Single post in Angel of the Shadows

Angel swore under her breath as she attempted to pull on her leggings. She’d gained a few pounds this month. Someone had released a new chocolate that was so yummy that she couldn’t get enough of it. Sadly, it looked like she would have to cut back on it just a bit. Soon, too. Her father would be very disappointed if he found out she’d put on a few pounds so soon after losing a hundred. Not that it should really matter, as her new daily routine kept her busy enough to keep her pear-shaped physique. Her father, however, was convinced that, with her sweet tooth and inability to stick to things, it wouldn’t take much to fall back into old habits. Sometimes she found it hard to juggle all the parts of her life. At least once a month, a member of Team Rocket approached her with a mission. Because of the randomnicity of it, she tried not to make herself available. It also kept her from doing things to learn how to run the All-Star Gym. Angel didn’t like to put time and energy into things she had little interest in, which made it so easy for her to spend all her free time *not* studying Pokémon battle moves and techniques. Or how to manage the All-Star Gym’s finances, etc. Having so much free time was another problem in and of itself, as she could never decide on what to focus on. Some days, she sat there doing nothing but reading and rereading her favorite books or writing poetry. She occasionally watched her father in his natural habitat, even though she barely understood what he did to begin with. When her father, Nanaki, bought the island, it was just a giant barren piece of land, which he’d terraformed into a wondrous symbiosis of all eighteen Types. The four of them, guests, and Trainers, resided in Flamestryke to maintain the island's purity. It had taken many years and a tremendous amount of money to purchase and design Blossomly Island. Within two weeks of their opening, they’d drawn dozens of tourists and even three Challengers. The entire thing was more like a Contest than a Battle. All your Pokémon could faint, and you win. You could take down all her father’s Pokémon with one of your own and lose. It was the way you fought with your Pokémon that mattered the most. How did you use the terrain to make their weaknesses a strength, and how did you react to your opponent doing the opposite? Since then, they’d received many more Challengers, thirty in fact. And of those, five earned the Symbiosis Badge. About two weeks ago, their last Challenger had impressed her father so much that he’d given her 10,000 Pokédollars. That was the first Challenge Angel had watched, and it had created a stirring within to finally head on her own Journey. After the Challenger left, her father approached her with the news that her mother was pregnant and that in six months, he’d be taking paternity leave. He’d asked her if she would take on the leadership of the Gym for those few months. The look on his face when she turned him down hurt. But it was what he mumbled after that broke her heart. He’d spoken of his joy at seeing all the tourists and Challengers coming to the All-Star Gym to immerse themselves in untainted nature or test their skills. If she didn’t take over for just those few months, he would have no choice but to shut it down. Even though he knew she had little knowledge or desire to run the place, he’d rather she be in charge than her brother. It was an argument she couldn’t disagree with. Even though she’d finally felt the Call, she accepted his request. It wasn’t for another six months; she would only need to receive tourists and Challengers for three months. More than possible. He’d worked so hard that he deserved that break. And she could tell he already felt bad about forcing her into something he knew she didn’t want. She’d have to hope Team Rocket didn’t call on her then. After all, she’d kept her involvement with them a secret for eight years. The frantic sounds of her Sylveon interrupted her thoughts and brought her back to reality. Her eyes refocused just in time to see Sylvie rush into the room, lose his footing on the new wooden floor, and slide into the dresser. Angel leaped from the edge of the bed to the dresser, scared that the force of his slide would cause the mirror to wobble off onto his head. But not only did her concern prove unwarranted, she overshot and slammed into the dresser. With a hiss, she grabbed her arm and smiled as she turned to her best friend. The first thing she noticed was the intense fear in his eyes, and she felt a sinking feeling in her heart. Despite his Naughty nature, Sylvie was quite a brave boy, but one thing terrified him. Person, rather. And that was Giovanni. Angel reached out and cupped Sylvie’s face. Her thumbs moved against his cheeks until he leaned his head into her hand. When she was certain he was calm, she told him to stay put and assured him she would take care of things. She leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead. Then, with the help of Sylvie’s ribbons and a small groan, she got to her feet. After a few deep breaths, she headed downstairs to the foyer. Her eyes widened as she saw Giovanni lounging on her couch, and his Persian lay on the floor before him. At first glance, it appeared asleep, but she could tell by its breathing patterns that it only pretended. So not only had he invited himself inside, but he’d also made himself at home. Anger filled her at his lack of etiquette, but she said nothing. Instead, she directed her attention to Giovanni and gave a small curtsy. “To what do I owe this…pleasure?” Giovanni’s lips curled up ever so slightly as he brought a glass of red liquid to his lips. A glance at the nearby cabinet said he’d helped himself to a Flaming Cheri, a drink she’d created and a staple of Fyreblossom Island. His Persian moved slightly, which drew her attention. She noticed some gray in its face, and she tilted her head. How old was that cat, anyway? The thing had to be pushing thirty years, if not more. “It’s been a long time since we spoke. Congratulations on the newest addition to the family.” His smile fell flat at her silence. “Usually, when a person gives congratulations, the recipient thanks them. Not stares at them as if they cannot form a response.” “I’m sorry!” She exclaimed as she bowed her head. He would see it as submission, but she intended to calm her anger at the several insults he’d given her. Angel hated how easily he could put her on edge. After a slightly longer than necessary pause, she met his eyes again. “You caught me off guard. I heard such statements from you are usually followed by bad news. I was worried you had something horrible in mind for me.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Rumors about people are usually wrong. You have a brain. It’s not difficult to do your research instead of blindly following the masses. Have I ever given you a mission where you had to do something wrong?” Giovanni didn’t wait for her to answer. “But I digress. I have a task for you. My preferred team isn’t due back for a few weeks. You’re not as good as I’d like you to be for this mission, but you are the best among the recruits.” The smile returned to Giovanni’s when he realized his words piqued her curiosity. Eyes still on hers, he reached down to the table with his free hand and slid an envelope to her. One that had confidential colors and the word written on it in bright red ink. How had she failed to notice that before? Angel picked it up and leafed through the dossier as she listened to Giovanni give a more in-depth briefing. “Surely, you’ve heard the news of strange Pokémon appearing worldwide. Rumors say that they’re stronger than normal Pokémon and slightly…crazed. The combination allows them to disrupt the habitats of natural Pokémon. There are even a few stories of skilled Gym Leaders having difficulty bringing them to heel.” She barely refrained from throwing his earlier words about rumors back in his face. Angel chose not to look at him so he wouldn’t see the emotions in her eyes. Instead, she continued looking over the data he’d given her. “If they are, in fact, so strong and dangerous, what makes you think I can help?” “You’ve worked with Team Rocket for what is it? Eight years now? Your various talents have been an asset to the organization. You have a marvelous success rate at bringing Pokémon and items stolen from us back without drawing attention. One of your finer moments was when you convinced a Murkrow to return and continue gathering discarded items for us. We’ve sent it on several retrieval missions since, and the tech pieces it has brought back have proven invaluable. Our understanding of Pokémon furthered immensely, and we learned new ways to help them.” Not feeling a response was necessary, Angel remained silent as she finished perusing the data. After putting everything back inside the envelope, she threw it in the fireplace and turned her attention back to Giovanni. The acrid smell of burning paper made her scrunch her nose, and she almost pinched it. But though it would have kept the smell out, he would have seen it as a sign of weakness. Giovanni set his empty glass on the table. Annoyingly, not on the coaster. But that was another thing she wouldn’t dare comment upon. He steepled his fingers, and his knuckles touched the bottom of his chin. “Excellent. Now that you’ve read over the data and blueprints I gave you, do you feel you are up for this task? The lives of dozens of Pokémon depend upon your success.” “I do. Just give me a week to—” “Time is of the essence. You leave tomorrow night at the latest for the Kanto Region. I leave it to you to find the quickest route possible.” He stood to leave, and his Persian was instantly alert beside him. Why would it pretend to be asleep? Almost at the door, he paused and turned back to her. “I truly hope you succeed in this, Alexandria. It is long past time I put your services to the best use possible.” Minutes later, Angel hadn’t moved from beside the table as she tried to wrap her head around what had just happened. A gentle mewl sounded from the stairs, and she looked up to see Sylvie. With positivity she did not feel, she coaxed him down the stairs. Based on his hesitation, she was certain he could feel her distress. Once he was beside her, he extended his ribbons to embrace her. She extended her right hand to stroke his head and chuckled softly at his loud, happy purrs. “I must leave for a while. You’re probably still scared and exhausted, but can you find Ebony and Dreamer for me? There will be some nummies in it for you.” Sylvie released his hold on Angel, spun a few times in excitement, and ran off to do as asked. It was only once she’d heard the chime of the Pokémon door that she set about tidying up. Her hands shook as she worked, and she did her best to manage her emotions as various scenarios went through her head. After she placed the glass in the sink and the bottle back in the cabinet, she hugged herself as she wondered if she should take Sylvie as well. But she shook her head at that thought. He disapproved of her association with Team Rocket and would likely be a brat. Angel’s hands clenched at her sides as she took several deep breaths. There was no need to be so scared about this. It was a slightly more important mission than she’d been trusted with. Besides, it could be the chance for the adventure she’d wanted for a few months. There were still three months before her new sibling arrived. Surely, this mission would be over by then. That bit of logic was the only reason she didn’t tell anyone she planned to go or even where to.