Chapter 2

Thirteen Months Prior to the Explosion

"…It's been a year now Maxie. It's still hard for me to think about, you know? I don't like to think about it and yet… Ha… To think. The place where you, me, Luna, and Gulwee, where we all lived for almost two years just disappeared and nobody but me now is around to remember any of it. Do you remember Maxie? When we first met? You said you saw potential in me, you put an arm around me, you showed me around, you made me feel, well, it was like I mattered. And then… then I found the seal. And I began to weaken the barrier around it. And Luna summoned the G-Men for an official inquiry into the matter… and then, when, well, you know…and I know… what happened next… And yet, now I'm-"

"Excuse me? Lady Emerald?"

Mika turned, slightly annoyed that her talkings to a tombstone were being interrupted but her face softened when she saw the sheer terror in the poor child's eyes. It was obvious she was no more than a grunt, a low-leveled grunt at that, and she was shaking so badly it was visible, even though Mika was a good deal away from the girl. Chuckling, she shook her head, turning and walking back towards the girl, smiling down at her, "Yes'um?"

Her blue eyes shone as she looked up at the leader, comparing her own simplistic black skirt and long sleeved black shirt with the red rocket logo on the chest to Mika's black thin strap dress with emerald green lines running up and down her sides. The dress itself, held tightly against her form to prevent snagging that could result in harm, had a semi large Rocket emblem on the lower right hand corner in an emerald shade. Under the dress, a pair of a black leggings that come down to her knees and a pair of knee-high black lace up metal-toed boots with red Rs engraved into the soles of said boots. Over it all, she had on a black ankle-length hooded leather trenchcoat with the giant green letter R on the back. To protect her hands, the black fingerless gloves on her hands are metal plated on the back, with an R embossed into each of them and around her neck was the signature crystal key with a crystallized pokeball in the center. All in all, it was a sight to behold. It was obvious how high her rank was, it was obvious how much power she commanded. With her hair in a ponytail and two small emerald earrings in her ears and a powerful look in her eyes, it was clear, clear to all, just who exactly this girl was. Her eyes still staring up, she realized, suddenly, that she was staring and pulled the black cap down over her eyes, her cheeks as red as the emblem on her chest, "I-I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to s-s-stare!"

Laughing, Mika gently patted the girl, who was a good head shorter than her, on the head, ruffling her hair under her cap, "Calm down kiddo, it happens. Now, what's your message for me?"

"T-the master, he requests your presence. Your tr-train, it leaves soon…"

"Thank you um…"

"E-emily! My name is Emily!"

"Thank you Emily…" She laughed, taking the girl by the wrist, "Stop your worrying, I don't bite." She pulled her along til the blonde haired girl came willingly, a giddy smile on her face, "You'll make a fine member of Team Rocket, don't worry so, it's not good for the soul." Dropping her hand after a while, she smiled naturally and strangely warmly over at the girl, "Are you from around here?"

"N-no, I'm from Lavender Town…"

"I'm from Blackthorn, you're abit closer than me."

"Teehee… L-lady Emerald I-"

"Ems, don't call me that."

"B-but-"

"Call me Mika."

"Mika-one-sama?"

"…Gawh. You're just too cute…"

"T-teehee… Onee-sama, wh-why did you join Team Rocket?"

She sighed, her head tilting back, staring up at the sky as they wandered back out of Viridian City, towards the entrance to the base, "I didn't really have a choice in the matter, to be honest, but I guess… because they, in a way, let me be myself. My father, he never let me be myself." Chuckling, she shook her head, pulling her ID out from around her neck, "What about you?"

"I… It was my mother's wish, that I join the ranks of Team Rocket. She wanted me… she wanted me to…" The girl's eyes brimmed with tears and she smooshed her eyes into her gloved hands, trying not to look so…well, pathetic. "I-I'm sorry I-I…I'm sorry." She blubbered softly, trying hard to stop her tears.

Sighing heavily, Mika stopped and crossed infront of the other, placing a hand on either shoulder and, after staring at the pathetic site for a moment, gathered the girl into a hug, her hands slowly running through the girl's hair, soothingly whispering nothings into the top of her head, "It's alright love… your mother.. is gone, isn't she."

"Y-yes…"

"It's alright… It's alright… You can cry… It's alright…"

"N-no it's"

"Are you going to talk back to a superiour officer?" she smirked, teasingly threatening the child, "That's a naughty thing to do, you know?"

"I…"

"It's alright. To be human. To show emotion. At times like this. Outside of the battle field. Outside of the mission. If you don't, you'll die inside. And you'll become nothing. If you keep your emotions bottled up… you'll never advance in the ranks, understand little one?"

"Yes.. yes I understand…" Hiccuping, she lowered her hands and buried her nose in the other's shoulder, bawling her eyes out, snot coating the girl's shoulder.

"Good… That's it… That's it…" Sighing, she rocked the girl softly, humming a sorrowful lullaby, a minor key, an ancient little ditty but seemingly soothing as the girl soon stopped her crying and sighed, relaxing against the older girl's shoulder, hiccupping and sniffling as the last of her tears began to dry. "Better?" she pulled the girl away from her for a moment, worry in her eyes.

She smiled, brushing away her tears, "Y-yes ma'am."

"Good… let's go into the base, kay? It's just down the hill." On the outside, the base looked like your ordinary old man's cottage. Beneath it, however, was a base that stretched almost the entirety of Route 1. Coming up upon the the house, the duo encountered a small bit of silence before the younger girl broke the silence with a soft little timid voice, "Um… Um… Mika-nee-sama? Why… Why are you nice?"

"Eh?"

"The other executives… they aren't nice. Why are you so nice?"

"Compared to?"

"the other executives.. they yell at us… "

"You grunts?"

"Yeah. We're.. nothing to them. But you… you treat us with respect. You hold your authority but… but… yeah."

"I know… But it's just how I was raised. My brother… my brother taught me, he taught me form a young age to teach those beneath me or society couldn't function. So that's what I do."

"how old were you? When you came here, to the Rockets?"

"Five..maybe six… I had just started primary school."

"Do you… remember your mother and father?"

"Sometimes…sometimes I remember. "

"It… would hurt me. If I couldn't remember my parents."

"Heh… so it would…"

Sliding the card in the slot, the fireplace in the little hut gave way and the two girls were dropped via a shoot into the base. Waving, she ruffled the girl's hair one more time before stopping a good deal before the other, "come talk to me anytime, alright?"

Stepping off the elevated shoot thingy, she walked forward, down the red and black carpeted hall, towards the armed guards at the end, fixing her hair into place [so he wouldn't yell] before waving the guards off and pressing open the doors

So it would… so it would…

ATTENTION GRUNT-ISTS. MY HAIR WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT A HIGH LEVEL EXECUTIVE HAS ENTERED. PLEASE BEGIN THE KISS ASSING NOW.

"Very funny Koji." She rolled her eyes, yanking the black haired boy down from his pedestal on top of the elegant marble topped oak wood desk, slamming the boy down to the ground, "I forgot to laugh. Sorry."

"Aw… but I like using PokeTube Parodies…" He rubbed his head lightly where Mika had slammed it into the wood, groaning softly, "And that hurt!" Standing, he brushed himself off, straightening out his tank top with the Giant Blue R on the back and his multi belted black Capri pants with their overflowing pockets of doom before snagging his trenchcoat, with a Blue R on the back, "You're a meanie, you know that?" Slipping the navy blue, or perhaps it was some other shade of dark blue that Koji just couldn't bother to look up unless he dug around in a box of crayons and read the names which would make it Sharpedo blue or something, hankerchief back on his head, he stuck his tounge out, "Meeeeean."

"Enough. Where's Father?" She crossed her arms, staring him down with quite the glare, "I was told he was calling for me?" Turning, she stared down at Koji's black with blue toed socks and scoffed, "Put shoes on, you know Father will yell if he sees you out of uniform…"

"Out. He'll be back soon." He squatted down, pouting playfully, "But I dun wanna wear the boots. They make my feet smell…"

"Do you honestly think I care? Put them on or Father will hurt you."

"Boooooooooo." He scowled over at Mika before flopping onto his ass and, like a small child, pulled his shoes on one by one, "But just because you won't let me forget it if I don't, I'll put them on… Sheeeeesh…. Don't have a miltank or something…"

"I don't plan on it."

"Argh. What's crawled up your butt and died?"

"I don't like it when he makes us wait. He summoned all of us, didn't he."

"Yup. You, me, and Raven."

"Joooy… That means he's got something cooked up his sleeves."

His face darkening, the cheery demeanor vanishing with it, he nodded, crossing his arms across his chest, his ice like eyes sparkling softly in the limelight of the dimly lit room, "Yeah… And it's not going to be fun, I'll tell ya that much.."

"…He's sending us out. Isn't he."

"More than likely."

"…Great. Just. Great."

"…he's not here yet…?" Both Koji and Mika turned towards the sound, an eyebrow raised for a moment at the new voice before both relaxed. Koji stepped to the side, mockingly bowing at the new figure's entrace, "Ah Raven, the dead of the party has arrived."

The raven haired boy, (perhaps this is where he got his name, no?) crossed his arms across the dark purple jumpsuit covering his body, letting his black cape with the signature R on the back cover around him, tapping the toe of his boot into the tile, listening to it clang due to the metal covering around it, "Koji, has anyone ever told you you're annoying?"

"Daily." He smirked, flipping backwards, holding himself up by an arm, obviously showing off, "They just won't let me forget it, you know?"

"Riddle me this then?" Raven glanced over Koji through what could only be considered a rotten look of sorts, his purple eyes flickering in the light, "If you hear it daily, why then aren't you following said advice?"

"…because I don't want to!"

"…and you wonder why-"

"Both of you, enough!" Mika grabbed both of the boys by the ear and slammed them together, knocking them both off balance but both managed to slip away before they combinded their skulls into one, "I can't believe you two, can't you stop bickering for just a moment? Please!"

"…Fine… At least Walter still loves me…" Pouting, he threw a brightly colored Love Ball into the air, "Walter, come on out!" In a flash of brilliant pink light, a skitty decended from above and landed on Koji's head, mewling happily as he pawed around his master's ears. Proud of himself, Koji crossed his arms across his chest, laughing like a maniac, "See? Walter loves me."

Raven smirked, putting his hands up to his ears in mock defeat, "Well, you know, Walter only loves you as much as he does because of Barbara."

The skitty's ears perked and he stared down at Raven, big pink eyes locked on the male from the moment the B-Word passed out of his lips.

"You lie Raven!"

"I think not."

"You lie! Walter loves meee!"

"Would he love you so much if you gave me Barbara?" Raven smirked, "Your Waillord. Its beloved woman."

"He wouldn't ca-YEOWCH." Koji squawked, bouncing back as the skitty mewled at him and dug his little claws into his master's cranium, "I wouldn't, I wouldn't! O Yeooooow… Let go! Let go!" Pulling up on the skitty in an attempt to get the stupid thing off his head and thus the claws out of his scalp but this didn't even work as the motions, which only made it dig its claws in further, just made the skitty angrier. As he blubbered around like a spinda, it became more and more apparent he wasn't going to be able to get the thing off his head on his own. Mika reached behind her dress to her poke-belt, snagged a blue ball and was about to throw it when a thunderous voice stopped everyone, including the skitty, in their tracks.

SILENCE! STOP THIS FOOLISHNEES IMMEDIATELY! DO YOU FORGET WHO YOU ARE, NO, DO YOU FORGET WHERE YOU ARE!? ENOUGH!

All three of the executives dropped to one knee after quickly forming a triangle formation with Mika slightly further ahead than Raven, on her left, and Koji, on her right [with a skitty still gnawing on his ear] and as the girl kicked herself for letting things get out of control, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the hall as the Master of the Rocket Empire took his seat. Sweat trickled down the back of her throat, her hand trembling slightly ands he couldn't help but flinch when he spoke, her shoulders tucking up almost to her ears.

"Now that you've all calmed down, stand up."

In as professional of a stance as they could, the trio stood, their gazes to the ground, all three looking nervous with Mika the only one physically trembling.

The master sighed, looking down at the trio with a look in his eyes before he reached out a hand to grasp a previously filled class of red win, a single silver ring on his second finger glistening in the dimly lit room, "Mysterica why do you tremble so? You're not in trouble… Look up at me."

Hesitantly, she lifted her eyes up to him, forcing the tremors to stop, "Y-yes Father…"

Spinning slightly to the left in his chair, he set the glass back down on the desk, "You know why I've called the three of you, yes?"

"You've got a mission for us, right sir?" Koji lifted his gaze testingly before snapping it back down, "Or something's about to happen. Y-you only call the three Gems when…"

"…something needs to happen. Correct." He stood, crossing around infront of his desk, clad in the normal black suit with a red tie underneath, "Mysterica, you haven't been sleeping well, have you?"

She blinked, her eyes widening as her head snapped up to look at him, her jaw dropped lightly, "H-how did you-"

"Kain keeps me informed about the condition of my adopted daughter." He smiled slightly before it faded and he leaned back against the desk, crossing his legs at the ankles, "Regardless, you're being plagued with dreams, am I correct?"

"Y-yes…"

"About the Eight Guardians of Lore?"

"Y-yes…"

"As I thought. This means, my three beloved gems, that you will be leaving to break the seals. Since the incident on the island Myseterica, when you released the first seal, the seals have begun to weaken. According to the scientists at the researches lab, the weakest seals as of right now are in Sinnoh but that's not the only reason I'm sending you there."

Raven straightened himself up, his eyes gazing piercingly into Giovanni's own, "It's Team Galaxy, isn't it."

"Correct. We've received, from the intelligence division, rumours that they've broken the Indigo Island Alliance Contract made after the incident at the Cave of Origins last year in Hoenn. This is not acceptable under any means and if they are found to be breaking the contract, they must be stopped. No one must know of our plan to break the seals until the time is right." His eyes lightened, a small chuckle breaking the momentary silence "But you already know this, don't you Raven."

"I am the acting head of the intelligence division sir."

"True true. Regardless, I've decided to send all three of you to Sinnoh but to different areas. Raven, you've already received your assignment, Koji, you'll-"

"ooo oo ooo! I get to do Contests, don't I!?" His eyes glistened, his body up on his toes in giddy anticipation, "And investigate that realm, right right right?"

Giovanni raised an eyebrow, slightly taken back by the boy's apparent…excitement. "Yes… how did you…?"

"Because Raven couldn't be showy if his life depended on it-"

"Hey!"

"Well it's true! And Mika is the best trainer of the tree of us-"

"Hey!"

"Sorry Raven, but you're just not that great with gym battles and well, that just leaves me for contests!" His voice lifted up towards the ceiling in a giddy little sing song as the male spun around the room, "Nothing, nothing, nothing shall take me and my all-powerful team of Skitty and Wailord down! No prissy ten year old in some pink dress with a stupid piplup… hahaha…. Hahahahahhahaa!" His voice trailed off into a cackle as he pulled the bewildered skitty off his head and proceeded to dance around the room with it, "Walter! We'll be champions! Champions!"

Shaking his head, Giovanni looked towards the duo left standing and nodded, "Mysterica, you'll complete the gym leader challenge as planned, but… if you feel a calling from the seals…"

"Break them?"

"If you can do it safely, Kain says it puts strain on your body"

"Hnn"

"None of that. The three of you will be transported to Vermillion and from there, you will journey to Canalave via a ferry. From there, you will split and I believe you can figure the rest out yourself. Dismissed."

As the three walked out, Mika couldn't help but shake her head, a growing migraine budding inside it. Something about this was eating at her, something was not right about this mission. Then again, something wasn't right about most of her missions. All she knew for certain was that this defiantly wasn't going to end well, whatever the outcome. All she could hope for was that he, him wouldn't find out.