Chapter One

The Subliminal Warning

Being gathered to meet the boss was a normal occurrence for the life of Team Rocket agents. Yet, being asked to meet with him alone, only alongside another agent was unusual and quite nerve wrecking. Especially having to meet the leader of a notorious criminal organization at the main office of headquarters.

The two agents, dressed in black, simple garments with nothing but a bold 'R' adorning their tops, stood behind their boss. The man that sat before them had his massive, lounge chair's back facing the two grunts that he summoned. By his side was his faithful and refined Persian, gladly accepting the affectionate stroke from its master's hand.

One of the agents, a young man, cleared his throat, stating he and his comrade, a young woman were present.

"Where are your manners, Butch?" drawled the silky voice of the man beyond the chair. His voice, although not threatening at all at that moment, sent a crawl down Butch's spine.

Butch exchanged a glance with the woman beside him, biting his lip. They stared into each other's weary eyes as though they were speaking to each other without uttering any words. Unfortunately, a couple of seconds too many had passed and their boss spun around, boasting a glare at his workers.

"I suppose expecting manners from a brainless boy like you would be wishful thinking," the man snarled. His face was its usual, scowl and his posture rigid, cross-legged with a wine glass in one hand, while the other continued to brush itself atop Persian's ears.

"I'm—I'm sorry, sir," stammered Butch, bowing a little, trying to regain his boss's good graces. "Cassidy and I received your message."

The female agent next to Butch nodded and bowed as well. "Yes, sir," she agreed, looking up. "We understand that you would like to discuss something with us?"

The man in his seat set down his wine glass on the oak desk in front of him. "That's correct, Cassidy. I have a favor to ask."

When it came to Team Rocket's leader, a favor was not a favor at all. Instead it was merely a command that must result in success— or else.

Butch and Cassidy waited with bated breath, glued to their spot. Persian's mouth opened sending an unpleasant yowl to grace the agents' ears. Trying their best to ignore the insufferable sound, Butch and Cassidy remained quiet.

"The favor I ask of you might be hard," their boss trailed, his tone mocking concern, before growing sharp. "But I need it done— for I have major plans in store. Of course that's only if you two agree…" His eye sparkled with deviousness. He knew very well that Butch and Cassidy and any other agent that served him would not refuse even if they wanted to. There was a high price for being defiant let alone showing any hesitance when he gave an assignment.

"Of course, sir," Butch and Cassidy said in unison.

Their boss rose to his feet, standing taller and more intimidating than when he was seated. He was wearing a business suit for he was a master at disguising his true motives as a criminal. And when it all came down to it, his organization was nothing but a business that's only goal was for profit.

He abruptly stopped petting his Persian who in response released a low, irritated yammer. Giovanni did not seem to notice as he brandished a piece of jewelry that adorned his hand.

A marble-like sphere rested on Giovanni's center finger in the form of a ring. The jewel was a stone; practically all colors in existence was mixed in and the most notable thing about it was the symbol in side, resembling something seen in a book used for magical spells, a sigil perhaps?

Butch and Cassidy couldn't help but gawk a little at the beautiful ring, having never seen anything like it in their lives. The fact that Giovanni was sporting such an opulent looking piece of jewelry was no surprise to the agents, however. Through deception, Giovanni was a master at fooling others into thinking he was a good man, a simple business savvy sort of person. And with the profit that he continues to earn through his connections with major companies (all of which are oblivious to Giovanni's true nature) and profiting from the Pokémon his team captures, the criminal could more than afford an expense such as that.

He looked at the frozen grunts and beckoned them to come closer with two fingers. The agents approached without question, waiting for further instruction.

Giovanni folded his arms before him, casting a fearsome glare upon his subordinates.

"The errand I ask of you two involves the Cerulean Gym…"

The automatic glass doors slid open again for the millionth time that day. The Cerulean Gym was bustling with eager trainers, hoping to leave the place, victorious with a Cascade Badge to prove it. Before any trainer was awarded a pretty badge, he or she had to face off against the gym's leader, the water type extraordinaire, Misty.

Misty had been appointed the head of the Cerulean Gym for a while now, taking the reigns from her older sisters. And ever since taking over, the Cerulean Gym had reclaimed its esteem after years of being considered a joke in Kanto, thanks to her well-intentioned but inept (at Pokémon battling) sisters.

The redhead took great pride from her roots at this gym and felt utterly fulfilled, knowing that she had gained a reputation for being a worthy opponent. What at first began as an obligation soon turned into passion. Being a gym leader was not something she aspired to do, but being a master of Water Pokémon was. And getting to hone her skills with her water Pokémon gave her an outlet to this long desire of hers.

Yet, the routine of battling trainer after trainer was beyond exhausting. It was not only tiresome for her, but for her Pokémon. She had to close the gym during certain hours of the day for her Pokémon to recuperate from a tough battle, whether she lost or not.

And here Misty was again, facing off against a trainer from the Hoenn region. This trainer unfortunately was not the last one. The lobby was full of trainers, all waiting for their chance at victory.

"Corsola has fainted! I deem the challenger, Joey the victor!" the referee called out.

Misty was definitely one of the best gym leaders out there but even she had to accept defeat like a good sport. She held out a Pokéball in her hand and recalled her fallen Corsola. "You did great, time for a break," she praised the Pokéball in her hand after her Pokémon had returned.

"Wahoo!" the trainer, Joey cheered, recalling his own Pokémon.

Misty crossed to the other side of the gym, walking passed the pool and meeting Joey, holding out a hand.

"Good work, Joey," she said as the boy grasped her hand with enthusiasm. "You're a great trainer."

"Ah, thanks, but you gave me plenty of close calls," Joey mused, modestly, batting away Misty's praise.

A lot of wandering trainers pass through the Gym daily and it never fails to make Misty happy when she meets a kind and modest one. But sadly not all of them were humble when winning and some began the Pokémon battle with an arrogance that Misty couldn't help but roll her eyes at.

But it was Misty's job to remain patient and fair. No matter what type of trainer challenged her, whether cocky or humble, Misty could not judge until she faced he or she off in battle.

"Vermilion City is my next stop!" Joey exclaimed to himself, admiring the shiny dew drop-shaped badge.

"It's getting dark out there," said Misty suddenly. "If you need a place to stay for the night, the Pokémon Center is your best bet. Unless you want to splurge on a hotel in the city."

"Heh, thanks, Miss Misty," Joey said. "I think I'll carry on though. I hope to make it by morning."

"Just be careful," Misty said with a smile. "Good luck and once again congrats!"

Once Joey fled the arena in victory, Misty turned to the large clock on the wall. It was now six in the evening, which meant that the Gym had to close. She knew she had a lobby full of trainers waiting for her but rules are rules. And this rule in particular, Misty did not have any complaints about.

I'm starving, Misty thought to herself as her stomach gave a lurch in agreement. Dinnertime was beckoning her and her mouth frothed at the thought of indulging in a nice, warm, home-cooked meal.

There was a roadblock, however: Misty did not cook. Mostly the role of dinner fell to her older sisters who all appeared to have inherited all the cooking talent in the family. Much to Misty's chagrin, it was another thing she skipped out on when it came to her and her siblings.

At a time like this Misty wished she knew her way around the kitchen but with her lack of cooking skills, the redhead reminisced of the delicious meals in the past courtesy of her friend Brock. Her stomach moaned as she dreamily thought of the food he had prepared for her and others in the past. Too bad her thoughts were unable to satisfy her hunger pains.

She wasn't completely out of luck, though. After all, Misty was capable of crafting a plain sandwich or heat up TV dinners. But with how hungry she felt right now, her quick fixes were not going to suffice.

She dismissed the referee for the evening and abandoned the arena after setting the pool up for a cleaning. Before leaving the gym, Misty checked on every single tank. She made sure all Pokémon were fed and attended to their needs so they could prepare for a peaceful evening of rest and recreation.

After doing all her normal duties at the gym, Misty passed through the lobby greeting the people that worked there until seven. She was happy to see the lobby cleared of trainers and let the receptionist at the desk know that she was leaving and would check back on the gym later that night.

"Have a good night!" Misty said to the remaining workers and made her way to the house nearby. She took a quick shower and changed into more casual attire before heading back out. A brief trip into the city sounded great to Misty, mainly prompted by her desire for some food.

Misty unchained her bike from the front of the gym and removed a Pokéball from her Pokébelt. She always carried it with her just in case. Opening the ball a small, blue creature emerged.

"Want to go for a bike ride to get some food?" asked Misty, sweetly looking down at the round blue ball-like Pokémon.

"Azu!" the young Azurill chirped in excitement, using its spherical tail to bounce into the front basket of Misty's bike. The green-eyed gym leader giggled softly, kicking the stand of her bike off the concrete and hopping on to pedal away.

The wheel spokes clicked throughout the block. The atmosphere carried a subtle, cool breeze, carrying the varying aromas from the neighboring homes. Misty's nose was met with the aromatic scent of full grown hydrangeas, fresh cut grass and the enticing smell of barbecue.

It was the perfect climate to cook outdoors and Misty salivated, as the wafting, charred smell of grilled meat grew closer. She envied the household that would be having that for dinner.

Pedaling onwards, Misty realized that each lamppost and street pole bared the same looking flyer. After reaching the end of the suburbs, Misty and Azurill biked into the city and to Misty's amazement, most of the flyers were posted around the bustling metropolis.

Curious as to what these flyers had to say, the redhead stopped her bike by a bus stop, which was covered with ads and posts but also with the familiar flyers.

She inched closer to one of the flyers, which read:

Stamp out thievery and make the city a friendlier, more cheerful place!

Cerulean Police

Tilting her head to the side, Misty reread the flyer again. It felt more like a subtle notice about theft rather than a flyer advertising anything. Her heart began to pace a little faster when she pondered more about why the police would be posting something like this. Sure Cerulean was a big city and all cities have their run down, sketchy parts, and danger lurked practically everywhere, but for a buzzing metropolis, her hometown had low crime. And yet Misty couldn't help but feel like this notice was more than just a simple reminder to be safe while wandering the city. A few passersby interrupted her thoughts then.

"I can't believe this is happening," one distraught looking woman said.

"My poor neighbor got his Rattata stolen," the other woman beside the first said. Their voices faded as they walked farther away from the bus stop.

Those two women weren't the only ones having such grim chatter. Misty's ears picked up, turning her head to face two men, clad in business attire sitting at the bench of the bus stop.

"Barely any trainers out tonight," one man huffed, loosening his tie. He looked just as distressed as the one woman earlier. "Can't say I blame them."

"It's getting too dangerous to even be out," the other man replied. "It's terrible. My son was supposed to start his Pokémon journey next week but my wife won't let him leave ever since these reports. It's not safe for trainers, let alone normal folk."

Misty did not like the sound of their conversation. She tried to think back to the last time she read or heard about any unusual going-ons. Nothing as of late came to mind, but then again Misty was preoccupied with running the Gym, leaving her oblivious to anything else occurring.

"Vermilion City went through the same thing last month," the man with the tie mentioned. "And my sister over in Blackthorn called me last night after hearing about the news here in Cerulean. She says that even Johto had been having issues with trainers getting their Pokémon taken from them."

"Do you suppose it's…you know?" the other man murmured. Misty almost stumbled on her wheels as she tried to inch a little closer.

"It's got to be," the man with the tie concurred, understanding what his colleague was alluding to. "Unless it's some other group. But these guys in particular tend to target the Kanto and Johto regions more than anywhere else."

"Can't believe they're still around," the second man hissed. "I hear their boss is very sneaky. He apparently is a business savvy kind of guy. No one knows who he is though."

"I wonder how they stay under the radar…" the man with the tie pondered.

There was a pause between the two men as they both furrowed their brows, puzzlement embedded on their forehead. Before one of them could say anything else, however, their bus arrived and they hopped on without another word.

Disappointment stabbed Misty's pacing heart. She hoped to hear more about whom they were alluding to. The redhead's mind began to wrack with worry. She scanned around her and saw nothing out of the ordinary, but still felt a little uneasy. Whatever—whoever was out, causing trouble throughout the city, targeted trainers according to the two men.

It pained her to think of the one man's son whose plans on starting his Pokémon journey were severed because of how unsafe it has allegedly become for trainers. She then thought of those she had battled today. She hoped that they would be safe and avoid danger's path. A part of Misty felt guilty for not warning them, although she told Joey to be careful. But with this revelation now steeping in her brain, Misty was going to be extra cautious.

Luckily, the redhead had her Pokémon with her. Aside from Azurill (who unfortunately is too small and meek to pose as a threat), Misty brought along her Politoed and Staryu, nestled inside their Pokéballs. Not wanting them to be pick-pocketed, Misty pulled her light jacket down to cover her Pokébelt, away from prying eyes.

"Azu?" her Azurill said softly, looking up at its concerned looking trainer.

Misty darted her eyes down to Azurill, thankful that it was still safe in her basket. She beamed a smile down at the Pokémon. "I'm fine, Azurill. Let's grab some food, shall we?"

"Azurill!" the blue mouse nodded happily.

Misty got back on her bike, giving one last fleeting look to the reminder on the bus stop and began to pedal further into the city as twilight slowly evaporated, making room for night to immerse the metropolis.

Misty elected to stop by a restaurant that she visited from time to time known best for its quick service and her favorite croquettes. Normally this place would be filled with diners. However, tonight it was much quieter than Misty has ever seen it.

A couple tables were filled but it was normal to see a line by the front of the restaurant, leading all the way to the outside. It was a Tuesday night, though. However, Misty's gut was telling her that the lack of customers had to do with more than it just being a weekday.

The gym leader was seated in a booth with her Azurill, her bike chained outside. She and her Pokémon had just finished their meal to which Misty patted her full stomach with delight.

"That was totally worth it, huh Azurill?"

Her blue companion exclaimed in satisfaction, nodding. Misty soaked in the ambience of the restaurant, too full to get up right away. Her mind still reminiscing about the delicious dinner she just finished. And once she remembered that she was still there, Misty laid out the money for the bill and beckoned Azurill to follow her.

"Thanks! Have a good night!" Misty called to the workers.

"You have a good night as well, Misty," one waiter said, kindly. Being the town's gym leader meant that Misty was pseudo famous. She wasn't exactly a celebrity but people did recognize her; however never to the point where she lacked a normal existence. The entire Kanto region was known for its modest and humble attitude.

"Be safe," another waiter said, though his tone lacked warmth. His eyes glistened with weariness as Misty returned his look with a puzzled expression.

"I-I will," she stammered, feeling a little uneasy.

"Make sure you keep your Azurill close," the same somber waiter advised.

"Azu?" the blue Pokémon said, looking a little confused.

"I will," said Misty, trying to force a smile on her now worried face. There was then an awkward pause between her and the waiters. She felt a little nervous heading out, especially since the workers were acting uneasy.

"S—sorry," the same waiter said after a moment. "I don't mean to scare you—"

Misty shook her head. "No, it's fine. I should get going now. I'll be okay. Thanks."

Both waiters gave her a nod, bidding her another good and safe farewell as the gym leader and her Azurill reentered the now dark and less congested sidewalks of Cerulean.

She and Azurill made their way over to lamppost outside the restaurant where her bike was chained. Misty and her Pokémon had spent roughly a little over an hour in the restaurant and dusk had extinguished into night. The full moon was on display upon the sparkling, obsidian sky, casting a bright spotlight on Cerulean City.

The moonlight gave Misty a bit of reassurance. She was a fan of full moons, mainly because they reminded her of her traveling days. The days or nights rather where she was inside her sleeping bag, lying on the leafy surface of some forest beside a crackling fire with the company of her friends.

Misty lost count on how many peaceful nights were spent under the bright moon, which always glowed amidst the scatter of small stars. She found nothing spooky about it, just the majestic, luminous beauty that visited the sky once a month.

The night was still young, but Misty was tired. Aside from facing trainer after trainer earlier today, Misty's legs felt as limp as seaweed from the bike ride into the city. And after filling her stomach, Misty wasn't sure if she was prepared to bike all the way back home.

Placing one foot on the pedal, the redhead's legs wiggled slightly, protesting to the imminent pedaling they would have to endure once more. Misty emitted a heavy sigh, giving in to her dwindling stamina and deciding to stroll through the city, pushing her bike along, rather than head straight home.

Misty looked down at Azurill who stood by her feet, waiting for a signal to hop into the basket.

"How about a walk before we head home?" Misty asked the Pokémon sweetly.

The crisp, night air was so enticing; it carried a swirl of salty ocean air from afar, which alone was very soothing but the stench of gasoline and cigarettes blended in violated Misty's sensitive nose. She was however, used to the shortcomings of the city. Love it or hate it, Cerulean City was a place that for one to have the good must also take the bad. And in the case of Misty's, the wafting salty scent of the nearby ocean unfortunately could not coexist in the city without the displeasing smell of the metropolis.

Pushing her bike alongside her, Azurill by her side, Misty's eyes were treated to the various shops and restaurants, luring tourists in like Venomoth with their bright, flashy signs. Roaming passed these places, how Misty ached to have a full day off to do whatever she wanted. How she craved to take a mini vacation away from the gym, indulging her pleasures with shopping, a movie or simply doing nothing.

Unfortunately, rare evenings like this were considered her downtime. The Gym operated everyday except on weekends. But even on those days she had a lot of admin errands to do.

And reminding herself that tomorrow laid another day of battling trainers, Misty chose not to step into any shop. She simply wanted to relish in walking across the concrete, watching cars drive by and the moon ascending higher into the twinkling blanket above.

She stopped by a newsstand, somewhat tempted to find any interesting magazines, particularly one that featured water Pokémon in it or one that highlighted the culture of Kalos within its pages.

Scanning for an interesting looking magazine suddenly became the last thing on her mind when Misty's green eyes befell today's newspaper. The headline read: A Torrent Of Darkness Crashes Upon Cerulean!

A slew of Pokémon theft has scoured most of the Kanto Region in recent months and it appears to be by the same people. With Vermilion City being the latest stop for collecting stolen Pokémon, Cerulean City seems to be next on the hit list.

Recent sightings and reports encourage that the waterfront metropolis has become another victim to this heinous organization that even the police throughout Kanto are having difficulty capturing.

"Whoever is stealing is making it unsafe for trainers to be out," a female resident, 35 had said.

These allegations have come at the worst possible time too. Beginning in the forthcoming week, new trainers are scheduled to start their Pokémon journeys. However, some parents of these would-be trainers have postponed their children's plans until it becomes safer out on the road. Others are determined to go no matter what, keeping in mind to be extra cautious as one rookie exclaims.

"I've been waiting for this moment my whole life," a ten-year-old boy named, Adam stated. "I know it's gotten even scarier out there but I don't want to wait any longer. I'm going to be a Pokémon trainer!"

Misty tore her eyes away from the article, taking the newspaper in her hands and wrenching it open in haste. Inside she saw other articles recounting the incidents in Vermilion City, Saffron City and even as far as Blackthorn City in Johto.

She skimmed through the other small articles and another reminder snippet from the Cerulean Police, once again letting everyone know:

Stamp out thievery and make the city a friendlier, more cheerful place!

Cerulean Police

She returned the newspaper haphazardly back into the newsstand, her mind beginning to determine who could be behind it. Absentmindedly, Misty began to push her bike away from the newsstand, pondering about how and who could be doing this.

"Azurill?"

Misty flinched in response to the soft voice of her Pokémon. After scanning the articles of how trainers are targeted, Misty felt a little jumpy at the moment. Looking down, she forced a reassuring smile on her lips. "I'm sorry, Azurill," she told it softly. "I'm fine."

The blue Pokémon gave a simple nod with what also looked like a forced smile on its small face. Misty then looked up, seeing that she had stopped at another lamppost. She had expected to see the flyers that the Cerulean Police had plastered all over the place but a gasp left her chest as the paper before her deemed otherwise.

It was not the flyer but a WANTED poster. On it featured two photos of shadowy figures posted side by side. Judging by the photo, their faces were slightly blurred, but it was clear that one was a man and the other was a woman.

Nothing else was written about the two. Their names were a mystery, but the tagline above their photos read: WANTED for Suspicion of Pokémon Theft

Misty got closer to the poster, trying to absorb the slightest amount of detail that the dim lighting from the lamppost could provide. These silhouettes were familiar and as she got closer to the poster, her eyes flickered at the shadowy emblem on their black uniforms, an 'R'.

It comes to her then, a distant thought at first but in the moonlight swells into a firm belief.

"Team Rocket," she murmured. Her blood went cold and her fingers clenched the handles of her bike tightly.

The redhead felt a little foolish for not seeing it sooner. Of course it had to be Team Rocket. They were the most notorious crime organization in all of Kanto and Johto.

But she thought back to the two men at the bus stop. Reflecting on the words exchanged, Misty knew they must have been talking about Team Rocket all along. However, the crime group had been M.I.A. in the past few years at least locally. The last Misty heard of them was that they had something to do with Team Plasma over in Unova.

They had returned, once again targeting trainers. While her mind was swept in a wave of vexation and worry, Misty's ears were assaulted with the blaring sound of a siren.

Zooming before her in a flash was Officer Jenny on her motorcycle, the small light flashing swirls of blue and red. Traffic stopped as Jenny's bike blitzed towards the other side of town.

Misty was now feeling more on edge. She looked down at Azurill and commanded it to get in the basket. "C'mon, we're going home," she told it, once the Pokémon bounced into its seat.

The gym leader looked around her to see if there were any signs of a Team Rocket grunt, before hopping on her bike and pedaling with more speed than she ever imagined she had.

With the flyers, the distressed talk around town, the headlines, the poster and now this sudden police pursuit, Misty did not feel safe remaining in the city anymore. Pedaling further away from the metropolis, Misty couldn't wait to get home, safely. For the redhead, she felt like a stranger in her own hometown.

Misty had remained despondent throughout the rest of the bike ride out of the city. She pedaled with considerable speed it felt as though her legs were going to stiffen at any given moment.

She powered through though, grateful once she made it back to the suburban neighborhood close to the gym. Here she began to pace herself, stopping briefly as she panted.

Azurill remained in the basket, looking up at its trainer with concern. They were only a few blocks away and because of the moonlight; Misty could spot the glistening white replica of the massive Dewgong atop the gym's roof.

After catching her breath for another moment, Misty forced her legs to cooperate just a little further. Her goal at the moment was not to lock herself up in the house but to check on the Pokémon at the gym.

If Team Rocket's main agenda had to do with stealing Pokémon then surely there was a chance that they would pay a visit to the local gym. Misty tried to remain as calm as possible not wanting to worry Azurill but also not wanting to get worked up over nothing.

Finally nearing the end of the last street, Misty closed in on the front of the Gym, which had the lights off. She parked her bike outside, almost staggering off her feet from how limp her legs felt.

She reached for her keys, which were attached to her Pokébelt and fiddled with finding the correct one. She then inserted the key to the gym and unlocked the sliding doors, slipping through with Azurill before her quickly.

The whole lobby was immersed in a dark blue hue. Misty meandered to the light switch, her eyes adjusting once the room was illuminated. Everything seemed to be okay here. The workers had left and locked up as they always did. Then Misty stalked over to the alarm system that was encased in glass, a heavy lock dangling.

Through the glass she saw that the alarm system indicated that the building was armed. Misty began to feel the weight of anxiety pool to her feet. She let out a sigh, running a hand through her disarray red hair and beckoned Azurill to follow her into one of the rooms that held a few of her Pokémon.

She flicked the lights on in the room, which was practically like an aquarium. The subtle flows and ripples of water were like a sweet melody to Misty's ears. She noticed a few Pokémon were sleeping at the bottom of the tank and a few others swimming peacefully with each other.

Everything appeared to be normal, not a sign of any sort of theft or forced entry. And now that Misty was back at the gym she decided to do a quick check of the whole building before locking it up again and retiring to her house for the night.

She went into the arena to check on the pool's cleaning status and rejoiced inwardly when she saw that the pool was now clean, ready for more battles in the morning.

"Everything looks good here," Misty said to herself, pleased that the gym was operating the way it normally did after hours.

"Azu!" Azurill chirped happily in confirmation.

Misty's eyes darted to the big clock and saw that it was half past eight. Her pajamas were calling her and so was the cozy couch that her body could not wait to sink into.

She released a sigh; her remaining drops of worry leaving her body when she exhaled. Declaring that the gym was still standing and that all Pokémon were still here and that nothing looked tampered with, Misty was relieved to leave the gym at last, making her way out of the arena.

Nearing the two large doors, Misty and Azurill heard the faint sound of voices. The mouse and its trainer exchanged odd looks. A flicker of fear lashed Misty's chest but she ignored it, assuming that the voices (which grew closer as she and Azurill left the arena) belonged to Daisy.

The voices were not coherent, but muffled and the footsteps were light, barely audible against the normally echoing room that held the tanks. Misty's heart began to lurch in her chest, causing her to slow her pace down as she entered the walkway between the glass partitions.

"Shh!" Misty heard one voice demand, sending a crawl up her neck.

"You'll wake the Pokémon!" the same voice whispered, harshly.

Misty froze in her spot as she saw two shadows moving weirdly against one of the glass tanks. Azurill darted behind Misty, trembling with trepidation.

There were two people inside the gym. But how could it be? Misty checked the whole building just now and there was no sign of another human being in here. Her heart pumped erratically in her chest, she swore her ribs were bruised. Misty knew that these people were strangers.

Pursing her lips, the gym leader whispered to Azurill, commanding it to stay put. Misty tiptoed nearer, one hand hovering over the two Pokéballs on her belt.

"How do we get inside the tank?" the first voice questioned.

"Inside?" a new one cried loudly.

"Shh!" the first voice commanded. "We need to find a way to get the Pokémon right?"

Upon hearing the voices talk about taking her Pokémon, Misty broke into a run, fear not controlling her but rage.

"Hold it!" Misty shouted once her feet stopped in front of the two owners of the voices.

Misty's green eyes shined with fury upon discovering who had broken into the gym. The culprits were members of Team Rocket and she knew exactly who these particular members were. She and her friends had a few run ins with these two before and there was a time that these agents would resurface, trying to abduct Pokémon from Prof. Oak's lab in Pallet Town.

Butch and Cassidy were blindsided to see that Misty was in the building. At first they staggered backwards upon being spotted but then pulled out their own Pokéballs, ready for a battle.

"Guess the coast isn't clear," hissed Cassidy, her eyes as fiery as her flaming hair.

"It's been you guys all along," Misty snarled. "You're the ones on the WANTED poster. You guys are the reason why it's unsafe for trainers!"

"What'd you expect from Team Rocket, kid?" drawled Butch, rather bored.

"You're not taking my Pokémon!" Misty shouted, reaching for her belt.

"Not so fast!" Cassidy cried, tossing her Pokéball instantly and then emerged a large Parasect.

Misty flinched upon seeing the creature in front of her, but tried to call out either Politoed or Staryu. However, Butch grabbed hold of her arms in a vice like grip. Misty thrashed, trying to get free.

"Azurill!"

Everyone turned to see Azurill emerge from the shadows. The blue Pokémon's eyes swelled with tears at the sight of Misty being held down.

"Azurill, run!" shouted Misty, pleading with her eyes.

"Don't let it get away!" Cassidy commanded. Butch instantly released Misty, attempting to launch himself towards Azurill who was now bouncing away. Misty seized this moment by wrapping her arms around Butch's leg, causing him to hurtle towards the floor.

"Hey!" grunted Butch, trying to reach for Misty's leg. Unfortunately for him, Butch's face collided with bottom of Misty's foot, triggering bloodflow from the guy's mouth.

"Leave my Pokémon alone!" she growled with such vitriol, she sent a shiver to glaze over Butch.

With her mind at a frenzy, trying to reach Azurill before the others did, Misty failed to notice Parasect come closer.

"Spore, Parasect!" ordered Cassidy. And before Misty had a chance to get off her knees, her face was shrouded with a haze of a powerful, pungent aroma. Her eyes burned a little, sputtering as her hand failed to shield her mouth from inhaling the stench. The toxic scent had entered her throat and the effects were beginning to take place.

Misty's knees collapsed to the floor, her eyelids drooping beyond her control. Her body was engulfed in a numbing sensation. The sight before her spun into a haze while her mind slipped. The last thing her eyes caught was the rippling water inside the tanks, swirling and drowning out her consciousness.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: This story is set post-Kalos in Kanto. A new story featuring a few of the original characters of Pokémon, with a dash of deception and psychological entrapment.