White heels echoed through a hallway. The woman who they belonged too was wearing a black skirt and white arm length gloves with it. She had short green hair and was holding a clipboard with names on it. A bright red R on the skirt she was wearing signified her allegiance to one of the most fearsome organizations in the Kanto region.
A criminal organization bent on conquering the world. They would use Pokémon for their own evil purposes in an effort to achieve total domination over the world. There weren't exactly many morals when you would work here. Breaking rules kind of came with the job. Doing whatever it takes to achieve their ultimate goal, members had to vouch themselves to an oath.
Steal Pokémon for profit. Exploit Pokémon for profit. All Pokémon exist for the glory of Team Rocket.
She was just an employee like all others. Not being an agent in the field like many she was more focused on the human affairs side of things. There's a lot of money going in the illegal practices they were doing and needed someone to monitor the organization's funding and spending.
And the recruiting of individuals. The list she was carrying with her contained the name of every graduate of the Team Rocket academy. Here people were trained in the art of thieving, swindling, bribing, disguises, breaking and entering, poaching and laundering. Every skill a person needs to be a successful criminal in the service of the man she was going to present the list with.
Arriving in front of the huge metal door she was ordered to meet up with the man who was waiting for the woman on the other side of it. Pressing the bell she waited for permission to enter knowing the punishment if she interrupted him or wandered in at the wrong time.
"Yes. What is it?" A voice filled with authority in it answered her call. The woman knew not to address him by his name so she called him by a title worthy of his status.
"Human resources master."
"Wendy. Come in."
Entering through the large metal doors she saw her boss sitting at his desk with a laptop in front of him. Thinking he must've just finished a call she quickly went to the point to not test his patience.
"I have the list of graduates and their grades."
Handing over the file on her clipboard which contained the names and performances in class from people who enlisted in the academy. While Giovanni read over all new graduates he asked the woman something that related to it.
"What about the huge number of Pokémon we caught?"
"All being trained in loyalty and discipline as requested sir." She knew better to question him but the boss never wasted time on Pokémon not worth any value.
For some reason the boss ordered them lately to catch any Pokémon they came across no matter how weak. The strength didn't matter, he needed quantity over quality. The organization executing his orders to the letter wasted a lot of money with Giovanni being uncharacteristic wasteful with resources making some of the higher ups silently question his sanity and commitment to the Team Rocket program.
"Then it's time to start the new recruitment program. And I know exactly who our first candidate will be."
Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town had just arrived back from his journey in Alola. After collecting a bunch of Z-crystals and after the Pokémon League ended he found it a proper time to head back home in search for his next adventure. On the way from the airport to his home in Pallet Town he remembered all his friends in the Alola region that he left behind.
Suddenly the ground fell away from under him and swallowed him up. Landing awkwardly he rubbed his right arm a bit which was the spot he first fell on.
"Look what we caught boys! A twerp and his rodent."
Before Ash and Pikachu could look up who said it a small blue grenade with a red R on it got tossed into the hole the boy and Pokémon had fallen into. The grenade burst open and release a blue cloud filled with spores.
"What…is…"
The grenade filled with Sleep Powder quickly knocked him and Pikachu out. Sleeping now in the hole the one who was responsible for the hole loomed over the edge of it in the pit. Turning around he stared at the lowly just graduated grunt. This one had low grades in almost every subject but at least his eagerness to work for Giovanni will be put to good use.
"Drag him out of there and take his Pokémon away. Every second counts you runt."
"Yes sir!"
Ash was brought over to a hidden location. Somewhere dark with no natural sunlight he was still snoring thanks to the Sleep Powder grenade. The more experienced member of the two threw a Pokeball which a Hypno appeared from. The yellow Pokémon started to shine its pendulum knowing what the agent and its trainer needed from him.
The more experienced agent of the two was ordered not to toy with his victim and make it fast. With the boss being a businessman by heart time is money and wasting it on trivial matters like self gratification was a punishable offense if the word came out.
"Wake Up Slap!"
Hypno walked to the sleeping trainer. Raising a palm it smacked Ash as hard as it could. The sting from the slap him awake he looked around what caused his rude awakening.
"A Hypno?"
Looking around some more he saw a tall man dressed in a black Team Rocket uniform. Thinking Jessie, James and Meowth must've called for back up in capturing Pikachu Ash was determined to get out and get his Pokémon back. Putting two and two together the Hypno must've been used to contain him.
"You're going to hypnotize me? Try it!"
Mocking the agent for his poor efforts saying he's not going to get away with this. Team Rocket always failed and with him being so close to home was sure they will again.
"You hate me don't you? Despise me? Want nothing more but to have Team Rocket destroyed right?"
The agent drawing out any type of negative emotion he could from his captive wanted to enrage him. He needed him as angry as possible fir the next step of his plan.
"Took the words right out of my mouth."
"Uh boss? Why am I tied up too?"
The grunt in the same position as the boy he dragged out of the pit didn't get why his commanding officer trapped him too. Having gotten what he wanted from the both of them the agent saw his chance. Right now the boy and grunt were at the exact moment needed to make his plan a success.
"Perfect. Hypno, use Ally Switch!"
Hypno's eyes glowed a bright red and a glow covered Ash and the tied up Rocket grunt. The aspiring Pokémon Master glowed light red while the grunt was covered in a darkish red like the logo he wore on his outfit.
The lights coming from them started to leave their bodies and formed two orbs that hovered over them. The spheres flew past each other and the lights targeted their destinations. The light red that came from Ash went into the grunt and the dark red from the grunt vice versa. Both of them shook wildly in their binds till the shock of the energy transfer died down.
The Team Rocket agent went to the twerp he caught before. Knowing he was awake and finally clear by conscious Ash's brown orbs landed on the man who led the ambush on him.
"How do you feel about stealing Pokémon now like we stole your Pikachu?"
Ash being silent seemingly thinking about something. The man gave him a few seconds before the boy answered him. A sick and evil grin formed on his face.
"I never thought about it but there might be a reason those three are always after Pikachu. Could be fun."
The boy seeing a certain appeal to it now wanted to discuss the subject more with the towering man. Maybe being part of Team Rocket didn't sound so bad after all. Jessie, James and Meowth were always up to no good but maybe there's maybe a bit more to it than just simple Pokémon theft. Maybe the guy in front of him can tell more.
"Stealing Pokémon is evil! How could you!" The tied up Team Rocket grunt protesting against the agent and the boy showing interest in stealing lost all sort of sympathy to the boss his plans disgusted at the idea he ever wanted to work for him.
The exchange working perfectly the instructor didn't move a muscle keeping up his strict appearance but noted all that happened in the last few minutes knowing the Ally Switch worked perfectly on the boy.
"Hypnosis is so old fashioned. People can break free from forced Hypnosis but they can't break free from behavior and conditioning. Even if he doesn't accept his Pokémon on him are already ours. It really is like trading Pokémon like the boss said."
"Hypno, Hypnosis on the twerp!" The Hypnosis Pokémon now using his signature move on the tied up Rocket grunt who protested. His weak mind easily focusing on the swinging pendulum his eyes glazed over and he stared at it with an open mouth.
With that little nuisance quiet for now the agent directed his focus back to Ash. There were a few more things he needed to know before he would really set him free and see if the allegiance switch really worked and he wasn't faking it.
"What is your name kid?"
"It's Ash Ketchum sir." None of the former desire to knock him out present in him the agent continued to speak to him.
"The boss has had an eye on you for a while. He wants to discuss a matter with you."
"Didn't I stop his plan in Unova?"
"You did. He wants to discuss those events with you. He's got an offer for you."
"An offer? I can always hear what he wants. Tell him I'd like to meet him." Ash didn't had to think twice about accepting the offer to see Giovanni. He always was a bit of a hothead and jumped into situations so he can give the Team Rocket boss a chance to explain himself now.
"Do you swear that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to say."
"Of course sir. I can keep your secret."
Ash a bit excited to meet Giovanni again. With the idea of maybe joining Team Rocket in the end he could use a new point in his journey. Going through a region and collecting badges to enter a Pokémon League was getting quite tedious. Being part of an organization might make for a pleasant change of pace.
"Take this." He untied the trainer and gave him a Pokeball with a black top and a R on it. Ash took the Pokeball and put it away safely in his pocket.
"Take this to the Game Corner in Celadon City. Give it to the woman at counter 6 where you can change coins for prizes. After that you'll get to hear what's next."
With instructions clear he send the boy out to meet the boss.
"Do you keep my Pokémon or can I have them back for a moment?"
"You'll get them back for now. Head in that way. Make sure to surrender the moment you see them."
With his Pikachu and what he had on him being converted to Team Rocket Pokémon by the time Ash woke up the agent warned him not to resist and try anything funny. With these instructions in mind Ash left the area he was in to retrieve what was taken from him.
The agent turning his focus back on the tied grunt he served his purpose. Now to delete any recollection of this event and push him back into a mediocre lifestyle instead of basking in the glory of Team Rocket. Hypno's pendulum still swinging left and right he started to instruct the tied grunt on what to do. These would be his final orders for Team Rocket.
"You never were a part of Team Rocket. You are just a normal civilian. Any memory you have of Team Rocket is just a dream."
"Just…dreaming…" With a distant look the grunt was reprogrammed into settling down into a normal pedestrian life.
"That's right. All a dream."
"Number 6. This is the place."
As the man told him Ash made his way to Celadon City. His mother asking why he was going there Ash claimed he got an errand to run for an old friend in another region and that it shouldn't take long. His mother not realizing his true intention never knew her son was at the threshold of becoming something she hated.
Stepping inside the building next to the Game Corner there was a long line of people all cashing in their chips on prizes. Booths 1 till 5 were easily spotted from the front door but there was no booth 6. Inspecting the place further he rounded a corner. All hidden away was a booth called 6 with nobody in line.
The woman at booth 6 bored out of her skull did her nails. Nobody ever came around to her so it was easy money made or a punishment cause you messed up a mission for the boss. Ash walked to the counter asking the woman's attention. She welcomed him thinking he was a little young to be gambling.
"I got handed this." Ash pulled out the Rocket ball making sure no one saw him. The woman seeing it smirked as she took it in.
"You won our grand prize sir. To your right it's waiting for you."
She laid down a black pass with an R on it. Ash taking it from the counter the woman got off her seat and went to a promotional poster. Tearing a piece of it from the wall it seemed she flicked a switch. The woman shooing him to get inside quickly Ash ran in and the woman flicked the switch again closing the entrance.
Now in a black box of some sort the only thing that allowed the boy to see was a small light illuminating his area. Seeing nothing interesting but a slide gap big enough for a card to slide through. Using the pass he was given Ash slid it through the gap and he felt his place starting to move. It remembered him of an elevator who was moving.
The shaking of the box stopped and the doors opened up. The trainer stepped out of the elevator and looked at the back of a chair. The person in the seat heard his secret elevator close and turned around.
Sitting in a well pressed black suit with a red tie in an office chair a Persian was next to him. The Cat Pokémon recognizing the boy and mouse snarled having bad memories with them. The boss eyeing the boy in front of him studied him. He hasn't changed much in appearance having got a bit taller. Unlike their last meeting the trainer didn't attack him on sight. Clutching the edge of his seat Giovanni do tight his knuckles turned white he resisted the urge to let his Persian scar the boy.
"The reason my Unova plan failed. What delicious irony."
Who better than the boy who prevented world domination in the Alola region helping him now conquer it. Enjoying the irony Giovanni would've preferred to torture the boy and break his spirit into joining but after weighing his options couldn't risk damaging him completely and waste some of his potential. He wanted that strength his Pikachu used against him for Team Rocket's purposes.
"I met a man who said you had an offer for me." Ash with a calm tone spoke up. He showed the boss respect because he really wanted to just talk about some things.
"Indeed I had. But first about you. What were you doing in Unova?" Stroking his Persian Giovanni would still snap at him if he didn't like the trainers answer for foiling his plan.
"Journeying to be a Pokémon Master. I travelled through different regions to become one."
Keeping his answer short not to waste the boss his time since leading a criminal organization can be hard work. Especially if he has to look out for the numbskulls who always try to take Pikachu. Giovanni gave him a little smile saying that before him and Ash were not so different at all.
"Master is a term we use quite often here. The term master implies that you wish to seek control over something over someone. We here at Team Rocket want to be the master of this world and all the Pokémon. That's why we went to Unova and controlled Landorus, Tornadus and Thunderus."
"You show potential but haven't achieved it. I have tons of people under employment who can unleash it. There's only one thing I ask from you." Ash had a good clue what he wanted from him.
"Work for Team Rocket?"
"Are you interested?" Knowing that thanks to his agents earlier actions the boy is unable to resist power and his loyalty to him. Luring him deeper with a few more sweet words to finish him off.
"You can get anything you want just as long as you complete the assignments and missions I give you. Other certain perks are added depending on your performance."
"Tell me more about Team Rocket sir. I want to know as much as possible before I sign up."
Giovanni touching a dial on his desk phone contacted his human resources worker. He was going to enjoy seeing the trainer transform into one of his most loyal subjects. A little reeducation on top of his change of heart Giovanni is looking forward to see a twerp morph into a Team Rocket agent.
"Wendy. Make up a contract. We have a new recruit in our academy."
Not exactly what I had in mind when I finished the Miette one shot but let me explain.
For those who are unaware Deviantart has switched to a system they call Eclipse.
In short it sucks.
That's why for the time being I'm posting some of DA stories here. This is stuff I've written a long time ago so expect a lot of updates on this page from me the coming weeks or until the Eclipse thing gets sorted.
Later.