Author's Notes: This chapter takes place in 3 areas: Saffron City, Cianwood City and Goldenrod City. We get to see what's going on in a few places.

Chapter 4

In The TR Jet HQ in Saffron City, Jessie and James were talking to Ash, leader of Team Rocket via Video Phone. The three are going over the possibility of Ted Toss actually being within their reach. Ash feared no one but the one man who could possibly ruin his plans for world conquest was Ted Toss.

"Then it's agreed." Said Ash. "After your son invades Mt. Silver and finds Ted, I get my rematch."

"What makes you so sure Ted's in there?" James asked him. "Last I heard he and his family fled to North Korea."

"I'm sure of it now more than ever." Ash replied curtly. "All you have to do is find him."

"You know we don't HAVE to hand Ted over to you." Jessie noted. "We could just take him, kill his family in front of him and then violently torture him to death. Nice and slow."

"You know I don't give a fuck about his bastard kids and wife!" Ash snapped. "You can do to them as you please but Ted is my bitch. No one gets him but me."

"Look, our son detected a disturbance near the Indigo Plateau." said James. "We just learned it was that can't die right bastard Matthew Oak."

"Matt Oak, eh?" asked Ash as if he remembered something. "He always loved his grandfather, him and Gary. Probably not as much as I love his sister but then again who cares?" Just then a sentry came into the room.

"Mien furhers!" He exclaimed, greeting them all before turning to Jessie and James. "My liege, we have a call for you. It's the good prince Jordan."

"Excellent timing." Said Jessie. "We'll find out what Matt was up to, or was." After a few moments, Jordan came up on another screen.

"So Jordan, did you find out what that man was up to?" James asked.

"Nothing but trouble as usual." Jordan replied, rubbing his leg. He'd hurt one of his legs from the explosion.

"Jordan, are you hurt?" James asked in surprise.

"I'll be fine." Jordan replied. "That bastard Jim Toss won't be when I find him. He will pay dearly for this!"

"WHAT?" Ash exclaimed in surprise. "If Jim's there then Ted MUST be in Mt. Silver."

"I'm gonna kick Jim's ass when I find him." Jordan said as he scowled. "Damn, that hurts! I'll have him cut into pieces and his house made into a dunghill!" Jordan was definitely ready to hurt someone. This made Jessie and James proud. He would be an excellent ruler after them.

"Maybe you should get treated at an area hospital." James noted. "I'll call the closest one to you and tell them to expect you. It won't do you well to hobble everywhere."

"After that I'm going after him." Jordan replied. "I'd like to know why the hell he interrupted my match with Matt and killed my Suicune."

"He did WHAT?!" Jessie asked in shock. "You mean the $150,000,000 project we—" Jordan nodded.

"We should've killed him when we had the chance!" James roared. "Luckily for him, Ted's daughter Katrin can walk through walls."

"Sometimes I wonder even now how the hell you two gained power over there." Ash remarked with annoyance. "You two can't seem to even take care of minor trifles."

"It was easier than you think, actually." Jessie replied. "We simply followed Putin's example. All we had to do was Kill the President, Kill off the Elders and poof, we became monarchs. Now we own everything from Fuchsia City to Viridian City. Our boundary with Johto is The Falls."

"Seeing as Jordan is hurt, I'll send my best general to help you until he has recovered." said Ash. "His name is Alex Garum and he is highly experienced. I'm sure he will be of use to you."

"We'll have him only until Jordan is better." James replied. "Once Jordan is medically cleared, back he goes!"

"Just between us, there's a 2nd reason I'm sending Alex to Kanto." said Ash. "I'm starting to suspect he's seeing my daughter, Kaylie behind my back. Every morning and night when we change shifts Alex and Kaylie are nowhere to be found. When they finally do show up they make up some poor excuse. They keep forgetting my castle is being monitored closely by security cameras."

"Send him over right away, then." Said Jessie. "We'll expect him in the morning."

"Why so soon?" James asked.

"I'm starting to suspect he might ask Kaylie to marry him without telling me or May." Ash explained. "She knows that anyone she is seeing has to be approved by me. What I mean is by doing me a great service. Practically every suitor she's brought to me has failed."

"I'll consider myself lucky I don't have a daughter." James replied. "I hear Teenage Girls are the worst kinds of kids. Fortunately for us, Jordan is too young to really care about girls. Even when he gets older he'll care more about the Empire than women!"

"I'm going to need another water Pokemon to replace Suicune." Said Jordan, reminding the adults he was still there. "I'll need to be able to get across water."

"We'll send you a Wailord." Jessie replied. "It's big and hard to blow up." After the transfer, Jordan signed off.

"We'd really better beef patrols." Said James. "A short time ago, our sensors detected a very large power surge coming from Mt. Silver. It was too powerful to be an ordinary power surge. And it was very familiar."

"I saw it too." Said Ash. "But it can't be. Even though it was Ted's most powerful Pokemon I killed it myself…"

"Something is definitely going on." Said Jessie.

"We'd better find out what, then." Ash added, nodding in agreement. "The sooner we find out, the better." The Deadly Alliance pondered their next move to deal with the latest developments.

Meanwhile in Johto, Alex Garum was preparing his troops to raid the port town of Cianwood. It was the only Johto City that was not in control of the Rockets. Despite heavy artillery fire by day and bombing raids by night, the lights of freedom burned brightly in the war-torn metropolis. The months of heaving fire had taken its toll on Cianwood Bay, however. The sea was red with the blood of many people who died to keep the city free from Team Rocket. General Garum had just broken through the city's last defenses.

"This is it, everyone." Alex said to his troops. "Once we have Cianwood then all of Olivine bay will be ours. At sunrise, we attack!" Everyone let up a cheer.

Cianwood City was one of the last strongholds In Johto not in Team Rocket's control because of a strong defense council. Inside the town, Dave and the Gym Leader Chuck were hastily trying to prepare a defense for the town. "We haven't much time left." Said Dave. "If the Rockets seize this town then they will rule all the waters of Johto."

"They're poised to strike at Sunrise." Chuck noted as he reviewed the latest scouting report. "When they get here, we'll be ready. We have enough men that can fight Rockets all day, if need be. I just hope Jasmine gets here in one piece." Suddenly, one of Chuck's students came in.

"Master Chuck! We've found another body!" he announced. "We think it might be the Olivine Gym Leader!" Dave gasped in shock.

"This can't be good." Chuck remarked quietly. "Come on, show me where you found it." The lad led Chuck and Dave down to the beach. The area was littered with medical tents and mobile morgues. When Olivine City was captured, hundreds of people tried to flee the city by sea. TR's naval forces sank the boats as they reached open sea. Those who made it to Cianwood washed up either dead or close to it. The world was shocked when it was discovered that TR's navy had intentionally sunk civilian ships, killing hundreds of inncent people. Ash claimed the ships were moving military personnel in position to attack Kanto. The outrage and universal condemnation from the news was far greater than the atrocities the Russian Military was accused of doing in Ukraine.

"Ash Ketchum is far worse than any Autocrat and Dictator the world has ever known." Said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a press conference after the news came out. "Saddam Hussein, Al Qaeda, Isis, The Taliban, Stalin, Hitler and even Vladomir Putin can be considered saints compared to this fiend."

"The United States is offering a sum of $5 Billion to anyone who can bring Ash Ketchum in...dead." Said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. "For those who are on the world's or FBI's top 10 Most Wanted Lists, the White House is prepared to give you a full pardon if you are able to do this."

The trainer led Chuck and Dave to a small cove on the beach. A body covered with a white sheet lay there. Chuck peeked under the sheet. "Yup, it's her." He said as he replaced the sheet. "Add her to the rest. What's left of her, anyway." Two men came over and picked up the remains. They gently placed it down on top of the 500 or so bodies already collected so far that day. The bodies would be prepped for burial in mass graves.

"How many more innocent people are going to be buried before all of Johto is free?" Dave wondered aloud. "All this senseless killing. What will Team Rocket gain from it?"

"They want to rule all of Johto." Chuck replied. "Not govern but rule. For all we know, us along with Kris and Taylor are the only ones standing in their way. Ted's dropped off the face of the earth and Oak's Grandsons have their hands full with the Jets." Kris was helping with the defenses in Azalea Town and Taylor was in Blackthorn City training with Clair.

"If only we knew where Ted was." said Dave. "Then we would stand a much better chance. Unless Ted comes soon, we're all going die."

"Today would be a good day, then." Chuck said as he peered out to see. "We have company." Dave looked out towards the sea. They could see a Red Gyarados preparing to fire a Hyper Beam at them…

"Sir! I have a message for you from The Leader." said a Messenger to Alex. Taking the letter, Alex read it hastily. He frowned when he saw what it was.

"Hmm, seems I'm being reassigned." He remarked, taking out a Poke Ball. "Jackson!" A man who looked remarkably like Alex stepped forward.

"Yes, sir!" he said as he snapped a salute.

"I'm placing you in command until I return." Alex told him.

"Yes sir!" Jackson replied. "You will not be disappointed."

"See to it that I am not." Alex said as his Rapidash materialized next to him. "You know what happens then." Mounting his Pokemon, Alex headed for Goldenrod at full speed. When he arrived at the Rocket Capital, he learned he was going to Kanto. He was being re-assigned as part of a "public relations" deal Ash made with Jessie and James. Alex resented the change so close to absolute victory but knew he had no choice. Even questioning anything Ash said was punishable by death. As preparations for his departure to Kanto were being made, Alex slipped into Kaylie Ketchum's room while the shifts were changing. Even though he knew they were being watched he didn't care. Who was Ash to get in the way of love?

"Alex, is that you?" asked a voice from the balcony.

"Yes, Kaylie, it's me." Alex replied quietly. "I'm alone." Upon hearing this, Kaylie rushed over and jumped into his arms.

"I thought you were going to be gone longer?" she asked him.

"I've been reassigned." He explained.

"Is it somewhere close?" she asked hopefully as Alex looked into her eyes. He thought she looked beautiful even in her nightgown. She had long Black hair and clear blue eyes, much like her father. She had lived into Goldenrod City her whole life. Alex had been the only friend to her. They had known each other for as long as they could remember.

"I'm afraid it's far." Alex said in answer to her question. "You'd almost think I were going on the other side of the world."

"How far?" She asked.

"I'll be in Kanto in the morning." he told her. "I'm heading a search team. I've been asked to help the Jets locate Jim Toss. He attacked Crown Prince Jordan McArthur and fled to the Silver Mountains."

"Isn't he the brother of that Legendary Trainer Ted Toss?" she asked in amazement. "Ted and my Uncle Matt used to be rivals but now they're friends."

"Have you ever met your uncle?" Alex asked. "You seem to know a lot about him."

"I never did but mom told me about him." Kaylie replied. "When the Jets invaded Kanto, Matt wouldn't let them harm my Great-Grandfather Oak. Ash offered to intervene if he could marry mom. Matt had no choice but to let him do it. If he hadn't, Great-Grandfather Oak probably would have been killed. Even though I've never met either of them I know they're alright. Matt won't let anything bad happen to Great-Grandfather Oak."

"I'll try to check on him when I go there." Alex remarked thoughtfully. "I'm sure he'll be happy to know he has a Great-Granddaughter who cares about him. "

"Will you make sure nothing happens to him?" Kaylie asked.

"I'll do my best but my main objective is to find Jim." he replied.

"It's hot in this room." Kaylie remarked.

"Are you sure?" Alex asked as he touched her forehead no sign of a fever. "The cooling system has been turned all the way up. You're not pregnant, are you?"

"You know I haven't slept with anyone but you." Kaylie replied with a smirk. "The last time we had sex was 3 months ago. I'm sure that if I was pregnant we'd both know by now. Oh and no, I don't have COVID-19 either."

The two then kissed before Alex slipped quietly out and back to his post. He found most of his gear packed and ready. He would take a plane to Viridian Airport. Before boarding his flight, Alex turned to get one final glace of Kaylie. He did not know if he would return to see her. "I'll come back soon." Alex whispered. "This I promise you."

That's the end of Chapter 4.

I changed some real world names and references to reflect more current events. No point having references from 20 years ago at this point, yes?