We are back! So. Last episode was a bit of a shocker huh? I know. I have pulled the whole capture bit before. Now, Angie, as you may have guessed is a power trip at times. Her Blastoise speaks for itself. Her Octillery is there for the sole purpose of destroying the weaknesses he possesses. Soak plus Charge Beam is annoying. If that doesn't work, well...Fire Blast! Her Pokémon have the move pools that fit her dominating personality. She likes to take charge and won't take any incompetence lightly. That being said, let's get down to it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon! All of its characters and content are owned by Game Freak and Nintendo

Chapter 29: Archie's Speech

A Cell wasn't exactly the most comfortable place for Satoru to be. What was worse was that Allen and Karen were also taken captive. His mind raced with thoughts of the battle he had with Angie. She was unbelievable. He hated to admit it, but she was on a much higher level than he was. Everything he did, she had a counter for. She crippled his team with Octillery's and finished it with an absurdly powerful Blastoise. He has witnessed, for the first time, Mega Evolution. Not many trainers had a Mega Stone. It was alarmingly powerful.

He couldn't do anything against it at all. She had flattened him. He wondered how the other two were doing. They were not in the same room as Satoru which had him worried. He had to see if they were okay. He had to get out of there. There was just one glaring problem. He had no way of knowing where they were. Yes, he could use his powers, but he did not want to cause a disturbance that would alert the entire Aqua base. What was he going to do? He had cameras fixed on him too.

X-X-X

"So you say he put up a decent fight eh? Being able to take out Octillery has always been an issue for just about anyone who fights you. Even I have trouble with the darn thing," Shelly laughed.

"Yep...but he was easy pickings after I sent out Blastoise. He was easily put in his place. I have his team right here. I took most of his belongings, save for the locket. Form some reason he would not give that up."

"Probably something sentimental, kinda like your Lopunny."

"Yes. That is a very special friend of mine. Contests are a lot of fun with her..."

"So, did you ask him what was discussed?" Shelly inquired.

Angie rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip.

"The boy is stubborn. He doesn't even talk. It's like he can't or something," Angie grimaced, clearly annoyed by this.

"I see. Well, maybe you should try other methods?" Shelly teased.

"Shelly...no. Just. No."

"I'm only suggesting. Anyway, maybe Archie and I can soften him up. It usually does the trick..."

"You might be right. Archie has a way with words. He's a very inspiring man to say the least. And besides...I don't think Matt would be a good choice when it comes to talking. He will most likely try to rip the shirt off his back like the great of his team..." Angie mumbled.

X-X-X

"Come on men! Put those muscles to work! I wanna see some real grappling going on here!" He blinked as he felt a tingling sensation in his abdominal area.

"My muscles are trying to tell me something!"

X-X-X

"It's settled then. I'll see if Archie will be able to get him to say anything. In the meantime, great work. This will help us greatly when it comes to our goal."

Angie nodded and watched as Shelly left to go find Archie. The ginger flopped back onto the sofa and relaxed. She had a long day, but it all turned out as planned. The mission was a complete success. All that remained now was to continue with their plans. Angie enjoyed being part of the team. Also, her being an Admin had some awesome perks. The Keystone that she had she managed to fashion it into an earring to match her other one. She also was able to carry a Mega Stone. She had two to be exact. One for her Blastoise and the other for her Lopunny. Being on Team Aqua didn't require only Water-types. She had Lopunny before she joined Team Aqua after catching it in the Safari Zone. She was a boundary when she was caught.

Whether it was believed ot not, her Lopunny was her most prized Pokémon mainly because she was the first one that Angie ever caught. Her first experience with catching Pokémon was in fact in the Safari Zone. She never had a normal starter. After much begging and pleading, her father decided to take her into the Safari Zone. She took the challenge eagerly and the first thing that popped out of the grass was the cutest thing ever to her. Without hesitation she threw the ball at the unsuspecting bunny and caught her. To add to the mix...she was shiny!

Angie smiled softly as she looked over at the Safari Ball that was on the table on a special cushion. Her other Pokémon were surrounding her ball, housed in a Dive Ball or Luxury Ball. She was pretty darn proud of her team.

X-X-X

"Dang it!" Allen growled as he shook the bars on his cell.

"Calm down won't work."

"I know that, but I can try can't I!?" Allen shouted, struggling to pry the bars with his skinny arms.

"That won't work either. That is solid steel. You'd have to be superhuman or something to do that."

X-X-X

"Achoo!" Tadashi sneezed, nearly falling out of his seat.

"Love? Are you okay?" Clarice inquired.

"Yeah, I'm fine...just had a funny feeling come over me is all..."

X-X-X

Satoru looked up as the doors to the room he was kept in opened up. In walked a familiar bearded face. Archie. Alongside him was a rather attractive woman with long black hair with a blue streak in it.

"So, ye be tellin' me he hasn't said a word since he's been here?"

"That's right Archie. He doesn't seem to want to talk. He's a quiet fellow."

"Hmmm...well, that be a problem. If he doesn't talk, we can't get anything from him. I wonder..." Archie thought as he glanced towards Satoru.

"Boy. I know what ye be thinkin'. Why would ye be brought here and why would I me talk in' to a scamp like yerself?"

Satoru raised a brow at this question. He did wonder what the point of it all was. It's not like Satoru was deliberately getting in his way or anything. So why take him and the others hostage? This intrigued Satoru, needless to say. He knew he wouldn't get anywhere if he didn't have a way to talk to them. Sure, he could speak via telepathy, but why would he reveal that to them? He made a motion with his hands in the form of writing something down.

"Need something scamp?" Archie asked with a raised brow.

"I think he needs some paper and a pen. Hold on...there's a pen and paper in here somewhere."

Satoru nodded to Shelly to confirm what he needed. Shelly returned with a slip of paper on a clipboard and a pen and handed it to Satoru. He quickly wrote them a message.

"To start with...I am mute. So if Angie thinks I as ignoring her, I wasn't. Secondly...what precisely was the point of my capture? As far as I know, I don't go hunting you guys down..."

Archie and Shelly blinked at this message. He was mute? And yet he could command his team so well. Needless to say, they were taken aback. Archie cleared his throat and began to speak.

'I see. So ye really are mute. And here I be thinking that yer silence is on purpose. My mistake lad."

"Apology accepted...I guess. Now...how long do you intend to keep me in here?"

"Hold yer Rapidashes boyo! We be havin' plans for ye. I understand that Angie approached ye about joinin' me crew. She said that you had refused by show of action. So tell me boyo. Why not join us? We could use someone like you on the team!" Archie grinned.

"And why would I do that? You captured my friends. On top of that..,if you want someone to join you, throwing them in a cell is very counterproductive."

"He's got a point Archie. Angie approached with diplomacy first. Maybe we should have been a little more accommodating to the boy. Even if he was a problem for a time."

"Hmmm...alright boyo come out here," Archie stated, grabbing the keys and unlocking the cell.

Satoru raised a brow at this. Were they really letting him out?

"Hurry up before I change me mind!" Archie growled.

Satoru frowned and stood up, making his way out to meet them. At least he wasn't chained tons wall or anything.

"Shelly here is right. We probably should have given ye better accomodations, but we in Team Aqua don't usually do so. We like to have tough and strong individuals fightin' fer us! We recruit the best and also those who love the sea! Some of our toughest members are hardworkin' sailors who live and die fer the sea. However, some of us don't mind a little luxury," Archie stated, glancing over at Shelly.

Satoru followed his gaze for a moment and then began to write again.

"So let me see if I have this straight. You want me to join your group? What purpose would I be serving here? Hypathetically speaking...say I did join. What exactly would I be dealing with?"

Archie simply looked at Satoru for a moment. The boy was a sharp one, he could tell. Getting anything by this boy as not exactly easy. His eyes then dates down to the locket. He remembered Shelly telling him he refused to give it up. An idea formed in his head.

"What's in the locket boyo?"

Satoru blinked. Why would he ask that? Satoru scribbled something down.

"Something precious...that's all you need to know..." Satoru wrote.

"I see, something of a treasure to ye scamp? I too have a treasure. In fact, we all do. It be the great sea itself! We of Team Aqua be devoted to the protection of our beloved waters. Tell me lad, without the sea, would anyone be able to survive?"

"No. That is the reason Arceus made it. Without the sea, everything would be desolate. Also, that still doesn't answer my question."

"I be gettin' to that boyo! Now listen. The sea is home to majestic life forms and we as Team Aqua formed in an effort to safeguard that magnificent place. It is precious to us just as that locket is precious to you. We fight for the sea! But there is an enemy out there who seeks to destroy our beloved sea. Team Magma. Their goal is the expansion of land which would harm the sea and all that inhabit it! We who love the ocean will no longer be able to enjoy it!"

Satoru raised a brow at this but nodded for him to continue.

"What I be sayin' lad is this. I've seen ye at work. Yer segment on the Battle Interview struck a chord with me and me comrades! My interest in seeing yer skills only grew from that day. So, I sent in Angie to seek you out! In other words boyo, we be thinkin' ye would make a grand addition to Team Aqua! We could use someone like you!"

Satoru tilted his head slightly at this statement. They seemed to be trying to befriend him. What he couldn't figure out was what they really wanted. It couldn't be just for him to join them and then that was it. These people were basically pirates. They plundered and did other activities that he didn't care for. At the same time...Satoru, for the most part, so no harm in their goals. They didn't have the cliché dream of ruling the world. They just wanted to protect the sea. In all honesty, they didn't seem like horrible people. A thought crossed his mind and he began to write.

"What exactly did you need the parts for?"

Archie rubbed the back of his head and laughed.

"We be tryin' to build our own ship fer sailin!' We needed the right parts and Cap'n Stern happened to have'em!"

Satoru deaspanned.

"Why didn't you just...you know...ask?"

"We're pirates boyo! We don't do that often."

Satoru sighed and shook his head.

"Your goals do not seem harmful in the least. That I can give you credit for. Now...there is one thing I want to know. My friends...are they safe?"

Shelly nodded on this one.

"Edwin and Dan were instructed by Angie to do no harm to them. Otherwise, you might not be so willing to talk to us."

"That was kind of her...I will have to thank her."

"The little scamps must mean a lot to ye," Archie grinned.

"Yes...they do. I will not hesitate to protect them with my life..."

"Admirable...I like it..." Shelly said with a smirk.

"Well boyo! We here in Team Aqua always fight fer one another. We build up comradare here and forge bonds that last a lifetime! If ye decide to join us, ye will be well taken care of!"

"That sounds fair. But...I will join only on one condition..."

"And what be that boy?"

"Let me continue my Gym Challenge. I made a promise to someone precious to me that I would go on and complete it and not stop there. I cannot let them down. It was her dying wish...along with something else I would rather not disclose."

This tugged at Archie's heart strings a little. There was no more noble a vow than the fulfillment of a dying wish.

"If I let ye do this, ye have to promise not to run off."

Satoru looked up at Archie and Shelly with cold determined eyes.

"I do not break any promises..."

Archie could somewhat feel an immense pressure coming from Satoru which gave him the distinct impression that he was in fact telling the truth. After giving it some thought, he smiled.

"Alright boyo! Ye have yerself a deal. But as a precaution, I be puttin' ye under Matt! He's a swell fellow as soon as ye get to know him. Welcome aboard Satoru!"

I know...your mind is probably in a million different pieces right now. Satoru has joined Team Aqua! Not something that I normally do but hey, I liked Team Aqua when I played the games so I figuredm why not? Anyway, more to come on Rising!"