Chapter Four
Rachael had been chasing the agents from the Opposition for blocks, but now she feared that she had lost them. In the back of her mind, a voice was scorning her.
"You idiot! How could you let Zap find out?!"
"I didn't," Rachael murmured breathlessly. "It wasn't my fault!"
"Now she probably knows that you're in Team Rocket!"
"I know, I know!" Rachael kept running, scanning the sidewalk in front of her.
"You couldn't even steal her Pokemon. What good are you?"
"It wasn't my fault," Rachael told herself. "That Jessie recognized me! She knew, she knew!"
When the reports of the Jessie being spotted in the forest had come in, the Boss had sent out Ross and Diane to find it. Ross had worked on the project several months before, helping with the experiments that were done on the Jamie and Jessica herd. This had all happened just before he was teamed up with Diane, and so she didn't know anything about the experiments. Rachael herself had been Ross's temporary partner.
Diane and Ross were already out searching for the Jessie when Rachael had gotten the call from her cousin. She'd caught a Jessie while out in the woods. There was no way it could have been a coincidence. So the Boss had sent her to try and get the Jessie from Zap. It should have worked, but the Jessie had recognized her... Rachael remembered the Pokemon retaliating and escaping.
Now that the Boss's Shadowcat was missing, the Jessie wasn't as big an issue. However, Rachael knew that eventually he would resume looking for it. The Pokemon was too rare-and potentially too unstable-to let escape. Rachael had followed Ross and Diane in hopes that they would be able to get the Jessie off of her cousin. But the Opposition had stepped in...
Rachael stopped, realizing that she couldn't see her targets anymore. She sniffed the air, looking around. There. She spotted the two firey animals as they slipped into a building down the street.
She hesitated, not sure what to do next. It wouldn't be wise to barge into the Opposition's headquarters unarmed.
Rachael didn't have to wait long. After only a minute or two passed, there was a sudden explosion. Rachael was thrown to the ground by the powerful blast that tore the front of the Opposition building off.
Coughing, Rachael rubbed her eyes and got to her feet. Two Pokemon materialized in a flash in front of her.
"Shadowcat! Cookie!" Rachael cried in surprise. She pointed back at the building. Pokemon and animals were beginning to rush out. "Did you do that?"
"Cat!" Shadowcat nodded brightly. She scooped the Raichu up into her arms and hugged her tightly. "Shadowcat! Cat!"
"We have to get back to Headquarters!" Rachael said as Shadowcat put her down. Opposition members were beginning to come in their direction.
"Brina, na!" Cookie wailed, clinging to the elder Pokemon's leg. "Sabrina!"
"Oh, you know about Diane, don't you cookie?" Rachael frowned at the little Pokemon.
"Naaa!"
"Well..." Rachael noticed the firey form of a Ponyta escape from the building. "Come on, let's go!"
Shadowcat picked up Rachael, and they ran back down the street. Turning down a corner that led to a shortcut to the PersCo building, they heard a voice calling behind them.
"Wait! Stop! Please!" The voice was strange and distinct. Shadowcat and Cookie stopped.
"Cat! Cat!"
It was the Sforzando. She came running up to the trio. "Please, don't leave me back there."
"Shadowcat, Shad?" the grey Pokemon looked uncertain. "I thought you were staying."
"I'm no fool," Sforzando whispered.
"You can come with us," Rachael said. Shadowcat and Cookie nodded, and the group continued on its way.
Blitz snared as he emerged from the destroyed front of the Opposition headquarters. Their boss wasn't happy. Rockie was dead. Blitz pawed the ground, looking up and down the street. He thought he saw something...
"Anna! Felix!" Two Arcanine came running up to the Ponyta.
"Yes, sir?"
"Do you know who's responsible for that explosion?"
"No sir," Felix shook his head.
"We think it was one of the Pokemon," Anna said.
"Impossible, none of them are strong enough--" Blitz blinked, looking back at the building. "The Shadowcat! Where is is?"
"Gone, sir," the timid voice of a Cyndaquil spoke. Blitz snorted, looking back down the street.
"She must be going back to Team Rocket," he said. "Are there any others missing?"
"A Sabrina, and two Ash. The Sforzando is also unaccounted for."
Blitz frowned. "That Sforzando is dangerous to have on the street. I'm sure its with the others." The Cyndaquil nodded nervously.
The sound of the Police and their Jennys approached from down the street. Blitz sighed and hurried back inside.
There was a waiting party outside the emergency room. Zap and Ross waited to hear of Diane's fate. They weren't alone--Zap's Pokemon were out, as was Ross's. The Otoshi and Cassidy were settled on benches and sleeping. Zap's Jessie and the Jamie were huddled together on the floor.
"I wish I knew what was wrong with Jessie," Zap murmured. The fire Pokemon would not look at her trainer.
"It's hard to say," Ross said, although he had a pretty good idea why.
"I hope Diane's alright," Zap sighed.
"What do you care?" Ross snapped. "You don't even know her."
"I just don't want anyone to get hurt," Zap frowned, looking at her Pokemon. Cassidy snorted in her sleep.
"It isn't your fault," Ross sighed. "It was mine. I was too careless. The Opposition--"
"I thought they were my friends!" Zap cried. She covered her face with her paws. "I can't believe I let them fool me so easily!"
"You couldn't have known," he said, thinking of the Ponyta and Vulpix. "It's hard to tell who's in the Opposition." Ross looked at the Pikachu for a moment, then shook his head.
"You don't think I'm in the Opposition, do you?"
"No," Ross said, shaking his head again. "You're too young. Too innocent."
"But wouldn't the Opposition be the good guys?" Zap wondered. Ross blinked in disbelief.
"The good guys? Hardly."
"I thought Team Rocket was the bad guys," Zap sighed.
"We are, I guess," Ross said. "But the Opposition is just as bad as we are. They want to get rid of Team Rocket so that they can take control."
"Oh." They were silent for a few minutes.
Zap's ear twitched. "Did you hear something?"
"Hear what?"
Cassidy sat up suddenly, growling to herself.
"Cassidy, shh!" Zap quieted her Pokemon.
"I don't hear anything.." Ross said, but stopped.
"Naaaa!"
Down the hall, a trio of figures appeared. First was the short form of Cookie, followed by the Sforzando. Rachael, now sitting on her Butch's shoulder, brought up the rear.
"Sabrina! Sabrina!" Cookie cried as she ran up to the Marowak.
"Cookie!" Ross jumped to his feet.
"Brina brina brina!" Cookie said happily as she hugged Ross. She set him down. "Na na, Sabrina?"
"She wants to know where her trainer is," Sforzando said evenly.
"You can talk?" Ross said in surprise.
Sforzando looked insulted. "Of course I can," she scoffed.
Rachael jumped down from Butch's shoulder. "How is Diane?"
"We don't know yet," Ross said. Cookie looked anxiously at the emergency room doors.
"Naaa!"
"You can't go in there right now," Ross said to the little Sabrina. "Diane is getting help."
"Sabrina," Cookie said sadly, and sat down on the floor next to Otoshi's bench.
"Dee!"
"Butch!"
"Dee!"
Butch and Cassidy were growling at each other, their claws beared.
"Cassidy!" she hissed, shocking Butch. He shook it off.
"Butch!"
"Cassidy!" she shocked him again. He blinked.
"Butch!"
"Cassidy!!!" she nearly knocked him off his feet.
Butch got back up. "Butch!" he said, and smacked her cheek.
"Dee!" Cassidy shrieked in surprise, holding her cheek. Her eyes watered. "Cass...."
"Butch." He crossed his arms. Cassidy's expression softened.
"Cassidy cass!" she said, and hugged him tightly.
"Aww, I think they like each other," Rachael giggled.
"At least someone does," Zap sighed. "Rachael, I think something's wrong with my Jessie."
"Aside from the fact that she doesn't want to be your Pokemon?"
"Well, that being the main problem."
"Your Pokemon is worried that you will not want her if you know the truth about her," Sforzando said quietly.
"What does she mean?" Zap wondered.
"I know what's wrong with your Jessie," Ross said. Rachael sighed, looking at her feet.
"What?" Zap looked at him. The Marowak sighed.
"Your Jessie and that Jamie are experiments of Team Rocket," Ross said. "We evolved your Jessie from a Jessica, and gave the Jamie the ability to liquify his form."
"Is this true?" Zap looked at Rachael. She nodded.
"Your cousin and I worked with the experiments," Ross said. "The Jessie and Jamie escaped from here."
"And I found them," Zap said quietly.
"I was sent to get your Jessie from you," Rachael said evenly, not looking up. "That's why she freaked out when I tried to take her that day."
"Oh, I had no idea." Zap frowned. She went over to the Jessie and Jamie. "I'm sorry Jessie. I didn't know."
"Ssie," Jessie mumbled into the Jamie's shoulder.
"Please forgive me Jessie," Zap said. "I'll do whatever it takes."
"Sie, Jessie."
"She said 'then let me go'," Sforzando translated.
"I..." Zap shook her head. The Jamie gazed at her dully. "I can't let you go, Jessie. But I can promise you that I won't seperate you and your Jamie."
"Jessie..." Jessie lifted her head and looked at Zap. She hesitated. "Jess?" Jessie turned her head. They all looked to see the doors to the emergency room open.
There stood the resident Nurse Chansie, with a jittery Joy standing behind her.
"How is Diane?" Ross asked.
Chansie smiled. "She's going to be just fine. We were able to sew her up without any problems."
"Joy joy!" the Joy echoed, her bright pink tail swishing happily.
Ross smiled. "That's a relief. When it first happened, I didn't think she was going to make it."
"Well, she's very lucky. The bullets didn't hit any major organs," Chancie took chart from the Joy and read it.
"How long will she be in?"
"A few days," Chancie said. "Just to be sure." Ross nodded, then looked behind him. Cookie stood there.
"Brina? Brina?" she looked at Ross, and then at Chancie.
"You can go see her, Cookie," Chancie said. "I'm sure Diane would be very happy to see you!"
"Sabrina!" Cookie stepped over Ross and went into the emergency room.
"Be careful, Cookie, she's still hurting," Chancie called after the Pokemon.
"Cookie?" Diane said softly as Cookie sat next to the Lickitung's bed. Diane's arm was bandaged, and her stomach was covered with gauze and other bandages.
"Brina brina na?" Cookie said cautiously.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Diane smiled. "I was worried that the Opposition had hurt you."
"Naa," Cookie rested her chin on the bed. Diane moved her free arm and patted the Sabrina's forehead.
"I missed you so much, Cookie..." Diane's voice trailed off as she noticed that Ross had followed Cookie into the room. "Ross?"
"Yeah, it's me," he said, standing next to the bed.
"Chancie said I was shot," Diane said softly. "But I don't really remember. Rachael and the Pikachu had followed us... but I don't remember what happened after that."
"The team leaders from the Opposition ambushed us," Ross said. "You got hit. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," she smiled. Ross covered her paw with his own.
"I was worried that you weren't going to make it," he whispered. "If you had died... it would have been my fault."
"No, Ross, I'm okay now," Diane assured him. "I'll be back on my feet in no time."
He forced a worried smile. "I know." His eyes were wet.
"Ross, don't cry," Diane said.
"I'm... I'm not crying," Ross said, turning his face away.
"Na!" Cookie prodded his arm.
"Cookie, stop it!" Diane scolded the young Pokemon.
"Sabrina," Cookie harrumped. Ross smiled faintly, wiping at his eyes.
"I'm just glad you're okay," he said. Diane smiled.
"Thank you, Ross."
He sat staring at a large computer screen. The image of a winged Pokemon was visible, with a few stats. After a moment it flicked to another image, going through a series of seven before stopping and returning to the first image. The Persian sighed, looking away from the screen.
"The greatest treasures of the Pokemon world. And yet they mean nothing without..."
"Shadowcat?"
The Persian blinked, sitting up. Had his ears fooled him?
"Who's there?"
"Shadowcat!" He heard the familiar voice, and a familiar set of quick footsteps approaching his chair. A large grey form loomed over him, and the Persian was quickly pulled up into a hug.
"Shadowcat! You're here!" the Persian cried in surprise.
Shadowcat squeezed her master tightly. "Cat cat cat!"
The Persian gasped for air. "I'm happy to see you too, but put me down!"
Shadowcat sat on the floor, depositing the Persian in his chair.
"How did you get back here, Shadowcat?"
"Cat, Shadowcat!" she picked up a drawing pad that had been left under the desk and scribbled something down. "Cat!"
The Persian looked at the images drawn by his Pokemon. "You used Reality Alter... and made an explosion.. and came back here?"
"Shadowcat!" she smiled and nodded. After a moment's thought, Shadowcat added another figure to the paper. The Persian looked at it and frowned. The image showed a bird, its wings covered in fire.
"You think they're going to retaliate?" the Persian looked toward the window.
"Cat." She nodded.
"Blitz, I want to know what the hell is going on down there," a steely voice said.
"You know as much as I do, ma'am," the Ponyta said. "Several Pokemon have escaped, including the Shadowcat and Sforzando."
"And your partner is dead?" the voice was emotionless.
"Yes," Blitz looked down.
"Well, you'll have to control both teams in the Fire division for now." The firey head of the Moltres turned toward a computer screen. Her blue eyes flashed briefly.
"What are we going to do about the Shadowcat?" Blitz asked.
"Destroy it."
"Ma'am?"
"The Shadowcat is not going to be of any use to us," the Moltres said. "I want you to take the teams down to the PersCo building. Destroy the Rocket's headquarters, and make sure that the Shadowcat is destroyed too." She looked at the screen again. "We have something better than her now anyway."
"Yes, Lady Magdaline," Blitz nodded deeply. "We'll go immediately."
The Sforzando watched as Ross emerged from the emergency room. He seemed to be blushing. She tilted her head curiously, but didn't say anything.
Ross went over to Rachael. "We need to talk to the Boss."
The Raichu looked up. "About what?"
"The... status.. of the experiments." The Jamie snorted. Zap looked at her cousin uncertainly.
"You can't take them," she said.
"We won't," Rachael promised.
The Sforzando looked nervously between the animals. "What about me?"
"I..." Ross looked thoughtful.
"She doesn't have a trainer," Rachael said softly.
"I did before I was stolen," the Sforzando said.
"Who was your trainer?" Zap wondered.
"A Furret named Fiona." The voice came from behind them.
"Huh?" Sforzando turned around. A longed bodied animal stood there, looking a bit concerned. A short Misty stood behind her.
"Sforzando?" the Furret said cautiously.
"Fiona!" Sforzando cried, dropping to her knees and hugging the Furret.
"What are you doing here?" Sforzando said.
"After you were stolen, I joined Team Rocket," Fiona said. She saw the marks on her lost Pokemon's arms. "Did they hurt you?"
"Sometimes," Sforzando said softly. Fiona's eyes watered.
"I'm sorry!" she cried. "Can you forgive me?"
"I never blamed you," Sforzando said. "Do you still want me?"
"Of course!" Fiona wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Stee stee!" the Misty chirped in a squeaky voice.
"Thank you," the Sforzando smiled.
"I just love happy endings," Zap said in a wistful voice.
And then, the hall shook.
"I don't think things are over just yet!" Ross shouted.
The building shook again, and a siren sounded somewhere down the hall.
The Persian ran to the window in time to see a third volley of explosive fireballs slam into the first floor of the PersCo building.
"Sir, we're under attack!" the voice of his secretary called from the doorway.
"Obviously!"
"Cat! Shadowcat!" She stomped her foot anxiously.
"Come on, it's time to put you to the test," the Persian called Shadowcat into her pokeball and ran for the door.
"Come out, you cowards!" Blitz shouted at the entrance to the building. In response, lightning streaked from the entrance and struck the closest Opposition Pokemon. The James screamed in pain as it hit the ground.
"Hit them again!"
Two Blaines and a Jessica shot their fire blasts at the entrance. A wash of sooty water counterattacked the attack. Blitz growled.
"Shockwave!"
An Otoshi and a Brock leapt forward and released a large blast of energy. It blew the windows out up four floors. Screaming could be heard. Blitz smiled.
"Keep it up! We're gonna flush them all out!"
"Naaa!" Cookie wailed as she followed the crowd up to the roof. She was doggedly trailing the Joy that was pushing Diane's wheelchair toward the elevator.
Three floors down, Fiona and Sforzando stood in front of the broken out windows. The others had continued down, and the fighting had flushed out onto the streets.
"We have to help," Fiona said to Sforzando. The Pokemon looked down at the street below.
"I... I don't really know how to fight," Sforzando admitted. The building shook again, and they felt a rush of hot air. "You should use your Misty, not me."
"I believe in you, Sforzando!" Fiona said. "Please fight."
Sforzando hesitated, her fingers clenching the cloth of her recently acquired Rocket cloak. She opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a strangled cry. Electricity filled the room, and the building shook hard. Fiona screamed, covered her eyes.
"Fiona!" she heard the Pokemon's voice call out in alarm. The Furret opened her eyes, just in time to see Sforzando tumbling out of the window. She ran forward, but Sforzando had already fallen out of reach.
"This is crazy! What is the Opposition trying to accomplish?!" Zap screamed as a blast of electricity filled the air. They were half-hidden by a fallen sign.
"They're trying to destroy us, what does it look like?" her cousin shouted back.
"I'm not part of Team Rocket! I didn't ask for this!"
"I don't think they really care!"
"Look out!" Ross pulled Zap back. A large form hit the ground and lay motionless.
"Sforzando!" Rachael whispered.
"That's it, I'm sick of hiding!" Ross growled. "Otoshi, go!"
"Toshi!" Otoshi ducked as he materialized, avoiding a blast of fire.
"Otoshi, use your Shockwave against the Opposition!"
"Toshi!" the Otoshi leapt forward and disappeared into the melee.
"Where's the Boss and his Shadowcat when we need them?" Rachael cried.
"I don't know, but we're going to have to fight until they get here!" Zap threw two Pokeballs. "Jessie, Jamie, go!"
"You caught the Jamie?"
"Sort of," Zap said. The two Pokemon followed Ross's Otoshi.
The fighting continued for several minutes, Pokemon and trainers falling on both sides.
And then, finally, two figures emerged from the building. Fiona rushed past the Persian to her Sforzando, who was still unmoving on the ground.
"Sforzando! Wake up, please!" Fiona cried. "I don't want to lose you again."
"Let me help," Zap said, standing next to them. She put her paws on the Sforzando's chest and gave her a small shock.
"Do!" came the pained cry. "Stop that!"
"Are you okay?" Fiona leaned over her Pokemon.
"I'm not dead," Sforzando coughed, rolling onto her side.
"You fell out of a window, I'm surprised you're alive," Fiona whispered.
"I'll be okay," Sforzando said.
The Persian moved out from the mild protection of the building front. Blitz motioned from the Opposition side, and the fighting slacked off. By the time the Persian had cleared his side of the street, the fighting had stopped.
"Have you come to surrender, Persian?" Blitz shouted.
"I won't surrender to the likes of you," the Persian snarled, releasing Shadowcat from her pokeball.
"Shadowcat!" she cried, annoyed at having been put in the ball.
"Well then we'll just have to destroy you, and your Pokemon," Blitz said. He motioned vaguely. A Satoshi stepped forward. Almost in response, Ross and the others moved behind the Persian. Shadowcat growled at the Satoshi, who snorted and stomped his foot.
"Fool," the Sforzando muttered, standing next to Shadowcat.
"What are you doing?" Shadowcat whispered.
"Helping," Sforzando said softly.
"Satoshi, Take Down!" a trainer from the Opposition called.
"Shadowcat, counterattack!"
The Satoshi leapt toward Shadowcat, who ducked and rolled aside. The Satoshi changed direction, knocking Sforzando to the ground.
"Cat!" Shadowcat spun around the Satoshi and struck him down with her Quill Drill.
"Sfor...." the Sforzando pushed herself back to her feet. She clutched her stomach for a moment, then moaned in pain. Sforzando began to glow. She blinked, and then smiled as she realized what was happening. Her ears turned into wings, and wings sprouted from her ankles. Her tail turned white and grew much longer, splitting in half at the end. Her mane turned white as well, except for the front, where silverly-blue bangs seperated. The blue and gold Rocket cloak stood out in sharp contrast against her pearline white skin.
"Sforzando evolved!" Fiona whispered in awe.
The wings on the new Sforzi's feet stirred slowly, and she hovered several feet off the ground. She smiled down at her trainer, her brown eyes flashing gold.
"Thank you for your love," Sforzi said. The Furret smiled, tears in her eyes.
"You look very powerful," Shadowcat said. Sforzi floated beside her.
"I possess great powers, yes, but nothing compared to your Reality Alter," the Sforzi said meekly.
"My Reality Alter is strong, but will it be strong enough?" Shadowcat frowned, looking at the Persian.
Sforzi's eyes scanned the Opposition trainers that were surrounding them. "It will be strong enough."
"How can you be so certain?"
"I will help you," Sforzi said. She looked at the Opposition again. Nineteen trainers and their Pokemon surrounded the group. Much of Team Rocket had retreated. The Persian stood fast. Fiona the Furret stood with Rachael, Ross, and Zap. They were flanked by Rachael's Butch and Zap's Cassidy. Zap's Jessie and the Jamie were too injured and had retreated.
"They're going to use Hyper Beam," Sforzi said softly. "The others should retreat. They might be harmed." Shadowcat nodded. She looked behind them.
"Cat! Cat! Shadowcat, cat!" Shadowcat called. Butch and Cassidy looked at each other.
"Cassss," Cassidy nodded. The two Pokemon began to retreat. After a moment's hesitation, Zap and Rachael followed suit.
"You should go too," Sforzi said to her trainer.
"No," the Furret shook her head. "I haven't been there for you in a long time. I want to be here now."
"You might be hurt," Sforzi frowned.
"I don't care," Fiona said. "You've been through a lot worse, just to help us now." Sforzi considered this, then nodded. She turned, facing Shadowcat.
"I am ready," she said softly. Shadowcat nodded, and stood in front of Sforzi. They faced the Opposition.
"Are you ready to surrender, Persian?" Blitz's voice called from the line.
"I will never surrender," the Persian snarled.
"Then you will die, along with the rest of Team Rocket," Blitz said. He turned to the other Opposition members. "Let's do it. Hyper Beam now!"
Nineteen Pokemon began to glow around them.
"Sforzi, Synthesis!"
"Shadowcat, Reality Alter!"
Sforzi held her hands at her sides, and they began to glow. Shadowcat pulled out a long quill.
"Shadow-cat!"
"My power is yours!" Sforzi cried. She brought her hands together. The light shot from her hands, and struck Shadowcat in the back.
"Cat!" Shadowcat's eyes went wide. The quill disappeared from her hands.
Around them, nineteen hyper beams shot toward Shadowcat.
She flung her hands open.
And the beams froze, all less than a yard away from their target.
"Amazing," the Persian whispered.
The moment seemed frozen. They were surrounded by a mass of angry golden light.
Shadowcat's hands shook. Her eyes were still open wide, and she seemed to be in pain.
"Cat!" she closed her hands into fists. The light disappeared.
There were loud cries of disbelief from all around. The Opposition's Pokemon fell to the ground, weakened by the attack. Sforzi landed heavily behind Shadowcat, having given all her energy up. Shadowcat trembled, looking down at her hands.
"Cat, Shadowcat?"
"You will leave us now," the Persian called loudly to the Opposition.
"Don't think that this is over," Blitz growled.
"It is for now," the Persian said softly.
"Oh, Sforzi, are you okay?" Fiona whispered.
"I will be," Sforzi replied softly. Her winged ears tucked up tightly, and her eyes slid shut.
The Persian watched the members of the Opposition retreat, and then turned to Shadowcat.
"Is your Reality Alter permanent now?" he asked.
"Cat?" Shadowcat looked at her hands. She shrugged. The Persian smiled.
"It will do, for now."
Two weeks passed. Zap and her Raichu cousin sat on the front porch of Zap's home. They watched their Pokemon scramble around the yard, mock-fighting. Rachael sighed. It was her first day home since the confrontation.
"I'm sorry that you had to go through all that," Rachael said.
"It's okay," Zap said. "I think some good came out of it."
"How's that?"
"Well, that Sforzando evolved. I got another Pokemon. My Cassidy and Jessie don't fight--" she winced as Cassidy tripped Jessie. "--as much."
Rachael watched as her Butch pulled the Cassidy back, as Jessie spat a small fireball at them.
"Do you think anything will come of them?" Rachael said, smiling.
"Maybe." The Jamie snuck behind the Butch and Cassidy, pulling the Butch's tail before running back to Jessie. Zap cleared her throat. "So, what happened with Team Rocket?"
"We moved back to the Viridian Headquarters," Rachael said. "We're trying to keep a low profile while the Boss starts on a new project."
"New project?"
"Special Aquisitions," Rachael said mysteriously. The Pikachu laughed.
"You sound like Bones," Zap said.
"How is he?"
"Fine," she said. "A little confused about my explanation of what happened, but he's okay."
"Boys," Rachael sighed and shook her head. After a moment she tilted her head toward Zap. "So, still don't want to join the team?"
"I think I'll leave Team Rocket to you," Zap said.
"Suit yourself," Rachael shrugged. "But I guess you're always welcome with us."
Zap considered this. "Do you think that the Opposition is really gone?"
"No," Rachael shook her head. "They're just working on a new plan. And so we have to too."
"I guess that's where that 'Special Aquisitions' project comes in, huh?"
Rachael smiled faintly, looking back out at the Pokemon. "Perhaps."
End Chapter Four
The End...or is it?