The week passed without much notice. Kathrine kept me on a consistent tight schedule which bugged me more then I care to put into words. Each day followed relatively the same events and I still had not been allowed to see Silver or Red once, even when I didn't follow my usual antics and behaved myself, in Kathrine's definition anyway.

Growling angrily, I hit the dummy in front of my once more. The buzzer sounded off and I stopped, folding my arms over my chest as the scientists studied the impact marks on the dummy. Even without my powers I'd left reasonable dents in the foam like plastic since each blow was fuelled by my anger. Kathrine also entered the room, not even sparing me a glance as the lab coated men went over the statics and what not of my morning 'routine'.

I sat down in a corner, hoping to be ignore as I gently tested my pulled shoulder muscle, wincing as the pain increased. I hadn't bothered to tell Kathrine about it, even though I was meant to tell her if I'd hurt myself but I didn't want to risk my friends getting hurt because my shoulder was injured. It did swell a little but I couldn't tell if it had gotten better or worse of the week but it still hurt when I moved it to much. I'd trained myself years ago it be ambitious so it wasn't normally to much of a bother, unless to moved it to quickly in the wrong direction.

Cyrus also entered the room and began conversing with Kathrine about things I couldn't be bothered to eavesdrop on, instead I blew my fringe from my face, shutting my eyes to focus on my aura. I found it easier I situations like these to use aura rather then regular eyesight as it was more calming and helped ease my nerve. With the presence of Cyrus often not far away, I was always felt set on edge.

"You hardly even know the girl!"

I snapped from my thoughts, frowning at Kathrine and Cyrus arguing as if I weren't even there. The memory of the night Kathrine had left mewing Cyrus struggled to surface but I pushed them aside, knowing now was not the time to be thinking of such things.

"Like you know her any better."

"And I don't exist again." I sighed to myself, leaning back against the wall. This surprisingly wasn't uncommon, though they haven't before today argued directly in front of me, Kathrine and Cyrus fought at least once a day. More often then not I was put on break or sent from the room but now, as was becoming more common, I was being treated like I didn't exist during moments that suited my birth parents.

For a moment I just sat there before I rose to my feet and snuck from the room, as expected, Shadow was there, watching with an amused expression through the one way window. "Having fun my dear."

"Shut up." I muttered, followed by a snarl as I look at Kathrine and Cyrus fighting. "I can't stand them."

"Not so keen on them either." Shadow mused.

I glared at him. "I believe I just said that." Although I hated Shadow with a passion, I found him to be slightly more tolerable then Cyrus and Kathrine combined.

"I believe you have a question?" Shadow smirked, looking at me from the corner of his cold blue eyes.

Rolling my eyes, I glowered slightly. "How do you do that?"

"Years of practice my dear. Now, your question?

"Are Silver and Red alright?" I asked hesitantly with a sigh. "No one's telling me anything about them."

"They are being taken care of and are both in good health. I do believe you were told that they would not be harmed and would be properly taken care of."

"I know... But I haven't seen them in a week and I'm..." Shaking my head in attempt to clear it, not willing to admit to Shadow openly that I was scared. "Forget it, it's none of your business."

Shadow raised an eyebrow but said nothing more on the topic. "You might as well go on your break, they're going to be a while."

"On my own?"

"Yes, is there a problem with that?"

"No... I'm just hardly able to go to the bathroom without being watched here."

The midnight haired trainer shrugged. "I trust you won't go wondering, not with your Pokémon and friends being held here."

I frowned. "Yeah..."

"Then off you go. Behave yourself my dear."

With a sigh of irritants, I complied and left the room alone. A voice in my mind told me to go looking for Silver and Red, as well as my Pokémon, but a security camera mounted in the corner made me think otherwise. I was learning my way around the more common routes through this place and easily could make my way to the room I spent my breaks.

The same five items that I was always given were all the room held, a towel, two water bottles and a can of deodorant. (After everything I have to do during my 'tests' I'd argued it was a necessity) I sat on the plush chair that was the final item in the room, draining the water bottle as the silence around me seemed to press down around me. Humming slightly, I thought of a tune in my head before I sung the words to fill the void of silence.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

"In between the coats in the closet
She held onto that heart shape locket
Staring at a family, flawless
But it ain't a pretty picture tonight.

Mum and daddy just won't stop it
Fighting at the drop of a faucet
Cuts through the walls catastrophic
She's caught in the cross fire.

Puts her hands over her ear
Starts talking through the tears
She saying
and she's praying!

I wish words were like little toys guns
No sting, no hurting no one
Just a bang, bang rolling of your tongue

I wish words were like little toy guns
Yeah, no smoke, no bullets,
No kick from the trigger when you pull it
No pain, no damage done

I wish words were like little toy guns
Just a bang bang rolling off your tongue
Wish words were like little toy guns

Wish there was a white flag waving
Or that they were both just faking
And it was just a game they were playing
Like shoot-'em-up cowboys

Leave the plastic pistols in the front yard
Throw away the scorecard
And just turn off all the noise

I wish words were like little toys guns
No sting, no hurting no one
Just a bang, bang rolling of your tongue

I wish words were like little toys guns
Yeah, no smoke, no bullets,
no kick from the trigger when you pull it
No pain, no damage done

I wish words were like little toy guns
Just a bang, bang rolling off your tongue
Wish words were like little toy guns

Oh, I wish they didn't cut like a knife
I wish they didn't break you inside
I wish they didn't bang, bang
Make you wanna run...

Like little toy guns
No sting, no hurting no one
Just a bang bang rolling of your tongue

I wish words were like little toy guns
Yeah, no smoke, no bullets,
No shock from the trigger when you pull it
No pain, no damage done

I wish words were like little toy guns
Just a bang bang rolling off your tongue
Wish words were like little toy guns

Oh, like little toy guns."

I swiped a tear from my eye before it could be seen. Why do I do this to myself? Being around both my parents was stirring emotions I hated more then anything but they couldn't be helped since there was no avoiding them, even if I wanted to, which believe me, I did. More then anything right now. Well... Maybe second to more then anything. I wanted to see Silver, Red and my Pokémon more then anything right now.

Running my finger through my hair I sighed deeply, noting I still ten minutes before my break normally ended. There wasn't a camera in this shoebox of a room, as far as I knew anyway, but there was one just outside the door. Meaning I couldn't leave without getting caught or someone coming to get me. I started on the second water bottle but didn't fish it before the door opened. I watched in silence as Kathrine entered the room, looking quite surprised to see me curled up on the lounge chair. Obviously Shadow had told her he'd sent me on my own and expected me to try to escape but I didn't get know my way around well enough to escape without the risk of my brother and Red getting hurt first.

Kathrine quickly composed herself. "Come with me."

"But I still have ten minutes." I whined with a pout, purely for the sake of being difficult.

"I don't care, now come." Kathrine almost growled. Hehe, she was in a bad mood, time for some fun.

I rose to my feet, follow inner across the room. "Fight with Cyrus not go so well?" Img tone somewhat chirpy.

Team Rifts Leader frowned at me. "How did you know about that?"

"Because I was in the room when the two of you started." I retorted with a snort, following Kathrine through the endless halls I took careful note of. "Honestly you two haven't changed a bit."

"That is of none of you concern." She hissed.

"Oh really? So I get threatened if I start a fight but you're allowed to fight in front of me? Some example you're setting, and you expect me to think of you two as my parents." I scoffed.

"Stop talking back or you will go a month without seeing either of your friends." Kathrine scowled.

"I rest my case." I muttered, crossing my arms with a snarl of distain.

Kathrine didn't say anything more as I followed her through the complex. We weren't going back to the usual training room. Instead we entered the first room of this complex I'd ever found myself in, minus the cage I was kept in. I froze, hesitating as I followed Kathrine into the room, looking around for any signs of the experimental equipment to which I found none. Only a nurse dressed in black and green.

"I do believe you have an injured shoulder you're not telling anyone about." Kathrine crossed her arms as the nurse showed me where to sit. "You are to stubborn for your own good and you've probably made it worse."

"How did you know about that?" I frowned, pulling away when the nurse tried to touch me. "Don't touch me." I growled defensively.

The nurse looked to Kathrine for instruction but she just glared at me. "Bring in the Audino." Nurse lady nodded in reply and left the room, returning with a small, shy looking Audino that spiked my curiosity as it didn't have the aura of a Team Rift Pokémon.

"Tend to her shoulder, no dilly dallying." Kathrine hissed the the timid Pokémon.

The Audino squeaked in fear and rushed to my side, ears drooping in fear . I remained still, feeling the fear the smaller Pokémon held towards Team Rifts leader.

"I have other business to attend to, behave yourself Emma, you're already in plenty of trouble." Kathrine narrowed her eyes. "For future note, if you do get hurt, I am to know right away. You will face the consequences but I have plans that do not involve your friends, this time."

I huffed but said nothing more until Kathrine and the nurse were out of the room. Silver and Red were not being hurt so I couldn't care less what I had to do. "Hello." I looked at the Audino, standing by my side, watching the door timidly until my voice changed it's point of attention.

~Hello Emma. I'm honoured to meet you Voice of Purity.~ The little Pokémon replied, shyness clear in her tone as she gently felt around the injured area of my shoulder, watching as I winced. ~I'm sorry...~

"It's fine, I've felt worse plenty of times." I replied with a tired sigh. "How'd you end up here?"

Audino paused for a moment, looking at me with scared, sad blue eyes. ~I was traded from my trainer to one of the members of this team. They were trying to force me to mega evolve but... They couldn't figure it out for my species. They were going to get rid me but someone made the suggestion that since they had plans on bringing you here that you'd need someone to tend to you if you got hurt since it was expected that you wouldn't let anyone else touch you willingly. So I was force to remain here.~

"They experimented on you then?" I questioned with a sad frown.

~Yes, many times. Trying to figure out how to Mega Evolve my species without the stones needed, but they couldn't figure it out. Many Audino passed away during the experiments, I am among the few that survived.~ She hung her head. ~My brother was among those fallen.~

"I'm sorry for your loss..." I replied as Audino went back to her work. "I couldn't stand it if I lost my brother... That's why I have to stay here."

~It's not your fault.~ She sighed. ~You must love your brother lots to be here if you could leave.~

"I do, he's one of the first people I trusted in years way back... I only ever trusted my Pokémon for a very long time." I explained. "He's the only family I really have, I couldn't stand it if anything happened to him... Sorry, I guess I'm not helping."

Audino smiled softly. ~It's fine, I'm sure he would have liked you.~ A moment of silence followed before she spoke. ~I miss my trainer.~ She sighed.

"The one who traded you away?"

The Healer Pokémon nodded. ~Any place would be better then being here, it reeks of death and death and the people here treat me very badly. My trainer was kind, even if he traded me and my brother to these people, I'd go back in a heart beat if I ever get out.~

Smiling slightly at Audino's reply I nodded agreeably. "I'm trying to get out also, they have my brother and my friend, as well as our Pokémon here. I couldn't leave without any of them." I replied.

~If you do figure out how to get out of here, would you come back for the Pokémon here. I'm not the only one here.~ She questioned hopefully.

"I- I'd do my best." I replied hesitantly as Audino bathed my injured shoulder in a soft blue light of a Heal Pulse. "But this place is so big, I don't know if I'd ever be able to but it's part of my job to help Pokémon in need."

Audino smiled a little as she worked. ~Some of the Pokémon here are talking about starting a rebellion. The ones who aren't corrupt. They say if we can free Diancie, the Pokémon that powers the corrupted Mega Pokémon, they would go back to normal and we could escape.~

I smiled slightly with a giggle I replied. "Get me in on that action when it happens."

The Audino nodded with a chuckle also. ~I will. If it does happen, I'll make sure they free you and your friends and your Pokémon.~ She smiled as she finished.

I tested my shoulder, feeling no pain as I moved it. "Thanks Audino."

~M-my name is Serenity.~ She smiled. ~But you can call me Audino if you want... Everyone else does.~

"No, I like Serenity." I smiled and I gently pat her head. "Do you by any chance know anything about this?" I showed her the black device strapped to my wrist that stopped my powers from forming.

Serenity nodded. ~It was made to counter your powers with darkness, they are made from the shards of Arceus's plates that are scattered throughout the world, most commonly in Sinnoh. The Dread Plate to be exact. It blocks your powers by creating a wall of darkness within you that blocks the Light Energy from being released in the form of an attack.~ She explained.

"You wouldn't happen to know how to get it off or turn it off would you?" I asked hopefully.

~I'm sorry but I do not.~ She replied sadly.

"It's okay, it was worth a shot." I smiled as I gently rand my fi gets over her feelers. "Is there a way to counter it then?"

My new Audino friend nodded. ~Yes. But it would take an immense amount of power to break through it.~

I nodded as the door swung open once more, Serenity shuffled closer to me timidly, whimpering slightly as Kathrine and the nurse walked back in. Paying no mind to the new comers, I gently stroked her head, reassuring her that it was okay.

"How did it go?" The nurse asked, taking my side and attempted to examine my shoulder before I pulled away again with a growl.

"It's fine." I hissed, rising to my feet. Serenity shifted by my side, snuggling close to me.

"Then come along, you have one final test for the day. Since you wasted my time with this, I've had to rearrange my schedule so you're going to the Dark Room a few days earlier then expected." Kathrine narrowed her eyes slyly.

"Dark Room?" I questioned, slightly scared by the rooms name, I was still terrified of the dark so the name 'Dark Room' was something I found quite intimidating.

"You'll see, now come along." She smirked, standing by the door, ready to leave.

Biting down on my tongue, I sighed, patting Serenity lightly on he head. "I'll probably see you later."

She nodded but didn't say anything as I followed Kathrine from the room silently. I didn't want to leave the Audino behind but I knew that keeping her with me wasn't an option since Kathrine wouldn't even tell me if my brother was okay.

"What did you talk to the Audino about?"

"This and that." I shrugged. "Quite frankly, I was more excited about talking to someone who actually cared about what I was telling them to listen."

"I care very much about what you have to say." Her tone was almost sarcastic.

"Yeah but I don't like you, I hate you with a passion so why would I talk to you openly about anything?" My tone was intentionally over dramatic.

"Because it's what is expected of you. As you have been told several times, my scientists are trying to figure out how you work and anything you say will be taken into account."

"Well then, you are a pain in the behind."

Kathrine rolled her eyes.

"Besides, I don't talk about anything personal with people I don't like. I don't like you so I refuse to tell you anything personal." I huffed.

"This conversation will have to be postponed, we're here." Kathrine entered a room, ushering me inside.

The set up of the room beyond the door had an array of fairly complex looking machinery. Flickering screens held colours bright enough to send someone into a seizure. Everything within the small room looked rather expensive, hehe I'd love to throw one of my tantrums in here... That would be fun. I took note of a single door which sat directly opposite from where I entered, seemingly made of a very strong and think metal, as if it's purpose was to hold a tremendous force. Many scientist looking people milled around the room with there own jobs to attend to. A single one approached Kathrine and I, examining a clipboard as he did. "Is the subject ready."

"Am I allowed to answer no, or will that be ignored?"

"Yes, she's ready." Kathrine replied, paying little mind to me.

"Ignored, got it. How silly of me, I don't exist in these situations." I rolled my eyes as I spoke to myself in a obnoxiously sassy manner that I knew annoyed Kathrine more then I cared to put into words.

The scientist wrote down more notes, examining me up and down before gesturing to a set of scales in the corner and telling me to stand on top of them and remove my shoes and jacket. At first I hesitated, retorting how rude it was asking  a girl her weight but he didn't seem to care, unsurprisingly. After my weight was checked, my hight was measured as well as my waste line. Since I threatened to bite the scientist with the tape measure, I was allowed to do that one myself before I was sat down in the corner of a room with Kathrine and the lead white clad scientist loomed over me.

"The dark room is designed to measure your reaction to immense levels of fear. The room is pitch black inside and designed to take note of every condition changed within. Both your heart rate and breath are monitored at all times so if they rise or fall beyond the safe levels then, and only then, will you be removed before 24 hours are up."

"I'm going to be in there for a whole day!" I exclaimed in shock, raising to my feet in an instant, I can't even stand five minutes in the dark let alone 24 while hours. "I... I can't do that. It's to long."

"Well you will." Kathrine glared, taking me firmly by the arm. I wrenched my arm back, shaking my head firmly in response.

"No, I can't! I can't do it!"

Sighing deeply with irritation, Kathrine snapped her fingers and a group of the surrounding scientists advanced on me. They made an attempt to grab me but I fought them off... For the most part. My panicked blows quickly became miscalculated and I was detained by three of the scientists in the room. I struggled from their grasp but it was fruitless.

"You're becoming more trouble then you're worth girl." One of the scientists growled. (whom I easily recognised as one I'd previously punched in the face for getting to close to what I found comfortable)

"Quiet." Kathrine growled to no one in general as she rubbed her temples. "Just put her in there and switch off the lights at exactly 5:30 PM."

Despite my struggles, I was easily over powered and forced into the room with the door being slammed behind me. The lights were still on, though with no evitable source. I was not willing to give up as I slammed my fists against the door, demanding, pleading to be let out before the lights went off. I couldn't even fight off the tears and I collapsed to my knees.

"Please..." I begged a final time before the lights flickered off, leaving me in utter darkness.

~*~*~*🌸*~*~*~
Word count: 3857
A nice long chapter for you all. I honestly hate it but I can't be bothered fixing it right now. Enjoy the horrid chapter while I sleep. *falls on bed*

As usual, vote, comment and keep on reading on~!