AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here's chapter 83 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. I'm going to base this three-part event on my experiences with the radio tower takeover on the Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver version games. I also decided to make this a sequel to the three-part Lugia arc from Pokémon: Master Quest. Plus, a full cast of characters will be in this three-part event. This will be epic, so please enjoy reading, and leave responsible reviews at your leisure.
TEASER: Team Rocket has infiltrated Goldenrod City and its radio station! And the driving force behind this takeover is...Silveena?! How will Tristan and Hillary save her, especially when Professor Namba, the four Team Rocket Executives, and two familiar adversaries team up to stop them?
Chapter 83: THE RADIO TOWER TAKEOVER, PART 1
(Music Cue: Movie Title 1999 (as heard in the Japanese version of "Revelation Lugia"))
Last time, Tristan faced off against Pryce, the Mahogany Town Gym Leader. After a hard-fought match, he earned the Glacier Badge, putting him one step closer to qualify for the Johto League.
But as our heroes celebrated Tristan's victory, they got a disturbing phone call from Professor Elm, for Team Rocket had infiltrated the radio station in Goldenrod City.
So now with their journey to the Johto League now on hold, our heroes have to find a way back to Goldenrod City to save the radio station and the residents living there. But the question is...how will they get there?
"Maybe Professor Elm's wrong," said Hillary as she and Tristan stood outside the Pokémon Center in Mahogany Town. "There's no way Team Rocket would take over an entire city as big as Goldenrod. Why don't we listen to the radio and find out for sure?"
"Okay, but I hope you're right," replied Tristan as he turned on the radio function on his Poké Gear.
(Music Cue: Radio Tower Takeover (GSC as heard on the Gold, Silver, and Crystal version games)
But instead of peaceful music, it had scary music that Team Rocket absolutely loved to play.
A voice began to speak. "Ahem, we are Team Rocket. After three years of preparation, we have risen again from the ashes!"
"They DID take over Goldenrod City!" groaned Hillary.
"Giovanni! Can you hear me?! We did it! Where is our Boss? Isn't he listening?"
(Music cut)
Tristan turned off his Poké Gear in disgust and put it back in his backpack. "I can't believe this!" he exclaimed. "Team Rocket has taken over all of Goldenrod City, and I was battling at the Gym! This can't be any worse."
"Tristan, what have I told you about not saying 'things can't get any worse?'" reminded Hillary. "Things will always find a way."
"How? Besides the fact that we can't get to Goldenrod City overnight? The fact that we're totally outmanned 100 to one?"
"Two."
"Oh yeah, two."
"Well, the numbers may not be in our favor right now, but that doesn't mean we should give up," reminded Hillary. "You taught me that, remember?"
"Yup, I sure did."
"So let's come up with a plan and try to stop them."
"Of course, we have to get to Goldenrod City first."
Suddenly, Pikachu pricked up its ears and pointed up into the night sky.
Sure enough, there were flashing red lights coming into view in the night sky as Tristan and Hillary began to hear the sound of whirring blades. And as the red lights got closer, they could see that there were two large flying aircrafts headed their way.
"Hillary, look! Those are helicopters!" said Tristan. "Do you suppose those guys will help us get to Goldenrod City to stop Team Rocket?"
"I sure hope so," replied Hillary.
But as the helicopters got closer, they were able to see a red letter 'R' on them.
"Those helicopters are part of Team Rocket, too!" gasped Hillary. "They obviously want to stop us from getting in their way."
"Well, what should we do?" asked Tristan.
"We've gotta stop them somehow!" replied Hillary.
In one of the helicopters, a group of Team Rocket Grunts looked out the window and saw Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi on the ground.
"It's those annoying kids again!" exclaimed one of the Grunts disdainfully.
"They always mess up our plans," fumed another.
A man with a peach-colored mustache with a bald head partially covered with peach-colored hair was smirking after the confirmation. Yes, it was that fiend in human form, Professor Namba. "Well, this ought to make things interesting." Then he spoke into the helicopter's radio. "All right, send Pokémon XP into action immediately!"
(Music Cue: Cause for Alarm (full version as heard in "Fighting Flyer with Fire"))
And in the other helicopter, the hatch opened and a Pokémon emerged from it, as it was hoisted high into the air. It was pale-silver white, and it had fins on its back, plus it had wings.
"Hillary, look! It's a Lugia!" gasped Tristan. "Team Rocket must've captured it!"
"Not just any Lugia, Tristan! Look up there!"
And sure enough, to their horror, they saw that its fins were pink and so was its underbelly.
"It's Silveena, the same Pokémon Lugia's fallen in love with!" said Tristan. Then he shouted into the air towards the helicopters. "Hey, Team Rocket! Let that Lugia go!"
"No chance, child," replied Professor Namba as his voice was heard from the loudspeaker above. "The Lugia belongs to me, and it's now in my control."
"Oh, yeah? How do you know that?!" demanded Hillary.
"Just take a look for yourself," smirked Professor Namba.
Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu looked up.
Sure enough, they saw that there was a device on Silveena's forehead. It had a jewel that was glowing orange.
"Now what do you say I take this new Pokémon friend of mine for a test drive?" said Professor Namba. "All right, Pokémon XP, attack those children!"
And at Professor Namba's command, Silveena was released from her restraints, and dove down toward Tristan and Hillary. Then she fired a powerful blast of water from her mouth directly at them.
Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi narrowly dodged Silveena's attack.
"That was a Hydro Pump, and a strong one, too!" exclaimed Hillary.
"Why would Silveena attack us like that?" asked Tristan in alarm. "Do you think she has something to do with Team Rocket's takeover of Goldenrod City?"
"It's sure possible," replied Hillary. "Team Rocket will stop at nothing to get what they want."
"Ha! Darned right, little girl," smirked Professor Namba. "Now, Pokémon XP, show me even more of your power!" And he took out his control box and turned the knob in a clockwise direction.
At that instant, the jewel on the device on Silveena's forehead glowed and turned bright red. Then Silveena gave a loud screech and flapped her wings furiously, creating hurricane-force winds.
Tristan and Hillary tried to stand their ground as the wind blew.
"Enraged Hydro Pump now!" ordered Professor Namba.
And at Professor Namba's command, Silveena fired another blast of water from her mouth, except that this one had much more velocity than the last one.
Tristan, Hillary, and their Pokémon were struck by the blast and blown to the ground, bruised and beaten.
"That was excellent," smiled Professor Namba, who was completely satisfied. "Now, Pokémon XP, return to me."
Silveena turned around and flew toward the helicopters and flew back into one of them, and once she did, the hatch closed.
"All right, head back to Goldenrod City and the Radio Tower at once!" commanded Professor Namba.
"Yes, sir!" replied the Rocket Grunts.
The helicopters turned around and flew off.
Tristan managed to slowly open his eyes, raise his head toward the sky as the helicopters flew off and grunted, "Why, Silveena? Why?" Then he closed his eyes and passed out.
At that moment, Tristan's Silver Wing glowed brightly.
Meanwhile, Lugia, who had been flying in the night sky over the ocean, saw the light from far away. Tristan...He needs me! And it took off to find him as fast as its wings would carry it.
Lugia arrived in Mahogany Town a few minutes later and saw Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi unconscious. It was sad and angry, all at the same time. No! I'm too late! Who could've done this to them? It then came to Tristan and held him gently in its wings. Come on, Tristan, you've gotta wake up!
(Music Cue: A Prophecy Restated (as heard in the Japanese version of "Revelation Lugia"))
Tristan slowly opened his eyes and saw Lugia holding him. "Lugia, is that you?"
Oh, Tristan, thank goodness you're okay! cried Lugia. Tears of joy fell from its eyes as it embraced him. I thought I'd lost you!
"Ugh! Not so hard!" strained Tristan. "You're squishing me!"
Sorry, I couldn't help it, replied Lugia as it set Tristan down to the ground.
Tristan quickly came to Hillary, Togepi, and Pikachu and nudged them. "Hey, wake up, guys! We're alive!"
Hillary, Togepi, and Pikachu slowly opened their eyes and saw Tristan and Lugia.
"Whoa, what happened?" wondered Hillary. "I remember being attacked by Team Rocket, and the next thing I knew 'she' showed up."
Pikachu came to Tristan's arms, and together, they embraced each other.
How did this happen, guys? asked Lugia. Who did this to you?
Tristan hung his head low. Then he reluctantly answered, "It's Silveena, Lugia. Silveena was the one who attacked us."
Lugia stared in disbelief. What? No, it can't be! Silveena?! The Lugia I first fell in love with?! She didn't!
Tristan and Hillary slowly nodded their heads.
I can't believe this! exclaimed Lugia. How could she hurt you two like that? I bet she couldn't wait to get rid of you, could she?
"There's more to it than that, Lugia," said Hillary.
Lugia gave Hillary a long stare. Then it asked, What do you mean?
"We were figuring out a way to get to Goldenrod City to save the radio tower when Team Rocket showed up," explained Tristan. "Then they sent Silveena to attack us. She had a device on her forehead that forced her to follow their orders."
"Yes, and Professor Namba seems to be the source of it all," added Hillary. "Come to think of it, this must be the vision Will from the Elite Four and his Xatu showed us at Whirl Camp."
"You're right, sis!" agreed Tristan. "Remember when Lugia wanted to know whether it'll be with Silveena, and it asked Will to help see into the future?"
This must be why Team Rocket, Silveena, and Goldenrod City all came into play at the same time. It makes perfect sense. It was then that Lugia made up its mind. Well, I'll get you to Goldenrod City in no time at all.
Just then, Pikachu pricked up its ears.
"What's up, Pikachu?" wondered Tristan.
Suddenly, a pink bipedal cat-like Pokémon appeared and playfully flew about.
"Hey, it's Mew!" said Hillary.
"It must've come to help us out," added Tristan. "Do you think you can take us to Goldenrod City, Mew?"
Mew flew about and happily agreed to help.
I'll go with you, put in Lugia.
"Are you sure, Lugia?" asked Tristan.
Absolutely, answered Lugia. Goldenrod City is in trouble, and so is Silveena. If we all work together, we can save her and everyone else living there.
"All right then, let's hurry to Goldenrod City!" said Hillary excitedly.
As everyone held on to each other, Mew teleported everyone out of Mahogany Town.
Instantly, they appeared outside of Goldenrod's city limits.
Everyone looked around as they saw the city in the distance.
"Thanks, Mew," said Hillary. "You really helped us out."
Mew flew and laughed playfully.
"Well, it looks peaceful enough," said Tristan. "Nothing unusual happening there."
"Remember, Tristan, looks can be deceiving," reminded Hillary. "I'm sure that Team Rocket has taken over the entire city by now."
"I guess that's true," agreed Tristan, "but now we need to come up with a plan to defeat Team Rocket and save Silveena."
It was then that Lugia started to spread its wings. Then I'll fly ahead and take a look.
"Wait, not so fast!" cautioned Tristan.
What for? wondered Lugia.
"I think just Hillary, Pikachu, and I should go ahead and stop Team Rocket," explained Tristan. "No offense, but I don't want you to risk your safety or the citizens."
What about Silveena?
"We'll do whatever it takes to save her," said Hillary. "You have our word."
Lugia still wasn't so sure. Well, okay, it said. But just know that if you're in any serious trouble, I'll come flying.
"Don't worry, Lugia, we'll be fine," Hillary assured it. "Come on, Tristan, let's go."
And Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi all rushed into Goldenrod City to stop Team Rocket, leaving Mew and Lugia behind.
Good luck, guys, said Lugia to itself. And please be safe.
(Music Cue: Strange Weather (as heard in the Japanese version of "Revelation Lugia"))
When they got into the city, they saw scores of Team Rocket Grunts everywhere they went.
"Whoa, just look at them all!" remarked Hillary. "They've taken over Goldenrod City so fast they made our heads spin!"
"I've never seen so many Rockets at one time!" added Tristan.
They reached the Radio Tower a few minutes later. But when they tried to go inside, they were stopped by a Rocket Grunt.
"Hold it right there!" he demanded. "We have some business going on!"
"Well, we made it our business to stop you!" retorted Hillary.
"I warn you," said the Rocket Grunt, "even if you were to attack me all at once, you wouldn't stand a chance."
"What do you mean?" asked Hillary suspiciously.
"Yeah, tell us what you're going to do with Silveena right now!" demanded Tristan.
"Silveena? Never heard of her," smiled the Rocket Grunt. "Anyway, I was told by Professor Namba not to let anyone pass but Team Rocket. Do you understand? You are only allowed to come into the Radio Tower if you're wearing a cool black uniform for Team Rocket."
Tristan and Hillary could scarcely believe their ears. They were most offended. "YOU MUST BE CRAZY!" they shrieked.
"Nope, those are the rules," replied the Rocket Grunt. "And they will be enforced. Now get out."
"I can't believe we have to dress like Team Rocket in order to get inside the radio station," fumed Hillary as she and Tristan walked through town a few minutes later.
"Yeah, this must be our lowest point in our careers," added Tristan.
Pikachu shamefully nodded in agreement while Togepi chirped merrily.
Presently, they came to a tall building that wasn't as big as the radio tower.
"Well, we might as well go into the Goldenrod Galleria," said Hillary. "I guess we could do some clothes-shopping, not that it'll do us much good."
"Yeah, for what clothes," wondered Tristan. "Don't tell me, I can guess myself. You're planning for us to dress up like Team Rocket so that we can get inside the radio station."
"Yup, you got it," smiled Hillary sarcastically.
Tristan gave a long sigh. "This is even worse than missing out on Grandma's homemade recipes."
And they went inside the building.
Inside, they saw a Team Rocket Grunt standing in front of a door.
Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu glared warily at him.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket's 7th Change (full version as heard in "The Case of the K-9 Caper"))
But the Grunt didn't seem intimidated at all. In fact, he rather liked the angry glares...so much so, that he was happy to see them. "Ah, so you must be the newcomers, right? We had to recruit newcomers for the Radio Tower mission. Then we ran out of uniforms."
"Newcomers?!" exclaimed Tristan and Hillary, who were offended at first, but then, they cleared their throats and grunted, "Yes, sir!" They knew that in order to save Goldenrod City and Silveena, they had to act like Team Rocket to get inside the radio station first.
"I heard that the studio has them, so I decided to 'borrow' them," explained the Rocket Grunt.
"You mean 'steal,'" corrected Hillary.
"Yeah, that's right, steal," laughed the Rocket Grunt. "How could I forget? Anyway, since you're here, why don't you change as well? Follow me." And he led them into a dressing room.
A few minutes later, Tristan and Hillary were dressed in Team Rocket uniforms, much to their disdain.
"This is just embarrassing," grumbled Tristan.
"Yeah, being members of Team Rocket makes us sink down to their level," added Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi grumpily agreed.
"Well, look at the two of you!" smiled the Rocket Grunt. "You look pretty good!"
"Thanks, I think," replied Tristan doubtfully.
"Oh, one other thing I should warn you about," advised the Rocket Grunt. "You shouldn't walk around scaring people in those uniforms."
"So what are we supposed to do?" asked Tristan.
"Well, if you want to get inside the radio station, try and sneak past the citizens if you can," suggested the Rocket Grunt.
"We'll do it," agreed Hillary.
"Okay," smiled the Rocket Grunt. "Go out there, and make the takeover of Goldenrod City the most successful mission in Team Rocket infamy!"
"Yes, sir!" grunted Tristan and Hillary together.
Pikachu and Togepi also grunted in agreement.
Tristan and Hillary left the Goldenrod Galleria and proceeded directly to the radio station.
"Well, this is it, Tristan," said Hillary. "Shall we make fools of ourselves?"
"Like we have a choice?" replied Tristan.
Just then, a little boy came up behind them, not realizing that Tristan and Hillary were dressed in Team Rocket uniforms. "Excuse me, how do I get to the Pokémon Center?"
"Oh, we can help you get to the Pokémon Center," replied Hillary politely as she and Tristan turned around.
The sight of them in Team Rocket uniforms frightened the boy so much that he turned tail and ran away from them as fast as he could. "Help! Save me! Team Rocket is here!"
"Wait, kid, come back!" called Tristan. "We only want to help you!"
But it was too late, for the boy had already disappeared from sight.
Tristan and Hillary each gave long sighs.
"How low can we go?" grumbled Hillary. "I can't believe we scared one little kid."
"Well, that guy did warn us," replied Tristan. "Let's go."
And still in their uniforms, they walked inside the radio station.
Inside, the same Rocket Grunt who had prevented from walking up the stairs was waiting. "Ah, so you're the new kids! And need I say, the youngest kids ever to join Team Rocket. You look pretty good in those Team Rocket uniforms."
"Well, shall we, sis?" whispered Tristan.
"Might as well," replied Hillary.
(Music Cue: Team Rocket's Motto 1997-1998 M20 (as heard in "Get Along, Little Pokémon"))
And they both recited Jessie and James' motto.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
"To protect the world from devastation."
"To unite all peoples within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Tristan!"
"Hillary!"
"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
Pikachu and Togepi chimed in with their own nasty touches.
"Pika!"
"Togi!"
"Now we know why Jessie and James love doing the motto so much," whispered Tristan to Hillary.
"I'll say," agreed Hillary. "They make it sound like fun."
"That was good!" smiled the Rocket Grunt as he applauded. "I like you two already!"
"Where do we go from here?" grunted Tristan, acting mean and nasty.
"Yes, what's our first assignment, sir?" added Hillary, acting the same way.
"Oooh, you're sounding tough!" smiled the Grunt. "I so like that! Go on upstairs. Our Boss is waiting."
"Yes, sir!" replied Tristan and Hillary as they started up the stairs.
But just then, they heard a voice.
"Hey, Team Rocket! Stop going around in groups and troubling people! You cowards!"
(Music Cue: Wreakin' Havoc! (as heard in "The Totodile Duel"))
The door burst open, and a red-haired Trainer came bustling in.
Tristan and Hillary cringed, for they knew who it was.
"Oh, no, it's Silver!" whispered Hillary. "What do we do?"
"Panic," replied Tristan.
Silver quickly ran to them and carefully looked at them. He recognized their faces up close. "Wait a second! Are you Tristan and Hillary? What are you two doing here?"
"Shhhh!" whispered Tristan and Hillary together.
But Silver wouldn't listen as he suddenly saw a small piece of thread that had just come loose on both of their uniforms. "You think you two are strong now that you're working with those losers? That's foolish! You shouldn't be wearing those things! Here, let me help you with that."
"Wait, Silver, don't!" protested Tristan.
But before Tristan and Hillary could stop them, he pulled on the pieces of thread, causing them to spin uncontrollably.
"I think I'm gonna be sick!" groaned Hillary.
In a twinkling, Tristan and Hillary were exposed in their regular clothes, looking very dizzy. Then they fell to the ground in a heap.
"Thanks a lot, Silver," grumbled Tristan.
"You're a real pal," added Hillary.
The Rocket Grunt was shocked. "Y-you're not the newcomers!" he shrieked. "You're just two Trainers Hey, wait! You're the two who tried to enter before! I'll teach you!"
(Music Cue: Let's Run! (as heard in "Tracey Gets Bugged"))
He was so angry that he jumped up and down in a fit of rage. "Battle with me now! You traitors!" And he threw a Poké Ball. "Go, Raticate!"
A Raticate emerged from the white light that shot out of the ball.
"Pikachu, go!" shouted Tristan.
Pikachu charged in to battle Raticate.
"Raticate, use Quick Attack!" yelled the Rocket Grunt.
Raticate charged toward Pikachu as a white line trailed behind it.
"Pikachu, use your Quick Attack, too!" commanded Tristan.
Pikachu charged for Raticate in the very same way.
Unfortunately for Raticate, its speed was no match for Pikachu's, as it was sent reeling backward from the direct confrontation.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt now!" ordered Tristan.
Pikachu unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity at Raticate, scoring another direct hit on it.
"Hey, stop that!" demanded the Rocket Grunt as he rushed forward in an attempt to stop the shock. But unfortunately, he got shocked, too, and both he and Raticate had dazed expressions on their faces. But he quickly recovered and saw his Raticate, who was in too much shock to move. He recalled it back to its Poké Ball and put it away. "You could spoil our plan! I'd better warn the others!" And he beat a hasty retreat up the stairs.
"That's right, run!" yelled Hillary. "And tell your friends that your days in this tower are numbered!"
Silver turned to Tristan and Hillary. "Well, I must admit, you two were trying to be sneaky. A typical idea of the meek."
"What was that?!" Tristan seemed to be offended by Silver's remark.
"No matter," smirked Silver. "I'll let you two handle this. I have to defeat the Dragon Pokémon Tamer. What was his name again? Oh, that's right, it was Lance! After that, it'll be your turn, so be ready for it!" And he dashed out of the radio station posthaste.
"Huh!" grumbled Hillary. "Still just as stuck-up as ever."
But just as Hillary said that, her Poké Gear rang from inside her backpack.
"Who'd call at a time like this?" she wondered as she took out her Poké Gear and answered it. "This is Hillary."
"Can you believe this?!" It was Braden. "Those security guards just kicked Evan and me out of the Lavender Town radio tower all because Goldenrod City's radio tower was taken over by a criminal gang! They claim that ever since then, the guards have had to step up their security. But there's no so-called criminal gang here in this town! So why would the incident in Goldenrod City affect that?!"
"Braden, what's going on?" asked Hillary. "Is everything okay?"
"Whoops," said Braden. "Sorry, Hillary. I must've dialed the wrong number. Goodbye." And he hung up.
Hillary gave a sigh. "Some brothers. What they wouldn't do to file a lawsuit."
"Never mind, Hillary," said Tristan. "We have to find a way to save Silveena and Goldenrod City from Team Rocket. Come on."
And he and Hillary rushed up the stairs to find the mastermind of the radio tower takeover.
Meanwhile, Professor Namba was at the top of the tower, proudly admiring an imprisoned Silveena, who was crying to be let out. "Cry as much as you want, my friend. No one will be able to save you. You'll never be able to resist my commands as long as I have Namba's Nasty Pokémon Provoker. I call it the Rage Crown, for short."
(Music Cue: Ash's Decision to Fight (Ash Appears))
Just then, the Rocket Grunt, who was defeated by Tristan and Pikachu arrived and rushed onto the scene. "Professor Namba!"
"What is it now?" grumbled Professor Namba.
"The Trainers are coming! The Trainers are coming!" shouted the Grunt.
"What?!" Professor Namba seemed to be taken aback by the Grunt's warning. "Impossible! There's no way those two could be here in just under an hour after the mysterious Pokémon XP attacked them and knocked them senseless!" But when Professor Namba looked into one of the security cameras, he saw Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu rushing up the stairs with a vengeance. "So they showed up after all. This makes things interesting." He then spoke into his walkie-talkie. "Butch, Cassidy, hurry and report to Goldenrod City at once and join forces with the four Rocket Executives!"
"Yes, sir!" replied Cassidy.
"Will do!" added Butch.
"I SAID HURRY!" screamed Professor Namba.
And from a secret hideout far away, another helicopter was dispatched just as Tristan and Hillary continued up the stairs.
And so, as our heroes set off on one of their most dangerous missions, Team Rocket's Professor Namba, the four Rocket Executives, and Butch and Cassidy have all joined to make Goldenrod City fall to its knees. And the source of their power...is Silveena. How will our heroes be able to stop Team Rocket from using Silveena to take over the world? Will Lugia's dream of being Silveena's mate finally come true? This adventure is just beginning, so stay tuned!
► TO BE CONTINUED