Angel of the Shadows

2. Even Friendships Set Sail

Angel reached above her head and gasped in a mix of pain and satisfaction as her back finally popped more than she expected it to. Arms still above her head, right hand on her left elbow, she paused to watch a group of Wingull in the sky as they fought over what appeared to be a Goldeen. From this distance, it almost seemed they squawked the word "Mine". The thought was ludicrous, but it still made her laugh.

"Angie! Darling!"

At the sound of the captain's voice, Angel brought her hands to her sides and directed her gaze to her friend, who quickly closed the distance between them. Maya's warm hands wrapped around hers. "Yet again, I must thank you for the marvelous stories you share. Your imagination is a truly wonderful thing." Maya squeezed Angel's hands gently. "Remember. "'The Swanna' is only here for a few days. I hope to be the one to take you back home."

She removed her hands from Maya's grip only to wrap them around hers. Angel almost told her those stories weren't from her imagination, but, as usual, when the urge hit her, she chose not to speak. People like Maya were a precious gift. There wasn't anything wrong with being a member of Team Rocket, but she knew what most people thought of them. Perhaps she would be brave enough to speak if she ever left the organization. Until then, the fear of losing those few she cared about kept her silent.

"My business will take me a while, but I promise if I make it back in time, I'll come straight here so you can take me home." Angel gently squeezed her friend's hands and slowly pulled away. Before her hands completely let go of Maya's, she found herself pulled into a tight embrace. How did she hate being hugged so badly but feel like melting—in a good way—when it was from someone she loved and trusted? When Maya finally drew back a minute later, Angel whimpered softly. Thankfully, Maya was already several feet away as she skipped back to her cabin, happy as a Ribombee.

Once Maya closed the door behind her, Angel turned and headed down the landing bridge onto the docks of Vermilion City. The city's layout returned to her so easily that it took her about ten feet to realize she'd started toward the Pokémon Center. It must be a habit from the previous times she'd been to town, as she hadn't expected to see or visit Nurse Joy this time.

Not after the last visit, when something Joy said made her feel as if she was only there because of her ability to communicate with Pokémon. Many Trainers could connect to and speak with their Pokémon after some time together. Angel was a Pokémon person and so found it easy to talk to any animal after a little bonding. It was like a different language, and she didn't always understand. Her father and Maya regularly told her she would have made a great Nurse, and she agreed. She would gladly use her gift to help all Pokémon she could. Just not when she felt it was the only reason someone wanted her around.

Since she wouldn't stay at the Pokémon Center this time, Angel called ahead to her friend Ally and got permission to crash at her place. Ally lived...Angel spun around in circles a few times as she looked down each street that intersected her position. She sought familiar landmarks, but this part of Vermilion City seemed to have changed from the last time she was here. After the fourth spin, she recognized a small shop and headed down the path.

Her mind wandered as she walked, but she paid enough attention to her surroundings to know if danger approached. She thought of how she'd be at the Silph Company in Saffron City tomorrow. If her father knew, he'd be so jealous! Too bad she couldn't tell him. They both knew she didn't have the intelligence to work there, and even an invitation to someone as lowly as herself would have seemed suspicious.

Her father naturally assumed she was somewhere on the island in meditation when she disappeared, and that's what she wanted him to believe. The less he knew about what she did, the better off he would be. Not that that would really help much if her association with Team Rocket were ever to become known. Though she truly did believe their hearts and interests were in the right place, she knew what people thought of them. And knew people tended to attack those "guilty" by association. It would destroy everything he worked for. Sometimes, she questioned why she did this when it posed such a great risk to her family and her few friends. Their well-being was just as important as their trust and respect, and all of them would be difficult to repair. But she was taught that the right way wasn't always easy. That was also true in reverse, but...