely shrugged, “I heard there was some kind of commotion but I don’t really get involved with that kind of stuff.” She eyed me suspiciously, her beak curling up into a half-frown, “Why, do you know anything?”
I slipped off the couch, “I should get back…my roommates are probably worried, uh, can you tell Tara that I said thank you for letting me sleep on the couch…bye!”
Quickly exiting the room, I started to sprint back to my room; not stopping until I found Room #439. I slipped my keycard into the door and pushed it open, startling Kalin and Marie who were sitting anxiously on their beds.
“Oh my god! Dalton!” Marie cried as the Miltank rushed forward and nearly crushed me in a tight hug, “Where have you been? We were worried sick! They said there was another incident and we thought something had happened to you!”
“I’m…okay…Marie…” I croaked out before she released me from the death hug, “I stayed with Tara for a bit…what happened?”
Kalin jumped down from the top bunk and came forward, “The power came on about half an hour ago but the TV or internet isn’t working still. Someone came down the halls and manually told us all to stay in our rooms until further notice.”
The Krokorok shuffled uncomfortably, “Was it true…was it…another murder?”
I hung my head, my voice barely coming out as a whisper as the horrible scene that I had witnessed this morning returned to the forefront of my memory.
“It was Ernest…they found him hanging from the stairwell…”
Kalin let out a gasp as Marie covered her face with her hooves and almost curled up into a ball.
“What is happening to our base…? Are we even safe anymore?” the Miltank moaned miserably.
“It’s okay Marie, Headmaster Duskon is going to figure this mess out, all we can do is try to go about and not let this get to any of us okay?” Kalin tried to sound confident, but there was a tone of unease in his voice.
I nodded slowly, “I’m just as confused by this as you guys are, but I don’t think there’s anything we can do right now until we learn more.”
At that moment the TV sparked on, and the same tone that signaled and incoming announcement.
“This is Headmaster Duskon,” boomed the familiar voice of the Honchkrow, “Today’s classes and extracurricular activities have been cancelled. All students must gather in the Auditorium for an emergency assembly at 10am sharp. The left stairwell is to remain closed off until further notice; please use the right side stairwell or the elevators in an orderly fashion. Thank you.”
The three of us looked at one another before Kalin cleared his throat.
“Well, I think it’s safe to say that we’re officially boned.”
---
As the clocked neared 10am, the halls were jammed packed with numerous students; Kalin, Marie and I immediately lost one another in the crowds as we all shuffled our way down towards the elevators. Being one on the short-side, I was getting knocked around by some of the bigger bulkier Pokémon as the crowd shuffled down the hallways. Some were whispering to one another nervously, others were merely confused while most were blissfully unaware of anything that had transpired that morning.
The line for the elevators was even longer than usual, and I didn’t even want to go near the stairwell again, so I waited patiently for my turn as the inhabitants of the DEF base slowly made their way down to Floor 16. I tried my best not to get trampled as I was practically pushed by the mob into the auditorium where I thankfully managed to find a seat without being crushed to death. I scanned the room, but I couldn’t find Kalin, Marie or Tara anywhere.
As the other students settled into seats, all chattering amongst themselves, the room suddenly grew quiet as Headmaster Duskon trotted onstage. He was a commanding presence, the same level of intimidation I felt when I first met him was amplified to encompass the entire room.
“Good morning, staff and student alike,” he began, his voice booming and echoing throughout the auditorium without the use of any sort of amplifier.
“I apologize for prying you from your schedules and asking to meet here. I would not do so unless I felt the information was of vital importance. I am not going to sugarcoat anything, nor will I gloss over the situation,” he began, eyeing us all, “I am going to be direct with you all, in the hopes that we may overcome this situation as a whole.”
I swear I saw him looking directly at me, but it could have just been my imagination.
“This morning at around 5am, as some of you were aware, we had a power failure. Now, our base’s energy runs on a very capable generator, and we are currently trying to figure out what may have been the cause of the outage. Our head of technology, Dr. Magnus Goldstein was able to restore power at 7am. There has not been a breach in security, and as far as we can tell it was not an attack from Pokéxtinction or any other outside party. However, this is not the only thing that is of concern…”
This was it. I felt the entire room holding its breath as we waited for the dreaded announcement.
“At around 6:15am, the body fellow student Ernest Goodhusband the Aipom was discovered in the left stairwell--following the death of Scooter Wheeler the Braviary, we suspect both deaths to be deliberate acts of murder.”
A collective gasp rang out, and soon everyone began chattering again in a panicked state of speculation. The Headmaster raised his wings for silence, before he looked around the room and continued.
“As of today; for the safety of you all, the following rules have been put into place: the 10pm curfew extends to all students and all non crucial-staff. From 7pm to curfew students must travel in pairs; either with another student, PRT volunteer or a staff member, as well as announce where they are going to the Night Patrol. These rules will be enforced strictly, and any who are caught after curfew without a pass or a partner will be interrogated by head of security Mr. Hannigan. We will continue to investigate both crimes and we will figure out who, or what is behind this.”
I could feel the tension in the room, the whispers of fear and concern radiating through the air, a wave of dread settling in on us all. Would we be safe? Who would be next? Those questions terrified me to my core.
“I understand your fear,” continued the Honchkrow, “From the moment you all began your journey as Pokémon; you have been confronted with many challenges: fears of being captured by Pokéxtinction, fears of not adapting to your new bodies, fears of what lie ahead. As the headmaster, I am not only in charge of the DEF base, but I am in charge of each and every one of you: to ensure you all are nurtured and guided in your journey so that you may all live fulfilling lives. We will be conducting an investigation into these incidents, and will severely punish the ones who are responsible for these heinous actions. I will not stand to have my base tarnished by these unspeakable acts of evil.”
All of a sudden, the massive bird Pokémon hung his head, and his tone became increasingly solemn, “These words mean nothing; the fact of the matter is I have failed you all. For letting two students meet such an unfortunate end, I’m horribly ashamed that I failed to protect them. I will not offer simple trivialities such as hope and prayers. As the headmaster, it is my sworn duty to shield my students from evil, and I will do everything in my power to ensure this never happens again…I will personally make sure I find whoever has done this…and make them pay.”
There was quiet in the moments following his speech, but soon, the entire auditorium began clapping. I found myself applauding as well; as intimidating as the Honchkrow was, he wasn’t the cold stony headmaster we all assumed he was, and I could tell he laid his heart out for that speech.
Headmaster Duskon shook himself, his feathers poofing up to make himself look bigger.
“That is all, you may return your rooms; we will unveil new information as it comes.”
Then he trotted off the stage, slipping through one of the exit doors. The entire student body took this to signal the end of the assembly and everyone started heading back towards the hallway.
As the majority of the base’s populous began to head out of the auditorium, I stayed in my seat, still numb from everything. My paws were unconsciously twisting the locket around my neck.
First there was Scooter, who physically assaulted me, and now Ernest, who seemed to cling to the idea that we were friends; both associated with me somehow, and both murdered the same way: they were strangled. Was this somehow related to my clone? How could it though, my clone hasn’t tried to attack the base—only the storage facilities. What the heck was going on here?
“Hey Dalton, is that you?”
I was shaken from my thoughts by a familiar face. It was Blaze Monroe; apparently he had been seated a couple of rows in front of me, and had apparently spotted me as he was headed up the aisle.
“Hey Blaze,” I said plainly.
The Infernape rubbed the back of his head, “So…how have you been?”
I hung my head and sighed, “Look Blaze, I appreciate the concern but I’m not really in the mood to talk about—this situation.”
He nodded, “Yeah I got that. Here’s my email; if you ever want to talk about anything, just give me a shout.”
From some kind of pocket, he slipped a white business card, on the back of which he had scribbled his email address.
I nodded in acknowledgement as he turned to follow the rest out, “I’ll see you later Dalton.”
After a little while, I managed to find the strength to rise out of my seat and leave the auditorium as well.
----
“So uh…I guess we’re partnering up now aren’t we?” Kalin said casually, his arms in the mechanical gloves that allowed him to control the robotic machinery inside the laboratory.
“Mhm…” I mumbled in a non-committal tone, staring blanking at the monitor I was sitting behind.
As classes were cancelled for the day and most of the base’s populous were huddled scared in their rooms, Dr. Goldstein had asked Kalin and I to work in the labs instead. Kalin was busily working on his anti-brainwashing machine, while I was sitting glumly at one of the computer terminals, rotating my chair with my foot.
“I mean we’re working together anyways so it was bound to happen sooner or later right…” he trailed off before turning his head and noticing my crestfallen face.
“Mmmm….” I mumbled again. I pressed a few buttons on the keyboard, only for the screen to immediately flash red with a warning sign, so I quickly slammed my paws on the Esc key and the screen returned to normal.
“Um…Dalton?”
I turned my head towards him, my eyes sunken and my facial fur on ends.
“What?”
“Are you okay man?”
I stared forward and let all the breath from my lungs, “Well Kalin, just yesterday I told a monkey that I didn’t want to be friends with him. And this morning, I got to see his corpse hanging from a staircase. So to answer your question—I’ve got stuff on my mind.”
The Krokorok pinched the bridge of his snout, “Look Dalton, I know that Ernest’s death was pretty messed up, but you know you can talk to me right?”
I stared down this time, “Can you Kalin? Can you explain why both Scooter and Ernest were found dead right after I had altercations with both? Can you tell me why I have a deranged clone of myself killing other Pokéumans? Can you tell me that I’m not going to bump somebody in the hallway and wake up tomorrow and find them dead too? And can you tell me why I’m sitting at this stupid monitor when I don’t have a freaking clue what to do with it or how to work it—not to mention I have absolutely zero engineering experience and stick out like a sore thumb in this lab? Can you tell me what I’m doing here and what the goddamn point of anything is anymore?!”
My ears shot up as I heard a loud slamming noise, like a fist on a metal desk. I whipped my head up to see Kalin trembling; his own balled up fist out of the glove and on the table.
“Look…” he began, “You’re putting way too much blame on yourself. You yelling at Ernest and what happened to him are a total coincidence! And your clone is just probably some messed up experiment by Pokéxtinction, and I know for a fact that clone it isn’t who you are. Not once have you given me a reason to believe you’d be capable of hurting someone. I can sleep in my own bed with you in the lower bunk without a second thought, because I trust you, and I know Marie does too. Headmaster Duskon is going to find out who killed Scooter and Ernest and catch your clone, and everything is going to work out!”
I could only stare as Kalin so brazenly let out his rant—I’d never seen him go on like that before.
“I know you’ve got a lot going on Dalton, but the moment you shut yourself from others is when you’ll have nobody to lean on when you need them most. All I’m trying to say is…we’re here for you man.”
I appreciatively nodded before he gave me a toothy grin. Suddenly his eyes lit up and I swore a light bulb momentarily flashed over his head.
“Actually I wanna show you something important!” he said with a slyness that matched the glint in his eyes.
Kalin got up from his station and went over to the island workstation in the center of the room, pulling out a silver key and unlocking the bottom drawer.
“This is my personal drawer,” he explained, rummaging through it, “It’s where I keep all my special stuff…”
After digging for a few seconds he found what he was looking for and raised his head, almost smashing it against the underside of the countertop. He lifted the object he was holding up for me to see—it looked like a gold fountain pen.
“A pen?” I asked dumbly, looking over it as the light gleamed off it.
“You may think that this is an ordinary pen, but watch this!”
He clicked the pen three times in rapid succession, and the tip retracted and was replaced with a smaller finer tip.
“Hey Greg, can you hold up that sheet of paper for me?” Kalin called out.
The Sudowoodo, who had been working on something in the back of the room, heard the command and lifted up a blank sheet of notebook paper from the desk. Kalin pointed the pen at the paper and pressed a button on the side. A brilliant red beam shot out of the tip and hit the paper point blank. I could smell the scent of burnt paper as Kalin wrote his name in burn marks on the page before it spontaneously burst into flame.
Greg seemed unfazed, as his Rock-type body was resistant to fire, as he stamped out the burning page with his hand-orbs, and let the dust settle to the ground.
“You’re gonna clean that up unless you want Ms. Amore on your tail,” the Sudowoodo replied dryly as he went back to work.
Kalin seemed to beam with pride as he clicked the pen three more times, and the tip returned to being a pen.
“Pretty cool right?” he said, twirling it with one claw.
“I mean that is pretty cool, but I’m sure I’ve seen that in all sorts of spy movies…well at least that’s the first thing that comes to mind when I can picture a gadget…” I said with a shrug, trying to search my memory for any specific movies I remembered seeing and drawing yet another blank.
“Well, that’s the point,” the Krokorok explained, “I grew up watching James Bond and spy movies in general, and when I first became a Pokéuman and learned about all our secret tech gadgets, I wanted to be the guy who made that kind of stuff…and the first thing that came to mind was creating a laser pen!”
He untwisted the cap and let me peer inside: there was an ordinary ink cartridge, and alongside it was what appeared to be a diode with a bright red streak running through it.
“It was my first ever invention…” Kalin spoke with nostalgia, “I have four of then explode before I figured out how to keep the energy contained to the diode and not leak into the ink cartridge. Ms. Amore had me cleaning ink splatters from inside the lab’s walls all afternoon, but I remember how proud I was when I finally got it right--except I accidentally set Greg’s notes on fire when I first tried it out…”
The Krokorok turned apologetically to the Sudowoodo, but Greg simply gave him a non-committed shrug before resuming his work.
“But the first time it exploded, I was convinced that this line of work wasn’t my thing, that I was a failure and didn’t deserve to be part of the lab. But Dr. Goldstein encouraged me, and soon I got better and better until I knew I had it right.”
He glanced over through the viewing window at the mechanical orb sitting on the table, the robotic arms suspended in their work, “And it’ll be the same thing with my brainwashing breaker: I’m not gonna stop until I get it right, and I know when I do it’ll do real good for us…”
He fiddled with the pen some more, “I know being here is scary Dalton and that it’s hard to know what to do sometimes, but it’s also important to know that…even if you doubt yourself, you can still be able to do something amazing. You came to us for a reason Dalton, and whether that jerk clone of yours gets captured or not, I know that the “you” that is here right now is here for a reason, and I’m glad you’re here with us…”
As I looked closer at Kalin, I noticed something about him. He looked the same as always, but he seemed to have this glow to him I had never noticed before. I folded my arms and gave him a look.
“I dunno why I’m seeing Dr. Fauntine—you’re clearly qualified to be a psychiatrist yourself Kay.”
Kalin rubbed the back of his head and looked embarrassed.
“Uh yeah…I don’t usually do this mushy stuff…” he mumbled.
I smiled slightly, shaking my head, “Well, mushy as it was it worked…but seriously, thanks Kalin, I needed that.”
He grinned, “Anytime pal. Here, why don’t I show you how to use the robotic hands, I’ll let you put the screws in…”
----
With Kalin having restored my confidence, I eventually started to get into the swing of things. Kalin had showed me how to work the mechanical gloves; using a 3-D display to showcase where the hands were and what they were doing. After I almost accidentally impaled the device with a lone screw, the guys in the lab showed me how to work on the computers instead; designing schematics, typing code, and running the simulator. I was finding that I was absorbing a lot of the information; what seemed like jargon when I first started in the labs soon melded into understanding as Kalin and the rest of the Technology department eased me into it. I also suspected it was due to my enhanced Pokéuman mind being able to grasp the complexity a lot easier now—I guess Pokémon were more advanced in comparison to humans.
A couple hours later I was standing on Kalin’s shoulders, trying to connect a jumper cable into one of the tree roots protruding from the ceiling.
“Uh Kay…I don’t think Ms. Amore wants us to plug stuff directly into the roots anymore…” Greg piped in from a computer terminal.
“Ah let that old hag walk in for all I care!” Kalin said bemused, “It’s for the good of the project! Try to get that root in the corner Dalton there’s a lot of energy stored in that one.”
As I struggled to reach the root with the cable, my nose suddenly scrunched up as I smelled the strong stench of perfume.
“Ahem.”
Kalin froze on the spot and I managed to turn my head to see Ms. Amore standing with her arms in the doorway. The Krokorok almost yelped and dropped me, sending me tumbling to the floor.
“You weren’t trying to tap into the base’s power supply without asking again were you Mr. Groomer?” she asked sternly, tapping her foot.
“Uh M-Ms. Amore! I was j-just…” Kalin began to stammer. From his work station, I could see Greg rolling his eyes.
“Luckily for you Mr. Groomer I am not here to discuss your flagrant disregard of lab safety, I am here for Mr. Jones.”
I scrambled off the floor to my feet, “You’re asking for me?”
She beckoned me with one oh her claws, “Yes, I have important matters to discuss with you.”
Her eyes turned to a sheepish Kalin and pointed at the small dust smear from the hasty sweep up of paper ash, “And please dispose of your paper ashes properly if you’re going to use your silly laser pen again Mr. Groomer.”
I followed Ms. Amore out of the room as Kalin quickly got on his knees to sweep the remaining ashes.
We made it to her usual office, where she took a seat at her desk. I sat in the opposing chair as she poured herself a cup of tea from a primrose tea kettle—the steam that wafted from it seemed to form heart shapes.
“First of all before we begin, I wanted to pass on a message from Dr. Fauntine,” the Salazzle said, sipping her tea.
I raised my brow, “Dr. Fauntine? Is everything alright?”
The Salazzle pulled out a yellow note from her lab coat pocket and handed it over to me. I took it and read what it said.
To Dalton Jones,
I must apologize once again: due to recent events my schedule has once again become filled. I will not be able to meet with you until next Friday evening. I have asked Ms. Amore to substitute for our regular session; please go to her if you need anything.
Best regards,
Dr. Frances Fauntine
I looked up at Ms. Amore; she took another sip of her tea and eyed me.
“Um…substitute, you can do that?” I asked curiously.
She nodded, “I have myself been researching how to tap into the subconscious with my serums. Of course I am not as refined in the art as Dr. Fauntine, but I’ve decided to test a concoction I have been working on…in exchange for your help of course.”
Ms. Amore poured a cup of tea into a pink tea cup and slid it towards me, “I want you to drink this.”
I sniffed it curiously, and suddenly my olfactory senses were flooded with a wondrous odor; I couldn’t place what it was…vanilla…cinnamon…fresh daffodil maybe?
“What kind of tea is this?” I said in a dreamy tone.
“It’s chamomile…” she replied before she turned to give me a look, “Mixed with a special serum I have been testing.”
Gingerly I took the teacup into my paws and brought it to my lips, letting the warm tea flow into my throat. I felt an insatiable giddiness flowing through my body as I felt it coursing through my veins, leaving a pleasant warmth wherever it passed.
“M-Ms. A-Amore…” I tried to say, but my mouth didn’t feel right. I tried to stand up, but I was losing control of my body.
I felt myself moving around my paws were grasping things and my feet were moving along the ground. I heard Ms. Amore’s voice, but everything sounded muffled, as if I had been trying to listen to an orchestra while underwater. I didn’t care; I was floating through the clouds, riding the high of this sensation like I was in a hot air balloon that was soaring higher and higher. I laughed, but it didn’t come out of my own mouth, it was my mind that was laughing.
Then all of a sudden, something broke through the fog: a strong, yet familiar smell…the smell of perfume. Where had I smelled it before? I couldn’t quite remember…the smell was getting stronger and…
I let out a gasp as suddenly my vision clicked into focus. I was standing on a stepladder, my arm outstretched and holding a book. I immediately dropped it and spun around confused, almost losing my balance and falling off the ladder. Ms. Amore looked shocked as I reoriented myself.
“What was that?” I gasped, my brain feeling fuzzy from the effects of the tea.
“Hmmm interesting; it didn’t last as long as expected…” the Salazzle exclaimed, writing something in a notepad, “The amount I’d given you should’ve lasted fifteen minutes…might need to tweak it here and there…”
I hopped off the stepladder, tottering on my feet and leaning on her desk for support, “What was that?” I repeated, more vocally.
Ms. Amore shut her notepad, “It’s a serum I’m developing designed to mimic the effects of brainwashing, can you describe what it was like?”
I held my head; still warm from coming down from that wondrous sensation it had felt, “I-I dunno…it was like I couldn’t control my body…it felt really good but…it was almost as if I was dreaming…”
She scribbled down more notes nodding, “Hopefully this serum will help us understand the brainwashing mentality without having to resort to such barbaric experimentation. You were under long enough to help rearrange my bookshelf however.”
Something was bothering me, “Ms. Amore?”
“What is it Dalton?”
“Why weren’t you affected by the tea? I mean, you were drinking it before you offered it to me, so why didn’t it affect you?”
She let out a sly grin, “Because it’s based on my pheromones…I am immune to the effects of any serum I make.”
“Oh.”
The Salazzle looked at the clock, “Well, it’s almost time for dinner; however we have time for one last bit of business…”
She reached into her desk and pulled out a familiar vial of pink liquid and handed it to me, “My end of the bargain as usual. Frances…”
Ms. Amore shook her head, “I mean Dr. Fauntine…helped me with this batch, so it may be a bit stronger than my previous attempts. I’d advise you take this once you return to your room.”
I nodded, grasping the vial in my paws and getting up to leave, “Thank you Ms. Amore.”
She merely shooed me with her claws as I exited the office and made my way towards the lab’s exit.
---
I sat in my bed, holding the vial in my hands, the pink liquid sloshing around. It was only enough for a gulp as usual…but part of me was apprehensive over taking it. Kalin was still in the labs, me having explained why I was leaving early to him, and Marie was probably working in the infirmary as usual. It was 5:25, dinner would be in half-an-hour.
I sighed, uncorking the vial; this would be my only chance to find more about my past until next week at least. I downed the contents in a single gulp, and then lay on my bed, staring up at the mattress above me. I felt nothing at first, only the beating of my nervous heart, until suddenly…!
“Dalton! It’s not fair! It’s my turn to watch TV!”
I looked around; I was in the living room of my house, the cabin home my family had moved into in West Virginia.
“You got to watch Adventure Time all day; it’s my turn to watch Friendship is Magic!”
It was my sister, Dalia; her hands were reaching out towards me. It was only now did I realize I was holding the television remote out of her reach, as well as my 3DS.
“No it’s not! I told you they’re doing a marathon and I want to watch!” I heard myself yell.
“You’ve been hogging it for three hours!” wailed my younger sister, “MOM! DALTON’S NOT LETTING ME WATCH TV!”
~~~~~
The fire…it was everywhere…the trees, the grass, the brush were all caught up in flame.
I was choking; the smoke was irritating my lungs as I kept low to the ground to try to keep out of it. I was dripping sweat, my face was hot, and I was panting, out of breath.
“WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?!” I called out.
I heard voices coming from behind me. I turned my head hopefully, but all I saw were men in black rushing towards me, ignoring the fire, yelling to capture me. I felt myself running, trying to escape them as they gave chase; all I could see was smoke as the forest burned…
And then, I saw a figure in the distance. I ran closer, hoping it was someone safe…and saw an Infernape. He noticed me, and stared at me surprised…
~~~~~
My mother came into the room; visibly annoyed, “I’ve had enough of you two arguing! I want both of you to go to your rooms and stay there until dinner! Both of you are grounded, no video games either! Dalton, give me the DS.”
What the…?
“But mom…”
“Now Dalton.”
My mom smartly turned off the TV and I sulkily relinquished my 3DS to her before my sister and I went upstairs to our rooms. I overheard my dad talking to my mom from the kitchen.
“Those two arguing again?”
“I swear I don’t know what I’m gonna do with them…”
My sister was first to the top of the stairs, glaring at me before she retreated into her room, “I hate you Dalton.”
I climbed the stairs to the attic and flopped angrily onto my bed.
“I hate my sister…” I heard myself mumble nastily, “I hate my mom and my dad too…”
As I lay there fuming, I heard a scream coming from my sister’s room. I assumed she was upset too, but the scream was more…frightened than angry. The trapdoor to my room opened and I heard my sister climbing the ladder frantically.
“What do you want?!” I barked at her angrily, but my anger turned to concern: her eyes were panicked and she was sweating anxiously.
“Dalton…” she said nervously as she held out her right hand. It was coated in gray fur. I also looked into her eyes: they were now a deep violet instead of their usual green.
“What’s happening to me?” she asked, voice trembling.
*GASP*
I awoke with a sweat; sitting up. I looked at the clock; it was 5:55, I had been out for half-an-hour. I grasped my face in confusion. The memory…no it was two memories more like…
I slipped off the locket from around my neck and opened it once again; the picture of my family was unchanged as ever, but I couldn’t stop staring at my sister. The frozen happy smile on her face in the photo was now being mentally replaced with the look of utter terror as she held up her furred paw towards me, and the emerald green of her eyes being replaced by an unnatural purple.
“No way…” I mumbled, “Could she really have been…?”
There was a knock at the door and a piece of paper slid underneath the crack into my room. I put my locket back on, got up off the bed and read it.
Hey Dalton,
Wanted to talk about some stuff, meet me in my room at 6 and I’ll treat ya to dinner.
-Tara
My heart skipped a beat as I momentarily forgot about my thoughts I had seen and quickly ran out of the room towards Room #416.
---
“You two love birds have fun,” said Angelica, who had opened the door for me after I had knocked, “I’m going somewhere less…mushy.”
She shut the door with her tentacles behind her, leaving me and Tara alone in the room together. The Breloom had laid out a blanket, and there were two plates of spaghetti and two bottles of orange soda. I sat nervously, trying to keep my blush under control, hoping my fur would cover it.
“Well, dig in,” she said as she took a seat opposite me and started picking around her meatballs with a fork.
I nodded emphatically and started slurping the spaghetti, trying not to greedily wolf it down; I hadn’t eaten anything all day.
“So how’s it going in the tech labs you nerd?” Tara’s voice was slightly teasing, but she did seem to hold genuine interest.
I blushed at the nickname, “G-Good, uh Kalin’s teaching me a lot of stuff…he showed me this cool laser pen he made…”
She laughed, “I remember that pen, I think he accidentally shot it in class and it set a notebook on fire…the story made its way all around the base!”
I smiled, imagining the scenario in my head, “How’s your PRT work going?”
Tara scoffed, “Nothing you dolt, I’m on “medical leave” remember?”
I shrunk inwards, embarrassed, “Sorry.”
“It’s okay Dalton,” she said more relaxed, relaxing me as well, “It’s part of what I wanted to talk about.”
The Breloom put down her fork and sighed, “I’ve been…remembering stuff.”
I almost dropped my fork too, “You have?!”
“Yeah, I know I’m supposed to tell Dr. Fauntine or the commander, but that stupid murder has everyone in the base freaked out and they’re all flocking to him to deal with their ‘trauma’.”
She said the last word with air quotes, “These guys wouldn’t know real trauma if it came up to them and slapped them in the face. And the commander has been treating me like I’m some kind of ticking time bomb ready to go off at any moment.”
The Breloom sighed and looked at me with a tired expression, “Dalton…this may seem odd but, I really think I can trust you. You’ve been kind to me, not trying to gain anything from me. You treat me as if I’m a person and not a tool for gathering information. Which is why…I feel as if I can entrust you with this information…I don’t think I can with anybody else.”
My heart was swelling and I nodded so hard I almost dislocated my neck, “You can tell me anything Tara! And…I was hoping to could tell you something too…”
She held up a claw, “Let me get what I want to say out first.”
I leaned in closer as Tara took a deep swig of her orange soda, “I think these murders are connected to the information I had dug up in the Pokéxtinction outpost.”
My eyes widened, “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, I can’t remember all the details, but I remember the information I found out had something to do with our base. And, I still remember the feeling of utter terror I felt when I real what their plans were. Then, two people in the base get murdered back-to-back…it’s no coincidence. I mean, they got the Night Patrol going on, but I don’t think it’ll help much.”
Night Patrol…?
Something dislodged from my memory; and I suddenly remembered something from earlier.
“Tara…I just remembered something weird…with Ernest.”
Tara raised a brow, “Aside from the fact he was murdered?”
I shook my head, “No it’s just…Ernest signed up to be part of the Night Patrol right? I remember because he came up to me wearing a uniform at dinner before he was murdered…he would’ve been on patrol right?”
The Breloom chewed on a meatball, “Yeah, the briefing we had this morning stated he died around 4am, he would’ve been on patrol then.”
“Well if he was on night patrol; so he should’ve been wearing his vest and walkie talkie…right?”
She tilted her head, “Where are you going with this?”
I tried to get the point out, “But when I saw his body this morning, he wasn’t wearing a vest or a walkie-talkie…he was naked as usual...did the killer take them?”
Tara opened her mouth, probably to dismiss the theory, but paused as she pondered the thought in her mind.
“Holy Magikarp you’re right…” she said with realization, “Neither his Night Patrol outfit nor his walkie-talkie were on him when the practitioners collected his body…that’s a clever observation Dalton!”
I reddened, even though I was blue, and tried to look modest, “Well it was just a thought…”
Tara gulped down the rest of her orange soda and slammed the bottle to the ground, “Dalton, I want to ask you something—something extremely important.”
I felt my heart beating again, “Y-Yes Tara?”
She gripped my paws in her claws and held them tightly, “I want you to help me get to the bottom of this mystery. These deaths and my memory are connected, I know it, and until I can get it back, finding the killer is the only way we can uncover the truth; will you help me?”
It was an amazing feeling; the girl who I loved putting this much trust in me...my feet were ready to turn into a rocket and blast me off into space.
“Yes!” I cried out ecstatically.
“Good!” she replied before letting my hands go and flopping back down, “Whew…sorry, got caught up in the moment there…”
“No it’s okay!” I staggered back to a sitting position before suddenly remembering something, “Is it okay if I tell you something too?”
She looked up from her plate and slurped down a mouthful of spaghetti, wiping her face, “What?”
I looked down, “I saw more of my memory; it was weird, it was like one spliced itself into the other…like flipping the channels on TV…”
Tara nodded sympathetically, “Well what did you see?”
“My sister…my younger sister Dalia…something was happening to her. We got into a big fight, then she ran up to my room…and she was starting to turn into an Espurr…this was from five years ago I think when I was twelve.”
A fork dropped and clattered onto the plate; it was only after a second did I realized I had been the one who dropped it; I had been fingering my locket instinctively. Tara was still sitting quietly, listening to me.
“I saw her hand, and her eyes were weird…maybe she turned into a Pokéuman too…”
I sat up, mind racing, “Maybe she became an Espurr and I didn’t know because they replaced her with a clone! Maybe she’s now a Meowstic too and she’s here in this base!”
Tara shook her head, “I think you’re the only Meowstic here Dalton; and I haven’t met anyone named Dalia since I’ve been here.”
My ears shrunk as Tara tapped her bottom lip with her fork, “Although if she turned five years ago she might’ve graduated from the base and moved into a Pokéuman community or rejoined human society. You’d have to ask Master Duskon—the base keeps records of everyone who has ever stayed here.”
“Yeah…” I tried to sound enthusiastic after that bit of hope was crushed, “Yeah. Yeah you’re right. I mean, she obviously transformed before me, so it’s natural she wouldn’t be here…I’ll just ask Master Duskon and he’ll let me know where she is…”
Tara patted my shoulder, “You’ll find her; I know it Dalton.”
I smiled, rubbed her claw when the other memory fired, “There’s something else…the fire.”
She raised her brow, “What fire?”
I closed my eyes, trying to recreate it, “There was a fire in the forest…it was when I was still human, and I was being chased by Pokéxtinction agents…”
My mind scrambled to form the picture in my head when it came back, the figure of an Infernape in the smoke, “And Blaze…Blaze was there too!”
Tara folded her arms and scoffed, “That’s typical of him, most of his rescue missions end with him burning the place down. It must’ve been from when he rescued you; Jet told me Blaze started a fire and he was the one to put it out...it’s why they tend to get partnered up for missions.”
I sighed, rubbing my forehead, “Yeah and in the memories…I’m calling out for someone…but I don’t know who I’m looking for, and it doesn’t explain what I was doing out there to begin with.”
The Breloom came over and held me closer, “Dalton, I know this is all confusing, but you and I are going through the same thing. I’m remembering a lot of stuff that doesn’t make sense either, and I know that feeling of being alone and scared…”
“But…” she held my chin up, “We’re gonna get through this together Dalton. I know I asked you to my room to talk, but there was another reason too…”
Before I knew it, she leaned forward and planted her lips on mine. Instantly my face turned bright red, visible from underneath my blue fur, as I returned the kiss. The two of us locked lips as I felt happy fireworks exploding in my chest; it was if an alarm was going off in my heart…
“THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”
I pulled out of the kiss; an alarm WAS going off! The lights were flashing red as an alarm sounded over the base’s intercoms.
“THERE HAS BEEN AN ATTEMPTED BREAK IN. ALL STUDENTS ARE TO STAY IN WHATEVER ROOMS THEY ARE IN AND ARE NOT TO LEAVE. THE BASE IS CURRENTLY UNDER LOCKDOWN. ALL MEMBERS OF THE PRT PLEASE REPORT TO THE SECOND FLOOR IMMEDIATELY.”
The warning sounded like Headmaster Duskon’s voice. Before I could react Tara grabbed my arm, “Come on Dalton, I’m not leaving you here alone!”
I nodded as I got up and followed her, Tara using her special ID card and swiping the door. As we ran down the halls, I noticed metal shutters were closing and blocking all of the rooms; as well as the elevators. Tara swiped her card at the stairwell door and it opened, and we ran up the stairs towards the second floor.
Tara and I burst into the main concourse; it was absolute mayhem: PRT members were scrambling around, and the red lights were flashing over head. I felt Tara yank my arm as she pulled me into the command center, where the commander was floating with his back towards us.
“Commander Aiyasha,” huffed Tara, “What’s going on?”
The sword Pokémon turned to face us, “We have a break-in situation; a group of brainwashed Pokéumans are trying to force their way through the entrance.”
He motioned towards the screen, a fleet of Pokéumans were defending the base’s entrance from a group of other Pokémon…mostly Tauros and Rhydon. My eyes widened with recognition as Commander Aiyasha seemed to notice me for the first time.
“Mr. Dalton Jones,” he said, a hint of menace under his very flat tone, “How very nice of you to join us. Do you have an explanation for why your clone seems to be attacking our base?
My body began moving before my mind could even comprehend what was happening. It was too horrific; the image of Ernest’s face burned into my mind as I ran blindly back up the stairs in the direction of my room.
It couldn’t be…not another murder…not right after Scooter…
After running through the darkened halls, mind racing and my heart pounding, I finally made it to my door and swiped my card—only for the scanner to start beeping red to indicate that it didn’t register it. I didn’t have time for this; I started to pound furiously on the door.
“KALIN! MARIE! WAKE UP! LET ME IN!”
I didn’t care that I was being loud, didn’t care that I would probably get yelled at. I just needed to in my own bed, in my own room, where I would wake up from this insane nightmare!
At that moment, the door slid open again, startling me and knocking me on my hindquarters. I immediately looked up; expecting to see the Krokorok’s snarling snout or the Miltank’s tired face. Instead, I saw a rather-familiar looking silhouette, glaring down at me from within the shadows of the room.
“WHO THE HELL IS KNOCKING SO LOUDLY THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING?!”
The figure stepped out into the emergency-lit hallway, and I could see who it was. It wasn’t Kalin or Marie—it was Tara! I shot a glance to the room number: Room #416; in my blind rush to escape the scene I must’ve accidentally run to Tara’s room instead of my own.
Tara looked down at me, noticing who I was for the first time since opening the door, “Dalton? What the heck are you doing here?”
"Stairs...crowd...body...Ernest...murder!" I blurted out trying to stay calm and rational.
Maybe it was my panicked state or the sudden realization I was in the wrong place, regardless my words just spewed out causing all of them to fight with one another to be the first one said.
“What?” Tara asked, raising a brow.
I took a deep gulp of air and tried again, “There was another murder! Ernest he…”
Tara put her claw on my mouth before she poked her head out and shot a quick glance down the hall both ways.
“Come inside, quickly,” said breathed before grasping my paw, yanking me into her room and closing the door.
Once inside, Tara flicked at the wall switch—but to no avail, the power was still out.
“Huh…that’s weird, our power systems never fail…” she said to herself.
I sat nervously on her couch, my heart thumping; partly from running up two flights of stairs and partly from being in Tara’s presence again. My eyes were adjusting to the darkness, and I glanced up towards top of Tara’s bunk bed, noticing it was unoccupied.
“Hey Tara, where’s Angelica?”
She looked up to the top bunk to see it was unoccupied, “I guess she went out early; she does that sometimes…though I guess it’s lucky we’re the only ones here.”
I blushed, grateful that the darkness concealed my face as Tara flicked the switch a couple more times and shook her head. She approached the couch and sat next to me, her tail brushing my backside as I turned to face her.
“Okay Dalton, tell me exactly what happened.”
I explained the situation as best as I could: waking up early, noticing the power outage, going down the stairwell, and seeing Ernest’s body hanging from the handrail.
“It was horrible…” I breathed, “His face was…his eyes were…when Scooter died, I felt bad but…this is totally different…”
I felt tears welling up; I tried to hold them back and tried to maintain face but I could feel the dam about the burst. I felt Tara putting her claw on my shoulder.
“Anything else Dalton? Any clues at all?”
I tried my best to recreate the image in my head, “He was blue…there wasn’t any blood, I-I guess that meant he was strang-”
I couldn’t continue; I started to weep; the tears were falling as I let out a weak shuddering sob.
“I-I’m so scared Tara…I don’t know what’s going on…I yelled at him, I didn’t mean to be like that…and he’s dead…I stood up to Scooter…and he’s dead…what if…this was my fault somehow a-and…”
Tara wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into her body; the faint scent of mushrooms filled my senses. She reached over to the side table and pulled out a tissue—the same one she gave me when I got a nosebleed from her door. I wiped my eyes as she pulled me closer to her.
“Dalton, I know you’re scared, but none of this is your fault. I know you Dalton, you’re a kind soul, and I know there’s absolutely no way you’re capable of hurting anyone, especially after you stood up to Scooter. We’re going to figure out who’s behind this and make them pay.”
I buried my head into her shoulder, sniffling a bit, but I felt myself calming down. Tara laid me down on the couch.
“Stay here Dalton; I’m going to the PRT HQ to see what’s going on. Wait for me to return before you go back to your room, do you understand?”
I nodded as Tara quickly slipped out of the room, leaving me alone in the darkness. I lied down on my side and curled up into a ball.
What’s going on…two murders back-to-back like that…and both involved people I had a negative relationship with…it can’t be coincidence…there has to be an explanation for this insanity!
My brain was so rattled with thoughts that I didn’t notice my eyes beginning to close…
---
“Hey.”
Huh…?
“Kid. Wake up.”
I felt something prodding my side as I groaned sleepily. I opened my eyes, half expecting to see Kalin or Marie, but only seeing what looked to be a bandaged torso with a spot of dried blood on it. Then I remembered where I was and immediately sat up; expecting to see Tara standing over me. I rubbed my eyes; it wasn’t Tara, it was Angelica, who had shaken me awake with one of her tentacles.
“Why were you asleep on the couch?” she asked plainly.
I quickly sat up, my paw unclenching from my locket, “I uh…”
I managed to finally gain bearing on my surroundings: the lights were back on and the digital clock on the wall was lit up again, showing it was 8:45 in the morning—I had been asleep for two hours.
“Where’s Tara?” I asked tentatively.
“I dunno, probably doing PRT stuff. I just got back and found you on the couch. Power was out for a bit but it came around again.”
I held my head, “So wait…you don’t know what happened this morning?”
She merely shrugged, “I heard there was some kind of commotion but I don’t really get involved with that kind of stuff.” She eyed me suspiciously, her beak curling up into a half-frown, “Why, do you know anything?”
I slipped off the couch, “I should get back…my roommates are probably worried, uh, can you tell Tara that I said thank you for letting me sleep on the couch…bye!”
Quickly exiting the room, I started to sprint back to my room; not stopping until I found Room #439. I slipped my keycard into the door and pushed it open, startling Kalin and Marie who were sitting anxiously on their beds.
“Oh my god! Dalton!” Marie cried as the Miltank rushed forward and nearly crushed me in a tight hug, “Where have you been? We were worried sick! They said there was another incident and we thought something had happened to you!”
“I’m…okay…Marie…” I croaked out before she released me from the death hug, “I stayed with Tara for a bit…what happened?”
Kalin jumped down from the top bunk and came forward, “The power came on about half an hour ago but the TV or internet isn’t working still. Someone came down the halls and manually told us all to stay in our rooms until further notice.”
The Krokorok shuffled uncomfortably, “Was it true…was it…another murder?”
I hung my head, my voice barely coming out as a whisper as the horrible scene that I had witnessed this morning returned to the forefront of my memory.
“It was Ernest…they found him hanging from the stairwell…”
Kalin let out a gasp as Marie covered her face with her hooves and almost curled up into a ball.
“What is happening to our base…? Are we even safe anymore?” the Miltank moaned miserably.
“It’s okay Marie, Headmaster Duskon is going to figure this mess out, all we can do is try to go about and not let this get to any of us okay?” Kalin tried to sound confident, but there was a tone of unease in his voice.
I nodded slowly, “I’m just as confused by this as you guys are, but I don’t think there’s anything we can do right now until we learn more.”
At that moment the TV sparked on, and the same tone that signaled and incoming announcement.
“This is Headmaster Duskon,” boomed the familiar voice of the Honchkrow, “Today’s classes and extracurricular activities have been cancelled. All students must gather in the Auditorium for an emergency assembly at 10am sharp. The left stairwell is to remain closed off until further notice; please use the right side stairwell or the elevators in an orderly fashion. Thank you.”
The three of us looked at one another before Kalin cleared his throat.
“Well, I think it’s safe to say that we’re officially boned.”
---
As the clocked neared 10am, the halls were jammed packed with numerous students; Kalin, Marie and I immediately lost one another in the crowds as we all shuffled our way down towards the elevators. Being one on the short-side, I was getting knocked around by some of the bigger bulkier Pokémon as the crowd shuffled down the hallways. Some were whispering to one another nervously, others were merely confused while most were blissfully unaware of anything that had transpired that morning.
The line for the elevators was even longer than usual, and I didn’t even want to go near the stairwell again, so I waited patiently for my turn as the inhabitants of the DEF base slowly made their way down to Floor 16. I tried my best not to get trampled as I was practically pushed by the mob into the auditorium where I thankfully managed to find a seat without being crushed to death. I scanned the room, but I couldn’t find Kalin, Marie or Tara anywhere.
As the other students settled into seats, all chattering amongst themselves, the room suddenly grew quiet as Headmaster Duskon trotted onstage. He was a commanding presence, the same level of intimidation I felt when I first met him was amplified to encompass the entire room.
“Good morning, staff and student alike,” he began, his voice booming and echoing throughout the auditorium without the use of any sort of amplifier.
“I apologize for prying you from your schedules and asking to meet here. I would not do so unless I felt the information was of vital importance. I am not going to sugarcoat anything, nor will I gloss over the situation,” he began, eyeing us all, “I am going to be direct with you all, in the hopes that we may overcome this situation as a whole.”
I swear I saw him looking directly at me, but it could have just been my imagination.
“This morning at around 5am, as some of you were aware, we had a power failure. Now, our base’s energy runs on a very capable generator, and we are currently trying to figure out what may have been the cause of the outage. Our head of technology, Dr. Magnus Goldstein was able to restore power at 7am. There has not been a breach in security, and as far as we can tell it was not an attack from Pokéxtinction or any other outside party. However, this is not the only thing that is of concern…”
This was it. I felt the entire room holding its breath as we waited for the dreaded announcement.
“At around 6:15am, the body fellow student Ernest Goodhusband the Aipom was discovered in the left stairwell--following the death of Scooter Wheeler the Braviary, we suspect both deaths to be deliberate acts of murder.”
A collective gasp rang out, and soon everyone began chattering again in a panicked state of speculation. The Headmaster raised his wings for silence, before he looked around the room and continued.
“As of today; for the safety of you all, the following rules have been put into place: the 10pm curfew extends to all students and all non crucial-staff. From 7pm to curfew students must travel in pairs; either with another student, PRT volunteer or a staff member, as well as announce where they are going to the Night Patrol. These rules will be enforced strictly, and any who are caught after curfew without a pass or a partner will be interrogated by head of security Mr. Hannigan. We will continue to investigate both crimes and we will figure out who, or what is behind this.”
I could feel the tension in the room, the whispers of fear and concern radiating through the air, a wave of dread settling in on us all. Would we be safe? Who would be next? Those questions terrified me to my core.
“I understand your fear,” continued the Honchkrow, “From the moment you all began your journey as Pokémon; you have been confronted with many challenges: fears of being captured by Pokéxtinction, fears of not adapting to your new bodies, fears of what lie ahead. As the headmaster, I am not only in charge of the DEF base, but I am in charge of each and every one of you: to ensure you all are nurtured and guided in your journey so that you may all live fulfilling lives. We will be conducting an investigation into these incidents, and will severely punish the ones who are responsible for these heinous actions. I will not stand to have my base tarnished by these unspeakable acts of evil.”
All of a sudden, the massive bird Pokémon hung his head, and his tone became increasingly solemn, “These words mean nothing; the fact of the matter is I have failed you all. For letting two students meet such an unfortunate end, I’m horribly ashamed that I failed to protect them. I will not offer simple trivialities such as hope and prayers. As the headmaster, it is my sworn duty to shield my students from evil, and I will do everything in my power to ensure this never happens again…I will personally make sure I find whoever has done this…and make them pay.”
There was quiet in the moments following his speech, but soon, the entire auditorium began clapping. I found myself applauding as well; as intimidating as the Honchkrow was, he wasn’t the cold stony headmaster we all assumed he was, and I could tell he laid his heart out for that speech.
Headmaster Duskon shook himself, his feathers poofing up to make himself look bigger.
“That is all, you may return your rooms; we will unveil new information as it comes.”
Then he trotted off the stage, slipping through one of the exit doors. The entire student body took this to signal the end of the assembly and everyone started heading back towards the hallway.
As the majority of the base’s populous began to head out of the auditorium, I stayed in my seat, still numb from everything. My paws were unconsciously twisting the locket around my neck.
First there was Scooter, who physically assaulted me, and now Ernest, who seemed to cling to the idea that we were friends; both associated with me somehow, and both murdered the same way: they were strangled. Was this somehow related to my clone? How could it though, my clone hasn’t tried to attack the base—only the storage facilities. What the heck was going on here?
“Hey Dalton, is that you?”
I was shaken from my thoughts by a familiar face. It was Blaze Monroe; apparently he had been seated a couple of rows in front of me, and had apparently spotted me as he was headed up the aisle.
“Hey Blaze,” I said plainly.
The Infernape rubbed the back of his head, “So…how have you been?”
I hung my head and sighed, “Look Blaze, I appreciate the concern but I’m not really in the mood to talk about—this situation.”
He nodded, “Yeah I got that. Here’s my email; if you ever want to talk about anything, just give me a shout.”
From some kind of pocket, he slipped a white business card, on the back of which he had scribbled his email address.
I nodded in acknowledgement as he turned to follow the rest out, “I’ll see you later Dalton.”
After a little while, I managed to find the strength to rise out of my seat and leave the auditorium as well.
----
“So uh…I guess we’re partnering up now aren’t we?” Kalin said casually, his arms in the mechanical gloves that allowed him to control the robotic machinery inside the laboratory.
“Mhm…” I mumbled in a non-committal tone, staring blanking at the monitor I was sitting behind.
As classes were cancelled for the day and most of the base’s populous were huddled scared in their rooms, Dr. Goldstein had asked Kalin and I to work in the labs instead. Kalin was busily working on his anti-brainwashing machine, while I was sitting glumly at one of the computer terminals, rotating my chair with my foot.
“I mean we’re working together anyways so it was bound to happen sooner or later right…” he trailed off before turning his head and noticing my crestfallen face.
“Mmmm….” I mumbled again. I pressed a few buttons on the keyboard, only for the screen to immediately flash red with a warning sign, so I quickly slammed my paws on the Esc key and the screen returned to normal.
“Um…Dalton?”
I turned my head towards him, my eyes sunken and my facial fur on ends.
“What?”
“Are you okay man?”
I stared forward and let all the breath from my lungs, “Well Kalin, just yesterday I told a monkey that I didn’t want to be friends with him. And this morning, I got to see his corpse hanging from a staircase. So to answer your question—I’ve got stuff on my mind.”
The Krokorok pinched the bridge of his snout, “Look Dalton, I know that Ernest’s death was pretty messed up, but you know you can talk to me right?”
I stared down this time, “Can you Kalin? Can you explain why both Scooter and Ernest were found dead right after I had altercations with both? Can you tell me why I have a deranged clone of myself killing other Pokéumans? Can you tell me that I’m not going to bump somebody in the hallway and wake up tomorrow and find them dead too? And can you tell me why I’m sitting at this stupid monitor when I don’t have a freaking clue what to do with it or how to work it—not to mention I have absolutely zero engineering experience and stick out like a sore thumb in this lab? Can you tell me what I’m doing here and what the goddamn point of anything is anymore?!”
My ears shot up as I heard a loud slamming noise, like a fist on a metal desk. I whipped my head up to see Kalin trembling; his own balled up fist out of the glove and on the table.
“Look…” he began, “You’re putting way too much blame on yourself. You yelling at Ernest and what happened to him are a total coincidence! And your clone is just probably some messed up experiment by Pokéxtinction, and I know for a fact that clone it isn’t who you are. Not once have you given me a reason to believe you’d be capable of hurting someone. I can sleep in my own bed with you in the lower bunk without a second thought, because I trust you, and I know Marie does too. Headmaster Duskon is going to find out who killed Scooter and Ernest and catch your clone, and everything is going to work out!”
I could only stare as Kalin so brazenly let out his rant—I’d never seen him go on like that before.
“I know you’ve got a lot going on Dalton, but the moment you shut yourself from others is when you’ll have nobody to lean on when you need them most. All I’m trying to say is…we’re here for you man.”
I appreciatively nodded before he gave me a toothy grin. Suddenly his eyes lit up and I swore a light bulb momentarily flashed over his head.
“Actually I wanna show you something important!” he said with a slyness that matched the glint in his eyes.
Kalin got up from his station and went over to the island workstation in the center of the room, pulling out a silver key and unlocking the bottom drawer.
“This is my personal drawer,” he explained, rummaging through it, “It’s where I keep all my special stuff…”
After digging for a few seconds he found what he was looking for and raised his head, almost smashing it against the underside of the countertop. He lifted the object he was holding up for me to see—it looked like a gold fountain pen.
“A pen?” I asked dumbly, looking over it as the light gleamed off it.
“You may think that this is an ordinary pen, but watch this!”
He clicked the pen three times in rapid succession, and the tip retracted and was replaced with a smaller finer tip.
“Hey Greg, can you hold up that sheet of paper for me?” Kalin called out.
The Sudowoodo, who had been working on something in the back of the room, heard the command and lifted up a blank sheet of notebook paper from the desk. Kalin pointed the pen at the paper and pressed a button on the side. A brilliant red beam shot out of the tip and hit the paper point blank. I could smell the scent of burnt paper as Kalin wrote his name in burn marks on the page before it spontaneously burst into flame.
Greg seemed unfazed, as his Rock-type body was resistant to fire, as he stamped out the burning page with his hand-orbs, and let the dust settle to the ground.
“You’re gonna clean that up unless you want Ms. Amore on your tail,” the Sudowoodo replied dryly as he went back to work.
Kalin seemed to beam with pride as he clicked the pen three more times, and the tip returned to being a pen.
“Pretty cool right?” he said, twirling it with one claw.
“I mean that is pretty cool, but I’m sure I’ve seen that in all sorts of spy movies…well at least that’s the first thing that comes to mind when I can picture a gadget…” I said with a shrug, trying to search my memory for any specific movies I remembered seeing and drawing yet another blank.
“Well, that’s the point,” the Krokorok explained, “I grew up watching James Bond and spy movies in general, and when I first became a Pokéuman and learned about all our secret tech gadgets, I wanted to be the guy who made that kind of stuff…and the first thing that came to mind was creating a laser pen!”
He untwisted the cap and let me peer inside: there was an ordinary ink cartridge, and alongside it was what appeared to be a diode with a bright red streak running through it.
“It was my first ever invention…” Kalin spoke with nostalgia, “I have four of then explode before I figured out how to keep the energy contained to the diode and not leak into the ink cartridge. Ms. Amore had me cleaning ink splatters from inside the lab’s walls all afternoon, but I remember how proud I was when I finally got it right--except I accidentally set Greg’s notes on fire when I first tried it out…”
The Krokorok turned apologetically to the Sudowoodo, but Greg simply gave him a non-committed shrug before resuming his work.
“But the first time it exploded, I was convinced that this line of work wasn’t my thing, that I was a failure and didn’t deserve to be part of the lab. But Dr. Goldstein encouraged me, and soon I got better and better until I knew I had it right.”
He glanced over through the viewing window at the mechanical orb sitting on the table, the robotic arms suspended in their work, “And it’ll be the same thing with my brainwashing breaker: I’m not gonna stop until I get it right, and I know when I do it’ll do real good for us…”
He fiddled with the pen some more, “I know being here is scary Dalton and that it’s hard to know what to do sometimes, but it’s also important to know that…even if you doubt yourself, you can still be able to do something amazing. You came to us for a reason Dalton, and whether that jerk clone of yours gets captured or not, I know that the “you” that is here right now is here for a reason, and I’m glad you’re here with us…”
As I looked closer at Kalin, I noticed something about him. He looked the same as always, but he seemed to have this glow to him I had never noticed before. I folded my arms and gave him a look.
“I dunno why I’m seeing Dr. Fauntine—you’re clearly qualified to be a psychiatrist yourself Kay.”
Kalin rubbed the back of his head and looked embarrassed.
“Uh yeah…I don’t usually do this mushy stuff…” he mumbled.
I smiled slightly, shaking my head, “Well, mushy as it was it worked…but seriously, thanks Kalin, I needed that.”
He grinned, “Anytime pal. Here, why don’t I show you how to use the robotic hands, I’ll let you put the screws in…”
----
With Kalin having restored my confidence, I eventually started to get into the swing of things. Kalin had showed me how to work the mechanical gloves; using a 3-D display to showcase where the hands were and what they were doing. After I almost accidentally impaled the device with a lone screw, the guys in the lab showed me how to work on the computers instead; designing schematics, typing code, and running the simulator. I was finding that I was absorbing a lot of the information; what seemed like jargon when I first started in the labs soon melded into understanding as Kalin and the rest of the Technology department eased me into it. I also suspected it was due to my enhanced Pokéuman mind being able to grasp the complexity a lot easier now—I guess Pokémon were more advanced in comparison to humans.
A couple hours later I was standing on Kalin’s shoulders, trying to connect a jumper cable into one of the tree roots protruding from the ceiling.
“Uh Kay…I don’t think Ms. Amore wants us to plug stuff directly into the roots anymore…” Greg piped in from a computer terminal.
“Ah let that old hag walk in for all I care!” Kalin said bemused, “It’s for the good of the project! Try to get that root in the corner Dalton there’s a lot of energy stored in that one.”
As I struggled to reach the root with the cable, my nose suddenly scrunched up as I smelled the strong stench of perfume.
“Ahem.”
Kalin froze on the spot and I managed to turn my head to see Ms. Amore standing with her arms in the doorway. The Krokorok almost yelped and dropped me, sending me tumbling to the floor.
“You weren’t trying to tap into the base’s power supply without asking again were you Mr. Groomer?” she asked sternly, tapping her foot.
“Uh M-Ms. Amore! I was j-just…” Kalin began to stammer. From his work station, I could see Greg rolling his eyes.
“Luckily for you Mr. Groomer I am not here to discuss your flagrant disregard of lab safety, I am here for Mr. Jones.”
I scrambled off the floor to my feet, “You’re asking for me?”
She beckoned me with one oh her claws, “Yes, I have important matters to discuss with you.”
Her eyes turned to a sheepish Kalin and pointed at the small dust smear from the hasty sweep up of paper ash, “And please dispose of your paper ashes properly if you’re going to use your silly laser pen again Mr. Groomer.”
I followed Ms. Amore out of the room as Kalin quickly got on his knees to sweep the remaining ashes.
We made it to her usual office, where she took a seat at her desk. I sat in the opposing chair as she poured herself a cup of tea from a primrose tea kettle—the steam that wafted from it seemed to form heart shapes.
“First of all before we begin, I wanted to pass on a message from Dr. Fauntine,” the Salazzle said, sipping her tea.
I raised my brow, “Dr. Fauntine? Is everything alright?”
The Salazzle pulled out a yellow note from her lab coat pocket and handed it over to me. I took it and read what it said.
To Dalton Jones,
I must apologize once again: due to recent events my schedule has once again become filled. I will not be able to meet with you until next Friday evening. I have asked Ms. Amore to substitute for our regular session; please go to her if you need anything.
Best regards,
Dr. Frances Fauntine
I looked up at Ms. Amore; she took another sip of her tea and eyed me.
“Um…substitute, you can do that?” I asked curiously.
She nodded, “I have myself been researching how to tap into the subconscious with my serums. Of course I am not as refined in the art as Dr. Fauntine, but I’ve decided to test a concoction I have been working on…in exchange for your help of course.”
Ms. Amore poured a cup of tea into a pink tea cup and slid it towards me, “I want you to drink this.”
I sniffed it curiously, and suddenly my olfactory senses were flooded with a wondrous odor; I couldn’t place what it was…vanilla…cinnamon…fresh daffodil maybe?
“What kind of tea is this?” I said in a dreamy tone.
“It’s chamomile…” she replied before she turned to give me a look, “Mixed with a special serum I have been testing.”
Gingerly I took the teacup into my paws and brought it to my lips, letting the warm tea flow into my throat. I felt an insatiable giddiness flowing through my body as I felt it coursing through my veins, leaving a pleasant warmth wherever it passed.
“M-Ms. A-Amore…” I tried to say, but my mouth didn’t feel right. I tried to stand up, but I was losing control of my body.
I felt myself moving around my paws were grasping things and my feet were moving along the ground. I heard Ms. Amore’s voice, but everything sounded muffled, as if I had been trying to listen to an orchestra while underwater. I didn’t care; I was floating through the clouds, riding the high of this sensation like I was in a hot air balloon that was soaring higher and higher. I laughed, but it didn’t come out of my own mouth, it was my mind that was laughing.
Then all of a sudden, something broke through the fog: a strong, yet familiar smell…the smell of perfume. Where had I smelled it before? I couldn’t quite remember…the smell was getting stronger and…
I let out a gasp as suddenly my vision clicked into focus. I was standing on a stepladder, my arm outstretched and holding a book. I immediately dropped it and spun around confused, almost losing my balance and falling off the ladder. Ms. Amore looked shocked as I reoriented myself.
“What was that?” I gasped, my brain feeling fuzzy from the effects of the tea.
“Hmmm interesting; it didn’t last as long as expected…” the Salazzle exclaimed, writing something in a notepad, “The amount I’d given you should’ve lasted fifteen minutes…might need to tweak it here and there…”
I hopped off the stepladder, tottering on my feet and leaning on her desk for support, “What was that?” I repeated, more vocally.
Ms. Amore shut her notepad, “It’s a serum I’m developing designed to mimic the effects of brainwashing, can you describe what it was like?”
I held my head; still warm from coming down from that wondrous sensation it had felt, “I-I dunno…it was like I couldn’t control my body…it felt really good but…it was almost as if I was dreaming…”
She scribbled down more notes nodding, “Hopefully this serum will help us understand the brainwashing mentality without having to resort to such barbaric experimentation. You were under long enough to help rearrange my bookshelf however.”
Something was bothering me, “Ms. Amore?”
“What is it Dalton?”
“Why weren’t you affected by the tea? I mean, you were drinking it before you offered it to me, so why didn’t it affect you?”
She let out a sly grin, “Because it’s based on my pheromones…I am immune to the effects of any serum I make.”
“Oh.”
The Salazzle looked at the clock, “Well, it’s almost time for dinner; however we have time for one last bit of business…”
She reached into her desk and pulled out a familiar vial of pink liquid and handed it to me, “My end of the bargain as usual. Frances…”
Ms. Amore shook her head, “I mean Dr. Fauntine…helped me with this batch, so it may be a bit stronger than my previous attempts. I’d advise you take this once you return to your room.”
I nodded, grasping the vial in my paws and getting up to leave, “Thank you Ms. Amore.”
She merely shooed me with her claws as I exited the office and made my way towards the lab’s exit.
---
I sat in my bed, holding the vial in my hands, the pink liquid sloshing around. It was only enough for a gulp as usual…but part of me was apprehensive over taking it. Kalin was still in the labs, me having explained why I was leaving early to him, and Marie was probably working in the infirmary as usual. It was 5:25, dinner would be in half-an-hour.
I sighed, uncorking the vial; this would be my only chance to find more about my past until next week at least. I downed the contents in a single gulp, and then lay on my bed, staring up at the mattress above me. I felt nothing at first, only the beating of my nervous heart, until suddenly…!
“Dalton! It’s not fair! It’s my turn to watch TV!”
I looked around; I was in the living room of my house, the cabin home my family had moved into in West Virginia.
“You got to watch Adventure Time all day; it’s my turn to watch Friendship is Magic!”
It was my sister, Dalia; her hands were reaching out towards me. It was only now did I realize I was holding the television remote out of her reach, as well as my 3DS.
“No it’s not! I told you they’re doing a marathon and I want to watch!” I heard myself yell.
“You’ve been hogging it for three hours!” wailed my younger sister, “MOM! DALTON’S NOT LETTING ME WATCH TV!”
~~~~~
The fire…it was everywhere…the trees, the grass, the brush were all caught up in flame.
I was choking; the smoke was irritating my lungs as I kept low to the ground to try to keep out of it. I was dripping sweat, my face was hot, and I was panting, out of breath.
“WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?!” I called out.
I heard voices coming from behind me. I turned my head hopefully, but all I saw were men in black rushing towards me, ignoring the fire, yelling to capture me. I felt myself running, trying to escape them as they gave chase; all I could see was smoke as the forest burned…
And then, I saw a figure in the distance. I ran closer, hoping it was someone safe…and saw an Infernape. He noticed me, and stared at me surprised…
~~~~~
My mother came into the room; visibly annoyed, “I’ve had enough of you two arguing! I want both of you to go to your rooms and stay there until dinner! Both of you are grounded, no video games either! Dalton, give me the DS.”
What the…?
“But mom…”
“Now Dalton.”
My mom smartly turned off the TV and I sulkily relinquished my 3DS to her before my sister and I went upstairs to our rooms. I overheard my dad talking to my mom from the kitchen.
“Those two arguing again?”
“I swear I don’t know what I’m gonna do with them…”
My sister was first to the top of the stairs, glaring at me before she retreated into her room, “I hate you Dalton.”
I climbed the stairs to the attic and flopped angrily onto my bed.
“I hate my sister…” I heard myself mumble nastily, “I hate my mom and my dad too…”
As I lay there fuming, I heard a scream coming from my sister’s room. I assumed she was upset too, but the scream was more…frightened than angry. The trapdoor to my room opened and I heard my sister climbing the ladder frantically.
“What do you want?!” I barked at her angrily, but my anger turned to concern: her eyes were panicked and she was sweating anxiously.
“Dalton…” she said nervously as she held out her right hand. It was coated in gray fur. I also looked into her eyes: they were now a deep violet instead of their usual green.
“What’s happening to me?” she asked, voice trembling.
*GASP*
I awoke with a sweat; sitting up. I looked at the clock; it was 5:55, I had been out for half-an-hour. I grasped my face in confusion. The memory…no it was two memories more like…
I slipped off the locket from around my neck and opened it once again; the picture of my family was unchanged as ever, but I couldn’t stop staring at my sister. The frozen happy smile on her face in the photo was now being mentally replaced with the look of utter terror as she held up her furred paw towards me, and the emerald green of her eyes being replaced by an unnatural purple.
“No way…” I mumbled, “Could she really have been…?”
There was a knock at the door and a piece of paper slid underneath the crack into my room. I put my locket back on, got up off the bed and read it.
Hey Dalton,
Wanted to talk about some stuff, meet me in my room at 6 and I’ll treat ya to dinner.
-Tara
My heart skipped a beat as I momentarily forgot about my thoughts I had seen and quickly ran out of the room towards Room #416.
---
“You two love birds have fun,” said Angelica, who had opened the door for me after I had knocked, “I’m going somewhere less…mushy.”
She shut the door with her tentacles behind her, leaving me and Tara alone in the room together. The Breloom had laid out a blanket, and there were two plates of spaghetti and two bottles of orange soda. I sat nervously, trying to keep my blush under control, hoping my fur would cover it.
“Well, dig in,” she said as she took a seat opposite me and started picking around her meatballs with a fork.
I nodded emphatically and started slurping the spaghetti, trying not to greedily wolf it down; I hadn’t eaten anything all day.
“So how’s it going in the tech labs you nerd?” Tara’s voice was slightly teasing, but she did seem to hold genuine interest.
I blushed at the nickname, “G-Good, uh Kalin’s teaching me a lot of stuff…he showed me this cool laser pen he made…”
She laughed, “I remember that pen, I think he accidentally shot it in class and it set a notebook on fire…the story made its way all around the base!”
I smiled, imagining the scenario in my head, “How’s your PRT work going?”
Tara scoffed, “Nothing you dolt, I’m on “medical leave” remember?”
I shrunk inwards, embarrassed, “Sorry.”
“It’s okay Dalton,” she said more relaxed, relaxing me as well, “It’s part of what I wanted to talk about.”
The Breloom put down her fork and sighed, “I’ve been…remembering stuff.”
I almost dropped my fork too, “You have?!”
“Yeah, I know I’m supposed to tell Dr. Fauntine or the commander, but that stupid murder has everyone in the base freaked out and they’re all flocking to him to deal with their ‘trauma’.”
She said the last word with air quotes, “These guys wouldn’t know real trauma if it came up to them and slapped them in the face. And the commander has been treating me like I’m some kind of ticking time bomb ready to go off at any moment.”
The Breloom sighed and looked at me with a tired expression, “Dalton…this may seem odd but, I really think I can trust you. You’ve been kind to me, not trying to gain anything from me. You treat me as if I’m a person and not a tool for gathering information. Which is why…I feel as if I can entrust you with this information…I don’t think I can with anybody else.”
My heart was swelling and I nodded so hard I almost dislocated my neck, “You can tell me anything Tara! And…I was hoping to could tell you something too…”
She held up a claw, “Let me get what I want to say out first.”
I leaned in closer as Tara took a deep swig of her orange soda, “I think these murders are connected to the information I had dug up in the Pokéxtinction outpost.”
My eyes widened, “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, I can’t remember all the details, but I remember the information I found out had something to do with our base. And, I still remember the feeling of utter terror I felt when I real what their plans were. Then, two people in the base get murdered back-to-back…it’s no coincidence. I mean, they got the Night Patrol going on, but I don’t think it’ll help much.”
Night Patrol…?
Something dislodged from my memory; and I suddenly remembered something from earlier.
“Tara…I just remembered something weird…with Ernest.”
Tara raised a brow, “Aside from the fact he was murdered?”
I shook my head, “No it’s just…Ernest signed up to be part of the Night Patrol right? I remember because he came up to me wearing a uniform at dinner before he was murdered…he would’ve been on patrol right?”
The Breloom chewed on a meatball, “Yeah, the briefing we had this morning stated he died around 4am, he would’ve been on patrol then.”
“Well if he was on night patrol; so he should’ve been wearing his vest and walkie talkie…right?”
She tilted her head, “Where are you going with this?”
I tried to get the point out, “But when I saw his body this morning, he wasn’t wearing a vest or a walkie-talkie…he was naked as usual...did the killer take them?”
Tara opened her mouth, probably to dismiss the theory, but paused as she pondered the thought in her mind.
“Holy Magikarp you’re right…” she said with realization, “Neither his Night Patrol outfit nor his walkie-talkie were on him when the practitioners collected his body…that’s a clever observation Dalton!”
I reddened, even though I was blue, and tried to look modest, “Well it was just a thought…”
Tara gulped down the rest of her orange soda and slammed the bottle to the ground, “Dalton, I want to ask you something—something extremely important.”
I felt my heart beating again, “Y-Yes Tara?”
She gripped my paws in her claws and held them tightly, “I want you to help me get to the bottom of this mystery. These deaths and my memory are connected, I know it, and until I can get it back, finding the killer is the only way we can uncover the truth; will you help me?”
It was an amazing feeling; the girl who I loved putting this much trust in me...my feet were ready to turn into a rocket and blast me off into space.
“Yes!” I cried out ecstatically.
“Good!” she replied before letting my hands go and flopping back down, “Whew…sorry, got caught up in the moment there…”
“No it’s okay!” I staggered back to a sitting position before suddenly remembering something, “Is it okay if I tell you something too?”
She looked up from her plate and slurped down a mouthful of spaghetti, wiping her face, “What?”
I looked down, “I saw more of my memory; it was weird, it was like one spliced itself into the other…like flipping the channels on TV…”
Tara nodded sympathetically, “Well what did you see?”
“My sister…my younger sister Dalia…something was happening to her. We got into a big fight, then she ran up to my room…and she was starting to turn into an Espurr…this was from five years ago I think when I was twelve.”
A fork dropped and clattered onto the plate; it was only after a second did I realized I had been the one who dropped it; I had been fingering my locket instinctively. Tara was still sitting quietly, listening to me.
“I saw her hand, and her eyes were weird…maybe she turned into a Pokéuman too…”
I sat up, mind racing, “Maybe she became an Espurr and I didn’t know because they replaced her with a clone! Maybe she’s now a Meowstic too and she’s here in this base!”
Tara shook her head, “I think you’re the only Meowstic here Dalton; and I haven’t met anyone named Dalia since I’ve been here.”
My ears shrunk as Tara tapped her bottom lip with her fork, “Although if she turned five years ago she might’ve graduated from the base and moved into a Pokéuman community or rejoined human society. You’d have to ask Master Duskon—the base keeps records of everyone who has ever stayed here.”
“Yeah…” I tried to sound enthusiastic after that bit of hope was crushed, “Yeah. Yeah you’re right. I mean, she obviously transformed before me, so it’s natural she wouldn’t be here…I’ll just ask Master Duskon and he’ll let me know where she is…”
Tara patted my shoulder, “You’ll find her; I know it Dalton.”
I smiled, rubbed her claw when the other memory fired, “There’s something else…the fire.”
She raised her brow, “What fire?”
I closed my eyes, trying to recreate it, “There was a fire in the forest…it was when I was still human, and I was being chased by Pokéxtinction agents…”
My mind scrambled to form the picture in my head when it came back, the figure of an Infernape in the smoke, “And Blaze…Blaze was there too!”
Tara folded her arms and scoffed, “That’s typical of him, most of his rescue missions end with him burning the place down. It must’ve been from when he rescued you; Jet told me Blaze started a fire and he was the one to put it out...it’s why they tend to get partnered up for missions.”
I sighed, rubbing my forehead, “Yeah and in the memories…I’m calling out for someone…but I don’t know who I’m looking for, and it doesn’t explain what I was doing out there to begin with.”
The Breloom came over and held me closer, “Dalton, I know this is all confusing, but you and I are going through the same thing. I’m remembering a lot of stuff that doesn’t make sense either, and I know that feeling of being alone and scared…”
“But…” she held my chin up, “We’re gonna get through this together Dalton. I know I asked you to my room to talk, but there was another reason too…”
Before I knew it, she leaned forward and planted her lips on mine. Instantly my face turned bright red, visible from underneath my blue fur, as I returned the kiss. The two of us locked lips as I felt happy fireworks exploding in my chest; it was if an alarm was going off in my heart…
“THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”
I pulled out of the kiss; an alarm WAS going off! The lights were flashing red as an alarm sounded over the base’s intercoms.
“THERE HAS BEEN AN ATTEMPTED BREAK IN. ALL STUDENTS ARE TO STAY IN WHATEVER ROOMS THEY ARE IN AND ARE NOT TO LEAVE. THE BASE IS CURRENTLY UNDER LOCKDOWN. ALL MEMBERS OF THE PRT PLEASE REPORT TO THE SECOND FLOOR IMMEDIATELY.”
The warning sounded like Headmaster Duskon’s voice. Before I could react Tara grabbed my arm, “Come on Dalton, I’m not leaving you here alone!”
I nodded as I got up and followed her, Tara using her special ID card and swiping the door. As we ran down the halls, I noticed metal shutters were closing and blocking all of the rooms; as well as the elevators. Tara swiped her card at the stairwell door and it opened, and we ran up the stairs towards the second floor.
Tara and I burst into the main concourse; it was absolute mayhem: PRT members were scrambling around, and the red lights were flashing over head. I felt Tara yank my arm as she pulled me into the command center, where the commander was floating with his back towards us.
“Commander Aiyasha,” huffed Tara, “What’s going on?”
The sword Pokémon turned to face us, “We have a break-in situation; a group of brainwashed Pokéumans are trying to force their way through the entrance.”
He motioned towards the screen, a fleet of Pokéumans were defending the base’s entrance from a group of other Pokémon…mostly Tauros and Rhydon. My eyes widened with recognition as Commander Aiyasha seemed to notice me for the first time.
“Mr. Dalton Jones,” he said, a hint of menace under his very flat tone, “How very nice of you to join us. Do you have an explanation for why your clone seems to be attacking our base?
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Chapter XI: Impetus Pathos couldn't lift his eyes from the deceptively powerful grasp he now found himself locked into. Doubtful of what he was seeing, the Absol took a moment to shake his head. He continued to read: Species: Espeon Client location: Exact location indeterminable. Most probable client location: Aurina Valley . Allotted time for rescue: Unknown. His heart was pounding. He'd spent so much time wondering just where Celestine was, what he would do if they met up, if they'd ever meet again. It was just what he was waiting for—a chance to set things right. Pathos was overjoyed, ecstatic! He could still find her! Pathos, though...
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When Dalton wakes up in the Deep Eastern Forest Base, he discovers that not only is he turning into a Meowstic, but that he has no memory of who he is or his past. During his tenure as a Pokéuman, misfortunes start to befall the base, and Dalton must contend with a sinister plot that somehow continues to spiral around him as well as finding the answer to who he truly is.
HO-LY CRAP. I AM FINALLY DONE WITH THIS FREAKING CHAPTER. THE BURDEN HAS BEEN LIFTED. I am SO happy I managed to finish this one! Ever since Anime North I've been in a rut; I was back to doubting myself, procrastinating, and just wasting time by not writing. So many nights over the past six months spent telling me to get it done and just wasting time. I really had to readjust the pacing of the story, too many important things happening too fast, so a lot of this chapter is set-up for what's going to come. A lot of what happens in this chapter is character development: not my strongest area, but I really am happy with what I have come up with!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE COMMENT, FAV, CRITIQUE, WHATEVER. We're officially halfway through the story; there are only five chapters left and the mystery is starting to wind down, and I hope you guys are satisfied with what I have come up with! Feel free to leave theories or whodunnits in the comments, I'd love to see if anyone figures it out before it's revealed!
Previous:
Identity
Adjusting
Musings
Burden
Special thanks to 
and 
for the cover image!
© 2019 - 2025 pokemonmanic3595
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Nice story! I've been trying to get into the Discord Server, but I can't find a not expired link. Would you mind sending me one?