The Mask Maker

The Tracks Ahead

It was cold and wet. The flashing blue and red lights were blurred by the winter flurry. Specks of snow were falling on Morai's face, but she couldn't wipe them away. Her mask hung at her side. She had been blindfolded, rendering her abilities useless. All it took was a glance in her eyes and one would lose their senses, or find themselves waking up dazed without recollection of how they ended up that way in the first place. It was a power that had to be muzzled if she were ever to be defeated. 

The trainer couldn't see the crowd of people around, but she could hear them. Her boots squeaked, sliding on the wet and snowy pavement as she tried to plant them in the struggle against her captors. She knew she had lost, but she wasn't one to quit. Shouts born out of hatred and anger rung in her ears louder than the sirens did, making her splitting headache worse. 

In the trainer's struggle, her blindfold moved enough to reveal part of an eye. If eyes were windows to the soul, this window had been shut. She looked frantically at the crowd, but they all looked away, save a handful. 

Her friends. 

The faces she had come to know and see nearly every day. The people who she had journeyed to greater heights with. The people she cared for, and who cared for her, all while she hosted a terrible secret. 

One of them stood out among the rest, and she could see the lips on the shocked face move to form one word. 

Why?

Sharp frigid air filling her lungs. 

Blinding darkness. 

Ringing.

I couldn't help it. I'm sorry.

Morai awoke with a start, gasping and breathing heavily. She had broken out into a cold sweat. She could've sworn the first breath she took after waking up had been filled with freezing air, as if she were still in the nightmare. She had the overwhelming sense of relief one gets when they wake up in their warm bed, safe from the distorted reality they thought they were trapped in. 

Are these dreams fears exaggerated and made real, or glimpses of the future?

She didn't want to go back to sleep, though she knew she needed it. Instead, she got a piece of paper and pencil. 

Team

I already carry Espurr with me, so that leaves 5 Pokémon. 

Malamar, of course. 

Mightyena, because half of my outfit is inspired by it

Ninetales, because of the other half and it's own psychic abilities

Hydreigon 

Zoraork

"Well, that's...decent, I guess. Ninetales stands out, but it's eyes are my main motif, and it's psychic powers are nearly identical to mine. What do you think?" 

Morai looked up at Espurr, who had been happily purring atop her head the entire time. It gave a single mew. 

"Well thank you for your insightful opinion, then." 

She got the five Pokémon she had listed out and released them from their balls, analyzing them as a team. 

Hmm, do I really need Mightyena on this team? To be honest, it's more for show than anything. I use Corviknight to get around, too. Sheesh, this whole thing is tiring. I suppose there's one way to test this out...