-=-=-=-=-

Journeys
by TG
(With generous assistance from R. A. Stott)

(Part Seven of Fate's Game)


"Take me down, this road of pain
Ground me down, like a grain of sand
Spin me round, 'til it goes away
Then take me down, this road again."

-=-=-=-=-

Cassidy sat down wearily on the couch. She hated recruit training. Especially the training part.

"You were pretty hard on that girl, Cass." Butch sipped his afternoon cup of coffee.

She laid her head back on the couch. "That girl was a total bitch. She acted like she knew everything, when she knew absolutely nothing."

Butch shrugged. "At least she knew the merits of using an Ultraball to catch an opponent's Pokémon. She did a good job on your Raticate."

Cassidy grumbled an affirmative. "A good temporary maneuver."

Butch nodded.

The phone rang, and Cassidy picked it up. "What? It's late... Okay." She slammed the phone down. "Guess who just called?"

Butch shrugged.

"We have to go see Van." Cassidy got up and opened the door. She stood in the hallway, waiting.

Butch put the mug down and walked out into the hallway, slamming the door closed.

-=-=-=-=-

Cassidy looked at Van as he typed at his computer. She coughed and the scientist looked up.

"Oh, yes.. I'm sorry."

The office that had once been Gasglow's was much cleaner since the battle. Most of the furniture was replaced. Even the large slash marks in the walls were repaired. Van had been uneasy about taking over Team Blue, thinking his place was in the lab. Now that he had accepted the position, he was determined to do the job as Gasglow would have done it.

Cassidy folded her arms. "What is it now? Every time we get brought in here, I get to hear something bad."

Van sat back. "I'm sorry about James. I've been saying sorry since this whole mess started. You need to accept that it was the only way we could handle the situation."

"And what about Alan and Ann?" Cassidy looked over at Butch, who returned the thought affirmatively.

When James had been incarcerated in the mental hospital for attempting to kill Cassidy, Alan & Ann had fought to get him out. Both Rockets were always close with Jessie & James. Van's second directive after becoming Team Blue's leader was to have them deported. Team Blue had been very successful, and both Rockets were sent back to the United Kingdom, and refused further visas of any kind. Now both were part of Rocket UK.

Van frowned. "They might have exposed this operation. It was for the best to get rid of them. They're both much safer with Rocket UK."

"James has no friends left in Team Rocket! Have you even looked at the progress reports!?" Cassidy had raised her voice, all the anger spilling out.

Van stayed calm, sympathetic to Cassidy's emotions. "Yes I have. Between drugs, some psychic therapy, and psychiatry, he doesn't remember a thing of the attack. His continued depression and anxiety have kept him from trying to dig into the deportation of Alan and Ann. Nobody else suspects a thing, and Giovanni hasn't made any moves."

Cassidy shook her head. "That's not the point! So what if Giovanni hasn't killed me and Butch, or told James the truth? James doesn't deserve this! He deserves to have friends. He needs somebody to turn to. The only real friend he has now is Meowth, and that cat's been put through the grinder just like him."

Butch nodded his head, agreeing with her.

Van was trying to keep the conversation from turning into a yelling match. "I know, but there's nothing we can do about it right now. Dammit Cassidy, I'm trying to keep us from being put under! I've got bigger issues than James' mental state. He's already well-watched and protected by you two. 'What're we going to do about Gasglow?' is our top priority; as well as 'how are we going to protect ourselves now that Giovanni has joined up with these celestials?'. The game's not over yet."

Cassidy bowed her head, because she knew he was right. James was safer being withdrawn from the world.

Van sighed. "We've examined all the data, and we're almost done with a plan to rescue Gasglow. We just need a month or two more, and things will be set up. Once we have Gasglow back, then we can at least start work on these other issues." Van looked at his computer monitor and cursed. "Do you know what tomorrow is?"

Butch checked his watch. "Yeah."

Cassidy nodded, watching Van's reaction.

Butch looked at Cassidy, then shrugged.

Van watched their reactions, then sighed. "It's going to be the one-year anniversary. James is probably going to visit the accident scene. I know you two want to go, were even planning to go secretly. I'm telling you both, I do not want you there. Let James have a private memorial. It'll be better for him, and that's what you're after, right Cassidy?"

Cassidy shrugged. "I guess.. Can we at least give him a ride there?"

"Okay. But under no circumstances are you to hang around there. I don't want James suspecting anything."

-=-=-=-=-

James dressed, as he did day-after-day. Each day followed the other, empty of any reason. James splashed his scrambled eggs with ketchup, then looked at it. He shook off the haunted feeling, the redness.

Just like her blood on his hands.

James finished eating and left his small apartment. He proceeded to walk down the hallway, before he heard a voice behind him.

"Wait up, yer not leavin' wit'out me!"

James blankly looked down at the feline Pokémon. "Oh, sorry..." He pressed the elevator button and the two teammates stood in silence. The elevator opened to two faces. James refused to make eye-contact with Cassidy.

Meowth moved in front of James. "What're yous two doin' 'ere?"

Cassidy looked at the Pokémon nervously. "We just wanted to give you a ride. You can't seriously want to walk four hours just to get there?"

James shrugged.

Meowth nodded. "Okay, da ride's taken."

"No."

Everybody looked at James.

"I want to walk the last few miles myself."

Meowth nodded. "Okay, James.. we'll walk-"

"You won't be with me, Meowth."

The cat Pokémon couldn't believe this. "Whatta ya mean? She was..."

James look down at Meowth. "I want to do this alone."

Meowth looked down, understanding James' request. He wanted to walk the last few miles alone in silence. "Okay."

-=-=-=-=-

Cassidy looked in her rearview mirror at James as she drove away in the light rain. "I wish he had taken the umbrella, he's going to be soaked..."

"Uh, Cass, can we stop there...?"

Cassidy flipped the mirror down and looked at Meowth. "Okay."

The remaining trip was quick.

Meowth hopped out of the SUV and walked over to the tree. He reached down and placed a small charm near its base and whispered something. Then he raced back to the SUV and got back in. "Let's 'urry, so James don' catch up ta us."

As Cassidy drove, she spotted somebody heading away from Pallet on the side of the road. She passed the lone figure, wondering why they looked familiar, and why they were walking in the rain as well.

-=-=-=-=-

James stood back from the tree, his carving done. Moments before, he had carved a more permanent reminder of his love for Jessie. He looked down at the two red roses, tied together with silk ribbons, and sighed. This place was filled with sorrow. He had lost her here, on this very spot. Oh, her body held on, but her spirit had left that day. Now it was 11:26. A year of hell on earth was over, and now a new one had begun, already a minute old.

James looked at the tree, and noticed marks of another memorial. A small, golden flash caught his eye, and he knew Meowth had been there.

He noticed something else... across the road. Near a bush lay two sets of flowers, and a bottle of.. ketchup? Then he saw a third set of flowers. It was at the feet of someone, someone very familiar.

Ash stared across the roadway at James. He leaned on a black cane as he stared coldly at James. "You had to come here. You couldn't stay away..."

James felt his muscles tense. He shook his head lightly, his matted hair sticking to his face.

Ash moved into the road. He raised the cane, pointing it at James. "You had to wear that uniform..."

James looked down, feeling the anger building inside of him.

"How dare Team Rocket show their faces here today, of all days!"

James blew up. "Jessie died here too! I had to come here, today, now!!"

"She murdered my friend! She killed Pikachu! Damn your sentiment, you bastard!"

James walked into the road, staying on the other side of the lines. "That thing ran out in front of us!"

Ash waved the cane threateningly. "You were driving too fast!"

James clenched his fists. "I came here for her, not for you... you little twerp! How dare you interfere!"

Ash shook both his fists in the air. "Interfere..!? You have no idea what I went through! If you hadn't hit me, I would've been able to 'interfere' a year ago, and then you'd be with that bitch!"

James shoved him, a hard shove. For an uninjured person, it would've merely put them off-balance.

Ash fell back, barely keeping himself from tumbling backwards. His hands trembled as he hung onto the cane. He reached back and withdrew two Pokéballs, tossing them. "Bulbasaur, Squirtle..."

Both Pokémon appeared, ready for battle.

James nervously plucked two Pokéballs from his belt and tossed them. "Weezing, Arbok..."

The Rocket had adopted Jessie's Pokémon, one of the few comforts while he stayed in the mental hospital for those seven long months. Arbok had gone through the grieving process with James, and both felt a certain bond.

The two teams of Pokémon began to battle furiously.

Ash rose and struck out with the cane, hitting James and throwing him back. "I went through ten months.. TEN MONTHS of learning to walk again! My best friend is dead, and I'm in hell!"

James got up, feeling a bit of blood seeping from his nose. "I spent the past year more dead than alive! I was put in a mental hospital! My love's dead, and she took my reason to live with her!" He leapt forward and punched Ash, sending the teenager back.

Ash shook off the blow. "I hate all of you! Especially you!" He swung his cane, striking James in the ribs. James doubled over, and Ash hit him with his fist, sending the Rocket backwards to the center of the roadway.

James stumbled, shocked by the pain in his ribs. "Just leave me alone!"

"Never! You never left us alone!" Ash rushed forward and pushed James with his remaining strength, sending the Rocket stumbling back to his side of the road. The boy then turned and realized something was barreling down the road.

There was a loud horn as the RV slammed on it's brakes. James looked up at the boy when he screamed his name, then turned in time to see the large, white vehicle bearing down on him. He didn't feel the impact, but watched as the world sailed by, his body thrown down the road. He stared up at the rain clouds as someone yelled his name.

He saw two faces enter his vision, one was definitely familiar. The boy seemed to be in pain as he knelt beside him. James felt numb. 'So this is how she felt when she died.' He said something, but apparently the boy didn't understand, because he knelt closer.

Ash heard something bubble up out of the man's mouth. He leaned down, trying to hear. Then he heard the words... "I'm sorry." Ash felt his whole body start to tremble.

James smiled, seeing the look on the kid's face. 'I hope you're happy, murderer.' He noticed everything was getting foggy. 'I'm coming, Jessie.. I'm coming my love.'

-=-=-=-=-

Cassidy sat there, looking out the window at the Officer Jenny. "I wasn't speeding." She handed over her driver's license and the vehicle registration.

Jenny looked at the license and hrmph'd. "I heard about you from an Officer Jenny in Viridian City."

Cassidy yawned. "We were acquitted of all charges. Can I go now?"

Suddenly Jenny's radio began to squawk. She stepped back and started talking into it. She stepped forward and handed Cassidy's license and the vehicle registration back. "I don't have time for you, I've got to go to an accident on 19."

Cassidy grabbed Jenny's arm. "Accident?"

Jenny shook off her hand. "Yeah, somebody got hit." She got onto her motorcycle and spun around before driving off.

Cassidy started up the SUV and started to follow. "Damn, I hope..." The remaining words didn't need to be said. All in the SUV merely sat in silence, afraid to state their worries. When the SUV cleared the hill, Cassidy slid to a stop. Blocking the road were several rescue vehicles, as well as police vehicles. Cassidy drove up and pulled off the road when an officer flagged her down.

The two Rockets and one Pokémon hopped out. Immediately Cassidy and Butch were halted by an Officer Jenny and started to be questioned.

Meowth wandered past the police cars, then nearly cried out at what he saw. The paramedics were zipping up a body bag, and the cat Pokémon saw the distinctive blue hair. He felt himself shaking, then saw an even stranger sight: two Jennies were holding the kid! He was struggling to recall one of his Pokémon as they put handcuffs on him. One of the Jennies grabbed the boy's hand forcefully, making him drop the Pokéball.

"No.. I have to get him back!" Ash felt the handcuffs lock, but he struggled anyways.

"Bulba!" The grass Pokémon edged away as it saw its owner being pulled away. One of the Jennies moved toward the Pokéball, but it had rolled into some bushes. She looked through the bushes as Bulbasaur anxiously watched its master put into the back of the police car. It stomped up, looking at the young boy. It sneaked out two tendrils and struck the glass, shattering it. A Jenny ran over and it started to back away, it had never tried to battle a full-size human before.

Meowth wandered over to the smashed window and looked at the kid. He wasn't sure what had happened, but it was probably all that kid's fault!

"Meowth!"

Meowth realized the kid saw him. "Wat ya want, ya brat? I see ya laid a number on my buddy-"

"I didn't mean to! It was an accident.."

Meowth considered leaping into the car and delivering his own 'accident', but realized he'd be imprisoned in a Pokéball.. maybe even worse.

"Meowth, I have James' belt.. his Pokéballs."

Meowth growled. "Yous stealin' da Pokémon o' a deadguy?"

Ash shook his head. "No, I didn't want the Jennies to take them. I've got the belt in my hands." He swung the belt out the broken car window, holding it down to Meowth.

Meowth swiped the belt, then looked up at Ash. "You.. you could've taken dis-"

"I don't want his Pokémon! Meowth, please get Bulbasaur, and take care of him for me!"

Meowth looked at the belt in his hands, there were some bloodstains. He then looked up at the kid. "You.. you want me ta take care o' one of yer Pokémon?"

Ash nodded. "I'd give you Squirtle, Charizard, and the others.. but the Jennies took my belt! I kept James' belt tucked inside my jacket. Please watch out for Bulbasaur, will you Meowth?"

Meowth nodded. "Okay kid, if dat's what ya want, I'll take care o' yer Bulbasaur. Dat's if I can get 'im ta come wit' me."

"Thanks Meowth.. I'm sorry about this.." Ash bowed his head in the car.

Meowth nodded, then realized two Jennies were headed his way. "Take care kid.." 'Danks fer keepin' James' Pokémon safe, ya did right fer once.' He bounded into some bushes, then noticed something at his feet, a Pokéball. The cat Pokémon watched as the Jennies brought out an Arcanine to weaken the Bulbasaur. 'Not dis time, ladies..' He recalled the Pokémon, giggling in glee as the Jennies wondered where it went. He looked down at the Pokéball. "I don' know if yous can 'ere me kid, but yer master told me ta take care o' ya. So we're gonna be together fer a while." The Pokéball shook slightly, then quieted down. "Guess I'll take dat as yer answer."

-=-=-=-=-

Cassidy and Butch sat against the SUV in stony silence as the vehicles cleared away.

Butch looked up and down the road. "You think Meowth ran away?"

Cassidy nodded, too shocked to say anything.

Butch glanced over at her. "You want me to drive?" He received his answer when the keys were thrust into his hands. He nodded and hopped into the driver's seat. During the trip, he would occasionally hear a low whimper, but he tried not to look at the crying woman next to him. It wasn't that he was cold, he was simply determined not to deal with James' death until he was alone.

-=-=-=-=-

Van rubbed the bridge of his nose, setting his glasses on the desk in front of him. "I can't believe this happened. Why?"

Butch shrugged. "The kid must have gone nuts or something. It's not like he didn't have a reason to be angry."

Van looked at Cassidy, but he knew she wouldn't talk. Ever since she had sat down, he picked up the vibes of someone in deep mourning. The normally talkative woman only sat in her chair, staring blankly at various parts of the office. "I'll have someone look into it. Did you see any evidence of celestial activity?"

Butch shook his head. "Nope. If any of them were there, they didn't show their faces."

Van sighed, and replaced his glasses. "We're running out of options here. Their side has the upper hand, and we've barely got a hand at all."

Butch only nodded, looking at Cassidy.

Van understood. "You better go, you'll be needed back at Team Rocket. Don't worry about being called in for a while." He watched as both Rockets merely nodded and left.

-=-=-=-=-

"Send them in."

Butch and Cassidy entered the large, dark office and immediately sat. Giovanni's chair was turned with its back to them.

"You know why I sent for you, correct?"

Both Rockets looked at each other anxiously, then Cassidy spoke up. "James is dead."

"I already know that."

Cassidy looked confused. "We're getting a new assignment?"

"Yes, I am reassigning you. You will both no longer be training recruits."

Both Rockets looked at each other again, trying to fathom what Giovanni was planning.

"Butch?"

Butch stood at attention. "Sir?"

"Butch, I am sending you to South America. Specifically, I am sending you to Peru."

Butch looked down at Cassidy uncertainly. "By myself?"

"No, you'll be taking my son, Geovassi along."

Butch felt unhappy about this. "Sir, am I being assigned as a baby-sitter?"

"Of course not, Butch. You are going to be supervising digging operations. Even though Project Mewtwo was a disaster, there is still much about Mew I wish to understand. Does this assignment bother you, Butch?"

"No, sir. I'll gladly do it for Team Rocket." Butch looked down at Cassidy with a look of sadness.

"You'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon. Please have any possessions you wish to take packed and be here by five o'clock. Your assignment will be at least two months, perhaps as long as a year."

Butch nodded and sat down.

"Cassidy?"

Cassidy stood at attention, her fate suddenly uncertain. "Sir?"

"You will become the new deputy chief of security here. I understand you will think it a fluff job, but security has been very lax these past few months. Especially my own security."

Both Rockets looked at each other uneasily. Giovanni was deliberately separating them.

"Have you ever heard the expression, 'Keep your friends close, and keep your enemies closer', Cassidy?"

Cassidy gulped and nodded slowly. "Uh, yes sir."

"Do these arrangements bother either of you?"

Both Rockets stood at attention. "No sir!"

"Good. I'd hate to lose such a good team as yourselves. Now that you've 'lost the war', so to speak.. I can expect your attitudes to come back into line."

Cassidy looked at Butch, then at the chair. "But, sir.."

"You can drop the charade, Cassidy. I'm not scared of Gasglow's pitiful little band. There are far bigger fish that must be watched and caught."

Cassidy nodded slowly.

"The coming months will be very trying for Team Rocket. We must regroup from this tragic loss, and bury our dead. Then we shall become much more powerful."

The room became silent.

"You may both go now. Remember Butch, tomorrow afternoon, do not be late."

Butch nodded. "Yes, sir."

Both Rockets walked out of the office, flinching as the doors slammed closed.

Billy looked up from her computer monitor. Billy Shard was one of Team Rocket's most trusted individuals, a vital link between Giovanni and the outside world. She was also labeled a bubble head because of her high-pitched, squeaky voice. "Looks like you two are gettin' put out by the boss. What did ya do?"

Cassidy shook her head. "Nothing, nothing really. We just haven't been doing very good lately." She hated to lie to Billy, but having Giovanni know about Team Blue was enough.

Billy nodded and went back to typing. "At least I'll get to see ya more often, Cass."

Cassidy nodded, too deep in thought to converse with the blond. "See you around, Billy."

Butch followed Cassidy silently. Finally he turned to her in the elevator. "I'm gonna be killed in South America."

Cassidy shook her head. "Don't say stuff like that. What, you think that kid is going to slit your throat or something?

Butch shrugged. "I just don't like this."

The elevator door opened and both Rockets stepped out. As Cassidy started the SUV, she glanced at Butch. "You aren't going to get killed."

-=-=-=-=-

Van looked over from his computer monitor when the door opened. "I thought I told you two that you were on leave?"

Cassidy stood over Van's desk. "We're being reassigned. I'm Giovanni's new deputy chief of security, and Butch is getting sent to South America."

Van sat back in his chair, his mind digesting these facts. "Well, he's smart, I'll give him that. By keeping you close to him, he can have his eye on you. South America, though.." He clicked the computer's mouse several times, then nodded to himself. "That confirms my suspicions. Giovanni's one smart customer indeed. He's going to try to capture Mew and Mewtwo."

Butch folded his arms, considering what that would entail. "So he's sending me to my doom along with his kid?"

Van shrugged. "He wants to contain the most powerful psychics in the world. Or destroy them. Either result would eliminate another possible ally for us. I think sending you there is a way of putting you in a weak position. You either help Team Rocket nullify the threat of Mew and Mewtwo, or you'll be put into harm's way. It's a win-win situation."

"So what do we do?"

Van struggled with this new crisis. "I think you better pack. I want you to try and find Mew and Mewtwo before Team Rocket does."

Butch rolled his eyes. "Great, at least I'm resistant to their attacks."

Van nodded. "It's a great advantage. Use it wisely, and you could get us those two Pokémon as allies."

Cassidy shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "What about me?"

Van looked at his monitor. "We're just getting started with the construction phase of our rescue operation, it'll be a while before we're ready. Until then, sit tight, and do what Giovanni asks of you. He must think he's got us boxed in if he's confident enough to make these reassignments."

-=-=-=-=-

Cassidy watched as a foot locker was carried out by two black uniformed Rockets. She then looked at Butch, carrying a large suitcase and a gym bag. "I hate this."

Butch shrugged. "If things go well, I'll get to meet a Mew. I bet a lot of researchers would kill to be in my place."

Cassidy snorted. "More like they'd be killed in your place. Just don't bite the dust, I like this apartment."

Butch nodded, then got a surprised look when Cassidy kissed him on the cheek.

Cassidy smiled. "I mean it, don't get yourself killed."

Butch nodded again, very slowly. As he walked out, a smile spread across his face.

Cassidy looked out front, watching him drive off. She sighed as she flung herself back on the couch. "What is it with me and losing guys I care about?"

-=-=-=-=-

The next month passed smoothly. As smoothly as life in Team Rocket allows. Giovanni had decided to buy a large plot in the center of the Viridian City Cemetery. Several rumors were floating around the organization that he was going to make it a memorial of some kind. One of those rumors had reached Cassidy.

Cassidy sat in a chair in the darkened office, not sure why she decided to do this. "Uh, Boss?"

"What is it, Cassidy?" As had been usual for the past three months, Giovanni had remained hidden from everybody. The only reason people knew he was still alive was regular meetings with Billy and the personal chef that visited three times a day always left with empty dishes.

"Uh, it's about the rumors.. your acquisition of that land in the cemetery."

"Oh, so you heard about that? What do you believe I am going to do with that land?"

Cassidy felt like downplaying her reason for coming, but she needed to do this. "I think you're going to make a memorial to Jessie and James."

There was silence for nearly a minute. "You are correct."

"I have something that James asked me to hold. It's very personal, and I think it should be with Jessie." She pulled a ring from her purse. James had asked her to hold the ring when he went into the mental hospital. Even though she was supposed to play the victim of his brutal attack, she couldn't refuse. There was a line even she refused to cross.

"Please walk over here and hand it to me." A hand exited the darkness around the chair, waiting.

Cassidy hurried over and gently laid the ring on his hand. She tried to make out his face, or any features at all, but the darkness combined with the room's terrible lighting made that impossible.

Giovanni pulled the ring back into the darkness. "I... see. An engagement ring..."

Cassidy nodded. "It belongs with Jessie. James never had the chance to give it to her."

"Thank you, Cassidy. Tell me, why did you hold onto this?"

Cassidy walked back to her chair, turning to watch the boss. "I.. I had my differences, with both of them. But they were my friends. Do you believe that?"

There was a pause. "Yes, Cassidy... I do. Thank you."

Cassidy nodded and moved to leave.

"Cassidy?"

She turned around. "Yes, sir?"

"I just heard from the South American camp a few minutes ago. There's been a terrible accident. During one of the expeditions to ruins in the Andes, the climbing crew lost sight of Butch. They think one of the straps on his harness snapped and he fell. The white-out conditions have hampered searches. I'm very sorry."

Cassidy took a deep breath to steady herself, she didn't want to break down in front of Giovanni. "Th-Thank you..." She rushed out of the doors, and to the elevator. The ride down was filled with deep sobbing.

-=-=-=-=-

Van was waiting for her at the elevator door on Level 10. The look in his eyes revealed he knew. "I probably found out when you did. The expedition team had just gotten back to camp when they called home with the news." He led Cassidy down the long hallway to his office. A cup of hot tea was waiting for her.

Cassidy sipped the tea, feeling less angry towards Van than when she had entered the building. "Giovanni had him killed.."

Van leaned against his desk, shaking his head. "No... there was no reason to get rid of him."

She looked down into the tea. "You think..."

"I don't know what to think."

Cassidy stirred the tea with her finger. "Could it have been Mew or Mewtwo?"

Van shrugged. "It could have just been a horrible accident. I don't have a way to contact him, and he's out of range for his transmitter. The transponder simply shows that he's in the Andes, but it could be his body. There's no way for us to get our own search party there..." He took her cup of tea and placed it on his desk. "I've got something to show you." He walked out the door to the office.

Cassidy followed the scientist and leader into the elevator. She quirked an eyebrow when he selected Sub-level 2. "We're going into the garage?"

Van shook his head. "No, Sub-level 2 is the underground lab. It's where we hide some of our bigger equipment." The elevator door chimed and opened.

The elevator opened out onto a large gantry that ringed a huge, open room. The room was over three stories deep, with two large lifts sitting in opposite corners of the room that carried equipment and passengers from the gantry to the floor. On one side of the room sat a large metallic door, round, and nearly twenty feet in diameter. Sitting against the wall across from the elevator was a sight to behold. It sat underneath the gantry, and large scaffolding somewhat obscured it. It stood slightly taller than the large door covering the room's other wall. It looked like...

"A large black circle?"

Van snorted as he led the self-amused Rocket out onto the gantry. "Alot more than that. It's something Gasglow built for Team Rocket. He called it a 'JumpGate'."

Cassidy blinked a few times, remembering back. "You mean, like StarGate?"

Van nodded. "And the project was put into it's first live test a little over 18 years ago."

"Gasglow's ramblings... so what happened?"

Van started walking along the gantry. "I studied the project files. Gasglow and his team entered the JumpGate, and disappeared for two hours. Then Gasglow was spit out, along with a great deal of equipment more advanced than what this world can produce. Nothing more is mentioned, but the experiment was a failure and everything was dismantled."

Cassidy quirked an eyebrow as they rode the large lift down. "So you're rebuilding a piece of failed technology?"

Van escorted her through the personnel constructing the machine to a raised platform. The platform was ringed with equipment and monitors. "Not exactly. Gasglow always believed something else had gone wrong."

"And that something would be..?"

Van tapped several switches, causing one of the larger monitors to start displaying data. "Gasglow thought an outside force interfered. After he ran all the data collected from the first JumpGate test, he said he found this." The display showed a line running horizontally, several blocks of information attached to it. A second line appeared from the upper-right corner of the screen and contacted the first line, causing it to slowly fade away. "He said an inbound signal set up resonance inside the link-up his first JumpGate was trying to create." Seeing Cassidy's confused expression, Van continued. "Another gate, maybe this StarGate, injected it's own cargo into Gasglow's path. It disrupted the gateway, and killed his team."

"So somebody else, these StarGate people, messed things up. What's the plan this time?"

Van shut off the monitor. "The plan is to lock onto Gasglow's brain waves, land a team wherever he's at, and recover him. Gasglow redesigned and improved on his original design, so this one shouldn't be disrupted. Any team will make it to the other side."

Cassidy folded her arms, studying the large, circular structure. "Does this team have any openings?"

Van nodded. "Indeed it does, exactly one. Want the job?"

"You couldn't keep me away. So you're sending only one person?"

Van shook his head. "No, I'm leading the team."

"Who else is going to be on the team?"

Van looked nervously at the instruments, pushing several switches off.

She sighed. "Nobody but us?"

"Well... yes. This thing's a great deal more advanced, and I'm only certain it'll work for three people. That's two there and three when we bring Gasglow back. I originally had planned to send you and Butch..."

Cassidy nodded slowly. "But why you?"

"I'm the best choice. Nobody else knows more about Gasglow's systems, other than himself. You're going to be the muscle, as it were."

Cassidy chuckled. "Nice. So when is this thing going to be ready?"

Van looked at his watch. "Another week."

Cassidy looked up at the large, black device. Then she looked at the large metallic door flanking it. "So that's where you brought all this junk in?"

Van sent the mainframe back into debug, glancing up quickly. "What?"

Cassidy jerked a thumb at the large door. "Does that lead into the sewers or something?"

"Oh, that.. No, that was here when we built this facility. When we excavated for the building's piling, we found this door. It's part of a whole series of tunnels leading out into the hills."

Cassidy quirked an eyebrow. "Out behind the Silph Company?"

Van looked at the door, shaking his head. "Maybe.. It's not part of Silph, though. The rock samples suggest it's been here for two million years, because the strata are built up around it, instead of showing signs of boring."

Cassidy looked from the door to Van. "That thing's not from around here, is it?"

Van nodded. "The alloys are close to what Gasglow is made of. We've never been able to open it, and Gasglow says he doesn't know what it is."

"You believe him?"

Van only nodded.

-=-=-=-=-

"Week in Hell."

That was the term Cassidy gave the week after first seeing the JumpGate. The Pokémon League, on the ramblings of Ash Ketchum, had decided to search for Team Rocket in the area of Viridian City. Many agents were put on edge by the fruitless search, especially Cassidy, whose job it was to keep these sorts of things from occurring. In the end, the Pokémon League decided Ketchum's mental state was no longer trustworthy of even a Pokémon License. His Pokémon were exiled (in a way) to Professor Oak's facility in Pallet. This still left many agents in Team Rocket shaken by the incredible stroke of luck that could have exposed the whole organization.

Cassidy was still left with doubts about Giovanni's motives. A terrible longing had taken hold of her since the news of Butch's disappearance. With the crisis of the investigation, it left her sleepless and without much of an appetite. When Van met her on the elevator, he took note of her haggard appearance.

"If you want, we can hold off..."

Cassidy looked back up at Van. "This can't be held off."

Van stepped out of the elevator onto the gantry. "I meant that I don't want you sleepwalking into this. You're needed at one-hundred percent."

Cassidy nodded as she followed him onto the lift. "Look, no offense, but I've been doing this longer than you have. I've been alot worse off and still done the job."

Van stopped the lift. "Listen, this isn't about doing the job. It's about going into a totally unknown situation and coming out alive."

Cassidy reached over and hit the button to continue the lift. "I'll get you and Gasglow back to the gate. That's my job, and that's what I'm going to do. Anything else is icing on the cake." She stepped off the lift and looked back at Van.

Van stepped off the lift, leading Cassidy over to a table. "And my job is to get everybody back."

The table was covered with different types of firearms. Several looked to be normal handguns, but most were alien to Cassidy. She looked at the table reluctantly. "Are you gonna make me use a gun? I'll tell you right now, I hate them."

Van picked up one of the odder pieces. "Most of these aren't normal firearms. After the mess with Jessie started, Gasglow drew up some plans for several weapons. He said they were energy-based, and that they would operate on spirits. Most of these are lasers or high-energy discharge weapons." He put down the hand weapon and hefted a larger weapon that looked like a small hand-held cannon. "This puppy uses high-output plasma discharges, very nasty stuff. I tested this myself. It's got one heck of a recoil, but when it hits, your target will be real sorry they crossed you. Just don't look directly at the blast, as it's bright enough to singe your retinas."

Cassidy took the plasma cannon from Van and grinned. "Hey, I could grow to like this. How many shots does it have?"

"Four shots per ammo clip. It was hard to fit this down to a size that could be held." Van took the heavy weapon and placed it in a strange harness. "The JumpGate will be warmed up in an hour. You ready?"

Cassidy looked at the weaponry, then nodded. "I just hope Gasglow's doing alright, wherever he is."

-=-=-=-=-

Gasglow saw a black glow pierce Cassidy and yelled out. He threw himself at the demon-woman, then felt something start to gush from his stomach. He looked down and realized he was on his knees, his whole midriff gushing fluids ranging from human blood to a suspension for his servos.

The woman laughed. "Two down, two million to go!"

Gasglow felt a foreign voice echo off the back of his skull. "ALL FREQUENCIES ALERT. CODE TWO EMERGENCY, REQUEST FOR TRANSMAT TO NEAREST VESSEL. SITUATION CRITICAL."

Suddenly the whole world shuddered as his systems began to shut down. He could hear that foreign voice in his head, it started to say stuff that worried him.

"System Shut-Down was unsuccessful."

"Unable to switch to Safe Mode."

"Emergency Transmat Request successful."

"Optic Systems damaged, unable to display."

"Aural Systems operating at 79% capacity."

Suddenly, different sounds began to penetrate his field of sound. Humming, and the sound of people moving around. He could hear somebody breathing, standing over him. He faintly registered that he was laying on a table.

"Brother, those guys down in Splice and Dice really did it to this one..."

'Why can't I speak? I must be really out of it..'

"Who gave him this power source? Even our droids don't use that!"

"Core containment - 50% and dropping... breech imminent..."

'Whoa, that sure as heck didn't come from inside my head. Wait, 50%, that's bad. That's real bad.'

"Ah... there it is..."

"Would you look at that..."

"What 'chu got North? Damn... it is one of ours... that's a number 37 bottle... man look at this..."

'Who is that? Number 37 bottle.. that phrase sounds familiar. But from where?'

"It looks like a boomerang..."

"Can you imagine the force it took to bend it like that?"

He wanted to smile and nod. 'Yup, that Jeep really did a number on me.'

"The other two behind it don't look much better..."

"Core breech - 30 seconds..."

'Hurry up and dump me in space, save yourselves!'

"SAM, activate external containment field..."

"That's not going to work... see?"

"Negative... field being reflected..."

"I hate it when you're always right North..."

"SAM, stand by for Code 5."

'Code 5.. Code 5.. Where have I heard that?'

"Transmat system activated... standing by."

"Energize...."

There was a flash of light. It looked to Gasglow like someone had turned a television off in his head, as everything vanished into a small spot of white.

Suddenly, it was all back, and the buff gray roof that he was looking at seemed familiar, but then again, it didn't.

'What's all this?' His vision had returned, but text was covering his view. In the upper right was a field straight off his maintenance console: "Systems Check - 35%". Talk about an ugly number... at least it was going up, now it was at 36%.

In the bottom of the screen, in large digital letters read "S.A.M. SYSTEMS - Core 742 - Unit F2-662 - System Maintenance - 42% - Condition - Functional". None of it meant much to him, save the numbers F2-662... he knew that from somewhere. 'Number 37 bottle.. S.A.M... Transmat... Code 5... F2-662... they're all familiar, but why?'

Then it struck him in a series of flashbacks that wracked his mind. A wall shattered in his head. He was flying, high above a planet to his left. The spectacular view of space, the planet, and something to his right. She came out of the dark, the sunrise over the planet illuminating her bow, lighting up her running numbers across her forward section - F2-662. Behind that, and in front of her large bridge section read "U.N.S. Forrestal".

He was plying his shuttle over top his ship, working on a scanning platform that was relaying data to the massive starship beside him. Mounted on a chunk of space debris, the scanners were only in need of a semi-annual look over, then back to the ship for another day in the engine room. These short jaunts off ship were delightful to him.

The image shook and shuddered. His world spun. His little shuttle pod tumbled away from the scanning platform, which he could see through his oval window, had shattered into a million shards. By sheer luck, a stray chunk of space junk had struck the back of the platform dead on. He could see gases venting from his service craft, as he tumbled and twisted. The planet grew larger. Surely the automatic transmat would yank him out of this... Surely...

The gray buff roof returned. All the text was gone. Its replacement were two figures in uniform. The one he recognized, the other was strange to him. Instincts forced him to raise his right arm and salute.

"Lieutenant... Lieuten... ah... reporting for duty, Captain, sir... Where am I?"

"Sick Bay, Lieutenant," the Captain said. "You've been missing for quite some time, son. We've got a million questions for you. We hope you've got answers."

-=-=-=-=-

Cassidy watched the large circle start to spin. As it moved, a noticeable hum began to penetrate the chamber. On either side of the metallic circle were pylons with strange clamps that glowed dark-blue. These pylons were connected to several large pieces of equipment, the largest a device that looked strangely like a squat sphere. All of these things were connected to an array of computers that would envy even a rocket facility.

A booming, electronic-sounding voice spoke over the loud hum. "Magnetic clamps are at 43% tolerance and rising. Core infusion is at 38% completion. Emergency bail-out systems are now on hot stand-by."

Van looked at the computers, then nodded to several persons seated behind them. "Okay people, you know your jobs, we get only one shot at this."

Cassidy leaned over to him. "What do you mean by that?"

Van looked at the JumpGate. "It's powered by anti-matter implosion, Cassidy. Anti-matter takes alot of time and effort to generate. It took us this long just to produce enough to pull three people through it. If we fail, or the gate malfunctions, it'll be another 14 months to generate enough anti-matter for a second try."

Cassidy looked at the gate as it moved faster and faster. "Anti-matter!? You mean that thing could-"

"Blow this entire planet to small pieces, yeah! That's what Gasglow was so upset about, his power cells use anti-matter... but they're far more advanced than any containment system we could ever build. Don't worry, there's safety systems. If we start to lose containment, it'll be ejected into space!"

The booming voice returned. "Magnetic clamps are at 90% tolerance. Core infusion is at 74% completion. Warp implosion in T-minus three minutes, mark."

Van touched a computer screen. "Computer, have you locked on Gasglow's current location yet?"

"Lock-on successful. Warning - Target location not verifiable. 98% chance target is not in any mapped location."

Cassidy felt her ears buzzing, and her hair was being blown around by the increasing speed of the gate. The noise was forcing her to shout. "What's that mean?"

Van shrugged. "It could mean he's between dimensions, or it could be a place that's shielded from these sensors. It's hard to tell with this equipment, it isn't that precise."

Cassidy looked back up at the gate, feeling butterflies develop in her stomach. "You mean that thing could drop us in the middle of nowhere!?"

Van nodded. "Very likely, but it'll be the nowhere that Gasglow's at. Still want to come along?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Magnetic clamps are at maximum tolerance. Core infusion is at 90% completion. Warp implosion in T-minus one minute, mark."

Van picked up a large bag, then tapped Cassidy's arm and started to move to the platform. "Let's get in position. You got everything?"

Cassidy checked the harness for the cannon, strapped to her side. Two other hand weapons were strapped to either hip. "Ready when you are."

"Core infusion is at 98% completion. Warp implosion in T-minus 30 seconds."

Cassidy and Van looked at each other, feeling the enormous wind from the spinning gateway blowing them back. They both nodded to each other, before turning back to the gateway.

"Core infusion is at 99% completion. Warp implosion in T-minus 15 seconds. Space-time anomaly detected."

Within the spinning circle, a dark void blocked out all light. Slowly, a small point of light formed inside of the void.

"Core infusion is at 99.9% completion. Warp implosion in T-minus 10... 9... 8... 7..."

The small point of light began to grow, quickly gobbling up the void.

"6... 5..."

The entire area within the circle was now filled with a soft light. Then something strange started to happen. The humming suddenly began to die down, and the wind with it.

"Foouurr... Ttthhrrreeeeeeee... Tttttwwwwwwwwwwwwwwoooooooooooooo....."

Cassidy looked at Van. "What the heck is going on?"

Van looked around, then he saw it: the gate was slowly spinning down. "Get ready..."

"Ooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..."

Cassidy furrowed her brow. "What do you-"

Then it happened. A flash of light washed over the room, along with a sound akin to a sonic boom. Cassidy and Van were both knocked to the ground.

Cassidy shook her head to clear away the spots that were dancing in her vision. Then she saw what Van had meant. The gate was perfectly still. "Van..."

Van was turned around, gaping in awe. "It worked.."

Cassidy got up and looked behind her. What she saw nearly knocked her off her feet again. "They're.. they're all frozen!"

Indeed, the entire room was stopped. Papers that had been blown into the air hung, suspended. People's hair did the same. It was as if one had taken a snapshot in time.

Van jumped, whooping for joy. "We did it! The implosion worked!" He then felt his shoulder being tapped and turned around. All the joy was replaced with fear. The white light within the portal had been replaced with a view of buildings, under a sunny sky. The buildings were creme-white, in a style very much like a Pokémon Center. "The gate.. it's open."

Cassidy walked up to the gate, looking at it. She slowly stuck her hand out and giggled as her hand entered it, causing the scene to shimmer. "It.. it tickles.."

Van walked up beside her and thrust his arm in, then pulled it back. "It worked.. I guess we better go." He looked at her. "Ready on three... one..."

Cassidy nodded. "Two..."

Both of them leapt. "Three!"

-=-=-=-=-

Cassidy wondered who was yelling at her. Then she realized it was she who was yelling. Somebody grabbed her and slammed a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh.."

Cassidy's eyes slowly focused on Van leaning over her.

Van removed his hand from Cassidy's mouth. "Are you done?"

Cassidy nodded slowly. "What.. where?" She slowly got up and looked around.

Van shook his head. "I have no idea where this is. Sorry for the bumpy ride."

Cassidy dusted herself off, then looked behind her. "Wait, where's our ride?"

Van pulled out a hand-sized device. "This will re-engage the link-up when we're ready to go."

She looked around again. They were behind a large creme-white building with frescos of smiling Pokémon. "This place looks more like a palace of Pokémon than a place that's nowhere."

Van nodded. "It's nowhere alright. This place is outside time and space."

Cassidy peered around the corner and stepped back, looking shaken. "Wherever it is, it's got spaceships."

Van peered around the corner and nearly cried out in amazement. Multiple platforms sat away from the main group of structures. Most of the platforms were home to strange craft of differing size, but many were similar in design. The largest dwarfed the smallest by at least an order of magnitude. People wandered around the platforms, many in strange uniforms. "Those are spaceships alright, but they're design is very unified. I'd say this culture has a common technology. In fact..." He pulled himself back around the corner. "I'm willing to bet good money this is where Gasglow's technology comes from."

Cassidy looked along the other side of the building. "You think there's any of those celestial types here?" Then she spotted them: large cracks ran along the building she was leaning against. "This place's seen some action."

Van looked up at the damage she was pointing to. He peered around the corner, looking at the ships and the buildings. "You're right, this place has quite a bit of damage. Alot of those ships look beaten up too. Perhaps they already had a battle with the celestials?" He looked back at Cassidy when he felt his sleeve tugged.

She pointed the opposite direction of the platforms. "Let's go this way, it looks too crowded over there."

Van nodded and began to follow her. "Stick with the hand weapons for now, and don't hurt anybody. Keep it on the lowest setting."

Cassidy looked down at the weapons in their holsters. "Okay, you're the boss." She looked around the next corner, and realized it was a large open courtyard. Several of the uniformed people were there, but there were also people in less military garb. All of them were talking. "Uh-oh, looks like we can't go that way."

Van pulled out a small device and strapped it to his left arm. "Get right next to me, and step with me." He pushed several buttons and the air to his left shimmered.

As Cassidy sneaked with Van, she watched the people nervously. None of them looked in their direction. When they had reached the safety of the next building, she saw Van rip off the device and drop it to the ground, where it fizzled and sparked. "What the heck was that?"

Van kicked the smoldering mess. "That was an imaging cloak. It projected what was behind us as a hologram. One of the little toys me and the boys in Lab One cooked up. The only problem is when the batteries run out, they really run out.. and take the whole thing with it."

Cassidy looked at the mess of electronics. "You got another one of those?" She sighed when Van shook his head. "I guess we'll be too busy running for our lives to care."

The pair finally reached another corner. Cassidy peered around and then turned back. "You wanna tell me where we're going?"

Van blushed. "Oh, sorry, I already took scans when I woke up." He reached into the large bag and pulled out the hand-sized device again. It immediately started beeping. "His transponder signal puts him inside the building right around that corner."

Cassidy nodded. "Well, that should be right. That building is marked as a medical building. There wasn't anybody hanging around, so getting there should be okay. You ready?"

Van nodded.

The pair walked around the corner, hurrying towards a building with a large red cross on it. Cassidy's eyes darted around before she opened the double doors. Inside was a large lobby, with a desk in it's center. A woman in a white nurse's uniform rose from her chair. "Excuse me, can I help you two?"

Cassidy looked at the guns she was carrying. "Um.. uh, we're just here to visit a friend. You know, that big attack.." She nodded to Van, who smiled to the nurse.

The nurse smiled back. "Of course, I'm so very sorry to keep you waiting like this. What was your friend's name?"

Both spoke at the same time, "Gasglow."

The nurse thought for a moment, then smiled. "Silly me, that's the nice man from Forrestal. He's all the way at the end of that hallway." She pointed down one of the three hallways leading from the lobby.

As Van and Cassidy walked, both looked at each other nervously. Cassidy looked back down the hallway. "What the heck is Forrestal?" She stopped at the last door, at the very end of the hallway.

Van shrugged. "It could be one of those ships. Who should go first?"

Cassidy grabbed the door handle. "I'll enter, you just be ready to duck if there's a fight." She waited for Van to nod, and then twisted the doorknob. The door slowly opened to a large room filled with electronic equipment.

Laying on a table, devoid of a shirt, was Gasglow. Two pads were attached to his chest, and ran to a machine which displayed an outline of his body, along with numerous other data. Gasglow's eyes were closed. "It better be darn important to interrupt my much-needed sleep." He suddenly found a hand over his mouth. His eyes flashed open.

Van put his finger to his lips. "Don't worry, just me and Cassidy."

Cassidy closed the door, looking around nervously. "We don't really have time for reunions.."

Gasglow pushed Van's hand away. "What the hell is this?"

Van looked at the monitor. "What does it look like, we're rescuing you."

"What do you mean by that? How did you get here?"

Van pulled the pads off of Gasglow. "I mean we're here to take you back home. I've got the JumpGate on hold, we just-"

Gasglow slid to the side of the table, glaring at Van. "You did what!?"

Van looked around, then found a shirt and jacket. He looked at them. "We.. uh.. rebuilt the JumpGate. Hey, this looks just like those others.."

Gasglow snatched the shirt and jacket from Van and quickly put them on. "They're standard issue uniforms. What do you mean you rebuilt the JumpGate? How?"

Cassidy stepped between the two men. "I'd love for the debriefing to continue, but aren't we forgetting about our mission? It isn't like we won't be noticed."

Gasglow looked Cassidy up and down. "You, on a mission? You don't look like you should be walking straight, forget going on missions."

"Sir, she's right, we need to get out of here before we get caught." Van moved to the door.

Gasglow nodded, then walked over to a small panel on the wall. "Damn right about the caught part." He pushed a button and the panel lit up. "This is Lieutenant Gasglow in Med Ward 43, I've got a Code Yellow here, dispatch Security immediately."

Both Rockets looked at each other, then at Gasglow.

Gasglow walked past the stunned team-mates and opened the door. "I don't know how the hell you got here, but your mission is over."

Cassidy snarled and reached for one of the weapons, but found Van's hand around her wrist. "What the..!?"

Van shook his head.

Cassidy's eyes became slits as she looked down at Gasglow. "So we risk our lives and this is the thanks we get!?"

Five gentlemen dressed in creme-white uniforms rushed down the hallway and walked in, carrying strange pistol-like devices. The leader nodded to the two Rockets and both were disarmed. He saluted Gasglow. "Sir, who are these people?"

Gasglow looked at both Rockets. "These two 'visitors' are agents of Team Rocket. But they aren't hostile, so put them in secure quarters and post guards. Oh, and make sure you've got all their toys, I don't want them breaking out."

Cassidy glared at Gasglow. "I should've known you'd do this to me.." She struggled while the two guards led her away.

Van looked at Gasglow almost pleadingly. "Why, sir.. we were-"

Gasglow cut him off. "Trust me. This is for your safety. Got that, boy?"

Van nodded, before his guards led him away.

The leader looked down at Gasglow. "Sir, should I alert anyone else?"

Gasglow buttoned up his shirt and jacket. "Go ahead and alert your superiors. Tell them we'll meet up in the main building, outside the President's office. We'll discuss the situation there."

The young man saluted and left.

Gasglow walked over to the comm panel. "Lieutenant Gasglow to Forrestal."

"Forrestal here. You all rested up, Lieutenant?"

Gasglow unconsciously shook his head. "No, sir. We've got a security breach."

"Oh? Anybody you know?"

He grimaced. "Uh, yes sir. It's two agents from Team Blue. They got into Stratus."

"That's some security breach."

"Yes sir, it is. I've had them sent to secure quarters. It looks like we'll have to deal with that little problem now rather than later, sir."

"Understood, Lieutenant. I'll meet you outside President Brock's office. Forrestal out."

The comm panel darkened. Gasglow sighed and shook his head. 'I hate surprises.'

-=-=-=-=-

End of "Journeys"

Based on the original work...
_The Lugia Chronicles_ by R. A. Stott & Anni Ruecroft

Characters from Pokémon anime (C) 2000 Nintendo of America, Inc. & GameFreak, Ltd.
Characters & situations from _The Lugia Chronicles_ (C) 2000 Denivan Media Services, Inc. - Used with permission.
Situations from "End of the Road" and "Return Journey" (C) 2000 Anni Ruecroft - Used with permission.