Chapter 34 – Team Rocket's plan
Meanwhile – somewhere south of Motostoke…
"Amazing. This footage confirms my research. Not only is rage of bringing out a Captive Pokémon's strength, but it works for wild Pokémon too…If only I could hook shadow to my Pokémon provoker. He would be unstoppable."
About thirteen or so carriages down the train was the main laboratory. A windowless van filled with all sorts of strange computers and other equipment. The man with the bushy hair and thick moustache was Doctor Namba – one of Team Rocket's most infamous scientists.
Namba was in his early sixties. He had been with Team Rocket for most of his adult working life, since graduating from Puzzle University with his PhD in Pokémon biology. With all his talent as a researcher, Namba could have worked for almost any organisation he wanted, or become a tenured professor at almost any university.
But it was a life of crime that had drawn Namba in. For Namba's research interests were far beyond those that any ethics committee would tolerate. He wanted to bring out the true power and potential of Pokémon…By any means possible and against the Pokémon's will if necessary. And he didn't really care if the Pokémon consent to or were harmed by his experiments.
His belief in the supremacy of humans over Pokémon was also largely unwelcome at most institutions of higher learning…In fact in the world of Pokémon, they were pretty much rejected in all parts of civilised society.
And so, Doctor Namba had found his home in Team Rocket where he had spent several decades trying to find ways to bend nature to his will and make the villainous organisation's Pokémon stronger. Giovanni had kept him well remunerated for his efforts.
On the computer screen the image of Shadow banging against the shields, then pulling Mightyena from the train played again and again. The scientist was almost mesmerised by it. "Provided we could find a way to control it, this Darkrai could become Team Rocket's most powerful weapon."
"Dr. Number sir…"
The sound of his name, being pronounced incorrectly, caused him to look away at the screen and over the at two agents in black rocket uniforms who had just entered the car.
"It's Namba, you idiot. What do you want?"
"Sir, the train is heading south along the main line at around one hundred and fifty kilometres per hour. What are your orders?"
Namba turned back to his screen. "Fish sticks. Same as I order every day."
"No sir, we're not from the dining car. We're Butch and Cassidy."
Namba looked back over at them and recognised the blond woman and green haired man.
"Yes, I was just reviewing your first attempt to capture Shadow. He's more powerful than I anticipated, so we will need to proceed with caution. Tell the engineer to continue south. We'll lure Shadow into the Crown Tundra, and that's where we'll make our move. He knows we have his little friend now. I take it you still have that Sneasel?"
Cassidy raised he arm and snapped her fingers. The door at the end of the carriage slid open and Raticate made its way inside – backwards, pulling an unconscious Blade with his teeth. A slick of blood covered the floor in their wake.
"Excellent. All of the evidence we have gathered about this Darkrai suggests that he becomes most angry and most violent whenever he sees this Sneasel is threatened or made to suffer. And nobody does threats and suffering better than Team Rocket. Where is Zacian by the way? Why isn't she with you?"
"She attacked Shadow when he tried to pull a Pokémon off the train," explained Cassidy.
"We're waiting for her call sir," added Butch.
Dr. Namba grimaced. "If that is the case then you had better inform the engineer that he is to loop us back through Motostoke before continuing to the Crown Tundra. We cannot complete this task without her!"
"Yes sir," said Cassidy and Butch together.
"For a legendary Pokémon, Zacian is certainly foolish. Still, if the legends are true, I suspect she will have no trouble holding herself against a mere Darkrai."
"Sir I have to ask," said Butch. "If this Darkrai brutally murder everyone who hurts this stupid Sneasel, what's going to stop it from peeling off our faces and using them as hand puppets like it did that Zoroark."
Dr. Namba gave an uncharacteristic smile and chuckled at this question. "An excellent question Biff."
Butch sighed, "thanks and the name's Butch sir."
"As brutal as Shadow is, he is still a Pokémon and thus intellectually inferior to us humans. The shell of all of these train cars are made from a new type of steel I fashioned from Lunar Wings and Z Crystals. Darkrai cannot penetrate them. As long as we remain onboard, we will be quite safe. The engine is powered by the aura of a certain Pokémon, which in turn powers the entire train. The engine generates a shield through which Dark types cannot pass. Aboard this train we will be quite safe, I assure you."
"And off the train?"
"Off the train Shadow will kill you, probably in the most brutal fashion possible. Something that will likely involve pulling your organs out of your backside, one by one. What of it."
Butch pulled a face and recoiled.
Cassidy shot him a coy smile. "You're worried about Mightyena aren't you?"
"Ahh no," Butch replied, perhaps a little too quickly.
"Don't get too attached to your Pokémon," snapped Namba. "Pokémon are there to serve humans. Friendships with Pokémon is simply not possible."
Butch rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say sir."
[Pokémon]
Motostoke…
"Ash…what do you think you are doing?"
"Huh. Who said that?"
"Pika."
Ash and Pikachu spun around at the sound of the accusatory voice. Lunch was over and they had been making their way to the gym in time of Ash's gym battle that afternoon. The Motostoke main street was bustling with people and Pokémon and it wasn't obvious who had spoken.
That was until an orange and white canine like Pokémon, almost as tall as Ash, strode right up to them. It was glowering at him, its fangs bearded. Ash felt a jolt in the pit of his stomach, and Pikachu's fur bristle.
"Easy there Arcanine!" He held up his hands.
"Pikachu!"
"I'm not an Arcanine," the dog like Pokémon hissed as it walked right up to the pair of them. "It's me, Zacian. I just use the Arcanine disguise if I need to be near humans!"
"Oh," said Ash.
"Now, why aren't you at the Pokémon Centre with Mightyena?"
Ash was taken aback by the question. "Should we be?"
"Pika," said Pikachu coxing his head.
"Yes," Zacian stressed as if this was obvious. "I told you to look after him and take him to the Pokémon Centre until I can get him back to Team Rocket! I contacted my masters and they told me that they were going to be here tonight. I needed you to watch over him in case Darkrai comes back to finish him off."
She flashed her teeth at him as she spoke making Ash recoil and Pikachu quiver.
"W-Well you didn't tell me you wanted me to stay with him. You only said to take him to the Pokémon Centre," Ash replied defensively. "Also, I don't usually help Team Rocket."
Zacian let out a long sigh and shook her head. "I would have hoped human, that you might have had the foresight to realise that leaving Mightyena alone, a psychotic Darkrai who may want to hurt him is still at large, was a bad idea. Are you a guardian or not?"
She growled these last words with such ferocity that passers-by flinched or recoiled or else sped up walking. Everyone was giving them a wide birth.
Even Ash flinched and Pikachu squeaked a small cry of "Pikachu!"
Ash however recovered quickly, folding his arms and scowling back at Zacian. "Well, I'm guardian. And I'm not going to wait around the Pokémon Centre to see if a psycho Darkrai shows up to kill one of Team Rocket's Pokémon. And I'm certainly not going to miss my gym battle for that. Now if you'll excuse me, Pikachu and I have a badge to win. Let's go buddy."
"Pika Pika," agreed Pikachu.
He turned, with Pikachu on his shoulder, and started marching up the street. Zacian let out a bark of frustration.
"Don't you turn your back on me human…Ahh you ask them to do one thing!"
[Pokémon]
Meanwhile, somewhere outside Motostoke…
The Shadowpiercer had looped around somewhere to the south of Motostoke and was headed back up the line towards the city. In the laboratory car, Butch, Cassidy and the professor were gathered around a three-dimensional map of the city and the railway line projected in the middle of the car.
"Have we been able to identify the location of Shadow from the satellite yet," Namba barked to his colleagues.
"Not yet sir," replied Butch.
"He's likely lurking somewhere outside the city, waiting to strike," Cassidy added.
Namba nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. All of the information we have uncovered on this particular Darkrai suggests it avoids contact with humans. What about Zacian. Have you made contact with her?"
"Yes sir. She's with some trainer who's on their way to the Motostoke gym. She thinks Shadow will either show up there or at the Pokémon Centre."
"Where are the gym and the Pokémon relative to the railway line."
"Right here sir." Butch pressed a button on a remote control in his right hand.
"There each at opposite ends of the city," explained Cassidy. "The gym is in the north. The Pokémon Centre in the far south."
The projected image of two buildings, each across from each other on opposite sides of the city flashed yellow.
"The railway line runs right through the middle," said Butch.
"In that case we'll have to draw Shadow to us," spat Namba. "Place Blade in the dome car. Make sure he's visible. Make him suffer a little."
The two agents nodded. "Yes sir."
[Pokémon]
Motostoke Stadium…
"Welcome! I am Kabu, the Fire-type Gym Leader … Every Trainer and Pokémon trains hard in pursuit of victory. But that means you opponent is also working hard to win. In the end, the match is decided by which side is able to unleash their true potential."
Kabu was an older gentleman, grey haired and with a hard lined face. The sort of person who carried a serious demeanour wherever he went and who probably never smiled. He also had an athletic build, with muscles visible under a tight-fitting top and shorts.
Without really knowing anything about him, Ash got the distinct impression that he was going to be tough opponent to beat. Everything about Kabu seemed to radiate power, from those bulging muscles to the Mightyena like scowl on his face, to the way he pounded his fists together as he spoke.
But Ash was not going to allow himself to be intimidated. Not now he was the veteran of so many gym and league battles. Not when he had faith and trust in his Pokémon. He gave Kabu a hard smile and said confidently, "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. And I challenge you to a gym battle."
"Pika Pika," Pikachu cried on his shoulder. Ash could feel the fur bristle against his cheek. Pikachu was pumped, ready to go.
There was a smattering of applause and cheering from Ash's small group of supporters gathered on the bench on sidelines of the battlefield; consisting of Ashachu, Oshawott, Sniveon, Axew and Zoroark.
"Very well Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town," Kabu replied. "I accept your challenge."
The rules of the Motostoke Gym were simple – The leader and the challenger each get to use three Pokémon. The match is lost once each of a trainer's Pokémon were unable to battle.
Kabu's first Pokémon was Ninetails; An elegant fox-like creature with flowing fur and nine luxurious fluffy tails.
"Cool, a Ninetails," Ash mused to himself, as he out his Pokédex to scan the creature…
Ninetails, a Fox Pokémon of the fire type, and the evolved form of Vulpix. It has nine tails and a shinning golden fleece. Grabbing one of its many tails could result in a 1000-year curse.
"So, it's a fire type," said Ash with a grin. "Then I'll use a water type." He unclipped a Pokéball from his belt. "Totodile. I choose you!"
"Wah-Wah-Wah-Wah!"
Ash tossed the ball in the air and the happy crocodile like Pokémon appeared on the field in front of him. And immediately started doing his happy dance, hopping from one foot to the other.
He turned his head over his shoulder and caught sight of Ashachu. "Wah Wah." He made a gesture to Ashachu with his claw before winking at him, his mouth open in a wide grin.
Ashachu groaned, his ears flattening. "Piii-ka."
Sniveon giggled, putting her paw over her mouth to stifle the sound, while Zoroark smirked openly.
"What's so funny," Ashachu muttered to Sniveon, poking her in the ribs.
"N-nothing," Sniveon chortled.
Unfortunately, Totodile chose that moment to 'blow' Ashachu a kiss, closing his big jaws, tapping the end with his claws and extending them towards Ashachu.
Ashachu just sighed and stared down at his feet, while Sniveon had a hard time controlling her laughter.
"Are you sure you want to use that Totodile," Came Kabu's stern voice from across the field. "It seems a little distracted!"
Ash glared at him, feeling a prickle of annoyance. "Of course, I'm sure. Totodile's one of my best battlers. We'll show you."
"Wah!" Totodile growled in agreement, the slight against him seeming to convince him to stop making affectionate gestures to Ashachu and pay attention to the battle. He glowered at Ninetails with a look at steely determination.
[Pokémon]
And, back with Team Rocket…
Team Rocket's 'Shadowpiercer' train set included, amongst its one hundred carriages, three dome cars. A dome car is a type of passenger carriage that contains a glass dome on top. On the long-distance luxury trains that crossed vast continents in faraway lands, these cars allowed passengers to see in all directions around the train.
While two of the dome cars on this train certainty fit that description, the third was being used for an entirely different purpose. The dome, in addition to providing an observation longue, could also serve as a large cage. A cage whose wrap around windows, as much as they served to allow passengers to see out, would allow a certain Darkrai to see inside…
Blade grimaced as the chains were pulled tight. Where it not for the direness of the situation, he may have found the situation he was in…amusing. He claws were cuffed together above his head, held up by a chain dangling from top of the dome. And his foot paws were spread apart by a spreader bar.
The chains he was suspended just high enough so that his toes just touched the ground, and he couldn't move for the need to keep himself upright. He glowered at his two captors, flashing his teeth. He may be powerless but he wasn't going to give these people the satisfaction of thinking they had the better of him.
"Really, again," He said, trying to sound smug or confident, but he was aware of how much his voice shook. "You dipshits tried this before and it didn't work then what makes you think it'll work now?"
He was well aware of the injury to his shoulder and the pain it was causing him. "And oh, please tell me your bright idea was to hurt me, cause that'll get him over here really quick, but he'll be skinning your people alive on the way, and Arceus forbid you threaten to hurt me in front of him."
"Aww look at that Hutch," simpered Cassidy, in a mockingly sweet voice. "The little pet thinks his master actually has a chance at rescuing him."
Butch glared at her. "I keep telling you, my name is Butch… And we want that Darkrai over here quick. The sooner we can capture the sooner we can go home."
Blade forced himself to sneer at them, again flashing his teeth. "Listen here fucknuts, the only thing that'll be keeping you alive is if I'm in good health, cause if you start hurting me all I have to do is think it, and he'll kill all of you to stop my pain. But hey, get yourselves killed, I've been thinking about making a necklace out of the eyes of people that hurt me, I'd love to add yours to the list!"
Cassidy rolled her eyes. "You can make threats all you like little Sneasel. You're dark friend out there won't be able to penetrate this train. Look around you. All of the carriages on this train are made from a type of steel manufactured from Z Crystals. They can't be broken by a Pokémon."
"Plus, the entire train is protected by a shield that a Darkrai can't pass through," added Butch. "Believe us when we say, we're well prepared for an attack from Shadow."
"You keep telling yourself that," though secretly Blade wondered if they were right. Shadow had already been captured once. Who was really to say that it couldn't happen again?
Cassidy glanced out of the window then turned to Butch and said, "Looks like we're getting pretty close to Motostoke. We'll need to contact Zacian and make sure she's in position."
Butch nodded. "Right."
"Houndour. You to stay here and keep an eye on Sneasel. Don't worry he can't go anywhere chained up like that."
"Ruff ruff."
Blade hadn't noticed the small black, hound like Pokémon standing behind the two humans. It squeezed between their legs and walked up to Blade. It came so close that Blade could smell its putrid breath. He flinched involuntarily and immediately hated himself for doing so.
The two humans both laughed, and Cassidy said, in that mock simpering tone of hers, "Now Houndour, you play nicely with little Blade, alright."
"Houndour," the dog like creature growled, showing its fangs.
Blade snapped, uselessly. He knew he actually couldn't do anything to Houndour, but again he wasn't going to let himself be so easily intimidated…