Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon

My first pokemon fanfic. I had had ideas of some in the past, but I never got around to them as I'm no pokemon expert and I tend to avoid writing stories for things that have a lot of details in canon. But this is a more simplified tale that I've decided to write, inspired by a few reads about people, specifically Ash, being transformed into some pokemon or hybrid. This, however, is not like those fics. It'll take a darker turn. So here goes.

Subject 01

What do I know about pokemon? I feel like I've asked myself that question far too often, even though I am a scientist working with the very people who study these creatures up close. Specifically, their powers. Yes, their fascinating abilities. I looked down at the black containment cage in my hand, swinging gently at my side as I walked down the hall. Within this special electric proof box was the curious yellow creature called a pikachu. I remembered in my youth coming across a wild one.

I must have been about seven or eight when a scruffy looking one ran up close to me, curious about what I was eating. I remembered being fascinated by it, just as he seemed to be fascinated by me when he cocked his head to the side and stood on his hind legs while gazing at me. I thought I'd befriend it. So with a smile, I held out my sandwich. But he was much too wild to be tamed this way. He dropped to all fours. I froze. His cheeks started to spark. Then it cried its name.

Then next thing I knew, was pain. Horrible, shocking pain traveling all throughout my body. I screamed. No one was around. No one came to my aide. No other person, nor any possible friendly pokemon who could've been witnessing this moment and thought it ought to help this poor little fellow who only wanted to show kindness. And then the pain was gone. I fell forward. My lunch fell out of my hand. I blinked and looked up, expecting to see the pikachu snatching the sandwich from my hand. But it didn't do that. With a satisfied sniff, it turned and darted back into the forest that had surrounded us. I simply remembered it wickedly saying "Pika" before fleeing. After that, no pokemon scared me more than the electric type. But I was careful around all pokemon after that. As a matter of fact, I placed more trust and faith in people than I did those creatures, and not only because of that one incident. But even that started to change.

"Pika! Pika Pikachu!"

I gazed down at the box, but didn't stop walking down the long white hall. I couldn't help cringing at hearing him. And I also couldn't help balling my right hand into a fist. Even though this box kept any possible attacks from him from escaping and targeting me, I couldn't help but wear gloves and a special vest under my lab coat. I never took chances with these things. None of the pokemon.

"No use crying," I told him, though I had no idea what his cries meant. If I had to guess, I'd say he sounded scared. Well he would have a good reason to be, as I was escorting him to his owner. It was a young boy, dark-haired and stubborn. I think they called him Ash.

"Pika!" I smiled. I wondered if somehow he knew where I was taking him.

I turned at the end of the hall. We were getting closer.

"You might as well know, the boy you're about to see again, is different."

"Pika?"

I stopped and turned the cage upwards so we could see each other.

"Much different," I warned. He stared at me. He wouldn't fully be able to read my expression behind my glasses, but I didn't care. I just stared into that furry little face. A face that seemed to express concern and fear.

I sneered and dropped the cage back to my left side and continued walking. I never believed pokemon really cared about humans. They were tamed to: brainwashed to, or as I preferred, tricked.

I knew what that was like. There were many times in my youth where I was tricked into trusting people and even brainwashed to believe certain nonsensical ideas. Of course, upon learning about this facility, I thought everyone here was a lunatic. With my studies in science, they had approached me, claiming I was an extraordinarily talented young man who could help them harness the powers of pokemon for human use. Long before I had hit my college years, I had ignored the pokemon population completely, which wasn't easy to do. They were everywhere. Even some of my close friends had them. Not me though, and not having them quickly isolated me from much of society as well as those close friends.

It hadn't mattered. I had found a small number who had refused to have anything to do with pokemon. As far as we were concerned, they belonged separate from humans. They had their world out there in the wild, and we had ours.

"Pika! Pika Pika!" I felt the cage shake in my hand.

"Stop that!" I ordered harshly as I came to a stop. I turned the cage upwards in time to see its cheeks sparking.

"PI-KA-CHUUUUUUU!"

Its electric attack went nowhere. The box kept it contained, so I was unharmed. When it died down, I spoke.

"You're wasting your strength and energy. Your powers cannot reach me outside that box, so settle yourself. Less you really don't want to see your owner afterall."

I turned around as if I had decided to take him right back to the cells where other pokemon were contained.

"Pika! Pika Pi!" It cried.

"I'll take that as you'll comply," I said smoothly. Here was yet another instance of a pokemon seeming to understand. I always knew to a degree they did, but I never bothered to really understand. What did I care.

I adjusted my glasses and turned back and continued walking, back on course.

"What a curious relationship you must have had with your owner. I'm afraid it's no more though."

"Pi!"

That relationship couldn't and wouldn't be anymore. A special team had captured them, wanting the rare pikachu in our region, along with a new test subject in the boy. It was decided the younger the test subject, the better.

"Don't worry," I tell him. "He should still be recognizable."

It was an assumption. The last time I'd seen him, he was throwing a fit against the guards who held him before our elite team, demanding to know what they had done with his pikachu. Dr. O'Karr, lead scientist and our director, didn't immediately respond. He simply motioned for another guard to take away the rest of his pokeballs. Afterwards, he explained that he was there to help them hone in on harnessing a pokemon's power. They revealed they had been watching him for a long time and to prove this, video footage was brought forth on the large screens surrounding the room. I was standing above the scene in a row of seats with other scientists. I took interest in the boy's story as the clips played.

There he was, traveling many roads. Throwing those pokeballs and catching various pokemon who were then shown to quickly bond with him. I saw his competitions in a few battles. I knew there must be some where he lost, but we were only shown his victories. But more importantly, we were shown the special bond he seemed to hold with his pokemon, which my team found key to their success. We didn't see his interactions with other people, with human friends and family. No, just with those powerful creatures, which wasn't surprising. They didn't want to know any more about him, and neither did I.

The last image shown was of the boy hugging his pikachu, the very one in my box. The image was frozen on the screen, and the boy gazed up at it, astonished that they had been watching him for so long, gathering so much information secretly. Then before he could get any answers, one of the doctors approached him from behind, piercing the back of his neck with a needle, rendering him unconscious. After that he was dragged out of the room, and I had turned away to prepare my part in his upcoming transformation.

"Pi, Pikachu!"

"We're almost there," I said as the double doors came into view. I stopped just in front of them. The pikachu gave his cry as electricity charged through its fur. I sighed. It didn't understand when enough was enough. Why don't you give up? I wondered. Then I thought, the better question was, why doesn't my own team give up on this pikachu.

My experiments with the contraptions made to harness their power had been great. Ironically, I had failed to harness the electrical might of any electric pokemon, particularly the pikachu.

"Wasn't meant to be," I say quietly. Me and pikachus were never meant to mix. I was barely meant to mix with most people. I raised the cage upwards again so he could see me and I could see him. "Ready to see what's become of your owner?"

The pikachu froze and twitched an ear in a nervous manner.

"Pi-ka?" it said quietly and fearfully.

"Right this way." I pushed open the doors. "Well."

I stood there, staring at the sight before us, and if I didn't know any better, I could've sworn I felt the pikachu tense in its cage.

Originally I was going to try and fit this into a oneshot, but thought I'll stretch it out to another chapter or two. I'll see. Hopefully you'll see by continuing to follow the story. So drop in reviews and I'll update soon. Next chapter, we will see what has become of Ash.