Uncontained

Saffron was flooded with people.

Police officers with Plexiglas shields shouted from the ground in front of the building. They were like a mass of ants around a chunk of bread. Malachi and I hovered nearby. His hair was blown back. "What are we going to do?" I asked. "We can't just walk up there."

"We'll have to get in from the top," he replied. "There's probably an opening from up there."

Uriah tensed. I grappled onto him. For some reason flying had fired him up and I was terrified he'd do something more. "What's your idea, Uriah?" I dared to ask.

There are perfectly good windows to go through.

"Oh fuck you," I said, but Uriah was already plunging toward one of the windows.

I briefly heard Malachi scream my name but I'd thrown Florence under my chest and the next thing I felt was thousands of needles piercing my skin. Crasssshhhh! I hit the floor hard and shimmering glass rained down all around me. "Fuck!" I screamed. Florence squealed. I scrambled upright and tiny shards of glass stuck under my arms. Florence was squashed against me, unharmed, and Uriah was already up and roaring. His scales were torn and bleeding. "Uriah!" I shouted.

Uriah looked at me and grinned, his eyes blazing. I realized we'd crashed right into some kind of computer lab. Uriah had crushed a bunch of technology under his girth, but he couldn't have cared less. Malachi swept in a second later and gathered me in his arms. "Beau, you're bleeding," he breathed.

"Best fucking idea ever, Uriah," I said.

The charizard grunted.

Then the door blew open and five armed Rockets burst in. "Freeze of we'll blast your faces off!" one shouted.

"Yeah, best fucking idea ever," I said.

---

We were taken hostage. Uriah was tranquilized before he could even fry them and I put him in his pokeball before they could do anything else to him. Florence refused to return to hers even though I begged her. They took Malachi away to a separate room with his also-tranquilized fearow. I put up the biggest fight I could muster but I only ended up knocking one of them out before I was socked in the face. I lost consciousness and woke up tied to a bedpost; Florence in a cage by the corner. I was just happy she was with me. Across the room was a mirror and I saw I had a bloody nose and was also cut up from the glass. I guessed that was why Florence was crying when I looked at her.

I strained against the rope. My hands were bound behind my back and tied to the bedpost. At least they had the decency to put me in a bed, and my feet weren't bound either. I scooted over and pulled myself as close as I could to Florence. The bed was nailed to the floor. I leaned in to get close to the bars, and my heart ached. Florence reached out and touched my face.

You're hurt, she squeaked.

"I know. Are you okay?"

Yes. Tears rolled down her cheeks. I love you, Beau.

That struck me and my heart throbbed. What did they do to her? "I love you too. Are the rest of the Pokemon with me?"

They're locked in the drawer over there. She pointed to a small nightstand. Silph's workers might have had temporary sleeping spaces. They're okay.

"That's the stupidest fucking hiding spot ever," I said.

Florence giggled weakly. They didn't think I could tell you where they were.

I blew out my breath. Florence stroked my cheek with her soft fingers and it made me feel a bit better. "What are they going to do with us?" I whispered. This was really a terrible idea in the first place, as I knew now.

I don't know. Your father is here.

My heart thudded.

The door swung open. I snapped my head up to see the same blue-eyed young man I'd met before. His face was grim. Florence shrank and something boiled within me.

"What the fuck do you want?" I demanded.

I wasn't afraid of him; I'd already broken his nose once. But what made me afraid was when a girl followed him in. He looped his arm around hers and I realized it was Spirit. It felt like every structure in my body collapsed. She wouldn't look at me. "Giovanni wants to see you," the boy said.

"Fuck you," I hissed.

"We're also here to talk. That is, if you're willing to listen."

"What could you possibly say? That you're Pokemon killing monsters who kidnap families? I already know that."

Spirit flinched. The boy was unaffected. "We wanted to let you know Malachi is unharmed and he's safe in another room. Giovanni won't kill him if you comply and follow us. And..." He nudged Spirit forward. "Banshee would like to speak with you. Alone, if you'll allow."

I said nothing and shook violently.

The young man let her go and left he room with a sharp click of the door shutting closed.

Spirit said nothing for a long time.

"Is Spirit even your name?" I spat.

She recoiled as if struck. Tears were in her eyes but I felt no pity. "It is," she said. "Banshee is the name I go by in here. I didn't lie to you about that."

Something cracked in my heart. "I trusted you! I trusted you and you betrayed me!" Spirit opened her mouth to say something but I cut her off with my escalating voice. "I don't want to listen to a goddamn thing you have to say, so you'd better listen to me! Did I mean anything to you? Look at me! Is this what you wanted!? To abuse me and my Pokemon like this? Look at her, look at Florence! A Pokemon doesn't belong in a cage and a person doesn't belong tied to a bed! I've probably been raped since I was unconscious!"

"I never wanted this." Her lower lip quivered.

"Liar!" I threw myself forward but the ropes snagged me back. "You're a liar! I cared for you, I cared about you! You hurt me!"

My voice rang in the room, but the silence that ensued afterward was deafening. My breath rasped in my throat. "I kissed you, Spirit," I whispered. "I thought..."

"I'm sorry, Beau," she said softly. "I'll let you out soon. I'll get my brother to untie you and unlock Florence."

Anger flared again. "Like that atones for your sins. And make sure you get the pokeballs in the desk."

Her eyes widened. "How did you..."

"Florence told me."

Then, as if on cue, the platinum-haired boy entered the room. "Come on," he said. "Giovanni is growing impatient."