Rocket Intermission: Team Rocket's Rockin'!

Lucy Harrison did not often have to worry about her husband.

Brock's appellation was the "Rock-Solid Warrior," and truly, the title could not be more accurate. He was one of the most dependable people she had ever met, which was one of the many things she loved about him. You could set your watch by the man.

But as such, in the very rare instances that he did start to behave erratically, it made her worry. It made her worry very much.

She started to worry when those kids had showed up the night before, causing him to behave very weirdly around them. There was some trouble hovering around them, trouble that he was starting to become involved it. The fact that they were apparently friends with Cerulean City's child Gym Leader had only added to her suspicions.

And now her phone was starting to blow up, with people calling in from all over town.

"No, I do not know why he closed the gym," Lucy said irritably, little Grant held in the crux of one arm and suckling on her breast, holding the house phone to her ear with the other hand. "He hasn't called."

"Really?" said Mrs. Anderson, the general manager of the PokeMart. "That is so unlike him!"

She wasn't wrong, which only increased Lucy's worry. Brock suddenly shutting the gym down and not responding to anyone could only mean an emergency. And him not calling home or anyone else about it meant that it was League business. And when the League was involved, there were only a small handful of problems that would cause him to behave in this manner, all of them bad.

"Well, I can give him a call," Lucy said. "I can't promise anything, though. If there's a genuine emergency then he probably has his hands full."

"Oh, I do hope nothing is truly wrong. I remember how worrisome things were when he first took over his father's gym. I mean, because of, well, you know."

Lucy did indeed. When she and Brock had first started dating, he had told her about how nervous he was about when the ownership officially changed hands, as he and his parents were expecting an immediate response from the notorious criminal organization Team Rocket to try to roll in and seize power in Pewter City.

At first she hadn't believed him. Team Rocket smuggled drugs and fixed the results of underground battling rings. The extent of their political aspirations were to bribe corrupt officials to turn a blind eye to their operations. They didn't try to take over entire Pokemon Gyms or seize control of city councils! And what would a Gym Leader have to do with any of that? Wasn't that the job of the police?

All of those suppositions had been wrong. As feared, as soon as Flint Harrison stepped down as Gym Leader and her boyfriend and future husband stepped up, their family suddenly found itself under attack from all sides, from harassing letters and phone calls to being constantly hit with fines and warning stemming from a hundred ridiculously obscure city ordinances to "anonymously" published opinion pieces and articles questioning the competence and integrity of the city's new Gym Leader. It was clear that there was a concentrated attempt to drive the Harrison family away from running the gym, if not out of town entirely, and Lucy had found herself fearing for her safety, often glancing over her shoulder and wondering if things would be better if they just gave in.

But despite how afraid he had been, Brock hadn't backed down. He had pushed back, had fought back, had called out the obvious bullshit in public, even going so far to confront Rocket agents in person when learning of some of their operations within his city. And at the very end of it all, two city councilmen, three ranking police officers, and the deputy mayor had all been arrested for corruption, and Team Rocket had been sent fleeing with their tails tucked in between their legs, sometimes literally.

The whole ordeal had opened Lucy's eyes to the true extent of both Team Rocket's ambitions, as well as the local Gym Leader's responsibilities as a protector of their city as well as a challenge for aspiring trainers to overcome. And after hearing that the Gym Leader of Saffron City had not been so successful in warding off the criminal cartel's advances, she came to realize how truly fortunate they had been for Brock's victory.

But while she trusted in her husband's ability to keep them all safe, she was ever aware that Team Rocket might try again someday. It was a fear that had only grown stronger when they first started to have kids.

And now it seemed that she had good reason.

After hanging up the phone, Lucy took a moment to compose herself, and then rang up the Gym.

She was immediately put on hold.

The Pewter City Pokemon Gym had six phone lines, and all were currently busy. And since he did have caller ID, that could only mean he was so wrapped up with whatever he was doing that he hadn't seen her number trying to get through.

This wasn't good.

"Momma?" said little Peter as he toddled up to her. "What's wrong?"

It was well that Lucy's resting face was often devoid of emotion. It made it easier quickly mask the worry she felt. "Daddy's trying to help someone that got in trouble," she explained, kneeling down to ruffle his hair. "And people are worried that he is the one in trouble."

"Is he?"

"I hope not." Lucy rose up, her mind racing. Okay, if he wasn't answering his phone, then the next step would be-

The phone rang.

Lucy grimaced, but answered it. "Harrison residence. And no, I don't know why the gym was closed early."

"Well, neither to I!" exclaimed the rough-hewn voice of Brock's father. "So that makes two of us!"

"Flint," Lucy sighed. Keeping the obliviously suckling Grant balanced, she turned around and leaned back against the wall. "I'm guessing people have been calling you too?"

"Only every minute on the minute! He never said nothing to you?"

"No, but you know him. Doesn't like to involve other people in his problems."

"Think it has something to do with those kids from last night?"

"I'd be shocked if it didn't." Then Lucy got an idea. "Hey, would you be okay looking after the kids for a little bit? I'm going to head over and check things out in person."

Flint readily agreed, and soon Lucy was heading out toward her husband's gym.

The gym wasn't far from their house, and when she got there, there was a small crowd gathered outside, all of them prospective trainers with a smattering of PokeGirls, and all of them restless.

"Come on, you should be open!" one guy was saying at the closed and locked doors. "I'm only in town for a couple days! You can't just shut down like this!"

"Yeah, this is total bullshit!" said another.

Lucy's eyes narrowed. Oh, there was something going on.

"One side, please," she said, moving through the crowd toward the door.

"Hey, lady!" the first trainer said. "Do you know the Gym Leader? Because he's an asshole!"

At this, Lucy's head whipped around to lock eyes with the irritable would-be challenger. "I would hope that I know him," she hissed. "Considering that I married him."

The trainer's face went pale. "Um, I didn't, I mean…" Then he bowed his head, mumbled an apology, and backed away.

Sighing, Lucy turned toward the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, I know how frustrating this must be, but I assure you that my husband would only do something like this because of a sudden emergency."

"What happened?" said a young, brown-haired girl standing with a dark-haired boy.

"I don't know. Which is why I'm here." Lucy turned toward the door. "Let's find out."

She inserted her key into the lock, turned it, and stepped inside, taking care to lock the door behind her.

Inside, the normally dimmed lights were all on, illuminating the whole of the battlefield. The braziers on Brock's ziggurat were all extinguished, the spots normally inhabited by Lucy's husband and his PokeGirls all empty.

As for the PokeGirls themselves, they were milling around near the door to Brock's office, speaking together in hushed tones and looking very uncomfortable.

Lucy inhaled through her nose, exhaled, and stomped her way toward them.

As she approached, the heels of her boots clacking loudly across the polished granite floor, the PokeGirls jerked their attention toward her in alarm. "Hey, we're closed!" Lauren said. "How did you-" Then she saw who it was. "Oh. Uh-oh."

"Oh, someone is busted," Roxanne muttered.

"Yes, it's me," Lucy said shortly. "What's going on? The phone's been ringing off the hook with people wanting to know why the gym is suddenly closed."

That got her a bunch of shrugs. "No clue," Lauren said. "He just suddenly burst out of his office, said that there was an emergency, told us to close up the place and not let anyone in, and to make sure he wasn't disturbed."

"Betcha it has something to do with Onyx's new grade-school girlfriend," Roxanne said with a snort.

Onyx folded her leanly muscled arms. "You maybe wanna rethink that little comment?"

"Enough," Lucy said wearily, not knowing nor caring what this little spat about. "I'll get to the bottom of this."

She headed toward the door to Brock's office, and as she did, she heard the sound of him yelling in agitation, audible even through the thick door.

"What do you mean, they already left?" he was saying.

Lucy blinked. Then she frowned, leaning in to press her ear to the door.

"But…it's evening! Who leaves a hotel at evening?" he said to the person he was talking to.

Another pause, and then, "Did they at least say where they were going?"

Well, it looks like Lucy had been correct. It most likely had something to with those kids.

"Okay, but is there-Never mind. Thank you for your help."

There was the click of the phone being set in the receiver, followed by another pause.

And then there was the loud slam of a big fist being slammed into a stone desk top.

"Damn it!" Brock snarled.

Lucy's brow rose. Brock was not one given to outbursts of anger. Whatever it was, it must be serious.

All the more reason to push forward. She lifted her fist and rapped her knuckles against the heavy door.

There was another long pause, and then Brock said testily, "Yes, who is it?"

"It's me," Lucy responded.

"Oh."

There came the sound of shuffling. A moment later the door opened, revealing Lucy's husband.

Lucy's brow rose. Brock tended to be pretty sweaty under most circumstances, but now he was outright drenched, and not from exertion or the heat. Rather, it was clearly from stress, as was the slight tremble in his many, many muscles.

"Brock, what's wrong?" she said. "I've been getting calls about you suddenly closing the gym without warning, and now you're not answering your phone-"

At that exact moment, the phone on Brock's desk started wailing, making him wince.

"-like that. What happened?"

Grimacing, Brock headed back inside, Lucy trailing after him. "I'm sorry I didn't call, but something of an emergency just got dumped on me."

It was as she feared. Lucy's mind began racing, going over all possibilities. Given the large size of their family, the risk of someone close to them was always much higher than it was with most people.

"Nothing to do with us or the rest of the clan," he clarified. "It's more…someone I've been trying to help."

"It has something to do with those kids from last night, doesn't it?" she said.

"Yes," Brock said brusquely. "Or rather, the one you didn't meet. Misty Waterflower."

"The Cerulean Gym Leader?" Lucy said with a frown.

"The same. Her gym's been stolen out from under her."

"What?"

Brock sat back at his desk and went to work flipping through his address book for people he could call. "Yesterday she confided in me, telling me that she had been getting constant threats from Team Rocket, pushing her to sell control of her gym to them."

Lucy's mouth set in a straight line. She did not like the sound of that at all. "Like what happened in Saffron City?"

"Exactly. And when she and her friends came by earlier today, I promised her that I would do something about it, push the League to work to protect her." He scowled. "Only to find out that her problematic family had already usurped her position as Gym Leader while she was gone without her knowing. And while I don't have any direct proof of Rocket involvement, it's a pretty safe bet to say that they're the ones behind this. And to top it off, when I called her hotel, I find out that she and her friends had already left in a hurry, undoubtedly to go deal with that, which, if I were Team Rocket, would be exactly what I would want to happen!"

Lucy stared at him. "You're telling me that there was another shock takeover of a Pokemon Gym, one that you suspect was criminal in nature, and now there are three children rushing towards this gym?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying!"

"Then why are you wasting time talking to me? Hurry up, there are children in danger!"

A small smile tugged at her husbands rough lips. "Have I told you recently how much I love you."

"Yes, but remind me later."

"Right." Brock looked down at his phone. "I was thinking of sending some of the girls after them. They'd be strong enough to bring those kids back, or at the very least protect them. And then-" Then his brow furrowed. "Huh."

"What?"

He pointed at the small caller ID readout. "This is the police calling."

Oh, that couldn't be good. "Answer it."

Brock picked up the phone. "Yes, this is Brock, and no, I'm not open-" Then he blinked. It was a slight thing, hard to catch with his eyes, but Lucy knew him well enough to interpret that slight twitch as a blink of confusion. "Excuse? There's been a what? Well, that's bad, but what does that have to do with-"

Then he fell silent, the furrows on his brow deepening.

"Are you absolutely sure? Well, I suppose so. How long ago? I see. Yes, that does sound like them. No, I don't know how they got in. They must've been working incognito. I understand. A-And what exactly did they take?"

Lucy tilted her head and frowned.

"Oh," Brock said at last. "Oh. I see. No, I'll see what I can do. Thank you."

He hung up.

"More bad news?" Lucy said.

"Never rains, but it pours," Brock confirmed. "There's been a robbery at the museum."

"Huh?" This was so far afield from the current crisis that Lucy had trouble wrapping her head around what she had just been told.

"Or rather, a theft? A heist? Um, it seems that a very valuable exhibit was stolen…some time ago, and replaced with a fake. They just discovered the switch just now."

"Well, that's bad, but what does that have to do with you?"

Brock let out a long sigh. "Because they're pretty sure the perpetrators are Team Rocket."

Lucy fell silent, her mind racing.

A possible Team Rocket takeover of a neighboring gym. A trap laid for the child Gym Leader. The recent attack on Viridian City. And now this.

Lucy didn't like the sound of this. She didn't like it one bit.

"I thought you drove them off," she said at last.

"I did! Or at least I thought I did! I guess that must be why they went to such trouble to hide their operations." He looked down at the phone, clearly torn between two pressing responsibilities. "I…I don't know what to…I can't just-"

Lucy laid a hand on his shoulder. "Go to the museum," she said. "I'll have a couple of the girls go after the kids."

Brock nodded his thanks. He rose and pulled out a shirt from a cabinet, followed by his hat.

"Which one?" Lucy said as she headed toward the door. "Onyx? She's come to know them pretty well."

"Yes," Brock said, somewhat absently. "I mean no! Onyx is…well, I need to clear up some things up with her. Until then, I'm not comfortable with her going near those kids."

Oh. Well, that was weird. "Then who?"

"Go with Roxanne and Olivia. They've got the speed and power."

"Got it," Lucy said, heading toward the door, her husband close behind. As they went, she found herself praying that these recent events weren't a sign of more troubles to come.

…

"Thanks for coming, Brock," said Mr. Valentino, the museum's husky curator, as he led the Gym Leader through the museum's empty halls. Like the Gym, the museum had closed prematurely for the day, and police had sectioned off the entrances. "I heard you ran into some problems of your own. Hope these aren't related."

"They might be," Brock said as his eyes flitted to and fro, scanning the rows of exhibits for anything out of place. Those who met him and saw how narrowly lidded his eyes often underestimated how observant he was. It was something he had learned to turn to his advantage. "When did you discover the theft?"

"This afternoon," Mr. Valentino said grimly. "Some photographers from the PokeDigs magazine came by to photograph the tablet, so we had it taken into a back room for them. That's when we found out that it's fake."

They entered the Hall of Legends, which was filled with depictions of the gods of yore. Mighty Groudon and stalwart Kygore were locked in titanic battle, while Thundurus, Landorus, Tornadus looked down from the skies. Even Brock himself, who had devoted his life to the training of powerful Pokemon, couldn't help but feel a little small when he thought of those great beasts of legend.

"When do you suppose the switch was made?" Brock asked.

"Well, the police are looking through the security recordings now," Mr. Valentino "However, about, oh, I'd say a month ago this little boy was playing with a bouncy ball, lost control of it, and it hit the tablet's side, so we had to take it into to see if it was damaged. It probably got switched then."

"In that case, the kid was probably in on it," Brock observed. He hadn't heard anything about Team Rocket employing children, but he wouldn't put it past them.

"Probably, the bastards." The two stopped. They had reached the now-empty exhibit in question.

Normally one of the museum's pride and joys would be displayed there, but it now stood empty, the artifact it was intended to hold missing, its fake replacement currently in one of the back rooms. Brock would be examining it himself soon enough, but for now he wanted a look at the exhibit itself first.

Even though the museum had been evacuated of visitors, the area was still sectioned off with police tape, with three officers standing guard and a pair of detectives examining the site.

"The Ancestor Tablet," Mr. Valentino sighed. "Out of everything, they took the goddamned Ancestor Tablet."

Brock fully understood the big man's distress. The Ancestor Tablet was one of the most important historical artifacts there was, both within the museum and without. Not only was it one of the last remnants of a bygone culture that had once ruled over what would become the modern day Guyana, but it was one of the only recorded bits of evidence of the existence of the mythical Mew, supposedly the first Pokemon on Earth. Its loss was a tremendous blow.

But what could Team Rocket want with that? Or anyone else, if other criminals were to blame? It wasn't something that could easily be sold on the Black Market, and its value was tied to its historical importance. Perhaps some wealthy and morally suspect collector had hired someone to acquire it?

Perhaps, but Brock didn't think so. It was really only his instincts saying so, but in his gut he felt that the theft of the Ancestor Tablet was merely one piece of a greater puzzle, and wherever it was now, it was currently being used for nefarious means.

…

The Viridian City airport was sleek, expansive, efficient, and orderly. Thanks to the city's location between two other cities and the fact that it was the closest to Victory Road, that made it something of a central hub for people coming and going, both in-region and from without. Every day multiple planes, helicopters, and even Pokemon would land and take off, bearing their passengers to and fro. A great deal of funding went into making it the premier airway destination in the entirety of the Kanto Region, the beating heart of all of its air travel.

And naturally, with such a large and modern facility, there were a number of privately owned hangers and helipads, belonging to everyone from wealthy businessmen to entertainers to massive corporations to those who preferred to keep their comings and goings…discrete, and had the currency to make that happen. One particular facility consisting of three hangers and two helipads actually wasn't privately owned at all, though they were treated as such. After all, the entity that employed those hangers and helipads had something of a controlling interest in the airport as a whole, though no one from the passengers to the cities resident to the overwhelming majority of the employees so much as suspected that that was the case.

Of course, those who entered and those who left from those hangers were subject to the same vetting process, the same inspections, and the same regulations as all the others. It wouldn't do to draw undue attention to them, after all. Even if everyone from the airport's board of directors to the security task force to the police themselves knew very well what those hangers were for and were well-compensated to ensure that no one else did, there were many who frequented the airport that didn't, and all it would take was one bored accountant to get curious one day to raise unwanted trouble.

It just so happened the inspectors that worked those particular hangers were handpicked, and the reports that they filed were a less than accurate representation of what really came through those hanger doors. After all, if you wanted your criminal activities to go unnoticed by the public at large, then it paid to ensure that those in charge of keeping you accountable were criminals as well.

Three such criminals stood by themselves in one spacious hanger, waiting for a particular plane to arrive. One of the criminals was human, a young, blonde women in her mid-twenties, dressed in a feminine black uniform, one bearing a stylized red R over the breast. She was glad to be back in uniform. Those prison fatigues were hideous, and served as an unpleasant reminder of her time there.

The other two were not human. Rather, they were both Pokemon, the first specifically being a powerfully muscled canine with black fur and bonelike protrusions up and down its back. It was of a species known as a Houndour, and its mood certainly mirrored its name.

The other was a member of a particularly ornery feline species known as a Meowth, which was how it referred to itself. Unlike most of its kind, it was not slinking about on all fours, searching for scraps of food to snatch or mischief to be had. Rather, it was standing upright like a person, its forelegs crossed over its chest like arms, and a very humanlike scowl of annoyance on its face.

The human and the Meowth were not very fond of one another. They previously had been on rival teams until their superiors had made them work together, and that had sort of ended in disaster. Cassidy had wound up spending a week behind bars, being seen to by the single most sadistic police officer she had ever had the misfortune of being incarcerated by, while Meowth had been stuck in a pet carrier for the entire duration of their wait. It had been a humiliating ordeal for both of them, and each in part blamed the other.

Finally, Meowth spoke. Or rather, spat. "Psshaw!" He turned his head and hocked a wad of saliva and hair at the immaculately polished concrete floor. "Can't believe dat it's tekken des losers dis long tah get back. It shoulda bin two days, tops!"

"Stuff happens," Cassidy said, not taking her eyes away from the massive hanger doors.

Meowth shot her an irritated look. "Well, if yah hadn't bin so incombadent dat yah got Jessie stinkin' caught, den we wudden't be-"

Houndour turned his head toward the yapping feline and snarled.

"Aw, shaddup, yah big, steamin' goober!" Meowth snapped.

Houndour's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Houndour…"

"Don't care! We both lost! You ain't beddah dan me!"

"Dour!"

"An' I lost tuh a PokeGirl! Yah lost tuh some dumb kid wit' no suppahpowahs! So shut yer yap!"

"Enough," Cassidy said wearily. God, out of all the Pokemon to have mastered human speech, it had to be a Meowth.

Finally the doors to the hanger started to slide open. Cassidy straightened. It was about time.

The plane that rolled in from the outside runway was sleek, black, and bore the logo of one of Team Rocket's many shell organizations. It was also small, intended to carry only a few passengers at a time.

It came to a stop, and the stairs were pushed to its side. The door opened, and two men came out.

One of them was someone Cassidy really would rather not see. Dressed in a white variant of the standard Team Rocket uniform, he was tall and gangly, with shiny blue hair that just reached his chin and admittedly better skin than she had. Normally prim and smug, today he was obviously seething, his posture slouched, his hands shoved into his pockets, and his infuriating face twisted up in into a look of pure rage.

The other man, however, was someone that her heart had sorely missed. Clad in a proper black uniform, he was a roguishly handsome young man with a strong posture and a confident gleam in his eye. His aquamarine hair was cut short, with two wings overhanging his resolute eyes.

Cassidy's heart soared. Finally, he was back!

She started running before the two men had even fully disembarked. Butch spotted her and, with a look of pure joy lighting up his ruggedly handsome face, took off to meet her.

"Butch!" Cassidy cried as she leapt at him.

"Cassidy!" He seized her by the waist and spun her around.

They kissed, and for one brief, beautiful moment, all was right with the world. Cassidy was once again safe in the arms of her beloved, kissing him with tenderness and passion, a welcome relief after weeks spent enduring Jessie's groping hands and Officer Jenny's twisted entertainments.

Unfortunately, the rest of the world saw fit to intrude.

"Hey!" she heard the irritatingly snooty voice of Jessie's partner, the blue-haired dimwit known as James. "Get your lips off of him and tell me what you did to my Jessie, you overstuffed, straw-brained floozy!"

Ah. Well then.

Cassidy parted from Butch with a sigh. Sure enough, her Butch's face was contorted with anger, and he turned to snap over his shoulder. "Hey, what did you-"

"Butch?" Cassidy placed a finger against Butch's lips. "Let me handle this."

Stepping away from Butch, Cassidy turned her attention toward James, who was standing next to Meowth with his hands balled into trembling fists, his face red with fury. "I'm sorry, James," she said calmly. "I don't think I caught that. Would you mind repeating yourself?"

"You hear me, you insufferable tart!" James angrily thrust a finger at her. "Thanks to you, my precious Jessie is now a slave to-"

Moments later, James was flying through the air, limbs flailing as he was sent wailing to crash into a crumpled heap on the concrete.

Cassidy lowered her fist. "Let me make something absolutely clear, you foppish blueberry. Your dumb bint of a partner got herself caught by a child all on her own! As if anyone on your pathetic excuse for a team needs our help being stupid!"

"Oh, yeah?" Meowth casually popped the claws in his right paw. "Mebbe you wanna rekunsider dat-"

He paused. And then he looked up to see two rather angry humans looming over it. Along with an angry Houndour.

Meowth didn't like any of them, and felt quite comfortable in mouthing them off at each and every opportunity. But when it came to threats of physical violence, it was clear which way the scales were now tilting.

"Oh," he said, the smugness evaporating from his face, along with most of the color. "Er, nevah mind, den!"

"That's what I thought!" Cassidy snorted. "Now let's go! We have a bunch of children to hunt down and an idiot to save!"

"Can't believe we've been reduced to this," Butch groused as the two of them headed toward the hanger doors, Houndour trotting behind. "Stalking some stupid kids? To save friggin' Jessie? Where did we go wrong?"

Meowth's right eye twitched, but he didn't retort. There would be time for that later.

"Hey, dingus!" he called over to James, who was still struggling to pick himself up off the ground. "Scrape yerself up and let's go, alweddy!"

James staggered after him. "That was completely uncalled for!" he groused as he rubbed the throbbing lump swelling on his forehead. "I had every right to be angry."

Meowth let out a long, slow sigh. He still preferred James's company to that of Cassie, but it wasn't taking long for him to remember why he had found both of his regular teammates to be so exasperating. "James? Fuggit abouttit. Let's jus' get dis ovah wit'!"

Still grumbling, James followed his feline partner as they headed out from the hanger. "Seriously though, Meowth, how could you let Cassidy screw up that badly? Jessie caught by a child? I would never have allowed anything like that to happen!"

The memory of the young PokeGirl's flaming foot coming in direct contact with his forehead was still fresh in Meowth's mind. "James, ol' buddy," he said. "Trus' me on dis. Yah do not wanna go dere."

As they left the hanger, Meowth heard the telltale sounds of a helicopter blade chopping the air. He glanced over its shoulder to see said helicopter touching down for a landing on one of Team Rocket's helipads. However, it wasn't one of the sleek and dangerous looking black models favored by the criminal organization, but stylish all-white model trimmed with gold, the sort employed by the rich and pretentious.

The helicopter's rotor stopped spinning, the doors opened, and out stepped a tall, blonde woman wearing a white dress and a white hat. Meowth didn't recognize her. Maybe she was one of the many politicians or celebrities with Rocket ties. Oh well, no concern of it.

He shrugged and almost turned away.

But then he paused.

Two children were disembarking behind the women, a boy and a girl, both of them with golden hair as well. Meowth's face twisted up in confusion. Kids? What in the heck were kids doing here? Meowth was quite aware of the unorthodox precedent set by its own recruitment into Team Rocket, but at least it was a full adult of its species.

Honestly, if the boss started recruiting kids, then it was a sure sign that the organization truly was going downhill.

…

With one hand pressed down on the wide-brimmed white hat she was wearing to keep it from getting swept up by the air stirred by the helicopter's blades and the other fidgeting impatiently at her side, Lusamine walked briskly away from the helicopter to the edge of the helipad and peered out.

Viridian City sprawled out before her, the a shimmering metropolis of white and green, a natural hybrid of sculpted concrete, artistically placed glass, and carefully cultivated foliage.

Lusamine approved of what she saw.

Viridian City was as promised: prosperous, orderly, and beautiful, existing in harmony with the natural world it had sprung up from without overwhelming or being overwhelmed by it. And that had taken work. After all, it had not always been that way. Control had to be taken to correct its course, and it was well that it had.

And it had only cost its soul. A fair trade, she personally believed.

Her two children silently walked up to stand beside her, looking solemnly over the city.

"Beautiful, is it not?" Lusamine murmured. She extended her hand out, as if presenting the whole of the city to them. "Look at it. Modern convenience merged with natural beauty, society existing in harmony with nature instead of overrunning it. A perfect hybridization of two diametrically opposing forces."

Lillie, her young daughter, looked troubled. "But isn't all done by Team Rocket?"

Lusamine beamed. "Precisely! And another excellent demonstration of what I am talking about. Law and crime, also diametrically opposed, and yet here cooperating in order to create something beautiful."

Gladion said nothing, as was his wont.

And then a new voice spoke. "And that is, of course, your calling card. The fusion of two or more opposite elements in order to create something wholly new."

"Ah, Archer!" Lusamine turned to greet the black-clad young man approaching them. She lightly took his hands and leaned forward to exchange two quick kisses on their cheeks. "How wonderful to see you again!"

"The pleasure is largely our own," Archer said. "Our research is made all the richer by your brilliance, while our city is surely blessed by your beauty."

Lusamine laughed. "Oh, you charmer! You do remember that I am almost old enough to be your mother."

"Beauty is at times sharpened by age rather than dulled by it." And then Archer turned toward the two children cowering behind their mother. "And in which case, I would be in good company."

Let it never be said that Archer's tongue was not as devious as his mind. Lusamine knew full well that any flattery was in part a means of manipulation, a way to charm the middle-aged scientist into his good graces, but she was not above appreciating his skills as an orator.

"You would indeed." Lusamine turned and motioned with one hand toward the children, indicating for them to come out. "Archer? This is my daughter Lillie and my son Gladion."

Holding one hand to his breast, Archer bowed low at the waist. "I see they have inherited much from you, to their benefit."

Lusamine waited for the kids to do the proper thing and return the greeting, but to her disappointment they did not. Scowling, she stepped to one side and nudged Lillie with her hip while clearing her throat.

"Ahem!"

Lillie winced, but stepped forward and curtsied. "Um, n-nice to meet you, Mr. Archer!"

"Executive Archer," Lusamine corrected. Just because she and Archer did not need such honorifics between themselves didn't excuse her children from observing proper etiquette. Such privileges were earned.

"Executive Archer," Lillie amended. "Excuse me."

Gladion glanced up from the ground. "Hello," he mumbled.

Lusamine frowned. "Gladion," she chastised.

Wincing, her son looked up to bow properly, if a bit stiffly. "Good day, Executive Archer," he said.

"To you as well," Archer responded amiably. "And welcome to Viridian City."

Good enough. "Shall we be going?" Lusamine said. "If your phone call this morning was correct, then I am eager to get started."

"I am eager to have you start." Archer swept a hand toward the walkway leading down to the ground. "Shall we be off?"

Archer led the way, with Lusamine and her children following close behind, while behind them attendants unloaded their luggage from the helicopter to be taken to where they were staying. The four of them headed down to the ground, where a shuttle was waiting to take them to their destination.

Then Lusamine saw what was in front of the shuttle and paused. Though she had already been informed of the situation, Lusamine couldn't help but sigh when she saw the raised concrete shell covering the asphalt ramp leading down into an underground tunnel.

"Something the matter, my lady?" Archer inquired.

"Really?" Lusamine said. "An underground tunnel? Really?"

Archer raised an eyebrow.

"I understand the need for security, but I had been looking forward to seeing your beautiful city up close, rather than its underbelly."

"An understandable desire, but unforeseen circumstances have necessitated greater care on our part." Archer took the seat next to the shuttle's driver, Lusamine sitting down in one of the middle seats while Lillie and Gladion both sat in the back. "We may have control over this city on a political, financial, and judicial level, but not social. And with the one-two punch of those ingrates attacking our own PokeCenter and the leak from Pewter City, we cannot afford to take chances. All it will take is some mouth-breather with a camera spotting you on the streets." He signaled the driver, and the shuttle shot off, speeding through the tunnels beneath Viridian City.

"Yes, about that," Lusamine said, raising her voice to be heard over the whooshing of the shuttle. "I can't say I'm particularly impressed about that little detail. It's one thing to be unexpectedly attacked. It's another when it's by your own agents."

"A fair criticism," Archer said smoothly. "One unfortunately cannot account for all variables, especially when fools are involved. They have been suitably chastised for their incompetence." He turned slightly in his seat, his eyebrow raised. "Though I am more concerned about the misplaced retriever. That is, after all, not something one leaves lying around."

Lusamine's eyes narrowed, but the point was well made. The source of the leak of her image to the police had escaped from her people, after all. "Indeed," she said sullenly. "I don't suppose your people know where it is now."

"Ah, unfortunately not. Our influence in Pewter City has always been limited, and we used up what little we had in retrieving the Ancestor Tablet. Most unfortunate timing, all around."

Unfortunate indeed. Lusamine sat back in her seat and spoke no further.

Finally they reached a large underground garage, one that had several empty shuttles parked in rows, as well as outlets to other tunnels leading to other parts of the city set in the walls. A cage elevator was set in the far wall, with two female Grunts standing guard at either side, though the smallness of their tops and shortness of their skirts denoted them as PokeGirls, which made sense. A PokeGirl could defend the entrance to Team Rocket's secret base far better than a normal human could.

The shuttle came to a stop, and everyone disembarked.

Though Lusamine had never been to Viridian City in person, she had made a point to memorize a map of both its topography and its subterrain. Simple logic dictated that they must now be beneath the Pokemon Gym. Or, to be more specific, beneath the underground facility that lay beneath the Pokemon Gym.

"I assume the ultimate beneficiary of my research is not present?" Lusamine inquired.

Archer pulled a small ring of keys out of his pocket. "He rarely is in person," he said. "His responsibilities require him to be constantly mobile. But I assure you that your project has his full support."

"No doubt," Lusamine said as Archer unlocked the elevator cage and slid it open. "Though isn't it a little suspicious to have his gym empty for such long periods of time? Ought not he have someone filling in for him, if for no other reason than to ward off prying eyes."

"Actually, there has been a lot of talk of doing just that," Archer said as Lusamine and her children walked past him to enter the elevator. He stepped inside, closed the cage, and pressed the appropriate button on the steel control panel. The elevator rumbled, and then began to rise. "With things moving as they currently are, it is not wise to make any sudden changes at this moment, but I suspect that when things calm down, we will look into finding someone appropriate."

The elevator rose up through the square shaft of concrete. Though their destination was not the topmost floor, they still passed through several elevator doors on their way up, some of them fairly nondescript, others heavily reinforced. Though it really was none of her concern, she had to admit some measure of curiosity as to the natures of the crimes taking place beyond those doors.

And then, from somewhere deep in the facility, came a shrill, feminine scream, one that rose high enough to send shivers down Lusamine's spine before being cut off in a wet gurgle.

Lillie leapt in surprise. "What was that?" she said, looking wildly around, as if monsters were about to leap out from the shadows around them.

"Ah, most unfortunate timing," Archer said without answering her question. "My apologies."

"But what was that?" Lillie pressed. "What were-"

Though the scream had shaken her as well, Lusamine laid a hand on Lillie's shoulder. "Not now, dear," she murmured. "Mind your own business."

Shivering, Lillie took one look up at Archer before shying back with a whimper.

Good enough. Then Lusamine glanced at Gladion. Her son was as stoic as ever, though even he seemed somewhat disturbed.

Mental note: don't allow the children anywhere near where the "work" is done. Not that she would have anyway, but Lusamine did not have the time to answer the many sensitive questions that being exposed to Team Rocket's operations would bring.

Then the elevator stopped, and the doors slid open.

"Here we are," Archer said, extending a hand.

Neither of the children moved.

"Come now, you two," Lusamine said. Young as they were, it would not do to keep displaying such fear. "Follow me."

Reluctantly they did, following their mother out of the elevator, and Lillie let out a small squeak of surprise.

The room they had entered looked like the lobby of a hotel catering to a very exclusive clientele, with polished floors of black marble shot through with swirls of white, elegant furniture carved from expensive wood and cushioned with satin, two marble staircases with golden railings curving down from the floor above, and a massive chandelier of gold and crystal hanging overhead. In the center of the room was a marble fountain, the centerpiece was of a hard-faced man wearing an immaculately tailored suit standing stiff and straight with the globe of the world held in one hand, obviously a representation of Team Rocket's elusive master. A bit egocentric and certainly very ostentatious on his part, but it could not be denied that such a display was earned.

However, that was not what Lillie was reacting to.

There was a collection of easy-chairs and expensive couches gathered around a long tea table off to one side. A woman was there, one of comparable age to Lusamine, but no less striking, with lustrous raven hair done up into an elaborate bun and an enviable figure accentuated by the skintight outfit of white, yellow, and lavender that she wore. But what was of even greater note was how she had made herself comfortable. Instead of sitting in one of the chairs or couches, she was sitting on a seat made from living human flesh. Several young women, all naked; all with their wrists, elbows, ankles, knees, and breasts bound and their mouths gagged; all with bright purple hair, eyes, and nipples; and all arranged to form a human chair for their master to rest her rear upon.

"Lusamine," Sierra murmured as she reclined luxuriously back into her decadent seat, legs crossed and lips curled into a cruel smile. "How wonderful to see you. I trust the trip over was pleasant?"

"Sierra," Lusamine greeted in turn, her tone utterly neutral. Unlike Archer, Lusamine harbored no fondness for Sierra. Both were equally dangerous and insidious, but Sierra never made an attempt to hide her smug attitude, nor her degeneracy. "The pleasure is all mine."

"I'm sure," Sierra said. "And I assume that these are your lovely children?"

Again both Lillie and Gladion nervously drew back behind their mother. Lusamine glanced down at them in disapproval, and stepped aside to prevent them from doing so.

"They are," she said, though she did not move to name them.

"Splendid. Simply splendid. I'm glad that you decided to bring them. Team Rocket is, after all, all about family." Sierra then lightly caressed the rump of the terrified teenaged girl forming her right armrest. "Allow me to introduce you to mine."

The girl trembled, a whimper leaking out from behind her gag.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Lusamine said coldly. "But while it would give me no greater pleasure than to sit around and exchange pleasantries, my children are tired from the flight, and I would like to begin my work as soon as possible, so…"

"Of course, of course," Sierra said. She waved a hand, and a pair of hulking male Grunts seemed to literally materialize from the shadows. "You'll be shown to your quarters. Feel free to call for anything you might need, and once you've settled in, you'll be taken to the laboratory. I'm sure you will be pleased with what you find there."

"Thank you," Lusamine said.

The Grunts led them up the right-hand staircase, up and away from the smugly incestuous Rocket executive, and down a hallway that was as richly adorned as the lobby, with lighting provided by actual chandeliers and electric candles set in the walls, and a carpet so thick that one could tramp around in work boots and not make a sound.

Then they stopped by a white door.

"Here we are," said one of the Grunts, opening the door. "Use the intercom next to the front door if you need anything."

"Thank you very much," Lusamine as she led her children into the room and looked around. She smiled. "Well, isn't this nice?"

The suite of rooms that been provided for their stay was exactly to Lusamine's tastes: simple, elegant, and spacious. The walls, ceiling, and thickly carpeted floor were all in white, the expensive furniture all black with white cushions, and the lighting gold. A massive entertainment system was set in one wall, framing a fireplace of black marble, while the back of the living room opened to a large kitchen, separated by a bar made of the same black stone. White curtains framed the doors, rows of shelves holding both books and various knick-knacks and trinkets were set in the walls, and water tinkled down from a wall-fountain in one corner. Classical music played from unseen speakers. A black grand piano sat in one corner, and their luggage neatly gathered in another, having already been delivered.

Lillie and Gladion dubiously looked around. "Are we going to be here long?" Lillie asked.

"Most likely. My work will be here from now on, and it's not safe to return home, at least not for the time being."

"Oh."

Lusamine tilted her head, one eyebrow askew. "You disapprove."

Lillie's face twisted up, but she eventually shook her head. "No, Mommy."

"That's good to hear. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to freshen up before I make my inspection of my new workspace." She started to head toward the bathroom, but before she did, Lillie said, "Um, Mommy?"

Lusamine paused. "Yes?"

"That scary lady, sitting on those girls. Were those, um, her daughters?"

Sighing, Lusamine turned back toward her discomforted child. "The eldest is, at least in terms of a natural birth. The others, as I understand it, are clones."

"Clones?"

"Yes. Grown in the very same laboratory that I am going to visit. She claims that it's more efficient. She still refers to them as her daughters, though. I suppose it is not incorrect."

The uncomfortable look on Lillie's face grew to one of disgust. "How can she treat her kids like that? It's gross!"

"It is," Lusamine said. "But Sierra has always been some manner of repulsive. Fortunately, we only have to endure her for a little while longer."

"Eh?"

"I'm told that she has business in Cerulean City and will be departing soon. Which honestly can't happen soon enough. Rest assured, I find her just as unpleasant as you do." Lusamine tilted her head. "Now, is there anything else?"

A pause. And then Lillie shook her head. "No, Mommy."

"Good to hear. Now, don't bother me further." Lusamine turned again and headed into the bathroom.

The bathroom was just as lovely as the rest of the suite, being primarily constructed from white and black marble, with both an enormous bath for soaking and a large shower stall with nozzles set in the walls to allow the occupant to be sprayed from all sides.

Lusamine took the time to relieve herself at the toilet. When she was done, she reached into the shower and twisted the knobs until the water spraying out of the nozzle was scalding hot and at full blast. Then, as the glass cubicle filled with steam, she undressed, first reaching behind herself to unzip her dress and shrug it off, letting it land in a pile around her feet. Stepping out from it, she reached back again to unclasp her bra and slide it down her arms, freeing her mature breasts. After that came her tights, peeling them off of her long, toned legs. And finally her panties were discarded, shoved down to join the rest of her clothing on the floor.

Setting the gem on the sink counter and gathering up her clothing in her arms, Lusamine moved toward the laundry chute, but as she did her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror and she paused.

Her figure was still impeccable, from the flatness of her tummy to the fullness of her perky breasts. Her hips were well-rounded, the small patch of golden hair nestled between them carefully trimmed, and there was nary a stretch-mark to be seen.

Placing her hands on her hips she turned around and looked over her shoulder. Her buttocks were just as full as they had been in her youth, as expected.

Lusamine smiled. Archer had not been lying. Even at thirty-eight, she was a treat for the eyes.

But how much longer? Soon those breasts will sag, soon that skin will crease and wrinkle, soon that hair will grey and wither.

Her smile wavered.

The average human female reaches her physical prime at twenty-five, and then the decaying process begins. You are already deteriorating.

Lusamine's right eye twitched, and she took in a deep breath, held it, and slowly let it out.

Biological decay did not account for my brilliance, she responded. All things can be overcome. Even time itself can be tamed.

After all, PokeGirls retained their beauty long after a normal woman would have, and some Pokemon lived on for eons without ever showing any signs of aging. Some species had it, others did not.

The trick was to figure out how to take it from those who had it and give it to those who did not.

…

Lusamine emerged from the bathroom feeling clean and refreshed. Gladion was sitting on the couch watching a rerun of the recent Pokemon tournament, though whether or not he was enjoying it could not be discerned, as was his wont. Lillie, however, was sitting by herself, fidgeting in discomfort.

"I am going to the laboratory," Lusamine declared as she slipped on her shoes. "I expect to have all of our things unpacked and put away before I get back. There is food in the refrigerator, and if you need anything, make use of the intercom. However, you are not to leave the room. Understand?"

"Yes," Gladion said, not taking his eyes from the television.

"Lillie?"

Lillie looked up. "Mommy," she said. "I don't like these people."

Lusamine shrugged. "Nor should you," she said as she glanced at herself one last time in the large mirror set over the buffet and made last minute adjustments to her dress. No doubt it was a one-way window as well. "They are criminals, after all. Bad people who do bad things."

"Then why are we helping them? Doesn't that make us bad too?"

"An overly simplistic way of looking at things," Lusamine said. "If I were able to secure funding and support from more reputable sponsors, then I would have. Unfortunately, only Team Rocket has been shown to appreciate my vision. It is just one of those things."

"But…But they're monsters!"

Sighing, Lusamine turned toward her distraught daughter. She was young, Lusamine reminded herself, and could not be expected to understand the intricacies of how the world worked. "Unfortunately, my sweet, that is just how it is sometimes. If you want a good result, you often have to make use of bad people, because allowing yourself to get too hung up on silly things will end up stifling your own accomplishments."

"But-"

"Lillie," Lusamine intoned. She walked over to her daughter, knelt down in front of her, and placed two fingers under Lillie's chin, lifting her head so that their eyes met. "Did you see how beautiful the city is? How orderly and prosperous?"

Lillie gave a small nod.

"Would it not make sense that the people who live here are happy and content and safe?"

Another nod.

"Well, all of that is because of Team Rocket, and they had to do a lot of bad things in order to create a good place. If they hadn't, then a lot of people wouldn't have a place to live, food to eat, a place to work, and would be in danger of petty criminals. The good they have accomplished more than makes up for the bad that was needed to bring their vision to life."

"As opposed to expert criminals?" Gladion said, still not taking his gaze from the television.

At this, Lusamine's eyes narrowed. She slowly rose up and turned to stare at her son.

Seconds ticked silently by, until Gladion finally felt the weight of his mother's gaze upon him. He met her eyes, winced, and hastily looked away.

Lusamine continue to watch him for a few moments longer in order to drive the point home. "It is unsavory, I know," she said at last. "And I do not expect you two to understand, not now. But you will, one day."

With that, she pressed the button on the intercom to summon the guards to have her escorted to the laboratory.

…

As Dr. Zager watched the micro-laser shave off eons of packed clay, moss, and tarnish, he couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach.

He was a criminal. He worked knowingly for Team Rocket, the criminal power of the Kanto Region, and as such, he knew full well that the work he did for them was ethically dubious at best and outright deplorable at worst, and Team Rocket leaned toward worst more often than not. The experiments he performed and the breakthroughs he discovered were employed in the service of what many would consider Evil, and he did not care. Under their employ, he was allowed to pursue the research that he wanted to pursue, to use the methods that he wanted to use, without being bothered by pesky things such as "ethics" and "morals."

But even so, he was still a man of science, and that meant that he still had principles of his own, principles that he felt strongly about, principles that were now being violated.

He tried to ignore it. His objections had already been spoken at the beginning of this project and vetoed by his superiors. This would continue with or without his support, and if he made himself a bother, then he would be kept away from the project entirely.

But he had to say something!

"This…is wrong," he said at last.

The bespectacled young man with the two-toned hair behind the welder's mask scoffed but said nothing. However, Dr. Zager's associate, Dr. Namba, glanced up and smirked.

"Some new objection, Zager?" he said.

"None that I have already not stated," Dr. Zager snapped. "And had ignored." He gestured toward the ancient slab of stone currently under the cutting laser. "But the Ancestor Tablet is one of the most historically significant artifacts we have, one of the few recorded proofs of Mew's existence. To just deface on a hunch…"

"Not a hunch, Doctor," muttered the man holding the laser. "A provable hypothesis." He continued to move the laser around the carved relief image of Mew, slicing it free of the surrounding slab. "Besides, I am being most careful. A little super-glue after, and it'll be as good as new!"

Though he knew that the young man was just winding him up, Dr. Zager still felt indignation at the mere suggestion. "Now, listen here, you-"

And then the door to the laboratory slid open.

Standing at the door was a tall woman in the middle of her years, though still quite beautiful, with a long, heavy mane of golden hair and shimmering skin marred only by the fewest of lines. She was dressed in a white dress trimmed with gold, with white tights underneath, and a large emerald set into her torso.

Dr. Zager immediately stood to attention. "Ah, Fraulein Lusamine!" he said, spreading his arms. "We heard you would be arriving today!"

"And not a moment too soon, Dr. Zager," Lusamine said as she brusquely entered the room. "With the leak of my identity, I couldn't afford to remain at the old lab." She looked around at her surroundings, taking note of the state-of-the-art equipment and resources she now had available. "Still, this will do. Yes, this will do nicely."

Late of the Aether Foundation in the Alola Region, Lusamine's defection to Team Rocket had been an unexpected boon for Team Rocket's research division. Her breakthroughs of Pokemon and PokeGirl physiology had furthered their research far beyond anything Dr. Zager could have dreamed of, and combined with the research they had done already, they were that much closer to the creation of the ultimate weapon, which would bring all of Kanto to its knees.

Then he looked down at the young man still working to free the carved relief of Mew from the Ancestor Tablet, and his lip curled. Well, some members of the team could be done without.

"We are of course pleased to have you with us," Dr. Namba added. "You have come at the perfect time." He waved his hand over the Ancestor Tablet. "We are moments away from uncovering one of history's greatest mysteries."

"Yes, yes, yes," muttered the young man with the two-toned hair. He pulled his welder's mask back down over his face and set back to work. "Assuming that these sparks don't set the lady's hairspray alight. I could smell it from all the way across the room."

Lusamine smiled in a dangerous manner. "Still ever the sharp-tongued one, aren't you, Arlo? One day it's going to get you in trouble."

"One day is not today. Ah, here we go!"

Setting the cutting laser aside, Executive Arlo of the Rocket Research Division and royal pain in Dr. Zager's arse rose up and reached over with one gloved hand. He plucked the carved relief image of Mew right out of its casing and held it up.

"Snaps off quite easily," he said, and then carelessly tossed it over his shoulder.

Dr. Zager yelped and lunged forward, fortunately catching it before it hit the ground. "Are you mad?" he hissed as he curled his arms protectively over the priceless artifact. "Do you have any idea of this item's significance?"

"Paltry compared to the treasure it was containing," Arlo said as he reached in with a pair of needle-nosed pliers.

From within was extracted a long, thin vial of crystal, sealed at both ends. Within was something even thinner, though Dr. Zager's eyes couldn't make it out.

Then Arlo wrapped a forefinger and a thumb around the vial's tip and squeezed, causing it to shatter. Dr. Zager couldn't help but cry out in protest.

Ignoring him, Arlo reached in with the pliers and extracted the thin item, which looked like a strand of string.

"A hair?" Dr. Namba said. "All that for a hair?"

"Not just a hair," Lusamine said as she strode forward. "A hair of Mew, the ancestor to all Pokemon on Earth."

Arlo pulled the glove off of his free hand with his teeth, then he reached up with one finger and prodded the hair. It immediately came alive, glowing bright pink with surging energy.

Dr. Namba's eyes went wide. "It…But that's what we're looking for, yes? If we can extract Mew's DNA-"

"Insufficient for our purposes," Arlo said. He picked up a glass tube and slid the hair inside. He then slid the tube into an apparatus set into the large computer set into the wall and started pressing buttons. "But it will lead to exactly what we need. Why settle for a hair of Mew when we can claim the whole thing?"

The computer lit up, with a 3D wire representation of the Earth. A sequence of red dots lit up around the globe, indicating Team Rocket's satellite network. A few more buttons, and a glittering sphere of red enclosed the Earth.

"What?" Dr. Namba said. "Mew itself? But surely…I mean, there's no way it can be-"

"It is," Lusamine said as she stared at the readout, a faraway look in her eyes.

…

Twenty-seven years ago…

Grimacing, groaning, and crying, Lusy gripped her bloodied and throbbing leg and tried to stretch it out to its fullest length. A spear of white-hot agony caused her to double over with a small scream.

I'm going to die here, she found herself thinking as she stared in despair up the walls of tightly packed earth and stone of the hidden pit she had fallen into. Whether it had been dug out by a Pokemon, a human, or the elements didn't matter. What did is that it had trapped the young girl as assuredly as a pokeball trapped a Pokemon or a human ball a woman, and her exploring had taken her miles from her home, far from any hope of rescue.

"HELP!" she screamed, even though she knew it was pointless. There was nobody around, nobody to hear her, nobody to-

And then something moved around the edge of the hole. Whimpering, Lusy cowered back, convinced that the Pokemon that had dug out the hole had come to claim its prey.

But instead of a bloodthirsty monster, she heard what sounded like a small, feline squeak of curiosity.

And then her world filled with dazzling pink light.

…

"Trust me on this," Lusamine continued as stared at the light emitting from the ancient hair, the same light that had appeared to her as a child and had lit up her dreams ever since.

It was real.

She had been right.

"Be ready, Gentlemen," Lusamine said as she strode forward to join the men watching the display. "We will soon hold the power of the gods in our hands."