Danny looked at the man. He was wearing all black, and his shirt had a big red 'R' on the front. This man had to be a Team Rocket Grunt. The man looked back with a piercing stare that seemed to go further than Danny's eyes. Then, his eyes darted around Danny, his scruffy clothes to his grubby hands.
"Quit staring kid." he snarled.
"Sorry mister," Danny said "But I was wondering if you could tell me how to join Team Rocket."
"What?" the grunt said, bursting with laughter "You think that you could join Team Rocket?" Danny nodded. "Well then come along kid, we'll get you tested."
Danny Griffin was only ten. His father had left the family before he even knew him and that left him and his mother penniless. His mother had just about managed to get him into school, but their food supply was running low and nobody would accept a job from either Danny or his mother. So Danny found an alternative: joining Team Rocket. Whilst he didn't particularly want to, it was the only way he could earn some money and help keep his mother alive. When his mother told him what his father had done, he'd made a promise to himself. To keep his mother alive until he found his father. Now Danny was getting a job. He didn't have any Pokémon, you had to pay for them and who in their right mind would hire a ten year old? Team Rocket had been gaining power and members though, so Danny had had the idea of joining but he dare not tell his mother. If she ever found out what crimes he would have to commit to earn money... he shuddered to think what she'd do.
"Here we are kid, Team Rocket HQ." They were standing outside a huge building with fortified walls and lookouts at the top. "Come on then kid, hurry up!" the grunt snapped as Danny just gazed at the tremendous structure.
"Sorry mister." Danny said and ran along to catch up. Soon, they reached a man with blue hair wearing white.
"A kid that wants to join sir. Permission to test him sir."
The man with blue hair looked Danny in the eye and said "Do you have any Pokémon?"
"No sir." Danny felt himself shiver. This man was menacing.
"How rude of me, my name is Archer and I'm an executive here at Team Rocket. Now then, a quick and simple test: get a Pokémon."
"But sir, I have no money..."
"Your point?" Archer snapped "I didn't say how to get it did I? Now run along child, and return with a Pokémon."
The chance presented itself nicely later that day. A man in a trench coat was sitting on a bench, going through some paperwork with a couple of Pokéballs laid beside him. Danny crept round the back of the bench, taking care as to not tread on any twigs or he would be seen and punished. His hand could just about slip through one of the gaps in the bench and take one of the balls. But the trouble was not being seen. However, the man seemed busy with his paperwork so Danny grabbed one of the balls at random, slipped it into his pocket, and walked off. Once he was well away from the man he threw the ball up and out popped a Treecko. It looked around, presumably for its master but could not find it. It seemed angry, no not angry more relieved. Danny wondered why. At any rate, he had succeeded with his trial.
"Well little Treecko," he said "This is the start for us two. It may not be a path that either of us want, but it's a path we must take. Now can we try to get along? It will make things so much easier." the Treecko looked at Danny and smiled, giving a cry of its name as it did so. "Well then, I guess it's time to finish those trials... for Mum."
Well, here is the start of another story. I've sort of stopped Heart of a Mermaid for now but you never know, if I have time, I may restart it. In any case, I've been thinking about this story for a while and have the first few chapters written although, I most likely won't update too regularly. Don't forget to review, praise or criticism.