Heirs to the Origin

Heirs to the Origin is a little fan fiction I'm writing, which revolves around the life of Ryder, a Team Aqua grunt. This is the first chapter, maybe the first two (or seven) if I split it into smaller chapters, and I just wanted to hear feedback from you guys about it!

~

It was cold morning on the beaches of Lilycove City. Ryder, a young member of Team Aqua, was standing on the shore, letting the salty breeze brush through his long blonde hair. His Pokémon, a Buizel, was lying on the sand, tossing as he slept. They had just been on the night guard, and their shift had ended, so they were heading back. He nudged the Sea Weasel Pokémon with his foot, rousing it awake.
"Bui bui?" the Pokémon mumbled, still in his daze.
"I know you're tired, but we need to report back to Shelly. I promise, afterwards we can get some rest." Ryder smiled, picking up Buizel in his arms. Buizel was Ryder's only Pokémon, and his only source of sanity in the life he lived. Buizel nuzzled against Ryder's face affectionately, who smiled as he phased his Pokémon into its Poké Ball. Stuffing into his pocket, using the zipper to keep it safe, he walked to where the water met the land, and began to walk in, until he was wading his way through the water. Soon it was deep enough to swim, and Ryder did just that, all the way to a cave secluded by large rocks.

"Ah, Ryder, I see you've returned. Please give me your report." the Aqua Admin known as Shelly smiled, sitting on her desk with one of her legs over the other. Ryder nodded.
"Of course, m'lady. I was stationed at point 6 from 2200 hours yesterday to 0800 hours today. There were no abnormalities, and no sign of Team Magma."
"Very well, you're dismissed." she said, waving her hand dismissively. Ryder bowed his head silently, before exiting the room and walking down the hall to his quarters. As usual, it was empty, since he was the only one in his room who worked a night shift, but he liked it better that way.
He jumped onto his bed, ripping off his horrible grunt uniform in the process. He decided he'd just sleep in his underwear, since it got pretty stuffy in his quarters. Besides, no one ever came in the room while he slept.
Ryder slipped under the covers, and was just about to doze off when he remembered that Buizel was still in his shorts. Lazily, he crawled to the other side of the bed and unzipped the pocket. Removing the Poké Ball inside, he let Buizel out, who was happy to see him. The orange Pokémon climbed into the bed, cuddling up next to his trainer. Within seconds he was out, his flotation sac slowly expanding and shrinking as he breathed. Ryder rested his head against it, it's soft rocking motion slowly lulling him to sleep as well.

It was a few hours later when he was rudely woken by a sounding alarm. Startled, he quickly sat up, not remembering that he was sleeping on the bottom of a bunk bed, and smashed his head against the base of the bed above him. He cursed under his breath as he rubbed his new wound, but he was stopped when Buizel brushed his hand away and began licking it. Buizel always did this; he hated seeing Ryder get hurt in any way.
"Thanks Buizel..." he smiled.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and someone walked it. It was the other Aqua Admin, Matt, his buff physique making it very hard to manoeuvre between the tight gaps between the beds. But somehow he managed, luckily giving Ryder enough time to cover himself.
"Ryder? Why are you still here? Don't you know what this siren means?" he roared at him.
"It means that someone's infiltrated the base, sir." He replied flatly.
"Of course it does! So why aren't you at your station?" Matt bellowed.
"Sir, I was sleeping just moments ago. I'll be on my post momentarily."
"Damn right you will..." Matt grunted in reply as he awkwardly shuffled between the beds, before leaving the room and continuing to bark orders at passing grunts.
Ryder got out of bed and put his grunt uniform on, then reached under his pillow and grabbed a bandana and a black wig, and put them on his head. He was supposed to wear it all the time, but since he mostly worked the night guard, he didn't really need to. He fixed his bandana as he walked out of the room, but he stopped cold when someone walked past. It was the intruder, and Ryder knew her all to well.
"Amelia? What the heck are you doing here?"
The girl trailed her dark brown eyes up and down Ryder, obviously not recognising him. To assist her, he took off his bandana, revealing his blonde hair. Amelia's eyes shot open, and her mouth hung just as wide.
"R-Ryder? Can it be... Is it really you?"

It was 10 years ago when Ryder and Amelia met. She attended the same Day Care he was living in, being deserted by his parents at a young age. She was the only person who ever came up and spoke to him, and was the closest thing he had ever had to a friend. Soon Amelia left the Day Care, and Ryder was all alone again. He thought he was going insane, having no one talk to him, so he ran away. During his escape he met a grunt of Team Aqua, who took him in. That's also when he received the Pokémon Egg that would hatch into his beloved Buizel. Lately he had been hearing news about a budding trainer who was breezing through Hoenn's Gyms and that the same trainer was causing problems for Team Aqua and Team Magma, but he never would've imagined it was Amelia.

The girl shot her eyes to the floor, but Ryder could feel the disappointment seeping from them.
"So... You're part of Team Aqua now?" she muttered.
Ryder didn't respond. He didn't know what to say to her.
"Why? Why are you here? Don't you know that Team Aqua are just a bunch of idiots trying to ruin this planet!?"
"They took me in, gave me a home. I was distraught, I couldn't refuse."
"What do you mean? You were living in the Day Care..."
"But then you left."
Amelia's tan skin went a shade of red when Ryder spoke of her.
"You left... because I left?"
"Amelia, you were my only friend. When you were gone I thought I was going insane. I needed to leave, and I did. And now I'm here."
"Well, I'm sorry to say this, but you guys need to be stopped, so we have to fight. If I win, you need to leave, come with me. If you win, I'll leave you alone." Amelia stated, grabbing a Poké Ball from her pocket.
"If that's the way it has to be, then so be it." Ryder replied. Buizel ran out from behind him, raring and ready to fight.
"So you're using a Buizel? There not common around Hoenn, but I do have a way to beat it! Go, Pikachu!" Amelia called, her Pokémon phasing from its Poké Ball. It looked just like any regular Pikachu, but it's tail was heart-shaped with a black mark.
"I received this Pikachu by competing in Contest Spectaculars. She's amazing, both as a battler and a performer. I know you're my friend, but I'm not going to hold back!" Amelia said, her fists clenched. Soon, the fight began.

"Pikachu, start of with a Quick Attack!"
"Buizel, dodge and counter with Water Pulse."
The Pokémon did as their trainers commanded. Pikachu quickly lunged at Buizel, a stream of white light trailing behind her. But Buizel was faster, and he jumped over her, before sending an orb of water at Pikachu from above. It was a direct hit, and Pikachu was encased in the orb, which had grown larger to accomodate for her size. Soon the water dispersed, but it was obvious Pikachu had taken a lot of damage from that attack.
"Ugh, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"
"Buizel, intercept with Icy Wind."
Both Pokémon launched their attacks, the yellow bolt of lightning and fine-powder snow colliding in the air between them. But this time, Pikachu's attack was the stronger one, and it cut through the Icy Wind. The Thunderbolt hit Buizel straight on, causing him to shriek in pain.
"Buizel!" Ryder cried out.
"Ha, this battle's mine! Pikachu, use Brick Break!" Amelia commanded.
"Buizel, Icy Wind Counter Shield, then uppercutting Aqua Jet!"
Pikachu jumped over Buizel, her tail glowing orange. She flipped in mid air, and began to plummet onto Buizel. But he heeded his trainer's command, and began to spin while blowing Icy Wind. The fine powder swirled around him, throwing Pikachu off-guard. When she was just above Buizel, his body was enveloped in water, and he tackled Pikachu, the now limp Pokémon being launch straight into the roof, before falling to the floor with a sickening thud.
"Pikachu! Ryder, how could you?" Amelia screamed at the blonde, cradling the yellow Pokémon in her arms.
"You said fight, so that's what I did. Now leave this place." Ryder replied in a flat tone.
"What happened to you, Ryder? You were so nice..." was all she could mutter before running down the hall, seemingly to the exit. Soon the sirens stopped sounding. Shelly rounded a corner, surprised to see Ryder standing there, his hair blown out of place.
"Ryder, you were the one who stopped the intruder?" she asked, amazed. Ryder nodded silently.
"That's my top agent. Well done." she smiled. Suddenly, there was a loud thud. Ryder looked to the ground, seeing Buizel curled up into a ball. Small sparks of electricity coursed over his body.
"Bui... Bui..." he managed to splutter, his breaths sharp and short.
"Buizel!" Ryder exclaimed, picking up the orange Pokémon. Shelly barked an order.
"Someone get an infirmary bed, and tell Clerice to be ready!" she shouted. Within minutes, there were four grunts with a wheeled bed in the hall. Shelly took Buizel from Ryder and placed him on the bed. Ryder was going to run after him, but he found himself being restrained by the muscular hands of Matt. This wasn't the first time Buizel had been seriously injured, and the whole base knew how Ryder reacted to it. Kicking and screaming, he attempted to escape Matt's iron grip.
"Let me go!"
"Sorry kid, he's in Clerice's hands now." Matt said, walking in the opposite direction. Ryder's tantrum only grew louder, until the base was silent.

Matt was standing against the wall of his quarters, his arms crossed against his chest. Ryder, on the other hand, was furiously beating against a punching bag. He had already destroyed two, their stuffing spewing out of the casing as they layed discarded on the floor. After the first instance of Buizel being badly injured, during a fight with Team Magma, the admins of Team Aqua had discovered that Ryder couldn't handle being apart from him; he was emotionally unstable. Sometimes he sat in a corner, crying, cradling his knees and murmuring to himself, sometimes he'd laugh hysterically until he passed out, but most of the time he got so angry that he couldn't control himself, and would destroy anything in his path. Matt's room had been fitted with soundproofing due to his loud snoring, and it was quite barren, so it made the perfect place for Ryder to suffer without disrupting any of the other members of the team.
"Ryder, you need to calm down. I don't have many more punching bags, and I'm afraid that I'll be your next one..." Matt said, in a tone as soothing as he could muster. Ryder turned to glare at him, his icy blue eyes flashing red with fury.
"I won't calm down, not until Buizel's OK! Where's Buizel? I need Buizel!" he screamed, before turning back to the punching bag, and shooting his fist through it, stuffing flying out from the other side. Matt audibly gulped, before the door opened. A man in an extravagant costume resembling a that of a pirate walked in, his expression one of worry.
"Oh, Archie..." Matt mumbled, standing upright. Ryder turned, and ran towards Archie, his fist outstretched. Archie simply raised a hand to block the attack, closing his hand around Ryder's fist.
"Ryder, please stop this. It's going to be OK, you know it is. Buizel's strong; you raised him well." He smiled. Despite his scary appearance, Archie was very caring, especially to Ryder, since he was the one who took him in.

It was about 10 years ago, not log after Amelia left. A 7 year old Ryder had run away from the Day Care, getting lost in Petalburg Woods. But he kept running, he didn't know where he was or what he wanted to do, but he knew how to run, so that's what he did, until he tripped on a tree root, falling face first into the ground. He tried to keep running, but he was so distraught that all he did was cry. That's when Archie came. Seeing the boy crying, he felt very bad for him, and offered to take him in. Ryder took the offer without a second thought, not realising what he was; a member of Team Aqua. Archie was only a lowly grunt, but he raised Ryder like his own child. He trained him in physical combat, Ryder's skills growing immensely until he was on par with Archie himself, a man 20 years older than him. Then he gave Ryder his beloved Buizel, and he was accepted into Team Aqua despite only being around 10 years old. It was two years later when the first incident occurred that revealed Ryder's instability. Archie had graduated from a grunt to an Admin, and Ryder was assigned his first mission. He was supposed to infiltrate Team Magma's base, but he got caught and fought against one of their grunts. The grunt used a powerful Zangoose to attack Ryder and Buizel, almost killing Buizel in the process. Buizel was taken into intensive care, and the whole base had to deal with Ryder's tantrum. Of course, Buizel was alright, and Ryder was then OK too. Since then, Archie graduated from an Admin to the leader of Team Aqua, and Ryder became an elite grunt who was assigned non-violent missions because of his condition.

It had been about 5 minutes since Archie had entered the room, and now he was sympathetically rubbing Ryder's back as the boy cried into his chest. A woman walked into the room, her smile warm and welcoming. This was Clerice, Team Aqua's medic. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes, much like Ryder, but she was in her mid-20's.
"Ryder, Buizel's all right now. I've put him to rest in your bed, but he's conscious. I think he's expecting you."
Ryder's eyes lit up as he let go of Archie and ran down the halls to his quarters. As usual, they were deserted. Ryder walked into the room, slowly approaching his bed. Buizel gingerly opened his eyes.
"Bui bui..." he smiled, bringing tears to Ryder's eyes.
"Buizel, you're OK! I was so worried about you, I promise I won't ever let that happen to you again..." Ryder whispered, clutching onto his Pokémon. Buizel shuffled over, letting Ryder lie down beside him. Once again, he stripped himself of his uniform and slipped under the covers, his arms wrapped around Buizel as he fell asleep, all his energy drained from his night guard mission, short sleep, fight against Amelia and dealing with his instability.

Ryder spent the next 6 days in solitary confinement, having the whole of his quarters closed off from outsiders, including the other patrons, other than Archie, Shelly and Clerice. The admins had begun to worry about one of their top, and still their youngest, agent; his attacks were getting more and more violent, and he was obviously suffering because of it.
"Archie, I'm worried about Ryder. He's a key element to the project; we can't have him like this." Shelly said, pacing around Archie's desk.
"Yeah. Ryder's my bro, and you're my bro. Bros help bros." Matt added in a grunt, leaning against a wall.
"Yes, both of your points are very clear. I also have reasons to help him, but there's nothing we can do. Clerice is the only thing we have close enough to a psychologist, and even she's delivering negative results..."
As if on cue, Clerice walked in, her face dark and grim.
"So, what did today's test results deliver?" Archie asked, intertwining his fingers and placing his elbows on the desk, using that setup to prop his head up.
"He's worse than I thought. I couldn't do any sort of psych analysis on him, but did run blood tests and things like that, not going to bore you with the details, and it seems he's going into depression, or in the worst case, insanity."
Archie slammed his fist on the desk, causing everyone to jump before falling silent.
"Did you get any positive data from your tests?" he asked, his tone showing agitation. Clerice shook her head.
"No, I'm afraid not. However, I did notice a pattern in his behaviour outside the tests. It seems he's very fond of that Pokémon, Buizel. Before I arrive to take him, Ryder will always be smiling and happy, petting his Pokémon. During his time away, it's easy to see Ryder is uneasy. He either digs his nails into his leg or scratches the tabletop, and I once caught him mumbling 'Buizel' over and over when I stepped out to get equipment. When I take him back, he's much more friendly towards me, especially when Buizel is close by. I think his problem revolves around that Buizel; it is as if Buizel is the only thing he trusts on this whole world..."
The room was once again silent, before Archie spoke.
"Thank you, Clerice. You are dismissed."

Clerice nodded before walking out the room. Archie spoke up again.
"Shelly, please remind me of Project AZOTH's goal."
"Sir. Project AZOTH's goal is to return the world to the state it was in 3000 years ago, when the Legendary Pokémon Kyogre flooded the planet to reset it for a place where Pokémon thrived. The plan is to gain access to this ancient power slumbering within Kyogre, and use it to reset this planet." Shelly replied in a monotone.
"Correct. But we can't just leave no trace of humans behind. We need to leave at least one, someone who can live with Pokémon. The original plan was for that person to be me, but I think it'd better be suited for Ryder."
Shelly and Matt let out sharp gasps.
"Archie, you can't! We all joined this cause to help you, and you're just giving it away?"
"Bro, this ain't right! Ryder's a good guy, but this isn't something we can just pass on to him!"
Archie slammed his fist on the desk again, causing the same effects as it had earlier.
"You heard what Clerice said; Buizel is the only thing he trusts. Ryder can't live in a world with humans, it's killing him. The only people he speaks to are us, and he doesn't like being around others. Ryder is like a son to me, and I want what's best for him. He's going to be the human that survives AZOTH, and that's final. You are both dismissed."
Shelly and Matt were gobsmacked, but followed their leader's order and walked out the room. Archie slumped back in his chair and sighed loudly.
"Man, getting this done is going to be much harder now... But I'll do it for him."

 

OK, so here's how I imagined it. It's just like the regular old Daycare, but kids can go there to play with the Pokémon, kinda like a petting zoo. And some kids would go more often than others, a good example being Amelia. But there's no age limit, so Amelia probably left because she had to go to Trainer School or something.

 

Here's the latest update to HttO! It's got a few minor changes to the one above, and then the new stuff below. Happy reading!

It was cold morning on the beaches of Lilycove City. Ryder, a 16 year old boy and member of Team Aqua, was standing on the shore, letting the salty breeze brush through his long blonde hair. His Pokémon, a Buizel, was lying on the sand, tossing as he slept. They had just been on the night guard, and their shift had ended, so they were heading back. He nudged the Sea Weasel Pokémon with his foot, rousing it awake.
"Bui bui?" the Pokémon mumbled, still in his daze.
"I know you're tired, but we need to report back to Shelly. I promise, afterwards we can get some rest." Ryder smiled, picking up Buizel in his arms. Buizel was Ryder's only Pokémon, and his only source of sanity in the life he lived. Buizel nuzzled against Ryder's face affectionately, who smiled as he phased his Pokémon into its Poké Ball. Stuffing into his pocket, using the zipper to keep it safe, he walked to where the water met the land, and began to walk in, until he was wading his way through the water. Soon it was deep enough to swim, and Ryder did just that, all the way to a cave secluded by large rocks.

"Ah, Ryder, I see you've returned. Please give me your report." the Aqua Admin known as Shelly smiled, sitting on her desk with one of her legs over the other. Ryder nodded.
"Of course, milady. I was stationed at point 6 from 2200 hours yesterday to 0800 hours today. There were no abnormalities, and no signs of Team Magma."
"Very well, you're dismissed." she said, waving her hand dismissively. Ryder bowed his head silently, before exiting the room and walking down the hall to his quarters. As usual, it was empty, since he was the only one in his room who worked a night shift, but he liked it better that way. Ryder wasn't exactly a people-person.
He jumped onto his bed, ripping off his horrible grunt uniform in the process. He decided he'd just sleep in his underwear, since it got pretty stuffy in his quarters. Besides, no one ever came in the room while he slept.
Ryder slipped under the covers, and was just about to doze off when he remembered that Buizel was still in his shorts. Lazily, he crawled to the other side of the bed and unzipped the pocket. Removing the Poké Ball inside, he let Buizel out, who was happy to see him. The orange Pokémon climbed into the bed, cuddling up next to his trainer. Within seconds he was out, his flotation sac slowly expanding and shrinking as he breathed. Ryder rested his head against it, its soft rocking motion slowly lulling him to sleep as well.

It was a few hours later when he was rudely woken by a sounding alarm. Startled, he quickly sat up, not remembering that he was sleeping on the bottom of a bunk bed, and smashed his head against the base of the bed above him. He cursed under his breath as he rubbed his new wound, but he was stopped when Buizel brushed his hand away and began licking it. Buizel always did this; he hated seeing Ryder get hurt in any way.
"Thanks Buizel..." he smiled.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and someone walked it. It was the other Aqua Admin, Matt, and his buff physique making it very hard to manoeuvre between the tight gaps between the beds. But somehow he managed, luckily giving Ryder enough time to cover himself.
"Ryder? Why are you still here? Don't you know what this siren means?" he roared at him.
"It means that someone's infiltrated the base, sir." He replied flatly.
"Of course it does! So why aren't you at your station?" Matt bellowed.
"Sir, I was sleeping just moments ago. I'll be on my post momentarily."
"Damn right you will..." Matt grunted in reply as he awkwardly shuffled between the beds, before leaving the room and continuing to bark orders at passing grunts.
Ryder got out of bed and put his grunt uniform on, then reached under his pillow and grabbed a bandana and a black wig, and put them on his head. He was supposed to wear it all the time, but since he mostly worked the night guard, he didn't really need to. He fixed his bandana as he walked out of the room, but he stopped cold when someone walked past. It was the intruder, and Ryder knew her all too well.
"Amelia? What the heck are you doing here?"
The girl trailed her dark brown eyes up and down Ryder, obviously not recognising him. To assist her, he took off his bandana, revealing his blonde hair. Amelia's eyes shot open, and her mouth hung just as wide.
"R-Ryder? Can it be... Is it really you?"

It was 10 years ago when Ryder and Amelia met. She attended the same Day Care he was living in, being deserted by his parents at a young age. She was the only person who ever came up and spoke to him, and was the closest thing he had ever had to a friend. Soon Amelia left the Day Care, and Ryder was all alone again. He thought he was going insane, having no one talk to him, so he ran away. During his escape he met a grunt of Team Aqua, who took him in. That's also when he received the Pokémon Egg that would hatch into his beloved Buizel. Lately he had been hearing news about a budding trainer who was breezing through Hoenn's Gyms and that the same trainer was causing problems for Team Aqua and Team Magma, but he never would've imagined it was Amelia.

The girl shot her eyes to the floor, but Ryder could feel the disappointment seeping from them.
"So... You're part of Team Aqua now?" she muttered.
Ryder didn't respond. He didn't know what to say to her.
"Why? Why are you here? Don't you know that Team Aqua is just a bunch of idiots trying to ruin this planet!?"
"They took me in, gave me a home. I was distraught, I couldn't refuse."
"What do you mean? You were living in the Day Care..."
"But then you left."
Amelia's tan skin went a shade of red when Ryder spoke of her.
"You left... because I left?"
"Amelia, you were my only friend. When you were gone I thought I was going insane. I needed to leave, and I did. And now I'm here."
"Well, I'm sorry to say this, but you guys need to be stopped, so we have to fight. If I win, you need to leave, come with me. If you win, I'll leave you alone." Amelia stated, grabbing a Poké Ball from her pocket.
"If that's the way it has to be, then so be it." Ryder replied. Buizel ran out from behind him, raring and ready to fight.
"So you're using a Buizel? There not common around Hoenn, but I do have a way to beat it! Go, Pikachu!" Amelia called, her Pokémon phasing from its Poké Ball. It looked just like any regular Pikachu, but its tail was heart-shaped with a black mark.
"I received this Pikachu by competing in Contest Spectaculars. She's amazing, both as a battler and a performer. I know you're my friend, but I'm not going to hold back!" Amelia glared. Soon, the fight began.

"Pikachu, start off with a Quick Attack!"
"Buizel, dodge and counter with Water Pulse."
The Pokémon did as their trainers commanded. Pikachu quickly lunged at Buizel, a stream of white light trailing behind her. But Buizel was faster, and he jumped over her, before sending an orb of water at Pikachu from above. It was a direct hit, and Pikachu was encased in the orb, which had grown larger to accommodate for her size. Soon the water dispersed, but it was obvious Pikachu had taken a lot of damage from that attack.
"Ugh, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"
"Buizel, intercept with Icy Wind."
Both Pokémon launched their attacks, the yellow bolt of lightning and fine-powder snow colliding in the air between them. But this time, Pikachu's attack was the stronger one, and it cut through the Icy Wind. The Thunderbolt hit Buizel straight on, causing him to shriek in pain.
"Buizel!" Ryder cried out.
"Ha, this battle's mine! Pikachu, use Brick Break!" Amelia commanded.
"Buizel, Icy Wind Counter Shield, and then uppercutting Aqua Jet!"
Pikachu jumped over Buizel, her tail glowing orange. She flipped in mid air, and began to plummet onto Buizel. But he heeded his trainer's command, and began to spin on his back while blowing Icy Wind. The fine powder swirled around him, throwing Pikachu off-guard. When she was just above Buizel, his body was enveloped in water, and he tackled Pikachu, the now limp Pokémon being launch straight into the roof, before falling to the floor with a sickening thud.
"Pikachu! Ryder, how could you?" Amelia screamed at the blonde, cradling the yellow Pokémon in her arms.
"You said fight, so that's what I did. Now leave." Ryder replied in a flat tone.
"What happened to you, Ryder? You were so nice..." was all she could mutter before running down the hall, seemingly to the exit. Soon the sirens stopped sounding. Shelly rounded a corner, surprised to see Ryder standing there, his hair blown out of place.
"Ryder, you were the one who stopped the intruder?" she asked, amazed. Ryder nodded silently.
"That's my top agent. Well done." she smiled. Suddenly, there was a loud thud. Ryder looked to the ground, seeing Buizel curled up into a ball. Small sparks of electricity coursed over his body.
"Bui... Bui..." he managed to splutter, his breaths sharp and short.
"Buizel!" Ryder exclaimed, picking up the orange Pokémon. Shelly barked an order.
"Someone get an infirmary bed, and tell Clerice to be ready!" she shouted. Within minutes, there were four grunts with a wheeled bed in the hall. Shelly took Buizel from Ryder and placed him on the bed. Ryder was going to run after him, but he found himself being restrained by the muscular hands of Matt. This wasn't the first time Buizel had been seriously injured, and the whole base knew how Ryder reacted to it. Kicking and screaming, he attempted to escape Matt's iron grip.
"Let me go!"
"Sorry bro, he's in Clerice's hands now." Matt said, walking in the opposite direction. Ryder's tantrum only grew louder, until the base was silent.

Matt was standing against the wall of his quarters, his arms crossed against his chest. Ryder, on the other hand, was furiously beating against a punching bag. He had already destroyed two, their stuffing spewing out of the casing as they lay discarded on the floor. After the first instance of Buizel being badly injured, during a fight with Team Magma, the admin of Team Aqua had discovered that Ryder couldn't handle being apart from him; he was emotionally unstable. Sometimes he sat in a corner, crying, cradling his knees and murmuring to himself, sometimes he'd laugh hysterically until he passed out, but most of the time he got so angry that he couldn't control himself, and would destroy anything in his path. Matt's room had been fitted with soundproofing due to his loud snoring, and it was quite barren, so it made the perfect place for Ryder to suffer without disrupting any of the other members of the team.
"Ryder, you need to calm down. I don't have many more punching bags, and I'm afraid that I'll be your next one..." Matt said, in a tone as soothing as he could muster. Ryder turned to glare at him, his icy blue eyes flashing red with fury.
"I won't calm down, not until Buizel's OK! Where's Buizel? I need Buizel!" he screamed, before turning back to the punching bag, and shooting his fist through it, stuffing flying out from the other side. Matt audibly gulped, before the door opened. A man in an extravagant costume resembling that of a pirate walked in, his expression one of worry.
"Oh, Archie..." Matt mumbled, standing upright. Ryder turned, and ran towards Archie, his fist outstretched. Archie simply raised a hand to block the attack, closing his hand around Ryder's fist.
"Ryder, please stop this. It's going to be OK, you know it is. Buizel's strong; you raised him well." He smiled. Despite his scary appearance, Archie was very caring, especially to Ryder, since he was the one who took him in.

It was about 10 years ago, not long after Amelia left. A 7 year old Ryder had run away from the Day Care, getting lost in Petalburg Woods. But he kept running, he didn't know where he was or what he wanted to do, but he knew how to run, so that's what he did, until he tripped on a tree root, falling face first into the ground. He tried to keep running, but he was so distraught that all he did was cry. That's when Archie came. Seeing the boy crying, he felt very bad for him, and offered to take him in. Ryder took the offer without a second thought, not realising what he was; a member of Team Aqua. Archie was only a lowly grunt, but he raised Ryder like his own child. He trained him in physical combat, Ryder's skills growing immensely until he was on par with Archie himself, a man 20 years older than him. Then he gave Ryder his beloved Buizel, and he was accepted into Team Aqua despite only being around 10 years old. It was two years later when the first incident occurred, revealing Ryder's instability. Archie had graduated from a grunt to an Admin, and Ryder was assigned his first mission. He was supposed to infiltrate Team Magma's base, but he got caught and fought against one of their grunts. The grunt used a powerful Zangoose to attack Ryder and Buizel, almost killing Buizel in the process. Buizel was taken into intensive care, and the whole base had to deal with Ryder's tantrum. Of course, Buizel was alright, and Ryder was then OK too. Since then, Archie graduated from an Admin to the leader of Team Aqua, and Ryder became an elite grunt who was assigned non-violent missions because of his condition.

It had been about 5 minutes since Archie had entered the room, and now he was sympathetically rubbing Ryder's back as the boy cried into his chest. A woman walked into the room, her smile warm and welcoming. This was Clerice, Team Aqua's medic. She had long blonde hair that reached down to her knees and icy blue eyes, and was in her mid-20's.
"Ryder, Buizel's all right now. I've put him to rest in your bed, but he's conscious. I think he's expecting you."
Ryder's eyes lit up as he let go of Archie and ran down the halls to his quarters. As usual, they were deserted. Ryder walked into the room, slowly approaching his bed. Buizel gingerly opened his eyes.
"Bui bui..." he smiled, bringing tears to Ryder's eyes.
"Buizel, you're OK! I was so worried about you; I promise I won't ever let that happen to you again..." Ryder whispered, clutching onto his Pokémon. Buizel shuffled over, letting Ryder lie down beside him. Once again, he stripped himself of his uniform and slipped under the covers, his arms wrapped around Buizel as he fell asleep, all his energy drained from his night guard mission, short sleep, fight against Amelia and dealing with his instability.

Ryder spent the next 6 days in solitary confinement, having the whole of his quarters closed off from outsiders, including the other patrons, other than Archie, Shelly and Clerice. The admin had begun to worry about one of their top, and still their youngest, agent; his attacks were getting more and more violent, and he was obviously suffering because of it.
"Archie, I'm worried about Ryder. He's a key element to the project; we can't have him like this." Shelly said, pacing around Archie's desk.
"Yeah. Ryder's my bro, and you're my bro. Bros help bros." Matt added in a grunt, leaning against a wall.
"Yes, both of your points are very clear. I also have reasons to help him, but there's nothing we can do. Clerice is the only thing we have close enough to a psychologist, and even she's delivering negative results..."
As if on cue, Clerice walked in, her face dark and grim.
"So, what did today's test results deliver?" Archie asked, intertwining his fingers and placing his elbows on the desk, using that setup to prop his head up.
"He's worse than I thought. I couldn't do any sort of psych analysis on him, but did run blood tests and things like that, not going to bore you with the details, and it seems he's going into depression, or in the worst case, insanity."
Archie slammed his fist on the desk, causing everyone to jump before falling silent.
"Did you get any positive data from your tests?" he asked, his tone showing agitation. Clerice shook her head.
"No, I'm afraid not. However, I did notice a pattern in his behaviour outside the tests. It seems he's very fond of that Pokémon, Buizel. Before I arrive to take him, Ryder will always be smiling and happy, petting his Pokémon. During his time away, it's easy to see Ryder is uneasy. He either digs his nails into his leg or scratches the tabletop, and I once caught him mumbling 'Buizel' over and over when I stepped out to get equipment. When I take him back, he's much friendlier towards me, especially when Buizel is close by. I think his problem revolves around that Buizel; it is as if Buizel is the only thing he trusts on this whole world..."
The room was once again silent, before Archie spoke.
"Thank you, Clerice. You are dismissed."
Clerice nodded before walking out the room.

Archie spoke up again.
"Shelly, please remind me of Project AZOTH's goal."
"Sir. Project AZOTH's goal is to return the world to the state it was in 3000 years ago, when the Legendary Pokémon Kyogre flooded the planet to reset it for a place where Pokémon thrived. The plan is to gain access to this ancient power slumbering within Kyogre, and use it to reset this planet." Shelly replied in a monotone.
"Correct. But we can't just get rid of all the humans. We need to leave at least one, someone who can live with Pokémon. The original plan was for that person to be me, but I think it'd better be suited for Ryder."
Shelly and Matt let out sharp gasps.
"Archie, you can't! We all joined this cause to help you, and you're just giving it away?"
"Bro, this isn't right! Ryder's a good guy, but this isn't something we can just pass on to him!"
Archie slammed his fist on the desk again, causing the same effects as it had earlier.
"You heard what Clerice said; Buizel is the only thing he trusts. Ryder can't live in a world with humans, it's killing him. The only people he speaks to are us, and he doesn't like being around others. Ryder is like a son to me, and I want what's best for him. He's going to be the human that survives AZOTH, and that's final. You are both dismissed."
Shelly and Matt were gobsmacked, but followed their leader's order and walked out the room. Archie slumped back in his chair and sighed loudly.
"Man, getting this done is going to be much harder now... But I'll do it for him."

"Ryder!" Archie called out as he entered the boy's quarters. Ryder spun around, happy to see Archie. He was always happy to see Archie, like a boy seeing his father.
"Archie! What's up?" Ryder asked, seeming much more upbeat than usual. He sat on the floor, cross-legged, while Buizel played with a wool ball in front of him. Archie bent down on one knee, getting to Ryder's eye level.
"I know that you're still... upset over what happened last week, but I can only give my operatives so much time off. Your next assignment is guard duty, in one hour."
Ryder's face dropped. He knew the day would come when he'd have to go back to his duties, but he wanted to spend just a little more time with Buizel.
"I... understand. I'll go and get prepared now, sir."
"Good. Today, your post is Lilycove City, near the Contest Hall. That is all." Archie finished, exiting the room. Ryder sighed, standing up.
"Well, back to work, I guess..." he thought aloud, walking over to his bed and changing into a white shirt and jeans. Since he'd be in the open, he had to make sure he wasn't recognised as a member of Team Aqua. He picked up Buizel's Poké Ball, phased the orange Pokémon into it, and exited the room.

By time he reached Lilycove, it was dark. Ryder walked to the Contest Hall, leaning against the side of the building.
"Ryder?!" a voice said with shock. Ryder turned to see it was Amelia.
"Amelia..."
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off destroying the world or something?" she said coldly.
"Whatever, I'm outta here." Ryder spat, walking off to find a less populated lookout post. But he was stopped when Amelia grabbed his wrist.
"I'm sorry, it's just when I saw you the other day, I was just mad at you... But, we're still friends, right? Come on, I'll get you something to eat!" Amelia smiled, pulling Ryder away. Although she was shorter and lighter than her, she had a strong grip, and he couldn't get his arm loose.
Soon the two of them were on the rooftop cafe at Lilycove Department Store. Amelia had bought an ice-cream sundae for them to share, but Ryder refused to eat.
"Come on, Ryder! At least have a little!" Amelia whined. Ryder shook his head.
"So, is this what Team Aqua's done to you? Made you boring and inhumane?" Amelia glared.
"Don't talk ab-" Ryder began, but he was interrupted by Amelia quickly putting the spoon in his mouth, giggling softly. Ryder was forced to swallow the cold treat, revealing Amelia's true reason for mocking him to be to feed him. The ice cream was good, and now that he'd had a taste, he wanted another. Trying to play it cool, he rested his hand on his chin, leaving his mouth vacantly open. Amelia easily saw through him, putting another spoonful in. Ryder smiled as the cool ice cream trickled down his throat. Then he realised he was smiling, something he hadn't done in front of another human for a long time.
"Oh, are you enjoying yourself now?" Amelia smirked.
"I guess... It's kinda nice..." Ryder muttered. Amelia held out the spoon, waving it in front of Ryder's face.
"Do you want some more?" she teased. Ryder practically ripped the spoon from her hands when he took the bait. Amelia laughed, and Ryder's smile went wider. He was actually enjoying himself, and he didn't want it to end now.

Once they finished their ice cream, Ryder and Amelia went browsing in all the different shops at the department store. They came across a store with jewellery, and Amelia saw a bracelet with a pink stone heart charm. It wasn't cheap, but Ryder saw how much she liked it, and bought it for her. Being part of Team Aqua may be frowned upon, but it pays very well.
Soon it was late, and Amelia had to go.
"You're going already?" Ryder frowned. He was starting to enjoy her company.
"I know, but my next Gym Battle is scheduled for a few days from now, so I need some rest and time to train. But this was fun." She smiled, before walking up to Ryder wand wrapping her arms around him. Ryder didn't know how to respond, but he slowly closed his arms around her. As soon as he felt her back, he felt a sharp pain in his, and collapsed. Feeling instantly dizzy, he looked up, and was shocked to see a different girl standing there. His vision was fading, so he couldn't make out who it was.
"Good night, Ryder..." the voice snickered, holding up a syringe. It was still Amelia's voice, but it wasn't Amelia. But Ryder didn't have time to think about it, since he had already passed out from the contents of the syringe.

Ryder woke up, his head pounding and his wrists aching. He gingerly opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings, realising he had no idea where he was.
"Ryder! You're awake!" a voice from beside him called. Ryder turned his neck to see that Amelia was hanging in chains on the wall, smiling weakly. That was when Ryder noticed he was also hanging from chains, hence why his wrists were killing him.
"Amelia, what are you doing here? Or better yet, where are we?"
As if on cue, two people walked into the room. They were wearing red outfits with hoods and giant 'M's on the front.
"Magma Grunts? Then this is-"
"Hey, look! The Aqua freak is up! Espia's drug sure did a number on you, didn't it?" one of the grunts mocked. Ryder recognised the name he had used; Espia. She was a Magma agent who specialised in impersonations. That's how she had tricked Ryder into believing she was Amelia.
"Yeah, I heard she pretend she was this chick to trick him! What, are you two going out or something?" the other grunt smirked, running a gloved finger up from her neck to her chin, making Amelia crane her neck away from him.
"Don't touch her!" Ryder yelled.
"Oh, you mean like this?" the first grunt said, slapping Amelia across the face. She shrieked in pain.
"I said leave her alone!"
The second grunt joined in, punching Amelia in the stomach. Seeing this, Ryder became furious. He pulled at the chains, which were bolted into the wall, trying to get free so he could save Amelia. Then one of the chains snapped. The grunts stopped beating against Amelia, and turned to Ryder, who tugged on the other chain, snapping it off the wall as well. He landed on his feet, his fists clenched white with fury as he looked up at the grunts, glaring.
"Crap, run!" one of the grunts cried out as they both scrambled down the hallway they had come from. Ryder turned to Amelia, who was now limp, barely breathing. He ripped her chains from the wall, letting her fall into his arms. Then he ran, as fast as he could, until he found his way out of the base. Just as he exited the base, sirens sounded. It seemed that the two idiot grunts took too long to inform their supervisor. But Ryder didn't care, he just ran and ran until he reached Lilycove City, where he jumped into the ocean and swam himself and Amelia into the Team Aqua base.