Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Don't Give Me Diamonds ❯ Chapter 4

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 16: Give me Cunning

Giovanni wanted Team Rocket to be feared, but now was not the time to provoke the police. He had been trying to think of a way to make sure the police stayed away from them for the time being and the answer finally came to him.

While Delia was occupied treating the injured pokemon, Giovanni had a scene arranged at the gym's arena. The way it would be interpreted, Venom killed Amethyst before anyone could stop him and battled Team Rocket. However, his mutations backfired and he died. It was close to the truth, but slightly modified.

There was no need for the police to know about the connection between Amethyst and Venom or the existence of the sub-terrain laboratory and the pokemon that were there. Aayla's previous position with Tempest had involved arranging false scenes so she was familiar with doing things like this and Binks was good with science so he could come up with a way to modify the details so that the tests would give the results they wanted.

According to the information Leah discreetly gathered in the city, noises were heard from the gym at night often so the neighbors thought nothing of it, assuming it was another late night pokemon training session.

The plan was inspired by Delia and her idea of Team Rocket as a force of justice. Though Team Rocket would soon be feared, for the time being, they would have to operate in the shadows and pretend to be heroic vigilantes until they were ready to face the world.

Ditto was the key to making this work, "the hostage act might be a problem, so I'll have to clear my name of that for now." Though his link to Madame Boss was well known, the police still didn't have sufficient evidence against him or the means to stop her. He was focused, running over the possibilities in his head, with a little added pressure and the right background situation, this plan would work.

"That's were Professor Oak comes in, right? But how is it going to work? The police saw you," Delia couldn't think of a way around it, though surely Professor Oak's testimony was key. She ran her fingers through her long brown hair unconsciously and tiredly, she was still very puzzled by the unknown extent of Professor Oak's information about the general situation concerning Team Rocket and her place in it.

"You can tell the police that the one holding you hostage was Venom. They'll come here and find his body; we'll say we came to stop the Tempest Gang and Team Rocket will be the heroes this time. They'll believe it because of the ditto DNA in Venom; we'll have them think he managed to copy the pokemon's abilities. As for Professor Oak, he needs to support your story. He denied you were the hostage that time so he'll have to take it back, he could say that the Tempest Gang was threatening him with you as a hostage and testify about Venom's abilities," Giovanni explained, he knew it was a long shot, but this sort of situation wasn't always about proving something, but rather creating a scene where a story was good enough to be accepted and to motivate that acceptance with the situation.

"I understand," it was all for the best, Delia continued to constantly remind herself, "I hope Professor Oak doesn't mind lying again, but it is for a good reason, to help a band of vigilantes, I'm sure he'll do it." She had learned to look on the bright side of every situation however grim, she was exhausted and the pokemon were in bad shape, as were some of the Team Rocket members who were injured and would have to stay out of the action for a while. Even so the battle had been won, the Viridian Gym was their new home and Team Rocket was on the road to recovery and perhaps on the right path to becoming heroes. "I'll call Professor Oak right away and explain the situation."

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Delia called Professor Oak and told him the vital parts of the story, explaining she needed his help, while leaving out all the unnecessary details. She didn't want him to be too involved more than necessary. "So you see, that's why we need your help. I also wanted to ask, why did you cover for me?" Delia's voice and expression carried both gratitude and guilt.

"Because I trust you, I did some research after I heard of your disappearance from Cerulean City during your internship," Professor Oak replied on the video phone, his expression a mixture of uncertainty for the future and relief for the present. He had been worried and disappointed when he realized Delia had hidden the truth from him, but concluded that she just didn't want to cause trouble; her secrecy was for protection, rather than lack of trust. "I knew you must have your reasons for being with Giovanni, you two seemed happy together when you were here so when I heard about the hostage situation, I knew it couldn't be real, that's why I tried to protect your identity and throw the police off your trail. So Team Rocket are vigilantes now?" Oak clearly didn't believe it, even if he wanted to protect his student who was like a daughter to him and wished that for her sake, the unlikely situation of Team Rocket as heroes came true.

"We have vital information that could lead to the discovery of a cure for the epidemic," Giovanni's revelation immediately captured Oak's attention, he had been standing quietly beside Delia, as not much more than part of the background thus far. His face had gone from unreadable to confident, knowing he had the information that Professor Oak and so many others wanted. "I can send you this information and since you were already researching the cure and have experience on your side, you might find it faster than us. There's just one condition, as soon as you have the cure, you have to give it to us. You can submit it for official review right away, but I don't want to wait for it to be approved to have it."

"Agreed," Professor Oak opposed no argument to the condition, "there's no time to wait for the bureaucracy anyway." He knew there had to be another motive mixed in aside from helping the pokemon fast, perhaps an advantage against other gangs by being the first to obtain the cure, but that was nothing in comparison to the actual discovery of the cure. He didn't want Delia to get into trouble, she was like family to him, but she was also an adult, free to make her own choices. For now, Professor Oak would have to trust her and hope for the best. "I will also give my testimony as you ask." At least a cure could come out of all of this and in time perhaps all the pieces would align to form a better picture than he expected. For the time being, what was asked of him, in comparison to what would be given, was not an extraordinary request.

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Things went surprisingly smooth. The Tempest Gang were the villains and Team Rocket the heroic outlaws, suspicious of various crimes, but without sufficient proof against them. For the most part, the police believed everything. Professor Oak's testimony played as much of a key role as the ditto DNA confirmed to be in Venom.

It seemed that they were in the clear until Jenny of Viridian requested to speak with the leader of Team Rocket, away from the investigation team crowded in the arena. It was done discreetly, so the other officers, absorbed in their work, barely noticed Jenny was gone as they continue their grim yet excited discussion about their findings.

In what would later become Giovanni's office, away from prying eyes and ears; Giovanni and Delia listened to Jenny's deliberation. "Everything fits perfectly, save for maybe the odd timing here and there, but the forensic data so far is on your side and the timing is still within the margin of error; I trust it will continue to be regardless of how deep we dig. You also have a powerful testimony from a well know pokemon researcher on your side. Still, to think that a human could so accurately copy the ability of a pokemon..."

Giovanni and Delia remained silent; he had a well practiced look of calm indifference, with just enough alertness, hiding his true exhaustion perfectly. Delia was trying hard to look calm and though it was with effort, she succeeded, pushing away all worries and tiredness.

Jenny continued, "things are more complicated than just the law, sometimes there are more gray areas then black and white. Such as certain organizations being too dangerous to take them head on, because when they were small, enough proof could never be found, connections got in the way and the organizations grew large and unstoppable. I also know that sometimes following the law is not enough, but I am not one to break it to make my own justice, over the years I've learned to accept the limitations of what the police can do, of what I can do. But the question still remains, how can you possibly be trusted and why are you still here in the Viridian Gym?" The experienced officer had a focus critical look and sharp glare, predicting that she would not like any explanation she may receive.

"Don't trust me if you don't want to, didn't you just say it makes no difference?" At least that much was established, which saved Giovanni a lot of pointless arguing. "I'm here because I intend to become the new leader of this gym. I can win by the votes of the city if need be," Giovanni assured, his revelation being received more calmly then he expected. Taking over any given place was never as difficult as maintaining control. The larger the territory to command, the more complex it became to keep it under control, it would be a slow process and a learning experience, something that Giovanni looked forward to, but at the same time knew it would take time to adapt to it.

"I see..." Jenny bitterly accepted reality, "I take it you must already have a plan and a couple of backup plans to have the city elect you as the new gym leader. Fear, bribery, blackmail, political influence; without solid proof and amidst the current crisis, there's not much that can be done to stop you and you're already well aware of that. The police will be busy enough covering this up, for which you already know your cooperation will be needed," Jenny knew she was trapped in a corner by the situation, there was no point in pretending to be in control when the facts were so clear to her opponent and he knew exactly were he stood.

"All the evidence blames the Tempest Gang, evidence of which everyone in Team Rocket is aware of that should not be known to the world. The wrong people might start to get ideas about human and pokemon modifications, and the innocent citizens will live in fear. I can understand why the mayor would order the police to cover it. However, you can rest assured that what you've been told is truthful," albeit not the whole truth. "As for the soon to be ended epidemic, I can also honestly say it was Tempest's fault," Giovanni revealed, having a few real truths among the bent and twisted versions of the truth was always useful to have the story seen as a whole, supported by those real truths within it. "Such counterproductive measures are of no interest to me."

Jenny gasped, "you're... you're not lying. That is dangerous information, to create a virus of such power... it's best if people don't know it's possible. But can you really be trusted not to repeat history? What about the cure? What about Professor Oak?"

"Only a fool would create a power that could not be controlled," the virus was the downfall of Tempest and Giovanni would not make such a costly mistake.

"Professor Oak doesn't know anything," Delia insisted, suddenly speaking after her long silence, her expression going from neutral to defensive and back in a split second. "These... negotiations are between Team Rocket and the police," she wasn't sure where the line of justice fueled deception was blurred into a sort of indirect threat, but she tried to focus on the end result, realizing that at times the methods were inevitably messy. Jenny seemed to know that as well.

"Fine, Professor Oak is well trusted and given the expected end result of the situation, his testimony was for the best. It seems we have no choice but to let you do this. Go ahead, win over the city, bribe them with the cure to the epidemic if that's what you're planning to do." Jenny's many years as a police investigator filled her mind with theories, knowing that in the end it was not the explanation or even the truth that mattered, but the consequences and Team Rocket's retaliation if they were pushed to that, would be devastating.

Jenny wished she had more control over the situation, but it was out of hand and letting the new power settle in quietly was the most peaceful option in the end. She hoped that when it was time for her daughter to take over as the new officer Jenny, things would have settled down and Viridian City would have gotten used to coexisting with the dark secrets that could not be disclosed or dissolved.

"There is one thing I must ask of you," Jenny looked at Giovanni serious and determined. "With this I'll either forever regret my lack of power or find some consolation. If you are to become the leader of this gym, I want to test your skills in a pokemon battle, one on one."

"I assure you I'll win, why don't you pick a spot outside where the battle won't get in the way of the officers that are still looking around, I'll be right there," Giovanni accepted the challenge, his confidence ever present, though on the inside, he knew he had reasons to worry given the state of his pokemon.

Though she found it a little suspicious, Jenny knew she would gain nothing by being stubborn and arguing. For all she knew, the delay might not have a meaning at all, Giovanni could just be annoying her, knowing he held all the cards this time. "Fine, don't take too long," Jenny left.

After Jenny was gone, Giovanni faced the dilemma of what pokemon to use for the battle. "Their wounds will open," Delia expressed her worries, her face filled with deep concern, "except for Graveler, but he..."

Giovanni knew the state Graveler was in, but he was the only pokemon not at risk of falling over and bleeding to death due to reopened injuries during the battle. Aside from the battle scars and lost limbs, Graveler was ready to fight. "I don't have a choice."

The pair went to get the rock pokemon in another room; understandably, Graveler looked depressed in his state. Delia patted his head gently and smiled reassuringly, "Graveler, we need your help defending this gym so that Giovanni can become the new gym leader. All our comrades are still recovering, it's all up to you; please try your best."

"Does a pep talk really make a difference?" Giovanni didn't think so, he kept trying to think of a strategy to use that would make up for this disadvantage and was beginning to regret his hasty acceptance of Jenny's challenge. Perhaps seeing the officer admit his advantage in the situation made him a little too confident.

"I'm sure it helps, you should encourage Graveler too!" Delia insisted, with certainty. She had always believed pokemon's morale and emotions were vital to battling and every other aspect of their lives.

"Fine, we're counting on you Graveler, win this," though Giovanni was only humoring Delia, it was enough for Graveler.

The rock pokemon looked much happier now, seeing that despite the state he was in, the humans who had captured him in such an unforgettable battle were not abandoning him. Surrounded by light, Graveler felt his form change and seconds later, a perfectly healthy Golem stood before them, filled with the confidence he was given.

"You evolved!" Delia cheered, "you see, Giovanni? A few words of encouragement go a long way." The feeling of victory and the optimism of invincibility were returning to Delia.

"Wasn't that a coincidence?" Giovanni never expected something like this to happen, but it changed everything for the better. "Either way the timing couldn't be more perfect, I'll be sure to win this battle." Giovanni recalled Golem to his pokemon and went out to meet his opponent.

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Officer Jenny stood outside the gym waiting for Giovanni to arrive. "Ready?" She was becoming impatient and wanted to get this battle done.

"I'm always ready," Giovanni called out Golem, he wasn't worried about the battle anymore, now he couldn't wait to get started and win.

"A Golem, you must be expecting me to call out Growlithe, right? That's not my only pokemon." Jenny called out her chosen pokemon, Golduck.

"Don't think the type advantage will help you!" Giovanni started with a direct attack, "Golem, tackle!" The rock pokemon charged in fearlessly.

"Golduck, water gun!" The blue duck shot a strong blast of water from his mouth, which hit the target but did not stop Golem, who rammed right into Golduck. "Taking an attack head on like that, strong but careless, tail whip!" Golduck tried to defend himself, though he was close to his limit from Golem's impressive initial attack.

"Mega punch!" The command brought memories to Golem, from when he was caught and from the battle against his trainer's enemy, Venom. With a loud roar, Golem punched Golduck hard enough to send him flying several feet, landing bruised and unconscious on the ground.

Golem looked satisfied and Delia cheered, but Jenny's expression as she recalled Golduck with a few words of gratitude for his attempt, was not the defeated look Giovanni thought she would have. "I'll have to think of this battle and let it ease my mind a little."

Giovanni thought he understood what she meant, "because Viridian City will have a strong gym leader?"

Jenny shook her head, "I knew you would win, even with the type advantage, you couldn't have come this far without being capable of winning against all odds. I wanted to see your pokemon in action; this Golem is very proud to be your pokemon. I don't know what the future will bring, and I still don't like the situation, but I suppose I can accept it for the time being," not that there was any other choice.

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Later, Jenny and the other officers left, taking away all the evidence and bodies from the scene at the arena, having finished their examination. The arena could now be cleaned and the gym revitalized, of course all the surviving Tempest members had been arrested.

Binks was sent on his way to Pallet Town with information for Professor Oak, he was to stay in the laboratory and help with the research. While some members of Team Rocket tiredly carried out miscellaneous tasks to get the gym ready for pokemon battles and to be their new base, others rested where they found a quiet spot to do so. This was the start of a new era for Team Rocket.

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Diamond 17: Give me Love

Delia made her way down the halls of the Viridian City Gym with a zombie-like expression and constant yawns and a few sobs. She had worked so hard, she barely had time to mourn the lost pokemon, though she knew she had to keep moving forward.

"I can't believe you managed to make yourself look awake when Jenny was here," Giovanni himself was also extremely tired, though he seemed to generally need less sleep than Delia, having become accustomed to getting little over the years.

Delia yawned again and looked at Giovanni, who was a bit out of focus, "I had to," she started falling forward and he caught her.

"We can rest now; Team Rocket has new headquarters and a great cover. Things will be much easier from now on," Giovanni wasn't sure if Delia was listening, or if she was sleepwalking along with him.

They came to a door and entered; Delia made her way to the bed, dizzy with sleep and gently petted the egg that accompanied her throughout her entire adventure, feeling its temperature. She lay down next to it, her expression at last peaceful, glad to finally put her head on a pillow.

"When is this thing going to hatch?" To Giovanni it felt as if the egg had been with them for too long and he wondered if it would hatch at all.

"Hmm?" Delia opened her eyes again a bit surprised at how close Giovanni was, as much as the egg between them allowed. "Soon, and you can't sleep here, I'm sleeping here."

"This is the biggest room, it goes to the leader," Giovanni calmly pointed out, as if it were the most obvious fact.

"You said it was mine," Delia reminded.

"Only because I'm sharing it with you," he had that same expression once again, mischievous, though this time also sleepy, but just enough to live up to his Charmander nickname.

However, Delia was too tired to argue, she would leave that for later, "fine, you're too tired to misbehave anyway, aren't you Charmander?" No more words were spoken between them, Giovanni not bothering to celebrate his little victory too much, as he was indeed exhausted. They drifted off to sleep with no immediate worries for the first time in a long time.

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It was a strange feeling that woke her, like a pulsation from the egg and there was a lot of warmth, more than ever before. Delia wasn't sure how many hours had passed, but the room was dark, though not pitch black. Was it sunset? It had been the afternoon when she fell asleep, but she felt too rested for it to have been only a few hours to the evening. Then she realized the sun wasn't setting, she should be able to see it from the open window if it were, it was instead rising, the night had gone by and a new day had began.

Giovanni was still there, resting, she was sure he was resting with his eyes close and not really sleeping, he didn't need thirteen hours of sleep, even after draining all his energy, ten might have been enough to catch on sleep for him, maybe even eight. Delia examined what caused her to wake up, the pulsations from the egg and its increased warmth; the egg was finally hatching.

If she was the first living being the newborn pokemon saw, then the baby would think she was its mother, but maybe she wouldn't be the first. Perhaps Giovanni would benefit more from the experience of taking care of a pokemon since birth. Who wouldn't love a cute little baby pokemon? Maybe he would care more about pokemon in general if he raised this one.

"Giovanni, are you awake?" Delia called softly, the decision having been made, albeit without his input.

He opened his eyes too quickly to have been sleeping; he had woken up first, just as she thought. "The egg is... doing something," he didn't seem too interested, but still a little curious.

"I know; it will hatch soon," Delia handed the egg to Giovanni. "Be careful not to hurt the baby, break the shell gently," she instructed.

"Why? Isn't it coming out on its own?" Giovanni was puzzled by this, he had never heard of a pokemon egg needing help hatching before.

"The shell is too thick; I noticed it when I examined the egg to make sure it was healthy. It must have been a natural defense. If it was born on its own, good, but I knew that if after a while it didn't come out, it would need help. Let's not keep the baby waiting," Delia encouraged; she smiled warmly, truly enjoying the moment.

"Why do I have to do this?" Giovanni complained, "I don't know anything about baby pokemon." He had always preferred strong grown up pokemon, babies couldn't battle as well as fully grown pokemon and he saw little benefits in raising a small pokemon versus catching a strong adult. Besides, if he did make a mistake and end up hurting the little pokemon, Delia would be terribly upset.

"Because you'll be its father," Delia insisted, her expression unchanged, excited and happy. "I did most of the work keeping it warm so now you have to do something for the baby too."

"If you wanted a child, you should have just said so," Giovanni replied, his mischievous grin returning without a hint of drowsiness this time.

"Stop it Charmander, you need to focus, this is important!" Delia scolded him, but laughed while doing so, albeit her voice did not lose its sense of urgency.

The egg in Giovanni's hands vibrated impatiently, as if the baby could hear the voices outside and wanted whoever was out there to set it free. "Alright, how hard can it be?" Giovanni finally agreed and tried to break the egg, though it was difficult knowing how much force to apply. He tried to pull the top of the egg off and it cracked, "you really should do this yourself."

"You're doing fine, don't give up, can't you even handle a baby pokemon?" Delia teased, knowing that would make Giovanni want to prove her wrong.

"Fine, I'll do it," he carefully started to pry off a piece of the egg from the crack that had formed until he removed it and saw a glitter of gold inside, surrounded in white. He finished pulling the top of the egg off carefully.

The baby Meowth stuck his little head out of the remains of the egg, staring up at Giovanni curiously. "Meowth!" It called out in a little high pitched voice. For a new born, it was certainly loud.

"Aw, so cute!" Delia had witnessed pokemon eggs hatch a few times before, though she was never the first being the pokemon saw; every time it felt special. "Hold him, I'll get a blanket."

Delia hurried to find a small blanket, rushing back to Giovanni and wrapping the newborn pokemon in it, though she still insisted on making him hold the little Meowth, now wrapped in light blue.

"This will be a challenge," Delia voiced, although she spoke without worry, but with the excitement of looking forward to it.

Giovanni didn't like where the conversation was going, he didn't think such a tiny creature was really worth too much work. "What do you mean? It's a pokemon, how hard can it be to train it?"

"He's too young and since you were the first living being he saw, he'll be very attached to you," Delia explained, having purposely hidden that fact, which Giovanni soon realized.

"You did that on purpose..." It was a conclusion, rather than a question.

Delia nodded, with no intentions of hiding the truth any longer. "I thought it would do you some good to raise a pokemon since birth. Be good to him, this one is like a child to me after I carried the egg around for so long and kept it warm."

"So he's our child?"

"That's right and that means he'll need special care since he's still a baby. He's too young to go in a pokeball right now. He might meow now and then wanting food or attention. We can't give him regular pokemon food yet, but there is food for baby pokemon that he'll be able to eat," Delia began to go over a mental list of the necessary things to take care of the baby Meowth.

Annoyed by the thought of a baby pokemon constantly demanding attention, Giovanni began to ask, "are you telling me this thing-"

"Don't call our child a thing!" Delia scolded, pouting and pointing, shaking her finger for emphasis.

"Right, sorry..." Giovanni tried to be patient, though there was some sarcasm evident in his tone, "are you telling me our son," it felt odd to call a pokemon his son, "will require constant care?"

"Yes," Delia nodded.

"That he'll cry in the middle of the night wanting milk or something?"

"Yes."

"That he'll need a lot of attention all the time?"

"Yes."

"That you'll have no inconveniences in staying here?"

"Yes-what?" Delia paused and blinked, caught in her automatic affirmations.

Giovanni was a little amused despite the situation, by catching Delia saying yes to everything. "If Meowth is attached to me and stays here, then you need to stay here too, because you're his mother and without your help I'll end up shoving him in a pokeball," he explained as a matter of fact.

Delia took a deep breath and went over the possibilities, before finally agreeing, under certain conditions, "okay fine, I'll share this room with you, but it's just so I can help take care of the baby, nothing else. Stop grinning like that Charmander, this doesn't mean anything!"

"Meowth!" The little pokemon sounded cheerful, amused by his parents, though he didn't really understand what they were talking about.

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The little Meowth was happy to be perched on Giovanni's shoulder while the Team Rocket leader went about his business every day. Giovanni was annoyed at first; thinking having a cute little baby pokemon on him all the time completely ruined his image. Eventually he got over it, resolving to simply punch or kick anyone who dared to make any comments, but thankfully, no one was stupid or suicidal enough to say anything so it didn't come to that.

As expected, the information from Venom's research led Professor Oak to discover the cure for the terrible epidemic that threatened all pokemon. As agreed, the formula was handed over to Team Rocket and simultaneously submitted for official review and mass production, though that would certainly take time.

While the bureaucracy did its tests, Giovanni rose to power in Viridian City as the new gym leader, using his supply of antidote along with a little pressure to make sure the city gave its approval. Everything went smoothly, exactly as planned.

That was not the only benefit of having the cure first. With it, the sick pokemon that survived the battle with Venom were healed of their illness and were steadily recovering from their physical injuries, thus Team Rocket had many more pokemon at their disposal than they had in a long time. They were ready to take on the smaller gangs to the east all at once, even if they banded together to face the threat. Spreading their territory taking advantage of the shortage of healthy pokemon that still reigned over most of Kanto, brought fast and abundant growth for Team Rocket.

They still stole pokemon from random trainers at times, not just from other gangs. Delia saw taking the pokemon away from the other gangs as rescuing them, but she got angry when she heard a seemingly good trainer had been robbed. It was something that made Delia and Giovanni bicker now and then, though they always made up in the end and found a way to look at the situation differently; a new point of view in which Team Rocket and their relationship appeared to be alright for them both.

With this new power and stability, which was maintained even after the cure was made public and the pokemon in the area began to recover, came abundant riches and resources for Team Rocket. That's when Delia started receiving frequent presents from Giovanni, expensive things, especially diamonds.

She had a golden jewelry box where her diamonds were kept, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, yellow gold with diamonds, white gold with diamonds, diamonds and sapphires, diamonds and rubies, diamonds and emeralds, diamonds bigger than she thought she would ever see. He looked happy to be able to give her those gifts and it was seeing that which was the real gift for Delia.

It was many months later that the promised victory party finally took place. It was a formal event, covered in elegance and riches, though beyond the sparkle of jewelry and the sea of dresses and tuxedoes, Delia saw friends who had become dear to her and a growing love.

It had been that night that many things happened; the picture that Delia would later take with her when she left Team Rocket was taken that very night. At that time, she was happy, and despite their different priorities and goals, she thought she would be with Giovanni forever. She smiled when the picture was taken, not knowing what kind of choices waited in the future.

It was during that party that a special guest slipped in, camouflaged among the multitude of new Team Rocket members. "Is that your girlfriend, brat boy?"

Giovanni knew her, but he couldn't believe she would be there and he was not pleased with her presence. "Why are you here?"

"I just came to see you. It seems you've made a name for yourself, well done. Since I'm retiring, you can have my resources," the woman was old enough to be Giovanni's mother, though she still had a certain youthful appearance for her age with wavy dark hair she wore down and an elegant black dress.

"I don't need your help," Giovanni refused without a second thought, while Delia stared at the unknown woman in confusion.

"I know; that's why I'm giving them to you," she smiled at her own irony. "Well, it's been nice seeing you again, brat boy. Make sure you train my grandchild well enough to handle all this," the woman turned away and started to leave.

"We need better security," Giovanni muttered glaring after her.

Delia suddenly came to a realization about her identity and dashed after the older woman before Giovanni could stop her, "wait! You're Madame Boss, right? Why don't you stay for the party?"

"Oh my, you're so innocent and naive, at least that's what it seems," Madame Boss laughed teasingly. "She has such a good girl face, I bet she's very dangerous, eh, brat boy?"

"Stop calling me that, just hurry up and leave!" Giovanni insisted in annoyance.

Madame Boss looked amused, "You're so stubborn; I bet if you two have a kid, the child will be just as stubborn as you." With those final words of parting, she disappeared between the partying Team Rocket members and was not seen in the party again.

"Giovanni, she's your mother," Delia complained about his behavior, though there was also a hint of support.

"I know; I let her go, didn't I?" That would have to be enough. "C'mon, let's enjoy the party, forget that even happened," Giovanni knew Madame Boss wouldn't cause any more trouble; she had her fun infiltrating their party and annoying him.

It wasn't too long before Delia did forget about the incident and was caught up in the feeling of victory, power and hope that was all around, though what they were hoping for varied from one person to another.

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As time passed, Team Rocket moved further away from what Delia was hoping it would become, but it wasn't all bad. Giovanni didn't complain about taking care of Meowth anymore. He also showered her with gifts constantly, though Delia insisted he didn't have to do so much, that just spending time together was enough, at least he somehow showed he cared. There were moments during those times of bliss that Delia would treasure for the rest of her life.

After Team Rocket had taken over the Viridian City Gym, though their presence there remained unknown to the general public beyond simple rumors that would fade in time, those from the police who knew the truths ordered to be secrets by the mayor, eventually began to think that only their boss was there, and their actual base was elsewhere. Team Rocket showed no signs of coming and going, instead extending the underground passages in secret and using them to go in and out of their secret base in Viridian.

Delia was reassured she made the right choice in letting Giovanni raise the little Meowth, she knew it every time she saw them; Meowth always got special treatment. Giovanni still didn't seem to care too much about his other pokemon, but he was nicer to them when Delia was around, and she made sure they were alright. Aside from Meowth, Golem seemed to be his second favorite.

Giovanni didn't go on missions anymore; he directed them now and did the planning, but that was even more time consuming. Delia took care of his pokemon and gave him her views on Team Rocket's latest activities, which sometimes led to arguments, but they didn't stay angry for long.

They were aware of their differences, but they were also well aware of what they liked about each other. She could live like this, even if the expensive gifts were a bit excessive at times and there were some disagreements. Giovanni was trying to make her feel more comfortable, she knew that. Maybe he tried to make up for the fact that the reality had sunk in and deep down Delia knew Team Rocket would never be a band of righteous vigilantes.

It was alright, she could live with it, even if years ago she would have scolded herself for even considering accepting what Team Rocket did. She would still try to make the situation as good as it could be within the range available. Overall, Delia felt appreciated, happy and loved, that was enough.

xoxox xox xoxox

Diamond 18: Give me Trust

Delia stayed with Team Rocket for the pokemon at first, then she chased an impossible dream, trying to turn the organization into defenders of justice. Finally, she realized what Team Rocket truly was and what it was becoming, but she stayed anyway for Giovanni, even if she didn't get to see him often anymore.

She sighed and looked at the clock again, paced around and decided to lie down, she was tired. She wasn't sure how much time passed until she felt his arrival, and the noticed the light she had left on being turned off. "Giovanni, I miss you..."

"I'll be able to take a break soon, there's too much going on right now. I need to keep Team Rocket organized and restructure it, it's growing so fast!"

She could sense the excitement in his voice beyond the need for rest; Team Rocket was finally becoming the powerful force he wanted it to be. "How come you never include me in your meetings?"

"You'll get bored..." there was a pause as she waited for the truth; he knew she would get it out of him eventually. "I know you don't like that kind of thing, stealing pokemon and things like that, but you'll get used to it, then you can come."

"You know I'll just end up arguing with everyone right now." She knew they had their differences and she didn't think she could get used to his way of seeing the world. But maybe she could try a little harder; he had been patient despite it all and she didn't want to lose everything she had come to treasure. "I'll try to accept Team Rocket for what it is." She still had dear friends there, though they had drifted apart lately, perhaps she could visit them and that would make her feel reassured.

xoxox xox xoxox

Morning came and by the time Delia woke up, Giovanni was already gone, off to direct the new Team Rocket and made sure the organization didn't fall into chaos while it was adapted to be effective with its constant growth and expansion. Meowth was gone as well and was probably napping on Giovanni's lap right now while a strategic meeting took place, one that might be interrupted now and then by the arrival of a trainer wishing to battle for an Earth badge, Giovanni would have to take care of that, he had to keep up appearances after all. Delia couldn't believe it had already been a year since they took the Viridian Gym, though a year felt short looking at how much Team Rocket had expanded.

After her usual morning activities were completed, Delia checked on the pokemon, made sure they were alright and once that was done, she asked around the large underground base, searching for the location of her friends.

"I don't know Lady Roketto, please forgive me," she lowered her head, her layered blond hair falling forward over her face and shoulders.

"It's alright," the shy girl reminded Delia of Leah, perhaps that is why she approached her asking if she knew the other girl. It felt a bit strange to be called Lady Roketto, it's not like she was married to Giovanni, though they did have a close relationship and perhaps one day would be married. She could still picture it happening at that time.

"Maybe you should ask the secretary..." The girl shifted a bit uncomfortable, she was clearly a rookie in every way.

"Oh, yes of course, thank you," Delia went off to follow the suggestion, it did make sense to have a secretary, it was impossible for Giovanni to handle the gym related paper work and keep track of Team Rocket's deals and missions by himself when he was so busy meeting with allies and occasionally rivals, as well as battling trainers who wanted a gym badge. Delia should have seen the business-like structure coming with the gang having turned into a large scale organization and more effort being needed to stay functional.

After obtaining the cure for the virus, facing the smaller pokemon gangs and winning with the advantage of healthy pokemon was easy. The raise to power of Team Rocket did not go unnoticed, thus new members joined one after the other and the police backed off fearing they were too much to handle, though they would still go after the individual little teams and try to make arrests in a smaller scale.

Some of the smaller gangs decided it was best to join Team Rocket, as they would not be able to continue their activities freely as independent gangs. This brought not only more workers to revitalize the laboratories taken from Tempest underground at Viridian, but also more resources with their contacts extended and the gangs' small hideouts now serving as check points for Team Rocket.

Selling the unofficial antidote brought vast riches and opened the doors for a whole new level of negotiations with the laboratories Team Rocket illegally sold pokemon to in the past. They had he coveted formula of the cure ready to produce it before it was officially released, they had power and they had plenty of information useful for blackmail should the need arise.

Later, Madame Boss' resources came into play, though Giovanni refused them, the former associates of Madame Boss still came to him for business and in the end Delia convinced him to stop being stubborn and take his mother's gift. The resources could be used to make the world a better place, Delia pointed out, which by Giovanni's definition, different from hers, would be eventually taking over.

xoxox xox xoxox

The inquiry to the secretary was fruitful, though Delia felt a little odd with people instantly recognizing her even if she did not know many of them. She assumed they must have seen her with Giovanni or heard about her from other members. At least she found out where Leah was; she had gone to Pewter City.

Delia looked at the cars sitting at the Viridian Gym driveway; they were expensive and flashy, excessive by her definition. Black and red, both were there, which meant Giovanni's business was local today. She got on the red car, a multitude of lights flashing on in the dash board as she inserted the key and turned it. The radio came on automatically and she let the music flood her head as she drove to Pewter City.

xoxox xox xoxox

Despite being kept out of the meetings where Giovanni predicted she would make a scene, Delia knew about certain details, perhaps Giovanni wanted to inform her little by little, while she got used to how things worked and more so while she accepted them. At least she was glad not to be kept in the dark completely, she knew about the pokemon supply shop in Pewter City, which helped receive and store goods for Team Rocket. Leah would be conducting an inspection on that shop today, according to the schedule.

xoxox xox xoxox

The trip from Viridian to Pewter was relatively fast as the streets were very calm with few cars transiting them. The pokemon supply shop was easy to find and Delia parked the car in front of it, ignoring the curious glances people gave her.

She wore normal clothes of course, she had not used a Team Rocket uniform in a long time and neither had Giovanni. Though she had thought he looked handsome in a suit, it wasn't until later that it sunk in just how big the changes in Team Rocket were and the consequences they would bring. This was the life he wanted, she mused, so for his sake she would get used to it, even if the extravagant riches made her feel a little guilty remembering how they were obtained.

Delia went inside the shop as naturally as any other customer would, passing under the pokeball sign above the door next to the glass window and over the red mat with the word 'welcome' in white letters at the door.

"Welcome, how may I help you?" The young man behind the polished brown wooden counter asked, he had clear blue eyes and his hair was a dark shade of green, almost black.

The shop had a homey feel with wooden shelves rather than the more common metal ones. Everything was kept immaculate and organized with a variety of bottles and sprays lining the shelves in a rainbow of colors. The floor was tiled in a cream color, rather than white, each tile spotless like a mirror. "Hi, is Leah still here?" Delia inquired.

After a moment of silence the man shifted uncomfortably and forced his worry to turn into puzzlement, "I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name."

The door to the storage room behind the counter opened and Leah quietly emerged, unseen and unnoticed by the man facing Delia. "She's right behind you."

The man automatically looked over his shoulder and jumped slightly at suddenly finding Leah out of the storage room. "Relax," Leah spoke softly, "the merchandise is complete." She then walked around the counter and greeted Delia, "it's been a while, what brings you here?"

The man from the shop interrupted, somewhat relieved, but still wishing to confirm his theory "you know each other?"

Leah nodded, "Delia is the boss' lover."

"Leah!" Delia turned bright red. For someone so quiet, Leah certainly had a big mouth that time. It was true, but Delia wasn't expecting Leah of all people to say it so directly.

"My apologies Lady Roketto!" He bowed, now looking more worried than before.

"It's fine, don't worry," Delia assured, awkward and embarrassed. Wishing to get out of there as fast as possible she asked Leah, "do you still have things to do here?"

"No, everything is alright, I was going to return to headquarters, but if you want to talk, I have time," Leah's voice came as a barely audible monotone as it had been since Delia found her at the store.

"I do want to talk, let's go to a cafe or something," Delia was quick to suggest, beginning a swift walk out of the store and to her car, her face still felt a little warm.

xoxox xox xoxox

The streets of Pewter City were not too busy with activity, but people passed by now and then and were seen by Delia and Leah from the glass window of the cafe where they sat. A waiter came and smiled from ear to ear, his pearly teeth seemed a little too large for his thin face and stood out even more than his orange hair. He complimented the "beautiful ladies" with a hopeful glint in his eyes that were either brown or dark green, as they seemed to look different with every glance. Then he took a little white notepad and a yellow pencil from the pocket of his black pants and asked for their order. They had arrived in Delia's car, which could be seen parked out front; he had probably seen it and was hoping for a big tip.

Leah simply ordered a hot chocolate; she preferred that over coffee or any other beverage. Delia was in the mood for something that looked cheerful and ordered a banana-strawberry shake.

"How have you been?" Delia tried to get the conversation going, wishing with all her heart that it would fall into something natural. She longed for the feeling of trust and friendship that had been fading with time and lack of communication.

"Alright..." Leah's quiet reply didn't convince Delia at all. Her honey colored eyes remained staring at her delicate hands folded on the table. She would occasionally appear to raise her eyes, almost as if to meet Delia's but she stopped in the middle of the table, as if distracted by red floral designs of the white tablecloth, then went back to staring at her hands.

"You don't sound like it," Delia remembered that in the busy times that followed the Viridian Gym take over, she had been focused on taking care of the pokemon and helping Giovanni raise Meowth. Though she had made plans to help Leah get over her past, it never happened and with that memory surfacing after such a long time, Delia felt guilty to have forgotten it in the first place. A lot had happened, but she felt she had no excuse for the big delay on keeping her promise, "is Aayla still..."

The waiter arrived and brought the drinks with his ever present cheer. After another cheesy compliment accompanied by an exaggerated smile, he departed, encouraging them to call him should they need anything.

After the waiter was gone, Delia asked again, "is Aayla still helping you?" She was pretty sure Leah had heard her the first time and understood the meaning of the incomplete question, but she had made no motion to reply.

After a pause that felt excessively long, Leah shook her head, "Aayla is busy, she doesn't have time for me; she's working with Binks now."

The revelation surprised Delia, Aayla and Binks were as different as night and day. Aayla was brave, she could be dangerously temperamental if provoked and she was precise. Binks was a worrier, he was sometimes easily upset, but didn't go beyond words to defend himself and he was a little clumsy more often than not. Delia couldn't imagine them working together without constant quarrels that led Binks to obtain a few bruises. "What are they doing?"

"Creating the ultimate power, that's what Aayla said, I really don't know." Leah paused, her expression uncertain, though her reply this time had been much faster. Clearly there was something on her mind and it was not about Aayla. She took a sip of her hot chocolate, then set the white mug down and looked at Delia's eyes for the first time since they arrived at the cafe, "he's out there..."

"Who is?" Delia curiously inquired, feeling as if this revelation was very meaningful to Leah.

"Han, he's out there," Leah insisted in a small whisper, filled with more emotion than anyone would think possible for such a soft tone, her serious gaze didn't break away from Delia's eyes for a single second.

"But Han passed away," Delia recalled hearing the story from Aayla right before Team Rocket took over the Viridian Gym. She didn't want to be so direct, but she was confused by Leah's insistence and the words slipped out before she could stop them.

"No, we only thought he did, but the body was never found," Leah's voice was quiet but carrying more emotion with each word, trying to say many things very fast. "He pushed me out of the way during that earthquake in the cave. He saved my life and I thought he was crushed, we all thought so, but it's not true!" She breathed deeply to push back the tears that threatened to fall, "I was so sad I went back to Fuchsia City and locked myself in my room. From what I heard when I finally returned to Cinnabar Island, Luke was in denial for a long time, he kept saying that his brother was alive but was convinced to accept what everyone thought was true, that Han was dead."

Delia wasn't sure how to react, as far as she knew Han had died long ago. If he was alive somewhere, wouldn't he have been found by now? "What makes you say that all of a sudden?" She carefully asked.

"The new hotel, the one being constructed by one of Team Rocket's business allies in Cinnabar Island." The business side of Team Rocket had been expanding, owning various properties and making deals in different markets to guarantee stability if one area faced difficulties. "It's being constructed in the same place where Han was thought to have died. The locals complained, saying that place was a grave. In the end, to avoid unnecessary trouble if a protest was formed, the construction company offered to recover the body the locals were unable to dig out from under the heavy rocks so he may have a proper burial. That convinced the locals to allow it, but the body wasn't there," Leah explained, her eyes shining with hope at the end.

"It has been a long time," Delia voiced gently.

"He wasn't there! There wasn't even a trace, not a shred of fabric, or a bone, there was nothing!" Leah insisted. "Instead they found that the ground was thin under the rocks and though the rocks covered it during the cave in, the ground had partially given in. There was a tunnel under the pile of rocks; Han must have fallen in, that's how he was saved from being crushed. No body was found in the tunnel that was discovered and this time I won't believe he's dead until I see proof." Leah was more determined than Delia had ever seen her.

xoxox xox xoxox

Diamond 19: Give me Power

Leah was determined to find Han wherever he may be and put extra effort into finishing her tasks in Team Rocket quickly so she could go out and search. She would tend to her duties, report back to base and hope to get some time off, though more often than not she was given a miscellaneous task to perform. This didn't really bother Leah as she was usually assigned the tasks she expressed interest in doing, which involved traveling to various places where she would take some time to search for clues.

Delia had returned to the Viridian Rocket headquarters feeling uneasy. Leah had been heartbroken once and Delia feared she would relive the pain or live with false hope, which would only hurt her more. Delia had never met Han, but everything pointed to him being dead, even Leah herself thought so before and Luke had accepted it long ago.

It wasn't that Delia believed the miraculous escape Leah theorized occurred was impossible. If the ground beneath him had indeed swallowed Han, preventing him from being crushed by the larger rocks that couldn't follow him into the deeper tunnel through the relatively small opening, then there was a chance that he did survive that day. But if that was so, where could he be? No traces of him were found, dead or alive, perhaps he had indeed fallen into a second tunnel, but maybe, instead of having escaped the falling rocks, a layer of rocks small enough to fit through the opening, but large enough to do serious damage had buried him deeper and he was yet to be found.

The sad one seemed to be the most logical explanation, but Delia dared not voice it to Leah, instead leaving her with an ambiguity about how life goes on. It could have been interpreted as hope to find Han or encouragement to move on all the same.

At headquarters, Delia once again visited the secretary and asked about Aayla, whom she was told was in New Island. Giovanni had mentioned it before; it was a secluded little island where Team Rocket's scientists could conduct their research without fearing their data being stolen. The presence of the laboratories was kept in secret and the island was believed to be deserted.

New Island was too far away to be able to visit today, but Delia could always call. She obtained the number and retired to the living quarters of the Viridian Gym in the upper floor to make the call.

The phone rang several times before someone answered it, Delia didn't recognize the voice, but it seemed that whoever was on the other side recognized the number coming from one of Giovanni's private lines and didn't question her when she asked to speak to Aayla.

"Hello?" Aayla sounded surprised and curious when her voice came through the phone. She had probably not been told who the caller was.

"Aayla, hi! It's Delia, how are you?" Delia greeted as cheerfully as she could despite her mind being occupied with so many questions regarding the changes of Team Rocket and the fate of her friends, especially Leah's situation.

"Delia, it's been ages, what's the high and mighty Lady Roketto doing talking to a peasant?" Aayla teased, "albeit a high ranked peasant."

Delia's mood sincerely improved, laughing together with Aayla who sounded more cheerful than ever before. "I'm sorry; I know I haven't been a very good friend lately. Things have been so busy, but I'm sure you already know that. I've been so caught up in everything, taking care of the pokemon, getting used to the new Team Rocket, or at least trying to. What have you been doing?"

"Creating the ultimate power!" Aayla proudly declared. "It's what Venom tried to obtain and failed," she had always wanted more of a revenge on the man who lied to her and left her for another. This was perfect, the power he so coveted would be hers to wield for the benefit of his enemy, Team Rocket.

Delia felt a cold chill run down her spine at the mention of Venom; the name brought back horrible memories. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see, Binks has been working hard, he better be, because he knows I'll beat him to a bloody puddle if he doesn't. This will be great, you'll see it soon, everyone will!" Aayla cheered, as if her victory was certain.

"It's nothing dangerous, is it? What exactly is this power?" Delia insisted; she was very worried and also thought Aayla sounded odd, a little too loud and cheerful.

"It will be grand!" Aayla laughed, then giggled in the silliest way.

"Aayla? Are you alright?" There was a loud noise, as if the phone had been thrown and damaged, but thankfully not enough to make it stop working. "Hello? Aayla? Are you alright?"

"Hello?" A man spoke this time, "who is this?"

"It's Delia; I was talking to Aayla just now," Delia replied with worry.

"Oh, hi Delia, it's been a long time. This is Binks, do you remember?" His tone changed from disproving to glad after he realized who had called.

"Yes, of course I remember. Is everything alright? I heard a noise just now and is that Aayla laughing hysterically in the background?" Delia found the situation to be all too suspicious and very strange.

"Don't worry about it, it's just a light side effect," Binks assured with a hint of nervousness, though it only made Delia worry more.

"A side effect of what?" Delia firmly inquired.

"The power of pokemon, I'm giving her some DNA, but first some medicines to prepare her body for the process," Binks sounded very much like a child admitting to having caused mischief, with the certainty that he would get caught anyway so he might as well come clean.

Delia's eyes went wide, her expression panicked and disapproving, "it's what Venom wanted for himself?" The images of the mutated Venom returned to her mind vividly, no matter how hard she had tried to forget those moments in the past.

"Yes, but he got it all wrong, he overdid it and tried to make up for it with cybernetic components and surgery. His process was different, adapting his body to be more likely to mutate and to better receive the modifications. This is something else; it's the essence without the extreme changes. Don't worry, Aayla will look exactly the same, but she'll be stronger. I've been doing a lot of research for this." The excitement in Binks' voice overcame his nervousness.

Delia gripped the phone in anger and worry; she couldn't believe they were really doing this despite what happened to Venom and the pokemon. "Stop it immediately! Don't you remember what happened? This is too dangerous!"

"It's different," Binks insisted, "everything will be okay."

"Does Giovanni even know?" Delia would be angry not only at Binks and Aayla, but also at Giovanni if he knew about this and didn't stop them, instead providing them with the resources to continue.

"Of course he knows," Binks assured, "I wouldn't go using his resources without his approval. Delia, this isn't like before, it's perfectly controlled and everything is fully calculated."

"Which is why I can hear Aayla laughing like a crazy person and throwing things in the background?" Delia snapped.

"I told you that's nothing. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must continue with the next stage of the process," Binks sounded uneasy, his excitement giving way to doubt, probably because of the destruction Aayla was causing more so than because of Delia's disapproval.

"You mean restraining Aayla before she hurts herself or someone else? Go do that, but don't do anything else," Delia ordered.

"Delia... I... you..." Binks wasn't sure what to say to such a direct command.

"You need to hear it from Giovanni, is that it? You'll hear it alright!" Delia ended the call. Feeling both furious and panic, she hurried off to find Giovanni.

xoxox xox xoxox

Delia went down to the lower levels of the gym again, to the headquarters' main conference room where she expected Giovanni to be. She heard a voice from inside saying something along the lines of "I refuse, I absolutely refuse!"

Not caring to interrupt, she opened the door, scanning the room with a deadly glare, searching for Giovanni. As soon as she had opened the door, the room fell silent, all eyes on her.

The man who had been voicing his refusal towards something unknown to Delia, shifted uncomfortably, while the Team Rocket negotiator sitting across from him took the opportunity to speak. "Ah, Lady Roketto, I wasn't expecting you. I'm sure Mr. Calrissian was just about to accept our offer."

Mr. Calrissian, an older man with gray eyes and matching hair, had been avidly refusing the deal in question, but seeing that the wife of the mafia boss, as he assumed her to be since she was called Lady Roketto, was there, he knew better than to continue to decline so energetically. If she could not convince him, then surely Giovanni would be called to negotiate in person and present a deal that Calrissian could not refuse. Or perhaps Lady Roketto would do that herself, her glare was certainly filled with unparalleled fury. "Yes... well... I think that if we review the specifics one more time, we can come up with something..."

With her rage unwavering, though Mr. Calrissian never knew it was not directed at him, Delia spoke, "sorry for the interruption, please carry on," and left, since Giovanni was not there.

Mr. Calrissian let out a large breath, took a white napkin from his dark gray suit pocket and dried his forehead. He knew dealing with the Roketto would be difficult, but he didn't expect the Lady to show up personally for a relatively small deal. Furthermore, he had heard rumors that she was sweet and innocent, not the kind of woman one would expect to find standing next to a mafia lord. He should have known those rumors were false, she looked far less calm and collected than Giovanni, whom Mr. Calrissian had seen only once, surely she was dangerous and had no tolerance for disagreements.

"Mr. Calrissian," the negotiator representing Team Rocket, a man in his twenties with dark hair and eyes, dressed in a black suit with a small red R on the left side of the blazer, looked more confident now, "if you please, let us finish the final review promptly." He emphasized the word 'final', watching with satisfaction as Mr. Calrissian nodded, the color still drained from his face.

xoxox xox xoxox

Her search for Giovanni led Delia to the battle arena of the Viridian Gym. She didn't storm in and drag him away as she had a mind to do if it had been a meeting. Instead she watched quiet and unseen in the shadows below the platform where Giovanni stood; there was no need to involve an innocent trainer in their argument. Giovanni's Golem had just defeated the opposing trainer's Hitmonchan, the final pokemon judging by the look of defeat on the boy's face as he recalled his fainted Hitmonchan.

After the trainer had left without the badge he came for, and Golem had been called back into his pokeball, Giovanni stepped down from the platform to find Delia waiting and she looked furious. "If you glare like that all the time, Team Rocket will really be feared."

Delia was not amused, she placed her left hand on her hip and pointed at Giovanni with her right index finger, "Giovanni Roketto," she paused, feeling her face become red with anger as she changed her preplanned speech for a scolding of "stop grinning at me!" She felt like stomping her feet, "this isn't funny!"

"Yes it is!" He laughed in amusement before putting his arm around her waist and leading her away from the now empty arena, down the halls of the Viridian Gym. "What's bothering you? You look like," he searched for an accurate comparison, "a Voltorb about to explode."

"Did you know that-" Delia began to explain but was interrupted.

"Sir! Great news, we got the deal!" The young man, who had been negotiating with Mr. Calrissian before, ran down the hall to catch up with Giovanni.

Giovanni looked pleased with the news, "excellent, I didn't think you could pull that off."

"The credit goes to Lady Roketto I must admit. It was only because she was there that the negotiations' atmosphere became favorable. Everything is expected to flow on schedule with no complications. I was just on my way down to the office to finish submitting the paper work."

"Good, go take care of that then, things will be easier now."

"Yes sir!" The negotiator left, looking quite cheerful.

"Well done," Giovanni complimented Delia, "I knew you would eventually understand. It seems you're ready to participate in Team Rocket's business more directly after all."

Delia sighted hopelessly, not fully certain of what she had done. Her fury had dissolved into a feeling of helpless confusion, but she still remembered her important mission. "Did you know that Binks is experimenting with Aayla?"

"That's no surprise," Giovanni replied with no hint of alarm, "he always liked her, but he didn't have the guts to say it. If I had to take a guess, I think the outcome will be that Binks ends up with a black eye and a few broken bones if he's lucky, from what I've heard Aayla is not gentle when rejecting a man."

"I don't mean he's flirting, he's doing genetic experiments with her, I mean on her, she's the subject, the guinea-pig!" Delia stressed urgently.

Giovanni paused, as if remembering some scene in the past when he learned of such intentions and his own reply that communicated the message that he wasn't really interested, but would not be bothered if it was done. He decided to leave it to the scientific probabilities to make the final choice, depending on the likeliness of success. "So they went through with it. I told Binks I doubted it would work, but left the final choice to the test results."

"So you really did know!" Delia's fury returned full force. "You knew and you didn't stop them?"

"I'm not their babysitter," Giovanni began to sound annoyed, his previous good mood fading fast.

"You know what happened to Venom and to all those modified pokemon and you let one of your friends," she made a small oddly placed pause then continued; "best team members throw her life away? I thought you were a good leader, is it that now you have so many resources that you don't mind throwing a few away for the greater purpose? Is that what they are, resources? What happened to the leader that made sure everyone had a pokemon to defend themselves with, even if it meant keeping only one to himself during the shortage? What happened to the leader who knew his team, their strengths and weaknesses and could value each member in a strategy? Giovanni, what happened to you? Was this where you wanted to stand all along? They're doing this with your resources and that makes you responsible, it makes you able to stop them, it makes it so that they wouldn't dare do anything without your approval. How could you give it?"

"You don't need to get attached to people like them. I thought you were ready to take your place."

"My place?" Delia closed her eyes in silent wrath, her body trembling with rage. Was she supposed to be a high and mighty queen too proud to see her subjects were living beings? Did Giovanni expect her to stand by his side looking down on pokemon and humans alike as nothing but tools?

"Delia, don't you understand?" He pulled her close, held her tightly and for just a moment, the illusion was back.

He had dreams of power and he wasn't willing to stop for anything, but somehow, he wanted her to follow him to the top. To support his dream, to justify his methods; perhaps to see only him, disregarding other beings; she understood on that moment. Just as she saw him for what he could be, more so that for what he was, he saw her in the same way, he saw what she could become, what he could turn her into.

Was it the challenge? Was it because people want what is hard to obtain? Was it that image of what could be, but would not be? Were the traces of those other versions of themselves reflected in their current selves enough to keep them together? Was it the feeling of obtaining what conscious or strategy deemed as forbidden?

"Giovanni, this is a mistake, you said yourself that you don't even believe it will work. Tell them to stop, whatever curiosity you may have isn't worth this." Delia was crying but she couldn't feel the tears, though she knew they were there because his image was blurry. She tried to keep her voice even, she wouldn't give up yet and she didn't want to push him to give up on her.

He listened without a word, though he looked impatient and displeased.

"The only way to wield a pokemon's power is to train that pokemon. Humans and pokemon complement each other, the power and the strategy. Why else would creatures with such power let themselves be trained by humans? A single being can't have everything; it would be unrealistic to believe it's possible. I thought you were able to understand what's possible and what's not, and that's why you can use what's available successfully. I know you have your dream and I know you won't give up but this is..."

She trailed into silence, her voice's volume decreasing to nothing, then he finally spoke sounding a little calmer than he looked but still annoyed, "a useless effort?"

Delia took a deep breath and tried to find the correct way to present the situation, "this time, I won't be an advocate of justice. This time I speak as your ally and tell you that this kind of experiment will only result in negative consequences for Team Rocket."

"I don't intend to dedicate New Island to this, it's nothing but research. I do believe what you said, about wielding the power of pokemon. This is only data for the true purpose of New Island," Giovanni finally revealed.

"What do you mean?" Delia wasn't sure she would like his explanation any better than what she knew so far.

"The legendary, that's what I want; I want to capture legendary pokemon, a pokemon thought to be extinct. I want to bring it back, I want Mew," the traces of anger and annoyance in Giovanni's voice gave way to excitement. "I'll be invincible with such power, the very best, like no one ever was."

"Then go study Mew's ruins or something!" Delia had gotten so used to justifying Giovanni in her mind, in part to make her own attachment to him feel like less of a contradiction to her principals, that she was already beginning to do so. To save an extinct race, to give the lost legendary another chance to live; from a certain point of view, when sugar coated and properly phrased, it almost sounded noble.

"Ruins?" Though it was a hasty argument by Delia, Giovanni was curious as to why she would mention ruins. His expression changed to a mix of puzzlement and interest.

"Pokemon archeology, Professor Oak used to be interested in that, he has a lot of old drawings from when he was young. He told me his interest began after seeing a legendary when he was a young pokemon trainer, but no one really believed him and after a while he had a few doubts. I think he really did see something; he had that look as if he held on to some unfinished mystery that he would one day solve. Either way, he said he decided to study pokemon in general instead, it seemed more reachable."

"Do you think he would give you a copy of his legendary pokemon research?" Giovanni's interest had been captured; he was fascinated by legendary pokemon.

"The research is old, but I'm pretty sure he still has a copy and wouldn't mind giving it to me." This was true, if anything, Professor Oak would be happy that someone expressed interest in his old research. Albeit he had not worked in that specific area in years, Oak's interest in Celebi and later Mew had been strong long ago. It was from his files that Delia had read about Mew and the last places where it was seen. "You should have told me you were interested in Mew. You should get the New Island facilities ready for an all out research project right away."

Giovanni nodded, wishing he had told her, then she would have shared her information sooner, but overall he was pleased with the possibility of finding clues about Mew and his general mood improved once more. "If it is as good as you make it sound..."

"It is," Delia had calmed down. From her point of view, archeology seemed like a much safer interest for Giovanni to have in comparison to genetics. Giovanni's scientists could experiment on rocks, minerals and fossils as much as they wanted and Delia would be okay with it. She would do her best to keep Giovanni interested in the subject and hopefully give New Island a clearer purpose with better methods.

Furthermore, if Binks was busy studying archeological findings and Aayla was needed on the field to keep the research team organized and make sure the data was safely delivered to headquarters, it would lead Giovanni to cancel their dangerous project in favor of something that interested him more.

To be Continued

Disclaimer, I don't own Pokemon.