Chapter 10

Familial Revelations

(At Team Rocket HQ)

(3rd-person narrative)

As Miyamoto continued her duties assigned to her to work alongside Domino, the anxiety in her only grew as more time passed. As much as she wanted to continue her own, personal mission of trying to discover the exact details behind Team Rocket's plots, things were not on her side. They both knew that as the launch date of the satellite drew closer, it also meant that it was imperative that they closely monitor the Galactics for any sinister plot they could execute. At the same time, Miyamoto and Domino were always wary of each other, always keeping an eye on the other.

"No sign of any suspicious activity…yet," Domino remarked, looking at Miyamoto from the corner of her eye as the two of them walked together down the corridor leading to the radio wavelength lab.

"The Galactics seem to be laying low for the moment, but from what you've told me about the conversation between their admins you overheard, it is clear that their ultimate aim is to sabotage our plans," Miyamoto replied.

"Our next task is to check up on the scientists who are working on the radio wavelengths in the lab down this hallway," Domino said. "The boss wants us to check on their progress. They should be very close to completion, by now."

Miyamoto nodded silently, and the two of them were soon in front of the door. Using her passcard to gain access, Domino entered the dimly-lit lab, and Miyamoto behind her.

"The boss is curious as to whether you're close to completing the radio wavelengths. The deadline is fast-approaching – a fact that I'm sure you're well aware of," Domino said to one of the scientists, folding her arms.

"Indeed, Elite Officer Domino," the man replied slightly nervously. "We are almost finished – there's just slight portions of the wavelengths we have to tweak and correct, and everything will be complete. We estimate that it will take just another day or two."

"And how is the boss's special wavelength coming along? I imagine that's close to completion, as well?"

"Ah, yes…you see, about that…" the scientist nervously scratched the side of his neck. "'s confined himself – alone – inside the back compartment of the lab. No-one's seen or contacted him in there for as long as I can remember. But knowing him and his obsessive traits, none of us are worried about his progress. Would you…like to try and check on his progress?"

Domino looked to her right, towards the compartment where Fuji was supposedly working, as she twirled the curls of her golden hair with her left hand. Although she indeed wanted to check for herself, she had faith in Fuji's obsessive professionalism. "No. I don't think that's necessary," she replied, beginning to turn away as she gave a sly look at the scientist. The others behind him, meanwhile, were too immersed in their work to take any notice of her. "Well, then…carry on…"

The scientist nodded and returned to his work, while Domino and Miyamoto exited the lab, and the door closed automatically behind them. Their next destination was the security station, to which they were immediately headed.

"I must say, you're rather gifted and extremely efficient, for such a young Elite Officer," Miyamoto grinned. "How old are you, exactly?"

Domino chuckled, before giving the senior Rocket her answer. "27. I've been in Team Rocket for my whole life, ever since I was a young child. I was deemed to be so gifted, that Giovanni himself made me an Elite Officer, at the tender age of 12."

"My…you just might be the youngest-ever Elite Officer in Team Rocket history!" Miyamoto laughed. "Though I always believed that such a rank belongs to older personnel who proved themselves through many years of service, things inevitably change along with leaders when a new one is installed. I must say – things are run significantly differently around here with Giovanni in charge, compared to Madame Boss. Very different, indeed."

"He's always said that his mother was never the right type to run Team Rocket – called her unfit to give proper orders to her subordinates, that she lacked resourcefulness, constantly made mistakes which demonstrated her stupidity, and that she lacked a proper 'vision'. He's never told anyone just how exactly or why he wrested control over Team Rocket away from her, instead of waiting to inherit the organization in due time. But if you ask me…" Domino paused in her speech briefly, before continuing, "…if you ask me, I'd say that he did it out of revenge. Given your history with Team Rocket, I'm sure you know much better than me about how Giovanni was abandoned as a baby by Madame Boss, yes?"

"Of course," Miyamoto replied. "I was the single Officer who was closest to Madame Boss during her reign." She stopped there, as she thought that the memory of the event was slightly too personal for her to reveal. She still remembered the night when Madame Boss called her to her office while she was heavily drunk, sitting smugly in her seat. As Miyamoto stood before her and listened, she learned that Giovanni had been abandoned in the outskirts of Viridian Forest by two of her agents merely hours before. The moment Miyamoto had heard this from her, she was horrified – her faith in Madame Boss had been rattled when she learned that her beloved Jessie was handed to an orphanage. She had learned to accept that, however, as she always wanted Jessie to be able to live a normal life without the overshadowing influence of Team Rocket. But listening to her boss speak humorously about her own callous abandonment of her own son was almost too much to bear, as the tears began to fall from her eyes. A once close friendship was significantly strained from that day forward, until it finally dissipated altogether after Madame Boss's disappearance and Giovanni's ascendancy.

"Is something the matter?" Domino stopped and looked at Miyamoto, who had an uneasy look on her face.

"N..no…let's keep moving," Miyamoto answered, barely managing to prevent tears forming in her eyes as the two of them continued on. Domino once again used her passcard to gain access to the security station, the twin steel doors sliding open to the left and right. But the sight which she set her eyes upon at that moment brought fury into her eyes, as she clenched her fists in anger.

"Wake up, you idiots! Wake…up!" she bellowed as she slapped the faces of both Butch and Cassidy, who had fallen asleep at their stations, violently waking them up and putting them in a state of mental shock, rather than alertness.

The two of them immediately stood upright out of their seats, trembling as they stood side by side, looking at her. "I'm…I'm sorry, Elite Officer, but…there's just been absolutely nothing to do around here! No-one, and…and absolutely no Pokémon have been spotted or…p-picked up via scans in a ten-mile radius of the headquarters for…for days!" Butch stammered fearfully. His anxiety was once made worse, however, as Domino walked slowly towards him, starting to circle around him.

"Your duty," she spoke in a hissing whisper, "is to stay alert at all times, and to be on the lookout for even the slightest hint of movement. There will be no sleeping on the job. There will be no lounging around for even a second, until your shift is finished." She leaned forward, placing her mouth barely inches away from Butch's right ear. Butch's entire body started to vibrate in fear, as he felt her soft breaths against the skin of his neck. Grinning at Butch's reaction, Domino spoke again. "Is…that…clear?"

"Y-yes, Elite O-o-officer!" he answered.

"…Good…" Domino whispered, drawing away.

"Pardon me for asking, ma'am, but…" Cassidy asked in a slightly less afraid voice than her partner, as she looked at Miyamoto. "Who are you? I've never seen you before in this facility."

"Oh, me?" Miyamoto said, smirking at her. "I'm Elite Officer Miyamoto Musashi, Special Agent Jessica Musashi's mother. Perhaps you are acquainted with my daughter, yes?"

Cassidy's eyes widened as she also began to shake in fear. "Y…yes…I am. Why?"

"Nothing, dear. Just…be good to her," Miyamoto smiled, and she and Domino left, leaving the nervous Butch and Cassidy alone in the security station.

"That was rather impressive," Domino grinned as they walked away. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone scare someone like that, with merely a smile. Except the boss himself, of course."

"Well, I always believed that nothing gets people moving and busy, than a smile," Miyamoto chuckled. "It keeps them…motivated." She then looked up, as she realized that she had more urgent things to attend to. Personal things. "Do we have any other stations we must go to, anytime soon?" she asked.

"Not that I know of," Domino said, looking at her. "Why?"

"I'd like to go to the communications department. I have…things I must do, there."

"…Please elaborate on what 'things' require your attention at this point in time?" Domino asked, crossing her arms.

Miyamoto stayed silent for a brief moment, trying to find a proper excuse for her going to the communications department, whereas the true reason behind it was that she wanted to see how Jessie, James and Meowth were coping. As soon as it dawned upon her, she answered Domino's question, trying to sound as calm and proper as possible.

"As an overseer for operations in the Sinnoh region, I'm expecting several reports from the lower-ranking agents under my supervision there. They should be acquiring the last of the Sinnoh broadcast centers, shortly."

Domino looked straight at her eyes quietly, as she was nowhere close to buying the story. She smiled, putting her left arm down while she put her right hand against the side of her waist as she spoke. "That won't be necessary. I'll be well and truly able to take those reports on your behalf." Miyamoto swallowed nervously as she heard this. "Meanwhile, I need you to make a closer watch on the senior Galactic admins and their higher-ranking officers, seeing as barely any of them will recognize you here compared to me, as they've seen me around ever since they arrived here. I believe you are quite peerless in your subterfuge skills, correct? Find out as much as you can about their plots, and come back and report to me. I'll relay the information myself to the boss."

With that, Domino began walking away to the communications department alone, leaving Miyamoto standing by herself in the corridor. Saddened, Miyamoto walked into a nearby open room, collapsing in tears on the floor. She beat her fist against the metallic wall, realizing that Giovanni had ordered her to work alongside Domino, who would be able to keep an eye on her at all times, preventing her from ever making contact in private with Jessie, James and Meowth.

But Miyamoto was determined. She was determined to see her beloved daughter live the free and happy life which she had always desired. She would stop at nothing in her own mission to free Jessie from the shackles of Team Rocket…even if it meant losing her own life.

(Meanwhile, in Fuji's compartment…)

"At last…I have done it…"

The whispers of seemed to echo around the dark confines of his private compartment, as his task was finally completed. He had finished the special wavelength designed for capturing Mew and Mewtwo; such was his obsessive devotion to his work that it was completed even before the standard wavelength, which approximately half a dozen scientists were working together on.

Taking only a short time to marvel at the complexity of his accomplishment, he spun around and walked rapidly in a gaunt manner towards the door, unlocking it and revealing himself to his fellow scientists. As they heard the door swing open, they looked at him in disbelief, partly from their amazement that he managed to complete such a feat alone in so short a time, but mostly due to the almost deathly figure which stood before them: a walking corpse.

Refusing to spend even a minute to check on his assistants' progress, Fuji walked quickly to the door security panel, opening the door and proceeding in a gaunt, unstable manner in the direction of Giovanni's office. Giovanni's secretary, noticing the ghastly figure of a man walking rapidly across the reception room, was too shocked to even call out to him. Finally, after approaching the doors, Fuji swung them violently open, to see a rather calm Giovanni sitting at his desk, looking at him with his fingers joined together.

"Ah, Fuji…perhaps you'd like to explain your rather…hasty arrival here?" Giovanni asked in a composed manner.

"I have finished the task you've assigned me – the special radio wavelength frequency is completed. Now…will you uphold your end of the bargain?" Fuji eyed him, his voice clearly showing his determination that he would not take no for an answer, even from Giovanni.

"Hahaha…I see that my faith in your enthusiasm was not misplaced," Giovanni chuckled. "Very well – you shall have your wish. If you proceed to the specimen lab, you will surely find the DNA traces of your daughter contained there. I will see to it that you are given full clearance to the lab, as well as an underground experiment facility which I will give personal usage to you." He then pulled out a blueprint map from underneath the papers on his desk, and handed it to Fuji. It was a map of the lower levels of the headquarters, specifying the location of the underground facility.

Without another word, Fuji walked rapidly out of the office, pulling the door closed behind him. He sped down the hallway as the secretary looked blankly at him, then disappeared out of her sight. He continued his rapid movement until he came to the specimen lab door, which was guarded by two grunts on either side of it. Stopping right in front of the door, Fuji did not look at either of the guards but straight at the door, the two men looking frightfully at each other before one of them opened the door via console. As he gained access to the lab, Fuji's pace became contrastingly slower as he walked, gazing at the long array of specimens – a sample for every single DNA strand that had been used by Team Rocket in recent decades – all lined up in dozens of elongated glass shelves.

Then, at last, Fuji found what he had been looking for. He came upon a small, glass cylinder which contained three strands of his daughter Amber's hair. Grasping it, he put it into his labcoat pocket and walked out of the lab. After using the blueprints to find his way through secret passageways to the lowermost sections of the HQ, Fuji pushed open the rusty iron doors which stood before him and turned on the lights, revealing an old collection of various devices, machinery and compartments which were not too different from those he had used in his attempts to clone Amber.

Shutting the doors closed behind him, Fuji approached the nearby table and placed upon it the cylinder containing Amber's hair. Applying the power to every piece of machinery, he leaned forward upon the table, looking reflectively for a moment at the only thing he currently had which reminded him of his beloved daughter, before once again starting to work on his greatest dream and ambition.

(At Ash & Misty's home)

(Ash's POV)

Misty and I sat together on the couch watching TV, in an extremely bored state. Claire was playing with her toys along with Pikachu and Marill on the floor, while Ethan simply stood looking out a nearby window. Things were now starting to get to our heads: our video phone and other electronic communications devices were chipped, so we couldn't use them to contact Mom and Dad, nor Brock and Sabrina. We couldn't fly elsewhere either, seeing as Team Rocket could slip back into the house and cause even more trouble we would not be aware of. Ultimately, it came down to waiting it out together, but just how long it would take, none of us could say.

"I'm so bored, Ash!" Misty whined, closing her eyes and leaning sideways until she fell into my lap. "I want to go and visit Brock and Sabrina as well as your parents, but we just can't! Those stupid Rockets!"

"I know, Mist, I know," I sighed, running my fingers through her hair. "But from what we know already about their plans, things are moving along quite quickly regarding the radio towers, and we might not even have to wait for that long. A week or two, maybe."

"You're probably right, Ash," she said, rubbing my hand which lay upon her head. "I'm glad to know that if we do stop Team Rocket's plans once and for all, we'll only have to put up with this for a short time. But it's the fact that things could go wrong, that worries me the most."

"Aah, don't worry too much about that, Mist," I grinned. "I am the Chosen One, after all."

"You and that ego of yours, mister! We can at least be thankful that it's not as bad as Gary's!" she chuckled, playfully touching the tip of my nose with her index finger.

We were suddenly mildly surprised by the ringing of the phone of my Pokégear, which told me that I received a message. "It's from Jessie," I said, opening up the message.

"What does it say?" Misty said as she sat up on the couch.

"It says, 'My mom's come back, and she's helping us to find out when Team Rocket's plan is going to be put into motion. She's an Elite Officer, so she should be able to help us a lot in discovering the relevant details of the satellite launch. We still don't know when exactly the launch will take place, but from what we know, it could be within the next seven days or so, given the fact that there are only one or two major radio stations to be captured in each of the regions. Also, the Galactics seem to be coming up with a plan of their own regarding the satellite. We don't know what might happen from here onwards. Stay alert.'"

"Ash, we'd better contact the Pokémon League as soon as possible. We should also contact Brock and Sabrina as well as your parents about this," Misty insisted, placing a hand on my forearm.

"You're right, Mist," I nodded. "We should contact all of them right away." I stood up out of the couch and went into the kitchen, so that Claire wouldn't be worried by hearing me speak in a serious tone.

"Mommy, where's daddy going?" Claire looked up and asked Misty. Ethan, meanwhile, didn't move from gazing out the window.

"Daddy's gone to the kitchen, sweetheart. He's got some important calls he has to make right away. Just keep on playing with Pikachu and Marill, and don't worry about a thing. He'll be back in a short while," Misty answered, crouching down to Claire's eye level and gently holding her shoulders.

"Okay, mommy!" Claire smiled, and Misty stroked her hair as she went back to playing with the two Pokémon.

After dialing the number of the Indigo Plateau, I waited for a while before my call was answered. "Hello. You've reached the Indigo Plateau reception. How may I help you?" replied a Nurse Joy.

"Hi. This is Ash Ketchum. I was wondering if Lance is available at the moment?" I asked.

"Oh, Ash! It's good to hear from you again! It's Claire!" she brightly responded.

"Hi, Claire, it's good to hear from you as well," I smiled.

"Just a moment – I'll inform Lance that you're calling, and patch you through to him. He's unoccupied at the moment."

"Thanks, Claire. Well, take care now," I farewelled her.

"You too, Ash. It's always a pleasure hearing from you. Bye!" she said.

Following a short period of waiting, Lance spoke to me from his phone. "Ah, Ash. I understand it's an urgent matter. Have you learned something new about Team Rocket's plans?"

"Hi, Lance. Yes, I've received another message from my friends who are in Team Rocket's headquarters. They've told me that Team Rocket's satellite launch could take place in about a week's time, as they've got only one or two major radio stations left to acquire in each of the regions. Jessie's also told me that her mother – an Elite Officer in Team Rocket – is also helping them in keeping us informed about anything that happens there. But things have gotten complicated; Team Galactic also seem to be trying to use the satellite to their own advantage, by backstabbing Team Rocket, somehow."

"That's worrying indeed…we don't have a clue on what might happen, then. The plan we discussed at the meeting between all Elite Four members was mainly regarding Team Rocket. We never truly expected the Galactics to come up with an independent plan of their own," Lance said in a worrying voice, taking a brief pause in thought before continuing. "But thank you for this information, Ash. We now have a clear estimate about how much time we have left, and we'll see to it that the buildup of the combined security reconnaissance forces is increased accordingly."

"Alright, Lance. I'll call you again if something else comes up," I said.

"Thanks a lot again, Ash. I'll relay all of this information to the Elite Four members of the other regions, as well as discussing it amongst the four of us here. Stay safe, now."

After the call was ended, I quickly dialled the number for the Pewter City gym. A fairly long repetition of a dial tone followed, making me wonder whether anyone was home. As I was prepared to hang up and first call my parents instead, the phone was finally picked up. "Alex! Put your sister down!" Brock spoke in a hissing whisper away from the mouthpiece, but his voice was still audible to me.

"Brock? What the hell's going on over there?" I asked, puzzled.

"Ahh…sorry about that, Ash. Sabrina and I are making lunch for the kids and ourselves. Jenna's having a nap, but Alex keeps using his telekinesis skills to make her levitate in her sleep! He's getting a real kick out of it as well – the two of us can see it by looking at the grin on that cheeky rascal's face."

"Hehehe, yeah, well…kids will be kids," I chuckled.

"Too bad people can still be kids when they're married and have kids of their own!" Misty teased as she came over to me. "Are you talking to Brock?"

I nodded, and then I heard Brock greet her. "Hey, is that you, Misty? How are you?"

"Pretty good, thanks, Brock. How are you and Sabrina?" she replied.

"We're doing alright here, as well. I've gotta say, Sabrina's much better at watching over the kids, if you ask me, but that's probably because she's psychic and all."

"Hehe, that's cool, Brock. Hey listen," I said, pressing the matter at hand, "I've just received another message from Jessie, and relayed it to Lance already. Jessie's told me that Team Rocket's satellite launch will most likely go ahead in the next seven days or so. There's only about one or two major radio stations in each region they haven't captured already. Jessie's mom, an Elite Officer, is helping her, James and Meowth, but things have gotten complicated now because of Team Galactic making plans of their own."

"Plans? What plans?" he asked.

"It seems they're planning on sabotaging Team Rocket's satellite launch and use it for themselves, probably. So unfortunately, things are getting uhh…worse and even more unpredictable," I bit my lower lip in worry. "I called because I thought it'd be best if we kept everyone informed."

"Thanks a lot for the info, Ash. It's good to stay informed on these kind of things," Brock replied. "I'll tell Sabrina about it, and I'm sure she'll contact Erika as the two of them are close friends. We'll make sure to tell all the other gym leaders in Kanto, as well."

"Alright, then. See you later, Brock," I said as I prepared to hang up.

"Say hi to Sabrina for me!" Misty added.

"Haha, will do," Brock laughed, and the line was ended. I quickly started dialing the number for Mom and Dad's house in Pallet Town, as Misty spoke to me.

"Are you calling your parents now?" she asked as I put the phone to my ear.

"Yeah. That's about all then, in terms of the people I have to make contact with about this," I turned my head to speak to her.

After a few seconds, Mom's cheerful voice greeted me. "My darling Ashy, how are you? I saw your number come up on the video phone!"

"Hi, mom," I smiled. "Misty, the kids and I are all good. Listen, uhh…I've just received another message from Jessie, about what's going on in Team Rocket."

"Oh…What's it about, honey?" Mom's voice died down to a worried whimper. After I told her what I had told Lance and Brock, she went eerily silent, and I could've sworn I heard her sobbing at a minuscule volume which I almost couldn't hear. Finally, she gave a sullen sigh before speaking again. "That's…very saddening to hear."

"Listen…Mom…I know about you and Dad's relationship with Giovanni. You told me about it, yourself. I know Giovanni's important to the two of you because of your history with him, but…he has to be stopped. Jessie, James, Meowth and Jessie's mother are all putting their lives at risk in order to help us stop him. After his plans have been ended, if things go our way, then maybe there's a chance for you and Dad to do something about him. But for now, we all have to do everything we can to prevent his schemes from happening."

"You're…you're right, honey…" she sniffed. "Your father's currently outside with his Pokémon, as well as some of yours. I'll tell him what you told me. Bye, now…"

And with that, Mom hung up the phone, as I began to worry for her. I put the phone down on the kitchen counter, my head congested with thoughts before Misty put her arms gently around me from behind.

"Is she going to be okay?" she asked, placing her cheek against the side of my head.

"I hope so. She and Dad used to be close friends with Giovanni, until he turned his back on them. I'm just hoping that she'll be able to handle herself emotionally if things get out of hand…which I'm afraid they most likely will," I said, covering my eyes and rubbing my forehead with my right hand.

"Don't worry, Ash. Your mom – our mom – has always been a person who is strong at heart," Misty smiled, placing a hand on my cheek and turned my face to hers until our eyes met. "She was determined to raise you as a single parent in your dad's memory when she thought he died in that boat tragedy, decades ago. She even had the courage to stand up to and scold Entei, years ago – even I wouldn't have dared to do something like that. She's been a loving parent figure to me ever since I met her, and a tower of strength whom I could always trust and rely on. She'll make it through all this, Ash. Trust me."

"You…you're right, Misty," I exhaled with a smile, then stood up, taking her hand in mine. "Come on – let's get back to where we were."

"By that, do you mean going back to look after our kids and Pikachu and Marill, or…just back into our comfy position on the couch?" she giggled, seductively stroking my lip.

"Both, if you prefer," I chuckled. Misty grinned at me as we kissed, then made our way back to the living room.

(Team Rocket HQ)

Determined to not let herself be hindered in her main objective of discovering the vital details behind Team Rocket's plans, Miyamoto tracked Domino's movements as bets she could when the younger Elite Officer was unaware, going about her own business. After several hours of discretion and stealthy observation, she finally discovered the location of Domino's own private quarters. Given Domino's close co-ordination with Giovanni in Team Rocket's current project, Miyamoto concluded that it was the only place where she would find out anything useful.

Mindful of Domino's senses which were as sharp as her own, Miyamoto kept her distance, avoiding making a single sound – even an expert in clandestine operations as her needed to watch every single step she took when spying on one such as Domino.

As she watched Domino head off down the corridor to her private quarters, Miyamoto swiftly withdrew to the shadowy recesses of an open room and backed herself up against the wall as she heard a single tapping sound of a footstep from the adjacent walkway, which was right around the corner.

"I've got to admit, Domino – you're one busy fox," chuckled a male voice. Miyamoto heard another low clanking sound from his position, presumably from him leaning against the steel wall.

Domino chuckled softly in response, her footsteps slowly turning around and approaching the one who was speaking to her. "Silver…I never imagined you to have so much time on your hands, considering just who your father is."

"Hehehe…I never have enough time on my hands to enjoy anything…except for you, of course," he said. He placed his hands on her sides, and the two began to kiss as he pressed her up against the wall which Miyamoto was on the opposite side of.

Domino exhaled softly as Silver laid gentle kisses upon her neck, giggling playfully before signaling him to pause by mildly turning his head away. "Yes, you're right – this isn't the best of places. Shall we go elsewhere?" Silver grinned.

"Oh…but I have some important files I need to check up on in my quarters!" Domino told him.

"Come, now…surely that can wait for just a little while?" Silver teased her serious approach while stroking her luscious golden hair.

"Well, if you put it that way…" Domino smiled, tickling his neck with her forefinger, "…I guess things could wait for just a little while, like you say."

Miyamoto then stayed silent, attentively listening until the pair of footsteps grew quieter and quieter in volume until they disappeared down the main corridor. After peering out to make sure they were gone and that no-one else was around, Miyamoto crept up to the door to Domino's quarters, which required a palm print from Domino herself to provide access. Luckily for Miyamoto, she knew from experience that the private quarters of all Elite Officers and other high-ranking personnel had such palm print clearance systems. Most important of all, she had managed to gain a sample of Domino's palm print by applying a clear, plastic sheet over a metallic surface she had touched with her ungloved hand during one of her resting periods – which were rare occasions, to say the very least.

Praying for her daughter's sake that it would work, Miyamoto became relieved once the doors to Domino's chamber swung open and granted her access after she pushed the plastic sheet against the panel. Pushing a button to the side of the doors to close them again, Miyamoto began to look for any clues or helpful documents which would allow her to gain the information she needed. Looking through various sheets of paper lying in a pile, she took extreme care to place things back in their relative positions, so as to avoid causing Domino any suspicions. But as she continued her search, her attention turned to a small notebook which lay underneath a second pile of sheets, with only its lower-left corner visible. She pulled it out, and within it was indeed the information she was looking for, albeit not as precise as she wished it to be: for it was Domino's journal. Flicking to the latest entry, Miyamoto saw the details of the events of yesterday.

June 10

It's been a full three weeks since our little expedition to Cinnabar Island. I'm growing irritated with those bumbling Galactics, and especially their admins, who seem to be a slight bit too comfortable here…they must be planning on executing a plan of their own, but I haven't found out just what, yet.

I intend on watching them even more closely in the coming days, seeing as the satellite's launch is scheduled to take place in exactly just a week's time. I just wish that those turtling fools in the lab creating the wavelengths would finish their job quicker, so that the boss and I can concentrate on keeping a leash on the Galactics.

Good news regarding the radio broadcast centers, though – there are only one or two left to take control of in each region, and that should give us plenty of time, or at least enough to control them all just before we launch the satellite into space.

I'm going to focus on watching the Galactics, as of tomorrow. This whole plan will mean nothing if those crooks get in our way. Which they will, eventually.

"Just six days left…" Miyamoto sighed. Just six days were now left for them to thwart the plans of both Team Rocket and Galactic.

But Miyamoto was not satisfied – although she found out the date of the launch, she still need to know the exact time. Placing the journal back in its respective position, she pulled out a small cardboard box and opened it, revealing a collection of folders labelled as 'Confidential'. Taking out the first folder, she opened it to unexpectedly find a condensed layer of dust lying on top of a document which she thought to be only a few weeks old.

But she was mistaken.

For the documents didn't contain any information about the satellite launch, but of Domino herself.

Still, her curiosity regarding Domino motivated her to continue looking through the files, for close to nobody in Team Rocket knew anything about her past. The first few pages were all black and white photographs, presumably during the years Domino trained to become an Elite Officer, as she looked very young in them. Flicking over several more pages, though, Miyamoto was met by a sight which shook her to the core.

Agent Codename: Domino

Given Name: Julia Adele

Last Name: (CLASSIFIED)

Miyamoto dropped the folder in shock as it dropped face-flat onto the floor. She had not seen her second daughter ever since the day after her birth, when she was taken from her back to Team Rocket HQ. She had made Madame Boss swear to not abandon her like she did with Jessie, and the promise was kept – Julia stayed within the boundary of the headquarters at all times. Due to the fact that Miyamoto had never returned to the HQ until this day, Julia never had a chance to know her at all.

But still, Miyamoto knew in her heart that she recognized her long-lost daughter's features somewhat, at the very moment she saw her: the two of them, as well as Jessie, shared the same deep blue eyes. Julia also possessed golden hair, just like her deceased father's, and she had her mother's lips.

The revelation was almost too much for Miyamoto to bear, as she felt her entire world contract around her. For years she had dreamed of on day being reunited with her beloved daughters, but the reality of the present – daughter against daughter, family against family – broke her heart.

Miyamoto's eyes wandered upon the document as her fingers numbly flicked over the pages one more time, until she reached the profile page again. She stared at her daughter's portrait, her heart racing and pounding against her chest as tears fell from her eyes.

Domino…

Julia…

She was her daughter.

(End of Chapter 10)

A/N: I know…it's a great shock to suddenly think that Jessie and Domino are related. But I always wondered what Domino's true identity is, seeing as the only time I saw her was in Mewtwo Returns, and the anime producers pretty much never showed her after that movie (unless I've missed some specific episode, or rather), so I decided to be a little original. I really wanted to reveal it only in the very last chapter, but I then realized that I needed Miyamoto to realize that Domino was her daughter at an earlier stage, for plot development reasons.

I've got about four more weeks of uni after this week's Easter break, and then I'll be on holidays following my exams. I hope to get a lot done during that time.

Please leave your reviews. : )