I do not own Pokémon or Familiar of Zero, and expect no monetary profit from this endeavor

Episode I: A New Day for Team Rocket

"Rise and shine Boss!" Louise slowly stirred as overly cheery voices drew her out of her sleep. "It's a beautiful day, so get up already!" However, she tried vainly to reject the reality and returned to sleep.

She soon regretted this though, as a deluge of ice cold water made her jump up in a start. "Wh…what? What's going on?" she exclaimed, staring at the three vaguely familiar figures before her. "Who are you?" she demanded, hoping that this was just more of a messed up dream.

"Team Rocket," the red haired beauty- Jessie, was it? – said. "Remember?"

"We're the familiars you summoned yesterday," James added.

Louise drooped as she remembered the humiliation yesterday. She was dragged out of her melancholy as Meowth said, "Look, we got dose clothes all tidied up like ya said, so now what? We're ready and raring for more answers, Boss," he said, giving special emphasis on the title. Louise sighed, but allowed a small smile to pierce her gloom. At least her new servants were useful in some ways. Plus, they seemed loyal, even if they used that strange title 'Boss' rather than the proper term of 'Master'.

"All right," she said, straightening up in preparation. "Dress me." Team Rocket froze in confusion.

"What?" James asked.

"Dress me," she commanded. "You must not know because you're commoners, but nobles will not dress themselves when a servant is available."

"Are you sure bout dat?" Meowth said hesitantly, eyeing his increasingly excited partners hesitantly. He had enough difficulty restraining them during that fashion stint in Celadon.

"Of course!" Louise said impatiently. "Now get to it!"

"Yes, Boss!" Jessie and James said in unison and jumping to attention. However, rather than bringing the clothes to Louise, they carried them to the window. Louise watched in horror and rage as James hefted the window open while Jessie tossed all her clothes out.

Dusting off her hands with a sense of finality, Jessie noted, "That's that! Now to dress you up."

"With what?" Louise demanded. "You just tossed out all my clothes, you stupid, moronic familiars!"

"Now, now, Boss," Jessie told her, "if we're in charge of your wardrobe, you're going to have to wear something better than those old rags."

"Yep!" James agreed. "But don't worry. Team Rocket always has an entire wardrobe of clothing at its disposal, and we're the Elites at makeovers!" With that, the two tackled Louise. Meowth stepped back to a safe distance and watched the ensuing scuffle unfold.

"And voila!" Jessie and James exclaimed, striking poses to the side as the new Louise was revealed, her beautiful outfit dampened by her visible rage.

"What is this?" Louise demanded irately, hands poised on her exposed hips in indignation. She looked almost like one of those sailors that he mother sometimes invited over. Except that none of those proud sailors would ever sink so low as to wear a travesty like this! The upper half was shortened to the point that her belly button was visible to all if she bent but an inch. And the humiliation did not stop there. Knee-high socks connected her too-scandalous skirt with the shining pink slippers on her feet. Pink ribbons adorned the entirety of the suit. The outfit would have had some class with its exotic design if not for the fact that it was so…immodest!

"It's just a school uniform," Jessie said.

"It gives you more elegance this way," James said. "After all, a noble needs to look her best."

"Well," Louise said, "no noble in their right mind would dress this way!"

In that case," Jessie said, miffed at the insult to her costume skills, "let's go for something a little more…tomboyish then." After another intense scuffle, Jessie and James emerged with Louise, now in a different garb. The clothes she wore now lacked the sexual indecency of the first outfit, but only at the cost of concealing her femininity, as they seemed more fit for a man than a woman. She was covered from waist down, not by a dress befitting a noble, but with a pair of commoner pants! And she now wore strange, rough-looking shoes- tennis shoes, they called them- that made her seem like some commoner rather than a noble.

"This won't do either!" Louise yelled furiously. "I'm a noble! I have my dignity to preserve."

"Guess third time's the charm then," James said before diving back into the fray.

"That's it!" Louise screamed, taking hold of the chaos in the only way she knew- kicking her idiotic familiars until they fled the room. "I can dress myself, thank you very much!" she said, slamming the door shut and barring it to be safe. Sighing now that the madness had passed, she walked to the window and peered out. Her garments were now scattered about, blown by the wind. She'd have to collect them after class; there was no way that she was going to leave it up to her familiars after this debacle! But for now she had no clothes.

Sadly, it seemed that she was going to have to take her pick of those outrageous costumes that lay sprawled across her bed. If Kirche saw her today, that Zerbst would never let her forget. Louise perused the outfits, desperately searching for one that did not make her any more a Zero than she already was. She considered the schoolgirl clothes, but quickly rejected them. School clothes, ha! Maybe for a Germanian slut, but the day students wore something like that would be the day she'd dress like a boy. Sighing heavily, Louise forced herself to go with the commoner 'tomboy' fit, knowing that it didn't make much difference which outfit she chose.

As soon as she was dressed in her new attire, she dashed out of the room, hoping to catch her familiars before they caused any more trouble for her. To her dismay, they had stopped to speak with a fiery-haired beauty. Of all the people they had to talk to, it had to be that Zerbst!

"Oh, good morning, Valliere," the redhead said in false kindness, failing to hide the mischief in her eyes.

"Hello, Kirche von Zerbst," Louise replied, sticking to the formalities to avoid getting into any deeper conversations.

Kirche did not let up though, and peered curiously at Louise's outfit. "That certainly is a…unique style, if I do say so," she commented. "Fits you very well, Zero."

Louise ignored the barb and turned to her familiars. "Come one," she insisted, "we need to get to breakfast."

"Don't worry Boss," Meowth said, not catching her drift, "we can still make it to breakfast. Need to stop and smell the Vileplumes once and awhile."

"Yes," James agreed, gazing at the fiery-red lizard beside her, "we were just looking at this very nice Charmaleon."

"Is that a salamander?" Louise asked, jealous at Kirche's luck with a familiar.

"That's right!" Kirche crowed. "A fire lizard! See," she said, gesturing at its tail, "a flame this vivid and large means it's no doubt from the Fire Dragon Mountains. It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"They sure can't," Jessie said admiringly, while discreetly signaling to Meowth. Taking out a large mallet, Meowth began to quietly approach the familiar while everyone was preoccupied. This was the perfect prize for the Boss; even if she didn't want it, they could always sell it for a fortune.

Meanwhile, Louise stared at her longtime rival, fury boiling within her. "That's…nice," she said, without a single drop of sincerity.

Kirche on the other hand ignored the sarcasm and agreed, "Isn't it? It matches my affinity perfectly!"

"Are you a Fire type?" James asked curiously.

"Of course," Kirche said, beaming proudly. "After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smoldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling over me. Unlike other people I know," she noted, glancing at Louise.

Louise looked ready to argue, but was stopped when Jessie stepped forward. "News flash sister," Jessie said angrily, "but the real queen of beauty now is yours truly."

Kirche looked analytically at her for a second, and then threw her head back in dismissal. "Sorry," she told Jessie condescendingly, "but you have a ways to go, even if you are pretty cute for a little old human familiar."

"What?" Jessie let out a banshee cry before lunging at Kirche, only to be restrained by James.

"Calm down Jessie," he reassured her. "Even if she has all the glamor…"

"Which she doesn't!" Jessie shot back at him.

"We still have the indomitable spirit of Team Rocket!" he reminded her.

You are interesting familiars," Kirche commented, leaning in to inspect James. "And what is your name?" she asked.

"James," he answered. Reflecting his past childhood, James automatically went into a polite bow, saying, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Kirche…"

"Von Zerbst," Kirche told him, eyes twinkling with curiosity. It certainly seemed that Louise had summoned some exotic familiars; not that she'd say that much to her.

"And what of your last name?" she inquired.

"I don't use one. Haven't for a long time," James said, a tone of melancholy in his voice. "Alright," he told Louise, "let's find this breakfast you were talking about."

Kirche watched the three wandered off and spoke to herself, "Such intriguing familiars. Especially that blue haired one. If he wasn't a commoner, I might actually consider dating him. What do you think, Flame?" she asked. The fire salamander remained silent, but let loose a quiet puff of smoke to indicate its dissatisfaction; it gave an angry glare at the cat as it scampered off.

As they passed down the halls, Jessie took a side glance at Meowth and groaned. Meowth was singed all over with various burns. Obviously Plan A to snag the lizard had been a disaster. "So I take it you weren't able to catch it," Jessie whispered.

"Nope," Meowth sighed. "Dat Charmaleon just took one look at her and set me on fire. It's definitely what we're looking for," he noted, eyes gleaming. "Imagine: it could be the new heating system for the Boss' room."

"There was a bit of a draft last night," Jessie reflected in agreement, "but let's not be too hasty. We need to examine the rest of the batch before we decide just what we're going to steal." Still, the fire lizard was top on Jessie's list, if only so she could show that Twerp what a true beauty was.

Team Rocket's banter came to an abrupt halt as they entered the dining room of Tristain Academy. "This is a 'dining room'?" Jessie asked, staring in shock at the expansive room.

"More like a feast room," Meowth noted, impressed at the room's grandeur.

Louise smirked, pleased that she had finally gotten her familiars to acknowledge the superior grace of nobility. The Academy of Magic's dining hall was the tallest building in the campus, and each of the three tables looked ready to easily seat at least a hundred people and contained many elaborate decorations. Louise raised her head and began to explain, her hazel eyes twinkling mischievously. "Tristain's Academy of Magic does not just teach magic, you know."

Team Rocket stared at her in surprise. "Almost all mages are nobles," she clarified. The saying 'nobles achieve nobility through the use of magic' is the foundation of our education. Thus, our dining halls must also be made according to a noble's status."

"Makes sense," James said, "But your first statement seems like a contradiction. Even if magic is associated with nobility, you really aren't learning anything about life except about magic."

Fuming at this turnaround, Louise grumbled, "Only a commoner would think that there is more to life than magic. Be grateful that you are even allowed to set foot inside Alviss Hall and attain a glimpse of magic's grandeur."

Though, her familiars' earlier comments had set in a seed of doubt about true magic. If all life was magic, then what did that make nobility? But she was not about to accept that possibility. Never! She had her dignity as a noble to uphold. Even…if it did seem kind of hopeful to her.

"Whatever ya say," Meowth said skeptically, "but what're these Elvises?"

"The little people," she said, gesturing to elaborate sculptures of tiny people engraved onto the walls.

"Those things don't come to life, do they?" Jessie asked hesitantly.

"Oh, you knew that?" Louise said, surprised. "Yes, they come out at night to dance. Enough of this," she huffed, glaring at her familiars' dazzled faces. "Pull out my chair, will you? You're not very competent familiars, are you?" Team Rocket's members shook themselves free of their dreamy thoughts of plunder and rushed forward at once to pull out Louise's chair.

Unfortunately, none took any consideration of the others' efforts, and descended into a three-person riot on the ground. Students began to set down their plates to watch the comic proceedings. Reddening in embarrassment, Louise yanked the chair away from the three saying, "I can seat myself, you know! Have for a whole year now, so I don't need any help from the likes of you!"

"Whatever you say Boss," Meowth groaned from underneath Jessie and James.

Louise plopped into her seat and began to devour the food, drowning her sorrows in hunger. However, a set of subtle coughs behind her forced her attention back to her three aggravating familiars. "What?" she demanded frustrated.

"You promised us food, remember?" James said quietly.

"Yeah," Meowth said, looking like a kicked puppy- or cat- "we were really hoping for something to fill our tummies." Ah, yes, she had promised them food. And indeed she had food for them. She pointed to the floor, where a small bowl lay with strange…things littered inside it.

A tiny bit of guilt pulsed through her heart at bending her vow like this, but she pushed it aside. They were commoners, and familiars to boot! They were lucky to even have those scraps. If they dared to question the food, she'd teach them their proper place. To her shock though, Team Rocket stared eagerly at the 'food', mouths watering. "This is great!" Meowth exclaimed

.

"Better than that old boot we cooked up yesterday for lunch," James agreed.

"Enough chatter," Jessie ordered, eyes gleaming, "let's eat!"

Their reverie was interrupted when a harmonious prayer echoed through the hall. Team Rocket quickly joined the thanksgiving with great zeal, closing with a near-cheer of "We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning!"

In contrast to them, Louise's own prayer was barely a whisper, as she desperately tried to not look down at her familiars, who stared up at her with gratitude for her 'gift'. This should have made her feel better, seeing them show just how below nobles they really were. But all she felt was this hollow feeling that none of the pastries seemed to fill up.

"That was a great meal!" Meowth exclaimed, as the three accompanied Louise into a classroom.

"Yeah," James whined, "but I still think that Jessie took too much…"

"Stop complaining," Jessie said. "We divided it fairly: one half for the two of you, and the other half for me."

"I still don't think that was fair…"

"Enough," Jessie told him. "Just be grateful that we finally got a good meal after weeks of living off Spearow and Pidgey dung."

"Yeah, and dose Spearow are nasty if they catch ya," Meowth agreed.

"Speaking of grateful," James noted, "the Boss seems a little melancholy ever since breakfast." "You're right," Meowth said, peering ahead at the pink-haired girl, "I wonder why?"

"Maybe she felt guilty about the food," James suggested. "The food on the table certainly looked better."

"She must not get enough food to eat," Jessie concluded, "and therefore couldn't spare much for us. Not that we minded. But it's making her feel guilty. Team, our mission- after stealing her another familiar, that is- will be to grab some more food for the team. Can't let our Boss starve, after all. Grunts can starve, but never bosses."

"Sure thing," Meowth said, "but first things first. Check out all those potential steals!" A large variety of familiars were scattered through the lecture room beside their respective masters. Some looked rather ordinary, such as owls, cats, and snakes. Although Meowth and Jessie loved some of the types- cats for the former and snakes for the latter- they preferred the superiority of their own Pokémon. Therefore, those familiars were fortunate enough to be left off the list of potential steals. Others though were much more exotic.

"So," Jessie casually asked Louise, gesturing towards a six-legged lizard, "what Pokémon is that?"

"A basilisk," she answered, bored with their questions.

"And the eyeball?" James asked.

"A bugbear," she said, frustration seeping in.

"And the freaky Octillery?"

"The what?" Louise asked.

"The thing with all the tentacles," Meowth clarified.

"A skua," she grated out, "and do yourselves a favor and sit down! Class is about to start!" She soon regretted her orders, as the three fumbled to squeeze into Louise's stone seat. "Not there!" she shouted. "That's a mage's seat. Familiars aren't permitted to use it."

"Then why didn't you say so?" James said amiably as his team crouched on the floor. Louise grinded her teeth at their innocent ignorance, and pushed the molars even deeper together as laughter from other students began to creep into her ears. She struggled to focus on the class as the teacher entered the room; the last thing she wanted was to get called out for more humiliation.

Sure enough, when the professor entered pompously, a pump-faced woman dressed in purple garb, her torture began. After greeting the students, her first comment was to Louise, saying "My, my. You've summoned quite some…peculiar familiars, Miss Valliere.

Despite the innocence in the comment, it served as the catalyst for a series of jeers. "Louise the Zero! Don't go grabbing random commoners and their pets off the street!"

"No!" she vainly protested. "I did everything properly! They were all that appeared." The students ignored her and continued their mocking.

Louise was about to protest to the teacher when Team Rocket decided to take matters into their own hands. Nobody insulted the Boss; it was the same as spitting on the entire team! With a firm nod to each other, Team Rocket leaped headlong at the mockers. Stunned at the commoners' audacity, the students were unable to cast spells in time before the attacks landed on them. Within seconds, the entire classroom descended into a brawl.

Jessie swung a hammer like a Scyther, trying to make her way to the redheaded Twerpette. She wasn't one of the actual jeerers, but Jessie resented her earlier comments and therefore considered her a primary target. Seeing their idol in distress, multiple young men rushed to Kirche's defense, while Kirche herself quietly sidled away from the chaos. She was soon joined by her blue-haired friend Tabitha, who calmly turned away from the madness to continue reading a book. Meowth had no weapons at his disposal, but did not need any, as his razor-sharp claws sufficed. Soon, numerous students sported painful slash marks across their faces, and stumbled around blindly as they covered their aching faces. James was the least equipped for a brawl, but was still holding his own by throwing anything he could get his hands on.

Students finally recovered enough from the shock to launch magical attacks, but were unable to aim properly in the fray, adding further confusion to the fight. Meanwhile, familiars scattered to and fro. Some familiars struggled to come to the defense of their masters, such as Flame in the case of Kirche and the dragon Sylphid in the case of Tabitha, some fled in terror like a manticore that broke through a window in wild panic, and still others though took advantage of their masters' attention to pursue other, usually forbidden activities, evidenced by a snake that swallowed a raven.

Huffing at the turn of events, the teacher began to chant a spell. The brawlers ignored the words until they felt lumps of red clay fill their mouths, abruptly stopping the fight. "This is not the behavior of nobles," she spoke. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mrs. Chevreuse," the students sullenly stated once the clay was released from their mouths.

"And the same must be expected from those who serve nobles," she continued, turning to the instigators of the debacle. Team Rocket stared back at her with stubborn refusal, but acquiesced and sat back on the ground.

With that, the riot quelled to a halt, allowing class to resume. "Now then," Chevreuse said, waving her wand to create several pebbles, "let's begin the lesson. This year I will be teaching you about the magic of the Earth element. As you know, the four great elements of magic are Water, Fire, Wind, and Earth. Combined with the lost element of Void, there are five elements in total, as everyone should know."

The students nodded knowingly, but Team Rocket stared dumbfounded. "Only four?" Meowth whispered anxiously to Jessie. "How in Ho-Oh's name do they get around with just four? What about all the others?"

"Be quiet and focus!" Jessie snapped back, softly pounding him on the hard floor. "We can ask questions later." Nevertheless, Jessie's own curiosity was gradually piquing, as she leaned forward to hear more of the teacher's words.

"The magic of Earth is vital to life, governing the creation of all matter," Chevreuse lectured. "If it weren't for Earth magic, we wouldn't be able to produce or process essential metals." She then gestured towards the pebbles on her desk and drew out her wand.

"Please recall," she explained, "that the fundamental magic of Earth is transmutation, as I will now demonstrate. While I am confident that most of you have already learned this in your prior studies, basics build foundation, so please pay attention to this review." With a quick spell, the once-grey rocks were now sparkling metallic globs.

"Is that gold?" Kirche asked, peering at the shining stones.

"No," Chevreuse said, coughing pompously to cover up her embarrassment, "Only Square class mages are able to transmute gold. I am merely…a Triangle mage."

She continued to talk, but Team Rocket ignored the rest of the lecture as they gathered in a huddle." "I guess there's at least part of why they have only four elements," James said, "'Earth' seems to cover Ground, Rock, and Steel. They must have broader definitions of elements."

"And classy!" Meowth exclaimed, gazing greedily at the glowing metals. "Just imagine if we could find a way to make gold like dey do. We'd be flowing in the dough! I told you dat 'Mecha Payday' scheme would be a smash, but no, you guys just had to go for that Pinsir…"

Jessie ignored their banter, unable to contain her curiosity any further, and turned to Louise. "Pssst, Boss," Jessie whispered loudly.

"What?" Louise said in frustration. "We're in the middle of a lesson, and we don't need any more of your antics."

"What does that lady mean about all these squares and triangles?" Jessie demanded.

"It's the number of elements you can add to a spell," Louise explained, eyeing the teacher anxiously.

"Huh?" Jessie asked.

"Look, a single magical element is powerful, but if you add another to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"I already know that!" Jessie told her. "Any fool knows how you can combine two elements together. But what about these squares and triangles?"

Louise stared at her dumbfounded. "Those are Lines," she said, "but mages can merge more than two elements together. Triangle mages can combine three, and Squares four. Mrs. Chevreuse, being able to channel Earth-Earth-Fire, is a Triangle mage."

"Wait," James said, breaking into the conversation. "Wouldn't that just be a Line, since Earth is counted twice?"

"No," she replied, "stacking the same element reinforces that element, enhancing its power."

"Still," Meowth said, "dat lady doesn't deserve dat much credit if she just focuses on one element like that."

Chevreuse then noticed their banter and glowered. "Will you please cease with this private gossip?" she commanded. "There are others trying to actually gain knowledge from this lesson."

"Listen here, lady," Jessie said, "if you want people to listen to you, actually teach them new things rather than boasting about what they- and you- already know."

Chevreuse stiffened in indignation. "You familiars obviously have much to learn about the proper order of things. You can start by addressing me properly as 'Professor Chevreuse', Triangle mage."

However, this failed to subdue the rebellious Rockets; on the contrary, they gaped at her before bursting into raucous laughter. "You…a Professor?" Meowth groaned from overindulgent humor. "Get real!"

"You'd be lucky to be an aide to one!" Jessie declared.

"I don't know," James said halfheartedly, "Some Professors are willing to set aside competence in their assistants as long as they work hard. Still, I'm not sure that applies here…"

"I assure you," Professor Chevreuse said, drawing herself up, "I have earned the title of Professor as right for my considerable power in Earth magic."

"Listen," Meowth said, "where we come from, the title 'Professor' is one of the best titles you can receive."

"It certainly is," James said. "It's practically next to Master in distinction. And it takes far more than a narrow focus on one element to reach that level."

"With just one element," Jessie told her scathingly, "you're little more than a Gym Leader. Probably less, actually; I've seen plenty of Gym Leaders that work with other elements." However much Team Rocket despised the Twerp and his allies, they had to grudgingly concede that the red-haired and squinty-eyed Twerps were very skilled, far beyond their chosen elements of Water and Rock. And while the Rockets might have disdained for the goody-good Professors, they were still greatly respected figures in their world, renowned for their vast and adaptive wisdom. For this woman to have the gall to assume such a title when she clearly lacked those high qualities was simply intolerable.

"Specializing in specific elements or means of power is one way to find strength," James said, "but a narrow power like that is ultimately weak. To be truly strong, you need the combine all your skills, and if you don't have enough skills learn more."

"And that," Meowth told her, "is why you're no Professor."

"I…I…" Struggling yet failing to counter their argument, Chevreuse turned her ire on Louise. "And you, Miss Valliere," she said, trying to save face, "the same applies to you. A mage must be able to properly restrain her familiar. And no talking in class either."

"But, I…" Louise vainly protested.

"Since you have the time to gossip," Chevreuse noted, a glint in her eyes, "would you care to demonstrate your knowledge to the class?"

"What?" Louise exclaimed, face turning pale.

"Yes," Chevreuse said, glad that she could apply at least a degree of her authority, "try changing those pebbles to a metal of your choice." Louise hesitated, looking fidgety, but Chevreuse sternly stared her down until she shakily got to her feet and hobbled over to her. Chevreuse felt a sense of triumph at this; even if she couldn't control those unruly commoners, she could at least show her power in the classroom.

However, she was caught off guard by the wide-eyed looks from the other students, who were now beginning to back up and crouch down in trepidation. "Wonder what has them so riled up?" Meowth pondered. "They're acting like there's an Electrode in the room."

"Professor Chevreuse," Kirche called nervously, raising her hand.

"Yes?" she responded in a frustrated voice, clearly having had enough problems with the class.

"I think it would be best if you didn't let her," Kirche said, the other students nodding in desperate agreement, "It's…dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Chevreuse asked, blinking cluelessly.

Sighing, Kirche observed, "This must be your first time teaching Louise, right?" There always was someone in the Academy who somehow had not heard of the infamous Zero.

Shaking her head ignorantly, Chevreuse said, "It is, but I've heard that she is a hard worker. Now Miss Valliere," she continued, "please begin. You won't learn if you dread making mistakes."

"Don't, Louise!" Kirche yelled in terror.

Louise looked ready to listen to her and return to her desk when her familiars yelled, "You can do it Boss! The lady's right on that point: you can't get worried about messing up. Always keep your eyes forward, and never give up! That's the Team Rocket slogan right there!"

Boosted by their encouragements, she said, "I'll do it," and began to anxiously chant the necessary spell. Team Rocket stared in awe at their Boss as she began to wave her wand.

"Some girl," Meowth said, enamored by her shining face.

"Keep your paws off the Boss!" Jessie told him, squashing him with a fist. "And find someone else to fawn over. Although," she conceded, "she is rather pretty."

"Wonder why she's not very popular then," James mused, observing the students cowered beneath their chairs. Jessie opened her mouth to speak, but stopped in recognition of the students' reaction. They were waiting for something. She quickly turned back to Louise, trying to solve the mystery. Her puzzlement was suddenly resolved, as the entire room was engulfed in a massive explosion.

In contrast to the chaotic pandemonium in the classroom, Team Rocket remained serene through the entire disaster. To them, time seemed to slow down as they marveled at the glory of Louise's explosion. The speed, the grace, the power… Each turned to the others and nodded, now firmly committed to their new mission. They had been reluctant before, but now they felt a new calling. Distant yet familiar emotions raced through their bodies, bringing them back to a day long ago in Viridian, where another explosive attack had changed their lives forever. In the face of such glory, how could they turn back?

In contrast to the chaos below, things were at peace in the Headmaster's Office, perched high up in the central tower. Sir Osmond, current Headmaster of the Academy, sat complacently at his sequoia desk while his green-haired secretary steadfastly continued her notes. While the restless students and professors made life difficult elsewhere, at least the headmaster could set an example for good form. At least, that was the outside appearance. In actuality, the secretary, keeping a side glance on Osmond, knew that, given the headmaster's current expression of boredom, things were going to fall apart in less than a minute.

Sure enough, Osmond drew out a pipe from his desk, preparing to blow out in a sigh. She frowned at this and began to wave her quill. The now enchanted pipe floated away from the expectant master over to the secretary, who maintained a stoic expression even while she internally smirked at Osmond's annoyance. Striding over to her, he gravely declared, "Is it fun taking away a man's pleasure, Miss…er…"

"Longueville," she supplied, "and managing your health is part of my job, sir."

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully," he complained, "figuring out how to spend time is going to be a problem." With the emphatic sigh at the end, one might almost believe him. However, Longueville was not fooled. People usually assumed his age to be about one hundred; a few, more inquisitive ones leaned more towards three hundred. But in reality, nobody knew his true age. Not even Osmond himself, who likely didn't remember that anymore. A man like Osmond was well accustomed to elderly age, and had been able to stave off melancholy for decades, perhaps centuries. No, while Osmond was certainly restless, his supposed woe at boredom was merely a veil for his next game, evident in his glances at her skirt blowing in the wind.

"Headmaster," she said, drawing her head up just as he was lowering his hand towards her, "please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Osmond began to stumble randomly, but she had only disdain for his poor acting skills. Pouting in defeat, he kept a subtle glance for his ace in the hole below Longueville while pretending to ponder. "Where do you think the ultimate truth is? Have you ever wondered that?"

I have, she reminisced in melancholy, but outwardly glared at him and said, "I have not, but wherever it is, I assure you, it is not under my skirt, so please cease sending you mouse to peep for you."

"Come on out, Motsognir," he commanded despondently, watching as a small, white mouse scurried away from Longueville's desk. It dashed up Osmond to his shoulder and plopped down comfortably. Smiling nostalgically, Osmond offered a nut to it. "You're my only trustworthy friend, Motsognir," Osmond told it, seemingly lost in memories- oblivious enough to miss the subtle smirk from Longueville at his declaration, knowing the truth of the matter. The mouse looked up expectantly for another morsel, but Osmond held out his hand to shush it. "You want more. Very well, I shall give some to you. But first," he instructed his familiar with a serious tone, "I would ask that you give your report."

Feigning disinterest at the animated yet indecipherable conversation between the two, Longueville tensed in preparation. The ensuing chain of events might have seemed chaotic to an outsider- even to the participants, for it was unrehearsed- but the episode was very familiar to Longueville, and she knew the stance she had to take. Her cue came when Osmond told Motsognir, with a teasing smirk towards her, "Miss Longueville should stick to black. Plain black and white, even when hidden, simply lack the delicacy of femininity."

Twitching accordingly, she smoothly stated, "Old Osmond, the next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace." It was an empty threat, as the old master still had strong bloc within the court politics; plus, she couldn't risk sending a petition without compromising her mission at the academy.

However, Osmond reacted with an enraged flash in his eyes, quite unexpected for a frail-looking man, and began to tirade his secretary for her cheek. "Don't get so prissy just because I peeked at your underwear!" he ranted, all while carefully leaning into her to caress her bottom. "At this rate you'll never get married! Ah, to be young again…" Longueville had to admit, Osmond's rants about youth and life always touched her, making her almost hesitant to shift to the next stage of the drama.

Fortunately, the master's crass and perverted nature always managed to extinguish her sympathies. Letting loose a kick directly at his groin, she smirked as the spry old man was knocked back before leaping into the ensuing fray. As the two played chase through the small chamber, Osmond, having received the majority of the blows, vainly pleaded for mercy. "Ack! How can you! Treat an elder! In this way! OW!"

Longueville ignored his pleas, partially because of her justifiable anger, but also because she knew that the master would be greatly disappointed if his excitement for the day came to an end too soon. She had taken careful notes prior to acquiring her position as his secretary, and had kept meticulous track of the many secretaries that came and went. One thing had become clear to her- the girls fired the quickest were actually the mellowest of the batch, regardless of their…exterior appeal. It was a surprise to her at first. Old Osmond certainly had distinct tastes. It was in part with her display at a bar he frequently visited that she was able to secure her contract, after all.

But Osmond had a deeper motivation. He was a very old and mysterious man, a person known to all yet known by few. Most of his life had passed him by already, even if much of it was still to come given his apparent immortality. While he had grown somewhat used to the inevitable melancholy of aging, he still sought to relive his youth. And this meant excitement. She doubted that Osmond had little idea of what to do if he somehow managed to coerce a lady to his room- not that he had succeeded, given his appearance. His true joy lay with the chase, even if this meant that he was at the losing end of said chase. Longueville had to admit that she herself found a thrill rush through her with the chaotic life of the headmaster.

It almost made her consider staying there indefinitely. She had certainly done well so far; she had already kept her position for three months, the longest time ever according to her research. But she shook her head of that whimsy. For one, it would not be long before reports began to trickle in from the surrounding area. Although her position would give her an effective cover during an investigation, someone would eventually find out, and she could not risk compromising her carefully-constructed identity. Second, her mission would eventually clash directly with the school, throwing her straight into the fire.

Also… She slumped in despair for a second, causing Osmond to pause in his cowering, only to return to her assault with increased vigor to hide her dropped guard. Although she had a degree of empathy for Osmond's nostalgia for the past, his rosy vision disgusted her. For all his wisdom, Old Osmond was the same as the rest of the nobles, ignorantly hoping for adventure without knowing its price. Once she was the same, believing she could change the world, or be the maiden to a knight that could. But she knew that price now, very hard, and kept the lesson dear to her heart. She still clung desperately to her idealism, but found it rapidly jaded by her story of treachery and sorrow.

Therefore, Longueville was slightly relieved when a staff member unexpectedly burst in, drawing their scuffle to a halt. She looked up to see a near-bald man in faculty garb, evidently a professor. Noticing the distinct spectacles dangling on his nose, she recognized him. Professor Colbert. Infamous in the academy for his eccentric interests, he was mostly dismissed by his peers. However, Longueville looked on intrigued. Although she did not give the appearance, she had a great interest in knowledge, even if she preferred exploiting them to her advantage.

And Colbert was the foremost historical expert in the school, and perhaps all of Tristain. This, combined with his innovative approaches to the world, a method that she wholeheartedly approved of, made him an unparalleled researcher, whose discoveries always had some import. She was especially certain of this, as the professor had been given temporary leave in exchange for leading the familiar ritual yesterday. For him to come to the headmaster definitely meant that he had uncovered something massive.

Quietly sliding back to her desk, Longueville returned to her writing. She quietly slipped a sheet of blank paper in with the rest for notes of her own; it paid at times to complete memos ahead of schedule, as it gave her an effective cover. "What is it?" Osmond asked in annoyance.

"I…I…I have big news!" he exclaimed.

"There is no such thing as big news," Osmond reminded him dismissively. "Everything is but a collection of small events." Behind her desk, Longueville nodded at that proverb. The headmaster could actually show great wisdom, when he wasn't bored. She'd learned ever since the tragedy to take note of every minute detail around her, as the importance might not be clear until later. Perhaps if someone had noticed the hints of trouble, the tragedy might not have happened, and things would have gone on the way they had. Well, no use pondering over the lost.

"P-P-Please," Colbert insisted, thrusting a book at Osmond, "take a look at this."

"This is 'The Familiars of Founder Brimir,'" the headmaster noted dryly, clearly displeased at the interruption. "Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways to collect fees from lazy nobles? Mister…" Osmond was actually very good with names, but had a habit of 'forgetting' them, especially when he was feeling stubborn.

"It's Colbert," he said hastily, unwilling to drop the matter. "Please take a look at this also." With that, he handed a small sketch to Osmond. Longueville remained at her desk, but shifted her gaze out to the window and the noon's beams on Halkeginia. It would seem that she was simply admiring the view, which was exactly what she intended to convey. But her eyes were focused on just one small, dented piece of glass. She had taken note of the miniscule fragment for one special property it had: due to its alignment with a slightly reflective decoration on the ceiling, a hawk-eyed observer could make out an overhead view of the headmaster's desk. Right now, she was trying to make out just what Osmond was looking at. The sketch appeared to show the markings of some sort of runic name, though she couldn't make out the name. Suddenly, her eyes jerked at the open book in revelation, having seen an identical match on the page.

Her discovery was just in the nick of time, as Osmond closed the book a second later, his face turning serious. "Miss Longueville," he addressed her, "could you please leave us?" She nodded and stepped out the door, giving every indication of a walking stride. Once out the door though, she covertly slipped to the side and set an ear on the wall. Although the conversation was muffled, her Earth talent allowed some snippets to reach her. Something about the runes being found on the hands of some familiars. Hands? This was a surprise. She had at first thought they were talking about a familiar, but they seemed to be referring to a human. A human familiar? While discussing the Founder? This could not be a coincidence.

Longueville leaned in closer, desperate to learn just a tad more, and made out a name that made her stiffen in shock and awe: 'Gandalfr'. The Left Hand of God. Eyes sparkling with inner fire, she discretely yet determinedly strode off in a hurry, seeking to learn more about this unexpected turn of events. She had resigned herself to her mission, but if this rumor was correct, she might have a chance to fulfill her own dream. Other may try to break her, but she had triumphed, and always would, as long as she kept a nostalgic image in the back of her mind, that of a family laughing and watching the land clouds and sky below. That scene was no more, buried behind treachery. But another memory drifted to her of a small cottage in the woods, where a blonde woman with pointed ears tended to children. Not all was lost, not as long as she could still fight. No matter what happened, she would fight for her family. And those who would break it for their selfish means would regret that they ever left her alive, this she vowed!

"That should do it," James spoke with a note of satisfaction as he placed the final brick into the wall.

"Yep!" Meowth agreed. "We just need to do a little sweeping and we'll be all done!"

"Finally," Jessie groaned, heavily exhausted from the work. "I can't believe that 'professor' made us fix the whole room. I mean, most of the damage was caused in the riot, and that can't all be blamed on us."

"We did start the fight though," James pointed out, "and irked the teacher, leading to the second incident."

"That's her own fault for being a poor teacher," Jessie insisted stubbornly. "Our own hands are entirely- well, almost, at least- clean of this affair, and she had no right to make us pick up her own mess!"

"Chill out, Jess," Meowth said. "It's not like this work is new to us. So let's just work with what we can."

"Are you suggesting giving up?" Jessie demanded.

"Of course not," Meowth said, a glint in his eyes. "If you have ta do something you don't want to, ya suck it up, and den later get some payback!"

"Fine!" Jessie said, returning to her work. "But that 'professor' better not try any Mankey business next time we have class together!" Still, she seemed to apply the same level of enthusiasm to the job as her partners.

Louise watched her familiars' antics from her seat at the stairs, a mix of bemusement and sadness on her face. She struggled to focus on their nonsense so that she did not have to drift back to memories of her most recent humiliation. And, of course, the teacher reprimanded Louise for the disaster she caused- as if she had a choice in the matter! James' point that the majority of the damage was from the earlier riot did nothing to soothe Mrs. Chevreuse's frayed nerves, and she had ordered the four of them to repair the room by hand, with magic forbidden. Not that Louise would use any magic; she didn't want to risk any further catastrophes.

At least the work was not taking as long as she had anticipated. Her familiars had finally proved their worth by offering to do the work while she- the 'Boss'- rested. She was going to have them do the brunt of the work anyways- while she handled the more delicate tasks that might be somewhat befitting of a noble- but they eagerly took up the entire job, insisting that they were experts at cleaning. And they certainly were, judging by the speed at which they had cleaned the room. She had expected to not be finished until lunch, if not after, but they were almost done now with hours before lunch.

She'd like to see the look of her peers when she was waiting for them in the dining hall, spoiling their hopes that she would be preoccupied for hours. However, her joy at this was dampened by the returning feelings of worthlessness that she received whenever she tried to perform magic. Maybe she should have done more of that work after all, a voice whispered in her head; after all, she would be doing plenty of that in a few years.

"Boss?" Louise returned to reality to see her three familiars staring at her in concern, their faces just inches away from hers.

"Whah!" she cried, falling backwards before being caught by the stairs. "Now what?" she asked in a tone of aggravation; however, she was secretly relieved that she had a diversion from her melancholy.

Unfortunately, their following words drove back her tempest of emotions: "Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale." She lowered her head into her hands, desperately trying to stave the coming tears.

To her surprise, the three wiped away her face, trying to comfort her. "It's okay," James said. "It's not like you did anything wrong."

"Dat's right!" Meowth added. "It's not your fault that so-called 'Professor' has no tolerance for collateral damage."

"In any case," Jessie assured her, "we're prouder than ever to serve you. You were so great today!"

Heart flaring at those words, Louise angrily shoved them off her. "Don't feign sympathy!" she spat out. "You know as well as I do that I completely botched that spell, so don't pretend that I succeeded at something!"

Her anger dissipated slightly though as she took in her familiars' faces, which were filled with sincere shock. "What're ya talking bout?" Meowth asked. "That explosion was fantastic! Did you see the power of that thing?"

"Maybe she didn't realize its potency," James suggested. "After all, our fight before had already caused a lot of damage, so maybe she didn't notice…"

"I am well aware of my explosions' power," Louise grated out, "and they are my utter bane. Why do you think everyone calls me 'Zero'? Every spell I try inevitably ends up like this: an utter disaster."

"Hey," Jessie told her, "so what if you don't do what everyone expects?"

"Huh?" Louise mumbled dumbfounded.

"If you focus on one narrow goal," Jessie said, "you miss your other skills, even when they are just as good as your other goal."

"And your explosions are definitely a useful talent," James noted, "albeit poorly suited for this environment. But that is the administration's fault- like that teacher- and not your own. As long as you have skills to take with you into the real world, you're doing great."

"But, there's nothing good about my explosions," Louise protested.

"Nonsense!" Jessie said with confidence. "Your explosions were just beautiful."

"Dey sure were," Meowth said, eyes shining in idolization. "With that power, you might be even as strong as Pikachu!"

"No, stronger," James argued. "Pikachus know their attacks from the day they can walk. She doesn't know her power yet, but think about how much stronger she'll be when she harnesses it."

"For sure!" Meowth nodded.

"Are you positive my explosions are an asset?" Louise asked skeptically. "It seems to me that they're only good for destroying things. Classrooms, trees, keepsakes…"

"You're missing the point entirely," Jessie said. "You said the clincher: destroy. You could destroy fortresses, armies, even mountains maybe. There's always someone who objects to destruction, but we've found that a good dose of destruction can always find a good use."

"Perhaps you have a point," Louise admitted hopefully, "but what is this Pikachu?"

"Only the most powerful Pokémon in the world," Meowth boasted, believing every word.

Louise's eyes glimmered at this notion. Pokémon seemed to be magical beasts, so what would this Pikachu be like? A dragon? A manticore? "Show me what it looks like," she commanded, unable to stop a tinge of enthusiasm from seeping into her authoritive voice.

"Let's see," James mumbled, shuffling through a set of cards before stopping at one. "Ah! Here you are," he said, handing the picture to Louise. Louise took the card and began to examine the picture, her brows furrowing.

"Just terrifying isn't it?" Meowth commented, the team oblivious to their master's boiling irritation. "I tremble just looking at that thing. So strong and fearsome…"

Their dreamy idolization was cut short as Louise suddenly burst out with rage, "Is this a joke?"

"Huh?" Team Rocket blinked. "What joke?"

Huffing in fury, Louise thrust the card in their face, revealing a small yellow rat resting innocently in a bed of flowers. "This is what you are comparing my power to?" she demanded, eyes tearing up amidst her fire. "A tiny mouse? That's all the power I have?"

"Now hold on Boss," James said, desperately waving his arms. Unfortunately, it was already too late.

"I'll show you my power!" Louise screamed as she let loose yet another explosion in the classroom, turning the ruins into…dust, and lots of rubble.

Louise left the now twice-ruined classroom in a huff, her stupid familiars still lying conked out on the floor. The nerve of them! Getting up her hopes, only to compare her to some pathetic rat! Though, she had to admit, she had never considered the practical application of her botched spells. Her explosions were certainly destructive and terrifying, given her infamy in the school. Was it possible that those explosions themselves were a source of power themselves?

Louise shook her head. That still did not help her; she would remain a Zero that could not use normal magic like everyone else. Still, maybe she could use her explosions for something more. She supposed that she had to thank her otherwise-useless familiars for that inspiration; perhaps she would reward them with an extra piece of bread tomorrow.

"Ow!" Team Rocket moaned simultaneously as they pulled themselves up slowly.

"I still can't believe she hit us over such a trivial issue," Jessie muttered.

"You would have thought that she would take it as a compliment," James sighed. "Pikachu is the strongest of all Pokémon; why does nobody seem to know that?"

"Because the protagonists need ta be inconspicuous if da producers want to keep the show moving forward," Meowth said. After the two looked at him in befuddlement, he sighed and said "Never mind."

"Alright," Jessie said, collecting her wits, "It's obvious that our Boss needs something to cheer her up. And we're going to do that by bagging her a new familiar.

"Meowth," she instructed him, "you come with me to catch that Charmaleon." Meowth grinned and flashed his claws, ready for some payback.

"James," she continued, "you find some other creature to snag. Maybe that Octillery."

"But Jessie," James protested, "where am I going to find it?"

"That's your problem," Jessie said dismissively, turning to leave. "Come on Meowth, we have a familiar to steal for Team Rocket!"

"Not Team Rocket!" Meowth said.

"What?" James and Jessie asked in confusion.

"This is a new start for us, ain't it?" Meowth noted. "And 'Zero' has a nice ring to it."

"We do usually end up being the zeroes," James sadly agreed.

"Then it's settled," Jessie said firmly, "Let's give it all for Team Zero!"