Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I affiliated with Pokémon or any of its parent companies. I am merely a humble storyteller. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this journey with me.
Note: I am English, so some of the wording, spellings, and expressions will be those commonly used in England.
Chapter Sixty-Seven: Separate and Conquer
Red had never imagined he would ever enter a corporate building like Silph Co. for as long as he lived (he did not dare consider the possibility that if his Pokémon training dream ended that he would be forced to struggle for a minimum five days a week of low pay for practically the rest of his life in a place like this, or maybe even in a dead-end convenience store; he was young and still had his hopes and dreams) but here he was, standing upon its ground floor. Majestic was probably a good word to describe its appearance, the walls as white as cotton, the floors so blue and gleaming he could swear he was standing on water, and the glass that made the walls either side the doors he entered were so clear he could not believe there was glass at all. There was an empty reception desk towards the far left of the room, cushy chairs were sprinkled around, as were a dozen tables, plants gave the room a pleasant, tropical feel, and, most amazingly of all, there was a large fountain that took most of the room for itself, almost seeming as if it was once two different fountains combined into one, spitting water high into the air from the lips of a couple of beautifully carved Magikarp statues.
Again, majestic.
But empty too. And quiet. Which meant their infiltration plan was currently going off without a hitch. A good start, wouldn't you say?
"Urgh," Blue groaned. "Cameras."
Sporadically placed on the ceiling were multiple cameras, and at once the three kids shuddered with uneasiness.
"No, wait," Leaf said upon closer inspection. "Look, these cameras should have a red light to indicate they're on, like where my dad works, but they haven't. Team Rocket must have shut them off for their benefit. They aren't using them for themselves."
"Which means we've got more of an advantage," Red said. "At least until we run into the first Grunts. So, what do we do? Head straight to the top or…"
"We don't know what Team Rocket wants, but if the leader's here, then he's probably with the president," Blue speculated. "No matter what Team Rocket wants, their whole mission fails if we stop him. In that case, the top floor is our best bet because that must be where the president's office is, and I can't see the leader being anywhere but there."
"Agreed," Leaf said. "So, there's an elevator over there, but it doesn't seem sensible to take it; they might have a Rocket Grunt bracing themselves against the ceiling or something. They could even trap us in it. Stairs, then?"
"Stairs," Red and Blue said together, and the trio raced towards them, their Pokémon partners keeping their eyes and ears open in case of any unneeded surprises.
o~o~o~o~o
Sabrina smiled to herself, watching everything unfold as clear as day. They were in and they were ready. It was a pity she was nothing but a mere spectator, but at least she could perhaps gather any sort of information that could be used in the future.
She travelled up through the Silph Company floors, her body miles away at her Gym in deep meditation, protected by her Pokémon and her Gym Trainers. Higher and higher she drifted until she arrived at an ornately decorated office. An elderly man with an imperial moustache was sat on a couch next to a woman, both quivering. Several Team Rocket members surrounded them, all donning a purple 'R' on their chests.
Someone spoke, yet Sabrina could not discern any words, nor could she tell who spoke them.
"I can't," the president said. "It is a prototype."
The other person spoke again, but no words reached Sabrina's ears. Of course, this was the leader, and Sabrina cursed his protective, mighty, dark aura.
"I know Devon Corporation had theirs stolen recently," the president went on. "But theirs is a prototype too, no guarantee that it'll work. The ones who stole it will probably find it'll not function. As a matter of fact, I was thinking of destroying ours and starting from scratch."
The Rocket leader said something. The president's face went ashen.
"I-I'm not lying," he lied. He turned to the lady. "Am I?"
The lady shook her head. "H-He's not lying."
The redheaded Rocket woman scoffed. "Sir," she said to the leader. "Perhaps words are not enough? Getting physical tends to get the results faster and far more reliably."
The Rocket leader responded and the woman bowed. "As you wish."
Just what were Team Rocket after? What were Silph Company so desperate to protect? Something that they were working to perfect? She had to listen more. If she just found out what it was, she could… she could…
As though a bungee cord had been tied around her waist, Sabrina's astral form was jerked away from the Silph Company's president's office and flung at the speed of sound across the city of Saffron and back to her body.
Her eyes flashed open. The ceiling was spinning above her, as were the worried faces of her Pokémon and Gym Trainers. Something warm and wet ran from her nose.
"Sabrina," a voice amongst the many other worried ones she recognised as belonging to Mr Psychic said. "Did you manage to –"
"No," Sabrina said, content to lay on the floor until the nausea passed. "I still know as much as I did before."
"And the children?"
"They're inside."
"And?"
Sabrina shrugged. "We'll see what happens."
o~o~o~o~o
"Everything's locked," Red moaned, rapping his knuckles against two metallic sliding doors. "Shouldn't everything be open if security is down? Or is that just for the cameras?"
"Probably just the cameras," Leaf said. "They probably don't care about them because who's going to be sneaking in? It also makes me wonder if they have hostages just in case law enforcement does show up and they don't want them getting loose. Locked them up."
Blue grimaced. "It makes me think we're going to need a key."
"Why?" Red asked.
"I'll bet you anything the president's office has a door like this," Blue said, slapping his hand against it for emphasis. "Team Rocket probably already have the key, to get in there and I guess will have locked it behind them."
Leaf arched her neck and groaned. "So, even if we head to the top floor now, we'll most likely not be able to get in?"
"Pretty much."
"But what about getting our Pokémon to smash the doors down?" Red asked.
"Use your head, Reddy: that'll give Team Rocket plenty of time to counter us when we're trying to break in because these doors are hardy," Blue explained. "But if we managed to find a key, they'd probably think we're Rockets too, for at least a few seconds, and we could use that time to get them with their trousers down."
Red pulled off his cap and scratched his head. "But to find one of those keys…"
"…we're going to need to…" Leaf continued, biting her lip.
"… split up," Blue finished. He pursed his lips. "No problemo. I'll head straight to the top floor and work down from there. But I'll doublecheck to make sure the president's office is locked. You guys do whatever you want." He smirked. "Heck, you can both leave and I'll handle it all myself if you want. No hard feelings, but I will make fun of you until I find something else to make fun of you with."
Red muttered unprintable words.
"Ha-ha," Leaf said sardonically. "I'm heading to the next floor up and I'll work from there. Red, what will you do? Are you coming with me?"
"I'll explore the second floor a bit more," Red said. "One of those keys could be in any nook and cranny."
Silence fell upon the trio before they nodded at each other in understanding and went about their tasks, hoping the key they needed would not be too far out of reach.
Now, it is not expected to be easy for our heroes, is it? Of course not! After all, Silph Co. was crawling with Rocket Grunts. And it was not long before the fun began…
o~o~o~o~o
"Stop, kid!" a Rocket Grunt said, marching up to Leaf. "What exactly are you doing here? This place is currently off limits to the public."
"Sorry," Leaf said flippantly. "I was visiting my dad here and I got lost. Well, we got lost," she added, indicating Eevee.
The Grunt's eyes darted from Leaf to Eevee and back again so rapidly it was as though they were using Quick Attack. Realisation dawned on him.
"Oh, darn," he said, releasing a Geodude from a Poké Ball.
But poor Geodude fell easily to Leaf's Poliwrath, fainting to a stream of explosive bubbles.
The Grunt's second fighter, a Zubat, succumbed to a Double Slap.
"No, no, no," the Grunt said, shaking his head and backing away. "You can't be here. Not now. Um, please wait here while I go alert the others."
And off he sped around a corner, and off Leaf and Eevee ran the other way, the former thankful she finally used the Water Stone she purchased all that time ago in Celadon, and even more thankful the Poliwhirl she caught at the Safari Zone was willing to evolve. Her elation faded, however, when she recalled the Leaf Stone, the fact it had given her a Victreebel, a Grass and Poison-type.
Like Venusaur.
Like the Pokémon that would no longer obey her.
With the intention of replacing him.
Did she make the right choice?
o~o~o~o~o
"You can make this easy on yourself if you just let me past," Blue said.
"You can make this easy on yourself if you surrender and get the heck out of here," the Grunt retorted.
Blue pretended to discuss it with Meowth. "Um, no. Meowth and I don't really like that choice."
Meowth unsheathed his claws and hissed at the Grunt.
"Then, I'm going to take you down, kid," the Grunt said, brandishing his Pokémon. "And send you home crying to mummy and daddy."
Blue's easy-going grin became colder. "Fine, let's battle."
A couple of Karate Chops from his four muscular grey arms later and the Grunt was fleeing as quickly as his legs would carry him, Machamp stomping threateningly after him.
"That was fun, wasn't it, guys?" Blue said, trying to inject some bonhomie into his voice. "But we'd better get going. Yeah, these Grunts aren't tough." He shook his head. "No, we're just strong, exactly how we're meant to be."
o~o~o~o~o
"Have you a got a key for these doors?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure you're sure? I could really use one about now."
"I don't have a Card Key!"
Red trilled his lips. "Fine. Well, we'd best be going. We've got to get to your leader and stop him before he gets what he wants. Hey! Do you know why he's here?"
The Grunt smiled smugly. "Maybe."
"You don't, do you?"
"Not in the slightest. But that doesn't matter for I'm going to trounce you and end your creeping about here. Drowzee, get 'em!"
"I choose you, Clefable!"
Clefable landed lightly on her feet and went into an immediate pirouette. She bowed to her foes, as though wishing them a good battle before she would demolish them. She easily evaded Drowzee's cranium and hopped over the purple beam that came next.
"Poison Gas!" the Grunt screamed, and Drowzee spewed a cloud of dark purple vapour which filled the hallway and engulfed Clefable.
Fortunately, Red did not have to be worried about being affected by the Poison Gas himself as such an advanced building like the one he was currently in no doubt had a sophisticated ventilation system, proven a few seconds later as the gas quickly dissipated.
What was left was a Clefable who sported shadows under her eyes.
A Clefable who was poisoned.
"How do you like that?" the Grunt said. "Clefable's not going to last long… wait, there's something wrong. Your Clefable… it's… dancing?"
Oh, would you look at that! Clefable was dancing, as graciously as though she had not just ingested heaps of poison. As a matter of fact, if one ignored the shadows under her eyes, they might believe she had not been poisoned at all.
"It's called Magic Guard," Red said, revelling in the fact he almost felt like a Gym Leader. "Clefable can't take – what's the word again? – indirect damage, like from poison." He blew a raspberry at the Grunt. "Try again."
A vein throbbed in the Grunt's temple. "Pound!"
"Meteor Mash!" Red called.
As Drowzee aimed its fist at Clefable, the moon fairy's own fist glowed a rich pink and she rammed it into Drowzee's stomach with the force and speed of a raging comet. Drowzee was almost knocked through the wall.
"So that's what that move does," Red said to Clefable as he studied her hand, ignoring the Grunt who stumbled away and fell on her rear. "Good work, Clefable." His gaze fell upon the Grunt, who hastily returned Drowzee. "Are you sure you haven't got a Card Key? Please?"
"Stupid brat!" she hissed. "You'll get yours! Think you can mess with us, huh? Be prepared for Hell!"
"That was rude," Red said to Pikachu and Clefable as the Grunt stormed away, screaming obscenities at them. "But we can't underestimate this lot, especially if guys like Petrel and Archer are about. And that other guy from Mt. Moon, whatever his name was. Morton? Larry? Lemmy? I don't care." He readjusted his cap. "Now, let's find that Card Key!"
o~o~o~o~o
"What is it?" Ariana snapped at the Grunt.
"I'm sorry, but we have a problem," he said, careful not to trip over his words, finding himself shrinking under the Executive's deadly stare. "We have been infiltrated."
"The International Police?"
"No. Three children."
Ariana frowned. "Children? How did children get inside? What kind of children would even think, would even consider going up against the might of Team… of Team…"
Ariana trailed off, realisation striking her like a bolt of lightning. "It's them, isn't it?"
The Grunt gulped. "I'm afraid so. They've been defeating our operatives quite quickly."
Ariana looked back into the office. "I'll get Archer and Petrel and we will –"
"That will not be necessary," someone said.
One of the Rocket Siblings strode towards her, the taller of the brothers. "My siblings and I shall see to it that those pests are vanquished," he said, bowing.
"Is that so, Itchy?" Ariana said, relaxing her shoulders. "In that case, go about and exterminate those rodents. And don't play around with them, just end it. This meeting with the president is taking longer than expected; we can't risk them barging in and ruining it all."
Itchy bowed again. "As you wish. I shall inform my dear siblings and we shall deliver their heads to you on a platter." He paused and shuddered. "Too dark. I shall just tie them and leave them in a corner. Or maybe I could put them to sleep? Or maybe…"
Itchy wandered off, muttering to himself, and Ariana re-entered the president's office, shutting and locking the door behind her. She slid her Card Key into her pocket and took her place beside her leader, the presence of those kids filling her with apprehension.
