A/N: Snail-speed of an update but I hope it was worth the wait! A very intense chapter with A LOT being hinted at here! Consider these moments (if you spot them) teasers of things to come! Please let me know your thoughts - I love to hear from you!

Also, for those of you who adore Steven as much as I do . . . sorry, but it'll be a little bit before we see him again *sad sigh* But he will return :)


As the sun peeked out over the horizon, a few rays of light managed to sneak past the shades of the window in her bedroom. Brie opened one eye cautiously, then the other as she gave the room a quick once over. She was still alone – apparently no one had needed to share her lodging accommodations for the evening.

Sitting up, she felt something smooth rub against the skin of her wrist. Raising her arm she suddenly noticed the bracelet Steven had given to her the night before.

Steven . . .

Suddenly remembering that he would setting off for his home region caused her to bolt upward and scramble to get dressed, leading her to bump into some of the furniture and such. She didn't want to miss him, though she almost wondered if she were better off not bidding him farewell, her heart a bit crestfallen by the fact that she might not see him again unless she decided to travel to Hoenn.

I can't afford to slip up, though. Brie reminded herself. First and foremost, I have to get rid of the Rockets, especially the head honcho . . . Giovanni. A shudder rippled through her as scenes from her previous encounter with the syndicate's leader flashed before her eyes with vivid clarity, the power of his onix far surpassing the combined strength of her entire team.

And he's planning on getting even stronger.

Shaking away the thought, she exhaled deeply.

I can't allow that to happen. That's why I have to keep training, no matter what. My focus has to be on defeating him.

As her fingers traced against the shiny obsidian beads resting around her wrist she released a sad smile.

Sorry, Steven.

Stepping out of the lodging area and proceeding toward the main lobby, she was greeted by Nurse Joy and her partner pokémon, Chansey.

"Good morning!" She said with a chipper look on her face. "How are you today?"

"Good. Thanks for asking." Abrielle nodded and bowed. "And thanks for accommodating me."

"Of course! That's why we're here – to provide amenities to travelers and trainers." Gesturing toward the self-serve breakfast bar that was set up in the corner of the room she added, "Be sure to grab something to eat before you go on your way."

As she proceeded to do just that she heard Steven's voice emerge from the chitchat surrounding her, and a moment later he appeared from behind a small group of trainers.

"Morning, Brie!" He waved. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did." She replied softly, combing her bangs away from her eyes. "You?"

The young man smiled as he noticed the bracelet slide down the length of her arm. "Very well." Silvery blue eyes peered past her as his hand settled onto her shoulder. "Want to grab some breakfast together? I haven't eaten yet."

"Sure."

Soon enough, both trainers had their breakfasts and had seated themselves at a nearby table. As usual, Steven had initiated the conversation, but seemed to be making every effort to keep it light and casual. Of course, this didn't have any effect on the energy and enthusiasm he always displayed when speaking to her. The young man came up for air only once he heard the RING of his PokéNav. Retrieving it from inside of his backpack, he recognized the number and released a sigh.

"It's my father, I need to take this." He offered softly while excusing himself, stepping outside of the Pokémon Center and leaving Abrielle alone.

This brief moment of pause was not unwelcomed, however, as she retrieved her map from her satchel along with the box that contained her gym badges. As she stared at the seven colorful mementos of her journey throughout Kanto she felt a mixture of emotions, each of which seemed to be fighting for supreme reign of her disposition.

On one hand, she felt a sense of pride in herself and her team, having spent many a long hour training and weathering the unpredictable conditions that traveling entailed. Each gym battle had helped her to hone her skills, think up new strategies, and develop a better understanding of her pokémon. And yet . . .

What drove her was not the unyielding passion of an aspiring champion looking to make a name for herself in the region . . . in the world, but rather a fiery rage fueled by the thirst of vengeance against those who had done unspeakable evils to people and pokémon alike.

Strength was no longer a luxury, but a necessity, and Brie knew she had a long way to go if she had any chance of stopping Giovanni. Despite the fact that she was only lacking one gym badge, that didn't mean she was almost done with her training.

Far from it.

"Sorry about that." Steven's voice pulled her out of mind's wanderings and she gasped slightly as he sat down across from her, tucking his device back into his bag. "He just wanted to make sure my plans hadn't changed."

"No need to apologize." Abrielle propped her face on her hand while her elbow leaned against the table.

"Hm, it seems only natural that our parents should worry, doesn't it?" He offered while absentmindedly taking a small bite of his bagel. "No matter how old we get, they always see us as children."

His words, as innocent as they were, caused a small lump to form in her throat.

All along, Brie had been doing her best NOT to think about Hotaru, the only parent she had left, patiently waiting for her to return home from her journey. She had originally planned to remain in contact with him, but given her current circumstances, thought it best to avoid reaching out due to her involvement with the Rockets. Those criminals had already taken so much from her – she refused to let them steal anything else. As much as it hurt not hearing her adoptive father's reassuring voice on the other end of the phone, or seeing his words written in a letter, she remained firm in her resolve to keep him out of harm's way.

Before leaving Fuchsia City, she had requested that Koga and Janine keep an eye on him, and she trusted them to keep her father safe at an arm's length. Their skillful ninja ways and techniques would make it possible for them to watch over him in a stealthy manner, and Brie was extremely grateful to them. Every so often she swore she heard her father's voice reminding her that, whenever she was ready to come home, he would welcome her back with open arms. Something as a simple as a hug seemed as precious and rare as the stones Steven had been talking about, and the hand not resting atop the table began to clench at the fabric of her pants.

"Brie?" Stopping mid-sentence, he noticed that her eyes seemed to be looking through him rather than at him, and he wondered if she was all right.

"Yes?"

She looks sad. He thought as he studied her briefly. Was it something I said?

"Are you okay?" Steven inquired, concern evident in both his tone and expression.

"Oh yeah, sorry." She sort of shrugged while continuing to eat her breakfast. "Continue."

When he didn't resume the conversation she quirked an eyebrow, trying to diffuse whatever alarm had gone off inside of him.

"Brie, if you really see me as a friend, then I need you to understand something." His voice was soft, yet stern and it caught her off-guard.

"Okay . . ."

Clearing his throat he continued, "I don't mean to pry, but I know there's something you're not telling me." His steely blue eyes seemed a bit more scrutinizing, his expression less carefree and almost more adult-like. "And I can assume that it's something substantial, based on how quickly your disposition seems to change."

"I already told you, I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed." Brie didn't want to get defensive, but she disliked how he had shifted gears so seamlessly. She much preferred idle chatter over what felt like the onset of a deep conversation.

"I didn't push the envelope yesterday because I knew you needed some space, but . . ." Shaking his head he exhaled deeply. "I don't feel comfortable returning to Hoenn knowing that something is looming over your head."

Abrielle swallowed hard. She could feel her heart beating a bit faster and bit her lip. She didn't know a way around his fixed gaze and patient, unwavering focus. She had assumed she was off the hook, but it seemed that he hadn't been planning to relent quite so soon. Weighing her options, she figured she could tell Steven a half truth – giving him some information, but no too much. Just enough to get him to back off a bit. Brie knew he meant well, but she refused to drag him into the mess of a situation she had put herself in.

"Okay, fine." She nodded. "I guess hearing you talk about your father just made me feel a bit lonely."

"Are you homesick?" The young man asked. "That's completely understandable."

"Yeah, but it's not just that." Closing her eyes momentarily, she held her breath for a few seconds before adding, "My parents . . . died when I was young. I have an adoptive father who's amazing, but I haven't seen him in over a year. And my brother, who I mentioned the first time we met, is in Kalos right now. And of course neither of them fill my parents' shoes, nor would I expect them to, but it's just hard being apart from the only family I have left."

Steven seemed taken aback by this, despite how softly she had spoken. There was a subtle tremor in her voice, and he could tell that the wound was still fresh, and he had unknowingly rubbed salt onto it.

"Oh, Brie . . ." He lamented while reaching for her hand from across the table. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea . . ."

Somehow his words had willed a few stray tears to escape and she shook her head.

"I completely understand what it feels like to lose a loved one." He felt grateful that she allowed him to wrap his fingers around her hand and trace his thumb against her skin reassuringly. "My mother passed away when I was a child, and no matter how many years go by, the sadness remains. People say it gets easier with time, but I've always wondered what, exactly, gets easier? Certainly not the sense of loss, or the emptiness you feel upon having reminders of the absence. Coping becomes easier, yes, but you never stop feeling that void."

Brie's eyes widened a bit as she stared at Steven. She had never imagined such a scenario for him, but then again, she had never read between the lines or assumed anything by his lack of mentioning her in conversation. She had assumed that the young man's father was either the favorite parent, or the more involved one of the two. The thought of Steven losing a parent caused empathy and a newfound appreciation of his openness to bloom in her chest.

He's hurting, too. Her mind echoed. He knows the feeling. As Abrielle's mouth began to open, she had to fight back the compulsion to do something dangerous – tell him the whole truth. The rest of the story was practically on the tip of her tongue as a voice in her head chanted

"Tell him. He won't judge you. He'll understand."

She was thankful that the words that finally did come out were "I'm so sorry, Steven." Forcing a small smile she added, "It really is heartbreaking, but I'm so thankful to have someone who understands. That means so much to me."

"Of course." He nodded. "Traveling is a difficult task in its own right for someone your age, but dealing with such a profound loss on top of it . . . I can imagine it's been quite overwhelming." Taking notice of her box of badges on the table he proceeded to reach for it and examine the metallic trinkets closely while finishing his train of thought. "And yet, look at how much you've been able to accomplish. I'm sure your parents must be overjoyed, and your brother and adoptive father will be thrilled as well to see this."

"Thank you, Steven." Brie acknowledged him warmly. "For everything."

Raising an eyebrow the young man then shook his head. "You never have to thank me for being a friend, Brie – I'm more than happy to help."

Little did either of them know how much they would grow to appreciate each other as time passed by. And although they may have been separated by land and sea, they would forever remain under the same sky, and always in each others' thoughts.


A while later, the two trainers had finished their breakfasts and headed outside for a short walk. Steven had inquired as to her plans and smiled upon learning of her intent to finish the gym challenge.

"That's excellent, I'm sure you'll do very well." He noted. "It's a shame I won't be around to see you battle, but perhaps you can let me know how it goes."

"I mean, I don't know if I'm planning to travel to Hoenn." She confessed, feeling a bit disappointed as this reality set in.

"Well, I know you don't have a PokéNav or PokéGear yet, but I can still give you my number." Steven reminded her with a grin. "Every Pokémon Center has computers for video calls and regular corded phones, too, so we can keep in touch that way until you get a device."

"I wouldn't want to bother you." Brie said flatly, though truthfully her reasons for not planning on keeping in touch were for his safety. She refused to put a friend in harm's way, no matter how much she yearned for a chance to talk to him again. "I mean, it sounds like you're going to be very busy when you get back."

"Just leave me a message." He offered. "I always check them. If you tell me which Pokémon Center you're lodging at I can always call you back."

He just won't take 'No.' for an answer. Abrielle thought to herself, but instead of being annoyed, it made her smile. She opted to humor him and finally nodded.

"Okay . . ."

The sound of a helicopter approaching led both of them to look up into the sky. Steven smiled knowingly and released his Skarmory from its pokéball before climbing onto it.

"Take care of yourself, Brie." Steven reminded her while brushing his silvery strands of hair away from his face, the air whipping around from the proximity of the helicopter blowing it all which ways. "And best of luck . . . I'll be cheering for you!"

With that, the metallic bird pokémon flapped its powerful wings and headed straight up toward the helicopter, hovering as its trainer climbed aboard the vessel before returning to its pokéball.

"Thank you!" Abrielle shouted, hoping he heard her as the chopper slowly disappeared from view. From the bottom of my heart, Steven . . . thank you.

Gazing out across the sea in the direction of Pallet Town, which had been the first stop in her journey, she inhaled a deep breath.

"Before we head over to Viridian City for the last gym battle, we should probably do a bit more training." She thought aloud. "Sound good?" Abrielle couldn't be sure, but her partners seemed to be trembling with excitement inside of their pokéballs which were jostling a bit inside of her satchel. "Alright then, let's head out."


A few weeks passed by before Abrielle ventured to Viridian City. Disappointment settled inside of her upon learning that the gym leader was away, and would not return for at least another month or so based on what she overheard from other trainers seeking to obtain the final badge as well. Opting to see this as an opportunity to hone in on her training and level up her team some more, Brie decided to travel around a bit more. She considered stopping by Professor Oak's lab to show him the entries she had recorded in her Pokédex, but feared this might invite danger.

I can't afford to be careless. She reminded herself, though it was becoming harder to accept the fact that she would be stuck wandering lonely as a cloud until she took down Team Rocket, and that could take a while. Enjoying her space was one thing, but feeling incapable of making friends or socializing was a difficult pill to swallow.

She thought of Hotaru, sitting at home with a hopeful smile.

She thought of her brother, Leal who was probably sending letters from Kalos that she would never have a chance to read, sharing all of the exciting things he was learning.

She thought of Steven in Hoenn, a region that she may not ever venture to. He was the first 'friend' she had made since the fallout of her parents' passing, during which time she had shut herself out from the world around her. Despite being slightly older than her, the young man had become a comforting presence, almost like a caring, concerned older brother. While he was by no means a replacement for Leal, his compassionate disposition and quirks had been a welcome addition to her life. His absence, at times, felt almost comparable to that of her brother's and it startled her.

Don't dawdle, Brie. She chastised herself. Stay focused.


Another month passed by, and at this point she was feeling restless. Her team now consisted of fully-evolved pokémon (except for her Scyther, which would meet the right conditions later on) that had solid stats and superb skill sets. All she needed now was the last gym badge.

Much to her relief, she learned of the ground-type specialist's recent return from battling other trainers that had their eyes set on the Earth badge and headed straight toward the gym. Exhaling deeply as she stepped inside, Abrielle knew it had all come down to this – the last hurdle before she could test her mettle against the best of the best at the Indigo Plateau.

She noticed almost immediately that the inside of the gym was quite different from all of the others she had visited – the lights were dim, and the floor was littered with transportation tiles that sent her spinning and crashing into walls every so often. It reminded her of the Rocket hideout in Celadon City, and the bile rising up from her stomach tasted sour.

The statues and other features within the gym were somewhat intimidating as well, and it almost seemed like there was something "out of the ordinary." Brie shook off these feelings, knowing that they would only cause her focus to diminish. Battling her way through the gym proved a fairly easy task, and when she finally reached the final corridor she noticed it was still dark, the lights from the gym failing to illuminate the leader's battle arena. It turned out to be motion activated, and as she stepped forth into the darkness it started to dissipate, revealing the silhouette of what appeared to be a man sitting in a large chair. There was a persian leaning against his leg, and it shot a piercing glare at Abrielle as she stepped forward, causing the ground-type gym leader to rise from his seat.

"I knew you would come sooner or later." He acknowledged her with a contented hum. "You did promise to defeat me, after all."

That voice . . .

Brie could feel her blood run cold as the man came into view, his low, foreboding tone unmistakable.

"Impossible . . ." She breathed while clutching her pokéball more tightly in an effort to keep her hand from shaking. "There's no way . . . you can't be the gym leader. Someone must have a disgusting sense of humor!"

At this the man chuckled low in his throat, a malicious sound that made her skin crawl. "I assure you child, this is no joke. I am indeed the Viridian City gym leader."

"No! They would never let a criminal run a gym!" She spat, anger bubbling up from deep inside. The pokéball in her hand trembling along with the others inside of her satchel. Her partners seemed to sense the disturbance and threatened to burst out from the spherical vessels that housed them.

"Of course not." Giovanni agreed while gesturing to the arena and his surroundings. "A pokémon gym is the perfect cover up for the leader of the Rocket organization. Who would ever suspect that one of the most wanted criminal bosses in history would be hiding in plain sight?"

"You're going to rot in jail if I have anything to say about it." Abrielle gritted her teeth as she proceeded to turn on her heel and head over to the police station to alert the local authorities. "Your reign of terror ends now."

"Is that so?"

The timbre of his voice was clearly meant to further provoke and taunt her, but she refused to fall for it. Still, she soon found herself sealed off from the exit by all the gym trainers, who she had initially failed to realize were rocket grunts in disguise. They readied themselves, prepared to initiate in a group battle against her.

Looks like I'm going to have to force my way out.

"My recommendation is that you see this battle through as originally planned." Giovanni cleared his throat. "Put your personal feelings for me aside and think of this as a battle between you – the challenger, and me – the Viridian City gym leader." Holding up the green leaf shaped badge in his fingers he added, "This is the last badge you need to qualify for the Pokémon League. So, if your previous goal to eradicate me and my organization still stands, you'll need to become much stronger. Otherwise . . ." A smirk tugged at his lips. "Well, I'm sure you haven't forgotten my previous warning."

Of course she hadn't. How could she erase the memory of him threatening to deliver the same fate to her that her parents had received?

"I can't accept this." She countered, her heart racing in her chest as she fought back the urge to lob all of her pokéballs directly at the Rocket leader and order her team to attack him directly. "I refuse."

"The truth of the matter is that you don't have to accept it." He sighed tiredly. "But what do you plan to do? Rush to find the police and hope I'm still here when you return? Or challenge me to a battle and seek to claim your final token of merit?"

Brie swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew she had to make a choice then and there, but for some reason, it wasn't as cut and dry as she had hoped.

If she left, there was a small possibility that he could manage to escape before the cops arrived.

If she stayed, she would at least have the chance to battle him and defeat him, and perhaps that would slow him down enough for the police to catch up to him.

Whether or not the battle would be deemed legitimate was of little consideration to her as she sent an alert to the local authorities. Following her investigation of the Rockets in Celadon City, she had agreed to provide the police with assistance and, consequently, had received a GPS tracking device that she could use to send a digital SOS signal of sorts.

"Well?" Giovanni prodded impatiently. "I need your answer, Abrielle."

What should I do? Her mind echoed as she contemplated a moment more. The feeling of her pokéball rumbling steadily in her hand was her answer, and all at once she trusted her gut and her team. She just hoped her efforts wouldn't be in vain.

"I suppose I have no choice but to accept this battle." She stated firmly.

"Smart girl." Giovanni nodded while laughing through his teeth.

"However, make no mistake, it is not as a challenge against the Viridian City gym leader. This is my fight against the boss of Team Rocket. I'll crush you and everything your syndicate stands for here and now!" Planting her foot firmly into the ground she added, "And when I defeat you, I demand that you put an end to your criminal enterprises!"

Raising an eyebrow in challenge Giovanni laughed darkly. "Oh, I see." His grin was sinister as he snapped his fingers, signaling for an employee to retrieve a suitcase that contained five ultra balls. As he grabbed them one at a time he turned on his heel and approached his side of the battlefield. "Well then, I will treat this as you wish – a clash between your childish ideals and my never-ending quest for power. That being said . . ." He casually tossed the pokéball onto the field, the bright red light soon revealing what appeared to be an exceptionally formidable rhyhorn digging its foot against the arena floor. "I will not hold back, so prepare yourself!"

Brie grimaced slightly before releasing her first partner – her newly evolved seadra.

All of the strategies she had acquired had led her to this moment, and she refused to accept defeat once more at the hands of this maniac. She commanded the water-type pokémonwith skill and grace, directing it to maneuver itself by using water gun and hydro pump as jets to shoot itself up and away from the dual rock and ground-type charging around on the field. Even in the absence of water on the arena, her seadra was much faster and able to land several well executed bubble beams.

Dugtrio proved more difficult to attack, but she managed to weaken it enough for her Pidgeot to land a few critical hits and knock it out while avoiding the ground-type moves with ease. Giovanni's nidoqueen and nidoking had raised the level of challenge considerably, but a combination of fire spin and bonemerang had managed to finally wear them down. When the Rocket boss released his final pokémon Brie cursed under her breath.

Crap, he's got a rhydon?

Abrielle had battled only a handful of them in her travels, the ferocity and sheer power of the rhyhorn's evolution a feat most trainer's couldn't seem to manage conquering. This one in particular looked quite daunting, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. Aside from type disadvantages, rhydon was a much harder hit if it managed to land its attacks, with an arsenal of crippling moves such as earthquake, fury attack, and – god forbid it should connect with her pokémon – horn drill, which was an immediate, one-hit KO.

This is bad.

"I'm impressed." Giovanni mused while staring at her from across the field. "You've managed to bring me down to my final pokémon. I'll have you know, however, that rhydon will be the strongest, most formidable opponent you will face. It's offensive stats are enough to bring most pokémon to their knees, and yours will be no exception, I assure you."

"It's not over until I'm out of pokémon." She reminded the crime boss with as much resolve as she could muster. "They all have at least one weakness, and mark my words I'll find your rhydon's weak spot, too."

"Hmph, you continue to grate on my every nerve." The Rocket leader stated flatly. "So be it. It'll make crushing you even more satisfying. Rhydon, rock slide!"

"Marowak, dodge and use bonemerang!"

The ground-type did as instructed, leaping out of the way before swinging its arm outward and lobbing the bone club at its opponent. The direct hit seemed to slow down rhydon very little, if at all, and Brie growled in frustration. "Come on Marowak, bonemerang once more!"

"It's no use." Giovanni taunted while snapping his fingers. "Surf!"

What?! Abrielle's eyes widened in shock. It can learn surf?

"Didn't anticipate a water-type move, I presume?" He leered. "I would imagine not, based on your reaction. And look, your poor marowak is helpless to do anything about it."

Crap!

"Marowak, hang in there!" She exclaimed, but the ground-type staggered to its feet before collapsing against the battlefield, its bone club falling out of its paw.

Damn . . .!

"Return!" Abrielle shouted while proceeding to do just that. "Thank you for your hard work. Your efforts won't have been in vain."

Brie had purposely made sure to maximize her team's stamina by swapping each pokémon out strategically to take advantage of type match ups as best she could. And yet, in spite of this careful planning and attention to detail, each member of her team only managed to land a few hits before fainting. Pidgeot and Seadra were hit hard by rhydon's thunder punch, and Arcanine was able to inflict a burn before being flooded by surf attacks.

It all came down to her final pokémon, which had been raring to go since the start of the battle, but had trusted its trainer to wait for the right moment. Abrielle honestly wasn't sure if the timing was right, especially since rock-type moves were very strong against bug and flying types (her Scyther being both), but she would have to make it work. She refused to lose to him again, fearing not only what would become of her, but countless other people and pokémon if he succeeded in assembling a legion of the world's most powerful creatures under his command as he sought to accomplish.

"I believe in you . . ." She whispered before tossing the pokéball onto the field, releasing her strongest partner. Scyther let out a shrill battle cry as it eyed its opponent which, despite having taken some hits and been burned, seemed to be holding out considerably well. "Let's do this. Scyther, slash!"

"Your last hope is a scyther, eh?" Giovanni smirked, his voice condescending. "How unfortunate for you. Not only does its type put it at a double disadvantage, but there are very little moves, if any, that can even scratch the hard exterior of my rhydon."

Undeterred and refusing to pay his words any mind, Abrielle remained steadfast in doing everything in her power to take his pokémon down, continuing with her assault. The dual rock- and ground-type withstood every attack easily, and it was beyond frustrating.

Nothing is working . . .!

"Scyther, focus energy and then use slash again!"

"All your efforts are in vain." The Rocket boss added while shaking his head, not even bothering to have his pokémon dodge the attack. "But I do enjoy seeing you struggle. It wouldn't be nearly as entertaining if you threw in the towel. Go ahead, keep fighting. Wear yourself out, so I can finish you in one powerful move."

"Scyther . . ."

As Brie watched her partner slash its scythes against its opponent tirelessly, hacking away, but making little, if any progress inflicting damage to the dual rock- and ground-type, she felt her stomach twist into a knot.

He's right. Scyther's attacks aren't doing anything . . .

The green-hued lights that illuminated the gym started to spin and become blurry, and Abrielle felt sick inside as the room began to seem out of place. She was becoming disoriented, and she didn't know what to do as the possibility of losing started to seem imminent.

This can't be . . . after all of our training . . . all of our hard work and discipline.

Scyther had continued to slash at rhydon to no avail, and finally it withdrew for a moment to collect itself, panting a bit as it attempted to regain its stamina.

I told myself . . . no, I swore that I would defeat him. And yet . . .

"Hmph, well I suppose I've let you exhaust enough of your energy . . . and my time. Allow me to put your pathetic attempt at defeating me to rest." Giovanni declared as he shot her a fierce look. "This will teach you an important lesson, Abrielle, about what happens to anyone who stands in the way of Team Rocket. Rhydon, horn drill!"

As the Rocket boss's pokémon charged at her Scyther, Brie felt paralyzed. She didn't know what to do, but as her eyes locked onto her partner's face, its gaze sturdy and unflappable, she suddenly realized they only had one shot at this and they had to make it count.

At that moment something strange happened, but she had neither the time or energy to dwell on the matter and pressed onward uninhibited.

"Scyther, endure!"

"That won't work!" Giovanni yelled. "You're finished!"

The moment his rhydon landed the horn drill felt like a piercing stab throughout her body as well as Scyther's, and she released a cry of pain that mirrored that of her partner as it endured the fatal hit that would have otherwise knocked it out instantaneously. The leader of Team Rocket quirked an eyebrow, not sure as to why she seemed to be clutching at her chest and kneeling down as if she had been the one inflicted with the damage. Slowly, albeit unevenly, Abrielle managed to rise back up to a stand, her Scyther doing the same, leaving Giovanni in a state of pure bewilderment.

"How . . . is this possible?" He stared out at the field, puzzled and almost frozen for a moment. "Tsk, it doesn't matter! Rhydon, finish it! NOW!"

The mighty rock- and ground-type pokémon proceeded to ram against its weakened target, but was caught off-guard when Scyther readied its blades and released an enormous amount of energy, sending Giovanni's rhydon flying across the field and landing with a loud CRASH.

"W-What?!"

The wings on the dual bug- and flying- type started flapping vigorously as it shot across the field like a bullet and landed an unbelievably powerful hit against rhydon, forcing the creature down into the ground, a crater forming as it pounded through the flooring.

"Impossible . . ."

Brie smiled momentarily as she saw the strongest member of her team take down its impressive opponent with a combination of endure and counter that surpassed anything she had since attempted to coordinate in a battle. She felt a mixture of emotions at that moment upon realizing that she had, in fact, defeated the infamous crime boss, Giovanni. The symbol of Team Rocket had been overpowered and now he would have no choice but to comply.

"Thank you, Scyther." She breathed while returning her partner to its pokéball. "We did it."

Making her way across the battlefield she kept her eyes focused on the man whose fist was trembling as it clutched the ultra ball that now held the defeated rhydon.

"It's over, Giovanni." Abrielle said with unwavering resolve in her eyes. "You're done."

"What you've managed to accomplish . . . it's beyond anything I've ever seen." He spoke, his voice lower and much less condescending now. "I never imagined you would be capable of defeating me. But I can see now that I am unable to crush you with my current arsenal of pokémon." Covering his face with his hand momentarily he shook his head. "Defeated by a child. Unbelievable."

"I told you that I wouldn't stop until I had defeated you." She said firmly. "And now that I've done just that, you have no other choice but to comply. I'm sure the police will make sure you never have a chance to carry out your devious plans, and I'll see to it personally that the pain you caused me and countless others never happens to anyone else ever again."

"You certainly don't pull any punches." Giovanni noted while looking down at her. "But tell me, how do you plan to have me arrested and still receive your gym badge, hm?"

"Do you honestly think I care about a small metal trinket enough to throw away a chance to have you locked up for good?"

"Hm, perhaps not." He agreed. "Very well. A loss is a loss." Turning to look at his subordinates, who seemed preoccupied by the sounds of what resembled a swat team of police officers outside of the gym he shook his head and reached inside of his suit pocket. "Accept this badge and continue moving forward with your quest for power." Smirking villainously while outstretching his hand he added, "I suppose you and I aren't quite so different after all."

"Don't compare me to you!" Brie hissed while smacking the badge out of his hand, but the man didn't even flinch. "I'm nothing like you! I use my strength to help people! You use power to hurt others and make money!"

A deep laughter rumbled in his chest. "True, the purpose intended outcomes are different, but we're both driven to become more powerful, aren't we?"

When she didn't acknowledge this he continued, "But as I previously mentioned, all humans seek power. You may think yourself different from the rest of us, but mark my words Abrielle, the world is a cruel, unforgiving place. If you're strong, you live. If you're weak, you die. There is no in-between."

"You're wrong." She retorted. "My parents weren't weak. They were strong . . . their kindness was their strength. They were killed while trying to stop you from hurting anyone else. They had true strength, and that's something a cold-hearted scumbag like you could never understand."

The Rocket grunts standing guard near the arena suddenly reached for their pokéballs upon the intrusion of the police accompanied with a fleet of pokémon and handcuffs. Giovanni ordered for them to stand down and willingly cooperated with the authorities, complying to their demands as they detained and escorted him out of the gym along with his subordinates.

She couldn't be certain, but she felt a chill shoot through her body and swore he heard Giovanni mutter under his breath "Until we meet again . . . Abrielle."

The persian that had been sitting beside the chair let out a shriek as it followed its master, kicking up the green-hued gym badge that had fallen to the floor and been forgotten. Abrielle stared down at the small symbol of her victory and contemplated whether or not she truly wanted to take it with her. As Giovanni and the police exited through the entrance of the gym she leaned down and hesitantly grasped the tiny metal leaf-shaped badge. It felt heavy in her hand, and although she had defeated him and aided law enforcement in securing and arresting him, the knot in her stomach remained tight as ever.

I did it. Her mind echoed. So why does it feel like the worst is still yet to come?

Abrielle wasn't naive enough to think this would be the end of Giovanni and the Rockets, and as her mind started contemplating her next move the voice of Officer Jenny startled her.

"Hey, kid. We owe you big time. Giovanni has been wanted for decades. And to think he was hiding right under our noses!" Shaking her head in disgust she cleared her throat and continued, "Anyway, words can't begin to express our gratitude. We'd love to publically recognize you for your bravery and determination to help us take down the Rockets. We've just begun the process, but finding and arresting their leader is definitely a great start."

"With all due respect, I'll have to decline your offer." Brie said softly, her mind defaulting to her obligation to protect her loved ones. She remembered Hotaru in Fuchsia City and hoped that maybe one day she could return home to visit. "Please, don't reveal my identity. Keep it vague. I don't want to attract anymore attention than I most likely already have at this point."

The female officer shot her a sympathetic expression. "I understand. We'll respect your wishes. Please let us know if you hear anything more about the organization. As I mentioned, its members are spread far and wide throughout Kanto and, rumor has it, Johto as well."

Johto . . .?

Officer Jenny nodded, reading her concerned look. "Yeah, but it's all speculation right now. There have been rumors for years that Giovanni had set up shop in Kanto and Johto, but we haven't been able to confirm this yet." Shrugging her shoulder she added, "I don't know if you planned on traveling to Johto at some point, but if you do, please keep us in the loop of any suspicious activity."

"Of course." Abrielle agreed.

"Good." Hardly a beat passed between them before she started anew. "Well, let's get you to the local Pokémon Center. I'm sure you and your team could use a break."

As Officer Jenny gestured for Brie to accompany her and her squadron she exhaled deeply and clenched her fist around the leaf-shaped badge that seemed to be digging into her palm. Opting to finally toss it into the box she was using to store her badges, she left the Viridian City gym, her eyes following the car transporting Giovanni to jail until it disappeared from her line of sight.

"Until we meet again . . . Abrielle."

In a split second, she found herself dropping to her knees and retching, though there was little she could bring up, which made the dry heaves even worse. The kind officers rushed to help her up, stabilizing her as they walked her to the Pokémon and proceeded to grab her some water and a cold washcloth for her head.

"Abrielle!" Officer Jenny exclaimed, trying to get a response from her. "Kiddo, are you okay-?"

A split second later, Brie she slipped from their grips and collapsed onto the ground, their muffled voices disappearing from her consciousness along with the world around her.