Chapter 6:
5/26 Stealing from Thieves
"I'm going after them!" Red declared with finality.
"What?" Blue asked incredulously. "Are you crazy, do you not remember what just happened?"
"Yes," Red said grimly. "I remember just fine. My pokemon were taken from me, they are my family now. Someone took my family from me and I am going to go and get them back. How do you not understand this?"
"You can get another Pokemon!" Blue cried out in exasperation. "I'm sure my soft-hearted grandpa will spare another for you."
"You don't listen. I don't want another Pokemon, I want MY Pokemon, the ones they took from me!"
"You're an idiot," Green observed.
"I really don't care what you think," Red waved at Green dismissively. Surprising the young female trainer, Red had always seemed to be such a people pleaser. She was smarter than him, didn't he see it?
"Pikachu and I will help you," Yellow didn't hesitate to volunteer.
"Are you kidding me?" Blue looked at Yellow in shock.
"His family is in danger, I have to help," Yellow responded.
"They're Pokemon! Not family! Why do you two keep talking like you've lost your parents?"
"Because we have!" Red answered without really thinking of Blue's context. "And if you knew what that felt like you wouldn't abandon anyone ever."
Yellow nodded in agreement and then the two simply jogged off, following Team Rockets' footprints.
"Oh my god!" Blue groaned. "I swear to God that I am going to leave you all in the dust the second my pokemon are strong enough!" Blue bemoaned, after a few seconds he groaned and followed the two heedless trainers' footprints. Green stared after his back for a moment before rolling her eyes and joining him in the chase.
Red stared at the thickly overgrown forest floor, it was easy to follow Team Rocket's tracks as they mobbed their way through the woods. That was until they all split up. Suddenly he found himself with tracks that went in fifteen different directions. He stopped his headlong run into the woods. He could hear Yellow crashing through the underbrush after him. He felt panic start deep in his chest and rise until it choked his throat and made it hard to breathe. He tried to calm himself as he stared about. Which trail should he follow?
"Red!" Yellow called out to him as she finally came within view. "I've been living in the woods my whole life! Let me help!"
"I gotta figure out where to go!" Red said more to himself than to Yellow. "Which ones should I follow?"
"These!" Yellow immediately pointed at a particular set of footprints. "More than one person made this indentation. It is set deep as if many people copied the same exact path, but it isn't wide enough to be someone's prints who would weigh enough to cause such deep indentation."
"I don't get it," Red was obviously overwhelmed. Yellow didn't blame him, his Pokemon had been taken.
"They are purposely trying to throw someone off their trail. They all split up then came back and followed a single leader's footsteps exactly. It's a classic maneuver for those who travel in groups."
Red stared at Yellow for second with respect. "You obviously know what you are talking about."
"Pikachu and I have a lot of experience tracking together, don't we, Pikachu?"
Pikachu actually nodded and Red felt his heart rate slow, ever so slightly. He was in good company. He was going to get his Pokemon back. He just had to. He was going to be a Pokemon Ranger like his father, he had already sacrificed so much to make it happen, he couldn't afford to give up or be overwhelmed now.
Just then Blue and Yellow arrived, they looked about in confusion. They weren't even looking at Team Rocket's tracks. Red rolled his eyes and followed Yellow as she wordlessly took the lead and followed the trail she had pointed out. Red felt a warm sense of gratitude for her just then as if her act of kindness had suddenly warmed his blood. He wouldn't forget her willingness to help, no matter the danger.
"Let's go," Blue groaned at Green as they brought up the rear, decidedly slower than Red or Yellow.
Red raced behind Yellow as she sped through the woods without seeming to have to look at Team Rockets' footprints. He watched in astonishment as the various trails all came back to form one obvious trail again. She had saved him lots of time. Yellow held up a hand to warn him of something and slowed. Red crouched and joined her as she approached what appeared to be the edge of a clearing.
Red and Yellow stared at the various simple dark-colored tents set up in some sort of haphazard order. Red knew his Pokemon had to be out there among them somewhere. Yellow seemed as intent on finding his Pokemon as he was. His heart warmed again at sight of her gazing about, her eyes darting back and forth with frantic energy. The same frantic energy that he felt.
Realizing he was neglecting his duties he turned and somehow immediately spotted his Pokeballs. He had used a permanent black marker to write a black "R" on the top of each of his Pokeballs. They lay amidst a pile of other, probably stolen, Pokeballs from young trainers just starting out on their journeys. Red burned with anger. People just like him.
He motioned at Yellow until she finally glanced back at him and he pointed out his Pokeballs. She seemed surprised. Red wasn't sure he should be proud or embarrassed. He chose the latter.
Just as he was about to try and explain his plan to Yellow Blue and Green arrived, much to his annoyance. He didn't need them. They just bullied and mocked him and he had no energy to spare for people like them while his Pokemon were in trouble. Blue and Green also seemed surprised. Screw them.
Just as Red was about to try and sneak into the camp he noticed Yellow pointing out the five Team Rocket members left roaming about camp, probably standing guard. Red balked for a moment and to his shock and amazement, Green stepped forward. She held up her hand quietly as if volunteering herself.
"Are you kidding me?" Red asked as quietly as he could muster.
"Look, I know you know me well enough to know that I have at least some experience in stealing things. I also know you well enough to know that you have no experience in stealing things. Just let me do this, okay?"
Red was shocked at Green's admission. He hadn't expected her to come out and admit it in front of everyone. "They're my Pokemon, I should be the one to risk myself to get them back."
"Yet again, you are an idiot," Blue interrupted. "You have someone who is admittedly better than everyone else at something that no one else has any experience with and you won't let her use her talents. No wonder you are so weak and lost your Pokemon. You refuse to use your best option for the moment. You don't deserve to get those Pokemon back."
Red burned with the sting of Blue's accusation. Was he right? Weren't his Pokemon worth so much more than his pride? Wasn't it his fault that he had lost them in the first place? Everyone had warned him but he had refused to listen. Now everyone was trying to tell him something again. Was he going to make the same mistake, at the sacrifice of his own Pokemon? No.
"You are right, Green," Red finally admitted to the dark-haired girl. "You are the best for the job. Please bring my Pokemon back to me."
"Now we're talking," Green nodded in agreement and slinked away without a sound. Red's breath was caught in his throat. Was Green good enough to get his Pokemon back while avoiding detection? She did have a reputation for being sneaky and manipulative but she was going up against the biggest, most ruthless criminal organization in Kanto. He should have gone, this was his responsibility.
Every few seconds Green pop into view, hiding behind a pile of wood or a dark tent as she made her way zigzagging to his Pokeballs. Red nearly gasped as a Team Rocket member strolled ever so close to Green as she pressed herself against a tree in the middle of the camp. The criminal strode right towards Green but it didn't look like he had spotted her yet. How was she going to avoid capture?
Blue suddenly threw a small pebble at the opposite end of the camp, it cracked sharply as it hit a small boulder next the campfire. The Team Rocket guard spun around, looking for the origin of the noise. Green took advantage and dove into one of the tents, hoping against hope that it was empty. The guard turned back toward where Green had just been, shrugging, likely discounting the noise as the fire crackling.
Inside the darkened tent Green tried to control her breathing as she watched from the shadows the guard making his way past her. She was sweating profusely, the near catch had made her heart pound and the blood rush in her ears. Why was she doing this for that pompous little jerk Red? She already knew the answer to that question, she had always felt a need to prove herself, she knew she was braver than Red but she had to prove it to everyone else. She cursed herself for making such a rash decision.
"Almost there," she whispered comfortingly to herself. The guard and passed out of view. She crept back to the entrance of the tent and made sure no one else was coming before crouching and racing toward the woodpile in front of her. Next was the pile of Pokeballs where she could see the "R" marked balls Red had pointed out.
She kept low as she snuck toward the large pile of Pokeballs, these idiots didn't post a guard at their stolen treasure. They deserved to get stolen from just as they had done to so many young trainers. She was crouching between two tents not any more than eight feet from the pile. She glanced in every direction, the three guards were either facing away from her and the rest were completely out of sight. She dashed forward and grasped the two balls from the pile and grinned triumphantly as she clasped them to her belt.
She had done it! She had taken on the biggest Poke-thieves of Kanto and won! Good thing she had three witnesses or no one would believe her. She glanced around and realized the three guards had gathered together and were conferring with each other with their backs to her.
She looked at the pile of Pokeballs and just couldn't help herself. Stealing from thieves wasn't really stealing.
She grabbed two more Pokeballs, still giddy with victory. Unfortunately, with those two balls taken from the pile, it grew loose and suddenly they were all tumbling over one another as the pile collapsed and the Pokeballs scattered in all directions.
Green winced at the sound and spun around, all three guards were looking right at her. She knew was already dead. She ran. They shouted.
