"N, wake up!!"
A firm, fluffy paw collided with the cheek of the green haired boy sleeping. The boys eyes shot open. He slipped and fell face first onto the floor. The boy looked around. He was no longer in a lab. There was no more screams echoing around him. He's head was slumped of the side of the bed and the rest of his body was still on the bed. He groaned and pushed his hands against the floor to push himself up, which resulted in the rest of his body sliding of the bed and he crashed to the floor.
"Slick"
The boy looked up at the bed. A small black and red Pokemon sat on a pillow, snickering at the boy. A Zorua. It hopped of the pillow and landed on the boys head.
"Morning, sleeping beauty!"
"Ugghh...."
The boy stood up and leaned forward, flopping onto the bed.
"Another nightmare?"
Zorua plopped onto the soft bed, tilting his head to the side.
"Yeah...it is the same one every time..." The boy mumbled, his voice muffled by the sheets. "Why? Why does the same reoccurring nightmare keep happening?"
Zorua poked the boys head with his paw.
"N, how far did you get this time? Last time, you only saw the metal door."
"I saw that man, Dr. Colress. He opened the door with his hand and walked down some stairs...Ghetsis sat in one of the chairs, waiting for him...I think I was in the other. He walked over to this huge machine and turned it on. It illuminated some kind of prison cell...and then..."
"And then...?"
The boy, N, raised his head up and rested on his chin, staring at Zorua.
"And then the dream ended."
"Oh, well. Better luck next time! You should change and get ready, you look like you got into a fight with a Galvantula that shocked your hair."
N raised himself off of his bed and opened his closet door, which had a full length mirror on the inside of the door, cringing at his reflection.
His green-teal colored hair was a mess. Strands of his hair were resting at odd angles, a result of the static energy from his bed. His tan pants were wrinkled from sleeping in, and he wasn't wearing a shirt. There were dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep.
N yawned and started to get ready for the day. He put on his usual black turtleneck and pulled on an unbuttoned white shirt over it. He picked up a comb and tried to tame his wild hair. After about 10 minutes of trying to get his hair to do what he wanted, which it never did, he gave up and put a black baseball cap over it.
Zorua leapt from his perch on top of N's pillow and landed lightly on his shoulder.
"So! What are we going to do now?"
"I'm not sure...," N said. He opened the door from his room and entered the deserted corridor. "We should probably find Father and ask him what needs to be done." N and Zorua walked down the hallway towards his father's room. They passed a familiar metal door with a touchpad next to it. N stopped walking and stared, mesmerized.
A piercing screech echoed through the castle, awakening a 6 year old N, sleeping next to his Zorua. He rubbed his eyes and prodded Zorua awake.
"Hey, what are you waking me up for, N-!"
Another screech filled the air. The boy trembled in fear and clutched his ears, praying the sound would go away. Once more, a scream of terror was heard.
"M-make it stop, Zorua!!"
"What am I supposed to do about it!?"
Another scream. N slipped out of his bed, his knees shaking, as though they'd give out at any moment. He stumbled to the door and opened it. The screaming became a little more clear, and he could hear words mixed with it. However, they were incoherent. It went silent once more, the sound still ringing in N's ears.
A soft, small body linked around N's ankles. N looked down. Zorua, having wrapped himself around N from fear, looked up at him.
"What in Arceus's name was that!?!"
Before N could reply, a yelling filled the air. It sounded like a male's voice. There was a sound of a whip cracking, another terrified screech, and then silence.
N looked at Zorua.
"I'm gonna go take a peek!"
"Whaaa?!!! N! You might see something you don't wanna see! Don't go!!"
There was the sound of a metal door being slammed open. N hid behind his door and peeked through the cracks between the door and the wall. He saw a blond haired man with glasses. He locked the door with hundreds of locks and turned. N took one look at him, slammed his door shut, and dove under his covers, trying to suppress tears. The entire front of the man's chest and below was drenched in Crimson liquid.
"...N?? N!!!"
"H-huh?" N looked at Zorua. "Sorry...just a memory."
"You haven't looked at that door since, huh?"
N shook his head. He turned, beginning to walk towards his father's study, and slammed right into somebody's chest.
N fell on his rear, his hair falling in front of his eyes.
"Oww..."
"Hey, watch where your going, idiot!"
N looked up at the person. His breath hitched. It was Dr. Colress.
Colress glared at N for a moment, then his eyes widened, realizing who he had just yelled at.
"M-m-my Lord! F-forgive me! I didn't recognize you for a moment!"Colress extended his hand for N to grab.
N hesitantly took his hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. He quickly composed himself. "It's alright, Dr. Colress...um..what were you doing?"
"Oh....uh...hehe....eehhh...." Colress shifted nervously on his feet. "Lord Ghetsis said I wasn't allowed to show you until its ready..."
N faked a smile. "It's alright." His heart pounded. Until what was ready? Why aren't I allowed to know? What does the nightmares mean!?
N barely noticed Colress was talking. "Unless....you mind taking a risk and keeping a secret?"
"Muh?" N looked at Colress.
"Your father isn't hear now," Colress side stepped, showing N the door and smirking slightly. "Right?"
N's eyes widened. His eyes glanced over to the left slowly and back at Colress. He walked next to Colress, who was already analyzing his handprint on the touchpad, and let out an odd giggle. Colress looked at him confused. N shut his mouth and looked away, his face flushing in embarrassment.
Zorua snickered, and N thumped him lightly on his forehead.
The locks swished and the metal door creaked open. Colress strode in and descended down the stairs, N and Zorua trailing behind him.
It's exactly like my dream.
Colress began powering up his machine and the lights inside the chamber flickered on. N, his back turned away from the chamber, gulped and braced himself as he turned and opened his eyes, staring into the chamber.
The scratch marks were in the same places, although there seemed to be even more than usual. Blood coated the floors in large puddles, along with the stains along the walls from his nightmare. But the biggest thing that stood out? Was a young teenage girl, strapped in bloody chains around her wrists, ankles, and neck, asleep in a pool of Crimson liquid.
