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Michael gave his nurse a hug as James put his bags into the back of the jeep. "You be careful," Nurse Joie was saying, "and you'll stop by and visit us sometimes, right? Oh, this old place won't be the same without you," she said, her voice quivering with emotion. Michael patted her back and hoped she wouldn't start crying again. Finally, James helped him disentangle himself from the emotional nurse and carried him to the car. Folding his wheelchair and loading it in the back, James turned to the nurse and smiled at her. "Don't worry, Nurse Joie," James said, his voice light and airy with a smooth falsetto. "Michael will be just fine. I'll make sure he writes." "Oh, that's wonderful, Mrs. Roquet," replied the Nurse, her eyes misting with emotion again. "I'm just so happy you and your nephew were reunited again, especially since he's been recovering so well." James nodded at the nurse and brushed a strand of his long blond hair out of his face. "Oh, yes. I was so certain my brother and my nephew had perished in the fire - at least, that's what I had been told. It really is amazing that Dr. Docker managed to find me all after all these years." James readjusted his purse on his shoulder and smoothed down his skirt. "We really must be going now. After all, it's still a little chilly out and I'd hate for Michael to catch a cold." "Of course, of course," returned the nurse. A number of the hospital staff waved goodbye as Michael and his 'Aunt Jamie' drove away. Michael leaned his head out the window and waved goodbye to the hospital that had been his home for the last four years, as well as the staff that had served as his family. Once they were out of sight, Michael leaned back against the seat and rolled up the window, closing his eyes and letting out a small sigh. James flicked his eyes away from the road a looked over at his brother. "You okay?" he asked, his voice betraying concern. Even though Docker had given Michael a decent bill of health, James was still worried sick Michael would relapse. "Yeah, 'Auntie Jamie,'" he replied with a grin, looking over at his brother in his feminine attire. Michael had been receiving consistent visits from his 'Aunt' for the past two months and been getting a major kick out of it. James glared at his brother. "Hn. Someday, when you have to cross-dress, I'll remember the way you made fun of me these past few months," James said with mock anger. "Revenge is a sucker's game, brother," Michael replied, his grin growing ever wider. "Perhaps," James contended, "but it's fun. Seriously though. Are you alright?" "I guess so," Michael said softly, looking out the window. "I mean, it's been so long since I've been away from the hospital. Not counting when I was kidnapped, or course," he amended quickly. James nodded, but said nothing. "Where are we going again?" Michael asked, turning back to look at his brother. "Saffron City," James said brightly, starting to smile. "You're going to love it there." "Oh?" intoned Michael. "Why is that?" "Well..." James began slowly, as if uncertain what to say. Finally, he just seemed to shrug to himself. "I'll be honest with you Mike. Almost all of Saffron is under Team Rocket control." "Really?" Michael asked. "Even the gym?" "Especially the gym," James replied. "The gym leader there is named Sabrina. She's a very powerful psionic, just like us." "So, I'm going there to learn some training?" James nodded. "Sabrina's 'father' agreed to help you out in learning to control your powers." "Is Sabrina a Team Rocket member, too?" "No. Well, not exactly. You see, Sabrina is sort of an... experiment." "Experiment?" Michael asked, confused. "What do you mean, 'experiment?'" "Uh... well, Team Rocket sorta engineered her from some of the member's genes. But don't tell her that!" James warned. "It would really upset her." "No kidding," Michael replied. "I would imagine that anyone who found out they were mearly a Team Rocket experiment and the whole life they had been living had been made mostly up of lies would be shocked to the core." "Uhh, yeah. I bet they would Mike," James said quickly, focusing intently on the road. He coughed a few times, clearing his throat. "Anyway, as I was saying, Team Rocket was trying to create a powerful psionic. They succeeded a little too well. She developed Selective Psionic Intro-Autism and sort of... lost herself for a long time. She recently broke out of her shell just a few months ago." "I've never heard of anyone recovering from SPIA," Michael said wistfully. "How did they help her?" "It's a complicated story involving two boys, a girl, a pikachu, and a ghost pokémon." "Hmm. Sounds kinda kinky," Michael replied, his expression thoughtful. James snapped his head over and looked in horror at his cute, little, innocent, younger brother. "Michael!" he exclaimed a few seconds after the phrase had registered in his brain. Michael grinned. "Watch the road, brother. We're about to veer off the side." James tore his eyes away from Michael and was forced to bring the car under control. "I think I got you out of that hospital just in time to preserve your innocence," James muttered to himself. Michael just laughed. * * * * * * The sun was just starting to set when they arrived at the Saffron City Gym, the rays from the dying light casting an odd orange-yellow glow on the large building. It was a multi-purpose gym, serving not only as an outlet to the Pokémon League, but also as a training facility for young psionics and a Team Rocket Hideout. James stretched his arms above his head and got out of the car, walking around to the back to unload Michael's wheelchair. After quickly assembling it, he lifted his brother's light body out of the car and into his chair. Michael stared at the building in wonder. "It's gorgeous," he whispered softly. James smiled. "Hmm. Wait until you see the inside. Believe me - it beats a sterile hospital any day of the week." James pushed Michael up to the entrance, where the doors swung open seemingly by themselves, although James spied a young Psionic in the shadows who had no doubt done it with a flick of his mind. The gym did have a reputation of creepy-ness to uphold, after all. "Welcome to the Saffron City Gym," came a disembodied voice as the doors slammed shut behind them, the room flooding with darkness. Michael giggled while James rolled his eyes. "Talk about theatrics," James whispered to Michael, who giggled again. A small light flicked on overhead, giving a little illumination to the room. Out of the shadows walked a tall, imposing figure in a dark suit, his face graced with a ratty beard, age lines gathering around his eyes. "I am Javen, father of the gym leader, Sabrina, greeter of those who would darken our doors with their presence. Who are you?" asked the man, his voice booming. Michael bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud. James sighed and stepped forward. "Come on, Javen. You know damn well who I am," growled the young man. Javen looked James up and down critically. "Oh, yes. James. I didn't recognize you with the heels and skirt," replied the man, merriment glittering in his eyes. James started then looked down at himself, cursing softly. He'd forgotten that he hadn't changed out of his 'Aunt Jamie' outfit yet. Finally, Michael couldn't take it anymore. He broke out laughing, his voice ringing down the empty corridors like a bell. Javen smiled. "And you must be Michael," Javen said, walking up to the boy in the wheelchair. Michael got a hold of himself and nodded, inclining his head. "Yes, sir. I am Michael Roquet, formerly of Azure City," replied the boy, his words clear and precise for his ten years of life. Javen reached down and tousled the boy's long, blue hair, which still hung below his waist. "We're happy to have you here," he said with a smile. He walked around and grabbed the handles of Michael's wheelchair and began pushing him down the dark hallway. James walked close behind, carrying a bag with Michael's things. They go no further than a few feet in the darkness before Javen bumped into something and cursed, setting Michael off with another string of chuckles. "Oy, Liana! Hit the lights, will you?" Javen called and began muttering something under his breath about Sabrina having an over-developed sense melodrama. * * * * * * Dinner had been an interesting experience for Michael. At the hospital, he had usually taken his meals alone in his room and they usually consisted of the same basic things every night - a bland meat, a bland vegetable, a bland fruit, a bland piece of bread, and an unidentifiable dessert, accompanied either by a glass of fruit juice or water. Eating in the Saffron City Gym Dinning Hall was very, very different indeed. The dinning room was very large. Four, long, oak tables decorated the room, arranged in a square formation, benches located along the outside. This made it convenient to see everyone, but left the center open so the room could also be converted to a meeting hall, should it be necessary. The floors were made of black marble, shinned to a high gloss with a soft maroon carpet laid out in the center of the room. Along the dark, wooden walls were small, ornate sconces, each holding three candles. The light bounced of the highly polished walls, tables, and floors, only to disappear in the dark recess of the outrageously high ceiling. The room was dim and the merry talking from the fifty-plus people sitting around the tables echoed, causing the room to have a constant din. Michael was ecstatic. Never had he eaten with so many people! A lot of them were students of the gym, children with strong telepathic and psionic powers. Some were Team Rocket members who were between missions or were stationed in Saffron City. There were even a few pokémon trainers, who, unbeknownst to them, were guests of Team Rocket. The food was savory and flavorful - and there was a lot of it. Michael had eaten to his heart content, but remained quiet and listened to the conversations going on around him. To say he had lived a sheltered life was the epitome of understatement. Rather than say something stupid, he decided to just kick back and take things easy. James was having a very animated conversation with Javen concerning some kind of technology. He had changed his clothes and looked very much male again. Michael took a sip of his drink (a soda!) and looked around the large room, feeling a warm sensation of peace and happiness flow over him. "Hello. You must be Michael." Michael turned around and saw a young woman with long, dark hair standing behind him. She was wearing a red dress with a military style front. Next to her stood what Michael recognized to be an alakazam. "Yes, I'm Michael," he confirmed, reaching out to shake her hand. The young woman smiled. "My name is Sabrina," she replied, accepting his hand. "This is Alakat, my alakazam." "Oh, you're the gym leader!" Michael exclaimed. Sabrina nodded and smiled again. "That's right. I heard you were coming to my gym to be trained to use your powers. You're an empath, right?" she asked, sitting down on the back of her heels so she was equal height with Michael. He turned around in his wheelchair so he could face her better. "Yes, among other things," he returned with a sigh. He shook his head gave her a sardonic smile. "Some power. It's given me no end of trouble." "I know how that goes," Sabrina said. "Once you learn to control it though, you'll be much better off, believe me." Michael nodded. They continued talking for a while, about the school and the town, until slowly, the number of people in the dinning room diminished to only a few. Sabrina stood up and stretched. "It was nice talking to you, Michael," Sabrina said cheerfully. "I have to get to bed soon." She leaned over and scratched the top Alakat's head. "We have about three pokémon battles scheduled for tomorrow. Do you have any pokémon, Michael?" "Just one," Michael replied. "But I don't plan on battling it." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the plain, metal pokéball, aiming it at the floor. The ball opened with a flash of light and out popped his pikato. It blinked in confusion for a moment, looking around. Seeing Michael, it made a running leap off the floor and flew into the air, landing gracefully on his head. Sabrina gasped when she saw it. "Oh... it's so cute!" she said with a grin, her face filled with wonder as she reached out to pet it. It began to purr softly and fan its wings. "What in the world is it? I've never seen anything like it." James and Javen broke off their conversation, Javen walking over to Michael to look at the little pokémon. "It's a pikato, a new kind of pokémon. Sort of a cross between a pikachu and a pidgeotto. Its name is D'mer. James got it for me when I was still in the hospital." Michael looked over at his brother and smiled, who nodded and smiled in return. "Oh, it's just precious," Sabrina cooed, scratching the small pikato behind its ears. Sabrina looked over at James. "Are you staying here tonight James?" she asked. "We can arrange a room for you." James smiled but shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I only stopped by to drop off Michael and help get him settled," James began. "And mooch a dinner off of us," interrupted Javen. James bopped his friend over the head and rolled his eyes. "Yes, and mooch a dinner. I'm supposed to meet Jessie and Meowth in Tyrian City." D'mer pika'd softly and hopped on James' head as he got around and put his hands on the handlebars of Michael's wheelchair. "I'll take you to your room for the night," James told his little brother, who nodded. "So long, Javen, Sabrina. Say hello to your mother for me, alright? I hope she gets better soon." "Thank you, James," Sabrina said with a smile. "I'll make sure we keep you updated on Mom's health." Sabrina's mother had fallen suddenly ill almost three weeks ago. Michael bid his goodnights and James began to roll him down the long empty corridor to his room. "So, what do you think of the gym so far?" James asked him as soon as he was certain they were alone in the hallway. James wanted his brother to be completely honest with him. "I like it here," Michael replied cheerfully, if not a bit tiredly. James noticed him stifling a yawn. It had been a long day for them both. "I think I'm going to enjoy this place. I can't wait to start my psychic training." He turned around and held out his hand, beckoning to his pikato. D'mer fluttered down to rest in Michael's lap, its bright eyes gazing around the dark corridor as they were pushed down it, its ears swiveling this way and that to every noise it heard. James looked at the genetically engineered pokémon and smiled. Michael did seem truly happy here. He would have preferred to have left him in the care of Remear, but that was, of course, no longer an option. Saffron City had been the only other alternative. Javen would make sure Michael would feel welcome, James had no doubt about that. "We're here," James announced as they came up to Michael's room. When he made no response, James looked down at his brother and was forced to smile again. Michael was fast asleep. * * * * * * James coasted his motorcycle into the small space next to a nondescript gray building in Tyrian City. Taking off his helmet, he stretched his back and looked at his watch. Two A.M. He'd made better time than he expected. James had traded the car he had picked Michael up in for the small, fast motorbike. He had always been a sucker for bikes. The night was nearly silent, save the buzzing of insects around the dim, flickering light next to the entrance. James' feet crunched on the gravel as he walked up to the door. He turned the handle and cursed softly when he discovered it was locked. With a sigh, James dropped his pack on the ground and began digging around for his keys. "Got 'em!" he said triumphantly, holding the massive key ring up in the air. James had a lot of keys. "Now all I have to do is find the right one for this building..." Suddenly, the flicking light flickered out, leaving James in the dark. James sighed again. Preparing to let loose another string of curses, the door clicked softly and opened. "Need help?" James looked up and squinted through the darkness. He knew who it was by the voice, of course, but voices could be mimicked. As the figure stepped into the moonlight, he was certain who it was. "Mentally or physically?" James responded with a grin. Jessie reached down and grabbed his bag from the ground, hoisting it over her shoulder. "Knowing you, I'd say both." James chuckled lowly and together, they walked into the building. * * * * * * "It's about time youse got here!" Meowth snapped, although he did have a smile on his face he was trying to hide. "We was beginning to think you decided to stay in nice, cushy Saffron City!" The cat pokémon was busying himself around the small Team Rocket base, which was actually nothing more than a few tables and chairs, a hot pot, and a computer. Spread out on the table were blueprints of some kind, along with a half-empty coffee cup and an empty doughnut box. "I thought I made good time," James protested, walking over to the table. He looked at the empty box with a forlorn expression on his face. "You didn't save any for me?" he asked sadly, holding up the box. "Too bad," Meowth replied with a shake of his head. "I'm sure you got your fill of good food while you were at Sabrina's gym." "Hmmm. I suppose that's true. Succulent pot roast, fresh baked fish, spinach mushroom quiche, lemonade, good beer, cherry cobbler, homemade ice cream, and some of those cute little chocolate truffles with the mint crčme inside..." "Okay, okay! We get it!" Meowth cried, interrupting James. "Geez..." Jessie collapsed in one of the folding chairs, her hand on her stomach. "Ohhhh, it's not fair," she complained. "Next time, I'm going to go pick up Michael. He's my son, too!" James smirked and walked around behind Jess, wrapping his arms around the back of the chair and clasping his hands together in front of her waist. He leaned down and kissed the top of her nose, his soft hair brushing against her ear. "Next time," he said softly. "Next time, we'll go visit Michael and spend a few days together in nice, cushy Saffron City." Jessie smiled up at her partner and rested her hand on the side of his face, leaning up to brush her lips against his. "Oh break it up!" Meowth moaned, rolling his eyes. "Do I have to turn the fire hose on youse two?" Jessie and James exchanged a glance before parting and walking over to Meowth, who was fiddling around with the computer. "So, why are you both still up, anyway?" James asked. "Surely you weren't waiting around for me." "Yeah, right," Jessie replied with a yawn. "We were waiting for a transmission from The Boss. There is a seven hour time difference between here and the main headquarters." As if on cue, the computer started beeping incessantly at them. Meowth clicked a few buttons and adjusted the camera on top of the machine. Standing so they were all in the field of view, the three elite Team Rocket members saluted as Giovanni's visage appeared on the computer screen. "Ah, good. I'm glad to see that you're all together. Michael made it to Saffron City safely, I am assuming?" he began, his voice deep and resonating. "Sir, yes sir," James replied shortly. Giovanni nodded. "Fine, fine. First of all, I would like to commend you three on your recent accomplishments. Good work on stealing the laboratory research from Professor Westwood. It was smart planning to have Jessie and James out on the beach creating a diversion with his slowbro while Meowth was inside the lab, downloading files. The information we received is already being analyzed and what we have discovered so far shows great promise. "Secondly, I would like to thank you for the thorough job you did in destroying Team Rocket Headquarters in Viridian City." Although Giovanni was shrouded in shadows, James could almost imagine his smile. "As you already know, the police had been getting far to close to us there. We had to destroy the evidence at any cost. You did a find job of executing the plan with that characteristic flair of incompetence you always have." "It's what we do best, sir," James interjected with a grin. Giovanni chuckled. "Yes, I can see that," he replied, his voice light. "I also wanted to inform you that the tracking device we hid on the back of the earth badge we gave that Ketchum boy is in perfect working order. We have been monitoring his movements since that day. Much nicer than you three having to follow him constantly, is it not?" "Sir, yes sir!" Jessie exclaimed, nodding her head enthusiastically. Suddenly, Jessie got slightly more serious. "Speaking of which, are we to start monitoring them personally again, sir?" "In between assignments, yes, and also if they happen to be in your area. As stated at the briefing last month, we are very interested in that Ketchum boy. He has a very perplexing gift in the way he reacts with pokémon." "As we have witnessed first hand," Meowth replied. Giovanni nodded again. "Unfortunately, he is not our first priority. This brings us to the core of this briefing. The Defier Empire has, of course, collapsed." The members of Team Rocket fell silent for a moment, all lost in recollection of that last assignment. Giovanni cleared his throat and continued. "That puts us firmly on top of the Gang food chain. It also means we can resume focusing on our main objective. Now, this is top secret, as I'm sure you have already surmised." "Sir, yes sir," replied the three members of Team Rocket softly, nodding their heads. "While the Revolution is still quite always off, it is time we began preparing seriously for it. That means we need to start moving the operation into high gear." "And that will draw attention from outsiders," Jessie said quietly, lost in contemplation. "Most definitely," confirmed Giovanni. "That is where The Dark Defiers come into play." "Sir?" James asked, confused. "But we just said they were no longer an issue. Their organization has collapsed. I don't think there are really any left, not that they were ever very big to begin with." "That's correct James. Fortunately for us, those we are working against were never aware of that fact, and therefore, we can use it to our advantage. There are still some Defiers left, of course, and they have begun to regroup. They've even found a new leader." "Who?" Meowth asked, starting to feel sick to his stomach. Would they ever go away? Giovanni was silent for a moment. He leaned forward into the light, his face finally visible. "The new Defier leader is Havues 'Spunks' Fontaine." "Spunks!!" Jessie and James cried simultaneously. "Our little Spunks?" Meowth asked, surprised. Spunks was one of the most powerful members of Team Rocket. He had helped Jessie, James, and Meowth on more than one occasion. Giovanni nodded, smiling slightly. "From this point forward, 'The Defiers' are going to be our dummy operation, whether they know it or not. Our fall guys, as it were." "Gee, I thought that was our job," James replied somewhat sarcastically. Giovanni chuckled again. "It still is. If the Defiers are going to take all the credit for our work, than we need to substantiate that rumor by making Team Rocket look bad. You next assignment is just that. Make Team Rocket look bad." "You can count on us, sir!" Jessie said proudly, giving him a salute, James and Meowth following suit. "I've always been able to count on you three," Giovanni replied. "Keep up the good work. You are the pride of this organization. Also, I'll make sure Javen keeps you updated on Michael's schooling. Is this all clear?" "Sir, yes sir!" Giovanni nodded a final time and the transmission ended. Meowth turned off the computer and started to dismantle the camera Jessie and James exchanged a glance before collapsing on the floor. "Ugh! And I thought rescuing Michael was a challenging assignment!" Jess moaned softly, laying back on her back, staring at the ceiling. "I mean, 'make Team Rocket look bad?' That's a pretty broad assignment." James leaned back on his elbows and joined her in looking up. "No kidding. Coming up with new ways to make Team Rocket look incompetent isn't easy," James agreed. "But, I suppose that's what we're getting paid for." "We'll think of something," Meowth added as he finished putting the computer in its case. He yawned and stretched his paws above his head. "I don't know about you two, but I'm going to get some sleep." Meowth walked into the back room, where three cots had been set up. James leaned over Jessie and gave her quick peck on the cheek. "Sleep definitely sounds good." Jessie nodded. James stood up and reached out his hand, dragging Jess to her feet. Suddenly, Jessie started to giggle. James looked over at her, raising one eyebrow. "What? Sleep deprivation?" he asked. Jessie shook her head. "The Boss gave me an idea." She reached around and took James' hand in her own as they started to walk to the back room. "Maybe we should start bothering Ashy-boy again after all." James looked at her quizzically, but she just shook her head. "I'll tell you in the morning." Silence fell over the small base as the three Team Rocket members retired to bed, not planning on getting up until noon the next day.