A New Path

by TheCouchEffect

Ash has finally achieved his dream after so many years. He has become the champion of a Pokemon league. Despite this victory, he feels lost with no sense of direction. Weeks after his victory, he is framed for a crime he didn't commit. Unwilling to accept guilt, he will be drawn into a battle to clear his name and bring Team Rocket to justice before they can become unstoppable.

16. Lesser Evil

Ash stared up at the gray ceiling of the safe house. The distant, rhythmic ticking of a clock on the wall echoed dully in his ears. His mouth tasted of bile and death; his eyes ached; his limbs felt like lead weights, pinning him to the mattress. He shifted and glanced down at his side, Pikachu and Latias cuddled up against him.

The memories of the last few days returned to him. Latias had brought him back to the safe house. When the rest of the team returned, there had been a lot of concerned shouting, questions, and more than a few curses at the Rangers expense. It had only doubled when they learned… what he'd done. He could remember breaking down somewhere in the middle of it all. Crying like the child he no longer was.

Dimly, he could remember that not even Petrovic had insulted or mocked him.

After that night, he had just… existed, for lack of a better term. He laid in bed and slept as much as he could. He ate what little food interested him. Occasionally, he'd go for a run to try to clear his head. That was it, however. It was a cycle that suited him well.

He was just glad that the others were giving him some space.

Slowly, he slid out of bed carefully enough not to wake Pikachu or Latias. As much as he appreciated his partner's concern, they deserved the chance to rest. That night must have weighed on them just as heavily.

He shivered as his bare feet touched the cold ground. Once he was on his feet, he moved towards the bathroom nearby and turned on the tap. His throat was dry after another long night, and he could use a drink. He cupped his hands under the water to splash it back into his mouth to drink.

The water felt cool on his throat. He took another few drinks before splashing it back on his face and trying to wash the sleep from his eyes. He stood up to look in the mirror.

The dead eyes of the Rocket Grunts stared back over his shoulder.

"Argh!" He gasped and stumbled back, falling to the ground. Scrambling back to his feet, he wildly looked around the room. No one was there. Of course there wasn't. The dead didn't return from the afterlife just to haunt someone in the bathroom.

It wasn't as comforting as it should have been. He shook violently and rushed towards the toilet, raising his hand to his mouth. A fresh stream of vomit rushed out into the bowl. For a good minute straight, he hurled into the bowl before collapsing onto the ground and rolling onto his back.

Shakily, he forced himself to his feet and flushed the toilet. When he looked in the mirror this time, the dead weren't there. Only his reflection stared back at him. It was hard to look at. Pale and sweaty skin; baggy and bloodshot eyes despite all the sleep he got; an ever-present frown. As Petrovic would say, he looked like shit.

He supposed that was only fair. He felt like shit, after all.

"Ash? Are you okay?"

Turning away from the mirror, he saw Latias hovering outside the bathroom door and Pikachu sitting on the bed nearby. He flicked the switch to shut off the lights and joined the two of them by the bed.

"Sorry if I woke you two." He said.

"It's fine." Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder and rubbed his cheek against Ash's. "Anything you wanna talk about?"

"I'm fine."

Latias smiled. "You know you can talk to us about- "

"I said I'm fine!" He hissed.

It took him a second to realize how that sounded. One look at their alarmed and shocked faces was enough to make him sigh and shake his head. "Really, guys, I am. I just… I don't wanna talk about it right now."

The two of them exchanged a look. While they didn't seem happy, neither of them pushed on this. He was relieved. As much as he trusted them, this wasn't something he could talk to them about. How could he? He had killed people. He had destroyed all those hopes and dreams with the pull of a trigger. Would their family and friends ever learn why they had died?

What did it say about him that it had even gone that far? Was there something he could have done to prevent it? Could he have talked them down or found some other way to stop them? So many questions and so much regret.

Maybe Looker or Petrovic could help. But… that risked bringing up bad memories from their time in the Great War. Anabel was an option, but who knew if she had killed anyone herself yet? If she had, would she really appreciate him dredging up the memories just so she could help him?

No, it was better he deal with this himself. He'd be better, in time.

"Alright." Latias tilted her head to the side. "Do you wanna see something cool instead?"

He blinked. "Cool how?"

She chuckled. "A little secret us Legends keep to ourselves."

With those intriguing words, Latias floated away from the bed towards the center of the room. Before their eyes, her body shimmered and morphed into the shape of a Human. Unlike previously, however, she didn't take on a form he was familiar with. One with flowing scarlet hair reminiscent of dragon wings and deep amber eyes.

Ash tilted his head aside. "Who's this?"

"It's me." She said.

Pikachu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we know you're standing in front of us, but whose form are you wearing? Cause I gotta be honest, that hair? Seems like a pale attempt at imitating your wings. Bianca wore it better."

Latias' eye twitched. "It's my form. My Human form."

He and Pikachu froze, exchanging a confused glance. "Bwah?"

She scoffed. "That's all you have to say? I show you that Legends can look like Humans and the only word you can conjure up is 'bwah'?" She shook her head. "You two really are dense."

He couldn't even be offended. She was right, after all. "So… all Legends can do this?"

Latias smiled and sat down on the bed next to him, bouncing in place. "Yep! It lets us more easily walk among your kind without fear." She told him. "Not that many of us do. Most prefer to keep to our own homes or look down on Humans. You'd never catch Xerneas doing this, from what I hear."

Pikachu frowned and hopped between them, sniffing the air for a minute. "Weird. You still smell like a Pokemon. And you're not speaking like a Human either. What gives?"

She shrugged. "That I don't know. It's just how we work. I guess it's just easier for me to keep using telepathy than trying to learn a whole new language in a different body." She smiled. "It's always fun pretending to be Human."

He could imagine. If Ash could change into a Pokemon at will, he'd probably do it all the time. All those heightened senses and amazing abilities… it'd be experiencing life in a whole new way. Though he paused for a second.

"So, why do you always look like other people, then?" He asked. "Bianca, Anabel, me?"

She laughed. "I guess to me, it's like trying on a new pair of clothes?" She offered. "It's just fun to look like other people. Test out how their body differs from others and get a bit in their head. That's not creepy, is it?"

He flinched. "I'm not going to lie… it's a little creepy."

Latias visibly deflated and slouched, looking away. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You're not hurting anyone. It's no different from when I thought you just used illusions." Ash blinked. "Maybe just ask before you start looking like any of us again, yeah?"

She smiled and punched him on the shoulder. He hardly felt it. "Sure thing, bud. In fact, I've got an idea."

"What's that?"

"We should visit the soup kitchen today. Just so I can show off my Human form a little and stretch its limbs." She suggested.

He nodded. "That's not a bad idea."

Pikachu hopped up onto Latias' shoulder. He ran his paws through her hair. "It even feels like a real Human's."

Latias sighed. "Pikachu. Please."

He blinked. "Oh. Right. Yeah, that sounds like a great idea! We can see how everyone's doing, stretch our legs, soak up some sun. It'll be a grand old time!" He said. "Nothing clears the mind quite like serving fresh food."

Ash flinched.

Pikachu froze. "Oh shit. Ash, I'm sorry- "

Latias glared at him. "Pikachu, just… not now. Stop talking for a second."

Corpses laying at his feet; blooding pooling beneath them. The shocked and terrified eyes staring up at him in eternal damnation. A sense of utter revulsion as a head exploded at his hands and showed him in gore-

"It's alright." He tried to smile. "I know I've been cooped up inside for too long. Getting out to see others will do me some good."

It couldn't hurt. Maybe all he needed was a chance to do something good. To work with his hands and help others in some way that wasn't so morally ambiguous. Feeding the poor and hungry was always a good way to do that.

Food was always useful, even if it came from the hands of a killer.

Latias and Pikachu exchanged a wary look. "If you're really okay with it… we don't want to force this on you if you're not ready."

"Come on, guys. You know me. I'm always happy to lend a hand." A more genuine smile crossed his face. "A chance to be useful to people who need me? That sounds like the best medicine in the world. There's just one thing I need to take care of first."

Pikachu frowned. "What's that?"

His eyes drifted to the dresser in the room and the Pokeball sitting atop it.

Bewear's Pokeball.

"I need to deal with them. And I'm going to need your help."

---

"So, how goes the good fight?"

Looker sipped at his coffee. "Better than I'd expected, worse than I'd hoped."

Nanu snorted. "Same shit, different day."

It wasn't often that Looker could sit back and relax with an old friend. Ever since Nanu had left Interpol, he'd practically been unreachable. He never took calls and detested unannounced visits, preferring to laze away his days in retirement.

Not that Looker could blame him for that. Most people in their profession died young. They never got the chance to retire or enjoy a simple life. It was only natural his friend would be resistant to getting drawn back into the life. Under normal circumstances, he would have respected that and kept his distance as much as possible.

Sadly, that just wasn't possible this time.

Sitting in the kitchen of his mentor's home, Looker could tell that retirement had been kind to Nanu. While his house was far from anything extravagant, Nanu lived in a wonderful little home, drove a nice car, and even had a small clowder of Alolan Meowth roaming the grounds. With a nice little garden out front and photos hanging on the wall, he had a wonderful home for himself.

Looker envied that. He certainly couldn't afford a home this nice in Alola.

"I heard Skull's been hitting back against Rocket. Couple of their businesses were hit pretty hard recently. Even had to take a couple Rocket boys to the morgue." Nanu quirked an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. "Know anything about that?"

He hid his smirk behind another sip of coffee. "Maybe they have a fairy godmother."

"Lucky them." Nanu placed his feet on his table. "I hope you know what you're doing. Getting into bed with Skull could turn nasty."

Looker shrugged. "It's no different from any of the other hundreds of criminals we work worth. At least with Skull, I can tell Guzma has a modicum of morals. Makes him better than most of our assets."

"For now." Nanu pointed out. "Give it time. Once he feels his power is secure and he's gotten a taste for the high life, he'll resent your power over him."

"We know the risks. While I can't tell you what they are, we have contingencies in place. If the day comes he decides to bite the hand that feeds him, we'll take his head and replace him with someone else." Looker sipped at his coffee. "For now, he's a necessary evil."

Nanu grunted, dragging his feet off the table to lean forward. As he rested his elbows on the edge, he grabbed a nearby saltshaker. "When I first got recruited to Interpol, we were still a pretty new group. Barely a hundred agents overall. As you can probably guess, the idea of a multiregional, covert agency wasn't something most were too keen on when we'd all been trying to kill each other just a year prior."

He could remember. While Looker had been recruited later on when the group was more established, everyone knew how high tensions were back then. An entire generation of people had been tossed into a meat grinder, and the survivors were left to pick up the pieces.

Before Interpol, Looker honestly hadn't known what he'd do with his life. How could he? Normal life just seemed so… different from what he had once believed it to be.

"Most of us hated each other." Nanu continued. "We never believed this thing was gonna last. An agency with no loyalty to any region? Focused on the common good? It was outlandish. Far as we were concerned, this was just an excuse to prepare for the next war."

"That obviously didn't last."

"You know how it is. The more exposed you are to other cultures and people, the less easy it is to hate them. It's the whole reason we push kids to go on journeys and see the world." Nanu tossed the salt up in the air. "But we weren't there yet. It only changed once the reactionaries started rising. The cult leaders, the opportunists, the extremists. People who saw opportunity in the despair."

It was a common sight. Victorious regions saw a surge of nationalistic pride and validation of their superiority. The defeated felt shame and anger towards the world for their loss. Both ended up funneling people into extremist groups. The modern teams like Plasma, Galactic, Flare, and even Rocket, could trace their origins back to the aftermath of the war.

"I remember the first big assignment we got handed. There was a group of monarchists in Galar pushing to restore the monarchy. Establish radical reforms to recapture their glory days." Nanu told him. "Called themselves the Kingsmen."

"I vaguely remember them." Looker said. "They tried to bomb the United Regions building, didn't they?"

Nanu nodded. "Sure did. Dirty bomb – would've rendered the building and the next five-mile radius around it inhospitable. Only reason it didn't go off is because we got a tip from a CI at the time." Nanu said. "After that, they became public enemy number one. Police, Rangers, the League, us – everyone wanted their head. But they were always one step ahead."

"How'd you stop them?"

"For a while, we couldn't. The police were useless – mix of utter incompetence and sympathies to them. The Rangers? Please. They're better at protecting trees and eggs than people. As for the League? They considered it good PR and nothing else." Nanu sighed. "Which just left us to sort it out. As usual."

Looker frowned, setting aside his coffee. It wasn't uncommon for Interpol to feel alone in their fight. They might as well have been with how many dirty cops there were in the pockets of criminals. Perhaps if the Rangers and them could get over their clashing methods, they might be able to work together.

Sadly… that just didn't seem possible.

"Eventually, that mysterious Director of ours hatched an idea. A false flag." Nanu reached over to grab the pepper shaker, moving it in front of the salt. "Our agents disguised ourselves as Kingsmen and slaughtered members of the local mob – including the daughter of its head."

"Making an ally for yourself in the fight." Look frowned. "Harsh… but I can see its usefulness."

"And it was. Overnight, the Kingsmen were being attacked on all fronts. We approached the head of the mob and proposed an alliance. The same kind you have with Skull now." Nanu unscrewed the tops of the shakers, tossing them aside. "Within two weeks, we'd crippled the Kingsmen. In a month, we'd gutted their manpower. By the second? We'd wiped them from the earth."

"It sounds like a successful operation. So, where did things go wrong?"

Nanu snorted. He lifted the shakers into the air and poured the spices onto the table. They coalesced into a single mound of black and white. "We armed an enemy. Propped the mob up like kings, thinking we could control them. In the end? They slaughtered over a dozen agents in front of their families. I still remember the words of their kids afterwards."

Looker scrunched his eyes shut. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We got ours back." Nanu smiled cruelly. "Unlike the Kingsmen, we knew everything about the mob. We dismantled them in a single night. Every leader of theirs? Butchered in their homes. Their foot soldiers? Wiped out in droves. We even extended it to everyone that did business with them. Galar's underworld bled like mongrels that night. Taught them an important lesson."

Never kill an agent of Interpol. Hell would rain down on anyone who dared try it.

"… you think we're making the same mistake with Skull."

Nanu chuckled. "Sure do. I'd hate to see you wind up dead just because you all forgot the past." He smirked. "Can you imagine the paperwork I'd have to fill out for a dead Interpol agent? I'd kill myself just to escape it."

Looker rolled his eyes. "Well, thank you for your concern, I guess. It's appreciated." He drawled. "I'll keep it in mind. I'm sure the higher-ups will do everything they can to keep Skull in line."

"You do that." Nanu sighed. "And how about your team? They doing alright?"

"My team is fine." He said. "Petrovic is the same as always, but he's at least reliable enough to get the job done."

"How you haven't broken down and killed him yet is a mystery to me." Nanu laughed.

Looker cracked a smile, reaching for his drink. "I ask myself that every day." He sipped his coffee. "Anabel's doing well. Despite being new to the agency, she's exceptionally skilled. She'll go far. Maybe one day, she'll even run a Regional division."

Nanu whistled in appreciation. "Sounds like you have high hopes for her. Having a Psychic like her on the team must be useful. I'd have killed to have someone like her around back in my day."

"She took down a high-ranking member of Team Rocket all on her own." Looker said. "If this is her at the start of her career? She'll be damn near unstoppable once she has a decade of experience on her side."

"And the other one?" Nanu questioned. "How's Alola's disgraced Champion handling life as an agent?"

He doubted Ash would appreciate the descriptor, but the boy wouldn't approve of his identity being revealed either. Nanu was someone Looker trusted, however. He wasn't the type to go blabbing to the media about this sort of thing.

Besides, Team Rocket already knew Ash had been recruited by them. With how little he knew about what Ash was currently working on, there was nothing worth telling anyone.

"Better than I thought he would." Looker admitted. "He picks up skills quickly and practices the basics every day. In the six months I've had him on my team, he's improved by leaps and bounds. I'd almost call him a prodigy, if it weren't for how naïve he can be sometimes."

"Really? He's learned to control his emotions?" Nanu asked. "Back when I met him during his Island Trial, he was quick to anger."

"Let's just say he learned early why impulse control was important." Looker grimaced. "Surprisingly, the covert aspect is where he shines. He picks up covers well. Makes them feel real. He's quick on his feet, too. Boy can adapt to changing situations well."

Nanu whistled in appreciation. "Lucky you. Two promising rookies to mold however you want. It'll be good for your career once they're fully trained." He smirked. "If snagging a Legend for Interpol hasn't already."

"Latias isn't loyal to Interpol. She's loyal to Ash." He corrected.

"And the boy is loyal to you, so it might as well be the same thing." Nanu snorted. "A Legend… I'd never have thought I'd see the day one of those crazy monsters would willingly work with a Human. Boy must be special."

He didn't know the half of it.

"He'll make a good agent. Maybe not the best, but a good one. With the right motivation, he could be a powerful weapon against criminals and terrorists everywhere." Looker shook his head. "Assuming he can work past his issues."

"Issues?"

"He killed his first men the other night."

Understanding dawned on Nanu's face. "Ah. Shit. First one's always the worst." He grunted. "Didn't think the kid had it in him."

Looker hadn't either. For as well as Ash was adapting to the life, he was always more of a civilian than an agent. Not just in how he thought, but in the way he carried himself and viewed others. Someone used to seeing the best in them. A heroic heart who saw all life as precious. It was something Looker had wanted to protect.

He had failed. In a single mission gone wrong, Ash's innocence had been stolen. More than ever before, he had been forced to confront the reality that life was so easily taken away. With the simple pull of a trigger or the slash of a blade, people could die. For a lot of people, that kind of reality could be crippling.

Ash would get through it, though. He had the team to look out for him. More importantly, Ash's first kill was a good one. It hadn't been to save his own skin or to hold up a cover. He did it to save an innocent woman's life. With enough time, Ash would come to terms with it and emerge all the stronger for it.

He would make sure of that.

"Give Ash my regards." Nanu said.

"I will. And you do the same to Acerola." Looker told him. "Speaking of whom, when will I get to meet her? She sounds like a lovely girl."

"Never." Nanu held up a hand, halting Looker's questions. "Don't. I may be willing to help Interpol, but I want her nowhere near any of this. Got it? Far as Interpol is concerned, she doesn't exist."

He tried not to take it to heart. If Nanu was telling the truth, he had taken the girl under his wing. An almost familial role in the girl's life since coming to the region. His old mentor was just trying to protect her. For that alone, Looker wasn't offended.

"Fair enough." With one last sip of his coffee, Looker stood up. "I'd better get going then before she comes to visit you. You have a lovely home, Nanu. One of these days, you'll have to tell me how saved up the money for it."

---

Standing amidst an empty clearing in the forest, Ash took a moment to soak in the fresh air. He shut his eyes and listened to the wind whistling through the tree leaves. The distant voices of Pokemon could faintly be heard in the background as the sun's rays shined down upon him.

He sighed in contentment, allowing his shoulders to relax.

"This spot will do nicely." He mumbled.

Pikachu scratched himself behind his ears. "It's definitely better than the safe house. At least here, if Bewear rampages and tries to kill us, she won't hurt any innocents."

Bewear was female? That was good to know. "Anything I should know before I release her?" He asked Pikachu. "Did she say anything we could use to calm her down if she gets angry?"

Pikachu frowned. "I don't know… she wasn't exactly coherent when she was fighting Team Rocket. She just kept shouting 'give them back' over and over again."

Ash crossed his arms. Give them back? Did she mean Team Rocket or Humans in general? If it was the latter, then Ash doubted she'd be willing to negotiate. She may decide to kill him the moment she's released from the ball.

A hand resting on his shoulder drew him from his thoughts. He looked up to see Latias' reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Whatever set Bewear off last night, we'll make sure she doesn't hurt you. Not that we'll need to do much. I'm sure that she'll listen to reason."

He doubted it, but he was glad someone was optimistic. He narrowed his eyes in thought. "You should transform back. I think she'll take seeing a Latias better than another Human."

She huffed. "Hoping to wow her with my divinity? I guess it's as good a plan as any." Her eyes flashed and a curtain of light enveloped her, morphing back to her true self. "At least I have more access to my power like this."

Pikachu rolled his eyes. "As if you'd need much of it. You're a Psychic – just use some of that brain magic of yours and Bewear won't be a threat."

Latias blinked in disbelief. "Brain magic? Is that what you think being a Psychic type involves?"

"You trying to tell me it isn't?"

She looked away. "Well… it's a lot more complicated than that! There's a lot of control and discipline needed!"

"Mhm." Pikachu didn't sound convinced.

Ash chuckled. "Well, whatever it is, I'm glad you're here. With your Psychic abilities and Pikachu's lightning, I think we'll be able to handle ourselves if it comes to a fight. Let's just try to avoid it if we can."

He grabbed Bewear's Pokeball off his belt and enlarged it in his hand. For a second, he simply stared down at the green ball. What would she do when she was released? What would he say? There was only one way to find out.

He tossed the ball into the air and released the Alolan bear from her confines.

The three of them stood in silence as Bewear materialized. The massive creature blinked as she took in her surroundings. As if it confused her to be back in the real world. When her eyes landed him, however, all traces of confusion were lost. Her eyes blazed with fury and her muscles tensed.

Pikachu's cheeks sparked and Latias' eyes glowed in warning, but Ash raised a hand to stop them.

"It's alright. You're safe now." He assured her. "No one's gonna hurt you."

Bewear raised her arms threateningly. "Human! Release me now or I will rip you apart!"

He held up his hands defensively. "Easy now. No need for threats." He told her. "I'm going to release you, don't worry."

Bewear narrowed her eyes. "You can understand me, Human?"

"I can." He smiled, gesturing to Latias with his head. "My friend here is translating for me."

Her eyes shifted to the dragon. Though she tried to hide it, Bewear took on a more defensive, hunched posture than before. "A Legend… it doesn't matter. You say you will release me? How can I trust that?" She challenged. "I know how enticing my kind is to your people."

A fair point. Most trainers sought out powerful Pokemon for their teams and loathed to part with them. While Pikachu and Latias claimed most were fine with it, Bewear didn't seem to share that opinion. He couldn't blame her.

He raised the Pokeball and pointed it towards her. For a second, she seemed ready to attack. He clicked the button on the ball and held it down for a moment. A blue beam of energy encased Bewear, but rather than suck her inside, it simply glowed for a few seconds before dispersing harmlessly.

"There. You're free." He pocketed the ball.

She didn't seem to expect that. "Just like that?"

Ash shrugged. "Just like that. The only reason I caught you that night is because you needed help. Your wounds would have killed you if I didn't."

"I see." She visibly relaxed and lowered her arms to her sides. "I guess some of your kind do have honor, after all."

"It's the least I can do after you saved our lives. If it hadn't been for you, Pikachu and I would have died that night." He smiled. "Just consider it a favor returned."

A strange rumbling sound escaped her lips – laughter. "Alright then. Well, thank you, Human. But if that's all, then I'll be going. I have prey to hunt."

Pikachu stepped forward, raising his paws in curiosity. "I actually wanted to ask you about that. When you were fighting Team Rocket the other night, you kept shouting at them to give someone back. Who did they take from you?"

Bewear glared. "Excuse me?"

Latias raised claws placatingly. "We're not trying to pry. It's just, Team Rocket are our enemies. It's our job to stop them and rescue the Pokemon they've taken. So, if you lost someone to them, maybe we can find them for you."

The chances were… not great. While Ash hoped they'd be able to rescue all the Pokemon taken by Team Rocket, he knew things weren't that simple. There were dozens of different hideouts, warehouses, and businesses they could have taken their captives. Even assuming they hadn't already been sold off, finding them would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

"You don't need to tell us if you don't want to." Ash said. "I understand it must be hard to trust us. You hardly know us."

Bewear tightened her fist. Without a word, she slammed it into a nearby tree and toppled it in a single blow. Ash flinched as it struck the ground but remained firm where he stood. She wasn't trying to hurt them yet, so there was no reason to worry.

She growled harshly, fangs barred in contempt. "They took my daughter."

He flinched. "I'm sorry. How did it happen?"

"I was out collecting food for us. The same as always. We lived with a Maraenie and Mimikyu, and they always watched her closely when I was gone. They were more than strong enough to deal with any wild Pokemon that wandered by. I figured the same would be true for Humans."

Pikachu cautiously moved forward to pat her on the leg. When she didn't immediately push him away, he rubbed his cheek against her. "You couldn't have known."

"It doesn't matter." She snapped. "Those monsters destroyed my home and took my family from me. By the time I returned, they were already long gone. The only reason I even know it was them is because a patch with their R was left behind from the battle."

"And you've been hunting them ever since?" Latias asked.

"Someone has to." Bewear grunted. "The Humans haven't done anything to stop them, and most Pokemon are too afraid to draw their ire. So, I kill any that I find wandering the forest."

"You'd have had to go into the city eventually if you wanted to find your family." Pikachu pointed out. "What was your plan, then?"

Bewear shrugged. "Kill everyone who gets in my way. Free their other captives. Keep doing that until I either find my baby girl or slaughter every Rocket on the island."

"You'd have died." Ash gently pointed out.

"Then I'd have died knowing I did everything I could to save her. I already lost her once before and gave up… I'm not about to give up again." Bewear shut her eyes. "You three are young. You can't understand the pain of a losing a child."

"No. We can't. But we've all lost loved one's." Ash told her. "If we find your daughter, we'll bring her back. And if we can't? I'll make sure the people responsible for this pay."

"The word of a Human shouldn't mean much… but somehow, I believe you when you say it." Bewear said.

Ash smiled. "Thank you. We'd better get going then. Goodbye, Bewear." As he turned to leave, he felt a massive paw rest upon his shoulder. He glanced back up at Bewear with a frown. "Is something wrong?"

"Before, you said that you hunt Team Rocket. Is that right?" She asked.

He nodded. "It is. They've hurt a lot of good people, both Human and Pokemon. I work for a group dedicated to bringing them to justice. No matter the cost."

"That's why those bastards were chasing you that night. You did something to anger them."

He flinched. "It's… not as simple as you make it sound, but yes. That's the gist of it."

"Then I want to come with you." She demanded.

Ash recoiled in shock. "W-what? Why?"

"Because I can't do much on my own. Like you said, I'll die if I keep doing this on my own. I already would have if it weren't for your rescue." Bewear admitted. "But with your help? I'll have a better chance of rescuing my daughter."

He frowned. "I thought you wanted me to release you."

"That was when I thought you would get in my way. Now I know you'll help me." She blinked down at him. "If you're worried about me pulling my weight, don't be. I'm strong enough to take on anything they throw at us. Whoever we go up against, I won't let them harm you or anyone else. I'll die before that happens."

"That's not going to happen." He rushed to tell her. "It's just… are you sure? The work I do isn't straight-forward. A lot of its in the shadows. Sometimes, I have to work with Team Rocket to trick them into letting me close."

Not that his cover as Alex Woods was worth a damn anymore.

"If it gets me one step closer to rescuing my daughter, then I'll do whatever it takes. Even if it means working with those monsters." Bewear growled. "It'll be all the sweeter when I can crush them when they least expect it."

Ash hesitated. On the one hand, having a powerful ally like Bewear on his team wasn't something he could pass up now that she was willing. On the other hand, she seemed… off. He supposed he could chalk that up to losing her child. Something like that would cause anyone to act strange and short-tempered.

If someone had gone after his mother, he doubted he'd be any more forgiving than Bewear.

He glanced back at Pikachu and Latias. "What do you guys think?"

Pikachu shrugged. "I say let her come. We already know she's strong and dedicated. I'd be happy to fight with her at my back. We can always use the firepower she brings."

Latias nodded in agreement. "She deserves the chance to find her daughter. If we can give that to her, then we should do it. You did the same for me after Alto Mare."

All fair points. Ash closed his eyes and hummed in thought. Regardless of what he decided, Bewear was going to keep targeting Team Rocket. Eventually, her luck was going to run out and he wouldn't be there to save her next time. When he put it like that? It wasn't even a choice.

He held his hand out to shake. "Alright. You can come with us. Welcome to the team, Bewear."

Bewear smiled and shook his hand. Mercifully, she didn't break it by accident. "You won't regret this."

"Neither will you. We'll find your daughter. You have my word."

---

Sometimes, Anabel hated her job.

She loved working for Interpol. Really, she did. Compared to being a Frontier Brain, it was truly meaningful work. Traveling the world to fight the bad guys and protect the innocent? It was every kids dream job made reality, minus the flashy costumes. If her younger self could see her now, she'd be completely enamored with the future.

But it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Just like a journey wasn't a walk in the park, being an agent of Interpol required fortitude. They skulked in the shadows and dirtied their hands so others could live peaceful lives. They risked their lives against the worst monsters of society. Most people would never even learn of the sacrifices they made for them.

If they did, they'd only ever see Interpol as the same monsters they fought.

Anabel sighed and leaned her head back against the head of a semi-truck. Looker had ordered her to drive it to the outskirts of the city and park it at an old, abandoned rest stop on the highway. She had to wait until someone from Team Skull came to take the cargo in the back off her hands.

Working with criminals was nothing new. She'd worked with small-time thugs in the past. They were mostly harmless in the grand scheme of things, and more often than not, she could have the police arrest them when the job was done. Even Ash was technically a criminal, and she had no problem working with him.

Organized crime was different. More insidious. Unlike freelance criminals or minor gangs, a simple arrest or fear of retaliation couldn't stop them. Their greed commanded them to always push for more money, more power, and more control over everything around them. Even if everyone calling the shots were removed, new leaders would rise to take their place.

There were only two ways to stop organized crime: wipe them out entirely… or find some way to control it.

As a rookie agent, Anabel didn't have much say in what they did. She lacked the experience that Looker and the other higher-ups did, not to mention the full picture of what they were facing. If it had been her call, though? She wouldn't be making a deal with Team Skull.

All they were doing was creating another enemy to fight ten to twenty years down the line.

The distant roar of an engine reached ears. Peering down the road, she was a single truck coming her way. The poorly painted skulls across its hood made it clear just who they were.

Anabel sighed and pushed off the semi-truck. It was time to get this over with.

When Team Skull's truck came to a stop, a small group of Grunts lead by Plumeria stepped out to greet her. Seeing the right-hand woman of Guzma was a surprise, but Anabel hid it well. Why would they send someone as powerful as her to pick up a simple delivery? Surely their Grunts weren't that incompetent.

"You're late." She told them.

Plumeria shrugged. "There was traffic." She gestured to the truck. "Everything's here?"

Anabel rolled her eyes. "Of course. We always keep our word."

"Sorry if I don't take the word of a spy at face value." Plumeria crossed her arms. "Show us. I want to verify everything's there."

Annoying, but smart. The partnership between their groups was still young. Trust would come with time. "Have it your way."

She led them around the back of the truck and unlocked the doors. A wave of freezing air rushed out to greet them and caused some Grunts to shiver. Sealed, refrigerated crates marked as seafood were visible to them.

"I hope you've got more than Clamperl cakes for me back here." Plumeria quipped.

"You really think we'd waste good Clamperl cakes on you people?" Anabel asked.

"Oi!" One Grunt said. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She smirked. "If you need me to spell it out for you, then you're worth even less than I thought."

The Grunt turned red with anger. "You- "

Plumeria silenced them with a glare. "Enough. She's trying to get a rise out of you." She said. "Just open the crates."

While they grumbled and glared at her, they did what Plumeria told them and pried the crates open. Inside were piles of dry ice and Magikarp packaged securely. Anabel took the opportunity to grab one of the dead Water types from the box and hold it up for them to see. She slid her hand into its underside where a slit had been made and rummaged around inside.

She pulled out a tiny bottle of bright red pills.

Plumeria whistled in appreciation. "Enhancements? Impressive. I thought they took this stuff off the market? Where'd you people get it?"

"We make it." Anabel told them. "We don't waste anything that can give us an edge."

And that was exactly what these enhancements – collectively referred to as X-Items – were. An edge over their enemies. While commercial use had been outlawed after several scandals in the Pokemon League and Contest circuit, the military was still technically allowed to use them. While not given explicit permission, Interpol had chosen to do the same.

They needed to if they were going to stand up against Team Rocket's own use of X-Items.

"How pure is this stuff?" Plumeria asked.

"Your Pokemon won't die, if that's what you're asking." She told her. "The effects will last roughly an hour. As long as you don't overdo it, your Pokemon will punch above their weight limit."

Plumeria grinned. "Impressive. What else do you have for us, spook?"

Anabel gestured to the crate again. "Clear away the Magikarp and ice for me."

Unlike before, the Grunts didn't grumble when she gave them an order. This time, they rapidly did as she asked and revealed the spoils hidden beneath the surface. Rifles, shotguns, pistols, grenades, and even a few combat knives.

"Holy shit." One Grunt mumbled.

"You'll find similar stocks in the rest of the crates." She told them. "There's enough firepower in this truck to take on a small army. Same as the rest of the shipments you've been getting until now."

"I just had to make sure you people weren't scamming us. We are partners now." Plumeria stretched her arms behind her head. "Don't worry. With this kind of gear, we'll hit more Rocket bases as agreed."

"Only when civilians aren't around." Anabel stressed. "If we find out you've been using these to target anyone but Team Rocket, we'll make sure you regret it."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry so much. We're not interested in hurting anyone who doesn't deserve it." Plumeria rolled her eyes. "Loosen up a little. We're not monsters."

That was debatable.

"There's an RPG in one of these crates." Anabel sighed. "I shouldn't have to say this, but since most of your people are morons, it's for emergencies only. Any of your people get trigger-happy with that and I'll make them pay myself."

"You won't have to. I'll make sure none of my little bros or sisters do something stupid." As if to emphasize her point, Plumeria glared at the giddy Grunts behind her. "And Pokemon? We were told we'd be getting a shipment of those as well."

She gestured over her shoulder. "Their balls are in the crates in the back. It's an assortment of Fighting, Dark, Water, and Grass types this time." Anabel said. "While they're far from the strongest around, they're better than what your people are using now. Should put you on even footing with Rocket."

And she meant that. These Pokemon weren't on Interpol's level, but they had still been trained and raised well. Assuming Skull took advantage of the X-Items and trained occasionally, they'd be more than powerful enough to beat the average Rocket Grunt.

The downside was that the police would be left completely behind. It was a necessary evil, though. For every good cop on the force, there were three bad ones and a dozen more cowards complicit in the corruption. Those not in Rocket or Skull's pocket were either in someone else's or relegated to positions of little influence.

One of these days – when Interpol had dealt with their own double-agents and Team Rocket – she hoped they could fix that. Until the public could rely on the police to protect them, they were just another tool for criminals to use.

"Heh. I could use a good Water type on my team." Plumeria nodded to herself. "Well, that should about cover it. Thanks for this, spook. Pass along our thanks to your boss for me."

"Just don't screw it up." Anabel hopped out of the back of the semi-truck. "We're investing a lot in your group. The least you can do is live up to our expectations."

Plumeria frowned. "Don't worry. We may not look like much, but we're stronger than you think. These islands belong to us. We're damn sure gonna fight for 'em." She said. "You need a ride back to the city?"

Anabel snorted and unclipped a Pokeball from her waist, releasing Salamence to the world. "I'll be fine on my own."

The Skull leader shrugged. "Fair enough. Just thought I'd be polite and offer." She smirked. "You know, you need to lighten up a little. Take the stick out of your ass. Who knows? You just might get laid."

Oh, she was not having this conversation.

Without a word or a glance in Plumeria's direction, Anabel hopped onto Salamence's back. She ignored the amused laughter of the Skull Grunts as her dragon lifted into the air with a telepathic command.

The sooner she got back to the city, the quicker she could put all this behind her.

---

"How many did we serve today?"

Makata hummed in thought and glanced down at the clipboard in his hands. "Hmm… looks like we managed to get a solid two hundred people today. Not bad."

Ash smiled in contentment. That two hundred people who'd be going to bed tonight with a belly full of warm food. While it was sad so many people needed help, it was better they were here to provide it than not.

"Say, lad, how have you been doing?" Makata asked. "We haven't seen you the past couple of days. Everything alright?"

An uneasy smile crossed his face. "I'm fine. Work has just been stressful."

Makata made a sound of understanding. "Ah, the plight of the working man. Let me tell you a little secret, son." He said. "Never put a job before your own well-being. Doesn't matter if they threaten to fire you. You should always come first."

Ash chuckled. "I appreciate the advice, but it's nothing like that. Just some realities of the job I didn't think I'd have to deal with."

"Well, my point still stands. Don't let a job force you into anything you don't want to do." The elderly man smiled. "Arceus knows a good kid like you deserves better."

Good… he honestly didn't know if he could still call himself that anymore. Once, he would have said he was without a second thought. After working with criminals to terrorize people? Targeting a friend and nearly setting fire to their home? K-killing people?

He wasn't so sure.

"Say, where's that Layla girl you're always coming with?" Makata asked.

Layla? Ah, right. The alias they'd given Latias when she was disguised as Anabel. He'd need to think of something to explain her supposed absence and the 'new girl' taking her place.

"She's on shift at our job today. Couldn't get out of it." Ash told him.

"I see. And this Scarlet lass? She works with you both?"

If any of the others had heard that name, he could only imagine the judgmental looks they'd give him. It wasn't his fault, though. Thinking up names on the fly was hard and Latias' Human form had such bright red hair. It had been the first thing to pop into his head and by then it had been too late to change.

"No, she's just a friend I made on the island who wanted to come with me." He told the man. "I hope you don't mind."

Makata chuckled. "Of course not. Anyone willing to come lend a helping hand is good in my book." He said. "How much longer you think you'll be staying in Alola?"

"Honestly? I don't know." Ash admitted. "We've been making a lot of progress on our work, but there've been a couple… snags, you could say. It could be a long while before we're gone. Or we could get lucky tomorrow and be gone by the end of the week."

Because there was no rest for an agent of Interpol, or so he heard Looker say. Assuming everything went perfectly, and they captured Matori and her people soon, they might not have more than a few days before heading off to handle whatever crisis needed them next.

That wasn't likely, though. With how things were going, it would be a long time before they cornered Matori. They'd need a great stroke of luck if they were going to catch her soon. Whatever they did, Ash just hoped Interpol knew what they were doing. He'd rather avoid an open war with Team Rocket in the streets of Alola.

"You just be sure to spend some time relaxing. I appreciate you coming by, but you should enjoy yourself while you're here, too. Alolan food and culture is meant to be experienced, not just witnessed." Makata told him. "In fact, if you and your friend get going now, you might experience some of that Alolan nightlife the tourists love."

Ash frowned. "Are you sure? We can stay to help you close up."

"Please, Red." Makata laughed, pushing him towards the door. "Go. You've done enough for one night."

He laughed at the elders pushiness and bid him farewell. Latias and Pikachu both moved to join him once it was clear they were leaving. As they stepped out of the restaurant-turned-soup-kitchen, he looked up to see that the sun was beginning to set. Nightfall would soon be upon them.

"Well, seems like we got out a bit early tonight." Pikachu hopped up onto Ash's shoulder. "What's the plan now?"

Ash shrugged as the three of them walked down the street. "We could always head back home."

Latias scoffed. "Sorry, Ash, but I've seen more of that safe house in the past few days than I ever wanted to. Please, anything but more of that."

He snickered. "Alright, fine. We won't go back there." He said. "How about the night life? Makata did say we should take some time to relax."

She blinked. "Like what? Night surfing? You think we can sneak into the Mantine pens on the beach and take them for a spin?"

The good samaritan inside him said no, they shouldn't do that. He found it surprisingly easy to ignore it. Mantine surfing was one of the best parts of an Alolan vacation, and for someone like Latias? It would be a fun new experience. One her own transformations couldn't compete with.

There was just one problem.

"As fun as that would be, they've probably had long days. They'll be tired by now." He told her. "I was thinking maybe we could go clubbing."

Latias grimaced. "Clubbing? Really?"

"Why not? It'll be fun!"

Pikachu scratched at his ears, pulling them down by his cheeks in displeasure. "I don't know, Ash. Those places are pretty loud. Besides, what would we even do?"

"Dance, obviously. Come on, it's been ages since we let loose." He said.

The look Pikachu gave him bordered on pity. "Ash. You can't dance."

He gasped in mock shock. "I can too!"

"Only if you consider flailing around like a beached Magikarp dancing." Pikachu chuckled. "Even then, I'd give the Magikarp the edge for style points."

Latias nudged Ash on the side. "Come on, Pikachu. I'm sure he's not that bad. Maybe we can teach him the two-step and watch him really set the dance floor on fire."

His eye twitched. "As if you can do any better."

"Wanna bet?" She grinned. "Bianca and I took dancing lessons when we were kids. Well, she did and then showed me how to do it when she got back, but it's basically the same thing. I'm practically a master at it."

He'd make them eat their words. He swore it! "Well, there's also karaoke. That's bound to be fun!"

Latias snorted in amusement. "You do remember you're the only one here who can speak Human, right? Pikachu and I won't be singing, that's for sure."

"Maybe. I, for one, just can't wait to hear him sing his heart out on whatever trashy song they pull up. Arceus help us if he gets into the Vodka." Pikachu teased.

A blush heated up his cheeks. So he'd developed a bit of a taste for vodka after going out with Petrovic. What was the big deal? It wasn't like he was drinking it all the time. If he ever got as bad as Looker and started mixing it with everyday drinks, he'd know he'd gone too far.

Poor man really needed to get a handle on his alcoholism. Really, what could possibly be so stressful he was driven to drink so much?

"Since you two seem so eager to see me make a fool of myself, I guess it's settled then. We're going clubbing." He spun on a dime and gestured for them to follow him. "Come on. Let's see if Makata knows any good places nearby."

He had said they should have fun, after all. As a local, he'd know all the good places too. Not the ones that would try to scam tourists with flashing lights and overpriced drinks.

Yet when they returned to the restaurant, they saw something odd. Rather than having closed up and prepared to head home for the day, the lights were still on inside and the door was ajar. Makata would never have been so forgetful to do that. Something was going on.

He unclipped the glasses from his shirt and placed them over his eyes. When he flicked on its x-ray vision, he found a set of four figures deeper inside the building. One of them obviously must have been Makata, but he had no clue who the other three could be.

Pikachu lightly zapped him – a common habit when he needed to get Ash's attention. "What's wrong?"

"Makata's inside talking to a few people," Ash mumbled. "The other volunteers all left earlier, though. No one usually comes by at this point."

"Maybe they're just more people looking for food. We did close the kitchen down a little early tonight." Pikachu suggested.

"Maybe… Latias, what kind of emotions are you picking up?"

She closed her eyes, a faint glow outlining her figure. His hair stood on end, and he suppressed the urge to shiver. After a few seconds, her eyes opened into a glare and she tightened her fists in anger.

"Fear and sadistic pleasure." Latias growled into his mind. "Team Skull is trying to shake him down."

What? No… no, that couldn't be right. Team Skull had made a point of defending this place against those Rockruff wannabes and trying to protect the islands from Rocket. Why would they do this? Especially to someone who hadn't done anything to draw their ire in the first place!

His fist tightened. A quick glance around the area showed that no one else was around. Most were either busy inside other stores or heading home for the day. Practically no witnesses in case things went wrong.

No doubt Team Skull had chosen it for that exact reason.

"Latias, transform back into a Pokemon and go invisible." He ordered. "Pikachu, linger behind and try to stay out of sight. We're gonna figure out what's going on and get Skull out of here."

One way or another.

The two quickly moved to follow his orders. Pikachu hopped off his shoulder and stalked inside low to the ground, hiding behind walls, out of sight. Latias' eyes glowed a dim violet and took a step forward, morphing back to her true self before fading from sight altogether.

He took a breath to steady his nerves and stood inside, placing his sunglasses back on the neck of his shirt. Once he was inside, he saw the Skull Grunts had surrounded Makata. Two in front, one behind. No Pokemon had been released yet, and no weapons had been drawn.

"What's going on?" His voice boomed. No anger or suspicion, just enough alarm that it shocked the Grunts into stepping away from Makata.

Clearly, they hadn't expected anyone else.

Makata visibly swallowed and held up his hands, trying to wave him off. "N-nothing, Red! Everything's fine." He said. "What are you doing? I thought you and your friends were going out to have fun?"

"I forgot to ask you something." He frowned. "Are these three giving you any trouble?"

"They're not- "

A Grunt stepped forward and puffed his chest out in a juvenile display of masculinity. "This ain't any of your business, Kantonian. Clear out of here if you know what's good for you."

Kantonian? From the sneer on the man's face and the utter disdain with which he saw the word, Ash could only guess he had something against Kantonian's. Considering he was from Skull, it was more likely rooted in something that Team Rocket had done than anything else.

Then again? Maybe not. Back during his time in Alola, Guzma and the other Grunts he met made it very clear their stance on foreigners in what they perceived as their islands. They'd gone so far as to try to stop the creation of the Alolan League itself just because it would give the region more connections with the outside world.

"I'm making it my business." Ash grabbed a chair and scraped it across the ground. He spun it around to face away from them, taking a seat and crossing his arms over the back.

"Red, please!" Makata begged.

The Grunt tightened his fists and stepped forward. He tried to loom threateningly over Ash with a deep scowl and a hunched posture, almost like a Mightyena preparing to pounce. It might have even been intimidating if Ash hadn't met worse before.

"Not too long ago, you people were defending this place from a different gang shaking it down." Ash pointed out. "What changed?"

"They were on our turf. If we let them do business here, we'd have lost all the respect people have for our name." The Grunt behind Makata said.

Ash couldn't help but snort in derision. "Respect?" He asked. "You people are a laughingstock. Since when has anyone ever given you respect?"

Makata visibly paled while the Grunts sputtered in response. Through their Psychic link, Ash could feel the surprise coming from Pikachu and Latias. He paid none of it any mind. All that mattered now was protecting Makata and the soup kitchen.

"You got a death wish, pal?" A Grunt growled.

"Do you?" Ash challenged. "Plumeria named this place off limits. You really think she'll approve of you shaking down a soup kitchen, of all places?"

"Ain't just a soup kitchen." Another one said. "It's also a business. He gets the friends and family discount, he pays us, and we protect this place from all them bad folks who harassed him before."

Hypocrites. Greedy bastards who only cared about themselves. He should have known better than to think Skull was different. At the end of the day, they were just like Team Rocket. The only difference is one wore fancy suits, and the other wore black leather.

"If you want to protect them from bad folks, maybe you should leave." Ash narrowed his eyes. "Before someone gets hurt?"

"Ash, calm down." Latias whispered into his mind.

The Grunt leaned close – close enough that Ash could smell his rancid breath. "That a threat?"

"A promise."

There was an imperceptible shift in the air. Makata frantically backed away. The Grunts all moved to surround him, hands drifting to their belts. Ash had less than a second to decide what to do.

His instincts chose for him.

He reared his head back and slammed it into the nose of the looming Grunt. A sharp cry of pain as they stumbled back. They only regained their bearings long enough for Ash to break the wooden chair he'd been sitting on over his head.

One Grunt leaped forward, his knife flashing from the sheath on his hip. A combat knife. Similar to the one Ash trained with.

Ash ducked away from the first wild swing towards his neck. At the second, he stepped into and around the blow to grab his opponent's wrist. Wrenching it aside, he slammed it into the thick muscle of their thigh. He shoved the screaming man away.

A pair of shoes squeaked against the clean floor behind him. Ash dodged to the side just in time to see a knife strike where his head had once been. The carelessness earned him a shallow cut on the side of his cheek.

He retaliated with another headbutt to this Grunt's nose. They stumbled back, but unlike the first one, they drew their pistol from their belt. He stepped aside and grabbed their arm, twisting it at a painful angle. They only managed to get two blind, wild shots off before being forced to drop the gun.

His hand reached up to grab the back of their head. Fingers curling around their hair, he forced them down and slammed their head into the nearby wooden table. They cried out as their head bounced from the impact.

Dragging them across the hard surface, he threw them to the floor. Once they stopped tumbling along the ground, they tried to climb to their knees. His leg flashed out, slamming into the back of the Grunt's head and sending them crashing back to the ground.

He raised his boot again… and found he couldn't move. He was being held in stasis by some invisible force. The back of his mind tingled with familiarity, and his hair stood on end. Annoyance flashed through him.

"Latias, what are you doing?" He demanded.

"You need to stop! Now!" She shouted. "They're already down!"

He paused and looked around him. One Grunt was a crumpled, unconscious mess surrounded by the rubble of a chair. Another squirmed on the ground, torn between ripping the blade out of his leg and fearing the pain to follow. The final one whimpered on the ground and clutched the back of their head.

Why… why had he thought to keep going? How far would he have gone if Latias hadn't stopped him?

"What the hell is going on here?"

A gruff, familiar voice cut through the silence. Ash looked up to see Looker standing in the doorway with Pikachu at his side and a scowl splitting his face. The instant Latias released her Psychic hold on his body, he stepped away from the Skull Grunts.

"I- "

"Not one word." Looker strode forward and crouched down in front of the Grunts. For a moment, Ash could see nothing but disdain in the older agent's eyes. "Pick yourselves up and get out of here. You and your people are never to come back. Understood?"

"G-Guzma's gonna fuck you people up!" The Grunt groaned.

Looker snorted. "You tell him that whenever he's feeling lucky, he should give Looker a call. I'll be more than happy to see him test his luck." He snatched the man by the collar and dragged him to his feet. "Now, go!"

The Skull goons didn't think twice about following those orders. Once they had ripped the knife from one Grunt's leg, they grabbed their unconscious friend and hobbled out the door as fast as they could. And if Pikachu just so happened to zap the three on their way out?

No one cared enough to say anything.

Looker reached into his pocket and pulled out a small white business card. "Call this number. They'll take care of the damage." He told Makata. "If Skull comes around again, just call. They'll handle it."

Makata barely managed to nod, too shocked by everything that happened to speak.

Looker turned and left without a word. It didn't take a genius to know that he expected Ash to follow. With one last apologetic look towards Makata, he hurried after his leader. He could feel Latias not too far away while Pikachu hopped up onto Ash's shoulder.

None of them said anything as they walked down the street. Even as police cars rushed by them towards Makata's, no one dared speak up. What could Ash or the others even say?

They didn't stop walking until Looker had led them to a secluded portion of the beach. By now, most people had already gone home for the day. What few people were still around hardly even noticed their arrival, let alone cared enough to eavesdrop. Even when Latias shimmered into existence as her Human self, no one noticed.

A sigh broke the silence. Looker shook his head. "In case you were wondering, I was originally coming to see how your work at the soup kitchen was going. Make sure everything was alright." He said. "It seems I showed up too late."

Ash remained silent.

"Nothing to say?" He asked.

"… they were shaking down Makata. I couldn't just do nothing." Ash meekly said.

"And your first instinct was to pummel them into the ground?" Looker frowned. "Ash, you're smarter than that. You know there's always more than one way to solve a problem. Violence isn't always the answer."

"What was I supposed to do? Just let them get away with it? Maybe hold the door open on their way out?" He snapped.

"Watch your tone." Looker warned. "You could have had Latias use her powers to convince them to go away. Or wipe their memory or throw them in an illusion, or any number of things. You could even have called me and I would have had Guzma stop this."

With each accusation, Ash flinched away. He couldn't even look anyone in the eyes for the budding shame in his soul. Instead, he kept his eyes squarely locked on the warm sand beneath his feet. Why… why hadn't he thought of any of this? Why had he jumped straight to violence?

"I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I… I let my emotions get the better of me. They were going after a good person. Someone who's only crime is thinking he could help the most unfortunate people in the world and not be taken advantage of. I just acted without thinking."

Latias frowned, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder comfortingly. "Ash…."

"Come on, Ash. Don't be so hard on yourself." Pikachu nuzzled against Ash's cheeks. "You overreacted. It happens to us all. Nothing to be ashamed about."

"While I wouldn't go that far, Pikachu does have a point." Looker said. "What you did was stupid. But I can understand why."

Ash dared to look up hopefully. "You can?"

"You think you're the first agent to see tragedy and leap into action?" Looker snorted. "It might as well be a rite of passage. I still remember when I was reckless enough to try that."

"What happened?"

"A woman's dead husband owed a bookie some money. More than she could pay out. From what little I gathered, he wanted her to burn down her business and give him the insurance payout or he'd kill her." Looker said.

Latias scowled, arms crossed over her chest. "What ended up happening?"

"I killed them." Looker shrugged. "They came to smash the place up and make an example of her in public. Unfortunately for them, they weren't bullet proof. What a shame."

A brutal end to those criminals… but if they really were going to kill that woman, then they deserved it. "It sounds like you did the right thing." Ash said.

"Did I?" Looker stood on the edge of the shore and crouched down to cup his hands in the water. "They had business partners who weren't too happy with what happened. In the end, I had to kill an entire branch of the mob and burn their ledgers just to keep them from retaliating. Were all those deaths really necessary? Do you still think I did the right thing?"

Ash didn't know what to say. Taking a life was a serious matter, and Looker had apparently killed scores of people to protect that woman. But they had been planning to kill her and worked for the mob. Who knew how many others they had hurt before Looker showed up or how many they'd have hurt in the future?

"I don't expect an answer." Looker said. "You just need to understand that your actions can have consequences. Imagine for a second that Interpol and Team Rocket don't exist. Would you have been prepared to fight a war against Skull to protect that place?"

"Yes." Ash's answer was immediate and firm.

How could he do anything else? When someone was in need, he would never turn their backs on him.

"Really? Even if you had to kill them?" Looker prodded. "Because it wouldn't end with just those mooks back there. You'd have to kill all of them – every single one that came after you. Once you cross that line with a crime syndicate, they take it as a personal affront. They won't rest until they've made an example of you."

Ash shuffled his feet, hands trembling. "I…."

Looker breathed deeply and stood back up. "Just think on what I've said, Ash. I don't need an answer. You, however, do. You need to decide exactly what it is you're willing to do and the lines you're prepared to cross for other people." He said. "Understood?"

He nodded. "Yes, sir…."

"Latias, Pikachu." The two perked up at their names. "I expect you two to think about this as well. Whatever he decides, you'll need to be willing to go just as far. Am I clear?"

"I already know how far I'm willing to go." Pikachu narrowed his eyes, cheeks sparking dangerously. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect Ash. It doesn't matter what that involves."

"Pikachu…." He mumbled.

For her part, Latias sighed. "I don't think I can go as far as the rest of you. But if it was to prevent another Alto Mare? I don't think there's any length I wouldn't go to. I failed as a Guardian once; I won't fail again."

Looker hummed in acknowledgement. "Good… I'll leave you three be then. I need to go handle Guzma and keep his people from retaliating. Before I do, though," When he turned to Ash, all traces of judgement and disappointment were gone. Replaced by concern. "Do you want to talk, Ash? About… the other night?"

Ash scrunched his eyes shut. "Not… not yet, Looker. I still need time."

"Alright, Ash. Take all the time you need." He strode past Ash, patting him on the shoulder. "Just remember that we're all here for you. You don't have to go through this alone."

It was a nice sentiment. But… Ash didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell them he felt disgusted or horrified by what he'd done. He couldn't even say he was depressed by the lives he'd taken. Because the truth was that Ash didn't feel anything at all. Not an ounce of regret for the lives he'd taken. More than anything, that was what disturbed him.

How could he possibly tell anyone how much of a monster he was?

---

"HQ called again, boss."

Matoria groaned, slumped over her desk and nursing a headache. "Ignore it."

Gozu frowned. "You sure? They'll want a status update."

"And tell them what? That we lost an entire warehouse full of product to the Rangers? That some random vigilante stole information on all our allies in Alola? Or how about the fact those wannabe gangsters have started hitting our territory and killing our people?" Matori growled. "I'm not telling HQ about this disaster."

"You're smarter than this, boss. If you think they don't already know, you're lying to yourself." Gozu told her. "It'd be better for you to face the music now than keep avoiding them forever."

Matoria grimaced. "I can't do that. Not until I have some good news to cushion the bad."

Gozu crossed his arms behind his back, narrowing his one eye. "Want me to round up the boys and hit Skull?" He asked. "We know where some of their hideouts and businesses are located."

She scoffed. "That'd be a battle, Gozu. Skull aren't the weaklings they were a week ago." She said. "With the firepower they have now, picking a fight with them without a plan would just end badly.'

Ever since Interpol started backing Skull, Rocket's business had been hit hard. Not to any devastating degree, but enough to be alarming. They'd gone from practically untouchable to businesses burning and Grunts dying in little more than a week.

As usual, those damn spooks always made things worse. This takeover of Alola wouldn't be nearly as easy as they'd hoped. From this moment on, they'd have to start treating Skull like the old rivals Flare or Plasma. A genuine threat they'd need to dismantle piece by piece.

If that was even possible at this point. With Interpol turning Skull into a puppet on a string, it might not even matter if they killed Guzma. They could easily replace him with someone else in the gang or an agent loyal to them altogether.

Her fists tightened in rage. "Those Interpol bastards… I'm going to enjoy the day we can burn their base in this region to the ground."

She'd dance on the ashes just to spite them.

Gozu took the seat across from her, wincing in pain. His escape from the Ranger raid the other day hadn't been easy. "We don't have the manpower for something like that yet. Let alone the approval from higher up."

"I know that. But it's time we stopped messing around." She said. "Taking Alola's criminal underworld was always secondary. We have a bigger mission to worry about."

"Aether."

She nodded. "Giovanni wants their data on the Ultra Wormholes. At least if we can get that, he won't be as angry at our failure with Skull."

Giovanni always seemed less concerned with their criminal rivals in the grand scheme of things. It was almost like he considered them minor obstacles or annoying pests. Whenever a crisis caused by a rogue Legend cropped up, though, he always flew into high alert. Dropped everything he was doing to mobilize their people to combat the threat.

In truth, she wasn't sure it was just greed motivating him. As powerful as Legends were, they weren't worth the hassle of catching. Too powerful, too unruly, and too many things that could go wrong. If you failed, all you earned was the ire of an immortal beast leagues above any normal Pokemon.

It never stopped Giovanni, though. Whatever he had planned for the Legends was too big for her to know. One way or another, he'd get what he wanted.

It might as well be her to deliver it to him.

Gozu nodded in agreement. "What's the plan?"

"We hit Aether. They've had more than enough chances to accept our offer." She said. "We get in, get the intel, and burn their island to the ground."

"We'll need our best for something like this."

"Then get them ready. By the end of the week, we'll remind our enemies what happens when you make an enemy of Team Rocket."

---

Pallet Town was always so beautiful during the summer.

The sun hung high in the sky, its peaceful rays shining down upon the cozy town just as it always did. This time of year, children could always be seen running through the town with their Pokemon or playing with their friends. Even the adults could take it easy and relax with their hobbies. Some would even take the opportunity to go out for a bite to eat with their friends.

Or at least, they normally would have. Today, however, the only restaurant in Pallet Town was closed.

Delia sat on a bench in the middle of Pallet Town's park, absent-mindedly munching on a sandwich slice. While normally she would have been hard at work running her restaurant, she just didn't have the motivation to do it.

That was hardly anything new, though. Ever since the… incident, she just didn't have as much motivation or energy to do much of anything. It was a struggle to get out of bed most days. If it weren't for the constant check-ins by Professor Oak, she didn't think she'd have bothered.

A soccer ball rolled to a stop at her feet. Her eyes glanced up to see a pair of children laughing among themselves. A tiny smile crossed her face, and she lightly kicked it back towards them. A few mumbled thank you's later, and they went back to their little game.

Her smile died an ugly death when she looked past them to their parents in the distance. Though they tried to be subtle about it, many of them were whispering among themselves and pointing at her. She didn't need to hear them to know what it was they were saying.

'There's Delia Ketchum again. You know, she never smiles anymore. Oh, but who can blame her? Did you hear what her son did? Poor woman must be horrified. To spend all that time and not know what she'd raised. Wait… do you think she knew and didn't care?'

It was all anyone could say about her anymore. They either treated her with disgust and suspicion after the news broke about what Ash had done. Or – and this was more often the case here in Pallet Town – they looked at her with pity.

She despised the latter most of all. Scorn she could handle, but pity? She hated that feeling. It was why even when she did go out to run her restaurant or take a walk; she tried to avoid other people. It was easier that way. Delia had hoped that minding her own business in the park would spare her.

What a fool she'd been.

Even Professor Oak and the others at the lab treated her differently. As if pity wasn't enough, most of them treated her like glass. Like the slightest thing or a wrong word would set her off. Arceus forbid she come around to the ranch to visit the Pokemon….

She sighed and started to pack her food away. This had been a mistake.

"Mreow?"

Delia blinked as she felt something prod her leg. Soft but pointy and insistent. Starting, she glanced down. A white feline, a Persian, looked up at her with big, wide eyes. The creature tilted their head to the side. Their white whip of a tail swept back and forth.

Hesitantly, she reached down to scratch their ears. "Hey there, little guy. Are you lost? Did you wander away from your trainer?" She asked. "We don't see many of you around Pallet Town outside of the ranch."

The Persian merely looked towards her bag, tilting their head aside and meowing.

A chuckle escaped her. "Oh, I see. You're hungry, are you?" She teased. "Well, I guess there's no harm. Just let me see what I can get for you."

After a moment, she fished her sandwich out of the bag and offered it to the regal cat. The feline monster eagerly bit into the sandwich and tore it apart, their eyes squinting as they reached the meaty center. Only for it to pause as a thick, red substance coated their lips.

"It's ketchup." She explained with a worried frown. "I'm sorry if you don't like it. It was all I had-"

The Persian leaped up and pressed itself against her. Delia gasped in shock. The imposing cat nuzzled their forehead into the crook of her neck, the beige fur surprisingly soft on such a large monster. Even the gem wasn't uncomfortable.

Delia hummed in amusement, reaching up to scratch it between the shoulders. "Looks like you like that, huh?"

A gentle purr was her only answer.

"Persian… what am I looking at?"

A voice drew her attention to a man in a stark black suit standing in front of her. He was around her age, if she had to guess, with piercing brown eyes and short brown hair nestled under a fedora. Were it not for the utterly baffled look on his face, she might have been intimidated by him.

Instead, all she did was smile. "Are you this Persian's trainer?"

He quickly schooled his features and cleared his throat. "Yes. I'm sorry if she bothered you. She doesn't normally wander off like this."

Delia giggled. "It's fine. I don't mind getting a little attention from a cutie like her."

Persian purred at the praise.

The man sighed dramatically. "I see she's wrapped another one around her paws." He rolled his eyes. "Persian, get down and let the woman breath."

Feline ears flicked back and flattened against her skull. A light mewl of annoyance passed her lips, even as she pushed off of Delia. To spite her master, the creature curled up at Delia's feet and just started nuzzling her legs.

Judging by the twitch of his eyes, he knew exactly what she was doing.

"Don't be so hard on her." Delia reached down to massage her shoulders again, earning more purrs for her efforts. "She's a sweety."

"Be that as it may, I'd prefer she not wander off to harass strangers." The suited man drawled. "Do you mind if I sit for a minute?"

She shook her head. "Not at all."

Once he was sitting down, he took his hat off and set it down in his lap. He turned to her with a curious frown, eyes flicking down to his cat. "May I ask how you got her to be this… affectionate? Normally, she abhors people touching her."

"She was hungry, so I gave her some of my sandwich." Delia told him. "I think she liked my ketchup?"

He scrunched up his nose in disgust. "Ketchup? On a sandwich?"

She couldn't help but laugh again. "It's not just any ketchup. I make it fresh every day. Those store brands can't compete."

Her pride as a chef wouldn't allow it.

Persian seemed to agree if her sudden chirps were any indication.

The man rolled his eyes. "Don't get any funny ideas. I'm not feeding you ketchup from now on."

Persian grumbled in response.

"No means no." He scolded. "And no, I shall not be bribing her for the recipe since you won't be eating it again. End of story."

Aghast, Persian looked up at her with the most pleading look imaginable, golden eyes wide and watery.

Delia cooed in delight. "Don't listen to the mean man, Persie. I'll make you all the ketchup you want whenever you come around."

She purred and licked Delia's fingers.

The man snorted. "Wonderful. You've turned my cat into an addict after a single taste." He shook his head. "If I'd known this would happen, I'd have kept Persian in her ball after visiting Oak."

Delia blinked curiously. "You know Professor Oak?"

"Hm?" He looked up at her. "Ah, yes. We're old friends. There's a new batch of trainers starting out soon, and he asked me to bring a few alternative starters for them. I could hardly say no, given my position."

"Position?" She asked. "What is it you do?"

"I'm the Gym Leader of Viridian City." He tilted his head aside in apparent confusion. "Did you not know?"

She laughed nervously. "Sorry, but I… don't follow the League circuit."

Not after everything that happened.

"Then I must appear terribly rude for not introducing myself." He gently grabbed her hand and placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles. "Giovanni Sakaki Cassano. A pleasure to meet you."

Despite her best efforts, a faint blush spread across her cheeks. "Delia Ketchum."

She expected him to flinch away in disgust upon hearing her last name. By now, Ketchum had become an infamous name as far as the League was concerned. One to be looked at with scorn and disgust. The horrific downfall of Alola's first Champion all but guaranteed it.

Giovanni didn't flinch away, though. There wasn't a hint of judgement or even pity in his eyes. Just a simple flicker of recognition.

"Well, Delia, I hope you'll forgive me for my faux pas. I'm normally not so careless." He said.

"It's fine." She frowned. "You… don't want to ask me anything? Or get anything off your chest?"

It was what most people did when they realized who she was.

He sighed. "Hardly. It's none of my business, and I'd rather not spoil a pleasant conversation by being rude."

That was… surprising. Most people couldn't stop themselves from poking their nose into her private life. Even her old friends all kept asking such cruel, invasive questions. No matter how much she made it clear she'd rather they didn't.

Giovanni looked around them and tsked in annoyance. Standing up, he placed his hat back on his head. "It looks like we've drawn some attention."

Delia took a look for herself. Sure enough, the other residents in the park were all staring at them. Some tried to be subtle and sneak glances from behind books or their phone while other openly stared and whispered with their friends. Even the kids had all stopped to gawk.

To them, the idea that someone as famous as a Gym Leader would deign to speak with the pariah of Pallet Town must have been shocking.

"I'm sorry." She apologized. "They don't mean anything by it."

His lips drew down, and his brow furrowed. As if something confused him. "You shouldn't be apologizing for their actions." He held out his hand to her. "Professor Oak told me there was a wonderful little restaurant in town. I was thinking of giving it a taste… care to join me?"

Her restaurant… a Gym Leader wanted to eat her cooking. Something like that would have been a dream come true for most chefs. The publicity they'd get from impressing one of them could catapult a small business into massive success.

"I guess you haven't heard." She smiled sadly. "Pallet House is closed today since the owner needed some time off."

He grimaced. "A shame."

It really was. Delia watched his face for a minute before glancing down at Persian. Giovanni seemed like a nice enough man. Certainly more kind than anyone else she'd dealt with in the past six months. It was a pleasant surprised.

Maybe she could surprise him in exchange… and pamper Persie while she was at it.

She took his hand in hers, much to his surprise. "Why don't I treat you to some food at my home? It may not be up to your gourmet standards, but I promise it'll be good."

He chuckled. "You know, I don't just eat five star food."

"Good. That means you won't be above trying the same ketchup Persie here enjoyed so much."

He groaned dramatically. "The things I endure for good food."

She and Persie exchanged a look.

Oh yes, he was absolutely being forced to try the ketchup. They'd drag an admittance of enjoying it out of him if it was the last thing they did.

For the first time in a while, Delia wore a genuine smile.

---

Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. We're getting close to wrapping up Alola, so I'm hard at work on the big climax of the arc. If I'm lucky, it should be done in the next few weeks. I hope you all have a great time in-between. Let me know your thoughts and opinions, I love to hear them.

Oh, and for anyone who's interested, I'm looking for a beta. Just someone who can make sure things read well, that my grammar and spelling are on point, and occasionally beat me over the head if I'm falling behind. If you're interested, send me a DM and if I'm still looking, we'll give it a shot. Otherwise, have a pleasant day.