((Welcome to book three! If you're still with me, give yourself a round of applause! If not, oh well, I love you anyway. But you're obviously not reading this, so what does it matter? All I have to tell you guys, is that a lot of time has passed (in the story), so the characters have grown (or not grown, depending) without your watchful eye. Expect some of them to be somewhat different than what you remember. Enjoy~))

Chapter 1: The Auld Triangle

"Hey, Orca...?" There was no response, nor had there been for the past year, at least, that they had been locked in this hell together. The brown-haired man, now nineteen years old, hadn't moved of his own volition since they had been given this prison cell together. He had been lying on his side on the floor, clutching a Pokemon egg with both of his arms. He cried most nights, and Wyatt had long given up trying to sleep during these fits. The guards had to force him to eat and drink during the first week, and he had put up as much resistance as he could without taking his hands off of the egg. Wyatt had assumed the task after the guards gave up on him, and Orca didn't like his ex-nemesis' helping hand any more than the others. "I'm... I'm sorry about Emery," Wyatt said weakly.

He had offered this statement at least a hundred times since their imprisonment, and Orca had never said anything in response, so he was surprised when his cellmate muttered "Why?" His voice was cracked, but Wyatt wasn't sure if it was from the crying or the lack of water.

"W... What do you mean?" Wyatt said hastily, hoping to prompt more speech from the silent young man.

"You... You never cared... You were so... horrible... to her..."

"I know," Wyatt said, staring up at the ceiling and blinking his eyes to fight in vain against the tears emerging from his eyes. "I know. I was horrible. Not just to her. I'm... I'm such a bad person..."

"Why?"

"I... I don't know... A lot of stuff happened in my life, and I kind of-"

"Why are you sorry?"

"What...?"

"Why are you sorry about her? Why the compassion? All year long, I hear this shit from you. But you didn't give a fuck. Don't pretend to give a fuck just because she's... d... d... de..."

"You don't have to say it," Wyatt muttered, wiping tears from his cheeks. "I know. It's hard. And the reason why I'm sorry, is because I know what it's like to have the most important part of your life ripped away from you."

"Everything alright in here?" a guard asked as he passed by. "You should be sleeping." Orca once again fell silent, and Wyatt stared at him for a few seconds before turning to the guard.

"He needs water."

"Okay, I'll be right back." The guard returned soon, with a paper cup filled with water. "Hey, kid!" he called as he held the hand holding the cup out between two of the bars. "You wanted water, right?"

"He's not going to move," Wyatt said as he rose to his feet and took the cup from the man.

"He still hasn't moved since he came here?"

"I'm afraid not. Not without being pushed or pulled, anyway."

"Some people," the guard said with a shake of his head as he walked away. Wyatt knelt down beside Orca and grabbed his arm, yanking him just enough to force him from his side to his back. He then picked up his head and poured the water into his mouth, then set him down and returned to his own side of the cell, tapping his fingers on the bottom of the empty cup.

"Who was it?" Orca asked, still not moving.

"What?"

"Who was the person... The one you lost?"

Wyatt sat in silence, hesitating, wondering what he could say, if he even felt like telling anyone of his past. When he finally spoke up, his words came slowly. "I... I don't care to go back there."

"I see."

"Sorry." There was no response to this, and after a few hours of silence, Wyatt could tell by the way Orca breathed that he had gone to sleep. He lay back down on the hospital mattress that served as his bed, while the silence allowed his thoughts to jump out at him loudly, as they always did here.

"Hey Wyatt, you ever think of... not spending so much time in here? Ya know, going outside and having a life?"

"My life is in here, silly."

"In a hospital, huh?"

"Yeah, of course. 'Cause you're in here."

"Oh, shut up, cheesecake."

Tossing and turning, he slammed his pillow on top of his head and held it down with his hands. "Just let me sleep..."

\/\/\/\/\/

"Well, Joe, that battle was even better than the one we had last year!"

"Thank you, sir," Joseph said nervously. He was standing across a battle arena from Lance, renowned Dragon Master and the Champion of the Elite Four, who had recruited him into a team of anti-Rockets more than a year ago, after he had gained his first Champion title. These days, Joe thought of Lance more as a leader and an ally than as an intimidating foe, but there was something about him which still kept him from being completely at ease, or looking him in the eye; it was as if the power of the man's will was so strong that it could be felt across a room.

"I'm glad that you've come at this time, as it's been more than a year since our first meeting. You've been carrying out missions at an extraordinary rate, and the others have been saying that it's about time that you've been officially welcomed into the team."

"Officially?" Joe asked nervously.

"Follow me," Lance said, turning around and leading Joe through a secret door that he hadn't even seen, down a long, twisting corridor, through another secret door, through a series of rooms, and then through yet another door, this one protected with a password. Lance entered a word into the electronic lock with a keypad, and the lock snapped to an OFF position, allowing the door to swing open just a bit. Lance pushed the door the rest of the way and let Joe in before closing and locking it once more. The room they had entered was wide-open and dark, lit only by the screens of computers lining the far wall, which were all in use. One of the men got up from his computer chair and walked across the room, stepping around the large, round table in the center.

"Ghost Two, we've just recieved word that Team Rocket Fuschia has sent a transport of unidentified cargo via truck convoy to Team Rocket Saffron. The Stealth Unit is ready to act. Should I give them the order to intercept?"

"No, observe only," Lance said. "Have them watch from a distance, but send one of their Ghosts to infiltrate and find out what they're moving."

"One, sir?"

"One should be plenty, if they send the right person."

"And should we send word to Ghost Zero?"

"I'll tell him myself; I'm on my way there now."

"Yes, sir," the man said, before returning to his computer desk.

"Follow me," Lance said with a wave of the hand. Joe did as he was told with a nod, and was led by the Dragon Master into a separate room. "How do you like our base so far?"

"It's impressive," Joe said as they passed into another room. "But aren't you worried that Team Rocket will know about it? Since you've publicly told them of your plan to wipe them out, I mean."

"I'm sure they know that we're based at Indigo Plateau. But it would take them days to break into this place, even if they found one of the entrances. We don't have anything to worry about yet."

"And what about the others? In the Stealth Unit?"

"You know of the Type triangle, I assume?"

"Of course," Joe said. "Basic stuff. Grass beats Water, Water beats Fire, Fire beats Grass. The traditional triangle, as we used to call it. And it's good to balance out your team with each part of whatever triangle you want to use. What about it?"

"We're trying to form a triangle like that with our team, so to speak. We have the Home Unit here, which consists of myself, our little collection of computer wizards, and our scientists, as well as the Stealth Unit. Then there's the Assault Unit, which goes in when heavy hitting is needed. Understand?"

"I understand," Joe said with a nod.

"The important thing for us, with all new recruits, is to decide which point of the triangle is best for them. That's the main reason I brought you here. And we'll talk more on that subject later, but for now, there's someone important that you should meet." Lance led him into one more room, this one smaller than the others. The only person in this room was a man wearing a red ball cap, a matching red jacket with short black sleeves, and a pair of faded blue jeans. This person gave Joe the same feeling that he recieved from Lance, but multiplied on a scale that he couldn't even imagine. His eyes traveled up to the man's chin before falling, unable to meet eyes with this stranger. "Joseph, allow me to introduce you to World Champion Red. Or, as he's known here, Ghost Zero. He's the founder and leader of Marowak's Ghosts, and he's agreed to stay here with us until Team Rocket is taken care of."

"I-it's an honor, sir," Joe stammered, cursing himself for being so nervous. Red said nothing in response; only nodded once.

"Ghost Zero, this is one of our newest recruits, Ghost Nineteen," Lance said. "He's taken down two Team Rocket bases, and was responsible for the recovery of those fossils that we returned to the Pewter Museum."

"With a lot of help," Joe added hastily.

"And he's modest," Lance laughed. "Joseph, we're desperate for information. Team Rocket is growing at an alarming rate, and we're scraping for anything we can use against them. Is there anything you've come across that would help us? Any new events or crucial info?"

"I haven't come across anything," Joe shrugged. "It's been a quiet year... The only person I know who... No, he wouldn't be willing to speak."

"Who?"

"I have a friend named Orange Juice, from Olivine City. Calls himself Orca. He was a member of Team Rocket Goldenrod for quite a long time. He's probably got some information, but..."

"But?" Red finally spoke up.

"But he's been in prison since last December, and every time I go to see him, he doesn't talk to me. He doesn't talk to anyone. He lost his Pokemon, Emery, while they were helping me with the Fossil Mission. She died in an accident... He really loved her. He's been miserable this entire year."

"Then he should be sympathetic to our cause," Lance said with a slow, understanding nod. "I'll send someone-"

"I should go myself," Red said, slowly standing up and crossing the room to pass through the open doorway. "I'll take Ghost One with me."

"Ghost One?" Joe asked Lance once the World Champion was gone from the room.

"A very dear friend of his. They both know what it's like to suffer that kind of pain."

\/\/\/\/\/

Dear 'Nilla,

Thanks for writing back so soon. I'm glad things are working out fine at the farm. Mom and I are doing pretty good, too. And I know what you mean about Orange. It's been a whole year without him, and I miss him so much. Christmas just wasn't the same without him here. At the very least, I wish he would just cheer up a little bit, even though I know it's hard for him. Every time I go to see him, he's so miserable. Oh well, only time can mend a broken heart. I know you know that well.

As for your question, no, I haven't seen any of the other Sea Monsters in a while. Oh! No, there was one time when Lobster stopped by on his way back from visiting Orange. He didn't stay long; he said he was leaving Johto for a while. Me and Mom do get letters from Leviathan every once in a while, and it's nice, but I really miss all of my friends. I'm going to make Mom come with me to visit you some time, maybe next month. It'll be almost just like the old days, especially since Ice is settled back down at home. Has he still not found himself a love interest yet? Heehee, kidding, kidding! He's probably gonna put gum in my hair if he finds out I was picking on him. You take care of yourself, hon. Don't go worrying yourself sick over that brother of mine.

- Kiwi

Once she was done writing, Shrimp set her pen down and rubbed her right hand before picking up her glass and taking a several large gulps of orange juice.

"Man, I'm really not used to writing," the young girl said. "Mom! Has the mail run yet?"

"It's seven at night!" Miss Juice shouted from the living room downstairs. "Don't you kids keep watches anymore?"

"Yeah, on my Pokegear!" Shrimp replied, scooting her chair back and abandoning her desk. She walked out of her room, down the hallway, and had to stop herself from walking straight ahead to her older brother's room, which hadn't been occupied since he had left in January of 2011. "Almost two years ago," she whined, walking toward the door slowly.

"What was that, dear?" her mother called.

"Nothing, Mom," Shrimp said, placing her hand on the doorknob. After a moment's hesitation, she turned the knob and pulled the door open. When she stepped into the room, empty save for a miniature refrigerator in the corner, a bare mattress at the left of the door, and two stacks of cardboard boxes (she had stolen his bean bag chair long ago), she half expected to hear Orca's voice yelling "Get out of my room, Jailbait!" Never in her life had she wanted so badly to hear those words. "Mom, I miss Orange!" she shouted, running out of the room and down the stairs to throw herself into her mother's arms. "Nothing's the same anymore without him here to pick on me!"

"I know, dear, but the law is the law, and there's no real way around it. And even if there were, it wouldn't be right. We have to let this run its course."

"I know. But it's not fair! I miss him! And I miss Emery, too!"

"Of course, dear. We all do. Oh, hey, look at the news!"

"Mom, I don't care about the news. It's always depressing."

"No, really, watch," Miss Juice said as she turned the volume up. Shrimp turned her attention to the television and saw an image of Team Rocket Grunts, led by a higher-up in a white and blue uniform, holding people hostage in a train station.

"Is that the Goldenrod Station?" Shrimp shouted.

"It looks like it," her mother said with a nod. "Are they taking it over?"

"Well, these bastards have gone too far!" Shrimp proclaimed, rising to her feet.

"Watch that language, young lady!"

"I'm sorry, Mom, but I'm tired of always seeing these people getting their way! Enough is enough! If nobody's going to do anything about it, I will!" She ran upstairs, ignoring the image on the television, and headed to her room.

"What do you mean?" Miss Juice asked, following her upstairs.

"I'm going up to Goldenrod right now to stop them!"

"You'll do no such of a thing!" her mother declared, her hands on her hips, as she stood in the doorway of Shrimp's bedroom.

"There's no changing my mind, Mom!" Shrimp said as she pulled on a pair of socks and slipped her feet into her white and red shoes, tying them as quickly as she could. "These people have to be stopped!"

"That doesn't mean you're the one who's supposed to do it! There's no point in risking your life like your brother did! Leave it up to the professionals!"

"The professionals who still haven't taken them down? I'm almost a Pokemon Master, Mom," the young woman said as she pulled on her orange windbreaker and tied her brown hair up with a white bandanna. "I have seven Badges now. I can do this."

"I'm not gonna lose you after I've already lost my sons!" Miss Juice shrieked defiantly. Shrimp sighed and walked closer to her mother, giving her a hug.

"You're not gonna lose me, Mom. I know what I'm doing. And I'm not a complete idiot like my brother." She leaned down next to her desk, picking up the pen once again, and added to the letter:

P.S.: I changed my mind about staying here forever. I'll be in Goldenrod soon, so don't write back. I'm gonna beat the living fuckshit out of Team Rocket.

"No, just part idiot!" her mother shouted.

"I know, I know," Shrimp laughed as she folded the letter and sealed it in an envelope, which she then stuffed into her jacket pocket. She picked up her bag and slung the straps over her shoulders. "Batteries not included, right?" She side-stepped her mother and walked through the doorway, and her mother stepped out into the hallway after her, but didn't follow any farther.

"Why do all of you always leave me?!" the older woman yelled as tears streamed down her cheeks. Shrimp shook her head and turned around, walking back to her mother quickly. She wrapped her arms around the woman again and patted her on the back.

"Dad left us because he's a heartless bastard who doesn't give a Rattata's ass about anyone but himself. Great White left us because it was his time, and there's nothing that any of us could do about it. Orca left us because he had a lot of issues that he needed to work out, and he still does, and he doesn't want any of us to see that bad side of him, because he loves us very much. I'm leaving right now because, just like with Orca, there are people I care about so much, that they're worth protecting. And you're at the top of the list, Mom. Don't forget that, okay?"

"But you're not gonna come back," Miss Juice whimpered as her daughter tried in vain to wipe away her tears. "They're gonna take you away from me, just like I lost my Cranberry."

"They're not gonna take me from you, Mom," Shrimp said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm a Sea Monster, remember? Nobody can mess with us. I'll see you soon, Mom. I love you." With that, she gave her mother another series of pats on the back and turned to run downstairs. She left the house quickly, closing the door behind her, and shoved the letter in the mailbox, turning the red flag upward, before heading North, through Violet City.

\/\/\/\/\/

"How can I help you today?"

"Yes, I'm here to visit one Orange Juice," Whisper replied in a polite tone.

"He's just recieved two visitors," the man behind the glass informed the boy as he stared at his unusual attire. Whisper was wearing a blue shirt bearing Ben Korri Peak's trademark spider logo in a red color, and the usual purple cloak. "They're on their way to his cell now, and they're... of a special variety. I'm afraid I can't allow you access at this time."

"I see," Whisper said. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I've already got all the access that I need."

"What do you mean?"

"I just pulled his location from your mind. Have a nice day." With that, the young man vanished without a trace, reappearing instantaneously in the cell shared by Orca and Wyatt. The latter woke with a start, sitting up in his mattress, and stared at the young Psychic.

"Who the hell are you?" Wyatt asked.

"Hi, Orca's brother," Whisper said as he knelt down beside Orca, who was fast asleep. "I came to visit him, but they wouldn't grant me access, so I just teleported here. Oh, and you're about to have two more visitors, apparently."

"Are they going to do what you just did?"

"I doubt it."

"Wait a minute, I know who you are! You're the Executives' son!"

"Not anymore," Whisper laughed. "I'm a Juice now, fully adopted and everything. I don't claim that other family. Would you? Oh yes, I forgot, you already did."

"Shut up, brat!"

"Alright, which one of you is Orange Juice?" a voice called. The two young men turned to see the bars sliding open, and two older men stepped inside.

"My, my," Whisper said, rising to his feet. "I've never met anyone with as strong a will as you two have. Meditate much?"

"We train our bodies and our minds," said the one who had spoken earlier, a man with spiky brown hair. "Again, I ask: Which one of you is Orange Juice?"

"Who wants to know?" Whisper asked, fighting the protective urge to step in front of his sleeping brother, as that would give him away.

"My name is Blue," the man said. "I was the World Champion for two years, and I'm the second-highest ranked Pokemon Master in the Indigo League, since my friend Red here isn't counted by any system anymore."

"Red and Blue?" Whisper scoffed. "Where are the rest of the crayons? Didn't feel like coming out of the box tonight?"

"You'll watch your mouth if you know what's good for you!" Blue shouted, but Red held a hand up in front of his friend, silencing him.

"We need to ask Orange questions," the other man finally spoke up. "Rocket-related questions."

"Well, he's done with them, 'Red', so I don't see what you expect to get out of this little chat."

"He doesn't talk to anybody," Wyatt put in. "Except me, sometimes."

"Regardless, we will obtain any information that he does have," Blue said. "It's of the utmost importance, if Team Rocket is going to be stopped. And they have to be stopped at all costs."

"Oh, you hate Team Rocket?" Whisper asked, a genuine smile finally appearing on his face. "I hate Team Rocket, too. Let's talk."

"Finally," Blue huffed as he turned and left the cell. "Bring him and follow me." Whisper picked his brother up off of the floor, and he and Wyatt followed the other two into a small room. The Psychic set Orca down in a chair at the table and sat next to him, tapping him on the shoulder to try to wake him up. When that didn't work, he snapped his fingers in front of his face, and the older boy's eyes popped open.

"Good morning, Orca," Whisper said with a smile. When Orca saw his younger brother, he leaned into him, pressing his head against his shoulder. "I missed you, too. Hey, there are some people here to talk to you." Orca turned his head in the direction that Whisper pointed, and saw Red and Blue sitting at the opposite end of the table.

"Mister Juice, we're here to ask you if you have any secret information that could be used in the fight against Team Rocket," Blue said.

"Why?" Orca asked slowly.

"We were told that you were once a Rocket yourself."

"Once," Orca said with a slow nod. "Made up for it. Done. Next chapter."

"We understand that," Red said. "I know that it may be painful for you to recall these memories, but we know that you lost someone important to you last year."

"Last?"

"Yes, last year," Blue said. "That's what we heard."

"What day is it?"

"It's December thirty-first, 2012," Blue said, checking the time on his Pokegear. "Eleven thirty-nine p.m. So, almost January first."

"A whole year?"

"Yes, brother," Whisper said, smoothing over Orca's brown hair with his hand. Though he had cut it last December, it had been slowly growing back out over his time in prison. "A year has passed since the incident."

"Lost a whole year," Orca said, as a tear fell down his right cheek. "Two... She would have been two..."

"I'm sorry, Orca," Whisper said, pulling his brother into a hug.

"She would have been two!" the young Sea Monster Captain sobbed. "She would have been two!"

"We understand your pain," Red said.

"You don't understand shit!" Whisper shouted as he patted his brother on the back. "This man's been through hell and back. You don't know half of what he's gone through in his life!" In answer to this, Red took off his jacket, then his shirt, revealing a series of tattoos: all thick, red, horizontal lines, in a column traveling from his waist, all the way up to his collar bone.

"Every one of these is for a friend that I've lost. Some were human, some were Pokemon. This one," here he placed a finger on the seventh line from the bottom, "was a Charizard that I raised from a Charmander. My first Pokemon, and my best friend, the one person who had been through everything with me. I understand."

"I'll tell you," Orca said once he had calmed down. "For her. For Emery." He grabbed a sheet of paper from a stack on the table and pulled a pen from a small glass jar. As he wiped away his tears with one hand, he clicked the pen and set to work drawing a picture made up of several lines. "There's a tunnel network running under some place called Viridian City."

"MY city?!" Blue bellowed. "They would dare-?" Red held his hand up once again, and Blue fell silent.

"Most of them go in circles, and eventually lead either to an old base that was shut down years ago, or some kind of arena that used to be used for Rockets to train. But there's one tunnel that branches off to some secret place, far away to the East, below water. They do some kind of secret experiments or something. Or, they used to. Nobody uses it anymore, but it's known to the higher-up people as a fall-back spot in case the organization suffers devastating loss."

"I never knew about this!" Wyatt shouted. "How did you find all this out?"

"Dawn told me," Orca said, almost choking on the name as if it were poison. "She said something about... 'The Son of the First', whatever that means. Either way, the entrance to the place is undetectable by most means. There's a certain part of the wall on the inside of the city's Gym that pops out and reveals a lock. You have to play a certain song, and that will make the lock appear. But I don't know where the key is, and I don't know which song. All I know is what it looks like on the inside. She drew it for me one night, when I used to live in Goldenrod."

"Thank you, Orange," Red said with a nod as he took the paper. You'll be released from prison now. We've already got someone to handle the legal nonsense."

"Do you have anything to add, to spare yourself?" Blue asked Wyatt, who shrugged.

"I know that the fossils recovered last year were only a small fraction of the ones stolen. That's about it."

"So, where are the others?" Blue asked impatiently.

"I don't know, that's only been entrusted to Executives and all that. But if I'd have to guess, I'd say Saffron."

"Why Saffron?" Whisper asked.

"Because it's their main base now; they own the whole city."

"Well, you're both free to go," Blue said. "What about you? Do you know anything?"

"Me?" Whisper laughed. "I wasn't in prison. I came here to visit my brother. But now that he's been released, I'll just take him home now. Thanks."

"Thank you for your cooperation," Red said with a bow.

"No problem," Whisper said, grabbing on to Orca and Wyatt's hands. "See you guys later. It's been real." The three then disappeared, leaving Red and Blue alone in the interrogation room.

"Well, you don't see that every day," Blue laughed. "Let's head back."

Whisper had brought the two right outside the prison, and led them down the street.

"We should walk," he said with a smile. "Let them know we're not up to any mischief. If they see us leaving on foot, they won't be suspicious."

"Wyatt, do you have a place to stay?" Orca asked, clinging tighter to his egg. "We could-"

"Worry about yourself, Fish-face!" Wyatt said, before running off into the darkness of the night.

"Wow, touchy one, isn't he?" Whisper laughed.

"I guess some things never change," Orca sighed as bright, colorful fireworks lit up the sky in every visible direction.

"Well, we've officially survived the end of the world," his younger brother said, laughing again. "Happy New Year, Orca."

\/\/\/\/\/

((And so it begins! ...Or... continues! Catch ya on the flip side~ ))