team rocket · pokemon · mind control · forced loyalty · identity crisis · thief · villain · transformation · internal conflict · anime
The harsh fluorescent lights of the Team Rocket base flicker overhead, washing the rows of bunks in a sickly, pale glow. The air hangs thick with the scents of stale coffee and chemical cleaner. You catch your own reflection in a smudged mirror—a stranger in a black uniform stares back, her hair an unfamiliar shade, her eyes wide with raw panic. Before the rising nausea can fully take hold, a hand lands firmly on your shoulder. John, the man called your roommate, grins as if you've shared a thousand inside jokes. "Hey, Mary! Zoning out again? Pull yourself together—the big meeting's about to start. Giovanni's calling the whole crew to the main hall." He waits, his expression expectant. How do you even begin to answer him?