The cold was too much to bear, waking Minene. She'd been sleeping in the fetal position. Her breath was white, she was chilled to the core, and her body wouldn't stop trembling. Her skin looked pallid, and her lips were a cyanotic pale blue. Naked, she was completely defenseless against the cold, but she'd be shaking like a small animal even if she were clothed.
Minene was no longer in her two-metered-cubed cage, where she'd grown up in since she was 2, but rather in a lab chamber about 50 square meters in size. There was nothing else in the empty room. With no heating, the light that trickled in from the long window that showed the other side of the lab was her sole source of any sense of warmth. Of course, it was not nearly enough to heat the room, and her body continued to tremble.
A faint sound alerted Minene, her nerves apparently edge thanks to her empty stomach and the freezing cold. Opening her eyes, she deftly moved just her eyeballs to survey her surroundings. It was extremely dark, but she could still see the corners of the lab outside her chamber. She cautiously scanned the area but saw nothing. Perhaps because she'd thought about food, her stomach rumbled and ached. When she listened closer, the noise seemed to come from outside her chamber.
The gradually approaching noise sounded like footsteps. Minene recognized the first pair, Dr. Colress's. However, the second pair she couldn't recognize, they didn't belong to Colress, and they definitely different not belong to the man who spoke to him, Dr. Colress's boss, Lord Ghetsis. She could tell the difference in rhythm. Nor did he recall the labored breathing mixed in with the footsteps.
The lock must have been undone; a metallic rattle echoed through the chamber. At last, the door began to swing open.
Moments later, her prison was filled with bright lights that shone from the many bulbs in the ceiling.
Minene groaned, squinted her eyes, and shaded her face. Though by no means strong, the light was blinding enough for eyes adjusted to the darkness.
There standing in front of the glass that separated the chamber and the lab was a boy she'd never seen before. She could tell he was shocked. His wide-open eyes were unblinking, and his breathing was sharp.
Dr. Colress's mouth moved, although she couldn't understand what he'd said. The boys eyes widened even more, but he composed himself.
To Dr. Colress, he might've looked fine, but to Minene, he was scared. His flushed cheeks were a pale crimson, and his lips were pressed so tightly his mouth seemed sewn shut.
Dr. Colress walked over to her chamber door, unlatched it, and handed the boy something. The boy hesitantly took it, and walked into her chamber.
She could tell by instinct that he meant harm. The boy held a gleaming silver knife in his hands, and its trembling tip was pointed at her.
Minene watched the boys every move. She knew quite well how dangerous blades can be. A number of the marks on her body were from cuts, some of which had been brought her close to death.
The boy continued to creep forward and to close in on Minene, but she did not budge. It would be a waste of energy, and she'd end up that much hungrier. If the boy demanded that she "fight back" she would gladly respond, but otherwise, staying still was the best option.
Outside the chamber, the lab door slammed shut, indicating Dr. Colress had left.
The boy flinched, and in that moment of shock, his knife dropped from his hand and tumbled by Minene's feet.
"Aaah!"
His eyes widened as he hastily reached for the blade, but Minene, one step ahead of him, picked it up first. The boy's face froze. Knife in hand, Minene slowly stood up and grabbed tight the boys wrist. She made him hold the blade, pointing its tip right at her own chest.
"Huh?" The boys stared in wonder, looking back and forth between Minene and the knife.
The small black and red fox that was perched on the boys shoulder cocked his head to the side.
"What's going on?"
Then Minene tugged the confused boys wrist towards her own chest, blade and all. The moment the knife's tip touched her torso, it tore her skin open. A sharp pain. The blood that oozed out of the wound turned into drops and trickled down Minene's body.
"W-wait. Do you want to die?!"
With a baffled expression on his face, the boy released the blade and pulled back his wrist. Making no movement to retrieve his weapon, he stepped back to put some distance in between them.
He was clearly confused, but so was Minene. She wanted a reward in return for a "fight", but for some reason, he wasn't going ahead with it. At this rate, her stomach would stay empty. She lazily picked up the knife, then offered it to the boy. She couldn't let this fine opportunity to date her hunger get away from under her nose.
" Why would you do that? " The black fox asked, staring apprehensively at her.
Minene turned her head sharply at it. A Pokemon. Maybe that's what the boy wanted. He wanted her to fight his Pokemon with a knife in exchange for food. That was it!
Minene crouched back down, arching her back upwards, holding herself up on all fours. Her very long, snowy white hair flowed down her back and curled around her ankles. She let out a low growl and clutched the knife.
The boy backed up on instinct, shaking at the sight I'm from of him. It must be very scary, a young girl, trapped in bloody chains around her wrists, ankles, and neck, down on all fours clutching his knife that he was given, that she stole.
The Pokemon on the boys shoulders shook as she glared at it.
" Fight back, fight back!" Minene spoke, her voice low and dangerous.
The boy picked up the Pokemon an held him in his arms.
"Do you...want to fight Zorua?"
"Fight back!"
The boy stared, startled. "I'm sorry....you can't fight Zorua!"
This seemed to frustrate her Minene's stomach, as it growled ferociously. In pain-it felt like some hand was twisting her inside-Minene grimaced and faltered.
"Are you hungry?"
Minene's face ran the gamut of expressions as she groaned. Eventually, though, he seemed to realize something. He nodded and turned to walk away.
Her grip on the knife slackned, Minene called to the boy. "Fight back."
Maybe he didn't hear her; without turning around he left the chamber and disappeared up the stairs.
"Aahh..." Denied what she had hoped for, Minene was crestfallen. The only reason anyone else besides Colress entered her chamber, was to engage her in a "fight." People, namely Team Plasma's Grunts, would challenge her to a battle. If she could beat up the opponent and knock it out, she would be rewarded with food. True, it was scraps, but it was better than nothing.
She expected for the boy to fight her with the knife or use pokemon and then get rewarded. But that was nothing out of the ordinary. By the time the room was silent again, she had already given up. Come morning Colress would dispense food in return for a "fight."
There was never any guarantee that she would be fed, of course.
