Time Lapse: Reluctant Hero

by AvionVadion

She remembered nothing. Where she came from, who she was, if she had any family; all the girl knew now was that something was wrong. There was no way she was meant to be raised like this- treated like a grunt and tormented along with the rest. Pokemon were worth more than what Team Rocket claimed. They weren't tools... and neither was she. OCs

12. The Taste Of Freedom

"My love is... the killing kind! Nevermore to leave here, nevermore to leave here;

Try and try to let you go, but I'll just disappear. Go down below where children go, and we all float down here."

This was so stupid. We were walking through the base with an army of frightened pōkemon behind us, many Weezings and Zubats hovering about in the air, and Blue was being carried once more in Machamp's arms to make maneuvering around a bit easier. There was no way this was going to work; in fact, all I could think about were the ways it was going to go wrong. I seethed in silence, paranoia eating away at me as the many Weezings and Zubats floated around me, near choking me with all the excess smoke. This was seriously going to end in disaster.

"What's with that look?" I heard Blue say, the wounded boy raising an eyebrow. "Don't think we can do it?"

"..."

"Are you seriously doubting our skills?"

"No." I finally answered, blunt as could be, deciding there was no point in hiding my thoughts. Honesty was the best policy, as I had learned recently, so I might as well stick with it. I can speak my mind with the pōkemon- so why not with these stupidly kind idiots? It wasn't as if they would listen to me, anyway. "I just know what Team Rocket is capable of."

Brock watched this conversation take place, bringing a hand up to his chin contemplatively. "Say, I have a question, Grunt."

"...?" I blinked, eyes half-lidded in exhaustion as I looked back at him, carefully guiding the boys and the rescued pōkemon through the arrows tiles and nearly growing exasperated when they stepped wrong. "What?"

"Before I came along you were planning on taking Team Rocket down by yourself, right?"

Urk- he remembered that. Of course he did. Brock seemed to remember everything I told him, and that isn't even mentioning the fact of how observant he is. It was frustrating. Frustrating because of how freaking nice he was, always going out of his way to help me and keep me away from any danger, despite how his nice behavior could get him into trouble as a result. His kindness was only giving me more anxiety.

And to top it all off Blue is here, too, and he was beaten all sorts of colors.

Lacking a response, my lips turned into a thin line, eyes looking anywhere else instead of the brunet. Brock sighed, lowering his hand and grasping the handles of his backpack instead. "Did you really think you could do it alone? What makes you so sure that we can't take down this hideout together as a group?"

Why does he have to be so analytical? It's like he knows how to mess with mind, saying things that make me question my own thought process. The older boy sped up, walking next to me now that there was room in the hallway since we had finally gotten passed the large array of arrow tiles. Brock was frowning deeply, concern written all over his face.

"You don't have any regard for your well-being, so that's where I come in. You're pretty strong, Grunt; and I mean that in more ways than just as a pōkemon trainer. But you let your stubbornness take control of you. Your determination to help others. You don't want to let anyone help you because you want to help them, but Blue and I are here with you. We're your friends. You can rely on us. With our rock-hard willpower and teamwork, Team Rocket won't stand a chance! So try and have faith, okay? We can do this."

I hate… the way he words things.

I despise how he can just read into my actions so easily.

So many years I locked my emotions up, complying and obeying, acting as no more than a puppet. Pretending to be someone I was not, only to lose myself in the process. No one had been able to read me at all, except perhaps Mistress Augusta. And how badly I wanted to disagree with Brock, to tell him he was wrong, to inform him of all the ways this plan was going to go down the drain, but… he did have a point.

A stupidly good one.

What did make me think I would me able to take down Team Rocket by myself? I had been planning on just informing the police of the base's whereabouts, but… I was starting to think the police weren't all that helpful. Officer Jenny, the second one, thought I was a criminal myself. Not to mention Team Rocket's been kidnapping children and pōkemon, and breaking all sorts of laws, for many years before I was even born.

If they were any good at their job…

...wouldn't they have had some kind of lead by now that wasn't due to me escaping? I remember everyone talking about it- how I was the first lead the police have had in years. The detectives must not be very good at their jobs. Getting stronger was my other plan, collecting badges and getting back to Hoenn as soon as possible, believing I would be fairly powerful by then, but Team Rocket was all over the place here in Kanto and I still had so much to learn.

When I heard of Rich and Velga going to Mount Moon… I just acted.

Every time something happens that's what I do; I act. I don't think. I try and plot, and I scheme, but it all gets thrown out the door when the moment actually happens. I know I'm weak and small and not strong enough at all to make much of a difference, but a part of me is foolishly convinced I can do it. That I can survive and defeat the evil that rooted itself around me.

But… I can't.

Not alone.

And they knew that.

"So this is why Gramps was worried." Blue commented. Machamp let out a grunt of agreement, while Umbreon barked. "He said something about you being sort of blinded by your past. Honestly, I kinda thought it, too. And now I get it."

You don't. You really, really don't.

And trust me; you don't want to.

So stop.

"You just want to save everyone as quickly as possible."

That surprised me. I ended up stumbling as a result, nearly falling over as my left foot hooked around my right. If not for Brock, who had latched onto my backpack in time, I would have face-planted right onto a teleporter. Frick- just where did Blue get that from? Brock's words? I blinked a couple times, standing straight with a hand resting lightly over my chest, trying to ignore my stressed-out heart.

The group came to a temporary halt, having reached the end of the hallway. Before us were several teleporters, one of them being the one I had nearly fallen on. Glancing up at Blue, eyebrows furrowing as I tried to figure out his thought process, I watched as his gaze grew more intense. Calculating. I held his stare for a few seconds before turning away, deciding to observe the teleportation devices in hopes that there was some kind of writing on them that would tell us which ones would lead where.

"Although…" Blue shifted, wincing a little as he rested a hand gingerly on his abdomen, pain monetarily flickering on his expression before a teasing grin formed on his face. "I was under the impression that you wanted to go back to Hoenn because of some boyfriend? You never mentioned stopping Team Rocket to me or Gramps back at the cafe."

...Boyfriend?

That term was lost on me. I stopped what I was doing, sitting on my knees, staring up at the injured teen completely dumbfounded. "My what?"

Brock looked just as lost. Blue apparently got the reaction he wanted, because his grin only broadened. "You know," He continued, dark brown eyes twinkling mischievously, "that guy you wanted to impress."

Oh…

Oh.

Wait, no. What? That didn't make any sense at all. My hand shot down towards my pocket, feeling the small bump of where the dawn stone was resting. Brock and Blue, and all the pōkemon watching, followed the movement closely, and realization started to form on Brock's face. I knew who was being referenced, but the way he was being brought up wasn't… right?

A boyfriend was… a person who…

Huh?

It's on the tip of my tongue, but the memory of that term was escaping me. In all my years I've never once thought of it, only ever thinking about how to power through the day, trying to memorize goon routines and the layout of the base, but plenty of people have spoken about it. Men complaining because their boyfriends broke up with them, women whining that they couldn't find a cute girl to be their partner-in-crime, some men and women getting together and talking about drinks, and so forth. Velga was especially irritated half the time because no man was willing to date her despite her beauty.

I-I remember…

I remember Richard complaining about how every person he was ever interested in was always married. In hindsight, he might have been talking about the boss and how jealous he was of his wife. Everyone looked up to Giovanni, especially Richard, so it wouldn't really surprise me if he… liked… him in that way.

Though why anyone would ever want to be with a villain like that- someone who was willing to torment children despite having some of his own- was beyond me. I didn't want to dare think about what Giovanni's children were going to be like grown-up.

But the person Blue was talking about… he was my friend. The first one I could ever remember making. He gave me this dawn stone as a promise- to one day return it to him and reunite with each other. I wasn't quite sure what was being suggested here with the teen pōkemon researcher's words, but it was certainly giving me a headache just thinking about it.

What even really was a boyfriend, anyway? I understand the basis of the word, but the rest was lost on me. Why did it seem to matter so much to people?

Ugh, my skull won't stop pounding…

I'm starting to feel sick.

"Okay, hold up!" Brock raised a hand in the air. "So there's actually more to Grunt going to Hoenn? It isn't just to save everyone else?"

Blue snickered, only to instantly regret that as a small hiss escaped his lips. Machamp looked down with big eyes, extra arms hovering in the air as if uncertain of what to do. His pōkemon wanted to help, but there wasn't much more that could be done at the moment until we got outside the hideout. "N-Nope. The squirt made… a promise to some guy and wants to find him. Y-You know that faulty dawn stone she has? It was from him. She promised to return it."

I have come to the conclusion that I do not like this conversation very much. "C-Can we- Can we just try one of these teleporters and go? We're in a villain hideout."

Blue laughed. "Someone's embarrassed."

This was really not the time to be having this discussion.

Besides, I'm not embarrassed; I'm upset. I'm not even sure how I feel about searching for the person anymore; I can't remember his name or his face, or much of anything about him aside from his love for rocks. What if he doesn't even like rocks anymore? The chipped stone was the only thing I had that was proof of his existence and… I don't even know if he remembers me.

How can I search for someone… when he's so far gone from my memory?

Why is it so hard to let go of him and the comfort he once gave me? The hope that drove me to last this long? I just…

I don't know.

And thinking about it is making my heart sink lower into the depths of my stomach, the hole in my chest growing larger and larger and leaving me cold.

Brock's eyebrows shot up and he opened his mouth in a small gasp. "That's why you're so attached to that rock! I've always wondered about it, but I didn't want to ask in case it was a sensitive subject. Now it makes sense! Aww, that's cute. But- wait, when would you have met him? Didn't you grow up in Team Rocket?"

I was this close to pounding my head against the teleporters and reopening my head wound. Blue was having the time of his life, cringing as his laughter hurt his injured ribs, a hand resting delicately on his abdomen. Machamp looked both worried and exasperated by his trainer's actions. "Okay, so clearly she didn't tell you everything. Grunt was with them for, like, what was it? Nine years? She met the kid before they nabbed her. It's kinda gross how attached she is to it, haha!"

"Hmmm." Brock hummed, thinking deeply. "Well, if it's from someone important to her… I can see why she'd want to keep it close. If I had something like that, given to me by a beautiful woman… I'd protect it with everything I've got." He sighed longingly, pressing a hand to his cheek. "One day I'll meet the woman of my dreams."

Yeah, um, I'm still here.

Don't talk about me like I don't exist; it's rude. Do they really have to start blabbering about my past like it's nothing personal? It happened earlier with Professor Oak, too, when I called him at the pōkecenter. People seriously like to overshare in the outside world. Yeesh.

I'd rather just keep my past all locked up and to myself.

…

Two faces have been haunting him for nine long years- every time he closed his eyes, every time he dreamed, and whenever he just stopped to think. His gut would twist and the stone he kept in his pocket would seem to grow heavier in weight, reminding him of his failure, reminding him of the one time he decided his intuition must be wrong. And now, finally, sprawled across old newspapers and on news reports that had been uploaded online… those faces were refreshed in his mind.

Richard Fleck and Velga Penholder.

A young man with long silver hair brushed back, flowing down to the nape of his neck, sideburns curling around his cheeks and ears, showing off his array of jewelry. A short goatee sprouted from his chin, and his yellow eyes were bright, but cold. A handsome person, but hideous in personality. And the woman- a lovely visage, hair as pink as a rose with brilliant green eyes- dark skin only making her features glow more. Steven knew at once she would be as prickly as a thorn.

Villainous, evil people…

He leaned back in his seat at his desk, several stones tucked away neatly inside glass cases, polished and beautiful, and all arranged based on region of origin and their name. The teen tapped his fingers against the wood, steel blue eyes narrowing as he used a highlighter to mark any known sightings of the two criminals. The last they've been seen was several months ago- leaving a bank after it was robbed. Before that they had taken several more children. Before that a jewelry store, precious gems and necklaces and earrings all being stolen, and then a pōkemon lab being ransacked.

Before that…

Steven stopped, closing his eyes as pain flittered across his expression.

Before that it was the little girl he had called a friend. The one whom he found half-frozen and completely soaked on the streets of Rustboro at night. He felt foolish for distancing himself from his father, but as a child who had been able to make a difference and chose to do nothing despite his instincts telling him that something was very, very wrong… he was furious. More so with himself, but it was so easy to cast blame on his father.

His father who had done nothing but love and worry about him.

Who he knew was still worrying about him.

I wonder if she still has it…

If she was even still alive, that is. The very first dawn stone he had ever excavated- chipped in all the wrong places, broken, yet still somehow maintaining its luster. In his fluster and panic he had given it to her, the little boy he had been so very excited at the prospect of making a new friend, of wanting to have someone other than his father to talk to about stones, of wanting to introduce her to Wallace so they could all play together. He had so many plans as a child.

And they all came to an end the day after.

It was her face that haunted him the most.

It was faint, but he remembered- a pair of big brown eyes and messy chocolate hair, long as could be. Her features were distinctly Unovan, as was her accent, and he only recalled this because he wrote everything down in a journal before he could forget. Now it served more as a memoriam- a friend he made, but couldn't keep.

All he could do now was avenge her and hope… that maybe she was still out there somewhere, uncorrupted by Team Rocket. It was silly, he knew, especially after nine years of defeat, but Steven really didn't want to imagine the horrors she must have gone through after being taken.

At least Wallace was still with him- he was always there whenever Steven needed him. Had he not been with him at the start, the teen was certain he would have delved deeper into the darkness of his own guilt. He pulled him back from the depths so many times. But… now that Team Rocket was on the move again, making more and more of an appearance in both Hoenn and Kanto, Steven just can't sit still anymore.

A nameless girl with no family, no identity, and with no one to remember her existence except him…

He would never forgive these two adults for what they have done.

Richard, Velga… wherever they were now Steven would make sure justice would be brought to them.

He picked up the old wanted posters resting on the other side of the desk, standing, setting the pen down and turning to face his livingroom where Winona and Wallace were sitting. Steven walked over and held them out to them, expression serious. "This is them. If anyone knows the location of their main base, it's these two. We take that down, we save the kids and any pōkemon still trapped."

If they stop them there…

...they might be able to find out what happened to his friend.

"They could be anywhere," Winona commented, frowning, "either in Hoenn or in Kanto. I've heard rumors that Team Rocket has been acting up in Johto territory as well, which only gives us more to work with. Are you sure this will work?"

"If we can't find them, we find people who can guide us to them." Wallace suggested, reaching out and resting a hand over Winona's, temporarily startling her. He smiled softly, then turned his gaze to Steven. "Team Rocket grunts are everywhere, after all, and if it's us I see no reason why we can't handle it. You and I did quite a bit ourselves back in the day when we were little, and our pōkemon are way more powerful than before. I doubt they'd stand much of a chance against our beautiful teamwork."

"Exactly." Steven chuckled. "Our friendship and trust with each other, and with our pōkemon, is what makes us so strong. And Team Rocket doesn't exactly have that, do they?"

Winona sighed, tilting her head and pressing her free hand to her cheek. To Wallace's delight she didn't pull her other hand away from his. "This isn't going to be easy… but I know how important this is to you, Steven, and I know that even if I refuse- you and Wallace will go at it with everything you've got. So… I'll help. Someone has to keep you out of trouble."

"Thank you." The silver haired dreamboat smiled, words full of genuine warmth and gratitude. "I'm… really sorry about all this. I know you're both busy."

"Don't worry about it." Wallace dismissed. "There are children and pōkemon suffering because of them; as a criminal organization… they need to be taken down. Their tyranny has gone on far too long."

…

After Blue had wound up in too much pain to make anymore comments about my goals or past, we decided on a teleporter and went through it. I had only gotten halfway down the hallway when someone came running right at me, swinging a leg through the air. Luckily for me they had greatly miscalculated my height and ended up missing, but the shock still had me stumbling back with a yelp. Next thing I knew I was rolling out of the way, Ansem barking loudly as he was accidentally thrown from my shoulder and was now picking himself back up in preparation to charge at an enemy.

"Veevaaa!"

"Damn brats!" The woman hissed, slamming a high-heeled boot onto the ground. She rested a hand on her hip, scowling at us. "The hell do you think you're playing at, huh? Do you want to die that badly? Hmph."

Ansem bared his bangs, red eyes fierce, watching as I scrambled onto my feet and took several steps back. Brock and Machamp ran up, Umbreon and the rest of the pōkemon following behind slowly, and Blue's eyes widened. "You…"

Ah. He knew her. Wait- was she one of the people who hurt him?

My hands twitched.

Well, this wasn't what I was expecting, but okay. Go off, I guess. "Ansem!"

"Vaa!"

I narrowed my eyes, glaring at the woman. Shoulder-length black hair framed her pale face, neatly cut with a fringe framed diagonally across her forehead. A splash of freckles decorating her nose, she gave a malicious grin and licked her lips, bringing a foot back and sliding the other one foreward, leaning down with a palm pressed carefully against her thigh. "My, my, an Eevee. How cute. And look- you even managed to free one our prisoners. So much for converting him into a member…"

"Keh!" Blue scoffed, wincing a little at the pain that action caused him, but he didn't remove his glare. "As if I would ever join you monsters. Machamp, set me down."

"Chaaamp?"

"You heard me."

Though reluctant, the pōkemon did as ordered- being as gentle as possible as he set his trainer down on his feet. Blue almost toppled over, but Brock and Machamp were both there to help steady him. After a few seconds the boy pushed their hands away, taking a step forward with an arm wrapped over his stomach. When he looked up, Blue's eyes were filled with barely restrained fury and…

...was that a hint of fear?

"How about a rematch, huh, lady?" He asked, though there wasn't really much room for debate with the way he voiced it. It was more of demand- he wasn't leaving her any opportunity to decline. "Only this time I'll have my pōkemon. Arcanine, go!"

Blue yanked the pōkeball out of his pocket. Belladonna looked greatly alarmed, having been ready to cast another Sleeping Powder attack, and she hopped out of the way as a large pōkemon formed from red light. Letting out a loud roar, the fiery pōkemon shook his fur out and bared his fangs, growling at the woman whose smile faltered. She reached out to her belt, but didn't get very far before Ansem dashed over and was suddenly biting her wrist, digging his sharp teeth in deep.

Throwing his hand outwards, Blue let out a shout- "Flamethrower, now!"

"What!?" The woman thrashed her arm out, attempting to get Ansem to let go, and barely grabbed a pōkeball in time with her free hand when a huge blast of flame came spurting out of Arcanine's mouth. The heat was intense and I moved back, flinching at the warmth radiating off the fire. It felt so similar to the explosions that broke out- to the flames that scorched my right arm- yet unlike back then these ones didn't get close to me. "Sandslash!"

"Saaaannnnnnnd-!"

Oh gods, that poor pōkemon's cries as the flames burned away at its body…

I cringed and flinched back, bringing my hands up to my ears as the scream echoed around the hall. She had summoned it to use specifically as a shield against Arcanine's attack, not giving it any chance or preparation to try and defend itself. The Ground-type pōkemon slid across the floor, collapsing, spikes quivering from atop its back as it let out a whimper. "Take 'er down, Arcanine!"

"Niiiiine!"

I barely even blinked. One moment Arcanine was in front of Blue and the next he was gone, suddenly by the woman and crushing her body with a very large paw, claws digging into her chest as she wheezed and gasped, trying to pry him off. Blue coughed and limped over, grinning bitterly at her as she glared at him. "H-How's that… feel, huh? Hurts, don't it? There's this thing called karma, ya know, and I think you should research it. Maybe think twice about your career choice."

Arcanine glanced at his trainer from the corner of his eye before returning his glare at the Team Rocket member, leaning down so his fangs were right in the woman's face. The fire-type pōkemon was so close she could feel and smell his breathe, some drool even daring to drip from his lips as he snarled dangerously at her. I glanced nervously at Blue and then Brock, and then back at Blue again.

This was not…

No. This isn't how we should be doing it. "B-Blue…"

"I know, kid." Blue snapped, tone making me pull back and wince. "One second."

The woman squeezed her eyes shut, turning her head away to try and escape the view of Arcanine's very sharp teeth. She was shaking so badly- I don't think she was even able to speak.

"I want you to tell your boss something," He murmured, squatting down with a harsh glare, "and I want you to tell him exactly what I said. Team Rocket… is gonna go down. By a bunch of kids, Team Rocket is gonna be destroyed. And it's all gonna be because of what you did."

"...M-Me…?"

"Yeah." Blue grinned, split lip and bandages only really adding to the look of calm fury on his face. "You. You adults kidnapped children. You raised them, abused them, and in the end one of them escaped. See, I met that kid who got away and… well, I'm pretty ticked off about what you've done. So me and that kid-? We're gonna come back at you with a vengeance. This entire organization is gonna fall and it's gonna be at the hands of a couple of teenagers. Tell your boss that, would'ya?"

The woman could only nod, swallowing down the lump in her throat. Arcanine slowly removed his paw from her chest, but not before letting out an ear-piercing roar that scared her so bad she fainted. Arcanine huffed at her reaction, looking quite proud of himself, and stared down at Blue for praise- only to let out a small rumble of a sound when Blue swayed sideways, the stress of talking and moving too much for his injured body. I hurried forward, trying to catch him before he could fall, but his pōkemon beat me to it.

Sitting on all fours, Arcanine leaned over and let Blue collapse against him, the boy breathing heavily as he was huddled up against long fur. Brock and Umbreon were just as panicked, and Machamp was rushing over with a frantic cry. This was- oh frick no- please, come on…

His fever was seriously going crazy right now.

Sweat was beading down the sides of his face, the boy at least three shades paler than when I had found him earlier. Biting down nervously on my lip, I brushed the hair out of his face and wiped some of the sweat off with my sleeve, ignoring the stinging in my eyes. "B-Brock-! Blue is… he's…"

"He needs a doctor." The boy said, gritting his teeth together in frustration as he checked the teen's vitals. "We have to get out of here now. There's not much time."

My eyes widened. Then, feeling another surge of coldness wash over me, I turned to stare at the woman fainted on the ground. It was just from fright, so she should be waking up in just a couple minutes, but… it was our best shot.

"Grunt?"

Slowly bringing myself up onto my feet, I made my way over to her. I gestured for Belladonna to come near and she did, hopping over curiously, watching me with big eyes. "She's the key."

"What?" Brock was so lost. He fixed Blue onto his back, trying to avoid putting anymore pressure on his ribs, and had one of Arcanine's legs be used as a pillow. The worried pōkemon nuzzled his trainer's hair, as if trying to get a response, but all he got was a tired flash of a grin and closed eyes, the boy breathing heavily again. That confrontation really took a lot out of him- and it probably didn't help that he kept pushing himself so far. He spoke way too much earlier in an attempt to try and come off as fine. "What do you mean?"

I crossed my legs in a more comfortable sitting position, leaning over with my hands in my lap, fingers fiddling with the chipped sides of my special dawn stone. Ansem and Belladonna were on either side of me, sitting, waiting, listening. Umbreon's red eyes stared at me from next to a resting Blue, intense and just as calculating at it's trainer. I was starting to think it was a female, based on size and structure. I didn't know too much about the Eeveelution line.

Watching the woman's chest rise-and-fall, some light specs of blood staining her black uniform, I leaned forward when her eyelashes flickered. "We'll make her show us to the control room."

Brock's eyebrows shot up.

"Weez?" One of the pōkemon floated forward, smoke drifting out of their many crevices. "Weezing!"

"You heard me." I raised a hand up, not thinking too much about it as I heard them near. I could feel the hard rocky surface of a Weezing press against my palm, the pōkemon craving affection, and as it rested itself against my backpack and head I pat it, hugging it as best I could at this awkward angle. "I'm gonna have Belladonna bind her so she can't fight. Then we follow her directions."

"That's…" Brock hesitated. "What if she lies?"

My expression darkened. "She won't."

Blue spoke the truth back there. Karma was an awful thing and I intended to make Team Rocket get the full brunt of it.

"But if she does…"

Well, I'm at the point where I no longer care anymore. I won't tolerate the idea of Blue losing his life in a place like this. We're going to be getting out of here one way or another, and we can't waste anymore time. The detours have lasted long enough.

"I'll let Ansem have his way with her."

The pōkemon seemed to like that idea, as he hunched down and growled at the woman, barking at her as if to try and threaten her into awakening. I hated violence, gods I did, but at this point I just really wanted Blue to be safe. I wanted Brock to be safe. I wanted everyone alive and healthy, and not here in this hellhole. If that meant lowering myself just a little bit to the standards of Team Rocket, then fine.

I'll deliver unto them what they unleashed upon me and those I cared about.

They won't be getting away with this.

I don't know why I thought I could do everything alone, what made me believe that having others with me would just be a detriment, but it didn't matter anymore. I would do anything if it meant bringing Team Rocket down. I will never hesitate again… if I can just keep the others out of harm's way.

As much as I hate it…

As much as I hate this world and everything else in it…

I want to protect the good things in it. The stupidly nice people I've met.

The pōkemon who have accepted me.

I want… to hold them all close, acting as their shield. Pain and despair can wash over me, drowning me, killing me slowly as I fall down, but I will stand right back up again. I'll use this faux freedom to act on others behalf. And if that meant scaring this woman further, to coerce her into showing us the control room?

So be it.

We were getting out of here.

I'll deal with the guilt and the consequences later.

…

In the end the woman wound up complying. With Blue resting in Machamp's arms once more, Arcanine called back into his pōkeball, and with all three of my pōkemon now out for extra protection in case the Team Rocket goon tried anything, we made our way through the underground hideout. Brock had long since nursed Sandslash back to health, feeding it berries and treats, and using a burn heal on it to help. During all that Brock had the most contemplative look on his face, as if his mind were reeling from unwelcome thoughts.

It wouldn't surprise me if that was actually the case.

Team Rocket can… do things to a person. It isn't pretty.

Which was why I was so anxious to get everyone out of here.

Ansem rested in my arms, growling whenever the woman glanced back at us, and I'd watch with disgusting satisfaction as she flinched back. Scared? She better be. I won't allow her to cause anymore hurt onto my friends. Her Sandslash was freed, now residing in Brock's gentle care, evil pōkeball smashed into pieces and left in the hallway several flights down. It's been ten minutes that we've been walking since the woman awoke, but little progress was being made.

It was as if she was either taking her time… or this hideout was just poorly designed.

How irritating this was. "Brock, how's Blue?"

"As well as he can be right now." Was his response, arms folded over his chest. Brock flashed me a small smile, trying to be comforting as he reached over and rested a hand on my shoulder. "We're going to get him somewhere safe soon, okay? Let's just focus on getting to the control room for now. Once we're out of here we can have Arcanine make a beeline for the hospital with Blue on his back."

Yeah…

"Hey."

"Hm?" I blinked, looking up at him curiously. "What is it?"

"What's that person like?" My befuddlement must have showed, because Brock quickly explained, "The one who gave you the dawn stone. You always seem to cling to it when you're upset or worried about something, so… I can only imagine how important that person is to you. Especially if you've kept it on you for so many years. He was nice to you, right?"

That was an intense question. My lips spread into a thin line and I looked down, not speaking right away as I observed the woman ahead of us, Ansem letting out a small bark when she slowed down. Brock's hand moved from my shoulder, now resting on his backpack strap instead. How should I answer it?

I'd really not talk about it at all, but… Blue did sort of spell out my past to Brock. And after what happened last time in Mount Moon when I kept a secret… things got really out of hand. I wasn't sure what kind of circumstances would occur if I didn't tell him, but if there was the slightest chance the world would come at us again for me hiding something I didn't want to risk it.

Closing my eyes, I tried once more to remember it- the hand that held mine. The person who said words of encouragement and made promises of friendship. Balancing Ansem with one arm, I carefully fished the stone out of my pocket and held it out, reluctantly allowing Brock to get a better look at it. "He… He gave me this."

"That's what Blue said." Brock mentioned, holding his hand out- as if expecting me to place the stone in his palm so he could see it. "May I?"

Panic momentarily flooded my senses.

Let go of it? Remove it from my person? Hand it to someone else?

All my life I've been doing the exact opposite- taking desperate measures to ensure that that never happened. But this was Brock- possibly the nicest person on this planet. He would never do anything to lose it, nonetheless bring it harm. But… But…

It's all I have of that person.

It's all I have of the me from back then. I'm scared. I don't want to let go of it. It's made up such a huge part of my heart, consoling me in my darkest moments, giving me reason to keep living in this cruel reality. It kept the faintest trace of memory alive, reminding me of the hope I needed to keep.

I can't just… let someone else hold it.

So why am I trembling, setting the chipped stone in Brock's palm, my vision blurring as tears threatened to overwhelm me? Why was I letting him touch the stone, nonetheless keep it away from me? It was so important. I freaked out whenever I didn't know where it was at.

In fact, now my attention was focused solely on the stone, torn away from the woman as my heart pounded in my ears, leaving me dizzy with nausea as I watched Brock carefully turn the stone about between his fingers, the teen looking at it closely. "It's beautiful," He finally said after a few suffocating moments, smiling warmly as he held it back out to me, "I can see why you treasure it so much."

I don't even think I was breathing until the stone was back in my grasp, hand holding it so tight to my chest my knuckles were white. "H-He… He g-gave it to me… a-after I was found. He promised-" Frick, why can't I speak? "-to… to remember me if I showed him the stone. Or if I told him I lost it. Um, I… I don't…"

Brock watched as I started to shut down, emotions taking over as I tried to speak of my most precious and most shameful past. He moved closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me to his side, his warmth and presence starting to do wonders in calming me down.

"I-I don't… remember… anything. Except him- he was… he was there. He found me."

"Found you?" His voice was soft, not pressing or urgent. He wasn't going to make me talk if I didn't want to. I nodded stiffly, sniffling and swallowing down the lump in my throat. "What do you mean you don't remember anything?"

"Y-Yeah. It's… um, weird. I-I don't…" I have no idea how to explain this. "I-I just… woke up one day. I-It was night, I think, a-and I was… soaked with water. Th-The boy was there a-and, um," I coughed into my elbow, still feeling pain from the many Weezings' smoke, "he took me to a pōkecenter. Nurse Joy was there. A Nurse Joy, anyway. Th-That's, uh, when we found out I had amnesia. I-I don't know how I woke up there o-or why I was soaked, o-or why I couldn't remember anything, but… but the boy showed me around and told me about pōkemon, a-and told me that we were going to be friends."

Gods, I wished he was here.

If Arceus actually existed, I would do anything to see that person again. Frick.

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, bringing the dawn stone up and resting my knuckles against my lips. My voice was muffled, but I didn't care. Everything just hurt so much, yet somehow not enough all the same. The cold, the numbness- it was all there. Amplified. Suffocating. Choking. I could barely think.

"H-he gave… he gave me the stone… t-to remind me. To remind him in case he… he forgot about me."

"...I see." Brock gave my shoulder a light squeeze, seeing how hard I was trying not to break down. "I'm glad he found you, then."

Yeah. But…

"I-I don't remember." Brock's eyebrows shot up, alarmed when he heard the sudden crack in my voice. I looked up at him, bottom lip quivering as a fresh wave of tears welled up. "I-I don't remember him, Brock. H-His face, his name, I- I can't… I can't r-recall…"

I can't recall anything.

Before he could say something to that and before I could say anything else, the woman suddenly spoke up- near flinching back when Ansem snarled at her. "W-We're here! T-Take this staircase and go through the teleporter, and you'll find the control room. See? I-I'll… I'll show you!"

Inhaling sharply, trying to distance myself from my emotions long enough to get through whatever the next encounter was, I pulled away from Brock and picked up the pace, moving my short legs as fast as they would go. I waited until the woman was through the teleporter to go myself, Ansem still being carried and stone back in my pocket, and Belladonna and Basil followed suit. Then it was Brock, then Machamp and Blue, and gradually the rest of the pōkemon…

But we weren't the only group here in the room. Without a word Machamp lowered Blue to the ground, leaving me to struggle in holding him up alone until Brock came over and grabbed the teen by the shoulders. Then the large muscular pōkemon stepped forward, standing in front of us three with Ansem and Umbreon on either side of him. Basil and Belladonna released the woman we were holding captive and she stumbled forward, rushing to the group of Team Rocket goons and… their pōkemon.

They were expecting us.

I mean, I can only imagine how much word got around about us kids when Brock was tending to Blue back in the lab- the people Belladonna knocked out must have woken up and alerted the higher-ups. These people, the adults, were more than ready to fight.

Or, rather, more than ready to have innocent pōkemon do the fighting for them.

The woman we had released whirled around with a gasp, striking the pose every goon had been forced to memorize. It took everything I had not to cringe at the sight of it, instead focusing on making sure I didn't topple over from Blue's body weight. "To infect the world with devastation, to blight all people in every nation! To denounce the goodness of truth and love, to extend our wrath to the stars above! We are Team Rocket circling the earth day and night, and you are just a bunch of brats in our way! C'mon, everyone- group attack!"

Oh no. Okay. Here we go.

A Tauros lowed and stomped a hoof against the floor, a Meowth residing atop its back. Two Zubats flew around them, flapping their wings as they stared at us nervously. Brock scowled, clicking his tongue and using one hand to reach to his belt. "Of course there are several here… Geodude, go! Help out the others!"

"M-Machamp…!" Blue began, voice hoarse from coughing. "Get them!"

"Ansem-!" I was unable to finish. Machamp was suddenly storming forward, locked onto its targets, swinging with all four fists at the Tauros when it charged. I cringed and ducked my head down upon hearing the bull-pōkemon's cries of pain, knowing full well it was fighting against its will. I hated this violence so much. "Belladonna, Basil…"

"Bulba!"

"Weeeepin!"

Vines erupted from their bodies and swung towards their foes, catching the Zubats before they could unleash a devasting flying-attack upon them. Meowth leapt up from the defeated Tauros' back, landing atop Machamp's head and using it to boost itself up again, and slashed at the vines. Basil cried out and loosened his hold, allowing a Zubat to escape, and the pōkemon hurriedly let loose several blades of wind.

Aerial Ace.

Belladonna was sent flying, several cuts lining her body as she crashed into the wall, vines retreated back into her body. Basil let out a concerned shout, but barely had time to recover himself when the second Zubat slammed itself right into him, head ramming into his side. No…

"Stand up!" My voice was panicked. Blue looked down at me in surprise as Brock ordered his Geodude to defend Belladonna as Meowth approached her. He never heard me sound so desperate and scared before. "Stand up now!"

Don't do this.

Don't you dare die.

"Basil!"

We haven't lost a single battle, so there was no way it could happen now. I won't let it.

Bulbasaur struggled to push himself up onto his feet, red eyes watering from the pain. Cuts now lined his legs from Zubat using Aerial Ace on him after the headbutt, but his expression was a determined one.

Ansem, seeing the way his companions were harmed, let out an angered roar, deciding to leave Meowth and Belladonna's Zubat alone for now, Geodude taking care of it with Machamp's help, and targeted Basil's Zubat instead. Stretching out his claws, Ansem jumped into the air as high as his legs would let him, and he caught his front paws on the pōkemon's wings, knocking it greatly off balance.

"Vaaaa!"

As they fell to the ground Ansem rolled over, biting down hard into its wings and tearing them. He was furious. The woman from before- the one we had guide us here- was glaring daggers at us, shaking with her fists held to her side in a rage. The other Team Rocket goons were both startled and very much angry, unable to believe they were now losing the battle. Worse of all, it was to a bunch of kids and their pōkemon.

Feeling Blue's weight increase I shifted in place, standing on my toes in an attempt to straighten my back and keep Blue from leaning over too much. Unfortunately, that was quite difficult as I was the smallest human in existence and these two were hecking towers in comparison. I could feel the heat coming off of Blue's face due to his fever- his heart pounding desperately in his chest in an attempt to keep him breathing. It was very unnerving.

"W-Weezings!" I glanced behind me as best as I could, trying to get a look at the other pōkemon, but auburn hair was in the way. "C-Can you help? Please?"

"Weeez?" They looked at me, surprised. "Weezing?"

The many Weezings looked at each other. If memory served right, these pōkemon had a variety of very useful moves- assuming they've already learned them, of course, and Belladonna was a bit too hurt to use her Sleeping Powder special on them.

"Weez…"

"Weez, Weezing!"

"Weez!"

"O-On the Team Rocket members!" I continued, voice cracking a little. Brock stopped issuing orders and looking back at me, alarmed. Then a bright grin spread across his face.

"Grunt, you're a genius!"

That was the wrong thing to say. The higher-up Team Rocket members shared a glance, their faces paling and somehow becoming disbelieving and enraged all at once. "Wait, what?"

"Grunt?"

One of them pointed at me, narrowing his eyes. "You're the escapee from headquarters? You? I knew you were a child, but… how old are you!? Eight?" The gaped, dumbfounded, and I tensed upon hearing their words. I was starting to believe that maybe going by my old title was a bad idea, and that maybe I should just go around titleless and nameless. "The fuck? Holy Arceus- if we bring you back to the boss…"

"We'll be promoted again!" A female Team Rocket member gasped, pressing her hands to her face. The woman from before looked exasperated by their behavior, her main goal being revenge for how we treated her. "And their pōkemon… they might be ours!"

"Who cares about that?" Another exclaimed. "Think of the pay raise!"

"Wow," Blue choked out, trying to joke, "you're famous, huh?"

My expression went blank at that, disliking the attention I was receiving. A flash of purple in the corner of my eyes snapped me back into attention, and I raised my head with wide eyes to see the many Weezings floating forward, Machamp carrying Belladonna and Basil back to us while Ansem removed his fangs from a fainted Zubat.

The Weezings continued forward, not stopping until they were past our pōkemon and residing over the fainted ones, facing the Team Rocket goons with a strange look in their eyes. The poison-type pōkemon looked angry, hurt, scared… and very fierce. "W-Weezings?"

Suddenly, and without warning, they all surged forward- flying over the crowd to the goons and headbutting them as hard as they possibly could. On impact the Weezings let out huge clouds of grey and purple smoke, causing the Team Rocket goons to start coughing as the smoke filled up the area. The many Zubats behind us, the ones we freed, decided they wanted to help out as well- swinging their wings forward and causing air blades to shoot towards them, slicing at the goons and tearing up their uniforms.

I tried not to flinch away this time upon hearing their screams, but it was too much. I just… couldn't not close my eyes. Machamp setting Basil and Belladonna by my feet, he dashed back into the action with Geodude, Ansem following behind. Together they all attacked the goons, knocking them out hard as they collapsed onto the ground. I think I heard a nasty crack from one of them, probably from the one Machamp punched in the ribs, but…

No. You know what? I'm not…

I'm not going to think about it. I cringed and shook my head, eyebrows knitting together as pain temporary flickered onto my expression. I tightened my hold on Blue's arm and waist, shifting once more as I nearly lost balance from standing on my toes for so long. "Um, frick. Okay. Uh- Brock, I-"

"I'm on it."

"Huh?" I blinked, eyes opening and turning to see him walking over there where the adults and pōkemon were, the Weezings' smoke clearing. He still had to hold part of his hood over his mouth so he wouldn't start coughing, since there was quite a bit left, but it was otherwise okay for him to head into it. "What are-"

Oh.

He knelt down, patting the adults down in an attempt to find what I could only assume to be a keycard or remote, or anything that would help us get out of here. He tossed whatever pōkeballs he found onto the ground, leaving Machamp to stomp on the empty ones- while freeing the others that remained inside. Brock also rummaged through their bags, pulling out several super potions and berries, and used those on the fainted and injured pōkemon.

Blue and I slowly waddled our way over there, and upon seeing the pōkemon's confused stares and the way the boys were looking at me… I had to greet the previously abused pōkemon. It was very awkward and uncomfortable, and it was only thanks to the other rescued pōkemon jumping into the conversation that the newly freed ones calmed down. It was mess.

Meowth looked especially lost.

"Meow…?"

A Weezing floated down and spoke to it. Understanding dawned on its face and relieved tears welled up in the pōkemon's eyes.

"Mrrooooooow!"

Haaaah, I need to get out of here. Brock shoved the remainder of the supplies into his own backpack, deciding that Team Rocket didn't need these supplies if they were just going to use them for villainy, and he slid the straps over his shoulders. Standing, he let out a heavy sigh and looked up, smiling softly at Geodude as he floated over. "Hey, buddy. You did great out there!" He raised a hand, petting the pōkemon lightly on the head.

"Geooo!" Geodude beamed, proud of himself. Shortly after, Brock recalled the pōkemon back into its ball. The boy turned, staring at the large array of computers behind him.

"I… think this might be the control panel you were talking about, Grunt."

Yeah. Yeah, he calls me by my title way too often.

He was a stupidly nice person, but everytime he called me by that title it always sent whatever Team Rocket goon we were battling into a fury. And while, strategically, it could be a good thing as that meant the opponent would stop thinking clearly and act on impulse… it mostly depended on the person we were dealing with. And while deciding not to go by it anymore would prevent that from happening, chances are Team Rocket will now recognize me no matter what since so many have seen what I look like.

So… what should I do?

I bit down on my lip, thinking deeply as I glanced around at the many screens and buttons. They were all so familiar to me, yet strange all the same. How come? It wasn't from the Hoenn base, though I have seen many adults work with the computers there. I watched as Brock began to fiddle with the buttons, Basil marching up and nuzzling his leg, Belladonna and Ansem sitting at my feet. I've come to the conclusion that Basil really liked Brock, which just goes further to show what a kind person he is.

I'm surprised he didn't choose him as trainer instead.

Gods, this smoke hurts my lungs. I coughed a bit, almost losing my grip on Blue. The boy winced and I frantically apologized, but a bop to the head told me he didn't like that apology. "Hey!" Brock scolded, glancing over his shoulder. "She's still recovering from a concussion; leave her head alone! Besides, you shouldn't be moving that much, Blue. Stay still!"

"Don't tell me... what to do." The auburn-haired boy scowled. "And the heck do you mean concussion? Is this from…"

There it was. The realization.

Blue's expression darkened and he looked down at me. "Just what... the heck did Team Rocket do to you, kid?"

"Doesn't matter." I found myself answering, focused only on the screens as they showed different spots of the hideout. "How's it going?"

"There's a lot of different controls…" Brock frowned, typing away. On the different screens we could see shutters opening and closing as a result of him pressing the many buttons, and some had lights turn off-and-on again. Finally, after about five minutes, Brock hit something and we could hear a loud vibration echoing in the room, and suddenly light began to filter in from above. Bright, harsh sunlight reaching us, showing that the ceiling above us was opening up. "Whoa!"

The light was very blinding and… it reminded me all too much of when Rich and Velga dragged me to the wretched helicopter that ruined all my plans. Plans I had spent nine years building. Blue's eyes went wide, unable to believe what he was seeing. The morning sky… beautiful as could be. Streaks of red and yellow and pink shooting across it, barely any clouds visible to be seen.

It was… breathtaking.

The remaining smoke from the Weezings cleared and we watched as a horizontal slab of metal came sliding down, acting in place of a staircase. Brock pressed another button when the main screen prompted him to hit it, and the slab shifted, forming actual stairs. "This is incredible!"

We did it.

Not exactly the way I thought it would happen, as I had thought we would have to backtrack to the room we arrived in, but… we're outside. Tightening my grip on Blue, I took a tentative step forward, looking back at the boys and all the pōkemon. All those who had been held hostage and abused looked absolutely stunned, shaken by the prospect of their freedom.

Yes…

It's a terrifying thing indeed. But it's there.

Grasp it… and never let it go again.

"Come on." I said, guiding Blue up the stairs slowly. Belladonna and Ansem followed after me loyally, Basil trotting over with excitement as the sunlight beamed down at us all. "We need to get back Aerodactyl and get Blue to a hospital."

"Right, but…" Brock hurried up the stairs, looking around with furrowed brows as we stepped onto a grassy plain. "Where are we? Past the nugget bridge, I think…"

In the distance I could see what looked like a hedge maze and nearby was… lots of water. Unsurprising, since Cerulean City was surrounded by large bodies of it, but I could never bring myself to go near them. They brought back too many memories and far too many nightmares. I swallowed down the lump in my throat, focusing my gaze ahead of us, seeing the quaint little house up ahead on a hill. We needed Blue to get rest fast to try and break his fever, and we were far from the nugget bridge. Even farther from that is the hospital.

Everyone in the outside has been ridiculously nice, so maybe…?

No.

But… if there's the chance that they might help…

Frick. I can't believe I'm actually contemplating this; people can't be trusted. Adults and authority especially, so why…?

I think Brock is a bad influence on me.

Lowering my head, I let out a sigh. "We can't backtrack with Blue like this; it's too dangerous."

The boy in question made a face, clearly disliking being thought of as a liability. His face was still red from his fever, eyes a bit glossy despite his annoyance. "You don't have to carry me like this. I-I can... walk just fine on my own." As if to prove his point he tried to pull away, but pain flared throughout his abdomen and he hissed, wrapping an arm around his stomach. He almost started to hyperventilate, which caused Brock to take control and rush over, giving him several instructions to follow until the boy calmed down. "Urk…"

"Stop pushing yourself!" Brock snapped, fed up with Blue's stubborn behavior. He lifted the boy up into arms with strength that didn't really surprise me anymore, though it certainly startled Blue. "You're worse than Grunt! At least she listens! Jeez. Come on, we're going to ask the owners of that house if they can let you rest there for a bit; you're sweating and your fever is through the roof!"

"I-I'm… fine!"

"No, you're not. Come on, Grunt!"

I jolted, back straightening as I held my arms against my side, standing at attention habitually at the familiar command. "Y-Yes, sir!"

Brock froze, staring at me in shock. Blue's eyes widened. My breath caught in my throat. Then, without saying a word, Brock forced his feet to move up the hill, deciding to not mention my slip up. Blue didn't either, both boys wearing looks that didn't quite suit either of them. I mentally berated myself for falling back into that habit, and as such didn't speak the entire climb up to the house. Machamp, Umbreon, and the rest of the pōkemon continued to float and walk after us, and-

Wait.

I stopped, expression becoming empty as I looked at the Weezings and Zubats floating after us. Silence filled the air and Brock, realizing that we weren't following, came to a halt. He and an exhausted Blue watched as I spoke with the pōkemon, and I did my best to try and force down the self-deprecation and memories of obedience. "You… You guys are free now." I told them, keeping my voice low and steady, devoid of much emotion. "You don't have to stay with us."

The pōkemon blinked, almost as if they didn't understand what I was saying.

Well, I guess they didn't understand… to a point. It probably wasn't helping that I was attempting to shut down my emotions, which made it difficult for them to read me with their empathic abilities. Such a pain- at least Ansem and the others knew what I was feeling even when I did that. Closing my eyes with knitted brows, I tried to release the emotions I wanted to keep locked up, needing them to know what I was saying. Or, at the very least, trying to convey.

After a moment their expressions changed, surprise forming on their faces as my eyes opened once more. This time… they were full of feeling; full of understanding and anxiety, of fear and nervousness, and as I reached out with my hands- as if about to welcome them into an embrace- I gave them the softest smile I could muster, no matter how much it hurt my cheeks.

"You're safe." I said, vision growing oddly misty once more. Tears were welling up in my eyes, warmth and hurt and something squeezing the heart trapped within my chest, aching for the pōkemon and the horrors they've gone through. The knowledge that they felt so lost now, not quite knowing what to do now that they had escaped their place of torment. "It's okay. You can… You can go home now."

And then, ever-so-slowly, they themselves began to cry. I think I read in a book somewhere about pōkemon tears having special powers, something I found a bit ridiculous, but as they all rushed forward and threw themselves at me, knocking me onto the ground as they sought comfort and affection, I knew something strange was happening. Crying was a painful thing, leaving you exhausted and aching with a sore throat and migraine, but… it could also be so very stress relieving.

Between the Weezings, Zubats, Tauros, Meowth, and even a Seviper, it was quite a mess. I was buried underneath a horde of pōkemon, later being knocked flat on my back as the giant snake pōkemon coiled around me. Meowth settled for clinging to my shoulders, held like a toddler, licking my chin like the cat it was, and the Zubats attached themselves to my limbs. The Weezings kept lightly headbutting me, choking me with the smoke they accidentally released in their gratitude and causing me to cough.

"Sh-She said…" Through all the pōkemon noises and cries, I could hear Blue speaking to Brock. "She said that… they only liked her in battle. Freaking… liar…"

"You really should stop talking." Brock suggested, though his tone was much lighter than before. "But yeah, you're right."

He smiled, watching the scene take place with a sad gaze.

"Pōkemon really do seem to like her, huh?"

I raised a hand out of the horde of pōkemon, trying to escape as I coughed. "G-Get me out of… here! C-Can't… breathe! Ack-!" With all the smoke I inhaled while we were in the base, I'm going to end up getting severe lung damage. Jeez. Ansem barked, very jealous of all the attention the abused pōkemon were getting. I yelped and crumpled beneath the weight of a Weezing, a Tauros gently nuzzling my hair as I struggled to escape. "I-I appreciate… you all, too! Now please… l-let me go!"

It hurts. My right arm is burning bad right now.

After about two more minutes of me being smothered by pōkemon and failing to properly pet them all, they finally said their goodbyes and fled into the nearby forest. I slumped, utterly own, bangs falling into my face as I dragged my feet over to the two boys. I don't understand why Brock didn't just carry Blue to the house while that was going on, but whatever. He never made much sense anyway.

These freaking outside people confuse me so much.

"On… Onwards…!" I gasped, hunched over with my hands on my knees. "To… To the house…"

Brock shook his head, Blue seemingly half-asleep in his arms. "You're really something, you know what?"

I blinked, looking up at him tiredly. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

He started walking again, Ansem barking at me and demanding to be held. Complying to the Eevee's request, I picked him up and carried him with me, reminding myself to feed all the pōkemon and give Onix extra pets for saving us at the start. "It's a great thing. But… sometimes it can be bad, I think, given how much it causes you to push yourself. I'm beginning to think you and Blue are a lot alike."

Oh. Okay. I'm not sure how to react to that.

"And… here we are!" Brock stopped at the front door of the house. I observed the nearby bodies of water with a perturbed face, stepping closer to the ex-gym leader. "Hello!?" He called, unable to knock on the door. "Is anyone home? We need help!"

This was a terrible idea. Still…

"Yes!" A voice cried out in return. It sounded vaguely male. "Please, come in! I could use some assistance myself! I'm stuck!"

What? That didn't sound good. Stepping aside, Brock let me move forward and open the door, leaving us to peer into the seemingly empty house filled with scattered papers, books, and machines. Coming out of hiding from behind a desk covered with blueprints was…

Wait. Is that a Nidorino? He stared at us with big brown eyes, before suddenly pushing himself up onto his hind legs.

"Hiya!" The pōkemon greeted enthusiastically, a grin spreading across his lips. I almost dropped Ansem in my shock. "I'm a pōkemon- er, that is to say, a true blue pōkemon fanatic! I'm Bill, by the way, and uh… well-"

He paused, seeing our stunned expressions.

"I'm not joshing you or anythin', so you can get rid of those looks your wearing. I screwed up an experiment and, as you can see, I got combined with a pōkemon! I could really use your help reversing this, you know? Wait… what happened to your friend?"

The Nidorino, Bill, became very alarmed. He gestured with a claw over to a nearby couch.

"Set him down there, quickly! I have some medicine in the next room, but…" He looked down at himself. "I'll need your help first. I can't do much stuck like this."

What is even happening?

Read and review! :D Any theories? Also, we're finally getting Grunt to question whether or not to keep going by her title. Mwahaha! Also we got more Steven! And Wallace and Winona, too. You know that conspiracy board thing with all the red strings and stuff? I'm sort of imagining Steven doing that, but for Team Rocket. Detective Steven is on the hunt! XD