Chapter 44: Conflicts On Different Scales

High in the sky, overlooking the bustling metropolis down below, Archer stood before a glass window on the radio tower's observation deck, arms crossed, deep in thought. He had been waiting for this day for months. Now it was finally here. The day Team Rocket would take complete control of Johto and its Pokemon. In his hand was a small, black, rectangular object with a silver antenna sprouting out from the top, resembling an old school walkman. He could only smile as he saw the fantastic view before him. A sea of tall buildings stretching far into the horizon, boasting their high reach towards the heavens. The city that would soon be his, and by extension, all of Team Rocket's.

Next to him, an old man sat on the floor, thick ropes tying his hands behind his back, and around his ankles, rendering him unable to move. His grey suit had rips and scratch marks all over it, and one part of his left pant leg had a red bloody stain on it. Two Houndoom snarled at the cowering man, baring their teeth and glaring at him, almost as if they were daring him to make one move. The man's wide eyes trembled with fear, and his grey hair was unkempt and dripping with sweat. Archer paid him no heed. The Rocket executive simply stared down at the portable transmitter in his hand.

"P-P-P-P-Please! I'm begging you! You can have the radio tower!" The old man sobbed, his shaking voice having gone long past hysterical. "You can do whatever you want! Just let me and everyone else go! We won't tell anyone!"

Archer shot a disbelieving look at the helpless man below him, his hand clutching the portable transmitter just a bit tighter. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that? You're pathetic," Archer snarled, screwing up his face to look just like his two Houndoom. To think it had been so laughably easy to take this man-the director of the Goldenrod Radio Tower-hostage. That just made things much easier for him in the long run.

"I can't understand why you're doing this!" The director didn't dare meet Archer's eyes. But Archer clearly saw the desperate, pleading look in his hostage's eyes. Just looking at this helpless man made him wish he'd shut up already. "You have nothing to gain from taking over all of Johto! People and Pokemon aren't tools you can control and manipulate to your convenience!"

Tools. This time, Archer was the one baring his teeth at the terrified director. "Keep your mouth shut, you oaf!" Archer barked, his voice rising so high, it almost didn't belong to him. "My Houndoom can easily tear you to pieces! Or are you that desperate to be their dinner?"

The director winced. Figuring it was useless to argue any further, he simply kept his head down, unable to look at anything or anyone else. Nothing else was said between them. Then again, Archer had zero interest in talking to his hostage anyway, other than making sure he was quiet. Just as that thought crossed his mind, a blue blur suddenly caught his eye.

A blue and purple one. A large Pokemon hopped from rooftop to rooftop, coming closer to the Radio Tower with every leap. Behind it was a large yellow Pokemon with a curling purple mane behind it, only it was smaller. Archer recognized them immediately. Suicune and Raikou. Two of the three legendary beast Pokemon from Ecruteak City. Archer's eyes widened in surprise. The radio signal worked! They were probably lured here.

No sooner did that thought cross his mind, Hunter J, riding her Salamence, swooped right down from the sky, firing a beam of light at Suicune. The aurora Pokemon leaped out of the way just in time, and Raikou let out a roar before shooting a lightning bolt in her direction. Salamence swiftly flew to the left, letting the bolt fly right past it. Archer could see Suicune digging its feet onto one rooftop and shaking its head wildly, as if it were trying to shake off the mind control. Raikou followed suit, but bit on part of Suicune's flowing mane and pulled on it, beckoning it to move.

"Suicune! Come on!" Raikou roared, continuing to pull on his friend's mane. "We need to go! She'll capture us!"

"I...I can't...move…" Suicune rasped. His legs felt like stone, and a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his brain. "My body...won't listen to me...I can't…!"

"I know! But we can't stay here! We need to-" Unfortunately, Raikou wasn't able to finish that sentence. Before long, a ray of light suddenly struck Raikou's rear, and his entire body turned to stone. Suicune could only watch in horror as his friend turned a dark gold color, completely frozen and lifeless. The aurora Pokemon's mouth fell agape, and his eyes shrunk. He wasn't given time to process his friend's fall, as his own body turned to stone as well. He didn't even have the chance to react.

Two floating, mechanical plates floated underneath the two legendary beasts, generating glass barriers that covered each of them. The glass containers then floated away. Archer assumed they were going into J's airship. He figured she kept it invisible and had it nearby just in case she caught them. Well, that took care of that. Archer pulled back his sleeve, tapped his black watch, and watched as a holographic bust of J appeared. From the disinterested look on her face-at least, what little Archer could make out since she was wearing her goggles-she didn't look too happy about seeing him right now.

"What do you want?" J asked, her voice adopting a tone of barely contained annoyance.

"I just thought I'd congratulate you for having caught all three of the legendary beasts," Archer answered with a pleased smile. "I saw the whole feat from the observation deck just now. They were helpless against the radio signal, just like you wanted."

"Don't act so smug. You're not the one who caught them. I need them for my mission."

"Come on, J. That's no way to talk when someone's actually praising you."

"I don't need your praise," J hissed firmly. "You know full well that I'm only using you and Team Rocket to get what I want. Don't think I haven't forgotten our deal."

Archer shrugged. Then again, he knew she would say that. "Yes, yes, I know. If you let us use your technology for our plans, we in return have to let you use us for your own plans as well."

"Good," J was in absolutely no mood for fun and games. Archer was sure anger or being serious were the only emotions she was capable of. "The time for Ho-Oh's arrival is drawing near. Now that I have the three beasts, I have a chance to be able to nab it as well. Maybe Lugia, too, if I'm lucky. Anyway, I'm leaving. Feel free to do whatever you want for now."

With that, the hologram coming from Archer's watch disappeared.

"Oh, believe me, I will," Archer looked down at the transmitter in his hand and smiled. This was going to be good.

"It has to be here somewhere!" Falkner shouted, looking in every nook and cranny of the transmitter room. Jasmine, Bugsy, and several other officers were in the room with him, helping him look. But so far, they hadn't seen anything even resembling another transmitter. "Darn it! What did we miss?!" Falkner growled, slamming his fist onto the wall. He didn't care if his hand throbbed from the impact. He couldn't believe he was incapable of stopping a stupid radio signal, of all things. It was his job to help everyone.

At this point, several police officers managed to apprehend Ariana and Petrel, dragging them out of the transmitter room as soon as Noctowl felt it was safe to release them from Psychic. Falkner made a mental note to give Noctowl his favorite brown rice as a reward for his efforts when this was all over. At least they managed to get Ariana and Petrel arrested. Still, the evolution inducement wave was still being broadcasted as of now.

"Is there any place we haven't looked?" Bugsy poked his head out into the hallway. So far, nobody else was in sight. No Team Rocket grunts, no other police officers, nobody. "Think maybe there's someone downstairs we overlooked?"

"I'll have them check," One of the officers offered, then proceeded to speak into his walkie-talkie, telling any officers who heard to check all floors of the building for a transmitter or anyone that had access to one. No stone was to be left unturned.

Jasmine looked up at the ceiling, wondering just where this backup transmitter could be.

Wait a minute…

Up.

It hit her right then and there. "We haven't checked the observation deck!" She exclaimed as soon as the thought popped up in her mind.

Everyone stopped to look in her direction. The observation deck...She was right. Nobody had gone up that far yet. At least, none of the police officers did. Were there more Team Rocket members up on the observation deck? Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming from down the hall. Falkner readied his pistol, already on guard in case it was another TR grunt. Any tension he had wavered as soon as he saw a mop of blonde hair with a dark purple headband on it. That wasn't a Team Rocket member.

"Falkner!" Morty came bounding into the room, with several officers following him from behind. Falkner let out a sigh of relief, aiming his pistol down at the floor. "Sorry I'm late," He huffed, bending over to catch his breath, complete with his hands on his knees. "The grunts down there were absolutely relentless."

"I can imagine," Falkner said.

Once Morty caught his breath, he cleared his throat. "I did manage to get some information from one of the grunts. Apparently one of their executives, Archer, is up on the observation deck holding the director hostage."

"We were just thinking about heading up there ourselves," Jasmine explained. So they had the exact same idea. Now that they knew the director was being held hostage up on the observation deck, the chances were good that they could find the backup transmitter up there as well. There was no time to lose. Falkner and Jasmine exchanged glances before nodding in unison.

"Bugsy," Falkner turned towards the youngest gym leader. "You'd best get out of the tower quickly. I'd rather not risk putting your life on the line. Whitney and the others could definitely benefit from your assistance. Think you can do that?"

"I'd much rather stay and help you guys out," Bugsy answered, kicking one leg out. "But I understand. You guys be careful!" With that, Bugsy ran down the hall. Falkner motioned for one police officer to follow him, if only to make sure he got out safely. Seeing what he was referring to, the officer in question nodded in affirmation and followed Bugsy out.

"The only way up to the observation deck is an elevator," Morty told them. "It should be on this floor somewhere."

Without another word, everyone dashed out of the transmitter room to look for the elevator. It didn't take long for them to find it, as it was only a few doors down from the left. Jasmine pressed the up button, and the elevator doors pulled themselves apart instantly. The gym leaders and some of the officers went inside, and they were all bunched together in a five by five confined space. Falkner clenched his fists and his teeth as he stared into the elevator doors. Confined spaces weren't exactly good places for a freedom loving, high flying gym leader like him. Small places like an elevator were cramped, almost suffocating, especially when surrounded by so many people.

Falkner swallowed. This wasn't the time to let his hangups get the better of him. Still, could feel his hands producing sweat, and the hilt of his pistol holder grew a little damp. Worse than that, the elevator was going extremely slow, moving about as fast as a sick Slugma. Then again, the elevator had always been aggravatingly slow, from his few visits to the place years before. He had to stay focused, so he simply stared at the doors. The shiny, metallic doors that reflected his whole being back at him. His frizzy blue hair made worse by his policeman's cap, the many wrinkles in his uniform from the struggles in the transmitter room, his tense eyes…

There was no sound except for the whir of the elevator going up, and nothing changed except for the red glowing numbers on the display screen. Nobody said a word to each other throughout the ride. That is, until the elevator made a soft ding.

"We made it!" Jasmine exclaimed, breaking the silence.

Both doors pulled away, revealing the observation deck. The first thing they saw was the director, tied up and on the floor, eyes wide with naked fear.

"Help! Help me, please!"

"Director!" Jasmine gasped right out loud, horrified upon seeing the disheveled, pathetic state he was in.

Archer turned to face the gym leaders behind him. "I wasn't expecting any visitors. Oh well. I was getting bored, sitting up here and doing nothing but babysit this addle-brained fool," The teal-haired man said.

Falkner was quick to pull his pistol out once more, aiming it straight at the executive. "If you know what's good for you, release him immediately," He ordered, keeping his voice low but firm, resolving to use any force necessary to save the director. For all he knew, this might explode into a huge gunfight, or Archer might use his Pokemon to attack them personally. He could already see a black walkie-talkie in Archer's hand with a tall antenna.

Oddly enough, Archer simply shrugged. He pulled on the cowering man's suit collar and unceremoniously threw him in their direction like he was a rag doll. "Whatever. I'm done with him, so you can have him back."

The director's stomach met the floor with a soft thud. "Ugh! Ow!" He yelped, right as Jasmine ran over to help him up.

"Are you okay, sir?"

"I don't know...but thank Arceus I'm free!"

As Jasmine undid the ropes, Morty was the first to bring up the walkie-talkie in Archer's hand. "Stop this radio signal right this instant! We know that's the backup transmitter!"

Archer looked at the transmitter, then at the three Houndoom by his side. "If you really want to put a stop to our grand plans, then give me your best shot! Houndoom!"

"Gaaaarrr!" All three Houndoom leaped in between Archer and the gym leaders, backs arched in the air and baring their sharp teeth.

"Hurry!" Jasmine handed the director to two officers as they went into the elevator before returning to Falkner and Morty's side.

"Noctowl! I need your help once more!" Falkner called forth Noctowl, who was quick to pop out of his PokeBall again.

Morty's Gengar was quick to materialize, and Morty didn't even need to call it out by name. Jasmine threw a PokeBall herself, and out came Ampere the Ampharos, who let out a battle cry as it charged right at the three Houndoom.

"Noctowl! Use Air Slash!" Falkner shouted. Noctowl's wings glowed in a white light before the owl Pokemon flapped them once. Six sharp discs made out of white light flew right at the three dark Pokemon.

"Houndoom! Use Flamethrower!" Archer ordered.

All three Houndoom opened their mouths and made streams of red flames shoot forth. All of them collided with the white discs of light before making a small explosion of fire. Morty and Falkner were quick to back away, not wanting to risk getting burned.

"Ampere! Use Dragon Pulse!"

"Ampaaaa!" With a piercing cry, Ampere's mouth glowed in a rainbow of colors before shooting out a beam of light. Said beam of light suddenly sprouted draconic wings, eyes, and a mouth before landing a direct hit on two of the Houndoom. One of them leapt to the side right in the nick of time before pouncing on Ampere and closing its mouth right on its neck, sharp teeth digging right into its skin. The light Pokemon let out a loud screech as a searing pain shot through its long neck.

"Ampere! No!" Jasmine's hands flew to her mouth, eyes wide with horror as her friend suddenly became Houndoom's dinner.

"Gengar! Dark Pulse!" Morty shouted.

"Gengah!" Sensing the urgency of the situation, Gengar fired a stream of black circles right at Houndoom, managing to push it right off of Ampere. The light Pokemon was quick to cover any puncture wounds it had with one of its fingerless arms. Still, Jasmine could see streaks of red staining Ampere's arm. But before she could try and return it to it's PokeBall, another Houndoom snuck up behind it.

"Ampere! Behind you!" Jasmine cried in the loudest voice she could muster.

Thankfully, the light Pokemon caught on. Its tail glowed in a silvery sheen before spinning around, whacking the dark Pokemon with such force that it flew straight into the elevator. Houndoom let out an almost pitiful whine as its body hit the elevator doors before slumping to the ground. Far from the intimidating, fearsome beast it made itself out to be.

"Houndoom," Archer muttered. "Use Slash."

"Oh, no you don't! Noctowl, use Echoed Voice!"

With a high pitched trill, Noctowl generated big circles of white sound waves, bombarding the two Houndoom that were still going. The two Houndoom could only shrink as the piercing screeches held them in place, rendering them unable to move. The Houndoom on the left suddenly lifted its head and shot Dark Pulse at Noctowl, sending it flying into the ceiling. At last, the Echoed Voice attack ceased, and both Houndoom were free to move as they pleased. Knowing they were likely to pounce once more, Jasmine ordered Ampere to use Thunderbolt. As ordered, Ampere fired a flurry of yellow lightning bolts at the two dark Pokemon, striking them with ease. One Houndoom roared in pain as the thunder seared through its entire body.

"Don't let those idiots beat you, Houndoom!" Archer barked, his ruthless eyes baring right into his Pokemon. "Use Crunch! Bite their heads off if you have to!"

The command sent a chill down everyone's spines. He meant what he said. Everyone could feel it, even the Houndoom. The one that had been thrown against the elevator finally staggered back to its feet. Noctowl caught on, dove right in front of it, and began assaulting it with a barrage of Peck attacks, using its tiny beak to peck at every single hair follicle on its head. No way was the owl Pokemon going to let this mangy mutt win!

Archer could only smirk as he watched the brouhaha play out before him, still holding onto the transmitter. He had to admit, this was quite a show. For what it was worth, it at least killed some of his boredom from having to stand up here all day. Plus, watching these gym leaders and their Pokemon squirm was proving to be entertaining. If he could hold them off for as long as he could, the evolution inducement wave could broadcast all over Johto at this rate. He was so focused on commanding his Houndoom and watching the other gym leaders that he didn't notice a white blur rushing right past him.

Suddenly, a blow struck the hand holding the transmitter. Before he could process what was going on, Jasmine's sandal knocked the walkie-talkie out of his hand, sending it skidding across the floor, right towards the other side of the deck. Archer let out a growl as both he and Jasmine sprinted towards the fallen transmitter. Jasmine threw her sandals off, running across the observation deck completely barefoot by this point. Nobody cared. Then, as she and Archer were neck and neck, grasping for the transmitter, Jasmine made a huge leap, pouncing right on top of the transmitter, her dainty hand swiping it off the floor.

Unfortunately for her, Archer took the chance to pounce right on top of her. Jasmine clutched the transmitter with all her might, even as the weight of Archer's body held her down. Archer's hands reached for the transmitter at every turn, grasping it with every swipe of his hands.

"Give it to me!"

"No!"

"I said give it, you filthy wench!"

"Make me!" At this point, Jasmine howled and screamed like a wild mother animal protecting her young. Her voice was beyond hysterical, and it didn't sound like it belonged to her anymore.

Morty saw the scuffle, and his mouth fell agape. "Jasmine!" He needed to do something. This was their chance to turn off that transmitter. He had to take it. And he did. "Gengar! Use Psychic to get Archer off her!"

Gengar nodded and its eyes glowed in an eerie red light. Before long, Archer's body was surrounded by a purple aura, and he was magically lifted into the air. "Hey! Let me go!" Archer howled, struggling to move and writhe in Gengar's magical grip. Too bad his body was completely frozen, and his paralyzed limbs refused to budge. Jasmine staggered back to her feet, clutching the transmitter, holding it to her chest.

"Noctowl! Take the transmitter!" Falkner commanded.

Knowing what he planned to do, Jasmine threw the device into the air, allowing Noctowl to swoop in and take it into its talons. Then, without warning, Noctowl squeezed the device with its talon. Before long, the device completely snapped in half, reduced to nothing more than scraps of metal. Bolts and wires fell to the floor, clattering as they bounced on the ground. Archer's pupils shrunk in horror as what was left of the transmitter shattered before his eyes. Just like that, his grand ambitions-Team Rocket's grand plan-were completely ruined.

"Gengar. Put him down," Morty told it. Gengar's eyes stopped glowing, and Archer fell to the floor, right on his rear.

"Ow!" Archer yelped, and didn't have time to rub the throbbing area as Falkner approached him, holding a pistol right at his face.

"It's over. You lost," Falkner snarled. "You're under arrest."

By this time, all three Houndoom were lying on the ground, their battered bodies rising and falling in tune with their tired, labored breaths. Jasmine had put Ampere back in his PokeBall, making a note to take him to the Pokemon Center as soon as possible, and the other officers stood on both sides of Falkner, also aiming their rifles at him. Morty recalled Gengar and walked over to Jasmine to make sure she was okay. He didn't see any scratches or bruising on her, so it was a relief to see her safe. She really did earn her reputation as a maiden draped in silk that hid steel. No wonder she was the Olivine City gym leader. Still, he had to admit, throwing herself against Archer and taking the transmitter by force could have ended badly. It was definitely a reckless move on her part, and Archer could have done away with her easily.

Archer stood up, hanging his head, the rifles still pointed at him. At this time, Jasmine went to the elevator, assuming everyone else could handle things from here. Besides, Ampere needed medical care right away, on account of those neck wounds. Morty understood and silently waved goodbye as the elevator doors closed. But when he turned around, Morty's eyes shrunk. One of Archer's Houndoom was sneaking up behind Falkner, its mouth glowing in an eerie purple light. Was it going to…?

Morty's legs moved on their own. He sprinted across the observation deck like he was running a marathon. Fear completely seized him, but also sent adrenaline running through his veins. "LOOK OUT!" Morty screamed in the loudest voice he could muster. As soon as Falkner turned around, Morty was right in front of him.

"Gaaaar!" Houndoom spat some kind of icky purple liquid right on Morty's face. Some of it got onto Morty's hand. Falkner gaped as he saw steam coming off of his friend's hand. It didn't take long for Morty to crumple to the floor, folding himself in a fetal position, howling as a searing, burning sensation shot through his whole body, especially his hand.

"Morty!" Falkner skidded down to his friend. What in the world happened? He looked over to the Houndoom in question, seeing the toxic purple substance seeping from its mouth. He then looked over to Archer, who still had that smug grin on his face. Did he command his Houndoom to use Toxic somehow?

Suddenly, Archer pushed through two of the officers, making a mad dash for the glass window.

"Wait! Stop! Stay where you are!" The officers fired several rounds, all of them missing their target. After that, Archer rammed right through one window, breaking the glass around him, leaving him right outside the observation deck. Some shards did embed themselves into his shoulder and arm, but Archer merely grunted as he made the mighty jump.

Then, a small helicopter rose from the ground. Archer was quick to grab hold of it as the Team Rocket grunt piloting it motioned for him to get on. By the time Falkner and the others made it to the broken window, the helicopter made a quick turn around, the loud propellers spinning like a tornado as it flew away.

But Falkner knew that at this point, someone else needed his attention. "Morty!" His friend lay on the ground, writhing and howling. The police chief whirled around to face an officer standing behind him. "Get an EMT up here right away!" Falkner roared.

One of the officers pulled out his radio, calling for medical personnel. Falkner clenched his teeth, lamenting being unable to catch Archer and arrest him. If he, J, and other Team Rocket members were still on the loose, who knows what else they could do. But he had to admit, some good did come out of this. The radio signal was stopped, the transmitters were shut off, and the Goldenrod Radio Tower was safe now. At least that mission was a success.

He could only pray that help would get here soon. Morty was badly poisoned, and he needed medical care right away. If his friend died right here...Falkner shut his eyes. He didn't dare let his imagination take him that far.

Kassia stood before a small, one-story house in Cherrygrove City, her car parked on the main street. The house was rather small, painted a deep navy blue, with a big wooden door in front, and white railing around the porch. She could see some leaves and twigs stuck in some of the roof tiles, and a shoot happened to spring up from the gutter. But other than that, the house was clean. Some small shrubs lined the property, long and flat, with a couple shoots springing up from various places. Compared to the rest of the neighborhood, the house wasn't nearly as nice or big as the other houses. But it had its own unique charm about it.

But this wasn't the time to be admiring houses right now. Swallowing, Kassia stepped onto the porch and pressed her finger onto the doorbell. She could hear two rings from inside the house. Peering into the window, she saw a head of wavy, curly black hair bounce around energetically. Then, the door opened, and out came a woman about the same age as she, with long hair that cascaded down to her lower back. Her deep brown eyes widened as she took in Kassia's appearance, and her green dress stood out starkly compared to the navy blue paint of her house. Their eyes met, and there was a brief silence before Kassia finally spoke.

"Hello, Edelmira."

"Kassia?" The woman in question, Edelmira, recognized her right away. "You're Amara's mother!" Flashing a wide, pleased smile, she took Kassia's hand into her own and shook it, brown eyes beaming with delight. "It's so good to see you! It sure has been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Yes it has."

"I take it you got the birthday cards I sent to your daughters."

Kassia's answer to that was a nod. "I have to admit, I've never been to this part of town before. I'm just glad I got your new address to begin with."

It had been a long time since the two of them had last seen each other, but both women could feel the connection they had as strongly as ever. It was like time hadn't passed at all. "Would you like to come inside? I'll make you some coffee. I think it's still fresh, so just make yourself comfortable."

Edelmira's house was pretty nice compared to the old one they had. So far, the living room only had a bright red sofa, some blue pillows, a TV on top of a mahogany credenza, and a tiny glass coffee table in front of said sofa, along with some other odds and ends. But one piece of furniture stood out from all the rest. A light yellowish brown box was mounted onto the wall, with a tiny glass vase housing some pink flowers inside it. Next to that was a tiny, white, unlit candlestick, and deep in the center of the box was a picture of a young girl in dark pigtails holding a baby in her arms. The girl's brown eyes were sparkling with cheer, and she was smiling while holding the baby up to look at the camera. Kassia's eyebrows furrowed. She recognized the girl and the baby right away.

Chanel Ramsey and her little brother, Eladio Ramsey.

"Coffee's ready!" Edelmira called from the dining room.

Both women sat down at the dining room table, white cups of coffee sitting right in front of them. They could see the steam billowing out from the brown liquid. Sometimes the steam seemed to blend in with the air around it, looking as though it was fading in and out, like a flickering light bulb. As much as Kassia liked coffee, she couldn't bring herself to drink it. Not when she saw Edelmira's eyes still touched with sadness.

"So...how is everything? It looks like you're doing well here," Kassia began awkwardly, not sure of how to start a conversation.

"It's been hard…" Edelmira glanced over at the box on the wall. "Sometimes it feels like Chanel and Eladio never existed," She looked down at her coffee, averting her friend's eyes. Kassia could tell she was trying to hold back tears. "I know that's a terrible thing to say. Everything feels so...empty without them."

"I can imagine. I'm sorry we couldn't make it to her funeral."

"It's quite alright," Edelmira reassured, waving a hand dismissively. "Considering the nature of your job, I understand completely. Besides, where my family and I are from, our funerals tend to be more private, only involving immediate family, after all...that, and I didn't want to traumatize Amara by inviting her and having her see Chanel...in a casket…"

Kassia could see where she was coming from. As much as she herself wanted to go, she knew she couldn't. Plus, she wasn't sure if both Amara and Julia could handle going to a funeral, Amara for the fact that it was her best friend, about to be buried into the ground, never to come back, and she was sure Julia would find just being there both sad and boring. Of course, Julia did her own share of grieving for Chanel. Kassia knew that for sure. There was no way she wouldn't. Both girls cried their eyes out from the awful news. But she found herself not liking where this conversation was going. She didn't want to start this off on a sad note.

"Is your older daughter still in college?" Kassia asked. "Gracie, right?"

"Graciela? Yes," Edelmira replied as she looked down at her coffee, stirring it with a spoon. "She's doing so well. She just loves it there. She's even staying in the dorms now," Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. Kassia could tell there was more to it than that. "She's been spending more and more time at college after...Chanel and Eladio...she keeps telling me it's so she can work hard and support me and so we don't have to worry about driving up there all the time, but…"

Another pause. "...I think she just wants to get away," Edelmira continued. "Away from everything."

"I see…"

More silence would have followed, had a long, drawn out squeaking sound not caught their attention. "Quiiiiil!" A high pitched squeal made both women almost jump from their seats. Kassia turned to the left and saw that a Cyndaquil had crawled onto the table. She could see the empty chair it used right between herself and Edelmira. Just as quickly as it had appeared, Edelmira's shock dissipated, and her mouth made a friendly smile.

"Hey there, little guy," Once the Cyndaquil got close, Edelmira stroke its head happily. The fire mouse Pokemon curled up onto the table, its round body shaped like a comma as it relished in the feel of Edelmira's hands in its fur.

"Cyndaaaa…"

"When did you get a Pokemon?" Kassia asked.

Edelmira trailed her hand down Cyndaquil's back. "About a month after we moved here," She explained. "Chanel always wanted a Cyndaquil. She would go on and on saying that if she became a trainer, she'd pick a Cyndaquil because they were her favorite. It was actually my grief counselor's idea."

Cyndaquil didn't move from his spot, content to just lay on the table and be with Edelmira. "She said having a Pokemon might help," She murmured, her voice growing wistful. "I got him from Professor Elm, and the little guy's done wonders for me. Cyndaquil's such a joy to have around."

Kassia could only grin. "I can see that," For her, it was easy to see the way Edelmira seemed to glow a little when Cyndaquil was around. She had raised Pokemon for years, long before she had both her daughters, so she knew the joys of having Pokemon for companions, especially during dark times. Her heart warmed at the sight. "Your new house is nice."

"It is. I like it much better than our old house," Edelmira agreed. "Yeah, it's much smaller, but I got it on the cheap thanks to the jobs I worked…" Just like that, the woman's mouth turned back into a frown. "Almost everything Chanel and Eladio had was destroyed in the attack. This house only has room for me and Gracie...and she's all I have left."

For once, Kassia didn't know what to say. She was sure it hurt Edelmira's heart to leave what was left of her old house and her family behind, even if most of their memories in that house weren't the best. She had heard stories of how Edelmira's husband was cruel and abusive, and it took her years to finally muster up the courage to not only kick him out, but get him arrested for everything he did. Still, even with the lingering sadness in Edelmira's eyes, she still looked much happier here than she ever did when she was married to him. She didn't look like a frightened Stantler caught in headlights anymore.

"Alright, I think that's enough about me. I've been meaning to ask, how are your girls doing?" Edelmira asked curiously, folding her hands together. "Does Amara still have that Totodile she got from Professor Elm?" Her frown turned right back into a smile. "Goodness, I remember she used to dote on that little gator all the time. She treated it like it was her baby."

Kassia's hands balled into fists. Should she tell Edelmira the truth? Or did she already know? It didn't sound like she knew. A part of her wanted to tell Edelmira everything about what's been happening with Amara. The urge to speak of everything Amara did was strong. Maybe she could help convince Amara to turn herself in, come back home, or stop everything she's been doing. On the other hand, another part of her advised against it. Did she really need to know that stuff? Besides, Edelmira didn't need to be used as some prop to bring Amara back home. She had her own problems to deal with. What good would telling her do? Still, her daughter was Amara's best friend, and Chanel's death kickstarted everything.

"They're...doing well," Kassia sputtered sheepishly. The lie cut through her heart like a Scyther's blades were slicing it to ribbons. "Julia got her own Pokemon, too."

Just like that, Edelmira's whole being lit up. "Really? That's wonderful!"

She went on to tell Edelmira about Julia becoming an official Pokemon trainer and having left on her journey back in April. Edelmira's smile stretched further the more she heard. "My goodness! That's so great! I remember she used to be so shy! You must be so proud!"

"I am."

But it was Edelmira's turn to be concerned this time. She could see Kassia's eyebrows furrow and her smile turn into a frown. That wasn't like her. Shouldn't she be happy that her daughter was traveling the world? "What's wrong? Is everything alright?"

Kassia finally took a sip of her coffee. It was a little lukewarm. With it being untouched for so long, the liquid had cooled significantly, so it wasn't warm or searing hot. When she finished, she finally answered. "Well...I've been feeling a little conflicted as of late."

"How so? Want to talk about it?"

"It's Julia...we got into a bit of an argument over the phone, and she's been mad at me since then," Kassia explained, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've been calling her, but she hasn't answered her PokeGear the entire time. I know she's ignoring me."

"Really?" Edelmira's mouth fell agape. Julia and her mother getting into an argument? That sure wasn't like them. From what Edelmira had seen, the two of them always got along very well. Often times, Julia never left her mother's side and always did what she said. "What exactly happened?"

It took several minutes for Kassia to explain everything, from finding out Julia caught a red Gyarados to the phone conversation they had. Edelmira listened without a word, but this was all still so hard to believe. Parts of it did make sense, though. "Oh my. I can see why you'd be concerned."

"Believe me, I was so sure it would be a disaster," Kassia explained further. "She'd never be able to properly handle a Gyarados at her level, much less one with as many psychological problems as that one. I told her to release it, but instead she put it into a mental health facility for Pokemon. She said just releasing her wouldn't solve anything."

Edelmira rested her chin on her hands at this point. "Sounds to me like she really cared about the red Gyarados."

"She does. She cares for all Pokemon...to a fault, even," Kassia's voice started to tremble. "I admit, I got mad at her. I just wanted her to release it and forget about it...but she told me all I ever do is get mad whenever something doesn't go my way…" Tears began to flow this time. "But you want to know what the worst thing is? She's right!"

A hand flew to Edelmira's mouth. Kassia made no effort to wipe away the tears that trickled down her cheeks. She just kept on swallowing, even though she wasn't eating or drinking anything. Edelmira stood up from her chair and walked over to her friend, eyes glassy with worry.

"I was the one who taught her that Pokemon need to be treated with respect and that it's important to understand them…" Kassia choked out, taking in a big sniff. "I tried to teach my daughters to be kind, patient, and understanding of everything and everyone. My parents always instilled those values into me, right from the very beginning...but for the past few months, I've been so frustrated and stressed out with everything that's been going on! Everything seems to make me snap now, and I've been taking it all out on the both of them, and they don't...deserve that…"

Without a word, Edelmira wrapped her arms around Kassia and gently pulled her close.

"I taught her to care for Pokemon...and then I tell her to release one because it's dangerous! She was right to call me out!" Kassia cried, burying her hands in her face. "I should have praised her for having found an alternative and taking the initiative for Geraldine, not yell at her for not releasing her outright!"

Regret completely overwhelmed her now. The phone conversation replayed in her head over and over. Yes, Julia had been right. Sending Geraldine to be rehabilitated was a much better choice than outright releasing her. A smart and mature decision. It just hurt Kassia's heart even more. Her eleven-year-old daughter, who normally opposed getting rid of any Pokemon they had in their care, even for benevolent reasons, made the hard choice to give a troubled Pokemon to complete strangers and didn't even make a fuss. In her heart, Kassia was proud. Proud of her youngest daughter for both realizing her limits and having enough sense to take a smart decision. But what did Kassia do? Yell at her for not having released her. She didn't deserve that. No wonder Julia didn't answer her calls. Then again, Julia was never one to like being yelled at for any reason to begin with, what with her sensitive hearing and her soft, kind, Pokemon-loving heart.

"I see...I had no idea…"

"And it's not just Julia, either. Chanel's death hit Amara really hard. Much harder than I ever could have anticipated. I knew she'd be hurt, but…" Kassia had to take some deep breaths before continuing. "She completely changed into someone I don't recognize."

She went on to explain that Amara had grown so sad, all she wanted to do was cry and sit in her room mourning Chanel. At first, Kassia had understood. She lost one of her dear friends in a terrible tragedy. Who wouldn't be sad at that? But after a long time, Kassia got tired of her incessant sulking and tried to at least get her out of her room, asking her to help out with the Pokemon or do chores around the house. Give her something to do to at least take her mind off things. She knew it wouldn't fix the problem, but she at least wanted Amara to try to make an attempt to get through life without Chanel. It didn't work. It only made Amara grow resentful and defiant. She even suggested maybe they could visit a grief counselor, someone Amara could talk to who wasn't her parents. She didn't like that idea either. Soon after that, Amara started getting into fights at school, refusing to do her schoolwork, letting her grades drop, going out during the night-especially school nights-doing whatever stuff she shouldn't be doing, and it all escalated to the abuse of her Pokemon landing her on the blacklist. Any attempts she and Truman made to discipline Amara fell on deaf ears.

The floodgates had burst open, and Kassia couldn't keep it all in. As much as she wanted to keep Edelmira in the dark about Amara's transgressions, once she started talking, she couldn't stop. Everything just came spilling right out. Edelmira's eyes shrunk the more she heard. How could Amara do all those things? Amara, the only girl she knew who even bothered to give Chanel the time of day, who went out of her way to help her and be friends with her, committing crimes? Abusing her own Pokemon? Defying court orders? Stealing a Pokemon from Professor Elm's lab? Assaulting people? She didn't try to let her mind picture something so awful, especially not to her beloved Totodile. The Amara she knew would never lay a hand on that Totodile, the one she and Chanel always loved so much.

"My goodness…"

"I'm sorry I lied to you just now," Kassia whimpered, only now wiping some tears away. "I know you still have a lot to deal with, and I didn't want to bother you with my baggage, but...I know I may have contributed to Amara's personality change. No, I'm sure I did. I really did try to get her help and be there for her, long before she started acting out, but nothing I tried worked. I...I should have done more, or at least done something differently! Now she's wanted by the police and on the run, and I drove her away!"

Once she finished, Kassia let herself cry into Edelmira's arms. Now it was all out in the open. Edelmira didn't say a word. She simply held the woman close and let her cry, while at the same time processing everything she told her about Amara. It still seemed so hard to believe. But this was not the time for questioning anything. Edelmira knew this for sure. She herself was still grieving over her daughter and son. Still, she wasn't going to let Kassia suffer and bottle her feelings inside. Eventually, Kassia's sobs died down, and her eyes and face were red and puffy, but she was calm.

"I'm sorry. I only came to see how you were doing, and here I am over-explaining things and venting to you about my problems…" Kassia wiped some more tears away.

"I don't mind at all," Edelmira reassured her, gently releasing her from her embrace. "I'm glad you told me. If you feel better talking it all out, I'll listen," She sat back down in her chair, taking care not to disturb Cyndaquil.

"I mean...I'm their mother!" Kassia exclaimed, facepalming. "All the things I did but shouldn't have...and everything I could have done to help them and make things better...it all just frustrates me so much, I could just scream…" At this point, her voice was growing hoarse. "I tried so hard to understand them...and I still can't even do that for them!"

Edelmira simply put one hand on Kassia's free one, silently encouraging her to go on.

"I'm so ashamed...ashamed of myself and everything...I feel like I keep causing problems for myself and my kids, and...in a way, they're right. I do throw tantrums when I don't get my way, and I hate that about myself...I should have tried to help them in more appropriate ways…but instead I've been driving them away."

"You've been going through a tough time. You, Truman, and your kids."

All she got in response to that was a sniff.

Even so, Edelmira smiled. "I have to admit, I'm surprised. Of all this, I mean. I never would have imagined you, Truman, and the girls were going through all of this. But...you can get through this. I know you can. If there's anything I can do to help out, anything at all, I'm more than happy to listen or lend a hand, and don't think you're bothering me with your problems because I'm going through a lot myself."

Kassia simply nodded, thankful that Edelmira was so considerate. She wondered if she even deserved someone as nice as her as a friend. "It's just...I don't know what to do anymore…" She murmured. "It seems like everything is falling apart all around me, and Amara's out there somewhere, probably cold or starving or...something, and police all over Johto are trying to catch her...she needs someone to be there for her, and I feel so bad I can't do...anything! I mean, I do want her to be held accountable for what she's done. I really do, but…"

She let that sentence drift away, and after that, there was another bout of silence. Edelmira simply stared down at her coffee, unsure of what to say this time. Kassia held the cup to her mouth and took another sip. Cold liquid swished around in her mouth, and Kassia's face scrunched into a grimace. Cold coffee was not her favorite type of coffee. It tasted like liquid dirt and didn't give her any kind of energy boost.

Finally, Edelmira spoke again. "I'm sure you've done all you can. But...yes, it does suck when you try to do all you can and it still doesn't feel like enough," She told her, voice calm and collected. "Or that you're even getting through to her. It can take a long time for someone to truly get past a loved one's death. I'm still struggling with it myself. I know there isn't much I can do to help in that department, as I had no idea Amara's grieving was...at that level."

"It's alright. Just you being here is a big help."

"But I do have one thing to say. Don't give up on Amara. She has committed crimes, yes, and I do feel she needs to take responsibility for them. However, she's still your daughter, and she may need someone to be there for her and support her through thick and thin. You, Julia, Truman, and whoever else are her only support system."

Sunlight coming through the windows lit the room. Cyndaquil uncurled and stretched his body before letting out a yawn that sounded more like a squeal. Kassia looked down at her hands. Edelmira was right. No matter what, Amara was still her daughter. Oh, she was definitely going to make sure Amara took responsibility for all that she's done, even if there wasn't much she could do right now. No good mother would just let their children go around committing crimes. Still, Amara needed someone who would still be on her side and pick her up when she's down. The same for Julia as well. Kassia wiped more tears away. This time, she wasn't going to let her temper get the better of her.

Her cell phone rang to life right at that moment. "Cynda!" Cyndaquil jumped a little on the table when he heard the loud, screechy ringing sound.

"Oh! That must be Truman," Kassia pulled her phone out of her purse...and the set of numbers on the screen wasn't one she recognized. There was no name.

"Who could that be?" Edelmira asked, leaning in to get a better look. "Maybe someone letting you know they found Amara?"

"Only one way to find out," As much as Kassia didn't like answering the phone without knowing who was calling, she pressed the green button. "Hello?"

Edelmira pushed her coffee to the side.

"Yes, this is Kassia Parisa. Who is this? Yes. Yes," Suddenly, she sprang out from her chair. "What?! You have her?!"

Cyndaquil fell on the chair, surprised by Kassia's yelling.

"Hold on a second!" Kassia rummaged through her purse and pulled out a pen and paper. "What's the address?" Immediately, she took the pen and scribbled something down so fast that Edelmira couldn't keep up. "Alright. Got it. Thank you so much! I'll get there as soon as I can!"

"What's going on?"

Kassia threw her purse on her shoulder. "Amara's been arrested!"

"Huh? What-?"

"Some police officers on Route 44 took her to their police station!" Kassia exclaimed, nearly out the door. "Thank you, Edelmira! I'm sorry to leave so soon, but I need to let my husband and Julia know about this!" Kassia sprinted out the door, slamming it behind her as she dashed to her car.

Amara was caught. Amara was safe. There was a chance this could all finally come to an end.

A/N: With that, the Goldenrod Radio Tower arc is over! Yeah, I made it only two chapters long, partly because I didn't want it to drag on for too long, and partly because I wasn't sure how I could really expand on it. Oh well. I'm glad it's done and over with now. I can finally work on other chapters with ease! The next chapter will be a light-hearted filler one, so you guys can sit back and relax. Or will you?