• ~Chapter 2~
    Shocking Changes

    By the time I had woke up I felt the shocking cold of metal and my surroundings were blurred, my sight cut off by a cloth covering my eyes. I struggled with a new found strength, but it meant nothing when faced with the new restraints.

    “Ah, you’re awake,” The softly sadistic voice cooed, gentle nails scrapping harshly against exposed skin. “How do you feel?” She asked, and even if the question was meant to soothe I found it hostile and somewhat demanding. She removed the cloth and I squinted against the light, crimson eyes narrowing from the sudden brightness.

    The world somehow seemed dull; my senses didn’t seem as acute as from before. I could still smell the scent of the metal but it was much duller. When I opened my mouth to take in a deeper intake it was a shock to find that I no longer had the scent glands on the top of my mouth.

    Unfamiliar black hair fell into my view and with a horror I realized that it was my own. The restraints were lifted and I practically flew from the table, my heart racing as I stumbled onto the floor and knocked down countless shelves carrying liquid. I landed flat on my backside and the biting sting of the glass brought me from my shock.

    I no longer stood on all fours but two human legs, my body moonlight pale as I sat naked on the floor, frightened and so confused. I lifted unfamiliar hands to an unfamiliar face and saw that they were slender with sharp claws where the regular human nails were supposed to go. The woman with the arrogant smirk walked over to me with a mirror, smartly keeping her distance as she tossed it over. It landed at my feet and I hesitantly picked it up.

    The face I saw shocked me, I had glossy midnight colored hair and, to make my appearance even more unnerving, crimson eyes that stood out against my pale skin. My old umbreon ears remained, as well as my tail, such trivial features caused me to calm though. I had five pulse circles, one on each of my upper arms and thighs, while the fifth rested proudly on my forehead.

    For an immeasurable amount of time I stared at this unfamiliar reflection, unsure on what to do next.

    “Are you happy?” That sickeningly sweet voice brought me crashing back to reality and the woman standing before me started to kindle the worst type of hatred within my heart.

    “WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!” I screeched, reverting to basic instinct and crouching on all fours, baring sharpened canines to the woman who seemed completely unperturbed by my sudden change of mood.

    “I made you better.” She said and with those words uttered I sprang, snarling and aiming for her throat. This was the woman that had taken absolutely everything from me; her life would be a good payment. I had not expected her to be strong or even capable of handling herself in a fight but prevail over me she did with such frustrating ease I only thrashed under her grip more as she slammed me into the floor, pinning me underneath her.

    “You have a temper don’t you little umbreon?” She said while her eyes were alight with triumph. “Let…go…of me” Human speech was stunted and unfamiliar on my tongue, and only that outburst of raw emotion had made it easy to speak. Surprisingly enough she complied, easing herself off and throwing pants at me.

    “Take him away to the Holding Area; it will be some time before we can let them loose.” She walked off then, long black hair trailing behind her.

    Two strong arms picked me up and even with the complete obviousness that this was a futile attempt I struggled. “Stop it.” One ordered and squeezed violently onto the right arm, making the bone scream in protest. I gritted my teeth against the pain and as they released me to pull on my pants there it was again.

    Familiar sapphire blue eyes looked at me through the grate in the ventilation system and my heart sped up. “Lilith!!” I yelled, diving for the grate where the eyes vanished, trying to lead me somewhere. Those irritating hands were back on my arms and they dragged me out of the menacing doctor room where it smelt of blood and fear.

    As useless as my struggles were I still tried with a new urgency, I had seen her eyes. I looked back and there they were again, sad and worried as they had been in the past. “Lilith! Lilith!!” I yelled, trying to get to her. The door closed and before they did I saw her eyes close sadly and she vanished into the darkness. She was alive, she had to be.

    I was dragged through an endless amount of hallways, ones that if I had even been paying attention I wouldn’t have been able to memories the twists and turns. These halls all looked the same with their plain white walls and clean white tile. The bright lights illuminating the halls would flicker occasionally and then start up once more. I didn’t see Lilith anymore as I was dragged through the halls and as thoughts of insanity began to enter my mind I was dragged before a large metal door, one that couldn’t muffles the loud cries of those beyond. A few buttons were pushed and the heavy door slid open with a protest and it revealed something completely horrific as I was thrown into a plain square room with abused walls and failing lights.

    My presence was to be ignored in the chaos that surrounded me as the door shut with a loud bang behind me. All around me were humans with pokemon features, the dragon types all roaring and challenging the other while a few physic were curled over on the floor in the fetal position, their glowing blue eyes streaming with tears and bodies shaking in terror as they unwillingly saw the future paved ahead of them.

    Most of the dark types were silently sitting in the corner, wallowing in their self pity while the fire types sat fuming, glaring hatefully at their prison. Most of the pokemon humans were fighting or crying, but I didn’t understand why they didn’t just attack their way out. At the thought of attack my hand tingled with power and I smirked. I remembered this feeling so well. Hyper beam. Normally the attack came from my mouth but I guess in this new form it released from my hand. Odd, but I would have to deal with it until I returned to my normal form.

    I was about to attack the door when a shockingly bold hand touched my arm in a warning gesture, a dark pulse on the tip of threatening fingers.

    “If you attack the door it will throw your attack back at you.” The voice spoke and I turned to see a girl a few inches shorter than myself, standing there, confident garnet eyes watching me. The medallion on her head was scuffed slightly and covered in a light layer of dirt, but not enough to hide the well kept gold. I knew the shortened feather in her hair was apart of her and I noticed that her claws were not extremely large, but they were larger than my own.

    Her dark purple hair reached her shoulders, and despite the delicate poise and frailty that her body exuded I was wary. Dark types were naturally wary of others of the same type considering our strength was also our weakness. This sneasel girl could be my ally or foe.

    “We’ve all tried.” She said simply, answering the question in my eyes. I had no idea how to react to her, though through a very uncomfortable feeling within my abdomen I found myself attracted to the scantily clad girl. It must have had something to do with the human hormone because when I had been a pure umbreon I hadn’t felt anything for any other female. It wasn’t as if I… liked her, simply her form. It was appealing in a way that made me feel almost dirty. I shoved those confusing feelings to the back of my mind and focused purely on her face, not the rags that hardly concealed her.

    “Where am I?” The girl smiled and ran a hand through what I expected soft violet hair. Damn this physical need.

    “If we only knew. We call it hell, what else should it be called?” He voice was hard as she spoke and I could feel the resentment roll off her in waves.

    “What am I?” I whispered softly, looking at the still unfamiliar hands. “We call ourselves pokemorphs.” She responded and I couldn’t help but crack a small smile. Fitting it seemed.

    “I’m Shizuki” I said after a moment of silence and I eased myself onto the hard floor. The girl sat next to me and sighed, her own eyes trying to hide her own fear. I was terrified, everyone here was terrified, but we all just showed it in different ways.

    “I’m Kyoko” She replied, hugging close to herself.

    I had hardly heard her, my attention was brought to the faintest of scents but I caught it nonetheless. Lilith. My heart sped like it always did but that horrible image of her throat in that houndoom’s jaws reminded me of my insanity theory. “Kyoko… do you believe in ghosts?” I asked her and before she could respond the door slammed open, taking everyone by surprise and catching our attention.

    “Hello my children, and welcome to the Blood Games,” That voice was familiar to us all and we all turned to see her standing there, eyes aglow with a menacing fire. “We’re going to have so much fun.”