"So do you say that Giovanni was there?" Officer Jenny repeated the question.
The interrogation seems to have no-end. It's hard to blame the woman for that.
After all, such long interrogations belong to the typical police method. It's hard to lie when you're tired. And Rea understands well that she could get tired. So she repeats the same story every time. The true story.
"Indeed." She confirms once again. "He fought alongside his people, trying to stop the panicking crowd of Pokémon. What happened there was a complete disaster. No wonder that even the boss got involved. Yet I have no idea why he was there."
The true story except one small detail.
"I have my own orders." Rea continues. "Like every other member."
It's rather unlikely that someone would believe it if Rea said she's a Pokémon. Moreover, she was made by combining Mew's genotype with a human one. The creature made that way could be considered a monster.
And what's worse, such an assumption wouldn't be far from the truth.
Officer Jenny taps her fingers over the cup of coffee. Just as this confession makes her nervous.
This interrogation was the same as many others before. It took a long time, about a few hours but actually many things could have changed already. Not only through these few hours. It has been almost five days since Rea arrived at the hospital. Five days since people discovered the lab in Celadon City. During that time everything could happen.
"Something's wrong?" Rea finally asks.
The policewoman seems to be hesitant about revealing anything.
As a witness, Rea technically has the right to know what's going on. Yet this case was definitely not something that happens every other Monday. Not to mention she was only the witness. With such status it's possible to get information about others' testimony. But nothing beside that.
"Word for word." Officer Jenny hesitantly declares looking at Rea. "I would say what's wrong with your testimony, if you tell me what was done in Celadon City's lab."
This time it was Rea who halts. That's a fair deal, indeed. Yet can she just reveal that information? After all, it could reveal her identity as well.
Rea's grip tightens on the warm mug. Officer Jenny clearly sees that hesitation. The policewoman turns back, most likely presuming that Rea won't say anything.
But she has to know what's happened there. About revealing the truth… why not? After all there's only a human Retrei. That monster Mewtwo, who knows what could happen to it. Yet it surely can't pretend to be a human.
"There's… a creature." She finally said. "About five years ago Team Rocket found Mew's DNA. And somehow managed to combine it with a human's genotype."
Officer Jenny stands and gives Rea both a surprised and curious look.
"Celadon City's lab creature." The woman whispers and shakes her head. "I just presume it's just some conspiracy theory based on the few proofs we've managed to get from there."
So they found something. Perhaps not enough to say for sure that this experimental creature exists but enough to have suspicions.
"You promised something." Rea growl.
The policewoman looks warily at the girl who behaves like a wild Pokémon. That makes Rea stop, yet her gaze doesn't leave Officer Jenny's one. Eventually the woman sighs.
"That testimony of yours in general is according to what we have found." The woman said. "That building beyond the ground was a part of some complex. With the main room where, as you said, multiple metal shelves were crushed as well as some lab equipment were packed."
Rea's eyebrows move up. So this was that mysterious package. Some lab equipment. Actually it makes much more sense.
"We've also found corpses of multiple Pokémon as well as humans." Officer Jenny continues not paying much attention to Rea's reaction. "Not to mention that hub in Caledon City which burnt not so long ago…"
"But all the time you said things which prove my story is true one." Rea interrupts her. "My question is, what proves that it's not?"
The woman hesitates. She moves her mug up to take a sip of coffee, but she already drank it all. With obvious irritation she puts the mug aside.
"Giovanni." She finally answers. "You said he was there, fighting among common members."
That's true. Rea has no idea what Team Rocket's boss did in Fuschia City's hideout, or rather Route 18's hideout, but he was there in person.
"His body wasn't found." Officer Jenny finally reveals.
It took Rea a while to understand those words properly.
It could mean everything.
That he wasn't there.
That his body was already taken by some loyal members and well hidden.
Or the opposite, his body was already consumed by wild Pokémon.
Or that the explosion somehow managed to fully destroy his remnants.
Or the investigation team hasn't found anything yet.
Or…
"He's alive." Rea's grip tightens on the white blanket.
"It's one of the possibilities." The woman finally goes back and takes a seat.
Perhaps if this was a conversation about some random human Rea would believe in it. But not Giovanni. Most cunning, clever and ruthless among all the humans Rea knows. And she knows the worst sort of them.
"How could he survive that…?" Rea whispers to herself.
"Well, you did." Officer Jenny points out.
Yeah, right. Mainly because she was the source of the explosion. How Giovanni could survive Rea has no idea but she's sure he did. She just looks at the white walls, unable to say anything.
"Uhm." The policewoman mutters while tapping something on her phone. "So you aren't lying that he was there."
"I don't." Rea immediately replies.
Oh gosh… this means trouble.Team Rocket's boss most likely sees that this mysterious girl who calls herself Rea caused the explosion. He'll start the chase immediately.
Or he won't. He'll just say that a dangerous creature escaped his lab and is able to change into a human and let the people do the job for him. It's a more likely scenario.
Unless… unless Rea stops the man herself.
But how to do this? Surely Team Rocket angered a lot of people and Pokémon. Yet which ones would be powerful enough to destroy Team Rocket?
"Legendaries…" Rea whispers to herself.
"What did you say?" Officer Jenny moves her gaze up from the phone screen.
But the plan already takes shape in Rea's mind. Legendary Pokémon. Surely some of them would be able to put an end to Giovanni's reign. But which one?
"All…" Rea's gaze finally meets Officer Jenny's one. "Listen. If someone unites every legendary Pokémon from five regions against Giovanni it may finally put an end to Team Rocket."
It sounds crazy. But at the same time it sounds like something that could work.
"No. You're nuts." The policewoman quickly summarizes. "Not to mention there's no one who would agree to do this."
"I will." Rea declares as her mind works her best. "But I have one condition. Amnesty. No one talks about my past, no questions, no trials."
It might work. Not to mention that after this Rea can finally be free.
"Yeah, you're crazy." Officer Jenny repeats.
"No." Rea replay. "It's desperation."
"Isn't it the same?" The policewoman shrugs.