The Next Step

[Jim Raynor]

There. It was done. As he picked out his footsteps down the stairs of the administration building, the hurried streets overburdened, he realised just how much he went through to get that stupid device, and how much he lost.
 
Ditto travelled through the digital realm of the Dataverse, scoured the seedy depths of Coruscant for naive thugs to build an empire, fought against a mercenary and a rival gang, and had what to show for it? The reward was nice, but even in just claiming the mobile dataverse device, three men had died under his watch, another turned traitor, and the remaining two were out on the streets alone, their warehouse all but compromised.
 
Ditto slipped into the foot traffic and mulled over his options. The Empire wouldn't be looking for the device now that it had been handed in, so both he and Giovanni were safe from prying eyes and secret agents. But even as he thought of his esteemed father, his gut cramped. The major competitor against Team Rocket was the new gang that Giovanni began. How could Ditto ever compete? It would be a herculean effort just to saddle the right mindset to take on the only human he held in high regard. But that ignored the fact that Giovanni was vastly experienced in running an organised crime ring, whereas Ditto had so far only played the part. He had done a great job considering his lack of training, using his guile and resourcefulness to establish the gang as he had done, but Giovanni was already leagues ahead of him.
 
Plus, Team Rocket as it was barely existed. Diesel and Ricky still haunted the lower tiers somewhere, scuttling off into the night after Ricky freed them from Spook Eye's detention centre. Maybe they could rebuild, but they needed so much so quickly to even stand a chance. They needed more recruits, since the majority had been killed and another had betrayed them. They needed a new headquarters, since Giovanni located it and breached it with little effort and no warning. If Team Rocket were to reform, if Ditto was to stake a claim to that famous name again, they would need a new home. All the while, they would be running from a competitor better resourced, staffed and informed.
 
Turning himself into Giovanni, throwing himself on his mercy, popped into his thoughts as well, but it was much less palatable. He yearned for that man's approval, to be recognised as the ultimate Pokemon birthed from his cloning attempts, but Ditto was pretty sure how such a meeting would turn out. At the least, the shapeshifter would have to prove his worth to Spook Eye, demonstrate his usefulness and convince him why Mewtwo was only a pretender compared to him. Showing up to his office after being a prisoner and shattering an expensive pane glass window would already be a black mark against his name. That would also mean the end of his Team Rocket gang, and all the effort he expended developing it. That definitely rubbed him the wrong way.
 
Every option tightened the knot in his stomach. Thinking only drove his misery deeper into the mire. He needed to stop and take a breath. Though only there moments ago, his mind still buzzing from the after effects of his previous cups, the coffee shop called out its siren song as his eyes fell upon it again.
 
He sat at his chair once more, watching the steam curl from the lip of his coffee mug, trying to silence the rabid battle of thoughts. Taking a ginger sip, Ditto's eyes trailed the digital signboards that plagued the skyline, neon temptations beckoning those with the currency to spend big. He watched advertisements for flying cars, sleek and pearlescent, scattering clouds as they dived through the sky. Massive high rise buildings spruiked their prestigious apartments, complete with heated pools and a commanding view of the top tier, for a price Ditto recoiled at.
 
As the coffee remaining in his mug shrunk, Ditto's eyes settled upon a board that arrested his attention. A sprawling ocean glistened in aqua and navy, sunlight banishing the visual divide between the water's surface and its sandy depths, a tropical island of golden shores and leafy interiors the only decoration for miles. A price flashed on the screen, but Ditto paid it no mind. That untouched paradise soothed his aching mind like ice to a burn. The gentle cresting of the waves, the spotless crystal sky, the complete and utter absence of other people ... it tugged at him, awakening a yearning to visit such a splendid place.
 
Maybe a holiday was exactly what he needed. After the stress of being abducted from his home universe and dumped here, only to foster an organisation that was in tatters weeks later, his nerves were tangled and far too active. Lying on a sun drenched beach, cocktail in hand so cold that the cup perspired down its length, the rhythmic crashing of waves filling the air ... he could just see it now. The perfect escape.
 
Ditto sprung out of his chair and noted the location of his tropical nirvana. The Vasty Deep. The location for its gate, which Ditto presumed to mean portal, was within Coruscant. With still a puddle of coffee left in his mug, Ditto strolled out of the cafe with renewed purpose. He could feel the warm kiss of the sun on his skin already.