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Loyalty
Chapter 06: Hope
To say Giovanni was displeased was quite an understatement. He was angry and when the leader of Team Rocket was angry, the dangers that could break loose at any given moment were unpredictable at best. Delia and Ash had just finished explaining the recent happenings involving Misty and her sisters, with Delia elaborating on most of the narrative, given that she was far better informed about the past. Her speech also seemed more objective than the way Ash would add in his surprise or disbelief about Misty's actions and his optimistic theories about her intentions.
Needless to say, when someone else's speech seemed optimistic making Delia's appear slightly pessimistic by comparison; one could conclude that the other person was being way too optimistic. Delia was a hopeful by nature, though she had her moments of coming to terms with reality, she tended to look on the bright side more often than not. "After all that, they're still out there plotting to cause more trouble. Delia, I don't want you wandering off outside the guarded properties. If you insist on vacationing away from the busy atmosphere of the city, which I would prefer you wouldn't do, but you're stubborn enough to try, it will be done with a team of competent guards to tend to your security." A few years ago he might have simply told her to stay where he left her, but he knew that would just make her run off faster if only to prove that her kind disposition didn't mean she could be bossed around.
"Was it true?" Ash blurted out pacing a little across the Viridian gym office. Giovanni still sat behind his desk where he had been found yelling into the phone something along the lines of mobilizing the troops when Ash and Delia entered via the large window. Naturally, he would have preferred to be informed immediately upon Delia's rescue, rather than waiting for his son and wife to make the trip back before knowing that Delia was indeed alive and Ash was not doing something stupidly reckless and counterproductive in an attempt to save her.
Giovanni glared and got up from his desk, making his way at a luxurious pace to the liquor cabinet that sat forgotten in a corner of the office. He barely had time to breathe lately, let alone have a nice refreshing drink. He proceeded to serve himself a beverage, completely ignoring the other two inhabitants of the office, certainly not in the mood to deal with another bout of denial from Ash. Wasn't he past that stage already? Shouldn't he be combusting with anger and challenging every living creature he laid eyes upon to a battle in an attempt to solve everything with power, a concept for which Giovanni blamed himself with little regret?
"Ash, honey," Delia patted the empty space on the fancy little couch in the corner of the office, elegant and formal. "Sit down, sweetheart."
Huffing in annoyance, Ash did as he was told, crossing his arms in vexation. When his mother took that sweet tone with him as if speaking to a child, it was her sugar coated way to say, 'these are the facts, like it or not, you have to deal with them.' Perhaps he would have preferred the dry and direct version of the statement if only because he was old enough to understand that it would all lead to the exact same conclusion, only faster.
"Tidus did betray Team Rocket, he did some bad things, selling out his comrades to the police and interfering with important business deals." Delia patiently explained, trying to put on a mask of reassurance past her own disturbing worries about things that happened so long ago she had, feeling guilty upon the realization, forgotten about. "That's why your father did what he did, although I was certainly not happy about it, I accepted it. As for Coral, perhaps she is the key to making peace with Misty."
"I doubt it," Ash mumbled bitterly. "Even if her actions against you," he paused and corrected himself, "against us, were terrible and deserved a punishment, telling someone that they're mother's a killer who deserved to die doesn't seem like a way to make peace with them."
"I lied," Delia admitted and for a moment Ash couldn't figure out to what specifically she referred to. "I did indeed have Coral locked in the dungeons, but as far as I know she didn't die." Delia paused and looked at Giovanni. "Did she?" Her husband ignored her in favor of his drink and she continued. "I just didn't want Misty to get any crazy ideas about rescuing her. That would certainly put her in a bad position and we are trying to give her another chance, aren't we?" Delia once again looked at Giovanni, this time her eyes much more insistent and demanding of an answer than before.
"No, we're not, these annoyances need to be dealt with," Giovanni finally spoke. His anger was still very much present, not even diminished by a single drink no matter how much alcohol it contained. He slammed his glass down on top of the cabinet. He turned to face his wife and son, his gaze staring a hole through Ash, who promptly closed his mouth after he had opened it to protest. Anyone would think it was a sign of obedient resignation, but Giovanni knew better than that. "Don't you even think about running off to do the rescuing yourself," he warned Ash. "I don't even know if," he paused remembering the name that he had disregarded long ago and just recently recalled when Delia mentioned it, "Coral is still alive."
"Don't you keep tabs on your prisoners?" Ash accused, his angry tone half controlled by this point.
Giovanni took a seat on the couch leaving Delia in the middle between Ash and himself, as a barrier of calm that would hopefully prevent his sometimes rebellious son from giving him a headache. His precious Persian strode over to be petted because regardless of the situation and its implications, he thought that there was no excuse for neglecting giving him constant attention. "It was a long time ago; I had no use for her. I was only humoring your mother in keeping her alive. I'll have someone check and in the mean time you're going downstairs and training. I'll be expecting a full result of whatever training exercise you choose, I'll leave the training program up to you."
"In other words I should keep myself busy and out of trouble," Ash pouted, his tone slowly losing its edge. He would have to wait to find out more about Coral and if she was indeed still alive. Until he knew, there was no use in moving without a proper plan. Besides, if he stopped to think about it logically for a split second, he could deduce that the dungeon in question wasn't even in the Viridian underground base or else he would know about it as he had made it a point recently to visit every area of the vast facility. Given how little he knew, it was best to wait impatiently, because waiting patiently was an impossibility for him. "Alright, I'll stay out of trouble." With that assurance in the air, Ash exited his father's office and headed off to find someone that could cover for him while he did exactly what he knew he shouldn't be doing.
Sure, he said he would stay out of trouble, yes, it would be stupid to go on a wild Farfetched chase for Coral without even the smallest truly significant clue concerning her whereabouts, if she was even still alive, but he wasn't going to do that anyway. Ash was going out to find Misty and he was indeed going to keep his word and stay out of trouble, because you're not in trouble unless you get caught.
xoxox xox xoxox
Taking an elevator down to the lower more accessibility controlled levels of the Viridian Rocket base, Ash stopped at the unofficial information center, also known as the infirmary. If the person he was looking for wasn't there, he could most likely at least learn of his location. "Have you seen Comet?" He inquired peeking into the white room that was simply too white for comfort, especially with how the red stains stood out in a trail from the door to a bed behind white curtains with red droplets, the hallways having already been cleaned. Morbid curiosity reared its ugly head and Ash had to add another question. "What's all this blood about?"
"Hey princey!" A blond woman, who served as Team Rocket's resident pokemon doctor at Viridian City, ignored the question momentarily instead supplying a greeting for an answer. She twirled a strand of green dyed hair, the two matching locks framing her face in the same color of her eyes. "It's an infirmary; it's supposed to be bloody." She finally replied, though the explanation was less than satisfactory. She paused as if asking silently if Ash was sure he wanted to know.
"I don't think I-" he was about to say he didn't really want to know, his curiosity giving way to the self defense of one who doesn't wish to hear an unpleasant fact that they can go on living without knowing.
It was too late as with an obnoxious smile Laiki elaborated. "It was a Slowpoke, or I should say is, as he still lives. Some rookie wanted Slowpoke tail and instead of just requesting it at the cafeteria she went and tried to play chef, which turned out badly. She then dumped the bloody creature in my care, because everyone always brings their bloody junk to the doctor, and ran off. I told her the Slowpoke died, which is a lie. I still need to have someone come over to mop up this mess because I'm not doing it myself, I just finished getting cleaned up after taking care of the pathetic patient." Needless to say she was nothing like Nurse Joy.
Ash's nose twisted in disgust before he inevitably tried to look on the bright side. "At least the Slowpoke was confiscated alive."
"Yeah, the cafeteria staff will make good use of him eventually, just keeping the meat fresh," Laiki joked with another annoyingly morbid smile.
Ash shuddered before he could stop himself, he enjoyed a good old Slowpoke burger as much as a Taurus one, but he didn't need to witness the messy side of it all. "I asked where Comet is?"
"I don't know, maybe having some fun with Pixel?" She winked, leave it to Laiki to find a way to twist every conversation into something morbid, or suggestive, or both. "I should be asking you something too, princey, where are the goods from your hot Pallet pal?"
Ash took a moment to realize who Laiki was talking about. Of course, she meant Gary, whom she shamelessly flirted with any chance she got, much to Gary's annoyance as he was used to being admired with awe, not... cornered by an experienced hunter, for lack of better term. "I forgot to bring the goods..." Ash realized, he took off in a hurry leaving Gary with the payment and taking nothing in exchange. Not that it mattered too much, Gary would have the results of his research ready and safe until someone officially picked them up.
"Oh goody! I get to go pick them up myself," she licked her lips and Ash instinctively backed away. Laiki was his friend, but she could be a little disturbing at times. She was beautiful with a figure that caught the attention of many men, but she was so forward and confident she could somehow manage to intimidate even the most womanizing Don Juan with the loosest morals, which he wasn't to begin with. "Hey, don't give me that look princey, I'm not going to pounce, after all, your daddy did say, and I quote, 'if you lay a finger on Ash, I'll kill you' and I'm not feeling particularly suicidal, nor am I expecting such a mood to strike."
"Right... Well, Comet's not here, so I'll be on my way. Try not to drive Gary up a wall," Ash requested knowing full well that his appeal would fall on deaf ears.
"No problem," Laiki grinned indicating that she was about to throw out another mischievous remark." If he doesn't like it against the wall, I'm perfectly alright with using the be-"
"Goodbye Laiki!" Ash left the infirmary, not in the mood for any more of Laiki's peculiar remarks. He wanted to go search for Misty but he needed someone to cover for him just in case, hence why he couldn't take off without finding someone to excuse him should anyone inquire of his whereabouts. He felt like a child asking a friend to call his parents and say he was sleeping over when he was in truth going somewhere else entirely.
He couldn't simply call, not with his cell phone being part of the Rocket network as much as the receiving cell phone was. Ash shrugged and continued on his way down to the living quarters, a row of small rooms where Rockets inhabited under the unsuspecting streets of Viridian City. He was pretty sure he would have his cover up ready soon and would be on his way to perform the much more difficult task of finding someone else, because he really had no clue of where to look for Misty; she couldn't still be in Cinnabar Island, could she?
To be Continued
As you might have already noticed, I took some creative license here and there, mainly with the character's unknown past in the anime.
Next chapter: You can only avoid an imminent situation for so long before you need to face it. That was something that both Ash and Misty knew and the key to facing everything was facing each other.
Chapter 06: Hope
To say Giovanni was displeased was quite an understatement. He was angry and when the leader of Team Rocket was angry, the dangers that could break loose at any given moment were unpredictable at best. Delia and Ash had just finished explaining the recent happenings involving Misty and her sisters, with Delia elaborating on most of the narrative, given that she was far better informed about the past. Her speech also seemed more objective than the way Ash would add in his surprise or disbelief about Misty's actions and his optimistic theories about her intentions.
Needless to say, when someone else's speech seemed optimistic making Delia's appear slightly pessimistic by comparison; one could conclude that the other person was being way too optimistic. Delia was a hopeful by nature, though she had her moments of coming to terms with reality, she tended to look on the bright side more often than not. "After all that, they're still out there plotting to cause more trouble. Delia, I don't want you wandering off outside the guarded properties. If you insist on vacationing away from the busy atmosphere of the city, which I would prefer you wouldn't do, but you're stubborn enough to try, it will be done with a team of competent guards to tend to your security." A few years ago he might have simply told her to stay where he left her, but he knew that would just make her run off faster if only to prove that her kind disposition didn't mean she could be bossed around.
"Was it true?" Ash blurted out pacing a little across the Viridian gym office. Giovanni still sat behind his desk where he had been found yelling into the phone something along the lines of mobilizing the troops when Ash and Delia entered via the large window. Naturally, he would have preferred to be informed immediately upon Delia's rescue, rather than waiting for his son and wife to make the trip back before knowing that Delia was indeed alive and Ash was not doing something stupidly reckless and counterproductive in an attempt to save her.
Giovanni glared and got up from his desk, making his way at a luxurious pace to the liquor cabinet that sat forgotten in a corner of the office. He barely had time to breathe lately, let alone have a nice refreshing drink. He proceeded to serve himself a beverage, completely ignoring the other two inhabitants of the office, certainly not in the mood to deal with another bout of denial from Ash. Wasn't he past that stage already? Shouldn't he be combusting with anger and challenging every living creature he laid eyes upon to a battle in an attempt to solve everything with power, a concept for which Giovanni blamed himself with little regret?
"Ash, honey," Delia patted the empty space on the fancy little couch in the corner of the office, elegant and formal. "Sit down, sweetheart."
Huffing in annoyance, Ash did as he was told, crossing his arms in vexation. When his mother took that sweet tone with him as if speaking to a child, it was her sugar coated way to say, 'these are the facts, like it or not, you have to deal with them.' Perhaps he would have preferred the dry and direct version of the statement if only because he was old enough to understand that it would all lead to the exact same conclusion, only faster.
"Tidus did betray Team Rocket, he did some bad things, selling out his comrades to the police and interfering with important business deals." Delia patiently explained, trying to put on a mask of reassurance past her own disturbing worries about things that happened so long ago she had, feeling guilty upon the realization, forgotten about. "That's why your father did what he did, although I was certainly not happy about it, I accepted it. As for Coral, perhaps she is the key to making peace with Misty."
"I doubt it," Ash mumbled bitterly. "Even if her actions against you," he paused and corrected himself, "against us, were terrible and deserved a punishment, telling someone that they're mother's a killer who deserved to die doesn't seem like a way to make peace with them."
"I lied," Delia admitted and for a moment Ash couldn't figure out to what specifically she referred to. "I did indeed have Coral locked in the dungeons, but as far as I know she didn't die." Delia paused and looked at Giovanni. "Did she?" Her husband ignored her in favor of his drink and she continued. "I just didn't want Misty to get any crazy ideas about rescuing her. That would certainly put her in a bad position and we are trying to give her another chance, aren't we?" Delia once again looked at Giovanni, this time her eyes much more insistent and demanding of an answer than before.
"No, we're not, these annoyances need to be dealt with," Giovanni finally spoke. His anger was still very much present, not even diminished by a single drink no matter how much alcohol it contained. He slammed his glass down on top of the cabinet. He turned to face his wife and son, his gaze staring a hole through Ash, who promptly closed his mouth after he had opened it to protest. Anyone would think it was a sign of obedient resignation, but Giovanni knew better than that. "Don't you even think about running off to do the rescuing yourself," he warned Ash. "I don't even know if," he paused remembering the name that he had disregarded long ago and just recently recalled when Delia mentioned it, "Coral is still alive."
"Don't you keep tabs on your prisoners?" Ash accused, his angry tone half controlled by this point.
Giovanni took a seat on the couch leaving Delia in the middle between Ash and himself, as a barrier of calm that would hopefully prevent his sometimes rebellious son from giving him a headache. His precious Persian strode over to be petted because regardless of the situation and its implications, he thought that there was no excuse for neglecting giving him constant attention. "It was a long time ago; I had no use for her. I was only humoring your mother in keeping her alive. I'll have someone check and in the mean time you're going downstairs and training. I'll be expecting a full result of whatever training exercise you choose, I'll leave the training program up to you."
"In other words I should keep myself busy and out of trouble," Ash pouted, his tone slowly losing its edge. He would have to wait to find out more about Coral and if she was indeed still alive. Until he knew, there was no use in moving without a proper plan. Besides, if he stopped to think about it logically for a split second, he could deduce that the dungeon in question wasn't even in the Viridian underground base or else he would know about it as he had made it a point recently to visit every area of the vast facility. Given how little he knew, it was best to wait impatiently, because waiting patiently was an impossibility for him. "Alright, I'll stay out of trouble." With that assurance in the air, Ash exited his father's office and headed off to find someone that could cover for him while he did exactly what he knew he shouldn't be doing.
Sure, he said he would stay out of trouble, yes, it would be stupid to go on a wild Farfetched chase for Coral without even the smallest truly significant clue concerning her whereabouts, if she was even still alive, but he wasn't going to do that anyway. Ash was going out to find Misty and he was indeed going to keep his word and stay out of trouble, because you're not in trouble unless you get caught.
xoxox xox xoxox
Taking an elevator down to the lower more accessibility controlled levels of the Viridian Rocket base, Ash stopped at the unofficial information center, also known as the infirmary. If the person he was looking for wasn't there, he could most likely at least learn of his location. "Have you seen Comet?" He inquired peeking into the white room that was simply too white for comfort, especially with how the red stains stood out in a trail from the door to a bed behind white curtains with red droplets, the hallways having already been cleaned. Morbid curiosity reared its ugly head and Ash had to add another question. "What's all this blood about?"
"Hey princey!" A blond woman, who served as Team Rocket's resident pokemon doctor at Viridian City, ignored the question momentarily instead supplying a greeting for an answer. She twirled a strand of green dyed hair, the two matching locks framing her face in the same color of her eyes. "It's an infirmary; it's supposed to be bloody." She finally replied, though the explanation was less than satisfactory. She paused as if asking silently if Ash was sure he wanted to know.
"I don't think I-" he was about to say he didn't really want to know, his curiosity giving way to the self defense of one who doesn't wish to hear an unpleasant fact that they can go on living without knowing.
It was too late as with an obnoxious smile Laiki elaborated. "It was a Slowpoke, or I should say is, as he still lives. Some rookie wanted Slowpoke tail and instead of just requesting it at the cafeteria she went and tried to play chef, which turned out badly. She then dumped the bloody creature in my care, because everyone always brings their bloody junk to the doctor, and ran off. I told her the Slowpoke died, which is a lie. I still need to have someone come over to mop up this mess because I'm not doing it myself, I just finished getting cleaned up after taking care of the pathetic patient." Needless to say she was nothing like Nurse Joy.
Ash's nose twisted in disgust before he inevitably tried to look on the bright side. "At least the Slowpoke was confiscated alive."
"Yeah, the cafeteria staff will make good use of him eventually, just keeping the meat fresh," Laiki joked with another annoyingly morbid smile.
Ash shuddered before he could stop himself, he enjoyed a good old Slowpoke burger as much as a Taurus one, but he didn't need to witness the messy side of it all. "I asked where Comet is?"
"I don't know, maybe having some fun with Pixel?" She winked, leave it to Laiki to find a way to twist every conversation into something morbid, or suggestive, or both. "I should be asking you something too, princey, where are the goods from your hot Pallet pal?"
Ash took a moment to realize who Laiki was talking about. Of course, she meant Gary, whom she shamelessly flirted with any chance she got, much to Gary's annoyance as he was used to being admired with awe, not... cornered by an experienced hunter, for lack of better term. "I forgot to bring the goods..." Ash realized, he took off in a hurry leaving Gary with the payment and taking nothing in exchange. Not that it mattered too much, Gary would have the results of his research ready and safe until someone officially picked them up.
"Oh goody! I get to go pick them up myself," she licked her lips and Ash instinctively backed away. Laiki was his friend, but she could be a little disturbing at times. She was beautiful with a figure that caught the attention of many men, but she was so forward and confident she could somehow manage to intimidate even the most womanizing Don Juan with the loosest morals, which he wasn't to begin with. "Hey, don't give me that look princey, I'm not going to pounce, after all, your daddy did say, and I quote, 'if you lay a finger on Ash, I'll kill you' and I'm not feeling particularly suicidal, nor am I expecting such a mood to strike."
"Right... Well, Comet's not here, so I'll be on my way. Try not to drive Gary up a wall," Ash requested knowing full well that his appeal would fall on deaf ears.
"No problem," Laiki grinned indicating that she was about to throw out another mischievous remark." If he doesn't like it against the wall, I'm perfectly alright with using the be-"
"Goodbye Laiki!" Ash left the infirmary, not in the mood for any more of Laiki's peculiar remarks. He wanted to go search for Misty but he needed someone to cover for him just in case, hence why he couldn't take off without finding someone to excuse him should anyone inquire of his whereabouts. He felt like a child asking a friend to call his parents and say he was sleeping over when he was in truth going somewhere else entirely.
He couldn't simply call, not with his cell phone being part of the Rocket network as much as the receiving cell phone was. Ash shrugged and continued on his way down to the living quarters, a row of small rooms where Rockets inhabited under the unsuspecting streets of Viridian City. He was pretty sure he would have his cover up ready soon and would be on his way to perform the much more difficult task of finding someone else, because he really had no clue of where to look for Misty; she couldn't still be in Cinnabar Island, could she?
To be Continued
As you might have already noticed, I took some creative license here and there, mainly with the character's unknown past in the anime.
Next chapter: You can only avoid an imminent situation for so long before you need to face it. That was something that both Ash and Misty knew and the key to facing everything was facing each other.
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