The Master Six

Chapter 11

"Hey Heather," the familiar voice said beside me, "welcome to the land of the living.  Although I wouldn't call it living."

 I woke up with a splitting headache, and my wrists also hurt.

"Ugh," I groaned, "what happened?  Where am I?"

"On a wall," Velocity, the voice beside me said, "caught by the enemy."

"What!" I shouted, now fully awake.  I looked around the room and the first thing I noticed was that the room was full of all sorts of Team Rocket members and their pokemon.  There had to be at least ten members, each with a letter "R" on their chests.  They also each had a big gun in their hands.  Also, there were all sorts of Team Rocket pokemon around.  Arboks, Ekans, Koffings, Weezings, Muks, all sorts of pokemon, each of them looking as mean and evil as the men they stood by.

The next thing I noticed was that I was chained to the wall like a dungeon prisoner, by the wrists.  Velocity was to my right, and Lindsey was to my left.

"Looks like a girls night out huh?" I asked my two captured comrades, "How'd you guys get caught as well?"

"I'm no good at fighting," Velocity answered, "I'm all about speed.  Specks and I were separated, and a bunch of guys surrounded me and brought me here.  Lindsey was also separated from Psycho and she isn't much of a fighter either.  She came in here just a few minutes after I did.  How 'bout you?"

"They appeared in the elevator I had just opened, hit me and I woke up here."

Then, one of the guards next to a door turned to it and knocked, "Hey boss, she's awake."  I guess the "she" was me.

"Lindsey, you okay?" I asked.

"Yes," was the only response I got.

"Can you...um...transform and get out of here?"

"Perhaps, but I don't like doing it."

"It's for the team Lindsey, try to do something big.  Like a Rhydon, bust these guys up."

"I can't do it Whistler, it would take too long.  They would just shoot me, all of us."

"Okay, okay.  We'll save it for a better time."

Just then, the door opened, and a tall, Italian man entered the room.  He was dressed in a dark tuxedo, with greasy black hair and an evil sneer.  I could tell instantly that he was bad news.

"Hello all," he said with an evil laugh, "I hope my friends here are treating you well."

"What the hell do you want!" I shouted at him with all the anger I could muster, "you can't hold us here for long."

"Hah hah hah," he answered, "my dear sweet Heather, such the take charge leader.  I am Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket.  You are Heather "Whistler" Lapier, Amber Lynn "Velocity" Mason, and...hmmm, you look very familiar young lady.  Science officer!"

Then a small little man in a lab coat ran into the room through the door Giovanni came through.  He ran up to the tall, dark man.

"Yes sir?" he asked in a timid little voice.

"That young lady next to Heather, does she look familiar to you?"

"I...I, hmmm," he got a closer look at Lindsey, "my God!  It is her.  May I take her back to my laboratory?"

"You're not touching her!" Velocity screamed at him.

"Yes you may Doctor," Giovanni said looking at Velocity, "I want the results of your discovery when you are done.  If we've truly found her again, then all is well."

Then two of the guards walked over to Lindsey, unchained her, and dragged her after the doctor.  Velocity was screaming all the way, I was trying to fight them as best I could.  Lindsey didn't put up a fight, it's almost as if she wanted to go...

"Now then," Giovanni said bringing the attention back to himself," back to the matters at hand."

"What are you going to do to her you monster!?" Velocity shouted at him.

"What I do to her is none of your concern Miss Mason!" Giovanni shouted at her, "you should be more concerned with what I do to you.  Ahem!  My dear ladies, we are now in the sixth sub-basement of the Celadon City Game Corner.  As you know, only the first floor is open to the public, and then the next four floors down are operated by Team Rocket.  Then the next two floors down are also owned and used by Team Rocket, but they are only known to the higher-ups in Team Rocket.  Only my most trusted advisors know of these bottom two floors.  There is no way out for you girls.

"As for your earlier questions: I already have the things that I want from you.  If you could check your pockets Heather, you would notice that your flute is gone, as well as your pokeballs.  Amber Lynn, I don't know where you have stashed your bike and its...attachment, but I will get that information from you sooner or later."

"What have you done with my pokemon!?" Velocity shouted at him.

"What do you want with my flute?" I asked a little more calmly.  They had chased me for a long time trying to get it, and now that they finally had it, what would they do?

"Your pokemon are fine my dears, in time they will be transformed into fighting warriors of Team Rocket.  As for escape.  Do not expect any help from the male members of your team.  They have already been captured and sent to the authorities.  They did not have any worthwhile technology to take from them, so we have already disposed of them."

"What!?" Velocity shouted again.

But I wasn't as convinced.  How had he decided that Specks' goggles and Shooter's gun weren't important?  And then Psycho!  He had captured Mew for crying out loud!  Giovanni didn't think that was important.  What was he playing?

"You see, I know all about your little gang here.  Trying to defeat Team Rocket after we burned down your little town.  Poor Aunt Janet didn't stand a chance."

"You bastard!" I finally shouted letting go of everything, "why did you do it?  Why!?  Just to get me?  Just to get that damned flute?  Why is it so important?"

"You don't understand Heather.  That flute is not yours, it's mine."

"What are you talking about, my father gave it to me."

"Ah yes, the dearly disappeared Malcolm Lapier.  My partner in crime, creator of many wonderful little Team Rocket devices, including your little magic flute."

"What, your partner?"

"Yes Heather, your father was my partner a long time ago.  Then one day, he up and disappeared, taking the flute that could knock out any pokemon if you played a certain song.  We had to do much research and detective work to find that he had given it to his only daughter, and that she was living with her aunt in Cerulean City.  Then we just had to track you down, and get back what is rightfully mine.  The blowing up of the whole town was just an extra little thing one of my newest recruits wanted.

"It worked though.  It got your attention.  You came back to Cerulean, and we were able to track you.  The involvement of one Gavin "Shooter" McCallister was not foreseen.  He prompted you to make this team, as well as Cid Tyrone.  This team, this Master Six of yours was not planned.  To think, there are six young children out there with a grudge against me so big as to break into my secret base and try to kill me."

"Disturbing, isn't it?" I asked as sarcastic as I could, "or maybe it is ironic."

"Perhaps it is," he smiled at me, "but if you want to see irony..."

He then motioned to another door in the back.  The guards stepped aside, and the door opened.

"Allow me to introduce you to the true mastermind behind the "blow up the town" idea."

Then, a young boy walked through the door.  He looked about my age, only with a Team Rocket uniform on.  The red letter "R" was bigger than ever.  I recognized him instantly.

"Oh my..." I uttered, "no..."

"I believe he was a friend of yours Heather," Giovanni waved at the boy, "but I guess he isn't anymore.  I present to you...Jeffrey."

"Hello Heather," Jeffrey said to me, so familiar, "long time no see."

No.

Jeffrey.

It was him.  He burned down the town.

He killed Aunt Janet.

Jeffrey, quiet little Jeffrey.

No.