Chapter 11
Change Again and Again
20 minutes earlier
Celadon Rocket Base, B16
Dangerous Specimen Quarantine
Giovanni marched into the room followed by two executives. High ranked members. High rollers. Their expressions were carefully arranged in neutrality; if Giovanni fumed, they would anger, and if he became pleased, they would smile. They were unimportant extensions of the boss's will.
The seated scientist in the room sprung to his feet and stood at attention. Already sweating from excitement.
The boss peered into the small glass. He saw the small puppy tied up, being held in the air, and looked back at the scientist. "Well?"
The scientist was shaking now; he wanted to do this carefully. "I realize, sir, that you only wanted some simple readings and recordings before you… eh… had the Growlithe 'interrogated' personally for information but…"
"Spill it," Giovanni practically spat.
"Well, upon my first readings, I was surprised to discover the Growlithe had an abnormal amount of a peculiar, unidentified energy stored. I ran an experiment to get a better grasp of this energy, which is what you can see going on right through there, I was utterly shocked at the readings. It seemed the more energy we sapped from the small pokemon, the more it produced!" The scientist motioned next to him at several monitors that held what looked like complicated graphs and readings. "Not only that, but this energy is actually very similar to the kind of energy a pokemon releases upon evolution! In fact, I am sure it is the same! With a few more tests, I am positive this will be conformed."
Giovanni was not lost on the fact that every time the scientist mentioned himself, he spoke the word with special emphasis. It was annoying. He quickly looked him over and understood. He was young, ambitious, and utterly foolish. He was obviously hoping to somehow subconsciously connect the project and himself together in Giovanni's mind. How stupid. Did he actually think something so simple and idiotic would work?
"This is groundbreaking!" proclaimed the scientist. "Normally, we only have access to this type of energy in miniscule amounts and only after a pokemon evolves, but my tests see no end in sight to the amount of evolution-energy this Growlithe produces! By harnessing the energy this Growlithe emits, we shall tap into this mysterious force and walk, together, into a bright future!"
Now, Giovanni noted, the scientist was giving his, probably rehearsed, speech. About the wonders that they could unlock if they proceeded. Giovanni also noted that he had now started to emphasis "we," probably hoping to bridge a connection between him and Giovanni. Plant an image of them working together side by side.
How freaking annoying. Giovanni didn't work. He paid others to do the work for him. Then he took the results and claimed them his own.
Nonetheless, Giovanni could see that there was some sincere promise to what the scientist was proposing. If this was true, if a mere Growlithe was producing evolution-energy, then it was indeed something to consider.
"If it is producing evolution energy, how come the Growlithe itself is not evolving?" asked an executive behind Giovanni. A redheaded female, a fool, thought the young scientist viciously for having interrupted their conversation and disrupting the boss's thoughts.
"My dear," drawled the scientist. "I do not know why, but I would assume it is because there is no Fire Stone present. As it is widely known, A Growlithe only evolves into an Arcanine when brought into contact with a Fire Stone."
The executive said nothing else. There. That shut her up, thought the scientist gleefully.
"So this small pre evolved pokemon contains and produces an unlimited amount of evolution energy?" asked Giovanni calmly. The scientist nodded. "So I wonder what would occur if we forced it to evolve?"
The scientist began to sputter. He was against such an act. It could compromise the unlimited source of energy currently being produced, he raised his voice to stop the conversation from heading in such a direction, but Giovanni cut him off with an icy stare.
"Do it."
The scientist had no choice; you don't say no to the boss. He sat down on his chair and spun around to the control panel. He typed a few commands on his keyboard, closed his eyes and sighed. He pressed enter.
Inside the small room, a panel on the wall opened. A mechanical claw holding a small red stone, a Fire Stone, appeared from within it. The hand's arm stretched until the stone was an inch from the puppy's unconscious body. Then it quickly sprung forward and the two made contact.
For a moment it looked like any other evolution. Growlithe glowed bright white, it emitted a strange light and, suddenly, everything was anything but normal. Fire filled the room. Or rather, exploded outward from the small puppy's body. The whole room was bathed in a bright red flame, but the scientist wasn't scared. The rooms that contained dangerous specimens were constructed to be extremely durable. It would simply burn itself out; it was impossible for a pokemon to generate enough heat to destroy such a reinforced—
The glass window exploded outwards, sending everyone in the room sprawling backwards. Flames unbearably hot erupted from the small window and suddenly the wall crashed down. Flames literally blew out, spreading themselves and the humans ran toward the door. In a single leap, a large quadruped orange dog appeared, it leapt forward into the now open room.
It roared, causing all the humans to freeze in fright, then in a jump that caused even more flames to appear, it sprinted at the closed door, slammed it with force enough that the walls shook and cracked, and it was gone. It left only fire in its wake, and worse yet, it was escaping.
II
In case you were unaware, Team Rocket has four color-coded types of alarms. Each progressing color leading to an even direr situation. Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red. In addition, each color contained separate levels that would give more information to the type of situation at hand. Green contained 1 level, Yellow 2, Orange 3, and Red 4.
Simply put, Green-1 was the normal state that Team Rocket bases found themselves in when there was no danger. Red-4 meant that the base in question was in actual danger of total destruction. Complete annihilation. It was such a severe state, that rocket members from nearing bases were to instantly be deployed to the base in danger. It was a state of war.
Rocket supervisors and executives were allowed to call alarm types of Yellow-1 through Red-2, however only Giovanni himself held the authority to declare a Red-4 state of alarm.
Chris and Karma had no way of knowing this. The idea of a 'Red-4' simply confused them, but they got the gist. Danger. Imminent death. War.
They waited in silence until the next elevator came and they got into it. It was empty, lone. Chris reached for the B17 button, but Karma grabbed his arm. "No. Let's get to the surface," she said calmly.
"What? But this is perfect! Team Rocket is distracted! Let's nab Growlithe and split while they're in disarray!" insisted Chris.
"No," said Karma. In the bright elevator light, Chris could see that her purple attire was dirty and frayed in a few places, but he doubted he looked any better. "I don't think we're going to have access to B17, or anywhere near those floors in fact. The map said those were the "Executive Quarters," I doubt janitors are privy to whatever happens down there." Karma pointed to a key card reader, it looked like the elevators required key cards for some levels as well.
"If we head up to the surface, we have a better chance of meeting a high ranked rocket member and jumping them to take their card," Karma explained simply. Chris admitted, she probably had a point. "Also… I don't think my brother is down here anymore."
Chris looked at her. "Wha? What do you mean?"
Karma looked at him, but simply said, "I don't feel him down there anymore."
III
Above them, in Celadon city, Mewtwo soared through the air, its thick tail billowing out behind it. It peered alertly down at the suburbs, already Grunts were stationing themselves here. During this time of war, Team Rocket would siege the city. At least temporarily anyways. The police and citizens would be quarantined off. Yes, Team Rocket had friends in high places, but the sheer amount of members were overpowering to any city alone.
Mewtwo redoubled back. Its target was not in the suburbs. It flew back to the busy industrial part of town, where the flames were, and stopped. It closed its eyes and tried to sense the escapee. It was a psychic type, but clairvoyance had never been its forte.
Suddenly it happened, the image of fire appeared before it and Mewtwo opened its eyes. Ahead, near the skyscrapers, there was a billowing red explosion. Mewtwo sped off in that direction.
Below it, the Rocket Game Corner was in flames. Its roof smashed open, as if something large had jumped out. Rather, something large had jumped out.
Civilians had already noticed that something was amiss. Rocket members had suddenly swarmed the city, fires seemed to be spreading, and something semi-human was flying around town. Least to say it was causing an uproar, or at least among the few the Rocket Grunts hadn't gotten to yet.
An explosion rocked one of the skyscrapers in the center of Celadon; Mewtwo recognized it as the "Game Freak Building," a place full of weird people. Mewtwo teleported directly above the building and saw it. Rocket grunts were screaming and cursing at the building's base, some burned, their pokemon wiped out before them. He spotted his target as it sprung an incredible height and crashed right into the Game Freak Building's 9th floor. It was attempting to hide.
Mewtwo descended, and came face to face with the broken window the pokemon had created as it leapt into the building. Black smoke was already funneling out. This pokemon is a pyromaniac, Mewtwo thought.
From inside, in what looked like a ruined office, stood the blazing Arcanine, surrounded in bright red flames. In a corner of the room, a small man was quivering in fear. The large quadrupedal beast looked up at Mewtwo roared at it, with surprising power. Its simple roar had enough force, that it literally buffeted Mewtwo with a blast of sonic air.
Mewtwo sent out its own wave of psychic energy right back, causing Arcanine to be pushed back a little. They stared at each other, and in each other's eyes, each saw that the opponent wanted to battle just as much as the other. No fear, no hatred, just power in those eyes.