What Insertion?

by Curtis Wildcat

Inuyasha, Phibrizzo, and a collegian have been bound together by the Shikon no Tama, for better or for worse. Their final destination will show that not only is there more to the world than just the crossovers and the chaos, but that even the most unlikely allies can pull off the impossible. REVISIONS COMPLETE.

26. Chapter Fourteen, Part B

*WHAT* INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

Chapter Fourteen, Part B

Tricks of the Trade

"Septober... Octember... no wonder."

/-/-/-/-/-/

(Cue theme)

/-/-/-/-/-/

"...and you're positive about this, right?" Phibrizzo was saying as he walked up the path, Flareon and Richie close by.

"Absolutely," Richie confirmed. "I heard about it on TV just the other day. The Contest Hall in Saffron City's supposed to be accepting applicants for contests before too long, so that trainer you met's probably going to be there."

"Neat. Sounds like something Dolphin would like. I ought to pass that along. I've got one more question, if you don't mind..." Phibrizzo stated hesitantly.

Richie shrugged, careful not to dislodge Sparky. "Sure. What is it?"

"When you were out getting badges for the 'Indigo Plateau'- - -I think that's what the place was called- - -did you pass through Saffron, by any chance?"

Richie shook his head repeatedly. "Uh-uh. I'd heard rumors about what the gym leader was like, and I didn't want to chance anything. I just went on to a different town and got a badge there instead."

Phibrizzo smiled. "Well, I have it on good authority that Sabrina's gotten a lot nicer since then. You don't need to worry about that sort of stuff happening again."

"Really? Where'd you hear that?" Richie asked, interested.

"From- - -"

"Flareee!" Flareon squealed.

"Don't interrupt me," Phibrizzo mumbled. "Now, as I was saying- - -"

"Flareee!"

"Whatever it is, it can wait," Phibrizzo growled. "Quit doing that! Anyway, I heard it- - -"

"Flareeee-onnnn!"

Phibrizzo smacked his forehead as Sparky giggled to himself. "Guhhhh... fine, you can tell me now! What is it you want?" he grumbled.

Flareon took a few seconds to croon his reply. After he finished, Phibrizzo groaned and shook his head. "Flareon, has it ever occurred to you that you may be biting off more than you can chew? I told you already: he's no rookie!"

Flareon barked something in return.

"For all the new stuff you're learning, I sure wish you could tell when not to pick a fight," Phibrizzo said, eyes narrowing. Grumbling to himself, he turned back to Richie and said: "He wants to know if you have any strong rock-types on your team at present."

Richie nodded. "Yeah; Cruise and Granite...my Pupitar and Rhydon, respectively."

Flareon shifted one paw back and forth, as if playing "eeny-meeny-miney-moe", then made his choice. Phibrizzo grimaced before saying: "He wants to battle Rhydon."

There was a few seconds' pause. "Phibrizzo," Richie suggested slowly, "have you ever thought that Flareon might be a tad headstrong?"

"I kind of see what he's getting at, sad to say," Phibrizzo admitted. "By overcoming his weaknesses, he stands a much better chance at beating Domino. I just which he'd take it a bit more slowly. Flareon, you sure you don't want to take on someone else- - -like say, Sparky?"

Flareon shook his head. "Eeeon." You didn't need to understand Pokémonese to know he was saying 'No way'.

Phibrizzo and Richie just rolled their eyes and shrugged before taking spots at opposite ends of the field they'd just arrived at.

/-/-/-/-/-/

Curtis sighed as he turned away from the viewport, focusing instead on the video game he was playing. "Well, this should be over fast. The chances of Flareon beating a high-level Rhydon are about the same as me losing enough weight to squeeze into a crawlspace."

"Slim?" Inuyasha asked from his chamber.

"Exactly."

Phibrizzo grumbled something inarticulate as he prepared himself. Curtis, you need a hobby.

Curtis smiled, watching as an electronic basketball player missed a 3-point shot. "Whatever; it's your call. Let me know how it turns out."

Across from Phibrizzo, Richie called out his Rhydon. The rhino-like Pokémon snorted as it saw its opponent, almost as if it were beneath its notice.

Phibrizzo smirked. This'll be a toughie. That dense hide will keep any physical attacks from harming it, so I'll need to turn up the heat if I want to win this. Don't know if it's a good idea, but oh well! "We'll need to play it smart, Flareon. Let's not try anything drastic just yet!"

Richie smiled confidently. "It'll take more than smarts to win here! Granite, Take Down!"

The massive Rhydon roared and charged, the vibrations shaking the ground beneath Phibrizzo. I doubt Reflect will help much here. Speed, don't fail us now! "Agility!"

Concentrating, Flareon darted out of the way of Rhydon's Take Down. As he focused every fiber of his being into his newfound speed, he heard Phibrizzo give his next command: "Let's test that thick skin! Get behind it and blast it!"

Putting on the brakes a safe distance from Granite, Flareon immediately assailed it with Flamethrower. Considering the temperature extremes that Rhydon could endure, Phibrizzo wasn't expecting it to do much; but it would give him an idea of how much Flareon would need to exert itself.

"Stop that Flamethrower, Granite!" Richie called. "Mud Slap!"

Growling as it moved, the Rhydon reached down with a clawed hand and swiped the ground, sending dirt and mud towards Flareon. The fire Pokémon didn't react quick enough, and the debris that got into its eyes was enough to disrupt the Flamethrower.

Richie was quick to capitalize on the situation. "Now's your chance, Granite! Horn Drill!"

As Granite roared in confirmation, the horn on its nose began spinning at high speed. The Rhydon lowered its head and stomped his way forward as fast as it was able.

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. There's only one move I can use with it blinded like that. Wait for it... now! "Blaze Away, Flareon!"

Trusting Phibrizzo, Flareon stopped shaking its head and propelled itself upward with a column of flame. Rhydon's Horn Drill missed by scant centimeters. Extinquishing the flame, Flareon descended...and landed on the rocky rhinoceros's back.

Phibrizzo tensed himself. "All for one, or all for nothing! Flareon... Furnace!"

Richie's eyes widened a fraction. Furnace...?

Flareon gritted its teeth and concentrated. As its mane of gold-yellow fur fluffed out, making it seem more and more like a miniature lion, its red fur began to glow as its internal fire sac began heating to its very limits. The specks of dirt in its eyes slid down his face to the ground. Its body became too hot to touch, and the air around it rippled as a sign that the temperature was becoming unbearable. Granite muttered something and tried swatting Flareon off, but the little fire-type was in the one spot it couldn't reach.

Sparky moaned something and backed off; the heat that Flareon was emitting was starting to get to him. Richie wiped his forehead free of sweat and tried to focus. "Phibrizzo," he shouted, "what's going on?"

Phibrizzo, who seemed unaffected by the heat, grinned. "Like it? When I first started training him, I got motivated after I saw Flareon reabsorb some fire. I figured that if it could power itself up like that, why not use fire on the inside to increase its strength? It took a day or two to build up some endurance, but by keeping the flame retained inside him, he becomes a living fireball. Think of it as an internal Sunny Day."

That's not good! "Granite, get it off of you!"

After trying to shove Flareon off once more, Rhydon tumbled onto its back in an attempt to squash him beneath it. Recognizing the danger, Flareon was able to stumble off and onto the ground awkwardly. It couldn't dodge Rhydon's swinging tail, however; the fire-type was knocked aside and sent tumbling across the field. It rolled a few times before coming to a stop.

Richie didn't waste any time. "Let's try this again, Granite. Use Take Down, now!"

Upon getting back to its feet, Rhydon charged forward with the intent to finish the battle. Richie smiled confidently as sweat continued to build on his skin. There's no way Flareon's going to be able to dodge this in time!

Phibrizzo, however, saw the glint in Flareon's eyes. "Go for it, Flareon! Flame Wheel!"

As it pushed itself up and let out a determined cry, the air around Flareon became a raging inferno, nearly shielding it from sight. Pushing itself up, it catapulted forward and met Granite's charge head-on- - -literally.

Although it was able to take temperatures of volcanic proportions, this was too much for even Rhydon to handle; the giant rock-type found itself forcibly thrown back against the dirt, its entire front scorched black from Flareon's assault. The dislodged rocks were just beginning to settle when it struggled back to its feet, seething and preparing itself to attack again.

Richie and Sparky wasn't sure how much more heat they could take; where the Fahrenheit temperature had started out in the upper sixties, it now felt like more than a hundred from where they were standing. Thinking quickly, Richie decided on how to end this battle. "Granite, Earthquake!"

Roaring, Rhydon started stomping the ground repeatedly and caused it to shake violently.

"Get to safety, Flareon!" Phibrizzo ordered. "Blaze Away!"

Once again, Flareon's dirt-directed Flamethrower propelled it out of the Earthquake's reach. This time, Richie was ready. "Hyper Beam!"

A mass of yellow light took form between Rhydon's teeth.

"It's now or never!" Phibrizzo cried. "Flamethrower!"

As both attacks were fired, the same thought was running through everyone's heads: This battle's going to end BIG!

/-/-/-/-/

"So," Curtis asked as the computer opponent's team dunked the ball, "how's it going out there?"

"That fuzzball's heat is making things miserable outside, and you're asking how it's going out there," Inuyasha said, snide. "It's Flamethrower against Hyper Beam in mid-air."

Curtis paused the game. "And?"

"What do you want me to be- - -one of those 'sports commentators'?" Inuyasha asked grumpily. "Just turn around and watch!"

Sighing, Curtis set down the controller and turned to face what was becoming a heated conclusion.

/-/-/-/-/

In most cases, Hyper Beam would've easily overwhelmed Flamethrower. With Furnace supercharging it, though, Flareon's attack would not be denied. After a brief mid-air struggle, the Flamethrower overwhelmed Rhydon's Hyper Beam and blasted against the pseudo-rhino's thick hide.

Flareon kept up the attack for about seven more seconds before dropping to the ground, exhausted. Some trace amounts of heat escaped the fire-type's body, hissing as Flareon's flame sac began to cool; the golden mane around his neck settled a little, shining in the sunlight. Willing its muscles to obey, Flareon pushed itself to its feet and faced its opponent.

Rhydon's entire body looked scorched and blackened. For a few moments it looked as if it still had some fight left in it regardless, but the Pokémon coughed out a few clouds of smoke before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

Phibrizzo nearly fell to his knees out of relief, but straightened before he could. Nearly delirious, he scampered over to Flareon before it could fall over. Absorbing some of the leftover heat in the air to speed the cooldown, Phibrizzo sat down and held the Pokémon in his arms. "Well, Sunburst," he admitted, looking gleeful, "I guess you knew what you were talking about this whole time."

Richie's mouth hung open.

"Your jaw's not that heavy," Phibrizzo said, looking up. "And that battle was not that unbelievable."

Richie's mouth finally shut, but only for a moment as he recalled Granite back to its Poké Ball and put it away. "You did the best you could, Granite. Take a rest." He returned Phibrizzo's look, tugging at a sleeve absently; the intense heat and perspiration had plastered his shirt against his body. "Okay, I'm definitely impressed."

Phibrizzo shrugged. "I'm more impressed with how far he's gotten in only a month. He wasn't able to stay heated up that long when he first did that. He's pretty worn out now."

"You mean there's a disadvantage to the move?"

As Phibrizzo explained the cons of the self-powerup, Sparky walked up to Flareon and poked it a few times just to make sure the extra heat was gone. "You betcha. Sure, Furnace makes him hot to the touch and gives his fire attacks a major boost- - -and makes his fur look glossy- - -but it also wears away at him. He steadily loses energy the longer he stays like that; problem is, he can only expel the excess heat by releasing it all at once. I want to see if I can make Furnace usable without any adverse effects, but so far it's not very promising."

"You did a good job training him, Phibrizzo," Richie said. "That's all there is to it. You know what you're working with now."

"True, at that. I'm not working with much, but at least I know where he still needs to improve." Phibrizzo stood up, holding Flareon protectively in his arms. "Anyway, let's get back to the lab so he can rest. Now, what were you asking me earlier?"

Richie thought back. "It was about Sabrina."

There were a few loud bangs from off in the distance; Phibrizzo ignored them for the moment. "Oh, right. I remember now- - -"

"Phibrizzo, watch out!" Inuyasha suddenly snapped.

Taking a quick look around, Phibrizzo spotted several large objects coming in. Confused, he asked: "Are those... bombs?"

Richie and Sparky saw them next and backpedalled several feet. "Come on, quick! Get moving!"

"I have a better idea," Phibrizzo warned, turning to face the incoming projectiles. "Grab hold, and don't ask questions!"

Waiting until he felt a hand and a paw latch on to him, Phibrizzo teleported to the opposite side of the field. The bombs hit the general area he'd been in, releasing a cloud of thick black smoke.

Smiling, Phibrizzo tried to discern where the bombs had come from. He couldn't tell exactly where, since there seemed to be nothing around them for at least a mile, but he had his ways of drawing out his enemies. "Guys? You okay?"

Sparky and a weakened Flareon answered affirmatively. Richie let go, a bit disoriented but able to refocus. "That was a major rush," he mumbled.

"Richie," Phibrizzo uttered, "do me a favor. Take Flareon and get back to Professor Oak's lab. I'm not about to risk him in a battle when his energy's so low."

Richie nodded, taking Flareon out of his arms and placing it in his own. "You'll be alright out here?"

"Sunburst's not the only one who needs to improve," Phibrizzo explained, turning his back to him; the lettering on his shirt seemed to stand out in the sunlight. "If I don't win here, I can't do the same. I'll be back in time for that coffee. Go!"

Accepting that even someone like Phibrizzo knew the importance of protection, Richie and Sparky turned tail and hurried back to Pallet Town as quickly as he could. Waiting until the trainer was out of harm's way, the half-mazoku turned to face where the bombs had came from and yelled:

"Hey, losers! Were you aiming for me? That's weak! Whatever your eye doctor suggested, it ain't good enough!"

Sure enough, another set of bombs- - -accompanied by a sphere that expanded into a full-size net- - -responded to his taunt. Laughing as he spotted where the attack had come from, Phibrizzo broke into a full-speed run and shot ahead of the projectiles...

He almost didn't see the blue blob whistling through the air towards him. He sidestepped it and continued on, but the blob suddenly detonated in mid-air, sending what seemed to be slime in all the directions. Some of it caught on his foot, causing him to stumble and fall.

"What in the world is that stuff?" Inuyasha asked disbelievingly, not sure he wanted to know.

"Beats me," Curtis responded, looking as if breakfast didn't agree with him. "Kind of reminds me of bubble gum."

"If that looks like bubble gum," Inuyasha growled, shaking his head, "then remind me not to try any candy anytime soon."

"You and me both."

Grumbling, Phibrizzo pulled his face free of the dirt and looked down at his foot. Some of the bright blue slime had somehow adhered his right foot to the ground. "Great," he complained, "like I needed this on top of everything else."

"It'll get a lot worse before it's done," someone shouted. "Just turn yourself in to Team Rocket!"

Inuyasha frowned. "Those jerks sure don't know when to quit, do they?"

"You know," Curtis mused as several really wide motorcycles rolled out of hiding, "there's an expression I heard recently that applies to them: 'Winners never quit, and quitters never win... but those who never win and never quit are idiots.'"

Phibrizzo yanked his foot as hard as he could, finally pulling his shoe free of the slime after several tries. Not wanting to step in it, he moved a few paces away. Can't argue with that.

By this time, the 'cycles had gotten close enough to see who was driving them. All of them nearly slapped their foreheads in disgust when they realized that it was Stan and Ollie. "Took you long enough to bring out the bigger stuff," Phibrizzo shouted at them. "Just keep in mind that bigger isn't always better!"

"Or wider, as the case may be," Curtis murmured, remembering a car commercial he'd seen once.

Whatever. You're sure an authority on that, doughnut guts!

Wince. "That's new."

"I don't recall asking for your opinion on the subject," Stan was saying. "This is your last chance to come with us willingly and meet the boss!"

Phibrizzo pulled down an eyelid and made a face. "If the boss wants me so bad, he can come get me himself instead of sending out his personal goon squads! Since you guys think you're so bad, I'd hate to see who you call the worst!"

Curtis laughed. "Nice!"

Inuyasha shrugged and smiled. "Whatever ticks them off..."

Phibrizzo just chortled. Stan and Ollie weren't as amused. "Saying that to one of Team Rocket's best teams is simply asking for trouble," Ollie answered, pressing a few buttons on his motorcycle's dashboard. Twin cannons pulled into place. "Get over here, boy!" he shouted as three objects were sent airborne with a boom.

Phibrizzo sneered at this. "Don't you have any other tricks up your sleeve?" he shouted, dodging the first of the projectiles: a giant net. "Really, you tried that last week!"

The second projectile exploded in mid-air and released the smoke that they'd seen earlier. "Okay," Phibrizzo said, taking his tennis racquet out of subspace and waving away the smoke the best he could. "A trifle annoying, but still..."

There was a loud pop, one that the trio knew too well; a shower of blue slime materialized in the smoke and caught Phibrizzo's mid-section, ensnaring his body from the stomach on down in a thick, taffy-like mucilage. "Hey- - -...!" he protested, attempting to move his feet but failing.

"You're not leaving us this time," Stan said, pushing a button on his 'cycle. "Special delivery!"

Another large net, this one flying straight and true, caught Phibrizzo in its mesh; the breeze in its wake blew most of the remaining smoke away. The half-mazoku's eyes narrowed as his arms began to heat up. "Just keep pushing me, you fools!"

There was a ten-second pause as Phibrizzo attempted to burn his way through the net; unlike the first net they'd faced, this one was made of sterner stuff, refusing to give way. Not succeeding on the 'burn' route, he simply teleported out of the net; this didn't solve the problem caused by the adhesive, though. "Ugghhh," he complained, still unable to move his legs. "Mom's going to have a conniption when she finds out about this! This stuff's not going to come out!"

Stan gazed at the scene thoughtfully. "Well," he suggested, "maybe you could toss them in the washing machine back at Headquarters. We use some of the best detergent in Kanto."

"Stan," Ollie grumbled, "we're not supposed to be helpful right now."

"Oh. Bad timing, then?"

Ollie nodded. "Bad timing."

Phibrizzo sweatdropped, pausing for a moment to put his racquet away. "You guys are weird. I'm struggling to break free from this stuff, my guard's not up, and here you are giving me cleaning tips."

"Hey, I'm just saying," Stan said defensively. "Anyway... back to being mean. Let's see you get out of this!" He pounded his motorcycle's 'launch' button and fired a large gray orb from the 'cycle's cannon.

The orb detonated on contact with Phibrizzo, expelling a cloud of sky-blue gas. "Okay, I'll bite. What is it?" he asked, a trifle curious.

"That's our knockout gas," Ollie said, smirking. "One whiff of that will put you out for four hours. That's more than enough time to get you back to Headquarters."

Phibrizzo sighed. Those morons obviously didn't get it. "I hate to break it to you guys, but I don't have any real need to breathe."

"That's impossible!" Stan objected. "Everyone needs to breathe to live!"

"Well," Phibrizzo said, smiling, "I don't. I'm standing here talking to you, am I?"

"I don't get it," Ollie muttered. "I don't believe that he doesn't need to breathe. He must be immune to the gas somehow."

"Forget it," Stan murmured back as a sudden breeze blew the knockout gas away. "That adhesive's strong, but it doesn't last very long. It'll crumble if it's exposed to air long enough."

"It never took us this long to capture something after using it," Ollie said, concerned, "so I never gave it much thought. What's next?"

Phibrizzo was giving it thought, however; after a little struggling, he found that he could move around again despite the gummy material. "I've got to decommission those machines," he murmured. He stretched out his arms and grabbed the handlebars of Stan's 'cycle, then yanked himself forward and startled the man out of his seat...

"Think that was sticky? You've haven't seen anything yet! Pull!"

... following it up with a Gum Gum Bazooka to blow the 'cycle away. While it was careening across the grass, Phibrizzo hastily prepped and fired a low-power Dark Harsh attack. The beam cut right through the massive motorcycle, detonating it and reducing it to a smouldering wreck.

Stan scrambled over to Ollie's 'cycle, trying to hide next to it and gibbering incoherently. Ollie shook his head and turned to Phibrizzo, whose knees were wobbling. "That fire attack wasn't very smart," the round man told him. "A child could tell me that you're running low on power."

"I don't see any children around here, do you?" Phibrizzo growled defiantly. He cupped his hands and started to gather his energy. "Step away from that machine! I still have enough in me to turn it to dust!"

Ollie shook his head, then reached inside his vest pocket and pulled out an Ultra Ball. "Phibby, Phibby, Phibby...you have no idea how much the boss really wants you. Why do you think he's letting us go to these lengths? You have too much potential to waste." He expanded the Ultra Ball to full-size and activated it.

A tremendous mass of red light erupted in front of Phibrizzo and took shape, gradually forming one of the strongest Pokémon available to trainers. A blaring roar shook the field as Tyranitar made its entrance; as the creature repeatedly slapped the ground with its tail, a fierce wind picked up and created a nasty sandstorm. Stan and Ollie took cover behind the remaining motorcycle.

"Figures," Phibrizzo groaned, re-absorbing the power he'd gathered. "Well, at least it isn't a dragon-type."

Inside his chamber, Inuyasha tapped Tessaiga's handle. "Let me know when it's my turn, alright?"

"Just let Phibrizzo handle this," Curtis said over the speaker. "It's his fight, not ours. Besides, the creature isn't evil or mindless... just working for a couple of misguided crooks."

Right now, that's the least of my worries. I'm taking this thing down, and that's that! Now, does this thing have any weaknesses I- - -...

"Tyranitar, capture him!" Ollie ordered. "Screech Attack!"

"Screech this." Phibrizzo stretched his arms and caught Tyranitar's mouth before it could open. "You aren't making any noise like that!" Anyways, does it have any weaknesses?

"Just use any attacks you have that don't require fire," Curtis said. "That's all we can do for now."

Phibrizzo strained, trying to keep the giant Pokémon's mouth closed. Here's hoping!

/-/-/-/-/-/

"We have to get him to waste more power," Stan hissed to Ollie, barely heard over the sandstorm. "He'll be too hard to capture otherwise!"

"Good. If Tyranitar can get its mouth open..." Ollie muttered, getting an idea. He shouted: "Ice Beam Attack!"

Trying one more time and breaking Phibrizzo's grip, Tyranitar assaulted his target with a bluish-white streak of ice. Phibrizzo quickly side-stepped the attack and got in close to the rock lizard, his arms flying like rubber bands. "Gum Gum Gatling!" he yelled, unleashing a volley of punches that even a high-level Hitmonchan would be hard-pressed to match.

Getting annoyed with Phibrizzo's persistence, Tyranitar reached down to bring his Crunch attack to bear. Remembering the danger he was in, Phibrizzo stopped his attack and dodged to the side. The attack missed by a wide margin, although his view was temporarily hindered by the dirt that was dislodged. Taking advantage of this, Tyranitar spun around and smacked Phibrizzo with an Iron Tail, swatting him across the field.

Due to his unique constitution, Phibrizzo was only mildly harmed by the attack. He was, however, starting to lose his temper. "I'm really starting to hate you guys," he snapped as he got up. "That's it. I'm going to show you just how low you guys are compared to me. Hey, lizard!" he shouted at Tyranitar. "Free shot, right here. An attack of your choice. Can't get much- - -...huh?"

Abruptly, Phibrizzo's anger seemed to vanish. For several moments, he just stared blankly at Tyranitar, lost in thought. Finally, before Ollie could get impatient and order another attack, the kid spoke: "So that's how it is, huh? You're trying to get me to make a stupid mistake, aren't you?"

Stan and Ollie didn't say anything, instead just glaring at him.

"Oh, that is it," Phibrizzo growled. "You ambush me, get that ugly blue stuff on my pants, insult my intelligence... then you have the nerve to call me 'Phibby'- - -..."

"We called you Phibby, 'then' we insulted your intelligence," Stan said.

"Oh. My mistake. Well, it still isn't right."

"Of course it isn't right," Ollie remarked. "We're from Team Rocket. And with your energy drained, there isn't any way you're getting out of this one."

/-/-/-/-/

I hate to admit it, but the man's right, Phibrizzo groused mentally. I have enough in me to destroy the other cycle, but then Tyranitar would capture me easily. I can't waste a Dark Harsh on him, because then they'd capture me easily... and I can't get close enough to waste him without him using one of his myriad attacks on me. I'm sure not going to just teleport out, either. What's left?

Curtis tapped his chin for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak... then closed it without saying anything. Phibrizzo could tell that he wanted to say something, but didn't. Curtis... what are you thinking?

"Does it have anything to do with the 'Plan Zero' we went over on Thursday?" Inuyasha asked, entering Curtis's chamber. "Because if it is, I feel sorry for them."

'Plan Zero'? Phibrizzo asked, confused.

"Well..."

Just explain it, Curtis.

"...Oh, alright. Thursday afternoon when we went up to that vending machine..."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Curtis, who had gotten permission from Phibrizzo to gain control for a little while, walked up to a vending machine. Depositing a few yen coins, he shut his eyes and made a random selection. Hearing a 'clang' as the beverage rolled into the tray, Curtis took the drink, checked around to see if anyone was paying attention and placed the can in subspace for a later time.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"...and that was that," Curtis finished.

You actually bought a sugar drink? Phibrizzo asked disbelievingly. Don't you remember what happened when I first tried fruit punch? I almost went stir-crazy!

"That's Plan Zero," Curtis said. "'Go stir-crazy'. And in your case, what better way to do that than by inducing a sugar rush?"

Well... suppose something bad happens!

"Like what?" Inuyasha asked.

... ...Beats me. Let's do this.

Phibrizzo checked subspace, nodded, then pulled out a can of lemonade and opened it. Preparing himself, he opened his mouth and gulped down the can's contents...

The walls and ceiling in Curtis's chamber glowed a bright green. Quickly taking the time to check a nearby monitor, he saw that Phibrizzo's energy level- - -indicated by a rising blue line- - -was increasing. It started out at 'Moderate', went up to 'Highest Safe Level', past 'Maximum' and 'She Can't Take Much More, Captain', and shot all the way up to 'Whoa, Nellie!'.

Curtis grinned. "I gotta get some of that stuff," he mumbled.

Inuyasha turned to him. "Huh?"

"Nothing important. Sorry."

/-/-/-/-/

Stan and Ollie weren't sure what to think. After listing what they'd done to him, Phibrizzo fell silent and adopted a contemplative expression. It changed to disbelief, then resignation. Ollie thought at first that he was going to give up, but then the kid took out a can of lemonade out of his pocket and started drinking from it.

"I don't get it," Ollie said. "Why's he drinking something now, of all times?"

Stan shrugged. "He's thirsty?"

"People don't look resigned over a can of lemonade. It's just not normal."

"It's not normal to be thirsty?"

Ollie shook his head irritably. "Focus, Stan, focus..."

Phibrizzo finished drinking... and suddenly straightened. Struggling mightily against an unseen force, he managed to place the empty can back in his pocket. His pupils shrunk, leaving the irises behind. His hands seemed to twitch uncontrollably. A broad, unnatural grin split his face. "Sweetness..." he strained to say.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," Ollie mumbled. "Tyranitar, Ice Beam!"

Tyranitar roared, firing an Ice Beam straight at Phibrizzo. The kid made no move to dodge, and was immediately flash-frozen; but no sooner had this happened than the ice began to melt, either evaporating against his skin or sliding into a small puddle on the ground.

Phibrizzo repeatedly tapped the ground with his feet, starting to lose it; he gave no sign that he even noticed Tyranitar's attack. "Sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet! So... glorious! Sweetness...in a can!"

"This," Stan deadpanned, "is not going to be pretty."

He had no idea how right he was.

(BGM - Megumi Hayashibara, "Infinity")

Phibrizzo suddenly rocketed forward, a purple blaze of hyperactivity. There was a brief flash of light as he zipped by Tyranitar; the rock lizard jerked its head, as if stunned. Cackling, Phibrizzo spun around and repeated the motion; this time, Tyranitar rocked to the side a little. Angrily, he released an alarmingly-loud Screech into the air. All Phibrizzo did was shake his head to clear out the sound as he made another pass.

Just a little, Phibrizzo slowed down; this time, his opponent was able to see his actions clearly. Without hesitation, Tyranitar zeroed in on him and Aerial Aced him across the field, cleaving the air as he attacked. He then chased after him, hoping to pin him down.

He never got the chance. Still looking like something out of a horror novel, Phibrizzo got back to his feet and attacked with another flurry of elongated punches, unconsciously using his fire abilities for added effect. He kept this up for a good thirty seconds without letup. Tyranitar was starting to wonder what it took to keep him down; losing to a human would just plain look ridiculous to anyone who found out. As it was, he could feel his own stamina starting to give way!

Phibrizzo finally stopped and took a few steps back, finally beginning to look as if he was running low on steam. Briefly, Stan and Ollie wondered if that was it.

It wasn't. Grinning nightmarishly, Phibrizzo twisted his arms repeatedly, stretched out and snagged Tyranitar's arms. Without warning, the rock lizard found itself spun in mid-air as Phibrizzo's arms uncoiled, lifting it several meters and then smashing it back into the ground. Not stopping there, he stretched his arms back as far as he could, snapped them back and slammed his hands into Tyranitar; this was the same move he'd used on Stan's cycle. The Pokémon bounced back across the field, narrowly missing Ollie's cycle and fainting when it finally came to rest. The sandstorm that had flared up slowly stopped.

Phibrizzo started to take a few more steps forward, but then stopped and hurled a massive black fire beam into the atmosphere. The boy's features rapidly returned to normal, and the beam slowly dissolved into nothing. Dropping his hands back to his sides, he turned to face the cowering duo. "See what you guys made me do?" he asked, sounding a bit tired. "That was a last resort kind of thing. You really didn't leave me much of a choice."

Ollie shrunk back from Phibrizzo's tired, icy expression. Stan had something else on his mind. "You want double the usual amount this time?"

"I don't care about that right now," Phibrizzo grumbled. "Where's Team Rocket's main HQ?"

"We aren't at liberty to tell you," Ollie said indignantly. "For all we know, you'd try to destroy the place."

"You want to leave this place with your freedom?" Phibrizzo growled. "Either you tell me now and I let you go scot-free, or I thrash you and find the place myself."

"Why do you want to know where the palace is?" Stan inquired cautiously. "You've already said that you're not interested in joining..."

Phibrizzo gave a tired smile. "Simple. I'm taking you up on your offer."

/-/-/-/-/-/

In the end, Stan and Ollie insisted on not telling him where HQ was; it had more to do with their reputation than anything else. Sure enough, Phibrizzo- - -worn out from the sugar rush- - -knocked them aside with a Gum Gum Whip. Listening to Curtis, he allowed him to take over and get a closer look at the giant motorcycle's onboard computer. After fiddling with stuff for a bit- - -and accidentally firing off the rest of the 'cycle's special ammunition- - -Curtis was able to bring up a map of Kanto's western half. A black circle with a red 'R' inscribed on it stood out, resting in an area of Kanto that trainers never explored.

Just a few minor things to take care of before they went over there.

/-/-/-/-/

"Hey. Welcome back, Phibrizzo," Tracey said, greeting him as he returned to Oak's laboratory. "You- - -wow, what happened?"

"Got a bunch of slime on my pants," Phibrizzo groused as he re-entered the building. "No thanks to Team Rocket. Where's Richie and Flareon?"

"Flareon's resting in the living room," Tracey told him. "It's a little worn out from the battle you had with Richie, but it'll be okay. Speaking of Richie, Professor Oak asked him to deliver something to one of the residents here. He should be back soon."

"That's good," Phibrizzo said, the words not quite matching his expression. "There's something I need to take care of, so I'll grab some coffee and get out of here. I'll try to be back in about an hour and a half or so, so I'll grab some lunch when I return. Keep an eye on Sunburst until then. Okay?"

"Alright, I can do that. I like the name you chose for him, by the way."

Phibrizzo's expression lightened a little. "Thanks. I think he likes it, too."

Tracey nodded, following him into the kitchen and watching as he poured himself a cup. "So, what is it you're going to be doing?"

Phibrizzo sipped some coffee and smiled mirthlessly. "I'm going to send Team Rocket's boss a little message."

/-/-/-/-/

Time: Fifteen minutes later

After Phibrizzo left Oak's lab, Inuyasha took over the reins. Following Curtis's instructions based on the map he'd seen, he bolted back to Viridian City and headed for a spot some miles northeast. Due to the virtually impassable terrain, trainers- - -indeed, most people- - -never went out this way... however, there was some who did.

After bounding through a thick forest and steep hills, Inuyasha came across a tower built within a small valley. The red 'R' painted on one side of a truck gave the owners' identity away. Smiling, Inuyasha returned control to Phibrizzo.

Phibrizzo circled around until he spotted a back door; unlike the rest of the property, there didn't seem to be as many grunts circling around. Laying one hand on the door and focusing some heat through it, he melted the door and strolled on through.

Phibrizzo was a bit surprised at the lack of security; he had no way of knowing this, but the majority of the grunts and agents were at lunch. The only ones on patrol were controlling various packs of Houndour, and he was able to defeat them without much of a problem. Caught off-guard by Phibrizzo's skill, it took a few minutes for one of the grunts to set off the alarm. By that time, of course, the half-mazoku was gone.

After a few minutes of walking, he came across a map posted on a wall. Examining the map until he was positive where his destination was, he dashed down several hallways- - -taking down or evading anyone he came across- - -until he reached where he wanted to go.

The four people assigned to the laundry room were surprised when Phibrizzo walked in, to say the least. They were even more surprised when he grabbed them and tossed them out the door as if they were nothing more than debris. They tried to get back in, but Phibrizzo merely hung a sign on the door that said: "Do not disturb if you know what's good for you". After unplugging a washer and dryer- - -not caring whether they were in use or not- - -and pushing them over to the door to barricade himself in, he browsed the shelves until he found what he was looking for.

Now here's hoping that Team Rocket's laundry detergent really works that well, Phibrizzo thought as Curtis told him how to start up one of the washing machines.

/-/-/-/-/-/

"Intruder on the first floor!" someone shouted in the cafeteria. "I repeat, intruder on the first floor!"

Domino, who had just gotten back from a recent assignment and was enjoying her lunch break, immediately jumped out of her seat and dashed over to the grunt who'd sounded the alarm. "Where's the intruder?"

"Down in the east hallway," the grunt said. "Be careful; whoever this person is, he's good! None of the Hondour teams could even faze him; he marched on through like they were nothing!"

Not good. "This won't take long. Take two grunts and follow me. I'll capture the intruder myself, but be ready if he gets by me!"

After the group got together, they quickly raced over to the east hallway... and stopped when they came across a group of grunts, including a few who wore janitor's uniforms, gathered around a locked door. "What's going on?" Domino asked.

"A kid threw us out and won't let us back in," one of the janitors complained. "We tried to get in, but he hung a sign on the door and blocked us out."

"A kid?!" Domino exclaimed. It better not be who I think it is! How'd he find Team Rocket's main base?! "Stand aside!"

They did so. Domino marched over and pounded on the door. "Whoever it is in there, get out of there!"

No response other than the sound of running water.

Frowning, Domino read the sign that had been hung. "'Do not disturb', my foot," she said, grimacing. "Did any of you see the intruder?"

Another of the janitors nodded. "The kid was about a meter tall with black hair, wore a fireball T-shirt and a couple bracelets, and had some sort of blue slime on his pants. He didn't look like he had any Pokémon with him."

"It's one bracelet, for crying out loud! I broke the thing on accident!" Phibrizzo's voice complained, sounding insulted.

So Stan and Ollie were unsuccessful? Figures that even that adhesive they developed wouldn't keep him down. Domino pounded on the door again. "Phibrizzo Kadan, you get out of that room, or so help me I'll make you spend the rest of your life in there!"

Several of the grunts recognized the name and started talking amongst themselves. After a moment's pause, Phibrizzo responded: "Do you have problems reading English? Don't bother me!"

Irritated, Domino brought out Machamp's Poké Ball. "Do you want me to bust that door down? Let us in!"

"I'm trying to get this blue crud off my jeans, and your banshee voice isn't helping any!" Phibrizzo yelled back, just as annoyed.

Domino ignored the insult for the moment. "What do you mean, 'trying to get that blue crud off'? Did you have a rough time against Stan and Ollie, kiddo?"

"Obviously!" Phibrizzo griped loudly. "Stan told me that if I wanted to get the stuff out, I should use some of the laundry detergent you guys have here."

Domino blinked. "Um... so..."

"I barricaded the door for a reason, okay? Think about it!"

After a few moment's thought, Domino came to the right conclusion. Sighing in disbelief, she flung her hands in the air. "Alright, fine. We'll leave you alone. But when you get done, get out of here and don't come back! You're more of a hassle than you're worth!"

"Have your boss quit sending people after me so I can prepare for that rematch in peace," Phibrizzo stated, emphasizing that last word, "and I'll see what I can do."

Domino angrily put Machamp's Poké Ball away and trudged off. One of the grunts called after her. "009? What should we do?"

"Whatever you were doing before," Domino stated, stopping. "The janitors will just have to start their cleaning assignments early today. There's nothing we can do here for now."

"But the kid- - -..."

"Forget the kid," Domino said. "If I know him, he's just going to make our lives miserable if we try to get him out. Besides, I have a pretty good idea why he doesn't want anyone walking in on him. Just leave him be and he'll go away on his own. We'll straighten things out in there later."

"He's the one wanted by the boss, right?" another grunt asked.

"Why, I can't imagine," Domino muttered. "He's just a big pain in the neck."

"Who- - -me, or the boss?" Phibrizzo called out tauntingly.

"You want to be left alone or not?" Domino asked testily.

Phibrizzo almost managed to sound sheepish. "I'll be good."

Domino smiled and walked away. "That's better."

Despite the questioning looks everyone threw one another, they knew better than to argue with one of Giovanni's best agents. The group gradually dispersed.

/-/-/-/-/

Time: Three and a half hours later

Two figures- - -barely recognizable in the blue slime and nets that pinned them to the ground- - -finally came to; the knockout gas that Curtis accidentally launched at them had finally worn off. Stan saw a Growlithe standing guard over them, and heard several people talking to each other. Turning his head a fraction, he recognized the blue and green uniforms they wore.

The Viridian City police.

As Stan sniveled and sobbed loudly, Ollie glared at him out the corners of his eyes. "Well, Stan," he said disgustedly, "here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!"

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Chapter Fourteen completed. Chapter Fifteen soon to commence