Updated as of 3 April 2016

I added a scene at the very beginning.

"When we rescue others, we rescue ourselves." – Star Wars: The Clone Wars, episode 5.8

Lumbering through the dark hallway, the Rocket heir squints and tries to find the correct path to his room. If his mother catches him coming home this late (or, rather, early), there will be much hell to pay. Even if it was only Delia could caught him, it would still not be something he would choose to endure. Persian's disapproving meows were enough when the cat Pokémon watched him stumble inside.

It's all Dax's fault, anyway. It was his bright idea to go out and celebrate the successful completion of their mission. When paired with the right people, Dougal can actually get things done. Normally it would have been Delia who accompanied him (he did, after all, make her a Rocket three months ago), but, as his mother so lovingly pointed out, the young woman seemed to be unwell. She would be a hindrance. For his part, Giovanni secretly worried that it was that virus, but outwardly, he agreed with his mother. He was leaping to giant conclusions, though, as her symptoms were not the same as that virus at all. Still, he couldn't shake the phantom of worry from his mind, which he did not understand. At least, his head was telling him that.

Finally finding a doorknob, he roughly turns it and pushes the door open. He still has enough sense to shut it behind him. Still in the dark, as he makes his way to where he thinks the bed is, he tries to pull his shoe off with no success. In doing so, he takes no notice that his bed is not where it should be. When he crashes down on it, the occupant is finally alerted to the intruder. The lamp is quickly flicked on, and she pulls the covers off. The sudden introduction of light makes him squint his eyes shut as his sluggish mind tries to make sense of the situation. One look, however, tells Delia exactly what the situation is.

Always the business man, even on a mission, he has his tie on though it is draped around his neck. His shirt is not tucked evenly, his face is splotchy, and he reeks of what he has been drinking all night. This is unusual, even for him. She could yell and scold him, get his mother and Persian to help drag him to his own room, but she decides not to do that. He'll be punished enough when he wakes up dehydrated and with a headache.

"Sorry," he manages to get out without much slurring. Again, this is unusual. Giovanni does not apologize to anyone, ever, for any reason. With a quiet sigh, she gets out of the bed and goes over to the side he is trying not to fall off of.

"It's okay. I wasn't getting much sleep, anyway." She pulls his tie off and sets it aside. He grabs her arm, alarmed all of a sudden.

"Why? What's wrong?" The last time he saw her, she was headed off to rest to kick whatever bug she did catch. It's so unusual, for him to be this concerned. In truth, it's just a bad bout of congestion that has been keeping her tossing and turning.

"It's just a cold," she reassures him. He makes an unintelligible sound and lets her go.

Neither says anything else as she continues with her self-appointed task of getting him ready for bed. His blazer is the next thing to go, followed by his button shirt, leaving him in his black tee shirt. His slacks also appear to be dirty, likely from the mission, and he would probably sleep better out of them, anyway. (Although, with how far gone he is at the moment, he might not even notice.) The belt must come undone first, and without thinking about other implications, she reaches to unbuckle it. A laugh escapes him at that moment, causing her to pause and look at him.

"Forward there, aren't we?" His meaning now being totally clear, she flushes deeply and redirects her attention to his shoes. Even drunk, he still finds ways to mock her.

"Undo your own stupid belt then, if you can find it."

She goes about getting off both of his shoes, which would be easy on any other day. He usually wears slip-on dress shoes, but today, he chose typical Rocket gear. Figures. When both finally come off, she stands up and finds him struggling with his pants, trying to pull them off. He undid the belt okay. He just didn't pull it off. Even though she is still annoyed at his last comment (they haven't so much as held hands, let alone anything more intimate despite her secret, growing attraction to the gruff jerk), she helps him pull the things off as well. They end up on top of the pile that is his other clothes. He then goes to maneuver into lying down, which she was anticipating. Good thing for that extra chair in the corner.

"Thank you, my dear." That comment causes her to pause immediately. Why would he say that? And without sarcasm the way it drips from his mother? He apparently realizes this and furrows his brow. "Mew, I can't believe I just used my mother's catchphrase unironically." Looking from the ceiling to her, he has a better idea. "Think I'll just stick to my Delia." The flush returns to her cheeks, but he doesn't notice.

"Stop being stupid," she admonishes, even though she knows he isn't trying to be. Alcohol tends to bring the truth out of people. He somehow manages to find the balance and energy to sit back up.

"I'm not." Despite still being obviously drunk, he appears to also be having a moment of clarity. "You're my Delia, and I'm your Vanny."

His use of the name she teases him with manages to further surprise her. He hates it so much, yet here he is, using it himself. Plus she is pretty sure she has never given him any indication of her feelings, which she is still sorting out herself. This is not a time to be having this conversation, anyway. He must decide that, too, as he falls back onto the mattress.

"Yes, that sounds good." Or apparently he doesn't. "I'll be your Vanny, and you'll be my Delia, and together, we'll run Team Rocket and do things so much better than Mother." Even liquor cannot erase the disdain he has for his mother. "Right? That sounds good?"

Normally, the man is cold and rigid, refusing to let anything other than anger show through (and the occasional amusement when he teases her). Now, though, he almost looks vulnerable, like he is looking for affirmation. Arceus knows he never received it from his mother no matter how many times he has tried. He pretends not to care now, but he is still trying. She may be vile and manipulative, but she is his mother and the only family he has aside from Persian.

'Or not,' she thinks as she reaches to pull the covers up over him.

"It sounds great," she assures him. He does look relieved at that. "We both know how much your mother can't stand me. Now she'll never be able to get rid of me."

"And that's almost as great." Almost, she repeats in her head. Aside from wanting to prove himself, he loves messing with her mind. It is why he initially had Delia stay, after all. But sometime over the past few months, that has become less important than her.

"Go to sleep now. We have lots to do tomorrow."

"Kay." He closes his eyes and is out just as quickly, having finally succumbed to the drinks.

Suddenly tired now herself, she grabs the top blanket off of the bed, turns the light off, and heads for the chair. Although, based on what he just said, he probably would not mind if she shared the mattress with him. She has her values, though, and he likely won't remember any of this when he wakes up. She hadn't dreamed of staying with Team Rocket for this long, let alone into the future, but it's starting to not sound like a bad idea. What has this man done to my life, she asks herself as he gets into the chair. Once the blanket has been adjusted comfortably, she steals one last glimpse of him in the dark.

"Goodnight, Vanny."

Rain continues to fall heavily around the area near Mount Quena, including the city of Ecruteak. A woman leans back in her chair and listens closely to the sound of the droplets, knowing full well their source. What kind of boss would this Madame be if she did not keep tabs on her own gang members? Smiling to herself, the woman closes her eyes and listens to the tune of the water.

Before she can get too into the rhythm, someone opens her door and steps inside her office. The young woman wears a black uniform similar to that of Team Rocket grunts minus the red R. She lacks a hat, allowing her blue eyes and green hair to be easily visible. She stops in front of the woman's desk, her hands at her sides. She waits for a few seconds, but when her boss does not acknowledge her presence, she finally speaks.

"Team Rocket has mobilized, Madame. They're on their way here as we speak." The boss woman does not move but smirks as she continues to lean back.

"Very good. Let them come." The younger woman simply nods and leaves her boss to be alone. After all, she has much to take care of in the meantime.

Back at Team Rocket Headquarters, most grunts and other members have finished their meals for the lunch time hour. This includes a certain admin by the name of Petrel. Normally he, like the other three admins, would be out in his respective region of Hoenn. Then last week, when he met up with agents Jessie, James, and Meowth to switch out mecchas for their next mission, James ran over his foot. Following a string of curse words, attempts at hitting the blue-haired man, and a doctor's appraisal, it was decided that his broken foot warranted some time off. Giovanni assigned him to clerical duties back at the base, but even these are minor and are usually brought to him to complete. His leave is almost a vacation.

In the meantime, he limps back and fourth when he feels like moving around, relying on crutches to carry most of his weight. Currently he makes his way to the boss's office to check on Max. He was briefed on where Giovanni, Domino, and the others were going just after he finished his lunch, and he knows how much Max dislikes being Rocket Boss, even if it is temporary. Despite being told to take it easy, he feels like helping the kid out. He's always had a nice spot for him, and, as Proton reminds him often enough, he is a softy (unfit for Team Rocket admin duty).

When he reaches the office, he balances on his good left foot and opens the door with his right hand. He doesn't even have to walk in to see that Max is not there, which is puzzling. Conveniently at the same time, a young woman with purple hair dressed in a standard black Rocket uniform walks by. Petrel's puzzled stance causes her to stop.

"Is everything okay?" He turns and looks at her.

"Yeah. I just thought the boss's kid would be in here."

"Oh, Max? I saw him getting on the plane with Giovanni and the others. He looked like he was being sneaky, though."

"So Giovanni, Domino, and Max have all left?"

"It seems that way." He doesn't say anything, which concerns her. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm in charge until they get back!" he complains. Max probably thought of the fact that the admin would be willing to help him out and took advantage by dumping all leader duties on him. "I really need to stop being such a nice guy…"

Meanwhile, on the jet finally bound for Johto, Max remains hidden in the onboard restroom, hoping no one will have to use it. He also figures that right about now Petrel will notice he is missing and realize he is the only one on base who can act as leader. Though he feels sort of bad, Max also knows Petrel won't stay too mad at him. He never does.

In the cabin, Domino continues briefing Jessie, James, and Meowth on the trio's main goal. Against all odds, those three have become very valuable to Giovanni and are often assigned important tasks (even with last week's screw up and Petrel's poor foot). On the other airship following them there are more agents, including the trio's main rivals Butch and Cassidy. This operation is too important to mess up so Giovanni has included the best to assist him in catching the rare Pokémon he is after. Since escaping his lab more than six years ago, he has been looking for Mewtwo. It was a fruitless effort for so long, but recently they got leads on the area around Mount Quena. Those leads were confirmed just earlier today. Now he can finally reclaim his property and the power he needs to conquer more than just a few regions.

Giovanni stares out the window and drowns out his current second-in-command's voice with his own thoughts. When they get closer to Mount Quena, the more rain there will be according to the news broadcasts. (That won't be for a little while yet as the plane just took off ten minutes ago no thanks to an agent named Mondo who tweaked the engine into not working when he was supposed to be checking it over for safety.) At first Giovanni was thinking about Mewtwo and how it will feel to have the creature in his possession again. The rain, however, always reminds him of a time long ago. When he was younger, it reminded him of the day he met Persian. He saved the cat Pokémon from some poachers and brought him home to take care of.

He was barely thirteen at the time and had had his trainer's license for two years. Not only did his mother make him wait an extra year to get it, she did not allow him to go on a journey or even a trip for a few days. He thus had to resort to looking for Pokémon around Viridian, which limited him to bug-types from the forest or the many rattatas and pidgeys found in the grass on the outskirts. He had yet to fully develop the cruel streak his mother wanted him to have and thus was compelled to save the hapless Pokémon from being captured and sold for its fur.

It was raining very heavily that day due to a storm that came out of nowhere and caught him on the way home from the forest. The painful yowls of an injured creature stopped him in his tracks, and he was forced to battle the poachers with his newly evolved Butterfree. Truth be told, he would have much preferred to train ground-types, but he was settling for whatever he could catch for the time being. Butterfree's stun spore kicked their butts, and he brought Persian to the Pokémon Center for treatment. From then on, the two were partners.

Then, a decade after those events, the young man met a young woman who would come to take Persian's place when reminding him of something each time it rained. Unlike Persian, it was not raining the day they met. Instead, it rained hard the day they parted. He got up early that morning to take care of something at the gym he was the newly appointed leader of. Leading a double life of a future crime boss and League official was not something he preferred doing at first, but the gym would give him access to power and legitimacy if he ever needed it.

That morning an inspector was going to come by and perform a progress report as is required for every gym when it gains a new leader. He just wanted to make sure everything was in order, which he was actually planning on doing the day before until something else needed his attention. Team Rocket scientists were just starting to experiment with cloning technology, and one of their tests went awry. This was long before Dr. Fuji, Mewtwo, and the cloned Amber Fuji, but it was almost as destructive as when Mewtwo escaped years later. Although he and his mother did not condone experimenting on people, some of the scientists went against his mother's orders and did so anyway. The resulting creature had to be dealt with, which took most of the day. Gio resigned to getting up early to take care of the gym instead.

He was not quite sure when she left that day. To the disdain of his mother, the two shared a room and a bed. He accidentally woke her when he was getting ready, and, following a short conversation and the promise of a celebratory lunch, he headed out to the gym. He expected to come back around ten since the League inspector was going to stop by at nine, and the check would probably run about an hour. When he returned, he braced himself for the usual round of curious questions. In the beginning, this was common of everything he did. It took time to get the point across, but she eventually realized that some things dealing with Team Rocket were better off left alone.

The gym, though, was something she helped push him into. The former leader left without a word, presumably to go train in the wild and get away from the stress that the position put on people during that time. The gym happened to be a ground-type gym, his preferred type. During the last five years, he had managed to make himself quite a team. It seemed only natural that he apply, especially when she pointed out (very much out of character) the perks he would have- League funding, a good image, and more power than a normal trainer.

It was a dreary morning when he woke up, and by the time he was heading back home, it was full on raining with thunder and lightning. Persian couldn't wait to get back and snuggle up in some blankets. When he walked through the front door just before noon he was not barraged by the questions he was expecting to hear. Instead, it was his mother, smirking with her arms crossed. Short of actually telling him I told you so, she revealed that the young woman up and left without a word just like she predicted would eventually happen. She also dropped on him the announcement of her retirement that would come in two days' time. Not only was he suddenly and inexplicably alone but he was soon going to step into the role of Team Rocket leader while his mother would likely disappear and have herself a grand time with some of that money she so coveted. She left him standing in the foyer and disappeared back into her study with her special coffee.

He became very busy after that with little time to try and track her down. He had a feeling, though, of where she went. It was a short drive to Pallet, but he threw himself into gym and Rocket duties partly out of necessity but also to take his mind off of everything. He made sure he had no time to go there so it would justify his attitude to himself and to anyone who asked. The first time they saw each other again was during that GS Ball incident at the Oak laboratory. Everything happened so fast that day, including the revelation that two had a son he never knew about. Later he would wonder if that was why she left, but he never let himself think about it for too long. It didn't matter why. It was still a betrayal in his mind from the one person he thought he could trust.

He looks away from the window and back at the four agents who have stopped talking. Domino then gets up from her seat and heads for the rear of the cabin towards the restroom. When she tries to open the door, however, she finds it to be locked. She only struggles with it harder before cursing out the stupid thing. Giovanni turns and looks at her in annoyance.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone locked the stupid door."

"How can it be locked if no one's in there?" Just as quickly as that sentence escapes his mouth, he thinks of something. Without a word, he gets out of his seat and walks over to her and the mystery door. He stops and faces it. "Maximilian, unlock the door. Now." From inside, the two hear an 'oh man' before the sign changes to vacant and the door opens. He stands there with a grin and his hand behind his head.

"How'd you know he was in there?" Domino asks in amazement. Jessie, James, and Meowth try to get a closer look without being too obvious. This will be the first time they have seen him up close and in person. Domino doesn't wait anymore for her boss to answer her before doing what she got up for. Father and son head back to take a seat. Max waits for the scolding to begin, but it doesn't. This unsettles him more than anything.

"Aren't you mad at me?" he asks as they both sit down next to each other.

"We'll talk about it later." He agrees and then looks around the plane. He quickly notices the trio he has heard so much about but never interacted with and only seen from afar. They are eerily familiar in a way that doesn't make sense to him. He looks familiar to them as well, but they cannot place his face. Domino soon comes out and returns to her seat. Silence then fills the cabin as they all wait to get to their destination.

On the ground in Goldenrod City, Misty, Brock, Tracey, and Professor Oak step off of the Magnet Train. The latter two surprised the other pair by their sudden appearance at the station in Pewter. Tracey had the same idea as Misty about using teleport to move quickly. When Gary changed fields and became a researcher in training, he left most of his Pokémon at the lab. This included his alakazam, who knows the move Misty's sisters taught to Starmie. Luckily Gary brought his alakazam to Pewter before so the Pokémon was able to teleport there. The trip was only half an hour thanks to the great speed of the train.

The group barely moves away from the platform before a young man, who was previously leaning on the wall, approaches them. He is instantly recognizable.

"Gary, what are you doing here?" his grandfather asks in confusion.

"I got here early and had some to kill so I thought I would just meet you guys at the station."

"How'd you know we'd be here?" Tracey asks.

"I called the lab to make sure you left, and Lana told me you guys were planning on taking the train."

"How'd you get from Sinnoh so fast?" Brock asks next.

"I borrowed an abra from one of the researchers who used to live here in Goldenrod. Flying on Fearow would have taken too long."

"You're impatient as always," Misty mumbles.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Now, now, you two. There's no need to argue. We should decide what to do next." Gary leaves his glare on for another couple of seconds before looking at his grandfather.

"I was thinking we head out to Mount Quena now. I rented a jeep already, and it's only about to be four. There's no point in waiting for tomorrow morning."

"But you're not old enough to rent cars yet."-Tracey. Although he did just turn eighteen last week, the rental age in Kanto and Johto is nineteen (which is pretty odd for places where it is acceptable to go adventuring on one's own at age ten, but regulations are regulations).

"The great Gary Oak is allowed to break some rules."

"You told them your grandfather was coming, didn't you?"-Misty. He doesn't answer.

"It doesn't matter. So what do you all say?"

"Sounds good to me."-Brock

"Yeah, me too."-Tracey

"It would be wise to investigate as soon as possible."-Professor Oak

"It's settled then-" Misty cuts him off.

"No one's going to wait for my opinion?"-Misty

"Like you were going to say no," Gary mumbles this time. Pikachu has a hard time not laughing at their banter, but the two young men sweatdrop at the possibility of a fight. The professor remains the calm mediator.

"Let's go then. We don't have time to waste, especially if this is something very serious." He takes the initiative and walks away towards the entrance/exit. Tracey and Brock follow. Gary looks at Misty and sticks his tongue out, but she smacks his head. Pikachu does laugh at this, the maturity of the apparent young adults being dubious at most.

As they walk away, someone else watches them from the wall. This person, clothed in a dark gray trench coat, matching derby hat, and sunglasses, uncrosses his arms. His eyes follow the group of five out the doors, and once they are gone, he pulls out a small cell phone and dials a phone number.

The mysterious woman who is awaiting the arrival of Team Rocket and the fruition of her plans looks at her desk, taking her mind off of the sound of the rain that had previously captured her attention. Various papers are strewn across it, but she has no concern for what they say. It has taken far too much time for her ideas to see the light of day. She may have officially retired years ago, but she never truly slinked away from the world. She left a large organization in the hands of her only son, but she has been watching him ever since. He disappointed her back then, and sadly, this has not changed.

It is for that reason alone that she has been pursuing her latest goals. It took a long time to build up Team Rocket, but this time around, she has been much faster with her plans. She discovered years ago, months after that pesky girl left, the existence of her son's heir. She had no idea that fateful morning or she may have changed her actions to keep her around. After all, the child would have been a fresh start.

But the past is the past, and she feels she has a better way to raise any heir of Team Rocket no matter how much time has passed. She failed with her own son as he has been too preoccupied with acquiring Pokémon to take over the world. Where he continues to receive funding is a mystery indeed. Money was always the most important thing. (At least, it should have been.) All she wants now is to teach him a lesson and show him she is the best choice when it comes to raising her grandson. She only wonders when her brat boy will finally arrive and allow her to rectify the mistake made five and a half years ago…

"No sightings of the missing Pokémon trainer from Pallet Town have been reported since he went missing three days ago. His mother Delia Ketchum and Professor Samuel Oak are asking for people to be aware and look out for Ash Ketchum, the recent Orange League champion. They are also offering a reward to anyone who may help bring Ash home. Those individuals with potentially helpful information are urged to contact their local Officer Jenny…"

Giovanni flips the TV off and turns around in his chair, petting Persian on the head a few times. The chair is then vacated, and he exits the room, Persian following closely behind. The halls are lined with fancy paintings and exotic plants. The reddish orange carpet and brown walls make the place somewhat dark, but it has always been a color scheme he liked. The elevator at the end of the hall takes him down to the lowest level of his base, which is much darker and has no decorations. It is much more of a laboratory than anything one might find above ground.

He stops at one of the rooms, which has a large window, allowing him to see a young girl lying on a table with a drowzee nearby. The psychic type is connected to a machine similar to what Butch and Cassidy used in the Orange Islands. A scientist looks up from his clipboard and at him. He says something to another scientist and quietly leaves the room to meet with his boss.

"What is your progress?" he asks.

"Her mind is much more complex than his. It is taking longer to completely remove her personality and memories and replace them with new ones. He was much easier. His mind was weak." Giovanni hardens his glare. "I-I mean no offense, sir. It must be the fault of his mother and his friends."

"His mother has always been foolish. Pokémon are tools to be used, not to be friends with. Those gym leaders he was traveling with are from two of the weakest gyms in the region. They do not understand what it means to truly be powerful."

"I think Persian feels differently about your friendship, sir."

"Persian is an exception," he snaps. The scientist doesn't say anything else for fear of angering him further. Giovanni turns around. "Just let me know when you finish with her."

Following this departure, he decides to go check on Ash, who is now resting in another room. The sedatives given to him are very powerful and will keep him unconscious for at least another day. This room has no window to look through so he goes inside. Standing there with his left hand in his pocket, he stares at the messy black hair. He is going to have to change that style of his as it may give him away when he finally goes back out into the public. Persian rubs his leg, pleased that his master is, even if that does mean the other person Persian cared for long ago is suffering at the same time. It was all by chance he has been allowed this new opportunity.

He plays the scene through his mind again. It still seems so odd that they, along with a legendary Pokémon, were captured by what was supposed to just be the most powerful Pokéball. Thankfully no one else saw what happened just before the final attacks collided. He was also surprised that he was able to escape so easily although the boy's mother has already attempted to contact him since then. Not wanting to draw any attention or suspicion (though it was unlikely since he has come to think of her as a simpleton who wouldn't see what was right there), he refused to even talk. He has a feeling, though, that he will see her again soon.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he thinks to the future and the chance to prove his mother wrong. Madame Boss would never come up with such an ingenious plan. She would probably scoff at him, but she did not know how to raise a child. He will show her how to do it right. Ash's skill, though substantially underdeveloped in Giovanni's mind, could not be wiped out by drowzee and a machine. Together they will lead Team Rocket and fulfill all of the dreams his mother was not even capable of having. He smirks.

"Soon, with your help, it will all be mine…"

Max looks out the window and watches the clouds go by. Their thickness seems to be getting more obvious, and he figures that by the time they reach their destination, it will be raining fairly heavily. He does not notice it, but his father looks at him and does not redirect his gaze when he realizes that James notices him paying attention to his son.

TBC...

The text in italics was a flashback that I have been holding onto since the end of GSD. I decided to wait and explain what happened later on, which turns out to be now. "It Will All Be Mine" was the name of a song from the Pokemon! Live stage production back in 2000-2001.

In the games, teleport would only take you to the last Pokemon Center. I combined a little bit of Tenchi Muyo logic in the way that Pokemon (like Ryoko) can only teleport to places they have been and can thus picture in their minds. Also, Gary's fearow appeared in the Johto League episode on the computer when Ash was looking up information about him.

Thanks for reading.