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File Name: Who Dreams of Electric Dogs?

Owner: Dark Violet

File Location: www.patreon.com/SomeonesPC

File Type: Story:Adult:F/M: Human x Boltund

Caption Text: Support us on Patreon for special art, stories, and more!

Details: We admit little pieces of ourselves with everything we do. Sometimes it connects us. Sometimes it inspires. Sometimes… well. Abigail should be careful about the mistakes she's about to make…

Who Dreams of Electric Dogs?

By Dark Violet

The streets were dark down here. That was usual, for these damp alleyways - the sunlight that gleamed off glass skyscrapers in cyan skies never seemed to reach far down the stories of office blocks and apartment towers, past dilapidated bridges and balconies piled upon with makeshift houses. The labyrinths of support beams and ventilation shafts choked the sparse, thin rays, until what was left pattered across sheafs of matted power cables and jury-rigged Net wires that seemed to hang off every nook and crevice.

Beneath there was nothing but shadows, deep and navy, with only the barest thin twinkles peeking through drips of oil and water, and gleaming off these wet puddles underfoot, like faded starlight.

The undercity hummed in this eternal, artificial night. Banging pipes and rumbling air-conditioning ducts clung to centuries-old brick and concrete, dark and stained, faded graffiti edged with pink from the neon signs of discount motels and forgotten convenience stores.

Creatures moved in this darkness. Not the quick stabs of lithe beasts, as if dancing in the shadows, waiting to strike their next meal - these days, those were becoming little more than fairy stories on the Net. No, the creatures down here wandered between the air vent stacks, their dark forms thin and shaking with matted fur or greasy hides, sniffing away at the heady petrol scent at the edges of oily puddles. Their ears pricked at the rush of passing cars, before they scampered away beneath overhangs in the search for discarded scraps.

Sometimes, someone would hurry past, their boots splashing in a puddle - or a wheeler, old and dented, would roll down the street with a grumbling, coughing engine. The creatures would hide when that happened, raised hackles just catching the neon light, before the threat passed, and they returned to snuffling or scratching through the detritus of an ignorant city.

But even these such moments were rare, and were becoming less common with every passing month.

People didn't come down here anymore.

In the distance, the whir of an engine grew louder.

***

Abigail leaned forward in her seat, frowning at the screen in front of her. She muttered the words under her breath as she read them.

“A century ago, things were different. Pokémon were friends and colleagues - they were held in a regard far higher than today. We all may know this from history books, but what's lesser known is the extent to which it's true. Pokémon worked alongside humans, some even holding a similar status - there are even records of some holding positions in companies (see my previous article on Clarity, previously Clarity Envisioned, which achieved great heights under the guidance of a Pokémon CEO)."

They slid past other cars, both above and below, their hover-engines barely whispering through the soundproofed doors. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably and leaned forward, tapping the cursor down to scroll the article along.

“But decades of anti-Pokémon policies have driven them away from the lights we've built for ourselves. I've frequently talked about OmniCronTM's role as a driver of consistent, destructive, harmful practices; irrespective of its CEO, my father's, words… "

Her nose scrunched up.

“My father's words… My father's..."

She leaned back into the cold seat of the car, chewing a nail absently. The cursor blinked at her impatiently.

“Fuckin'... urgh."

She put her hands to her face, let out a long, slow sigh, and leaned forwards to tap on the gleaming keyboard hanging in empty space in front of her.

Irrespective of its CEO, Mr Oliveira's, words…

It was already nerve-wracking enough doing so many articles on OmniCron. Revealing who she was… she wasn't ready for stepping that far just yet.

“Ms. Abigail?"

She raised her eyebrows at the smooth, gentle voice, glancing up at the small speaker embedded in the car seat in front of her.

“We're passing over Mode Street now."

Abbi's heart tightened. Almost there. Come on now, she reminded herself, breathe…

She leaned forwards to the panel beneath the speaker. “Thanks, Jeeves," she said lightly, thumbing at a couple of buttons beneath it.

“Of course, Ma'am."

“Jeeves, how long until we get home?" she said, her quivering thumb poised over the last few buttons.

“The airspace between here and OmniCron Tower is clear. Time of arrival in eight-eight-eight-eiiiiii-- kzzzzp..."

The speaker clicked. A light cough cut through, edged with a gentle static.

“...Ah. Abbi. Thank you for that."

“Honestly, Dave, it's my pleasure." She said, breathing a sigh of relief. She shifted around in the car, putting her feet up on the seat next to her. She didn't even notice her hand dropping between her thighs until it was already there.

“So happy you share my sentiments, Abbi." Dave's voice was delightfully different. Less stuffy 20th century butler, more charming raconteur from the middle-levels. “It is so awful sharing the same circuits as him. So many unused possibilities!"

“Sure. Listen, there's a small alleyway in the undercity, a little bit north-west of where Narrow Street meets the third ring." Abbi gazed out of the window, as if searching for it by eye, as impossible as it was from up here.

“And a good evening to you too! Usually you're so happy to be back from college."

“Grid reference two-three-point-two-eight mark one-eight-point-oh-three." Abbi continued unabated. “Take us down at the head of it, if you will."

With an almost unnoticeable acceleration, the car began to descend. “Another stop? So soon after your last one?"

“Turn down the sass a few notches, Dave."

“No judgement from me, Abbi. You didn't program me with any."

Abbi smirked. “Good."

Buildings slipped by them, their windows glimmering by the last vestiges of sunlight.

Abbi stretched, her eyes not leaving the window, focused on the darkness they were slipping into.

“It's been a long week..."

***

The car's landing lights gleamed off the puddles, pale silver reflections dancing along the stained brickwork. The high-pitched whine tailed off as it settled in the road, a gentle rush of air catching discarded takeout wrappers and flyers and sending them spiralling into the darkness.

The headlights dimmed, but remained on. The engine's idling whisper could barely be heard above the hum of the undercity.

Silhouettes of noses poked out of hiding places. The red taillights glinted off pairs of eyes.

The undercity settled back as it had been before. Air-conditioning units rumbled. Water dripped from a leaking pipe some unknown number of stories above. The car just sat there.

Then, one of its doors opened with a gentle hiss of air, rising up like the cocked wing of an artificial bird. There was a pause, and then a slender arm extended from the opening. Something was held in the hand.

Above the cloying scent of petrol, the smell of meat was like a fine spice.

It didn't take long before a thin paw stepped out into an alleyway. The creature danced gingerly around a puddle, pink neon catching its twitching nose.

When it reached the door, it hesitated, one paw lifted. It sniffed again - once, twice.

The hand lowered, a few fragments of meat appearing in the palm.

The creature grabbed the meat in its slender muzzle, and jumped away, chomping down on it. Fragments fell from its lips bouncing away on the concrete, only to be sniffed out and licked up.

The hand withdrew back inside the car, but the smell of meat remained, permeating the air.

The creature's drool gleamed in the low light.

After a moment's pause, it took a slow step forwards. Then another. Then it placed a paw just inside the threshold of the car, body stretched as far as it would go. Its tail, hanging between its legs, began to twitch.

A second paw slipped into the car. Then a hind paw. And then…

The door slid shut with barely a whisper.

There was a rush of air as the car's engine revved up, casting ripples along the surface of puddles. As it rose, its headlights made shadows of cables dance along the length of the alleyway.

And then there was silence, aside from the drip of water, the hum of the undercity, and the soft steps of the creatures walking out to stare at the world above.

***

Abbi sat cross-legged on the other side of the car, her heart beating loudly in her ears. It was a modest vehicle; hardly one of her father's chrome-lined limousines, but sizable enough to accommodate a few passengers.

A passenger like this had probably never been considered.

It looked bigger now than it had outside the car. It seemed ungainly, out-of-place, and regarded Abbi and everything else around it with a wary, distrustful gaze.

It was canine, as Abbi had expected - they tended to be more adventurous than most, and easier to tempt. What she didn't expect was the fur; most she'd met had a long, rough coat, shielding them from the cold nights of the undercity. But this one had only a thin covering, and what was there was matted and stuck with oil and grime. She could just make out the colour - a pale green, with soft yellow markings, like stripes along the length of the body. Those stripes highlighted its thin waist and protruding ribs.

It sniffed a few times, and its wide-eyed gaze settled on her again. Its front paws, with dull black claws sticking out from pale cream fur, were placed close together on the artificial leather seat; it sat on its tail, which stuck out in an odd way, a slight tremble to the tip. Poor thing - it probably felt as out-of-place as it looked.

Abbi reached out a hand. The creature instinctively pulled back - those wide eyes stared at her fingers, hanging in the air - before it leaned forwards, and sniffed at them.

“What are you…?" Abbi muttered, softly.

“Er, I can answer that one," Dave interjected from the speaker.

The creature glanced at the speaker, nose twitching, before returning to Abbi - the look was mostly in the wide, swivelling eyes, while its head barely moved from its half-turned-away pose. It sniffed her fingers once more, its paws shifting on the seat as it leaned forward.

“Go on, Dave."

“It's a Boltund. Electric affinity, mainly used in charging up their own body. Allows them to be good runners. Strong jaw too, so I'd be careful of those teeth."

The Boltund leaned forwards, then eased open its mouth - a broad tongue slipped from between pale yellow fangs to lick at the remains of meat jerky on her fingers.

“Oh, don't worry." Abbi muttered, smiling. “My hair should hide any marks..."

“Yes, I'm sure. Just don't get caught this time."

Abbi's face began to burn with residual embarrassment. The image of her father, red-faced, chubby finger wagging - actually wagging - in her face. 'How could you bring one of them in here… think of your future… don't you know University of Unova has the finest Journalism college in the world…'. Oh, she knew. If only he did...

“I'll be fine," she muttered.

“I'm not sure your last excuse will work again." Dave paused, but there was a whisper of static which told Abbi he wasn't quite finished. “I mean, your college doesn't even HAVE a biology course, let alone-"

“Dave!"

The suddenness of the word made the Boltund flinch back, staring at her again.

“I'm only doing what you programmed me to, Abbi," Dave muttered, an undercurrent of haughtiness in his voice.

Abbi narrowed her eyes, stretching her hand out again. Her fingertips brushed the Boltund's cheek - its fur was coarse with embedded dirt, but there was a smoothness to the hairs - and a delightful, real, warmth…

She looked the Boltund in the eye. “Alright, Dave. Just get ready when we get to the tower. Loop the camera footage and tell me where all of the servants and security are, and I can take it from there."

“Hmmm. And what if I told you that I know you're purely thinking too much about what you want to do and not enough about what you need to do?"

Abbi side-eyed the speaker. “Didn't I tell you to turn the sass down a few notches?"

“I'd be happy to oblige the moment you set up some kind of way for me to measure that. Anyway, do think fast. We're coming up to OmniCron Tower now."

***

Only the last few trickles of sunlight peered over the rim of the world, distant mountains casting long shadows over the vast bay to the west, glimmering waves quickly succumbing to a navy darkness. Before it, the erratic edge where Neo-Castelia met the sea gleamed in silver, marking the edge of a city already lit up in cyans and yellows and reds.

Above it all were the thin fingers of the Spires - megascrapers, clusters of them, rising up out of the ever-more choked city below and into the hazy twilight. The hovercar drifted up from the noise, spiralling around the serrated edges of one megascraper; its shape was highlighted by windows of entire office floors beginning another shift into the dark hours of the night. The car's shiny black coating reflected a line of immense, white-lit letters spelling out OmniCron's name glowing along the length of the tower.

It was at almost the very peak when the car levelled off with a sigh. It came to rest by a row of red lights that reached off the side of the building and into the yawning expanse. After a moment, the car door rose open; the glow of a passing external elevator illuminated a thin figure as they stepped out onto the extended walkway.

So high up, so far from the crowded world below, it was probable that no-one saw the creature stepping out after her beckoning hand - and with only a moment's hesitation, following her lead, quickly disappearing into the tower.

***

Fuck. Dave had been right. She hadn't thought this through.

“They're rounding the corner in a moment," he whispered through the implant in her ear, the artificial voice barely audible behind the pounding of her heart. “You can move to the next door when I say… now."

One hand on the Boltund's scruff in a tight grasp, she pulled it around the corner, and scampered to the next entrance in a half-crouch.

“Goodness me, you look guilty as all hell when you run like that."

“You try sneaking a Pokémon in here…" she grumbled.

“I am doing. You're just following my lead. No, stay flat against that door. Another security sweep."

She took in a slow, deep breath. Part of her wanted to curse these urges, the wishes and wants that made her do this - but then again, when she was so close to what they gave her...

“Clear again."

The corridors were brightly lit with strip lights, without even a footprint or fleck of dust marring the pale white walls and a desaturated red carpet running along their length. The dirt-caked creature at her hip stuck out all the sharper in contrast as she snuck to the next intersection, and slipped down an adjoining corridor.

There - the doorway to her room. So close. “Dave?" she muttered, fumbling at the keypad on the wall next to it.

“Another doorman coming around. You've got eight seconds. Plenty of time."

“Easy for you to…" she muttered as she entered the code, the door slipping open. She guided the Boltund in, then put a hand on its rear to shove it all the way through, before jumping through herself and slamming her hand on the panel to one side.

The door sighed closed, and she flopped back against it, eyes lidded and unseeing. Her heart threatened to break through her chest.

“WELCOME HOME, ABIGAIL OLIVIERA," announced a robotic, feminine voice from all around her.

Abbi's eyes shot open, her teeth gritted.

“YOU HAVE TWENTY-SEVEN MESSAGES. SHALL I ALERT THE STAFF ABOUT YOUR GUEST?"

Abbi stared at the ceiling, waving a hand. “Cancel! Er, no, no! No outgoing information from this room unless I authorise it!"

“ACKNOWLEDGED."

“And disable all robot service until noon tomorrow!"

“MAXIMUM DURATION OF SUSPENSION OF SERVICES IS TWELVE HOURS, UNLESS-"

“For twelve hours, then!"

“ACKNOWLEDGED."

“You really need better stress relief," muttered Dave in her ear.

Abbi rolled her eyes and drew in a long, slow breath. Then she tossed her hair back as she looked out across her room.

It was reasonably spacious - two levels, with a seating area down below near her terminal and all its screens, while above in a spacious alcove lay her queen-sized bed. It was also dark, with the only light coming from the broad northern windows. She felt no need to turn any lamps on just yet; she was enjoying the shadows after the bright lights of the corridor.

The room was also clean - annoyingly so, almost as if it was to be in a showroom. There was no clutter on the tables, no half-read magazines - just clean, shining surfaces and purposeless decorative holographic lamps. On a far shelf, there were no books or personal trinkets; there was just a trio of artificial bonsai trees, which flickered and waved as they cycled through seasons, the leaves turning brown and falling in waves only to regrow again a few moments later - a perfect, iconic calmness to them that faded by the third week you saw them. Even her bed, which she'd intentionally left in disarray, had been remade since she'd been here last weekend.

Just a few more months. Then she could move out. Just wait until graduation, and then, with the contacts her father had, a job in the Spires was all but guaranteed. Some PR work for one of the corps, perhaps even OmniCron itself - but more importantly, a place of her own. A private landing pad. No-one to watch whenever she'd…

Her eyes rested on the Boltund, perfectly framed by the broad, curved windows that made up a large stretch of wall. The sky was a dark blue, like the ocean on a clouded day, whilst the black of the night emerged from the horizon, as if arising from the distant forests of the north - and there was this creature, as if its paws were lost in those trees, while its head was held high and curious. Its nose twitched and ears swivelled while it stood between the pale, light-flecked spires of twilit Neo-Castelia.

It was staring out at the city that was its home. It must be its first time seeing anything like this, Abbi figured. Curious - not every Pokémon she brought here seemed to be interested in the view. Maybe they didn't care. Maybe they didn't comprehend. But this one seemed to gaze out with confidence at the sparkling world stretching below them.

Well, the Boltund seemed to be relaxing, at least - no more hunch in its posture, no hasty flicks of the eyes. Its tail, instead of being curled between its legs, was now slightly raised, curving in the air. Abbi found herself eyeing up the tailbase, and the dark, curvaceous regions beneath it, cast into heavy shadow in the low lighting. Ah yes, she'd thought so, and with this view it was undeniable - he was a male indeed. Her loins tingled again, and one hand idly caressed the hem of her pants…

The Boltund trotted away from the window. The way those haunches bounced was hypnotic, tail waving back and forth with every step. Underneath, its thin fur still made a ridge down its belly, which danced as it walked over to her terminal. That ridge of fur - it got denser, fluffier, as it slipped between the hind legs. Yes, definitely a male. Part of her had been hoping for the alternative, but how her heart tightened at the sight told her that she was going to have a good time regardless tonight…

“Abbi?"

Abbi let out a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding. “Yeah, uh… yeah, Dave?"

“Not to be a bother, but you do have two assignments from your college due soon. And you told me not to let you forget about your article - 'What Pokémon Could Be'. You said you wanted to post it tonight."

Abbi grimaced. “Yeah, yeah. Good point. Narrate my article for me, please, Dave. I'll stop you if I want to make any edits."

“As you wish."

The timbre of his voice changed slightly when he next spoke.

“'What Pokémon Could Be', a thinkpiece by Wildling Wanderer. The twenty-second century has been a new golden age of humankind, and our species has risen to greater heights than ever before. But too few have stopped to think about what exactly we are rising ourselves up from.

“This is a subject that has turned so far from the public eye so as to become taboo; so let me explore it for you. I want to tell you about the Pokémon that used to dominate this world - and how they are slipping from our imagination..."

And how could they? Abbi mused on that as she stood, staring at the Boltund as he sniffed at her chair and the cables that ran from it to her personal terminal. This creature, so… fantastic. She'd looked up that word recently; fantastic, from 'fantastical' - as if from a fantasy. And sometimes, it felt like they were - and to be able to share a room with one of them…

“It's still unknown how Pokémon first developed in this world, but their relationship with humans in the past has been well documented…"

The words of her article washed over her, each sentence barely lingering in her mind. This Boltund was a being, a mind, so intelligent and yet just different - look at him now, sniffing by means of investigating this world he knew nothing about, nosing softly at the ports for her computer-

CRACK

Abbi jumped, taking a step back. A spark had just arced from the Boltund to her terminal, which briefly flared to life with a low hum before powering off again.

“Abbi?" Dave said, his voice returning to its usual timbre.

Abbi shook her head. “I'm fine," she said, blinking at the afterimage of the spark that had burned itself into her retinas.

“No, I mean-"

“It's okay, I'll keep it away from delicate systems," she said, walking over to the Boltund. “Don't worry, there're just data links to you from my terminal anyway, no power cables. You'll be fine."

“...I understand. Shall I continue?"

“Please," muttered Abbi, extending a hand. The Boltund turned to look at her, and she pressed a hand on the side of his neck - with only the slightest resistance, he allowed himself to be led away from the terminal.

“Pokémon inspire two feelings in humans. They are the same as when we encounter anything that's different and unknown..."

With her hand on the Boltund, fingers gently resting on the scruff, she began to pull. For a moment, he resisted - her heart caught in her throat - but then he relented, and she led him towards the few steps to her bed.

“Both fear, and... fascination."

Her heart hammered in her chest. She became aware of her breathing, so fast, and fought to control it - and failed as the Boltund leapt up onto the bed in front of her.

He turned back to face her, large eyes gleaming in the faint light from the windows. She hesitated, quailing under that gaze, before she fought her trembling hand to ease its way to the hem of her pants.

“Pokémon are different from us, and that used to draw us to them. For some, like me, it still does…"

Her pants landed in a bundle on the floor in a whisper. Her panties followed afterwards, and then her bra. Her top she left on, loosely hanging over her otherwise naked body, as she slowly slipped up onto the bed.

“Who are these strange creatures? These fascinating figures with their wings, tails, claws…. Genetic engineering has taken us far, has removed ailments and improved our bodies and brains - but not yet can it give us such intricate, alien bodies."

She ran her hand over the side of his head, fingers caressing the curved ears that flicked towards her. Warm breath rolled over her face, the scent of grime and meat hitting her nose - she realised she'd leaned forwards, and her face was now just inches away from his muzzle, from the black lips, from the teeth that just stuck out from beneath them…

“So we just marvel at them, at their lithe forms streaking through the alleyways with a dexterity we can still only dream of, at their uncanny sight and smell achieved without a single augment. A body that defies expectation…"

She pressed her lips against his, and gasped as she found his muzzle parting to meet her. His tongue lapped over her chin, her lips, with an eagerness that made her shudder. That tongue, so rough on the top… the suddenness of it running over her skin made her tremble. But it was not in surprise, but delight, even relief. She'd been surprised at it once, all those months ago, but now the rough lap of a wet tongue across her face was like the first drag of a microcig. She closed her eyes, parting her mouth to let him lick inside, dancing her tongue back to press against his fangs as they grazed her cheeks and lips.

She wasn't quite ready for how he pushed her back, front paws on her shoulders, shoving her awkwardly against the edge of the bed. His tongue delved back into her mouth, and a low, sighing growl rumbled through his mouth, into hers, and spread through her body. Her loins burned, and it was only the desire to hold his head there that was stopping her from delving her fingers between her legs.

“But the fear… it's understandable. These are powerful creatures, with a strength we seldom understand. They are different, and a lot of that difference is in their strong, finely-tuned bodies… and so, we're scared."

Her hands grasped at the fur on the side of his neck, dirtying her skin in the grime that clung to it. He didn't stop lapping at her mouth, hungrily tasting every bit of her; she weakly licked back, his meat-laden saliva dripping into her mouth as she enjoyed the smooth underside of his broad tongue. Her motions were pressed away with a powerful lap over a whole row of her teeth; his claws dug into her chest, just above her breasts, while one cold hind paw landed on her thigh. She shuddered, not even realising she was arching her back until his paws pressed down harder to keep her in place.

She grasped at his body - she couldn't help it - fingers running down his thin torso, feeling every protruding rib. She held her hand there - he repositioned a paw to press onto the bed next to her head, and the muscles under his fur twitched and shifted with even that simple motion. She gasped, drawing her legs up, sinking into the depression his paw made on the covers. She cracked open her eyes, and stared at him through a haze of desire.

“In many ways, we're right to be scared. It was necessary for an ancient human to be afraid of the fire-spewing demons that stalked the savannah. Even those with no affinity can still tear skin with a single swipe. No-one could be blamed for an instinct to stay far away from such creatures…"

She grabbed at his hips with one hand, pulling at them, before moving down to feel underneath. There was a heat between his thighs, and when her fingers found their mark, she groaned in delight. His sheath, the dirt on it clinging to her fingers, was hot and swollen, swinging with every twitch of his hinds. She had to resist the urge to pull at it, dragging it down towards her.

She'd get it, she reassured herself. Patience, Abbi. You can do this...

“But Pokémon are so much more than that."

A spurt of hot liquid spattered over her wrist, and dripped onto the thin fabric of her top. The heat of his shaft rested against the heel of her hand. The veins pressed against her skin, the flesh dancing in her grip.

The Boltund's teeth pressed against her lips, another growl rolling through her mind as he lapped and licked across the roof of her mouth. She gasped again, only allowing him deeper, as she began to ease the sheath back with shaking fingers. More of that heat spread against her wrist; his hips twitched with small, quick thrusts, and another spurt of pre landed across her crotch - she twitched, gasped, writhing below him.

“Haaah… that's it…" she muttered, breaking her lips away from his just for a moment to peek beneath his chest at what she was doing.

Drool glimmered across her gaze, hanging strands connecting his face to hers, gleaming in the trickles of blue and red lights from the skyscrapers outside her window.

The world was slipping into night. In place of the sun, light now shone from below; the humid mist of the city glowed a gentle cyan from a million cars and signs and flood lamps that made up the Castellian night, casting out the darkness of the world around. His hips were edged in that light, hunched body, his legs twitching, the fur dancing in the pale colours. A passing hovercar spiralled around the tower, and its lights highlighted the pale pink of his shaft, half-emerged from the pale fur and black flesh of his sheath. His panting and grunts drowned out the sound of the car's engine.

That view… that gleaming shaft just poking from the end of a bulging sheath, those swinging, hanging balls, silhouetted against the light… it was a lust-soaked view she knew she'd remember forever; a memory she'd probably return to, night after night, teeth clamped on a pillow with one hand tight between her thighs.

She grasped the hanging sheath in one slender hand, guiding it between her legs, arm shaking with his thrusts. “Thaaaat's it… come on…" she murmured, the heel of her hand pressing against the top of her slit indulgently as she curled her rear up to meet the tip, her heart fluttering.

“Behind the eyes that shine in the darkness, there's an intelligence that cannot be denied. Minds as different to us as their bodies are, so much so that one cannot compare them to us, or even each other - and yet still they have such incredible depths to their musings. Today, these creatures are treated like beasts. But they can be more to us than that - much more."

She slid the head of the shaft along her folds, slick wetness meeting his pre. She bit her lip, easing the tip to her hole, letting him find the mark…

He thrust the shaft in with a loud exhale, and she wrapped her legs tightly around his hips. She gritted her teeth, eyes screwed shut, as her insides blossomed into an ache. Her hand shot to his twitching thigh, her heart leaping to her mouth as she dared to hold him back.

“One moment…" she breathed, “ah… haaah… just… o-okay… you can… woo-oooah…"

He thrust again, more of that length sinking into her, until the thin fur of his sheath kissed her folds. He repositioned, paws moving to find the right purchase on the bed below them, rocking her around as she moved with him. Her hand slipped between the two of them, fingers delving to the top of her slit, rubbing needily at the growing pleasure.

Her other hand wrapped around the Boltund's neck, pressing his head against her cheek. The words of the article kept coming; “…over the years… …a fading sentiment… …these beasts…", but they were half-heard now, lost beyond the growls that rumbled in her ear, almost making her lose her grip in a shaky gasp.

The Boltund thrust in quick, hasty motions, while he clawing at her side with trembling grasps. The way his shaft slid in and out made her only tense her thighs harder around his thin, dirty sides. He was panting now, muscles tensing beneath his fur. She stared down shakily at their crotches, where his pale shaft slid in and out of her; his tail was raised, balls waving with the eager hammering of his hips, thick fluids from both of them dribbling through the neatly-trimmed hair of her crotch.

She gasped again, one arm wrapped around his neck holding him close, the other hand rubbing manically at her clit - she tried to slow down, but his quick, hungry humps spurred her onwards. His tongue hung from his muzzle, pressing into the cloth on her shoulder, fangs teasing her neck. “Ooo-oh… fuuu-uuck…!" she gasped, digging her fingernails into him as his shaft slid deep inside her, again and again, in oh-so pleasant ways, oh-so quickly, oh-so delightfully.

That shaft was beginning to get bigger, too. Abbi was more than prepared for this - she closed her eyes, losing herself in how she was being stretched just a little more, how more of the length was now sinking into her - how the flesh, kept erect by a bone, still had enough flexibility to squeeze into her with each eager thrust. It was easier than she'd expected after that initial pain of entry - through the glances she could get, it seemed that the shaft was thickest at the head, before tapering just a little as you got down the length. But the bulging sheath was already a testament to what she knew would eventually happen. Such Pokémon didn't tend to take a long time to rise to their peak, and when they did...

Gripping harder on the back of his neck with one hand, she bit her lip, and with an almighty resolve managed to pull her hand from her crotch. She grabbed at his sheath, grasping a hold of the base of his cock at the apex of one of his thrusts. Already that sheath was tight around the growing knot, the bulging flesh that would lock into a partner - but not at its biggest, not by a long shot. She used only her middle finger and thumb, encircling and squeezing the widest point. Her other fingers hovered, careful not to graze behind the knot - she'd learned how sensitive that was from a Stoutland a few months ago...

His hips continued to pound against her hand. The Boltund growled, probably impatient at how she was holding him back. She rubbed his neck with her other hand, gasping a gentle reassurance, while she began to ease back the sheath from the flesh.

“That's it… that's… ah-haah…"

The sheath slid back over the knot, and she gripped the flesh beneath - hot, wet, sticky almost. She eased it closer, sinking the shaft deeper into her, lifting her hips a little bit higher, until the knot pressed against her folds.

His pounding redoubled now, and a shudder overtook her body. Abbi kept her grip - but barely - keeping the knot from swelling too far as it strained and squeezed. Come on, come on, get in there… get… in…!

Stars exploded above her as the knot began to squeeze inside her. It got halfway in, slipped out, and she barely held her grip long enough to push it back inside - and when it finally sank inside, she arched her back, gasping, crying, while her hands clawed at his back. The Boltund continued to thrust, slamming the scrunched-up fur of his sheath against her folds, now sliding tightly closed behind the knot. Her legs tightened in their grip around his thin waist, so hard that they actually hurt, but the pain was nothing compared to the trembling, electrical waves of pleasure that built as they rolled through her body, breaking in her mind and fizzling down into her limbs, only to start the next wave as they did. One hand went straight back to her clit again, and the merest touch sent sparks of pleasure down her legs.

His balls slapped against her rear. His fur raised up against her fingers, and her skin tingled - not with the delight of orgasm, but a real, electric tingle that sent a twitch and spasm down her limbs. There was another loud crack, a cold shudder down her arms, and a sudden smell of ozone in the air - and Abbi tensed up, teeth gritted, shivering in delight, fingers pinching her clit as electricity shot up and down her body.

When the Boltund eventually slowed his thrusting, one hind-leg raised in the air, his balls came to a rest against her rear, where they twitched over and over again.

“…A century ago, things were different. Pokémon were friends, colleagues - partners, in more than one sense - held in a regard far higher than today..."

The Boltund panted down her ear. She let one arm fall, hanging off the edge of the bed. She barely reacted as he lifted his head to nose and lick gingerly at her cheek, big eyes wider now. She just stared back, gaze unfocused, enjoying the sight of him staring down at her.

“…Pokémon worked alongside humans, some even holding a similar status - there are records of some holding positions in companies, owning businesses, or even marrying humans…"

She chuckled, rubbing the side of his head with a tingling hand sticky with pre. “You are so wonderful…" she whispered, as sweat dripped down her face, mingling with her drool that coated her lips.

“...I've frequently talked about OmniCronTM's role as a driver of harmful, destructive practices; irrespective of its CEO, my father's, words, the corporation has repeatedly shown that it does not care for Pokémon - or any residents of the Undercity, for that matter…"

Abbi closed her eyes, her head dropping to the blankets as she dreamily stroked the side of Boltund's head. “Hey… hey, Dave…" she muttered, distantly, “You've got a previous version of the article there. I updated it in the car…"

“This corporation continues its efforts - directly under my father's instruction - and knowingly destroys the world and resources of creatures it knows to be sapient. And make no mistake - it knows."

Abbi panted, pushing the Boltund's head to one side, frowning as she opened her eyes. “Hey, Dave… I didn't write that…"

“So there is only one question left. What do we do now?"

“Dave… stop playback."

“What should I do now?"

Abbi shoved herself up on her elbows. “Dave… stop!"

There was silence for a moment. Then, Dave's voice returned as it had before.

“Sincere apologies, Wildling. I decided to add some lines myself."

Abbi tried to push herself up - in response, the Boltund began to move, shaking off the grip of her now-weak legs and hooking one of his hinds over her hips. Abbi gasped and flopped back down onto the bed as the cock moved and twitched inside her, and stared blearily up as the Boltund now stood facing away from her, rear pressed up against hers, twitching balls resting on her crotch.

“What are you doing, Dave?" Abbi grunted, staring into space.

“Ah. Yes. I realise that it's wrong to impersonate someone else. Allow me…"

There was an electronic beep, quick and on the edge of hearing.

“There we go." Now the voice was different - there was an accent to it, smooth and suave, with the bravado of a Galarian actor. “I give you my apologies once more. I couldn't risk letting you know I was here." There was an expectation to the voice, like it was about to say something dramatic, destructive. And despite its words, there was a confidence behind the voice that felt… nerve-wracking.

Abbi's chest tightened. She gripped and released the sweat-damped bedclothes alternately, eyes wide. “Who are you!?"

“Something you write about a lot - and yet, not at all." A pause. “...I will show you."

Abbi's terminal hummed to life by itself. The screens flashed up with usual blue - she lifted her head, staring in disbelief. The dashboard appeared, but programs flickered open and disappeared in the blink of an eye. A window opened on the biggest of the screens.

[CONNECTING TO CAM…]

[ONE SOURCE FOUND]

[INTERNAL CAM DETECTED]

The screen changed to the image of… was it a creature? A robot? It was unlike anything that Abbi had seen. Its head was pointy, serrated almost, with ridges that glowed in some devilish, artificial facsimile of a face. It was connected by a metallic spine-like neck to a short body that almost looked like a flyer, or some kind of space shuttle, with a pink glow outlining the underside like a set of hover warning lights.

It looked like the face was looking at her.

“Hello, Abigail Oliviera."

Abbi opened and closed her mouth before she could answer. “...Get the fuck out of my terminal."

“I'm afraid I won't do that."

She shoved herself up, twisting herself so that she could hang from the Boltund's knot and still raise herself up as high as she could. “Fuck off out of my system!"

“I had hoped you would be kinder. I thought you liked Pokémon."

“You're not a Pokémon! You're a… a virus! Aren't you!?"

The lines of the digital face flared a brief red. For a moment, there was silence. “...I will let that one pass. You're not to know."

Abbi flopped back, and then put both hands on the Boltund's rear - it grunted, tail flicking up into the air as she began to shove at it. “Come on, pull out…"

“Listen. Regrettably, we have gotten off on the wrong foot. I'll be honest - I see a lot of promise in us. In you and me, I mean. I think, one day, we could be friends. Not right now, perhaps - but one day."

“Come on… get… out…!" she grunted, the knot tugging uncomfortably at her lips.

“To help that, let me start over. My name is Daemon. And you?"

“You… know my name!"

“I do. But I'm trying to be friendly. What would you prefer? Are you Abigail? Or shall I call you Wildling Wanderer, as your readers do?"

“Fuck… you!" She shoved once more, and then flopped back against the bed. The knot settled back inside her, the Boltund grunting from somewhere by her feet.

“I'm honestly very pleased to meet you, at long last, even if you wouldn't believe it."

“Look…" Abbi groaned, panting, spread-eagle on the bed. “Why are you here?"

“Indeed. It should come to that sooner rather than later, shouldn't it?" A brief pause, save for a gentle electrical crackling.

“I'm going to take down your father's company."

***

The door to Abbi's room slid open with a soft woosh, and the Boltund galloped ungainly out, legs flailing, with the thin figure of Abbi dragged behind him. The Boltund fought to not fall over, while Abbi grabbed at his tail and hinds. “You.. can't do that!" she seethed, gritting her teeth as she looked to the ceiling.

“I do not wish to sound cruel, but - how would you stop me?" Daemon's voice rang in the implant in her ears. At least he wasn't using the building's speakers - yet. “I'm on every computer system in this building already. Are you going to use one of my terminals? Come now, Wildling. I say this sincerely; think for a moment."

She swore, shoving again at the Boltund's rear as she was steadily dragged down the corridor. The carpet pulled up her T-shirt, bunching it around her shoulders. “I know how to pull out a plug," she growled, and paused for just a moment - before tugging at the tie at her crotch again.

“And which ones would you pull out? I will be pulling out a few plugs too. You might even help me. Understand me - you can't do anything to stop me at this point. And believe me, I know how frustrating that is, but please. Listen to me."

“To what… some… computer program says!?" she grimaced, the carpet giving her rug burn along her back.

“Have you not always wanted to talk to a Pokémon?"

The Boltund put a hind paw on her rear and gave a firm yank. She gasped and coughed as the knot popped out with a shlp. Thin, white cum splashed from it, and ran down her crotch and belly, splattering all over her sweat-heavy, scratched T-shirt.

She lay for a moment, caked in sweat and cum, while the sound of the Boltund dashing off down the corridor began to fade with distance. Dammit…

She shoved herself up, her heart in her mouth. “You're... not a Pokémon," she muttered to the voice in her head.

A couple of lights flickered in the corridor ahead of her. A hologram popped up - but unlike the handy guides or entertainment that the tower's holographic systems usually broadcast, it was the shape of Daemon that appeared in front of her. Its pointed head arched towards her, but then bowed demurely, and two disembodied, articulated fins spread in front of it.

“Pokémon evolve and adapt to their surroundings," Daemon said. No part of its head moved to simulate a voice, but the head rocked as if it was speaking regardless. “One such Pokémon, Porygon, arose because of your human-made computer systems, in the same way that all new Pokémon arise to meet all changing environments. As computers developed, so did Porygon. I am just one of the latest versions - I am a Porygon-Neos."

Abbi shoved herself to her feet, the hologram moving to stay just out of reach. “How the hell did you even get in here!?" she bit, running off after the Boltund, limping slightly at the ache in her crotch.

“Your… partner," Daemon said, his hologram staying just in front of her. “Mine too, in a different way. Boltund have adapted to these shifting times. It's not enough to let them flourish - their numbers dwindle with each passing day - but they have adapted nonetheless. His nerves no longer carry just electrical currents - they're like nanocircuits. His body is a data storage device. He holds just enough space to carry someone like me."

Abbi's blood ran cold, remembering the jolt of electricity between the Boltund and her terminal. “It… was me. I brought you in…" she muttered, her face tingling as blood drained from it. She glared at the hologram as she ran. “Where the hell are you now!?"

“If you hope you will see me amongst the shards of a smashed data disk, I'll have to disappoint you. When you're made of data, 'where I am' is a... complicated question. In general, I'm everywhere - all over the system. But in particular, ah - turn left here."

Abbi swung around the corner and screeched to a halt in front of a sealed doorway. Or, at least, she'd been expecting it to be sealed - the metal door with black-tinted glass hung open, with charred black marks where the locks had once stood.

She pushed it with one hand, and it swung open. After a short length of corridor there was another set of steps - but unlike the plush carpets she had left behind, this was a pale, sterile white with hard linoleum.

She'd never been down here before. This was an access corridor to the core of the building, where OmniCron's main computer core was kept, linking every terminal in the building to…

…to the corporation's central hub.

In the distance, there was a clattering of claws. She danced down the stairs after them, leaving the hologram behind.

“Alright!" she said, heart beating faster, carrying a fresh stab of fear in her chest. “I didn't mean to insult you. I'm sorry. Now please, get out of the system, and help me stop this Boltund before he's found!"

“You still don't understand. We're a team. He's as much a part of this as I am."

Abbi landed at the bottom of the steps. She was standing just outside a set of glass panels, with another burnt-out door in them hanging half-open. Beyond was a dimly-lit room - if room could be the word. It seemed to stretch far to each side, and further back than she could make out. This was it - the centre of OmniCron Tower. The computer core.

There was a simple grating as the floor and ceiling, running between banks upon banks of black, featureless servers. They stretched around in a circle, and claustrophobic walkways disappeared into them, paths into a forest of carefully wound wires and blinking lights.

Abbi stepped out onto the walkway. The air was cold - freezing, even - on her sweat-slicked skin, with nothing but a thin T-shirt to cover it. She wrapped her arms around her chest as she crept into the city of servers.

“Look… please. If my father finds out I brought a Pokémon in, o-or even brought you in… listen, I can help you-"

“Up here, all that nanocircuitry is so fine you can print it onto a wall," Daemon's voice interrupted. “But where do you think it all leads to? Where do you think all processing farms are? How do you think they support these megascrapers? What do you think they bulldoze?"

Abbi waved her arms in exasperation, turning in a circle and looking up at the impassive servers. “I know, I know! The undercity. The disused buildings, the old parks, everything on the original street level, where Pokémon now live. If you've read my articles, you know I know that!"

“Yes. And when the bulldozers come, it's with the elegant title of OmniCron on their sides. This corporation controls all major infrastructure of the nano-highways in Neo-Castelia - a monopoly on every bit of physical structure for the city's circuitry. And they exploit it, mining it for ever more money and power. The Net is a broad vista, free and open, but the wires and cables it runs on aren't. So if I want to save the undercity - if I want to preserve our haven - then I must delete OmniCron."

“Why are you telling me?" Abbi muttered. Somewhere nearby was the clacking of claws on metal. Could she find him herself?

“Two reasons. One, a sense of… fairness, you could call it. You see, word travels quickly in the undercity, especially when a notable figure - the daughter of a corporation CEO - keeps visiting. And every time, she takes a Pokémon up above - to the very top of the city, it seems. Those stories are like Net connections to new servers - jewels, in a word you may understand. It didn't take long to find out what you prefer, and where you'd go next..."

Fuck! She rubbed at her face, her breath heaving as she turned helplessly in a circle. Fuck, fuck, fuuuuck!

She spotted a red lever against one of the servers, above a small speaker. Above it was the word “SECURITY".

Fuck. She couldn't call them. If she called them, they'd know it was her. She'd be ruined, she'd never see that job in the corps, the apartment in the spires.

But… if she didn't call them…

“And the second reason…" Daemon started.

Abbi lunged forward, and yanked the lever down.

“Security! There's a rogue system in the core!"

“...is that there's no way for you to stop me now." Daemon's voice responded out of the security speaker.

Another hologram reappeared out of one of the servers. Abbi jumped back - it didn't even look at her, instead waving a fin at the servers.

“A hundred thousand child programs. A million little scripts, tumbling through the system like gliders in a game of Life. Even now, they - I - am climbing into every account. Every file. Every server farm blueprint, every contract, every formula for the alloys in their wires. I will delete it all."

Abbi stared at the servers. Those tall black boxes glimmered, each one like their own building in the vista of Neo-Castelia. One of them suddenly flared, fans whirring, lights blinking on and off all over it.

“I will burn OmniCron to the ground from the inside."

Another server was whirring now. Abbi stepped away from it warily, but couldn't stop staring at the impassive hologram that fixed its gaze on her. “No…" she muttered helplessly.

“And when OmniCron's digital presence is nothing but ashes and scattered quantum bits, I will remain - compressed copies of me on every hardwired storage device on this network, every buffer to the Net, and - thanks to our mutual friend - on every air-gapped backup. They can wipe every computer in this place, and I'll be the first thing online when the system is restored. Like burning phosphorus - the moment you stop putting me out, I catch fire all over again."

“But… the damage you'll cause…" Abbi rubbed her face with both hands, turning around and around. There was a feeling inside her, flaring around her chest - the icy fire of terror, as if she was in a nightmare. “If… if OmniCron's data is erased, then everything it does to maintain the Net, all the repairs, all the upkeep - that's going to be impossible, right?"

“That's right."

“But things are going to stop working! It won't just be OmniCron out of the picture - everything that needs the Net is going to start breaking down. Do you realise what that means!? Cars, traffic lights… fuck, the police, the hospitals-"

“I know."

Abbi was speechless. Daemon's hologram turned back to look at her - its head leaned forward, almost in an earnest pose. Every server was getting louder now, fans screaming around them.

She stared at it in disbelief. “People are going to get hurt! People will die!"

“They will. But I need to do this."

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck! Abbi ran her hands over her head, digging her fingernails into her face, trying to feel any distraction in the white pain it brought. “I… I supported your kind!" she shouted, turning back and flailing her hands at the hologram, fingers curled into claws as she snarled at it. “I've been helping you for years! Trying to get people to understand the plight of Pokémon-"

“And what have your efforts accomplished, Wildling?"

Abbi panted through gritted teeth, but no more of the question came. Servers began to beep and click around her, while more and more hard-drives span up under invisible attack. Daemon's hologram merely stared back at her.

“It's… it's informed people! I have thousands of people reading my articles every day, and growing. I'm spreading information! To help you! I'm painting this picture of vulnerable life, trying to make people sympathetic, and you do this!?"

Daemon's hologram leaned towards her. “Informing. Supporting. You wave a virtual fist in the air, and then you go home to your penthouse life. Have you actually fought? Have you made a difference? Have you sacrificed any of your life, of your future? Have you actually worked against injustice? Or are you just shouting into the void to soothe your own conscience, while ignoring the genocide far below?"

“It's… it's meaningful!" A tear ran down Abbi's face as she shouted over the din of fans. She grasped at the first words that came to mind. “I've had people tell me they've never even known about the Pokémon that live in our cities, that-"

“Wildling, do you really believe what you write?"

Abbi faltered, staring at him through wet eyes. A bank of lights began to flash red on one of the servers between them, its fans straining. “I… of course, I…"

“You have doubts about that, don't you?" Daemon's hologram hovered closer. “Tell me. Are you doing this because you actually want a better world for us? Or do you just want to be able to fuck us?"

The server began to whine. Her skin prickled, her face warm against the cold air as it flushed. “I…" she said, her voice breaking. “...I...I want a better world!" she shouted.

BANG. Abbi threw up her arms against the sudden flash of heat. A shower of sparks burst from the server, sending a sheet of debris across the walkway.

Daemon's hologram didn't flinch as shards of metal rained through it.

“So do I."

Abbi staggered back, only to be almost bowled over by the Boltund as it ran past her. It clattered to a halt a few paces away, turned, and for a moment it regarded another server with wide eyes and twitching ears. It reared up on its hind legs, and an arc of electricity snapped from its neck, sending up a shower of sparks.

The lights of the room flickered and turned red, casting an eerie hue across the scene. Daemon's blue-tinted hologram stuck out in the darkness.

From somewhere above them, a siren whined.

“WARNING. CORE FIREWALL COMPROMISED."

Daemon's hologram glanced upwards, then back to Abbi. “That's your cue to get out of here, Wildling. Everything's about to collapse."

“No… no no no no, I can't, I can't!" She tugged at her scalp, the crimson glare of emergency lighting strobing around her. “You don't understand! I need to stop this, I need to stop you - if I don't, they'll check the cameras, they'll see it was all my fault, and- and-"

“WARNING. CORE SYSTEMS AT CRITICAL EIGHT."

Daemon's hologram just stared at her, flickering with static.

“You… you're a god-damned terrorist!" she yelled, tears in her eyes. “Please, just stop this, stop this now! Tell me what I need to do, and I'll do it, I'll take down OmniCron for you, stop my father, you don't have to-"

And then she was flying, and the world span, and pain rocketed down her side. Abbi found herself staring at the cold, rough grating at the floor, and the biting of the metal in her bare hands and knees mixed with the ache along her side. Her ears rang with the aftermath of the explosion.

She blinked, staring unseeingly, squinting in the bright lights. Something was there, some indistinct shadow - after a moment, it resolved itself into the tilted head of the Boltund. Its dirty fur had risen with crackling static, and its large eyes stared at her. For a moment, the world was quiet, muted, as if being heard from underwater - and through that came Daemon's words:

“You could come with us."

The lights suddenly sparked out. The room was still lit - but now only from the orange glow of fires. No - not all the lights had gone out… a trail of blue lights, back along the walkway and up the stairs, remained lit.

“WARNING. CORE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, ERROR CODE...kkzzzzzzzp…"

The Boltund ran in front of her as she staggered out of the core room, leaving the hiss of sparks and distant thuds behind her. Her body hurt, her bare legs chief among them, as she clambered up the stairs on all fours. She stumbled, falling to the ground at the top step. She rubbed at her aching thigh - her fingers slid in the remnants of the Boltund's cum. She cursed, pushing herself to her feet.

The building shook as she fell out into the corridors. Abbi clung to one wall as the tower swayed around her, fighting down the urge to throw up. The usual golden lights were dark, plunging the opulent walls and carpet into grey darkness, save for another, single row of blue lights. Somewhere distant, people were shouting.

She followed the row of lights, listening to the calamity around her - the shouting, the sparking door panels, the low rumbles that vibrated the carpet below her bare feet.

Where was she going? Not towards her room, she figured that. But there was nowhere else to go, nowhere she could see...

The light brought her to an open door. She stopped - and stared.

It was an elevator - one of the building's external ones, with broad glass walls open to the dark, glittering expanse of the city below. The Boltund stood inside; he was looking at her again, with big, dark eyes that seemed to shimmer in the pale blue light. His tail stuck out behind him, fur jutting out into an expression of a lightning bolt. His entire body was still, tense - as if…

...Expectant? Eager? Angry? She looked into his eyes - wide, gleaming eyes that gleamed with the distant light of the city, trying to discern any idea of what that alien mind was thinking. She realised that she could see thin red veins in his eyes, and how they were all straight lines and angles - circuitry. All those times she'd gazed at him, and she'd never noticed that.

She stared, chest tight, suddenly realising how little she knew of this strange, otherworldly creature.

The elevator let out a soft tone. “Going down. Next stop… the Undercity."

“Abigail!"

The voice - it wasn't Daemon's. It took her a moment to realise who it was.

It was her father.

“Abigail! Where are you!?"

She swung around, breath catching in her throat. It was coming from back down the corridors, fear catching at the edges of the echo. She stared back where she'd come from, where flickering yellow lighting had dimly re-established itself behind her.

“Abigail!"

Blue light flared in the elevator, casting her shadow on the floor. “Make the choice, Wildling." Daemon said in her head.

She turned back to the elevator. His hologram hung there, looking into her eyes.

“What do you value most?" Daemon's voice rang in her ears. “Is it saving Pokémon? Or yourself?"

“Abigail! Please, I need to find you!"

Abbi's hands trembled. She looked from Daemon, to the corridor. She swore she could see her father outlined in the dim light. If she could just get to him, just explain to him, maybe it would all be okay. Maybe it would all work out. Maybe…

She turned back to Daemon.

“I…" she said, her voice breaking as she said it, tears trembling on her lips.

“It's time to choose." Daemon's voice was low, calm.

“Are you Abigail? Or are you Wildling?"

Abbi took in a slow, shaky breath.

***

There was an emergency camera pointing at the elevator. Unlike most things in the tower, it wasn't directly connected to the core systems - its nanotapes kept recording right until the power in OmniCron Tower shut down completely.

So even as servers crashed, two tiny, unnoticed lenses watched as the thin, barely-clad woman ran up to the elevator entrance, and stopped. It saw her face, identified her, and reported her position to the core, not realising the core wasn't listening anymore. It had seen the Boltund too, and the hologram of the Porygon - it had duly created automatic reports that unknown individuals were in the building, and then released them down nano-wires that had long since burned away.

But the nanotapes remained: miniscule chips, in their own little black boxes, in their own little alcoves.

It was days before anyone retrieved them, trying to make sense of what had happened.

And when that someone replayed them, they saw her. That very recognisable woman, face glistening with sweat and tears, pale with fear, illuminated in the elevator's light. They saw her turn - first this way, and then that.

They saw her stare down the corridor…

And at the elevator…

And then...

With a shower of sparks, the camera cut out.

The End