Pokemon Ultimate Evolution: Through The Middle, Episode 3: "That's not my Sato!"

A shrill cry sliced through the air as fire and smoke rose from the left of the Trainer's school. Zenith's Talonflame sped off, their laughs barely audible amidst the sound of fire overtaking the school.

"Let us awaken the worse in ourselves!" He yelled back. 

Without a second thought I jumped to my feet and raced down to the school as fast as I could. Violet was already there, starting in horror at the flaming building from across the street, Jason held close to her chest.

"What the hell happened?" She gasped.

"I dunno, but I think Zenith had something to do with it." I answered quickly. "Here, take this." I handed her the Key Stone.

"A Key Stone? Where did you get this?" She asked.

"I'll explain later!" I shouted, running towards the school. "I've got to make sure no one's left inside!"

"Be careful! The place is falling apart!" Violet yelled back.

I nodded, not looking back. I charged shoulder first through the front double doors. They flew off their hinges with ease, already weakened by the blast. The fire was spreading through the halls along the right walls. I shuffled along the lockers on the left as I made my way to Tracey's office. I heard a faint cough and busted my way through the door of the office.

"Trace!" I shouted as I saw her trapped under some rubble. I knelt down and tossed the debris off of her. Her forehead was cut and bleeding. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment as she coughed hard. I hoisted her onto my back and dashed back towards the exit, hugging the lockers again. A fire crew was already working on controlling the flames. One of them brought a stretcher over.

"How long was she in there?" The woman asked.

"Not too long." I replied, gently placing her on the stretcher. "I went over as soon as I saw the explosion, I live right across the street, thankfully."

Tracey slowly opened her eyes and gazed at us, trying to figure out her surroundings. "Donna…" She whispered. "W-where's Donna?"

"We did find a young girl on the ground on the side of the building. She was toss through the wall from where I assume the bomb went off." The woman answered. "She lost consciousness before we got to her."

"Oh no…" Tracey moaned, more aware of her situation. "That little girl, tricked us!"

"Sato?" I said, afraid of what she might say.

"That's what she said her name was, but…" She paused. "That's not the Sato I knew. She wouldn't hurt us. She also said that what she was supposed to be called Sato, as per orders from her father. She didn't know what his name was though… All she said was "Let us awaken the worst in ourselves."

"I was just with Zenith… He's done something, I know it. He ran off after the blast." I clenched my fists. "We can't worry about him now though. How did Sato…" I stopped myself, know full well that anyone who caused the explosion couldn't have been my Sato. "How did… that girl cause the blast?"

The service woman rolled Tracey over to an ambulance where she sat her up and tended to her wounds. "I have no idea." She said with a wince. "Next thing we knew, a blinding light and an immense surge of power poured out from her."

"What else, was she carrying anything? Anything at all?" I pushed. The more I knew the more I could find the girl and stop her.

"Um, she was clutching her necklace real tight. It had a little round stone embedded in the metal." Tracey sighed. "If I didn't know any better I would say it was-"

"A Gardevoirite?" I said. 

Tracey froze and shot me a peculiar look. "Y-yeah" She answered. "How'd you know?"

I sighed. "Before the explosion, Zenith gave me a keystone, and when he mentioned Sato's name…" I paused. "I think it activated the Gadevoirite that girl was holding…"

"Ryan, relax. You couldn't have known. I never knew Zenith was so crafty." Tracey said, with a sigh. "What puzzles me though is how he got a Kirlia to perform Mega Evolution. It's been tested several times; they just aren't supposed to be able to do that."

"How do you know it's impossible?" I asked.

Ryan, you and I studied it for five years." Tracey scoffed. "There's nothing we missed, I know it."

"So how did-" 

"Ryan, I'm confused too, but honestly there's nothing we can do now, except find that girl." Tracey looked over at the school, the last of the embers were beginning to die. "Looks like I'll have to close up for a while, huh?"

"Yeah, but the damage could've been worse." I replied. I looked at the woman patching up Tracey's forehead wound. "Miss, make sure she's taken care of, will you?"

"Of course." She smiled. "Miss Davis, would you lie back down for me so we can get take you in? We'll need to have a better look at you."

Tracey obeyed without a word. "Ryan?" She said, closing her eyes. "I know you probably want to go after that girl, but wait a little bit."

I nodded and watched as the ambulance drove off. "I will figure this out." I whispered to myself. "I will."

----

"So how did it go hon?" Zenith asked, loving taking the girl into his arms. "How much damage did we, I mean, you cause?"

The girl quaked in his arms. "Enough t-to get their attention. J-just like you wanted…" She answered. 

"There's a good Sato." Zenith hummed. He gently pushed her forward. "Let me get a good look at you."

The girl turned around and looked up at him. Her a appearance was drastically altered. Her skirt was light blue and pointed downwards, and there were faint blue markings strewn all over her body. Hey left eye was light blue while her right eye remained its normal red color. Zenith sucked in as he looked her over. "You're beautiful…" He said.

The girl remained silent. Zenith knelt down and lifted her chin, staring right into her eyes. "Don't worry, my love. We just need to cause a little chaos in Rustboro, and then we can run of somewhere just the two of us."

"How much is a little?" The girl asked, quickly facing the floor. "I'm sorry, daddy."

"No, no. You have a voice, you should use it." Zenith reassured her. "You'll find out soon enough, hon. I promise."

"A-and then we can have o-our, um..." The girl shook her head. "Our happily ever after?"

"That's right, Sato." Zenith stood up and looked down at her. "You remember the place I told you to go?"

"Yes, daddy." The girl nodded. "I'll… I'll try my hardest make you happy." The girl teleported away in a flash of faint blue light.

"Oh, Rustboro. It'll be a treat to watch you burn at our will…" Zenith chuckled.

----

"So, you think Zenith is doing all of this for revenge? Sounds dumb."

"Actually, Vi… I know what to think. I'm so confused." I said.

"You, confused?" Violet scoffed. "That isn't like you at all…" Violet snuggled closer to me under the sheets. "I left Jason, with my mom and Magenta. I hope that's okay."

"Yeah, thanks..." I said hollowly.

"Ryan, listen. It bothers me too. The Sato we knew couldn't hurt anyone." Violet sighed. "I guess Zenith managed to turn her…"

"That's not my Sato!" I sat up and faced her. "How could you possibly believe that she'd change so easily?"

Violet furrowed her brows. "I don't know what to think…" She said softly. "It was your touch that awakened the Keystone, and no one, not even me, was as close to her as you were. I don't want to believe it either, but what the hell do you want me to believe?" She reached over and took me in her arms. "If Zenith managed to do this to her… I'll kill him myself…"

Her words surprised me. "Vi, I"

"Never mind…" She shook her head and got out of bed. She quickly got dressed and left. "I'll be back." She whispered.

Sitting there, I stared at the door, wondering what she was up to.

Vi… You're wrong…