Chapter 1, Part 1 – Trial by Fire

"Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated." Ernest Hemingway

It's been twelve years since the last Kanto/Johto war. Peace was negotiated after a young prodigy from Johto, Lance of the Wataru clan, took over leadership of the Johto forces and repelled the forces of Admiral Blaine, who had spearheaded the initial invasion. After completely turning the tide of the war, Lance called together the Gym Leaders of both regions and reestablished the Indigo League, a form of government that loosely regulates both regions, as it did in times of old. He appointed the Elite Four as his counselors and administrators: Lorelei and Bruno to represent Johto, Koga and Agatha to represent Kanto. Relations between the continents have mostly stabilized, but the devastating effects can still be seen in both regions. Bitterness remains in the remnants of families who simply lost too much to the carnage of war, and several young orphans in both regions have had to learn to fend for themselves in a dangerous world.

"So, Han, what are the chances that today's challenger will be able to win himself a badge?"

We nimbly traversed the Goldenrod train tracks, headed for the northern part of the city. I hopped down from the iron rail I had been balancing on to answer my friend's question. "Judging from the methods he used to take down that Drowsee earlier, I'd say he has less than a 10% chance of winning, Bruno. And even that may be pushing it," I replied confidently.

"Come on, surely it's higher than that!" Bruno protested. "He has three Pokémon! And it looked like his starter was a Growlithe; that puppy can pack some power!"

"Sure, his Pokémon are fine. He just doesn't know how to use them," I countered. I looked over to the Gym as we walked past, noting the line of paying customers excited to see the day's battle. It wouldn't be long before the doors opened and the spectators would be admitted. Like most trainers who came to Goldenrod, today's challenger only had two badges, so ticket prices were fairly cheap and the crowd was going to be of a modest size. If we had the money, we would be right there in line with them, but we didn't have any money to blow on entertainment. I turned my mind back to my analysis of today's challenger. "That guy had to use both his Pidgeotto and Butterfree in tandem, and it looked like he had no clue what he doing. He just had them both throw damaging attacks over and over. He had his Butterfree spam Confusion on a Drowsee, Bruno. If he employed a little strategy, his Pidgeotto probably wouldn't have even been knocked out."

"Sure, but then his Growlithe came out and cleaned house! One Flame Wheel and it was over!" Bruno was nearly salivating as he recalled the raw power the fire puppy could put out. We turned a corner and started heading north again, towards the local flower shop.

I was not convinced. "I'm telling you, Bruno, his Growlithe's power isn't going to be enough to beat Whitney. I can think of at least a half dozen strategies he could use that would probably beat her, but challenging her Miltank to a test of raw power? It's going to end badly for him today, I'm sure of it. He'll be lucky if his Pokémon all survive the battle, honestly. You know how Whitney can be cruel."

Bruno smirked at that. "Yeah, she can be a bit ruthless. I still can't wait until we finish our training program and get our first Pokémon. If I get something with power like a Growlithe, I'd wipe the floor with Whitney!"

A girl watering some flowers outside the shop we were approaching turned around and smiled as she heard Bruno's exclamation. "You think you're getting a Growlithe?" she scoffed light-heartedly, "As long as we're fantasizing, I'm going to get a Dragonaire as starter. Then I'm going to ride it straight to the Indigo Plato, where Lance will swoon at the sight of me and propose on the spot!" she said, feigning big, dreamy eyes.

"You would what!?" Bruno's face contorted at our friend's declaration. "You have to be kidding, Avery. Lance may be the youngest dude at the Indigo League, but he's still, like, fifteen years older than us, right? You're so weird."

"He's 13 years older, Bruno, he's only 30! But I'm kidding anyway. What's all this about a Growlithe?" Avery asked.

"Today's Gym challenger has one. I think it's his starter. And Han still thinks he has no chance," Bruno said, shooting me challenging look.

"I didn't say he has no chance," I protested. "I just think he's too stupid to win. Even a Growlithe is nearly useless in the hands of a moron."

"Whatever. If we don't hurry up, we're going to be late," Bruno complained. "Let's make like a tree and split already."

"It's 'make like a tree and leaf,' Bruno," Avery corrected with a sigh. "But sure, I'm ready. My shift at the flower shop ended ten minutes ago. Let's go."

We headed over to the backside of the Gym, and got ready to use our 'alternative' entrance. The gym had a second story balcony that was about fourteen feet high, far out of our reach, even for Avery and her remarkable acrobatic skills. But when I stood on Bruno's shoulders and leaned against the wall, Avery was agile and light enough to climb up over us, grasp the ledge, and scramble over. Afterwards, she tied off an end of rope and threw it over, allowing Bruno to climb up hand over hand. Unfortunately, I lacked the considerable upper body strength required to pull myself up the rope, and had to be content to simply hang on to it as Bruno pulled up the rope after himself.

Upon reaching the ledge, Avery gave me a hand and pulled me the rest of the way over. I gave a nod of thanks of Bruno, who was breathing a bit heavier for the exertion. We untied the rope and tucked it back away, satisfied we had made it up without being caught. I'm sure it looked completely ridiculous, but it worked, so who cares. The second-floor gym doors were always unlocked for spectators to step out and get a breath of fresh air, but we were early enough that no one was taking advantage of the outdoor view yet.

We walked through the doors entering the upper floor of the gym, and looked around for some open seats. The premier lower floor was assigned seating, and significantly more expensive. The upper floor, however, was first come first serve, open seating for anyone with a ticket, so we grabbed a few seats together and didn't have to worry too much about attendants wanting to check for our tickets- they rarely examined the second floor. The Gym wouldn't be packed for a two-badge challenger anyway. It wasn't long before the referee took center stage and began announcing the night's event.

"Good Evening, ladies and gentlemen! Tonight, a Gym challenge has been issued by eighteen-year-old Benjamin Barnes. He has collected two badges so far, and thus will be battling Whitney's tier 2 Pokémon team. Challenger, please enter the trainer's box!"

The crowd reacted with respectful applause as the young man entered the arena and took up his position. Then the announcer continued, "And now, Gym Leader Whitney of Goldenrod, defender of the Plain Badge, please enter your trainer box!"

This time, a louder applause echoed around the Gym as Whitney skipped up to her battler's box, playing to the crowd with a huge grin and waving both hands in delight.

"I can't believe an immature brat like her is our city's Gym leader," Avery said, a petulant frown crossing her face. "She's only, what, twenty-two? And she acts like she's twelve."

"Perks of being the mayor's daughter, I suppose," I answered. "I don't like her either, but you can't deny her battling skills. A lot of low skill trainers get trounced by her in Gym battles, but that's better than letting them run off into the wild thinking they're the next Lance of Blackthorn and getting trounced and killed by a wild Ursaring. She serves as a much-needed reality check for some of these rookies, who come in with overinflated egos after beating those pushovers Falkner and Bugsy."

"Yeah, I get it," Avery sighed, "I just wish she wasn't such a jerk about it."

"Shut it, guys, they are about to start!" Bruno interrupted. "Whitney is going down today!"

The announcer began listing off the rules of engagement, seeing as Whitney had finished her appeals to the audience. "Whitney will be using her tier two Pokémon team, which consists of two Pokémon. The challenger has brought three Pokémon. This will be a series of one-on-one battles until one trainer either forfeits or is out of useable Pokémon. There are no restrictions on substituting your Pokémon. The initiative is given to the challenger to select his first Pokémon."

Benjamin gave a nod of assent, and enlarged a Pokéball in his hand. "Alright, let's get started. Pidgeotto, I choose you!"

"Wow, what a beautiful bird!" Avery cried out from beside me. "I can't wait to see what it can do!"

Whitney kept smiling. "Go, Clefairy! You can do it!"

"Round one, begin!" the announcer called.

"Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!"

"Clefairy, Double Slap!"

The Pidgeotto slammed into Clefairy at blinding speed, but before it could back off again, it received two savage open palm strikes from Whitney's little fairy. Pidgeotto retreated, looking a little worse for wear.

"Pidgeotto, use Gust! Keep it away from you!" Benjamin called.

"Clefairy, Tackle it!"

Clefairy tried to push through the buffeting winds, but it was too much. She couldn't close the distance between them against the abusive headwinds, and they were beginning to take a toll.

Avery smirked. "I thought you said this guy was an idiot? That doesn't seem like a bad strategy to me. His Pidgeotto is awesome."

I rolled my eyes. "Any imbecile should know how to do that. Though I admit, his Pidgeotto is stronger than I initially gave him credit for. I still think he's going to lose though. We'll see."

Whitney was gritting her teeth, obviously frustrated at her Clefairy's disadvantage. "Clefairy, use Metronome!"

A murmur of awe and excitement spread throughout the crowd at Whitney's gambit. I leaned forward in my seat, interested in seeing how it would work out.

Clefairy waggled her finger back and forth, concentrating fiercely amidst the unrelenting gale. After a few short seconds, her eyes glowed white, and a gush of water shot out from her mouth, striking the Pidgeotto with minimal results. The entire crowd seemed to groan in disappointment.

"Only a Water Gun!" Bruno exclaimed, obviously disappointed at the lack of firepower conjured up by the Metronome. "Well, it looks like this is going to turn into a three vs one. You still think Whitney can take the win here?"

"Absolutely," I answered without hesitation. "I'm telling you, you need some kind of strategy to beat Whitney's Miltank, and this guy just doesn't have it."

Clefairy was struggling to maintain its footing by now, obviously exhausted from prolonged exposure to the abrasive winds. "Pidgeotto, finish it with Wing Attack!" Benjamin called.

"No, Clefairy!" Whitney cried in horror.

The Wing Attack connected cleanly, and Clefairy was knocked unconscious. Whitney started to whimper as she returned her Pokémon, and she turned a savage look towards Benjamin, tears welling up in her eyes. "You jerk! You'll pay for that!"

Avery rolled her eyes. "What a joke. Did she forget this is a Pokémon battle? He only knocked it out. What a drama queen."

"Clefairy is unable to battle. Please choose your next Pokémon," the referee announced.

"Go, Miltank!" Whitney called, a fierce look on her face. "Use Rollout!"

"Slam it with another Wing Attack!"

"Idiot," I commented idly.

The two attacks collided before Miltank could get much momentum going, but it still sent Pidgeotto reeling backwards. Miltank started up picking up more speed and aimed itself for Pidgeotto again.

"Pidgeotto, blow it away with Gust!" Benjamin called.

Pidgeotto created another powerful gust. It noticeably slowed Miltank's momentum, but the juggernaut cow powered through and struck Pidgeotto again, eliciting a pained squawk from the bird.

"Pidgeotto!" Benjamin called, as Miltank changed direction and started rolling towards his bird again. "Get out of the way, quick!"

This time, however, there was no Gust to slow down the Miltank's incredible speed, and the injured Pidgeotto was too slow to get out of the way. With a sickening crunch, the massive cow slammed into Pidgeotto and flattened it. The crowd gave a gasp of horror at the vicious damage Miltank's unimpeded attack caused.

"No!" Avery shouted, a look of appalled disgust coming over her face.

Benjamin wasn't any better. "Pidgeotto! No!" he cried, his fingers trembling as he grabbed his Pokéball and pointed it towards his battered Pokémon. "Return!"

But there was there no red laser beam, no reaction from his Pidgeotto. The crowd gasped again as they realized what this meant. Trainers can't recall dead Pokémon.

"Pidgeotto is unable to battle," the announcer stated in a cold, ambivalent manner. "Challenger, please select your next Pokémon."

Benjamin's hand quivered as he put Pidgeotto's Pokéball back on his belt, still trying to process the fact that his Pidgeotto was not returning. "Oh, Pidgeotto… Agh, damn it! Go Butterfree! Use Confusion!"

By this point, Miltank had built up to an insane momentum. A blue wave of psychic energy collided with its rolling body, but to no noticeable effect. The juggernaut of a Pokémon turned and angled itself towards Butterfree, to Benjamin's horror. "No, Butterfree, move!" He quickly reached down to his belt and tried to grab Butterfree's Pokéball again, but his fingers were shaking too hard, he couldn't concentrate, and he too slow. We all watched as Miltank collided with the frail bug Pokémon, smashing it in one hit. There was hardly anything left of its body in the aftermath. The crowd was gasped and murmured after witnessing Whitney's unflinching brutality.

"Butterfree is unable to battle," the announcer said in the same calloused tone. "Challenger, please select your final Pokémon."

Avery was staring open mouthed in horror, while Bruno looked on with neutral respect at seeing the sheer power of Whitney's Miltank. I grasped Avery's hand and squeezed, trying to reassure her, though I had no words to soften what Whitney just did. I felt angry, myself. I didn't expect Whitney to go easy on this guy, but there's a difference between soundly defeating an opponent and this wanton slaughter of the guy's Pokémon.

Benjamin stared at the arena, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape as he took in what just happened. His trembling fingers rested on his last remaining Pokéball, and he slowly drew it from his belt. He stared at it for a brief second, then looked out at Whitney's Miltank flying around the arena like a wrecking ball. He exhaled, and reclipped the Pokéball, dropping to his knees in the trainer box. "I forfeit!" he called out, as sobs started to take him. "I forfeit. I can't… I'm done. I forfeit."

"The challenger has forfeited the match. Victory goes to Gym Leader Whitney," the announcer called loudly.

"Yes!" Whitney cried, pumping a fist in the air, indifferent to the pathetic state of her opponent. "Wow, what an easy match! Next time, you should bring stronger Pokémon if you want to beat me! Those ones were too squishy for Milky! Please exit through the challenger's room when you're ready. There's no prize money for losing, so we're done here. See you next time!" She turned around and skipped gleefully towards the Gym Leader's office, leaving a murmuring crowd and a broken challenger behind her.

Chapter 1 Part 2 - Desperate Measures

"Opportunity makes a thief." Francis Bacon

We left the Gym out the main entrance with the rest of the crowds, and Avery wasn't the only one noticeably disturbed by what we had just witnessed. Whitney had shown casual cruelty in the past, and occasionally Pokémon would die in Gym battles, but it was our first time witnessing it live. Bruno didn't seem fazed by it, and I had gotten over it as well, but Avery was still a bit shaken up.

"Hey, let's swing by department store and pick up some lemonade before heading back to base, yeah?" I offered, hoping to take her mind off recent events a bit.

Bruno eagerly jumped on the idea, always down for some of the local department store's famous lemonade, and Avery nodded agreement without comment, probably not thinking about the lemonade one way or the other. It was already getting late into the evening, but the department store was open all night. So off we went, and found ourselves sipping lemonade on the department store rooftop, looking out over a city full of lights.

I looked over to Avery and decided to break the silence. "Hey, Avery, you know that's probably going to happen to us at some point, right? If we become Pokémon trainers, we're probably going to lose some too. It's part of the life."

Avery nodded, seemingly roused out of her own thoughts. "Yeah. Yeah, I know. It's just, it was so brutal, so fast, you know? When the Pidgeotto and Butterfree died, it hurt. Flying Pokémon are my favorite."

"You what?" Bruno asked, setting down his empty lemonade can and looking at her in surprise. "You mean, you felt so sorry for them it hurt?"

"Maybe, I don't know. It just hurt. It's actually not so bad now, it might have just been the shock of the moment. It doesn't make much sense; I don't have any connection to those Pokémon, and it's not like I haven't seen Pokémon die in our training programs. I even lost one of the training program's Rattata once in one of the practice battles against that jerk Sampson. But it didn't shock me like this."

"Odd," I mused. "Maybe your hatred for Whitney is manifesting as irrational empathy for her opponents." She sent me a scathing look. "Or not, I don't know. Just throwing it out there. Anyway, it's getting late, it should be safe to head back to base now."

The sun had long since set, so it was dark as we maneuvered our way to the alley behind the Game Corner. Bruno shifted a fence panel that was part of an enclosure around the Game Corner's property, and we squeezed through the opening and made our way to the solid back wall. There were no windows and no doors on this side of the casino. For one, it kept the patrons inside from noticing what time it was by looking outside, encouraging them to stay longer and lose more money. But also, it kept people from seeing what we did next.

I walked up and removed a loose brick from the casino wall, revealing an electronic touch pad embedded into the wall. I let it scan my thumbprint, and took a step back. A false panel on the ground silently slid aside, revealing a hidden stairway leading to an underground complex. We followed the stairway to a wide corridor that served as a lobby of sorts for the Team Rocket Base.

"What's up, kiddos?" Ariana said as she stepped out the shadows, getting a quick gasp from Bruno and Avery. "How was today's challenger? Any good?"

"Quit scaring us like that, Ariana!" Bruno said, grimacing. "And the challenger sucked. He got two of his Pokémon killed and I didn't even get to see his Growlithe in action."

"I'll stop scaring you when you stop reacting," Ariana smirked. "Like Han here. He doesn't even flinch anymore. When he comes in by himself, I just greet him like a normal person."

"I don't know how these two keep missing you. As long I know to keep an eye out, I can see where you're hiding," I answered, shrugging.

"You're impossible," Avery complained. "I do look for her, it's like she's invisible when she wants to be."

Ariana perked up at that. "That's right! And don't forget it! I am the night! Anyway, I'll be here on guard duty for most the night, and I'd love to keep chatting, but isn't it past your bedtime kiddos? It must be nearly midnight."

Avery rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, almost curfew for the Jr. Rockets. We'll see you in the morning Ariana."

Bruno and Avery started heading for the barracks, but I hesitated. "Permission to join you on guard duty?" I asked.

"Tch, for my favorite Junior Rocket? Permission granted. Come and sit, join me for the most exciting and noble of all Rocket missions."

I snorted at her sarcasm, and sat next to her. Ariana was only three years older than me, but she was the daughter of some high-ranking Kanto Rocket Admin, and had quickly proven she had the skills and the wit to be an Admin herself. She had been sent to Johto eight years ago to finish her training and bolster the numbers of our fledgling Johto operations, and quickly established herself as the best stealth agent Team Rocket had in our region. Her battle tactics were also top notch.

"You know, I think you're the only one in our entire Goldenrod operation who can notice me when I'm hiding in the shadows," Ariana grumbled. Then she smirked. "But I guess that just goes to highlight my recruiting talents, seeing as how I was the one who picked you up off the street all those years ago. I can't believe you're about to graduate the training program." She feigned wiping tear from her eye. "They grow up so fast."

I scoffed. "Yeah, I can't wait to be a one-star Rocket Grunt. My prestige is going to skyrocket," I muttered sarcastically. "Any ideas what my first mission will be?"

"I have a few inklings. I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Confidential Admin information, you know," Ariana said with a wink. "But you still have one full day of leisure time before the official ceremony and initiation. Do you have any plans to entertain yourself?"

The Rocket Junior Training Program was restrictive to say the least, so I rarely had free time to spend at my leisure over the past seven years. They let Avery work a few hours a week at the flower shop, but only because they took a cut of her wages. This life was lightyears better than fending for myself in the back alleys of Goldenrod, though, as Bruno and I had grown up doing. Even so, this short leisure period before graduation was appreciated.

Not that I was going to waste it reclining on the department store roof drinking lemonades all day. I didn't want to stay a low tier Rocket Grunt forever, so I had to show some ambition. I knew they weren't going to be particularly generous with whatever starter Pokémon they were giving out, so I had to use what freedoms I was given to make myself stand out.

I wished I could just go get some Pokémon of my own. But only trainers who were officially registered with the League could catch Pokémon. Modern Pokéball technology scanned the thumbprint of whoever threw it, making it clear who owns a newly caught Pokémon. If the person holding a Pokéball isn't registered with the League, the Pokéball will still access its capturing functions, but will not unlock until confiscated by official League personnel. Until I got a Pokédex and registered with the League, I couldn't start forming or training a Pokémon team.

Team Rocket was pretty controlling, but they gave me a chance. I could never have accumulated enough money to buy a Pokédex and get registered on my own. It took all Bruno and I had to just to survive together growing up. Team Rocket gave us a shot to make something of ourselves, and it was the best thing to ever happen to us.

"I have a few plans," I said to Ariana, playing my own ideas for tomorrow night through my mind. Then I smiled, "I gotta start showing my potential now if I want to catch up to you in ranking."

"Tch, you have a Snorunt's chance in hell of catching up to me, junior," Ariana said, without any heat behind it. "But good luck anyway. You've got potential, kid. The other Admins will see it in time. I'm pretty sure Archer already does. But if you have a plan to show off even before graduation, I certainly look forward to seeing the results. Go and make your recruiter look good, kid."

The next morning, I got up bright and early, and headed to the Rocket facility's gym to get a morning workout in. The simple plan I had developed to kickstart my Pokémon training would have to wait until the evening, so I figured I would spend the daylight hours doing things I enjoyed. I had contemplated stealing a Pokémon, as Team Rocket was known to do from time to time, but that came with a host of difficulties. I had been taught that Pokémon theft was a significant factor in the rise of the Kanto branch of Team Rocket. Even so, about three years ago the entire Kanto branch had been disbanded by a small band of young prodigies, all under the age of twenty at the time. It was remarkable that they were so talented at such a young age, considering the minimum age to become a licensed trainer nowadays is seventeen, but it also goes to show that stealing powerful Pokémon does not put a trainer on par with someone who raised his Pokémon to be powerful on his own. I suspected that many of the Rocket Admins of the Kanto branch were not as powerful as their Pokémon lineup would make them appear, if most were simply stolen rather than personally raised up.

Additionally, the outrage over the Pokémon thefts spurred technological advancements in Pokéball functionality. Pokémon are now instantly registered to the trainer who caught them, and a transfer of ownership requires both a thumbprint and voice authorization, and must be done within a League sanctioned environment, such as a Gym or Pokémon Center. This prevents unscrupulous trainers from simply knocking out a target trainer and walking off with his Pokéballs. Additionally, a trainer can choose to remotely 'lock' his Pokéball balls so no other party can open them, which is a function any trainer would activate if he realizes one of his Pokéballs has been stolen. The preventative measures had led to a steep decline in Pokémon theft.

However, all the security measures revolved around the Pokéball itself, so I devised a plan to avoid those security features altogether.

About halfway through my workout at the gym, my musings about Pokéball tech was interrupted as the doors opened and Sampson, a member of my class of Junior Rockets, walked in.

"Sup, runt," Sampson greeted, an arrogant swagger to his step. "Just working out for the fun of it, I presume? It's not like a little extra muscle will be enough to beat me in our sparring class."

I would never admit it out loud, but I knew he was right. Sampson thoroughly trounced me in our spars. The Junior Rocket training program put us through many tests of a physical nature, and I performed around average at all of them. In athletic and strength tests, Bruno and Sampson always competed for top marks, though Avery could beat them both in a couple of the more agility-based challenges. But in head to head spars, even Bruno generally couldn't take Sampson down. That kinda scared me, honestly. Bruno had the raw brute strength to put down almost anyone else in our class without issue, which made me feel pretty secure as his best friend. But of course, one of the only punks who could ever beat him in a fight, and did it more often than not, was a kid who hated my guts.

"Get over yourself, Sampson. You can't punch your way through every mission. If Archer weighted the strategy and stealth scores as heavily as the combat scores…"

He cut me off. "If, If, If. Face the facts, cry baby. I'm the best. You're average on a good day, and I suspect even that's because you suck up to Ariana. I don't get why she's so lenient towards you, unless she just pities you more than the rest of us."

As per usual when engaging in conversation with Sampson, a cold anger started to build up in my blood. At least my anger didn't burn hot; if I was as hotheaded as Bruno and tried to pick a fight, I'd get creamed. Instead, I contented myself to mentally categorizing all the ways I could inflict physical, mental, and emotional torment upon Sampson in the days to come, and left the gym. It wasn't worth finishing my work out if I had to endure more of his verbal jabs.

He got one last parting shot in as I walked out the door, too. "You know, the top scoring Juniors get the first pick of the starter Pokémon. Enjoy your starter Sentret, loser."

I ignored him and continued. It was an effective insult because it had a grain of truth to it. The top Juniors did get the best Pokémon, and while my overall rank had hovered a little above average all year, my combat scores kept me far from reaching the top. I was ranked decently enough that I should get something better than a Sentret, though. Oh, by Arceus, please let me get something better than a Sentret…

I headed back to the barracks to wash up, then headed to the recreation room and plopped on the couch next to Bruno and Alfredo, who were watching TV. The news was announcing the appointment of Blue Oak, grandson of the legendary Professor Oak, as Viridian City Gym Leader in Kanto. When the reporter brought up his involvement in the defeat of Team Rocket, Bruno groaned.

"That pretty boy was a key member in taking down the Kanto administration?" he grumbled. "What a joke. How did they lose to a punk like him?"

Alfredo spoke up, a little hesitantly, "Well, he is Professor's Oak's grandson. Maybe he's a genius too?"

"Hmm, maybe," I replied. "Regardless, being the Professor's grandson would at least give him access to some rare and powerful Pokémon. I heard Oak likes to give out Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur to his particularly promising students. I'm sure Blue got one too, if not something even better."

"Born with a golden fork in his mouth? I hate kids like that. I can't wait until we get a mission to Viridian; I'll punch that smug grin clean off his face."

I smirked at Bruno's confident declaration. "I believe the expression is a 'silver spoon,'" I corrected, "but whatever. I doubt we'll get a Kanto mission in the near future, but you should give it a few years anyway, Bruno. You'll get to his level, I'm sure. And once he cleans up from the mess you leave him in, I'll smack him down again. We'll see how he likes getting a beat down from the two of us no-name Goldenrod street kids."

Alfredo chuckled at our bravado. "I don't know how you two are so confident. I hope I never have to battle someone like Blue. But to each his own."

We listened in as the reporter continued her story. "…Eventually, Blue and his friends delivered the final blow by defeating the head of Team Rocket, revealed to be Gym Leader Giovanni, in his own Gym here in Viridian. Upon admitting defeat, Giovanni supposedly announced the dissolution of Team Rocket, and fled into the Viridian Woods as his signature Rhyperior caused chaotic fissures to erupt around town. He has not been seen since, nor has there been any organized Team Rocket activity for the past three years. After a long period of vacancy, the Indigo League has announced that twenty-one-year-old Blue Oak will take the position as Viridian Gym Leader, making him the second youngest Gym Leader in the Kanto region. "

"Wonder what ol' Giovanni is up to nowadays," Bruno mused aloud. "Not that it matters, really. Archer seems to have stuff running like a machine. And no one even knows we're here yet."

I nodded. "Yeah, the network he has established throughout Johto is impressive. Two full bases of operations, and working on a third? He's a master of logistics and management, if nothing else."

The rest of the news hour was rather uneventful, and we spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around the base, and speculating about what kind of starter Pokémon we might be given. Bruno was exceptionally optimistic, which Alfredo and I balanced out with a more realistic approach. "Sorry Bruno, there is no way you're getting a dragon type for a starter. Even a pseudo dragon like Charmander."

"Yeah," Alfredo confirmed. "But at least you guys will have decent picks. I'll be getting the bottom of the barrel." He looked morose. "How am I supposed to do anything if I get stuck with a Magicarp as a starter?"

"C'mon, Alfredo," I tried to cheer him up, "They wouldn't do that. Maybe a Sentret or Rattata, but you could work with that. We're all on the same team. It would be pretty stupid for them to sink you before you even start."

"I hope you're right," he said with a half-hearted smile. "I guess we'll see in tomorrow."

As night fell, I headed south past the Pokémon Center towards the large, open park that separated the city from Ilex forest, ready to put my plans for the evening into action. Hiding myself from view in a copse of trees off the main road, I changed into my all black Rocket stealth outfit. The skin tight shirt and pants were a little embarrassing despite my physical fitness, but the whole idea was that no one would see me while I wore them, so I didn't mind it much. I also pulled on black gloves, a beanie, and a scarf around the lower half of my face, leaving just my eyes exposed to the world. I then flitted like a ghost from shadow to shadow around the north side of the park, unseen by the few remaining humans who had lingered late into the night and were now heading back to the city. I couldn't compete with Bruno or Sampson in feats of strength, but stealth was my specialty. I maneuvered around to the only building in the north side of the park, the Pokémon Daycare. I was careful to stay as far from the Pokémon enclosure as possible as I approached the building- the captured Pokémon would not likely harm me, but they could certainly raise a ruckus if they caught wind of me being there. The south wind was on my side tonight, keeping my scent away from the slumbering creatures.

I hugged the north side of the building, and reached out my gloved hand to try to prop open the windows. As anticipated, they were locked, and I didn't want to risk the noise that would come with smashing them open. After confirming that all the orthodox entries that I could potentially access were secured against my entry, I turned to a more unconditional approach. I climbed up the sturdiest tree near the house, and then crawled out across one of the branches that hung over the roof. The branch wavered and sagged, but held long enough for me to get into position and drop a couple of feet to the roof below with a dull thud. After sitting still and ensuring nothing was investing the minor noise, I made my way over to the chimney and looked down.

The chimney had flimsy wire mesh across it, sufficient to keep wild Pidgey and Sparrow from flying in, but not strong enough to hold up to a standard Rocket-issue utility knife. After about fifteen minutes of diligent sawing, I had cut enough of the mesh away to peel it back and slip through the opening. I braced myself within the chimney, pushing off one wall with my feet in order to drive my back into the opposite wall. Thus supporting my own weight, I half-walked, half-slid down the chimney to reach the ground floor.

I landed in a pile of ashes, causing a puff of grimy debris to billow up around me and forcing me to cough. I pushed open the mesh gate at the bottom, and proceeded to roll unceremoniously onto the living room floor of the day care, leaving a mess of soot all around me.

"Well, it's not going to require a Sherlock Holmes to discover how I pulled this one off," I thought to myself. Not that I was too disappointed; I didn't expect to come back here to try a repeat stunt, ever. This was a one and done deal. Who cares if they know how I did it?

I attempted to brush myself off, with little success, then began to search the building. It didn't take long to find the incubation room, and to my delight, I saw four Pokémon eggs on special heated pedestals. I was elated- one potential flaw in my plan was that I couldn't be certain there would be any eggs here at all, so to see four eggs ripe for the taking put a wide smile across my face.

I pulled a large trash bag out of my pants pocket and unfolded it. Transportation would be a bit tricky, but at least they would all fit in a single bag. The only challenge remaining would be to stealthily and gently carry them back to the base. But again, stealth was my forte. Having gotten what I came for, I simply walked out the front door, and slipped into the moon-cast shadows. After taking a few precautions on the way back to ensure I couldn't be tracked, I returned to the base undetected.

Ch. 3 – Humble Beginnings

"Life is either a great adventure or nothing." Helen Keller

The morning after my little day care excursion, I awoke to my alarm, alerting me to prepare for the graduation ceremony. I looked at the four lumps in my bed and smiled. The eggs that I had, ehem, procured from the day care could turn out to be life savers in the months to come. The wild lands between towns are often dangerous, and one Pokémon is rarely enough to keep a trainer safe, especially Pokémon as young and weak as the ones we'll be receiving. It was not uncommon to hear of a wild Ursaring or other aggressive Pokémon catching a solo camper unaware, leaving his body to be found by the Rangers in the days to come. But with multiple Pokémon to keep guard and fight off stronger opponents together, chances of survival jump exponentially.

I quickly showered and dressed in the standard Rocket Grunt gear, an all-black outfit with a big, gaudy red 'R' emblazoned across the front. The outfit was strictly ceremonial these days, given that we tried to keep the continued existence of our organization a secret. I met up with Bruno, and we headed to the conference hall together. Once there, we were sorted and seated by class ranking. Out of the nineteen graduates, Bruno was number two, losing out to Sampson. Much less impressive was my own ranking, only number ten. Damn. The end of the year combat tests had apparently dropped me a little further down the ladder than I was hoping. My frown didn't improve when I noticed that Alfredo was dead last. Well, anything but a Magicarp, and he should be ok. We could help him train pretty much anything else, even if it's a Sentret or something.

Not long after we arrived, all the graduates had taken their seats, and the Admins primarily responsible for our training had taken their positions on stage. Once everyone was settled, Archer himself took to the podium at the front of the auditorium. He was dressed in the official Rocket Admin uniform, with four bright gold stars adorning his left shoulder, indicating his specific rank. I never got on too well with the guy personally, but he certainly had my respect. He had accumulated control over a considerable amount of resources, territory, and manpower over the past few years, all without being detected by the public. I don't know much about Giovanni, so in my mind, it was this man who provided me with the opportunity to make something out of my life. Through Archer's organization, Bruno and I were spared the life of difficulty and desperate poverty that living as orphans in the underground of Goldenrod offered.

"Welcome, Junior Rockets, to your graduation ceremony. Today, you will all receive this," he held up a bronze star, "and be promoted to one-star Rocket Grunts. As you hopefully know by now, that is the lowest rank within the official Rocket organization, but I have seen your potential first hand. I am confident that you will rise up the ranks in short order. I expect many of you to become Rocket Officers in the future, and perhaps a few of you are talented enough to even make Rocket Admin someday. As a four-star Rocket Admin, the highest ranking available below Rocket Boss Giovanni, I will officiate this ceremony, and begin by displaying the available starter Pokémon to choose from. When I call your name, come receive your Pokédex from Petrel. Check the messages section on your Pokédex after graduation to see your objectives, parameters, and team members. Look them over at your earliest opportunity after the ceremony. You will all be given relatively easy group assignments to start, but some are time sensitive, so do not delay. After picking up your Pokédex, choose your starter Pokémon from Proton. All these Pokémon are currently registered to Proton, but seeing as the Game Corner is an official Indigo League trading center, and we are currently underneath it, we are within proper geo-coding to initiate the transfer of ownership, right here. After accepting Proton's trade request on your Pokédex, the Pokémon is all yours. Continue on to Ariana, who will present you with your bronze star, designating your official rank within Team Rocket. Without further ado, let's see the pool of starter Pokémon to choose come.

Nineteen Pokémon icons appeared on the screen, some of the more common Pokémon appearing more than once. I immediately noticed three real gems up there, but I knew I had no chance at those. The real question would be if any of the mid-tier Pokémon would be left at pick ten. And of course, I counted only seven Pokémon that I would count as uncommon or mid-tier. The little hope I had fell, realizing that I was not going to be getting anything of exceptional value as my starter.

"Sampson, rank number one, please come forward," Archer stated, a hint of a grin on his features. He must be eager to see Sampson's potential come to fruition, and the benefits his skills would bring to the team. I schooled my face and held back a scowl when Sampson covertly flipped me the bird on his way past my seat.

He shook Archer's hand, received his Pokédex from Petrel, and confidently approached Proton to claim his pick of the starters. "I'll take the Magby," he stated, without hesitation.

"It has great potential. You made a good choice," Proton replied. He entered some commands into his Pokédex, then handed the Pokéball over to Sampson while giving his Pokédex the necessary verbal confirmation: "I voluntarily agree to this transfer of ownership, without receiving anything in return." Sampson accepted the transfer with his own Pokédex and took the Pokéball.

Sampson then walked over to receive his bronze star from a neutral faced Ariana, and returned to his seat.

"Bruno, rank number two, please come forward," Archer continued. Bruno stood with a smile, and in contrast to Sampson, flashed me a peace sign as he walked by. Or he was boasting and showing off his rank, I don't know.

He followed the procedures and made his way to Proton. "I was afraid that Sampson was going to snag my top choice, but I guess it's my lucky day. I'll take Aron."

"Excellent. He will become a mighty beast of a Pokémon, a worthy cornerstone for your team" commented Proton, before initiating the transfer of ownership.

Bruno's choice didn't surprise me in the least; it would have been my top pick too. The real surprise here was that Team Rocket had somehow procured a Hoenn Pokémon in the first place. Trade between Kanto and Johto was common enough during peace time, but the other regions were much further away, and rarely did we see Pokémon native to such regions. Team Rocket had not only gotten a good Pokémon from Hoenn, but offered it up to the junior graduates? They saw more potential in us (or at least in some of us) than I thought. The surprise factor alone that it would bring into battles would give Bruno a significant advantage.

"Sandy, rank number three, please come forward."

Sandy was a quick witted, scrappy girl, and good friends with Sampson, and therefore not on good terms with me. As I expected, she picked the Scyther, another rare Pokémon and the last of what I considered the top-tier Pokémon available to us. I then watched as the Houndoor, Ekans, Geodude, and Koffing were all chosen, and the rest of us were left with the low-tier Pokémon. Avery was rank eight, and grabbed herself a Pidgey, while rank nine took a Sentret.

Archer called my name, and I considered the remaining pool of Pokémon: one Pidgey, one Sentret, two Rattata, two Weedle, one Caterpie, two Zubat, and –I cringed on Alfredo's behalf- one Magicarp. Avery was one of my best friends, and I wanted to differentiate my Pokémon from hers in order to increase our odds of being teamed up together, so Pidgey was out of contention. Weedle and Caterpie grow quickly, but we lived right next to Ilex Forest, so I could catch one myself if I wanted. I wasn't much of a fan of bug Pokémon anyway. Zubat had some potential, but they are so weak in their base form, I would hate my life trying to train it and keep alive until it evolved.

And then there was Magicarp, which is, well, Magicarp, completely useless. We had all heard terrifying tales of the mighty sea serpent it can evolve into, but so few ever make it to evolution. Studies have shown that less than one out of every two hundred Magicarp used by trainers ever reach evolution. In the wild, the chances of Magicarp evolving is even less, but they are so numerous at sea that even one in a thousand evolving is enough to make grizzled sailors think twice about crossing the open ocean. Gyarados are terrifying, but even so, I'm not picking a Pokémon that has a one-in-two hundred chance of eventually becoming strong. Sorry Alfredo.

And like hell am I going to pick the starter that Sampson taunted me with. Suck it Sentret. "I'll take Rattata," I declared to Proton when I approached.

Proton handed over the Pokéball, and began the transfer without additional comment. Archer had already called the next graduate, and I continued on to where Ariana stood smirking. "A mighty beast of Pokémon, I'm sure it will become a worthy cornerstone of your team," she snickered quietly, mimicking Proton's words to Bruno.

"Yeah, yeah, keep laughing. Come by Meeting Room 3 after the ceremony. I have something to show you."

I caught a glimpse of intrigue flit over Ariana's face before I turned around and headed back to my seat, not wanting to gain attention by holding up the flow of the ceremony. Now that only low potential Pokémon remained, it seemed like the Admins themselves had lost interest and were hurrying things along.

The ceremony came to an end after poor Alfredo ended up with a Magicarp, as he had predicted. Archer dismissed us and left to attend to whatever Rocket Bosses attended to, and I grabbed hold of Avery and Bruno as we shuffled out. "Meet me at Meeting Room 3," I whispered. "I'll be there in five minutes."

I swung by my room to pick up my plunder from the previous night, and when I arrived at the designated room, I found my three favorite Rockets waiting for me with various degrees of patience.

"What's this about, Han?" Bruno asked in mild irritation. "Be quick, I haven't even had time to meet my new Pokémon!"

Ariana's eyes had gone straight to the lumpy trash bag I carried as I walked in. She looked curious, while Avery appeared indifferent.

"I got you all a graduation present last night," I said with a smirk. "Something to help the three of us as we get started, and something of a thank you gift to Ariana for being the best stealth teacher in all of Johto."

"And all of Kanto, even Koga's got nothing on me," Ariana added. "But thanks. What is it?"

"Yesterday, I paid a late-night visit to the Pokémon day care. No one was home, and so I helped myself to their incubation room," I said, pulling out an egg. "I have one for each of us."

"No way!" Avery said, suddenly excited. She was the most in need of an additional Pokémon, other than maybe myself. "Oh, you are the best!"

"Ooh, 10 points to Slytherin," Ariana said wryly, "For being the first to apply their lessons outside of a classroom setting. Well done. Did you leave anything that they could track?"

"I was covered in ash from my point of entry," I explained, handing out eggs as I did so. "They could probably track that to the Western Sea, where I took a quick dip before coming back to base. But there is no way they could track me after that."

"Excellent work. Now am I good at finding and training talent, or am I good at finding and training talent?" Ariana laughed, taking her egg.

Bruno took his egg as well, a big smile on his face. "You da man, Han. Any idea what's inside?"

I shook my head. "No clue. Mine and Ariana's are nearly identical, so they might be the same species, maybe even siblings. Yours and Avery's are much different, so hopefully they are both rare and powerful. But keep in mind, they are stolen. I wouldn't carry those eggs around in the open. And if they hatch into something rare, you probably shouldn't use it around Goldenrod for a while. The owners of the parent Pokémon are probably going to be on the lookout for baby Pokémon of their species in this area."

"Good idea. Regardless, Han, this is great," Avery said. "But now, I'm eager to meet my Pidgey, and we should also check out our first mission. I hope we're all paired up."

"Don't worry, you are," Ariana spoiled the surprise for us. "Might as well check it out now. Though you might want to keep your new presents hidden away, or your last teammate will get jealous."

We all pulled out our Pokédex and looked in the message section, each seeing a private message from Archer with our instructions:

"Congratulations again on graduation, Grunts. Now, the time has begun for you to start working towards the success of Team Rocket, and by extension, the betterment of the world. Your first assignment will consist of a team made of Bruno, Avery, Han, and Alfredo, led by one-star Admin Ariana.

Mission objective: Retrieve the HM Flash from the top of Sprout Tower in Violet City.

Parameters: Do not let anyone know that Team Rocket is behind this act. It is preferable that no one discovers that any of you are behind this theft, but if your identity is compromised, do not implicate Team Rocket. Other than that parameter, how you complete the mission is up to you. The mission time frame is 2 months- expect to spend one week travelling each way. You will be allotted $3000 to spend as you see fit to complete the mission.

Additional Information: The HM is guarded by the Sprout Monks, who teach the move to trainers they consider worthy. HMs are rare, and it would be a considerable benefit for Team Rocket to be able to teach this move to any Pokémon within our organization, at any time. Future operations will be accelerated if this HM is acquired. Success will be met with reward, failure with discipline. Act accordingly. -Agent A, four-star Admin

I looked up and waited for the rest to finish reading. Once Bruno finished, he looked up with a grin. "Classic smash and grab? Go in, beat up some old monks, and take the prize?"

Avery scoffed. "I'm glad Ariana is in charge. I'm sure she can come up with something a little more discreet. If not, let's leave the planning to Han."

"I'm sure we both have some ideas," Ariana remarked, gesturing to me. "But we can discuss it on the road. For now, let's spend the afternoon getting acquainted with your Pokémon and stocking up supplies. I can go to the department store while you guys meet your new companions. Anything in particular you want?"

"Pokéballs," the three of said in a moment of complete agreement.

Ariana smirked. "Normally you buy Pokéballs with the personal mission rewards you receive after completing a mission. But I'll make an exception this time, and buy two for each of you and Alfredo. That leaves us with $2200 for all other expenses. Prepare to be camping out, because we aren't shelling out money on hotel rooms with this budget."

We nodded, considering it a fair tradeoff. We hadn't even met our first Pokémon yet, and already we were eager to catch more. A smile spread across my face as I looked back at my shiny red Pokédex, and reality sunk in a bit more. I'm an official Pokémon trainer now.

Ariana departed for the store, and the three of us headed back to drop off our eggs in our respective barracks. Avery sent Alfredo a message asking if he wanted to meet with us soon at Training Room 2 to introduce our Pokémon and talk over the mission, to which he agreed.

"Alright guys, the first wild Pokémon worth catching goes to Alfredo, agreed?" I asked, feeling sorry for his poor lot in life at that particular moment.

"Agreed," Bruno and Avery chimed.

Ten minutes later, we were all in Training Room 2, which was made to simulate a plain dirt field. Avery had thoughtfully chosen this one due to the small artificial pond installed for water Pokémon. Bruno, being the most eager, sent out Aron first, and soon after the rest of us followed suit. I felt a bit giddy as I watched the white beam of light coalesce into my Rattata. It might only be a Rattata, but by Arceus, it was my Rattata. It took in its surroundings with idle curiosity more than fear, and soon focused its attention on me. "Sup, little guy," I greeted. "I'm Han, your new trainer. And I'm going to call you Stuart."

Stuart the little Rattata. It made sense in my mind. He looked up at me indifferently, not seeming to care one way or the other about his new nickname. Good enough for me.

"Hey guys, you want to battle?" Bruno asked excitedly. I wasn't surprised that Bruno was ready for a fight already, and in all honestly, I was eager to try out a battle with my own Pokémon too.

"Sure," I replied. "But it's gotta be three on one. Pokémon only, no physical trainer interference. It's the only way we have any chance." In several Rocket battle simulations, we trainers got involved in the fight as well. Bruno was tough, but even he would be hard pressed to handle the three of us at once. So, Pokémon only for this battle.

"Deal!" he agreed.

Avery looked a little hesitant to send her Pidgey into a battle against a rock type, and Alfredo just looked resigned to uselessness as he glanced at his Magicarp swimming around aimlessly in the pond. My Rattata wouldn't do much against Aron's steel armor, either, but whatever. It was just for fun. What else were we going to do, meet our new Pokémon and not battle with them?

We lined up on opposite sides of the arena. I quickly strategized with my team. "Our only hope of winning is to outthink him. He has some serious defense on his side, and it will be difficult to damage him at all. But if we wear him down enough, we have a shot. Avery, focus on blowing dirt in his eyes with Sand Attack. Gust and Tackle won't do much to his armor, but if he can't see us, we may wear him out. Alfredo… just keep splashing water at him, I guess. Maybe it'll annoy and distract him." It was a stretch, but that's the only way I could conceive incorporating Magicarp into the strategy, short of grabbing it by the tail and beating Aron over the head with it.

We broke from our huddle, and I called for the match to begin. The battle was long, and honestly, rather boring. Aron was a tank, but he was slow, and there wasn't much he could do to about Rattata's speed, let alone Pidgey's mobility. Magicarp even contributed more than I initially planned- the splashes of water turned patches of the dirt to mud, which hampered the movement of the slow, heavy creature even more. My little Stuart mostly contributed by distracting him with Tail Whips, since the first full on Tackle I tried seemed to do just as much to the Rattata as it did to Aron. Pidgey was the real clincher, as Gust after Gust eventually wore the little iron-type down, and it collapsed.

"That was stupid," Bruno said, recalling his Aron. "You did great, buddy. We'll figure out a way to deal with those coward tactics later."

"It wasn't pretty, but it does point out Aron's biggest weakness right now," I noted, after congratulating and recalling Stuart. "He needs some way to hit a faster, agile Pokémon who keeps its distance. He can learn Rock Tomb pretty early, right? Maybe start teaching him that."

Avery and Alfredo recalled their Pokémon as well, both pleasantly surprised at their Pokémon's performance. Avery spoke up, interrupting our discussion of training regimens. "Before any of that, let's get to the Pokémon Center and let these guys rest up. That battle was exhausting for all of them."

We agreed, and headed out. It didn't take long to get to the Center and drop them off with the receptionist, who told us to come back to retrieve them in a couple hours.

On our way back, we ran into Ariana, who was exiting the Department Store. She jogged over and fell in step with us. "Already abusing your cute little baby Pokémon in battle?" she asked in mock astonishment. "Sending them to the hospital within three hours of receiving them, how brutal."

"Oh, shut up," Bruno shot back, still a little bitter over the lost battle. "Aron was the only one with real damage anyway. Their pansy Pokémon just needed a nap."

Ariana smirked, surmising for herself how the battle must have gone. "Well, Pokémon naps can take a while. Let's head back to base and discuss our travel itinerary. I believe we should leave first thing tomorrow morning. Also, I have something for each of you."

She gave us each two Pokéballs and a Potion, the latter she had purchased with her personal money as a starting gift for us. None of us had any objections to hitting the road the next morning, and we spent the rest of the evening discussing the route and packing our travel bags. For four of us, it included carefully packing a Pokémon egg, which prompted us to explain the circumstances to Alfredo and promise him the first catch-worthy Pokémon we encounter. After recollecting our Pokémon from the Center, we all felt ready to take on the world. Soon the evening wound down, and we got to bed early in anticipation of the tough rode tomorrow. It was time to start our Pokémon journey in earnest.