Parasite.

His jaw tightened. Such an ugly word, parasite. Free of insult or not, what it implied was disrespect enough. Deoxys is no leech guzzling blood at Killian's expense. He's stronger not weaker since they joined.

Right?

Slateport. The third worst place in all of Hoenn. Beaten out by Lilycove and Sootopolis for second and first, respectively. All three shared the same stale, sulphury smell Killian loathed. A nostril-burning scent worsened by the wind.

Tonight, in this city of putrid aromas where dreams go to die, pieces moved on a board. Pawns and knights pushed into place against a king unaware of the game.

Layers of muscle squirmed like scuttering insects underneath the skin.

Deoxys prowled the moonlight city of Sootopolis. Pulling fictitious strings, it manipulated stolen skin like a puppeteer. One foot in front of the other, head forward, arms swaying at its side. The human performance is nearly flawless.

Nearly.

Each step came with a pencil's straightness and the sound of a thud. Slight inconsistencies amplified by the ocean's distance in its eyes, turning warning whispers to loud alarms. Unnatural, alien - the bell rang to anyone able to hear.

Emotion flooded Deoxys, and it lost control, crushed by the sea of feeling.