"I trust you, Greenie," Ross said, looking down at the map she had marked. "But uh...this looks suspiciously like a suicide mission."

Green and her officers had met at the gazebo looking over the biggest of Fuchsia's gardens. James, Jessie, and Ross were gathered around the map spread across the hardwood floor while Charles leaned against the gazebo railing, his relaxed demeanor betrayed by his now near empty pack of cigarettes.

Green herself was sitting up on the railing opposite Charles, swinging her legs absentmindedly. She had spent so long studying the map she had the thing memorized, from the landmarks to the general geography.

"According to Koga, we're not just capturing important targets," Green explained. "We're also chumming the waters. The high casualty rate isn't just inevitable, it's necessary. With luck, failure means a mere memory wipe and rehabilitation. Not, you know. Death."

Ross shook his head, a small smile appearing on his face despite the situation. "And you want me to lead the attack to Cerulean City. To get the attention of a gym leader who could break my bones as easily as breaking a sweat. I knew you just wanted to get rid of me."

"On the contrary," Green said, batting her eyes flirtatiously. "I knew you were the only one I could trust for the job, honey."

"Yeah, yeah, don't give me the goo-goo eyes. I'm already in."

"Route 24 and 25 are full of choke points, anyway. You'll be fine, Ross. Just know where to dig in your men and you'll be able to get Bill out of there easily.

"Charles, you don't have to deal with a gym leader, but Lavender is still home to some of the best ghost type trainers in Kanto, and I heard old Fuji used to be a pretty potent trainer back in the day," Green said. "Unlike Ross, you won't be able to rely on hit and run tactics; it'll be a pitched battle. You'll need to have everything mopped up before the Indigo League gets involved."

Charles made to toss away his cigarette, before realizing he was in a very expensive, well kept garden owned by very powerful ninja. "Don't see why it won't be doable if I have enough men and the element of surprise. But what I wanna know…"

He marched over to Green's side and pointed out of the gazebo, to the dojo on the horizon. "...is why we're not getting any help from the Johtian cultists who could kick the crap out of any of us easily."

"They're ninjas," Green said, shrugging. "A ninja isn't very effective when he's not clandestine."

"And we are?"

"You have to think of the position we're in, Chuck. Because we're wanted criminals, because our reputation is notorious, we can do whatever we want for Rocket without any serious consequences to the cause. If a Rocket executive is caught, or even a ninja, there'll be a trail all the way to the top. No one will be able to stand up against the clone."

She put a hand on Charles' shoulder. "We're the only ones who can pull off this mission."

Charles let out a sigh. "Fine. But I don't like it. Watching us to work for them...it's classic Johto. These better not be the people to inherit Kanto when we sacrifice ourselves to make a difference."

"We're not sacrificing ourselves," Green said. "And the ninjas have been doing their jobs since even before I got involved, just in secret. Get over yourself Chuck, you're going to have to learn to play nice if we ever want to succeed, even with people you don't like."

"Yeah, whatever."

Green ignored his tone and instead opted to focus next on Jessie and James. "What about you two? The escape plan hinges on you guys, so we don't have time for any of your crap."

"Aww...not even a little bit?" James said, pouting.

"Quiet, James," Jessie snapped, slapping him upside the head. "You know, we did used to be your commanding officers. You could show a little respect."

"Oh, please, we all know you're both bottom bitches. I'm asking you if you can handle the job I'm giving you."

James and Jessie shared a glance. Finally, it was James who cleared his throat.

"You can count on us, Green. We won't let you down."

Jessie blushed a bit, nodding. "Er...make it double."

Green softened her expression. "Thanks, you two. Your assurance means a lot, really.

"Okay, you four. Ross, Charles, I want you two to divulge everything I've said to you to your boys, and make sure they're a hundred percent aware of the plan. Jessie and James, gather up the divisions I'm leaving you. We strike out for the Safari Zone in two hours."

"The flock shouldn't be too far from here!" Janine sliced through brambles and vines with a katana, clearing out a path for Green and her squad of Rockets behind her. "Though I mean, the Safari Zone is full of more powerful and unique Pokemon to capture. Seems a waste to spend Pokeballs on such a common species."

"We're looking for maneuverability here, hun, not rarity." Green watched her new ninja friend slash and hack through the fauna. "Also, isn't this place protected? Should you really be destroying it?"

"Are you kidding me? I feel like Indiana Jones, this is awesome! Screw wildlife reserves!"

Green shuddered at the spike of nostalgia that ran her through. "You know, Janine, the more we hang out, the more you remind me of Red."

"I take it that's not a compliment?"

"Not really, no." She turned to look at how her team was faring. Not well it seemed. They looked exhausted after the long trek through the jungle. Jessie and James in particular were practically being dragged on the shoulders of their grunts.

"Wow, I really take how effective ninja training is for granted, huh," Janine said, smirking at her exhausted men. "Your guys have really pathetic stamina."

"Yeah, I know, we're working on it," Green muttered, choosing to neglect to mention that during their intense workout two of them had vomited and three had passed out. "Is this close enough?"

"I'd say so," Janine said, reaching her hand to the throwing stars on her belt. "Open fire!"

Green nodded, checking back to see if her men were at the ready, before drawing her handgun from its holster. Raising it in the air, she fired.

There was a brief pause, but Green didn't risk glancing back to see how her boys (and Jessie) were doing. Janine gave her a firm nod.

And then a flock of very nettled looking Fearow burst from the trees, squawking and stretching out their talons. Green ignored the stab of fear and snapped her fingers.

"Safari Balls, now!" Green ordered. A moment later and about a dozen of the poke-balls were streaking through the sky, and even Green had to admit her men had good aim.

To a man (or bird?) the balls hit home, clearing the sky and leaving the remaining birds confused and in panic. Feathers flying everywhere and Fearow fighting for control of the airspace, this only made them easy targets for the next wave of Safari Balls.

"Good job, gang!" Green crowed, relief and elation flooding through her. "One more wave should do it!"

"Not bad," Janine remarked as the Rockets threw out their final wave of Safari balls, the last of the birds vanishing into the red light. "What's your plan for the leader of the flock?"

A shriek rang out, louder and stronger than even the flock had sounded when they were crying out in unison. Green gulped.

"L-leader of the flock?"

"Oh yeah!" Janine said, giggling innocently. "She's twice as big as most Fearow, and super aggressive! Did I forget to mention her?"

"Fuck me."

With wings that beat the air itself to submission, a massive Fearow emerged from the treetops, lunging for the trainers. The few Rockets who had any Safari Balls left chucked them, but the Fearow slapped them away and shot towards Green, who stumbled back and reached for a Poke-ball of her own.

"Carmel-" the Fearow slammed into her, and Green's back slammed against the dirt, pinned by the thing's talons. Green cursed as she felt her Voltorb's Poke-ball roll out of her grip. Her gun only had blanks, but maybe she could scare the Fearow off?

Then she saw her eyes.

Cold and reptilian, there was nothing but malice in them. She straightened, showing her full wingspan and leaving Green within her shadow.. Her talons dug into Green's ripping into her waist. It's beak flashed and it stretched its neck out, ready to strike.

Oh god, where was it going to aim for? What the fuck was that beak going to do to her?

She dropped her gun as well, any clarity giving in to blind panic as she froze entirely.

A second shadow enveloped the first as Janine sprung out, aiming a high kick that the Fearow raised a wing to deflect. The bird squawked, unleashing a gust of wind that threw Janine back, but as she fell she threw two shurikens with perfect accuracy.

The Fearow screeched in pain, the shurikens embedding themselves in her wings, and the talons loosened and pulled away from Green's chest, still dripping her blood.

Green stared blankly at her blood soaked shirt. She didn't move, not even when the Fearow ignored Janine and lunged for her instead.

Green's balance was knocked askew as Jessie slammed into her, throwing them both out of the way of the Fearow's path as it struck the earth where she had been moments before. Green stared at Jessie in wonder as she stood over her protectively-she had literally knocked the sense back in her.

"Idiot girl, do you want to get yourself killed?" Jessie snarled.

"Green!" James sprinted over to kneel at her sides, examining her wounds. "Are you all right?"

"I-I'm fine, I just…" Green watched as Janine drew the attention of the Fearow on herself, daggers at the ready. "I don't like b-birds very much."

"So you had us all capture dozens of Fearow?" Jessie asked, turning back exasperatedly. "You're too much, you know that?"

"The wounds don't seem too deep," James said, his relief at the realization evident in his tone.

Groaning, Green flopped back down onto the grass. She'd hoped by ignoring her fear, it'd go away eventually. Apparently, that wasn't how phobias worked. And now she'd made a huge scene.

"Don't worry, Green!" Janine said, giving her a confident grin as she backflipped to dodge a swipe of the Fearow's wings. "I got this! Muffet, Arachne, get her!"

Green noticed with a start that the shurikens embedded into the Fearow's wings held poke-balls within their centers. The balls snapped open and released two Ariados, who sent out string to tie down the Fearow's wings.

The Fearow screeched and stumbled, before striking out twice with her beak in rapid succession, slamming the Ariados away before freeing herself from the webbing with a flap of her wings.

Janine cursed as the Ariados hit the grass, rolling away. "Shit, well, that's all I've got." She slowly backed away as the Fearow turned to her, once again aiming with her beak.

"We'd better call out our Pokemon," Green said, trying to put a desperate lid on her fear. James and Jessie both nodded, each dropping a hand to their belts.

"Really now, I can't watch this anymore. They really don't make trainers like they used to, do they?"

Just as the Fearow made to attack, it was sent reeling by a blur of purple. Shrieking in pain as she fell back, talons digging into the earth, the Fearow watched the Crobat that had struck her perform a backflip to return to the side of its trainer, who had dropped from a nearby tree.

Koga shook his head as he dropped his scarf below his mouth. "If you need my help to defeat a few pesky birds, I fear for the worst for when you lead your actual mission."

The Fearow rose, giving Koga such a malignant stare that Green knew that she would've been paralyzed if it had been trained on her. Koga merely tutted.

"Christopher, end it quickly."

Once again a purple blur, the Crobat was upon the Fearow, who had taken flight to meet it. She jabbed with her beak, lashed with her talons, swiped with her wings, but Christopher was so fast that the best she managed was breaking apart the bark one of the trees.

A splash of blood and the Fearow wailed, the Crobat having appeared to deliver a deadly, venom filled bite to her wing. Christopher ducked out of the way of the Fearow's aggressive swipe of retaliation, returning once again to the side of his trainer. Evidently giving up, the Fearow began her very lopsided flight pattern back to her home in the treetops.

"Will it come back to attack us?" Green said, who had been silently wishing that Christopher would kill the bird. "I heard Fearows don't forget grudges."

"Assuming it doesn't die from the poison?" Koga returned his Crobat to his Ultra Ball and walked towards her, not even bothering to hide his curiosity. "Pokemon are not so unintelligent as to fight a suicidal battle, even if it might want revenge."

He stared at her long enough for her to feel uncomfortable. "Before today I would've thought you were fearless. I've never been more wrong."

The relief that she had felt briefly was quick to turn to indignation. "Well, I didn't ask for your help. I didn't need babysitting."

"I wasn't here to babysit you," Koga said, his eyes somehow dull and intense at the same time in how they bore into hers. "But you roped my daughter into your machinations. I had to be sure she was safe."

"Aww, dad, you're so sweet!" Janine giggled. "I love you!"

Koga's eyes didn't stray from Green's. "I love you too, sweetie."

"Look, I know I didn't exactly meet your expectations," Green said, Koga's cutting gaze puncturing her indignation and leaving only shame behind. "But I promise, my er...discomfort around birds won't be an issue."

"When I thought you were without fear, I thought you were an idiot, not brave," Koga said. "I still think you're an idiot, but incorporating Fearow into your strategy, even in spite of your phobia… that's the definition itself of bravery."

As he stepped away from her to check on Janine, he flashed back the tiniest of smirks. "Be sure that when you fly into battle, you don't pass out in fear. We wouldn't want you to have such an unremarkable death."

Green watched him walk away, allowing Jessie to help her to her feet. "That was...oddly nice of him."

"I think…." James began to twirl his long blue hair. "I think he was almost complimenting you."

"Hell must be freezing over," Green said, elbowing him. "Come on you two, let's get out of here. If I see one more giant bird, I'll probably shit my pants."

"You're dead."

Green strained and pushed to get out of Janine's scissor lock, but it was hopeless. Fighting Janine was like fighting a boa constrictor. "Okay, Janine. I can take you attacking me while I'm getting breakfast, while I'm training my Pokemon, even, fine, when I'm in the bathroom. But breaking into my house so you can pounce me as soon as I open the door is crossing a line! This isn't Calvin and Hobbes, you bitch!"

Janine simply smiled, watching Green struggle with a lazy yawn. "Hey, when you're facing an assassin, you could be attacked anywhere, anytime. You have to be constantly vigilant!"

As she finally let go of Green, Janine gave a cheeky little grin and pointed to an overnight bag. "Besides, I wanted a sleepover!"

Green rolled her eyes and flicked Janine's nose. "You know, you're lucky you're cute."

"I know I am!"

Green smiled and shook her head, walking to the window sill to pick up Miguel's Moonstone, massaging it's edges with her fingers.

"Okay, you've been playing with that since you've gotten here," Janine said, gesturing to the stone. "Will you just evolve one of your Pokemon already? Seriously, like eight of them can evolve with the Moonstone."

"Janine, I don't even have eight—"

"Okay, but honestly though."

Green sighed, flopping down on her bed. Janine had this annoying nettling way to her that could always find away to get you to open up to her. She supposed intelligence gathering was something second nature to her. "I don't know. I'm tired of making decisions. I kind of wish someone just picked for me for a change."

"You want my opinion?"

"No," Green snorted.

"Fine, I promise I won't try to influence your decision," Janine said, before letting out a loud cough into her arm that sounded suspiciously like; "Choose the Nidorino!"

Green rolled her eyes, tossing the pillow at her, but Janine unfortunately had ninja reflexes and caught it.

"Erm, Green?" Janine's usual smile slid off her face. "If you are so scared of birds, why did you decide to use them in your plan?"

Green narrowed her eyes, wondering if Janine was making fun of her somehow. "Because they were necessary for it? I don't think I get you."

Janine giggled at that, moving to sit by her on the bed. "Okay, let me ask a different question then. If you had such a problem with birds, why wouldn't you tell us? We could've helped you avoid them. Why stay quiet about it?"

"I'm the leader," Green said, shrugging. "A leader who happens to have tits. Leading mostly men, men who are older than me by about fifteen to twenty years. Being respected is already an uphill battle, showing any weakness will ruin any progress I made."

Janine laughed at that. "You can't fall down a mountain you've already climbed. Everyone already knows you're a badass, Green."

"Still. It's not great for morale, freezing up the second something with a beak squawks at me."

Janine raised her hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. If you won't trust your underlings with your shortcomings, at least trust me with what's bothering you, okay?"

"Well, I'm opening up to you now, aren't I?"

"Well, if that's the case, then give me the real reason behind why you don't have a kickass Nidoking on your side right now."

"Oh Arceus, you're impossible."

"Actually, my name is Janine!"

"I'm going to punch you," Green said through gritted teeth. "Look, if you really want to know, the Moonstone was the one thing Miguel left me. If I used it...there goes the keepsake. You happy now? And if I did use it, and I chose the wrong Pokemon to evolve, then I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

"I think I get it," Janine said. "Here, look at this." She opened her mouth, turning a little to show off a gap in her teeth.

"Damn, how did that happen?"

"My very first fistfight. With a thug. He knocked my tooth clean out." Janine gave her a conspiratorial grin. "But you know, I still keep it in a locket. You know, to remember. I get how keepsakes help erm...cope."

"Okay, that's kind of gross," Green said, mock retching. "But, thanks Janine. I think I needed to hear that."

Janine wrapped an arm around her. "You can trust your officers too, you know. I saw how Jessie and James reacted at the Safari Zone today."

"Maybe. Maybe I'm part of the problem. Talking about my shit just isn't my strong suit in general."

"You seem to be fine around me."

Green gave her a light punch on the arm. "That's because you're you. And you...well, you remind me of a few of my old friends."

"The...people you're going to fight soon?" Janine asked, not meeting her eyes.

"Yup." Green flopped back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "I sure do have a lot to unpack, don't I?"

"Well, unpack then!"

"You sure? It could take a while."

"Well, hey, I'm sleeping over, remember?" Janine flopped down comfortably next to her. "Lay it on me, sweetie."