I woke up the next morning with an absolutely horrible headache. A muffled groan came from the fact that I wasn't even able to heal something so simple, a pain I could normally fix no matter what my current state was. It dulled my senses and clouded my thoughts making being trapped in an echoing cell so much worse. I buried my head in my pillow, hoping to muffle out any sound. Of course I had emergency pain killers but they were in my travel bag since I never normally had to use them.
I'd woken the night before alone in this cell, containing nothing more the a simple bed made from a smooth wooden bed frame and plain white bedding, a matching side table which held two empty draws and two heavy metal doors, one leading out no doubt and another leading to a bathroom. The bathroom was luxurious as far as prison cells go, it had a real, working shower which is a first for me... That statement is actually quite depressing once you think about it... I didn't remember how I'd become unconscious since I didn't remember entering the cell and the last thing I remembered was loosing the battle. Of course my Pokèballs were missing from my belt but that was to be expected. It didn't stop me from worrying about them though, most of them were in critical conditions, beyond even what I could heal.
A small sigh passed my lips as I buried my face into my pillow. I'd been refusing to look up due to the security camera in the top corner of my 'room' and my stubbornness of not wanting to let Kathrine see me upset but I knew I unfortunately couldn't stay under the covers forever.
The hinges of my cell door teased me with a high pitched squeak as the it was pushed open. I huffed as I pulled the covers over my head, only to leave my socked feet exposed. Pulling them under, I hoped my intruder would get the message that I didn't want to be disturbed right now, or ever but particularly now because my head feels like it just used Self Destruct.
A poke on my shoulder told me that obviously, they were looking for an ass beating. "Leave me alone Shadow." I grumbled, not moving from my duvet cocoon. "Not in the mood."
"How'd you know it was me, you were all ready under covers when I entered." He questioned sounding like a bored child looking for entertainment.
"Aura dumb butt." I grumbled, still not able to actually swear for risk of my injured Pokémon being hurt more.
"Naw, still not allowed to use profanities I see."
"Don't even go there."
"Or what, you'll Aura Sphere me?"
To prove my point, I rolled over and kicked him sharply in the stomach, watching in satisfaction as he double over in shock. "Warned you. Now fudge off and leave me alone." With that I fixed up my blanket before once more turning my back to him, relying on aura to warn me of danger.
"Seems you know how to defend yourself, even without your powers." Shadow wheezed.
"Well how do you think I defended myself against buttholes like you before I became Voice of Purity?" I growled. "Now please just let me sleep."
"You didn't put up much struggle the first time I kidnapped you."
I went to kick him again out of annoyance but he saw it coming, grabbing my foot to stop me, my reaction was swift as I used the fact he was already providing me balance to kick him squarely in the jaw. "I said leave me alone, I have a headache bad enough as it is without you fucking it up... I mean-- arg." Let's hope nothing picked up that slip.
Rubbing his jaw with an agitated look, Shadow frowned at me, icy blue eyes spearing me like filed icicles but I simply ignored him and flopped back under the duvet.
"I came to warn you." My adversary said it a flat, pained tone. "The next few weeks Team Rift is going to be putting you through tests to monitor your brain functions and it will be excruciatingly painful, well for you anyway, I get a front row seat."
Holding up a closed fist from beneath my covers I sighed deeply. "See this? This is the amount or Touros dung I give."
"Get out from under the covers." Shadow sighed.
"Why should I?" I pouted.
"Because I have something that might help with your little problem."
"What problem? The fact that my insane 'parents' kidnapped me, think I'm going to treat them like everything they did in the past ten years never happened and want to do who who knows what to me? I see nothing out of the ordinary there."
"Just get out of the covers."
With a huff of annoyance, I unwilling complied, glaring at Shadow from beneath my mess of a fringe as I propped myself up on my elbow. "Whaaaaaaat?"
"Much better." Shadow smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "What you should know is fairly simple. The more you resist Team Rift, the worst things will get for you. The more you give in, the worst things will get for Team Rift."
"That doesn't make any sense..." I sighed, rolling my eyes as I flopped back down into my pillow.
"It will, now about your other little problem."
I looked up at Shadow to death glare him but froze when I saw him holding a small box of pain killers teasingly out of reach. "You know what, fudge you." An irritable huff passed and I glared at my opposite, folding my arms over my chest as a sign I wasn't going to fight for them. Either he could give it to me or not, I was done being toyed with.
"You're no fun anymore." He teased, a taunting smirk playing across his features.
"Are you going to give them to me or are you not? I don't care either way, I can deal with a simple headache."
"A headache will be the least of your worries soon enough." Shadow replied, throwing the box on the bed. "I'm sure the faucet in the bathroom will supply sufficient water to take them with and I'm sure you'll find the necessities in the cupboard below."
"How do I know these won't kill me?" I asked suspiciously.
"If team rift wanted you dead there are thousands of other ways they would do it without poisoning you." He rolled his eyes. "Trust me, I've seen the plans. But do as you will. Enjoy today, your tests begin tomorrow." His tone still teasing as he left the cell
"Oh what a joy my life has become." I rolled my eyes as he left, taking careful note that not once did he refer to me as 'my dear' during the whole conversation.
After he left, I waited a minutes or two, contemplating what I should do next. A slight huff came as I dragged myself from the warmth of my bed. My head thrummed in disagreement to my movement, a feeling that would be best described as a thousand tiny Machamp's using Brick Break on my brain.
The small bathroom as previously explain contained a simple shower, toilet and vanity set atop a cupboard and while I had glanced over the room during the night I hadn't yet explored what might be beyond the tiny door, I guess I'd assumed it empty like the draws beside my bed. My assumption was quickly proven wrong. Beneath the sink were a few basic bathroom items, a bottle of both shampoo and conditioner as well as what looked like cherry blossom scented body wash (seems my favourite flower was not forgotten by my 'parents'), a pink tooth brush and toothpaste, a bar of hand soap, two neatly folded towels, my spare set of clothes that had no doubt come from my bag and a cup.
An unsettled feeling settled upon me when I thought about how each item would have been chosen specifically for me, keeping close to my favourite colours and designs, many of which I realised haven't really changed since I was very little. I temporally shook the thought from my head as I took the cherry blossom themed cup and filled it with cold water from the faucet. After a quick test, the water looked and tasted like normal tap water and like Shadow had said, if Team Rift wanted me dead there were thousands of other methods rather then poisoning they could use so I punched out two tablets from a sheet of the pain killers from Shadow and washed them down with water, leaving the rest of the box in the cupboard for later use.
While I waited for the tablets to settle in, I sat on the closed lid of the toilet since so far the bathroom seemed clear of a security camera if was the one place I could get privacy in this accursed cell. Though I was grateful in many ways that the bathroom was clear of a camera for the main reason for me being as stubborn as I am, would refuse to use it if I was being watched. A deflated sigh left my lips as my thoughts drifted, eventually deciding the bathroom was to cold of a place to hide and my blanket cocoon was much more comfortable... That I could sleep under the cover of thick fluffy fabric.
I was powerless and completely isolated which left me in the simple circumstance that I had to wait until the member of Team Rift made their move but I would wait in bed, under the cover munching on the chocolate bar I had hidden in my belt. The thought of chocolate was a welcomed one.
~*🌸*~
~Kathrine~
I leant back on my chair, watching my daughter through the monitor. The screen beside it showed several graphs indicating the changes in her mental and emotional states as well as how the core of her power reacted to these states. Right now it seemed to be reasonably even, not high and not low as she remained calm yet tense. Her tests would start tomorrow, when the finishing touches are made to the schedule.
"Quite interesting isn't she?" Shadow commented, entering the room as darkly as his name perceived.
"Unstable to." I muttered, looking at the chart of her emotions. "She's going to be difficult to work with while like this but what must be done must be done." A small sigh passed my lips as I knew without a bout that my own temper was present in my daughter.
"True, but then, she's always been hard in the head and soft at heart." He smirked as if knowing something I did not. "Getting her to obey you may yet be your hardest challenge."
A roll of my eyes proved a simple response. "I have plans for that already, she will be completely willing to go through with every test I put her through by tomorrow, make no mistake."
"There is a difference between her doing things for the ones she loves and doing things willingly."
I narrowed my eyes at the Voice of Darkness, watching the amusement gleam in his eyes. "What do you know about that?"
"I have my sources and they are of no concern to you." He shrugged. "I am simply here to watch your plans unfold and claim my prize at the end."
"Right, then leave so I can finish this." I hissed, drawing short of temper with the mind games Shadow seemed to set with every word he spoke. "Or I will pull out of our little deal."
"That would be unwise, I have 3,000 years of experience when it comes to getting what I want and betraying me would not be advisable." This time he narrowed his eyes. "Immortality has it's benefits Kathrine and I'm not afraid to put them at work."
"Just leave then." An irritated sigh followed as Shadow left the room with a smirk.
My gaze shifted to my daughter once more, hiding beneath her covers to avoid being watched. Emma was of course, naturally stubborn, the data gathered on her over the past few years proved that so she'd be trouble to work with, especially see as she held personal grudges against the three most powerful members of this organisation but with her friends and Pokémon under my control, it would be long until she conformed to my wishes.
~*~*~*~*~🌸~*~*~*~*~
Word count: 2037
So not much happened this chapter but it has important information none the less. Next chapter is where the real fun begins *rubs hands together evilly* I'm pretty much done with school for the rest of the term since who can be bothered turning up on the last three days of school anyway?
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