oOo
The pastel blues and greens faded into many varying shades of grey. As time twisted around them the hues faded, gradually they became darker. As they traveled they found themselves surrounded by shades of swirling darkness.
After a moment the process ended. Missy looked around in front of her she could see a white light emanating from outside the door. She took a step back and bumped into the long mop handle. She grabbed it before it fell and rested the handle on the wall.
Instinctively she drew her screwdriver. It hummed briefly as it illuminated the small storage room.
Giovanni's eyes narrowed as he examined the mop and bucket. A few dusters had been hung on the wall along with bleach and other cleaning materials. Missy focused on the door. Whatever lied beyond that entrance was quite or non-existent. After listening some more she decided the latter.
She let out a brief sigh of relief. " This is not what I expected."
Giovanni's eyes trained on the door. " Where are we?"
Missy waved her screwdriver. It vibrated as she peered into the yellow Arton crystal. The device informed her that they were located underground in Lumiose City.
" Modern-day Lumiose," she said.
" This is a perfect opportunity," he said.
A smile crept across her lips. " Are your agents nearby?"
" No, they're about ten miles south of here," Giovanni explained. " When they arrive I expect they'll have a very good idea of where they're going and what they'll be doing."
"Then they should be well prepared," Missy said.
Missy eyed the door ahead and took a step forward when her skirt snagged on a rusty old bucket. She knelt down and released it. This wouldn't do her wardrobe any favors. She needed to change her close.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the tardis. After placing it inside her purse, she put her bag on to the ground.
She looked up at Giovanni. "Do you mind?"
He shook his head." Be quick about it."
With a few simple thoughts, she teleported them both inside. Him to the control room and herself into the wardrobe. It took her a moment to change, she tossed off the corset and skirt. She took a pair of long slender black pants and placed them on. She eyed her collection of jackets and chose a violet tweed coat. It was light and fashionable.
She spun around as she watched herself in the mirror she grinned. She resembled the Doctor quite nicely, in a way she was his evil counterpart.
She turned and briskly made her way to the exit. As she strolled along she grabbed a sleek black satchel, it was more practical than a purse.
Giovanni leaned onto the railing, his eyes lowered as she stepped into the control room. "Your choices of attire keep getting stranger."
Her grin widened as she flicked her bow tie." It's practical, cute, and perfect for completing the mission, bow tie and all."
Giovanni crossed his arms. "You're having to much fun with this."
She placed her hand on her hip. "Maybe, but a girls choice of style says a lot about her, doesn't it?"
" Your choices speak volumes to me," he replied.
She wondered what he was getting at, had he figured out her little game. "What does it say to you?" she asked.
Giovanni's black eyes followed her figure for a moment before he replied, " That there's more then meets the eye."
She held back her frown, slightly disappointed by his lack of observation. " We should pop back up," she said.
Missy teleported them to the closet then hastily switched her belongings to her bag. When she was finished she sent her purse back to the tardis.
" Quick enough?" she asked.
" Considering your bag and belongings are still here..." Giovanni trailed off.
" Right," Missy replied.
She drew her screwdriver and checked for surveillance. The device informed her that there were more than fifty cameras connected to a server in the building. She hacked it with the greatest of ease and set the system to replay the previous days recording.
"Knocking out their surveillance," he asked.
"I'm already done," she said.
"Good thinking," Giovanni said with a hint of praise.
Missy eyed the door. "Shall we have a look around?"
She listened to the area ahead was silent. Missy turned the knob on the door and gently pushed it open. She entered a well-lit hallway. The walls were dull and grey, the floor was a sleek black. Ahead of them were many closed doors. She quickly noticed all of the entrances required a key card.
He glanced down the hall before he regained his composure.
" If this had been my base," he uttered.
" If this had been your base, what?" she asked.
Giovanni glanced to the side. " Well if I told you that then it wouldn't be any fun."
Missy cracked a smile." Fun, I thought you were all about business."
" I am, but sometimes I just can't help myself, well the rumors, the things my people might say about this," he said.
She leered at him, the look in his eyes was playful and intuitive.
Missy rolled her eyes at this. "Your people should mind their own business."
He shrugged before he walked off. " They do, it's hard for any human to ignore something like that."
Casually she regained her composure. She resigned to the warning about rumors. She took his side. " Are your people spreading rumors about you and me?"
Giovanni laughed at the idea. " That's the funny thing, I've been so busy lately that I don't know what they've been saying."
" Humans," she sneered.
"Don't get like that about it, its fun," he said.
" Fun," Missy said before she pointed her screwdriver ahead of them. She began to scan the area. " I think this is a splendid place to have a good time."
The screwdriver detected Bunson burners, chemical components, various computer systems, RNA scramblers, and informed her that a variety of pokemon was being held in the basement.
Thinking over the contents provided Missy came to a conclusion. "We're in a lab after all."
" Just a lab?" he asked.
" Just a lab," she playfully replied. "A lab where anything could happen."
She walked up to the nearest door and listened to the room from what she could tell it was empty.
She tapped her screwdriver on the key card slot and the door opened, they stepped inside.
" Anything," Giovanni said as he stepped into the room.
The laboratory was filled with equipment. Boards of information about pokemon DNA and other data lined the walls. Missy noticed a clipboard on the counter. She picked it up and looked it over. It was a simple diagram of a rattata's biology.
Apparently, the specimen in question failed to be modified to a greater standard. The data gathered confirmed that this species was at its maximum potential and could no longer be modified.
Missy let out a laugh. "No, not really, but it had a nice catch to it."
Giovanni scowled at her. "Just a nice catch, you said anything."
Missy flashed the report in front of him. "Anything could have happened until I found this."
Missy flipped through the paper. " Deoxyribonucleic acid, more simply DNA." She skimmed the data. " Ribonucleic acid, the RNA of a rattata in this case."
Giovanni shook his head as he stepped next to her. He glanced down at the paper." I've seen experiments like these before." He pointed to the DNA strand on page three. " They're cloning the pokemon."
Missy looked over the contents of the paper. "Cloning's more involved than this."
She picked up the paper and highlighted the diagram. "If I were cloning something I wouldn't use multiple strands of DNA, this is less of a re-creation and more of a modification."
She looked over the paper again and pointed out two different strands of DNA and the RNA highlighted. "Here, according to this the pokemon's individual value greatly changes with these modifications. They're either breeding or forcing these changes onto pokemon."
She looked over the paper once more as she compared the things she had learned about pokemon biology. "From what I've read in the archive and understand about these creatures forcing individual a pokemon's stats to change can be achieved only to a certain degree. If you push a pokemon beyond that limit it can be fatal."
"What do you think they're up too?" he asked.
" Dunno, that's what we're here to find out," she replied.
Missy's eyebrows raised slightly due to her own frustrations. Vampires were going to be enough of a problem, but an army of pokemon with perfect modifications was something she hadn't conceived in her short time on this world.
" First, the tower, then Vampires, and now this," she muttered.
" Team Flare, what else do they have up their sleeve?" he mused.
Missy took the report. She folded it and placed it in her bag. She looked at Giovanni. " They've got a lot of pokemon here."
He nodded, they started to walk over to the door when the sounds of footsteps and distant voices stopped them.
The voice of a young woman said," The Professor will be pleased with the results. We've managed to improve the modifications of the dragon type pokemon. Increasing their individual values by nearly three percent."
The voice of an older man replied, " That's tremendous work, but with time running short I don't think we'll be able to apply it."
Missy drew her screwdriver and prepared herself for what could come. She glanced over to Giovanni he had taken a cautious step back.
" Xerosic, the new world will be something extraordinary," she said.
The voice of an older woman called out, undoubtedly it was the Professor, " Mable, Xerosic, I couldn't help but overhear the results."
" Professor," Mable said. " It's been a long process but the shelgon I've been working with is at its maximum potential and is two levels from evolving."
" How long have you been working with it?" The Professor asked.
Mable hummed for a moment before she replied," About six weeks."
"Impressive, it will make my work with two-four-eight much quicker," the Professor said with great commendation.
There was a pace in footsteps before they halted. The familiar chime of a cell phone broke the silence.
Xerosic let out a gasp. "Ladies I must be off, I'm needed in Geosenge."
His footsteps were heavy, from what it sounded like he was a very large man.
" I should-" Mable started but the Professor stopped her.
" I could use your help in my lab. They're a few troublesome specimens I need to take care of," she said.
Mable let out a spatter a word Missy couldn't make out before she replied, "Sure."
Missy listened as they walked off. She breathed a sigh of relief. She waited a moment before opening the door. The door glided open as she peeked her head out, she looked both ways down the hallway it was empty.
Giovanni stepped out as she scanned the area. The data it had collected informed her of what she already knew. She looked ahead as she walked down the hall and peeked around the bend. She looked down the corridor and faced the glass door of an office. Missy rounded the corner and hastily walked back.
" Nothing to see this way," she said.
Giovanni took her side. "Let's find something worth seeing."
They walked down the long hall and came to a dead end. Missy looked around and noticed a stairs sign. She opened the door the stairs only went down. She made her way down the cement stairwell, Giovanni was not far behind her. They reached the bottom and stopped. He took his phone from his jacket pocket.
" Okay, were under Magenta Plaza." He put his phone away. " Judging by the layout, I'd say this is a moderate operation."
Missy leered at him. "Looks can be deceiving."
Missy gestured for him to wait. She stood close to the door and listened to the ambient air outside. When she was sure no one was coming, she slowly slid it open. She took a look around.
A large hallway was ahead of them. It was long and doorless. At the end was a pair of double doors. Missy shrugged and entered the hallway. It was a tasteless and boring place, she wanted to know what was on the other end. She glanced back at Giovanni and got the impression he felt the same way.
When they arrived at the door she readily pushed it open. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked ahead. The room was massive but what was before ahead of her was just as interesting.
A very young pale skin woman floated in a tube. She wore something that resembled a swimsuit. As she lay suspended in this fluid her golden locks of hair gently swayed with her slumber.
Missy walked over to the tube. A sheet of paper had been taped to the glass. Carefully she peeled off the paper and looked at its contents.
Experiment 121
Linda
Day 124
Subjects condition has improved. Vampire DNA acceptance is imminent. DNA and RNA transfer was successful, the subject has a ninety-five percent chance of survival. Memory implant scheduled for 9/15/16 at 3:00 am Kalos Standard Time.
Missy dropped the paper and gawked at the girl. For a moment she pondered destroying the tank and killing this abomination. She let out a sigh, she didn't have the tools she needed to kill a Vampire.
Giovanni stepped next to Missy. " What can you make of it?"
" That's one complicated freak," she said. Missy waved her hand discarding the girl. " Just look at her, they made a Vampire by splicing DNA."
Giovanni knelt down and picked up the sheet of paper. "That must be what they're doing to the pokemon. I can't wait to tell Zager about this, this is the future of pokemon training."
" Or the end of it," she replied.
"How could this end things?" he asked.
" Sure you could create the strongest pokemon, or bring about a species end with an unintended splice," Missy said as she placed the paper back onto the tube. "Just think about it, you could create zombie pokemon that eat people or pokemon that go mad and don't listen, specimens that can't breed, the possibilities are endless."
Giovanni looked around the laboratory once more. "I would have never thought of it that way."
"What did you think?" Missy asked.
He turned his head and looked into her eyes."I saw a greater opportunity, but you've talked me out of it. No point in having that kind of power if controlling them it isn't a guarantee."
" Right," she simply said. Missy leaned into the tank and sneered at the vampire inside."Now for this abomination, this, this is a serious problem."
"She's stunning to look at," he said as his eyes followed her swaying body.
"She'll eat you," Missy said.
" She's an eternal humanoid, it's a shame she's fighting for Team Flare," he said.
Missy scoffed at the remark, " They're not much of fighters."
" How do you figure?" he asked.
" More of survivors, they seek a home and quietly live out their lives feeding off the inhabitants. They're dangerous sure, but usually a peaceful race," she replied.
Giovanni crossed his arms and replied, " These Vampires, I've seen the things they can do, I have little doubt of their threat."
Missy leaned into her umbrella, " Sure if you give anyone a reason that's worth fighting for they'll do it. I never said they weren't a threat, they're just usually not like this. This Professor's got to have them fighting for something other than their own survival."
" Perhaps they're part of a greater plan," he replied.
Missy's eye's skimmed over the lab. She glanced over some of the pokemon sleeping in tanks. She glanced back over to Giovanni and replied, " Perhaps, but if we stand around here all day we're never going to figure it out."
Giovanni curiously leered at her, " Let's be on our way."
Giovanni took the paper with him as they began to walk through the rows of tubes. The room was fairly large, and filled with pokemon. They passed a tank of the fish pokemon feebas, and a tube with a curled up pink bulb that resembled an ice cream sundae, a slurpuff Missy recalled, and an ambipom sucked on its fingered tail as it dosed.
There were so many pokemon Missy wondered what other experiments they were performing. She recanted her knowledge when Professor Sebastian came to her mind.
" Does any of this resemble Professor Sebastian's work," she asked.
" Nothing I see here resembles his work. Doctor Figi might know if he was still around," Giovanni reminisced.
" We can always pop back and pay him a visit," Missy suggested.
Giovanni stared ahead, he looked over the tubes as he carried on. She took note of his quietness, he was bothered by something.
" Who was he to you?" she asked.
" He was brilliant," he replied. " When we first met, he spoke of cloning people and the potential to clone pokemon. When I asked him to clone mew he agreed. Together we created the most powerful pokemon ever known to man."
Missy smiled, she knew the pokemon. " Mewtwo?"
" Yes," Giovanni replied.
Missy leered on as she recalled what the tardis had informed her. He was covert and wanted in most of the regions of the world. She wondered if he had kidnapped him and forced him to do the experiment or was it something else.
"How do you go about meeting someone like that?" she asked.
"The newspaper," he simply replied. "The Viridian Times had published an article about the possibilities of cloning, so I decided to give him a call. A week later we went out for lunch and I agreed to fund his experiments in exchange for a clone of mew."
" He was part of your team?" she asked.
"No," he replied.
" If he wasn't a team member, what happened to him?" Missy asked.
Giovanni frowned as he looked ahead. "Shortly after the pokemon became conscious and aware of its existence it went mad. He murdered the scientist and burned the laboratory to the ground in a fit of rage."
Missy's curiosity grew with his answer." If he killed everyone, how did you acquire him?"
Giovanni stopped and observed a dratini, its small blue snake-like body was curled up into a ball. The small dragon peacefully dreamed in its suspended animation.
" I was in route to see how the experiments were going, but when I arrived I found nothing but devastation. I ordered my pilots to land. When I stepped out I encountered him. He was angry and confused when we first met, after some time I managed to talk some sense into him," he said.
Missy glanced over at him, "You talked some sense into him?"
" Yes, negotiations are something I'm quite good at," he replied.
Missy scoffed at the notion, " Negotiations, Oi, the first time we spoke you-"
" - I wanted to know the truth," he shot back. " Your case is something else entirely. Do you think I would negotiate with anyone who took out more than several pokemon and more than twenty of my own people single handily?"
" Yes," she said with a smirk.
To her surprise, he returned the gesture. " Your right, but not until I knew what I was dealing with."
She crossed her arms as she recalled the conversation." You threatened me."
" What else was I suppose to do?" he asked.
Missy rolled her eyes and looked back at him. " Find out the situation."
Giovanni snorted. " Time traveling girl comes into your life, makes herself a nuisance and you want to find out the situation?"
" I would want to know what her problem is," she replied.
Giovanni let out a laugh before he said, " Crazy girl had a lot of problems."
" Oi, that's not funny," Missy shot back.
" None of it was, until now. So tell me Missy, what would you have done?" he asked.
She turned and stuck her nose in the air. "Make a deal."
Giovanni's eyes narrowed into hers. " We have one, we shouldn't doddle on these things."
Missy let out a sigh. Even tho she was amused by these notions and similarities they shared, she had to agree to stop. Dwelling on these past issues served them no purpose at this time.
As they walked past a farfetch'd Missy scanned the pokemon. The curled up bird's clutched a leek. Its head twitched in its feathers as it dreamed.
Her screwdriver gently hummed as it informed her that the pokemon was at its maximum statistical potential. As Missy watched it sleep she realized it had greater potential than her pokemon.
" It's too powerful," Missy said as she placed her screwdriver back into her jacket.
"That's a shame," he said as he glanced at the pokemon. "I used to have these for dinner."
Missy stared at him as she processed the idea and reality. "You used to eat them?"
"Farfetch'd is a delicacy," he said.
Missy shook off the thought. He wanted to eat pokemon that was his business. She walked over to the tube and noticed a clipboard mounted near the bottom. She picked it up and skimmed over its contents. Nothing more than the birds level, sixty-four, a few calculations for breeding, former pokemon partners, and its age, seven months.
She offered it to Giovanni who readily took it. He glanced over the contents. " Why would anyone create such powerful pokemon only to destroy the world?" he mused.
" Maybe they're going to take them with," she replied as she looked down another row of tubes.
The room was massive and impressive. This could have been someones life work she was looking at.
" That would be the sensible thing to do," he agreed.
The soft sounds of approaching footsteps caused Giovanni to look away.
" I thought I heard something over here," the voice of a young woman said.
Missy took Giovanni's side and drew her screwdriver. Readily she aimed ahead at the source of the sound.
" Oh common, we both know the Professor has an infinity for the pokemon, she's always down -" the young man's words stopped, he froze as he looked at them.
Both their eyes were concealed by red sunglasses. The pair looked ridiculous in their bright red Team Flare uniforms. Missy took no longer to observe. Without hesitation, she shot him in the heart.
His partner screamed as he fell to the floor. She reached for her belt and threw a pokeball.
" Pangoro!" she shouted.
The large black and white bear chewed on a stick of thistle. The pokemon reminded her of an oversized panda.
Missy cursed under her breath. Her screwdriver would be no use against this dark type. Luckily for her, it was also a fighting type. She reached into her bag and picked up pidgeot's pokeball, a flying type would destroy a fighting type. She snatched the ball and felt it expand with the push of a button.
" Pidgeot," she said as she tossed the ball into the air.
The bird soared out of the ball and shrieked at its opponent. The pokemon snarled as they stared each other down. Missy watched both pokemon intently taking note of pangoro's size and the trainer.
The Team Flare agent had other plans she reached for her belt and snagged her radio. " We've got intruders."
Missy growled in her own frustration she regretted taking to much time to look at the battle. In anger, she made the first move." Pidgeot sky attack."
" Brick break," she countered.
Pangoro snarled as it raised its paw. It began to glow a bright shade of red as pidgeot began to fly up. In a swift movement, the bear struck down the massive bird. Pidgeot flailed in pain before it changed its course.
" Swoop around knock that oversized panda down, wing attack!" Missy shouted.
" Pangoro dodge it," she countered.
The panda lazily stepped back as pidgeot swooped past a tube. As Missy watched the bird she got an idea. She reached into her purse and took out hydreigon's ball.
Giovanni took her side. " What are you doing?"
" Having some fun," she replied as the dragon manifested from behind her. "Hydregion, use hyper voice, shatter those tubes."
Giovanni smiled as he reached into his jacket. " Persian."
She gawked as she looked at the cat and listened to the repulsive sound of hydreigon's attack. She reached for her radio once more. Reacting quickly Missy pointed her screwdriver and disabled it.
Pidgeot's wings lite up with white light as the bird swooped down. Pangoro stepped back as it prepared for its trainer to take action.
" Pangoro counter!" she shouted.
The bear lunged forward as pidgeot crashed into it. Before it could complete its move the bird had knocked it to the floor.
The panda moaned as it took a tremendous amount of damage. The pokemon's paws trembled, and it clenched its jaw as it slowly got back it. Its black eyes had a fierce gaze as it looked at its opponent.
Giovanni pointed at the tube behind the Team Flare agent. "Persian power gem."
As the girl looked on her breathing became quicker. Missy got the sense she was ready to panic. Satisfied with the result, she pressed on. " Pidgeot finish it with a wing attack," she ordered.
The girl gasped as she meekly gave an order, "Circle throw."
Pidgeot swooped around again it closed its wings as it dived. Pangoro's body twisted as it attempted the move. Persian leaped to the right to avoid the bird. The cat growled as a glaring red beam shot out from its forehead. Both attacks struck there targets simultaneously. The crash thundered through the area and caused the girl to scream.
The pokemon inside the tube awoke. The chaotic and confused roar of a salamence filled the laboratory. In a fit of rage, the dragon charged into the adjacent tube. A beedrill fell to the floor. The hornet-like pokemon flapped its wings as it dried them off.
From behind her, Missy listened to the frantic cries of other pokemon that were waking up. She could hear every crack in the glass of the surrounding tubes. The untamed and unordered attacks from behind her. Far off in the distance, the frantic cries of panicked people. For a brief second, she allowed herself to revel in the chaos that ensued.
Giovanni placed his hand on Missy's shoulder. " This is getting dangerous."
She forced herself back into the situation. Missy looked at her opponent and noticed both the pangoro and its trainer had fainted.
She shook off her feelings and replied, " That's precisely what we need. Common let's see if there's anything that can help us."
Giovanni nodded in agreement. Missy turned and recalled hydreigon and pidgeot, she tossed the balls into her purse. Before she decided to run off she thought it would be better if she had more protection. She snatched ninetails ball and released the pokemon.
Ninetails eyes widened with amazement as she looked to the chaos. Mistress, what happened?
The salamence roared as it crashed into another tube. A large three-headed ostrich emerged, Missy recognized it as dodrio. A purple frog, croagunk leaped over them and into a forest of tubes.
Not wanting to get stuck in the madness she created, Missy ran for it.
" Common!" Missy shouted as she sprinted down the corridor.
Giovanni, persian, and ninetails all followed her lead. As they ran they each kept an eye out for danger.
Mistress, what happened here? Ninetails asked again.
They've been breeding pokemon and keeping them in storage. This professor has a thing for perfection, Missy replied.
Missy grimaced she had no time for this conversation, she glanced at Giovanni. His eyes looked ahead intently as he ran. They were nearly at the door now she would have to be ready for a fight with Team Flare. She clutched her umbrella as they approached.
A few mere yards from the exit, the mighty roar of a beast brought them to a halt. Missy turned to the source of the sound and saw a massive low lying figure. Its body was engulfed in embers and smoke. As the beast roared she reached for her companion. She grabbed Giovanni and pushed him behind her as she opened her umbrella.
Persian hissed as he leaped to his master's defense. The cat was struck back by the bright flames of an attack. She looked into the brown eyes and steel body of the pokemon and knew this was no ordinary encounter.
Giovanni's eyes widened with his smile. There was something almost sinister about it. As he watched the pokemon his eyes locked onto his opponent. " Now this is thrilling."
Mistress, I can't believe it, that's the lord of the mountain, Ninetails uttered.
Missy briefly looked at the pokemon. The fox was truly astounded she had a fairly good idea why that was. Heatran was a pokemon from an unknown egg group. Like all of the other legendary pokemon, it was unbreedable.
Any idea how they could breed such a pokemon? Missy asked.
Giovanni reached into his jacket and drew a pokeball. "Golem."
As the boulder-like pokemon materialized Missy scoffed in disbelief. " Your really going to do this at a time like this!"
Giovanni waved his had and disregarded her words. "One of us is going to have to fight it, this pokemon is much too powerful to be on its own."
His eyes widened as the heatran's body erupted into flames. "Golem rock polish."
" Oi-" her words were cut off as the doors burst open.
Missy and ninetails turned and faced six men dressed in gaudy red suits. Their eyes concealed by bright red sunglasses. They were about sixty feet away from them. Judging by their quick pace, they would be there in about thirty seconds.
She let out a sigh and resigned her opposition. This side of the lab was almost untouched and someone was going to have to deal with the approaching threat. With this in mind, she sprinted over to the group. Ninetails dashed to her side, it wasn't long before they were staring at their opponents.
The closest agents spoke into a radio. " Professor, we've found the intruders."
Golem grunted as it was thrown back. Missy could feel the flames and the fury from the heatran. She could hear golems grunt, it was followed by a mighty snarl.
"Magnitude," Giovanni ordered.
Missy leaned in as she listened to the response. "You found them, are they-" static followed as she paused. "- the Tartar and his Mistress?"
"Confirmed," he said.
There was another brief moment of static before the Professor replied, "Capture them."
The agent frowned as he clipped the radio to his belt. Ninetails growled as she took Missy's side. The group reached for their belts and drew short silver laser guns. Missy recalled them from her first day on this world, she shuddered as she wondered how effective they were.
The closest agent looked at Missy. " We don't want to hurt you, come with us and we won't. Of course, we'll have to change your wardrobe."
Another agent took his side and said, "Ya, the Professor would love to do some work with you. She can fix your head, give you a better fashion sense."
"Fashion sense," Missy replied, she rolled her eyes these people were something else entirely different to her. "Is vanity the only thing you people care about?"
" It's not the only thing," a young woman replied.
A younger appearing woman with blue hair and sunglasses stepped in between the pair. Her outfit was different from the others Missy had seen in Team Flare. Her boots were long and complimented by blue socks and the rest of her outfit had blue highlights. The outfit was somewhat more fashionable than the rest.
She looked directly at Missy's chest and laughed. "Perfection, beauty, life eternal-" she paused as she gazed at Missys' chest. " We're not all about fashion, but we're going to have to get rid of that bow tie."
" You seek life eternal, but when faced with the most powerful person in this world you complain about her bow tie," Missy replied.
" Most powerful person in this world, no that would be the Director and the Professor. They're an unstoppable duo," she replied.
" Director, what is this some kind of movie, are we in a theater?" Missy asked.
"No, Lysandre just likes the title," she said. "Powerful people don't wear bow ties, your attire reminds me of a washed-up comedian, it's so out of date it could make a Dialga cry."
Her henchmen laughed at her attempt to insult Missy. She brushed it off and casually leaned into her umbrella. She kept her cool as she replied, "Bow ties are cool."
Ninetails get ready, Missy said not taking her eyes off the group.
A different, lessor disciplined member of the group erupted into laughter. "Mable and my colleagues are gonna show you something cool."
The group's attention diverted to the sound of a large crash. Missy glanced back, the heatran had chucked golem into a tube. The pokemon's eyes were closed she could tell it had fainted. She turned and leered at them as the sound of a pokemon being recalled ebbed out to a mighty roar.
Mable stuck her nose into the air. "Let him tire himself out."
" Rhydon!" Giovanni shouted.
Mabel began to reach for her belt, with her quick wit Missy said, " Well I'm outnumbered, maybe I've got it wrong."
Reluctantly Mabel withdrew her attempt at a pokeball. Missy placed her hands on her hip. "Maybe bow ties aren't cool. I suppose a lot of people think that there ghastly and that there awful, but let me tell you this."
Missy propped up her umbrella and stepped forward. She gracefully widened her eyes as she thought of her friend The Doctor. She could feel her vibes and became aware of her own great enthusiasm as she projected the emotion.
The group peered back at her somewhat puzzled by the action, but this had been what she wanted, she had taken their attention. " The most powerful man in the universe wears a bow tie every day and to every occasion, and since he's so powerful and witty, and well, charming, do you know what he would say about that?"
Mabel crossed her arms, she was slightly frustrated but equally perplexed. "What would this powerful man say?"
" Confuse ray," Missy replied.
With those words, ninetails leaped into action. Multiple orbs of colorful light surrounded the silver fox. Stunned the group looked on captivated by the swirling light. After a few seconds of staring into the ominous glow, the members of the group stumbled in confusion.
Missy turned and bolted down the corridor. Ninetails leaped to her side and took her side and kept her pace.
That was brilliant Mistress, Ninetails joyfully said.
I couldn't have done it better myself, Missy replied.
As Missy ran she felt alive, her friend might have actually been impressed by that. She had done something that her former selves would frown upon. Still, she was more cunning then the last, this gave her the momentum she needed to go forward.
Giovanni pointed ahead as he shouted an order. Rhydon charged ahead and dug its horn into the heatran's neck. Both pokemon showed no sign of relenting.
She grabbed Giovanni's arm. " I stalled them for now, but we've got to keep moving."
Giovanni stepped back and pointed at the pokemon. " What am I suppose to do, let it chase us?"
Missy looked over the battle. Heatran and Rhydon's eyes were locked, neither one was ready to yield, neither one ready to faint. She looked down the hallway and noticed more members of Team Flare were entering the laboratory.
Ninetails began to yelp. Mistress, there's a door over there.
Missy looked at ninetails and then to the door stationed behind them. She looked to Giovanni and said, "That's precisely what we're going to do."
Giovanni looked at her with slight confusion. His eyes darted to the battle and he leered at the fight.
" Rhydon follow us," he ordered.
With those words, they ran down the narrow passage of broken tubes and fainted pokemon. Missy's hearts pounded as she sprinted through the corridor and leaped over a fallen nosepass. Giovanni raced to the door as a jet of flames melted the remains of the glass enclosures next to them.
He grabbed the handle and opened it as Missy and the pokemon sprinted in. He turned and pointed ryhdon's ball. He grimaced as he recalled the pokemon. The door slammed shut after he stepped in.
Missy looked down the long hallway. Many cages of pokemon lined its wall. She glanced inside and noticed a black rattata huddled inside a cage, the Alohan variant of the species. A loud slam from the outside startled her into a sprint. With great haste, the group made there way down the hall.
I wonder what she's doing with all of these rattata, Mistress, Ninetails said as she looked into the cages.
Probably what she's been doing with all of the others, breeding, Missy replied.
The pokemon are scared Mistress, Ninetails slowly said.
Of course they are, there's nothing we can do them, Missy replied.
You could open their cages, Mistress, Ninetails suggested.
I could, but they would still be trapped in the hallway, she said.
Ninetails eyes feel to the floor. Missy followed the pokemon's line of sight, she looked away from a pair of rats huddled together. If you released them when we reach the end of the hall they could create a distraction Mistress.
Maybe, she said.
The continued through the hall of caged pokemon before approaching another door. Missy reached for the handle and gave it a tug. The handle resisted her attempts. She reached into her pocket and drew her screwdriver once more. With a tap from the device, the lock conceded to her will.
Ninetails nudged her leg, the pokemon's eyes pleaded with her to do something. Not wishing to deal with her companion's disappointment she gave in. Her screwdriver hummed as she unlocked all of the cages.
"Why bother?" Giovanni asked.
As she watched the army of rats exit their cages she replied, "Because it gives them more to deal with."
The group stepped into a small room. She waved her screwdriver and the lights turned on. The room was dimly lit, filled with dusty old boxes, a couple of stone statues of the legendary pokemon Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Arceus, a vacant desk, and empty redwood bookshelves.
This place almost feels familiar, Mistress, Ninetails said as she wearily looked around.
How so? Missy asked.
" This room strikes me as a former office," Giovanni said as he walked over to the desk. He opened a drawer and began to go through the contents.
I don't know, it just seems that way Mistress, Ninetails replied.
Missy walked over to a box and opened it. She found a few old dresses, a suit, and a dusty red robe. As she looked through more boxes she came to the realization that these were all a disguise.
Let me know if you remember something, she said.
The fox's eyes looked over the room. Of course Mistress.
Missy pulled on a tucked corner of a box. She scowled as she pulled out a pair of stockings.
She shook her head there was nothing of value inside. "They've definitely done a lot of traveling."
Missy examined a red dress that she had pulled from the box. "They want to tell me about my fashion sense."
Giovanni closed another desk drawer. " They're very thorough about clearing out, not even a pen left behind."
Missy walked over to the dusty redwood bookshelf. Her screwdriver hummed as she began to search for secret passageways. She looked over the few remaining titles, The History of Kalos, Great Wars, The Complete Memoirs of Professor Birch. The few books that remained were of little use to her.
Ninetails nudged her leg. Mistress.
Missy looked down and discovered a small black book. She picked it up and took notice of the intricate drawings and depictions of the stars on the cover. When she opened it she found a few paragraphs of handwritten words. She closed the book at once realizing it was a journal.
Giovanni took her side. "What is it?"
" It's just the thing we need," she replied.
"And that is?" he asked.
" A journal, common, we should get out of here. That catastrophe we caused won't keep Team Flare at bay forever."
Giovanni nodded as Missy punched in the coordinates for Team Rocket Headquarters. Ninetails and persian took their masters sides at the sight. They readily leaned into their master's legs in preparation to travel.
Missy offered her hand and Giovanni readily took it. With the press of a button the dusty air mixed with the dim light of the old office. The rich redwoods meshed with the dust. Their colors faded to match the rosewood doors of Giovanni's office.
Authors Notes: I'd like to thank my readers for sticking with me. My computer going out really set me back a bit. It's good to be back online.
Things are looking a little bit better for my personal situation. I'm not going to have as much time as I'd like to work on this, but it will be finished.
On that note, I'd love to hear your thoughts about the story. Is there something I could do better? Have you figured out who the villain is? PM me if you think you've got it. Please give me a Fav. or Follow if you're enjoying the story. And as always, thank you for reading.
In response to the nonuser review.
M.A.N: You're right, nothing can withstand the firepower of a Dalek. They're no coming into the story. I thought the cameo would be a cool thing to add. Thank you for reading.