Prologue - Born From Ashes!

June 3rd, 2002

Team Omni hideout, Blackbird Villa, Asture Region

Miles Fortuna, thirteen, lined up shoulder to shoulder with the group of shiny new grunts containing a massive grin with his outwardly placid expression.

"Today we bring into the world a new organisation of power," their leader, Jarvis, said, standing stoically before his army of foot soldiers with his hands clasped firmly behind his back. His scarred and battered Tyrantrum loomed over him, baring its enormous, vicious teeth. The four members of his leadership team stood several steps behind arrayed in a semi circle. "We rise from the ashes of the failed Team Rocket to dominate the world of Pokémon with brute strength and efficiency. The Asture Region will fall beneath our might and everyone will know our name. Team Omni!"

"Team Omni!" Echoed several of the grunts, but not Miles. They hadn't practiced that war cry, so he was surprised to hear them mimic their new leader already.

"Pokémon are a weapon that must be wielded by the right hands," Jarvis continued, regardless of the interruption. "Once we have gathered the legendary Pokémon we will rule the world of humans and Pokémon for all eternity. Pledge to me your allegiance and together we will be unstoppable. Team Omni!"

This time he was seeking a response and he got it. The grunts boomed, "Team Omni!" Several people yelled incoherent sounds as well and Jarvis clapped his hands proudly, not trying to subdue the grunts. He allowed them to holler and cheer for almost a full minute before he raised his hands to calm them down.

"We cannot do this alone," Jarvis said. "I cannot do this alone. For this we need Pokémon, so your first task is to set out and raid towns and villages. Steal whatever Pokémon you can find and we will create the world's first Pokémon army. Kanto is rife with the remnants of Team Rocket's power. Go there and scrounge up the abandoned and confiscated Pokémon. They will be most likely to obey our commands. But remember they are just a tool to help us unleash our true power.

"Now go and claim the world for Team Omni." He thrust a closed fist into the air and everyone, including Miles, erupted in cheers.

There was a feeling in the room that they would succeed where Team Rocket had failed. A group of ten year old children would not bring down their mighty leader. Jarvis was not a pathetic carbon copy of Giovanni. He was so much more than that. He saw what the world should be and he would do anything to make his goals come true.

"I'm getting teary eyed over here," Pietro, sixteen years old, said, clasping a hand on Miles's shoulder. "This is the dream we all had as children. Not to be a simple Pokémon Champion but to rule the world with a team of the most powerful Pokémon. Legendary Pokémon! Can you believe it, Miles?"

"Don't get your hopes up, Pietro," Miles said. "We might be doing the grunt work of hunting them down, but we'll never get the chance to use them ourselves. Jarvis is going to rule them all with one mega team."

"Perhaps." He released Miles's shoulder and walked off with the rest of the dispersing grunts. His attitude was going to get him into trouble. Especially if he thought he could keep a Pokémon from Jarvis. Their mighty leader would not allow that.

"You," Jarvis said, pointing directly at Miles's chest from where he had yet to move. "Come here, I have a special mission for you."

"Me?" Miles asked and tentatively stepped forward. He had never spoken to any of Team Omni's leadership and especially not the Leader himself. "Yes, sir?" he stammered.

"Calm yourself, boy, you're not in any trouble. You look young. How old are you?"

"Thirteen, Sir."

"Perfect. I thought that you looked a bit younger than the rest of our recruits. My team were supposed to find me a trainer, but I guess I have to do this myself." He glanced over a shoulder at the four men and women arrayed behind him. "I am sending you to Sparrow Town to infiltrate the PokeAcademy. You will start out as a student, but I want you to study in order to take over as a teacher and eventually the headmaster. You will be the main recruiter for our young ranks."

"What? Are you sure that you have the right person, Sir?" Miles asked, swallowing mouthfuls of air. "You don't even know me or my capabilities."

Jarvis laughed and stepped forward to clasp a hand on Miles's shoulder. "I know who you are, Miles," he laughed. "Our recruiters told me all about you when you first joined our ranks. Not many here beat one Gym Leader, let alone six. You're the perfect student who is in need of assistance to overcome the final two Gyms. They will welcome you with open arms."

"So I'm not going to hunt down Pokémon for you?"

"No, but this is just as important a task if not more so. Without recruitment our numbers will dwindle and we will eventually fall into obscurity. Once we have them we will give you whatever Pokémon you want to make up your team. You'll be the perfect student and they would be fools to overlook you for a teaching position."

Miles scratched the back of his head and fought to stabilise his feelings. "Are you sure? You don't even know me."

"We know everything about you, Miles," Jarvis said and squeezed Miles's shoulder again. "I know that I can trust you with this task. The why doesn't bear repeating. You know your own tragic backstory."

Miles swallowed the lump in his throat. He had needed to tell the recruiter what had happened to him as a child in order to join Team Omni, but he never imagined that information making its way all the way to Jarvis. "How do I get my revenge if I am to remain forever at the PokeAcademy?" he asked meekly.

"I never said such a thing. Once you have learnt enough to beat the last two Gyms you are free to finish your journey and then face the Elite Four and humiliate the Champion. After that, return to the Academy and fulfil your mission."

"Yes, Sir!" Miles puffed up his chest and stood barrel straight. Jarvis was handing him the path to vengeance on a platter and he would gladly swallow it whole. He wouldn't just humiliate the man who had used Pokemon to burn his family to a crisp, he would destroy him and his Pokémon until nothing remained. His good boy image would shatter into a million tiny pieces when the truth about what he had done saw the light of day.

"Go and make us proud," Jarvis said, giving a warm smile that Miles's father never had.

Miles turned and strode out of the room with renewed hope. He had given up dreaming of revenge and had settled on the idea that he would never earn the final two Gym badges. Even after Team Omni had appeared from the shadows. Jarvis was going to give him the team to change his fate. He wouldn't let him down.


Halfway around the World

Outside the Viridian City Gym, Kanto Region

"So long, fearless leader," James said, locking the heavy chains and padlock on the Viridian City Gym's door.

"And goodbye Team Rocket," Jesse added.

"Meowth?" Meowth said.

"Excuse me, is the Gym open?" a young girl asked.

They turned around to face her and James asked Jesse, "One last time, before we fade into the sunset?"

"Prepare for trouble!" Jesse said, adopting a back to back pose with James.

"Make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth!"

They burst into laughter and the young girl looked at them with her mouth hanging open. "Who are you?" she asked.

"That's a good question," James said, locking eyes with Jesse. "Who are we indeed?"

"Team Rocket?" Jesse said questioningly, flamboyantly pointing at the large red R on her chest. "No. Not any more. We are just Jesse and James."

"Meowth," Meowth added.

"And Meowth," James confirmed.

"Now move along, girl," Jesse said, posing dramatically with her hands on her thrust hips. "Unless you want to be our new foe? Since that infuriating Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu have run off once again."

"Ash?" the girl asked. "He hasn't run off. He's in Pallet Town right now."

Jesse and James locked eyes and then took off running. The brat wouldn't get away just because Giovanni had failed. They would finally make him pay for everything he had done to them and to Team Rocket.