The Mask Maker

Revenge

"I'm guessing you get hit in the head a lot as a fighter?" he asked. 

"It's not the goal, but it happens," Morai answered. "Why?" 

"What you're doing, Morai, is harming your brain. On top of flooding it with chemicals that are inhibiting many of its functions, you're letting yourself get cracked in the head on a regular basis. In fact, your entire body is struggling to keep up with the abuse you're putting it through."

"I'll die before I give up fighing," Morai said. 

"I figured so. Stand up." 

Morai stood up and stumbled a little. Her heart began to beat faster, and she felt lightheaded. She straightened herself up as soon as she could, but Colress saw what had happened. 

"Your nervous system isn't functioning properly. You don't think about the possible consequences of your actions, you don't exhibit a healthy amount of fear when it comes to keeping yourself out of harm's way, and you're becoming more and more detached from regular human emotion. Not to mention your new habits," he said, nodding toward the Aether Foundation employee still under Morai's control. 

"You got all that from a small physical exam?" she asked. 

"I got it from observing you as someone who knew you before. Look at yourself," Colress replied, directing her to a mirror. "You've grown paler since I last saw you, and the areas under your eyes are darker. Your wounds are taking longer to heal. You're more forgetful. Shall I go on?" 

Morai looked at herself for a long time. "This is my only choice," she finally said.

"It's not," Colress replied. "I can help you. I can make the process minimally painful and help you—"

Morai turned and raked him across the face, sending his glasses flying across the room. His Metagross jumped out in front of him, and he pointed his open palm toward her after inputting a sequence onto the electronic pad on his wrist. The Mask Maker stared at him with her teeth bared, her chest rapidly rising and falling. Then her gaze softened. 

"I didn't...I lost control," she said. "I shouldn't have—"

The heavy metal door swung open with such force that the sound of it swinging back and hitting the wall sounded like a gunshot. 

"International Police! Put your hands up!"

Morai, you idiot. You should've known.

"Hydreigon! Go!" Morai commanded, sending the Pokémon out in front of her. 

"You're trapped, Morai. There's nowhere to go," Colress said. "Olympia has never been wrong."

Morai took control of and hoisted herself over Colress's Metagross. She managed to take him to the ground before he could do much to fight back. She held him there, and everything came to a standstill. About ten Interpol agents had filed into the room along with their Pokémon, which were mostly Arcanine and Machamp. Looker and Anabel arrived last, stepping in front of the entire group. The Aether Foundation employee was slumped against the wall, drained of energy. 

"Hi, Morai," Anabel said with a slight smile as she gazed at Morai's forehead. "I'd introduce myself, but we already know each other, in a way." 

Morai stood there silently, not moving a muscle. 

"This is it," Looker said. "Not to be cliché, but we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The outcome will be the same either way."

Morai was strangely calm. 

This isn't it. I can tell. I can feel it. 

"No, this isn't it," she flatly said, causing both of the agents to frown at her decision to do things the hard way. "This is not the end. Not yet, anyway. You'll get the outcome you want, but it's not today."