“Mother… What did you do?”

{In Team Rocket's main base}

Giovanni was sitting at his desk, doing paperwork. He sighed into his hand. With Silver off on his journey, Giovanni silently sent him his support, even though he knew Silver probably didn't want to see him.

After all, how could he? He was absent for most of Silver's life, and there wasn't a chance that giving him a letter with some empty words and a Pokémon would make the tension go away. At least Ariana could still dote on Silver.

Ariana… As Giovanni thought of her, he reflected on the way she doted on Silver. Some might see it as uncharacteristic, but if anyone knew the truth, they'd understand why she did it.

It's also why, when Ariana found out Silver wanted to become a trainer, it felt normal—expected even. But two years ago, something happened, something that caused many things to change. It made Ariana want to demand that Silver change his mind, to do anything else. But Giovanni stopped her. He understood why she didn't want Silver to be a trainer, but it was Silver's choice. They had no right to tell him how to live his life.

When she found out, though, Ariana fell into a depression for a month. She eventually recovered, but only after Giovanni promised that this wouldn't be like last time—that he wouldn't let it.

What was "last time," you may ask? Well, that's a story for another day. Giovanni doesn't even like to think about it. The memory, the guilt—it eats at him every day. There's a reason for it, something nobody, not even Sam, knows.

As he brooded, Ariana suddenly walked in, holding some papers. Recently, she'd been in contact with the Sinnoh branch over personal matters.

Giovanni looked at Ariana with a hopeful expression, but she simply shook her head, making them both glance downward.

Giovanni looked at his wife. "We'll find her, even if it's the last thing I do…"

Ariana looked down, dropping the papers she was holding, before hugging Giovanni tightly. "I miss her…"

"So do I," Giovanni said, holding her close.

The moment was interrupted by a knock at the door. They quickly composed themselves, assuming a professional demeanor, as Matori, Giovanni's secretary, entered the room.

"Sir—oh, and Ms. Ariana. Am I interrupting an important meeting?" Matori asked though a hint of disdain lingered in her gaze toward Ariana.

Ariana put on her usual cruel, indifferent stare. "No, Matori. We were just finishing," she said, walking out of the room.

Giovanni turned his attention to Matori, holding back a sigh. "This better be important, Matori. You know you're only to come directly to me if something significant has happened. Otherwise, send a message."

Matori bowed. "Yes, sir. It's just that we received a report from Executive Proton's team. They've reached the base and discovered something unusual. The lab connects to an underground addition—this is strange, as the previous ones you sent us to investigate didn't have such an addition."

Giovanni's eyes narrowed. "I see. Well then, thank you. You're dismissed."

"B-but, sir, should we send backup? I mean, I could deploy the Matori Matrix to—"

"I said no," Giovanni interrupted sharply. "And if you keep insisting on using that squad for minor inconveniences, I may need to revoke your right to lead it. You promised me it was for emergencies only. The more you use it, the more funding it requires. Don't make me regret my decision. Proton and his team can handle it. Now, you're dismissed."

Matori lowered her head respectfully. "Right away, sir. I apologize, sir," she said, exiting the office.

Once she left, Giovanni clenched his fist and walked over to a painting. He removed it, revealing a hidden safe. Entering the code, he opened it to reveal a very old list.

The list contained many names and locations—over a hundred. Each one was crossed off, except the very last name at the bottom. Giovanni grabbed a pen and circled it.

Inside the safe, there was also a picture of his mother. He grit his teeth, staring at it.

"Mother… What did you do?"

—----

{Ashtwo}

Proton's group was making their way down an impossibly long staircase, descending what felt like hundreds of feet. Finally, they reached solid flooring, finding themselves in another abandoned lab. Unlike the others they had seen, this one was filled with more advanced machinery, though all of it looked decrepit.

Helena looked around, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "This place is so creepy. I love it!"

Jay sighed, glancing at her. "Make that three crazy girls… Here I thought you were normal," he muttered before turning to inspect the room. He noticed a light switch nearby and started walking toward it.

As he reached for the switch, Enid smirked. "Oh, please. There's no way this place still has power-"

But as Jay flicked the switch, the lights flickered on, illuminating the lab.

Ash glanced back. "Well, it looks like someone was paying attention. Like I said, 90% of the remaining power in this place is being directed down here."

Attila knelt by one of the machines to inspect the damage, running his fingers over its surface. "These machines are busted, but it's weird. The damage doesn't look like it was caused by a Pokémon. And everything else here seems intact, there's no sign of an explosion or anything."

Proton walked over to a computer, flipped it over, and opened its casing. Inside, the parts were missing—the computer was just a shell. "Strange…"

Domino, ever opportunistic, slid next to Proton and peered into the empty casing. "Hmmm, interesting. What do you think, sir?" she asked, inching closer.

"I'm not sure, D. Any ideas?" Proton asked, his tone even.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Ash was inspecting the other computers. Meowth, perched on his shoulder, jumped down and pried one open with her claws.

"Nope, same here. Every single one of these has had its parts removed," Ash said.

"Do you think someone broke in to take the parts?" Helena asked, joining Ash in checking the computers.

"Don't be ridiculous," Enid scoffed. Everyone turned to her, waiting for an explanation. She crossed her arms confidently. "Look, this place was sealed, right? If that's the case, no one could've gotten in or out."

Ash frowned, his voice low. "While I don't think that's the best explanation, I do agree with her. After all, if I managed to get in, there's no reason someone else couldn't have. But this doesn't feel like thieves. If someone wanted these computers, they would've taken the whole thing, not just the parts."

"Exactly," Attila chimed in, gesturing to one of the machines he'd been inspecting. Its side panel was removed, revealing missing components. "Take a look. The parts are gone, but the copper wiring is still here. No thief would leave good copper, it's way too valuable."

Proton crossed his arms, deep in thought. "Strange. If it wasn't thieves, then who or what took the parts? And why? And more importantly, what happened to this place? Why was it abandoned?"

Helena, meanwhile, was rifling through a desk drawer when a Haunter emerged, grinning mischievously at her.

The grunts flinched, clearly unnerved by the ghostly Pokémon. But Helena didn't even bat an eye. "Stephen, what is it now?"

"Jei Jei! (〃＾▽＾〃)" Stephen chimed, his mouth opening to reveal an old letter.

Helena's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! Well, good work, Stephen. I'm impressed," she said, taking the letter from him.

"Jei Jei! (/‾▿‾)/" Stephen gave a happy cry before sinking back into the desk, disappearing once again.

Proton approached Helena as she unfolded the letter. "What's that?"

"I dunno. It has a Team Rocket logo on it—but it's different," Helena said, handing it over.

Proton took the letter, examining the old-school Team Rocket logo on the front. His frown deepened as he opened it, revealing a faded piece of paper. But what caught his attention wasn't just the letter—it was the logo in the corner.

An old Cipher logo, from before they had "disbanded."

"Interesting. Yes, this is very valuable information. Good work," Proton said, his voice as neutral as always. In the background, Enid and Domino both gritted their teeth, though for very different reasons.

"Hey, guys! I found something!" Attila called out, breaking the tension as he pushed down a fake wall with a loud crash. "You're gonna want to see this."

The group hurried over, peering through the opening. Beyond it, two hallways stretched out in opposite directions. One was a standard corridor, but the other had partially collapsed, creating a deep chasm. They couldn't even see the bottom. However, at the far end of the collapsed hallway, a faint light was visible.

"Looks like there's something over there," Proton observed, pointing toward the light. "Any of you think you can make it across?"

Domino's eyes lit up at the opportunity to shine. She raised her hand confidently. "I can do it easily. Watch me!"

She twirled her signature black tulip, extending it into a pole. With a running start, she vaulted across the edge, flipping and twisting mid-air before landing gracefully on the other side.

The four random grunts watching couldn't help themselves. They broke into a slow clap, their exaggerated display of admiration only feeding her ego, but she didn't get the praise from the one person she wanted it from

Ash, unimpressed, looked up and spotted an exposed pipe near the ceiling. Without a word, he extended his arm, a tentacle shooting out and wrapping securely around the pipe. He swung across with ease, landing lightly on the other side. "It's not that hard…" he muttered.

Enid's pride wouldn't let her back down. When she saw Domino's and Ash's success, she rummaged through her bag grabbing Natu, 'Natu, lend me some power,' she thought. Without hesitation, she leaped across.

Her jump only carried her about five feet before she started to fall, but a glow of purple energy enveloped her just in time. Natu appeared, perched on her head, its psychic power slowly levitating her to safety, but it was painfully slow.

As she drifted across, Helena's Haunter, Stephen, materialized beneath Helena. Growing larger, he let her ride atop him as he casually floated across the gap. Of course, Stephen couldn't resist mocking Enid, laughing at her as they went past.

Enid clenched her fists, glaring at the mischievous ghost as she landed on the other side "Put that thing on a leash," she snapped at Helena.

"You think I haven't tried?" Helena replied, throwing up her hands helplessly.

Just as it seemed no one else would attempt the jump, Proton opened his mouth to speak. But before he could, Jay interrupted loudly.

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S COOL! MY TURN!" he shouted, stretching his legs as if preparing for a race.

Proton frowned. "Do you have a Pokémon to help you across?"

"Nope!" Jay said with a grin, rolling his shoulders. "I'm doing it the old-fashioned way!"

Before anyone could stop him, Jay took a running start and leaped. For a brief, glorious moment, it looked like he might actually make it. But then reality kicked in. He started falling, and the group braced for the worst—none of them could tell how deep the chasm was.

Ash rolled his eyes, and quickly shot out another Muk tentacle, catching Jay by the ankle and pulling him up just in time. Jay let out a shaky breath of relief as he was reeled in.

When he finally reached the other side, Jay hung upside down in front of the group, gripping his shirt tightly to keep it from flipping up. "Thanks, bro. I owe you one," he said with a sheepish grin.

Ash raised an eyebrow, sensing Jay's discomfort through his aura. The guy wasn't nervous about the fall, he was more worried about something else. Tightening his grip on his shirt, Jay glanced around nervously before mumbling, "Can you, uh… put me down, dude… please?"

Ash rolled his eyes as he flipped Jay upright, putting him back on his feet, while the tentacle retreated into his shirt. "You know, you're an idiot sometimes," he said.

"I know," Jay replied as if it were a badge of honor.

From the other side, Domino waved enthusiastically. "Okay, Mr. Proton, it's your turn! Don't worry, I can catch you if you need me to!"

But Proton shook his head. "There's no need for that. I think it's better if we split up. Remember, there's another hallway. We'll take this side, and you can handle that one. Here," he said, reaching into his pocket and releasing a Golbat. He handed it a communicator.

The Golbat flew across to Ash, delivering the device. "Take this," Proton continued. "We'll stay in contact. If you find anything, let me know immediately. Until then, Agent D is in charge of your group. Follow his orders."

Ash nodded. "Alright, I'll do as you say," he said, attaching the communicator to his belt.

With that, the two groups split up, Proton's team heading toward the side hallway while Ash's group ventured through the main opening.

As Ash led his group forward, they encountered strange capsules alongside statues resembling Pokémon—but entirely made of metal. Using Aura, Ash confirmed there were no living creatures in the area, so he wasn't scared.

Jay wandered around, curiously observing everything, while Domino grumbled, holding her Black Tulip staff at the ready. She'd much rather have stayed with Proton than follow Ash.

Meanwhile, Enid fumed silently, annoyed that Ash had been made team leader. She firmly believed that only a "main character" like herself deserved that role. Helena, however, stayed close behind Ash, quietly observing.

Ash began inspecting the capsules, his attention focused. "Look around, but don't bother me... and remember: do not press anything."

Jay and Helena saluted obediently and started looking around, while Enid and Domino remained distracted by their own thoughts. Ash, however, didn't care; he had bigger concerns.

As he pried one of the capsules open using Aura, the tightly sealed door groaned under the strain before giving way. The heavy metal creaked as it was forced open. Inside, Ash saw something that made his heart skip a beat.

It was a Tyranitar, or at least it looked like one. But it was completely metallic, a machine. A robot. Ash recognized it immediately: it was identical to Iron Thorns.

As Ash was lost in thought, he heard something faint but unmistakable. He turned back toward Enid and Domino and froze. Two yellow glowing eyes and two massive hands were moving toward them. Emerging from the shadows was a robot resembling a Hariyama, arms outstretched, ready to attack the two girls.

Ash gritted his teeth and bolted toward them. "Both of you, get out of the way!" he shouted.

Enid and Domino turned just in time to see the towering Iron Hands bearing down on them, arms poised to crush their heads. Before they could react, Ash grabbed them both by the collars and yanked them back with all his strength.

As they hit the ground behind him, Ash spun around, snatching Domino's Black Tulip staff. "I'm borrowing this," he said quickly, not giving her a chance to protest.

Iron Hands paused, its glowing eyes locking onto Ash. As it raised one massive hand, Ash noticed its chest was left vulnerable. Without hesitation, he spun the staff in his hand, steadied his stance, and lunged forward. He drove the tip of the staff into the center of the robot's chest and twisted it.

The staff emitted a burst of electricity like a high-powered taser. Sparks flew as Iron Hands shuddered violently, its systems overloading. This machine wasn't as advanced as its futuristic counterparts, and the sudden electrical surge was enough to short-circuit it completely.

As the electricity subsided, Iron Hands went still. Its arms fell limp, and the yellow lights in its eyes and hands faded until they were completely dark.

"Whoa! What was that?!" Jay exclaimed, running over, eyes wide.

Enid and Domino shakily got to their feet, both still in shock. The reality of how close they'd come to having their heads crushed was sinking in.

Domino looked at Ash, her voice trembling. "T-thanks… you saved us there."

Ash twirled the Black Tulip in his hand, returning it to its flower mode, and handed it back to her. "Don't mention it. Just be more careful next time."

Domino gulped, her hands trembling slightly as she took the flower and held it close to her chest. "R-right. Yeah. Thanks."

Enid stood nearby, watching the scene unfold from only a few feet away. Her fists clenched at her sides as a pang of jealousy and frustration welled up inside her, she thought she should have been helped up first, she was the main character after all, you know never mind the fact that everyone still thought D was mad at her.

Meanwhile, Ash crouched beside the deactivated robot, his sharp eyes scanning its metallic frame. He pulled out the communicator from before and pressed the button to connect.

"Proton, this is D," he said, his voice steady. "We found something. You're going to want to hear this."

-----

Warning: I am going to have a test today, tomorrow, and Wednesday, so no chapter on Wednesday, I will try to upload it on Thursday