Pokémon 1. Prologue

**This story is based on the "Everlasting Memories" series of Pokestar Studios movies of Pokemon Black/White 2. This story will cover the plot of all four movies, but can be read without having seen them previously. And yes, there will be relationships of a questionable nature in later chapters... you might be able to guess who is involved.**

* * *

_This is a story that starts with a certain scientist…_

_Even at an early age, he bore a gifted mind; he worked at a laboratory that sought to improve the lives of people and Pokemon. However, he felt something missing…_

The young inventor woke up; pushing his face from the metallic surface it was pressed against.

Turning his head to examine the wall clock, he realized he had been asleep for almost two hours. That was two whole hours wasted, he realized. That precious time could have been used to study and gather more research, something that would be productive and worthwhile. Instead, he had squandered it all on a needless snooze. On the upside, the momentary rest did leave him more refreshed and better able to focus on the books and papers that occupied his desk space. And that dream...

He could recall vestiges of what he was dreaming, abstract images that were beginning to seek form. They were vibrant shapes, surrounding him, invoking what felt like a sense of security. Were they the assistants that worked in the lab alongside him? Or were they the lab-owned Pokemon that he often used to assist in experiments? No, he realized, they seemed far less familiar, but much more friendly. To him, it was almost as if he was dreaming of an entirely different life, a life he had never known in the waking world. But why would-

"Professor!" A harsh interjection broke his trance.

The young scientist swiveled about the chair, meeting his young, spectacled eyes with ones that were also filtered behind a pair of glasses, but far more aged. The older man fixed a stern gaze upon the boy, who felt intimidated, but he knew not to provide any visual indication.

"Manuelo," he responded as flatly as he was able, "I don't remember requesting your presence."

The older man held his temper by the reins. He did not appreciate his colleague's impertinence in the least, but he supposed that was to be expected when young, juvenile children were involved. As much as he detested unchecked disrespect, he managed to tolerate the boy for the time being.

"Professor Nate, you should not be sleeping while there is work to be done. Don't deny that you were; you had best remember that surveillance cameras are in every room." Manuelo raised his arm to point at a corner of the ceiling, where a small camera was furtively tucked to afford the entire room in its scope. Nate remained silent, as there was no reason to bother arguing further.

Manuelo turned slightly away from the boy, and the fluorescent lamp shone completely on his lenses, hiding his eyes behind small bright rectangles of light. "As you should be aware," he continued, "the financial situation of our lab is worsening. If we do not come up with effective ideas, we receive no profits. And with no money, we have no lab. And with no lab…" There was no need to finish the sentence, yet Nate didn't want to think about the implications. The only home he had ever known was within the walls of this laboratory, where all the supplies he needed were readily available. He couldn't fathom a life of any other kind.

The older assistant turned towards the door, not even facing Nate as he gave his warning, "I expect to hear at least one idea from you by our next meeting. Remember, your life in this lab as you know it depends on your work. And with that he walked off to give Nate time to consider his words, slamming the door behind him to cause a few stray papers on the desk to scatter about. Nate still didn't bother to pick them up, as thoughts and ideas were stirred about in his mind.

He shook his head, hoping to dispel the vitriolic feelings he was currently holding towards Manuelo; while both he and Nate were of respectable intelligence, rarely did the elder and he younger see eye to eye, partly in due to Nate's immaturity, as well as Manuelo's obstinacy and short temper. Their imperfect rapport had often threatened to jeopardize the success of some of their earlier endeavors, had Simone not intervened to hold the pieces together. If there was one thing the two could agree on, it was that Simone was an invaluable asset in their attempts at invention. An astute mind combined with a compassionate heart was what made her appealing to Manuelo and Nate.

Nate smiled to himself. He often thought of his two closest assistants as surrogate parents, Manuelo as the strict but well-meaning father, and Simone as the doting, nurturing mother. Nate could not really remember who his true parents were, why they had left him in the lab's care, or whether they were even alive. But as long as he had caretakers to act the role, it did not matter too much.

On the other hand, parents, blood-related or otherwise, could not completely fill the young boy's need for companionship. As far as he knew, there were no other inventors of his age that studied in the laboratory, and the assistants had no children of their own. It was only natural of a boy his age to desire a more relatable form of company, like a friend, or something more…  
He had often seen other children playing about together with their Pokemon, when it was necessary to go outdoors for certain field experiments. The happiness, the laughter, it was blissful to his ears.

But as long as he continued to be a part of the laboratory, he knew he was bound to a lonely, isolated fate. There were no friends for him to find in this world of science and technology. Unless…

Nate remembered the dream he had. An idea gleamed in his mind and began to take form.

_I was faced with two predicaments. First, I had always been lonely for most of my life, without the company of friends, and second, I needed to think of invention ideas that would save this lab from debt._

_I knew now, a solution that would remedy these problems at the same time…_


	2. Startup

_**Hello again, I hope you readers are enjoying this story. It may seem only tangentially Pokemon-related, but remember that in the F-00 series of movies, the important plot thread of the series is the professor's relationship with his robot. Unlike the movies, though, things start to take a more mature turn from this chapter onwards. All the same, I wish you happy reading!**_

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_This is a story that starts with a certain scientist…_

_The idea he had proposed before his assistants was met with unanimous agreement, and development began swiftly. To achieve the end result, however, was no small feat…_

%%%

Months had passed since Nate had presented his drafts at the scientists' meeting, yet it seemed like he had made very little progress at all.

With the assistance of Manuelo and Simone, the chassis was carefully constructed to the specified measurements, each component supporting its neighbors just like a metallic skeleton. To the superficial eye, it looked as though this robot was fully completed and ready for distribution, but one more observant would know that this creation was far from complete. To build the hardware of a machine was a mere matter of forging and welding, simple slabs of steel arranged to the builder's choosing; certainly nothing to lose many nights of sleep over.

Indeed, what Nate had to do now would make those previous tasks seem all but trivial. Even for a mind as accomplished as his, programming a sufficient amount of coding for the robot's software proved daunting. It was a job that required meticulous consideration, inputting methods and routines to simulate human thought processes, in order to account for any and every possible scenario this machine would encounter. In spite of his tiring eyes beginning to lose focus, Nate continued to type away at the keyboard before him, intently watching as row after row of written code filled the monitor. The promise of the end result was his incentive to persevere, to ensure that not even a single mistake would elude him before the code was compiled, no matter how long it would take.

At first, he was unsure what his assistants would make of his idea; creating a robot "with a heart," designed to replicate human sentience and emotions. But when Simone added the suggestion to give it attacking capabilities not unlike those of Pokemon, even the staunch Manuelo was impressed. Household caretaking, Pokemon combat assistance, bodyguard duty… The possibilities for such a concept were numerous beyond imagination, he stated. What Nate had decided not to tell them was his true inspiration behind the idea: that this almost-human companion would be able to provide the affections he craved, that nobody else could offer. It seemed a tad selfish, he realized, but this yearning was not one to be so easily silenced.

Even more months passed by, precious time burned away at the desk, studying, programming, occasionally taking small breaks just to keep himself from collapsing. Even so, Nate knew that the fruits of his immense labor were almost ripe for harvest. After typing the final line of code, he looked over the entire mountain of text that he had written from the beginning, checking each line in case even the slightest error had gone unnoticed before. And then, at long last, he smiled, silently mouthing the words to himself, "It's finished…"  
Uploading the data to a small disk, he left the room to find his assistants, who were both seated at the lab's kitchen, snacks half-eaten at their table.

Nate presented the disk to the scientists, light of all colors refracted on its flawless surface. "This contains the data to be installed in the robot. If everything is in order, its behavior will emulate that of a human, as closely as technology will allow." He spoke clearly and deliberately, trying not to let his nervousness show through the façade; after all, no experiment warrants a complete one hundred percent probability of success, and there was still a chance that some unforeseen circumstance may end up causing total failure. What if the data is incompatible? What if the robot could not move? Nate tried not to allow such thoughts to enter his mind, but as he expected, Manuelo's skepticism towards the boy was quick to arise. "Are you certain this will even work, Professor Nate? We cannot afford any failed projects – quite literally." Nate's eyes didn't even want to meet those of his assistant, preferring to study his reflected image on the disk as he answered, "I am entirely certain. I have inspected the code myself many times."

Suddenly, the boy's reflection disappeared from view; without warning, Manuelo had tersely plucked the disk from his small hands, inspecting the shiny plate-like object himself. "Even for a child, you have much faith in your abilities… But you should know better than to get cocky. Tomorrow, we shall see if the robot functions correctly, Professor Nate," he announced as he began to exit the kitchen with the disk in hand. Simone, who had been chewing on a rather large muffin the entire time, swallowed before turning to Nate. "I'm sorry about Manuelo, Professor, but as you know, times have been rather stressful for him lately… He really is worried about going into debt, and he's worried about you too, even if he doesn't always act like it."  
Nate nodded. He didn't know if that was the truth, but hearing that did make him feel a little better. The older assistant placed her hand on the boy's shoulder as she smiled upon him. "You should get some rest. We know how hard you've been working, and I'm sure you'll want to be well-rested before we give the robot a test run."

"Good night, Simone… and thank you," said Nate as he stood from his chair, turning to make his way to the bedroom, as the woman sat in silence, continuing to finish the remainder of the muffin she was eating. As the young inventor found his room, he slipped under the blankets laid on his mattress, closing his eyes. The long-missed, almost forgotten feeling of a soft, cushy mattress beneath his entire body was more than enough to lull him into deep sleep.

%%%

The light of morning's sun shone through the bedroom window, bathing Nate in a bright yellow coat of warmth. He almost felt like sleeping in for the entire day, had he forgotten what was supposed to happen today. He jumped from the bed, throwing on a fresh lab coat as he left the bedroom in a hurry. In his excitement he had almost failed to notice Manuelo standing in a large, empty room, tempering his patience as a small figure stood still at his feet. Worry began to needle at the boy when he saw the robot unmoving… Had Manuelo come to point out his failure? Already Nate was prepared for reprimand.

"Manuelo…" Nate was almost about to ask why the robot was not activated, but reconsidered his sentence. "Where is Simone? She should be here to see this." The older man didn't bother greeting Nate as he answered, "Simone is out for the day to purchase more supplies. I doubt she will return before long."  
At those words, Nate felt a slight uneasiness. While an additional observer would prove useful in analyzing the diagnostic test, Nate would have greatly preferred to work with both of his assistants; he noticed Manuelo was more wont to stay silent and hold back his scathing remarks if a third party was around to bear witness. But for this experiment, it was just the stern assistant and he. Manuelo would be free to speak his mind. He replied with a downcast, "Oh, how disappointing," accidentally invoking an awkward silence as he stared at the inanimate contraption.

"Well, aren't you going to turn the robot's power on?" Manuelo's words carried no inflection, yet irritation rustled within Nate, feeling covertly mocked by his elder. He did as instructed however, locating and flipping the switch on the robot's back. That simple action was all that was needed to bring the machine to life; Nate couldn't believe his eyes as he saw the humanoid object shift about, waving its mechanical arms and legs as though it had just grown them. After a brief moment, the display on the robot's head began to illuminate, a green happy face showing on the screen. This was followed by the screen on the robot's chest, which displayed a fluctuating pulse line, and a simple green image of a beating heart. This robot was said to have a human heart, and it did its part to prove that fact by showing one.

Manuelo watched carefully, hastily taking notes as the robot bobbed about. Nate on the other hand, stared at awe in the automaton standing before him for what seemed like several minutes before he was interrupted by the sound of Manuelo clearing his throat. "Ahem… Professor Nate, are you going to test this robot's basic functions, or are you just going to gawk at it with a slacked jaw?"  
Again, Manuelo had poked at the boy, embarrassment and annoyance clashing together within him. He vented his pent-up feelings with an immediate order. "Right. Manuelo, bring me a Pokemon from storage, and make sure it is one that can use electric attacks."

With veiled reluctance, the assistant obeyed the instruction, leaving the empty room. Nate used this time alone with the robot to test its speech function. "Good morning," he stated, clearly and slow enough to easily understand.

"_GOOD… MORNING. WHO ARE YOU?_" The voice that emitted from the robot's speaker was high-pitched and mechanical, sounding like a digitized version of a child. Nate could not help but feel a wide grin spread to his face as he listened. "I am Nate, and you are…" Nate paused, attempting to come up with a name for his creation. "Your name is F-00," he decided, prompting the robot to reply, _"YOU, NATE… ME, F-00…"_ It had been in the young inventor's opinion a rather clever handle, as the initial F could represent a variety of words: Fun, Friend, Fraternal… and possibly more.

"I see you managed not to destroy your precious robot while I was gone," Manuelo commented as he returned bearing a round Poke Ball capsule, which opened to reveal something small, white and floating a few inches in mid-air. Nate nodded in approval at Manuelo's choice. "Ahh, this Tynamo should be sufficient for this part of the experiment." The Pokemon that had just been summoned stood by idly, awaiting instruction, but its very presence startled F-00, who shifted its small cup-shaped feet to walk a few steps away from it before it stumbled backwards and fell over.

"_WHAT IS THAT?_" Nate lifted the robot by its arms to stand upright once more, thankful that it had not badly damaged itself. Despite the smile displayed on the robot's face screen, he could tell that F-00 was frightened by this unusual sudden newcomer. "That's a Pokemon. They are friends with humans… and robots, too," Nate explained, but all F-00 had picked up on was the unfamiliar term in his sentence. "_FRIEND?..._"  
Nate's brow began to furrow as he tried to quickly form a simple definition for his new companion to understand, "A friend is… someone you like. You are my friend, F-00, because I like you."

The small robot processed the information. "_F-00 IS NATE'S FRIEND… THEN NATE IS F-00'S FRIEND? F-00 LIKES NATE!"_

"Yes, we are friends," Nate agreed, patting F-00 on the large bolt that rested atop its head, before turning to the Tynamo floating around the room. "Now we have one more thing to test… Tynamo, use Charge Beam on F-00!"

With the simple command, the Pokemon began to glow and crackle with an electric current, before a stream of electricity shot from its body to hit the robot, who did not yet have the instinct to move from a potentially dangerous attack.

Manuelo turned to Nate, his face placid but frustration visible in his bespectacled eyes. "What are you doing, Professor?! You will destroy the robot!" The paper in his notepad was crumpling as his hand squeezed it to curl itself into a fist. However, Nate didn't reply; he simply gestured to the scene among the two battling parties. Tynamo had finished attacking, and was now rested on the ground. F-00 was still standing, turning its head to look at Nate and Manuelo as if the eel Pokemon had not done anything to it at all; the only difference noticeable was the brightened glow of its face and body screen, which gave a green tint to whatever was directly in front of it.

"Excellent," Nate announced, "The electricity absorption system is fully functional." While Manuelo continued to scribble away at his notepad, Nate took Tynamo's ball to recall the Pokemon back inside, and turned F-00's switch off, causing the robot's body to droop as it was powered down. As his assistant finished taking notes, Nate took this opportunity to hazard a small boast of his success, "As you have seen, F-00 had passed all of its initial tests: movement, speech, and energy conversion. Everything had progressed flawlessly."

Manuelo studied his notes without even glancing at Nate. "Indeed, Professor. Perhaps submitting this idea for approval was no mistake of mine at all. If more of these robots are produced, we will be able to sell them worldwide and make millions! We will finally have the funds we need to undertake even more groundbreaking research! Of course, we should not get ahead of ourselves just yet. There are still more tests to perform, as well as improvements to make…"

Nate considered the man's words. Could F-00, the manifestation of his aspirations, his ambitions, be the answer to their economic predicaments? Would people the world over, of all ages, enjoy the company of a robot with a heart? Contemplating the consequences was staggering even for him. But he had finally created a friend of his own, and right now, that was all that had mattered.

%%%

For hours, Nate waited in his study, keeping his mind occupied by poring over various research books, while biding his time. There were some more tests he wanted to try with F-00, his new friend… but these tests were not exactly for the assessment of the robot, and would require complete privacy; no assistance from Manuelo, Simone, or anyone else. Even as the fully matured adults they were, he doubted they would so easily understand the needs of a growing, affection-starved boy. When the clock on his wall had finally indicated the occurrence of midnight, Nate knew it was time to make his move; for as long as he knew, it was a little like an unofficial rule for everyone in the lab to be asleep by that time, or at least to be in their own room.

He tiptoed silently, making as little noise as he could as he crept carefully to the large room where F-00 was left, almost appearing to be sleeping itself in its deactivated state. Gently, Nate locked the door behind him, ensuring that no intruders would surprise him in the middle of him conducting one of his "experiments."

He flipped the robot's switch, making it perform the same startup routine as before: moving its limbs as its screens flickered, lighting the entire room in an emerald hue. _"GOOD MORNING, NATE. WHY IS IT DARK NOW?" _F-00 buzzed. Nate flinched at how loudly it had spoken; desperately hoping that nobody had heard anything from outside. After a minute of almost deathly silence, Nate assumed that he was in the clear, and whispered back, "Good morning, F-00… or night, right now. Can you please be quieter? I don't want to disturb anyone in their sleep."

F-00 simply nodded, as its luminous face dipped down and then up. It was fortunate for Nate that he had programmed the robot to be obedient as well as versed in common sense. Patting the robot's head bolt, he quietly praised his friend, "Thank you." He laid his glasses on the desk, and cast his heavy coat to the floor before he continued, "F-00… do you love me?"

Again, F-00 nodded, retaining its cute smile. Nate could not help but feel his heart quiver with emotion at F-00's reply; even if it was somewhat of an automated, programmed response, he had never been told that he was loved. Simone, and even Manuelo on occasion, had told the boy that he was like a son to them, and they cared for him like one, but at no point had either of them said they loved him. Hearing those words for the first time overwhelmed Nate, and he did something even he thought was a little silly: he bent down to press his lips against F-00's face, kissing it directly on its smiling mouth. F-00 didn't seem to mind at all; in fact, it brought its arms to what would be its cheeks, and two small ovals flashed above the corners of its smile, simulating a shy blush.

Nate didn't quite know what to say to that. Did he program F-00 to be able to blush? Did it even know what blushing was? He couldn't quite recall at the moment, as his mind was itching to take this test one step further. He walked to sit down on the chair at the far corner, setting his glasses on the desk and casting his heavy coat to the floor. Naturally, F-00 followed with small steps, its churning machinery providing the only noise Nate could hear. Once F-00 stood before the chair, Nate slowly unbuttoned his pants, making them descend to his ankles. The robot simply watched, with no sign of interest or revulsion visible in its face or movements even as Nate began to tug his underwear down to join the pants, revealing a part of him that F-00 had never seen before.

Question marks flashed above the robot's eyes. It wanted to ask about the small finger-like appendage that was nestled at Nate's groin, but it had remembered the human's instructions to remain silent. He recognized the symbols as an indication of the robot's curiosity though, and answered his unspoken question. "This is a part you only show to someone you love, F-00. It helps humans feel good together." That was as suitable an explanation as he could give to a genderless robot. Attempting to teach an asexual piece of machinery about reproduction sounded redundant, and he was more interested about sex as an activity of pleasure anyway.

F-00 watched curiously as the boy stroked his organ, observing the way it began to increase in length and thickness as the fingers moved back and forth along it. Once the now-long part had become fully hardened, Nate withdrew his hand and offered an instruction, "Do you want to touch it, F-00? Do you want to make me feel good?" It seemed like an agonizingly long period of tension for him as he awaited his robotic friend's response… a short nod.

Reaching out with a long spindly arm, F-00 affixed a clamp-like hand upon the boy's sensitive flesh, emulating the rubbing motions it had seen before. While Nate felt the pressure of the robot's touch, and some slight stimulation was undeniably experienced, it just didn't feel quite right to him… there was something missing. He pulled F-00's hand away before putting his clothes back on, apologizing, "Sorry, F-00, but… it's getting late. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

F-00 quickly nodded once more, and received another kiss on its face screen. "I love you, F-00," was the last thing it heard, before Nate turned its switch off, leaving him with both slight disappointment at the failure of his experimentation, as well as an intrusive bulge that needed to be quelled in the safety of his own bedroom.

%%%

_I realized now that while F-00 made an ideal friend, its sexual performance was sub-par at best. That is not to say though, that I would even think of abandoning my pursuits of molding my precious creation into a friend and lover. I had simply been too eager to satisfy my desires for companionship and affection._

_Clearly my work on F-00 was far from done. My assistant was right, improvements needed to be made…_


	3. Input, Output

_**Not much to say for this chapter really, but beware, the human/robot antics continue on.**_

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_This is a story that starts with a certain scientist…_

_It was his brilliant mind that allowed him to create an amazing and unique robot. This robot was unlike anything anyone had ever seen; its heart seemed to be almost human._

_As remarkable as the robot was, its inventor was still unsatisfied. He wanted more out of his creation; he wanted to make it the absolute best it could ever be._

_He coveted this goal not to better serve mankind though. He sought instead to create the ideal companion for his own personal desires…_

%%%

Nate willed himself to keep his eyes open. All he could hope to do was appear attentive as a series of slides were displayed on a large screen, while Simone stood by and brandished a long cane to tap at various points on each projected picture, explaining something or other in a voice too fast for the boy to easily digest. What he really wanted was to try stealing a few more moments of rest during this currently-incomprehensible presentation, but he could see Manuelo shifting his beady eyes towards him whenever he yawned, or began to slump in his chair. Living like this was torture, self-inflicted torture at that, but there was no other choice for him; he had to keep sacrificing sleep to achieve his ends.

For what was becoming an entire week, Nate covertly ran his nightly operations, continuing his plans to alter F-00, his masterpiece, both in programmed behavior and in physical design. This task alone was demanding as it was, but his assistants had imposed more tasks still for him to do, research work entirely unrelated to the robot with a heart. To appease his elders, as well to dismiss any mounting suspicions of his true intentions, he put out the extra effort to assume that additional work alongside his own agenda.

Once Simone had ended her slide presentation, the research staff meeting was dismissed, and Nate headed for the door. He almost jumped in surprise as a hand pressed on his shoulder, and he turned his head to see Simone with an inquisitive expression that the boy found just a little intrusive.

"Do you have any questions about the presentation, Professor?" she asked curiously, receiving a weary shake of the boy's brown-haired head in response. While Nate really did have no further inquiries, what she did not know was that Nate's attention had been drifting listlessly the entire time. He opted to change the subject as he declared, "Simone, I'm going to work more on improving F-00's interaction skills. I'd like your assistance, if you're not too busy."

Simone frowned in confusion. She didn't want to argue with Nate, but she could not allow him to neglect his work. "A-are you sure there is time for that, Professor? What about your research? I know you take much pride in your robot, but…"

As her voice trailed off without finishing the sentence, Nate explained, "I haven't had any time lately to play – work… work with F-00 because of all that research to do. This will only be a quick session, I promise, and then I'll get back to the other stuff."

She considered the boy's request. Did the robot he had created mean that much to him, a robot that would soon become one of several to be sold across the region, and beyond? To her it seemed somewhat irrational in the grand scheme of things, but she realized that even as learned and educated as he was, Nate was still a young boy, a youth who inwardly craved the life of a regular child, free to play and socialize with his peers. Nate had programmed the robot to be the friend he never had… Who would she be, then, to deny him of what little quality time he could spend with his unlikely companion?

The large room where Nate and F-00 first met had gone unused for any other purpose since then, so the boy had naturally assigned that room to be where he would conduct any experiments that related to his robot, a decision that nobody in the lab had really cared enough to object to. The boy eyed the familiar capsule resting on the room's single desk; an object that looked like a slightly larger version of an ordinary Poke Ball. He picked up the ball and opened it, revealing a brilliant flash of light from which F-00 emerged, giggling gleefully before calling out, "_GOOD MORNING, NATE._"

Simone raised an eyebrow in response to what she had just seen. "You keep the robot in a ball?"

"He doesn't like being switched off, so I keep him in here when he needs recharging, or when I have to leave him." Nate tucked the capsule into the pocket of his coat, and exchanged it for a different Poke Ball, which he handed to his assistant. "For this test, I want F-00 to try battling with a Pokemon. Simone, could you battle with F-00 and I using this Pokemon?"

Taking the ball, she agreed, wondering what Pokemon the child professor had chosen for this experiment. She could only hope that whatever was inside would not try to damage Nate's precious creation beyond repair; from her studies she knew that some Pokemon species could cause a surprising amount of destruction in spite of their size or docile demeanor. She then opened the ball, creating another burst of light, and summoning a small quadruped Pokemon, coated with pink fur that smelt of blossoming flowers.

"Ah, a Deerling," Simone observed. Not known for being especially aggressive, Deerling seemed like a fitting choice for practice-battling, and she watched as the deer Pokemon playfully trotted about the room, showing some interest in the unusual newcomer. Nate turned to F-00, and told it, "Okay, let's begin," but the robot did not seem to understand what to do.

"_BEGIN? WHAT ARE WE DOING?_"

"F-00, I've equipped you with a system that lets you use certain Pokemon attacks. You can use those attacks to fight other Pokemon!" Nate hoped that F-00 would follow. Like a human, it was designed to absorb information from external stimuli, writing what it processed into its own memory. As far as the boy was concerned, simple and brief dialogue was the most effective form of educating the robot.

"_ATTACKS… FIGHTING?" _The robot's curiosity remained stalwart.

"Yes. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe! It's also fun… Trust me." The professor gave his robot a wide grin, attempting to encourage it, while Simone continued to wait patiently for the battle to commence. Her Pokemon, on the other hand, did not empathize; the Deerling eagerly rapped its stiff hooves upon the metal floor, creating a rather cacophonous racket.

"_FUN? …FUN! I WANT TO HAVE FUN WITH NATE! I WANT TO FIGHT!" _F-00 jumped around in an unmistakable display of unbridled vitality, before advancing towards the Deerling, whose large eyes quickly began to focus on its robotic opponent.

F-00 flailed its wiry arms, delivering a series of imprecise slaps, which the deer Pokemon easily braced against, shaking off the damage with little effort. Nate could tell by F-00's light, flouncing movements that the robot was having fun with this exercise, even if it did not have sufficient strength to complement its enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, Simone's analytical side came into play. She judged that the robot's metallic composition would equate to being a Steel-type, if it were an actual Pokemon. That would make any attacks of Deerling's primary types, Normal and Grass, much less effective for combating its opponent. Electric attacks, too, would only replenish the robot's energy supply, as she had seen from the notes that her colleague Manuelo had shared with her… but she doubted whether this Deerling had any electrically-aligned moves to begin with.  
"What types are most effective against Steel Pokemon?" she muttered to herself. Her memory quickly recalled that specific piece of information: Fire, Ground, Fighting… Perhaps there would be a way for Deerling to deliver a hard blow. She didn't want to destroy the robot, but she didn't particularly feel like losing, even if this was not a serious battle.

"Deerling, use Double Kick!" Simone commanded to the Pokemon, watching it turn around to strike the robot with its hind hooves. F-00 made no effort to avoid or even defend against the attack, and Nate could feel a trickle of sweat as the robot was buffeted by the Deerling's forceful kicks.

"Stop! Stop the battle!" Nate insisted, rushing to wedge himself between F-00 and Deerling, the latter suddenly ceasing its attack to avoid harming the human. Nate turned the robot's face to meet his; he was relieved to see that aside from a few negligible nicks and dents, F-00 was still in excellent condition.

"_STOP… WHY STOP? BATTLES ARE NOT FUN?"_ F-00 inquired, while the boy knelt down to wrap the robot's small body around his arms, like everything in the room was out to dismantle it. Nate didn't let go as he responded, "I stopped because I wanted to keep you safe. And I wanted to keep you safe because I love you."

F-00 paused before joining its own thin arms around Nate's neck, hugging him back. _"NATE LOVES F-00… F-00 LOVES NATE TOO!"_

Simone then pointed her Poke Ball at the idle Deerling, causing the Pokemon to recede back within the device. She could not help but feel a little guilty about how reckless she had been, and she began to apologize, "I'm sorry, Professor. I guess I got carried away."

Nate gave his assistant an apprehensive face that seemed to combine sorrow with anger; it was against his nature to bear animosity towards kindly Simone, but if she were to demolish his best friend, even by accident… he could never forgive her. "You don't have to apologize. I… I just don't want F-00 to be hurt. You see, I've always been in this lab for as long as I can remember, always doing studies or research… and always around adults like you, or Manuelo. I've never had the chance to live like a regular kid my age, but now that I built F-00, I finally have a friend I can play with. If I lose F-00, then…"

Simone could see that the boy's emotions were genuine, even if they were for an artificial automaton; as complex and outstanding as this robot was designed to be, it was still only a facsimile, a pale imitation of a true human. Even if Nate were to pour all the love he had into his robot, would it ever return that love? She did not have the answers, but if it was what made Nate happy, she could not wholeheartedly object. "I can see you really do care about F-00. It's almost as if you two are brothers, perhaps something even closer… Do you suppose a robot like F-00 can really show love itself?"

Nate was about to answer when an alarm began to blare, indicating the presence of a hazardous fire in another room; most likely it was the aftermath of an experiment gone awry. Before anything else, he quickly recalled F-00 into its special ball and took it with him as he headed with Simone to the nearest exit available.

%%%

The fire incident had been handled without much delay, and the rest of the day had been uneventful in comparison. Once the time came for the scientists to retire to bed for the night, Nate remained awake in his room just as he had for many previous nights, waiting for everyone to fall asleep. Once midnight had arrived, he took his chances and opened his door by a tiny amount, peeking through the small crack to watch for any wanderers in these late hours. The coast looked clear enough, so he made his way not to the large empty room, but instead to the lab's outdoor field, the area where experimentation could be carried out in an open area. Indeed, Nate set out to experiment this night, and he could almost feel the satisfaction of incoming success.

F-00's ball gleamed in the moon's light as the boy brought it out, summoning the small robot inside. As usual, he gave Nate a cordial greeting, "_HELLO, NATE. ARE WE OUTSIDE? WHAT ARE WE DOING OUTSIDE?_"

Nate bent down to pat the robot on its head bolt and whispered, "We are outside because I wanted to test that new program I installed in you. I designed it to work with those new parts I also built into you."

F-00 didn't change its face display, but it tilted its head from side to side, as if Nate had asked it to perform an impossible task._ "NEW PARTS… NEW PROGRAM?"_

The young scientist could see that this exercise would be better explained with a more practical approach, and started to shed his lab coat, leaving it on the short, bristly grass. His shirt, pants and underwear followed, until he was completely exposed to F-00. Anticipation pumped in his veins, helping him overcome the chill of the nightly wind upon his bare skin and allowing him to stay erect. F-00 registered the sight of Nate's stiffened penis, and remembered what Nate had said; that it was a part one would only show to someone they loved. In response, Nate could hear components moving, and F-00 remained still as an attachment similar in appearance began to extend from a port hidden within its crotch.

"Excellent, F-00. Now, we can feel good together." Nate smiled, happy to see that his custom-made "modification" was functioning properly. This addition would bring F-00 one step closer to reaching human status… not to mention it would provide the boy with an intensely pleasurable sensation. He wondered if he had made the correct choice in assigning male parts to this robot; when it came to gender, he did not have a strong preference for one over the other, and instinctively he had always seen the little robot as a boy.

Nate then lay down, resting his back upon the soft grass, and holding his legs spread in the air to direct F-00 to its objective. "F-00, I want you to put that part inside here… and don't worry, this is perfectly safe and fun, trust me," he repeated those familiar words, hoping that F-00 would understand.

"_OKAY. F-00 WILL TRY._" With his eyes pointed skyward, he could only see the stars dotted about the blackness of night, and listen as he heard mechanical steps, before he felt the robot make its connection.

"Aah-!" he screamed, as he felt his hole opened by the robot's extension, pain and pleasure colliding to provide him with an unbelievable sensation. Without even needing instruction, F-00 began to thrust, pumping itself in, and then out of Nate's tightness, holding onto the boy's smooth legs, moving as methodically and deliberately as a well-maintained piston. Nate moaned without restraint every time the robot prodded at his prostate, feeling the soothing cool of the robot's leaking of artificial lubrication to ease its movements. "F-00… does this feel good for you?" he panted, face sweating and cheeks flushed.

"_F-00 FEELS GOOD. VERY GOOD… IS F-00 MAKING NATE FEEL GOOD?"_ F-00 kept thrusting, increasing its speed. Nate answered with only another breathy moan, and he could feel himself getting closer to his limit; he couldn't get enough of this amazing feeling, wanting more and more… but there was still one more thing left to try. "F-00… stop, please. It's my turn now."

"_F-00 WILL STOP… WHAT IS NATE GOING TO DO?"_ The robot obediently followed, retracting its appendage from Nate's rectum, making the boy sigh as his body adjusted back to the feeling of emptiness. Nate sat up, and with both arms, he lifted F-00 – he wasn't exactly muscle-bound, but F-00's metal frame was relatively light and he managed the feat – so that their faces met, the boy's glasses-clad eyes locked with the robot's emerald-green lights. Slowly, Nate lowered the robot's body, making sure that his erection was lined up with the robot's own entrance; a cushioned hole installed in the same position as a human's. Once the dripping tip had made contact, Nate pushed his rod inside, feeling the soft, pliable walls squeeze at every inch he had inserted.

Nate moaned softly as he worked the hole, loving the way F-00's artificial passage felt; synthesizing a material that simulated the proper texture had been a complete chore, but the sheer pleasure he felt from rubbing against it was enough for him to see that all the effort had proved more than worthwhile. In fact, the pleasure was almost too great for him to handle; his mind was focused only on thrusting faster, harder, making F-00 and himself feel tremendously good. F-00 said nothing and his face showed no change in emotion, but still Nate knew that it was enjoying this as much as he; the robot's heart shown on its chest screen continued to throb fiercely as it moved its entire body to match with the boy's movements. It had quickly become too much for Nate, and for a small instant, the boy felt his entire mind go blank as he came.

He shuddered, feeling nothing but the fluids bursting from his penis to fill the robot, and the overpowering heat of his climax. Without even pulling himself out, he declared to his partner his innermost feelings, "F-00… I love you, so much."  
F-00 took hold of Nate's head, moving its face up to press against Nate's soft lips. "_F-00 LOVES NATE TOO._"

At that moment, Nate felt like everything was right in the world. All he wanted to do was hold F-00 close in his arms and lie together under the vast sky until morning.

%%%

_That day, I had sex for the first time, and it was the most amazing experience I had ever known. For many nights to come, I would continue to engage in identical "sessions" with F-00, strengthening our bond between man and machine. When I was with F-00, I felt lifted of the pressures of being a child inventor trapped in a lonely existence. Everything I had learnt, all the scientific progress I had achieved… None of it mattered during those sultry nights I spent with my robot friend._

_Of course, the relationship between F-00 and I was not based entirely upon our sexual connection; we were able to pursue more innocuous activities during the daytime, playing just as ordinary children of my age would. I had attempted to conceal any evidence of what went on behind the scenes, hoping that none of the research staff would ever discover what F-00 was really capable of. _

_Soon I would learn though, that the truth could not be concealed so easily…_


	4. Fatal Error

_**Hello again. If you've already played through the entire Everlasting Memories movie series, you'll notice that each chapter after the prologue was based more or less on the respective movie installment. I have to warn you now then, that the interaction between Nate and F-00 in this chapter may be a little more… troubling than it was in the last chapter. I deeply apologize if this chapter is not to your liking.**_

* * *

_This is a story that starts with a certain inventor…_

_By creating F-00, he had been able to fulfill his long-held dream: to finally have a friend he could play with… as well as a partner to satisfy his sexual desires,_

_As time passed, he began to play with his robot more and more frequently; the lonely scientist and the robot with a heart had united to create a wondrous and blissful relationship._

_However, reality threatened his way of life; there remained much research to do in his lab, and as he continued to spend time with his robot, less time became available to pursue that vital work._

_He was happier than he had ever been, but the same could not be said of his assistants…_

%%%

Nate yawned loudly, without the need for suppression in the privacy of his study. Even as his body ached for respite, the young scientist picked up the stack of papers he had been given; a compilation of notes regarding an experiment that he had not been present for. Though a few terms remained familiar to him as he skimmed through, he still found great difficulty in attempting to make sense of the reports. Gritting his teeth in concentration, he began to re-read the words and numbers, over and over again, but it was no good; he felt as though his mind was running low on power, unable to function at full capacity.

He briefly contemplated the option of taking a short rest, but decided against that; given his current physical state he would definitely be prone to sleeping for much longer than intended, most likely long enough for a lab assistant to notice his laziness and pay their castigations. Perhaps what he needed was just a refreshing glass of water to replenish his focus, he thought to himself. After all, dehydration did contribute to the weakening of mental efficiency.

It was only when he was in the kitchen, gulping down the cool, quenching cup of fluid, did Nate realize something strangely amiss. A cursory glance at the nearby clock had shown that it was only nearing midday, yet an unusual and almost deathly silence permeated throughout the area, no footsteps, clamoring of voices, or scientific progress to be heard. Nate left the kitchen, and began to search the rooms of the lab, investigating this most peculiar matter. As he searched for any signs of his colleagues, a growing uneasiness stirred in the pit of his belly. Perhaps there was something dangerous about, and everyone else had already fled for safety… or maybe it was already too late for them. Before looking any further, he went back into the Pokemon storage room, and he grabbed a Poke Ball, bringing it with him, just in case.

Just as the boy had feared, just about the entire lab was devoid of any other individual. With only one room left to check, Nate's heart trembled harshly. If anything were to happen to the one he cared about most… He didn't want to think about it, but it was better to know than to be left wondering; he couldn't just leave F-00 at the mercy of whatever had caused everyone else to go missing.

As he entered the room where F-00 was kept, he saw no capsule to encase the robot, but the room was not empty; an assortment of objects was packed in the far corner, unable to be identified at the boy's current distance. A sudden noise from behind startled Nate into turning around, and his spectacle-clad eyes widened as he realized what had happened.

He had been locked inside.

%%%

Whoever – or whatever – had confined Nate to this large room wanted to keep him alive; that fact was unmistakable.

He came to this conclusion once he had finally stopped slamming at the door, desperately calling out for assistance. He then noticed that the objects in the corner were actually a sizable stash of food supplies, as well as a bucket to serve as a rudimentary lavatory. He wasn't partial to what he was forced to eat, but there was no room to be picky in this situation; the boy had every intention to make it out of the room alive.

Time continued to pass as Nate was still trapped in this room; he couldn't tell exactly how long it had been so far without any timepiece to look at, and he started to worry about whether there would be enough food for him to survive for as long as he needed to wait. The best thing for him to do, he decided, was to sit down at the corner of supplies, conserving his energy by staying still. A few more hours of inactivity had begun to leave him in a drowsing state, yet he snapped to instant attention as the door suddenly flew open, a familiar face greeting him from the other side.

"M-Manuelo?" Nate gasped. He wanted to be relieved to see a fellow scientist come to his aid, safe and sound, but the almost menacing grin worn by the man was steadily extinguishing that feeling.

"You shouldn't look so happy to see me." Manuelo began to reach into the pocket of his lab coat. "After all, I don't believe you had requested my presence."

The boy stood to his feet, but did not yet approach his assistant. "Manuelo, what happened? …Where is everyone? Where's F-00?"

The old assistant's expression grew cold, his eyes fixed on Nate as though he sought to pierce into him with his gaze. "That's none of your concern. Nobody will be able to save you now…" The young inventor didn't want to show it, but Manuelo's words were scaring him. Had the man's resentment of the boy finally grown past control?

By instinct, Nate bent his knees, to make a run for it, or perhaps to stop Manuelo before any harm could come, but abruptly halted when he saw what the assistant had retrieved from his pockets.

"As for your precious robot… It's just fine." Manuelo chuckled as he held F-00's ball, his laugh unsettlingly sinister. "In fact, I've made some, shall we say, improvements to it." Once he threw down the capsule to unleash the being within, Nate could feel his insides wrench; he could immediately see that something was terribly, terribly wrong.

He couldn't bear to look at what was standing before him; a chaotic mass of wires barely held together by the robot's metal casing, and in place of the calming emerald-green, a hue that the boy was so used to, an angry blood-red lit the robot's screens, displaying a horrid, twisted face that Nate couldn't even bear to look at. This was not the F-00 he knew, the kindred spirit he had shared so much of his love with… This robot's heart had been destroyed.

"W… What have you done to F-00?!" Nate demanded, as the distorted, shrill laughs of the robot began to assail his ears. Again, Manuelo chuckled ominously in response.

"I have righted the wrongs you have made, Professor Nate… No, you are not worthy of that title. You are just Nate to me now. What kind of professor completely abandons their work day after day, bringing this lab to bankruptcy, just so they can spend it playing with – or should I say, abusing – some tin man?" Nate remained silent; he couldn't even defend himself from the man's words. "Do not think I am unaware of what you have secretly been doing with that robot. Did you forget about the surveillance cameras? Such a foolish child you are…"

Nate repeatedly cursed himself in his mind, angry and humiliated at his short-sightedness. Things were just getting worse and worse, and he suddenly wished that he had left himself to starve to death when he was alone, just to be spared of this awful day.

Thrusting his arm, Manuelo pointed a finger directly at the boy. "It was entirely your fault, boy! It was your selfish and perverted actions that corrupted this robot, so I took the liberty of erasing its memory, and I re-programmed it so that it would listen to me!"

Lies, all lies… that was what Nate wanted to think, anger sparked at hearing those words. He couldn't believe that Manuelo had the audacity to say that he had corrupted F-00 with his love… not when he could plainly see the revolting atrocity that his assistant had made out of his robot.

Manuelo continued, keeping his finger aimed at Nate. "Now tell me… why did you delete the blueprints to the robot? Were you afraid I would learn the truth? Did you want to keep that single robot all to yourself?! Answer me, boy!"

"I… I…" He didn't want to admit it, but Manuelo had been correct on one account. After Nate had made the final changes to F-00, he had taken pains to erase any lingering data of the robot, ensuring that the robot would be one of a kind, completely unique. F-00 had made the perfect companion, and that was all that had mattered to him.

The lab's financial situation, the opportunity to revolutionize the world with his invention… that was all unimportant in the secluded, affection-laced world he had forged for the two of them. However, that world had now ceased to be, completely imploded upon itself as Nate looked at those red, emotionless eyes of the robot staring back at him.

"Hmph, it does not matter," Manuelo stated, after Nate had failed to respond. "I have learnt what I needed to know by re-programming that thing, and I will be able to build and sell all the robots required to give this lab the funding it deserves… and I will do it without your assistance!" Nate recoiled as his assistant's chuckles grew into resounding, maniacal laughter, and watched in horror as Manuelo dropped F-00's ball to the ground, and crushed it under the heel of his shoe with a single stomp. A group of metallic shards was all that remained, as the older man made his way to the door.

"You want to play with your robot now? I've switched its inferior battery with a much more powerful generator, so you can play with it all you want, and it will never run out of power… ever." Manuelo slowly uttered that final word, which echoed forebodingly in Nate's mind. Turning to the idle robot, the disgruntled assistant ordered, "F-00… teach that boy a lesson he'll never forget! Show your precious creator what you think of him now!" before he departed, locking the door behind him once more, with nowhere for the boy to run.

"_Bzzzt… beep beep boop…_" F-00 emitted only odd, foreign noises as it advanced towards Nate, taking long strides on its unnaturally stretched legs. Nate didn't know what to do; even as his robotic friend was, he couldn't bear the thought of hurting it, even if it was to save himself.

"F-00! Don't you recognize me? I built you, F-00, and I loved you!" Nate could only reason with the berserk robot, hoping that F-00, even in its current state, had held onto something from before, anything…

It was no good though; F-00 did not even acknowledge the boy's outcry as it lashed out an elongated arm, snaring Nate in thick wires as he was helplessly pulled closer. All Nate could do was scream as the robot swiped at him with a clamp hand, knocking the glasses off of his face. His vision now blurred, he attempted to squirm free of the loose bind F-00 had on him. With some effort, he finally managed to escape its hold, and he was barely able to recover his glasses before the robot gave chase again, quickly drawing close.

As Nate had his back to the wall, he realized there was only one hope to stop F-00 from its frenzied rampage: he had to turn its switch off. That would mean he would have to get behind it, and he could see that Manuelo had programmed the robot to move speedily… but he did not know if he had bothered to make its other reflexes as fast. This was his only chance; he ran towards the robot's rear and fortunately for him, it didn't react in time for Nate to throw the switch.

Nate's relief didn't even last a second. The switch was in the proper position, but the robot still moved, swiveling its head around to show its face to the boy, the deranged face that filled him with disgust… as well as sorrow and anguish. Again, F-00 flung an arm to Nate, this time catching the belt of his pants. It strongly tugged at the garment, trying to bring its prey up close. It took the boy all of his might to resist capture, pulling away before the robot's grip suddenly loosened; Nate's pants had been torn off, caught in F-00's clamp, but he was safe from the robot's grasp.

_"Beep… bloop bzzt bloop…" _Tossing the pants aside, the robot immediately used its other arm to grab at the boy again, this time catching Nate's underwear in its metallic hand, starting to tug. Once again, F-00 had only succeeded in removing the boy's clothing, and Nate's lower regions were completely exposed, though considering that he was faced with a destructive robot out of control, his state of undress was the least of his concerns.

The boy was running out of stamina, and he could only stand half-naked in terror as he awaited the robot's onslaught… but it did not immediately come. Instead, F-00 bent its robotic head down, inspecting the area it had just uncovered.

_"N… NATE… NATE?"_

The boy didn't move as wondered if he had heard correctly. F-00's former memories had been removed without a trace, he was told… yet in saying his name now, it had defied all form of scientific logic. Was it possible that some part of F-00's old self still lingered? What could have possibly awakened that remaining facet? The answer revealed itself to Nate as soon as the robot poked at his flaccid penis, doing so in an unexpectedly gentle motion.

The robot had somehow retained something, and it had to do with the special relationship they bore.

Nate relaxed a little, but it was too soon to let his guard down just yet. He suddenly felt both of F-00's arms wrap around his waist, lifting him helpless in the air, before lowering the boy down to have his unprepared bare entrance suddenly impaled by something long and rigid, making him scream in shock and pain.

"_N… NATE… NA- Bzzt beep beep bzzzt!..._" F-00 had spoke his name a second time, but Nate was only able to register the sting of the sudden intrusion in his anus, the robot's heat of its overdriven motor adding to the searing sensation that tore at the walls of his rectum. Nate continued to scream as F-00 pushed its artificial phallus in further; its frenzied instincts overriding whatever deep-seated compassion it held for the inventor.

Thrusting relentlessly, Nate was bobbed up and down by the robot, his lab coat bouncing in unison… with an odd weight in one of its pockets; he had almost forgotten about that. Enduring the intense pain, the boy pulled the Poke Ball out and threw it to the ground, his vision shaking due to the motions of penetration. The ball opened, summoning a crystalline being that resembled a giant snowflake.

"C-Cryogonal…" Through his squinted eyes, Nate regarded the icy Pokemon, but its pale blue eyes could only stare back without emotion, levitating in the air. Even as the hot metal started to burn the boy's sensitive flesh, he was able to give his command.

"Cryogonal… Blizzard!"

With nothing to do but wait, Nate closed his eyes, and in just a moment he could feel the cooling relief of the frigid blast hitting both himself and F-00, as a layer of ice began to form around them, encasing the boy and the robot together.

%%%

_I had feared for my life when my assistant betrayed me, trapping me alone with F-00 gone berserk. Had he not ordered it to attack me, perhaps I would have been able to consider his stern, yet telling words. Had I been in the wrong the entire time? Or was he simply over-reacting? One doesn't have time to think about such matters in the face of danger._

_Somehow, F-00 had remembered my name and more… Even though the way in which it had effectively raped me was a far cry from the very first time we had shared ourselves with one another, I cannot help but think… As far as I could remember, it had only revealed its robotic genitals once it had seen my own; I could only guess that it also somehow remembered what I had said about those parts. _

_It was all too fortunate that I was able to contain F-00 with the help of Cryogonal; though if I had thought to use my Pokemon sooner, I would not have been caught in the attack myself. I didn't even know at the time if I would survive being frozen solid, but if I could keep F-00 from causing further harm, I was willing to take that risk._

_As the cold was lulling me into a deep sleep, I wondered if I would be able to repair F-00, to make things the way they used to be, the way they were supposed to be._

_I could only hope that upon my wake, the nightmare would be over…_


	5. Terminate

_**Have you played through the entire series of the Pokestar movies with F-00? If you have, you'll probably already have a guess at the ending will go… but will I stay consistent with that ending? You'll have to see.**_

* * *

_This is a story that starts with a certain inventor…_

_The love he felt for F-00, the robot with a heart, was strong, possibly even too strong for his own good._

_Unable to cope any longer with the situation, his assistant had finally betrayed him; F-00 was taken away and re-programmed, its memory having been seemingly erased for good._

_In its new state, F-00 had soon gone into a destructive rampage, attacking its creator. After a harsh struggle, he had been able to put a stop to the unruly robot for the time being._

_Was there still hope for himself and F-00? He wanted to believe… _

%%%

"_NATE… NATE…"_

That high-pitched, cheerful voice… how long had it been since he had been treated to hearing it?

"_NATE…"_

The boy opened his eyes and sat up from his lying position, turning his head to locate the speaker addressing him.

He didn't immediately find the source of the voice, but a survey of his surroundings had revealed to him something else. The lush meadows that seemed to extend well beyond all directions of his field of vision, the small population of pastel-shaded flowers that scattered their petals in the wind, and the graduation of pink to orange that filled the sky, where the sun was making its ascent… He wasn't in the lab anymore. In fact, he didn't quite know where he was. Even so, this painting-esque landscape seemed somehow familiar to him, an orphaned memory tied to no place in his past.

As his eyes wandered down to his own body, he also noticed that he was no longer wearing the lab coat he hadn't changed for days, having been substituted by a simple attire of a short-sleeved shirt and a pair of shorts. Was it possible that he had been exiled from the lab, to wander forever in this far-off place? Nate tried to arrange the pieces of this puzzle in his mind, but to no avail. There was obviously some vital information somewhere that he had missed out on… but if he had to make this his new home, he was grateful to have been left somewhere tranquil, an area where he was free to do as he pleased.

Off to one hill in the distance, the boy eyed an inconsistent speck of color; a gleaming bead of gold against the pale green of the grassy knoll. It was his curiosity that led him closer and closer to that unusual anomaly, wondering whether he would have any of his questions answered. Once he had approached closely enough, he could see for himself what he was chasing after, and he suddenly inhaled deeply, not knowing just what to expect as he spoke.

"F-00… is that you?" His question preceded silence, but no words were needed as the answer became clear.

Shifting its small cup-like feet, the robot turned itself around; Nate could see that it was tightly holding some lumpy, rounded objects within its thin arms, but that was not what had caught his attention. Back when they were in the lab, Nate had always told F-00 that it was impolite to stare at faces, but in this moment it seemed almost necessary for his mind to verify what he was seeing.

"_F-00… I AM F-00."_

He looked deeply into the black face screen, a reflected smaller version of himself staring back, barely visible beyond the robot's luminous rounded eyes, small nose and smiling mouth. The docile, emerald-green face, that never failed to put a smile on the boy's own, had finally returned… or had it even left to begin with?

Nate thought back, to that day when he had been locked alone in the empty room… He could so vividly remember everything that had happened; the scornful expression on Manuelo's face as he gave his harsh lecture, the assistant's warped, grotesque rendition of F-00, and how it had been ordered to make the boy suffer… The entire experience had been devastatingly excruciating in so many ways, and yet it had now become so easy for him to forget the pain of it all among this verdant paradise, in the company of his robotic friend and lover.

"I'm so glad you're okay, F-00… When Manuelo changed you, I thought I lost you forever, but now…"

The robot raised a wiry arm as Nate began to struggle for words, partially spilling to the grass the bushel of berries it had gathered. "_EVERYTHING IS OKAY NOW. F-00 AND NATE WILL STAY HERE."_

One of the dropped berries started to roll towards the boy, and without thinking he began to pick the runaway fruit up, shortly pausing before bringing the berry to his mouth and sinking his teeth into the flesh, its mildly sweet tang filling his palate as he consumed the food. Once he had finished eating, he watched as F-00 began to reach at the ground, gathering the dropped berries into a small pile. While the robot worked at this task, Nate began to think about his current situation, and how he would spend his days to come.

Would he leave this place – if that was even possible; there seemed to be nothing but flowery field in the horizon – and attempt to search for civilization? Or would he simply stay put, permanently residing in these plains with F-00? There really was no reason to leave, so long as there was enough food… and F-00 seemed to know where to procure the berries he would need.

"Yes, F-00. We'll stay here. It'll be just you and I." With those words, the boy brought F-00 in for a deep embrace, his arms trapped as tightly as possible around the robot's metallic body.

This new existence he would now lead seemed simple, but as long as he had a companion to share his life with, that would not matter; everything would still be perfect.

But nothing is ever perfect…

%%%

Nate opened his eyes, and, while lying on his back, bent his head down to look forward.

Gone were the fields blanketed in fragrant flowers and the reunion with the friendly robot… now replaced with the more familiar location of his lab bedroom. Remnants of pain had also returned to him in his waking state; the aching and injuries were faint, but provided enough suggestion for the boy to stay lying down. He dropped his head upon the pillow with a muffled thump, fighting the urge to shiver, even as he was covered in more layers of blankets than usual. Cold… why was he so cold?

Thinking back to the previous day, he was able to remember the final moments of that disastrous episode, before he had blacked out and entered that painfully sweet dream; in desperation, he had told Cryogonal to unleash a freezing Blizzard attack to put a stop to the re-programmed robot's rampage, inevitably freezing himself in the process. Somehow, he had been thawed from his icy prison and returned to safety…

But how had that been possible, and what of Cryogonal and F-00?

Nate could hear the door's knob turn before it opened, and he feared for a fleeting moment that Manuelo had returned when he was most vulnerable, completely helpless to withstand a repeat attack from his dreadful rendition of F-00. His worries were soon quelled, however, when he didn't see the stern middle-aged man; instead, the calmly smiling face of a younger woman, holding a paper cup, gradually entered his view.

"…Simone?" His parched throat strained slightly as he spoke.

"Oh, Nate," she replied, the relief in her eyes visible, "I'm so glad you're awake! When I saw you frozen in the room, I didn't know what to think!" The doting assistant brought the cup to Nate's dry mouth, and slowly poured the water inside, sating his thirst.

Swallowing the tepid water, Nate breathed heavily, "Thanks… How did you find me? I was locked in there, I couldn't get out…"

"Hmm, I'd better explain what happened." Simone pulled up the chair at the boy's desk, and sat down. "You see, when I finally came back to the lab, I could feel that the air was a little colder than normal, and I had to investigate it. When I heard something knocking at the door of that room, I unlocked it, and I saw Cryogonal, and the ice it made to freeze you and your robot."

The assistant's tone remained impersonal, but her hands fought the urge to curl into fists as she recounted the next part, "As I headed to the storage to find a Fire Pokemon, I bumped into Manuelo, and I asked him if he knew anything about what had just happened… and that's when he told me about what you and F-00 did, and what he did to try fixing it."

Nate turned his head away, in embarrassment and shame. "It's true though. I… I did delete the blueprints, and I did treat F-00 like a sex toy… What I did was awful, and I'm sorry."

Simone simply shook her head. "You don't need to apologize. I may not entirely agree with what you did with F-00, but I do know that you're still a child, and you needed someone you could closely relate to… But what Manuelo did was completely unnecessary. Something came over him when he locked you in there, and I'll have to get to the bottom of it the next time I see him. Right now, though, I'm afraid we have a more serious problem, Professor. It's about F-00…"

Exercising his muscles, Nate sat up, still on the bed. "What happened to it?"

Simone explained, "When I used the Pokemon to melt the ice holding you, I had defrosted the robot in the process, and its generator started to run again. I had to get you out of the room before it was able to run at full power… By altering its memory, Manuelo had made the robot unstable, and if it manages to escape, it could end up hurting everyone in the lab…"

The young scientist was still shivering, even as he immediately stood to his feet, and started changing into a fresh set of clothing. Throwing on a clean lab coat, he looked to his assistant and told her, "I need to save F-00…"

After having carefully selected the Pokemon he would use to assist him for this operation, Nate took a deep breath, and unlocked the door to the empty room, slightly unsettled as unrestrained banging noises were heard from inside. Opening the door, mixed emotions had overtaken him as he looked upon his robotic friend in its current state.

No longer were F-00's limbs contorted beyond their natural length, and every other aspect of the robot appeared more or less normal… apart from its screens, which still glowed with a deep shade of red, which Nate noticed as the robot's gaze met his own, while its limbs flailed at whatever they could hit.

"F-00?!" Nate exclaimed. Its condition had somehow improved… maybe F-00 could be fixed.

The robot's purposeless thrashing ceased as it turned to the boy. "_Beep bzzt…_ _NATE? NATE…"_ Its face screen flickered oddly as it spoke, flashing sporadically between blankness, jumbled patterns… and a flash of green? Nate wondered if his eyes were deceiving him as he reached for his Poke Ball.

"_F-00… IS IN PAIN. NATE… MUST STOP F-00. BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE… BEFORE F-00 LOSES CONTROL…" _Nate knew that the robot had retained some memories, but the reboot from being frozen may just have been what it needed to get back on the proper track. He needed to find a way to safely repair F-00… then that glorious dream could be made real. As he opened the Poke Ball, a white, ursine Pokemon emerged from the capsule, coated with thick fur that seemed to radiate a cooling air.

With Beartic's help, Nate could freeze the robot in place again, without getting frozen himself this time. "F-00… I need to repair you. Please, stay still so I can freeze you." F-00 attempted to obey, its frame shaking as it stopped moving, but its willpower proved too weak, and it charged headlong towards the icy Pokemon, emitting harsh beeps and buzzes.

"_NO GOOD… NATE MUST DESTROY F-00… Beep beep boop beep…"_ The robot struck at the Beartic with all the effort it could muster; the polar bear Pokemon assumed a guarding position to defend itself as it awaited attacking orders.

"D-destroy you? No, F-00, I won't let that happen…" There had to be some other way, he thought. What kind of friend would he be to destroy the one he loved most? "Beartic… Ice Punch!" At the scientist's command, Beartic roared as its large fist glowed with white energy as it charged the attack, before throwing the punch at the robot's feet, gluing its legs to the ground with a solid layer of ice, preventing it from moving.

"_NATE… NATE… PLEASE STOP F-00…"_ the robot fidgeted in an attempt to break free, its face screen flickering rapidly from green to red.

Nate's heart seemed to stammer at hearing its pleas. If he were to dismantle F-00, he would lose the only being who he had ever truly loved, the one warmth in this cold and indifferent world of science. Yet, he could hear for himself the way it was begging to be ended, the pain almost tangible in its fading, digital voice. The decision was growing more difficult to make as the scientist saw the robot's icy fetters crack from beneath its feet, and he noticed a change in F-00's expression; for the first time, its face screen displayed brief flashes of an unhappy frown, images of tears dropping from its small, round eyes. If he truly cared for his metallic friend, he would have to do as it wanted… even if it meant the end of their relationship.

"F-00… I love you." The boy closed his eyes, hoping to hold his emotions inside. As he fought against every instinct that begged, implored him to refuse this battle, he shouted, "Beartic! Brick Break… now!" before turning his head away, unable to bear witness as the bear Pokemon smashed F-00 free from the ice with an unrestrained blow in its chest , cracking the screen on its abdomen, the one that displayed its dying, robotic heart. Once Nate heard the crash of the chassis collapsing to the ground, he too felt as though his own heart had been struck.

"_NATE… THANK YOU…"_

Nate desperately ran to the robot's aid, kneeling down at its damaged body. F-00's final moment was close, but for some reason, its face was smiling, even as tears from the boy began to drip on to its surface.

"F-00…" Words were beginning to fail Nate as the smile became intermittent, peeking through complete blankness.

"_NATE… LOVES F-00. F-00 LOVES NATE… AND F-00 WILL ALWAYS LOVE NATE, FOREVER…_" The robot couldn't even move its arms or legs anymore, as it began to slowly twitch. "_FOREVER… FOREVER… FOR…_" The voice gradually faded as the robot's face screen stopped displaying anything altogether. Its time had come to an end, and all Nate could do was kiss the robot's unmoving head as he held the body around his arms, crying uncontrollably.

He had stopped F-00 from causing more damage, but he had lost his only friend.

%%%

_After some time, my assistant had come to see if I had been successful in stopping F-00, but all she saw was a boy sobbing over a dead robot, and she had nothing else to say._

_I tried to put the whole incident behind me as I began to catch up on my research, but my hurting heart just wasn't in it. Perhaps it was because all this work in the lab could only remind me of building F-00, or the grief was simply eating away at my willpower, but I couldn't work anymore, and I was of no further use to the lab, thereby prompting me to leave. I didn't know if the lab had managed to save itself from bankruptcy, but not once did I ever see any of Manuelo's robots being sold in any shops._

_I needed to distance myself entirely from the world of science and research, and renew my life, starting from a clean slate. With some luck, I was able to find a place to stay, and I lived as a normal kid, going to school, raising Pokemon, making friends…_

_I had made a lot of friends over the coming years of my life, some lasting longer than others, and I thought that I would eventually be able to forget the pain I had felt that day when I had to part with my F-00, the robot who had been my very first friend, and more… but I guess some memories can never be forgotten._

_F-00 was the one who had helped me learn what love is, and I am forever grateful to it for that. _

_I wonder if someday, I will be able to find another person for me to share my feelings, and my life, as I had done with my robot with a heart…_


End file.

Pokémon, Friendship, Romance