***Serena's POV

"Who are you?"
I ask, slowly lifting myself off the muddy ground.

"Oh, I just have a question." The masked man answers.

He slowly starts stepping towards me, his Swampert following.

I step back, trying to stay as far away as I can.

What do I do? If I run, he'll surely attack again. And he's forcing me away from the Pokemon Center, so no one will hear me yell for help. That leaves me only one option.

I reach for one of my Pokeballs, when I suddenly feel a presence behind me.

Before I can turn around, something wraps it's arms around me and picks me up, pinning my arms to my side.

"Hariyama!"

"Let go of me!"

"Now now, did you really think I was going to let you use your pokemon?"

The masked figure walks up to me.

"Why are you doing this?"

He answers with his palm making contact with my face.

"Look here girl, I will be doing the questioning here, got it?" He yells. Despite my eyes being to water, I make eye contact.

He has sad, blue eyes.

He reaches up to my face, and grabs my chin. His eyes wander all over my body.

"How old are you? Sixteen?"

I nod slowly.

"Yes, you definitely are a pretty girl, especially in that dress," He says, tracing his finger along my cheek, and slowly going down my neck, then my collarbone.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

"N-n-no, but-"

"But what? You think your crush is going to come save you? Trust me, he isn't coming."

I feel him smiling under his mask. The sadness in his eyes are replaced with mischief, and anger.

He quickly turns around and takes a couple steps away.

"Bronzong! Come out and perform another Rain Dance!"

Well that explains the sudden storm.

A Bronzong comes out of the shadows, and begins the Rain Dance.

The masked man turns back around, and stares at me.

"Please! Somebody help me!" I yell, wiggling around trying to break free.

Please, someone hear me. Anyone.

Hariyama tightens her grip on me.

"I would stop screaming if I were you. No one can hear you because of this storm. Besides, you'll be doing a lot of screaming soon enough," He says, as he rushes up and grabs my neck.

I start to cry.

"No. Please, don't hurt me."

I spot another Pokemon creep behind him and sit next to him. A Mightyena.

He brings his face closer to mine. With his free hand, he reaches down my dress and touches my knee with his cold fingers as they slowly begin to creep upward.

I can't handle this. I need to make it stop.

"By the time I'm done with you-"

I don't let him finish. I kick him in his weak spot, right in between his legs.

As he falls on the ground, I swing my leg back, then forward, kicking the Hariyama. She loosens his grip, and I manage to break free. Before I can take a step, Mightyena dives right at me, bearing his sharp white teeth.

I watch as he slowly comes at me, already savoring my blood. I close my eyes and wait for the pain to come.

"Minum!"

I open my eyes, and Minum from earlier is standing in front of me, her cheeks sparking. Mightyena is on his side.

She saved me!

Mightyena quickly recovers and growls at Minum, who holds her ground.

"Hari!"

I turn, and I see Hariyama being zapped by lightning. A Plusle drops down from a tree, cheeks giving off sparks of electricity.

I turn around and the next thing I know I'm on the ground with the Swampert towering over me.

"Swampert!"

He glares angrily, and he starts powering up an attack, when he's interrupted by a Thunder Punch.

"Pichu!"

Shocked, I get back on my feet and I see the mice trio fighting my attackers.

I reach for one of my Pokeballs, in my attempt to join in the fight.

"Pichu! Pi, pi!"

Pichu points towards the Pokemon Center, when he's hit with a Water Pulse.

Of course! Now's my chance!

I take off at full sprint, a Pokeball ready at hand.

I won't make the same mistake twice.

I nearly reach the door, when suddenly-

"Bronzong! Confusion!"

Oh no.

My body stops responding as soon as I grab the handle of the door. I can see through the glass window, and Nurse Joy isn't at her desk.

"Nurse Joy, please he-"

The words are cut off as I feel my throat being compressed together.

"I will wring out the remaining air out of your lungs if you don't stay still!"

I nod.

I'm dropped to the ground, my throat relieved from the pressure. I gasp for air as I try to make sense with my blurred vision.

The masked man has recovered, and he slowly walks towards me, and he brings down one of his heavy boots on my right ankle.

"Ah!"

The three mice Pokemon turn to me, and abandon their battle in an attempt to save me.

"Confusion once again Bronzong."

The Pokemon are frozen mid run, surrounded by a blue hue. Bronzong straightens out their bodies in stiff movements. I watch them twitch in pain. They slowly float over towards us.

I try to get the masked man off me, but then Hariyama stomps her foot next to me as a warning.

"Hariyama, tell me what happened," the masked man asks.

"Hari, hariyama! Hari, hari, hari, yama, yama. Hariyama!"

"So these three pests attacked you."

He examines the Pokemon, particularly the Pichu.

"This Pichu looks very familiar. Swampert! The Pichu attacked you, correct?"

"Swampert!"

"What move did it use?"

"Swamp, swamp!"

I can't believe it. This man can actually talk to Pokemon?

"Thunder Punch? Really? So tell me, Pichu, why did you and your friends attack?" The man asks the Pokemon. Pichu stays silent.

"Bronzong, you know what to do."

The Pokemon begin to to howl and cry in pain. Their arms, legs and tails being to slowly twist in awkward angles.

"They stepped in because I begged them for help!" I yell.

The Pokemon stop screaming. They breath heavily, trying to stay conscious.

They all look at me with sad eyes, as if telling me "you've made a mistake".

The masked man stomps on the same ankle again. Before I could react, the boot makes contact with my face, knocking me into the mud. I cover my face with my arms as I feel my left eye begin to swell up.

"I have warned you multiple times Serena. You leave me no choice, but to-"

Small explosions interrupt our little heart to heart.

"Bronzong!"

I turn and see that something attacked Bronzong. I turn and see Pichu, Plusle, and Minum are released from the physic attack.

"That is a girl, not a floormat. Get off of her now."

Recognizing the voice, I quickly turn around and see it's the stranger with the radio from the lake.