Sorry folks, I got sick and now that I'm on the mend we can continue on. As we come to a close in the next few chapters, we will be shifting from Layla to Lance. She'll still be around, but our focus will be on him :)

What should have been a dreamy wake up scene after the heat of last night, ends up being a bat to her body. Layla hears a knock at the door and groans as she sits up, all the blood rushes to her head making the room spin. Light from the double window pours in while she surveys the unfamiliar room.

Oh, yeah, she exhales calmly. The memories surface from yesterday and she remembers they're in Cinnabar, in a hotel.

Despite the ache in her neck, she turns to see Morty passed out beside her, blonde locks to the wind as he snoozes peacefully.

Another knock.

She groans again, swinging her legs out and nearly collapsing as she stands on unsure legs and hobbles to the door.

The light coming in from the hallway makes her squint as she swings the door open to find Lance. Looking tired, but alert as though yesterday was a minor inconvenience. "Morning."

He was in the volcano, I was just outside, Layla thinks to herself incredulously as she mumbles a greeting back. Her voice comes out hoarse and a younger her would be mortified at Lance hearing her like this.

He chuckles, looking well dressed in his usual champion garb. "Sorry to wake you. Your mother left to help with the pokemon center field team, and I need to get a statement from you, Morty, Eusine and Jasmine. Then you'll be sent home with some guards for a while."

"It can't wait?" she huffs. "What time is it?"

"Eleven."

"Fine. You're buying brunch."

"Can do."

An hour later, the group of four, showered and still dressed in spare clothes, gathered at the restaurant in the hotel. True to his word, Lance had ordered a plethora of food to satisfy them while some extra agents helped take down statements. It draws Layla back to the first attack she went through in Celadon with Archer.

Her breathing stammers as an echo of the gunshot plays through her head as if it were happening now. She forces it back into the past, repeating to herself that she's in Cinnabar, Lance is here, Morty is here and she is safe.

Despite the clear fatigue in everyone's faces, the agents hold their professionalism strong as they listen to the same story over and over again. All of them asking similar questions to dig deeper into the mystery.

"Do you think they'll try for Suicune again?" Layla asks Lance between bites.

"They've risked so much already," he replies, not looking up from his notes. "I would be surprised if they show their faces again any time soon."

"Really?"

He shrugs, turning his gold eyes to her. "Team Rocket knows how to run and hide."

It's true they've been doing this since their first appearance years ago in Kanto. Their sporadic hits in Kanto's history have entwined the two forever, one seems to not be without the other. First they appeared years ago, in the 70s, and it's only gone up from there. A twisted braid of Fate keeping the two from ever fully defecting from each other. It feels like a burden for whoever is Champion to bear. Should they choose to do so, but who wouldn't?

After brunch, the four pack up their things and head their separate ways. Morty looks shy when Layla reaches up for a kiss so she kisses his cheek and promises to call him later. It's a casual move Eusine whistles at, only for Jasmine to smack him.

Layla stands beside Eusine with a glare, flicking his shoulder. "Be nice."

From the forest, to Cinnabar, the hotel and now in her apartment. Layla takes a second to absorb everything that happened. Her guards take their posts outside her apartment, a team having already swept through the place earlier in the morning, ensuring her protection from Archer.

It's sad how normal it feels to have guards outside her home. In less than a year, she's gotten into so much trouble and lived through multiple events she will have a field day talking with her therapist about.

The thought of her therapist sends a small wave of guilt through her. She's been slacking on her visits. Something she will have to make up for later.

The loss of the normalcy in her life makes her grimace as she checks her fridge for ingredients for dinner. By habit, she sets a kettle to boil and stares at the unmoving water wondering what it is she would be doing in her life if it weren't for that night after work.

The night that sent her life into a spiral of danger, unanswered questions and old memories she'd rather forget. A sigh escapes her lips, maybe this was for the best? After all, Morty is in her life and Lance. Two people she never in her life dreamed of meeting or getting close to.

It puts a smile on her face thinking of Morty, and it all seems worth it.

The trouble brought on by Team Rocket makes her aching body hurt more. This brings her back to her body just as the water starts to steam. She craves a hot bath and then a nap for a couple of months.

"Hey," Eusine pauses in the middle of her kitchen. His sea foam green eyes look forlorn as he shifts uneasily on his feet.

Layla knows this move; he's facing his emotions, the most uncomfortable thing he ever does. Since his father left, he's never tried to use his emotions to dictate his personal life. He doesn't want to show any weakness, something his father instilled in him before he left.

Normally, she stops him, tells him whatever it is 'all is good', and they watch a movie. This time, however, she wants him to squirm for being a dumbass. He's injured and he left to go die at the hands of Team Rocket in her eyes. Squirming is the least he can do now.

"Lay, I..." he trails off. His eyes turn glassy as he tears his gaze away from her. "I-I'm sorry. What I did was selfish. Morty's used to my crap and has accepted long ago that I'll do it again. But you're the only one that keeps trying to make something of me."

"Eusine..."

He shakes his head. "You're my best friend. You and Morty give me love I'm never sure I deserve and I scared you yesterday. I made a choice and it hurt you. I'm sorry."

To hear the break in his voice, the emotion spilling out of him, she knows he means it. He must have been terrified of getting caught up in it all. She wipes her tears and crosses the kitchen to him. "Oh, Houdini. You deserve our love even when you're a dumbass."

He grunts, trying to smile through his tears before wrapping his good arm around and burying his face in her shoulder. "Don't tell anyone about this."

"Morty and I shouldn't have secrets."

"Layla, please."

She laughs, laying her head on his and kisses his temple. "I love you too."

Another grunt in response, his gruff 'I love you' putting them back into their normal dynamic much to her relief. Of all the things to change, her relationship with Eusine is the last thing on her list. Sure, things are getting boiling hot for them as Team Rocket gets comfortable in their lives, but at least they have each other.

With the water boiling and the moment over, Layla pours them tea. They decide ordering out is a more feasible option, Layla deciding it's better for herself to not cook this time, and do so. Once the food comes, they focus on their meals rather than the TV as the news describes the scene they just experienced.

Of course, the volcano eruption flashes across the screen from different angles on the island. Multiple meteorologists, conservation wardens, news anchors and more discuss the event with excited fervor. So far, no one has been able to link it to the mysterious roar heard in only parts of Kanto.

Watching it again from the safety of her couch, has Layla nervous. She can remember the chaos of it all, running around trying to dodge fearful pokemon and saving other, hurt ones, while Morty trailed behind her. It was a struggle, one she'll be feeling in her joints for weeks to come, but the thrill of it all...

She can see why her mother was a ranger.

"What's the plan?" Eusine speaks up as the excitement of the eruption dies down and the newscast repeats.

"Nothing," she shrugs, though it feels like a lie. "At least, for now. I have to move and you have to focus on healing up your arm."

"And in the meantime, Archer-"
"Don't push it," she glances at him, her eyes soft while her voice remains hard. "The three are safe, for now, and we have a lot of research to do. We need to use this time as best we can. That's getting your arm back to full capacity and me settled in to focus properly."

He absorbs her words, tempted to fight some more, but decides against it. Only proving how tired he must really be.

After dinner, Eusine helps clean up as best he can while Layla gets the couch set up for him. Once he's settled in, pain meds on board, and blanket tucked around him, Layla heads to her room to start a bath. She texts Morty about the night and wishes him well before delving into the steaming tub for a soak.

Her body heats up, and relaxes within minutes, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she sinks into the water and stares at the ceiling. She allows her mind to wander, not allowing herself to cling to any idea or image it comes across. Like flipping through a book or magazine with no genuine care for what's inside.
The bath eases her aching muscles, allowing her to properly stretch out and relax.

By the time she's dressed and ready for bed, she can barely stand on two feet. She stumbles to her bed and slips under the covers, her eyelids too heavy to even think of opening.

OoOoO

"I can already smell the home cooked meals," Jasmine sighs while setting the last box of Layla's on the island.

"I'll be sure to put out a menu weekly," Layla replies in a dry tone. When Jasmine pouts, she snorts. "I'm kidding! It's going to be great!"

"Yeah, let's do the hard stuff now. Then it can be great." Eusine huffs, despite not lifting more than a backpack given the situation with his arm.

Layla rolls her eyes at his dramatics before calling for Morty to help slide her mattress into her room and set in the frame. The work is rough and the Olivine air is humid as they carry in her desk, bookcase and books. It's hard to believe she's actually going to be living here, in Olivine City, the city she always dreamed of coming to study in. Something about the cobblestones and seaside views has always drawn her in and she's forever grateful Jasmine is her best friend.

"Ahem," Morty coughs as she finishes setting her things out on the desk to better organize later.

"Yes, Muffin-cakes?" she raises a brow.

His face flushes as he pulls something from behind his back and averts his gaze. "A gift for your desk."

Layla's heart warms as she accepts the gift from him and flips it over to see a picture of them at the fountain in National Park. It was their third official date as a couple to watch the Catching Contest and the day was gorgeous. Morty had a bit of a burn on his nose that day, but luckily it doesn't look as bad in the photo. Their smiles are big and Layla, most likely biased, admires their closeness in the photo. The same connection she feels to him still.

"I love it," she breathes, setting it beside her laptop. "Thank you."

"Good," he steps closer, taking her hand in his. "I know this year isn't over yet and there's still more trouble to come, but I want to move forward with you. I don't want to be stuck in the past."

Layla pulls her head back in surprise. "Morty, where is this coming from?"

"The volcano," he replies. "It's been at least three weeks since then and I've had time to think. The rest of this year is going to get busy, as it is every year, but if we can make it through that and Team Rocket, I think we can make it anywhere."

Tears nearly spring to her eyes as she listens to him. Of course, it's exactly what she wants from this relationship. It's relieving to know that he feels the same and wants to actively work on himself and each other. Some of her exes couldn't even commit to her when she asked them to.

"I think so too," she hugs him, squeezing him tight. "I'm so proud of you, Snookums."

"Okay, the name calling is the first thing to go," he groans.

"Not a chance."

"What are our next steps?" he asks, his eyes wary of what he thinks she's going to say.

Layla takes a moment to consider everything that's happened up until now. She's been targeted by Team Rocket more times than she'd like to count, Team Rocket has controlled all three of the legendary beasts and held up the Gym Challenge for four weeks so far. Now, they've been quiet and clean up has long since started on Cinnabar Island.

While it seems like the trouble has gone away for now, there hasn't been a definitive end for Team Rocket. There's no way she can rest fully with the thought of Archer lurking around every corner. And even so, she hasn't learned the answer to the mystery of who attacked her family years ago. Even with the near death experiences, she needs to know, she'll just have to prepare better for the challenge.

As if on cue, her phone buzzes to alert a text message has come through and she lifts it to see Sabrina confirming their training times. She shows the phone to Morty.

"I've decided to take classes with Sabrina and keep myself well equipped should Archer want a round 2."

He grimaces at the thought while reading the text. "At this point, I think it would be Round 4."

"Either way," she snorts. "What about you?"

"Well, if you are going to be in trouble. I might as well start training harder and catching more pokemon."

She grins and sighs dreamily. "My hero."

He presses a kiss to her forehead before lacing their fingers together. "Come on, let's get back to the others."

The night ends with dinner beside the beach and a view of the ensuing sunset. Layla takes in the cool breeze as the summer has come to a close and fall approaches. There's still much to do, but for now, she'll wait for her acceptance and train hard just like Morty.

OooO

The Pokemon League towers above the Kanto and Johto region with only Mt. Silver to contest its looming figure. Nestled just below the mountain, the League has been the beacon for trainers alike, from all over the world, to come test their skills. It's also been the center of hope for justice and peace between the two regions.

Now with all that disturbed, the inhabitants sit inside stewing over the events of the past year, wondering where to go next.

In the G-Men headquarters, the top agents sit around a long oval table, papers splayed on the surface, coffee mugs passed around and laptops humming. At the head of the table, Wesley and Aaron have put together a board of what could be Team Rocket's motive and what led up to this from their past actions. So far, it leads to a couple of dead ends and Lance stands beside the board, arms crossed, one hand held over his mouth as he scans the contents over and over again.

"They got it from me," Juniper says out loud after a bit of silence. She meets the eyes of the other men and nods grimly. "My powers are how they're able to control those pokemon, minus Raikou."

"What makes you say that? They aren't the ones that attacked you that day," Aaron replies, his brows furrowed.

"No, but it makes sense," she offers with a shrug. "The way Entei fought against it, the liquid they used was probably to sedate them and make the capture easier. It's easier for me to get ahold of a pokemon that's sleeping."

"It's a possibility, one we can't ignore," he nods after a moment of thought. "But it seems weird, why have access to what you can do for all these years and have the barest grasp of it?'

"It's as you said, it wasn't Team Rocket that did it," she bounces back. "They had to use someone else I'm assuming. Have we figured out what file they wanted?"

"No," Clyde chimes in. He looks haggard as he rubs his eyes and sits back in his seat. "Still nothing on the M2 file, or whatever it's called... If we had access to any part of their labs or computers. I could possibly solve that part of the mystery."

Lance starts at that, a memory tugging at the edges of his mind, something he swears could help them. Now matter how many times he retraces Clyde's words, he can't coax the memory to present itself. He thinks of Team Rocket, of Archer, of Layla and Serena. Had he missed something in evidence? The gym was thoroughly cleaned out before Blue took over. No machinery, no computer, data or files were recovered...

"Lance?" Wesley prompts him. Their eyes meet. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm trying to remember something, what Clyde said sparked an idea but... I can barely recall..."

Will from across the room clears his throat and wiggles his fingers at the champion. "Where were you when you fought against a force of nature?"

Lance's eyes widen. "Cinnabar. That's right! Remember when Serena and I trespassed?"

Wesley blanches, nearly falling over at the sudden remembrance of the event. Even Aaron chokes on the coffee he'd been about to gulp down. He sets the cup down and manages to wipe bits of the drink off his face as he clears his throat.

"Yes, we remember that day clearly."

"R-right," Lance falters for a moment. He straightens up though. "There was a moment, in the mansion, where Serena just felt drawn to a door. It was like she was remembering something, or scared of what was past there."

That catches their attention. Both men glance at each other before adding Cinnabar to the list of places on the board.

"This wasn't something you wanted to mention at the time?" Aaron glances at him, his dark eyes unreadable as he regards Lance.

For a second, Lance wants to hide away, but instead he straightens up. "It was just a moment, and at the time... I had other concerns."

Aaron's gaze softens and he nods. "I understand."

Once he turns away, Lance shoots a thankful look at Will who salutes him back before returning to the laptop before him. There's a hum among the room as some agents peruse the archives to find anything pertaining to recent events. Juniper, Aaron and Wesley have gone on a tangent trying to create different paths Team Rocket could take and just what's going on.

This leaves Lance to think on the night he and Serena snuck out to the mansion. What had started out as an innocent adventure in their teens, quickly amassed into trouble. He felt raging guilt when they had been nearly attacked by the burglars and almost died getting out. It was insane luck they hadn't perished.

He'd seen Serena do things he never expected she could do or any human for that matter. Outside of Sabrina. The Gym Leader was powerful, her powers going as far as manipulating space and physical objects. While Will dealt with the inner mind, memories and other thoughts and Juniper could get pokemon to do what she asked of them, the famous Human Styler.

Then there's Layla, capable of creating illusions, anything her mind could conjure with incredible detail. A useful task, one his father had commented, could recreate any scene they wanted but only if she'd been present.

His eyes scan the room and lock on Will, the young man still focused on the screen in front of him. When Will joined the Elite Four, he had been eager to please, eager to make friends with his coworkers and feel part of the team. Many had thought going through his pokemon would be a breeze, but even he can get Karen to think twice.

When Lance found out he could help recall memories or even faintly hear thoughts, he'd been nervous to be around him. But Will's control and desire to keep everyone's privacy eased Lance's feelings about the young man. He'd been a great choice indeed to join them.

His powers with Layla, they could capture the likeness of any wanted person, or even a crime scene.

Oh!

"I'd like to take Layla and Will to the mansion," Lance blurts out.

"Excuse me?" Juniper straightens at the name of her daughter. "Why?"

"If what's down there is destroyed, I think they can recreate it."

"We would need Morty," Will replies in a casual tone, as if he was waiting for Lance to come to this course of action.

He probably was.

"Why do you want to drag my daughter back into this?" Juniper challenges, crossing her arms. "What if Archer is there?"

"I can handle him," Lance replies, though he's not daring to look in her eyes. "It wouldn't be soon anyway. She just got started with her internship, so I have to wait a few weeks anyway."

It was the courteous thing to do, at least. Layla had been accepted and it was featured in a League Newsletter as she had given the G-men labs plenty of specimens to work with for pokemon research. Despite the craziness of the year, her dream was to get into the internship, if he were to pull her away from it, it would cost her dearly.

"In the meantime, we have to clear it out anyway," he continues. "The whole place collapsed, so who even knows if anything survived."

"I think it's worth a try," Aaron nods, he puts a hand on Juniper's shoulder. "We wouldn't let her go alone."

"I know," she sighs, slumping her shoulders. "She's just too prone to injury and trouble."

"Tch, wonder what that's like," Wesley scoffs, his eyes twinkling at his son. "It's nothing we won't be unprepared for."

This eases Juniper and she offers a small smile in return.

"In the meantime," Wesley addresses the room. "Our first priority is to monitor for any strange behavior that could lead to Team Rocket. This could be petty theft, gambling, even kidnapping. We don't know what their next move is, or if there even is one. Don't hesitate to let your agents investigate something. We cannot fail our regions again."

The room nods in unison, some murmurs of approval rumble through the room as well as they decide to call it a night. Papers get sorted, cords unplugged and coffee tossed away as they slowly vacate the room. Lance decides to stay at the League for the night, his chambers not too far from this room, with Will trailing after him. Koga left to be with his daughter after the attack, while Karen and Bruno left to help in Cinnabar as much as they could with the clean up and repair nearly over.

"What do you think we'll find?" Will mumbles in the darkness of the hallway.

"I'm not sure," Lance replies. "I think something similar to what was in the Viridian Gym."

He sees Will shudder from the corner of his eye. "I've seen the photos. What do you think was there?"

Serena. As a child.

"Something powerful," he ends up saying out loud.

His heart yearns to know if Serena is okay, to hear her voice, see her smile and get lost in her dark blue eyes. Everything about her, he misses and wishes she was here with him, guiding him towards the right answers. She holds the other half to this mystery and he's not sure how long it will be before she comes back to piece it all together.

"I think you need to focus on yourself and your connections," Will states as they get to the apartments side of the building.

They stand in the center of each hallway's starting point, Will on the left and Lance on the right, facing each other with unreadable expressions. Will's mask never helps discern how he's feeling and Lance once took pride in being able to guess correctly what the man felt, but now, it's unclear.

"You have other things to focus on, have you started training for the tournament? Have you gotten a full night's sleep? Three meals a day that aren't protein bars and coffee?"

"Why is everyone on my ass about this?" Lance sighs.

"We care about you," Will grins. "Hanging on by a thread isn't going to get her to come back faster. Get some sleep and focus on your other duties, Cinnabar Mansion isn't going anywhere and Team Rocket is quiet."

"For now," Lance tries to argue but it's weak. It's true, they've disappeared off the map and now it's a waiting game again.

He hasn't trained at all in preparation for the tournament, and he barely has a month and a half left. The challenge started back up just a few days ago and already most of the trainers are on their way to Pryce and Clair. It would be best to polish his skills in this lull between the action.

Maybe a trip to the Den would help align himself with his pokemon again. Ryu's been desperate to release his aggression. It would be best to do so soon before someone gets hurt...

"You're right," he finally releases the tension in his shoulders. "I promise I will let it go for now."

"Good," Will perks right up. "Get some sleep, we can battle in a few days. I think I have a strategy I want to practice."

The thought of a battle gets a smile on Lance's face. "You're on."

They part ways for the night and Lance finds himself scavenging for a snack while the shower heats up. His apartment has the same look it did when Serena first showed it to him, when his new champion's garb was laying on his bed and he broke her heart. He didn't stay here much after that, he swore he could still hear echoes of his words bounce off the walls if it was too quiet. It became too much and so he sealed himself off at home and stayed here only when he was too tired to direct Ryu home.

Even now, as hot water washes over him, he feels strange. Almost expecting Serena to be around each corner, that heart broken look on her face.

He shakes himself out of the moment, finishing up and drying off. He avoids looking in the mirror as he dresses and gets ready for bed.

The bed sinks beneath him, swallowing him up as he stares at the ceiling illuminated by the moonlight from outside. Sleep has rarely been an ally for him, and that was well before his fight with Serena. He always struggled with sleeping except... except when she was asleep next to him. The comfort she brought and the feel of her warm body next to his is a memory he clings to even now.

Eventually, he turns on his side, eyeing the empty pillow next to him and falls asleep with a deep ache in his heart.