Next chapter, the vast majority of this was written at about 2 am whilst listening to rock and metal, plus I was hyped up on sweet cereal so... yeah.
Three people. One lavender haired staring fearfully at his partner after her precious display. Another with fiery red hair, out of breath and starting to get a serious headache. The third a young boy of fifteen who really only wanted to had a decent talk with them but was now cowering in the corner.
The abnormality of the room made it seem like a movie set, minus the cameras and director. Listen hard enough and you might have heard some threateningly peaceful music in the distance. The kind that plays before a sudden movement that changes the whole scene from one of peace to horror.
Jessie was- for once- at a loss for words. Something was definitely familiar about the boy but the glaring red eyes and long black hair coated her thoughts with doubt.
James meanwhile was still mulling over the statement. What would they possibly take from someone like him. He didn't seem to know much about Team Rocket if he couldn't recognize the lowly grunt uniforms they wore. That was enough to show they weren't any real threat.
Was the boss really turning to these extremes. Taking innocent hostages and not caring about the consequences. Sure, Madame Boss had done some terrible things but this was going a bit too far for his tastes.
"We don't want anything from you, we just wanted to find out what was in here." He spoke softly, the look he was being given was akin to that the boss gave them after every failed attempt. It probably would have been cute if his eyes weren't that way.
"I don't believe you." A simple answer that cut straight to the point. His eyes were filled with defiance, strands of black hair falling over them.
James just stared. The boy had just insulted his possible saviors from the white void. Although, they were Rocket members- it was understandable how he would be suspicious of all the members.
"But- we just wanted to-"
"I don't need help! I'm perfectly fine!" He yelled, tightening the grip he had around his legs defensively.
"Come on James. What's the point in trying to help people who can't help themselves." She spat, turning her back to the boy and starting to walk away. "We have much more important things to see to, like our mission."
James just sighed, looking from the boy to his partner. Making up his mind that he liked having a head in his shoulders, he followed her.
"Please don't go."
James stopped in his tracks and looked back at the boy. The whole air around him seemed to have changed. Now that he could see the kids face properly, there was nothing but loneliness and fear- but of what?
He and Jessie were leaving him now. They had proved they meant no harm, what did he want now.
"Don't go?" James coaxed. He knew that they had to get going but something at the back of his mind told him this was more important. Even if he did face execution at the hands of a persian.
"I don't want you to." He said as though that answered everything. It did for the most part, the boy had obviously gotten over any fear of them, why else would he be calling them back.
James leaned his head around the now permanently open doorway. Jessie was long gone as far as he could tell. That was good, they were partners but didn't always agree on things.
"I thought you were coming with me?"
James spun around to meet the angry face of his partner. She really did have a strange way of expressing herself. If she had of been that quiet and sneaky in their red snorlax graduation mission they may have actually have achieved their goal.
"I was but he asked me not to."
"Oh, so you listen to what anyone tells you to do now? If I asked you to jump off , would you do it?"
"It depends on why I would have to jump. Was it a life or death situation or was it just as a dare or were you-"
"You're missing the point, James! You don't let anybody push you around. Least of all someone like him."
Ash just tilted his head in confusion. Someone like him? Was they a completely different race or something. Last time he checked, people were people and Pokemon were Pokemon- nothing strange going on there.
"Did I say something wrong? I never asked you to leave. I just wanted to know why you wanted to break down my door instead of unlocking it. Wouldn't that scare you?" He said tucking a few strands of hair behind his ear.
"I suppose it would."
All went silent again. There was no real way to rival the boys statement. They were the ones who had wrongly ran away.
"So, any reason why you were making so much noise out there?"
"We were?" Jessie and James asked in unison. We're they really that easy to hear?
"Yeah, something about an important mission and having to see 'the boss'." He used little quotation marks that would make anyone 'aww'.
"You really heard all that." Jessie was starting to get a bit embarrassed. If they always spoke that loud who knows what sort of things other members could have heard them saying.
"Could you tell me who this 'boss' person is? He seems pretty important to you all. People come by here all the time. 'The boss' this 'the boss' that. I feel really left out."
That was strange. It was rare anyone, if at all, came into the base without knowing who the boss was.
"You seriously don't know the boss?" This was getting ridiculous.
He just responded with a shake of his head and a completely innocent look that said 'don't blame me'.
"Haven't you parents ever told you anything or have you seen anything on the news?"
The same answer. This was becoming quite creepy for the duo. A boy of about fifteen was in the base and probably had been for last four years. The fact he seemed to know nothing about the boss was what bothered them the most. Even if he had come in here without knowledge about him, the boss always introduced himself to their 'guests'.
"You ever heard mention of anyone by the name Giovanni?" That was more or less a last resort. it was highly unlikely he had heard of the boss' forename but just on the off chance.
"Giovanni, huh? That's quite funny, actually. That happens to be my dad's name, if thats's any use to you."
The rest of the night had gone by without any further interruption. Misty had gone home in quite a good mood after Team Rockets visit, which was quite a hard thing to say.
They usually only brought misery into your day but they had been exactly what she needed. Her sisters absence left an empty space in the house. Over the years she had learned to live with it but her time with Ash and Brock had made left her needing company again.
The few trainers who came by this time of year and her Pokemon were the only things keeping her sane. Without them she would probably be making quite nice conversation with the diving board.
In a few weeks time her sisters would be returning for a week or two for a break from all of their holidays.
"They must really get worn out with all that hard work they do in all those tedious beauty contests."
"Psy?" Psyduck voiced, tilting it's head in the same confused manner it always had.
"Sometimes I wonder just how much of what I'm saying you understand, Psyduck."
"Psy?"
"Never mind."
Psyduck just stood there for a while before making his way towards the kitchen. Although dinner hadn't really been that long ago, Psyduck still wanted more. If he were painted blue and cream he could be mistaken for a munchlax.
Paint. The gym's sign was due to be repainted next Saturday.
"It's sad to think that repainting the sign is going to be the most 'thrilling' thing I will have done since I stopped travelling." She mused aloud to Togepi.
After the meeting legendaries and travelling across practically the whole of Kanto, nothing seemed to be as entertaining as it used to be in Cerulean.
During every fishing trip she would sit and daydream about the day that changed her life. At the time it has seemed like a joke some dumb trainer had decided to pull on her that had resulted in his Pokemon getting hurt.
Well, maybe she wasn't so wrong about the dumb part, he did try battling a flying type with a bug and rush into various situations without thinking them through. Without those characteristics though, he wouldn't be Ash.
"To be on the road again." She sighed. "Even if we did go out by ourselves, it wouldn't be the same."
"Prii..." Togepi yawned, trying to stay awake. Of all her pokemon, Togepi was always the most understanding when she spoke about Ash and always listened to everything she said.
"Tired, Togepi?"
"Togi..."
"I guess we won't be going anywhere at this time. We may as well rest for a while."
Misty stood up from the chair and stretched before a crash came from the kitchen. The sound of metal scraping tile could be heard before stopping, only to start again moments later.
Misty gently picked up Togepi from the chair before creeping over to the entry of the kitchen. She reached over to the light switch- clicking it into the on position.
Lying on the floor was Psyduck, among various pots and pans.
"Psy..."
"Spyduck, what did you think you were doing."
"Psy..."
Misty just groaned and picked the yellow pokemon out of the mess. Nothing seemed wrong with him, just a bit shaken from the shock.
"I'll clear this up tomorrow, you'll probably sleepwalk here and do it again later anyway."
So ended another dull day in Cerulean city. Another added to the last four years spent alone apart from her Pokemon and the rare presence of her sisters. Completely oblivious to what was going on deep underground two towns over.
Yeah, I will probably be writing the next bit now until I get tired enough to actually sleep. Either that or listen to Arctic Monkeys or Avenged Sevenfold for a while :)
09/08/13: Checked through and -hopefully- fixed the whole Spyduck-Psyduck thing. It was something I admittedly should have noticed whilst typing it- I don't usually write things that simple wrong/not realise autocorrect was messing me up (whatever it was)...honest!
I also just noticed how childish my notes are...though they probably still are.