It was late afternoon, Lydia was in her room listening to music and playing a game of Mario Kart along with Luna in the vintage video game she had received from her father. Dusk, Aurora and Max had left in the morning to go buy supplies in the nearest town, while Bonny, Sally and May were out training by a lake.

Meanwhile, Scarlet was on her way to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea when she heard the front doorbell ring.

{I'm coming…}Who the hell could it be here, at this hour? The Gardevoir thought to herself.

{Who is it?...} Asked Scarlet opening the door.

{Ji ! What the fuck is that? Why are you standing outside ringing the doorbell?}

{Hi Dollface, today is the day that Lydia and I do our movie night…}

{Ehh hmm, I know that, what I want to know is why did you ring the bell? Why didn't you teleport straight into the house?}

{...because that would be trespassing...}

{Okay, I know but...}

{...and impoliteness...}

{Arrgh.. Why do I still give myself the luxury of arguing with you? Come in!} Scarlet invited, facepalming herself.

{I was going to make myself a cup of tea, would you like to have one?}

{Yes, thanks…}

{Come, let's sit at the kitchen counter while we wait for Lydia to pack her things…}

As they headed towards the kitchen, Scarlet shouted towards Lydia's room.

{LYDIA! MAD-JI IS ALREADY HERE TO GET YOU…}

{KAY, I WILL PACK MY STUFF MOM, THANKS…}

Meanwhile, the two Gardevoirs sat by the counter to chat while sipping their drinks.

{So Ji, how is civilian life after your forced retirement?}

{Grrr, don't even get into it! It feels like I'm going crazy, waking up in the middle of the morning, watching the Weather Channel, and walking in the afternoon in the park! That's life for retards, but worst of all is having to attend those motivational therapy group sessions for veterans. Not to mention those stupid appointments with that ridiculous therapist!}

{Just because the useless is an Alakazan doesn't mean he knows everything and can keep pointing that ridiculous spoon in my face saying…. bla bla bla … you have to control your anger … bla bla bla … you are now a civilian and you have to try to behave like one… Pff who does he think he's talking to? I served this damn country long before that asshole was a goddamn Abra. Hahahaha, but i fooled that stupid straight, I've already managed to escape his appointments for 2 weeks!} Said Ji with a triumphant smile on her face.

{Oh excus… you did what? Your moron, you know that guy's personality progress reports are the only thing preventing the government from throwing you locked in a cell at a maximum security facility with a "Danger to Society" sign around your neck. Don't you ?}

{Look, I know it wasn't easy for you to accept them withdrawing your command and forcibly retiring you, neither do I understood the reasons myself, but it's not smart of you to fight against the decisions of the government and the military}

{ YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! Do you? you have no idea what it's like to live a lifetime doing one thing, and doing it very well by the way, and they take it away from you for no good reason! Dammit, I lived for them, I sweated for them, I bled for them, lost a fucking eye and half a face to them. And this is how they reward me? Disposing of me like some trash? Do they have no decency? Do they have… no heart?…} Ji then drinks some tea lowering her head, while tiny droplets begin to accumulate on the lid of her "good" eye.

A dense and awkward silence takes over the place, and Scarlet quickly looks for a way to change the topic of conversation, or to comfort the one who was once her mentor and perhaps could even be called her "friend".

But luckily for her the silence was broken by the sound of a vehicle coming from outside.

The front door then opens and Max, Dusk and Aurora enter carrying several bags of supplies.

"Hi my love, we are finally back, I believe we managed to buy everything we needed, where is Lydia? I found that cereal she likes so much…"

{Hi darling, welcome back, check it out, we have a guest here}

"Hey Ji! It's been a while… Holy Moly, I forgot! So today is your movie day…"

{Hello Nemako! Fast and insightful like a SlowPoke… as always}

Scarlet then approaches Max for a hug and takes the opportunity to whisper in his ear the state of her former mentor's humor. She then kisses him on the cheek and walks away again, going back to the counter and Mad-Ji.

"Girls, could you finish unloading the car? I just remembered I need to get something out of my office desk"

{Sure Master, no problem} Dusk and Aurora replied after waving at Mad-Ji.

A few minutes later Max returns with a sealed gray envelope in his hands and joins Scarlet and Mad-Ji in the kitchen, where the two are still talking, but Mad-Ji still seems a little absent in her thoughts.

"So Ji, how much time has passed? seven months since your retirement?"

{Seven months, 22 days, 9 hours and 15 minutes, but hey, who's counting eh?}

"You know, as much as I feel that you love hanging out at home doing nothing and feeding the pigeons in the park on Sundays …"

{Using the ground meat from your bones to feed them, that I'm about to make with my bare hands?}

"Ehh, just listen to me OK, since you were forced into retirement, me, Scarlet, and the girls have been talking, and we present the idea to the Pokémon Rangers High Council to get you nominated for the Rangers Academy's course of Survival, Subversive Tactics and Urban Guerrilla. After all, who has more experience in this area than a highly trained and decorated ex-military like Mad-Ji?"

"We would wait for a better opportunity to talk to you about this, but, you know, there is no better time than now, isn't it?"

"If you want... the job is yours..." Max said, handing the sealed envelope to Mad-Ji.

Mad-Ji takes the envelope in her hands and stands there looking at Max and Scarlet, not saying anything for a few seconds.

{Y-You guys did it for me? Did you expose yourselves to your superiors and fight for me? Even though the Council knew that the government and the military forced me to retire?}

"Come on, it's not like you committed a crime or genocide! (You didn't committed any of that, did you?)" Max asked as if it was a joke.

"Actually, the lack of explanation of the reasons by the Government and the Military, was what convinced the Council to give you this opportunity."

{Guys I don't know what to say…}

"Whooaa that's a new one! The Almighty Mad-Ji is lost for words! I bet that Giratina just got Freezed in Hell right now."

"Look, you did a lot to us in the past, you trained us, you passed me all your knowledge through that mind transfer, you even saved Scarlet from that mental Illness. So this is just a fraction of what we could do to thank you."

Then a new awkward moment hovered in the air between the three of them. That's when something unthinkable began to happen. That tough and cold blood Gardevoir, from her years of military service, started to slowly open her arms, as if she was getting ready for a hug, when, without any warning…

…Pouf…

Lydia teleports in the middle of the three, saying.

"Ji, I 'm ready! You can't imagine the sequence of movies that I separated for us to watch, there are even two that my school history teacher recommended to me, about the Sinnoh war that according to him are classics..."

"Hey wait a minute, what are those faces? Are you guys holding farts?..."

{Ehh what? What faces? C'mon, let's go, you little brat. I got 2 cans of Rocky Road Ice cream in the fridge waiting for us! And maybe, after the movies I will teach you other booby traps I know.

"Yeahhh…"

{Oh no no no, no more military teaching to this young lady Miss Ji!} Said Scarlet with a big no no face.

{Last time, Bonny tok one week to remove the glue and glitter from her fur}

{You did the Cereal Box bomb trap?} Mad-Ji asked.

"Yesss"

{Noice… A classic one hahahahahaha}

"Mom, Dad, we are leaving…"

Behave yourself, said Max and Scarlet.

{She will…} Said Mad-Ji.

"We weren't talking to her" Said Max

Which Mad-Ji responded to him with the finger and a half hidden smile of gratitude after both teleported away.