"Wouldn't that be far more difficult?" Cynthia asked exasperatedly. She, Lance, and Anderson were surrounding a laid out map of the Kanto Region, which had labels of warehouses scattered across the Region.
"I don't see why it should be," Lance stated looking up from the map, "He's got the proper training, and it's close to home."
"I still don't like the idea of sending out the kid," Anderson pointed out for the third time that meeting, "I may have liked the idea of him staying here and giving us information, but sending him back into Team Rocket territory so he could just abandon us-"
"He gave me his word," Cynthia said sternly, her grey eyes fastened on the older man, "He won't abandon us."
Anderson stiffened casting the blonde a scrutinizing look, "Won't he?" He asked, "He killed over twelve of my men without hesitation. He's been brainwashed by the Rockets to kill his enemies, how do you know that he isn't playing us right now. That he hasn't already contacted them into coming and breaking him out? You've given him all access to the Head Quarters; he could just walk in send a transmission and be done with it. How can you trust this… Killer?"
"That's enough Anderson!" Lance butted in loudly, but keeping an authoritative tone. There was far too much work to be done, and to much riding on Ash for him to help take down Team Rocket. He didn't need Cynthia and their chief of strategic offense at each others throats.
"Ketchum doesn't trust us or Team Rocket, but he likes us a hell of a lot more judging by the way he's been acting."
Cynthia nodded in agreement, "Hasn't had an outburst since he and I made the deal, no violence, no bad behavior… Although he did break into the wine cellar, but we can let that pass." She then pointed to a location on the map, "We should send him here, have him extract those Pokemon and secure any Intel he can get his hands on. In and out job, and he's back home."
Lance shook his head, "That's minimal security Cynth; you could walk in as you are and get those Pokemon out. And what sort of files would you expect them to have? We've got to…" He trailed off as Cynthia walked away from the map and to an intercom.
Flicking the switch by the microphone, she spoke, "Would Ash Ketchum please report to the communications room immediately, I repeat Ash Ketchum to the com-room." She flicked off the switch and returned to the map, "May as well just get him to tell us which target he'd like to hit. Far easier than having us bickering back and forth for hours on end."
The Kanto/Johto Champion merely shrugged in response, "I suppose you're right on that," He then turned to Anderson, "Do not aggravate him, or make any smart remarks which may set him off do you understand?"
Anderson looked at his younger superior and nodded with a slight grunt, "Good."
It was a couple of minutes later when Ash pushed open the door to the com-room and nodded in greeting to the three, "Sorry for taking so long," He cleared his throat as he came up and examined the map, "I was working out, and… Needed to uh shower… and…" He trailed off as he spun the map around to face him, his lips pursed in a tight line.
"Warehouses," He murmured as he ran a finger over one of the crossed off markers, "Factories, and… Training Facilities," He looked up, "What do you want me to do?"
Cynthia smiled despite herself, "We're giving you a choice," She answered.
"A choice?"
"Yes, we're giving you permission to leave the HQ to free and scavenge files at one of these," She gestured to the map, "Locations."
He raised an eyebrow in response, "My decision on where I go?" She nodded, "Hmm…" He returned his gaze back to the map, "Where are we in Kanto."
"Fennel Valley," Anderson said coldly.
The raven haired young man's eyes snapped away from the map and to the Lieutenant at his tone, "Do you have something you'd like to say Lieutenant!?" He asked harshly, his eyes like daggers.
Anderson met his gaze with a hard light flickering beneath his dark brown eyes, "I don't, why do you ask?" He replied calmly.
Ash cracked his neck agitatedly, turning away from the Lieutenant he looked at the Champions, "If you want my help," He stated seriously, "Keep men like him away from me." He paused and inhaled a deep breath to calm his anger, "Now I need a pen or something,"
Lance reached into his back pocket and produced a pen which he handed to the ex-Rocket, as well as sending Anderson a warning glare.
Ash placed an X in Fennel Valley before returning his gaze to the Warehouse locations. The champions watched patiently as his finger went from location to location, his lips moving wordlessly with each target.
He took the pen and drew a line from their location to a warehouse in Saffron, and then Celadon. He pursed his lips and ran a finger over a warehouse between the two, "Here." He stated circling the location.
Lance came around and looked over his shoulder curiously, "It's a low end target, nothing very interesting…"
Ash turned his head to look at the red haired Champion, "Looks can be deceptive Lance, Celadon and Saffron are two major Rocket locations, so having a com-center between the two means there is going to be heavy traffic flows of information between Celadon and Saffron,"
"You're sure?" Cynthia asked skeptically, she trusted the Trainer, but she had been in the G-men long enough to know that small scale targets such as the one Ash had chosen would hold absolute zero information.
"Yes," He pursed his lips before looking to the three, "Ready me a transport, I'll be ready in ten."
"You don't want to recon-"
"I know what I'm doing; ready a transport and I'll be ready in ten." He gave them a nod before starting towards the door, stopping as his hand touched the handle, he looked over his shoulder, "My gear, where is it?"
Cynthia hesitated before answer, "Head down to security, tell them we're giving you clearance three two nine'r. They'll know what that means,"
Without a reply, he pushed opened the door and started off for the security room.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Pulling the black long-sleeved shirt over his head, he grabbed his modified vest and put it on securely, tightening the straps snugly around his chest. Taking his array of knives he tucked them into their respective sheaths before starting off for the barracks.
He garnered scared terrified gazes as he strolled swiftly down the halls, some technicians and office personal ducking into rooms at his presence. Turning a corner he walked down the hall towards his room and opened his door.
Laying asleep on his bed were the psychic and electric types. Moving silently around the bed to Espeon, he scooped her up into his arms and then quickly left his room without a sound. Leaving the door open an inch for when Pikachu needed to leave he whispered, "We've got an assignment Esp, I'll need you to return for now,"
She purred into his chest before he removed her pokeball from his side and returned her in a flash of red light.
"Where are you off to?"
"I've been given an assignment." He stated turning to the blonde who leaned on the wall behind him curiously.
"Assignment?"
He nodded, "The Champions are sending me out to… Test my trust, infiltrate a telecom center between Saffron and Celadon."
"Saffron and Celadon?" She questioned with furrowed eyebrows, he nodded, "You've been there before,"
He blinked, "What?"
"Come here," Alyssa turned away from him and towards her room, he trailed behind her curiously as she opened her door and walked over to her bed.
She picked up the laptop that rested near her pillows and sat down on the edge, patting next to her as a gesture for him to do the same.
Hesitantly he did as told and sat down next to the blond, blinking in surprise as the laptop screen flickered to life with files, charts, and maps littered across the screen, "What is all this?" He asked quietly trying to get a look at all the different file names.
"When… We worked together to shut down Team Rocket, the system was that you cause hell and I scavenge for information." She paused pulling up a file and scrolling down its contents, "You were never good with computers," He frowned slightly, "So we agreed that I'd be the one who keeps everything organized and plan on where you'd hit next."
"So in a sense you were my boss?"
She smiled slightly, "More like your secretary, mind grabbing me my bag?" She tilted her head in the direction of a back pack leaning against the wall. He complied and grabbed the bag, setting it down next to the blond, "Anyways, once I was out of training and I contacted you over in Orre we planned your first few targets for setting Pokemon loose,"
"What do you mean setting them loose?"
She looked up from her screen, her blue eyes meeting his confused brown, "Suppose you didn't get the files about the Shadow Pokemon?"
He shook his head, "Well to keep a long story short you and I sort of figured out what TR was planning,"
"Which was?"
"Giovanni wants to control the Pokemon League,"
His face scrunched up in confusion, "The League? Why?"
She shrugged, "He's building something, or was building something. After… You were shot at Indigo last year I severed all ties with Team Rocket, so whatever he was building may or may not be completed."
She reached into her bag and pulled out a black key card, she pressed a button on the side of the laptop and a slot in the side opened up. Inserting the card, she clicked on a file and waited patiently as a loading bar came up on the screen.
"What is this?" He gestured at the screen.
"When you went off to where ever, I all ways made sure to make you a card that could bypass all locks," She grinned slightly at his raised eyebrow, "It's easier than crawling through air ducts,"
He fingered a knife on his chest absentmindedly, "I use the front door, air ducts take too much time."
The loading bar blinked green and the card ejected from the computer, "And you greet those at the front door with open arms?"
He shrugged slightly as she handed him the card, "More or less, and… This will work?" He asked holding the card between his index and middle fingers.
"The only way that card won't work is if Giovanni implemented a new security system across all Rocket data bases within the past year, and if by the chance that he did I suppose you'll be doing what you originally planned?"
He cocked his head slightly to the side, "And what would you believe is my original plan?"
"Eliminate all hostiles?"
"Why would you say that?" He asked quietly keeping his eyes transfixed on hers.
"Because it's what you've always done," She shut her laptop and stood up, "And it's best if you don't mention that to Misty or Delia, you originally informed them that you didn't kill. You didn't want them giving you those looks you get when you walk down the hall,"
"You've noticed?"
She sighed softly, "I've noticed them, I've been on the receiving end of them as well. You should get going,"
He got up slowly and together they left the room towards the main elevator that led to the roof, "You've been on the receiving end of it?" She nodded, "When?"
"Back at the academy-"
"Where… Where was this Academy?"
She raised an eyebrow at him eying him critically, "Plan on going back?"
He didn't reply as he pressed the button for the roof top, "Ecruteak, I bet if you go back there you'd remember a lot,"
"Why would you say that?"
She shrugged uncertainly, "You remember things, it just takes a… Sentence or sound to get you remembering, so… Why not go to the place where this all started, your training, you're…" She cleared her throat uneasily, "Beatings, fights, torture…"
She shudder at the final word, the elevator door dinged open and they stepped out into afternoon glare. "Maybe…" He muttered shielding his eyes with a hand walking over to where the three Champions and Anderson stood next to a black Helicopter.
"Ready to go?" Cynthia asked as they approached.
"Yes,"
"We'll be dropping you off just outside of Saffron, from there you'll need to make your way to base on foot," She held out a GPS to him, "Location is marked on this,"
He nodded taking the GPS and tucking it into a pouch on his vest, "Where do you want Evac?"
He blinked before answering, "I'll make my own way back-"
"No,"
His eyes narrowed and he eyed Cynthia carefully, "No?"
"It's to risky," She improvised quickly, "We can't risk letting Team Rocket picking you up on the way back, involuntarily leading them back to HQ,"
"I know what I'm doing Cynthia," He stated slowly, "Let me do this on my own, or else you can find someone else to do this assignment."
His brown eyes shifted between the Champions, "Well?"
The Champions eyes met each other in a hesitant mutual agreement, "Fine," Lance agreed, "Do you need anything for evac though? Transportation, money, anything?"
"I'll be fi-"
Alyssa cleared her throat hesitantly as all eyes turned to her, "Well, uh you could go to Pallet and umm… Get his motorcycle, and drop it off in Celadon…"
"Motorcycle?"
She nodded slightly at his raised eyebrow, "It's behind the house, after… Indigo you left it to me, and I've kept it running and maintained."
He turned to the Champions, "Tell you what, get that bike and place a tracker on it that syncs with the GPS. That way I can find it afterwards, and you can keep an eye on me. Deal?" He held out his hand.
Cynthia grasped it and shook, "Deal, Celadon is closest to HQ so expect the bike to be there, best you get going if you want to arrive at base before sundown,"
Ash gave them all a nod before starting towards the helicopter, as he approached the open hatch, he hesitated before he quickly turned back and walked over to the blonde. Taking her by the arm he led her a few feet away from the Champions, "Where would I look for this Academy?" He whispered into her ear.
She turned her head slightly so she could see his eyes, "about three clicks south of Ecruteak, deep in the forest,"
"Any… Certain area's there that I should investigate?"
She bit her lip in thought before saying quietly, "Sub basement, sub basement and the cafeteria in the northeast wing. Also if you see a brunette nurse with green eyes try to get a one on one with her,"
"She important?"
"She kept you alive, the amount of times you… She was your personal doctor you could say…"
He gave her a small smile and a nod, "Thank you Alyssa," He said gratefully, "I'll see you in a couple days."
She quickly took him into a hug startling him, "Be safe," She whispered.
Hesitantly he brought his arms up and unsurely hugged the blonde back, "I will," With that he quickly broke the hug and started back for the helicopter. Giving them one last nod, he walked up the back hatch and into the cockpit, "Take us out of here,"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Ash glanced back down at the GPS as he neared the telecom center, the red blip on the screen indicating that the building should be just around the corner.
After touching down near Saffron, he had gone east through the nearby forest in the direction of the Rocket building. With the sun beginning to set, he had come across the hidden road that led towards the building deep within the bush.
Slipping the GPS back into its pouch, he removed the key card from his side pocket and rounded the corner. A medium five story building came into view, radio towers and satellite dishes sitting on the roof top and to the right of the building. A chain link fence surrounded the building, with a sliding gate as the only access.
His eyes went cold as two Rocket Grunts ran to the front gates with their hands ready to grab a Pokeball, "Stay where you are and lay down your weapons!" One of the two shouted.
Ash remained silent and walked up to the gate, "Excuse me?" He growled angrily, "Who are you to be giving me orders Private!?" Laying extra emphasis on his rank.
"What are the clearance codes for this center?" The second Grunt asked hesitantly.
Thirty-two nineteen zero seven
"Thirty-two nineteen zero seven," He growled, "Giovanni wouldn't want to find out that your keeping his top agent from entering this facility now would you?"
They gulped, "Name?"
His eyes turned to daggers, "Listen here Private!" He shouted make the two stagger back, "I just broke free of the Leagues hold and I need to contact Giovanni ASAP, so let me through now!"
"N-Nam-"
Ash took the black key card and walked over to a side entrance with a card lock. Sliding the card in, he felt a wave of relief wash over him as the light blinked green and the gate opened. He strode over to the wide eyed Grunt with furious eyes, gripping him by the collar he pulled his face right in front of his own.
"What is your name Private!?" He hissed furiously.
"J-Jenkins!" He stuttered nervously.
Ash removed one hand from Jenkins collar and removed a knife from his vest, bringing it up to his throat he growled, "I could kill you right here, right now. And Giovanni would not care for you at all. In fact he would be thankful that I eliminated someone who completely disregards rank! But I'm feeling generous at the moment; if I see your face again around this center then your head will be on a stake understand me… Private!"
The grunt was as white as snow, "Yes sir!" He whispered in fear.
Ash shoved the Grunt to the ground and rounded on the second who watched on in panic, "Same goes for you got it!?"
"Understood sir!"
Ash gave them both steely glares before turning back to the telecom centers, stalking over to the nearest door he swiped his key card and pushed open the door. Rockets in their black uniforms with the large red "R's" on the front hustled about the room, computer stations and control panels blinked with rapidly passing messages.
Ash walked through the room and over to the lone elevator, stepping inside he pressed the button for the basement and waited patiently as the door rolled shut and began descending two floors.
Hissing open, he left the elevator and instinctively turned right. Going down the hall which was empty of any personal. His eyes shifted between passing doors, none seeming high security. But then he rounded a corner and spotted a door at the far end of the hall.
He picked up his pace and stopped himself outside of the door, pulling out the card he swiped it into the lock and smirked as it blinked green. Alyssa really knew what she was doing. Pushing open the door he was greeted with the sight of walls lined with file cabinets, a lone computer on a desk currently being used by a single operative.
The man in the chair spun in his seat and eyed Ash curiously, seeing the large array of knives on his chest as well as the dual holstered pistols, "Can I help you?" He asked cautiously.
Ash nodded and walked over to a file cabinet next to the man, "I was assigned by Giovanni to come and claim information on a project that was recently passed through here," He stated pulling open a cabinet and idly searching through its contents.
"The Boss really? Well maybe I can help you, what's this file you're searching for?" The man asked spinning around in his chair to face his computer.
Ash came up behind him and looked over his shoulder at the screen, "Ecruteak City," His eyes watched as a screen lit up with information on the City in Johto.
"So the most recen- Ack!" Ash put an arm around the man's throat and ripped him from the chair, holding him in a choke hold. The man flailed his arms trying to lash out at Ash as the blood flow from his head started to cease.
His grip tightened the flailing and movements becoming sluggish and less powerful until finally the body went limp. Holding the man a few seconds later, Ash let the limp body fall to the ground. Sitting down in the once occupied seat he scrolled down the lists of files, transcripts, reports, all sent from or around Ecruteak City.
Reaching into a pouch on his vest he removed a USB chip and inserted it into the computer systems. Quickly selecting each of the documents he transferred everything onto the USB before standing up and going over to the file cabinets. He pulled open a cabinet labelled "S" and started removing all documents labelled Saffron, Silph Co. and Shadow. Placing those on the desk he went over to another cabinet this time labeled "C" and started removing all files labelled Celadon. He paused as he passed over the files labelled Cerulean. Unsure why, he removed the files and stuck them with the others.
Removing both of his pistols from there holsters, he attached silencers to each of them. His eyes drifted over to the computer which was just about done downloading the files onto the flash drive. Once the computer blinked reading download complete 100%, he removed the USB and tucked it into a pouch before taking the files under one arm while he unholstered one of his pistols and clicked off the safety.
Turning his unwavering gaze to the still unconscious rocket on the ground he raised the pistol to the man's hand and pulled the trigger.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
With his pistol raised, he continued his search of the fifth floor; he had cleared out the basement and floors one through four without the alarm being triggered. And now he had one straggler left, he shifted the pack that housed the files he had scavenged on his back quietly.
He stepped over a body's leg and through a splash of blood; his ears listened for what his eyes couldn't see. There would be no survivors, no word that he had been the one to infiltrate this telecom center. He had disabled all security cameras and erased all recordings of the last twenty four hours before shutting down all power to the building.
He snapped his pistol to his right, and opened fire at the side of a wooden desk. A quick cry before the sound of a thump notified his final kill. Flicking the safety he holstered his pistol and removed the GPS from its pouch.
A new red blip blinked to the east, and was the sign that his evac was secured. Going over to the staircase he descended the flight of stairs down to the basement one last time. He travelled down the halls until he came to an already opened door.
Going inside he spotted the fuel tanks and gas canisters. Going over to a valve he broke it off which started hissing as gas began to fill the room. Leaving the room he reached to his side and removed a block of C4 which he had found in a concealed armory in the basement.
Setting it down outside the door he primed it and quickly left towards the staircase. Sprinting up the flight of stairs he walked passed all of the limp blood coated bodies on the main level and out the front door. As he approached the gate he glanced back at the silent facility, it was a dark shape in the night air. All the lights were shut off, no sound except for the slight bristling of leaves from the nearby forest.
Without another thought he climbed up and over the fence and started eastwards, at the treeline he stopped and turned around to face the building. His hand went to his chest and removed a detonator, eying the device he glanced back at the building and pulled the trigger.
There was a brief pause before the ground shook like a violent earthquake, followed by right after the windows blowing out in a burst of flames and the walls collapsing as the ground disappeared from underneath them.
He watched as the building crumbled into itself, the dozens of bodies being trapped in the fire and debris. The fire roared from the building covering the forest around with a bright orange glow.
With one last look, he turned to the forest and started East without a second thought.