409 Chapter no.404 The Dream Sphere: A Nightmare Unfolds

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[ POV Change ]

[ Saffron City - Silph Cooperation ]

In the heart of Saffron City, the Silph Cooperation building loomed over its surroundings, a testament to the company's power and influence. The hum of activity within its walls resonated throughout the structure as employees hurried about, performing their myriad tasks. The camera had panned across the bustling scene, eventually coming to rest on an office door labeled "Alex Aarons- Senior Vice President."

The door had creaked open, revealing the immaculately organized office. Mahogany furniture gleamed under the soft glow of the overhead lighting, the scent of polished wood and expensive cologne permeating the air. Seated at an imposing desk was Alex Aarons, every inch the picture of success in his tailored suit and silk tie. His hair was slicked back, not a strand out of place. Across from him sat Austin, a confident, enigmatic figure dressed in a sharp, charcoal suit. Austin's eyes were a piercing red, his gaze unwavering.

Patrick had said, "I must thank you, Mr. Ketchum for helping me to get this position. I must say, the sales of your TMs have been nothing short of impressive."

Austin had responded with a gracious smile, "Thank you, Alex. It's been an interesting journey, to say the least."

A moment of tense silence had followed, broken only by the distant sounds of phones ringing and keyboard clicks. During this lull, Austin had covertly surveyed the room, noting the absence of cameras and the soundproofing that insulated the office.

Aaron had attempted to lighten the atmosphere, "So, what brings you to my office? I don't believe we've have any kind of issues to have a one-on-one meeting before."

Austin had taken a slow, deliberate sip of the coffee, savoring its rich, aromatic flavor. The ceramic cup had gently clinked against the saucer as he set it down, the sound a subtle punctuation to the tense atmosphere. He had locked eyes with Aaron, a flicker of curiosity in his piercing red gaze, and replied, "You're right, we don't have an issue. May I ask you something?"

Aaron had arched a well-groomed eyebrow, his composure unshaken. "By all means, ask away," he had said, leaning back in his plush, leather chair with an air of practiced nonchalance.

Austin had hesitated for a moment, gathering his thoughts before posing his question. "Have you ever killed someone for your mission?" he had inquired, his tone betraying no hint of the gravity of the subject.

Alex Aarons had blinked, taken aback by the abrupt change in conversation. He had let out a short, disbelieving laugh, trying to maintain an air of casual indifference. "Pardon? What mission are you talking about?" he had asked, his voice wavering ever so slightly.

Austin's eyes had narrowed, searching Patrick's face for any sign of deception. The room had grown heavy with the weight of unspoken secrets, the distant sounds of the bustling office beyond the door a stark contrast to the stillness within.

"Let's stop fooling around, Agent Alex Aaron.I know about your connection to Team Rocket and your dealings with Giovanni. You've been leaking Silph Co's secret files, haven't you?"

The revelation had wiped the smile from Alex Aarons' face, leaving behind a cold, menacing glare. His voice had dropped to a dangerous whisper, "You're out of your depth, Ketchum. You should've kept your nose out of this."

In a fluid, seamless motion, Aaron had pulled a gun from his desk drawer and fired at Austin. The shots rang out, echoing through the soundproofed office. Austin had reacted with surprising agility, dodging the bullets and sprinting toward the door. He had slammed it shut just as another round embedded itself in the polished wood.

Aaron, furious, had shouted after him, "You won't get away with this, Ketchum! No one exposes Alex Aaron and lives to tell the tale!"

He had flung the door open, expecting to see the familiar, well-lit hallway. Instead, he was met with an unnatural darkness that swallowed the space beyond. The air was heavy with a chilling silence, broken only by the distant hum of the building's machinery.

As Aaron stood, disoriented, a massive white claw had emerged from the inky abyss, its talons gleaming like polished ivory. It had ensnared him in its grip, his screams of terror echoing through the now eerily quiet Silph Cooperation building. The claw had dragged him into the darkness, leaving nothing behind but the faint, lingering scent of his expensive cologne.

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In the engulfing darkness, Alex Aaron found himself caught in the grasp of a gargantuan white Hunter. He could barely see anything beyond the monstrous beast, except for the ominous glow of Austin's piercing red eyes.

"Bring him closer," Austin commanded, his tone calm and controlled.

The white Hunter tightened its hold on Aaron, drawing him in towards Austin. Fear shot through Aaron's veins, but he struggled to maintain a semblance of composure. He watched, a mix of terror and fascination gleaming in his eyes, as Austin confidently reached into his pocket and produced a Pokeball.

But just as Austin was about to make his move, an uncanny transformation overcame Aaron. His features began to distort, his youthful face melting away to reveal an older, wrinkled visage beneath.

Austin took a step back, narrowly avoiding the Ditto as it lunged towards him. In mid-air, the Ditto began to morph again, its body twisting and stretching until it resembled a giant man. Austin raised an eyebrow at the sight, a faint smile playing on his lips as he readied himself for the attack.

Amidst this chaos, the real Alex Aaron, still in the grip of the white Hunter, found his voice. His eyes were wide with terror, and his voice echoed throughout the eerie darkness. "Kill him!"

The office space, once a portrait of corporate elegance, now transformed into an unexpected battleground. As the Ditto, now a hulking giant, charged towards Austin, the calm, collected demeanor that usually marked Austin's face turned into a mask of focused intensity.

Austin moved fluidly, as he shifted his weight onto his back foot and swiftly sidestepped the Ditto's initial charge, the giant's bulk careening past him to crash into the mahogany desk. Papers flew everywhere, creating a whirlwind of white in the dimly lit room.

Without missing a beat, Austin spun on his heel and dashed towards the recovering Ditto, his every move a mesmerizing display of agility and precision. He threw a quick, solid punch towards Ditto's midsection, followed by a spinning hook kick that landed squarely on the creature's jaw, forcing it to stagger back.

The Ditto, now realizing the formidable opponent it faced, attempted to fight back. It tried to land a punch, but Austin was already a step ahead. He ducked under the Ditto's wide swing and retaliated with a swift uppercut, which made contact with a resounding thud.

Austin's movements were akin to a finely choreographed dance. He weaved between Ditto's attacks, landing his own with stunning accuracy. It was not a mere brawl but a testament to his exceptional skill and training, each move flawlessly executed, leaving no room for counterattack.

The fight was not merely physical but psychological. Austin was toying with Ditto, keeping it off balance, his every move designed to wear down his opponent mentally and physically. He jabbed, feinted, and danced around the Ditto, making it work harder and harder to keep up, exploiting its weaknesses.

The Ditto, in its giant form, started to slow down. Each miss, each hit it took, seemed to drain its energy, and it became sluggish, its movements lagging. Sensing its exhaustion, Austin moved in for the final act.

With a burst of speed, he launched himself towards the Ditto, his right leg extended in a powerful flying kick. The impact sent the Ditto sprawling across the room, where it collapsed in a heap. Its form flickered and then returned to its original shape, the small, purple blob lying unconscious on the floor.

As Austin turned his attention back to Aaron, the latter shrank back, his face a mask of terror. Aaron could do little but watch as Austin began to approach him, each step measured and purposeful.

"Where were we?" Austin asked, his voice low and dangerous. He closed the distance between them, his piercing red eyes never leaving Aaron's frightened gaze.

Suddenly, a scream echoed through the office, shattering the tense silence. Austin paused, his expression unreadable. Meanwhile, Aaron's eyes darted towards the direction of the scream, a flicker of hope igniting within him. But as quickly as it came, it was extinguished when he realized that the entire building was under a lockdown, and no help would be arriving soon.

Stationed in front of the elevator was an Abra acting as a guardian. Its eyes were closed, seemingly deep in concentration as it used its powers to prevent anyone from reaching this floor.

Abra, with a hint of mischief and a dose of playfulness, let out a comment that echoed through the psychic field it had established around the floor. "Ladies and gentlemen, it appears we have a private boxing match going on here. And oh boy, it's a knockout! The giant fell quicker than a Jenga tower after a toddler's touch. Now let's see how the big bad boss fares against our champion. Grab your popcorn, folks!"

Back in the office, the fear in Aaron's eyes amplified as Austin resumed his approach, the eerie calm of his demeanor contrasting the chaos that had just transpired.

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In the Silph Co. a set of large, double doors adorned with intricate engravings. These doors led to the executive conference room, a place where crucial decisions were made and the fate of the company often decided.

As the doors creaked open, a hushed silence fell upon the room. Samuel, the elderly president of the Silph Cooperation, stood at the entrance, his tailored suit and distinguished silver hair a testament to his years of experience and leadership. His eyes, sharp and intelligent, scanned the room with an air of authority. Flanking him was his secretary, a young woman with an air of efficiency, her pencil skirt and crisp blouse reflecting her professional demeanor. She clutched a tablet, her fingers tapping at the screen with practiced precision.

"The meeting was arranged by Vice President Alex Aarons," she informed Samuel, her voice a mix of confidence and concern.

With a steely expression, Samuel slammed the door open, revealing the conference room swathed in impenetrable darkness. The atmosphere was heavy, the silence palpable. Ordering his secretary to turn on the lights, a sense of unease gnawed at him, like a premonition of impending doom.

As the room flooded with light, Samuel and his secretary recoiled in shock at the sight before them. Alex Aarons was seated at the head of the long mahogany table. His face however was covered by pink and purple dream mist contained inside a sphere that resembled a nightmarish fusion of organic and mechanical components. The sphere clung to his face like a parasitic organism, its dark, rubbery tendrils snaking over the contours of his skin, wrapping themselves around his head and neck, binding him in a suffocating embrace.

The body of the Dream Sphere was an unsettling amalgamation of pulsating, veined flesh and cold, gleaming metal. The central core, a bulbous mass of bioluminescent tissue, emitted an eerie glow that illuminated the twisted metallic components surrounding it. The sinister energy that radiated from the device seemed almost palpable, casting a malevolent aura over the room.

Samuel and his secretary exchanged a fearful glance, their hearts pounding in their chests as Alex's voice, distorted by the dream sphere, called out to them.

"Please, sit down. We have much to discuss," he said, his tone chillingly calm and unnervingly composed.

Suddenly Samuel heard a thud and saw his secretary knocked out on the ground as tendrils of darkness enveloped him. The tension in the room was almost tangible, the air thick with unspoken dread.

Meanwhile inside Alex Aarons's office, Austin sat across from Musharna. A demonic grin spread across Austin's face, his eyes glinting with malevolence as the next phase of his plan began to unfold.

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[ Omake Paragraph ]

The fabled black balls on a Stantler's antlers do far more than create illusions; they are said to have the strange and awesome power to warp reality itself. Whether this is indeed the case or whether they act by altering memories is a debate which has intrigued many philosophers throughout the ages, and leaves too much room for argument to ever be resolved. What is undisputed is that once they are caught in a Stantler's illusion, people will wake up to a reality which has been changed from the one they left.

Sometimes their reality is dramatically altered, with the friends and family and world they knew completely replaced; other times, it is merely a collection of subtle changes to one's personal circumstances and the history they learned growing up. Even the subtle changes can prove disorienting, and most people do not wish to risk the major ones, so Stantler are feared and avoided, and their illusions are forbidden in battle. (This is probably the reason why Stantler's power evolved, for predatory pokemon are scared away as easily as humans.) Although this world of peace and pokemon is perhaps not the best of all possible worlds, there are so many ways it could have gone horribly wrong, and so few which would have made it better.

In times of personal tragedy, grief, and despair, however, it is common for those who have lost the will to live to watch Stantler herds race by. They hope that when they wake up, they will find themselves in a better world, or at least a world free of their own agony. Some people, either out of wanderlust or after watching them until it appears futile, even capture a Stantler and train it for themselves.

For Stantler trainers, every day is a new beginning.