Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Don't Give Me Diamonds ❯ Chapter 17

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

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 61: Give me Help

At the Saffron city hall a man wearing a dark red tuxedo made his way into the mayor's office. The secretary paid him no mind as he went in. He had silver hair and blue eyes. The scene he found at the office was most unexpected. His investigation led him to believe there was something going on with the Saffron City mayor. He had also seen suspicious people going in and out of city hall. Perhaps he could gain some information about Kenobi's location there. He didn't expect to find a dark haired young man sitting at the mayor's very red office drinking tea and eating cookies. That man was Kenobi. Most of all, he didn't expect the mysterious mayor to be Madame Boss.

Madame smiled victoriously, "hello there Petrel. Care to join us? Oh and by the way, next time, you don't need to knock out one of my men and disguise yourself as him. You can just come right in, dear," she mocked.

"I got caught by a security camera didn't I?" Petrel took off his wig and contact lenses in frustration. "I can't believe this! I need to ask for more field missions, I don't want to get out of practice with my disguises."

"The disguise was fine, except for the part about being caught putting it on," Madame laughed.

Petrel looked at Kenobi, who seemed to be at a loss for words. "Madame saved me," he finally spoke. "She said someone would come for me soon."

"Do you know who she is?" Petrel inquired raising an eyebrow.

"The mayor of Saffron City," Kenobi initially replied, "but that's not all." He thought about it, "you know each other, but you were sneaking in. Is she our ally?" By 'our' Kenobi was secretly referring to Team Rocket.

"Let's just say the boss and his mother are not on speaking terms," Petrel left it at that.

Confusion was reflected in Kenobi's green eyes. "How is the boss' mother related to any of this?" Then the realization hit him as he caught sight of Madame's amused grin, "you are? She is?" He looked from Madame to Petrel and back again. They both nodded.

"Do you know anything about a list of traitors? Two agents that had been fired showed up with it. Doesn't that sound convenient?" Petrel gave Madame a suspicious look.

"Long ago I gave brat boy my resources because he no longer needed them," Madame recalled. "If my help was necessary and I gave it, I would just be getting in the way of brat boy reaching his potential. This time, I'm just helping speed things along towards a result that would have been the same anyway. That is all," Madame smiled. "As for the agents you speak of, they are unaware of who I am in relation to brat boy."

"I see," Petrel thought about it, Giovanni would be angry hearing Madame call him brat boy still. "Well, I guess I'll let things be for now, but I'll have to tell the boss. He won't be happy about this... interference."

"She was helpful!" Kenobi protested.

"That's really not the point," Petrel's tone of voice made it clear it was best to drop the subject. "Kenobi, we should return now."

"Ah, yes, it would be best to be on our way," Kenobi agreed. "Madame, thank you very much for your assistance."

"Too bad not everyone is as polite as you," Madame chuckled in amusement. "You're quite welcome my dear."

xoxox xox xoxox

After swiftly leaving Madame's office, Petrel reported the recent happenings to Archer. "Mission accomplished, I have Kenobi and I'm taking him back to Viridian City as we speak." The car they were in was purple to match Petrel's hair. It had a red R bumper sticker, though it wasn't too big so it didn't stand out. Petrel kept an eye out for pursuers as he drove, but there weren't any.

Kenobi was still unaware of the Waterflowers' involvement in the recent events. He hardly knew anything of what had been happening in Kanto during his captivity. He assumed Violet was safe in Cerulean City; he had no reason to think otherwise. He wondered if his kidnapping had been made public. He hoped not, he didn't want to worry Violet. It was inevitable to worry his father; he had to know he had been missing. Kenobi would think of something to tell Violet later and apologize for his lack of communication recently. He had not called her in a long time. It was best to sort things out and call when he had the time to properly talk to her.

"Good, that's one less think to worry about, I'll let Rune know," Archer's voice came from Petrel's little black cell phone, with a shiny red R. "It seems things are running smoothly so far. All that's left to do is capture the enemy, hand them to the police to take the blame and conduct some public relations here and there. Soon we will make it as if nothing happened," if Giovanni's plan worked. He intended to take care of Tempest directly.

"There's more," Petrel got ready to report the most interesting piece of information he had found. "The suspicions about the Saffron mayor being involved with the enemies were true, but it seems she was using them. She was just messing with them and possibly with us. She was the origin of the traitor list Jessie and James brought, but they don't know that. The mysterious Saffron mayor is Madame Boss."

"Giovanni's mother?" Suddenly Comet's report made a lot more sense to Archer. "Let's allow Giovanni to focus on his mission for now, we'll give him the report afterwards. We don't want to anger him and throw him out of focus. I guess dealing with this detail will be part of the aftermath clean up. Do you think she'll be troublesome for now?"

"I don't think so," Petrel replied with a hint of doubt. "She handed Kenobi over easily enough. It doesn't look like I'm being followed or anything. I never did understand Madame. Maybe Giovanni's the only one who can figure her out."

Archer disagreed, "I don't think anyone can. There's a lot to do, but for now let's focus on one thing at a time. Return to headquarters and we'll decide what to do from there."

xoxox xox xoxox

Delia and Ariana stood on opposite sides of the Cerulean gym's battle arena. The large pool was filled with crystalline water. The water was still, yet not truly calm, as if it had no room to move with all the tension in the atmosphere. "Two on two," Delia requested.

Ariana nodded from the other side of the water themed arena. She looked confident, "fine by me."

"We don't have much time," win or lose, Delia wanted to get things done as fast as possible. If she couldn't win, she would think of what to do then. If she won, she would need to be on her way. With a look of determination, Delia released her two pokemon, "Cloyster, Kingler!" Both pokemon emerged from the red beams of their respective pokeballs simultaneously. They landed comfortably in the welcoming water of the pool. The liquid shifted when the two pokemon splashed in, but soon became still again as they floated. "We'll battle with both pokemon at the same time," Delia had battled like that especially often immediately after the Viridian Gym take over, when Kanto was cleaned of other gangs.

Ariana released two of her pokemon from their pokeballs, Weavile and Honchkrow appeared. Honchkrow flew above the water out of reach with Weavile on his back. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Absolutely!" Delia had no time to doubt, she needed to believe she could win. "Cloyster, Kingler, water gun together!" The two water pokemon were unsure. Giovanni wasn't there to scare them into listening and they still had their doubts about Delia. Would she leave them again? "Cloyster, Kingler, please!"

"It looks like they won't listen to you," Ariana shook her head in disapproval. "You've been gone too long and it seems you didn't leave enough of an impression to make them listen. This battle is mine," Ariana sent her pokemon on the attack. "Honchkrow use trickery!"

Cloyster and Kingler sunk under the water to protect themselves against Honchkrow's attacks. "Cloyster, Kingler, you have to fight back!" Delia called out to them, but they still wouldn't listen. They just sunk deeper until they were safe at the bottom of the pool. Bubbles rose up from their location as they discussed something in their language. They were probably debating what they should do, if they should truly give Delia another chance or not.

"Perfect," Ariana looked victorious. As she expected, the battle would be over soon. "Keep them underwater Honchkrow, Weavile use ice beam, full power!"

"You can't freeze them in there!" Delia realized what was going on.

"I can and I will!" Ariana laughed. "It seems you've lost, but don't take it too badly. Maybe with some training you might reach the potential you used to have."

"What I need is to regain the trust I used to have," Delia argued back. "Cloyster, Kingler, I'm sorry I left you like that. I honestly thought you would be better off if you stayed at the gym. Even if it wasn't my place, I thought it could still be yours. I didn't know that you would end up so neglected. Please forgive my misjudgment, I'm here now and I'm willing to earn your trust again from the beginning."

Cloyster and Kingler were heading to the surface of the pool trying to break the sheet of ice that formed. Ariana could not allow them that chance, "Honchkrow, confuse ray, Weavile, hurry up with that ice beam!" Her two pokemon obeyed.

The beam of perplexing dark light could be seen past the sheet of ice that didn't shield the water pokemon's minds. They were already doubtful, which made them vulnerable to the confusion. Cloyster and Kingler swam around under the sheet of ice. They occasionally bumped into it and each other, pushing each other away. Weavile was starting to look tired, but the beam of ice didn't cease. Ariana's pokemon kept freezing the pool, the sheet of ice becoming thicker and deeper.

"Cloyster! Kingler!" Delia desperately called out to them. "This is hopeless," she realized. "Ariana, I give up, you won the battle."

With a cunning look Ariana refused to accept the end of the battle, "I'm not going to stop."

"I already gave up, that's enough!" Delia insisted.

"I said I'm not stopping," Ariana stood firm by her choice.

"Cloyster, Kingler, return!" The red beams from the two pokeballs reached towards the ice, but didn't go past it. "Return!" Delia jumped off the trainer platform and on to the frozen pool. She tried to use the pokeballs again at close range, but it still didn't work. "Cloyster, Kingler, I'll get you out of there!"

Honchkrow and Weavile screeched at Delia as if telling her to go away. They were trained not to stop attacking until their trainer said so. No one could get in their way. "I think you should get out of the battle field," Ariana advised.

"No way, this battle is over, Cloyster and Kingler shouldn't still need to fight. Bending the rules a little is one thing, but this is cheating," Delia argued. "If that's how you want it, I'll cheat too." She took off her shoe and threw it. The shoe hit Honchkrow on the beak. "You two back off or you'll have to deal with me!"

"You don't stand a chance!" Ariana warned, she sounded serious, yet with an undertone of amusement.

"I don't care, I have to try!" Delia pounded on the ice with all her might, trying to break it.

"So that's how it is," a real smile formed on Ariana's face. She recalled Weavile and Honchkrow back into their pokeballs before they could seriously attack Delia.

"I'm sure this ice has to break, it's not cold enough in here to maintain it," Delia kept hitting the ice. "I won't ask you to battle for me if you don't want to. If you do, I'll trust you with my very life and I'll take good care of you."

The two pokemon under the ice finally lost their confusion and struggled together to get out. The ice began to break until they made a hole in it and climbed out.

"Cloyster, Kingler, will you give me another chance?" They were willing to; Delia didn't need to speak their language to know that. "Thank you, I know this is too much to ask for, but the Giovanni we used to know still exists. Will you help me find him again?"

The two water pokemon could see that Delia's intentions and determination were true. They nodded in unison, voicing their agreement together. Delia hugged them both.

"So you're still going?" Ariana inquired, though she didn't wait for an answer. "I thought as much. You're not one to give up easily. You still have a strong determination and you're willing to break the rules if needed. Alright, let's go, Giovanni might need some help after all. You two somehow have a way of bringing out each other's wild side, no doubt about it."

"Ariana..." Delia was surprised by the turn of events. She expected Ariana to put up more of an argument. In the end, the executive couldn't stand by without directly helping Team Rocket. Delia immediately agreed, "yes, we should hurry to the world's edge."

Ariana grinned, "on one condition..."

xoxox xox xoxox

Later at Saffron City, Ash and Misty were wandering through the streets. A stream of suspicious rumors that they couldn't ignore took them there. "Do you really think we'll find out anything useful here?" Misty asked impatiently. She felt she should be trying to locate her sisters.

"There has to be a cause for all those rumors," Ash reasoned. After taking buses and taxis, it was the evening and they still haven't found much beyond rumors. "I know we're going to find something, I can feel it!"

Misty sighed. She found herself remembering the odd looks Ash got due to his messy hair. "Ash, this is a wild Farfechd chase." She finally had enough.

"No it's not, I told you I can feel that something will happen, trust me." Ash was in the middle of persuading Misty to trust his instinct when he spotted a familiar pokemon. "Is that...?"

Misty looked in the direction Ash was pointing and saw the Meowth. She was easily recognizable due to her war zone appearance. It was obvious she had been in many tough battles. "No way," Misty couldn't believe it, but she knew it to be true. "I think you're right. Somehow I feel like I shouldn't be surprised. Trouble has a knack for finding you, or is it the other way around?"

"I don't know, but I'm not letting her get away!" Ash declared full of determination. "I have to catch that Meowth and ask her where she hid my hat!" He dashed towards Purry.

Purry had gone into an alley between two buildings and headed towards a door on one of them. She was sure she saw Comet go in there earlier.

"Stop right there!" Ash yelled at the top of his lungs. If his approaching footsteps haven't already given away his presence, his voice would have.

"So much for the element of surprise," Misty sarcastically commented.

"Give me back my hat!" Ash firmly demanded, ready to battle the Meowth for it. "Did that guy from Team Rocket take it? Are you his pokemon? I don't care, I'm catching you anyway. I'm getting my hat back no matter what!"

Purry hissed ready for battle. Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulders and stood defensively between the ferocious Meowth and Ash. The door that led to the Tempest hideout was suddenly opened. Solo stood there glaring at the noisy intruders in the alley, "what's all this commotion about?" He was wearing his Tempest uniform, with a green T clearly visible on his black shirt.

"Tempest!" Ash exclaimed, recognizing the uniform. "You see, Misty? I told you we would find something. Now we can take down Tempest." Ash was excited about it.

"Take us down?" Solo let a mocking laugh echo. He didn't want to make a big scene while Bollux and Poisona were out. To avoid attracting too much attention, he invited the suspicious trainers in. He had no intentions of letting them leave alive. "Feel free to step inside and we'll decide everything in a battle."

The invitation was obviously a trap; that was something that not even Ash could miss. Even so, he wasn't one to turn down a challenge. "I accept your challenge!" He agreed without a second thought.

"Ash," Misty paused, she wanted to get rid of Tempest as much as Ash did, if not more. She knew this was reckless, she knew it was a trap. Even with that knowledge she couldn't back down. They would take on the challenge together. She looked determined, "let's win this."

Ash and Misty were led inside, where they were surrounded by Tempest grunts. Purry followed them in. She decided to look for Comet first and battle that young man and his Pikachu later.

xoxox xox xoxox

Comet was trying to devise an escape plan. He knew he would only get one chance. If he didn't succeed he would blow his cover and would make things difficult. He paced around the small underground room were Akira was held hostage. He had untied her from the chair, but she was still unconscious. After thinking about it, that was probably for the best.

"Meowth!" A familiar voice called out from the door. Comet opened it to see Purry.

Comet heard voices not too far away. Commands were being shouted and a battle was taking place. "What in the world is going on?" He went to take a look. At the end of the hall, in the large room beyond, there was chaos. Too many pokemon had been released at once. A storm of fire, water and electricity was raging dominantly above the other attacks. Battling in such a relatively small space was dangerous. "Those two were in the Cerulean Pokemon Center before," Comet recognized Ash and his friend. "Did the boss send them?" He wondered, "there's no time to give it too much thought. Purry, give them a hand, you can fight without me. I want to stay and battle, but I have to take the opportunity to get Akira out of here."

"Meowth!" Purry understood. She ran towards the intense battle, slashing away at all who got in her way. It didn't take her long to identify which pokemon were allied to Tempest and attack them.

Comet carried Akira out of the room where she was kept. He paused at the hallway and remembered the story from when Team Rocket took over the Viridian gym. Why not help out a little? It wouldn't take too long. He set the unconscious Akira down and went to release the pokemon from their cages. The pokemon ran with no specific target in mind, they just escaped through the chaos.

Dodging stray fire balls, beams of water and bolts of electricity, Comet snuck out of the hideout. Leaving the chaos behind, he dashed out of the alley. He hurried to his car with the unconscious Akira. Once safely inside the 'chocolate bar', he reported back to Team Rocket. He made sure to keep Akira's arms and legs tied up so she didn't cause any trouble if she woke up. "This is agent Comet, reporting from Saffron City, I have Akira."

"Well done," the one who replied from the Viridian Headquarters was Archer. His face appeared in the video cell phone's tiny screen. "Bring her to Viridian right away. Make sure she doesn't escape and don't let anyone follow you."

"Yes, sir!" Comet replied a little too cheerful, but it came as no surprise to Archer. Comet was a good agent despite having the same carefree attitude Luke had been known for. "Did the boss send Ash and his friend to battle Tempest?" He had to ask.

"What?" Archer was intrigued by this new development.

"They were with him when Giovanni stopped Tempest from stealing at the Cerulean City Pokemon Center. Because of that, I thought he must have sent them," Comet explained.

'Giovanni, what are you doing?' Archer silently mused. His expression was thoughtful and analytical as he remembered the report he saw on TV about Ash defending Giovanni. "It's fine, let them proceed, just bring Akira here."

xoxox xox xoxox

Back at the Tempest hideout, the glimmer of a gun was caught in the dim light of the basement. Charizard roared and blasted it away with fire, melting it. All the attacks and commands blended into one. Ash's Charizard and Pikachu and Misty's Gyarados worked well together despite the limited space. The mysterious Meowth was helping too. She was very strong despite not having evolved yet.

Pokemon ran by, as if they were wild, ignoring the humans. Some would get caught up in the attacks and others would rush by. Solo stepped away from the battle, leaving the rest of Tempest to fight without him. He was the one who invited the trainers in, but he didn't expect them to be so strong. He rushed to get the hostage and escape. Unfortunately for him, Akira was not where he left her and the one who was supposed to be guarding her had disappeared. He gave the rookie Tempest agent a useless job to mock him, but it all backfired.

xoxox xox xoxox

Jenny was patrolling the streets of Saffron City on her motorcycle. She saw a large group of seemingly wild pokemon heading in her direction. The pokemon spread out as they ran, but they seemed to be coming from the same place. It was an alley next to an apartment building. That was a troublesome area.

The citizens who lived in that building were rumored to be involved in all sorts of illegal activities. The police had tried to investigate, but the people complained that their homes and privacy were being invaded without a reason. The result was a scolding letter sent to the police station from the mysterious Saffron mayor. After that, the police had to back off.

This was Jenny's chance to get some solid proof that there was something illegal going on. The pokemon running out were very suspicious to say the least. She hurried towards the alley and parked her motorcycle in front of it. She walked down the dark alley and found that the door at the end was falling off its hinges. Many loud noises were heard from inside. She carefully peeked in and found a massive battle, this would require backup.

Jenny stepped away from the door and called for backup. The police cars arrived swiftly but noisily. They had turned on their sirens as they rushed towards her location. They were eager to prove that they were right about that building.

xoxox xox xoxox

Just when Solo thought things couldn't get any worse, he heard sirens outside. He rushed towards one of the storage rooms and found that the cages were open. All the pokemon had escaped. Cursing under his breath, he searched for a secret passage on the wall and revealed a thin tunnel with a hidden ladder. He quickly began to climb it, until he arrived at a secret room on the first floor.

The place was supposed to be an apartment building, but it was in truth the hideout of many criminals. Their illegal fields were varied and they all coexisted in secrecy since their businesses didn't often overlap. Solo hurried to the elevator and pressed the button to go to the top floor. The buildings on that street were close to each other. If he got to the roof, he could jump to another building and escape.

In the basement, Purry heard the police too. They must have been alerted by the noise and by all those pokemon rushing out. She loved battles and was enjoying the fight, but she knew it was time to leave. The strong Meowth rushed out and climbed up the wall in the alley. She escaped from the officers that were starting to gather there. With all the chaos, the Tempest grunts couldn't get away.

Jenny let her Arcanine out of his pokeball and charged in, "nobody move!" Nobody listened and the chaos continued.

A stray gun shot echoed, missing its target. "Who was that?" Ash searched for the armed enemy in the wild disarray. "Over there!" He spotted one of the Tempest grunts trying to take aim.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu let out another massive thunderbolt against the armed grunt. The electric attack also caught the pokemon and trainers next to him.

He dropped the gun and another enemy tried to pick it up. "No you don't," Misty noticed what was going on. She thought they had already gotten rid of all the weapons, "Gyarados, water gun!" Gyarados' water pushed away all the trainers and pokemon around the weapon, throwing them against a wall.

"Melt it, Charizard!" Ash pointed at the gun that was left on the floor. With a blast of fire it was rendered useless as the other weapons had been.

Jenny was feeling ignored and disrespected. She couldn't take this any longer, "we're going to need more reinforcements," she growled through clenched teeth.

xoxox xox xoxox

Diamond 62: Give me Reunions

The dark blue limousine moved through blackness of the forest, away from the line of lamp posts provided by Pewter City. It felt as if the evening had become the middle of the night. That was the illusion caused by the sky being completely blocked by the lush trees.

The video conference system received an incoming connection. It was encrypted, as the previous one had been. It took a moment for the hardware to interpret the signal. Several seconds passed and the screen lit up. A Rocket grunt covered in shadows appeared on the screen with instructions. The directions were passed on to the driver as the screen went blank again.

"Stop here," Lando nervously instructed. "It's so dark, maybe we should move closer to the city," he debated on what to do. His violet eyes looked clouded with doubt and worry.

"That's alright," Daisy decided. "Let's not make them angrier," she looked concerned as she opened the door and got off along with Lily.

"My darling, I can't abandon you in this wilderness!" Lando protested, even if the Waterflowers had been ordered to get off there. He knew he had to go to the Rocket base alone. Yet the forest was too dark, as if it hid a wicked secret.

"You're the one who's like going into the really dangerous place," Daisy quietly voiced. "If you're not back in an hour, I'll go save you!"

"My love, you mustn't!" Lando gasped dramatically. "Fear not my sweet. I will surely return one way or another, because I know you'll be waiting."

The couple was all sweetness and love, even in the face of danger. Lily didn't know if she should sigh happily or get jealous. She was truly happy for her sisters, but it was finally starting to sink in that she felt left out. Besides, she still wasn't fully over her ex. Daisy and Lando shared a kiss before they finally parted ways.

The two Waterflower sisters started walking through the forest. They stayed on the side of the road to avoid getting lost. After a few minutes, the lights of an approaching limousine were seen. The vehicle was green; it was the Viridian mayor's official transport. The forest green limousine stopped next to Daisy and Lily. They were not worried since they recognized it. They expected mayor Antilles to have identified them as Violet's sisters and offer to give them a ride. He would probably ask why they were walking through the dark forest in the first place. They would have to come up with an excuse to avoid suspicion.

The door to the back of the limousine was opened by the one riding in it. It was not Rune Antilles. "Violet?" Lily was happily surprised to see her.

"Get in," Violet invited softly, not directly looking at Daisy. Seeing her sisters' doubt she elaborated, "Team Rocket knows I'm coming to pick you up."

Daisy and Lily got in with shocked expressions and the driver turned back towards the city. "I'm so sorry," Daisy voiced.

"I'm sorry too, we shouldn't have argued like that. I was worried about Kenobi and you were worried about Lando," Violet acknowledged sadly. She looked at Daisy's regretful eyes.

"I should have put your feelings first. I should have told, no, I should have like demanded that Lando didn't go through with his plans. He's in trouble for it now. It was up to me to stop him, but I like couldn't, I foolishly encouraged him instead," a few tears escaped Daisy.

"It's okay," Violet hugged her older sister, "it's going to be okay. Everything will work out, I'm sure."

"What about Kenobi? How do you know about Team Rocket?" Daisy asked with real concern. Lily listened with attention, hoping that he had been found safely.

Violet looked calmer upon hearing the name, "he's fine. He's on his way here right now. I'll wait for him at his house and welcome him. That's where we're going now, the mayor is there too. We'll explain everything there."

xoxox xox xoxox

The Antilles' house was more so a mansion, but still much smaller than Giovanni's. Green was everywhere, since Rune loved the color so much. He would always say it was forest pride. Entering the residence was similar to entering an enchanted forest. Fake trees were on each corner with their branches extending over the ceiling. Shiny glass leaves hung from them reflecting the overhead lights. As a result, the leafy green carpet on the floor was filled with pale green dots of light.

The first time Violet visited, she almost expected a miniature glowing Clefairy to pop out like in the story books. The green got old quickly, it was an overload, yet that first impression was memorable.

The butler led the sisters to a large room with a 3D TV. Mayor Antilles was waiting there, watching the news. They shared a quiet greeting; their attention was mostly on the TV. The image projected Lando, giving a message about Ackbar Inc. He apologized for his behavior and assured that the company would continue functioning normally the next day. Daisy felt relief wash over her seeing the image. She took it as a sign that his meeting with the mafia was going as well as it could.

After the message ended, the image changed back to the news station. Commentaries about the message were made, but that didn't hold the spectators' attention. "I'm glad you're all in good health," Rune smiled calmly. His son was safe and on his way. As far as he was concerned, the storm had passed. Giovanni would take care of the rest; he always found a way to make things work.

"You too," Daisy replied, returning the expression. "We like heard about Kenobi."

Lily nodded, "it must have been so hard, but he's like safe now, so the worse is over." She tried to look encouraging.

"Yes," Rune sighed in relieved exhaustion. "I've had a long last few days. I think it's finally alright to breathe calmly. Kenobi should be here soon. Then we can talk for a while and finish getting all the stress out of our system. I have already prepared rooms for everyone. I can't allow you to go on your way so late. You must spend the night over. Violet has already agreed."

Daisy didn't know how long Lando would take to negotiate. She had no intentions of leaving Viridian City until he was finished with his meeting. "Thank you for your hospitality. To be honest, I don't think I like have the energy to travel anymore tonight."

"Me either," Lily agreed.

"With all the recent happenings it's been quite stressful," Rune was glad that he at least had the Waterflowers' willing presence in Viridian until the next day. They were to remain until someone from the Rocket headquarters came to speak to them. Until then, Rune would try his best to clarify things. They could be on their way only after Archer said it was alright. Giovanni still had not returned and Archer was running things in his absence.

Daisy frowned, almost ashamed, "about that..." She wasn't sure how to phrase it.

"There's no need to worry," Rune assured. "I was afraid I would lose my son. My stress and fear nearly killed me, but I had to keep a calm face for the city. That made it even more stressful, it's a miracle I'm still here now. What I'm trying to say is that a bond between a father and son can be a very strong thing. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost Kenobi. I don't blame the young Mr. Ackbar for any of the things he did in his time of pain."

Daisy nodded with her eyes watery, "I hope everyone is that understanding."

"I'm sure they will be," Rune encouraged, though he had no way to ascertain his words.

"Dad, I'm back!" A familiar voice called out. Kenobi entered the large room as Violet stood up and ran to him. "Violet, you're here too and your sisters. I'm so happy to see you. I worried you, didn't I? I'm sorry; I wanted to take the time to talk to you. I wasn't sure if this was public."

"The fact that you were missing?" She hugged Kenobi who returned the embrace. "Of course I knew. It wasn't made public right away, but I was worried because you didn't call me." She was happy that he had returned in good health. "Don't disappear on me like that again."

"I won't," Kenobi smiled. Being kidnapped and held captive was a hard experience to forget. On top of everything, the details about Madame's intentions were still uncertain. He didn't know what would happen next; apparently he had missed a lot. For the time being that didn't matter, he was home and everything was alright. He pushed the worries and uncertainty away to focus on the bittersweet present. He was hiding so much from Violet.

"Kenobi," Rune smiled seeing his son in good health.

"Dad, sorry to have worried you. Are you alright? How's your health?" Kenobi shared a hug with his father.

"You're the one who was in danger and you're asking me?" Rune laughed to lighten the mood. He recognized the danger that being stressed presented to him and he didn't want to cause additional grief. "I'm fine now that you're back. Let's all take some time to talk; we have a lot to discuss."

xoxox xox xoxox

Comet arrived at the Viridian Rocket Headquarters. He drove in through a secret entrance where he was expected. Akira was still out like a light. Comet had a bad feeling and checked her vital signs several times along the way. She was breathing, her heart was beating at a normal rhythm and there was nothing unusual about her temperature. The only problem was that she wasn't waking up.

Akira was immediately taken to the medical facilities. Laiki treated humans on occasion, despite her lack of formal training for it, so she had some experience. Comet went along and saw Laiki apparently hard at work reading from her computer along with Pixel, who had her own laptop open too. They were researching all kinds of things about Ash. He was the son of Delia Ketchum, the boss' ex. Curiously, after they checked out the birth registry with some hacking help from Prism, they found that his father was a mystery. Everything pointed towards the same conclusion, all the more reason to continue feeding their curiosity.

"Duty calls," Laiki got up from her desk after Akira was set down on a bed. Her legs were still tied, but Comet untied her hands from behind her to set her down on her back. The entire time he kept his guard up. He expected Akira to jump to life any second. Yet she was so still that if he had not checked her vital signs himself, Comet would think she was dead.

There were no surprised greetings, because somehow they knew Comet would be back alright, they believe that. "Guess what? I got Prism back!" Pixel proudly declared. "Archer, you know, the executive, offered to put me back on the tech team. I said I liked my current job better, but that I would keep it in mind for the future. I want to train more to become more skilled with technology and go on missions instead of staying here all the time. He said that as long as I was useful and loyal it was okay. Then he offered me a Porygon for my training, to become a better hacker. Imagine my surprise when the Porygon I got was Prism. I missed her."

"That's awesome!" Comet congratulated. He caught sight of the image on Laiki's computer and his expression changed to discomfort. "I didn't need to see that," The computer displayed a rather revealing picture of Ash.

"It's a fake," Pixel pointed out. "I've seen that body with at least three different heads. If you look closely, you can tell they didn't completely blend in the neck properly. The actor's head is perfectly handsome. I don't know why they had to decapitate him for fake fan service. Ever since some paparazzi ambushed Ash at the beach, there have been plenty of real shirtless pictures floating around the net anyway."

Comet walked over to Laiki's computer and clicked to close the image. "Hey!" Laiki looked up from her work of examining Akira's condition. "I wanted to save that. When the word gets out that the boss has a son, everyone will come to me to ask me about him. What will I show them?"

"It was a fake anyway," Comet reminded, pouting in annoyance. "Besides, wouldn't that get you into trouble? What do you mean he has a son? It's been officially confirmed?"

"Who cares if it's fake, it's hot," Laiki argued, while she listened to Akira's heartbeats. "As for official confirmation, close enough. It's basically a sure thing with all the connecting dots that have been found. Back on the topic of fake pictures, the other day I found a picture of the boss-"

"I don't want to know," Comet insisted.

"Well, I heard he works out a lot but that's not what I was going to say." Laiki argued with a pout.

"Really Laiki, you're starting to remind me of Purry," as far as Pixel knew, the Meowth was in love with the Rocket boss. In truth the one she liked was his Persian.

"I'm not sure what that's about, but let's get back on topic," Laiki continued, "it was a picture of the boss in his orange suit. Remember that suit? It was colored pink and had little red hearts all over it. That would get me into trouble, but it was hilarious!"

"Don't tell anyone," Pixel warned Comet, "if the boss gets mad and blows up the internet I'll die of boredom without it. Then my ghost will haunt you for the rest of eternity." She paused and turned her laptop around. "Look, I found the original picture with its original head."

"I didn't need to see that again." Comet decided not to try to continue the argument.

"I also found some of those beach pictures of Ash," Pixel's finger were on the tiny analog stub, moving the little red R cursor on the screen.

"You should see if that fan service picture of the boss," Laiki suggested, "the one from when some paparazzi snuck into his private gym and caught him boxing."

"I haven't seen that. You're kidding, right? Honestly, this is the boss you're talking about!" Pixel protested.

"I know," Laiki laughed, "the picture was probably disintegrated from the face of the internet. I have a copy on a password protected USB, I'll show you later," Laiki offered with a giggle. "Oh man, if the boss finds out, he'll have my head. I trust you guys to keep this all a secret. I don't want to end up like that paparazzi, rest in pieces."

Comet was about to ask if she meant rest in peace but instead requested. "I would appreciate it if you'd stop corrupting Pixel," Comet pouted, he happened to like Pixel. "I prefer the innocent Pixel who is only attracted to computers."

"I still find computers to be attractive," Pixel chimed.

"If she's only attracted to computers then she wouldn't be attracted to you," Laiki pointed out. She watched for Comet's reaction from the corner of her eyes. He didn't make a reply. Laiki didn't understand them. She certainly wasn't shy with any of her multiple boyfriends. She supposed that having Pixel deny her interest in Comet would discourage him to pursue her, at least until she got over her denial.

Instead of continuing the previous conversation, Comet warned, "you should be careful with Akira."

"I know," Laiki responded quietly, "but she can't escape when she's on the verge of death." She had gotten to work with a needle taking a small drop of black blood from Akira. She had analyzed it with her high tech equipment. She usually used it for pokemon samples, but it worked for humans too.

Laiki's statement caught the attention of both Comet and Pixel. "What do you mean? She's unconscious but she's still breathing."

The advanced medical technology had worked quickly on the small blood sample bringing the results of the test to light. "The test results are as I feared," Laiki announced. The previous momentary cheerful atmosphere had dissolved into a gloomy cloud more befitting of the situation.

"Her blood is black?" Comet was puzzled by that detail. "Is that the problem?"

"That's not the biggest problem," Laiki informed, "this substance is black, but it is indeed blood. It has all its components and who knows what else. I can't analyze it beyond that without taking a bigger sample," Laiki spoke solemnly.

"Why don't you?" Pixel inquired. "It's needed for a cure, right? I don't care what she might have done to others; she was nice to me because we're both Rockets."

"I understand and I suppose I have no choice," Laiki spoke sadly, "she has so little blood to give, her heartbeats are empty... There's mostly air in her veins, that's the only explanation. She can't move because only her brain is being fed oxygen, being kept alive. I don't know how it's possible for her to be alive with so little blood and for her heart to still beat regularly. Her body is dying, if that happens, her brain will not receive what it needs to function, then she'll be really gone."

"Can't we give her some blood?" Comet urged, "what's her blood type? She should have enough left to figure out that much." Akira was his friend too.

"That's not the problem; I got that information from my analysis just now. The truth is she never got an initial medical examination when she joined Team Rocket," Laiki recalled. "I found it odd, but thought little of it. I let it pass since she looked healthy enough. Maybe she was hiding this back then. That doesn't explain why she's so lacking in blood right now. According to the news she was injured when she was arrested. Then she escaped, she was well enough to run away. Then there's this," Laiki pointed to Akira's arms. There was a series of swollen dots, as if many needles had been there. "It doesn't look like her loss of blood was accidental. This may sound crazy, but it looks like someone stole her blood. If that's the case, then there had to be something different about it. I don't know what kind of blood to give her. I don't know what normal blood will do to her."

"If she doesn't get it, then..." Pixel didn't need to finish. What she was hinting at was obvious.

"She can't last long. I just hope that giving her blood won't kill her faster," Laiki was at a loss for what to do. "I'm calling a few people from the labs; maybe they'll have some ideas. In the mean time there's no choice but to take the risk, she needs blood. First, I'll take another sample before adding in the normal blood."

Comet and Pixel looked at the comatose Akira while Laiki got things ready for the blood transfer process. Akira was so white. That was her normal color, she had always been pale. If she had some color in her skin to begin with, then the change would have been more noticeable.

"Okay, she's ready, now I just need to get some human blood," Laiki voiced with concern. "There's only pokemon blood in the reserves. According to the machine she's supposed to be AB positive, or an approximate of that, I can't be sure."

"Take mine," Comet offered, "I'm O negative, its supposed to be good for almost everyone."

"That's..." Laiki paused as if looking for the right words, or the right excuse. "It's not a good idea, you're tired, you look pale and exhausted," it was a lie. Pixel didn't agree with Laiki's perception, but she knew nothing about medicine, so she didn't voice any disagreements. "You need your rest and your blood. Finding some extra for you will be difficult if you run low. I'm AB positive and I take my vitamins every day, I can spare some blood." Laiki hoped it was alright, but she couldn't be sure.

xoxox xox xoxox

At the Saffron City police station, Ash and Misty were having a hard time making Jenny listen. "We were trying to stop Tempest, we're not with them. It should be obvious that we were fighting against them!" Ash had been taken into police custody along with Misty and the members of Tempest. Solo had escaped and his location remained unknown. Poisona and Bollux never returned to the hide out.

"That's enough out of you, be quiet!" Jenny ordered in frustration. She had all she could take with the way things were working in Saffron City. When the police tried to make justice, someone would complain that they were abusing their power. The mayor would interfere and criminals would run free.

The city was calm on the surface. Robberies and street fights were rather rare. For the most part, the citizens were relatively safe. None the less, Saffron City had become a safe haven for illegal traders, loan sharks and others such criminals. As long as they took their murders and attacks out of the city, the mayor didn't care. Jenny had her hands tied with the limits of her jurisdiction and she was just about ready to snap.

xoxox xox xoxox

Diamond 63: Give me Redemption

"Don't you know who I am?" Ash demanded from the cell he was imprisoned in at the Saffron City police station. All of his and Misty's pokemon were taken away, including Pikachu. The pokemon put up a fight, which didn't help Ash's image. In the end, Ash managed to calm them down and called everyone back into their pokeballs except Pikachu. Pikachu was kept in a small cage placed across the cells. He could at least see his trainer from there, so he stopped fussing and waited to be let out.

"I know who you are," Jenny answered, clearly in a bad mood. "You won the Indigo League championship in the past. You're a great trainer with fans and admirers in many regions. That doesn't mean you're above the law." This was not the kind of world Jenny wanted her young daughter to grow up in. "I don't believe you're a bad person, but you can't just barge in and play vigilante."

Ash had never been reproached in such a way for doing a good deed. He didn't understand the level of frustration Jenny had accumulated over the years. The feeling of helplessness had been too much to put up with for so long. "I didn't do anything wrong. If you know that, why are you keeping me here? Besides, I had to defend myself. Self defense isn't illegal, they started it!"

"I believe you," Jenny raised her voice with authority. "This is our only chance to bring in those criminals. I do thank you. Without your interference we might have found ourselves without a 'good enough,' reason to apprehend these guys." There was bitterness at the phrase 'good enough.'

Misty glared at the grunts that had been stuffed in the cells at the police station with her and Ash. Her eyes screamed, 'touch me and I'll rip your head off,' no one took the risk. "That's not fair. What do you mean a good enough reason? If you were after these guys, why not just investigate, track them down and do something?"

"The higher ups tend to protect them. Don't worry, you'll get off easy. I have no intentions of pressing charges against you two. None the less, there are some very inconvenient procedures to follow and you got caught in them," Jenny tried to explain it as well as she could. Her head felt tense, she could sense a migraine starting. Her job was quite a headache lately. "I need you two as truthful witnesses that all the procedures of the law were followed and no unnecessary abuse was committed. I also need to treat you the same as all the others so no one says I bought you off."

"This is abuse!" Ash had more than he could take. "Treating innocent people as criminals is wrong!" He was pushed around in the name of the law and his precious pokemon were taken away. He finally lost his temper. "You're making up excuses because the police can't take out the gangs. Why don't you just admit you need help, there are people willing to give it. Besides, you don't need a police badge to do a good deed." Ash was frustrated by how helpless the authorities were. They appeared too proud to accept help and too concerned with technicalities, regardless of what the 'higher ups' said. "You let Tempest get out of hand. They were the ones that caused the incident in Vermilion City, not Team Rocket. If I haven't done something, nothing would have been done. Were you just going to sit and wait for Team Rocket to put Tempest in its place? It's no wonder they do whatever they want! Where's the police when they're needed? At this rate, it might even be better to leave Kanto to Team Rocket. They might take better care of it than you." He spoke in bitterness and anger, not really thinking about his words.

"Silence!" Jenny snapped in rage and frustration. "I told you before; you have the right to remain silent. Should you refuse that right, anything you say can be used against you." Her eyes reflected both fury and emptiness at the same time. The other officers at the station watched her not daring to speak.

"Or you," Ash retorted. The fire in his eyes was burning brightly.

"Ash," Misty cautioned him quietly. Her expression shifted from fierce to worried, finally settling into an angry frustration. She wasn't angry at Ash. He had the right to protest about being treated so unfairly. Still, picking a fight with the police was not a good idea.

Ash's words hit a sore spot for Jenny. That was exactly what the criminals did. They twisted things around. They claimed that a little detail in the procedure wasn't followed, be it protocol or jurisdiction. They got away with many crimes that way. Did the citizens of the rest of Kanto believe that as well? Had the police become the villains in their eyes? The officer did not reply, but her frustration and distrust were evident in her glare. She had lost hope after years of fighting a losing battle.

Ash's glare didn't relent. He looked right at Jenny, as if gazing into her very soul and burning it to ashes. The officer finally had to look away. She could feel the intensity in the young man's eyes following her movements. It made her very uneasy. She had faced fierce criminals with courage and they had never made her feel so shaken. He was behind bars, helplessly trapped without his pokemon, yet he irradiated power.

"She's here!" A younger officer ran into the detainment area. "She's in the front, she's really here," he stuttered in fright.

"Who is here?" Jenny demanded to know. This young man was a rookie. He was barely old enough to be an officer. Jenny got the impression that it wasn't his best vocation. None the less, he had never been that nervous before.

The rookie tried to compose himself. He took in a short breath, exhaling quickly, "the mayor," he gasped, "the mysterious mayor of Saffron City."

A scolding yet weak voice was heard from beyond the door leading to the detainment area, "you can't go in there... please."

The warning was ignored and two men in dark red tuxedoes entered the area. They were followed by an older lady with long hair that was dyed the same color as Ash's hair. Her hair was brushed to the side, long bangs covering nearly half her face and casting shadows on the other half. Her eyes seemed to shine behind the darkness of her hair. She wore a bright red business suit. Two more men in dark red tuxedoes followed behind her as if escorting royalty.

The entire area went silent as all eyes were inevitably drawn to look at Madame. "What an interesting atmosphere," she commented calmly. She walked over to the cell where Ash, Misty and a few others were. "What a distinct presence."

Ash's gaze had gone from challenging to puzzled. "You're the mayor?" He stated to fill in the silence.

"Where has the fire gone?" Madame reached inside the cell between the bars. She extended her index finger and placed it under Ash's chin. "It came and went so quickly. Your eyes were just like his, but this look you have now is hers. What a dangerous combination. It's a sweet deception that will trap all those who dare to underestimate you."

"Huh?" Ash didn't move an inch, he merely blinked in confusion. The mayor's words sounded like some kind of riddle he couldn't solve.

Madame didn't answer the question and instead turned to look at Jenny. "Officer, I cannot forgive the imprisonment of such noble trainers. Those who are with Tempest will be kept here until the higher authorities come for them. They will stand trial for the dreadful occurrences of Vermilion City and other crimes. The truth will be known to all. You are suspended from your duties."

Jenny wanted to protest but didn't. As long as the criminals were imprisoned she didn't care. Besides, she knew that if she spoke, she might even lose her job. She was at her limit, but she forced herself to endure.

Madame's eyes shifted from looking at Jenny, to gazing at no one in particular. Yet she was focused, as if taking in all of her surroundings at once. "The rest of you will make sure none of the prisoners escape. You will guard them with your very life." The tone made it clear that their lives truly depended on this. "Release those two noble trainers and return what is theirs."

No one dared to question Madame's orders. The members of Tempest looked at each other in confusion. Seconds passed and murmurs began to emerge. They were perplexed, how could the mayor abandon them?

The officers quickly returned Ash and Misty's pokeballs. Pikachu jumped in Ash's arms when he was released from his cage, happy to be back with his trainer. "Thank you," Ash smiled at Madame, with no clue about who she really was.

"Yes, thank you very much," Misty added gratefully.

"You did not truly need my help," Madame acknowledged. "This is a situation that you could have faced on your own. I am confident you would have been fine without me, that is why I chose to help you."

Ash and Misty were confused by Madame's reply. "What?" Ash asked in puzzlement.

"I do not believe I am robbing you of any valuable lessons," Madame clarified. She smiled as if proudly admiring a secret that only she knew. "You can continue on your own from here." She turned and left with her guards. She didn't look back, not even once.

Under the uneasy gazes of all those present, Ash and Misty swiftly left the Saffron police station. "That was..." confusing, peculiar, disconcerting, "interesting," Ash finished.

"The mysterious mayor of Saffron City, they called her, she was indeed very mysterious," Misty remarked. "I couldn't make any sense about what she was saying, but it looked like she knew you."

Ash had no vivid recollections of ever seeing that person before. Their short chance meeting years ago had been long forgotten. There was no reason for it to stand out in his memories. "I don't know about that. I don't remember her from anywhere. Maybe those riddles are all part of her mysterious image. Anyway, she seemed like a good person, just a bit..."

"Intimidating?" Misty offered, unsure if that was quite the word.

"Something like that, but not in a bad way," something about the lady felt familiar, yet Ash couldn't explain it. He shrugged; maybe it was just her atmosphere that was familiar. Her presence was strong and powerful, impervious. It was a strange feeling. It was akin to being surrounded by danger, but at the same time perfectly safe. Ash knew he had felt that before, but he couldn't clearly place it. He wasn't one to remember such details.

Ash and Misty made their way through the calm streets of Saffron City. Very few people were still out. They had no destination in mind at first; they just walked away from the tension of the police station. Both soon realized the bus stop and the area where taxis usually gathered was at the other side of the park. They took a short cut through it. They were feeling tired and not in the mood to travel, but they might be needed elsewhere. Their confiscated possessions had also been returned along with their pokemon. Misty was anxious to check her cell phone after she finally got it back. Unfortunately, the battery was drained after such a long time without being charged.

Misty stopped, standing under the light of a lamp post near a bench. "I need to try calling my sisters again. Ash, does your cell still work?"

Ash was a little slow in replying. It was as if an odd feeling in the back of his mind was trying to communicate with him. He checked his cell phone, but it wouldn't turn on, "no battery."

"I can't wait," Misty handed her cell phone to Pikachu, "I'll take the risk, Pikachu, give it a little charge."

"Chu!" Pikachu nodded and focused. He tried to be as gentle as possible. Ash jumped a little when Pikachu's electricity manifested. The little yellow pokemon was still on his shoulders. The charge was small and gentle, so it wasn't too uncomfortable. Ash was used to being the target of pokemon power every now and then.

The small cell phone beeped to life and Pikachu returned it to Misty, "thanks Pikachu!" She petted his head gently and sat on the bench under the lamp post.

The scene felt familiar to Ash, but he couldn't understand why. He stood on that very spot before. It was dark, who was with him? Why was he in Saffron City? He closed his eyes and tried to remember. It was a holiday, Halloween. He was young; he was with his mother and Gary. They were collecting candy, they went to the park. There was someone sitting there, that person gave them candy. Who was that person? Ash couldn't remember; it was probably a stranger. Then they went to the other side of the park and the mayor was giving out candy there. It wasn't the mysterious lady; there was a different mayor at the time.

"You're all in Viridian City?" Ash snapped out of his daze upon hearing Misty's voice. "Ash, they're okay; Daisy, Violet and Lily are alright!" She turned her attention back to the conversation. "What happened?"

Ash let go of the memories he was looking into as nothing more than random thoughts. Instead he sat down on the bench next to Misty. He listened to her side of the conversation and watched her face light up with relief.

After a while, Misty said goodbye to her sisters. She let out a deep breath, as if she had been holding it for a long time. "They're alright," she assured herself of it. She put away her little cell phone and stretched on the bench, reaching out with her arms and legs. "They've been trying to call me for a while. They're all in Viridian City, at Kenobi's house."

"Then he's okay too?" Ash inquired with interest and relief. "What about Ackbar?"

"Kenobi returned to Viridian City safely. The problem with Ackbar was solved too. Daisy said that Lando just finished an important meeting. She didn't give me the details, but I guess that means he was talking to the board of executives on a video conference or something," Misty had no reasons to assume anything else. "He gave a message on TV officially letting everyone know that Ackbar Inc. was back in business. Everything's finally going back to normal."

"That's great, but I have a feeling I've forgotten something," Ash tried to figure out what it was. The couple sat close to each other, taking a moment to rest. Ash had one arm around Misty and petted Pikachu on his lap with his other hand.

"We should stay in the Pokemon Center tonight," Misty quietly voiced. There was no rush to go anywhere anymore.

"Yeah, I'm tired too," Ash agreed, "I don't feel like trying to make it back to... Cerulean," he suddenly realized what he had forgotten, "I just remembered, I promised to call mom."

"That's right," Misty recalled, "you shouldn't make her worry." She handed him her cell phone, "here, use mine; let's not push our luck with this method of recharging batteries."

Ash chuckled; he couldn't help it but to remember his dear deceased car. The phrase 'laugh so you won't cry,' came to mind. Except Ash had too much in his mind to worry about the details of his future means of transportation for the time being. He needed to unwind. He would just have to take a walk down memory lane and walk, like he did for years before.

The cell phone was left to ring many times, before Delia answered it, "hello." She was on her way to the world's edge with Ariana. She debated on answering or not, but realized it was best she did.

"Hi mom!" Ash was tired but overall in good spirits, despite needing to rest. "I just wanted to let you know that everything's okay. Ackbar Inc. is working again. Daisy, Lando, Violet, Kenobi and Lily are all alright. They're at Kenobi's house in Viridian City."

"That's wonderful," Delia was truly relieved. "I'm happy that everything worked out in the end. Where are you right now? Did you go all the way to Viridian too?" She wasn't sure if that would be good or bad.

"No, we're in Saffron City. We're staying at the Pokemon Center tonight. We helped in the capture of Tempest," Ash proudly declared. "They're all locked up in the Saffron police station right now." He decided to skip the part about being arrested, even if that was later cleared up. "We met the Saffron City mayor, she seemed... nice." Ash didn't know how else to word things in a way that didn't inspire confusion he couldn't explain. Nice was not the right word, but he felt it could be interpreted as fitting with the situation. The mysterious mayor did help them after all. Strangely, she claimed to do so only because they didn't need it.

"That's great," Delia smiled fondly; she really enjoyed Ash's stories about his adventures. At first her heart would pound and she couldn't help it but to worry, but she always smiled. She wanted to encourage Ash to continue telling her about his journey. She knew she couldn't rob him of his right to see the world for her own reassurance. As time passed, she felt better listening to the stories. Ash had grown up to be strong and reliable; he could take care of himself. Plus he had his friends to keep him out of trouble. "You'll have to tell me all about it in person."

"I will," Ash smiled, picturing a quiet afternoon in Pallet Town. He would relax and tell his mother the full story. He would even tell her about the mistaken arrest. He would be there in person to laugh it off and assure her it was nothing but a misunderstanding. "Are you still in Cerulean?"

She wasn't, but she didn't go back to Pallet Town either. She didn't want to lie, so instead she masked the truth and left it up to interpretation. She did that a lot. "Actually, I met up with a friend and we went to Lavender Town," Delia kept her voice casual and carefree. "Don't worry about the Cerulean gym; I made sure to lock up before leaving."

"That's good," at least his mother had a friend to keep her company while things were being resolved. "What friend was it, anyone I know?"

"Ariana," there was not much to be found out from just a name, there could be a number of Arianas in Kanto. "I don't think you've met her before," Delia left it at that.

"Oh, is she there now?" Ash didn't wait for a reply before assuming she was. "I'll leave you to talk to her then."

"Yes, we have a lot to catch up on," Delia laughed as if there was nothing out of the ordinary going on. "Thanks for calling. It must have been a long day. I want to hear the full story about your adventure later. Say hi to Misty for me." Things were far from over, no doubt about it. Ash must have battled the grunts of Tempest. The leaders were about to face Giovanni and Delia was on her way to the dueling grounds without a solid plan. She was wearing a Team Rocket uniform, it was Ariana's condition and Delia had no time to argue.

"I will, bye mom," Ash was calm, yet uneasy. He pushed the paradox of feelings away and smiled. "Mom said hi."

Misty returned the gesture, leaning closer to Ash. Neither felt like walking to the Pokemon Center just yet. The park was quiet and peaceful. "Your mom's a really good person. She doesn't deserve any worries."

"It's okay," Ash hugged Misty, "she trusts me to stay out of trouble. She still worries sometimes, but I guess it can't be helped. I know that she feels in her heart everything will be alright."

"I think you're right," Misty cuddled close to Ash. Pikachu had fallen asleep on his lap.

Ash's uneasy feelings refused to be completely quiet, "I don't think that was all of Tempest." He let his concerns be known. "The ones that attacked Vermilion were never really identified. Plus I didn't see that blond guy we saw at first in the police station."

Misty followed Ash's train of thought; she knew where he was going with the concern. "You think that guy is still out there and that we haven't even met the real leader?"

"Yeah," Ash admitted.

"Now that you mention it, you might be right." Misty wasn't sure if she should worry or not. "He's just one person. As for the leader, who knows, maybe Team Rocket took care of that." She wasn't sure how she felt about that. She only knew that she wanted the chaos to end.

"Tempest was staining their name," Ash agreed. "I think that even Team Rocket has pride. Even they have things they don't do."

"Or they keep things quiet," Misty didn't want to be pessimistic, "you're probably right, they must have some rules. I mean, they're a big organization; they have to be kept in order somehow. They don't set limits because they care; it's to keep trouble at bay, but none the less..."

With such thoughts in mind, Ash and Misty finally let their worries go. If another problem emerged, they would face it when it came.

xoxox xox xoxox

A short way south-east of Lavender Town, there was a tall cliff that overlooked the sea. It was an area far from the ports and beaches. It was also just far enough from Lavender for the town to be out of sight. Giovanni and Delia stood on that cliff many years ago, shortly after they got rid of the other gangs in Kanto. It was the true start of Team Rocket's rule. The place had no formal name, it was only a cliff. To the two who stood there ready to face the future together, that place was the edge of the world and the world was theirs for the taking. It was something that they both interpreted quite differently in the end.

Years passed and again Giovanni stood at the edge of the cliff, with the ocean far below. Persian stood next to Giovanni looking alert. Proton stood a few feet away; they were both waiting for the same thing. The night was quiet and cool, the atmosphere tense.

The sound of a car broke the silence. The gray vehicle had nothing that made it stand out, but they knew who it was. No one else would have a reason to visit such a place that night. Bollux got out of the car and it became apparent that he was alone. The full moon and the stars provided enough light for the green T on his black shirt to be clearly seen.

Both Giovanni and Proton were wearing Team Rocket uniforms. Their red Rs stood out against the black fabric. Such clothing was something that Giovanni had not used in years. Tonight he was reclaiming the true meaning of that red R, it was fitting to carry the symbol proudly.

Bollux glared angrily, "this was supposed to be a battle between the leaders," he reproached. "Why did you send your agents to our hideout?" He growled, "you coward!"

"Silence!" Bollux couldn't help it but to involuntarily take a step back at Giovanni's harsh voice. "I am no coward, that's why I'm here. It will be known to all that I cannot be defeated. I don't know what you're rambling about. I didn't send anyone to your hideout."

"What?" Bollux and Poisona had received the report from Solo. The pokemon trainers that stormed the hideout didn't identify themselves as being from Team Rocket. They were not wearing Rocket uniforms or anything that alluded to them being a part of Team Rocket. None the less, Bollux couldn't help it but to jump to conclusions and share Solo's theory. Poisona thought the same thing, that the two trainers were undercover Rockets. "I don't believe you, but I guess that doesn't matter. Your life ends now." Bollux's mission was to kill Giovanni, that was Poisona's order.

To be Continued

Disclaimer, I don't own Pokemon.