Ch 4
The legendaries grew more anxious with each passing minute the final three didn't appear. Celebi flitted about in a semi-panicked state, wringing her tiny hands. With time leaving her behind as important events began the countdown to a final confrontation, the Grass-Psychic was beginning to become unnerved.
"They should have been here already! I told them this last year! That should have been plenty of time to get here!" she wailed at Lugia, who merely raised an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders.
"Did you take into account the time it takes for them to think over what you said?" Latios asked with a wry grin. Celebi paused in mid-air, mouth open in surprise, then flitted about again, wailing louder.
"You just had to bring that up, didn't you?" Jirachi grumbled as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Duuuude! Someone shut her up!"
The ground began rumbling and the group of Pokémon looked around themselves, trying to figure out the cause. Near the trio of Kanto birds, cracks began to form in the earth, pushing up forcefully from below. The birds flapped out of the way and stared at the three heads that finally poked up from the ground, each one a different element, each one with seven eyes arranged in odd formations on their faces. Celebi blinked and yelled angrily at them.
"It's about time you showed up! Regice, Regirock, and Registeel! What took you guys so long to get here?" she barked. The three Pokémon stared back at her.
"Are..." Regice began to say. The legendaries waited a minute. "We..." Jirachi smiled brightly and dropped his head down on Raikou's back to finish his nap. "Late...?"
"Not quite, but don't think too hard about it. You'll melt." Ho-Oh snickered and reached out with a talon to pull them out of the ground. The three oddities of the legendary Pokémon of Hoenn had spent most of the year traveling from Hoenn to Kanto, a long trek for the slow-minded trio. "Well, now that we are finally all together, shall we make for the Indigo Plateau?" Celebi fiddled with her fingers and shook her head.
"No, we can't. Not yet. There's something going on. The future is shifting." she muttered. She looked up at the group with a serious expression. "I'm going to check the new possible outcomes. I'll be back soon." she added and vanished in a burst of bright green light, blinking out of time and space. Mewtwo sighed and stretched out on a sunny patch of ground, the Mew now curled up on his belly.
"And here I thought it was going to be quick and painless. I could have stayed home in bed." he grumbled under his breath.
The Power Center was tucked behind several large hills that hid it from normal view. One one side was the ocean, and it had been through that ocean that Team Berserker had snuck up and took control of the building. With grunts patrolling the outside perimeters and undoubtedly more within, the band of heroes knew they had to work quickly and stealthily to get in and restore the power. Rui watched Red pull a small earpiece from his pocket and place it in Pikachu's ear. Silver pressed herself against a large boulder and held up her compact mirror, looking through it for guards. May and Brendan shifted their teams around; using the legendaries would draw attention, so they swapped in for normal Pokémon. May's new lead Pokémon was the Blaziken she had raised from a Torchic; Brendan opted for his Altaria.
"How's Seth doing?" Red asked as he opened his red PokéDex and pressed a few buttons within it. Rui opened the PDA and made a scan for the tracking chip.
"He hasn't moved from the forest since we left it." she replied, "They must be holding him prisoner there. But why so close to Pallet Town? And to Viridian City?"
"Team Rocket's old headquarters was stationed in Pallet Forest. The first time it was destroyed, it was by a Pokémon named Mewtwo." Red replied as he watched the screen of his PokéDex darken and turn black, booting up a small map of the area and plotting a route in it. "The second time, I blew it up. Cipher must have rebuilt it to house themselves for when this day came."
"Why hasn't he tried to contact you?" Silver asked the redhead while keeping a watch on the patrols.
"Maybe they knocked him out or took away his PDA. Or maybe he's already been turned into a monster..." Rui whimpered and rubbed at her eyes, "I wish I hadn't been so mean to him!"
"That's all in the past. Let's focus on now. We will help Seth once we have the Power Center working again." Red murmured and looked to Pikachu. "Okay, you know the drill." Pikachu nodded with a grin.
"Of course! This is easy! Who can resist little old me when I turn up the charm full blast?" the mouse replied and looked over at Silver.
"We have two guards at the door. Two patrolling the perimeter roughly 500 paces from the door, and another one stationed near the clump of rocks we were hoping to use as cover. That's about five yards from the buddy patrol, so if we can take out the rock guard we'll have it made." Silver reported and smiled back at him. "Red, you take me to all the nicest places."
"Only the best for you." the trainer replied with a grin as he pulled a small harness from his backpack and strapped it around Pikachu, flipping a pair of tubes from the sides and locking them into position. "These should take care of the guards. Go!" The mouse nodded and dashed off, scampering under the cover of the setting sun towards the guard at the clump of rocks.
"So what was that?" Brendan asked Red as they peered down at the PokéDex, "And what's this? PokéDexes haven't had that design since they were first made by Professor Oak! It's an antique!"
"This is Dexter, the first PokéDex I ever had. He went through several upgrades, but finally I had him converted back to the old casing. He looks like an ancient piece of crap, but trust me. I've cracked him open and added some features no normal Dex would have." Red replied, picking up a headset and pulling it on, flipping the microphone down over his mouth. "This is the MasterDex, a mini-computer capable of destruction at the digital level. I used it to destroy the Team Rocket base when I was fifteen years old." He glanced back at the group, taking in their wide-eyed looks. "The thing Pikachu is wearing is another of my craft projects, a harness carrying two tranquilizer launchers. It can hold other things, but tranks are my favorite items to use when infiltrating buildings."
"You lead an interesting life, Red." May murmured, slightly worried over the mental state of their new leader.
"Don't ask why I do it. I might have to kill you if I answer." Red added and opened the com to Pikachu. "How you doin', pal?"
"Almost there. ETA fifteen seconds."
"Locked and loaded."
"ETA ten seconds. Nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two..."
Red pressed a single button on the MasterDex and Silver used her mirror to watch the guard crumple to the ground. Pikachu hopped to the top of the rocks and pressed his body down, raising his tail as a signal.
"Let's go." Red murmured and timed the group to the patrolling men, then dashed for the rocks, following the route plotted by the computer. When all of the members were safely hidden within the next clump, he checked the fallen guard's pockets and came away with a card key. "Typical Grunts. This one is following Team Rocket's old rules. Team Berserker must have some of their former members."
"Alright, now we have to get to the door." Brendan remarked brightly, "That should be easy!" He blinked as Red began stripping off his jacket and shirt. "Eh? What are you doing?"
"Getting us in. Help me get the uniform off this dude. I might not look like a bodybuilder, but I have muscle enough to pull off a simple Rocket grunt. Pikachu doesn't have a second trank to cover the second guy, but I can fool the guards into thinking you're all prisoners."
"The things we do to save the world." Brendan sighed as he began pulling the grunt's shirt off.
Celebi stood watch over one of the many possibilities that became clearer because of Seth's capture. Frowning, she watched Indigo Stadium explode into nothing after the Snagger wrecked the Earth Seal machine before it was activated. She checked the crater for signs of life. Sera, Gonzap, Fein and Ein were all killed in the blast. Apparently, this event occurred before the group could arrive from Silph.
"This doesn't look good." she murmured and gasped when she found the Snagger's body, left arm torn from him in the explosion and too badly burned to be recognizable. The only indication that it was the true Seth was a half extended wing from his back, dark blue feathers torn from it. "This possibility must not pass! What brings it about?" Celebi whispered and spun into another branch of time.
The shattered planet of Earth drifted through space, pieces of continent and cooled magma slamming into the nearby worlds. The moon was flung into distant space, never to be seen again, while the remaining planets wobbled unsteadily without the life-filled world in their midst. Celebi floated in a protective bubble, sadly watching the events. This version of Seth's future was growing ever clearer and more possible with each passing moment. Shaking her head, she winked out of the timeline to another.
Fireworks shot into the sky. Startled, Celebi fell from her hovering position and landed on the roof of a house in Agate Village. She sat up and rubbed her head, then looked over to see a parade of elderly trainers and young ones partying in the village. Balloons were released, Pidgeys flew around in joy, and ribbons and bows decorated every home. Everything was dressed in white. Why?
Hovering down, Celebi flitted about, hidden from the eyes of the happy party-goers. What was making this a future for Seth? Why would this be a result of Seth's capture? Was Agate celebrating the end of the Snagger?
"Eagun! What's it like to have an outlaw for an in-law?" one older man shouted and guffawed as the old trainer beamed happily.
"Not as bad as you'd think! I finally have someone to train with at my age! Hah!" he hooted. Celebi blinked and looked around for Rui. Where she was, Seth was bound to be nearby. There were Pluto and Jupiter, dancing about with black bow ties around their necks. Saturn and Neptune pranced with them, wearing tiny white veils on their heads. And sitting on a stage looking embarrassed but truly happy, was Seth, dressed in a tuxedo with the same white strip of zinc oxide across his face. Rui was waving joyfully at the group in her flowing white wedding dress. Celebi nearly fell from her hovering position again.
"Wh-what? He's married in this future? To Rui? But that's what Raikou was yammering about! What's going on? What triggers this?" she cried.
"Hey, Seth! How does it feel to have the old ball and chain at last?" another old man called out to the newlywed Snagger. He rubbed his head and turned red, smiling broadly.
"It's not bad! I kinda like it! It'll take some getting used to, though." he answered and dug into a pocket. "Actually, I have something to commemorate the day Rui let me go back to stop the Earth Seal. It represents how I was able to do it." Celebi flew closer to take a look. If this little something could help her make this future happen, she'd do whatever it took to make it. It was the best future she found so far. Seth finally pulled out a silver necklace with a raindrop shaped diamond dangling from it. He held it up for Rui, who cooed in delight. "Rui, this is for you. For letting me go so I could come back. If it hadn't been for your words, I'd have let the storm tear me apart while I was stopping the Earth Seal." he told her softly. Rui smiled tearfully up at him.
"Let the rain fall." she whispered.
Ein finished the last touches of his new program and sent it with a password lock into Seth's mind. The Snagger didn't notice right away, eyes closed as he tilted his head back and chugged down a soda. The data transfer finally ended and the scientist sat back with a contented sigh.
"It's all here." he remarked happily, "All the data on Earth Seal is here."
"Great. So what the hell is it?" Seth asked, unclipping the earpieces and tossing them over his shoulder. He ignored the glares of his Pokémon and leaned over Ein's shoulder to study the information. "And why'd you build it at Indigo Plateau?"
"It was the highest point here that had the best climate to control. Your role in the Earth Seal is to empower it and allow it to control your weather powers to seal the world from its climates until they agree to obey our rule." Ein replied, printing out a few sheets of the data. "Read through this and start working on exercising that power. When we're ready, you'll take the injection of Rayquaza DNA and complete your abilities." Seth picked up the pages and bit his lip.
'Rayquaza DNA. Was that the small green thing Rui said would make me a monster?' he thought to himself.
"Alright. I'll get started on this. Finish up here and have someone send dinner to me in my room." he remarked as he walked out. He paused and glanced back at the scientist, but Ein was absorbed in his work. Seth looked over at the glaring quartet of Pokémon and raised a finger to his lips, winking at them. Pluto blinked and smiled.
"We trust you, Seth. Don't botch this!" he whispered to himself.
Sera prowled the halls, searching for her twin. She had found his room empty and Gonzap had gone missing, so it was only natural that she would put two and two together, and start rampaging through the hideout. She found Gonzap munching in the kitchen and immediately tore into him, demanding to know where Seth was and what he had done with him.
"The hell? I don't know! Fein was the last dude to talk to him and he's off at Silph!" the Snagem leader griped, "Anyways, what's up with Dakim? He hasn't called in or anything!"
"Dakim is holding the Power Center hostage. Seth's not in his room. I want to know where he is!" Sera hissed as the intercom crackled to life.
"Hullo? Ah, Fein? Are you there in the facility? Bring Seth some dinner. He's on his way to his room now and needs some food while he practices for the Earth Seal Project." Ein's voice called out.
"Ein! What is Seth doing outside of his room?" Sera demanded.
"Ah, Ms. Sera! He's agreed to help us in your world domination plan! Apparently, he's had a falling out with his allies and agreed to help us while he prepares for a little bit of revenge-seeking." Gonzap raised an eyebrow in surprise as Sera clapped her hands gleefully.
"I knew it! Treat him right and he'll come to us!" she cheered and promptly slapped Gonzap. "You see? And your constant beating on him is what drove him away to begin with! This plan would have followed through perfectly from the beginning if you hadn't been so hard up to get him!" she yelled and whirled off, "Now feed him!"
Gonzap fumed as he clenched his fists. Wring her neck, just once, he would love to wring her neck. And what was she thinking, saying he walked that side of the tracks? There had been doubts early in his life, but wine and women had cured all that. Right?
Right... It all went to hell the day Cipher talked him into becoming leader of a whole new gang of thieves. Team Snagem was his pride and joy, looting every town in Orre for cash and jewels. Now, with Cipher's backing, they were able to stretch out into the world of Pokémon stealing. They would send off the best they could get and in return, Snagem got cash, lots of it. Cipher had a condition, though. He had to have this punk kid named Seth in his ranks and teach him to be the best thief in the bunch. Seven years old and staring up at him as if he were blind, the runt went through the same training everyone else did and eventually mastered the finer arts of looting, pillaging and infiltrating for fast cash.
"Brat." Gonzap muttered as he put together the last of the burgers and shoved it onto another tray. He had watched him grow and mature, and the wine and women turned to booze and beating on him. The doubts had come back full force. If he had just given in like all the other Snagem members, Gonzap would know that he was just as weak as everyone else and go back to the chicks that he had in his private room. But nooo. Seth had to be stubborn and not only take the abuse, but purposely seek it out.
He had been testing him.
"I'd like to wring his neck, too. Damn Evices." Gonzap growled as he stomped towards Seth's room and twisted the doorknob. Yanking the door open, he was greeted by a sudden shriek of anger. "What now, you damned moron?" he snapped back.
"Learn to knock, you roach-headed idiot!" Seth yelled, clutching the black terry robe tighter around him, "Can't a guy get out of a shower without some jerk barging in?" Scowling, Gonzap set the tray on the floor and slammed the door shut.
Yeah, the doubts were coming back again.
Once sure that his former boss was gone, Seth shed the robe and checked his gear. As soon as he was free to roam the hideout, he made his way to the supply room and stocked up on essentials, mostly bugs and climbing gear. He despised heights, which explained his high level room, but as long as he didn't look down, he would be fine. He opened the balcony windows and stepped out, looking for a place to latch his safety line. Seth secured it around the rail of the balcony and fired the grappling hook to the roof. It was the best he could think of, and the roof would help him locate Ein's lab again.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he began climbing up. The sun had sunk lower in the sky, and the darkness he was fond of was settling in, hiding him from view. This was his element, this was what he did best, before he became a Snagger. All he had to do was not fall off the lousy building and he'd have Ein's passwords to the system.
"Plan A. Please work. I really don't want to do Plan B." Seth murmured under his breath, "But if this fails... I'll make sure it all never comes to pass!"