The Journey Never Ends
Chapter 21: Blackjack
Note: Please see the author's note at the bottom regarding my update plan.
The Story So Far: Ash Ketchum has joined Allie Dogwood on her quest to become the Pokémon League Champion, a title he currently holds. During their adventure, the companions have learned that evil is stirring in Kanto. In Celadon City, Allie and Ash met up with Ash's old friend May. When May told the two about a place called the Dante Club where coordinators were mysteriously disappearing, Allie won a contest and earned entry to the club. Ash and May also managed to get in and split up. As he sat down at a bar, an eerily familiar voice spoke to him: one he had not heard since he became Pokémon League Champion.
"It's been a long time, twerp," she replied wryly. "You haven't changed much since the old days."
Even Ash Ketchum, as emotionally controlled as he had trained himself to be, felt his blood freeze and the hair on his neck stand on end. "This can't be," he muttered, more to himself than to the red haired woman sitting next to him.
"Jessie?" he asked suspiciously.
She put a finger to her lips and hushed him. A second later, though, she winked at him.
Now that he saw her for who she was, he couldn't believe he had missed it. Her narrow eyebrows, sharp features, and long red hair provided more than enough evidence of her identity. It was plain as could be that Jane Goddard, the contest host, was none other than the woman who had pursued him and his friends across Kanto for years.
She was Jessie, of Team Rocket.
"I'm flattered you remember me, twerp," she smirked, putting a martini glass to her lips. "Then again, I suppose it's hard to forget someone like myself."
Ash ignored her vanity. "How are you involved in all of this?" he probed her. "What kind of scheme are you operating?"
The woman laughed the same obnoxious laugh Ash remembered from his childhood. "Don't be silly. I have nothing to do with the club. I'm reformed." She put special emphasis on the last word.
"There are some people who never change. You, Meowth, and James spent more than five years on the same desperate effort to steal Pikachu. Like you could change."
The effect this sentence had on Jessie was startling. Her blue eyes became unfocused, and Ash could sense her stiffen. Her drink fell out of her hand and rolled down the bar past a man in dark glasses and a suit. The man turned towards them angrily. The bartender glanced at them curiously.
"I'm sorry," Jessie muttered distractedly. She held out her hand to Ash. "Well?" she huffed. "Aren't you going to ask me to dance?"
The trainer was suspicious, but the fallen glass had already drawn the attention of most of the bar. The privacy of their conversation was already compromised. He took Jessie by the waist of her black sequin dress and left the bar. They walked down a hallway and emerged onto another dance floor, this one playing much slower music than the one Ash had passed on his way in. The lighting was dim, and the dancers were spaced far apart. It would be a much better location for a secret discussion than the bar.
"I'll answer all of your questions honestly if you tell me something. Have you seen him?" she whispered as they began a waltz.
Ash took a moment to respond. He was, after all, very close to one of his former enemies. Maybe she even still was his enemy, simply trying to distract and manipulate him. There was something in her voice, though, that hinted at sincerity. Still, the truth about what happened to James could crush her emotionally, and so he proceeded with caution. "I have," Ash responded.
Her eyes lit up and excitement entered her voice. "Where is he?"
"It was a while back that we last saw him," he answered. Jessie's expression fell. Ash knew she would be even less happy with the ending. "He attempted to rob my friend in Pewter City a couple of months ago. We chased him into Mount Moon. There was a battle, and then a cave in."
She stared at him, waiting for him to finish, hoping against all hope that he wouldn't say what she knew he would.
"Jessie, I'm sorry. I don't think he made it out."
Ash winced as he felt Jessie's long fingernails claw into his neck and shoulder. She buried her face against his neck, and Ash was shocked when he felt a tear touch his skin. It was the first time ever he had seen her cry selflessly. Team Rocket bursting into tears was nothing new to him, but sincerity was. He tried to pat her on the back reassuringly, but it came off as just an attempt to get her hands to stop clawing him. Even so, she ignored it.
"He's… he's gone..." she whispered to herself. "Every night, still, I dream about those years long ago before everything went wrong. I've started praying, yes, even praying, that he would be okay and we would be together again. But now…"
"He was different when we met him," Ash tried to explain. "I… I never actually saw him up close, but Brock's brother said that he was acting like he was a broken man. Like he had nothing to lose. He attacked my friend sadistically multiple times and got into a fist fight with Forrest."
She began weeping openly in his arms. It was all Ash could do to keep turning so that the other dancers didn't get curious. The dark blue lighting all around the room did nothing to making the mood any lighter.
"It's my fault," she moaned. "It's my fault he's like that and it's my fault he was in that cave and hurt your friend."
"You can't blame yourself," Ash tried to reassure her.
She shook her head. "You don't understand. A couple of years ago, after Team Rocket fell, James insisted that we could resurrect it. He kept talking about never giving up our dream and fighting the world for what it owed us. I disagreed. I told him and Meowth that I was going to start a new life. After losing for so long, he wanted to keep going until he won, and I wanted to get out when we had the chance. We argued. We each wanted the other to come with us."
"And eventually, you just split apart."
"Yes. After one particularly nasty fight, Meowth and I woke up to find him gone. There was only a note, in which he had written that he would do whatever it takes to prove to me that he was a winner. I didn't understand it then, but I eventually realized that he just wanted to redeem himself in my eyes for all those years of failure. He never had to."
"You really cared about him, didn't you?" Ash asked, already knowing the answer. During his journey, he never really paid attention to anyone's romance. Now that he was an adult, however, he could actually understand the bonds between people. Even if he believed himself incapable of more intimate emotions.
Jessie nodded.
"You two meant a lot to each other. From what my friends told me, his last words were about you. He never stopped caring."
"I believe you. Thank you, Ash. Now, at least, I know the truth," she said. In her eyes, Ash could see her spirit fighting to come to terms with the awful knowledge.
"Now you tell me," he continued after giving her a sufficient amount of time to reflect on James' death. "What is this place?"
The former Rocket shook her head forlornly. "I told you the truth, twerp. Sorry, I suppose I should call you Ash now."
"Twerp is fine," he grunted in reply. "It'll keep people from putting a name to my face, and I'm more used you calling me that anyway."
"Whatever you say, twerp," Jessie chuckled. "Anyway, I have nothing to do with this. After James and I split up, I pursued my love of Pokémon Contests. Even as fabulous a coordinator as I am, the judges simply could not appreciate my fantastic techniques, so I assumed the false identity of Jane Goddard and became a contest host. I started hosting the Dante Cup a few weeks back, and noticed that the winners seemed to vanish into thin air after the contest."
"So you decided to come to the club and see what was happening," presumed Ash.
"Precisely. Even though there is little I can do, I wanted answers. Many of the girls who won reminded me of myself before I joined Team Rocket. So determined and filled with spirit. Your friend Allison included."
"How did you know she was with me?" Ash inquired while Jessie twirled under his arm.
"Simple. She performed just like May back in Hoenn. I lost to your friend enough time to understand the way she and her Pokémon worked together. After that, it was just a matter of time until I spotted you and May in the audience, under those terrible disguises. That was at least something James and I could always do properly." Her voice trailed off as memories of the purple haired man returned.
"Why didn't you say something if you knew she was with me?"
"I figured you must have had a reason for letting her enter. You're not the little boy you used to be."
"Tell me one more thing. You must have seen what happened to the Silph Corporation. The fire was in the shape of an R where the building burnt down. And then there's everything that happened in Cerulean. Is Team Rocket back?"
Jessie sighed, and pulled him away from the dance floor. "If it is," she replied, "Then it isn't the Team Rocket I was a part of. If this is Team Rocket… it's something entirely new."
Allie nervously adjusted the hem of her silky top, as she and Kore waited for their elevator to reach the top floor. The young woman was talking excitedly about all the opportunities that the Dante Club had given her to meet important people, but Allie was barely listening. All she could think of was how glad she would be when it was all over.
The elevator dinged, and Kore's face lit up. "We're here!" she announced in a singsong voice.
As the elevators opened, Allie saw a large, red-lit room where dozens of people danced. The level of the music was nearly overwhelming, but the mob loved it as they jumped up and down, adding to the chaos. A bar was on one side of the room, and Allie noticed several dancers holding glasses and knocking into each other on the dance floor. On the far side of the room, above the sea of dancers, was a huge balcony, enclosed by glass.
Kore led her directly through the crowd, up a flight of glass stairs, and past two surly guards in suits. They continued up, and finally reached a door marked "Private." Kore pushed it open, and beckoned Allie inside.
The music was comparatively quieter in the room, but there were many voices talking and laughing abnormally loudly. The din evaporated as she stepped farther into the room, and applause took its place. Allie looked around at all her "fans," and wasn't sure whether to be thankful or concerned that they were all strangers. There were many men, well dressed in suits, accompanied by beautiful women.
"Remarkable performance, Allison. Absolutely fantastic."
Allie's attention was drawn to a man sitting casually on a red velvet couch, at the center of the clapping group. He wore jet-black suit, which matched his slicked-back hair. His sharp, handsome features were striking, though his twinkling eyes seemed to hide something more sinister. There was a very sweet air about him. He stood up, revealing his remarkable height. He extended a hand politely to Allie. She cautiously accepted the motion.
"My dear girl, your performance today simply blew us away," the man complimented her. He turned her hand delicately, brought it up to his lips, and kissed it. "Ah, but where are my manners? I am Lord Dante de Tali the Fourth. You may simply call me Dante. Welcome to my nightclub, Allison."
Allie nodded, unsure of what to do while watched so carefully by those intimidating eyes. She started as she felt his hand reach around her bare back and grab her by the side.
"There's no need to be anxious, Allison," Dante reassured her, like a snake would a mouse. "Come and join us." He led her over to the couch he had just vacated, and eased her down next to him. As the room was so crowded and the couches were overflowing with guests, Allie was sitting snug up against the lord.
Conversation resumed, and Allie found herself relieved to no longer be the focus of the group's attention. Although she was uncomfortably aware of eyes glancing in her direction every now and then, most of the men were boasting of their business exploits and accomplishments. Kore sat next to a relatively young man, running her fingers through his messy silver hair.
A waiter approached the couch where Allie and Dante sat, offering them a platter of drinks. The club owner took two glasses from the tray and offered one to Allie.
"I don't, um, drink," Allie tried to explain, not trusting the bubbling amber liquid.
"Rubbish," the man in black scoffed. "The human body needs fluid to exist, particularly in one as alluring as yours." Allie blushed with a mixture of mortification and embarrassment. "Ah, but you were referring to what is in the drink. I had my staff prepare this drink especially for you, in case you were concerned about what we were serving. It is a mix of apple juice, Combee honey, and bubbling water. There is no alcohol in it, I promise you."
Allie sniffed it just to be sure, but she didn't sense the bittersweet scent of the drink she had seen adults drink at dinner, and judged it to be safe. Dante smiled as she took a sip of it.
"There you go, my dear. It tastes good, doesn't it?"
Allie nodded as she swallowed the sweet mixture.
"A toast!" Dante proposed to the entire room. "To one of the most beautiful and talented coordinator's in Kanto's history!"
Applause again. Of all the people in the room, Allie noticed that only two remained motionless. Kore frowned slightly, her hand frozen in her companion's hair. Was there jealousy on her face? The silver-haired man himself gazed intensely at Allie instead of applauding. She noted a look of concern in his eyes.
The night continued, and the blonde girl could feel herself growing tired from the incredibly long day. Just that morning she had won her first Pokémon Contest, and now she sat in what seemed like a den of hyenas. Every now and then, she would catch little bits of the conversations going on in the room.
"Silph has made a remarkable recovery. I thought I lost everything when I invested with them the day before their corporate building burned down."
"It's that new CEO."
By now, Allie felt her head droop a little. Some of the people began to leave the room in pairs, wishing Lord Dante a good night as they went. Allie felt a hand begin stroking her hair, and recognized it as Dante's. Strangely, she felt a sudden and overwhelming desire to rest her head on his shoulder. As she did, her eyes began to close and the room went out of focus.
Meanwhile, on one of the club's public floors, May had found her way into a casino. A brass plaque on the wall touted it as part of the original Game Corner from which the original Team Rocket had gained much of its revenue. May quivered at the thought of the kind of person who would post something like that as a bragging right.
As she walked through the casino, she could sense the fresh oxygen being pumped through the vents to keep the gamblers awake and eager to risk it all. The professional coordinator approached one of the tables. Blackjack.
May gasped.
On the tables, where there should have been chips, were Pokéballs. She heard the dealer's voice announce:
"Your Primeape against my Gigalith. Here's the card! Ooh, so close, but that gives you twenty two. Bust! That's your loss, but I'm sure you can win Primeape back if you go one more round."
It was a front. The Dante Club was nothing more than a front for stealing Pokémon. The man who lost the game swore unhappily, but pulled out another Pokéball.
"Excuse me, miss." May felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She turned around, and came face to face with a tall security guard in a suit and sunglasses. "If you'll please come with me, I would like to ask you a couple of questions. Come along now."
The coordinator had little choice in the matter. She was forcefully guided through a door, which until now had been concealed against the wall. The secret passage sloped downwards, eventually culminating in a dimly lit office space. The guard pushed May violently down into the chair and leaned against the desk. She tried to fix her dress, but the man placed his boot on her knee and began pushing. She winced, trying not to give him the satisfaction of knowing she was in pain.
He spoke in his deep and savage voice. "Now, explain to me how you entered this facility without an invitation, May. Or perhaps we should begin by checking you for recording devices, shall we?"
He knew what she was doing there. But as his hands stretched towards her to search her for the earpiece hidden in her pocket, she knew there was little she could do.
"We'll call the boss and see if we can get this all straightened out."
Author's Note:
Yes, I realize it's been about 4 months since my last update. The good news, is that I wrote the entire remainder to the Dante Club Arc. That means that all I have to do is post it, so there won't be a never ending cliff hanger like last time. This is the first of four short chapters that include a lot of revelations about the story. It was either 3 long ones or 4 short, so I chose 4. It's about 13,000 words total. The Pokemon themselves have a large role in the next couple of chapters, this was just kind of setting up for those.
Even if everyone who originally read this has left, I'm going to continue posting. Hopefully I can attract some new readers to replace those my hiatus has lost. Let me know if you're still reading, and tell me what you think of this arc.
Planned Updates: Tuesday, Friday, Tuesday
I'll put a new chapter up on each of those days. After that, I'll write the next arc. This "clustering" process will mean that I'll strategically place hiatuses to be between different arcs. So no more random cliff hangers.
For anyone who likes the Pokemon games, a group called TheSpeedGamers are catching all 649 Pokemon and raising money for ACT Today. Check it out, it's a fun thing to watch.
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