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The caterpie inched around, looking desperately for someone to protect her from the predators around the forest. Bird pokemon were a constant threat and source of fear for the young caterpie. She didn't want to be eaten. She paused as she heard the unmistakable sound of humans in the forest.

The sound of salvation.

"We need pokemon for this project, Henry. Small pokemon, weak pokemon, especially. It's no good if the pokemon is strong to begin with."

"I know that, but do we really have to look around the damned forest? Gives me the creeps."

"The boss thinks that another bug pokemon would resonate with Subject 001. And so we're in the forest. If you got a problem with that, take it up with the boss."

The caterpie emerged from the bushes, moving towards the two humans as quickly as she could, trying her hardest to get their attention. "Caterpie! Cater-cater! Pi!" [Please, take me with you, I beg you!]

"There you go, Henry. A caterpie - small, weak, bug-type - everything we need." The woman pulled a pokeball from her belt, and the caterpie's eyes lit up. She was saved! The woman threw the pokeball, and the caterpie gave no resistance as she was captured. She resolved to be useful to her new trainer this time as she was unable to her the woman's next words.

"Let's hope this one lives."

"Yeah, yeah. Can we get out of the forest, now?"

The caterpie looked around at the bright lights of the room she had been taken to. Tools of some sort or another hung from the walls, and nearly everything was white. The woman carrying her, the one who had captured her, set her on a table before strapping her to it. "Cater?" [Master?]

Wordlessly, another man moved forward sliding a needle into the caterpie, who winced in pain. "Cater?" [Master?]

The man pushed the red fluid in the syringe into the caterpie's veins, and she screamed in pain as it felt like her blood was set aflame. "Cater! Cater-cater-caterpie! Pi! Piiiiiiiiiiii!" [Master! Master, it hurts! Master, save me! Please! Master...!] The caterpie writhed around in pain as much as the straps would allow and blacked out.

Around her, the gathered men and women clapped in congratulations to themselves, cheering as the caterpie drew ragged breaths. "It lived this time!" "Success!" "We can finally further the experiments!"



The caterpie awoke some time later, back in the cage. Was everything a dream? Although the pain was gone, the caterpie was sure something was different about her, even though she couldn't explain how. She was distracted by the sound of the other pokemon speaking.

"...What is your name?"

The caterpie shook her head. "I've never been given one."

"Sheoldred, then."

The caterpie blinked. She had a name? Sheoldred? Was that her? She looked over at the figure. "What's your name?"

The other pokemon was silent a moment. "Urabrask."

Two years passed, and still nothing changed. Sheoldred's trainer entered into the room with a sigh. "Sorry about this, caterpie. Project's shut down. Gotta cut you loose." She turned over to the cage containing Urabrask. "You, too, Subject 001. The boss says neither of you leave this place alive. Can't let you fall into the hands of another organization."

Sheoldred tried to wrap her head around what was happening. They were going to kill her? Just like that? After everything she had done to please them? Her eyes filled with tears. "Caterpie, cater!" [Master, you're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding!] The woman pulled a gun out of her coat pocket and leveled it at the caterpie. Fear welled up inside Sheoldred, but something else, as well. Something foreign to her. Anger. Rage. Fury. As the woman began to pull the trigger, Urabrask spoke. "Fight."

Blood burst from every one of the caterpie's pores, instantly solidifying as they felt oxygen, impaling the cage, the gun, the woman. For a moment, everything was still. Sheoldred breathed heavily as the blood retreated back into her, and the woman crumpled to the floor, dead. The cage fell apart around the caterpie, and she looked up as a tendril of blood crept out from Urabrask's cage, opening the padlock keeping it closed before retreating back into the darkness. Urabrask stepped out of the cage, and Sheoldred could finally see the blood-stained nincada she had spoken to for years.

Lenore looked up from a paper in Professor Pallin's office to face Mephistopheles. "Hey, Mef. This looks interesting. Let's go check it out."

The dusclops nodded his approval, and the two left for the forests to the north.



As the months passed, Sheoldred and Urabrask found refuge in the forest where the caterpie had first been captured. Sheoldred no longer feared the bird pokemon - the blood proved to be able to protect her. Between her and Urabrask, nothing posed a threat to them. They were able to live in peace.

One day, as the two were feasting upon fresh leaves they cut down from the trees overhead, they heard the unmistakable sound of a human speaking.

The sound of cruelty.

"Hey, Mef. You think we'll find that 'Original Sin' place, soon? Maybe we should have asked for directions."

There was a pause, and then the human spoke again. "You didn't think to do it, either, you know."

The two pokemon were confused. Was the human talking to itself? "Alright." Another statement from the human was followed by silence, and then later the crunching of dead leaves. Was it coming?

Instead of the human they were expecting, Sheoldred and Urabrask found themselves face to face with a dusclops many times taller than them. Before it could say anything, however, Sheoldred leapt into battle, sending two tendrils of blood at the dusclops before launching herself forward. The dusclops raised his arms, however, and tendrils of shadow sliced through the blood, sending Sheoldred crashing to the ground. Behind her, Urabrask sent a single strand of blood at the dusclops, intent upon draining its blood, but it, too, was stopped by the shadowy tendrils.

As the two bug pokemon struggled to their feet, a girl poked her head out from behind the dusclops. "You found them? Good job, Mef."

The girl began to walk towards them. "Lenore, it's dangerous! They attacked me on sight - I can't guarantee your safety!"

The girl turned back to the dusclops. "You worry too much, Mef. Gita threatened to kill me and he worked out. Ellie tried to kill us, too, and she's fine. I'm sure everything will work out here, too." The girl turned her attention to the two bug pokemon. "Hey, do you guys want to be my friends? I'm looking for some, and you guys are super cool."

'Friends'? With a human? Is such a thing possible?

"Lenore, you are too trusting. It won't always go the way you think it will.

The girl smiled back. "Trusting you was the best decision I ever made, Mef. Why not give them a chance?"

The dusclops sighed in defeat. It was clear he wasn't going to convince her. "Very well."

The girl grinned at him before extending a hand to the bug pokemon. "So how about it? You want to be friends?"

Silently, Urabrask stepped forward and nodded. Sheoldred glared at him, demanding an explanation. "Urabrask, what are you doing?!"

"Safety. Come."

The caterpie glared at the girl, searching for any hint of the many trainers she'd had before. Finding nothing, she relented. "Fine." She, too, inched forward.

"See, Mef? Everything's fine."

Sheoldred decided she'd trust the girl. For now.