Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.


Chapter 6: Hidden Feelings

Bolt had started searching all over town for Lorain after she had run out. It had become crystal clear that Jirachi was probably right to an extent; that Lorain's attitude towards Christine simply wasn't because of what Christine had done ten years ago in Viridian City. Bolt suddenly regretted the way he had hit on Lorain when she first showed up n town even more than ever. After what seemed like at least an hour, Bolt finally found Lorain by the town's iconic waterfalls where they had their little reunion. The blunette was still crying her eyes out.

"Hey there, Lorain." Bolt spoke, getting her attention. "Mind if you and I have a talk?"

"Go away!" Lorain told him. "I don't… I don't want you seeing me like this."

"C'mon. Don't be like that." Bolt spoke as he cautiously approached. "Now tell me what's wrong."

Lorain took a big gulp. "Jirachi was right. I do… have feelings for you, Bolt. I have for a long time. Then when Christine showed up again… I just couldn't bare the thought of you going back to her. But I didn't mean for Jirachi to try and kill Christine like that! You have to believe me!"

"I do." Bolt assured her as he came a little closer. "So… how long have you felt this way about me? I mean… was this like love or first sight or something?"

Lorain shook her head. "I didn't have these feelings for you in the beginning. At first I just thought you were really cool. You were this hotshot trainer who could take down a whole gang of bandits like nothing. You were kind of a hero to me. But I think the more time we traveled together my feelings for you started to grow. Then a few months after I went home to take care of my grandma and I heard one of your band's first songs on the radio… I think that's when I realized that I was in love with you. There was a sadness in that song that just touched my heart… and after I heard it I just wanted to take you in my arms to try and comfort you… to make your pain go away."

"That's probably one of the songs I wrote about when I lost Christine." Bolt recalled. "Hell, our first album was mostly break-up songs and power ballads."

"I kinda figured that's what the song was about." Lorain replied with a tearful smile. "Bolt… I have to know… could you ever feel about me the same way I feel about you?"

Bolt sighed. "I do care about you, Lorain. But… I've always seen you as the little sister I never had. I don't think I could ever care about you in any other way. Besides, now that Christine is back I'm pretty much committed to her."

"…I see." Lorain responded. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. You know… part of me was pretty excited when you hit on me when I first ran into you and the guys here. Bolt… do you think that if I had looked back then the same way I look now… would things have been different between us?"

Bolt shook his head. "Looks aren't everything, Lorain. I mean if you were the bombshell that you are now back then, I probably would've hit on you, then you would've called me a jerk and told me to get lost. But then maybe after my band took off, you would've become my groupie and maybe ended up as one of the many girls I'd have a one-night stand with. I think the relationship that we do have is a hell of a lot better than that alternative."

"I guess you're right." Lorain admitted. "So… I guess I'll just have to settle for being your favorite little sister."

Bolt then pulled Lorain into a hug, after which Lorain broke into tears again. The two remained there by the falls holding each other until Lorain finally managed to calm down.


It was early evening as Richter walked the halls of the Team Rocket base with Butch and Cassidy walking a step behind. Richter was wearing new a dark-grey pinstripe suite with a black shirt and a red tie. A red letter R was sewn onto the front jacket pocket of the suit, indicating he was now the full-fledged leader of the new Team Rocket. The building that Cassidy and Butch's Team Rocket was using as a base was originally an old weather institute on the outskirts of Stardust Falls that was set up to study some of the odd weather patterns that formed around Mt. Coronet. The buildings existing laboratories had made it the perfect place for Team Rocket splinter group to make into a base.

Richter and his two lieutenants walked into the building's largest lab. Inside, several men and women were working at the various computer and lab stations around the spherical room. Standing in the middle of the room watching a large video screen mounted on the wall was a bald man in a white lab coat. He stood at a little over five feet and had on a pair of spectacles and had a small beard of red hair. A red letter R was embroidered onto the front pocket of his lab coat. The bald man turned around almost as soon as Richter and the others entered the room.

"Boss, this is our lead scientist, Dr. Werner Phylum." Cassidy informed Richter.

"It is an honor to finally meet you, Mr. Chase." Dr. Phylum spoke as he shook Richter's hand. "I was one of the chief scientists in the original Team Rocket. I believe that with someone like you leading us, we can bring our proud organization back to its former glory."

"My underlings told me that you've found a way to track down Jirachi." Richter responded.

"That I have, boss!" Dr. Phylum confirmed. "My people and I have been scanning this whole area since the sightings of Jirachi and news of these 'odd occurrences' began to surface. Through our continuous observations, we've detected various odd energy signatures that would coincide with each of these strange events. My theory is that Jirachi gives off this energy signature each time it grants a wish."

"And so you can use that signature to locate where Jirachi is." Richter realized.

"Correct!" Dr. Phylum confirmed. "We've isolated the exact energy signature of Jirachi's power. The moment Jirachi grants another wish, we should be able to pinpoint its exact location."

"We've already deployed several undercover teams over the entire area." Butch added. "The second Jirachi pops up on our the Dr.'s scanners, the nearest teams will move in to catch it."

"Inform me the moment Jirachi is located." Richter ordered.

"You will be the first to know, right me." Dr. Phylum assured him.

With that, Richter left the lab with Cassidy and Butch following close behind. The three of them walked the darkened halls of the base in silence for several moments before Richter suddenly stopped.

"Has there been any progress made in finding Christine Wyler?" Richter asked.

"Uh… well boss, I'm afraid that she's proving harder to find than Jirachi." Cassidy answered. "She was checked into a local hospital for a night after the villa exploded, but we haven't been able to find a trace of her since she checked out. She's not registered at any hotel in the area."

Richter turned around and was about to chew Cassidy out, but then he recalled the flying Christine had been looking at the night of the explosion. "…Find out what hotel that rock band, Raging Thunder is staying at. If I'm right, she's probably with them."

"Why would you think that, boss?" Butch asked.

"Just do as I tell you!" Richter snapped. "Now… I'm going to my new office to be alone for a while. Do not disturb me unless you have news about Jirachi or Christine."

"Yes boss!" Cassidy and Butch replied together as they saluted.

Richter stormed off down the halls of the base. In moments he had arrived in the large room that was his office. The walls of the room were mostly bare, but it had a large oak desk and the far wall behind the desk was a single large window that overlooked the forest beyond and the base of Mt. Coronet. Richter sat down in the large black leather chair behind his desk and turned around to face the window. After sitting in silence for a few moments, Richter pulled out a small folded picture that he kept in his pocket.

The picture was Richter and Christine when they were both seven years old. It was taken at the time when they had first met at some party that was held at the Wyler estate in Kanto. The fact was that Richter had been in love with Christine since the moment he first laid eyes on her that day. To Richter, Christine was the perfect girl, a jewel whose beauty was unsurpassed by any other girl in the world. Since that moment, Richter had always wanted to be near Christine… to possess her. So when Richter's father told him later that a marriage between him and Christine had been arranged, Richter was overjoyed.

"I will have you again, Christine." Richter spoke as he looked at the image of Christine in the picture. "You belong to me now and forever. I'm not going to let some low class rock star steal you from me. This time… I'll kill him if I have to."


It was still fairly early in the morning as Bolt and Christine headed down to the hotel lounge for some breakfast. When they arrived, they encountered Lorain right when she was walking out the door. The three of them exchanged a quick awkward greeted before Lorain quickly went on her way. Afterward, the couple continued into the lounge and sat down at the nearest table.

Bolt let out a heavy sigh. "Guess things between me and Lorain are gonna be pretty weird for a while, huh?"

"Give her some time, Bolt. She'll get over it." Christine assured him as she place her hand over his on the table.

"Yeah, I know." Bolt replied. "It's just… I think I'm probably the first guy she ever had a major crush on. That's a pretty hard thing to get over."

"Who was your first crush?" Christine asked.

"It was this one girl I met while I was first starting out as a trainer here in Sinnoh." Bolt answered. "She was like five years old than me. We ended up traveling together to this one city. I ended up falling for her pretty hard, and it wasn't because she was, you know… gorgeous. She was kinda like the way you are, actually; kind, compassionate. Then we reached the city we were going to and I found out she had a boyfriend who was waiting for her at the Pokemon Center. I was pretty down for a while after that."

"But you obviously got over it." Christine pointed out. "Just like Lorain will get over this."

"I'm sure you're right." Bolt replied. "So… since we're on the subject, who was your first crush?"

A small smile appeared on Christine's face. "When I was nine, my father had this chauffer who whose son lived with him in the servants' quarters. His son was named Alec and he was twelve. I made every little excuse to be around him."

"So what happened?" Bolt asked.

"Well, my father seemed to notice how friendly I was being with Alec and had his father fired." Christine answered. "I never saw Alec again after that. There were times when I'd wonder about what ever happened to him."

"Sorry. For a while I forgot how messed up your life used to be." Bolt responded.

"It's okay. After all, in the end we've were both able to find the person we love most." Christine replied.

Suddenly Quinton dashed into the room. "Guys! Jirachi just struck again, and in a big way!"

"What happened?" Bolt asked as he rose from his chair.

"Well… how shall I put this?" Quinton began. "We've got zombies! I don't know if some poor sucker wished for his long dead parents or grandparents to come back to life or what, but we've got two living corpses tearing up downtown right now!"

"Son of bitch!" Bolt exclaimed. "We better get going!"

"I'm coming with!" Christine decided. "I don't know how much of a help I'll be, but I'm tired of just sitting around while Jirachi continues to cause all this destruction."

"You sure about this?" Bolt asked.

"Trust me. I can handle myself." Christine assured him.

"Well… okay." Bolt finally agreed. "Let's get out there and put an end to this crap once and for all!"


Richter was sitting in his office quietly drinking a cup of coffee. Suddenly the door burst open and one of the scientists working for Dr. Phylum burst into the room.

"Boss! We've finally located Jirachi!" the scientist reported. "The squad being led by Commander Cassidy and her partner are on route as we speak!"

Richter rose from his chair. "I'll be going there as well. I want to see just how well you people operate with my own eyes."


Author's Note: Sorry for doing yet another fairly short chapter. In retrospect, I probably should've merged this chapter and the last one together. Anyway, I think I should take this moment to let everyone know that I probably won't have the next chapter up until next Wednesday or Friday. Let's just say that I'm planning a little trip at the moment.

Please review and let me know what you think.