[Pokémon] Team Zero: A Pokémon/Zero no Tsukaima Crossover

[Cataquack Warrior]

I do not own Pokémon or Familiar of Zero in any manner, and expect no monetary profit from this endeavor. I, Cataquack Warrior, otherwise known as Cataquack and Cataquack Warri, attest that this is my work of fanfiction and no other's. The fanfiction should have a rating of PG-13 at highest; if the rating appears off, please let me know.

That said, lets get on with the show!

Team Zero


Prologue: A New Boss and Mission​

It was another beautiful day in the world of Pokémon. In the meadows the Bellossom were dancing. In the sea the Magikarp were swimming. And in the sky, a trio of humans was falling from the sky. "This is all your fault James!" the redheaded woman complained to her blue-haired companion.

"Jessie," he whined, "How is this my fault?"

"You were the one who broke our cover by attacking that salesman! If you hadn't, we could have had Pikachu right in our clutches."

"You know," the catlike member of the trio pointed out to Jessie, "I remember that you were the one who spilled all the Pokéballs, so…ouch!" he cried out at her midair stomp.

"Don't make me drag you into this Meowth!" she shouted.

"That's right!" James said. "You were supposed to be a demure Bellsprout, not complain about the food service!"

Jessie sighed in exasperation. "Why does it seem we never catch Pikachu?"

"Don't worry," Meowth assured her. "I'm sure the Boss will send more support once we pay up our debt."

"Don't forget," James noted sardonically, "The Boss' lack of concern for us is how we ended up having to rejoin Team Rocket in the first place. Sometimes, I just wish we had a Boss who cared more for us."

"Don't say that!" Meowth said angrily. "The Boss and Team Rocket are our lives! Without them, what are we?"

"Oh, cheer up!" James told them. "Our day has to come sometime."

"For now," James moaned, "I would just take a soft cushion to land on."

Any further banter was interrupted as a strange light appeared directly under them. Shaped like a giant mirror, the apparition hovered midair, aligned perfectly with the team's current trajectory. With Team Rocket's experience in destructive threats, ranging from dancing Clefairy to berserk Legendary birds, the Team Rocket survival instinct instantly kicked in. "Oh no!" Meowth screamed, as he and the others tried to backpedal through the air. However, their blast velocity held, hurling them headlong into the portal.

The garden grounds of Vestri Court were filled with rampant tension. For the majority of the students and faculty of the Tristain Academy of Magic, the source of anxiety lay with the seemingly delicate pink-haired girl standing in the center of the atrium. The greatest stress though lay with the nervous girl, who trembled in anxiety and determination as she began to chant. She had been Zero too long, always a failure and outcast. Now she would show them all, and summon a familiar the likes of which they had never seen. The students flinched reflexively as the spell reached its end, only to blink at the silent and empty lawn. "Nothing?" a voice broke out through the crowd. "Louise, you really are a Zero! At least when you have an explosion you have something; here you have nothing!" Louise fell to the ground in tears as the laughter rumbled through the congregants. Suddenly, a scream drew all the students' attention to the sky. Down came several figures, barreling into Louise. As the dust cleared, the students could make out two humans, apparently commoners, along with a strange cat, sitting on top of Louise.

"At least that landing was almost soft," Jessie sighed as she slowly rose up. Seeing the multitude of people around them, Team Rocket quickly regained their senses and leaped backwards.

"Jessie," James asked worriedly, "What do we do?"

"That's easy James," Jessie answered, "We'll show these naïve little children what true evil is!" Taking their traditional poses, the team began to recite their terrifying speech. "Prepare for trouble…"

The students stared dumbfounded as the three continued their unintelligible chant, unable to comprehend the absurdity. "Miss Valliere…" the professor finally stammered.

"Yes, Mr. Colbert?" Louise asked anxiously.

"You must complete the ritual."

"Please," she begged, "Let me try the summoning one more time!"

"That cannot be allowed, Miss Valliere," he said. "When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar, which you did."

"But I summoned three of them!" she protested desperately. "And two of them are commoners! Can't I just take the cat and leave it at that?"

Professor Colbert shook his head. "That would be too risky. Multiple summonings are rare but have been recorded, and it is generally unwise to only keep one and reject the others. All are summoned with a purpose in mind, and it would be dangerous both to the familiars and yourself to risk tampering with the bonds offered."

"Now," he instructed her, "Please complete the ritual." Louise bowed her head and slowly walked over to the three familiars, who were still ranting madly.

"Team Rocket!" Jessie shouted. "Blast off at the speed of ligh…urk!"

Oblivious to Jessie's distress, James continued the motto. "Surrender now or prepare to figh…urk!"

"Meowth, dat's righ…" Meowth was stopped short as he, just like his two partners, was caught in a sudden kiss by the strange pink-haired twerpette. "Hey!" he shouted indignantly, "What was that for?" However, he was caught off guard as burning pain worse than Pikachu's lightning coursed through his body and, by the sounds of the screams, Jessie and James as well. Strange markings began to form on their hands and paws, sending pain wherever they sprouted.

"Don't be babies," the pink girl said, rolling her eyes. "The Familiar's Runes are simply being inscribed. And why do you commoners allow yourself to use that language in front of a noble?"

"We'll say anything we want!" Meowth said furiously, drawing his claws out. "And nobody messes with Team Rocket and gets away with it! Much less a tiny Twerp!"

"What did you say?" Louise asked, eyes flaring.

The confrontation was interrupted when the adult with glasses turned back to the crowd and said, "Well, let's go back to class everyone." Suddenly, the people began to float in the air, heading towards the stone walls of the castle in the distance.

"Louise," one student jeered before flying off, "You'd better walk back."

"H…how'd dey do dat?" Meowth stammered.

"Psychic Pokémon maybe?" James suggested.

Team Rocket turned back to question Louise, only to be preemptively countered as she questioned, "Who are you?" Team Rocket stiffened in indignation, but then smirked; the trio always took any opportunity to showcase their talents.

"We are," Jessie boasted.

"The invincible," James continued.

"And unbeatable!" Meowth added.

"Team Rocket!" they shot out together, breaking into another pose.

"Team Rocket?" Louise asked. "And just who are they? A trio of village idiots?"

"Hey!" Jessie said. "Team Rocket is one of the world's greatest organizations, stretching from Indigo to Johto."

"Never heard of it," Louise responded it, "But you likely came from some backwoods place."

"What do you mean backwoods?" Jessie shouted. "This must be the backwoods! Just where is this place? We thought that we landed in Johto, but somehow we blasted off even farther than we expected."

"Johto?" Louise asked. "What country is it in?"

"Country?" James asked in confusion. "Civilizations abandoned that archaic form of geographic designation centuries ago. Nowadays the world is divided by continent into regions. Here," he said, drawing out an unfamiliar map, "You can see that over here is the Johto region. Admittedly it's an extension of the larger Toh continent, but it certainly wouldn't be called a country."

"Never hear of it," Louise said, staring confounded at the strange map. Did she summon from beyond the East perhaps? If she did, maybe that would make up, however little, for the poor quality of her familiars.

"This is great!" Jessie exclaimed. "I've always wanted to discover a new region!"

"Are you sure?" Meowth asked skeptically. "I'm pretty sure Hoenn was the next thing the narrators had in mind, with Sinnoh after that…"

Jessie however was ignoring him, and took out a flag with a bright red 'R' displayed on its banner, which she handed to James. Planting it firmly in the ground, James declared, "I hereby claim this region in the name of the Pokémon League and Team Rocket!"

"You could have just claimed it for Giovanni," Jessie reminded him, "A whole region would make a great gift for the Boss, you know."

"Sorry Jessie," James said unrepentantly, "But this is a big moment."

"So," Jessie said, turning back to Louise, "Exactly what it the name of this region?"

"And just how did dose people fly on their own?" Meowth demanded. "They shoulda at least needed a Psychic to do so!"

Gritting her teeth at her familiars' lack of respect, Louise answered, "This is Tristain, but if you're asking about the whole continent, this is the land of Halkeginia. As for the flying," she said patronizingly, "Of course they did! What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages?" Meowth yelled, jumping up to Louise's face. "Just what is this place?"

Yanking Meowth off her, Louise said "This is the renowned Tristain Academy of Magic!"

"Oh, an academy!" James said. "That makes sense. It does have a familiar feel to it, doesn't it Jessie?"

"It sure does," Jessie said wistfully, peering around her. "Lot of bratty, arrogant, bullying students with no experience in the real world…"

"Hey!" Louise blurted out indignantly. "Tristain Academy is a great honor for young nobles as they prepare for their debut in the world." Unfortunately, her defense of the institution was belied by her gradually forming tears, as the comment on bullies brought back her feelings of failure.

Touched by the tears, Team Rocket softened and wiped away her tears. "Sorry," Meowth said, "We didn't mean to hurt ya!"

"It's okay," James said comfortingly, "School isn't the end of the world."

"It certainly isn't," Jessie added, "We completely flunked our academy days too, and things still worked out for us."

Her sadness gone, Louise quickly found her emotions replaced with anger, and shoved her familiars off her. "I don't need your pity!" she screamed furiously. The thing that made her the maddest was their comment about failing their time at the academy, and the implications it had. On the one hand, perhaps it meant that these familiars were nobles of sort, albeit disowned ones. However, the fact that they failed the academy had a disturbing parallel to her own life. Was this just another sign that she was a failure? No! She shook herself of such thoughts. She could not give up yet!

"Fine!" Jessie said in a huff. "Forgive us for being caring for once. This is exactly why we prefer to be villains! But I'm still confused," she told Louise. "I've seen people fly before, but always with a Psychic guiding…"

"Wait," Meowth said, voice tense, "By 'Academy of Magic', do ya's mean dat all the students here can channel elemental powers?"

"That is correct," Louise answered. Team Rocket stared at her in utter horror. Elemental humans were not entirely unfamiliar to them; after all, legend stated that there used to be entire civilizations of people who held the power of Pokemon within them. But those special people were rare and hidden in the modern world. And each one had the potency, in comparison to regular humans, akin to a fearsome Gyrados in comparison to its pitiful Magikarp relations. And now they were in the proverbial Ursaring's den with an entire school of them!

"We're doomed," Meowth noted quietly. James began to back up, step by step, before trying to break out into a mad dash; if not for Jessie holding him, he might have crossed Johto in five minutes, if, that is, they were still in that relatively peaceful region.

"Relax," Jessie told him, "It's just a bunch of them jammed together into one narrow place! It's not like there are 'mages' scattered all around this region…"

"Actually," Louise cut in, "There are mages throughout all of Halkeginia."

Team Rocket stopped and stared at her deadpan. "Dis is one crazy region!" Meowth stated.

"Hold on," James said, reflecting on an old tale he heard as a lad about the ancient times. It was said at that time that Pokeballs were only a substitute, albeit a very competent one, for the old bonds that connected humans and Pokemon. "This…familiar summoning. That man, a Professor no doubt, he had you bond with your starter, didn't he?"

"A convoluted explanation, but yes," Louise said.

"You mean you Caught us?" Jessie exclaimed. "But we're humans! While, at least two of us are," she amended, glancing at Meowth.

"I know," Louise grunted in frustration, "And I'm none too happy about it. I wanted something wicked like a dragon or griffin or manticore. At least an owl or eagle. Instead I just get a miscellany of random familiars, most of which are just commoners."

"Well," James offered, "If you want, we could always try to catch one of those for you."

"What are you, some kind of monster-hunters?" Louise asked. "You can try, but the familiar ceremony is a sacred ritual, and cannot be cheaply imitated. Anyways," she sighed, looking at Meowth, "At least I got one somewhat normal familiar. Now why did those other two have to get dragged along…"

"Sorry," Meowth said, "But the three of us are a team; where one of us goes, we all go. So don't worry. You got what you wanted, plus an entire team."

"Aren't you concerned about being summoned?" Louise asked.

"Of course we are," Jessie said, "We have dignity as an elite team of agents, but we're used to being on the short end of the stick."

"What about my concerns?" Louise asked.

"What do you mean by that?" James asked, sensing Louise's sadness.

"How could I, the third daughter of the Valliere family...a noble who takes pride in her proper pedigree and ancient lineage, end up having things like you as familiars?"

"Hey!" Meowth snapped. "We aint that bad. In any case, new things are always good; if all else fails, it gives you something nobody else has."

"Still not what I wanted," Louise grumbled, but she ceased fuming. While this may not have been a success, it was not an entire failure. "Follow me to my quarters," she ordered, "And we'll talk further there."

"Um…" James stammered, "I know those other students flew back on their own, but is it okay if we walk on foot please? We've flown before, but it's not something we like to do that often."

"Yes, if you don't mind," Jessie concurred. "We already had one trip up to the sky today as you saw, and we wouldn't last another one on the same day."

"If you insist," Louise sighed, albeit while feeling a sense of superiority. At the very least there was someone even lower than her.

"So none of this looks familiar to you?" James asked in Louise's room.

"No," Louise answered, setting down the maps that Team Rocket had given her. "Is it possible that you hail from beyond Rub al Khali, beyond the Holy Land?"

"Sorry, haven't heard of it," Meowth said. "But it's no biggie. Lost regions like these happen all the time. We just have to figure just exactly where we are in conjunction with the rest of the world. It's probably across a sea or something, but we can find a way home eventually."

"I'm not sure," James hesitantly put forward: "This place seems different from normal regions. I can't help but feel that we're even farther off then we think."

"Don't be so negative James," Jessie told him. "This region has lots of things in common with the other regions. Magical creatures, grass, woods, mountains…"

"Double the moons."

"Double the moo…what are you talking about?" she shot at Meowth.

"Look out dere," he pointed. The team went to the window and gazed in shock at the sight before them. Two giant moons hovered in the sky above. "Whoa," Meowth said, "The moons sure are big tonight. Looks like they got to the size of the Earth itself."

"Yeah," James noted, "But their colors seem to be off. They shouldn't be red and blue like that."

"More importantly," Jessie slowly grinded out before yelling, "Why are there two moons when there used to be just one?"

"Of course there are," Louise said, "Now would you please mind telling me what the fuss is about?"

The team turned around, grave expressions on their faces. "Well," Jessie said faintly, "We might be a little more off the charts than we anticipated."

"You said it," Meowth exclaimed, plopping onto the floor tiredly, "And I thought Clefairy were the only Pokemon to travel to new worlds."

"New…worlds?" Louise asked, looking at them with an expression of disbelief.

"Looks like it," James answered.

"I can't believe it," Louise said, shaking her head.

"Look," Meowth said, "Neither can we. And we've seen a lot of bizarre things, let me tell ya."

"By another world, what do you mean?" Louise asked, hoping that it was a figurative expression. She had had just enough madness today to fill her entire stay at the academy. Unfortunately, it seemed the true chaos was just rising.

"Well," Jessie said, "For one, it doesn't have an extra moon, and both look weird too!"

"Also," James answered, "There are not so many 'mages' where we come from."

"There's a world like that?" Louise asked, boggled. "A world without magic?"

"Not without magic," Meowth answered, "No sir! It's just that the magic isn't with the humans; it's with the Pokemon."

"Po…ke…mon?" Louise fumbled the strange name.

"Animals with special powers," James answered, "Like what those students used to fly."

"Oh, but there are magical creatures everywhere!" Louise said dismissively. "But a world without mages?"

"Of course there is!" Jessie yelled, nerves frayed. "We come from one. How difficult is that to grasp?"

"Don't yell at me," Louise ordered, "You commoner."

"Who are ya calling a commoner?" Meowth demanded.

"Well," Louise said, "You're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner," she explained arrogantly.

"What does it matter if you're a mage or not?" James asked.

"Look, do you really know nothing of the world?" Louise asked in frustration.

"We keep telling you," Jessie shouted, "We're not from this one!"

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look. "A world without magic or nobility is just…impossible," she mumbled.

"Like we said," James told her, "There is still plenty of magic in our world. And we do have nobility there. It just isn't based on magic for obvious reasons. And it's become a rather rare thing of late."

"Yeah," Jessie said pointedly, "But it doesn't help when the new generation runs off to explore the world."

"Hey!" James said furiously. "You of all people should know I left my inheritance and estates behind for very good reason."

"Sorry," Jessie apologized, "It's just frustrating that here in Team Rocket we struggle to break even at the end of the day, while back at your mansion…"

"Mansions," James corrected her, "We had a couple of summer estates in Sinnoh."

"Mansion-mansions, big deal" Jessie corrected in annoyance. "You had enough wealth to buy the Indigo Plateau, and the luxury I have always dreamed of, yet you throw it all away!"

"It wasn't like I had much of a choice," James protested.

"We're Team Rocket," Jessie countered, "When life doesn't give us a choice, we make one of our own, usually by stealing one from somewhere else. But no…"

"Wait," Louise interrupted, "You're a noble?"

"Used to be," James said, "But not since I was young."

"Good then," Louise said, "Because without magic, you're just the same as any other commoner here."

"Fine," Jessie said, "Not a big problem; we're used to being at the bottom of the barrel."

"I still find your claim dubious," Louise said; however, her subsequent action of plopping down on her bed revealed her inner acceptance- and bafflement- of the bizarre tale. "Show me some proof," she ordered.

"Let's see," James said, opening their group's backpack and beginning to toss out various items. "I just know that one of the pictures shows it…" While James searched for his proof, Louise stared curiously at the other objects that now littered her floor. She held a strange cylindrical item up to her head, only to drop it in pain as a stray finger activated a bright light that briefly blinded her.

"What kind of magic artifact is that?" Louise demanded.

"Dere's nothing magical about dat," Meowth said, "Just a little flashlight powered by science and technology!"

"I have to admit," Louise conceded, "I've certainly never seen anything like this. What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Nothing but technology, like I said," Meowth said, getting a little put off. Louise stared at him blankly.

"So, what kind of element is this 'teknoloji'? Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"I don't know what you mean by four powers," Meowth said, "But technology and science are whole different fields."

"And they certainly aren't magic," Jessie said, "More's the pity. Would be great if we actually had magical artifacts, but that's unlikely with our budget."

Reclining on her bed, Louise shrugged dispassionately. "Hmmm. But I really don't understand it."

"You're not the only one," Jessie told her, "It takes a lot of understanding to master. But think of it like this- you didn't use magic to walk here, did you?"

"No," Louise answered grumpily, angry to have her lack of magic brought up again.

"Well," Jessie said triumphantly, "The flashlight is just the same. Just as your feet brought you here without magic, technology can do things without needing any magic whatsoever."

"But walking isn't anything like that!" Louise protested.

"So?" Meowth asked, "Ya still get something to happen. If you're defining magic as elemental, than that makes technology nonmagical. But really, anything has some magic in it." Smiling, he turned back to the glowing moons. "Life's a miracle, ya know. So by dose terms, everything that makes up life- the sky, the moon, the grass, the time, the people- is a miracle, and if that's not magic, den you have no idea what is?"

"Maybe," Louise admitted, staring wistfully at the night sky, "But there is still magic that separates us from mundane commoners."

She looked ready to argue further, if only to prove her hierarchical superiority, but was interrupted when James exclaimed, "Here it is!" He thrust forward a photo of him with a starry background behind him, which included a white and singular moon. "See," he said confidently, "Here's sure proof evidence!"

"Alright," Louise said, pulling her long hair, "I believe you."

"Really?" Meowth asked eagerly.

Crossing her arms defiantly, Louise growled, "Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so." But her pale expression belied her apparent skepticism, revealing her gradual acceptance of this bizarre roulette of events.

"Well," James said drooping, "I guess that's one way to go about it."

"Enough of this small talk!" Jessie shouted, growing frustrated with the slow pace of the conversation. "Now, send us back! We have more important things to worry about, like hunting a trio of Twerps."

"I told you," Louise said, "It's impossible."

"Nothing's impossible!" Meowth said firmly. "So what's the big deal?"

"That's because there is no spell that connects this world with another," she explained, discomforted by the implications of her summoning.

"Then how did we end up here?" Jessie objected.

"I wish I knew!" Louise cried out, throwing up her arms in frustration. "Now now," James said, "Let's all calm down and talk through this.

So this spell wasn't meant to breach dimensions?" James asked.

"Nobody's even heard of another world," Louise answered. "'Summon Servant' is used to call living beings within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is the first instance that I've seen it work on a human."

"That must be swell for you," Jessie said, "I know people back home who would kill for the power to catch a human."

"Pokemon too," Meowth said, nodding in agreement. Louise pouted quietly amidst Team Rocket's awe, the humiliation returning to her chest. The only thing holding it back was their point- at least she could boast of her familiars' uniqueness, even if they were just commoners.

"Wait," James said, thinking of something, "There's something about this that bothers me. You obviously don't use Pokeballs to make the bond, you use your inner magic instead."

"That's right," Louise said, wondering what his point was.

"In that case," James asked in a tense voice, "How does a summoned Pokemon get released? Usually it would involve breaking the ball, but if the magic came from within you…"

"The only way a familiar can be released from its service," Louise said, "And the only way for a mage to use Summon Servant again, is if the familiar dies."

The trio froze in horror at this revelation. "D…die?" Jessie gasped.

"I don't wanna die!" Meowth screamed in panic.

"So I guess we're your personal Pokemon now," James sighed.

"Yes," Louise affirmed, "But the proper term is 'familiar', not this barbarian word you have for it.

Jessie stiffened at this insult, but restrained herself. "So," she asked in poisoned sweetness, "Just what does a familiar do?"

"Firstly," Louise said, "A familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in hearing and vision."

"Cool!" Meowth exclaimed, "That sure must be neat!"

"It would be," Louise said, glaring at them, "Except it seems that it doesn't work for you. I can't see anything through our bond."

"That's one part down then," James said, "But we can probably make up for that. What else is there?"

"A familiar will also retrieve items that its master desires," Louise told them.

"Perfect!" Jessie shouted instantly. "We're expert treasure hunters. Just tell us what you want and we'll snag it for you…"

"Do you know what reagents are?" Louise asked dryly.

The three stared at her in confusion. "Reagents?" James asked, baffled.

"They're catalysts for certain spells," Louise elaborated, "And since you don't even know what they are, I doubt you will be much use in that field either."

"Hey!" Meowth objected. "We may need some training to know what we're looking for, but we'll get you lots of these reagents once we know where to look."

Frowning skeptically, Louise shook her head. "Finally, the most important thing is…a familiar exists to protect its master. The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority."

"So we'll be your bodyguards then," James said firmly.

"Dat's right!" Meowth reassured her. "Together we'll be the toughest team of bodyguards you've ever seen."

"I doubt you could defeat a raven, much less a magical beast," Louise told them.

"Don't underestimate us!" Jessie said. "We're the invincible Team Rocket! Nothing can beat us!"

"Nothing but a yellow mouse," James noted before being punched by Jessie.

"Shut up!" she shouted.

"As you can see," Louise said, "I now have three familiars who are in essence utterly useless to me as a mage." Team Rocket shared a brief, gloomy glance with each other.

They knew well enough from their difficult lives just how common rejection was. And as Pokemon, that risk was further compounded. There were plenty of tales about trainers abandoning worthless Pokemon, and from the looks of their master it appeared to be their fate too. As a result, they had little hope for the situation; right now, their only hope was that they could find some gully to rest in for the night. "Well then," James sighed, turning with his teammates towards the door, "We won't bother you any further."

"And just where are you going?" Louise demanded, panicking internally at the thought of losing her familiars; however absurd they were, they were still her only potential source of pride, and she was going to hold on to that prize no matter what. "Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you going to sleep in?"

"We'll figure something out," Jessie said, despondently accepting the reality, "If there is one thing Team Rocket is good at, it's surviving. And it's not like there's any place for us now that you don't want us here…"

"Don't go!" Louise ordered.

Team Rocket stared at her puzzled. "Huh?" James asked. "But you just said that we were worthless."

"You are," Louise nodded, "But you will not humiliate me any further by running away either."

"You mean you're not abandoning us?" Meowth asked, hope shining in his eyes.

"Like I said," Louise said, "The bond between master and familiar lasts until death, so I'll make do with what I have for now."

"Thank you!" they shouted in ecstasy, burying Louise as they tackled her with hugs.

"You won't regret this," James said, tears in his eyes.

"We'll do everything ya say," Meowth said, crying as well.

Wiping her own tears away, Jessie asked, "So what are we going to do as your familiars then? Given what you just said."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do," Louise said, ""Things like laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Right on!" Meowth exclaimed, his spirit rising. "That's what this team is built for. We're whizzes at grunt work. Cleaning, serving, carrying, ya name it, we can do it!"

"And once we learn more about this world," James assured her, "We'll be able to take on our real duties as Pokemon."

"So," Jessie asked, getting to business, "Where do we sleep? And what's our first assignment?" Louise shrugged and pointed to the floor, eyes daring them to argue with her command. After examining it though, Jessie gave a faint smile. "Not too bad," she observed, rubbing a hand against the cool and hard texture of the stone, "Smooth, very few rough spots other than tile breaks. And looks sturdy too."

"Thanks!" Meowth said, looking at Louise gratefully. "This is the best place we've found to sleep in weeks!" Louise frowned at their enthusiasm. How low could these familiars go? Though, she also did feel a small bit of guilt at their joy over such cheap 'gifts'. It was a gift, a boon to those otherwise pathetic commoners. Yet, their happiness dampened her sense of triumph.

Shaking her head, she continued, "As for your duties…" With that, she began to strip. Now she would so those familiars the proper order. Let them protest and screech all they wished, it was not like she was showing herself to anyone of importance; a dog or cat might get better treatment. However, their reactions were sadly dismal. Jessie looked on with little interest, scanning Louise's body with vain derision. James was too busy sorting out their things to even notice her undressing. Meowth, just like Jessie, looked on, but remained bored. And why not? He didn't exactly where clothes himself. "Here," Louise spat in frustration, tossing her undergarments at them. "Wash these for me tomorrow." James delicately peeled them off his face, before Jessie unceremoniously yanked them up into a sack.

"Not the nicest clothes we've cleaned," she said, wrinkling her face, "But not the worst either. All right troops," she ordered, "Let's get these clothes washed."

"Wait!" Louise yelled, flabbergasted. "Aren't you at all bothered by me undressing in front of you? Or are all you commoners so lowbased?"

Team Rocket stared dumbfounded. "It's not like there's much to see," Jessie said, grooming herself vainly, "As you can see, the only person to watch in this room is me. At the very least, my chest actually has a slope." Louise narrowed her glare.

"I'm confused though," James told Louise, "If viewing nudity is immoral here, then why would you show yourself to us in the first place?"

"It's okay," Meowth told her, ignoring the red look on her face. "I'm a Pokemon you see, and I know how human customs vary between places. If ya need to show yerself, go right ahead, it's completely natural…"

"Get out!" Louise screamed irately, beating them out of the room. As they dashed off, she stared blankly at the door before shutting it and collapsing onto her bed. Founder, what did she ever do to be cursed with such…ridiculous familiars? Well, she'd find some use for them. At the very least, they seemed obedient. If only they had the brains to make that a positive quality. Letting out a deep sigh, Louise drifted off to sleep.

As Louise went to sleep, Team Rocket got into a huddle while they washed the garments under the moonlight. "So what do we do?" Meowth whispered in an attempt to keep their conversation secret.

Such a hope was short-lived, as soon enough Jessie responded to James' suggestion of leaving to find Giovanni with a pounding. "Idiot!" she yelled. "How do you expect to find him in the middle of nowhere? And we all know who we have to blame for this, don't we?"

"But Jessie," he protested vainly, "How is it my fault?"

"If you hadn't messed up, we wouldn't have blasted off and landed in this portal to Mew-knows where!"

"I'd like to point out again that Meowth was the one who…"

"Hey, wait a second!" interjected Meowth, hoping to stop the imminent brawl. "That girl said that we're servants to her, right?"

"Uh, yeah, that's right," Jessie said.

"Well then, doesn't that make her our new Boss?"

"Meowth! How can you even suggest something like that?" James demanded aghast.

"That's right!" Jessie agreed. "We've always been loyal members of Team Rocket for years. Never once have we questioned our loyalty."

"Hey, chill out," Meowth said in a placating voice. "In case ya two don't remember, we'se been out of a job. Sure, we're hired again now, but we still have to pay up our debts to that stingy Delibird. And fer what? Did the Boss ever provide us with a place to sleep at night? No! We had to sleep in trees or in trash cans. Did the Boss ever give us food? No? We had to scrounge for junk scraps. And did the Boss ever pay attention to us, ever check in on us? No! Well, we have all we need here with this girl."

"You just have a crush on her," Jessie retorted.

"Well," Meowth said sheepishly, "That's the way to treat any Boss. So, are we all in?"

"Fine," Jessie conceded, "but it looks like our new Boss isn't very happy with us."

"I think that most familiars are either Pokemon or…animels, is that the name?" James reflected. "She's probably not happy she got stuck with a couple of humans instead."

"Well," Meowth said determinedly, "that changes tomorrow! Imagine the Boss' face when we bring her a new familiar we stole."

"Alright team," Jessie said, "Let's show these nobles that we are the unbeatable Team Rocket!"

"Yay!" they all cheered.

"This here Tristain place better watch out, cuz Team Rocket and its new Boss are taking over!" Meowth said confidently.

 

[Cataquack Warrior]

I do not own Pokémon or Familiar of Zero in any manner, and expect no monetary profit from this endeavor.

CENTER]Episode I: A New Day for Team Rocket​

"Rise and shine Boss!" Louise slowly stirred as overly cheery voices drew her out of her sleep. "It's a beautiful day, so get up already!" However, she tried vainly to reject the reality and returned to sleep.

She soon regretted this though, as a deluge of ice cold water made her jump up in a start. "Wh…what? What's going on?" she exclaimed, staring at the three vaguely familiar figures before her. "Who are you?" she demanded, hoping that this was just more of a messed up dream.

"Team Rocket," the red haired beauty- Jessie, was it? - said, "Remember?"

"We're the familiars you summoned yesterday," James added.

Louise drooped as she remembered the humiliation yesterday. She was dragged out of her melancholy as Meowth said, "Look, we got dose clothes all tidied up like ya said, so now what? We're ready and raring for more answers, Boss," he said, giving special emphasis on the title. Louise sighed, but allowed a small smile to pierce her gloom. At least her new servants were useful in some ways. Plus, they seemed loyal, even if they used that strange title 'Boss' rather than the proper term of 'Master'.

"Alright," she said, straightening up in preparation, "Dress me." Team Rocket froze in confusion.

"What?" James asked.

"Dress me," she commanded. "You must not know because you're commoners, but nobles will not dress themselves when a servant is available."

"Are you sure bout dat?" Meowth said hesitantly, eyeing his increasingly excited partners hesitantly. He had enough difficulty restraining them during that fashion stint in Celadon.

"Of course!" Louise said impatiently. "Now get to it!"

"Yes, Boss!" Jessie and James said in unison and jumping to attention. However, rather than bringing the clothes to Louise, they carried them to the window. Louise watched in horror and rage as James hefted the window open while Jessie tossed all her clothes out.

Dusting off her hands with a sense of finality, Jessie noted, "That's that! Now to dress you up."

"With what?" Louise demanded. "You just tossed out all my clothes, you stupid, moronic familiars!"

"Now, now, Boss," Jessie told her, "If we're in charge of your wardrobe, you're going to have to wear something better than those old rags."

"Yep!" James agreed, "But don't worry. Team Rocket always has an entire wardrobe of clothing at its disposal, and we're the Elites at makeovers!" With that, the two tackled Louise. Meowth stepped back to a safe distance and watched the ensuing scuffle unfold.

"And voila!" Jessie and James exclaimed, striking poses to the side as the new Louise was revealed, her beautiful outfit dampened by her visible rage.

"What is this?" Louise demanded irately, hands poised on her exposed hips in indignation. She looked almost like one of those sailors that he mother sometimes invited over. Except that none of those proud sailors would ever sink so low as to wear a travesty like this! The upper half was shortened to the point that her belly button was visible to all if she bent but an inch. And the humiliation did not stop there. Knee-high socks connected her too-scandalous skirt with the shining pink slippers on her feet. Pink ribbons adorned the entirety of the suit. The outfit would have had some class with its exotic design if not for the fact that it was so…immodest!

"It's just a school uniform," Jessie said.

"It gives you more elegance this way," James said. "After all, a noble needs to look her best."

"Well," Louise said, "No noble in their right mind would dress this way!"

In that case," Jessie said, miffed at the insult to her costume skills, "Let's go for something a little more…tomboyish then." After another intense scuffle, Jessie and James emerged with Louise, now in a different garb. The clothes she wore now lacked the sexual indecency of the first outfit, but only at the cost of concealing her femininity, as they seemed more fit for a man than a woman. She was covered from waist down, not by a dress befitting a noble, but with a pair of commoner pants! And she now wore strange, rough-looking shoes- tennis shoes, they called them- that made her seem like some commoner rather than a noble.

"This won't do either!" Louise yelled furiously. "I'm a noble! I have my dignity to preserve."

"Guess third time's the charm then," James said before diving back into the fray.

"That's it!" Louise screamed, taking hold of the chaos in the only way she knew- kicking her idiotic familiars until they fled the room. "I can dress myself, thank you very much!" she said, slamming the door shut and barring it to be safe. Sighing now that the madness had passed, she walked to the window and peered out. Her garments were now scattered about, blown by the wind. She'd have to collect them after class; there was no way that she was going to leave it up to her familiars after this debacle! But for now she had no clothes.

Sadly, it seemed that she was going to have to take her pick of those outrageous costumes that lay sprawled across her bed. If Kirche saw her today, that Zerbst would never let her forget. Louise perused the outfits, desperately searching for one that did not make her any more a Zero than she already was. She considered the schoolgirl clothes, but quickly rejected them. School clothes, ha! Maybe for a Germanian ****, but the day students wore something like that would be the day she'd dress like a boy. Sighing heavily, Louise forced herself to go with the commoner 'tomboy' fit, knowing that it didn't make much difference which outfit she chose.

As soon as she was dressed in her new attire, she dashed out of the room, hoping to catch her familiars before they caused any more trouble for her. To her dismay, they had stopped to speak with a fiery-haired beauty. Of all the people they had to talk to, it had to be that Zerbst!

"Oh, good morning, Valliere," the redhead said in false kindness, failing to hide the mischief in her eyes.

"Hello, Kirche von Zerbst," Louise replied, sticking to the formalities to avoid getting into any deeper conversations.

Kirche did not let up though, and peered curiously at Louise's outfit. "That certainly is a…unique style, if I do say so," she commented. "Fits you very well, Zero."

Louise ignored the barb and turned to her familiars. "Come one," she insisted, "We need to get to breakfast."

"Don't worry Boss," Meowth said, not catching her drift, "We can still make it to breakfast. Need to stop and smell the Vileplumes once and awhile."

"Yes," James agreed, gazing at the fiery-red lizard beside her, "We were just looking at this very nice Charmaleon."

"Is that a salamander?" Louise asked, jealous at Kirche's luck with a familiar.

"That's right!" Kirche crowed. "A fire lizard! See," she said, gesturing at its tail, "A flame this vivid and large means it's no doubt from the Fire Dragon Mountains. It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"They sure can't," Jessie said admiringly, while discreetly signaling to Meowth. Taking out a large mallet, Meowth began to quietly approach the familiar while everyone was preoccupied. This was the perfect prize for the Boss; even if she didn't want it, they could always sell it for a fortune.

Meanwhile, Louise stared at her longtime rival, fury boiling within her. "That's…nice," she said, without a single drop of sincerity.

Kirche on the other hand ignored the sarcasm and agreed, "Isn't it? It matches my affinity perfectly!"

"Are you a Fire type?" James asked curiously.

"Of course," Kirche said, beaming proudly, "After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smoldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling over me. Unlike other people I know," she noted, glancing at Louise.

Louise looked ready to argue, but was stopped when Jessie stepped forward. "News flash sister," Jessie said angrily, "But the real queen of beauty now is yours truly."

Kirche looked analytically at her for a second, and then threw her head back in dismissal. "Sorry," she told Jessie condescendingly, "But you have a ways to go, even if you are pretty cute for a little old human familiar."

"What?" Jessie let out a banshee cry before lunging at Kirche, only to be restrained by James.

"Calm down Jessie," he reassured her, "Even if she has all the glamor…"

"Which she doesn't!" Jessie shot back at him.

"We still have the indomitable spirit of Team Rocket!" he reminded her.

You are interesting familiars," Kirche commented, leaning in to inspect James. "And what is your name?" she asked.

"James," he answered. Reflecting his past childhood, James automatically went into a polite bow, saying, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Kirche…"

"Von Zerbst," Kirche told him, eyes twinkling with curiosity. It certainly seemed that Louise had summoned some exotic familiars; not that she'd say that much to her.

"And what of your last name?" she inquired.

"I don't use one. Haven't for a long time," James said, a tone of melancholy in his voice. "Alright," he told Louise, "Let's find this breakfast you were talking about."

Kirche watched the three wandered off and spoke to herself, "Such intriguing familiars. Especially that blue haired one. If he wasn't a commoner, I might actually consider dating him. What do you think, Flame?" she asked. The fire salamander remained silent, but let loose a quiet puff of smoke to indicate its dissatisfaction; it gave an angry glare at the cat as it scampered off.

As they passed down the halls, Jessie took a side glance at Meowth and groaned. Meowth was singed all over with various burns. Obviously Plan A to snag the lizard had been a disaster. "So I take it you weren't able to catch it," Jessie whispered.

"Nope," Meowth sighed, "Dat Charmaleon just took one look at her and set me on fire. It's definitely what we're looking for," he noted, eyes gleaming. "Imagine: it could be the new heating system for the Boss' room."

"There was a bit of a draft last night," Jessie reflected in agreement, "But let's not be too hasty. We need to examine the rest of the batch before we decide just what we're going to steal." Still, the fire lizard was top on Jessie's list, if only so she could so that Twerp what a true beauty was.

Team Rocket's banter came to an abrupt halt as they entered the dining room of Tristain Academy. "This is a 'dining room'?" Jessie asked, staring in shock at the expansive room.

"More like a feast room," Meowth noted, impressed at the room's grandeur.

Louise smirked, pleased that she had finally gotten her familiars to acknowledge the superior grace of nobility. The Academy of Magic's dining hall was the tallest building in the campus, and each of the three tables looked ready to easily seat at least a hundred people and contained many elaborate decorations. Louise raised her head and began to explain, her hazel eyes twinkling mischievously. "Tristain's Academy of Magic does not just teach magic, you know."

Team Rocket stared at her in surprise. "Almost all mages are nobles," she clarified. The saying 'nobles achieve nobility through the use of magic' is the foundation of our education. Thus, our dining halls must also be made according to a noble's status."

"Makes sense," James said, "But your first statement seems like a contradiction. Even if magic is associated with nobility, you really aren't learning anything about life except about magic."

Fuming at this turnaround, Louise grumbled, "Only a commoner would think that there is more to life than magic. Be grateful that you are even allowed to set foot inside Alviss Hall and attain a glimpse of magic's grandeur."

Though, her familiars' earlier comments had set in a seed of doubt about true magic. If all life was magic, then what did that make nobility? But she was not about to accept that possibility. Never! She had her dignity as a noble to uphold. Even…if it did seem kind of hopeful to her.

"Whatever ya say," Meowth said skeptically, "But what're these Elvises?"

"The little people," she said, gesturing to elaborate sculptures of tiny people engraved onto the walls.

"Those things don't come to life, do they?" Jessie asked hesitantly.

"Oh, you knew that?" Louise said, surprised. "Yes, they come out at night to dance. Enough of this," she huffed, glaring at her familiars' dazzled faces, "Pull out my chair, will you? You're not very competent familiars, are you?" Team Rocket's members shook themselves free of their dreamy thoughts of plunder and rushed forward at once to pull out Louise's chair.

Unfortunately, none took any consideration of the others' efforts, and descended into a three-person riot on the ground. Students began to set down their plates to watch the comic proceedings. Reddening in embarrassment, Louise yanked the chair away from the three saying, "I can seat myself, you know! Have for a whole year now, so I don't need any help from the likes of you!"

"Whatever you say Boss," Meowth groaned from underneath Jessie and James.

Louise plopped into her seat and began to devour the food, drowning her sorrows in hunger. However, a set of subtle coughs behind her forced her attention back to her three aggravating familiars. "What?" she demanded frustratedly.

"You promised us food, remember?" James said quietly.

"Yeah," Meowth said, looking like a kicked puppy- or cat- "We were really hoping for something to fill our tummies." Ah, yes, she had promised them food. And indeed she had food for them. She pointed to the floor, where a small bowl lay with strange…things littered inside it.

A tiny bit of guilt pulsed through her heart at bending her vow like this, but she pushed it aside. They were commoners, and familiars to boot! They were lucky to even have those scraps. If they dared to question the food, she'd teach them their proper place. To her shock though, Team Rocket stared eagerly at the 'food', mouths watering. "This is great!" Meowth exclaimed
.
"Better than that old boot we cooked up yesterday for lunch," James agreed.

"Enough chatter," Jessie ordered, eyes gleaming, "Let's eat!"

Their reverie was interrupted when a harmonious prayer echoed through the hall. Team Rocket quickly joined the thanksgiving with great zeal, closing with a near-cheer of "We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning!"

In contrast to them, Louise's own prayer was barely a whisper, as she desperately tried to not look down at her familiars, who stared up at her with gratitude for her 'gift'. This should have made her feel better, seeing them show just how below nobles they really were. But all she felt was this hollow feeling that none of the pastries seemed to fill up.

"That was a great meal!" Meowth exclaimed, as the three accompanied Louise into a classroom.

"Yeah," James whined, "But I still think that Jessie took too much…"

"Stop complaining," Jessie said, "We divided it fairly: one half for the two of you, and the other half for me."

"I still don't think that was fair…"

"Enough," Jessie told him, "Just be grateful that we finally got a good meal after weeks of living off Spearow and Pidgey dung."

"Yeah, and dose Spearow are nasty if they catch ya," Meowth agreed.

"Speaking of grateful," James noted, "The Boss seems a little melancholy ever since breakfast." "You're right," Meowth said, peering ahead at the pink-haired girl, "I wonder why?"

"Maybe she felt guilty about the food," James suggested, "The food on the table certainly looked better."

"She must not get enough food to eat," Jessie concluded, "And therefore couldn't spare much for us. Not that we minded. But it's making her feel guilty. Team, our mission- after stealing her another familiar, that is- will be to grab some more food for the team. Can't let our Boss starve, after all. Grunts can starve, but never bosses."

"Sure thing," Meowth said, "But first things first. Check out all those potential steals!" A large variety of familiars were scattered through the lecture room beside their respective masters. Some looked rather ordinary, such as owls, cats, and snakes. Although Meowth and Jessie loved some of the types- cats for the former and snakes for the latter- they preferred the superiority of their own Pokemon. Therefore, those familiars were fortunate enough to be left off the list of potential steals. Others though were much more exotic.

"So," Jessie casually asked Louise, gesturing towards a six-legged lizard, "What Pokemon is that?"

"A basilisk," she answered, bored with their questions.

"And the eyeball?" James asked.

"A bugbear," she said, frustration seeping in.

"And the freaky Octillery?"

"The what?" Louise asked.

"The thing with all the tentacles," Meowth clarified.

"A skua," she grated out, "And do yourselves a favor and sit down! Class is about to start!" She soon regretted her orders, as the three fumbled to squeeze into Louise's stone seat. "Not there!" she shouted, "That's a mage's seat. Familiars aren't permitted to use it."

"Then why didn't you say so?" James said amiably as his team crouched on the floor. Louise grinded her teeth at their innocent ignorance, and pushed the molars even deeper together as laughter from other students began to creep into her ears. She struggled to focus on the class as the teacher entered the room; the last thing she wanted was to get called out for more humiliation.

Sure enough, when the professor entered pompously, a pump-faced woman dressed in purple garb, her torture began. After greeting the students, her first comment was to Louise, saying "My, my. You've summoned quite some…peculiar familiars, Miss Valliere.

Despite the innocence in the comment, it served as the catalyst for a series of jeers. "Louise the Zero! Don't go grabbing random commoners and creatures off the street!"

"No!" she vainly protested. "I did everything properly! They were all that appeared." The students ignored her and continued their mocking.

Louise was about to protest to the teacher when Team Rocket decided to take matters into their own hands. Nobody insulted the Boss; it was the same as spitting on the entire team! With a firm nod to each other, Team Rocket leaped headlong at the mockers. Stunned at the commoners' audacity, the students were unable to cast spells in time before the attacks landed on them. Within seconds, the entire classroom descended into a brawl.

Jessie swung a hammer like a Scyther, trying to make her way to the redheaded Twerpette. She wasn't one of the actual jeerers, but Jessie resented her earlier comments and therefore considered her a primary target. Seeing their idol in distress, multiple young men rushed to Kirche's defense, while Kirche herself quietly sidled away from the chaos. She was soon joined by her blue-haired friend Tabitha, who calmly turned away from the madness to continue reading a book. Meowth had no weapons at his disposal, but did not need any, as his razor-sharp claws sufficed. Soon, numerous students sported painful slash marks across their faces, and stumbled around blindly as they covered their aching faces. James was the least equipped for a brawl, but was still holding his own.

Students finally recovered enough from the shock to launch magical attacks, but were unable to aim properly in the fray, adding further confusion to the fight. Meanwhile, familiars scattered to and fro. Some familiars struggled to come to the defense of their masters such as Flame in the case of Kirche and the dragon Sylphid in the case of Tabitha, some fled in terror like a manticore that broke through a window in wild panic, and still others though took advantage of their masters' attention to pursue other, usually forbidden activities, evidenced by a snake that swallowed a raven.

Huffing at the turn of events, the teacher began to chant a spell. The brawlers ignored the words until they felt lumps of red clay fill their mouths, abruptly stopping the fight. "This is not the behavior of nobles," she spoke, "Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mrs. Chevreuse," the students sullenly stated once the clay was released from their mouths. "And the same must be expected from those who serve nobles," she continued, turning to the instigators of the debacle. Team Rocket stared back at her with stubborn refusal, but acquiesced and sat back on the ground.

With that, the riot quelled to a halt, allowing class to resume. "Now then," Chevreuse said, waving her wand to create several pebbles, "Let's begin the lesson. This year I will be teaching you about the magic of the Earth element. As you know, the four great elements of magic are Water, Fire, Wind, and Earth. Combined with the lost element of Void, there are five elements in total, as everyone should know."

The students nodded knowingly, but Team Rocket stared dumbfounded. "Only four?" Meowth whispered anxiously to Jessie. "How in Ho-Oh's name do they get around with just four? What about all the others?"

"Be quiet and focus!" Jessie snapped back, softly pounding him on the hard floor. "We can ask questions later." Nevertheless, Jessie's own curiosity was gradually piquing, as she leaned forward to hear more of the teacher's words.

"The magic of Earth is vital to life, governing the creation of all matter," Chevreuse lectured, "If it weren't for Earth magic, we wouldn't be able to produce or process essential metals." She then gestured towards the pebbles on her desk and drew out her wand.

"Please recall," she explained, "That the fundamental magic of Earth is transmutation, as I will now demonstrate. While I am confident that most of you have already learned this in your prior studies, basics build foundation, so please pay attention to this review." With a quick spell, the once-grey rocks were now sparkling metallic globs.

"Is that gold?" Kirche asked, peering at the shining stones.

"No," Chevreuse said, coughing pompously to cover up her embarrassment, "Only Square class mages are able to transmute gold. I am merely…a Triangle mage."

She continued to talk, but Team Rocket ignored the rest of the lecture as they gathered in a huddle." "I guess there's at least part of why they have only four elements," James said, "'Earth' seems to cover Ground, Rock, and Steel. They must have broader definitions of elements."

"And classy!" Meowth exclaimed, gazing greedily at the glowing metals. "Just imagine if we could find a way to make gold like dey do. We'd be flowing in the dough! I told you dat 'Mecha Payday' scheme would be a smash, but noooo, you guys just had to go for that Pinsir…"

Jessie ignored their banter, unable to contain her curiosity any further, and turned to Louise. "Pssst, Boss," Jessie whispered loudly.

"What!" Louise said in frustration, "We're in the middle of a lesson, and we don't need any more of your antics."

"What does that lady mean about all these squares and triangles?" Jessie demanded.

"It's the number of elements you can add to a spell," Louise explained, eyeing the teacher anxiously.

"Huh?" Jessie asked.

"Look, a single magical element is powerful, but if you add another to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly.

"I already know that!" Jessie told her. "Any fool knows how you can combine two elements together. But what about these squares and triangles?"

Louise stared at her dumbfounded. "Those are Lines," she said, "But mages can merge more than two elements together. Triangle mages can combine three, and Squares four. Mrs. Chevreuse, being able to channel Earth-Earth-Fire, is a Triangle mage."

"Wait," James said, breaking into the conversation, "Wouldn't that just be a Line, since Earth is counted twice?"

"No," she replied, "Stacking the same element reinforces that element, enhancing its power."

"Still," Meowth said, "Dat lady doesn't deserve dat much credit if she just focuses on one element like that."

Chevreuse then noticed their banter and glowered. "Will you please cease with this private gossip?" she commanded. "There are others trying to actually gain knowledge from this lesson."

"Listen here, lady," Jessie said, "If you want people to listen to you, actually teach them new things rather than boasting about what they- and you- already know."

Chevreuse stiffened in indignation. "You familiars obviously have much to learn about the proper order of things. You can start by addressing me properly as 'Professor Chevreuse', Triangle mage."

However, this failed to subdue the rebellious Rockets; on the contrary, they gaped at her before bursting into raucous laughter. "You…a Professor?" Meowth groaned from overindulgent humor. "Get real!"

"You'd be lucky to be an aide to one!" Jessie declared.

"I don't know," James said halfheartedly, "Some Professors are willing to set aside competence in their assistants as long as they work hard. Still, I'm not sure that applies here…"

"I assure you," Professor Chevreuse said, drawing herself up, "I have earned the title of Professor as right for my considerable power in Earth magic."

"Listen," Meowth said, "Where we come from, the title 'Professor' is one of the best titles you can receive."

"It certainly is," James said, "It's practically next to Master in distinguishment. And it takes far more than a narrow focus on one element to reach that level."

"With just one element," Jessie told her scathingly, "You're little more than a Gym Leader. Probably less, actually; I've seen plenty of Gym Leaders that work with other elements." However much Team Rocket despised the Twerp and his allies, they had to grudgingly concede that the red-haired and squinty-eyed Twerps were very skilled, far beyond their chosen elements of Water and Rock. And while the Rockets might have disdained for the goody-good Professors, they were still greatly respected figures in their world, renowned for their vast and adaptive wisdom. For this woman to have the gall to assume such a title when she clearly lacked those high qualities was simply intolerable.

"Specializing in specific elements or means of power is one way to find strength," James said, "But a narrow power like that is ultimately weak. To be truly strong, you need the combine all your skills, and if you don't have enough skills learn more."

"And that," Meowth told her, "Is why you're no Professor."

"I…I…" Struggling yet failing to counter their argument, Chevreuse turned her ire on Louise. "And you, Miss Valliere," she said, trying to save face, "The same applies to you. A mage must be able to properly restrain her familiar. And no talking in class either."

"But, I…" Louise vainly protested.

"Since you have the time to gossip," Chevreuse noted, a glint in her eyes, would you care to demonstrate your knowledge to the class?"

"What?" Louise exclaimed, face turning pale.

"Yes," Chevreuse said, glad that she could apply at least a degree of her authority, "Try changing those pebbles to a metal of your choice." Louise hesitated, looking fidgety, but Chevreuse sternly stared her down until she shakily got to her feet and hobbled over to her. Chevreuse felt a sense of triumph at this; even if she couldn't control those unruly commoners, she could at least show her power in the classroom.

However, she was caught off guard by the wide-eyed looks from the other students, who were now beginning to back up and crouch down in trepidation. "Wonder what has them so riled up?" Meowth pondered. "They're acting like there's an Electrode in the room."

"Professor Chevreuse," Kirche called nervously, raising her hand.

"Yes?" she responded in a frustrated voice, clearly having had enough problems with the class.

"I think it would be best if you didn't let her," Kirche said, the other students nodding in desperate agreement, "It's…dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Chevreuse asked, blinking cluelessly.

Sighing, Kirche observed, "This must be your first time teaching Louise, right?" There always was someone in the Academy who somehow had not heard of the Zero.

Shaking her head ignorantly, Chevreuse said, "It is, but I've heard that she is a hard worker. Now Miss Valliere," she continued, "Please begin. You won't learn if you dread making mistakes."

"Don't, Louise!" Kirche yelled in terror.

Louise looked ready to listen to her and return to her desk when her familiars yelled, "You can do it Boss! The lady's right on that point: you can't get worried about messing up. Always keep your eyes forward, and never give up! That's the Team Rocket slogan right there!"

Boosted by their encouragements, she said, "I'll do it," and began to anxiously chant the necessary spell. Team Rocket stared in awe at their Boss as she began to wave her wand.

"Some girl," Meowth said, enamored by her shining face.

"Keep your paws off the Boss!" Jessie told him, squashing him with a fist, "And find someone else to fawn over. Although," she conceded, she is rather pretty."

"Wonder why she's not very popular then," James mused, observing the students cowered beneath their chairs. Jessie opened her mouth to speak, but stopped in recognition of the students' reaction. They were waiting for something. She quickly turned back to Louise, trying to solve the mystery. Her puzzlement was suddenly resolved, as the entire room was engulfed in a massive explosion.

In contrast to the chaotic pandemonium in the classroom, Team Rocket remained serene through the entire disaster. To them, time seemed to slow down as they marveled at the glory of Louise's explosion. The speed, the grace, the power… Each turned to the others and nodded, now firmly committed to their new mission. They had been reluctant before, but now they felt a new calling. Distant yet familiar emotions raced through their bodies, bringing them back to a day long ago in Viridian, where another explosive attack had changed their lives forever. In the face of such glory, how could they turn back?

***​

In contrast to the chaos below, things were at peace in the Headmaster's Office, perched high up in the central tower. Sir Osmond, current Headmaster of the Academy, sat complacently at his sequoia desk while his green-haired secretary steadfastly continued her notes. While the restless students and professors made life difficult elsewhere, at least the headmaster could set an example for good form. At least, that was the outside appearance. In actuality, the secretary, keeping a side glance on Osmond, knew that, given the headmaster's current expression of boredom, things were going to fall apart in less than a minute.

Sure enough, Osmond drew out a pipe from his desk, preparing to blow out in a sigh. She frowned at this and began to wave her quill. The now enchanted pipe floated away from the expectant master over to the secretary, who maintained a stoic expression even while she internally smirked at Osmond's annoyance. Striding over to her, he gravely declared, "Is it fun taking away a man's pleasure, Miss…er…"

"Longueville," she supplied, "And managing your health is part of my job, sir."

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully," he complained, "Figuring out how to spend time is going to be a problem." With the emphatic sigh at the end, one might almost believe him. However, Longueville was not fooled. People usually assumed his age to be about one hundred; a few, more inquisitive ones leaned more towards three hundred. But in reality, nobody knew his true age. Not even Osmond himself, who likely didn't remember that anymore. A man like Osmond was well accustomed to elderly age, and had been able to stave off melancholy for decades, perhaps centuries. No, while Osmond was certainly restless, his supposed woe at boredom was merely a veil for his next game, evident in his glances at her skirt blowing in the wind.

"Headmaster," she said, drawing her head up just as he was lowering his hand towards her, "Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Osmond began to stumble randomly, but she had only disdain for his poor acting skills. Pouting in defeat, he kept a subtle glance for his ace in the hole below Longueville while pretending to ponder. "Where do you think the ultimate truth is? Have you ever wondered that?"

I have, she reminisced in melancholy, but outwardly glared at him and said, "I have not, but wherever it is, I assure you, it is not under my skirt, so please cease sending you mouse to peep for you."

"Come on out, Motsognir," he commanded despondently, watching as a small, white mouse scurried away from Longueville's desk. It dashed up Osmond to his shoulder and plopped down comfortably. Smiling nostalgically, Osmond offered a nut to it. "You're my only trustworthy friend, Motsognir," Osmond told it, seemingly lost in memories- oblivious enough to miss the subtle smirk from Longueville at his declaration, knowing the truth of the matter. The mouse looked up expectantly for another morsel, but Osmond held out his hand to shush it. "You want more. Very well, I shall give some to you. But first," he instructed his familiar with a serious tone, "I would ask that you give your report."

Feigning disinterest at the animated yet indecipherable conversation between the two, Longueville tensed in preparation. The ensuing chain of events might have seemed chaotic to an outsider- even to the participants, for it was unrehearsed- but the episode was very familiar to Longueville, and she knew the stance she had to take. Her cue came when Osmond told Mostognir, with a teasing smirk towards her, "Miss Longueville should stick to black. Plain black and white, even when hidden, simply lack the delicacy of femininity."

Twitching accordingly, she smoothly stated, "Old Osmond, the next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace." It was an empty threat, as the old master still had strong bloc within the court politics; plus, she couldn't risk sending a petition without compromising her mission at the academy.

However, Osmond reacted with an enraged flash in his eyes, quite unexpected for a frail-looking man, and began to tirade his secretary for her cheek. "Don't get so prissy just because I peeked at your underwear!" he ranted, all while carefully leaning into her to caress her bottom. "At this rate you'll never get married! Ah, to be young again…" Longueville had to admit, Osmond's rants about youth and life always touched her, making her almost hesitant to shift to the next stage of the drama.

Fortunately, the master's crass and perverted nature always managed to extinguish her sympathies. Letting loose a kick directly at his groin, she smirked as the spry old man was knocked back before leaping into the ensuing fray. As the two played chase through the small chamber, Osmond, having received the majority of the blows, vainly pleaded for mercy. "Ack! How can you! Treat an elder! In this way! OW!"

Longueville ignored his pleas, partially because of her justifiable anger, but also because she knew that the master would be greatly disappointed if his excitement for the day came to an end too soon. She had taken careful notes prior to acquiring her position as his secretary, and had kept meticulous track of the many secretaries that came and went. One thing had become clear to her- the girls fired the quickest were actually the mellowest of the batch, regardless of their…exterior appeal. It was a surprise to her at first. Old Osmond certainly had distinct tastes. It was in part with her display at a bar he frequently visited that she was able to secure her contract, after all.

But Omsond had a deeper motivation. He was a very old and mysterious man, a person known to all yet known by few. Most of his life had passed him by already, even if much of it was still to come given his apparent immortality. While he had grown somewhat used to the inevitable melancholy of aging, he still sought to relive his youth. And this meant excitement. She doubted that Osmond had little idea of what to do if he somehow managed to coerce a lady to his room- not that he had succeeded, given his appearance. His true joy lay with the chase, even if this meant that he was at the losing end of said chase. Longueville had to admit that she herself found a thrill rush through her with the chaotic life of the headmaster.

It almost made her consider staying there indefinitely. She had certainly done well so far; she had already kept her position for three months, the longest time ever according to her research. But she shook her head of that whimsy. For one, it would not be long before reports began to trickle in from the surrounding area. Although her position would give her an effective cover during an investigation, someone would eventually find out, and she could not risk compromising her carefully-constructed identity. Second, her mission would eventually clash directly with the school, throwing her straight into the fire.

Also… She slumped in despair for a second, causing Osmond to pause in his cowering, only to return to her assault with increased vigor to hide her dropped guard. Although she had a degree of empathy for Osmond's nostalgia for the past, his rosy vision disgusted her. For all his wisdom, Old Osmond was the same as the rest of the nobles, ignorantly hoping for adventure without knowing its price. Once she was the same, believing she could change the world, or be the maiden to a knight that could. But she knew that price now, very hard, and kept the lesson dear to her heart. She still clung desperately to her idealism, but found it rapidly jaded by her story of treachery and sorrow.

Therefore, Longueville was slightly relieved when a staff member unexpectedly burst in, drawing their scuffle to a halt. She looked up to see a near-bald man in faculty garb, evidently a professor. Noticing the distinct spectacles dangling on his nose, she recognized him. Professor Colbert. Infamous in the academy for his eccentric interests, he was mostly dismissed by his peers. However, Longueville looked on intrigued. Although she did not give the appearance, she had a great interest in knowledge, even if she preferred exploiting them to her advantage.

And Colbert was the foremost historical expert in the school, and perhaps all of Tristain. This, combined with his innovative approaches to the world, a method that she wholeheartedly approved of, made him an unparalleled researcher, whose discoveries always had some import. She was especially certain of this, as the professor had been given temporary leave in exchange for leading the familiar ritual yesterday. For him to come to the headmaster definitely meant that he had uncovered something massive.

Quietly sliding back to her desk, Longueville returned to her writing. She quietly slipped a sheet of blank paper in with the rest for notes of her own; it paid at times to complete memos ahead of schedule, as it gave her an effective cover. "What is it?" Osmond asked in annoyance.

"I…I…I have big news!" he exclaimed.

"There is no such thing as big news," Osmond reminded him dismissively, "Everything is but a collection of small events." Behind her desk, Longueville nodded at that proverb. The headmaster could actually show great wisdom, when he wasn't bored. She'd learned ever since the tragedy to take note of every minute detail around her, as the importance might not be clear until later. Perhaps if someone had noticed the hints of trouble, the tragedy might not have happened, and things would have gone on the way they had. Well, no use pondering over the lost.

"P-P-Please," Colbert insisted, thrusting a book at Osmond, "Take a look at this."

"This is 'The Familiars of Founder Brimir,'" the headmaster noted dryly, clearly displeased at the interruption. "Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways to collect fees from lazy nobles? Mister…" Osmond was actually very good with names, but had a habit of 'forgetting' them, especially when he was feeling stubborn.

"It's Colbert," he said hastily, unwilling to drop the matter. "Please take a look at this also." With that, he handed a small sketch to Osmond. Longueville remained at her desk, but shifted her gaze out to the window and the noon's beams on Halkeginia. It would seem that she was simply admiring the view, which was exactly what she intended to convey. But her eyes were focused on just one small, dented piece of glass. She had taken note of the miniscule fragment for one special property it had: due to its alignment with a slightly reflective decoration on the ceiling, a hawk-eyed observer could make out an overhead view of the headmaster's desk. Right now, she was trying to make out just what Osmond was looking at. The sketch appeared to show the markings of some sort of runic name, though she couldn't make out the name. Suddenly, her eyes jerked at the open book in revelation, having seen an identical match on the page.

Her discovery was just in the nick of time, as Osmond closed the book a second later, his face turning serious. "Miss Longueville," he addressed her, "Could you please leave us?" She nodded and stepped out the door, giving every indication of a walking stride. Once out the door though, she covertly slipped to the side and set an ear on the wall. Although the conversation was muffled, her Earth talent allowed some snippets to reach her. Something about the runes being found on the hands of some familiars. Hands? This was a surprise. She had at first thought they were talking about a familiar, but they seemed to be referring to a human. A human familiar? While discussing the Founder? This could not be a coincidence.

Longueville leaned in closer, desperate to learn just a tad more, and made out a name that made her stiffen in shock and awe: 'Gandalfr'. The Left Hand of God. Eyes sparkling with inner fire, she discretely yet determinedly strode off in a hurry, seeking to learn more about this unexpected turn of events. She had resigned herself to her mission, but if this rumor was correct, she might have a chance to fulfill her own dream. Other may try to break her, but she had triumphed, and always would, as long as she kept a nostalgic image in the back of her mind, that of a family laughing and watching the land clouds and sky below. That scene was no more, buried behind treachery. But another memory drifted to her of a small cottage in the woods, where a blonde woman with pointed ears tended to childen. Not all was lost, not as long as she could still fight. No matter what happened, she would fight for her family. And those who would break it for their selfish means would regret that they ever left her alive, this she vowed!

***​

"That should do it," James spoke with a note of satisfaction as he placed the final brick into the wall.

"Yep!" Meowth agreed. "We just need to do a little sweeping and we'll be all done!"


"Finally," Jessie groaned, heavily exhausted from the work.

"I can't believe that 'professor' made us fix the whole room. I mean, most of the damage was caused in the riot, and that can't all be blamed on us."

"We did start the fight though," James pointed out, "And irked the teacher, leading to the second incident."

"That's her own fault for being a poor teacher," Jessie insisted stubbornly, "Our own hands are entirely- well, almost, at least- clean of this affair, and she had no right to make us pick up her own mess!"

"Chill out, Jess," Meowth said, "It's not like this work is new to us. So let's just work with what we can."

"Are you suggesting giving up?" Jessie demanded.

"Of course not," Meowth said, a glint in his eyes. "If you have ta do something you don't want to, ya suck it up, and den later get some payback!"

"Fine!" Jessie said, returning to her work. "But that 'professor' better not try any Mankey business next time we have class together!" Still, she seemed to apply the same level of enthusiasm to the job as her partners.

Louise watched her familiars' antics from her seat at the stairs, a mix of bemusement and sadness on her face. She struggled to focus on their bumblings so that she did not have to drift back to memories of her most recent humiliation. And, of course, the teacher reprimanded Louise for the disaster she caused- as if she had a choice in the matter! James' point that the majority of the damage was from the earlier riot did nothing to soothe Mrs. Chevreuse's frayed nerves, and she had ordered the four of them to repair the room by hand, with magic forbidden. Not that Louise would use any magic; she didn't want to risk any further catastrophes.

At least the work was not taking as long as she had anticipated. Her familiars had finally proved their worth by offering to do the work while she- the 'Boss'- rested. She was going to have them do the brunt of the work anyways- while she handled the more delicate tasks that might be somewhat befitting of a noble- but they eagerly took up the entire job, insisting that they were experts at cleaning. And they certainly were, judging by the speed at which they had cleaned the room. She had expected to not be finished until lunch, if not after, but they were almost done now with hours before lunch.

She'd like to see the look of her peers when she was waiting for them in the dining hall, spoiling their hopes that she would be preoccupied for hours. However, her joy at this was dampened by the returning feelings of worthlessness that she received whenever she tried to perform magic. Maybe she should have done more of that work after all, a voice whispered in her head; after all, she would be doing plenty of that in a few years.

"Boss?" Louise returned to reality to see her three familiars staring at her in concern, their faces just inches away from hers. "Whah!" she cried, falling backwards before being caught by the stairs.

"Now what?" she asked in a tone of aggravation; however, she was secretly relieved that she had a diversion from her melancholy.

Unfortunately, their following words drove back her tempest of emotions: "Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale." She lowered her head into her hands, desperately trying to stave the coming tears.

To her surprise, the three wiped away her face, trying to comfort her. "It's okay," James said, "It's not like you did anything wrong."

"Dat's right!" Meowth added, "It's not your fault that so-called 'Professor' has no tolerance for collateral damage."

"In any case," Jessie assured her, we're prouder than ever to serve you. You were so great today!"

Heart flaring at those words, Louise angrily shoved them off her. "Don't feign sympathy!" she spat out. "You know as well as I do that I completely botched that spell, so don't pretend that I succeeded at something!"

Her anger dissipated slightly though as she took in her familiars' faces, which were filled with sincere shock. "What're ya talking bout?" Meowth asked. "That explosion was fantastic! Did you see the power of that thing?"

"Maybe she didn't realize its potency," James suggested, "After all, our fight before had already caused a lot of damage, so maybe she didn't notice…"

"I am well aware of my explosions' power," Louise grated out, "And they are my utter bane. Why do you think everyone calls me 'Zero'? Every spell I try inevitably ends up like this: an utter disaster."

"Hey," Jessie told her, "So what if you don't do what everyone expects?"

"Huh?" Louise mumbled dumbfoundedly.

"If you focus on one narrow goal," Jessie said, "You miss your other skills, even when they are just as good as your other goal."

"And your explosions are definitely a useful talent," James noted, "Albeit poorly suited for this environment. But that is the administration's fault- like that teacher- and not your own. As long as you have skills to take with you into the real world, you're doing great."

"But, there's nothing good about my explosions," Louise protested.

"Nonsense!" Jessie said with confidence, "Your explosions were just beautiful."

"Dey sure were," Meowth said, eyes shining in idolization. "With that power, you might be even as strong as Pikachu!"

"No, stronger," James argued, "Pikachus know their attacks from the day they can walk. She doesn't know her power yet, but think about how much stronger she'll be when she harnesses it."

"For sure!" Meowth nodded.

"Are you positive my explosions are an asset?" Louise asked skeptically, "It seems to me that they're only good for destroying things. Classrooms, trees, keepsakes…"

"You're missing the point entirely," Jessie said, "You said the clincher: destroy. You could destroy fortresses, armies, even mountains maybe. There's always someone who objects to destruction, but we've found that a good dose of destruction can always find a good use."

"Perhaps you have a point," Louise admitted hopefully, "But what is this Pikachu?"

"Only the most powerful Pokemon in the world," Meowth boasted, believing every word.

Louise's eyes glimmered at this notion. Pokemon seemed to be magical beasts, so what would this Pikachu be like? A dragon? A manticore? "Show me what it looks like," she commanded, unable to stop a tinge of enthusiasm from seeping into her authorative voice.

"Let's see," James mumbled, shuffling through a set of cards before stopping at one. "Ah! Here you are," he said, handing the picture to Louise. Louise took the card and began to examine the picture, her brows furrowing.

"Just terrifying isn't it?" Meowth commented, the team oblivious to their master's boiling irritation. "I tremble just looking at that thing. So strong and fearsome…"

Their dreamy idolization was cut short as Louise suddenly burst out with rage, "Is this a joke?"

"Huh?" Team Rocket blinked, "What joke?"

Huffing in fury, Louise thrust the card in their face, revealing a small yellow rat resting innocently in a bed of flowers. "This is what you are comparing my power to?" she demanded, eyes tearing up amidst her fire. "A tiny mouse? That's all the power I have?"

"Now hold on Boss," James said desperately, holding up his arms placating. Unfortunately, it was already too late.

"I'll show you my power!" Louise screamed as she let loose yet another explosion in the classroom, turning the ruins into…dust, and lots of rubble.

Louise left the now twice ruined classroom in a huff, her stupid familiars still lying conked out on the floor. The nerve of them! Getting up her hopes, only to compare her to some pathetic rat! Though, she had to admit, she had never considered the practical application of her botched spells. Her explosions were certainly destructive and terrifying, given her infamy in the school. Was it possible that those explosions themselves were a source of power themselves?

Louise shook her head. That still did not help her; she would remain a Zero that could not use normal magic like everyone else. Still, maybe she could use her explosions for something more. She supposed that she had to thank her otherwise-useless familiars for that inspiration; perhaps she would reward them with an extra piece of bread tomorrow.

"Ow!" Team Rocket moaned simultaneously as they pulled themselves up slowly.

"I still can't believe she hit us over such a trivial issue," Jessie muttered.

"You would have thought that she would take it as a compliment," James sighed. "Pikachu is the strongest of all Pokemon; why does nobody seem to know that?"

"Because the protagonists need ta be inconspicuous if da producers want to keep the show moving forward," Meowth said. After the two looked at him in befuddlement, he sighed and said "Never mind."

"Alright," Jessie said, collecting her wits, "It's obvious that our Boss needs something to cheer her up. And we're going to do that by bagging her a new familiar. Meowth," she instructed him, "You come with me to catch that Charmaleon. James," she continued, "You find some other creature to snag. Maybe that Octillery."

"But Jessie," James protested, "Where am I going to find it?"

"That's your problem," Jessie said dismissively, turning to leave. "Come on Meowth, we have a familiar to steal for Team Rocket!"

"Not Team Rocket!" Meowth said.

"What?" Jame and Jessie asked in confusion.

"This is a new start for us, ain't it?" Meowth noted. "And 'Zero' has a nice ring to it."

"We do usually end up being the zeroes," James sadly agreed.

"Then it's settled," Jessie said firmly, "Let's give it all for Team Zero!"

 

[Cataquack Warrior]

I do not own Pokémon or Familiar of Zero in any manner, and expect no monetary profit from this endeavor.

Episode II: Rise of Team Zero​

"Wow," Meowth exclaimed as they entered through the jimmied door, "That Kirche girl really is a glamor queen!" The room was luxurious, filled with many exotic decorations and clothing, most of which had…evocative meanings.

"Big deal," Jessie said huffily, eyeing the decorations with disdain. "If there is anyone worthy of being considered a fashion diva in this mad world, it's Jessie the Gorgeous!"

"You sure we're talking about the same Jessie?" Meowth asked skeptically. Seeing Jessie's eyes flare in response, he quickly backpedaled, saying "I mean, that Kirche has nothing on you, no sir!"

"That's exactly right!" Jessie cooed in agreement, gently stroking her magenta mane. "There is nothing more beautiful than my shiny, deluxe, one-of-a-kind hai…aiii!" Jessie let out a wild scream as her hair turned even brighter red with the fire now bursting from it. After putting the fire out of her now-ashy hair, Jessie glared at the culprit, the growling red lizard on the floor, which was staring at them hostilely.

Meowth moved to strike, only to be stopped by Jessie. "Leave this to me," Jessie ordered, driving Flame to panic with the overwhelming magma in her eyes. "You ruined my hair!" she condemned the salamander. "Prepare to DIIEEE!"

Meowth watched in morbid fascination as Jessie attacked the Charmaleon-wannabe with vengeance that a Primeape would approve of. Next to pure power, vanity was the greatest virtue on Jessie's list, and vandalism of her beauty was down with her most unforgiveable sins. And her hair was the crown of her pride, and therefore the source of her hate.

Watching Jessie tear through the reptile's defenses, the singeing burns barely slowing her assault, Meowth contemplated the utility of the Jessie Pokémon. Mess with Jessie, and you were finished for sure. Could they use this to catch Pikachu? Meowth considered the idea for one moment before violently shaking his head. No, Jessie's temper was bad enough when it erupted on its own; best not to trigger it oneself.

Finishing her opponent off with a Pound attack, Jessie dusted herself off and turned back to Meowth. "Well," she said, "Now that that's out of the way, let's catch that familiar and get it over with."

"Uh, Jess?" Meowth said quietly.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"You already did? Remember?" he asked, gesturing to the now-comatose Flame.

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Jessie exclaimed in innocent excitement. "I completely forgot!" Meowth just sighed in exhaustion; at least this time Jessie's anger didn't come down on him. "Alright," Jessie said, "Get out the paper Meowth, we're going to gift wrap it up for the Boss!" Meowth tensed in anxiety at this declaration, twitching twice as hard as Jessie added, "And don't dawdle with the fire-proof gear. That's why I had you come with me in the first place." Eyeing the pummeled lizard, Meowth shivered in foreboding. Guess he spoke too soon.

***

Tabitha was heading up to Kirche's room, ready to return the book Kirche loaned her. Despite the blatant sexual themes, she appreciated the gift. It was partially because the book still contained intriguing insights into the Germania-Tristain Wars, but also the bond the gift symbolized between them. She had arrived at Tristain Academy alone, unable to explain her past lest she reveal her identity and mission. The attitudes of her peers did not help, as they were too selfishly naïve in their rights as nobles. She was like that once, but since her mother's demise things had changed in Gallia. She was at best a weapon for the new royal line, and at worst a toy to taunt. The students here didn't know any better, she knew. Even so, sometimes it was tough to cope with the others' blatant ignorance.

Hence why she kept to herself, and why she had so few friends. In fact, the only friend she could say she had- other than her new familiar- was Kirche. Surprisingly, the flame-haired girl had a deep understanding of emotions under her apparently cliché attitude. Enough comprehension at least that she knew to give Tabitha space when she needed it,and comfort in its own time. Perhaps she'd stop by Kirche's room while she was nearby. She doubted that Kirche would be there; she'd shown faint interest in the supposed 'Zero's' familiars- well, one at least- and had other courtships to balance out as well. Still, there was a chance that she was there, and if not, Flame would at least be there.

As Tabitha passed by Kirche's room, book in hand, she stopped at the voices booming from inside. She initially dismissed the voices as another one of Kirche's 'meetings', but froze at the unfamiliar female voice. Pulling the door open slowly, she slipped in with the stealth of an assassin.

There in the middle of the room, Jessie and Meowth argued over the still-unconscious Flame. "Meowth!" Jessie demanded. "Why is the paper burning?"

"Well," Meowth explained, "We haven't had the time to construct any fire-proof equipment…"

Jessie's fist put an end to his attempted defense. "How are we supposed to deliver this present for the Boss if the stupid Charmander keeps burning the wrapping paper?"

"Don't worry Jess," he assured her, "We'll have some more fire-resistant gear, just give us a couple of days."

"You mean that we broke in here for nothing! We are going to get the Boss a new familiar, and no barbarian Charmaleon is going to stop us."

"We could always try for a different one…" Meowth advised.

"Are you kidding?" Jessied asked incredulously. "This is the best familiar of them all. Okay, I admit that dragon is neat, but we're not going to catch that until we pilfer…er, acquire enough funds for a new mech. Before then, better not to mess with a dragon. It's a good way to end up hurt."

"Ironic," a voice coldly spoke from behind them. Jessie slowly turned around to see a blue-haired girl, who she recognized as the said dragon's master, and who had a long staff thrust out in preparation.

***

James sighed forlornly as he passed through yet another hall without that Octillery-like Sku. "Is something the matter?" James' head shot up to view a black-haired girl in a maid's outfit. Her eyes stared at him in concern, oblivious to the tipping tray of pastries in her left hand.

"It's nothing," James said, moving forward swiftly, "But, here." Gently catching the tray, he continued, "Your stance is relatively good, but your arms are in the wrong position. If you adjust them like this," he said, moving her arms, "You can carry a heavier load with much better balance."

"Th…thank you," she replied in shock.

"Oh, no trouble at all," James said, "Always willing to help a fellow worker."

"Are you one of the servants here too?" she asked with a frown, unable to recognize him. "You don't seem familiar…Wait!" she exclaimed, glancing at James' runes on his left hand, "Are you by any chance the one who become Miss Valliere's familiar?"

"Well, one of three," James answered , "You've heard of us?"

"A little," she said, "It's become quite a rumor, you know, that some commoners were summoned." James swelled in pride at hearing this; in no time flat, Team Rocket would be just as infamous in this world as they were in their old one! The girl's smile also lightened his heart. Her face was so sweet and carefree.

"I'm James," he said, introducing himself, "And you are?"

"Siesta," she answered, "I would have thought that you would have a strange name, given the wild rumors going around, but it looks like I'm the one with the strange name." "It's not a strange name," James told her, "And it's actually kind of nice. 'Siesta' refers to finding serenity in dreams, right?"

"Yes, it does!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Are you from Tarbes, perhaps?" Her guess was wrong though, as James shook his head. This was odd, as the name 'Siesta' only originated from her grandfather and his mysterious land. In fact, she noticed that the rumors of their appearance paralleled the tales of her grandfather. Could they be…from the same land? For now though, Siesta chose to keep her silence on that matter, and simply said, "Never mind."

"Are you a mage too?" he asked her.

"No," Siesta said, "I'm a commoner, just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

"You don't say," James noted, eyes glimmering. "And the pay is decent?"

"Well," Siesta said hesitantly, "It's…relatively good. One of the highest paying jobs for commoners. Of course, given that commoners are considered below mages, the pay is still low."

"Still," James insisted, "Money is money, and work is work. Are there many opening for workers here?"

"Nobles are always willing to hire more commoners to wait on them," Siesta replied. "Are you thinking of working here?" she asked in surprise, "You already have your master to take care of."

"Team Rocket always serves its Boss," James said, "But we've learned that one needs to pursue multiple lines of work to really succeed in life. So," he continued, "When can I start?"

"Well," she said, a little caught off guard, "It would need to get approved by the Board first, but they'll pay according to the day that you actually start."

"In that case," he said firmly, taking some of Siesta's load into his arms, "Might as well start now." "O…okay," she said, gesturing to him to follow her.

***

"What a fiasco!" Jessie nodded in mute agreement with Meowth as the two hobbled down the hallways, struggling to catch her breath after their ordeal.

"At least…she gave up the chase," she mumbled near-incoherently, relieved that the blue-haired terror had finally relented in her punishment.

"Man," Meowth complained, "My tail's still frostbit from that ice she threw at us."

"At least you only got frozen," Jessie retorted, "I got both fire and ice."

"Hey," Meowth said angrily, "Fire and ice mix together good! With the second element, at least it gives you a fleeting sense of relief when is quells the previous magic. Unlike Water and Electric, where the two go hand in hand. You're just upset that that Charmaleon singed your hair!"

"And what if I am?" Jessie shouted back. "I am a diva, you know! I have to protect my glamorous image…" Their conversation ground to a halt as they caught sight of a familiar face crossing the corner into the corridor far ahead of them.

Dozens of cakes and other desserts were neatly arranged on a large, silver tray. "Thank you for helping me with this," Siesta told James. While she served nobles the pastries using tongs, James kept a careful hold on the tray. "You do know that the Board will likely not give any extra pay for this. Nobles prefer to keep their wealth to themselves."

"It's alright," James said enthusiastically, "I enjoy the work. Already I feel so energetic and fearless!"

Such bold declarations quickly faded though, as James stopped dead in his track. Before him stood Meowth, but more importantly also Jessie. "James!" she exclaimed angrily. "Just what are you doing? Here we are risking life and limb, and you abandon your task to slack off?"

However, her tirade was cut short when she noticed the gleaming food that he was holding. She moved to grab the tempting morsels, but was stopped when a tong lightly tapped against her hand in warning. "I apologize," a mild voice spoke, "But these foods are reserved solely for nobles."

Jessie looked up at the black haired girl beside James. "And who are you?" she demanded.

"She's Siesta," James said placatingly, "And she has a job for us."

"She does?" All hard feelings forgotten, Jessie looked at Siesta with a wide grin, joined by Meowth.

"Um," Siesta answered nervously, "Technically, I cannot hire you. I am just a servant…"

"But she works here at the school," James explained, "And with some work we can get hired too."

"So," Meowth said, "Mostly domestic work, is it? Waiting, cleaning, the whole lot? Perfect! We Rockets have made a specialty out of that work."

"And we can always use extra benefits," Jessie commented, staring longingly at the desserts. "Is there any chance I can have just one?" she begged.

"No," Siesta shook her head, "Even we who serve this food must leave it to the nobility to consume. However," she reassured them, "There is some food in the kitchen to spare."

"Then let's go!" Meowth said eagerly.

***​

"I must say, James," Jessie commented between gulps of food, "You've certainly done a good job finding us this gig!"

"You said it!" Meowth agreed, sipping at the lovely stew. "Good food, decent work, what more can we ask for? Besides Pikachu, that is."

"So," James asked hopefully, "Does that mean I'm…redeemed?" With a little luck, Jessie would forget about their failure with the familiar-catching scheme and move on to something safer like custodial duties.

Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed, as Jessie said, "Almost."

"Almost?" he repeated nervously, wondering what more Jessie wanted.

"I want…that!" she demanded, pointing at a bulge in James' shoe. "Er, what are you talking about?" he asked, playing dumb.

"You can't fool me, James!" Jessie said, yanking the boot off him, "A crook can always tell another crook. Aha!" she exclaimed, pulling out a vial. "Ohoho!" Jessie crowed, "Trying to keep the loot to yourself, eh? Well, you would never be able to truly enjoy something like this. Perfume of such elegance needs the beauty of a women's touch.

"I bet you were planning to give it to that maid," she added, noting the glance between the two, "But don't forget: Rockets share and share alike," leaving the unsaid assertion that said principle translated to 'give everything to Jessie'. "Don't worry," she added on seeing their worried faces, "We'll be working together a lot once we get the job, so we can pay you back later."

Siesta sweated lightly, reflecting on how James and her had found the vial. A blonde noble- Mister Guiche la Gramont, a rather vain and boisterous student- had dropped the bottle while passing by with his peers. Siesta had been ready to pick up the item and return it to its owner before James stopped her.

"James, we must assist the noble. It is part of our duty as servants here. It's nice perfume, but if we are caught stealing…"

"Don't worry about being reported; he won't give a second glance to that vial. And we are not keeping it. We are hiding it temporarily with us until we find a safe place to bury it forever."

"What are you talking about?"

"His stance. It was causal yet calculating. He must have planned his approach out in advance. Probably didn't anticipate anyone finding it until later."

"Do you mean that he meant to drop it? But why? It looks like such a nice cosmetic, even by noble standards."

"I know, and that makes me think that he had an ulterior motive. Which means that this bottle is dangerous to whoever is found with it."

"Do you think he stole it? Mister Gramont is certainly arrogant, but he values his honor greatly."

"It's likely something else. Something that he does not want unearthed. And if there's another party involved…our mere association with the item could implicate us."

"Then let's just leave it."

"No, someone else might find it then and take the rap. Here, I'll just hide it with me, and then we can dispose of it properly later. For now, let's get back to work."

"Jessie," James said hesitantly, "There's something important about that vial that I think…"

"Later," Jessie told him, sprinkling the perfume all over her, "Right now, it's time to show the school what a true model of beauty is like!" With that, she dashed out of the kitchen.

"Jessie sure takes pride in her appearance," Meowth sighed. He froze at seeing the looks on James and Siesta's faces. 'What's the big deal?" he asked, "I know Jessie can be a little greedy, but it's not like we can't steal something better later…"

"It wasn't stolen."

"Huh?" Meowth gaped at James.

"Someone abandoned it," he explained.

"Then there's nothing to worry about, right?" Meowth said worriedly, "Unless you think the bloke had a good reason to dump the thing." James remained silent. "You do," Meowth confirmed, letting out a groan. "Come one," he told them, "Let's catch Jess before she gets herself in trouble- and us too!"

Sure enough, Jessie was in a furious argument with an arrogant girl. She would look very pretty, with her blonde hair tightly rolled up, if not for the disdain and anger on her face. "How dare you!" she yelled at Jessie. "The very nerve- commoners trying to steal my precious perfume."

"Hey!" Jessie shouted back. "We stole it fair and square! And how can you prove it's yours anyways?"

"The potion speaks for itself," she replied, gesturing at the mauve liquid. "The vivid purple is my signature as a Montmorency. There are many in this school who have witnessed my skills with potions, and can testify to my distinct color. So you can see," she spoke with a glint of triumph, "The perfume is clearly mine."

Jessie froze at this, struggling to find a counter-defense, and suddenly shot up with inspiration. "Your name is Montmorency?" Jessie inquired.

"Indeed," she said, drawing herself up with pride, "My full name is Montmorency Margarita la Fere de Montmorency."

"In that case," Jessie crowed, letting loose her own triumphant grin, "This doesn't match the name on the bottle."

"What?" Montmorency stared at the bottle. "Where?"

"Right there," Jessie said, pointing to a small ribbon snagged on the potion, "It says, 'To my dearest Katie, love your ardent knight, Sir…"

"Guiche," Montmorency read, paling in horror. "It…can't be," she mumbled in shock, "He wouldn't…" Nearby footsteps caused her to snap up, spying Guiche with fellow students. "Guiche!" she shrieked, halting him with her fury.

"My…sweet rose," he greeted her, sweating in fear, "Is something the matter?"

"Explain this!" Montmorency demanded revealing the vial and the ribbon.

Paling in realization at the ribbon, he desperately said, "This is…a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the woods of La Rochelle." While he tried to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his neck.

"Liar!" she shouted. "You've been making moves on that first-year, haven't you?"

"Please," he begged, "I assure you, I have no affections for that girl…"

"You don't?" Guiche froze in despair as another female, this one with chestnut-brown hair, approached him with a look of betrayal. "I knew it," she sobbed, unable to restrain her broken heart, "You and Miss Montmorency are…"

Turning to her, Guiche said, "This is all a big misunderstanding. Katie, listen: the only person I hold in my heart is you."

However, this flowery defense only resulted in a slap to his face. "Goodbye!" Katie huffed before running away in tears.

Guiche rubbed his red cheeks before a cough behind him slowly drew him back to the even-madder Montmorency. "My dear, sweet Montmorency…"

"Save it," Montmorency said. She reached for a bottle of wine, but was stopped by Jessie.

"Here," she said, handing Montmorency a different bottle, "I shook this one up. Just thrust it forward, and the stuff should shoot straight out. And aim for a little above the nose line; that should give you the best results."

Montmorency stared at Jessie in surprise. "Us women have to stick together against love's pain," she explained, "Never underestimate the power you have as a scorned woman! Go for it, Mountmorency!"

"That's Montmorency, commoner," she retorted. However, softening her voice she continued, "Still…thank you. And you may keep that perfume as a gift. I trust it will be in better hands with you than with a two-timing worm!" With those words, she swung the bottle at Guiche. Sure enough, the cork sprung loose, dousing Guiche's head with wine.

"Well," Meowth finally said, "Dat's dat! Now let's get out of here before we get into more trouble."

Team Rocket prepared to leave, but Guiche called, "Stop right there."

"Now what?" Meowth groaned. "Haven't you caused enough trouble today?"

"Me?" he huffed indignantly. "Thanks to you servants thoughtlessly picking up that perfume, the reputation of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

"Hey!" James protested. "We were going to bury the bottle somewhere safe before Jessie grabbed it."

"In any case," Jessie spoke firmly, "I wouldn't worry about their reputations being tarnished. If anything, we've helped them by showing them the true you. You'd do better watching your own reputation; that wine doesn't really blend well with your clothes."

"And we're not servants- at least not yet," Meowth said, "We're familiars."

Guiche snorted, examining them, "You must be the commoners summoned by Louise the 'Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner was utterly my mistake. You may leave."

"You don't have to tell us that," Jessie snapped. "We were already on our way out when you stopped us. And judging from your oh-so elegant performance just now," she added snidely, "We'll take the commoner sense over the noble wits- or should I say witlessness- any day."

Guiche's eyes narrowed at the insult. "It would seem that you don't know the proper etiquette for addressing a noble."

"We do know how to address nobles," James said, giving an elegant bow to Siesta for demonstration, "But we simply disregard it. Anyways, by our home's standards, you'd be lucky to be considered a noble's bodyguard, let alone a noble."

"Very well," Guiche said drawing himself up, "Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress."

"Is that a challenge?" Meowth asked, drawing his claws.

"Sounds fine by me," James said, "I think that a battle would be perfect for the nerves."

"Wait, James," Jessie said, "Let's not be so hasty." Guiche smirked in triumph at this statement. However, Jessie continued, "You saw how he behaved during class today, fighting like a deranged hooligan. It just wouldn't do to mess up this nice dining room with a brawl, would it?"

"You were the ones who instigated that madness, not I!" he protested.

"Maybe so," Meowth said, "But you sure fought like a tail-pulled Tauros once things got going; ya attacked anything that moved and plenty that didn't."

Guiche growed in fury but then straightened himself up. "We can certainly have a civilized duel," he said, "Assuming you commoners are up to it."

"Maybe," Meowth said, "Still, what's in it for us? You want us to show you respect, but we need something as a counter. So how about this," he suggested, eyes gleaming in remembrance of the familiar sighted with him during class, "If we win, we get your little familiar Sandshrew as a prize."

"My precious Verdandi is not a shrew," he retorted, "And I shall never let you fiends lay a hand on her. If you are so eager to expend your lives, I will be waiting for you at Verdandi Court."

"Correction," Jessie said, "We'll be waiting for you. Unless you think that wine is good luck."

Guiche took note of his doused state, glared at them, and walked off, saying, "I will be at the court in an hour sharp. Should you reconsider your foolish actions, I will understand."

Watching the playboy depart, Meowth said, "Looks like we're going to have our first real battle here."

"Good thing too," Jessie said, "I was wondering if this place had any civilized practices."

"Well," James said, "It might take him a while to clean off those stains. So let's get back to work. Maybe we can deliver the rest of those cakes before it's time." He turned to Siesta, only to see that she had grown pale. "What's the matter?" he asked in concern.

"You're…actually going to fight him?"

"Of course!" James exclaimed factually. "It's a great, safe way of resolving disputes."

"You…you're going to get killed," Siesta stammered, wide-eyed.

"Huh?" Meowth gaped.

"If you truly anger a noble…"

"Don't worry," James assured her, "If you're worried about the food, just come to the duel with plenty of goodies. Everyone loves a good snack during a big fight."

"You…want me to serve food at the duel while you fight?" she asked in horror.

"Of course," Meowth exclaimed, "You helped us, so now we're helping you."

"I'll never forget your kindness," Siesta sobs, "So I'll come, even if I have to witness your deaths." With that, she dashed off in tears.

Team Rocket stared at her in disbelief. "Don't know what bugged her," Jessie said. "Getting killed in a battle? She must be crazy!"

"Don't be so hard on her," James said defensively, "She must be a little weak-hearted about fighting, that's all. Maybe after we win we can give her that familiar as a present."

"James!" Jessie shouted pounding him into the ground, "What about the Boss? We need a familiar for her."

"Okay, okay!" James acquiesced, "But if we catch another familiar, maybe we could give that one to her then. Having a partner is very good for your health."

"Fine, we'll see," Jessie said, "But Boss first. And speak of the Absol," she commented, seeing Louise approach them.

"What do you think you're doing?" Louise demanded. "I saw all of that!"

"Look Boss," James said, "We haven't done very well as your familiars so far. But a battle is one way we can turn this all around. After we defeat this Guiche, you won't have anything to worry about."

"So stubborn," Louise grated, "But you know what? You can't win. You'll be injured beyond hope, even if you survive."

"Relax, Boss," Meowth assured her, "We wouldn't have agreed to the battle if we didn't know it wasn't already in the bag. We were watching that Sandshrew familiar of his during class, and while it's certainly strong, we can probably defeat it by numbers alone."

"Idiots!" Louise ranted, slapping them. "Are you insane? You challenged Guiche, not his familiar. So you'll be fighting him head on."

Team Rocket froze in shock. "You mean…he'll just attack us himself?" Jessie gaped.

"Yes," Louise answered, "And not only is he a skilled Earth mage, he comes from a long lineage of military legends and knows the sword like the back of his hand. So in short, you are doomed."

She expected her familiars to give up then, but instead they steeled themselves and headed off towards Vestri Court. "Wait!" she yelled. "Can't you see it's hopeless?"

"It probably is," Jessie answered with a grim voice, "But hopeless seems to be Team Rocket's life, and so long as we can live with that we will never surrender!"

***

"So is everything set?" James whispered to Meowth.

Meowth nodded. "Don't worry! When I flick the switch, the whole field will go kablooey! Dere's enough ammo underground to blow up a dozen Electrodes!"

"Quiet!" Jessie hushed them. "Here they come!" Team Rocket quickly jumped back into their hiding place. Ordinarily, it would have been nigh impossible to hide anywhere on Vestri Court. The so-called garden was more of a lawn, with very little cover to hide under, despite the shadows that the court's position in the west allowed. However, Team Rocket had elegantly resolved this dilemma by bringing their own shrubbery, which they were now crouched behind. It had taken them a lot of work to make the necessary preparations in the short interval of time, but they had finished everything just by a hair, as now the crowds of curious students, driven by the rumors of a duel, swarmed the court. Oddly, no one seemed to question the presence of a lone set of bushes. The three did tense though when Tabitha gave a knowing glance towards the fake-smelling plants, only to sigh in relief as she turned away.

Finally, Guiche entered the battlefield with a triumphant strut, trailed by a pleading Louise. "Please Guiche," Louise begged, "Don't go through with this. I am apologizing on behalf of my familiars; isn't that enough to salve your pride?"

"I'm afraid that I cannot do that Miss Valliere," Guiche replied firmly. "Those commoners of yours have not only sullied the honor of two fine feminine roses, but have also dared to threaten my beloved Verdandi of all noble creatures. Of course, I will be merciful if your familiars do not show," he noted, peering around the court for them. "They seem to have fled in terro…"

Without warning, a cloud of smoke engulfed the field. Out of the darkness, three figures became gradually visible. "Prepare for trouble!" a familiar female voice boldly declared.

"And make it Zero!" an alto voice added. Louise began to twitch as the bold and ludicrous speech continued.

"To protect the worlds from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our own nation!"

"To destroy the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the moons above!"

"Jessie!" she shouted, bursting out of the cloud.

"James!" he shouted, emerging in turn from the Smokescreen, tossing a glorious rose at the foot of Guiche.

"And Meowth, dat's me!" Meowth exclaimed, leaping into the air. Reaching the end of their new motto, the trio quickly formed a daring pose.

"Team Zero," Jessie declared, oblivious to their new Boss' growing anger, "Blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now," James warned, "Or we'll blow up everything in sight!"

"Meowth, dat's right!" he added, finishing the motto with a bang.

"You, you…" Louise grunted, fury boiling in her eyes.

"So how was that Boss?" Meowth asked, walking over towards her.

"Pretty good for the moment," Jessie observed, "Though the motto might need a few touches."

"Sorry that we don't have new uniforms," James said apologetically, "But it will take us time to make uniforms for the new team…"

"Team 'Zero'?" Louise demanded. "Are you trying to humiliate me, or are you just too dumb to think about your master?"

"Huh?" Jessie said. "We thought we needed a new team name since you're the Boss now."

"And the name 'Zero' is a cool team name," James continued. "It shows you are on the bottom of the mountain, with nothing able to push you lower however much they try and everything to gain."

"That name is an insult to me!" Louise shouted. "Change it now!"

"Sorry," Meowth said, "But we already made a name and motto, so it's too late to turn back. Besides, we can't go back to our old motto; this is a whole new series."

"If you are done here," Guiche said impatiently, "Shall we begin? I must commend you for not running away. Such fanfare however is only suitable for a noble, as I will soon teach you."

"Well, we won't give up that easily!" James told him.

"We're ready to take on whatever hocus pocus you shove at us!" Jessie shouted.

"Dat's right," Meowth concurred, "We'll even take on a lightning bolt." Team Rocket shivered at this thought, influenced by years of Thunder Bolts, but held their ground.

"Your bravery is commendable," Guiche said. "But it would behoove me to dirty my hand in this matter. No, I will rather leave this to my Valkyrie."

"Valkyrie?" James asked puzzled.

Giving a leisurely smile, Guiche simply flicked his own rose at the trio. "We share a taste for the finer flowers in life," Guiche complimented James, "But yours lacks the magic that gives power in life. Allow me to show you what separates a commoner from a noble."

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air, only to transform into the armor-clad shape of a female warrior. Team Rocket stared in shock at the strange thing. It was the same height as a human, but seemed to be a Rock or Steel type, its metal skin glimmering in the faint sunlight.

"Wh…what the heck is dat thing?" Meowth asked, the remote control now lying on the floor. This was not part of the plan.

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is the Bronze. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' will be your real opponent." Team Rocket stopped dead in its tracks at this turn of events.

"I will understand if you wish to surrender now that you realize the futility…"

"This is perfect!" Jessie exclaimed.

"What?" Guiche gaped in shock.

"Here we were, getting all worried on how they'd treat our cheating. Who knew that you would cheat first! So this is perfectly within the rules?"

"Of course," Guiche said officiously.

"Well then, let's get on with this." Jessie drew out a ball, followed in turn by James. "Arbok, go!" she shouted, hurling the tiny orb at the golem.

"You too, Weezing!" James commanded, letting his ball go. Guiche and the Valkyrie did not budge. It was doubtful that that plebian weapons would have any effect on them; in any case, the aim was entirely off…

The crowd's fervor abruptly fell into frozen silence at the scene before it. Opening like eggs midair, the two balls unleashed glowing lights. The two lights gradually condensed and faded to reveal two mysterious and terrifying creatures. The first was what seemed to be a giant cobra, resembling the small red serpent that the now-graduated Jafar had summoned three years prior. However, this snake's large size, dark purple scales, and bright markings made it much more terrifying than that little familiar. As for the other thing…Many students blanched at the sight of the repulsive entity. It resembled two pussy, rotting heads glued together, with the bone markings on the one head adding to its fearsome appearance.

"You sent in your fighter," Jessie explained to Guiche, "So now we're sending in ours."

"Alright!" Meowth said, hurrying over to the center of the court to referee the match. "Dis battle here is between Team Zero and Guiche," Meowth spoke in an officious manner. "Each challenger is allowed six fighters. When one side is no longer able to battle, the other side will be declared victor. Are there any objections from the challengers?"

Guiche stared in bewilderment at the new challenge before him, but then recovered and shook his head. "No, that should suffice," he answered.

"Then let the match begin!" Meowth declared.

"Okay Weezing," James commanded, "Use Smokescreen!" With a 'Weeze', Weezing covered the court once more in smoke.

"Arbok!" Jessie shouted, taking advantage of the cover. "Use Bite!"

Through his shared vision with the golem, Guiche struggled to see through the black fog. He had scant warning before Arbok appeared inches before him, mouth wide open in preparation. However, Guiche designed the Valkyries for agility, and the golem was able to dive to the side as Arbok lunged past it. The smoke soon cleared, preventing Arbok from initiating another surprise attack. Still, the golem did not escape entirely unscathed, the missing chunk of metal from its side revealing Arbok's power. "It appears I underestimated you three," Guiche noted, drawing forth his rose once more. "You may not be nobles, but you certainly aren't commoners. Just what are you?"

"We're a team," Jessie replied, "And an invincible one at that."

"We'll see," Guiche said, attempting to conceal his growing dread, "Once I add some further precautions." With that, he let loose five more petals, which instantly transformed into more Valkyries. Unlike the bare-fisted original, these golems wielded various weapons. Three held spears, while the other two swung swords.

Team Rocket tensed up in foreboding at the now-six opponents, but kept their cool. They'd been hoping that the rules would force Guiche to bring out his Sandshrew, but their plan was for naught. Still, it was probably good that they put a limit on fighters, otherwise who knew how many Guiche might send in. While they only had five Pokemon in total, the sixth 'fighter' was going to be a surprise; after all, while Team Rocket might play by the rules when it suited them, they were crooks at heart.

"If it's all out," Jessie grunted, "Then get in there Wobbuffet!"

"You too Victreebel!" James shouted. The next creature to appear was not the most foreboding of enemies; it seemed almost comical with its bright blue fur and its arm up in salute. Likewise, the other 'Pokemon" sent in- a strange plant- was somewhat humorous in its attempt to devour the one who summoned it. Still, after the unexpected events so far, nobody was willing to give a firm verdict on the battle's outcome.

"Alright Arbok," Jessie ordered, "Poison Sting!"

"Victeebel," James said, "Use Sleep Powder."

Opening its mouth wide, Arbok let loose sharp, colorful needles that hurtled at the stone enemies. In turn, Victreebel unleashed a cloud of blue dust, which floated towards the Valkyries. However, the Poison Sting needles simply bounced off the opponents. Jessie gaped in shock. Poison Sting was essentially fluid poison converted into the form of a pin; it should have been able to permeate the hide of any creature, no matter how hard the skin was. But none of the strange beings appeared to be affected at all by the poison. Likewise, they did not appear drowsy to the least, as Sleep Powder proved a failure. "What?" Jessie gasped, confidence fading.

"You see," Guiche explained, "My golems are not alive in a literal sense; they were initially lumps of pure bronze, which I then molded with my powers to make powerful warriors.

"So status attacks won't work," James mused. This was bad for them. They knew that Steel, Ground, and Rock types usually had high defenses, so the usual physical attacks were out of the question. Plan B was to weaken them with status ailments, but that obviously wasn't working either.

"Now you will see how a noble fights in comparison." With that, he sent his warriors forward to engage in close combat.

"Arbok, get out of the way!" Jessie yelled frantically.

"You too, Victreebel," James said worriedly.

Those two Pokemon were the obvious target, and the golems were homing in on them. Weezing was in the air, so attacking it was not an option at the moment. Wobbuffet and Meowth were on the ground, but Guiche ignored them for the moment, planning to save what appeared to be the weaker links for later. Right now, he wanted to take out what appeared to be the two strongest challengers.

Arbok and Victreebel did not waste trying to launch what would be an ultimately futile attempt to attack. What was the use, when faced against such powerful enemies. Instead, they focused only on moving away from their attackers, not giving a single blow even as they were dealt more and more. Finally though, Guiche called off the troops, saying, "That's enough for now. We'll regroup, and get them the next round." Jessie slumped in defeat; it was hopeless. James almost hung his head as well, but a strange movement from one of the golems caught his eye. "Jessie," he said suddenly, pulling at her shoulder, "Look over there." Jessie stared in confusion until her eyes homed in on one Valkyrie in particular. Unarmed unlike the others, it seemed to be limping. At a closer look, the reason was clear: a small chunk of its body had crumbled, hindering its movement. "What happened to it?" Jessie wondered. "Isn't that the one that Arbok missed with Bite?" "Maybe it didn't miss," James said. "Then that means…" Jessie pondered. "That these Valkyries aren't as tough a Steel type as we thought," James finished her thought. "Ready for another round?" "You bet!" Jessie said, determination returning.

Growing confident with the ease of victory so far, Guiche deigned to send only three of his six forward. A sword-wielding Valkyrie charged Arbok, while the unarmed Valkyrie and a spear-carrying one moved towards Victreebel. This time though, Team Rocket was ready. Just as the sword golem was about to slash Arbok, Jessie yelled, "Wrap!" Instead of fleeing the attacker, Arbok opened its wide body in welcome. Caught in the momentum, Guiche was only able to watch in horror as the golem hurled headlong into Arbok's embrace. As soon as it was within reach, Arbok wrapped its slender yet strong serpentine body around the golem, crushing its metallic body to rubble. The sword tried to vainly slice at Arbok, but was quickly snagged and destroyed, leaving only a small scratch behind on Arbok.

The other two lunged at Victreebel, but were halted when James yelled, "Weezing, Sludge Attack!" The spear wielding golem was engulfed in a murky layer of black slime. Slowly but surely, it fell to the ground, the potent acids eating away at its metal until only rusty ashes remained. Although Guiche managed to get the other golem out of Weezing's range in time, it was crippled by the aftermath of Arbok's Bite, causing it to stumble into Victreebel's Vine Whip. Whirling the helpless golem into the air, Victreebel threw it away from the battle. The golem hurtled headlong into the crowd, which quickly moved to allow the surprisingly-lightweight fighter continue its trajectory until it collided a on the far end of the court, where it then shattered.

Guiche stared wide-eyed at his remaining Valkyries. Three of the six had already fallen with just a couple of swift attacks. And he could not engage the opponents without exposing them to the crippling poisonous and physical attacks. It didn't help that one was floating out of range in the air.

Suddenly, Guiche had an inspiration. It was a little unconventional, but this duel, if anything, proved that even the bizarre could find honor and nobility. Guiche had his spear Valkyries fall back, staying a safe distance from the enemies. He then had the last sword golem charge Victreebel again. Jessie and James, their own arrogance creeping in, did nothing to stop them, as Weezing hovered above in preparation.

"Weezing," James said calmly, "Use Sludge Attack again." Weezing opened its mouth, only to be stopped abruptly as a set of spears collided with it. Safe from their position, the spear-Valkyries had thrown their weapons at the two-headed monster, striking true. Damaged and caught off guard by the attack, Weezing was unable to react as the second part of Guiche's plan came into fruition. Turning away from Victreebel towards Weezing, the sword golem then jumped high into the air. With a combo of slashes, Weezing fell to the ground in defeat. "Weezing, return!" James said, drawing Weezing back into its ball. "I'll have to say," he told Guiche, "I wasn't expecting that. You would have been a great trainer."

"I do not know what you mean by this 'trainer' title," Guiche replied, "But they would certainly have the grace to be a noble if they did not lack magic."

"Magic ain't the only solution to things," Meowth said. "It's powerful to be sure, but it's what your will and heart have that proves it in the end. Technology, money, brains…all those can be just as powerful as magic if you put enough effort into it. And while you're getting better at some of those other areas, you still have a lot to learn. Such as," he continued, spreading his paws out to show the weapons now held in them, "Not leaving your items where professional thieves can nab em!"

Guiche's eyes widened as he made out the two spears that Meowth had snagged. He desperately had the sword golem lunge at the cat to retrieve the weapons, but Meowth hid behind Wobbuffet. The Valkyrie charged forward regardless, only to be knocked back as a shield formed around Wobbuffet. "Good show of initiative, Wobbuffet!" Jessie praised him, albeit while whispering, "If only you were so reliable all the time."

Damaged but still intact, the golem returned to its comrades, unwilling to expose itself too much. Taking advantage of the brief lull in battle, James had Victreebel use Swords Dance to boost its attack. Even so, the two sides appeared to be at a standstill. The Valkyries were too fast to attack head-on, and Guiche was too cautious now to expose his golems in another charge. Still, the lull could not last forever, as noise from the crowd indicated the desire for the battle to continue. However, while many were rooting for Guiche, a number of students were now cheering for Team Zero.

Suddenly, Jessie had an idea. "Arbok," she commanded, "Use Dig!" Burrowing into the ground, Arbok vanished from the view of the audience. Guiche clenched his fists as he realized the strategy. Of course, he could use his Earth affinity to detect Arbok underground, but somehow he had lost his willingness to use magic in this duel. The motivation for this was the same reason why he had not expended the last golem of his arsenal of seven to reinforce the others. It was unfamiliar to him, but this setting just made him feel so alive, and this he, as a connoisseur of life's passion, would not allow himself to break.

Putting his trust in his servants, he sent the Valkyries forward to attack Victreebel. With Weezing out of the picture, he might have a chance to take out the plant. It was clear that the battle was reaching its climax, so there was no holding back. In any case, he was not thinking about the end of battle anymore, whether as a victory or a defeat; he felt the surge of battle calling him, so he put all his will into his precious Valkyries. Victreebel launched a barrage of Razor Leafs to impede their progress, but to no avail, as the golems continued forward regardless of their chipping exteriors. A Vine Whip managed to immobilize the bare-fisted golems, but proved only temporary, as the sword golem cut through the vines like butter. Reaching Victreebel's proximity, the five began to engage in close combat with Victreebel. It was a furious brawl, with dust rolling in to mask the chaotic fight within, but it was clear that Victreebel was hopelessly outnumbered.

Meowth watched the events from a safe distance behind Wobbuffet with trepidation. Arbok could not emerge into that warzone unscathed, and while Arbok bided its time Victreebel was about to faint. And here he was, a member of Team Rocket and Team Zero, cowering and unable to help. All he had with him were a couple of dinky spears that he didn't even know how to use…

Meowth was caught off guard as his runes began to glow on his paws. My body, it's so dang light I could fly to da moon and back! Meowth stared in bafflement at the two spears gripped in his claws, which were so familiar now that they seemed almost an extension of his body. Dat's strange. I've never even used an old tool like dis before. I'm a whiz with mechanics, but this medieval junk should be a puzzle for me. But now…

Feeling a strange power rush through him, Meowth hurled himself headlong into the fray. The dust settled in an instant as the two spears somehow cleaved one of the golems. At the sight of his golem sliced into like a lump of clay, Guiche began to moan before stopping himself, and proceeded to send his two remaining golems at Meowth. The golems surrounded Meowth and sprang on him at once. And just when it looked like they had him, another was slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the spears. Jessie and James stared in amazement at Meowth's new attack, as well as puzzlement; for some reason, his attack resonated within them.

The final golem promptly dashed away to escape the impending doom, only to be halted as Arbok burst from the ground in front of it. "Acid!" Jessie shouted triumphantly.

"And Razor Leaf for you, Victreebel!" James said, feeling the rare joy of victory. Cut to pieces by Razor Leaf, and then disintegrated by Acid, nothing remained of the golem once the attack combo was complete.

Returning to the center of the battlefield, Meowth announced, "Guiche's Valkyries are unable to battle. The victory goes to Team Zero!" There was stunned silence for a moment, but soon the entire crowd burst into applause at the spectacle. Rowdy cheers echoed through the court, both baffled at the turn of events and amazed at the beauty of the fight.

"That was great Meowth!" Jessie and James exclaimed, rushing over to him.

"How'd you learn that attack?" James asked.

Scratching his head sheepishly, Meowth muttered, "Guess it just hit me all of a sudden!"

Turning back towards Guiche, Jessie demanded, "Alright, we won. So where's your familiar prize?"

Guiche generated a small ball of Earth magic in front of him as a warning. "I remind you that the duel you originally made was with I, and I am more than ready to continue if you press the issue. This battle was…inspiring though, and for that I commend you. Thus, I rescind my quarrel with you regarding my dear Montmorency. However, I cannot allow you to take my precious Verdandi. In any case, it would be nigh difficult to separate a familiar from its master. All I require is a simple 'I'm sorry.' Although you redeemed your grace here, your uncouth behavior from before needs to be dampened. Just apologize, and we can be done with it."

"Hold on!" Moewth said angrily. "You mean we'se got into this duel, was beaten up, and won, for nothing?"

"That's right!" Jessie said. "We deserve something for all the trouble we went through, and we're going to get it!"

Taken aback, Guiche said, "I am certain that we can reach a suitable arrangement to compensate for your efforts, but there is no need to continue this duel any further."

Team Rocket looked crestfallen, but nodded in acquiescence. "Oh!" Jessie whined softly. "And we put all that work into preparing for a fight against you."

"You said it," Meowth agreed, "We made a bomb and every…hey!" he exclaimed worriedly.

"What's wrong?" James asked.

"I've lost the remote!" Meowth said anxiously. "I musta dropped it when I went over to referee."

"It couldn't have gone that far," Jessie said, peering around.

Their search was interrupted by squeaks from the side of the court. All eyes turned to see a large brown mole curiously poking its nose in something. "Verdandi!" Guiche exclaimed, hurrying over to her. "Do not worry; I have assured your safety with me. Now what is it that has you so interested?"

Taking the object away from Verdandi's nose, he held it up to his face in scrutiny. It was a strange silver disc with bright buttons arrayed on it. "You certainly prove your worth Verdandi," Guiche complimented her, "Finding rare metals for an Earth mage like I. This is certainly an unusual metal…"

"Wait!" Meowth yelled frantically, recognizing the object. "Don't touch dat!" However, it was too late, as one of Guiche's fingers had strayed to press the bright red button in the center. Guiche had but a moment to stare quizzically at the trio before he was embraced in a massive white light along with the rest of the court. In an instant, a massive explosion, rivaling some of the Zero's infamous goofed spells, covered the entire field. As the white faded, those fortunate enough to evade the explosion were witness to a now-ruined garden. The once shining grass was now charred in all places. The once proud attire of the students was now all but charred, with most mages still dazed from the shock. And the for-once-victorious trio was no nowhere to be seen; the only sign of where they had been was a darker-than-normal burn mark on the ground. As those present struggled to comprehend the wrecked landscape, none spared a glance to the skies, and therefore missed the one other sign of the trio- a rapidly vanishing star.

***

Louise went to bed that night with a sigh. On the one hand, her familiars had finally proved their worth. But the price was too heavy. Now her one source of pride amidst her failures was gone forever. They had been so strong during the duel, but then they explosion… There were rumors now that the explosion was Louise's; she'd have to deal with taunts in the morning, harassing her for killing her own familiars. For now though, she just wanted some time to herself.

Louise awoke from her restless sleep to a clamor outside her window. Louise readied herself to defend against her would-be attackers, only to falter as three familiar figures plopped onto her floor. "Wha..wha..wha…"

Oblivious to Louise's meltdown, Jessie, James, and Meowth dusted themselves off. "Sorry we're late Boss," James apologized, ignorant of Louise's pale face. "We really did try to get back here as soon as we could."

"We just weren't expecting so many different things to be out and about in the forest," Meowth explained. "We musta had ta fight through a dozen different hordes of creatures. We'll have to go back once we'se got the proper supplies to catch em."

"And we would have gone through the gate," Jessie explained, "But it was locked for some reason. You'd think that they would have enough dignity to account for late-night visitors."

"Anyways," James continued, "We're sorry that we caused such a fuss climbing into your room. We must have scared you out of your sleep, with that white face…"

Louise couldn't hold her turmoil any further. "You're dead!" she screamed. The three looked at her in confusion.

"Huh?" Meowth asked.

"We don't look dead," James noted.

"Bu…but you were destroyed in the explosion," Louise gasped. "Everyone thought you were killed."

"That's silly!" Jessie said. "It takes more than a little explosion like that to kill this team."

"Dat's right!" Meowth agreed. "We may not be the victors usually, but we're always invincible!"

"Now that we're back," James said, trying to get back to the subject, "Can we go to bed- or floor- now? We're all kind of sleepy after today's work."

Louise's worry was quickly consumed by annoyance. I bet those idiots thought it probably wouldn't matter if they died. And here I was feeling guilty for them! Fueled by anger, Louise responded to the request with a stomp to the face. "Idiots!" she shouted, pulling them off the bed by the scruff of their necks. "If you want to sleep, then get off my bed!"

"Ow! Take it easy Boss!" Meowth said defensively as they tumbled to the floor. "We're still recovering, ya know!"

"If you're well enough to complain," Louise said, "You're well enough for anything else." Team Rocket stood up, brushing themselves off.

"In that case," Jessie told her, "We'll take our leave now."

"Yeah," James said plaintively, "We won't trouble you any further.

They headed for the door, only to be hit by a pile of clothes.

"Meow!" Meowth screamed.

"That's the laundry that piled up while you were frolicking in the countryside," Louise said. "Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Yes, sir!" they saluted before dashing off. Louise stared angrily at the door until their footsteps vanished, and then fell back into her bed, a small amount of regret in her heart. She had been hoping that they would protest, that she would have a chance to understand just how her stupid familiars could pull off a stunt like that. They were her familiars, to be sure, but she had to admit, this 'invincible team', the one that seemed unable to achieve something worthy of a commoner, much less a noble, could be so…inspiring.

 

[Cataquack Warrior]

Episode III: All's Unfair in Love and Battle​

James groaned as he hit another parapet. There was a good reason that Team Rocket avoided night climbing; not only was it tiring, but if you missed a stone in the dark, it was a long way down. It didn't help that he was stuck doing the ordeal alone. The two had told him that, since he had been absent during their first swiping attempt, he might as well make up for it this time. James suspected that the cowards were simply trying to avoid any further Fire and Ice attacks. However, James wasn't too worried on that end.

Once they had constructed more fireproof netting, the trio had debated on how to steal the salamander. Jessie and James had fretted about getting attacked again, and even considered calling off the mission on account of the dragon. Since said girl and dragon seemed to be keeping an eye on them, it seemed hopeless. It was a brilliant move when he suggested that they steal the Charmaleon when everyone was asleep; that way there would be no danger to them. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten that idea-bringers were a common Team Rocket target for work, forcing him to carry out his plan. And while the capture itself should be simple, the climb up was proving to be anything but. Still, it was only a few more feet to the window, and he would be in the clear.

After a brief struggle, James hauled himself over the window sill and let out a sigh of relief and exhaustion as he reached his destination. Taking a breath to ease his anxiety, James stood up and examined his surroundings. The room was pitch dark, save for the mild glow of the snoozing Flame. James smirked in triumph until he heard the words, "Welcome to my room."

James froze in horror. He heard the snaps of fingers, and then blinked as lamps lit up one by one like street lights. And at the end of the street lay Kirche on her bed, a mix of confusion and delight on her face. "Don't just stand there," she spoke in a captivating voice, "Come to me and sit down."

James approached her and sat down at the foot of her bed, trepidation in his stomach at being caught in the act. "I'm…sorry," James mumbled desperately, hoping that she was not going to report him. The Boss would beat her up for sure if she got dragged into a thief scandal.

James' garbled apology was cut short as Kirche placed a delicate finger to his mouth. "Hush," she told him smoothly, "I will forgive you. Assuming of course, that you forgive me." Kirche used her watery eyes to appeal to James' primal soul.

It indeed touched his primitive instincts, but little did she realize that it was having the opposite effect of what she intended.

"For…forgive what?" James asked, sweat running down his brow. He hadn't felt this nervous since…

Kirche suddenly gripped James' hand, enveloping them in her warm palms before slowly caressing each finger. "Loving you, my dear. To you, my love is that sudden."

Since Jessibelle, James' subconscious provided the end of his thought. "Yeah, that's sudden all right!" James exclaimed, his legs tensing for flight. Please tell me you're joking.

However, Kirche's appeared serious. "Your grandeur in defeating Guiche, it was so…unique! The grace of an elegant noble with the courage of a knight. You may not have fought him yourself, but at that moment you seemed like a hero of legend, and that was when I fell in love. Right that very moment. Can you believe it? I was attracted to you just like that! Oh, the Passion! It suits my runic name of the Ardent!

"And now," she continued, eyes gleaming with flame, "I can see that our passion burns in both of us. Here I was trying to figure out how to lure you here, and you climb into my very window!"

"Oh, well, uh…" James stumbled, realizing the grave misunderstanding. It seemed that his plans of theft were safe, but now he had something even worse to deal with.

"I could not stop thinking of you since that day," Kirche reflected. "I've been writing love songs since that day. Love song! Just for you…James." James just sat there, at a complete loss of words. Kirche took his silence as acceptance, and, slowly, with closed eyes, brought her lips up to James'. Stunned and confused, James was unable to resist, and gradually came to embrace the kiss, preparing to leap up and run at any moment…

However, the tryst was interrupted by another voice from the window. "Kirche!" the boy called, "Are you ready yet?"

"Styx!" Kirche responded, masking her annoyance with honey, "How does four hours later sound?"

James almost began to crawl away, but Kirche returned in a flash. They were interrupted again though, this time from another playboy. "Kirche," he said, "I came to check because you weren't there on time…"

"Berisson!" Kirche shot back, frustration beginning to leak through, "Just wait two more hours!"

She turned back again, only to freeze as three more voices called into the room, "Kirche! Who the hell is this? You said you didn't have any other lovers!"

Unable to take anymore, Kirche gestured to the now alert Flame, and the two approached the window with determination. With Kirche diverted, James began to quietly creep towards the exit. He had to admit, he hated hurting her feelings. And while she had Jessibelle's obsession, she lacked her…domineering nature. Jessibelle's kisses were always condescending, whereas the kiss he just had was certainly sincere. Still, he'd made a promise to himself after his mistake with Jessibelle, one that he had placed in the team's motto: to denounce the evil of love. James made it to the door only to droop in defeat as he saw that it was closed. He wouldn't be able to open it without being spotted. His eyes then turned to the window, where Kirche was in a heated argument with the trio of suitors. Oh well, guess he'd have to run the gauntlet.

Flame was about to fire a blaze at the boys when James suddenly rushed past it and Kirche, leaping out the window. He tackled the three men midair, and used them as a boost to hurl himself even farther away. Their spell broken, the three hurtled to the ground, just like James was now. James however was steeled by his experience with Team Rocket, and in a second was up and running for a place to hide. Kirche stared outside, admiration in her eyes. It was too bad that their time together was cut so short, but her heart beat even faster after seeing his chivalrous defense of her honor; a heroic knight indeed!

***​

It was another glorious day in Halkeginia. The two moons had vanished, and the sun was just beginning to take its sisters' place in the sky, light slowly emerging with the dawn. Team Zero was ready and raring to start their new day of work. Assuming that they could leave the room, that is.


"C'mon Boss!" Meowth begged desperately, "Let's talk this thing through."

Shaking her head firmly from her position in front of the door exiting her room, she replied, "Not until I get some answers!"

Louise had been curious about her familiars ever since the duel, and wanted to know more. Unfortunately, he familiars proved to be experts at weaseling out of her interrogations. It had been a week since Team Rocket started their lives as her familiar, yet they continued to run circle around her, evading her questions with excuses of errands. They would bring up something she wanted done, she'd tell them to do it, and only realize the trick until they had disappeared into the labyrinth of the academy.

It didn't help that the buffoons had another job that they were ever sneaking away for. As soon as they had recovered from their latest blast-off, Team Rocket had joined Siesta as servants in the academy. It was difficult to balance the two jobs, but while Louise gave them grief the rest of the staff was forgiving of their double duties. Apparently their battle had had an effect on the servants, who now called the Rockets 'Our Nobles'. They got the name because while they seemed like nobles in some regards, they were humble and dedicated workers whenever they showed up, truly making them a part of the regular staff. After a week of failing to get the answers she wanted, Louise had had just enough. Like it or not, her familiars were not leaving the room without a full explanation. It was a pity that she only trapped two of them, but she was not letting this opportunity vanish.

"Boss, be reasonable," Meowth continued, "We have to see if Siesta has any jobs for us…"

"She doesn't."

"What?" they exclaimed at Louise's statement.

"I…talked with them earlier," Louise explained- and had to pay them thirty gold apiece, greedy commoners!- "And they're giving you all the day off today. Therefore, we have all the time in the world right now."

"We may have all the time," Jessie pointed out, "But you don't. You have a class in a half hour, remember?" Louise gritted her teeth in frustration. Of course! How could she have forgotten? Louise sighed in misery; she'd been driven mad by her familiars' antics, and she'd go crazier if she did not get the answers soon.

Louise was pushed literally out of her melancholy as James shoved his way into the room. "James!" Jessie exclaimed, sidling up to him. "How'd our little foray go?" she whispered hopefully.

James ignored her and turned to face Louise. "Boss," he said desperately, "You know how we were planning to go to town during that holiday in a couple of days?"

"You mean the Day of the Void?" Louise said.

"Well," he mumbled, "I was thinking…maybe we should head over there a little sooner?"

"How sooner?" Louise asked tensely, feeling an intangible degree of worry slip into her stomach.

"Like…today, right now?" James suggested.

"James!" Jessie shouted at him, "We can't just up and…" She halted when she saw Jame's terrified face. The expression was one very familiar to her: something's been really messed up, and we'd better leave before it blows up in our face! She had no idea what had went wrong with James' mission, but questions could wait; in a situation like this, the best thing to do was run first, ask questions later. "I think that's a great idea Boss!" Jessie exclaimed, taking Louise by an arm and ushering her down the hall at a quick pace.

"No time like the present!" Meowth added, catching his partners' drift.

"But what about my class?" Louise asked.

"Oh, don't be a party pooper," Jessie told her. "You don't learn anything worthwhile in your classes anyways, so you might as well be productive with your time."

"I haven't learned anything from being around you three either," Louise countered, breaking free into a huff.

"Tell ya what Boss," Meowth said, glancing from side to side, "You'se take us to town now, and we'll tell you what you want to know on the way. Deal?"
Louise hesitated, but sighed, "Fine!" At least she would be getting some answers after all.

***​

"Horses?" Jessie gaped, staring at the unruly-looking beasts. "We have to ride all the way on these things?"

"Yeah!" Meowth complained, "Our sides and tails will all be sore before we even get halfway."

Louise scoffed at their hesitance. "Commoners! Can't even ride a horse! It's not like we can walk our way there, now can we?"

"Hey!" James countered, "I'll have you know that where we come from, people recognize just how dignified and noble walking really…"

"The point," Jessie interrupted him, "Is that if we're taking our master to town, we're going in style." Louise stared in surprise. "Style?" she asked, puzzled.

***​

Louise gazed in amazement at the scene before her. The fields looked so beautiful from this high up, and she could see miles in every direction. Louise's attention however was not focused so much on the scenery but rather on how she was able to see such a view in the first place. Her eyes traveled up once more to the root of her confusion- an elastic, flimsy canvas that somehow lifted the giant basket they were in up to the clouds. Such a thing shouldn't be able to fit into and out of a tiny backpack, much less fly. And how? There were no Windstones anywhere on the craft. After seeing the fire in the center, Louise had an inspiration, but became distraught again after learning that, no, there were no Firestones on board.

"I don't get it," Louise finally said. "If there is no magic anywhere on this ship, then how can it even reach the skies?"

"Easy," Jessie answered: "Team Rocket prowess at technology."

"Tek…noloji?" Louise stammered, "And what is this 'teknoloji? And I want an answer; we had a deal, remember?"

Team Rocket froze trying to find an excuse, but then sighed in defeat. "You start it out Meowth," Jessie ordered.

"Er…well," Meowth stammered, trying to figure out what to say. Why was he considered the resident Pokemon expert? Oh yeah, that's right- because he's a Pokemon. "In the beginning…when it was the beginning of things…at the beginning…"

Jessie and James stamped their feet on Meowth impatiently, accompanied by Louise. "Just get on with it!" Louise commanded.

"You see," Meowth said, "Our world used to be a lot like yours. Humans shared strong bonds with magical creatures- we call ourselves Pokemon- and were thus gifted over time with the elemental magic- like Fire and Water- the Pokemon carried within them. After a while though, those old bonds faded away, and with it so faded the magic with the humans."

"Today the few people with magical powers are rare and reclusive," Jessie said.


"Even groups of elemental users such as the People of the Sea are now reduced to nomads," James noted.

"However," Meowth continued, "The humans may have lost their own magic, but they found a way to make up for their loss. That gift was…"

"Technology!" the trio shouted in unison, breaking into a pose.

"And what exactly is teknoloji?" Louise asked. "It's a combination of wills," Jessie proudly stated: "The use of a sharp mind and the application of hard work. And Team Rocket is therefore genius with technology!"

"Surprising," Louise whispered under her breath, "Seeing that you lack in both qualities."

"Anyways," Meowth said, "The beauty of technology is that it can accomplish feats rivaling that of magic with actually needing magic."

"Here," James said, handing one of his small balls to Louise. "Don't worry," he assured her, "This one is empty. But these Pokeballs allowed us to find new connections to Pokemon."

"New connections…" Louise mused, straightening in revelation. "These balls let you bond familiars without magic?" she asked, feeling light within. How was it even possible? And what did it mean for her?

"That is correct," James answered, "Although there are some minor differences; for example, although one is limited to six balls at a time, one can have more stored elsewhere…"

Louise stared blankly up at the balloon. "And that's how you got this ship to fly as well?" she inquired, "Using teknoloji?"

"Yep!" Meowth said abashedly, "Though you're really making us blush with that! Where we come from, people would rather call this majestic visage a piece of junk rather than a ship. A ship! Now that's a name suitable for a beautiful thing like this…"

"Don't get too egotistical," Jessie warned, "We still remember just how many times we've had to rebuild this entire thing."

"So anyone can use this teknoloji?" Louise asked, hope leaking into her voice. "Of course," James told her, "Although it takes hard work and dedication to get far in it; even so, anyone with a brain and a pair of hands can manipulate it."

"Including me?" Team Rocket stared in shock at her. "You want…us to teach you?" Jessie gaped.

"You will disobey your master?" Louise said, determination flaring in her eyes.

"Take it easy Boss!" Meowth said, "We just aren't used to people asking us for help. Sure, we'll make you a whiz at it when we're through with ya!"

James looked curiously at Louise though. "But why do you think you need it?" he asked, "If you can use magic?" Louise collapsed onto the side of the basket and sighed, "Because I can't use any of the four elements, that's why. Maybe though, if I can at least learn this teknoloji, I won't be a complete failure."

James and Jessie placed comforting arms around Louise. "Don't worry," Jessie said, "If there is one thing Team Rocket knows, it's how to give hope to failures. You're in good hands, Boss!"

"Plus," Meowth added, "You might not have tried every type of magic yet." Louise spun around to him in surprise. "You see," Meowth explained, "While your world may have just four elements, ours has seventeen!"

"Se…ven…teen?" Louise gasped, her stomach lightening again in confusion and hope.

"Admittedly," James confessed, "Your elements seem to comprise multiple types of our elements. For example, we have Ground, Rock, and Steel where you have simply Earth. Therefore, we can eliminate Fire, Water, Electric, Ice, Flying, and Dragon as well."

"Even so," Jessie said, "That still leaves you with eight possible elements!"

"So what are they?" Louise demanded desperately, "Tell me!"

"Well," James began, "First there's the Bug type. Their special abilities are primarily based on their unique physiology- webs, stingers, and horns for instance."

"So that one's out for me," Louise noted sadly.

"Maybe," James admitted, "But there have been times where Pokemon have learned moves outside their usual element."

"Next there is the Poison type," Jessie said, beaming excitedly, "And that's our specialty. Arbok, Weezing, and Victreebel all have affinity for Poison."

Louise smiled at this, but told them, "While it is said that the familiar reflects the mage, generally poisons are associated with Water. Still something to consider though."

"Then we have the Ghost type," Meowth said, "But you don't seem to fit the type."

"Certainly not!" Louise huffed, and you're not going to test it by killing me!"

"Calm down," James reassured her, "The term Ghost is a misnomer; there are still widespread debates on whether or not they actually died first. They get the title because of their intangibility as well as their association with spooky settings.

"Which brings us to our next element," he continued: "The Dark type. They generally embody the aspects of night and darkness."

"Again," Louise said, "Not one that I think I am, nor do I want to be."

"Come on Boss," Jessie said, "Evil gets such a bad rap. I mean, we're the most evilest team of villains you've ever seen, and we're still loveable."

If you ask me, you lack both qualities, Louise thought.

"Don't worry though," Meowth said, "We're getting to some elements that might actually fit you. The first is the Fighting type. They don't use magic outside them, but rather use it within to power their physical power. Given your skills at kicking, punching, and general beating up…"

Meowth's observation was cut short as Louise demonstrated his statement firsthand. "I have to beat you up with my hands rather than with magic," Louise grate out as she continued her punishment, "And you think that that in itself is magic?"

"Don't you have magical creatures here that prefer physical strength over magic?" James questioned.

"Why, yes," Louise replied, caught off guard by the query. "Minotaurs and the like are technically magical, but…"

"No buts," Jessie told her, "As you can see, power can also come from within the body. And Fighting types are by no means weak. Some species can move whole mountains, or leap over towers, using simply their raw strength. Try and tell me that that isn't magical." Louise dumbly shook her head, conceding their point.

"So anyways," James said, "If you do some serious training, you might do good as a Fighting type. But if you want to use outer magic, then there's the possibility of being a Psychic."

"Psychic?" Louise asked.

"It's one of the most powerful types in the world," Jessie answered. "Their magic is powered by their mental powers; they can literally bend reality according to their will."

"That sounds amazing," Louise admitted, "But what makes you think that I might be one?"

"Well," James said cautiously, "We've noticed that you seem to blow up the most when you're upset…"

"And what about it?" Louise demanded, about to prove James right. "It's just that newbie Psychics are usually the strongest when their emotions are highly concentrated," Jessie explained quickly.

"We knew this red haired Twerp that had a Psyduck," Meowth recalled. "Was a walking comedy, always fumbling around and acting like an idiot. But when the thing got a headache, it could lift us up and throw us to the clouds and back."

"That's right," James agreed. "Another example was with this cute little girl. When she got sad, she'd let loose powerful magic just like you; of course, it was crystals instead of explosions, but still…"

Louise remained quiet, musing on this possibility. "And what is the last element?" she asked.

"Normal type," Meowth said, "A rather diverse assortment of Pokemon united by two qualities."

"First of all," Jessie told her, "Normals lack strong affinity with any element."

Louise slumped in defeat at this declaration. "So I'm just a weak Normal?" she sighed.

"Hold on," James said, "We haven't gotten to the second quality they have in common. Each normal type makes up for its elemental lack with special abilities unique to its species."

"And you think I might have a unique form of magic?" Louise asked hopefully, wondering what it might be. Wait… "You aren't talking about my explosions, are you?" she demanded.

"Don't be so modest," Meowth said, "I mean, a Voltorb would envy you for your knack of blowing up everything but yourself. And that doesn't even account for the power of the blast!"

"You see," James explained, "Most explosive attacks come in two categories. There are the small explosions that do only minor damage; most just use those attacks as diversions and such. Then there are the massive explosions. The problem is, those explosions usually require the user to blow himself up, defeating himself in the process. You on the other hand can blow things up and keep on fighting!"

"Plus," Jessie added, "There are loads of other Normal attacks. Sing, Rollout, Pay Day…With all these elements to try, we're sure to find one for you once we start training."

"But Jessie," Meowth pointed out, "How are we gonna teach her Pokemon attacks?"

"By utilizing our Pokemon expert," Jessie said.

"And just who is…" Meowth stopped as he saw his partners' eyes bore down on him.

"What?" he exclaimed, "How am I supposed to teach her attacks that even I don't know?"

"Just do it!" Jessie said firmly. "Once she starts looking beyond those four elements, she's bound to find something…hey!" she exclaimed in remembrance. "I thought there were five elements?" she asked Louise.

"That's right," James concurred, "I'm sure you said there were five types of magic."

"So what's the fifth?" Meowth asked. "Maybe you should try that type if you haven't already."

Louise stared sadly at their enthusiastic faces, knowing that their hope was for naught. "Void magic has been lost for millenniums." Louise told them, "And only the Founder himself was ever able to harness its power."

"Hey, no need to be despondent," Jessie said, "We'll just need to find it for you." "What is once lost can be found later," James agreed, "After all, Dark and Steel were forgotten elements until some trainers stumbled on them a couple of years ago, so maybe we can find this Void element too."

"And if this Founder guy is as good as you say," Meowth added, "Then you'll be the strongest mage in the world!"

"Town's coming up," Louise interrupted, "We'd better get ready to land." She was more than happy to divert the subject. While she appreciated the hope they gave her, she was not about to believe in the impossible.

***​

"I have to admit Boss," Meowth said, walking down the white cobblestone streets of Tristainia, "This is a pretty nice town you've got here!"

"I agree," James noted, "It's nice to travel through little rustic towns once and a while."

"Little?" Louise huffed, "This is the capital of Tristain! It's one of the finest cities in the world."

"Maybe here," Jessie said, "But we've seen better cities than this traveling the world. Goldenrod would dwarf this city in size, and if you want a beautiful city you can have Altomare. Still, it's a pretty decent town, even if the streets are too narrow."

"Tight? This is a really wide street as it is," Louise said, frustrated by her familiars' lack of awe. She'd hoped that visiting Tristainia would finally humble her familiars, but they still kept bragging about these bizarre places they'd been to. She would call them liars, but she was afraid that they might find a way to prove themselves right; they had an unsettling tendency to do so.

"Chill out Jessie," James told her, "This city isn't that bad. After all, each city has its own unique qualities. And this town seems to shine with stands!" He peered down at a frog in a jar, impressed by the diversity of the shops that lined the streets.

"Hey!" Louise said, jolting his attention, "Don't get too distracted. There are lots of thieves and pickpockets here. You are looking after my wallet, right?"

"Of course we are," James replied, "Though it seems like a waste to me. How can anyone steal such a heavy bag of gold?"

Louise gave them a condescending stare. "With magic, that can be done in a second."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Jessie reassured her, "Team Rocket is always on the lookout for sneaky tricks."

"And even if someone runs off with it," Meowth added, "It's all the better for us when we catch the crook and then rob him back. With work like dat, you can get double your money."

"And suppose you cannot find out who stole the wallet?" Louise asked.

"Then we'll just rob everyone we can until we find the right one," Jessie answered matter-of-factly. "You can never say that Team Rocket isn't efficient!" Louise turned her mind back to the street, hoping that her familiars were only joking with that nonsense; unfortunately, she had a sinking feeling about their declaration.

"So where are we heading anyways?" Meowth asked, seeing Louise stop at an intersection for orientation.

"Should be near Peyman's Potion Shop…" she mumbled before exclaiming, "Ah! Found it!"

"Found what?" Jessie demanded in frustration.

"The Arms Shop," Louise explained, pointing to a small building, with a sword-shaped sign giving proof to its identity. "Okay," James said in confusion, "But why are we stopping here?"

"To get you weapons," Louise answered.

"Weapons?" Meowth asked curiously.

"If you're going to be my familiars," Louise told them, "You're going to need a way to defend yourselves. And swords are the best tool for a bodyguard."

"Sorry Boss," James responded, "But we're not used to using weapons like those. We'd probably just cut ourselves instead of the enemy."

"Plus," Jessie added, "We don't really have a taste or need for any; there are plenty of other ways for us to fight."

Louise wanted to argue, but had to concede their point; the duel with Guiche proved that her familiars could certainly hold their own. Still… "What about you, Meowth?" Louise asked. "You were very impressive fighting those golems, so perhaps…"

"Sorry," Meowth told her, "But I like to stay on the sideline. Better my idiot partners get killed than me. Besides, I still have the couple of spears those Valkyries dropped, so I should be fine on that point."

"Hmmm…" Louise stopped, pondering what to do now.

"How about you, Boss?"

"Me?" She looked up at James in surprise. "The sword is a plebian weapon," she protested, "Not suited for mages."

"Well then," Jessie said confidently, "It'll fit you just fine."

"What?" Louise glared angrily at her before Meowth jumped between the two.

"Take it easy, Boss!" he said, "It's just dat a sword would be great for your training. You want to learn new attacks, don't ya? Well, a sword will be a good help with that." "Fine," she said reluctantly. Knights used swords sometimes, so it wouldn't reflect on her too badly. And in any case, she was running low on options, and she'd take whatever chances she could so she could prove her true power.

Despite the bright sky outside, the interior of the shop was dark, and stank with a slightly foul odor. The four passed by the rather disorganized collections of weaponry and approached what appeared to be the owner, reclining in his chair with a pipe. He look at them with a mix of condescension and suspicion until he saw the pentagram on Louise's outfit. Instantly changing his face to one of subservience and faux cheer, he addressed her, "My lady! My noble lady! All my wares are reasonably priced! Nothing criminal here!"

Dat's what you think, Meowth chuckled to himself, eyeing the metallic weapons with a predatory glint. With such an abundance of metals, Team Rocket could surely find equipment for new mechs. And if the quality wasn't as good as the proprietor professed, well, he'd soon learn a wise piece of advice: don't try to cheat cheaters!

"I would like a sword please," Louise said, "Fit for a noble.

"Of course!" the man said, nodding knowingly, disappearing only to reappear with a glittering longsword, "Such an honor to have so many nobles grace my establishment of late. It seems that every noble wants his servant armed, with all the trouble we've been having. Most find this time the most pleasing for their servants…"

"The sword is for me," Louise interrupted him, "My bodyguards are capable of looking after themselves." Even if they only cause trouble for me.

"Oh!" the owner exclaimed in surprise. "A noble buying a sword! Very strange indeed. Priests wave staffs, soldiers wave swords, and nobles wave wands. Isn't that the rule?"

"There's always an exception to the rule," Louise replied, huffing as her uncomfortable situation was brought up. Seeking to divert the subject, she asked, "There has been trouble in the capitol lately?"

"Yes," the man answered, "Tristain's streets have become more and more lined with thieves, no doubt the result of Fouquet setting up shop in this area."

"Fouquet?" Louise asked. "Some mage who calls himself 'Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt' or some other title like that," he elaborated. "I heard he's stolen a ton of treasures from nobles; because of that, every noble's on guard to protect his possessions."

Louise ignored the talk of thieves- although she'd ask her familiars later about that look in their eyes- and turned her attention to the sword offered. It looked weak, ready to break in an instant. "I'd prefer something bigger and broader," she told him.

"My lady, please forgive my bluntness," the man spoke in a patronizing manner, "Swords and people have certain compatibilities, just like men and women. As I look at it, this sword fits my lady very well."

"You heard the Boss," Meowth interjected, "She wants a better sword. So you'd better bring her one!"

Drooping in defeat, the man slunk back into the warehouse, but returned with another, a slight smirk hidden on his face. A two-handed sword, the broadsword was lavishly decorated with jewels on the handle that gave extra shimmer to the mirror-like blade. "This is the best I have," he told her. "Rather than say it's for nobles, it's more like something nobles wish they can wear on their waists; however, that's reserved for strong men. My lady," he pressed, "There must be a sword more befitting a delicate lady…"

"I'll take it," Louise said firmly. "How much is it?"

"Well," the man boasted, hoping to sink the deal, "It's made by the famous Germanian alchemist Lord Shupei," he'd give his toothy brother a bonus if this deal actually went off, "It can cut through metal like butter thanks to the magic infused in it. See?" he said, pointing to the inscriptions on the hilt (he'd managed to copy them out of an old book he'd gotten in that bargain sale along with that aggravating wisecracker of a weapon).

Sensing a Raticate, Meowth jumped in, "Before we do anything hasty, let's test out the thing." Louise nodded, and went to pick up the weapon. However, the heavy weight forced it out of her hands and onto the floor below. There, to the team's shock and the vendor's dismay, the blade shattered in an instant.

"Cuts through metal like butter?" Jessie asked snidely, "Looks like the metal cut through it like butter!"

Glaring at the owner, Louise shouted, "You try to fool a noble? I can find a weapon elsewhere, thank you!" With that, she turned to leave.

The storekeeper stared forlornly as his scheme unraveled, but suddenly shot up as an inspiration came to him. "Hold it!" he ordered, dropping his sniveling manner for a bullying tone.

"What now?" Louise asked, turning around halfway.

"Do you really think that you can just walk off after you vandals destroyed my prize item?" "Prize?" Louise scoffed, "That sword was entirely bogus, and you know it!"

"It was a very valuable weapon," he continued, dismissive of Louise's complaint, "And I will need compensation for my lost expenditures."

"How much?" James asked, worried by the triumphant smirk on the man's face.

"Three thousand gold," he responded.

"You can buy summer estate- with a garden- for that price!" Louise protested.

"A famous sword is worth as much as a castle, my lady," he told her, derision now evident in the title of 'lady'.

"But I only brought a hundred coins," Louise said, eyeing her purse.

"In that case," the man said, "I am certain that you can work off this debt over time. A short indenturement- longer, if you are slow to follow orders- would be able to settle this affair."

"You can't do this to a noble!" Louise yelled, temper flaring.

The crooked merchant ignored Louise's wrath, and threw in a little barb: "If you wish to contest this, of course, we can always bring in the authorities. I'm sure that, once you see a judge, you will be released from your charges. But the guards have been very suspicious of larcenous mages of late, and will likely keep you securely stowed under key for some time. And what will your family think, when they hear of the scandal, hmmm?"

Louise drooped in defeat, the depth of the situation almost unfathomable. She'd be expelled from the Academy for sure, no matter what choice she made. "So," the man continued,"What is your choice?"

Louise began to open her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted when Meowth exclaimed, "Choice C!" Acting on that signal, the three members of Team Rocket tackled the merchant, bagging him into a net.

"Piece of advice, bub," Meowth lectured him, "Never try to pull the wool over Team Rocket!"

"Fouquet!" the man exclaimed in terror, "Then the rumors are true!"

"It's Rocket, not Fouquet!" James retorted, but the rest of the argument ground to the halt when Louise broke out of her frozen shock and shouted at them.

"W…wh…what is going on here?" she screamed.

The three stared at her dumbfounded. "Robbing the place, of course," James answered matter-of-factly.

"Exactly what does this 'Team Rocket' generally do?" Louise asked in suspicion. "I just thought that your organization was some sort of guild for monster hunters, but now I have my doubts."

"Well," Meowth admitted sheepishly, "We do hunt monsters. The only thing is…they aren't always wild."

"You mean you steal them," Louise concluded, raising her head up to the ceiling in despair. "Oh, Founder," she moaned, "What did I do to be cursed in such a manner?"

"Hey!" Jessie protested, "We may be crooks, but at least we follow a code."

"We do?" Meowth asked, "What?"

Pounding James to the floor, Jessie continued, "Anyways, even among thieves there's such a thing as a just heist, and that little cheat fits that category perfectly."

"The right or wrong doesn't matter in this case, you fools!" the 'cheat' snarled from his position on the floor. "You have to be mad to assault a store in broad daylight." Sure enough, a clamor of footsteps was building outside, accompanied by the clanking of metal armor. "With all the rumors of Fouquet going around," the conman boasted, "The watch has been exceptionally vigilant, and will liberate me from you scum soon enough. Perhaps if you free me now, I will be more leni…"

His words were cut short when a blow from Jessie sent his into unconsciousness. "We've had just about enough of you," she grunted before turning to James, who had rushed to the door. "What's it look like?" she asked anxiously.

In response, James slammed the door shut and began to push shelves and desks in front of it. "About a dozen armored men," he answered, "Who will probably break through the door in just a few minutes."

"Why? Why?' The three turned around to see Louise groaning as she continued to pound her head into the main desk in despair. "Doomed, disgraced, dead…"

"Calm down, Boss!" Meowth exclaimed as the three pulled her upright.

"You can't be so gloomy all the time," James advised her, "As long as you look on the bright side, everything will work out fine."

"What bright side?" she demanded. "We have just held up a store, and have the authorities bearing down on us posthaste! Do you know what this could do to a noble?"

"Look," Jessie snapped, "So things are bad. So what? In our experience, most things in life are usually bad in some way. The point of life is to work to improve them. And we have. In case you didn't notice," she said, gesturing to the conked out storekeeper, "That guy was going to blackmail you into working for him. Now, we have a chance to strike back!"

"Yeah, but…" Louise stammered, unsure on how to counter their argument. They did have a point about the bastard, and she felt a sense of satisfaction at giving him his just deserts.

"Listen Boss," Meowth advised, "I have a piece of advice for you. When things start going bad in life, dat's the time to throw in everything you have. Sure the risk is high, but you've got nothing to lose. Well, actually, you might make things worse, but that's life for ya!"

Louise opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it with resolve. "Fine," she said, "But just how do you plan for us to escape?"

"Easy!" Jessie exclaimed, holding up a familiar backpack, "We just use our special balloon."

"How did you…oh, forget it!" Louise said in frustration, "I'll never understand you, so why bother? Come on," she said, preparing to leave, "Let's get out of here before they break through."

"But we're thieves!" Meowth protested, "We've got to take something for our troubles!"

"Just grab his money," Louise said hurriedly, "He's a relatively wealthy store owner, so he must have a lot of gold."

"Nah," Jessie said disinterestedly, "It's just money." Louise froze and gaped at them.

"You mean," she asked, "That you are thieves, but you don't want to steal money? How does that even fit? Don't you want to be rich?"

"We do," James said, "But money isn't true power." Seeing Louise's confusion, he continued, "We like luxury- long for it, in fact. But money can be earned almost any way, even by simply scrubbing some floors. And because of that, money washes away just as quick; we should know."

"What we want," Meowth said, "Is real power, something dat's…powerful!"

"Besides," Jessie added, "That stupid crook tried to make Magikarps out of us, and we're not going to settle for just picking his pockets. Whenever you have a choice between success and revenge," she advised, "Go for the vengeance. There's always a door for success, but only a narrow window for payback."

"Let's see," Louise pondered. They did have a point, much to her chagrin. Here she was, stuck with larcenous familiars who somehow espoused morals better than she did! Well, she'd show them that they knew nothing about revenge. Her family had learned the knacks of subtle vengeance ever since the rift with the Zerbst family, and now it was time to put those skills to use. Scanning the room, she stopped at the sight of the shop's forge. Although the hearth was cool from disuse, she knew that such a large forge was the pride of a weapon's shop. "Alright, you dogs," Louise commanded, pointing at it, "We're stealing that!"

Team Rocket stared dumbly at the metal furnace before brightening with vigor. "Keen eyes, Boss!" Meowth commended her.

"Revenge is sooooo sweet!" Jessie crowed.

"Let's get to work," James sighed, ready to do the brunt of the work as usual.

They were interrupted by a light chuckle. Distinct from the pounding outside, the voice was clearly inside the room. "I have to say," the mysterious voice said, "You are the most bizarre bandits I have ever seen. And at my age, that's saying a lot!"

"Who's there?" Louise snapped, looking around nervously. At first, they thought the vendor had awakened, but a quick glance showed that he was still unconscious.

"It's coming from over dere," Meowth whispered, gesturing towards a pile of swords. On a hidden signal, the four pounced on the tub, sending the weapons flying in every direction.

"Nothing," Louise complained, still wondering how she got to be a part of this madness. "The only thing over here is this old piece of junk," she said, trying to lift up a rusted longsword.

"Hey!" the voice burst from the hilt, "I may be old, but I've still got life in me!" Screaming in panic, Louise relinquished her light grip on the sword.

The…the sword just talked!" Meowth stammered.

"Some kind of Pokemon?" James suggested, peering curiously at it, "I've heard that Rotoms inhabit old equipment."

"Don't know what a Rotom is," the sword told him, "Just your normal, millennium-old, magical sentient sword."

"Did that old man set you up to catch intruders?" Louise asked, nervously eyeing the door, which was beginning to show wear from pounding.

"Nope," it replied, a bit miserable, "Just an old relic that the keeper can barely tolerate. All I want to do is see the world, is that too much?" it ranted for a moment before sighing.

"I see you're filching the forge," it noted. "Good pick. One of the few things in here that's not a rip-off, if only because the man's too lazy to use it. Too bad though," it sighed, "Was hoping to get melted in there someday…anything to escape this boredom."

"Hey," James said, walking over to it, "Life's too short to surrender to melancholy. You just have to keep moving forward!"

"Easy for you to say," the sword quipped, "You have arms and legs. Me, I need someone to carry me."

"Hmmm…." Meowth said distractedly, a paw to his chin, before he leaped up and said, "Okay, swordie, here's the deal! We can leave you here so you can be bored all you want. Or, you can come with us, and we'll fix up away for you to walk on your own."

"I was constructed millenniums ago," it said, "Through the most complex magics, and you think you can solve my impossible handicaps just like that?"

"Listen," Jessie said, "Impossible does not exist in the Rocket- or Zero- vocabulary. Got that?"

The weapon abruptly fell silent, studying the team with hidden scrutiny. Finally, it said, almost awed, "A user? No…three users?"

"Users?" Louise asked, baffled.

"So you don't know your true powers, huh?" the sword commented, enthusiasm returning to its voice. Okay, you have a deal! And the name's Derflinger!"

***​

Kirche sighed in exhaustion as she peeked out from the alleyway to spy on her quarry. After James' most gallant gesture the night before, she could not resist visiting the following morning. Not only could she acquire the intimacy sadly lost in their earlier encounter, she could rub the affair right in the face of that close-minded Valliere. Another triumph in the age-old rivalry between the families. Unlike Louise though, Kirche had no concern about the stakes of their quarrel. The Zerbst family already had the lead, so they could afford quiet mercies. Plus, the Zerbst family was Germanian, and they took pride in their free roots. Those Vallieres just did not grasp that the Zerbst family did not actually care about the little feud they had instigated, nor did they have any interest in fueling it. If a Valliere was told that, he would have whipped the mad speaker. But the truth of the matter was that the only reason the fight continued was because those silly Vallieres kept charging at them like enraged bulls. And while the Zerbst might not have an active interest in the strife, they always found the ensuing fumbles highly amusing, so they chose to let the sport continue.

Bubbling with excitement, Kirche had swung open the door, ready to pounce. However, her hopes were dashed, as the room was utterly vacant. Not to be deterred from love though, Kirche had quickly scanned for clues and, with the swiftness of a fox on the hunt, had determined that Louise had fled the scene with her familiars, obviously trying to step between Kirche and true love. She had remained confident that she could catch up with them though, as she recruited the assistance of her friend Tabitha- along with her dragon.

However, she wasn't prepared for that miniature airship they pulled out. Another mystery about her lover that had yet to be solved. Kirche had thought that it was the work of Windstones at first, but Tabitha had assured her that no Wind magic was present; with Tabitha being a walking encyclopedia, with even more cunning hidden deep, Kirche had submitted to her expertise. The more immediate dilemma was how to continue pursuit. After one too many close calls- with the draconic Sylphid diving into clouds to evade detection- Tabitha, ignoring Kirche's objections, had pulled back to a much slower approach; friends aside, she was not going to risk losing one of her precious books.

Nevertheless, they had reached Tristainia eventually, and had managed to track down the elusive targets. However, they now faced a new problem. Kirche had been eyeing the store that Zero had disappeared into, only to be suddenly dragged further back into the alleyway by Tabitha. She'd been about to protest when she heard the pounding of footsteps. Within minutes, the building had been surrounded by the entire militia in the town. And from their look, it appeared that they were raring for a fight.

"Oh, Zero," Kirche sighed dramatically, "What did you do now? You certainly are becoming a (in) famous mage though." Turning to Tabitha, she asked, "Any chance we can do anything?"

Tabitha replied, "Wait. We attack when capture complete. I lead." Kirche nodded in agreement. She did not know much about Tabitha's past, but she knew with certainty that Tabitha could defeat anyone in the Academy- even the professors- with the right motivation. Not simply due to her power, although she was a highly skilled mage in her own respect. She was a hardened warrior, and people underestimated her at their peril. Peering back at the imminent arrest, Kirche and Tabitha sat and waited, ready for anything.

Or so they thought. The sudden burst of black smoke across the city square was a surprise to them- and to the soldiers too, by the sounds of confusion. Amidst her coughs, Kirche froze in realization. "Duel," Tabitha noted. Kirche nodded. The strange familiars were quite adept at creating smokescreens. Her Darling must be launching a bold escape from his unjust accusers.

Sure enough, she heard the voice of his wanna-be-buxom partner declare, "Team Zero, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Blah, blah, blah," Louise's voice cut in, "Let's kick into flight!" Their voices were replaced with what Kirche recognized as the whir of machines of some sort. She had little time to focus on the noises though, as she was suddenly lifted up by gentle yet firm claws. Sylphid, she realized, had come to their rescue, and was carrying them away from danger. However, the surge of relief was cut off as Sylphid began to sway erratically, caught in an updrift. Kirche faintly made out of metal opening amidst the smoke, then everything went black.

***​

"Here's to a successful heist!" Meowth cheered, raising his cup in toast. After fleeing Tristainia, they had landed in the woods outside the Academy to examine their newly-gained goods.

"Cheers!" James and Jessie agreed, beaming in pride. At long last, Team Rocket- well, Zero now- had finally gotten away with a scheme.

"Here's to the smashing debut of Team Zero!" Jessie declared, adding her own toast.

"And to our new Boss," James said, "Who made all of this possible…" He abruptly broke off and looked around. "Where is she?" he asked.

"I think she wandered off again," Meowth noted despondently.

"We need to do something," James said. "It's not good for a team when its Boss is depressed."

"True," Jessie agreed. Turning to Meowth, she asked, "How is our little surprise coming along?"

"Just about ready," Meowth told her, "But I thought we were gonna show her when we got back to the school."

"We were," Jessie said, "But we might as well give the present to her now to cheer her up. You go grab Derf, while we tell her the good news."

"Got it!" Meowth replied, dashing off.

Heading towards Louise alongside Jessie, James said, "Boss, are you alright?"

Barely acknowledging their presence, Louise continued to beat her head against the side of the balloon in despair. "I'm ruined," she dully noted in a mantra, "Disgraced. And…" she added, suddenly lashing out to kick the two hapless Rockets, "You're the ones who dragged me into larceny!"

"Take it easy, Boss," James said, "Even if you were opposed to crime…"

"I still am," Louise interrupted.

"We have a little gift to make it up to you," James continued, nodding to Jessie.

"We may not have snagged much from the shop," Jessie told Louise, "But we've decided to give you the main spoils."

"You mean the hearth?" Louise asked.

"Not that!" Jessie said, "The sword! It's the perfect weapon for you to learn new attacks with. Plus, now you have a starter."

"A starter?" Louise said, confused. "We were going to find you a new familiar to train,"

James gave Louise the empty ball from before. "You see," he said, "Where we come from, people train their familiars to battle for them."

"Like in that battle against Guiche," Louise realized. She gazed down at the ball in newfound hope. "You really mean…"

"Of course," Jessie said. "We may not be the best equipped for that, so we were going to find a new one for you. Nothing to worry about now, though."

"What do you mean?" Louise asked, still confused.

Jessie opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by violent shaking from the basket. "James?" Jessie asked, turning to him, "What's that?"

"It seems to be coming from the Aerial Backup Catcher."

"The what?" Jessie repeated, dumbfounded. Sighing James said, "The ABC system."

"Oh," Jessie said, "Right. That worthless machine that cost us an arm to obtain and a leg to stitch to the balloon."

"It was a good idea!" James protested. "The Twerps' Flying types always sink our balloon. With this automatic system, we would have turned the tables on them!"

"Would have," Jessie retorted, "But now we'll never know, since we're stuck here with no annoying Twerps to capture…wait!" she exclaimed, "Then what did we catch?"

"Let's have a look," James said, opening the hatch, only to recoil in horror at what he saw. Out tumbled a familiar pair of blue-head and redhead girls, as well as their dizzy reptiles.

Spotting the dazed Flame, Jessie concluded, "I can't believe it James. You just pulled off a successful steal! And grabbing the dragon too! That's a considerable accomplishment. Why didn't you just tell me?" she asked, oblivious to James' growing panic. "Though you could have left their trainers behind."

"Excuse me," Louise butted in, anger clouding her face, "What is going on here?"

"Er, we caught another familiar- or two- for you, Boss," Jessie replied. "Looks like you can take your pick of the litter."

Regaining her senses gradually, Kirche slowly got to her feet, followed by Tabitha. "So, Zero," she noted, "Trying to turn the tables on the feud? You're welcome to have me, but you really don't need to drag Tabitha into this. Isn't that right, Tabitha?" Tabitha ignored the conversation, having returned to her book now that they were in the daylight.

"What is the meaning of this, Zerbst?" Louise demanded, hands on hips.

"Why, I had just stopped by to visit my darling this morning," Kirche replied casually, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "Imagine my surprise when I discovered that you had stolen away to town. And on a school day, no less. Though my greatest shock was that you had larcenous intentions," she commented, letting the barb sink in. "Not that I mind, of course. We Germanians are much more tolerant than the rest of you Halkeginians. It's good to see that you're widening your prospects."

"That was an accident, you outrageous Germanian!" Louise yelled back. "And I'll face the consequences once we…wait," she said slowly, just beginning to grasp the entirety of Kirche's statement, "What 'darling'?"

"Yes, what?" Jessie agreed, confused.

"Why, my sweet James, of course!" she gushed. Before anyone had time to react, she had slid effortlessly past Jessie into James' arms. "Er…" James was sweating profusely, even more than the earlier encounter; with Jessie glaring daggers at him now, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Familiar," Louise called out furiously, "Stay away from that depraved woman. And that's an order!"

James prepared to move away, but was caught by Kirche. "Don't listen to her," she advised him, "Tristainian women like Louise are all jealous, impatient, miserly, and snobbish, and nothing can change them!"

"You…may have a point there," he conceded, increasing Louise's ire tenfold.

"But don't worry," Meowth said reassuringly, "We'll fix the Boss up, you can count on us!"

Driven to the limits of her patience, Louise countered, "Oh, how…amusing. Women like you are all romantic-minded idiots! Did you hook up with too many guys back in Germania, making nobody trust you, and ending up dropping out and running all the way here to Tristain?"

Tabitha frowned from behind her book, but kept her silence. Kirche darkened in righteous anger, but paused when James, firmly holding her hand comfortingly, spoke in a commanding voice, "Louise. Apologize. Now." Memories of leaving his home behind and starting over from scratch flashed through his mind.

"I…" Louise stammered, caught aback by James' sudden reversal. She turned to her other familiars for aid, but found them giving her condemning looks as well. If there was one thing that Team Rocket held in common, it was a bitter past, one that they did not find humorous.

"Boss," Meowth said, equally determined, "We may put up with a lot of misdeeds. But tearing into a person's past is something even we don't do." He turned to Jessie as the three Rockets shared a look in brief remembrance of heartbreak.

"That's right," Jessie agreed, "Love…hurts. Same with the past. And making fun of them makes them hurt even worse."

"Hard pasts," Tabitha said, "Always hurt." Having said her piece, she returned to her novel, hoping to forget about her own past.

"I'm…sorry," Louise finally said, before adding, "But our rivalry still stands, Zerbst! The Valliere name will be upheld!"

"We'll see," Kirche replied with confidence, "So far, the Zerbst-Valliere score is 1-0."

Despite her high spirits, she still whispered, "Thanks," to James in gratitude.

"You're welcome," he said, squeamishness currently forgotten, "Barbs like those hurt a lot."

"So, what is this all about anyways?" Jessie asked, trying to change the subject; she did not like how James seemed to be lightening up to that Gorebyss.

Louise nodded, glad that she could finally explain why her familiars could not associate with that…hussy! "My house, the Valliere, has estates on Germania's borders, so we're the first on the field against them as soon as a war starts. Even worse, Kirche's home is right across the border from us."

"She means," Kirche told James, "That we're the first to be attacked whenever Tristain gets too worked up over silly little dalliances."

"Stealing the crown is not silly," Louise protested, before deciding to drop the matter; she'd almost lost track of her argument. "Moving on," she continued, "That makes the Zerbst family our sworn enemy."

"Wow," Meowth noted, "They must be pretty strong to keep you feuding for dat long."

Annoyed, Louise said, "Just a low, unworthy family obsessed with hedonistic pursuits. Kirche's great-great-grandfather stole my great-great-grandfather's fiancée away."

"That sounds like an awfully long time ago," James noted.

"It's not just that!" Louise shot back, "We've lost count on how many family ancestors we've lost to their wretched lust."

"We hardly need to lift a finger," Kirche sniffed, "True love conquers all in the end. It just happens that we pay enough attention to that spirit for its blessings."

"Oh, don't get me started on your barbarian customs," Louise moaned. "Anyways, that's why Kirche is forbidden."

James was still pondering what to say when Jessie stepped forward. "Sorry, Boss," she said, "But I'm going to have to break your old tradition of rivalry.

"What?" Louise spat out in shock. "Listen here," Jessie said, turning to Kirche, "I give no concern to some antiquated rivalry, especially when the two are hopelessly outmatched. I will be your rival! Therefore, I am the one who will forbid you from James."

"That's up to James, though, isn't it?" Kirche replied with a smile. "After all, cannot a young, budding man find love?"

"James is a member of Team Rocket first and foremost," Jessie countered, "Man second, lover zillionth! But," she conceded, "I suppose it's up to him. So what will it be, James?" she asked with a deceptively sweet smile.

"Um…" Caught in a dangerous dilemma of femininity, James struggled to answer before a solution came to him: "Why don't you settle this with a battle?"

"Absolutely not!" The two women turned away from James and back to Louise, who was stamping her foot in frustration. I've had just enough of this trouble you familiars just seem to generate," she told them, "So forget about this and pack up to return to the Academy. I won't have any more dalliances with that Zerbst harlot."

Annoyed at Louise's stubborn resistance, Kirche prepared to launch a sarcastic quip, but changed her mind on seeing Jessie's face, which was both annoyed and determined. This will be interesting, she thought, letting Jessie take the lead. "If you want to force the issue, Boss," Jessie said, her anger clouding the usual respect, "Then you can fight me too."

"What?" Louise exclaimed, caught aback by the turn of events. "Uh, Jess, are ya sure about this?" Meowth asked, worried about the notion of fighting one's own boss.

"I am!" she snapped, "And if you don't want to fight me too, then you'd better shut up!"

"But I can't fight!" Louise protested, "I don't have anything to send out, not unless you want to," she commanded, turning to Meowth.

"No thanks," Meowth replied sheepishly, "But there's something else you can use!" With that, he held out Derflinger for her to pick up.

The sword still looked worn down, but now had a new shine to it. Metal plates of strange origin now covered the scabbard, seemingly arranged for some unknown purpose. "O…kay," she said hesitantly, trying to heft the deceptively heavy weapon up, "But I thought that this was going to be like the duel with Guiche."

"Oh!" Meowth exclaimed, "I guess dat dose two silly humans forgot to tell what Meowth did to this little baby! This has to be one of Team Rocket's greatest technical achievements!" he gushed, tears running dramatically down his cheeks.

"Then explain already!" she demanded in frustration.

"Okay, okay!" Meowth said, drawing up a paw defensively. "We thought dat since you didn't really have a Pokemon to fight for ya, we'd make one for ya!"

"Wait," Louise paused in remembrance, "You promised to make the sword able to move on it's own, didn't you? Is that what you're talking about?"

"It sure is, partner!" the sword spoke, "I still can't believe my senses, but it's true. Six thousand years…and it took you just six minutes to give me a body! How is that even possible?"

"There's nothing Team Rocket can't build!" Meowth boasted proudly, "So don't worry. Just throw that blade out in battle, and it will transform into one of several creatures."

"What are they?" she asked.

"Well," Meowth admitted, "We haven't had enough time to add all the extra modes, so we just went for the ultimate mode first. When Derf transforms, he'll become the strongest Pokemon in the whole wide world!"

"I guess this is a pretty nice gift then," Louise conceded, anger fading away.

"Not for just that reason though," Meowth pointed out, "It'll also serve as a great weapon for your training. Ain't dat right, Derf?"

"She's a little stout, and not the prettiest chick in the woods," Derf noted, ignoring Louise's huff of indignation, "But I guess that means she won't mind getting dirty. Besides, there's something familiar about her that tells me she'll go far. Although I get a stronger feeling from you," he told Meowth. "Any chance you'd take me up instead?"

"Sorry," Meowth said, "I prefer to stay to the sidelines. I'll just cheer you guys on while I save my own hide."

"That's what you think?"

"Huh?" Meowth turned to Jessie in panic.

"In case you've forgotten, Meowth," Jessie said, "This is a double battle, so I need someone to fight alongside Arbok. Obviously I can't use James, not when that showoff has her hold on him," she said, turning to glare at the two, "So I'll just have to find another Pokemon."

Seeing Jessie's expectant eyes, Meowth knew just who she had in mind. "You…you could always use Wobbuffet," he protested.

"True," she said, "But the day I can count on Wobbuffet to do things right is the end of the world. And besides, you did so well last time, so why not?"

"Er…okay!" he sighed, gut cold. He still had no idea what had happened during that battle, and now Jessie expected him to use the same trick again. "Ya know," he noted absently, "What I wouldn't do for a Thunderbolt right now."

***​

"This will be a double battle," James announced. "Each side may use two fighters to battle. On this end," he said, "Is Jessie."

Smirking confidently, Jessie commented, "Winner Jessie, if you must."

"On the other end," he said, "Are Kirche and Louise." Like Jessie, Kirche had a determined look on her face. Louise on the other hand kept darting her eyes elsewhere, obviously displeased at the turn of events. "So nice of you to help me," Kirche smiled, "You Vallieres are always so helpful to us Zerbsts."

"Hmph!" Louise pouted. "Not like I have much choice in the matter. Stupid, irresponsible familiars!"

"You know," Kirche noted, "My offer to take them- some of them, at least- off your hands still stands."

"Don't drag that argument up again!" Louise spoke in aggravation. "That's what started this whole mess in the first place! Look," she finally said, "Let's just cooperate this once. And don't get in my way!"

"But of course," Kirche replied amiably, "What's wrong with another joining of the Valliere and Zerbst families?"

"You…"

"Can we get started already?" Jessie demanded impatiently, glaring at the two before transferring her gaze to James.

"Okay, okay!" James said hurriedly, "The battle is over when both fighters on one side are unable to battle. Let the match begin!"

"Heh," Jessie said, "Now you'll see what it's like to mess with a Rocket. Arbok, get in there!" With a flash of light, Arbok joined Meowth on the battlefield.

Head jerking slightly to the left, Kirche signaled to Flame, who lumbered over with a confident stride. Struggling yet managing to lift up the bulky sword, Louise hurled Derflinger in the fray, yelling, "Transform!" She watched in fascination as the metal pieces shifted in midair, waiting for her ultimate familiar to appear. However, she kept waiting and waiting. Long after the sword had settled into another solid form: that of a small rodent. "THIS is the ultimate form?" she gaped, shooting daggers through her eyes at Meowth.

Huddling behind Arbok, Meowth protested, "Well, we designed that transformation after the most dangerous Pokemon to ever grace the universe, so it's gotta be the ultimate form."

"A cat like you scared of a tiny mouse?" Louise jeered. "A seagull could eat that thing for lunch."

"Hey!" Meowth yelled. "No insulting the Pikachu. It is the mascot of the series, and our personal bane."

"Don't tell me you're still stuck on that obsession," Louise sighed, staring plaintively up into the sky. "Oh Founder, what did I ever do to be cursed with these familiars?"

"Don't worry, Zero," Kirche said, "Flame can handle those two on his own. Isn't that right, Flame?" Flame nodded, and spat a shot of fire straight at the challengers. Jessie blanched, her high spirits evaporating with the heat.

To her shock though, Meowth charged headlong into the fire. Had he gone mad? Kirche smirked with triumph, but froze when Meowth burst from the fire directly in front of Flame, holding a bright piece of paper in front of him. In a few brief moments, Flame was tied and bagged. "Meowth," Jessie asked, "What did you do?"

Giving a paw's up to her, he replied, "See, Jess? I told ya, we just needed a little more time to make the flame-proof gear."

"Ah," Jessie said in realization, "Good. Keep up the good work."

"That's not in the rules," Kirche said, becoming frustrated with her new self-proclaimed rival.

"She's right!" Louise agreed, inwardly huffing at having to support her sworn enemy.

"All's fair in love and battle," Jessie crowed, "Except with Rockets, where nothing's fair. Okay, Meowth," she said, "You've done your job. Now, Arbok, knock out that Pikachu facsimile." Louise closed her eyes, unable to look at Arbok lunged at Derflinger, intending to swallow it in one gulp.

The inevitable sound never came though, only gasps of disbelief. Slowly and tentatively, Louise opened her eyes to behold an extraordinary sight. Derflinger was darting all around Arbok, dancing with joy and vigor. "This is great!" he yelled enthusiastically. "For eons I have been the blade that others carry and swing. Now…I can…strike!" Lashing out with his lightning-shaped blade-tail, he sliced at Arbok, leaving bruises across its body and forcing it back.

Jessie stared in horror, but regained her wits and yelled, "Come on, Arbok! Don't let that tin sword beat you around. And get back here, Meowth!"

Meowth froze midstep, having begun to quietly sneak away. He knew for a certainty that a Pikachu, no matter the situation, spelled utter defeat. Sighing at the hopelessness, Meowth said, "Oh well. Can't be said that Team Rocket don't give a fight," drawing out one of the spears. His morose attitude faded as runes began to shine once more across him, and he leapt forward to fight. It was not so much confidence but rather simply the exhilaration of battle driving him forward.

However, the spear met equal resistance with Derflinger's tail-blade, the two swords crossing blades before each fighter jumped back to recover. "Now, this is what I've been waiting for!" Derflinger boomed with excitement. "I sure chose right coming with you guys. I haven't felt this alive for so long. Now, show me your inner strength!"

Jessie prepared to send Arbok in for another go; if Meowth could keep that Pikachu-turned sword in one place, Arbok could crush the thing to bits. However, she took note of her current opponent, and instead yelled, "Stop!" The two were in the middle of charging when they heard her, and face-faulted to the ground.

"Now what?" Louise asked, fed up with the day's madness.

"Look," Jessie said, "It's clear that the battle is no longer between the true rivals of this duel, so might as well call it off."

"So you forfeit then?" Kirche inquired, turning a lustful eye to James.

"Absolutely not!" Jessie yelled.

"Oh, that's fine," Kirche shrugged, "A draw then. Well then, I'll get back to seeing my darling."

"Yes," Jessie said disinterestedly, "A draw's fine…Wait!" she screamed, "Who said that you could be with James?"

"Well," Kirche replied, "Since the duel was a draw, then nothing has changed. So," she asked James, "Care to come to my room after we return to the Academy.

Before James could answer, Jessie butted in, "No time for that now! We finally have some metals to work with, so let's start on a mech."

"Yeah!" Meowth agreed, "We can always use a little backup. And in any case, we need to start training the Boss."

"You're right," James conceded, turning an apologetic face to Kirche. "Maybe another time."

"Just drop by any time," Kirche said, smiling passionately, holding a hand out. James hesitated, but tentatively grasped the hand. He was still scared, but not as much anymore.

"Alright," Louise said, shoving between the two, "Let's focus on getting back to the Academy first, along with what follows. They've probably received a warrant for my arrest by now."

"Arrest for what?" Kirche asked in seeming innocence.

"You know very well!" Louise shouted, turning to her. "The robbery?"

"I don't remember any robbery," Kirche said, "After all, we've been on a picnic together all day, isn't that right Tabitha?"

"Alibi holds," Tabitha agreed before returning to her book.

"You see," Kirche told Louise, "This is obviously a case of mistaken identity."

"Kirche…" Louise mumbled in shock, before grunting out, "Thanks. But don't think that this ends our feud!" she shot out, "We're still rivals!"

"You know," James noted, "Sometimes the strongest of rivals can be the best of friends. At least, that seems to be the case with the Twerps."

"Fine," Louise sighed, holding out her hand, "Friends?"

"Friends," Kirche agreed, shaking it. However, she could not resist the urge to add, "Another steal for the Zerbst house."

"What?" Louise demanded, "It's my victory!

"Mine!" But behind the argument there was now a slight degree of camaraderie.

"Well," Meowth observed, "Looks like those two fit together well. Any chance of doing the same, Jess?"

"Not a chance!" Jessie answered, balling her fists. "We're Rockets, not Twerps! I'll show that girl yet!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Meowth said, rolling his eyes, "But enough of this! Maybe if we hurry back, we won't get caught! I'd like to pull one over those stick-in-the-paw teachers!"

"Stick-in-the-paw?" an elderly voice spoke from beyond the bushes, "That's an interesting name. I'll have to remember that."

"O…Old Osmond!" Louise gasped in horror, watching as the headmaster slowly hobbled his way over to them.

"Ah, Miss Valliere," he greeted her, "You've certainly sent the faculty into panic today, and without any explosions; a considerable achievement."

"Headmaster," she stammered, "I can explain…"

"That can wait," he said, raising up a hand, "We have already come to a verdict as to the punishment for your actions today."

"Headmaster," Kirche said, stepping forward, "I am a party to this as well. We will all face justice."

"Yes," Tabitha agreed, standing beside her, "Cannot run. Friends…protect each other."

"So true!" James said, coming forward as well, followed by the other Rockets.

"Teams never abandon their own," Jessie said, "They fight side by side until the end."

"Dat's right!" Meowth said, drawing his claws out, "So if ya want the Boss, you'll have to lock us all up!"

"No, no, no," the headmaster chuckled, "Nothing as macabre as imprisonment. But all of you will have to stay behind after class the next week to make up for your delinquency."

"Huh?" the group asked in unison as they face-faulted to the ground.

"Exactly what are we being charged for?" James asked.

"Why, your absence from class today, of course," Osmond answered. "Did you really think that the Academy would miss all of you tromping off to town?"

"That's…all we're being punished for?" Louise asked in relief.

"Yes," he said, "I know that two weeks seems extreme for one day, but let this serve as a warning against wandering off without permission. We were especially worried after the news arrived from Tristainia."

"News?" Jessie asked, exchanging furtive glances with her teammates.

"Yes," he said, "Apparently some band of thieves robbed a store in broad daylight. Apparently trying to exploit the confusion caused by Fouquet's presence in the area; they called themselves 'Team Fouquet'."

"Team Fouquet?" Meowth spat out indignantly, "Can't they get the name right? It's Team Ro…" The rest of Meowth's tirade was muffled as Jessie and James quickly bodypiled him.

"Any idea who these brigands are?" Kirche asked.

"No," he replied sorrowfully, "The main witness suffered a concussion during the thieves' escape, and can only vaguely recall their identities. A bounty has been placed on them in the capitol, but it's unlikely we'll hear from them again."

"That's good…I mean that's good we missed them!" Louise exclaimed catching herself. "Now, you said we have detention? Then let's go! Finally I can do something sane today!"

"Er…alright then," Osmond said, taken aback, "Follow me."

As they began to hike back to the Academy, Louise glanced at Derflinger. Still in his Pikachu form, he leapt onto Louise's shoulder, saying "I think I'll stay this way for a while. So much to see!" Despite his small size, he still retained his bulk, and Louise almost fell to her knees with the extra weight.

"Boss!" Meowth asked in concern, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she said, gritting her teeth and slowly regaining her balance before trudging forward. Ever since the ceremony, she had seen ridiculous, utterly hopeless people…who somehow persevered. Perhaps, then, she could as well.

***​

This was an unsettling turn of events, a cloaked figure mused, gazing up at the moons from his room in the tower. Those fools had a lot of nerve to impersonate him, Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth! Even in her darkest hour, he had made sure that he was not like the nobles he detested, only stealing from those who looked down on others with arrogance, which would be their downfall. But this "Team Fouquet" had robbed an arms shop, the owner a commoner- wealthy certainly, but still below the Nobles. She would have to crush those brigands swiftly to maintain her reputation. However, he was not that concerned with the events in Tristainia. If anything, they were pleasing, as a mad hunt was being launched in the capitol, every man hoping to catch Fouquet. Let the nobles think that she planned to rob the capitol. There certainly were treasures available there, in the Genoa prison and in the Royal Palace. He'd considered doing a raid there often, but the defenses were too great to risk it. No, he would keep to his plan. Letting his thoughts drift off, Fouquet took off his coat and lay her green hair down on her soft pillow. Exams were tomorrow, and the Staff could wait another day.