Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Don't Give Me Diamonds ❯ Chapter 12

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

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 45: Give me Romance

Brock, Ash and Misty walked through the crowded streets. Pikachu was once again riding on Ash's back and the rest of their pokemon were resting in their pokeballs. As soon as they were away from Giovanni and Delia, Brock was quick to express his worries. "Do you remember Mewtwo and the one who tried to capture him?"

"I remember Mewtwo, but not really the one trying to capture him," Ash was confused by the sudden question that didn't seem to be related to anything recent. "I was helping Mewtwo when he arrived and when I looked up I just saw Onix. Maybe he didn't see me either, but why do you ask?"

Misty had grown pale, her hand gripping Ash's tighter, "it has to be a coincidence. The man who was with Delia is the Viridian City gym leader," Misty also remembered that man who tried to capture Mewtwo. She saw the resemblance between him and the gym leader too. It was something that she realized subconsciously before Brock finally pointed it out and she became aware of it.

"What are you talking about?" Ash inquired with curiosity, "do they look alike or something? Well, I'm sure it's just a coincidence. The gym leader is the same man from mom's picture. They used to date," and therefore, he had to be a good man. "I want to ask her about it, but this is no time to be nosy. I'll give them some space and let them catch up. Besides, it would be nice if mom had someone to keep her company when I'm away. Viridian City is very close to Pallet Town, so visiting would be easy," Ash reasoned.

Misty and Brock nodded in understanding. Surely the gym leader's resemblance to Mewtwo's enemy of the past was purely a coincidence or maybe even their imagination. They would never know for sure unless they saw Giovanni wearing orange. Seeing him in black made him look like someone who wouldn't wear such a bright color.

It was only after his worries were calmed that Brock noticed the look of bliss on Ash and Misty's faces. Then the situation became more apparent when Pikachu jumped on his shoulder. "Did something happen?" He had been too worried before to notice the ring on Misty's finger, even when she waved at Delia.

Misty smiled from ear to ear, "I thought you'd never ask," she lifted her left hand to show her engagement ring.

Brock immediately understood, "congratulations!"

"I still haven't given Ash a proper answer. The explosion interrupted me," Misty recalled, still blissful nonetheless.

"In that case, you should do that now," Brock smiled, truly happy for his friends. He wished that he could experience that kind of happiness one day too. "Pikachu and I are going to get a snack, how about it, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, he too was full of questions regarding Giovanni. Pikachu had been paying attention to the conversation and was puzzled. He remembered having met Giovanni some time ago, years after the Mewtwo incident.

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Jessie had thought James' idea was bad, "quality over quantity," she had argued. James had purchased a pair of cheap remote control robots with long arms culminating in robber covered hands. The robots did not posses a human shape or even a head. They were instead a pair of metal boxes with conveyor style wheels to help them move. They were about five feet tall with long arms, protected by rubber, though their bodies were not.

Jessie, James and Meowth appeared in front of the path Ash, Misty and Brock were taking across the Viridian forest. They began by reciting their motto as they always did and creating a commotion. James served as the decoy, sending his robot to capture Pikachu. He was ultimately sent flying after Pikachu short circuited the machine into exploding before he could be caught.

Jessie took advantage of the distraction and sent the second identical robot to capture Pikachu. The yellow electric pokemon was taken by surprise and captured by the robot. However, things did not go as planned. The robot began to malfunction by itself, even if Pikachu wasn't doing anything. It ultimately exploded and sent both Jessie and Pikachu blasting off, while Meowth was left behind.

Jessie was used to the rough landings and was able to recover quickly. In contrast, the explosion, aftershock, flying shards of the destroyed robot and the fall, affected Pikachu greatly. Jessie picked him up, he was conscious, but he was injured and his breathing was labored and pained. The yellow pokemon didn't have the strength to fight against his captor.

In her euphoria for having captured Pikachu, Jessie didn't even realize the critical state he was in. "James, Meowth, I have him!" She wasn't even wearing rubber gloves, but she couldn't think about that at the time. She only thought of finally handing Pikachu over to the boss.

James, who had landed in a tree near by, heard Jessie and rushed towards her. "We have him, we have him!" He jumped and cheered, "we finally captured Pikachu!"

"Shut up, don't jinx it!" Jessie scolded, she didn't know where Meowth was, but there was no time to wait for him. "We need to give Pikachu to the boss right away before something goes wrong." It was a good thing they were so close to headquarters, and they wasted no time in rushing there.

Giovanni was just returning to the Viridian headquarters after completing some business in the Johto region. He was entering the gym from the back door when Jessie and James arrived and cheerfully called out, "boss! Boss!" They felt bad about leaving Meowth out, but it was vital to hand over Pikachu before their good luck ran out.

"What do you two want?" Giovanni snapped; he was in no mood to deal with Jessie and James.

"We brought you a super strong pokemon!" Without even thinking that her boss wasn't equipped with rubber gloves or any sort of electric protection, Jessie placed Pikachu in his arms.

Giovanni never liked jokes and he knew no one was crazy enough to play a joke on him. He didn't have the best impression of Jessie and James. They had been competent at some point, but those times were long gone. He wasn't even sure why he put up with them anymore and decided that day that it was over. If that beat up barely conscious creature was their idea of a super strong pokemon, they were useless, "you're fired!"

Jessie and James stood in shock while Giovanni took his little black cell phone with a red R from his pocket. He was still holding Pikachu in his other arm while he called out a few Rocket grunts. He instructed the Rocket grunts to carry out the usual procedure when someone left Team Rocket. He watched as Jessie and James were dragged away.

Realizing that he was still holding the injured Pikachu, Giovanni examined the creature. He noticed the little yellow pokemon was glaring at him. Putting no importance in that detail, Giovanni decided that maybe that pokemon would be useful after all. He took a small clear vial from his pocket. It was a sample of a new healing potion that would be quite profitable when it hit the market. All the tests were complete and it worked perfectly with no side-effects. Giovanni wanted to see its fast effect in action one more time.

He took the vial's cap off and held Pikachu carefully, "drink this," he instructed gently, so as to not startle the creature, but with commanding authority.

Pikachu was dazed and barely conscious. His electricity felt as if it was completely gone at the moment and his body didn't respond when he wanted to move. His vision was blurry and it hurt to breathe. He had no choice but to swallow the salty liquid the human was giving him. The aftertaste beyond the salt was bitter and unpleasant, but the pain was starting to fade away. Pikachu felt strong again, he could breathe easily and his limbs were no longer limp with numbing pain. He shifted in the human's arms, looking up at him with puzzlement. If this was the Team Rocket boss, why would he heal him?

Satisfied with the test, Giovanni set the Pikachu down, he had no interest in keeping the seemingly weak pokemon. Leaving Pikachu standing in confusion, Giovanni proceeded to go inside the Viridian Gym. Persian paused before following his trainer and addressed Pikachu, taking note of his confusion. 'You're free to go,' Persian followed Giovanni inside and the door was closed behind them.

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After the perplexing event, Pikachu was reunited with Ash, who didn't let Meowth get away. Upon finding Pikachu, Ash finally released Meowth. The Rocket pokemon ran away immediately to avoid being sent blasting off.

Meowth searched for Jessie and James, finally finding them as they exited the Viridian Gym wearing casual clothes. Meowth almost didn't recognize them. "I've been looking all over for you. It looks like Pikachu got away again; he's with the twerps now." Meowth examined their depressed expressions, "why do you look so sad and how come you're not wearing your uniforms?"

Jessie and James tearfully informed Meowth that they were fired and that all the final paperwork had been completed. Meowth exploded in depressed rage, scratching them and running away. He later rejoined the two humans to seek revenge. Then one day they decided to start anew after a good meal and an understanding talk from Ash's mother in Pallet Town.

xoxox xox xoxox

Time passed and once again it was morning in Viridian City. The previous night had been filled with celebrations, music and fireworks. Delia was just waking up and her head wasn't any clearer than it was the previous day. She knew she wouldn't be able to figure things out any time soon. She examined the unfamiliar ceiling before remembering where she was and her confusion hit her harder, "what am I going to do?"

She got up and went to take a shower in the bathroom attached to the Viridian Gym's guest room. The room was rather elegant. The carpet was so thick that her bare feet sunk into it and she didn't even bother putting on her shoes when she got out of bed. It was that same deep red color as the sheets and pillows, there were at least a dozen pillows varying in size. From the biggest being almost as long as she was tall, to the smallest being a little square less than a foot long.

The walls were a very pale gray that looked almost white by the contrast of the deep shades of red. But it was not white enough to stand out and take any attention away from the dark colored furniture. The bed was large enough to fit three or four people with an intricately carved backrest in swirling shapes on the black wood. It was as if it had been crafted from an imaginary tangible material which composed the black holes of outer space. The two nightstands on either side of the bed, the desk in the corner, the chairs and various pieces of furniture in the room matched the bed.

There was a large mirror in front of the bed, three feet tall and five feet wide. Delia found out by accident that it was not a normal mirror. That was a fact Delia discovered the previous night after insisting that she needed some alone time and kicked Giovanni out of his own guestroom. She locked the door to ensure his lack of intrusion, not that it worked.

She intended to lie in bed sorting through her thoughts, but the lack of concentration made her observe the various aspects of the room like a detective searching for hidden clues in a crime scene. She spotted a remote control on the night stand to her right and picked it up, examining the multitude of colorful buttons it possessed. She experimented with the buttons, learning by trial and error how to control the room's temperature and lights. The lights could be set to a variety of intensities and colors. It was an unnecessary luxury in her opinion, but that didn't make it any less amusing.

As Delia played with the lights and the purple faded into darkness, her finger slipped and pressed another button. She was suddenly face to face with a masked man armed with a bloody knife and couldn't help it but to scream.

Giovanni entered the room, turning the lights on as he rushed in to find Delia rolling around the bed in a fit of laughter. "What happened? Why did you yell?" The 3D TV was on, having less of an effect in the bright light, though it still showed the vicious killer finishing off his latest victim. "Where you yelling because of this movie and is that the same reason you're laughing?"

Delia composed herself and nodded, she should have known a simple lock wouldn't keep Giovanni out. "Yes, I didn't realize it was a TV at first, then suddenly there's some murderous masked man trying to stab me. When the scene changed it made it look as if the room was haunted. That would have been nice, but then I realized it was just a TV hidden in the mirror."

Giovanni had forgotten Delia's liking for haunted places. Yet Ash was the one who ended up finding ghosts now and then. Some should have been haunting Giovanni, due to Team Rocket's actions. The topic reminded Delia that Giovanni also had a liking for such things. More so than simple curiosity, it was because he wanted to know what kind of power lurked behind the illusions and how to obtain it. "Maybe I should stay here and keep you company so you don't hurt yourself with everyday household appliances like a naive country girl."

She could have argued that particular kind of TV was not an everyday household appliance for everyone, but there were other more pressing matters in her mind. Delia didn't know when Giovanni sat down on the bed beside her. She didn't know when he wrapped his arms around her. She didn't know when he got close enough to whisper in her ear. It all still felt unreal, but years of waiting for that moment and not obtaining it had build up her defenses, if only by a little. She wanted to laugh, call him Charmander like she used to and playfully scold him, not really meaning it. She felt a heavy sense of deja vu that drowned her and she liked it, which was all the more reason to push him away. "Stop it, I'm serious. I told you I needed some time by myself to think."

He gave her a quick kiss and got up, "you really need to stop denying yourself what you want." She wanted to throw the nearest blunt object at him for telling her the exact same thing he had told her long ago. As if her deja vu and confusion wasn't overwhelming already. At least he didn't intrude in her requested privacy again for the rest of the night.

xoxox xox xoxox

After her morning shower, Delia threw on a bathrobe tying the band around her waist and wrapping a towel on her damp hair that matched the color of the sheets. She exited the bathroom and opened the closet. It was full of clothes, clearly new, which must have been hastily purchased by that Rocket girl she saw when Giovanni led her to the room.

When he convinced her to spend the night over at the gym, he made a call to have the guest room prepared. Delia had insisted that she would only stay if she got her own room. As they arrived, a girl with cyan colored hair and green eyes, that Delia was certain she had seen before, was exiting the room. "Everything is ready, boss!" She chirped cheerfully, her voice was particularly melodious.

The girl left soon after, before Delia could inquire about her identity. "Isn't she a famous singer? Akira?"

Giovanni didn't seem to place too much importance in the fact, "members of Team Rocket can do what they want in their free time, as long as it doesn't interfere with their duties."

Delia had found it all too puzzling. Why would a famous singer want to be a part of Team Rocket? Furthermore, why would she still remain as a famous artist even after it became well known that her concerts were most likely Team Rocket traps? Perhaps the added danger contributed to the rebellious teen image she had since she was actually a teenager. Albeit those years had passed, she still looked like one.

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Delia felt guilty examining the price tags on the clothes that Akira must have hastily placed in the closet. At least the girl had good taste, despite her own attire outside of her uniform being very different from what Delia would wear. Sighing hopelessly, Delia frowned at the amount of clothes there were. It was as if Giovanni wanted the well supplied closet to send the message that she should be in no hurry to leave. Two could play that game.

If she was going to be there, she would make herself useful to the world by trying to pick up where she left off in her attempt to talk Giovanni into making Team Rocket an organization of good. Either he would get tired of her and send her away, or she would at least push him to the edge and make him explain why he was suddenly all over her. She knew she might not like the explanation, but she needed to know. Either way, first she had to call Ash so he wouldn't worry about her prolonged absence.

Unfortunately, Delia's cell phone had mysteriously vanished. She had a sinking suspicion that Giovanni took it from her pocket at some point when she attempted to continue conversing with him in a private living room area at the gym after dinner. It must have happened before she decided it was time to do something to protect her personal space. There was no phone in the guestroom or at least not in plain sight; unless some random piece of furniture was secretly a phone. Left without a choice, Delia went off to find Giovanni and ask to use a phone.

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Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu were in the Viridian Pokemon Center's lobby that morning. Brock didn't know where his friends went the previous night or at what time they got to the Pokemon Center. He assumed they stayed in the city and that their date lasted until late. Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder, greeting his happy trainer. Mutual "good morning"s were exchanged.

After the greetings, Ash curiously inquired, "did mom come back to the Pokemon Center last night?" The question was followed by a growl from his stomach, demanding breakfast.

"No, I haven't seen her since yesterday. I thought she might have called you," Brock voiced with concern.

Ash was surprised by the news, but not unpleasantly so. "She must have forgotten the time talking to Giovanni. They had a lot of catching up to do, I bet they enjoyed it," he smiled. As it often happens when children turn to adults and the time to officially leave home approaches, Ash also worried about leaving his mother. In truth she had been practically living by herself since he left on his journey. Even so, he didn't want her to remain that way for the rest of her life.

Misty was about to comment, but before she could speak, Ash's loud but catchy ring tone filled the relative quiet of the Pokemon Center. The Viridian City Pokemon Center was nothing unusual, it had a nurse Joy managing it, white tiles on the floor, matching walls and a large front desk. Rows of plastic black seats with metal legs were available for people to rest and wait for their pokemon to be healed. Rows of PCs and video phones lined the walls and there was a plastic potted plant here and there.

Ash glanced at the number displayed on his cell phone realizing he did not recognize it. He answered it anyway, "hello?"

"Hi, it's me," she would feel odd saying that 'it's Delia' because when talking to Ash she would normally say 'it's mom'. She couldn't say that at the moment, Giovanni was still unaware that they had a son. Until she sorted out her life and where he stood in it, she thought it was best not to reveal too much.

A part of Delia wanted to be happy that Giovanni had taken her out to dinner in a nice restaurant and they shared a long conversation about their past together. That part of her wanted to believe that everything was somehow fixed by some inexplicable miracle. She wanted to believe that he did care and that he was happy to have her back, though she had not officially mentioned anything about getting back together.

Another more realistic part of Delia screamed at her that she was only being used. She was just an old flame with no emotional value, merely there for amusement. That part told her she should leave before she got hurt and more so before Ash was hurt because of her actions. Yet she couldn't bring herself to heed the warning.

"Good morning! Where are you?" Ash recognized his mother's voice immediately, though there was something off about her tone. Was she nervous?

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With Giovanni listening in on the conversation, there was only so much Delia could say. She didn't want to hint that her young friends were actually their son, his fiance and his best man for the coming wedding. Ash had already told Delia about choosing Brock before he even proposed, though the date of the wedding had not yet been set.

"I'm at the Viridian City gym," Delia paused, watching as Comet, now in his Rocket uniform, entered the dinning room with their breakfast and set it on the table. She was right; the Rocket image did fit him. Despite his good boy face, the mischief in his eyes shone through. She nodded in silent thanks, watching as Comet smiled.

Delia continued speaking into the little black cell phone with the red R, much like the one Comet had. The high tech cell phone was something Giovanni had given her. It was as if she was joining Team Rocket, though she was not. "I think I might be staying for a little while, so don't worry or anything."

She paused, watching as Giovanni got up from his seat across from her. He stood behind her and whispered in her ear, opposite to where she held the tiny cell phone, "stay forever." She gasped in surprise when he started kissing her neck, trying to get her to end her conversation with who he assumed to be the enemy. He still had some preparations to make before he was ready to ambush the anti-Rocket group. Delia would have plenty of time to talk to the mysterious Ash after she became his loyal double agent.

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Ash couldn't make any sense out of the surprised gasp and following silence that came from his phone, "hello?"

"Stop that," Delia mentally kicked herself for letting a giggle escape, "I'm on the phone," there was another short silence, "yes, I'm still here. I'll be staying over for a while. I lost my cell phone so if you need anything call this number. I'll try to call you again later, bye."

"Okay, have a good time, bye," Ash stared at his cell phone before pressing the buttons to save the new number into its address book. "Is giggling good?"

Misty couldn't help it but to laugh at the question, "yes Ash, it's good." Meanwhile, Brock frowned and held back the need to cry because everyone was getting some love except him.

xoxox xox xoxox

Diamond 46: Give me Family

Delia wasn't sure what kind of bread it was, but it was fluffy. It was as if the food couldn't decide if it wanted to be bread, a pancake, a waffle or some kind of cake. The buttery substance in it also couldn't decide if it wanted to be butter, cheese, honey or some rare yellow-bronze sauce. As for Delia, she couldn't decide if she was awake or asleep if her thoughts had decided to attribute personification metaphors to her food. The point was that it was all delicious and seemed to adapt to whatever taste she wanted to feel out of the list of possibilities.

As for the muffins, she really couldn't decide if they were muffins, biscuits or creampuffs, or perhaps a combination of their best aspects. The filling, albeit delicious, was a complete mystery to Delia and she wanted to ask for the recipe, or to speak to the cook, but did not. She felt like a country girl who didn't know as much about cuisine as she thought she did. That was all the more reason to keep quiet, least her lack of expertise in the business she had dedicated the past years to made her feel more exposed than she already felt.

Going back to the bread, Delia knew for certain that the thin strip of meat in the middle, albeit akin to bacon, did not come from a Tauros. The taste simply didn't fit, it had a delectable taste, but the taste was too soft to be Tauros. She also decided not to ask about what it was.

"You look like you have a lot on your mind," Giovanni broke the silence that had invaded the elegant dinning room. He had taken his seat, temporarily ceasing the 'Charmander moment' at Delia's insistence.

"Of course I do," ironically, instead of thinking about the multitude of things she should be analyzing, Delia was studying the food. She picked up her cup and drank as if to buy herself more time. The juice was deep red like something that a vampire would be presented drinking in a movie pretending it was blood. The strong yet pleasant aroma reminded her of grapes, apples and raspberries all at once, it tasted sweet and good. She allowed herself another moment of distraction observing the paintings that lined the white walls.

The frames were a polished and sparkling gold, which she knew must have been real. Even with its shine, the beauty contained in the paintings didn't pale. The paintings were so majestic that any other frame not made of pure gold, would offend them. Delia almost expected the pokemon in them to come to life when she looked at them.

A Gyarados towered in the middle of the sea surrounded by a storm. The clouds were so detailed it almost look as if they would shift with the wind any second. The illumination of lightning overtook the horizon and if someone looked at the painting long enough, they would expect to hear the sound of thunder. The Gyarados looked to the sky with a determined expression, challenging the storm. At the same time, the mighty pokemon appeared to long for the end of the storm in the horizon, where a faint hint of calm could be seen.

Another painting on the wall depicted a Persian laying on a brown rock surrounded by a grassy field of lush green. It was as if the canvas held the texture of the grass and fur rather than that of paint on the material. It looked as if the soft pleasant breeze would blow the grass gently and the Persian would welcome it as a relief to the heat of the sun. The hunter was satisfied; the Persian's expression had a clear mark of victory. The pokemon was resting after a successful battle, inhabiting his territory proudly, as if no one could ever defy him.

"Delia," Giovanni's voice got Delia out of her thoughts again. She looked at him for a long moment before coming to a choice.

She wouldn't go in mental circles anymore; she would let things flow as she did in the past. She would do whatever she felt like doing at the time. If she got herself into trouble, she would get out of it. If she got hurt, she would recover and if she felt Giovanni should never know about Ash, she would keep the secret. Until Giovanni and everything else around her began to make a shred of sense, she would just go with the flow and follow her instincts. "How about you give me a tour after breakfast?"

xoxox xox xoxox

That same morning in the Viridian Rocket base, Laiki was having a fit. She was out of her goody-goody nurse disguise, as she called it, and once again wearing her own version of the Team Rocket uniform. It consisted of a black shirt, lacking buttons or a zipper, instead folded as a kimono or yukata would be. It had a red R, though it was in the back. The shirt was held closed by a thick white band around her waist, tied into a bow on the back.

She wore short black gloves that reached only up to her wrists, a black mini skirt and white boots. Her hair had bangs falling on her forehead and long green locks framing her face on both sides, trailing down to her mid back. The rest of her hair was blond and only reached down to her shoulders.

She had an attractive figure that made heads turn and had no qualms about using it to her advantage. Something that never seemed to change about Laiki was her love for gossip. "Do you know what I heard?" She threw her arms in the air as Comet entered the Team Rocket medical facilities below the Viridian Gym.

"What did you hear?" Purry, the Meowth, was riding on Comet's back since he was wearing his Team Rocket uniform instead of the ridiculous lime green suit from the previous day. His uniform was standard, consisting of a long sleeved black shirt with a red R on the chest, long black pants and matching white boots and gloves with a thin red line at the edge. He never liked wearing the hat, though his red hair stood out. He was carrying a folded up newspaper.

Comet had known Laiki since he was a child and was used to her antics, regarding her as an older sister. He grew up in Team Rocket, learning from his father that he must always remain loyal no matter what. Raised on those beliefs, he would never betray Team Rocket, though he might consider doing things his own way if he firmly believed that it was for the good of Team Rocket and especially the boss. Lucky for him, he had never found himself faced with that kind of choice and followed his orders without question so far.

Laiki lowered her voice, as if keeping a secret from the pokemon that lay in various beds of different sizes. They were recovering from the previous day's commotion in the tunnels below the park. "I heard the boss was with a lady yesterday." Laiki eyed the pokemon, though none of them seemed to care about her revelation, they just lay still in their beds, their breathing being their only motion.

White was the predominant color of the medical facilities and Laiki never liked it. She said it would be much more cost effective to get red sheets that didn't need to be replaced so often after being worn out by the strong detergent. White was hard to clean, not that it was her chore to do, but she felt sorry for whoever was on laundry duty dealing with bloody sheets. The tiles, the walls, the sheets, it was all white. The beds and various pieces of furniture had silver metal legs, though the surfaces were still white.

"We already knew that," Comet reminded, "Delia was here, remember?" The day Laiki forgot a piece of information about the life of any celebrity, and the boss counted as a celebrity for her, would be the day the world would surely end. "It was even in the newspaper."

"Lies!" Laiki squeaked, "I'm subscribed to a hundred and eight daily newsletters and they didn't mention anything about it, granted that I'm not done with all of them yet. Are you seriously telling me it's on the newspaper? Who would think to look for news on the newspaper?"

"Who indeed?" Comet sarcastically replied, though he understood that Laiki meant to say that the newspaper only had news she considered to be boring. "How do you get through so many newsletters a day anyway?"

Laiki pointed to the little black headphones resting on her neck united by a thin silver band, "I listen to them while I work. I just get them from my email with my phone and have it read them to me." Laiki looked towards the picture sitting in the corner of her desk framed in simple brown wood. "She was the one who told me about that trick, she loves technology and thinks reading is as outdated as paper."

The desk was cluttered with several gossip magazines, a blueberry granola bar lay on top of the tallest pile in the corner opposite to the picture. The photo showed Laiki and Comet along with another girl with blue hair and a Team Rocket uniform. Her uniform was the male version because she didn't like skirts and found the extra long gloves and boots to be uncomfortable, though she was more of a geek then a tomboy.

Comet almost expected Laiki to tease him and ask if he still liked her. She was older than him, albeit not by much, but Laiki had heard her say she preferred older men. The girl had been Purry's previous trainer, though Comet still thought of her as Purry's true trainer. She had given him the Meowth because she thought Purry would prefer to be the pokemon of a higher ranked Rocket.

Laiki snatched away the newspaper from Comet, "the gym leader's inspirational speech, blah, blah, blah. The artistic splendor of the accurate replica of an ancient Roman coliseum, blah, blah, blah." She scanned through the paper, "Aha! Gym leader Giovanni and mayor Antilles were seen with a mysterious lady who was their guest at the tournament... where's the juicy stuff? It doesn't say anything about them being together."

Comet paused, realizing what Laiki was talking about. He decided not to mention he saw Giovanni and Delia not long ago while playing waiter during breakfast. He was still supposed to be on break, but there was too much going on for him to leave. At least his current tasks were easy, nothing complicated like his usual sneaky nocturnal missions. "I'll need the newspaper back, I have to deliver it." Comet took the newspaper and hastily headed for the door. He was not surprised that Purry jumped off his shoulders. The Meowth was madly in love with the boss' Persian, but would never let him see her, not until she evolved. Until then, she would only see him if she could stay hidden while watching him.

"Are you taking the newspaper to the boss?" Laiki called after him, "be observant!" She condensed a whole world into those two words. It was as if she was expecting Comet to magically obtain the whole story of the previous evening's happenings by just glancing at Giovanni's expression. Comet was only going to leave the paper in Giovanni's office, not hand it to him personally. He knew the boss would not appreciate being interrupted.

xoxox xox xoxox

After breakfast, Delia got a tour, but it was not of the remodeled Team Rocket headquarters. Giovanni instead took her to a mansion west and slightly north of Viridian City. The mansion was situated at the very edge of Kanto, bordering Johto, with Victory Road not too far away. There were so many trees around it, that it remained hidden and mysterious with a slightly dark atmosphere due to the massive trees blocking the sun.

The mansion had marble-like white walls with climbing deep green vines that had matching green leaves. In the daylight it looked like another painting. At night, it probably looked ominous, as if it were haunted. Delia would love to see it. The mansion had a triangular redish-brown roof and glass windows framed in gold.

The path that led to the mansion looked bumpy with its white and gray stones placed close to each other to form the road. In reality, it was only a visual illusion; the road was whole, solid and smooth. The gates, with ten feet tall bars culminating in sharp points, were a glossy black. They surrounded the mansion sitting atop three feet of thick black bricks at the base of the fence.

The large gates opened as Giovanni pressed a button on his tiny black cell phone with the red R. Delia realized it must be programmed to be more than just a cell phone. She felt watched as Giovanni's expensive black car, no doubt equipped with missiles, made it past the gates. The driveway was long with a circle in front of the mansion and enough space for two more cars to drive by on either side.

There was a majestic fountain made of pure white marble in the center of the drive way's circle in front of the mansion. In the middle of the fountain there stood an elaborated sculpture of a winged Rapidash. The flames of the mane and tail were carved in exquisite detail. The wings made of cold hard stone looked as if they would feel as soft feathers to the touch. If the statue wasn't a pure white shiny color and instead painted in the fiery shades of the pokemon, Delia might have thought that the winged Rapidash was real.

She couldn't help it but to remember the Christmas ornament she had received from Giovanni's mother during her secret visit on a cold December years ago. Ash loved that winged Rapidash. He was unaware of where his mother had obtained it. After Christmas ended and the tree and decorations were put away, Ash asked to keep the winged Rapidash in his room. Delia had smiled and given it to him, it was still in Ash's room to the present day.

The sparkling water of the fountain was too blue to be natural; it must have been artificially colored. Delia imagined a little Ash running around the round fountain's edge despite being told not to. He would fall into the bright blue water and emerge soon after. He would splash towards the edge of the fountain, only to turn back and look at the winged Rapidash. Then the little boy would climb on the pokemon statue and dream he had caught a real winged Rapidash. Such things never happened and they never would.

Feeling her eyes water, Delia tried to focus on examining her surroundings to stay occupied. The car where she and Giovanni were, was not the only one in the large drive way. There was also a long black limousine, a red convertible and two sports cars, one silver and one orange. Though she felt as if she, Giovanni and the Persian on her lap were the only ones there, the shy presence of others existed.

There was someone polishing the red convertible and someone else tending to the bushes that lined the base of the mansion with dark red roses. They were not wearing Team Rocket uniforms and they were both very quiet. They blended in with the background, their gazes unfelt, even when they curiously looked at Delia. They didn't know her.

The mansion's large double doors were opened and Giovanni got out of the car. Delia was still staring at the scenery in amazement. She didn't snap out of her bittersweet dream until a deep voice rung out with a polite, "milady?"

Delia noticed then that at some point the butler had exited the mansion. He had opened her car door while she sat there staring at the regal residence. She got out of the car, seeing that Giovanni was waiting for her a mere step ahead. Giovanni placed his arm around her waist leading her inside. She followed silently up the few steps that led to the golden double doors, which the formally dressed butler closed behind them.

Delia tried to keep her imagination quiet, but whenever she saw an article of decoration inside the mansion she pictured a past that never was. Seeing the various pokemon sculptures she couldn't help it but to imagine her little Ash, their little Ash, climbing all over them. Then the imaginary little boy would run towards the line of paintings on the walls. He would point at them and loudly declare that he would catch those pokemon one day. That is if the boy would have had any time to run around while being prepared for his future in Team Rocket. Such thoughts made the imaginary boy disappear as Delia returned to reality.

Delia felt as if she was being escorted to meet the king and queen of a distant land. She didn't know how to behave in front of royalty and the slightest offense would bring forth a war. That was how she felt and it didn't go unnoticed by Giovanni, "you're so tense."

Delia looked at him wondering if there was a trace left of the Giovanni she used to know. She refused to believe that stubborn, unpredictable and wild man was gone. The man who ran around with a gang getting into mischief and causing trouble with somewhat noble side-effects couldn't have fully disappeared. "Can we go on a date today, to wherever I choose?"

Giovanni attributed Delia's tension to a feeling of guilt. The guilt was rooted on that she was working for the enemy, spying on him. Giovanni had no doubts about his theory. Her request was extremely suspicious, but he would pretend he didn't know anything about her secret plans, "of course, wherever you want."

Delia paused and thought about her request again, she wasn't sure where she wanted to go. "Before that, I want to see the rest of your pokemon, I've missed them. I want to help you take care of them like I used to."

Giovanni knew for certain Delia would never hurt innocent pokemon, although he wasn't gullible enough to hand over his newest pokemon to a spy. His pokemon varied over the years, he changed them around whenever he came across a stronger one. Even so, he still kept his pokemon from long ago. He would let her train them. Maybe it would bring her good memories and speed up the process of bringing her to his side.

xoxox xox xoxox

Delia got a tour of the mansion, minus the secret basements. After that, they went outside so Delia would have plenty of space to get reacquainted with the pokemon she had not seen in years. Giovanni watched as Delia showered his pokemon with attention. They were out in the backyard with the mansion casting a shadow on the space behind it.

Golem, Machamp, Rhydon, Cloyster and Kingler were all there. They looked a little on edge at first, growling at Delia and backing away when they caught Giovanni's scolding look. It had been so long since they had received such close attention that they had all but forgotten what it felt like to truly be cared for. The only one that got any attention from Giovanni was Persian, who sat by his side as he observed Delia. Cloyster and Kingler were, ironically, the most reluctant to go near Delia.

"It seems that the bond between trainer and pokemon has faded, but it must still be there," little by little, the pokemon relaxed with Delia's gentle words and affections. "Giovanni, you haven't been giving them the attention they deserve," he should have expected her to say something like that. He didn't reply and she didn't really expect a reply.

His cell phone rang and he answered it uneager, while Delia continued tending to the pokemon, "what is it?"

The call was from Luke, who had been working in Johto, "dude, Giovanni, I like heard Delia was like back, man!"

Giovanni knew Comet would tell his father. The boy was loyal, having been raised in Team Rocket. He was a good agent, but there was no such a thing as the perfect Rocket agent. "Yes," Giovanni kept his reply simple, so as to not call Delia's attention to the conversation.

"Can I like talk to her, like please?" No matter how many years passed, Luke would forever keep the very same style of speech. It was carried over to his writing, much to Giovanni's annoyance when he had to read a report. Since it seemed that Luke was simply incapable of writing in any other way, Giovanni had someone 'translate' and summarize Luke's written rambles into a decent report before attempting to read it.

"Not now," It was not good to give Delia too many reminders of the past. She would have only the ones Giovanni selected. He didn't want her to think of anything unfortunate and reestablish her resolve to go through with her mission for the anti-Rocket group. The group's full details were still a mystery. Ash was a suspect of being a part of it and as a result those who accompanied him.

There were traitors in Team Rocket being internally hunted, which caused the tension to run high in Viridian. The true extent of the group was still unknown. Giovanni needed Delia as his double agent for everything to progress swiftly and smoothly in Team Rocket's favor. He had to be sure of her loyalty before he sent her out on a mission.

"Like later?" Luke was satisfied enough with Giovanni's answer. He wasn't expecting to be allowed to talk to Delia at all; at least not so soon after her mysterious return. "Thanks, man! I like totally appreciate it, you know?"

"Just make sure you finish your work," Giovanni noticed that Delia was watching him from the corner of her eyes while she played with the pokemon. Persian had joined them as well. She spun around laughing along with Machamp, her hands in his, her long brown hair flowing in the breeze. It was like a cheesy scene from a fluffy movie. Thankfully, the pokemon controlled his strength and Delia wasn't sent flying when he let her go. She was left a little dizzy, but amused.

Delia stumbled dizzily towards Giovanni, still in a fit of laughter. "You really need to relax once in a while," she took his little cell phone and pressed the button to turn it off. She placed it in his hand again and he pocketed it, not really expecting any important calls anyway. The anti-Rocket group wouldn't strike so soon, not while they were waiting for Delia's report.

Giovanni took her hands, but instead of spinning around aimlessly, he pulled her towards him and kissed her. He stopped when he heard the mansion's backdoor opening a short while later.

The butler exited the mansion to the backyard and shifted uncomfortably. He was regretful of having stumbled upon the scene and hoped that the boss wasn't too angry. The breeze blew, moving a single auburn hair out of place, the rest perfectly brushed back. His dark violet eyes remained fixed on Giovanni's shoes, even without looking, he knew the Rocket leader was glaring. "Sir, there is a call for you from agent Comet. He says it is important."

Comet must have been calling about something truly significant if he was being so insistent, after being unable to reach the deactivated cell phone. Without another word, Giovanni took the wireless phone the butler was holding with a bad feeling building up, "what happened?"

Comet's urgent voice came from the receiver, "there was a donation ceremony at the Vermilion City orphanage. It was sponsored by Bane Ackbar, CEO of Ackbar Inc."

The company produced medical supplies of various types and was divided into two branches, for human and pokemon products. They made pain killers, anesthesia, medical lotions and several others things. The company purchased experimentation subjects from Team Rocket. They had been buying from Team Rocket for years and shared a strong business relation. In the public eye Ackbar Inc. was known for its charitable events for both pokemon and humans.

"The ceremony was attacked in the name of Team Rocket; it's all in chaos at Vermilion City. Apparently Rockets just stormed in and started shooting left and right. Boss, this is big." Comet couldn't find the words to elaborate further. Team Rocket had not attacked its own ally, but it was made to look like they did.

Giovanni gripped the phone tightly; he wasn't expecting something like that. It was more extreme than what Han had done years ago. It was worse than the things that happened when little anti-Rocket groups emerged occasionally over the years. Perhaps the elusive Ash was smarter than he was given credit for. Delia wasn't a spy, she was a distraction. She was supposed to make Giovanni think that they would wait to gather more information before attacking. She was there to make him lower his guard thinking he still had time to prepare. He couldn't stand having someone a step ahead of him like that.

Delia would never approve of such a ruthless attack on innocent lives. Giovanni knew she must have been unaware of the anti-Rocket group's plans. Most likely to the extent of her knowledge, she was nothing but an information gatherer. That didn't change the fact that she had served as a distraction that made him think the enemies were biding their time.

"Keep it under control, set the security to level red and start carrying out plan fourteen. I'll lead the operation from Viridian," Giovanni would need to command the mission in continuous communication with the field agents. He had to keep the damage to a minimum, make sure business with Ackbar Inc. was fixed, get rid of the police. He had to find a way to prove that this wasn't Team Rocket's doing or business would be affected.

Giovanni realized what they were trying to do. They wanted to strain Team Rocket's political and business relations and push the police into taking action. What was keeping the authorities at bay was that they feared the casualties that an all out war with Team Rocket would bring. Because of that, they would be fine as long as they operated behind the scenes. If those casualties were a reality either way, they would have no reason to hold back and no choice but to fight. Giovanni had many resources, but he knew they were not infinite and it wouldn't get him any closer to controlling the world if he wasted them.

Taking over the world wasn't the hard part, maintaining control was. Giovanni knew that taking control of a territory by sheer power wouldn't work for too long. He thought it would work years ago, but realized that eventually it would all fall into a constant war that could hardly be called domination.

He would move in slowly. Making the economy of Kanto, Johto and other regions depend on Team Rocket to the point where they would collapse without it was important. He made that plan a reality in Kanto, Johto and the Orange Islands, with progress being steadily made in other regions. The recent event was terrible for business and it affected Team Rocket's underground image as well. What's the use of fearing an attack if the fear doesn't serve as a tool of survival? If the attack is inevitable without a cause, what's the use in trying to prevent it? Immediate action had to be taken.

xoxox xox xoxox

Diamond 47: Give me Support

Sometime in the future... The strong Charizard flapped his wings and gained altitude. "Give us some cover Pyro," his trainer instructed. The Charizard called Pyro let out a stream of white smoke; it had taken him a while to master creating smoke like that. It had taken the woman riding on him quite some time to reach her current level as well. The fire pokemon kept himself steady in the dark night sky. On his back he carried not only his trainer, but also Peachy, a Pikachu, a laptop computer and a small satellite dish. The dish communicated with the Rocket satellite in the atmosphere amplifying the signal from the computer. A Porygon-Z by the name of Prism was contained in the laptop.

The woman by the name of Millennia, more commonly known as Pixel, was wearing a slightly modified Team Rocket uniform which was more comfortable. The black pants went to her knees and her black boots had silver metal soles. The sleeves of her black shirt with a red R were also short. She wore black gloves with silver metal knuckles. She wasn't there to fight though; it wasn't her specialty, though she had learned the very basics of self defense given time to practice. Her fingers danced rapidly on the keyboard, her dark eyes focused on the screen as she worked together with the PorygonZ to hack into the building below.

The portable equipment could receive extra power from the Pikachu if needed. She adjusted the earpiece she wore as her blue ponytail blew in the wind. "Motion sensors deactivated; first level electronic locks open. You might run into some locks you'll have to pick the old way. Don't touch the fences, they are constantly electrified and they have no mechanism to deactivate them wirelessly."

"No problem; I'm going in," several feet below outside the tall fences, there was a man with red hair and blue eyes by the name of Comet. He stayed in the back of the building where the lights didn't reach him. "Go Rykros," he released the powerful bug pokemon from his pokeball and hopped on his back. "Let's go over the fence quickly." The Scyther flew over the fence, being able to carry his trainer easily after exercising with weights regularly. Comet hopped off on the other side and recalled his pokemon, "so far, so good."

"I'm in the camera system," Pixel's triumphant voice came from Comet's earpiece. She could see him outside in his standard Team Rocket uniform. Anyone else accessing the system saw nothing but a still empty image. "From your position, move twenty feet to the right, that will lead you to the least guarded hallway via a back door, if you can pick the lock."

"Watch me," Comet grinned, he dashed towards the aforementioned back door, dodging the circles of rotating lights. He stayed close to the wall as he moved in, "looks like a double lock, there's the lock on the doorknob and an electronic one."

"I'm not detecting it," Pixel replied, "it must be a highly isolated electronic lock. Plug me in," she grinned, even if her wireless didn't reach that lock at first, she would get to it anyway.

Comet took a small card from his utility belt. It was a plain black card with nothing but a red R to identify it. It looked like a regular card without a use beyond decoration, but it was in fact a wireless transmitter. He inserted the card into the keycard space and got to work on the door knob's lock with a few other tools.

Pixel watched as her computer screen changed when the lock became accessible. The card Comet inserted into it could unlock just about anything given the proper use. "Let's do this, Prism," the Porygon-Z on the screen looked eager, once again working with her trainer to unlock something else.

Comet heard the small number pad next to the keycard slot beep as numbers appeared on its tiny screen. "All done," he heard the click that indicated the door's physical lock was no longer an obstacle.

The final beep for the last digit was heard and the electronic lock was undone, "same here," Pixel voiced.

Comet proceeded inside, his footsteps speedy but inaudible. "You said the least guarded hallway," he whispered quietly.

"Yup," Pixel confirmed, "there is no unguarded route, but you don't sound disappointed. Whatever it is your thinking, you'll get your chance now, because there's a guard going your way. I bet you can't avoid him."

Comet grinned, "I'm up for a fight but I'll take that bet." He jumped and stretched out in the hallway. His hands and feet could barely reach the opposing walls left and right. He pushed on the walls staying close to the ceiling and slipped away right above the guard.

Pixel followed Comet's signal on the screen. "The elevator is coming up, occupied," she opened the door.

Comet hurried towards it and hopped down to the floor. He looked into the elevator shaft as the elevator box went up. He stepped onto it rather than jump, so that he could get on as quietly as possible.

"Your floor's coming up," Pixel watched the images on the building's security cameras, "it's too heavily guarded, a confrontation is inevitable."

The elevator shaft door opened. Though the elevator was destined for the last floor, Comet's target was in the second to last floor. He jumped out catching the first guard by surprise, his fist harshly colliding with the other man's face. The guard was knocked out on impact. The room in the middle of the floor was surrounded by a hallway that went all around it, constantly packed with guards.

"We have an intruder! Send backup!" Another guard desperately called. Only one intruder had been spotted so far, but the red R on his chest warned that even one could be plenty of trouble. Plus for all they knew, others may be waiting to attack. A swift kick relived the guard of his gun a split second after it was taken from its holster, before he could even aim.

"Ten of them; take them out. Back up won't be coming," as an extra gift, aside from blocking the enemy's radio contact, Pixel sent out a loud screeching noise to their ear pieces.

Comet noticed right away what it was when He saw his next opponents cringe suddenly losing their focus. "Hey Pix, don't forget I won our bet back there," Comet skillfully fought, taking out one opponent after another.

"It was just dumb luck," Pixel scoffed, though she knew it was a lie. This was only the beginning, but then again, it was always the beginning when the goals to reach were so high. Pixel grinned allowing the excitement of the mission to wash over her as she listened to the sounds of battle. In the past, she never imagined she would be able to go on such an important mission and actually be of assistance. She clearly remembered when the series of events that changed her started, it was right after the first time she met Delia.

xoxox xox xoxox

At Giovanni's mansion in the present time... Giovanni shoved the wireless phone back into the frightened butler's hands and recalled all his pokemon to their pokeballs. Delia was looking at him with a worried expression, "what happened?"

"Something came up," he led her inside the mansion hastily; she could still be useful, "I want you to stay here."

"I want to go with you!" She refused to be left out, but knew the argument was useless. She had just returned, Giovanni didn't trust her and she still didn't understand his behavior towards her. She wasn't sure what he could be trying to accomplish, but she wanted to find out. She followed him as he headed up to the forth floor of the mansion.

The glass elevator opened and they both exited. Giovanni opened a door with Delia still following him closely, "stay here."

Delia frowned, "no, I want to go with you!" She insisted urgently.

"You've caused enough trouble already," Giovanni didn't have any more time to waste. He shoved Delia into the guestroom and closed the door. The electronic lock beeped in response to the keycard and numbers entered in the little pad next to the door.

"Giovanni!" Delia screamed at the top of her lungs. She tightened her fists and pounded on the polished wood door. "Open this door! You can't keep me locked up in here!" There was no response. She knew that he was gone and that no one from the mansion's staff would let her out. She twisted the door knob helplessly. She hit the door until her hands hurt and shouted until her throat burned. Then her tears silenced her.

Delia didn't understand, one second Giovanni was being suspiciously nice to her and the next he was locking her up. If only she knew what thoughts were going through his head. If only she knew what that sudden phone call was about.

Delia sobbed and closed her eyes tightly. She turned around and pressed her back against the door. She slid down the glossy black wood and sat on the floor. The carpet was soft and thick, a dark shade of red. It was the same color as the bed sheets and pillows, but those were lined with gold. The bed was very large, enough to fit three people with eight pillows piled on it.

The walk-in closet was empty, its double doors matching the black wood of the door, with golden handles to match the door knob. The golden lined glass window was closed, the golden curtains motionless at its side, untouched by the light breeze outside. There was a big screen plasma TV and a desk. On the desk there was a fancy black pen decorated with a green leaf and a golden lined white notepad with a faded green leaf watermark in the center. The leaves were similar to the earth badge.

One of the walls was lined with shelves filled with various books, mostly about pokemon and a few fictional stories. The books looked as if they had never been opened, very different from Delia's copy of Mysteries of the Earth. That book was on the coffee table of Delia's living room in her little Pallet town house, its cover worn. Delia had read Mysteries of the Earth so many times she had the book practically memorized, with the most interesting passages highlighted in yellow. She would read over every page endlessly and imagine what event brought each discovery.

"Um... excuse me," Delia looked up at the quiet voice, realizing that she was not alone in the room. She didn't know for how long the Rocket had been standing there waiting to be noticed. The girl's hair was dark blue and her eyes were such a dark brown they looked black contrasting with her white skin. She was wearing a Team Rocket uniform, though it looked like the style males usually wore. It included long black pants, a long sleeved black shirt with a red R and short white gloves and boots lined in red. Her hair was in a ponytail, it was perhaps mid back length, though the end of the ponytail only reached her shoulders. Her bangs covered her forehead and looked longer than they were due to her posture with her head lowered to look at Delia sitting on the floor.

Delia stood up and smoothed out the folds of her sky blue dress out of habit. She tugged her long brown hair behind her ear, revealing three small diamonds cascading from her earrings. She shifted her weight from one foot to another, as if looking for little things to do to buy more time to compose herself. "Did Giovanni assign you to guard me?" Delia wondered if he had planned to lock her up all along. It had looked as if it was done in the rush of the moment after that mysterious call.

"Not really, I was just changing a lightbulb," the girl tilted her head towards a door that led to an adjacent bathroom. Shiny white tiles were the only things visible from the door's slightly open position.

Delia sighed; it didn't look like the girl knew what was going on. "Can you open this door?"

The girl looked at the door with uncertainty, as if imagining what the boss would say if she opened it. At the same she was wondering if the card and code she had would work. "If the boss locked it then we're trapped," she finally replied after some thought. She decided it was best not to further annoy Giovanni. It was bad enough that she had gotten herself trapped along with his guest, simply because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Delia wasn't sure she believed the girl, but at least she still had her little cell phone. Upon trying to call Giovanni to demand to be set free, she found that the device had been deactivated. She looked around the room, her gaze pausing on a lamp on one of the black nightstands beside the bed. She couldn't help it but to think of Ash and hoped she could escape soon. She wanted to be out of trouble before Ash realized that her absence without communication was too long to be caused by forgetfulness or distraction. Even when Ash traveled he still spoke to his mother over the phone often.

The lamp reminded Delia of Ash because she knew he would really like it. It was shaped as a Charizard of glass with the light bulb hidden in a massive breath of fire coming from its mouth. She continued scanning the room until she spotted a glossy red phone on the desk. She picked up the receiver hopefully and let out a breath of exasperation. The line was dead; they must have blocked it from outside.

Delia's next idea was a desperate one; she walked towards the window and found that it was unlocked. She pulled the golden lined glass open and felt the soft breeze of the escape route. "You're not thinking about climbing down with the vines, are you?" The Rocket girl inquired with worry, "those vines aren't strong enough to hold a person. You'll fall for sure!"

"I'll take my chances," Delia looked down; she would be seriously injured if she fell from there. She was in the forth floor, but felt as if she was much higher up when she thought about falling.

The girl let out a breath of relief, seeing Delia stepping away from the window. A short moment of silence passed and her cell phone suddenly rang. It was the catchy tune of one of Akira's songs, a fast paced mix of pop and punk rock.

Delia snapped into attention, "your phone."

"Even if you call someone they won't open the door," the girl tried to persuade Delia out of trying to steal the cell phone. She took it out of her pocket and watched Delia guardedly. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Laiki, where are you?" The voice came from the cell phone, unheard by Delia.

"Hi! I'm at the boss' place and I think I'll probably have to stay here for a while," the girl replied, curious about her friend's urgent tone.

"Okay, I just called to warn you," Laiki hastily continued, she sounded stressed and frustrated, "after the false Rockets attacked Vermilion City the cops started poking around the Viridian Gym. The press has the boss cornered denying the suspicions that he's a Team Rocket supporter. It's best if you don't come back for a while. I have to go, don't try calling HQ or anyone."

The call was hastily ended before the blue haired girl could inquire further. Delia was watching her intently, pressuring her with her eyes to talk. If the press was involved, she reasoned that the event was no secret. "False Rockets attacked Vermilion City."

Delia's eyes widened, "false Rockets?" Her voice was shaky. She walked over to the bed and sat down. "What happened?"

"I don't know, but the press is all over the place in Viridian City," the girl replied with growing worry.

Upon hearing that, Delia looked around the room for the TV's remote control. She spotted it on the night stand on the other side of the bed, opposite to the one with the Charizard lamp. She turned on the TV and one of Akira's music videos came on. The singer showed off the potency of her voice as she danced on a stage with abundant blue and purple lights. She was wearing a black leather mini skirt, a bright pink strapless top, white platform boots, yellow star earrings and a pink chocker with a yellow star on it. The tight outfit left little to the imagination.

Delia changed the channel quickly until she found the news. On the screen she saw Giovanni. He was angry, she could tell, but it was perfectly hidden behind a mask of sorrowful concern. Delia listened as he played the part of the good gym leader. He was denying all involvement with Team Rocket and expressing his sadness and indignation concerning the recent Vermilion City catastrophe.

After Giovanni's forced press conference ended, the reporters where left with mayor Antilles to defend himself of similar accusations. Delia kept watching the TV in a trance. She occasionally changed the channels from one news program to another, seeking a full report about the events that occurred in Vermilion City so that she could better understand them.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, Ash and Misty were in route four, heading towards Cerulean City. "Chu, chu!" Pikachu cried in pain while Misty cuddled him on her lap, trying to console him.

Ash made a sad face, his eyes were watery and his lower lip was puckered. "Please officer Jenny, please let us get to the Cerulean City Pokemon Center," he begged, "my poor Pikachu is on the verge of death!"

The blue haired woman looked at the little yellow pokemon with compassion. "I'll lead you there," she offered hurriedly. Without even waiting for a reply, she ran back to her police car.

"Wait, officer, I understand you're busy, you really don't have to!" It was too late, Jenny was determined and nothing Ash said could change her mind.

"Follow me!" Jenny called out before starting up her white and blue car. She was ready to dash down the road at full speed.

Ash's little indigo car was pulled over on the side of the road after he had been caught speeding. Ash and Misty had spent the previous night at Pewter City in Brock's pokemon breeding center. One of his siblings took care of it while he was gone. Unaware of the happenings at Vermilion City or Delia's predicament, Ash and Misty made their way to Cerulean City. Misty wanted to personally give her sisters the news of her engagement.

"How lucky, we get a police escort and everything," Misty commented sarcastically. Ash sped down the road following Jenny, who was clearing the way for him. The siren on top of her car was blaring with the blue lights rotating like a lighthouse. Misty's eyes screamed the phrase, 'I told you so,' referring to when she quietly warned Ash that his hasty plan would backfire.

"Aw c'mon, I've never gotten a ticket in my entire life and I don't want to change that now," Ash defended, his eyes focused on the road.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you don't speed all the time," Misty continued. She wasn't really bothered by it, she sounded teasing.

"Everyone gets into a little mischief now and then," Ash grinned.

Pikachu laughed and hopped on the dashboard. He was enjoying the speed of the ride. He wasn't feeling ill at all, let alone on the verge of death as Ash so dramatically told Jenny. The officer ahead came to a sudden stop at an intersection and Ash slammed his foot on the breaks. It caused Pikachu to fall backwards, though he was thankfully caught by Misty. She held him securely the rest of the way. Jenny continued after a few seconds' pause, with Ash following.

A short while later, the little indigo car stopped in front of the Cerulean City Pokemon Center behind the police car. "We're here, hurry inside!" Jenny urged. She looked like all the other Jennys, wearing the same police uniform, with the same hairstyle and the same face. Only the symbol on her hat was different.

Ash and Misty wasted no time rushing into the Pokemon Center. They hoped that Pikachu's act was good enough to at least convince nurse Joy to take him to the back for an examination. The Pokemon Center looked identical to any other with it's white tiles, white walls, tall ceiling, plastic chairs, video phones and PCs. Seeing that Jenny was still following them, Ash continued his act, "nurse Joy, we have an emergency, Pikachu is dying!"

"Chu!" Pikachu let out an ear splitting wail. It made all those present cringe, especially Misty who was still cradling him.

"That poor dear!" Nurse Joy exclaimed; she looked like all the other Joys with a light pink dress and a white apron over it. She had pink hair, a nurse cap and the same face as the others. "He sounds like he's in a lot of pain," she gently picked up Pikachu from Misty's arms and took him to the back where she laid him on a bed.

Ash and Misty followed Joy, but they were not the only ones, a concern Jenny was there as well. Ash didn't know how to make her leave without sounding like a horrible ingrate.

"Chu... chu..." Pikachu's breathing was heavy, his expression contorted in pain, "chu!" He wailed again.

"Chansey, chansey," the pink nurse pokemon tried to console her patient and calm him to no avail.

"Oh dear, if this is what I think it is," nurse Joy's expression became more serious and worried, "I might have to operate, but I-"

Pikachu's eyes widened upon hearing about an operation, "pikachu!" He let out a massive amount of electricity that made Chansey faint and knocked Ash, Misty, Joy and Jenny to the floor in pain.

The humans struggled to get up, with Ash being the first to recover, followed by Misty. The couple helped the other two women to their feet. "As I was saying, I need to conduct some tests to make sure it's not just a build up of excess electricity," Joy finished in a daze.

The medical tests showed that Pikachu was perfectly healthy. In fact he was one of the healthiest pokemon Joy had come across in a long time. Thus it was concluded that the cause for his pain was indeed a build up of excess electricity, which he had already let out on them.

"It looks like everything turned out alright in the end," officer Jenny breathed in relief. She was honestly glad that Pikachu was not in any serious danger after all.

"I'm sorry about the commotion," Ash apologized, "I really thought Pikachu was in mortal danger, thanks for helping us get here. Even if it wasn't serious, I'll still think of this day as the day when the noble officer Jenny saved Pikachu's life." Ash hoped he was still off the hook for his ticket.

Jenny smiled proudly, "I'm just doing my duty! Speaking of which, I have to get back to work now," with a look of satisfaction, the officer finally left.

After the detour at the Pokemon Center, Ash and Misty headed to the Cerulean City gym. Ash parked the car in front of it and they both got out. Pikachu was riding on Ash's shoulder as Misty cheerfully rushed in to call her sisters. "Daisy! Violet! Lily!" There was no reply at first, until Misty called their names again, even louder.

Lily's voice answered, "in the living room," with a tense tone. Ash and Misty hurried to their location. The living room of the home and gym of the Waterflower family had predominant shades of blue. The couch was a deep ocean blue, the carpet a light cerulean blue, the walls a pale sky blue. Seashell ornaments could be seen throughout the room.

Daisy was nowhere to be found; perhaps she had gone out with her fiance. Her wedding would be in just a couple of weeks. Misty felt ignored because Violet and Lily were paying more attention to the TV than to her. She was also confused by Lily's tone. They saw a familiar image on screen, "that's the Viridian City mayor," Misty observed.

The report was just ending and neither Ash nor Misty caught enough of it to understand what it was about. "Were they talking about the pokemon tournament?" Ash curiously inquired.

Violet shook her head, "no," she got up with a worried expression, "I'm going," she began to walk away, but Lily stopped her.

"Isn't it better if you like stay here?" The pink haired Waterflower sister insisted. Lily was the second youngest next to Misty, but often felt as if she was the youngest, since Misty was away traveling most of the time.

"Kenobi is probably feeling terrible, he like hasn't even called me!" Violet fumed, though her expression soon changed to worry, "he's having a family crisis with the press hounding his poor father like that. Did you know he has a heart condition? My future father in law," never mind that they weren't engaged yet, "will be like driven to the grave if they don't give him some room to breathe. I'm sure Kenobi is upset about this whole thing. How dare they link his family and their friend, the Viridian gym leader, to Team Rocket? They are like not only offending Viridian City and the Antilles family, but also gym leaders everywhere!"

Misty remembered that Violet had said something about dating the son of a mayor, though she hadn't been paying too much attention to her sister's love high ramblings. Violet had been saying too much, too fast, with a lot of it being gibberish, so Misty didn't quite catch the details about her sister's boyfriend.

Refusing to allow anyone to stop her, Violet rushed out, determined to go to Viridian City. Lily sighed in resignation, allowing herself to fall back into the couch. She turned off the TV, where the normal programming had resumed after the news bulletin. "This is a disaster," she grimaced, throwing her head back on the soft blue backrest and closing her eyes.

Misty sat down beside her sister with a serious expression. Ash took a seat next to his fiance, with Pikachu now on his lap. "Will you please explain what in the world is going on?" The youngest Waterflower insisted impatiently. Her sisters' behavior alarmed her. Misty had a feeling that they were not just being overly dramatic.

To be Continued

Disclaimer, I don't own Pokemon. This has a reference to a specific scene in Mewtwo Returns. Gio isn't wearing orange in the present time because in the new series, Best Wishes, he has a new outfit. Mysteries of the Earth is a book Giovanni wrote, which is mentioned in a manga. I know Jenny has green hair later, but in the first few episodes she had blue. Disclaimer, I don't own Pokemon.