Disclaimer: (is it still worth doing these?) Pokemon - GameFreak, Pokemon Go- The Pokemon Company and Niantic
Characters&Ships: Nanu/Giovanni, a bit of a nod to Pokemon Go and a bit of Interpol agent OC.
Author's notes: It's hard to beat Team Rocket in PoGo but boy, do they inspire me fore some Interpol stories. There was also some prompts by the-moder-typewriter on tumblr that tickled all my hero/villain chords. This is the result B)
Fair Deal
The warehouse was filthy.
Dark, damp, reeking of old rotten fish and the Tapus knew what, the kind of place that even Muks would find disgusting.
Of course, 000 may be slightly biased. Being forced on your knees with a gag in your mouth, your hands tied behind your back, a Stun Spore attack immobilizing you, a pounding headache and what you thought was a trusted ally griping your neck might do that to you.
Really, was the gag necessary?
"If that makes you feel better", 40S murmured from above, "I'm really sorry about all this".
And the worst was that he seemed sincere.
"I couldn't let them harm Jez. You would have done the same, I'm sure."
Maybe the gag was necessary because Zeroes wanted nothing more than snarl that maybe he would have done the same, or maybe he would have tried to find a plan to avoid selling out a fellow agent to Team Rocket AND save his partner at the same time, or maybe he wouldn't have given Team Rocket a reason to test the loyalty of their mole in the first place.
Betrayal wasn't even what stung the most (he expected it from most of Interpol by that point) but incompetence pissed him off, and Forties was making every dumb decision in the book in this situation.
But between the paralysis and the gag, Zeroes could barely breathe, and he couldn't even glare at his former colleague as the grip on his neck forced his head downward.
He settled for glaring at a greasy spot on the ground and cursing mentally everyone in Interpol, with a special mention to himself for not seeing this shitstorm coming.
The grip on his neck tightened a bit more as the warehouse doors opened and boot-clad footsteps echoed, approaching slowly the two agents. From where Zeroes kneeled, he couldn't see much, but could guess they were barely half a dozen.
And he was certain one of them wasn't walking in grunt boots.
He heard Forties swallow nervously above him, and on their right, Forties' Venonat buzzed threateningly, puffing out its fur. The footsteps came to a halt a dozen of meters ahead of them, and for a moment there was only the far away rumble of the docks to trouble the silence.
Forties was the one to break it:
"See, I did what you asked. I got him here, alone, alive and without his team. I held my end of the deal, now give me back my Pokemon!"
"Does anyone know where you both are?"
Zeroes expected this low, sharp voice, but he still clenched his teeth instinctively, a cold feeling dropping in his stomach.
Say the smart thing, Forties, make your brain work for once and say the right thing...
"No one, I swear! Anyone who thinks he's still alive after the accident is looking for him on the other side of the city !"
Zeroes dropped his head, eyes closed in frustration.
Of all the things to say, you absolute fool...
"Are you sure no one suspects you ?"
"Arceus, I made sure of that, I'm telling you ! The faster we finish, the easier you can disappear, alright ?! Now hold up your end of the deal and let Jez go!"
A dark chuckle answered him.
"Of course. I wish all my business partners were as sensible...Cliff!"
"Yes boss!"
A snap of fingers, quickly followed by someone pulling out a pokeball and releasing what was inside -Jez, from the sound of its cry.
"Hey, you said you'd let it go!"
"Don't worry, we will release your Pokemon soon. Just step back from him first."
"Okay, okay, anything you want!"
For the first time since their arrival, the hand on his neck released Zeroes.
As soon as Forties had let go of his neck and started backing away, 000 looked up. Right ahead, at barely a dozen of meters, Giovanni stood, surround by four of his lackeys, including a muscular lieutenant holding firmly by the collar a Watchhog, the Pokemon struggling and hissing, his eyes red with fury...
...Too red.
Zeroes' own eyes widened and he tried desperately to shout a warning as the Pokemon dashed out by him as soon as it was free, but the spore still blocked most of his motor functions and he could barely gasp, muffled by his gag.
Behind him, he could hear Forties and his Venonat greeting his Pokemon, laughing and trilling in relief... until the joy turned into terror, vicious snarls and frantic tearing noises covered the screams of the agent.
"Jez! It's me! It's us! Stop! Stop! Daz, Stun Spore, stop her...! DAZ! NO!"
Deaf to the horror taking place, Giovanni walked calmly toward Zeroes, smirking slightly when the agent tried to move toward him in a fit of anger.
"Cliff, make sure the Watchog survives. I don't want to lose a useful asset."
"As you wish, Boss."
"Wait ! No! We had a deal!" Forties screamed, before howling in pain right after a wet, sickening crunch.
"And I kept it. The Pokemon is alive, unharmed in exchange for the agent... such a shame that it turned feral, isn't it ?"
Giovanni shook slowly his head, eyes closed in false sorrow.
"Tsk... this is why I hate dealing with traitors. Always complaining for some reason when they get their comeuppance."
He opened his eyes on Zeroes and smiled, as if they were sharing an old joke, unbothered by the burning rage in the agent's red eyes.
"Oh, don't look at me like that. I just did your job for you by getting Interpol rid of a mole, after all. But don't worry, old friend..."
Leaning down, he tenderly cupped Zeroes' cheek in his hand, stroking a cut with his finger. The soft caress quickly morphed into a death grip when Zeroes tried to get away with a snarl of disgust.
"...We both know you're worth much more than that. Only the special treatment for you."
In the dark warehouse, one last piercing shriek echoed before silence.
AN: Giovanni: I don't see what's the big deal, I traded a nasty, feral red-eyed pest for another, I say it's a fair deal.
Nanu: I'll personally make sure you can never give Silver a little sibling.