PkMn: Legend of the Maideen 4

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Note: [] indicates Pokémon language while Quotes indicates human language.

Kumiko never fully understood her daughter’s role in life.  She had tried imagining it so many times while waiting for her to hatch; she mentally prayed that the Gods would tell her exactly what she should do.  But, she received no guidance aside from, ‘The child’s name shall be Misty, as her mother willed.’  They did not care about Kasumi then, but the sudden change in tides and the . . . selective currents would suggest the opposite was the case now.  It forced her to wonder: why would the Gods suddenly care?  

Kumiko noticed the reef she just swam past, the same reef she swam by a little while ago – Kasumi would say not-yet-an-hour, but she raised a smart child who knows better than to use human measurements.  Kumiko sighed, this was Their doing.  Obviously, she needed to be somewhere; there was a chain of events that had been set in motion and it could not be delayed nor broken.

She shook her head in disgust; her whole life seemed to be nothing but a chain of events leading to what was soon to come.  Pft, it all started before her life began!  When Kasumi’s human mother saved her own mother and her egg-self, so many seasons back.  It seemed like eons really.  Heh, it could have been eons, actually.

Kumiko looked back to see her daughter waiting patiently once more for the newest member of their family.  She couldn’t see them from this distance but she knew her daughter had such lovely green eyes.  Not blue, like a Goldeen’s, but green just like that human.  Same color ‘hair’ too although, secretly, Kumiko had hoped her ‘hair’ color was because she was part Goldeen.  The thoughts of her daughter having the same traits as that human always pained her; it only seemed to confirm the fact that her daughter was not truly hers.

‘I should not be thinking such thoughts!’ Kumiko mentally scolded herself.  ‘It is nothing but a reminder of how little the child truly knows.’  After looking back once more, she could see her daughter was now swimming very slowly with the Horsea she brought home.  

That Horsea, Tatsu, was the trigger point; she only wished he hadn’t come so soon.  Now her time was limited, now she couldn’t do things at her own pace.  She was dreading the possibility that it might already be too late.

She sighed for what she swore would be the last time that day.  Her fate had been decided long ago and she was tired of fighting Them.  She looked back and saw the knowing and excited smile on her daughter’s face.  A smirk crossed Kumiko’s face; her daughter had to be brilliant, didn’t she?  They both knew where they were going, so why not just speak it?  She stopped, turned around, and waited for the two to catch up.

[Kasumi, Tatsu, we’re heading north for Sinnoh waters.]  Kumiko said with force.

Both nodded and Kumiko could see the disappointment on her daughter’s face.  [However, seeing that the tides are in such odd conditions lately, I feel it would be wise to take a brief intermission in the nicer waters of Kanto for the time being.  Seeing as it is on our way I see no quarrels with this decision, am I right?]

[Yes, mother.]  She heard her daughter say with Tatsu eagerly nodding.

Kumiko nodded once, more to acknowledge to herself the finality of her decision.  [I shall scout out a proper place to rest up for the up-coming night.]  She said before turning back around and swimming ahead.  

She closed her eyes for a moment and pondered the future.  [So this is the beginning of the end.]  She said quietly before reopening her eyes and glaring upwards.  [You had better take care of my daughter.]

___________________________________

Faint light from multiple screens lit the dark room.  A figure in a large chair watched one particular screen with interest.  

“I tried to capture her but she swam away too fast.  Perhaps another time.”  The man on the screen laughed off.

The dark figure paused this scene.  “Was it worth it?”  He asked calmly while petting his Persian on its head.

“S-sir?”  A man stuttered in the doorway.

“Was betraying your organization worth those fifteen minutes of fame?”

“I-I didn’t t-think -”

“You’re right, you didn’t think.”  The man interrupted.  “Even worse, you admitted your failure on national television.”

“B-but no one knows that I’m a-a Rocket member!”  The bald man stuttered, fearing what his boss would do.

Giovanni turned his chair around, his eyes piercing the man, “You only needed to embarrass me for this to be a problem.”  

The man gulped.

“You’re positive you found the Maideen?”  His boss asked, his hands crossed and angled to cover his mouth.

“Y-yes Sir!”

“Then you’re even more of an idiot.  You gave away the relative location of the Maideen to everyone.  Now our Rocket members will have to compete with Aqua, Magma, Galaxy, and that blasted Neo-Rocket.”  Giovanni grunted with venom, he never accepted the fact that a group of his former Rocket members went against him to form their own organization.  Even worse, they had more members in the Johto region than he did.

“I-I never t-t-thought-”

“I believe we already established the fact that you didn’t think, Runt.”

The swimmer cringed; it was never a good sign to be called by rank.

Giovanni waved his right hand inwards and two large men entered the room, standing on either side of their boss.  

His wide smirk showed through his refolded hands.  “Runt!  From now on, you are striped of your rank and position as a Team Rocket member.”

Giovanni’s smile grew, “I suggest you find yourself a nice quiet town to settle down in because if you ever return to any town, or location even remotely associated with Team Rocket…”

The swimmer gulped as his eyes widened.

Giovanni turned his chair around so now his back was towards the scum.  “I would also recommend against joining another group.  If you were caught… Well, we can’t guarantee any civilities.”  He waved his left hand slightly.  “Please, show this runt to the door.”  He commanded.

The two men left his side and grabbed the bald man by his sides.

“N-no!  Giovanni, sir!  Please!  Y-You can’t do this to me!”  The man pleaded.

“Oh!”  Giovanni smirked as the two large men stopped, “And please, gentlemen, take your time showing this runt to the door.”

Both men nodded and Giovanni took some pleasure in the wrenching “NOOOOOOOO!” he heard from the swimmer before the door slammed shut.

“Heh, you can come in now, Black Tulip.”

A blond-haired woman with a black cap walked in, “Thank you, sir.”  She said with a bow as she fully entered his company.  “I won’t take too much of your time, sir.  I just wanted to inform you that our units in the Johto region haven’t even found a trace of the Maideen existing, let alone being there only a week ago.”  Domino the “Black Tulip” explained.

Her boss let out a small growling sound at the disappointing news.

“As expected, many trainers have flocked to Johto waters.”

Giovanni nodded, his eyes closed while he thought about his next move.

Domino looked towards her boss, “Should we send more units to spread out and survey the waters north, south, and east of Johto?”

Giovanni shook his head.  “No.  We’ve wasted enough resources on a runt’s claim.  We’ll have our lowest teams from each region keep an eye out for her, this way we’re not using any valuable members.”

“Brilliant plan, sir.”  Domino agreed.  “I’ll tell the units to get back to their regular assignments right away.”  

“Yes, please do.”

She bowed and said a quick, “Sir!” before leaving his company.

“Now let’s get started too.”  Giovanni said to his Persian.

“Purrrrsian.”  The cat moaned while Giovanni patted its head.

Giovanni pulled up a list on one screen and saw the first team for the Kanto region.

“It appears our first call is to…”  He looked at the screen again.  “Jessie and James.”


End Chapter 4