Forever.
The word echoed in my head like a distant scream, sharp and endless.
Forever asleep.
Forever gone.
It hung in the air between us, heavy as stone.
Meowscarada froze. Her tail stopped mid-lash. A soft, broken "Nyaa…?" escaped her, low and uncertain, like she couldn't believe what she had heard.
Her pink eyes widened, fur standing on end, and she pressed closer to me.
"Lopuuu…!" Lopunny cried, voice high and trembling, ears flattening against me.
I looked at Kirlia's still form, floating there so fragile, so helpless. Then at Sabrina's calm face, her eyes unreadable. My throat tightened, but I forced the words out.
"I will do it."
Meowscarada whipped her head toward me, eyes sharp with fear. "Nyaa!" she protested, short and urgent, paws flexing like she wanted to drag me away.
Lopunny's "Lopuu…? Lopuuu♡~" She tugged at my sleeve, ears drooping completely, body shaking against mine.
Their reactions hit me like a punch. The way they looked at me,scared, pleading, it tore something inside.
But I couldn't back down.
Not when an innocent Pokémon needed me.
"Hey… hey, listen," I said, forcing a small smile even though my lips trembled.
I pulled them both close, arms wrapping around their warm fur.
My hands shook against Meowscarada's back and Lopunny's ears. I was terrified too, scared that this might be the last time I held them, that I might never open my eyes again and see their faces.
The fear sat heavy in my chest, cold and tight, but I pushed it down for them.
"I'll be fine. Trust me."
Meowscarada searched my face. Her pink eyes flicked over every feature, looking for any sign I might back down. She found none.
Lopunny sniffled, wiping her eyes with one paw. She knew I was ready to take the risk, even if there was only the slightest chance. That's the kind of man I am. Willing to sacrifice myself for others.
Then Lopunny leaned in close. Meowscarada did the same from the other side. Their faces drew near mine, breaths mingling in the charged air.
Lopunny's soft lips brushed mine first, gentle and trembling.
Meowscarada's warmer ones joined a moment later, pressing against the corner of my mouth.
Our lips met in a shared, tangled kiss, all three of us connected in that intimate space.
It was desperate, full of fear and love.
Lopunny's ears grazed my cheek. Meowscarada's faint purr vibrated through us.
My hands cupped their faces, pulling them closer, our emotions pouring into the moment like a silent vow.
Lopunny's tongue flicked lightly, sweet and tentative. Meowscarada's rougher one followed, tasting the worry we all shared.
For a heartbeat, it was just us, lips and breaths entwined, no one left out.
When we pulled back slightly, their eyes shone with fragile hope.
"Lopuu... Nyaaa..." Lopunny & Mewoscrada whispered, voice fragile but steady.
I stood up, heart racing. I looked at Sabrina.
"I am ready."
Sabrina looked at Ryan.
For the briefest moment, something flickered behind her calm mask. A quiet ripple of emotion she rarely allowed to surface.
Her purple eyes softened, just a fraction, as they moved from the three of them huddled together to the small doll house resting nearby on the platform.
Then they returned to Ryan when he said, "I am ready." She gave a single, slow nod.
…
Some minutes later I lay down beside Kirlia on the floor.
Sabrina stood nearby, her eyes glowing faint red. She placed one hand on Kirlia's, holding it gently in hers, and the other on mine.
"Close your eyes," she said, voice flat.
I did and as soon as I did The world faded. A soft hum filled my mind, growing louder.
Then everything connected.
My thoughts blurred slowly, fading at the edges.
First my name, then my voice, then the feel of my own body, all slipping away like sand through fingers. I forgot who I was standing here for, forgot the cold stone under me, forgot even the fear.
There was only the pull, gentle at first, then stronger, drawing me deeper into something that wasn't mine.
Darkness swirled away. I saw it.
A small, sterile room. White walls gleamed under harsh, buzzing lights. Cold metal tables lined the edges.
Ralts huddled in a tiny cage, barely big enough to turn around. Her body shook with fear.
Surrounding her were rows of other cages. Shadowy shapes of Pokémon filled them. Whimpers and cries echoed faintly, soft and broken. I couldn't see who they were. Just pain. Just fear.
A man with white hair stood over her cage. His face remained a blur, hidden in shadow.
He reached in and lifted her gently but firmly. The scene shifted in a blur of motion.
Now she lay strapped to a different machine. Electrodes dotted her small body. Screens glowed nearby.
The man nodded to the white-coated figures around him.
"Start the machine."
They flipped switches.
Electrodes attached to Ralts' tiny body sparked. Her horn glowed against her will. Pink energy flared wildly.
She screamed, a high, piercing "Ralts! Raaaalts!" Her body arched in agony as the machine pulled at her power, measuring it like she was nothing but data.
Numbers flashed on screens. The man leaned in.
"Interesting…"
The scene shattered like glass. Another room appeared. A hatching area, eggs in incubators.
One cracked open. A normal Ralts emerged, green and white, tiny eyes blinking in confusion. Fresh from the egg, innocent, wobbling on weak legs.
My heart clenched. I wanted to reach her, to scoop her up and run, to stop whatever came next.
But before I could move, the scene shifted again, slipping away like smoke.
"So is this the new Pokémon who hatched from the egg…" the white-haired man said, voice cold.
The white coats swarmed. Ralts looked up, scared, backing away. "Ra… Ralts?" she chirped, voice small and terrified.
"Inject some DNA of that Pokémon into it…"
They grabbed her. She struggled, little arms flailing. "Ralts! Raaalts!" Panic filled every cry.
They pinned her down on a metal table. Straps clicked into place. She trembled, eyes wide with terror. She searched the masked faces for anything kind.
She didn't understand. They held her arms out. They forced it straight. The needle gleamed under the lights.
Ralts squeezed her eyes shut. Her tiny body shook. The injection pierced her skin.
At first, nothing. Then fire.
She screamed. "Raaaaalts!!!" A raw, gut-wrenching wail tore through the room. Her body convulsed. Veins glowed under her skin as the foreign DNA spread like poison.
Pain burned through her. Every cell twisted and changed. Her green parts faded, turning pink in patches. The color shifted unnaturally, like her very essence was being rewritten.
"Raaalts! Raaaaalts…!!!" She thrashed against the straps. Tears streamed down her face. Her horn flickered wildly as psychic power surged out of control.
Waves of energy cracked the table. Shattered glass nearby.
But the pain didn't stop. It built, wave after wave. Her small frame arched off the table. Her screams turned hoarse.
The white-haired man watched from the other side, smiling. "Power levels rising. Good."
She was just a baby. Just hatched. And they were breaking her.
I couldn't take it. Tears burned my eyes. I reached out, desperate to hold her, to stop it. "No! Stop! Ralts!"
My hand touched her. The scene cracked like glass. Shards fell away.