"The Eevee's DNA is versatile, able to change when needed, and can be affected by varying amounts of light, elemental stones, and possibly by other unknown factors. It is also able to rebound quickly from any physical harm, and is an incredibly rare and valuable Pokémon," explained a lightly British-accented voice broadcast from a small terminal in the corner of the lab. "As you know, our agents have procured seven Eevee, and several eggs suspected to contain Eevee. Also as you know, Arbok venom has been shown to have strange side effects on a minority of test subjects. What do you suppose would happen, then, if a small amount of venom were to be injected into one of the eggs?"
A burgundy-haired young woman looked up from the console at which she had been typing. "It's not my place to guess, I just do the dirty work around here," she said, what would otherwise have been an inaudible murmur bouncing and resonating through the empty laboratory.
The voice chuckled. "You learn quickly, don't you? Well, it is my intention to do just that. The egg will need to be closely monitored, and given antihistamines should it show any signs of allergic reaction. With luck, it will adapt to the venom and hatch into something new."
"Without luck...?"
"It will die," the voice said indifferently. "There are more where it came from. I intend to see this experiment through, no matter how many eggs must be wasted. Surely such a Pokémon is worth the risk."
"Agreed, sir," the woman concurred after a brief hesitation.
"Excellent. I knew you'd listen. You aren't plagued by the same... sentimentality as many of your peers, and that is a useful trait."
"Is it really, now." She hadn't intended the comment to reach anyone but herself, but the lab's strange acoustics bounced the sound to the terminal.
"In this profession, it most certainly is... And Nariko, one more thing."
"Yes?"
"Kodotsu isn't to know of this. At all."
"It'll be hard to hide it from him -"
"You've always been resourceful, girl. If you can't find a way to keep this little secret, you don't belong here after all."
"Understood, sir. Rocket agent Nariko signing out."
The terminal emitted a soft beep. Nariko sighed, staring at the empty test tube that she supposed would soon contain yet another unwitting test subject.
Basil had said her lack of sentimentality was useful. If only he knew...
A package arrived at the lab early the next morning, marked "VENIN." A note was attached, on which was written in a slightly slanted hand:
N. -
You know what to do. Remember, K. mustn't find out. The hypospray you need will be in the 6th closet of the storeroom. Enter access code 26079jF and give a voiceprint - I've had it programmed to let you in. If things go badly, check the 5th closet, fourth shelf, for a case labeled AH:VA.
-B.
P.S. Look up "poison" in the thesaurus program.
The parcel was slipped into the mail chute, where a microchip in the box transmitted its destination - Nariko Katsumata's high-security mailbox, which was protected by voiceprint, thumbprint, retinal scan, password, and ID card scan. Top agents required secrecy, particularly now - when Team Rocket had supposedly been wiped off the face of the earth for years.
"Welcome, Nariko Katsumata," a pleasant if somewhat mechanical voice intoned in her headset when Nariko entered the underground headquarters. "You have a package waiting for you, labeled urgent."
Nariko had a feeling she already knew what it was.
A burgundy-haired young woman looked up from the console at which she had been typing. "It's not my place to guess, I just do the dirty work around here," she said, what would otherwise have been an inaudible murmur bouncing and resonating through the empty laboratory.
The voice chuckled. "You learn quickly, don't you? Well, it is my intention to do just that. The egg will need to be closely monitored, and given antihistamines should it show any signs of allergic reaction. With luck, it will adapt to the venom and hatch into something new."
"Without luck...?"
"It will die," the voice said indifferently. "There are more where it came from. I intend to see this experiment through, no matter how many eggs must be wasted. Surely such a Pokémon is worth the risk."
"Agreed, sir," the woman concurred after a brief hesitation.
"Excellent. I knew you'd listen. You aren't plagued by the same... sentimentality as many of your peers, and that is a useful trait."
"Is it really, now." She hadn't intended the comment to reach anyone but herself, but the lab's strange acoustics bounced the sound to the terminal.
"In this profession, it most certainly is... And Nariko, one more thing."
"Yes?"
"Kodotsu isn't to know of this. At all."
"It'll be hard to hide it from him -"
"You've always been resourceful, girl. If you can't find a way to keep this little secret, you don't belong here after all."
"Understood, sir. Rocket agent Nariko signing out."
The terminal emitted a soft beep. Nariko sighed, staring at the empty test tube that she supposed would soon contain yet another unwitting test subject.
Basil had said her lack of sentimentality was useful. If only he knew...
A package arrived at the lab early the next morning, marked "VENIN." A note was attached, on which was written in a slightly slanted hand:
N. -
You know what to do. Remember, K. mustn't find out. The hypospray you need will be in the 6th closet of the storeroom. Enter access code 26079jF and give a voiceprint - I've had it programmed to let you in. If things go badly, check the 5th closet, fourth shelf, for a case labeled AH:VA.
-B.
P.S. Look up "poison" in the thesaurus program.
The parcel was slipped into the mail chute, where a microchip in the box transmitted its destination - Nariko Katsumata's high-security mailbox, which was protected by voiceprint, thumbprint, retinal scan, password, and ID card scan. Top agents required secrecy, particularly now - when Team Rocket had supposedly been wiped off the face of the earth for years.
"Welcome, Nariko Katsumata," a pleasant if somewhat mechanical voice intoned in her headset when Nariko entered the underground headquarters. "You have a package waiting for you, labeled urgent."
Nariko had a feeling she already knew what it was.