There were many thoughts rolling through the back of mind. These were the same thoughts that I had when I was held captive by Love's hands. The fear of being under their control, what they would do to your Pokémon or to your family were very frightening events that happened in my lifetime. This time under intense survival. There was no turning back from these negative thoughts.

Will I ever see Virginia again?

That question, continued to linger in my head, over and over again.

I was genuinely worried about her and her safety. She seemed like a pretty competent trainer and I always felt like she would be able to hold herself well in battle. She was a Rocket Grunt member after all. One of Giovanni's lackey's wouldn't be trained on how to battle for nothing.

Still though.

If I had known that she was going to be facing her opponent head on like that I would have gone with her. However we had a pretty big decision to make. Defeat the enemy and escape or suffer being blown out into space. Which one would you pick under these intense circumstances?

Luckily, I have some pretty competent fighters on my team. Among the group was Jigglypuff. She certainly wasn't my Pokémon but she valued being around me and I would venture to assume. She felt safe under my care as a Pokémon Trainer. Like I was one of her own.

After observing her waddling across the ground beside me. I couldn't help but titter at her personality. She was roaring for a fight and you could see that from her intense stare and the furrowed brow along the brow-ridge of her big gelatinous eyes.

I am so glad I found her as a friend.

I've always wanted one as a personal pet at the house but couldn't figure out how we would best fit her in my room. It was always messy, quite disorganized with all the video games, cords and clothes dispersed about every corner.

My mom would tell me constantly that if I did not get my room cleaned up she would've sent me to a Pokémon re-education school. After that threat; I reluctantly made sure each week that my room was neatly organized and at least there were certain places that were free of all clutter and dysfunction.

The thing is, I didn't think my mom would appreciate having a Pokémon as a pet in her house. She was fine with them being in Poke Ball's but that was all that she would allow at that point. But ever since I left Love, I don't know where my Pokémon were at. At the time I used to own Pokémon myself when I was a member of Ensign's Apostles. But they were let go after I arrived back home to Pallet Town. My memory of the Pokémon I used to own is cloudy. I do not recall owning or having Pokémon that I have caught that were similar to my own.

However, it's nice being a Pokémon Trainer, having the team that you always wanted to catch and breed on your own. It was the greatest freedom I have ever experienced ever since I left on my journey from home.

This time it was personal; I needed to confront the enemies within this base. These Pokémon that I have in my bag. They were taken from either their homes or other trainers. I need to settle the score and to do that. I needed members of my squad, plus Jigglypuff in order to take them down immediately.

We had approached a door that lead up to a winding staircase.

Nodding with firmness; I could see that we had arrived at the place we needed to go as the sign read, 'Caution: Emergency Staircase.'

I need to be sneaky about this.

If Virginia is fighting and she loses her Oddish in battle. She still has Pokémon on her side that we free'd that will fight with her if they can obey her commands. Charmander, Pidgey and Polywag.

But that is a big if.

Most basic Pokémon will not obey trainers unless they obtain the Gym badge. In this case I have one. So battling with Jigglypuff should be a breeze if Solress pulls any punches.

I also have Clefairy and he is my most powerful Pokémon that I have caught yet. However, I am weary to use him since he has been working alongside members of Team Love to do evil. He won't trust me so easily.

There was no time to waste on thinking these negative thoughts.

Clefairy will be your friend, and so will Virginia. C'mon Leaf you gotta concentrate on the task at hand! I thought while smacking my cheeks together.

I had made up my mind.

"You ready Jigglypuff?"

"Jiggly!" Growled the cute little pink fur-ball of cuteness.

Grabbing hold of the door hand I swiftly swung the metallic door against the wall. As me and Jigglypuff raced up quickly toward the top of the tower. Floor after floor we went up, there were several labels showing each floor number in numerical order. You could even see the numbers on the side of the map on each wall displaying which floor he was in.

If he is saying that he is at the top of the tower then he is on the final floor. We gotta keep moving up and fast.

Fast was not the appropriate word for it, we were darting very quickly up and around each floor. Floor fifteen, floor sixteen. They all seemed like a blur to me afterward. I wasn't even looking at the map and we continued our trek up ahead.

Suddenly, a loud screech blasted through the intercoms speakers. Solress was breathing into the microphone about to begin his speech.

"Pokémon are such fascinating creatures, they have powers that are unique to us humans. We don't need powers like Pokémon to rely on their environment. They are just beings that are trying to survive based on regional climate. Air, water and the earth beneath. All have elemental properties for Pokémon life to thrive."

"Leaf you are about to witness the power and glory of one of my most advanced creations yet. You are about to witness the greatest skill and power that humans can ever surmise—

"I've already been told enough! I am coming for you Solress and I am not interested in your invention. When I burst down that door. You better be ready for a fight! Because I am not going to hold back!"

Floor twenty-four, floor twenty-five, we had finally arrived at Professor Solress's location.

"Get ready Jigglypuff!"

"Jiggly!" Inhaled the Pokémon as her entire body inflated even more by absorbing the oxygen within.

"Pound now!"

After my command, the Pokémon that had inflated even more, raised her tiny fist and curled it toward the final door ahead of us. She swung with her left hook. Her body fluctuated and stretched with enough kinetic energy to forcefully bend the door off it's hinges. The intense dominance and ferocity of this move had flung the door fifteen feet into the room. We had finally reached the final floor of Tower one.

"That's more like it." Smiled Solress.

The tall skinny man promptly pulled out a Poké Ball from his lab pocket. Flinging it toward the ground, he released a Dratini. This Pokemon was shaped like a sea monster. Ears that looked like a dragons wings. Blue in color with various baby blue stripes along his smooth snake like body. His most apparent feature was his cute little white nose.

"A Dratini?"

"A rare one to be sure, but this one is a fighter." Boasted Solress.

"Do you have what it takes to defeat my Pokémon?"

Grinning back at him and with an intense determined look I proclaimed.

"I got this far in my Pokémon journey. Bring it on! Then you can show me your latest invention." I teased by mimicking his voice.

He sure didn't seem to like me making fun of him. His countenance went from smug to anger in two seconds.

"Don't you dare mock me and my work. Dratini Wrap!"

The slithery Pokémon was super fast that I could not detect where he would be in this darkened room. I caught glimpses of shadows here and there but this Pokémon I couldn't see anywhere within the room. However, I could hear sounds of him squirming along the ground.

"Hang in there Jigglypuff! Watch out for him he is coming!"

The little spry and determined Pokémon nodded from my response.

"Jiggly-Jig—

Dratini slammed head first towards Jigglypuff. Quickly oscillating his body swiftly towards him. He surrounded her round shape and used his elongated body as the appendage to latch onto her. Suffocating her oxygen and deflating her body. She was quickly losing energy from this move.

"Get out of it Jigglypuff!"

"Jig!"

It was no use, there was no way for her to get free of it.

"Dratini use Agility." Shouted Solress.

"Agility?"

I was just as curious about the move he was using during this turn. So Solress was able to pick up on my facial expressions quickly.

"Dratini is enhancing and stretching his body to boost his speed. This in turn will affect whether or not you will be able to land a hit on my Pokémon ." Gloated the young scientist as he continued to push up his glasses gently toward the rim of his nose.

"Then why use that time for my Pokémon to get free of the wrap?"

"What?" He shouted.

Jigglypuff swiftly pulled Dratini's coiled snake like body off of her and shrunk her body off the form that held her captive.

"Impossible! Dratini's body is amazingly strong and can hold it down for longer than three turns!"

"You forgot about the fact that I learned a thing or two while defeating Gym Leader Brock."

"Each trainers circumstances are different, I must continue to exercise my bravery. To do that; I must be intuitive."

"Ba-haha! I told that stupid fool Hanz that he would be underestimating a trainer like you. However, I am just getting started. It's a battle of the brains Leaf. Let's see who is more intuitive. You or me?" The man furiously raised his arm up towards the air, his lab coat dramatically flowing from his arched posture.

"Dratini, Dragon Rage!"

The snake like creature released a powerful white beam off it's horned like forehead. The move barreled swiftly with organic fury.

"Brace for impact Jigglypuff."

The swift beam permeated Jigglypuff's rubber like body as she bounced across the ground violently. She was having a hard time finding her footing. I could tell that she was about to face another beam of destruction her way.

Dragon Rage is an amazingly powerful move. Knowing Dratini is a dragon type however, this was going to be an ineffective battle with just normal type moves. However, I need to maintain her health. She is going to be knocked out in the next turn if I don't think of something important and quickly.

"Defense Curl!" I shouted with gesture.

"Puff!" She shouted as she curled her rubber body together.

This was the only way I was going to be able to outlast this next one, if she can keep her health without being hit from a critical move. I might be able to land a physical move on Dratini.

It was a battle of wits, I was going to win this fight no matter what. We have ten minutes left until he blows us all to hell. I need to finish him off quickly and regroup with the rest of the crew. But first, after I defeat him; I must interrogate him on the whereabouts of my best friend.

Trainer Red.