Chapter One
Sterling followed after her father, only visible as a silhouette due to the bright light shining from the open doorway for which they were headed. The tall man in front of her had recently taken on the position of Viridian City Gym Leader as a front to cover the family business-a business which either Sterling or her brother were to take over one day. Sterling's older brother, Silver walked beside her with his eyes staring at the floor. They were covered by his red bangs, but Sterling knew that he was holding back tears.
As the two children followed Giovanni out onto the battlefield, they had to squint from the sudden change in light. Even though they had only just turned 10 and 11 years old, they had skills in Pokemon battling that rivaled many of the top Team Rocket grunts. Their father had made them both go out and catch their own at a young age. It was true that Giovanni had many stolen Pokemon that he could easily have given to the children, Pokemon that were wizened in the way of battling and could have taken them far, but he had always told them that his power was not theirs, and that they needed to find their own strength.
Silver and Sterling had fought before, and Sterling had almost always won. And this is why Silver was fighting to hold back tears. They made their way out onto the Viridian City Gym battlefield and waited for the signal to begin the match. They had never battled on a regulation-sized field before, and had never had so many spectators. All of the big names in Team Rocket were dressed in black suits and ties, and sat up in the bleachers with serious expressions and waited with studying expectation for them to send out their Pokemon.
Silver and Sterling each had one Pokemon-the same as their first catch. This match was to determine who was the better trainer, but the real stakes were much higher. Their father had decided that he only needed one child-one descendant to carry out the family business-and so, the winner of this match would win not only this spot at the familial table, but would also receive the Pokemon of the other. The loser would be sent to boarding school in Johto and estranged from the family.
And so, while Silver and Sterling had always been very close to each other, and had done everything together including training their Pokemon, they would both battle as ruthlessly as was possible. And for Sterling, who was better at battling in general, could show no mercy when defeating Silver.
Giovanni gave a welcome speech explaining the stakes and the rules, and addressing his connections by thanking them for attending. He then joined the rest of the spectators in the stands, and waved for the referee to begin the match.
Sterling knew the man refereeing. Though he was dressed in a traditional Team Rocket uniform as all Team Rocket grunts dressed, she was very good with names. She held one hand on the single PokeBall on her belt, while the other was in a tight fist and shaking at her side. She eyed the referee closely.
"This will be a Single-Pokemon match. When one side has fainted, the battle will end and that side will be declared the loser. Begin!"
Sterling clicked the button in the center of her PokeBall and threw it up towards the sky. When it reached the peak of its arc, it cracked open on a hinge and blue light poured out like a snake, coiling when it reached the ground to reveal a cream-colored fox with nine well-maintained tails. Sterling saw a momentary hesitation in Silver's face. The last time he had seen Sterling's Pokemon, it was a Vulpix. But Sterling, without making it known to anyone else, spent much of her money on a Fire Stone to evolve her Pokemon into a Ninetales. Silver regained his composure and released his wild-looking stone beast, which roared menacingly and shook the ground with a heavy stomping. Sterling could see Silver say something, and though she couldn't hear it, she knew it was something to the effect of "Just listen to me today, Rhydon! I can't lose this battle because you decide to have a temper tantrum!"
Even though Rhydon had a huge type advantage over Ninetales, the battle was over in the first move. Ninetales' ability Drought immediately brought heavy sunlight in through the windows, and although Silver called an Earthquake, he did not expect Ninetales to know Solarbeam, a move it could only learn in its final stage of evolution. One blast of energy later, and Sterling had won the match.
Present Day:
Sterling stood by her father's bedside as he drew heavy breaths. The doctor was checking his temperature and placing bags of ice upon his forehead. Once a towering pillar of the Pokemon Underground, he was now confined to what would soon be his deathbed. Sterling wasn't sure exactly what was wrong with him. The doctors had said that losing the family business was too much for him to bear the first time, and now when he lost it again three years ago, it started taking its toll on him physically.
Financially, however, he was still extremely well-off. His house was designed after an identical chateau in Kalos, outside and in. His bedroom looked like it could only belong to royalty, and was adorned in gold and red silk. There was an ashen marble fireplace that needed to be cleaned, and in front of it an elaborate hearth rug. Fine sofas, tapestries, and paintings filled the room, yet with all of this, Giovanni was still dying.
The middle-aged doctor pulled her aside and said, "He doesn't have much time left. Say your goodbyes now, I'm afraid there's nothing more that I can do." And he left the room.
Sterling wasn't sad though. She had been with Giovanni all these years, but was no closer to him than her brother, whom neither had seen in over ten years. Sterling sometimes hoped that Silver was attending college, or had at least finished high school even though she suspected that her father had stopped sending his school checks when Team Rocket was crushed by a young Pokemon trainer several years back. She looked down at her belt and saw the PokeBall of what was once her brother's unruly Rhydon, now her well-mannered Rhyperior. She was strong now. Stronger than Silver, yes, but also stronger than any other Team Rocket admins, stronger than Giovanni himself. And as she watched him taking labored final breaths, she knew that she could have taken over the business any time in the past four years, and now, she was ready for his death to call in her new rule of Team Rocket.
Giovanni suddenly made eye contact with Sterling and weakly motioned for her to come closer, which she obliged. He made to open his bedside table, but when he found himself unable to, Sterling opened it for him. He pulled out a Luxury Ball and placed it in Sterling's hands. It was heavy, meaning that there was a Pokemon within. Sterling had seen a Luxury Ball used on only one of her father's Pokemon. Although he was once the leader of a Ground-type gym, he used Pokemon of many other types in recent years. And on a recent trip he took for his health to Alola, he used this Luxury Ball to compete in the Pokemon Battle Agency.
"Your Gyarados?"
"This…," He started, "Is my legacy. Carry it out...Promise me. Promise me you'll carry…"
He didn't take any more breaths.
"I promise, father," She said, adding the Luxury Ball to the small collection on her belt, and leaving the room. The doctor had apparently been waiting in the elaborate hallway outside.
"How is he?"
Sterling looked him straight in the face and said without flinching, "Dead."
Sterling didn't fear taking over the Team, she had been preparing for this moment since she was ten years old; studying her father's actions-his faults and successes-making connections, and understanding the game that she would need to become a master of. Team Rocket was a mere shadow of what it once had been. Two crippling losses had left Giovanni derelict, and had left the Team in need of new management. That had always been Sterling's belief, but out of respect for her father, she would either start a new team, or wait until the old man died. As it turned out, she didn't need to do the former.
And so, the first thing that Sterling did as Team Rocket's Boss, was call a meeting among the members-those few who still took on that term. A small bunch of around thirty people, all with day jobs, and most of them only grunts still because of their loyalty to the Team and to Giovanni. There were no Executives left; Sterling had been one, but she now had a new role. They gathered as they normally did in a very normal-looking office space that Giovanni rented. Sterling stood up and called the members to attention. She had prepared this speech when she knew that her father was gowing ill, and had memorized it perfectly. She expected them all to leave the Team when she announced her father dead, but she was fully prepared of starting anew on her own.
"Giovanni is dead." Sterling said to the group, and over many sighs and groans, continued, "I don't know what that will mean for each of you individually-you may all have already decided to leave-but as for the future of the Team, I have no doubt that I can start alone from ground zero and build up a bigger empire than even my father did in his prime, or his father before him. My father was a good Boss; he did a lot of things right. But it takes greatness to achieve greatness, and that is something that Giovanni never had. We've all seen what this business can be, but with modern technologies, ideas, and new leadership, I know for certain that we can surpass that."
"She seems awfully glad that the Boss is dead."
"Do you think she assassinated him?"
"I did not kill my father. I didn't like him, but I didn't kill him either. Everyone is born with their destined date-that goes for all of us. The last thing I'll say is this: are you coming with me, or staying here?"
There was a stunned silence. All of a sudden, one member said, "Forget this. I'm out." And he left. He was quickly followed by a massive shuffle of people, all of them swearing or grimacing or doing something in-between. Until just one person was left. Sterling was surprised to see Martin. Martin was a middle-aged man from Galar, about the same age her father had been. He had met Giovanni there twenty years ago and joined Team Rocket. He knew the highs and lows of the Team, and had always maintained a deep respect for Sterling's father.
"Well," Martin started, "I'm not positive about this new leadership, but I reckon I ought to give it a shot out of respect for Giovanni. So, where are we headed?"
Sterling smiled, "Orre."
To Be Continued...