Chapter Eight
Tobianna's Peril.
Young Ash made a decision quickly, and put his pokè ball back. There was too much at stake here to risk a fight with he and Tobianna on one side and Gorigan and Lovrina on the other. For a start, there would be backup for the Admins arriving there any minute if a fight started, Pokémon or otherwise. Better to let them think that the backup would not be needed, and he could only think of one way to do it.
"Uh…What's going on?" he asked, trying to sound confused.
"It seems we have an enemy in our midst." Gorigan said.
"What, Hannah, an enemy? She took me in?" he shouted in mock outrage. He grabbed Tobianna's other wrist, pulling the pokè ball in her hand away and putting it back on her belt.
"Indeed, knowing both her parent's views on Cipher, and the fact that she gave us false details, I so doubt she's on our side." Lovrina said. "We have a spy in our midst."
Young Ash pulled the wrist he was holding behind Tobianna's back, hoping she had the smarts to work out what he was up to. He was sure that the fear in her eyes was real, but had no way to reassure her without giving himself away. Lovrina quickly twisted Tobianna's other hand round to join it and swiftly stood behind her, both hands now pinioning Tobianna's wrists helplessly. Young Ash released the wrist he was holding and stood bnack.
"Actually, from my point of view this is so fortuitous. This girl's mother was a subject I had nine years ago during our Shadow research. She oh so managed to humiliate me and now I can so have my revenge on her. One of the things I managed to gain from the pokénet was the home phone number of the girl's mother." She turned to her fellow Admin.
"Mister Gorigan, do we have any tape?" Gorigan dutifully provided a roll of insulating tape and at Lovrina's instruction, used it to tape Tobianna's wrists together behind her back. Grabbing her by the arm, she pulled her along with her towards her office.
"Ash, you will so help me keep her under control?" Lovrina asked him.
"Yes, Lovrina ma'am," he said. By now they had reached her office. She turned to Gorigan, who was following in their wake and said "Mister Gorigan, I think the situation is so in hand now. I apologise for pulling you away from your work, and thank you." Gorigan nodded and walked away. Lovrina continued into the room, pulling a struggling Tobianna with her.
"Please!" Tobianna said to Lovrina. "My mother knows nothing about me being here, I did this myself, please don't involve her!" Tobianna looked at her.
"Your mother got involved nine years ago. It is just so fortunate that I can use your punishment for snooping to punish her for what she did. Did your mother tell you about what happened to her then? Did she tell you what I did to her? Did she tell you what she did to me?" Tobianna shook her head.
"Then I shall so tell you." Lovrina said. "Your mother was captured by mistake, and given to me so I could see if it was possible to use the Shadow Process successfully on a human being. I came oh so close with your mother. I had to give her Pokémon cells, but she was so nearly a success. But she tricked me, and hurt me, and humiliated me. I was a failure in the eyes of Admin Gorigan and Master Greevil, but they knew my work was oh so important, and kept me on, but your mother's actions made me lose face and she has remained so beyond the grasp of my revenge. Until now, that is." She reached out to brush the back of her index finger down the side of Tobianna's face. "Now I have you, our erstwhile spy, and the key to the revenge I have waited oh so long for."
Moving her hand to Tobianna's ponytail, she carefully removed the band tying it back, using her fingers to brush Tobianna's hair out and to the front and side so it framed her face.
"Let's have you looking your best for your mother, shall we? You look oh so more vulnerable and young with your hair down like that."
She pushed Tobianna to Young Ash, who grabbed her by the upper arms in a restraining hold, but he gave her arms a gentle squeeze, hoping she got the message he was trying to convey. He slid one hand down her arms, and began picking at the end of the tape binding her wrists.
Lovrina meanwhile had switched on the radio, and typed in a number she was reading from a computer print out. The screen darkened for a moment, then lightened up as a familiar shape began to show on it. Although Tobianna was off-screen, she could see Lovrina's screen, and recognised her mother's distinctive head, shoulders and upper body silhouette before her image strengthened and clarified. Rachel obviously recognised her caller right away as well, for her eyes widened, and she gasped.
"L-Lovrina!" she said, taking a step back.
Lovrina smiled.
"Hello, XD002. It's been a long time." She said.