Chapter 1
"Bye, Todd!" shouted a young boy with dark eyes and hair. His blue overcoat flew in the breeze as he waved goodbye to his friend. "I hope we meet again someday." A small, yellow Pikachu clung to his back.
"Me too, Ash," the other boy shouted back. He wore a striped shirt and shorts. Around his neck hung what seemed to be a very expensive camera. His curly, brown hair bounced in the wind.
With the other boy, were two children. One, a skinny, red-headed, bright-eyed girl, the other, a tall, dark teenager. They waved as well. "See ya, Todd!"
Todd watched them as they turned and began walking away, headed for a future far different than his. Ash Ketchum. He was definitely going to be a great Pokémon Master someday. Todd knew this from watching his friends. Misty and Brock were right at his side. They were all on their way to Cinnabar Islands to compete for the next Trainer Badge. But Todd didn't care much about that. He was off to the mountains for something greater.
He smiled and began walking his way. Yes, he was proud to be a photographer! The freedom, the outdoors, the pictures. All of these things were important to him. They were his life.
The road he was following was long and twisted, turning through bright areas to darker ones. All the time, Todd's eyes darted back and forth, watching for Pokémon. He was not a master, like Ash. He was not a breeder, like Brock. He was definitely not everything else, like Misty. He was Todd, the greatest Pokémon photographer of all times!
Suddenly, he heard a rustle in the bushes. He got down quickly, aiming his camera directly at them. A beautiful Pidgeot came soaring out. Todd tried to get it, but it was too fast. It shot into the sky and flew away.
"That was strange," Todd said aloud to himself. "Usually, a forest is filled with Pidgey. Yet, that Pidgeot was fully evolved, and looked well-trained..."
Laughter followed his last remark. Todd crawled away from the bushes and got to his feet. Someone jumped out and stood next to him. The appearance of the person was that of a scruffy, teenage boy. He wore tattered jeans and red bandana across his head. He also sported a white shirt and light blue vest. He had dark green hair and matching eyes. Over his left eye, was a large scar. A small Pokémon hovered beside him. A Dragonair. Only a few minutes away from saying goodbye to someone, Todd meets someone else.
"Hey kid," the boy said. "What's up with you? A'int you ever seen a Trainer before?"
Todd looked closely at the newcomer. "Yeah, I have. So, that was your Pidgeot?"
"Of course it was! I know everything about Pokémon..." The tiny Dragonair beside the boy seemed to snicker. "Silence, you imp!" he said, promptly kicking the Pokémon over to Todd.
Todd gasped and picked up the Dragonair. "Hey, what do you think you're doing? Some Trainer you are! Picking on a poor, helpless Pokémon."
"Oh, Dragonair's not helpless," the boy yawned. "In fact, he's anything but. Besides, what would you know about Pokémon?"
"A lot!" Todd growled. "Now, if you excuse me, I'm on my way up to the mountains."
"What's your hurry, small fry?" Todd and the other boy glared at each other for a few moments. The teenager laughed smugly and extended his hand toward Todd for a friendly shake. "My name's Yukio."
At first, the young photographer was hesitant. This Yukio had totally been a brat and was unkind to his Pokémon. Then he put down the Dragonair. "Todd," he simply replied, not returning the shake. "I'm a Pokémon photographer."
"What's that?" Yukio asked, cocking his head.
"Idiot..." Todd murmured. "Think about it...Photographer. Pokémon."
Yukio looked as if he still didn't get it. "I take pictures of Pokémon!" yelled the annoyed boy.
"Ohh..." nodded Yukio. "But, why would you want to do a boring thing like that?"
"Never mind," Todd said, picking up his bag filled with his utensils. "I don't have time for this. I need to make it to the next town before nightfall..."
Yukio leapt in front of Todd enthusiastically, the Dragonair floating behind him. "Hey, can I tag along?"
"Why? Don't you have anything better to do?"
"No."
Todd kept on walking, but Yukio was persistent. He followed Todd, pleading and begging to accompany him. Finally Todd turned on him. "Go away, Yukio! I need to take pictures with silence and privacy. I don't need someone scaring away Pokémon, especially if they have a loud mouth like you."
"You've insulted me!" Yukio whined.
"You insulted me," Todd yelled, still walking. "You said my job was boring." He stopped and faced Yukio again. "Let me tell you something...When you find something you love to do, it is never boring. Taking pictures may be boring to you, but it's my passion." Yukio sniffed. Todd continued. "Like your dream is to become a Pokémon master, my dream is to become the best Pokémon photographer of all times. Until you can respect me for that, you have no business being my friend. Good day to you, mister Yukio!"
Yukio sat on the ground of the forest and watched Todd walk off sadly. "So, does this mean I can't come?"
Todd reached the next town just as the last light of day disappeared from the sky. "What a gorgeous sunset," he sighed. "What would make an even better picture is if a large Spearow were flying in front of it..." He shook off his daydream and began looking for an inn to stay in.
The town was not that big, but heavily crowded with tourists. Todd figured he'd be lucky to find a floor to sleep on that night. At last he found a little hotel with vacancy. It was not luxurious, but it would do for the time being. After breakfast tomorrow, he'd probably leave again.
"Welcome to Thompson's Everlasting Keg Cockpit Of Rest inn! What type of room do you wish to acquire?" the man behind the counter asked. He was pretty tall with semi-long hair tied back into a ponytail.
"Just a small room for one night," Todd said. He looked around the rest of the hotel. Funny...There were many visitors to this town, but this place seemed empty. "Where are all your customers?"
The man sighed. "I don't know," he said with thick accent. "We never seem to get anyone here..."
"We?"
"My wife, and I. We're very poor and no one likes it here."
Todd looked into the sad man's emerald eyes. They seemed so sad, yet strangely familiar. No matter. He felt sorry for the owners here. "Better make it two nights," he smiled, handing the man more money. "And I'll take my breakfast here tomorrow."
The man's eyes lit up. "Oh, thank you, boy! Thank you! What is your name?"
"Todd..."
"Here you go, Todd," the man said, handing Todd a silver key. "Room 666, best room in the house!"
"Thank you," Todd replied, taking the key and heading off to find his room. He thought that this maybe wouldn't be such a bad town after all.
Chapter 2
The key to Room 666 turned and unlocked the door with an almost silent clicking sound. Todd pushed open the door and entered the room. He nearly fell over in shock. The place was in shambles. Not only was the bed unkempt and the bathroom tub grimy, the place was covered in dust and cobwebs. A large, broken mirror hung above a sink filled with grime. The sheets to the bed were soiled with God knows what, and stunk terribly. In fact, the whole room reeked with the smell of cigarettes and alcohol.
Todd looked around in horror and disgust. If this was the best room in the hotel, what were the other rooms like? He dared not set down his small amount of luggage on the gross carpet. A rat ran across the floor. No wonder no one was staying here. He walked over to the bathroom and ran the water. Rust. "Ick!" Todd said aloud. How was he going to sleep in accommodations like this?
As he walked down the small hallway of his room, something glimmered and caught his attention. He turned to the wall and saw probably the most beautiful thing in the room - A colored picture of a tiny Meowth with its evolved form, a Persian, behind it. He looked closer at it. The picture was in a thin, mahogany frame. He ran his fingers across it, outlining the Meowth. "Beautiful," he whispered. "Whoever took this picture was a genius..." It was just how he wanted his pictures to look. The two looked so peaceful, just standing there. He smiled. "I want to take a picture exactly like this someday," he said.
Early next morning, Todd walked down the steps to the kitchen in his same clothes, now very wrinkled. He rubbed under his eyes and yawned. That had been some night...
"Good morning!" a feminine voice chirped.
Todd looked over and saw a pretty woman at the stove fixing eggs. He didn't know what kind from this distance. "Hello," he said.
"Did you have a good-night's sleep?"
"Ummm..." he paused for a moment, thinking of the right words to say. "Sad to say, not really."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," the woman said, turning around and setting three plates on a small table. She looked at him guiltily. Her eyes were a very deep blue. Todd thought they were gorgeous. Her hair was mostly put up in a bun, aside from the few strands of hair that fell in her face. "We're not the Ritz."
"Oh, no," Todd replied, placing his hand behind his head and laughing. "It was a...Nice room..." The woman motioned for him to sit down and he did. "Excuse me, but are you Mrs. Thompson?"
"Why, yes I am," she smiled, walking back to fetch the finished eggs. "I'm sorry for not introducing myself sooner. We'll be eating breakfast shortly. Mr. Thompson will be down in a moment."
"I'm starved," Todd said cautiously. He hoped the food here wasn't as disappointing as the room. Last night, he had washed out the bathtub with the rusty water and dried it with a towel. Then he slept in there in his clothes. It had been quite uncomfortable.
Soon cheerful humming was heard and Mr. Thompson came bounding down the stairs. "Good morning, Todd!" he said. He walked over to his wife and kissed her on the forehead. "Morning, honey." Mrs. Thompson grinned. "Good morning..." The two stood there, looking at each other for a moment.
"We'd better eat..." Mrs. Thompson laughed.
"Oh! Silly me!" Mr. Thompson also laughed and joined Todd at the table. "And how are you, my boy?"
"Okay," replied the photographer. "You run a very...Well-kept hotel." Okay. So he was lying, but he was a sucker when it came to sad adults. That was what had gotten him in trouble the first time he met Ash. He was gullible. He sighed and tried not to think about it. Soon, soft-boiled eggs were placed in front of him on a chipped plate.
"Ah!" Mr. Thompson exclaimed, picking up his fork. "My favorite!" He looked across the table to his wife who seemed proud of herself. "You remembered how much I love my eggs soft-boiled." She continued smiling. "So, Todd," the man of the hotel began, shoving a few mouthfuls of egg into his mouth. "What are you going to be doing today?"
Todd nibbled at the eggs. They were surprisingly good. "Well, I thought I would explore this town. I'm a Pokémon photographer, and I thought I might find some Pokémon around here."
The couple nodded. "That sounds like a fun hobby," said Mrs. Thompson.
"Oh, it is!" the boy exclaimed. "I love taking pictures. I want to be the best Pokémon photographer ever to live." At this, he jumped to his feet and posed dramatically, fists clenched. "It's my only dream!"
They nodded again, smiling happily. "You will surely accomplish your goal, kiddo," Mr. Thompson said enthusiastically. "But, you'd better hurry before the crowd gets up. I think you're early enough to beat the angry mobs of tourists."
"I'm so glad I found you guys," Todd smiled. "Thank you. I'm off!" He waved and ran out the door.
Mr. and Mrs. Thompson sat in their chairs calmly. Then she stood up and took the plates. "Well, Mr. Thompson, what should we do now, all alone in this hotel?" She grinned playfully.
He left the table and joined her, grabbing her around the waist and kissing her neck. "I believe we have work to do, Mrs. Thompson..." He turned her around and kissed her. She returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, dropping the plates to the floor.
The loud crash of the plates awoke a small figure sleeping on a chair in the corner. It growled and threw a small bar of soap, which hit Mr. Thompson in the head, causing him to fall over clumsily. "Hey, you lovebird-brains!" a voice snapped. "Will ya quit with da lip-wrestling?"
Mrs. Thompson crossed her arms. "You're no fun, you sad excuse for a Pokémon! Why don't you leave and battle, or something?"
"Don't forget, we have REAL work to do," the voice from across the room hissed. "Dat boy is gonna pay."
"We know," grumbled Mr. Thompson as he stood to his feet. A small wisp of hair fell over his face and remained there. "We entered this deserted...Icky place and made the brat feel sorry for us. We even got a scout to tell us when he was coming."
"That Yukio was sure a big help to us," Mrs. Thompson smirked. "And to think, he did it all because of who we are..."
"Famous!" Mr. Thompson squealed. "Everyone knows how amazing we are!"
"Yeah right," the voice laughed. Husband and wife both looked as if they would strangle the little animal. "But now, let's get ready for da next part of da plan..."
"Right!" the couple said in unison. With that, the three of them laughed evilly and raced to a room in the back of the hotel. There was a sign of the door that read 'Employees Only'.
Chapter 3
"Missed!" Todd shouted at himself and the Rapidash that ran away from him. He was so close to getting it on film when he had sneezed. That movement caused him to lose what would have been a great picture. He re-packed his camera and tripod into the backpack he carried with him. Better luck next time, he thought sadly.
Surprisingly enough, this small town was filled with amazing Pokémon. Todd was lucky to have almost got a Rapidash. Earlier, he had taken a picture of a Gloom and her baby Oddish resting under a tree. That was rare. It told him that this place was peaceful, and that the Pokémon were not scared of the humans here.
He began to think of how calm Pikachu was when he was with Ash. It felt more danger riding in its Pokéball than riding on Ash's back. Ash's other Pokémon felt safe around their master as well, but Pikachu was different. He was more like Ash's best friend than pet Pokémon. He was loyal too. It would do (mostly) everything Ash told it to. He smiled, remembering his friends. Would Ash's path ever cross his again?
Todd walked along the dirt path that led out to the forest outside of town to hunt for more Pokémon. He had just gone there yesterday, and it was about three miles away from the town. He had a lot of walking ahead of him, but it was early. Todd was wide awake, despite the terrible night he had had.
Suddenly, a familiar figure came running toward him. "Toooooooooooodd!" it called.
Todd groaned and clapped his hand to his forehead when he realized who it was. "Not Yukio..."
"Todd!" Yukio said as he met him face-to-face. "Did you make it to the next town? Did they kick you out?"
"No, they did not," Todd replied. "In fact, I'm staying in a nice hotel..."
Yukio cut him off. "Was it Thompson's Everlasting Keg Cockpit Of Rest?"
"Yeah! How did you know?"
"I've stayed there before. Nice people, those Thompson's..."
Todd began walking around him. "Well, it was nice to talk to you, but I have work to do. See ya around, Yukio." He hoisted his drooping backpack higher onto his back and walked away.
Yukio sadly watched him go. "Hey!" he called. Todd did not turn around. "If you ever need company..." When Todd was out of sight, Yukio began to snicker. "Stupid boy!" he grinned. "You don't know what you're up against."
"Oh, Yukio, you're such an idiot sometimes," an English-accented voice laughed. "Do you know how foolish you sound?"
"Dragonair!" Yukio fumed, spinning around to face his tiny dragon Pokémon. "What do you know? By doing this, I'll definitely be allowed into Team Rocket!" He smiled and dreamed of himself posing, wearing a Team Rocket uniform and reciting his own speech. He sighed longingly and his eyes twinkled. "For years, I've applied for Team Rocket. I've crawled on my hands and knees to get where I am today."
"And where is that?" Dragonair smirked.
Yukio thought for a moment. Then he pointed his two index fingers together sheepishly. "Well...It's somewhere..." But he regained the fire in his eyes and spunk in his voice. "But, as soon as this plot is finished, Team Rocket will accept me as one of their own!" He laughed menacingly.
"You're an embarrassment," Dragonair sighed. "I can't believe I'm your Pokémon..."
Three figures ran through the halls of a dark, secluded area towards a large, iron door. When they reached it, one figure grabbed the small handle and began to pull.
"Don't forget the code!" the other figure spat out. "You can't get in without it."
"I was getting to it," the first figure replied snobbishly. It looked at the codebar on the door and pressed the correct letters. "R-K-T-S-I-G-N-I-T-E..."
The big door open slowly. "See...I'm not that stupid!"
"Shut your mouth!" the other said, brushing past him. It ran to a television screen the size of the wall. A keyboard filled with odd-colored buttons lay in front of it. The figure pressed a large, red button on the board and the screen blinked on.
"Yukio...Yukio, come in!"
The face of the teenager appeared on the screen. "Jessie! James! Meowth!" Yukio cried. "Todd's headed to the forest." He paused. "Those clothes are terrible."
Jessie pulled her hair out of the bun and shook it out. It quickly fell into its normal position. "Yeah, I know."
James yanked the ponytail holder out of his hair and scratched the back of his head. "It makes me look like a commoner..."
"So, the brat did exactly as we expected," Jessie continued. "The forest is where his doom lies." Yukio nodded and Jessie smiled. "You've done a brilliant job for us, Yukio. Why, I'm sure the Boss will find an opening for you somewhere."
"Yeah, like the new janitor," James whispered to Meowth. The Pokémon snickered.
"Oh, thank you!" Yukio bowed. "I've admired Team Rocket for years! I want to be a part of it so badly."
"And I'm sure you will," Jessie said. "Now, go to the forest and wait for Todd to show up, capture him, and bring him to us at the old mill near the end of town. James and I shall make preparations for his arrival. This is Jessie, over and out." The screen went blank.
"Dis'll show dat little trickster!" Meowth said. "We'll show him who gets da last laugh."
"Don't forget, Meowth," growled James. "That you were the one to find him. You're the one who helped him get that laugh!"
"That's right!" Jessie snapped. "You said Todd could capture Pokémon."
"How was Meowth supposed to know it meant 'on film'?" Meowth asked. "It was a mistake."
"Well, for that mistake, YOU get to go to the mill and get everything ready yourself." Jessie scooped him into her arms, not gently, and threw him out the door. James nodded.
"What? MEOWTH!" Meowth cried. "But dat's not fair! What will you two do?"
Jessie blushed. "Umm...We'll stay here and wait for Yukio to call..." James smiled and giggled. Meowth just rolled his eyes and began to head for the old mill, as the iron door slammed shut behind him.
Chapter 4
Todd finally reached the forest a little while after he left Yukio. That guy was annoying! What was he doing, hanging around younger kids anyway? Todd shook his head and began to set up his equipment. He loaded a new roll of film into his camera, stood up his tripod, and positioned himself in a place where he would not be seen.
He had not been there ten minutes, when he heard angry growling. He turned around, and there, behind him, was a very upset-looking Ninetails. Todd had invaded her territory, and now she was going to fight him for it. She began swiping her claws and trying to bite him.
"Hold it!" Todd said, standing up and backing away from the furious Pokémon. "I'm not trying to hurt you or any other Pokémon in this forest." She still growled. Then she jumped up and attacked him, knocking him onto his back. She pinned him there and barked. "Please..." Todd shuddered. Sweat streamed down his face. "I'm not a Pokémon trainer. I don't catch Pokémon!"
The Ninetails stopped growling, noticing the boy had no weapons or Pokéballs on him. He was not threatening her. If anything, he was very scared of her. She sniffed the human cautiously, however not releasing him from her tight grasp. Todd squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for the worst. Then he felt something tickling his face. He opened his eyes and found the Ninetails softly licking his face.
She then got off of him, but continued to lick his hands. Todd sat up and smiled. "I hope you're not tasting me for dinner." He then lifted his hand to pet her, but she jumped back at the sudden movement. "No, no. It's okay, Ninetails. I'm not going to hurt you." He let his hand stay in the same position, and the Ninetails returned, sniffing it. She finally allowed him to pet her. Todd laughed. "You're such a pretty Pokémon. All I wanted was to take your picture. I'm not really on a regular Pokémon journey."
"Ninetails!" Ninetails finally said, cuddling up closer to Todd. She felt very safe around this boy. He was not at all like the other boy who had been in this forest earlier. That human was mean. She licked Todd's ear.
"Hey, stop, Ninetails!" Todd laughed. "That tickles." Suddenly, they both heard a twig snap. The Ninetails huddled down and ran away quickly. Todd sadly watched her leave, but then turned around. Who else was in the forest? He put himself back in the hiding position he had been in before his encounter with Ninetails. He looked back and forth, not missing anything. He kept silent. Someone, or something, was watching him. The forest seemed to have eyes all around, all focusing on Todd.
He didn't have time to think before a rope was thrown around his neck. It began to strangle him. Todd tried to call for help, but the rope prevented him from doing so. Soon, the forest began to fade from view. Before he knew it, Todd was surrounded in darkness.
"Oh, James! You're such a scoundrel!"
"HeeHee!"
Blink!
"Umm...Excuse me...Jessie, James..."
There was a scramble of bodies untangling themselves and jumping to their feet. Yukio's face on the screen gained a very large sweatdrop. Jessie brushed herself off and smoothed her hair behind her head. She looked very bedraggled. "Uh, greetings, Yukio," she gasped as she grabbed the microphone for the large screen. "What's the news?"
"I've got the boy."
"Oh!" James grinned, pulling on his boots. "That IS good news."
Jessie nodded and smiled evilly. "We'll meet you at the mill."
Yukio saluted. "Yukio, over and out!" The screen turned black.
"Well, oh partner," Jessie said, turning to James seductively. "We'll have to finish our meeting some other time."
When Todd awoke and found he was not dead, he was tied to a chair in a darkened room. One small light bulb hung over his head so it was if he were in a spotlight. "Where am I?" he groggily asked.
A Pokémon slithered toward him. It was Dragonair. It circled him and snickered. "Hello, boy!"
"Y-You talk!" Todd exclaimed. "Aren't you Yukio's Dragonair?"
"Yes. As a matter of fact, I am."
"Well, then you can get me out of here! Where's Yukio?"
"Right here..." Yukio stepped out of the shadows, smiling broadly. "You want some help?"
Todd nodded. "Well, you think I like being tied to this chair? Please, get me out of here!"
Yukio laughed and conked Todd on the forehead. "I'm afraid that's not possible. You see, I'm the bad guy."
"What?" Todd growled angrily. "What are you talking about? What do you want?" Suddenly, the few lights that were on in the room turned off. When they turned on again, there stood Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. Todd sighed in relief. Surely they would help him. "Mr. Thompson! Mrs. Thompson! Help me..."
The two smirked. Mrs. Thompson took a step forward. "Prepare for trouble!"
Mr. Thompson also stepped forward. "And make it double!"
Todd's face fell in disbelief. "No..."
"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..."
Mrs. Thompson threw off her costume. "JESSIE!"
"JAMES!" Mr. Thompson laughed, tossing off his costume.
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"MEOWTH! Dat's right!"
Yukio clapped and threw around flower petals. "Yay! Brilliant! Wonderful!"
Jessie laughed and flicked Todd in the nose. "So, shutter-bug, think we're so wonderful now?"
"I can't believe you idiots!" Todd snapped. "How dare you! What the heck is your problem?"
"WE'RE idiots?" Meowth said. "Who's da one who fell for da trap? Dere were warning signs all over da place, but you ignored dem."
"And now, you're going to pay for screwing us up!" James said. "We have plans for you."
All in the room, minus Todd, laughed. He looked at them all - Team Rocket, Yukio, and Dragonair. He was so stupid! He had fallen for another cheap Rocket trick again. What did he miss? Their plan was almost fool-proof this time. Even the name...THE NAME! He thought of the name of the Inn. 'Thompson's Everlasting Keg Cockpit Of Rest'...Of course! By taking the first letters of each word, he got TEKCOR. ROCKET spelled backwards. Genius!
Todd sighed and felt his face grow hot with anger, sadness, and embarrassment, all in one. How was he going to get out of this one?
Chapter 4
The laughter in the room was too much for Todd to bear. He felt humiliated, angry with himself for being so gullible. He sighed and looked at the five villains.
"What shall we do with him?" Jessie smirked. "Shall I feed him to my Arbok?" Todd cringed.
"How about da Fury Swipes?" Meowth suggested, waving his sharp claws in front of the boy's face. "Dat always works on you guys," he laughed, pointing to Jessie and James.
"Let me think of something!" Yukio cried, his eyes glimmering as he got down on bended knee in front of Team Rocket. "I've studied and admired your skills for years! I know your moves, your strength...Day by day, I watch you with care, taking notes."
This guy needs a new hobby, Todd thought to himself.
"Don't make a fool of yourself, Yukio," Dragonair interjected.
Yukio made a squeaking noise and grabbed his British-sounding Pokémon. He clutched him in a tight hug. "Ah, yes! I even taught my Dragonair to speak the human language because of Meowth! I wanted him to be intelligent, too."
"Meowth is intelligent?" James laughed.
Meowth glared up at him. "D'ya want dese Swipes on you?"
"And, finally, I've made up my own Team Rocket speech!" Yukio announced proudly. "You want to hear?"
Everyone in the room grimaced. "No!" they all shouted in unison.
"Enough chit-chatting!" Jessie shouted, shoving Yukio to the side. "It's time we show the photographer how to really shoot..."
James grinned and pulled out a small, gray object. He then held it to Todd's head. "We don't shoot with cameras, boy."
Todd gulped and tried not to move. "Now you see Team Rocket doesn't play around," Jessie laughed. She also pulled out a small gun and held it to the other side of Todd's head. "Ready for your last shot?"
Yukio jumped up and down. "How exciting! Team Rocket's gonna kill someone!"
"Shut up, Yukio!" Jessie yelled. "If you want to be allowed into Team Rocket, don't make any noise."
"Yeah," James said. "Do you want the cops to find us?"
"But the guns..."
"Silencers..."
"So clever!" squealed Yukio. "Oh, I love you guys!"
"Naturally," Jessie giggled, posing but still keeping the gun firmly by Todd's head. "Everyone loves me..."
"Yeah! Yeah!" James drooled.
"Um, excuse me," Todd coughed. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. "But, is this really necessary? I mean, it wasn't totally my fault that I didn't understand your idea of capture, and it wasn't totally your fault that you didn't understand my idea of capture. So, we are almost equal. It was all a big misunderstanding! We don't need to do this..."
The remaining members in the room were all silent for a long time, each deeply reflecting on Todd's words. He had a point...It was even a good one. They had to give him that. "Well..." James said softly.
"Yes...?" prompted Todd, brightening a bit.
James stood there for a moment, thinking. All eyes were turned on him. He opened his mouth to speak. "...We're bad guys. It's fun!" He smiled and the others laughed.
Todd groaned. At least, if they kill me, I won't have to deal with them anymore... Jessie and James went back to pressing the guns tightly into Todd's temples. The young photographer squeezed his eyes shut. This was the end of his short, but great career. The triggers clicked in his ears.
Suddenly the doors to the mill were flung open by a great rush of heated air. "What's dat?" Meowth gasped, clinging to Yukio's leg. A semi-large Pokémon ran into the room and bumped James away from Todd.
"Ninetails!" Todd exclaimed happily.
"Ninetails!" Ninetails growled.
"Ninetails?" Jessie asked. "When the hell did he get that?"
"Fire Spin!" Todd commanded, still tied to the chair. Ninetails opened her mouth and flames burst out, surrounding Team Rocket, Yukio, and Dragonair. "Blow them outta here!" The blast sent the quintet soaring through the roof.
"Great," Jessie sighed as she flied through the air. "Foiled again by a stupid brat."
"Looks like Team Rocket..."
"And Yukio!"
"...Is blasting of agaaaaaaaaaaaaaain!" And they disappeared in a twinkle.
Todd looked up into the sky after Team Rocket was gone. Ninetails stood beside him, seeming to glow with pride. Todd got down on his knees and pet her while she licked his face. "Thank you, Ninetails," he said. "You saved my life."
"Ninetails," the Pokémon replied.
He hugged her tightly and then stood up. "Well, I'd best be on my way. And you should go back to your forest." Todd began walking away, but Ninetails ran behind him, following him closely. He turned around. "You want to come with me?"
"Ninetails!" she happily barked.
"Okay!" exclaimed Todd running off into the sunset with Ninetails behind him. He would not have to be alone during the rest of his Pokémon journey.
"And here we are, stuck in a tree," a bruised and burned Jessie said. James wriggled, trying to get free while Meowth attempted to polish his soiled coin atop his forehead. She looked over to see Yukio, hanging to a branch by his belt. "You're still here?"
He glanced up at her. "Are you hurt, Jessie? Oh no! Let me help you all..." He tried to run over to Team Rocket, but then remembered he was stuck. He stopped struggling and turned to them with sad eyes. "So, am I in Team Rocket?"
"Please..." James groaned. "...Not now."
"Yeah," Meowth spat out. "We have a place for ya..In da toilet department!"
"We'll get our revenge," Team Rocket cried in unison. "Someday..."
|To Be Continued