Pokemon: Radical Redux-Chapter 342: Olivine City

Meanwhile, you might be wondering where Giovanni is, and why he's letting everything happen without his knowledge. Well, currently, Giovanni was walking through the League prison, heading further down.

As a Gym Leader, he had the authority to come here. It's a pain to get permission, though, especially for the floor he was going to. He was going to see Madame Boss, otherwise known as Giovanni's mom.

The only reason he was allowed to do this was because everyone knew she was his mother, and everyone in the League still believed Giovanni was just a former Executive who betrayed Team Rocket, like Surge and Koga did.

It was more out of sympathy for him, since they still thought he was trying to convince his mother to redeem herself. But that wasn't why he was here. Even if a part of him, deep down, wanted her to, not for him, he no longer cared about her, but for his kids. They should at least get to meet their grandmother.

As he walked past the second-to-last floor, he saw the cell where his admins were being held, Cole, Cliff, and unfortunately, that idiot Aster. He didn't go there, since if he did, Aster would try something stupid. But he took note of it. If he could get his admins out, sure. But not Aster, and especially not with guards around that cell.

So he ignored it for now and went to the final, deepest cell, all to hold one person: his mother, Madame Boss. When he entered, he asked the guards who had escorted him down to give him some privacy. They didn't even flinch, they just nodded and left.

There were no cameras inside this one cell. It was more like a hunk of iron than a prison room. But he doesn't care about that now. As he looked inside, he saw her, his mother, Madame Boss.

Age hadn't been kind to her. Without her expensive skincare routine, her once-beautiful face now showed signs of age. After all, Giovanni was in his early 40s, she was probably around 60 or 70 by now. Giovanni had honestly stopped counting her birthdays a long time ago.

He walked up to her, and she looked up to face him with a mocking smile, "Oh, John, are you here to finally break your own mother out?" she said with false sweetness.

Giovanni didn't even flinch, "Mother. It's been a while. Not long enough. I'm surprised you're still alive," he said coldly.

She scowled. "Watch your tongue. I am still your mother, brat."

"Really? You never acted like one, so you could've fooled me," Giovanni shot back.

"Tch. Whatever. What do you want? Here to rub it in my face how you took over and fooled everyone into thinking you're a good person?" she said, crossing her arms.

Giovanni's eyes narrowed, "I've never once claimed to be a good person. But I am far better than you. At least I'm not trying to destroy this world to make it into my personal playground."

"Call it what you want. To everyone else, if they find out you're not the hero they think you are, they'll turn on you in a second, and you'll be here with your dear old mother," she said mockingly.

"You think I don't know that?" Giovanni said coldly. "I know one day I'll be here too. But until I complete what I set out to do, I refuse to let myself lose, or stoop to your level."

"Pshh. Noble as always, John. That's what made you so weak. When you betrayed me, you know, I was almost proud of you. Finally acting like you should. But you turned out so soft. Maybe it's because you don't have kids yet. Why don't you make me some grandkids and let's see if you're still so noble? After all, aren't kids just a waste of money?"

Giovanni didn't even flinch, "Actually, I already do. I have two kids. And what a surprise, I've never once complained or regretted having them."

That shut her up, "What? ...You...you actually have kids? I'm a grandmother? Why didn't you tell me?"

Giovanni noted her surprise, which confirmed his previous suspicion that she had nothing to do with his daughter's disappearance, "Why should I? I cut you out of my life, and I don't regret doing it. But I can't deny it... I may hate you, but it might not be too late for you to be a part of your grandchildren's lives."

"I..." Madame Boss looked down. Of course, she knew she had been a terrible mother. Years down here gave her time to think, but she wouldn't allow herself to admit she was wrong. She had too much pride for that.

Giovanni reached into his jacket and pulled out a folder, tossing it to her, "As for why I'm here, I want answers. We found your little scheme. And if you don't give me what I want, I'll turn this in and you'll lose your chance at ever getting out of here on good behavior."

She grabbed the folder and saw all her schemes, not just the ones about the robotic Pokémon, but others that were far worse. When she was convicted, she'd been lucky, she was close to being moved to a normal prison for good behavior. She just needed one more year. If this got out, she'd die in this cell, thousands of feet underground.

Giovanni looked at her coldly, "What were your dealings with Cipher..."

—-

{At Olivine City}

Liko and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers got off the ship and looked around the beautiful town.

Friede stood at the front and looked over everyone, "Alright, team. Let's split up and ask around if anyone's seen any sightings of Entei. We can go in teams."

Roy was barely paying attention, but he remembered when Ludlow mentioned earlier that this was his hometown. He turned to him excitedly, "Ludlow! Tell me, are there any tasty places to eat here?" he asked, his mouth already watering. Cyndaquil was the same, wiping the drool from its mouth.

"Hey, Roy, we're not here to play tourist," Dot scolded him.

Ludlow chuckled softly, "Come now, since we're here, I can show you around town while we gather information on Entei."

Roy raised his hand and celebrated, "Yeah!"

"Alright then, I guess that's the teams. Take care of them," Friede chuckled as he waved and walked off with Mollie and Orla behind him. Murdock stayed on the ship to start trying out new dishes from Johto.

As they went their separate ways, Ludlow led the way while the kids looked around, taking in the beautiful city.

"Wow, so this is where you grew up, Ludlow," Dot mumbled as she recorded with her Rotom Phone for a video later.

"There are so many Pokémon," Liko murmured, looking at the street filled with Pokémon.

"Indeed. And there's a place with tasty shaved ice, right there," Ludlow pointed. But the place he pointed at was now a Rotom Phone shop, "Oh... well, it used to be. I suppose it got renovated. Well, I'm sure there's somewhere else."

Ludlow kept looking around and pointing at spots he remembered, but they were either closed down or replaced with something else. Liko, Roy, and Dot started to feel bad. After all, so much had changed, and he hadn't been here to see any of it. It must be hard for him.

But Ludlow spoke, breaking the silence without even needing to look back at them, "I know that look. But it's okay. Places change, and that's okay. Change is good. I do miss how things used to be, but it's for the best that things do change."

Then he turned and looked at a bakery, "And it's not all bad. This place used to be an empty lot. Now they have a bakery with milk bread. Oh, and look, there's a milk stand right next to it!"

Liko gave a small smile, seeing Ludlow brighten up and look happier. Roy immediately started drooling, "Oh, that sounds tasty! Let's get some of both!" he said, running ahead with Cyndaquil rushing behind him.

Liko looked at Dot and shrugged, "Might as well."

"I guess..." Dot mumbled.

Ludlow only chuckled, "Ah, youth..."

—-

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Yellow walked in, looking around at the city.

"So this is Olivine City," Brock said, glancing at his tourist booklet.

"Yeah, wow! It's so pretty, and there are Pokémon everywhere!" Yellow said, spotting a little Phanpy helping two kids cross the street.

"Deal, I call dibs on taking Yellow," Misty announced, grabbing Yellow and pulling her close so they were elbow to elbow.

"Wait, don't I get a say in this?" Yellow asked, slightly dizzy from getting yanked.

"I mean, I would if I could, but she called dibs. We can't do anything—dibs are sacred," Ash shook his head solemnly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Yellow, but as a big brother, I know the rule of dibs all too well," Brock added, nodding. "According to the Big Brother Handbook, Section 17, Line 34: All dibs must be honored."

"Is that actually a thing?" Ash whispered, pulling Brock aside.

"Yeah, it's like something all big brothers learn, kinda like the bro code."

"Ohhh, so that's what that stuff was that popped into my head when I adopted Molly as my little sister," Ash nodded like he just discovered a great truth.

"Guys, please!" Yellow cried as Misty was already dragging her away.

"Sorry, Yellow! See ya later! I'll buy you some snacks as an apology!" Ash waved as she was pulled off into the crowd.

Brock smiled and shook his head, flipping through his book, "So, you wanna go together? Or is there something you wanna do? 'Cause I kinda wanna check out the... you know~"

Ash gave him a knowing smirk, "Ohh, I get it, my dude. Go right ahead. I wanna check some stuff myself. It's always nice to look around. How about we meet back at town square?"

"No complaints here. See ya later," Brock said, giving Ash a fist bump before heading off.

Ash was now alone, well, not entirely. Pikachu was still perched on his shoulder. He looked around, sniffing the air for something tasty.

Ash glanced at his partner, "Well, bud, looks like it's time for another Ash and Pikachu adventure. Where does your nose lead us?"

Pikachu took a deep sniff, then crossed his arms and thought hard. After a moment, he pointed confidently north with a bold "Pika!"

Ash grinned, "Alright, the nose has spoken. Let's go!"

He started walking, guided by Pikachu's nose, but his mind began to wander, specifically to Kurt and the GS Ball he left behind.

Since Abby had left, Ash had told her she could go as long as she popped over to Kurt every now and then to check if anything suspicious was going on. He also had Porygon-Z hack into the Team Rocket databases. Thankfully, there had been no sign that they even knew what the GS Ball was, let alone that Kurt had it.

Speaking of which: Poké Balls.

You might wonder why Ash learned to make them only to... not make any.

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Well, two reasons.

First, he has been trying. But it turns out crafting on the road without proper tools is really hard.

The fire part? Easy. Just get a Fire-type, But beating the discs into shape? Not so much. Kurt uses an anvil for that. Ash can't exactly lug an anvil around in his backpack.

Still, he's been practicing. He's gotten better, especially since the discs harden quickly after heating. Beat them too much, and they become brittle. Not enough, and they stay too hard.

And the second reason? He really doesn't need them right now. He's not planning to catch any more Pokémon in Johto, so making powerful Poké Balls isn't his top priority.

Instead, he's been experimenting,cross-breeding Apricorns along with his other berries, mainly just to see what happens.

As Ash was lost in thought, he walked along the road, Pikachu tugging on his ear to steer him back to reality. He was snapped out of his daze when a streak of blue hair caught his eye. He turned, and there she was, Liko.

Their eyes met in surprise, and for a second, both of them just stood there.

Ash blinked, then a grin spread across his face. He raised a hand and waved enthusiastically, "Liko! Hey!" he called out, jogging over with Pikachu waving cheerfully from his shoulder.

Liko's eyes widened, her heart skipping just a little. She smiled and quickly brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"A-Ash! What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to sound casual, though her excitement was hard to hide.

Ash scratched the back of his head with a sheepish chuckle, "What else? I'm here for the Gym. One trophy on my wall isn't enough for me."

"Ohhh, cool!" Roy suddenly popped up beside Liko, practically bouncing in place. "We're looking for Entei right now! Well, sort of. Also for good food too!" he added with a grin. Over to the side, Cyndaquil, Quaxly, and Sprigatito were happily sipping Moomoo Milk and nibbling sweet bread.

Dot stood further back, arms crossed as she sighed and scratched the back of her head, "You. Not we. You're mostly looking for food."

Ash pointed at her, grinning, "Oh hey, you're... Dot, right? I remember you."

Dot blinked in surprise, "Uh... yeah. I'm surprised you do."

"Well duh, of course I wouldn't forget," Ash said casually. "Though for a while, I thought I was dreaming when I saw you because of that whole thing. But hey, it's nice to see you out in the sun."

He was clearly referring to the whole Nidothing situation, it felt like a fever dream at the time, but the way he said it came off more flirty than he intended.

Dot coughed, her voice catching, "Y-yeah, well... it's nice to see you in sunlight too..."

It was a good thing her bangs covered most of her face, or everyone would've seen the faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

Just then, Ludlow ambled over at his usual calm pace, "Ahh... young Ash. It is good to see you again."

"Hey Ludlow, it's a pleasure for me too," Ash replied warmly.

"Forgive me for asking," Ludlow said, pointing his cane toward Ash's upper chest, "but how is the scar that was left behind?"

Dot sputtered immediately, "L-Ludlow! Isn't that a little... insensitive?! Y-you know!"

Even though she had been in her room during the incident, she had watched everything unfold through the cameras, including the moment Ash nearly died from a hole through his chest.

Liko and Roy both shifted uncomfortably, their expressions tight with concern.

But Ash just chuckled, "Don't worry about it. And to answer your question, it's better now. Still itches sometimes, but no problems. My battling hasn't suffered."

"Ahh... that is good to hear." Ludlow nodded thoughtfully, his expression unreadable.

"That reminds me!" Roy suddenly piped up. "How's Fuecoco?!"

Ash's smile widened as he reached for a Poké Ball at his waist, "You tell me~"

He tossed it into the air, and out popped Crocalor. The fire-type Pokémon landed on his feet, looked around, and chirped excitedly.

"Croca!"

"Whoa! He evolved!" Roy exclaimed, eyes sparkling.

Dot glanced down at her Quaxly, deadpan, "That's... actually surprising."

She crossed her arms, "I guess when you actually train, yeah, evolving makes sense."

"Yeah..." Liko added, scratching her head sheepishly as she glanced at Sprigatito.

She remembered how she got Sprigatito before Ash received Fuecoco. But now? Crocalor stood in front of her, clearly stronger, and their own Pokémon hadn't really changed. She, Roy, and even Dot mostly played with their partners. Ash, meanwhile, never stopped training.

The difference was bigger than they thought.

"Yep, Crocalor helped me out. Even got me two badges here in Johto," Ash said, rubbing the back of Crocalor's head. The fire-type purred in delight, leaning in close and closing his eyes.

"Crocalor~"

"Whoa, hey, can you help us evolve too?!" Roy asked, practically bouncing on the spot. "I want Cyndaquil to be super-duper strong, the strongest he can be!" He waved his arms up and down with excitement.

Ash chuckled, giving Crocalor a gentle pat before letting him go play.

"Maybe later," he said with a smile. "So, you guys are still tracking Entei, huh?"

"It's... a long story," Dot said with a sheepish shrug.

"Well, I've got time," Ash replied, stretching a little. "And maybe I can help. I've had a few run-ins with Entei before."

"Really?" Liko blinked in surprise.

"Three times, different situations," Ash said, holding up three fingers. "So how about it? Tell me what's been going on, I'll see what I can do."

"Deal!" Liko said quickly, too quickly. She blushed and looked down, suddenly aware of how eager she sounded.

Ash smiled, about to respond, "Okay, how about we start with—"

But he was cut off.

A strange sound began to hum through the air. At first, it was faint, just a low whine, like feedback from a speaker, but then it grew louder. More distorted. More... unnatural.

The humans flinched, looking around in confusion.

"What is that?" Liko asked, wincing slightly.

"Seriously asking that right now?" Dot muttered, glancing around nervously. "How should we know?!"

But then, things got worse

All at once, the Pokémon in the area collapsed.

One by one they fell, clutching at their heads, wailing in pain. Crocalor, Pikachu, Cyndaquil, Quaxly, Sprigatito, every single one of them dropped their milk and bread, crying out, rolling on the ground in agony.

Even Liko's backpack began shaking violently, and a soft cry echoed from within, and Dot's Rotom phone that was recording started malfunctioning and fell down onto the ground

"W-What's happening?!" Liko shouted, panicked.

Dot's eyes widened. "P-Pokéballs! Everyone, put your Pokemon back,"

Liko and Roy immediately returned Sprigatito and Cyndaquil to safety, and Dot recalled Quaxly. Ash returned Crocalor and pulled out a tiny pair of padded earmuffs from his bag and put them on Pikachu's ears.

He learned his lesson from the CInnabar island incident

The yellow mouse curled up, breathing hard but stabilizing quickly, "Pika..." he whimpered, his eyes still squinting from the pain.

The hum continued. Across Olivine, people were shouting, confused. Those who hadn't returned their Pokémon were now frantically trying to, too late. Several Pokémon collapsed, twitching. And some began to glow.

They were being forced to evolve, and that is painful to the Pokemon,

And then it stopped, but the damage was done. The Pokemon that were forced to evolve were on the ground twitching in pain, somewhere sick and throwing up, but people looked at the bright side, at least it was over.

If only they knew, the nightmare was only just beginning