The world of Pokémon has its fair share of rather unscrupulous characters, one such group of them being the infamous Team Rocket. Of course, even amongst thieves, there are those who are more in it for their gut than the glory…
Panicked shouts ring out throughout the mess hall of a Team Rocket base. After a while of this, the flustered cook calls the mess to a halt using the howl of a Houndoom that happened to be lounging around.
"Thank you," The man acknowledged before turning to the ravenous crowd of Grunts. "Now, we're low on food again this week, and I don't have to tell you by this point who's to blame here..."
Murmurs of "Puckett" and "her again" filled the hall.
Another howl pierced the air.
"Quiet! Now I know you all want your revenge, but you know that's not going to happen. If the Boss was to find out that you were plotting this, you'd be sleeping with the Magikarp.
"Besides, if he got rid of everyone who was a drain on his resources, most of us wouldn't even be here!"
The murmuring quieted down in begrudging agreement.
"Well, what else are we gonna do," one Rocket piped up irritably, "We need to eat..."
As if in answer to the complaint, the group's bellies seemed to rumble in unison.
Meanwhile, blissfully unaware of the meyhem a few floors below, a certain Grunt that was the cause of all their ire, one Sam Puckett, slept the morning away in her room...
"M...mama's...gotta have some of that Razz Berry...pie..."
Snoring, she didn't notice that she was tipping over the edge of her cot...
...and promptly landed with a nice, hard thud.
She gritted her teeth and rubbed the side of her blonde haired head.
"Seriously? Stupid cot things. What's for breakfast...?"
Heading down towards the Mess Hall, she heard a siren wail with a familiar message on repeat.
"ALL GRUNTS ARE TO REPORT TO THEIR EXECUTIVES FOR MORNING BRIEFING. TARDINESS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED."
The girl mumbled to herself as she made her way to the briefing room and her meeting with what's-her-face.
The most she actually got out of the briefing was that there was some kind of mission in Hearthome...
Before she could leave, a hand stopped her. Instinctively taking a swing at its owner, she found her fist caught mid-strike.
Glaring at the red-headed woman that bore the uniform of an executive, Sam wanted to punch that smug smirk right off her face.
"Listen, girl. I know all about your appetite. The only reason why I haven't let those imbeciles deal with you is because..."
The blonde smirked. "You know I'd rip them to pieces?"
"Yeah, right," The older woman laughed condescendingly. "You are nothing here, not that you were ever anything special anyway. Just another replaceable, pitiful..."
Having heard enough by now, Sam aimed a shot below the belt at her opposition, only for it to be blocked, and her thrown to the floor.
"...orphan that nobody cares about."
Sam considered rushing the executive, but knew that it would be pointless. She had her in a hand to hand fight.
Instead, she chose to put tons of venom into her next words. "What do you want then, Executive Ariana?"
"What I want..." The woman began, "...is for you to track someone."
Sam raised an eyebrow. If there was one thing that should be well known about Sam Puckett, it's that she didn't do subtlety.
"Don't worry about that. We'll cover hiding your identity, for what little weight that holds."
Sam twitched visibly, but asked, "Where's the makeup idiots?"
After she left, the executive made a quick call.
"She's almost in place. Ready the plan."
Two Pidgey would be killed with one stone on this mission…
A few hours later, on a certain patch of grass just outside Hearthome city...
Carly let out a huge yawn as she watched Ralts triumph over another horde of Bidoof. She felt kind of bad for them, actually.
Pichu had been playing with a blade of grass for a while after getting scuffed up thanks to a run in with a Bibarel.
Putting the magazine she'd been reading away, she walked over to the exhausted Pokémon, with its Ball at the ready.
"Alright, you had your fun, Ralts. Return."
It nodded an affirmative as it disappeared in a flash of red light. Pichu hopped on its owner's shoulder. They would go to the Pokémon Center to spend the night.
A few people were in the Center, some caring for injured Pokémon and others generally staying the night. The Shay girl lounged on the couch, beginning to doze off…
That is, until a certain girl walked in, heading to the main desk, scowling at the strange looks she was given as she passed by. She stared daggers at the receptionist.
"You. My Zubat needs healing. Now."
And so, Samantha Puckett begins her mission...
As Sam makes her demand, she keeps a mental eye on the Pokémon that she'd "borrowed" from HQ and inwardly smirks.
A bunch of Idiots, all of them, she thought.
...but of course, it's never really that simple, is it? Two worlds will collide, as the journey continues…