o0o

Time-shifted brilliantly, the light around them dazzled and shimmered. Every shade of ebony and opulence morphed into a sea of stars. The moment was brief, but it captivated her inner desires. As quickly as they manifested the universe had faded into obscurity. When the seconds passed, they brought a dull reality.

Whitewashed halls, doors upon doors, and faded posters lie ahead of them. Goldenrod Radio Tower didn't inspire her in the slightest.

Missy glanced at the door on her left, 27-G. She quickly put the accordance together, they had arrived on the seventh floor.

As Missy took in her surroundings, her repulsion got the better of her. " I think this might be the least inspiring place I've ever visited."

Giovanni looked down the hall, then replied, " We're not in control of much around here."

" Perhaps we could inspire whoever is," Missy suggested.

Giovanni gazed back at her but withdrew from the exchange. He proceeded down the hall. " That's an endeavor for another day."

" Right," Missy agreed before she took his lead. " So where are we off too?"

" Thirteen G," he answered.

As they strolled along, a dark protrusion caught her eye. Missy glanced at the camera, then asked, " Does your team have security under control?"

Giovanni confidently carried on. " Petrel has it taken care of."

Missy's brow rose with her inquiry, " Petrel?"

" One of my Executive Officers," he explained.

Yet another rank in the team, just how many were there? It might have been a small question, but it was an important one. To her, those in charge were of the utmost importance and interest. Those were the kind of people she needed to get things done.

Titles and ranks always held insight, but rather than ask she kept it to herself. They were a few steps away from the station. With a simple change of focus, her thoughts on the matter had gone.

Their arrival was swift, Giovanni, phone in hand, had already sent a text message. With an effortless exchange, he took persian's pokeball from his jacket.

" It's cramped in there," he explained as he recalled the cat.

Ninetails looked up at Missy before she cocked her head. I wish I didn't have to go Mistress.

Her response was simple, Oh you'll be back soon enough.

Missy watched the fox from her prereferral vision. To spite her adorable plea, she knew better. Without any more thought of the matter, she returned the fox to her ball.

The jarring sound of a buzzer nearly startled her. She kept her cool, and her posture relaxed. Casually, she followed Giovanni inside.

He hadn't exaggerated the size of the space. The lobby was dark, ambient, and posh. Giovanni stepped aside to a small refreshment area, conveniently a pot of freshly brewed coffee was ready. A few steps past the kitchenette was a glass window. It showcased computer towers and broadcasting equipment. That was probably just the start of Team Rocket's deception.

A young woman sat at the computer. She looked nothing like a Team Rocket Member. Her gothic attire could have made a Hex Maniac jealous. It was her pigtails that caught her eye. They were so long they might have touched the floor. As they swayed revealed panicked violet eyes.

Giovanni took Missy's side and nodded to the girl behind the glass. " It's going to be a few minutes."

Slightly bothered by his closeness, she pressed herself against the glass. They didn't come close to one another, she reclaimed her spot as he parked on the couch.

The young lady in charge of the broadcast franticly worked on her computer. An upcoming program entry, she presumed.

Missy's curiosity grew on the matter enough for her to ask, " So this is Rocket Radio?"

" Revolution F.M.," Giovanni dryly answered.

Her cheeks lifted, Missy couldn't help but smile. " Now that's cleaver, who came up with it?"

Giovanni casually almost reminiscently gazed into the glass, before he gave his answer," Another very clever woman."

His answer was calm, almost cautious in a way. Immediately, Missy found herself wanting to dive into the matter.

Her newly discovered captivation was promptly interrupted. The door to the broadcast room opened, with suspicious precision. Undoubtedly, he timed the affair. Effortlessly she concealed her amused appreciation of it.

The young lady stepped out her pigtails were as long as Missy had imagined. The manila folder the woman held caught her attention.

She saluted Giovanni. "Sir."

Giovanni nodded in approval, putting his agent at ease. He warmly gestured to Missy before he made an introduction, " Missy, Elite Agent Valerie Livewire."

Missy made no effort to hide her approval as she took advantage of this rare opportunity. "It's a pleasure to meet your acquittance."

Valerie seemed to be taken aback, her composure rebounded. " I never thought I'd get to meet you, I've read all the stories. Since your with the team we'll have to -"

Giovanni's cold voice stopped her ramble, " Valerie."

The agent gasped in dismay. " Sorry Sir," as she presented the folder she took a serious tone, " The message Sir." Giovanni gracefully took the folder as she continued, " Petrel has gone to the basement to retrieve the copy of the broadcast you requested."

Giovanni let out a disgruntled hum as he relaxed. " Very well, you're dismissed."

Valerie saluted before she re-entered the broadcast room. When the door shut he let out a sigh.

" We're going to be here for a few more minutes," he said, his tone seemed disingenuous.

Genuinely, Missy pried into the matter, " You make it sound like it's going to be a few more hours."

Giovanni scoffed, then replied, " If it takes him that long I'll get it myself."

That could have been fun to watch, but she kept the remark to herself. He invited her to join him on the couch.

Naturally, she declined, " Sorry, but I'm already too cramped in here."

Giovanni shrugged before he opened the folder. He took the sealed letter from inside and placed it into his jacket. Then there was nothing else. The small room had gone quiet, it was unsettling. She looked into the broadcast room, Valerie's head bopped to an unheard tune. Giovanni was busy with his phone.

It hadn't been more than a few minutes of silence before Missy asked, " Who was she?"

There was no one to interrupt them this time. She had cornered him, but Giovanni didn't seem to be bothered. He had even set his phone aside. He seemed bashful, almost reluctant when he began to answer, " Miyamoto-" he paused, his eyes narrowed- "she had a knack for words."

Playfully Missy looked back at him. " I think she had a knack for more than that."

Giovanni looked away. " Perhaps."

Their conversation was stopped short as the hallway door opened. A pasty fellow, slouched as he stepped in. His purple mohawk and gote made him stand out. It was his casual attire and laid-back approach that was beyond the ordinary.

Like the others, he saluted Giovanni, but Missy couldn't help but notice that his attention was focused on her.

She didn't like that, when her eyes met his she confronted him, " Is it me, or do you just creep on all the girls?"

" Just you," he cooly replied.

His passive response was unsettling, but that wasn't going to get the better of her. " I take it your Petrel?"

" That's me," he replied.

She kept her introduction stern, "Missy."

Giovanni intently spied Petrel, and said, " She's a friend, were you able to obtain the broadcast?"

Petrel took his attention away from her. He handed Giovanni a folder and portable hard drive. " I got the transcript and audio right here Sir."

" Good work," Giovanni absently praised as he looked over the documents and pocketed the drive.

Petrel almost seemed absent-minded as he continued, " I also got the security footage out of your way. Thoe I gotta admit it looked like you two came right out of the Twilight Zone."

" That sound's about right," Missy dryly admitted.

As Giovanni folded the transcript he nodded with approval. " It was a comparable place. I'm happy to hear that footage is gone."

Petrel's lips curled with satisfaction, before he could say any more Giovanni gave an order, "You're dismissed."

When the door clicked shut Missy looked over to Giovanni and said, " I'm ready to get out of here."

He nodded in acknowledgment as he tampered with his phone. Then he showed her a map on the screen. She looked it over, The Lake of Rage. Located in Northern Johto, it was a place renowned for its beauty and history.

" There's a base northwest of the lake," Giovanni explained as he narrowed the map. " We need to arrive around here."

She snatched the coordinates from the map, as she punched in the info a question arose, " Do you have a floor plan? I can't get us in without knowing how far underground we need to go."

Giovanni shook his head no. " We'll have to enter the old fashion way."

Missy took note of the topography and thought over the calculations twice. When she was certain they wouldn't arrive in the lake, she offered her hand. With the press of a button, followed by a blinding white glare, the pair departed.

Sunlight streamed in the sky and warmed the meadow around them. The forest ahead was dense, the mountain's beyond towered in the east. Not too far in the distance, the Lake of Rage shimmered. The only pokemon that lived in its waters were magikarp, a docile and weak creature, and the elusive gyarados.

According to legend the pokemon became enraged and created a crater that became the lake. It was a strange place that had left her with questions that not even the archive could answer. She wondered if there was any truth to the story. That was a mystery she could solve on another day.

Giovanni took in his surroundings as he regained his bearings. " We're not too far off."

" If I had tried to get us closer we may have arrived in the lake," Missy explained.

" I'm glad you took that into consideration," Giovanni replied as he stepped ahead.

They made their way to a gravel path. As they walked along an unsightly creature approached them. The pokemon resembled a giraffe spotted and with a long neck. The pokemon's appearance was split down the middle half yellow and half black. It was the pokemon's second shrunken and sickly head that repulsed her.

Missy glared at the girafarig, her distaste grew when the pokemon growled. The pokemon's eye's narrowed while it challenged them. She and Giovanni immediately drew a pokeball. Ninetails and persian valiantly leaped into battle.

" Flamethrower," Missy commanded.

" Power gem," Giovanni ordered.

The girafarig had little time to react. The pokemon's eyes widened with shock. It shrilled when the attacks struck. The pokemon was launched back by the force. When it collided with earth the forest and meadow stirred.

They had caused a ruckus. Countless pidgey cooed as they scattered in frantic flight. A noctowl hooted in protest, while a venomoth and butterfree curiously peeked at them.

Unphased by the commotion, Missy gazed at the defeated pokemon. Her lips twisted into a scowl. " Freakish thing," she muttered.

They're certainly an unsightly bunch Mistress, Ninetails agreed.

Giovanni looked into the forest, he was ready for another attack but no more pokemon came. He seemed to be pleased with the result. Missy glanced at their opponent, its charred fur and garish wounds came from a single attack. The pokemon was still alive, but the message was clear. She felt that they wouldn't be bothered again.

" Let's get out of here," Giovanni said before he set off.

Missy followed his lead and quickly caught up. " What brings us out this way?"

Giovanni kept his answer short. " The team requires technical support."

She shrugged, his request was simple enough." As long as your screen hasn't gone blue I'm sure it will be a simple fix."

Giovanni seemed to be bemused with her answer. "Blue screen?"

Missy looked ahead as she contrived a way to answer. " The blue screen of death is an unfixable problem. It's a common programming error in early computer models," she paused in consideration of the facts. " The people of this world are still learning how to program computers, so you're early. Anyway, if your screen's blue any unsaved data has been erased and can't be recovered."

His brow's twisted with his thoughts. "That's not the source of the problem. That kind of information is new to me. I appreciate that you have brought this to my attention."

" I'm here to help," she cooly added.

They carried on and followed the path into the woods. A sentret dashed ahead of them as a hoot-hoot hobbled in pursuit. It was like many of the forests she had visited before, there were always too many insects. Metapod clung on to the bark of trees. The dull yellow pods of countless kakuna hung from their branches.

Ninetails must have noticed her agitation. The pokemon always seem to be unnatural when they're in metamorphosis Mistress.

I haven't always had to look away, Ninetails. I just don't like that the pokemon are the cacoon, doesn't work that way anywhere else, Missy explained.

Ninetails brow's raised with bewilderment. Then how does it work Mistress?

Missy's answer was simple, The bugs create a cacoon and get inside.

Ninetails shuttered at the notion. Mistress the thought of that just gives me the creeps.

Missy glanced at the fox, to spite the pokemon's bemusement she kept her pace. Persian quietly stalked his master's heels, the cat was ready to pounce. Giovanni was completely disinterested, from what she could tell he just wanted to get there.

It wasn't long before the trail split. The path ahead was rugged and hidden. The lack of bramble was welcome. The path's maintenance was a pleasant relief. After a short walk, their destination became apparent.

With each step, the rusty remains of a steel structure became more defined. Judging by the urban decay the building had rotted away for a long time.

Missy raised a brow, then asked, "Is this your secret base?"

" I wouldn't say this is much of a secret," Giovanni replied.

Missy took note of a few private property posts and countless trespassing signs. A small shrine on the side of the path seemed out of place. A paper talisman caught her eye, it was a charm used to banish evil spirits. She wondered why it had been placed there? Then, who had placed it there?

" Is this how your team scares off the locals," Missy asked as she pointed out the talisman.

Giovanni glanced at it and shrugged. " I'm sure the charms play their part. With that aside, they do a pretty good job of deterring them."

" Weird, usually spooky stories keep the locals coming," Missy replied.

Giovanni almost dismissed the notion with his reply, " They usually get driven off, they mostly don't come back unless they wish to never return."

His answer was a bit unsettling but understandable. Ninetails looked ahead, the pokemon said nothing as they continued.

They stepped into the old building and entered a run-down lobby of sorts. They entered a long and narrow corridor. Persian had forced his way ahead of them, while ninetails followed behind.

On her right were a series of abandoned offices to the left was a continuous window that showcased an empty warehouse.

The dirt and dust diminished most of the natural light. Her screwdriver hummed before it illuminated their path.

Missy looked into the empty warehouse then asked," What was this place?"

Giovanni glanced at the warehouse, then answered," It used to be a magikarp breeding facility."

Missy's eyebrows raised, she was disappointed by the answer. Then she pondered allowed, " A magikarp breeding facility somehow becomes an abandoned house of horrors."

Giovanni looked off, he seemed almost amused as he indulged the notion, " The owner was in the business of selling what he touted to be a powerful pokemon, magikarp. His shady sale's pitch made him a fortune, but he became a wanted man. So when the police closed in on him he made a deal with the team. We helped him fake his death and in return, he willed the property to us."

" Must have given him one hell of an ending," Missy muttered as she spotted a faded stain on the warehouse floor.

At least he survived Mistress, Ninetails protested.

" His fate met international headlines, but the case was never solved. This facility quickly became part of an urban legend, and the team ensures that it stays that way," Giovanni touted.

Ninetails remained stationary, the fox silently glared ahead. The pokemon didn't like how he handled things. The last thing she wanted was an argument.

" What's the local legend?" Missy pried.

" I'm told the locals are convinced that an angry spirit came from the lake. A manifestation was born from the anger of the magikarp. Together they created a corporeal incarnation of their rage, and with it, they showed him no mercy," Giovanni explained.

Missy's jaw dropped, the story had left her bewildered. " Oh my gosh, the local's logic left with his sales pitch." Agitated by the sheer stupidity of the story, she couldn't help but carry on, " Salesman sells people useless pokemon for a profit, gets murdered, what do the locals have to say about it, angry spirits did the job."

Giovanni grinned in delight. " Logic never needed to play a part. When the locals come around, someone on the team puts on a magikarp mask and appropriate attire, before they go out there and scare the living hell out of them."

Her eyebrow's raised in amusement before she challenged the story, " Then what about those who don't return?"

" You're getting good at this," he replied.

His response had caught her off guard. Taken aback, Missy allowed him to carry on.

In wake of her silence, Giovanni did just that, " If we had discussed this a week ago you would have hardly cared to inquire about such things."

Missy's reply was swift, " Time Lords happen to be the scholars of history."

Giovanni became quiet, he was perplexed. Gracefully, she carried on, " I'll admit your challenge has been eye-opening."

Pleased by her admission Giovanni said no more about the matter. Instead, he addressed the previous question, " Most of those who don't come back join the team."

Ninetails relaxed in relief. He certainly didn't make it sound that way, Mistress.

I think that's just something he does, Missy replied.

The group stopped at an old and faded poster. Giovanni confidently eyed the faded print.

Killer Mime's from Outer Space!

As she gazed at the poster Missy found herself puzzled. A gang of Mr. Mime had been dressed and painted to resemble alien invaders with a colorful twist. The artist had done one hell of a job, each pokemon had many defining features.

The title raised a question. " Killer Clowns, Killer Mimes, why do they always come from outer space?"

Giovanni glanced at her then plainly replied, " Because this was as far as their budget would take them."

Missy was taken aback by the remark, she found herself grinning. She gestured to the pictured pokemon. " They ran out of funds so they attacked the world, which makes them space pirates."

Giovanni nodded in approval as he reached in his pocket then retrieved a card key. " Criminal Clown's coming to a galaxy near you."

Space pirates sounds cooler, Missy playfully told Ninetails.

It's an appropriate term, Mistress, she replied.

Giovanni cocked his eyes brows as he waved the card over the poster. A gentle hum came from a wall nearby. The decoy panel flawlessly blended in with their surroundings. The wall jarred as it slid to the side and revealed an elevator.

Missy pocketed her screwdriver as the group got inside. She took note of the floor selection. There were four floors below them, the first of which required a key to access. Giovanni had selected floor two, the elevator rumbled when they descended.

" I thought this place would be bigger," Missy remarked.

Giovanni shrugged. " It's a perfect fit for this operation."

Operation, Missy mused. Her questions would be answered soon enough. The doors slid open, the room ahead was massive. Groups of workers diligently worked at computers. It seemed strange that they hadn't noticed their arrival.

Giovanni made no effort to announce it. They strolled past the groups and made their way to a central hub. A massive screen projected a world map along with other statistics. She glimpsed at the data and concluded that they were mining data.

Ahead of the screen, two men stood, both wore drastically different uniforms.

As she and Giovanni approached both men turned then saluted. The first wore a uniform of white. He wasn't young but he wasn't old. His pale complexion and spiked teal hair didn't take away the years, he seemed ghost-like. When his teal eyes caught sight of her, he didn't blink.

The younger man next to him reminded her of a modern-day outlaw. His uniform was traditional yet futuristic with a utility belt. His green hair bounced as his emerald eyes widened at the sight of her.

" Missy, Executive's Archer and Proton," Giovanni casually introduced.

Missy gave a nod, perplexed by their reaction to her. " It's nice to meet you. So what gives?"

Both of them looked too one another with a puzzled reaction. Neither one of them gave any answers. Proton grinned, then shrugged as though he were referring to something unknown.

Giovanni put his hand out, Proton stopped instantly. " I came here for a status report. The R Project upgrade, how close is it to completion?"

Archer and Proton turned to the computer. The world map became a codex, various species of pokemon appeared on screen with a percentage score of one to a hundred. Most species hovered near fifty percent, with few at completion.

Archer turned his voice was cool, but he seemed concerned. " The R project update is sixty-four percent complete."

Proton typed in a command, on the screen a data mine program replaced the previous image. " Our guys are still trying, we've gone up nearly ten percent this week."

Missy's eyes darted over the codex and information. The amount of information they had mined was incredible. Why they needed data was a mystery to her.

" If this was my system I'd have a migraine. You got two hundred terabytes of incomplete information, and probably an aneurysm on the way. What are you two trying to do?" Missy asked.

Proton kept his cool as he began to fill her in, " The R Project is a prototype broadcast system that has the potential to conduct the behaviors of wild pokemon."

Archer turned and faced her. " The team is gathering information about all known species of pokemon, their natures, personalities, and real-world factors that can affect the behavior of wild pokemon. We can then use multiple platforms to create and coordinate wild hoards."

" We're going to have another combee situation," Missy mused.

Proton smirked, then replied, " Yep, but we'll use tyranitar instead."

His words brought about images of destruction. A tyrannical hoard of tyranitar was something that most could not deal with. That was a very useful weapon to have.

Giovanni confidently smiled then made a request, " Missy, can you complete this information?"

She drew her screwdriver, it softly buzzed as she ran the calculations. She took her time to understand the factors of pokemon behavior and the sources that could be used to cause an effect. She was briefly interested in the pokemon storage computer and then the pokemon centers. After some rigorous trigonometry, she figured out the answer.

" I could do it, the amount of information needed would take the tardis more than a week gather. That's just the start of it, your current processor can't handle the upload, the entire system would burst into flames. I can deconstruct the data, but that would take years to upload."

Giovanni's eyes narrowed with speculation. " How many years?"

As Missy pondered over the calculations her emotions stirred. A moment of meditation quelled this uncertain feeling. Even though she was grounded, it loomed in the corner of her mind.

Missy chose to ignore it. Instead, she looked back at Giovanni and gave her answer, " I could have it deconstructed and successfully added in two years' time."

It was only after she gave her answer that she realized she would need a way to upload the data. A portable hard drive would do the trick. She needed to bring it in and manually install it. That was a problem, it must have been a source of her feelings. There had to be another way.

Missy looked around the room in search of anything that could be of use. " Is there wifi in the building?"

Proton crossed his arms and grunted. " We're hardwired here."

Archer nodded then added, " Our internet is distributed from a server in the basement."

Missy pondered the logistics briefly then asked, " You've got miles of cable underground?"

Archer nodded yes, but before he could utter a word she asked, " Where does the intake begin?"

Archer coldly answered, " We intersected the broadband near Ice Path. We use a robot to take care of any repairs or updates."

That narrowed her options considerably. The pipes used for broadband distribution could be traversed by a pokemon, but she'd be in serious trouble if it couldn't complete the journey. That was easily a few days travel non-stop. If she used a pokemon to attempt a direct break-in she doubted it would succeed.

That left her with two options. She could travel back and break in herself, or get someone else to do it. She favored the latter.

Missy spied Giovanni. " Look's like your doing the upgrades."

Giovanni shook his head no. " I was on a mission with the team that night."

Exasperated, Missy sarcastically carried on, " Oh my gosh, well that really narrow's down our options."

Perhaps a different team member can do it Mistress, Ninetails softly suggested.

There are already too many time travelers on the team, she replied.

As the realization settled Missy leered at Giovanni. As she took in the day's event's she understood why Petrel had been so cautious and the other Executive's reactions to her. What she didn't understand was why the matter never got brought up.

Missy, did her best to keep her tone neutral as she asked, " Why didn't you ever bring this up?"

Giovanni boldly, almost fearlessly answered, " I happened to encounter a girl with an umbrella-"

Missy put her hand out and stopped him. She took in her surroundings once more. The workers paid little attention to them. The R Project had clearly outperformed its current capabilities with a ten percent increase in productivity. Charts of incomplete data were paired with completed information.

There was only one kind of event that could make these things happen, a time shift. An event that is often associated with two or more possible outcomes. She had upgraded their system, while simultaneously not doing so.

Ninetails glanced at her, the fox's eyes were wide with concern. Mistress, is everything alright?

We should be, she shortly replied.

While she pondered a more sinister question loomed. Given the present situation, it was one that she couldn't outright ask. Brazenly, she embraced the situation.

With a newly found determination, she would let nothing stand in her way. She didn't want a fight but felt that she was in for one. The base was Team Rocket's home court, they could give her one hell of a time. Missy knew she'd be ready for it, she had to be ready for it.

After an excited clap, she said, "Sound's like I've got a party to crash."