Chapter 10
TheCouchEffect
Junior Trainer
- Pronouns
- He/His
Chapter 10: Entry Point
Ash's lungs burned and his muscles ached from what felt like hours of constant exertion but may have only been close to ten minutes. Despite his body crying out for rest, he refused to give in. He needed to push himself past his limits if he was ever going to improve as an agent. Tightening his grip around the plastic dagger in his hand, he surged forward to meet his opponent.
Anabel twisted around his knife thrust and wrapped her hand around his wrist in a vice grip. She wrenched him aside at an awkward angle and slammed her foot into the side of his stomach. Ash winced in pain but refused drop the knife. Out of reflex more than anything else, he gripped Anabel's ankle with his free hand before she had a chance to bring it down. With clenched teeth and a grunt of effort, Ash leveraged his greater strength to push them forward and throw them both the ground with a loud thud.
He landed on top of her and forced her to let go of his wrist even as the wind was knocked out of her. Ash didn't have time to celebrate the small victory. He scrambled to seat himself atop her chest and brought the plastic dagger down onto her chest. Just before it could strike where her heart would be, Anabel grabbed his wrist with both hands and stopped him from delivering what would have been a killing blow in a real fight.
While he struggled to force his weapon down, Anabel wasn't complacent. With flexibility that any gymnast would have been envious of, Anabel managed to work her legs up and snake them around his neck. He only just managed to let out a gasp of shock before she tightened her grip and twisted him off of her chest with such force that his vision swam.
It didn't stop there. He had been forced to drop his weapon in the scuffle and had barely any time to react before she went back to choking him with her legs. He scrambled to latch his hands on and try to pull away, but it was no use. No matter hard he pulled, Anabel's grip was too strong for him to break out of on his own.
He hated when she did this!
Just as he was about to tap the tile beneath them to signal his surrender, he heard a familiar crackle of electricity and felt hope surge in his chest. Anabel must have heard it too for she released her hold on him and rolled out of the way just as a low energy Thunderbolt struck where she had once laid.
Ash spared a glance towards Pikachu to see his partner leap into the air to narrowly avoid the powerful, clawed limbs of Anabel's Metagross. Pikachu's tail shimmered like steel in the light for a moment before he slammed down atop his opponent's head. With an incomprehensible growl, the Metagross surged into the air and tried to shake Pikachu off. Despite its best efforts, Pikachu held onto its steel body as though his life depended on it.
Electricity sparked to life in his cheeks. It was the only warning the Metagross received before Pikachu unleashed a point-blank Thunder attack that illuminated the room in a golden light and momentarily blinded them all. The attack didn't last long before Pikachu was telekinetically lifted off of Metagross' back and thrown across the room into Anabel's waiting arms. With hesitation, Anabel gripped Pikachu by his tail and slammed into him into the ground with all of her might.
His first instinct was to rush forward and try to save his partner. He pushed it aside and instead felt his eyes move past the Metagross to the back of the training room where an Alakazam was cautiously watching the fight and occasionally using his power to toss them around. If he could take the Alakazam out, this fight could swing in their favor. Unfortunately, with Metagross acting as a metaphorical wall, it was all but impossible to reach the creature on his own.
Luckily for him, he still had one card to play.
"Latias, I need you to shield my mind and distract Metagross."
"On it!"
Ash dashed forward to meet the Metagross head-on. With a huff of what must have been annoyance, it leapt towards him to bring its metal claw down and pin him to the ground. At the last moment, Ash dove under its massive body and rolled over his shoulder until he was behind it just as the metallic limb slammed into the ground. Without pausing to look back, he sprinted towards the Alakazam.
In any other situation, he wouldn't have dared turn his back to the towering Steel type. With Latias on his side, however, he was willing to take the risk. Just as Metagross turned to chase him, Latias materialized before its eyes and fired a multicolored, dragon-shaped beam of energy at its face point-blank. It was enough to knock the Metagross back and force it to focus on her.
The Alakazam regarded him with complete disdain. With the powers of a fully evolved and competently trained Psychic type, Alakazam was untouchable to all but the strongest opponents. Most of the time, their overwhelming Psychic power was enough to take down entire teams of opponents at once.
He could feel the familiar tingle of Psychic power reaching out and enveloping him. Within his mind, Ash could feel his defenses being pushed aside and his body freezing in place mid-step. Before the Alakazam could do anything more, however, a familiar presence entered the edges of his mind. In an instant, his mind became a titanic fortress of mental barriers and the Alakazam's consciousness was thrown back into his own body. With the Psychic grip on his body gone and his mind shielded, he continued the sprint towards Alakazam.
Ash was on the creature in mere moments. While Alakazam was almost unstoppable at range, in close quarters they were more vulnerable. With pathetically weak muscles and a biology geared more towards enhanced Psychic power than true stamina, anyone could do serious damage to their kind if they got in close enough. While most trainers would never have to personally test that weakness, Ash was confident in the belief that he could handle the average Alakazam up close.
This one was not like the average Alakazam, however. Anabel had trained her Pokemon to compensate for their weaknesses and fight when the odds were against them. He had learned the hard way that the weaknesses he knew of from his time as a trainer for the League weren't always applicable to Interpol's Pokemon.
With Anabel's Alakazam still recovering from the Psychic backlash of Latias' defense of his mind, Ash launched himself forward and slammed his foot into the face of the monster. The Alakazam was sent tumbling backwards and gripping his head in his hands. With an annoyed growl, both Alakazam's fists began to glow with bright yellow and green aura that spiraled down its arms. The creature rushed forward and thrust his fists directly towards his head.
A Drain Punch was a dangerous move. Unlike most other moves, even a glancing blow could take an enemy out of the fight. The damage came less from the physical power behind the attack and more from the mystical energy of the move that drained the strength from its target. Ash spun around the blows and slammed his elbow into the side of Alakazam's head.
The green and yellow aura surrounding Alakazam's fists disappeared, and he stumbled back in a dazed state. Ash seized the opening and swept the Alakazam's feet out from under him. His skeletal body impacted the floor with a dull thud and the Psychic monster let out a pained groan. Ash raised his foot to slam it down next to where Alakazam's head lay and take it out of this mock battle.
His breath hitched in his throat as he felt the familiar edge of the plastic dagger placed atop his jugular. A pair of lips gently brushed his ear and he tensed at the sensation of breath on his skin.
"Looks like I win again." Anabel laughed and moved around him to help her Alakazam up off the floor.
For his part, Ash collapsed backwards onto the ground and laid there with his limbs splayed out all around him. With the fight at an end and the adrenaline leaving his system, his mind was finally able to focus on the state of his body. His limbs burned and felt like lead weights holding him down. He was certain that come tomorrow, he'd be so sore that he wouldn't want to even roll out of bed.
He glanced up at Anabel. To his eternal delight, she actually seemed a bit out of breath! Some people would have been demoralized at such a sight, but him? After months of being beaten around the training room and hardly ever being able to land a hit on her, this was a massive improvement!
If he was lucky then by the time a year rolled around, he may actually be able to give her a real challenge.
Ash felt a small, furry body scurry up his body and curl up into a ball. Pikachu was just as exhausted as he was and probably twice as sore. Getting tossed around by powerful Psychic types and being on the receiving end of Anabel's attacks must have been hard. With the natural durability of Pokemon, it meant they didn't have to hold back nearly as much in training. He glanced to his side as he felt the heat radiating off Latias just as she set down on the ground beside him. Though she showed no outward signs of exhaustion, he could tell from how tense she was that the fight had taken a lot out of her.
"How'd you get past Pikachu and Latias?"
Anabel cracked a grin and screwed the cap off of her water bottle. She took a large gulp of her water before leaning over him and shaking the water in front of his eyes. Without a word, he nodded his head and opened his mouth. Most of the water that tipped out didn't land in his mouth, but it went a long way towards helping him cool down.
You never really appreciated water until you were dying of thirst but could hardly find the energy to move.
Anabel plopped down on the ground beside him and returned her Pokemon to their Pokeballs. "Pikachu was easy. Once I slammed him into the ground, he was too stunned to stop me from using the dagger on him."
Pikachu grumbled from atop his chest and turned his head to glare at her. "Next time we'll spike you into the ground like a ball. See how quick to recover you are."
Anabel rolled her eyes. "Nobody likes a sore loser, Pikachu." She teased. "As for Latias? She was so focused on distracting Metagross that she never noticed me sneaking up behind her. It was too easy for me to slide the dagger into her heart. I'd recommend working on your spatial awareness."
Latias lifted her head off the ground and set it on Ash's chest, rolling her eyes in amusement. "I was busy keeping that walking tank of yours busy. It's not easy when it resists all my attacks and hits like a train."
Anabel scoffed. "Then Metagross did its job. It got you to focus on the obvious threat so much that you ignored everything else." She warned. "You may be a Legend, but you're not invincible. You need to develop your instincts for battle if you're going to be any use to us."
Latias hummed in thought. "I understand. I won't let it happen again."
This was how it always went during training. Ash, Pikachu, and Latias would enter the training room to face off against their opponents. Sometimes they'd be given time to develop a plan and other times they would be expected to adapt on the fly. No matter how hard they tried or how much they improved, however, they had yet to win even a single spar. There was always some weakness that they needed to fix or new technique that they needed to learn.
They were improving though. Every night he went to bed exhausted and every morning he woke up sore. It was worth it though. He felt stronger and more confident than ever. In the two and a half months since Latias had joined his team and they had arrived back the Johto HQ, they had dedicated themselves to training.
Every day, they were pushed to their collective physical limit and forced to defend against a variety of different opponents and tactics. He was learning the basics of combat first aid and how to pick simple locks. More importantly, Looker and Petrovic had been exposing him to different types of crimes so that he knew what to expect in the field.
He'd even gotten training in how to use a weapon. From what Looker had told him, a dagger was the perfect weapon for their line of work. Made from steel harvested from dead Metagross and forged using the fires of a Magcargo, it could cut through almost anything. More importantly, its versatility was second to none. The well-balanced daggers of Interpol could be thrown to strike any target at a distance. They were unparalleled weapons up close and personal – which many of his fights would likely become. Not to mention it could be easily concealed and drawn at any moment.
Petrovic had even told him that it could be slipped between an enemy's ribs before they – or any witnesses – could notice.
Ash had chosen not to think too deeply about that.
Anabel eyed him quietly for a moment and hummed in thought. "As for you, Ash? You should work on your awareness as well." She warned. "Even if you have an enemy on the ropes, you can't get tunnel vision. Otherwise, you'll pay for it with your life."
He frowned. "I understand. I'll try to do better."
Anabel smiled and reached forward to pat him on the chest. "You aren't doing bad. You've all gotten a lot better since coming here." She assured them. "Don't worry. With more time, you'll be a competent agent. As it is you're doing well for someone who's only been with us six months at this point."
"The lass is right, brat. You're doing well."
Ash lifted his head off of the ground and glanced behind Anabel. Standing behind her with his hands in the pocket of his trench coat was Petrovic. Ever since the tragedy of Alto Mare, Petrovic had stuck around their small team. According to Looker, he would be taking a permanent position with them until he was needed elsewhere. Unfortunately, that also meant that they had to reveal his identity to them man and the reason he was with them.
Looker had sounded like the world was coming to an end when he'd told them that.
Anabel grimaced for a moment. With her back turned, only he and his Pokemon could see it. While Petrovic was a veteran agent and deserved respect, there was no denying that he was… abrasive. Hard to be around. He was surprised Anabel put up with him at all.
She plastered a sickeningly sweet smile on her face and stood to her full height, turning to greet him. "Petrovic… to what do we owe the pleasure?"
The violet haired man grinned. "I thought I'd come check on our little criminal underling to see how he was doing." Ash winced at the insult but Petrovic either didn't notice or didn't care. "Ya definitely got potential. Yer too timid though."
"Timid?"
"Ya hesitate." He explained. "Never for more than a second but it's a weakness. In a real fight, it'll give Yer opponent an opening. Ya need to be more ruthless. If ya hold nothing back, then yer enemies will never have the chance kill ya."
Ash forced himself to sit up. He ignored the annoyed groans of Latias and Pikachu, looking up into Petrovic's eyes with a frown. "I don't want to hurt anyone though…."
Petrovic scoffed. "It's impossible not to do that in a fight. Yer priority should always be to inflict as much damage as possible. That way yer enemy can't get up and stab ya in the back. Let the docs focus on keeping 'em alive."
Anabel narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, moving in front of Ash with an almost protective air about her. "That's only important in a real fight. In training, he doesn't have to be as ruthless."
Petrovic shrugged. "Maybe not. Brat still needs to work on getting his killer instinct." He chuckled. "After all, this is a dangerous world we live in. He needs to understand that."
Anabel tightened her hands into fists. "He understands just fine. He doesn't need you pushing him."
Petrovic's eyes narrowed in frustration. It was gone a second later and he held up his hands to placate her, an easy smile spreading around his face. "Maybe he does. After all, he certainly handled that Grunt at the auction like a pro."
Ash flinched at the reminder and clenched his eyes shut. He had tried his hardest not to think about that. When he and the Grunt had fought at the auction, he had been in survival mode. He'd heard stories about people losing all their inhibitions and control when their life was in danger, but he hadn't thought that he would do the same. Then when he had been at the edge of death, he had been willing to do whatever it took to survive. He hadn't even thought or cared about the damage he could do.
In the days that had followed, and he realized what he'd done, Ash had been horrified. The Grunt had lost an eye and suffered from second-degree burns across his entire face. His nose had been broken, his jaw smashed, and his teeth had been shattered. Worst of all, the man had suffered from a severe concussion and been locked in a coma since that night. As far as he knew, the Grunt had still been comatose when the tsunami hit and died in the flooding.
If the man had been conscious, maybe he would have survived. Though even if he had, would that really be better? The kind of injuries he suffered would have been crippling. Would his life have ever been the same? Even if he was a criminal, Ash couldn't help but feel guilty for what he'd done. In some ways, it had been worse than outright killing him.
Even when he was in control of himself, he was still capable of hurting others. How could-
Latias nudged his hand with her snout and drew his eyes to her. Through their Psychic link, he could feel her concern in the back of his mind. "Ash, are you alright?"
He did his best to tune out Petrovic and Anabel's arguing. He tried to smile but even he could tell that it was brittle at best. "I'm fine. Nothing I can't handle on my own."
She frowned. "Why are you lying?"
He winced. "How can you tell?"
He felt a sad sense of familiarity in the back of his mind. "I can read your thoughts and feel your emotions, Ash. It's impossible to hide something from us Psychics once you give us a backdoor into your mind."
Ash sighed and forced himself to look away. "Then there's nothing stopping you from getting the answers you want. Why ask me?"
He flinched when he felt her clawed hand cover his own but didn't pull away. He felt a surge of… sympathy rush through his system. It wasn't his own.
"Just because I could take the answers doesn't mean I will." She smiled up at him. "When you're ready to talk, Pikachu and I will be here. I want you to know that you can trust us."
Despite the severity of his thoughts, Ash laughed and reached over to pet both of his partners. Latias leaned into his hand while Pikachu accepted it with a knowing look. He may not have known what Ash and Latias were talking about, but he knew it was important.
"I appreciate it." He moved to scratch Latias behind her ears, smiling at the soft purr that rumbled in her throat. "I just… this is something I need to deal with on my own."
If he ever could.
He blinked as he heard someone snap their fingers above them. Ash looked up to see that Anabel had left the room and Petrovic was standing above him with the same cocky grin that he always wore.
"Finally! Ya really need to start paying better attention, brat." He groused. "Especially when I'm trying to help ya."
Ash forced himself to his feet and tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean help?"
Petrovic spread his arms wide. "Of course! Yer the new rookie! It's my job to help ya in any way that I can." With an amused chuckle, Petrovic reached into his pocket and pulled a silver revolver out of his pocket. "Here. This is yers now."
Ash didn't have a chance to refuse it when Petrovic forced it into his hands and stepped back. It was… heavier than he expected it to be. Almost twice as heavy as a Pokeball but far more alien in his hands. It had a simple brown grip and cartridge capable of holding five bullets. With a barrel that must have been six inches long, it was smaller than those he'd seen in the old cowboy movies from his childhood.
It didn't feel right in his hands.
"Why did you give this to me?"
Petrovic shrugged. "Ya need a real weapon. A dagger is useful but limited. With a gun, ya can be dangerous at any range. Best part is that all ya need to do is point and shoot – no true skill required."
Latias hovered at his side and scowled at Petrovic. "It's also designed to kill."
Petrovic eyed Latias for a moment before sighing in annoyance. "All weapons can kill someone, brat. Yer hands and feet especially are dangerous. Ya wouldn't believe how many accidental deaths they cause. Compared to that, a gun is a ton more intentional."
Ash felt the knot in his stomach grow. "I don't want to kill anyone at all."
Petrovic took a deep breath and closed his eyes tight. He reached out to grip Ash's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "No one wants to be a killer, brat. I certainly didn't when I was yer age. I'll bet Looky was the same." He sighed. "Yer with Interpol now though. Ya've seen what we do. Someday, yer gonna be forced to take that step."
Ash flinched away. Was it truly that set-in stone? Was he destined to become a killer? If even Looker was a killer, then what hope did he have? Would he be forced to kill an enemy to protect an innocent life? Or would he simply snap under the pressure of this life and turn into the kind of monster he was meant to be fighting.
Petrovic ruffled Ash's hair through his black flat cap. "Look… a gun can be used for more than just killing. It can be used to wound someone just as much as it kills. Against bigger, armored Pokemon it's the one true equalizer Humanity has besides high explosives." He chuckled. "Not to mention it's great for intimidation. Ya ever want to end a fight before it begins? Just the sight of it'll make most people fold."
That… that didn't sound so bad. If he just used it to deescalate a fight and convince people to surrender, then there was nothing wrong with that. And if worst came to worst, he could use it to injure people instead of killing them.
Ash nodded slowly in understanding. Slowly, he stuffed it into the pocket of his trench coat. He'd need to find a proper holster for it later.
"I guess that makes sense… I'll need to practice with it."
Petrovic straightened his back and looked at him with an air of pride surrounding him. "I can teach ya. I'm a crack shot! Or if ya don't want me to do it, Looky and Anabel probably could. Ya know, if ya want a subpar teacher."
Ash couldn't ask that of them. Anabel was already dedicating so much of her time to teach him how to fight and Looker was teaching him all the skills he needed to be an effective spy. He wouldn't ask any more of them than he had to.
"I'll take any help you're willing to offer, Petrovic." For once, the smile he gave the man was genuine. "Please make me into the best shot this agency has ever seen."
Petrovic let out a bellowing bark of laughter. "I like yer enthusiasm! Trust me, once ya learn how relaxing it can be to shoot, ya'll wonder how ya ever survived without it!"
Domino enjoyed the finer things in life. She was hardly the only person in the world who did, but she was one of the few who could truly appreciate them. Everyone could enjoy a hot plate of food, a warm bed with thick blankets, or good glass of wine. No one could enjoy it like someone who had once had nothing though.
When you spent a childhood fighting for scraps of food with other kids on the streets of the city, you never let anything go to waste. Memories of huddling together with other street urchins or fighting for warm clothes when winter rolled around meant that she always took good care of her clothes. Even something as simple as trust in other Human beings became a truly valuable commodity that couldn't just be taken for granted.
This appreciation of life and all its joys didn't mean she was wasteful, however. Growing up with nothing, she knew the value of living beneath her means. It was always good to save for a rainy day, after all. However, as an agent of Team Rocket, living beneath her means still allowed her to have quite a comfortable life.
Even on her most indulgent day, however, she knew her limits. Eating at a high-end Kalosian restaurant with three Minccino stars in the middle of the day wasn't something she'd ever normally do. When Giovanni made reservations and called for a meeting though? Then she threw on her best dress clothes and prepared to indulge.
The restaurant was in the center of Viridian City not too far away from Giovanni's gym with a name that she couldn't hope to pronounce. Butterfree and Ledyba could be seen out front in the small garden by the brick entrance to entertain those waiting to get inside. Giovanni must have made her face known for none of the staff stopped her from skipping the line and moving in. Once inside, she could see beautifully painted walls the depicted the history of Viridian City and an elegant bar off to the side with a variety of different alcohol bottles lining the wall.
She spotted Giovanni seated at a table by the window with a pristine white cloth covering it and a beautiful view out the window to its side. His Persian sat at his feet with its head rested on its paws, glaring at her with cruel amusement. She suppressed the shiver of fear the creature sent down her spine and made her way over to him. She bowed her head in respect, her blond curls brushing against her cheeks as she did so.
"It is a pleasure to see you, sir."
Giovanni held up a hand to stop her and gestured to the seat across from him. "Let's skip the formalities." Once she had sat down, he leaned forward and cupped his hands in front of him. "I've taken the liberty of ordering for us both."
Domino frowned. "May I ask what? I've never been the biggest fan of Kalosian food."
A childhood on the streets of Lumiose City hadn't endeared her to anything from their culture.
He smirked. "Confit de Canard. It's Psyduck meat marinated in salt, garlic, and thyme for over a day and a half then slow cooked in its own fat using ancient techniques. It even comes with a side of roasted potatoes, lentils, and garlic for our dining pleasure."
She licked her lips and averted her eyes. "That… does sound nice."
"I thought so." He leaned back in his seat and snapped his fingers. Moments later, a waiter appeared at their table with two glasses and a bottle of red wine. After pouring their drinks, the waiter gave them a graceful bow and left them at the table with the wine. "How has your vacation treated you?"
Domino suppressed a heavy sigh. Her forced vacation had been… pleasant, she supposed. The Lavaridge hot springs had been as relaxing as advertised. The people had been nice and dopey enough for her. She'd even decided to indulge herself and convince the local Gym Leader that her town was sitting on a mountain of gold.
Fun times.
It hadn't done much to stop the nightmares though. Every night, she was haunted by the drowned faces of the people of Alto Mare. Sometimes when she looked in a mirror, she had to force her eyes away and ignore the sense of disgust in her stomach. Those brief moments when she was drowning in guilt were almost too much at times.
That was all they were though. Moments of horror. Most of the time, she could focus on other things and live like a normal person. Her therapist said that with enough time and acceptance, the nightmares would eventually stop.
She couldn't wait for that day.
"It was fine." She decided to say. "You were right about the hot springs. The relaxation helped more than I thought it would."
Giovanni nodded. "A good dip in the hot springs always helps. You need a clear mind to be an effective agent, after all."
Domino perked up. "Does this mean you're putting me back in the field?"
"That depends on how this meeting goes." He took a moment to savor the taste of his wine before setting it aside. "Tell me what you know of our origin."
She tilted her to the side. Why would Giovanni want her to go into the origins of Team Rocket? He had lived it. No one knew it better than him. He had lived it, after all.
"We were originally a smuggling and poaching ring. Your mother founded it in the aftermath of the Great War to save her fortune and company from a failing economy. In less than two years, she managed to spread her influence throughout almost half of Kanto."
Domino hadn't been alive at the time, but she knew basic history. The Great War had been devastating for everyone involved but Kanto had come out the other side far worse than the other regions. Half of its territory had been taken from it as a reward for the rebellious people of what was now the Johto region. Worse, Kanto had been forced to pay exorbitant sums of money in reparations and accept most of the guilt for the war.
Its government had been too weak and its people too broken to do anything other than bite their tongues and accept the terms.
Giovanni hummed in affirmation. "Indeed. Had she chosen to stick to simple crime, it's likely that she would have remained in power to this day. Instead, she chose to give in to lunacy."
Lunacy wasn't the word that she would have used but it was close enough.
"Your mother wanted to seize power and stage a coup against the government. She thought she could return Kanto to glory and cement her place in the history books." She looked down into small pool of red wine in her glass and allowed a tiny smirk to grace her face. "Then you launched a coup of your own and took your rightful place at the head of our group."
It had been a cunning ploy. While his mother had been focused on making a profit for herself and buying the loyalty of people in power, Giovanni had earned it from the rank and file through simple acts of generosity and genuine leadership. The day that his mother called for a meeting of her most powerful and loyal allies, he had sprung his trap. With nothing more than a small but powerful bomb hidden in a briefcase, the old guard had been all but eradicated.
The dream of conquest and glory his mother had died alongside her that day.
Ironically, Giovanni had a better chance of achieving that than she did. He had been the one to spread Team Rocket's influence across the globe and create order from chaos. His philanthropy had helped feed the starving people of Kanto in the post-war world and he had been at the forefront of the reconstruction effort. This had earned him the love of the people and the respect of those in power. All it would take was a simple announcement and he could have any position he wanted.
Giovanni closed his eyes and let out an almost imperceptible sigh. His Persian mewled at his side and nudged his leg with its snout. He reached down to scratch its ears, much to the delight of the regal feline.
"I can still remember it like it was yesterday. My mother had few true allies and even fewer people that she could call friend. If I was ever going to truly lead, they all had to die."
She frowned. "You did what you had to. If you hadn't killed them, they'd have thrown Kanto into a civil war. They world is better off with them all dead."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple. Not all of them died that day." He sighed and leaned back in his seat, gazing out the nearby window. "Not all of them were at the bombing. A few of her allies were too far away to attend and I had to arrange for other means of assassination. One survived."
She could hardly contain her shock. The stories always spoke of how Giovanni's ascendancy was a brutal, bloody execution of anyone who opposed him. To hear that someone had managed to survive meant one of two things. They were either extremely lucky or a deadly enemy.
No one in their line of work relied on luck to survive.
"Who was it?"
Giovanni's hand tightened around his glass so hard that she feared it would shatter. "A senile old bastard." He grimaced and set his glass aside. Abandoning all sense of decorum, he patted his lap to allow Persian up so he could stroke it. "He was the architect of the Specters."
The Specters were the elite agents of Team Rocket. They extended Giovanni's influence across the globe and struck fear into the hearts of their rivals. Domino had the honor of being one of them and she knew better than most how grueling the training could be. It could break someone if they weren't strong enough. Those that came out the other end were the best of the best, however, which made all the pain worth it.
Whoever created that program must have been a genius.
"He must have been dangerous." She responded.
He snorted in derision. "Oh, he was. I sent a small army of fifty men armed with the best weapons and Pokemon money could buy. They were to ambush him in his home late at night when he was asleep and burn his house to the ground when the deed was done."
Fifty men? It sounded like overkill to her. That was the kind of force you brought to fight a Champion.
"How did he survive?"
"I underestimated him." Giovanni growled. "My men had been slaughtered. The lucky ones had just been torn apart, shot, or stabbed. Most of them were frozen solid though. He posed their corpses like statues as a message."
She grimaced in disgust. Being frozen to death was one of the worst ways to go. The scientists always talked about how freezing to death would cause the water in the human body to expand and rupture its cells to the point they exploded. It was easier to think of it as turning her body into a useless bag of mush. The expressions of agony of the faces of those who were flash frozen made for excellent motivation to avoid Ice types.
"What did he do after? I doubt he took your attempt on his life lightly."
Giovanni drummed his fingers along the edge of the table. "Indeed. I was prepared for a fight. However skilled he was, he had no allies and few resources. More importantly, I knew what his most likely targets would be. Setting a trap to kill him would have been easy."
"Heh. It's good to hear he paid for what he- "
"It never came to that. We made a deal instead." He pushed past her shocked silence, gently scratching his Persian beneath its chin. "I received a call not long after the assassination. The terms were simple: In exchange for him disappearing, I would pay him a small sum of thirty million dollars and leave him in peace."
She frowned. "Why did you accept?"
If there was one thing she knew about Giovanni, it was that he didn't tolerate threats. She'd been sent to kill more than a few of them. It didn't matter if they were uppity crime syndicates, prideful vigilantes, or rival Teams from other regions. If they were a threat, they were to be dealt with. Not even Legends were off limits.
So why had he made an exception for this man?
"It was easier than a fight." He shrugged. "Even if his death was all but certain, he was a skilled man. He knew our weak points and could have caused irreparable damage before he died. He could have revealed my identity to the world and my role as its new leader. The chance to avoid that was too good to pass up."
"Why did you trust him to keep his word? He could have taken the money and betrayed you once he disappeared."
"I didn't trust him. I trusted that I knew how he would act." He wagged his finger alongside his correction. "He was a selfish man with no concern for anyone beyond himself. He knew that I would keep tabs on him wherever he went. If he betrayed me and went back on the deal, I would take my pound of flesh from his hide if it was the last thing I did."
Her eyes widened. "And he wouldn't do anything to put his life in danger if there was no reward."
This man sounded a bit like Proton if the dead fool had been competent at his job.
He nodded. "Indeed. For the past two decades, he's upheld his end of the bargain. But in the past few years, there have been… incidents. Incidents with his fingerprints all over them."
"What do you mean?"
"Agents that I trusted on an implicit basis have been dropping like flies. Tens of millions of dollars vanish into the void with no trace." He took a short sip of his wine. "Not to mention that someone has been feeding intel to Interpol on our operations."
Domino's eyes narrowed. While assassinations did happen when people were looking to climb the ladder, the pattern made it clear who the real target was. As a crime syndicate, it was expected that there would be some level of theft from within. For that kind of money to disappear without a trace, however, there would need to be a considerable amount of people working to hide it. Add in the increasing interference of the authorities and the source of all their issues became clear.
There were traitors among them.
It wouldn't be wise to jump to conclusions though.
"I can see why you think someone is working against you but why him?" She couldn't help but ask. "It doesn't seem like there's anything that directly implicates him."
Giovanni nodded along and ran his fingers along the paws of his Persian. "There isn't anything obvious. He is one of the few with the motivation, skill, and contacts to attempt a coup though. Naturally, that puts him at the top of my list."
"I thought you killed all of his allies?"
"I did. I allowed his students to live, however." Giovanni's eyes glinted with a blazing fury in the light of day. "They were children at the time. It would have been a tragedy to kill them for the crimes of their captor. Especially when they could still be useful. "
"You allowed them to become Specters." Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her. "You think one of them is responsible for this?"
Giovanni grunted. "There's a certain cruelty and brutality to the assassinations that only his students employ. He would punish them for acts of mercy and reward them the more bloodthirsty they became. It normalized cruel violence to the point it became second nature for them."
She had never met one of them. By their nature, Specters worked alone. While they were more than capable of working in teams when they had to, most of her kind preferred to work alone. Trust wasn't something that came naturally in their line of work. On the rare occasions they did have to work together, however, they stuck with those they had trained alongside.
The older generations were no exception.
"If you think they're behind this, why not get rid of them then?"
"I would prefer to be certain before I make any rash moves." Giovanni told her. "It's possible that I'm wrong and none of them have turned on me. Or it could be a small group of them or even all of them. Before I retaliate, I must be certain."
She leaned forward. "Which is where I come in."
He nodded. "Correct. Your mission is to give me a definitive answer. There's no deadline and no punishment if you cannot find anything. Just keep in mind that the longer you take, these attacks on our organization will only escalate."
"Where should I start?"
"The source. Even if he is not directly responsible for this, he would know if his former students were working against me." He paused for a moment as the waiter returned with their food and set it on the table in front of them. With a graceful bow, they departed once more. "You are to depart for Mahogany Town tomorrow. Your target is Pryce Willow Harper – the Ice Gym Leader of Johto."
Domino nodded. "I understand. Am I to remain hidden?"
"For as long as possible. He will discover you eventually but don't make it easy on him. Use the time you are hidden to your advantage." Giovanni slid his Persian off him and began to cut into his food. "I shall send you all the info we have on him. I expect you to have it memorized by the time you arrive."
"Don't worry. I won't fail you, sir. By the time I'm done, the traitors will be as good as dead."
The Aether Foundation was known across the world for its philanthropy. Orphaned children were often taken in by them and given bright futures to look forward to with warm beds and full bellies. They built communal homes within major cities and often ran large soup kitchens to help anyone in need. In the eyes of the public, the Aether Foundation could do no wrong.
They were most well known for their efforts with Pokemon, however. Within their reservations and facilities, Pokemon who would have died in the wild were nursed back to health and taught how to look after themselves. Whenever the Rangers, the League, or the police rescued Pokemon from the clutches of evil Teams, they were often placed in the care of the Aether Foundation staff to rehabilitate them. For many young trainers across the world, their starter Pokemon would come from one of these facilities.
Unfortunately for the men and women of Aether, these reservations were premium targets for Pokemon thieves.
Matori stepped over the unconscious body of an Aether worker and looked around the meadow of the outpost on Akala Island. Calling it an outpost was far too kind in her mind though. With only a large circular, fenced enclosure to keep the Pokemon from escaping and a single lab in the center of the field, this was more of a ranch than a true outpost.
For a group that claimed to prioritize the safety of Pokemon, they sure hadn't done much to protect them. With only five people in total working here and all of them being scientists, there was no one to protect them. They hadn't even bothered to install any automated security systems. The Aether Foundation knew how valuable their reservations would be and yet they left them undefended. It was either arrogance or stupidity of the highest order.
At least it made her job easier.
She was pleased to see that their mission was going well so far. With the scientists all having been dispatched in the opening attack, the Pokemon had fallen so after. Most of them were either too young or too weak to stand against her people. All it had taken was a quick show of force and they had submitted like the good tools they were meant to be. With no one around to stop them, they would be loaded into the trucks on cages and driven to their hideout on the island.
If only all her missions could go so well.
She looked up at the sun high in the sky and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Gozu, I need a word with you."
Gozu was a large man in his late thirties to early forties with tanned skin and short black hair. He towered over her and most other people with a muscular build meant more for practical use than show. To her eternal confusion, he also wore an eyepatch over his right eye even though it was perfectly fine.
So long as he provided results and followed her orders, she couldn't care less about his strange fashion choices.
He stopped not far from her right and tilted his head down respectfully. "What can I do for you, ma'am?"
"How much longer until we have all the Pokemon loaded onto the trucks?"
Gozu shrugged. "Should only take another ten minutes or so. I can't wait to get out of this damn heat."
She snorted in amusement. "We're in Alola, Gozu. You'll have to get used to the heat."
He grunted in annoyance. "I thought we'd be spending more time on the water than actually working. Should've known better when the orders came directly from the boss."
He should have. He was one of her men and she worked directly with Giovanni. If he or anyone else thought that meant they would get to kick back and relax, they were dead wrong. They were expected to work twice as hard to produce the best results. Anything less would be an insult to the boss.
Vacation could come after they had something to celebrate.
"How much longer until the police realize what's happened?"
Gozu shrugged. "We've jammed all communications in a mile radius and took out the scientists before they could escape. Unless some passing trainer happens to see us, the authorities won't know anything until we're long gone."
Matori smirked. No passing trainer would be able to resist the chance to show off how heroic they were. Their kind were obsessed with sticking their noses in other people's business and demonstrating how strong they were. That obsession was the source of constant headaches for all members of Team Rocket. While she would never admit it, she enjoyed every opportunity she got to show how weak they were.
It was the only way they would learn the reality of the world, after all.
Since no one had come screaming out of the woods about how they were going to save the day or demanding to know how they could do this, that meant no trainers were nearby. Lucky them.
"Good. We can't afford to spend too long here- "
She was cut off by a rumbling roar from behind the two of them. She spun on her heels and reached for one of her Pokeballs while Gozu threw himself in front of her as a shield. The source of the roar was a Crabominable with stark white fur, bulging muscles, and a snarl plastered across its face. Unlike others of its species, however, this one had a dark orange discoloration to its skin instead of the typical sky blue.
The creature had ripped itself out of the massive cage they had forced it into and sent her people flying. It smashed its claws together and focused its attention on her. Grabbing some of the metal debris of its cage, it hurled it towards her with all its might.
Matori swore under her breath and threw herself to the side with Gozu not for behind. They narrowly managed to avoid the hunk of metal. It sailed past where they once stood and smashed through the wall of the lab with a harsh crash.
She forced herself to her feet and leveled a glare at the beast. "Still have some fight in you? I thought you'd be smarter than this. Do you really want us to hurt your little friends just because you were feeling rebellious?"
The Crabominable glanced around the clearing. While most of the Pokemon at this outpost had been caged, there were still a few Pokemon free of those confines. None of them were strong or big enough to fight alongside it, however. To make matters worse, the Grunts that she had brought with her had released their own Pokemon and were ready to attack the caged creatures if the Crabominable so much as twitched in her direction.
If it had any empathy at all, it would stand down and do as it was told.
Instead, it growled a challenge and rushed towards her.
Gozu growled and reached for the Pokeball on his belt. "Stupid beast… I'll put it in its place."
She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't. This one is mine."
Even if Gozu didn't want to risk it, he followed her orders and stepped back. He was reliable like that. Matori marched towards to creature and reached behind her back to unsheathe her dagger. When it was in range, the monster reared back its fist and launched it towards her head. She rolled underneath the blow and lashed out with her blade, striking it in the joint. By the time it spun to see her, she had already sprinted away and put distance between them.
She twirled the dagger in her hands with a mocking smirk, cobalt blood dripping from the blade. "First blood goes to me."
The Crabominable slammed its fists into the ground and sprinted towards her.
Her eyes slid past it, and she laughed in amusement. "Alright, I guess you can play too."
Crabominable paused mid-step at her words in confusion. It didn't have to wait long to find out what she meant. An Alolan Meowth leapt into the air and scurried up the back of the Crabominable to the top of its head. Her partner extended its claws and dug them into its eyes as deep as they could go. The Crabominable howled in agony and reached up to crush Meowth in its claws, but the feline had already leapt from atop its head.
Her partner rolled to a stop in front of her, crossing its arms with its back to their opponent and an air of smug superiority around it. Matori rolled her eyes and watched the Crabominable thrash around wildly now that its sight had been stolen from it.
"You shouldn't play with your food so much." She playfully scolded her partner.
Meowth scoffed and turned to look at the Crabominable. It flicked its claws and sprayed the blue blood onto the green grass beneath their feet. With a shrug of its shoulder, Meowth looked up at her as if to ask what she wanted it to do.
"Let's put it out of its misery." She ordered. "This thing is worthless to us without its eyes."
Alive, anyway. Once it was dead, they could harvest the valuable materials from its body and sell it for a hefty profit. It was less valuable than a living Crabominable, but they didn't have that option anymore. No one wanted a blind Pokemon, after all.
With a lazy sigh, Meowth picked a small rock off the ground and stalked towards the suffering monster. It tossed the rock to the ground just to the right of the Crabominable's feet. The instant it heard the impact in the dirt, it spun around and slammed an icy fist into ground. It kicked up a cloud of dirt and obscured itself within, but they didn't need to see it to know where it was.
Meowth leapt onto her back and held on tight as she sprinted towards the dust cloud. She shouted to draw its attention and was rewarded with the beast bellowing in rage as it barreled towards them. She kept shouting and dashed right, drawing it after her. As it followed, Meowth jumped from her back to behind the maimed monster.
Her partners claws glowed with a violent crimson energy and lunged forward, slashing the tendons of its two back legs. With two of its legs useless, the Crabominable tumbled forward along the ground face first. Despite its crippling injuries, it tried to force itself upright using its arms. Just as it managed to get itself a few feet off the ground, Matori lashed out with her dagger.
One quick thrust forward, a twist of her wrist, and the jugular of the beast was sliced. She leapt back as it tried in vain to grab her with its dying breath, but she was too quick. All it ended up doing was splashing her with its cobalt blood as it collapsed into a puddle of its own blood on the ground.
Matori scrunched up her nose in disgust and sheathed her dagger. "Great… now I'm going to smell like frozen seafood for the next three days."
Meowth snickered from behind the corpse and licked its paws in delight. She crouched down to scratch it behind its ears and was rewarded with a soft purr. Little bugger was always in a good mood after killing something and she would never understand why.
Gozu whistled in appreciation and stopped behind her. "Nice work, Matori. You and that Meowth of yours are like a well-oiled machine."
She smiled at the praise. "We aim to please." She stood at her full height and watched as her Grunts forced the last of the wild Pokemon into cages. "Do you think this will be enough of a message?"
He scoffed. "If it isn't then that Wicke lady is one heartless witch."
Or just plan foolish. An attack like this would deal a massive blow to the Aether Foundation's reputation. If people didn't believe that they could protect the Pokemon in their care, then who would rely on them to look after their injured Pokemon? How could new trainers trust that their starter Pokemon wouldn't be stolen? Who would want to work for a company that couldn't even protect its own employees from being attacked and humiliated?
She shook her head. "Wicke is a smart woman. She'll give us what we want."
"And if she doesn't? She already rejected us once."
"Then the Aether Foundation will burn."
Leading a team was one of the most difficult jobs in the world. In the modern world, basic leadership was a skill that many young trainers naturally learned. It took a lot to earn the respect of a full team of Pokemon and have them follow your orders, let alone traveling in groups with other trainers. Simple things like stocking up on enough supplies for a whole group, mediating interpersonal problems, setting up shifts for night watch, and so many other vital responsibilities. For many trainers, this helped prepare them for the world and gave them the ability to excel in their future careers.
No amount of experience as a trainer could prepare someone for leadership in the International Police though. As the senior agent, Looker was responsible for teaching rookies to survive and thrive in the field. He had to draft plans that kept his people alive, protected the public, and eliminated the threats that faced society. Then there was the nigh impossible task of keeping the public aware of the monsters in the shadows.
The most difficult responsibility of leadership, however, was juggling the personalities that fellow agents had. There was a common saying among agents of Interpol that no sane person ever joined their little family of spies. After give or take two decades as an active agent, he had worked with everyone under the sun. Narcissists, pacifists, Human supremacists, criminals, jilted lovers, and even former Rangers.
The worst of the worst.
None of his teams in the past had been as… versatile as his current one.
Sat in the briefing room with said team, Looker's eyes drifted to each of them over the mug in his hand while he mentally prepared himself.
Anabel was sitting to his left with her eyes closed, her chest gently rising and falling. He'd been with her long enough to know that she was meditating on her thoughts and keeping her powers under control. She was more competent than any rookie he had ever worked with before. A strong but flexible set of morals, a good work ethic, powerful Pokemon, and the ability to think on her feet. With her psychic abilities on top of that, he could see her running Interpol one day if she survived long enough.
Her only hurdle would be overcoming the stigma surrounding psychics.
In the corner of the room, Petrovic was openly drinking from a bottle of cheap white wine without a care in the world. He had chosen a spot that protected his back and allowed him to have a clear view of the entire room. As far as agents went, Petrovic was among the most skilled and experienced. If they needed someone assassinated or intimidated, he was the man for the job.
He railed against authority though. This was a man who couldn't help but test boundaries and rebel against the orders of others. Looker had been forced to watch him bungle simple missions because of his bloodthirst. More than once, he had chosen to kill targets they were meant to capture – once even going so far as to collapse an entire supermarket on the Rocket.
It didn't help that the psychopath enjoyed messing with Looker every chance he got. As the leader of this team and the only one with real experience working with him, Looker would be keeping an eye on him.
Looker grunted in annoyance and tore his eyes away from the man. He took a sip from his mug and let out a sigh of contentment. Galarian coffee was the best – a mixture of Galarian whiskey, hot coffee, sugar, and cream all in one. The perfect drink to cure his stress.
He looked to the final member of his team. Ash was busy fiddling with a simple lock that he had given the boy. On the table in front of him, Pikachu was struggling in vain to open a bottle of ketchup with his paws while Latias was leaning against him under the guise of her friend Bianca.
Ash… was not a bad rookie. He listened well and did his best to learn from them. While far from the best prospective agent, he was picking up the necessary skills to be an effective spy. He had a strong if naïve set of morals, a stubbornness that allowed him to push past any hurdles he encountered, and the ability to think outside the box. The allegiance that Latias held towards him was just a bonus.
He was also a major source of stress for Looker. Ever since the boy had been recruited, it had been like taking care of a particularly dense child. He constantly rushed off into danger without thinking things through and acted like he was invincible. As if that wasn't bad enough, he still didn't fully understand the seriousness of their job.
After Alto Mare, he was starting to realize that there were consequences when they failed. Sooner or later, Ash would break. The only question was if he would shatter into a thousand tiny pieces… or a jagged edged weapon.
This team was going to be the death of him.
Looker could feel his blood pressure rising. With a single sip of Galarian coffee, he brought it back under control. He cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
"I have good news and bad news." He told them after setting his drink aside. "The good news is that we're going to the tropics. We'll be getting plenty of sun and have a chance to relax at the beach in our downtime."
Ash leaned forward with a smile. "That sounds great!"
Petrovic groaned. "Ya'd only lead with the good news if something worse would follow. What's the bad news, Looky?"
He hid his grimace behind a sip of his drink, "We're going to Alola."
The effect on the room was immediate. Anabel leaned forward and hunched over the table, holding her head in her hands. Petrovic let out a loud, suffering sigh and took a long swig from his bottle. Pikachu had frozen on the spot like a Stantler in headlights, the bottle of ketchup locked in its jaws. Latias leaned back with concerned eyes. As for Ash?
The smile had been wiped from his face and he let out a pained whimper.
It wasn't the reaction most people had when they were told they would be visiting Alola. The region was one of the top vacation spots in the entire world. With clear blue ocean water and white, sandy beaches it had a natural beauty hard to find in other parts of the world. The inhabitants of the island chain were famed for their hospitality and kindness towards those that came to visit. Add in the unique culture unfound in any other part of the world and it was a place most people would have loved to spend time in.
Most people didn't have to wrangle a team with a criminal former champion on it.
"Why are we going there?" Anabel asked.
Petrovic snorted. "Ya mean aside from rotten luck?"
Looker grabbed a remote and flicked on the projector in the room. An image of a woman with short purple hair and glasses in a business suit appeared on screen. The photo had been taken from a distance, but it managed to capture enough detail of the aftermath of a fight a few years ago between Team Rocket and Team Plasma.
It brought back unpleasant memories. Looker had been stationed in Unova when that conflict had flared up. While the two crime syndicates had fought over territory and influence, the International Police had been focused on damage control. Protecting civilians and suppressing how bad the violence was had been their priorities. His superiors had been convinced the shadow war would have waged for years. He'd even heard rumors of them supporting Plasma to stop the spread of Rocket.
It had left a bad taste in his mouth when he heard it. How could they claim to be protectors of the innocent when they were funding a crime syndicate with aspirations of revolution? Mercifully, he never had to find out if the rumors were true. Thanks to the efforts of a small group of Trainers, local law enforcement, and his own skill they had managed to arrest the leaders of Plasma before they could take control of a Legend.
Ironically, Ash had been one of the Trainers that helped bring down Plasma. At the time, Looker had been amazed at his bravery fighting Plasma. He could remember thinking the boy could be a good agent one day.
He wished he could go back and warn himself about how bad an idea that was.
"For the past year, Team Rocket has expanded its influence to the island chain." He explained. "The territory they control is host to the usual crimes. Smuggling, arms and Pokemon deals, drug pushing, extortion, theft, etc."
Petrovic frowned. "Lemme guess, we're supposed to do the impossible and throw them off the islands?"
"No, actually." It was the one bit of good news they had. "Local law enforcement has refused our offer to work together. They say they can handle it on their own."
He snorted. "Sure they can. I'll bet ya a hundred dollars they're too prideful to ask for help."
Anabel rolled her eyes. "That's a fools bet." She tilted her head aside. "Why are we going there then if we haven't been invited by local authorities?"
Looker shrugged. "We don't need their permission to operate in Alola. We have a base there, after all. It would certainly make things easier for us, but we have the authority to work independently when we must."
His drunken comrade slammed his bottle on the table. "And that's why they hate us, lass." He snickered. "Impotent little bastards can't stand when we disrespect them. And they despise how we can order them around and they're forced to follow orders. Hearing them whine like brats is the funniest part of the job."
"There are plenty good people in the police." Looker had personally worked alongside many of them. "And if we're lucky, they'll realize how beneficial we can be once we arrive. After all, we'll need all the help we can get if we're going to capture this woman."
Latias leaned back in her chair and watched the screen with a curious expression. "Who is she?"
"Her name is Matori Zhupikov AKA The Secretary. She is- "
Ash chose that moment to speak up. "She's the leader of the Matori Matrix. An elite unit of Team Rocket."
He had a feeling he was going to regret this but… "How do you know her?"
Ash shrugged. "I met her when I was in Alola. I was part of a group called the Ultra Guardians and we ran into her every now and then. She never seemed like much of a threat."
He forced another sip of his drink past his lips. "And why were you and your friends fighting a dangerous criminal?"
Petrovic scoffed. "Screw that, what in blazes is an Ultra Guardian and how did ya of all people become one?"
A melancholic smile crossed his face. "It was a group that worked for the Aether Foundation. We helped protect the region from Ultra Beasts and safely return them to their homes. She'd try to capture Ultra Beasts whenever they appeared in our world, but we managed to stop her every time."
At this point, learning that Ash had been part of a group dedicated to fighting dangerous, otherworldly monsters didn't shock him. He could feel his blood pressure rising at the thought of what other surprises awaited them on those islands.
He went to take a sip of his coffee. In what must have been an act of pure spite on the part of Arceus, it was empty. With a dejected sigh, he set the cup aside and pinched the bridge of his nose.
He was going to need more Galarian coffee before the day was over.
"Well, that's quite the coincidence then. Our help was actually requested by the Aether Foundation. They've offered to fund our operation in Alola and pledge future support to Interpol if we come."
Petrovic whistled approvingly. "That's quite the offer. Them Aether folks are loaded. Why did they ask for us though?"
Looker frowned. "Two weeks ago, Matori and her people raided one of the Aether Foundations outposts. They stole the Pokemon in their care, knocked out the workers, and fled before the authorities even knew anything had happened. Only a single Crabominable was killed during the heist. According to the report, the Pokemon they stole are collectively worth over thirty million dollars."
Latias growled. Collectively, they all winced in pain as her rage was felt through the psychic link she had with them all. "No amount of money is worth what they must be going through."
"You won't find us disagreeing with you." He promised. "This was only done in retaliation though."
Ash crossed his arms and glared at picture of Matori. "Retaliation for what?"
"Team Rocket demanded that the Aether Foundation hand over all the data they had on Ultra Beasts and Ultra Wormholes. According to the Foundation, Matori called them once the raid was over and gave them an ultimatum."
"Give up the data or suffer the consequences." Anabel finished. "I take it they refused?"
He nodded. "They did. A few days ago, multiple raids were conducted on Aether outposts with the same result. Worse, Aether's farms and mining operations have been crippled over the past week by fires, rabid Pokemon attacks, and strikes from workers."
"They're bleeding money and want us to make it stop." Anabel shook her head. "I guess I can understand why they want Interpol's help. Why us though? There's an entire contingent of agents in Alola already."
Looker smiled. "An old friend of mine called in a favor that I couldn't refuse. She wanted someone she trusted to help with this."
He hoped that Wicke wasn't letting the stress of all this get to her.
"So not only do we have to help a soulless corporation, but we also have to capture one of the top operatives of Team Rocket? All while the local police feel like we slighted them?" Anabel groaned. "Why can't there ever be any simple missions?"
Petrovic patted her on the back sympathetically. For once, she didn't shy away in disgust. "Yer in the wrong line of work if ya think we ever get the simple missions."
It didn't help that on paper, they must have seemed like an unstoppable team. A former Frontier Brain with Psychic abilities, a lethal assassin, the man who took down Plasma and Galactic, and a former Champion with a Legend. They should have been capable of effortlessly taking on any enemy.
If only reality were so kind. If it were, perhaps Alto Mare wouldn't have ended so violently. So many people dead... it weighed on him. Objectively, he knew that he shouldn't blame himself for the actions of Team Rocket. It wasn't as easy as it sounded though. If he'd been smarter or more careful, maybe he could have prevented it and saved the people of Alto Mare. As if that wasn't bad enough, the one victory they'd gained in that city had been stolen from them.
When Looker had been told that Proton was assassinated in the middle of police headquarters, he had been speechless. Horrified. With Proton's cooperation, they could have crippled Team Rocket and found out their ongoing plans. If nothing else, he would have been enough for them to move against Giovanni and expose him to the world. Looker had believed leaving him with the police would give him enough protection from any potential Rocket agents.
No such luck. The police hadn't bothered to watch Proton when Looker had left. Petrovic had only arrived in time to find the security footage destroyed and the corpse of the former admin in the center of the interrogation room, its face frozen in shock and horror. All he knew was that Proton hadn't expected to be killed and his killer had used a revolver to execute the man.
Looker swore that if he ever found the killer, he would make them pay. By killing Proton when they did, they were responsible for all the pain Team Rocket inflicted in the future.
"Should I really be going?" Ash asked. "My face is pretty well known in Alola. Anyone could recognize me and then we'll have to deal with a manhunt."
Looker offered his young friend a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine. We'll get you a good disguise. Combine your altered appearance with a cover identity and you'll be a completely different person."
"Even if anyone does recognize ya through the disguise, they'll convince themselves it can't be ya." Petrovic shrugged. "Happens all the time with celebrities."
Ash sighed. "Just don't make me look like a clown again please. That was humiliating."
Latias tilted her head to the side. "You were a clown?"
He groaned. "Not by choice. It was horrible."
Anabel giggled. "Oh, don't be so modest. You made me laugh." She smiled. "Don't worry, your next disguise won't be so humiliating. That's just Interpol's way of welcoming new agents."
"I'd have preferred a coupon or even a fruit basket…."
Looker rolled his eyes. "Just trust us, Ash. Whatever your next cover is, you'll be unrecognizable to everyone else. If anything goes wrong, we'll be there to protect you. Your experience on the islands will be invaluable to us."
Ash grimaced. "That'll have to do I guess." He shook his head. "It'll be… strange to see Alola again after everything that's happened."
"You'll have plenty of time to come to terms with the idea. We leave in the next few days." He informed them. "Take some time to rest before we leave. I get the feeling we won't have much time for it once we get there."
