It is a dark night. Hoot Hoot coos in trees above. Taylor sits, watching Pokevision with Professor Elm. Hitmonlee VS Gengar.
" This one is in the bag, " said Taylor, " Hitmonlee can't even hit Gengar! "
They watched as Gengar kept disappearing and reappearing... Suddenly Hitmonlee's eyes glow and it shoots Gengar with a light. Gengar froze as Hitmonlee suddenly leaped towards it with a flurry of kicks. Gengar went flying against a wall, and fell down, it's eyes swirling.
" And so, " said the announcer, " with Hitmonlee's Foresight, it defeated it's undefeatable opponent! "
" Don't underestimate evolution, Taylor! " said Elm, " When Tyrogue becomes Hitmonlee, it can learn Foresight, the rue of Ghost Pokemon. "
Outside the dark window, looking is a Murkrow. It glints it's eyes and flaps off.
Meanwhile on the hillside, two figures stand with a smaller one at their feet. One is holding night vision goggles.
" Thats it! " shouted a female voice, " Professor Elm's lab. We hit it first thing in the morning! "
" Umm... why don't we just hit it now? " said a slightly timid male voice.
The Murkrow flies over to them and lands in front of the squat figure.
" KROW! Mraaaakroooowww! "
The squat figure hops a few times and jumps on top of one of the taller figures, causing it to fall over.
" Murkrow says that Elm is awake. It would be unwise to move now. " said a quiet but squeaky voice.
" Natu, would you mind getting off my face?! " came a muffled male voice.
" Would you two stop fooling around?! " snapped the female voice, " Murkrow, good job, come back! "
A red light issues forth from a Pokeball, the little bit of light revealing a woman's face with a small, red " R " on her right cheek.
* * *
Taylor sat on the stool, drinking quality Moo Moo Miltank milk while watching Pokevision. He felt a shiver... Something was wrong... seriously wrong. He felt a chill go down his spine. He suddenly felt he had to know where Professor Elm was....
* * *
Falkner sat up from his feathery, bird next motif bed and jumped up. A premonition struck him.
" I must get to Professor Elm's lab, now! " he said, quickly dressing.
He rushed downstairs and grabbed a Pokeball.
" Pidgeot, I hate to do this to you, but we have to go now! " he said, releasing Pidgeot.
Pidgeot yawned and looked back at Falkner with a determined nod.
* * *
Taylor burst into the darkened lab. He looked down and yelped in surprise. Professor Elm was lying on the ground, moaning and clutching his side
A figure emerged from the shadows. He wore dark clothing, and he had long red hair that seem to burst in flames as he took each step. In his left hand he had a brass knuckle - he must have hurt Elm!
" So... another weakling is still here... " said the boy, his voice dripping with malice. He clicked his knife a few times, blood coming off it each time. The boy's eyes were cold and showed no sign of love or compassion or any basic human emotion.
" I hate you weak people, " he said, " all of you. I will kill every last one of you. The world does not need you. "
The boy approached Taylor and Taylor stood there shivering in shock, his face as pale as slate.
" You cannot do a thing without Pokemon, can you? Weak. WEAK!! "
The red haired boy was nearly upon Taylor when the glass above them shattered into a million pieces. A large bird descended upon them and clawed at the boy with it's talons.
" Thats as far as you go! " said a voice dropping down from the skylight.
It was a tall young man with black hair coming down over one of his eyes. He was dressed in tight pants and a flowing robe. He was wearing claws that were in the color of a bird's talons.
" If you want to hurt him, you'll have to go through me first! My name is Falkner, of the Avius family! ".
Falkner stood in front of Taylor protectively. The red haired boy took a few steps back, towards the window he apparently came through.
" This isn't the end of this! " said the boy, " Sneasel is now my Pokemon! "
The boy leaped out the window, leaving Taylor holding Elm tightly and Falkner looking out the window, trying to glean where the boy could have possibly come from.
* * *
Tears of pain flowed down Elm's cheeks as Nurse Joy and Blissey bandaged his side. Scarlet seeped the bandages covering a welt and Elm's expression looked much older than the rest of him.
" Who... who did this?! " said Taylor, distress rising in his voice.
Nurse Joy kissed Elm's hair gently and his expression softened.
" Someone not very good with a weapon, " said Joy, " It is a good thing our good Professor was taller than him or he might have been attacked in a more vital area. I'll still need to take him to the hospital... "
" Thank you... " Elm whimpered.
" I'll find whoever did this to you! " said Taylor, near crying, " I'll find who hurt you and I'll save your Pokemon! "
Elm nodded, cringing.
" Taylor... I wish I could stop you, but every young person.... urgh.... has to leave home sometime... Sneasel is young too, and he is just entering his imprinting stage... I fear for him.... "
Taylor squeezed Elm's hand gently.
" Don't worry professor... I'll get Sneasel back for you... "
Falkner paced.
" He couldn't have gotten too far, not this late at night... " he said.
Taylor ran outside and almost collided into a pretty young girl on her bike.
" Is the professor all right?! " she said, near hysterical.
" Yeah, and his attacker isn't too far! " said Taylor.
As she got off her bike and ran towards the lab, Taylor got on it and starting speeding off.
" HEY! Come back with my bike! " she yelled, but he just went faster, leaving her behind.
He went over hills, past trees, the meadow grasses of New Bark's outskirts swaying in the dawn's wind. The sky was turning red and gold as sweat trickled down his cheek.
Meanwhile, a few hills ahead near the dirt bike path, stood two people and a little bird. The boy was short and scrawny with short green hair. The girl was very tall and had blue hair in a ponytail with a white streak going down it's middle. Both were wearing black shirts with cruddy, patched red " R " s and black pants. The girl had a small red " R " tattoed on her left cheek and had crescent moon earrings and a sly but stern grin. The little bird was a Natu.
" That must be him! " she snapped, " the one who beat us to the punch! "
" He must have Sneasel on his person. We will show him what happens to people who cross us! " said Natu.
Taylor came up over another hill and suddenly found himself flying off the bike and landing in a ditch. The bike continued rolling until it collapsed, got beaten by some rocks, and flew useless into a lake.
As he sat in the ditch, Taylor rubbed his head. Someone trip wired the bike route.
" Ouch, that smarts... "
Suddenly laughing could be heard from not far above.
" Whos there?! "
" To bestow the world our perfection... " began a female voice.
" To protect all with no selection... " Continued a male voice.
" To reveal all truths hidden... " said the female voice.
" To act upon all things forbidden... "
" Casey! "
The girl flipped into view and flipped back her ponytail.
" Jones! "
The boy flipped into view.
" Our power is unleashed on cue! " said the girl.
" We are Team Rocket, and we shall show you the power of two! " continued the boy.
" Natu, its true! " said Natu.
Casey pointed a finger at Taylor.
" Ok boy, give us the Sneasel you stole! "
Taylor stood up.
" I didn't steal it! I was after the guy who did! " he said vehemently.
" You can't lie better than that? " said Jones.
Natu hopped a bit and glared straight at Taylor.
" Let us just attack him. He will use Sneasel if he has no other way to defend himself. "
" Wow, a talking Natu? " said Taylor in amazement.
" Well, I AM pretty special if I do say so myself... " began Natu before Casey kicked him.
Casey flipped her hair.
" Enough talk, don't you think? " she said, " Go, Murkrow! "
Murkrow emerged from it's Pokeball with a loud " Mraaaaaakrow! "
" Help us, Gligar! " said Jones, throwing his.
Gligar flew out of it's Pokeball in a glide and perched on Jones' arm.
" Hey, two on one is against the rules... And I don't even have a Pokemon! "
Natu jumped up on top of Jones's head suddenly, causing him to lose balance and trip. Gligar took off when he fell and tried gliding into Taylor, but he faked to the right and it crashed.
" I APPRECIATE what you're trying to do for the Professor, but you're going after the wrong guy! " said Taylor.
Suddenly a Marill jumped into it.
" Marill! "
Everyone stopped, not knowing where it came from. Taylor looked behind him. Standing there was a young man that looked to be in his early twenties. He wore a lab coat like Professor Elm's. He had perfectly parted black hair over a red headband and glasses. He smiled and adjusted them as he walked over to Team Rocket.
" Thats a really pretty Natu. It looks to be in very good shape aside from poor eating habits... mhmm... "
He pulled out a pad and started sketching Natu. Natu stuck his beak up proudly and began showing off his wingspan and sheen.
" Natu, what are you doing?! " said Casey, " we gotta get Sneasel from this brat! "
" Wah! Natu, help! " said Jones, running around with the Gligar stuck to his head.
Natu shot them a glare and they both froze in mid movement. He stuck his beak up as the picture was being completed and they both collapsed when movement returned.
" Why you vain... "
Murkrow swooped at Taylor, raking it's talons against him.
" Ahh! " shouted Taylor in pain.
" Hmm? " the man looked up from his sketching to see the scene of Taylor about to get stung by Gligar's poisonous tail.
The Marill sprayed water that knocked Gligar off course and into a rock. Jones immediately had to run over and try to pull him out.
" Natu, get us out of here! " said Casey.
" After inspiring fright, Team Rocket slips out of sight! " shouted Natu, as he and his team teleported away.
" Who were THEY? "
" THERE you are! " snapped a girl from behind.
Taylor swung around and saw the girl from before except she looked none too pleased.
" Boys, so typical... " she said, " If you don't give me back my bike, you're going to regret it! Go Aipom! "
An Aipom came out of it's Pokeball with a loud " POOOOOMMMMM! "
" Wow, I gotta get a sketch of that...! "
To be continued...
Afterward: Casey Jones isn't a famous American outlaw like Jessie James or Butch Cassidy, but rather a hero of the Wild West The story goes that he was a great train engineer who sacrificed his life to protect his passengers. I'm hardly the first to use the inspired name of "Casey Jones" - Ninja Turtles were, of course, the first.
Also, I have a few chapters more written for this series. It was a sort of gift for a friend originally, but he insisted I post it here on Fanfiction net. There you go. Take it or leave it, friends!