《Cell Cycle - A Pokémon Story》 Part I - Interphase Blue. His entire world was shaded blue. He opened his eyes. He was¡­ floating. Floating in a gooey substance. He could move up, slowly. He could move down. He could move forward¡ª Bump! He blinked, confused. Was that¡­ an invisible wall? There was something on the other side, someplace dark, but he couldn¡¯t see exactly what it was¡­ He floated without destination, following the invisible curved wall. It surrounded him entirely. How funny. Below him, a round grey floor. Above him, a round grey ceiling with tubes trailing out. It was all so¡­ weird. His vision slowly became clearer. There were others in this place with him. Somehow¡­ he could hear them. Hello? Who are you? Where are we? Isn¡¯t this fun? Some were clearer than others. Carefully, not really knowing what he was doing, he reached out with his own mind, connecting with the entities around him. H¨Chello¡­ Immediately, more voices¡ªstrong voices¡ªentered his mind. Hi! You¡¯re finally awake enough to talk! The blue speaks! He speaks! He bobbed higher, coming face to face with one of the talking entities. A small round thing, wrapped in a bubble that floated in the gooey stuff. Even through his blue-tinted bubble, he could somehow tell this new entity was a different colour. Its bubble was green, different from his blue. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. They were all green. Where¡­ am I? he asked. Before he could say anything more, a rumble shook the liquid he was suspended in. High-pitched screams erupted around him as the others scattered. The round opening of the tube clicked, and something pulled at him. He panicked, trying to swim away, but the force was too strong. He was sucked into a long tube, shooting through it so fast he couldn¡¯t tell up from down. With a plop, he landed somewhere new. The dizziness vanished rather quickly. He swam forward, but immediately bumped into another invisible wall. This time, the walls were so much closer. He barely had room to move. What¡¯s going on? He looked around, fear creeping up inside of him. He nearly screamed as a large, distorted face appeared right in front of him, two large spheres staring straight at him. He backed away, pressing against the invisible wall behind him. This place was so small¡­ ¡°A fine specimen,¡± the face said, grinning. A few other disembodied voices echoed over the face¡¯s words. ¡°Birth date: March 6th. Subject S-577. And now¡­¡± The face moved away, fading into the dark space behind. ¡°Initiate growth factor.¡± Something popped out from the ceiling above him¡ªa thin needle that split into five smaller needles¡ªand poked into his blue bubble. He squirmed, trying to escape, trying to do anything to stop what was happening. The needles trembled, then injected something into his bubble. The fear vanished almost instantly. He felt a cold wave of pure energy rush through him, and his mind, which had been jumbled and confused moments ago, cleared nearly instantly. Everything around him seemed ten times clearer as he absorbed whatever had been given to him. He blinked. He was in a tube. Yes, that¡¯s what they were called. And he was¡ª ¡°Transfer subject S-577 to the Growth Tank immediately,¡± the face said. No, not a face¡­ a person. As fast as he had been shoved into the tiny tube, he was sucked back out. This time, however, the tube dumped him into another tank filled with more creatures the seemed to be just like him. Only this time, one look at them told him they were more alike than the ones he had encountered before. All of them floated within blue bubbles. ¡°Hi!¡± One of them approached. She looked slightly larger than himself. ¡°Welcome to your new home!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± He shocked himself. It was the first thing he had said. ¡°Home?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The creature bobbed happily. ¡°I¡¯m S-44. And this is S-128!¡± A smaller creature¡ªmuch smaller than the both of them¡ªpeeked out from behind S-44, jittering nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared,¡± S-44 said to the scared S-128. ¡°He¡¯s just like us. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°My name¡­¡± He remembered the words that the face spoke in that tiny, cramped tube. He looked up at S-128. ¡°My name S-577.¡± Part II - Prophase For a time, life was good. S-577 fit right into the tank along with the other blue creatures that were just like him. S-44 introduced him to everyone, always followed closely by the shy S-128. It was hard trying to remember the numbers of everyone in the tank, so S-577 began to give nicknames to whoever he met. S-44 he called Bubble, because she was the largest of them all, and round like a big bubble. S-128 he called Tiny, for his small size. Then there was Bluey, and Bouncy, and Biggey, and many others. Soon enough, the nicknames began to catch on with everyone else. ¡°What about you?¡± Bubble asked one time. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°S-577,¡± he said proudly. He like the sound of numbers in his own name. A longer name meant he was smarter. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to pick something else?¡± ¡°S-577!¡± he repeated, more insistent. That was his name, and he was going to keep it. ¡°All right, if you insist,¡± Bubble said with a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re a funny one, aren¡¯t you?¡± At the top of the tank jut out an array of tubes and needles, some sucking in the green fluid they were suspended in, others pumping in different coloured substances that quickly faded into the green. A cluster of particularly large tubes stood off to one side. The feeding tubes. That day, S-577 watched as feeding rounds began. Everyone would bob nearer to the feeding tubes. One by one, they got sucked up into one, only to return a few moments later bobbing excitedly and full of energy. It was his turn soon enough. He floated forward, getting caught in the current of the tube. It pulled him in and sucked him through a narrow pipe, plopping him into an extremely small tank where he could barely move. Without any breaks, the feeding needles injected more substance into him, clearing his mind and giving him a refreshing burst of energy. Sometimes, faces would stare at him from the other side of the tank, but not today. Soon, he was sucked back and ejected into the main tank. He swam to meet up with Bubble and Tiny. ¡°I¡¯m feeling pretty good today,¡± Bubble said. ¡°Everyone is in a good mood. How are you doing?¡± S-577 blinked before speaking. ¡°Doing¡­ good.¡± He nodded, his confidence rising. ¡°Good!¡± Despite his mind growing clearer every day, he still found it difficult to string words together, unlike the others who could use more words. Sometimes it took him a while to think up the correct one. The others never chided him for it. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Bubble laughed. ¡°I-I¡¯m o-okay¡­¡± Tiny said in a very soft voice. ¡°Great to hear,¡± Bubble said, giving Tiny a gently nudge of affection. ¡°Did you hear what happened to S-111¡ªI mean, Bluey? Yesterday he got stuck in the tube when he was going to the feeding tank. I think he¡¯s growing too fast! Soon, he¡¯s going to be as big as me.¡± They laughed together. ¡°Bluey¡­ Where?¡± S-577 asked. ¡°Oh, I just saw him lining up for feeding time,¡± Bubble said. ¡°Let¡¯s go say hi. He should be back soon.¡± They floated through the crowd of the other creatures. There were many, at least fifty. S-577 was surprised he could count that high. He wasn¡¯t able to yesterday, but he found himself able to count higher every day. ¡°Bluey?¡± Bubble looked around. ¡°Has anyone seen Bluey?¡± ¡°He just got sucked into the tube,¡± one of the smaller creatures said. Bally, his name was. The feeding tube opened, and someone tumbled out with an enthusiastic ¡°Wheee!¡± Bubble stared. ¡°Bouncy?¡± The name S-577 had given him. ¡°Where is Bluey?¡± ¡°Wheee!¡± Bouncy said again. ¡°Bluey? I don¡¯t know! Wheee!¡± He floated away, bouncing against the tank walls. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Are you sure Bluey just went in?¡± Bubble asked. ¡°Yes!¡± the smaller creature said. ¡°I swear!¡± Tiny huddled behind Bubble. ¡°Not good¡­ not good¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± Bubble said. ¡°He¡¯ll be back very soon. He just¡­ got sent to a different feeding tube, is all. Come on, let¡¯s go play Bounce with Bouncy!¡± Bubble and Tiny swam away to play. S-577 continued staring at the feeding tubes. ¡°Tubes good,¡± he said to himself as the other creatures began to disperse. Feeding time was over, but Bluey had still not returned. ¡°Tubes good¡­¡± He waited until the next feeding session. Bluey did not return. He waited until the feeding session after that. Bluey still did not return. He waited while the rest of his friends were sleeping, silently suspended in the tank. ¡°Tubes¡­ good¡­?¡± Bluey still did not return. A long while later¡ªS-577 didn¡¯t know exactly how long, but it felt like a long time¡ªanother feeding day arrived. He lined up in front of everyone else, eager to be the first to get fed. Bubble and Tiny lined up behind him. Curiously enough, Tiny was still the smallest of them all, despite getting the same amount of food as the rest of them. It seemed that they all grew at the same rate, yet some remained larger than others. Finally, the tube opened. S-577 swam up to the it, cheered on by Bubble. Fwip. The tube swallowed him. He landed in the feeding tank, but this time it was different. It seemed¡­ larger. More spacious. During the previous feeding time, he could barely fit in the tank, a testament to how much he¡¯d grown. But now, he was in a new place. He looked around. A small speck of fear crept up inside him. This wasn¡¯t supposed to be happening. This was foreign, unfamiliar. He swam around, trying to find out where he was, when the face appeared behind the walls of the tank, staring at him with a large grin. S-577 backed away, startled. With a whir and a hiss, a cluster of needles emerged from the rood of the tank and injected the food into S-577. He blinked. And his senses exploded. A bright white light enveloped him. He squirmed, gasping as everything became overwhelming for him. The sounds of the tank were too loud. The colour of the liquid was too green. The temperature was unstable, fluctuating on a micro level, yet he could feel every change. He screamed. And then it stopped. S-577 blinked. He was still in the new feeding tank, but he had sunk to the bottom. Slowly, he swam upwards, wiggling his stubby arms as he¡ª Arms? ¡°What¡­ this?¡± He looked down at himself. He was bigger. He felt stronger. His mind felt¡­ clearer. ¡°WHAT?¡± Panic overtook him. Part of him wanted to slam against the glass. Another part of him wanted to hide in the tube. The two thoughts clashed at the same time, and he screamed. The face reappeared, and fear replaced the panic. S-577 backed away, scared. The face looked at him, then seemed to smile. It disappeared, and something inside the tank clicked. A larger tube appeared, and S-577 was sucked away once more. The end of the tube led to an empty tank, far bigger than the previous one. It was also empty. S-577 swam around, searching for his friends. He couldn¡¯t find them. ¡°No!¡± He bumped against the glass, then swam in circles, then flipped upside down, his mind running so fast he could barely process his uncountable thoughts. ¡°Where friends? WHERE FRIENDS?¡± Another whir, and the tube reappeared. This time, it spit out another creature into the tank, one that looked like his friends in the previous tank, but far larger. ¡°Wheee!¡± the creature whizzed across the tank and bumped into the transparent walls. Wait. Was that¡­ ¡°Bouncy?¡± ¡°Wheee! Oh, hi!¡± He bumped into the wall again. ¡°It¡¯s you! The new kid! Wheee!¡± Why did he look different? S-577 stared, confused. His mind ran in a million different directions, lacking focus. ¡°Where friends?¡± ¡°Friends? You mean the others? Dunno! Wheee!¡± The tube shook, and someone else plopped into the tank. The newcomer looked exactly like Bouncy: larger, with more substance to their body. ¡°What happened?¡± He knew that voice. As soon as he heard it, his mind focused on it, calming him down. ¡°Bubble?¡± Bubble looked around, and her eyes lit up upon seeing 577. ¡°There you are! I was so worried when you didn¡¯t come back through the tube!¡± ¡°Where others?¡± S-577 asked. ¡°You bigger.¡± Bubble twitched. ¡°I know. We grew. Evolved. Isn¡¯t it exciting? Though¡­¡± She looked around at the tank, empty except for Bouncy bouncing around aimlessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen next.¡± The tube shot someone else into the tank. Another one of the previous tank¡¯s occupants. One by one, the tank filled up. S-577 recognized all of them, and they greeted him with enthusiastic voices. Curiously enough, it didn¡¯t seem like everyone had moved here. There were far less of them than in the first tank. He counted¡ªmuch faster than he could before¡ªat least thirty-three. ¡°Where Tiny?¡± S-577 asked. Bubble froze, then looked around. She swam all over the tank, approaching the others. ¡°Tiny. Have you seen him? Anyone?¡± She began to panic, shaking as she swam. ¡°No¡­ He can¡¯t be gone¡­ Where is he?¡± She looked up at the tubes. ¡°Where is he?¡± she repeated, louder. Her form started to glow with a silvery outline, but before anything could happen, the tube shook once more. A smaller individual shot into the tank, colliding with Bubble. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Tiny!¡± Bubble drew him close. ¡°I thought you were gone!¡± ¡°They kept me in the tube¡­¡± Even though Tiny had changed like the rest of them, he was still smaller than the others by nearly half. His quiet voice was still recognizable. ¡°It was for a long time. I was so scared¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡± Bubble nudged Tiny gently. Something tugged at S-577, and he floated closer, hugging Tiny as well. ¡°Friend,¡± he said. ¡°You friend. We all friends.¡± Tiny didn¡¯t say anything, but he closed his eyes and huddle closer. His shaking lessened as he relaxed. ¡°Best friends,¡± S-577 said. Part III - Metaphase Life in the new tank was pretty much the same as before. S-577, Bubble, and Tiny played together, spoke together, and thought together about what would happen next. Even though the tank was less full than usual, S-577 didn¡¯t think too much about it. He had stared at the many tubes leading out from the top of the tank, and he guessed that the others were just in new tanks. They were getting bigger, so it made sense that they would need more space. He hoped they would be able to visit each other, maybe have sleepovers in each other¡¯s tanks. He found that with his growth, his mind grew much sharper. More than once, simultaneous thoughts would run through his head. He could count higher, faster, and think about other things at the same time. Despite that, he still found it hard to string lots of words together. ¡°Tiny!¡± S-577 said, swerving around Bouncy, who moved nonstop around the tank. ¡°Can¡¯t catch me! Can¡¯t catch me!¡± ¡°I¨CI will!¡± Tiny said, trying to gather his confidence. ¡°Get him, Tiny!¡± Bubble cheered, watching them chase each other in an orbit around her. S-577 laughed as he took a sharp turn around Sleepy, who blinked as she woke up from another one of her long naps. ¡°What?¡± she said groggily. ¡°Hey, no speeding!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t catch me!¡± S-577 repeated. He shot forward, arcing towards the tubes. They opened and turned on. A sharp current snagged him and dragged him out of the tank. He cried out in surprise. ¡°S-577!¡± He heard Bubble yell before he was whisked away. ¡°No feeding!¡± It wasn¡¯t time for that, not yet! ¡°No feeding! Play chase!¡± That¡¯s when he realized he hadn¡¯t been sucked through the feeding tube. In a heartbeat, the tube spat him out into somewhere new. Another tank, more spacious. But¡­ He blinked. There was no green fluid. He found himself hovering just a few handspans above the sterile white floor, rounded glass surrounding him in a wide cylinder. In front of him was a small table. A large, disorganized pile of blocks sat on its surface. S-577 remained still, not sure what to make of the new environment. The lack of fluid made everything feel¡­ empty. He moved forward, lurching too far and nearly bumping into the table. He retreated, surprised. Movement was so easy without the fluid. He felt like he could zoom forward faster than ever, leaving everyone behind. Movement caught his eye. He looked beyond the walls of the tank and gasped. Unlike the place where the other tank was, he could see other individuals outside the tank. People wearing long white coats and wearing big goggles on their faces. They were crowding around tables, watching monitors, writing down things on clipboards, and speaking with each other. Occasionally, one looked directly at him, but they didn¡¯t approach. What was going on? Something clinked behind him. He turned, and before he could react, a mechanical arm rose up from the floor and stuck something into his blue bubble. Some kind of cable leading into the ground. He squirmed, trying to remove it, but it remained stuck firm, attaching directly to his head. ¡°No!¡± he yelled, trying to get it off. ¡°No, no!¡± ¡°Subject S-577.¡± He jumped. The voice had come from somewhere near the top of the tank. He stared at the people. One of them was talking into a thin rod. ¡°Subject S-577, can you hear me?¡± His voice seemed to be projecting into the tank somehow. S-577 tilted his head, curious. Some of the people nodded. The one who spoke leaned forward and continued speaking. ¡°Sort the blocks by colour.¡± Sort? He approached the table. How was he supposed to do that? His arms were too stubby; he couldn¡¯t touch anything with them, let alone rearrange the blocks. ¡°Sort the blocks by colour,¡± the voice repeated. S-577 stared for a few seconds, confused. A sudden ZAP made him jump and yelp. A thin mechanical limb had appeared from out of the floor behind him, the end charged with yellow electricity. ¡°Sort the blocks by colour,¡± the voice repeated. Sort¡­ Sort¡­ S-577 stared at the blocks, focusing all his frantic thoughts and panic towards one singular goal. He had to sort the blocks. The mechanical arm zapped him again, sending a jolt through his entire body. ¡°Sort!¡± he screamed. A faint white light surrounded him, and he felt something click in his brain. At his will, the blocks floated from the tabletop, hovering in the air in front of him as if pulled by invisible strings. But there weren¡¯t any strings. It was all him. ¡°Sort¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on exactly, but somehow, he had managed to move the blocks. He stared at a cluster of red blocks, focusing on them. ¡°Sort¡­¡± Slowly, the red blocks moved, separating from the main cluster of blocks. He then focused on the blue blocks, slowly manipulating them until they were all gathered together. Then he moved the green blocks, and the yellow blocks, and finally the orange blocks. Within minutes, five clusters of blocks floated in front of him, separated neatly by colour. S-577 grinned, proud of himself. Then the arm sent a third jolt through his body. He gasped, and his concentration waned. The white glow disappeared, and the blocks fell, clattering to the ground and scattering in all directions. He trembled, worried he did something wrong. The people beyond the tank spoke to each other in blurred whispers, writing things down on clipboards and entering data on their devices. They didn¡¯t seem to be focused on him. Finally, after floating among the scattered blocks for several tense moments, he heard the voice of one of the people. ¡°Send in the next duosion.¡± Duosion? What that? One of the people pushed a button. The first mechanical arm reappeared and extracted the cable from his head. The tube reopened, creating a powerful suction, and S-577 was sucked back into a winding tunnel. He shook as he travelled down a winding path. What had just happened? Was it good? Bad? Fear turned to relief as he reached the end of the tube, splashing back into the tank filled with green fluid. Instantly, he felt sluggish. It was harder to move in the fluid. But his eyes lit up as he saw Bubble and Tiny rush towards him. ¡°You were gone for so long!¡± Bubble said as she crashed into him and nudged him affectionately. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°We thought you wouldn¡¯t come back,¡± Tiny said, sounding scared. ¡°I sort blocks!¡± S-577 said. Bubble and Tiny stared at him. ¡°Um¡­ all right,¡± Bubble said. ¡°Anything else you did other than¡­ sort blocks?¡± ¡°Big zap. Scary.¡± Tiny jumped. ¡°Scary? Oh no, oh no¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be all right,¡± Bubble said, optimism in her words. ¡°Some of the others were taken shortly after you were. It¡¯s not feeding time, so maybe they¡¯re all going through the same thing. Have you noticed this new tank has some sort of current going on?¡± S-577 looked around. Sure enough, even though they weren¡¯t moving, the fluid was pushing them in a circle around the outside of the tank. He tried moving against it. It wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°It¡¯s forcing all of us to pass by that new tube,¡± Bubble said. ¡°Whatever¡¯s happening, I suspect we¡¯re all going to be sorting blocks and big zapping sooner or later.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go,¡± Tiny said. ¡°I want to stay.¡± ¡°Hey, look, S-577 survived,¡± Bubble reassured him. We¡¯ll all get through this. Trust me.¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Sure enough, everyone went through the ordeal one by one. They all came back unscathed, though S-577 noticed some of the duosion¡ªthat was the funny name the people had called them¡ªhad something in their blue gel bubbles, Tiny included. Little dark dots floated inches from their bodies, but they didn¡¯t seem to be harmful in any way. When asked about it, Tiny just mumbled something about being injected once the block sorting had finished. ¡°It¡¯s bad,¡± Tiny said. ¡°Very bad.¡± ¡°Hey, look at it this way,¡± Bubble said. ¡°It looks cool on you! Plus, we all finished the sorting, right? We have nothing to worry about. We¡¯ll be done with this before you know it, and you¡¯ll grow big and strong.¡± The tests continued. S-577 lost count of how many there were. Every few feeding days, instead of being transported to the feeding tube, he was brought to that empty chamber. Every time, there was something different to be done. Pick up a stack of heavy weights. Crush a can. Loop rings onto hooks. Stack objects in a specific order. Push buttons in predetermined patterns. Turn on lights with near-perfect timing and rhythm. Each activity took him a while to get the hang of, resulting in being zapped several times when he was too slow, but he eventually managed to finish them all. Curiously, he never had any dots injected into him. Over time, he noticed that around half of the thirty-three duosion in the tank had dots in their bubbles, and some had far more than others. Bubble never accumulated any either, but Tiny had a fair amount floating within him. Then, one day, as S-577 entered the empty chamber and waited as the mechanical arm hooked up the cable to the back of his head, he found a peculiar sight. The table from the first task with a disorganized pile of coloured blocks, and one of the heavy metal weights from the second task sitting on the ground not far away. Upon examining the table, he realized there were far more colours than before. The people¡ªscientists, Bubble called them¡ªgathered around their desks and devices as usual. The one who usually delivered the instructions pushed his button and spoke. ¡°Sort the blocks by colour. Lift the weight all the way to the ceiling¡ª¡± Two tasks he had done before. This easy! He concentrated on the blocks, lifting them into the air. ZAP! He dropped the blocks, confused. The mechanical arm was right behind him, ready to prod him again. The man spoke again. ¡°Sort the blocks by colour. Lift the weight all the way to the ceiling.¡± He paused. ¡°Do it at the same time.¡± S-577 froze. ¡°Same time?¡± He stared at the blocks, then at the weight. The realization hit him a moment later. ¡°How?¡± The arm prodded him, and he yelped. ¡°How?¡± Another prod. He moved away, trying to escape, but another arm emerged from the floor in front of him, waving its lightning-charged tip inches from his face. ¡°Do it at the same time,¡± the man repeated, speaking slower. S-577 looked at the blocks and the weight. ¡°Same time¡­¡± He stared at the blocks and the weight, one with each eye. His thoughts raced from one to the other. For a moment, he was scared that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. It felt like too much. But then, he felt a tugging sensation. His thoughts diverged without ceasing, one part of him focused on the blocks, and another part focused on the weight. The white glow surrounded him again, and he yelled as he felt his power expand. The blocks floated into the air. At the same time, the weight ascended slowly, rising with a steady pace. One part of S-577¡¯s thoughts focused on the blocks, sorting them by colour into ten different clusters. The remaining thoughts fixated on lifting the weight as high as he could. He let out a fierce yell. The weight touched the top of the tank just as he set the blocks back down on the table. He closed his eyes, drifting backwards against the cable as the weight slammed into the ground, bouncing up and striking the glass. The blocks remained standing, perfectly organized into ten mini pyramids. The scientists spoke among themselves once more. But this time, they didn¡¯t send him back. There was something new. It seemed that another weird human appeared behind the glass. But this human radiated light. The being slowly approached the window to take a look at S-577. It was still hard to decipher how the individual looked like, but one thing was certain: it was no human, but a Pok¨¦mon. Not a Pok¨¦mon like S-577, but a Pok¨¦mon nonetheless. The Pok¨¦mon¡¯s head was on fire and resembled long hair, or a warrior¡¯s helmet. His body, on the other hand, was like fire and coal personified. In fact, his body might have been made out of actual coal and fire. Despite a slender build, he wore bulky light armour. Even with no clear look on the individual, his presence radiated strength and confidence. The humans stood and bowed to the new Pok¨¦mon, but the being simply raised his hand. The humans immediately returned to their desks and acted as if they weren¡¯t there. Greetings, S-577. The being spoke, but there was no microphone. Instead, the words played inside S-577¡¯s brains with a slight echo. Just hearing the voice made S-577 feel warmth inside his tiny body. Said warmth wasn¡¯t harmful; in fact, it was comforting, in a weird way. The Pok¨¦mon saw how S-577 was connected to the zapping device. It raised its hand, and the cable immediately let go of the small psychic type. We won¡¯t be needing this. I hope the humans here haven¡¯t been treating you too badly, correct? His head moved to look at the scientist closest to him. The man avoided eye contact with the Pok¨¦mon. The fire warrior then turned back towards S-577. S-577 looked around, confused. The mechanical arm was gone. The weight he had been lifting lay on the ground, forgotten. He stared at the newcomer, tilting his head curiously. He had never seen someone who looked like that, and it was talking to him! ¡°Big zap gone,¡± he said. ¡°You took big zap?¡± Indeed¡ªpardon, yes. The big zap was very bad. I don¡¯t want it to hurt you. The fire Pok¨¦mon¡¯s voice was confident, and each word felt as if it could melt away any kind of worry. You have grown since the last time I have seen you. Do you remember who I am? S-577 stared, trying to remember. For as far back as he could recall, he had never seen anything like this¡­ creature. The only thing he felt different was the warmth. He wasn¡¯t sure why it was comforting, and he couldn¡¯t find the words to explain his feelings. It just was. ¡°You¡­ Warmy,¡± he said. He liked that name. ¡°Warmy! Hot, cozy. I like¡­ I think.¡± A chuckle played inside S-577¡¯s brains. It lingered for few seconds, like a fading echo. That is right. I am your friend, ¡®Warmy¡¯. Warmy¡¯s face wasn¡¯t very expressive, but his eyes did smile at S-577¡¯s response. You have got more friends that you will meet one day. Those friends give you food. Do you like the food that we give you? ¡°Food is...¡± The food wasn¡¯t anything special. He didn¡¯t really taste or feel anything when he was sent to the feeding tube. Except... ¡°Food makes me strong! Change form. Think more. Evolve.¡± He remembered the word that Bubble used when they had first changed. ¡°Though,¡± he added, ¡°words still hard.¡± The fire warrior waited a moment before speaking again. You will continue to grow strong S-577, I assure you. Me and my boss want only the best for you. His eyes squinted at the mention of his problem with words. For a split second, the warmth inside S-577¡¯s mind became just a tiny bit hotter, but it cooled down immediately. Yes, seems like it, but worry not my friend. I can understand you just fine. Say, S-577, how about you show me your powers? He spoke with a tiny bit more energy in his ¡®voice¡¯. Try moving the blocks again, but there are no rules this time! And no big zap! I just want you to create something new. Boss? There was a bigger Warmy? S-577 tilted his head, wondering if he¡¯d meet the boss one day. He looked at the blocks laying on the table where he had organized them earlier. Make something¡­ Make what? Was he even allowed to mix them up? It felt strange, like it was wrong. Things had to be organized. But then again, looking at the blocks, an idea began to form in his head. He began to visualize the blocks in a different way. Colours mixing together, combining, presented in a different order. He focused on that image, then looked at the blocked and pushed with his mind. The blocks floated, separating from their organized piles and combining into a blocky cloud of colour. He pressed them together, forming a massive cube with the colours shuffled in random places. His eyes widened, satisfied yet surprised he could make such a thing. But the ideas didn¡¯t stop. He took the blocks apart again and reformed them into a tower with four block layers. He created a wheel. A tube. A cylinder. And then, to end it all, a shape that vaguely resembled a duosion. He placed it down on the table, holding it together with his mind, and smiled. He suddenly heard clapping inside his head. However, Warmy wasn¡¯t moving his hands. Good, very good S-577. The clapping stopped as Warmy sent the message to S-577¡¯s brains. His voice sounded pleased and supportive. You, like me, are a psychic Pok¨¦mon. And one with a bright future, to top it all off. Warmy raised his hand. A container emerged from the ground in S-577¡¯s tank. Many blocks of different colours flew out of it, glowing with psychic energy. Psychic energy aims to control¡ª The blocks started to fly around with extreme speed, creating a miniature tornado. Inside the tornado, something was starting to form. ¡ªit takes full advantage of what the world offers us¡ª The tornado vibrated with energy, then calmed down. In front of S-577 stood a statue of a large skyscraper. A seemingly simple creation, but the construction wasn¡¯t made out of different blocks anymore. Instead, it was all red and a single object; somehow, the blocks had melded into one. Heat radiated from the construction. ¡ªand creates a new reality, something entirely new, not bound by what others might think is impossible. Warmy raised his hand again and closed his eyes. The tower started to shake, then spin around. The skyscraper disassembled, broken down again into individual blocks, though they remained a bright red, lacking any unique colours. It can also take reality apart, one block at a time. S-577 stared, transfixed by the display of power. The movement, the colours, the formation of shapes. Warmy was so strong! How many tests had he done? He wanted to do that. He tried moving all the blocks on the ground¡ªso many that he couldn¡¯t even count¡ªbut he could barely move any of them when he tried controlling all of them at the same time. He focused back on a smaller group, half of them, and they barely twitched. ¡°Too many,¡± he said. ¡°Harder.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what Warmy meant by ¡°psychic energy¡±, but it sounded cool; things with big and complicated words had to be. Just like his own name. Another chuckle, echoing strangely for a few seconds. Worry not, friend. It is all a matter of practice and, well energy, of course. A sigh followed. Now, I need you to be patient, S-577. I assure you, I will visit you again to see your progress, and maybe show you a few tricks as well. You will become extraordinary under my watch; you can trust my word. Warmy turned around to move towards an elevator, but he stopped and turned back towards S-577. I will have to get going now, duty calls. But friends are there to help one another. One day, I might be in need of your help. But for now, I want to help you. Is there anything that you need, S-577? S-577 pressed against the glass. A part of him didn¡¯t want Warmy to leave. He was the only one who had spoken to him, who had been friendly. He¡¯d gotten rid of the big zap as well. But he said he had other things to do. S-577 backed away, considering Warmy¡¯s question. ¡°I¡­ want¡­ see my friends,¡± he said. It took a lot of effort to say so many words, but a small seed of pride welled up within him as he said the entire sentence. Bubble. Tiny. He wanted to go back to the tank. He wanted to see them. It seemed as if Warmy¡¯s fire eyes shone a bit brighter when S-577 spoke out. Friend, you don¡¯t have to ask me about this. Today¡¯s testing session is over for you. You will go back to your kind right... now. One of the scientists started to sweat when Warmy looked at him. The scientist leaned forward and pressed a few buttons on the console. Immediately, a tube appeared that sucked S-577 back to his tank. Part IV - Anaphase S-577 plopped back into the tank, his mind racing with a million thoughts despite his exhaustion. The meeting with Warmy kept running through his head, repeating over and over again. What did he mean by all of that? He seemed like a friend. He had gotten rid of the big zap. Why, then, was he working with the scientists? They even seemed to do as he said. One by one, the other duosion underwent their tests. Bubble and several others came back without any blemishes in their bubbles. Some had only one, added after the most recent ordeal. Some had three or four. Others¡ªTiny included¡ªwere peppered with them. ¡°That was hard,¡± Bubble said. ¡°Two tests at the same time? Not fair at all. Tiny, how are you feeling?¡± This time, Tiny didn¡¯t say anything. He kept his eyes half closed, shaking uncontrollably. ¡°Tiny?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it¡­ Bad, bad¡­¡± Tiny mumbled, his voice barely audible. ¡°Bad¡­¡± Something shook the tank. A slit along the center of the tank¡¯s floor folded opened, and a semi-transparent curtain rose up, splitting the tank in half. The current within the tank increased, pushing everyone against the curtain. The duosion panicked. They swam up and down, screaming, trying and failing to escape the current. S-577 stayed as close to Bubble and Tiny as possible. He didn¡¯t know what was happening, but he knew it was wrong. The current pressed them against the barrier. S-577 felt like he was being squished. Bubble and several others were also crammed against the curtain, unable to pass through. Every other duosion with a blemish in its bubble phased right through the curtain as if it were not there. Tiny included. The current stopped. S-577 shook his head, the panicked voices of all the other duosion around him overloading his hearing. But loudest of all¡ª ¡°Tiny!¡± Bubble pushed against the curtain with as much might as she could muster, but it would not let her through. The marked duosion could be seen on the other side, trying to rejoin the unmarked. But the curtain didn¡¯t let them pass. ¡°Bad!¡± Tiny swam up and down, panicking. He tried passing through to rejoin the unmarked duosion, but it was no use. ¡°This is bad! So, so bad!¡± ¡°Stay calm!¡± Bubble sounded like she was trying not to panic. ¡°It¡¯s going to be all right. Tiny, look at me. Look at me!¡± Their eyes met, and Tiny slowed. ¡°We¡¯re going to get through this.¡± She looked back at S-577 and the rest of the unmarked duosion. ¡°All of us.¡± ¡°Why wall?¡± S-577 approached, staring at the veil that separated half of the duosion from the other half. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Bubble said. She stared back and forth between the two groups. Her eyes widened in realization. ¡°Tiny,¡± she said, ¡°did you get one of those dots today after your test?¡± Tiny nodded, his body shaking. Bubble gasped, drifting back. ¡°Why veil?¡± S-577 repeated. Bubble looked at him with despair. ¡°They¡¯re sorting us. The ones who do well¡­ and the ones who don¡¯t.¡± The tests continued. The marked duosion were separated into an area of the tank that was cut off from the tubes. That meant only the unmarked duosion continued testing. Every test was now a double task, a random combination of any two of the previous tasks they had undergone. Each time, S-577 felt like he was straining his power to the limit. Despite the difficulty, he always managed to pull through, somehow. Even Bubble persisted, completing each test without gaining a mark. The other weren¡¯t so lucky. Every testing session resulted in at least one duosion gaining a new mark. When the tank current activated, the marked duosion were pushed through the veil, joining the others with marks. Every day, the numbers of the unmarked duosion dwindled one by one. ¡°Stay strong,¡± Bubble told the unmarked duosion. ¡°We don¡¯t know what will happen, but do your best to pull through! These tests must mean something! We must persevere!¡± ¡°And what about us?¡± Tiny said. He kept to himself mostly, staring at the unmarked duosion yet rarely speaking. ¡°We all failed. It¡¯s the end for us.¡± ¡°No, Tiny.¡± Bubble swam closer to cheer him up. ¡°If you were a failure, you would¡¯ve been gone by now. You¡¯re still here for a reason. You have to be.¡± S-577 drifted aimlessly around the tank. He was¡­ confused. Why were his friends being separated? They had to stay together. And where was Warmy? He hadn¡¯t seen Warmy ever since their first and only meeting. Every test, he looked forward to seeing him again, but he never showed up. Did he lie? Were they actually friends? ¡°Warmy friend,¡± S-577 said to himself. Though at this point, he wasn¡¯t sure if he knew what was true and what wasn¡¯t. ¡°S-577!¡± Bubble drifted towards him. ¡°You look sad. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Warmy friend,¡± he repeated. Bubble nodded. She knew about Warmy, and she believed everything that S-577 had said, but she had apparently never seen the strange fiery individual. No one had. ¡°I know he said he¡¯s your friend,¡± Bubble said, ¡°but he hasn¡¯t shown up in a long time. Friends never leave each other.¡± She put on a smile. ¡°I¡¯m your friend, S-577. Tiny is your friend. Everyone here is your friend.¡± ¡°Wheeeee!¡± Bouncy drifted past and bumped against the veil, unable to pass through due to being unmarked. ¡°Even Bouncy is your friend,¡± Bubble said. ¡°Together, we¡¯ll get through this.¡± Her words lifted S-577¡¯s spirits. He nodded. ¡°Bubble friend. Tiny friend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Bubble did a little spin. ¡°We¡¯ll be reunited before you know it.¡± Bouncy was the next to be marked. ¡°Wheee!¡± he said as he was ejected into the tank after his test, a single dot within his bubble. The unmarked duosion¡ªonly three left, including Bubble and S-577¡ªgasped. The current intensified, and Bouncy phased right through the veil, oblivious to what was happening as he bumped into Tiny. ¡°H-hey!¡± Tiny yelped. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Sorry! Wheee!¡± It was S-577¡¯s turn to test. He closed his eyes as the tube sucked him away and spit him out into the familiar testing chamber. But this time, there weren¡¯t two tests. Four objects lay in front of him. A table covered with coloured blocks. A stack of various sized rings piled at random. A large weight. A metal can. His heart stopped. ¡°Sort the blocks by colour,¡± the scientist¡¯s voice said through the speaker. ¡°Stack the rings from largest to smallest. Lift the weight to the ceiling. Crush the can flat.¡± He paused. ¡°Do all four of them at the same time.¡± S-577 stared at the array of objects in front of him, stunned. He couldn¡¯t do that! It was hard enough to do two at the same time. How was he supposed to do four? He jumped as something clicked behind him. Two big zaps, their ends crackling with electricity, waiting for him to make a mistake. Turning his attention back to the tasks, he took a deep breath. He thought about Bubble, trying to keep things positive. He thought about Tiny, small and scared and separated from his friends. He thought of the other duosion, half scared to death as their future remained uncertain. I¡­ I do this! I¡­ have to! He focused his mind, trying to imagine four tasks at once. A white glow enveloped him. He paired the blocks and the rings together as one thought, both related to sorting and organizing. He imagined the can and the weight as another thought: one to push up, the other to push down. Complimentary actions. But Warmy. Warmy not here¡­ His thoughts wavered. The tasks crashed together, becoming fuzzy and indistinct. The white glow that surrounded him blinked. The big zaps inched closer. No! Bubble and Tiny¡­ friends. He didn¡¯t know what Warmy really wanted, or why he disappeared. But he did know one thing. His friends would always be there. Friends! His thoughts diverged. The blocks hovered in the air, organizing by colour as the rings shuffled in order of increasing size. The weight went up, and the can crumpled. S-577 screamed once more as he set down the blocks and the rings, and the weight touched the roof of the tank. Finally, he released his powers. The weight crashed down with a loud thunk. S-577 sank to the ground, exhausted. The scientists seemed to be pleased. After a few moments¡ªmoments which Warmy did not show up again¡ªthe tube opened, and he was sent back to the growth tank. S-577 didn¡¯t even try to fight the current. Bubble checked to see if he was doing all right. No signs of blemishes. The second unmarked duosion got sucked into the tube, only to return with a singular mark. The current activated, and he was pushed through the veil to join the group of marked Pok¨¦mon. That left S-577 and Bubble as the only unmarked duosion left. Bubble looked at S-577, then at the others. ¡°It¡¯s my turn,¡± she said solemnly. The tube opened, and without another word she was sucked through. The wait felt like an eternity. S-577 drifted. He was worried. Worried about what was going to happen. Worried that Bubble wouldn¡¯t be able to pass the four-part test. No one else could. He drifted closer to the veil, where Tiny waited, staring out as he always did. ¡°She¡¯s not going to make it¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°No one did.¡± ¡°Wheee¡­¡± Even Bouncy sounded less enthusiastic than before. Bubble will do it, S-577 thought. Bubble strong. The tube opened. Bubble fell back into the tank. ¡°Bubble!¡± S-577 said. Bubble turned to look at him. Her expression was sad. A singular mark floated above her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she said softly. ¡°S-577, I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t do it¡­¡± The current activated. Both Bubble and S-577 were pushed against the veil. Bubble passed through. ¡°No!¡± S-577 threw himself against the veil, but it didn¡¯t budge an inch. Tiny swam over to Bubble, pressing against her. The other duosion began to raise their voices and panic, swimming around frantically as they tried searching for a way out. ¡°Bubble come back! Tiny come back!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be all right!¡± Bubble said, raising her voice over the other duosion. ¡°J-just stay calm!¡± A low hum vibrated the tank. The veil shifted, then moved, rotating along a central axis like a revolving door. S-577 swam along the veil, trying to reach the others, but he knew it was hopeless. The veil continued to turn, then stopped. They were now on opposite sides of the tank than when they had started. The marked duosion lay fully exposed to the network of pipes that led out to other tanks. ¡°Bubble! Tiny!¡± S-577 pressed against the veil, trying to reach his friends. Bubble looked at him, but she didn¡¯t look scared. She looked¡­ sad. ¡°Stay strong,¡± she whispered. The tubes opened all at once. Immediately, multiple duosion were sucked away, screaming in fear as they were caught in an inescapable current. The others swam against it, doing their best to resist the pull. One by one, the current snatched them away, the tubes swallowing them whole. ¡°Stay!¡± S-577 cried. ¡°Bubble! Tiny! Stay!¡± Tiny looked at S-577, straining against the current as hard as he could. His eyes were filled with fear and sadness. He closed his eyes, exhausted. The current swept him away, and he vanished into the tube. ¡°Bubble!¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ trying!¡± She was the only one left, swimming against the current with as much energy as she could muster. For a moment, she remained in the same spot, unable to move forward yet resisting the current. Then, slowly, she began inching backwards. The current was claiming her. ¡°No!¡± All of S-577¡¯s thoughts converged into a singular point. He wasn¡¯t going to lose Bubble. He had to save her. A faint white glow began surrounding him. ¡°Wait!¡± Bubble called. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt yourself! S-577!¡± The glow intensified. S-577 screamed, and a jolt of blue energy shot out from him and pierced through the veil, slamming into Bubble. A glowing blue aura surrounded her, one that seemed to crackle with electricity. The veil ripped apart, torn away as the strength of the current sucked it into the tubes. It took all of S-577¡¯s strength to resist the current. Bubble, her body crackling with power, surged forward, running against the power of the tubes. ¡°I feel¡­ stronger!¡± She looked at S-577, amazement in her eyes. ¡°What did you do? Where did you learn that?¡± ¡°Swim!¡± S-577 shouted over the current. ¡°Swim, Bubble!¡± A determined look filled her face as she drew nearer and nearer to him. No other duosion remained, only the two of them struggling to remain in the tank. ¡°Swim!¡± S-577 repeated. They were going to make it! They were almost together¡ª A second tube opened, and the current intensified. Bubble remained stationary, then slowly began to be dragged backwards. She struggled, but it was no use. The current was too strong. ¡°Swim! Swim!¡± S-577 reached the far end of the tank, where the tubes couldn¡¯t reach him. ¡°Bubble!¡± The blue aura around her faded, and she looked him in the eye. ¡°I¡­¡± She sounded exhausted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She reached the tube. S-577¡¯s vision turned red. All his thoughts, his fears, his emotions, they congregated into a singular objective. ¡°Protect Bubble!¡± A blinding white light, exponentially brighter than anything he had seen during the tests, exploded from his body. He latched onto Bubble, grabbing on with all the mental power available to him, holding her against the raging current. His mind felt like it was expanding outwards: hundreds of thoughts and emotions streamed through his head at once, pooling into a never-ending ocean of information. He reached out to Bubble both with his mind and with hands that began to grow outwards from his body, forming two massive fists that clawed at the air. With every passing second, he felt his power grow and grow, like a lightning bolt of power had struck him. Psychic energy aims to control¡ª Amidst S-577¡¯s maelstrom of thoughts, Warmy¡¯s words cleaved through the chaos, loud and clear. ¡ªit takes full advantage of what the world offers us¡ª He kept his grip on Bubble, grasping her with his psychic powers, tugging against the furious current. Trying to keep control. Trying to save her. ¡ªand creates a new reality, something entirely new, not bound by what others might think is impossible. ¡°PROTECT BUBBLE¡ª¡± A big zap emerged from the ground behind him and stabbed him in the back. His eyes widened. Fear replaced hope. Anger replaced determination. He screamed, his psychic powers thrusting outwards as his body convulsed with electricity. And the growth tank exploded. Glass cracked like crashing thunder, shards bursting out in all directions. The big zap crumpled like a tin can under an immense invisible force. The metal top of the tank flung upwards, smashing into thousands of pieces against the ceiling. Beyond the tank, scientists screamed as monitors and tables and chairs flew back and crumpled against the wall. Glass tanks disintegrated. The smooth white tile floor bucked and shattered. Ceiling lamps and fans ripped from their bolts and slammed into the ground. Gallons upon gallons of liquid from the tank rushed outwards like a tsunami. And S-577 continued to scream. ? ? ? Silence. Exhaustion. Destruction. S-577 felt nothing. He lay on the ground, surrounded by carnage. Glass shards. Metal shrapnel. Pieces of machinery. Pools of green liquid. Pools of red liquid. His vision cleared slightly, still blurry. His mind, once a raging flood of emotion, was now empty. His heart, a black void. Gone. They were all gone. ¡°Protect¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t find the words. Part V - Telophase Everything was wrong. S-577¡¯s face was sprayed across the cold tiles. The protective bubble around his body struggled to remain in its form, with parts of it scattered around the floor. There was no light, only damaged cables with sparks flashing out from frayed ends. Everything was in ruins, but he couldn¡¯t even see most of the damage. His throat was unable to make a sound, his muscles were unable to move, and his mind was unable to properly process the world around him. Despite his silence, chaos filled the room. Humans yelled words he couldn¡¯t understand. Lights flashed and alarms blared. He was too exhausted to register what was going on. Suddenly, despite the cold floor, everything went warm. Dangerously warm. He could feel his protective bubble slightly warming up to the sudden change in temperature. The warmth was accompanied by a familiar voice, a voice that had once played in his mind. But this time, he could actually hear it. The moment the voice spoke out, all the other human voices went silent. ¡°You imbeciles!¡± The voice was much harsher than before, making it sound alien. Just hearing it made S-577 nervous. The terrain around him felt as if he was surrounded by burning coals. ¡°Look what you humans have caused... Our president won¡¯t be pleased. You will all answer for this!¡± Slow steps approached him. With each step, the heat increased, suffocating him. His protective bubble inched dangerously close to the boiling point. But then, the voice spoke right next to him, and the burning sensation vanished. ¡°...I will answer for this. Rest, my friend, you have suffered enough.¡± Something touched S-577¡¯s bubble, and his vision turned red. He could feel his body transforming, deconstructing, as he was sucked into some kind of object. Everything went dark. There was beeping in the dark, and the world shook. He could see a faint light in front of him¡ªan escape, maybe¡ªbut he had no energy to move. Eventually, the world around him calmed down, and the light disappeared. He could barely think in the blackness. There were no sounds, no smells, no sights. Just a black void. He couldn¡¯t tell if time was passing. Even his thoughts felt disconnected from his body. But as he remained there, he felt a new sensation. Comfort. Though he couldn¡¯t feel his body, he somehow knew his strength was gradually returning. He heard a jingle before he fell asleep. ? ? ? The next thing he saw was light. The sudden brightness blinded him, but his eyes adjusted soon enough. He found himself in a familiar white room. He felt alive: his protective bubble was back in perfect condition; his muscles felt like they could carry boulders; his compound brain was processing information as normal. In front of him stood a familiar figure, radiating a gentle warmth that filled the room. Hello friend. S-577 blinked, unsure of what to do. Even though his strength had returned, he felt... hollow. As if something was missing. However, the sight of Warmy in front of him brought him back to the present. ¡°Where... friends...?¡± This was the first time the two were so close to each other. From this distance, S-577 could see his own reflection on Warmy¡¯s pristine white armour. Friends... Warmy stared at S-577, thinking about his response. Your friends are safe, I made sure of that. ¡°I want¡­¡± The spark within him was no longer there. He didn¡¯t have a desire to smile, to laugh, to raise his voice. Not even the sight of Warmy seemed to do anything to stir his emotions. ¡°I want¡­ to see¡­ my friends.¡± The fire Pok¨¦mon knelt down and placed his hand on S-577¡¯s arm. A warm sensation that the Pok¨¦mon had never felt, considering how he only had arms for a short while, overtook his body, but it wasn¡¯t harmful. First, try to relax. They are safe. He took away his arm and sighed. He remained in his kneeling position, looking directly at S-577. I won¡¯t lie to you, friend. Life in here is going to be different from now on. I am planning on changing things for the better. And you will need to adjust. Warmy stood up and approached a computer console off to the side. A screen turned blue, which reflected on his armour. At the same time, his eyes shone with blazing light. There was a cracking sound as a camera in a corner of the room exploded for seemingly no reason. Warmy didn¡¯t spare it a second glance. As you can see, humans are so depended on us. They can¡¯t do a single thing right without our help. There were some clicking sounds as he pressed buttons. It was strange seeing him do things manually instead of using his psychic powers. Your friends need to grow stronger, just like you. For now¡­ Hmm¡­ S-44, she was so close to reaching her full potential. I am not going to give up on her just yet. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. More clicking sounds¡­ And then, a small container near the console lit up with yellow light. A ball appeared inside, a black ball with a red label: S-44. Warmy took the ball and opened it. In a matter of seconds, Bubble appeared in the room. She looked healthy and unharmed. S-577¡¯s eyes widened. He gasped, the words catching in his throat. There she was, in front of him, still as a duosion, but still alive. Bubble looked at him and gasped as well. ¡°You¡¯re okay! And you¡¯re... big!¡± S-577 rushed forward, crashing into Bubble and wrapping her in a massive hug. With his new arms, he felt like he could latch onto her forever and never let go. For a moment, it was just them, embracing. Then the warmth pulsed, and S-577 remembered who else was in the room with them. He turned to look at Warmy. Did this mean he really was a friend? He brought Bubble to see him. She came from that funny little ball. The gaze of the fire Pok¨¦mon loomed over the two. It was hard to tell what Warmy was thinking or feeling, but his eyes appeared to glow with greater intensity. ¡°Greetings, S-44.¡± He folded his hands behind his back as he fixated his gaze on the two Pok¨¦mon. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, at last.¡± Bubble looked at the new Pok¨¦mon. ¡°So, you¡¯re Warmy.¡± She had a neutral expression on her face. ¡°I must thank you for taking care of S-577. He seems to think of you as a good friend.¡± Warmy nodded his head slowly when Bubble mentioned his nickname. ¡°Of course.¡± Bubble looked around the empty room. ¡°However, this thanks is the most kindness I can offer you. I cannot forget what just happened back in the growth tank. Where are the other duosion? What are you planning to do with us? Why put us through these grueling tests?¡± Warmy remained silent afterwards. The temperature almost appeared to cool down during the silence. ¡°A lot of questions, but not a lot of time.¡± His eye started to emit purple light, and the fried camera disconnected from the corner of the wall. It drifted nearer, floating next to Warmy¡¯s head. ¡°I wish for you to become stronger, but that does not mean I agreed with how you were being treated. You are important, I assure you. And that is why the accident from before won¡¯t happen again, not on my watch. You have my word.¡± The camera continued to hover near him, almost as if he decided to play with it for no reason in particular. ¡°All Duosion have been contained inside Pok¨¦balls to heal them more efficiently. It seems some of you had been harmed during the explosion.¡± S-577 looked from Bubble to Warmy. Two individuals who had called him ¡°friend¡±, now speaking with each other. He tensed, hoping nothing bad would happen. ¡°If you didn¡¯t agree, maybe you could¡¯ve done something,¡± Bubble said. ¡°I did. You are here.¡± He seemed unphased by Bubble¡¯s tone of voice and implications. There was a hint of wariness in Bubble¡¯s voice, like she was being cautious, weighing everything Warmy had said. ¡°Important¡­ What sort of importance? The kind where we¡¯re grown and tested in a tank?¡± ¡°S-44, with all due respect, you don¡¯t know life outside of the tank,¡± he said with the same stoic voice. ¡°I promise you that things will improve. That is the most I can do in this current situation. Trust me, you need to be prepared for the outside world¡­ and that means you need to be stronger. I have seen enough horrors of war to know how cruel life can be.¡± The floating camera turned red and started to melt, bending into something else. Bubble and S-577 gasped together as the broken camera changed colour and shape. Soon enough, it had been transformed into a glowing red orb. ¡°The war never ended, not really¡­ It just temporarily subsided. Explaining this depressing past would be too much for today.¡± The orb cracked open, and a stern looking structure sprouted from it. ¡°You are the best of the best, born and raised to help keep peace in our land¡­ Unless you will refuse. Which wouldn¡¯t be too surprising, for you don¡¯t know what your land is. But I could show you your potential and what your home really is.¡± The stern structure blossomed into a delicate sculpture that gracefully touched the ground. ¡°You have never even seen flowers, have you?¡± S-577 stared, fascinated. A flower¡­ He didn¡¯t know what that was, but one look at it mesmerized him. He had never seen anything so delicate, or so fragile looking. Bubble also looked intrigued. ¡°Flower...¡± she whispered. ¡°War¡­ Peace¡­¡± She repeated the words slowly, still watching Warmy with a glint of suspicion in her eyes. S-577 didn¡¯t understand what Warmy was talking about either, but he remained silent. ¡°¡®Unless we refuse¡¯? That sounds a lot like a threat to me.¡± But she spoke her next words slowly and carefully. ¡°However¡­ this is something we would be able to do?¡± She gestured to the ¡®flower¡¯ he had just created. Warmy tilted his head slightly at Bubble¡¯s assumption. ¡°I am merely stating your options. You can refuse to be a part of this grand purpose. I could take you to the outside right now. I would be the one to suffer the consequences¡­ And you would have to fend for yourself in an unknown place. Not to mention, the world does genuinely need you.¡± He knelt down and picked up the flower gently with his own hand. He then presented the figurine closer to the two Pok¨¦mon. ¡°But this¡­ I could show you how to make even more impressive things. I can be your guide, your teacher. But that means you will have to endure in this place for a while longer, this time under my protection. It won¡¯t be ideal, but your situation will improve. There are certain rules I have to follow as well.¡± Bubble went quiet. S-577 could tell her brains were working overtime, calculating possibilities and options. She had a funny look when she went into deep thought. ¡°Give us a moment,¡± she requested. She then turned away, gesturing for S-577 to follow her. They floated a small distance away from Warmy. ¡°Look,¡± Bubble said. ¡°As much as I don¡¯t trust him, I have to admit he has a point. And this might be the only way we get to stay together. I don¡¯t know what happened to Tiny, Bouncy, and the others¡­¡± Her voice trailed off momentarily. ¡°If we behave, we could see them again. But for now, I want to make sure I don¡¯t lose you again.¡± She looked back at where Warmy was waiting for them. ¡°Who knows? Maybe one day, once we¡¯ve learned enough, we can take things into our own hands. Get out of here somehow, or find more help. What do you think?¡± S-577 looked at both Warmy and Bubble. He wanted to trust Warmy, the only friend he had made outside the tank. But he knew for sure that Bubble was a true friend. What she said made sense. And aside from that, he wanted to get stronger. He wanted to do what Warmy could do. ¡°Stay together,¡± he said softly. Bubble smiled. She turned back to Warmy. ¡°We will stay and accept your offer.¡± Warmy straightened his posture when they approached him again, folding his hands behind his back. He nodded at Bubble¡¯s word, then stretched his right hand towards S-577 to shake his hand. Since Bubble didn¡¯t have fully developed hands, he only offered her yet another nod. ¡°Formedio.¡± A seed of warmth blossomed within S-577 as he shook hands with Warmy. For the first time in a long while, he thought he felt¡­ hopeful. He didn¡¯t know what would happen next, but as long as Bubble was with him, he was sure it would be okay. ¡°For¡­¡± Bubble repeated. She sounded unsure as to what Warmy had said. It wasn¡¯t a familiar word to either of them. ¡°My name, it is Formedio,¡± he repeated. He took a few steps back to the console and grabbed two Pok¨¦balls. ¡°Names hold power. By telling you my name I am being vulnerable to you. You can still call me ¡®Warmy¡¯, or anything else. It won¡¯t phase me.¡± ¡°Formedio¡­¡± S-577 repeated. It was a long name, long and complicated. But not as long as his own. Bubble looked at the Pok¨¦balls. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to be separated for now.¡± She looked at S-577. ¡°We¡¯ll be all right, okay? I¡¯ll make sure to look for you first thing when I get out again.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± S-577 said. ¡°I trust Bubble.¡± Bubble smiled. ¡°And I trust you.¡± The Pok¨¦balls clicked, and S-577 was sucked back into a void of nothingness. Epilogue Blue. His entire world was shaded blue. He opened his eyes. He was¡­ floating. Floating in a gooey substance. He couldn¡¯t move. Wires latched onto him, connecting the tank to his body, his arms, the blue bubble that protected him. A large tube had been anchored to the back of his head, connected directly to his brain. Monitoring his thoughts, his abilities. His arms were tied, spread to his sides by another series of wires and cables, exposing his body entirely. The entire tank was just large enough to fit him. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Faint figures loomed before him. Scientists, walking back and forth. He couldn¡¯t see any of them clearly. The room was dark. Warmy wasn¡¯t there, either. But he said this would be for the best. He said everything would be okay. ¡°Friends¡­¡± He drifted out of consciousness.