Ash Ketchum: Master Detective
Book Two: Fathers
"Jeez Louise, would you two hurry up!" Grunt Joe said back to Grunt Terry and I.
"We're comin'!" Terry yelled back, "You gotta slow down! Boss says if we're caught we're out on our asses!" I looked at them both, and placed a finger at where my lips would be under my ski mask.
"Shhh!" I then spoke in a loud whisper, "You guys are being too loud!
"Whatever," Terry said, "Where is this thing anyways? I wanna get it and go!"
"Same hea'," I said, "What'd da boss say again?"
"What were ya sleepin' durin' the briefing, Dave?" Joe said, slapping me in the back of the head. I held back my urge to punch him square in the face, resigning myself to go the 'Dave way.'
"Ow Joe, what did ya do that foaa'?!" I cried, rubbing my head.
"Listen, Dave: You and I go into this room here, while Terry stays out here and keeps watch. We sneak in, steal the package, and get the Hell outta here!" Joe said, finally catching his breath.
"Oh, Gotcha!" I said back, faking enthusiasm. Still, I wondered what this package was. I wished I had my notepad, I would have loved to write that down.
"Okay," Grunt Joe turned to Terry, "If you see anyone comin' down one of these hallways here, you yell 'Spaghetti!' okay?"
"Spaghetti, Joe?" Terry asked.
"Yeah, Spaghetti," Joe replied, walking away and leading me to the door that lead to a room called the 'Phlebotanium Room.'
"What's Phlebotanium?" I asked with a whisper. Our feet made noticeable clanking echoes on the metal floor, and we tried shuffling lighter as a result.
"C'mon Dave, do you forget everything from the briefing?" Joe asked, whispering but still a bit louder than I'd been.
"Uhhh…" I said eloquently.
"Phlebotanium is…" He paused when suddenly we both heard footsteps coming from somewhere in the building.
"Uh oh," I said.
"C'mon Dave, we gotta hide!" He then looked towards the door and let out a small tweeting sound. A second later, Terry comes running in.
"Spaghetti! Spaghetti Spaghetti, oh God Spahgetti!" Terry was frantic and Dave had to shake him slightly.
"Shut up you idiot! C'mon!" We then ran to a large supply closet on the side of the room and hid in with all the strange smelling medicines and boxes of goggles. Suddenly, we noticed the lights had been turned on on the other side of the door. We heard footsteps clanking on the metal floors ours did. We heard laughter and then the sound of voices, both male.
"Haha, I know right? Old MC Mudkip was way better than he is now." Said one of the men.
"Especially Water Gunz. Best LP ever," the other man said, resulting an what sounded like the clap of a high-five.
"Alright, I just wanted to check this room and lock up for the night," So they were guards, apparently, "I thought I heard something in here."
"Eh, it was probably one of the Pokemon got loose. I ain't goin' lookin' for 'im."
"Oh, definitely not. I'm not trying to miss Sandshrew & Son." I heard one of the sets of footsteps move closer to the closet. "I'm just going to check the closet real quick."
Cue 'Oh Crap!'s" from each of us. I looked at the doorknob and noticed there was a little button on it. A locking mechanism from the inside, maybe?
The footsteps came closer until they finally stopped in front of the door. His shadow hung through the bottom like a sheet laid out before us. Still looking at the knob, I heard him grab it and saw it jiggle a bit. I shut my eyes tight.
I heard it jiggle some more. Then the jiggling ceased.
"Huh, it's locked." The guard closest said.
"Good, that must mean someone checked it and locked it for us, let's totally just leave." The other two grunts and I all sighed, relieved.
"No way dude, It's cool, I'll check real quick, I have a key." Cue 'Oh shit!' looks from each of us.
"Fuck that, let's go! Strip club!" The other guard prodded.
"Strip club?" The key-guard responded.
"Strip club. Let's goo-o-o!"
"Oh… alright. Come on," He withdrew his key and walked off. The two walked towards the exit, closed the door behind them, and I heard the door lock as they left.
"I think I might have pee'd a little." Terry said.
"Disgusting!" I barked as I jumped away from him.
"It was only dribbles…" Terry looked down.
"Shut up, you two, y'want 'em to come back?!" Joe slapped us both.
"Sorry," Terry mumbled.
"Uh, yeah…" I said. I was about ready to just ditch these fools.
We walked out of the closet carefully, each peering out and looking around before we stepped out. I walked around the room, patting the wall looking for a light-switch. I finally found one, and the room lit up bright enough to cause cries of pain from each one of us.
"Jeez Louise!" Joe cried.
"There it is!" Terry cried, pointed to a large tube at the end of the room. It was more like a tank of bubbling blue liquid. It was what was inside the liquid that made me gasp.
It was steel plated armor. More like armored pads and a helmet. There were wrist and shoulder guards, as well as armor for the ankles and the aforementioned helmet that had openings on top. There were chords and wires coming out of the back, that fed into the top of the tube into what seemed to be some kind of life-support system. There was nobody in the armor, so I assumed it was just for diagnostics of some sort.
"This is what the boss wanted?" I asked.
"Yup. Do you know what this is?" Joe asked.
"No." I said.
"Every Rocket remembers this, kid!" Terry said.
"Uh, well, I'm new." I said.
"New, huh?" Joe turned to look at me. "Is that right?"
"Uhh...well, I'm not the newest. Just kinda new." I put my left hand behind my back.
"Who the hell are you?" Joe asked. "You're not Dave. I can see it in the light. You're like, a foot shorter, and way too skinny." Too skinny? Wow, rude.
I waited before responding. Suddenly, Joe ran towards me, about to go for a left hook. I quickly ducked, removed the gun from my hidden back holster, shot my hand upwards, with the handle of the gun popping Joe directly in the chin. I stood up, pistol whipped the grunt, and once he fell over unconscious, I looked towards Terry, and pointed the barrel at him.
"Don't move, loser." I said cruelly. "I got some questions for you."
"Wh-who are you…?" He asked, falling to his knees with his hands in the air.
"Shut up. Answer my questions, NOW." I yelled, cocking the gun intimidatingly.
"Okay! Okay! Don't kill me! Are you a cop?" He was frantic now. Perfect.
"Shut up. I want to know why Team Rocket is back all of a sudden. What do they want with this armor!" I shouted, pointing backwards at the tank.
"The-The Boss-" He began.
"Giovanni? He's still alive?" I asked with shock.
"I-I don't know! He never shows his face! B-but it sounds like him!" Terry had noticeably peed a little bit more. So gross. "I-I don't know what the armor is for. He just told us to get it!"
"Where is he located?!" I yelled.
"I-I...I can't tell you that." He said.
"Sure you can, it's easy," I pointed the gun at him, flicking the hammer menacingly with my thumb. The grunt started to panic. Suddenly, I saw his eyes quickly flicker to the left of me, seemingly looking at something that wasn't me. I turned quickly, when I saw Joe standing behind me, his arm in the air behind his head, holding a nightstick. I tried shifting to the side, but he caught my shoulder as he came down, nearly making me drop my gun. I gripped it firmly.
"Shit!" I cried.
"Terry, get the armor and phase out! I'll handle this prick and then I'll meet you at the Factory!" Joe yelled. Terry nodded. I looked at him, ready to shoot, when Joe knocked the gun out of my hands and clean across the room. Joe had me squared up, and I realized he wouldn't let me retrieve it, or stop Terry without a fist fight.
As I tried to incapacitate Joe, Terry had successfully removed the armor from it's tube.
"What is that thing for?!" I asked angrily as I delivered a blow to Joe's gut.
"Oof! Ffff-fuck you!" He growled as he tackled me, flattening me on my back. I grabbed him in my legs, flipped us over and placed my left hand on Joe's neck, pressing lightly on his Adam's apple. I then delivered a swift blow to his head, hopefully knocking him out. I stood up and ran towards Terry. Suddenly, right before my eyes, he disappeared in a flash of blue light. Right then, he was gone.
"What the…" I stopped, staring at the spot where the grunt once stood. I turned back to Joe, and finding him still there, conked out was a bit of a relief. I raised my wrist upwards to speak into the microphone built in.
"Global Terminal Lab secure, Commissioner," I hesitated slightly. "One of them got away with the package though. I have one detained with me. Over." I walked over to Joe and placed a foot on his back, bending over to cuff him. I heard a buzz from my wrist device.
"Chhk-At least we have one of 'em. Bring him back to the station for questioning, over."
"Sure thing." I droned. "Can I get a ride up there, or do I have to lug this guy on my bike? Over."
"Relaaaax, Ash. Some patrol cars are on their way now. But come to my office when you get back to the station, okay?" I perked up.
"For?" I asked. "And you didn't say over, over."
"Shut up, you idiot. Over!" Jenny barked, cutting the feed.
"Jeez… women, huh?" I asked the unconscious man that lay on the floor. "Still… why has Team Rocket returned? What did they want with that armor…"
I had a feeling that I wouldn't like the answers when I found out.
Team Rocket had been disbanded for around two decades now. Giovanni retired, apparently reformed, to a big house on one of the Orange Islands. After serving his 10 years in jail, he apparently wanted to live the rest of his days out of the public eye, in peace. We all knew he was funding little "side projects" under the table. But he was out of our reach, and there was little to any proof. He covered his tracks well. Finally, people stopped noticing him all together, and he become nothing but a memory.
Why would he come back now? Just to start another war?
I hoped to whatever thing in the sky that would listen: Please let Giovanni not be starting a war. We nearly lost the last one…
END OF CHAPTER ONE
(MatchesMassa: Hey guys! Hope you like the first chapter of book two! I've got most of the plot all figured out, including ending, and whatnot, so I should be able to get chapters up on a semi-regular basis. I'll try for at least twice a week! Please read and review, and stay tuned!)