Fire, Grass, Water

Delia was sure she was being followed. It was always the same man she saw. It wasn't like the numerous Don Georges or Nurse Joys either. No she was certain this was the same man. He wore a dark brown suit with a light brown coat, and his face always seemed to be covered by a newspaper. A newspaper he'd been reading for days now.

Delia watched him from across the café as she slowly stirred the fluffy cream into her coffee. He hadn't moved from that spot in little over an hour. In that time Delia had polished off breakfast and was about to finish things up with a cup of hazelnut coffee while she awaited Ash's arrival here in Castelia City. Was he a member of this mysterious secret organisation that Giovanni had told his people to be on the lookout for? He didn't look as though he was a part of any criminal syndicate. He looked too… clean if that meant anything. In fact, he could easily pass as a government agent or something of the sort. But why tail her? What sort of information did she have to offer him?

Delia snorted at her own mental question. She was only one of the most powerful women in Team Rocket. The boss's own wife. She was, in effect, untouchable... in Kanto and Johto that was. What about here in Unova though?

This morning was fast becoming unsavoury.

Leaving the rest of her coffee to sit, Delia decided it was time to go. So gathering up her purse and leaving her tip, she quickly and quietly slipped out of the café and back into the hotel she'd been staying at these past few days.

Making her way across the lobby a feeling of déjà vu suddenly came over her as the presence of people watching her became all the more evident. This was a different presence however; one of a more sinister nature. She felt stalked, and as she took a quick glimpse about the lobby she soon came to notice the three figures dressed in dark cloaks approaching the very elevator she stood at.

The doors came open and Delia quickly stepped in, making sure to press the button to the top floor before the cloaked figures stepped in after her. She stood in silence, keeping herself positioned at the doors, waiting until the very moment they started to close before she turned and bolted from the lift. The doors sealed over behind her, leaving the men stuck inside.

Delia didn't give herself the chance to dwell on it, she tore from the hotel and onto the street, her eyes scanning every which way for the safety of a crowded, public place. She stumbled upon a Pokémon Centre half a block away. Flustered and red in the face, Delia hurried for a public phone and pressed several digits she'd since memorized that would prevent her call from being traced. Then for what felt like an agonising eternity, she waited...

The loud vibrations of my phone startled me to my senses and I blinked awake to streams of sunlight that insisted on creeping through tiny gaps in the curtains. Quietly untangling myself from a mass of sheets and limbs, I left my new husband to sleep while I quickly fumbled for one of his tunics and took my call outside to the deck.

"Aisha, this is Delia," her voice sounded panicked through the phone. "I… I didn't know who else to call. I need your help. I think I'm being followed."

I was definitely awake now. "Delia, where are you?" I croaked through the phone.

"The Castelia City Pokémon Centre. Three people just attempted to ambush me… please… I… I don't know what to do."

"Just sit tight, Delia. I'll be right over."

Lance was already stirring when I hurried back into the cabin and shoved my way into more decent clothing. He blinked at me sleepily, almost disappointed that our little 'honeymoon' had to be cut short so quickly.

"What's going on?" he noticed the urgent expression on my face.

"I'm needed for a bailout," I replied quickly, sticking my phone into my pocket and yanking my boots up my calves. "I suspect our Team Plasma friends have something to do with it."

Stark naked, Lance was out of bed before I could even bat an eye. "I'm coming with you."

His statement left no room for argument though I tried anyway. "That won't be necessary."

"I don't care if this is 'Top Secret' Team Rocket business, this could be the lead I'm looking for."

"It's not that," finding my stolen pokéball, I clipped it to my belt and headed from the cabin in search for Pierce's Unfezant.

Getting into a pair of trousers, Lance hopped after me. "What is it then?"

The Unfezant landed on the balcony, fed and rested and ready to fly me to Castelia. "This person I'm going to meet is a civilian under Team Rocket protection. You cannot know their identity."

Lance raised an eyebrow at me, as though to be somewhat shocked that we even had a civilian protection program. "I'm off the clock and I'm not interested in Team Rocket sympathisers. I'm going anyway, even if I have to follow you."

I heaved a loud sigh, there was no point in fighting him further, not when his mind was made up. "Well then if you insist on coming, can I catch a ride with you on Dragonite? She's a hell of a lot faster than my feathered friend here."

We made it to Castelia in record timing. The afternoon sun was just beginning to set when we stepped foot into the cool air conditioning of the Pokémon Centre. I gave the quiet waiting room a quick once over before I caught the somewhat relieved gaze of my father's wife.

"Aisha," she called me by my birth name. "I'm so relieved to see you… and…" she blinked at Lance's presence. "The Dragon Master?"

He nodded quietly, oblivious as to who she actually was.

"It's a long story," I filled in quickly. "The point is, if you feel your identity has been compromised then Giovanni will insist on bringing you in."

Delia was visibly not happy with the prospect but nodded anyway.

"Do you have any idea who these figures were affiliated with?" questioned Lance.

But Delia simply shook her head slowly, "They were dressed in dark clothes. Their faces were hidden by black cloaks. By the way they walked, I would have guessed they were fighters.

"Martial arts?"

"Possibly."

Lance cursed, "This sounds like the workings of Sa'lu's men."

"How can you be sure?" she asked, but was cut short when suddenly the lights to the Pokémon Centre went out.

A united gasp sounded throughout the reception area as, blinking in the darkness, trainers and Centre workers glimpsed one another with bewildered expressions. Then all at once a loud alarm sounded and before we knew it giant, roller doors slammed shut over the Pokémon Centre entrances.

Cries of startle soon became cries of panic, as suddenly realising they were trapped, trainers began to rush about and bash on the security doors that now sealed us in this dark prison.

"Please don't panic! This must be some sort of technical glitch," one of the resident Nurse Joys was busy attempting to calm the panic while her associate used the phone to call the police, only to place it down on the receiver and try again.

"I can't seem to get through. The phones are dead."

I felt the deathly pit that began to form in my stomach, "This can't be good."

"It's a trap," Lance stated the obvious, his hands immediately going to the pokéball on his belt.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you." He was stopped short by the darkly dress figure who seemed to simply step out of thin air. "For the safety of your Pokémon of course."

Lance only seemed to snort at this. If anything, it was the figure who had to fear for his safety at the hands of the Indigo Champion's dragon. "Who are you and what do you want?" Lance demanded.

The figure was soon backed up by two of his friends, all of which were dressed as ninjas.

"Sa'lu's men," I spat, my voice full of poison and blind hatred for the woman they represented.

"Close enough," said the leader. "We call ourselves the Shadow Triad. We are here with a message. If you know what is good for you, you will stay out of Team Plasma's province and leave Unova at once."

"You don't scare me," my snarl was as low toned and dangerous as my father's.

"Hey! What's the deal? Locking us in here against our will?!" It was the frustrated shout from a young trainer that broke us apart temporarily. With a wild gaze and hair like the mane of a lion, she pointed an accusing finger. "Who are you people? Let us out!"

The head ninja decided to ignore her until her friend joined in on the protest.

"I suggest you listen to her," said her purple haired companion, a boy perhaps in his late teens. "In case you haven't noticed we're all trainers in here and we're all ready and willing to battle."

Seasoned warriors or not, this so called 'Shadow Triad' had to realise they were severely outnumbered, and adding Pokémon to the mix would make their chances worse.

Regardless however, I watched the expression in the head Ninja's eyes turn into a smirk as he regarded his opposition in silence, "Go ahead then, release your Pokémon."

I reached for the only pokéball I had on me, a flying type that I'd had little to no experience in using, but a Pokémon nevertheless. However, when I went to push the button on the ball to release it, I found it was stuck tight and glowing red, leaving Pierce's Unnfezent trapped in its ball.

"What the…?" other trainers soon found themselves faced with the same predicament. "What did you do to our pokéballs you creeps?!"

"A disabling beacon has been set off throughout the Pokémon Centre, rendering your pokéballs useless. Rest assured, your Pokémon are safe and unharmed. We've only come for one person. Once you hand her over to us we will leave you in peace." The Ninja's gaze turned on Delia and in that moment I watched her face turn white and she paled.

There was no way they were going to get to her. Not while we still had a few nasty surprises up our sleeves. "I don't think so," I growled, immediately stepping forward and pitching myself between Delia and the Triad. "You're going to have to get through us first. Don't forget, you're not the only one who has received training under your Shadow Master.

The amusement in the head Ninja's eyes only seemed to emanate across to his two friends who stood up defensively behind him. "And don't for one moment forget that you're not the only ones with special abilities, little girl."

Bringing his hand up, a single flick of his fingers was all it took to conjure a flame with which he formed into a fireball and threw across the reception area only for it to explode on an unsuspecting pot plant.

Gasps and cries of horror immediately filled the room and Lance and I instantly straightened. Things had very quickly gotten interesting.

I stole a glance with my partner and he nodded, his gaze determined and his stance ready and willing to fight. I cut right to the chase, conjuring a Psywave and sending it hurtling in their direction which two of the three evaded with ease. The third Ninja, who copped the psychic attack full force, found himself thrown across the room and into a pile of chairs.

Trainers and Centre workers at this point decided to scatter, taking refuge behind couches and counters, watching with blatant expressions of horror at the messy scene that unfolded before their very eyes.

Lance followed me with a Dark Pulse attack that for a moment confused the three and gave me the opening I needed to fly at my nearest opponent with a high jump kick. This he dodged with ease, his body flinging backwards into a multiple back flip.

I lunged again, but this time it was a Vine Whip that caught me off guard and grabbed me by the ankles, flipping me onto my side. I hit the ground with a wheeze only to teleport just in time to dodge a flaming fireball.

Lance was immediately at my defence, a Faint Attack slamming the grass Ninja in the chest and sending him reeling. A sticky bubble attack exploded all over Lance and he quickly ducked, using his cape as a shield while he sent out another Dark Pulse that missed its target and dispersed harmlessly on a concrete pillar. That was when he came to realise the bubbles that now stuck to him had started to glue together to form one giant bubble; a giant bubble that seemed intent on swallowing Lance whole.

He let out a yelp before suddenly he found himself absorbed into the giant abomination.

Water was starting to form on the inside of the bubble with Lance in it, filling up quickly and sending him upwards, gasping for air.

"Lance!" I bellowed, only just managing to doge another Vine Whip before I staggered for the giant bubble that seemed intent on drowning my new husband. I blasted the bubble with a Psybeam, bursting it and sending Lance as well as a wave of water crashing into the ground.

It was just enough of a distraction for the head Ninja to land his hands on me. Coming up from behind, he yanked me by the ponytail and pulled me into a hostage grab, holding a burning hot flame to my face.

Lance, who had barely gotten to his feet, froze in place, mortified. "Don't!"

"You know what to do, Dragon Master," my captor sneered through gritted teeth. Even through the mask he wore, I felt his determined breath hot on the back of my neck.

All gazes turned on Delia who had since found a hiding spot behind the main counter. Breathing heavily, she glanced from me to Lance, to the Ninja that held me. Then her eyes fell on something out of our view; on a figure that crept up on us from behind.

Suddenly there was a loud hiss, and then a great, foamy cloud that billowed all over my captor and his flaming hand, which was doused immediately. He reeled with me on hand and that was when the fire hydrant made contact with his face. His death grip on me released and he hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.

I barely had the chance to glimpse my saviour before two more trainers pounced on the other Ninjas and wrestled them to the floor.

The Ninjas retaliated and attempted to fight them off, but soon it would prove useless as now fearless and onto the cause others joined them. The Triad had no choice but to regroup by pulling themselves into a tight huddle before, amid the chaos, there was a brilliant flash and an explosion of smoke that filled every corner of the Pokémon Centre. The fire alarms kicked in and sprinklers came on, drenching everyone that coughed and choked on the smoke until eventually it cleared, only to reveal that the Shadow Triad had disappeared.

"That was quite the show you put on there, I've got to admit." My previous saviour, the man who had wielded the fire hydrant glimpsed me with a smile.

Lance, who stood just behind me nodded, wiping his brow with a soggy sleeve. "They still got away though."

The man was dressed in a brown suit and trench coat and simply smiled gently. His steely inquiring gaze watching us with the intensity of a sleuth. "The name is Looker. I'm an agent working for the International Police."

"I've heard of you," nodded Lance.

And he nodded in reply, "As have I you. You're out of your jurisdiction, G-Man."

The Pokémon Centre was still a scene of utter chaos, but slowly it was beginning to clear. The roller doors had been opened and police now wandered the scene, questioning eye-witnesses of the incident and jotting down reports.

I had hoped amid the chaos we would be able to shoot through in true Team Rocket fashion. Now though, finding out that I'd been rescued by a cop, a clean get-away seemed less likely. Where was another one of those smoke bombs when I needed one?

A couple of trainers approached us who I recognised as being the ones to have started the wave of protest at our attackers. They looked to be a couple and no older than perhaps sixteen or seventeen. The girl had a wide, defiant grin on her face and her companion, as a contrast, was more rigid and firm.

"Paul, Casey," Lance seemed to recognise them immediately. "What are you two doing here in Unova?"

"Lance!" The girl named Casey gave a light squeal as she bounded over to the Champion and wrapped her arms around him in a spine snapping hug. "We just arrived. We're journeying the region together, you know, as double battlers an' all."

The Dragon Master simply smiled at them, reliving a memory he obviously shared with them. "It's good to see you again. Great work on evading those guys."

The teenager named Paul seemed curious as he gave us the raise of an eyebrow. "What did they want with her exactly?"

The 'her' in question was Delia and she was deep in conversation with an Officer Jenny, giving her account of events minus certain key details. Unfortunately for her however, it would prove hard to reason as to why these attackers had wanted her in the first place.

"That was great work, kids," fortunately for us, the cop who identified himself as simply 'Looker' swooped in and grabbed their hands into vigorous handshakes. "You should be proud. You've proven yourselves as not only excellent trainers of Pokémon but of yourselves too." He really wasn't making much sense to me, and for some reason he disturbed me. I didn't trust him. But then again, he was a cop and I wasn't exactly on friendly terms with the Law.

I let them absorb themselves in vigorous conversation while I hunted down Delia who had since finished up her chat with Officer Jenny. She was sitting on a couch and staring intently at the floor.

"How are you holding up? Are you ready to get out of here?"

Delia cast me a nervous glimpse. "I had to lie," she whispered in an undertone. "I've never lied to a Police Officer before. And that man," she pointed. "The one over there, he is the man who has been following me. He is a member of the Police Department too?"

I nodded. "I think its time to take you in, Delia. You know Giovanni won't be happy one bit to hear about this incident."

She nodded, swallowing and hugged her arms into her chest. "I just need to see Ash. To make sure he arrives in Castelia safely. Then I'll go with you."

"Very well," I said. "You have my number."

Her eyes came up to meet mine and she gently grasp me by the hand, "Thank you, Aisha." She carefully pulled herself to her feet, "I will be in contact with you soon."

I watched her as she nimbly made her way out.

No one saw the three figures that waited for her around the corner, or the ambush that took place only moments after she left the Pokémon Centre. In an instant, Delia Ketchum vanished without a trace…