I hope not to confuse you with this chapter, it explains some things that happened when they arrived at Vermilion City and covers situations before and after Delia will hear the truth from her husband.

Archer stood watching from the window of Giovanni's office at Ash playing in the garden. He seemed to him to be a very energetic and intelligent boy. His eyes were like his mother's, but the fighting spirit had definitely been inherited from the gym leader. The door opened and the executive turned his gaze there to see his boss enter, who seemed tired. He hoped the doctor had given Giovanni good news about his wife.

"Are you okay, sir?", Archer asked watching him sit behind his desk. Giovanni had gotten rid of the dirty and battered clothes that he had arrived in and it seemed to Archer that he now looked like the usual boss.

"A little, yes…", He put his hands behind his neck.

"It was a surprise to find you in Pallet Town", he paused, rethinking his next sentence. "With them…", He finally said.

Giovanni frowned and gave Archer a cold, annoyed look. He didn't like his employees gossiping about his affairs.

"The safety of my family has always been a priority for me"

"I understand sir. Have you already thought about what we will do from now on? It is too dangerous a situation, if Cipriani has found them in Pueblo Paleta, he will very surely find this place"

Giovanni licked his lips and was silent for a moment. He knew they had to move fast to avoid being found.

"What do you suggest?", He asked, clasping his hands on the wooden desk.

"After you disappeared, I tried looking for you without much success, but unintentionally came up with some promising clues about Eric Phillips"

Giovanni raised an eyebrow with interest. He hadn't heard from his friend in a few weeks and he was worried about his life.

"Do you think he's alive?"

"I have a unit tracking those leads now. I hope to have more information for you later. We can distract Cipriani with this and use the moment to move your wife and child to a safer place"

"I hear you…"

"I think you must go yourself to attract Cipriani's attention, sir"

"Sounds good, it's like suicide. But it is a good idea"

"You will be back sir, I know", Archer replied, smiling at his boss.

Giovanni knew that what his faithful executive said was correct, sending his family away was the best option at that moment. Besides finding his friend Eric, and if to do so he had to face Cipriani face to face and expose himself like a guinea pig, he would.

"Take charge, and let me know when you have everything ready"

Archer inclined his head towards Giovanni and then left the office. The crime lord was feeling tired and stressed. He knew Delia would not forgive him and maybe he would never see her again. Sending her away with Ash was for the best right now, although that will mean losing her forever. To have hidden the truth about his activities from her would be a bomb exploding between them. The gym leader rested his head against the cold wood, he was finished, that was undoubtedly the worst day of his life.

The fresh, brackish air of Vermilion City flooded Ash's lungs, his hair fluttered and the little one put a hand to his head to settle it in place. He sat on the grass with Persian next to him keeping him company while he waited for his father to appear to tell him how his mother was. Ash cast a discreet glance over his shoulder and glanced at the two uniformed guards still standing near the door watch over him.

The huge mansion that once belonged to Giovanni's mother was located near the Vermilion Sea. It was a place with beautiful, large gardens and many rooms. When they arrived Ash marveled at the imposing view of the sea, it was the first time he had seen such an idyllic landscape and his eyes fell in love with the view. But there was no time to stay to admire the sea, his mother was taken on a stretcher when they got out of the helicopter. She was still unconscious and his father was very worried. Giovanni ordered Archer to stay with Ash and he took him to see the sea from a garden with white and red roses. After a while Persian appeared who licked his face and invited him to play around the garden. Ash did not realize when Archer left and in his place the guards appeared, now he waited patiently waiting for his father to come for him.

"Ash", The little boy turned his face and jumped to his feet.

"Dad, how is mom?", He hastily asked as he joined his father.

Giovanni placed a hand on Ash's head who was looking at him with worried eyes. Persian rubbed against Ash's legs and meowed gently.

"She's okay, don't worry, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, do you know whose house this is?", Heasked, still looking at him.

"It's mine", he announced with a slight smile on his face.

Ash's eyes widened in surprise and Giovanni observed the look of strangeness that then accentuated on his face.

"Why didn't I know it?"

"There are a lot of things we should talk about later when you're older" He patted him on the shoulder.

"Okay", Ash said in a soft voice.

"Let's go inside. Aren't you hungry?"

Ash nodded and followed Giovanni inside, when they reached the door guarded by the guards, the little one grabbed hold of his father's arm and hid his face in his jacket, somewhat shy.

"Dad, why are there so many guards here?", Ash asked, sitting on a high bench with his face pressed to the marble-topped island in the middle of the kitchen.

Giovanni was making him a sandwich, his black jacket was resting on a chair next to Ash's bench and his shirt sleeves were pulled up to the elbows.

"They work here, they take care of the house", he told him as he placed a plate with the sandwich in front of his son.

That seemed to convince the boy who began to eat looking at his father on the other side of the island. However, Ash knew that things would not be the same after that day, they had lost their home. He had recorded in mind the image of the house burning in the distance as Archer's car drove away from it. He was too scared to say anything at the time. Everything happened very quickly, the noise of the explosives, the intruders entering the house, his father confronting them, his escape to Viridian and this new house that his father announced was his. He could not understand all these events, but he did not dare to ask for explanations. He cared about his mother, but also about what would happen to them now.

"May I see Mom?", Ash asked as he stared at his father.

"It's better if we let your mother rest, you can see her soon, I promise you, do you want to take a bath?"

Ash looked at his clothes soiled by the dust, smoke and ash from the house in Pallet Town. He nodded as he finished eating.

"Then, could he go to the sea?", His calm voice from his made Giovanni think that Ash felt out of place in that place, the boy who always shouted and jumped from one side to the other seemed lost. He knew that it was not easy for his son to understand everything that had happened.

"I'll take you to see the sea, okay?"

Ash nodded as he watched his father put the jacket back on.

While Ash was showering, Giovanni went to see Delia who to his reassurance was now awake. He had to explain her and reveal the secrets that he so fearfully kept during their marriage. There was nothing he could do now, she deserved the truth. He could only pray to life that Delia knew how to forgive him and understand that the love he felt for her and their family was genuinely real.

Hearing Delia's words that accused and reproached him was difficult. Although he always knew that at some point he had to confess, he did not think it would be in these conditions. Delia felt betrayed and thought their life together was a sham.

If only Leo Cipriani had not appeared to turn things upside down, now he could be at home enjoying the tranquility of the countryside, playing with Ash in the courtyard of the little white house, eating his wife's delicious dishes and marveling at the news of the new family addition.

Giovanni clenched his fists tightly, annoyed by everything that was happening. As he growled under his breath, he cursed Leo Cipriani's name and vowed that he would do everything in his power and more than that to make him pay to break the perfect and delicate family environment that he had created in Pallet Town with Ash and Delia. .

While her husband lamented what had happened and cursed his enemy, Delia continued to gaze through the glass at the impassive sea of Vermilion City. Giovanni's words kept spinning in her head. Her eyes were wet with tears and she passed the back of her hand to dry them. If she rethought things she knew that deep inside her long ago she suspected that something was wrong with her husband. She mentally chided herself for being so naive. What man accepts his wife's whims of living in the country? What incredulous woman would leave her husband living alone in the city?

Delia thought and thought about all the events in her life from the moment she met Giovanni in that park in the middle of Viridian city, he was her savior and he seemed like a different boy from the ones she knew. When she spent time with him at the gym she learned about what he liked and showed her the sweet and understanding side of him. Delia fell madly in love with the gym leader and she fully trusted everything he said or did to her. Here resided her pain now.

Delia put a hand to her belly and gently stroked the swelling that was beginning to form. She remembered the days she spent visiting Giovanni's gym when they were waiting for Ash. The beautiful moments they spent together decorating his room and the face of her husband when he held their little one for the first time in his arms. At that time she noticed in his eyes a bit of fear and also concern, but it was only for a small second like a fleeting ray of light. She did not give importance to it at that moment, but now she understood that Giovanni thought at that moment that this child was his Achilles heel.

Now as she looked at the sea of Vermilion and caressed her belly in awaiting of their second child, she thought that not everything had changed so much. She kept thinking until that morning about the color of the baby's room, about the clothes she should buy, and the father right now surely thought it was a rope tied around his neck for any crazy person who was out there trying to kill him.

The chocolate-eyed woman turned away from the window, ready to go find her son. When she was about to go to the door she noticed the little paper note that was on the bed. After reading it she looked at her dirty and battered clothes. Her face and arms also had traces of dust and ash, so she decided to go to the bathroom to clean herself as the note suggested. The place was very spacious and elegant, and it did not lose the aesthetics of the room where she woke up. She noticed that Giovanni made sure they left her clean towels and change of clothes, this after the doctor checked her. When the hot water from the shower ran down her body it was too relaxing, her shoulders let go of the tension and her mind cleared.

Calmer and more relaxed after the shower Delia decided to leave the room to go in search of Ash. She carefully opened the door and poked her head out into the hall. It was very long and wide, it had a red carpet on the floor and the walls were white, there were Roman details everywhere much like those found in the Viridian City gym. Several pictures hung on the walls, many were portraits of people she did not know, one in particular caught her attention and she stood in front of it watching it. It was that of a child that she could swear was her husband, the boy was wearing shorts gray, plus a white short-sleeved shirt. The little boy with short black hair was standing next to a very beautiful woman, she was tall and with dark brown hair with light brown eyes. Her serious expression reminded her of Giovanni when she met him. Her gaze was deep and heavy, that made Delia shudder. She wondered if she was the mother of her husband. She never knew her and Giovanni didn't like to talk about his life before meeting her.

"It's me and my mother", Giovanni's voice made her wince in surprise.

Delia had not noticed the presence of the gym leader who was watching her from a few meters leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. She looked at him without saying anything and Giovanni took that as an invitation to come closer. They both looked carefully and silently at the painting.

"You never told me about her. Is she still alive?", She asked, thinking that she might finally meet her mother-in-law.

"She died shortly after Ash's birth", Giovanni confessed, running a hand through his hair nervously.

Delia turned her face slightly to look at him. This man next to her who she was married to seemed like a complete stranger, what did she know about Giovanni? Just what he wanted her to know. And right now he seemed her very shameless that he will confess that it to her so calmly.

"You've never trusted me, right?"

"It's not about that Delia", Giovanni tried to take his wife's hand, but she moved to impeded him.

"Why did you keep all this from me? Why didn't you tell me about your mother? Am I just a game for you? Did you want to play happy family while you were committing your misdeeds behind my back?"

Delia's voice contained resentment and distrust. Her husband lowered his head and breathed calmly trying not to lose control. Never in the almost ten years of their marriage was he so disturbed as he is now. Giovanni was always calm, careful and loving towards her. He avoided at all costs letting out that terrifying side that he was hiding very well. But all the stress was beginning to touch the edge of his limits.

"This is what I am, Delia!", He exclaimed, spreading his arms on either side and staring at her with streng.

Delia looked at him with reserve and thought that this man was definitely not her husband. At least not the one she married. He was smiling at her wryly and it was driving her mad, she was wanting to slap him again.

"A criminal?, A madman?, A man thirsty for power?", She said dismissively.

They looked at each other in silence as one who faces their fears and pains. Then Giovanni started laughing, he simply refused to argue with Delia about his criminal actions. Delia clenched her fists and her husband's laughter was lost in the vastness of the mansion walls. Without saying anything he started walking calmly towards the stairs and she followed him to find her son. She was annoyed by his evasive response.

Giovanni glanced over his shoulder to make sure that she was following him. Neither said anything else, but he led her into a large garden where they found their little son sitting on the grass playing with the Persian.

"Ash, honey", the woman yelled when she saw him safe and sound playing with the gym leader's pokemon.

"Mommy", The boy ran to hug her.

"Are you OK my love?", Delia checked his face and hands, and kissed his cheeks soothingly.

Her son was fine, he was not hurt and he seemed calm. She noticed that she was wearing clean clothes and guessed that his father took care of him while she was resting. She at least she knew that Giovanni wasn't pretending to be a caring father.

"Yes mommy, I'm fine", Ash smiled happy that he mom was standing. "Look at the sea, Mommy! Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yes it is, my treasure", She kissed her son's cheek and then his hands.

Giovanni approached them, Delia couldn't help but feel a chill creep up her spine when she felt the crime lord's hand on her shoulder.

"Ash is fine, I told you not to worry"

"Yes Mommy, and Daddy said that he will take me to play on the beach, come with us, okay?", Ash's face was lit up and he seemed to feel comfortable in that place.

"Better not, son", She lifted the child into her arms. With her husband's disapproving look on top of her.

Ash looked at her in disappointment. Delia pulled away from Giovanni and walked toward the house carrying Ash in her arms.

"Let me carry him for you", Giovanni said following her.

"There's no necessary"

The crime lord sighed wearily and resigned himself to calmly following her. He knew that his wife could be very stubborn when she was upset and right now after their recent arguments it was best to leave her alone. Ash watched his father walk slowly a few feet behind them. Then he looked at the angry expression on his mother's face. In the distance the sea churned its waters calmly. The sky was beginning to paint in shades of orange and it looked like a watercolor painting like the ones in the pictures that hung in Professor Oak's house.

The sun was beginning to set and the atmosphere was calm, a gentle wind made the child's hair dance, Ash hid his face in his mother's chest. She didn't like seeing his parents upset with each other. It was very weird when this happened, but right now Ash knew this was totally different from other times when they disagreed. So he was concerned.

At the entrance of the house Delia looked at a man with short hair and a white suit standing by the door. The Team Rocket executive smiled at her.

"Ma'am, let me help you", Archer spread his arms, expecting to receive the little one.

"Thanks, but it's not necessary…", Delia declined his help and passed him by.

Giovanni stopped next to his executive, hoping that he would have encouraging news after everything that had happened that day.

"What you got for me?", The crime lord asked as he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket. The man next to him handed him a lighter.

"I have good news for you, sir, I think we've found the place where they have the director of public business"

"Perfect", Giovanni said, he hoped his old friend was still alive. The cigarette smoke began to get lost in the environment. "What about the other thing?"

"I think the most convenient is Hoenn…. It is a region a bit remote, besides that we can find some hidden town"

"Sounds good to me, find a place in Dewford Town", He tossed the cigarette to the ground and ground it up with his shoe.

"Dewford Town, sir?", Archer asked a little confused, he had never heard of that place.

"It's a small town, it's on an island southwest of Hoenn, I was there when I was a child, if it's still the same as before, it'll be very useful"

"Understood, sir, leave that to me then"

Archer bowed slightly and watched his boss walk into the mansion. Giovanni felt that he couldn't keep stand up anymore, it had been a pretty heavy day. The drive from Pallet Town to Viridian City and then by helicopter to Vermilion City was very tiring and stressful. The wound in his side was bothering him, little discharges of pain spreading every time his shirt brushed against him or when he made sudden movements. The encounter with Cipriani's men left him badly injured again.

He went to his room where he used to stay when he visited Vermilion City, there were all his things. He tossed his black jacket over a chair and took off the old Rolex his mother had given him on his fifteenth birthday, to leave it on the nightstand.

When the doctor checked Delia and said she was fine it was a breath of fresh air for Giovanni. So he didn't mind not getting medical attention as well. It was enough for him that his wife and future child were well. After the doctor left, he left Archer in charge of Ash and took a cold shower to clean his wound, put some new gauze on the wound and went out to see his son and Delia.

Now as he sat on the edge of the bed he noticed that the once white shirt was stained with blood. He mentally cursed as he went to the bathroom where he could see himself in front of a mirror. He dropped his shirt on the floor and carefully peeled off the gauze that covered his wound. He had a huge bruise around it and some spots were open again.

"Damn it", he growled through clenched teeth.

He carefully passed an alcohol swab over the wound and re-sutured the open stitches himself. He then he got into the shower.

At the end of the corridor Ash and Delia were enjoying a delicious dinner. A friendly women of service appeared some time after they entered the house. She assumed her husband sent her. After satisfying his appetite, Ash lay down on the bed with his arms outstretched. His mother let out a simple laugh when she saw him so comfortable.

"Did you like the food?"

"Yes, but yours is more tasty, Mommy"

"Wow, thanks", she told him as she arranged the dirty dishes on the serving cart the maid had brought.

Someone knocked on the door and Delia thought that she would be the same girl of before who went to collect the dishes. She kindly yelled at her that she pass. However, who was there was Archer. With his political smile and his calm face.

"Excuse me, my lady". He speak in a calm voice, lowering his head slightly. "It's everything okay?, Do you need anything else?"

Delia looked at his smile that seemed warmer now and it made her feel confident. This man apparently was someone close to her husband and he looked courteous, so she decided it was okay to talk to him.

"Everything is okay thank you"

Archer nodded and looked at Ash lying on the bed reading a magazine Giovanni gave him earlier.

"The lord has ordered to bring some things for you two. He wanted to make them feel comfortable, you can find sleepwear in the closet", He pointed to the cabinet across the room.

"Do a lot of people come here with Giovanni?", She asked without thinking. She quickly deduced that if that man was an employee of her husband, he would lie to her.

"It is the first time that the sir has been accompanied. It was all a surprise"

A slight blush came over Delia's cheeks. She imagined what Archer might have thought of her question.

"Well, thank you", she paused and smiled. "You are very kind, we don't need anything else"

The man looked at her for a moment and then opened the door, pulling the service cart with him.

"It's okay. I withdraw if you don't need anything else. I'll be in another zone of the house, but you can find the boss at the end of the corridor"

Delia nodded and watched Archer come out of there closing the door behind him. As he walked down the dimly lit corridor, the Rocket executive thought that this woman was very different from the man who led Team Rocket with authority and cunning. He looked at the service girl and set the cart on the side of the hallway, she ducked her head as he walked past her. She was confused to see the right hand of the Lord doing that task that was not at all in his obligations.

After Archer left Delia helped Ash with his pajamas and they both lay down on the huge bed with soft blankets and cozy pillows.

"Sleep well my love", Delia brushed some hair away from her son's face and kissed his forehead.

"You too mommy" He said in a sleepy voice.

Giovanni, for his part, couldn't paste an eye knowing that his family was so close to him and at the same time so far away. He stared at the ceiling in the dim light of the room until sleep caught up with him and he fell fast asleep.

Ariana dropped her pen on the desk, the other two executives next to her were also quite shocked. After waiting all day for news from Archer and their boss, the former finally contacted them via video call. Archer greeted them cordiallyy and gave them a detailed report on what happened that day in Pallet Town. The information he got from Viridian before going to find Giovanni and of course about the woman and the boy who were now in Vermilion City with the boss. None of them in all those years, not even remotely in jest, would it have occurred to them that the great crime lord was hiding in Pallet Town a sweet wife and an energetic little one.

"Does anyone else feel cheated?", Proton asked in a joking tone to break the silence that had been generated in the room.

"I wasn't really expecting it", Petrel scratched his head and got up from his chair, which was next to Ariana's.

The redhead was still silent. She knew that everything would get complicated with that. Cipriani would not only go for Giovanni but also for his family. They had to think carefully about their next moves. The first thing was to send the little boy and his mother away as Archer told them, to leave them in a safe place while they also worked out a quick plan to rescue Giovanni's friend Eric Phillips who was now kidnapped by Cipriani's men.

"Petrel you staying here with Blaine, Proton and I will go to Vermilion City", Ariana announced as she stood up.

"Okay, say hi to the boss for me", he said, leaving the meeting room.

"I can bet the boy has frowning too", Proton laughed, snapping his fingers as Ariana looked at him seriously.

"Stop joking, we'll be out in an hour"