Chapter 7 - Epilogue

The Lake of Rage was as violent as ever. The waters were churning dangerously, and ominous clouds circled above. Despite this - the lake grounds were as quiet as ever. Within the past week, Team Rocket had successfully muscled in on the territory - guards stationed at the gate between it and Mahogany Town, and grunts hassling the local fishermen and hermits out of the area. It had since become something of a staging ground - and today, a gathering place.


Grunts stood impatiently near the entrance to the lake - some anxious; most bored. Since the administrators started cracking down on their ‘conduct’, few of them had the opportunity to blow off steam in the past week. Today - they were called to the lake, but none of them knew why… Not that it mattered. Now more than ever, it’d become clear not to disobey them.


The reason quickly became apparent as Ariana stepped out of the house-turned-base of operations - she held a clipboard; eyes flitting between it and the crowd as she makes notations. 


“Members of Team Rocket!” she bellows as she finally stops before the crowd; standing before the edge of the lake. Her voice carries even over the raging tides. “Today is a momentous occasion. In the years since our boss has enacted his… Long-term revival plan, we as administrators have worked long and hard in our endeavors to return Team Rocket to its former glory. While we have been largely deprived of suitable… Materials…” She glares at the crowd. “We now have a means of making greater use of them. You’ve surely noticed recent alterations in policy; recent acquisitions of equipment…” she trails off. “All of which have been devised by the newest addition to our great and glorious team’s administration.”


The door to the cabin opens again - and out steps a woman clutching a Net Ball. To most in the crowd, they recognize her as the… Oversized grunt that looked a little like Ariana. To those that joined since - the resemblance was enough to unnerve them. Murmurs began to circulate through the crowd as she stands beside the other administrator.


“May I present to you - Athena. Executive coordinator of the Mahogany Headquarters, and soon to be head of the Celadon Revival Project.”


The murmurs grow louder as skepticism circulates. Athena - she looked like Ariana if she was over-the-hill. If she let herself go. She stood hunched; hands clawing the Pokeball with visible discomfort. It looked like she hated being outside to begin with. Even then - she was the one that made the admins crack down? To those that recognized her, it was baffling to see her working her way up the ladder, while they were still stuck where they were. 


“You may have some concerns,” Ariana began. “but I’ll allow Athena to dispel them.” She motions to her fellow administrator, who lobs the Net Ball toward the lake. As though orchestrated - the brilliant beam of light strikes the water in time with a far-off flash of lightning; briefly turning the sky white. The ball is quickly recalled, landing in the moist earth at Athena’s feet.


Thunder rumbles as the waters churn further, the sounds building until the thunder gives a reverberating crack. The water’s surface breaks, and from it comes a wild roar. Grunts flinch or tumble backwards as a Gyarados snakes up from the water; hovering dangerously behind Athena. Its scales were a vibrant shade of crimson - and streams of water cascaded off of it. Its normally-fearsome visage was twisted in a snarl as it bore down upon the grunts. In its shadow stood Athena, reaching down to pick up its Pokeball. 


“I would hope that’s sufficient?” Ariana muses. With the grunts still frozen in stunned silence, she barks “Is it!?”


The crowd leaps into motion - a confused and discordant “Yes ma’am!” rising from it. 


“Good.” she calls, beaming over to Athena. “You may all return to your duties - our plans are moving quickly. We’ll make sure you have plenty to do in these coming months.”


Athena recalls her Gyarados; the ball visibly shuddering in her grip. Before her - the crowd disperses; and behind her, lightning flashes again. 


Ariana steps forward, draping her arms over her shoulders. “What a lovely display. I was surprised when you suggested such a venue, but I had confidence you could handle it.” Lyra- Athena nods in affirmation. Thunder begins to rumble around them, and they move back toward the entrance of the forest. “Let’s head back to headquarters. It isn’t just them that’ll be busy, you know.”


She did - but… She was ready for it. The week of grunt work was the perfect eye-opener for what the team lacked. The time she’d spent planning these jobs - refining many of Ariana’s own - had been a delight. Truthfully - she didn’t much care about Rocket’s goals; or their success - but with every notch on her proverbial belt, it elevated her. Now that she was an admin - she had power. She had money from the crimes she orchestrated. She had the fear of her subordinates and the respect of her peers. Moreover - she had responsibilities, and she met them; so she was rewarded for it. 
Such was the nature of adulthood. It was Ariana that opened her eyes to that - and as thunder boomed across the sky, and a cold smile curled across her lips, she couldn’t be happier.