Chapter 9

The Plot Unravels

(3rd person narrative)

Three days after the meeting between all members of the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova Elite Four had taken place, Jessie, James and Meowth were sitting once again in front of their station in the communications department, their faces showing more anxiety than ever. They were still clueless about exactly what kind of developments would occur during the next few weeks, and were in a constant state of worry; for themselves as well as for their friends, and above all, Demetry and Belle.

"I don't know how much longer of this I can take, Jessie," James sighed. "Every day, it feels like a prison here. Virtually every move we make is being watched, we have no-one to turn to, and worst of all, we're running out of time."

"Just bear with it for now, James," Jessie reassured him, gently placing her hand over his as she smiled at him. "I'm sure things will brighten up. Mom promised to help us…and Mom always keeps her promises…" She turned her head away until she was facing downwards, looking glumly at the steel floor. They had been losing hope and faith ever since Domino had told them that Team Rocket agents had microchipped Ash and Misty's video phone, subtly but surely implying that the three of them were being closely watched.

"We've been here for more than two weeks now!" Meowth complained. "We've hardly been able to find out anything, Jess!"

Jessie sighed. "Y'know…maybe the two of you are right. Maybe it is pointless for us to continue to be here, putting our lives at danger for nothing. But how will we get out?"

The three of them looked down, unable to see any way they could get out of the heavily monitored facility without attracting unwanted attention. But then, something caught their attention; they heard a light clank of metal, as a tool of some sort dropped upon the steel floor. Looking up, they saw a hand beckoning for them to come. Giving each other surprised glances, Jessie, James and Meowth decided to walk carefully towards the room which the hand extended outwards from, whilst also keeping in mind not to attract the attention of the other Rockets who were busy at their posts.

Turning into the dimly lit room, they saw that the person waiting for them inside was none other than…

"Mom!" Jessie cried in a hushed whisper, tightly embracing her mother whom she hadn't seen for what felt like a lifetime.

"I've missed you so much, my sweet Jessica…" Miyamoto wept softly, caressing her daughter's hair as they both knelt down on the floor in each other's arms.

"We were so scared, mom…we thought that we would surely be done for!" Jessie sobbed. "We've been watched so closely for the past two weeks, and I don't know how much longer we could've taken!"

"Ssh, ssh…it's all right now, Jessie. Mother's here to help you now," Miyamoto kissed Jessie on the forehead. She then looked up to see her two companions. "Ah. You must be James and Meowth!"

"Yes, maam," James confirmed, whereas Meowth just simply nodded.

"Thank you for always being there for Jessie. It makes me glad to know that she's in good hands. You're a wonderful husband to my daughter, and a true friend to her, I'm sure," she smiled, first at James and then at Meowth.

"Mom," Jessie said, taking out a precious photo of Demetry and Belle playing with each other from her pocket, as the two of them stood up again, "these are my children, Demetry and Belle. I'd like for you to meet them some day, if we get the chance."

Miyamoto looked at the picture, stroking her grandchildren's faces softly on the picture as tears welled up in her eyes. "They're beautiful. I'm sure your father would've loved them as well. If we get through this, Jessie, I promise that I'll give up being a Rocket, and we can be a true family again. I promise." She handed the picture back to Jessie, and they began to discuss their course of action. "So, things have been going badly for you, yes?"

"Yeah, mom, they have," Jessie sighed. "We're basically stuck in the communications department, taking reports from agents all around, but making no real progress. But we have managed to overhear that the scientists in the lab are developing some kind of radio wavelength."

"What's even more worrying is the fact that they were talking about Dr. Fuji, who's apparently working on developing a special radio wavelength, but for reasons we don't know yet," James added. "They were also talking about Team Galactic personnel, who are also involved in this project."

"Hmm…if they're co-operating with Team Galactic and are also creating radio wavelengths," Miyamoto thought briefly, before coming to a quick conclusion, "then they're undoubtedly developing a spacecraft to emit the signals from. The lab in which they're developing the radio waves is too small to infiltrate, but the spacecraft is most definitely under construction in the engineering bay, which is the only place big enough to facilitate something of that size."

"So whaddaya suggest dat we do?" Meowth asked.

Miyamoto gave an assuring smile. "Don't you worry – I'll take care of it. I'll infiltrate the engineering bay and find out what they're doing. After that, I'll need to have a talk with Giovanni. As I'm a senior agent who's served for many years, I won't be under suspicion, and Giovanni might just be inclined to share more about the plan with me. If they are indeed developing something in the bay, I'll know for sure whether he's lying to me or not."

"Mom…are you sure things'll work out that way? What if Giovanni and the other officers suspect you, like they're all suspecting us?" Jessie asked.

"It's a risk we're going to have to take, darling," Miyamoto admitted, "but I'm not just going to leave you here alone, with no hope at all."

"Thanks, mom…I could always count on you…" Jessie smiled, and they hugged each other again.

"You should get back to your stations now," her mother insisted, looking up. "They will be suspicious where you could've gone off to, if you stay here for too long. I'll head for the engineering base now. Good luck, my dears."

The trio then returned to their posts, Jessie burdened by a heavy heart. She felt overwhelmed after finally being reunited with her mother after so long, and found it painful that their current circumstances prevented them from rekindling their relationship. Her husband looked at her from the corner of his eye; he wanted to comfort her, but couldn't find the right words to say. Instead, he held her hand, and his feelings were reciprocated by Jessie who squeezed his hand gently in return. Their hearts were slightly uplifted due to her mother's return, but as always, danger was all around them, seemingly about to engulf them in a moment's notice…

(Meanwhile…)

Working tirelessly on developing the transmitter on the satellite inside the engineering bay, Charon glanced sideways at his fellow Galactic scientists who were working alongside their fellow colleagues and Team Rocket engineers in constructing various parts of the satellite. His brief moment of respite having being deemed to be over, Charon continued his perpetual and laborious tasks before his attention was caught by the ringing of his communications device in his labcoat pocket.

"Yes, Saturn, what is it?" he replied quickly, his haste evident in the tone of his voice.

"We need to talk – it's a matter of urgency. Meet me outside the doors of the engineering bay," his co-admin said. Out of curiosity, Charon placed his device back into his pocket as he moved out of the bay, using his unique clearance card to gain passage through the doors. Sure enough, he saw Saturn casually leaning against the steel wall with his arms crossed in a dull manner.

"What have you called me for?" Charon asked.

"Come with me. Jupiter and Mars are waiting in a room nearby," Saturn said, and began to walk down the corridor, Charon following him. They eventually came to a small, unlit room that was used mainly for storage. The other two Galactic admins were waiting for the two of them to return, Mars showing a slight bit of impatience and boredom with her facial expression.

"You've finally arrived. Now, we should get started on talking about our course of counter-action," she said.

"If you're referring to the fact that you suspect that Giovanni is merely using us to achieve his own personal objectives, and then discarding us, then yes, I am quite well aware of that," Charon replied. "Men like Giovanni who are notorious for their conduct are very predictable, indeed."

"We need to decide on just what we're gonna do, if and when those Rockets turn on us. Now," Jupiter said gruffly.

"Oh, they won't be turning on us," Saturn said deviously, as the three others looked at him in slight confusion. "…We're going to turn on them."

"…I'm listening," Mars spoke in an intrigued whisper.

"It's simple," Saturn chuckled. "We lay low until the day all the pieces start to fall into place. If what we believe will happen is true, then that snivelling kid, his friends, and the authorities will try to stop the plan as it begins to roll into action. Then obviously, the Rockets will have no choice but to defend the facility. Giovanni will then most likely ask us to assist in the defence of the facility until the satellite's launch is complete, and it transmits its signal across this side of the globe. Meanwhile, we will fool Giovanni by stating that we will mobilise to aid him immediately, but in fact we will keep the vast majority of our forces within this facility. After storming its vital parts, we will wrest command from the Rockets completely, eliminating all those who resist us. With the Rockets neutralized both outside and inside the facility and the satellite under our control, we will at last be able to take our first step to accomplishing our ultimate goal of the reshaping of the known universe…and bringing back our leader, Cyrus."

"Cyrus…" Jupiter murmured. "Saturn…do you really think…this satellite could reach out to the legendary guardians, allowing us to use their power to bring him back?"

"It is impossible to say, Jupiter," Saturn shook his head. "The satellite signal may or may not allow us to reach out to the guardians themselves. Remember that it's the Rockets who are in charge of developing the radio wavelength signal, and it is impossible to determine anythingabout it ourselves, at present."

"Impressive, Saturn," Charon grinned. "Cyrus himself will be most pleased with your…resourcefulness, when he is returned to us…"

"That's enough discussion for the moment. We must return to our posts, otherwise the Rockets may get suspicious. Remember what we have spoken of, today," Saturn looked solemnly at each of his co-admins, and then they all dispersed back to their duties.

Minutes after her conversation with Jessie, James and Meowth, Miyamoto walked through the corridors of the huge facility, keeping her head up and looking sharp at all times. The lower ranking personnel simply looked at her momentarily, before looking away in fear of her authority as they recognised her. As a top-ranking agent of Team Rocket, she knew quite literally every single corner of the facility, avoiding all the places where hidden agents could be secretly watching her movements. In the most highly-restricted areas where even she would not be allowed access, she also avoided every single security camera, stealthily disabling those which had to be taken out for her to move on.

Disabling the security camera guarding the doors to the engineering bay, she carefully approached the entrance, looking around to make sure that she was alone. She stared at the compartment which all personnel had to insert a clearance card into to gain access, with a hint of frustration in her eyes; access to the engineering bay was strictly restricted only to the personnel authorized to use it. Attempting to use her own clearance card would certainly deny her access, with potentially devastating effects as a consequence.

But then, as she heard the tapping of footsteps from behind her, she quickly concealed herself behind a cylindrical machine, peeping her head slightly to the side to see who it was. A Team Galactic scientist in a white lab coat was walking towards the security door, while scribbling something on a clipboard. Silently, Miyamoto pulled out a capsule containing a mixed solution of chloroform and other chemicals designed to induce a state of short-span memory loss, and a small piece of cloth. After applying a few drops to the cloth, she put away the capsule in preparation to take out the scientist.

"An acceleration rate of 3g per second, until finally reaching a terminal velocity of-oompfh!" the Galactic mumbled to himself as he continued his observations, until he was quickly incapacitated by Miyamoto, falling into a deep sleep as a result of the chloroform. Miyamoto then removed his clearance card from his labcoat chest pocket and used it to open the door, which revealed a dimly-lit walkway leading to what seemed to be a control station.

Treading carefully, she made her way down the walkway without making a sound. Her job was made simpler somewhat, due to the lack of security cameras in the narrow corridor. As she approached the control station, she crouched behind a large steel crate. She remained concealed in near-total darkness, as she looked out from the side of the crate, observing for any threats. There were two more Galactic scientists working on separate consoles, as well as a security camera which panned slowly about. Luckily for her, the camera had rotated itself to the left, instead of the right side where she was observing it from.

The two Galactics were both working silently, keeping their eyes on a set of data shown on each of their computer monitors. Pulling out a special dart designed for jamming electrical equipment, Miyamoto threw it with deadly precision at the camera, disabling it just as it was about to rotate to her direction. The camera sizzled and electric volts jolted about, before the noise died down with it.

"Hey, what was that?" one of the scientists looked over his shoulder to see that the camera was now in a smoking wreck.

"Something's happened to the camera!" the other replied, and they both stood up out of their seats and moved to inspect the device.

"What could have taken out-what's this?" the first scientist said, pulling the dart out of the camera with his gloved hand.

With a swift movement, Miyamoto took out two extra darts filled with the same chemical as the incapacitating substance she used on the first Galactic scientist with the clipboard. As the darts penetrated their skin, the two scientists gave a small whimper of pain, before falling silent on the floor. Once she was sure they were down, Miyamoto quickly removed the darts from their unconscious bodies and the camera, placing them back in their places in the inner side pocket of her uniform. She moved the two men, placing them in a sitting position on their respective chairs, so as to make it look like they simply dozed off on the job.

With this done, her attention turned to what lay beyond the yellow-tinted fiberglass of the control station: a massive body of metal was situated inside the engineering bay, with several pieces of machinery assembling it piece by piece, creating a perpetual rattling noise. Attached to it was a large satellite dish. Miyamoto's convictions were now confirmed: with this satellite, Team Rocket would be able to emit a high-frequency radio signal across their side of the globe, bringing virtually all Pokémon under their control.

Turning her back on the fiberglass, Miyamoto quickly ran stealthily back down the corridor, using the clearance card again to gain passage through the doors, which closed again upon her exiting. After exiting the engineering bay, she slipped the clearance card back into the pocket of the unconscious Galactic scientist, then dragged him into the nearby room and placed him on a chair.

Once everything was finished, she headed to Giovanni's office, dodging all cameras once again, before assuming a professional stance as she entered the non-restricted area in the corridor leading to the reception room. Inside, as always, was Giovanni's secretary, who looked up at her as she saw her entrance.

"Ah, Elite Officer Miyamoto. I didn't expect your arrival so soon. How may I help you?" she asked.

"I need to see the boss. It's an urgent matter," Miyamoto said.

"He is currently speaking to Elite Officer Domino, but I shall inform him of your request to speak to him," the secretary said, and typed away on her keyboard. A short time later, she spoke to Giovanni, who was on the other end of the transponder. "Sir, Elite Officer Miyamoto has returned from the Sinnoh region, and requests to see you."

"You may send her in," Giovanni replied, and the conversation was ended. The secretary then motioned Miyamoto to see to his office with a sway of her head, before returning to her duties. Miyamoto walked to Giovanni's office, halting just outside the door. Exhaling deeply, she prayed that nothing bad would happen to Jessie, James and Meowth as a result of her discussion with Giovanni; she knew all too well how shrewd, resourceful and cunning he was.

Then, as the door slowly swayed open, Miyamoto's eyes met those of Domino, who looked at her without the usual contempt she had for other Rocket personnel, but a fairly blank expression – after all, the two of them were equal in rank, and Miyamoto higher in terms of seniority. Miyamoto stepped aside briefly, giving Domino space to move out, before entering the office and closing the door behind her.

"Ah, Miyamoto, so you've returned from your duty in the Sinnoh region. Quite ahead of schedule, I might add," he smugly grinned. "But then again, your reputation as one of Team Rocket's most efficient officers proceeds you. Now, exactly what issue did you wish to speak to me about?"

"As you've ordered, sir, I have overseen the acquisition of the major radio towers in the Sinnoh region," she replied. "All main targets have been acquired, save for the towers in Hearthome and Jubilife City, but they will fall under our control in a matter of days – the undercover agents are currently undergoing the final phase of legal requirements to attain them."

"Excellent. As always, you are impeccably reliable," Giovanni chuckled.

"But sir, I still have questions as to what exactly you're hoping to achieve through the acquisition of the radio towers," Miyamoto said as she went straight to the point. "If you're ordering us all to gain control of all those radio stations, then it is clear that you plan on launching a satellite of some sort to send out a signal to all of them. I've also seen a couple of Galactic personnel walking about this facility upon my arrival here. Just what is it that you're planning, sir?"

"Hahaha…brave and outspoken, as ever. Very well – I will share with you the details of our grand undertaking," Giovanni grinned. "Have a seat." As Giovanni gestured her to seat herself on the chair opposite to him in front of his desk, she did so. "Given your intuition, you must already know that I have assigned other elite officers such as yourself to the regions of Hoenn and Unova, while I myself am overseeing the acquisition process in the Kanto and Johto regions. And, like you've said, I am also overseeing the construction of a grand satellite, in the engineering bay in this facility. It will be launched in approximately just under two weeks' time from now. In the meantime, I will assign you to work alongside fellow Elite Officer Domino. You will begin your new tasks soon."

"Understood, sir," Miyamoto nodded, and stood up out of her chair. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some matters to attend to."

"Before you leave, Miyamoto," Giovanni spoke, stopping her as she began to walk away. "Moments before your arrival, I have received a message from agents Butch and Cassidy in the security department. There has been a…breach in the engineering bay, and the cameras in its vicinity sabotaged. I trust you will look into this matter and…deal with it as necessary."

"Yes, sir...I will see to it immediately," Miyamoto replied, trying her best to maintain a straight voice.

"…dismissed…" Giovanni whispered, and turned his chair around until he was facing the window. After he heard the door close behind her, he gazed at the ever-reaching canyon. "By assigning her to work alongside Domino, I will know for sure whether or not she and those three oblivious fools are working together to bring about the demise of my plans. They know that they have little time remaining, and very little that they can do about it. If details about our plans are leaked, I will know for sure that they were responsible, and punish them accordingly. If they don't…then I shall have what I desire, regardless."

He then stood up from his office chair, and moved towards the window. The sunlight beamed upon his face as he pulled out a small photograph from his suit's inner pocket: it was taken decades ago, during the time he travelled with Delia and Chris. Never for one time of his life did he forget the memories of the radiant smile of his beloved Delia, whom he loved with all his heart but could never have. The photo had a small portion of it cut out completely, for the very sight of Chris made Giovanni's blood boil.

Giovanni then put away the photo back into the inner pocket of his suit, looking determinedly across the horizon as the ambition within him burned like searing flames.

He would have her back, no matter what the cost…

(At Ash & Misty's house in the Seafoam Islands)

(Ash's POV)

At 9:42pm in the evening, Misty and I sat on the floor together in front of the fireplace, sometime after putting Ethan and Claire to bed. We each had a mug of hot chocolate, while Pikachu and Marill were eating marshmallows they cooked on the fire.

"Y'know, this is all making me quite nervous," I said, "waiting around like this until the day comes when we have to act. Not to mention having almost all of our communication devices chipped by Team Rocket."

"Regardless of how long this'll take, honey, we have to endure through it," Misty insisted, placing her hand on top of mine. "Think of how easy things are for us, compared to Jessie, James and Meowth, who have to put their lives on the line every day."

"You're right, Mist," I sighed, then looked at her as I grinned. "Hell, you're always right. When are you ever wrong?"

Misty smiled. "Too bad you never realized that during our journeys." She then looked down, her face full of worry. "Still, I'm so worried about those three, especially Jessie…she's become somewhat of a sister to me, after she decided to quit Team Rocket…"

"Kekeke…" I chuckled, snorting slightly in the process.

"What's so funny?" she asked, with a hint of frustration in her voice.

"Mist, y'know you say that about pretty much every other girl you become friends with? First May, then Sabrina, and now Jessie. Heaven knows what might happen if you meet Dawn!" I laughed.

"Hey! Cut it out! It's not like you knew what it's like being a gym leader – you hardly get to talk regularly with anyone! It's just basically meeting some new trainer who's come for your badge, then watching them walk out the door in a matter of minutes!" she scoffed, elbowing me softly on the side.

"Or being blown out of the gym altogether by Gyarados, by accident!" I joked.

Misty's face went blank, before she smirked in concession. "Oh, come on…that's only happened on rare occasions, and only to the cockiest of trainers who just happened to seriously tick him off!"

Misty then smiled in silence as she placed her mug a slight distance away from her. She then adjusted herself until she was in a lying position with her laid her head in my lap. She held my left hand in both of hers and placed it over her heart, as her eyes began to wander about in pleasant thought.

"Whatcha thinking about, Mist?" I smiled, caressing her hair with my free hand.

"All this business with Team Rocket…it was so hectic, that I couldn't even get one moment's peace to think about our future. And now that it's so quiet, I've been thinking about what our lives we be like, if…if…" she trailed off, then spoke again as I prompted her by squeezing her hand. "If Ethan and Claire are not here, after they've started their Pokémon journeys."

"Well…" I grinned, "first of all, we'll have the house to ourselves. I don't think there's been a day either of us could say that, in a long, long while."

"I'd like that," Misty smiled, rubbing my hand. "But what if something happens in the future? You never know…what if we have another baby?"

"Another baby? You really want that?" I asked, astounded.

"I don't mind it at all. How about you, Ash?" she looked up at me.

"I don't have any problems, either. It's just…" I gritted my teeth slightly, "…it's just that I'm worried. About Ethan. He was so happy after the two of you came back, right up until you gave birth to Claire. The divided attention's clearly had an effect on him. If we have another baby, then…I'm afraid things'll only get more complicated with him."

Misty had a disappointed look on her face, before expressing her acceptance of the fact. "You're right, Ash…we'd better be careful with him. Otherwise, even your mom may not be able to make him the slightest bit happy anymore."

Our attention then turned to the creaking sound of the staircase. After a few more seconds, we saw Claire toddling towards us, heading straight towards Misty with an eerie look on her face. Misty sat up from my lap and extended her arms out to Claire, who hugged her.

"Mommy, I'm hungry…" she said softly.

"Sweetheart, didn't mommy give you some warm milk before you went to bed?" Misty asked, cradling Claire in her arms.

"Yes, mommy. But I'm hungry again – I can't sleep!" Claire responded.

Misty grinned and chuckled lightly. "Alright, honey. Wait here with Pikachu and Marill, and have a few marshmallows. Mommy and Daddy will be back soon with some more warm milk for you," she said and kissed Claire on the forehead.

The two of us went into the kitchen, Misty getting a cup out while I pulled the milk carton out of the fridge. After setting the microwave, Misty and I leaned back on the counter, waiting for the milk to finish heating.

"Well, we know now just whose stomach Claire might've inherited," Misty joked. "Let's just hope that it doesn't become like that bottomless pit that Brock and I have grown accustomed to."

"Come on, Mist, that's just mean," I laughed. "And besides, I need my energy!"

"Everyone needs energy, Ash, but you? Sometimes I've wondered just who eats more – your Snorlax, or you!"

Chuckling, I kissed her on the cheek before the microwave beeped to signify that the milk had finished heating. After Misty took the milk out, we both returned to see that Claire was happily eating some marshmallows with Pikachu and Marill.

"Here you go, pumpkin," Misty smiled as she handed the mug to Claire, taking care to ensure that Claire got a hold of the handle. "Be careful and don't spill any now, honey. It might be a little hot!"

"Thanks, mommy!" Claire beamed as she carefully took the milk out of Misty's hands. She eventually finished all the milk, having a few more marshmallows as she drank.

"Are you alright now, sweetheart?" Misty asked, stroking her hair.

"Yes, mommy!" Claire smiled back.

"That's great! Now let's go up to bed! Come on up with mommy!"

Misty held Claire's hand and stood up with her to go upstairs, while Pikachu handed me the bag of marshmallows which I put back into the pantry. The fire was now on the verge of dying out, with tiny embers being all that remained. After Marill extinguished the last flickers of fire with a tiny Water Spout, we all went up the stairs. Pikachu and Marill went into our bedroom silently after I motioned them to, while Misty and I took Claire into her room, making as little sound as possible to avoid waking Ethan, who was sleeping in the adjacent room.

After laying Claire down on her bed and tucking her in, Misty sat by her side, smiling as the moonlight shone upon both of them.

"Goodnight, my darling," Misty said, fondling her hand softly.

"Goodnight, mommy," Claire replied, and the two of them kissed each other on the cheek. After Misty left Claire's side and came by my side, she put her arm around my waist and rested her head gently against my shoulder, smiling at the little angel who was illuminated by moonlight on her bed. "Goodnight, daddy," Claire said to me as she looked at the two of us.

"Goodnight, sweetheart. Sweet dreams," I said, and Misty and I left Claire's room, closing the door quietly behind us. Before we went to our own bedroom, I peered through the small gap between Ethan's bedroom door and its frame. Ethan also appeared to be asleep, although I couldn't see his face as he lay on his side, his back facing away. I turned around and held Misty's hand as we returned to our room, both feeling sadness as we knew deep down that there was pretty much nothing we could do about him. He and Claire were both joys in our lives, but Ethan's temperament and overly-quiet tendencies left a hole in our hearts that we felt could never be properly filled.

As we got into bed together, no words came out of either me or Misty's mouths – we both knew what the other was thinking, even without using our powers of aura. As we lay our heads down, held hands underneath the sheets and looked into each other's eyes, we could clearly see the sadness within. Kissing each other goodnight, we fell asleep with hope in our hearts – hope, that Ethan will one day return to being the cheerful son we loved and cherished dearly.

(End of Chapter 9)

A/N: I've got an Easter break holiday coming up next week. Hopefully I'll be able to make better progress then, as I'll be mostly free from uni work.

Things have actually deviated quite a bit from my original plan of this story, as I have continued writing it. I'm changing and molding my original plan, as a result.

Please leave your reviews, and keep an eye out for the next chapter. : )