Chapter 94: Cipher Admin

You guys know the drill. End of month work is now over and schedule back to normal.

Let's see if we can get over 500 power stones this week!

*

"Might as well. As I recall, his name his Gladion, wasn't it? He really does look like Lillie and her mom.", Serena said to herself. She also saw me grinning at her but ignored that and decided to join us.

Gladion also took notice of Serena. This caused Serena to greet him with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you in person Gladion. You can call me Serena.", Serena said, introducing herself. 'Now that I think about it, this if Itsuki, Lillie and I become one family at the end of the year, won't this make Gladion my brother-in-law...?', Serena thought to herself.

Yet that thought quickly ended as Gladion introduced himself.

"Likewise. I'm Lillie's brother, Gladion. It looks like you have been raising the Pokemon Mother has personally selected quite well.", Gladion said, introducing himself. He also saw Serena's Torracat and nodded.

Hearing that, Serena blinked at Gladion but soon smiled.

"Yes.", Serena nodded.

"Torracat.", Torracat also replied happily as it stood next to Serena's feet.

"I can show you Popplio at another time as well Brother. But I'm guessing we can't spend too much time with you guys?", Lillie asked. As she did, Snowy could be seen in her arms, wagging her tail happily.

"Unfortunately not. For the moment at least. I do believe Mother is on the call still, right Itsuki?", Gladion asked.

"Yes.", I answered.

"Hiiii~, Lillie!", Lusamine said with her usual greeting tone, which drew Lillie's attention.

"Mother?", Lillie asked, deciding to walk up to me. She soon saw the laptop, and on it was an image of Lusamine and also someone else she wasn't expecting, who was the current leader of the elite four, Lance!"

"You really can't take this seriously, can you?", Lance retorted seeing Lusamine act this way. Well she always acted like this whenever she greeted Lillie. She's always in her office so she rarely has time for family, but this behavior was something that I was used to by now, and so was Lillie. Yet this behavior seemed to annoy Lance, so I let out a chuckle.

"Haha, just let Lusamine be like this. It will only be for a couple minutes.", I replied back.

"Itsuki is right. I wish I could talk with you guys more Lillie, but time is of essence. I will leave Lillie and Serena in your care, Hobbes.", Lusamine said, returning to a serious atmosphere.

This caused Lillie to flinch while Serena's eyes turned wide.

"...So something is happening.", Lillie uttered. As we were in a corner, we spoke in quiet voices to not raise others' concerns. Nurse Joy did express interest, but seeing as we were all acquainted, she returned to her work, as did the others.

"Wait, why am I being included? I know we are travelling together, but Hobbes is your butler, isn't he, Lillie?", Serena asked in surprise.

"I am.", Hobbes said, who kept silent until now. "I have received orders to protect the two Young Missuses while Gladion and Itsuki here will be away for their mission. You can treat me as air and pretend I'm not here.", Hobbes responded with a smile.

"P-Protection? Is this going to be dangerous, Itsuki?", Lillie asked with worry.

"I'm...not sure. This is Team Rocket we're getting involved with here...", I uttered quietly.

Hearing me say that the two became surprised once again.

"T-Team Rocket!? Isn't that the crime group that appeared on the news not too long ago?", Serena responded.

"Itsuki, you probably said more than you should have.", Lance retorted in a serious tone.

"Right. I wish we could say more, but I'll leave them to you, Teacher.", I turned to Hobbes and spoke.

"Leave it to me.", Hobbes responded with a bow.

Hearing that, I saw Lillie turn quiet for a moment. I then saw her turn serious before asking a question.

"I know we won't be able to stop you guys, but promise us you won't get hurt, okay, Itsuki?", Lillie asked.

After Lillie asked that, Serena was able to calm down as well, looking at me expectantly. Of course I nodded back at the two. After that, I walked up to Lillie, leaned in and quickly kissed her forehead.

"Of course. I can promise you guys that.", I answered with a smile. As I did a light blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Oh my.", Lusamine responded.

Afterword, Hobbes went to the two's side, and got ready to head back into our room. Yet before that, Serena turned around and walked up to me. She raised her toes and brought my ear to her mouth, and ended up whispering something to me.

Immediately after, a derp blush appeared on her cheeks and she turned tail and dashed up the stairs, vanishing from sight. Lillie became confused and wondered what Serena said, but she and Hobbes went up the stairs as well, vanishing from sight.

This only left Gladion and I in front of my laptop. What Serena whispered just now did catch my interest. It looks like I'll have something to look forward to either after this mission or after our gym battle on Monday.

"Well now, it looks you guys are doing well.", Lusamine said with a teasing tone.

"I'll leave no comment for that.", I retorted back at her.

"...So you really are seeing both of those girls at once, Itsuki?", Lance decided to ask in interest.

"I am.", I smiled back at him.

"I know our society standards don't condone such things, but they must keep you quite busy."

"Well you three are on a journey. I'm sorry to have you take a pause in it for this.", Lusamine also said with an apology.

"it's fine. I've always had Team Rocket in the back of my head. It's been pretty smooth since they've been quiet, but they've resurfaced again.", I said.

"Yes. The files we were given called them, "Shadow Pokemon", right?", Gladion asked, bringing up the contents of the info we were given.

This time it was Lance who took over, only to bring up an image of two different sites. One appeared to be in a desert canyon while the other was a city. In fact it zoomed in on the Game Corner, which was in the current city I was in, Celadon City. As for the other, it was in a different region, the Orre region.

"Going over the data we were able to collect, Team Rocket has officially entered a business with a team called Team Cipher."

"We are unsure when this business proposal came to be, but it is suspected it was over ten years ago.", Lance continued to explain, which drew my interest.

"The league thinks Team Rocket has been in cahoots with Team Cipher since over ten years ago?", I asked. 'That's roughly the same year when we had that summer camp, wasn't it...?', I inwardly said.

"Yes. We received reports over the years of strangely dressed individuals to show up in different regions. One such individual was first seen ten years ago, carrying a silver brief case. While they were reported, they were not taken in as they did nothing wrong during their stays.", Lance continued to say.

After he did, the two locations on screen made way for a third image to appear in the center, which revealed a rather tall figure. The moment I saw this man, even my eyes turned wide.

"This...", I tried to say.

On the screen in front of me now stood an image of a tall, weirdly dressed man. He appeared very flamboyant with his golden sequin-studded leisure suit, which left his chest bare. His hair was also massive and in the shape of an afro, being two-toned red and white, which resembled a Pokeball.

"This man you two see here is one of Team Cipher's four admins. He is highly dangerous despite his unique personality. We fear he may be on site with one of Team Rocket's executives. This man is called Miror B.", Lance explained with a serious tone.

"Miror B...", I uttered quietly. Gladion also became serous.

'So even Miror B is in this world...', I retorted to myself. 'As much as I liked his character in the game, Lance is right. He is a dangerous fellow if left unchecked.', I inwardly said.

"So that's how it is. What's the plan, Mother?", Gladion decided to ask.

Hearing that, we saw Lance work the screen a bit more, only for four small face shots to appear. Two appeared to be Gladion and I, and surprisingly the third face was Michael. And beside him was Wes!

The images of Michael and Wes was moved to the image of the desert canyon while the image of Gladion and I was moved to the Game Corner.

It didn't stop there. Parting sides a bit more, two more images appeared. This time it appeared to be a machine of sorts, a weird looking gauntlet that one could attach to one's arm.

"Gladion, Itsuki your mission will be to retrieve what you see here. We call it the Snag Machine. We are unlikely to interrupt any plans these two teams currently have in motion, but it's not like we don't have any window of opportunity."

"Shadow Pokemon have started appearing in Orre and Kanto, yes, but it looks like Team Cipher and Team Rocket have already started to develop a countermeasure. We are unsure how many of these devices exist but our spies could confirm two are currently located, here, and here.", Lance said. As he did, a red dot appeared at the two sites.

"Team A is currently undergoing an assault with their provided location to retrieve this asset while you, Itsuki and Gladion, Team B are to retrieve the second asset. While we are struggling now, these two devices will help us strike back. They must be recovered at all costs.", Lance said with a firm tone.

"Understood.", I replied, nodding my head.

"Do we know our point of entry?", Gladion also asked while nodding his head.

"About that, it will likely be best for you two sneak in from the roof--", Lance tried to explain, only for a voice to cut him off.

"Now let me stop you right there, Lance.", Lusamine said.

"Lusamine? Is there something you'd like to suggest? You know I don't like anything last minute.", Lance retorted.

Hearing that, Lusamine ignored Lance and instead she turned to look back at me and declared.

"Itsuki, your admin status is hereby enabled for this mission.", Lusamine declared. This made me surprised whole Gladion became serious.

"Mother...", Gladion uttered.

"What's the meaning of this, Lusamine?", Lance replied with a hint of anger.

"Well, should the opportunity present itself, we should just go knock on their front door and walk in, right? Did you forget how attractive the Aether Foundation can be to a lowly team like Team Rocket?", Lusamine retorted back.

Hearing that, Lance turned quiet. He then let out a sigh.

"Fine. It doesn't matter how you two enter the damn place. Hell you two could even set it up in flames for all I care. Just make sure the asset is retrieved no matter what. and undamaged.", Lance replied. He then actual cut his feed off, and left, which only left Lusamine online.

"...Did the Leader of the Kanto Elite Four just say we are okay to commit arson?", I retorted back as I saw Lance leave.

"Who the fuck knows what goes on inside that head of this. I'm sure the stress of these Shadow Pokemon is building up for him. Oh right, be a dear and rob 'em dry if you can. That'll set that Giovanni back a peg or two, hehe.", Lusamine said with a giggle. She too then cut off her feed ending the video call and our mission briefing.

"Arson, and robbery? What makes us different from them if we do that?", I asked as I closed my laptop.

"Hell if I know. I get the gist of this mission. But I don't think they actually covered the plan of entry, did they?", Gladion asked.

"Hmm? Lusamine was quite clear, you know?"

"Oh? So what is the plan then?"

"The plan is that we don't have a plan! We will simply "waltz in", as Lusamine said.", I answered.

Hearing this, Gladion let out a sigh before the two of us left the Pokemon Center.

The night sky soon crept before us.