Pokemon Ultimate Evolution: Through The Middle, Episode 4: Focus

"I wonder what this city, these people, did to daddy to make him hate it so much…" The girl whispered to herself. She sat on the edge of a roof on the eastern side of the side, overlooking the back of the Trainer's School. She swung her skinny legs back and forth waiting for the dawn. "These people, don't seem all that bad-" She gasped and violently shook her head. "No, no, no!" She slapped herself until both of her cheeks grew red. "You're not allowed to question anything, Sato. Never!" She yelled to herself. She rubbed her core cheeks and sighed. "I can't make any mistakes. Daddy's happiness depends on it." A faint light grew on the horizon. "It's almost time..." The girl fingered the Gardevoirite charm in her necklace, nervously. She looked down and spotted two faint figures over in Rustboro Park and squeezed her necklace. "I guess that's a good place to start."

----

"And you got mad at him for that?" Mauve chuckled. "You did kind of provoke him, hon."

"Yeah, Vi," Lavender interjected. "What were thinking, talking about his sweetie-pie like that?"

"Mom, are serious?" Violet sighed.

"Of course I am." Mauve said, sharply. "I know Ryan, and he wouldn't lash out like that if you didn't seriously piss him off."

"Ryan is awful touchy about that Sato girl, isn't he?" Lavender asked.

"Stop acting like you don't know how he felt about her." Mauve said.

"What? I forgot." Lavender pouted. "Sorry…"

"It just confuses the hell out of me…" Violet propped up her elbows on the kitchen counter they were all huddled around and sighed.

"What's so confusing?" Mauve asked. "You stepped out of line."

"I know she was my friend, but Sato is… She's old news. I thought that Ryan would, you know, learn to let go…" Violet shook her head. "I guess he can't."

"You sound like a complete bitch right now, VI." Lavender chucked. "How can you be jealous of a little Ralts? she probably hasn't even evolved yet."

"Lavender, quit being an idiot!" Mauve snapped. "And Violet, none of us can understand what those two had. It was… legendary… Both so young, and already a powerful bond between them."

"Sounds like a fairy tale, Mom." Lavender said. "How cute."

"To be honest, it pretty much was." Violet moaned. "Ryan's a dragon, on many levels too, and he was so easily taken by a little fairy…"

"You mean is." Mauve said, smiling. "Violet, go apologize to him."

Violet dropped her face in her hands. "He won't care for an apology." She groaned. "He doesn't have time for those."

"Excuses." Mauve hummed, walking out of the room. "Oh well, if you insist on moping."

Lavender hugged Violet from behind. "I don't care what happened, but you better not be crying." She whispered.

"I'm fine." Violet huffed.

"Hey, girls!" A voice exclaimed. "Am I interrupting something?"

Lavender let out a sigh of disgust. "Ugh, Aldridge…" She released Violet and faced him. Faze was shuffling awkwardly. Knocking his sneakers together, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Where's Magenta?" Lavender asked.

"Um… Well we kind of…" Faze stammered.

"Spit it our, Aldridge! You're name already make you seem stupid enough!" Lavender yelled.

"We got separated at the park!" He spat out. "I dunno, what happened down there."

"Oh, no..." Violet whispered. "Mom!"

Mauve came down the stairs in a hurry. She froze when she spotted Faze. "Aldridge…" She said. "Where's Magenta?"

"The idiot got separated from Magenta he says." Lavender said. "I bet he has her locked up somewhere! I swear, you take one hair off of her head-"

"Lavender, shut the hell up!" Violet yelled. "Faze, what's happened at the park?"

"Um, the hedges…" He began. "T-they were all glowing, like they were alive. We didn't pay them any mind at first; I mean it as kind of romantic and-"

"Focus!" Violet interrupted.

"Right, right, right. After a while the plants's vines and roots surrounded us…" He lowered his head. "They took her… I barely got away, but I couldn't do anything to save her…"

"Faze, listen. Did you see anyone around you?" Violet asked.

"Just a little Kirlia." Faze nodded. "She was sitting on the bench near the bark entrance. We didn't pay her any mind. I noticed there was something crazy about her look though. I caught a glimpse of her eyes, they were two different colors."

"It's probably the same bitch who attacked the school!" Violet clenched her fist. "She's won't get away this time… You guys go wait at the front of the park I'll be there in a second." She headed from the door.

"Where are you going?" Lavender questioned.

"I'm going to get Ryan. Mom, stay with Jason."

Mauve nodded. "What ever that girl is, it would be wise for you to be cautious. Promise me you'll be careful, all of you."

Violet and Lavender saluted Mauve. "Scout's honor." They said together.

"Hey Aldridge." Lavender said. "If anything happens to my little sister, or any of us, it's on you."

"Uh, o-okay." He stammered.

Lavender shimmied closer to him and placed her lips on his ear. "But, if you prove to me that you're not a scared little scamper… I think I could give you something in return." She backed off and chuckled. "Let's go kids!"

Violet rolled her eyes, stepped out, and ran towards the Devon building. "Ryan, this is our chance." She thought. "We need to end this before it get's going."

----

I was outside of the building, leaning on the wall, lost in deep thought. Mr. Devon poked my shoulder after watching me for a bit.

"Why are you out here looking all scary, Ry?" He asked.

"Hmm?" I looked up. "Oh hey."

"What's up kid?"

"Just thinking, Burrow.…" I answered.

"Ah okay. What was with that explosion last night? All I got from the news was that Tracey and her employee got injured." Burrow sighed. "It's shame, why would anyone attack a school that was supposed to be empty anyway?"

"It's Zenith." I said "He tricked me into forcing a Kirlia to mega evolve. She caused the explosion." I opened my palm and showed him the Key Stone I held.

"Wow… That's unfortunate." Burrow said nonchalantly. "Tracey's insurance covers explosions, but this might still be pretty pricey to fix up…"

"Money isn't the issue here." I said. "Zenith is trying to pass off some random child as Sato."

"Your Sato?" Burrow exclaimed. "That's ridiculous. Why would he want to hurt her reputation? I mean, he wasn't the greatest father, but he did care about her. I think…"

"I know Burrow…" I sighed. "Thing is, I don't think that's his plan. I think he's delusional."

"Delusional how?" He asked.

"Well, Sato probably parted ways with her parents by now. Maybe he found this girl to take her place. Maybe he actually believes that this girl he's manipulating is his daughter."

Burrow furrowed his brows. "Scary to think about isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean, where did he find this girl? Did he kidnap her? And what does he use to keep her working for him?" Burrow said. "I hope he hasn't been hurting her… Don't you?"

"No." I answered. "No one  takes Sato's name and get's away with it."

"Ryan… Don't you think you're being a bit harsh on that girl?" Burrow placed a hand on my shoulder. "You don't even know if she's being forced to do any of this. You don't even know how old she is…"

I closed my and sighed. "I'll find out soon enough."

"If you say so, Ry. Take it easy, kid." Burrow patted my shoulder and went back into the building.

She'll have to pay fro what she's done… 

A voice pulled me away from my thoughts. "You seem to be in a hurry." I said. I faced the voice and opened my eyes. "Something wrong, Vi?"

Violet froze. "You… You're not mad?"

"About what you said?" I managed a chuckle. "Vi, you had have realized how what you said was ridiculous."

"Yeah…" Her eyes sank. "I'm sorry, I just didn't know what to think.

"Oh, hush, it's alright." I said. "I'm not mad at you at all, but… Why did you run all the way here this early in the morning?"

"Magenta's boyfriend saw the girl at the park." She said. "She taken control of the plant life or something."

"Great." I smirked. "I can finally get something out of her."

"Ryan, she took Magenta…"

"What!" I shouted. "I'm going over there, you coming?"

"Of course! Lav and Faze are wait for us. Come on!"

We ran towards the North end of the city where Rustboro Park was located. I couldn't wait to get my hands on that girl. 

----

A small, dome-shaped chamber made of the warped hedges and wines covered the center of the park, a few open slits in the top for lights. In the center was fountain depicting two entangled red Gyarados with sparkling water flowing from their mouths. Magenta lay unconscious with her back against the rim of the fountain.

"It's too bad that cowardly boy got away." The girl pouted, standing atop the head of the fountain. "I'm so stupid!" Hey eyes glowed as she took control of a vine and whipped her cheeks with it, wincing with every shot.

The whipping sounds startled Magenta to consciousness with a gasp. She backed up into the hedge wall and stared at the girl.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid stupid!" She yelled to herself.

Magenta was horrified. "Hey!" She called out. "Little girl, hey!"

The girl stared at her. "You're already awake?" She asked, wide eyed. "I can't even keep someone under for a decent time!" She forced a wine to wrap around her neck.

"Wait, stop!" Magenta cried. "Why are you hurting yourself?"

The girl release control of the vine and it fell limp, unwrapping and falling to into the fountain water. "Because I made a mistake…" The girl whimpered.

"Sweetheart, we all make mistakes." Magenta got to her feet and held out her hand. "Whoever is making you do this can't hurt you here. You don't have to hurt yourself for them."

"No one is making me hurt myself…" The girl answered. "It's my own rule. If I don't do things right, I need to be punished."

"Sweetie, come down here." Magenta stepped into the fountain and kept her hand held out. "Why don't we talk?"

"Talk?" The girl answered. "But what if you try to escape?"

"I won't."

"Promise?"

Magenta nodded and took the girls hand. "Of course, dear." She pulled her down and embraced her.

"You're not even scared…" The girl took control of multiple vines. "Why are you doing this?"

Magenta heard the vines creep across the ground. "Stop it." She said. The girl obeyed and let the vines fall. "You just need help, that's all. You just need a friend…"

"A friend?" The girl repeated. "But I need to help punish the people of this city. My daddy says they were always bad to him."

"So someone is making you do this…" Magenta sighed. She sat down with the girl still in her arms. "Who is it?"

"My daddy? I don't know his name." The girl whimpered. "I'm such a useless girl! Even with this power that he's given me! All I want to do  is make him happy!" The girl cried as she exploded in a blue light of energy. The dome began to rumble as the plants glowed with a blue aura.

"Hey, listen to me!" Magenta shouted. "Don't say these things about yourself! How can you discover anything about who you are if you keep punishing yourself for every little mistake?"

"It's the only way I can make him happy." The girl whispered. "Then we can have our happily ever after."

"Hey, listen to me!" Magenta said, sternly. "If he promised you something like that, this isn't the way to get it!"

Everything became still and the girl quaked in Magenta's arm. "It was all a lie?" She said. "Everything? No happily ever after, no life together… I'm just… A tool?"

"If you stop all of this now, we can change this." Magenta said.

"We? Who's we? I don't have anyone else than him." The girl cried. "The only thing I can do on my own is what he wants me to do…"

"Well, why don't we change that?" Magenta stood up, still holding the girl's hand. "What's your name?"

"Um… My daddy said it's-"

"Remember, dear no more of this 'daddy' talk." Magenta interrupted. "What name do you want to be called?"

"I… don't know." The girl answered. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be." Whenever you come up with a name, you let me know." Magenta smiled. "So… did you do all of this?"

"Yes." The girl, nodded. "This ball I've had all my life." She held her necklace in her hands. "Daddy, he… used a special Keystone thing he had and used it's power to change me." She stepped in front of Magenta and let her examine her body. Even in there faint light, he body shone with a blue aura that was slowly fading.

"He forced you to Mega Evolve?" Magenta gasped. "How's that even possible?"

"Magic…" The girl answered. "That's what he told me. I know there's more to it to that, but I've never really cared. All I was focused on was making him happy."

"Oh my… Hey, I- I hate you ask this of you, but… Can you, if you don't mind, tell me what he did to you?" Magenta asked.

"No, it's fine." The girl sighed and closed her eyes. "Not that long ago, a week and a maybe, he found me living on my own. He said he'd come back for me, that we were separated after I was born… After so many years being forced to coexist with other Pokemon in a never ending forest I never thought I had parents who were still out there, looking for me. I had accepted my fate, I mean it wasn't all bad some others were willing to help me get through each day… Like having real friends-"

"Focus, dear." Magenta interrupted. "Tell me about after he took you in."

"Oh right, I'm sorry…"

"He um… Made me sleep a lot." He said. "He stuck lots of needles into me, some he said to keep me asleep just incase something went wrong."

"Went wrong?" Magenta repeated. "He experimented on you?"

"Yes. He made me the way I am." She answered, fairly unfazed.

"That's cruel!" Magenta exclaimed. "Doing that to an innocent child with no regard for you  health!"

"B-but, Magenta…" The girl stammered. "He does care about me. From the start of the… experimentation to now, he's always cared about me. He fed me, sheltered me, complimented me, loved me…"

"But how do you even know that guy is actually your dad?"

"Oh, Magenta…" She lowered her head. "I-I know he's not. I think I've always known... I've seen pictures of a Ralts in his home, we don't look that much different, but I new that wasn't me in those pictures."

"Then why do all of this?" Magenta shouted. "Why let some random person use you as an experiment and make you hurt people? This person who claims he loves you but just uses you as a tool, a monster to do his bidding!

The girl's blue eye began to glow and she faced Magenta, anger covering her face. "I am not a monster!" She screamed. The hedge wall sprouted more vines which quickly tied up Magenta and began squeezing the life out of her. "I-I'm not a monster. I'm beautiful! One of a kind!."

"D-Don't let his words trick you a-again!" Magenta coughed as a vine slithered up her back and wrapped itself around her neck.

"I am done listening to you, Magenta!" The girl yelled. "I feel… stronger than I did before… More focused… Like I won't make any more mistakes."

"Then why not use that… To be independent?" Magenta's eyes fluttered. "Go back to-"

The girl stepped closer and and listened for more words. "The way… thing's were…" Magenta uttered, before going limp.

"The way things were…" The girl thought for a moment. "No. I'm not going to waste this gift on living in the forests. I was told to do something and I'm expected to do it." The girl made a motion with her hands and an opening appeared next to Magenta. "And that's not daddy's order… It's mine." She strutted though the opening, forcing it shut behind her.

----

"She's hiding out here, huh? Not a very good place to disappear to…" I said examining the fortress the girl had made for herself. The entire park was covered by a thick dome made of foliage.

"Maybe she wants to be found, Ryan." Violet answered. "Oh, and this is Faze…" She motioned to him. Faze held his hand out to me.

"Do I look like I'm in the mood for introductions?" I said.

"Sorry…" Faze answered.

I walked past him and into the entrance of the park. The arch baring the words Rustboro Park was wrapped in foliage and vines. She's close… "Wait here, everyone." I carefully ventured inside.

----

"What's his problem?" Lavender whispered.

"Pissed like never before…" Violet answered. "I am too."

"Well you're looking relatively calm, Vi." Faze interjected. "I already feel like he hates  me, and he doesn't even know me…"

"Hmm, I wonder why?" Violet said, no doubt of sarcasm in her voice.

"What are you talking about?" Faze asked. "What did I do?"

"You left Magenta to die!" Violet yelled. "After all of the great things she kept saying about you… I guess she didn't know you were a coward!"

Faze lowered his head and remained silent. "Vi with the kill shot." Lavender whistled. "Ryan back yet?"

"I don't see him…" Violet peeked around the corner of the park entrance. "Damn it's dark… Ry, say something!" She called out. Her voice echoed through the hallways made by the overgrown hedges.

"Clear so far!" I called back. "Come on!"

"Coast is clear. Let's go." Violet lead Lavender and Faze through the halls until the caught up with me.

"Jeez, how can either of you see?" Lavender asked. We both turned and faced her. Our eyes both glowed with a faint red hue. "Wow… I'd expect that from Ryan, but how can you do that, Vi?"

"I learned from the best." She answered motioning to me.

I held my hand up and everyone grew silent. Suddenly Lavender screamed as a vine slither up her legs and pulled her upwards, hanging her upside-down.

"Damn this thing's tight!" She groaned. "It's times like this where I wish I wore skirts, don't you agree Ry?"

"Sure." I answered. "Cut yourself down-"

The ground began to vibrate and the hedges rustled violently and began to glow with a blue light. "Ryan?" Lavender called out. More glowing vines sprouted from the hedges and pulled Lavender into the ceiling before any of use could react. Faze jumped up and just barely grabbed hold of Lavender's hand and got dragged into the ceiling with her.

"Dammit! Lav! Faze! Can you hear me?" Violet shouted. "Guys?"

"They're still nearby." I reassured her. "but I think all of these hedges are drowning out our voices."

"How?"

"The aura surrounding them, most likely…" I answered. 

"We should split up." Violet said. I didn't answer. "Ryan? Are you listening?" She stepped in front of me and placed a hand on my cheek. "You're starting to scare me…" I couldn't hear her, or see her. All I could see was a light blue figure standing through the wall behind her. It was like… My eyes gained an X-ray ability... It vanished and I had to blink a few times. "Ryan, c'mob, snap out of it."

"Get back." I said. Violet obeyed. I held out my arm towards the wall and shot and Electro Ball from my palm. The blast was unusually large and it tore the the hedges with no trouble, making a new hallway. In the resulting explosion I could hear a cry of pain. "Gotcha." I snarled. I felt my body release an incredible amount of energy. I fired more blast down the hallway, each one becoming even larger. I listened again for the voice. I could hear heavy breathing. I tried making my way down the hall but was shot backwards with a blue Solar Beam.

"Stay away!" The voice yelled.

That instant I lost it; I knew it was the girl and I could think of nothing but getting my hands on her. My vision went black and my body began to act on it's own. My teeth and nails grew larger and a low growl vibrated from my throat.

"Ryan…" Violet looked at me in horror. I snapped my head towards her and snarled. Another Solar Beam shot down the hall and slammed me against the ground again. I roared, charging into the dark hallway towards the girl. She gasped and held her hands in front of her face. I smacked her with the back of my hand and sent her flying though another wall. She held up her hands and held me in place with Psychic as she got to her feet. 

Violet back up against a wall and closed her eyes. She remained silent and just listened.

"I told you to stay away!" She yelled. I roared back at her, swiping at the air, trying to escape. "I don't know who you are, but you're not coming any closer, you understand?" She took deep breath. "Now please, get out!"

She made a motion with her hands and shot me backwards. I sunk my claws into the ground and roared at her, the sound so deafening. She winced covered her ears, losing control over me. So soon as she opened her eyes, I swiped at her, clawing one of cheeks, which was raw and slightly swollen for some reason. She screamed, as I pounced on top of her. Pushing my face away with her hands. She forced some roots up from and they tightly pinned me down to the ground. I snarled and struggled to break free, discharging extreme volts from my body. The roots tightened around me and absorbed the electricity.

"That's… As far as you'll go… Ah…" She cried out out from the pain exploding in her bleeding cheek. "I can't believe you did this to me… This is what daddy must've meant. People like you live in this city, and you all have to be punished for it." Her red eye glowed and electricity was pumped back into my body from the roots. I screamed and roared, writhing in the clutches of the roots… Until I grew silent.

----

"Dammit!" Lavender punched at the hedge wall.

"Lavender relax…" Faze said.

"Shut it, Aldridge!" Lavender snapped. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe we're stuck here because of you?"

"What the hell did I do?" Faze asked. 

"Oh, I don't know? You left my little sister here alone?"

"What was I supposed to do, dammit?" He snapped back. "I'm tired of everyone blaming me for this! I don't have any special abilities, or skills. I'm not Ryan, so why is everyone expecting me to save the damn day?

"You don't even know him… How could you?"

"Magenta told me about him… How he's an amazing, powerful guy… When she talks about him, her eyes light up like stars…" Faze sighed. "I just want to see those eyes again, but I can't now…"

Faze sat against a wall and shook his head. "I'm hopeless."

"Faze you couldn't be like Ryan if you tried for years. It's impossible. He's one of a kind." Lavender knew down in front of him, placing a hand on his cheek. "And hey, who says we can't get out of here ourselves? What's gonna stop us?"

Faze didn't answer. "Listen, to me, man. You want to be better? Then start by not giving up as soon s something goes wrong, okay? I'm gonna be here with you, won't I?"

"Yeah… I guess so." Faze blushed.

"I'm sorry." Lavender said. "I didn't need to yell at you…"

"It's fine, Lav…" Faze smiled. "So where do we start?

Lavender inspected the area. "We could try climbing to the top. It's not that high up." She said, pointing the openings in the ceiling. "Help me up would ya?"

----

Magenta woke up coughing, to the sound of a thump. She tried moving, but was tightly held by the vines. She turned her head to a figure lying on the ground. "Oh no…" She gasped as she saw it, me unconscious on the ground. Only my face was visible in the faint light. "Ryan! Ryan, get up!"

Her voice was faint, and I couldn't feel anything in my body. A low grow erupted from my throat as I slowly got to my feet. "Ryan?" Magenta started to quake. "That is you… Right?"

I looked straight at her, my eyes continued to glow red. Slowly I approached her. She was frozen. "Ryan… What's going on? Can you hear me?" Magenta tried to stay calm. I stopped once we were almost nose to nose. She struggle hard to snap the vines around her arms, so she could take my hands. "I don't know what's going on, but… I'm worried about you."

The sudden, feel of her hands started me and I snarled… And bit right into her neck.