It's time to begin, isn't it?

I get a little bit bigger, but then

I'll admit

I'm just the same as I was

Now don't you understand

That I'm never changing who I am

It's time: Imaginary Dragons

####

Melody grinned as she kicked off her sandals before flopping down onto the wooden dock. She let out a laugh as she dipped her toes into the cool water, the waves slapping up against the dock, wetting the bottoms of her jeans. Leaning back on her palms, she closed her eyes as the sun beat down on her, her headphones hanging around her neck.

She didn't understand why she had to be the one to come down to the dock to pick up her adoptive sister.

You'd think that after a year, she would know where we lived, she thought sarcastically. We're only a five minute walk away.

After the annual celebration a year ago, Samantha had decided since Jessilina had no where to return to, she should come and stay with them. So now, instead of just having to deal with Karol, she had Jessilina to contend with as well.

Just the thought of it made her shudder; it was well known that she didn't get along with the red head. Idly, she figured that she was sent down here to hopefully patch things up with Jessilina. She had no plans of doing that, however. Jessilina had stomped and bossed her around more times then she could count. It was easier to ignore her.

The red head had taken Samantha up on her offer, moving into the house the next day. Tiding up the house, Samantha had made room for the red head, as if their house wasn't already crowded enough. As usual, luck wasn't on Melody's side as the room just happened to be beside hers. She tried to ignore the red head, especially as Jessilina exclaimed she didn't like her music and Samantha forced Melody – my own grandmother, Melody would huff – to turn it down.

As of yet, Melody had yet to pinpoint what made Jessilina so self righteous. Not only did Jessilina try to boss her around, but she liked to demand what was served for breakfast, refusing to eat it if it didn't suit her. The slim red head, after watching too much of the fitness and foods network, slowly became a calorie counter and increasingly more annoying. Melody might have contemplated more then once about shoving a crème pasty at her, sprinkles littering the top.

"You're going to be thirty and chubby . . . those are going to go straight to your hips."

"Shut up, Jessilina," Melody would respond, reaching for another sugary treat in spite of her. "That just means that there's more for me then."

After that, the two rarely paid attention to one another, ignoring each other while in each others presence. On the other hand, Jessilina and Karol got on with each other rather well, the two hanging out whenever Karol wasn't running off to one of her many jobs. Melody had been glad that the two bonded; the two girls' spent a majority of their time out of the house. She'd been glad when the two went to Navel Island during summer vacation for a week, begrudging the idea of their return.

Just her luck though, Jessilina had returned with a crush on the suave, Orange Islands gym leader Danny, which took up a majority of what she spoke about.

Right, just like so many other girls . . . Melody sighed, rolling her eyes at the mention of the Orange Islands-famous brunette.

With a push from Karol, the eighteen year old signed up for some classes at the community college, a sudden interest in radio and television.

Finally giving into her flamboyant side, Melody thought.

"Melody!" A loud voice said, a shadow falling over her. "How many times have I told you – the sun's going to ruin your complexion? Honestly!"

Melody groaned, opening her eyes slowly, only to find Jessilina standing over her, her hands on her hips. "And yet, I rarely listen to you," she said with a shrug as she picked herself up off the dock, slipping her sunglasses on. "You can always just go home without me, you know? I like it down here, it's quiet," she shrugged. "I can finally hear myself think for a change."

Jessilina shrugged, a huge grin appearing on her features. "You'll never guess what happened at work today," Melody rolled her eyes behind her glasses as she picked up her sandals. "We were talking at work today, well, naturally we were, but it seems our viewer ratings have been going down lately. The executives were trying to figure out how to get them up again, so I just happened to be in the room at the time and I mentioned the Pokémon Celebration that we have here. They were really interested in it – especially considering that I'm the Festival Maiden this year – and they're discussing about doing the show live from here. Wouldn't that be interesting? Danny thinks it's a good idea, if only I can convince Elder Terrance and Samantha to agree to opening up the celebration to the world . . ."

"Uh huh, good luck with that," Melody said dryly, slipping on her earphones.

In the past thirty years, they'd never allowed camera's in, wanting to keep the tradition a secret. That was why the trainers lined up year after year, trying to be the first one to locate the Island, desiring to be the center of attention.

####

The sun beat down on the street as people moved about quickly, intent on getting the best of the early morning markets. Throughout the bustling, one posh figure moved through the crowds, people moving out of his way as he approached. His messenger bag hung off of his shoulder, his blue hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. His polished shoes hit the pavement quickly, hurrying to his destination. His blue eyes were hidden behind sunglasses as he eyed the glassed storefront at the end of the block.

"Good morning, Mr. Kalina, my Tangela feels so much better after our session with you yesterday."

Jim nodded; his pace slowly slightly. "I'm glad to hear I was able to help you out. Please, do stop by our shop again."

The woman nodded, used to his distant personality, continuing on her way. He grinned inwardly as his expression remained stoic as he approached the famous beauty salon. Fishing out his key from his messenger bag, he quickly unlocked the door, letting himself in.

"Pix! Vulpix!"

"Morning to you too, Vulpix," he said, spotting the fiery fox near the floor length mirrors. "You're looking good today."

"Oh, good morning Jim," Suzie said, coming around the corner. "How was your weekend?"

"Uneventful," he said with a shrug, dropping his messenger bag down onto his desk. "Just ended up watching some television, relaxed and did some sightseeing."

"Interesting, sounds fun," Suzie said, glancing in one of the mirrors as she scooped her long hair into a messy ponytail.

Jim nodded, unzipping his bag to pull out what he'd need for the day. What he's said to Suzie was true enough. He'd spent a majority of the weekend glancing at the television he had finally been able to purchase. Not to mention, the three hours he'd spent trying to hook up the television and the surround sound system the store had talked him into buying. Without a doubt, he was technologically challenged.

Upon completion of it, he had grabbed a bag of chips from the kitchen, flopping down on the used couch. Calling up the television's menu, he'd scrolled through the channels aimlessly, noticing that a majority of his channels were from Kanto and Johto with the odd one coming through from Hoenn or Sinnoh.

It hadn't taken him long to get interested in the contests that were being broadcast constantly throughout the weekend, it seemed. The Contests taking place in Mauville City in the Heonn Region did little to hold his attention as in his mind it seemed to play out as a Pokémon Battle. One trainer would come out, call out their Pokémon and their 'beautiful' attacks and the next would do the same. It didn't take him long to lose his attention and call the menu back up. Originally, he had curled his nose up at the thought of Sinnoh's contests, but with nothing else on, he eventfully put the channel on out of boredom.

The Contest seemed to be broadcasting from Floraroma Town, and to his surprise, it actually managed to grab his attention. The trainers would come out one by one, much like Hoenn, but they were all dressed in different outfits, all dressed to the nines. As they called out their Pokémon in showers of stars, hearts or whatever the trainer had chosen, he found himself drawn in, waiting for the judge's responses as well. He didn't know what it was; maybe it was the stylization of it that drew his attention.

"Suzie," Jim said, approaching the blue haired woman. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

"I see," Suzie said with a grin as she turned around. "What's on your mind?" she said slowly, a puzzled expression appearing on her face as she noticed his look.

Motioning for him to sit down as well, Suzie sat down on the cushioned chairs, her eyes staring intently at him. Vulpix nimbly jumped up beside Suzie, the stylist subconsciously petting her. Jim slumped down in the chair opposite her, wringing his hands together – he could just see Suzy's response. He didn't know what it was about the Stylist that intimidated him so.

"Well, over the weekend I was watching some Pokémon Contests –"

Suzy rolled her eyes, her nose scrunching up at the mention of the Contests. Suzy had commented numerous times as this trainer or that Contest was mentioned that dressing up a Pokémon and putting them out for show just got under her skin. It was all to make the trainer – not the Pokémon – look good as the Pokémon paraded around like toys. Shaking her head, she waved her hand at Jim to continue.

"While the Hoenn Region Contests didn't capture my attention in the slightest," he said slowly, slightly unsure as he watched Suzie's face. "The Sinnoh Region did manage to. The style that the trainers had, the grace in which their Pokémon carried themselves in, it was captivating."

"What are you getting at, Jim?" she trailed off, frowning. "You know those Contests don't show the Pokémon's true nature, but just flaunt the trainers' ability to . . ." she shook her head, her lips in a harsh line.

"What I'm getting at Suzie," he said slowly, feeling her intense stare, the blue haired woman getting uptight. "Is that after seeing the Contests and styles of Sinnoh, I would like to go and study there, perhaps learn a few tricks along the way . . ."

"Hopefully not from that Paris from Hearthome City," Suzie commented dryly, crossing her arms over her chest. "That woman . . . dressing up all those Pokémon in outfits to match her glitter and sparkle. That is not a Pokémon's inner beauty." Suzie said her voice getting louder, as she now paced back and forth in front of the chairs. "I never thought that you'd –"

"I'm not going there for Paris," Jim said sharply, rolling his eyes. "Like I told you, I'm looking to find some new tips and inspiration. I feel that what I have been doing is starting to get repetitive," Suzie narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything, her pace slowing. "I just need to get out there on the field and see what other trainers and stylists are doing in the other Region's. I believe that the stylized Contests would be a good place to start."

Suzie nodded, stopping a couple feet before him, drumming her fingers against her arms. "If that's what you want to do," she said at length, frowning. "I'll give you three months though, got that? That's how long I will hold your job here. Take that time to go and search for whatever it is you think you need to feel complete. But, if you're not back here by the end of September, you'll no longer be employed here, understand?"

Jim nodded, holding back a grin. Suzy smiled, moving towards the shop's front door, the people outside bustling to and fro, rushing to their destination. "What are you going to do with your apartment?" she wondered, stopping in front of the glass windows. "You finally got it set up the way you wanted it to be."

Jim shrugged, picking himself out of the chair, stretching her arms. "I'm renting it out to this Pokémon Photographer, Todd Snapp. He's supposed to be taking pictures of –"

"The Todd Snapp?" Suzie said, blinking. "He was the only one who caught sight of an Aerodyctl a year ago. Apparently, an archeology team accidently woke one up last year, it was really hushed up and so no one really knows what happened. Maybe I'll have to take a trip to your apartment sometime and speak with him. That last photographer Vulpix and I had for Style Times was unable to connect with us at all . . ." but she shook her head, turning around to unlock the front door. "Well, just enjoy your last few days here, alright?"

"Vul, Vulpix!" The fire fox called, as if to remind them of her presence.

Jim nodded, his footsteps echoing against the tiled floor as he made his way over to his section, intent on getting the products he needed for the day set up before his first client arrived. He watched Suzie out of the corner of his eyes as she unlocked the door, the wind chime on the door jingling as she opened it, calling out to someone on the street. He leaned down to scratch Vulpix's ears as she rubbed up against his legs, glancing now and again at the windows, glancing at Suzie.

The life he had built here, it was going to be hard to walk away from.

But he had found himself drawn to the world outside of Hop Hop Town.

####

Anabel glanced at the clock hanging on the cafeteria wall, drumming her fingers against the tabletop. She sighed as it read ten to twelve and frowning slightly, turned to glance out the large floor length windows behind her. Pushing her short purple back, she shook her head, reaching for her now textbook-free backpack. Whipping out her cell phone – waiting around just wasn't her thing – she shouldered her pack as she headed out of the cafeteria, walking the familiar path to the quad.

Duplica and Cole should be done soon, she thought, her footsteps echoing in the almost empty hallway.

The two, alongside the rest of Professor Poplar's Gym Class, were in the dense forest behind the school taking the Trainer and Pokémon Survival Test.

"They better have past," she mumbled to herself as she closed her cell, shoving it into her pocket. "But, if Cole doesn't pass . . . he'll have to stay here and not go to . . ." she sighed trailing off. "No, that's mean to think like that."

Shaking the thought from her head as she opened the school's door, her eyes narrowing as the sun shone down on her. Shrugging her shoulders, she didn't want to root through her bag for her sunglasses, glancing around the open greenery. She wondered fleetingly if maybe they were already back. A few people were milling around in the quad as they waited for friends, she assumed. Who'd want to hang around the school if they didn't have to?

"Oh look, here she comes now."

Anabel glanced up, her nose scrunching up as she caught sight of Giselle. The brunette sat on top of one of the many picnic tables, her friends sitting all around her, her hair catching the sun's light.

"Hello Giselle," she said none to friendly, not slowing her pace.

"Oh come now, what's with the hostilities?" she asked innocently as she leaned back on her palms to catch more sunlight. "We were just talking about you, you know. It must be karma that you're here."

"That's nice," Anabel said nonchalant, wishing she'd just stayed in the cafeteria, idly watching the seniors trying to hook their video game system up to the school's informational televisions.

"Say, where's Cole?" Giselle asked, a huge grin on her features as Anabel jumped, lost in thought. "Bianca here was just telling us about a party she's having at her dorm tonight before she returns to Johto for the summer. We wanted to invite him to come as well."

"Well, he's busy with Duplica and I tonight. We're having our own party."

Giselle let out a giggle, flipping her hair back as she glanced at Bianca and Neesha. "Ah yes, microwave popcorn and a cartoon movie with him and your best friend, real classy. On the other hand, we're having loud music, dancing, chips and pop. Lots more people too . . . a real party."

"And let me guess," Anabel said, her tone flat. "Duplica and I aren't invited."

Giselle let out a laugh, covering it up with her hand. "Well, you're not exactly in the same social standings as us, Ana."

Anabel shook her head, mentally cursing herself for actually stopping instead of continuing on, ignoring them like she usually did. Maybe summer break would be good for one thing after all; she wouldn't have to see Giselle every day. Her socially inept sister would be easier to deal with.

"Ana!"

Jumping at the loud voice, the Psychic Trainer whirled around on her heel, a scowl on her face. Her expression froze momentarily as a grin appeared instead as she caught sight of two figures coming out of the shadows of the forest.

"Hey!" she shouted, glad to have a reason to escape Giselle. "How'd the exam go?" she yelled as she picked up her pace, heading towards them.

Anabel could see Duplica's grin from where she stood, Ditto on her shoulder. Cole walked beside her, his hair an utter mess, his coat tied around his waist, Snorunt at his feet.

"It went great!" Duplica yelled when she got closer, pumping her fist into the air for emphasis. "Talk about a definite pass! Ditto and I are such a great team. Man, I am so glad that we got to use our own Pokémon this time around. Cole and Aipom aren't that bad together either."

"Right," Cole grumbled, rolling his eyes. "We were doing good, at least until we ran into Duplica and her Ditto – turned Kadabra and used Disable on us."

"Duplica!" Anabel chided, taking Cole's hand. "We're supposed to be your friends."

Duplica laughed awkwardly, shrugging. "Okay, so I might have thought that you were Lisa and her Girafarig."

"Right, cause a Aipom looks like a Giraffe." Anabel said dryly as Cole shook his hand free from hers, draping his arm around her shoulders.

"Come on, let's head back to the dorm, lovebirds," Duplica said, rolling her eyes as she started ahead. "We've got lots of celebrating ahead of us before everyone takes off!" To make her point, Duplica pumped her fist into the air again.

Cole laughed, shoving the blue haired girl as him and Anabel caught up. "C'mon, we all know you're dying to get back to your Imitate House."

"Hey Cole!" Giselle's voice interrupted as the three approached the picnic tables. The brunette grinned widely as she brushed imaginary dirt off of her skirt before running a pale hand through her long hair. "Did you hear about the party Bianca's having at her dorm tonight? We want to celebrate the end of school before everyone takes off. I hear that you're going off to Hoenn for the summer . . ." she winked at him, glancing momentarily at Anabel, a smirk on her features. "You know where the dorms are, Cole. You should definitely stop by."

"Huh, well, it sounds like a good time," Cole said evenly, not missing a beat. He noticed the grin that appeared on Giselle's face at his words. "But, I've already made plans for the night with my girl's here. It's going to have to be another time, Giselle."

Giselle's grin disappeared, a scowl appearing on her features. She tried to force a smile as she flipped her hair back. Anabel, on the other hand, hid a slight laugh behind her hand as she reached up, lacing her fingers with Cole's. "See you next year then, Giselle."

Duplica let out a loud laugh, winking at the small group on the picnic table. "Have a good party then, 'elle!"

"So, what do you guys want to do next?" Cole asked as they crossed the quad, the picnic table out of earshot. "I still think that we should go to the arcade."

"Hey, we already went over this," Anabel said, shooting him a look as they left the school's quad, the parking lot before them. "We're going to the movies – and no worries, it won't be that new Wigglytuff one . . ."

"Good," Cole said, shaking his head. "That was the longest two hours ever. But, as long as I get a say this time –"

"No way," Duplica said, draping an arm around Anabel's shoulders, throwing a smirk over at Cole. "It's two against one, you know that."

####

Willow sighed, pushing her bangs back before clasping her knees, bent over. She grinned to herself as she noticed the silhouette of the lighthouse falling over her, the large structure looming on the cliff overhead. A fence staked off the area as if to ward off visitors.

Willow rolled her eyes at that; apparently it wasn't good enough to keep Team Rocket out.

Made it, she thought to herself idly, as she straightened up, shaking her head.

She had gotten lucky, as upon her arrival in Garage C, yet another helicopter was heading out to Hoenn, something happening off the coast of Mossdeep City. Grateful, as the helicopter would be quicker, she found herself in Kanto, an hour later. She found herself dumped off outside of a small fisherman's village located between Cerulean and Vermillion City. With a map in hand that she had bought at the local Poke Mart, she had to find her way to the lighthouse on her own.

"Well, we finally made it here, Azurill," she said, smiling down at the water type.

"Azur!" It chirped, its tail bobbing with each movement.

Giggling slightly, Willow squinted her eyes as she glanced up at the lighthouse, the sun directly behind it. Shaking her head, she brought her hand to her forehead in order to shield her eyes, her feet crunching on the gravel underfoot. As she approached the gates, her steps slowed to a stop, a frown appearing on her features.

"Um . . . what now?" she mumbled, glancing from the tall fence in front of her to Azurill, its large eyes looking back at her. "There's got to be some way . . . Misha must have contacted him already."

Her eyes narrowed, she scanned the fence before her intently, letting out a sigh moments later. Her cerulean eyes scanned the area, a small smile appearing on her features as she caught sight of a small intercom a couple feet away, the device blending in with the rest of the gate.

"This really makes you want to visit him," she mumbled as she approached the device, reaching out and pressing the button. "No wonder he's got no –"

"Hello?" The intercom crackled to life. "What do you want?"

Real friendly guy, she thought fleetingly.

"Um, yes," Willow said, fidgeting. "I'm part of the Pokémon Ranger faction, Misha Varsa sent me –"

"Yes, yes, come on in," he said, cutting her off.

Willow frowned, her hands tightening into fists as he cut her off, the gate buzzing open as the intercom shut off. "This is going to be horrible isn't it, Azurill?" she laughed, leaning down to pick the small Pokémon up. "He seems oh so friendly."

Azurill chattered away as Willow let out a laugh, trying to keep her comments to herself. Looking around her surroundings, the sea breeze rustled through the grass as the lighthouse loomed overhead. Letting out a sigh at the prospect of working with the Bill Adams, suddenly the idea of working at a coastline lighthouse rescuing a Pokémon didn't seem so intriguing. Lost in her thoughts, she found herself at the foot of the lighthouse before she noticed, the shadow falling over her, the door before her.

Unsure, she knocked on the door, a "come in" sounding off from within moments later. Nodding to herself, Willow tentatively opened the door, unsure why she was suddenly intimidated. Slipping inside, the door closed soundly behind her – and effectively shutting out all light – she blinked rapidly, her eye sight adjusting.

The lighthouse's foyer was large and practically empty, the pillars on the left and right of her spiraled up and out of sight. Lit candlesticks were attached to the pillars, giving off a dramatic look. The tiled floor gave way to a raised platform closer to the back, a stairwell heading up along the wall, disappearing from view.

"I'm glad you could come as quick as you did," a voice said, interrupting her thoughts. "I wasn't sure if Miss. Varsa would be sending someone, it's been a while since I asked for her help."

Willow glanced up at the voice, footsteps echoing through the wide space as he appeared from a side room. Dressed in her standard Ranger outfit, Willow suddenly felt out of place in the large foyer, the posh researcher before her. His white lab coat made him look impressive, his brown hair was pulled away from his face, and his clothes nearly wrinkle free as he approached Willow, his black shoes catching the light.

"Yes, Miss. Varsa briefed me on your current situation," Willow said, remembering what the others' always said, not giving too much about headquarters away. "My name is –"

"I – it can't be," he mumbled, his voice echoing slightly in the large place, interrupting her once again. Willow narrowed her eyes, what was with this guy and interrupting people all the time? If he did this all the time, he wouldn't need a fence to keep people away. "It's that we . . . everyone thought you'd died . . ."

Willow took a step back, raising her eyebrow, a wary expression on her face. Azurill, sensing Willow's confusion, glanced from her to Bill and back again, its tail bobbing against her leg. "What are you . . .?"

"You look so much like a girl that I used to know," Bill shook his head. "Her name was Misty Williams, but she . . ."

Willow tuned him out.

"Like what's this, Misty?" The blonde haired woman from her imagination said. "Is that your boyfriend?"

She was talking about the black haired youth with the trademarked red hat standing off to the side.

"As if," She shouted, rolling her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips. "He owes me a bike!"

"Hold on a second there," Willow said, holding a hand out, unsure if Bill was finished speaking yet or not. "Why do you think I'm this person?"

Bill took a step back, looking critically at the red haired woman before him. "Perhaps I am mistaken. She had the same hair colour as yourself, you see. If you could just follow me for a moment, if you don't mind, we can get to business in a moment."

"I have the same hair colour," Willow said dryly, as she followed after Bill slowly. "That's kind of lame, you know. Now, if you have nothing else to say about the matter I arrived for, I should probably check out the coastline."

"One moment," Bill said again, his commanding tone stopping Willow in her tracks. "Team Rocket rarely appears during the daytime, they tend to work better under the cover of darkness. You can check out the area and get a feeling for this place in a moment. This will only take a moment. Now, come this way, Willow."

Willow narrowed her eyes, but sighing in defeat, followed after him. She watched him warily as they made their way down the hallway, Bill disappearing around a corner. Her mind whirled as she tried to wrap her head around his words, her feet echoed off the tiled floor.

"Willow . . ." he paused, glancing over his shoulder. "Where are you from?"

"Almia," she responded immediately. "It's way North East of here."

"I see and before that?" Bill asked, pulling a keycard out of his pocket, slipping the card through a device on the wall.

"Before that . . ." Willow trailed off, her mouth in a hard line as she glanced at the ceiling overhead. "I was in . . ."

Was it Sinnoh? No, was it Kanto?

Or maybe it was somewhere further away like Hoenn?

"I see," Bill said, a grin on his features as the door closed behind them. Willow scowled, wishing she could wipe that expression from his face. "Well, I think that you might find some of these interesting," Bill said, motioning to the picture frames. "Come over here, will you?" he added, noticing Willow standing feet away, hands now shoved in her pockets, Azurill at her feet.

Slowly, curiousity getting the better of her, she nodded slowly, ruefully coming over to Bill. Stopping before him, she glanced at the picture frames that littered the wall. For someone who seemed so reclusive, she wouldn't have thought he'd know this maybe people.

"Someone really likes their pictures," she mumbled with a shake of her head, losing count of the photos.

"Misty was here once before with her friends a little over a year ago," Bill said, not commenting on Willow's words as he glanced at her. "They were actually helping me out momentarily with the same problem. If only it wasn't for Team Rocket . . ." he shook his head, trailing off.

"A year ago . . ." she mumbled, looking back at the photos littering the wall. A frown marred her features, her eyebrows coming together. "A . . . Kabuto . . ."

"Yes, that's – wait," Bill stopped, a surprised look on his features as he looked at the red head. "How do you know about that?"

"It just came to me . . ." Willow said slowly.

Bill nodded, recovering quickly. "Ah, here it is," he said, finding the picture he was looking for, tapping the frame. "This is Misty here and her travelling companions."

Willow shook her head, following his gaze up to the photos. Her eyes widened as she blinked rapidly taking in the three people in the picture. Unconsciously, she took a step closer to the frame, standing up on her toes to get a better view, the lights glaring against the glass.

The photo had been taken in the same foyer that Willow had entered through moments previous. Not much seemed to have changed, she thought idly, shrugging it off. She drew her attention to the occupants of the picture. The girl, Misty, stood in the center of the photo, a grin on her features, her hands resting on her hips. Her red hair – a similar shade of Willow's, it might have been a bit lighter – was scooped hastily into a side ponytail.

"It's . . ."

The two standing beside Misty is what made her pause, her body freezing momentarily. Just like the images that had drifted into her mind over the past year was the dark haired teen with the red hat and the tanned brunette. Willow blinked, her mouth opening and closing, words ultimately failing her.

There was no way this was real . . .

She noticed a Pikachu on the dark haired teen's shoulders, the boy unaware of the photo being taken. She shook her head slightly, the picture bringing back a buried memory . . .

It was on the tip of her tongue.

"Ah yes, Ash and Brock. The two of them sure had a way with Pokémon . . ."

Willow tuned out Bill's words as she looked intently at the photo, lost in her own thoughts.

"Hey, it's a Pikachu. Is it hurt?"

"I'm borrowing your bike – I'll bring it back someday!"

"Look at what you did to my bike! You . . ."

"My bike . . ." she mumbled ruefully, shaking her head in disbelief. "It doesn't even . . . where are they now?" She said, her voice growing louder as she whirled around on her heel to stare Bill in the eyes.

Bill was silent for a moment, a range of emotions playing across his face in those few seconds. "Mist . . . no, Willow, they're no longer," he paused, trying to find the right words. "They were aboard the St. Anne when it sunk off of the Vermillion City harbour a year ago," he said slowly. "They didn't make it off the ship. Unfortunately, they past away . . ."

"But," Willow took a step back, instantly refusing the words. Images flashed through her head quickly, disappearing quickly the next moment. "That . . . can't be . . . there was a . . . a Gyardos."

"A Gyardos?"

Willow shook her head, running a hand over her face, unsure what was bringing those words to her lips. "Wait a second . . . are these . . .?"

Bill shook his head, breaking his concentration on the red head before him. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he glanced over at what Willow was pointing at, the photo frame catching the light. He nodded without even seeing the photo hanging above the one before Misty, Ash and Brock. "Ah yes," he said with a nod. "Those would be Misty's three older sisters; the fabulous Waterflower sisters, Lily, Violet and –"

". . . Daisy."

Bill stopped midsentence, his eyes widening slightly, unconsciously taking a step back. "Yes," he said slowly. "She's the oldest of the Cerulean sisters. They haven't been the same since the fiasco. They only started doing their shows again about three months ago. Oh, it's an Underwater Ballet," he supplied, noting the confused look setting in on Willow's face. "Yes, Misty wore the same look as yours when it was brought up," he added with a laugh. "They're having a performance tomorrow afternoon, you know? You should really go and see it."

Willow nodded slowly, taking in his words. "An Underwater Play," she mumbled to herself, the words familiar on her tongue. "But, I have my job to complete here," she settled on saying, pushing it away.

"Yes, yes," Bill said idly, getting back on track. "Like I told you earlier, I have noticed that Team Rocket likes to appear under the cover of night. Now, go and take a walk down there and get the layout of land and decide on what your plan is for tonight. I fear that they are getting closer to the mysterious Pokémon. I worry about that poor creature. However, tomorrow you will be heading out to Cerulean."

"But . . ."

"No, I'm telling you this as your employer."

Willow sighed, a frown appearing on her features as she nodded, accepting it.

She wasn't supposed to disagree with the clients.