[ POV Change ]

[ Team Rocket Headquarters ]

The dark fortress of Team Rocket's headquarters loomed menacingly over the surrounding landscape. Its imposing walls seemed to pulsate with the energy of the organization's nefarious activities, the iconic red 'R' logo scattered throughout the fortress serving as a constant reminder of the power it held.

Inside the fortress, the shadowy halls echoed with the hurried footsteps of grunts and agents, all scurrying about to complete their assigned tasks. These corridors led to a heavy set of double doors, which guarded the inner sanctum of Team Rocket's ruthless leader, Giovanni.

Giovanni's office was a luxurious affair, filled with lavish decorations and lit by the flickering glow of candles. Seated behind a grand mahogany desk, he held a report detailing the failure of Agent Domino's mission to capture the elusive Project X. The disappointment etched on his face was palpable as his fingers tensed around the edges of the paper.

Without warning, a gust of wind tore through the room, wrenching the report from Giovanni's grip and plastering it across his face. Annoyed, he peeled the papers away, only to find the unnerving sight of Mewtwo seated casually before him.

"Your knack for theatrics is unamusing," Giovanni said, his voice cold and even.

Mewtwo offered a smirk, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Amusement is fleeting, much like the lives of you humans," he replied. "Isn't that why you make and break things, amusement; to just dilute yourself from knowing that you are meaningless in the face of the cosmos ?"

Giovanni leaned back in his chair, unfazed by Mewtwo's nihilistic perspective. "What do you want, Mewtwo?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of impatience.

Mewtwo's expression grew contemplative as he spoke cryptically of fate and destiny.

" The strings of fate are turning, your path lies in Celadon City, Giovanni. There, you will find what you seek, and perhaps something more."

Giovanni narrowed his eyes, his curiosity piqued. "Very well. I'll follow this lead, but I expect results, Mewtwo."

Mewtwo inclined his head, his face inscrutable. "You won't be disappointed."

As Giovanni began to make arrangements for his journey, Mewtwo's thoughts were hidden from the world. Within his mind, a devious smile spread, a smile that foreshadowed the convergence of two unsuspecting pawns in the elaborate game he had orchestrated. The events that were about to unfold would change the course of their lives forever, and Mewtwo reveled in the anticipation.

Which one of the two will break first; Giovanni or Ash Ketchum?

Only time held the key to their fates.

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[ Celadon City Gym ]

It was a night unlike any other in Celadon City. The sky was painted with a tapestry of stars, yet the brightness of the police vans' flashing lights overpowered them. The steady hum of activity surrounded the entrance of the Celadon City Gym as Officer Jenny stepped out of the van and onto the curb. She was immediately greeted by the chaos of reporters shouting out meaningless questions, trying to get a glimpse of what was happening behind the police barricade.

As Jenny made her way back to the entrance of the gym, she could hear the reporters shouting questions at her. "Officer Jenny, is it true that the gym leader has been kidnapped?" "Can you tell us what's going on inside the gym?"

"Do you have any leads on the perpetrator?" Jenny ignored them, as she needed to assess the situation and see what the condition of Agent Duplica is.

As she pushed her way through the throng of journalists, she could see Nurse Joy treating a few people who had suffered minor injuries. The sight of the red crosses on their white uniforms was a symbol of hope and comfort in this otherwise chaotic scene. Officer Jenny approached Nurse Joy, who was focused on her patients and barely looked up as she spoke, "It's a mess in there, Officer Jenny. A few people have been hurt, but thankfully, no one is seriously injured."

Jenny nodded and took in the scene before her. She could see that some people were being escorted by the police, their faces pale with shock and fear. She approached the closest officer and asked, "What's the situation?"

The officer turned to face her, his face grim. "The perpetrator is gone, but we've captured someone who has been identified as a missing person, Duplica. She had the possessions of Gym Leader Erika, who is currently missing."

Jenny felt her heart sink at the news.

'Oh, no !'

She pushed her way through the maze of people and police, making her way to where Duplica was being held. She found her sitting on a bench, her head hanging low, surrounded by a few officers. Jenny approached her, her eyes scanning the scene, taking in every detail.

' Looks like agent Duplica is fine.'

She could see that Duplica was a young woman, her long, curly hair cascading down her back. She was dressed in a simple blue dress, the fabric stained with dirt and tears. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her face was streaked with tears. Jenny approached her, her hand on her holstered gun, ready to take action if needed and take out Duplica if necessary.

"Duplica," she said, her voice firm but not unkind. "Can you tell me what happened here tonight?"

Duplica looked up, her eyes meeting Jenny's. Her lips trembled as she spoke, "I don't know what happened. I was just walking by the gym, and the next thing I knew, I was being taken into custody."

Officer Jenny nodded while tapping her pen in a certain rhythm as Duplica recognized the Morse code.

" Well, miss Duplica; would you be so kind as to come with me to the station for some questioning?"

Duplica put on a scared face and nodded.

Officer Jenny quickly escorted Duplica to her car, opened the door, and gestured for Duplica to get in, but before she could get in the car herself, Looker stopped her. "What are you doing, Jenny?" he asked, his tone suspicious.

' Who is he ?'

" May I ask, only whose jurisdiction are you stopping me ?" Officer Jenny asked as Looker flashed the international police badge.

" Why is the international police on this case ?"

" Well, this is up our alley, a gym leader and the daughter of the great Amon family is missing. Tell me, what are you doing, Officer ?"

"I'm taking Duplica down to the station for further questioning," Jenny replied, her voice steady. "This is a police matter, and I don't need your interference."

Looker narrowed his eyes, studying Jenny's face. He could sense that something was off.

The tension was palpable as Looker and Jenny faced each other, their gazes locked in a heated standoff. The air was heavy with the weight of unspoken words, and the silence was only broken by the sound of their shallow breathing. It was clear that they were both determined to see this through to the end, no matter what the cost.

Jenny stood her ground, her expression resolute as if she was trying to prove that she was trying to be on the path of good but her unprofessional behavior made Looker even more suspicious of her as he took a step forward, his voice firm as he said, "Jenny, I understand that you want to help, but this is a matter for the International Police. I can't let you go off on your own like this."

Jenny stood her ground, her jaw set. "I don't need your permission, Officer Looker. I'm doing what I need to do to get to the bottom of this."

The two of them were so focused on each other that they didn't even hear the sound of the helicopter until it was almost upon them. The sudden roar of the engine broke the tension, and they both turned to look up at the sky, just as the helicopter descended towards them.

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[ Celadon City - Hotel ]

The room was quiet except for the sound of the news anchor talking about the incident at Celadon City Gym on the television. Green was seated in a plush armchair, her eyes fixed on the screen as she took in the latest updates. She was deep in thought, trying to make sense of what was happening when she heard a commotion coming from the other side of the room.

She turned to see Yellow pacing back and forth, her arms wrapped tightly around Pikachu and Pichu. Yellow's face was a mask of panic, and she was muttering to herself, her eyes darting back and forth as if she were trying to find a way out of the situation.

Pikachu looked up, catching Green's eye, and begged for help with a pitiful squeak. Green shook her head, feeling a pang of sympathy for the poor Pokemon. But she knew there was nothing she could do to help.

Lucario, meanwhile, was seated at a nearby table, his eyes fixed on a game of blackjack being played by Scizor and Chansey. The metal Pokemon was winning hand after hand, his keen senses allowing him to see the cards in Chansey's deck reflected in her sunglasses. Chansey, meanwhile, was trying to hide her expressions, but it was clear that she was losing badly.

Wartortle was crying on Ivysaur who was ready to kill the water type while Charmeleon cackled as he had won a sack of berries from Wartortle.

Everyone in the room was so focused on their activities that they didn't even notice the sudden flash of light that filled the room. When it faded, they saw Austin standing there, a determined look on his face. And on his shoulders was Erika, the missing Gym Leader of Celadon City.

The room erupted into chaos as everyone rushed forward, eager to hear what had happened. Austin carefully lowered Erika to the ground, his eyes scanning the room as he tried to make sense of the situation.

Green stepped forward, her eyes fixed on Erika. "What happened?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Suddenly, the room was silenced as the news anchor on the television spoke with a tone of excitement, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have a special guest joining us live from Celadon City. It's none other than the former leader of Viridian City Gym and the current Minister of Finance, Lionel Giovanni!"

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[ Omake Paragraph ]

Hoppip is typically seen as Pokemon which drift on the wind without a care in the world, allowing it to take them wherever it may. The truth is not so kind; Hoppip drifts because they have no choice, being too light to resist or even to steer themselves, and far too often meet with an early grave when blown out to sea. And although Hoppip may lack the roots of other grass Pokemon, they form families and befriend one another and develop metaphorical attachments all the same, only to lose everything to a strong breeze or gale.

There are two ways for Hoppip to resist the terrifying pull of the wind. The first is through evolution, for Skiploom and Jumpfluff are more able to steer themselves, more able to ride currents instead of being tossed by them. Hoppip, however, is not powerful Pokemon, and evolution must come after a long journey. The second is called combination, or also the Hoppip cloud. To avoid being blown away, groups of Hoppip cluster by linking leaves together, and can slow what would otherwise be a long and devastating journey. The wind still picks them up, however, and the vast, slowly steered cloud breaks through power lines and tree branches, only stopping when it collides with a building, tree, or other objects large enough to stop them. At this point, the Hoppip cloud disperses in chaos, often breaking windows or clogging up air vents, or at times simply hitting people in the face.

Although the damage they cause is more mild annoyance than a natural disaster, many Hoppip still refuses to join these clouds. This is an excuse, however, for there are always those who will make any argument to avoid being tied down too close to the boring and familiar.