Bounty

Session One: Winds Of Change

By: Scizor

(**)

It has been five years since Ash Ketchum was killed. It was on the day after he had been made a Pokemon Master. A bomb had detonated in the room he had been staying, completly destroying it and almost the entire building. 20 were killed, most of whom were incenerated by the blast. Misty Waterflower and Brock Slate had been out at the time, and were fortunate enough to escape the blast. Ash Ketchum's body was never recovered.Since then the Pokemon League has become fractured and Team Rocket has become the largest criminal organization in the world. With a key vote coming up that could decide the fate of the entire island, both sides are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure there victory. Even murder.

(**)

A man and two young adults huddled around a vid phone. The man, a particularly massive man of about seven feet tall with short brown hair wearing a blood red trenchcoat was speaking. One of the young men had a athletic build, with black hair sticking out in all directions and light brown eyes. The other was small, with flaming red hair, a set of thick glasses, and a piercing and intent gaze.

"So, you have a job for us", the man said?

The man on the screen, a skinny man with pale skin, nodded.

"Yes, we want you to guard someone for us", he said in a high pitched voice. "But we want you to show yourself only if necesarry. She wouldn't like having people watching her".

The man sneered.

"Most people don't, but we don't work for cheap", he said.

"Of course, we'll pay whatever you want", the man said quickly.

The trenchcoat wearing man sneered again.

"That's the way I like to hear it", he said. "Give us the details".

(**)

Misty, now 20, was sitting outside the Cerulean City gym, watching as her pokemon swam through the water of a outdoor pool. Togepi was sleeping silently nearby. Misty sighed. All this stuff about the upcoming vote over the exportation of pokemon was stressing her out. She didn't have time anymore to just relax with her pokemon...and Ash's. She watched as Totodile and Kingler swam with Horsea, Poliwhirl, and the rest of her pokemon. Most of the others were sleeping in the grass. No matter what she did, they wouldn't leave. It had been five years. Five long years since Ash had been killed. The only thing she had to remember of him were his pokemon and she treasured them more then anything else.

A cellphone she had placed on a nearby table rang. She got up and walked over, picking it up.

"Hello", she said.

"Hey Misty", the voice on the other end said.

It was Erika, one of the few friends she had left in the Pokemon League.

"Hi Erika", she replied.

"Hey, I was wondering...did you have plans for tonight", she asked?

'Besides sitting around worrying about this vote and thinking about Ash', she thought?

"No, I didn't have any plans", she said. "Why"?

"Well, Gary invited me to a new resturant they opened in Viridian, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with is", she said in a rush.

'Just what I need, Gary', Misty thought. Gary had been Ash's childhood rival and Misty had never really liked him. But he had been appointed Viridian City gym leader when the retiring gym leader, Giovanni, had requested it to the pokemon league members, no matter how much she and Brock had tried to stop it. But Erika was her friend. She had to go.

"Sure, I'd love to", Misty said in her most convincing voice.

"Great", Erika said, not notcing, or more likely, not caring. "We'll get you at Eight".

Misty hung up the phone and let out a long sigh. Bayleaf, who had been lying in the sun nearby, heard this and trotted over.

"Bay Bayleaf Bay", it said.

Misty smilied at the plant type.

"Nothing Bayleaf, I was just thinking", she said.

"Bay", Bayleaf said mornfully before it walked away.

Misty went back to lying in the sun, thinking. However, neither her nor the pokemon noticed the set of eyes watching them from a nearby grove.

(**)

Spike sat in the branches of a tree, watching the 'client' relaxing in the sun. He could barely stand it. He just wanted to get out of this tree and run to her. But no, he couldn't do it, couldn't risk her. If his enemies found out that he was still alive, they wouldn't hesitate to kill her and everyone else he cared about. He would just have to stay dead. At least he could watch her, protect her. Like he had always wanted to do, but with her knowing. He sighed and shifted into a more comfortable position. He stay up her till they went inside, then he'd tell Golem and Tech what he had saw and heard so they could plan a course of action. Just a little longer.

"I'll always protect you, no matter what", he said softly to her. But he knew she'd never hear him.

(**)

Misty, Erika, and Gary were all sitting around a small table inside the resturant Gary had found, the Blue Star. It had large booths lining the rear wall, a long bar on the east wall, a stage with some musicians on the west wall, and tables scattered throughout. The place was almost full of people. Near the back sat three men,                                                   watching there client without her knowing, as they had been ordered. All three wore trenchcoats, each a different color. The tall one wore a red one, the black haired one a black one, the red headed one a brown one. A waitress walked over.

"Is there anything I can get for you gentlemen", she asked?

The tall one smilied.

"I'll have a beer", he said.

"I'll just have a coke", the one with black hair said.

"I'll have the same", the red haired one said.

The waitress nodded and walked off to get there drinks. The black haired guy kept his eyes firmly locked on Gary, a look of annoyance and anger on his face. The tall one noticed this and followed his gaze. He saw who black hair was looking at and snorted.

"Why you staring at the punk Spike", he asked? "Our jobs to watch the girl Misty, not him".

Spike glared at him.

"Shut up Golem", he said.

Golem sneered.

"Both of you shut up", the red head said. "Just pay attention and do your jobs".

"Chill Tech", Golem said. "What's going to happen"?

"That's what you said about the job in St. Petersberg", Tech said. "Remember that"?

"How was I suppost to know that they were former Spetznaz commandos", Golem replied, annoyed. "Nothing we had on record suggested that".

"And whose fault is that", Tech shot back?

The two began to snarl at each other, until Spike put a hand between the two.

"Shut up, both of you", he said. "Focus on the job at hand".

The two continued to glare at each other for a few moments before they turned back to watching the group.

(**)

Marco was outside on his motorcycle. The other guy with him, Lucas, sat on his motorcycle nearby. Some guy was paying them quite a bit to kill some dame. They were both armed and waiting. As soon as the girl came out, they were suppose to attack. He grinned at the prospect of making quite a few bucks, and maybe having a little fun before he killed her. This was going to be a interesting night.

(**)

Misty got up and stretched.

"Oh come on Misty", Erika said. "Stay a little longer".

"I can't", Misty replied. "I have to get back and take care of the pokemon".

"Well, if your sure", Erika said.

"I'll walk you out to your car", Gary said, getting up from his chair.

"No, that's okay", Misty said quickly.

Gary looked hurt and slightly annoyed by he quick response, but shrugged it off.

"Okay, sure, whatever", he said, sitting back down.

Misty picked up her purse and began to walk towards the door. Three men at a booth near the back got up at about the same time and began to walk out as well. Misty was at her car and was about to open the door when a man grabbed her and placed a hand over her mouth. She was about to scream when another man appeared and  she felt something hard and metalic press into her back.

"Be quite, or you'll regrett it", one of the men said.

"HEY", a voice yelled behind them.

The men and Misty turned and saw a man wearing a black trenchcoat with his black hair spiked up in all directions walking towards them. His brown eyes showed a glint of rage.

"Back off pal", one of the men said. "This is none of your concern".

The man continued to walk towards them.

"I said back off", the man yelled, reaching under his jacket. He pulled out a pistol and pointed it at the man.

Suddenly a figure shot out of the darkness. The man screamed in pain, clutching the stump where his gun hand had once been. Standing nearby was a tall man, at least seven feet tall, wearing a blood red trenchcoat, a huge machette stained with blood in his hands. The tall man spun. The man who had been clutching the stump of his hand fell one way, his head another way. The other man screamed and tried to point his gun at the man. Three loud rapid fire shots rang out and the man fell, three bullet holes burrowed through his forehead. The black hair man lowered the pistol he had pulled during the fight and slid it back under his trenchcoat. The tall one looked at her.

"Are you okay", he asked with a american accent?

Misty was to petrified to speak. She just nodded. The man turned to the black haired man.

"Time to leave", he said.

The tall one left. The black haired one started to run after, but stopped and turned back to Misty. He watched her for a few seconds before turning to follow the other man. Misty stood watching them leave before slumping to the ground, feeling like someone drained all her energy from her.

(**)

What do you think? Who are the three men watching Misty? Who is out to kill her? Who hired the men?

Session Two: Guardian Angel.