EPISODE 67: Onward to Success!*

Before dinner has commenced, my suspension is uplifted. I return to the island with relief and excitement, ready to catch up with what I've missed with my friends. As usual, Xeryll picks me up from the city. Little does she know I did a bit of detouring for about half an hour.

Inside the helicopter, my mind recalls the image of the bell. I earnestly want to hold in my grasps, watching it shine before my eyes, however, if I do so and take it out of my pocket, I fear Xeryll's attention would be dragged. I've vowed to Kris not to show this bell to anyone, and that includes my pilot.

Staring at the window of the helicopter, watching the Wingulls and Pidgeots soar with wings stretching far and wide. They follow the direction of the helicopter, heading to where the sun sleeps. The sky is filled with a pigment of blissful orange. Its hues stretch out to my chest and into my heart, very warming, very delightful.

Upon my arrival, I am pleased to see Charlotte and Virgo waving at me from below. They dearly missed me, even if the three of us were separated for a day. It is the ties of friendship that make us melancholy whenever we cannot feel our presence of our friends, thus we tend to miss them.

I am gestured by a warm and delightful hug from Charlotte. Her rage over me seems to have calmed over the time I've disobeyed her rules last night. Virgo greets me to, with a hug as well. The three of us reunite, filled with ecstasy to see each other's faces. It feels like a week since I've last saw and felt their presence.

Together, we eat dinner in the cafeteria. One table, three chairs, and just the three of us catching up. What could be better than having a slice of thin-crust pizza paired with orange juice for dinner? The pizza, it smells smokey, and even my nostrils could already taste it only by smelling its delicious aroma. My mouth craves for it, as if I am an addict.

On top of the pizza are mushrooms sliced to the finest, a pinch of powdered cheese, and of course, you can't forget the slice of pepperoni. It adds a bit of protein aside from the vegetables from atop the pizza. We usually eat for approximately thirty minutes, the usual period during meals. However, this time is different. For almost an hour and a half, we stayed in our table both eating and talking with each other.

Charlotte told me everything about her match against Cliff. For the first time in her history, she has defeated the skilled pillar. I wish I was there to support and cheer for her. According to Virgo, all day long she has been reading her stack of novels and most of them are already completed.

The two then ask me, "What did you do?"

I remain silent, trying not to show any obvious expressions of me making up excuses again. Charlotte is pretty good when it comes to determining if what I'm about to say is true or false. I cannot tell them about the cave, nor the time I spent with Kris and Ethan. I also cannot tell them about the lustrous shining bell, currently inside my pocket.

"Sight-seeing," I reply, hoping they wouldn't suspect any suspicious things about me.

"Like what?" Charlotte questions.

I reply, as simple as possible, trying not to spoil anything that has happened today, "Um, the city. I just walked around the city for the whole day. I watched some competitions held in their arenas. That's pretty much it."

As luck would have it, they believed in my words. I let off a silent sigh of relief afterward. After the period of our dinner, the three of us walk side by side, planning on what we should be doing next. Unexpectedly, we come across the path where Ariana the executive was heading.

Seeing me back in headquarters, she smiles. She then begins to start a conversation, telling me about something important. "Elite Operative Luna Evergreen, welcome back to work. I hope Goldenrod has thought you a valuable lesson. Anyhow, I was about to look for you, but it seems like we've bumped right into each other.

The three of you, please proceed to Room-HQ immediately. I and the other executives have something important to discuss. Something... very important."

Wondering about what she meant by her words, the three of us decide to follow her in silence. Having little and soft gossips from behind her back. Inside the room, the infamous Room-HQ which up to this day, torments me. It's dark eerie is too much to bear.

"Welcome back Luna." Professor Olive greets me, shaking my hands pleasantly. In front of us are the four executives and it looks like today they will be talking personally, without the use of the tall pillar windows. The professor presses a button from one of her Ipad, and a light from above disperses all the darkness away, calming the suspenseful sensation shrouding me and my friends.

"Listen. The three of you. Out of all the available Elite Operatives, Luna is the only neutral one. Domino and the others are having their separate mission therefore we have no choice but to leave this task to the three of you." Petrel says.

"You will be acquiring Zapdos tomorrow morning. I know it seems like a surprise to give an abrupt mission to the three of you, but you're our only available agents as of this moment." Archer adds to Petrel's statements.

"About a squadron?" I suggest.

"The more people involved with the mission, the messier things get. Our goal for now is to keep things in minimal conflict, and that includes our opposer, the Rebirth Society. If we send a squadron, the conflict would intensify, and we've all learned what happened in the Kanto Region.

Giovanni's tower was infiltrated two times. One, by the PGC. A retaliation against Team Rocket's raid in one of their laboratories. Two, by the Elite Four which I'd rather not speak about it anymore. Back to the mission, you will be sent back to the Kanto Region.

Luckily, there is no present personnel as of today and tomorrow which would be working in the Power Plant. The Power Plant is a dangerous place, hence it was isolated from cities and towns. It is built atop a mountain, thus you will be sent there through a private train after Xeryll drops the three of you at Cerulean City. From the city, you will be heading east wherein Team Rocket's bullet train will waiting for you.

It is machine-powered, and I can assure you the bridge is sturdy for the train to pass through." Ariana explains furthermore.

"Wait... The bridge?" Virgo questions.

"Yes. The bullet train will be passing through a bridge about ten feet from the ground. Don't worry, it's not like the bridge is going to collapse or whatsoever. Team Rocket's architectures are always the finest." Proton answers her question.

"For safety purposes, the three of you will be wearing Insulated Outfits made of rubber. This is to protect you from electrocution which is a high threat since the body is seventy-percent water and as we all know, electricity has the advantage over water.

One-touch from a broken circuit can get you electrocuted. Either it paralyzes you momentarily or completely paralyzes your spine, making you a person with a disability." Professor Olive informs, as three mannequins wearing the outfit emerges from the ground.

"As usual, you will also be supplied with three Rocket Balls. Acquire Zapdos and bring it back to headquarters, safely." Archer says.

"So, Elite Operative Luna, Agent Virgo, and Charlotte, your mission, should you choose to accept?" The executives ask.

"Leave it to us!" We respond with full determination, accepting the given task.

Zapdos, the mirage of lightning is next. If we were to acquire the mirage of lightning, this would leave Team Rocket with one point making it a tie with the opponent. There is no deuce in this race of ours, and the first score or capture two or more of the mirages claims the upper hand, leaving the other in a disadvantage and difficult situation.