Chapter 11: Secret Trouble
Charizard roared as its located destination was finally found. The Pokemon landed, and its passengers climbed off.
"Thanks a lot, Charizard!" Rose smiled, calling back her Pokemon to its Pokeball. "You deserve to rest!" She turned to see Drakken looking a bit dizzy. "Sick?"
"I'm not gonna be use to this flying around on a Pokemon." Drakken replied, steadying his balance and rubbing his head. "It's giving me a head-ache."
"All right, you sit down for a while and I'll go purchase the engagement ring." Rose took the doctor by the arm and led him inside the mall.
The section of the Mini-Mall they walked in was the East Wing, there were a few benches and Drakken sat down to get rid of his head-ache.
"How will I know where to find you?"
"There's a jewelry store nearby." Rose pointed behind her. "I'll come get you when I'm done and we'll walk off to the Food Court for lunch."
"But how much money will you need for the ring?" Drakken asked, pulling out his wallet from inside his trench coat.
"Don't worry," Rose reassured. "I have my own Rocket Account, and this engagement ring will actually have excellent taste that Shego couldn't possible refuse to your proposal."
With that, Rose walked off in the direction of the jewelry store. This brought back a Christmas memory four years ago, she passed by this store and saw a beautiful diamond the size of a rock on a 14-karat gold band. At the time, she was dating Brock and wanted to get married that following summer. That chance never came and Rose was now single within the four years that passed.
Standing right in front of the store, Rose sighed off the memory and walked inside, a jeweler greeted her.
"Afternoon, Miss." Smiled a young woman with dark brown hair and emerald eyes. "May I interest you in our wonderful selection of diamond necklaces and bracelets, or how bout our lovely sets of diamond earrings?"
Rose returned the smile, though she found something very familiar about this woman. She saw her name-tag pinned on her dark black dress-suit, 'Katelyn Norrick. Her eyes widened in shock.
"You're Katelyn Norrick? Are you related to the Machavellis'?"
The woman raised an eyebrow, taken aback. "Oh, so you've heard of my families? How do you know this?"
"I've been living in the same area as you close to twenty years!" Rose exclaimed. "Family flesh-in-blood always know that!" She took off the blond wig, the woman gasped.
"Rosalind? What are you doing here dressed like... a prostitute?"
"A disguise so Emma and her friends don't find me," Rose replied, placing her wig back on. "There should be plenty of time to explain. It all started..."
By the time Rose finished, Katelyn had understood what was going on. Though she didn't know there was another world normal and un-Pokemon. She found it very sweet that the villains were in love and had plans for marriage.
"That's wonderful, the whole idea of Drakken proposing to Shego." Katelyn smiled. "They'll be more happy in matrimony than partners in crime."
"Yeah, but Drakken wants me to pick out the engagement ring." Rose said, annoyed somewhat. "He should be helping me since he's the one getting married."
And just as the mention, Drakken walked in. Katelyn gawked, but Rose nudged her lightly since it was rude.
"Blue skin?" Katelyn whispered.
"He experimented on himself after he left college." Rose replied. "A supposed mad-scientist for evilness like taking over the world. He and Shego kidnapped me for world domination, thought they could be Masters and rule over Pokemon."
"Rosalind, did you pick out the engagement ring?" Drakken asked, in a somewhat good mood.
"Oh sorry, I was a little sidetracked." Rose motioned to the woman beside her. "This is my sister, Katelyn. She just never told me she worked here as a jeweler."
"It's really nice to meet you Mr..." Katelyn held out her hand, smiling politely.
"Dr. Drakken." The man replied, shaking her hand. "My rearranged name than Drew Lipsky."
"I didn't know you were a doctor." Katelyn said cluelessly, then scowling at her sister.
"Ah... well, guess I left out a few details." Rose sweatdropped, embarrassed. "Anyway, what selection of engagement rings do you have?"
"There's many to choose from," Katelyn led them over to the glass showcase tables. Rose and Drakken looked through the glass at the beautiful rings. "We have diamond rings on either gold or silver bands. The diamond ranging in size of small, medium, or large."
"They're all so pretty," Drakken looked at the dazzling rings.
"Hey Drakken." Rose pointed. "What about this one? Wow, or maybe that one on the left?"
"No!" Drakken whispered loudly. "Let me see that one right there." He pointed to a beautiful silver band ring. It had a sparkling diamond (size of a small rock) in the center surrounded by little green emeralds that were carved to perfection.
"Ah yes, one of our exquisite and finest jewelry in engagement choices." Katelyn took out the ring. "Would you like this?"
"Yes, its perfect." Drakken nodded.
Katelyn placed the ring inside a small black-velvet box and into a fancy little bag. "A better choice than what Scott gave me. Well, here you go and good luck."
Rose swiped her account card through a machine and was handed the little bag. "Thanks Kate, I'll let you know if all goes well."
"You know, the vacation home is right near our main-family home. Go visit mother and the siblings, they miss you too much."
"I would if I wasn't under prisonment," Rose replied upsetly. "And if there will be a wedding soon, I know our mother would help."
"We'll talk of this later," Drakken reassured. "Come along, Rosalind."
Rose sighed and obeyed, she hugged her sister and followed out of the store.
"Where to now?"
"Food Court," Drakken said, walking in the direction and out of the east wing. "I'll treat us to lunch, then we have to head home before Shego suspects we're missing."
Upon arrival at the Food Court, Rose looked around for a place to sit. Though she really didn't suspect to see Emma with Ash and Tracey. They were accompanied by a blonde-haired boy and a red-haired girl.
Rose gulped in fear and turned to Drakken. "Look who's here? They'll surely spot you with that blue skin of yours!"
"Then we won't go near them or have contact," Drakken walked away from the tables, searching a restaurant to eat for lunch.
Rose followed close behind, then excusing herself to the restroom. She walked into the room and fixed her hair and make-up. Hearing the door open, Rose turned to see who it was, her eyes widened in fear. It was Emma and a girl with red-orange hair to mid-back length and light green eyes. This new girl wore a black elbow-length shorty top, gray gloves, gray boots, green pants, and a brown belt.
Emma spotted Rose and smirked, "This is a coincidence, we just saw you out there with some guy wearing a trench coat."
"Oh yeah. I saw you and your friends, too." Rose smiled, laughing nervously. "The guy I was with, he's... my boyfriend. Doesn't really like to be seen that much and hated going out into public areas."
"So what's your name?" asked the red-head girl in spy gear.
"Crystal..." the first word that came to Rose's mind. "Crystal Melani, I just moved here from Periwinkle Island."
Emma and her friend exchanged very strange expressions, like something was suspiciously wrong. "Okay, I'm Emma Gotchem." Holding out her hand and Rose shook it. "My cousin's family lives on Periwinkle Island. You might know them, the Machavellis'."
"Yes, I've heard too much." Rose nodded. "They are nice people and always helping those in need."
"Anyway, this is my friend." Emma motioned to the girl. "Kim Possible."
"Hi, this is my first time here in Pallet Town." Kim smiled.
Rose stayed very calm, "Are you visiting?"
"From another world." Kim said, though she forgot to keep her mouth shut from that. "Oh... well, I mean... its different in a way that there's no Pokemon."
"Strange, I've never heard that before." Rose smirked. "It was nice meeting you, bye-bye." She waved and walked out the door.
Into the Food Court, Rose spotted Drakken seated at least two or three tables behind where the three boys were seated. Rose walked passed them, ignoring their stares, and the Pokemon with a naked mole rat, couldn't help but watch also.
"Who's that?" Ash pointed to the blonde girl walking by.
"No one we know." Tracey replied, his eyes hadn't left the girl. "But it's like I know her from somewhere..."
"In your dreams?" the blonde girl smiled jokishly and giggled. Her hair was shoulder-length, her outfit wasn't that sweet, but her perfect face held innocence of sparkling sky-blue eyes.
Rose should've known better not to evesdrop on other's conversations, but this one had got her in a bit of trouble. She caught sight of the boy with blonde hair and brown eyes, freckles, and wearing a spy outfit. Yet the other guy that commented on knowing her somewhere... he had realization on his face.
"That voice... her face... it's Rose!" Tracey yelled in shock.
"You sure about that, Tracey?" the blonde boy asked. "I know by looks, that's not..."
Rose was scared now, she walked quickly in the direction where Drakken sat, eating a cup of French fries.
"Hey Drew, we've been caught."
"What?" Drakken almost choked on a French fry.
"Come on, let's go!" Rose grabbed the trench hat and placed it right on Drakken's head, covering his face. She then grabbed his arm and pulled him right onto his feet.
They started to walk at a fast pace toward the exit, then outside where two stone pillars stood to hold the ceiling roof of the mall.
"Why did we even come out here?" Drakken yanked away his arm, glaring at the young woman.
"My friend, Tracey... he recognized me through my disguise." Rose explained, glancing toward the doors now and then." Emma and Kim probably came back from the bathroom. They're gonna know I was here!"
Just then, Rose and Drakken heard voices behind them, coming near the doors.
"They're coming..." Rose replied in a scared death whisper.
Drakken narrowed his eyes disappointedly and grabbed hold of the young woman, he pulled her behind one stone pillar. They stood and waited in silence, listening to the voices that just spoke from inside.
"You sure you saw them come out this way?" Kim asked, looking around the deserted area of empty benches and the parking lot full of cars.
"Positive, I know I saw Rose," Tracey said confidently. "She was with Drakken, but I didn't see Shego."
"What would they be doing down here?" Emma asked, confused beyond no reason.
"Shopping?" Ron replied, as Rufus climbed onto his shoulder. "The prices here are not that expensive, but Smarty Mart has the best prices ever!"
"They probably stole something," Kim concluded suspiciously. "Must have been expensive if they were wearing disguises."
"I dunno, Kimmi." Ron smiled at the thought. "The blonde disguise really did work on Rose... If she were only four years younger, I'd..."
"Ron!" Kim glared, disgusted that her best friend would be thinking like that. "Anyway, they're no where around, so they probably went back to the secret lair."
"Where-ever that is." Emma rolled her eyes, annoyed. "We just gotta get Rose away from Drakken and Shego."
"Yeah," Ash agreed. "The sooner the better, it's been half a month already."
The teenagers gave up and went back inside. What they didn't see, two disguised people sneak off and fly away on a fire-lizard Pokemon toward home destination.
§To Be Continued§
*The mall that they go to is similar to the mall in my hometown.
*One of Rose's siblings makes their appearance; Katelyn is a jeweler. Katelyn is married to Scott Norrick, who is Rose's rival.