Chapter 3
"Team Rocket's Rockin'"
I had a lot of trouble sleeping that night. I wasn't in a good sleeping position, and I had a lot of worries running through my mind. Were my Pokémon okay? What was Team Rocket up to? Was he really going to leave me in this…shell…until I joined Team Rocket? Maybe Meowth and Jessie were right. I felt just as helpless and useless as a paralyzed Metapod…No……more like a frozen one…
I sighed. He couldn't make me join Team Rocket. There was no way. He couldn't leave me in this thing forever……He couldn't!…There was no way……But it was becoming harder and harder to push the doubts out of my mind…
I tried to shift my position, because I was getting very uncomfortable. I couldn't budge.
This is going to be a long night…
* * *
I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up to see the boss sitting behind his desk and looking at his computer. He glanced at me when he noticed that I was awake.
"Good morning, my talking statue. Did you have a good night's rest?"
"Do you think I did? I can't even move!"
He shrugged. "It was entirely your choice to stay in there. Remember, you can come out whenever you want to."
I glared at him. He was the one who'd trapped me in the first place! Well, actually, it was Jessie and James, but they were part of his organization. If he hadn't started Team Rocket, he wouldn't be forcing me to join it, now would he?
After a pause, the quiet was interrupted by my stomach.
"…Hungry?" asked Boss Rocket.
Now that I'd been reminded, I realized that I was…very hungry.
"Yeah…" I said brusquely.
"Hm…"
My stomach grumbled again.
"Uhh…" I started.
"What?"
"Uh…Do you have any…breakfast?"
"…Why should you care? Even if I did, you wouldn't be able to eat it, anyway."
I stifled as I realized that he was right.
Stupid super glue…I'd be fine if it weren't all over me!
I suddenly realized what that meant.
No! I'm not going to join Team Rocket! Never! He can't make me!
Boss Rocket, seeing that I was done talking, went back to work.
Not being able to do anything else, I just sat there, got hungrier, and listened to my stomach complain about it.
I couldn't take it anymore.
"Geez! Just let me out, will ya!? Are you trying to kill me or something!?"
He responded very calmly. "I am not trying to kill you. The only one preventing you from leaving that…is yourself. You can either stay there, or come out and join Team Rocket. It's up to you. I would think that the sooner you leave, the better…"
"I'm not going to join Team Rocket!!"
My stomach didn't agree with me, and made that known for everyone within earshot.
"Then you'll just have to stay there." He smirked. "It's been a while since I've had an office decoration this amusing."
"I am not an office decoration!!" I shouted. He was really getting on my nerves.
He just shrugged. "Believe what you like. However, remember that you are an immobile object that is in my office. Hence the term, office decoration…I would love to see you try to prove me wrong……" He sneered.
I am not an office decoration. I am not an office decoration.
"………Sir?"
He seemed surprised. "Yes?"
"You're a Pokémon trainer, right?"
He smiled. "One of the best."
"Then I challenge you to a Pokémon battle! If I win, you'll let me leave, if I lose, I'll join Team Rocket."
He grinned evilly. "Nice try. If I let you out of there and give you your Pokémon, you'll just take them and leave."
"No I won't! I promise!"
"…You're not exactly the best person to take the word of…"
What is he talking…?……Richie…
"That's not true!!! I would have been there if you guys hadn't kidnapped me!!!"
"But you still didn't show up."
"Come on! You've gotta believe me! Please! I won't break my promise! Just let me battle you in a Pokémon match."
He held up his hand. "I've got a better idea. Why don't you just join Team Rocket and save us both the trouble?"
"Ha! You're just scared that you're gonna lose!"
He shook his head. "Things like this should not be settled with Pokémon battles. Could you imagine if all arguments were settled with Pokémon? The world would be nothing but one big battlefield. You wouldn't want that to happen, would you?"
"But…!"
He shook his head again. "I leave you with the same choices I gave you in the first place. Join, or stay as you are."
I tried to contain my anger. How dare he have me make a choice like that! How dare he…
It would serve him right if I joined, then took my Pokémon and left just like he………
"I'll join!"
He stared at me in shock. "Really?"
"Yes! I will join Team Rocket!"
He gave me a good, long, look. "Are you sure about this? You seemed to change your mind rather suddenly…"
"I'm sure. Now let me outta this thing!"
He pressed a button on his desk. "Jessie. James. Meowth. Please report to my office immediately…I have a small task for you."
Once again, the three of them were in the office within minutes.
"Reporting for duty, sir!" they saluted.
He nodded towards me. "Let him out."
"Uhh…Yes sir!" said Jessie.
"Wait! Not the…buzz…saws…again…" I began as I saw them take out their buzzsaws.
"Let 'em rip!" laughed Meowth.
"Don't rip me!!" I shouted.
"Don't hurt him," Boss Rocket backed me up.
"Uh, yes sir!" replied James.
I didn't look as they sawed off my shell. I was too scared.
Bits and pieces fell away, and I found myself free once again…
"And…voila!" said Meowth, as the last piece fell off.
It hadn't been a split-second operation, but it was too quick all the same. The sudden lack of support caught me off guard and I collapsed to the ground.
"…What's wrong with him?" I heard Meowth ask.
"He's been inside of that thing for a while. His body probably deactivated itself to a degree, and he'll need time to get his blood flowing again…" answered the boss.
I groaned. He was right. I had pins and needles all over my body. If I tried to move, the pain just got worse, but if I didn't move, it got worse anyway.
"…You may leave now," said Boss Rocket.
"Who? Us?" asked Jessie.
"No. The boy," he replied scornfully, "Of course, you! Now get out before I decide to take back your raise!"
"Yes sir!" they saluted loudly then hurried out of the room.
I somehow managed to get myself into a sitting position. I stared up at him painfully.
"…Welcome to Team Rocket…What do you think so far?"
"I feel awful."
He laughed. "You'll get used to it. Now we can begin the inauguration…Don't expect a big ceremony though. We're going to get straight to business."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," I said weakly.
He eyed me for a second, then pushed the button on his desk. "Billie! Report to my office at once!"
"…Billie?" I repeated.
It took a little longer than Jessie, James and Meowth had, but someone popped through his door in a few minutes. I shifted around until I was facing the newcomer.
"Huh!? You're a girl?"
She looked like she was just a bit taller than Misty. She had long, dark brown-black hair that fell to her waist. Her eyes were gray. She was wearing the black variation of the Team Rocket uniform.
"Yeah…" she said cautiously, as she noticed me for the first time.
"Billie, this will be your partner," said Boss Rocket.
"What!?" I yelped.
He glared at me.
"Billie, do all of us a favor and gather the necessary items for your partner."
"Uh…Do you mean…?" she asked hesitantly.
He nodded. "You know what I mean."
She suddenly snapped into a salute. "Yes sir! Right away!" With that, she turned and exited the room.
"…What was that all about?" I asked.
"You cannot become a member of Team Rocket if you are not equipped with certain items."
I turned around again. I got the feeling that a long explanation was coming along.
"Item number one," he began, "Every member of Team Rocket must own at least one Pokémon that was caught in the wild."
"In the wild!?" I asked in surprise. I'd always thought Team Rocket always stole for their Pokémon.
He gave me an angry glance for interrupting. Then he continued. "Item number two. All members of Team Rocket must own a Team Rocket uniform that is apposite to their rank."
"Is what to their rank?"
He ignored me. "Item number three. All members of Team Rocket must acknowledge and adhere to all the rules of the organization of Team Rocket."
"Say what!?"
"…Billie will help you with all of these…Until then, have this."
He tossed me an oatmeal cookie. I grabbed at it and gobbled it down hungrily. He gave me an amused look.
"………Billie should be coming back…right about……now."
Billie burst into the office.
"Got 'em!" she exclaimed. In one hand, she was clutching a bunch of stuff. She was using her free hand to hold the door open.
"Good. Give them to Ash."
She frowned. "Who?"
He sighed. "Your partner."
"O-Ohhh! Yes sir!"
She left the door behind her and dropped her bundle in front of me.
"There you go," she said.
I stared at it. A Team Rocket uniform…Black, like hers…and a Pokéball. I looked up at Boss Rocket.
"Why do I need a Pokéball? I already have Pokémon of my own!"
He smiled slyly. "They're not yours anymore."
"What!?"
"Those Pokémon are now the property of Team Rocket…Just like you are."
"What!!? That's a bunch of-!!" I tried to jump up, but pain jolted through my legs and I submitted to staying seated…for the moment.
He laughed quietly. "How dumb do you think I am? I know you won't be totally loyal right away. You need another motive to stay with us. That's why I am keeping your Pokémon under custody."
"You thief! You just stole all my Pokémon!"
"That's my job. Now, it's yours too."
"You can't just take them! They'll never be loyal to you!"
"……I've thought about that, and while I'm sure that I could easily make them loyal, I'm giving you an opportunity to get them back."
"I'll take it!" I shouted.
"Never volunteer for something until you know what it is," he said, making me look very dumb, "However, I think you'll like this anyway…You can earn my trust by proving your loyalty and successfully completing missions. I'll give you back your Pokémon in return for missions that you've completed successfully, taking into account their difficulty and importance. Does that sound fair to you, Ash?"
"……"
That means that I'll have to…actually work for Team Rocket. I can't do that! I just said I would join so that I would get out of that shell…But if I don't say yes, then I'll never get my Pokémon back……
"…That…sounds fair…" I mumbled.
"Then welcome to the team, Ash Ketchum!" he declared, "Get your uniform on, grab your Pokémon, and Billie will tell you the rest."