Part Three: Plague
The six people following Captain Red Thatcher had little time to admire the scenery around them as he led them into the deep bowels of the enormous Dreadnaught. It was unlike any nautical, aerial, or land-based vessel they had ever seen--at best, it was a cross between a naval battleship in full military gear, a radio control tower, a tank, and a 747 jet, but even this did not fully describe what sort of place the Euphrates was. Captain Thatcher was a fast man and he led them through the place quickly, stating (or shouting; it was hard to discern) that they would all get a tour later.
"Just as soon as you meet the main crew!" he exclaimed. "Out of all the people who work for me, there's three of whom I'm particularly fond of! We couldn't run this place without them! I told'em that I'd be havin' guests over in the main meeting room, so they should be around there somewhere. Mind your step." The group quickly adjusted to the sharp drop of floor in the room as Thatcher led them into another room.
Inside was a giant control room equipped with the latest in radar technology (though still not as sophisticated as the device that Team Rocket had brought back from the futuristic city). Multiple computer terminals were layered everywhere in the room, with at least one person monitoring them at all times. In the center was a circular table with exactly thirteen seats, twelve to hold the meeting and one just in case a special guest arrived. Ash, Gary, and their companions were asked to stay standing until the three crewmembers arrived, and Thatcher kept them informed of the vessel until that time came.
"So what exactly is this place?" asked Misty. "I've heard stories, but…"
"The Euphrates, put simply, is kind of like a flying fortress. I know it sounds strange to ye kids that a place as big as this can fly, but it's true, to be certain. The old people put all their technology into making this, even using the Pokemon's help to construct it. Since it's the only one left standin', that we know of, there's been lotsa modifications done on it. Course', the best thing they did was make me Cap'n!"
"I readily disagree," murmured James to himself. Thatcher only smiled broader.
"It's got special armor that can withstand four times as much damage as the other models could," he continued. "It has more weapons, as well, and those that were already installed have been improved. This is actually bigger than the others, cuz' of the additions we've put on it. My personal favorite touch are these crazy flying Pokemon that are in just about every room!"
"Oh? And what do they do?" asked Gary. Captain Thatcher pointed to one that was hovering around in the room. It resembled a Voltorb.
"These lil' buggers run up to ya if yer lost, and tell ya the layout of the ship. They're like little maps, if ya will, and they're bloody handy if ya get lost!"
"Oh!" Gary smiled as he looked up at one, and sure enough, it displayed a holographic image of the current room, as well as the surrounding areas.
:Presently in war room. Designate destination, please:
"It can talk, too!"
"Nah, that's just some computer program those people put in," waved the Captain. "They're not actually true Pokemon; they're more like copies of Pokemon that were used for that exact purpose. But a bloody good purpose it is, haha…" Gary smiled and nodded his head, and told the creature that he was fine. It flew away looking for more lost people, and just as it arrived at the door, three people stepped out of it--seemingly the three that Thatcher had wanted to introduce.
"Ah, there y'ar!" he shouted with a mighty grin. "Young'uns, these're my best crewmembers, the ones that keep this ship in shape! Meet Jennifer and Joyleen first!"
"Jennifer and who…?" The group of six was confused at first, but when they saw the familiar faces of Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy, they smiled and felt at ease. The two women saluted and bowed (respectively), greeting everyone properly.
"I am Officer Jennifer Lee Smith, Chief of Security for the Dreadnaught Euphrates!"
"And I'm Nurse Joyleen May Jones, Head of the Medical Ward for the Dreadnaught Euphrates!"
"It's a pleasure to meet you all!" they said in unison. Confused, Brock scratched his head. Those two did not share the same appearance of the other Officers or Nurses--Jennifer had a red uniform instead of her blue one, and Joyleen wore pale blue instead of pink. Brock seemed to be a connoisseur of Jennies and Joys, so to see two who were different in name and appearance was puzzling.
"Excuse me, Captain, but why are these two different from all the other Jennies and Joys in the world? I mean, they're not any less pretty, but…"
"We were both hand-selected from our individual academies for our outstanding traits," reported Jennifer. "Consider me a more skilled version of my other cousins. On the other hand, my only precinct is watching over the Dreadnaught, so I'm not as well-traveled as the others."
"It's more of the same for me," said Joyleen. "My studies in medicine were more advanced than the others. I have several high degrees in medicine, but like Jennifer, I only work on the Dreadnaught. Just consider us Captain Thatcher's personal security and medical teams."
"All right," he smiled, "I think I understand. And who's that behind you?" Jennifer and Joyleen parted, revealing a shorter girl who had been hiding behind them quietly. She stepped forth and smiled, instantly charming everybody with her radiant face. She looked like any other girl, wrapped in fine robes of blue, dusky brown, and gold, but her most outstanding feature was her long platinum hair, silvery-blue like liquid metal with just a tiny splash of violet, and tied in a thick, complex braid that fell to her waist. She grinned at everybody, and Brock, as usual, was smitten with her instantly.
"My name is Lenneth," she said, her voice clear and proper, a sound beyond her age. "How do you do?"
"Ahh, Lenneth… what a beautiful name!" gushed Brock. Instantly, he zipped over to her, took her hand, and bowed politely. "What an honor to meet you, Lenneth! My name is Brock, and if you have anything you want or need, feel free to ask me! Would you like to try some of my food?" Lenneth chuckled as Brock swooned over her, and tried to hide her flushed face as he smiled at her.
"Oh, well, um, of course! Ah, are you a good cook?"
"Ash and Misty don't seem to complain!" he stated. Lenneth chuckled again and gave Brock a sweet smile.
"Well, since we'll be working in close quarters anyway, I'm sure that I'll see enough of you to try it out for myself! It certainly was nice meeting you, Brock! And these others?"
KA-POW!!
"My name is Misty," muttered the redhead after smacking Brock. "This is Ash. I keep these boys in line."
"My name is Gary, and I think I'm in love!" He grinned and winked at Misty, who returned his smile perfectly. Ash was doubly steamed and shouted at both his rival and his traveling companion, leaving poor Jessie and James to ignore the squall and focus on the silvery-haired girl.
"Uh, yes… Well, I'm Jessie, and this is my partner James…"
"It really is nice meeting all of you!" he exclaimed, pumping their hands. "You seem so much more sophisticated than that awful Captain Thatcher!"
"HAHAHAHAHA!!! What'd ya say, Jimbo-boy??!!"
"Eek! Errm, nothing, sir!!" Thatcher laughed out loud as James shirked away in terror, slapping his gut until the buttons on his red jacket threatened to pop off. Meanwhile, Brock picked himself up and managed to crawl back over to Lenneth, who looked genuinely concerned for his safety.
"Oh, uh, are you all right, Brock?"
"As long as you keep giving me that sweet smile of yours, I can't be taken down!" Lenneth giggled and blushed a little as she stared down at the floor, then her concern went towards Ash, Gary, and Misty, who were fighting as always.
"Oh, and them?"
"They're always like that," he moaned. "It's best not to interrupt them. They'll tire themselves out really soon. But hey, why don't you show me around the ship?"
"Ah, I'd love to!" she exclaimed happily. "Captain Thatcher, may I show Brock around, please? I promise it won't take more than an hour!" Thatcher grinned at the short girl and knew immediately that her request had more to it than just being polite to guests--much more indeed.
"Heh, sure, why not? Go ahead and take your time! Officer Jennifer, I'm gonna go rest up in my room. Would you take these rascals to their quarters once they're done beating each other up?"
"Umm… sure," managed the police officer. "But… shouldn't I be breaking them up?"
"Nahh, let them fight!" he chortled. "It's good if they get out their frustration now, rather than keeping it in! Wouldn't you agree?" Jennifer meekly nodded her head, and Captain Thatcher bade a hearty farewell to the large crew. Jennifer sighed, but the Captain had a point, in his own unusual way.
"Well, I'm ready to settle in now," said Jessie. "Nurse Joyleen, do you know where our rooms are?"
"Yes," she said with a nod. "Would you like for me to take you there?"
"Yes, we're rather bushed." James yawned to prove that he wasn't making things up, and so with her trademark pretty smile, Joyleen took the two former members of Team Rocket to their rooms, leaving Jennifer to watch over Ash, Gary, and Misty. She envied Lenneth heavily--at least the silvery-haired girl had only one person to worry about, and he was an agreeable gentleman.
"Oh, boy," she moaned. "I hope they don't fight like this when the real war starts!"
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Butch and Cassidy could see Marion and Morrison from a distance, but they weren't exactly anticipating the meeting. Ever since they heard the news that Jessie and James had been permanently removed from Rocket's roster, they had been in a good mood, but the arrival of these new employees sunk them into a new depression. They used to be among the elite of Rocket, admired heavily by Giovanni, but now they were obsolete and outdated, whose only use was perhaps a minor skirmish here or there.
Still, they held their heads high and kept their vision straight. As long as Giovanni was on his throne and Team Rocket was triumphing, they didn't care where their position was, as long as they were part of the whole thing. They were fanatically loyal to Giovanni and his organization, and would have taken any order or decree, even if it was a thankless one. They may have been outclassed by the new arrivals, but they still had their pride.
"Oh, hello there, little children," greeted Marion as she and her partner caught up with Butch and Cassidy. She had a sickeningly-sweet voice, like a violin from Hell, and her raw beauty was a deceptive mask for the monster within. Morrison was equally terrifying, a force of nature wrapped up in the flesh of a human, barely contained by his large stature. It was no surprise that these two had advanced so high: they were like adults in a room full of children.
"Marion, Morrison, good day to you," replied Cassidy in monotone. Morrison's smile was less threatening and warmer, just barely.
"It seems as if the boss has finally found a job suitable for you two. He has been asking for you for awhile."
"Yes, we heard," replied Butch. "It's probably not going to be anything nearly as important as what you're about to do."
"You never know," shrugged the larger man. "Though I wonder… why has the boss been so slack in giving you assignments? I know he sent you out to capture those Venusaur awhile ago, but surely people with your skills may be put to more uses than that!"
"We were probably just given some time to rest," stated Butch emptily. "After all, the boss doesn't want to exhaust his best agents."
"No, that would be unwise," said Marion huskily. "Well, kids, we may be late for our assignment if we don't hurry. You two take care, all right? Don't get any splinters or scars while you're out doing whatever. Heh, heh…"
"Your concern for our well-being is… admirable," managed Cassidy, just barely containing her bitterness. "Marion, Morrison, we may not like or trust you, but if you've launched Team Rocket into its current position single-handedly, then I will respect your power." Marion chuckled darkly at the younger woman, and stalked away to attend to her mission. Morrison smiled and saluted, silently following his partner to their destination. Once they were alone, Cassidy shuddered and hugged herself.
"This is so infuriating…"
"There's little we can do," reasoned Butch. "They're just better than us. The good news is that Jessie and James are gone for good. Those two were a disgrace to the uniform."
"Agreed, though I am a little heartbroken to hear of their deaths. They may have been incompetent, but they didn't deserve such a harsh demise. And don't give me that look--you have just as much of a heart as I do." Butch paused, studying his partner and friend carefully as he considered what she said. Jessie and Cassidy were never really very good friends, even when they knew each other earlier in their lives, but she had a point. It would be cruel to laugh at such a terrible fate.
"…Knowing them, though, they would have survived," he said at last. "The only thing they had going for them was their streak of dumb luck. Too bad it never came in handy when they needed it."
"Agreed. Well, enough talking. We'd better go see what the boss wants." Butch agreed and followed his partner as they both made their way down the hallways of Team Rocket headquarters, into the office of their boss.
Giovanni was reclining comfortably as Butch and Cassidy entered into his office. They were only two minutes early, a shameful delay from their five-minute standard--but still early nonetheless. He quietly cleared his throat and began his briefing without any delays.
"Yes, glad you could make it. I have a rather difficult assignment for you two, one that a few of my other agents wouldn't take. I already sent Marion and Morrison out on a more important mission, so I wanted to see if you two were interested." Giovanni's speech was dripping with insults and mockery towards Butch and Cassidy, but they took it like true Rockets and willingly bent their wills.
"We will perform any task for Team Rocket," announced Butch. Giovanni smiled.
"Good. I am referring to a large group of Kangaskhan that have been roaming around the wilderness several hundred miles east of this territory. So far, the wildlife protection agency has prevented most of my agents from getting in there, and even I have to obey their no-fly zone. I was wondering if the two of you could work in secret and obtain these Kangaskhan for me?"
"As my partner stated, we will perform any task for Team Rocket," announced Cassidy. Inwardly, she was seething as she was given another mediocre mission, but there was nothing either one of them could do about it. Besides, as long as Rocket was in power and Giovanni was content, so were they.
"Good, good. William and Bonney will give you the equipment you need. I trust you'll satisfy my request with perfection, and not embarrass us further."
"It is not our desire to do so, sir," said Cassidy. "We apologize for our failures earlier. Rest assured, sir, there will be no prison to stop us this time."
"For your sake, I hope not. Go now, and bring me back good news." Butch and Cassidy saluted, and left Giovanni's office with mixed feelings. Neither one of them liked to be reduced to a mere agent, but it was the order they were given. Their skills might have gone to waste, but it was a small price to pay to keep the pride of Team Rocket alive.
"Cassidy…?"
"Let's go capture us some Pokemon, Butch…" Her steely eyes encouraged him, and with his hand clasping her shoulder, she had the courage to press on and ignore the waste they were about to submit themselves to.
And at least they were still employed.
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An old man, worn by years on land and decades on the briny sea, smoked a pipe slowly as he watched a beautiful blonde woman and a large muscular man walk towards the dock, where his submarine was stationed for anyone to rent. They had claimed to him that they were from Team Rocket, and that they needed the vessel to investigate something of great importance that had been buried under the waves. It was none of the old man's business to inquire, just so long as they showed the proper ID. In those days, it was unwise to question a Rocket.
Morrison smiled as he stepped into the sub, helping Marion along until she was in as well. Once the hatch was closed, the pilot walked up to them, introduced herself, and asked where their destination was.
"If you please, ma'am, we're searching for a sunken ship some three nautical miles southeast of this port," said Morrison. "We'd like it if you took us there. All we need to do is confirm its location, and our support will come and drag it out of the water."
"Very well," she said with a nod. "It's not my business to ask what you're looking for, so just stay seated and enjoy your ride. You'll be there in no-time at all!" She left the two Rockets to themselves, and in a matter of moments, the submarine was diving into the depths of the water. Marion and Morrison could feel the pressure at their ears, and every so often, would lose it again as the sub adjusted to the depth of the water. There were no windows for them to look out of, so the only thing they could do was sit and wait.
The submarine sunk deep into the waters, carefully propelling itself further away from the shore and deeper into the abyss. It passed schools of fish and a few sharks, and a whale swam underneath it as it puttered along. It slowly squeezed itself into a cave, swimming along the center of the opening and into a secret area that only Giovanni had known about. The three nautical mile journey slowly came to an end as the pilot announced that they were there. Just to make sure, Marion and Morrison took a look.
"Yeah, that's it," said the blonde. Far below them, resting on the surface of the ocean floor, were the remains of the very last Dreadnaught in existence, the Amazon. Although the vessel itself was useless (after having been in the sea for so long), the treasures contained within made the journey well worth their effort.
"Excellent," hissed Marion. "You've done well, madam. Morrison, alert the base. Tell them we found it. Miss, I don't suppose you could make it so we could get inside there?" The pilot nodded her head.
"If that's one of the four legendary Dreadnaughts from the last great war, I'm sure there's a sub dock in there somewhere. I'll see if I can't find one." Slowly, the sub revved up to full speed again as it began to search for a place to let the two Rockets in. Meanwhile, Morrison had contacted headquarters and alerted his boss about the ship. Giovanni was pleased, and announced that he had already dispatched a retrieval unit.
"This will be a day long remembered in Team Rocket history," he said with a dark smile. "We have conquered the world Pokemon market in the span of a single month, and our reign is unquestioned all thanks to your efforts. Now that the six lost weapons of Team Rocket have been found once again, the very world itself will fall into my hands. Oh yes, this has been a very good day, indeed…"
The submarine slowly approached the sunken ship, the rest of the world completely unaware of what was about to transpire…
To be continued…
