Topic: RPM POKEMON ADVENTURE THING

[White-Jet]

Jenny ponders a moment what to do with the clones.  They were clearly not at fault, given they were brainwashed into going along with Carr's insanely violent scheme.  But with her sister still out and about, raring to force herself back into the case, she couldn't afford to let them loose, or let Mewtwo take them somewhere far from the region.

"Since we're waiting for Mr. Mizusawa to get back, we could pay a visit to where Mewtwo and his clones are being held and see what he feels we should be doing with the clones," she said, "I apologize for this, but my sister can be very bias when she's cranky and I'm worried she might jeopardize their release and further upset Mewtwo."


Hierophant glances towards Domino, sensing something odd about her, but decides not to look any deeper into it since other complications were mucking up any suspicion he might have towards her.

They eventually reach her office as Yan-Yan flies ahead and plasters his card against the window, fazing through it only to be stopped halfway as he reaches out to where he sees Tarot Skitty being kept hidden in one of the file cabinets in the room.  Hierophant compresses his lips as he pulls Yan-Yan away and knocks on the door, looking through the window to find nothing inside, but he was aware that someone was inside, seeming dead set on not wanting to be spotted by him.

He can only assume it was James, since he was the only Team Rocket member who knew and possessed Tarot Skitty and its cards.  He had suspected he was working against their boss for a different reason, and didn't want to impose and expose them to any of the officials investigating the institute, but he couldn't leave Tarot Skitty behind, knowing one of the colleagues might discover its whereabouts and put them through the same discomforting evaluations as most of the Pokemon and, particularly, Mewtwo.

Compressing his lips in reluctance, he began knocking on the door, wanting to stay as civil as possible so as not to make himself an even bigger troublemaker than he already became, "Excuse me.  I don't mean to interrupt your work or anything.  But I was wondering if you could help me find something that was apparently lost in this place."

James stayed hidden under one of the desks, not wanting to come out, knowing that Hierophant might recognize him and blurt out his name before he has a chance to shut him up.  He hopes heavily that the kid would understand this severity and hold off on getting Tarot Skitty and its cards back until after the case blows over.

The hangar was havoc. The thrusters of the Superia blew wind all around, throwing the workers and scientists around the large room. Some were on ropes, trying their best to get onto the giant ship that was swerving out of control. The cleaning crew and a few others were hiding behind crates, trying to radio to Steiner about the situation.

It wasn't long before Jessie finds the Superia heading straight for a wall some of the armed personnel were pouring out from.

"This must lead to the inner facility where that maniacal scientist is holding that Legendary Pokemon!" Jessie giggles as she presses one of the buttons, causing a couple of missiles to fire out towards the wall in front of it and explode upon contact.

Enjoying the calamity she was causing with such expensive weaponry and mechanics her combined demoted budget couldn't afford, Jessie continues to press buttons, seeing what else the Superia had that could help better her chances of getting her hands on what she thinks is a very rare, one-of-a-kind Legendary Pokemon, leaving Chariot to just stand and watch her sinister clacking and twisting of the contraptions around her.

"At least I have the decency to pity the people who get in my way of figuring what works what...." he grumbles mostly towards Synthis and the still present and nonchalant Wobbuffet.

[Ahrzayl]

Steiner stopped in thought and listened more carefully to what Yeung was saying. It was true that Steiner was taught how to transform pokemon into Shadow pokemon by a former scientist and that he was well known for it but what WOULD be the effects on a talking pokemon? And the telepathic pokemon that the doctor described sounded like that blasted Mewtwo that had stopped his plans aboard the Superia once before. That experiment...he would be a powerful ally. He would do it or die. He glanced over at the Shadow Froslass obediently standing by the console of the tube but it was eyeing the Doomball. Steiner furrowed his eyebrows and continued on with Dr. Yeung.

"Ah yes, I do believe I can help you with the pets you have in possesion. With a bit of time in my care, you'll have two brand new shadow pokemon to call your own. You see Dr. Yeung, with the ability to talk, beings are allowed their own opinion, their freedom of speech and to communicate with others. With them, they are able to express emotions and develop them even more. Since they can understand human speech, I'm sure the process will actually go smoother than the others. Being highly intelligent will be their downfall. They will actually UNDERSTAND what is happening to them. If you give me a bit of time, around a few hours, I should be able to meet with you and the pokemon you plan to transform." Steiner explained.

He grinned evilly making his plan up as he gathered some scattered papers into a briefcase. Once he successfully transformed Mewtwo and possibly his clones, he would control all of them to destroy the area and seek out the trainers that had stopped him before since they would more than likely be around. He could taste the victory already.

[Quickman]

Yeung smiled. "Excellent, excellent.  I'm in Vermilion, currently, at the Pokemon Institute.  I have a few more tests I'd like to run on the clone, as it has a rather bizarre growth that I need to investigate.  Some imaging, mostly, nerve conduction, biopsy, possibly get in there and see what we're dealing with.  But, after that, we can get started when you're ready.  Though, since this clone is part of an ongoing investigation, we need to be careful with what we do with it.  It might be questioned at a later date, even need to testify, but after that, it just goes straight to a battle trial."

He glanced at his computer again. "It's a shame that Giovanni wants to euthanize it.  I may see if we can put in a request to gain custody of it, should Giovanni win the case."  He paused. "The other talking Pokemon is a genetic stock for the clone's, well clones.  A clone cloning more clones," he chuckled, "isn't that absurd?"

[Dr. Wily II]

Giovanni entered Jenny's office, followed closely by his attorney, Mr. Payne.

(Someone take Payne, please?)

Seating himself, Giovanni straightened his blazer and adjusted his signet ring before motioning to Payne for a folder. "I have records of Mewtwo's creation and its disobedience.  As you'll see, it's caused millions of dollars in property damage, and its actions had claimed the lives of many of my employees, including most--if not all--of the scientists who created it.  I know of only two survivors, both of which left my employ shortly after the incident."  He handed the folder to Jenny. "Another member of my scientific team is currently employed by the Pokemon Institute, from where he was on loan, and I've been told that he is in direct contact with Mewtwo."

Payne leaned in to whisper something to Giovanni.  Giovanni nodded and returned his gaze to Jenny. "As you can see from those records, and as you know, Mewtwo is a very dangerous creature.  I've tried controlling it multiple times, and each attempt ended with the destruction of my facilities and my employees injured or dead.  It lacks remorse, it lacks compassion, and it lacks restraint.  Even if I do get it back, I can assure you that it won't be long until it yet again escapes.  Therefore, I'd like to propose the option of having it put down."

Officer Jenny's eyes lit up at the last spoken phrase. Having it put down. Having that blasted psychic freak... Flipping through the records that Giovanni provided, there is a very strong case of him getting Mewtwo due to default creation. However, knowing his sister, as well as the trial system, they will need to get representatives from both sides to try and command the freak. And from what Giovanni mentioned, the advantage seemed to be in the other ballcourt.

Flipping more and looking at the body count, there was sufficient data to build around a homicide charge... Although... For a Pokemon was a first. Finally looking up, she nodded, and turned to face Mr. Winston Payne.

"So Mr. Payne, seeing you here puts my mind at ease. And perhaps you can get revenge on a certain defence attorney in this case. Show us why you are the Rookie Killer!"

Mr. Payne jumped at the comment coming from Officer Jenny. "It seems my reputation is known even in this region, it brings such pride to my family's name! You mentioned a certain defence attorney... Don't tell me it's him?"

When Payne saw Officer Jenny's nod, he could feel a heartburn slowly climbing up his chest, as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Taking a handkerchief from his pants' pocket, he lightly dabbed on his forehead. "HA! Perhaps this is what they call destiny's calling! Giving me another chance to prove myself! And so I shall humbly accept!"

After guiding Meowth towards his holding cage, Joe stopped and scratched his head. "Wait. You have an official pass. Why should we still treat you like a test subject? That Dr. Yeung is starting to get on my nerves..." Joe turned and saw that Dr. Yeung was too pre-occupied with his call, and sighed.

[Quickman]

Reese glanced up from his magazine and shrugged.  He looked over to Yeung, who was in an adjacent room, preoccupied with a phonecall.  Shrugging again, Reese returned to his magazine.

The door opened and two scientists entered, one of them a bespectacled older gentleman with a pleasing face.  He walked through the room and toward Mewtwo's crate, nodding to Ryuta and Joe. "I'm just here to do an eye exam."  He leaned down and looked at Mewtwo. "Hello there.  I'm just going to put some drops in your eyes so we can examine them.  Will you let me do that?"  He looked to Ryuta and Joe again. "I'm going to put in drops to dilate and numb its eyes, so we can assess eye pressure and have a look inside."

Mewtwo shifted about again, ready to accept any excuse to get out of the crate, even if it was for more tests.


Giovanni sat back in his seat and smiled at Jenny. "I have colleagues who wish to keep Mewtwo, to study it.  But, they lack something that I have; experience.  I've seen Mewtwo's powers in action.  I've seen its abilities.  I've seen the aftermath of its controlled and uncontrolled powers first-hand, and I've been lucky to escape with my own life after it targeted me."

He sighed and leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees and clasping his hands together. "Listen, I understand why my colleagues feel that we should keep it.  Mewtwo is a very valuable creature.  Its creation cost a lot of money, and it was wrought with problems from the start.  We were very happy when Mewtwo survived, and even more happy to know that it was healthy.  But, really...  I've dealt with Mewtwo's temperament, and I know how dangerous it is.  At this moment, I do not have a viable way of keeping it restrained, and I can't set one up on such short notice.  It may be cooperative now, but how long will that last?"

He sat back again. "Let's face it.  Mewtwo hates my guts.  I know it and you know it.  It hates everyone, as it lacks empathy.  It was built to battle, and that's all it knows.  All it knows is how to destroy.  Everything I've done to contain it has been futile, and really," he gave an all-encompassing shrug as his face took on a defeated and saddened look, "I'm running out of options.  I'm at the end of my rope, and the most I can do now is protect the people within our nation."

[White-Jet]

Ryuta remained silent, not having much choice due t him being considered a temporary visitor that could be thrown out if he objected to the concept.

[Quickman]

The man stooped and unlatched the crate, stepping back. "Come on out, we're just going to put in some drops.  We'll have to wait a few minutes for them to take effect."

After a moment, Mewtwo finally emerged, standing to his full height and cracking his back.  He stretched his legs, and then crouched to be at a satisfactory eye level.

"Hold still," the man nodded.  He motioned for his assistant, who tilted Mewtwo's head backward and held it.  The technician uncapped one of the dropper bottles and held Mewtwo's eye open, putting in a few drops. "Good, good, now the other one..." he repeated the process with the other eye. "Blink a few times for me, make sure the drops are in."  He put the bottle in his pocket and pulled out another. "This one will numb your eyes, and you'll start to feel that right away.  Hold still, please," he held Mewtwo's eyelids open and administered the drops, then repeated the process with the other eye. "Good, good.  Now, we'll wait for a few minutes, then test your eye pressure."

Without being bidden, his assistant took a small case from her pocket and opened it, removing a pen-like instrument.  Handing it to her partner, she positioned herself beside Mewtwo again and tilted his head back, holding it in place. "Just relax, we'll make this quick."

The scientist nodded. "Hold very still and look directly at the ceiling," again holding Mewtwo's eyelids open, he carefully dabbed the end of the probe against the clone's eye until the instrument let out a beep. "Good, good, doing the other one," he repeated the same process with the other eye. "Good, good.  Your eye pressure is good.  Now, you sit tight, and we'll come back again and take you to have a look inside your eyes." Smiling, he and his partner left the room.

Mewtwo blinked a few times, the surface of his eyes completely numb.  He glanced at his crate, none too eager to crawl back inside.  As the dilating drops took effect, the lights in the room became brighter as his imprisoned clones became blurry.  Noting the Charizard's distress, Mewtwo made his way to the crate to speak privately with it.

Reese glanced up. "Careful, there.  That Charizard isn't very nice."

Mewtwo responded by shooting a glare over his shoulder. "Mind your own business."  He looked back to the Charizard, isolating his telepathy. "I am working to draw their attention away from you and the others.  It will take time, but we will leave here.  However, for our own safety, we need to follow their rules.  The incident that had brought you all here... it is being blamed entirely on me, and thus I am working to prove your innocence... and in doing that, I must take care to avoid putting myself in further jeopardy..."

[Dr. Wily II]

Giovanni sat back in his seat and smiled at Jenny. "I have colleagues who wish to keep Mewtwo, to study it.  But, they lack something that I have; experience.  I've seen Mewtwo's powers in action.  I've seen its abilities.  I've seen the aftermath of its controlled and uncontrolled powers first-hand, and I've been lucky to escape with my own life after it targeted me."

He sighed and leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees and clasping his hands together. "Listen, I understand why my colleagues feel that we should keep it.  Mewtwo is a very valuable creature.  Its creation cost a lot of money, and it was wrought with problems from the start.  We were very happy when Mewtwo survived, and even more happy to know that it was healthy.  But, really...  I've dealt with Mewtwo's temperament, and I know how dangerous it is.  At this moment, I do not have a viable way of keeping it restrained, and I can't set one up on such short notice.  It may be cooperative now, but how long will that last?"

He sat back again. "Let's face it.  Mewtwo hates my guts.  I know it and you know it.  It hates everyone, as it lacks empathy.  It was built to battle, and that's all it knows.  All it knows is how to destroy.  Everything I've done to contain it has been futile, and really," he gave an all-encompassing shrug as his face took on a defeated and saddened look, "I'm running out of options.  I'm at the end of my rope, and the most I can do now is protect the people within our nation."

"I see, and I myself have seen how... Manipulative Mewtwo is as well. Using its psychic prowess to mindbend all those... Trainers around its finger... Dragging them along as if it's their master. Just looking at the explosion at Fuschia City, and especially tha fiasco at Route 11. I can understand your sentiments, Mr. Giovanni, you are a model citizen for thinking about our people. I swear, as an Officer Jenny, I will bring absolute justice for the people, and if it meant putting down Mewtwo, I will do it!" Officer Jenny proclaimed, standing up from his seat.

Joe turned to face Reese. "Hey. Mewtwo might be here as a test subject, but it has its own Pokemon rights. You have no business to say anyway about the clones to it. It knows better than you."

[White-Jet]

"He's just warning Mewtwo," Ryuta said, "There's nothing oppressive about his words, considering he probably came into the room after Mewtwo was taken to the exam room."

[Quickman]

Reese nodded. "I'm just watching out for it."  He returned to his magazine.  "Look, I don't know the whole story between Mewtwo and those other Pokemon.  So, it cloned them, that's all.  How, who knows?  Why, who knows?  All I know is that the Charizard has an attitude, and I'm just doing my job to make sure that it doesn't burn Mewtwo's face off."

Mewtwo ignored the exchange and continued speaking to the Charizard. "Listen to me.  Whatever happens, you need to be strong.  You need to protect the others.  I cannot watch over you forever, which was why I sent you out into the world.  Whatever happens to me, you need to be there for the others.  Be strong, remain in control.  You are all living beings, you all belong in this world.  Do not put yourselves at risk."

[Dr. Wily II]

"This is just getting on my nerves... Everything is. I'm going out for a breather. Just call me when Dr. Yeung is ready to do whatever he wants." With that, Joe left the hanger area, and just loitered outside at the corridor.

[White-Jet]

Charizardtwo seemed bitter, but since it trusts Mewtwo unconditionally, it reluctantly nods.

Ryuta watched Joe head out, but doesn't follow, still sticking to his obligation of keeping Mewtwo safe and calm.


Hierophant eventually acknowledged James' reluctance to come answer the door, thinking he was under the impression he wouldn't know he was hiding somewhere inside.  Deciding to play along in the hopes of not drawing attention towards the reason he was here, he looks around for his female companion, knowing she had to be somewhere in the facility since the two are rarely far apart.

Unfortunately, Yan-Yan wasn't willing to wait and crams his card under the crack between the floor and the door, irking Hierophant as he drops to a kneel and tries to grab him only to slam his fist into the near nonexistent gap.  Wincing while rubbing his sore fingers, he staggers back to his feet and peeks through the window to see Yan-Yan fly over to the center drawer of a filing cabinet and tug on the handle, not seeming to make it budge.

Worried that James will seize the opportunity to snag Yan-Yan for himself, Hierophant grabs the knob and jiggles it, feeling it collapse downward to indicate it was unlocked.  He barely notices as the door flies open from his bent weight, sending him toppling into the room while staggering to keep his balance.

His wince widens, looking between the open door and Yan-Yan's continued tugging on the drawer, creating a loud rattling noise that was starting to draw attention from the surrounding rooms.  He quickly runs over and grabs the card, pulling him towards the door while staying ducked below the window and pressing his back against it as he scans the surrounding area for any wandering scientists that might be curious enough to peek through the window and figure out what was causing all the noise.

[Pyro]

(Now for something completely random, again. )

Time suddenly froze for everyone except Jenny; Giovanni and Payne sat as still as statues and an almost eerie air filled the room. One of the desk drawers opened and Pyro, dressed in a cream-coloured tuxedo, jumped onto her desk.

"When life gets you down Mrs. Brown
and things seem hard or tough,
And are stupid, obnoxious, or daft
and you fell that you've had quite enoughhhhhhhhhh..."

He points his cane at the wall, which crumbles away to reveal a starry void and pushes her into it.

"Just remember that you're standing on a planet that's evolving
And revolving at nine hundred miles an hour,
That's orbiting at nineteen miles a second, so it's reckoned,
A sun that is the source of all our power.
The sun and you and me and all the stars that we can see
Are moving at a million miles a day
In an outer spiral arm, at forty thousand miles an hour,
Of the galaxy we call the 'Milky Way'."

One had to wonder why neither Pyro nor Jenny did not asphyxiate in the airless void (much less sing), but then again, this was Pyro. The pair walked through the cosmos admiring the various nebulae and constellations.

"Our galaxy itself contains a hundred billion stars.
It's a hundred thousand light years side to side."

Pyro then poked her in the stomach...

"It bulges in the middle, sixteen thousand light years thick,
But out by us, it's just three thousand light years wide.
We're thirty thousand light years from galactic central point.
We go 'round every two hundred million years,
And our galaxy is only one of millions of billions
In this amazing and expanding universe."

He waltzed with a very reluctant Jenny around the countless galaxies until they came across a pillar of light that took them back in the direction of her office.

"The universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding
In all of the directions it can whizz
As fast as it can go, at the speed of light, you know,
Twelve million miles a minute, and that's the fastest speed there is.
So remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure,
How amazingly unlikely is your birth"

Pyro jumped back into drawer...

"And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,
'Cause there's bugger all down here on Earth."

And then the drawer closed behind him after he sank back in. Jenny opened the drawer again to find nothing but the usual office implements but time then resumed its normal flow. The hole in her wall disappeared and left the flustered officer in a compromising position before Giovanni and Payne. As for Pyro, should he be at Steiner's lair? The trio of Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina were busy playing cards in an isolated corner of the madman's base.

"Go fish," Palkia said to Giratina when Pyro (back in his regular clothes) dropped from a nearby air vent.

"Thanks for the assist, Dave." He said to Dialga before scampering off, "Time to get back to my regularly scheduled storyline."

[Quickman]

Giovanni blinked, then shook his head, and muttered something under his breath. "Anyway, yes.  The third option.  Even if Ms Shank were to win, she and her new pet can't stay in Kanto.  They either leave, or she surrenders Mewtwo to be put down.  No matter where they go, however, I doubt they'll find peace.  Other regions might rally to have the beast put down.  Regardless the outcome, somewhere, some day, justice will be done."


After a few minutes, the scientist and his partner returned. "It's time.  Your eyes should be sufficiently dilated."  He looked to Ryuta as his partner proceeded to lead Mewtwo to the door. "We'll bring it back shortly.  Just going to perform a slit-lamp examination of its eyes, have a look at the retina.  We'll bring it back blindfolded, as its eyes will be especially sensitive, and then Yeung and his team can perform the spinal taps."

Mewtwo gave a final knowing nod to Charizardtwo, and then a nod to the rest of the clones as he was led out of the room.

[Dr. Wily II]

As Officer Jenny tried to comprehend what the hell happened earlier, she slowly slid back into her seat, and dabbed her forehead with a tissue. "W-Well then. I will help in any way possible for our cause. Be it statements, or any of the reports I submitted, I will get them all ready."

Joe turned to see the scientist and his partner leading Mewtwo away. He didn't try to stop them, since he overheard the scientist's explanation. Digging around in his pants' pocket, he pulled out a cigarette box, and bit into one of the cigarette candy sticks.

[Quickman]

In the restroom, Domino finished a phone call. "...Yes.  Yeah, just get me his schedule and anything he's sending Dr. Yeung.  If you could get Yeung's schedule, too, that'd be great.  ...No.  ...No, Giovanni hasn't told me anything, which is why I need you to do this.  ...Yeah, without any of them knowing.  Can you do that?  ...Great.  ...Great.  Okay.  ...E-mail it to me.  ...Yeah, that's the one.  ...Okay.  ...Okay.  Okay, thanks.  Thanks, Scott.  I really appreciate it. ...Okay, bye."  Hanging up, she tucked her phone into her purse and straightened her pigtails.  Taking a deep breath, she left the bathroom.

Her gaze at the floor, Domino pulled out her phone again and checked her messages.  She wasn't paying much attention and ran right smack into Heirophant as he was rushing out of her office.  Landing on her rear, her phone skittering across the floor, Domino glanced up.  "I'm sorry!  I didn't see ya there!"  She had taken the time to perfect her Harley persona, and this time had the accent back to its normal subtlety.  She stood, dusted herself off, and offered her hand to Heirophant. "I really should've been watchin' where I was goin'..."

[White-Jet]

Ryuta looked between the scientists taking Mewtwo away and Joe biting into a cigarette-shaped piece of candy before leaning back in his chair and brushing his hand along the back of Kumitsune's neck mane, deciding it best to just wait rather than follow after them and risk the Shiny Eevee coming within eyesight of the crazed doctor next door.


Hierophant had whacked his back against the door frame while falling onto his own rump, having attempted to sneak out after everyone had gone back to their business, not realizing someone else was heading for the office James was hiding in.  He struggles to shake the daze from his senses and looks to who he ran onto, but as he was about to say something, Yan-Yan had bent the top half of his card upwards while poking his head out to see James slink towards the filing cabinet and pull it open, reaching another hand in to retrieve Tarot Skitty.

Yowling, he flies off towards the open drawer, not realizing Hierophant was still clinging to him.  The ensuing jolt yanks the young priest into a hard slam on his side, forcing him to let go and send Yan-Yan careening towards James, who freaked out at his oncoming presence and slams the drawer only to almost crush his arm in the process.

The disguised Team Rocket member yells his pain and shock as he flings his sandwiched arm out of the drawer, sending Tarot Skitty flying out a nearby open window.  Both panic and dive out after the drifting robot Pokemon, leaving Hierophant to watch while struggling to stagger back to his feet and attempt to follow after them despite riding through another series of pain being slammed on his side.

[Quickman]

Domino stood in the office doorway, dumbfounded.  Well, their cover was blown.  No point in straining her throat for a persona that pretty much no one would fall for, anyway.  She let out an irritated and defeated sigh, then looked to Heirophant, watching him stagger to his feet.  Jerking her thumb over her shoulder, she nodded to the hallway. "Come on, there's an emergency exit out here.  I have a key to keep the alarm from going off."

[White-Jet]

Hierophant compressed his lips, feeling guilty for having not kept a better grip on Yan-Yan, or preventing James from blowing their cover, as he reluctantly follows Domino towards where the emergency exit was.

Once outside, they find James and Yan-Yan fighting over each other while the Hanged Man and Wheel of Fortune card drift further from each other, having been scattered from Tarot Skitty during the toss.

Danny, managing to get control of the wayward robot through the deck holder on its back, manages to catch the Wheel of Fortune card, but as he was directing it towards the Hanged Man card, James and Yan-Yan's scuffle tumbled towards him causing him to rolled into the mess while the Hanged Man continues to drift further from the Institute with no less response than a nonchalant sigh and a shrug.

Hierophant tries to grab the Hanged Man card, but the second he touched it, a surging mess of yellow and red courses through his body, startling him into tossing the card even further out of reach and towards the city.

[Quickman]

Domino breaks into a sprint, chasing after the Hanged Man.  While running, she shed her over-shirt and wrapped it around her hands in an attempt to put some sort of barrier between her and the card's energy discharge.  Getting close enough, she leapt for the card, clamping it between her covered hands, and she landed hard on her shoulder, rolling onto her back, her arms outstretched, the card held firmly. "...If you want this thing," she shouted between pants, "you'd better grab it, now.  Don't know... how long my shirt... will hold it..."

[White-Jet]

Hierophant decided it was best not to tell Domino the reason the Hanged Man's card shocked him if only to keep her from having an advantage should Team Rocket start turning their attention to the capabilities of the card.  He looks towards the scuffle to contemplate how to stop it only to notice it was now barreling towards her.  Panicked and unable to think in such a short amount of time, he summons his gold scepter and points it at the billowing dust clouds formed by their tumble along the ground.

"HOLD!"

The orb flashes a greenish glow, causing a spiral of sparks to surround James and Yan-Yan, leaving the former twitching in paralysis on the ground and the card drifting about with swirls in place of his eyes.  Danny and Tarot Skitty remained unaffected due to their reinforced energy rendering the spell ineffective, though the scuffle has left him almost dazed, resulting in Tarot Skitty laying flat on its stomach in response to his current condition, and the Wheel of Fortune card once again drifting away from them.

Hierophant quickly runs over and grabs the Wheel of Fortune card in time to hear a familiar voice calling to them.

"What's going on back here!?"

He looks towards the source to see Jenny trot over to them, seeming to have gone outside to get some air after getting tired of waiting a few minutes inside the Institute.

"Oh," she quips, noticing the mess surrounding Hierophant, "I...see you've found your white Skitty."

"Yeah...." Hierophant said, scratching his head while eyeing the two "scientists" standing around him while picking up Tarot Skitty and placing the Wheel of Fortune card and Yan-Yan on its back, "There was a bit of a problem catching it, but these two were able to help round them up."

"A problem these two-" the Hanged Man began before Hierophant points Tarot Skitty towards him, causing it to yowl and yank him back towards the deck on its back, all but shutting him up completely.

Jenny seemed suspicious, but figures it was best to just trust him and get back to more important matters, "Well, now that you have what was keeping us, we should get going.  I don't want the rest of the Institute getting suspicious of your cards and forcing another case into our hands."

"Er...right..." Hierophant mutters while sheepishly rubbing the back of his head as he watches Jenny head back towards the parking lot to locate and start the car.

[Quickman]

Domino pulled herself to her feet, unwrapping her shirt and putting it back on, feeling a sharp twinge of pain in her shoulder.  She looked to Heirophant and put a finger to her lips, signaling him to keep quiet.  Walking over to James, she bent and pulled him to his feet, practically dragging him to the door.

[White-Jet]

As Domino was dragging James back inside the Institute, he struggles to try and grab Tarot Skitty, but was too paralyzed from the Hold spell to do nothing more than twitch.

"We need...to get that Skitty back...." James strains, "They'll...blow our cover...."

Hierophant compressed his lips some more before heading off back to the car with Tarot Skitty and some of its cards in tow, hoping this would be his only visit to the Institute.

Once back at the car, he quietly gets into the backseat, looking around, "Where's Mr. Wright?"

"I had to leave him behind to begin his investigation," Jenny said, "I'll drop you off back at the station, then return to help him uncover any shady attempts to sabotage the case in Team Rocket's favor."

"I guess this means I can't at least visit Mewtwo and see if he's okay?"

"By the time I went outside to get some air, the scientists were already taking him to another room for another eval," Jenny said, "If you had gotten back here soon, you might have been able to catch him as they were leaving the room where the clones were being kept."

There was a moment of silence before Jenny smiles, "Don't worry though.  I'll be heading back to the Institute, so if I come across Mewtwo at any point, I'll be able to get some report to share with Ms. Shank when we return later this evening."

Hierophant compresses his lips again, feeling no more need to speak again as Jenny starts the car and begins driving them back to the station.

[Quickman]

Dragging James back to their office, Domino hissed at him to keep quiet.  Once inside, she shut the door and stood there, rubbing her shoulder and letting out a long, low sigh.  Finally, she turned to face James. "Our cover's already been blown.  The most we can do now is cooperate with the cops and keep ourselves out of jail."

Walking over to her desk, she sat and checked her computer. "We've been putting on a show for both sides.  With Giovanni being so secretive, I don't have any choice but to sneak around behind his back."  She checked her e-mail, read a message, and then swore under her breath.  Shaking her head, she leaned into her hands and massaged her temples.  After a few minutes, she looked to James.

"This is just getting worse by the minutes," Domino rubbed the bridge of her nose, and then massaged her shoulder.  "We may end up actually doing the cops a favor, though.  The Boss wants to put Mewtwo down."

[White-Jet]

Hearing this almost caused James to snap his head back up only to feel a sudden jolt of stiffness keep him in the position Hierophant put him in with the Hold spell.

"So...who else knows about this...?  If Dr. Yeung has been informed, he could already be working on that Shadow Project regardless of whether the boss has officially canceled it...."