NOTE: I've changed the name Hilda (White) to Allison because "Hilda" is just gross.

Hello all! I'm excited to have published my first fic. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this! I'll churn out a new chapter every month or so, or even faster than that, depending on how much interest I generate.

When it comes to romance, I have no boundaries with boy / girl, boy / boy, girl / girl stuff. Brace yourself.

I'm no fool; I know that my first endeavor will probably crash and burn, but you can't hate someone for trying, eh?

Happy reading! Don't forget to leave a review, even if you didn't like it. You have no idea how much a review means to me! (:

- Puzzled

Nothing in here belongs to me. I do not own Pokemon.

The air stung her throat.

The Rayquaza coughed and snorted, her powerful serpentine form writhing as she was roused from her sleep. Opening her eyes to reveal black scleras, the Sky High Pokemon let out a threatening, ground-trembling roar at the sight of the person in front of her.

"Rayquaza," the person said softly, their simple, unthreatening voice suddenly ten times more frightening than the roar of the Rayquaza, "the ruler of the skies. Here at last."

In response to the person's utterance, the chartreuse Dragon-type let out a blast of air from her nostrils, scrabbling at the stone underneath her feet with her three-pronged claws. It was uncommon for her to get challengers as calm as this person was, so she cast the Trainer a curious look from yellow pupils, long tail lashing back and forth. Impatient, the legendary Pokemon let out another rumbling, deep roar and reared her head back, a small, bright pinprick of purple light gathering within her maw.

"Ah," the person exclaimed, "Dragon Pulse, is it!"

The Trainer's suspicion was true, but before the Rayquaza could fire the Pulse at them, something emerged from the shadows behind her and grabbed the green horns mounted on her head. Angered, the Rayquaza whipped around and directed the Dragon Pulse attack towards her assaulter, missing whatever it was by inches; the shadowy Pokemon had melted into the shadows again.

"Good job, Darkrai! What a good boy!

"Now – use Dark Void."

"Yes, master."

If I die young

Bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river

At dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

Allison opened her eyes, her neck stiff and sore.

She had been sleeping against the rough bark of a tree for the night, so her muscles were all cramped and her limbs awkwardly placed. With a grunt, the brunette got up and dusted imaginary dirt from her shorts, picking up a white cap on the leaf-covered floor next to her.

"Damn forest," she cursed, jamming the cap on her head after pulling her long, wavy hair into a high ponytail. Allison had been trapped in the Petalburg Woods for over a week; its long, winding paths and dense collection of trees did not sit well with her. Her Pokemon were all at low health – she was proud of their strength, but even they were worn out after billions of battles with weak wild Pokemon.

"They spawn like Rattatta," Allison complained to herself, forcing herself to move despite her body's screaming protest. She had succumbed to eating roasted Shroomish (courtesy of her Darmanitan, Vulcan) for sustenance, and the chewy, rubbery quality of the Shroomish she ate was disgusting.

Still, she had to survive.

Snorting in frustration as a Zigzagoon popped out of nowhere, Allison reached into her bag and tossed a Great Ball into the air. A flash of crimson light later, a waist-tall lizard-like Pokemon materialized, leering menacingly at the smaller Pokemon.

"Babyface! Use 'Drain Punch!'"

Bravely, the Zigzagoon leapt at Allison's Scrafty, beady eyes flashing and claws extended. Babyface snorted in exasperation and countered the pathetic weasel Pokemon's Tackle attack with her extended fist, slamming it into her opponent's face. The poor thing's face turned into a concave mass; the Zigzagoon was suspended in the air for a brief moment as all its energy drained from its bushy body, then it collapsed in a heap onto the floor.

"Cool! Is that a Scrafty? You don't see them around these parts."

Allison's contemptuous smirk was missed by the Zigzagoon as someone interrupted her celebration, cutting into her solitude like a knife. The ponytailed girl turned her head around, Babyface doing the same. Both of them wore surprised expressions – they hadn't encountered a soul since they entered the Woods apart from little side-character bug catchers.

The girl in front of her was about her age, and she was wearing a black and pink skirt. A white beanie was on her head, and judging from its cleanliness she hadn't been in the Woods as long as Allison had. Clearing her throat, the salmon-colored girl introduced herself, her face flushing with some embarrassment as Allison cocked an eyebrow.

"S-sorry! My name's Dawn. I'm a Trainer too! I was just wondering if you knew the exit to this place … I've been wandering around for two days, and I still haven't found it," she said in an apologetic tone. What's she apologizing for? Allison wondered detachedly.

"If I knew the way out, don't you think I'd be gone already?" Allison responded irritably. She supposed she shouldn't be so rude to this Dawn girl – after all, they had only just met, but Allison hated being reminded of her horrible sense of direction.

Dawn's face went an even deeper shade of red, resembling a Christmas bauble. "Sorry!" She squeaked again. "Well, that doesn't' really matter, I … I guess. I have a map, but I'm really bad with maps, so here I am," she explained weakly.

The moment Dawn mentioned she had a map on her person, Allison perked up. Directions she was shit at, but even she knew how to read maps. "Mind if I see your map?" The taller girl asked eagerly, excited at the prospect of finally getting out of this damned place.

"Uh, sure." The short-skirted girl unzipped a yellow bag slung over her back, withdrawing a crumpled piece of folded paper. She handed it to Allison, who rolled it open impatiently and looked at it. For a moment, there was uneasy silence, then Allison handed the map back.

"Looks like the exit is just up ahead," she said skeptically. "Are you sure you can't read it? It's really easy to understand. Either way, I'm glad to be out of here," Allison said thoughtfully, not paying Dawn's embarrassment much mind. Fuck, this girl got red really easy.

"Um, I'm really bad with maps," she repeated uncertainly, trailing after Allison as she began walking away. For a second, Allison was annoyed by the girl tagging by her side, and her Scrafty was, as well. Babyface kept shooting Dawn nasty glances up her skirt.

Then Allison supposed it wouldn't hurt to have Dawn around, at least for now. After all, the girl did lend her a map, and it would be plain ungrateful to leave without thanking her. "I'm Allison, by the way," Allison supplied as the two trekked. Dawn brightened and tightened the red scarf around her neck, looking at Allison curiously.

"That's a pretty name!" Dawn proclaimed with a smile, making the taller girl frown. A pretty name? Nobody ever complimented her name – Allison was a common, normal name. It wasn't pretty at all, but if this Dawn girl was going to say that, she wouldn't complain.

"Thanks? Oh! There it is!" Allison pointed at a filtering of white light up ahead, picking up her pace and recalling her Scrafty. The lizard Pokemon disappeared in a beam of red light, but not before glaring at Dawn again. "Looks like Babyface doesn't like you very much."

"Babyface?" Dawn echoed, panting to keep up the quick rate at which Allison was running. "That's a funny one!" Despite running, she managed a little giggle. Yeah, she was irritating, Allison thought. The girl hated people who giggled or got nervous or squeamish easily. How did they even survive in this world?

"She's named after an infamous criminal." They were finally out of the Woods, out in the open where a fresh breeze tickled their noses and welcomed them into the more civilized part of Hoenn. Allison knew she must have looked wretched- her hair was uncombed (but she washed it with water from her Jellicent), her clothes ragged, and various cuts and bruises decorated her otherwise smooth skin.

Dawn let out a little squeal of gladness as she saw a rectangular, red-roofed inn up ahead. For a crazy moment, Allison thought that it was a Pokecenter – then realized it was nothing more than some local flower shop.

Bouncing ahead, Dawn approached the open door to the shop. Usually Allison would have ignored the girl's actions and trudged onwards to Rustboro, but for some reason she felt compelled to follow this annoying girl.

"The Pretty Petal Flower Shop!" Dawn exclaimed happily, entering the shop. Allison waited impatiently by its entrance as the beanie-wearing girl giggled and squealed and laughed and did other girly things with the women inside the shop. When Dawn left, her bag was bulging with newly-purchased berries and a shiny Wailmer Pail.

"You done?" Allison asked, arms crossed under her chest. Dawn nodded happily and skipped off ahead. Allison suppressed an urge to roll her eyes, following Dawn as she leapt onto the bridge leading to the city up ahead. The taller Trainer's heart rose at the sight of Rustboro; she was so distracted by the prospect of a Gym battle that she crashed into an unmoving Dawn, sending the other girl flying headfirst into the lake.

"Ah!" Allison reached forward instinctively to catch the girl, but that just made the situation worse. Latching onto Dawn's skirt, Allison tumbled into the water as well, knocking her feet against the wooden planks of the bridge as she fell.

Gasping for air, Allison broke the surface of the lake and grabbed her cap – it had come off in the fall. Jamming the item onto her head and utterly frustrated with Dawn, Allison looked around for the girl. She was nowhere to be found.

Treading water and starting to panic, Allison dunked her head underwater and saw nobody. The lake wasn't particularly deep, but it was choked with weeds and Dawn could have easily gotten tangled in them. This was bad. Really bad. Just as Allison was about to send out her Jellicent to look for the girl, something grabbed her waist from behind.

"Argh!" Upon familiar reaction, Allison raised her elbow and jammed it backwards, hitting something soft and squishy. Dawn let out a cry of pain and let go, facing a pissed-off Allison who had whirled around in fury.

"Are you dense? Don't do that! Ever! Great, now all my shit is wet! Be grateful that my Xtransceiver is water-proof," Allison reprimanded, but she let out an inner sigh of relief. She was right – this damn Dawn girl was more trouble than she cared for.

The two clambered back onto the bridge, sopping wet. Dawn was giggling and wringing her blue hair dry good-naturedly, while Allison was grumbling and lashing her hair out in all directions to get water off.

They both checked their possessions – thankfully, nothing had gotten lost in the splash. A muscle underneath her blue eye twitching, Allison motioned for Dawn to follow as they entered Rustboro at last, wondering if she could get the other girl off her hands somehow.

The Pokemon Research Lab was exploding with activity.

"Hurry! Section 21 is getting a response!"

"Test subject 324 is in Red Area! I repeat, Red Area!"

An unmoving woman leaned against the wall, observing the going-ons with mild interest. By her side, a tall, muscular man stood, his skin dark and his eyes more blue than electricity. His hands were clasped together behind his back, and he appeared to be a bodyguard of sorts for the woman. White hair cascaded down his shoulders, thick bangs covering his right eye. He wore an expensive black suit and a red tie, and his hands were clawed.

"What do you think, Darkrai?" The woman asked her companion in a bored tone, red eyes examining the bustling.

The dark-skinned man sighed and responded in a deep, booming voice. "I told you not to call me that, master. My new name is – "

"Dustin Torrents, yes," the woman said distractedly. "How wonderfully dull, Dustin."

"I don't think we can transform Rayquaza properly," Dustin said at last, blinking slowly. "She is a powerful Legendary One."

"Ah, but her memories will be wiped clean like yours, Dustin!"

"It bothers me how you tell me this information so freely, master."

"I'm a trusting woman."

There was silence as a roar sounded somewhere within the Lab. The woman stepped out of the shadows at last, revealing a young face with sharp, predatory features and sticky red eyes. Her skin was tanned and a long, billowing duster covered her body, concealing a beater and informal baggy jeans. A scientist nearby spotted her and rushed towards her, sweat cascading in rivers down his back.

"A-Alpha!" He said nervously, handing a clipboard to her. "Here are the most recent reports on injecting Formula 10 into test subject 324."

"So many code names," Alpha sighed, ruffling her dark hair lazily. "Why can't we just say things like, 'Here's how the project is with Rayquaza. We're currently unsuccessful with turning her into a human.' You know, it saves time and lives." The woman looked over the papers with raised eyebrows. "Aha! This is surprising. You're telling me it's successful?"

"Y-yes. The rejection is great, but … it's successful. Her memories have not been wiped yet."

Alpha turned to the Darkrai by her side, a small grin gracing her lips. "Aha, looks like you have another Legendary companion. Let's go observe."

The two set off briskly, entering a large room guarded by armed and uniformed soldiers. On the shoulders of the soldiers were red pentagrams. Alpha let the iron doors behind her close, then approached the cluster of scientists who were hunched over a medium-sized rectangular window.

The woman's mere presence was enough to send the scientists away, and Dustin's flexing arms only sped up their process. They looked down through the window at a gigantic room, big enough to contain several Wailord.

In the corner of the square room was a small, curled, naked figure. Even from a distance, it was obvious the person was a female, but her other features were hard to identify. Suddenly, she spasmed and let out a little wail of pain, shuddering.

"Ah, of course. It burns, or so I hear," Alpha commented quietly, not moved by the vulnerable display of primal feelings below her. She turned around and jerked a thumb at Dustin. "Darkr – Dustin. Explain to her, please."

The Darkrai nodded and closed his eyes, then disappeared in a whirl of blackness. An instant later, he appeared within the containment room and neared the girl in the corner of the room confidently, hands in the pockets of his slacks.

"Rayquaza."

There was no response, apart from more spasming.

"Rayquaza."

The girl lifted her head at last. Her hair was an acidic green and her eyes the same as her original form; the scleras were black and her irises golden. Her skin was pale, but marred with jagged yellow circles and lines. The Rayquaza's hands were long and slender, each nail sharper than a blade. A tail poked out from her spine, three feet long; it looked like a miniature version of her old tail.

"What do you want, traitor?" She spat at last, revealing fanged teeth with especially dangerous canines. "This … this is unnatural. This goes against Arceus' very will, her very command … tell me, why are they doing this?" The Rayquaza questioned, staggering to her feet and using the wall to steady herself.

Dustin shook his head and looked at her evenly. "I do not know. They have cleaned my memory. It is less painless that way."

"Blasphemy," breathed the Rayquaza. "Never. I will never succumb to their brainwashing. Do you know how long they had to keep me in here? Two weeks. Two weeks I resisted their proddings and injections, biting my tongue to muffle sounds of agony. And now here I am, twisted and morphed, disgusting and feral and weak." She pounded a fist against the wall, causing a large dent. "Let me go. Return me to my old appearance, Darkrai."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. It will be much better once they … once they relieve you of your memories. Believe me."

The Rayquaza narrowed her eyes dangerously, her tail lashing. Without warning, she slashed out with a clawed hand, generating a sharp shockwave. Dustin was too slow to avoid the attack, grunting as he received three wounds to his shoulder, three slices which cut into the fabric of his suit and injured his muscles.

"That was a warning," the Rayquaza hissed. "Now tell me – what other damned Pokemon do you have changed into humans?"

The Dakrai appeared unaffected by the attack, his only response a slight flinch. "My masters have captured your brothers – "

"No! Groudon and Kyogre? You monster!"

" – along with Heatran, Deoxys, Raikou, Entei, and a couple others. You'll be delighted to meet them, I'm sure," the Darkrai said, ignoring the interruption.

"Pah!" The Rayquaza spat into his face. Dustin wiped the saliva off without a change in expression. "I overheard your conversation with your damn 'master,' Darkrai. I have good hearing, do you know that? – I realize that your new name is 'Dustin Torrents.' What a traitor you are. How sad your existence must be, reduced to serving humans … as a human," she said vehemently.

"Trust me, Rayquaza. When this is over, you will be looking for a new name as well."

"I doubt that, you violator," the girl retorted in disgust. "And give me something to cover my shame – these human bodies are so damn soft and doughy, difficult to move in." Dustin clapped his hands together obediently and a scientist entered the room quicker, throwing a change of clothes onto the ground and running out, obviously frightened by the two Legendaries in the room. "This is humiliating. I would sooner kill myself than … "

"Too late for that," the Darkrai said belatedly. "If you try to commit an act of suicide, an electrical chip within your brain will activate and shock you into paralysis. You will be unable to move for three days, and I doubt you want that. Now change."

The Rayquaza stared at the Darkrai for such a long time that he was forced to pull his gaze away, unable to meet her eyes for such a long time. Uncomfortable at last, Dustin teleported out of the room and back into the observation chamber, observing from a safe distance as the Rayquaza reluctantly began pulling on underwear and specially-made clothes.

"So you had a scuffle, huh?" Alpha asked unnecessarily, referring to the Air Slash move used on Dustin. The Darkrai sighed and nodded.

"I told you – she's a powerful one."

"Surprising how willing she is despite that."

"I wouldn't say willing, master; I think she has … plans in mind."

"Impossible," Alpha replied assertively. "It is impossible to escape or change back."

"I see."

The Rayquaza finished changing into a simple t-shirt and cargos, refusing to wear the shoes that the scientists had provided. She looked up, still trembling randomly, at the window of faces above her, then shouted something foul.

"I'll get you for this, you fucking humans!" She exclaimed heatedly. "This will not go unnoticed by Arceus! Arceus curse you to the bowels of hell!"

Annnd there it is! The first chapter.

Review if you liked it, review if you disliked it. You have no idea how much a simple review means to me! :D Thanks for reading!