"Here," said Gaius as he helped Arden into the house. "I'll get you some ice for that bump, baby brother."

Arden sat down at the table shakily, while his brother went to the fridge. His mother stood in the door way, arms crossed over her chest, glaring daggers at him. "Miss your own father's funeral," she said. "Arden, how could you go and do something like that?"

"I'm sorry," Arden mumbled, rubbing his head.

"Arden Delta Blake, you are going to march right down to that graveyard and you're going to apologize to your father for letting him down!" she said. Arden didn't argue; after all, Valor Blake had always been a strong-willed woman, and she was even more so when it came to her husband. That sort of devotion didn't end with the death of said husband.

"Okay," he mumbled, looking away from her angry face.

Gaius brought him a hunk of ice wrapped in a towel, and he pressed it against his forehead. "Baby brother, your pokemon's out back if you want to go check on him," he said.

"Yeah, alright," said Arden, standing up. He looked back to his mother. "I'm sorry, Mom. I just couldn't come back…"

"Well, it's not me you have to apologize to," Valor said, going to the sink and washing her hands. "All the same… Welcome home, Arden. I'm baking cookies."

"Chocolate chip?" Arden asked.

"You know better than that," said Valor, shaking her head. "Gingerbread cookies."

"Those are good, too," said Arden.

"Good? They're the greatest!" said Gaius. "Mom make 'em best!"

"Gaius, stop sucking up," said Valor. "…but thanks. They are the best, aren't they?"

Arden opened the door to the tiny backyard of their home. Many years ago, his mother had converted it into a training ground for pokemon, so full of obstacles and weights and other devices that it was almost impossible to navigate it unless one was as fleet-footed and well-balanced as a pokemon. A well groomed espeon was dodging about on a series of tall, thin poles—one of Valor's pokemon. "Hey, Miruna," said Arden, waving to the pokemon, who looked up briefly from her training to acknowledge him.

He turned and looked the other direction down the training grounds and saw a raichu, a weird harness binding him somewhat, practicing attacks on a battered dummy. Arden raised his eyebrows. "…who's that? I didn't think Mom had a—ah! Cruelty!"

"Yup," said Gaius. "I thought that all that aggression was a lot for such a little rodent, so I evolved him with a thunderstone. It helped… a little."

"Ah—so Cruelty's a raichu now?" said Arden, scratching his head. "Does that mean he's stronger?"

"Yup. Stronger and faster," said Gaius.

Arden looked at him flatly. "Why did that sound like a good idea to you after I told you he'd killed another pokemon?"

Gaius frowned and leaned back. "Well, it just seemed like a good thought at the time, y'know?" he said. "Guess I didn't think about it too much. I just said, 'hey, baby brother might like it if I make this pokemon stronger while I make it more obedient!' I forgot about the killin' thing for a bit, I guess."

"Raaai cha!" said Cruelty, looking up from his training. "Chaa!"

"He seems to be in a good mood," said Arden. "Cruelty, come here!"

The pokemon narrowed his eyes and sat firmly in place. Gaius put two fingers up to his lips and gave a whistle. "You listen to your trainer's commands!" he shouted.

"Cha!"

Gaius grabbed a whip from a bracket on the wall and cracked it. "Obedience! Loyalty! Trust!" he shouted, cracking it again and again.

The raichu winced at the loud cracking sounds, and flattened his ears. Grudgingly, he made his way over to them, walking between the training props. He reached them and crouched next to Arden, flicking his tail back and forth and looking none too pleased. "Am I going to need a whip to control him now?" asked Arden.

"No, no, no," Gaius reassured him. "Ah… but it might help. Here, take this one. I've got others."

Arden took the whip and cracked it, as he'd been taught as a child by his father. Cruelty jumped slightly and flattened his ears. "Well, alright," said Arden. "Finally, the respect I deserve!"

Cruelty glared at him. "Raaai…"

The door slid open and Valor poked her head out. "Cookies are done! Come get them while they're hot, boys!" Miruna made a slight mewing sound. "And Miruna. But only if you've finished your exercises."

"Esp," said Miruna, leaping down off a pole.

Dixie wandered along the path which connected Kanto and Johto, Bruno at his side, studying the screen of his tracking device every now and again. Up ahead, he could see a tiny town, just barely in view. "I've never been to Johto," he told his sandslash. "I wonder what it's like here… I know there are Rockets, so I guess if I get into any sort of scrapes I should be alright. Problem is, I'm not sure what the Johto Rockets are doing, or where they're based out of…"

"Sand," said Bruno, as they continued toward the town. He looked sideways at his trainer. "Slash sandslash slash?"

Dixie sighed heavily. "Please don't ask me why," he said. "I've just… got to do this, Bruno. I feel compelled to. I feel—I feel like he needs me. I mean, you trailed him. You saw how hopeless he is at… well, everything."

Bruno nodded knowingly. "Sand."

"That brother of his, though," mumbled Dixie as they approached the town. A young woman in a sweater and skirt, about Arden's age, paused to stare at him before the doors of a building which Dixie recognized as being a Pokemon Laboratory. She stared at him and, somewhat uncomfortably, he stared back at her.

"Sandslash?" mumbled Bruno, looking from the girl to his trainer.

"I've never seen her before in my life," muttered Dixie back.

The girl hesitated before finally approaching Dixie. "Are you part of Team Rocket?" she asked. "You have to be, dressed like that—Right?"

"Y-yes, I'm a Rocket grunt," responded Dixie.

"So you steal pokemon then?"

"Sometimes."

"Are you here stealing pokemon?"

"Ah… No, I'm here looking for someone," Dixie answered.

"Oh," said the girl. "Who're you looking for? Someone in town? I know a few people in town."

"Ah, I don't think he's in this town," muttered Dixie. The girl was quite close to him now, examining his face intently.

"You're handsome. I like your nose—it's really symmetrical," she said, clasping her arms together behind her back. "Have you ever broken it? I'd guess not. I broke mine once."

"Oh," said Dixie. What else could he say to that?

"So, who're you looking for?" she asked. "You're not from here, right? I saw you come in from Kanto."

"Yes, I did—"

"I'm from around here," she said, moving a lock of her dark hair out of her eyes. "I could help you."

"I find that unlikely," said Dixie, clearing his throat and taking a step backward. "Why would you, anyway?"

"As a trade. I help you find who you're looking for, you help me with something I need… Y'know, like that. Mutually beneficial and like that," responded the girl. "So, who are you looking for?"

Dixie sighed. "I'm looking for a boy named Arden," he told her. "But, I doubt—"

"Ah! I know him. Arden Blake?"

"I don't know his last name…"

"Arden," she said. "Blond, right? Hot headed? Not a very good trainer? Yeah, I know him. He's my cousin."

"Your cousin?" said Dixie. "What're the odds."

"I didn't know he was back in Johto," she said, putting one finger to her lips. "Must've gotten too tough for him. Figures. Anyway, I can take you to where he lives if you help me with something."

Dixie sighed again. "Thanks for the offer," he said, holding up his tracking device. "However, I'm perfectly capable of finding him on my own."

"That's neat," said the girl. "Did you make it? May I see it?"

"Ah, sure," said Dixie, holding it out to her.

She took it and turned it over. "Neat," she said. With a cold look, she dropped it on the ground and stomped on it several times in quick succession, breaking the device. Dixie's jaw dropped.

"My tracker!" he said. He grabbed her roughly by the front of the shirt. "Hey, now—what's the big idea? You're going to have to answer for that!"

"Sand!" shouted Bruno, holding up his claws.

The girl looked at him fiercely. "It's not like you can't find him. You'll just have to help me with something first," she said.

"You little brat," said Dixie through his teeth.

The girl's hand went to her belt. "If we have to battle over this, then fine," she said. "But I'm not backing down, and I will win. Now, you can either get your pokemon and yourself seriously injured fighting me—and they will be, I guarantee that—or you can just help me do something, and we can go peacefully along our way."

He glared at the girl, but couldn't help but feel a sort of respect for her boldness. He couldn't tell if she was serious about her pokemon being that strong, or bluffing. With a sigh, he decided to err on the side of caution and believe the first was true. "Rocket Grunt Dixie DuPont, at your service," he said, letting go of her.

"Felicia Blake. Pleasure to meet you," said the girl, curtseying.

"So, what is it you need from me, Ms Blake?" asked Dixie crossing his arms.

"I need you to help me steal a pokemon from Elm's lab," she said, point toward the building.

"If your pokemon are strong, why don't you steal it yourself?"

"Well, here's the thing about that," she said. "I'm known in this town. I have friends here. I've spoken to Professor Elm on several occasions. If I steal it, I'm sure to be caught. However, if a Rocket steals the pokemon, no one will think anything of it. That's what Team Rocket does."

"Alright," said Dixie. "So, what pokemon do you need out of there?"

"Totodile," Felicia told him. "I came here asking for it several times, but Elm wouldn't let me have it. I'm sick of it."

Dixie bit his lip. "Alright," he said slowly. He didn't know what a totodile looked like, but he was sure he could guess. "Bruno, come."

"I'll be waiting just outside of town for you," said Felicia, smiling. "Hurry about it, okay?"

Dixie glanced at her sideways before continuing to the laboratory. He paused outside the doors. "Ready, Bruno?"

"Slash!" said Bruno, wagging his tail.

"Alright then," said Dixie. He drew up one foot and, with a powerful kick, knocked the door open with such force that the door frame splintered, sending wooden shards hurdling through the air. A very surprised scientist spun around in his chair.

"Wh-who are you?" said the professor, almost falling out of his chair to see the Rocket grunt and his sandslash advancing on him. "Don't come any closer!"

"We're here for your totodile!" said Dixie in his gruffest voice. "Give it up or I'm gonna sick Sandslash on you."

"St-st-stay back!" stammered the professor, grabbing a pokeball from a machine next to him. "Go, cyndaquil!"

The little pokemon appeared, ready to defend the scientist. Dixie's eyes, however, were focused on two pokeballs which were left in the machine. He was sure one of them must be totodile, though he had no good way of knowing which was which. He'd have to take both.

He dashed toward them. "Sandslash, slash!" he commanded, as he grabbed the pokeballs from the machine. The professor threw a sloppy punch at him, which he dodged. Dixie threw up his knee, hitting the scientist in the stomach and causing him to double over in pain. At the same time, Bruno raked his claws across the cyndaquil causing it to faint. The Rocket Grunt and his pokemon ran, full speed, out of the building, pokeballs pressed against Dixie's chest. He ran out of the sleepy little town, into the neighboring rural path, until he couldn't see the town anymore.

Felicia came up to him when he stopped to hide in a small alcove. "Did you get it?" she asked eagerly.

"I think so," said Dixie, holding the pokeballs up. Felicia frowned.

"Two?"

"I didn't have time to see what was inside, so I just grabbed," Dixie told her.

"Whatever—just give them to me," said the girl, snatching the pokeballs from his hands. She held one out, releasing a little pokemon with a leaf coming from it's head. "Chikorita? No good. You can keep that one."

She thrust the chikorita's pokeball into Dixie's hands. "Thanks, I guess," said Dixie. He looked to the chikorita, who was watching him eagerly. "I think I'll name you… Zahur."

Felicia held out the other pokeball. With a flash of light, a blue, reptilian pokemon appeared. Felicia squealed with delight and grabbed up the totodile. "Finally!" she said, spinning around with it. "A totodile! Finally!" She held it out at arms length. "From now on, you're called Ajax. Alright?"

"Dile!" exclaimed the pokemon.

"That's all well and good," said Dixie, holding up his chikorita's pokeball, and recalling it. "Now, about our deal…?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," said Felicia. "I'll bring you to Arden's place. Follow me, Mr Rocket Grunt. Eh, what do you want with him, anyhow?"

"I've fallen madly and insatiably in love with him," said Dixie flatly as Felicia pouted to recieve such an answer. "Questions aren't involved in this deal, thank you very much."

A/N: This is my longest chapter yet, made extra-long at the request of Godrick, who said I should make my chapters longer. As always, thank you all for reading, and please do tell me if there's some way I can improve your reading experience! Much love to all of you.