Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 011: Give me Strength

"Giovanni?" Delia called unsure, she couldn't see anything.

"I'm here," why would she doubt it? He was holding her hand so they wouldn't be separated in the darkness.

"I know, I just... it's so quiet." The Tempest Gang had attacked their temporary beach-side cave hideout and a raged battle began. At first, Delia could hear the echoes of the fight, even when they began to move away from the collapsed wall of rocks to find another way out of the cavern before they became permanently trapped, but that was over now.

They could no longer hear the noises or feel the earthquakes, which meant the battle inside the cave had ended, though surely it still went on outside, too far to be perceived from their current distance. They were certain that the team made it out, it was the only possibility either of them was willing to accept, Team Rocket wouldn't be defeated so easily, no matter what the Tempest Gang did, they would stay strong. "We'll find a way out."

"I hope so," Delia closed her eyes, she couldn't see anything anyway, and tried to focus on sound, seeking to perceive any sign of a way out. "Do you hear that?"

Giovanni stopped and listened, the soft sound of running water ringing out clearer undisturbed by the sound of their footsteps, "an underground river." They continued carefully, testing the ground, knowing the river was close by judging by the sound, until they got to the edge. Giovanni reached into the water feeling the currents. "This water has to go to the sea, it should lead us out, but the currents are strong."

They couldn't lose now, not when Delia realized how strong Team Rocket was, not when she was feeling so invincible. "I can swim." Normally, she would think twice about jumping into an underground river in the darkness, but they had no time to waste, they had to join their comrades. Team Rocket needed its leader and Delia would be there to help them defeat the evil Tempest Gang as well. "We can make it, I know we can!"

"Then let's go, hold on." They jumped into the river together, being carried away by the strong current. It was very difficult, but they held on to each other, having only fleeting chances to surface against the deadly water to capture small portions of much needed oxygen. It was a life threatening situation many would call terrifying, being so close to drowning in the darkness, pushed by the water and dragged down constantly, not knowing when it would end or how it would end. It was reckless, but those who felt they had all the strength in the world had little room for fear.

Finally, the water turned shallow and the current weakened as the river was spread into many tiny underground streams that had plenty of room to flow and no pressure to make them harsh. With a rush of adrenaline, speedy heartbeats and labored breaths, Giovanni and Delia emerged, wet cold and a little bruised, but alive and energetic despite the recent events.

"We made it... I knew we would..." She was the heroine, the vigilante, she was invincible and so was he. They could not be caught, they could not be defeated, they were Team Rocket.

"That wasn't so bad... it was refreshing..." To look at danger in the face so many times and each time come out victorious, maybe no danger was too great after all.

They examined this new section of the cave. The light was faint, filtering through the cracks in the cave's ceiling, but it was just enough to see, with their eyes having become adjusted to the darkness as well as human eyes could. "The exit has to be close by," a sudden growl made Delia turn towards the sound, "was that a pokemon?"

"It sounds like it's coming this way, but it can't be from Tempest, there's no way they would know we would end up here," Giovanni was sure the Tempest Gang was still at the area at the beach outside the cave. They had to have their hands full with the battle, there was no way they could spare a pokemon to send after them and even less likely that they would be so easily found. "It has to be a wild pokemon." 

Giovanni was right as a wild Graveler came into view. "It looks angry," Delia observed. They had no pokemon to battle it, but they wouldn't lose, not now and not ever. She searched her pockets for an empty pokeball she had taken that morning from the supplies, just in case. "I have a pokeball, but I don't think it'll work when he's so strong."

The Graveler charged at them angrily and they dashed in opposite directions, leaving the furious pokemon to slam against the cave wall. "If we could just get him into the water," Giovanni tried to think of a way and though the pokemon was angry enough to recklessly charge walls; it seemed to be sufficiently conscious of its weakness not to approach the cluster of small streams.

They dashed away from the Graveler meeting in the other side of the cave chamber, trying to think of a way to trick the Graveler into approaching the water. "We can do it; we can't let our pokemon do all the fighting all the time."

"You're more reckless than I thought, I like it. Alright, I'll take it on," Giovanni went on the attack, running towards the surprised Graveler, it expected the humans to keep trying to avoid him and attempting to escape.

"Mega punch!" Delia called out as Giovanni attacked the astonished pokemon.

His fist slammed hard into the pokemon's solid surface, a trickle of blood dripping between his knuckles staining his white glove, but he didn't flinch. 

The Graveler stepped back, flailing its arms, it certainly didn't expect to have to fight humans, let alone such a strong human. "Tackle!" Delia rushed over full speed. 

Taking the opportunity now that the Graveler was dazed by the unexpected attack, Giovanni and Delia ran into him together, pushing the heavy pokemon towards the shallow waters near by. The Graveler roared loudly in protest being exposed to the water. 

"Finish it off with mega kick!" Delia called out.

Giovanni kicked the Graveler hard and the previously ferocious rock pokemon fainted defeated.

"Pokeball, go!" Delia tossed the pokeball at the Graveler and captured it. "We did it! We did it!"

"No one can beat me; Team Rocket is ready to take on the world!" Giovanni enjoyed the victorious battle, momentarily forgetting that the war was not over.

Delia picked up the pokeball which now contained Graveler and gave it to Giovanni. "It's yours since you did most of the work playing the part of the pokemon."

Giovanni accepted the pokeball, "it takes a strong trainer to keep up with a strong pokemon," he pulled Delia close suddenly and stole a kiss. 

"You may battle like a fighter type but you're still Charmander," Delia whispered under her breath, though she opposed no resistance when he kissed her again, caught in the feeling of victory and the rush of invincibility.

"Score!"

"Shh!"

"Sorry dudes..."

Giovanni and Delia quickly parted, searching for the source of the voices with the scarce light that filtered into the cave. "For how long have you been there?" Giovanni demanded to know.

"Um..." Luke thought he had said enough for the time being.

It was Aayla who stepped forward to answer. "Around the time Delia said mega punch."

The confession was followed by cheers from the crowd at the entrance to the cave chamber. Some just yelled in joy, various cheered for Team Rocket and their boss, and others professed their loyalty and admiration.

Binks stepped forward, handing Delia back her pokemon egg as if he had been awarded the greatest honor by being able to carry it for a while.

"I have news," Aayla was pleased to inform, "The Tempest Gang is in big trouble, after a while their super strong pokemon started fainting and some looked like they were in a very critical condition, they must have overdosed them too much. With so many pokemon sick and injured, I'm sure their forces are very weak. They went on the run, probably back to their base. Leah is tracking them and will meet us in point A." 

Leah had wanted to make up for her panic during the attack and also wanted to get away for a while after her terror for earthquakes was revealed. Plus she was the sneakiest and most easily overlooked, also being a great strategist, she was ideal for a tracking mission that required no confrontations.

Delia was shocked by the revelation and most of all angered at Tempest, thinking about their poor pokemon. Giovanni saw this as the perfect opportunity to finish off the Tempest Gang once and for all. "Now is the time to take them down. Team Rocket will storm the Tempest Gang base and make it our own!"

xoxox xox xoxox

Team Rocket advanced towards Viridian City, since the Tempest Gang had headed in that general direction. After the hostage situation reported in the forest, it was suspicious that they would go that way, there might still be police officers searching the area, if only to calm the citizens of Viridian City. None the less, that was where their prey headed and they would follow until they crushed their enemy.

They met in the outskirts of the city, deep in the forest on the spot they would have gone to if escape plan A had been put into effect. Leah was waiting there with the news. "The Tempest Gang's headquarters," Leah spoke softly, but this time everyone heard her, "is the Viridian City Gym." Gasps of surprise were shared by a few, while others simply stared.

Suddenly it all made sense to Giovanni. Amethyst must have been with the Tempest Gang all along. She must have recognized them with information from Venom. She played nice to delay them so that the Tempest Gang could plan an attack while the leader of Team Rocket was away. "We need to get them as soon as possible; we can't give them time to recover! It's too much of a risk doing the day, we'll attack tonight."

There was unanimous agreement among Team Rocket, but for the time being all they could do was wait. Leah made another trip to Viridian, returning with food and drinks. While a few stood guard around the area, the others slept and rested. They had traveled for a long time to the forest and they had to regain their strength for their next mission.

To be Continued

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 012: Give me Friendship

Hiding in the Viridian Forest, Delia couldn't decide if she was restless or excited. She snuck away from the group for a while, to join Leah in her lonely spot not too far away. "Are you alright? Maybe you should sleep; we have an important mission tonight."

"I shouldn't have panicked," Leah spoke softly. "I thought I was over that."

"It's alright," Delia consoled, "everyone has their own fears."

"I won't let it happen again; somehow I won't, because I'll forget," Delia wasn't sure what Leah was talking about, maybe it was something in her past.

Aayla soon joined them, releasing Haunter from his pokeball. "Ghastly evolved into Haunter during that last fight with Tempest so he should be stronger now, but what if it's too much?" The conversation puzzled Delia.

"Please proceed," Leah requested. Aayla glanced at Delia and Leah nodded, "it's alright, I don't mind if Delia knows."

"Okay, here goes, Haunter you remember how to do it, right? Just like before, use hypnosis on Leah," Aayla commanded.

Delia watched in surprise as Leah was willingly hypnotized by Haunter. When the hypnosis was over, Leah looked calmer; any sign of being upset was gone. "Thank you," she smiled, "I feel much better now. I'm going to get some sleep so I'm ready for the mission."

"Got it, go get some rest," Aayla recalled Haunter into his pokeball and glanced around, confirming that the tree they were sitting under had shielded them well enough from the guards. They were all teammates and Leah was slowly starting to become more open, but it was not good if unnecessary questions were asked.

"Aayla..." Delia's expression was full of puzzlement after Leah had left.

Aayla shook her head as if disapproving her own actions. "She wants to believe they're the same; that Han never died or perhaps never existed."

Delia grew more perplexed, "Han?"

"She said it was okay for you to know, that means she wants me to tell you. I know it doesn't look it at first glance, but Leah and I are good friends," Aayla explained. "It's the same as it was with you; I thought she was weak until she proved what a good strategist she is. You've proven yourself too, you're brave and resourceful, but also kind and loyal; that's why you have my respect."

"Thank you," Delia smiled, "to be honest I thought you were intimidating at first, but now I think you're really cool and I admire you."

"Thanks, but I think your coolness surpasses all, I'll never forget seeing the boss being used as a pokemon. That only made everyone idolize him more, but I also realized he was right, a strong pokemon needs a strong trainer. I think everyone is seeing that in you too, that determination that makes us feel like we're invincible, that's what they see in Giovanni."

"My opinion of him was pretty bad at first but I think I've gotten to like him little by little," Delia's restlessness seemed to evaporate talking to Aayla so casually, but she was still curious about Leah.

As if seeing the question written on Delia's face, Aayla revealed the full story. "Leah is shy, it took a lot for her to tell me her story and ask for help. You've earned her trust, but it's still hard for her to talk to people about her past so that's why she wanted me to tell you, she wouldn't have let you witness that if she didn't."

Delia listened intently.

"Leah used to live at Fuchsia City and went vacationing all over the world often; she was from a rather privileged family. She met Han in Cinnabar Island and they became friends, then a couple. Han was Luke's identical twin brother; Han, like his brother, loved adventure. One day, Han and Leah were planning to explore a cave, but Luke had a bad feeling about it. Leah brushed it off and they went. That day there was an earthquake which caused a cave in and I don't know the full details, but Han died. She felt guilty and heartbroken, as if it was all her fault for not listening to Luke and because Han tried to protect her," Aayla revealed.

When Delia had become curious about the reason behind Leah's request to be hypnotized, she didn't expect such a tragedy to be revealed. She was guessing that it was to help her relax or something like that. "I had no idea..."

"You know what they say, everyone has their own past. What about yours?" Aayla asked.

"My past is nothing complicated. I lived a normal life without any big problems. As soon as I was old enough, I started studying pokemon with Professor Oak at Pallet Town. I was doing an internship at the Pokemon Center in Cerulean City when we first met and you know the rest."

"How dull, I bet you're really having fun now," Aayla laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"I never thought I would be having so many adventures, I never thought it was even possible. Maybe deep down I've always longed to be some kind of heroine and that's why I had to follow you guys. I thought you were the villains I had to stop, but that has changed a lot now. You're the good guys, the Tempest Gang is bad. What about your past?"

"I've always been a troublemaker for as long as I can remember. Then I hooked up with Tempest and thought I found my place," Aayla confessed. "I was Venom's second in command," not to mention his lover, but Aayla decided no one needed to know that part. "I did a lot for the Tempest Gang, then one day they abandoned me to be caught by the police at the Pokemon Center in Pewter City when we were stealing the pokemon. I'll never forget what Venom said 'a big sacrifice is justified by a bigger reward,' I don't know what that meant but he betrayed me. I managed to escape on my own and I'm out for revenge. I hate Tempest, that's why I joined Team Rocket."

Aayla's was another past story that made Delia very different in comparison, as if she came from a sheltered world and perhaps she did. "Wow, I don't know what to say, everyone has such complex pasts."

"Everyone? You've only heard two, three if you count Luke since his past is linked to Leah's. I bet Binks' past is simple," Aayla theorized.

"I wonder..." They nodded in agreement and went to find Binks. 

Binks was brushing his precious Rattata. The pokemon was quite weak but Binks adored it. He looked up at the approaching women as he sat on the ground and began to get nervous when they stood left and right of him. "Are you two here to beat me up?"

"Of course not," Delia assured. "We're just curious about your past."

"My past?" Binks looked confused.

"Yeah, how did you join Team Rocket and why?" Aayla elaborated.

"That's easy, I joined to be strong! I originally wanted to be a researcher but the professors with whom I tried to apprentice always ended up firing me. I got nervous and dropped things; they said I was too clumsy. Whenever I tried to catch a pokemon to study it on my own, it would beat me up; I didn't have any pokemon to send to battle so I fought them myself. It's not that I never had any pokemon, it's just that the pokemon I was given would beat me up and run away when I called them out to battle," Binks confessed in embarrassment.

"How pathetic," Aayla commented.

"But you're doing better now!" Delia tried to cheer him up.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Binks saw a ray of hope again. "One day I saw a bunch of Rattata that were picking on another Rattata. I felt sorry for her so I jumped to the rescue and got beat up, but thanks to the distraction, this Rattata got away. She later returned as if to thank me and we've been together ever since."

"So how did you end up in Team Rocket?" Aayla repeated.

"Oh well, it was random. I just ran into Giovanni one day, well not literally, more like I saw him and thought he looked dangerous, like a gang boss. He looked strong so I thought he would beat me up, that's what all the tough guys I was unfortunate enough to find did. But he didn't beat me up; he just kept walking as if he didn't see me!" Binks was somehow filled with adoration.

"He probably didn't see you or thought you weren't worth it," Aayla concluded.

"I don't know, but it was really cool to cross paths with someone who looked so strong and not get beat up. I wanted to be strong too, that's why I ran after him and said 'please let me join you to become strong like you!' he  laughed at me so I thought for sure he was going to beat me up, but he didn't. He let me tag along and join the gang, Luke and Leah were already there, then Aayla joined, then a bunch of other people joined and then Delia joined and who knows who else will join," Binks was full of hope for the future, though the path to accomplishing his goal of becoming strong was unclear, all he knew was that he would stay with Team Rocket.

"There you have it, a pathetic and dull past, I told you they weren't all tragic, well it was kind of tragic, but in a different way," Aayla shook her head at Binks, she expected something uncool, but this was pitiful. "I'll be getting some rest now, see you around."

"See ya," Delia watched Aayla walk away, feeling a little closer to her as a friend, it was the same for Leah, Luke and Binks now that she knew more about their origins. "Bye Binks, I'll see you on the mission briefing."

"Yeah, I'll be there!" Binks cheered.

Delia spotted Luke talking to his pokemon, both of which had evolved, and walked over to him. "Wow, your pokemon look strong!"

"Dudette, they totally are, they're like fully evolved, you know?" Luke appeared to be very eager to try out his pokemon's new strength. "Tentacool evolved into Tentacruel like fighting the Tempest Gang, you know? Aayla's Ghastly like evolved into Haunter too, you know? It was like totally awesome, man!"

"The team's pokemon are so much stronger now, this is great," Delia was filled with confidence. 

"It sure is, dudette!" Luke smiled brightly. "I like found a water stone for Poliwhirl to evolve into Poliwrath, you know? It was like in the chest where the uniforms were at the beach, I like totally forgot I saved it there, you know? Man, those guys messed up my fav place, they'll like totally pay!"

"They will, we'll make it happen!" Delia wished the time to turn the tides in their favor would come fast. Those terrible criminals from the Tempest Gang couldn't be allowed to cause more damage.

"You like totally said it, dudette!" Luke seemed cheerful one second, then sad the next, "I hope Leah's like alright and I hope she can like become stronger, you know? Move on, man."

"Move on?" Delia wondered if Luke knew about the hypnotism, but if he did, how could he allow that? Aayla wasn't really helping Leah by encouraging it either. Perhaps they just didn't want to see Leah in pain and did whatever they could to help, even if it didn't help in the long run.

"Sorry dudette, I like have a big mouth, you know?" Luke wanted to take his words back.

Delia already knew about Leah's past so she assured him that he had not revealed too much, "I know about Leah and about Han."

"Oh, you know?" Luke was a bit surprised but also felt relief. "I'm like a memento," he observed Delia's puzzled expression. "I'm like a reminder of my brother, I think, because we were like totally the copy of each other. It was hard, you know? Like losing my other half, but Leah's worse off, she can't face it. I don't mind having her around, but I totally don't want to be like used to like replace my brother's memory, you know?"

"It'll be okay, we'll help her through it. When this battle is over and we have a little time to ourselves, you, Aayla and I will help Leah!" Delia encouraged.

"Thanks dudette, but Aayla? Does she like even get along with Leah?" Luke was surprised by that.

Delia was even more so perplexed because he didn't know, "they're better friends than it looks," clearly Luke was unaware of the hypnotism part and Delia kept it a secret. When peace was restored to their world, they would make everything right little by little, until each of them had their happy ending; that was what Delia believed.

To be Continued

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 013: Give me Honesty

It was after talking to several of her teammates that Delia realized how much knowledge she had been missing before. She still didn't know anything about Giovanni's past and she was intent on finding out. She spotted him not far away, at the same time he saw her. They closed the distance meeting half way, "I was looking for you."

"So was I," he replied, "for a second I thought you ran off."

"If I was going to run away, I would have done it a long time ago. I'm not leaving the team," Delia assured.

Giovanni was pleased by her eagerness, "that's good, but I was actually worried that you ran off to take on the enemy by yourself. You're full of surprises."

Delia laughed, she surprised even herself sometimes. "Can we go a little way into the forest, not too far, just..."

"Somewhere more private?" He offered and she nodded. They walked a short distance away from the group, but not too far to leave their general area, it was just enough distance not to have eavesdroppers. 

They sat under a tree close to each other, though Delia was quick to make a clarification, "stay cool Charmander, I asked you to come with me so I could ask you something."

He wondered what she could possibly want to ask about. Many possibilities came to mind, but he found them all unlikely, "what is it?"

"Will you tell me about your past?" Delia wondered if it was supposed to be a secret for some reason.

"My past?"

"Yes, for example, where were you born?" Delia elaborated, throwing out a basic question.

"Saffron City," Giovanni replied easily, proving that at least that piece of information was not a big secret.

Delia nodded and waited, but Giovanni only looked at her a little puzzled, "what else can you tell me about your past? Do you have family in Saffron City?"

"We don't really get along," Giovanni paused coming to a realization, "you really don't know... Most gangs on the street already know this, but I guess you grew up differently. It's no big secret, my mother is known as Madame Boss in the eastern region, a lot of the smaller gangs there work for her even if they're not an official part of her organization. She's mostly occupied with trading goods and isn't interested in unifying the gangs and establishing real power. I left to form my own organization, everyone thought I would take over her position, but I can obtain my own power. I've cut all ties with her side of the black market. As for my father, I never met him."

Madame Boss, the name sounded familiar, some kind of lady from the mafia? Had her name been spoken on the news before? "It must have been difficult to grow up like that..."

"Maybe by your definition."

"My definition?" Delia didn't think her definition of a difficult childhood was much different from anyone else's.

"You were pretty sheltered," he reminded as a matter of fact.

She sighed remembering her life when it was devoid of adventure. "I suppose you're right. Tell me the truth, when you first saw me, what did you think of me? Be honest."

Giovanni remembered their first meeting, "I thought you were weak but had some guts at least. Then when you came after us and insisted on joining I thought you were either crazy or stupid, maybe both."

"Hey!" She punched him on the arm and pouted, though she then laughed, "thanks for your honesty, what else? When did that improve?"

"You worked really hard caring for the pokemon; that was helpful for Team Rocket. Why was it that you didn't escape?"

"If I wasn't there to care for the pokemon, who would? Someone has to set things right," Delia remembered she was trapped, locked up at first, but more so prisoner of the call of duty to have mercy on those pokemon. She remembered feeling desperate at some point, but it all went away when she started looking at Team Rocket from a different point of view. Maybe she overanalyzed everything far too many times or perhaps it was true that there was no good or bad in the world, no right or wrong, only different points of view.

"After a while, I saw you as useful," Giovanni continued. His voice brought Delia back to the present and the memories faded away. Waking up she felt his warmth next to her and cuddled closer, not because she was cold, but perhaps unconsciously seeking comfort. "And cute," he finished.

"I think I noticed that," Delia remembered the time when her unwilling beach holiday was interrupted by Gyarados. 

"You've proven to be brave and kind of reckless, it's not what I expected for someone who has such a kind side, you're pretty hard to figure out sometimes, but I've enjoyed your surprises," Giovanni admitted.

"There were many times when I was scared," Delia confessed, "we didn't have the best first meeting, I thought you were evil. I didn't like you at all at first, I thought you were terrible, but I guess I was too busy being afraid for the pokemon to be afraid for myself. Then I realized you were more than just a careless pokemon trained and gang leader..."

"What was I then?" 

Though he expected her description to turn more pleasant at that time, it did not, "an egotistical jerk... but that improved later. When the police chased us I was really scared, but not of you, I was scared of the police and most of all myself."

"Yourself?" That was unexpected.

She nodded, "I doubted that I was doing the right thing by challenging the law like that, but I kept thinking it was for a good cause. Running away together was exhausting, but it also helped me clear my head. The team really looks up to you, realizing that," she blushed, "made me see a different side of you. It also felt like an adventure after all that happened and I guess somewhere along the way I must have started to trust you."

"You're not too hard to trust, you're too nice at times, but you have your wild side."

"I think I like being adventurous," Delia yawned as exhaustion finally caught up to her. "We better rest," she felt more relaxed now, despite the situation. She was still full of curiosity, but talking to Giovanni was easier than she expected and that made her feel relieved enough to fall asleep.

xoxox xox xoxox

"The police are coming!" The sun had started to sink in horizon and soon it would be time for their mission, but the team's rest was interrupted when those currently standing watch alerted their companions as fast and quietly as possible. "They didn't see me but they're close, they'll probably be here in a few minutes, the Growlithe might have picked up our scent already!"

Delia wasn't sure for how long she slept, but with her adrenaline on high, a couple of hours were enough to fully energize her again. "This time we're too suspicious," they were in a different location and in their Team Rocket uniforms. There was no way they could trick the officers in this area into thinking they were just a harmless group of friends.

"Everyone, climb up on the trees, have the pokemon help, we need to stay out of their view," without questioning Giovanni's orders the team began to climb, some skillfully, others clumsily, and several relying on their pokemon to help them get up the trees.

"Let Ivysaur out, her vine whip can help people get up on the trees faster," Delia suggested.

"Ivysaur doesn't have vine whip," Giovanni had cut it off and used it to tie up Delia when they first met and if it was going to grow back; it would take a very long time.

"You didn't even check to see if I had properly treated her. She's fully healed, she can use vine whip just fine," Delia assured, feeling a cold chill at the memory, but it was okay, she was there now; she would make sure Giovanni didn't make such foolish sacrifices.

"Well then, good job," Giovanni released Ivysaur and ordered the pokemon to help everyone get up the trees, then proceeded with the next part of his improvised plan. "Leah, have Butterfree spread a small amount of sleep powder on the ground and the base of the trees, not too much, the idea is to make the Growlithe drowsy without making them sleepy enough for the police to catch on."

"I understand," Leah got to work with her pokemon right away.

"Aayla, have Haunter on stand by to use hypnosis if it looks like any of the Growlithe or police are on to something, but he must stay hidden at all costs, even if it means a long range less effective attack," Giovanni ordered.

"Got it," Aayla nodded.

"Binks, Ben, let out Rattata and Pidgey, those pokemon are not rare in this area and can serve as a distraction if needed," Giovanni continued.

"Yes sir!" The two men saluted in unison and released their pokemon, quickly explaining the plan to them.

Giovanni was the last to climb up on a tree after all the orders were given and the plan was set up; then they waited quietly. They couldn't take on the police now; they needed to save their strength to fight the Tempest Gang and take the Viridian City Gym from them.

A chorus of "Growlithe!" was heard approaching. Three police trained pokemon sniffed around, their senses numbed by the sleep powder. They could not perceive the fresh trail anymore and when they searched for it, it just made them feel more tired. In puzzlement, they stopped sniffing around that area, which was interpreted by the group of officers accompanying them as the area being clear.

Officer Jenny, the same Jenny who had witnessed the false hostage situation before, sighed in frustration. "It's useless to patrol the forest like this, they got away from us a long time ago," though the patrols still calmed the citizens at least.

"We tracked them as far as the mountains and lost them there, so we know the hostage situation was part of something bigger. Maybe the woman who was taken knew too much," an older male officer theorized, he was clearly exhausted from the long hours of work, but held a strong enough interest in his job not to complain about the overtime.

Jenny agreed, "I think you're right and that's what worries me the most. If by now we haven't heard anything, they might not be interested in ransom after all."

"Do you think she's already...?" A young officer, asked, he looked as if this was his first big case and he was not yet used to the complicated twists situations could take.

Jenny bit her lip and nodded bitterly, "I'll admit, the chances of her still being alive are slim, but there are also still some details that don't make sense. If they weren't being chased at first, why were they in such a hurry? It has been said it was because of the fight happening in the mountains where the fire took place, but what were the details of those events and why was the hostage being rushed over there? Was she part of some kind of deal? Maybe one gang was threatened to hand her over to another, but why?"

"Who was she anyway? Is her identity still unknown? I thought we had a lead," the older officer inquired.

Jenny shook her head, her expression remaining frustrated. "it was a dead end, but at least we know who he is, Giovanni Roketto, the son of Madame Boss, but her side has denied any involvement and we don't have sufficient proof. If you ask me, everyone down at the station is just scared!"

"The mafia is dangerous..." the statement from the youngest of the police group was met with a disapproving look from Jenny, which spoke louder than words.

Up in the tree Giovanni was feeling frustrated that his actions were linked to his mother rather than Team Rocket. He hated to admit it, but Team Rocket was just a band of troublemakers that paled in comparison to Madame Boss' complex organization, but that would change soon. Defeating their main rival the Tempest Gang, was the first step and from there they would take on every gang in the area, extending their territory and their power. Team Rocket would reign supreme and by far surpass Madame Boss.

Jenny took a moment to calm her annoyance at feeling so helpless to solve the case, "maybe if we knew the hostage's identity we could understand the situation better. It would be odd for it to be a case of an innocent hostage randomly caught up in a gang fight, the scenario doesn't fit."

"Are you sure the lead wasn't right?" The oldest officer just couldn't let it go.

"Um... what was her name again?" The younger one was almost afraid to asked, a little ashamed to have forgotten that detail.

"Delia Ketchum, we searched the Kanto citizen databases looking for a matching picture and I was sure it was her who I saw. I guess the seriousness of the situation must have played a trick on my senses, she was just a look alike, a good citizen, no criminal record what so ever," Jenny replied.

Delia had been growing nervous up in the tree, she was holding her precious pokemon egg securely, sitting on a large branch next to Giovanni. She glanced at him meaningfully and he nodded to assure her that she was on the clear, though he didn't know how. 

Jenny continued her explanation seeing as the other officers still looked puzzled about why she abandoned her theory concerning the hostage's identity. "It couldn't have been her; she was studying with Professor Oak of Pallet Town. We researched Miss Ketchum's background and found she was a student. We contacted Professor Oak to see if he had any clues, but he testified that on the day and time when the hostage situation occurred, Miss Ketchum was there, in Pallet Town, helping him conduct some research. Professor Oak said she left to continue her field studies; she was already gone when we contacted him. But he mentioned that he received a video call from Miss Ketchum on the morning of the day we spoke to him. That's why it can't be her."

No one could be in two places at once and if the well recognized pokemon researcher Samuel Oak said his student was in the laboratory the day of the hostage scene, she was believed to have been there. He would have no motivation to lie in the eyes of the police and his good reputation preceded him. It made Delia wonder just how much Professor Oak knew about her situation to have covered for her like that.

"I guess this area is clear," Jenny finally decided to move on. 

Giovanni had started to worry that the Growlithe would discover them if they stayed any longer. He looked at Delia silently, but that was enough for her to understand that he too was curious about what Jenny had said about Oak.

"Growlithe, growl!" One of the pokemon seemed to find something beyond the feeling of drowsiness and the officers were once again alert.

A silent signal from Giovanni to the neighboring tree brought Binks and Ben to in turn signal their pokemon who were hiding in the bushes watching and waiting. Rattata and Pidgey were not rare in the area, thus the Growlithe had been ignoring their scent. 

"Rattata!" Rattata ran towards the suspecting Growlithe and dashed past him followed by Pidgey. The two pokemon began to fight, effectively causing a distraction.

"It's probably over a berry or territory, we should leave these wild ones alone," Jenny assumed the scent the Growlithe had picked up belong to those two pokemon and nothing more. "Let's go Growlithe, we're done here." The group of officers and their pokemon finally left.

To be Continued

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 014: Give me Justice

After waiting a while, to be safe, Team Rocket slowly climbed down from the trees, the danger had passed for now. They gathered around for instructions, the sun had already gone down and darkness invaded the thick forest making the multiple shades of green appear much darker.

As Giovanni spoke, everyone paid full attention, "defeat every trainer you find and take their pokemon, but don't wait to advance, if a trainer is found, two will stay and the rest will move forward, the two will catch up after the battle is over. They must have pokemon in storage and we can't give them a chance to call them all out. The groups will be balanced, each will have pokemon of different types, make sure to use those advantages in battle." From that point on he assigned the respective teams and they made the final preparations for the battle against the Tempest Gang.

xoxox xox xoxox

It was a moonless night, which provided extra cover for Team Rocket as they snuck towards the Viridian Gym and jumped over the fence noiselessly. The lights moved in even patterns, they stopped and observed them, then continued when the alignment was ideal to sneak past. They crossed the large yard and training ground, eluding the guards and reaching the back door.

Delia felt the rush of adrenaline and power she had become acquainted with lately return to her. At first she was a little worried about leaving the pokemon egg alone hidden in the forest, but when the hour of truth came, she was focused on the mission. The egg had been with her for a long time and it was fine, it would be alright hidden by itself for a while, it was safer than bringing it along into enemy territory.

Picking the lock was easy since several members of Team Rocket had been robbers before joining. As planned, Delia and Giovanni went on ahead, quietly sneaking through the dark gym's halls. Strangely, the inside was quite deserted; it didn't look like a gang's hideout at all. 

Even if the place was bigger than Team Rocket's old hideout had been, and taking into consideration that several of Tempest's members might have dropped out after their battle with Team Rocket left them in defeat, the lack of activity was still suspicious, they might be hiding somewhere. 

The contrast between the Viridian Gym and the old Team Rocket hideout made Giovanni think there was much more to it than they thought. Back in his old hideout there wasn't a moment of silence, someone was always walking around even in the middle of the night, getting a glass of water, trying to alleviate insomnia or simply not in the mood to sleep.

Giovanni and Delia saw a light at the end of the hall, filtering through a door that was only open a crack. They slowed their pace and he approached the door, taking a quick peek inside and retreating immediately so as to not be seen. He didn't see anyone and tried again, this time taking a better look at the room; it was empty, though the light was left on.

A noise, as if a heavy sliding door was being moved sounded off, but it was the wall that was moving, revealing a secret passage from which one man exited. Giovanni called out Ivysaur, "vine whip, tie him up." 

Before the man knew what was going on, Ivysaur had captured him, wrapping her vine whip over his mouth to prevent him from alerting anyone of their presence.

"I wonder if he will tell us anything about that passage..." Giovanni indirectly asked and the man's angry muffled noises were enough of an answer. "I didn't think so."

"Giovanni," Delia pouted, as if warning him not to use vine whip as a rope again.

Giovanni hit the man on the back of the head instead and knocked him out. "You can let go now Ivysaur, return." Delia made sure the unknown man was really knocked out, but still breathing, before following Giovanni through the secret passage. 

The dark passage was filled with echoes from below, angry growls and agonizing cries. They went down to a dimly lit basement filled with pokemon in cages; it broke Delia's heart to see the suffering pokemon.

"You just look worse now," a woman's voice was heard causing Giovanni and Delia to stop and take cover behind a row of cages. "This wasn't what I had in mind, ever since Giovanni ruined your face, you've only gotten uglier. How unpleasant and I even had to play nice with him and his girl to buy you some time. Not just that, but you never returned my Nidoqueen."

"I'm afraid your Nidoqueen has passed away, but it was for a good cause, the process of elimination was completed faster," a man replied.

"This is not what I wanted, oh what am I to do..." She paused, as Giovanni and Delia moved closer behind the cages and identified her, she was Amethyst. "Stupid pokemon, they're giving me a headache and they're so ugly too, all scratched, scarred and bruised. Beauty, riches, fame and power, the first and second I have granted, the third is easy to get but the forth, real power... are you failing me? I don't think I like you anymore, anyone can see your strategy is poor, most of the pokemon are dead and all so you could become this hideous creature?" Amethyst tugged her long golden hair behind her ear, her delicate nose wrinkled in disgust, her violet eyes angry. "You're not worthy of me anymore, why did you do this to yourself? Why make yourself so much worse than the state he left you in?"

"In the end, beauty is fleeting and power is more important," the man remained out of Giovanni and Delia's line of view. His voice sounded like growls, they didn't recognize it at all.

"I'm breaking up with you, but I'm sure you already knew that, coming out of the lower levels looking like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack! I suppose I could keep you as a minion," Amethyst voiced. They went out another exit up some stairs.

"What a spoiled brat you are, thinking you can have anything you want. I abandoned Aayla for you; left her to be caught by the police because of your stupid jealousy even if I said we broke up. She's with Team Rocket now, do you have any idea how much that bothers me? Now you want to make me your minion? Don't make me laugh, it's about time I ended your annoyance." 

The argument continued in the upper floor, it was the battle arena of the Viridian Gym. A horrified scream echoed as sharp metal claws slit Amethyst's throat, her body fell limp, a pool of blood spreading on the floor, her face had a frozen expression of terror. 

"Giovanni, I know you're there," the growling voice yelled towards the passage leading from the arena to the basement, "come out, there's no use in hiding, the same goes for your little friend who doesn't follow the rules. I can sense everything around me, the sounds, the scents; it's something a mere human wouldn't understand."

Giovanni and Delia came out of the passage, up to the gym's battle arena where at the opposite side Amethyst lay dead and next to her body there was a strange being. Noise had flooded the gym; Team Rocket was now battling the Tempest Gang after they came out from their underground base, a maze of passages.

The creature's face was distorted with propounding sharp metallic fangs and scaly skin. A patch of cyan hair still remained atop his head, crowned with four metal horns, sharp like knives. He had long claws as if he had three large daggers in place of fingers on each hand. "I am Venom, the leader of the Tempest Gang," he growled.

"I don't know what you've done to yourself, but this doesn't change anything, Team Rocket is taking over the Viridian Gym!" Giovanni never thought he would face an opponent like this, he never thought one could exist, but they had come too far and Team Rocket would find a way to be victorious.

"Let's play by the rules this time; it will be more enjoyable," Venom growled. "It was a surprising visit, I never thought you would come here, I'll admit I didn't expect it at all, but you will regret it. This time, we will not fight each other until the last of our pokemon falls, I want you to watch your weak pokemon fail and die before I end your life. First your pokemon, then your girl, then I'll torture you for a while and finally, I'll give you death, isn't that the perfect plan? Or maybe I should keep the girl; she might make an interesting guinea pig."

"Shut up!" Giovanni yelled, "there's no way you'll win this. Rhyhorn, Grabbler, Ivysaur!" Giovanni let out all his pokemon.

"Cloyster, Kingler!" Delia released her pokemon as well.

"Is that all you have? Alright then, my turn, I'll start with something weak, just to give your pathetic pokemon a warm up. I got this from Amethyst a little while before you arrived. Go Machoke! As you can see, this one is still in its natural state so it's weak. All five of your trash can attack at once if you wish," Venom laughed cruelly. "Come on, slaughter it, it's the only win you'll have, consider it all the mercy you're getting from me!"

Delia felt more anger than ever before, she couldn't and didn't want to believe that people like Venom existed in the world. That being could not be allowed to run free causing so much harm. She had convinced herself that karma was strong and justice would prevail, now was the time to prove it. "Machoke, please leave your trainer and come join us." Rhyhorn roared as if encouraging Machoke and soon the other pokemon joined in their words of persuasion. 

"Machoke!" The pokemon, who had been staring at Amethyst's lifeless form, made his way to the other side of the field and stood on the far right facing Venom. Machoke knew from the start Venom was not to be trusted, but Amethyst could not understand Machoke's warnings and simply ordered him to cease the senseless chatter, or recalled him to his pokeball. She wasn't the best trainer and often mistreated Machoke, but he cared for her and wanted to avenge her.

Next to Machoke was Rhyhorn, who used to be Venom's pokemon and was thirsty for revenge for how he treated her. Ivysaur was next, having endured much in her life, but ready to loyally battle. Grabbler stood ready, holding a special pride in following the orders of the trainer that had defeated him personally. 

Delia's pokemon stood to the left of Giovanni's; Cloyster, eternally grateful to Delia who had nursed him and given him the gift of evolution and with it the power to repay her. Finally, there was Kingler, who did not regret his choice of wanting to be trained by Delia; he stood ready and willing to do whatever it might take to win.

"Traitor!" Venom roared, crushing Machoke's empty pokeball in his hand. "It doesn't matter; I'll show you true power!" He readied another pokemon, this one can take them all on; you'll all die!"

To be Continued

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 015: Give me Victory

Giovanni and Delia were facing Venom, the leader of the Tempest Gang, while the rest of Team Rocket battled his minions all over the Viridian Gym. Their pokemon, Cloyster, Kingler, Ivysaur, Graveler, Rhyhorn and the new Machoke, stood ready to face any pokemon that emerged from Venom's pokeball.

A loud roar echoed as the dragon pokemon appeared surrounded in a red beam of light projected from the pokeball. It was a fierce looking Dragonite with strange silver wires wrapped around him and a machine on his back, armored in thick shiny iron. The pokemon's eyes glowed a bright red and it looked truly furious, shaking with rage, involuntary low growls escaping it.

"Go Dragonite, destroy them all!" Venom ordered with great confidence, pointing at his enemies with his sharp dagger-like claws, "hyper beam!" 

The dangerous hyper beam charged faster then Delia and Giovanni expected in a big blinding light. The two humans felt the beam's heat as if it reached them, but it had not, their six pokemon had received the impact protecting them. All six were bruised and cut, though the battle was only beginning. Graveler and Rhyhorn had taken the front of their improvised barrier, having the strongest natural body armor, but they along with their pokemon comrades, had suffered the effects of the devastating attack all the same.

"It's hopeless!" Venom exclaimed, his eyes wild, his voice cocky and mocking.

"I'm not giving up, I'll win this!" Giovanni knew the odds were terribly against him, but losing was simply not an option, the only way to live now was to win. "Ivysaur razor leaf! Graveler earthquake! Rhyhorn tail whip! Machoke rolling kick!"

Seeing the strategy to knock Dragonite down, Delia sent out her pokemon as well to create a distraction, an invasion of bubbles to slow Dragonite and make the other's movements harder to perceive, "Kingler bubble! Cloyster bubble beam!"

Ivysaur's leaves surrounded Dragonite, bouncing off his skin without effect. Graveler caused the arena to shake, but Dragonite, despite being unable to fly due to his deteriorated wings, thin and full of holes, stood firm and unaffected. Rhyhorn ran towards Dragonite, evolving into Rhydon mid way through the arena and delivering a powerful hit, yet Dragonite only batted Rhydon away. Rhydon fell a few feet away, but got up immediately, with a strength and determination to continue battling. 

The arena was flooded with bubbles, which seemed to at least annoy Dragonite, though the dragon pokemon went back to being unaffected soon after, ignoring the bubbles and focusing his angry look on the two opposing trainers. Machoke charged in and kicked Dragonite, suffering the fame fate as Rhydon who, not satisfied with the lack of effect of her first attacked, repeated it, though the with the same result.

"They're all so weak, there's no way you'll win. Don't you know that if you want strong pokemon you need to make them strong? Am I the only one who understands this?" Venom growled, "no one else comprehends such greatness, not you, not Amethyst, no one!" He looked down on the pokemon and trainers who dared to oppose him, believing himself to be far superior.

Machoke roared in protest and wildly charged towards Venom in anger, he was the cause of Amethyst's death, an irreparable tragedy. Dragonite blocked Machoke's path, tossing him against the wall on the side of the arena.

"What's wrong? Do you recognize that name, weak little pokemon? Of course you don't, pokemon are too stupid to know what happens around them," Venom mocked, "even if I tell you I killed her, you wouldn't understand!"

Machoke let out a cry of anger and agony and surrounded by a bright glow like Rhyhorn had before, he evolved into Machamp with the intensity of his thirst for vengeance and hatred for the cruel human.

"You're wrong Venom, pokemon do understand what's happening. They might even be able to understand the world better than humans. That's why we study them, to try to understand them and learn from them!" Delia yelled; her emotions then were indescribable. Anger and sadness all at once, being shaped into a desperate need to do something to change this, and that need fueled her determination not to give up. 

"Team Rocket is the ultimate power of this world. You're about to see it for yourself Venom!" Giovanni glared at him in anger, his pokemon were losing and he knew it, but they couldn't back down now, there had to be some way to win, an unforeseen strategy that would work.  Giovanni knew Dragonite was superior in strength to all his pokemon and Delia's put together, so he would have to make up for it with a good strategy. "Ivysaur vine whip!"

"Cloyster, Kingler, blizzard!" The snow storm conjured by the two water pokemon raged as Ivysaur charged in a cold white veil.

"Machamp cross chop! Rhydon horn attack! Graveler tackle!" Giovanni sent his pokemon on the attack again, they had to keep trying, there had to be a weakness to Dragonite.

Dragonite stood waiting for Venom's order while growling in perpetual anger. Ivysaur wrapped her vine whip around Dragonite, though he escaped, tearing the vine whip to pieces. As Dragonite broke free, he was surrounded by the strong snow storm caused by Cloyster and Kingler's united attacks. Machamp and Rhydon charged in left and right, their attacks reaching Dragonite simultaneously, finalized by Graveler in a frontal assault.

Dragonite nearly lost his balance, stepping back and roaring loudly. Venom remained unaffected by the events, thinking the attempts to defeat Dragonite would be futile no matter what, he was overconfident and enjoyed watching their efforts fail. "Enough playing, I'm getting bored, Dragonite twister!" 

The wind was immensely strong, causing the Rocket pokemon to group together, holding on to each other not to be blown away, while at the same time protecting their trainers. Dragonite roared a defiant battle cry and flapped his ragged wings, blowing another gust of air mixed with smoke from his mouth.

"Ivysaur, solar beam!"

"Cloyster, aurora beam!"

The other pokemon protected Ivysaur and Cloyster as they attacked, the two beams pierced the wall of wind hitting their target, but they only pushed Dragonite back. However, the dragon ceased his attack and the wind subsided. "Dragonite, outrage!" at Venom's order, Dragonite wildly attacked, having grown impatient with only being allowed to do so much, but knowing not to defy Venom who liked to exhaust his opponents.

"Kingler, vice grip!" Kingler held on to Dragonite's right arm, despite the dragon pokemon trying to shake him off. "Cloyster tackle and hold on!" Cloyster jumped towards Dragonite and closed his shell on impact, attaching himself to the furious dragon's left arm.

"Graveler, Machamp, Rhydon, mega punch!" The three pokemon attacked in perfect unison as the two water pokemon held on to Dragonite. Combining their attacks they were finally able to knock the large dragon pokemon down.

"Get up Dragonite!" Venom yelled, "finish them now!"

Even more enraged, Dragonite thrashed about, but Cloyster and Kingler didn't let go of his arms. Now Graveler, Rhydon and Machamp held on to him as well.

"Ivysaur solar beam!" Giovanni commanded, now was their only chance to win and they couldn't waste it.

"What are you doing Dragonite? Attack, use fire blast!" Venom ordered impatiently.

Ivysaur fired her solar beam and it collided with Dragonite's more powerful fire blast sending sparks all over the arena, the temperature rising rapidly. The fire blast canceled the solar beam and continued on with amazing power. It all happened in a split second; Giovanni and Delia were in danger from the blast of fire heading towards them. Ivysaur jumped in the way and shielded them but caught on fire, taking the hit head on. 

Ivysaur advanced towards Dragonite still aflame and unleashed another solar beam despite her extreme pain. Following the solar beam, which hit its target before Dragonite or Venom could react, the blazing grass pokemon tackled Dragonite with tremendous force. 

Many of the wires around Dragonite snapped and the metal box caught on fire, sending a shock of electricity all over Dragonite's body. Kingler, Cloyster, Machamp, Rhydon and Graveler quickly let go and back away as Dragonite roared in pain, until he finally lost consciousness at the cost of Ivysaur's life.

"Ivysaur!" Delia cried in agony, fearing the pokemon had no hopes of survival, only partially realizing she was already dead. "Ivysaur!" Delia tried to run towards the charred remains, like a pile of burned leaves on top of the unconscious Dragonite, but Giovanni held her back. "Let me go, I have to-"

"It's too late and this battle isn't over!" Giovanni held on to her until she stopped struggling.

Delia had an immense fury in her eyes, a thirst for justice and vengeance. Team Rocket had to clean the world of terrible people like Venom. "You horrible monster, Team Rocket will give you all the pain you gave these pokemon!"

"Is that so?" Venom stepped forward and slit the unconscious Dragonite's throat with his metal claws. 

"Dragonite! Why did you do that? He was your own pokemon, he fought for you!" Delia yelled enraged and even more saddened.

 "That creature lost," Venom replied simply, his voice filled with indifference.

"Dudes," Luke suddenly emerged from the tunnel leading to the basement out of breath. Giovanni and Delia had been so focused on their battle that they stopped listening for the other sounds in the gym, it was quiet now. "We like won, we got them all, we like took all the Tempest dudes prisoner," Luke held his hand over his ribs, where there was abundant blood, though he also had cuts and bruises all over. "We had to like fight too, you know?" His eyes went to Venom, who looked very displeased overhearing the news. "Whoa!"

"Luke you're injured and the others too?" The war seemed to have no end for Delia; she wanted to somehow heal all her companions, human and pokemon alike.

"We're tough," Luke replied with some difficulty and forced himself to smile reassuringly.

"Listen Luke..." Giovanni whispered something; Luke nodded and disappeared back into the tunnel leading to the basement from where he came.

"So the Tempest Gang has been defeated? It doesn't matter, they were weak anyway!" Venom growled almost insanely, out of focus, wild. "There's nothing you can do to stop me, were you planning your desperate escape just now?"

"Team Rocket has no intention of running away!" Giovanni yelled back.

"Good, because I won't let you!" Venom roared. "You all die now!" 

Venom charged forward, Rhydon and Machamp were the first in his way. Giovanni quickly shouted commands to both pokemon, but Venom was too fast and the exhausted pair of pokemon was stabbed simultaneously, falling down defeated, though alive.

Cloyster and Kingler were next; too fast to react they were out of the fight and gravely injured as well, but still breathing. Graveler stood as the only barrier between the rampaging Venom and the two trainers. 

Venom slashed away, pieces of rock falling off Graveler. The pokemon was in too much pain and could not react fast enough to follow any commands. More pieces of the rock pokemon fell, but Graveler continued trying to follow Giovanni's orders, though his actions had no effect on Venom.

An echo of cries and growls was heard coming from the tunnel leading to the basement. A stampede of pokemon, sick and injured but thirsty for vengeance made its way up to the arena and assaulted Venom. 

Giovanni's order had been for Team Rocket to let all the caged pokemon lose. After the way Machoke, now Machamp joined them to go against Venom and how he and Rhyhorn, now Rhydon evolved to fight him, Giovanni knew it would be useful to free the pokemon. They would surely hate Venom and attack him in their rage.

Venom screamed in pain as the pokemon bit and scratched. He slashed at them wildly, killing several, but there were too many, they buried him completely and relentlessly attacked. Team Rocket members poured into the arena and sent out their pokemon to help, regardless of their tired and injured state, some even got caught in the excitement and joined the attack themselves.

Venom became silent, his previous roars and growls lost. Team Rocket recalled their pokemon and backed away. The crazed pokemon that had been experimented on still buried Venom scratching and biting, not really being fully aware of what they were doing, focused only on revenge for their pain, feral and berserk. Slowly the pokemon began to feel the effects of their exhaustion having exerted themselves against Venom. Many fell unconscious and others crawled away a short distance and lay down breathing heavily.

Team Rocket, fully gathered in the arena, cheered, but Delia wasn't feeling victorious, "the pokemon..." Graveler twitched, despite his broken state and looked at the humans. "Graveler!" Delia rushed to his side. 

Giovanni observed the other pokemon trained by himself and Delia, they showed a little movement, signs of breathing and some even opened their eyes tiredly. A few of the sick pokemon fighting Venom had survived but they were in critical condition. In spite of that, they no longer held that look of rage and madness they had before, as if the effects of their revenge had sunk in and they had no target for their anger anymore. "Everyone, we can't afford to lose any more pokemon, start treating them immediately. We'll celebrate when we recover." Giovanni ordered; the key to maintaining power would be to have the most and strongest pokemon. 

Everyone ceased their cheering, realizing that Team Rocket was left virtually powerless by the harsh battle. The team got to work, treating the pokemon, giving them first aid and trying to keep them and each other alive.

xoxox xox xoxox

In the remainder of the night, Team Rocket treated the injured pokemon. Many of the ones that were released from the laboratory didn't make it, but most of their own did.

Binks had examined Venom's remains with the curiosity of a genetic science specialist then went off to find Giovanni, who was in one of the many rooms of the gym taking care of the pokemon with Delia. "It was ditto!" Binks dashed into the room, the door was left open, with different people often coming in and out to say something to their leader. "Venom injected himself with the DNA of Ditto to make his body more flexible to the modifications he made, that's how he survived his extreme surgery, but it wasn't a full mutation it was a combination between mutation and surgery. I also found a lot of interesting information in the laboratory. It seems the epidemic might have originated here by accident from mutated pokemon due to Venom's research. It seems he didn't know what to make of it, he had no control over the disease," Binks sounded very excited about the discovery.

"The cure!" Delia had been half inside Cloyster's shell taking care of the injuries within; Venom had slipped his claws inside before Cloyster could close his shell. She poked her head out the top of the shell, "do you think the information here could lead to finding a cure?"

"It's very likely!" Binks then went on a scientific speech about the properties of the virus that neither Giovanni nor Delia, despite having studied with Professor Oak, could keep up with; it was too technical, riddled with complex medical terms and hard to pronounce composite words.

"That's enough, organize the data that could be useful to research an antidote and clean out any unnecessary information," Giovanni ordered. He didn't need his headache to grow worse listening to Binks' elaborate terminology.

"Yes, boss, right away!" Binks rushed out to get to work. His blond hair was messier than ever and the purplish-black circles under his eyes stood out on his thin face, but he was bursting with energy and enthusiasm.

Delia finished taking care of Cloyster and looked over Kingler's bandages before going off to change Machamp's bandages. "The bleeding stopped, good, now stay still while I apply this cream, it will sting but it will help you heal and you won't even have a scar." The same process had been done with Rhydon who was resting there as well. 

Graveler was in more stable condition then the others; his structure was different from the other pokemon due to his thick stone armor. With so much stone the injuries sealed faster, but he was left permanently scarred. His wounds had closed and would not easily open up again, but he had lost some limbs protecting Giovanni and Delia. Graveler sat sadly in a corner, with a deep line diagonally from his forehead down to his chest over one eye, which was blind and closed. Out of four, he only had one arm left now. 

Delia had comforted the pokemon, telling him evolution might heal him, but in truth she wasn't sure, she had never seen such terrible injuries before and Graveler was so depressed he might not have the will to evolve even if he was trained.

Delia yawned and scanned the room for her magenta cup of coffee with a picture of a clashing bright red pokeball silhouette, which was not really hers, but something she found and claimed in the gym's kitchen, it was probably Amethyst's. It seemed that Amethyst had been some kind of coffee addict or maybe she kept the supply for Venom to stay awake experimenting through the night. There was a large supply of coffee of many different kinds in the gym's kitchen. 

Spotting the cup on the corner of a polished redwood desk, Delia picked it up and drank what was left, yawning again soon after. "I need more coffee."

"You need sleep," Giovanni corrected, with a look that clearly indicated he needed to rest as well. "I have a plan; I'll take care of things."

Delia shook her head sleepily, her eyes involuntarily half closed, "the pokemon..."

"Save for the sick ones, all the survivors are in a stable condition. You've treated so many, you deserve to rest, but first, I need you to call Professor Oak," Giovanni knew he had no more time to waste for his plan to work.

To be Continued

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 016: Give me Cunning

Giovanni wanted Team Rocket to be feared, but now was not the time to provoke the police. He had been trying to think of a way to make sure the police stayed away from them for the time being and the answer finally came to him. 

While Delia was occupied treating the injured pokemon, Giovanni had a scene arranged at the gym's arena. The way it would be interpreted, Venom killed Amethyst before anyone could stop him and battled Team Rocket. However, his mutations backfired and he died. It was close to the truth, but slightly modified.

There was no need for the police to know about the connection between Amethyst and Venom or the existence of the sub-terrain laboratory and the pokemon that were there. Aayla's previous position with Tempest had involved arranging false scenes so she was familiar with doing things like this and Binks was good with science so he could come up with a way to modify the details so that the tests would give the results they wanted.

According to the information Leah discreetly gathered in the city, noises were heard from the gym at night often so the neighbors thought nothing of it, assuming it was another late night pokemon training session. 

The plan was inspired by Delia and her idea of Team Rocket as a force of justice. Though Team Rocket would soon be feared, for the time being, they would have to operate in the shadows and pretend to be heroic vigilantes until they were ready to face the world.

Ditto was the key to making this work, "the hostage act might be a problem, so I'll have to clear my name of that for now." Though his link to Madame Boss was well known, the police still didn't have sufficient evidence against him or the means to stop her. He was focused, running over the possibilities in his head, with a little added pressure and the right background situation, this plan would work.

"That's were Professor Oak comes in, right? But how is it going to work? The police saw you," Delia couldn't think of a way around it, though surely Professor Oak's testimony was key. She ran her fingers through her long brown hair unconsciously and tiredly, she was still very puzzled by the unknown extent of Professor Oak's information about the general situation concerning Team Rocket and her place in it.

"You can tell the police that the one holding you hostage was Venom. They'll come here and find his body; we'll say we came to stop the Tempest Gang and Team Rocket will be the heroes this time. They'll believe it because of the ditto DNA in Venom; we'll have them think he managed to copy the pokemon's abilities. As for Professor Oak, he needs to support your story. He denied you were the hostage that time so he'll have to take it back, he could say that the Tempest Gang was threatening him with you as a hostage and testify about Venom's abilities," Giovanni explained, he knew it was a long shot, but this sort of situation wasn't always about proving something, but rather creating a scene where a story was good enough to be accepted and to motivate that acceptance with the situation.

"I understand," it was all for the best, Delia continued to constantly remind herself, "I hope Professor Oak doesn't mind lying again, but it is for a good reason, to help a band of vigilantes, I'm sure he'll do it." She had learned to look on the bright side of every situation however grim, she was exhausted and the pokemon were in bad shape, as were some of the Team Rocket members who were injured and would have to stay out of the action for a while. Even so the battle had been won, the Viridian Gym was their new home and Team Rocket was on the road to recovery and perhaps on the right path to becoming heroes. "I'll call Professor Oak right away and explain the situation."

xoxox xox xoxox

Delia called Professor Oak and told him the vital parts of the story, explaining she needed his help, while leaving out all the unnecessary details. She didn't want him to be too involved more than necessary. "So you see, that's why we need your help. I also wanted to ask, why did you cover for me?" Delia's voice and expression carried both gratitude and guilt.

"Because I trust you, I did some research after I heard of your disappearance from Cerulean City during your internship," Professor Oak replied on the video phone, his expression a mixture of uncertainty for the future and relief for the present. He had been worried and disappointed when he realized Delia had hidden the truth from him, but concluded that she just didn't want to cause trouble; her secrecy was for protection, rather than lack of trust. "I knew you must have your reasons for being with Giovanni, you two seemed happy together when you were here so when I heard about the hostage situation, I knew it couldn't be real, that's why I tried to protect your identity and throw the police off your trail. So Team Rocket are vigilantes now?" Oak clearly didn't believe it, even if he wanted to protect his student who was like a daughter to him and wished that for her sake, the unlikely situation of Team Rocket as heroes came true.

"We have vital information that could lead to the discovery of a cure for the epidemic," Giovanni's revelation immediately captured Oak's attention, he had been standing quietly beside Delia, as not much more than part of the background thus far. His face had gone from unreadable to confident, knowing he had the information that Professor Oak and so many others wanted. "I can send you this information and since you were already researching the cure and have experience on your side, you might find it faster than us. There's just one condition, as soon as you have the cure, you have to give it to us. You can submit it for official review right away, but I don't want to wait for it to be approved to have it."

"Agreed," Professor Oak opposed no argument to the condition, "there's no time to wait for the bureaucracy anyway." He knew there had to be another motive mixed in aside from helping the pokemon fast, perhaps an advantage against other gangs by being the first to obtain the cure, but that was nothing in comparison to the actual discovery of the cure. He didn't want Delia to get into trouble, she was like family to him, but she was also an adult, free to make her own choices. For now, Professor Oak would have to trust her and hope for the best. "I will also give my testimony as you ask." At least a cure could come out of all of this and in time perhaps all the pieces would align to form a better picture than he expected. For the time being, what was asked of him, in comparison to what would be given, was not an extraordinary request.

xoxox xox xoxox

Things went surprisingly smooth. The Tempest Gang were the villains and Team Rocket the heroic outlaws, suspicious of various crimes, but without sufficient proof against them. For the most part, the police believed everything. Professor Oak's testimony played as much of a key role as the ditto DNA confirmed to be in Venom.

It seemed that they were in the clear until Jenny of Viridian requested to speak with the leader of Team Rocket, away from the investigation team crowded in the arena. It was done discreetly, so the other officers, absorbed in their work, barely noticed Jenny was gone as they continue their grim yet excited discussion about their findings.

In what would later become Giovanni's office, away from prying eyes and ears; Giovanni and Delia listened to Jenny's deliberation. "Everything fits perfectly, save for maybe the odd timing here and there, but the forensic data so far is on your side and the timing is still within the margin of error; I trust it will continue to be regardless of how deep we dig. You also have a powerful testimony from a well know pokemon researcher on your side. Still, to think that a human could so accurately copy the ability of a pokemon..."

Giovanni and Delia remained silent; he had a well practiced look of calm indifference, with just enough alertness, hiding his true exhaustion perfectly. Delia was trying hard to look calm and though it was with effort, she succeeded, pushing away all worries and tiredness.

Jenny continued, "things are more complicated than just the law, sometimes there are more gray areas then black and white. Such as certain organizations being too dangerous to take them head on, because when they were small, enough proof could never be found, connections got in the way and the organizations grew large and unstoppable. I also know that sometimes following the law is not enough, but I am not one to break it to make my own justice, over the years I've learned to accept the limitations of what the police can do, of what I can do. But the question still remains, how can you possibly be trusted and why are you still here in the Viridian Gym?" The experienced officer had a focus critical look and sharp glare, predicting that she would not like any explanation she may receive.

"Don't trust me if you don't want to, didn't you just say it makes no difference?" At least that much was established, which saved Giovanni a lot of pointless arguing. "I'm here because I intend to become the new leader of this gym. I can win by the votes of the city if need be," Giovanni assured, his revelation being received more calmly then he expected. Taking over any given place was never as difficult as maintaining control. The larger the territory to command, the more complex it became to keep it under control, it would be a slow process and a learning experience, something that Giovanni looked forward to, but at the same time knew it would take time to adapt to it.

"I see..." Jenny bitterly accepted reality, "I take it you must already have a plan and a couple of backup plans to have the city elect you as the new gym leader. Fear, bribery, blackmail, political influence; without solid proof and amidst the current crisis, there's not much that can be done to stop you and you're already well aware of that. The police will be busy enough covering this up, for which you already know your cooperation will be needed," Jenny knew she was trapped in a corner by the situation, there was no point in pretending to be in control when the facts were so clear to her opponent and he knew exactly were he stood.

"All the evidence blames the Tempest Gang, evidence of which everyone in Team Rocket is aware of that should not be known to the world. The wrong people might start to get ideas about human and pokemon modifications, and the innocent citizens will live in fear. I can understand why the mayor would order the police to cover it. However, you can rest assured that what you've been told is truthful," albeit not the whole truth. "As for the soon to be ended epidemic, I can also honestly say it was Tempest's fault," Giovanni revealed, having a few real truths among the bent and twisted versions of the truth was always useful to have the story seen as a whole, supported by those real truths within it. "Such counterproductive measures are of no interest to me." 

Jenny gasped, "you're... you're not lying. That is dangerous information, to create a virus of such power... it's best if people don't know it's possible. But can you really be trusted not to repeat history? What about the cure? What about Professor Oak?" 

"Only a fool would create a power that could not be controlled," the virus was the downfall of Tempest and Giovanni would not make such a costly mistake.

"Professor Oak doesn't know anything," Delia insisted, suddenly speaking after her long silence, her expression going from neutral to defensive and back in a split second. "These... negotiations are between Team Rocket and the police," she wasn't sure where the line of justice fueled deception was blurred into a sort of indirect threat, but she tried to focus on the end result, realizing that at times the methods were inevitably messy. Jenny seemed to know that as well.

"Fine, Professor Oak is well trusted and given the expected end result of the situation, his testimony was for the best. It seems we have no choice but to let you do this. Go ahead, win over the city, bribe them with the cure to the epidemic if that's what you're planning to do." Jenny's many years as a police investigator filled her mind with theories, knowing that in the end it was not the explanation or even the truth that mattered, but the consequences and Team Rocket's retaliation if they were pushed to that, would be devastating.

Jenny wished she had more control over the situation, but it was out of hand and letting the new power settle in quietly was the most peaceful option in the end. She hoped that when it was time for her daughter to take over as the new officer Jenny, things would have settled down and Viridian City would have gotten used to coexisting with the dark secrets that could not be disclosed or dissolved.

"There is one thing I must ask of you," Jenny looked at Giovanni serious and determined. "With this I'll either forever regret my lack of power or find some consolation. If you are to become the leader of this gym, I want to test your skills in a pokemon battle, one on one."

"I assure you I'll win, why don't you pick a spot outside where the battle won't get in the way of the officers that are still looking around, I'll be right there," Giovanni accepted the challenge, his confidence ever present, though on the inside, he knew he had reasons to worry given the state of his pokemon.

Though she found it a little suspicious, Jenny knew she would gain nothing by being stubborn and arguing. For all she knew, the delay might not have a meaning at all, Giovanni could just be annoying her, knowing he held all the cards this time. "Fine, don't take too long," Jenny left.

After Jenny was gone, Giovanni faced the dilemma of what pokemon to use for the battle. "Their wounds will open," Delia expressed her worries, her face filled with deep concern, "except for Graveler, but he..."

Giovanni knew the state Graveler was in, but he was the only pokemon not at risk of falling over and bleeding to death due to reopened injuries during the battle. Aside from the battle scars and lost limbs, Graveler was ready to fight. "I don't have a choice."

The pair went to get the rock pokemon in another room; understandably, Graveler looked depressed in his state. Delia patted his head gently and smiled reassuringly, "Graveler, we need your help defending this gym so that Giovanni can become the new gym leader. All our comrades are still recovering, it's all up to you; please try your best."

"Does a pep talk really make a difference?" Giovanni didn't think so, he kept trying to think of a strategy to use that would make up for this disadvantage and was beginning to regret his hasty acceptance of Jenny's challenge. Perhaps seeing the officer admit his advantage in the situation made him a little too confident.

"I'm sure it helps, you should encourage Graveler too!" Delia insisted, with certainty. She had always believed pokemon's morale and emotions were vital to battling and every other aspect of their lives.

"Fine, we're counting on you Graveler, win this," though Giovanni was only humoring Delia, it was enough for Graveler.

The rock pokemon looked much happier now, seeing that despite the state he was in, the humans who had captured him in such an unforgettable battle were not abandoning him. Surrounded by light, Graveler felt his form change and seconds later, a perfectly healthy Golem stood before them, filled with the confidence he was given.

"You evolved!" Delia cheered, "you see, Giovanni? A few words of encouragement go a long way." The feeling of victory and the optimism of invincibility were returning to Delia.

"Wasn't that a coincidence?" Giovanni never expected something like this to happen, but it changed everything for the better. "Either way the timing couldn't be more perfect, I'll be sure to win this battle." Giovanni recalled Golem to his pokemon and went out to meet his opponent.

xoxox xox xoxox

Officer Jenny stood outside the gym waiting for Giovanni to arrive. "Ready?" She was becoming impatient and wanted to get this battle done.

"I'm always ready," Giovanni called out Golem, he wasn't worried about the battle anymore, now he couldn't wait to get started and win.

"A Golem, you must be expecting me to call out Growlithe, right? That's not my only pokemon." Jenny called out her chosen pokemon, Golduck.

"Don't think the type advantage will help you!" Giovanni started with a direct attack, "Golem, tackle!" The rock pokemon charged in fearlessly.

"Golduck, water gun!" The blue duck shot a strong blast of water from his mouth, which hit the target but did not stop Golem, who rammed right into Golduck. "Taking an attack head on like that, strong but careless, tail whip!" Golduck tried to defend himself, though he was close to his limit from Golem's impressive initial attack. 

"Mega punch!" The command brought memories to Golem, from when he was caught and from the battle against his trainer's enemy, Venom. With a loud roar, Golem punched Golduck hard enough to send him flying several feet, landing bruised and unconscious on the ground.

Golem looked satisfied and Delia cheered, but Jenny's expression as she recalled Golduck with a few words of gratitude for his attempt, was not the defeated look Giovanni thought she would have. "I'll have to think of this battle and let it ease my mind a little."

Giovanni thought he understood what she meant, "because Viridian City will have a strong gym leader?"

Jenny shook her head, "I knew you would win, even with the type advantage, you couldn't have come this far without being capable of winning against all odds. I wanted to see your pokemon in action; this Golem is very proud to be your pokemon. I don't know what the future will bring, and I still don't like the situation, but I suppose I can accept it for the time being," not that there was any other choice.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later, Jenny and the other officers left, taking away all the evidence and bodies from the scene at the arena, having finished their examination. The arena could now be cleaned and the gym revitalized, of course all the surviving Tempest members had been arrested.

Binks was sent on his way to Pallet Town with information for Professor Oak, he was to stay in the laboratory and help with the research. While some members of Team Rocket tiredly carried out miscellaneous tasks to get the gym ready for pokemon battles and to be their new base, others rested where they found a quiet spot to do so. This was the start of a new era for Team Rocket.

To be Continued

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 017: Give me Love

Delia made her way down the halls of the Viridian City Gym with a zombie-like expression and constant yawns and a few sobs. She had worked so hard, she barely had time to mourn the lost pokemon, though she knew she had to keep moving forward.

"I can't believe you managed to make yourself look awake when Jenny was here," Giovanni himself was also extremely tired, though he seemed to generally need less sleep than Delia, having become accustomed to getting little over the years.

Delia yawned again and looked at Giovanni, who was a bit out of focus, "I had to," she started falling forward and he caught her. 

"We can rest now; Team Rocket has new headquarters and a great cover. Things will be much easier from now on," Giovanni wasn't sure if Delia was listening, or if she was sleepwalking along with him.

They came to a door and entered; Delia made her way to the bed, dizzy with sleep and gently petted the egg that accompanied her throughout her entire adventure, feeling its temperature. She lay down next to it, her expression at last peaceful, glad to finally put her head on a pillow. 

"When is this thing going to hatch?" To Giovanni it felt as if the egg had been with them for too long and he wondered if it would hatch at all.

"Hmm?" Delia opened her eyes again a bit surprised at how close Giovanni was, as much as the egg between them allowed. "Soon, and you can't sleep here, I'm sleeping here."

"This is the biggest room, it goes to the leader," Giovanni calmly pointed out, as if it were the most obvious fact.

"You said it was mine," Delia reminded.

"Only because I'm sharing it with you," he had that same expression once again, mischievous, though this time also sleepy, but just enough to live up to his Charmander nickname.

However, Delia was too tired to argue, she would leave that for later, "fine, you're too tired to misbehave anyway, aren't you Charmander?" No more words were spoken between them, Giovanni not bothering to celebrate his little victory too much, as he was indeed exhausted. They drifted off to sleep with no immediate worries for the first time in a long time.

xoxox xox xoxox

It was a strange feeling that woke her, like a pulsation from the egg and there was a lot of warmth, more than ever before. Delia wasn't sure how many hours had passed, but the room was dark, though not pitch black. Was it sunset? It had been the afternoon when she fell asleep, but she felt too rested for it to have been only a few hours to the evening. Then she realized the sun wasn't setting, she should be able to see it from the open window if it were, it was instead rising, the night had gone by and a new day had began.

Giovanni was still there, resting, she was sure he was resting with his eyes close and not really sleeping, he didn't need thirteen hours of sleep, even after draining all his energy, ten might have been enough to catch on sleep for him, maybe even eight. Delia examined what caused her to wake up, the pulsations from the egg and its increased warmth; the egg was finally hatching.

If she was the first living being the newborn pokemon saw, then the baby would think she was its mother, but maybe she wouldn't be the first. Perhaps Giovanni would benefit more from the experience of taking care of a pokemon since birth. Who wouldn't love a cute little baby pokemon? Maybe he would care more about pokemon in general if he raised this one.

"Giovanni, are you awake?" Delia called softly, the decision having been made, albeit without his input.

He opened his eyes too quickly to have been sleeping; he had woken up first, just as she thought. "The egg is... doing something," he didn't seem too interested, but still a little curious.

"I know; it will hatch soon," Delia handed the egg to Giovanni. "Be careful not to hurt the baby, break the shell gently," she instructed.

"Why? Isn't it coming out on its own?" Giovanni was puzzled by this, he had never heard of a pokemon egg needing help hatching before.

"The shell is too thick; I noticed it when I examined the egg to make sure it was healthy. It must have been a natural defense. If it was born on its own, good, but I knew that if after a while it didn't come out, it would need help. Let's not keep the baby waiting," Delia encouraged; she smiled warmly, truly enjoying the moment.

"Why do I have to do this?" Giovanni complained, "I don't know anything about baby pokemon." He had always preferred strong grown up pokemon, babies couldn't battle as well as fully grown pokemon and he saw little benefits in raising a small pokemon versus catching a strong adult. Besides, if he did make a mistake and end up hurting the little pokemon, Delia would be terribly upset.

"Because you'll be its father," Delia insisted, her expression unchanged, excited and happy. "I did most of the work keeping it warm so now you have to do something for the baby too."

"If you wanted a child, you should have just said so," Giovanni replied, his mischievous grin returning without a hint of drowsiness this time.

"Stop it Charmander, you need to focus, this is important!" Delia scolded him, but laughed while doing so, albeit her voice did not lose its sense of urgency.

The egg in Giovanni's hands vibrated impatiently, as if the baby could hear the voices outside and wanted whoever was out there to set it free. "Alright, how hard can it be?" Giovanni finally agreed and tried to break the egg, though it was difficult knowing how much force to apply. He tried to pull the top of the egg off and it cracked, "you really should do this yourself."

"You're doing fine, don't give up, can't you even handle a baby pokemon?" Delia teased, knowing that would make Giovanni want to prove her wrong.

"Fine, I'll do it," he carefully started to pry off a piece of the egg from the crack that had formed until he removed it and saw a glitter of gold inside, surrounded in white. He finished pulling the top of the egg off carefully.

The baby Meowth stuck his little head out of the remains of the egg, staring up at Giovanni curiously. "Meowth!" It called out in a little high pitched voice. For a new born, it was certainly loud.

"Aw, so cute!" Delia had witnessed pokemon eggs hatch a few times before, though she was never the first being the pokemon saw; every time it felt special. "Hold him, I'll get a blanket." 

Delia hurried to find a small blanket, rushing back to Giovanni and wrapping the newborn pokemon in it, though she still insisted on making him hold the little Meowth, now wrapped in light blue. 

"This will be a challenge," Delia voiced, although she spoke without worry, but with the excitement of looking forward to it.

Giovanni didn't like where the conversation was going, he didn't think such a tiny creature was really worth too much work. "What do you mean? It's a pokemon, how hard can it be to train it?"

"He's too young and since you were the first living being he saw, he'll be very attached to you," Delia explained, having purposely hidden that fact, which Giovanni soon realized.

"You did that on purpose..." It was a conclusion, rather than a question.

Delia nodded, with no intentions of hiding the truth any longer. "I thought it would do you some good to raise a pokemon since birth. Be good to him, this one is like a child to me after I carried the egg around for so long and kept it warm."

"So he's our child?"

"That's right and that means he'll need special care since he's still a baby. He's too young to go in a pokeball right now. He might meow now and then wanting food or attention. We can't give him regular pokemon food yet, but there is food for baby pokemon that he'll be able to eat," Delia began to go over a mental list of the necessary things to take care of the baby Meowth.

Annoyed by the thought of a baby pokemon constantly demanding attention, Giovanni began to ask, "are you telling me this thing-"

"Don't call our child a thing!" Delia scolded, pouting and pointing, shaking her finger for emphasis.

"Right, sorry..." Giovanni tried to be patient, though there was some sarcasm evident in his tone, "are you telling me our son," it felt odd to call a pokemon his son, "will require constant care?"

"Yes," Delia nodded.

"That he'll cry in the middle of the night wanting milk or something?"

"Yes."

"That he'll need a lot of attention all the time?"

"Yes."

"That you'll have no inconveniences in staying here?"

"Yes-what?" Delia paused and blinked, caught in her automatic affirmations.

Giovanni was a little amused despite the situation, by catching Delia saying yes to everything. "If Meowth is attached to me and stays here, then you need to stay here too, because you're his mother and without your help I'll end up shoving him in a pokeball," he explained as a matter of fact.

Delia took a deep breath and went over the possibilities, before finally agreeing, under certain conditions, "okay fine, I'll share this room with you, but it's just so I can help take care of the baby, nothing else. Stop grinning like that Charmander, this doesn't mean anything!"

"Meowth!" The little pokemon sounded cheerful, amused by his parents, though he didn't really understand what they were talking about.

xoxox xox xoxox

The little Meowth was happy to be perched on Giovanni's shoulder while the Team Rocket leader went about his business every day. Giovanni was annoyed at first; thinking having a cute little baby pokemon on him all the time completely ruined his image. Eventually he got over it, resolving to simply punch or kick anyone who dared to make any comments, but thankfully, no one was stupid or suicidal enough to say anything so it didn't come to that.

As expected, the information from Venom's research led Professor Oak to discover the cure for the terrible epidemic that threatened all pokemon. As agreed, the formula was handed over to Team Rocket and simultaneously submitted for official review and mass production, though that would certainly take time.

While the bureaucracy did its tests, Giovanni rose to power in Viridian City as the new gym leader, using his supply of antidote along with a little pressure to make sure the city gave its approval. Everything went smoothly, exactly as planned.

That was not the only benefit of having the cure first. With it, the sick pokemon that survived the battle with Venom were healed of their illness and were steadily recovering from their physical injuries, thus Team Rocket had many more pokemon at their disposal than they had in a long time. They were ready to take on the smaller gangs to the east all at once, even if they banded together to face the threat. Spreading their territory taking advantage of the shortage of healthy pokemon that still reigned over most of Kanto, brought fast and abundant growth for Team Rocket.

They still stole pokemon from random trainers at times, not just from other gangs. Delia saw taking the pokemon away from the other gangs as rescuing them, but she got angry when she heard a seemingly good trainer had been robbed. It was something that made Delia and Giovanni bicker now and then, though they always made up in the end and found a way to look at the situation differently; a new point of view in which Team Rocket and their relationship appeared to be alright for them both.

With this new power and stability, which was maintained even after the cure was made public and the pokemon in the area began to recover, came abundant riches and resources for Team Rocket. That's when Delia started receiving frequent presents from Giovanni, expensive things, especially diamonds.

She had a golden jewelry box where her diamonds were kept, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, yellow gold with diamonds, white gold with diamonds, diamonds and sapphires, diamonds and rubies, diamonds and emeralds, diamonds bigger than she thought she would ever see. He looked happy to be able to give her those gifts and it was seeing that which was the real gift for Delia.

It was many months later that the promised victory party finally took place. It was a formal event, covered in elegance and riches, though beyond the sparkle of jewelry and the sea of dresses and tuxedoes, Delia saw friends who had become dear to her and a growing love.

It had been that night that many things happened; the picture that Delia would later take with her when she left Team Rocket was taken that very night. At that time, she was happy, and despite their different priorities and goals, she thought she would be with Giovanni forever. She smiled when the picture was taken, not knowing what kind of choices waited in the future.

It was during that party that a special guest slipped in, camouflaged among the multitude of new Team Rocket members. "Is that your girlfriend, brat boy?"

Giovanni knew her, but he couldn't believe she would be there and he was not pleased with her presence. "Why are you here?"

"I just came to see you. It seems you've made a name for yourself, well done. Since I'm retiring, you can have my resources," the woman was old enough to be Giovanni's mother, though she still had a certain youthful appearance for her age with wavy dark hair she wore down and an elegant black dress.

"I don't need your help," Giovanni refused without a second thought, while Delia stared at the unknown woman in confusion.

"I know; that's why I'm giving them to you," she smiled at her own irony. "Well, it's been nice seeing you again, brat boy. Make sure you train my grandchild well enough to handle all this," the woman turned away and started to leave.

"We need better security," Giovanni muttered glaring after her.

Delia suddenly came to a realization about her identity and dashed after the older woman before Giovanni could stop her, "wait! You're Madame Boss, right? Why don't you stay for the party?"

"Oh my, you're so innocent and naive, at least that's what it seems," Madame Boss laughed teasingly. "She has such a good girl face, I bet she's very dangerous, eh, brat boy?"

"Stop calling me that, just hurry up and leave!" Giovanni insisted in annoyance.

Madame Boss looked amused, "You're so stubborn; I bet if you two have a kid, the child will be just as stubborn as you." With those final words of parting, she disappeared between the partying Team Rocket members and was not seen in the party again.

"Giovanni, she's your mother," Delia complained about his behavior, though there was also a hint of support.

"I know; I let her go, didn't I?" That would have to be enough. "C'mon, let's enjoy the party, forget that even happened," Giovanni knew Madame Boss wouldn't cause any more trouble; she had her fun infiltrating their party and annoying him.

It wasn't too long before Delia did forget about the incident and was caught up in the feeling of victory, power and hope that was all around, though what they were hoping for varied from one person to another.

xoxox xox xoxox

As time passed, Team Rocket moved further away from what Delia was hoping it would become, but it wasn't all bad. Giovanni didn't complain about taking care of Meowth anymore. He also showered her with gifts constantly, though Delia insisted he didn't have to do so much, that just spending time together was enough, at least he somehow showed he cared. There were moments during those times of bliss that Delia would treasure for the rest of her life. 

After Team Rocket had taken over the Viridian City Gym, though their presence there remained unknown to the general public beyond simple rumors that would fade in time, those from the police who knew the truths ordered to be secrets by the mayor, eventually began to think that only their boss was there, and their actual base was elsewhere. Team Rocket showed no signs of coming and going, instead extending the underground passages in secret and using them to go in and out of their secret base in Viridian.

Delia was reassured she made the right choice in letting Giovanni raise the little Meowth, she knew it every time she saw them; Meowth always got special treatment. Giovanni still didn't seem to care too much about his other pokemon, but he was nicer to them when Delia was around, and she made sure they were alright. Aside from Meowth, Golem seemed to be his second favorite. 

Giovanni didn't go on missions anymore; he directed them now and did the planning, but that was even more time consuming. Delia took care of his pokemon and gave him her views on Team Rocket's latest activities, which sometimes led to arguments, but they didn't stay angry for long. 

They were aware of their differences, but they were also well aware of what they liked about each other. She could live like this, even if the expensive gifts were a bit excessive at times and there were some disagreements. Giovanni was trying to make her feel more comfortable, she knew that. Maybe he tried to make up for the fact that the reality had sunk in and deep down Delia knew Team Rocket would never be a band of righteous vigilantes. 

It was alright, she could live with it, even if years ago she would have scolded herself for even considering accepting what Team Rocket did. She would still try to make the situation as good as it could be within the range available. Overall, Delia felt appreciated, happy and loved, that was enough.

To be Continued

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 018: Give me Trust

Delia stayed with Team Rocket for the pokemon at first, then she chased an impossible dream, trying to turn the organization into defenders of justice. Finally, she realized what Team Rocket truly was and what it was becoming, but she stayed anyway for Giovanni, even if she didn't get to see him often anymore. 

She sighed and looked at the clock again, paced around and decided to lie down, she was tired. She wasn't sure how much time passed until she felt his arrival, and the noticed the light she had left on being turned off. "Giovanni, I miss you..."

"I'll be able to take a break soon, there's too much going on right now. I need to keep Team Rocket organized and restructure it, it's growing so fast!"

She could sense the excitement in his voice beyond the need for rest; Team Rocket was finally becoming the powerful force he wanted it to be. "How come you never include me in your meetings?"

"You'll get bored..." there was a pause as she waited for the truth; he knew she would get it out of him eventually. "I know you don't like that kind of thing, stealing pokemon and things like that, but you'll get used to it, then you can come."

"You know I'll just end up arguing with everyone right now." She knew they had their differences and she didn't think she could get used to his way of seeing the world. But maybe she could try a little harder; he had been patient despite it all and she didn't want to lose everything she had come to treasure. "I'll try to accept Team Rocket for what it is." She still had dear friends there, though they had drifted apart lately, perhaps she could visit them and that would make her feel reassured.

xoxox xox xoxox

Morning came and by the time Delia woke up, Giovanni was already gone, off to direct the new Team Rocket and made sure the organization didn't fall into chaos while it was adapted to be effective with its constant growth and expansion. Meowth was gone as well and was probably napping on Giovanni's lap right now while a strategic meeting took place, one that might be interrupted now and then by the arrival of a trainer wishing to battle for an Earth badge, Giovanni would have to take care of that, he had to keep up appearances after all. Delia couldn't believe it had already been a year since they took the Viridian Gym, though a year felt short looking at how much Team Rocket had expanded. 

After her usual morning activities were completed, Delia checked on the pokemon, made sure they were alright and once that was done, she asked around the large underground base, searching for the location of her friends. 

"I don't know Lady Roketto, please forgive me," she lowered her head, her layered blond hair falling forward over her face and shoulders.

"It's alright," the shy girl reminded Delia of Leah, perhaps that is why she approached her asking if she knew the other girl. It felt a bit strange to be called Lady Roketto, it's not like she was married to Giovanni, though they did have a close relationship and perhaps one day would be married. She could still picture it happening at that time.

"Maybe you should ask the secretary..." The girl shifted a bit uncomfortable, she was clearly a rookie in every way.

"Oh, yes of course, thank you," Delia went off to follow the suggestion, it did make sense to have a secretary, it was impossible for Giovanni to handle the gym related paper work and keep track of Team Rocket's deals and missions by himself when he was so busy meeting with allies and occasionally rivals, as well as battling trainers who wanted a gym badge. Delia should have seen the business-like structure coming with the gang having turned into a large scale organization and more effort being needed to stay functional.

After obtaining the cure for the virus, facing the smaller pokemon gangs and winning with the advantage of healthy pokemon was easy. The raise to power of Team Rocket did not go unnoticed, thus new members joined one after the other and the police backed off fearing they were too much to handle, though they would still go after the individual little teams and try to make arrests in a smaller scale. 

Some of the smaller gangs decided it was best to join Team Rocket, as they would not be able to continue their activities freely as independent gangs. This brought not only more workers to revitalize the laboratories taken from Tempest underground at Viridian, but also more resources with their contacts extended and the gangs' small hideouts now serving as check points for Team Rocket.

Selling the unofficial antidote brought vast riches and opened the doors for a whole new level of negotiations with the laboratories Team Rocket illegally sold pokemon to in the past. They had he coveted formula of the cure ready to produce it before it was officially released, they had power and they had plenty of information useful for blackmail should the need arise. 

Later, Madame Boss' resources came into play, though Giovanni refused them, the former associates of Madame Boss still came to him for business and in the end Delia convinced him to stop being stubborn and take his mother's gift. The resources could be used to make the world a better place, Delia pointed out, which by Giovanni's definition, different from hers, would be eventually taking over. 

xoxox xox xoxox

The inquiry to the secretary was fruitful, though Delia felt a little odd with people instantly recognizing her even if she did not know many of them. She assumed they must have seen her with Giovanni or heard about her from other members. At least she found out where Leah was; she had gone to Pewter City.

Delia looked at the cars sitting at the Viridian Gym driveway; they were expensive and flashy, excessive by her definition. Black and red, both were there, which meant Giovanni's business was local today. She got on the red car, a multitude of lights flashing on in the dash board as she inserted the key and turned it. The radio came on automatically and she let the music flood her head as she drove to Pewter City.

xoxox xox xoxox

Despite being kept out of the meetings where Giovanni predicted she would make a scene, Delia knew about certain details, perhaps Giovanni wanted to inform her little by little, while she got used to how things worked and more so while she accepted them. At least she was glad not to be kept in the dark completely, she knew about the pokemon supply shop in Pewter City, which helped receive and store goods for Team Rocket. Leah would be conducting an inspection on that shop today, according to the schedule.

xoxox xox xoxox

The trip from Viridian to Pewter was relatively fast as the streets were very calm with few cars transiting them. The pokemon supply shop was easy to find and Delia parked the car in front of it, ignoring the curious glances people gave her. 

She wore normal clothes of course, she had not used a Team Rocket uniform in a long time and neither had Giovanni. Though she had thought he looked handsome in a suit, it wasn't until later that it sunk in just how big the changes in Team Rocket were and the consequences they would bring. This was the life he wanted, she mused, so for his sake she would get used to it, even if the extravagant riches made her feel a little guilty remembering how they were obtained. 

Delia went inside the shop as naturally as any other customer would, passing under the pokeball sign above the door next to the glass window and over the red mat with the word 'welcome' in white letters at the door. 

"Welcome, how may I help you?" The young man behind the polished brown wooden counter asked, he had clear blue eyes and his hair was a dark shade of green, almost black.

The shop had a homey feel with wooden shelves rather than the more common metal ones. Everything was kept immaculate and organized with a variety of bottles and sprays lining the shelves in a rainbow of colors. The floor was tiled in a cream color, rather than white, each tile spotless like a mirror. "Hi, is Leah still here?" Delia inquired.

After a moment of silence the man shifted uncomfortably and forced his worry to turn into puzzlement, "I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name."

The door to the storage room behind the counter opened and Leah quietly emerged, unseen and unnoticed by the man facing Delia. "She's right behind you."

The man automatically looked over his shoulder and jumped slightly at suddenly finding Leah out of the storage room. "Relax," Leah spoke softly, "the merchandise is complete." She then walked around the counter and greeted Delia, "it's been a while, what brings you here?" 

The man from the shop interrupted, somewhat relieved, but still wishing to confirm his theory "you know each other?"

Leah nodded, "Delia is the boss' lover."

"Leah!" Delia turned bright red. For someone so quiet, Leah certainly had a big mouth that time. It was true, but Delia wasn't expecting Leah of all people to say it so directly.

"My apologies Lady Roketto!" He bowed, now looking more worried than before.

"It's fine, don't worry," Delia assured, awkward and embarrassed. Wishing to get out of there as fast as possible she asked Leah, "do you still have things to do here?"

"No, everything is alright, I was going to return to headquarters, but if you want to talk, I have time," Leah's voice came as a barely audible monotone as it had been since Delia found her at the store.

"I do want to talk, let's go to a cafe or something," Delia was quick to suggest, beginning a swift walk out of the store and to her car, her face still felt a little warm. 

xoxox xox xoxox

The streets of Pewter City were not too busy with activity, but people passed by now and then and were seen by Delia and Leah from the glass window of the cafe where they sat. A waiter came and smiled from ear to ear, his pearly teeth seemed a little too large for his thin face and stood out even more than his orange hair. He complimented the "beautiful ladies" with a hopeful glint in his eyes that were either brown or dark green, as they seemed to look different with every glance. Then he took a little white notepad and a yellow pencil from the pocket of his black pants and asked for their order. They had arrived in Delia's car, which could be seen parked out front; he had probably seen it and was hoping for a big tip.

Leah simply ordered a hot chocolate; she preferred that over coffee or any other beverage. Delia was in the mood for something that looked cheerful and ordered a banana-strawberry shake. 

"How have you been?" Delia tried to get the conversation going, wishing with all her heart that it would fall into something natural. She longed for the feeling of trust and friendship that had been fading with time and lack of communication.

"Alright..." Leah's quiet reply didn't convince Delia at all. Her honey colored eyes remained staring at her delicate hands folded on the table. She would occasionally appear to raise her eyes, almost as if to meet Delia's but she stopped in the middle of the table, as if distracted by red floral designs of the white tablecloth, then went back to staring at her hands.

"You don't sound like it," Delia remembered that in the busy times that followed the Viridian Gym take over, she had been focused on taking care of the pokemon and helping Giovanni raise Meowth. Though she had made plans to help Leah get over her past, it never happened and with that memory surfacing after such a long time, Delia felt guilty to have forgotten it in the first place. A lot had happened, but she felt she had no excuse for the big delay on keeping her promise, "is Aayla still..."

The waiter arrived and brought the drinks with his ever present cheer. After another cheesy compliment accompanied by an exaggerated smile, he departed, encouraging them to call him should they need anything. 

After the waiter was gone, Delia asked again, "is Aayla still helping you?" She was pretty sure Leah had heard her the first time and understood the meaning of the incomplete question, but she had made no motion to reply.

After a pause that felt excessively long, Leah shook her head, "Aayla is busy, she doesn't have time for me; she's working with Binks now."

The revelation surprised Delia, Aayla and Binks were as different as night and day. Aayla was brave, she could be dangerously temperamental if provoked and she was precise. Binks was a worrier, he was sometimes easily upset, but didn't go beyond words to defend himself and he was a little clumsy more often than not. Delia couldn't imagine them working together without constant quarrels that led Binks to obtain a few bruises. "What are they doing?"

"Creating the ultimate power, that's what Aayla said, I really don't know." Leah paused, her expression uncertain, though her reply this time had been much faster. Clearly there was something on her mind and it was not about Aayla. She took a sip of her hot chocolate, then set the white mug down and looked at Delia's eyes for the first time since they arrived at the cafe, "he's out there..."

"Who is?" Delia curiously inquired, feeling as if this revelation was very meaningful to Leah.

"Han, he's out there," Leah insisted in a small whisper, filled with more emotion than anyone would think possible for such a soft tone, her serious gaze didn't break away from Delia's eyes for a single second.

"But Han passed away," Delia recalled hearing the story from Aayla right before Team Rocket took over the Viridian Gym. She didn't want to be so direct, but she was confused by Leah's insistence and the words slipped out before she could stop them.

"No, we only thought he did, but the body was never found," Leah's voice was quiet but carrying more emotion with each word, trying to say many things very fast. "He pushed me out of the way during that earthquake in the cave. He saved my life and I thought he was crushed, we all thought so, but it's not true!" She breathed deeply to push back the tears that threatened to fall, "I was so sad I went back to Fuchsia City and locked myself in my room. From what I heard when I finally returned to Cinnabar Island, Luke was in denial for a long time, he kept saying that his brother was alive but was convinced to accept what everyone thought was true, that Han was dead."

Delia wasn't sure how to react, as far as she knew Han had died long ago. If he was alive somewhere, wouldn't he have been found by now? "What makes you say that all of a sudden?" She carefully asked.

"The new hotel, the one being constructed by one of Team Rocket's business allies in Cinnabar Island." The business side of Team Rocket had been expanding, owning various properties and making deals in different markets to guarantee stability if one area faced difficulties. "It's being constructed in the same place where Han was thought to have died. The locals complained, saying that place was a grave. In the end, to avoid unnecessary trouble if a protest was formed, the construction company offered to recover the body the locals were unable to dig out from under the heavy rocks so he may have a proper burial. That convinced the locals to allow it, but the body wasn't there," Leah explained, her eyes shining with hope at the end.

"It has been a long time," Delia voiced gently.

"He wasn't there! There wasn't even a trace, not a shred of fabric, or a bone, there was nothing!" Leah insisted. "Instead they found that the ground was thin under the rocks and though the rocks covered it during the cave in, the ground had partially given in. There was a tunnel under the pile of rocks; Han must have fallen in, that's how he was saved from being crushed. No body was found in the tunnel that was discovered and this time I won't believe he's dead until I see proof." Leah was more determined than Delia had ever seen her.

To be Continued

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 019: Give me Power

Leah was determined to find Han wherever he may be and put extra effort into finishing her tasks in Team Rocket quickly so she could go out and search. She would tend to her duties, report back to base and hope to get some time off, though more often than not she was given a miscellaneous task to perform. This didn't really bother Leah as she was usually assigned the tasks she expressed interest in doing, which involved traveling to various places where she would take some time to search for clues.

Delia had returned to the Viridian Rocket headquarters feeling uneasy. Leah had been heartbroken once and Delia feared she would relive the pain or live with false hope, which would only hurt her more. Delia had never met Han, but everything pointed to him being dead, even Leah herself thought so before and Luke had accepted it long ago. 

It wasn't that Delia believed the miraculous escape Leah theorized occurred was impossible. If the ground beneath him had indeed swallowed Han, preventing him from being crushed by the larger rocks that couldn't follow him into the deeper tunnel through the relatively small opening, then there was a chance that he did survive that day. But if that was so, where could he be? No traces of him were found, dead or alive, perhaps he had indeed fallen into a second tunnel, but maybe, instead of having escaped the falling rocks, a layer of rocks small enough to fit through the opening, but large enough to do serious damage had buried him deeper and he was yet to be found. 

The sad one seemed to be the most logical explanation, but Delia dared not voice it to Leah, instead leaving her with an ambiguity about how life goes on. It could have been interpreted as hope to find Han or encouragement to move on all the same.

At headquarters, Delia once again visited the secretary and asked about Aayla, whom she was told was in New Island. Giovanni had mentioned it before; it was a secluded little island where Team Rocket's scientists could conduct their research without fearing their data being stolen. The presence of the laboratories was kept in secret and the island was believed to be deserted.

New Island was too far away to be able to visit today, but Delia could always call. She obtained the number and retired to the living quarters of the Viridian Gym in the upper floor to make the call.

The phone rang several times before someone answered it, Delia didn't recognize the voice, but it seemed that whoever was on the other side recognized the number coming from one of Giovanni's private lines and didn't question her when she asked to speak to Aayla.

"Hello?" Aayla sounded surprised and curious when her voice came through the phone. She had probably not been told who the caller was.

"Aayla, hi! It's Delia, how are you?" Delia greeted as cheerfully as she could despite her mind being occupied with so many questions regarding the changes of Team Rocket and the fate of her friends, especially Leah's situation.

"Delia, it's been ages, what's the high and mighty Lady Roketto doing talking to a peasant?" Aayla teased, "albeit a high ranked peasant."

Delia's mood sincerely improved, laughing together with Aayla who sounded more cheerful than ever before. "I'm sorry; I know I haven't been a very good friend lately. Things have been so busy, but I'm sure you already know that. I've been so caught up in everything, taking care of the pokemon, getting used to the new Team Rocket, or at least trying to. What have you been doing?"

"Creating the ultimate power!" Aayla proudly declared. "It's what Venom tried to obtain and failed," she had always wanted more of a revenge on the man who lied to her and left her for another. This was perfect, the power he so coveted would be hers to wield for the benefit of his enemy, Team Rocket.

Delia felt a cold chill run down her spine at the mention of Venom; the name brought back horrible memories. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see, Binks has been working hard, he better be, because he knows I'll beat him to a bloody puddle if he doesn't. This will be great, you'll see it soon, everyone will!" Aayla cheered, as if her victory was certain.

"It's nothing dangerous, is it? What exactly is this power?" Delia insisted; she was very worried and also thought Aayla sounded odd, a little too loud and cheerful.

"It will be grand!" Aayla laughed, then giggled in the silliest way.

"Aayla? Are you alright?" There was a loud noise, as if the phone had been thrown and damaged, but thankfully not enough to make it stop working. "Hello? Aayla? Are you alright?"

"Hello?" A man spoke this time, "who is this?"

"It's Delia; I was talking to Aayla just now," Delia replied with worry.

"Oh, hi Delia, it's been a long time. This is Binks, do you remember?" His tone changed from disproving to glad after he realized who had called.

"Yes, of course I remember. Is everything alright? I heard a noise just now and is that Aayla laughing hysterically in the background?" Delia found the situation to be all too suspicious and very strange.

"Don't worry about it, it's just a light side effect," Binks assured with a hint of nervousness, though it only made Delia worry more.

"A side effect of what?" Delia firmly inquired.

"The power of pokemon, I'm giving her some DNA, but first some medicines to prepare her body for the process," Binks sounded very much like a child admitting to having caused mischief, with the certainty that he would get caught anyway so he might as well come clean.

Delia's eyes went wide, her expression panicked and disapproving, "it's what Venom wanted for himself?" The images of the mutated Venom returned to her mind vividly, no matter how hard she had tried to forget those moments in the past.

"Yes, but he got it all wrong, he overdid it and tried to make up for it with cybernetic components and surgery. His process was different, adapting his body to be more likely to mutate and to better receive the modifications. This is something else; it's the essence without the extreme changes. Don't worry, Aayla will look exactly the same, but she'll be stronger. I've been doing a lot of research for this." The excitement in Binks' voice overcame his nervousness.

Delia gripped the phone in anger and worry; she couldn't believe they were really doing this despite what happened to Venom and the pokemon. "Stop it immediately! Don't you remember what happened? This is too dangerous!"

"It's different," Binks insisted, "everything will be okay."

"Does Giovanni even know?" Delia would be angry not only at Binks and Aayla, but also at Giovanni if he knew about this and didn't stop them, instead providing them with the resources to continue.

"Of course he knows," Binks assured, "I wouldn't go using his resources without his approval. Delia, this isn't like before, it's perfectly controlled and everything is fully calculated."

"Which is why I can hear Aayla laughing like a crazy person and throwing things in the background?" Delia snapped.

"I told you that's nothing. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must continue with the next stage of the process," Binks sounded uneasy, his excitement giving way to doubt, probably because of the destruction Aayla was causing more so than because of Delia's disapproval.

"You mean restraining Aayla before she hurts herself or someone else? Go do that, but don't do anything else," Delia ordered.

"Delia... I... you..." Binks wasn't sure what to say to such a direct command.

"You need to hear it from Giovanni, is that it? You'll hear it alright!" Delia ended the call. Feeling both furious and panic, she hurried off to find Giovanni.

xoxox xox xoxox

Delia went down to the lower levels of the gym again, to the headquarters' main conference room where she expected Giovanni to be. She heard a voice from inside saying something along the lines of "I refuse, I absolutely refuse!"

Not caring to interrupt, she opened the door, scanning the room with a deadly glare, searching for Giovanni. As soon as she had opened the door, the room fell silent, all eyes on her.

The man who had been voicing his refusal towards something unknown to Delia, shifted uncomfortably, while the Team Rocket negotiator sitting across from him took the opportunity to speak. "Ah, Lady Roketto, I wasn't expecting you. I'm sure Mr. Calrissian was just about to accept our offer."

Mr. Calrissian, an older man with gray eyes and matching hair, had been avidly refusing the deal in question, but seeing that the wife of the mafia boss, as he assumed her to be since she was called Lady Roketto, was there, he knew better than to continue to decline so energetically. If she could not convince him, then surely Giovanni would be called to negotiate in person and present a deal that Calrissian could not refuse. Or perhaps Lady Roketto would do that herself, her glare was certainly filled with unparalleled fury. "Yes... well... I think that if we review the specifics one more time, we can come up with something..."

With her rage unwavering, though Mr. Calrissian never knew it was not directed at him, Delia spoke, "sorry for the interruption, please carry on," and left, since Giovanni was not there.

Mr. Calrissian let out a large breath, took a white napkin from his dark gray suit pocket and dried his forehead. He knew dealing with the Roketto would be difficult, but he didn't expect the Lady to show up personally for a relatively small deal. Furthermore, he had heard rumors that she was sweet and innocent, not the kind of woman one would expect to find standing next to a mafia lord. He should have known those rumors were false, she looked far less calm and collected than Giovanni, whom Mr. Calrissian had seen only once, surely she was dangerous and had no tolerance for disagreements.

"Mr. Calrissian," the negotiator representing Team Rocket, a man in his twenties with dark hair and eyes, dressed in a black suit with a small red R on the left side of the blazer, looked more confident now, "if you please, let us finish the final review promptly." He emphasized the word 'final', watching with satisfaction as Mr. Calrissian nodded, the color still drained from his face.

xoxox xox xoxox

Her search for Giovanni led Delia to the battle arena of the Viridian Gym. She didn't storm in and drag him away as she had a mind to do if it had been a meeting. Instead she watched quiet and unseen in the shadows below the platform where Giovanni stood; there was no need to involve an innocent trainer in their argument. Giovanni's Golem had just defeated the opposing trainer's Hitmonchan, the final pokemon judging by the look of defeat on the boy's face as he recalled his fainted Hitmonchan.

After the trainer had left without the badge he came for, and Golem had been called back into his pokeball, Giovanni stepped down from the platform to find Delia waiting and she looked furious. "If you glare like that all the time, Team Rocket will really be feared."

Delia was not amused, she placed her left hand on her hip and pointed at Giovanni with her right index finger, "Giovanni Roketto," she paused, feeling her face become red with anger as she changed her preplanned speech for a scolding of "stop grinning at me!" She felt like stomping her feet, "this isn't funny!"

"Yes it is!" He laughed in amusement before putting his arm around her waist and leading her away from the now empty arena, down the halls of the Viridian Gym. "What's bothering you? You look like," he searched for an accurate comparison, "a Voltorb about to explode."

"Did you know that-" Delia began to explain but was interrupted.

"Sir! Great news, we got the deal!" The young man, who had been negotiating with Mr. Calrissian before, ran down the hall to catch up with Giovanni. 

Giovanni looked pleased with the news, "excellent, I didn't think you could pull that off."

"The credit goes to Lady Roketto I must admit. It was only because she was there that the negotiations' atmosphere became favorable. Everything is expected to flow on schedule with no complications. I was just on my way down to the office to finish submitting the paper work."

"Good, go take care of that then, things will be easier now."

"Yes sir!" The negotiator left, looking quite cheerful.

"Well done," Giovanni complimented Delia, "I knew you would eventually understand. It seems you're ready to participate in Team Rocket's business more directly after all."

Delia sighted hopelessly, not fully certain of what she had done. Her fury had dissolved into a feeling of helpless confusion, but she still remembered her important mission. "Did you know that Binks is experimenting with Aayla?"

"That's no surprise," Giovanni replied with no hint of alarm, "he always liked her, but he didn't have the guts to say it. If I had to take a guess, I think the outcome will be that Binks ends up with a black eye and a few broken bones if he's lucky, from what I've heard Aayla is not gentle when rejecting a man."

"I don't mean he's flirting, he's doing genetic experiments with her, I mean on her, she's the subject, the guinea-pig!" Delia stressed urgently.

Giovanni paused, as if remembering some scene in the past when he learned of such intentions and his own reply that communicated the message that he wasn't really interested, but would not be bothered if it was done. He decided to leave it to the scientific probabilities to make the final choice, depending on the likeliness of success. "So they went through with it. I told Binks I doubted it would work, but left the final choice to the test results."

"So you really did know!" Delia's fury returned full force. "You knew and you didn't stop them?"

"I'm not their babysitter," Giovanni began to sound annoyed, his previous good mood fading fast.

"You know what happened to Venom and to all those modified pokemon and you let one of your friends," she made a small oddly placed pause then continued; "best team members throw her life away? I thought you were a good leader, is it that now you have so many resources that you don't mind throwing a few away for the greater purpose? Is that what they are, resources? What happened to the leader that made sure everyone had a pokemon to defend themselves with, even if it meant keeping only one to himself during the shortage? What happened to the leader who knew his team, their strengths and weaknesses and could value each member in a strategy? Giovanni, what happened to you? Was this where you wanted to stand all along? They're doing this with your resources and that makes you responsible, it makes you able to stop them, it makes it so that they wouldn't dare do anything without your approval. How could you give it?"

"You don't need to get attached to people like them. I thought you were ready to take your place."

"My place?" Delia closed her eyes in silent wrath, her body trembling with rage. Was she supposed to be a high and mighty queen too proud to see her subjects were living beings? Did Giovanni expect her to stand by his side looking down on pokemon and humans alike as nothing but tools?

"Delia, don't you understand?" He pulled her close, held her tightly and for just a moment, the illusion was back.

He had dreams of power and he wasn't willing to stop for anything, but somehow, he wanted her to follow him to the top. To support his dream, to justify his methods; perhaps to see only him, disregarding other beings; she understood on that moment. Just as she saw him for what he could be, more so that for what he was, he saw her in the same way, he saw what she could become, what he could turn her into. 

Was it the challenge? Was it because people want what is hard to obtain? Was it that image of what could be, but would not be? Were the traces of those other versions of themselves reflected in their current selves enough to keep them together? Was it the feeling of obtaining what conscious or strategy deemed as forbidden?

"Giovanni, this is a mistake, you said yourself that you don't even believe it will work. Tell them to stop, whatever curiosity you may have isn't worth this." Delia was crying but she couldn't feel the tears, though she knew they were there because his image was blurry. She tried to keep her voice even, she wouldn't give up yet and she didn't want to push him to give up on her.

He listened without a word, though he looked impatient and displeased.

"The only way to wield a pokemon's power is to train that pokemon. Humans and pokemon complement each other, the power and the strategy. Why else would creatures with such power let themselves be trained by humans? A single being can't have everything; it would be unrealistic to believe it's possible. I thought you were able to understand what's possible and what's not, and that's why you can use what's available successfully. I know you have your dream and I know you won't give up but this is..."

She trailed into silence, her voice's volume decreasing to nothing, then he finally spoke sounding a little calmer than he looked but still annoyed, "a useless effort?"

Delia took a deep breath and tried to find the correct way to present the situation, "this time, I won't be an advocate of justice. This time I speak as your ally and tell you that this kind of experiment will only result in negative consequences for Team Rocket."

"I don't intend to dedicate New Island to this, it's nothing but research. I do believe what you said, about wielding the power of pokemon. This is only data for the true purpose of New Island," Giovanni finally revealed.

"What do you mean?" Delia wasn't sure she would like his explanation any better than what she knew so far.

"The legendary, that's what I want; I want to capture legendary pokemon, a pokemon thought to be extinct. I want to bring it back, I want Mew," the traces of anger and annoyance in Giovanni's voice gave way to excitement. "I'll be invincible with such power, the very best, like no one ever was."

"Then go study Mew's ruins or something!" Delia had gotten so used to justifying Giovanni in her mind, in part to make her own attachment to him feel like less of a contradiction to her principals, that she was already beginning to do so. To save an extinct race, to give the lost legendary another chance to live; from a certain point of view, when sugar coated and properly phrased, it almost sounded noble. 

"Ruins?" Though it was a hasty argument by Delia, Giovanni was curious as to why she would mention ruins. His expression changed to a mix of puzzlement and interest.

"Pokemon archeology, Professor Oak used to be interested in that, he has a lot of old drawings from when he was young. He told me his interest began after seeing a legendary when he was a young pokemon trainer, but no one really believed him and after a while he had a few doubts. I think he really did see something; he had that look as if he held on to some unfinished mystery that he would one day solve. Either way, he said he decided to study pokemon in general instead, it seemed more reachable."

"Do you think he would give you a copy of his legendary pokemon research?" Giovanni's interest had been captured; he was fascinated by legendary pokemon.

"The research is old, but I'm pretty sure he still has a copy and wouldn't mind giving it to me." This was true, if anything, Professor Oak would be happy that someone expressed interest in his old research. Albeit he had not worked in that specific area in years, Oak's interest in Celebi and later Mew had been strong long ago. It was from his files that Delia had read about Mew and the last places where it was seen. "You should have told me you were interested in Mew. You should get the New Island facilities ready for an all out research project right away."

Giovanni nodded, wishing he had told her, then she would have shared her information sooner, but overall he was pleased with the possibility of finding clues about Mew and his general mood improved once more. "If it is as good as you make it sound..."

"It is," Delia had calmed down. From her point of view, archeology seemed like a much safer interest for Giovanni to have in comparison to genetics. Giovanni's scientists could experiment on rocks, minerals and fossils as much as they wanted and Delia would be okay with it. She would do her best to keep Giovanni interested in the subject and hopefully give New Island a clearer purpose with better methods. 

Furthermore, if Binks was busy studying archeological findings and Aayla was needed on the field to keep the research team organized and make sure the data was safely delivered to headquarters, it would lead Giovanni to cancel their dangerous project in favor of something that interested him more.

To be Continued

Don't Give Me Diamonds

Diamond 020: Give me Attention

The next day Delia was surprised to find Giovanni was still there when she woke up, awake but unmoving. She couldn't believe he was only resting, she didn't think he did that anymore and the focused look in his eyes confirmed it. No doubt about it he was plotting, the question was: what was he plotting about? "Good morning."

She waited a moment, until he focused on her, "morning," he still sounded distracted.

"Are you okay? You're never half asleep." He didn't look like he was sick; at least he didn't present any symptoms Delia could identify. In fact, he was too focused to be burned by any sort of illness.

"I was thinking," Giovanni confirmed, "do you really believe that Mew research will lead to anything?"

"I'm sure it will," Delia encouraged him without giving it too much thought. She wanted his interest to stay on Mew, on something safe. "Just think about it, having a pokemon that no one else has, an elite legendary on a class of its own."

He liked the idea and it showed on his face. "I'll be truly unstoppable."

"Yes, exactly!" She didn't like his plans to take over the world, but she would cross that bridge if they ever came to it. For now she just had to guide his research towards something that didn't harm her friends' health. "Did you call New Island yesterday? Don't forget they're going to be very busy with the Mew research so you need to give them a heads up."

"I'll do that when I see how good the information is," Giovanni replied and it made Delia pout in dissatisfaction, to which he added, "shall we leave now?"

"We?" She questioned in puzzlement.

"To Pallet Town," Giovanni voiced as a matter of fact.

"I thought you would be busy all day like always, but you're coming with me?" Her expression was surprised, but pleasantly so, if anything this further showed his interest in the research.

"I want to talk to Oak and everything is finally running smoothly right now, Team Rocket won't fall apart if we take one day off," Giovanni explained, noticing the change in Delia's face.

Delia smiled at the thought, pushing her worries to the back of her mind automatically and unconsciously, as she had grown accustomed to doing. Delia missed spending time with Giovanni, it would be wonderful to go to Pallet Town and spend the day together there. Maybe they could go for a walk at Professor Oak's research lab, with the pokemon revitalized and more abundant, it must be as beautiful as before the epidemic, Giovanni didn't get the chance to see it like that before. 

Then Delia remembered the urgency of stopping Binks and Aayla and mentally scolded herself for thinking of taking the day off to go on a date with Giovanni, instead of focusing on making sure they didn't get hurt. However, the fact still stood that Giovanni had to tell them to halt their experiments or they wouldn't listen. 

"Let's go," Delia got up in a hurry and quickly got ready for the day. The sooner Giovanni became interested in Professor Oak's research, the better, and for that they had to get to Pallet Town.

xoxox xox xoxox

"Giovanni, hurry up, we have to go," Delia rushed him for the third time that morning as she paced impatiently around their room.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Giovanni was attempting to make his hair stay as it should; no serious mafia lord went out with his hair sticking out in every direction. "And since when do you take less time than me to get ready?"

'Since my friends' lives depend on it,' Delia thought. "I'm sure Professor Oak is already awake and feeding the pokemon their breakfast, he won't mind if we arrive early," she insisted trying to make her urgency sound casual rather than annoyed.

"I don't think he's going anywhere and neither is his research. Trust me, I want to see it as soon as possible, but there's no need to rush over, we have the whole day." Furthermore, his hair was being stubborn today and he couldn't just grab a pokemon league cap and hide it like when he was a little boy.

"You're only saying that because you don't believe the research is all that great. You must have thought about it and decided it couldn't be, because otherwise Professor Oak himself would still be chasing after Mew, right?" Delia rapidly explained her theory, not stopping to breathe until all the words were spoken.

"You read me like a book," Giovanni confessed, "you have to admit it is logical to think of it that way."

"You forget one thing, Professor Oak isn't trying to take over the world," Delia reminded with a tone that hinted she knew she would win this argument. She wasn't really worried about the global take over plans right now, she had done some thinking too and such a feat was just too difficult. As for the current argument, Delia knew she had given Giovanni a good enough reason to throw his doubts out the window and once again become excited about the prospect of learning more about Mew.

"Good point," Giovanni credited, finally satisfied with his appearance. He took the sleeping Meowth in his arms and followed Delia out of their room, "I'm driving."

"Why can't I?" Delia complained, though not in a very insistent tone, she didn't care who drove as long as they got there.

"Because you're in a rush and our hostage act won't work again if we repeat the chase scene through Viridian," Giovanni reminded, a little amused by the memory. He was in a generally good mood that morning.

This time Delia's smile was sincere, not because of a trivial victory in an argument or a point well spoken. She was fond of those memories, though she had been frightened at the time, now she treasured those moments. "I say the same to you!"

xoxox xox xoxox

The drive to Pallet Town went without incident. When they arrived, the town was the same as always, with its rustic dusty streets, lack of commercial activities and low number of residents. Time seemed to stand still upon entering the town and Delia imagined herself in that same town, on a different era. The radio hadn't been playing those songs, the sounds wouldn't have been so well defined and that car didn't run as smoothly as this one, which was indifferent to the changes on the levels of the road.

The baby that lay on her lap was the same one back then, but in a very different form, not yet born. Meowth had been only an egg at the time, instead of the little pokemon who was still mostly asleep. Yet he occasionally half-opened his eyes curiously, before closing them again, purring as Delia gently petted him. He moved his tail to the sound of the music contently and continued to exist between reality and dreams.

The presence of a limousine ahead was immediately noticed by both Giovanni and Delia, as its shiny white form contrasted sharply with the lived in appearance of the environment around it. Despite it looking out of place, Giovanni didn't give it a second thought, being this close to the location of the Mew research files made him impatient to read them all of a sudden. He drove past the limousine towards Professor Oak's research laboratory at the end of the road.

As they passed, Delia saw an elegantly dressed couple standing outside of the limousine on the side of the road, with a little blue haired boy next to them. The boy despite appearing to be a little too young to be an official pokemon trainer, held a tiny Growlithe in his arms and examined his surroundings as if it was the first time he ever saw a place like this. 

With the car moving further away, Giovanni and Delia didn't catch the conversation that followed between the couple and their son. Delia might have told them a thing or two if she had heard. 

"You see James?" The man spoke, "this is a peasant town."

"Oh!" The boy, whose name was James stared in awe, then turned to his parents, "if this is a town, where are the houses?"

"Right in front of you, son," the man had an air of incredulity, not because of the boy's question, but because he too found it hard to believe that people actually lived in the small and worn structures. 

"But they're smaller than Growlie's dog house!" James exclaimed; he suddenly felt terribly sorry for anyone who had to live in such a place.

"That's why you have to be a good boy and do everything we say," the lady warned. "Everything we tell you is for your own good, so that you may grow up to be a fine young gentleman who marries a fine young lady. If you don't, you might end up poor when you grow up and you'll have to live in a place like this."

James was visibly frightened; "I'll be good!" He was sure nothing could be worse than living in a place like this, not that he had to worry about it, his life was all set. Tomorrow, servants would spend the day preparing everything for the party that would be celebrated the next day. 

It was an engagement party that would announce that Jessiebelle was to become his fiance, she gave the impression of being a nice girl as far as James could tell, and she was cute, though he hadn't really had a chance to spend time with her. After he grew up and got married, he would do whatever his father did all day and live a happy life with everything he wanted, at least that's what James had pictured at the time.

xoxox xox xoxox

Away from the rich little family, at the end of the road, Giovanni parked his black car in front of the steps leading to professor Oak's research lab and they saw that the gates at the entrance leading to the stairs were closed. "I wonder what happened," Delia mused aloud, "it's unusual for the lab to be closed at this time of the day. Maybe we should ask the neighbors where Professor Oak went." 

"How would they know?" Giovanni was considering reliving his thieving days and breaking in, his need to read about Mew had continued increasing as they approached and his curiosity could wait no longer.

"It's a small town, Giovanni," Delia reminded him of the obvious, though he still didn't understand, "what I mean is that everyone knows everyone. Whatever happened, the entire town will know."

"There's no privacy around here," Giovanni observed, imagining a group of stereotypical gossiping old ladies discussing every detail of their neighbor's lives.

Before they could further discuss the issue, they heard the sound of an approaching vehicle and saw the limousine stop behind their car, though the car was not in the way, leaving a big enough space for them to drive by if those had been their intentions. 

The driver left the engine running and got out to open the door for his lord and lady. The couple exited the limousine and stood unsure, whispering to each other, as if the determination they had formed dissolved as soon as they stepped out. Their young son hopped out cheerfully, the Growlithe still in his arms. "Mama, Papa, is that a real live ma-"

"Yes, a Meowth!" The lady quickly interrupted. 

Her husband had spotted Giovanni's car and simply had to inquire about it. He would love to add one just like it to his collection. She had warned him that though in a way those people looked somewhat similar to them, they were not like them at all.

"The upper class is the upper class," he had brushed off her concerns. 

"But dear, the mafia may have riches, yet they are barbaric!" The lady had insisted in vain. 

Now that same lady had to stop her son, who loved to watch gangster movies, from angering that dangerous man. She never really approved of James watching those movies, but she didn't have the heart to say no. "I apologize," she hid her worried expression behind her elaborate jeweled fan, "my son loves pokemon. James, sweetie, apologize."

James wasn't sure what was going on, but he had told his parents he would listen to them and he certainly didn't want to be poor when he grew up so he did as he was told, "I'm sorry, please excuse me."

Delia smiled, not understanding why the woman was so upset, the boy had not really been disrespectful, he was simply curious, though it looked like he was pointing at Giovanni more so than Meowth. "It's alright," Delia, currently carrying Meowth, kneeled down to the boy's eye level, "you can pet Meowth if you want and what a cute Growlithe you have."

James smiled brightly, delighted that this lady would not only allow him to pet her pokemon, but she had also complimented Growlie. "Thank you!" James cheered happily, while his mother paled and laughed nervously.

The lady turned to her husband, linking her arm with his, in an indication that it was time to leave. He caught the hint and decided to humor his wife, thanking Giovanni for the information and retreating to the safety of the limousine, along with their son and his Growlithe.

As the white limousine began to move again, little James waved goodbye from the window, with a big smile on his face. The boy didn't understand why his parents looked so upset, but from what he could gather, at least they were not upset at him.

"That was risky and unnecessary," the lady pouted indignantly, as if she had been terribly offended.

The husband knew she had been frightened, but he thought she could handle it, he didn't think she would end up this upset. "I'm sorry dear, but I did get him to tell me where he purchased his car, though he refused to reveal where he had it customized. At least I can say I still have a good eye for being able to tell when a good car is custom made, yet I could have guessed where he purchased it from by the brand, what I really wanted to know was who customized it, such a splendid job they did."

"Dear, you don't need a car armed with missiles, that's probably why he didn't tell you, he didn't want to give away too much weapon related information," the lady scolded, still disgraced.

"Missiles? I couldn't tell if it had missiles or not, what makes you think it did? Ah, my love for cars is rubbing off on you my dear; you've become more observant of their details. Do tell, what gave it away?" When his wife did not respond, he finally understood she was being sarcastic about the missiles, though the possibility still remained in their minds. He breathed deeply and took her hands in his, "what is bothering you my love? I believe you are upset over something else other than my affection towards cars. Did the mafia criminal really frighten you this much? If so, I apologize for putting you through that."

The lady remained quiet for a few seconds, her gaze downcast; then she looked up, staring into her husband's eyes with fire reflected in hers. "Did you not see her necklace? I bet she doesn't have any idea of its true value, wearing it so casually in peasant territory. It's the crescent moon diamond, the same one I wanted but they said it had already been sold, that they received an offer they couldn't refuse!"

Her husband attempted to console the lady, "there, there, I'm sure it was bought with threats rather than money, we're obviously far richer. If an auction had been properly carried out, we would have won easily, those mafia people cheated. Don't worry, I'll get you a lot of new jewelry to wear at James' engagement party, something even more valuable than the diamond you wanted, maybe one shaped like a full moon or even the sun instead of only a crescent moon."

The lady sighed deeply as she imagined the lovely gem, "thank you, dear."

xoxox xox xoxox

"Why didn't you tell that man where you customized your car?" Delia curiously asked after the limousine was gone, she had been half listening to their conversation.

"He didn't look like the type who needed missiles in a car that would just sit in a garage somewhere anyway. Besides, it's a secret," Giovanni spoke so naturally that Delia wasn't sure if he was kidding about the missiles.

"Does it really...?" She didn't need to fully voice her question as it was written all over her face.

"It's only a precaution, I don't expect to need them," Giovanni assured. "You know I like spy movies and I always wanted car like that," he confessed. Delia wasn't sure if she should scold him or laugh, but before she could decide, he seemed to remember something and spoke the same words he had voiced in the past, "I'll protect you."

"This time it's even more like a spy movie!" She laughed cheerfully and the true purpose of their visit to Pallet Town was for the time being thrown to the back of her mind again. 

To be Continued

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