Days passed. For Celestia, these were days of learning and experiments. With Team Rocket mostly preoccupied preparing for their ambush and her presence not really required, she had plenty of time to spend doing research, both in the company of Alakazam and on her own. The first thing she looked into was, rather obviously, interdimensional travel from this world. New friends and moral imperatives notwithstanding, she was still princess of Equestria first and foremost. It was her duty to come home to shepherd as soon as practical. And it wasn’t that she disbelieved Alakazam, but she thought him singularly focused enough on his own chosen specialty to keep track of every development in others fields. He might well have missed something that she wouldn’t.
To the princess’ dismay, what other sources she was able to find indicated that her new friend had, in fact, been correct. There was no technology here related to interdimensional travel, and what magic was rumored to exist was far less codified than in her own world. Meanwhile, so far as Pokemon went, almost any legend related to such warping of space pointed to this Palkia character, while giving no clear indication of how to find him or otherwise attract his attention. Without her own magic to work with, Celestia was forced to call that particular line of inquiry a dead end, at least for the moment.
On the other hand, her second line of inquiry proved to be far more fruitful. This world of Pokemon was dangerous, she now knew, especially for someone who didn’t know how to properly defend themselves. It behooved her to learn just how to make use of her new powers, how they manifested themselves in moves. She would be able to contribute more to Team Rocket’s upcoming effort and she would be better placed to strike out on her own, if need be. Fortunately for her, Alakazam had had plenty of practice teaching inexperienced Pokemon (mostly his own children and grandchildren) the ropes and knew a good many other Pokemon around town. In return for his assistance, she regaled him with a selection of the most riveting tales from her long and storied past, as well as whatever knowledge he liked about her world. Several days in, he had collected a good amount of such information – enough to write a book with, really. Celestia considered it more than worth it for the new tricks she learned. The next time she had to fight, she would be ready.
The sun was just beginning to set when Celestia made her latest return to Team Rocket’s camp, again wearing the guise of a Rapidash. She could have stayed in Laverre longer – indeed, the library wasn’t set to close for some time yet – but she had found that she much preferred to be back and inside her ball by dark. She had never particularly been a night owl, but the effect was more pronounced on this world. The princess had yet to figure out the exact reason why it was so.
“Ah,” James looked up from the holographic Poke Ball Factory he had been examining. “You’re back.”
“And pleased to be so,” said Celestia, with a yawn that surprised even her.
James got to his feet. “I’m sorry that I haven’t had a lot of time to spend with you these last few days,” he said as he walked over towards her. “It’s just that, well, we’ve been so busy and all. We have to make sure that this goes well. The boss is counting on us.”
“I understand completely,” Celestia nodded sympathetically. “Believe me when I tell you that no one can empathize better with such stresses than I can.”
James reached the princess and began to scratch behind her ears. In response, Celestia cooed in a semi-voluntary manner.
“After we’re done with this job we’ll have more time together, I promise. Just you, me, and Inkay together for a little fun. How does that sound?”
“Pleasant,” Celestia admitted, taking a moment to enjoying the relaxing sensation. Then her thoughts drifted and her face drooped a little. “I wish Luna were here to meet you,” she said. “I think you might like one another… On second thought, I wish you were in Equestria to meet her. And my niece and nephews and my old student,” she glanced upwards in a slightly mournful manner. “I hope that they’re doing well. I had been wanting a vacation, but not like this.”
“Anyway,” James pulled out a Poke Ball. “Tomorrow’s the big day, and I want you be well-rested for when we pummel those Team Flare poseurs.”
“I find this suggestion agreeable,” said Celestia with another yawn.
“But first, I think we need to get you out of that disguise you’re wearing.”
Later that night, Team Rocket was moving to enter the Laverre Poke Ball Factory. Thoroughly disguised in all black, face-concealing clothing and with a full dozen Rocket grunts at their back, Jessie, James, and Meowth were feeling quite confident. A thorough study of the place during the period leading up to now had given them knowledge of the blind spots in the local security cameras. One by one the group vaulted over the perimeter fence, landing easily on their feet.
“Inkay,” James whispered as he pulled out a Poke Ball. “You’re on.”
The small cephalopod Pokemon appeared in the usual flash of silvery light.
“Just as we planned,” James pointed. “Use Hypnosis.”
“Kay!” Inkay saluted.
A nearby night guard, one of the only ones the factory had, was patrolling the exterior of the building when he suddenly found himself with a face full of something pink and blue. He jumped and swatted, turning his flashlight onto the newcomer. Even as he did so, the yellow spots on Inkay’s head glowed. A small beam of yellow circles drifted out, catching the guard full in the face. He staggered, then slumped to the ground, out cold.
“Well, that takes care of that one,” Jessie noted with a smirk. “And his replacement won’t be along for another two hours.”
“Plenty a’ time for Team Rocket!”
“And everyone will think that he just fell asleep on the job!” James noted as their grunts dragged the fallen man and propped him up against a factory wall in a plausible napping position. “Good work, Inkay. Return.”
Inkay disappeared back into its Poke Ball, and then the rest of Team Rocket made a quick dash for the nearest door. Once there, James took out a small toolkit and began fiddling with the exterior alarm system. It took him a few moments to pry off the alarm’s casing and adjust its insides, but at length he turned back to his companions with a smile.
“Got it!” he said. “The alarm’s been deactivated.”
“Excellent!” Jessie said. “Meowth?”
“With pleasure!” the cat Pokemon grinned, holding up a hand. A solitary claw slid out, which Meowth promptly stuck into the door’s lock. After several seconds of quick fiddling, the lock clicked and the door slid open.
“Alright!” Jessie clenched her fist. “Let’s go team!”
“Right!”
As one, Team Rocket moved into the Poke Ball Factory. The plan, as all their best plans were, was simple and efficient. They had marked out which of the local generators fueled the assembly line, and which fed into other aspects of the factory. The former they would sabotage by removing vital components and disabling the control circuits, the latter they would leave alone. Then they would bail, and wait. Unless someone knew what they were looking for, no one would even notice that anything had happened until they tried to fire up the assembly line next morning. And by then, if all went as anticipated, Team Flare would have already begun their attack, so as to maximize the amount of Dark Balls that could be churned out before someone came snooping.
Jessie, James, and Meowth were giddy with anticipation. It was a perfect, perhaps one the best ones they’d had yet.
What could go wrong?
On a hilltop some distance away from the Poke Ball Factory, another figure in black was peering through a pair of electronically-enhanced night vision binoculars. The figure watched for a short while, before reaching for a device attached to its ear.
“They are moving in now, sir. As you anticipated.”
It took a minute for a response to arrive.
“Thank you for informing me.”
For Ash and his friends, the last few days had been ones of previously nigh-unimaginable luxury. Lysandre had been as good as his word and more. Most people rarely got the chance to stay a five star hotel at no cost to themselves, much less received two separate rooms in one. For a group used to staying at the facilities provided by Pokemon Centers or camping out on some dirty wilderness trail, it was like a little patch of heaven on earth. There was good food and lots of it, comfortable beds, hot baths, ample gym space for the training of Pokemon and people, and a salon for Bonnie, Serena, and the latter’s notoriously fastidious Braixen. It was a vast step up from their normal accommodations, and they hadn’t had to pay a cent for it!
At that particular moment the group was just settling in for the night in their rooms. As usual, Ash and Clemont shared one room, while Serena and Bonnie took the other. Ash was comfortably wrapped in his pajamas and tucking himself into one of the two beds, Pikachu curled up at its base, when the phone beside him began to ring. And ring. And ring.
Blinking slowly, Ash reached over and picked it up, putting the receiver to his mouth. “Uh,” he yawned. “Hello?”
“Ash?” said a familiar voice. “It’s Lysandre. Please rouse your friends. I need your help.”