"What did Kenji tell you?" Koga is straight to the point.

I glance over at the ninja and wonder how long he and Kenji have known each other. How long has Koga been in Team Rocket? He's from Kanto so could he know something of the incident Kenji mentioned?

I turn my gaze back to the cool evening, listening to the unseen Hoothoot calling out in the early night. We have gone to dinner but for a rare occasion I have no appetite for it. We have come to the Treasure Eatery at Ellie's behest. I have stolen a moment between dinner and dessert to escape from Kenji's anxious stares and Morty's curious looks but I know I need to return soon. Ellie is eager to see the Gym battlefield where I take on opponents.

I did not hear Koga approaching or I would have ducked back in to avoid this conversation. Of course that is the point with the ninja, I don't usually hear him.

I try to think of the town Kenji mentioned but its name escapes me, all I can remember is the deed.

"He confessed to something horrible he did," I say quietly. "Something he believes Lance knows about."

"How cryptic," Koga scorns me. He folds his arms and leans up against the wooden frame of the restaurant. "Are you fishing for me to confess to other bad things he's done that you don't know about or are you being vague for fun?"

"I'm trying to spare spreading his news."

Koga makes a scoffing noise. "Larry, if you're trying to protect him from my opinions let me assure you that I more than likely already know what he's done."

"How long have you been in Team Rocket?"

"Under Lance, for just under a year, before him, well you know it's been at least ten ." He shrugs and looks ahead to the busy Medali streets.

I wonder for the first time what the relationship between Lance and Koga is, he said something about betraying Team Rocket for a promotion to the Elite but is that the truth or just what he and Lance want people to think?

"It was three years ago."

"Oh for Arceus' sake Larry, what do you want me to do, shake an Abra's head and hope it spells out what you're alluding to? Three years ago Team Rocket were very active in Kanto and they almost took it over, Kenji was involved in a few things. He was under Troy, didn't have a lot of choice in the matter, and he got paired up with Proton a lot of the time. He did his best to keep his morals, it's how he got that Sylveon of his, it was an Eevee then and... Well Kenji almost died trying to save its trainer." Koga bows his head and shakes it with a bitter look.

It's another story I am tempted to pull the string of but I think I've learned too much tonight already.

"That's not it."

"No, then what?" Koga glances up to me and I see annoyance in his dark gaze. "Because I saw you two together heading back from the wilderness and I saw how upset Kenji looked and I've noticed all the looks he keeps shooting you at the dinner table. You can be sure Ellie's probably picking up that something's wrong."

"He said he killed a Marowak." Sounding it out I feel a sense of revulsion, now it's real and it's out there and I can't pretend he didn't confess to it.

"Ah." Koga isn't surprised. He reaches up to tug at his crimson scarf slightly, loosening it about his neck. "He didn't mean to do that you know, the Marowak attacked him and he defended himself. I remember them arriving in Fuchsia City a few days after it. Proton said that they found Kenji beside it, throwing up and giving that horrible laugh of his, half-mad with what he'd done. Course, Proton and Troy were impressed but Kenji kept protesting, even when Troy gave him a beating and told him he needed to be proud of it and stop giving everyone the wrong idea by saying it was a mistake, even then Kenji kept saying how sorry he was about it and how wrong it was."

Koga turns to face me fully and gives me a serious stare. "I suppose he didn't tell you how he made sure the Cubone with the Marowak got to a trainer called Blue so that it would be safe and have someone?"

I shake my head.

"No," Koga gives a biting smile, "stupid Kenji, telling you the bad and none of the good. Larry, he was barely sixteen, he got forced into that Tower with the other Grunts to try and find Cubone skulls. It was a haunted maze, they were lost there for hours, tormented by Gastly, Haunters and possessed people, threatened by Troy if they failed. His Pokemon had all fainted and he was attacked, he didn't think about it, he just acted."

"He said."

"Well, what are you doing about it then? Are you confirming it to Lance? Doubtful he actually knows for sure that was Kenji, probably he's just trying to get him to confess to something with threats. Are you going to send him back to Johto? Ban him from Ellie?"

"No." The word slips out of me quickly, surprising me as I didn't realise I had come to a conclusion over it. "I don't want Ellie hurt."

"He wouldn't hurt her."

"Finding that out might hurt her."

Koga gives another smile but this one seems tinged with amusement. "Larry, you and Kenji should give her more credit than that, she's a forgiving person. I think if she got the whole story she would understand."

"Maybe." I think Koga is right but I don't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I agree with him. Ellie is very like her mother with her warm, forgiving nature, she would forgive Kenji for the Marowak I think and probably even try to soothe away his guilt. Still, it would be dangerous to keep discussing the matter, there are too many ears listening so I'd rather drop it than suggest Ellie learns about it.

"It's up to him to tell her," I decide, "but better he does that when we've dealt with Troy, and Lance isn't so close."

Koga's smile widens. "You're planning on Kenji being here after all that then?"

I suppress a frown at the ninja's jibe. I haven't thought that far ahead, truthfully I haven't thought beyond getting Ellie home, now I've done that the next goal is dealing with Troy but I have no real plan for that other than battling him when he comes.

"I need to go back." I turn and head for the door.

"To show off your Gym playing field," Koga says mockingly as he pursues me. "Well you need an opponent to really show it off. One Elite member against another, how about it Larry? We can go best of three."

I know he's giving a grin, I can feel it without seeing it, he is taunting me.

"Well it would be good to see how someone in Team Rocket fights," I answer calmly.

Koga gives a soft chuckle. "Very good Larry."

We return to the warm, busy restaurant and I see Ellie glancing up from our crowded table with a mixture of concern and relief.

I try to look reassuring for her as I return to my seat.

"Is everything okay?" she pries quietly.

I nod. "Koga was just offering to help demonstrate my battlefield here."

Ellie's eyes brighten with interest and she glances Koga's way. "When?"

I wave over a waiter. "Carlos, please get the playing field set up."

The waiter beams down at me with delight. "Fantastic, it's been a while." He hurries off to alert the other staff so they can get the tables cleared.

"What's going on?" Looker queries. I see him observing the waiting staff ushering guests up from the raised floor and over to other tables. I see the staff murmuring to the startled diners with smiles, seeing the smiles spread I realise Medali is hungry to see a Gym battle.

"Larry, are you so into your food that the battlefield is part of the dining experience?" Koga demands.

Morty laughs. "A dinner show, that seems a little flashy for you Larry."

"The boss wants the people to have a good show," I admit, "and what the boss says I do."

"I hope you're both battling as Elite members," Lance remarks with a cool calm.

I look over to the Champion who sits poised at the table giving nothing away on his face. I glance to Kenji and see him flitting a nervous look to the redhead before his worried gaze shoots up to me.

"This could be better than dessert," Morty says cheerfully.

The sound of gears turning clashes with the gentle ambience of the music in the restaurant but the low gasps and excitable murmurs confirm it is a welcome noise. I focus on Ellie as she turns her head to watch as the cleared floor opens up and the battlefield rises up. When I hear her gasp of awe I feel a small smile slip out on my face. If nothing else I hope to impress her with this battle.

Once the battlefield is ready I gesture for Koga to mount the stairs and step onto it.

We take up opposing sides and I nod to Carlos, who scurries over to Koga to get his name for an introduction. His eyebrows rise up and he looks to the ninja in surprise before nodding and stepping back.

"Ladies and gentlemen we have a battle tonight!" Carlos announces gleefully. "But this is not a Gym challenge!"

I stare across at Koga and he shoots a smug smile back at me.

"Tonight we have a challenger from the Elite Four all the way from Kanto and Johto, Koga – The Poisonous Gym Master!"

The awe is clear in our audience and there is even a sound of applause. I can't remember my last battle here, often they were monotonous and just another repetitive means of distraction but now I have Ellie watching, I want this to be special.

I call out Tropius, he's a big opponent to start with and as he gives a low cry his leaf crowned head almost knocks against the wooden rafters of the ceiling.

"Tropy?"

I glance over at Ellie's voice and see she has come to stand at the sidelines with the others in tow. Steven is one side of her and a still anxious looking Kenji on the other.

Koga throws a bladed Poke Ball forward, one of its sharp points sinks into the floor of our battlefield as his Muk emerges.

I can hear equal murmurs of astonishment and disgust as the natives in our audience aren't sure what to make of this sludge like purple Pokemon.

"Air Slash!"

My Tropius rears back, swinging its long neck round and low to avoid the ceiling as its leaf wings beat the air into a sharp frenzy.

The Muk gives a grunt of pain as it slides back with the force of the air attack.

"Sludge Bomb!"

The poisonous attack strikes hard and fast, splashing my Pokemon with a noxious liquid that has it stumbling back in shock.

"Dragon Pulse!"

Tropius shakes its head dislodging some of the poisonous liquid from its face before it opens its maw to shoot out a powerful, purple beam.

The Muk reels back with another cry of pain but it is still holding firm.

"Toxic!"

Purple bubbles ooze and burst about my Tropius and its head sags as the poison takes effect instantly. It groans as a bubble bursts close to its face and its head droops to touch the ground.

"Oh no, Tropy!"

I glance out of the corner of my eye to see Ellie looking alarmed. She has grabbed both of Kenji's hands and is squeezing them tight as she watches on.

I look back to my Tropius and see its wings have sagged limp beside it. I must concede a defeat before my Pokemon faints.

"Round one to you," I try to speak up but my voice is barely audible over the audience murmurs and the music.

Koga smiles and nods in confirmation that he at least has heard me.

I recall Tropius, reach for another Poke Ball and bring out my Altaria.

"Is it all Flying then?" Koga quips.

"It's my Elite Team."

He nods again. "Impressive to have trained two teams and two types."

"It's only impressive if he wins," Lance speaks up from the sidelines.

I look over to the Champion and see him standing beside Morty with his arms folded, appearing almost disinterested in our battle so far. I suspect it's a front, he's probably taking it all in. I wonder perhaps if I am not the only one who needs to impress tonight. If Koga loses, will Lance have something to say on the matter?