AN: I had to write this in order to "capture" some Poke'mon on an online RPG I just joined :P Nothing terrific but it was still pretty fun I suppose!
It was around 1 AM, the time of night when the world seems to surrender to the silent solace of the inky black sky. The stars studded the sky like tiny beacons against the ebon glare, providing some comfort to those who were afraid of the darkness.
Lulu was one of those people. Although she was a lanky brunette seventeen year old, her courage failed her in the dim of the night. She had begun her journey just earlier this year from Twinleaf town but she still couldn't shake off her old childhood fear. She huddled with her back against the trunk of a tall oak tree. She ignored the pain the rough bark brought as it bit through her thin black tank top. The summer's breeze felt cold against her skin and she shuddered as goose bumps rose along her arms. Normally, Lulu would have been tucked away in a Pokémon Center bed or at least hidden in the warm confines of a tent but tonight, she was on a mission.
She had witnessed the brutal robbery of a trainer not much younger then herself. Two men dressed in black with a large red R emblazoned upon the front had cornered the girl as Lulu watched from afar. She had attempted to get to the girl in time to help but the robbery was over as quickly as it had started. The girl's lavender eyes had filled up with tears as she relayed to Lulu about how her precious Meowth and Wurmple had been stolen away.
Lulu vowed to the girl that she would track down the perpetrators and bring back her Pokémon. After all, she was a sucker for cute girls. She secretly dubbed the operation Damsel in Distress.
The girl, whose name had turned out to be Eliza, was now crouched down next to Lulu. Her face was puckered in a deep frown as she thought of the two men who had taken her Pokémon. It would have to be the notorious Team Rocket; there was no other group that sprang to mind. The uniforms themselves had been a dead give away. Eliza's head snapped to the left as Lulu murmured softly, "Are you ready?"
Lulu could barley make out the nod that Eliza had given her in the black veil. For a moment, she groped blindly in her pocket for a hair tie. After pulling up her chestnut brown hair in to a tight ponytail, she gave the go ahead signal with a downward stroke of her hand.
The men's base seemed to be an old abandoned windmill. It seemed strange to Lulu. The building itself was not very big. If the men were operating a covert business, why make the base so tiny and so noticeable? The pair crept closer to the decrepit building as silently as they could muster. Their footsteps fell muted on the thick grass below them and Lulu thanked whatever higher power that the ground around them was not gravel like the path they had just left.
The door stood just a few feet away now, a gaping mouth ready to swallow the two whole as they stepped through. To both of the girl's surprise, the inside was utterly empty. Lulu pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and strained her eyes to see if she had missed anything in her once over.
The rusted steel creaked around them as the wind blew and Lulu felt for sure that it would only take a few more years for the thing to collapse. She heaved a heavy sigh in annoyance, "I saw the two come in through this way. I know I've got impaired vision but this is ridiculous."
Eliza crossed her arms tightly across her chest, hoping to bottle up the disappointment that filled her like flood water through a broken dam, "I don't understand…"
Lulu leaned up against the wall but quickly leapt back as something there slid inward. She yelped in surprise the ground rumbled beneath them. Rust showered down upon them as the floor began to descend.
Eliza stared slack jawed at Lulu who just shrugged feebly "Must've been an hidden elevator..door…thing." She trailed off. This was the kind of stuff you could only find in movies or books.
The floor shuddered as it came to a halt. A light flickered on above them and a mechanical door whirred loudly as it slid open. Eliza and Lulu quickly passed into the open passage way and paused to take in their surroundings. The walls were made from chrome and steel, glistening new and bright. Obviously this was a new addition to the old mill.
"Can you believe this?" Lulu asked in awe as she touched the cold walls, "This is amazing…"
"It's kind of creepy." Eliza said faintly, looking straight up and into the glare of the naked bulbs that lit the hallway, "It feels kind of sinister, you know?"
Lulu nodded her head, "I get that feeling too…We had better be quiet."
The two continued on through the long passage way with their backs to the wall. The hallway to an abrupt turn and Lulu peeked out from behind the wall. She quickly pulled her head back and bit her lip.
Across the way, a lone man stood with his arms folded and a sour expression on his face. His tousled black hair gave him a threatening air. No doubt he was sentry to main facility of the building.
Lulu pressed her palm against the Poke'ball that she kept on her belt, "Eliza…There's someone there. Things may get a little messy. I need for you to remain out of sight. If I loose this battle, run as fast as you can and find the nearest law enforcement. Got it?"
Eliza bobbed her head quickly, "Good luck." She whispered as Lulu turned the corner.
The man did not see Lulu at first. He had to blink twice to assure himself someone else was there. No one had ever breeched the compound before. He quickly pulled himself up and stalked toward the girl, "Oi, who are you then?"
"My name's Lulu and I believe you have something that belongs to a friend of mine." Lulu said, her heart pounding against her rib cage erratically.
The man sneered, "Oh yeah? And you figured you could waltz in here and take what you want? Well you're wrong, stupid girl." He dug in his pocket and threw a Poke'ball to the ground. When the red light cleared, Lulu could make out the form of a small Zubat. The blue bat Pokémon hovered around its trainers head, ready for action. Lulu noted a small thin black collar around the creature's neck. A single red bulb burned angrily in the center.
Lulu narrowed her eyes, thin shards of sapphire behind the frames of her glasses. She quickly called out her own Pokémon, "Tango, go!"
With a burst of electrical energy, a green canine Pokémon erupted from the Poke'ball eagerly, "Trike!"
"Tango, start off with a howl!" Lulu commanded, moving herself out of harms way.
The Electrike threw its head back and summoned a deep throaty howl from deep within its chest. The Zubat beat its wings to keep steady in the air as the walls around it shook.
"So what, your mutt can make a little noise. It ain't going to help you." The rocket sneered, "Zubat, use confuse ray!"
The Zubat beat its wings furiously as it gathered a ball of purple pulsating energy. It cried out as rings of the psychic attack flew towards its opponent.
"Tango, use quick attack to dodge it and then tackle it from behind!" Lulu commanded, thinking quickly as the ray that very well might turn the tide of the battle came their way.
Tango growled and disappeared in a flash. The Zubat fluttered around helplessly as the beam bounced off the ground harmlessly. With a bark, the Electrike appeared again and slammed into Zubat, sending it to the floor.
"Astonish it!" The Rocket cried, seeing his Pokémon knocked from the sky. The Zubat quickly turned to the Electrike and spread its wings to beat it back. Tango skid away as the wings made contact.
Lulu gritted her teeth tightly. It shouldn't have taken this long to finish off a Zubat, "End this fight with a discharge!"
The air around Tango crackled fiercely as it charged up the power it needed. With a bang the energy exploded all around them, frying whatever was in its path. Lulu threw her arms up as a blinding light followed.
As the light dissipated, Lulu found the Zubat prone and twitching on the linoleum floor. The Rocket himself stood with disbelief, "My Zubat…"
Lulu grinned triumphantly, "So how about letting me move on then?"
The Rocket trembled with anger as he recalled his Pokémon, "Over my dead body!"
Lulu sighed, "Well, I can't do that…but…" She grinned at Tango, "Thunder Wave him, please."
The Rocket's eyes widened as Tango unleashed another flash of lightning. He now lay on the floor, rendered unconscious from the blast.
"Good job, Tango." Lulu said fondly, scratching the Pokémon on her head. The Electrike's back end wriggled with pleasure. Surely if she had a tail, it would be wagging. Lulu quickly called back her friend and called out, "Eliza, it's safe!"
Eliza quickly ran from around the corner and smiled, "I knew you'd win…"
Lulu grinned slightly, "Thanks…But no time for chit chat…We should get going now. I don't know how long this guy will stay down."
Eliza threw a contemptuous glare at the Rocket as they passed by him, "Good riddance. Lousy, no good…" She trailed off as Lulu glared.
At the end of the walkway where the Rocket was guarding sat another door. It slid open as they passed by and led into a rectangular room. From the floor the ceiling stood cages, stacked one on top of another. Most were empty but in the center of the room sat four cages filled with Pokémon. Among them were a female Nidoran, a Pidgey and Eliza's Wurmple and Meowth.
Eliza rushed over to the cages and pressed the release mechanism. Her Wurmple and Meowth flung themselves into her arms happily and the Nidoran and Pidgey followed suite in escaping. They leapt down from their cages and gazed upwards at their rescuers.
Lulu kneeled down to the two, "Do you two have trainers?"
The Pidgey nodded its head jerkily while the Nidoran shook hers. It looked frightened and lost; not a very pleasant first time experience with humans, Lulu thought somberly, "Well you're all safe now…We just need to get you out of here."
As Lulu stood, her scalp prickled uncomfortably. A menacing growl filled the compound and from behind a row of empty cages stepped a Houndour. His jet black fur rose along his back and hackles as salvia foamed at its lips. Lulu slowly backed away from the clearly angry beast, hands upraised, "It's okay…I'm not going to hurt you…"
The Doberman like Pokémon barked and snarled. Claws skittered across the smooth floor as it stepped purposely forward. The Nidoran ran forward, gently nuzzling the beast. The fur fell flat across its back when the female came in contact.
"Nin…Ran!" It hurriedly said, gesturing toward the two girls. It seemed to want to explain something to the Houndour but the beast returned to his savage snarling as he held the two girls in his sight once more.
The Nidoran shook her head, "Nida!"
The Houndour gently nosed her aside and made for the girls. Lulu backed up quickly and noticed that this Pokémon also held a black collar with the single red bulb. Lulu threw a glance at a computer terminal only 10 feet away. On the screen was the very collar on the Houndour's neck. She quickly scanned over the text. Apparently the collar was used for controlling a Pokémon completely. Any Pokémon captured by Team Rocket would be subject to complete and utter brain washing by this device.
Lulu stared at the Houndour. It was attacking because it was made too. A rush of anger surged through her. How dare they?
She quickly called out her companion who looked ready to serve. Lulu whispered softly, "I want you to charge at the Houndour but aim a thunder at the computer? Got it?"
Tango nodded, stretching her legs out in front of her before barreling off toward the Houndour. The black canine was taken by surprise and stood still as the Electrike leapt into the air and let loose a horrific Thunder right into the computer terminal. The screen cracked and splintered and smoke billowed from the now useless machine.
The collar around Houndour's neck disengaged and fell with a clatter. The misty eyed Pokémon blinked blearily but quickly took in its surroundings. Just as it came too, a smooth female voice announced over hidden loudspeakers, "The self destruct sequence has been activated; T minus five minutes until detonation. Please make your way to the available exit. Thank you."
Lulu exchanged a look of horror with Eliza and quickly herded the creatures toward the door. Sirens wailed around them and lights flashed, disorientating the group as they ran through the halls, feet pounding against the floor as fast as they could go.
Lulu rushed past the spot where she had left the rocket only to find it vacant. The man had obviously left the compound when the sirens started.
Eliza punched the buttons as they halted in front of the elevator. Precious minutes ticked by as the thing slowly let its doors open for them. Lulu and Eliza crowded into the space and pressed up as the cool voice announced, "Two minutes remaining…"
The elevator ground to a halt abruptly. Lulu took a deep breath and cried as the final countdown began, "Run!"
The strange group crashed through the trees surrounding the old windmill haphazardly. The ground trembled and all were thrust forward by the force of the explosion. A deafening noise swept the area and the noxious odor of smoke filled the forest.
Lulu groaned as she sat up, rubbing her arm tenderly. She was bruised but at least they were alive. The Pokémon looked frightened and chattered nervously among themselves.
Eliza was kneeling next to her Pokémon, hugging them tightly, "Thank goodness…"
With a sigh of relief Lulu, fell back down. The ordeal was over. Everyone was safe…and they had destroyed a Rocket base. Overall, she could call it a good day.
A small trek later, a hasty camp was made. They all slept out in the open, in front of a crackling fire so generously provided by Houndour. In the morning, Lulu and Eliza parted. Eliza with her Wurmple and Meowth, as well as the Pidgey which she would bring to the nearest Pokémon Center and report as missing and Lulu with the Houndour and Nidoran.
The two did not wish to part. Lulu had come to discover that the Houndour had watched over the Nidoran through out her containment and a strong bond had formed. Neither wished to be released into the wild either as Team Rocket may have been still skulking about.
Lulu eagerly welcomed the two newcomers to her team. She fished out two empty Poke'balls and touched them in turn to each of the Pokémon's foreheads. Without so much as a struggle, the Poke'balls pinged softly and lay still.
Lulu placed them on her belt, on either side of Tango's slot and grinned. Jauntily she began to whistle as she headed down the road, kicking up dust along the way. A little good always comes out of bad. Still, she had the nagging feeling that his would not be the last of Team Rocket's antics, especially now that they knew her face. One day at time, she reminded herself, one day at a time.