When oceans rage

[Undyne]

Sabrina's Magnet Bike briefly soared through the air as a result of the Nexus Gate having had somewhat of a ramp leading up to the actual rift, but the antigrav modules quickly caught it and ensured that she landed smoothly. What a way to make an entrance... pity that there was nobody nearby to take notice. She drove a few meters away from the gate, just in case that someone else decided to use it with an oversized Monster Truck or whatever, and found a good spot to shut the bike's engines down and let it land. Only then did she remove her helmet, shake her head to get her long, black hair disentangled, and took in more than her immediate surroundings.

The distant sounds of the sea, the annoying "Caw! Ca-caw!" of the seagulls flying above her head, the burning sun on her cheeks and the sounds of a busy harbor somewhere... over that way? The gate wasn't located inside the city, it looked like, but there was a stone path leading to it. That must be the imperial outpost. What had the soldier called it again? Costa del Sol, right. Sabrina put her helmet on the Magnet Bike's seat and shielded her eyes from the bright sun to take a look. Yes, what little she could see showed bustling activity, people going back and forth with various items in their hands or with transport vehicles of sorts. The presence of soldiers was... minor. She could see them among the crowd, moving in small groups, but the security was nowhere near what she had expected. The physical proximity to the Nexus was too significant to validate that they would feel distanced from the hostilities that the troopers guarding the gate were keeping out, so... what was it? People just wanting to forget? Yeah, that sounded like it.

Well, regardless. She hadn't come here to take in the sights. First thing she needed was gonna be a map... a map of this region, or at least something to point her in the right direction. She knew how to read military-grade maps of seas and oceans, that was the least issue. Where to get one, was the important part. She had no form of commendation that could get her to a naval officier, no way of proving her trust. So... what about taverns and bars? They were always a good spot to listen to some gossip and hear the tales of old sea dogs - tales to be taken with a grain of salt, but which could prove useful nontheless. She got herself back on the Magnet Bike and drove to the city, finding a safe spot to leave it - which is to say, out in the open where everyone could see a potential thief trying to force the high-tech lock - before mingling in with the crowd, following its flow for a while and occasionally switching or taking turns to manoeuver herself towards the seaside and from there to that one place which every city had, the necessary evil... the blind spot in the all-seeing eye of the Empire. The district where petty criminals, dubious peddlers, thugs-for-hire, part-time pirates and other... enterpreneurs, dealing in the gray - or indeed, the dark red - areas of the law - met up to conduct their business. This was their little safe haven. After all, crime always existed, there was no way to fully remove it from a society. If the Empire crushed this outpost, it would just reappear elsewhere, or worse, spread and hide among the crowd, where it would be even harder to weed out a specific individual if something serious happened and the Stormtroopers had to interfere.

Sabrina had dealt with the underworld for longer than she cared to admit. Acting all mysterious and secretive and snickering evily would just draw the wrong kinds of attention and get her further away from her goals. She had to be smart about this. One hand in her pocket inconspicuously turned some of her Omnilium into coins like the ones she could see the people pay with at the stalls - no need for everyone to know who she was and what she could do - and she stepped into a place whose name was not legible anymore after the salty wind and burning sun had weathered the sign down. Inside, people were playing cardgames and gambling with dice, drinking cheap beer from oversized mugs and smoking in such quantities that the entire area they were seated in was covered in smog. Best get out of the place before she got a knife between her ribs... she stepped towards the counter and drew one coin from her pocket, letting it flip between her fingers to catch some light and draw some barman's attention.

"Wha can I get you?" a generously curved woman asked from behind the counter, leaning on it and chewing what Sabrina imagined, and hoped, to be chewing tobacco.

"You wouldn't happen to serve information here?" Sabrina asked.

"Information? We're a bar, not a newspaper, doll."

She let the coin drop on the counter, causing an audible clink. "That's just fine. Newspapers don't provide what I'm looking for anyway."

The woman eyeballed the coin but then suspiciously sized Sabrina up. "And what would that be?"

"A map. Y'know, of the seas. Uncharted parts."

"Uncharted? You do realize that uncharted means there ain't no maps of it?"

"There are, I'm sure."

The barkeeper looked through the room with a frown. "... what area?"

"The Cinnibar archipelago."

"Oh. You're out to do some... tourism?"

"You could say that."

"Hmm... I may just have what you want, but... I'm not sure. My memory isn't the best, you know."

"Oh, I'm sure it can be freshened up." Sabrina added a second coin to the first, but when the barkeeper reached out she clicked her tongue and covered them with her hand. "I don't do welfare. I want something for that."

"That's not how it works", the barkeeper said with a glare. "Either you pay up or the deal's off."

"Well, that's too bad. I'm not gonna pay up 'til I know what I'm paying for." She pulled her hand back along over the counter, pulling the coins along and collecting them when they fell off the wooden surface, then turned around to leave.

"Hey! Wait!" The woman yelled, afraid of losing out on the income. Sabrina held back a grin, knowing that she had won. Sure enough, the woman glared at her but then sighed. "I want half up-front, you might try to- okay! OKAY! I'll tell you what you need!"

Sabrina was halfway towards the door when the woman called her back for the second time. "I'm listening."

"There ain't no maps of the area that civvies can get their hands on. But I happen to have a few pieces that an officier left me as payment. He had a huge debt though, I can't afford to give them away that cheap."

"Show me. I'll decide what they're worth."

The woman wandered into the back room and soon came back with a lengthy leather tube with rolled-up parchments inside. She tugged them out, went through them and showed it to Sabrina, hiding most of it behind the counter though. She didn't want any other imperial Navy members to know about this. "Forty, and not one cent less." The maps were in good shape and accurate... just what she needed. It was time to haggle.

"Forty? Did that officier empty a dozen barrels of your finest or something? And this thing's barely legible, and it's paper. Had it at least been in digital format... I'll give you eight at most."

"You're crazy! These are top-quality and way more dependable than electronics that break at the slightest hint of humidity! Thirty, because I like you."

"Twelve, and I'm being generous. The moment that this thing catches one saltwater drop it'll become useless."

"My husband will think I'm mad, but twenty-five! That's my last offer!"

"Twenty, and that's MY last word."

"Twenty-three."

"Twenty-two."

"Deal!" She slammed her hand on the counter and pushed the maps back into the tube. Then with one hand she pushed them over the counter whilst Sabrina counted 22 coins and passed them to the woman as well.

"Thank you." She checked that the tube had not been sneakily replaced or emptied, then nodded and stepped back from the counter.

"Don't want anything before you go?" She asked after putting the coins away. "A little rum, on the house? Just for you, a valuable business partner?"

"No thanks. Booze gives me heartburn." Sabrina replied with a laugh and left the bar, mingling back into the crowd. If the rum wasn't spiked it was going to be a blade to the throat as soon as she got a little drunk, but there was no doubt that the woman wanted the maps back. Who knows how often she had sold them already... it might be a good idea to make a copy of these plans just in case. They were a lucrative item, no doubt would many people not hesitate to cut a throat for them. For now, she returned to her Magnet Bike and headed towards the civilian ports, back on the "light" side of the city.

[Undyne]

Sabrina opened her eyes and whistled admiringly when she saw the result of her... what? Just about a full hour of concentration? Something around that ballpark. Attached to the dock she was at was a boat-submarine hybrid, small enough for one person to handle it yet large enough to provide everything she needed, from a sail to an anchor to a room protected from wind and weather from which she could steer the machine and sleep if the trip took too long, and even a "garage" for her Magnet Bike. The submarine structure meant that she could easily navigate underwater if a storm popped up or plop up and deploy a sail to save on fuel. Everything was outfitted with modern technology so that even she who was not familiar with marine technology could navigate it with few issues.
Finally, she had added two barrels with dried food and fresh water, a handful of tools for emergency repairs, and a chest containing clothes like the ones that Ace trainers wore. Coupled with a relatively common name and the absence of her Gym Leader, let alone Team Rocket attire, she may be mistaken for an average trainer rather than be recognized as who she really was.

"That takes care of that... now let's take to the seas." Sabrina muttered to herself and pushed her Magnet Bike into the storage room, climbed into the hatch on top, closed the lid above her head and laid out the map on the small table in the center of the room. Cinnibar Island was quite a way off... but she should wait about taking a closer inspection at the maps once she was away from prying eyes. There was no telling who might take note of the peculiar machine that had appeared in the civilian docks and wanted to take a closer look. So she powered up the systems and set a course away from the docks, careful to steer clear of any ships littering the port. Causing an accident and getting arrested was the last thing she could use right now. But, thanks to a little care, she was soon out of harm's way and, after some half hour of navigating, arrived on a small rock formation which stuck out of the sea, several kilometers away from the docks. The area was too shallow for most ships to dare come near it, but her ship had lamps on the front allowing her to make out the treacherous rocks and navigate around, getting to a safe place where she could set up for a few minutes while consulting the maps and unfolding the sails.

From the looks of it she was going to spend a lot of time in a confined space with only so many occasions to get to the fresh air above, so she might as well enjoy it while it lasted. As soon as she came close enough to the rocks she dropped the anchor and opened the hatch again, climbed out and hopped onto the nearby rocks with the map in hand. Costa del Sol was still within sight but too far away for anyone to really notice more than a metallic shimmer of her boat at this point. And even if someone decided to inspect, they would need a while to get close, enough time for her to clear the area. She sat down on the dry rocks, shooed away a few curious seagulls and unfolded the map with the least details on her lap. Costa del Sol was up there, there were... a fair amount of islands, but she could see how they grew increasingly rare the more one navigated away from the city. Maybe it was the sea getting deeper or natural disasters having broken down the outer islands? Or some other reason? Well, she could certainly inquire about that on Cinnibar, they were bound to know about the geography of this place more than she did. Regardless, that would just mean that her route was going to be easier the more she got out there...

After planning a course with stops included to restock on air and food Sabrina stood back up, rolled up the maps and took a step towards the submarine-boat again, when she nearly caught her foot in something she hadn't taken notice of before. Something shiny metallic. She turned around and bent down. There was some sort of bracelet stuck between the rocks... how had it gotten there? She reached out and grabbed the item, pulling forcefully though the bracelet was completely stuck. After failing brutal physical strength Sabrina simply used her telekinetic powers to dislodge the bracelet from the rock, only to find that there was a second one right beneath the first, which had been obscured by it. That one was easy to pull out of the crevice however.

While climbing back towards her submarine-boat, Yang also took notice of a few shreds of yellow and orange tissue stuck to the rocks. Maybe some unfortunate soul had gotten washed up and lost their jewelry and torn their clothes in the process? She tossed the plans down the open hatch, then climbed back onto the rock and examined the bracelets, realizing on some level that they weren't normal. They were unseeming, but she could feel that there was something to them. Tentatively she put one of them on. Nothing happened. She tried a few erratic movements, wriggling the fingers of her hand, balling it to a fist, whirling her whole arm around, all to no result. Until by some coincidence she hit a hidden trigger when flexing a muscle she hadn't tried up until then, which caused the entire bracelet to spring to life, growing into an arm guard of sorts and covering most of her forearm. She could see that there were shells in it, the muzzle of a gun and some sort of mechanism that reminded her of a modern-day shotgun. Hitting the trigger once more did nothing, but when she relaxed her hand she inadvertedly hit a second trigger which caused the weapon to spring back to its innocent bracelet form. Fascinating... Sabrina thought to herself as she pulled the weapon off and carefully stored it away before climbing into the hatch. If she could reverse-engineer the ammunition used for this weapon and figure out how to use it she could perhaps make use of it for her own ends. She wasn't a big fan of raw physical power, believing in strength of mind over strength of body - especially after having beaten the Dojo Masters of Saffron City without so much as breaking a little sweat - but the fight against Amber had taught her that some variety couldn't hurt. Speaking of Amber... Her sword had sprung into a different shape quite similarly to this bracelet's way of changing shape, and it had fired ranged attacks in that mode. Could there be some connection? But Amber hadn't worn yellow and orange clothing, nor could she have gotten to the Vasty Deep faster than Sabrina... she would have seen her pass by. No, these had to belong to someone else. Who? She might never know. But that was secondary for now. Now for real, Sabrina threw the engines on and began her journey towards Cinnibar Island.

[Undyne]

Sabrina's days had turned into a rather monotone routine on board of her ship: she sailed, checked the maps and her direction every so often, looked out for thunder-storms, rain, cyclones, rogue waves and other disturbances that should better be steered clear of or dodged by submerging the ship for a while, and in the evenings she dropped anchor, either in the middle of nowhere or on the shore of some island if she reached any before nightfall, to get a little sleep at the shore and depart again as soon as she woke up again. The map turned out to be very precise, as expected from military-grade cartographers, and her, albeit basic, knowledge of seafaring allowed her to sail the waters safely enough.

Cinnibar Island was far out. Even with a map showing her the fastest, most direct route it took her nearly two days to reach the first "stop", an island off the coast of Costa Del Sol where she stopped for a while. Three days to the second island, and three more to the third. Now she was sailing through the night, the third stop behind her and with little else before her outside of a few "islands", glorified rocks sticking out of the water more than actual places where one may consider stopping, if only for a night's worth of sleep. Cinnibar Island would come into reach soon, but there were no more places she could stop at. Only if she stopped the ship and opened the hatch for a while was she able to get some fresh air, though it wasn't ideal to sleep in it. As a result of being locked off the outside world when the hatch was closed Sabrina had started to sleep when she needed it, and sailing the rest of the time, whether that was at day or at night. She could only hope that she would either have gone a full circle or recovered by the time she got to Cinnibar Island.

While she checked the directions, her mind began to drift off and her eyes fell back on the golden bracelets that she had found on the start of her journey. Now they rested atop a large crate full of spare ammunition magazines, which she had reverse-engineered from the shells in the weapons and replicated with her Omnilium. They were odd... she had never quite seen any technology like this, able to conceal a weapon of such destructive power in those unseeming bracelets - and much more so to be able to squeeze so much technology and explosive ammunition into the small amount of space that the bracelets had to offer when inactive. Through a lot of analyzing and replicating them she had eventually found out how they functioned, but nontheless she was amazed at the skill and creativity of whoever had developed them. They were likely a unique or at least rare weapon - the effort and material invested into building those could not have been cost-effective when something bigger such as a rifle or a machinegun was much more efficient. Regardless, they were just too good to pass up, so she had made it her little pet project in her free time to adjust the size to fit her wrists and do minimal changes to the mechanics so that they were comfortable to her. In the process she had also discovered the engraving on its inside, almost invisible: "Ember Celica (EC). Please return to Yang Xiao Long (Scroll No. 557-4794)", and then a carving of... a flame, or something. Maybe an emblem.

Whoever this Yang Xiao Long was, he or she probably would not be needing these anymore. If they were dead, there was that, if they were alive... well, their loss. They'd just have to make new ones. "Ember Celica" was probably the name of these bracelets, and what this Scroll was, she had no idea. Didn't sound like they were referring to a rolled-up piece of parchment or paper though.

Having replicated the item had been the harder part. The shells containing some odd form of colored powder which, as she soon discovered, was hair-trigger explosive if exposed to the right thing, and somehow contained elemental properties. Having lit the powder on fire when she was on one of the islands had caused a brief flare and an explosion that had sent her stumbling back with force. She had soon discovered how the shell was made and had simply made a copy of it, along with the powder to fill it, then when she had felt more confident she had created entire magazines. The original shells were safely stored away now. 19 of them were left, out of the 24 that she had originally found inside the Ember Celica. She kept them safe just in case that she had made some error and needed to analyze them again. In the meantime she had loaded her newly made shells into the Ember Celica and tried them out in a safe environment, on a deserted island. She had figured out how to fire a shell, when it wouldn't trigger and when it would - there were inbuilt safety mechanisms that prevented her from blowing her hand off, for instance - and how it functioned. The bracelet's shape and barrel even prevented the explosion from a shell fired at point-blank range right after a punch from hurting her hand, while also directing the ranged attacks to fly straight forward if fired from a range longer than at the end of her fist. Yet again, a true little miracle of craftsmanship. Even an experienced weaponsmith would not have been able to get so many properties and so much safety into such a small item. Then again, there were Pokeballs, those too were miracles of craftsmanship, although in very different ways... but, her mind was flying off again.

What little time she had spent on land and not sleeping, she had trained. While certain that her mastery with this peculiar weapon was anything but perfect - much more so considering that she was not a close combatant, that she was in fact not a combatant at all - she believed that she could use it to some degree of efficiency. They'd be useful in situations where her opponent came too close to her, like Amber had in their fight. That fight had made Sabrina realize that her experience at Pokemon fighting was not of much use here. Here there were no Pokemon she could command to attack, or at least she did not have any. She had overestimated her own strength in the heat of the moment, in the realization that the powers she had once only wielded through her Pokemon were now her own, and forgotten that she hadn't actually fought much herself. Amber on the other hand was someone who had fought from the start, who had battle experience, something that she, Sabrina, lacked.

But if she did not know something she could learn it. If she did not have something, she could acquire it. If she could not obtain it by some means, she could do so by others.

Simple as cake.

[Undyne]

The quest done from here on is "A Little Peace and Quiet", posted below (personal reminder).

[spoiler] Requirements: Cannot be affiliated with: The Empire, the Imperial Navy, or the Liberation Front
Difficulty: Moderate (5000-10,000 words dependent on writing quality)
Reward:  Living space on Cinnabar Island or the surrounding archipelago (may be used for a Base), +300 OM

Location: Cinnabar Island

Overview – Character must travel to Cinnabar Island’s main settlement.  They will receive a task from the council that is aimed at improving the island.  Tasks can vary from the mundane to the dramatic, but writers should be aware of possible bounties for anti-Imperial acts.

Cinnabar Island has, for a long time at least, been a sanctuary for the (metaphorical) flotsam and jetsam of the Omniverse.  Ever since the physic prime Mewtwo arrived at the island, its population and central settlement have continued to expand.  Cinnabar’s expansion has not been without ‘growing pains.’  The somewhat recent exodus of Wartortle and his followers shattered the idyllic atmosphere of the island, and the halfhearted blockade by the Empire has had an effect on both the economy and moral.

As a result, Mewtwo’s closest advisors (the de factor rulers of the island) have become open to recruiting help from the outside world, despite such actions being shunned earlier in the island’s history.  Interesting individuals need only travel to Cinnabar Island, find the main settlement, and present their case to the leadership (a collection of Pokemon who serve as Mewtwo’s inner circle).  The council will give them a task they feel matches most with the individual’s abilities or personality.   These tasks run the gamut from land clearance to sabotaging the Imperial Navy’s blockade (be aware of bounties!)

Because Cinnabar Island is far from the most lucrative place in the Omniverse, the leaders can offer the only thing they have to give—a plot of land and acceptance into the melting pot that is Cinnabar.

Quest Stipulations – Character must perform a task for the leadership of Cinnabar Island.  This may range from something trivial (cleaning up new farm land or helping to build new homes) to something more involved (smuggling in luxury goods or sabotaging a blockade) [/spoiler]

How it was that this far out there were inhabited islands Sabrina did not understand, at least not until she actually got on it. Even imperial soldiers that were this far out into the ocean of the Vasty Deep wanted to sit back and enjoy a good drink once in a while, it appeared, though they weren't the only ones. What had started as an outpost had evolved into a little self-sufficient town with civilians living there as much as imperial troops coming through. There were also tourists wanting to explore the far reaches of the Vasty Deep, as far as they could go before things actually got dangerous, and locals from nearby islands that wanted not to stay isolated from the rest of the verse and used the town to hear about the events. A stranger docking at the port and coming on land for a drink was such an everyday occurence that nobody even turned their heads when Sabrina arrived.

An imperial outpost... must be a pretty big one, Sabrina thought to herself as she stepped out of her vessel and overlooked the docks. There were some three dozen ships docked, all bearing the Imperial Navy flag - several schooners and brigs, a handful of frigates and two massive Men-O'-War. The combined firepower of this armada was probably enough to wipe an island from the face of the earth. She shuddered at the thought of getting on the business end of its cannons. One of the ships caught her attention more than the others, however: a large brig outfitted with no cannons, large snow-white sails bearing an insignia that she felt like she'd seen before and overall a very high-quality design. Even from afar she could see that the wood was finer than that of any other ship on the docks, that the door to the captain's quarters was gilded and that the front was decorated by a gallion figure that belonged into an art exhibition. This was not a battleship, not the ship of merchants or travelers, not even a flagship to transport the fleet admirals in. It was a ship suited for nobility. But who could it be? Someone important, in any case - the quality of the ship and the number of guards that she could see when she passed it by left no doubt to that. It was thus a good idea to go out of her way to get a little info. Chances are that they were restocking before continuing on their trip, but an armada of such size would not stay for long, thus she needed to hurry. The inns right by the portside were stuffed beyond capacity, but she found one where she could slip in and mingle among the crowd.

As she stepped forward to the counter and waited her turn, she listened in as inconspicuously as she could. Most people were playing dice and card games, having drinking contests, exchanging gossip or simply chattering. But she would not have been a good spy for Team Rocket had she not been able to listen to a pair of Officier Jennys talking in the middle of a crowd and blending out all the background noise. It did not take long for her targets to reveal themselves: a pair of naval officiers, somewhat inebriated, feeling pretty safe in an inn filled mostly with their own men. Even a disciplined imperial navy officier's tongue loosened after one too many glasses of good stuff.

"Ya seen the redcoat anywhere?"

"Heard he went right for the Golden Quill."

"The Golden Quill? You serious? That place takes up my whole month's pay just for one night!"

"Cause you're just a rear admiral. The redcoat's a damn diplomat! One of the God-Emperor's handpicked, they say."

"Entrusted with the diplomatic relationships with Cinnibar, yeahyeah. I know. So what of it, it's not like he ever lifted a finger to fight. Like he ever earned his spot."

"Keep your voice down if you don't want to get punished, damnit! This guy isn't like you and I... his work could make or break the relationships with Cinnibar. If he slips up he's a goner... heard that this Mewtwo guy doesn't play around if you get him angered. Rips you limb from limb with his psycho-powers."

"So what? We face danger like that every day too! We fight to keep the Empire safe!"

"We're the Navy... we fight with steel. We fight if he fails. His job is to prevent fights from happening at all. He fights with words. If we fight there's bloodshed, no matter who wins. He fights so that no imperial blood gets spilled. Besides, he earned his spot. Heard he graduated with top grades from the Coruscant University and went straight to the embassy in Costa del Sol to further his career."

"And all that justifies his fatty paycheck at the end of the month?"

"Looks like so. Now shut up and get the server's attention, my mug's empty."

"Will do... by the way, you had any progress with the admiral?"

"Nope. Still won't tell us why we're staying here and waiting for green light."

"You think it's got something to do with Cinnibar? Ya know, if the fight with words fails, we come in with the steel?"

"I wouldn't exclude it..."

"Right. OI! Can we get another two glasses over here?!"


Sabrina had heard enough. When the two officiers were busy drinking again, though she doubted that they had noticed her in the first place, she slid back out of the inn and leapt into her submarine. She exited the dock acting inconspicuous, leaving the submarine at sea level, then submerged herself once she was a bit out just in case that anyone decided to call her back for a checkup. The info that she had would be a huge step towards gaining the Cinnibarians's trust. She could not let it go to waste by being late... her next stop had to be Cinnibar, with as much time as possible before that diplomat arrived.

1.008 words written.

[Undyne]

Sabrina knew she had reached her destination without looking at the maps. Cinnibar Island looked exactly as it did in Kanto, except that it was larger in overall size. She surfaced her submarine so as to present herself clearly and not get the mistrust of anyone by appearing sneaky, and deployed the sails to do the last part of the trip. She also stretched her limbs through the hatch. This last part of her trip had been quite taxing to her as she had been in crunch mode, getting to Cinnibar as fast as she was able to to beat the Empire by as long as she could. As a result the inside of the submarine was damp and with stale air. She welcomed the opportunity to breathe fresh again.

Her arrival was surprisingly uneventful. She'd expected some sort of border control, but she could just enter the port without any issues and get directions to an empty dock from the harbormaster. Apparently though this wasn't the main settlement, she realized when she finished the docking and opened the front hatch to get her bike out. The real thing was located further uphill... just like the settlement on Kanto. Interesting. She closed and locked the hatches of her machine to prevent it from being stolen, then put on her helmet and got on the road. Sure she would have loved the fresh air on her face, but safety came first with a Magnet Bike. Asking for directions only took two tries, then she was on her way.

The landscape whizzed by her as she drove along the road for a while and eventually arrived at the main settlement. It was... interesting. Overpopulated, certainly, with many people lacking proper housing and roads being chaotic and difficult to navigate, but she spotted a multitude of beings - not even a majority of Pokemon, as she had expected, though there was a fair share of them too. Those Pokemon shot her glances, noticing her Ace trainer attire, but none spoke to her. Sabrina on the other hand asked for directions to a peacekeeper station, or someone who was in charge of Cinnibar and its inhabitants, and first was pointed to a police station. But as she had expected, they could not deal with a political matter and instead set up a call with one of the council members of Cinnibar Island, Alakazam. Sabrina stood in the lobby of the station, her bike outside, and tapped her feet on the ground waiting for a response.

Finally the phone was picked off and a robotic voice, apparently a translator, spoke. "Hello, Alakazam of Cinnibar speaking... is this Officier Arcan-"

"Pardon the interruption, but no. This is Sabrina, I'm calling from the officier's phone with his permission. It's an urgent matter."

For a moment there was silence. Then the robotic voice spoke again. "Explain yourself."

"While on my way to the island I have come across around three dozens of imperial ships outfitted for battle garrisoned at the fort on the island Ingareth, and I overheard that there is a diplomat on their way to Cinnibar Island there as well. From what I overheard the armada may be readying for a strike against Cinnibar Island if the diplomatic relationships fail."

"Those are some serious accusations, and they are coming from a stranger. How do you intend on proving that we can trust you?"

"I thought you were going to ask... listen, you're an Alakazam, yes? It just so happens that I know some about the Pokemon world. You or one of your associates should have the ability to read my mind and test the authenticity of my words by viewing my memories, right? I would be okay with that."

"True. You are at the station on Street Lindenberg? I will send someone to pick you up, please wait until they arrive." After confirming the adress the call was ended and Sabrina waited for some ten minutes before a Kadabra in a suit came walking in.

"You are Sabrina, I presume, ma'am? If you could please come with me?" Unlike Alakazam over the phone, this Pokemon spoke with telepathy as they were face to face.

"Coming." Sabrina got up and followed the Kadabra, who led her to an impeccable-looking car with darkened windows and a chauffeur holding the doors open for them. It was a short drive to a large building which Sabrina presumed as to be the council halls, and Kadabra led her to an office inside where Alakazam was sitting behind a massive desk.

"Ah, yes, welcome. Have a seat, please... now, Miss Sabrina, unfortunately I must ask that what I inform you of does not leave this room without my explicit permission." This time Alakazam used telepathy too.

"Of course, you have my word."

"We were already aware of the diplomat that you spoke to us of, from other sources. However we did not know of the armada of warships so close to our home. As such, I would like to sincerely thank you for the information - though it remains that you must have your mind checked by Kadabra."

"I didn't expect you to trust me. I would just like your word that I will not have my private memories dug through... the memories you are going to need are from the last two days."

Alakazam waved his hand dismissively. "We aren't interested in that. Kadabra is an experienced mind reader and you have my assurance that he shall not look at anything he is not supposed to. Kadabra, if you please would..."

Kadabra stepped forward and placed his hand on Sabrina's forehead. She closed her eyes and made an effort to bring her recent memories to the front, while Kadabra proceeded to go through them. It wasn't a nice process, Sabrina felt as if her mind was being turned inside out and couldn't help but to twitch and resist reflexively when Kadabra moved around. When he withdrew again, Sabrina felt as if hours had passed, but checking her watch revealed that it had only been three minutes.

"My lord, her information appears correct. The fort is indeed holding at least thirty ships and a brig with the insignia of the imperial diplomatic division of the Vasty Deep. The memories don't show signs of being forged. I should however note that I saw memories of... an attire in Miss Sabrina's vehicle, which would conform to her suspected identity."

"Is that so?" Alakazam turned to Sabrina, who was looking back at them with a puzzled look. "Your name and looks are identical to those of the Gym Leader of the Psychic Gym in Kanto. Could you explain yourself?"

"I told you already that my private life is unrelated and, frankly, not your business", Sabrina replied in a sharp tone. "If you have to know - yes, I once was Gym Leader, but in this place I have stranded in as of recently I don't see Saffron City, Pokemon Centers or anything else that belongs to my homeland, the Pokemon World. Cinnibar Island is the only place that I know from that life, and even that is not what it was there. Does that answer your question?"

"You react rather aggressively, Miss Sabrina. Is there something you are hiding from us?"

"We all have our secrets. But the questions about my identity go beyond the scope of what I am okay with - I allowed Kadabra to view my memories to confirm the truth of my words, not to dig through other matters. Plus, you are a Pokemon, a psychic Pokemon to be precise... and I was a trainer specializing in such." She shut up, Alakazam knew what she was getting at.

However, the Psychic Pokemon again made a dismissing wave with his hand. "That is all past, now. It is helpful to know that you really are Sabrina, the psychic master, because that would mean that you might aid us in this matter. I can assure you that I bear no personal agenda in this matter, least of all a revenge-trip against Pokemon trainers. If you could calm yourself a bit, I'll gladly explain the situation to you." He put his hand to his forehead, sending out a mental signal, and soon the door opened to let a Mr. Mime in. "The usual for me, please, and for the Lady..."

"... plain water with a shot of lemon juice and some ice cubes, please", Sabrina finished the sentence. Mr. Mime bowed and backed back out of the room.

"Miss Sabrina, allow me to explain the situation. Our leader, Mewtwo, is the one to speak with any imperial diplomats, whether or not they would come announced. We, the council, stand by and provide advice depending on our fields of expertise. As you can likely imagine, the diplomats come protected by psychic shields to prevent mind-reading, and conversely are unable to read the minds of the council and Lord Mewtwo as we are too strong. In an event such as this one where he would come unannounced I can say without doubt that he will be protected."

"Right." She didn't say much more as she was certain that Alakazam would to get to the point soon. Instead she hung back in her chair and eyed the psychic Pokemon expectingly.

"We are worried that their unannounced arrival means that they have an agenda up their sleeves. The imperial armada that you reported is... it's not proof, but certainly grounds to worry."

"You're thinking that they might launch an attack if diplomacy fails. I know."

"Indeed. However the problem lies deeper than that. We cannot outright refuse the diplomat when he shows at our doorstep if we don't want to worsen the relationships with the Empire, which are resting atop very fragile pillars already. On the other hand, we cannot afford to go in blind, on their terms. If they have a plan we must know about it, or we risk losing Cinnibar's independancy and possibly the lives of everyone on it."

"If the Empire attacks, the innocent cinnibarian blood that is spilled will be on their conscience, not mine. Don't try to guilt-trip me."

Alakazam chuckled. "Please, I am above such petty tactics. I merely intended on explaining to you what the potential magnitude is that we are facing."

"You haven't yet explained where I come into all that."

"Correct, I was getting to that." Alakazam paused when Mr. Mime returned with a tray on which he brought the requested drinks - a red liquid, probably wine, in a filigrane glass for Alakazam, and the cold water for Sabrina. He bowed and once again withdrew as soon as they had both recieved them and closed the door. Only now did Sabrina notice that Kadabra had left too. "You see, we would require someone to scout out the Empire Diplomat's plans by mindreading. The shields that they put up all have one major weakness: they are directional. Much like a brick wall, they only protect towards one side, which is the side that Lord Mewtwo and the council is sitting at. If someone could stand at such an angle that the shield is not in the way, the diplomat's mind would lay relatively unprotected."

"Aren't you underestimating him?" Sabrina interrupted Alakazam's monologue and took a sip of her drink, demonstratively looking at the Pokemon over the edge of her glass before proceeding. "Even someone unskilled in psychic arts can learn to put up a mental barrier. This should be elemental for an individual who visits an island full of psychic Pokemon."

"I said relatively. And indeed, our target has recieved substantial mental training, to the point that he can, if not keep out, at least notice the presence of all but the most skilled of our psychics if we prod his mind with our telepathic arms. I don't have to explain, I presume, that this is even less desirable than obtaining no information whatsoever?"

"You don't. Go on."

"Well, the issue at hand is that the most skilled psychics of our island, to which, with all humility, I count myself, are members of the council. Certainly we could slip into the mind of our target and leave without them ever noticing a thing, but our absence during the diplomatic meeting would be easily noticed and would put the bodyguards on high alert, especially considering that they are likely expecting some form of retaliation from our end if we get surprised by their arrival. Pretending that one of us is sick or absent and sending them to mindread from behind the shields would therefore not be a valid plan."

"And let me guess. You believe that I would be fit to the task?" It was a rhethoric question. With so much at stake and the risk being present that she was a spy for the Empire, Sabrina knew full well that they would not entrust a complete stranger with this mission. Not to mention, she doubted that she was as skilled, if not moreso, than Alakazam. She sipped her drink and enjoyed the discomfort of Alakazam as he searched for a polite way to explain it to her.

"Well... unfortunately, Miss Sabrina, while we have reason to trust you, the extent of your abilities is... humble in comparison to a Psychic Pokemon. We could not be certain that you would retrieve the information without compromising yourself. In truth, most of the council wouldn't even trust themselves with a task of this magnitude. Which is why Lord Mewtwo would take care of it personally."

Sabrina hid her surprise as she came to realize the devious plan Alakazam was revealing to her. "And you need someone to cover for him as he does the scouting in person. Someone with psychic powers large enough to make their presence noticeable, but not necessarily as large as Lord Mewtwo's, putting up the act that he is holding his powers in check."

Alakazam clapped his hands with a bright smile. "As expected from a Gym Leader, your mind is sharp as an Aegislash's blade. You are indeed correct, Miss Sabrina."

"I suppose then, that you have solutions thought up to how you would make me look like Mewtwo? How you would have me speak his words for him? How you would keep me from messing up the meeting on purpose, as I suppose that you cannot fully trust me?"

"We have solutions, Miss Sabrina. We are quite... resourceful in that regard."

[Undyne]

As I forgot to post this in my previous post: 2.416 words written.

Sabrina adjusted the collar of her sweater to ward off the cool winds coming from the sea, and continued her walk through the streets of Cinnibar Island. The buffets of salty cold air were making her head hurt but she didn't want to go back inside. She needed fresh air. She needed to think.

Alakazam's proposal was difficult for her. Did she like it? No. But if she wanted to earn the trust of Cinnibar Island's council and of Mewtwo, she had no other choice. Finding herself stuck like that, she gnawed on the fingernail of her thumb for a moment before stuffing her hand back into her pocket. What was she going to do? Expose herself completely? Give her body to the care of Mewtwo and the Cinnibar council who were all Pokemon? Risk them wrenching her secrets from her mind and ruining her plan before it could get started? Could she trust them if they didn't trust her? What a dilemma...

--- 2 hours earlier ---

Alakazam took a sip of his wine, let it roll around in his mouth a bit, then swallowed and smiled at Sabrina. It was a polite, but cold smile. "Like said, Miss Sabrina, we are quite resourceful. Lord Mewtwo is a veteran Prime with great knowledge about the Omniverse, as well as extensive scientific and medical experience, and many of our residents have similar skills. We had a large part of the plan set up and were looking for someone suited to take the key role, someone with the mental powers necessary to accomplish the task. It is a great coincidence that you arrived here."

"Because of my psychic powers?"

"And because of your human body. Any Pokemon that have psychic powers as strong as yours are in the council, and those with more modest but still sufficient abilities have an unsuited body shape."

"How am I supposed to understand that?"

Alakazam smiled a bit brighter and pointed at Sabrina with one of the fingers that held his wine glass. "Your physical shape comes very close to that of Lord Mewtwo."

"Are you telling me that you intend to stick me in some disguise to pose as Mewtwo?" Sabrina raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that it would come over as quite odd if your Lord appeared before the diplomat with five fingers, long hair and breasts?"

"Don't be silly. We are going to use a DNA-pill to temporarily shapeshift to look like Lord Mewtwo. The pill isn't perfect but its spectrum of possibilities, while vastly inferior to that of a true shapeshifter, will be sufficient to make you look like him. Rather than adding or removing body mass it will rearrange it to his proportions, plus add a tail and horns and remove mass from your chest, arms, legs and such. Any leftover corrections if the pill is imperfect can be adjusted by our experts." Alakazam waved his hand around. "Take Medicham, Jinx or Mr. Mime for instance. Their bodymass is distributed very differently to that of Lord Mewtwo, simple retouching is far from sufficient. Our experiments in that matter have only resulted in grossly malformed imitations of his appearance. They were too short, their bone structure and shape was completely different, they had too much bodymass... you on the other hand are very fitting to the task."

"I imagine then that you have done ample testing of the pill itself? It will function as intended?"

"Well, yes. Its functionality is based on the Omnilium that makes up our bodies, it doesn't distinguish between species. There may have to be a few adjustments to make it perfect for you, but I am confident that we can manage such if we proceed with haste."

"I'll be honest. I don't trust this pill. What if its effects leave a mark on my body or never wear off?"

"Besides that I personally believe that that would be nothing but an improvement to your looks, I believe that we can calm you down. We have no interest of letting you head out as a doppelgaenger of Lord Mewtwo, sowing confusion... and potentially more. We would research a method to restore your original looks, of course. You won't leave without your body looking like its original self."

Sabrina ignored the threat contained in that last sentence and crushed one of the ice cubes between her teeth while thinking it over. Worst case scenario, she would have to kill herself and return to the Nexus, then find her own cure. Best case scenario, there wouldn't be any undesired side effects. "What about the part where I only say what I am required to say?"

"For this we have a very interesting item from our laboratories, called the Neural Transmitter. Once attached to the base of your neck it is able to control the impulses that your brain sends out, blocking, modifying or allowing them to pass. It is also able to create electric impulses itself in order to make your body move. It is controlled by telekinetic orders from a specific individual, meaning that you would essentially recieve any prompts of action from one of our council members." His grin left no doubt as to who that council member was. "Due to your proximity to that individual the telekinetic connection will be virtually void of errors, and as a long-standing partner of Lord Mewtwo they will be able to make you act exactly like him."

"So I'll be a puppet on mental strings."

"I would rather call it... guided. Puppet is such an unfitting word especially in politics."

"Can I trust you on not blocking my brain's impulses to regulate my bodily functions, be that heartbeat or preventing my digestive tract from spontaneously discharging itself?"

"Such petty errors are beyond consideration. Even if my mind that, as I may note, can easily distinguish a human's petty brain impulses directed at their metabolism from actually important orders, allowed for such crude errors I have already taken extensive training with the Neural Transmitter and am able to control anyone to such perfect detail that their own mother would note notice a difference. You will play your role better than the most skilled actor, I assure you."

"What about mental speech? Mewtwo uses telepathy, as all of you do, and I cannot imitate his mental voice if I speak to the diplomat."

"You're forgetting that the diplomat is protected by an anti-telepathy wall. But to this end each council member and Lord Mewtwo himself is outfitted with a Mr. Mime translator, who is able to speak the human language and will speak out everything, word by word, as they are told by their respective "client". In this case however, I would take the role of speaking to the Mr. Mime that is assigned to you, as well as speaking to my own. Before you ask, yes - multitasking the speech and bodies of two individuals simultaneously is an easy task for a mind like mine. Nobody will notice... not even Mr. Mime, who I may note will be blissfully unaware of who's really sitting on the chair behind him as I will speak to him in Lord Mewtwo's voice. Is that all the questions?"

"You haven't yet told me a reason to do all this. As I told you, I'm not interested in saving lives, so you can forget guilt-tripping me. And there's another matter..."

"Of course, you will be adequately compensated for your volunteering and substantial aid in this matter. Outside of free meals and lodging during your preparation for the meeting up to the day after it takes place, we will reimburse you for any Omnilium expenses you have incurred as a result of your work. Primes that aid us here on Cinnibar Island are granted additional rewards by Lord Mewtwo as well, this often amounts to a permission of residence here on Cinnibar Island or anywhere within its region of influence, plus a substantial reward in Omnilium. And what may that other matter be then?"

"If your Neural Transmitter is able to control all my thoughts you will undoubtedly catch a number of secrets that I wish to keep for myself, subconscious thoughts that drift around my brain. I want your word of honor that you will not share these secrets with Mewtwo, the Mr. Mimes that act as translators, the other council members, Kadabra or anyone else at all, in any way, shape or form, fully or partially. And I demand that you agree to a partial memory wipe that covers the entire meeting, as well as any other times during which you may have learned any of those secrets I do not want you to share."

"And what if I refused to agree to either of these demands?"

"Then I can get up and leave, and wish you luck at finding someone fitting on such short notice with my powers - though you have my word that nothing spoken in this room will leave it. And if you promise it first, then break that promise later, well... the information shared here may be very interesting to the authorities of Coruscant and the imperial Navy."

Alakazam laughed. "You are so bent on keeping those secrets that you are threatening us? Wait, what is it that humans say again...? "We do not negotiate with terrorists", is that it? Why should I listen to your threats, Miss Sabrina?"

"It's a fair exchange. I am entrusting my body to you for a long time, at the risk of you being dishonest and taking complete control of me. Ensuring that my secrets are kept safe is quite a small price to ask in exchange. If you don't keep your silence, why should I keep mine?"

"Yes, you're right. Although I am quite curious as to what sort of secrets you are keeping in there if you value them so much. Do you have a few Alakazam skeletons in your closet, maybe?"

"We all have a skeleton in our closets."

"Well, Miss Sabrina, I will be honest. I can promise you that I will keep your secrets, but I cannot promise you a memory wipe. That technology is too risky, too powerful, and frankly I do not want my IQ to be reduced to vegetable, let alone human levels, by a malfunction."

"I cannot agree to that."

"We will find a replacement, Miss Sabrina, that is not the issue at hand if worst comes to worst. You are, however, our perfect choice, and I would be disappointed if you left us. I swear upon my life and as a council member of Cinnibar that I will not divulge any secrets to anyone in any way and in any amount. That is all I am willing to offer, the rest is your choice. Yes or no?"

"..."

"Take some time to think it over if you want. I will tend to some other matters and recieve you again in three hours, then I will expect your final decision."

---Present---


And so Sabrina stood there, waiting for Kadabra and thinking. How much could she trust Alakazam? His words had sounded honest, but... if they found out about her, about her Team Rocket past, and told Mewtwo about it she may get kicked straight from the island, worst case. Best case, Mewtwo would take it cool, but she doubted that. Behind her, a door opened and she turned to see Kadabra approach her.

"Miss Sabrina? Alakazam is ready to recieve you again. Please follow me."

"... I'm coming."

2.043 words written.

[Undyne]

As I am cutting the Cinnibar quest short, all progress so far is hereafter voided. Ignore my previous wordcounts.

Sabrina sat back in the chair she'd been assigned and while waiting for the Neural Transmitter to be placed on her head for a test run took a look around at the devices hanging from the walls and resting on tables. Some of them reminded them of the machines that a Pokemon Center offered , she had seen more than one from the inside, but this was not a hospital where people got healed. It was a medical facility for research purposes. The light was reflected off of a collection of scalpels, with edges so sharp that they would probably cut through skin without the least force needing to be applied from its wielder. Like a Scyther claw cutting paper.

With a Chansey controlling Sabrina's vital signals the Slowking behind her put a helmet on her head that had a number of openings for cables to be plugged in. A sharp pain went through her skull when two of short needles were pushed in through a pair of openings on her neck, but the pain rapidly faded away again and didn't repeat itself. The other plu gs were filled with electro-sensitive cables, capable of catching brain impulses and redirecting the waves. With each one inserted a new self-repeating beeping sound joined the already present ones, creating a veritable little orchestra around them. Chansey didn't appear worried for a single moment , her heartbeat and brainwaves seemed stable, as far as she could tell anyway. She was no expert at reading those zigzaggy lines on the grid next to her.

Neither of them could speak to her, at least physically, and her mental access was blocked off by the helmet. It was a weird feeling, as the helmet also blocked her ears and muffled the noises around her to some extent. It gave her time to think about things she didn't want to think about.

Soon Alakazam would come in, and she knew that he would see the things that she didn't want him to see if he connected himself to her for a test run. He had given her his word, but really - could she trust him on it? He had sworn on his life and as a council member. But the information that he may share with Mewtwo may be worth resigning from the council and killing himself - only for Mewtwo to just recreate him, he was a secondary after all. I'm a Team Rocket member. My Gym Leader position has stirred something in him already, despite how he denied it. He will tell Mewtwo.

She was glad that she had prepared. Hidden beneath her skirt she had a magnetic belt going all the way around, with about two dozen Pokeballs on it. Omniverse or not, no Pokemon could resist being caught in one of them if she threw it, and it'd buy her time. She needed to be careful however, she could not just do it willy-nilly. If she attacked, all of Cinnibar would come after her and she was unlikely to get to the port fast enough before being stopped. Sure she could give it a run, but if she ran into Mewtwo or one of his more powerful advisors... she shuddered at the thought. Her only hope was the Empire. She had information about the little plan that Mewtwo and his men had made up for the diplomatic meeting, perhaps not enough to make them like her, but definitely enough to earn their protection until they were at a safe spot.

Slowking eventually pulled the needles out and removed the helmet. "We have been informed that Lord Alakazam is currently unavailable. The council has been called in for a meeting by Lord Mewtwo unexpectedly. He will be back with you very soon though", its groany voice resonated in her head. She felt sensitive to telephatic communication, it was weird... maybe a side effect of the helmet?

"Can I leave meanwhile?"

"We would prefer if you stayed. Lord Alakazam requested that you-"

Sabrina cut him off. "In that case, I'm sorry." Before Chansey or Slowking could react her Shadow Ball, thrown from less than a meter away, hit Slowking straight in the stomach, making it double over with pain, moaning out. Sabrina immediately followed it up wit h a punch of her new acquisition, the shotgun-like gauntlets, to its snout. Slowking was too resistant to have taken real damage from the Shadow Ball but the point-blank shotgun blast threw it back and made it nearly fall over. Chansey screamed loudly and raised its hands, preparing to use Softboiled to patch up Slowking, but Sabrina was once again faster: with a rapid kick she flinched the medical Pokemon, then smashed her left fist into its side and nearly fainted it with another blast from her gauntlet. All this took place in the space of around five seconds. Slowking was far from finished though: the royal Pokemon had recovered in the time that it  had taken Sabrina to attack Chansey and groaned loudly as it threw its head forward, shooting a blast of psychic energy from the gem on its "crown" at Sabrina. Though she protected herself with her Barrier she couldn't stop the whole attack and was sent stumbling backwards. Expecting another attack, she hastily got up, only to see that Slowking hadn't followed it up and was helping Chansey to its feet. It was seemingly patching itself up... but that would take a while.

"Why...?" asked Slowking. And that was its undoing. Not following its attack up when it had the chance.

"Because Alakazam will have my head if he finds out the truth." She reached under her skirt and produced a Dark Ball, throwing it at Slowking. The weakened Pokemon tried hitting it with its arm but Sabrina had anticipated that and, using her telekinesis, stopped the ball in midair, pulled it around Slowking and had it hit its backside instead. For a brief moment Slowking's face showed surprise and shock as it understood the truth... knowing exactly that only a few people used Dark Balls. Then its shape turned white as the Omnilium that made up its body was compressed into a tiny white ball of energy and sucked into the Dark Ball.

Chansey gave a pained scream and came running towards Sabrina. An orange energy surrounded it and the trainer knew immediately that a Double-Edge was coming her way. She leapt into the air and dodged, instead having the Egg Pokemon run into a table with surgical tools and knock it over in a huge mess. She picked the Dark Ball containing Slowking up with Telekinesis and let it fly into her hand, then landed. Chansey's reckless attack had hurt it and left it half-conscious in the middle of the mess it had caused. For a moment she considered to catch it as well, but... "I have no use for you. Weaklings don't belong in my team." She spoke and lifted a large, heavy-looking microscope from one of the tables before sending it flying at Chansey's head, knocking it out. She'd wanted to kill it, but it appeared that the Egg Pokemon was more endurant than she imagined. As much as she wanted to keep the info a secret, she knew that killing the Chansey would only buy her a little time, she'd gain less than what she'd lose by finishing it. "Guess that's why you get called the Lucky Pokemon... heh." She turned around and headed out of the laboratory then down the corridors in the facility she had been brought to until she found a window that she could break as quietly as possible - namely by ripping the entire frame out of its hinges with Telekinesis and putting it down next to herself - and escaping through the opening.

Her current priority was to get to Cinnibar Island's docks and from there get into imperial custody as fast as humanly possible. If Alakazam came to the lab he would immediately know what had happened, and would go after her. Maybe alert other council members to her, or if she was unlucky enough, Mewtwo. She had no doubts about that the Genetic Pokemon would wipe the floor with her, no matter how many Pokemon she got to assist her. But if she could catch a few along the way to the docks she could at least stall her pursuers... preferably psychic Pokemon, caught with Dark Balls, to make them her obediant slaves. She could use those later on.

Slowking's Pokeball was still in the clutch of her right hand, with black sparks covering its black surface. Had it been able to escape, it would have done so long ago by now. So the Dark Balls worked, even in the Omniverse... very good. But, focus to the task at hand. She couldn't run or fly, so she needed a pair of wheels to go with... another Magnet Bike. Hers was somewhere near the police department, on the other side of the island probably. Too long to get there. She sat down and focused to the best of her abilities to summon one with helmet and a biker suit to cover her usual outfit up and give herself at least some anonymity. Hastily she put everything on and climbed into the seat, then put the Dark Ball with Slowbro back on the belt under her skirt. Better hide her trump card for now.

A scream coming from inside the facility she had just escaped alerted her to that she should probably get going. Perfect timing... the chase was on. She kickstarted her bike and began racing down the streets in the direction of the docks as soon as she could see them, downhill and somewhat far away from where she was. On the good side, she could see the diplomat's ship with the red sails and a little white flag indicating the will for negotiation at the horizon. That was her goal... if she got close enough to pass her message, she would be out of Mewtwo's reach. But she was yet far from reaching it, even if she went there at top speeds. And the blaring of sirens as well as the multiple Growlithes coming onto the streets were confirming her worries - there was communication. She would have to hurry up a lot, or else she would be dead meat... or worse.