"Is that so?"
"Yes!"
"Well, fine! I don't have to help you find that stupid Pokemon. I'm going home!" Rachael turned around and began to stomp off in the direction that she and Zap had come from.
"Rachael!" Zap looked on in disbelief. "You're not going to leave me out here, are you?"
"You have your Cassidy," Rachael called mockingly. "You'll be fine!"
"Aw, c'mon! I'll get lost!"
"You should have thought of that before you called me an annoying whiner!"
"Well, that's what you are!"
"There you go again! Find your Jessie on your own!"
"No! Stop, Rachael! I promise I won't--" Zap's protests were cut off as the ground around them began to shake. Rachael stopped and turned back toward her cousin. The shaking of the ground was accompianied by a thunderous noise as the trees began to bend from some unseen wind.
"What is it?!" Rachael shouted. Zap shook her head in confusion. The noise increased, and a massive shadow passed over the forest. Both of the animals fell to the ground and held their ears as the shapes of a fleet of black heliocopters passed over their heads. After they had gone and the scenery had returned to normal, Zap ran over to Rachael.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Rachael was looking up into the air. "What was that? Why would there be all those heliocopters over the forest?"
"I don't know..."
"Ah, this is the life," Diane sighed as she sank back into the plush seat of one of the Team Rocket heliocopters.
"Don't get too comfortable," the Pidgey pilot said. "We'll be back to headquarters soon."
"I don't get it, why would the Boss send a fleet of choppers out to pick us up?" Ross was adjusting his seatbelt. "We're already on a mission."
"It's his kitty," the Pidgey said.
"His kitty?"
"The Boss's Pokemon, a Shadowcat."
"Oh," Ross blinked. "That kitty."
"What's wrong with his Shadowcat?" Diane wondered.
"She's been cat-napped," the pilot replied, keeping in formation with the rest of the fleet.
"What? Why would anyone do that?"
"Because it's a very powerful Pokemon," the Pidgey said.
"I still don't see why all the choppers," Ross said.
"For security," the Pidgey squinted at Ross. "Our aircraft have been under an unusual amount of attack lately, most likely by the Opposition."
Diane's tongue hung out. "Why us?"
"Don't know," the pilot shrugged. "But you should see the Boss, he's really distraught about this."
"Then why would we want to see him?" Ross smirked.
"He says that the Shadowcat is important to his plans of world domination."
"Was he drunk?"
"Jessie, Jessie, Jessie?"
"Jaaaaamie!"
"Sie."
The two Pokemon sat up in a tree, watching the events of the day. Zap and Rachael had only been a few dozen yard away when the group of heliocopters had passed overhead. The choppers had went low over the forest, stopped about half a mile away, and then turned back around.
"They picked something up," Jessie said.
"So?" Jamie scratched his long purple ear and look unconcerned. "What does that have to do with us?"
"It was the black birds again, Jamie," Jessie jessied to her companion. Jamie's eyes were low, watching Zap and Rachael heading in a reversed direction.
"I know," he whispered. "But can't we just ignore them?"
"Jamie, what if they're up to their old tricks?" Jessie hissed at him. "What if they're gonna hurt more Pokemon?"
"They'd do that anyway," he replied glumly.
"But still..."
"Jessie, please," Jamie took her hand and looked at her pleadingly. "I don't want to go back there. Don't get involved. We're just Pokemon, we can't do anything to change the past."
"I know, but..." Jessie's eyes watered. "But I miss them..."
"So do I, Jessie, but we can't fight Team Rocket. It won't do any good. You remember what happened to us."
"I...I..." Jessie's body shook with a sob, and she launched herself down out of the tree. "I don't care, I have to stop them!"
"Jessie, no!" Jamie watched her run in the direction the animals had went. "Wait for me!"
"Sir, Diane and Ross have arrived," Ms. Kans' voice came through the intercom.
"I heard the choppers," the Persian muttered. "Send them in."
"Yes, sir."
After a pause, the doors to the Persian's office opened, and Diane and Ross entered.
"You wanted to see us?"
"I thought I made that obvious," the Persian snapped at the underlings. "Now, I'd hoped that Mr. Pidgie would explain the situation on the way here."
"Well, to a point, sir," Diane said evenly. "But we're still not quite clear on why you're going to such dramatic measures to find a Pokemon."
"It's not just any Pokemon!" the Persian shouted. Ross flinched. "Don't you have any idea of what Shadowcat's are capable of?"
"Um, drawing and looking good, sir?" Ross whispered meekly. This brought a small smile from the Boss.
"At first, yes, that is all they're good for," the Persian said. He stood, going around the desk and holding a remote control. He used it to turn on a tv behind them. "But as a Shadowcat gains experience, it gains some very strong attacks. Observe."
Diane and Ross sat as the Boss started a tape. The first thing to appear was a tall Pokemon with long grey ears and a blonde tail and mane. The underlings recognized the background as being one of the upstairs training arenas. Opposite the Shadowcat by a few yards was an equally tall Pokemon with squinty eyes and a spiky brown mane. The Brock was snarling and looked like it hadn't been fed in two weeks.
"They're not going to fight, are they?" Ross whispered. "She doesn't have a chance!"
On the tape, the Brock stomped his foot impatiently. "Brrrrock!"
Shadowcat was calm, her stare somewhat unfixed and vacant. She inspected her nails. "Cat." On the sidelines between them stood the Persian.
"Brock, tackle, now!" the Persian shouted. "Shadowcat, counterattack!"
"Brrrock!" the Brock leapt at Shadowcat, knocking her to the ground.
"Sssssh!" Shadowcat quickly bounced back to her feet and slashed her nails repeatedly across the Brock's face. He, being a rock type Pokemon, wasn't affected. Blonde and brown tails twitching, the two Pokemon circled each other for a moment. The screen froze for a moment, and displayed a set of stats on each Pokemon. The Brock was at level 34, and the Shadowcat was at level 49. The fight resumed. The Brock tackled the Shadowcat several times, and she used varying attacks to little avail.
After several minutes the Shadowcat was sitting on the floor, holding her tail and looking at the Brock accusingly. He was standing, arms crossed and looking smug.
"I told you this fight wasn't evenly matched," Ross whispered to Diane. She shrugged.
"Shadowcat, Reality Alter now!" the Persian on the screen shouted.
"Shadowcat!" her eyes flashed bright red, and out of nowhere the Shadowcat pulled out a long quilled pen. "Shaaadow!" The pen hovered between the Pokemon's hands, glowing red. She took it in her hand, and the glow diminished.
"Brock..." he shifted uncertainly on his feet.
"Shadowcat, Shadowcat!" Slicing the pen through the air, the Pokemon seemed to be writing on air, instead of paper.
"Tackle again, Brock."
"Brock!" the Brock leapt through the air, but just before striking Shadowcat, she pointed the tip of the pen at him. He froze, going completely stiff. His skin turned grey, and after a few seconds, the Brock had completely turned to stone.
The Persian applauded. "Very nice, my pet."
"Shadowcat!" the Pokemon purred. The pen disappeared. The Brock remained frozen in stone.
"She turned the Brock into a rock?" Diane said in disbelief.
"Just watch," the Persian said, fast forwarding the tape. Nearly half an hour passed on the counter, and then he resumed play. The Persian was standing, holding a stopwatch and watching the Brock. Shadowcat was asleep on the floor. After a moment, the Brock seemed to melt, his color returning. He sank to the floor, unable to stand.
"Wow."
The Persian stopped the tape, returning to his desk. "As you can see, my Shadowcat has learned the attack called 'Reality Alter'. It's the strongest attack that a Shadowcat can learn. Since most of her type are kept as pets, they are never raised to their full potential, and don't learn anything past 'Quill Drill'." The Persian looked sad, staring a picture on his desk. "In fact, for a long time, most trainers have believed that 'Reality Alter' had been bred out of their species. But I taught her it. And as her level raises, the attack becomes more permanent."
"More permanent, sir?"
"Yes," he nodded. "Reality Alter allows her to change the fabric of reality to her liking. Being loyal, the Shadowcat will alter reality into whatever her trainer commands. The higher her level, the longer the effects of the attack last. Eventually, when she reaches a high enough level, my Shadowcat will be able to permanently change things."
"That's awfully powerful," Diane said. The Persian nodded.
"Yes. And I'm afraid that that's why the Opposition has taken my Shadowcat," the Persian said. His eyes got big and teary. "I want my kitty!"
"We'll get her back, sir."
"So, now we're not looking for your Jessie anymore?" Rachael said as they made their way back to Celaville.
"Not right now."
"I can't believe we wasted all this time!" Rachael snapped. "I could've been at home--"
"Doing what?" Zap snapped.
"Uh, I..." the Raichu shrugged. "I dunno. Anything is more productive than this."
Zap sighed. "Maybe you're right. I'll probably never see my Jessie again."
"Jessie, Jessie, Jessie!"
"Huh?" Zap and Rachael looked behind them, just in time to be knocked aside by two Pokemon.
"Rachael, that was my Jessie!"
"How can you tell?" Rachael moaned as she got to her feet.
"She was being followed by a Jamie!"
"I guess so," the Raichu rubbed her chin. "I wonder where they're heading off to so fast."
"We have to follow them!" Zap cried.
With a sigh, Rachael ran off after her cousin. "I had a feeling that that was coming."
The Pikachu and Raichu were able to keep up with the Pokemon for awhile, but eventually the Jessie and Jamie's longer legs were letting them get too far ahead. So Zap called out her Cassidy and Rachael called out her Butch. They were able to follow for several hours, until the Jessie and Jamie headed straight into Celadon City's downtown business district.
"What are they doing here?" Rachael wondered.
"Maybe they want to trade stocks," Zap suggested. Her cousin snorted.
"They wouldn't have come all this way for no reason."
Zap and Rachael recalled their Pokemon, and went up to where Jessie and the Jamie had stopped. They were standing, staring at the sign next to the doors of a very tall office building. The doors were black and highly reflective. In neat red lettering were embossed the words "PersCo" and in smaller lettering "Manufacturers of Fine Rocket Technologies." The sign next to the door said "PersCo", with the R unusually large and red.
Jessie growled.
The room was dimly lit, but not very cold. Lines of cages, most of them empty, filled the walls as far as the eye could see. In some cages were Pokemon. Some Pokemon had been given blankets or pillows, but others hadn't.
Shadowcat blinked and took this in uneasily. She had no idea where she was, although it vaguely remind her of the rooms where Team Rocket kept its stolen Pokemon. Of course, those rooms had much better lighting and temperature control, and the cages were larger. The Boss believed that if a stolen Pokemon was treated nicely, there was a much higher chance of it cooperating later on. Apparently these kidnappers didn't want any cooperation.
The Pokemon wondered, though, how she had gotten in here. The last thing she really remembered was taking a nap while her Master was away doing business type things. And now she was here, alone.
Shadowcat sighed. She missed the Persian.
"What are you in for?" a gigglish voice called through the semi-darkness. Shadowcat looked around in surprise, noticing for the first time that there was a Pokemon in the cage next to hers.
"Excuse me?"
"Nevermind," the other Pokemon sighed. It was similar to Shadowcat in appearance, although where Shadowcat had grey ears and faintly grey skin, the other Pokemon's was a very pale white. Its eyes were also brown instead of blue. "I must've done something good, they haven't put anyone around me for a long time."
"I--where are we?"
"Op post 5," the Pokemon said keenly. "Fire division."
"We're not fire type Pokemon," Shadowcat pointed out. She was eyeing the frightening amount of bruises and small cuts on the Pokemon's left arm.
"Yeah, but the animals running this place are mostly fire types," the Sforzando said. She noted Shadowcat's stare. "Oh, don't worry. Those are just from the shots they give me."
"Shots?"
"Yeah, they're doing all kinds of weird experiments on me," she said, seeming fairly proud of this.
"Oh... how long have I been here?"
"About fourteen hours," the Sforzando said. "Based on the clock down there."
"You can tell time?"
"Of course! Can't you?"
"No..." Shadowcat shook her head, blushing. "But I can draw."
"That's what your type does."
"Oh, yeah." Shadowcat sighed and sat back down in her cafe. Aside from minor differences in appearance, Shadowcats and Sforzandos were quite different in type. A Shadowcat's attacks were mostly either physical or of the phychic variety. A Sforzando was believed to have the highest intelligence rating of any type of Pokemon, and was one of two types that could be taught how to talk. (The other, the Blaine, could also be taught but it was believed that he didn't really understand what he was saying, and would usually speak in riddles.) Sforzandos relied mostly on their ablity to predict what their opponents were going to do, and use the proper physical attack to counteract it. It was believed by some that Sforzandos could evolve into Sforzis, gaining pyschic attacks similar in strength to the Shadowcat's. An actual Sforzi had not been seen in over a hundred years, and was mostly believed to be a myth. Sforzandos on their own were fairly rare.
"So, where'd you come from?" the Sforzando asked.
"Team Rocket."
The Sforzando nodded. "Ah, that makes sense. The Opposition has been stealing a lot of Pokemon from Team Rocket lately. I think they're going to try to do something big, pretty soon."
"But why would they want me? I'm just a Shadowcat."
"Hmm," Sforzando learned closer and looked at the tag on Shadowcat's cage. "Something about 'Real Alter'?"
"My Reality Alter?" Shadowcat blinked. "Why would they steal me for that?"
"It's a powerful attack."
"Yeah, but I can't do it without the Persian," Shadowcat sighed.
"The Persian? Your trainer was the Boss?" Shadowcat nodded. "Wow. I'm impressed. Now it makes more sense."
"It does?"
"Yup. The Boss wants to use your Reality Alter to become more powerful. The Opposition stole you to prevent that from happening, and in hopes of maybe getting you to use the attack for them."
"I won't! I can't!" Shadowcat's tail twitched angrily. "I'd never hurt the Persian! He's always nice to me!"
The Sforzando studied Shadowcat with a thoughtful look. She was about to speak, when footsteps were heard at the far end of the room. She hunkered down, and put a finger to her lips, motioning for Shadowcat to be quiet and mimic her actions.
Shadowcat sat, waiting anxiously as the footsteps grew closer. Two animals were approaching--both on four legs. A few feet from the Sforzando's cage, the animals stopped.
"That's the one."
End Chapter Two
What will happen to Shadowcat? Will the Boss ever get her back? Will Diane and Ross come to the rescue? And what do the Jessie and Jamie want with Team Rocket? More to come, but only if you email me and ask nicely! (Still evil.)