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Part IV: The Unraveling
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Chapter XXII: In Which Trip Shifts His Opinion
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May 11th, 1995. Morning. Pallet Town.
"Aw, it's so cute!" Leaf cooed as her fingers tenderly brushed over the reddish spikes on a male Nidoran baby's back.
Earlier that morning, Professor Oak had told Gary to run as fast as he could and bring Leaf and Ash to the lab. The Nidoran egg he had in his care started shaking shortly after he woke up, and he saw an educational opportunity for Pallet Town's youngest residents—a chance to witness the birth of a Pokémon.
Gary made a face.
"You think that's cute?" he asked. "No way. Look at the horn. It's gonna be a tough one. D'you know that just touching it could poison you? It's called 'Poison Point.' It's its special ability."
"Very good, Gary," the elder Oak commended, impressed his young grandson could remember such details.
"It, too, is cute," Leaf insisted with a huff. "You can be cute and tough, Garebear. Like me!"
She then smiled cutely and winked, while Gary rolled his eyes.
"I don't care whether it's cute or tough or both!" Ash piped in. "It's cool! I'd love to train a Nidoran someday!"
"Nuh-uh, you can't do that!" Gary scowled. Ash frowned.
"Well, why not?" the raven-haired child asked.
"Because I'm going to catch a Nidoran and evolve all the way to Nidoking!" Gary scoffed. "You can't copy me."
"Hey, I was the one who said I wanted to train a Nidoran first," Ash fought back.
"Boys, boys, that's enough," Professor Oak gently chastised, picking up the infant Pokémon. The gesture, however, startled Nidoran, and he began thrashing about. "After all, if you're not careful, you might upset—oof!"
The Nidoran had turned and rammed its head against the professor's chest, knocking him down. The three children all looked horrified.
"Gramps!" Gary called out as he, Leaf and Ash went to help the aging man sit up. "You OK?"
"Oh yes," the professor reassured them, rubbing the back of his head. He still had a hand draped over Nidoran's back, disallowing him from escaping. "I must have caught this little guy off guard when I held him. Sorry about that, Nidoran."
"Nido Ni," Nidoran forgave him.
"Professor, what was that move Nidoran used?" Leaf asked curiously, relieved now that everything appeared to be OK.
"Head Smash," Oak answered simply. "You see, this Nidoran's father is a Rampardos. Pokémon can inherit certain moves from their parents that they might not be able learn otherwise."
"Really?" Gary blinked. "I didn't know that, Gramps."
"It is a complicated matter, and we still don't understand it fully," the professor continued, standing up and setting Nidoran back on the table. "Human genetics are different from Pokémon genetics."
"Genetics?" Ash's expression twisted with confusion.
"Ah... how should I explain this?" the professor mused. "Genetics are... characteristics we inherit from our parents. You, Ash, for example, have your mother's eyes." He then glanced toward Gary. "And you, Gary, well... your face reminds me very much of your father. He looked a lot like you when he was your age. I could show you pictures later."
Gary's cool demeanor faded, and he solemnly nodded.
"What about me, professor?" Leaf asked, leaning over the table, toward the elder Oak. "How do I look like my parents?"
The professor paused, suddenly realizing he had made a mistake discussing this matter with the children. He looked away, rubbing his chin, searching for an appropriate response.
"Ah well, Leaf..." he began gently. "Let's see... hm... well, genetics aren't everything." He waved his hand. "Anyway, I should be contacting the trainer who owns this egg to let him know it hatched. Leaf, Ash, send my apologies to your mothers for pulling you away from breakfast."
Leaf blinked and frowned, puzzled by the subject change. Before she could push the professor to answer her question, however, Ash spoke up.
"OK, thanks professor," he said with his usual grin before turning to Leaf. "C'mon, I'll walk you home."
"Oh... right..." Leaf was disappointed, but she turned toward the elderly Oak and bowed her head. "Thank you, professor."
As Gary left to wave off his two companions, Professor Oak let out a long sigh before absentmindedly patting the baby Nidoran.
"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Leaf called as she shut the door behind her and pulled off her shoes. Her greeting was met with silence, and she furrowed her eyebrows before calling for them again.
"We're in the dining room, sweetheart," Leaf heard her mother's ragged voice call. The girl smiled and bounded straight toward there, finding both of her aged parents sitting at the table. No breakfast had been laid out. If it had, it had already been cleared.
"It was so cool this morning, Mom," Leaf said excitedly. "Gary and Ash and I watched a little Nidoran hatch from his egg! I wish you could've seen him. He was so cute! I hope his real trainer doesn't ask Professor Oak to transfer him right away, 'cause I'd really like to visit him again."
"That's great, Leaf." Her father forced a smile, sending a ripple of wrinkles through his skin. Leaf paused for a moment, sensing something was off about her parents' mood. They had always been a little lethargic, but they were usually more enthused when listening to her stories.
"Is... something wrong?" she asked tepidly.
Her parents exchanged glances, and Leaf grew more concerned.
"We received a call from Professor Oak," her father began tenderly, "and... while we wanted wait to tell you this when you were older, your mother and I talked for a bit and thought it best to tell you now."
March 4th, 2002. Late Morning. Ampharos Train.
Leaf breathed in sharply when her eyes opened again to a whirl of colors and sounds that blended together into one giant, indiscernible mass, and it made her feel ill. Then, she became acutely aware of a sharp, throbbing pain in her lower abdomen, and its intensity sent her mind reeling further into oblivion.
"Leaf, Leaf," Gary pleaded with her as she began to writhe around. "Please calm down."
Her shirt was rolled up to her chest, and Dawn was leaning over her with a wet cloth she'd sterilized using Cilan's first aid supplies, attempting to clean the wound. Misty and her Staryu had prepared a bowl of water for the blunette to use, but it often had to be rinsed and refilled as the liquid turned pink or splashed out as the train moved at high speeds. Water, tainted by touches of blood, trickled down between the low, thin ridges of the rubbery black flooring.
"It doesn't seem too deep," Dawn declared after a moment, her voice shaking. "It's long, but it isn't deep."
It was good news, a morsel of positivity onto which they could cling. A shallow wound meant no harm had been done internally, though to believe they were in the clear would have been nothing short of naïve. Gary estimated she had lost a little more than a pint of her blood—a glance at Ritchie attested to that—and another pint or two would turn the situation from bad to fatal.
Leaf suddenly reached over her head and made several feeble attempts to clench the edge of Gary's jacket.
"Ga... Gary..." she said weakly.
"Yes, Leaf, I'm here," he assured her, gently brushing her bangs.
"I'm sorry." Her bottom lip quivered. "I shouldn't... I shouldn't have said... you were right..."
"What is she talking about?" Paul muttered, casting the researcher a hurried glance. Gary shook his head, not understanding himself. No one could. They remained firmly grounded in the horrors of their present, while her mind continued to regress back into old memories, into places far away from there.
October 17th, 1996. Morning. Pallet Town.
The casket was open for viewing. Leaf didn't want to see, though. She had already stolen a glance at her mother's pale, waxy face from afar, and that was all she needed.
Her father, according to her wishes, temporarily left her behind to say his last goodbye. Leaf waited on the pew, keeping her head low. Nobody noticed her as they passed by, going to pay their final respects. Nobody, except Ash. When he and his mother entered, both dressed in all black, he raised a hand and shyly waved at her. She looked away.
She knew Gary and the professor were there, too. She had seen them, but Gary hadn't acknowledged her presence.
Leaf watched Delia take Ash into one of the nearby rows and stand next to a middle-aged woman, one of their next-door neighbors.
"It is such a shame, leaving behind such a young girl," the woman sighed to Delia. She meant to whisper, but she was just loud enough for Leaf to overhear. "It makes me angry, actually. I know Sarah was heartbroken over never being able to have children, but to adopt that late in her and Henry's life? It's utter irresponsibility."
"Don't speak unkindly of people at their own funerals," Delia said, subdued. "Children can still thrive with a single parent." She pressed Ash closer to her side as she said this, and he looked up at her, blinking.
"You can't disagree with me, Delia," the woman protested. "You know Henry isn't in the best of health, either. What will happen to that girl when he passes, too?"
"The same thing that happened to Gary when Melissa and Jon died in that car crash," Delia answered. "Someone will take care of her."
"Who?" the woman pressed. "Gary had his grandfather to take him in. Who does Leaf have? No one."
Leaf balled her fists, feeling herself begin to shake with anger. She wanted to stand up and scream at that woman, to let her know that she'd heard the entire thing—to defend her mother's name, to humiliate her for speaking badly about the person they were supposed to honor, in the way Leaf felt humiliated then. Instead, she bit her tongue and, standing up, stalked out of the church.
Only then did people notice her.
She knew exactly where she was headed the moment she made it outside. Behind the church was a small garden the town's pastor kept. It was meant to be a place of reflection, a place where one could take time to appreciate divinity's hand in nature and humans and Pokémon alike. Leaf just needed somewhere for her to cry for a few minutes, though—which was she was surprised when she found another person already there.
"Gary?" she inquired.
The boy jerked his head toward her and scrambled to stand.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Nothing." He hastily rubbed his eyes with his arm. Leaf frowned and also turned her head to wipe away the tears that had formed. Silence hung between the two for a while as Leaf sat on the edge of the bench Gary previously occupied, turning away from him. Gary awkwardly stood there, watching her, before sitting on the opposite side.
Leaf folded her elbows into her gut and bit her fist, wishing he'd leave. She couldn't let him see her cry. She wouldn't let him see her cry.
Meanwhile, Gary drew the silence out a minute or two longer before tentatively glancing over his shoulder and asking, "Are... Are you OK?"
Leaf's hands dropped to the edge of the bench, and she turned herself to make direct eye contact.
"Gary... that is the stupidest question you have ever asked. In fact, that question is stupider than anything Ash has ever asked, so that should tell you just how stupid it is."
"All right, sorry," Gary grumbled. "I just... I mean, I know you're not OK, I was just giving you a chance to say it. No one ever asked me whether I was OK or not, so I never got to tell anyone I wasn't."
"Well, I don't want to say anything," Leaf scoffed before looking away and brushing the tears away in her eyes again. "I want to be left alone, but you're out here. Why are you even out here?"
"Same reason as you," Gary replied. "I got upset and didn't want to be in there anymore."
"Why would you be upset?"
"Because I get it," Gary answered. "Because I know what it's like to lose family. And... I don't know, I guess when I saw the coffin, I remembered my parents' funeral, and it bothered me."
"You were 5 years old when your parents died. You don't remember," Leaf scoffed.
"Don't tell me what I do or don't remember." Gary appeared offended.
"Either way, you wouldn't understand," Leaf continued bitterly. "Maybe you think you do, but you don't even come close. You've always been wanted, and you'll always be wanted. I wasn't wanted from the very beginning."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm adopted, Gary." Leaf looked exasperated.
"I know that," he said. "But so what if you're adopted? Blood isn't what makes families, and maybe your mom and dad aren't your 'real' parents, but they wanted you so much they made you their daughter anyway."
"Shut up!" Gary was surprised by her sudden aggressiveness as she jumped to her feet. "Just shut up! I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear about how I'm wrong, 'cause I know I'm not. That woman was right. After my father, there's no one left for me. When he dies, I will become unwanted all over again."
"You'll still have Ash and me."
"Oh, what a real comfort."
"You think life's been unfair to you? Yeah, you're right, it has been. But it's been unfair to everyone," Gary fought back. "Maybe I do have my grandpa, but do you think it's any less fair that my parents died? Do you think it's fair Ash has never even met his father?"
"Ash's father's on a journey."
"No, that's just something his mom tells him so he won't feel bad, and you know it," Gary corrected. "That's beside the point. This isn't some kind of Olympic game to decide who has it the worst."
"But today, I deserve to think I have it the worst," Leaf pressed. "I deserve to sit here and cry by myself. You don't. You can't cry today, and you can't pretend you understand so you can sit here and lecture me with things I know aren't true."
"I'm not-"
"-No. Stop," Leaf promptly cut him off. "I don't want to talk to you. I don't even want to see you right now. Just leave."
"Leaf..."
She hated the way he was piteously looking at her with those green eyes. It made her feel like nothing, which was a difficult feat, considering she already felt like nothing at that point. And that made her angry.
"Go!" She raised her voice to a scream, giving him a shove. He was bigger than her though, so it hardly made an impact. "How many times do I have to tell you? I hate this day already, and you being here is making me hate you, too!"
March 4th, 2002. Late Morning. Indigo Plateau.
After a long, sleepless night and breakfast with her husband, Cynthia thought she had finally found rest. She pulled the curtains closed in her and Steven's bedroom, shut the door, and set an alarm to wake her later in the afternoon. She knew her sleep schedule was already off, but she didn't want to turn it upside down entirely.
She mistakenly forgot to turn her cell phone off. Yet, it was a mistake she would later be glad she made.
When her phone began ringing, stirring her from her sleep, she emitted a groan. She propped herself up on her elbow and picked it up, checking the caller ID. She then frowned, bemused.
"Candice?" Cynthia inquired politely when she answered. She didn't know why Candice would be calling. They had last spoken in February, when the G-Men were organizing efforts to take down the Team Rocket Hoenn base in Shroomish Forest. Candice had declined the invitation to go.
"I'm sorry, could you slow down?" Cynthia asked. "You're speaking very quickly, and you sound like you're out of breath. Have you..." She stopped short to listen, brushing her fingers through her hair. Then, she tensed up and immediately threw the covers off her.
"Arceus."
March 4th, 2002. Noon. Ampharos Train.
"If we haven't seen them by now, we're not going to see them at all," Trip commented. He, Barry, Kenny, and Zoey were waiting at in the final passenger car, the caboose, to see if any Team Rocket agents were following them. They had their Pokéballs at the ready in case they needed to defend themselves.
"Let's not be so sure," Zoey warned.
"I am sure," Trip persisted. "This train is moving at least 90 miles per hour. Even a fast Flying-type couldn't catch up with us. Besides, although we didn't get Mewtwo or Moltres, there is one thing we did right: We left that Team Rocket base an absolute mess. Domino was confused. Petrel was confused. In fact, even we were confused. The G-Men will get there before they can sort themselves out. You said Candice was going to get help, right?"
"The flight from Kanto to Sinnoh is several hours long," Zoey pointed out. "And now we know there's another Team Rocket base in Unova."
"So? The flight from Unova to Sinnoh is even longer," Trip retorted. "If—if—Giovanni were to send Team Rocket forces from Unova and Mewtwo after us, it would take time."
"So... what you're saying is that our safety net right now is time?" Kenny asked.
"Basically, yes."
"It's gotta run out eventually, though," Barry mused. "Why 'if' though? Didn't you say Conway found some stuff confirming Giovanni was trying to nail us with Mewtwo? Why wouldn't he try to get us again once he knows we're alive?"
"The game's changed since December," Trip explained. "Giovanni has Moltres, our attempts to save Mewtwo were a humiliating failure, and now he's looking for something else. Fact is, Ash isn't a threat. Maybe Giovanni had reason to suspect he was, but we were dumb enough to really believe it. Well, look where that got us."
"Wait, what do you mean by 'looking for something else?'" Kenny asked.
Trip paused briefly before shaking his head.
"It doesn't matter. It shouldn't be our problem anymore," he finally said. He then pulled at the collar of his Team Rocket uniform and added, "I'm going to change. I'm tired of wearing this."
He went through the door, and Zoey, Barry, and Kenny exchanged confused glances.
April 28th, 1997. Early Morning. Pallet Town.
"Oh, look at you..." Henry rose to greet his daughter as she came down the stairs in travel-appropriate, athletic attire. "Practically a woman. Your mother would be so proud."
Leaf half smiled as her father enveloped her in his arms, and she asked, "Mom was a trainer, too, wasn't she?"
"That's right," Henry affirmed, letting her go. "It's through Pokémon that your mother and I met, actually. She knew how valuable training your own Pokémon and going on a journey were, so I know she'd just be thrilled with your decision. I am, too, of course. It's just hard to let my little girl go."
"Oh Daddy," Leaf sighed, rolling her eyes. "You know I'll come back. Besides, you'll come watch me compete in the Indigo League, won't you?"
"Of course. That's a trip I'll definitely make," he assured her. Leaf smiled more fully and hugged him again. He reached down and kissed her on the cheek.
"I'm going to go to Professor Oak's lab," she informed him. "I'll come visit again once I've picked my Pokémon."
A crowd had gathered outside the lab, and Leaf groaned and shook her head. They were all there for Gary. He'd always been a popular boy, the gem of Pallet Town. He had a famous grandfather, a bright mind, a cute face, and a sympathetic story. Who wouldn't adore him?
Leaf let out a long sigh and flicked her ponytail over her shoulder before pushing through the throng of people and beginning her ascension up the stairs. This upset some members of the crowd.
"Hey! No one except new trainers are allowed to go in there," another girl, a teenager, called after her. "You're going to have to wait to see Gary like the rest of us!"
"I am a new trainer," Leaf hollered back, looking over her shoulder and glaring.
Once she made it to the top, she raised her hand and knocked on the door. It felt odd. She had passed through these same doors hundreds of times, many of them without knocking. Today was different, though. Every time she had entered these doors, every lesson she received from the professor on the other side, had led up to this moment.
"'Bout time you got here," Gary rudely greeted, ushering her inside.
"Aw, Gary, that's so sweet," Leaf began sarcastically as he shut the door behind them. "You wanted to see me?"
"As if," Gary scoffed. "My grandpa refuses to allow me to be the first to pick a Pokémon. He thinks it would be 'unfair.' So I've waited all morning for either you or Ash to show up. You better not get the one I want."
"I hope, by chance, that I do," Leaf said, and Gary glowered at her.
"Leaf!" the professor called to her as he stood in the doorway to his lab. "Good to see you made it, my dear. Come, I have the Pokémon ready."
Leaf smiled cutely and winked at Gary before moving toward the elder Oak. Gary inwardly seethed before following her.
"So, do you know which Pokémon you want?" Professor Oak asked Leaf as soon as she and Gary entered the lab.
"Yes." Leaf nodded. "I've been thinking about it for a very long time, and I decided that I would like Bulbasaur to be my first partner."
She could hear Gary breathe a relieved sigh behind her, but she hardly cared as the professor plucked one of the three Pokéballs from its station and handed it to her. Leaf couldn't help but let out a delighted giggle as she held out the Pokéball and said:
"Bulbasaur, come on out!"
The Pokéball opened, and the small Grass-type emerged with its throaty cry. Leaf's eyes lit up, and she dropped to her knees to meet the Seed Pokémon and its level.
"Hi." She gave a small wave. "My name is Leaf Greene, and I'm going to be your new trainer. I hope we can become good friends."
Bulbasaur was wary at first, but her smile quickly managed to dissolve his apprehension, and he leapt into her arms. Leaf was surprised by the affectionate gesture, but she was more than willing to reciprocate as she gave him a couple of friendly pats on the head.
"Well, lucky me, 'cause the best one's still left," Gary interrupted the sentimental moment, as he snatched up one of the remaining two Pokéballs. "Go, Squirtle!"
Leaf frowned, slowly rising to her feet.
"Don't listen to him, Bulbasaur," she advised. "He might think Squirtle is a better Pokémon, but remember: You have the type advantage."
"You askin' for a battle?" Gary challenged.
"No." Leaf looked away. "I have other places to be right now."
"You scared?" Gary continued to bait her. Leaf wouldn't bite.
"No," she repeated, making eye contact again. "I just know that a battle against you now wouldn't mean anything. I'll meet you and Ash both in the Indigo League. By then, we'll have some real experience under our belts, and we'll be able to decide who really is the better trainer."
"Fine," Gary conceded. "Indigo League it is."
There was a knock at the door. Leaf tore her gaze away.
"I'll get it," she said.
"Oh, Leaf-" the professor began, but she cut him off.
"-It's OK," she insisted. "I'm on my way out anyway."
She returned Bulbasaur into his Pokéball and turned to leave without another glance at Gary. When she opened the door, however, her expression melted into shock.
"You're not Ash."
March 4th, 2002. Noon. Ampharos Train.
Leaf whined as Iris began applying an ointment she'd created using some dried Oran berries found at the bottom of her bag to her wound. Everyone else, with the exception of Gary, had backed off and were now watching as the Dragon Master hopeful did her work. Gary kept Leaf's head propped on her lap, and he would gently hush her incoherent speech or curb her erratic movements whenever they came.
Paul, who was leaning up against the wall, was observing the scene carefully, processing what had happened. Many of the group's members had immediately jumped to Leaf's aid when she needed it. It was chaotic at first, but everyone quickly pulled together to get the job done—and get it done effectively. The group of trainers, half of whom couldn't stand each other when the journey began, were a powerful force when they could set aside their differences and work to save one of their comrades.
And Gary, whom Paul had originally pegged as someone who couldn't care about anything other than himself and his own goals, had never looked more scared.
It made him wonder whether the same had happened when he passed out from Ariados's poison. The mere thought—the realization that perhaps the same had been true for him—caused something to snap, and he dropped his arms and turned around, storming toward the door to the next car.
Dawn noticed his abrupt movements and leapt to her feet, frantically calling out, "Paul? Paul, where are you going?"
"Ah, there you go," Conway mumbled to himself as he sprayed Leaf's Ivysaur's injured neck with some Super Potion and massaged the medicine into the Grass-type's skin. "That should help."
The passenger car beside the one Leaf and her aids occupied was much less turbulent, though far more tense. May's bottom lip had stopped bleeding, though it had swollen profusely. The cloth she had used to soak up the remaining drops of blood had been replaced with a cold compress that Drew, using May's Glaceon, had helped prepare.
Ritchie sat alone in front of a second bucket of water Misty and her Staryu had filled, washing the red off his hands and arms. The blood-stained jacket he'd used to dam Leaf's wound when he first found her was next to him, serving as solemn reminder.
Across from Ritchie were Ash and Silver. Ash was keeping himself distracted by assisting his half-brother, helping tend the burned and bleeding skin on his arm. Silver was looking away, though he kept a single, wary eye glued to the raven-haired boy. He didn't understand; no, he couldn't fathom why Ash would help him now. In fact, it was difficult to imagine why he hadn't abandoned him back at the Command Center. Everyone else certainly would have.
Suddenly, the door from Leaf's car slid open, and in came a rather furious-looking Paul. Before anyone had a chance to react or ask what was wrong, he grabbed Silver by the collar of his shirt, snatched him away from Ash, and slammed him up against the train's window.
"What the hell happened?" He was on the verge of screaming, and it shocked everyone. Paul was irritable, but he usually kept a cool head, and he had never grown violent before. Silver, however, did not appear intimidated and merely snarled in response, grabbing onto Paul's arm and trying to force him off.
"Paul!" Dawn flew in after him. "Paul, stop it!"
She gripped his shoulder and attempted to pull him away. He remained firmly rooted to his spot for a moment longer, however, before backing off and letting Silver down.
"You said Mewtwo and Moltres would be at Sinnoh," Paul continued, his voice dangerously low. Dawn kept her hand on his shoulder, lest he jump on the red-haired boy again.
"I said I thought they would," Silver defended. "I didn't know there was a base in Unova. That information is as new to me as it is to you."
"Well, why didn't you say that?" Paul growled. "Why didn't you tell us you weren't sure? We could've saved ourselves so much grief. We could've prevented Leaf from getting hurt. Seriously hurt. And now we're in a lot of trouble, because we are in no position to defend ourselves if larger Team Rocket forces and Mewtwo come knocking."
Silver let out an exasperated sigh.
"I'm sorry," he huffed. "I really am. I didn't even think of it as a possibility. I felt so sure..."
He trailed off, and Paul finally regained a handle on his emotions.
"Yeah." His hands slid into his pockets, and he looked pointedly at Ash. "I felt sure, too."
Ash, who had stood up in alarm when Paul grabbed Silver, suddenly felt the weight of many pairs of eyes on him. He looked around him and saw May with her sympathetic frown; Drew, whose attention decidedly focused on his own hand, which was on May's knee, the moment Ash glanced at him; Conway with his curious gaze hidden by the reflection in his glasses; Ritchie, who had stopped cleaning himself to watch the scene unfold; Dawn, who was trying so hard to hold herself together and not show a trace of doubt in her expression; and Silver, who couldn't bring himself to make eye contact.
Ash then glanced at Pikachu, who remained seated where his trainer had previously been. The Electric-type folded his ears sadly with a sigh, and Ash felt as though the ground beneath him had crumbled.
March 4th, 2002. Noon. Sinnoh Team Rocket Base.
Domino hurried down the stairwell, her vision blurring as she did so. Her head was throbbing with pain from when Kamon's Feraligatr threw her against the wall with his Hydro Pump, and the only thing propelling her forward was adrenaline.
After the Ampharos Train had pulled away, she dispersed her assembled team of Rocket agents to find Petrel. They were to tell him to meet her in Proton's office, where they would plan their next step—which undoubtedly would include contacting their leader, Giovanni. She wasn't looking forward to that aspect. He had been paranoid since the fall of the Hoenn base. Learning what had happened—and whom they had run into—would only agitate him more, if not enrage him.
"Proton!" Domino called bursting into his office. "Proton! There was a breach of security! Ash Ketchum and the others are still alive, and Kamon was with them! Kamon betrayed us again. I'd be willing to bet he led them straight here."
There was no response, which served only to ignite Domino's anger. They were in crisis, and she needed Proton now.
"Proton!" she shouted again.
Again, no response.
Domino's irritation began to fade as ventured forward into the eerily quiet, cold room. Her frustration was quickly (and strangely) replaced with a sense of apprehension. It made her skin crawl. Something wasn't right. Where was Proton? He had to have heard her. Why wasn't he answering her?
She slowly rounded his desk.
"... Proton?"
March 4th, 2002. Afternoon. Olivine City.
The moment Ursula saw Agent Adalet on her doorstep, she knew either something had gone terribly wrong or wonderfully right. Considering all her reservations, however, she suspected it was the former.
"Agent!" Ursula exclaimed, quickly adopting the persona she'd created that night in February, exactly one month ago. "I don't understand, why are you here? Why-"
"-Please drop the act, Ms. Schoenberg," Adalet interrupted her. Ursula paused, then let out an exasperated sigh, falling back into her usual form. She pushed the door open wider and turned on her heel.
"Come in," she droned.
Adalet appeared briefly surprised she had so easily given up on her role. It was as though she had expected this to happen at some point. He then shook his head and quickly followed her, rebuilding his firm, professional demeanor.
"So you did lie to me," he grumbled, shutting the door behind him.
"If you want to call it that, sure," Ursula responded, sitting down on the sofa and crossing her legs. "How did you figure it out? What did they do?"
The use of the word 'they' in the second question temporarily threw him off. 'They' was plural. It implied she had spoken with more than just Leaf, that she had met the entire group. It also meant she knew they were on mission.
"I'm not allowed to speak freely," Adalet answered simply, testing her.
"Why? Because of the conspiracy?" Ursula scoffed. Adalet blinked, though he remained expressionless. 'Conspiracy' had been the key word. "Trust me, you have nothing to hide from me. I know about them being alive, so let's not waste time tip toeing around that issue. Again, how did you figure it out?"
Adalet pressed his lips into a hard line.
"Lance and I thought that they were still in Johto. Leaf's last activity on her credit card was the purchase of those tickets to Hoenn, which you ended up possessing. However, certain events this morning made it apparent they somehow made it to Sinnoh, and I figured you were the reason."
"Certain events?"
"There's been an incident at a Team Rocket base in Sinnoh. Lance, Cynthia, and the other G-Men leaders are on a plane now, on their way there."
"Mhm..."
"Did you know about the Sinnoh Rocket base?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"I found out from Leaf."
"How did she know?"
Ursula sighed, knowing full well she was about to reveal an important detail Leaf had intended to keep hidden—at least, until she could use it to her own advantage.
"There was a boy named Silver they had picked up," Ursula explained. "He's the son of—what's his name again?—Giovanni, the Team Rocket boss, and I think the half-brother of Ash Ketchum, too? He knew where the Hoenn base and the Sinnoh base were. Leaf managed to strike some sort of deal with him. He agreed to help them on the sole condition that the G-Men not be involved."
"Why not trust the G-Men?" Adalet asked suspiciously.
"I don't know." Ursula shrugged. "I never talked to the kid myself. I don't even think Leaf was completely sure why Silver didn't like the G-Men, but she wasn't in a position to haggle."
"So..." Adalet paused, taking a moment to think. "I apologize, but I'm mildly confused. You said the condition was that the G-Men not be involved?"
"Yes," Ursula affirmed.
"But the note you gave me—the note in Leaf's handwriting—was addressed to Lance."
"Yes." Ursula nodded again.
"Isn't that-"
"-a violation of contract?" Ursula finished for him with a coy smile. "Yes. No one outside of myself and Leaf knew about that note. Everyone else believed the only thing I was doing for them was helping them sneak onto my father's boat to Chocovine Town. I'm guessing Silver never learned she betrayed his trust if they made it all the way to the Sinnoh base." Ursula suddenly let out a short laugh as a thought occurred to her. "Really, is it any wonder Silver wouldn't trust a G-Men agent?"
March 4th, 2002. Afternoon. Plane to Sinnoh.
"Well, at least now we know why Lily never went to Dragon's Den..." Alder mused aloud.
No one bothered to correct him on Leaf's name. Lance had just finished conveying what Agent Adalet had learned from Ursula in Olivine City, and the new information required some time to process. He, Steven, Alder, and Wallace sat together in the same high-class, high-speed plane they had taken to the Shamouti Isles in January. Cynthia had come this time, but she was presently speaking with someone through a video feed in another room.
"I suppose so," Steven halfheartedly agreed with the Unova Champion. "Another son of Giovanni, though? Do you think Delia is aware? Perhaps we should try to contact her, too."
"Let's not bring Delia into this," Lance responded. "It's a messy situation as is, and I don't want the fragile emotions of a mother to further complicate it. Besides, if Delia knew Giovanni had another son, she would have told us on Christmas Eve in Pallet Town. I'm guessing this Silver character is younger than Ash."
"What do we do about the issue of him not trusting the G-Men?" Wallace inquired. "Leaf had a deal."
"One that she broke," Lance pointed out. "If Leaf didn't feel obligated to honor it, then I'm certainly not."
"You would have done the same thing, Lance," Cynthia remarked, re-entering the room and sitting beside Steven. "Moreover, and as much as you and I both hate to admit this, if she hadn't, we would have never figured out where that Hoenn base was."
"To whom were you speaking?" Lance asked, changing the subject.
"Several people, actually," Cynthia answered shortly, unperturbed. "Some gym leaders, the Sinnoh Elite Four... They're going to meet us at Snowpoint."
"Maylene?"
"No." Cynthia shook her head. "I knew she and Reggie were still in Kanto, so I didn't call her. There is an important point we need to address, though: What are we going to do about those kids on the Ampharos Train? I'm wondering if I should call Gardenia again and tell her to try to intercept it. Eterna City isn't far away."
"I'd rather not," Lance admitted. "Let me take a moment to emphasize that I want to delay this getting out for as long as possible. It will be out soon. There's no denying that. If the executives at the Sinnoh base figured out Ash is alive, that news will make it Giovanni, and it will subsequently leak into the news cycle. But, I'm hoping we can keep the public in the dark about this for a little longer. I cannot clean up the mess at the Sinnoh base and do damage control with the media at the same time."
"Then what do you suggest?" Cynthia asked.
"Let them handle themselves for now," Lance answered. "While Leaf has created a massive headache with this new Team Rocket base, she's still done a surprisingly good job keeping those kids' identities safe for the past several months. I'm still flabbergasted they managed to make it to Sinnoh without setting off any alarms. If they can just scuttle back into a low profile for maybe 48 hours, then they should be fine. We'll just have to take care of Giovanni."
Cynthia was silent for a short while. She glanced down at her hands, folding them in her lap.
"Lance," she began, looking back up at him. "I... I didn't say this earlier, specifically because I didn't want you to..."
"To what?" Lance raised an eyebrow.
"When I was talking to Candice," Cynthia started again, "she told me that something had happened to Leaf." Lance turned his head. "Something happened to her while at the Sinnoh base, and she was hurt. Badly."
Steven glanced at Lance. There had been subtle changes in the Indigo Champion's expression. The hard lines in his face had softened, and he looked a little more solemn.
"How serious is it?" Lance asked in a low, though calm voice.
"I don't know," Cynthia replied. "Candice didn't either. Leaf's injuries were apparently what prompted Gary Oak to tell Candice to get help, though."
Lance didn't say anything. He averted his gaze from the Sinnoh Champion's and stood shortly thereafter, turning away from the group as he leaned an arm against the wall of the plane. The four others watched him for a long moment with bated breath. Although it didn't seem like much at the surface level, this was the most emotional reaction most of them had ever seen from him.
"Lance?" Steven was the first to speak.
The red-haired male slowly turned to face his colleagues again.
"This is what we'll do," he began slowly, seriously. "We will contact the Pokémon Center at Lake Acuity and ask Nurse Joy to take in those trainers. I want it to be made clear to her that the fact they are alive is not information that should be freely shared. I still do not want to deal with a media rush. Once they're safe, we'll figure out our next step."
Cynthia quickly nodded.
"I'll get on it now," she said, rising to her feet and exiting the room.
Lance looked away again, pinching the bridge of his nose and lowering his head. Steven leaned back into his chair, frowning, as he watched the Indigo Champion.
October 29th, 1997. Early Evening. Indigo Plateau.
"How old were you when you joined Team Rocket?"
Her bottom lip quivered. The dimming lights flickered above her and her interviewer, and it destroyed any semblance of warmth or even sympathy.
"10," she answered finally.
"How old are you now?"
"15."
"Why did you join?"
Lance Grayson asked each of these questions slowly, carefully. He had no intention of intimidating the girl, Felly, but his attempts to be somewhat friendly, to lower the guard of professionalism, of his title, fell flat in the dreary atmosphere.
"My, um," Felly began tepidly, "back then, my father had recently drunk himself to death. Even though I was on my journey, I was destroyed. You see, I never knew my mother... so Daddy was all I had, but he'd had a problem with alcohol for as long as I could remember. He was never violent or anything, but without me around to help curb his alcoholism, I guess... well, he ended up unintentionally killing himself. I was left feeling like I had nothing, and Team Rocket offered me the ability to be something. It just seemed like my only option."
Lance frowned. He hadn't expected such an answer, and as such, he could only abruptly transition into his next question.
"Do you know anything about the burning of the Celadon Gym in July?" he asked.
"No," Felly answered. "I mean, I'd heard of it, but I wasn't involved."
"What about any of the other major Team Rocket activities this year? Such as the incident on the S. S. Anne or-"
"-I haven't participated in any of that," she broke in.
"What did you do then?"
Felly remained quiet for a moment, nervously twirling a strand of her hair and tucking it behind her ear.
"Well, you know... the motto for Team Rocket has always been 'Steal Pokémon for profit. Exploit Pokémon for profit. All Pokémon exist for the glory of Team Rocket,'" she began, "so... my job as a field agent was just to get Pokémon I could send to the Boss in return for a paycheck—something to live on. They did stop paying me for a while, though."
"Why is that?"
"Um... well, I did ask, but I was told they didn't have the resources to pay me at the time. They had been doing a lot of investing in some big research project. I only started receiving money again in August."
"What was the project?"
"I don't know. They didn't say."
Lance frowned, tapping his pencil against the table. While her vague answers were disheartening, they did present him with some valuable information: Team Rocket was working on something big, but they were strapped on cash.
"Who is 'the Boss?'"
"I don't know his name. Most don't. He's just 'the Boss' to us."
"Do you know where he's located at least?"
"No." Felly shook her head. "I've never been to the base."
Lance let out a sigh, rubbing his temples.
"Thank you. That's all for now."
"So," Agatha began, shutting the door behind her, "it seems you've reached a bit of a moral dilemma."
Lance didn't respond for a moment. He was sitting at his desk with his arm propping his head up, and he appeared mildly distressed. He had called Agatha and asked her to visit. While Lance prided himself on being notably self-sufficient for a newer Champion—he had only held the position for three years—there were times when he needed his predecessor's guidance.
"I don't know what to do," Lance finally admitted. "She's 15."
Agatha smiled sympathetically and sat in the chair across from him.
"It is quite a gray area, isn't it?"
"If she goes to court, it'll be an easy conviction."
"You don't know that. The judge, like you, might sympathize with her."
"The judge won't see the gray, though. There are only black and white answers," Lance said. "The fact is that she is a member of Team Rocket, and that she did steal Pokémon. Nothing else matters."
"Well, I suppose there's your solution."
Lance wasn't satisfied with that, however. He leaned back in his chair, stretching.
"I..." he began in a low voice. "I have the power to acquit her."
Agatha wondered when he would reach this realization. She let out a sigh before pushing her chair forward and leaning toward the Indigo Champion.
"I would implore you to be careful, Lance," she warned. "We exist in a dangerously delicate system; a flawed system. Champions have unequivocal power over their jurisdictions, despite being unelected leaders. I'm sure you recognize why such a power structure is problematic."
"I do," Lance conceded. "I'm not sure how that is related."
"Because it is a slippery slope," Agatha explained. "Yes, you do have the power to acquit her. You have the power to do anything, and that's the scary part. There's a reason Champions hardly ever earn their title the 'traditional' way anymore. The last to become Champion by way of winning the Pokémon League, battling the Elite Four, and defeating the reigning Champion was Alder—more than two decades ago."
Lance was silent.
"You, Steven, and Cynthia, on the other hand, were chosen," Agatha continued. "You had to be chosen. Two decades ago, the Championship title was not a political position. But, through the foolish mistakes of your predecessors—through the well-intentioned, though reckless expansion of power by way of wielding that same power—it became political. As a result, we have been forced into choosing. If we don't, we risk the power of the Championship title falling into irresponsible hands."
Lance frowned, but he still said nothing.
"I chose you because I knew you would be responsible, because I knew Drayden had raised you for this," Agatha said. "In fact, you, especially, have a heavier burden than any other Champion, because you lead two regions rather than one. The balance of power tips in your favor. So, when you use your influence and power to push the line, you set a dangerous precedent."
"I understand all this," Lance pressed, "but I still fail to see how the acquittal of a 15-year-old girl would be a misuse of power."
"It's not necessarily a misuse of power," Agatha clarified. "But it is an exception, and that paves the way for more exceptions and the further politicization of the Championship title and the distortion of its power. You think Felly is the only Team Rocket member with a story?"
"I..."
"Lance," Agatha began again. "I'll tell you now: Felly is not the only one. There are many, many others. If you acquit one, then you must do the same for all. It's undeniably tragic, but the reason why Team Rocket has become such a force is because it subsists on kids like Felly who think they have nowhere else to go."
"It's not fair."
"No, it's not."
"What do I do then?"
Agatha sighed, and patted the hand of the Champion.
"You do what you can to change it," she said. "While Champions have the power to do a lot of harm, they also have the power to do immense good. If you want less people to join Team Rocket, then tackle the social issues that drive people into the organization's claws."
The prospect was overwhelming, and Lance sunk into his seat.
"It's too much," he mumbled. "Where would I even start? Alcoholism? Parent abandonment? Lack of education? There are innumerable complex issues embedded into society that would help feed the membership of Team Rocket, and there are no magic fix buttons for any of them."
"Now, now, don't get too much into a tizzy over this," she consoled. "Accept that you can't change it overnight, and simply move one by one. It's only the best you can do."
It was overcast the following morning with a chance of some light rain.
Lance was on his way to the local Pokémon Center for a scheduled check-up of his Pokémon, opting to walk in the unusually cool autumn weather and breathe in the sweet petrichor after such a terrible night. It would help take his mind off the issues that troubled him.
When he entered the center and approached the counter, however, he found Nurse Joy in a frenzy. She was on the phone, speaking hurriedly into the receiver, and it didn't take long for him to figure out that something was wrong. She was on the verge of crying, though she was doing her best to hold herself together.
"Yes, yes, thank you..." the kindly nurse said. "Please bring her back as soon as possible. I'm worried sick."
"What's happened?" Lance asked as soon as Joy hung up. She looked at him with wide eyes, only now realizing he was there.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Champion Lance," she began apologetically. "You had an appointment, didn't you? Here, I'll retrieve Chansey and get cleaned up as soon as possible, so I can get to work."
"Never mind that right now," Lance persisted. "What's the matter? You seem very upset."
Nurse Joy paused to wipe her eyes.
"I'm so sorry," she repeated her apology. "I don't mean to drag you into it, but... I was speaking with Officer Jenny just now about finding a young trainer that ran out on me maybe an hour ago. I received word that her father back home had recently passed and was charged with giving her the news. When I did, she became so upset, and she left before I could say anything more. You didn't see her on your way here, did you? Young girl, only 10 years old, brown hair, blue eyes?"
"No, I'm afraid I haven't," Lance said, frowning. "That's awful, though. What's her name?"
"Leaf Greene," Nurse Joy answered. "She's from Pallet Town. She had recently earned her eighth badge and came here to begin training for the Indigo League."
"I see," Lance mused. "Well, I hope you find her."
"Thank you." Nurse Joy nodded quickly. "Ah, but your Pokémon... I've gotten a little backed up as a result of this situation, so the wait time is a bit longer than usual."
"That's fine," Lance assured her. "I have some work I still need sort out at my office. Could I leave them here and return this afternoon to pick them up?"
"Yes, that would be fine," Nurse Joy said. "Apologies for the inconvenience."
The rain finally came.
Lance hadn't bothered to bring an umbrella, but he didn't mind. A little rain wouldn't hurt him. Still, the chilled water wasn't pleasant per se, and he turned down a different route than the one he originally took. It was a longer road, but it had more foliage alongside it, which would help shield him from the poor weather.
Now that he had taken care of his one personal errand for the day, it was time to refocus his attention on work. The G-Men's expanded efforts to take down Team Rocket had, thus far, been unsuccessful, even with Steven's added assistance. Lance was considering calling his colleague to talk to him about Felly, to see if he had a different perspective than Agatha on the situation.
Lance moved more to the side of the road as bus passed by, splashing up some muddy water.
"Wait!"
Lance paused, confused before seeing a young girl run past him, stumbling after the bus. With no one at the designated bus stop, however, it kept going, and she couldn't catch up. The girl stopped, breathing heavily, before stomping her foot in frustration and falling onto the bench behind her. She buried her face in her hands, and the muffled sounds of tears more fully captured Lance's attention.
He stopped under the shelter provided by the bus stop, watching her.
Brown hair.
About 10 years old...
Lance cleared his throat, and she looked up at him, surprised.
Blue eyes.
"Are you Leaf Greene?" he asked. She scrambled to her feet.
"Y-Yes," she stammered. "You... You're Lance Grayson, aren't you? The Indigo Champion."
His lack of denial defaulted to an affirmation. Instead, he said, "There are some people looking for you."
She looked confused by this statement.
"Who?" she asked.
"Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. I heard that your father had died. I'm very sorry about that. Nurse Joy was quite worried about you."
"Oh..." She sat back down, looking away. "There's no need. I'm not going to do anything bad to myself or anything. I'm just trying to catch a bus back to Pallet Town."
Lance frowned and glanced ahead, where the bus had gone.
"Is there no one who can come pick you up and take you there?" he asked.
"No," Leaf answered morosely. "My mother died a couple years ago, too. She and my father were the only family I had. So... I've got no one left. I don't even know if there'll be a funeral. Maybe Delia will put something together."
She lowered her head, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve. Lance stood there silently for a long moment, unsure of what to say, or even do. Finally, he slowly turned and sat beside her. She looked at him apprehensively.
"Well, if you're not going to go back to the Pokémon Center, then at least let me wait with you," he said.
Leaf loosened up a little bit, though she remained fairly uneasy.
"Thanks," she mumbled, refusing eye contact. Lance continued to watch her, however.
"You seem to be handling this extraordinarily well," he remarked. She shrugged.
"I... I guess I've been expecting it for a while now," she responded. "I just didn't think it would happen this soon. He was supposed to come see me compete in the Indigo League next month. I wanted him to see me become something, so that when he did go, I wouldn't have nothing."
Lance drew in a quick breath. Her words disturbed him. They echoed the initial sentiments of the story Lance had heard from Felly yesterday. They resonated with the insight Agatha provided him.
A second bus pulled up, and Leaf stood up.
"Thanks again," she said before turning toward the door, which the driver had opened for her. Just as she was about to take her first step, however, Lance, without much thinking, called out:
"Wait."
Leaf stopped, glancing back at him.
Lance continued, "Come to my office with me at the G-Men headquarters. I will take you to Pallet Town myself. But come with me first."
She watched him, baffled. Lance stood up, though he didn't retract his offer.
"Hey, girlie, you gettin' on or not?" the bus driver yelled at her. When she didn't respond, he let out a frustrated sigh and closed the door again. The bus began moving, driving away on the wet, muddy road.
March 4th, 2002. Afternoon. Lake Acuity.
Traffic through the Lake Acuity Pokémon Center had always been light. Although Lake Acuity was a beautiful tourist destination, its location, being far removed from normal society, in addition to its lack of a gym leader rendered the area quiet and uneventful. But with the recent dropping temperatures throughout Sinnoh, patrons were now, more than ever, few and far between. There was only one trainer staying in the center presently, not that Nurse Joy minded. She enjoyed the peaceful solitude, but it tended to grow lonely.
When the center's phone began ringing, she was mildly confused. She didn't have the slightest clue as to who would call such a small, inactive center, but she picked up anyway.
"Hello, you've reached the Lake Acuity Pokémon Center location," she said. "How may I help you?" She then fell silent as she listened to the speaker, and Nando—the sole guest at the center—paused to glance at the nurse. He was sitting on one of the lobby's sofa with his Sunflora, feeding her.
He didn't think anything of it until Joy leaned up against the wall, her face paling as she clutched the phone tighter. Her other hand was pressed to her heart. He slowly rose to his feet.
"Nurse Joy?" he inquired politely. "Is everything all right?"
March 4th, 2002. Afternoon. Ampharos Train.
Cilan briefly looked over his shoulder when he heard the door into the pilot slide open, and he watched as Trip slipped inside. Trip picked up his bag and began rummaging through it, pulling out a set of his own clothes.
"Do you mind if I change?" Trip asked, a little more politely than usual.
"No, not at all," Cilan said, looking forward again. Trip pulled his Team Rocket shirt over his head, and the two young men said nothing more for several minutes. The only sounds that hung between them were the hum of the electrical engine Stunfisk had charged and would continue to charge every time power began running low, the grind of the wheels against the track, and the ruffling of Trip's clothes as he redressed himself.
Finally, Cilan spoke again.
"How is it in there?" he asked.
Trip looked up from tightening his belt.
"What?"
"How is it in there?" Cilan repeated. "What's happened? No one has told me anything since we left."
Trip shrugged.
"It's mostly just... quiet," he answered. "Only Iris and Gary are with Leaf now, and she's not OK, but she's doing better. Everyone else is just kind of sitting in silence in the other car, doing their own thing, not looking at one another."
Cilan briefly cast his gaze down, saddened by this news. He wasn't sure what else to expect, however. They were all, in one way or another, crushed. Suddenly, the connoisseur switched the train into autopilot and turned to face his fellow Unovan trainer, who was now wearing his own clothes.
"You knew all along, didn't you?" Cilan asked. "You knew you were never a target of Team Rocket's. Yet, you let Iris and I convince you to come to Pallet Town anyway."
Trip frowned, unable to look the taller male in the eye.
"You already know why that is," he mumbled. "Don't make me talk about it."
"It goes beyond that, though," Cilan pressed. "You knew, yet you submitted yourself into the conspiracy anyway. You knew, yet you were willing to go Mt. Silver. You knew, yet you traveled across the ocean and through Sinnoh with us. You knew, and you didn't say anything."
"I'm not sure where you're going with this."
"I suppose I'm not either," Cilan admitted. "I'm just not sure what to make of it. What to make of you, really. Why?"
Trip slid a single hand into his pocket and leaned up against the door, scratching his chin with his other hand.
"I, uh..." He sighed. " Well, part of it's because I was pulled into this whole thing with no way of turning back... but I think the other part was some subconscious part of me that wanted to believe in something greater than myself, even if it did seem crazy. And it was."
Cilan furrowed his eyebrows.
"You believed Ash was the Chosen One?"
Trip cast his gaze downward before looking up again.
"It was nice while it lasted," he conceded.
After bandaging up Leaf's lower abdomen to the best of her abilities, Iris reached up and felt for the unconscious trainer's pulse. Once she located it, Iris fell back, letting out a long sigh.
"This is the best I can do," she told Gary. "She seems stable, but..."
"... We're going to need to get her better medical attention," Gary finished. Iris nodded before standing up.
"I'll tell the others," she said, heading for the door. Once she disappeared, Gary glanced back down at Leaf, whose cheeks were regaining the color now that she was no longer excessively bleeding. Still, the red outline of the long, thin wound across her abdomen had already begun to show through her bandages.
Everyone's eyes were immediately on Iris the moment she entered the other passenger car. Zoey, Barry, Kenny had returned from the caboose and were now sitting among their peers. Trip and Cilan were still in the pilot.
"I think..." Iris began slowly, "... she's going to be OK. But, we can't let her stay as is. She needs something to close that wound. Stitches, suture tape... things we don't have, and even if we did, we wouldn't have the know-how."
"We'll stop at one of the settlements along the train, then," Silver said. "We can get help there."
"But... people will know we're alive then," Barry said.
"It doesn't matter," Drew interjected. "If Giovanni doesn't know we're alive yet, he will soon. We didn't 'die' so the public would think we were dead. We died so Giovanni would."
"It does matter," Trip insisted, garnering his fellow trainers' attention. He had emerged from the pilot. "Let's not throw everything out the window just yet. More people finding out would create a larger mess, making it that much easier for Giovanni to overwhelm the G-Men."
"Since when did the G-Men become a factor?" Silver asked, confused and mildly alarmed.
"Silver," Zoey began frankly, "Gary asked Candice to contact Lance. We are way over our heads right now, and we need help."
"Leaf agreed-"
"-Your agreement with Leaf has expired," Paul cut him off harshly. "You promised to help us stop your father and save Mewtwo and Moltres if Leaf kept the G-Men out of it entirely. She held up her end of the bargain. Yours, on the other hand, fell short."
"That's enough!" Ash's uncharacteristically firm interruption caught many by surprise. He had remained silent for so long, refusing to voice his own perspective for fear that it would elicit deep disappointment or anger from his friends and rivals. Yet, he knew he could no longer wait passively and let his peers fight it out. He had to step in eventually. He had to make himself clear eventually.
Now that tensions had reached a boiling point—and now that his shame weighed so heavily upon him—Ash was ready to speak.
"That's enough," he repeated more quietly. "Paul, stop blaming Silver. Everything that happened today is my fault. Everything that has happened is my fault."
He was standing in the middle of the aisle, and he had been for a while at that point. It was only when he brought attention to himself, however, that it became clear that he had been at the center all along.
"And I'm so sorry," Ash continued, his voice cracking. His fists balled as he began shaking. Despite how much he didn't want to, he knew if he cried, it would get his point across. "I didn't want any of this for you. I didn't want any of you to be pulled into this. I can't even put into words how awful I feel that you had to come with me on this journey, and that you had to go through what you did."
May started crying before Ash could. She tried to blink back the tears, but a couple managed to escape, though she was quick to wipe them away.
"I wanted so badly to not let Mewtwo or any of you down that I haven't been completely honest with you," Ash went on, "and it's caused several of you to believe that I'm something that I'm not. So blame me, not Silver, because I was the one who misled you. I am the reason you guys have been in danger and the reason you have gotten hurt, and I hate myself for it."
Silence.
Ash turned away, beginning to move back toward his seat.
"Are you saying that you don't think you're the Chosen One?" Ash stopped when Misty spoke up. Anger lined the bottom of her voice. He glanced back at her hesitantly as she rose to her feet.
"Answer me, Ash Ketchum," she demanded.
Ash looked away.
"No," he finally replied. "I don't think I'm the Chosen One. Which is exactly why all of you have every right to be angry with me."
"I'm not angry because of that," Misty said. "I am angry. But I'm more upset and sad that you can't see what I see, that you can't see what so many of us have seen."
Ash didn't move.
"Look at me!" Her voice rose to an almost-yell, and it jolted several others. Not Ash, though. He merely let out a long sigh before slowly turning on his heel to face his red-haired friend. They stood several feet apart down the aisle.
"Ash," Misty began, dropping her voice to a normal volume again, "I knew you were the Chosen One long before this whole thing started—before my home in Cerulean City burned to the ground. Before you started having the dreams. Since going on this journey, however, I now know without a single doubt that you are and that you always have been the Chosen One."
Ash's bottom lip quivered, but he didn't break eye contact.
"Why don't you think you're the Chosen One?" Misty asked, though she gave him no room to answer. "Because of the danger we've been in? Because Paul was poisoned? Because May got a split lip? Because Leaf had her gut cut open? Things are supposed to get bad around you. Being the Chosen One doesn't mean you get a golden pass in life. It doesn't mean that things automatically work out the way you want them to, and it certainly doesn't mean it's easy for you or me or anyone else. What it does mean is that when things go wrong, they go wrong in the right way."
"I don't understand..." Ash admitted.
Misty paused to take in a deep breath and consider how she should approach this topic.
"Do you realize that the only reason Drew, Zoey, Barry, and Kenny are here is because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Those whom the redhead had mentioned appeared unsettled. "There was a list of files Conway found. A hit list. I saw it. Drew was added only because he protected May and Max the night the Petalburg Gym was attacked. Zoey, Barry, and Kenny were added only because they were with Dawn two days later in Twinleaf Town. Where would we be without the four of them, though? Where would we be if they hadn't been in the completely wrong place? What if Drew didn't go to Petalburg with May? Without Drew, we wouldn't have even known that you were at the center of this. Or, what if Zoey didn't decide to stay with Dawn? We wouldn't have found shelter with Candice, and on that note, where would we be without Candice?"
Misty found that the more she spoke, the more confident she became.
"What about Trip?" Misty plowed on. "Do you realize that Trip never had a file? That he was never in any danger? He never was on the that list, and he knew it, too. Where would we be without Trip? We needed him today, that's for sure."
Ash cast a quick, guilty glance toward Trip, who was now looking down. May brushed away another couple of tears as memories of her early-morning conversation with Ash the day they first gathered together returned in vivid detail. Ash had explained the sole reason he thought Trip might be in danger was because Barry had been attacked. Yet, now it was clear the only reason Barry was in danger was by coincidence, and not because he was specifically targeted.
"Do you realize that Paul probably should be dead right now?" The bold suggestion surprised both Paul and Ash. Misty continued, "If not dead, then at least grievously ill. He's neither. By some incredible chance—a miracle, almost—we found that one ripe Pecha berry in the forest. Among a thousand shriveled, dead little berries, there was one that was in perfect form. If we hadn't found it, despite our efforts to pick out the stingers and neutralize the poison, his health might have taken a turn for the worse. Where would we be without Paul? What would have happened had, Arceus-forbid, that poison got the best of him?"
The pace of Misty's words picked up.
"Do you realize that the G-Men should have found us months ago?" she pressed. "When Leaf bought those Hoenn tickets, she took a major risk. We took a major risk. What if Dawn hadn't taken a risk, too, and gone into town and run into Ursula? Where would we be without either of them? The same stands for everyone else. Where would we be without Cilan with his oddball ability to drive trains? Or Iris with her incredible knowledge of berries and their medical properties? Without May? Ritchie? Silver? Conway? Gary? Leaf? Where would you be without me standing in front of you bringing up all of this?"
Misty paused to breath, realizing she had been going on for a while by then.
"The point is, Ash," she said, more mellow, "that there are people who have been placed in your path by circumstances too great to be purely coincidental. Everything that has happened up to this point has been a chain reaction of events that have led us to the next step, or the next person. We have become intricately connected to each other through you, and we are here for a reason. So, in that sense, you're right. Everything that has happened so far is your fault. But that's just it. That is the Ash connection."
Ash said nothing, and neither did anyone else. What could be said in response to that? Silver stared at Misty for a long while before glancing down at his wounded arm, tenderly touching the afflicted area. He winced and frowned. Meanwhile, Trip's eyes studied Ash before flicking over to Conway.
"Tell them, Conway," he said suddenly. "Tell them about the others things you found."
Conway looked at him in surprise.
"What?"
"Tell them about Kyurem and Meloetta," Trip clarified firmly. "Because if today was a part of this domino effect—of things going wrong in the right way—then Kyurem and Meloetta are the next step." He looked pointedly at Ash. "And you still have a job to finish."
The train abruptly decelerated, and those who were standing either toppled over or stumbled to maintain their balance. Ritchie's bucket of water spilled. The trainers sitting beside one another were compacted together. The train had come to a quick stop, and Cilan opened the door from the pilot and staggered inside.
"What happened?" Misty asked, grabbing a bar and helping herself stand up. "Did we crash into something?"
"No," Cilan shook his head. "We were passing by the Lake Acuity station, and there was someone waiting there, trying to stop us."
"A Team Rocket member?" Dawn asked, panicked. Zoey pushed Kenny and Barry off her and turned to look out the window.
"No, I don't think so, he-"
"-It's Nando," Zoey breathed out in shock. "That's Nando out there."
She pulled her gaze away from the window and slowly turned her head toward Ash with an indiscernible expression. Many others did the same, and Ash couldn't help but look at Misty, who managed a half-smile, believing she had made her impact.
March 4th, 2002. Afternoon. Unova Team Rocket Base.
Giovanni maintained a calm front as he briskly strode down the hallway alongside Dr. Zager with Jessie, James, and Meowth jogging behind them. His underlings had no illusions, though. They knew he was nervous, and they knew he was angry. An emergency phone call was never good news. The last Giovanni had received of such nature was after the fall of the Hoenn base.
Pierce was waiting in the esteemed leader's office with the phone ready. He had recently returned from his work to help reel in Team Rocket agents all over the nation as the higher administration moved forward with Project Legendary. Mewtwo and Moltres remained imprisoned in the background, like mere trinkets or items of decoration that had collected dust.
Giovanni planned to make use of them again, soon.
"Hello? Domino? Petrel? What's wrong? What's happened?" Giovanni demanded, switching to speaker phone.
"Sir." Domino's voice was shaking when she began speaking, and it intensified Giovanni's apprehension. Domino was one of his best and closest agents. She had climbed into a position of executive power through her cunning mind and tenacious demeanor. If she was scared, then they all had reason to be. "There's been a break-in here at the Sinnoh base. We're not entirely sure to what extent the G-Men were involved, but Ash Ketchum and the other thirteen trainers are all alive. I saw them."
Jessie and James exchanged disbelieving glances, and Giovanni breathed out in shock. Pierce and Dr. Zager were also uneasy.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Domino affirmed.
"How are they alive? The G-Men, they..." Giovanni trailed off, his eyebrows furrowing angrily as the truth of the matter came crashing down upon him. Lance intended this. He purposefully misled Giovanni by ruining the prestige and accountability of the G-Men, a move the Team Rocket leader would have never expected.
"There's more," Domino continued. "Kamon was here... and he..."
Giovanni gripped the edge of the desk upon the mention of the name.
"And he what?" he demanded coldly.
"... Sir," Petrel spoke for the first time, "Proton is dead. His throat... we think that..."
Giovanni moved backward slowly, sitting in his chair. He lowered his head and lifted his hand, massaging one of his temples.
"Say no more," he said. "Where are they now?"
"They escaped on the Ampharos Train," Domino answered. Pierce breathed in sharply, understanding the implications of such. Dr. Zager's frown deepened, and Jessie, James and Meowth appeared more confused, though also scared.
"Sir, we don't know what to do," Petrel added. "We're worried the G-Men will be here soon, and we are unprepared for them. And with the Ampharos Train gone, we have no way of getting out in a quick and effective manner."
Giovanni was silent.
"... Sir?" Domino inquired as her leader's refusal to speak extended into minutes. "... Sir!"
Giovanni reached out and ended the call. He then turned to face the others in his chair. His expression had deadpanned.
"We will not delay any longer," he said. "We must set our plans for Mewtwo to capture Kyurem into motion tonight. I do not care about what myths and warnings the Village Elder said. If we do not act now, we will lose our ground to Lance entirely."
"Sir, what about Ash Ketchum?" Pierce asked as Giovanni rose up.
"He won't matter once we secure Kyurem." He then looked straight at Jessie, James, and Meowth. "Right?"
"R-Right!" James assured him, though he did not sound confident. Whether Giovanni detected the agent's unsurety was unknown. He turned his head again and left the room without a glance toward anyone else—including Mewtwo and Moltres.
"Jessie, Jessie," James began, nudging Jessie's arm after their superiors were gone. "I don't understand. What happened? Why did the Boss-"
"-He's abandoned them," Jessie cut him off darkly. "He's given up on the Sinnoh base, and now he's going to use Kyurem as his last resort."
.
.