He rushed. He had to. Something compelled him, made him feel like he was running out of time. So he moved, sprinting with all the speed his body possessed, down the miles of corridor ahead of him. Underfoot, he passed so many prisoners, and if he had time, he would have dealt with them, but instead, he passed them by. Time was running out.

There was something about Alias that always caused her to stand out to him. Something special that no other Rocket Pokémon held. What it was, he knew naught.

She had been bred much like he had been, trained from birth to serve Team Rocket. And early on in both their careers, their field days ended. And yet, somehow, in some strange twist of fate, they both wound up here in Celadon. It was here that Kaden had first seen her.

It had been at the Casino, where he had been doing his inspections of the guards there. For no reason in particular, he had noticed Alias, and something clicked inside him. One of the few Pokémon that took their job seriously, she had always been alert, and obedient. Kaden had kept his eye on her progress since, yet had never spoken to her like he had, briefly with other guards.

But over the past month, his mind had wandered. At first, he had thought it was a missing detail in the Goldenrod raid that decimated the city's police force. But after much internal debate, he found himself paranoid. The minions he led were cattle, like the humans at the casino, betting their money away for a distant dream.

He was beginning to question his purpose. Was he right to continue his life as a tool of Team Rocket? Fighting and obedience were the only thing he knew. Yet a life without fighting gave him time to think, to change himself. And he wondered what lay beyond the walls of the Rocket life. If Team Rocket was willing to put down Alias for helping where possible, what could happen to him? Would life beyond their influence be better? Would it save Alias?

He shook the thoughts from his head. This wasn't the time for his rooftop thoughts. H-7031 was the cell room the Porygon had read off to him. He was coming close. Quickly, he cleared out a few stray Pokémon in the hallway. The vast majority had not reached the walled sectors yet, but had clustered together for protection.

He was past them now, in Grid H-70, cell 28. He was near his destination. The fighting had been nearly ended in the area, but could faintly be heard many corridors away.

As he approached the corner, he raised his blades, ready to strike any enemies he met. Slowly, he moved towards the door. It seemed to have been left open without any signs of being forced into its position.

Quickly stepping into the doorway, he paused. Before him lay a scene of emptiness. The cage had been forced open in a brutal manner. The area around the door had been damaged, but otherwise the rest of the room was clean.

But no one was here. He turned to look down the hall, wondering where everyone could have gone. Other than the alarm screeching in his ears, no other sound disturbed the hallway.

The lucario was gone, and in this torturous breakout, he could be lost to Team Rocket. He began to walk down the corridor, trying to piece together what had happened. He knew Alias could not fight, so the damage around the door could not have come from her and the lucario, yet there were no bodies, no guards or escapees. Something large and powerful had fought in the room, but had apparently escaped, as had the lucario.

He had lost Alias' trail for the moment, and could do little about it until the riot was dealt with. Until the prisoners had been captured once more, he would not have the resources to track down missing members or assets. He had to fight, to end this quickly, to move forward, to restore order. To find Alias' fate.

[1 week later]

Kaden had finished giving instructions to improve security in the Black Sector, and had devoted resources to finding missing Rocket members. His training classes had been given a new teacher in his stead while he worked on security for the Maze, and his search.

He sat now on the roof of the base, his now-weary eyes looking upon the city in solitude, thinking of the past. Fifteen Rocket members had been found throughout the city, battered and exhausted, having attempted to escape during the Ward's lockdown. They were to be punished profusely for their treason. None of them had been Alias.

He wondered where she could be. The scout whose potential for so much more had captured his eye since he saw her. He had been looking forward to training her to such potential.

He looked west, towards the forested border of the city, as it looked down upon humanity from its tall cliffs. He wondered what life outside of Rocket influence was like, whether it was worth escaping for. Those who had managed to escape Team Rocket seemed eager to do so. There had to be a reason; he just didn't know what it was.

What was better than having a purpose? A place one belonged, and worked, to reach their full potential and strength? What was life without challenges?

Challenges. What challenges was he missing, not being in the field? What challenges could be more important than the prime security he provided his base? His home?

He had heard stories of the wilderness, of the lack of humanity, of cities and laws. Where survival was not always guaranteed, and the wild ones fought each other constantly. Surely none of them could match him? He wondered what lay beyond those trees, trees he had never once crossed. What valleys, rivers, or lakes existed beyond that green wall of this cement basin?

They called it freedom, those that fled from Team Rocket. Freedom from captivity, from enslavement, back to their homes and families, those that loved and cared for them, where they could live easy, happy lives in contempt. 'Freedom', such an odd concept. No one was free from everything. But freedom from Team Rocket held peculiar arguments. And it was a thing he would never see.

Raising his head to the stars, he spied them twinkling in a clear night sky, piercing through the city's haze and lights. Closing his eyes, his thoughts came to rest on Alias one last time. Wherever she was, whatever she was in for… He wished her the best of luck. He wished her happiness.