As soon as they got into the main sleeping area, Tobianna closed the door and looked around to make sure nobody was in earshot, and then hissed "Ash, just what are you doing here?"
"Trying to find out the same thing about you!" he said. "Your parents have found out you're here and are having Skittys worrying about why you're here!"
"I got approached, and offered a Shadow Pokémon if I joined Cipher. I knew who and what they are, but I thought I could just take on the Shadow Pokémon, and then slip away to rescue it, but then that Smarton guy recommended me to come here. I really couldn't refuse, so I thought I could come and maybe slip away when nobody was watching. Then I thought it might be useful to stay around and gather some useful information before I went. I've found a few things out, become quite trusted, and been given another Shadow Pokémon that can also come with me when I decide to blow this joint. I hear that Cipher are going to go on a raid soon, and I'm hoping to be assigned to it because it'll give me an opportunity to leave. We'll have to hope you get assigned too." She explained.
"Why didn't you at least write or call your parents to let them know?" he asked. She snorted.
"I told them I had no family to speak of, and anyway our mail is opened both coming in and out and our calls monitored. If I were to make a call, they might get suspicious, and then I could end up in really hot water if I get found out!" she explained.
"And what's with that Lovrina woman? Was it my imagination or was she-"
"Eyeing you up? Too right she was!" fumed Tobianna. "Lovrina likes her men, and although I don't think she's thinking of ditching Naps just yet, if he fails her this time, she just might, and I know she's got her eyes on you as a replacement. I also know he doesn't have a bed of his own here, because he shares hers, and I think she's looking for you to replace him in that capacity too!"
Young Ash shuddered. "Not likely if I have much say!" he said, feeling rather sick.
"You may not." She said ominously. "Lovrina has her ways, and if one fails she'll use others. Anyway, I hope you memorised the route to the exit while I showed you around. A good guide is to head down till you're on the Process floor-the Process Room is so big you can't miss it-and then find the entrance to the Process room, the main door is right opposite it."
"Yes, I kept a mental note of the places you showed me." Young Ash said.
"Good. By the way, what Shadow Pokémon have you been given? I have a Houndour and a Bayleef." She said.
"I have a Mantine and a-" He looked at the poké ball Lovrina had given him. "I don't know." He said. He threw it. Out came what looked like a very big fly, complete with big green eyes.
"A Vibrava." Tobianna said. Young Ash nodded, recalling the Pokémon to its poké ball.
Tobianna went over to a cabinet and pulled out a pen and paper. "You'd better write down those details Lovrina wanted. Don't give her anything real except your first name and your skills. Seeing as you've already introduced yourself by your real name." Young Ash dutifully put down a fake name and address, but gave his real age and skills.
"That's another thing, why did you call yourself Hannah instead of Tobianna?" Young Ash asked.
"Tobianna's too distinctive. There can't be too many people in the world with that name, and all it takes is someone to spot my name in reference to Shamouti Island and see who my parents are, and bang! That's my cover blown. So I gave them a passable false identity. I based it on Donna's actually-her name, her address."
Young Ash handed the details to Tobianna, and then looked up as several other peons came in. She picked up the paper and was all business again.
"Men are that end of the dorm, the women this end. Wait till everyone else has gone to their beds and then choose an empty one. I'll see you in the morning." Tobianna put down her helmet (which she had been carrying the whole time) and got under the covers, skinning off her uniform under them. Young Ash waited and then chose a bed (all were not very comfortable) and did likewise.
Despite the unfamiliar surroundings and noise, Young Ash quite quickly managed to get to sleep.
He woke when everyone else did the next morning: he couldn't sleep through the alarm bell that rang, or the groans and mutters of people as they woke up. He looked around and saw that although people were dressing, they were in no particular hurry. Getting up, he pulled on the uniform and waited by the door for Tobianna.
"We're on guard duty outside the Process Room today." She told him. "Not that anyone's likely to get past the two toughs at the entrance, but you never know." Young Ash nodded. He knew that it had in fact happened nine years before, when Cyril, Lawrence, his parents and himself had come looking for Rachel: a scientist had told them that the toughs had been stun spored.
They got outside the Process Room, and Tobianna said "Stay here, I'll just hand in your details to Lovrina." Taking the piece of paper, she knocked on Lovrina's door, and when she got no response, went in and placed it on Lovrina's desk. It wasn't at all unusual for Lovrina to be out of her office, Tobianna mused, and after the scrutiny of yesterday, Tobianna was feeling rather jumpy, and glad that Lovrina wasn't in there. She was probably in the Process Room: when Lovrina got down to work, she worked like a woman possessed.
She was rather surprised and a little alarmed to see both Lovrina and Gorigan talking to Young Ash as she went back down. It was very rare for both Admins to come down at the same time, and she at first thought Young Ash must have done something very wrong, but Lovrina turned as she heard her steps, and smiled at her.
"Hello, Hannah, we just so decided to see how Ash was settling in on his first day. He told me you had gone to hand in his details. You so must take him to my office one day so he knows the route himself."
"Yes ma'am." Tobianna said.
"Also, when talking to Gorigan or I, it is permitted to take your helmets off, so you may as well, let your skin and hair get some air. Take them off, both of you." Dutifully, Young Ash and Tobianna removed their helmets, putting them down on the floor by their feet.
"So you've gone and handed in Ash's details? Tobianna, could you go and get them for me?" Lovrina asked.
"Right away, ma'am!" Tobianna replied, and was about to when her brain realised what Lovrina had just said.
She had called her by her real name.
She froze for just a second, but it was long enough for Lovrina to step up closer to her. Gorigan was penning Young Ash in on the other side and they found themselves back to back. They were trapped. Both Young Ash and Tobianna grabbed a pokè ball from their belts.
"Yes, I so know who you really are now, Tobianna Smart, daughter of Cyril and Rachel Smart of Shamouti Island. Yes, your face and name are so available on the pokénet if you know where and how to look. Did your mother tell you that we know each other? Did she tell you what I did to her? Did she tell you how she so humiliated me and betrayed my trust? Oh, I've so wanted to pay her back for that, get my revenge for what she did. And now I think I so may have a way, if I can think of something appropriate for you." She moved forwards, grabbing Tobianna's right wrist-the one without the pokè ball-in a tight grip. "I have a vivid imagination, I'm so sure I can think of some suitably entertaining and unpleasant purpose for you." She gave Tobianna a nasty smile.
"After all, how better to take revenge on a mother, than by doing whatever I so wish to her child?"