Chapter 32: How To Catch a Gyarados Without Really Trying
Lance Cipris and a small blue bird Pokemon with fluffy, cloud shaped wings hid in a corner of the steel hallways, watching, waiting, anticipating. At this point, all they could do was wait for the right moment to come. Finally, a set of titanium doors opened, and an unassuming Team Rocket grunt walked right down the hall, with his eyes completely glued to a clipboard. The Team Rocket grunt was completely alone, and he wasn't watching where he was going.
"Okay, Venus," Lance whispered to the cloud-like bird sitting on his shoulder. "Use Sing."
"Swablu!" The bird Pokemon chirruped. Lance pulled out some ear plugs and shoved them in his ears as the Swablu sang a beautiful, soothing melody. It came like a wave, and before long, the unassuming Team Rocket grunt found himself growing drowsy.
His eyesight began to blur, and the soft, dulcet melody entering both ears seemed to drain all the energy out of his body. At one point, he fell right to his knees, not noticing the pain his knees felt when they crashed against the hard, steel flooring. He didn't even have time to say anything, let alone comprehend the situation around him. His eyes refused to stay open, and everything around him turned dark. Finally, he fell to the floor, his eyes finally closing. All the TR grunt could do was snore.
This was his chance. Once Venus stopped singing her lofty lullaby, Lance dragged the sleeping TR grunt into the corridor by his foot before swiping his clothes. Then he made time to change out of his outfit and throw the Team Rocket uniform on himself. Good thing the outfit came with a reasonably large hat and sunglasses. He could easily use them to hide his hair and eyes this way. The champion of Johto and Kanto could easily be recognized by anyone, as his name was known all over both regions, and at this point in time, he couldn't risk getting caught.
"Good job, Venus. Return for now," Lance called his Swablu back into its assigned PokeBall. Now that he was in disguise, he could use this chance to figure out just what Team Rocket was doing.
But masquerading through the labyrinths of metallic hallways wasn't going to be easy. Passages upon passages were everywhere, lined with bronze cat statues that always had those eerie looks on their faces. Just finding an exit was proving to be rather difficult. As much as he wanted to use some of his Pokemon to help him out, he didn't want to risk setting off any alarms or causing a scene. Plus, most of Lance's Pokemon were large, and his trusty Swablu, Venus, was not exactly the kind of Pokemon that Team Rocket would necessarily use.
Right as he turned yet another corner, two Team Rocket grunts came out from one set of blue doors. Both of them were female, with one having blonde hair done in a curly ponytail, and the other having wavy black hair that went down to her chin.
"Good afternoon, sir!" The girls both bowed before him, holding themselves down to ninety-degree angles.
"Uhhh…" Lance found himself flummoxed. Why were they acting as though they had met some prince from another country? On the bright side, they didn't see through his disguise. Already, Lance was seeing an opportunity present itself. "Good afternoon, ladies."
"Oh!" The blonde woman exclaimed as she held herself back up. "Are you one of the newer grunts?"
"Yes, I am!" Lance spat out on impulse. It was too late to take it back. A shiver ran right down his spine despite trying to keep his expression and posture cool and calm.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Emmylou," The blonde woman shook his hand with a jovial expression on her face. "And this is my partner Kelsey!"
"Hi there," Kelsey waved her hand slowly.
"You look kind of lost," Emmylou noticed. Lance thanked his lucky stars that the Team Rocket uniform he stole from that one grunt came with sunglasses. He was in no mood for allowing these women to see through his disguise. "If you want, we can help you get to the command center."
"Sure," Lance replied, grateful for their kindness. "I'd very much appreciate that."
Whether this was fate or just a really good stroke of luck, Lance wasn't sure. But at this point, he didn't dare question it. Opportunities to figure out Team Rocket's plans were opening up by the dozens, and if Lance didn't seize them right now, Team Rocket would succeed in whatever it was they were planning. He silently followed the girls through the labyrinth of metallic hallways, keeping his cool the whole time.
"Hey, Emmylou," Kelsey was the first to strike up a conversation. "What exactly does Petrel and the other executives want to do with the evolution inducement wave?"
'Evolution inducement wave?' Just hearing those words put together was enough to make his curiosity override his need to keep his guard up. He had to wonder...one of the policemen he worked with said something about Team Rocket creating some kind of radio signal. Was this what they were talking about?
"I heard Archer say that once they perfect it," Emmylou explained, using one of her hands to push a good chunk of her hair out of her face. Her bright red lipstick moved right in sync with her mouth as she talked. "They're going to use it to evolve every Pokemon they catch by force and create a Pokemon army strong enough to take over all of Johto," After she finished her explanation, she shrugged. "But I doubt it'll really work, though."
Evolve Pokemon by force? Take over Johto? Lance knew that Team Rocket was a very organized crime group that would do anything to achieve whatever goals they wanted to achieve, no matter how unethical or illegal their methods would be. But this? This was not only completely insane, but downright immoral in every sense of the word. In fact, immoral was the understatement of the century, an insult to the word immoral. Immoral could barely even begin to describe this situation. But now he knew what Team Rocket was doing.
In a way, the red Gyarados' appearance began to make sense. Team Rocket probably used the evolution inducement wave on a Magikarp, causing it to evolve into that red Gyarados. That was the only plausible explanation he could think of. But now that begged the question...what did they want the red Gyarados for anyway?
"It sounds like it's a very important mission," Lance finally spoke up. "What do they want the red Gyarados for?"
"I don't know for sure," Kelsey replied. "But I hear they're going to study it and see if it's different from regular Pokemon as a result of having evolved."
He was sure that by studying she meant performing some kind of unethical experiments on it. Already, he could feel his blood boiling from within his veins. It was just like them to attempt something like this. By this time, he and the girls had arrived in the command center. Keeping silent, he examined the room closely, standing as still as a mannequin. In front of the screen stood Archer and Petrel. They spoke in such loud voices, even Lance could easily hear them.
"The capture machines are ready, sir!" Emmylou and Kelsey approached Archer and held their hands up in sailor salutes.
"Good," Archer complimented them with his usual smug expression. The two girls hastily returned to their posts, with Lance in tow. "Now we can finally seize that red Gyarados."
Lance's blood ran cold this time. There was no way he could do anything in this position without causing some kind of ruckus and blowing his cover. As much as he wanted to act, he couldn't see any real options. At least he managed to gather the information he needed. Still, there was more he wanted to confirm. See with his own eyes. Just where was the evolution inducement ray, and how could he possibly turn it off for good?
Even worse, those two girls who accompanied him earlier didn't look older than their late teens. Already, he could feel his heart breaking for them. Just what did Team Rocket do to convince them to join? Teenaged girls like them should be at home with their families, going to school, preparing for the school prom, and getting ready to live their lives and fulfill their dreams, not serving Team Rocket or working for them. Then again, he had heard reports that Team Rocket was known for taking in runaways or people who were desperate to escape from poverty no matter what. Lance could only imagine what could convince those girls to serve Team Rocket, or perhaps coerced them into serving TR.
Vzzzzzt. A silver cell phone vibrated in his pocket, giving off a low but harsh buzzing sound. Lance pulled out the phone, opened it, and pressed a button without breaking a sweat.
"Hello?"
"Lance. I have good news for you," A female voice echoed on the other line.
Good news? Lance's curiosity was immediately piqued. "What is it, Officer Jenny?" He whispered, hoping that Team Rocket wouldn't hear him. Then again, a crowd had gathered in the command center, and all of their voices drowned out his whispers.
"I found out where the evolution inducement ray is," Officer Jenny replied. "It's in the basement, at the deepest part of the hideout. But…" At first, Officer Jenny let the sentence drift away. For a moment, Lance thought she might have gotten caught, but he didn't hear anything else on the line. Finally, Officer Jenny continued on. "...It's being powered by Electrode."
The despair in her voice was imminent, and even Lance found himself speechless. Even so, he wasn't surprised. It was just like Team Rocket to use Pokemon for their own ends. "They're making them use Discharge to power the machine, and they won't let them do anything else," She explained further.
"Got it. Thank you for the intel," Lance told her. "I'll be down as soon as I can."
"Please be careful," Officer Jenny advised. "It's very heavily guarded. The Persian statues will go off if you do anything reckless, and there are lots of Team Rocket grunts here," She elaborated. Lance gripped his silver cell phone tighter this time. "I'm hiding in a bathroom stall right now, because if I called you in the basement, the grunts would see me for sure."
"Are you recording everything with your glasses camera?" Lance asked.
"Sure am!"
"Good," Lance smiled.
"Oh! One more thing!"
"What is it?"
"I heard one of the grunts say three kids were captured just now," Officer Jenny explained. "Two girls, one boy, and a wild Girafarig."
Three kids? One boy and two girls? Lance's blood ran cold. It couldn't have been those kids he saved earlier, could it? If anything were to happen to those children...Lance's resolve grew stronger. 'Team Rocket...I'll make sure you pay for everything you've done!' He told himself, promising to thwart TR's plans once and for all.
None of the kids knew how much time had passed. The room was so dark, it was almost pitch black, and would have been if it weren't for a solitary light bulb that dimly lit the room. But even with that dim light barely illuminating the room, it didn't do anything to alleviate the hopelessness and anger the kids endured as they sat in that cage like trapped animals. Caiseal gripped the iron bars with his hands and pulled, pulled, pulled with all his strength. They didn't budge one bit.
"Dangit!" He snarled, his impatient face contorting the more his frustration grew. His knuckles white from pulling so hard, with a growl, he swung his foot right at one of the iron bars. Once they made contact, his sneaker vibrated as the pain rebounded onto his foot. But he didn't care. Just being in this cage was utterly humiliating.
"Alright. Back up, Cash," Unable to watch him continue what was a hopeless task, Perrine grabbed Caiseal by the shoulders and pulled him back. "Let me try something," Without another word, she pulled a PokeBall out, releasing the eager Florian from his confinement.
"Mega mega!" Florian warbled, happy to be free from being stuck in that PokeBall for a while. The green sauropod stretched his short legs out, getting rid of the kinks that made them so stiff.
"Hey there, Florian," Perrine stroke the pink foliage circling his neck gently. "Can you use Razor Leaf on those iron bars?" She pointed to the bars with her index finger. "We're stuck and we need to get out."
"Megannn!" Florian nodded without hesitation. The green sauropod positioned himself to face the barrier before him. Then, the pink flower around his neck glowed in a harsh white light. With just a swing of his head, razor sharp leaves came flying right out. The swirling leaves rammed against the bars with all the strength Florian could give them. Unfortunately, they didn't leave so much as a scratch. The leaves fell to the ground and disappeared.
"Mega…" Perrine could see Florian's yellow antennae droop, and the big sigh he heaved told her everything she needed to know.
"Alright. Try Vine Whip," She suggested.
"Ganyuu!" This time, thin, sleek vines came shooting out of Florian's neck flower. With all his strength, Florian slammed the vines onto the bars left and right. Just like with the Razor Leaf attack, not even Vine Whip could leave any dents or break those bars or the lock. "Megannn…"
"Man," Perrine put one hand on a single bar. The cold iron almost bit through her palm, and a frigid shiver went down her spine. "These things are tough."
Caiseal cracked his knuckles before pulling two PokeBalls out from his pockets. "I see what you're trying to do. But maybe we need something stronger. Heracles! Stacey! Come on out!" He threw the PokeBalls in the air. Right as they opened, white lights shot right out, materializing into Stacey and Heracles.
"Pinsiiiir!"
"Heracross!"
"We need your help," Caiseal told them. "See if you can break us out of here."
The two bug Pokemon nodded without hesitation before turning toward the bars. Stacey rammed into a few of them using her barbed horns. As soon as they made contact, she was able to bend two of them. Not at an angle where she could easily break them, but just enough to show that they weren't invulnerable. Heracles slammed a glowing hand on the bars, engaging in multiple Brick Break attacks. Again, all they did was dent the bars. Despite their strength, none of them could actually break out of the cage.
"Ugh! This is ridiculous!" Caiseal growled, pushing his hands through his mass of curly blonde hair. "Not even Heracles and Stacey can break them!"
"Team Rocket must have planned to capture us from the start," Julia piped in. She had seen plenty of cop shows where criminals would take innocents or witnesses and either hurt them, take them hostage, or kill them because they knew too much. Sometimes, they would spend hours upon hours preparing for eliminating them in whatever ways possible. Julia knew in her heart that she, Perrine, and Caiseal were those very innocents who knew too much. This wasn't a fake TV show. This was real.
"What do we do now?" Perrine asked. Just sitting in this cage made her entire body itch. Sitting around and doing nothing was getting them absolutely nowhere. Julia wanted to help and use her own Pokemon to break out of the cage, but her anxiety took hold of her, freezing her right up.
What if the evolution inducement wave was still activated? What if her Pokemon were wracked with excruciating pain and unable to do anything? What if they got seriously hurt or even killed? Julia couldn't risk putting her friends in danger like that, especially since she deduced that some of Caiseal's and Perrine's Pokemon had already completed their evolution and weren't affected. None of her Pokemon finished evolving, and they would be rendered completely helpless. No, they were completely helpless, and that was what Julia absolutely hated the most about being trapped in here. She didn't want to be some weak damsel in distress. But what could she do? Forcing her Pokemon to endure that pain was absolutely out of the option.
"Fariiiiiig!"
A harsh neighing sound rang through the room, making the kids almost jump a foot in the air in shock, not helped by house close it was. When they turned around, they saw a Pokemon standing right behind them. It was a giraffe-like Pokemon with a white blaze on its muzzle, a large, pink nose, black eyes, and two horns protruding from its head, with the ends shaped like small orbs. The front half of its body was a deep yellow with deep brown spots going down to its stomach shaped like hexagons, and its back half was deep brown but with yellow spots. A line of pink, triangular spikes ran down its back, and its tail had yellow eyes and a set of pearly white teeth.
"Whoa! Who the heck are you?!" Caiseal yelped, wondering why he had never known this Pokemon was even here until now.
"Maybe it got caught along with us by accident," Perrine assumed.
"Giraaaaf!" The Pokemon neighed, holding its head up.
"Hi there!" Julia greeted the giraffe Pokemon with a smile and a wave. "Did you get trapped here, too?"
The Pokemon nodded in agreement. Stacey, Florian, and Heracles stopped their banging on the bars, turning around to take notice of the new Pokemon.
Perrine pulled out her PokeDex to examine it. The glow of the screen illuminated the barely lit room just enough to brighten it up somewhat. "Girafarig, the long neck Pokemon," Julia couldn't help but think that Girafarig's neck didn't look that long. "Girafarig's rear head also has a brain, but it is small. The rear head attacks in response to smells and sounds. Approaching this Pokémon from behind can cause the rear head to suddenly lash out and bite. Said brain is too small for thinking. However, the rear head doesn't need to sleep, so it can keep watch over its surroundings 24 hours a day. Girafarig is an herbivore—it eats grass and tree shoots. While it is eating, its tail makes chewing and swallowing motions as if it were also eating. When it is in danger, its tail uses some sort of mysterious powers to drive away the enemy. Their hooves are hard like rock and can easily break stones into smithereens if it uses enough strength, even though Girafarig mostly live near rivers or in forests." A male sign appeared in the bottom left corner.
"So that's a Girafarig," Caiseal mused out loud.
"Mega megaaaa."
"Hera!"
"Piiiiin."
"Farig fariiiiig!" Girafarig trilled, stomping one hoof on the steel floor.
Julia turned to her friends. "He says he wants to help get us out of here," She translated.
"But how?" Perrine asked.
Without a word, Girafarig walked straight up to the bars. He turned around with a neigh, holding his head up twice. Julia took it as him asking them to step back, which they did. Soon, Girafarig's large, black eyes began to glow in an eerie purple light that seemed to light up the whole room. All of a sudden, the bars began bending in odd angles, complete with clanging sounds. Then, with a loud, shrill cry, Girafarig's eyes flared right up, and most of the iron bars suddenly flew to the other side of the room, clanging as they clattered to the floor. Girafarig had made a large opening in the cage, big enough for everyone to go through.
"Wow! Awesome!" Caiseal whooped, throwing a fist in the air. "We can get outta here!" He took the chance to dash out of that blasted cage, happy to be free. Perrine hopped on Florian's back as the two of them left the cage, followed by Julia and the bug Pokemon.
Girafarig couldn't help but smile. The kids were free, and he managed to help them out. Thank goodness. Perrine turned around and stroke the long neck's muzzle. Oddly enough, Girafarig didn't recoil at the human's touch, nor did he try to back away. Perrine's hands were warm and soft, and something inside the long neck told him that these humans weren't bad or malicious in any way.
"Thanks for helping us, Girafarig," Perrine thanked the long neck earnestly. Her small voice was full of genuine gratitude. "We'll get you back home. Okay?"
"Giraaaa!"
Getting out of the cage proved to be the hard part. Everything after that was strangely easy. When the Team Rocket grunts saw the kids escaping, Florian managed to hold off a lot of them with Petal Blizzard, blowing them right into the walls. Heracles used his horn or fists to break through any titanium doors that blocked their way. Stacey managed to use her horns to defeat a few other Pokemon that attempted to attack them. Even Girafarig helped out by blasting some grunts away with psychic attacks.
A set of stairs came within their vicinity. "That's gotta be the exit for sure!" Julia exclaimed, hoping she was right. They raced right up the stairs, barely giving themselves time to see where they were. Soon, they burst through a door, and the first thing they saw was sunlight shining down on them with such intensity that it almost blinded them. They all fell onto each other in a big pile of limbs.
"Free at last!" Perrine cheered.
"Meganyuuuuu!" Florian trilled, the foliage around his neck basking in the warm sun.
Julia pulled herself out of the pile, realizing that they were surrounded by old buildings. She could make out the red roof of a Pokemon Center just a few blocks up, even though it was marred by other buildings. This wasn't the area they were in before. Caiseal helped Perrine up, and Stacey helped Heracles get back on his feet before they also realized they were in a town.
It dawned on Caiseal the moment he stood up. "We're in Mahogany Town!"
Both girls turned to face him with their eyebrows raised. "How do you know?" Julia asked.
"I've been here before!" Caiseal answered. "We must have escaped from Team Rocket's hideout!"
Before he could elaborate, a tremor rocked the ground, significant enough to almost make the kids wobble and lose their balance. Thankfully, Perrine was able to cling to Florian to keep herself balanced. Caiseal and Julia followed suit by hugging both Stacey and Heracles. Girafarig managed to keep his balance just fine, planting his rocky hooves down on the dirt beneath him.
"The evolution inducement machine!" A voice cried out from inside the building they exited.
"Someone's destroyed it!" The kids could hear the thundering of shoes against the steel floors, even though they were outside.
"Get that capture claw ready! We're getting that red Gyarados!"
The red Gyarados. "Oh no! We've gotta go back to Lake of Rage!" Julia yelled.
For once, the kids didn't hesitate. A Team Rocket grunt stormed out from the building, running right behind it as he tore his clothes off. Lance pulled off his disguise before throwing a PokeBall in the air. "Mercury, let's go to Lake of Rage!" The Dragonite didn't waste time allowing Lance to hop on his back. With that, they ascended into the air, flying straight toward where the lake was.
All of a sudden, a large truck swerved out from another part of town. It was so large, it could easily fit a Gyarados inside. The kids had only one thought: they were after the red Gyarados, no doubt. They had to act fast. The kids all hopped on Florian's back, commanding him to run like the wind. Since Heracles could fly, Caiseal let him stay out of his PokeBall and recalled Stacey instead. Oddly enough, the Girafarig followed from behind.
Inside the truck, Proton sat behind the wheel, his hands curled right around the steering wheel as he drove past the speed limit. Another grunt sat in the passenger side. "That stupid Lance Cipris!" Proton hissed, his face contorting in a way that cowed the passenger next to him. "I'll make him pay!"
"We're going to catch the red Gyarados, right?" The grunt sputtered.
"Of course!" Proton barked. "He may have destroyed the evolution inducement wave, but we still have a chance if we can get that blasted Gyarados! Good thing we managed to get the capture claw ready in time!" He pressed his foot on the pedal, not caring that the truck's tires were making high pitched squeaking sounds.
Before Lance and Mercury even descended before the Lake of Rage, a whole group of Gyarados had reached the surface, watching the sky with eager faces as if preparing for an all-out war. The red Gyarados was among them, straight in the middle of the lake, a red spot in a sea of blue. It didn't take much for Lance to figure it out: the Gyarados were going to fight Team Rocket and protect one of their own. He pulled out one of his PokeBalls as soon as Mercury descended right next to the lake. All of the Gyarados turned to their left to face Lance. Some of them let out harsh growls, telling him to leave. Others simply ignored him. Lance didn't pay them any heed.
"Go, Neptune!" Lance threw the PokeBall high in the air. The red and white capsule opened as light shot out from inside it, materializing into another blue Gyarados. Neptune let out a roar, telling the other Gyarados that he intended to help them in their fight against Team Rocket. The other Gyarados listened intently, with some gathering around Neptune to get a better look at him.
"Gyarados of Lake of Rage!" Lance exclaimed, hoping his voice was loud enough for them to hear. "Team Rocket intends to catch your red friend at any cost!"
The red Gyarados shuddered with fear. She knew they were after her, but that didn't make the whole situation any less frightening. She wished this whole thing would just end, or that Team Rocket would just leave them alone.
"Let us help you!" Lance continued, putting a hand on his chest. "We are on your side!"
The Gyarados family didn't even get a chance to reply before the large truck from before suddenly swerved onto the lake. Proton turned to his fellow grunt. "Ready the capture claw!" He commanded.
The Team Rocket grunt pulled out a small, rectangular remote control with four buttons on it, each of them in different colors. "Activating capture claw!" He pressed the red button.
The large container that encompassed almost the entire truck opened up, and a large, metal fixture with a claw-like structure at the top came right out. It was large enough that it could easily carry a Gyarados and take it inside the container. Lance got back on Mercury's back right before the Dragonite ascended into the air. No way was Lance going to let Team Rocket have their way.
"Everyone! Use Hyper Beam!"
On cue, Mercury, Neptune, and all the other Gyarados, including the red one, fired blazing hot beams of light at the metal claw. However, as soon as the Hyper Beams made contact, a red spherical force field appeared around the claw, protecting it from every single attack that the Gyarados and Mercury could throw at it. Two Gyarados tried to bite on the claw and keep it in place. That didn't work, as the grunt maneuvered the claw to escape from their mouths. Other Gyarados either headbutted it or smacked it with their heavy tails, hoping the force would be enough to destroy it. Once again, neither method worked, and their attacks didn't even so much as leave a dent.
The claw came closer and closer. The red Gyarados ducked underwater, hoping the claw wouldn't reach her, or at the very least get shorted out by the water. Unfortunately, despite everyone's efforts, her prayers were not answered. A cold, metallic sensation wrapped around her body. Soon, she found herself being pulled out of the water. Letting out a harsh, pained growl, she wriggled and writhed, slamming her tail left and right, struggling to break free. She was sure she could feel the tips of the claws digging into her thick red hide. Growling and screaming for her life, she begged for freedom. Nothing came.
As soon as the red Gyarados was pulled out of the water, her family wasted no time reacting. Three Gyarados bit onto her tail, making sure their teeth were deep into her red hide. There was no turning back now. They had to save their friend or die trying. But they all knew one thing for sure: there was no way in all of the world that they were going to just let Team Rocket take their friend away and have their way with her, whatever they planned to do with her. Even Neptune got in on it by shooting strong blasts of raging water at the metal claw. However, they didn't even make it rust, let alone knock it out of commission. With Lance on his back, Mercury wrapped his chubby arms around the claw, just above the red Gyarados.
Proton watched the scene, balling his fist. "Curse that Cipris!" He turned to the Team Rocket grunt next to him. "Activate electric shock!" He barked loud enough to make his junior shiver.
"Shocking!" Cowed by his commander's anger, the helpless grunt pressed the yellow button on the remote.
All of a sudden, everyone attached to the metal claw, including Lance and Mercury, could feel the burning sensation of electricity coursing through their bodies. Their muscles became numb as the electricity fried them all from the inside out. No longer could their arms cling to the metal claw. Not even the Gyarados were spared. Soon, the weakened Gyarados family were unable to hold onto their friend. Their mouths fell open, all against their will, as they fell back into the water. Even Mercury was unable to continue holding on as his stubby arms released the mechanical claw. With that, the helpless red Gyarados was pulled into the container as it closed right up.
She saw no light, and with it, no hope. Team Rocket had successfully taken her! She could feel herself moving, but where were they taking her? All she could see was darkness, both inside and out. Her family tried so hard, but they still couldn't save her. She was in turmoil, her heart a whirlpool of emotions she found herself unable to put into growls. Fear, confusion, bewilderment, hopelessness...she wondered what would await her in the future. Nothing good, she was sure.
"Where are we going?" The Team Rocket grunt asked.
"I just got word from Archer," Proton answered brusquely, making the grunt shrink in his seat. "The police have found our base in Mahogany Town, so we can't go back there," He turned left at a corner. "But we have a satellite location that they haven't discovered yet. We're heading there."
Proton was confident that no one would find their satellite location. But unbeknownst to him and the other grunt, Venus, Lance's Swablu, sat right on top of the container, her white talons clinging tightly to a bar, keeping her from being blown away by the wind and the swerving truck whenever it would turn. Not only that, a small, black machine was wrapped around one of her antennae, and a red light blinked on and off.
At the Lake of Rage, Lance managed to get back on his feet. His body was still tense from the shock, and his arms and legs burned every time he even so much as moved. But this was no time for sitting around in pain. He whirled around to get a better look at Mercury. The Dragonite stood back up, shaking its body like a Growlithe after it had a bath.
"Are you alright, Mercury?" Lance stroke his large friend's scales gently.
"Draooooh!" Mercury warbled with a big smile, not looking one bit fazed from being electrocuted by a Team Rocket machine.
Lance wasted no time pulling his cell phone out, punching in some numbers, and holding it to his ear. After a few rings, he got an answer. "Officer? This is Lance Cipris. Yes. Yes. We appreciate your cooperation. Officer Jenny said they have a satellite location somewhere, and I'm sure they're taking the red Gyarados there," He explained. "I sent one of my Pokemon after them with a tracking device. As soon as I find their location, I'll let you know right away! Did you free the Electrode?" Silence. "Good. It's sad that they were used for something so foul. What's that? You saved the kids?"
When the officer on the other line mentioned some kids, Lance was sure he was referring to the three that Officer Jenny said were captured by TR before. His barely veiled turmoil was replaced with a healthy dose of relief. "Good. They're safe. Make sure they don't go anywhere. I don't want to put them in danger."
Julia, Perrine, and Caiseal had been escorted into the nearest police station, sitting on some plain metal chairs in the lobby. They could only watch as police officers ran to and fro, either talking on their portable radios, taking papers to other rooms, taking handcuffed criminals into custody, or conversing amongst themselves. At one point, some policemen dragged in some particularly uncooperative Team Rocket grunts, one of which did nothing but scream like a hungry Arcanine and kick his legs in the air.
"You can't arrest me!" The grunt roared, his voice growing more hoarse every time he raised his voice. The police officers were barely able to keep a hold on him, but managed to keep their hands on him at all times. "I'm the best grunt there is!" His yelling echoed in the lobby, so loud it resembled a bomb going off. Julia's hands covered her ears in an attempt to block the noise. It barely worked, but it muffled the sound somewhat. Still, the yelling made her shrink in her chair. She wished she was someplace quiet, like a private room in a Pokemon Center.
"I can't believe they're making us stay here," Caiseal grumbled, arms crossed and legs kicking up and down. "They won't even let us go to the Pokemon Center!"
Perrine stroke Julia's shoulder with one hand, hoping to give her some reassurance. "We don't have a choice, Cash," She told him. "They don't want us anywhere near Lake of Rage, and since Team Rocket knows about us, they want to make sure we don't get caught again."
"She's right," Julia added. "I don't like it anymore than you do. Believe me, I want to help them out!" By them, she meant both Lance, the police, and the red Gyarados. She could only hope that the Mahogany Town police were making some progress in saving the red Gyarados.
But just sitting here was making her uneasy. A swirl of emotions surged throughout her chest. Impatience, fear, confusion, anticipation...she wished she could just let them all out. Let them out so they wouldn't irritate her and boil up inside her so much. Here she was, sitting helplessly in a police station, unable to do anything, not even allowed to leave. Even kicking her legs and rocking back and forth wasn't enough to force all these feelings out. She wanted to go out there and help that Gyarados. However, the rational side of her brain kept pestering her to stand down.
'How can you possibly help them?' Her rational side questioned. 'Team Rocket are a big criminal organization with armies of people and Pokemon, and have lots of big machines that could easily destroy a whole town,' Julia kept staring down at her dirty sneakers. 'You can't stand up to them. They're too strong, and for all you know, that radio signal may still hurt your Pokemon.'
She was right. She wouldn't be able to even stand up to Team Rocket, not with everything they have. They were a criminal syndicate. Julia was just a helpless eleven-year-old girl, too easily frightened by things others can handle just fine to even do anything on her own. She hated feeling so weak, feeling as though she can't do anything to help. All she wanted to do was get the heck out of here and do something. Not being allowed to do so just made her really irritated, and the awful irritation gnawing at her heart was only making her even more irritated than she already was. She wished she could do something! Anything! As much as she appreciated the police for wanting to protect them from Team Rocket, their concern and kindness couldn't suppress the impatience festering with every minute that passed.
Right then, three of her PokeBalls suddenly opened all by themselves. White lights shot out from her pockets, materializing into Hikaru, Lucretia, and Saoirse. All of them had smiles on their faces. Unlike before, none of them were screaming or falling into pained fetal positions. The sight of them made her hands come off of her ears.
"Pikachu!"
"Ee-vui!"
"Snub snubbull!"
"Hey, girls!" With a smile, Julia opened her arms right up, allowing the trio of cute Pokemon to leap right into them. "You're not in pain anymore?"
"Eevee eevee!" ("Nope! That awful sound is gone!") Lucretia chirruped, nuzzling her furry head against Julia's chin. Immediately, the impatience that kept gnawing at her was pushed aside. Julia could always rely on her favorite Pokemon friends to make her happy.
"I wonder if that radio signal was shut off?" Perrine wondered aloud, scratching her head of orange hair.
"Or maybe Lance destroyed it," Caiseal suggested.
Julia looked up to find two police officers standing in the middle of the lobby, speaking amongst themselves. Despite the noise, Julia found herself able to make out everything they were saying. Perhaps hypersensitive hearing did prove to do some good after all.
"I just got a call from Lance," A dark skinned officer told his coworker. "He said he found Team Rocket's satellite location."
"Really? Where?"
"Right on Route 44. They have a secret base underground, right next to the lake. Not Lake of Rage, I mean. A smaller one."
Route 44. Julia pulled out her PokeGear in a frenzy. As soon as she got it out, she turned it on and pulled up the map function. Upon closer inspection, Route 44 was right next to Mahogany Town, just about twenty blocks from the Pokemon Center. It helped that the PokeGear was able to provide pictures and showed what Route 44 looked like. Julia could make out a small lake, much smaller than Lake of Rage, and a few grasslands. Hikaru and Saoirse couldn't help but lean closer to sneak some peeks, wondering why their trainer was suddenly looking up Route 44 all of a sudden.
She could be patient no longer. The urge to go there and find their satellite location seized her with an iron grip. Against the police's orders, Julia stood up from the chair and ran right out of the lobby, with Hikaru, Lucretia, and Saoirse running after her from behind. Perrine's mouth fell agape, and Caiseal stood up and lurched a hand out in an attempt to grab her.
"Julia! Wait! We can't leave!" Caiseal cried. But the impatient girl had already left the police station in a hurry. Some police officers already ran out of the lobby in hot pursuit.
"Hey! Stop right there, kid!"
"You're not supposed to leave!"
An old man wearing a heavy navy blue coat and a light blue scarf watched as the girl disappeared down the road, scowling like the girl was trespassing on his property. Not even the police officers noticed him watching them with that scowl.
The first thing the red Gyarados saw when she woke up was that she was no longer underwater. She knew this, since she watched herself get pulled out with that machine. But now, she looked around, finding herself trapped in a titanium room with shiny silver walls. There was only one large, rectangular window, and Archer, along with Ariana and two other grunts wearing white lab coats, looked down on her from above. Consumed with fear, the red Gyarados began banging her head against the walls.
BANG! BANG! BANG! She kept banging her head over and over again, letting out hoarse growls as she did so. She wanted out, and she wanted to get out NOW. Alas, the red Gyarados's pleas went completely unheard. Team Rocket was never a group that took pity on the Pokemon they stole. It didn't help that she was the only Pokemon in the entire room, so she was completely and utterly alone.
"That Gyarados sure is persistent," Ariana mused aloud, putting a hand on her hip. She turned to face Archer, waggling one of her eyebrows. "I take it you have great plans for this overgrown worm, don't you?" If a voice could turn into venom, Ariana's would stench of venom so bad that it could kill someone just from hearing it.
"Hmph," Archer closed his eyes. "Do you secretly have psychic powers or something? You seem to know exactly what I'm thinking all the time."
"It's not like you're hard to read, you know."
"Anyway…" Archer opened his eyes back up, looking down at the pitiful red Gyarados, who proceeded to slap the titanium walls with her tail. As usual, not even that did anything to set her free. "I hear that shiny Pokemon are able to withstand attacks better than normal Pokemon can. I want to see if it's true," He explained.
"I see."
Archer whirled around to face one of the technicians. "Release the shock blasters."
"Activating shock blasters."
Right underneath the window, metal cannons suddenly popped out from the wall, pointed right at the red Gyarados. Upon seeing them, the helpless red serpent shrunk into a corner of the wall. There was no escape, no matter what she did. Blue electricity began crackling from the holes before they were consumed by light. Then, once they were charged, blasts of cackling blue thunder struck the red Gyarados, sending electricity surging all throughout her large body. The pain was too much. It seemed as though the red Gyarados was being set on fire a million times over. All she could do was roar helplessly, squirming and writhing at the mercy of the shock blasters.
"STOP IT! PLEASE, STOP!" She roared at the highest level she could raise her voice to. But Team Rocket promptly ignored her pleas as they watched from the big window. To the normal person, subjecting a Pokemon to this kind of treatment would be utterly immoral. Actually, immoral was an understatement, an insult to the world immoral. It was horrific. But to Archer, Ariana, and other Team Rocket members, it wasn't a sight worth batting an eye at. It didn't help that the humans couldn't understand anything she said.
No one cared to help her. She was at Team Rocket's mercy.
"Well? Get any data?' Archer asked one of the technicians.
A man in a lab coat pulled out a white paper scroll with colorful wavy lines going across it horizontally. "It seems the Gyarados's strength is no different from regular Gyarados," He explained.
Archer kept his arms crossed. "Alright. Cease."
After what seemed to be an eternity, the thunder finally disappeared, and the cannons retreated back into the wall. The red Gyarados's body turned limp, as she found herself unable to hold herself up. With a great thud, the red Gyarados fell to the floor, her scales rising and falling in tune with her weak breath intakes. Already, she found herself wishing she was dead. To escape the pain and the humiliation of being trapped by these heartless people, helpless, pitiful, with no means of escape.
"Alright. Release the gas clouds. See if it can withstand being poisoned."
"Releasing gas clouds."
The cannons returned. This time, they didn't shoot thunder. Instead, thick clouds of noisome, purple dust came billowing into the room. One whiff of the stuff, and the red Gyarados's body burned like a raging fire. Too weak to blow it away or even to swish her tail, all she could do was lie there, her body refusing to do what she asked it to. The clouds continued to grow in size, soon covering almost the entire room. They became so thick, the Team Rocket commanders couldn't even see the red Gyarados inside.
"Get rid of the gas clouds," Archer commanded in a low but stern voice.
Without a word, the technician pressed a button. The cannons went into reverse, and the gas clouds found themselves being pulled back inside. The cannons sucked those purple clouds inside with the force of a vacuum, refusing to let even the tiniest spec of poisonous dust remain in that confined space. Soon, the Team Rocket commanders could see the red Gyarados again. The crimson serpent didn't move from her spot. Her face was pale and purple, and her breathing became hoarse and heavy. Her body still burned, and every time she moved, the pain would get worse, and she would find herself frozen by the poison numbing her from the tail up.
"Let me go...please let me go...please…" The red Gyarados pleaded with all the strength she could use to just growl. The faces of her mother and father, her friends, and even her crush flashed through her mind. Where were they? Why weren't they here? Did Team Rocket hurt them, too? She hoped they didn't, since they were after her all along. She wished they could come and help them. But the rational side of her brain told her that Gyarados can't fly. There was no way they'd be able to leap out of the lake and find her.
Once again, her pained prayers and heartfelt pleas fell on deaf ears.
"Inject the serum," Ariana suggested.
"Activating serum injection."
'Oh great. What are they going to do to me this time?' The red Gyarados mused to herself abjectly. Already, the light at the tunnel was far out of reach, and she was helpless to do anything.
Instead of cannons, large machines with booster needles at the end floated right up to the weak serpent, pushing themselves into the cracks in her hide. Yet another pained roar escaped from the red Gyarados's large, gaping mouth. Her large tail wagged up and down, banging on the floor, sending tremors throughout the room. Archer, Ariana, and the technicians didn't feel a thing, and they didn't move an inch away from their spots.
"MAKE IT STOOOOOOP!" The red Gyarados roared and growled once more. Again, the Team Rockets ignored her screams. Already, the red Gyarados found herself wishing she was dead. 'Mom...Dad...someone...anyone...please…' Not even she could hold back tears as they sprung forth, trickling right down into her mouth. 'HELP MEEEEEE!'
Help me. That was the last thing she thought before she saw nothing but darkness.
Yeah, I'm gonna make another 0.5 chapter so as to spread it out a bit and not make it seem rushed. Wow, it's been a while since I made an 0.5 chapter, hasn't it? Oh! But I should let you guys know, I might not have internet access next week because my parents and I are going on vacation, and we won't have much access to computers for a while. I might convince my dad to let me bring his laptop with us, but I can't guarantee anything for sure. I just thought I'd tell you guys so you don't think I disappeared off the face of the planet or got kidnapped or decided to abandon the story. In fact, with this chapter, I'm halfway done with this arc! Look forward to the rest!
Random fact: I wasn't sure which design I should use to describe Lance: the original version, his FireRed/LeafGreen look, or his Heart Gold/Soul Silver design, so I simply took a fourth option and used an amalgamation of his original (note the red jean jacket) and HGSS design. I mean, I like how mature he looks in his HGSS design and how he actually looks like a grown man, but...did the character designers REALLY have to make those orange straps wrap around his crotch? It looks stupid! Plus, I kinda like his red jean jacket from the original Red/Blue/Yellow games.
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Sweet Kiss, Volt Tackle
Lucretia (Eevee, Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Anticipation
Attacks: Quick Attack, Helping Hand, Bite, and Shadow Ball
Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Magical Leaf
Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Fire Fang, and Scary Face
Rina (Nidoran, Female, Bold Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Sting, Scratch, and Bite
Rino (Nidoran, Male, Modest Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Sting, Peck, and Horn Attack
Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack
Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Vine Whip, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain
Chirin (Flaaffy, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Charge, Power Gem, and Signal Beam
Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Body Slam
Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: Scratch, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain
Luminita (Chinchou, Female, Naive Nature)
Ability: Water Absorb
Attacks: Supersonic, Water Gun, BubbleBeam, and Electro Ball
Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Marowak, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Rush, Headbutt, and Rock Smash
Apollo (Quilava, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flame Wheel, Flame Charge, Quick Attack, and Smokescreen
Viole (Gloom, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Acid, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent
Stacey (Pinsir, Female, Serious Nature)
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Attacks: X-Scissor, Swords Dance, Seismic Toss, and Double Hit
Heracles (Heracross, Male, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Moxie
Attacks: Brick Break, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, and Endure
Geo (Golem, Male, Brave Nature)
Ability: Sturdy
Attacks: Steamroller, Rock Slide, Heavy Slam, and Magnitude