Japanese Title: Heading In To Gain More Ground! Turning The Tables On Jealousy!
Translation: Hedingu In Tame Eru Motto Jimen! Kaiten Sono Taku On Jerashii!
By: Pro_V
"This is crazy!" Jessie slammed her fist on the table, scaring everyone into the air, "Why should we help them?! After all the times they've blasted up off and all the places they've blasted us off to, why should we do anything at all to help them?!"
"Because we need money," Buson snapped, "And because we get to get rid of Peter Rubeus once and for all!"
"I don't care about him!" she spat right back at him, "All I care about right now is whether or not I get Pikachu!"
"Stop with the Pikachu already!" Cassidy growled, "You're not getting it and you never will! Just face up to the facts, Jessie! It'll never happen!"
"Yes it will! I'll get that twerp's Pikachu if it's the very last thing I do in life!" Jessie fumed right in Cassidy's face, "James! Aren't you going to help me here?!"
"Uh…I wasn't actually…planning on it, Jess…" James gave her a nervous grin.
"Oh, that's just great!" she hissed.
"What is all the yelling in here?!" Eevy crashed the door open, "I can hear you all the way outside!"
Jessie slammed down in her chair and slouched, crossing her arms, "Nothing," she puffed lowly.
"If you…say so," she tilted her head and closed the door behind her.
"Ooh! That purple princess makes me so angry!" Jen cracked and stood up, "She thinks she's so great!"
"Well, technically," Mondo crossed his arms, "She is better than us."
"Shut up!" Domino whacked him in the back of the head, "You don't need to rub it in!"
"Enough!" Bashou huffed, "Stop your fighting! Either we work with these people, or we get fired. If you want to back out and lose your jobs, go ahead! I'm parking my ass right here!"
"I'm not going anywhere either!" Butch shivered a bit, "Besides, if we leave, either The Boss, Rubeus or both will be after us. I'd rather stay safe; here with Elite trainers."
"To tell you the truth," Jaz swallowed hard and quaked, "I'm more afraid of these people…than I am of them…"
*^~^**^~^*
Yuu-Yuu decided if she couldn't boot Team Rocket out, she'd try and make them leave instead, "Do you guys ever change your clothes?" she eyed every Rocket from head to toe.
"You are just so funny," Jen hissed, "Of course we do. Do you think these are our only uniforms or something?"
"Never know," she buried her face in her Pichu's fur, "By the way you were complaining before, and by the way you smell…"
"That is not at all funny, you little wretch!" Cassidy barked evilly.
"If you don't like my attitude, get away from me!" Yuu-Yuu spat, her Pichu spitting out his tongue.
"Stop fighting," Eevy shook her head, "Bashou. Buson."
"Yes, ma'am?" they looked up from the books they'd been reading so intently.
"I need your help," she turned and walked out, causing them to follow obediently, "I think, I think, I may have a bit of a plan."
"Really?" Bashou stopped as she unlocked the door to the computer room, "What, may I ask, does it involve?"
"Come in and sit," Eevy sat down in front of her laptop with Bashou and Buson on either side, "This is an overhead map of Rainbow Metro. It shows every landmark with perfect details and exact measurements."
"Uh huh," Buson nodded and leaned his right elbow on the table, putting his chin in his hand.
"This is the Elite Icon. Which I'm sure you knew already. Straight down this same road, directly east, from the Icon is Rainbow Hill. Straight down the eastern side of the hill is a stretch of the Gladiola River. It's bigger than a stream, but a bit smaller than a river. It makes up Rainbow Falls. There's a bridge over it. I'm sure you knew that too. This set up is ideal for my plan, but it's going to require a lot more planning and even a few altercations to the landscape."
"And I suppose that's where we come in?" Bashou crossed his arms.
"Yes. I need you to take the other Rockets and go up to Rainbow Hill. You need to check for a straight path leading from here," she brought up an overhead of the hill and marked a blue X on it, "to here. All right?" she marked a red X at the edge of the river, "And from here," she pointed to the blue X, "to here," she made a yellow X on the bridge, "Can you do that?"
"Sure we can do it," Bashou shrugged, "But what if there's no straight path?"
Eevy stayed silent for a moment, staring at the computer screen, "Make one."
*^~^**^~^*
"This place is so creepy!" Domino shrieked, "I don't like this! I don't like this! I don't like this!"
"Aw, nothin's gonna happen, Domino!" Mondo laughed haughtily, "After all, I'm here!"
"That's one of the many things I'm afraid of!" she cried, causing him to frown.
"Could you shut up?" Butch snapped, "I want to be able to hear incase something pops out of the trees!"
"This is it," James looked up from the map and scanned left to right, "This is where we're supposed to be."
"Out here in the middle of the woods?!" Jessie growled, "I'll bet she just sent us out here to get us lost!"
"She did not!" Buson thundered back in her face, "She gave us specific orders and we intend to follow them; with or without your approval, cooperation, and/or involvement."
"Sorry!" she squeaked, scampering back behind Cassidy, "I'll be good."
"That's nice," Bashou started scanning the area, "Now. She said she wanted a straight and clear path down to the water and over to the bridge. Jessie, James, Meowth, Domino and Mondo work on the trail to the water. Butch, Cassidy, Jen, Jaz and Persian work towards the bridge," he turned to them, "Get moving!"
"Ain't 'dey gonna help?" Meowth fumed as he started kicking branches from the path.
"Probably not," Mondo slouched low to the ground, "They'll probably just sit up there and watch."
"Why don't we use our Pokemon?" Jen looked up, "Maybe if we get done quicker we can go home and nap longer."
"Good idea," Jessie reached to her Poke'Balls, "Arbok and Wobbuffet!" she let out her only two Pokemon, "Come on guys. Help us clear the path."
"Wobb-u-wobb!" Wobbuffet started picking up sticks and chucking them away.
One conked Buson right in the head, "Hey! You stupid blue bozo! Watch it!" he turned on Jessie, "Mind your Pokemon!"
"Sorry, Buson, sir," she quivered and stepped back a step, "You're going to get me killed!" she hissed at Wobbuffet, "Watch what you're doing!"
"Wobb wobbu wobb!" Wobbuffet traipsed down farther away and threw the sticks and rocks in the opposite direction.
"Come on out, Weezing, Victreebel," James jumped away as Victreebel started to bite at him, "No! No, Victreebel! No!"
"I choose you, Electrode and Muk!" Mondo released his Pokemon, "Be careful you don't put sludge in the water, Muk. I don't need to get sued."
"I guess you guys are going to meet my all-star Pokemon. Come on out, Tangela! You too, Porygon! And how about you, Murkrow!" Domino threw her Poke'Balls forward.
"A Porygon!" Mondo jumped in for a better look, "Where'd you get that?"
"I used to work at the Game Corner in Celadon. The Boss let me have it as a going away present," Domino grinned as he pouted.
"Hey," Cassidy nudged Butch's side, "They're letting out their Pokemon."
"Really?" he stood straight and watched Victreebel hopping along behind the screaming James, "So they are. Let's use ours too. The quicker we get this done, the quicker we can get away from Bashou and Buson. Go, Sandslash! Go, Golbat!"
"Get put there, Pinsir! Parasect, you too!" Cassidy sent out her Pokemon, "And you, Raticate, too!"
"Come out and help, Primeape and Machoke!" Jen tossed her Poke'Balls forward.
"Since when do you have a Machoke?!" Jessie jumped and spazzed.
"I thought you had a black Weepinbell," James lifted Victreebel off his head enough to talk before toppling back under it again.
"I did," Jen grinned long and hard, "But The Boss traded me this Machoke for it. Because it was an alternate color, he said it was a good find. I do miss my Weepinbell sometimes though…" she trailed off, "I sure hope The Boss hasn't sold him…"
"I wonder if The Boss would be interested in a Victreebel who clings to you like static?" James said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
"If I was to trade him Wobbuffet, I'd be ecstatic!" Jessie hissed as she punched Wobbuffet away.
Jen just shook her head, sauntering over to Jaz with a huge smile, "What Pokemon do you have, Jaz?"
He looked at her without moving his head and put up his right eyebrow, "You might not like them. Go, Vileplume! Go, Beedrill!"
"Beedrill?!" Jessie, James and Meowth shrieked, "I hate Beedrill!"
"Stop your blabbering and get to work!" Bashou snapped, then spotting the Pokemon, "Those are your Pokemon? What are they doing? Wilting?"
"You ought to be using real, tough, fighting Pokemon," Buson crossed his arms, "Pokemon like ours. They'd do you a lot more good."
"Uh oh," Persian stepped back, "Here it comes…"
"Hitmonchan! Hitmonlee! Hitmontop! Poliwrath! Magneton! Dugtrio! I choose all of you!" Bashou stomped forward a step and let his Poke'Balls fly.
"Nidoking! Nidoqueen! Rhydon! Tyranitar! Kangaskhan! Golem! I choose everyone now!" Buson threw all of his Poke'Balls forward into the grass.
"Oh no!" the other Rockets wailed.
*^~^**^~^*
James was slumped back in a chair, snoring like a freight train. Jessie was sprawled out on the couch with Meowth curled up in a ball on the back. Cassidy was asleep in a chair and Butch was sleeping leaning up against the wall. Domino and Mondo were in sleeping bags on the floor. Jaz had flocked to the kitchen and Bashou and Buson were looking still out by the bridge. Jen sat, staring into the fireplace.
"I'm such a loser," she mumbled, pulling her knees up to her chin, "My partner's almost an Executive and I'm nothing but a grunt, curled up at her enemies' feet, begging for money. What is there left for me to do with my life?" she sighed and shook her head.
"Hey. Are you all right?" her partner scared her about twenty feet into the air.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking," she adjusted her gloves.
"Oh," he stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth, "What about?" he asked with his mouth full.
"This whole 'work with the Elite' thing. I hate that purple princess, I really, really do, yet she was the first person we turned to when we needed money."
He slammed down next to her, shoving Mondo's snoring self out of the way, "Desperate times call for desperate measures. That's why you really gave The Boss your Weepinbell, isn't it?"
"Yeah," she murmured, "I actually loved my Weepinbell. When I went into the Princess Festival awards, Weepinbell was my choice Pokemon. I just gave him up like he didn't matter."
"How'd you do?" she stared at him blankly as he watched the fire and continued stuffing his face, "In the awards?"
"Not very well," she frowned, "I didn't even survive the first round."
"Hold on a second," he actually stopped eating (*gasp!*) and turned to look at her more closely, "I don't believe it. I do not believe it!" he started laughing as hysterically as he could without waking anyone.
"What's so funny?" her head fell to the side in utter confusion.
"T-T-Trinity Troika, right?!" he fell over laughing as she turned bright red.
"How'd you-?!"
"I was there!" he rolled in near silent hilarity, "That wasn't that moron Mondo cheering you on; it was me!"
"WHAT?!" her eyes would have fallen from her head, had they not been secured.
He was too busy laughing wildly to offer a real reply. Domino and Mondo stood up tiredly and slumped away, going into the next room. They seemly fell asleep again, as there wasn't enough noise for them to have been doing what Mondo wanted to be doing. James stayed asleep on the other side of the room and Jessie buried her face in the couch cushion, refusing to be disturbed from her peaceful slumber. Meowth was out like a light, despite the noises, and snoozed away. Cassidy turned to curl up in the chair and Butch slowly but surely drooped to sit while sleeping, neither waking. Jaz just kept laughing.
"You were cheering for me?! It wasn't the kid?!" she just sat there, gaping.
He just kept laughing and kicking hysterically, "I-I-I'm sorry! It's just-" he couldn't stop, "W-When you're not you, you're marvelous!"
Her stomach twisted into a thousand knots, "What?" she whimpered, her chin and eyes trembling.
"Uh-I didn't mean that…quite the way it sounded!" he shrieked, waving his arms as she started crying softly, "I really didn't mean it, Jen!"
"Yeah right. Sure you didn't," she coughed and started lowly wailing, "Go be Domino's partner. Let Mondo cheer me on next time."
She started to stand up, but he snatched her wrist, "I didn't mean it. Really I didn't," he gripped tighter as she started whimpering again, "I swear I didn't," he stood up next to her and she backed away again.
"Get off me," her green eyes narrowed, "Back off!" she pushed him off.
He tripped back and caught his arm on the grate to the fireplace, ripping his uniform and cutting his shoulder, "Well…I guess that kid's theory about us not having more than one uniform will be proven wrong."
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to push so hard! Are you all right?" she stood over him, noticing he acquired an evil grin, "What?"
"Forgive me and I'll forgive you," he snickered, watching her turn bright red, "Is that anger or is that embarrassment tingeing your face?"
"I suppose it's a little bit of both," she leaned down over him, seeing him glowing red, "How about you?"
"A little of both," he swallowed and gave a twitching grin.
"Oh?" he pulled his collar to sit him up, "That's too bad."
"Why's that?" he choked and put his hands on the floor behind him.
"I'd rather it be more of infatuation than of either of those two things," she pulled him to her face and just barely kissed him.
"No," he caused her head to fall to the side, "Don't leave so soon. My lips will be lonely without getting to know yours better," her eyes widened as he threw his arms around her waist and pulled her down.
*^~^**^~^*
"I've got to plan this just right," Eevy cracked her knuckles subconsciously, "I can't just let it play itself out. Everything has to be perfect. Every little detail has to be right on the money. There can't be any guest-imating," she looked down at the clock calendar of her laptop, "I haven't gotten even five minutes of sleep in the past three days. But I'm not resting until I get this done right."
"Are you ever going to sleep?" Lance, Morty and Eusine leaned over her shoulders.
"It won't be much longer now. I just have to finish this," she puffed a stray hair out of her face.
They looked at each other blankly, "Get to bed," Morty pulled her head back and planted a kiss in her hair, "Good night."
"You'd better get some sleep," Eusine put his right hand on her left shoulder and offered a somewhat-comforting squeeze, "Please. Good night."
"Good night," she waved her right fingers over her right shoulder.
"Come to bed. Soon," Lance wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her right cheek, "Good night, Eevy."
"I'll be there in a minute. Good night," she stared into the computer screen, seeing his reflection as he walked slowly out, shutting the door behind him.
*^~^**^~^*
Cassidy tapped Butch on the shoulder as he slept leaning against the wall, "Quick! Wake up!" she poked him harder, "Come on, Butch! Wake up!"
"What?" he moaned tiredly, "What do you want?"
"Come here!" she gabbed his wrist and dragged him to the couch where Jessie, James, Domino, Mondo, Persian and Meowth were all leaning over the back, looking down.
"What's your problem?" he asked as she shoved him towards them.
"Look!" she pointed down.
Jessie had all she could do to keep from laughing herself silly and James was holding his breath to keep from bursting out in laughter. Domino was giggling lightly and Mondo's eyes were watering as he tried to keep from laughing out loud. Meowth had both his paws over his mouth, eyes closed tightly and Persian bit his bottom lip with all his might. Cassidy stood behind Butch, laughing as lightly as she could manage, and Butch just turned beat red.
Jaz was laid out on his left side; his left arm bent under his head and his legs pulled up like he was sitting on his side. His right arm was around Jen's waist as she laid on her back right next to him, her legs draped over his and her arms crossed under her head. They were both sound asleep, completely unaware they were being watched.
The group stepped around the couch, leaning over them, "Should we wake 'em up?" Meowth snickered lowly.
"It seems a shame to interrupt such a lovey-dovey moment," James grinned.
"Yeah…Let's do it!" Cassidy shouted in a low tone.
Mondo reached out and poked Jaz's shoulder while Domino poked Jen, "Oh, little love birds. Your wedding cage is leaving," he snickered.
"Rise and shine, turtle doves," Domino giggled, "It's the end of the honeymoon."
Jaz straightened out on his left side, putting his legs out straight and causing Jen's legs to thump to the floor. He put his right arm up to rub his eyes while Jen stretched and rolled to her right, moaning. They both yawned and opened their eyes, finding they were literally face to face. They both lunged back, Jaz plowing Mondo, Butch and James to the floor and Jen taking Domino, Cassidy and Jessie with her. The rest of the group laughed hysterically at their petrified looks.
"What the hell were you doing?!" Jaz hissed, "Watching me sleeping!"
"Don't you mean watching us sleeping?" Cassidy laughed wildly.
"I was not sleeping that close to her on purpose!" he cracked, "It was a mistake!"
Jessie noticed Jen back up a step, "Jen. Are you all right, girl?" she looked her over as she saw her go pale.
"I'm just fine," Jen's eyes narrowed and she spun her heel to turn around and walked straight out.
"Good job," Butch slapped Jaz on the back, "You just put your number up for the Grim Reaper's next pick-up."
Jen bumped into Lance in the hall, "Hey. Have you seen Evangelina?" he caught her arm.
"No. I haven't seen her," she sniffed, "Is there a door to the roof?"
"Uh…Yeah. It's up on the fourth floor," he tilted his head.
"Thanks," she nodded and started walking again.
"I wonder what that was all about," Lance's head fell to the side, "Now…Where'd Eevy go to?"
He'd already asked Jason and Medira, both of who said they hadn't seen her, and he'd asked Luri, who also said she hadn't. He'd asked all the girls and all the guys, excepting one, now only having Will left to ask. He was vigorously hoping he wouldn't have to look in every room, as the last time he'd done that, it took him all day. But, it did teach him to knock before entering any room. He caught Will's arm as he walked past and snapped him back.
"You seen Eevy?" he looked him square in the eyes.
"Nope," he grinned wide, "Haven't seen her."
"What are you so happy about?" he asked, watching his smirk get even bigger, "Never mind," he put up the corner of his lip and turned up his nose.
"Where'd you see her last?" he asked and crossed his arms.
"Last night in front of her laptop in the one sitting room. I waited all night, but she never came to bed. I looked in there this morning, but she wasn't there," he looked up and down the hall nervously, "You don't think…"
"No!" he punched his shoulder, "I'd have known and she would have screamed like a banshee! Don't be paranoid. Just go check her laptop again. Maybe you just missed her before."
"Maybe," he slouched and turned down the hall, trotting up to the door and peering in, "Eevy? You in here?"
Nothing. No answer. She wasn't there. Or was she? He stood up as straight as he could get and looked over the back of the chair and looked on the couch on the other side.
"Geez," he shook his head and walked over, looking down at her, "You fell asleep taking a break and never got back to the computer."
No answer. She was out like a light. He didn't dare touch the computer. He'd probably screw it up somehow. She'd have his head if he messed something up. He put his hand on her arm to wake her up, then noticing she was like ice. He thought better of waking her and just put a pillow under her head. She was cold enough she was covered in goosebumps. He knew he'd get laughed at, but untied his cloak just the same. Throwing it over her, he noticed something; cuts all over her neck and shoulders and a few on her chin. He'd never noticed those before…Geez…The number of times they'd--never mind…And he hadn't seen. Duh! But still…He'd have to consult her on that immediately upon her wake. His cloak covered her from her shoulders to her feet, still leaving a few extra inches. It only reached to his ankles on him…
She fidgeted a bit and her hand started quaking as she gripped his cloak, "Taylor," she bared her teeth and closed her eyes tighter.
"Taylor?" he looked her over, swallowing hard, "A nightmare?"
"Knock it off!" she hissed, still remaining asleep, but scaring him about ten feet toward the ceiling, "Stop it! Leave him alone!"
"Geez," he swallowed a little lighter and reached out to wake her, but she suddenly calmed and loosened, "What in the world?"
She gripped his cloak tighter, pulling it right to her face and breathing deep, "Lance," a sleeping smile and a sigh escaped her.
"Now that's more like it," he crossed his arms behind his back and smiled wide, "But actually kind of scary; she knows me by smell…"
"Dragon," he rolled his eyes and frowned at that, "Don't leave me."
"Dreaming of life's events?" he wondered, "But what's this about Andiron?" he acquired a scornful hiss.
*^~^**^~^*
"Do you think whatever it is she's planning will work?" Bashou pulled up a weed the other Rockets had missed.
"Who knows? Not me; that's for sure," Buson continued pacing up and down the path to pound down the dirt.
"Who are they?" Peter looked carefully around a tree, "The bold red R. They're Rockets!" he nearly shouted, but caught himself, "Where were they when I needed them?"
Bashou stood up straight, "Did you hear something?"
Buson stopped walking and looked around, "I didn't hear anything…I don't see anything either."
"Hmm…" Bashou bent over to pick up a branch, but stayed looking up, "Guess it was just me…"
The Next Chronicle:
Masterminding Masters And Mistresses