Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, only my original characters.

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

The blaring chorus of spiraling electrons reverberated, clashing against perception and consciousness.

Hearing the strange noise, a young girl of about fourteen years old bolted upwards and clasped her head in pain. An indelible mark seemed to have been left in her mind as her mouth gave off an excruciating yet strangely inaudible scream.

"I...!"

Light flashed.

All of a sudden, coldness accompanied the disappearance of pain.

"...Where... am I?" Twelve opened his eyes and saw a spotless white ceiling.

"That was... a dream?" Raising his hands to his face, he shielded his eyes from the light and looked around.

Immature voices sounded from near him as he noticed that he was lying on the upper section of a bunk bed. There were other people, all children, in the laboratory-like room. Their discussions seemed to be focused on similar topics. The words "Food", "Trainer" and "Pokemon" were spoke of the most.

"What happened?" Recalling the event from a few minutes ago, Twelve supported himself and got up from the bed.

The massive explosion at the center of the forest, the spies who revealed themselves and ordered their men's surrender, the encircling troops dispatched by the Pokemon League, the might a genuine Elite Trainer... all of them were gone.

Like a fleeting dream.

As a powerful Trainer with the potential to become an Elite Trainer, he remember surviving countless battles and trials. He exploited his special ability and the knowledge from his past life, gaining reputation in the Underground World and a chance to join the ranks of Team Rocket's Executives.

However, it all ended because of an ambush. Even if you discount the possible reinforcements from the nearby Gym, how could he and a bunch of cannon fodders fight the League Trainers who were backed by the Pokemon Association?

He had to deal with undercover spies, traitors, battle two Advanced Trainers and eventually died at the hands of an Elite Trainer. Even now, he could still clearly remember the destructive power of an Elite Nidoking. Its Hyper Beam had tore through his entire team like a hot knife through butter.

"So I died... Huh?" He blinked repeatedly.

Something was wrong.

"I..." Twelve took notice of his unusual voice.

His eyes scanned past the white walls, white bunk beds, children dressed in identical black/red uniform and finally downwards at his own body. Resting his eyes on his chest, he discovered something that shouldn't have been there.

There were two bulges.

What...? Has he not recovered from the dizziness yet? They were clearly... breasts, right? When did a pair of breasts grew on him? Those were clearly something that did not belong to a human of the male gender... No, wait a second, where was he anyway?

"This..." A quick look at the reflection of a faraway mirror told him the answer.

He stared at his own face for a whole minute before giving out a deep sigh. The high-pitched voice did originate from himself. The pair of bulges on him was also true. And lastly, the fact that he was now a female was true as well.

"I died... But I'm still alive? As a girl?" Twelve felt the touch of his hands and sighed. They were soft, much different from his rough, callus hands.

A lonely feeling struck him as he got off the bunk bed and moved closer to the mirror. He looked at himself. Long black hair, light amber eyes, porcelain skin, a body too young to be called a woman.

"You are...!" Twelve exclaimed.

He knew her... No, how could he forget her.

Reyna.

Rookie, always followed by a seemingly daydreaming Whismur, a horrible teammate, an even more horrible cook... she was a young girl who he had rescued thrice during their missions, someone whose impression was deeply ingrained in his mind.

Acting as if they were close friends despite meeting for the first time, coincidentally running into each other in towns and cities, she was a mischievous imp who loved meddling with things out of pure curiosity and getting herself in danger.

And when she got herself in danger for the last time, he was not there to save her.

Looking down at the mark formed from the combination of a mountain and the omega symbol on his shirt. He did not know what expression he has shown when he found out of her death. They acted familiar but in truth did not know each other well. But ironically, she was the person who he'd consider closest to himself.

"So I have returned..." Looking at the reflection in the mirror, Twelve smiled ruefully.

He was not a person of this world. He was what you'd call a transmigrator, a denizen of the industrialized Earth. Before his death and consequent transmigration, he was working as an assistant in a robotics lab. But who would have thought that the newly-developed fifth generation artificial intelligence would malfunction and explode?

Oh, should he also be called a reincarnator or a time traveler now that he has occupied someone else's body? Hey, if he had to be honest, Reyna was cute and charming. Perhaps turning into a cute loli wasn't so bad... if only that were the case.

The world he ended up in was the Pokemon World.

As a fan of the ever-growing franchise of Pocket Monsters, how could he not be excited when he first found out that he could catch 'em all and become a Pokemon Master, like what a certain immortal ten-year-old boy dreams to be?

But reality was harsh. Not only did he not catch 'em all, he was downgraded from a scientist to an orphan who struggled just to get by each day. He had to fight children and outwit adults for a piece of bread, his status as an orphan and his young body meant that he did not have the strength nor the wealth to travel the world.

Wars do exist. People and Pokemon also die. The place he ended up in was not a children's show but a place filled with conflicts and self-interests. Orphans like him were considered leeches of society and a waste of resources in the eyes of the public.

Even the Pokemon Association, the righteous organization that ruled over the world, did not bother to lend a helping hand towards them. In fact, most of the orphanages across the world were funded by kind-hearted Trainers.

What's more, the knowledge he spent years studying wasn't of much help either since the technology of this world was much more advanced. Miracles existing only in theory such as space technology had already been figured out and was put into use. For example, any regular family could afford a Poke Ball.

Perhaps the Goddess of Mercy saw his plight? She sent down rescuers to save the defenseless orphan. However, the angels came in the form of Team Magma, and he was not to be rescued but to be recruited, forcefully, as a new Magma Grunt. After all, nameless and identityless orphans were the best recruitment target.

Human resource was important and adding manpower wasn't hard as long as an organization could acquire Pokemon for their new recruits. Moreover, you could easily get loyalty from an orphan just by providing shelter and food to them.

Unlike his former world, humanity was not the apex predator. Even the weakest of Pokemon was stronger than an adult human and could definitely kill one. Therefore, you didn't need to wait for the orphans to grow up. You could just hand them a Pokemon and let them go on missions with the bare minimum of training.

As someone he knew once said: "The ones who died early were useless. The ones who survived could die the next day. Those who survived long enough to be call a veteran could be formally recruited as an Officer, thus we could inject more young bloods into the organization as much as we want."

That was how the majority if not all the criminal organizations of the Pokemon World operated. The likes of Team Rocket and Team Aqua were no different. The only major difference about them would be their size and the region where their headquarters were based.

"Enough depressing thoughts." Twelve smiled. "I am alive now."

He... no, she looked at the spotless white room, the rows of bunk beds, the familiar faces among the laughing children and clenched her fists. Her amber eyes in the mirror glowed with intent.

"This time..."

His name was Twelve, also known as Number Twelve of Team Magma's 7th Training Class.

"...I will be the one who decides my own fate."

Now, her name is Reyna, also known as Number Twenty-five of Team Magma's 7th Training Class.

"Hurry and line up!"

By the time Reyna fully recovered from the shock of traveling back to the past, she alongside the new recruits have been gathered by two men dressed in a more official Team Magma's uniform and were drove to a huge gymnasium.

Both Magma Grunts had each taken out a small ball colored in red and white ─ a Poke Ball ─ and summoned out raccoon-like creatures. Frightened by the Zigzagoons' growling, the children obediently followed their orders and walked forth.

'It's the same.' Reyna surveyed the faces of the people waiting for them at their destination.

There was a group of ten Grunts led by a burly middle-aged man in camouflage clothing. Zubat, Poochyena, Zigzagoon, all of the Magma Grunts have a single Pokemon standing by beside them.

She knew that those Pokemon were not there just to intimidate the children. The oozing bloodlust was not fake. If any of them were to try to run, the Pokemon would not hesitate to pounce on them and tear through their throat.

The middle-aged man's name was Tristan, their class's instructor. The Seviper next to him was the one who was giving off the most bloodlust. Any experienced Trainer could tell the desire and readiness to strike just by looking at the Seviper's posture.

"Welcome, recuits!" Tristan's voice boomed.

At the same time, the pair of Magma Grunts who drove them here recalled their Zigzagoons and retreated to stand guard by the gym's entrance. The remaining Magma Grunts by Tristan's side shouted at Reyna and the children, telling them to line up in rows and columns designated to each of them by the number on their uniform.

'So I don't exist.' Reyna moved towards her position amidst the confusion. Her number was 5-02-05: 7th Training Class, third column, fifth row.

Sandwiched by two trembling boys, she scanned through the children around her. There should have been a scrawny boy standing at the second line to her left, but he was no longer there. Instead, he was replaced by another boy who she did not know the name of.

"Now listen! I will only say this once!" Tristan struck his foot against the floor to silence the whispering children. "Recruits of the 7th Training Class, you are now a member of Team Magma, the strongest underground organization of the Hoenn Region!"

"Our organization has only one goal: that is to expand the amount of landmass in Hoenn, and consequently, the world! This expansion will be beneficial to mankind. It will allow us to have more land to build shelters on, increase crops outputs and create hope for our future generations. The results of our action will save humanity as a whole!"

"And you! You have received the opportunity to dedicate yourself to this ultimate goal of ours!" He shouted with slight fanaticism. "You will become one of us, one of Team Magma! You will learn to train Pokemon, to survive in the wild, and to help Team Magma achieve its dream!"

"My name is Tristan, your class's instructor and the man who will lead you onto the path of prosperity. For the next two weeks, I will teach you everything about Pokemon and survival. Do not fail me!" As soon as he finished his speech, he slammed his foot onto the floor once more as a Magma Grunt pushed a large cart towards them.

Tristan uncovered the cart, revealing the contents beneath. It was a storage for Poke Balls. The Pokemon-capturing-and-storing devices were in their minimized state and there were about two hundred of them, which matched the two hundred or so children in the gymnasium.

"Be grateful! You will now be given your very own Pokemon! This is one of the many welfare provided by Team Magma." Tristan picked up one of the Poke Ball.

'It's begun.' Reyna frowned as she stared at Tristan. 'Fucking scum.' A disgusting grin was plastered on the Team Magma instructor's face.

"This will be your first step as a Pokemon Trainer... However!" The burly man chuckled. "The Pokemon stored in these balls are all Wild Pokemon. They have never been trained and are quite aggressive to humans."

The children were clueless. As orphans who have never had any contact with Pokemon except the occasional few, they didn't have any information regarding what a Pokemon was and how a Pokemon behaved. They didn't know their species, habits or lifestyle. Hence, the term "Wild Pokemon" was unfamiliar to them.

'There's nothing I can do.' Reyna chose to remain silent.

Gaining the attention of Tristan was not necessarily a good thing. She might have given it a try if it was another instructor but she knew for a fact that Tristan was notorious for finding satisfaction in torturing new recruits.

"I will now assign the first task to you new recruits." Tristan returned the Poke Ball back to the cart. "Choose a Poke Ball and conquer the Pokemon stored within it. You have the option to stay here or return to your room after you receive the Pokemon's recognition. I will allow you to spend time with your Pokemon today."

"Now let's start with... You!" He pointed at a muscular boy who numbered first. "Come here and choose a Poke Ball!"

"Yes!" The muscular boy answered.

Unlike the nervous recruits, he walked out with a confident gait. He seemed very relaxed despite being to first to choose. Then, as he arrived at the cart, he chose the Poke Ball that Tristan had returned earlier without any hesitation.

"Come out!" The muscular boy pressed the button on the Poke Ball's front and threw it forward.

Accompanied by a bright light and a distinctive sound effect, a Pokemon came out from the Poke Ball and landed on the floor. It was a giant snake with two long fangs, a blade-like tail and menacing red eyes. It was identical to the Pokemon coiled beside Tristan.

A low snarl sounded from the Seviper as it glared at the muscular boy, who would have seemed confident if not for the cold sweat dripping down his face. However, the Seviper held back. It did not seem to be intending on attacking its new Trainer.

"Good." Tristan nodded at the boy and pointed at a blonde girl. "Next!"

She went up and chose the second Poke Ball on the first row. Taking in a deep breath, she gulped and threw the ball. The mysterious Pokemon was a Numel, and it did not attack the girl as it moved towards its Trainer and cried with glee.

'Here they are. The chosen ones.' Reyna, who was watching the taming process, thought.

Unbeknownst to the other recruits, a gap between them and the ones standing at the first line had already been established. This was because some of the "randomly placed" Poke Balls were not random at all. What's more, the Pokemon stored in them were specifically prepared for the first ten children and had great aptitude as well.

She did not know of this until she became an Officer in her former life, but not every recruit in this room had the status of an orphan.

Every month, executives and officers could exchange their Merit Points to recommend someone to join the training facility. Most of the recommendations were either for their relatives or for a promising youth who has signed an agreement to be subordinated to them after graduation.

Following the usual pattern, the ones standing at the first line would be the "chosen ones" who were sent here by high-ranking members of Team Magma. They are the ones who would later become Team Magma's Officers and Elite Officers.

Their main purpose was to build a foundation: to gather a force while completing basic training in order to gain a foothold in Team Magma. They could recruit the orphans as their subordinates or prove their worth to the top brass by showing their potential.

In short, they were using the nameless orphans as their stepping stone.

Although Reyna knew the truth, she would not risk herself to save some strangers. She might die in an "unfortunate accident" if she ever tried to sabotage those "chosen ones" from recruiting their underlings.

'They'll soon learn of the harsh reality.' Reyna's face darkened as the last person from the first line finished calming down her Zubat and exited the gymnasium.

"Next!"

She watched the next children, the first genuine recruit among them, walked up to the cart. The indecisive boy had chosen a Poke Ball after being yelled at by Tristan and the Zigzagoon who appeared did not behave like the previous ten Pokemon. It rushed towards the boy and clawed at his face.

"S-Stop! Calm down!"

While the boy was fighting to conquer his Pokemon, the next girl went up and selected a Poke Ball with trembling hands. She looked sickly and kind-hearted, not someone you'd expect to end up here, and what happened after proved it.

"P-Please to meet you, I-I'm... Aaah!"

The girl had her throat bitten off by a Poochyena.

Reyna grimaced but did not turn her head. However, the same could not be said for the other children. Frightened screams and cries for help reverberated throughout the gymnasium. The sight of a young girl gurgling and trying to hold her blood-squirting throat was too shocking.

There would have been chaos if not for the sudden appearance of Tristan's Claydol. A psychic wave from the levitating statue had pinned the recruits down in place in addition to the sealing of their mouth.

This was the power disparity between man and Pokemon. A single Psychic-type Pokemon had managed to suppress the movements of over a hundred people. If it wished so, it could likely control them to commit suicide and they could do nothing about it.

"Next!" Tristan looked at the crying children with contempt.

Team Magma's recruitment campaign had only began for a little over half a year and each batch usually contained two to three hundred recruits. As a veteran who has been involved in the training of six previous classes, he could tell that the current batch was a failure. Most likely less than half of them would remain here after the second week.

Although many had called him a psychopath, he considered himself a staunch supporter of Team Magma's ideal. He would not mind murdering children to achieve this goal of his. And most importantly, he had already seen the same thing happen over and over again.

The ten Magma Grunts seemed to be used to it too as one of them casually recovered the Poochyena back into its Poke Ball. Another Grunt went to the line to pull out the next recruit, giving Claydol a respectful nod and watching the recruit regaining control over his body.

"Next!"

Then, the selection continued.

"NEXT!"

And finally, it was Reyna's turn.

A/N:

Inspired by a certain Chinese fanfic.

I wanted to write a female protagonist but realized I don't know how to so I ended up with this... :3

If you're wondering about Reyna's appearance, search Kushima Kamome.