*Nathan's POV*

Where am I now? Why does it feel so... so cold?

Slowly, I open my eyes to be met with Mr. Richards staring down at me, a smile on his face. I try to move one of my arms, to pull my Breloom's Pokeball out of my pocket, but I soon realize that I'm still bound, this time stuck in a chair. I curse my luck.

"Why am I here?" I bark at my former teacher,

"What is this place?"

I glance around the tiny room, noting that the walls are decorated pitch-black, the exact antithesis of Pokemon Tech's obsessive white paint.

I have a feeling that the decor was intentional the whole time. Gah, why didn't I put the pieces together sooner?!

Even the Pokeball insignias are in the same spots, but, in their place is a large red "R," matching the one I had seen on Giovanni's uniform. However, besides the walls, the only two things of interest in the desolate room are Mr. Richards's sinister smile and the row of machines behind him. I can't tell what he's planning to do to me, but I can hear cries of Pokemon from beyond the walls. The sound breaks my heart, while Mr. Richards seems to be relishing in the noise.

"Well, Nathan. Let me be the first to congratulate you," Mr. Richards turns to me, his smile growing wider by the minute,

"Even with Elijah's meddling, we still secured two of the brightest minds at the 'university' for our cause..."

"You're referring to Maxwell and I, aren't you?" I interrupt him,

"Forget it, I will never help you, or this twisted criminal enterprise!"

"Hmph, insolent child... That attitude of yours will have to go, but, first, why don't I introduce you to my little friend?"

He holds that black Pokeball towards me and, without warning, lets it fall to the ground. The ensuing white light makes me quiver- while I had grown accustomed to Pokemon being released from their Pokeball, something about the workings of this particular one concerned me.

Whatever he's trapped inside there, can't be good for me. And what did he mean by 'that attitude of mine will have to go'?... Never mind, I don't think it matters. I won't let you break me, Giovanni!

Once the Pokeball's light disappears, out of the gloom steps one of the creepiest Pokemon I have ever seen. Just looking at it ripples fear through me- its humanoid features and black overcoat remind me of a little girl's doll gone awry. The Pokemon's body seems to be tiered, like a trimmed obsidian dress, stemming into a teardrop-shaped head, bearing what appears to be four black disks on either side of its luring blue eyes. The eyes,I swear, could peer into one's very soul. The way it looks at me, half-cloaked in darkness, yet bathed in white, mysteriously transfixes me.

Overall, the scene is straight out of one of those action movies that I used to watch. However, I'm not the one who watches the hero escape from his bonds to save the day- I'm the trapped hero, except, unlike most other superheroes, I have no possible means of escape.

Mr. Richards laughs again, and he adopts a more sinister look, if that's even possible for him.

"Glad to meet you, comrade," he crows.

"You can call me Proton- I'm here to help you realize your full potential as a criminal. And... Don't worry- I'm sure you will be very useful to Team Rocket, in time... Gothitelle," he commands, turning to his Pokemon, if that's what it could be called.

"Signal Beam, now! We will lay waste to his memory and take him as one of our own!"

He's going to WHAT?! Panic runs through my mind, and a new surge of panic causes me to struggle against my bonds once again. However, neither my ropes, nor my chair, budge more than a few inches.

I don't have enough time to get out of this... Mother, Father, Elijah, Riku, everyone... The last thoughts that I can control are focused on all those that I've let down, those that had been counting on me to take down Giovanni, when the Gothitelle holds its hands together, forming a green beam of energy that it immediately fires towards me. I try to move, to at least tip my chair over, but my efforts are in vain.

I wince in pain as the verdant laser penetrates my skin, but, as soon as the projectile disappears into me, I gradually begin to lose all forms of feeling, of reason, and of logic.

After a few minutes, my mind becomes clouded, and I pass out from exhaustion.

The last thing I hear is Proton's laughter, ruffling through my backpack and taking only my Breloom's Pokeball.

Breloom... ...

...

...

"Hey!" I hear a voice say from in front of me.

Ungh... Wha...?

"Hey, wake up!" the voice snaps again. This time, a fist gently slaps me on the forehead.

"... Ow..." is all I can manage to say, tentatively opening my eyes to the world of sensation \

around me. Standing in front of me is an ominous group of three men and a woman. Half of them are dressed in white, and half in black. Each has a different hairstyle, color, and a seemingly-different aura about them. But, one thing is certain for all of them- each bears a large red "R" somewhere on their clothing. I figure that the letter designated them to something important.

The woman gasps,

"He's alive! Oh, good! I thought you'd have killed him with that!" She stares at the green-haired man indignantly, who breathes a sigh of relief.

"To be frank, I almost thought I did, too. The powers of a Signal Beam are untested, and I am quite thankful that they worked. So, any word on how Maxwell is doing?"

The man with blue hair speaks up,

"I've sent him on a mission to collect a few more Pokemon for an unknown experiment the Boss has begun to lay out plans for. While I have no idea what it is, chances are Maxwell and Nathan will become very important for it. You can rest easy, Proton- we will not have to fire another Signal Beam at him... And as for you," he says, turning to me and unclasping the ropes around my hands and feet. I did not even realize that I had been bound.

"My name is Archer. The three others you see here are Proton, Ariana, and Petrel." He points to the others in the black room, one by one.

So the one with green hair is Proton, the red-haired woman is Ariana, and the hunched man is Petrel. Good to know...

"We are the main executives of Team Rocket. You will come to realize, during your research, that the four of us will prove incredibly useful to you. The Boss has ordered us to protect you at all costs, so take heart- you must have an incredible potential waiting for him to reveal to us all..."

"All executives to report to my office! Immediately. Bring Nathan with you, I will catch him up to speed myself," a voice barks over a previously-unseen intercom. I could swear that I had heard the intonation before, but I couldn't quite remember where.

"Ahh, that's the Boss calling," Archer tells me,

"You will enjoy his company- he is a cruel man, cold and calculating, but loyal to those on his side. Come," he beckons me towards the door, unlocks it, and the three other executives follow him out. Before I leave after them, though, I take a few seconds to re-assess the room around me, and my eyes finally set on a small black journal to my right. I pick it up and leaf through a few of its pages.

They're all empty... Why would someone leave an empty journal here, of all places? I wonder...

"Hey, you coming?" Archer leans his head back into the doorway for a second to call, and I quickly hide the journal behind my back. The executive doesn't seem to take notice of it.

"Come on, the Boss doesn't take kindly to being late!" he says before disappearing again. I shrug and tuck the journal into my shirt, rushing after Archer so as not to attract any unnecessary attention.

As soon as I step outside the room, I am greeted with an entire world around me. This area looks to be somewhat of a central area, or perhaps a meeting place. Men dressed in all-black run past me, some carrying large boxes, others metal objects that I'd never seen before.

Archer hears me leave the room and turns to me, walking backwards down another hallway to my right.

"So, that area is our main hub, or the central location for each and every one of our schemes," he explains,

"As you can already tell, Boss assigns plenty of tasks to anyone and everyone, so plenty of people come and go through that room. There's an elevator at the left end of the room that allows access to the surface..."

"So we're underground?" I can't help asking. Archer nods his head, and another voice from the other end of the hallway calls out to the two of us,
"Come on, bring Nathan over here. The Boss wants to speak with him." I recognize the sound to be Proton, who then loudly shuts the door he had called from. Archer and I follow the hallway to its end, and the door Proton had called from opens for us when we approach.

I step inside, and a tall man, seated at a large desk, with a sleek black haircut greets me,
"Ahh, there you are, Nathan! I've been expecting you. Have a seat," he says. His voice sounds familiar, yet I can't place its origin.

I do as the man asks, and Archer shuts the room's door. I realize that all four of the Rocket executives are all present, and they each seem to revere the man sitting down. Ariana nervously thumbs her red hair, and an unknown sense of eagerness washes over me.

This must be the "Boss," if I can assume that...

I fold my hands, and the man introduces himself,

"My name is Giovanni, the alleged 'Boss' that you must have heard so much about from my executives..." He looks at each of the four persons, in turn, as if he's confirming his assertion.

"Anyway, Nathan, I have very high hopes for you. Very high hopes, indeed. But, first, I can tell that you're still puzzled about all of this. The look on your face tells me that much."

Now that I think about it... He's right. Why am I even here? I don't remember a thing...

"You were brought here for a very special purpose- I needed expertise on a specific subject, and you are the only one I know that can help me. You see, Team Rocket is currently having a few problems with law enf... Ahem, finances. Law finances. In any case, I called you here because you are the best man for the job."

"Best man?" I deadpan,

"How can I be the 'best man for the job' if I don't even remember how I got here?"

Giovanni laughs,

"You must have hit your head very hard to suffer such a traumatic blow. Do not worry, in time, your memory will come back. But, for now, let me refresh you on your assignment..."

"Refresh?" Petrel mumbles,

"Sir, he's new to Team..."

"Quiet, Petrel," Giovanni interrupts him.

"I didn't ask you." He looks back at me,

"Now, where were we? Oh, yes, your assignment. Recently, Team Rocket is currently having a few problems with law finances, and I am sure you are wondering what to do. Well, it seems to me like you're already well on your way. Do you remember that journal that you found earlier?"

A few drops of sweat pool on my forehead.

How did he know about that?

"Do not worry," Giovanni consoles me,

"I placed that there, specifically where you would find it. It looks my assumptions about you were correct, Nathan. You are exactly what we need. An analyst- a scientist- to the very core... One that will undoubtedly fill that journal with research pertinent to our cause. Your assignment- to research and test the limits between Pokemon and humans. I trust you are already quite knowledgeable on this subject..."

Bonds... Yes, I've heard of those. Like a sort of friendship, only deeper.

"So what is it that you need me to do?"

"These bonds are integral to our cause- they create a stronger mesh between a Pokemon and their Master. Thus, I need you to harness these powers. But, 'how does one do this?' I know you will ask. The augmentation is rather simple- I am entrusting you, as well as a few others, one of the lead roles in Team Rocket's new DNA implantation project, one that will cause these bonds to flourish! Now, go, meet with your fellow scientists and begin your research! Dismissed."

Giovanni motions to the door behind me, and two large men in white lab coats appear in the doorway.

"You must be Nathan," the one on the left replies. His voice is increasingly dull, but I feel as if I will become accustomed to the sound soon enough.

"Come with us- we will show you what we have been working on."

The two slowly disappear and begin to walk down the encompassing hallway; without a second glance, I stand up from my chair and follow them.

"Good luck, Nathan. And remember, failure is not an option," Giovanni tells me as I leave.

The words loop incessantly in my head while I follow the two scientists through the maze like corridors of this black establishment. Turn after turn, archway after archway- the two men continue to advance, until they suddenly stop in front of a keypass-padlocked metal door with a manila folder stapled to its front. The scientists quickly reach into the folder and empty it of its contents, but I am able to read the cover of a few of the papers.

The Hybrid Experiment? Is this what I am assigned to? If so, what is it that I need to help these other two scientists?... My mind is a train wreck, and I have no idea what to do... Best to just keep to myself until I have more answers.

The first scientist punches a few numbers into the padlock, and a gentle ding answers him. The metal door slides open, and the three of us step inside. The room, itself, is incredibly compact, crammed to the brim with shelves containing red-and-white spheres, en masse, as well as a few unidentifiable chemicals. A few storage closets house who-knows-what, while a large metal machine stands in the center of the room.

I wonder what it could possibly be used for...

Both scientists simultaneously turn to me.

"Welcome," the first one says.

"To our lab," completes the other. The first scientists quickly silences him with his gloved hand.

"First, I need to catch you up to speed on our current project. We have been assigned, much like you, to conduct experiments that augment the potential of Pokemon. This, we reasoned, was grounds to test experiments with implantations of DNA. However, we are currently faced with a dilemma. The Boss has ordered our patrol squadrons to bring back as many Pokemon as need be, yet we still have failed to produce a non-sterilized specimen. If we cannot reproduce our creations, there will be no point in their making, as they can only be partnered with for a short while before their lifespan precedes them. This is where, I hope, you come in. The Boss has informed us that you have an extensive knowledge of Pokemon, as well as the bonds they can form. While that knowledge may or may not stand the test of time, it is a start. But, first, I need to give you these."

The scientist turns to one of the small closets and draws out an entire set of lab gear, complete with coat and goggles. The predominant color scheme seems to be a oceanic blue, matching the color of my eyes.

"By the Boss's orders," he explains,

"Your lab attire was colored this way for a specific reason. Why that color was picked, I have no idea. Here."

The scientists hands the articles of clothing to me, and I quickly slip them on over my loose t-shirt and shorts. Oddly, the clothes fit me perfectly, as if Giovanni had already known my size beforehand.

I disregard my suspicions and turn back to the two scientists.

"Alright, I believe I am ready. What is it that I need to do first?"

"Good that you asked- the first order of business should be working with our patients. The two of us will take care of any DNA splicing that results from your help. For now, we need to you work with the Pokemon that we bring in," he says, calmly taking a red-and-white ball from the nearest shelf and holding it in my direction.

"Are you prepared?" he asks me.

Without waiting for a response, the scientist throws the capsule to the ground, and a burst of light showers the room. When it dissipates, a small parrot-like creature stands on the ground before. Its head looks sort of like a eighth note, while its plumage shines multiple bright colors, from the blue of its wings, to green, to the yellow on its chest. An angry expression adorns its innocent face, and its pink beak snaps back and forth.

It looks like it could charge at any of us right now and peck a sizeable wound with that type of beak. Seed-eater or not, that bird is definitely not your average parakeet. But what am I supposed to...

I stare at the bird for a few scintillating minutes, and the two other scientists move a few feet back. They seem to be scared of it- I assume I will find out the reason when I engage it, myself.

I attempt to draw closer to the bird, but it gives me an angry glare that, if looks could kill, I'd be dead several times over. Then, the strangest feeling overtakes me. My next course of action feels... almost natural, like I had rehearsed it.

"There, there," I mumble, slowly sinking to my knees and continuing my approach. "Chaa-too!" it chirps, cocking its head to one side. I could see the anger on its face slowly dissipating, being replaced with a sort of calm ecstasy. I pull out my journal and jot a few notes down about the behavior, making sure to note any curious change on the bird's face the entire time.

The bird continues to hop towards me, and I casually hold out one hand to it.

It could easily take off my finger on a whim, but I see no reason for it to become aggressive towards me. I'm not intruding on it or seeming more threatening than I actually am. I think for a few seconds.

My premonitions prove to be correct- as the bird hops within arm's reach, it gently rests its head under my curled index finger and begins to sing. The noise is soothing to my ears, and I can't help but feel completely at home in an environment like this.

One of the scientists holds out the red-and-white sphere, a Pokeball, again, and the bird is absorbed into it through a light current.

"Interesting," he muses,

"The Boss wasn't lying when he said that you were the right man for the job... It's getting late, and I've seen all that I need for today. Let us work in peace, Nathan. You need your rest, for you may be just the piece we need to kickstart this experiment. Come back tomorrow, and we will have another Pokemon for you to meet and connect with. And, disregard the keypad-lock on the door. I have already install the data needed for it to recognize your own handprint to unlock this door."

I nod, opening the lab door with my newfound access, but, before I can leave the room, Giovanni steps inside.

"Ahh, Nathan, what a pleasure to see you here. I trust everything here is going as planned?" he asks.

"Sir," one of the scientists reports,

"Nathan has an uncanny ability to connect with Pokemon that none of our best psychologists possess."

"Excellent," Giovanni smiles.

"Now, Nathan, come. It is getting late, and I will have more jobs for you tomorrow. Allow me to personally show you to your bedroom."

I nod, and Giovanni clasps me on the shoulder and leads me out of the laboratory.

As I walk through Team Rocket's blackened underground base, I can't help but feel that I've seen this entire scene before, from somewhere else- but I can't seem to remember where.

Ahh, well. I'll find out soon enough, I can feel it!

"Here you are, Nathan," Giovanni says, handing me a small brass key and pointing to a door in front of me.

"This is your room- be good to it, and, whatever you do, do not lose that key!"
I place the key in the lock and turn, while Giovanni disappears without another word. I shrug and open the door.

The inside of the room is small and compartmentalized- just how I would imagine a scientist's workshop.

It's like the room was made just for me...

The walls are the same jet-black color of the rest of this place, yet the floor seems to oscillate shades of black and grey depending on how one looks at it. Meanwhile, the room does not house any unnecessary artifact, bearing only a large black-blanketed bed in one corner, a nightstand with a half-dead lamp resting precariously on one edge, and an open walk-in closet. The only clothes inside are more of my same lab attire, as well as a "casual" black dress that matches the attire of the majority of the rest of the men and women that frequent the area. Everything in the room is stamped with that same red "R," but I had come to terms with the letter by now- it didn't particularly irk me anymore.

Looking at my wristwatch, I realize that it really was quite late- 12:30 AM to be exact- and I slip into my new bed without another thought, out like a light before another interruption can stop me.

If this is my future, my destiny, then I might as well live it to the fullest! Tomorrow will be another successful day of discovery- I can just feel it!