Disclaimer: Pokemon and its related characters don't belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun.

Summary: Darkfic. While traveling through Hoenn, Ash is kidnapped by Team Rocket and used as an example to one of their scientists...a scientist who decides to use him as a human test subject....

A/N: Okay, I'm still working on Flames of Destiny, but I wanted to see if I could pull this particular fic idea off. I've never been very good at the angst thing, so any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated...

Omneon

Prologue

Cold, harsh artificial lighting filled the stark laboratory, highlighting the expensive machinery that whirred and beeped as they worked in unison to project the data they had been assigned to collect from the sleeping subject on the table. Standing beside the same table, and glancing over a paper copy of the readouts was a dark haired man in a white lab coat, chuckling and nodding to himself.

On the table itself was a strange, slinky creature with fur the color of ash, tubes and wires coming out of various points on its body. Its eyes were closed, and an expression of pain seemed to be a permanent fixture on the fox like muzzle. Wide, pointed ears lay flattened against its skull, compounding the feeling that the beast was in pain, and a long, rope like tail twitched uncontrollably, curling and uncurling. Had it not been unconscious, there was no doubt it would be crying out.

Dr. Manuel Brightwood continued chuckling as he observed his greatest creation. For ten long years he had been studying the eevee evolutionary scale, using Team Rocket funds for failed experiment after failed experiment, attempting to forge the most powerful Eon. He had created the perfect elemental stone, a mixture of fire, lightning and water and taken DNA from the two other evolutions, but still, his attempts failed.

Then, a year ago today, a pair of Rocket Agents had deposited a broken human boy on his doorstep with a warning--make something useful or end up like him. Manny didn't normally take notice of such threats, they'd been made before, and always he'd pulled something incredible in a short amount of time to appease the fickle and impatient leader of the Rockets.

And this time was no exception. In fact, he had been provided with the one thing that assured his final experiment would be something of a success. Human DNA.

The boy would have died anyway, without any sort of medical assistance, and while Manny could easily have used his skills to at least keep the dark haired youth alive, his own brilliant mind had leaped at the possibility of having a human test subject. He had carefully tended the wounds, so the patient wouldn't die during the first critical stages, and then had begun the long process of creating the most powerful eevee evolution to date.

The problem with eevee DNA was that it was too unstable to withstand the vigors of the multiple evolution. It either didn't react, or reacted badly, leaving a mess that was horrible to look upon. Manny had tried introducing other pokemon DNA to an eevee, then vice versa, but pokemon DNA in general turned out to be unstable. Even in those pokemon that seemed to have only one form.

Human DNA however, was perfect and he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before. When the boy's condition had stabilised, Manny carefully manipulated some eevee DNA so that it was grafted with the boy's own. That first two weeks had been nervewrecking, as the boy drifted in and out of consciousness, his body transforming uncontrollably. Finally though, the form had settled, human shaped and bipedal, but covered in fur with enlongated ears.

In short, it looked like an eevee that had taken on a human form. After that, the creature had to be kept in stasis, because it continuously attempted to escape, crying piteously at the pain it was in. For six months, Manny recorded data on the creature, waiting and watching as its strength and power grew.

The next step had been the most crucial, because if it had been rushed, or done wrong in anyway, Manny would have had yet another failed experiment on his hands. Though the Eon produced would be enough to satisfy the Boss for another couple of years, Manny didn't want to have to start over again. Humans were incredibly frail creatures, and he knew that the boy who had been left as a warning had a strong will or he would have died within those first tentative weeks. There was no guarantee that another human would survive.

His precautions paid off, and the second stage of the process was completed with little hassle. The last six months were spent observing the creature as espeon and umbreon DNA wrought their own changes in the body. Then, a week ago, before the DNA could settle, he had forced it to take on the evolutionary stages of flareon, vaporeon and jolteon by taking a miniscule amount of each stone required and placing it in direct contact with the DNA.

A blinding flash of light had occurred, the normal signal of evolution, and when it had gone the creature that now lay on the table had appeared, standing before him, brown eyes lit with a golden light staring up in confusion.

Before it could think to attack, Manny had his roselia use sleep powder on it. It fell unconscious and Manny began the vigorous testing that would see if its abilities would stand up to his own exacting standards.

Manny's chuckle became a full belly laugh as he put the readouts away and turned off the machine that was sending a light electrical current running through the creature. Immediately, the sinuous body relaxed as the pain was taken away, and in its sleep, it sighed. Manny let it rest, considering it had just passed the final test of the first battery.

It was ready to be tested in battle.

-------------

Domino sighed as she held the red and white pokeball in her hand, tossing it up and down in a bored manner and ignoring the scientists panicked pleas for her to be careful.

"You do understand, Dr. Brightwood," she warned, "that if I've found you've wasted my time--and by extension the Boss's--you will not care what happens to whatever you've got inside this pokeball?"

The scientist swallowed, his eyes still following the up and down motion of the sphere. Domino rolled her eyes and reached up with her other hand to brush a bit of blond hair that fallen into her eyes away. Had the man not called and told the distinguished leader of Team Rocket that he had finally completed the research he had set out to do, she doubted she'd be here at all, a lesser member sent in her place.

However, the importance of this research was top priority, and she was the only one Giovanni trusted to make sure everything was in order. Lucky her. The last time he'd entrusted her with something, she'd found herself standing beside him on one of their ships, confused and disoriented, wondering how they'd got there.

"Yes, yes, of course," Brightwood finally said, the strained voice bringing her back to the present, "and trust me, you won't be disappointed."

Smiling acidicly, Domino clutched the pokeball and activated it. In a flash of red light, a slinky, grey furred pokemon appeared. It looked around in confusion before looking back up at Dr. Brightwood. "Neeeon!" it cried. Arching an eyebrow she made a tsking sound with her tongue. "Too bad, I'm disappointed."

"Wait! Don't be decieved by its appearance! Omneon, use watergun!" Brightwood called desparately.

The grey fur shimmered and then lit with a blue tone just before it released a powerful watergun attack...on Domino. Dripping, she glared at the scientist, but was unable to do much else when the strange pokemon leapt up at her and began clawing at her face.

"Omneon, no! Stop! That's enough! What's wrong with you!" Brightwood attempted to pull the enraged pokemon off the shrieking woman, but it merely turned its head and used a bite attack that nearly took off his finger.

Domino finally had the presence of mind to recall it back to its pokeball. When it disappeared in the familiar red light, she stood panting, her face on fire from the scratch marks the creature had left behind. Brightwood was clutching his hand, blood seeping out through his fingers, and shaking his head in wonder.

"I figured it would do that," he said, "as its been untrained, but...it seemed to almost" he gazed at Domino in awe, "hate you. I wonder why?"

Domino scowled, but knew that Giovanni would definitely be interested in this pokemon, no matter her own personal feelings. There were ways to get it to obey its master. She gave the scientist a glacial smile, then turned to leave, tossing over her shoulder, "Congratulations, Dr. Brightwood. You've done well."

to be continued....