Misty stared at the evil-looking man, feeling as if she had been struck by a thunderbolt. Ash's father had killed her parents?
In desperation, she looked to Ash, who was wearing a look of shock. Misty herself felt like she had been punched in the stomach.
She was standing in the room with her parents' murderer...And he was her best friend's father.
"You—you lie," Misty whispered haggardly, trying to grasp at the hope that it wasn't true.
"I may be the head of Team Rocket, but I do not lie."
"No!" the blue-eyed girl exclaimed. "How...How could..."
"I demand complete loyalty," Giovanni said, "and I dislike being opposed. Your parents, I am afraid, were big opponents of my taking over the Viridian Gym, and they posed many problems for other members of Team Rocket as well. So, I decided to kill two Pidgey with one stone. I would have my brother kill two of his best friends to prove his loyalty to me, all the while wiping out two people who were posing as an incredible nuisance."
Misty's breathing quickened as her animosity-filled gaze flickered back and forth between Ash's father and Giovanni. They were the reason her parents had died.
Giovanni saw that the girl was suitably paralyzed for the moment, and, since the boy Brock wasn't talking, he turned back to Ash. "You were wondering about Houndour, weren't you?"
Ash merely stared, still shocked at what all he'd learned.
"She was thrown out into the streets of Viridian City with an objective: to bring you back alive to Rocket Headquarters. She was to play the part of an angry, abused Pokémon, so that with a little maneuvering by some Team Rocket members she would wind up in the hands of Professor Samuel Oak. I knew you were in Pallet Town, of course, and I also knew of your nosiness, Ash."
At this, Ash started, a little fire coming back into his eyes.
"I knew that Jessie and James were too unreliable to bring you to Viridian, and most of the other Team Rocket members were detained elsewhere, so I sent your father's Pokémon, enjoying the irony of it." Giovanni smiled, his white teeth gleaming in the light, giving him a dangerous appearance.
"You're an evil man," whispered Misty, trembling in rage and sadness.
Giovanni laughed. "One can never test one's servants too many times. I was interested in determining both Houndour's and Ashura's loyalties. Had Houndour failed to obey my orders, the situation would have been easily remedied by my agents in Pallet Town, who would have put her to death. I preferred, however, to get you to Viridian by less conspicuous means than kidnapping you from your hometown. Houndour did the job quite well. Despite her refusal to evolve, she is a worthy servant."
Ash Ketchum looked down at the ashamed Houndour, his eyes blazing, then he tore his gaze away, unable to look at her any longer. "You may have gotten them to work for you, but I never will."
Giovanni looked as if he had suspected such a statement from Ash. "Not even for the life of your mother and your friends?"
It felt like a knife went into Ash's heart. "What?" he said shakily.
"I told you what I did before so that you would realize that I mean business." Giovanni stared at him with his cruel eyes. "Or must you suffer as your father did to find out that I will have what I want?"
Unnoticed by all, with the exception of Brock, who was making many different observations during his silence, Ash's father was trembling. His fists were clenching and unclenching at his sides, and he seemed to be facing a decision. Houndour, too, seemed to be facing some sort of dilemma.
Ash stared at the head of Team Rocket defiantly. "I won't join you."
Giovanni sighed, sounding weary. "Very well. Ashura," he raised his voice, looking at his brother. The sable-haired man's head snapped up sharply. "Have your Houndour show your son what happens when he tries to defy me."
Ashura Ketchum swallowed, trying to moisten his dry throat. "Houndour—" he said, his voice breaking.
The Pokémon raised her head, her eyes slowly becoming more defiant as she looked her trainer in the eyes. My name is Flamekist.
At this, Ashura began to tear up. He scrunched his eyes closed, feeling worse than he would have had he just taken a physical blow. "You were a reminder of all that I had left behind, you know," Ashura said, not caring that his brother was listening to the words he was addressing towards Flamekist. He needed this moment for himself. "When Giovanni forced me to be harsh in training my Pokémon...I—I'm sorry I took most of it out on you...But then you never evolved, leaving me with the image of my son rejecting you, a little Houndour, and rejecting me at the same time...It just threw more wood onto the fire of my frustration..." His voice fell to a whisper. "I'm so sorry..."
Somehow, in my heart, I knew it to be so, Flamekist said, trembling. And with that admission, a little of the pain surrounding her heart melted away.
"Ashura!" snapped Giovanni. "Put this pitiful weakness of yours aside and do as I say!"
Flamekist's eyes flashed, and she opened her mouth in a feral grin. We'll see who's weak, she growled, preparing to leap at Giovanni and end his life.