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...
"Are you ready for some training?" Morai asked.
Morai changed clothes and put her mask on. She had an unusual way of dealing with these nightmares, which was to confront her fears head on. If she did this again and again, she thought that perhaps the nightmares would cease.
She was in Unova again. The city streets and walkways were cold and wet, just like her dream. It was the middle of winter now, and her multi-layered outfit had come in handy for protecting her from the cold. Because much of the city was asleep, she decided to be a little bolder and land closer to the main streets. She started walking, and all the while got lost in thought. She usually didn't let herself do that because it made her less aware
"Hey, you!" someone shouted, snapping her out of her daydreaming.
Of course. It was a Team Rocket grunt. What a coincidence. She knew that Giovanni had given them all orders to stop her if she went outside like this.
Well, she'll make good target practice.
Morai took a mask out and threw it.
I only have two left. I wonder if they'll make me more.
It landed without a problem. Morai was expecting a more difficult battle.
"Hey, you made it too easy! You didn't even try t—ach!"
Someone grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. Whoever it was, they were taller than her and strong enough to lift her off the ground. The only defense she had at this point was to kick backwards, but that wasn't of much help.
Okay, fine. Have it your way.
The rocket grunt across the alley came running as she struggled against her assailant. Suddenly, she was thrown against the wall of a brick building. She looked behind her.
"International Police. You're under arrest," the figure said.
Wait, what?
All she saw was someone in a Team Rocket uniform. Her mask scanned his face and showed a police agent named Lucien.
"You don't look like a police agent," Morai remarked.
"Well, that was the whole point, so I guess I did my job well," he replied.
The trainer tried to resist, but seeing as how she was pressed against a wall with her back to her opponent, there wasn't much she could do, especially now that she was handcuffed. She had control of who she assumed was another police agent, but she was struggling to work out the surroundings and where they really were.
The nightmare
"I've got her. Where are you—oof!"
Morai had finally moved the other agent close enough to sneak up on the arresting agent and hit him. She was fighting with someone through another person, something she'd never done before. It took all of her focus.
Lead kick, right hook...ouch! That had to hurt.
"Look, Marie. I don't want to fight you!" Lucien said.
"She can't hear you. She can only hear me. Let me go and I'll let her go," Morai answered.
"Not a chance!" Lucien yelled. "You're assaulting two International Police agents, which'll earn you much harsher treatment!"
Morai managed to reach around to her belt and take out a Pokéball.
"Ninetales, disrupt him! I don't care how."
The Pokémon shot flames from it's mouth, forcing the agent to dodge. The other agent, Marie, would have been burnt had Morai not remembered to move her.
"Let's go!"
Morai called the mask back and ran for it, Ninetales following behind. She didn't know where she was going, but all she cared about was getting away. Her ears started to ring and her head started to hurt, and running with her arms secured behind her was especially difficult. She heard the roaring barks of an Arcanine following behind her, and they were only getting louder. She reached for Corviknight's Pokéball, but it wasn't there.
Oh, no. It must've been knocked off of my belt.
She ran as fast as she could, her lungs starting to tighten from breathing in so much freezing air.
The Mask Maker stopped. Her road had run out. It was either run into the city or get caught by Arcanine and the ensuing agent. She had no choice but to do the former. She ran straight for the exit tunnel leading into Nimbasa.
The bright lights hurt her head. People were starting to realize that she, the dreaded Mask Maker, was right there in the city.
I remember when it didn't hurt to look at the city. I was an inexperienced trainer coming from Kalos. That's when I first met him and Team Plasma. I could view the beautiful city from the ferris wheel without having to close my eyes. I wonder if I'll ever get to do that again.
Arcanine emerged from the tunnel, prompting Morai to run again. She didn't know where to go. It had been a while since she had been here.
There's a forest somewhere beyond here...right? The stadiums are that way, or are they over in that direction? Oh, I don't know!
There was one place she did know, however, and she was right in front of it. The warm lights from within the Battle Subway shone through the stairway.
If I can get on the train to Anville...my hideout will be on the way.
Arcanine was coming right towards Morai, so she turned and descended the big staircase, trying not to fall on the way down.
Anville, Anville, where is it? It's the one with the brown stripe. Ah, there it is!
"You there! Please stop!" a Depot Agent called, a finger pointed right at her.
Morai recognized him from all the time she spent here trying to beat his bosses. She didn't want to cause a disruption in a place she held in such high regard, but it was her only option. She ran, knowing she'd only attract more attention in the process.
There it is, the train for Anville Town. If I can just make it through those doors...
"Close the doors! Close the doors!" he shouted.
There was no time. The Depot Agent standing watch by the train to Anville stepped in front of the door, but Morai wasn't stopping.
"Ninetails!"
Her partner tackled the trainer guarding the door and Morai jumped inside.
"Attention, all passengers," the kindly speaker voice announced. "The train for Anville Town is now departing. For your safety, please remember to stand behind the yellow line while waiting to board the train. Thank you for riding the Battle Subway today."
The door closed just as the remaining Depot Agent arrived. Ninetales, in its intelligence, had tackled the other agent from the side, keeping him away from the doorway.
The train is controlled remotely from the control room, but it won't be long until they find out I'm on it and stop it. They're remarkably attentive.
Morai took a deep breath. She was terribly out of breath from running and her head hurt.
"Hey, Ninetales, can you break these cuffs? Or melt them?"
Ninetales carefully heated the middle of the chain enough for Morai to twist the metal apart. She started to quietly walk to the next train car, checking to see if anyone was there. There weren't usually passengers to this town during the week. She slowly crept from train car to train car, finding each one empty, until she arrived at the front of the train. She peaked her head into the car, and a tall figure stood right in front of her.
"Hello."
Startled, Morai tried to turn and run.
"I'm afraid there's no point in running. Our destination is the same no matter where you are on the train," the figure said.
"Look, I'm not here to cause trouble, sir. I never intended to step foot in this place, but I was being chased," Morai stammered.
"I see. Why don't we sit down?" he answered calmly.
"You're being awfully considerate," Morai said.
"Like I said, the doors of this train will only open at one destination, so I see no point in fighting until we reach it, as this train isn't meant for battles. I'd rather enjoy the ride and scenery, wouldn't you?"
Ingo turned and sat on the long bench on one side of the train, waiting for the other passenger to do the same.
This is just like him. So polite, even to criminals.
Morai sat down across from Ingo, thinking about what awaited her at the end of the ride. Surely the police had been notified.
"You are all well known for being passionate about protecting the subway, so I thought I'd be met with more unpleasant reactions from its bosses," Morai said.
"You're a passenger more than an intruder, even if you dodged the Depot Agents to board," Ingo explained. "I believe you when you say you were only looking for an escape. You've been demonized by everyone who talks about you, but I prefer to make my own judgements."
"Well, what they've said is true. I've attacked people. They have footage. Surely you saw what happened on the set of that news station."
"I did see it, but there's something different about you. I've seen megalomaniacs like Ghetsis at work before, and you don't act like one. You seem to want to better society, though I don't agree with how you're doing it. You somehow come back from whatever downfall you experience, which shows ambition. You remind me of a dear friend in that regard. They may lose again and again, but each time they come back a little better than the last, determined not to quit."
"So if you don't think I'm a monster, what am I?" Morai asked.
"You're not a monster unless you make yourself out to be one. What you are is up to you. You can use your abilities to better the world without doing what you're doing now. They only make you a villain if you choose to be so. In fact, I have the perfect opportunity for you to try it," Ingo started.
"...Really?"
"There's a Druddigon rampaging around Anville town, and our rail yard as well as the trains resting there are at risk of being severely damaged. The area has been evacuated, so there are no people there. I was on my way to resolve the issue along with my brother Emmet, but he got caught up battling in the Super Double rail line. I could easily defeat Druddigon in battle, but it would be much less injurious to it and the surrounding area if you simply send Druddigon to rest in a cave."
"Okay...I think I can do that," Morai said, a bit dumbstruck by Ingo's offer.
"Wonderful. Thank you for your help. By the way, I've rudely gone this whole train ride without introducing myself. My name is Ingo. I'm a Subway Boss specializing in Single Battles."
"And I'm...well, you know who I am."
"Surely you have another name other than The Mask Maker," the Subway Boss said.
"Oh, well, Morai is what I'm usually called. The Mask Maker is such a long name to say over and over again."
"That's right. I remember seeing that on your...well, your wanted poster."
Speaking of which...he's helping a criminal. He has to know that's illegal. His morals wouldn't allow him to do it.
"We've arrived. Right on schedule, too," Ingo said with a slight satisfied smile. He checked the time and nodded.
He's a stickler for schedules, that's for sure.
"I can hear Druddigon, but I don't see it yet."
They both stood up and Ingo gestured for Morai to exit the train first. She poked her head out, looking for the police that had surely been called, but there was no sign of anyone.
"I gave you my word. The area is clear."
"We think she got into a scuffle with some Interpol agents dressed like us, but escaped. There was an Arcanine running towards the Battle Subway, too," a Team Rocket grunt explained.
"Well, I've made it stupidly easy to find her, so go find her and bring her here!" Giovanni yelled.
The Rocket boss was sitting at his desk, his head in his hands. The Rocket grunts saluted and ran out of his office.
This is exactly why I told her to stay out of trouble until she was strong enough to handle situations like this herself, he thought.
He flipped a small vial around in his hand, looking at how the liquid inside gleamed under the light and muddling over the conversation he had had with his group of scientists.
"It's a modification of the performance-enhancing drug we're developing for Pokémon. From the tests done with the DNA we took from her when she first got here, it would theoretically strengthen her abilities."
"How much?"
"Morai likely wouldn't have to use one of those masks to achieve the same result. If she does discover that she has other abilities, it would strengthen them."
"What are the side effects?"
"We can't know for sure unless she agrees to test it, but it would very likely weaken the signals in certain areas of the brain, making her more aggressive and impulsive."
"You're saying she would be willing to use more power without considering the consequences?"
"She would abandon the instinct to protect herself from injury in pursuit of destroying the target."
"The way I see it, that's not a side effect, but a benefit."
"Soon enough, the remnants of the other organizations will be trying to get a hold of this power. They may even be planning to now..." Giovanni muttered.
"Ah, there it is. It's inside of that empty compartment. I'm glad I brought a lantern," Ingo said. He stiffly pointed to the dark hole in the depot and brought out his Chandelure. "Would you mind lighting this for me?"
His partner lit the lantern with the blue flames on one of its arms. The pair descended the stairs, Ingo and Chandelure leading the way with their light. The sun was just beginning to appear over the horizon.
"I can lure it closer to the entrance if you need."
"No thanks, I've got it from here. Light the way, Ninetales!" Morai commanded. She marched right into the shed, Ninetales flaming beside her. Druddigon let out a vicious roar and started to charge.
"Ninetales, use—nope, never mind, there's not enough time for that. Run!" the trainer yelled.
She hurried out, grabbing a mask while she ran and stopped beside Ingo. He instinctively readied himself for a battle, but Morai was prepared. As soon as Druddigon came into the light, she threw a mask and landed it. With the Pokémon's strength and powerful claws, she felt like she had to hurry before it destroyed one of the two masks she had left.
"So...do you know of any caves around here?" Morai asked.
"There's one beyond the forest ahead. I believe that's where it originally came from," Ingo replied.
I don't know if I can make it run that far. I wish it could fly. Which would bring a headache faster, charging ahead to get it over with or taking it slow and steady? Oh, I know, I can just tell it to go home.
The young trainer sent it off through the trees. At this point, she was able to divide her attention between Ingo and the Druddigon she was sending home.
"It's going home. Where and how far away that is, I don't know."
Ingo seemed caught off guard.
"I didn't think you were able to multitask when you were using your ability, but now that I think about it, I've seen you do it before on the news. You powers are really fascinating. Have you always had them?" Ingo asked.
"Em, well...no. I wasn't born this way. Or if I was, I didn't know for a long time. It just sort of...happened," Morai answered.
"Really? How so?"
"Look sir, or Ingo, I don't know why you brought be out here, but what I really don't understand is what you're planning to do with me. You seem like the kind of person who would have me arrested or bring me to justice in some way, yet you've been nicer to me than almost anyone I've crossed paths with. Why?"
"Well, truthfully...I made an arrangement," Ingo admitted. "If you agree to use your powers for the better—in a way that satisfies the International Police, that is—you could stay out of whatever they had planned for you. I was thinking that perhaps you could help Emmet and I keep the subway running smoothly, along with the Depot Agents."
"That's a lot to take in," Morai said, "but I'll go back to my original question. Why?"
"Because, Morai, I know who you really a—get down!"
Ingo stepped in front of the trainer as she looked around for the threat. His Chandelure fired an attack, and she heard the wince of the Pokémon at the receiving end.
It was Golbat.
"Hey mister, I've got business with Two Face down there. If you wouldn't mind stepping aside, I'd appreciate it. Otherwise I'm going to have to get mean," a familiar voice said. A pair of feet landed on the packed dirt ground.
Oh great, it's Proton. Forget Druddigon, I have to focus on getting out of THIS situation now.
"That's not going to happen, I'm afraid," Ingo calmly replied.
"Ooh, I love it when people choose the hard way!" the Executive exclaimed. "Or as I like to call it, the fun way! If that's your choice, prepare for battle!"
Ingo quickly defeated Proton. The Haxorus he sent out crushed Proton's team like it was nothing.
"Holy Miltank, you're strong!...Wait a second, you're one of those Battle Subway Bosses, aren't you? I just don't remember which one you are...Anyway, look. I just want to talk to Half and Half over there. I'm on a mission and if I can't beat you in battle, I'll have to move you through other, messier means. So please step aside...or not. I don't mind either way, honestly."
Proton wore a grimace as he prepared to take action. He was obviously hoping for a certain outcome.
He's so cheerful all the time, sometimes I forget that he can be incredibly violent.
"It is my duty to protect the passengers of the Battle Subway. I won't move aside merely because I've been threatened," Ingo said. His face showed no sign of worry or fear.
"Ah, what a bummer! I was hoping you'd wouldn't say that. I totally didn't want a reason to do this," Proton said, unsheathing a blade from his boot almost faster than anyone could see him as he began to charge.
"Proton, no!"
Morai ran in front of Ingo and put her hands out, her eyes gleaming a furious red. Her heart was pounding in her chest. The executive skidded to a stop. His eyes were blankly staring at her eyes, and his grip loosened enough for the blade to slide out of his hand.
Ingo rushed to Morai and once again stepped between her and Proton, his Haxorus guarding his back. His movements were so stiff—robotic, even—but his reflexes were quick. Morai's eyes stopped glowing and Proton stumbled toward the pair of trainers, but stopped after coming face to face with Ingo's steel dragon.
"Are you alright, Miss A—ahem, Morai?" he asked, almost calling the trainer by her true name.
"So you do know who I am," Morai said.
"...Yes. I think I've known for some time," Ingo replied.
"But how? I haven't even been to the subway as my usual self lately, and I haven't stepped foot in there like this before today," Morai said.
"That's precisely why I know," Ingo explained. "I came face to face with you again and again in the subway. By the time you faced me, you had battled 48 other trainers, and you were worn down. But every single time our eyes met to battle, your eyes were filled with determination. When your last Pokémon was defeated time after time you were disappointed. In the beginning there were even times when I thought you were going to quit. But you always returned. The amount of time you spent at our facility is how you became friends with my brother and I."
Morai cocked her head. What he said was true, but none of Morai's other friends had figured out her true identity. What let Ingo on?
"In the last year, however, we stopped seeing your face in the daily crowds of people commuting and battling. When you did appear, you were tired, but all the while still lost in thought. Sometimes a small remark would slip out from your conflicted mind, and you hinted at your secret identity. You changed. That is how I know. Over time and many battles I've learned much about you, and I'd say we've become rather close friends. I don't want to watch you get taken away forever. You suddenly have strange new abilities, and you don't have to go through this experience alone. My brother and I can help you."
"You're not angry? Look at me! Look at what I've done! How could you be friends with me after finding out who I really am?" Morai asked.
"I'm not saying that what you've done is right. I am saying that it would be cruel to abandon you in a time when you need someone the most. If someone fell onto the tracks, we would save them as quickly as possible regardless of how they got there. We wouldn't leave them because we thought they were being irresponsible."
Morai glanced around and took her mask off.
"Ah, there's the human behind the mask," the Subway Boss said with a slight smile. "What do you think about the plan?"
"It sound alright, but...I don't want to reveal my identity to the world," Morai said.
"You wouldn't have to. However, I owe it to my men to tell them who you are. They wouldn't work alongside you otherwise. Most of them know you, so I think they would agree."
"...I think I need time to think about this. Somewhere far away from here. Alone."
"Alright. I have to tell you, however, that if you don't agree to this, I'm obligated to stop you when you return," Ingo said. His tone had changed into an ominous one. "I don't want to, but I believe it's the right thing to do. I ask that you consider my offer very carefully before making a final decision."
"...I understand," Morai said softly. She expected nothing less from Ingo.
"H-hey! What about our p-partnership?" Proton shouted from behind Haxorus, barely able to stand.
I've gotten myself tied between two groups that want my help, The Mask Maker thought. Well, Ingo is just trying to save me from being locked away forever, but still.
"Like I said, I'm going to think about—ouch!"
Morai grabbed her neck. Everything started to fade into darkness. She heard the sound of Haxorus' roar and saw Ingo standing over her, worriedly mouthing words she couldn't hear.
Here we go again.