He didn't understand. How did this happen? How could he lose to someone like Giovanni? He could have sworn that he had the upper hand, but no. His pokemon were not strong enough. He wasn't strong enough.
The eighth gym leader gave him a smug look; he knew what this meant. He had made this bet and now he had lost it.
Giovanni could now do whatever he wished with him and he had no say whatsoever.
The leader of the Team Rocket gave him a smug smile. "You'll go quietly now. Today you start a new life."
He already knew that was in store for him. Giovanni wanted him in Team Rocket. He wanted him to steal the pokemon of others. He wanted to make him into a monster like they were. Like he was.
He remembered what they had done to that Marowak in Lavender Town. He even came face to face with its ghost. Would he be forced to do that as well? To kill a pokemon as its protecting its young.
"Don't think of this as the end. Think of it as an opportunity." His new boss said, as he motioned for him to follow him out the room.
He knew he had no choice and followed Giovanni into the back room. He could tell that this was a fake office. One that the boss of Team Rocket used to hide his identity from the rest of Kanto.
He sighed as he watched the man press a couple of buttons. Soon a secret door opened revealing a downward staircase and he was told to follow the man once again.
He cringed as he walked down the staircase, leading to the true base of the organization that he tried to destroy.
He was handed a small bag. He peered inside and his stomach twisted. Giovanni only smirked. "You will go change into your new uniform, before we continue."
He thought of running away, possibly to the police. But he knew better. The police wouldn't do anything. They were powerless to stop Giovanni and Team Rocket.
His new boss left the room and he got to changing his outfit. He removed his hat last, staring at it for a good few seconds before switching it out for the new one. It was a little different from the rest of the uniforms he had seen the grunts wear. It actually looked closer to what an admin would wear. Did Giovanni really think that he would love doing this this much?
When he finally came out, he found the other man was waiting for him. He seemed almost thrilled to see him as he sat behind his desk. "Now we can go over your team."
He groaned. He had faced his fair share of grunts and admins and didn't wish to give up his pokemon for a rattata, koffing, or ekans. He tossed his hat at Giovanni in his anger, only it only landed on his desk.
The boss of Team Rocket looked rather amused at this. "Did you think that I was going to take your team from you? What would be the point of that?"
That surprised him. Why was this man being so nice? "So you can control me."
Giovanni began to laugh. "You think that I'm the one trying to control you? Look around you and you will start to see the truth."
"What are you talking about?" He said confused with what the man was saying.
"You have been lied to Red. Don't you think that it is odd that anyone can just get a pokemon, even those that don't deserve one." The man questioned smugly.
"Yeah. I see people like you and wonder that all of the time." He retorted, wiping that smug smile away with one comment.
But Giovanni wasn't done. "Tell me Red, did you want that Eevee that Professor Oak promised you? How did it feel when Blue took it from you?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" He argued. "And how do you even know about that?"
"I know a great many things, Red. But you didn't answer my question. How did that make you feel? Knowing that someone as entitled as that boy took the pokemon that was destined to be yours. A pokemon that would have given you plenty of possibilities." Giovanni said, leaning over his desk. His hands were clenched together as he rested his elbows away from his body.
He didn't want to talk about this. He didn't want to think about it. Yes, he had been excited to be getting an Eevee, but that didn't affect how he felt about Blue or his Pikachu.
"I can see it in your eyes. You hate him for taking that Eevee for himself. Tell me, what did he evolve it into?"
How was this man getting into his mind? "He turned it into a Flareon." He didn't know why he was so angry. He had a great team. Why was he so pissed off at Blue now?
"What would you have turned it into?" Giovanni asked.
That was a good question. What would he have evolved that Eevee into? He was fine with Pikachu, at his side. Would he have turned it into another electric type? "A Jolteon."
The man behind the desk laughed again. "How does it make you feel, knowing that it became a Flareon?"
He didn't even think before speaking. "I hate it."
Giovanni smirked darkly. "You see, that boy never deserved that pokemon. He thinks that he is ahead of you, but really he has never beaten you once. His arrogance will be his undoing."
"He may be annoying, but he isn't that bad." He tried to argue, but he knew he was just lying through his teeth.
"Then why do you look like you want to hit something? You hate him Red. You want to take away everything from him. All of your life, you had to work for what you had. You just didn't have everything given to you. He is a weakling. And that's why you hate him. He was given power; you want that power for yourself." Giovanni said.
"You're wrong. That's not it at all! It's…" He was shaking, why had he not seen it before?
A hand clasped over his. "Stop lying to yourself, Red. You know that I am right. You want power. You are just like me."
He shook his head. "No…"
"I used to be just like you. I left town with my starter. I collected all of the gym badges. I even went to face the elite four. And just like me, you are being used, Red."
"You...you're lying." He sputtered.
Giovanni pulled himself up from him chair and walked around to the other side. "Am I? The economy of this world revolves around every child going through that system and only the few become more than just trainers. And of those few, how many got there because of their standing. Think about it Red, have you ever noticed how everyone wants you to get rid of me? Why not the police? Why not the other gym leaders? Why not the elite four? Why not the champion?"
He was stuck. Was Giovanni right? Was he just a puppet for them? "Because they are busy?"
"No. Because they want to keep things that way. They want everyone to scoot by like Blue does, Red. Because if they do that they are in control."
"Then why don't they just get rid of you?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
"I have become too strong for them and every day Team Rocket becomes stronger too. Where do you think all of the adults that are fed up with the system go, Red? We were pushed into this life of crime."
His hands made fists at his sides. He was livid. How could he have been so stupid? He wouldn't stand for this. He wasn't going to allow those people to control anyone else.
Giovanni picked up the hat up off of his desk and handing to him. "Do you understand now, Red? Do you see why I went out of my way to get you to join me?"
"Yes. I understand." Without thinking, he took it from the man in front of him and put it on his head, making Giovanni look smug again.
"So what do you want to do, Team Rocket Admin Red?"
He gave Giovanni a smirk. "I want to make them pay, Boss. I want to take everything away from them."
This is going to be a series of one-shots starring the protagonists and Bosses from every Pokemon game up until fifth generation. I may do sixth gen if I get enough requests for it.
If you noticed, this is more based on the Yellow story than Red and Blue. Also I will be using the game titles as the characters names, so Ethan, Brandon, and Lucas will be Gold, Ruby, and Diamond like they would be in the manga.
Anyway, onto Gold….