A/N: Here is one of the real good chapters, comin' at'cha! I didn't feel up to editing this one either so beware more B verbs. And a special thanks to everyone who reviewed! And an even special-er thanks to my dearest friend Nijiki, who's my best friend and a beloved reader. Well, she doesn't review, but she can just tell me things in person when we go to Aikido lessons together. Lol. Enjoy the chappy; I was on the edge of my chair most of the time writing it!
Ch.5 — Her Real Story
She had no other choice now. She'd been found out, and sirens alerting of her escape rang out in the empty corridor. Running now, she began to panic. Her location was that of one of the main halls, with smaller corridors branching off of it. In most hallways she passed, there were the shadows of Rocket Grunts about to be upon her, their cries of chase echoed off the bleak, cement walls.
Forced into the only hall where she did not see Grunts coming from, she turned the corner at the end of it and realized she was trapped! This whole hallway made a 'U', connected to the main corridor on both ends. The shadows appeared in front and back, their prey diving into the door closest to her.
It was a dead end.
Panting for breath, the prisoner looked up and saw a long, high-ceiling hallway with a large TV at the end. On its screen appeared the cruel, unflinching face of the Boss Giovanni himself. "You fell straight into my trap, dear Atsune." His comment mocked her, and he leaned comfortably back into his chair behind his desk.
Atsune's eyes glared pure hatred at the television, "Nothing you can ever do or say will EVER make me cooperate!"
"Ah, but there is something, something you love more than anything." He held up a remote of some sort, pressing one of its buttons. The wall to her left trembled and rose slowly, revealing the most agonizing thing Atsune had ever seen.
"DAD! MOM! TAKARA!" Her parents and younger brother all hung upon separate ropes that bound their wrists above their head and hung them from the ceiling. Atsune tried to run to her family, but collided with a think invisible wall. She pounded on it again and again, realizing her family did not move. Livid, she yet again faced the TV. "What did you do to them?!" she screamed.
Giovanni chuckled, and pressed another button. Atsune saw the floor open beneath her family, a large pool of water now beneath them. Carvanha, the piranha fish pokemon, leapt up occasionally to bite just short of her family's toes. "That's what I like about Carvanha. They eat every last bit of their prey, leaving no sign that they were ever there. Lucky for you, I'm being merciful to your family by putting them to sleep during this process."
Desperate, her heart racing and mouth dry, she yelled out, "Let them go! They're of no use to you!"
"Not until you vow to stay with my dear scientist friends. You're so important to us." He was mocking her again.
She growled at him, completely unaware of the tears streaming down her face. Looking once to her limply dangling family, she muttered under her breath.
"I'm sorry, what was that? I'm afraid I didn't catch it." Giovanni asked innocently.
"I said I'll stay! Just let them go!" Atsune yelled. A second later, Rocket Grunts came in and seized her arms and she did nothing to fight them.
"Ah look, one wakes." Giovanni stated, watching as Atsune whipped her head around to see her brother stirring. "I'm a man of my word, but I don't think you made yourself clear. Now, as you have wished, they shall be 'let go'. Say goodbye, forever."
As he spoke, Takara took in his surroundings until his eyes met Atsune's. Giovanni pressed one last button and time slowed. Atsune saw her family falling…falling towards the death-plagued waters below them.
She heard him, somehow Atsune heard her brother scream before he plunged into water. "NO!" she yelled, braking free of the Grunts and pounding once into the think invisible wall that held her back.
She watched, horror-struck, as the Carvanhas' deep blue water turn a sickening blood red. Her brother's terrified, screaming face flashed in her mind, never to leave.
"PLEASE! STOP!" Atsune screamed, sitting up in her chair. Looking around, she noticed she was back in her Black Base bedroom. Moist all over with cold sweat, Atsune breathed in deeply to try and calm herself. Ash and company came in, clad in their traveling clothes.
"What's wrong Atsune? We thought we heard you scream." Ash said, making way for Absol to come through. Absol nuzzled Atsune affectionately, helping to settle her trainer's nerves.
"Yeah, what's up? And where am I?" Gary asked from the bed beside her, slowly rising into a sitting position.
"It's nothing you guys…just a bad dream. Glad to finally see you're awake Gary!" she told him, changing the subject. "You're in my Base. You took quite a fall last night."
"Shroomish!!!" a voice yelled from the main room. Atsune got up, taking off the splint on her ankle, and ran out, finding a Shroomish, a Slakoth, and a Zigzagoon out in the front room.
"What in the world?" Brock said as the group came out. Absol spoke to the pokemon while Atsune explained the wild pokemons presence.
"The pokemon of the forest were my friends, and love to come and see me. Words gets around fast with these guys, so maybe they wanted to welcome me back. I wouldn't have been allowed to build this base without their permission." Atsune told them. She stared at the pokemon, and Absol gave her a distressed look.
"Absol!"
"I knew it. Something's wrong. Guys, they need my help, so I'm asking that you stay and wait here for me, for your own safety." Atsune grabbed her stuff and began walking out.
Someone grabbed her shoulder, and she found Gary right there. "We're going with you."
For a moment she opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it. Atsune started up the stairs to the surface. "Fine, I'm not about to waste time trying to stop you. Let's go."
Out of the stairwell, Atsune followed the three wild pokemon deep into the forest. Absol ran at her side, Ash and company behind them. Atsune recognized their path. They were being led to the only open field in the whole thick forest. It was wide enough for…
"A small army!" Atsune whispered in shock as they came out into the open space. A small army of Rockets stood on the far side, facing them. On foot, in tanks and massive weapons, and even hovering above on large and dangerous flying pokemon, the Grunts all stood in perfect formation. On a tank in the middle, three familiar figures stood smugly.
"Prepare for trouble…" Jessie called.
"And make it double…" James followed.
"No one cares about your stupid motto! What the hell are you guys doing here!?" Atsune yelled.
"What a rude little twerp. I guess it couldn't 'urt to skip da motto dis time." Meowth said. "We're here to steal dat Pikachu!"
He pointed to Ash's Pikachu, who ran stood with the others slightly behind Atsune.
"This happen often?" Atsune asked Ash.
"Like you wouldn't believe." He answered in flat tones.
"Then we'll just have to stop them." Atsune smirked, charging forward with inhumanly speed.
A loud noise sounded as the force of a small explosion knocked her back.
"Aaaaaaaaagh!" she yelled out, flying back to her original spot by the group.
"Like it? Our own personal land mines! Try fighting in that battlefield!" James taunted.
"Are you okay?" Gary asked Atsune with concern, helping her up.
"I'm fine, and I know just what I needed to know." Atsune told him, standing up straight. To the Rockets she yelled, "You guys must really suck if you need so many people to catch ONE pokemon!"
Jessie laughed with malice. "You think we here JUST for the rat? You're our little bonus. GO!" Grunts on flying pokemon rushed towards them.
Atsune looked at the others. "Help however you can, just don't follow me!" And Atsune charged forward again.
"Come back!" Misty called.
"There are still mines out there!" Brock yelled.
Atsune ignored them, knowing perfectly well there were more than mines out in that field. She jumped in certain spots, dodging with skill if she ever released a trap. "The good thing about staying with Rockets for several years…" she yelled out, jumping with ease over a pitfall, "…is that you know where they set their cheesy traps!"
Atsune punched a Grunt off of a low-flying Altaria and dodged a Hyperbeam from a nearby Flygon.
"PIKACHU!" Ash yelled from behind. Atsune lost her concentration and landed on the ground smoothly, but into a trap. Her left foot got caught in a bear trap. She cried out, but looked above her to see a grunt riding a Tropius wearing rubber gloves and holding Pikachu. He threw Pikachu into a cage attached to a flying machine of sorts that quickly flew off with its prize. This was familiar, too familiar.
Ash, Gary, Misty, Absol, and Brock had to run the long way around the field, along the edge of the tress to follow. Atsune noticed their mistake. "STOP!" she cried, but was too late. They all went up in a net, hanging from a tree branch.
Atsune yanked open the bear trap on her now heavily bleeding leg. While her attention was turned, the Grunts on foot all let out Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venasaur. A wave of vine whips raced to catch her as she ran towards her ensnared friends. Her leg made it difficult to doge vines and jump over traps on the ground still. Just barely she got out of all the vine whips range, throwing her Gardevoir's pokeball next to Ash and company.
"Gardevoir!" The psychic pokemon cried, using her abilities to cut down the trapped group and lower them gently.
Atsune ran towards them, yelling out to Gardevoir. "Group Evac. To Black Base!" Once close enough, Gardevoir teleported them all back to Black base.
Here Atsune's companions stood out of the net at last. Ash grabbed her shoulders roughly, "What did you do that for! We have to go back! They have Pikachu! Take me back!"
Gary shoved Ash away. "Leave her alone! A moment later and they would've had us all!"
Atsune looked down and sighed. "No, they wouldn't want you. They'd kill you." Everyone stared at her in shock. "The same thing happened to me nearly three years ago. I swear to you, they won't harm Pikachu, he's the bait." Her throat tightened. "Take a seat everyone, and let me fill you in on my connection to Team Rocket, and why I'm so important to them."
Everyone took their spots, and Atsune pulled out her pokegear. She dialed Jimmy's number. "Hello?" He answered.
"Hey, it's me Atsune. Can you get to Black base right now? It's important."
"Sure, I'll be right there."
"And Jimmy, bring the metal chest in storage." Atsune hung up and faced the others. "Once Jimmy gets here I'll explain everything." She paced the room nervously, deep in thought. She limped, and then remembered the wound she had received from the bear trap. Atsune found the first-aid kit and treated her wound with care.
At last, Jimmy made it by teleporting with it Kadabra, a large metal chest at their feet. Atsune got up and hugged him tightly, happy to see him. "Everyone, this is Professor Kircet. Feel free to just call him Jimmy. Jimmy, this is Ash, Gary, Misty, and Brock."
"Hello everyone." He looked at Atsune. "Now tell me what is so important." He sat in the last open chair.
Atsune looked at the half-circle of people around her, her throat tightening. Her hand reached up and clasped around her father's ring that hung from her neck. "Jimmy knows my real name, but I used a fake last name when I met you all. I'm not really Atsune Miyamoto, but I am Atsune Tamotsu."
They all stared at her in shock. Gary whitened, his eyes wide with realization. Brock spoke up first though, "I know now! You became one of the most famous trainers around in all three regions in just two years. After that you disappeared and everyone thought you died."
"That's right. But let me start from the very beginning. My father was the famous Richard Tamotsu, one of the strongest pokemon trainers in all of Kanto. We moved to the Hoenn region after he was offered a job as the Petalburg Gym leader. But the people who wanted him changed their minds last second and chose some guy named Norman. Well, Dad was great friends with the Fuchsia Gym Leader. My father came from a long line of martial artists, ninjas, the works. No one could beat him, and few could beat his pokemon. My mother taught me all sorts of survival skills, while my dad taught me to fight armed or unarmed.
"All my life had been like that. When I turned ten, my dad gave me the daughter of his prize pokemon. Thus, Absol and I started our journey. We battled and trained like you wouldn't believe. We got so many gym badges. We didn't enter any of the league battles though, never could. There was always something that caused us to miss it. I'm sure we could've been among the best if we made it."
Atsune paused, stroking Absol who stood by her side. "I made it back home in time for my twelfth birthday. That's where things went wrong." She took a few deep breaths, doing her best to keep her voice steady. "Team Rocket must've heard of how strong we got so quickly. One day, while we were training, they got a hold of Absol the same way they got your Pikachu. I followed Absol straight into a trap. I became their prisoner, and they tried to gain my trust, though that didn't work. Within the first few days, they put me into a large arena by myself. They wanted to see how good of a fighter I was, so they sent out unbelievably strong pokemon for me to fight.
"They next day, my dad broke in to try and save me and Absol. He only found Absol, and swore to come back for me. He knew well that he would've died had he stayed. But I myself tried an escape, going through the vents. I made it into a deserted hall, trying to find an exit. The alarm sounded, and Grunts swarmed everywhere. Soon I found myself running through a door, slamming it behind me. I was in a long, high-ceiling hallway with nothing but a large TV at the end of it." Tears blinded her vision, and she told them everything as it had shown in her dream.
"…my little brother woke up right before he fell into the water. I saw his face, I heard his screams, and I couldn't do anything to help him. My family died that day. Had they lived, my brother would've started his own journey just a couple months ago. So, I ended up being Team Rockets' main test subject. Their goal was to find a way to enhance human performances, make them stronger and faster. Just recently they made it work for me, and I was their goal.
"But it wasn't quite right. They tried the same on other people, but they all died. I knew they needed to study me, so they could find out how exactly they could make it work for all of their soldiers. I couldn't let them find out, so I escaped. Even with all their notes about me, they can't figure out anything without me. And that's why I had to get you all back here. Had you followed, they would've killed you." She wiped around some tears, looking at the ground.
Gary walked up to her, hugging her gently. Atsune continued, "The worst part about it is…they've messed with my mind a bit. Their constant tests messed up my memory. I can't remember more than what I just told you. Details are fuzzy…" Gary stiffened as he held her.
"So what can we do about Pikachu? I can't leave him behind." Ash asked.
Atsune broke away from Gary's grasp. "I'm gonna go get him alone. I can swear on my life and whatever honor I may have that I WILL get Pikachu back for you, even if it comes down to trading me for him."
Jimmy stood and grabbed her shoulder. "I can't allow you to do that! There has to be another way. If they get you then they win."
"I'm sorry, but even if I do have to trade myself, it shouldn't matter to any of you. I've escaped them once, I can do it again." She walked toward the giant metal chest, opening it delicately. The chest was four by six feet, and inside gleamed with weapons of all sorts, along with her armor.
She grabbed her armor and went into the bathroom, ignoring the protests of her plan. A few moments later she came out again, fully clad in specially designed armor. This armor protected her vital points, but they attached to the clothes so they didn't make a sound as she moved. It was lighter than she remembered, but designed so it could fit her even with the growth of three years. Well, it seemed a little snug, but Atsune didn't mind. Now she packed up various weapons. Shuriken, Kunai, several hidden daggers, Sai, and her Sakabato were all to come with her. Plus she even put a Kubaton keychain on her necklace next to her father's lucky ring.
"You aren't going to kill anyone, are you?" Misty asked, her voice quaking with fear.
Atsune stood straight and faced the others. "I'd never want to, but I have to keep these to defend myself. Knowing Team Rocket, going in, even with pokemon, would be suicide." She went into the next room, the tech. room, and went on the computer. From there she switched around her pokemon party, grabbing ones she knew to be helpful. "Absol of course, Rapidash, Gardevoir, Dragonair, Electabuzz, Medicham…yeah, that'll do." She muttered.
"You're getting so prepared, but can't you just use Gardevoir to teleport there and get Pikachu? If you get in and out that quick, they won't have time to do anything to you." Brock said.
The pokeballs shimmered on her belt, now containing the pokemon she pulled out. At last she walked out to Absol and Gardevoir. "Now that would be one of the last things I would want to do. In order to teleport, you need to have your destination pictured clearly in your mind. Now, I know I have been to the base, but I've no idea where they may be holding Pikachu. If I teleport to any random room I've seen before, I could also be landing in a trap or a room full of rockets. Thus would put me in a difficult position." Atsune explained. "I'll teleport close to their base, but I'm on my own after that. The security within these bases is beyond high-tech."
"How advanced could it possibly be?" Misty wondered.
"Well of course you know of security cameras and such. These can be easily taken out if your timing is right. Actually, if timed right, you can even just walk under them all. This allows intruders to get over-confident in their ability to sneak in even though they're watched the whole time." Atsune told her.
"Watched? But you just said you can sneak past the cameras." Jimmy argued.
"Yeah, but they have a separate set of cameras that aren't exactly for seeing." Seeing their confused faces, Atsune continued. "Their security system is so advanced, the whole thing is a giant computer that calculates, depending on the targets movement, if the there's an intruder or not. Lesser Grunts don't know of the second cameras hidden throughout the corridors. These are more like an infrared that catches all movements not caught on camera. If even one of these is destroyed at any point, it's taken as a threat and reports an intruder."
"So how do you get in without being seen? Surely there must be a way!" Ash pestered.
Atsune pulled back her shoulder-length brown hair and tied it out of the way. "The point is to be seen. Throughout all of my time there, I've learned how the cameras move and when would be a right time to go. If I'm seen by the camera, the security camera wouldn't recognize me and thus send the alert. But if it doesn't see me, then it won't send out anything.
"Now, I know when to time it so I can just walk through the corridors. If I'm walking like I'm supposed to be there, then the infrared cameras don't take me as a threat and don't report anything either." Atsune finished.
"So what? You're just going to stroll in there with 'great timing' and grab Pikachu? What if you run into someone? Your plan sounds pretty weak." Misty exasperated.
"No, I sneak in a side way and walk like I'm supposed to be there. I'll hack through the doors to passages the lesser Grunts don't use so I won't meet anyone. If I do, then it's not hard to knock someone out. When I find Pikachu, it'll probably be a trap so I'll have to wing it from there. I've wasted enough time explaining all this, so are you all convinced I know what I'm doing?" Everyone nodded slowly, amazed at this security and all of its hidden faults. "It's better that you guys don't follow. I'll be back."
Ash stopped her, "Take me with you! I can help!"
Atsune walked past him, "I forbid you to come. This task isn't something an average person can do. These people don't play fair, and it'll be hard making sure you're not captured while finding Pikachu. It'll be over quicker if I'm not protecting someone."
Ash seemed enraged, "You act like I'm completely defenseless but-"
Atsune spun to face him, "No, you're not defenseless. I'm acting like your tactless! I've been trained all my life to handle this sort of stuff, not you! I mean it when I say, 'You're not coming with me to their base!'"
"I'm not about to just sit here while Pikachu is in danger!" Ash yelled.
"Well you're gonna have to!" Atsune yelled, silencing him. "If you die, your blood will be on my hands. I've already have my family's blood to stain me, I don't need yours to add to it!"
The room grew uncomfortably quiet. "Let's go Gardevoir, teleport!"
"Gardevoir!"
Ash reached out, grabbing onto Atsune's arm the last second. Atsune panicked for that split moment and the image in her mind changed. The teleportation ended, and Atsune found herself, Absol, Gardevoir, and Ash outside of her old house. "I should've known you'd do something so stupid! Why couldn't you just stay back with the others like I said?"
"You're not doing this alone!" Ash yelled back.
"I will if I render you unconscious for the time being!" Atsune threatened. They glared at each other, a burning fury in their eyes.
"Atsune!" a little girl cried, running up to hug Atsune around the waist.
"Abby! Hey…" Atsune said, looking down at the girl.
Abby looked up at her funny, "Why are you dressed so funny? Why are you carrying a sword?" Abby's eyes widened. "Were you about to kill that boy?" she asked, pointing at Ash.
Atsune laughed at how cute Abby was. "No, of course not. I'm dressed like this with my sword to protect myself. This boy is named Ash, and his pokemon was stolen by some very bad people. Abby, would you like to do me a favor?" Abby nodded vigorously. "Play with Ash while he waits for me to rescue his pokemon, okay?"
Ash's eye widened and his mouth opened in protest, but Abby had already clung to him yelling, "We're gonna have lot's of fun together!" Ash couldn't escape without hurting Abby, and Abby, as small as she was, proved strong enough to hold him there fairly well. Claude and Susan ran out of the house.
"Atsune! What are you doing here? Who's your friend?" They asked.
"His name's Ash. Claude, Susan, I need you to keep an eye on Ash. Try and make sure he doesn't follow me. You all are in no danger here, but he will be if he follows me. His pokemon has been stolen, and every second counts. I have to go." Atsune recalled Gardevoir and ran off with Absol towards Team Rocket's secret base.
It's too deserted…something's up. Atsune thought, walking along the hallways. She had done just as she said she would, sneaking in a side door and hacking her way through various unused hallways. Absol sniffed the ground once, and then stopped by a door.
"Absol." She said quietly.
"Is Pikachu in there?" Absol nodded. "It screams 'Trap', but the only chance we've got is to go in there." The palms and fingers of her outfit's hands were covered with a special rubber. It let her keep a tougher grip on whatever she held, and it allowed her to handle anything with electricity. She touched the metal doorknob, feeling its warmth and hearing a crackling hiss. "Just as I thought…rigged with electricity. Who do they think I am?"
Absol easily cut down the door with a slash attack. Atsune didn't realize it until that moment, but she was back in the high-ceiling hallway where she watched her family die. Inside Pikachu sat with his back to them in a cage. His ear twitched, and he turned to face them. "Pika!"
She stiffened, caught with indecision and the reluctance to go any further. "No, my past is merely that, my past. I can do anything to change it, I only know here and now." She and Absol ran in to Pikachu. "Don't worry; we're here to get you out."
"Pika! Pikachu!" the mouse shouted, pointing behind them. Atsune whipped around, seeing Grunts in the doorway.
"You'll have to go through me to keep this Pikachu! Give up while you still have the chance!" Atsune shouted.
"You always were violent Atsune." Giovanni's voice rang out behind her. That dreadful TV came down from the ceiling, revealing Giovanni on its screen. "But do you honestly think you'll win? You forget one problem…" He brought out his old remote, pressing the too familiar button. The wall to her side lifted slowly, and Atsune watched in horror as she saw Ash dangling from the ceiling over a pit of Carvanha and Sharpedo filled water.
A/N: I dunno how short this chappy was compared to the others, but I felt the need to leave you at this exact spot, cause I'm evil like that. Please review, for reviews make me update faster! Thanks for your time! Oh, and here's a small vocabulary for those who don't know exactly what weapons Atsune brought.
Shuriken - Throwing Stars
Kunai – For lack of a better definition, they're those special dagger-like things that ninjas spin on their fingers. I'm horrible at describing those things.
Sai – the things Electra uses.
Sakabato – a Japanese sword with the sharp edge on the wrong side. Ya know, like Kenshin uses! Go Kenshin! Well, it's better known as 'the reversed-blade sword.'
Hidden Daggers – self-explanatory. XP
Kubaton - Kubatons are highly accessible, extremely durable, effective mini baton self defense weapons. They can be used for stabilizing your fist, applying pressure to sensitive parts of an assailant's body, or gaining leverage on an assailant's wrist or fingers. Kubatons can look just like an ordinary key ring accessory, but can be very effective defending against an attack. This Kubaton is 5 1/2" overall. ((whoa, lengthy explanation for that one.))