Love Is No Longer Enough

     "What?! What do you mean all the Pokemon have been stolen?" Exclaimed Harper, horrified.
     "It happened last night, they took all the Pokemon still in their Pokeballs but I had no idea they'd strike again," explained Nurse Joy, sorrowfully.
     "Don't worry, Nurse Joy, it wasn't your fault," assured Brock.
     "Hmpf! Of course he'd say something like that," grumbled Harper leaning over the front desk as Misty came along and joined her.
     "So there's not one Pokemon left? What about any signs of the direction Team Rocket went in?" Asked Misty, continuing to inspect the Center with Harper.
     "Well, I called Officer Jenny, she should be here any minute now." Harper rolled her eyes and walked right up to Nurse Joy furiously.
     "Are you telling me you didn't even bother to look around yourself? Ay! Let me guess which Nurse Joy you are... Hmm... Maybe... The absent minded one!" Nurse Joy backed away slowly from her in dismay.
     "I'm sorry," apologized Nurse Joy softly but sincerely hanging her head down in shame.
     "That's enough, Harper, there wasn't anything she could do," defended Brock for Nurse Joy, angrily.
     "Yeah, don't blame her for it, this wasn't her fault," added May.
     "We all make mistakes," Masato concluded. Harper sighed stubbornly and threw her head the other way, marching over to the other side of the Center. Misty followed trying to reach up to her.
     "Harper..." Started Misty, Harper stopped dead in her tracks, still leaving her back to Misty and the rest. "What's with you? Why are you being so-" Misty stopped talking the minute as Harper's head began to turn slightly to the side, her dark brown eyes shifted to her, they began to become shaky as if on the verge of tears. Harper's fist tighten as she bit her bottom lip, her face began to scrunch up trying so hard to hold back the water that would soon flow limitlessly down her face.
     "Adamos," answered Misty for herself breathlessly, she froze up also in a state of shock. Harper nodded as if she had already known but was still having pain shot through her, a burning pain that gripped so tightly to her heart she could hardly breathe and it wouldn't let go. Terrible thoughts starting ringing through her mind before she could stop them.
     "Adamos?" Said May to both Ash and Brock, confused.
     "Well, he wasn't here this morning so I gue-"
     "How could he-he do th-this to-to, to me!" Breathed Harper seeming to be hyper ventilating as she turned to Misty, tears were already streaming down as she fell to her knees in saddness, anger and frustration, her tighten fist hit the floor hardly and quickly in an ear throbbing bang as Nurse Joy watched her fearfully, backing even more leaning slightly to Brock as he and Ash kept stern looks upon their faces while May covered her mouth feeling a little frightened but more sympathetic for Harper. Misty walked over to Harper and kneeled down as Harper kept her face looking down to the light floor, her face becoming pale also.
     "I should have known, I should have said something... Misty, I should have did something." Harper tried her best to talk through the lump in her throat.
     "There was nothing you could do Harper," assured Misty softly. "He just wasn't the good guy like we had thought." Harper stayed silent for a moment as if her mind were scanning over different possibilities, her eyes brows came together as she looked solidly to the floor, she shook her head as if erasing her mind and then took a deep breath. They all awaited her next word as her eyes closed tight together and then finally opened wide in fear and anger.
     "NO!" Blew out Harper harshly and in a 'final' kind of voice, getting back on her feet, she glared down at Misty who still stayed down on her knees continuing in saying, "I know who's good and I know who's bad and Damos is a good guy... He's my guy... I've known him longer than you have and he just wouldn't do something like this, okay! He's better than that and he's stronger than that and he knows what would happen and he just... He just wouldn't do that!" Cried Harper in complete denial as her voice began to weaken again.
     "Harper, I-"
     "Don't say it, Misty, don't. Okay? He just wouldn't, he's not behind this, he has nothing to do with this, I know it, in my heart... I just know, I can feel it, he's innocent."
     "Then why don't you seem happy about it?" Questioned May, puzzledly. Misty sighed deeply and turned her head back to her spitefully as Ash and Brock did the same, May shrugged innocently to them.
     "Because," growled Harper, she looked back at Misty but seemed absent as if she wasn't looking at Misty but into her thoughts. Harper lost her breath once more in tears, gasping for air, she turned away wistfully running out of the Center.
     "Harper, wait!" But Harper didn't stop, she was gone, Misty sighed once more saying, "I don't understand, as long as I've known Harper she didn't seem to care that much for Adamos to me, she'd usually act like he was invisible, everyone did, it was only recent before she started being more nice to him."
     "Well, maybe she started to see how special he was to her and decided to be more nice to him," suggested May.
     "Yeah, or maybe her kindness was given far too late, he seemed a little bit edgy when I met him and it seemed to be only time before he rebelled from always be ridiculed and ignored, he may have did like most typical scientist in his shoes do and just lost it," added Brock, seriously and in deep thought.
     "It still doesn't make sense," whined Misty getting up from her knees. "Why the Pokemon Center?"
     "Don't be stupid, Misty, what else would it be for!" Shouted Ash, angrily making her flinch back a little, "It was to finish his experiment that was a huge threat to Pokemon everywhere, the one he mentioned before about stealing their powers which he will probably use for himself given the usual history mad scientist have."
     "I wonder if Team Rocket planned on this or even knew?" Wondered May.
     "It doesn't matter, at least not now. Right now we have to concentrate on getting  Adamos and bringing him back for Harper."
     "What?" Squealed Masato.
     "Misty, you're not thinking rationally, where would we even start looking and what if he doesn't even want to be found?" Asked May frightened.
     "We'll never know unless we find him in the first place, May!" Misty's voice began to arise in anger as she lifted herself back on her feet and walked herself over to them.
     "Misty's right," agreed Ash to Misty's shock and amazement.
     "I... Guess your right," sighed May softly, "Harper sure looked hurt."
     "Yeah, I know, I've never seen her like this. So angry, confused, sad and in denial all at once. That doesn't give the best sign of a girl who's about to do anything rational."
     "Neither do you," pointed Ash smugly in a grin. Misty gave a small snicker and the five walked out the Center.
     "We'll be back, don't worry," smiled Brock to Nurse Joy, patting her hand softly. Nurse Joy gave a soft weak smile in return as they walked away, she continued to keep quiet, still feeling anguish and guilt inside for losing the Pokemon as she did even before Harper's harsh words.

At Mr. Deagon's House

     "Harper?" Said David staring shocked at his daughter whose eyes seemed to be recovering from tears. Harper pushed her way through the door and ran herself to the couch, laying herself down on it. David closed the door immediately and walked over to her.
     "You were right, Dad," blurted Harper leaning against a pillow in misery. "Something was seriously wrong with Adamos and I think he had something to do with the Pokemon being stolen from the Pokemon Center, I know he did, every instinct inside me is telling me. And I can't believe he lied to me and what's worse is I lied to Misty, trying to convince her and myself that he wasn't involved but I know he was. He was so desperate to get that science project done, there was no limit to what he'd do. What happened to him Dad?"
     "I don't know," shrugged David sitting himself on the couch with her. He lifted up her legs and laid them on his lap.
     "He just... Snapped."
     "But last night he seemed almost normal. Behind those dorky glasses, brainy clothes and shy exterior he's a really sweet, cute, wonderful guy," smiled Harper staring dreamily into a distance. David looked to the floor and laughed softly to himself as if scanning a humorous thought through his mind.
     "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were falling for him."
     "Yeah," nodded Harper softly with a blank face, "I would think that too. Me...? In 'love' with... Adamos? That would be a crazy thought." A concerned but more curious expression appeared on David's face as he turned his head slightly in his daughters direction.
     "Are you?"
     "No, of course not, can we just stop talking about it."
     "Sure, I'm sorry, Harper," said David sincerely. Harper stayed quiet for a moment, sadness beginning to overcome her but for a different reason this time.
     "Oh, I'm so sorry, Dad, I let you down. I promised I'd keep an eye on Adamos and look what happened," whined Harper.
     "Oh..." Said David as if it was no big deal, he moved her petite legs off his lap and walked over to where her head laid and kissed her gently on the forehead, "It's okay, Harper, you did your best. And we don't know for sure if Adamos was involved."
     "Yeah," sighed Harper absently, "I guess not."

     "I support you greatly in this experiment but now that you're completely through, explain to me, Adamos, how do you intend using it?" Asked Giovanni. Adamos grinned devilishly, he walked around the huge science lab as Giovanni stayed where he was waiting for his answer.
     "It's simple, I will use those Liquids to give me a Pokemon's power and at the risk of sounding sinful use more than one Liquid to do so and in the process gain more than one of a Pokemon's power. But I of course will be the only one who will be using the Liquids."
     "Why only you?" Asked Giovanni stubbornly.
     "Being the only one smart enough to make it, I will obviously be the only one smart enough to take it."
     "It doesn't take a genius to know how to drink."
     "Yes, but it took a genius to know how to make this special Liquid and I shall be the only one to drink it. Giovanni, you're a smart man... Trust me."

     "Wow, the boss would never let us talk to him like that," commented Meowth to Jesse and James as they spied from a cracked opened door.
     "Yes, he's getting away with a lot," agreed Jesse coldly.

     "Lets get one thing straight," demanded Giovanni to Adamos, "You are not the one doing me any favors, if it wasn't for me-"
     "I know, I know, Giovanni," grinned Adamos casually walking up to Giovanni with an over-confident look on his face and eyes that challenged him, "But you see my brains can get you more than just rare Pokemon but their powers too and in order for TR to be a sucess-for once, we will have to do it my way. Got it?"
     "How dare you!" Bellowed Giovanni.
     "You're not going to do anything," said Adamos unafraid. "With one sip of that blue Liquid over there I'll be able to blow you away with the strongest water attack ever given, I may even throw in an electric attack." Hearing the word 'electric attack' made Jesse, James and Meowth screech a little from the door.

     "An electric attack?" Squealed James frightfully.
     "Any attack in the whole wide world," added Meowth.
     "No wonder the boss is letting him get away with talking so bold to him," stated Jesse.

     "Fine," caved Giovanni. "Exactly what is it that you plan to do?"
     "Well, after drinking a variety of Liquids I'm going to return to Harper and the rest."
     "The 'twerps'? Won't they suspect something?"
     "Please..." Smiled Adamos in much confidence, "In their eyes I'm just a wacky scientist that doesn't have the guts to do any harm. They won't suspect a thing and if they do I'm sure I can find a way to pull the wool over their eyes for as long as I-Uh... I mean-we need."
     "So which Liquids do you plan on drinking?" Asked Giovanni suspiciously, narrowing his eyes to him.
     "I'll start with three, a water attack stolen from a Totodile, a fire attack stolen from a Cyniquil and a Psychic attack, I can steal it from that Togepi over there."
     "You mean that baby Pokemon. It doesn't know any attacks."
     "But it still has the power inside him even if he isn't aware and I can use his power of Transport to send me there. Trust me, I've read every book there is on Pokemon and there is nothing they or you can throw at me that will come as a surprise. This is where human's smarts come in good use." Adamos turned around quickly grabbing a needle on his way over to Togepi.
     Togepi stared up to Adamos who hovered over him like an overwhelming shadow. Togepi, no longer amused by things was frightened wondering where his caretaker was. Adamos held the needle close to Togepi who leaned back in fear staring stiffly at the needle, it's lips tighten together holding back a loud cry but tears already forming around it's small bright eyes as the sharp needle came closer and closer.
     "Don't worry, Togepi, this is going to hurt you a lot more than it's going to hurt me."

     "AHHHH!" Cried out Misty touching her hand over her arm and falling to the ground, Ash heard her fall to her knees right after her cry out and rushed over to her along with the others. Ash kneeled down behind her placing his hand over her hand which was covering a spot on her arm.
     "What is it, Misty?" Asked Ash concerned.
     "Pika!" Said Pikachu with the same worry. Misty's eyes stayed tightly closed as she rocked herself slowly keeping her hand clamped on her arm as Ash didn't loosing his grip either.
     "My arm, it feels like something pinched it really hard, I feel like I should be bleeding now but I'm not because it's not straight forward pain it's like it's been reflected off of someone else's."
     "Reflected off of someone else's pain?" Questioned Brock.
     "Maybe it's just you worrying about all our Pokemon being stolen and your body's just reacting that way," suggested May.
     "Yeah," agreed Masato, "but don't worry, we'll find our Pokemon and get them all back again safe and sound." Misty stayed silent, Brock shrugged and signaled them to keep walking, the three turned in a smile and kept walking ahead as Ash and Pikachu stayed on the ground with Misty, kneeling with her. Misty then leaned herself into Ash as his arms embraced her warmly. Her eyes opened up and met with his in anxiety.
     "Something's wrong with Togepi," stated Misty to Ash in worried certainty, "him and all the other Pokemon!"

To be Continued