Chapter 25

Sacrifice

While the other trainers were inside the building, the good trainers stuck outside were facing Team Rocket and the two Elite members who had turned evil. Janine looked at her father in desperation.

"Father, you taught me that the most important thing a ninja has is his or her honor," she said. "You have lost your honor."

"Janine, you still have much to learn about being a ninja," Koga said. "Now I have all the power I ever could want."

"You also taught me that it is better to lose with honor than win unfairly," Janine said. "Confusing people's minds is unfair battling."

"Janine, it is the winner of the battle who chooses what is fair and what is unfair," Koga replied.

"Father!" Janine cried. "Stop letting this Team Rocket brainwash you and fight against them!"

"I am an executive of Team Rocket, and you shall follow in my footsteps," Koga said. "I wanted for you to receive more training before joining the organization, but since you now know I am a Team Rocket executive, you might as well join now. Boss, is it okay if my daughter becomes an official Team Rocket Grunt?"

"I would be happy for her to join us," Giovanni replied.

"No!" Janine said. "I am a ninja, and a ninja does not stand for injustice. I will never be a member of Team Rocket!"

"Janine, you must join us," Koga said. "You have no choice."

"I refuse!" Janine said, throwing out a Crobat. "I choose to fight Team Rocket!"

"Shall we?" Lance asked Giovanni, pointing towards his Dragonite.

"No, no," Giovanni said. "This is between her and her father. Koga will defeat her, then she shall join us. And just in case…" He threw out his Nidoking. "We have backup."

"Daughter, if you choose to fight, you will lose," Koga said, throwing out his Venomoth. "Venomoth, use Poisonpowder!"

"Crobat, counter with Wing Attack!" Janine said.

Crobat's Wing Attack blew the Poisonpowder towards Koga while attacking Venomoth. Janine did not notice that the Poisonpowder affected Koga, continuing to battle.

"Use Confuse Ray!" Janine said.

Crobat shot a Confuse Ray at Venomoth, sending it into confusion.

"That girl attacked you!" Giovanni said, walking over to Koga with his Nidoking. "She wants to kill you!"

Koga started to feel ill, and when he saw that Venomoth was not fighting correctly, he had it return to its Poké Ball.

"You have learned much, Janine," he said, as he sat down on the ground.

"Now turn from Team Rocket," Janine said. "They are doing you no good."

Koga suddenly collapsed unconscious. Janine screamed in horror.

"Girl, you have chosen not to join us, and it is to your downfall," Giovanni said. "I was hoping your father would knock some sense into you, but it is just as good for Team Rocket's sake that you have defeated him. Your father will soon die, and you will not be able to carry on your family's legacy. Attack her!"

Blaine sent his Charizard towards Janine, breathing fire at her. She jumped skillfully away from the attack, leaping over the lava onto the large island the Team Rocket members were on. She knelt next to her father, disregarding the fact that Agatha sent her Gengar towards her.

"Father, are you okay?" she said.

"I deserve to die," he said weakly.

Suddenly, a Pidgeot came flying in, swooping up Janine and Koga. It was Giselle's, as she sent it out to help Janine escape from Team Rocket.

"Pidgeot, get them to the headquarters building!" Giselle called out from her plateau. The Pidgeot flew the two ninjas to the headquarters building, opening the doors with its beak, then getting the two inside the building.

"A brave move," Giovanni said. "However, just for that, you shall be the first we eliminate. Lance, destroy her!"

Lance had his Dragonite use Hyper Beam on Giselle's plateau, causing it to crumble. She screamed as she fell with the crumbling plateau towards the lava.

"That Dragonite refuses to attack humans directly, because it used to fight for good, but we've worked our way around that." Giovanni said. "Now, any of you want to oppose us?"

Whitney held onto Gold nervously. The two looked desperately for a way to escape.

"Silver," Giovanni said. "I knew you would one day you would choose to be part of Team Rocket. That day is today."

"Are you kidding?" Silver said defiantly. "I'll never be a part of your organization!"

"Look at what happened to that schoolgirl," Giovanni said.

"I see she's smarter than you," Silver said, pointing behind Giovanni. There was Giselle, floating in mid-air, being held up by her Exeggutor's Psychic attack. She had thrown her Exeggutor towards the stable ground above her, and Exeggutor instantly used its attack to save her.

"Clever," Giovanni said. "Now back to you, boy. I see I angered you when I chose your wife for you. I guess there's new motivation I can use, then. Lance, prepare your Dragonite to use Hyper Beam on that girl's platform!"

He pointed towards Jasmine, who looked towards Silver in fear. Silver saw her worried expression, then he turned towards Giovanni.

"Do not harm Jasmine," Silver said. "As long as you let her go, I will become a loyal member of Team Rocket."

"I knew I could count on you, boy," Giovanni said. "Lance, bring the boy to me."

Lance's Dragonite flew over to Silver, picking him up, then placing him next to Giovanni. Silver smiled at Jasmine, but Jasmine seemed to be even more anxious than before.

"Silver will never be part of your dreadful team!" Jasmine screamed towards Giovanni.

"Jasmine, don't!" Silver said.

"Silver, I won't let you give up your life for me!" she yelled to him.

"But you'll give up yours!" he called back.

Giovanni laughed. "So, the girl wants you to disobey me?" he said to Silver. "If you are a member of Team Rocket, she is your enemy. Destroy her!"

Lance's Dragonite sent a Hyper Beam towards Jasmine's platform, causing it to crack apart slowly. Jasmine went to reach for a Poké Ball, but remembered that her Steel-type Pokémon would be useless in the lava. She simply looked to Silver, trusting him to do something for her.

"Why did I trust him?" Silver said angrily. He reached for a Poké Ball, but suddenly was paralyzed by Agatha's Gengar, who came over to him and licked him.

"Say good-bye to your girlfriend," Giovanni said. "Or, should I say, your enemy!"

Silver struggled mightily, hoping his arms and legs would regain feeling. He looked at Jasmine in despair.

"I'm sorry," he cried to Jasmine.

"It's okay, Silver," Jasmine said, as the ground she stood on started to finally come apart. "I love you, Silver."

Before Silver could respond, Blaine's Charizard knocked him out with one of its wings.

"When you wake up, you'll fight at my side," Giovanni said to the unconscious Silver. He then heard a noise coming from the headquarters building. He looked to see the trainers coming out of the building with their Pokémon, ready to battle.

"Now comes the final step in Team Rocket's plan to take over the world!" he said, patting his Absol.