Chapter 17

Don't Stop Believing

Sabrina, Will and Liza walked around in Olivine City, trying to find the ghost that Sabrina had sensed. In reality only Sabrina knew what was going on, as she was the only one who could sense the ghost's presence; the other two were just hoping to help her in some way.

Sabrina felt some sort of a presence coming from a certain house. She knocked on the front door of the house.

Jasmine opened the door. "Yes?" she said.

"May we come in?" Sabrina asked.

"You're that girl who was in Mahogany Town," Jasmine said. "Sure, but what for?"

Sabrina did not respond, walking around the house slowly. She looked at Silver, who was sitting on a couch watching television. Silver looked over at her with annoyance.

"Jasmine, why just allow anyone into your house?" Silver asked.

"I trust these people," Jasmine said.

"Don't worry about us," Will said. "We're just trying to find a ghost."

"Another one?" Gold said.

"Yes," Sabrina said. "But for whatever reason, I can't sense the ghost anymore, although I did when I came in. Thank you for letting us in."

"You're welcome," Jasmine said, as the three psychics walked out.

Silver rushed over and closed the door behind the psychics, locking it.

"We can't just have anyone come in," Silver said. "What if it's someone trying to accuse me?"

"You've already been accused," said Whitney. "It's not going to make anything worse. What if they find some evidence that proves your innocence?"

"Well, in that case, I guess it's okay," Silver said.

Sabrina, Will and Liza teleported back to Saffron City, returning to their houses to go to sleep. The next afternoon, a Sunday, they met in the dining room of Sabrina's house.

"There was something mysterious about that house," Sabrina said. "I could really sense some sort of presence there, but it seemed to just go away all of a sudden."

"And you think it was a person that knows you," Will said, sensing Sabrina's thoughts.

"Yes," Sabrina said. "I think it is a Team Rocket member who I obviously worked with for some time."

"You don't think we should go back there?" Will asked.

"I think the ghost will make itself known eventually," Sabrina said.

"If there even is a ghost," Liza said.

"Trust me, there is a ghost causing problems," Sabrina said. "I know it might seem improbable, but it's the truth."

Roxanne had returned to her home of Rustboro City for the weekend. When she walked to her gym, she noticed Dewford Town gym leader Brawly standing outside.

"Hi, Roxanne," he said.

"Hi… what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I just was interested in how things have been going for you over at Pokémon Tech," Brawly said.

Roxanne sighed. "Not too good," she said. "Before my breakup with Hiker, I treated my class horribly and unprofessionally. I still feel terrible about it, even though I've stopped acting like that."

"I always thought that Hiker treated you terribly," Brawly said.

"He did," Roxanne said, sitting down on the steps outside her gym.

"You deserve better," Brawly said.

"I don't know about that," Roxanne said sadly.

"You're a good girl inside," Brawly said. "I've known you long enough to know that's the truth."

"Sit down," Roxanne said to Brawly, who then sat down next to her.

"You've always liked me, haven't you?" she asked.

"Well, I-" Brawly said, blushing.

"A fighter like you should be more open with his emotions," Roxanne said. "Now tell me, am I right?"

"Yes," Brawly said, embarrassed.

"And you'd just love for this to happen," Roxanne said, grabbing his hand.

"You're beautiful, Roxanne," Brawly said.

"You come take my class at Pokémon Tech," Roxanne said. "And don't worry, you'll be the teacher's pet."

She hugged Brawly, then went inside her gym to check out how things had been going while she was gone. Brawly still sat there, stunned.

"If I had only known she liked me too," he said, "I could have saved her from that miserable experience with Hiker."

At Indigo Plateau, Giselle was called to the meeting room to meet with the other Elite. She could tell from one look at their faces that they were angry- angrier than usual.

"What is it this time?" she asked.

"We are voting to impeach you as an Elite member," Lance said.

"You can't do that," Giselle laughed.

"Actually, we can," Bruno said. "We already have permission from Charles Goodshow after your despicable idea to crash Lance and Lorelei's wedding."

"That type of childish behavior is not what Elite members do," Karen said. "You'd never see us pulling pranks on each other, especially in a mean-spirited way."

"Well, I'm sorry," Giselle said. "And besides, why wasn't I invited?"

"It was a mistake," Lorelei said. "I didn't realize Lance had failed to invite you."

"I didn't invite her for this reason!" Lance said.

"Actually, I only reacted the way I did because of my failure to be invited," Giselle said.

"Who cares?" Lance said. "It's still not the type of behavior that Elite members take part in. Now if all four of us vote for your removal from the Elite, Goodshow can fire you, if he so pleases, and he wants to do so anyway."

"This isn't fair!" Giselle said, stomping out of the room angrily.

"You know, I think you're overreacting about this," Lorelei said. "She was angry over not being invited, so she pulled a prank. I didn't like it, but is it worth eliminating someone from our ranks?"

"I think so," Bruno said.

"Giselle is an excellent trainer, and I think that should come first and foremost," Lorelei said. "She will remain as an Elite member, whether you like it or not, as I refuse to vote for her resignation."

Karen and Bruno seethed at Lorelei's refusal to vote to get rid of Giselle, but Lance remained silent. Lorelei was right- whether he wanted to admit it or not. He left the room without saying anything.

Giselle sat in her apartment, about to call Joe, when she heard knocking on the door. "Who is it?" she said angrily.

"It's Lance," a voice outside the door said.

"Go away," Giselle said, walking over to the door.

"Don't worry, we haven't voted against you," Lance said from the other side of the door. "I just wanted to apologize."

"Apologize?" Giselle said.

"Yes, I'm sorry for not inviting you to the wedding," Lance said. "That was very unprofessional of me."

"Well, I'm sorry too, for what I did," Giselle said. "I'd hate to have my future wedding with Joe ruined like that."

"It's okay," Lance said. "If Lorelei wasn't too upset about it, then I guess I shouldn't be, either. I think we Elite need to get along better, and that includes the rest of us accepting you."

Giselle opened the door. "You sound very professional now," she said. "All is forgiven… I just ask for you to not treat me as an outsider anymore."

"I'll do what I can to make you feel like you're one of us," Lance said. "Because you are."

Giselle returned to the meeting room with Lance, where Lance talked Bruno and Karen into accepting Giselle. Lorelei smiled at Lance. She knew that she had married the right man.