Pokemon: Radical Redux-Chapter 373: Ashtwo: "Oh no..."

Ash was lying in a lounge chair on the ship, wearing sunglasses despite the cold weather. Winter was approaching, and by the time they got there, it would probably be in full swing. He had finally decided to zip up his hoodie.

Pikachu and Vee were sprawled out beside him on two smaller lounge chairs. Well, more like Vee was contentedly munching on some dry Pokéblocks, while Pikachu clung to a half-empty bottle of ketchup like he'd passed out at a bar.

Brock walked by, tugging on his jacket again. He had finally given up on wearing his sleeveless muscle shirt, even if he missed the chance to show off for the ladies.

"Are you seriously relaxing like that when it's this cold?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ash smirked without moving. "It's all about the vibe, Brock. You wouldn't get it."

Brock rolled his eyes. "I get pneumonia just looking at you."

"Yeah, maybe try putting on a long-sleeve shirt under that jacket and you'll be less cold. Besides, I'm gonna enjoy the easy life while it still lasts."

Then he lifted his sunglasses and looked at Brock. "But I'm more surprised you're not off hitting on girls. Did you finally learn your lesson or something?"

Just then, Misty walked over, sipping from a glass of juice and casually leaning against the railing. "Nope. He just already hit on, and got rejected by, all the girls on the boat. Again," she said, taking another sip.

"That makes more sense," Ash said, sliding his sunglasses back down. "I'd ask how you managed that in like, two hours, but I guess I'm more surprised I didn't hear your screams from Misty pulling your ear. Or kicking you again."

Brock groaned. "Can we not make this a thing? I was just being friendly."

"You were flexing and reciting haikus," Misty shot back flatly.

"They were romantic haikus," Brock corrected, crossing his arms. "There's a difference."

Misty rolled her eyes and leaned over to Ash like she was whispering. "He tried to flirt with one of the deckhands, who turned out to be married. And the chef. And the tour guide. And the—"

"Alright, alright!" Brock waved her off, cheeks reddening. "I made a mistake. I didn't know they were married!"

"You're not helping your case," Ash said, still lounging. "Guess that's why you stopped."

Brock sighed into his hands. "I mean, is it really so much to ask for me to find a few beautiful girls I can love?"

"It is when you try too much. I mean seriously, you'd think you'd learn, but it's like talking to a brick wall with you," Misty teased, which was weird for her. Usually, she'd just hit Brock over the head with a mallet she pulled out of nowhere.

In fact, ever since everything that happened during the Whirl Cup, Misty in general seemed to have cooled down. He wasn't sure if it was just her maturing, officially making up with her sisters, or finally having a real win for the first time in her life, but it had been a full three days, and she hadn't raised her voice or even tried to hit him or Brock.

She almost seemed to be slowly becoming like her Adventures counterpart, well, maybe minus the flirtiness.

She had even let her hair down. Since they'd been on islands for the past few weeks, she hadn't been able to cut it, and it had grown too long to keep in her usual sideways ponytail. So now she just let it hang loose, and looked much more relaxed, even joining in on the jokes.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

Misty blinked, surprised. "Yeah. Why?"

"You just seem... different lately. Not in a bad way. Just... I dunno. Calmer."

Misty shrugged as she went over and grabbed a chair. "I dunno. Guess I just don't really have anything to be mad about anymore. I mean, Brock's still annoying sometimes, but he punishes himself without me having to hit him," she teased.

Ash chuckled. "Fair. Well, you're welcome to just chill like I always do, with these two goobers next to me."

As he said that, Vee suddenly hiccupped and fell over sideways on his chair, scattering Pokéblock crumbs. Pikachu snorted in his sleep and hugged the ketchup bottle tighter.

Misty laughed, looking at them. "Yeah, I guess I'll take you up on that. Might be nice to relax more often."

Brock sat down heavily beside them with a dramatic sigh. "If no one's going to flirt with me, I might as well join the relaxation club."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Misty said with a smirk.

"Where's Yellow, by the way?" Ash asked.

"Oh, she's taking a nap. Her Pokémon pretty much grabbed her and threw her into a cuddle pile, and she fell asleep. I didn't have the heart to wake her up," Misty explained.

"That makes sense. Well, good for her. Let her sleep." Ash leaned back, trying to relax, even as a flicker of nervousness lingered in the back of his mind.

—-

On another ship, floating across the vast ocean, was a prison transport vessel filled with international police members, including Anabel and Looker, who had joined last minute simply because they wanted to "help in any way they could."

This was the Kanto ship being sent to pick up the Team Rocket prisoners from Johto, including the admins D had warned them about.

Anabel was sitting on the railing, staring into the fog, when her communicator began to ring. She picked it up, assuming it was Looker or another officer needing something.

But when she heard the voice, she froze.

"Hey, darling~ I see you listened to my advice. Oh, I'm so honored, you do care~" D/Ash said playfully.

"You..." Anabel mumbled, keeping her voice low so the other members wouldn't hear. "How did you get access to my communicator? And how do you know we're on the ship?"

"Come now, darling. If I can hack into your offices, a communicator's no problem. Besides, now we can talk more. Don't you wanna hear my beautiful voice more often? I certainly want to hear yours."

"Shut up," Anabel said, flustered. "J-Just say what you need to say and get off this line before anyone asks who I'm talking to."

"Aww, fine," Ash replied, his playful tone fading. "First, I found out by hacking into your mission details. And before you ask, yes, I'm a hacker, remember? As for why I'm calling now, there are two reasons."

"The first is that you're about to cross into international waters. Once you do, I won't be able to talk to you or give you any more warnings. So you're on your own."

Anabel frowned but understood the seriousness in his voice. "Alright. We should be fine. Don't tell me this is just you worrying about me like some clingy ex-boyfriend," she said, before realizing what had just come out of her mouth.

Ash's teasing tone returned instantly. "Ohh~ well, your words, not mine. But if I was your boyfriend, I wouldn't let you go~"

"J-Just shut up before I throw my communicator into the ocean," Anabel snapped, her face flushed red.

"Well, you're right, it isn't just me worrying about you. Even if I do." Ash's voice turned serious. "I got assigned a mission out of nowhere, so I checked the logs at our base. Turns out, most of the Team Rocket members are being dispatched on missions all over Johto."

Anabel's eyes widened. "What did you say? But... why?"

"My guess? The Johto Boss wants to keep the Champion and your police force busy chasing distractions. That way, when your ship gets ambushed, you won't be able to call for backup."

"So we're just sitting Psyducks out here..." Anabel clenched her fists. "Why can't you just send a message to the League?"

"You think I can do that without evidence? Besides, if I try, I risk exposing myself. And let me tell you, the Johto boss is not as forgiving as the one in Kanto. And no, I can't tell you his name. No one knows it. He hides his face. We just call him the Masked Man."

Anabel bit her lip. "I see. Fine. I'll tell Looker, and we'll try to be ready. But... why is the Boss risking so much for just two admins?"

"Those two are more valuable than you think. He'd sacrifice fifty grunts to protect just one of them. That's why he's making his move now, because once you cross into international waters, and those two get to Kanto, there's nothing he can do." freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"Can you at least tell me how they're coming?" Anabel asked.

"From what I've found, they're coming by submarine, heading toward your route from the northwest. Stealth mode." Ash's voice lowered. "But there's still some intel I haven't been able to crack. For all I know, there could be double agents on your ship. So be careful."

Anabel took a slow breath, then nodded. "Alright. I'll be careful. And... thanks."

Ash's voice shifted back to teasing. "Aww, no need to thank me, darling~ If I lost you, all my hard work would be way less entertaining."

"I hate you sometimes," Anabel mumbled.

"And good luc—bzzzt." The signal cut out.

They had passed into international waters.

Anabel sighed, almost disappointed that she didn't get to hear him say the full goodbye. But she quickly pushed the feeling down and went off to find Looker, they had to be ready.

—

{AshTwo}Ash met up with Helena, Jay, Enid, and Domino at the spot Sayoko had told them to meet.

He didn't say much, even as Jay and Domino tried to strike up a conversation. Enid stayed silent too, arms crossed, acting like he should be the one to speak first, even though she still hadn't apologized for what she said.

Helena, on the other hand, stayed quiet for a different reason, she was terrified of blurting out Ash's secret. A secret he'd trusted her with. So she kept her mouth shut, even when Stephen nudged her subtly with his non-existent elbows.

When they arrived, Sayoko sat in the driver's seat of a sleek black vehicle, one leg crossed over the other. Her fingers tapped rhythmically on the wheel, but the deep marks in the leather showed she'd been digging her nails in earlier.

But when she saw them, or more accurately, saw D, her whole body relaxed.

"Ara~ You're late," she said sweetly, flashing all teeth. "But I'll forgive you. Just this once."

Ash said nothing, but a faint nod was enough to make her beam like he'd just recited poetry. Of course, she hid it well.

Jay cleared his throat. "You called us for a job, Sayoko. What's the op?" He said in his usual

Enid muttered under her breath, arms still folded. "And why are we stuck doing some glorified recon? A main character like me shouldn't be stuck doing these stupid things..."

Sayoko stepped forward, too close, and held up a small holodisk. It projected a glowing map into the air.

"This mission wasn't mine," she said coolly, tone shifting to sharp and professional. "It came from higher up. Direct orders from the Masked Man."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Didn't know he gave us direct orders."

Sayoko smirked, tilting her head. "He doesn't. Not usually. Probably thinks this is a throwaway team. Not even worth sending a strike force"

She tapped the disk, zooming in on a mountainous region.

"...He said there's a new group forming in the shadows. They call themselves Team Meteor. No data. No affiliations. Off-grid. Underground."

Ash nodded slowly, but inside, he was screaming, 'Of course it's Team Meteor... just like in Pokémon Reborn.' He cursed silently. 'Why now? Why here? Why do they exist!' But none of that showed on his face.

Jay leaned over the map. "So what's the job?"

"Recon," Sayoko replied crisply. "Stealth...for now. We're to locate one person, goes by the name Solaris. Allegedly the current leader. No engagement unless absolutely necessary. Get eyes, get intel, if there useful and not trying to destroy the world or something, we offer them a chance to work with us, if not then we take care of them,"

Helena frowned, "If this Solaris guy is their leader, shouldn't we have more than just a name?"

Sayoko shrugged, "That's what we're here to find out."

"Any clue what they're after?" Domino asked.

"No idea. That's the problem," Sayoko said, crossing her arms. "But if you ask me, the Masked Man isn't taking this seriously. We've got no info on these people, and he's already sending us in? That's why he assigned us. And... we're not going in alone."

At her signal, the side door of the jeep opened. Inside sat Owari, smirking as he leaned back and gave D a casual wave.

"Yo. Got called in from the Sevii Islands just for this. Good to see you, D. How's the promotion treating you?"

Ash gave a small nod. "It's been... manageable. How's admin life?"

Owari sighed. "Tiring, but worth it. Still, I miss going out in the field. That's why I was glad when the Johto branch boss pulled me in. And when I heard you were on the team?" He grinned. "Couldn't say no."

Ash's voice stayed flat. "Glad I could motivate you."

"Come on, man. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be an admin. Don't downplay it."

Sayoko cleared her throat sharply, her violet eyes narrowing ever so slightly at how familiar the two seemed. "Hate to break up the reunion, but we've got a schedule. Talk on the road."

"Right," Owari nodded, stepping out and holding the door open. "I'll fill you in on what little we do know. Everyone, load up."

"Oh! I call shotgun!" Jay said quickly, raising a hand like a kid at school.

"No," Sayoko said flatly as she slid into the driver's seat. "You'll sit in the back. D, you can take the front seat."

"Wait—why?" Jay protested.

"Because D is more competent than the rest of you combined, and he outranks you," Sayoko said coolly without looking at him.

"But wouldn't Owari be a better choice?" Domino interjected, eyes flicking toward Ash for entirely unbiased reasons. "I mean, technically he's a higher rank than D."

Sayoko didn't miss a beat. Her eyes narrowed. "How about you ride on the roof instead, if you're so eager to talk?"

"R-Right! I-I'm sorry," Domino stammered, standing straighter and quickly looking away.

"Good," Sayoko said, satisfied. "Now everyone, get in."

Ash just sighed behind his scarf, Meowth snuggled inside it, napping comfortably without a care in the world.

'This mission's going to be a mess,' he thought, leaning back in the seat, 'Let's just hope I don't die.'

----

Rember extra chap at 1000 stones