*~~*Chapter 3: Big Mistake: Kotone's Viewpoint*~~*
As I walked the surprisingly empty streets of Goldenrod City, I couldn't shake off the memories of the Team Rocket siege. "...Blitz. This doesn't feel right at all. Usually, I can't even make it two steps without bumping into someone...but today...it's empty." I swallowed hard as I slowed down to stay closer to Blitz.
He grabbed my hand with his right paw and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry, Koto. I'll protect you. Just stay close to me and—"
We both stopped as we noticed someone standing in the road ahead of us, the first person we've seen in the city all day, standing in the shadow of a skyscraper. He was wearing a black jacket, accompanied by black pants and sported a black cap on top of his side-spiking teal hair. He started to walk menacingly towards us as I gasped. The last time I saw him...was in the Radio Tower of this very city. I gripped Blitz's paw tighter as he let out a protective growl.
"Proton?! B-but Team Rocket is disbanded for good! Archer said so himself!" I cringed as he came closer, laughing as he adjusted his hat to cover his left eye.
"Ah, if it isn't little Miss Kotone~!" He let out a burst of maniacal laughter as he reached for a Pokéball on his belt. "We've been expecting you..."
At his words, hundreds of Team Rocket grunts rushed out of the shadows and attempted to grab me by the arms. Blitz snarled as he released Flamethrower after Flamethrower, keeping the grunts from reaching me. I've gotta get out of here! Blitz can't hold off all of these grunts by himself for long!
"You see little Kotone, we're not leaving without a fight." His visible eye shined murderously, making me shake with apprehension. "However, we need a strong leader...one who won't leave us when we're in hot water."
Many of the grunts in the mob laughed at this, some hooted and shouted out various pro-Team Rocket slogans. "What's the matter? Has waiting for Giovanni become too boring for you, Proton?" I lifted my head higher in an attempt to sound tougher, even though I was thoroughly terrified by the sheer amount of Rockets still around.
Proton glared at me momentarily before twisting his face into a smile. "That's where you come in. Who better to lead Team Rocket to victory than the Champion?! Become our leader, Kotone! The Queen of Team Rocket and soon, the world!"
"All hail the Queen of Team Rocket! Queen of Team Rocket!" The grunts surrounding us cheered and hailed in unison as I shook my head furiously.
"There's no way I'll ever join Team Rocket, let alone lead it! Back off, Proton! Before...before I make you regret it!" I felt the sweat drip down my face as the crowd grew silent and Proton's smile faded.
"Oh, Kotone..." He suddenly pushed the button on the Pokéball, making it grow to the size necessary to summon the Pokémon within. "...You don't have a choice~!" He then threw the Pokéball straight at me, the red light glowing as the Pokémon came into shape.
"ALAKAZAM!" An Alakazam stood before me, blocking my view of Proton. Blitz charged ahead and got down on all fours, readying himself for battle at my side.
"Alakazam! Psychic, let's go!" Proton pointed ahead of him and smirked as the spoons in Alakazam's hands glowed along with his eyes a consuming blue.
"Blitz, use Flame—GHAH!" I was suddenly stuck by a sharp blast in my head, the force bringing tears to my eyes as I was lifted into the air!
Blitz stood below me, dumbfounded at the sudden change of events. "KOTO!" He turned to Proton and snarled so viciously, saliva was flung from his mouth. "LET HER GO, PROTON!"
Proton simply smirked as he shrugged. "Sorry," he spat sarcastically. "I don't speak Pokémon!"
I've...gotta...get free! My head throbbed with every thought I uttered. But...we're so outnumbered...ghah! It...would...be impossible to...hold them...all off. I've...gotta protect my friends! "B-B-Blitz!" My Typhlosion looked up at me with tears in his eyes, I could tell he was feeling utterly distraught. "R-r-re...RETURN!"
His mouth gaped open as he heard my command. "No, Kotone! I can't just—"
"That's...an order, Blitz!" It hurt to speak even one word, let alone full sentences. My throat felt like it was sandpaper as he shook his head vigorously. "DO IT! I know...what I'm doing! T-T-trust me!"
Blitz stared at me for a long while as the grunts laughed out taunts of my weakness. "...I..." He gave me a weak, tear-filled smile. "I trust you, Kotone..." He then zipped back into his Pokéball with a flash of red light.
"Aww, what's the matter~? Can't bare to let down your pathetic Pokémon? Have you given up already, Kotone? How boring! I expected for you to at least try to free yourself!" Proton held his hips and he bent over, mocking me with a disgusting grin on his face.
I smiled at him, even though it killed me to move my face. "I'm...just getting started!" I then slowly grabbed Ralts' Pokéball and summoned him to the ground below me. Before he was able to utter a single sound, I unclipped my belt of Pokéballs and let it fall into his hands.
"Ms. Kotone?! What are you doing?! What's going on?!" He looked up at me with tears; it killed me to see my Pokémon like this.
"Ralts, run! Get out of here!" I managed to scream it quickly while the grunts closed in on Ralts.
"But, the grunts...!" He shivered as they grew closer.
"I'll b-be fine! Just get out of here with... the team! TELEPORT!" I was screaming as a fresh wave of pain hit me, this time in my heart.
Ralts blinked and me for a while before quickly nodding. He disappeared in a flash of brilliant white light just as a female grunt dove for him, her only catch being a face-full of pavement.
"NO! Find that Ralts! We need those Pokémon! And as for you—!" Proton whipped his head up towards my face and snarled. "Alakazam, Hypnosis!"
I shut my eyes quickly as Alakazam's eyes suddenly changed to a red glow. I tried as hard as I could, but Alakazam opened my eyes for me with Psychic. The instant I saw the glowing red, the world grew black and I could feel myself plummeting to the ground. My descent slowed as Alakazam used his mind to ease my fall. The sounds around me grew quieter as I felt myself falling into a deep sleep.
"...Let's..." I could hear snippets of Proton's yelling as I faded out of consciousness. "Go to...they'll never look there." I felt myself being easily picked up by most likely Proton as I heard his voice become closer. "Soon we'll...stupid children...never learn." I heard him chuckle before he went on, "Long live Team Rocket!"
That was the last thing I heard before I slipped completely under Alakazam's Hypnosis.
*~~*Sliver's Viewpoint*~~*
"Finally, stupid New Bark Town!" I sighed as I took the sparsely populated town that accompanied Professor Elm's laboratory. I could recognize Kotone's house with ease. Some genius had put a wind turbine directly next to her house. "We would have been here half an hour ago if some idiot hadn't dragged me all over Ilex Forest for nothing!" I shot a glare down at Weavile as he lowered his head to the dirt below us.
"I'm certain it was her...I really mean it, Silver. It wasn't a joke." I could see a faint shimmer on his cheek, which made me feel a twinge of guilt for yelling at him so much on the way here.
"...Stop crying." I slowly walked into town, unsure of how I would be welcomed. "There's no need for that. We'll challenge her to a battle soon and—
I stopped dead in my tracts as a blinding flash of light burst in front of me. What the heck is going on?! I fell backwards out of shock when something flew into my stomach. "Ooph!" I fell hard on my rear as Weavile rushed over.
"Silver! Are you alright?!" He grabbed my back from behind in a hug—something that my Pokémon did more often as of late.
I groaned as the light faded away. "Yeah but...what idiot Pidgy just flew at me like that—?!" I stopped in mid-sentence as I felt something nuzzle my jacket...and heard soft sobbing. What in Lugia's name is—! I looked down at my lap to find a Ralts carrying a white belt of Pokéballs, each one having a sticker of the element the Pokémon inside above each button. Wait...these are Kotone's! I would recognize those dumb seals anywhere! Then this must be the Ralts she hatched for that stupid kid of the Professor!
"Silver! It's Kotone's Ralts! But..." Weavile walked over to face me and look at me with a face of utter bewilderment.
"Where's Kotone?!" I finished his sentence for him as the small Pokémon lifted his head to look at me, his cheeks dripping with tears.
The Ralts started bawling, talking faster than I even thought possible for such a young Pokémon. "M-Mr. Silver! It's awful! We were trying to come and visit you because Ms. Kotone was so upset that she forgot to call you and—" I quickly pressed my hand on top of the red...thing on it's head to stop it from talking.
"Slow down, I can't understand you when you speak so fast!" I narrowed my eyes as it nodded, it's eyes still producing gallons of waterworks.
"We...were trying to come and see you because Ms. Kotone was so busy last week helping Professor Elm and—"
Weavile cocked his head in confusion. "Why was she helping him? She told us it was Ethan's job!"
Ralts simply nodded and continued. "Ethan had the flu, so she did his work for him. By the time she finished at the end of the day, she was so tired that she couldn't talk even if she wanted to!" So that's why she was gone...She was helping Pretty Boy with his job! I felt relieved that she had only been too tired to call me. Then I felt a rush of anger towards Ethan. It shouldn't be Kotone's job to fill in for you at work because you get sick, Pretty Boy! You're such an idiot!
Ralts continued, apparently unaware of my inner rage. "But when we got to Goldenrod City, everyone was gone! Then we, we..." His voice tailed off as he opened his eyes as they glowed and we were suddenly shown an image of Proton slinking out of the shadow of a building with a wild gleam in his eyes. "Proton was there with Team Rocket grunts...hundreds of 'em!"
Team Rocket?! No, no, no no! This can't be right! My stomach swirled as my feelings about the nightmare had been true. Team Rocket's here?! Those cowards were disbanded! But...Proton has never been one to give up that easily...that sleezeball!
"...And then he made an Alakazam pick her up with Psychic and then she told me to run away and take the others with me..." His eyes glowed again as he showed us Kotone floating painfully above our heads while Proton sneered behind his barrier of goons. I could see the pain in her eyes, tears streaming down her face as she yelled for Ralts to run away... You idiot! Why would you do something like that?! They were your only chance of escape! Ralts' vision suddenly swiveled to all of the cowards closing in around him, their faces all merging together under the effects of the small Pokemon's fear.
His vision suddenly vanished as he shoved his face into my jacket and cried loudly. No, Kotone...no! I struggled to find my voice under the pressure in my chest. "W-what happened to Kotone? Where is she?!" The Ralts looked up at me before burying himself deeper into my jacket and sobbing even louder. Crap, the darn thing's still like a baby... Ugh! Now I have to speak in a stupid 'loving tone' and all that crap... Perfect. I cleared my throat before I continued in the softest tone I could manage, thinking of how Kotone's life was probably on the line. I stroked Ralts' cheek, brushing away some of its tears as I cooed, "Ralts...where is Kotone now?"
The Pokémon looked up at me with the most heartbreaking eyes I've ever seen in my life, lifted it's head to the sky and screeched, "I DON'T KNOW! THEY'VE TAKEN MS. KOTONE! TEAM ROCKET KIDNAPPED MS. KOTONE!"
Author's Note: And this is where things get interesting~! MUHAHAHAHA~! CLIFFHANGER!
Sorry for totally crashing your feels with this Chapter~ (Now you see the significance in the Ilex Forest Chapter of their passing each other by~)