"...So...Those guys were after your lady friend over here and that's why you beat them up?"

"...Indeed Officer. We are old acquaintances...And I met up with her by chance in the Pokemon Center...She was about to go to the Pokemon Mart to buy some necessities when those men attacked...Fortunately I was there at the opportune moment and took care of them..." Ash smoothly lied without a hint of hesitation on his face as he turned to Sophia who was sitting aside him and gestured her with his eyes as if to say, 'Play along'

"...A-Ah yes Officer Jenny. I've known Ashy for a long time now!" Sophia got his signal and latched onto his arm for extra emphasis as she nervously spoke, "...Thanks to him those bad men couldn't do anything at all...He's my hero!!" She fake squealed and started to nuzzle Ash's cheek...

'...If I didn't know any better I would take this girl for a professional actor...' The lone aura user in the police station thought with a violent twitch of his eyebrows.

"...*sigh*Then is there any explanation for the deep cuts and gashes on the leader?" Officer Jenny asked the two teenagers in front of her with a sigh.

"...They are gangsters Officer. Getting into trouble is like their part time job...I think it's pretty normal for them to have scars and cuts and the like..." Ash lazily drawled, lying about who exactly had inflicted those cuts...

...Hey he wasn't some good guy who walks the cliché path of truthfulness and non-violence...He was a cold hearted lying bastard. Through and through.

"...Hmm that would make sense..." Officer Jenny mumbled to herself as she saw the trembling figures of those gangsters behind the bars, "...Okay Ash. Thanks a lot for getting these guys in here. I hope they would learn their lesson. And remember to be here at 10:00 AM sharp. I still need to catch those troublemaking Squirtles alright?"

"...Noted Officer..." Ash replied monotonously as he stood up with the blonde girl nervously following him. As soon as they got out of the police station they saw that it was still dark, just a few hours past midnight.

Ash turned to Sophia and rolled his eyes, "...Thanks for the save there Domino...And by the way...You are my prisoner now alright?" The laziness and sleepiness in his voice made Sophia actually choke on her breath...The way he said that made it seem as if he'd already captured her...

"...And before you ask when we were coming to the police station I asked my Kirlia to apply a psychic lock on you. So basically he can track you wherever you go. And it's not like you can defeat me in battle anyway...So it's better for you and your Meowth in your bag to stick with me for the time being...You give me info about Team Rocket bases and you'll be alright...Now stay quiet...I need to make a few calls..." Ash told her monotonously as he took out his Pokedex and dialed Tulip's number.

As Ash took out the Pokedex Sophia's eyes comically widened as a squeak erupted from the yellow bag on her back. He already knew about Meowth in her bag? Then did he also know about the bluish white egg in her bag that she was planning to smuggle to earn some cash? However before she could say something Ash's Pokedex rung up.

Ring, ring, ring, ring, click!

"...Ashy? *yawn* Is this you? What makes you call at such a horrendous time?" The sleepy voice of Tulip Carter greeted Ash on the phone.

"...Oh it's nothing too important I just did that for the shits and giggles of it...and to tell you that I've captured Domino..."

"ASHY! Mind your language! AND YOU JUST PRANK CALLED ME THIS LATE AT NIGHT?! – Wait...WAIT A DAMN MINUTE! YOU'VE CAPTURED DOMINO?!"

Ash separated the Pokedex from his ear to prevent Tulip from tearing his eardrums inside out as he listened to the unholy screams of his aunt about 'Her beauty sleep' and 'getting black circles under her eyes ruining her pretty face due to lack of sleep'...

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Morning came quite soon as Ash yawned as he stretched himself after getting out of bed. Ash and Sophia had come back to the pokemon center very late, almost 2:00 AM and Ash had decided to get some rest. He had to capture the Squirtle Squad after all...

...Of course Sophia was 'sleeping' in her room with Luxray snoring there as guard though...

Ash got up and brushed himself as he dressed up in his usual clothes with his gauntlets and went out of the room. Ash stood outside the room titled #A4 and politely knocked on the door.

Soon enough the door opened with a creaking sound as the familiar blonde girl came out in a translucent night dress...Wait a damn minute...Why did she look like she hadn't had a good sleep for 10 years?

SNORE!

...Oh right! Because there was a bloodthirsty lion like pokemon sleeping on the floor of her room snoring soundly...With drool leaking out of his fangs and mumbling about, 'Munching on some rocket bitches'

Sophia's eyes were puffy red, there were dark spots under her eyes, her hair was shriveled and matted. Seeing Ash she spoke in a monotone, "...Kill me already..."

"No can do sweetie..." Ash sarcastically drawled, "...Rise and shine honey, it's time to wakey-wakey and hunt for some blue sea turtles..." He said in a faux enthusiastic tone while rolling his eyes.

"...Are you such an asshole with everyone or is it just me?" Sophia asked with a vicious scowl.

"...Good job honey, you've found out my part time job...Oh and yeah...It's my never-ending love for you that makes me cross the boundaries of the 'Seven Seas Of Sarcasm'...Just for you..."

"...You make me feel so~ warm and fluffy inside..."

"...Glad to hear that sweetie..."

"...Why do I even bother?"

"...Bitch...You don't fight with a Feraligator in water and you don't argue with me in the 4 languages I have a PhD in..."

"...And pray tell me what are those 4 languages you have a PhD in, Oh so great Ash Ketchum?"

"...English, profanity, sarcasm and real shit..."

THUD!

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"...So you're telling me that currently you have absolutely no affiliations with Team Rocket? And you are instead being hunted down because you got captured at Mount Moon and revealed some of Team Rocket's secrets to the police to save your hide in prison?" Ash asked sternly as he and the blonde former-assassin sat in the cafeteria of the Pokemon center with Meowth sitting just aside her.

She fidgeted nervously for a moment before she spoke up stutteringly, "...Y-Yes...I was r-running away from t-them and was h-hoping to take shelter and lay low in this town...J-Just don't kill me...I'll t-tell you everything I know about rocket bases..."

"Hmm..." Ash hummed to himself as he contemplated about this matter...On one hand if he kills her after getting out all the info then there are no chances of future complications...On other hand...After last time, he wasn't sure if he'll be able to kill her...But if he doesn't then...There are chances that she'll betray him in the future...

"...*sigh* You'll answer all my questions properly?" Ash asked once more with a sigh for double confirmation.

"...Y-Yes..." Sophia replied meekly.

"...Good. First question...Why did you join Team Rocket?" Ash asked after making up his decision...Whether she would live or die would depend on the answer that she gives to this question.

Time actually froze around Sophia as soon as she heard that. Memories of a drunk blonde woman loitering around the house with a bottle of rum as she hid below the bed once more arose as her face paled and she started to shiver. Ash could sympathize with her condition but...

...It was Team Rocket he was dealing with. There was no place for morality or mercy...He needed the info and he's gonna get it.

"...Y-You don't need to know t-t-that –" Sophia spoke out stutteringly but was interrupted by a harsh glare from the silver-streaked boy.

"...I do not care if the question was personal because currently you are my prisoner. Even though I have given you a long leash and much leeway you will answer questions when asked. Got that?"

For the first time in her rather short 16 year old life Sophia found herself to be totally speechless. Her mouth was dry, the phantom figure of that blonde woman chugging rum from her bottle kept haunting her vision.

Flashback 8 years ago...

Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp –

"Eh? My rum? It's over? GRAH!"

SMASH!

A blonde woman who looked like in her late twenties or very early thirties with brown eyes drunkenly threw the glass bottle from her hands towards the nearby wall and screamed out in frustration. She was currently in a rather small one storied house with only 1 bedroom, 1 kitchen and one bathroom along with the small dining. The walls of the dining were a pale white, no color on them. The bottle of rum smashed against the wall and made a few streaks of brown on it as the bottle cracked into a thousand pieces.

"OI! SOPHIA YOU LITTLE BITCH! COME HERE THIS INSTANT!" The drunken blonde woman yelled out with a slur. Fast footsteps could be heard from outside the room as a little girl of about 7 or 8 rushed in, trembling slightly in fear.

The blonde woman looked apathetically at her 'daughter', the term was to be used very loosely though. The girl would be considered 'cute' as per her blonde hair and frightened amethyst eyes by the norm. She had a dull faded light blue dress on her that looked like it had seen better days. She asked out squeakily, "Y-Yes m-mother?"

SLAP!

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT!" The blonde woman rather harshly slapped her and yelled out loudly. The little girl fell to the floor with fresh tears streaming out of her eyes, "...Take this and go buy me some –"

Knock! Knock!

Although she was interrupted by a sudden knock from her door. The woman glared at the little sobbing girl and cursed as she woozily went to the door and opened it to ask rudely, "Who the fuck is this?"

"...Ahem...It's me you damn witch. Today is the last day of the month...I've delayed your rent for a long time now...I. Want. My. Rent. Now!" A plump woman who looked in her mid-fifties with grey hair demanded rudely.

'...Shit...' Was the only thought going inside her mind. She appeared nervous for a moment and was about to mutter out some half-assed apology to the landlady when the woman in front of her spoke,

"...Well consider it a favor from me for being so long time acquaintances...But I'll give you the time of just ONE more day. Just ONE. Tomorrow if I don't get my rent...Then I'll be forced to call the police and get your ungrateful ass outta here alright?" The plump grey haired woman left without another word after that.

The blonde woman closed the door screaming in anger and frustration and went back to her room to see Sophia crying softly at the edge of the bed.

...Shrill screams and slaps echoed throughout the house as she proceeded to take it all out on her 'daughter'.

Flashback End.

"I-I...I –"

Sophia's stuttering reply was cut short by the silver-streaked aura user as he held up his hand to stop her.

"...You don't need to speak anymore...I saw it all..." Ash said rather painfully.

'...God...I thought I've had it bad...I-I...I don't know if I could have survived such a childhood...I...I can't believe I thought myself to be so unlucky while there are so many others out there...like me...even worse than me...' Ash's throat went dry as he sweated from just seeing her memories...

...He just couldn't believe that he had thought that he has had a bad childhood when there are children like Sophia out there...Ash had become the same thing he had so detested by thinking so...Prideful and arrogant...To think that he's the only unlucky one in this world...

Ash was rather lucky because the pokemon center cafeteria was practically empty sparing him and Sophia or else he would be on the receiving end of some harsh glares for making a girl cry. Sophia currently sat opposite to him, trying to hug herself and hide her tears. With a downcast and disappointed curse at himself for being so insensitive he turned to Kirlia – who Ash had discreetly released to see Sophia's memories once she had went into that trance – And spoke, '...Kirlia...Teleport me and Sophia to her room...'

Kirlia nodded wordlessly and snapped his fingers and soon Sophia found herself to be on her pokemon center bed and Ash on the floor. Sophia turned away tightly closing her eyes shut and started to silently sob...

Ash gulped nervously and got up from the floor as he tried to approach her, "H-Hey...L-listen I know it was w-wrong –"

"GO AWAY YOU BASTARD! J-JUST GO AWAY!" She screamed in anger and proceeded to sob while hugging herself tightly.

Ash winced from her shriek but didn't turn away...He expected her to act like this...Slowly he put a hand on the girl's shoulders and had to stop himself from slapping himself for his own stupidity when the girl flinched due to the touch.

Ash took a deep breath in as he spoke, "...I-I...I was wrong to deploy Kirlia to see your memories that...C-Can you forgive me?"

The girl lifted her head from her knees and looked at the silver-streaked boy with tearful eyes, "...N-No..." She managed to choke out before she lunged at him and started to cry into his chest...

...In one's life's saddest moments you cling to the only floating wood that you've left...How unlikely that piece of wood may seem to be able to support you...

Ash gulped when her sobs turned a little louder and his shirt was turning wet from her tears. He used his one arm to embrace her softly and comfortingly and put the other on her back to pat her.

"...I-I'll ask again...C-Can you forgive me? P-Please?" Ash asked the magical 'p' word softly.

The only reply he got was the sound of muffled sobs and...

...A soft snore?

Ash took a good look at the girl's tear streaked face to find her eyes tightly shut...She was asleep...Ash was just starting to get sentimental when he had to repress a tearful but amused chuckle,

'...Mental note...Don't let Luxray sleep near you in case you want a good undisturbed sleep...'

...Ash put down the girl who had fallen asleep while crying into his chest on the bed and softly locked the door outside while heading out to his own room...His mind made up.

...He wouldn't let this girl suffer the same fate as him...She'd already had enough...

End. So yeah...She lives. Once again it was one of the saddest chapter I've ever written. Just behind that girl Cassidy in the Cerulean Gym...

*sigh* These moments get me kinda depressed...Especially when am playing 'Naruto Soundtrack : Sadness and Sorrow' right now.

And a question...Are any of you disappointed that she lives? If you are then please forgive me...I've something planned for her...Don't know if she'd develop feelings for him yet...But she's gonna be a character at least till Vermillion.

And another question. Are there any Rocket Agent Domino - whom I have named Sophia - fans among my readers?

So...Goodbye. Read and review. Vote if you like.