Disclaimer: Welcome to the wonderful world that is Pokémon. Of course everything related to Pokémon is owned and licensed by Nintendo, and I'm sure the author of this story will do his best to treat Nintendo and Pokémon with as much respect as possible. Now, the characters in this story are all original except for professor Oak, Ash, Gary, Misty, Brock, several Jenny's and Joy's and some other weirdo's that wander around in the game and/or series and of course, the Pokémon.

I

Chapter 5 – Blast from the past

I

The next day, I sat next to the shore line, looking over Lake Rage, thinking of what I could do to find that red Gyarados with a broken arm and a burned leg. My ribs were feeling better, but sudden movements weren't a good idea. I picked up a pebble and threw it in the water. A Magikarp came up, thinking it was food.

"Stupid fish," I muttered under my breath.

"Unbelievable that something as puny and stupid like that, can grow up to be one of the most dangerous pokémon on the face of the earth." I heard a voice say behind me.

I turned to look who stood behind me and swore.

"Hello Tony, long time no see."

Fuck! I wished was fit enough to swim away in the lake. I'd rather take my chances with some fierce Gyarados than spending time with these guys, the two Rockets that had chased my ass around Kanto when I had lost my memory.

"You were chased by Team Rocket?"

Ash's eyes grew wide.

"Like they're that though," Misty grinned, "we've encountered those idiots numerous times, and not once were they dangerous."

"Excuse me?"

Misty looked up at the blonde man who had tapped her on the shoulder. She couldn't help her heart from beating faster as she looked in his steel blue eyes.

"I was wondering if you could tell me where the police station is?"

"Uhm," she tried to focus, "I'm not sure, I'm not from around."

"Uhm, Misty?" Ash tried to interrupt, "you're originally from Cerulean?"

"Shut up, you idiot!" Misty hissed as she bashed Ash on the head.

When she turned, the new love of her life had vanished.

"What? Where is he?" she panicked as she looked around, "Ash! You idiot! You scared him away!"

"I didn't, he must have seen how ugly you really are."

Before Misty could react to this grave insult, Tony tapped her on the shoulder.

"How to point it out subtly?" he thought out loud, "so Misty, you used to be a gym leader. What pokémon do you have?"

"Oh, I have a Goldeen, a Staryu…"

"Could you show them?" Tony interrupted as he sighed.

"Sure."

Her hand went to her belt but when it found nothing, she looked down. Only one pokéball hung from her belt. She grabbed it and released the pokémon inside.

"Psyduck?" she shrieked, "where are my other pokémon?"

"That guy just stole them from you when he asked for directions," Tony explained, "that was one of the two Rockets that was on my trail."

"He stole them when he talked to me?" Misty repeated in disbelief.

Tony nodded and grinned broadly.

"That's how good they really are."

"But… but my pokémon." Misty started to panic.

"You'll get them back," Tony waved her comment away, "just go check in the dumpster or something. My story's more important anyway."

"My pokémon!" Misty yelled and ran towards town to the police station.

"Oh, and now she knows where it is." Tony sighed.

I

Misty just came out of the police station when the others arrived.

"They were here," she sang in relieve, "they say somebody left them here after finding them in the bushes nearby."

"Well, that will teach you to never diss a Rocket," Tony said in a matter of fact voice, "now let's go to the pokécenter, you can buy me drinks."

"We should tell the cops about that Rocket." Ash said.

"No!" Tony grabbed Ash by his jacket, "they're not here, and I'm not here. Nobody of Team Rocket is here, got that?"

"Fine," Ash whimpered and Tony released him.

"Just for that, you're buying drinks," Tony concluded.

"Just for that, you're buying drinks," the blonde Rocket grinned as he patted me on the shoulder.

"It took you guys to find me," I said, trying to fake casual, "you still have to bring me to my dad?"

"Your dad?" Garry frowned.

"Yes, Tony's father is the head of Team Rocket," Oak tried to hush the boy, " now let's continue."

"Wait a minute," Brock frowned.

"Just shut up and let him continue." Oak hissed.

"That's way in the past," the blonde grinned, "we're here on other business. Now, how about that drink?"

I

Five minutes later I was sitting in the pokécenter with those two Rockets, like nothing ever happened. In fact, nothing had happened to them after that whole ordeal. Tom (the blonde guy) told me that just before the cops raided the warehouse, Giovanni had ordered them to cease my pursuit. When they found me in Vermillion, it was dumb luck. After that, they were given what some people would consider lame jobs, but at least they were left alone. While they were transporting some stolen pokémon, they were on the look out for some better work, something that didn't consist of a team of evil-doers exploiting pokémon. Not that they had become goody-two-shoes, it's just they didn't want to work in an organisation anymore. This red Gyarados affair was their first shot at freelance work for Team Rocket, and their last shot at working for Team Rocket.

"What's so important about that Gyarados?" I asked.

"Possibly nothing," David (the other one) replied, "for all we know, it's just a rare coloured pokémon. But on the other hand…"

I

From what they told me, Franklin worked for the Dark Squad and had designed some device to attract pokémon. You switched it on, and the place was swarming with the critters. How is this interesting, you ask? Well, when I went to check out the powerplant and found that Zapdos? Thank you, Franklin! This thing wouldn't make my job easier, it would make it obsolete. Anyway, Franklin had made the device, saw what power it actually had and what the Dark Squad was going to use it for, he trashed the prototype, and left with the plans. Unfortunately for such a smart guy, he wasn't too bright. Instead of going somewhere nobody would look for him (like I did), he went to his hometown. Maybe he thought "hey, they won't think I'm that stupid to go back to my hometown", but experience and TV has taught me that the guys who are after you always check your hometown, because they're either very intelligent and therefore know you think that, or very stupid and never even considered another hiding place. Either way, They caught up with Franklin and things didn't go well. Franklin sleeps with the Magikarp and the Dark Squad has no device that lures pokémon. Add one escaped pokémon in the equation and you have a pretty good idea to where X is. The real reason the Dark Squad, David, Tom, and now me, is after that Gyarados, is not because it's rare. No, that's just a perk. But because it may or may not hold the plans of Franklin's device. God, I hate it when the plot thickens.

I

"So," David asked as he nodded towards my arm, "what are you gonna do?"

"Nothing much," I sighed, and to emphasis my predicament, I rested my free arm on my bandaged leg, "and worse thing is, if I don't deliver a Mareep in Goldenrod by the end of the week, I'm losing 10 000."

"How come?" Tom asked.

"If I deliver a Mareep this week, I get 20 000," I explained, "if I can't make it, it's only 10 000."

"20 000 for a Mareep?" Tom raised his eyebrows and whistled, "man, that's cheap."

That's it, I'm raising my prices.

"Tell you what," Tom seemed to reached a conclusion, "we'll get that Mareep for you and deliver it to Goldenrod, minus a little transport fee for us of course, and you do your best to heal and gain information about that Gyarados."

"I might have something already," I said as I sipped from my drink, "but I won't share until you hold up your end of the bargain."

"Don't worry, Tony," David patted me on the shoulder, "we're in this together this time."