A Broken Heart

A girl could be seen excitedly writing in a small book before quickly crawling under her bed and hiding it away. A big bright smile adorning her face she gleefully skips out of her room. The girl is small, with medium length, wavy, brown hair, and long bangs draped over her left eye. She was paper white, so much so, one may even consider her skin color sickly or unnatural, however for her it was normal. Her eyes like a surreal blend of oceans of brilliant blue and clouds lifeless grey. Despite the doll like appearance, the most defining traits she held were the peculiar markings on her neck and shoulder. They looked like bruises, being a mixture of Black, blue, and purple, but the distinct, intricate, and identical patterns of the marks suggested otherwise.

As the girl made her way out of her room she encountered a tall woman in a white lab coat and a bitter expression on her face.

"What were you just doing little miss Avril?" The woman asked while inspecting Avril from head to toe. "Nothing Miss Heather, I was just in my room." Avril swiftly spun and attempted to make off down the hallway.

"Just a moment Avril, You seem far more chipper this morning than usual. Did something happen?" Miss Heather's words stopped Avril, Avril subtly shuttered before, spinning around and giving Miss Heather a wide smile. " No ma'am, I'm just super excited to see everyone again."

" Miss them that much? I suppose you have been with them for a while haven't you? Just make sure that you are ready for later this evening." Miss Heather said and abruptly turned the corner entering a room.

Avril let out a breath of relief at the quick departure of the lady, and turned to escape before the lady returned, but a bang caught her attention and her curiosity was piqued. Running to the door, Avril pressed her ear against it and closed her eyes allowing her to perfectly hear the conversation inside.

" What do you mean we need to postpone the procedure!" Miss Heather said in a controlled yet wrathful tone.

" We haven't had time to ensure the Pokémon will fully resonate with her, if things go wrong, it may fail, she may lose her mind or worse their minds collectively will break and we will be left with nothing but an vegetative body, successful or not. We aren't sure of success yet." A mans voice countered.

" We have spent a lot of time and resources funding your little experiment and my superiors are already starting to second guess your ability to produce results. In the beginning we saw your project as revolutionary, but the last few attempts have ended in absolute failure. Any more and we may just have to pull our resources and cause a little 'accident' you wouldn't want that would you?" Miss Heathers voice was domineering, and provocative. Avril couldn't tell what they meant but she knew that she was winning.

" At least let me finish giving the report, then we can try to establish some form of common understanding." The man tried to reason.

" We have common understanding. We both understand that the experiment will proceed tonight. I don't need to be briefed, I know how she is doing, and I know what could happen. After all, I was specifically assigned to be her caretaker, and I was apart of the last ' Final Experiment.' There is no reason to prolong her suffering any more." Miss Heather snipped

" Then you know why we cannot follow through with the experiment as things are now. There are too many inconsistencies, the data will be faulty, and she could be put in jeopardy." The man seemed rather desperate at this point.

" And we Disagree. You know as well as I what we are really after, had you not failed us before then we wouldn't have to be so forceful, but your starting to be a hinderance, and you know what happens to people that stand in the way of Phantom. Now I suggest that you get the lab prepared, and please do hurry we're supposed to begin in a few hours, and you have your duties as the orphanage director. I trust you won't attempt something stupid." Avril then heard footsteps coming towards the door and she decided that it would be best to not stick around to say hello to Miss Heather, but the last thing she heard caught her attention and she decided against her better judgement to stay and ride this out.

" But you know that these things take time. Why is it so important for things to end now?" Heather stopped approaching the door.

" I'll tell you why. Think about it, The pain and suffering you have put that child through. You are a man of science, and this project has been apart of you for so long you don't see what it's doing to others, but think about all the people we have had to silence, to keep things quite. For example her last care taker, Miss Lillian Silvia wasn't it?" Heather was starting to get agitated

" Still, what is a few more weeks? We've come this far there is not much more we need to wait for, we need to make these last few years count! Why don't your superiors understand that!" The man was starting to seem hysterical. His rambling would have continued but the angry click of a stiletto heel grinding into the tile floor echoed, silencing him.

"Because, We have decided you are a liability and in light of our long lasting cooperation we decided that it be best to finish our finial agreement, before cutting ties completely. After this, all monetary and personnel assistance will be terminated, and you will be relieved of membership. Though you are probably not dumb enough to think otherwise I will say this to ensure that nothing is misunderstood, any mention of this to anyone will result in grave consequences. The way I see it, this decision itself is a very dangerous Idea. I believe we should just kill you once we have finished here, however the boss lady has made her verdict and it is our job to listen. Now stop pushing or I will have to report the unfortunate departure of one of the most revered EX-scientists in the region." Heather's tone was cold placing an extra emphasis on the EX part.

"Oh, and one more thing. The boss herself will be coming in a few hours to review the actual process and to bring to a close all of our current business transactions. Just a heads up." Finally, opening the door. Heather left. Inspecting the hallway, she could have sworn she had just detected someone. The thought of Someone spying on her made her even more furious than she already was.

Avril had slipped away with the wind as the door had opened. She didn't understand much from the conversation, but she felt some semblance of pity for the girl they were referring to. Then there was the curiosity behind this 'Phantom', the 'Ex-scientist', and Heather's 'Boss Lady.'. Finally there was the topic of Lillian Silvia dying, which Avril recognized as Mrs. Silvia's full name.

' I Bet Papa would tell me what it all meant!' She thought to herself after she ensured that Heather was not returning. Seeing the Disgruntled woman leave the lab section completely, she ran back to the Room and entered.

"Papa?" she called. The rooms lights had been shut off which she thought was peculiar, so she turned on the lights to see papers and a computer smashed and scattered across the floor. In the corner was a man clutching his head as he sat muttering to himself unfinished thoughts and repeated whispers. His eyes looked dead and he seemed overly disconnected from his surroundings.

"Papa, are you ok?" Avril asked seeming nervous about the current state of the man, she walked over to him and tried to get a better look , but the man growled at her. " Go away, Avril. I'm Busy."

"But, The lights were off? What work do you do in the dark?" She asked confused, she could tell something was seriously wrong with him, and didn't understand why wouldn't tell her.

" I don't want you here right now Avril. Go away." The man looked up into Avril's eyes and she flinched, under his piercing gaze. The man had a mixture between rage, fear, and immense anxiety in his eyes they were fierce, yet terrified.

"But-"

"No buts, Get out of my office now and go get yourself ready for your shot tonight." The man roared and Stood up pulling Avril by the arm to the door.

Avril's eyes shrank when she heard that." I thought I was going to be seeing Lucy, and Thomas and Clover! Can we please not do it this time. Please daddy." She started to freak out too.

"No, were doing it tonight, After, you will be with your friends and you'll never be apart again. Now leave my office." The man had made it to the door but Avril was resisting.

"Please Papa, I'm Begging you just this once." Avril was crying, she was terrified. As she was now, she wasn't prepared. She always resisted but, without her friends, without their comfort and support, she found herself lost in despair, at the thought.

" Avril! What have I told you! I am NOT your Father so stop calling me so. You are being a Disrespectful child, go to your room." The man yelled into Avril's face once more, ensuring that he drove every word as far in as he possibly could.

Avril whimpered "but- Papa- "

*Smack*

A red had print appeared on the side of Avril's face as she would have hit the ground, if it wasn't for the vice grip the man had on her arm. Throwing Avril out of the door the man Growled in a deep and threatening voice. "Avril, got to your room. Now." The door between them was then slammed leaving the shell-shocked Avril lying across the ground of the hallway like a puppet whose strings were cut. She didn't move, her tears were almost frozen in time. She felt the light sting on her cheek, and it hurt more than any burn, cut or feeling she had ever faced before. It was as if someone was trying to rip the very soul out of her body. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to question, she wanted to do a million things, but she couldn't. Not even a twitch.

Behind the door, the man hobbled over to the chair behind a mahogany desk that had been knocked over. Picking it and a picture off the floor he sat down, silent tears falling down his face too. Looking at the item in his hand, through cracked glass Four people stared back, The man and a woman that looked about the same age were smiling, while holding hands. Next to them stood a younger man that looked reminiscent of the other two, who was also carrying a swaddled baby. They all looked happy together. " I'm sorry, Sora. I have Failed you. Both you, and your Daughter."

The man lightly ran his hand across the glass, cutting himself. As he bled, blood ran down the clacks of the glass until it was covering the other people, leaving him alone, and his surroundings distorted in blood. Seeing this the man laughed. Not one of humor, but one of pity and disappointment, mocking himself for being the worst father ever.

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Eventually Avril found the strength to lift herself off the ground and go to her room, where she laid in bed until she was forced to leave her haven of silence. Heather arrived to retrieve Avril, but got no response. After about five minutes, Avril finally left her room, she gave no reaction to Heather as she passed and proceeded to and walk down the familiar halls. Heather all the while was getting more and more frustrated, with being forced to wait, then ignored. Heather had gotten used to the small shivers and discrete flinches that Avril typically gave when faced with her, This lack of reaction only served to anger her more.

Walking through some lab rooms, down a long flight of stairs into the basement, then through a long winding path Avril finally stopped in front of a room. Attempting to open the door she found it to be locked. Giving an empty stare at Heather for an answer, Heather glared at her, then entered a password into the number pad connected to the door, opening it. Inside the room was a table that had leather straps on it, as well as a team of people in scrubs and an assortment of medical equipment.

" Finally, you have arrived. Now we can begin the procedure." A familiar voice said "Lets just get this over with. Lets get her on the table and finish this quickly, and efficiently." Putting up no resistance at all Avril was placed on the table and her arms and legs were tied down.

" Now, now professor lets not rush. Rushed projects are vulnerable to avoidable mistakes, besides were missing a very important someone aren't we?" Heathers voice was laced with poison, as she was putting on clothing similar to the others in the room, overtop of the thin clothing she already had on.

The mans face visibly contorted at her comment despite the Surgical mask and cap he was wearing.

"Actually, I just had a wonderful Idea professor!" Heather gave a wide smile that sent a shiver down the spines of everyone in the room. "Since we have the time, why don't you tell Avril everything about the experiment that she was apart of for her whole life? After all, you told me yourself she probably won't make it out alive." When Avril heard this her eyes widened, and started to twitch lightly. Heather's grin widened when seeing this.

" Heather, No we are not doing this right now." The mans voice wavered.

" Why not? It's not like she can hate you afterwards? Dead people can't do such complex things. Think of the solace it will give her knowing that her entire life was a lie in painful preparation to die such an unceremonious death. Besides you know as well as I she has questions. Why was she always separated from the other kids? What were the tests and Energy Amplifiers for? I supposed you two referred to them as 'shots' so that one wasn't completely accurate. Then what about Silvia. She was the closest to her, you know because she attempted to halt your experiment. You even had me kill her isn't that right?" There was pure excitement and glee in Heathers face as each point she brought Visible pain the man. The others were keeping their distance, and refused to interfere. They seemed utterly terrified of the woman.

Avril on the other hand had begun to react more and more, the questions and her desire for an explanation breaking her out of her emotional paralysis. She couldn't speak yet, however Avril's eyes bore into the professors, begging for an explanation.

"Oh? You won't tell her? Then I suppose I will have to tell her. Well Miss Avril, what would you like to know?" Heather turned back to Avril who was unsuccessfully attempting to formulate words.

" Can't speak? Well I suppose I will have to tell you everything then from the beginning. First of all, you were found in the nearby forest, it can only be assumed you were abandoned by your real parents. Shame even they didn't want you. It seems your life never amounted to anything from the beginning. Anyways, Then you were 'saved' by the professor. Saved being the most ironic word to use because It probably would have been more peaceful had you died. He put you through tests and pain far worse than any child should have ever had to endure. Then he barred you from social interaction, even making sure that you thought you were avoiding it because you wanted to. Over time the doctors running the experiment had reached the end of the end of their drive. Each one succumbing to your screams of pain. There was so many that we killed, but none more close to you then Lillian Silvia. She was one of the original scientist that had begun the project and one of the few that actually almost made it to the end. Unfortunately She turned soft and we were forced to kill her in order to ensure that the Experiment went unhindered by the police. Think of the absolute Irony, the one you held so close. The one you called father was the source of all of your pain. Do you have anything to add professor Cottonwood?" Heathers speech was dramatic, Weighing especially hard on the professor and Avril.

"W-w-why" Avril managed to choke out through the tears that were now cascading down her face.

"I'm so-" The Professor was cut off by the door opening.

"My, It has certainly been a while Professor." A woman walked into the room. She had black hair and red highlights that Contrasted her bright lime green eyes and fake, paper white, complexion similar to Avril's.

"..." Seeing the two People in front of her, Avril and Professor Cottonwood both in tears , while the other four doctors were huddled in a corner and Heather was smiling, she didn't know what was going on nor what to say.

" It's great to see you boss. How are you doing." The happiness from Heathers torment of the two carried over in her greetings to her boss.

"Heather did you do this?" The Lady asked in a tired voice.

"Yes, Are you Impressed?"

"No, I just forgot how disgusting you are as a human being." The woman remarked

" You flatter me boss." Heather seemed completely elated at the insult. There is definitely something wrong with her.

" Alright enough with the waterworks, we don't have time for this, unless we plan on being here all night. Get everything set up, I'll be watching, if you need my assistance just ask, though I will tell you I'm not a trained professional in medicine." Walking over to Avril, who was still strapped on the table the woman looked down at her in pity.

" You know I once had a daughter. She would be around your age now I do believe. I'll tell you this. Hold on to your anger and your pain. Those are what allow you to make it through hard times and give you something to hold onto when all is lost. I'm sorry, this is nothing personal. " The woman's voice was bitter, and coated with apathy.

Avril felt a pinch in her arm and a clear ventilator that was soon filled with a pink cloud was put on her. Her vision started to go dark. She began to panic. This wasn't what usually happened, she was already sick of the new things that have happened recently. Her mind was then tugged away by a nearby feeling one that felt Very familiar and warm. Turning her head to the best of her ability, she saw a metal plate carrying a large brown tail, A pair of red horns, a white tuff of hair and A black horn all full of energy that Avril for the most part found all too familiar. Upon seeing this the hope and Optimism that had somehow kept her fighting, died, her heard shattered, and the darkness consumed her.