A Clear and Present Danger
"So where is Giovanni?" Jessie's voice hollered through the cold chill of the warehouse.
Oblivious to her indignation however, Giovanni's secretary watched the trio over her glasses, speaking slowly and calmly. "He's in an important meeting and unavailable at the moment."
The video was static at best but given the rusty old walls of their latest hideout, it was the best connection with headquarters they could establish.
"But he was in a meeting yesterday too!" cried James.
"I'm afraid Giovanni is very busy these days."
"We understand," argued Jessie, "but did you at least ask him what our next assignment is?"
The secretary nodded. "I did, and Giovanni told me to tell you it's up to you. So do your best for Team Rocket. Farewell..."
My eyes slid open in the whiteness, stinging at the blare of unnatural lighting. The strong smell of disinfectant assaulted my nostrils, making me all too aware that I'd somehow managed to find myself in a hospital. I was lying in a bed with a drip in my arm and a wet cloth across my forehead.
"Audi?" I soon felt the presence of an alerted Audino. The nurse Pokémon began to fuss over me, checking my vitals and reading off a chart that hung from the end of my bed.
"Audino? Where am I?" my voice finally croaked. The last I remembered was passing out after Pikachu destroyed that meteonite stone in the Desert Resort. "Pikachu!" The thought hit me suddenly and I bolted upright, yelling out loud at the sharp pain of the drip still in my arm. "Where's Pikachu?!" I demanded.
"Your Pikachu is just fine. It's spending time in the Pokémon infirmary." A young woman in a white labcoat appeared in the hospital room. Her coat was partially open, blatantly revealing her short, black dress and the red R on her chest.
"Team Rocket," I accused.
The girl with yellow pigtails and a less than pleasant bedside manner stared at me with a look of distaste. "You were expecting maybe Team Plasma?"
I huffed, "Listen, I just want my Pikachu back and then I'll be out of your hair, alright?"
"Hah!" The woman seemed to think that was a joke. She pointed me to the exit where two huge looking Team Rocket thugs stood ready to pounce on anyone who dared approach. "The Boss seems to think otherwise, kid. Look I don't know who you are but the Boss requested to see you the moment you woke up. You're either in for a big promotion or..." she let it hang.
"I don't work for Team Rocket," I growled.
"Ah," this seemed to pike her curiosity a little, though not enough to ask any questions. No she knew better than that. "Well you seem to be on the mend and you're awake finally."
"How long was I out?" I questioned.
The woman considered her file. "Twenty-four hours give or take. After the cleanup crew came by and scraped you off the desert floor."
My throat went tight. What about my friends? Where were they? Cilan and Iris? Were they alright? I took a quick glance around the hospital room which was more or less empty. They were nowhere in sight.
"My friends? Where did you put them?"
The woman raised a pierced eyebrow. "Friends? Honey, I don't know. I'm a doctor, not a social entrepreneur. Go find yourself some new friends if you're that desperate!"
I clearly was not going to get much out of her. Hesitantly, I swung around in my hospital bed and placed bare, clammy feet on the cold tiled floor. My clothes were sitting on a chair beside me as I'd since been dressed in a hospital gown. "You said the Boss wanted to see me when I woke up?"
Dressed and freshened up, I was escorted through what I soon realised to be the building Team Plasma had attacked only a day-and-a-half before. I passed by Team Rocket grunts busy at whatever their jobs entailed. Some watched me curiously and others didn't even bat an eye at me. I suppose they had to wonder what someone like me was doing in a place like this, following two of the meanest and biggest bodyguards I'd ever seen. Was I in trouble? I doubted it, though the looks of apprehension I received seemed to increase the higher up we went.
Hallways soon became less and less crowded and the uniforms seemed to change too. The traditional Team Rocket outfits gave way to a more 'military style'. Reds and blacks became purples, greens and golds.
We approached a wide reception area where a single desk sat against the backdrop of a huge window. It was dark out. A secretary with straight purple hair and glasses watched me over her computer monitor. I guess she was expecting me because she simply nodded and then signalled my handlers outside to a huge balcony garden.
"Send him out, Giovanni is expecting him."
My escorts immediately pushed me through the glass door though they didn't dare go through themselves. They simply signalled me down a small gravel path that I guessed would eventually lead me to my appointment.
The balcony was as big as a luxury hotel suite and full of giant potted plants native to Unova. A pond trickled and provided a home to small fish I'd never seen before. There was a single bench that faced the pond and it was occupied. My father was watching something on an e-pad. It flashed with images of a blue haired woman on a rooftop. She was fighting an older woman and her Salamence. I soon realised the blue haired woman was that psychic I'd met in the Viridian forest that eventful day I found myself kidnapped by first Team Rocket and then the Iron Masked Marauder.
The power she displayed was... unimaginable! But even so, she found herself heavily outnumbered against the older lady and her Dragon. Then all at once another figure joined the battle. One I recognised immediately. Lance of the Pokémon G-men! He fought along side the Psychic girl, using powers that I never imagined he could possibly wield! Was this for real?!
Then something happened that changed everything. A giant shockwave coming from the Desert swept its way through the city. The older woman saw it coming and somehow managed to shield herself with what looked to be a protect attack! But the other two; Lance and the Psychic, didn't have enough time to react. They copped the surge head on. Using their hands to shield their eyes, their clothes and hair flapped about wildly in the force of the wave which attacked them like a strong headwind. Then it dissipated and the haggard pair looked dazed – as though to have had every ounce of energy drained from their bodies. They both in turn fell to their knees, passing out on the spot.
The video ended and Dad's voice sounded. "You can approach, Ash. Take a seat."
I swallowed, following his order and perched myself precariously on the edge of the park bench. My eyes took in his sombre frown and furrowed eyebrows.
"I've met that girl before," I said slowly, carefully. "She saved my life."
Dad nodded, "She is your half-sister."
The impact those words made on me was so much bigger than I would have expected. "I have a sister?"
"That's what I just said," Dad replied with a hint of indignation. "She's in trouble. That woman you saw - the one she was fighting - is a dangerous woman who has taken both her and your mother hostage."
That made my mind grind to a halt. I had to backtrack. "Wait, Mom has been kidnapped?" Pure panic suddenly rose in me like a storm surge. "What do they want with her? When did this happen? Why... did you let it happen?" I demanded.
I stood when he decided to say nothing and fell into a pace around the pond.
"Ash," Dad eventually stood up behind me and I reeled to face him.
"Dad, are you responsible for this?"
"Of course not," he retorted. "But for your own safety I've ordered to have you brought here."
"What about my friends?"
"They're safely back in the city. They are under the impression that you've gone to visit your family for a little while." Which was true... it just wasn't one of those 'happy family reunion' sorts.
I heaved a loud sigh, shaking my head slowly with the thoughts that now started to race through it. "I need to be out there. I need to find Mom."
"You'll stay right here, Ashton," Dad growled. "Like it or not, I'm not letting you out of my sights for the time being."
I had to resist the urge to snort. His fathering had come a little late... try ten years too late! I knew I didn't have a choice in the matter, but that never stopped me from escaping from the clutches of other criminal gangs like Team Magma and Galactic. How would this be any different?
'Apart from the fact that this is your father you're talking about.' I thought to no-one but myself.
"Alright," I finally conceded, "But I want to help." I couldn't believe the words that were coming from my mouth! I was actually going to side with Team Rocket?! "I want to help you find Mom."