SZ: *giggles excitedly, playing PS4*oh man! I am so glad I upgraded to PS4!
GT: *nods while playing Ultra Moon* Welcome to the world of PS4, SZ. Shame I am not able to return to it until my PS4 gets taken out of storage since we moved.
SZ: Fair enough. So until then, I hope you enjoy my live streams since I got PS Plus.
GT: Can do. But for now, let's greet the reader, shall we? They've been here for a few moments now.
SZ: Hmm?*looks at the readers*AHH! Oh uh...hey guys. Welcome to the final part of the Sabrina trilogy.
GT: Eeyup. And based off last chapter...Things are gonna happen. Very big things in Saffron.
SZ: Indeed.
GT: So no holding back now! Let's get on with it! You know who we own and don't own! *pulls out a Pokeball and throws out a Dusk Mane Necrozma* FIRE IN THE HOLE! *hides in a bunker while activating the Ultranecrozium Z*
SZ: OH GEEZ! *runs into the bunker*
Necrozma: *turns into Ultra Necrozma and unleashes Light That Burns the Sky*
Entry 21: Hey. It's Mai Natsume giving the latest report. While traveling with White Truth, who still won't tell us her real name, we arrived at Lavender Town to get either a Dark-type Pokemon or a Ghost-type Pokemon for Ash to use against Sabrina. I'll admit...I was scared once we got into the Pokemon Tower, especially when we got separated thanks to a Ghost 'Tyrantrum', which turned out to be a trio of Ghost Pokemon that loved to pull pranks.
Makoto ended up dragging me and Misty off… Well..at least it was better than her usual grabbing of my chest whenever she's scared. Why does she do that?! *clears throat* W-Well...anyway...The three of us found a lone Cubone on a bed-I guess it's for an overnight stay for the caretaker-and a closet that, when we opened it, had Mr. Fuji, a man that takes care of the tower in it. At the time, we didn't know why he was in there all tied up, but we got him out of there when we did.
Turns out the usual trio of Team Rocket grabbed him, tied him up, and put him in the closet when they saw us outside. He got worried about this shrine that kept this monster called the Black Fog sealed up so we went with him to look at it. Along the way, he told us about the Cubone with him and how Team Rocket-not the trio, the organization-killed its mother...That...that's just too cruel… Then Terra said something to Cubone and it ran off on us! Terra, whatever you said, I am still mad at you with for what happened next due to it!
While we were looking around-we meaning myself and Terra since we split off from the others to look for Cubone-, we got startled by a Haunter. Unfortunately, that made us take a step on this set of stairs and caused an angry spirit to start attacking us! TERRA! WHY DID YOU UPSET THE CUBONE?! WHY?! *the sound of a hand meeting flesh went off* ...Sorry, Makoto...A...anyway, while Haunter had left to go find Cubone possibly, me and Terra had to hold that angry spirit back with Terra learning Strength in the process...via anger. And he could talk like a human. ...That is something I am never gonna forget not only because it was caused by an eldritch abomination starting to waken from its seal but because he had a deep voice like this Mr. T guy from some really old recording from before the time of the Black Beast.
Haunter found Cubone and it turns out the angry spirit was Cubone's mother! That...I...wha? Seriously?! Well...at least she was able to pass on when Cubone hugged her, so that's good. After that, Haunter led us to the women's bathroom-go figure that there'd be one in a graveyard-and when we went in, we fell out of the ceiling of the main lobby! Mr. Fuji told us later on at his house that the Black Fog was the reason why reality was so bent in the tower just then due to the weakening seal.
Mr. Fuji got the three ghost Pokemon-Ghastly, Haunter, and Gengar-to get us to the shrine in the new distorted tower...and, well, to be blunt...It looked like it was out of the climax of a horror story with the entire room now in a massive distorted space with floors where the walls should be and walls where other things should be and things like that. Ash sent out Pidgeotto to get to the shrine and the Black Fog countered with summoning undead Pokemon that could fly...zombies...Well, I can tell you that I am NEVER going into another graveyard willingly for as long as I live thank you very much.
Ash managed to get there and, judging by Kajun's scream since I was distracted with commanding Terra to fight off a zombie Butterfree, got into big trouble. After that, I heard the Black Fog scream something in what seemed to be fear and shock and then a big flash of light. When I woke up, it was morning and everything was back to normal. While Team Rocket went missing with White Truth, the rest of us went to Mr. Fuji's home...though, before that, Gengar tripped Ash and caught himself in one of Ash's Pokeballs. ...Greaaaat...From what I heard from him when he was going to try to lead us to the shrine, we've got the Pokemon equivalent of Makoto in a group bath now...Just peachy…
A bit after we got there, Mr. Fuji wanted to thank the ones in our group who helped the most-which were apparently me, Ash, Misty, and Makoto. While Misty got a bunch of PokeBalls designed specifically for catching Water-Type Pokemon, I ended up getting the Cubone that had been orphaned by Team Rocket. Mr. Fuji explained that it was because Cubone wasn't bothered by me carrying him around when before only Mr. Fuji could get away with it while others would get hit with either his club or with a headbutt. He even gave me a Great Ball to use as his PokeBall. I decided to name Cubone 'Noble' since anyone who would go with an elderly man to a haunter tower like that should be called that.
As for Ash and Makoto...he gave them Key Stones and Ash a Mega Stone. We even learned that the 'Leaf Stone' we had on us since Pewter was a Mega Stone as well! ...Well, to be fair, we didn't know what Mega Stones were at the time. Once we were starting to leave, White Truth finally showed up ia Teleport and before Serenade could explain fully how they found us, Noel freaked and she and Ash ran off to Saffron City with Misty and Makoto hot on Noel's heels! ...Just what did Noel think about involving a Milotic? Well, at least we're heading back to Saffron now. Hopefully, Ash can win and we can get out of there before things happen like last time.
"Come on."
"No, Makoto."
"Come on…"
"No, Makoto."
"Come on~"
"No, Makoto!"
"Come on~~~~!"
"For the last time, Makoto Nanaya, I am NOT licking the Mega Stones to find out what Pokemon they go to!" Mai barked.
"Just one lick~"
"Do you have any idea how that sounded just now?!"
"A big, long lick~"
"I don't get it. What's wrong with what Makoto asked?" Ash asked as he and Kajun were setting up the folding table for a break.
"I'll tell you when you're older," Kajun assured.
"How does licking them tell us what Pokemon can use them?" Serenade asked.
"Well...you could say Mai has super sensitive taste buds," Tsubaki explained.
"The only thing she can eat is Noel's...er...cooking," Misty noted as she looked over at where Noel was cooking...with purple and black fumes coming from the pot she was stirring.
"(Do not get near it!)" Pikachu hissed, backing away from Noel's area.
"...O...kay?" Serenade just blinked at that.
"(Food, food, food, food, food!)" the Poison-types cheered.
"What's wrong with them?"
"(They love Noel's cooking)," Cherry explained, "(Needles especially since when she evolved, she looks like that thanks to a Noel's cooking diet.)"
"I see…"
"So do you have a strategy for Sabrina, Ash?"
"Nope," Ash replied, making Misty nearly fall over.
"No?!"
"Well, she'll read my mind when I enter, right? So I won't think of a strategy until I'm there," Ash replied.
"...You sound so much like Black Ideal right now…" Aoiro sighed, feeling a headache form.
"Huh?" Ash blinked at that.
"She never thinks of anything for her strategies, so she-and I quote-'goes with her gut' when it comes to battles," Aoiro explained with another sigh.
"I take it she's the reason why none of your grunts on the SS Anne had Pokemon?" Brock asked as he whisked something in a bowl.
"..."
"...She is, isn't she?"
"..."
"...We'll take your silence as a yes…" Brock sweatdropped.
"DANG IT, MAKOTO! KEEP AWAY FROM ME!" Mai screamed as she ran by.
"LICK MY STONES, DANG IT!" Makoto dashed past them, holding the Mega Stones.
"THAT SOUNDED SO WRONG!"
"I think Makoto's snapped," Tsubaki sighed as Izayoi put another plate on the table behind her.
"Curiosity's gotten the best of her," Misty shook her head.
"AQUA, HELP!"
*SPLASH-SHRK*
"Thank you," Mai sighed in relief as Makoto's head shivered while the rest of her was stuck in a block of ice.
"Bui…" Aqua nodded as Terra picked up the frozen Makoto and put her on the farthest side of their camp, "...(When could you do that?)"
"(I love me my Strength)," Terra grinned.
"(...Who gave him spinach?)"
Sabrina brushed the hair of the little girl in her lap, her hands on her hands of her throne-like seat. As the brush moved away from the little girl and her hat was being placed back on, everything and Sabrina paused.
"What is this?" Sabrina pondered before a figure appeared on the other side of the arena.
The figure was slender with coarse, pale, almost pure white, purple fur with hints of a deep purple undersin visible beneath the intricate metal armor engulfing the majority of its frame. Bulky guards covered its lower arms and three-fingered hands, the fingers ending in rounded swollen bits. A long purple tail swayed behind it while a blue aura in the pair of eyes shined behind its visor.
"Do you want to play?" the little girl asked as she released Kadabra.
The figure spoke not a word. They merely held up an arm and a panel slid out, revealing a blue crystal inside of it. The crystal glowed before it et out a light that became a hologram of a man behind a desk.
=This is your only warning, Sabrina of Saffron City. Release those you've captured and we can put this all behind us=
"...No. They're my toys now for trying to be sneaky," the little girl argued.
=...A pity, I suppose= the man noted before holding up a hand and snapped his fingers and vanished =You were given a chance=
Upon vanishing, the figure lowered its arm. Their eyes flashed once more and Sabrina tensed, feeling her connection to outside this building-this very room-she was in silenced.
"...What is this...thing?" Sabrina demanded with a slight frown.
The jogger was making his way around the limits of the town as he normally did. He had to make sure to at least try to warn Trainers away from trying the gym here for their sakes. As he started to go by the controlled Officer Jenny, the blue-haired woman collapsed with a groan.
"?!" the jogger stopped, managing to catch her, "...She's not under Sabrina's control…"
"Ugh...wh...what happened…?" Jenny whispered weakly.
"Easy now," the jogger warned, "You've been under mental suppression for a good while now."
"What…? When…" Jenny began before her eyes widened a bit, "That little girl….where is she?"
"Blue hair? Wearing a sunhat and playing with a ball?"
"Yes...that's her."
"I'm afraid that such a girl isn't real."
"Wh...what?"
Before the jogger could reply, pitch black vans shot down past the road and into the city. One skidded to a halt before the police station and let the back open, unleashing Pokemon that resembled pitch black dogs with red muzzles and paws with bits of skeleton growing out of their coarse black fur along with Rocket Grunts that quickly occupied the station. At the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy groaned as she started to get up when she froze as a Houndoom snarled just inches before her face with her lobby filled with grunts. At every major area aside from the gym, black vans were stopping and allowing Team Rocket members to storm into them and, within a matter of little more than an hour, the entire city was filled with them.
"Mistress...Isn't that the substance those idiots brought that the scientists still haven't been able to recreate?" Serenade asked with wide eyes.
'I...I think it is…' Aoiro mentally replied, looking at the bowl of...something Noel was currently making, "Um...what...is that if, I may ask?"
"Hmm? Oh! I'm making some chocolate pudding, but added in some vanilla, various berries, and some sweet and sour juices to give it a nice kick," Noel answered, "I even added some extra sugar and flour for good measure...hmm...oh! Maybe I can make it like bread pudding...oh! Better yet, cake pudding!"
"Cake Pudding?" Serenade repeated.
"Like bread pudding, but with cake instead!"
"...Do...you taste your dishes before serving them?" Aoiro cautiously asked.
"Oh no. I make it a rule not to taste my own dishes."
"...That both explains so much but adds to many more questions," Serenade's eye twitched before a mud ball hit her in the back of the head, "HEY!"
"(He did it)," Krabby pointed at Pikachu with his muddy claw.
"Oh you are in for it!" Serenade made a ball of mud with her psychic power and sent it at the both of them, knocking them over in a backflip, "Ugh...Now I got mud in my fur. Gonna t…" another mud ball hit her in the face, "..."
"(Cherry did it!)" Charmander called, keeping his muddy blanket behind his back.
"(Wait, what?)" Cherry blinked at that.
"...You're all dead!" Serenade snapped, making several mud balls.
"(Run away!)" Booster squealed in laughter as the Eevees and the smaller Pokemon that were playing in the mud scattered.
"Get back here and be suffocated by mud!" Serenade ran after them.
"...Um...aren't you going to stop her before something happens?" Mai asked.
"She'll calm down after she has her fun, and messes with her catnip toy," Aoiro answered, 'I haven't seen her act like this in years...not since…' she managed to hide a brief look of pained sadness before managing to hold back a yelp at seeing a purple cloud resembling a skull float out of Noel's pot while the girl was looking away from it to grab another ingredient, "Is it wise to let her cook?"
"Of course it is!" Mai beamed, Needles and Zubat giving cries of agreement, "Her cooking's the best!"
'SHE EATS IT?!'
Gengar poked out of the shadow of Noel's pot. Looking around and seeing Noel getting another ingredient, he snickered before sniffing the pot. He raised a brow before swiping the stirring spoon in it and taking a bite. His body froze for a few moments before he calmly put it back into the pot, went into the shadow, and came out at the table with napkin, fork, and knife in hand right beside where Mai had been sitting before walking over.
"And Noel has another fan of her cooking," Tsubaki noted, looking up from a small book in her hands.
"Gengar is part Poison Type, so it would make sense," Kajun added.
'So that part is constant. This...food...is highly coveted by Poison Type Pokemon,' Aoiro thought as, minutes later, everyone began to eat lunch.
"I think we went the wrong way," Misty noted as she looked at their map...until Makoto turned the paper upside down, "Oh…"
"Rule number one of travelling; always make sure the map is correct," Makoto stated.
"Funny coming from you, Makoto…" Tsubaki spoke.
"Y-wait. What's that supposed to mean?" Makoto asked.
"The camping trip during second year."
"...Well to be fair, we did end up finding that amazing hot spring."
"...That is true…" Tsubaki muttered a bit.
"A hot spring would sound so perfect right now with what we've been going through just this month alone," Misty sighed.
"So very true…" Mai added with her own sigh.
"The special suite in Saffron City's most famous hotel has a built in one," Aoiro answered, making them look over at her, "...ahem. N...not that I know that or anything…" 'Still a bit miffed at Karai for booking us into that hotel with father's money...but honestly worth it for the hot springs alone.'
"Speaking of Saffron City, how much longer will it take for us to get there?" Tsubaki questioned.
"Looks like another hour of walking," Misty replied as she looked at the map, "And that's not counting the time it'll take putting everything away…" she glanced over at the Pokemon, all covered in dried mud, "...and giving everyone a bath."
"?!" the Eevee all tensed.
"(She said the 'b' word,)" Koko sighed.
"EEVUI!" the Eevee screamed before they scurried off into the bushes.
"Epe…" Koko sighed as she followed after them.
"There's the entrance to the city!"
"Finally! Rematch, here I c-" Ash began as he prepared to run to the gate.
"Hold it!" Brock shouted, making Ash nearly trip up, "Something seems...off about the city."
"Well...yeah. I mean, that's because of Sabrina, right?" Ash blinked twice.
"No...it's something different…" Brock explained.
"Well...maybe Sabrina was finally defeated a-" Misty began as she took a step forward.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" the group tensed up as a pair of Rocket grunts stepped from the sides of the gate, "State your business here."
"?! Team Rocket!" Noel gasped, holding Yuki and Nymph closer.
Aoiro held her arm out to the side just as Ash was about to reach for a Pokeball, "White Truth."
"?!" the two tensed before saluting, "Ma'am!"
"Report," Aoiro ordered.
"Saffron City is now under Team Rocket control, ma'am," the first grunt explained.
"Agent M2 has stopped and halted Sabrina's control over the city while Silph Co. is currently being made as a temporary base for Team Rocket," the second grunt added.
'Agent M2?' the others thought.
"Silph Co?" Ash tilted his head.
"Do not disturb these behind me. Spread that message to the other troops unless they assault another Rocket...with both physical and video evidence," Aoiro ordered, "Until the operation is over, consider them as under my watch."
"Ma'am!" both saluted as they moved to the side.
Aoiro nodded as she walked towards the gate, motioning Ash and the others to follow her.
"What's Silph Co?" Ash asked once they followed after her.
"One of the largest companies in all of Kanto," Aoiro explained, "They help create many things here in the Kanto region, including Pokeballs...though there were times in the past where they had to cancel certain projects, like the Rare Candies."
"Don't remind us," Makoto cringed, trying very hard to not let her tail stick up straight.
"Wait...but why would Team Rocket take over Silph Co. along with the entirety of Saffron City?" Mai asked.
"..."
"Considering we only know you by your codename, you must be near the top in terms of Team Rocket's infrastructure," Kajun noted, "Considering what Sabrina did to you and this 'Black Ideal' you mentioned, the leader is doing this as retribution of an attack on who are most likely in his inner circle."
"..." Aoiro gave a small, nearly unnoticeable chuckle at that, "I'm impressed...you've managed to get all that right in one go, Miss Faycott."
"Should we pull a hit on her once we're all away from each other?"
'I'm not sure,' Aoiro replied, 'Keep a pin on that thought.' her hand caught Ash's shoulder, "Please don't just run straight for the gym. I do believe that you need to have your Gengar checked on to see if he's well enough for the battle."
"Oh...right…" Ash nodded in realization, "Wait, what about…?"
"As long as I'm with you, none of the grunts here will lay a finger on you."
"...What about Jessie, James, and Meowth?" Brock asked with a slight frown, "How do we know they're not here, too?"
"After what happened in Lavender town, the leader has ordered them to make themselves scarce or else," Aoiro narrowed her eye in annoyance at the reminder of the trio, "And they're not allowed to use the motto for a month."
"...No annoying motto?" Kajun asked.
"Yes."
"For a month?"
"Once more, yes."
"..."
"Hey! No!" Serenade barked, using Psychic to move her away from Aoiro, "There will be none of those thoughts happening to my Mistress!"
"Ahem! A..apologies...lost control of my thoughts there…" Kajun cleared her throat, a slight blush on her face.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash whispered in confusion.
"When you're older," Brock replied quickly, a handkerchief to his nose.
"Ooh~ What were you thinking, Kajun?" Makoto asked, a smile of tease on her lips.
"N...nothing!" Kajun yelped a bit, her blush increasing.
"Come on. Spill~"
"Hikari? Koko? Some assistance please?"
"Huh?" Makoto blinked twice before her body was frozen by Psychic and tilted like a board to let Hikari's glowing eyes look into her own, "No...fair...ugh…"
"...Why didn't you do that for me earlier?" Mai hissed at Kajun.
"Aqua had it handled," Kajun replied as Terra picked up the snoozing Makoto to let them continue to the center.
"...ugh...fair enough…" Mai sighed.
"Zzzz…" a Grunt snored as he leaned against a wall beside a pair of double doors.
Above the doors was a glittering sign reading 'Silph Company.' As the grunt snored away, the young twelve year old entered the building, the female Pikachu on their shoulder giving a cheeky wave at the snoozing guard. The interior of the lobby floor was finely decorated with glass cases containing examples of inventions they've made over the years as a sort of mini-museum with a large square support column in the center of it all. On each side of the support column was an intricately detailed waterfall statue of a Dragonite, a Ho-Oh, a Blastoise, and an Incineroar, the water flowing from either the canons on the Blastoise, the mouth of Dragonite or Ho-Oh, or a large jug held up by the Incineroar.
"Hey!" the twelve year old looked to see a pair of Rocket Grunts, "You're not supposed to be here!"
"..."
"...Say something, punk!"
"Pi…" his Pikachu growled out, sparks coming off her cheeks.
"Hold on," the other grunt held her hand up to stop her fellow male grunt, "I've heard about this kid in the reports. A kid in a hat with a Pikachu's been messing with some operations, even ones involving White Truth and Black Ideal."
"Say what? You're sayin' this kid's that same one?"
"Most likely. Which means we beat him, we can get his Pokemon for the boss," the female smirked.
"Nice," the male grinned before both threw out Pokeballs, releasing a much larger Ekans that looked more like a cobra and a Koffing with three heads of different sizes put together, "Arbok, go get that punk!"
"Wheezing, knock him out!"
"..." the boy took out two Pokeballs and threw them out, letting out the orange dragon and a dark-blue frog-like Pokemon with a swirl on its belly, white 'gloves' on its hands, and no visible mouth but two eyes, before pulling out a Pokedex and started to type on the keypad.
=Char, use Flamethrower. Poli, use Water Pulse=
"H-h-h-hello. W-welcome to th…" Nurse Joy began.
"What is this? Who's Houndour is this?" Aoiro demanded as she glared at the Grunts occupying the center.
"Uh...i-it's Jenson's, ma'am…" a grunt nervously gulped.
"Jenson! Put it back in its ball this instant! We do not threaten people who are in charge of healing Pokemon during operations!" Aoiro snapped.
"B...but ma'am...we were ordered t-"
"Do it now or so help me, I'll unleash Evergreen and have her Mega Evolve," Aoiro threatened.
"?!" Jenson tensed as he returned the Houndour to its Pokeball.
"My apologies. While Team Rocket does perform 'terrorism' we do not condone threatening Nurse Joys," Aoiro apologized before turning back to Jenson, "Jenson! Boot camp with Black Ideal! Ten days!" she turned back to Nurse Joy, ignoring Jenson collapsing in utter fear, "Are you well enough to examine a Pokemon?"
"Y-yes, ma'am!" Nurse Joy yelped.
Aoiro nodded before moving to the side to let an awkward Ash walk up, "Before you ask, he is not with Team Rocket but I am indebted to him at this time."
"...A-and those b-"
"They are not with Team Rocket as well," Aoiro assured, earning a sigh of relief from the nurse, "They are merely here to rest and heal their Pokemon." she turned to the Grunts, "All of you are to patrol the outside of the Center. None of you are allowed inside unless your Pokemon are injured. You!" a female Grunt stopped as they were starting to leave, "You are to prepare a calming tea for the good nurse as a start of an apology for unnerving her since Jenson is currently passed out from terror which is going on his monthly performance review!"
"Y-yes ma'am!" the female grunt nodded as she ran to the back.
"...Uh...change of subject, but I'm guessing the grunts are afraid of your partner...right?" Mai cautiously asked.
"Terrified beyond most would prefer to admit," Aorio admitted immediately, "Which is for good reason since her 'Boot Camps' are more of her siccing her Pokemon on them for the entire time in a forest to have them learn survival skills along with several other classified items she doesn't divulge for legal reasons."
"...and Jessie, James, and Meowth?"
"...Out of the field agents, they are the most terrified of her yet they are the only ones that have survived her 'Boot Camp' each time they're sent there with their sanity intact."
"Oh...I...see…" Mai noted with a sweatdrop.
"Uh, random question," Makoto spoke, "What...do you do if your partner gets…'too wild'?"
"Sedation and then enforced therapy by Serenade," Aoiro replied.
"Sessions are classified, so no asking," Serenade informed.
"Best you don't know…" Aoiro added before sighing, "And she's starting to catch on with the sedatives, so we usually have to sneak it into her bacon pancakes."
"...I-I'm sorry. Bacon pancakes?" Brock blinked at that.
"What? Just because we're part of a criminal organization, it means we can't have fun with food?"
"Uh, well...n-no. That's perfectly fine."
"Good."
"Um. D-Do you need me to examine your Pokemon as well, ma'am?" Nurse Joy got out.
"...I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Aoiro nodded as she handed her a few of PokeBalls, "Serenade?"
"Sure. But not to heal. I think she's in need of therapy while working," Serenade replied as she hopped onto the counter and pulled out a framed certificate, "My credentials, miss."
"...Your...Pokemon is a therapist?" Makoto blinked as Nurse Joy went off to examine the Pokemon.
"It helps," Aoiro answered before a grunt came running in, "...What is it?" the grunt whispered something to her, making her visible eye slightly widen, "...I-I see…are they safe?"
"...w-well…"
"Out with it!"
"W-we got the grunts out and to safety, but lady Black Ideal...well…" the grunt began as he pulled out a doll resembling Karai….wearing a gothic lolita dress.
"...Leave her on this table and get me a camera at once."
"M-Ma'am?"
"We are all human, and as such there are times we choose to be...petty," Aoiro informed the Grunt, "This is one of those times thanks to all the headaches she's caused me. Put her on the table right there and get. me. a camera."
"Y-Yes, ma'am."
"If it's here in ten minutes or less, you're exempt from her Boot Camp for the rest of the year."
"...Did that guy just use Teleport?" Mai blinked twice at where the Grunt had been before she had blinked.
"No. He's just happy," Aoiro answered as Misty poked the doll a bit, "I wouldn't do that."
"But it's just a doll, right?" Misty pondered, but still moved her finger away.
"Just be thankful Serenade's not in here right now to translate what she's saying."
"She? You mean...the doll?" Ash pondered.
"Sabrina's work," Aoiro informed, "This is Black Ideal, transformed into a doll by her psychic powers."
"Wait. She can turn people into dolls?!" Makoto gawked.
"That is what I said, yes," Aoiro nodded, "Though rather fitting considering how she ended up as she has."
"...h-how's that fitting?" Noel asked.
"Well...remember that jogger?"
"...oh! You must mean…" Ash began.
"Correct. He's…"
"An old family friend!"
Aoiro couldn't help herself. She just had to stare at Ash with a wide eye of bewilderment. She looked at the others to see Misty, and Mai facepalming, Brock shaking his head with Kajun, Tsubaki nursing an incoming headache, Noel blinking twice with a tilt of her head, and Makoto trying hard to not laugh.
"Ashton, I think she means something more than an old family friend," Kajun noted.
"Yes. Thank you, Ms. Faycott," Aoiro nodded, "Ahem! Now then...That jogger was really Sabrina's father a…"
"Her father?!" the group exclaimed.
"...Can you please not interrupt me? That is...a pet peeve for me, if I maybe honest," Aoiro frowned a bit.
"S...sorry…" Tsubaki cleared her throat, "Continue."
"Thank you," Aoiro nodded stiffly, "Now then... With Serenade's help, I found out that he was Sabrina's father...and he told me everything. As a child, she had been developing her psychic abilities...even going as far as to seal her own emotions away to perfect them. Her parents tried everything to control her, but she was too powerful even for them."
"...And the little girl with her?" Misty asked.
"That little girl is the physical manifestation of her emotions she shut away as a child. The older one you've seen is the more tactful of the two, earning herself a spot for the Gym here in Saffron."
"So that's why he's been warning Trainers to stay away from the gym," Brock frowned, "He's trying to protect them."
"Yes, but there's something else," Aoiro noted, "He believes that the only way for Sabrina to stop this...is to make her laugh."
"Beg your pardon?" Kajun blinked.
"Yes. He believes that by making Sabrina herself laugh, she will no longer be able to keep her emotions sealed and stop all of this," Aoiro nodded, "However, with Team Rocket currently occupying Saffron, things will prove quite….difficult."
"..." Ash tilted his hat down to hide his eyes, 'Making her laugh?'
"What do you intend to get away with this occupation?" an elderly man in a black business suit questioned as the leader of Team Rocket stood before him and a young woman in a business uniform, the leader wearing a black mask with red visor over his eyes.
"Our spies in your company have informed us of your latest projects: a PokeBall with a perfect capture rate and a joint project with the Aether Foundation on a PokeBall meant to catch 'What is but isn't a Pokemon,'" the leader informed, a voice distorter keeping his voice deep and metallic in his mask, "We are here for everything on them."
"?!" the elderly man tensed at that, "Y...you don't understand. W...we can't let our joint project get taken...those PokeBalls are needed to capture those...those...things!"
"Oh? You talk as if you've seen one of them," the leader noted.
"...The president of the Aether Foundation shared secret footage of one of those beast once...and just by looking at it...I could tell…"
"...Tell what?" the leader urged him to continue.
"...That no normal Pokemon could possibly defe-"
"Sir!" a Rocket Grunt screamed as he ran in, "Our men on floors 1-3 have already been taken out!"
"What?" the leader looked at the grunt.
"It-It's the boy, sir! The one with the Pikachu that interfered with White Truth's mission on capturing the giant Pokemon now living at Cerulean Cape and then at the SS Anne!"
"...Bring up video surveillance," the leader ordered, his Persian hissing at the woman.
"!?" the woman slowly nodded before pressing a button on the table, letting the picture behind the desk flicker and reveal it to be a screen, showing the twelve year old having his Charizard throw a Raticate into a Grunt, knocking both out.
"...That is not the boy from the SS Anne nor at Cerulean Cape," the leader informed.
"Sir?"
"Last week, we lost our base in Celadon City."
"Th-The Game Corner was exposed?"
"Yes. By this boy…" the leader narrowed his eyes, "Red."
"R-Red, sir?"
"Have the men ready a defense perimeter around the teleporter leading to this floor," the leader ordered, "If he gets through...I'll deal with him myself."
"Y-yes, sir!"
A Dusk Ball bounced off the floor before it opened up. Gengar cackled once he formed and Ash caught the ball.
"Gengar~!" Gengar cackled.
"Hey, Gengar," Ash greeted as he walked up and knelt down to the Ghost/Poison-Type, "You ready to talk about how we're going to beat Sabrina?"
"Gen!" Gengar pumped a fist.
"Great!" Ash beamed before digging into his jacket and pulled out...a jokebook.
"?!" Gengar fell over, "Gengar?! Gar-ger-gen!?"
"Just hear me out. Sabrina will be a really tough opponent since she'll know our strategies right away, but...if we can get her to laugh, we're in the clear."
Gengar rubbed his chin area, "Gen gar?"
"Yeah. We make her laugh and we'll win!" Ash beamed.
Gengar let out a thinking noise, rubbing his chin area. After a moment, he pointed behind Ash.
"Huh?" Ash looked behind him to see nothing, "Wha?"
*SLURP!*
"?!" Ash froze, the back of his head now wet and slimy as Gengar cackled on his back, tongue flailing, "...I guess that's a 'yes,' buddy?"
"Gengar!" Gengar guffawed in response, 'I knew I picked the right guy to go with!'
"Great! Then let's get to it!" Ash beamed.
"Okay, I've had to give her a recommendation to a 'legal' psychiatrist for her experience from being under Sabrina's mind stuff since I won't be able to get to everything," Serenade looked at a notebook as she sat on Aoiro's lap, "My best guess is she'll need to be transferred to another city to fully recover."
"I see...given what's happened here lately, understandable," Aoiro nodded slightly...looking at a few photos in her hands.
"...What are those photos, m-" Serenade began before Aoiro pointed to the Karai doll, "..." "Pfffffffft!" Serenade fell over, laughing in her actual voice since she couldn't concentrate enough to make mental laughter, "M-m-m-mm-meo-o-o-owstic~!"
"Hmm hmm…It is rather funny…" Aoiro let out a small chuckle.
After a few minutes, Serenade managed to calm herself, "O-Oh...I needed that so much from all the headaches she's given me."
"Just try not to connect to her mentally. Knowing her, she'd be cursing up a storm that would make an entire Fighting Type Gym blush in disbelief," Aoiro advised before tapping her chin a bit, "Then again...there is that semi-gym close to Sabrina's, but the leader there is currently away on a training trip if I recall."
"Good warning," Serenade nodded before looking around a bit, "...Where are the child's friends?"
"They're staying in rooms in the center for the duration of the operation," Aoiro replied as she held up a dossier, "I was hoping not to get them involved, but given the current situation, we'll have to be extra cautious."
"Yes, mistress…." Serenade nodded before she soon noticed something..or rather...someone missing, "...The child is gone."
"...What?"
"Our hope to beat Sabrina? The recently-turned eleven-year-old now with a Gengar buddy?" Serenade waved her paws in remembering gestures, "Sabrina's psychic powers aren't leaking through while Teacher is keeping her shut off from the town and targeting your memories, are they?"
"...No...I heard you the first time…" Aoiro's eye twitched, "He must've snuck out while I wasn't looking…"
"And most likely….he's heading towards the gym."
"..."
"...You know what? I...I'm not surprised. In my professional opinion as a psychiatrist, that boy is headstrong, stubborn, steadfast, and-most importantly-extremely loyal to his friends and family. I wouldn't be surprised if someone asked, he sees his Pokemon as family," Serenade shook her head, "Should I go get a Grunt to radio to keep mind of the child if they see him heading for the gym?"
"...No. I'll go after him myself," Aoiro answered as she stood up, "If anything were to happen to him, his friends would assume it was my doing, thus activating the collars on our necks."
"...I'll keep his friends occupied then should they go check on him."
"Please do," Aoiro nodded as she ran out the Center doors, looking at a pair of grunts standing outside, "Serenade is in charge of the Center. If I see her injured, Black Ideal Boot Camp punishment for three weeks."
"Ma'am!" both saluted quickly.
Once Aoiro went off, Serenade turned to the two, "Okay, you." she pointed at the female Grunt, "Make another tea for the good nurse. While you…" she pointed at the male, "Continue to stand guard at these doors and inform me if you see the others that are not Team Rocket or the good nurse here leave."
"Y-yes, ma'am!"
"Oh, and if you or if any other grunt sees the three idiots, or as the one with the oddly colored Pachirisu-tail calls them Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest in the city, kick them out."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"...If that child does somehow beat Sabrina…" Serenade muttered in her thoughts as she looked at the Karai doll, "...Someone bring me a camera. I want to record her reaction."
"GURU!" Oranguru cried out as he slammed into a wall before collapsing with a defeat groan.
"No fair! You didn't let us have a chance!" the little girl complained.
Agent M2 just stood where he had appeared from. All over, the walls and pillars were sporting numerous cracks and battle scars from the multiple strikes to them. And yet, a circle around M2 was unharmed with Kadabra giving a whimper while stuck to the ceiling. Sabrina stood up physically as the little girl ran behind the throne.
"It seems I will have to deal with you personally," Sabrina stated, no tone in her voice.
She swung a hand up at M2. The air rippled before a concussive blast of air shot at M2. Before it could touch M2, a blue barrier briefly appeared and took the attack. Her eyes glowed before the pillars at her sides changed into magma that shot out at M2. M2's eyes glowed before the magma flash froze before they could go past the edge of the circle, the now frozen magma shattering into shards of ice. However, the shards seemed to reform into a flurry of ice lances before shooting right at M2. The moment they reached the circle, the ice vaporized into steam that shot right back at Sabrina. The ground before Sabrina glowed before a sheet of it blocked the steam. The barrier quickly returned to M2 just as the ground underneath him rose up, changing into a pair of stone fangs as it tried to crush him. The fangs shattered into marbles the moment they touched M2 before the floor reformed its perfect circle around M2.
"You are skilled," Sabrina noted before the marbles rolled up to her.
They glowed bright before releasing a series of explosions.
A Grunt cried out as a Pokemon made of purple sludge was thrown into her and away from a white tile on the blue-tiled floor.
"Pi…" the female Pikachu let out a slight huff as she hopped back onto her trainer's shoulder.
Red stepped onto the white tile. The moment he was fully on it, the panel began to shine. His body glowed before vanishing. He reappeared in another room on an identical tile. Exhaling, Red walked off the tile and walked down the corridor. Just as he was about to walk around a corner...
"Hey, Red!" a voice shouted, prompting him to turn and see Gary standing there, "Long time no see."
"...?" Red raised a brow.
"Surprised to see me here, huh?" Gary smirked a bit, "I saw you come in here and figured I'd challenge ya to a rematch. Had to deal with a few grunts of course, but they were too easy."
"...?" Red gave him a deadpan look.
"Oh don't give me that look!" Gary snapped before clearing his throat a bit, "Anyway, you up for that rematch? Figures I'd give you a good beating before I challenge the gym here."
Red wave a hand out, "...?"
"What? It's not my problem," Gary snorted, "Now come on! Let's..." a fist dug into his gut, "?!" he stumbled back before his body glowed and split into the Grunt that had informed the leader and a pink slime, "Guh...H-How did you know?" Red pointed at his neck as his Pikachu mimed putting on a necklace, "A...a necklace?! Can't believe I forgot something stupid like that." he threw out a ball, releasing an Arbok, "Well, I ain't letting you get any further!"
"Pi…" the Pikachu sighed with a roll of her eyes as Red sent out Char.
=Char, let us get this over with= Red typed.
Char cracked his knuckles, giving a deep snort of flames.
"...Eep," the grunt gulped.
A group of Grunts jogged by a bush. Once they were gone, Ash peeked his head out with Pikachu on top and looking the other way.
"See anyone else?" Ash whispered.
"Pika…" Pikachu shook his head.
"Gengar? You see anyone?" Ash whispered.
Gengar emerged from the shadows of a tree and shook his head. Nodding, Ash got out of the bush and Gengar went into his shadow as the boy ran off towards the gym.
"You remember the plan once we get to Sabrina, right?" Ash whispered to his Pokemon, wearing a nod in response, "Good. Let's make sure we don't get c-"
"What are you doing?"
"AH!" Ash, Pikachu, and Gengar screamed, the latter jumping out of Ash's shadow and landing in his arms, shivering, before they spun around to see Aoiro.
"White Truth!" Ash yelped.
"Why on Earth are you trying to come here knowing the entire city is full of grunts?" Aoiro asked with a frown, "Furthermore, do you realize what kind of danger you're putting yourself in? Right now, Sabrina is most likely still dealing with Agen M2."
"I need to get into the gym," Ash replied.
"It's most likely a battlefield in there right now," Aoiro argued, "The chances of you coming out of there safely are very slim."
"I'll take those chances."
"Are you insane? I just told you there's a chance that you'll die and you're still willing to go through with challenging her?!"
"I know we can beat her!" Ash looked at her in the eye, "Gengar and I know what we're doing!"
"You are completely…" Aoiro began.
*SLUUUUUUUURP!*
"?!" Aoiro stumbled back with a wide eye, her entire head engulfed in saliva while Ash ran off to the gym, a laughing Gengar following him, "...Why that little…!"
"Mmm...so bored~" Makoto complained as plopped down on her bed.
"We know," Tsubaki sighed, "You've been saying it every five minutes."
"I can't help it! Ever since we got here, all we've done is do nothing but sit around!" Makoto snapped before groaning, "Seriously, not even the buffet is appetizing to me right now."
"Well, we're in the middle of a criminal organization taking over an entire city. Of course no one would be hungry," Kajun shook her head, "And this was done by their leader, so contingencies could be in place that none of the previous ones we've been involved with have had."
"...I suppose that's true…" Makoto muttered.
"Still...she was nice."
"What do you mean, Noel?" Mai asked.
"White Truth. She seemed worried about Nurse Joy and even berated the members of Team Rocket for it," Noel noted.
"...She does make a point," Tsubaki spoke up, "I mean...I know see's part of a criminal organization, but compared to who we've faced so far, se's seems more...honorable."
"I guess she has her own reasons for being in the organization," Mai noted before seeing Makoto look at her, "...What?"
"Lick my balls?" Makoto held up their two Mega Stones.
"Oh not again…" Mai facepalmed.
"Seriously, li-"
"Do you even realize how nasty that sounds?!" Mai exclaimed with a heavy blush.
"Please lick my balls, Mai~"
"That somehow sounds even worse!"
"You know she won't give up, Mai," Tsubaki sighed, "Remember when we had to do that egg watching assignment and Makoto wanted to know what kind of animal would hatch from it?"
"How could I not? She locked me in a closet with her until I finally complied," Mai deadpanned.
"!" Makoto's tail stuck up as she heard that.
"...Aq…" Mai began before Makoto tackled her and pulled her towards the closet, "Ah! Not again!"
"You will lick my big, colorful balls, Mai-chan!"
"Makoto…" Noel, Kajun, and Tsubaki sighed.
"I see you've arrived," the leader spoke as Red ran into the office, "Greetings, Red."
"..." Red just gave a slight glare at the leader.
"The president and I were just discussing a vital business proposition," the leader noted as he pulled out a pitch black Pokeball with yellow detailing.
"?! An Ultra Ball…" the president whispered.
"I suggest you keep your nose out of the matters of adults or experience a world of pain," the leader warned.
"!" Red pulled out a Pokeball and narrowed his eyes.
"...So be it," the leader stated before releasing a stone-made rhinoceros from his Ultra Ball, "Rhyhorn, come forth!"
Red threw out a ball and Poli burst out.
"Poliwhirl!" Poli called as he assumed a fighting stance.
"Time to show you what a real Pokemon Battle is, child," the leader informed, "Ryhorn, Horn attack!"
Sabrina panted, 'How is this possible? No matter what I do…' her eyes focused on M2...who was still where he had showed up, 'He hasn't moved from that spot. I've never dealt with a Pokemon like this before...Just what kind of Pokemon is this?'
M2's eyes started glowing once more before he turned his head to look at the doors at the sound of something slamming into them. On the other side, Ash groaned as he was flat on his back, his face bright red from smacking into them. Gengar's emergence from Ash's shadow helped Ash get back up as the doors were opened.
"Ow…" Ash groaned as he held a hand over his nose, "I think I ran too hard into the door…" he then tensed up when he noticed M2, "?!"
'This boy again...' Sabrina thought as her other self peeked out from behind the overturned throne.
"Pika?" Pikachu tilted his head as he looked at M2.
"(Uh...Did we come in at a bad time?)" Gengar asked before seeing Kadabra's position, "(...Huh. Haven't done that to someone since that one rude jerk who visited the tower a few weeks before Ash showed up.)"
M2's visor flickered. On the inside of it, the message 'ABORT MISSION - INITIATE EVAC' displayed. M2's eyes glowed before he vanished via Teleport. Kadabra yelped as he fell flat on his face, the psychic power pinning him to the ceiling lost the moment M2 was gone.
"Huh?" Ash blinked twice, 'What was that Pokemon?'
Char panted, one eye covered as the blood from a deep cut above its left eye oozed over it while his right wing was bent at an unnatural angle while his visible eye showed purple coloration beneath it. Across from him, a bulky blue Pokemon covered in spikes with a cream underbelly, chest, and lower jaw stood, panting with some of its horns snapped off and burns littering its body. Red kept his gaze on Char and on the leader of Team Rocket while his Pikachu was held in his arms, knocked out and covered in bruises.
"So this is what you're capable of. It's no wonder Proton had such difficulty with you," the leader noted before returning his injured Pokemon, "Regardless, you got off lucky this time, boy."
"?"
"You…" the leader looked over his shoulder at the woman, poking out from behind the wrecked desk with the president, "You've been using that tablet to delete what we were here for. As such, this operation is considered a failure." his body started to glow, "Team Rocket will never fall. Red, never forget that all Pokemon belong to Team Rocket! Both the known ones and the ones that exist beyond this world!"
With that, he vanished. After a few tense moments, Red returned Char and ran over to the woman. The president blinked twice when he hugged her.
"You know this boy, Mary?"
"Yes. This is my son, sir," the woman replied.
"Hmm...I see," the president nodded, "We owe him a lot for saving us. But...did you really delete the blueprints?"
Mary smiled before pulling out a zip drive, "I saved backups."
"Excellent work as always," the president sighed in relief as he looked over at Red, "Young man, I can't thank you enough for saving us from that man."
"..." Red rubbed the back of his head before looking at his Pikachu.
"We have some healing machines on the third floor," Mary assured, "We had them put in when Sa…" her eyes widened, "Why didn't Sabrina stop them?"
"?!" the president's eyes widened, "You're right...something must've happened to her."
"So you 'saw' a big, orange dragon and a Beedrill?" Tsubaki asked as Mai scrubbed her tongue.
"Uh-huh," Mai replied.
"And they transformed?" Kajun asked.
"Uh-huh…"
"...What did they look like?" Kajun asked, pulling out her notebook.
"I...well...I can't fully describe them," Mai admitted, "I mean, the Beedrill got a lot spiker and streamlined, almost like it was built for speed and power. And the dragon turned pitch black and seemed to be unable to hold in any fire with streams of it coming from the sides of its mouth."
"Could it have been a type change?" Kajun pondered, scribbling in her notebook, "Oh, this will be marvelous when we find that Dragon Pokemon to see what else happens with it." she looked over at Makoto, who was practically bouncing in her seat, "And I'm sure we'll be seeing a Mega Beedrill soon enough."
"I'm half-tempted to call her out to do it right n…" Makoto began before Noel yelped, "Noellie?"
"V-Vanished!" Noel backed from the window.
"Who did?" Mai asked.
"The two Team Rocket members outside just vanished right in front of my eyes!" Noel replied just as Serenade walked in.
"A teleport?...Oh, guess the occupation's over and we either got what the goal of this was," Serenade noted.
"...So...we can leave now?"
"In a sense, yes," Serenade replied, "HOWEVER!" she held up her paws when she saw them start to get up, "We still have an issue that if Agent M2 is now gone, Sabrina is back albeit weakened."
"Oh…" Noel gulped slightly at that.
Brock and Misty poked their heads in with Brock asking, "Has anyone seen Ash? We haven't found him and we looked all over the center."
"...Ash...is missing?" Makoto blinked before she and the girls slowly looked at Serenade with a slight frown.
"Explain. Now," Tsubaki demanded.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Serenade denied.
"...Mai, lick her," Makoto ordered.
"Wait, what?" Serenade and Mai asked, looking at Makoto.
"Lick. The Psychic. Pussy Cat," Makoto ordered firmly.
"What is with you and the double entendres today?!" Mai exclaimed.
"...Bye~" Serenade waved before she glowed and vanished via Teleport.
"Oh for…! Look what you did, Makoto!"
"How's it my fault!?"
"You know what you did!"
"Can we please focus here!?" Misty exclaimed, "Where did Ash go?"
"...If he's not here, then…" Tsubaki began.
"...Gym," the group deadpanned.
Aoiro panted as she ran into Sabrina's main area and skidded to a halt. Sabrina sat in her ruined throne as the frightened personification of her emotions was clinging onto her. Across from her was Ash at the challenger's side while Gengar and Kadabra stood on the wrecked field.
"...I'm not too late…" Aoiro sighed in relief.
"Huh? White Truth?" Ash looked over at her as Sabrina glanced at her.
"You again…" Sabrina frowned before Serenade appeared by Aoiro.
"They figured out the kid ran off and the mission's over here!" Serenade informed before seeing the area, "...And I just teleported right to her…"
"H-he's not going to come b-b-b-back, is he?" Sabrina's emotions whimpered.
"...you mean...that Pokemon?" Ash asked.
"That was no Pokemon…" Sabrina spoke with a scowl, "That...was a monster."
"I guess she couldn't make Teacher move from his spot," Serenade thought to Aoiro.
'Apparently not…' Aoiro mentally replied.
"I don't know if it'll come back or not," Ash noted, "But I do know that I want a rematch and, well, the same agreement like last time, too! You win and I'll stay, but if I win, I want the people you turned into dolls back to normal."
"...Fine," Sabrina answered, "And should you lose, you and your friends will be turned into dolls as well."
Ash nodded, "That's fine with me. Gengar, you ready?"
"Gengengengengen…" Gengar snickered.
"Fine then…Kadabra, begin with Psybeam," Sabrina ordered.
"Gengar, you know what to do!" Ash grinned.
"Gengar!" Gengar gave a thumbs up.
"Ka-da-bra!" Kadabra cried as he fired a pinkish beam from his spoon.
Gengar's hands glowed before a blast of energy as dark as night shot out of them and collided with the Psybeam, making an explosion. Kadabra looked into the smoke before something smacked his back. He turned around, only to see nothing.
"Bra?"
*PUNT*
"KA?!" Kadabra jumped and turned around only to see a floating shoe, "Kadabra?" the shoe shot around and punted him in the behind, "Da?!"
"...What is this?" Sabrina asked in slight confusion.
"H...He put a 'Kick Me' sign on Kadabra's back?" Serenade pondered, seeing a piece of paper with 'KICK ME' written on it.
"...Is he...no no," Aoiro shook her head, "I highly doubt that would even work."
"What would work?"
"Making her laugh."
"...Excuse me?"
Gengar came out of the shadow of a crack in the field behind Kadabra, munching on a banana peel. He punted Kadabra with the shoe once more but didn't vanish. Kadabra growled once he turned around, only to be licked in the face, leaving bits of banana on his face.
"K-k-k…" Kadabra's eye twitched before he started chasing Gengar around, shooting Psybeams, "Kadabra-da-ka-bra!"
"She's not controlling her Pokemon with her psychic powers," Serenade noted, "Teacher must have tired her out."
"Kadabra, stop at onc…" Sabrina tried to order, only to pause a little when Kadabra slipped on Gengar's dropped banana peel, sending him in a backwards flip face first into a pie Gengar pulled out, "..."
Kadabra let out an annoyed growl as he shot back up...only to get poked in the eyes by Gengar, causing him to stagger back...right into a lawn rake.
"Where is he getting this stuff?" Serenade pondered.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" a shop owner freaked as his supplies vanished from the shelves via the shadows.
Kadabra, rubbing his back, growled as he stomped up to a nonchalant Gengar. He was about to use another Psybeam when Gengar held out a bouquet of flowers with an apologetic grin. Kadabra raised a brow, but accepted them. He went to sniff them...only for every single flower to spray him in the face with water. He stumbled back into the banana peel and slammed into the rake. He groaned and fell flat into the pie once more.
"..." Sabrina said nothing as she watched the antics go about, her personification of emotions struggling to not laugh.
"This is...I don't…" Aoiro blinked a few times.
"Her lips are twitching," Serenade noticed.
"...No, no. Th...there must be some mistake. There's no way you can win a battle by making someone…" Aoiro began.
"Gengar, let's go for the big guns!" Ash called.
Gengar let out a giddy laugh, rubbing his hands together. Kadabra groaned as he got up once more. He used Psychic to get the pie off his face and looked around for the ghost. A whistling made Kadabra slowly turn his head to see Gengar leaning against a pillar, filing his claws. Looking at Gengar and then his spoon, Kadabra repeated it a few times before giving a snort and threw the spoon down and charged at Gengar. Gengar just continued to ignore Kadabra while whistling, putting his hands behind his back. Just as Kadabra was upon Gengar, the shadow from the chandelier above them dropped a safe on Kadabra. The door of the safe open to reveal a twitching Kadabra poking out of the ruined bottom. He stumbled out only to end up under a waterfall of syrup and feather. On the other side, Gengar held up a traffic cone and a red rubber glove. A big white mass of feathers stumbled out of it and ended up right into the cone and glove.
"Ka-ka-ka-ka-da-ka~!" Kadabra let out, muffled behind the traffic cone before falling flat on his face into another pie.
"...n...mmm…" Sabrina let out, her lips starting to crack into a smile as she tried to suppress something.
"Y...You really…" Aoiro gawked as Sabrina and her emotions personified began to crack up laughing, "...Th...that really just happened…"
"M-m-mm-meeeeeooooo-oo-o-ooow~!" Serenade fell over, laughing as well.
"Awesome, Gengar!" Ash cheered.
"Gen-gar~" Gengar bowed as Sabrina's personification of her emotions faded away while the young woman just continued to laugh to the point she fell off her throne.
"...He...he really beat her...through laughter…" Aoiro whispered, her eye twitching a bit as she had a look of disbelief on her face.
"I've spent years trying to get her to laugh," Aoiro nearly jumped before looking to see Sabrina's father standing beside her, "It's been so long that I've long forgotten how wonderful her laugh was to hear." looking over at Kadabra, he saw that Kadabra had swirls in his eyes, "Considering that not only is Sabrina unable to continue and that Kadabra is unable to battle, this young Trainer's won, don't you agree?"
"...y...yes...even though it should be impossible...yes….he won…" Aoiro agreed...her eye still twitching as Gengar jumped on Ash's shoulder as the two and Pikachu cheered while laughing as well.
"Ashton!" Kajun called as the group entered the gym only to see a still giggling Sabrina standing by her father and a lovely woman with long red hair in a sundress, the Gym Leader giving Ash a gold badge resembling two concentric circles, "?!"
"F-f-for beating m-m-me…" Sabrina said between giggles, "Y-y-y-you e-e-earned this M-Marsh B-b-b-Badge…"
"...Is...is she laughing?" Mai blinked owlishly.
"Our daughter has nearly twenty years worth of laughter backed up, so it's going to take a while," the woman explained, noticing them.
"Wait, you're her mom?!" Misty gawked.
"Hey, guys!" Ash beamed, "Look! I got the Marsh Badge!"
"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered.
"By...making...her….laugh…." Aoiro added through gritted teeth, her eye still twitching violently.
"You missed the best parts!" Serenade added, giggling herself "Oh I wish I could've recorded it! I...oh wait. I think I forgot something…"
"YOU!" the doors slammed open, revealing a very ticked off Karai...while she was still wearing the goth lolita outfit with her hair pulled into pigtails.
"..." Aoiro pulled out a camera and started taking pictures, "This is better than when you were a doll."
"OH SCREW YOU, SIS!" Karai snapped.
"I-i-it really f-f-f-fits…" Sabrina covered her mouth with a hand to not go into full blown laughter again.
"I better get her out of here before she does something I'll regret," Aoiro sighed.
"Oh ho no! I have a lot to pay her back for all that humiliating cr-" Karai began.
"Hey~" Karai looked down to see Serenade, her eyes glowing, "Night-night."
"Aw, sh…" Karai began before collapsing into slumber.
"We owe you a favor apiece, Ash Ketchum," Aoiro informed, motioning to herself and Karai as Serenade carried her over via Psychic, "While we may be on opposite sides, that will not excuse me not fulfilling that favor when you ask for it should we encounter each other again."
"Really?"
"Indeed," Aoiro nodded.
"...And you're sure she would comply to said favor?" Makoto asked, pointing at Karai.
"She will unless she wants to be banned from eating her favorite breakfast again."
Even in her sleep, Karai shuddered.
"...Fair enough," Makoto shrugged.
"Oh, uh, Pachirisu Gal, one thing?"
"What?"
"Don't. Be alone. Around her," Serenade warned while pointing at Karai.
"...why?" Makoto cautiously asked.
"For your peace of mind, just don't," Serenade replied before using Teleport to take herself, Karai, and Aoiro away.
"I wonder if we could teach Kadabra telepathy…" Sabrina's mother pondered, looking at the mentioned Pokemon as he coughed up a particularly feather.
"...hmm…" Kajun pondered for a moment, thinking the same thing for her Ralts and Espeon.
"We are never speaking of that ever again!" Karai, back in her normal clothes, barked at Aoiro, "I never want to hear the name 'Saffron City' ever again!"
"Just be glad you're back to normal, Karai…" Aoiro sighed.
"No! Do you even know what that psychic bitch did to me when I was a doll?! She made me do...ugh! GIRLY STUFF!"
"...Do tell."
"You turn that fucking recorder off or Chaos is having cat food tonight!" Karai snapped.
"Yeah, yeah…" Serenade rolled her eyes as she put it away while they entered the leader's office.
"Reporting, sir," Aoiro informed.
"The mission failed. They deleted the data on the two projects we were after," the leader informed.
"I see…" Aoiro noted.
"Furthermore, I want you two to be aware of this boy," the leader advised as the painting behind him flickered to change to an image of Red, "While you two were beginning reconnaissance in Saffron City, this boy known as 'Red' exposed our operations in Celadon City and interfered with the occupation of Silph Co. long enough for them to delete the data."
"Seriously?!" Karai snapped, "Ugh...what is with these kids lately messing with our plans?! First that bitch and bastard in Pastel City, then the brats on the SS Anne, and now messing with my favorite spot in Celadon to get away from the piss-rank perfume?!"
"What happened in your operation at Pastel City?" Aoiro asked.
"These two brats named Leaf and Gary tricked me, that's what!" Karai growled, "Lost the base there because the bitch managed to sneak a bug on me that caught me ranting at the bastard when he got into a battle with me! Speaking of said bastard, he was so Arceus-damn cocky! I mean, he tried to make me his own personal cheerleader and a bard for him! I don't know what a bard is, and like hell am I gonna be a cheerleader for him! ...Although..." she began to laugh a bit perversely when she imagined Makoto in a cheerleader outfit.
"You can think of that later, Black Ideal," the leader snapped her out of her thoughts, "For now…" he took off his mask before hugging the two, "I'm just relieved you're both safe now."
"...Of course...father…" Aoiro gave a faint smile as she returned the hug.
"Aw geez, pops…" Karai muttered, but still wrapped an arm around him, "...but...glad to be home…"
"Aoiro, how were you able to undo what happened to Karai?" their father asked once the hug ended while he kept a hand on their shoulders.
"...Sabrina…laughing…" Aoiro answered, her eye twitching violently once more.
"Seriously?" Karai raised a brow.
"You made her laugh?"
"No...the boy I was accompanying did…" Aoiro answered through gritted teeth.
"...Pops...she has that look in her eye again…" Karai paled a bit.
"I see it," their father agreed, "Aoiro, snap out of it or there will be no trip to Kalos this year."
"...Ahem! A...apologies, father…" Aoiro cleared her throat, blushing a bit as she calmed down, "But yes...the boy I was accompanying, Ashton Satoshi Ketchum, defeated Sabrina through laughter with his recently caught Gengar."
"?! Ketchum?" their father repeated.
"Correct."
"Keep an eye on that boy," their father advised.
"Why, pops?"
"Consider it as a precaution," their father replied as he walked over to a shelf, "Tell me, was there a Lucario with him?"
"No, father," Aoiro replied as the man reached for a book, "But...a friend he travels with has a Riolu."
"!" the man paused for a moment before grabbing a book, "Keep a good eye on him then, especially when the Riolu evolves. Aoiro, has he done anything that should be considered extremely dangerous, outright lethal, yet survive?"
"...There was the Black Fog Incident at Lavender Town's Pokemon Tower."
"Seriously?! He survived THAT?!" Karai gawked, "...Wait, it's REAL?!"
"Very real and nearly got out of its seal has he not rid a Pidgeotto through a hoard of reanimated corpses," Aoiro replied, "It was even strangling him until...until a light came from him. I couldn't really understand what the Black Fog was screaming, but it seemed shocked about something he had."
"...This light...did it have a rainbow hue to it by any chance?" their father asked.
"Yes," Aoiro replied.
"...After all this time…" he opened the book, "A Rainbow Hero has appeared...one that may have the potential to be an Aura Guardian."
"?!" Aoiro's eye widened as Karai's jaw dropped.
Ka*ZZZRT!* Aoiro's Pokemon Study
The curtains parted to reveal a humble study. Sitting at a chair was Aoiro. In her lap, Serenade was purring as she drank a cup of milk.
"Greeting, and welcome to my Pokemon Study corner…" Aoiro reeted, "I am Aoiro, eldest daughter of Team Rocket's leader. With me is my Pokemon, Serenade."
"Hiya," Serenade greeted while still drinking her milk.
"For today's study, I would like to talk about the Pokemon Meowstic."
"Hey! That's me!" Serenade noted, putting down her cup while looking up at Aoiro.
"Meowstic are known as the Constraint pokemon, and are the evolved forms of the Pokemon Espurr," Aoiro explained as an image of Serenade appeared, along with what looked like a male version of her, "The appearance of Meowstic depends on the gender of Espurr once it evolves. The male of the two is more for support while the latter is more for attacks."
"Oh yeah. Girl Power for the win!" Serenade boasted.
"As you can see, Meowstic are unique in not only gender differences, but also movesets for genders. Why this is possible is currently unknown, but one thing they have in common is…" the image of the two Meowstic showed the insides of their ears, "...an eye pattern inside of their ears."
"Spo~oky, am I right?" Serenade teased.
"These 'eyes' are actually organs hidden inside of their ears that emit powerful psychic energy. A wild Meowstic is capable of grinding a ten ton truck into dust when they expose these organs, so Meowstic often keep their ears tightly shut," Aoiro explained.
"What? I'm sorry, but I can't hear you! Speak louder, please!" Serenade joked, "Just kidding. They may be nice and tight, but we keep it not too tight so we can listen to things."
"...Ahem. moving on," Aoiro cleared her throat, "Meowstic have a few different abilities. There's Keen Eye, which prevents loss of accuracy. Infiltrator, which ignores protections and state boost from moves such as Substitution and and Reflect. There is a third ability, but it depends on the gender. Male Meowstic have Prankster, which has status priority moves increase their speed, but will fail on Dark Types, while female Meowstic have Competitive, which increases the Special Attack stat by two stages whenever another state is lowered."
"Though it doesn't work if a partner uses a stat lowering move on us. That's because we're expecting it to lower our stats. We need to be surprised by it," Serenade noted, "And while most Meowstic keep a calm, neutral face at all times, Trainers seem to go ga-ga over it! I don't get it! I like showing emotions! ...Then again, the only reason I'm able to show 'em is because I was taught by Teacher."
"Fair enough," Aoiro nodded, "Ahem. The three best stats for Meowstic, specifically the female are HP, Special Attack, and Speed. One move I recommend teaching Meowstic is Charge Beam, which has a high chance of increasing Special Attack."
"Mistress, allow me," Serenade offered before clearing her mental throat, "Ahem. For those of you that don't have a female Meowstic as wonderful as myself, I suggest you get a Timid Natured one and raise it in Special Attack, Speed, and a little bit in Defense. Give it a Life Orb to hold, which makes your attacks stronger at the cost of health. And make sure she has her Hidden Ability Competitive. Put Psychic in the first slot as it's the strongest STAB Move that Meowstic have, hitting popular Fighting- and Poison-types such as Poliwrath and Roselia for a lot of damage. Having a Hidden Power of Fighting helps with fighting off Dark- and Steel-types like Probopass and Pawniard while Shadow Ball will give you that needed hitting power for Ghost-types and other Psychic-types. And in that final slot, I'd have to choose between Thunder Wave or Substitute for either slowing down your opponent's speedy Pokemon or to avoid getting hurt by attacks like Sucker Punch."
"Very helpful information, Serenade," Aoiro nodded, "Anything else y-"
"HEY, *BLEEP*!" Karai laughed as she poked her head in.
"What th-?! Karai?! What are you doing here?!" Aoiro demanded.
"Figures I'd liven this up a bit," Karai smirked.
"...Unfortunately, we are out of time."
"WHAT?!"
"Yep. You came in too late," Serenade giggled.
"YOU GOTTA BE *BLEEP* KIDDING ME! ...Wait a second...DID YOU JUST *BEEP* 'BEEP' ME, YOU *BEEP* CAT?!"
"Maybe."
"Oh you mother*BEEP*! RAVAGE! CAT FOOD TIME!"
"TASTE MY HIDDEN POWER FIGHTING, YA MANGY MUTT!"
"Oh not again…" Aoiro sighed as the curtains pulled back from the sides just as a fight began.
GT: It's over! The three-parter is finally over!
SZ: Finally! And just in time for the holiday season too.
GT: Yep! I hope everyone is having a good December...aside from that FCC bastard Pai.
SZ: Agreed. But regardless, we hoped you all enjoyed this chapter. Tune in next time as we go for another original chapter/episode.
GT: Eeyup! So until then, thanks for reading and hope you give a review!
SZ: Until then, I am seanzilla115, he is GammaTron, and we wish you a good evening.