Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Master ❯ Stage Nine - A Traitor in Their Midst ( Chapter 9 )

Her bare toes buried in the sand, her back braced against the curve of a shady palm tree, a girl sat by the side of the beach. A sea breeze tossed her long hair in and out of the shadows, making it go from silver to iridescent white and back again. The bright sun sparkled on the waves as they crept lazily onto the beach and then slid back to the deeper ocean once more, occasionally casting up a seashell for her companions to retrieve. The girl under the tree took no notice as her friend, a dark-haired girl clutching a camera, and her lead Pokemon, a Spearow with a scar across his eye, splashed and played along the beach. She was writing a letter. Any outside observer would have thought they were there for a tropical holiday, and that the girl was probably telling friends or family back home all the fun she was having. Unfortunately for her, her life recently had been anything but a vacation, and her situation was something less than fun. She chewed on her pencil, trying to find the words she needed.

Dear Falkner, the letter read, a lot of things have been happening.

That was as far as she'd been able to get. Since she'd last seen the leader of the Violet City Gym, a lot of things certainly had happened - too many things for the girl's peace of mind. She felt a need to confide in someone older and wiser, and she trusted Falkner, but it was still hard to get all her emotions and experiences down on paper. She decided to at least start the letter off with something cheerful.

I've picked up some new Pokemon since last time I saw you - a Murkrow, an Umbreon, and a Crobat. The Murkrow used to belong to Team Rocket, but I think he's okay now, for a Murkrow, anyway. The Crobat we rescued from a Rocket lab too. Lately I can't turn around without tripping over a Rocket.

She sighed at that last line, finding herself face to face with the subject she'd wanted to avoid. She decided to go ahead and get it over with.

While I was in Ecruteak, I talked to Morty. He said he was a friend of yours, so maybe you already know that. Anyway, while I was there, he told me that he thinks there's a traitor somewhere among the Gym Leaders, and he asked me to try to find out. I told him I wasn't going to, but I think I might have found out anyway. Falkner, the Rockets are after me - they attacked me just outside of Ecruteak, saying they had orders from the top to have me captured. I asked Ember why they're after me, and he said it's because of Clair.

There. She'd put it in black and white, giving substance to what had been thus far only sound and thought. She still didn't want to believe it. All this time she'd been idolizing the Dragon Master, and now she was being told by a renegade Rocket that she was actually out to kill her - and all because she'd had the nerve to want to learn from her! It sounded insane, but Aurora trusted her informer. Ember might have been an ex-Rocket and a lot of trouble, but he wasn't a liar. At least, she didn't think he was...

Ember said Clair is working with the Rockets, because she thinks she's losing power and influence and wants their help getting it back. They're supposed to help her get rid of people who might beat her in an honest match. I'm not really sure how it works, but maybe you'd want to check on that.

What else? She didn't really want to go into detail about how she felt, knowing that Team Rocket and the most powerful trainer in Johto was out to get her, or how she wished she could wake up and find it had all been a mistake.

I heard something else, strange, too. I overheard a Rocket scientist talking, and he was saying that Laine's dad didn't die in an accident like she thought. He said some other Rockets had attacked him in on a ledge, trying to steal something from him, and that's why he fell. Laine didn't hear, and I haven't told her yet, but I'm worried about her anyway. She still misses her dad so much, and I don't know how she would take finding out he was killed. On the other hand, she's still carrying around the stuff the Rockets were after, and I'm afraid they'll find out she's got it. Then she'd be in as much trouble as I am.

The thought gave her an inner twinge of guilt. If Aurora hadn't met Laine, she'd probably have stayed in Azalea Town, the way her grandfather had wanted. Then she changed her mind - Laine had been determined to get away from home and follow in her father's footsteps. At least this way she had someone to watch her back.

Everything's gotten so confusing. I really don't know what I'm doing anymore - what's the point of going forward if I just know every Badge I win is another reason for Clair to try to kill me? It's not as if getting them all is going to do me any good now. Then again, I can't really turn around and go home now, either. I could use some advice right about now.

She looked at the letter, trying to think of how to finish. She couldn't think of anything else that needed to be said. Resignedly, she signed her name and began folding the letter up.

"Hey, Rora!" called Laine from somewhere down the beach. "You done writin' that thing? I'm ready to get back to solid land. My boots are fulla sand."

"Yeah, I'm done," said Aurora. "Just give me a minute to get it sent, and then we can get going."

She whistled, and a Pidgey fluttered down from the tree and landed in front of her, chirping with polite curiosity.

"Hello, Pidgey," said Aurora. "Would you mind doing me a favor? I need this letter delivered to Falkner, in Violet City. Do you know where to find him?"

The Pidgey did. He chirped agreeably. Aurora thanked him and fastened the letter to his leg. He preened her hair a bit before flapping off into the sky. Scar clicked his beak at the other bird as it disappeared into a cloud bank.

"Don't be like that," Aurora scolded. "You know I couldn't get you to deliver that; I need you here. How am I supposed to fight Jasmine if my lead Pokemon is off delivering messages?"

That soothed Scar's ruffled feelings a bit. He raised his head and strutted proudly up the beach as the girls led the way back into the city. They strolled up a wooden sidewalk, keeping an eye out for the local Gym as they chatted.

"You sure you're ready for Jasmine?" asked Laine. "Heard she's pretty tough. Those Steel-types are as bad as the Rock-types - if you don't have a type advantage, you're in for a long fight."

"What types have the advantage?"

"Fire. Water. Fighting. Stuff you don't have."

"Well, that's encouraging."

"You'll figure somethin' out. You always do," Laine said. "Odds are something weird'll come up and she'll just give it to you."

Aurora frowned. "I don't like that. Too many of these things I've gotten just because someone decided I deserved them. They aren't earned honestly."

"Here we go again," Laine muttered. "What did the guy say? Badges are to show your mastery over Pokemon. You can control your Pokemon pretty well, so why shouldn' they give you Badges?"

"Because you're supposed to win them in Gyms," said Aurora stubbornly.

"Okay, be that way," said Laine. "Anyway, if you're determined, the best thing I can tell ya is to go with Pokemon like Moondancer and Blabberbeak that know some moves that are at least halfway effective. Maybe Rusty, too - bet he knows a thing or two about how Steel-types fight. Better be careful, though - some Steel-types know Electric moves, too."

"Now, that's the kind of advice I can use. See, I knew there was a reason I was letting you follow me around."

Laine grinned. "You just like my company, that's all."

The Gym did not prove difficult to find. It had a steel roof, which had been polished to mirror brightness, so that it flashed in the tropical sunlight. Wrapping around the grounds was a tall steel fence, similarly polished, with tall posts topped off with miniature Magnemites. The front gate was topped by an arch in the shape of two Steelixes touching noses, and the roof was surmounted by a statue of a Skarmory. The gate itself was closed, but Aurora was able to undo the heavy latch, letting it swing smoothly open.

Despite the building's rather forbidding exterior, it's front lawn was a welcoming blend of smooth lawn, flowering plants, and tasteful rock gardens. A sculpture of a Seadra sat in one corner, spouting water. A pebbled pathway wound through the garden, twisting and turning in a way that made Aurora feel the person who had planted everything wanted to make sure their work was noticed and appreciated before they got too wrapped up in Gym doings. It did help calm Aurora down a bit. She'd always heard that Jasmine was a kind person; perhaps battling her wouldn't be too overwhelming of an ordeal...

"She's not home."

Aurora, Laine, and Scar jumped as one. Looking for the source of the voice, they saw that there was a girl standing in a shaded corner. Her dark hair and dark clothing had helped to camouflage her, and she had been standing so still that Aurora had taken her to be just another sculpture. Now she moved into the light, showing a girl in a slate-blue uniform of some sort, with a matching hat holding back ocean-blue hair and shading ocean-blue eyes.

"If you're looking for Jasmine," she said, "she's not home. She left a couple of days ago to check up on something. We heard some rumors of some injured Dratinis in Blackthorn, so she took off to see if it was true and what she could do about it."

"Do you know when she'll be back?" Aurora asked. "I'm kind of in a hurry."

"No idea," said the girl with a shrug. "I suppose you could hang around and wait, if you want. To tell the truth, I wouldn't mind the company. Things are pretty dull around here when Jasmine's not home."

"Are you Jasmine's apprentice?" asked Aurora, surveying the girl's uniform.

"Sure am! Just got the post a couple of months ago. I used to be from Pewter City in Kanto, but when Jasmine heard there was a girl there with a Steel-type affinity, she had me shipped over here in a hurry. Steel affinities are even rarer than Steel-type Pokemon, from what I can tell. By the way, I'm Lapis - Lapis Lazuli. Who are you?"

"Aurora Cummings," she answered, offering her hand. "That's my friend, Laine Harvester. Oh, and this overgrown feather duster is my lead Pokemon, Scar."

Scar ruffled his feathers and showed off his sharp beak and claws. Lapis gave him an appraising stare.

"If that's what you lead with, I'd hate to see what you're keeping in reserve," she said.

"Mostly Flyin'-types," said Laine. "That's her specialty."

"Oh, really?" asked Lapis, looking interested. "I'm not so good with them, myself. Not many people try to fight Steel with Flying-types, so I don't have much battle experience with them. I do have a very nice Skarmory, though, if I do say so myself."

"So do I!" said Aurora. "Can I meet yours?"

"I'll tell you what - you show me yours and I'll show you mine."

"Deal."

The two girls opened up their Pokeballs, and Lapis introduced Aurora to her Skarmory, Stiletto. He and Rusty greeted each other politely; Skarmories were normally solitary birds, but they did know a few things about good manners. While the two birds were getting to know each other, their attending trainers did likewise. The three girls were soon fast friends. Aurora and Lapis swapped tips on the raising of Skarmories, while Laine filled her notebook with information on the rare and powerful Steel-types. They were both impressed with Lapis's knowledge, not only of her favorite Pokemon, but of plants and flowers. It seemed that Jasmine had an interest in healing herbs, and many of the things growing in her garden were not only beautiful, but useful as well.

"No one in Johto knows more about growing things than Jasmine. She studied with Erika for a few years," Lapis explained. "She sends them to the pharmacist in Cianwood to make his medicines with, but they're usually good enough fresh-picked. She's good at diagnosing diseases and things, too. I'm expected to learn that along with everything else, but I don't mind. It's good to know I can always heal my Pokemon even if there isn't a Pokemon Center nearby."

"And that's why Jasmine had to leave," said Aurora. "So she could find out what's wrong with the Pokemon."

"That's right," Lapis replied. "If she can, she'll help to heal them; otherwise she'll send word to someone higher up the scale. If that's what's going on, she might not come home for days or weeks. I hope that's not what's going on. People are getting edgy around here."

"Edgy?" Aurora repeated. "What for?"

Lapis shrugged. "Oh, you know, just rumors. There have been some Rocket sightings, but nothing confirmed. There's a story going around that Giovanni's come back out of hiding. The word is that the Rockets have found themselves a double agent - an insider from the Gym community that can spy on us and track our activity so they can tip of the Rockets and keep them from getting caught. People are worried - don't know who to trust, you know. Do you know what it's like for people to not even know if they can trust their own Gym Leader not to turn the town over to Team Rocket?"

"Jasmine wouldn' do a thing like that!" Laine said. "Everyone I talk to says she's the nicest lady alive."

Lapis nodded. "I know that, but people don't think straight when they're scared. I sure hope she comes home soon."

"So do I," said Aurora. "I don't have a lot of time to waste."

"Do you want to spar with me a bit?" Lapis offered. "I'm not authorized to give out Badges, but..."

"Thanks, but no," Aurora replied. "I think I've stayed here long enough. I'll be back, though."

"Right," said Lapis. "Nice meeting you both. Good luck."

The girls left the Gym with varying levels of discouragement.

"Well, that was a big success," Laine commented.

"I don't like it," said Aurora.

"Hey, it's okay. You can fight her when she gets back. It'll be more time to practice."

"It's not that," Aurora said. "I don't like being forced to stay in town like this. I'll be a sitting duck if the Rockets come looking for me."

"There is that," said Laine. "Oh, well."

"How can you go 'oh, well' like that? This is dangerous."

Laine shrugged. "We've come through all right before, haven' we? Besides, nobody's gonna - hold the phone. What was that?"

"What was what?"

"I thought I saw somethin'. See, there it goes!"

Laine pointed, and Aurora looked in time to see something dark moving quickly through a back alley. Curious, she began creeping towards it, with Laine and Scar tiptoeing along behind her. Another shape flashed by through the gap between two buildings, and this time Aurora recognized it as a human being dressed all in black, save for one telltale red marking. He was carrying a heavy sack on his back. The girls and the bird ducked behind a dumpster, peeking around the edges to try to watch what was happening. Laine took out her binoculars.

"They're sneakin' around the back of the Gym," she whispered. "Looks like there's maybe a basement door or somethin' back there, and they're tryin' to get in."

"We should stop them," Aurora hissed back.

"What, are you nuts? You've got a price on your head; you don' want anyone tryin' to claim it. We should tell the police."

"I guess you're right," said Aurora reluctantly. It irked her to walk away from a fight like that, but Laine was probably right to say she should be looking out for herself... and her friends. Feeling unsettled, she turned and began walking away, sternly reminding herself that the police were the best people to deal with the situation.

The chief of police in Olivine City was a portly man in a blue uniform who looked like he was more used to handing out parking tickets than dealing with major emergencies. Unfortunately, he seemed to be the only one in residence, so Aurora and Laine walked up to him nervously.

"Um, excuse me," said Aurora, "but we need to report something."

"Hm? What's this?" asked the policeman, blowing into his mustache. "What can I do for you, my good lady?"

"Well, it's like this," Aurora began.

"We saw some Rockets," Laine said.

"What?" said the policeman. He went from looking sleepy and good-natured to ferocious in an eyeblink. "Where? When?"

"Just a little while ago," said Aurora. "We were just leaving the Gym, and-"

"There were Rockets at the Gym?" the man exclaimed.

"Yeah," Laine agreed. "We were just leavin', an' we saw them sneakin' down a back alley, so we followed 'em and saw 'em going through a back door..."

"To the Gym?" he asked.

Laine gave him an annoyed look. "No, the candy store, dummy, what d'you think? Yes, the Gym! Aren't you payin' attention?"

"Laine, that's rude," Aurora hissed. "You can't talk to a policeman that way."

"I can when he's bein' stupid," Laine replied. "Lapis said the people around here were bein' crazy, but she didn' say nothin' about them bein' stupid."

"You were talking to Lapis? Lapis Lazuili, the apprentice Gym Leader?" the policeman asked.

"Yeah," said Laine grumpily. "She said everyone was actin' all crazy because they're scared of the Rockets."

"I see," said the policeman, his bushy eyebrows furrowing. "I must look into this at once! Marten! Gray! Where are you?"

Two young policemen scampered into the room and snapped to attention immediately. A pair of Houndours trotted at their heels and growled faintly at Scar, who hissed and showed his talons.

"We must get to the Gym immediately," said the chief of police. "Thank you, ladies. I'll get back to you once we have matters under control. Let's go, men!"

He marched off with his followers trailing eagerly behind. The girls looked at each other.

"I feel so comforted, don't you?" asked Laine bitterly.

Aurora frowned. "Now that you mention it, no. Do you think it would be okay if we went back outside a bit for a while?"

"Why wouldn' it be?"

"I don't know. They might want us for witnesses or something."

Laine shrugged. "They're the police. If they're all that good, they'll find us."

They went out. It was still a beautiful day outside, and Aurora did her best to try to enjoy it. Still, things kept intruding on her mind - Rockets at the Gym, Ember's news about Clair, her discovery about Laine's father... why did everything have to happen to her, anyway? Then again, as she looked around, she realized she was not the only one with worries. The townspeople did look worried, and they eyed the young travelers warily.

"You'd think we were Rockets in disguise," Aurora muttered to Laine, watching a woman with a baby stroller give them a glance and hurry to the other side of the street.

"It's not such a farfetched idea," Laine replied.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, it's not such a farfetched idea that there might be Rockets in disguise around here," said Laine. "See, there's one now."

She pointed, and Aurora looked. On the other end of the street, she noticed a boy in a familiar denim jacket, wisps of brilliant red hair escaping his cap. Despite the Badges pinned prominently to his coat, Aurora knew he was no honest trainer - at least, she amended, not completely honest. He seemed to be deep in conversation with a shopkeeper. Even as the girls watched, he shook his head and began wandering off in obvious disgust. Aurora hurried to catch up to him.

"Hey, Ember, wait up!" she called.

He stopped and turned around. The minute his eyes fell on her, his expression shifted from surprise to a deadly glare.

"So," he said coldly. "I suppose you think you're clever, do you?"

"What do you mean?" asked Aurora.

"I mean, going to the police like that," he said. "It was you, wasn't it? I heard it was a little girl who made the report, and only you could be such an annoying busybody."

"What are you so mad about?" she asked. "You didn't think I was going to-"

"Not here," he hissed, looking around furtively. "People are going to hear us. Come on, this way."

He escorted her down a side street and into the shadows of a narrow alley; she wouldn't have even seen it if Ember hadn't showed it to her. Once they were there, he leaned against the wall and favored her with another one of his glacial stares.

"So," he said, "you thought you'd be a hero again and report some Rockets to the police. Is that it?"

"I wasn't trying to be a hero," she said. "I wanted to fight them myself, but Laine wouldn't let me."

Ember sighed. "The one time you would have been better off picking a fight..."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Aurora, eyes narrowing.

"Do you have any idea what those Rockets were doing?" he asked.

"They were up to no good," said Laine. "Rockets always are."

"Right," he said. "For your information, they knew the information had gotten out that one of the Gym Leaders was a traitor - well, you can't expect something like that to stay a secret forever. Jasmine's in Blackthorn City this week, running some far-fetched errand. They intended to sneak into her Gym, plant some Rocket paraphernalia there, and then make sure a tip got back to the police about it. Then Jasmine would get arrested, or at the very least have enough suspicion thrown on her that the lawkeepers would get confused and leave the real traitor alone for a while."

"And now we've shown up and ruined your plan, right?" said Laine.

"No," Ember snapped. "Maybe if you'd had the sense to catch them before they broke in. Now the damage is done. The police caught the Rockets after they had finished planting the evidence, and of course they said they were there looking to speak to the Gym Leader. You just helped them by delivering their tip for them. I came down here trying to derail this thing before it got out of hand, only to find that you two went and got yourselves involved, and now there's nothing anyone can do about it. Lapis has already been arrested, and Jasmine will be, too, when she comes home, and it's all your fault!" He glared at them both fiercely. Aurora wished she could sink into the ground, but Laine faced him glare for glare.

"How were we supposed to know what your stupid Rocket plans are?" she demanded. "We ain't psychics. Maybe if you had at least told us. You knew we were here. Why didn'cha send Rora a letter or somethin' if you knew this was gonna happen? Any Pidgey woulda been happy to tell her. We coulda helped you if you hadn't been so determined to do everything yourself."

"Team Rocket is my responsibility," he said. He sounded slightly sulky. "I'm supposed to be able to handle things myself."

"Even Team Rocket's a team," said Laine. "You oughta learn how to get help from your friends when you can."

"Hm," he said, eyeing them both thoughtfully. "That may be a point."

"Why are you so mad about all this, anyway?" asked Aurora. "I thought you were still loyal to Team Rocket."

"I am," he said. "I want something to be left of it by the time I take it over, and it's bound to be destroyed if they keep pulling stunts like this. Lance won't have us getting his Gym Leaders thrown out of office. Besides," he said quietly, "Jasmine is an old friend of my father's. He'd never forgive me if I let her get thrown in jail for no good reason."

The girls goggled at him.

"She is?" asked Aurora faintly.

"Of course," said Ember. "They went to school together."

"You just keep getting weirder and weirder," said Laine, with something that sounded like admiration.

"Anyway," he said, "supposing I did ask you for help right now, what would you do?"

"I suppose the first thing to do," Aurora answered, "would be to find Jasmine and let her know what's going on."

"That would be an idea," said Ember. "All right. You do that. Anything else?"

"Well, I wrote a letter to Falkner," said Aurora. "I don't know how soon it will get to him, but he is in charge of investigations and things - you'd think they'd ask him about something big like this... he won't believe Jasmine's at fault when I already told him it was Clair."

Ember's expression clouded briefly. Then he shrugged.

"So you decided to tell him? You might as well. I never liked Clair, anyway. Too much trouble, if you ask me. Perhaps something will be done about her... or not. She may not be what she was once, but she's still the most powerful Gym Leader on the island, and Lance's heir- apparent. It will take a lot to topple her, Rockets or no Rockets."

"Well, we'll do what we can," said Aurora, and Laine nodded.

"And so will I," said Ember. "You keep Jasmine safe as long as you can, and I'll see what I can do about the rest of it. No promises, but..."

"You'll do your best, I know," Aurora answered. "I trust you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you really?"

"Sure," said Laine. "You may be a Rocket, but you're an honest Rocket."

"Well," he said.

He shrugged and began walking away. He clicked a Pokeball open, releasing a winged orange dragon, which crouched long enough to let him climb onto its back before leaping into the air and carrying him away.

"Easy come, easy go," Laine muttered. "He could at least say goodbye or somethin'."

"That's Ember for you," answered Aurora, a bit wistfully. "Did you really mean it when you said you trusted him?"

"Sure. Why not? It ain't like he hasn' bailed us outta some hairy scrapes before," Laine answered. "He's a pretty decent guy, for all he is a Rocket. I'm startin' to think maybe some of them are almost human."

Almost human... Again, Aurora's mind strayed to her secret about Laine's father. Maybe she should tell her... Of course she should tell her, but what would happen when she did?

"Laine..." she began.

"No time to talk now," said Laine. "We've gotta go find Jasmine, 'member?"

"Right," she said, with mixed relief and guilt. "Where do we look?"

"Well, if she's coming from Blackthorn..." Laine flipped on her PokeGear and began investigating the map. "Looks like she'll be heading down from right about... there. We'll see if we can meet her when she comes through."

"Good idea," said Aurora. "Let's go."

Silently, she added, *And let's hope Ember's telling the truth.*

Even that far from the beach, the sun was still warm and bright, and dark-haired Laine ran a hand across her sweating face and scowled at the cheery skies. Aurora had managed to take shelter in the shin shadows of one of the spindly palm trees that grew along the wayside, but it was scant protection, and she fanned herself with her hands. Both girls had been sitting on the side of the road for better than an hour, and both of them felt hot, bored, and slightly sunburned.

*I wonder if this is the right thing to do,* Aurora wondered. *What if Ember really is lying? He could be setting us up. Maybe it really is Jasmine who's behind this. If it is, everything will be all right, I can go on with what I was doing...*

She shook her head. Tempting as it was, she couldn't let herself believe it. To ignore her warnings that her life was in danger because of Clair, just to settle her own mind, was stupid. It would get her killed, and probably put a lot of other people in danger.

*Just like not telling Laine about her father,* she decided. *No matter how bad it makes me feel, or her feel, I have to tell her for her own safety... once we're done helping Lapis and Jasmine.*

"Are you sure this is the way she's coming?" asked Aurora.

"I'm sure," said Laine. "I'm just not sure when. You heard Lapis - Jasmine might not be here for days."

"We can't wait that long," said Aurora. "They'll put Lapis in jail or something. Maybe if I asked the birds, one of them could find her..."

Her musings were interrupted by a squawk from overhead, and they looked up to see Scar swooping down to land next to them. He screeched away at Aurora while she tried to keep up with his rapid bird-chatter.

"What's he sayin'?" asked Laine.

"He says Jasmine's on her way!" Aurora answered. "Thank goodness. I was starting to think we'd be here all week."

Within a few minutes, they could hear a distant rumbling, crunching noise, as of a very large rock being rolled along the road. Then Aurora caught sight of something blinking off in the distance, and Laine pulled out her binoculars to look. The flashing thing was a great, shining, snake-like beast, and there was a woman riding on its back.

"It's her!" Laine announced. "Movin' fast. We're gonna have a time getting her to stop."

"We'll manage," said Aurora.

She jumped up to stand in the middle of the road, and Laine and Scar copied her example. They stood in a row while the approaching Steelix roared up the road. It caught sight of them at the last possible second, skidding to a halt with a metallic screech and a great deal of dust.

"What's going on here?" asked a sweet, feminine voice. "Is something wrong?"

"Jasmine? Is that you?" asked Aurora.

"I am Gym Leader Jasmine," she answered. "Who are you?"

She leaned over to get a better look, and Aurora took the example to look back at the Gym Leader. She was a pretty woman with long brown hair, part of it caught in two short pigtails while the rest spilled down her back. Her eyes were wide and inquisitive, and her face looked kind. Aurora compared her to Clair's sharp look and decided that Ember was telling the truth; this person wouldn't willingly come within a mile of a Rocket, except to bring it to justice.

"My name is Aurora Cummings, and I'm a Pokemon trainer," she answered. "This is my friend Laine Harvester. We need to talk to you."

"If you want to have a Gym Battle, it will have to wait until I get back to the Gym and freshen up a bit," Jasmine replied. "I've just come back from a long journey; Steelix and I are tired."

"It's not about that," said Aurora. "It's just... you can't go back to town right now."

Jasmine's eyebrows raised. "Why not?"

"Because of those stupid Rockets," Laine answered.

"It's like this," said Aurora. "Everyone's talking about how one of the Gym Leaders has turned traitor, and the Rockets planted some things in the Gym to make it look like you're working with them. They've already arrested Lapis, and if you go back, they'll arrest you, too. You've got to stay out of sight until everything gets straightened out."

"They've taken Lapis?" asked Jasmine, concerned. "I must help her..."

"You can't," said Aurora. "You'll both be in trouble then. What good will it do you to get yourself arrested, too?"

"I will not stay in hiding," said Jasmine stubbornly. "Lapis is my responsibility. Besides, it is not the act of an innocent woman to stay in hiding. I'll have a talk to Sergeant Hardrock and get this all straightened out. Excuse me, please."

She wheeled her Steelix around and brushed past them, her face set in lines of worry. The girls looked at each other.

"What do you think?" asked Aurora.

Laine shook her head. "She's doomed."

This was, Aurora reflected as she walked dejectedly up the street, one of her all-time lows. Even getting captured was nowhere near as bad as this. At least then she'd felt like she could still do something. Now all she could do was listen to the local gossip. Not like it was hard to hear - everywhere she went, people were talking about the same thing: Jasmine had been arrested for conspiracy with Rockets, and both she and her apprentice were in custody awaiting trial.

"We failed," she said miserably.

"We are kinda having a setback," said Laine.

"We failed," Aurora said, more certainly. "We could have fought the Rockets and stopped them, and we didn't do that. We could have told the police what we know about Clair, and we didn't do that. We could have done something to hold Jasmine up so she wouldn't get arrested, and we didn't do that. We haven't done anything today but get into trouble."

"We tried," said Laine. "Come on, stop feelin' sorry for yourself already. Ya did the best ya could. Quit mopin' and think about somethin' constructive."

"Like what? Now I can't even finish collecting my Badges; it could be weeks before they decide if Jasmine is guilty or not and decide who's going to be the next Gym Leader. How many people specialize in Steel-types?"

"You don't know she's gonna be kicked out."

"We don't know she won't."

"Well, aren't you just a little ray of sunshine?" said Laine crossly, hands on hips.

"I'd like to see you say something positive."

Laine opened her mouth for a moment, then shut it. She stared up at the sky. She blinked and looked again.

"Falkner's coming," she said.

"Eventually, I guess," said Aurora, "but who knows how long it will be before-"

"No, seriously, he's coming!" Laine exclaimed. She took out her binoculars and shoved them into Aurora's hands. "Look - look over there."

Aurora peered through the binoculars, scanning the sky. Off in the distance, she could see two bird-shapes skimming across the clouds. One of them carried a sky-blue shape, and the other a ghostly white shape. When Aurora twisted a few knobs, the glasses showed her the familiar faces of Falkner and Morty.

"We're saved!" she cheered, and Scar squawked his agreement. "Falkner will straighten this out in no time - they'll listen to him."

Within a few minutes, two Pidgeottos had deposited their burdens lightly on the beach. Falkner was just returning them to their Pokeballs when they were greeted by a young girl running across the sand.

"Falkner!" Aurora shouted, running up and hugging him. "Am I ever glad to see you!"

"So I see," he said with a faint laugh. "This is a pleasant greeting, but you might want to let go before someone gets the wrong idea."

"Oh. Sorry," she said, releasing him from her grip. "It's just... I was just wishing you'd come. Everything is so crazy around here today, and it just keeps getting worse. I didn't think you'd come so soon."

"When one of my fledglings is in trouble, I come as soon as possible," he answered, "especially when that trouble affects all of Johto. And since Morty here has been reporting unsettling vibrations from this area, we thought we'd come out and kill two birds with one stone, if you'll pardon the expression."

"Spear, spear, spearow," Scar muttered.

"Quiet," Aurora scolded. "He did say he was sorry."

"Spear, spear, spear."

"So, what's been going on here in Olivine?" asked Morty. "Even from far away, I got the feeling that things weren't right here. There has been an unsettling here of some kind, has there not?"

Laine nodded. "Those Slowpokes at the police station went an' arrested Jasmine and Lapis for no good reason!"

"They what?" asked Morty coldly. His dark eyes had gone hard as diamonds.

Quickly, Aurora explained what she knew about the Rocket plot.

"That," said Morty, "is going too far! This cannot be allowed."

"It won't be," Falkner replied. "We will have to speak to the sergeant. Where can we find him, please?"

"This way," said Aurora. She started up the beach, leading the rest of the party behind her and listening as the two Gym Leaders whispered to each other. She could not hear what they were saying, but it was clear that Morty was absolutely furious, and Falkner seemed to be trying to calm him down. Falkner didn't sound that happy himself, but he wasn't bristling like Morty was; one could almost see the air shimmer in distress around him.

They reached the police station and found the sergeant shuffling through a pile of paperwork. He looked up as he heard the door open and looked surprised by what he saw. He got quickly to his feet.

"Leader Morty, Leader Falkner, what brings you here?" he asked, looking rather nervous, as if he thought he might have done something wrong.

"Just clearing up a few little matters," said Falkner calmly. "I heard news that one of my fellow Gym Leaders landed in a spot of trouble today. I thought I'd come and look the matter over for myself."

"How did you find out?" asked Sergeant Hardrock. "The news hasn't been made public yet."

"Things get around," said Falkner, waving a hand. "I've heard one version of the story already, but I'd like to hear it from your point of view before I make up my mind."

"Well, it's all really very simple," said the sergeant, blowing nervously into his mustache. "A pair of young ladies came here saying they'd seen Rockets at the Gym, so of course we went to investigate. We managed to capture several of them, and a search of the Gym uncovered a number of Rocket uniforms and other paraphernalia. When we questioned the captives, they admitted that Jasmine had been allowing them to use her basement as an underground headquarters. It was an open and shut case."

"It was hardly an open and shut case," said Morty, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Didn't anyone ever bother to tell you that things are not always what they seem?"

"Um, yes," Sergeant Hardrock said, "but I believe if you examine the evidence, you'll find-"

"If I examine the evidence, I'll find it's a pack of lies," Morty hissed.

"Morty, do you mind?" asked Falkner mildly. "Really, you're being very excitable today. Kindly control your temper."

"Sorry," said Morty, looking chagrined. A Gastly that hovered over his shoulder made faces at the sergeant, but Morty remained silent.

"I apologize for my friend. This is quite unlike him," said Falkner. "However, I believe he is right about the evidence. I've been given an alternate explanation for why those things were there that is far more logical than thinking that Jasmine or her apprentice are involved with Rockets. You have to admit, it's out of character for them."

Sergeant Hardrock frowned. "I don't know. Jasmine's been away all week. She said she was going to Blackthorn, and you know as well as I do that things have been going on there. We don't know a thing about the apprentice - she only came here a few weeks ago from Pewter City, and that's not far at all from Viridian City, where Giovanni came from..."

"Now you're grasping at straws," Falkner scolded. "That's circumstantial evidence and you know it."

"Yes, but taken with everything else-"

"I still maintain that Jasmine is innocent," said Falkner. "As a matter of fact, I have received several reports as to the identity of the traitor in our midst. All of them have been from reliable witnesses, and none of them have implicated Jasmine in any way."

The sergeant threw up his hands in frustration. "It's out of my hands now. The arrests have been made. There has to be a trial now, whether she's guilty or not."

"What kind of trial?" asked Falkner.

"A small one," the sergeant replied. "No one attending but the judge and jury and the witnesses."

"Very well, then," said Falkner. "You won't mind if Morty and I are witnesses? We have information relevant to the case, and we are supposed to be the preservers of law in Johto."

"I'll see what I can do," said the sergeant tiredly. "We'll give you a call when the trial is about to start."

"Thank you," Falkner replied. "Come along, everyone."

His companions followed him out of the police station, all of them in various stages of gloom. Aurora trotted quickly to walk beside him.

"Couldn't you do anything else?" she asked. "Gym Leaders are supposed to be law enforcers! Can't you make them let Jasmine and Lapis go?"

"Even if he could, he wouldn't," said Morty. He didn't sound very happy about the fact, but continued, "We are enforcers of the law. We do not make it or control it."

Aurora looked blank. Laine looked thoughtful.

"I think I get it," she said. "You're sayin' you can't let 'em outta jail because the law says they have to stay there, an' you have to uphold the law whether you like it or not."

"That's it exactly," said Falkner, nodding to Laine. "If we only enforced which laws we chose, we'd be little better than the Rockets."

Seeing that Aurora didn't look very comforted he said quietly to her, "I'm sorry, fledgling. You really did think I could make it right, didn't you? I didn't mean to disappoint you, but you have to understand, I have my limits like anyone else. In this situation, Lance himself would have his hands tied."

She tried a weak smile. "I know. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just used to thinking Gym Leaders can do anything. I guess by now I should know that's not true..."

"Your protege learns fast," Morty commented.

"Protege," Aurora repeated. "Do I know what that is?"

"It's like a student, I think," Laine replied.

Morty said in a declamatory voice, "Protege: one under the care, protection, or patronage of another. You have to admit, Falkner's taken an unusual lot of interest in you. Taken you under his wing, so to speak."

"She has promise," said Falkner with an embarrassed shrug. "And it's not every day I come across a young trainer with my own particular affinity. Besides, if she intends to be a Gym Leader someday, I'd like her to have competent training, wouldn't you?"

"Are you a competent trainer?" asked Morty with a trace of a smile.

"Humph. I'll ignore that remark because I know you're in a bad mood. And when you find someone with a Ghost-type affinity, I'm going to watch and see what you do better."

"Are you really teaching me how to be a Gym Leader?" Aurora asked Falkner.

"Of course. Why not?" he asked. More seriously, he added, "the way things are shaping up, there's going to be a vacancy for one very soon."

Aurora was quiet while she pondered that. Yes, she had dreamed of being a Gym Leader... but if things kept going the way they were going, she was starting to wonder if she really wanted the job.

The courtroom was stuffy, and felt crowded even though there were really not many people in it. There was a judge sitting on the stands, and a jury, and a small collection of witnesses, including Falkner, Morty, Sergeant Hardrock, Aurora, Laine, and Scar. The latter was not at all happy with the close quarters, and kept croaking and trying to flap his wings, forcing Aurora to scold him and making the judge glare at them.

Also present, kept away from the rest of the crowd on a bench of their own, were the three captured Rockets, Jasmine, and Lapis, with guards watching over them all. Aurora noted that Jasmine looked as calm as ever, but Lapis was nervous and kept twisting her hands in her lap. It gave Aurora a pang of guilt; she liked Lapis, and was sorry for getting her involved in any of this trouble. It wasn't Lapis's problem what the Rockets were doing, or Clair...

At about that time, Jasmine, who had been idly looking around the room until now, noticed Morty sitting a few feet away from her.

"Mortimer!" she said. "This is a pleasant surprise."

Morty colored a bit, making his pale complexion look almost normal. "I came as soon as I could, when I heard you were in trouble."

*Oh,* thought Aurora, suddenly finding herself trying to stifle a giggle. *Well, that explains a lot.*

"If the witness will kindly stop fraternizing with the accused," said a voice sharply, "we will begin the trial."

Morty blushed again and slumped into his seat. A few of his Gastly companions chose to make themselves visible long enough to make faces at the lawyer who had made the remark.

The judge rapped his gavel. "Court is in session."

Everyone settled down and let the lawyers begin their opening spiels. Despite the importance of the situation, Aurora found it hard to pay strict attention once the proceedings began in earnest; she'd heard most of it before. She listened with half an ear as the prosecutor rattled off his list of reasons why Jasmine was involved with Rockets, while the defense lawyer insisted that she was innocent. It was unsettling how weak his arguments sounded. Then they started calling witnesses to the stands. Sergeant Hardrock sounded very sure of himself as he described his capture of the Rockets and subsequent search of the Gym's basement. Jasmine and Lapis were given their chance to explain themselves, and then they were questioned and cross- examined for what seemed like forever. Aurora was about to fall asleep by the time she heard her name called. Trying not to yawn, she began walking toward the witness stand. As she was walking, she thought she saw a movement in one of the upper windows, but when she turned to look, it wasn't there anymore.

"Hurry it along," a lawyer scolded.

She took her place on the stand and made her promises to tell the truth. The lawyer in front of her regarded her thoughtfully.

"Could you please tell me," he said at last, "how you came to be involved in this case?"

"I saw the Rockets sneaking into the Olivine City Gym," she said.

"When was this?"

"About... two o'clock this afternoon," she replied.

"What were you doing at the Gym?"

"Well, I'm a trainer. I had gone there to try for the Mineral Badge, but Jasmine wasn't there."

"So you didn't stay there?"

"We stayed there a little while, to talk to Lapis. She and I both train Skarmories, and we were comparing notes, I guess you could say."

"When did you see the Rockets, then?"

"Right after we left. We had just left the Gym, when we saw something moving, so we went to look and saw a bunch of Rockets trying to get into the Gym. They were all of them carrying big sacks," she said.

The lawyer turned to look at Sergeant Hardrock. "Were the Rockets you captured carrying anything?"

"No, sir," he said.

The lawyer turned back to Aurora. "Were they able to enter the Gym easily, do you think?"

Aurora frowned, trying to remember. "Well, I couldn't see too clearly, but... it looked like they were having trouble getting the door open. One of them was hunched down and wrestling with the lock. Laine would have seen better; she had the binoculars."

"But to you it looked like..."

"Like he was trying to pick the lock," she finished promptly.

The opposing lawyer gave her a hard look. "And would you know anything at all about picking locks?"

"Actually, I do," Aurora answered. "I'm really pretty good at it."

The lawyer looked surprised. "Where did you pick up that questionable skill?"

"Objection!" the defense lawyer shouted. "That is an attack on the witness's character!"

"It is not," said the other lawyer replied. "It is important to know whether or not this girl really knows what she's talking about before we can judge whether she is a competent authority."

"Objection overruled," said the judge. "Answer the question, please."

"I learned while I was working in my parents' repair shop," Aurora explained. "I'm good at mechanical things, and I learned how to do all kinds of things, and picking locks was one of them. And I know enough to know that it's hard, especially with a good lock. Unless it was a really cheap lock, they would have had to sit and fiddle with it for a long time before they could get in, and I don't think anyone would put a crummy lock on a place as important as a Gym."

"Ah, but how do we know if they had to stay there long or not?" asked the other lawyer.

Aurora shrugged. "They were still there when the police got there. Would they hang around any longer than they had to?"

"Sharp answer," Morty commented to Falkner. "It's going well, don't you think?"

Falkner looked serious. "So far. If it was only Aurora's testimony, Jasmine would likely get off, but with the Rockets swearing up and down that Jasmine was allowing them there-"

Whatever else he was going to say was cut off by a crash from above. Everyone turned to see that one of the upper windows had been shattered, and perching on the windowsill was a young man in a Rocket uniform. Before anyone could react to his presence, he leaped down, landed crouched on the floor, and then sprang toward the stand where the Rockets were being held. When a guard tried to intercept him, he released a collection of Pokemon, leaving them to deal with an enraged Charizard and a Kingdra that shot jets of water at everyone who got too close. Scar pretended to be frightened, adding his shrieks and whirring wings to the melee.

*A Kingdra?* thought Aurora dazedly. *When did Ember get one of those? His Seadra must have evolved while I wasn't looking...*

She risked a glance at Falkner and Morty; both of them were watching the chaos with carefully controlled expressions that made her think they were trying not to laugh. As Ember bundled his captive comrades onto the Charizard's back and sent them crashing back out the ruined window, she felt inclined to laugh a little herself at their confused expressions. He made a dash for the door, paused just long enough to wink in her direction, and scampered off into the dark streets.

"Catch him! Catch him!" shouted Sergeant Hardrock. Water was dripping off of his uniform, and his mustache was scorched from where he'd come too close to the Charizard's tail.

"Catch him with what?" asked Falkner. "By the time you go looking for them, they'll all be long gone."

"I don't get it," said one of the guards, staring at a ruined bench where the Rockets had been just moments earlier. "Why did he bother to rescue a bunch of low-ranking officers and leave these two behind? He wouldn't, unless..."

"Unless," said Morty, "Jasmine and Lapis had nothing to do with this situation. After all, Jasmine is one of the most powerful Leaders in Johto. Even if she had been revealed as a conspirator, she would still be useful to them. On the other hand, if she has nothing to do with them, I'm sure they would dearly love to see her take the blame for the real traitor and be thrown in jail."

"Lucky for us, in the absence of their dubious testimony," said Falkner, "I'd say there is very little evidence left that Jasmine has anything to do with anything."

The jury agreed. After only a few minutes of discussion, they found Jasmine and Lapis innocent of all charges, and the meeting broke up among mutters of confusion.

"I don't like it," said Sergeant Hardrock. "If it isn't her, it means the real traitor is still out there somewhere."

"That is true," said Falkner. "However, rest assured that the situation is well in hand."

"We know who it is," said Laine grumpily. "If you had listened to us from the beginning, you wouldn'a had this problem."

"You know who it is?" Sergeant Hardrock repeated. "Why didn't anyone tell us?"

"Because there's not enough proof," said Falkner. "And what we've got comes from some... interesting sources. Don't worry, though - the traitor will be in hand soon. As a matter of fact, I'm planning on speaking to Lance myself as soon as possible."

"That serious, eh?" asked the sergeant.

"Yes," he said. "And it's really thanks to these two young ladies... and another, who shall remain anonymous... that we have things so well in hand." He turned to Aurora and Laine. "By the way, I think there might be someone who'd like to talk to you."

He escorted Aurora over to where Morty and Jasmine were chatting together and politely stepped into the conversation.

"Forgive me for cutting in," he said, "but I thought Jasmine might like a formal introduction to the young ladies who have been helping us."

"We've met," she said, smiling. "I would like to thank you both for your assistance. It was very good of you to try to protect me. I would like to do something to repay you."

She reached into a pocket and offered a glittering bit of metal. Aurora shook her head, and Scar hopped a few paces backwards.

"Thank you very much," said Aurora, "but if it's all the same to you, I'd rather fight for my Badge."

Jasmine didn't mind; she looked quite pleased.

"You always hafta do stuff the hard way," said Laine. "If you don't want it, I'll take it."

"Fine," said Aurora, "but I want to win mine for a change."

"Crazy," Laine said, and accepted the Badge that Jasmine handed her, not knowing which of them the Gym Leader was laughing at.

The spotlights were warm as they beamed down on the girl in the center of the Pokemon stadium. Her heart fluttered in her chest, but she couldn't help feeling excited, even elated. This was where she felt she belonged: out on the playing field, feeling the hum of adrenaline rushing through her veins. Out in the audience, she could just barely make out her cheering section: Laine, Lapis, Falkner, and Morty, the only people in the Gym besides herself, her Pokemon... and Jasmine. She stepped gracefully into the brilliance of the spotlights, and Aurora was momentarily awed. Behind the woman's gentle facade, there was a steel core that flashed through her dark eyes.

"Before this assembled company," she said, "I declare by the rules and regulations of the Pokemon League that this is an official Pokemon Battle. I, Jasmine, will do battle with Aurora Cummings of Goldenrod City for the honor of the Olivine City Gym and the prize of the Mineral Badge. Begin!"

She flipped open a Pokeball and sent forth a Magnemite. It buzzed as its single eye whirled around in search of its enemy. Unfortunately for it, its enemy was moving too fast to see, and it was unexpectedly hit from behind by a small Umbreon, who bit it sharply before vanishing into the shadows. The Magnemite spun around and shot a bolt of lightning at the place where Moondancer had been a second ago, but it was too late. Moondancer tried a Quick Attack, but it did minimal damage. Her opponent tackled her, bowling her over. She bounced to her feet, not seriously hurt, and kicked up a screen of dust. While the Steel Pokemon tried to get its bearings, Moondancer leaped at it again and crunched down with her sharp teeth. The Magnemite shot off a few feeble sparks and fell. Jasmine collected it and sent it back to its ball.

"Lovely," she said, smiling faintly. "Shall we try something more challenging?"

"Let's," Aurora agreed.

Jasmine snapped open a second Pokeball. Suddenly, Aurora found herself looking up at Jasmine's gigantic Steelix. It looked down at her with its steely eyes, and for a moment, she almost lost her nerve. Then she whipped out fresh Pokeball and sent out her Crobat.

"Do your thing, Frightful!" she shouted.

The bat flew into action, looping around and around, darting in and out of the shadows while the slower Pokemon tried to keep up with it. Frightful spat a ball of light at it, leaving it dazzled and confused, and it accidentally attacked its own tail in its confusion. While it was still dealing with that, Frightful swooped in and bit it sharply wherever it could find an opening. The Steelix began looking a little unsteady, as if it couldn't find its balance, and Aurora realized that the bat's poisonous fangs were going into operation. She let him get in a few final bites before pulling him back and drawing out the next Pokemon.

"Get back in, Moondancer!" she ordered.

The little Pokemon jumped back into action, leaping around and biting at whatever part of the Steelix she could get at, deftly avoiding its crushing coils and pointed tail, kicking up clouds of dust so she couldn't be seen, fading in and out of the shadows. When she began looking tired, Aurora drew her back again and sent Blabberbeak the Murkrow into the battle. He squawked insults as he tried to peck at the Steelix's eyes.

"It's gonna take all night at this rate," Laine muttered.

"I think she's doing a very good job," said Lapis. "She can't rely on a type advantage, so she's keeping him poisoned and confused so the Steelix can't fight back, and then wearing him down. Good strategy."

"It's still gonna take all night," Laine muttered.

"I don't think so," said Falkner.

At that moment, Aurora withdrew Blabberbeak and sent out her Skarmory. With his flashing beak and wings, he slashed at his weakened opponent. The Steelix tried to counterattack, but by that point, it didn't have much left.

"She's winning!" Laine cheered. "Just one more hit should do it..."

The audience leaned forward to watch as Aurora shouted a command... and suddenly, Rusty returned to his Pokeball. There was a frozen moment of confusion, and in that moment, Scar fluttered out of the shadows and pecked the Steelix on the nose. It looked almost like a kiss from a distance. The Steelix swayed in place, closed his eyes and dropped to the ground with a shattering wham.

"Game over!" Jasmine called, calling back her fainted Pokemon. "Winner - Aurora!"

"Yahoo!" she cheered, hugging Scar. "Way to go!"

As she was collecting her Badge and her forfeit, her audience of four came forward to congratulate her.

"You're a fine trainer, Aurora," said Jasmine. "You're going to go a long way, I think."

"I'm sure of it," Falkner said. "Right now, I think she's going to Mahogany Town."

"Should I?" asked Aurora. "I mean, it's going to be dangerous, isn't it?"

"There will be some danger wherever you go," Falkner replied seriously. "Starting this evening, I won't be able to protect you anymore. I have to go to Kanto to talk to Lance, and that means I'll be gone for a couple of days, at least. I'll feel better if you're with someone I trust. Gym Leader Pryce is an old icicle, but he is trustworthy - and good protection. Clair herself would think twice about tangling with the Ice Master. You can stay with him until we get this whole matter dealt with. Besides," he added more lightly, "you can finish getting your Badges."

"What good will it do?" she asked. "I only started collecting them so I could prove to Clair that I'm good enough, but now..."

"Badges are always useful," said Morty. "Just having them makes your Pokemon more powerful. I didn't think you were the kind to stop once you'd started something."

"Well, when you put it that way..." she said.

"I'll come with you as far as the Gym," said Falkner. "After that, you're on your own."

"Excuse me," said Laine. "What am I, an Apricorn bush?"

"Spear, spear, spearow!" Scar put in.

Morty laughed. "Something tells me this one is never going to be on her own."

"True!" Falkner agreed. "Anyway, I need to leave as soon as possible. Do you need a lift back home, Morty?"

"I will get home at my own pace and my own way," Morty replied.

"Fine. Just don't hang around here too long," said Falkner. "Coming, ladies?"

"In a minute," said Aurora. She turned to Jasmine and Lapis. "Sorry I couldn't stay longer, but... things are happening. I'll see if I can explain later."

"Write us a letter as soon as you get settled into Mahogany Town," Lapis suggested.

"I'll do that," said Aurora.

"Come on," said Laine. She grabbed her friend by the arm and began dragging her outside.

Night had fallen over Olivine, and the streets were dark and quiet. A night breeze tugged at Aurora's long hair. She looked thoughtfully up at the stars.

*It's almost over,* she thought. *Just one more Gym... I never thought I could do it, and now I'm almost done. I wonder what's going to happen next...*

Falkner opened a set of Pokeballs and released his Pidgeotto, while Aurora freed Skarmory for Laine's use. Aurora herself preferred to fly with Scar, but Laine didn't completely trust the power of the HM to keep her aloft with such a small bird. In a whirl of feathers, they took off into the night. For a while, they were silent, watching the scenery roll away beneath them.

"Do ya think maybe we'll get to look at the Ice Caves while we're in Mahogany Town?" Laine asked.

"Why? Do you want to?" Aurora replied.

"Well, yes and no," said Laine. "I mean, that's where my dad was exploring, before he died."

Aurora took a deep breath. It was now or never. "You know, about your dad... there's something I've got to tell you."

Laine looked puzzled. "What do you know about my dad?"

"Well, it's like this," said Aurora. "You remember when we got caught by those Rockets outside Ecruteak? I kind of overheard them talking..." She filled Laine in on what she'd heard the scientist say in the lab. Laine listened blankly.

"They killed him?" she asked softly.

Aurora nodded. "I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. I just didn't want to upset you..."

Laine didn't say anything. She turned her gaze away, to the north, toward the mountains and the Ice Pass. It was a long, quiet flight to Mahogany Town.