I sat in a waiting area at the Sootopolis police station. At this point, it had been hours since Brittany's disappearance, and the sun was starting to set for the night. Officer Jenny and the rest of the Sootopolis police had been notified not long after the discovery of Glaceon's Pokeball, but they still hadn't found any concrete clues. And while the presumably unwilling discarding of Glaceon's Pokeball had been enough to allow the cops to at least suspect the involvement of foul play, standard procedure ensured that they couldn't jump to conclusions about Team Rocket being responsible just yet, so long as no other evidence pointing to such was around.

At any rate, everyone in our current group, me included, had been questioned separately, but none of us had been able to give any further relevant information than what we already knew. My mom and Grandma Johanna had also been called, just in case Brittany had contacted them, but no luck. Neither of them had taken the news of Brittany's disappearance well, and neither had Grandma Delia when she herself had also been informed of the matter.

I looked to the nearest clock, wincing briefly at the reminder of just how late in the night it would soon be. Even now, I was all too aware of how much time was passing and how Team Rocket - assuming they indeed were responsible - could be doing who-knew-what to Brittany. But at the same time, there was really no more that any of us could do. We'd already told the authorities everything we knew.

But then, my eyes widened. I had remembered something important from my journey in Johto. I looked to where my dad, Darien, and Antonio were currently positioned, having a brief discussion with Officer Jenny.

"I think I might have an idea!" I yelled.

Everyone turned their heads towards me, understandably startled. But Megan and Amber were the first to regain their wits and ask the next questions.

"What is it?" Megan asked.

"What's your idea?" Amber asked.

I looked at Michelle and my dad and recalled, "Remember how I tracked down Michelle to Team Rocket's Johto base after they captured her last year?"

"Oh yeah, that's right." Michelle said. "He followed my Aura signature using our Aura Bond."

Hearing this, Darien looked intently towards me, asking, "Are you saying that you could find Brittany with your Aura?"

"Well, not me personally." I admitted. "I don't have the same kind of Aura Bond with her that I've formed with Michelle. And that, combined with the potential distance between us and wherever Brittany currently is could mean that my Aura isn't strong enough to directly locate her."

"Let me guess," Dad said, "My Aura might be strong enough to find her instead?"

Hearing this, Antonio nodded, already swiftly connecting the dots. It seemed to be one of his strong suits that aided him with being an agent of the International Police.

"If Team Rocket truly is responsible for your daughter's disappearance," Antonio said, directing a meaningful glance at Darien, "They'll almost certainly have taken her to their base here in Hoenn."

"So if Ash finds her, he might be able to find Team Rocket's base, which would allow us the chance to capture two Taillows with one Pokeball by rescuing Brittany and foiling Team Rocket's Hoenn plans at the same time!" Darien realized.

"Everyone give Master Ketchum some space." Antonio said, clear authority in his voice. "And try to be quiet. It's of the utmost importance that he's able to concentrate to his fullest extent."

Everyone did as requested and we all watched as my dad closed his eyes and concentrated his Aura. For several minutes, Dad remained completely silent and focused. Clearly, Brittany had been taken quite a long way from us. Finally, Dad opened his eyes and pointed to the southeast.

"She's in that direction. A very long way in that direction, but still." he revealed.

Everyone was happy and relieved.

"Looks like your idea's working, Adam." said Amber.

"At least now we have a good idea of where to start searching." said Megan.

"She's not the only one that I detected." Dad added, his expression now taking on a noticeably grim look. "There were a lot of other people and Pokemon positioned in and around the same general area as her, so it seems pretty likely that she is indeed at Team Rocket's base here in Hoenn."

"Well, that certainly makes getting Brittany rescued more difficult." Antonio stated with a nod of his head.

"There's more. The Aura of all of the Pokemon in the area felt...distorted. Like they weren't in full control of their powers and abilities. And there seemed to be some kind of...haze...over their minds. As if some sort of...other presence was in there enveloping them."

Darien raised his eyebrow, asking, "You mean like mind control?"

"The mind control technology from last year's incident in Violet City." Antonio stated, a firm glare on his face. "Team Rocket must be using it to shield their base."

"Then how are we supposed to get to Team Rocket's base and stop them?!" I yelled, now feeling more than a little frustrated, as well as worried. "Our Pokemon will be unable to battle, with that stupid mind control technology active. Even Dad's power over the Legendary Pokemon won't be enough to prevent them from falling under Team Rocket's control!"

Everyone started looking awkwardly at each other, clearly uncertain of what to do. Team Rocket seemed to have an impregnable shield.

"I might actually have an idea about how to get around this obstacle." Antonio said, after a silent minute. "But first, let me consult my superiors in the International Police. After all, what I'll hopefully gain their permission to tell you all about is a closely guarded secret."

He turned around and walked into a nearby interrogation room to make a phone call to his superiors. For several minutes, we all waited. Eventually, he returned.

"I have permission to speak about the secret that could prove of use to us. However, in light of just how important it is that Team Rocket not be made aware of it, I must ask that this information be highly limited in how far outside this current gathering it gets spread." he told us.

We all nodded. Everyone indicated their acknowledgement of Antonio's disclaimer.

"So what is it, Dad?" Amber asked.

"After Johto, Chief Looker and the rest of the International Police realized just how devastating it was for Team Rocket to have the power to control the minds of Pokemon. So the tech division got to work on developing a countermeasure via a form of experimental headgear for Pokemon to wear, designed to safeguard their minds and block out the effects of the mind control waves."

"That would certainly be useful." Jason muttered.

"As it should." Annie said with a slight smirk of pride.

"Agreed." said Oakley. "But don't get too comfortable about the matter just yet."

"She's right." Antonio continued. "After all, while my superiors have given us permission to use the ones currently available, there's only 3 in existence and they're all still just prototypes."

"In other words, still a work in progress." Darien stated.

"Precisely. And from the results shown in testing, whichever Pokemon that we have wear the headgear would only be safeguarded for an hour or two, at best. And that's assuming that they go into the mind control waves' area of affect within seconds after the headgear's been activated."

"Which means that we'd have to really make the time we've got count." said Amber.

"And try our best to avoid getting into any battles." Michelle added.

"At any rate, Looker's also agreed to send some of his agents to act as reinforcements, alongside providing us with the three headgear prototypes. And the current plan is to formulate a more fully fleshed-out plan of action once they arrive. But fair warning, it will take at least two days for them to arrive here with the gear."

Darien narrowed his eyes, clearly more than a little aggrieved. My uncle clearly didn't like hearing that he'd have to wait, when the one thing that he wanted more than anything was to go charging into action and save Brittany as soon as possible. But with what must have been some serious effort and willpower on his part, he managed to take a deep breath and exhale to calm himself down.

We really did need a concrete plan before we went after Team Rocket to rescue Brittany. Just charging blindly in like an angry Tauros wouldn't do Brittany any good, especially not with Team Rocket very likely waiting for us to make a move. And it was definitely a relief that my uncle seemed to understand that.

"Well, Team Rocket had better count their lucky stars that they've got two days before we go after them." Trevor growled, his eyes narrowing murderously as he lifted his right hand, now clenched into a fist. "Because once I get my hands on the most vile among their number, may Arceus have mercy on their souls!"

Michelle, Amber, Megan, Jason, and I looked nervously at each other. We were all well aware of how Trevor had developed a burning hatred for Team Rocket after what Hunter Michael had done to Nikki during our adventures in Kanto. And while Trevor's behavior during the time he'd been with us for an encounter with Team Rocket in Hoenn had already been enough to make me, Jason, and Megan feel uncomfortable, the way that he was now behaving felt even more unsettling.

Even Nikki, despite being all too aware of how she was involved in her brother's motivation behind his current vendetta, looked more than a little concerned as she directed a worried look at her brother.

"Trevor?" Nikki asked, eyebrow raised in worry, "Are you really sure that's necessary?"

"How can you say that? You were a victim of one of their many crimes! It's a miracle that Hunter Michael only stopped at what he did and didn't go so far as to kill you after it, like he did to..."

Trevor winced, gritting his teeth at the memory of his late friend. He then shook his head to clear his thoughts.

He then continued, "I thought that you, of all people, would understand why they can't be allowed to do something like that again."

"I understand perfectly." Nikki said. "But that doesn't mean that I want to resort to actions that would make me no morally better than them."

"Those actions ARE morally better." Trevor insisted. "We do them for the sake of justice and peace. They do them for the sake of fear and tyranny."

On the surface, Trevor's response to Nikki sounded perfectly reasonable. But at the same time, we all knew that, even if Hunter Michael was the only one that Trevor explicitly planned to kill, there was no telling what sort of questionable actions he'd commit in the heat of the moment for the sake of heightening his chances of achieving the revenge that he so badly wanted.

It was fine for him to claim that he'd reserve his most merciless brand of justice upon people as vile as Hunter Michael. But in the hypothetical event that he completely lost himself in rage when in Team Rocket's presence, was there really any guarantee that he'd restrain himself from enacting his most ruthless acts of vengeance against ordinary grunts? And judging by how Nikki's eyes were now starting to narrow, it was clear that she was having thoughts very similar to our own.

"ENOUGH!"

Hearing this, we all looked to Antonio, eyes widened in surprise. Even Amber, Annie, and Oakley looked reasonably caught off-guard at the sound of his shout.

"Look, I understand that Team Rocket's caused pain and despair to more than one person in this room, and all who work for my father's old organization are due to receive justice in some form. But right now, arguing about just how strong a form of justice should be served to each member will only benefit Team Rocket. If we start fighting among ourselves, especially when Team Rocket could be close to unleashing another dangerous plan, it will just cause chaos and discord among us!"

After yelling this out, Antonio allowed a minute of silence to unfold, allowing everyone time to fully process what he'd said, and for his message to sink in.

"The most important thing right now," he continued, once he felt that the silence had gone on for long enough, "Is that we get a proper plan thought up for when we go after Team Rocket, in order to foil whatever current scheme they've got up their sleeve. And until then, any arguments and discussions over our ethics are to be reserved for after we've ensured Hoenn doesn't fall victim to an apocalypse. Understand?"

We all looked to Nikki and Trevor, both of whom looked fairly chastened.

"Right, of course." she said.

"Yes, sir." he stated.

Two days later, not too long after sunset, we were all gathered in a meeting room within the hotel we'd been staying in for the Wallace Cup. Sadly, there had been no further news on Brittany. But on the bright side, I couldn't deny that we'd certainly made good use of the time we'd had to wait before our requested reinforcements and anti-mind-control safeguards from the International Police arrived. My dad had managed to enlist the aid of Wallace, who would be a major asset, due to his status as both a Top Coordinator and the Hoenn Regional Champion. And with him in on the whole business, we'd all worked together to figure out a plan that we could present to the reinforcements.

And now, as I sat in the hotel meeting room with everyone, including Wallace and the International Police reinforcements, I couldn't help but feel rather confident about our chances of success. After all, since the promised reinforcements had arrived earlier that evening with the three prototype anti-mind-control headgear devices, and with a proper plan of action mere seconds away from getting discussed, it certainly did look like we had a real chance at success.

"As I'm sure we're all aware," Antonio began, "My father's old organization is usually a very secretive organization that generally sticks to the shadows and works to achieve their goals through relatively subtle behind-the-scenes means that won't require them making a big show to draw attention to themselves. Naturally, this makes their suspected responsibility for the apparent kidnapping of Brittany Berlitz, who is the niece of Master Ketchum, something that we should all have extra good reason to consider worthy of concern."

We all nodded, well aware of the likely truth in Antonio's statement.

"And why would that be the case, sir?" one agent asked in a tone that seemed to indicate that he was slightly nervous about expressing his curiosity.

"As my old boss's son has just mentioned," Oakley explained, "Our old organization usually prefers to be more subtle than this current alleged recent action of theirs, especially under its current management. Therefore, the fact that they appear to now be responsible for so brazen an action as abducting a direct relative of Master Ketchum very likely indicates that they've got something up their sleeve that they believe would be enough to discourage retaliation."

"And from past experiences over the previous two years, there's good reason to believe that the only way that they could conceivably believe themselves capable of preventing retaliation from the full combined might of the police, Elite Four, and the Pokemon Master would be them having control over..." Annie added, before drifting off.

"Kyogre and Groudon." I suddenly said, my eyes widened as I put the pieces together. "Team Rocket found new orbs that control both Pokemon. That's their leverage."

"Correct." Antonio stated. "By kidnapping Brittany, Team Rocket has clearly shown their readiness to show their hand and summon the Legendary Pokemon. And since it's common knowledge just how destructive both of them can be when given reason to rampage - willingly or not - I doubt I need to mention how it is of the utmost importance that we strike as soon as possible, before Team Rocket has the chance to summon Groudon and Kyogre into action.

"But unfortunately, we are in no position to launch a direct assault. For as Master Ketchum has managed to helpfully discover for us, Team Rocket has set up a mind control barrier around the island on which their base is located, and the barrier's area of effect also encompasses a portion of the ocean surrounding said island. So naturally, charging straight in would only result in all of us essentially committing suicide via our own Pokemon being forcibly turned against us, like what happened during Team Rocket's scheme in Violet City last year. And even without that security measure, Team Rocket would be able to easily see us coming if we were to approach by air or by boat."

"Then how are we supposed to reach them, let alone defeat them?" another agent asked.

"I said that we'd be seen if we were to approach by air or by boat. I never said that we couldn't travel by sea whatsoever. And as it so happens, boats aren't the only ocean-based vehicular means of travel. As it so happens, Wallace has been gracious enough to arrange for a submarine to be available for us in Sootopolis harbor." Antonio explained.

"With the mind control barrier as strong as it is, Team Rocket will be expecting the aquatic Pokemon lurking within the barrier's area of effect to be enough to discourage any travel by submarine." Oakley stated. "Therefore, they'll be more focused on keeping an eye out for intruders approaching by air or by boat, which will allow us to easily use the submarine that we have at our disposal to slip past their outer defenses and get onto shore with none of them the wiser, so long as we're careful."

"But wouldn't Kyogre make approach by sea impossible, regardless of whether we try to use a boat or submarine?" the first agent asked.

"If Kyogre was being actively used by Team Rocket right now, the seas would already be a chaotic mess!" the second agent replied. "Which leaves the question as to why Team Rocket hasn't already summoned Kyogre and Groudon into action if they truly have the means to do so."

"That's something that we've wondered about for a decent while as well." my dad said. "But over the last two days, we were able to eventually connect the dots and form a reasonable idea behind why Team Rocket hasn't yet unleashed Groudon and Kyogre. Adam, if you would?"

"For starters, Team Rocket likely thinks that we're still in the dark on their possession of the orbs required to summon Groudon and Kyogre. This, combined with their usual secretive nature, likely means that they're trying to keep us in suspense before they make their big play." I explained.

"That sounds rather inefficient."

"Agreed. But as much as they usually like to keep things subtle and in the shadows under their current leadership, when they do choose to act openly, they really like to make a big show out of the whole thing. Especially since that's when they usually wish to make it extra clear as to just how big of a threat they are. And what better way to really ensure that they send that kind of a message then to...?"

"Broadcast their big power play live on TV and radio." the agent finished for me, his eyes widening as he connected the dots.

"Exactly. They previously tried to send a similar message of menace last year via taking advantage of the news coverage with the Pokemon mind control attack on Violet City last year. And considering how they now have the ability to summon and take control of Groudon and Kyogre via the orbs, they likely plan to pull off an even worse catastrophe that will presumably affect a larger area than just a single city. Potentially even the entire Hoenn region." I warned.

"Which would naturally mean that they'd want to make extra certain that they allow as many people around the world as possible to witness the destruction that they plan to cause." Amber added in.

"Precisely."

"But wouldn't the coverage from the news stations be enough to cover that angle?"

"It probably would." Antonio admitted. "However, since they'll have Groudon and Kyogre under their control in this scenario, they most likely plan to directly film Groudon and Kyogre acting under their control and hijack the TV networks to directly broadcast the resulting footage. Which would mean that they've most likely spent the time between now and the moment they abducted Brittany working to get the necessary equipment set up and ready."

"Indeed." Wallace stated. "After all, as any coordinator can tell you, it's all about the presentation."

"Which is precisely why we'll need to make use of that submarine and get started on our current plan of action as soon as possible." Antonio stated. "And with that in mind, our current plan is as follows: We'll be having a small group travel to the island via the submarine and infiltrate the base from there to shut down the machine emitting the mind control waves. Now of course, the group in question will need Pokemon at their side to act as defense in the event that they get caught and have to fight their way through at any point. That's where the Pokemon headgear comes in."

"Here you go, sir." a technician said as he handed the headgear to Antonio. "Exactly as promised."

"Naturally, with the limited supply we've got, the people who will be infiltrating will likely find it most convenient to place those devices on Pokemon that are usually not kept inside their Pokeballs very often, if at all. Hence why the current plan is for Master Ketchum, his son, and Ms. Hayden to be the ones infiltrating the base, as they all have a Pokemon that they almost never keep inside their Pokeballs."

My Pikachu nodded. My dad's Pikachu and Megan's Espeon also nodded to indicate her own agreement.

"In the event that the infiltration group finds Brittany, then they'll have full permission to put in their best effort to get her free and out of the base. But regardless, shutting down the mind control waves will be the first priority."

"I'll admit," Dad said, looking at Megan and I, "I don't entirely like putting you kids in danger. But since you've proven resourceful in the past when it comes to helping to stop Team Rocket, I can let it slide."

"Don't you worry, Dad. Megan and I are willing to do whatever it takes." I said, determined and confident.

Megan nodded in agreement and added, "We're not afraid."

"You three won't be completely alone. The rest of us will all be waiting just outside Team Rocket's visual range in boats and helicopters. Once we've received word that the coast is clear and the mind control barrier is down, we'll head right in to assault the base." Antonio promised.

Annie and Oakley nodded in agreement and handed me, my dad, and Megan a radio transceiver, each designed to attach to one of our ears.

"These transceivers will be your means of keeping in touch with us while you're busy taking down the mind control barrier." said Oakley.

"Just let us know when you've gotten that out of the way, and we'll come right on in to get down to business," said Annie.

"We'll be helping out as well." Jason abruptly said.

Everyone looked at Jason as he stood determinedly, alongside a similarly confident-looking Trevor, Michelle, and Amber.

"Once you've gotten those mind control waves out of the picture, we'll fly to island to help you guys. Friends are always there for each other, no matter what." Michelle declared.

Megan and I nodded in agreement. Even without having to rely exclusively on Pikachu and Espeon, there would be more than enough grunts and other affiliates to overwhelm us without help from reinforcements.

"I'll admit, letting you get involved is not something that I'm entirely comfortable with, Amber. But of course, knowing how you've inherited my stubborn will and have never been the type to accept staying on the sidelines...I suppose there's no point in trying to stop you." Antonio said to his daughter.

Amber chuckled and said, "Nope. Definitely no point in trying to stop me."

"Just be careful when the time comes for you to join in." Oakley stated with an almost motherly look of pride and concern on her face. "I don't want you dying on me before I've even had the chance to officially become your new mom."

Hearing this, we all couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle, even Amber.

"With all of that said," Antonio then stated, "Once the barrier is down, Adam and Megan's first priority will be to find Brittany – if they haven't already done so - and get her to safety on the submarine. Naturally, they'll have Jason, Trevor, Michelle, and my daughter assisting them in that regard. And once they reach the submarine, they need to use it to get off the island and as far away from the danger as possible while leaving the rest to the adults. Naturally, Master Ketchum will be working to find and capture Jacob Berlitz and either recover or destroy the orbs before Team Rocket can use them. The rest of us, naturally, will be backing him up once we've breached Team Rocket's defenses and reached the island."

"What if Groudon and Kyogre come into the picture?" I asked. "What if they're summoned into action before my dad can take the orbs from him?"

"Let's just say that I've got a last resort option up my sleeve. Hopefully, I won't have to use it. But if worse comes to worst, I have it ready and available."

"Regardless of how it all unfolds, we'll need to move fast and strike hard, before Team Rocket can sufficiently organize a counterattack on us. After all, even catching them off-guard will only work for so long. But even so, the fact that we'll be attacking on two fronts, one from within the base and another from outside, should be enough to maximize our chances at victory." Antonio concluded. "At any rate, we'd best make sure that we're ready and get a good night's sleep. We'll be striking the base first thing tomorrow."

Normal POV

In Team Rocket's Hoenn base, Brittany was laying on a table in a room with lots of medical equipment around. She was unharmed, but in an unconscious state. A white mechanical device had been placed over her head. Her grandfather stood next to the table, along with one of Team Rocket's scientists.

"Is it ready?" Jacob Berlitz asked the scientist.

"Yes, I've calculated the mind control wave frequency to be in the perfect range for humans. She will be our first official subject, after the others that we tested it on during our time in Johto. It's such a shame that they ended up losing their minds and had to be disposed of." he replied.

"It's no big loss. They were just expendable grunts and there's plenty more for our army where they came from. For the sake of perfecting science and technology, some sacrifice was unavoidable. But that's the price of progress, and of our success."

"We would've done this to her sooner, after capturing her in Johto. But Giovanni's son foiled our plans, along with Master Ketchum and several others with them."

"No matter. We have her now, and I've always considered myself a patient man. By the time it's finished, she'll remember nothing about her life thus far, not even her own name. Finally, I can do what I failed to do with Darien: Raise her to be my successor, and to lead Team Rocket in the future. So how long will this process take?"

"It will start working on altering her subconscious first, then work its way up into her long term memory. Therefore, it will take several days before she's fully ready. But I assume that time isn't an issue?"

"Not at all. This base is impregnable, with our mind control barrier and countless forces armed with powerful Pokemon. And while my granddaughter is resting here, I have two Legendary Pokemon that need to be awakened. Hoenn will be the first region to fall to their might. None will survive, and the rest of the world will surrender unconditionally if they want to avoid destruction as well."

"And if they don't surrender?"

"The cities in the other regions will fall one by one to Kyogre and Groudon's might. They will give in to our demands when they see the steep price that they have to pay for refusing. Now start the machine."

"As you wish, sir." the scientist said, pressing a button on the control panel and activating the machine. "By the time it's finished, 'Brittany Berlitz' will no longer exist."

Author's Note: Adam and the others have come up with a plan to stop Team Rocket and rescue Brittany. Meanwhile, Jacob begins carrying out his plans to unleash Kyogre and Groudon, as well as reshape Brittany's mind to suit his needs.

The battle for the fate of all Hoenn will begin in the next chapter. Who will win? Who will lose? Who will live? Who will die?

Find out as the story's climax begins in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!