This story has a radically different tone from that of my others. It probably is a mistake to post this; working on three fics at a time doesn't seem like a good idea. But whatever, I'll manage.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon and am in no way affiliated with the various parties who do.

He was sitting at his desk, staring intently at the lines of computer code that scrolled by on his computer's screen. He was alone in his office. The room was pitch black, the only light coming from the monitor of his computer. The only was sound was the humming of his computer and the occasional tapping of the keyboard. Alone in the dark. Just the way he liked it.

A night owl by disposition, he was one of the few people left in the towering skyscraper. The clock hanging on the wall behind him read 2:47 AM. But he was oblivious to the passing of time. Work had to be done. But he didn't mind. He loved his job.

The hacker had gotten farther into the network than he expected, coming close to breaching the security program that he had set up. But he wasn't upset. Instead, he was actually quite impressed. Nobody had ever come so close to hacking the network he guarded. His enemies were getting smarter.

However, there was something unusual about this particular hack, something that set it above the dozens of other attempted hacks his employer's network received every day. He tapped a button on the keyboard, instantly causing the lines of scrolling code to come to a screeching halt. He scrolled up until he found the line that had given him pause. When he saw what the code said, his stare hardened.

Of course, he knew what the code meant. But that only caused the gears in his brain to crank faster. The Boss was asleep, and would not take too kindly to being awakened for something that could very well be a trivial matter. He decided to check it out himself.

Typing and clicking away, he found the file that the hacker's code specified. As his mouse hovered over it, ready to open it, he hesitated. The file belonged to the Operations branch of the organization. He was a techie. He wasn't supposed to be meddling in Operations business. But it was a matter of network security, and that was his area of expertise. And even if someone did find out that he opened the file, he was far too important to be 'taken care of', as the Operations people called it. After a moments more hesitation, he clicked on the file, and it filled the screen. He looked over his shoulder at the clock behind him. 3:11 AM. He had time.

File #: O-20791-05

Operation Kaio Blitzkrieg

Objective: Boost Kyogre's ability to control the ocean in order to flood the world.

Phase I: Research Pokemon capable of boosting Kyogre's power.

Current candidates:

Manaphy: Appears to be able to summon Kyogre at will and has demonstrated extensive control over water in repeated incidents.

Jirachi: As observed from the 'Butler Incident', has the power to transfer enourmous quantities of energy from itself to another.

Mew: Appears to share traits with Jirachi. Energy transfer is unconfirmed, but highly likely.

Celebi: Has demonstrated extreme control over nature in the 'Vicious Incident'. Said power is able to be easily harnessed.

Unown: Has shown extreme control over psychic energy in the 'Hale Incident'. Unknown if said power can be harnessed.

Phase II: Capture and interrogate people who have had extensive contact with subjects listed in Phase I.

Ash Ketchum: Has had contact with all subjects listed. Believed to have extremely close bond with Manaphy, Mew, and Celebi. Capture will take place when he returns to Pallet Town after the conclusion of the Sinnoh League, estimated 1 week.

Brock Harrison: Has had contact with all subjects listed, but does not share bond believed to occur in Ash Ketchum. Capture will take place when he returns to Pallet Town with Ash Ketchum, estimated 1 week.

Misty Waterflower: Has had contact with Mew, Celebi, and Unown. Capture will occur in Pallet Town in 1 week.

Molly Hale: Has had contact with Unown. Only known person with experience controlling Unown's power. Capture is planned but unlikely; security around her is too high.

Samuel Oak: Has had contact with Celebi. Believed to have developed close bond with said subject. Capture is unplanned; is unlikely to remember events pertaining to subject.

May Maple: Has had contact with Jirachi and Manaphy. Believed to have close bond with Manaphy. Captured 3 weeks ago, but hasn't talked. Will have to resort to more aggressive interrogation techniques in near future.

Max Maple: Has had contact with Jirachi and Manaphy. Believed to have close bond with Jirachi. Captured 3 weeks ago, but hasn't talked. Will have to resort to more aggressive interrogation techniques in near future.

After reading the two entries on May and Max Maple, he stopped. He couldn't go on. Even though he wasn't in Operations, he watched enough television to know that 'aggressive interrogation techniques' were going to be extremely painful. Guilt washed over him, as it always did when he heard of his employer's latest exploits. But unlike the last time he felt it, the guilt didn't instantly fade away.

What was different about this time was that this latest exploit involved people that were the same age as him. Sure, he knew that his organization hurt plenty of people, but any time that someone younger than him was hurt, it was only from accidental collateral damage. Never before had they been involved as direct victims.

He stood up from his chair, feeling quite terrible. Perhaps he would feel better after getting some sleep.

Back in his apartment, he tossed and turned, trying to get to sleep. It didn't work; his insomnia was acting up again. Giving up on trying to get some natural sleep, he grabbed a couple of sleeping pills from the bedside table and swallowed them whole, falling asleep almost instantly.

A young boy kneeled at the foot of a tombstone, tears flowing freely from his eyes. The gray sky above him seemed to echo his sadness, rain falling heavily around him, soaking him to the core. The sheer weight of the water caused his dark brown hair, normally unruly and hard to tame, to stick to his head like a helmet. It was almost impossible to see that his eyes were a deep brown; they were filled to the brim with tears.

His father was his mentor. His father was his role model. His father was now lying six feet underground.

Then scene blacked out, as if someone had spilled ink on a blank paper. Soon, the blackness cleared, revealing a new scene.

An older-looking version of the boy was sitting in a booth in an empty corner of an otherwise packed restaurant. His clothing was in tatters, and he was a lot skinnier than before.

"Can you pay for your meal, kid?" asked a waiter who had approached his table. The disdain in his voice was evident.

"I… I…. I'm sorry…. But I can't…" the boy stammered out nervously. "I… I don't have any money."

"Then I'm going to have to ask you to leave," said the waiter, not too politely.

Sighing dejectedly, the boy stood up and grabbed a duffle bag containing, aside from his clothes, his only possessions: a long-empty wallet, a worn map of Hoenn, a stumpy pencil, a shabby notebook, and three Poke Balls. Inside the Poke Balls were his only friends in the world: a Duskull named Grim, a Tropius named Saur, and a Linoone named Perp. He caught them with his dad, which made them more important to him than anything else in the world. But he couldn't help but feel that he failed them. They were out of food; and Saur couldn't grow fruit fast enough to keep them fed.

The boy walked out of the restaurant, so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the two men walking towards until he bumped into one of them.

"S-s-sorry about that, sir," he said apologetically as he stepped aside for the pair to pass by him.

The man he bumped examined him, noticing his tattered clothes.

"Kid, would you like some food?" he asked.

Once again, the scene changed.

The boy was sitting in a cafeteria, with a platter of burgers resting on the table in front of him. His Pokemon were sitting in a cleared space, with bowls of Pokefood before them. But they didn't eat, instead waiting for their trainer.

"Sir, this is all very kind of you, but I don't really deserve this," he mumbled.

The man he bumped into earlier was sitting across the table from him. He laughed at the boy's remark. "Don't deserve it? Kid, you need to eat. What makes you think you don't deserve this food?"

"Well, I-"

"Wait a minute," interrupted the man. "We need to set things straight first. What's your name?"

"My name? Nobody's asked for my name in while," he admitted sadly. "My name is Alex."

"Alex? A fine name. My name is Archie." The man paused. "Why aren't you eating your food?"

Alex thought he recognized the man's name, but he put that thought to the back of his head. "Well sir, you're being very kind, but I barely know you, and I-"

Archie cut him off. "Are you saying you don't trust me?" he asked, a slight hint of anger creeping into his voice. As he said this, the rest of the people in the room turned towards their table, watching with apprehension.

This was not unnoticed by Alex; he shrunk back into his seat. "Well… to be honest, yes," he said rather weakly.

Archie broke out a booming laugh, and the tension in the cafeteria dissipated. "Good, good! If I was in your position, I wouldn't trust me, either! But there is no need to not trust me. After all, I could've done you in during the time you were following me in here."

"Oh… right," mumbled an embarrassed Alex. And with those words, he tentatively picked up one of the burgers and took a small bite, and before he knew it, he was finished eating it and picked a new up. His Pokemon guessed this meant the food was safe to eat, and they dug hungrily into their own food.

Soon, the platter was empty, and Alex was leaning back in his chair, a contented expression on his face.

"So, have you had enough to eat?" asked Archie, a big grin plastered on his face.

"Yes, more than enough. Thank you for your kindness, sir," replied Alex, extremely grateful.

"So Alex," Archie said in a businesslike tone, "Have you heard of Team Aqua?"

"I've heard of them, but I don't know much about them. I just know that they're a gang who wants to create a huge habitat for water Pokemon to live in. I think they're led by someone named…" he voice trailed off as recognition dawned on him.

Archie filled the silence. "Yes, you are correct. I am the leader of Team Aqua," he said as he flashed Alex a grin. "And I would like to know if you'd be interested in joining my organization."

Alex was speechless for a moment. Of course, he had the sense to not tell Archie everything else he had heard about Team Aqua: how they were a bunch of criminals. He knew that if he didn't accept Archie's 'offer' he'd probably be dead by the next sunrise. But he still remembered what his father had taught him about honor and respect, and those were two values that Team Aqua didn't seem to have. But then, he glanced over at his Pokemon, who had finished eating their first proper meal in weeks. His father had also taught him that he needed to take good care of his Pokemon and treat them as equals. And if that's what he was going to do, he didn't have much of a choice. It was either join Team Aqua, or leave his Pokemon to fend for themselves. He made his choice.

"I'll join."

"Good, good. We are always in need of new members," said Archie as he flashed another grin. "So, what are you good at?"


Alex thought hard for a few seconds, but couldn't think of anything. Then, he remembered how his dad, a retired computer systems engineer, had taught him everything he needed to know about how a computer works.

"I'm pretty good at using computers."

Team Aqua Member Profile

Name: Alexander Flare

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Position: Unofficial Head of Data Security, Unofficial Head of Information Systems Hacking

Bio: Born in Verdanturf Town. Mother died shortly after his birth, raised by father. Father died when subject was 7 years old. Custody of subject was transferred to relatives, who were physically and emotionally abusive. Subject ran away from home at age 8. Wandered randomly throughout Hoenn before ending up in Lilycove City. Joined Team Aqua after being offered by Archie. Very knowledgeable in subject of Computer Science. Rose quickly in ranks due to this knowledge. Now is in-charge of keeping Team Aqua's computer systems secure and is the acknowledged 'go-to guy' for computer hacking.

Comments: Archie- "While he is invaluable when it comes to our computer needs, he should be kept away from the Operations branch of our organization. He is too soft and has too much of a conscience to be of any use in those areas."

Well, how the first chapter? Good? Bad? Decent? I can't promise when the next chapter will be up, so I'll give a standard "When it's done."