Well... off to another story. This chapter will likely be edited a few times due to the size but the basic story won't change.

He laid in his enclosure, unable to rest his head properly because of the spikes on the neck of his helmet. The pokemon's comfort was never taken into consideration. Not since he had been dubbed a failure and renamed. His body hurt from recent procedures. Not only that but he was force to battle in this condition. He rested his head as best he could, propping up the mask using the spikes like legs. Type: Null could never sleep comfortably, only his ball provided enough comfort. He didn't like his ball at all but unless he wanted to never sleep or rest, he had to go in every now and then. For some reason, he had been brought out of his stasis and they altered him a little more as well as did other procedures despite the fact that they were technically done with him. He didn't understand why. Still though, all he could do was wait.

It turns out that he was only brought out of his stasis to be shown off by the lady with the green eyes. Null didn't like her at all. He glared at her through the glass. Null wanted to destroy her. She wasn't right in the head and he could sense it. She was the reason he was here and he wanted revenge. But today, there was a boy next to her. A boy with the same eyes and similar hair. His hair even had lighter highlights of silver in it like the woman. But, he was different from the other scientists that Null had seen.

This boy looked... scared and angry. He was trying to keep an emotionless facade but Null could read this boy even while others can't. He was angry upon seeing Null but when his mother ran her hand through his hair, he went rigid with fear. This boy looked young, about ten years old if Null had to guess. This boy hated seeing pokemon hurt and seeing how Null was being kept angered him. But, at the same time, he feared his mother. She didn't run her hands through his hair as a show of love, she did it more as a way to intimidate.

"Go on, Gladion. Approach him if you want. He can't hurt you." The woman said.

Gladion? So that was this kid's name. Gladion hesitantly approached the glass. Null got up and approached him. The woman seemed delighted, saying something about how Null usually didn't approach anyone. Null scanned the boy with his eyes, taking in every detail and every expression and action. The boy was wearing formal clothes, all of his clothes were white in color for the most part. His hair looked like it had been done up, too. Except for his bangs, which only came down just a little past his eyebrows, the rest of his hair was slicked back. Null then looked him in the eye and suddenly, the synthetic pokemon and Gladion connected. This boy was just as much of a prisoner as Null was. The pokemon didn't know it for sure but he could feel it. This boy had a pure feeling, an innocence that none of the other Aether workers had. He was also not under that weird influence that all of the workers seemed to be under. Both of them were just here to be Lusamine's personal tools and nothing more.

"Okay, that's enough. Return him to his ball, Faba. Gladion and I will be leaving now." The woman said.

"Yes, ma'am." Faba said, returning null to his pokeball.

Null's eyes didn't leave Gladion's for a single moment as he disappeared out of sight and into the ball. He even put his front paw(or claw?) on the glass before he was returned, right where Gladion's left hand was.

"Come, Gladion." Lusamine said as she walked out of the room.

"Mother, what will you do with it?" Gladion asked.

"He'll be frozen and put on display. He's too magnificent to waste." Lusamine said.

Gladion's left hand balled into a fist, a few knuckles cracking. How on earth can she do this to a creature like that? That's no life for any living thing. His mind was swimming in thought as they left the room. The reason why Gladion was being shown the labs was because he was finally of age to potentially inherit Aether Paradise, should anything happen to his mother. Gladion acted like he was on board with everything although he usually kept his face emotionless. It was best to not show any kind of emotion around Lusamine. You never know what she might take from that. But all Gladion could feel was anger towards her. It was bad enough that she completely changed into the woman she is today but Gladion never truly knew how cruel she had become until that day. And it both angered and terrified him because this was his mother now... she used to be so passionate about pokemon and she used to truly love what the Aether Foundation stood for. He remembered when she would help with the sick, injured, or traumatized pokemon. He, Lillie, and her even used to lie in the same bed together some nights.

But now, she was cold hearted and only spent time with him and Lillie to either dress them, show them off, or there would be business regarding her work. Sometimes, he'd just wake up on a bed and Lusamine would give him a wicked smile like she had done something. He never have the nerve to ask what she had done. He'd have a lingering feeling of anxiety and violation afterwards. He didn't want to know because he really didn't want his image of her anymore ruined than it had been. He wanted to be able to think 'At least she hasn't hurt me' or something like that. Even if after some of those times, a mysterious scar or two would appear on his body. Lusamine suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway and Gladion stopped immediately.

"I have one last thing I want you to do before I let you go." She said.

"What is it?" Gladion asked.

"I want you to drink this." She said, giving him a small flask of an ominous transparent purple liquid.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I require all my workers to take it. It was extracted from Nihilego. You're old enough now. Welcome to the workforce, son. From today forward, you are truly part of the Aether Foundation." She said with a cheerful smile.

She had mentioned that pokemon again. Lusamine never let him hear the end of it. He didn't like this though. He's seen the other workers, some of the most nicest people he's met change because of this liquid. It has addictive qualities to it, he knew that. He's seen the workers drink this before. He knew that if he drank that, he might never be the same person anymore.

"I'm not feeling very good, mother. Maybe another time?" He asked.

"I want you to take it." She said, her eyes glaring coldly.

Gladion felt a cold sweat break out through his body. She had that angry look on her face again like she's about to go out for blood. But, despite his fear, he couldn't bring himself to take whatever kind of liquid that was. He had a bad feeling about it.

"Mother, I'm really not feeling very good right now." He said.

"Take it. It'll make you feel better." She said.

"But-" He began.

"Take it or I will make you take it." She threatened.

Gladion felt himself grow even more scared. His mother never has raised a hand to him yet but with as bad as she's gotten, he wouldn't put it past her anymore. He already knew that she had changed since his father had left but he never let himself see how bad the extent was. He always just assumed that she was just too busy and that was why she had gotten the way she was. But, today, he was forced to face the woman his mother had truly become and it scared and angered Gladion. But mostly, it broke him to see her like this. Wasn't this the same woman who danced with Lillie in the rain? The same woman he had read bed time stories with? The same woman who used to caress his cheek and call him her beautiful son? This woman... whom sworn her loving heart to everyone, people or pokemon, under her care had turned into a monster. Then a familiar set of steps came up from behind him.

"Mrs. President, how about I take him? I'll make sure he takes it before bed." Wicke said.

Lusamine glared at Gladion but then let out a breath before putting on her fake facade of being kind. She gave the flask to Wicke.

"Very well. Go ahead but don't let him go to bed without it." She said.

"Of course, my lady." Wicke said.

Lusamine then took her leave. Wicke then threw away the flask in a nearby trash can when she was sure no one was around.

"What is that stuff?" Gladion asked.

"Poison from Nihilego. Whatever you do, don't drink it. Ever since the workers here started drinking it, it's caused them to change." Wicke said.

"Why don't you take it?" Gladion asked.

"Being required to take a liquid for a job sounds a little suspicious, don't you think? Especially when everyone else seems to be addicted to it. Some of the workers lose their minds if they don't get it." Wicke said.

Gladion just felt more and more afraid of this place. He used to think that this place was here to save pokemon who have been injured, neglected, abandoned, or traumatized. But, now he realizes that this place only uses that as a mask to hide what they were really doing. This place that used to be his home now felt alien to him. He didn't like it here anymore. Being here made him feel sick and betrayed. Had he been living a lie this whole time?

"Come along, young master. Let's get you back to your room." Wicke said.

Gladion followed her. He felt so dazed after everything he had seen. He almost couldn't believe that this is who his mother had become. A painful lump in his throat had formed since she had started to show him the labs. He felt like he was going to choke on it now. This was his mother now...

"If it changes who people are, do you think she'll notice if I don't take it?" Gladion asked.

"You'll have to obey her every word. The liquid makes everyone here loyal to her and none of them ask questions. I've only gotten away with it because my job is to keep an eye on you and your sister as well as help pokemon which isn't something I'll argue with. She's trying to start you on it today because you are finally old enough to safely drink it." Wicke said.

Gladion felt troubled. Safely drink it? Is this stuff even safe at all? It is a poison after all. Does this mean that the workers here might get sick? Are they here entirely on their own will? The more he sees of this place, the worse it gets. He used to look forward to this day when he would finally be able to join the rest of the workers out in the field. He could go on his own journey and rescue pokemon along the way while he was at it and complete his island challenge. He'd become a strong trainer and president that the Aether Foundation could be proud of but now, he doesn't want it... no, he can't want this no matter how much he tries to think of some kind of justification behind what had been going on here behind closed doors. He decided to force himself to stop thinking about it and focus on something else: Type: Null.

"Wicke... Mother is going to freeze Type: Null. Is there a way I could stop it?" Gladion asked.

"Gladion, I'm afraid there isn't. Nothing can be done. What your mother says goes. I can't do anything. I'll risk losing my job but you and Lillie need me. I can't just leave you here with things the way they are. One of the workers around here needs to be sane." She said.

"I can't let her do this. That pokemon doesn't deserve it." Gladion said.

They walked down the hall way quietly and got into the elevator. Soon, they were on the main floor. Gladion could feel the anxiety of the situation claw at him. He felt so angry that he couldn't do anything about any of this. What can he do? He had to do something! He couldn't just let his own mother do this! How could he just stand by and let her get this bad?! Gladion regretted leaving his mother alone to grieve. Maybe if he had tried to get involved with her more, he could have stopped this. Wicke, however, saw an opportunity. She was a very clever woman and has smuggled things in and out of the labs before without fail or anyone's notice. Lusamine doesn't even suspect a thing and never does. Wicke knew that now was the time that she could finally help Gladion or else risk losing him forever.

"Maybe you should do something about it." Wicke said.

"What do you mean?" Gladion asked.

"I mean... I'm saying that I think it's time you left and went on your own journey." Wicke said.

"But I can't just leave Lillie here." Gladion said.

"I will keep an eye on her. I always have and your mother won't bother much with her until she's old enough. But Gladion, you need to get out of here. The longer you stay, the more she will try to get you to take Nihilego's poison and once that happens, you won't be yourself anymore. You will be nothing more than a slave and you won't know it nor be able to fight it. You're not safe here anymore, Gladion." Wicke said.

"I... I don't know if I can do it." Gladion stammered.

"You need to be brave, Gladion. You have to. Especially if you want to take Type: Null with you. Please, give it some thought, young master. I can't bear to see you change into someone you're not." Wicke pleaded.

Soon, they made it to the mansion. Lillie was in the play room and she noticed her big brother. She ran up to him in her small, white, frilly dress. He smiled at her to mask how troubled he really was as she hugged him. He hugged her back. Lillie was almost three years younger than her brother. They're very close and have been each others best friend since Lillie had been born. They were inseparable and the thought of leaving her was nauseating to Gladion. How could he leave her like this? Especially with how their mother is? She's not going to be happy with him for leaving at all. He hoped that she won't take it out on Lillie if he were to leave.

"Gladdy!" She said joyfully.

"Lillie, how many times have I told you that I hate that name?" He chuckled.

"But I love you." She said, looking up at him with lillipup eyes.

He chuckled, his hand running through her hair. She was everything to him. Would she ever forgive him for walking out on her? How could he say he's ever done anything good for her if he were to run away?

"You're lucky you're cute." He said with a smile.

"Let's play!" She said.

"Okay, what should we play?" He asked her.

"Hide and seek!" She said excitedly.

As Gladion played with her, he gave it more thought... and then he knew that this was going to be the last night that he would play with her. He knew that if he took the poison, he would become just like mother and doing that would be even worse than running away. It was better to leave than to stay and ruin everything about himself. Besides, there was no telling what will happen to Lillie if Gladion also became like his mother. So he made the most of his last day with her. Wicke made sure they ate a decent supper and even sneaked in some ice cream although it was a rare treat. Lusamine never allowed for them to eat unhealthy foods, opting to only give them a low calorie diet but filling enough to not warrant any complaints. Ice cream or such treats were only allowed if Lusamine herself felt they had been good, which was very rare. But, Wicke would give them something every now and then.

They played hide and seek, played with some of the rescued pokemon, played a few board games, and then stared up at the night sky to enjoy the stars and the moon. Night time was always Gladion's favorite time because the night sky was so breath taking. Soon, it was bed time. Gladion made sure to help Lillie bathe although he was starting to get too old to bathe with her. Nevertheless, he helped her out with her hair and back. Lillie did not know why he was being nicer than usual but she decided not to question it. They got into a splash fight, completely soaking the bathroom much to the maid's chagrin but the laughter filling the room made up for it. Once out of the bath, he brushed her hair for her, another unusual but not unwelcome action. They made a blanket fort in her room and he read her a book before bed time.

"Gladion?" She asked.

"What?" He asked.

"We'll always be best friends, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, always." He asked.

She smiled and hugged his arm. He smiled at her warmly. She was practically his only family. His smile faltered as he remembered that tonight was his last night with her. He put the book down and put an arm around her.

"Lillie, I'm going to be busy a lot more now that I'm older. So, just know that there's nothing you can say or do that will make me love you any less. No matter what." Gladion said.

"Promise?" Lillie asked.

"I promise." He said.

She smiled and leaned against him.

"You're the best big brother ever." She said.

They laid like that for a long time until she fell asleep against him. He had to leave her now but, he was glad he at least made today a good day for her. He kissed her on the forehead before tucking her in. He left a note next to her bed before leaving the room. Leaving her room was probably the hardest thing he had to do. His only family left and he had to walk away from it. He then went back to his room. He saw Wicke outside his door, waiting. She stood up and walked up to him as he came down the hall.

"Have you decided, young master?" Wicke asked.

"Yeah... I'm leaving with Type: Null. Do you know how I can get to him?" He asked.

"No need. I already got him for you." Wicke said, putting the pokeball in his hand.

"How did you...?" Gladion asked.

"It's a woman's secret." She said with a wink.

She was favored among the male staff and Faba especially had it bad for her charm. She didn't just have a sweet personality to charm her way to get what she wants but her curvy body had many aflutter over her. But, Faba took a little more than just sweet talk to distract: he may be a sucker for her but, he was clever enough to not let her charm work unless he gets something from it. Luckily, Faba didn't notice she walked out of the lab with Type: Null and the cameras were down for maintenance while they were in there. He was in too much of a happy daze to realize anything. Anyhow, no one would have wanted to record what she had done to distract him. It wasn't Wicke's proudest of moments but, she'd do it again if it meant saving Gladion and Lillie. Gladion went into his room to gather his things. He looked around his dresser and frowned. Even his most casual clothes looked too white except for some black slacks. He'll stick out at this rate especially if the Aether foundation tries looking for him.

"I need to wear something that won't make me stick out so much. Something that doesn't look so... Aether." Gladion said.

"I brought these. They were my nephew's clothes. I know it's kind of the opposite of what you're used to but I think it works. My nephew really liked to wear dark clothes at your age. The sweatshirt might be a little big for the moment but I know you'll grow into it in couple years." She said.

Gladion took the bag and looked at the clothes. They were all black.

"These clothes? People are going to think I'm part of Team Skull at this rate." He said.

"Well you don't want to look like you belong here, do you?" She asked.

"No, no I don't. They'll work. I'll wear them." He said.

Gladion put on the black pants and dark grey sweatshirt with black sleeves. These clothes made him look almost like a punk. All that was missing was a few rips and he'd be set. He wasn't used to a look like this but at least it kept his skin from being exposed to the sun: he burned easily. These clothes were a little big on him except the pants were a little short (they'll be shorter on him when he's older). Wicke gave him a red bag that strapped around his waist and some red shoes.

"I will take you to Akala island by boat. I've gathered some money for you to take along with a private travel card. Go to the Akala Motel on route five and stay there. You have enough money for it. Also, make sure to take it slow with Type: Null. He's never been outside the lab before much less had a positive experience around humans. But you remember how we've humanized other pokemon before so I think you can handle it. But keep his ball close. The moment he shows any signs of trouble, return him to his ball asap." She said.

Gladion nodded and they sneaked out to the docks where a boat was waiting for them. They got in and soon, they left. Gladion was scared. He had never been outside Aether Paradise before. Going to the islands was something completely new to him. He used to be so excited for this day when he would finally leave to go on his journey but now, he knew he was completely alone in this journey. He can't just go back home to check with anyone. He only had himself. Akala island came closer into view, the few lights sparkled in the distance, the moon in the sky lighting the rest of the night. Everything about today then started to hit Gladion hard like a kick in the gut. Hot tears brimmed his eyes and he held his head in his hands. His mother... his mother was dead. She might as well be dead. That person in there was not his mother anymore. The one woman he loved most, his own mother, has betrayed everything thing he had been raised into being. Lillie will be alone but his only comfort was that he knew Wicke would take care of her and, if the time came, help her escape. His own home was no longer home. In just one day, everything had been ripped apart and distorted into something else. He didn't belong home anymore. Wicke picked up on Gladion's feelings.

"I'm sorry your tenth birthday turned out like this." Wicke said.

"I was going to find out eventually. I'm fine." Gladion said, quickly shaking off his sadness.

"Yeah..." Wicke said, a sadness settling over her as the impact of the situation finally hit her.

That will be the last time she will likely talk to him for awhile. But, she knew things were better this way. They got to the docks and Gladion stepped off of the boat. Wicke joined him and though tried to keep a cheerful smile, she could already feel herself breaking. Gladion is the closest thing to a son she had ever had. Gladion also felt sad for leaving her. Wicke was probably the closest thing to a mother he's had and it was especially tough to see him leave. She gently ran her hand through his bangs, an action that would normally scare him if anyone else did. But, coming from her, it was soothing.

"Be safe out there, okay?" She said.

"Yeah." Gladion said.

She hugged him and he hugged her back, a few tears escaping from his eyes. She pulled away and looked at him, her own tears falling down her face. He looked back up at her.

"Take good care of Lillie. I'm counting on you." He said.

"Yeah, I will. You don't even have to tell me." Wicke said.

"Well... good bye." He said.

"Good bye, young master." She said sadly.

He walked down the dock, not looking back. If he did look back, he knew that it would only make it harder for him. He wiped away the last of his tears and moved forward with so much fear and uncertainty but also with a little hope. It was this hope that helped him move along.

He had gotten to the motel just fine. Before Wicke left him, she gave him all of the notes that were taken while studying type: Null. All of his information was in there. Gladion paid the rent for the room for two years. He still had plenty of money, too. Anyway, before letting Type: Null out of the pokeball, Gladion poured over the notes, reading as much of the pages that he could. First of all, type: Null cannot eat solids because the helmet prevents that. So it has to have it's food blended or have small pieces put in through the bottom. The lab only gave him a blended mix to eat through a tube. The hole in his mask was big enough for maybe a poffin or a small leppa berry. It didn't leave for very many feeding options.

It's body was covered in mostly fur but some of its body had patches of scales. The one he has is a male that is, surprisingly, not sterile. In fact, it is hinted that he may have been bred to potentially another if Gladion had left him. The helmet does not allow for much comfort which Gladion already knew. The helmet is made of metal and is very heavy. The helmet makes it difficult for Null to groom itself and its feathers used to be white.

His vocal chords were also damaged, too. It was unknown why that particular part of the notes had been cut out. These were top secret notes so the fact that there were parts missing was a little baffling but then, he had been told that if data was useless, it was cut out. Still though, wouldn't there at least be a reason why his vocal chords were damaged? It was hard to know.

Gladion set to work and went to the supermarket to buy some small treats that he might be able to fit through the hole in Null's mask. Null, being part of every pokemon, doesn't have a true set diet and can eat both meat and plants. So Gladion just bought some berries and a knife to dice them with as well as some mini poffins. He also bought some house training pads knowing that Null was probably used to defecating and urinating indoors. He got back to the hotel and put the berries in the mini fridge before closing the door and the window shutters. He drew all the curtains and then left only the lamp next to the bed on. He took a deep breath and released Type: Null.

Gladion kept still and pretended to stare at the floor like there was something more interesting. Null looked around the room and grew nervous. It was frozen with fear but Gladion kept still and waited, his hand gripping the pokeball tightly. Null didn't move for a long time and it looked around the room, his eyes wide in fear, it's breathing heavy. But after awhile, it soon realized that there was nothing dangerous about this room. So he took a hesitant step. His claws on a carpet floor even startled him because he had never been on one before. He took a few minutes just to get used to the sound and feel of his own feet on the weird floor. Gladion watched from the corner of his eye. Null soon started to investigate the room, sniffing everything. He started with the tv, then the window curtains, the pokemon bed next to the bed, the bed, and basically everything in the room except Gladion. He paused at Gladion, backed away nervously and explored the rest of the room. He didn't get to Gladion until he was done looking at everything else.

Finally, type: null got to him and Gladion went rigid as he sniffed his hand. Gladion moved a finger hesitantly and Type: Null jumped back, letting out a growl. The growl resonated through the metal mask, making him sound more threatening. He backed away from Gladion and paced, growling at him and looking at him skeptically. Gladion looked at him slowly, the pokeball at the ready in case Null tried to make a move to hurt him. They locked eyes but instead of threatening or attacking him, Null cowered in the corner, trying to get as far away from Gladion as he could while growling at him. Honestly, he looked pathetic. Gladion remembered that Null usually got prodded with something that would hurt him if a human entered his cell. He essentially expected Gladion to do the same. If the boy wanted to tame Null, he needed to start by showing him a positive thing.

Gladion slowly reached into his pocket and grabbed a one of the mini poffin snacks and tossed it over to type: Null. But it scared the pokemon even more and he tried to get away from it, jamming himself against the wall and clawing at the carpet frantically. He was too terrified to be calmed down by just sitting still but Gladion didn't want to return him just yet. So Gladion got up and slowly approached type: null. He grabbed the poffin from the floor. Type: Null just stared at him, hissing but completely frozen in place. Gladion popped the poffin in his mouth and chewed it slowly, it's flavor permeating his mouth. Hmmm... bluk berry flavored. Gladion took another one out of his pocket and showed it to Type: Null and he just stared at Gladion. Gladion also ate it to show him what they were for. Null then looked at him curiously, though still with his back pressed against the corner.

Gladion put a handful of mini poffins on the floor and backed away from type: null. Type: Null hesitantly inched himself forward to the pile of mini poffins. Like a vacuum cleaner, he sucked one up into his mask through the hole at the bottom. Gladion could hear the poffins crunch in its teeth noisily, the echo from the mask made it even louder. One by one, Null sucked up the treats in through his mask until the pile was gone. He then looked at Gladion, an audible smacking of its mouth sounding through the helmet. Gladion decided to try berries this time. He put the berry slices in a dish and then placed them on the floor. He backed away from the dish and waited.

He had to cut them into fine cubes so that null wouldn't have too difficult of a time trying to eat them. Null didn't seem to know what they were and looked at them skeptically. Gladion picked up a cube from the dish and ate it. Null looked at the bowl in fascination before sniffing it. He let out a delighted squawk before effortlessly sucking up the berries into his helmet. It was comical to watch as the things he sucked up made an audible *shwoop!* noise as they were sucked in. This time, Null was way more sloppy with them. The juices leaked out from the bottom of his mask and it got all over the floor, making Gladion cringe. He might be better off buying some kibble for him and leaving berry slices as a treat. Still, Null seemed to enjoy his meal. This was probably the first time it has had berries at all. Null finished up his food but he took a moment to lick out the inside of his mask, his mouth smacking together loudly and continuously. Gladion was glad that they had at least gotten feeding down.

It took a few days for Gladion to get close enough to Null to pet him. Null would not let Gladion come near him without cowering in the corner and Gladion didn't want to touch Null without consent. So he worked out a schedule of letting Type: Null out of his ball, feeding him, letting him explore the room while he would study the lab notes from the experimentation done to him. It was interesting, they used a combination of many different DNA from different pokemon and then used ditto DNA to have it fuse. It is mentioned that he is able to reproduce but a section after that had also been ripped out. Why was that? Certain sections of the lab had been ripped out but why? This was looking suspicious. Just what was going on with the whole experiment that so much had to have been removed? Gladion silently prayed that none of it was vital information. Suddenly, Gladion saw Null looking over his shoulder.

"Hey." He said to Null.

Null looked at him but didn't do much else. He had gotten more relaxed around the boy and slowly had gotten closer to the kid. Gladion hesitantly reached his hand up in front of Null's face. Null didn't move but instead stared as Gladion moved his hand forward and gently touched Null's mask. Gladion grew shaky with excitement and nerves as he slowly turned and ran his hand along Null's mask. Null grew tense as his other hand traveled to Null's neck. However, he didn't struggle, he wanted to see what exactly Gladion was doing. Null rested his head on Gladion's desk and waited. Gladion took this as permission and allowed his hands to travel through Null's neck fur. Type: Null had never been touched before by another human much less get pets. He didn't know how to feel about this contact. Gladion investigated the mask next to see if maybe there was a way to remove it but he couldn't find anything. Null closed his eyes and relaxed as Gladion ran his hands along Null's back to investigate the rest of him. His whole body was covered with black fur but his back legs had some big purple scales on them. His tail looked aquatic but felt rubbery to the touch, the membrane reminded Gladion like that of a Zubat wing. His front bug-like legs were especially interesting and Gladion took one in his hand to just see exactly how it worked. Null even flexed his claws a few times to show Gladion.

Null was used to having lab procedures done to him. He didn't mind Gladion touching him after getting used to it. It was not much different than the robot arms that would modify his body. He just figured all this was some kind of huge lab test. He hasn't made the connection yet that he is free and could probably run if he wanted to. He never even truly understood consent, he just thought he had to lie still for this. But when he didn't feel some kind of needle or something being done to him, he was confused. After scanning him, Gladion just started petting his neck. He lifted his head and looked at Gladion with a questioning look.

"What? Have you ever gotten pet before?" Gladion asked.

Pet? That was a new word to Null. Null could understand some words, having been commanded with speakers. Some of its days, he was forced to look at a screen while a video played and words were being taught to him. So Null had a decent understanding of human words but pet was certainly a new one. He simply just gave Gladion a confused look but allowed him to continue. Null could learn names in a flash as well as new words. But after about a few minutes of feeling hands gently run through his mane, he decided he really liked this new word he had just learned. So this is what 'pet' means? He liked it.

Gladion awoke to see Null outside of his pokeball... and staring right at his face. Gladion jolted awake and Null tilted his head at Gladion in question. What was this boy's problem? It's not like he was going to hurt him. After all, hurting humans meant that he'd get the prod again and he didn't want to get the prod again. Null went over to the door and scratched at it. Gladion looked at him in confusion. He already knew what the door was? What could Null be asking him? He's soiled the floor enough times to not want to be asking to go to the bathroom.

"What is it?" Gladion asked him.

Null didn't know either but he heard people outside the door. They even tested the lock and the sound stirred him awake. So he came out of his ball to investigate. The fact that his ball hadn't been sealed shut puzzled the synthetic pokemon but, he decided not to question this new giant procedure he was going through. It has been probably one of the most pleasant ones he has had done to him so he rather not do anything to end it. But, still, something about the voices outside made him uneasy. Is it another part of this giant experiment? But he decided to get Gladion's attention. He trusted Gladion enough to ask.

Gladion peeked out of the door to see some Team Skull grunts in the parking lot. Null looked at Gladion curiously, wondering why the boy had suddenly grown tense. It was similar to how he used to be when Lusamine was around. Wait, this action meant bad things, right? Bad things could mean that this experiment is going wrong or about to end. Null didn't want that, either. So he became more alert, a silent growl rumbling in his chest as he looked at the Grunts.

They were trying to rob the motel from what Gladion heard. Gladion decided to stop them but how? Could type: null defeat them? Not to mention an older, intimidating, man with white hair was with them. Gladion then looked at Type: Null. Did he know how to battle with people? Still, they had to have pokemon with them, right? Maybe Gladion could take them on. He put his hand on Null's side as he counted them. There were about six grunts not including the older man.

"Hey, Null, think you could battle them?" Gladion asked.

Null nodded, pushing his way out the door. Gladion was surprised and quickly grabbed Null's tail to stop him but it was too late: the grunts had spotted them. They did their weird hand gestures which, did not make them look intimidating in the slightest. In fact, Gladion wanted to laugh at them and would have if it wasn't for the fact that he's with Type: Null whom was a little too eager for Gladion's taste. Even still, these guys meant business even if they were a joke as far as pokemon trainers go.

Null, meanwhile, was rearing for action. He wanted to battle and stretch out his claws. It had been awhile since he had to battle. He was looking forward to another good fight and he scanned these trainers. He had it in his head that he would be battling them, not the pokemon they released but those became an added bonus to Null. When they released their pokemon, Null didn't bother listening to Gladion as he charged head first into battle. He made short work of a weak little zubat one of them had and it laid unconscious on the ground while the grunt fell to their knees.

"I lost!" He said, distraught.

"Don't just stand there, idiots! Get them!" the man shouted.

"Yes, boss!" They shouted, the rest of them releasing their pokemon.

Null was a force to be recon with! But, it was easy to see that these grunts did not train their pokemon very well and none of them were calm during battle. They just shouted random attacks and didn't even mention to dodge or anything. Null didn't even bother listening to Gladion. He knew how to battle at the labs, he's done it several times. He could tell that Gladion had no clue so there was no point in listening. All the pokemon at the labs were about as experienced as these ones he was currently facing. Gladion grew anxious and even more scared. Here he was, not even a trainer himself and then there's Null whom had way more of an idea as to what he was doing than Gladion ever did. What was he to do?! He wasn't strong enough to control Null and he didn't have the first idea as how he should handle this pokemon. He took down all the other pokemon easily but Null then turned on the grunts.

"Null! Stop!" Gladion shouted.

Null didn't listen. Why is he telling him to stop? They're bad guys after all, right? And they didn't have a prod! He could easily take them out. He charged at them, head first. Gladion jumped in front of Null.

"I SAID STOP!" Gladion shouted.

Null saw him but didn't have time to stop himself as his head connected with Gladion's stomach. An audible ripping sound was heard along with a sickening 'thud'. Null backed away from Gladion, shocked. What was he doing?! Why did he do that? These guys were their enemies, right? That meant destroying them. Gladion coughed up blood and Null suddenly grew anxious. Oh no! He had hurt him! He'll get the prod for sure now! Did that mean that this experiment was over now? Was he going to have to go back to the room?! He backed away from Gladion, terrified. The older man released his pokemon.

"Golisopod, use first impression. Make it a good one." The man said.

"Null! Dodge!" Gladion called.

But Null was too frozen with fear to even realize that he was about to get hit. The hit connected with Null square in the chest and he flipped backwards on the parking lot. He then realized that there was another pokemon he should be fighting but he felt terrified this time. This was an experiment, right?! Usually when the Aether humans get hurt, that means stop, right? So why is he still battling? And what was this huge room? Why are there so many lights above him but still dark? What is that giant glowing white ball in the high ceiling? The air is different, the ground is made of some kind of stone. The whole world around him just suddenly hit him at once. Sensory overload was an understatement.

"Null! Run!" Gladion shouted desperately.

Run? Why is he supposed to run? Where to?! This place was so huge! What was this place?! Null got up and backed up, looking around desperately, breathing heavily. All the rules were different and this place was different. What on earth was going on?! Is he dead? Was this a punishment for hurting the boy? That had to be it! Oh Arceus! He's really going to get it now! The older man then shouted another order to his pokemon.

"That thing is tough, I'll give it that. Use liquidation, Golisopod!" He called.

"Null! Snap out of it! Run!" Gladion shouted.

Null then felt the water slam against him hard. He fell over against the motel and laid on the floor, dazed. He wasn't fainted, he was just dazed. Horribly dazed. Gladion could see Null breathing heavily from where he was at. Gladion then looked at his stomach and saw blood. His gut felt like someone had ripped a hole in it. How deep did Type: Null hit him?

"Bring that thing over here, Golisopod." the man called.

Golisopod then walked over to Null, picked him up and then threw him over to them. Null landed right next to Gladion, his eyes opening to see Gladion's. He looked terrified and confused while Gladion looked terrified and regretful. He placed his hand on Null's mask.

"I'm so sorry, buddy." He said.

Sorry? What is he sorry for? Null screwed up, not Gladion, right? What was going on? What kind of experiment was this? Wait... was this even an experiment? This couldn't be. There hasn't been any needles, the Aether boy got hurt, and most of all, he hasn't gotten the prod once ever. Is this what the other pokemon meant when they would mention the real world? Or outside? Is this what they called outside? Gladion then raised up his pokeball as Null contemplated what was going on. He wouldn't even realize he was going in.

"Return..." He said weakly.

Null disappeared in a flash of red. The older man walked up to him and kicked Gladion over to face him. Gladion glared up at him defiantly while clutching Null's pokeball tightly. The man then squatted down next to him. The other grunts looked on, expecting their boss to show the boy the worst.

"Bring the beat down on him, boss!" One of them shouted.

"Yeah! Show em' what happens when you mess with team Skull!" Another one cheered.

"Fuck em' up, Guzma!" Another called.

"Shut up! I'm tryin' to talk!" He snarled at them.

The group then went silent. Guzma then turned back to the boy and sneered.

"So... what is a wimp like you doing with a pokemon like that?" He asked.

"That's none of your business." Gladion snarled.

"You're in no position to defy me, boy!" Guzma said, hitting his hurt stomach to make a point.

Gladion curled up in pain, tears brimming his eyes.

"Now tell me: where did you get this pokemon?!" Guzma growled.

Gladion shivered but didn't say anything. Guzma glared, and ripped the pokeball away from Gladion. Gladion snarled and bit Guzma's hand, clinging to the pokeball. Guzma kicked Gladion in the gut. Hard! Gladion yelped in pain before passing out from it. Guzma walked away, spinning the pokeball on one finger. He may not have come away with money but he did at least come away with a powerful pokemon.

Gladion felt nothing but cold steel on his back as he tried to break out of the restraints. He had cold metal restraints on his wrists, arms, neck, midsection, thighs, and ankles. He looked at his arm restraints to see that tubes with needles on them were poised to go in. He felt terrified and looked around desperately.

"Looks like he's coming out of it, president." Faba said.

"Hello, Gladion." Lusamine said, running her hands through his hair, a fond smile on her face.

"What's going on, mother?" Gladion asked.

"Oh just a little procedure. You're going to be president one day, after all. I have to make sure you're strong." She said.

"What does this have to do with anything?!" Gladion asked.

Then he saw a tentacled beast behind her. She smiled and held its tentacle.

"Oh how sweet of you to visit! Gladion, this is Nihilego! The truth is, if anything happens to me, Nihilego here will need a new host. But, you have to be a strong host and until it's your time, you will be one of the soldiers. But, it's too bad that it's too dangerous for you to consume her poison at the moment. So, until then, I have to improvise other ways of preparing you." Lusamine said with her wicked smile.

"What are you going to do to me?" Gladion asked, feeling terrified.

"Simple! I'm going to inject a weaker form of the poison within you so that when you can finally ingest it, you won't be able to disobey nor be without it for a long time. But, I fear that I have told you too much. You're not ready to know of the plan yet so it looks like I must wipe your memory of this moment." Lusamine said.

"Madam, everything is ready, it is time." Faba said.

"Good. Go ahead, Faba." Lusamine said.

A clicking noise was heard and with it, the needles stabbed into Gladion from the restraints. He cried out loudly, some of them going into the bone, others in major blood vessels and arteries. Lusamine gently swept her fingers through his bangs. Why did this feel so familiar to him?

"Shhh... Hush. It will only hurt for a minute and then you'll pass out. You always do every time. Then you'll forget all about it." She said, in a gentle voice.

Dread filled Gladion as he saw a clear liquid with a very faint purple tint in it creep its way through the tubes the needles were connected to.

"If it is any consolation, your first pokemon is going to be Type: Null. I just know you and him will be a strong team." She said, proudly.

"This... this is insane!" Gladion said.

"Don't worry, dear! You'll be so strong when you come of age! You'll be my strongest warrior yet!" She said with a smile.

Lusamine almost looked like the same woman she was before that wormhole incident. The liquid then reached him and it burned! Gladion cried out as the burning sensation filled his whole body. Suddenly, memories of the previous times flooded his head. This didn't hurt nearly as bad as the first time but that didn't make it any better. Eventually, black clouded his vision and he passed out. Lusamine had been eerily loving all the while, still stroking his bangs like she always would...

Gladion awoke coated in sweat as the memories came back all at once. She... she would do that to him every month. Ever since Nihilego had come. Nihilego... would visit but she could never stay in this world. She fed off of the people's life force whenever they ingested its poison. Luckily, mother still loved Lillie too much to subject her to all that torture. Through them, Nihilego would control them like a queen ant. Gladion... Gladion was being turned into a 'soldier'. If he had drank that poison, he wouldn't have been able to have any control over himself at all. He would have been mindless and have no ability to think for himself. His body... his body had been groomed to become Nihilego's. He remembered the pain and procedure but only remembered his father being mentioned.

However, Gladion snapped out of his daze and forced himself to focus on the problem at hand. He couldn't find Null's pokeball anywhere. The night before flashed through his mind and he grew angry as well as scared. Who do they think they are to take away Null like that?! They don't know what kind of pokemon he is! Not to mention that they could hurt him and Null could and probably would kill them. Gladion knew then and there that he had to go get Null back. So he quickly packed his bag but then noticed the dried blood on his sweatshirt. He completely forgot about the wound on his stomach despite how painful it really was. He cleaned himself up and then saw that he had a deep cut and a huge purple bruise had developed around it. He cleaned it as best he could but he knew that he was probably going to need stitches for it. You could see the muscle if it wasn't scabbed over. But, he had no time to visit a doctor.

Gladion then saw that the zubat from last night had been left behind. The grunt left the pokeball next to it and in black sharpy, it read 'weakling'. This angered Gladion and he picked the zubat up to take it to a nearby pokemon center. The nurse inside was distraught when she heard its story.

"That's awful! I can call up the Aether foundation right away! They'll take the poor thing in." She said.

"No!" Gladion said quickly.

"What? What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

"I mean, I want to take it." He said.

"You're willing to rehabilitate it?" She asked, surprised.

"Yeah, of course!" Gladion said.

He honestly just didn't want to come across the Aether foundation again. Well, it looked like he was now a pokemon trainer. The nurse healed the zubat and then noticed the cut on Gladion's stomach.

"You're hurt! Stay right there!" She said.

"I'm in a hurry." Gladion said.

"It doesn't matter! That cut is too deep for you to be walking around with it. Don't you even dare think about leaving or I will report you to the police and have you sent home." She said before going into the back of the pokemon center.

Gladion tapped his foot impatiently but knew better than to run. He did not want to look like a crook at the moment nor have the police after him. Then Nurse Joy came back out and led him to the back onto a medical bed.

"Lay back. This is a serious injury! Why didn't you get seen for it right away?!" She asked, shocked.

"They... Team Skull took a pokemon from me. I want to get it back." Gladion said as he laid back.

"Well then at least go in a decent condition! You should also train up that zubat. Don't just jump into battles with them unprepared! You'll just hurt you and your pokemon." Nurse Joy said, injecting his stomach with a numbing drug.

"...Yeah. You're right." He said.

Nurse joy cleaned and then stitched up the wound. It actually wasn't numbed properly but Gladion didn't even flinch. He felt desensitized to pain after that memory. Some of those times in the lab, he was kept awake and sometimes, he'd settle to this point where he would just be paralyzed with pain. It drove him insane some of those times, hence why they made him forget. But now, he had to focus on getting Null back. If he wanted to keep his sanity, he can't allow himself to think of any of that. So he planned out how he was going to get Type: Null back. First, he was going to look all over the islands. Then he was going to pin point the hide out. After that, he will get his pokemon stronger. Nurse Joy finished up and bandaged his wound after cleaning it a second time.

"Now go get your pokemon back but please be careful." She said.

"I will." He said, putting his sweatshirt back on.

"Go to the clothing shop nearby and get yourself a new shirt or something. At least get a shirt to go under that." She said.

So Gladion decided that he probably should. Besides, it would be embarrassing if he got a sunburn on his stomach in the shape of that rip. So he went to the store next door and got a simple red tank top that loosely fit him. It was cheap and comfortable. He had a look of determination on his face. He looked hardened now, gone were the days he was that pleasant happy boy with a doll face. He looked threatening now, the rip across his abdomen seemed to symbolize the tear within himself. He then continued out of that town and went to work finding team Skull.

Gladion had spent weeks looking for the Team Skull hide out. He had become a ruthless trainer, setting his pokemon after every Team Skull grunt he came to find. None of them would tell him where their hideout was, opting to run. And he didn't just have a zubat anymore. That zubat was tough! In the right hands, it proved agile and loyal. Gladion also rescued a riolu from Team Skull when he was investigating Poni island. The riolu followed him until Gladion agreed to let him join the team. The riolu proved to be one of his strongest pokemon on the team and he loved Gladion. All of his pokemon loved him, Gladion wasn't mistreating them but, they did have a hard time in battle. He pushed them hard. His final addition to the team before confronting Team Skull was a sneasel whom had a good balance of speed and strength. They loved him and they were loyal to him but they were also wary of him. Not many of them fully trusted him because of that look in his eyes. It was like he was so angry at the world. Soon, Gladion was ready to face Team Skull. It had been seven months since he had seen Type: Null.

He came to the entrance of Po Town. All he needed to do was ask the locals and everyone knew where Team Skull. Gladion felt foolish for going after the grunts. Team Skull wasn't discrete at all and it was stupidly easy to find them. However, news of his actions have been circulating. As he got close to the entrance, he heard the grunts talking about him.

"Yo! That kid, Gladion, has been causing trouble for everyone! I heard he even took my weak zubat and made it strong in just a week! What's up with that?!" One of them said.

"I dunno about that, yo! But, have you heard about that new pokemon the boss got a few months ago?! It won't listen to a thing anyone has to say! It nearly killed several people! They had to go to the hospital, yo! I heard one of them even had their guts popped out! That thing is dangerous, yo! I don't even know why the boss is keeping it!" The other grunt said.

Gladion approached and at first, they didn't figure out it was him. One of them greeted him.

"Hey, yo! Wanna join Team Skull?" He asked.

Gladion stood there, gaping at how stupid they were. They know his name but they don't recognize him?! What the hell is wrong with these people?! No wonder why the majority of these idiots failed their island challenges! Not a single one of them acted like they knew how to use their brain! Gladion face palmed but then decided that maybe he should act like he does want to join. It would make it easier after all and his pokemon won't be weak by the time they get to Guzma. He decided to quickly act before they misinterpret the face palm.

"Duh! Of course I want to join, yo." Gladion said.

"Woohoo! Another member! We'll show you around!" The other said.

Sure enough, not a single one of them recognized him. It was ridiculous! Seven months of fighting them and not one of them spoke up! If you're wondering how Gladion got so edgy, this was one of the reasons. Part of it was because he had completely given up on the human race at this point. Not a single one of these guys had any common sense at all! But, on the upside, at least they were fairly friendly but only because he was going to 'join them'. They almost seemed like a bunch of normal teenagers. But the moment Gladion got to Guzma's room, he released his riolu.

"I've been looking for you." Gladion snarled.

Guzma smirked while the others gaped at him. The two grunts behind him suddenly realized who he was.

"Oh my gosh! It's Gladion! Why'd you let him in, you idiot?!" One of the grunts yelled at the other angrily.

"Don't look at me! You didn't know it was him, either!" He yelled back angrily.

"Shut up! You're all idiots! I've faced at least half of you and none of you figured anything out! Arceus! It's no wonder why all of you failed your island challenge! You guys act like you don't know how to use your brains at all!" Gladion yelled both angrily and incredulously.

Guzma smirked at this sight.

"You have guts, kid. I'll give you that. Coming here all alone and then having the nerve to yell at them like that. I like you. So I'll make you a deal. Take out all of my grunts and I'll let you have your pokemon back." Guzma said.

"Deal." Gladion said, glaring at the other grunts.

"We got this, boss!" One of them said.

"You can count on us, yo!" Another said.

One by one, Gladion took out the other grunts and their pokemon. His riolu even evolved into a lucario and they beat the whole team slowly but surely. Luckily Gladion had a lot of revives and potions. But, he didn't have an infinite amount and he was running out. Finally, he was put up against Plumeria.

"Ya really shouldn't be picking on the other grunts! I'm the big sister of this team! I won't let you get away with hurting them!" She said, looking at Gladion with a cross look.

"Bring it on!" Gladion snarled.

Her salandit, grimer, zubat, and mareenie were tough but they were no match for his lucario. He beat her team in no time though with a little difficulty. Plumeria was admin for a reason. The rest of his team, however, were down and he didn't have time to heal them just yet. His lucario was just barely on his feet. Guzma looked at Gladion, impressed. He tossed the pokeball back to Gladion. Gladion was shocked. He'd just given him his pokemon back just like that?! Guzma looked at Gladion expectantly.

"Well go ahead. Show me just how this pokemon is yours. Bring em' out." Guzma said.

The rest of the grunts left the room while Plumeria looked at Guzma in shock.

"You can't be serious, yo! That thing nearly killed a lot of our team! There's no hope for it, boss! You should have just killed it!" Plumeria said.

"Relax. Golisopod can subdue it if there's any trouble. I just want to see if this boy can control it." Guzma said.

Gladion glared and then released Null. Null looked around, growling angrily he then saw Gladion and he froze. It's that Aether boy! Had he grown in the past seven months? His clothes look a little more snug on him. Null then growled. Where had he been?! Why did he let this man take him way?! Why?! Just why?! And... why did he not want to kill this boy?! Every other grunt, he would have had no qualms about killing but this boy... this boy. What is this feeling he had for this boy?! Null was frustrated and shook his head violently, roaring loudly. Gladion was fearful and Lucario stood in front of him protectively.

"Lucario, here." Gladion said, spraying him with a hyper potion.

Lucario perked up more, his pain melting away. He was still exhausted but at least he didn't hurt anymore. Lucario decided to talk to him.

"Don't do this, pal. He came all this way to get you. Please don't hurt him. Not all humans are bad." Lucario said to him.

Null glared at him. This was the first time a pokemon had directly spoke to him. Lucario continued.

"What kind of experiment has this whole thing been?! What is he hoping to get out of this?! I have never been more scared and angry in my life!" Null snarled.

"This ain't no experiment! You're not at the lab anymore! None of this has been any kind of experiment! This is the real world!" Lucario snarled.

"Then what is he doing here?! He was at the labs, too! I've seen him there! Every month, they brought him in and then they'd turn the glass into a wall! Then I'd hear screaming... very loud screaming. He might be dangerous!" Null said.

"How do you know that wasn't him screaming?! He was just as much of a prisoner as you were!" Lucario said.

"You don't know that! You weren't there." Null roared.

"If you didn't see anything, then neither do you!" Lucario argued back.

Null growled, readying himself to attack and Lucario had an aura sphere at the ready. But, Gladion put his hand on his shoulder.

"Lucario, stand down." Gladion said.

Lucario looked at him incredulously.

"He's going to try to kill you! Do you think I'll forgive myself if you get hurt?!" Lucario said.

Null didn't know what to believe. The guy behind him kept beating him every time he wouldn't listen but Null wasn't going to listen to a man like him anyway. It's just that memories of this boy back at the lab have been resurfacing every time he'd faint from getting defeated. Gladion walked forward. Lucario looked at him in alarm and tensed, readying himself in case Null did anything. But Gladion put his hand up to Lucario.

"Don't do anything, Lucario. No matter what." Gladion said.

"...Gladion... you better know what you're doing!" Lucario said nervously.

Gladion approached Null slowly.

"Hey, bud. Been awhile. You lost weight. Have they even been feeding you properly?" Gladion asked.

"Tch! Damn thing is hard to feed when it keeps trying to kill you!" Plumeria said.

Noticing that Plumeria was open and unprotected, Null charged at her and raised its claws to strike. Gladion moved in front of her, Null's claw catching his right arm just below the shoulder, tearing his sweatshirt. His other claw tore into his pants. Null pushed off and backed away from him and growled. Why is he protecting her?! She's an enemy! She should be destroyed! Is he an enemy, too?! Does he want to be destroyed as well?!

"Null, don't kill people! That's wrong!" Gladion said.

What?! But people have been hurting him all his life for as long as he could remember! If this boy was truly like him, then he'd be just as much out for blood as he was! He couldn't take it anymore! Null's vision went red and he tackled Gladion, pinning his left arm down and his claws digging into his other leg. Null's ball fell from Gladion's hand and rolled towards Guzma again. Guzma grabbed the ball and watched to see if Gladion will be Null's first kill. If so, the Guzma will be rid of Gladion but then also may just have to kill Null. Null squeezed Gladion's arm under his claws and his bones started to crack. Gladion grimaced in pain and realized a little too late that this probably wasn't a good idea. But, then as Null's grip on him tightened, the bones in his arm gave and broke, a sickening, audible, snap resounding through the room. Gladion screamed in pain. Suddenly, Null froze in fear and shock. That scream was the exact same haunting scream he had heard in the labs. His eyes went back to normal and he backed away from Gladion in shock. Gladion gripped his left arm in pain, it was bleeding from the scratches. Null had cracked his bones and damaged the tendons, forever crippling Gladion's left hand to the point that it will always hurt whenever he's stressed, hence why he develops a habit of clutching it. Lucario ran over to his side and looked at Gladion's arm and then he glared at Type: Null.

"You broke his arm! He came all this way, training us all for the past seven months just to save you and this is how you repay him?! You were going to kill him, you monster!" Lucario roared at him angrily before hitting Null with an aura sphere.

The aura sphere directly hit Null's head, knocking him out. Or so Guzma thought. He was really just in shock again. This boy... this boy really was just like him... that whole thing, this, what is the word for it? Bond? Yeah, bond. It was real, all of it. And he might have just angered the only person he had a connection with. Monster... that suited him well now, didn't it? It's all he truly was, wasn't it? Maybe he'll never be happy because he was only made to destroy. Maybe they should just destroy him. After all, he nearly did just kill Gladion despite everything they had been through. Tears fell from Null's eyes and they confused him. What is this liquid? What is this feeling he's feeling? He didn't know but he felt too... what is this feeling? It hurt even though he wasn't physically hurt. Guzma returned Null.

"Hah! You have guts, kid! I like that! You know what? You're in. Welcome to Team Skull." Guzma said.

"I... I don't want to join." Gladion said, sitting up weakly.

"Tough! You're part of the team cuz I said so! You can't beat me, kid! You know you can't! My golisopod can KO that thing no problem. Don't even think about runnin' or else I'll find you and drag you back here." Guzma said.

"But I'll get stronger." Gladion said.

"Good! So will I! Here, take back your monster. How about if you can beat my golisopod with it, I'll let you leave the team. Until then, you're not going anywhere. I'll make sure of it." Guzma sneered, tossing Type: Null's ball back to Gladion.

"But Guzma, everyone is here because they want to be here." Plumeria said.

"Plume, the kid is strong. He KO'd your team with mostly just one pokemon and he can control that beast more than I can. I ain't lettin him go." Guzma said.

Gladion glared at him.

"Besides, you want to stay away from the Aether Foundation, right? What better way to make them stay away than for them to know that their own boy has joined Team Skull? They won't touch you here... unless you want me to take you back personally? Your mommy must really miss you." Guzma sneered.

"I'm not going back! Never!" Gladion said in a mix of anger and fear.

"Then stay here. Work for me and get stronger here. You can kick around the other grunts as much as you want. With your strength, you're at the rank of an enforcer." Guzma sneered.

"But boss! Are you sure you wanna be giving him such a high rank right away?!" Plumeria asked, surprised.

"Pfft! He won't listen to me all the time. He'll at least have a little more freedom. All he's got to do is keep the others on their toes. He's still below you, Plume. Don't worry too much." Guzma said.

"He's not gonna steal pokemon at all! He'll probably ruin everyone's plans!" Plumeria said.

"Then they'll just have to be stronger than him now, won't they?" Guzma said.

"You're basically hirin' him to beat everyone up whenever he don't like them?!" Plumeria asked, incredulously.

"You got it." He said.

"You're askin' for trouble, G!" Plumeria said.

"Relax, it'll make the team get stronger and put more thought in their actions. After all, he got in here far easily than anyone should have. Having a little muscle around to keep them up to strength is needed. I'll keep him in line if he tries anything too out of line." Guzma said.

"I don't like this, G." Plumeria said.

"I'll do it..." Gladion said.

"What?!" Plumeria said, shocked.

"I will get stronger and when I'm done with you guys, I will bring down the Aether foundation myself." Gladion said, glaring at Guzma with a chilling glare.

Guzma smirked.

"Lookin' forward to it, kid. Now get outta my face before I make that arm of yours worse." Guzma said.

Gladion stood up but faltered. His lucario helped him stay balanced. Gladion, holding his broken arm, limped towards the door. The scratches in his legs also did some damage. He returned Lucario, silently thanking him for a good job. Plumeria walked over to Gladion and grabbed his arm. He looked at her in confusion.

"Just don't question it. Besides, the others might kick you down while you're like this." Plumeria said, walking him out the door.

The grunts parted as the pair walked out, muttering among themselves. Plumeria stood in the middle of them and cleared her throat.

"Alright! Listen up! This boy, Gladion, here is gonna be part of Team Skull, ya hear me?! He's an enforcer! So y'all better show some respect unless you wanna get whooped by him again!" Plumeria shouted.

The crowd was tense and everyone muttered their disagreements about this arrangement. Plumeria walked Gladion past them quietly, Gladion remained emotionless like when he was with his mother. Some of them spat at him and he glared at them coldly, some of them freezing when he did so. Though only ten, Gladion was terrifying when he got angry. He's also done enough to them to incite enough terror. Plumeria continued to walk him out of Po Town and over towards the closest town. She then let go of him.

"There's a pokemon center here. Get you and your team patched up. I suggest you train your pokemon every day. With you around, those grunts won't be weak for very long. I'll especially be trainin' ya hear me? So don't go messin' around or else they'll beat you down!" Plumeria said.

"Why are you helping me?" Gladion asked.

Plumeria looked away and let out a sigh.

"Everyone is part of Team Skull because they have a story. Many of them ain't with us to be cool or just because they failed the island challenge. They're with us because of something goin' wrong with them back home. That is why I care for all of them, ya know? They need someone. Then there's you. Listen, I disagree with Guzma keepin' you with us because you obviously don't wanna be here but what he says goes whether we like it or not. But, outta everyone I've seen come through, I don't think any of them have had it worse than you. Whatever you went through, it's turned you into a very hardened kid. Ten year olds ain't suppose to have the look in their eyes you do. You look like you just got back from a war zone. Whatever you went through, I bet it was a livin' hell. Here, this is my number. If there's any trouble, let me know. I look after everyone in the team, after all cuz I'm the big sister. Now go get yourself patched up. Your arm is obviously broken. Good luck, kid." Plumeria said before leaving him.

Gladion stared off after her. Why is she part of Team Skull? She had a good heart but why was she so caring towards them? And then being caring towards him after everything he did to her team? But she did just explain, didn't she? So she's with them because she feels obligated to in a way. Gladion limped back towards the pokemon center. It started to rain and he came through the doors soaked. Nurse Joy rushed to help him. He was taken to the back, his arm x-rayed, his bones set back in place and casted, his wounds cleaned and stitched. He left the pokemon center the moment his team had been healed and he pulled his hood up. He released his Type: Null outside his pokeball, rarely to ever go back in. Null looked at him in surprise. The pokemon grew nervous as Gladion stared at him, the look on his face was different. He looked like he had been through hell and back. Null couldn't help but blame himself for this. He walked forward and rested the forehead of his mask on Gladion's shoulder gently. Gladion was surprised.

"I'm so sorry... I didn't mean for this, Gladion... But I'm scared. I don't know anything about this world. I'm afraid of this world... more so than I'm afraid of the lab." He said, Gladion only able to hear a whine.

Gladion placed his hand on the side of Null's helmet. He was relieved that Null wasn't trying to kill him anymore.

"It's okay, boy. It's been rough for both of us. But... we need to get stronger. We need to get stronger so we can stop mother from what she has been doing." Gladion said to him.

Nulled stepped back and looked him in the eye. Gladion patted the side of his helmet.

"But first we got to get this thing off. We'll show them your true power, Null. I know we will." Gladion said, running his hand over Null's masked.

"Yeah... let's do this." Null said.

And that is how Gladion and Type: Null became partners. (In my version anyway. The anime or manga might go more in depth...) this has to be the hardest I've ever worked on a single chapter in a story.