Chapitre 9: Outside situation and attack on the lab
At the Black family head office, Andrew Black, the eldest son, anxiously questioned his father, Austin Black, about any news regarding their missing youngest brother. With over two years gone by, their mother's health was deteriorating, and Andrew expressed his concern.
Austin replied with a heavy heart, "I don't know. It has been two years, and we still have hardly any leads. At this point, I am starting to doubt if he is even alive." The anguish of not knowing the fate of their youngest son weighed heavily on Austin. His wife was battling depression, unable to find solace without knowing their son's whereabouts. Their daughters were in denial, unable to accept that their brother might be gone forever. Even their other sons were struggling to focus on their aspiration of becoming Pokémon trainers, as the shadow of their missing brother cast a constant doubt. Despite being strong-willed, they were just children, and the weight of uncertainty was taking its toll. Among the family members, only Austin and Andrew could function somewhat normally, relying on their rationality to keep them going. Normally, Austin's wife was the most level-headed, but the situation had shattered her calm. Even Austin and Andrew struggled to keep themselves together. Alex's uncle and his family were also consumed with worry, as were some of Alex's friends who had grown close to him.
"Who would have thought that even with thousands of Pokémon trainers searching for him, they haven't been able to find any trace of him? Five of them hold the title of Champion, and still, nothing," pondered Andrew aloud. Both Andrew and Austin couldn't help but feel like they had lost their son/brother, with the reality of his disappearance sinking in. Just when they thought all hope was lost, the head butler abruptly burst into the room, evidently out of breath. Interrupting the tense atmosphere, the head butler delivered news that left both Austin and Andrew wide-eyed.
"Sir, we have found the youngest master," the head butler announced, finally catching his breath.
Two days earlier, in the secret hideout lab where Alex had been held captive for over two years, a series of harrowing events had unraveled. Alex had been subjected to various forms of torture, ranging from physical to emotional. It all led up to this day, where they planned to inject him with the Guardian power of one of the strongest legendary Pokémon, Rayquaza. Following this injection, Alex would be granted a few days of rest before undergoing the process to gain the powers of the last three guardians, the creations trio.
As Alex lay on the bed, restrained as usual, the boss prepared to inject him with Rayquaza's power. Suddenly, a panicked individual burst into the room, utterly terrified and delivered disturbing news to the boss.
"Boss, they've discovered our hideout! What should we do?" The person trembled with fear, fully aware of the dangerous situation they were in.
"Pack up everything that is of importance. We are leaving this place," ordered the boss, his mind racing to assess the risks.
"But what about him?" one of the individuals asked, pointing at Alex, who watched the scene unfold with growing anxiety.
"We cannot take him with us. It would only expose us further," the boss responded regretfully, trapped between his desire to retain Alex and the need to evacuate.
"Damn it! We were so close to achieving perfection!" exclaimed one of the members angrily.
"What should we do with the kid, sir?" inquired another, their eyes fixed on Alex's vulnerable position. Fear gripped Alex as he imagined the worst.
"Inject him with the remaining powers, and I'll use my abilities to place a tracker on him, just in case he manages to survive," the boss declared, placing his hand on Alex's neck. Panic consumed Alex as he comprehended the torment that awaited him. The previous injections had already been excruciating, forcing him to stay awake through the agonizing pain. Now, with the infusion of multiple Guardian powers, including that of Rayquaza and creations trio Alex faced an almost insurmountable trial. Emotions surged within him, and he vowed to himself that if he survived this ordeal, he would tear them all apart.
One hour passed, and during that time, Alex endured excruciating agony. The person responsible for his suffering swiftly fled, taking with them a large amount of his blood, extracted after each injection. Suddenly, a thunderous explosion rocked the room as the door was blown open, revealing a group of men and women. Even in his overwhelming pain, Alex strained to hear their conversations.
"Damn, they sure made a hasty retreat," remarked one of them.
"That doesn't matter; we have acquired what we came for," stated another.
"Hey, look at this," called out another, pointing towards the table where Alex lay. A glimmer of hope flickered within Alex as he believed they had come to rescue him.
"That must be their guinea pig," one of them concluded, sending an unsettling shiver down Alex's spine.
Hearing their words, Alex sensed something was amiss. He grew increasingly apprehensive, and then he heard a command that widened his eyes in fear.
"Take one of his arms and set this place ablaze," ordered someone who appeared to be their leader.
"Why can't we just take him and claim this place for ourselves?" questioned one of the others, intrigued by the prospect of seizing such a well-hidden location.
"No, we cannot risk it now that we have almost everything we need," explained the leader, determined to follow their planned course of action. Without hesitation, they commenced burning the place down. As the flames engulfed the surroundings, they vacated the premises, leaving Alex behind in the midst of the conflagration.
Once the fire had consumed all it could, the smoking ruins of the lab remained as a grim testament to the horrors endured within. Alex, physically deteriorated but regenerated thanks to his unique abilities, rose from the ashen remnants. Having escaped the lab, he walked for hours, his body weakened and depleted. Eventually, he collapsed, succumbing to exhaustion and the lingering pain pulsing through his body.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone