Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter of the fic! Sorry that it took so long, but I finally found the time to get it done! I hope you all enjoy the end of this introductory arc!

Viridian city was in an uproar. It had been less than a week since Ash had managed to escape police custody and flee into the Viridian Forest. In that time, the police had done their best to keep the fact that he managed to escape them quiet. Unfortunately, there were always underpaid officers struggling to survive willing to trade what they knew to the press. Once word got out that the dangerous criminal Ash Ketchum had escaped, chaos had descended on the city.

People had panicked. Some were locking themselves in their homes with their families and refusing to come out. Others had taken to the streets to search for Ash themselves and get justice for the victim. Even more were taking to the internet to criticize the incompetence of the police and peddle conspiracy theories. This was made worse by the news shining light on all the mistakes the police had made that night. Some had even begun to question if the police were even worth the funding they received if they couldn't catch a single teenage boy.

Everyone was demanding to know one thing, however, regardless about what else they were doing: What were the police going to do now?

Nothing worthwhile, as far as the public was concerned. They held a press conference to try and placate the publics fears. That hadn't gone well once the press started to ask how Ash had escaped from his cell in the first place and the police had to admit that he had accomplices. When they had no answer for who had helped him escape or why false alarms had gone off across the city, it had sent the media into a frenzy. And when the police could only sputter and offer excuses when the family of Elizabeth Burk demanded to know if they would get justice? That had been the final straw. It was clear that no words would be able to make up for what had happened.

After the disaster that was their press conference, the police had decided that actions would speak louder than words. Search parties had been sent to the Viridian Forest to comb every inch of it for any trace of Ash. Police had been alerted in all the surrounding towns and cities to be on the lookout for him. Even outside of Ash, the police were cracking down hard on local crime within the city. You could hardly go anywhere in the city without seeing police arresting members of the local gangs or investigating local businesses for fraud. Despite all of these attempts to show the public they could still be relied on to protect them, people were not so quick to forget the VPD's most spectacular failure.

The police were doing their best to soldier through it, however. They ignored the criticisms of the public and the pressure from the politicians trying to avoid any blame themselves. As Brock and the others were learning, they were using the recent events as motivation to capture Ash and his accomplices. Which meant that aside from sending out search parties into the Viridian Forest, they were now interrogating Brock and the rest of the group as potential accomplices who helped him escape.

Not that the police were calling it that. Since none of them were under arrest, all the police were doing was 'interviewing' them. No one in the group believed that. They may not have been in cuffs or an interrogation room, but it was hard to mistake the air of suspicion and hostility radiating from the police in the groups hotel room. Brock had expected the police to come for them sooner, but he guessed they'd had more important things to do at the time.

The Officer Jenny that was sat on their couch clicked the pen in her hand and flipped through her notepad. Were this any other time, he'd have tried his hand at flirting with her. Brock always had been a sucker for a pretty face. At times like this, though, he knew there were more important things to focus on.

"Thank you all for agreeing to this interview."

Gary snorted in derision. "Not like we had much of a choice."

Brock cleared his throat. "Excuse my friend. We've all had a rough past few days."

Despite the frown on her face, he could see some trace of sympathy in Officer Jenny's eyes. "I can only imagine. Has anyone harassed you for your connections to Ash Ketchum?"

Cilan sighed. "For the most part, we've managed to avoid any harassment by staying in our room. Not many are willing to make a scene when there are witnesses nearby."

Officer Jenny quirked an eyebrow at the group. "And those few that are?"

Brock grimaced. "We've had a few people outside the hotel calling Delia a monster and... other things I'd prefer not to repeat." He frowned. "Hotel security never lets them in the building, but that doesn't stop us from hearing them."

It wasn't easy for any of them to hear what was being said about Ash's mother. They all knew how much of a wonderful person she was. The care she had shown for Ash had been enough to move all of their hearts. It took all their restraint to not march outside and let those people know what they thought about them. Had it not been for Professor Oak telling them it would only make the situation worse, Brock was convinced some of the more headstrong members of their group would have already gone to drive them away.

As for Delia... she hadn't taken it well. It was hard enough having to come to terms with the reality that her son was a murderer. Being harassed by people who had no idea who she was or care at all about what she was going through couldn't have been good for her. To hear people say that she was an incompetent mother for raising Ash to become a criminal was bad enough, but to say that she was just as guilty for what Ash did? It was despicable. She hadn't said a word or eaten since the news that Ash had escaped custody reached the public.

He hoped this didn't last.

Officer Jenny nodded. "I'm sorry to hear they're giving you so much trouble. If it escalates, please don't hesitate to call us." She sighed. "Now as much as I'd prefer not to make things any more difficult for you, I need to ask you all a serious question. You don't have to answer if you'd prefer not to, but I'd advise against that if I were you."

"We understand, ma'am."

"Good. Where were all of you the night of Ash Ketchum's escape?"

"We were all here."

Officer Jenny's eyes narrowed. "Really? Members of the hotel staff all claim that the only ones who stayed in this room that night were Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak."

Brock winced. Even if he couldn't see them, he knew that the others all held similar expressions.

"What's this about, officer? Are we not allowed to be out of our hotel room?" Tracey spoke up. It didn't appear to be the right thing to say if Officer Jenny's eyes were anything to go by.

"You are." She began. "It's just suspicious that you would try to hide it from us. Especially since we know that Ash had help escaping. It's enough for people to make assumptions."

"You think that we would help Ash after what he did!?" Dawn growled. "Why would we do that?"

Officer Jenny scoffed. "It wasn't hard to find out that you were all close friends of his. Some of you travelled with him across the regions while others were rivals." She leaned forward. The officers that she'd brought with her all tensed up in anticipation. This set Brock and the rest of the group on edge. "You're all famous and well-respected members of your fields. If you want to stay that way, then convince me that you shouldn't be suspects."

Brock held up his hand to stop the others from talking. With how emotional they were, he didn't want them to say something they might regret. Officer Jenny was right. All of them had a lot to lose. Not just their reputations or their jobs, but families that could be affected by this. They couldn't afford to drive away someone who could help prevent that.

"I'm sorry for how my friends are reacting, Officer Jenny. They're just emotional after everything that's happened." He apologized. "You're right. Most of us left the room last night. It wasn't to help Ash escape from police custody though."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Then what was the reason?"

"We heard that he had escaped and wanted to help capture him."

"You expect me to believe that?" She shook her head. "Nice try."

"It's the truth." He leaned forward, hands cupped in front of him. "You have to understand. Ash was our friend. He was a mentor to some of us and a brother to others. We all loved him in our own ways." He scowled. "And not one of us could see what he was really capable of. If we had, maybe we could have stopped him from attacking that woman."

"So, you all felt guilty enough to try and stop him yourself?" Officer Jenny sighed. "If that's true, then I'd say you're all acting like fools. None of you are responsible for what happened. He made the conscious decision to attack her. Still, I couldn't blame you for trying. Not when so many other trainers did the same thing."

"You believe us?"

"No, I don't." She got to her feet and made her way to the door. "Friendships aren't so easily abandoned. Maybe some of you are willing to accept the reality, but I'd bet every cent in my bank account that at least one of you isn't so willing to give up on an old friend."

"I'm telling you the truth."

"The evidence will determine that. If you really were trying to apprehend him, then I'm sure we'll see security footage of you all doing just that."

When Officer Jenny and the other police left, it was like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. It didn't last, though. Even if no one said it, Brock knew that the others would all be thinking about what she said. Did any of them believe that Ash was innocent? If so, had they gone beyond just believing his innocence and tried to help him escape? Normally Brock wouldn't have even considered the idea possible, but after everything that had happened, he wasn't so sure. If he found out one of them had helped Ash escaped...

Well, he wasn't sure what he'd do. Not when he harbored the same doubts they did.

Failure was an unpleasant new experience for Domino. She was supposed to be the unbeatable ace operative of Team Rocket. She had a nearly flawless record of success! No matter how impossible a mission seemed, she always succeeded. She had faced down rampaging Pokemon determined to kill her without breaking a sweat. She'd had to fend off rivals both within and without of the organization. She had clawed her way to the top and earned her reputation as a Specter.

Yet somehow, a single brat had managed to make a fool of her. No, that wasn't right. As much as Ash Ketchum had been the center of her failure, he wasn't the one responsible. No, that honor went to the International Police. She knew that the group was a threat. All the stories about their interference in Team Rocket's operations were impossible to ignore. Up until this point, though, she'd never had to deal with their interference personally. If she ever got her hands on the agents responsible, she'd make them regret ever deciding to stick their noses in Team Rocket's business!

That was an issue for another day. Well... that is if she even lived to see another day. Standing outside of Giovanni's office, all she could think about was what would happen to her soon. It wasn't hard to imagine Giovanni punishing her for her failure. When the boss himself issued a mission, it meant he had a personal interest in it and expected it to be a success. Yet she had failed so spectacularly that now their enemy would have a valuable new piece on the board to use against them. All because two members of the International Police couldn't leave the obvious murderer alone to suffer his fate.

The boss had refused to see her in the days since Ash Ketchum had managed to escape. Too busy making public appearances to keep up his façade as a Gym Leader and calm the city down. From what she'd been able to piece together from the reports, the increased scrutiny from the public was putting pressure on the police. Too much for those on Team Rocket's payroll to stop the more honest police from cracking down on crime and interfering in their business. Now that things were finally calming down a bit, he'd summoned her for a meeting.

It had given her plenty of time to look into the International Police agents that had gotten in her way.

The first was a man named Looker. Even with all of Team Rocket's resources, his real name was a mystery to them. What they did know about him was his reputation as one of that pesky organizations most effective agents. Based on reports their moles within the International Police had sent them, Looker was directly responsible for the arrest of numerous high-ranking members of Teams Galactic and Plasma. He'd even done work against Teams Magma and Aqua in the Hoenn region, though nothing as impressive as his work against Plasma or Galactic. In recent years, he'd focused his attention solely on Team Rocket and proven to be one of the International Police's most effective weapons against them.

He was marked as a high value target for elimination. Sadly, all attempts to do that had failed.

The other agent was one they had more information on. Anabel Romanov, a former Frontier Brain, and current rookie of the International Police. A trainer that specialized in Psychic types and could command them without uttering a word. It was hypothesized that she was Psychic herself, at least on enough of a level to be able to command Pokemon telepathically. It had actually caused a minor shock for the public when Anabel retired as a Frontier Brain. The Battle Frontier wasn't as popular as the Pokemon League, but it was still a prestigious institution. Leaving such a highly respected position with - as far as the public knew - no reason was downright unbelievable.

If Domino had to make a guess, Anabel had left for the same reason most fools joined law enforcement: she wanted to help people. Bleeding hearts never were satisfied living their own lives and staying out of other people's business. They always had to get involved when someone else was in trouble with the foolish goal of helping others - for no other reason than they wanted to! It was outrageous! Domino didn't doubt for a second that Anabel was the one that had suspected something was off with Ash. Damn Psychic.

She flinched when she heard Giovanni's voice over the speakers order her inside. Her trembling fingers grasped the doorknob, but something in her prevented her from opening it. She took a breath to try and calm her nerves.

The wrath of Giovanni was not something one easily survived. He wasn't just a Gym Leader for a cover; he really was strong enough to be one. If anything, she'd bet that he held back in all of the battles he performed for the League. She didn't doubt that if he wanted to, Giovanni could take on any member of the Elite Four or even the Champion with how powerful his Pokemon were. Which meant that her chances of surviving if he wanted her dead were nonexistent.

Anyone else in her position would have run long ago. Domino was more skilled than most. She knew how to go to ground and hide in plain sight. She was skilled enough to defend herself against any attackers and had plenty of powerful Pokemon of her own. Give her a go-bag and a change of clothes, and she could be anywhere else in the world. With her training, she could survive longer than anyone else who had Team Rocket hunting them.

She knew they would find her eventually though. No one escaped Team Rocket forever. Whether they hid themselves in the criminal underworld or went to the authorities for protection, Team Rocket would eventually find them and make them suffer. She'd rather her end be quick instead. A lifetime of looking over her shoulder wasn't one that she wanted. She would fight for her life and try to convince the boss she deserved another chance.

With her resolve hardened, she pushed open the doors to Giovanni's office and closed it behind her. She did her best to show no reaction to the Persian in the room circling her with a predatory gaze in its eyes. To react in this situation was to show weakness. If there was one thing anyone who worked with the man knew, it was that Giovanni despised weakness.

The man in question was sat behind his desk, hands cupped in front of him. He let out a tired sigh, his sharp eyes staring into her very soul. "Ash Ketchum escaped."

"Yes, sir."

"The International Police will no doubt try to recruit him into their ranks now."

"Yes, sir."

"The local police have been poking their noses where they don't belong and hindering our business."

"Yes, sir..."

What was he expecting her to do? Get down on her knees and beg? She may have been terrified for her life, but she still had her pride. If Giovanni had already made up his mind and she couldn't convince him otherwise, then she would accept her fate with dignity. Begging was the last thing that she would do.

Giovanni took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "We'll be postponing your mission to Alto Mare. Until I am satisfied, you will be working to contain the situation here in Viridian."

Domino blinked in confusion. "Is... is that it, sir?"

"What? Were you expecting something else?" Despite everything that had happened, Giovanni laughed. "Is that why you're stiff as a log and can't meet my eyes?"

She flinched. Clearly she hadn't been so good at hiding her nerves as she thought she was. "I thought you were angry."

"Oh, I am. Furious, actually." Giovanni turned to stare at the city below. "However, I'm not so angry that I can't think. I know you're not to blame for this disaster."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you for being so understanding, Giovanni."

"I'm no fool, Domino. You did exactly as you were ordered to." Giovanni crossed his arms behind his back. His Persian came to rest behind him, though its eyes never left her. Even with Giovanni's assurances that she was in no danger, she still felt that Persian was liable to attack. "I should have been more prepared in case the International Police decided to step in. Next time, I won't make the same mistake."

She didn't doubt it. No one made a fool of Giovanni twice. "What would you have me do, sir?"

"Deal with the politicians." He began. "I can only do so much to convince people to calm down. You will need to persuade the politicians not aligned with us to either get in line... or suffer the consequences."

If they knew what was good for them, they'd bend to Team Rocket's whims. Being an ally could make a man powerful and wealthy if they played their cards right. Fortune, fame, power, and love were all benefits of working with them. Being an enemy, however, only promised one thing: suffering.

"Where should I start?"

"The police commissioner had to retire recently due to an unfortunate scandal. His successor is one of those 'tough on crime' types and taking advantage of the crisis to show how competent he is." Giovanni chuckled. "See to it he learns why it would be unwise to keep that line of thinking and the benefits of working with us."

Giovanni let out a tired sigh once Domino was gone and collapsed into his chair. His Persian hopped into his lip, looking up to him with concern in her eyes. Despite how tired he felt, a smile spread across his face. He scratched her behind the ears, content to listen to the soft purring of his loyal feline companion.

The last few days had been far more stressful than he had expected them to be. He was used to stress. Between his duties as a Gym Leader and running Team Rocket, he was almost always working. Ensuring that those two duties never conflicted was a difficult task when any slip could potentially expose him as the leader of Team Rocket. Having that happen would throw a wrench in many of his future plans. He was able to handle it without breaking down or letting it affect him though. One of the many skills he'd learned early on in his career was how to compartmentalize his life and tackle his issues one at a time.

Having a plan go awry was nothing new either. It happened all the time. Whether because of foolish grunts like Jessie and James messing up their simple jobs or the police showing a rare moment of competence, failure was an accepted part of the job. The more annoying failures were always when the League and the brats obsessed with competing for fame and glory decided to interfere out of a sense of righteousness. He always contented himself knowing he was playing the League officials for fools and could crush the brats when they came to challenge his gym. So long as there were always more successes than failures and Team Rocket maintained an intimidating reputation, he could be happy.

This most recent failure was different. It was because he had been the one to make a mistake. He had known that the International Police would be involved. He had put them in the same hotel as the Ketchum boys victim. His plan had merely been to use them to add extra legitimacy to the case against the boy with such respectable agents being the ones to capture him. He had known exactly which agents were coming to the city and their unique capabilities - psychic abilities included. He had overlooked the fact that they could decide to dig deeper into Ash Ketchum's case to discover why he had done it - even if all the evidence painted a clear picture. Had he accounted for that possibility, he would have kept those agents as far away from the boy as possible or come up with a different plan for him entirely.

He had thought for a moment to break the boys mind and turn him into a powerful tool. Wipe his mind completely and make him a Champion puppet. Or perhaps turn him into a new agent for the Specters. Alas, that plan would have backfired. All it would have taken was one unfortunate encounter with his old friends and his old memories would have resurfaced. Worse, if he had ever found out they made him into a puppet then he would have turned on them in an instant.

Leaving the boy be would have run the risk of him interfering in the future. Killing him truly was the best option. Outright assassinating him would have drawn too many eyes, which meant they needed a subtler touch. Turning the public and his friends against him was easy. From there, all they needed to do was stage his death as a suicide. No one would look closer. It had all seemed so simple. With it backfiring, he had given his enemies a powerful new weapon.

Now he had to make a show of working with the police to find the boy and reassure the public that they were safe. With so many people panicking and the police scrambling to repair their reputation as competent protectors, Team Rocket's business was being impacted. A vigilant police force and a panicking civilian population meant criminals were all suffering a net loss when it came to their profits. No criminal in their right mind was going to even consider conducting their usual business until this storm blew over.

Even when he was done with his more public duties, though, he still had to be the leader of Team Rocket. In the early days of his leadership when Team Rocket had been confined to Kanto and Johto, he could more directly oversee his operations to ensure they ran efficiently. Unfortunately, as Team Rocket expanded into new regions it became necessary for him to appoint others to oversee Team Rocket's business. Namely the Admins - the most powerful members of Team Rocket, barring himself of course.

He was scheduled for a call with one of the more... troublesome of his Admin's. One he had entrusted with an important task.

The call arrived on schedule, and he pulled it up on screen.

"Giovanni, sir. It's an honor to-"

"Skip the pleasantries, Proton." He let out a tired sigh. "I would prefer to keep this brief and to the point."

Proton was one of his most skilled Admins. He a competent trainer with powerful Pokemon at his command and he had a knack for leading others. His cruel disposition kept the Grunts in line and made their enemies wary of fighting when he was involved. With a shrewd business sense to boot, he was the perfect choice for an Admin. Sadly, Proton also knew how skilled he was and took every opportunity to flaunt it over others. His confidence bordered on narcissism at times.

Proton tipped his hat towards him. "Of course, sir." He cleared his throat. "I've managed to clean up the mess my predecessor left in Alto Mare. So far we've managed to smuggle millions of dollars' worth of contraband and Pokemon to various regions around the world. Our operatives returning from missions are using Alto Mare as a safe haven from authorities chasing them as well. We've even begun approaching the banks here to see if they would be open to helping launder our money for a cut of the profits. If they refuse, I have a few other ideas to launder the money."

Excellent. Turning Alto Mare into a proper base would only benefit their smuggling operations in the Johto region and beyond. With such a small police force more used to dealing with rowdy tourists than real crime, Team Rocket's operatives wouldn't need to worry about dealing with law enforcement interfering. Shipments into and out of the region would pass through the city with ease to drop off cargo or pick up new contraband bound for eager clients in far-off regions.

It should have been under their influence years ago. It would have if the last Admin he left in charge hadn't been an incompetent fool. Tragically, he had suffered an accident on a fishing trip and left him no choice but to replace him.

Such a shame.

"Hmm. And your other mission, Proton?"

Proton grimaced. "That... is proving to be a bit more complicated than we initially thought."

His eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Explain."

Proton let out a tired sigh. "Annie and Oakley were not as helpful as we'd hoped they would be." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "The DMA was easy enough to find. It's on display in the museum for all to see. Finding this secret garden where the Soul Dew and a Latias reside? That's proving to be more difficult."

"Oh? I was led to believe that they had found it."

A snort of laughter escaped past Proton's lips. "Oh, they probably did." He went on. "Their directions led us to a hole in the wall bar that made me need a shower just looking at it. Something tells me their memories were altered - most likely by that Latias."

How annoying. "And the people their report mentioned?"

"An alcoholic and a preschool teacher. Neither of whom know a thing about the DMA, Latias, or the Soul Dew." Proton groaned. "Chances are the memories of who was involved in stopping Annie and Oakley was also altered."

Wonderful. So, they had nothing to go on. "Their information cannot be relied upon then. Continue searching for this hidden garden and the schematics for the DMA. It is vital we gain access to its secret and the power of Alto Mare's lone protector."

Proton nodded. "I'll continue to have my agents search then. The city is only so big. We'll uncover something useful eventually." He paused. "Should I still be expecting a visit from that pet of yours?"

"Mind your tone, Proton." Giovanni growled. "No, she will not. Her most recent mission went awry, and I need her to remain in Viridian to run damage control."

A smile tugged at Proton's lips. "So, she finally failed a mission?" It was clear the man wanted to laugh. "Such a shame. Here I'd gone and set up a nice room for her to stay in. Oh well. I'll just have to make do without her."

"She will not be staying away forever." Seeing the way Proton's face fell at the idea of her going to Alto Mare in the future was almost enough to make Giovanni smile. Almost. "Once things in Viridian are handled, she will proceed to her next mission. Unless, of course, you can find what it is I desire before then."

Proton sneered. "If it means not having to deal with that arrogant brat, I'll burn this city to the ground to find what we want." He paused. "Figuratively speaking, of course."

"Then you'd best get to it. Don't disappoint me, Proton."

Ash had thought that the hardest part of Anabel's plan would have been escaping from the police. With how they had managed to avoid the police and how little they'd had to fight, it had been surprisingly easy to get out of the city. Even losing the police in Viridian Forest had been simple with how much of a head start they'd had. No, the hardest part had been something he hadn't expected: the waiting.

Anabel and the International Police had stashed him in a small cabin within Viridian Forest. He had been the only one there the past few days. His sole connection to the outside world had been an old radio. No television, no internet, and no people around for miles. It was just him, Pikachu, and the occasional Pokemon that would pass by. Anabel had said that she was needed in town but would be back in a few days with her superior. It left him plenty of time alone with his thoughts. Sadly, even though he knew what he would hear, he couldn't stop himself from listening to what was happening in Viridian city and the rest of the world.

Pain. Viridian city and its residents were in a perpetual state of panic because they believed he was going to kill more people. The guest broadcasts the radio stations were hosting with professional psychologists and detectives weren't helping - not when they were deconstructing his every action and spinning it in such a way that he came out looking like a monster. According to them, he was a sociopathic killer who had gotten tired of hiding and purposely been caught in the act. It hurt more than he thought it would to be considered a bigger monster than most of the criminals and evil teams he'd helped stop over the years.

It made him realize that even if the International Police managed to help him flee the region, his life as he knew it was over. He would never be able to compete in another League again or battle against a Gym Leader for a badge. Traveling the world, meeting new people, and catching wonderful Pokemon would never be the same. Whatever his doubts about continuing his journey had been before he'd been framed, the decision had been taken out of his hands completely. Now... now he didn't know what lay in store for him.

He glanced around the small, sparsely decorated cabin until his eyes landed on Pikachu. Seeing his little buddy sleeping peacefully nearby was enough to make him smile, despite everything that had happened lately. His partner hadn't been with him the night of the attack. Pikachu had no reason to believe that he was innocent of the crime, but still chose to help Anabel free him. Knowing his partner had so much faith and trust in him that he was willing to attack the police and those trying to bring him to justice lit a fire in him. He could only hope the rest of his Pokemon back at Professor Oak's felt the same way, even if he might never see them again.

Ash tensed up when he heard the sound of a car come to a stop outside of the cabin. The sound was enough to wake Pikachu. When he saw that Ash was by the window and heard the engine outside, electricity sparked off of his cheeks. He growled and ran towards the door, prepared to defend his trainer with everything he had. A quick glanced out the window showed that wasn't necessary.

"Calm down, Pikachu. It's alright." He smiled when Pikachu hopped towards him and scurried up to his shoulder. "It's just Anabel and... Looker?"

What was Looker doing here? Ash knew that he was a member of the International Police but seeing him here was still a surprise. Had Looker helped Anabel free him? He'd find out soon. When the two walked through the cabin doors, he offered them a relieved if hesitant smile.

"Hello Ash. It's good to see you again." Looker offered him a small smile in return. "Settling in well? I know this cabin isn't the nicest place to stay."

"It's fine." Especially since the only real alternatives were roughing it in the wilderness with no supplies or going to prison. "How do you and Anabel know each other?"

Looker laughed and ruffled Anabel's hair. She growled and elbowed him in the gut, forcing him to buckle over in pain. That didn't stop the smile from spreading across Looker's face though. "This lass here is my new partner. A rookie that I'm showing the ropes. Between you and me, she's still got a lot to learn."

"I'm standing right here you know..."

Looker rolled his eyes. "Believe me, I know." His gaze shifted to Ash. "I hope you've told Anabel how thankful you are for this. It's because of her that we know you weren't responsible for the crime. She was determined to save you no matter the cost."

He nodded and offered Anabel a grateful smile - one that she returned. "I know you two risked a lot by freeing me. Thank you." This brought up a good question though. One that had been bugging him since he'd been dropped in this cabin. "Why do you two say that I'm innocent? That Team Rocket framed me? The police said that the evidence against me was airtight."

Looker frowned. "Oh, it is. The two of us were the ones to arrest you." He let out a tired sigh and sat down at the table in the room. He gestured for Ash and Anabel to do the same. "You've met Anabel in the past, so you must know that she's got some Psychic abilities of her own."

How could he forget? It had been one of the toughest battles of his entire journey. While most of his challenges had been difficult because of unique, powerful Pokemon or brilliant strategies from his opponents, Anabel had been different. While her Pokemon had been powerful, her biggest advantage had been her ability to communicate telepathically with them. Without the audible warning of what his opponent was going to do next, he had been thrown completely for a loop. Without the audible commands, he had been forced to adapt to a new type of trainer battle.

"I remember. What does her having telepathy have to do with me though?"

Anabel hummed in thought. "I can do a bit more than that, Ash. One of my abilities allows me to conduct a surface scan of your mind." She grimaced. "I can feel your emotions and hear your thoughts. With a bit more effort, I can also review your memories. Yours... they were gone."

"Gone?"

She nodded. "There was evidence of Psychic tampering. Further investigation revealed that someone used a Hypno to take control of you." She sighed. "Then they sent you to the hotel with the sole purpose of framing you. With no memory of your own and so much evidence against you, it was the perfect crime."

Team Rocket had turned him into a puppet on a string. It was still so hard to believe... the image he had of the group was almost completely incompatible with what they had done. He wasn't even sure when they could have done it! The last thing he remembered was going for a walk to clear his head and helping that girl look for her-

His eyes widened. "The girl..." He whispered.

"That girl was an agent of Team Rocket." Anabel reached into her pocket and pulled out her Pokegear, handing it to him. On its screen was the same girl who had asked for his help - a little younger and more threatening looking, but impossible to mistake. "We don't know her real name, but her codename is Domino - the Black Tulip and one of their elite Specter operatives."

Domino? He recognized that name! Now he knew why she had seemed so familiar that night! "I've met her before!"

Looker blinked. "You have?"

"It was years ago during my journey through Johto." A simpler time. He missed it. "She was there with a whole bunch of other Team Rocket agents trying to capture a Mewtwo at Mount Quena! They almost did, but my friends and I managed to stop them and erase their memories."

"Is that so?" Looker chuckled. "Sounds to me like you've been fighting criminals for a lot longer than I've known you if that's the case. I'd say that explains why they wanted you out of the picture, but with their memories gone..."

"They wouldn't have any personal reasons to do it." Anabel frowned. "They must be worried he'd get in their way in the future."

Looker snorted in laughter. "Talk about self-fulfilling prophecies."

Ash wasn't sure what he meant by that. "So, what happens now? Should I be worried about the police finding me before we move?"

Anabel shook her head. "Nope. No one would ever suspect that you're this deep in Viridian Forest. Even if they did, there's no chance they'd try to follow you."

"Why not?"

Looker gestured out the window towards the trees full of Bug Pokemon. "This cabin is within Beedrill's territory. Add in that it's breeding season..."

And no sane person would ever set foot here. Beedrill were temperamental and territorial at the best of times when you wandered into their territory. Doing that when they were all pent up and focused on breeding? Chances were they wouldn't stop chasing whoever was stupid enough to disturb them until they were dead.

"How are we here then? Shouldn't they be swarming the cabin to get to us?" He and Pikachu both glanced out the window and tensed up when they heard a Beedrill fly by the cabin. He was only able to breath once it was clear it wasn't the beginning of an attack by hundreds of angry Pokemon.

"There's a trail that leads here." Looker began. "You must have not noticed, but the route you took in your escape is a backroad into Beedrill territory. They either don't know it's there or don't care about people using it. Whatever the case, it makes this the perfect place for a safehouse. Unless the police can find that back road, you won't have to worry about them."

"We'll be moving you soon regardless." Anabel offered him a smile. "Once our friends in the city manage to calm the civilians down and recall the police from searching the forest, we'll make our move."

He blinked. "Friends? Are these the same ones who helped me escape?"

"Some, yes. Others are one's that we had to keep in the dark for their safety." Looker explained. "Don't worry. Another few days and Giovanni should have everything under control. Being a Gym Leader has its perks."

Giovanni? He'd heard that name somewhere before... "Who's Giovanni?"

Now it was Looker's turn to blink. "You don't know Giovanni? I'd have expected you of all people to know him since you're from Kanto." He pulled out his own Pokegear and passed it to Ash. What Ash saw made his heart sink. Giovanni - the man that Looker and Anabel said was a friend of the International Police - was the same man who had led the attack on Mount Quena and nearly bent Mewtwo to his will. The same man who had commanded Team Rocket with nearly unquestioned authority and put his friends in danger.

"He was there too..."

"Hm?"

"Mount Quena." He clarified. "He was there leading Team Rocket. He hurt a lot of innocent people and Pokemon."

Looker abruptly stood up. The look on his face was a complicated mix of alarmed and pained. "Are sure?" He leaned forward until his nose was almost touching Ash, forcing him to lean back. "Are you absolutely certain this is the man you saw there?"

"I'm certain."

"Why haven't you ever said anything before now?" Anabel piped up. "If you knew that he was a member of Team Rocket, you should have told the authorities!"

The answer was simple: He hadn't cared enough and had forgotten. At the time, he had thought the matter was dealt with when Giovanni and his people all had their memories erased. Without knowing who Giovanni really was, he'd moved on. He had Gym badges to collect, Pokemon to train, and new lands to explore. Even as Team Rocket continued to follow him across the regions and he saw them go toe to toe with the other evil teams, he still hadn't thought Team Rocket was dangerous enough to spare another thought.

"I was a kid back then... I was focused on other things." No need to say what those other things had been. "Does he know about this place?"

Looker shook his head, a frown on his face. "No. He is- was an ally, but only International Police agents are aware of our safehouses." He growled underneath his breath. "This complicates things."

"What are we going to do, sir?"

Looker was silent for a moment. Eventually, he let out a long, tired sigh. "Unfortunately, nothing at the moment. We don't have the manpower or resources to make any move against Giovanni now. I'll inform command and see where we go from there." His eyes flickered to Ash. "Then there's you."

He blinked. "Me?"

"You have two choices, Ash." Looker began. "Option one is we help you escape the region. We put you into witness protection outside the reach of Team Rocket. You'll have a new name and a new life. When we manage to find evidence to clear your name or arrest Giovanni and any other high-ranking members of Team Rocket, we'll have you testify against them. Then you get your old life back."

A new life... it pained him to even think about it. He didn't want that. Even if Looker claimed it was temporary, Ash knew that the chances of his name being cleared and him getting his life back were close to zero.

"What's the other option?"

"You come with us." Anabel offered him a reassuring smile. "You become an unofficial agent of the International Police and help us take the fight to Team Rocket. You'll have a personal hand in bringing them down and clearing your name."

His eyes widened in shock. "How would that even work? I don't know the first thing about law enforcement. I don't even have most of my Pokemon!"

Looker patted him on the shoulder. "No one who joins us has any idea what they're doing at first. We can teach you everything you need to know. As for your Pokemon..." He hummed in thought. "I could see about having agents infiltrate Professor Oak's lab once the situation dies down and smuggle your Pokemon out, but that would be months down the line. You would see them again though."

Ash bit his lip. "Are you sure you want me? I'm a criminal now. All I've ever even known how to do is compete in the Pokemon League."

Looker tsked. "You wouldn't be the first criminal we've worked with before nor the first who was actually innocent of his crime. You won't officially be an agent, but our work won't force you into the spotlight, so your status as a criminal won't hurt us."

"And your experience in the League will come in handy." Anabel added. "Not many International Police have the same skill that you do when it comes to Pokemon battles. Your experience in that field will help us in more ways than one."

"The point is that you can help us, Ash. Our leaders have already given us approval to train you as one of us if you accept. You can get justice for what has been done to you. Justice for Mrs. Burk and everyone else they've hurt as well." Looker crossed his arms. "But the decision is yours."

Ash looked away. He was at a crossroads now. One road promised him protection from Team Rocket. The other promised him a chance to fight back against them and clear his name. Both paths would lead him to a new life. A part of him wanted to take the first option and accept witness protection. Leave the dangerous work to those more experienced in it and take his chance at a new life. A different part of him, though... a different part of him wanted to leap at the chance to clear his name. To fight back against Team Rocket. To make them pay for all the people and Pokemon they had hurt.

He glanced at Pikachu, perched on his shoulder. One look made it clear what Pikachu wanted to do. With the fire burning behind his eyes and sparks dancing off his cheeks, it was obvious to them all that Pikachu wanted to fight. That he wanted to fight Team Rocket. Seeing his oldest friend looking so determined... it was enough to make the decision for him.

Ash stood and stared Looker in the eyes. He extended his hand forward. "I'll do it. I'll join the International Police."

And there we go, the chapter is done! After many long days of only managing to get a few paragraphs in a day due to work, I've finally finished it and have it here for your enjoyment! Please let me know what you think and if there are any ways that I can improve! Otherwise, I look forward to entertaining you all come the next chapter!