Hey everyone! Here's a new update, enjoy!

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Chapter sixty-three: Family is Everything; or, the Right Path

A day prior…

In the nearby city of Celadon City…within the outlying forests there are three fugitives…two of which are former Team Rocket Grunts. They had recently found refuge in a haberdashery within the forest from the winter storm…all thanks to an old, lonely, woman and her Ivysaur.

Ansel's (Formally known as Cy) leg had healed considerably since ending up at the cabin/haberdashery; however, it would still be a long road before he could walk/run again like he used to. Those days seemed fairly distant now…for it had been many weeks since he had his leg injured in Verdigris by his former associate…Jeremy/Rk. He used to have longer hair during his journey to escape Kanto, but he had it cut short thanks to Milicent, their elderly host.

Today, the twenty-year-old is with his partner Leila (formally Km) in helping clear out some things in the attic for the coming Spring. Some things were placed in a truck that the host will take to Celadon City to sell. In the midst of their cleaning, the duo found something rather interesting within the pile of "junk" they were organizing/throwing away.

…

"What is that?" Leila reared her head back in confusion but shortly after helping me move some more stuff it becomes clear to both of us what is lying in front of us: it's a guitar case!

"No way…" my eyes lit up as I rubbed my buzzcut. Sure enough, a smile creeped on my face slowly as Leila looked over me with a similar look on her face. The girl pulls out the dusty case so both of us can inspect it. It's rather old…with some spots and leather ripped off from the case: probably the result of wear and tear and years of neglect?

After opening the latches, the cover sprang open and both of us are blasted lightly by years of dust. After coughing away the particles, the look on my face brightened more: my eyes shine upon catching sight of the instrument inside. It's a spruce guitar…all steel strings. You can tell by looking at the thing that it's been used but it's also been properly maintained for many years, so why was it tucked away in such a place for so long?

"I can't believe it…" I muttered, closing and locking the case again. Leila grabs it to hold on to it, "let's show the others" she had suggested. I smiled back, soon nodding in agreement.

A minute later, Michael is watching the news while Millicent is watering her plants (occasionally watering her grass-type in the process.) Leila and I came walking in with the case as our entrance got the attention of the two older adults, "look at what we found."

"A guitar?" Michael inquired, raising an eyebrow (almost as if to say "so what?")

"It belonged to the previous owner" the old lady across from us explained, walking from the kitchen to the living room to meet us.

I looked at her with pleading eyes, "c-can I try playing it?" I just couldn't resist…it's been SO LONG since I've played guitar and well…I can't pass on this opportunity.

"Go right on ahead" she nodded softly.

With a thankful nod, I carefully sat down on the couch as Km opened the case and handed the instrument over to me. I started inspecting the device: the strings are quite old but for now they should hold together. And so, I began tuning it to Standard and after testing each string I finally began playing a tune. The song of choice is one unfamiliar to the group that now surrounded me to listen: Avalon by Roxy Music.

I started singing as Leila smiled softly, happy to hear me play once again after so long. The last time she heard me play she was hospitalized at Outpost 3C 273…and the Ex-Grunt couldn't help but sit next to me and listen. Michael, across from us, examined his sister…realizing the scope of our (me and Leila's) relationship. He knew for sure now that her and I…we are in love. However, before the thirty-year-old could try and think more about it or do anything, he is grabbed by Millicent who forces him to dance with her. Leila looks over and bursts out laughing at the scene in front of her.

Halfway through the song, the sounds of a news bulletin can be heard on the television set in the background. Michael is first to see the images…his face had darkened at that moment as he stopped dancing with the old lady. Letting go of her, he walks up to the set and fiddles with the controls before getting everyone's attention, "I'm sorry, but you guys might wanna hear this…"

I stopped playing, setting the guitar down before being helped by the girl next to me. We are met with a chaotic scene…Saffron City is in chaos! As a news team tries to report the skirmish behind them, the T.V. turns static and the image of a single person appears on screen…

As it turns out, both Leila and I know automatically who it is…we padded forwards…stammering between our breaths. We couldn't believe it! H-how was this possible!? After all this time, it can't be true, but it is…

"Preston!?" We both exclaimed in unison. Michael and Millicent were confused, looking to us for an explanation. It would have to wait, for Preston gave a live speech across Kanto regarding his plans. If there's one thing I know Bartoli and Preston are…it's that they're both petrifyingly ambitious. Still, it always creeped me out how the man with the ponytail always had a dark frown…even with his proclamation he sounded cynical…

Either way, after his speech is over and the television set turns static once again, we are left in shock.

"W-what is he doing…all of that sounded vague as hell…" I grunted in frustration.

"Revenge, probably." Leila responded.

"But why attack everyone out in the open like that…like he WANTS a war? There has to be something more to all this…maybe it's a message?"

"Maybe he took over Team Rocket…still can't believe that ASSHOLE is still walking!" Leila said before Michael shushed her, "language!" He cautioned. After he silenced his sister he crossed his arms in a questioning manner, "mind explaining to us who that was?"

Leila growled, curling her hand into a fist in response, she gritted her teeth as she prepared to respond back to her older sibling, "he's one of the people responsible for turning me into a freak!" The girl decided to demonstrate, which isn't probably the best idea, but before I could intervene, she engulfed her hand in flames. Millicent and her Ivysaur were (unsurprisingly) horrified to see this unfold. I am forced to step in and stop her, "Leila…"

She scoffed, extinguishing the flame at will. Millicent shook her head lightly, unable to produce a response until I stepped toward her, "they did experiments on her…t-they used a formula that could give humans the ability to use the abilities of Pokémon. I could get into specifics of it and everything but…what's the point…" I sighed.

"S-so…s-she has powers?" The old lady stammered before the three of us nodded to her. The Ivysaur growled but her trainer stopped the Grass-Type. Michael stepped in to try and diffuse the situation a bit by reverting the topic back to Preston, "so…this man…on television…he's a scientist?"

"A crazy one" I added half-amusingly.

"And he's Team Rocket?"

"Not anymore" Leila added further.

"What was the point of all that?" Michael raised an eyebrow, resting his back against the brown-pink painted wall.

"I dunno…maybe they just want to create chaos" the female Ex-Grunt shrugged, and I soon gave my piece, "maybe they want to spread their influence…make more people like them. That's just my take."

"It's not our problem anymore anyway" Leila scoffed, sitting down by the couch again…turning the t.v. off without anyone's permission.

"Who knows what this will turn into" Millicent slowly made her way to the center of the living room to join our circle. I am lost in thought: wondering what happened between Bartoli and Anthony. They both had a falling out it seems after our group left Outpost 3C 273, so does that mean there's a power vacuum? Does that mean that maybe Giovanni will retaliate against either Preston or Bartoli. Now that I think about it, I still remember the look on his face when he talked to me in the auditorium the day, I defected Team Rocket. He had a proud look on his face…oh boy if he only knew what I had in plan to get the hell out of the Research Base. Still, Giovanni is the true mastermind behind everything. If we leave Kanto…are we really safe? I have to imagine the leader of Team Rocket AND Preston will do everything they can to get us…after all we've done to them it only makes sense.

I am taken out of my trance to see Leila resting against the couch in a nonchalant manner, "there were a lot of Team Rocket grunts in Celadon City…so they're close by for sure."

I thought about it: yeah, and we're lucky they're not out here looking for us…we're not too far from the city, but maybe they're gone…besides they technically weren't TR grunts, they belonged to Jeremy's faction. So…does that mean Anthony Preston could be nearby? I hope not. Either way, I think the time has come for us to leave and keep heading for the Kanto border again finally.

Michael, meanwhile, wanted to check something…he turns the t.v. back on and changes the local news for Celadon City. Sure enough, our small group get footage of some chaos in the streets like in Saffron City and others…it's clear it's happening throughout the entire region.

"Bummer…" The thirty-year-old man said, almost amusingly.

"This is terrible…" Millicent gasped, looking at all the specific government buildings that had been compromised. Inside them, purple gas leaked out of them and there were affected by it. Unfortunately, the footage was cut to show something else and the next couple of images shown caught my attention. The news outlet showed images of a certain neighborhood and list of people that had gone missing. My thoughts automatically go to my mother…sure enough I begin worrying about it: it's the same neighborhood we lived in. B-but, she HAD to have evacuated: Km burned her apartment down out of desperation. M-maybe mom is alright?

But…sure enough, my heart skipped a beat and my eyes widened when I saw her name among the list of individuals missing.

N-no…no…no! I thought in solemn and panic.

Leila saw the name also and dread filled her, for she knew it wasn't good. D-did his mother go and do something crazy like start looking for Ansel or something, she thought.

"What's the matter?" Her brother inquired as he looked to see my reaction, but he would soon find out.

"W-we have to go find her-we have to!" I shouted, "we gotta find my mom!"

"Whoa, whoa…not so fast" sure enough the older adult realized the significance of all this, and he soon intervened…trying to calm me down. The old lady and her Ivysaur watched from the sidelines and figured this wouldn't lead to anything good. They considered their options in case everything gets out of hand.

"I'm sure you have a myriad of reasons, but consider this, Ansel" she starts saying as I looked toward her, "if you return to the city, you will be caught, and I cannot help you."

"Oh yeah" I scoffed, puffing out my chest, "that's a chance I'm willing to take, that's my mum who's missing!" I growled as her four-legged Grass-Type growled in response, lowering its body in a threatening pose.

"Ansel…are you hearing yourself? You want to undo all we had done these past few weeks? Might I remind you we are on the most wanted list!" Leila objected strongly, surprisingly taking Millicent's side of the argument.

"She's my mother for goodness sake!" I snapped back, "it's easy for you to go against this plan…you almost burned her alive!" My eyes were red in anger as I stared into Leila. The look she had on her face afterward was one of regret and soon…my face is consumed by it too…

"Stop it you two" Michael stepped in the middle of Leila and I…like a scolding parent.

Leila shook her head, "s-she gave me no choice, Ansel…she was going to turn us in…" she admitted.

"Enough…we can't do ANYTHING right now…" the taller man shook his head before turning back to face me, "I'm sorry Ansel…but we have NO IDEA where she is. We can't just go running 'round…there's still plenty of snow on the ground out there. My sister is right, we're not risking everything for this, now DROP IT" Michael growled as I looked away…huffing in frustration. I had enough, I limped off…going back to my room as the others looked at one another with worried faces.

…

That night, Leila went to check on Ansel as Michael and Millicent had tea on the porch (with the Ivysaur resting on the latter's lap). The two had grown considerably close (in terms of friends.) Michael was forever grateful that the lady had offered the group asylum from the winter weather and had done all he could to return the favor. It's true that the haberdashery/cabin has been organized and made in a way to comfort Millicent (she really didn't have anyone to help her move all the heavy stuff after all.)

He rubbed his sightly balding head as he sighed softly at the situation presented to them, "it's all just…messed up."

"One can understand his pain" the host said in return.

"I've sacrificed enough to NOT let him do anything reckless now, him and Leila…"

"But he cares for his mother…to leave her as is and without goodbyes…a young man that age. To him it must feel as though he must do anything to save her."

Michael scoffed in return, rolling his eyes a bit (although he didn't let this be shown), "my sister and I lost our parents to a riot a few years ago…we blamed everyone…Celadon City, Kanto, everyone…it's why we joined Team Rocket."

"Was it worth it?" She asked in earnest before drinking from her small cup.

"In hindsight, I guess not. I just wanted to help people…being a field medic seemed like the perfect job…" he explained, yet the woman across from him could only giggle softly as he took a defensive stance, "is that funny to you?"

She eyes him carefully and says to the Ex-Grunt, "we all try to do good things for people…most people have best intentions, but the worst things people do are often done with the best of intentions. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Michael said nothing, only opting to listen further as he takes another sip of his hot drink.

"You three were victims of circumstance, and you felt obligated to blame someone. It's only natural. Now, you three have new opportunities, you have a choice to get on a new path in life…perhaps it'll be the right path. I found my path but the three of you are still searching and I can see it" she finished.

Michael just looked away…he never considered himself a bad guy, not even once. He only felt like he was doing this job. After all, he chose to help people over everything else…he never really stole Pokémon or done anything the other Grunts did (at least he didn't think so.) The man couldn't say the same about his sister or Ansel: now THEY were Grunts in name and in practice (from what Leila told him anyway.) B-but they, like Michael, were discriminated by Kanto…it was only natural they would try to get back at them somehow. He wasn't a saint, he HATED Kanto too; however, he understood where Millicent was coming from. He looked back at the eighty-year-old before she gave a soft, aged, smile back to him, "live your life, Michael…try to do right."

He took that in, thought about it. With the lessons they learned…if they start fresh…can the three start fresh again and go on to do great things?

He didn't have more time to think about it, for a moment later they hear the sound of an engine starting…the two adults stand up to see a blue truck speeding down the trail…away from the property! It's Millicent's vehicle!

Leila soon came out and her panicked look soon made everything fall into place. She was unable to find her best friend/love interest and she heard the truck too, "Ansel!" The two siblings shouted in dread.

With haste, they rush toward the road after Ansel Jefferson; however, the snow hindered their progress significantly…not to mention the fact that it was a truck they were chasing after…

The siblings stopped running…letting the realization sink in…things just got really bad really quick again…

Little did they know that this was a divergence on the road they're on…one that would change everything.

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Alrighty, that's a wrap. They'll be more to come later, take care everyone!