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•••••••••••••••••
Green scrolled through the stolen Team Rocket files, her expression unreadable as lines of data scrolled past. The encrypted files weren't just mission reports, they were blueprints for something big.
Something dangerous.
Austin sat beside her, eyes scanning the dense layers of information, packed with coded transmissions, personnel movements, and operational schedules. It was a mess of logistical jargon, but amidst all the noise, one name kept showing up.
Ariana.
Austin's grip on the desk tightened. That was it. Team Rocket wasn't in Cerulean City for recruitment, smuggling, or even the usual back-alley dealings.
They were here for her.
With Ariana's high ranking, she had been processed through Pewter City Detention Center, awaiting transport to Indigo Penitentiary, Kanto's most secure prison, built to hold high-profile criminals too dangerous to be kept anywhere else.
Escape from Indigo? Impossible.
Escape before getting there? Much easier.
Austin read through the attached operational report, his stomach sinking.
The transport schedule was airtight: April 1st: Ariana would be moved from Pewter City Detention Center at 0700 hours. The convoy would take Route 4, cutting through Mt. Moon Tunnel for additional security. Upon exiting near Cerulean Outskirts, the transport would continue north along Route 10, through Rock Tunnel. A long, winding path notorious for its low visibility and isolation.
Finally, they'd reach Lavender Town, where a second team would transfer her to a League-secured vessel bound for Indigo Penitentiary.
A small footnote at the end of the report stood out: Expected civilian interference: Minimal. Threat of League involvement: Low.
Austin exhaled sharply. They knew everything. The exact route. The security detail. The personnel in charge.
Team Rocket had inside men. His mind raced. Why Rock Tunnel? It made sense from a security standpoint with fewer civilians, natural barriers preventing outside interference, only one clear entrance and exit.
"A collapse."
Austin glanced up as Green tapped the screen, highlighting key points along the tunnel route.
"This is where they'll do it," she murmured. Her finger traced two specific locations on the map. "A controlled detonation here..." She moved slightly forward. "And here."
A slow realization crept up Austin's spine. "If they blow these supports, the tunnel comes down."
"Yup," Green confirmed. "And not just a partial collapse either a full cave-in, under thirty seconds." She leaned back, arms crossed. "Fast enough for a psychic to teleport in, grab Ariana, and blink out before anyone even realizes what's happening."
Austin's jaw clenched.
The transport team would be trapped. Buried. Kanto would scramble, believing it to be a tragic accident, diverting attention to rescue operations. Meanwhile, Ariana would already be gone. No direct assaults. No unnecessary casualties. A clean, precise operation.
Austin exhaled slowly, his mind racing. The plan was airtight. But why now?
Ariana wasn't just another grunt, but she wasn't exactly irreplaceable either. Giovanni wasn't the type to gamble big on sentiment. He preferred to operate from the shadows, keeping Team Rocket's true strength hidden.
But this?
This was reckless. This was high-risk for minimal gain. It didn't add up unless this wasn't about Ariana at all. Unless this was about sending a message. Austin's thoughts darkened as he landed on the only explanation that made sense.
Mewtwo.
Had Giovanni already created it? The timelines were messy.
In the anime, Mewtwo was fully developed, controlled by advanced technology. In the manga, Mewtwo was unstable, needing Blaine's DNA to stabilize its power.
Which one was it?
Austin didn't know. If Team Rocket was already making moves this big, it meant they were confident. It meant something had changed. And he had a sinking feeling that Mewtwo was at the center of it.
"So," Green drawled, "what's the plan, superhero?"
"...What?"
"You heard me," she said, smirking. "You're gonna stop it, right?"
Austin didn't answer. Green raised an eyebrow. "Or are you just gonna let it happen?"
Austin exhaled slowly. The logical thing to do was walk away. This was way bigger than him. Stopping a high-level Rocket operation especially if they had Mewtwo was suicidal. But putting your head down was going to lead to an even bigger problem later on.
Austin's eyes darkened.
Green noticed the shift. Her smirk faltered. "Wait, you're actually thinking about it?"
Austin stayed silent because in his heart he already knew. He couldn't ignore this. But the real question was... Could he afford to get involved?
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The communication room was dark, illuminated only by the glow of monitors lining the walls. Executives of Team Rocket appeared on screen, their figures shadowed by poor lighting; Proton, Archer, Petrel, and, of course, the Boss himself, Giovanni.
At the center of it all stood Sabrina, silent and unreadable, her arms folded as she listened to the debriefing.
Proton was already running his mouth. "How the hell did you let a kid infiltrate the base and steal classified intel?!"
Sabrina turned to him, eyes cold. "Oh, you got me," she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Next time, I'll personally invite the thief in, offer her tea, and hand-deliver the documents myself. Would that make you feel better?"
"You..."
"Enough," Archer cut in.
Petrel chuckled, arms behind his head. "Relax, Proton. If you were gettin' robbed by the Thousand-Faced Girl, I'd bet you woulda performed worse."
"You know the thief?"
Petrel gave a lazy shrug. "Yeah, she's made quite the name for herself in Kanto. Always buying up information, always looking for something. I even offered her a spot in Team Rocket once."
That caught everyone's attention.
"You offered her a position?" Proton asked, incredulous.
"Hey, when I see talent, I know it," Petrel said smoothly. "She turned me down, though. Said she doesn't work under anyone."
"Hmph." Archer leaned back. "Then this wasn't an attack. This was a job."
"And we were just in her way," Proton muttered.
The room fell into silence, the only sound the soft purring of Persian from Giovanni's screen. Then, finally, the Boss spoke.
"Sabrina," Giovanni's voice was calm, commanding, absolute. "Anything of value from the thief's mind?"
Sabrina hesitated. "...It's complicated."
A long pause.
"Elaborate."
Sabrina exhaled. "Her mind was... protected." She frowned, recalling the sensation. "Something was there... a dark parasitic presence. Not a normal psychic barrier. I've never encountered anything like it."
Silence.
Persian's tail flicked. Giovanni leaned back, fingers steepled under his chin. "Petrel," he said smoothly. "Track her down. Ensure she doesn't sell what she stole."
"You got it, Boss."
"With the possibility that this 'accident' may result in complications, I want captains from each division sent to assist Sabrina in the retrieval mission."
"Understood." Archer nodded.
"On it," Proton muttered.
"I'll see which one of my guys I can spare," Petrel added casually.
One by one, the screens flickered off, leaving only Giovanni and Sabrina.
The boss studied her for a long moment.
"You were distracted during the meeting," he observed.
Sabrina flinched internally. "...Apologies, Boss," she said smoothly. "I've just seen... too many strange things lately."
"Hmph." Giovanni's fingers tapped against the desk. "Take a few days off," he commanded. "Get your mind in the right headspace."
A pause.
Then, before she could stop herself, the words slipped out. "...Maybe I should go on a date."
The air in the room froze.
Sabrina immediately regretted it. She wasn't sure why she said it. She wasn't even sure what she meant. But there it was. Hanging. Waiting. She stared at Giovanni, expecting disapproval. Instead Giovanni smiled but it wasn't a pleasant smile. It was a knowing calculating one. A Persian watching a Rattata walk willingly into a trap. "If it helps you succeed in your mission," he said smoothly, "then by all means..." He tilted his head, voice dark with amusement. "Go on a date."
Sabrina didn't know why, but the way he said it made her feel like she had just made a deal she didn't understand.
She swallowed hard, nodding once. "Understood, Boss."
The screen flickered off.
Meanwhile... Giovanni leaned back in his chair, stroking Persian's fur, eyes narrowed in thought. His executives were soldiers, powerful in their own ways but loyalty only went so far.
But this?
This was something different. Sabrina was strong. One of his best.
But now?
Now, she was interested in something. Or rather, someone. A small smirk curled at the corner of his lips. Perfect. A strong soldier was valuable. But a strong soldier with emotional ties? That was something far more useful.
"Power alone is never enough, Sabrina," Giovanni mused, his voice barely above a whisper. "You need more than just loyalty..." His eyes darkened. "You need something to lose."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The lights dimmed slightly, a soft blue wash gliding over the stage like moonlight over water. From the center platform, a spotlight hit Daisy as she strutted forward, sequins shimmering across her aquamarine outfit, her heels clicking with practiced poise.
The audience roared.
Not clapped but roared. Daisy paused, letting the sound wash over her, eyes glistening. For a moment, she stood there, taking it all in. This… this was what they'd worked for. The lights, the stage, the eyes of Kanto watching. She was shaking but not from fear. From pride. Raising the mic to her lips, her voice rang out like a bell.
"Cerulean City!"
The crowd erupted louder. She had to pause, laughing into the mic as the volume peaked.
"Okay, okay, enough! I know I'm stunning, but let's not make it too obvious!"
Laughter followed. Then quiet.
Daisy smiled again, softer now. "We just want to say thank you for watching, for cheering, and for believing in us. Over the last week, our shows have gained media attention across Kanto. And thanks to all of you... we, the Cerulean Sisters, have received official offers from the Pokémon League."
More cheers. Even a few gasps.
Daisy held her hand up to quiet them. Her voice dropped to something reverent.
"This isn't just about us. It's not just about shows, or beauty, or even battles. It's about Cerulean City. This is the first step into a new future for Kanto, one where performance and strength blend together. Where creativity has a place beside power."
She turned slightly, scanning the crowd, every person watching her like she was royalty.
"This is the accomplishment of Cerulean."
They roared. She felt like a queen, standing there in that sea of admiration. She brought the mic up again, eyes gleaming.
"But," she said, "that's not all for tonight's announcement."
The crowd hushed instantly.
"We know this past week has been a feast of battles. Our pride and joy, Misty, the fiercest little sister in all of Kanto, has stunned us all with her strength and heart. Trainers from all over have come to challenge her. But like the waters of Cerulean, her defenses are calm, strong, and deeper than they appear."
A pause, then: "But due to the overwhelming number of challengers... we're changing things up!"
Drums sounded from the stage lighting system.
"Starting today, we are introducing a double battle format for Misty's challenges! That's right, two trainers will now take her on at once! And if they win, both of them advance to the next stage of the tournament."
Another burst of applause, surprise, and energy ran through the gym.
"So, trainers," Daisy said, voice gleaming with drama. "Get your partners ready. Because the water's rising."
The spotlight dimmed briefly. Then flared back to full intensity.
"Now then... let's get this party started!"
The crowd detonated with excitement, their cheers shaking the rafters.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Meanwhile...
Austin sat at his booth near the entrance, propping his chin on his palm while calmly sipping on a soda like he hadn't just orchestrated this entire spectacle from the shadows.
He watched as the crowd lost its collective mind and Daisy basked in glory like a natural-born star. That should keep League eyes locked here, he thought. And if Misty racks up enough wins... The League would send an Elite Four member to test her.
Which meant he wouldn't have to personally stop Team Rocket from breaking out Arianna.
Delegation, he thought with a small smirk. It's a lost art.
That was the whole point of rushing the tournament and helping Misty push through the requirements. Get her gym status locked. Let the League take over when it got messy. That's what Elite Four members were for, after all.
He leaned back as murmurs rose near the door. Curious, he followed Pikachu's alert eyes just in time to spot Jessie and Sabrina, barely concealed in the shadows near the entrance.
"He's got a Dark-type with him," Sabrina hissed to Jessie.
Jessie blinked. "And?"
"That matters," Sabrina snapped, narrowing her eyes as her gaze flicked toward the Umbreon curled smugly around Austin's shoulders like some kind of oversized fur stole. Vee blinked lazily, lifted a paw, and licked it with deliberate sass.
Pikachu, on the table, growled. Pika...
Jealous. Definitely jealous.
Sabrina shifted uncomfortably, the pressure of Umbreon's anti-psychic presence making her tense.
"I think he didn't see us," Jessie whispered hopefully.
Austin didn't move, but scratched Pikachu behind the ear before glancing toward the two Rocket agents without turning his head.
The doors burst open with a dramatic swing, nearly knocking over a stack of tournament brochures.
"Uh… hi?"
"...The wind carries many rumors."
Austin paused. "Okay?"
"Rumors… about quiet boys with sharp tongues," she added, narrowing her eyes. "And strong Umbreons."
Austin glanced at Vee, who was currently trying to knock Pikachu's ketchup packet off the desk. "Right..."
"I've decided," Sabrina said, in a tone like she was selecting a new piece of furniture, "that you... may possess utility."
"I—what?"
"I mean, not usefulness in the cold sense, but… well-rounded compatibility." Her voice caught on the last word like she was trying to say something sentimental and forgot how emotions worked halfway through.
"Wait… what are you even—?"
"Hypothetically," she said, holding up one gloved finger. "If a certain high-ranking person were interested in, say… recreational activities… with a civilian... in a controlled setting..."
"Recreational..."
"Like… a location with... air conditioning. Food. Maybe… video games."
"...Are you asking me to hang out at the arcade?"
"I would not... object to the term 'arcade.'"
Austin blinked once. Twice. "Are you asking me out?"
Sabrina visibly glitched.
"NO," she barked. "I mean—YES. I mean—FORGET WHAT I SAID. I have... matters to attend to."
She spun on her heel like she was executing a retreat maneuver, then bonked her head directly against the pillar next to the door. She hissed, tried to pretend it didn't happen, and briskly stormed outside.
"...What the hell just happened," Austin muttered under his breath.
He looked around. Jessie was now pretending to dust a decorative plant.
"You said you were helping out a sick friend," Austin said flatly.
Jessie grinned nervously. "Would you believe me if I said the friend was love sick?"
Austin's deadpan look didn't change.
"Alright, alright, she came to me this morning," Jessie admitted, pulling him to the side. "Said she wanted to go on a date with you. Me being the charitable and fantastic employee I am—"
"Jessie."
"I figured if I helped her out, maybe I could get promoted! Or at least not turned into a Kadabra pretzel the next time I spill coffee in her boots."
Austin stood in silence, his thoughts chasing themselves in circles.
Sabrina liked him.
Let's just sit with that for a second.
Sabrina.
Psychic. Arrogant. Terrifying. Definitely a criminal. Liked. Him.
That sentence alone made his brain glitch like a Porygon on dial-up internet.
The how was a mystery. Their first interaction had involved him mentally bombarding her with increasingly absurd and deeply inappropriate fantasies to keep her from reading his mind. That should've been an automatic disqualification from the dating pool.
And yet…
She still said yes.
Which, objectively, should be a red flag the size of the Indigo Plateau. But there was something about the way she left. Flustered. Fidgety. Very much not in control.
She wasn't manipulating. She wasn't threatening. She was awkward. And somehow that was worse because it meant she was being genuine, and that made her dangerous in a whole new, utterly confusing, emotionally compromised kind of way.
Still, maybe he could use this. Learn something. Get intel. Make a connection. Spy on Team Rocket from the inside.
He found her on a bench just outside the Cerulean Gym courtyard; curled forward, elbows on knees, face buried in her hands like she'd just flunked out of prom.
Austin approached quietly and sat next to her, keeping just enough distance to show he wasn't about to make this weirder than it already was.
"You know," he started, voice casual, "we've had some… really interesting first impressions."
She didn't move.
"But I don't think we've actually introduced ourselves."
Still no answer.
"My name's Ash," he added, "but my friends call me Austin. You can call me that if you want to."
A pause, then, muffled: "I'm not your friend."
"Would you like to be?"
That made her glance up. Just barely. Her expression was hard to read. But her lips twitched like she was debating the answer with a council of inner demons.
Then she nodded. "Yes."
"Cool," he said with a shrug. "Then I'll see you at the arcade tomorrow."
She blinked, clearly not expecting that.
Her blush was so faint you might miss it, but it was there. A rare bloom of red on a face more used to resting murder-glare.
"…Yeah," she murmured.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
That night, Austin sat at the dinner table with his thoughts spinning like a slow, chaotic pinwheel.
He felt weird.
His chest felt light. His stomach fluttered like a freshly hatched Butterfree. And his brain kept replaying the way Sabrina looked up at him when he said she could call him Austin. Was this excitement? Was this what it felt like when you maybe had a date? His past life hadn't exactly been a romance anime. More like a background NPC in a dating sim. So the idea of someone actually liking him, even a terrifying mind-reading ice queen was… kinda nice?
Was that romantic? Or just deeply concerning?
He wasn't sure.
"What are you giggling about?"
Austin snapped upright like someone had hit his mental reset button. "N-Nothing."
He cleared his throat, trying not to look suspicious. "So! Uh, how were the double battles today?"
Misty's eyes lingered on him a second longer than necessary, but she finally let it go. "Your plan worked. Perfectly."
Good. That meant the Moxie Loop was still running. Gyarados would KO the weaker partner's Pokémon first, get a Moxie boost, then steamroll the opponents in a glorious flex of power. Clean. Effective. League-approved.
"I think just a few more days and we'll have enough wins to start Round 2," Misty added, cheeks a little pink.
Daisy, Violet, and Lily leaned in, sharing conspiratorial grins.
Austin narrowed his eyes. "What's with the faces? Do you have something planned?"
"Nope. You wouldn't get it." Lily grinned. "It's a girl thing."
He raised an eyebrow but let it slide. Then... bzzz. The burner phone. One new message from Green. Come up to the room, I'm waiting.
"Alright," he said, stretching dramatically. "Time to turn in. Busy day tomorrow."
"You're way too busy for a ten-year-old," Violet said.
"I'm just dreading the day I have to start doing taxes," he muttered, slipping away.
As he walked toward the exit, he didn't notice the way the girls exchanged more glances. The whispers. The scheming.
Because while Austin was planning for tomorrow… They were planning something else entirely.