Welcome back, friends! This is going to be a very exciting chapter for you all. In fact, I have to say that this is personally one of my absolute favorite chapters that I have written for A New Era! So please, sit back and enjoy!
LAST TIME: Ash nearly blows the entire mission when he loses his temper in trying to rescue both Aiden and Misty. Only Lance is able to talk him down by insisting that not only is Ash making the situation worse, but he's frightening his daughter. Soon afterwards, however, Ash is captured by Team Rocket. Brandon and Michelle beg Lance to let them help rescue the three, and he reluctantly agrees.
Chapter 58: Made of Love
The boss of Team Rocket? Where's Giovanni? No way that creep gave up being the boss of Team Rocket.
Misty narrowed her eyes at Magnus and his two female companions as they stopped in the middle of the room. Magnus shifted one eye onto her and Aiden, but he didn't seem overly interested in the two of them. Instead, he turned to face Ash, his back towards the other two inhabitants. Ash growled and puffed his chest out, trying to make himself look as big to the boy as possible.
"The Pokémon Master," Magnus stated simply, still staring at Ash. "It's…a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Yeah?" Ash bit sarcastically. "And who are you, huh?"
"The name is Magnus," he replied curtly. "I am the future boss of Team Rocket."
Misty and Aiden looked at one another, Aiden's face reflecting confusion and Misty's showing signs of legitimate concern.
"Future boss?" Ash repeated gruffly.
"I'm Giovanni's protégée," Magnus responded as though it were nothing. "You are familiar with Giovanni, aren't you?"
"Unfortunately," Ash muttered.
Magnus chuckled softly. "Well now, the Pokémon Master finds himself funny."
"There's nothing about any of this that's funny," Ash fumed. "You've got me, my wife, and my son locked up in cages like poached Pokémon. Your disgusting gang of thieves has tried kidnapping my children more than once. Young kids all across the region, without any parents, have been abducted by your team. And for what purpose?"
Magnus gave Ash a nearly delirious grin, much to Ash's aggravation. He lunged forward and clutched the metal bars in his hands, staring deeply into Magnus' dual colored eyes.
"I don't find myself funny," Ash repeated darkly. "But you find yourself funny. That's twisted."
Magnus shook his head, still grinning. "Slow, aren't you? You still can't figure out what we've been doing with these children for the past nearly 11 years. Yet you've been surrounded by it this entire time."
Ash furrowed his brow. Magnus took a step away from his cell, holding his hands behind his back. From her cell, Misty let out a soft breath and shook her head, much to Aiden's surprise.
"I knew it…" she whispered.
Still walking around aimlessly, Magnus continued, "Giovanni, my mentor, selected me as Team Rocket's first ever future operative. His grunts took me from an orphanage when I was still an infant. I, however, consider it a rescue mission. You see, my real parents died not long before that. There was an explosion. I was with them. They both died, but somehow…I survived. And I have this lovely scar on my face to prove it."
With his last sentence, Magnus turned his head sharply towards Ash, showing off the deep scar in discussion. Ash was still maintaining his look of disgust and fury, but deep down inside, despite his hesitance, the man started to feel a little bad for the wicked villain.
"Giovanni took one look at me and decided that I would become his protégé," Magnus carried on. "He chose my name and instructed the grunts and operatives on how I should be raised. Once I got older, I got to spend more one-on-one time with Giovanni. He'd tell me about his desires for the organization; how he wanted it to grow and become a force to be reckoned with once more. He told me how one day I would be strong enough to help make that a reality. Even as a young child, all I wanted to do was impress Giovanni. I wanted to make my mentor as proud of me as I possibly could. I would do whatever he expected of me, and then some."
"But why?" Misty spoke up, causing Magnus to slowly turn his head. "Even as a kid, didn't you know that was wrong?"
"I knew that was right," Magnus corrected, his voice steady and dark. "Giovanni was looking out for me."
"He wasn't looking out for you, he was looking out for Team Rocket!" Misty cried.
"Misty!" Ash hissed, afraid his wife would pay for speaking out of turn.
"You were kidnapped as a baby, that's hardly fair," Misty continued, ignoring her husband's warning. "You didn't even have a chance! Doesn't that make you angry?"
"I got my chance the moment Giovanni took me in," Magnus replied sternly. "I don't like to question the might have beens. I truly believe I was meant to be taken into Team Rocket and become its sole heir. Giovanni has given me things a nuclear family never could: money, power-"
"What about love?" Misty interrupted. "Does Giovanni give you that?"
Magnus chuckled darkly and turned fully towards Misty, his face only inches away from hers. Ash growled, while Aiden narrowed his eyes and clutched the bars in front of him, getting ready to protect his mother.
"Love is for the weak," Magnus stated.
He turned on a heel, marching away from Misty and Aiden's cell. Misty's shoulders dropped, and Aiden stared up at her in bewilderment. She looked…upset. Almost heartbroken, in a way.
"Mom?" Aiden whispered. Misty didn't move a single inch.
"The first four years of my life were more than any child could ever dream of," Magnus continued. "I got whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. I was the center of Team Rocket's entire universe. Even though I was only a child, Giovanni instructed everyone to heed to me. Next to the operations of the organization, I was Giovanni's top priority. But then…"
Magnus slowly turned around to once again face Misty and Aiden's cage. This time, however, he only had eyes for Aiden. Those dual colored eyes bore into Aiden's warm brown ones, the younger boy's face full of confusion.
"You and your sister came along," Magnus growled, his voice quickly gaining edge. "And you two ruined everything for me."
XXX
"Butterfree, psybeam!"
Lance winced as the rainbow beam came barreling towards him. Michelle had not been aiming for him, however. Instead, she'd been eyeing the little metal box positioned in front of Lance; the control box for the ring of energy wrapped around his body. The minute the psybeam hit, the little box exploded into a million tiny pieces, the ring around Lance's upper body disappearing and freeing him.
"Great," Lance sighed, flexing his arms and shrugging his shoulders to try and get feeling back in his upper extremities. "Thank you, Michelle."
The young girl nodded in response before looking over her shoulder. "Brandon, how's Dragonite doing?"
The aspiring breeder was still positioned in the crater that Dragonite laid in, closely examining the orange dragon.
"It should be fine," Brandon replied. "It's still asleep from Gulpin's yawn, so it's not in any pain at the moment. I've already started to treat Dragonite's external injuries, which would reduce any pain it might feel once it begins to wake up. I've got some awakening in my bag that I'll use in a few minutes to wake Dragonite up, once I'm sure the treatment of its external injuries has taken affect."
"That's awesome," Michelle breathed. "I'm glad to know Dragonite will be okay."
"Chu!" Pichu chirped, nodding her head. Lance hummed from behind Michelle, recapturing the girl's attention.
"He certainly knows what he's talking about," Lance murmured.
"Yeah!" Michelle replied. "Brandon wants to be the world's best Pokémon breeder! He already knows so much about Pokémon. He learns a lot from Brock."
"I'll bet," Lance chuckled. "Quite impressive!"
"Lance!"
It was in that moment that Michelle realized the police officers were still hanging around. Officer Jenny was running towards the two, her eyes set wide with shock.
"They escaped," Lance breathed. "But we'll find them."
"We'll?" Officer Jenny repeated.
"Michelle and Brandon are going to help me out," Lance explained. "They both have extensive history with Team Rocket and think they'll be of great assistance. It's hard to argue that."
"I can argue that: they're children," Officer Jenny replied, narrowing her eyes. "This is a dangerous operation, Lance! You can't just-"
"It's okay, Officer Jenny!"
The blue haired woman looked down at Michelle, who was smiling confidently at the officer.
"Brandon and I can handle it," Michelle continued. "We're not afraid of Team Rocket."
"But Michelle-"
"I have to save my family," Michelle blurted, shaking her head. "I watched Team Rocket take them, and now it's my responsibility to go and bring them back. Please, I promise I'll be careful."
Officer Jenny sighed and gave the girl a reluctant smile. "You really are just like your mother. Good luck then, Michelle. And be careful."
Michelle nodded rapidly, but soon after her smile faded as she remembered the task at hand. "Lance, how are we going to find Team Rocket?"
Lance grinned at the young girl, bringing her a hefty dose of confusion. "Don't you worry, Michelle. I've got all of that under control!"
"But…how?" Michelle prodded.
Lance chuckled slowly as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a digital device that Michelle had never seen before. The dragon master activated it, beaming as the screen came to life. "Perfect."
"What?" Michelle whined. "What's perfect?"
Lance turned the device towards Michelle, who instantly leaned in to get a better look. The device itself wasn't very large; neither was its screen. Michelle was met with an intricate looking white grid, a red dot beeping and slowly moving across the grid's boxes.
"I don't get it," Michelle finally declared, glancing up at Lance.
"While Dragonite was fending off the grunts' Pokémon, I had him attach a tracking device to Team Rocket's airship," Lance explained. "It's a small little thing, about the same size as this device right here, so Team Rocket would have never caught on."
"Whoa, that's amazing!" Michelle breathed. "So that little dot on the screen is Team Rocket's airship?"
"Correct."
"Which means that's also where my parents and Aiden are," Michelle grumbled, narrowing her eyes.
Lance adopted an equally determined look as the girl and nodded. Peering over her head, Lance called, "Brandon, is Dragonite almost ready?"
"Yes," Brandon replied. "I can use the awakening now."
"Perfect," Lance sighed. "As soon as Dragonite is awake, we can start following the ship."
XXX
"What's that supposed to mean? We never even met you until a few months ago!"
Magnus just scoffed at Aiden's reply. "I didn't have to meet you two for you to both ruin my life. All you had to do was be born, and that was that."
Much like his father had before, Aiden growled at the teen. It wasn't quite as deep, however, and considering Magnus had not shown any fear at Ash's, he downright laughed at Aiden's.
"It's not funny!" Aiden barked.
"No, what isn't funny is you and your sister distracting Giovanni from Team Rocket's one true future: me," Magnus seethed. "As soon as Giovanni found out the Pokémon Master and his wife were set to welcome a child, he made it the mission of Team Rocket to capture the child and turn it into the most powerful operative the organization has ever seen. He firmly believed that child would be the most proficient Pokémon trainer, most mentally and physically strong human being the world had ever seen, and he refused to let that opportunity slip from his grasp. I was never going to be an operative, Giovanni always reminded me. I was too important for that, too valuable to the organization's future."
You are the rightful future boss of Team Rocket, Magnus. I would never take that opportunity away from you. But this unborn child…it will be so powerful. This child will be an asset to you; your number one operative.
Magnus glowered as Giovanni's words replayed in his head. They were burned into his brain; he'd never be able to forget them.
"Having a prime operative for my future was all well and good, until Giovanni became so enraptured by the mission I was all but left in the dust," Magnus spat. "Once he learned there were two children, and not just one, it only became worse. I wouldn't see him for weeks; I'd be stuck with the grunts assigned to my care while he brooded in his office or barked orders at the operatives assigned to the mission. But it was failing him. Not even his most elite agent could manage to claim what he so badly desired. Eventually, he became too frustrated and decided he needed to find a new tactic. I had been sneaking around outside of his office, hoping for at least a glimpse of my mentor, when I heard him speak the words of his new plan…"
Forget about those two elite babies. They are worthless to me. I've decided to go ahead with this genius plan of mine.
"And that genius plan-"
"Was to kidnap orphaned children and train them to become Team Rocket operatives," Misty cut off Magnus, her eyes darkening as she spoke. "Just like Giovanni wanted to do with our children."
Magnus chuckled softly to himself and closed his eyes. "Very good, gym leader."
Ash's eyes snapped open wide. "That's what you clowns have been up to?! That's why you've been kidnapping innocent children who don't have families of their own?!"
"The word 'kidnapped' is so unfair here," Magnus sighed dramatically. "I like to believe that these children were all rescued, just like me. They've got food, shelter, good mentors, and a wonderful future ahead of them. Now how can you argue that?"
"Because I don't agree with any of it," Ash snarled. "What you've done is awful!"
"Agree to disagree, then," Magnus scoffed, shaking a hand at Ash.
A high pitched beeping sound interrupted the verbal sparring between Ash and Magnus. Yvette plucked a device off her waist, eyes scanning its screen.
"Sir, it's been confirmed that the other two children are still in this vicinity," Yvette announced, eyeing the future boss of Team Rocket.
Magnus made a noise of interest and shifted his eyes between the two cells, smirking. "Excellent. With you three out of the way, I should have no problem capturing your daughter."
"She'll never go with you!" Misty bit. "She knows better than to follow after Team Rocket!"
"Perhaps," Magnus hummed. "But when brainwashing is involved…I like my chances."
Misty adopted a horrified look as Magnus turned and marched towards the door, Cathy and Yvette following dutifully behind him. Ash, on the other hand, growled and began yanking on the bars again, this time even harder than before.
"Come on…come on!" He rumbled, pulling and shaking the gate valiantly.
"Ash, that's not going to work!" Misty finally snapped.
The Pokémon Master looked up timidly, his brown eyes stinging with tears as they locked with Misty's emerald. She looked utterly defeated.
Snarling, Ash kicked the gate and threw himself down on the floor, holding his head in his hands. Misty sighed and lowered herself as well, albeit much more gently than Ash had. Aiden unsurely followed suit and glanced up at his mother, blinking his wide brown eyes. Feeling her son's eyes on her, Misty smiled sadly and gently touched the boy's cheek.
"Mom," Aiden began, "what do you think Team Rocket is going to do with us?"
After a moment of silence, Misty solemnly replied, "I'm not sure."
Aiden sat thoughtfully for a moment, not once taking his eyes off of his mother. "They won't get their hands on Michelle."
"I certainly hope not," Misty sighed, running a hand through her orange hair.
"No, I mean it. They won't be able to."
Misty lowered her hand, and Ash finally looked up towards his son.
"Michelle is tougher than they are," Aiden continued, shifting his gaze between his parents. "They think it'll be easy, but it won't. I know Michelle can stop them. I really do."
Ash let out a long breath and showed off a weak smile. "I hope you're right, champ."
"I just hope she's safe," Misty murmured. "With all of us locked up in here…who knows what she's up to."
XXX
The more unlikely trio was trailing Team Rocket's ship in the most effective way possible: by air. All three had squeezed onto Dragonite's back who, thanks to Brandon's expert care, was healing wonderfully and felt no pain from its collision with the concrete. Lance sat at the front, following Team Rocket's ship with the tracking device.
"They're not too much further ahead," Lance informed the two young trainers sitting behind him.
"How are we going to get into the ship once we reach it?" Brandon asked.
"That's going to be a little trickier," Lance admitted. "But not to worry; I have a plan."
"What is it?" Michelle questioned.
"First we'll have to find a way in," Lance explained. "I wasn't able to get a good enough look at the ship before with everything else going on, but I know for a fact they've got that hatch on the bottom which serves as the main entryway. That can be our last resort, as it's the most obvious way in. But I know that Team Rocket is very proficient when it comes to building tech, so that ship has to have multiple entryways. Dragonite will be able to get us closer to the ship where we can locate the best point of entry; the one that Team Rocket will be expecting the least."
"Sounds good," Michelle replied slowly. "And what happens once we're inside?"
"We'll have to disguise ourselves to blend in."
"Disguise ourselves?" Michelle repeated.
Lance nodded just once. "We can't walk around that ship as ourselves. We'll get caught way too quickly, and there are just too many grunts and operatives for three of us to fight off on our own."
"What are we disguising ourselves as?" Brandon asked. "Members of Team Rocket?"
"Correct," Lance replied.
Michelle groaned as she felt a violent shiver go up her spine. She truly couldn't think of anything viler than dressing up and pretending to be part of Team Rocket. Lance knew this was exactly what the girl was thinking and chuckled.
"I know, not thrilling," Lance laughed. "But it's the only way. I've done it before; not too bad. I was hoping I'd never have to do it again, but I can't dictate that."
Before Michelle could respond, Dragonite let out a low growl, gaining the attention of the three trainers on its back. Lance looked down at his device and then back up, leaning forward with a furrowed brow.
"We're closing in on the ship."
Michelle peered over Lance's shoulder, as did Brandon, who tightened his grip around the girl's waist, causing her to blush ever so slightly. The ship wasn't fancy; just a big, silver saucer with two sets of wings on its top and bottom.
"Dragonite, fly in closer," Lance instructed. "We've got to find an alternate entryway to the one on the bottom."
The dual type obeyed his trainer's orders and swooped in closer to the ship, flying around its side just inches away from its metal walls. Lance's eyes scanned the surface, looking for a doorway that would grant them less intrusive entrance.
"Ra!"
Lance looked down at Dragonite, who had his eyes locked on something dead ahead.
"You see something?" Lance asked.
"Ra!"
"Alright," Lance breathed. "Let's get closer!"
Dragonite picked up the pace and flew directly beneath one of the ship's engines. Underneath the metal flank was the outline of a door, barely visible. It had a tiny, rectangular window towards the top, and seemingly no other means of seeing or getting in or out of the door.
"This is perfect," Lance commented. "But it's sealed shut."
"What?" Michelle breathed.
"This is a door that can only be accessed from the inside," Lance explained. "It's not meant to be entered from outside. Fortunately, we can find a way around that."
"How?" Brandon asked.
"We'll just have to find where its locked through the sides and pick it," Lance continued. "Dragonite can do that with his claws. Right, buddy?"
Dragonite roared softly in approval and inched closer to the door. Sticking out one sharp claw, he wiggled it into the very thin space between the door and the ship's outer walls. Dragonite slid it down the right side until it hit something halfway down, preventing his claw from going any further. At this, Dragonite huffed, and Lance knew right away they had found exactly what they wanted.
"Perfect," Lance muttered. "Dragonite, can you feel the lock?"
"Ra," Dragonite replied, giving a single nod.
"Great. Try and pick it!"
Dragonite narrowed his eyes and began to scratch his claw against the inner lock, trying to separate it from where it was sealed shut. It took a few tries, but finally, Dragonite began to feel the lock move. He continued to scratch at it, getting more and more traction out of the lock until finally, a barely audible click sounded.
"Ra!" Dragonite announced, smiling over his shoulder.
"Great work, Dragonite!" Lance cheered. "Now we just have to open it very carefully…"
Dragonite stuck his claws back in the space and gently pried the door out towards himself and the trainers on his back. The door opened with ease, and before long, the three trainers were stationed inside of the ship.
"Thanks for all your help, Dragonite," Lance said, holding out the dual type's poke ball. "Time for you to take a rest!"
Once Dragonite had been returned to its ball, Brandon closed the door, effectively sealing them all inside. The light had disappeared as soon as the door closed, with just a strip of sunlight coming through the tiny window in the door.
"We have to disguise ourselves now, don't we?" Michelle asked dully.
"Yes," Lance replied. "The sooner we get ourselves looking like a real part of Team Rocket, the sooner we can begin locating your parents and your brother."
"Good," Michelle sighed. "Because I can't leave them in here a second longer. After all, who knows what Team Rocket will do to them…"
XXX
"I feel so guilty."
Ash blinked hard and looked into the cell across from his own. Misty was resting against the wall, Aiden fast asleep with his head resting on her lap. Her fingers toyed with his wild Raven locks, the famed Pokémon League hat having tumbled off his head.
"About what?" Ash asked. "It's not your fault Team Rocket has gone full on psychotic."
"Isn't it?" Misty muttered. "They started this entire operation almost 11 years ago. They started it because they wanted to get their hands on Aiden and Michelle. They wanted our babies to join an entire army of young Team Rocket operatives. It makes me sick, Ash."
"I know," Ash replied softly. "Makes me sick too."
Misty let out a shuttered breath and looked down at her sleeping son. "We brought three beautiful, perfect children into this world...and there are these evil, vile people out there destroying it. Ruining people's lives. Was it selfish?"
Ash furrowed his brow. "Was what selfish? Having children?"
"Bringing them into a world like this," Misty whispered.
"No," Ash replied quickly. "Misty, none of that is selfish. We can't live in fear of these people! You and I...we love one another. And that is what our children were born from. They came into this world because of love, and that's what they were brought into this world to share. Our children make people happy, Misty. They make us happy. We can't protect them from everything. And you're right...the world can be a really messed up place. But why do you think I rejoined the G-Men? I want to try and make this world a better place for our children. Because they deserve it."
Misty whimpered and looked back down at Aiden. "Born from love. All three of them."
"You remember exactly what it felt like," Ash whispered. "I know you do."
"I could never forget," Misty breathed, still staring at her sleeping son. "Oh, sweetheart...your father is right. You and your sisters were all born out of love. The three of you may have been surprises, but you were the best surprises I've ever gotten."
"They represent our love," Ash murmured, smiling softly as Misty looked back up at him. "And that is so much stronger than Team Rocket's hate."
"I know you're right," Misty softly replied. "But look at where we are. What's going to happen to us?"
"Nothing. We're going to find a way out."
"But how?"
"We'll find a way. I'm sure of it."
"And Michelle?"
"You heard Aiden. He said she's going to be just fine."
"Oh, Ash, how does he know that?"
"They've got that twin telepathy thing, don't they?"
Misty raised an eyebrow at that. "How on Earth does that mean Aiden knows Michelle will be fine?"
"Because he senses it," Ash chuckled softly. "Aiden and Michelle don't know anyone better than they know each other. You can keep them apart all you want, but their emotions will still reach each other. It's pretty crazy, but I know how attached they are to one another, whether they want to admit it or not."
As Misty giggled softly, the sound of the door beginning to open at the end of the hallway sent both her and Ash into high alert. Misty protectively held onto her son, while Ash bared his teeth. When the door opened, however, it wasn't Cathy, Yvette, or Magnus slipping in. Instead, it was a slightly younger looking girl, with short brown hair and piercing seafoam green eyes. She was stepping softly, her eyes cautiously shifting back and forth. When she realized no one was in the room except for the three prisoners, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Who are you?"
The girl jumped at the angry question. Looking over her shoulder, she realized it was Ash who had asked. His eyes were narrowed, and he didn't look at all placated.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the girl replied softly. "My name is Kira."
"Are you part of Team Rocket?" Ash growled.
"Well, yes, but-"
"Then what makes you think we want to talk to you?!" Ash stormed, his eyes darkening.
"Wait!" Kira cried, holding her hands out in front of her. "I am part of Team Rocket, but…I don't want to be. I'm a member against my will."
"Against your will?" Ash repeated incredulously.
"Ash, hang on!" Misty scolded. Turning her attention onto the girl, Misty asked softly, "Are you one of the children Team Rocket kidnapped?"
Kira's eyes widened. "You know about that?"
Misty nodded solemnly.
Kira sighed and looked down at her feet. "Yeah. I am. But…I'm not like the other kids they took. I don't want to be part of Team Rocket. They could try and brainwash me all they want, but it never worked. I've always wondered what it's like to be a normal kid, and to have a family who loves me. I know what Team Rocket does is wrong, and I don't want to be part of it."
"So…what are you saying?" Ash grumbled, his face having softened only slightly.
"I want to help you three escape," Kira said. "And I want to come with you."
XXX
"Excuse me?"
Officer Jenny's eye twitched as she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She whipped around, finding herself staring at a very confused looking boy with deep purple hair.
"My officers and I are in the middle of a very important investigation," Officer Jenny curtly informed the boy.
"Yeah, I could tell," he stated plainly. "I just came into town to challenge the gym leader, but she's not there. So I decided to go further into the city…and this is what I found."
He motioned towards the other officers, who were walking around securing the area.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"That is classified information!" Officer Jenny shouted.
"Does it have anything to do with why the gym leader is missing?"
Officer Jenny scowled at the boy's smirk. "As a matter of fact, it does."
That wiped the smirk off of the boy's face. Whatever was going on must have been pretty serious if the gym leader was missing.
"Officer Jenny! I've just received word from Lance that he and the children have infiltrated Team Rocket's ship."
Now the boy's attention was really caught. "Team Rocket? Who are they? And does he mean Lance, the dragon master?!"
"Listen, it's too dangerous around here for you," Officer Jenny informed the curious young trainer. "I would highly advise you go to another city."
"But I can't, this is the last badge I need to enter the Indigo League!" he argued.
Before Officer Jenny could retaliate, another officer approached her and said, "Chief, the Pokémon Master's daughter and her friend are both safe with Lance as well."
"Pokémon Master's daughter?" The boy breathed. "Michelle…?"
"Young man-"
"Wait, Officer Jenny!" He cried. "I know that girl! Is she okay? Why is she with Lance?"
"I've already told you that's classified information," Officer Jenny said sternly.
"But I could help find-"
"No, no more kids!" Officer Jenny scolded. "I already gave you instructions, young man. You're best off heading to the next city until all of this is settled."
As Officer Jenny and the two other officers walked away, the boy stared daggers into their backs.
"I'm not a 'young man.' The name's Jake. And I'm going to find that gym leader and get my last badge."
So, there you have it. Team Rocket's big scheme is revealed! But now a mysterious, unhappy member of the organization and...Jake? What is going to happen next?
You'll just have to stay tuned to find out!
Also, we are just 9 reviews away from review #900! I am SO excited about this and love all of the support and feedback you all have left me! It's truly amazing how much you have all gotten into this story, and for that I could not be more grateful!