Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or any other property in this work that I did not make myself.

Pokémon: Sinnoh no Isekai

Chapter Eighty: Iron Interrogation

Jasmine sat in the interrogation room at the Olivine City Police Department building, alone save for her lawyer, a plump (but not obese) mid forties woman who looked and dressed like a serious business woman. Jasmine wore a simple outfit of a long sleeved blouse, baggy pants held up with a belt, and a pair of sandals. Her hands were cuffed to the metal table at which she was sitting. She had no idea how long she had been in there; there was no clock on the wall so she wasn't able to tell the time.

All that the now former leader of the Olivine City gym knew was that she was in trouble. A fact that she had accepted.

Suddenly, and to Jasmine's shock as she had no idea when it would happen, the sole door in the room opened. Walking in was the interrogator, accompanied by Lance, champion of the Indigo League, and to Jasmine's surprise the girl from the pair of traveling Pokémon trainers that she had turned away from the Shining Lighthouse yesterday. Jasmine knew full well that Lance, who was regarding her with disappointment, would want to have a part in her interrogation, but that girl being here confused the worried former gym leader.

The interrogator sat down at the table in the chair opposite of Jasmine, with Lance and the girl standing behind him, leaning against the wall on opposite sides of the door. The interrogator put a folder down on the table at his place. "You are aware of why you're here, correct?" the interrogator asked as he regarded Jasmine.

She nodded guiltfully. "...Yes."

Gesturing to the lawyer, the interrogator went on, "I'm glad to see that you are aware of your right to have a lawyer present during questioning." The lawyer only nodded once in acknowledgement. "I hope that you are also aware," the interrogator went on to Jasmine, "That you're facing serious charges. Working with a known criminal element the likes of Team Scorn will be something that will follow you for the rest of your life."

Jasmine nodded in understanding. "I... I am aware, yes."

"I hope that you are also aware that everything that's said here is going to be recorded for evidence," the interrogator said, waiting for Jasmine to acknowledge that which she did by nodding. "Now, let's begin. When, to your knowledge, did Team Scorn first show up in Olivine City?"

Jasmine let out a shaky sigh, clearly trying to hold it in. "...Yesterday morning, very early before anyone else was up. A young adult man carrying a katana woke me up by banging on my front door. When I answered it, I saw him and he introduced himself to me as Brother, Admin of Team Scorn's Katana Sector."

Lance held up a hand. "If I may." Stepping forward, Lance pulled out his own folder, took a photo out from it and showed it to Jasmine. The photo showed the Team Scorn officer from the security footage from the theft of the bells from the Tin Tower in Olivine City. The photo showed him with all of the grunts seen with him, including the specially dressed one. Pointing at the Team Scorn officer in the photo, Lance asked, "Would this be Team Scorn Admin Brother by any chance?"

After taking a moment to look at the photo, Jasmine nodded in the affirmative. "Yes, that's Admin Brother. Also." Lance paused in taking the photo back when Jasmine spoke up. The former gym leader pointed at the specially dressed Team Scorn grunt. "I recognize that girl. Brother referred to her as Akari, and she's his Admin's Assistant."

"Admin's Assistant?" the girl Jasmine recognized from yesterday spoke up, drawing Jasmine's attention.

She had also drawn the lawyer's attention as well. "I'm sorry, but why is some random girl in here," the lawyer asked, "Seemingly helping with the interrogation?"

Gesturing to the girl, the interrogator explained, "This is Dawn Berlitz, the champion of Sinnoh. She is helping Lance with efforts against Team Scorn."

Jasmine's eyes widened a bit out of surprise, especially since she had just learned that the girl from yesterday, who she now knows is Sinnoh Champion Dawn, is a foreigner who through her (Jasmine's) actions she had endangered by working with Team Scorn. Jasmine realized that she's in even greater trouble that thankfully didn't get worse than it could have, as otherwise Johto could have wound up in hot water politically speaking with Sinnoh. Chances are that Dawn's male friend who was with her is from Sinnoh same as Dawn; Jasmine would ask later.

To Dawn, Jasmine said, "Yes. From what I learned in the brief time Admin Brother had me cooperate with him and his men, there's a subdivision of the rank and file in Team Scorn called Officer's Assistants. It's divided up further into two separate ranks that I'm aware of, Captain's Assistant and Admin's Assistant."

"We'll make a note of that in what we have already on Team Scorn," Lance said.

"Umm, I'm not sure if this helps any," Jasmine went on, catching the attention of the interrogator and the two champions, "But apparently, Captain's Assistants still have to wear the same outfit as the Team Scorn rank and file, but Admin's Assistants are allowed to vary their outfits with concent from their respective Admin."

Lance arched a wry eyebrow. "Really."

"A Captain's Assistant was scolded for not wearing her mask up or her baret at all," Jasmine said, "And although Admin Brother did consent to let her wear a scrunchy since her hair was long enough to warrant it, she couldn't wear the solid red one she had at the time I saw her. She was told that she had to replace it with one that's solid yellow or solid dark blue."

The interrogator pointed at Jasmine. "Was this during the incident late last night, when you were at the Olivine City ports helping to welcome Team Scorn members into Johto?"

Jasmine, looking more guilty, nodded once. "...Yes."

"How many Team Scorn members would you say arrived on the ship that you had helped to welcome in?" the interrogator asked.

"...Counting the Captain and his Captain's Assistant," Jasmine said, "I would say around forty."

Dawn looked curious about the Team Scorn Captain and his Captain's Assistant. "What can you give us on the Captain and his Captain's Assistant?" Dawn asked.

"The Captain is named Quaid," Jasmine said, "And his Captain's Assistant is named Tawny. Tawny is the aforementioned Captain's Assistant who was scolded for being out of uniform." At Lance's request, Jasmine proceeded to give a general description of the appearances of Quaid and Tawny.

The interrogator sighed. "How did Team Scorn Admin Brother get you to cooperate with him and his men?"

"When I first saw him when he came to my front door very early in the morning," Jasmine said, "Before I said even one word, Brother immediately told me that he had eight of his men over at the Shining Lighthouse, and that they were holding hostage an Ampharos who they found over at the Shining Lighthouse. They were aware that said Ampharos is my Ampharos Sparkle, who works over there by helping to power the lighthouse's light to help guide ships to port when it's dark."

Lance, with his eyes closed, nodded once with a grim expression on his face. "So they were holding a hostage to coerce you into cooperating with them."

"I was told to not let anyone know of their presence in Olivine City," Jasmine confirmed as she went on, "To not let anyone period into the Shining Lighthouse where they were hiding out at, and to assist in helping a ship carrying loads of their members to port in the middle of the night, when no one would be up to see anything."

"Did any of them," Dawn began, "Either Admin Brother or Captain Quaid or either of the Officer's Assistants or any of the rank and file period, say anything at all that would explain why so many of Team Scorn's members arrived in Johto by ship at Olivine City's ports?"

Jasmine, looking sad as well as guilty, nodded once in the affirmative. "...Yes. Admin Brother said that there was going to be a big job of some kind that Team Scorn would be getting up to soon. I'm not sure what this supposed big job is as I never heard any exact details, but Tawny did let it slip that, at the very least, Team Scorn is going to be getting up to activities in the respective areas of Mahogany Town and Blackthorn City."

Lance pounded a fist into his hand. "So we at least have some advance warning on some of Team Scorn's activities. I'll look into arranging for security for Mahogany Town and Blackthorn City right after we're done here."

"Kenny and I were planning to visit Blackthorn City eventually," Dawn pointed out, "We can help out there if we arrive prior to Team Scorn starting their activities."

Jasmine perked up when she heard Dawn mention that she and Kenny (who Jasmine assumed is the boy she saw previously with Dawn) were going to be visiting Blackthorn City eventually. "...You and your friend originally came to Olivine City in hopes to challenge the Olivine City gym," Jasmine said, "I assume you two were planning to visit Blackthorn City because you heard of the gym there, and aim to challenge said gym."

Dawn turned to look at Jasmine. "This isn't related to the interrogation, but yeah."

"If it helps you and your friend at all," Jasmine went on, "Mahogany Town also has a gym you can challenge. It may be worth considering."

Dawn, thanks to her knowledge from her previous life, already knew about the Mahogany Town gym. But no one else (aside from possibly Kenny) knew that she knew, so Dawn played dumb when given that tip by Jasmine. "Thanks, Kenny and I will be sure to look into it," Dawn replied to the former gym leader, "Now back to the subject at hand. Lance and I already have it down that the Captain position in Team Scorn is divided up into multiple numbered positions, like Second Captain and Third Captain. That being said, do you know if this Captain Quaid fellow is a First Captain, or maybe a Fourth Captain?"

Jasmine gently shook her head. "Sorry, but I don't know what position of Captain that Quaid is specifically. All I know is that he identified himself as belonging to the same sector that Brother is in charge of. I assume that Tawny and the other Team Scorn rank and file who showed up also are part of Brother's sector of Team Scorn."

Lance closed his eyes, a grim look of consideration on his face. "...Given what all new information on Team Scorn that you have provided us with, with said information also including knowledge that Mahogany Town and Blackthorn City are going to be targeted, not to mention the fact that you were coerced into cooperating with Team Scorn, I can realistically see a deal being worked out for you. It's very realistic that you can avoid having to serve any jail time at all."

Opening his eyes, Lance glared at Jasmine. "...But regardless of the information you have provided, regardless of the fact that you had been coerced into helping them, you still had worked to aid a known and rising villainous criminal element here in Johto. You can expect to never serve as a gym leader again, and you'll be on probation for half a decade minimum. You may also see your ability to raise Pokémon be heavily restricted and monitored, although what Pokémon that you already own will be left alone."

Jasmine closed her eyes and bowed her head, knowing full well that she was still going to be legally punished for her act in aiding Team Scorn regardless of how she worked to make up for it after the fact. Jasmine's lawyer proceeded to ask about how to get in touch with the people who will work out the plea deal for Jasmine to try to get Jasmine off as lightly as possible, although Lance gave off vibes suggesting that what he said Jasmine could be expecting was already seeing the former gym leader of Olivine City getting off lightly.

With all business in there done, Lance and Dawn turned around and left the interrogation room. Dawn gave one last look over her shoulder at Jasmine. It was a look of bitter disappointment mixed with heartbroken regret. Dawn was disappointed that Jasmine, even under coercion, would work with criminals like Team Scorn.

But Dawn was also disappointed in the fact that Jasmine would be a gym leader that she would never get the chance to face off against.

When Dawn and Lance walked out into the main lobby of the OCPD building, they found Kenny asleep in a chair, his head thrown back as he was snoozing away. Dawn walked over and gently shook her friend awake. "Who? Waa? Wuh?" Kenny said as he came to, "I'm awake! I'm awake!"

"You are now," Dawn said dryly.

Getting up from his seat, Kenny asked, "So what's going on with Jasmine?" Dawn and Lance then proceeded to give Kenny a general run down of what all Jasmine can be expected to serve for her part in aiding Team Scorn, although her situation and the new info she provided was going to be taken into consideration for the purposes of arguing down her overall sentence. "It really sucks that Jasmine got the short end of the stick on this one," Kenny remarked, his tone sympathetic and his expression a bitter scowl.

"Hopefully with the advance warning that we got on Team Scorn activities in the areas of Mahogany Town and Blackthorn City," Lance began, "We'll be able to keep Team Scorn from seeing further success here in Johto." Looking to Dawn and Kenny, Lance went on, "Both Mahogany Town and Blackthorn City have Pokémon gyms you can challenge to earn badges at. That being said, I hope to see the both of you at both locations to help deal with Team Scorn there." With a small but amused smirk, the Indigo League champion added, "After you both earn the Mineral Badge here, of course."

Dawn nodded once to Lance in acknowledgement. "Where will you go now?"

"As much as I'd love to go to Blackthorn City first," Lance began to say, "As it's not only my hometown but my cousin Clair is the gym leader there, I believe that I actually ought to go scout out the situation over in Mahogany Town first, given that it's closer to Olivine City than Blackthorn City."

"Kenny and I will see you over in Mahogany Town then," Dawn replied, "As soon as we're done here in Olivine City." Lance nodded in acknowledgement before he proceeded to lead Dawn and Kenny out of the OCPD building. There were still loads of protesters outside, still clamoring for Jasmine to be released, but more OCPD officers came out to help deal with the more energetic protesters and to let Lance and the reborn trainers through.

The local Officer Jenny ended up having to escort Dawn and Kenny to the local Pokémon Center where they'd spend the night, and security also had to be posted there in case anyone got any ideas to try to take things out on Dawn and Kenny; Lance immediately took off on one of his Dragonites to fly right for Mahogany Town after Officer Jenny helped get him, Dawn, and Kenny cleared from the protesters for the most part.

...

After spending the night in the bunk room of the Olivine City Pokémon Center, Dawn and Kenny got up, got themselves freshened up, dressed, and were eating some breakfast while the regional news played on the TV in the Center's lobby. "So Jasmine's situation had already made regional news," Dawn remarked as she kept an eye on the news.

"I usually have trouble following the news," Kenny said after eating a bite from his bagel, "So what all do you make of what they're saying on TV about Jasmine?"

"That Jasmine has been stripped of her position as Olivine City's gym leader," Dawn said, "And that she's expected to get all other penalties that Lance yesterday predicted she'll get. The news also notes how the citizens of Olivine City are still unamused with Jasmine being punished, and Lance for his part in Jasmine's arrest and punishment is seeing a drop in his popularity here in Olivine City. You and I are even being condemned by the Olivine City citizenry because we were seen helping Lance, although people have no idea who we are."

Kenny scowled. "So you and I are now pariahs in Johto because we helped with Jasmine's interrogation and all that other stuff."

Pointing to Kenny, Dawn clarified, "Only here in Olivine City. The rest of Johto actually sees the two of us and Lance more favorably than ever before due to our continued efforts against Team Scorn. Especially the folks in places we've already helped out in, mainly Azalea Town, Goldenrod City as it's close to the Pokéathlon Dome, and Ecruteak City. And Lance's arrival in Mahogany Town has made the news already, so the citizenry over there are basically giving Lance a hero's welcome."

Slapping his knees as he forced himself into standing up, Kenny said, "Something we ourselves also ought to get upon arriving in Mahogany Town. After you and I both get the Mineral Badge from the Olivine City gym, of course."

"I still can't believe we can get Jasmine's badge without actually having to battle Jasmine," Dawn remarked, "Granted, we still have to battle for it, as we should, but it still doesn't feel exactly right that we won't get to test ourselves against Jasmine specifically."

"Do you at least know who we're going to face?" Kenny asked.

Dawn nodded once in the affirmative. "I called Lance about it, and he told me that the substitute gym leader for the Olivine City gym is a guy called Bulat," Dawn began to explain, "He's the only steel Pokémon user that was able to be sent over and is also qualified enough to hold the gym leader position until someone can be found to fill the position permanently."

Shrugging, Kenny said, "Fine by me. I just hope he's ready to be taken down by the power of cringe." Seeing that they were as ready as they'd ever be, Dawn and Kenny proceeded to make their way on over to the Olivine City gym to face off against substitute gym leader Bulat.

Upon arriving at the Olivine City gym, the reborn trainers saw that there were officers trying to remove protesters from the premises because said protesters were trying to break in and drag out the guy who had dared to take Jasmine's place. Dawn and Kenny were able to get in without issue, and one protester who tried to hit Dawn in the head by throwing a water bottle at her was shocked into silence when Dawn skillfully caught the makeshift projectile, then harmlessly drop it on the ground before heading into the gym.

Inside of the gym, Dawn and Kenny met Bulat. A tall young adult man, Bulat had fair skin and red eyes, long shaggy jet black hair, and a well toned yet still somewhat lean build hidden under his sleeveless black baggy hooded jacket that reached halfway down his thighs, tannish baggy pants held up with a belt, and black boots of either work or combat quality. He also wore six metal stud earrings, three in each ear.

"So, you kids are the ones I was told helped Lance deal with Jasmine in light of what she did," Bulat said, "And one of you is the new and current champion of Sinnoh. I got my work cut out for me it would seem, and I've only started my temp position here today."

Bulat said that he had two separate teams of three prepared, one set up to be a slightly tougher challenge than the other, and with the tougher team being reserved for 'the Sinnoh champ' as Bulat put it. With the two separate teams, Dawn and Kenny can try for the Mineral Badge back to back without worry of having to wait, given that the protesters outside were going to be a problem for some time yet.

Kenny ended up getting the first shot at Bulat. The substitute gym leader used a team of two Magnimite and a Skarmory against Kenny, who won by having Godzilla take out both Magnimite and stay in against Skarmory only to immediately switch out into Goofy to take the steel flying Pokémon down. With Kenny at six Johto gym badges, it was up to Dawn to see if she would be able to pull off the same feat.

Bulat's stronger team that was being saved for Dawn was another Skarmory, a Magneton, and a Steelix. Despite how the team Dawn faced was tougher than the one Kenny faced, Dawn still won, making use of Argent, Chi-Chi, and Dende against Magneton, Skarmory, and Steelix respectively. Bulat even commended Dawn for thinking ahead of time and bringing a selection of powerful fire Pokémon to 'melt his metal' as he put it.

...

Dawn and Kenny were looking at their respective Mineral Badges as Bulat was taking care of a phone call. "Well that sucks," Bulat said grimly as he hung the phone up, "I need to head on over to the local hospital. My girlfriend Yomi was attacked by a pro-Jasmine protester and took an object to the side of her head. Yomi needs stitches."

"Your girlfriend was attacked?" Dawn asked, immediately concerned.

"The bitch who did so was arrested, don't worry," Bulat said, "But yeah. Yomi was seen trying to come to the gym here earlier to see me. I thought that Olivine City would be a nice breath of fresh air for Yomi, given that she still feels bad about how the sales guild she belonged to some time ago had to disband."

"Sales guild?" Kenny said questioningly.

"Think the merchant guilds of long ago," Bulat explained, "But in modern form." Looking out the window in the front lobby of the Olivine City gym, Bulat scowled. "There's still protesters out there. Chances are they'll attack you two if they learn that the both of you earned badges here. They think that handing out the Mineral Badge is the exclusive right of Jasmine's."

Looking to Dawn, Kenny said, "Well my main man, it's a good thing we came prepared for zooming on over to Mahogany Town as soon as we were done here."

...

Outside of the Olivine City gym, police were still trying to get the protesters to behave when all of a sudden everyone heard two Pokémon be called out, then everyone ducked as the legendary Pokémon Palkia and Giratina took off into the skies above, soaring away from Olivine City as a whole. Dawn and Kenny respectively were on the backs of Palkia and Giratina. Even Bulat had to take pause upon seeing the reborn trainers take off on legendary dragon back.

"...Wow," Bulat muttered, "Talk about making an exit."

...

"I think this was the first time during our gym challenge tour that we've done this during the day," Kenny remarked as he and Dawn soared overhead across part of Johto.

Dawn had a grim look on her face, a look with a hint of resignation in it. "The situation in Olivine City kind of warranted it, Kenny. Things should be calmer once we reach Mahogany Town."

Kenny nodded once in grim agreement. "Angry protesters who are rallying behind a popular gym leader can be more of a nightmare to deal with than straight up criminal team members. One you can just beat the snot out of without consequence, but the other is trickier to deal with as you can't beat the snot out of someone who's ostensibly an innocent civilian."

"Not every problem is a member of Team Scorn that you can deal with simply by beating it in a Pokémon battle," Dawn pointed out. Indeed, not every problem can be solved as easily as winning a Pokémon battle. Luckily for Dawn and Kenny, they were headed to Mahogany Town, where a Team Scorn scheme was predicted to go off.

Problems like that can be solved by winning Pokémon battles.

END, CHAPTER EIGHTY

Author's notes;

This chapter deals with Jasmine's interrogation, providing every last bit of info on Team Scorn that she's able to. Given that said provided info includes advance warning about where two Team Scorn schemes that haven't gone off yet, it'll look good for Jasmine as said info is going to be used to try to stop Team Scorn from pulling off whatever their planned schemes in the areas of Mahogany Town and Blackthorn City are.

After that, Dawn and Kenny are able to have their respective goes at the substitute gym leader sent by the League to run the Olivine City gym until a more permanent solution can be found. Bulat used steel Pokémon, as to try to preserve the feel of the Olivine City gym as much as possible. And now the reborn trainers are off to Mahogany Town, the site of their next gym battle and where one of the Team Scorn schemes are predicted to go off. Later.

Dawn's Pokémon: (on hand) Chi-Chi (female Infernape), Leni (female Lucario), Argent (male Arcanine; Hisuian; alpha), Vegeta (male Aipom), Dende (male Magmortar), Tsukune (Palkia)

Kenny's Pokémon: (on hand) Goofy (male Houndoom), Godzilla (male Pupitar), Shallot (male Glaceon), Roshi (male Torterra), Cell (male Scizor; shiny), Black (Giratina)