A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long to post this. I actually had nine chapters pre-written when I posted the first one, and I've written much more. So don't worry about that. I was just having some trouble getting on the internet. I don't think it will take me so long anymore, so don't worry about that. For now, enjoy! *^_^*
Chapter 8
"Reality Check"
Billie knocked on the door to his office…again.
"Who is it?"
"Billie and Ash," she replied.
"…Come in."
She opened the door and we stepped inside.
"We caught another Pokémon, sir!" Billie said.
"What is it this time?" he asked.
"A Magnemite," I said proudly.
He stared at me. "…A Magnemite?"
"Uh-huh," I said, nodding.
There was a pause. Suddenly, he stood up and slammed his fist on the desk. "Is that the best you can do!?" he roared, "First you bring me a Drowzee, and now you give me a worthless Magnemite!?"
"Uh…"
"Get out of here, and next time, try to bring back something rare!"
"Hey, wait a sec!" I shouted back, "Drowzees are rare! And they're psychic, too! What's wrong with them?"
"I don't need any psychic Pokémon! I want rare ones!"
"Magnemites…Aren't common…" Billie said timidly.
He turned his fearsome gaze on her. "Are you arguing with me?" he demanded.
"N-no…You're…right…as always…" she cowered.
"Tell that to your partner. He seems to need a reality check."
"Y-yes…sir…"
"You can't just bully people around like that!" I said, "You're the one who needs a reality check!"
"…See what I mean?"
"Yes, sir," Billie nodded. "Let's go, Ash."
"I'm not done with him, yet!" I turned to the boss. "And what about my Pokémon? What are you doing to them? Why aren't you giving them back to me!?"
He ignored me.
"Let's go, Ash," she dragged me out of the room, and shut the door behind us.
"What was that for!!?" we asked each other at the same time.
"You can't talk back to the boss like that!" she told me angrily.
"You can't let him bully you around like that!" I countered.
"Ash…Please listen to me. You don't want to learn the hard way. Trust me."
"Why should I trust you? You're part of Team Rocket!"
"You are too!"
"So? At least I don't let him boss me around the way you do!"
"That's because you don't know him well enough yet…He has power, Ash. Power that no one can beat…"
I scowled at her. She seemed pretty serious…
"Hmph."
I can handle anything…
* * *
I snuck out of bed that night. I made sure that Billie was sound asleep, then I left the room. There was no way the 'boss' could keep me from my Pokémon.
He wants us to be thieves, so I don't see why he should get mad at me for this…
I tiptoed down the hall. I needed to find the room where they kept the Pokémon. I knew there was an entrance in the boss's office, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to sneak in there.
I'm sure there's another entrance…
I quickly found the door to his office. If I remembered right, the Pokémon were held in a room to the right…I looked to the right. Sure enough, there was a door over there. A blinking green and red light was on the wall next to it. I tiptoed towards it, and examined the keypad.
"Enter access code…" I read to myself.
Uh-oh. What's the access code? Did Billie tell me anything about that?
I thought back to when Billie was telling me all the basic rules of Team Rocket.
No, I don't think she mentioned an access code anytime…Now what do I do?…I know! Maybe one of my Pokémon can help.
"Magnemite," I whispered softly, "Come out, but be quiet about it."
Magnemite emerged out of its Pokéball and hovered silently.
"Good," I whispered, "See if you can do anything to get this door open, but be as quiet as possible."
It nodded and turned to the keypad. It started humming softly. It reached one of its magnets to the keypad, and electricity crackled and sparked. I glanced around in alarm, but no one else seemed to have heard. When I looked back, Magnemite was done.
"Is that it?" I asked quietly.
It nodded.
I held out its Pokéball. "Return," I said, still keeping quiet. It went back in.
I put it away, then looked at the keypad.
#^%#$~!####@@#(#, it said.
How rude.
I pushed the door gently. It slid open. I peered inside.
The room was dark, but I could still make out row after row, after row, after row, after row, of Pokéballs.
"…Wow…" I whispered.
How am I going to find my Pokémon out of all these?
I walked inside, and closed the door shut behind me.
I hope I can get outta here once I'm done…
I looked at the closest row of Pokéballs.
They all look exactly the same……Maybe……
"Taper," I whispered, "Please, be quiet when you come out."
I let it out of its Pokéball.
"Drow…" it said.
"Sh," I whispered, "I need you to help me find my Pokémon. You can use your psychic powers to figure out which ones are mine, right?"
It looked up at me and blinked.
"Please, Taper. I need your help. Please."
"Drow…"
It turned and started walking away.
"Hey! Where are you going?" I hissed. I followed it.
Taper stopped in front of a shelf of Pokéballs and looked up.
"Drowzee."
I looked up.
"Huh? Are they up there?" I asked.
It looked over its shoulder and nodded.
"Drowzee."
I wish I had Bulbasaur with me…
"Taper, can you use your psychic powers to bring them down here?" I asked.
It blinked at me, then looked back up. I looked up too.
Six of the Pokéballs became surrounded by a blue light. They wiggled around, then started to float off of the shelf, and down towards me. I caught them and laughed, quietly.
"Glad to have you guys back," I whispered, "Taper, return."
Taper reentered its own Pokéball.
While I was trying to figure out which Pokéball held Pikachu, another Pokéball on the shelf opened up.
I looked up in surprise. "Huh?"
"Tentacruel!!"
"Yah!" I exclaimed.
How did that thing get out?
Another Pokéball shook around, then it opened too.
"Marowak!"
"Yikes!"
What is going on?
"Magneton!"
"A Magneton?" I said in surprise.
No wonder he didn't want my Magnemite…
I looked around. They had me surrounded, and they didn't look too happy with me interrupting their sleep.
"Uh…" I quavered.
"Cruel!!" roared Tentacruel, disturbing the silence that I had tried so hard to preserve.
It came towards me, tentacles extended and ready.
"Maro!" yelled Marowak. It tossed its bone club at me.
"Mmagg!!" said Magneton. Electricity crackled from its magnets, then shot towards me.
This doesn't look too good…
All of the attacks hit at once. Tentacruel launched a volley of Poison Stings, Marowak's Bonemerang knocked me squarely on the side of my head, and my entire body was wracked with electricity.
"EENNNAAAAAGHHHHHH!!!" I cried out.
When it was over, I fell to the ground, gasping for breath. I think Tentacruel managed to poison me…
I glanced up fearfully. They weren't through with me yet.
I looked down. I didn't want to be watching when they did get through with me.
I cringed, as Tentacruel lashed at me with its tentacles, Marowak pounded me with its Bone Club, and Magnemite used Swift on me. I just wanted it to end. Somehow…please…
"Enough!"
It seemed too unreal. They stopped. Scared, I looked up, wondering who could control these Pokémon like that.
Something jabbed me in the ribs and rolled me over. That's when I saw none other than…
"Boss?" I asked in surprise.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Ash Ketchum, of all the people who would try to rob Team Rocket…You didn't expect it to be easy did you?"
"Um…"
I was really in too much pain to understand what was going on.
"Being the head of the world's most powerful criminal organization, I know how to stop crime, just as well as I know how to start it. I knew no one would expect the very things that they were trying to steal would attack them. Especially with the access pad next to the door, they would assume that that was the only security system. Well…as you can plainly tell, that isn't the only security system I've rigged up."
I only groaned in response.
He laughed. "That makes sense…You understand perfectly how it is impossible to outwit me, Ash Ketchum. And it is just as impossible to overpower me with pure force." He gestured to the roomful of Pokéballs. "I can counter any attack with an unstoppable collection of Pokémon. Not even the strongest Pokémon Masters would challenge me to an all-out battle."
I coughed, then winced, because that hurt.
He looked at me suspiciously.
"What's wrong?" he asked, "You're quieter than usual."
"Tenta! Cruel!" said Tentacruel.
He nodded. "I see. My Tentacruel poisoned you, eh? Hm…Serves you right. You shouldn't go poking around where you don't belong. You won't be so careless next time, will you?"
I shook my head.
He laughed. "I thought so…" He looked down at me, then at his three Pokémon. "Tentacruel, Marowak, and Magneton. Back in your Pokéballs."
They nodded and did as he said.
"As for you……"
What else can he do to me?
"…I like you. You have spirit. You won't take no for an answer. You take matters into your own hands. That's the kind of people that we need in Team Rocket."
Now what is he blabbering about?
"However…"
Uh-oh.
"You did directly disobey an order from me. I can't let crimes like that go unpunished. I have to keep order and loyalty a strong part of Team Rocket."
…Huh?
"…You weren't thinking of just taking your Pokémon and leaving, were you?"
I didn't answer him.
"……Just as I thought. You thought you could just walk away, didn't you?"
…Silence is golden…
"……Here."
He dropped a small bottle next to me. I read the label.
Antidote.
That's good. At least I won't be poisoned anymore…but how can I trust him?
He waited impatiently. "Well, are you going to use it or not?"
I reached out and uncapped it. Then I sprayed it on myself. I felt a little better, but I was still bruised and cut all over.
"Now, get up. I have someone who wants to see you…You want to be presentable, don't you?"
"…Who is it?" I asked, not trying to get up.
"Well, you'll find out. Now get up."
I dragged myself into a sitting position and stared up at him.
"Who is it?" I asked again.
"You'll see…All the way up."
Since he wasn't offering any help, I put my hands on the floor and pushed myself up. I grabbed onto a nearby shelf for support, then weakly managed to stand on my own.
He took a Pokéball out from under his jacket.
Jacket? But it's the middle of the night!
"Come out!" he said, letting the Pokémon out.
"Ch-AAAARRRRRRR!!!!!"
"Charizard!?"
It looked down at me. Those eyes…That face…That Charizard was mine!
"Ch…Charizard?" I said again.
Wait a sec. Taper gave me six Pokéballs. If Charizard wasn't one of them, then who's in the other one?
I didn't have much time to worry about that though.
"Charizard, do you recognize this boy?" the boss asked.
Charizard looked at him and nodded.
He smiled. "Good…Think of him as your personal training dummy…"
"What!?" I yelped.
Charizard looked back at me. I saw it grin.
"…Charizard?" I asked weakly.
It opened its mouth and took a deep breath.
I gulped and shut my eyes very tightly. It exhaled. You know the rest.