(New Team Rocket HQ, Agent Morgan's Room, Viridian City)
The room was silent.
By this time, Meowth and the other pokémon had come inside and were
all sitting at the foot of James' bed. Jessie was standing at the window,
watching the lights go out all around the city. Dr. Brown stood to leave,
but stayed there, just standing, for several minutes. Meowth cleared his
throat to speak.
"Gee, Doc…I didn't know
your name was Devon, heh."
Even though that was not the thought plaguing
their minds, everyone in the room felt a little bit of relief at the comment.
"I should be going,"
Dr. Brown said. "It's late."
"Doctor?" Jessie called,
turning from the window. "What happened to the relics?"
(Professor Ivy's Laboratory, Valencia Island)
"Well, no one can say
what happened to them exactly," Professor Oak explained. "We never saw
where they went. We have an idea of the general location, but there had
never been a reason to actually go and find them."
"Until now," Professor
Ivy commented.
Samuel nodded at her.
"Yes. Now I believe
is a good time to find them."
Misty looked up at him from her hands, which
were clasped, tightly in her lap.
"Professor? How many
were there again?"
"Not including the chalice,
there were five, or six, really."
(Blaine's Residence, Cinnabar Island)
"An urn," counted Blaine.
"A pendant," added Koga.
"A ring."
"A flask."
"And two spoons."
Blaine looked out at the faces of his guests.
"Now, I have called
you all here for a reason besides just listening to us reminisce. I am
planning on finding the relics. And I knew Koga would help. But we two
can't do it alone."
The others exchanged looks, all uncertain, but
all knowing what they would do.
"Is that a yes, then?"
Blaine queried, a hint of his trademark grin pulling at his mouth.
(New Team Rocket HQ, Agent Morgan's Room, Viridian City)
"Yes. We'll go."
Dr. Brown beamed.
"I thought you would."
The pokémon looked a little apprehensive.
Meowth nudged them, smirking.
"Come on, think about
it—free vacation," he joked.
They smiled a little bit. Dr. Brown took out
a map from his clipboard.
"We'll be heading for
a land much different than our own. It's a place called Venice. Venice,
Italy."
(Professor Ivy's Laboratory, Valencia Island)
"Us professors will be
one group. Ash, you and your friends will be another."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Ash smiled at Pikachu.
"Are you ready, Pikachu?
This could be the biggest adventure of our life!"
"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu
cheered.
Professor Oak held out two maps.
"Ivy, Elm, and I will
be going to a place called Lapland. Pack warm clothes, my colleagues, warm
clothes."
Ivy and Elm exchanged glances.
"Ash, you all will be
going to another place named Bahamas."
"Will we have to pack
warm clothes too, Professor?" May asked.
"No, May, no," Samuel
chuckled.
(Blaine's Residence, Cinnabar Island)
"We're all splitting
up into two groups. The first group is Me, Whitney and Gary, and Lily.
And we are going to Kenya!" Blaine exclaimed, passing out maps.
Koga handed his team their maps.
"And the rest of us
will be heading for Brazil."
Blaine extended his arms and grinned.
"We're all going to
have such a good time!"
"And if we die, we die
with honor," Koga added solemnly.
Blaine punched him lightly in the arm.
"You're such a card!"
Gary's eyes were wide as he stared at the map.
Whitney looked at him sympathetically.
"You know, Gary, you
don't have to go. It does sound a bit dangerous. I could pay for a ticket
back to Pallet if you wanted…"
Gary shook his head.
"No, no. That's okay."
He reached over and took her hand.
"I want to go where
you go."
(Ketchum Residence, Pallet Town)
Delia lay on her bed,
her eyes closed and her breathing steady as she slept. Oakley sat beside
her and brushed some hair out of her face before leaning down and kissing
her lightly. He stood and left the bedroom, passing by the sleeping Mimey.
In the living room, he saw Max sprawled out on the couch, snoring peacefully.
Oakley got a blanket out of the closet and draped it over the young boy.
He then left the Ketchum house, pulling on his red TR jacket.
Max awoke at the sound
of the door being closed. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes,
pausing to wonder where the blanket came from. He gave out a little yelp,
realizing he had fallen asleep. He opened the door and looked out. He saw
Oakley walking briskly down the road. He gritted his teeth and walked out,
following the Rocket member.
"Oakley!" He called
out. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Go back to the house,
kid," Oakley said over his shoulder. "I have something to do, and I can't
have you tagging along."
Max caught up to him and frowned at him.
"What are you going
to do? I know you're in Team Rocket, so it must be something no good!"
Oakley ignored this comment and made a swift
turn with his heels off the road. Max stopped.
"Hey! Where are you
going? The road goes this way!"
"I know. I'm going to
the river."
Max blinked.
"The river?"
He watched Oakley's back before deciding to follow.
"Go on back, kid," Oakley
said again.
Max didn't say anything, just kept walking beside
him. Oakley sighed.
"Fine. Look, I'm going
on a rescue mission, okay? Two of our agents are being held prisoner up
in the mountains, and I'm going to get them out."
Max looked up towards the shadowy mountains.
"Huh? You mean that
isn't some big Team Rocket scheme going on up there?"
"No. Not everything
bad that happens in the world is Team Rocket's doing."
"Oh."
Max remained silent all the way to the river.
A raft had already been prepared. Oakley began to push it out into the
water. The two didn't say anything to each other as they both jumped onto
the raft and began to sail towards the Indigo Mountains.
(Midas' Fortress, The Nest, Indigo Mountains)
Midas lit a match and
brought it to the shining chalice.
"I hunger for more freedom,
Midas. More space."
Midas threw the used match over his shoulder.
"I knew, my Lordship.
Do not worry. Now that we have Ni Muchiwa we have enough members in our
little family to begin searching for the other relics, as you called them.
Soon you will be free. And then you will help me destroy my cousin and
his dynasty."
"Yes," the Lord of Darkness
said smoothly. "And you will help me to destroy this whole world and rebuild
it all, rebuild everything to our liking."
"And, as promised, I
will have many queens for you."
He smiled evilly.
"My cousin's daughter—Jessie—she
will be your first."
"Wonderful. Delicious."
Midas closed his eyes and nodded as he fell into
a deep sleep, dreaming wonderful, delicious dreams of the day Giovanni
would realize that Midas Ranielli was by far the greater of the Raniellis.
It was only a matter of time…just a small matter of time.
End of Book One: Dark Days
