Angel followed the trio in silence for several minutes, not quite knowing what to say to a group who had been kind of her idols for the longest time. She'd tried to explain her reverence to people before. Only her father understood, though. Neither one of them approved of the fact that the trio repeatedly lied to, cheated, and stolen from Trainers. But what really made her admire them was their perseverance and dedication. No matter what happened. Regardless of their failures. They never gave up. Their willpower, creativity, and the fact they did not let their losses set them back was something she thought everyone should respect them for. Sadly, it seemed more people chose to focus on the negative than the positive.
She glanced hesitantly towards them, trying to not only get the courage to speak, but figure out what to say. James caught the first look, and paid no mind. After the fourth time, he paused. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Oh. Uhm." Angel blushed slightly and almost looked to her feet like she was a little child being scolded. "Sorry. It's just…I've been with Team Rocket for a long time. So long that I'd lost hope that I'd ever have the honor of meeting you, let alone traveling with you. I know I'm basically a nobody, too, so…"
"So what? We're nobodys as well, and look at us. The whole world knows our names. Just goes to show that, even if you're a failure, you're still a somebody. You can still make something of yourself. So long as you're doing what you love, nobody else's opinions matter." He reached a hand out and affectionately ruffled the hair atop her head.
"Enough with the feelgoody stuff," Meowth interjected, "We have a long way to go, and can't be pausin' all the time for small talk."
"Meowth's right, you know." Jessie walked off. "C'mon. We can get to know each other better when we stop for lunch."
"Could always just find "the twerps" and hope they blasted us off in the right direction." Angel muttered softly, but not quietly enough, for James burst out in laughter. He gave her a friendly slap on the back before he, too, continued down the path.
Silence fell yet again. After a while, Jessie and James began pointing out spots and telling her about a memory of that place. Most of it was of battles with Ash or other Trainers—which she had already heard many of secondhand from those involved—but it was something else entirely to hear it from the point of view of the "villains".
Finally, they chose a spot slightly off the road and went about the necessary tasks for making a campfire. Angel almost questioned why they weren't eating luxury in town, but then she remembered. Team Rocket. If anyone in town recognized them, odds are, they would be chased out. What a lonely, scary life this had to be for them.
Shaking her head, she placed her knapsack beside a tree and wandered about, doing her fair share of gathering things like twigs and water. She spent a little bit of time looking around for things to eat that weren't poisonous or otherwise bad. But, in the end, she chose not to get anything she saw because she wasn't certain enough. Angel sighed, making a mental note to pick up a book on wild flora and fauna the next time she was in town.
Ten minutes later. They sat around a nice little fire while they waited for the potatoes and wild mushrooms to roast to perfection. Nobody spoke, and she could feel goosebumps on her arms. It was as if the mood had completely gone south. Halfway through, she could no longer take it. "Did I do something wrong?"
Jessie sighed, fork midway to her mouth. She set it down, and grabbed her Rocket Radar. A few button clicks later, she passed it to Angel.
Covering the top half of the screen was a picture of her with Sylvie. Not just any picture, either. It was the one her mother had taken of them and the Trainer who won the 10,000 PD and the All-Star Badge. But with everyone else cut out. How in the world did they get this picture? It was only on their Hall of Fame wall in the Flamestryke PokéTel.
She scrolled down to read the message:
Attention:
Agents of Team Rocket. It is with heartfelt sorrow that I announce the betrayal of one of our own. According to a very reliable source, Angel Flamel chose a very crucial mission upon which to turn on us. As of this moment, she is excommunicado, and is to be treated as an enemy. If seen, she is to be detained and questioned for the whereabouts of the items she stole. Use whatever means, within reason, to gain the necessary info. Anyone who is seen aiding her in any way will be seen as a traitor.
End Memo.
Angel handed the Radar back to Jessie, who started to speak, but thought better of it. James broke the new silence. "We looked into it. Maleficent is the one who reported this. Giovanni knows she plays dirty. The fact he has followed through with this, knowing her history of lying, well…We figure he must have reason to want you out."
"Personally, I'd recommend rethinking whatever it is you plan on doing and just give yourself in. Giovanni's bad side is not a place you want to be." Jessie picked up her fork and returned to her meal.
When Angel opened her mouth to explain, James cut her off. "We don't want to know. The less you tell us, the better chance we can get away with this little bit of help."
"It's really important, though. Kinda life or death."
They looked at each other and went into another of their huddles. Not long later, James turned back to her, shaking his head. "We can't…Without Team Rocket, we don't know what we'd do with our lives. But we promise you. If we figure it out on our own, and we feel the same way, we'll help you."
"And if you don't? Feel the same way, that is?"
He shrugged. "Honestly, kid. I like you. So hopefully it doesn't come to that."
At that moment, Angel happened to glance at Jessie, who was looking behind them towards Saffron City. Emotions flashed through her eyes, and she instantly grabbed her Rocket Radar from beside her. Angel became even more confused when Jessie met her eyes, mouthed an apology, and leapt to her feet. "How dare you think you're worth to sit with us?"
Angel's mouth fell open, not believing what she was hearing. How in the world did they go from friends to enemies so quickly? A male's voice sounded from behind her. It was familiar, yet not quite. Sounded like Iggy, only, without the accent. Ahh. Now she saw what was going on. They were protecting themselves. Made sense. If they wanted to find out what was going on, they needed to remain in a position where they could possibly do something about it.
"Well, well, well. All the misfits are in one place. This makes our job so much easier, doesn't it, Mal?"
She stood and turned around to see Maleficent and Iggy. Only, her grandfather was no longer old. Instead, now they both looked to be about her age. How had she not noticed the disguise? She was usually very good at picking out such details. Then again, tired or distracted minds rarely ran at full wattage.
"Four against one are very good odds. Don't you agree?"
The question was clearly addressed to Jessie and James in an attempt to see where their loyalties lay. Angel backed off so she could see everyone at once. At practically the same time, everyone brought out a pokéball and enlarged it, but did not set the Pokémon within free. She looked back and forth between them several times before choosing Maleficent as the biggest threat.
"What do you want with me? You already have my most precious Pokémon. There's nothing else you can take from me." Though she already knew the answer, it was also clear that she needed to play along for the sake of her new friends.
"You can drop the innocent act. You have something that belongs to us. Hand it over." Iggy held out his hand.
Angel crossed her arms. "And you have something that belongs to me. Since neither of us are likely to give that up, well." She shrugged. "I guess we're at a Catch-22."
"Are we really, though? I highly doubt you're capable of tying your shoes without daddy's help." Maleficent glanced down to Angel's Velcro Mismagius shoes. "Case in point, I guess."
"First. I happen to like playing with the Velcro. Second. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."
Maleficent took a step towards her, laughing when she took a step back. "Looks like you're all bark and no bite. Give us what we want, and we will go away. Simple as that."
She took a few more steps back, hiding herself in the cover of the trees. They could still see her, but it just felt safer to her. Deep down, she knew they were right. About everything. There was no way she was going to get out of this without some sort of sacrifice. Angel tilted her head as she remembered something her dad had told her long ago. To carry around some loose PD in her pocket. That way, if someone ever tried to steal from her, she threw that at them and ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction. This was a bit different, but the same nonetheless.
After a little while, she stepped forward, facing away from her friends, not wanting to see the looks on their faces as she did this. "On one condition. Give me back my Ebony. He is of far lesser value to you and your progression than retrieving the items will be."
Everyone put away the pokéball they'd grabbed earlier when Maleficent did, silently understanding that it was no longer going to come to a fight. She then retrieved another from her strap, and held it to where Angel could see the Mega Sableye sticker on it.
Angel carefully removed the knapsack from her shoulder and set it on the ground. She stuck her hand into the outer pouch, carefully removing the six vials one by one. Their pink glow lit up the area, as if reacting to the sunlight.
"Only two remained at the Silph Company. Where are the other two?"
She surprisingly managed to look genuinely confused, and shrugged. "I have no clue. I left five."
"Open your bag." Iggy demanded.
When she complied, he knelt beside her and took a closer look. But Angel knew all he would see were her Pokénav, Pokédex, and an extra set of clothing. Well. If you could call a Leafeon costume "clothing". So long as he didn't lift the costume, he wouldn't find anything. She held back a sigh of relief when he stood, turned to Maleficent, and nodded.
Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Angel closed her knapsack and stood. She gave a hesitant smile, hoping this situation was resolved and she was no longer a target.
"You may have thought you won, but I assure you. That will never happen. Now why don't you be a good little girl, and," With all the strength she could muster, Maleficent threw the pokéball. "Fetch."
Her mocking laughter followed Angel as she took off running after her friend. She unfortunately, didn't get very far when it was snagged out of midair by a Murkrow. The single silver feather marked it as the one she'd returned to Team Rocket a long time ago. He cawed at her.
"Since you took my freedom, I shall take your most precious of treasures. Only when you release me shall he be returned." After an intimidation caw, the Murkrow flew back towards Team Rocket.
Angel's hands clenched into fists at her side, trembling with barely held back anger. She no longer needed to discover some overwhelming truth about Team Rocket. The proof was right there. In how Maleficent and Iggy treated her and the trio. In how quickly and easily Giovanni turned on her. How could she have been so foolish?!
She watched their retreating backs, knowing this was one of those things that she had to let go. Getting the Shadows and the two vials to her father were of the utmost importance. And Ebony was in far better talons with the Murkrow than he would be with Maleficent. When she could no longer see them, she released all her rage and fury into a single scream.