Turn 003 // Accidental (??) video

[best_laid_plans]

[He'd even been warned anything could happen here.

Malik lay on the bed he'd commandeered in Bakura's house, scowling at the ceiling while that absurd Smoochum rolled his new egg around on the floor. How could this happen? Now he was living under the same roof as his sworn enemy - itself a prime opportunity, were it not for the quota of Pokémon his new organization demanded of its members. Add to that the need to keep several members of his party secret from inquisitive "friends", and he'd all but thrown one obstacle after another in his own path. Him, the cautious one! The leader of Ghouls, who'd built a criminal empire from nothing but sheer willpower. While a child.

Malik Ishtar couldn't afford to make mistakes. Therefore, this endeavor couldn't possibly fail.

Gritting his teeth, Malik sat up in bed to throw a pillow at Smoochum (who'd begun to hop up and down) when he saw the reason for her distress: a crack had formed in the Pokémon egg. The crack splintered into two, then three; the egg fell apart, and something hazy drifted from between the broken shards:



Idly, Malik watched its ascension, reaching for his Gear - which informed him the Pokémon in question was called "Yamask" just as Smoochum made a jump for her new friend. Grabbing the baby Pokémon's mask, she jammed it over her own face, only to abruptly stop moving. Arms slack, she sat down on the floor, then removed the mask and quite calmly handed it back to its owner.

Malik leaned forward. Bringing his Trapinch out of its PokéBall, he grabbed the mask and affixed it to the Pokémon. The same thing happened. He repeated the process with every Pokémon he owned, until the Yamask simply stared at him balefully.

"You can keep this," Malik informed it, handing the mask over; it clutched its prize possession in what looked like relief. Grinning, Malik attempted to pat his new Pokémon's head; his hand whiffed right through, but he simply shrugged, scrounging for a PokéBall into which to stash his newly-hatched secret weapon. "For now."

It seemed the Ghouls weren't quite done for, after all.]

[Several days later, in the dead of night, the feed switches on abruptly. From the shaky camerawork and the low angle, one can infer a Pokémon is operating the device - presumably without its owner's consent.

The camera pans up and across a sign marked "Route 35", then skids across to a view of a darkened field. Among the tall grass, figures rustle and move; the sounds of a Pokémon battle drift back to the feed.

Whatever's holding the Gear waddles forward. A Psyduck, beaten and battered, falls to the ground in front of the camera, quacking faintly for reprieve; a hand reaches down from just offscreen, dangling a Super Potion tantalizingly. Psyduck reaches up for the medicine. The gloved hand retreats.

Psyduck faints. A pair of human legs come wandering onscreen as the hand now reaches for the PokéGear.

The last shot before the feed abruptly cuts off is of a harsh orange "R" emblazoned across the human's shirt.]