Ash and Aurian traded a nonchalant glance.
"Lie or tell as much of the truth as possible without getting in trouble," Aurian said. "I'd prefer the second."
Brock watched the silent exchange between the two trainers with careful eyes, giving an indignant sigh.
"You're right about the combat training," Ash said, absentmindedly scratching Pikachu behind the ears.
"And the utter annihilation part," Aurian raised a pointer finger. "When we take a job, we do it right."
"You still haven't told us who you're working for," Brock said.
Misty cleared her throat. "Honestly wouldn't be surprised if you were with a Team, you know…"
Ash felt his patonai's aura flare on the aura plane, her hands shaking in rage.
"Don't you dare associate us with any of them," Aurian whispered, the intensity in her gaze forcing Brock back. "Talk to us about our motivations after you've survived a few apocalypses, lost Pokemon, and suffered more than you ever dreamed possible."
Misty's heart broke at the rawness in the other girl's voice. That had to be the truth…
"Why are you here?" Brock asked.
Ash sighed, the sound coming out of him more fitting for a trainer much older and jaded than his eighteen years. "We can tell you that one. We're here to keep Rocket from doing whatever it is that they're here to do. That's all we know."
Misty frowned, keeping an eye on the rotating field below. "No Teams. Got it."
"All you know, or all you're allowed to say?" Brock crossed his arms. "Pretty big difference between the two, if you ask me."
"I don't want to receive the hell we specialize in giving other people, so our lips are sealed," Ash said, meeting Brock's gaze head-on. "This stays between the four of us. You don't want to know what's coming if it doesn't."
Brock winced. "Duly noted."
The trainees exploded back into the row, passing hot chocolate down for each of their mentors, plus Brock and Misty.
"You find the stand okay?" Ash asked, Misty caught off guard from how quickly he swapped his hardened, battle-worn self for the cheerful, goofy persona that the little ones knew.
Max nodded, taking a sip from his travel mug. "Sorry we took so long. After Michael pointed us in the right direction, we got stuck in line behind Champion Cynthia."
"Arceus, let me offer an apology as the local Sinnoh native," Aurian groaned, savoring the warmth coming off of her cup. "I've been behind her in line for ice cream before and it's a nightmare."
Maddie sighed. "I'd heard the rumors and didn't think it would be all that bad… it was worse. So, so much worse. Anyways, who's up next?"
Noah pulled up the schedule. "Ooooh, Cheren's up! He's one of my favorite gym leaders back home!"
"What's his specialty?" Max asked, readying his Pokedex.
"Normal," Aurian and Noah said in unison, drawing laughs from the two.
"Cheren started as gym leader… what, two years ago?" Aurian asked. "I battled Lenora my first round through Unova."
Noah nodded. "Yeah! I'm real bummed that Lenora retired, she's always been one of my favorites-"
The rest of Noah's statement was cut off by Shauntal and Flint introducing the next set of battles and giving a brief review of how the preliminary round worked.
"Here we go! From the blue tunnel is Cheren Walker, the current gym leader of Aspertia City in Unova!"
A black-haired trainer exited the tunnel, giving a brief wave before settling into his box.
"From the red tunnel is four-time League tournament champion Tobias Langley!"
Misty bit her lip when she noticed all the color leave Red's face at the mention of Tobias' name but said nothing, keeping her eyes glued on the slate-haired trainer walking to his box.
The referee gave the rundown for the rules of a single battle and asked both trainers to release their first Pokemon.
Cheren released a Stoutland, who let loose a ground-shaking bark before settling into a defensive position.
The stadium went silent as Tobias tossed out a Darkrai.
"Holy crap," Michael gasped, shaking his head. "I… I've heard about how powerful this guy is, but seeing it in person…"
"Frightening," Brock finished.
Conversation ceased as the battle began, Ash's shoulders far more tense than usual.
"That's the one, right?" Aurian asked through kokani.
Ash gritted his teeth as Darkrai fired off a Dark Void that sent a shockwave through the stadium as it contacted Stoutland. "The very same. I think it's gotten stronger."
"You can't be serious," Aurian hissed, wincing as Darkrai eliminated Cheren's Pokemon with a vicious Dream Eater, images of Stoutland's nightmares flashing in the air before the Pitch-Black Pokemon devoured them.
Ash shook his head as Cheren released an Unfeazant, who took to the skies. "Ri, Cheren doesn't stand a chance. I know he's a fantastic trainer but nothing changes the fact that he hasn't landed a single hit. The only Pokemon that stand a chance would be a fighter or a bug, maybe a fairy if you played your cards right, but Tobias isn't stupid enough to ignore blatant type advantages."
"Is anyone here strong enough to take him down?" Aurian crossed her arms.
Ash paused. "I don't know."
Unfeazant went down hard, leaving Cheren backed into a corner. He released a Lickilicky, who sprinted forward with a Hammer Arm prepped and ready to go.
Ash leaned forward, eyes never leaving Darkrai, the pit in his stomach growing larger by the second.
Something wasn't right.
He couldn't quite pin it on first glance, but there was something in the way that Darkrai moved that set off alarm bells. If only the trainees, Misty, and Brock weren't there and he could slip into aura sight to see what was going on…
The battle ended without further fanfare. Cheren left the field in a daze while the crowd roared in approval for the Darkrai and its trainer.
As Tobias left the field, Aurian noticed his trainee for the first time- red hair, dark eyes, confidence in his stride.
"Hold on…" she trailed off. "Has anyone seen Tobias' trainee before?"
Misty bit her lip, then almost shot out of her chair. "Crap! Yes! That's Silver Howell! Stormed into my gym nine months ago and demanded a match without facing any of my sub-trainers first. Quite the ego on that one."
"Did he have any other gym badges?" Brock asked.
Aurian pulled her PokeGear from her pocket, running a quick search on the name. "Hold on, this guy's not a beginning trainer. Check out his League records-"
The gang gathered around the PokeGear, which revealed that Silver'd competed in the Indigo and Ever Grande Conferences with little luck.
"If he's not a new trainer, how did he wind up as Tobias' trainee?" Max asked. "Also, where'd Tobias find a Darkrai? Aren't Darkrai considered Legendary Pokemon?"
"No idea, no idea, and yes," Brock said. "I saw him in action in the Sinnoh League a few years back and it was brutal. One of Misty and I's old friends was the only person in the entire tournament who forced him to use a second Pokemon, and it was a Latios! A freaking Latios!"
"No way," Maddie gasped.
Misty drummed her fingers against the barrier in front of her. "Can anyone beat him? Tobias's gone undefeated for the last ten years. He destroys everything in his path."
Ash and Aurian traded an alarmed glance.
"How do you even prepare for a battle like that?" Max asked, shaking his head.
Aurian smiled, sensing a learning opportunity. "Let's talk through it! What do we know about Darkrai?"
Michael kicked his feet back and drained the rest of his hot chocolate as his fellow squadron members walked the trainees through a multitude of ways to prepare for a battle that large. Those kids had no idea how lucky they were to learn from the G-Men's resident miracle workers.
He owed his life to the patonai's quick thinking during the final showdown against Greevil in Orre and saw firsthand how devastatingly accurate their predictions could be in Johto.
"Remember, nothing works more in your favor in a battle than the element of surprise," Aurian said.
Ash shrugged. "That, and a well-timed Flamethrower. Those two together will solve about ninety percent of your problems, both on and off the field."
"Don't encourage the little ones into arson!" Aurian pouted, much to Ash and the trainees' collective amusement.
The rest of the day continued on just like that- the trainees pestered the older trainers with questions about the remaining preliminary battles, the older trainers fired back with the best advice and battle deconstructions they could. By the end of the last battle of round one, each trainee could describe in fairly decent detail where the losing trainer went wrong in terms of Pokemon selection or move choice.
Misty and Brock both sat in shock through Red and Blue's unorthodox teaching methods, blown away by both the accuracy of instruction and the insight the trainers shared.
"They analyze like Elite Four members," Brock muttered, shaking his head. "This is unreal. Makes me want to get back out on the field and battle."
"Stick to your textbooks, Harrison," Misty smiled. "I know I should be adding trainers to the list but my God, they're brilliant. I think I'm learning more from them than I am from the battles themselves."
Ash clapped his hands together. "So! Based on the battles you've seen today, who do you three think should be added to our list of troublemakers?"
"Tobias," all three said in unison, drawing laughs from everyone present.
Max frowned. "Trip Heights stuck out to me."
"Ritchie Evans! Oooh, that Charizard of his looks awesome," Maddie said.
Aurian swore she could almost see hearts orbiting above her trainee's head. "Good additions. Anyone else?"
"Misty!" Noah said. "Beware the Gyarados."
"Oh! The guy with the weird hat… what was his name?" Maddie trailed off with a pout.
Max thought for a second. "Nando! Seems like an unusual guy. I thought he did Contests?"
"Nando's one of those rare trainers who succeeds at anything he tries," Aurian said. "The man's brilliant, both at Contests and in battles. He's dangerous specifically for that reason- you never know what's coming when he's on the field."
Ash nodded. "Absolutely. Do we know when Round Two match-ups will be announced?"
"Goodshow said twelve hours before the first battle of the next round, right?" Misty asked. "I bet a whole slew of League employees are running around like Farfetch'd with their heads cut off trying to get the battle order set."
"Excellent," Aurian said, "we have some time. Who's hungry for dinner? We've got plenty of time to go somewhere nice before the exhibition battles start tonight!"
Max's stomach let off a huge grumble. "Pleaaase!"
After an excellent meal of Orre tacos at a hole-in-the-wall taqueria just outside of Stadium B, the gang paused at a fork in the road in the stadium district.
"Okay, according to the schedule, we have three stadiums to choose from, each hosting two battles between Elite Four members. Any preference on who we should go watch?" Brock said, flipping through the digital guidebook to the upcoming battles.
Misty shrugged. "They're all going to be great! I think the trainees should pick this one."
"I've always wanted to see Grimsley battle live," Noah said, eyes bright. "If his strategies are as great as his voice, we'll be in for a good time."
Ash laughed. "I'm picturing the banter between Flint and Grimsley- I don't think you could find two people more polar opposites in the personality department."
"Let's go, then!" Max grinned.
Several minutes later, everyone settled into seats on the fourth concourse, giving them a birds-eye view of the field below.
"Good thing no one's afraid of heights," Michael muttered, peeking over the railing. "Also a good thing we have the jumbotrons to show us what's actually happening down there."
Ash, Aurian, Michael, and Misty's PokeGears buzzed, revealing an email from the League.
"Hey, Round Two match-ups are live!" Ash said, scrolling down the email to find his name. "Who are you up against?"
Michael grinned. "I'm against Korrina from Kalos! Fighting-specialist, I believe. Y'all?"
"I don't go until day two," Aurian flicked through the names. "Oh! I'm against someone named Touya Black from Unova? Should be a good challenge."
"Barry Williams from Sinnoh?" Misty asked. "Never heard of him."
Max grinned. "Oh! I know this one! He's Battle Tycoon Palmer's son! He tore up the Battle Frontier a few months ago, but hasn't challenged his dad yet."
"What about you, Red?" Maddie asked. "Any luck?"
Ash let out a groan. "God. I'm up against Sabrina."
"No!" Aurian protested. "Agh, I'm sorry, that's going to suck."
"I'll figure something out," Ash gave a weak smile, "don't you worry."
Their conversation was cut short as Lance and Alder took the microphones.
"Please welcome Elite Four members Grimsley Bannister and Flint Peralta to the field!"
The two trainers exited their respective tunnels, crowd going wild at their arrival.
"Trainers! This is a six-on-six Single Battle. Witty banter and unorthodox battle strategies are highly encouraged. This is an exhibition battle, so the results will not remain on your League records. Any questions?"
Flint grinned. "Thanks, Harold. Ready, Grims?"
"Don't call me that," Grimsley muttered, releasing an Absol.
Flint pulled a Pokeball from the back of his belt, revealing a massive Magmortar.
"Whoa…" Noah trailed off, raising his Pokedex to log both Pokemon. "We made the right decision."
"Begin!" Harold the Referee yelled, diving behind a protective partition before either Elite Four member could react.
"Flamethrower, start out strong," Flint called, crossing his arms.
Grimsley tossed his scarf behind his shoulders. "Dodge, Dark Pulse!"
Ash wasn't sure which part of the ensuing battle he enjoyed more- the trainees' excited reactions to the strategies that Flint and Grimsley employed, picturing the chaos happening in Flint and Grimsley's respective division headquarters back on base, or Misty trying her hardest not to react to Flint's ridiculous puns.
He couldn't help the smile that came to his face when Misty finally laughed, the sound like music to his ears.
An hour later, both Flint and Grimsley ordered their last team members forward, Pokemon meeting in an explosion of flames and shadows.
Aurian kept a hand on Max's shirt as he leaned forward in a feeble attempt to see through the smoke.
Flint's Infernape stood, panting, over Grimsley's unconscious Krookodile.
"And we have our winner!" Lance yelled, booming over the crowd.
Flint and Grimsley met at mid-field, trading a handshake and a fist-bump before retreating to their tunnels with a wave.
"That. Was. Incredible," Maddie shook her head. "I didn't know that battling could be that intense."
Brock nodded. "And that's an Elite Four battle. Imagine what two Champions facing off against each other is like!"
"We'll get to see it in four days," Ash said, brandishing his PokeGear. "Cynthia versus Diantha in exhibition."
"Better hope they reinforce the stadium before then," Aurian muttered, much to Misty's amusement. "It's pretty late now, everyone ready to turn in?"
The gang gave their goodbyes and returned to the campsite, settling in for a long night's rest.
… or so they thought. Aurian's PokeGear vibrated at midnight, rousing the younger patonai from a deep, dreamless sleep.
"Ugh…" she trailed off, rolling over before plugging headphones in. "What's up?"
"Good evening, Captain. We need you and Red back at base as soon as possible. Your last round of special deliveries are awake."
Aurian nodded, suppressing a groan. "Got it. Where and when?"
"Floor H, Room 39. We'll update you further when you two get here," Lance said. "Stay safe, teleport out from somewhere where you can't be tracked."
The line went dead, leaving Aurian to wake her partner after closing the door to her tent.
"Ash? Ash? Ash…." she trailed off.
A rustling noise revealed Pikachu, who managed to open the zipper. He yawned before looking at Aurian with expectant eyes.
"Wake your human, but quietly," Aurian whispered. "No Thunderbolts this time. We have somewhere to be."
Pikachu nodded, creeping back in the tent. He sat on Ash's chest, swiping his tail under his human's nose until Ash jolted awake with a sneeze.
"Geez, I'm up," he muttered, scratching Pikachu behind the ears. "What's going on?"
"Summons," Aurian said, passing over her PokeGear, which held a text message further details from Lance. "Delete it once you're done, we need to head out ASAP."
Ash clambered out of his tent. "Be honest with me, can we leave from here? No footprints means no tracking…"
"Xiphos is quiet about it, we'll be fine," Aurian whispered. "Make it quick."
Thirty seconds later, the patonai landed rather unceremoniously in Armada headquarters, drawing yells of protest and a boatload of words not meant for polite company from their fellow division members.
"Scared the hell out of me," Wes muttered, returning his Espeon and Umbreon with a dejected sigh. "Great to see you both, but way to crash movie night..."
"Oooh!" Aurian grinned, picking her way through scattered popcorn to squint at the screen. "Don't say you picked a Musical without me…"
"Eusine picked this week," Sam shrugged, turning off the screen as the credits rolled, "and he wanted Phantump of the Opera. Doesn't mean we're not heckling Christine hardcore through this demented plot."
Eusine rolled his eyes, holding a mostly-empty container of popcorn. "It's art, Sam! Musical prowess over plot progress."
"Anyways, we're off to an interrogation, as much as we'd like to stay and help Sam heckle," Ash waved, following his patonai out the door. "Keep up the good work, way to flatten Dragonite Reserve in the division rankings!"
Whoops and hollers followed the patonai as they traced their way down towards their target room.
"Surely they aren't expecting us to interrogate eight Rockets in one night?" Ash said, mouth drawn into a grimace. "We'll be here until dawn!"
"That's not the plan, thankfully," a new voice said, joining the patonai as they descended the main staircase.
Aurian grinned, pulling her hair back into a messy bun. "Good to hear, Grimsley. What do you know?"
"Those Rockets are nothing but trouble," the Elite Four member groaned, tossing his scarf over his shoulder. "Handcuffs, isolation cells, and round-the-clock supervision are the only things that kept the disaster trio from escaping."
Ash laughed. "Nothing unusual for us. And the others?"
"Only woke up an hour ago, thanks to that little trick you pulled," Hiori Kai said, skidding around a corner to join the three. "Research couldn't be more pleased with the field data you gave them, they're planning on implementing that tactic organization-wide."
"We wanted to wait to interrogate them all at once to make sure their stories corroborate," Grimsley continued, "and Lance didn't want to proceed without you two. He intends to keep this mission as strictly Armada as he can."
"That's odd," Aurian frowned, crossing her arms. "If anything, I expected Lance to combine forces to combat Rocket…"
"Not when we're pulled thin," Lance said, walking forward to meet the assembled quartet. "Dragonite Reserve's out on a training exercise in the Unovan desert, and Salamence is out quelling a Magma uprising in Hoenn. I know I can trust the Armada, so with you this mission stays."
"Commander," Ash and Aurian saluted.
"Orders?" Grimsley asked.
Lance paused, gathering his thoughts. "We've split all eight offenders up, each in their own holding room. Interrogation will happen in pairs on our end. Patonai, I want you to take the disaster trio."
Aurian nodded. "Sounds great, but… hopefully not in civilian clothes, right?"
"We've gathered your formal uniforms. Go change, then report back for your case files," Lance motioned to an adjacent room.
Ash and Aurian ducked into the locker room, setting up on either side of a divider.
"It's been a while since we were in formals," Ash said, setting his uniform out.
Three golden chevrons on the right shoulder of his jacket bored a hole into his soul. He closed his eyes and focused on his breaths- in for five, hold for seven, out for nine.
Flashes of Johto flew through his mind's eye. Hiori, backed against a wall, bleeding from a gash in his arm. Michael, cradling an unconscious Jolteon, screaming. Wes, Snagging as many Pokemon as he could but not putting a dent into Rocket's forces. Riley, holding an aura shield with shaking hands, praying to anyone who'd listen.
His patonai, rocketing forward with fire in her eyes as her Spiritomb decimated a path to freedom.
Aurian's Dragonair and his Charizard tag-teaming, opening the Gates to Hell over their heads…
Aurian cursed, tripping over her own feet while trying to pull her boots on. "Talk to me-agh!"
She fell with a crash to the floor, hair in her face, before she laughed. "Yikes. Some Captains we are, right?"
"Certainly caused quite an uproar when Riley named us as his seconds instead of Wes or Eusine," Ash said, pulling his patonai to her feet. "Thought some of the older Haxorus members were going to have a coronary."
Aurian patted his shoulder twice, then pulled her uniform jacket on, fiddling with the buttons. "We proved ourselves in division rankings. Since when have we cared what anyone in these walls thinks about us?"
"When we wound up responsible for lives other than our own?" Ash said, fastening his shoulder cape before pulling his overlong hair into a tiny ponytail. "Do I pass inspection?"
Aurian tilted her head, tucking a spare hair away before tying a navy ribbon around her bun. "Nameplates need to come off, then you're fine."
"Good save," Ash muttered, placing the metal rectangle in his pocket. "You're good, nothing looks out of line."
Aurian flashed her partner a thumbs-up before rejoining Lance and about half the Armada in the halls.
"All right," Lance started, passing out folders to each squadron member, "we're clear to begin. Pairs are as follows. Grimsley and N will take Domino. Ash and Aurian will take the disaster trio…"
Long after the fact, Ash would admit he didn't pay much attention to the rest of the briefing, instead thinking back through the first five years of his journey in an attempt to find anything he could use against Jessie, James, and Meowth.
"All clear?" Lance asked.
All assembled saluted, retreating into their respective interrogation rooms.
"You okay, Captain Space Cadet?" Aurian asked, poking her patonai's shoulder.
Ash nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that. Trying to think ahead. Who should we start with?"
"Jessie," Lance said. "Best of luck."
Ash passed Pikachu to Lance before entering the room, Aurian right on his heels.
"Kachu?" Pikachu squeaked, tilting his head.
Lance chuckled, setting Pikachu on his shoulder and scratching the electric mouse under his chin.
Jessie gave Ash a curious look as he entered the room. "Here to question me, boy?"
Aurian peeked around from behind her patonai and waved.
"I thought this was the G-Men?!"
"Surprise," Aurian grinned. "We're Captains Aronshu and Katrian, please address us as such. Do you have any questions before we get started?"
Jessie huffed, crossing her arms and turning her nose up.
"Excellent," Ash said. "Would you mind telling us who these people are?"
Jessie frowned at the photographs the patonai slid across the table. "They're all Rockets, but you knew that. John Adamson, Birch Youngblood, Cassidy Carlisle, Domino Harvey… the witch."
"Four out of five," Aurian muttered, scribbling on her notepad. "Who's the fifth?"
"Well, he definitely doesn't fit with everyone else here. That's Petrel."
Ash swallowed his surprise, praying it didn't show on his face. "Come again?"
"You heard me. Petrel Peterson, tenth in command. Not sure what he's doing with those hooligans, but that's definitely him."
"What was he doing at the Global Invitational?" Aurian asked, drumming her pen against the paper.
Jessie shrugged. "Probably what the rest of us were doing, you know? Poaching Pokemon, making misery, the standard schtick."
"Did you poach any Pokemon before you were taken into our custody?" Ash crossed his arms.
Jessie paused. "Well… this is going to sound ridiculous, but hear me out. My team and I had our eyes set on one specific Pokemon that we hadn't seen in years. We figured that if we could find that damn Pikachu and get it to our boss, we'd finally earn a long-overdue promotion."
Ash and Aurian traded an exasperated look.
"And by extension, potentially finding his trainer and bringing him in, too. Boss's always been fascinated with that one."
Aurian frowned, pen scratching. "Name of the trainer?"
"Ash Ketchum," Jessie drawled. "Haven't seen the kid in… what, four years now? Boss thinks it's a lost cause, but we know he's still out there."
"Right. We've heard some rumblings about your engineering department starting a new project," Ash started. "What do you know about MissingNO?"
All color drained from Jessie's face, blue eyes wide. "You're… not supposed to know about that."
"But you do! Enlighten us," Aurian said, flipping to a new page.
Jessie sighed, shaking her head. "I wish I'd never seen it. MissingNO shouldn't exist- don't give me that look, I know you think the same thing," Jessie motioned towards the look of derision on Aurian's face. "Scared the hell straight out of me. Yeah, we've done some terrible things but this… this is too far. I don't want to be associated with anyone involved with that project."
"You wouldn't happen to have names, would you?" Ash asked, crossing his fingers and hoping for a miracle.
"My team and I never really interacted with those departments. Sorry to break your little do-gooder hearts."
"It'll take more than that," Aurian muttered. "Anything else, Captain?"
Ash frowned, motioning his partner out the door. "All I can think of at the moment. Thanks, Jessie."
The Rocket operative's eyes never left the Captains as they exited the room, footsteps quiet against the concrete.
"Do you think she was completely honest with us?" Aurian asked as soon as the door closed.
Ash shrugged, picking at a speck of dust on his sleeve. "One way to find out."
"Ugh," Aurian groaned, stepping out of James' room, "that was about as successful as a Charizard trying to fly through a hurricane."
Ash sighed, eyes closed. "He did confirm that the disaster trio did see MissingNO in person. That's at least something?"
"Cheers to the talking Meowth," Aurian said, holding the door for her patonai. "Tally-ho?"
Ash rolled his eyes, stepping into the third room.
Meowth sat behind a table, fur matted and dirty. "What'cha doin' here?"
Aurian extended a hand. "My name is Captain Katrian, and this is my partner, Captain Aronshu. We're here to ask you a few questions, that's all."
"Neva had a human shake a paw before," Meowth said, eyes narrowed.
"Captain Katrian and I aren't like most humans you've been around, from what we can tell," Ash said, following his partner's lead. "We'll cut right to the chase. Both your partners mentioned seeing MissingNO in person. What can you tell us?"
Meowth's fur bristled. "Doesn't smell like a Normal-type. Not sure what that thing is, but it's anything but normal."
Aurian's pen flew across her paper.
"We weren't even supposed to see it, but Jessie got curious. Snuck into Sector A9 after a meeting through the air vents. I've neva seen so many people in one lab. There were a few I knew… spiky blue-haired guy, and some guy in a lab coat with the weirdest hair I've eva seen. Looked like it was orbiting his head…"
Ash frowned. "How long had those two been with Rocket?"
"I don't think they are? Didn't have enough of a chance to think about it before we had to bail. MissingNO's huge, and it's nowhere close to bein' done. They're tryin' to play Arceus by creating life, and even I know that's a bad idea."
"Did you overhear any conversations in that lab?" Aurian asked. "Details, plans, schedules, anything?"
Meowth shook his head. "Too science-y for me to follow."
"Understood. Thank you, Meowth," Ash said. "That's all we need."
The patonai nearly bolted from the room to find Lance.
"From the looks on your faces, you two probably don't have good news," Lance said, readying his notepad. "Fill me in."
Ash gulped. "Colress and Saturn both are in on the MissingNO project."
"Crap!" Lance hissed. "I suspected cross-Team collaboration from a report that came in from the Ranger Union this morning, but this only confirms our worst fears."
Aurian's gaze turned downright murderous. "Damn Saturn to hell! He keeps coming back, every time we think we have him cornered…"
"But in good news, we have a location! They mentioned Sector A9. Not sure what that's code for, but it's a good start. Meowth also said that MissingNO doesn't smell like a Normal-type, which is something to keep in mind. I may not trust him, but Meowth's always had a good nose," Ash added. "I forgot to ask, did we recover anything of use from the Rocketdex that Cassidy carried?"
Lance nodded. "Unsurprisingly, they used the device as a way to list Pokemon they wanted to steal. Fortunately, you two didn't make the cut."
"Could we see that list?" Aurian asked. "You did send us to look for Rocket operatives, this could be a good way to narrow some names down."
"We'll have it for you in the morning. Excellent thinking," Lance said. "Do you two have further questions before you head back to Sinnoh?"
Ash shook his head, handing their notes over to Lance. "I don't think so. Ri?"
"Nothing on my end."
"Best of luck in your second-round battles. Ash, I'm sorry about that match-up," Lance sighed.
Ash shrugged. "You've gotta do what you've gotta do. Not ideal, but I can work through it. Nothing that we can't handle, even though it'll probably suck."
"Whatever you do, please be careful. Try not to use any G-Men strategies out on that field if you can't help it. We can't risk you blowing your cover."
The patonai both nodded, bidding Lance good night and vanishing into thin air.
Riley exited Petrel's room, sending Hiori on his way before finding Lance.
"Any progress?" Lance asked.
Riley took a deep breath in, deep breath out. "Rude, disgusting, vulgar, horrible human being."
"... I'm taking that as a no."
"Oh, we made progress, alright," Riley said, "but it felt like pulling teeth. I'm curious to see how all the stories align."
Lance sighed, leaning back against the wall. "You and me both."
(A/N): Thanks for sticking around for C10! We're starting to get into the fun stuff and I'm super hyped. Shoutout to thechinskyguy for being a fantastic beta reader, as per usual.
Have a great rest of your day!