Chapter Four: I Fear No Evil
"Clear!"
Hilda and Hilbert inspected another room in the second floor of the L-shaped Navel Rock Research Facility. With 95% of the facility underground, the upper sections merely contained offices, a computer room and a medical facility – the team was currently inspecting the offices, but their job was made hard due to the electronic locks getting back to action as Team Rocket got the generators online.
Back in the first floor, amidst dead bodies and just unconscious ones, Rosa, Amarillo, Jasmine, Bianca and Cal, who kept on insisting that he was fine, were keeping the elevators in check, Jasmine's hacking skills making sure Team Rocket couldn't send any reinforcements upstairs.
Back upstairs, Wes and Buck did their part in trying to pry the doors of another office open and inspect the room – it was slow work, though, and their only results seemed to be dead scientists, security guards and other staff, with the odd dead Rocket Grunt.
As Buck finally managed to overload the electronic lock with his Pokétch, Wes used a crowbar to pry the door of another office open. Wes and Buck took cover on both sides of the door, Buck peeking through with his energy blaster extended, giving a signal for Wes to follow. This one was empty, though clearly Team Rocket had been there, as the desk and chairs had been shattered and the bookshelves had been ransacked, the floor littered with literature. Even trash cans had been turned upside down in search of something.
"Clear!" Buck announced sharply.
Wes responded with a bored eye roll. "Yes, clearly," he said. "Good job, B!"
"Thanks," Buck said cheerfully. "Wonder what they were expecting to find... surely they'd realize that the Griseous Orb is kept in the labs."
"Yeah, but this is Team Rocket we're talking about here," Wes grunted as he looked around for valuables. "I admit this is my first time dealing with them, but everything I've heard and that battle we had before points to them replacing brains with Zerg Rushing."
"The what?"
"Ah, forget it," Wes sighed, to himself more than Buck. "Some of these must be rare books, though. Wish I had time to inspect the more thoroughly, but duty calls. Say, Buck – what do you think of Hilda?"
"I have a girlfriend back in Sinnoh, you know," Buck protested quickly. "And the lieutenant is with Hilbert! I don't what you're, I mean, I have never, that is-"
"I mean as a team leader," Wes said, smiling slyly. "Man, if it's easy to trip you..."
Buck cleared his throat and smiled apologetically. "Er, sorry," he flustered. "Well, this is our first real deal with her – and my first real assignment ever. But she's been training us for a long time now. I've learned moves that I never thought possible thanks to her, and while she doesn't use Pokémon much, she's a brilliant battler too."
"So you agree with her decisions then?" Wes asked. "And would follow them even if you disagreed, even if they were potentially a danger to you?"
Buck nodded solemnly. "Of course," he said. "May the Gods punish me if I should ever disobey her."
Wes nodded. "Just wanted to know," he muttered. "Oh, and good," he added. "I don't want any more childish arguing. I mean, that's what I would say if I was in Hilda's place. But you seem to know the score. So tell me then, and don't give me any 'official' crap, do you think we're doing well so far? It seems we've run into a ton of dead civilians already – I've counted like eight or nine by now and I'm sure team H&H over there will make that number even bigger. Should we try to negotiate with 'em to see if the other hostages down below are in danger?"
"Nah, we took 'em by surprise," Buck grinned. "They're scared now and know they're the underdog here. Even if we lost Nate's team, and Arceus bless their souls if that did happen, they'll think we have unlimited reserves and will hold on to their hostages and not get rid of them. Besides, there's plenty of security guards down there, too."
"And do you think it's smart for us to focus on finding the head honcho?" Wes inquired. "I mean, I agree finding this Christmas Orb thing is important, but the administrator's just one guy, and we only need his access codes. You have plenty of brainiacs here and you don't seem to shabby with tech yourself, can't we just try to hack into their system, or try to find the codes from Kaminko's files or something?"
Buck frowned, contemplating Wes' words. "Huh," he said. "That's not all that bad. But if you're gonna suggest that to Lt. White, I'm gonna get as far away as possible," he added with a smirk. "You've seen how she can be."
"She has to be," Wes said quietly. "She's a leader – well, okay, even a leader, no, especially a leader needs to loosen up every once in a while. Next room?"
Buck nodded.
As Wes and Buck went back to the L-shaped corridor, they saw Hilbert and Hilda leaving a big office at the end of the hall, approaching them briskly.
"We checked the administrator's office," Hilda said firmly. "No one there, and it looks like all the important files were taken – the computer was smashed, but the door was firmly locked and nothing else was broken or ransacked like the other rooms. Seems like Kaminko's hiding somewhere."
"Just the medical wing left now," Hilbert said.
At the very opposite end of the second floor were double doors marked with a red cross, but the doors were sealed up tight, as Hilbert had to work a lot on the electric lock. Hilda and Buck readied their weapons and kept them pointed towards the doors, while Wes was calmly leaning on the wall next to them, inspecting his revolvers.
However, as he leaned and pressed his head against the wall, he heard something through it – whispering, people moving around.
"Hold up," Wes told Hilbert quietly and pressed his ear against the wall – he could definitely hear soft talking now. "There are people there," Wes told Hilda, then knocked on the door firmly, causing a sharp silence inside. "Hello! It's okay, we've come to help. We took care of Team Rocket in this floor! You all right in there?"
No answer. Hilda shook her head.
"Wes, they're frightened and they don't know if you're telling the truth," she said. "And for all we know, there could be Rocket Grunts waiting in ambush. If you're civilians, open up! We've been sent by the Elite Four, we're here to rescue you! Wes, you stupid-"
"Hey, you should thank me," Wes snapped. "Being as edgy as you are right now, you'd have probably blasted some civilian before they had a chance to explain themselves."
Wes took a look around, noticing a surveillance camera pointing directly at the group.
"If you have access to security monitors, you can see we're not Rockets!" Wes said loudly, hoping someone inside would reply.
A moment of silence. For a while, still nothing, though Wes could clearly hear panicked whispering – there were definitely more than five people inside. Finally, a quivering voice replied:
"W-we can see you! But we're not opening!"
"This is important!" Wes yelled. "Look, how about we all lower our weapons and don't get any Pokémon out. Will you open then?"
"Wes..." Hilda said threateningly. "I'm not lowering mine."
"Trust me on this!" Wes pleaded. "I'm not a moron and this isn't the first time I've had to deal with this crap. Cipher had once attacked a lab in Orre and survivors had shut themselves in. Do you really think Team Rocket would do that, or leave that many people up here when the fight's downstairs? We took them all out in the lobby, and even if not, they can't be in fighting shape if they locked themselves in. And I have a plan, anyway. Got it?"
Hilda didn't lower her weapon, but Buck did while Hilbert stepped away from the electronic lock. The two looked at Hilda for guidance, and after sighing wearily, she put her gun away. Wes put his revolvers back in his holster.
"You can see us now!" Wes said, holding his hands in the air. "Unarmed. Can we come in, please?"
"Y-yes," the voice inside replied. "But no funny stuff! Just wait a minute!"
A light on the electronic lock turned green while a heavy scraping sound was heard, the civilians having most likely barricaded the door. Then, Wes saw one of the double doors opening ever so slightly.
Seeing his opening, Wes barged in and quickly pulled out both of his revolvers, holding one in each hand as he stepped into the room. After a second of confused hesitation, Hilda, Hilbert and Buck followed.
But there was no need, as they were met with frightened looks from the people inside. There was a security guard and a Machoke, along with a doctor, two nurses, several scientists and a man and a woman Wes believed to be from the cafeteria staff. Wes lowered his guns and holstered them again, the others doing the same.
Hilda seemed to have remembered she was in command, as she pushed Wes out of the way and addressed the room:
"Okay, it's all clear downstairs," she said, hands on her hips and her gaze scanning the room. "But I'm afraid you can't go yet. There may still be Team Rocket outside, and with the currents being the way they are, we can't get you to safety yet. It was smart barricading this room – we're going into the lower floors now, but we'll be sending someone to get you once we've done everything else. I suggest you lock this place up again soon. Before we leave: has anyone seen the administrator, Dr. Kaminko?"
"Um, yes, excuse me!"
A skinny male scientist with brown, mostly graying hair squeezed past the other civilians – the shirt underneath his lab coat was buttoned wrong and his glasses were crooked.
"Professor Krane," the scientist introduced himself. "I'm the head of the Pokémon biology department."
"Hey, I know you!" Wes said suddenly. "Weren't you working at Orre's Pokémon HQ – you were supposed to replace the resident egghead, ol' Professor Westwood once he retired?"
"Uh, yes," Krane said, "but I took this job instead because, well, it was Orre. Anyways, I hear one of the assistants will be getting the job instead, someone by the name of... I think her name was Professor Marston or something..."
"Oh." Wes was slightly taken aback by this info.
"When did you last see Kaminko?" Hilda asked bluntly, her already limited patience growing thin.
"Ah, of course," Krane said nervously and adjusted his glasses. "Well, funny thing, really. See, the administrator is famous in the scientific world, he laid the foundation to our entire field of Pokémon research-"
"The point, professor," Hilda said, using her very effective, threatening tone.
Krane gulped. "Oh, I'm so sorry, it's just that this whole day has, well... I mean, yes, he rarely leaves his room, that Kaminko. He even has his lunch brought to him. But today I bumped into him at the information desk, exchanged some kind words. I was coming here to see the doctor, um, nothing serious, one of the Pokémon here kind of got out of hand, a small bite, just needed to get a band-aid and a possible tetanus shot, really."
Hilda motioned at the nervously babbling scientist to keep talking.
"Yes, quite," Krane said. "That was actually around ten, maybe fifteen minutes before the attack. Kaminko was heading to the elevator leading to the basement, saying he was going to B3. Not that it helps a lot, there are two B3's here, you see..."
"Professor!" a female scientist admonished. "I don't think these people need to-"
"Um, yes, t-thank you, Burnet," Krane lisped, making Wes wonder how the guy got to be the head of a department in the first place, "but I think we can forget about all those clauses and protocol due to this emergency, hmm?"
"You can, but I'd like to keep my job," Burnet replied.
Krane gave a token nod and a fake smile her way, then motioned the strike team members to follow him to a large map posted on the medical wing's wall.
With one glimpse, Wes saw the layout of the facility. The actual building they were in now was actually five stories instead of two, three of them being underground. The third basement floor was apparently connected to a hangar which contained submarines for transportation. The second basement floor was connected to another, larger facility through a tramway that led inside the mountain behind the complex. This complex continued far below the ground, all the way down to level B9.
"We'll check out both B3's then," Hilda sighed. "We need Kaminko's access card."
"Oh, um, yes, about that," Krane stuttered. "I mean, if you don't mind, I think that, well-"
"The point!" Wes, Hilda, Hilbert and Buck all shouted at the same time, causing the professor to flinch.
"I have an all-access card," Krane said quietly, showing his pass. "I'm, well, I know this is not the time to boast, but I'm the second most senior staff member in the chain of command, below only Kaminko. This grants access to every room except Kaminko's own office."
"Excellent!" Hilbert said. "Now we can go find the Griseous Orb first!"
"Nope," Hilda pointed out, flicking Hilbert playfully on the forehead. "You forgot the mission plan already? We still need to get to the administrator first, access-card or not. But that will be a great help, still. Give it to me, Krane."
"Um, yes, about that," Krane stuttered and backed away from Hilda involuntarily. "I would definitely give it to you if that actually helped, but, well, see, the doors in this place also have biometric sensors. In tandem with the card, you also need the owner's thumbprint. So, I have to join you, it seems."
The strike team groaned loudly.
"Now, I know I may not look like much," Krane said defensively, "well, I'm not much, I'm aware, but you still need me. If your target really is the Griseous Orb, and I know perfectly well why, you need a scientist to retrieve it. Furthermore, I have a feeling our well, test subjects may have escaped captivity, and I can try to talk to them. Plus it helps if you have someone who knows the facility."
"No offense, professor..." Hilda said, took a brief pause, and then continued: "Actually, screw that: you're a bookworm who can barely stand up straight and look us in the eye when you talk to us, and you're not even armed, and we can't spare any firepower. Do you even have any Pokémon?"
"Well, no, I just study them as a profession," Krane admitted, "but I do have this!"
Krane pulled an odd-looking pistol with a wide barrel and a slide-lock mechanism from his pocket, brandishing it with carelessness that caused the strike team members to back away from him.
"It fires tranquilizer rounds," Krane said. "We, um, have had to deal with Pokémon outbreaks from time to time and, well... um, I guess that would explain it... if I can't talk to those poor Pokémon, I at least have to refrain from..."
"Yeah, I don't want to blow their brains out, either," Wes said. "But we may not have a choice. I mean, damn, not just Team Rocket, but we have to deal with a horde of pissed-off Pokémon lab rats? So there's going to be fire, electricity, razor leaves and kisses that make you fall asleep for some reason flying around?"
"Uh... no," Krane admitted quietly as he took his glasses off and turned away from the strike team. "We... well, we ensured Pokémon with those kind of special attacks couldn't use them. Most of them have been a substance, that – I mean, I was against it, personally! We're declawing them, it's what we're doing! But the orders came from the administrator, and-"
"Yes, yes, we get it," Hilda said. "You can come, then, but keep that tranq gun at the ready. Hate to say it, but I think we might be better off thanks to you feeding that stuff to them."
"Agreed," Wes nodded, "and with any luck, the Pokémon and the Rockets will kill each other before we get there!"
Everyone in the room stared at Wes.
"What?" he wondered. "Haven't you heard of the reassuring power of laughter? I mean, just because about a dozen of your colleagues just got – I mean, just because we're all facing good chances of certain – I mean... well, you know what I mean."
"You, barricade this room!" Hilda told the civilians. "Krane, everyone, follow me downstairs, time for a short briefing."
"Actually, Hilda, could we talk for a moment?" Wes said. "Like, alone."
Hilda seemed dissatisfied, but nonetheless signaled Hilbert, Buck and Krane to go. The civilians started to move stuff around to form another barricade, while others started chatting in a much lighter manner, some male scientists chatting akwardly, relaxing and reading the paper:
"It's so hard to get a date these days," the scientist whined. "Like, yesterday, I held the elevator door open for that hottie in the teleportation department, and she still wouldn't even go out with me!"
"Dude, friendzoned, brah," another scientist replied. "I feel ya there, brah. I placed a personal ad in the company newsletter last week and still no replies. Look: 'Wanted: single female w/ 90-60-60 body wanted for permanent, non-monogamous relationship. Pref. non-smoker. Send urine samples to Dr. Wilkins.'"
"Tender, brah. I have no idea why you haven't gotten any yet. Total misandry, dude!"
"What is it?" Hilda asked Wes impatiently.
"Nothing much, I can see you're busy," Wes said with a flighty shrug. "Just saying, since I'm basically extra here, maybe I could go and escort these people out. Like, we have the sub, I can get rid of any Rockets outside, tell the sub to come up, get these people in and have Marshal and Dock take them to the nearest island."
Wes was about to turn around and announce his plan to the civilians, but Hilda grabbed him by the arm.
"Hold on!" she said loudly. "You... I mean, look, isn't it a little too dangerous for you to do alone? And..." Hilda took a deep breath and looked as she was about to do something absolutely abhorrent. "... you're gonna be useful to us."
"Say what?" Wes asked.
"I said you're gonna be... you heard me perfectly, didn't you?"
"Yeah, sorry. Just wanted to hear it again. Now, what was it again?"
"Knock if off," Hilda sighed. "You're the most experienced one here and I don't think we'll get this done without you, even with Professor Schizoid helping us."
"Hilda, not cool," Wes admonished. "And thank you for that. Since you said it so nicely – you should do it more often, suits you nicely – all right, I'll help you out."
"Yeah, whatever, get down there already."
"Yes, ma'am!" Wes said and offered a half-assed salute before leaving.
Hilda was about to leave too, but looked at the civilians, who were also distracted by other things or were preparing to seal themselves in again. Seeing them made Hilda feel slightly nauseous, she felt like saying something, maybe calling Wes back again, reorganizing the whole thing, asking Marshal for help...
...no, screw that! She would do it herself – she was made the leader of Team Alpha. It was her responsibility. And orders had to be obeyed – at any cost.
"Take care, everyone," Hilda found herself saying to the civilians as she turned around. "We'll be back before you know it."
Back downstairs, the group organized near the elevators. There were two, both leading to places that were otherwise inaccessible. Trying to ignore the various, mostly covered dead bodies as well as the still-unconscious Rocket Grunts tied up in another corner, all injected with a serum by Bianca, making sure they'd stay out of commission for a few hours.
Making sure she commanded authority, Hilda stepped in the middle of the group, the others gathered around her, instantly stopping their chatter as Hilda cleared her throat.
"All right, everyone, good work getting in," she said, hands on her hips again and her tone dead serious. "Now we know where to go and we have someone to help us find our way around. Now is time to actually head for our objectives: Dr. Kaminko and the Griseous Orb. Our... our secondary objective is to rescue other hostages. I believe Jasmine has made some progress with that. Jasmine?"
Jasmine took a while to start speaking, but mercifully enough, did so audibly enough, though people had to listen even more intently to make anything out due to her wispy way of speaking.
"Um, okay, according to their files," Jasmine said with a slight blush, "this facility employs 67 full-time staff members and 18 additional, part-time helpers, most of whom were not at work during the, um, incident. They're divided into three levels of clearance. Level three workers are mostly security guards, cafeteria employees, maintenance workers and lab assistants. Level two are scientists and more important staff members, like the medical employees and Kaminko's secretary. And level one are the top researchers-"
"Like me!" Krane spoke out, but was shushed by the others immediately. Jasmine, however, didn't seem to have much to add on that.
"We've found twelve dead so far," Hilbert said, his voice quivering again, "four of them guards and six of them scientists. Take out the ones we found from the medical wing, and we still have at least forty potential hostages down there."
"I know this may sound hard," Hilda said firmly, "but it looks like we might as well start using lethal force against Team Rocket."
"But try to keep the Pokémon alive!" Krane said quickly. "Please, you have nonlethal means of defending yourself too, right?"
"Yes, yes," Hilda said. "Kaminko is most likely on the level B3, where the hangars and teleportation chambers are, along with accommodations to the level-one researchers, who stay here full-time. What was the situation down there, Jasmine?"
Jasmine initially looked annoyed that she had to talk again, but still managed to bravely get her piece out:
"Based on security footage, the Team Rocket concentration is biggest over there," she said. "I-I... seems like they've taken over the entire floor, but I didn't see any dead bodies or much signs of violence. The hangar in particular is heavily guarded, seems like there are around thirteen grunts in that floor alone."
"Thirteen?" Wes said out loud and whistled appreciatively. "Looks like we're going there in full force, then."
"No," Hilda said simply, ignoring Wes' look. "We're just there to find Kaminko, and we need to get there quietly. There are ten of us, and I'm splitting us to two teams. I'll take Hilbert, Buck and Amarillo down there."
Wes raised his hand. "Pardon me, ma'am," he said cheekily, "but I wouldn't stretch our numbers so thin, and wouldn't it be more logical to have two groups of five?"
Hilda didn't look at Wes directly when she snapped: "Wes, if I wanted your opinion... well, I don't want it, not on this. It's final!"
"Where does the other group go?" asked Rosa, who was trying to prevent another snarkfest between Wes and Hilda.
Jasmine actually replied without having to be told: "The, um, trams in B2, we'll take them and check out the other B3 inside the mountain. S-should Kaminko not be there, we'll go straight to the lowest level, where the G-griseous Orb is held... um, right?"
"To my knowledge, yes," Krane said. "They could have moved it, though, I mean, I'm not in the know of all the details of that particular project-"
"We're sticking with that plan," Hilda said. "Now, I've asked Rosa about this and she seems cool with it, so... Wes, you'll be leading Rosa, Bianca, Cal, Jasmine and Professor Krane there. You'll need both techies there, I'm sure."
"Yes, I'm afraid so," Krane lamented. "Even with my access cards, Team Rocket may have accessed the base's defense systems, which we may have to hack through."
"How many Rockets are we talking about here?" Cal asked. "I'm pretty sure I got one of the bastards, so I guess we have at least that working out for us."
"Umm, about that," Jasmine said meekly. "I saw dead Rockets on the monitors, but there's still a huge amount. About forty are still left overall, I think."
"That's as many as during the Silph heist!" Bianca said. "Oh, well, one person and a team of Pokémon was able to take them out back then, so we should do fine! Let's get going – I'll be with my band-aids in case anyone gets hurt!"
"Nice going, by the way, Jas!" Wes told Jasmine. "I always want to know what I'm up against! I can see why you're in this team!"
Hilda and Rosa exchanged annoyed looks, but Jasmine, to their surprise, blushed and held back her reply. Hilda then nodded at Hilbert, who passed Wes his Xtransceiver. Wes raised his eyebrows in appreciation – as soon as he saw the multiple buttons on it, he had the urge to start trying out its features.
"Use this so we can keep in contact," Hilda said to Wes with slight suspicion. "You know, since you want to be in command and all. Call us if you find the Griseous Orb – or the rest of the Beta team – while we'll call you if we find Kaminko."
Wes smiled. "Count on it, LT!"
"Once you've located the Griseous Orb, set the charges," Hilda told Cal.
"But after you've gotten any hostages out to safety," Hilbert added, then looked curiously at Hilda. "Right?"
"Sorry, but no," Hilda said tensely. "Set the charges, then worry about the hostages, and don't stay too long to look for stragglers. We need to get this thing done before morning. Don't worry, I bought us a little extra time with Lance."
"You talked to Lance?" Rosa asked. "Wow, he really does put faith in you, does he?"
Hilda didn't answer. "Off we go, then." She pressed the call button next to the elevator she was about to go to, while Wes pushed the button on his.
Wes glanced at Hilda, smiling cockily. "Good luck out there, White. You too, 'Bert," he told Hilbert. "You've found a killer girl there. Don't let her down. Take care of each other."
"Thanks," Hilda said, frowning in confusion. "Uh, you too."
The elevators both opened at the same time with a 'ping' that sounded almost deafening in the empty lobby. Taking deep breaths, both teams stepped inside their elevators.
~o~O~o~
In the third-floor basement of the mountainside facility, another elevator opened. Cyndaquil stepped out first, making sure the coast was clear, Sandshrew limping after her, still a little sore but ready to fight if necessary. Shrew held the stolen jewel under his arms. It was still dull gray despite its earlier glow.
The third-floor basement corridor was dark and the place seemed virtually deserted. There was total silence, the sound of the elevator closing feeling like it alerted every Rocket Grunt in the complex.
"We have to find the Pokémon cages soon!" Quill whispered. "They know we have that thing."
The flames still alight on the Cyndaquil's back the only source of light they had – Shrew could see in the dark, but his ability had weakened during the time spent in the complex, especially as it very seldom got dark enough for him to practice. Even at night, the Pokémon found it hard to sleep due to the fluorescent lights that were constantly kept on, night or day.
"Not sure if we have to worry too much," Shrew muttered, sniffing around but not catching any Pokémon scents close by. "You really expect humans to tell us apart from other Sandshrew or Cyndaquil? And that thing is not exactly hard to hide... though I wish I could find like a bag or something for it."
"Well, I still think-"
"But you don't know!" Shrew snapped at her. "You're thinking and guessing but none of that will get us anywhere! You know this place, damn it, so think of something better!"
Quill stared at Shrew, who was taken aback by his sudden outburst. Ashamed, Shrew had to look away.
"I-I don't know what..." he stuttered. "Quill, I was hurt, I couldn't really get much rest, I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said... not sure what came to me."
"Let's just find the cages," Quill said meekly. "I'll go a little ahead, you can follow my light and you're not fit to fight-"
"I'm always fit to fight," Shrew said, "especially if another normal-type tries to chow on us. Don't worry!"
"Still, I'll go ahead. I have a feeling that something bad is about to happen to this place. I know we need to get out of here ourselves, but I don't feel right leaving the others behind. I hope you understand."
"Yeah, of course I do," Shrew said, barely listening. "I told you I have a plan, stop worrying!"
Quill looked concerned, but nodded anyway and started to slowly walk further down the hall, looking at the doors on the sides, reading the signs next to them. Shrew walked behind her, not focusing on anything.
What made me say that? I never thought about that before. But that had to come from somewhere...
Shrew glanced at the harmless-looking jewel he was carrying.
No. It can't be this...
"Shrew," Quill whispered, "there's an opening."
"One of the doors is open?" Shrew asked, looking up.
"Um... no. More like there's an opening..."
Quill pointed at an entrance to a darkened lab where some fluorescent lights were still on. Whatever was left at the door was in pieces by the entrance, wooden splinters and shards of glass spread everywhere.
"Well that's discouraging," Shrew muttered.
But with no other alternatives in sight, Shrew and Quill sneaked in. Making sure it was empty, the duo walked in. The room was filled with computers and various lab apparatus, but no Pokémon cages in sight. A few chairs were knocked over and there were foot- and pawprints all over the floor, but whoever came into the room – or out of it – wasn't interested in staying, as the room was mostly undamaged. There were no big cupboards to hide in and Shrew and Quill were short enough to notice that there weren't any people or Pokémon hiding under the tables either.
The entrance was exactly in the middle of the room, which stretched far to both left and right, prompting Shrew and Quill to wordlessly split up to cover more ground, Shrew still holding on to the jewel, though dreaded the possibilities of it influencing his behavior more.
After wandering to the left side of the room, far from Quill, Shrew noticed that one of the computers was open. Not wanting to leave the jewel unattended, he tossed it on the table next to the computer – it made barely a sound and could be thrown effortlessly, as if it was hollow. Shrew then jumped on the table and touched the computer screen.
Finding that the user interface worked with touch, Shrew browsed through several files, opening them and attempting to understand them, but most flew way over his head, and the ones he did understand were mundane and held no interest to him.
Taking great care to only lightly tap the screen out of fear that his sharp claws would break it, Shrew finally found a folder containing logs of research done on various Pokémon, in alphabetical order, no less. There was only one video log related to the Pokémon species Cyndaquil, and while Shrew was about to call Quill over, he decided it would be better to see it first, with the sound as low as possible.
As Shrew clicked the file, the image of Professor Krane appeared on the screen. Shrew had no choice but to believe it: the only human Shrew would ever consider liking in the whole facility was connected to what they did to Quill.
But now Shrew knew what he'd do when he'd meet the man, glaring at the monitor as Krane spoke:
"Subject #0355, and one that holds special importance to the administrator. The Cyndaquil was given frequent injections to temporarily hinder its capabilities, rendering it unable to run, use its fire attacks or protect itself against fire. The long-term effects, however, have left it unstable. Injections are no longer necessary, but its powers seem to return at random intervals. We've been unable to suppress its power and the administrator has demanded that the Cyndaquil must not be fed the same food as the others. As a result, we've been forced to let the Cyndaquil leave its cage on occasions so it can release pent-up energy."
Well, that explains something, Shrew thought.
"As such, the Cyndaquil is the first test subject for our latest chemical compound that can boost Pokémon powers beyond their usual limits. The heat of its fire-type attacks has grown by three hundred degrees Fahrenheit since the last test, and it gained temporary immunity to fire. We thought it would make it ideally suited for reconnaissance missions in places hostile to human life..."
Of course they did. Shrew wanted to turn off the computer there and then, wanting to punch through the monitor – Krane was only concerned with how humans could benefit from Pokémon, just like everyone else.
"...that is, if there wasn't a side-effect we have yet been able to fix. The compound seems to have lowered its immune system and caused minor degeneration that has risen at a slow, but nonetheless alarming rate over the past few days. As soon as we noticed it, we assigned a team to work on an antidote, but I'm afraid time's running low. Unless we finish it soon, the only thing that can save the subject from a slow and anguishing death is to put it to sleep..."
And with that, the recording stopped. Shrew was left staring blankly at the screen.
Degeneration.
No, not Quill. It wasn't enough they had to do something to Shrew that he couldn't remember, now a Pokémon as kind and benevolent as Quill.
Alarming rate.
The recording was made thirty hours ago. How much had this 'degeneration' grown since then. Has Quill noticed it? Has she just bared with it out of fear of telling Shrew about it? Or had Quill really forgotten what was done to it and she's just confused by her pain.
Slow and anguishing death.
And, as the thought occurred to him, Shrew heard more whispers inside his head.
"She has kept secrets from you. It might be contagious! It's for the good of both of you if you get rid of her, and do it fast."
"Shrew?"
Shrew almost fell off the table as he heard Quill's quiet voice from the floor. Looking over his shoulder, Shrew noticed the Cyndaquil looking up at him in confusion. Shrew wondered if she had heard anything.
"Did you find something that could help us?" she asked.
"No," Shrew said. "I mean, I'm not sure, it's sort of..."
"Are you all right?"
"Yes, damn it!" Shrew snapped. "I'm just tired of you keeping things from me!"
Shrew jumped off the table and in front of Quill, who took a few frightened steps backwards. Shrew glared at her, his claws extended and pointing at Quill's neck.
"S-shrew," Quill whimpered. "I haven't kept... I've told you everything that I remember."
"And you conveniently happen to remember at weird times, don't you? And you still somehow 'forgot' what they did to you at the labs. Well, what if I told you what they did?!"
"Shrew, your eyes-"
"You were their most special plaything! While you were wined and dined and even allowed to get out every once in a while, I got the worst of every possible test, I've been kicked around from one lab to another, kept starved in a cage, tranquilized more often than I can remember! And some things are still a blur to me – because they strapped me to an operating table and drugged me!"
"I-I understand, Shrew, but don't-"
Shrew lunged at Quill, slamming her against a steel cabinet, his claws right at Quill's throat, ready to stab through it.
But then he saw his reflection from the cabinet. His normally black, shiny eyes had turned entirely milky white, his irises and pupils gone.
Shrew's jaw dropped in horror as he let go of Quill. As he did so, his eyes returned normal, and he collapsed on the floor and started shivering.
Still shocked from what happened, Quill slowly approached the shivering, almost convulsing Sandshrew and lightly touched his paw.
"Shrew," she said softly, "whatever is it that's going on, it's not you."
"How do you know?" Shrew asked, curled almost in a fetal position, his tail between his legs. "You've only known me for a few hours... and just so you know, I had to fight against the urge to leave you to burn in the cage along with everyone else! I'm probably just as bad as the humans here..."
"You're not," Quill said simply.
"But I didn't mean to attack you!" Shrew assured as he quickly got back on his feet. "I swear, it was that thing!" He pointed at the jewel that lay harmlessly next to the computer.
Quill climbed on the table to work the computer, easily getting there without Shrew's help. Shrew himself, however, had been so shaken by the experience that he had to be pulled up.
"Maybe there's something in here about it," Quill said. "You take a moment to rest. I'll carry the jewel for a while. How did it...?"
"It gets inside your head," Shrew panted, feeling exhausted by what happened. "Whispers to you... makes you think and say things that... well, things you'd normally think, or thoughts that are on the back of your head, and then amplifies them. I was not myself when I attacked you, but – I could still sense myself somewhere, deep down."
"I'll have a look," Quill said. "That woman called it the 'orb'. I'll try to search for it.."
Minutes passed unbearably slowly as Shrew took a breather and Quill looked for the information. Shrew tried desperately not to look at the jewel. He could still hear the whispers as faint sounds on the back of his mind, trying to forget what he did and what it had told him. Shrew wished they could throw the thing away – but his plan could never work without it.
"Got it!" Quill yelled out after twelve minutes had passed, though to Shrew, it felt like an hour. "There's a whole folder dedicated to the thing – it's called the, uh, 'Griseous Orb'... I don't know what that means, but there are photos, lots and lots of text, another video log... come over here, I'll play it!"
Operating the computer suspiciously well, Quill opened the video log as Shrew hurried to sit by her to see what was on the computer screen.
It was another scientist, this one older, taller and more in command than any other Shrew had seen. He had gray hair, thick glasses and a prominent five o' clock shadow and his voice was deep and rough. Quill let out a brief gasp when he showed up on the screen, but fell silent so she wouldn't talk over him.
"Confidential files – these are for your eyes only, and as such, you have to be at least Level 2 personnel, most likely a member of one of the higher-level research teams. Level 1 personnel viewing this file will be considered to have accessed this file without authorization, and will be held accountable. The Griseous Orb is a rare, mystical artifact of immense value and considerable danger, and I will attempt to explain the basics."
The scientist in the video took a moment to look at his files, allowing Quill to whisper quickly:
"That's the administrator, Dr. Kaminko!"
Shrew wasn't sure what to comment, as Kaminko started to talk again quickly, occasionally reading from his notes:
"The archeological survey group who delivered it to us believe it to be the real thing – a potentially indestructible artifact of immense power created by either humans or Pokémon, possibly even the mythical being Arceus itself, thousands of years ago. It is said to contain part of the spirit of a Pokémon known in the writing as 'Giratina', a creature banished to an alternate dimension five thousand years ago by Arceus and its followers after hundreds of years of war that almost destroyed the planet. Giratina is able to manifest in two forms, and in battle, either Arceus or its warriors were able to revert it to its weaker form and capture the spirit of the powerful, 'Origin' form to the Griseous Orb."
"According to scriptures, around every thousand years or so, Giratina has made an attempt to return to this world. Though its plan differs every time, it is always forced to utilize creatures, usually Pokémon, it has manipulated to serve it, and its still-remaining minions, some of whom are believed to be capable of interdimensional travel. Every time it attempts to return, Giratina must obtain the Griseous Orb, or it won't be able to reach its full potential, and as such, is an easy target for other mythical beings in the service of Arceus, such as 'The Swords of Justice' and the 'Beasts of Johto', unidentified legendary Pokémon who appear in historical texts."
"A wandering Pokémon trainer from Kanto, along with followers he had amassed during his journeys, stole the orb from the survey group, but through means unknown, the Committee and the Pokémon Association managed to retrieve it and deliver it to us for study, as this kind of clandestine research is our expertise. But an order of monks we contacted believe that the time is nigh again. If the legends are true, Giratina has been thwarted several times over the past few millenia, but we have no idea how to fight it, and I have reason to believe that as the keepers of the orb, we are incredible danger. Standard precautions for dealing with unknown material must be taken at all times when dealing with the orb, which has to be isolated by a chamber with radiation shields."
"As for Giratina, I have devised a plan together with the teleportation department. Should we figure out the key to opening a portal to another dimension, we will send a Pokémon to this 'other world', and use it as our messenger. With the Griseous Orb in hand, we believe we can make a deal with the world's inhabitants. The subject chosen to this test has been prepped for it for a while – it is subject #0035, a Sandshrew we received from the Cinnabar Lab. Besides immuno-boosting shots and physical alterations through external implants, a surgical operation where we implant an Everstone inside the Sandshrew will alter its physiology, allowing it to survive the hazardous atmosphere, though special breathing apparatus is still required."
The video closed. Quill looked at Shrew.
Shrew stared at the monitor. The video was recorded several months ago.
So. That was what I'm for. I guess that makes me special. Not any kind of strength or mental resolve. No, just some doodads they stitched inside me.
"Well," Shrew said finally, his voice completely flat. "Now we know what happened."
"Shrew," Quill said tensely, "I've heard the name 'Giratina' before. I think we should get rid of that orb."
"No!" Shrew objected. "The plan, I have to-"
"All right!" Quill interjected calmly. "But... let me carry it for a while? Now that we know what it can do, it will be easier to ignore its influence."
Still shaky, Shrew nodded. He still found it impossible to swallow what he had just heard, but it all added up. The tests, the operations, the occasional pain he felt in his abdomen, why the food hadn't affected it... though it seems that reason hadn't been foreseen by the scientists.
Which is probably the reason I'm still alive. Not that it's anything to feel thrilled about right now.
But Shrew was sure that as long as they stuck to his plan, both he and Quill would see the surface again. They had to.
"All right," Quill said as she grabbed the Griseous Orb and jumped briskly off the table. "I noticed another door at the end of the room, probably leading to a room we can't get in from the outside. Can you...?"
Shrew nodded again, not sure what to say, so he followed Quill in silence.
The door at the end of the room was locked shut, but it had windows of armored glass in it that were far too small for humans to crawl through. As Quill was unable to use her flamethrower attack again, Shrew had to curl into a ball and use Rollout to smash through the glass, Quill following him while carefully avoiding the shards.
This room was definitely a Pokémon containment room – it was full of cages. There was no fire, but there were definite signs of struggle, along with the hatch of a ventilation shaft torn open and another door at the end of room torn off its hinges. To Shrew's dismay, most of the cages were open and empty, Shrew was about to approach a closed one, but Quill pulled him away.
"Don't," she said firmly. "I don't think there's anyone in here."
"But I see someone inside," Shrew said, "just let me look-"
"There's no one!" Quill snapped.
But she was soon proven wrong – not by anyone in the cages, but by the lights in the room abruptly turning on, briefly blinding Shrew and Quill. A small, blue Pokémon, no bigger than Shrew or Quill, jumped from out of nowhere and landed in front of Shrew and Quill, folding its short arms to look more imposing, failing miserably. Shrew didn't recognize it, but was able to tell that the new arrival was a dragon-type.
"Who are you?" Shrew asked immediately, taking a step back and pulling Quill away too.
"I should ask you that!" the dragon Pokémon protested in a reedy voice. "The name is Bagon, and this is my turf! That's right, I run this place, and all the Pokémon here are my bi-"
"Seriously?" Quill asked with genuine curiosity, making sure to hide the Griseous Orb behind her back. "You?"
"Wha..." Bagon actually looked a little hurt. "Yes, me! Sounds like you two are dealing with the humans – come to kill the last of us off, did you? I won't go down without a fight!"
Shrew glanced at Quill, and without warning, leaped at the Bagon and pinned it to the floor with incredible ease.
"Ow!" Bagon whimpered. "Okay, I'm down, I'm down, good fight!"
"Don't mind her," another voice spoke out, this one more high-pitched.
Shrew readied its claws, but from the shadows emerged another small Pokémon, this one with a white coat of fur, a thick tail and yellow cheeks.
"I'm Pachirisu," the newly arrived Pokémon said calmly, its paws raised in the air. "Or a Pachirisu... ah, who cares, there probably aren't any others left here. You can let go of Bagon. She's a tad, well, nervous, but understandably so."
Shrew looked at Quill, who frantically nodded, so he let go of Bagon, who got up, glaring at Shrew in embarrassment, while Shrew just shrugged. He turned to talk to the Pachirisu.
"What happened to the other Pokémon?" Shrew asked.
Pachirisu sighed. "For all we know, we are the other Pokémon. It was... there was between twenty and twenty-five cages here. When those humans in uniforms and those-" Pachirisu shuddered. "-other things came in, one of us, a Zangoose, managed to get out of her cage. She had a plan of escape from the facility, apparently - well, she had a plan. She broke most of us out of our cages... except the ones too weak to move," Pachirisu added with a sad glance at the cage Shrew had approached.
"And got out through there?" Quill asked kindly, pointing at the air vent.
Pachirisu nodded. "The door was soon broken by some humans – these ones wearing gas masks or something – but they didn't stick around. Anyway, before leaving, Zangoose said something vague about rising up against our oppressors and ranted about her plan, but it was far too dangerous to follow. Those who agreed followed her – those who didn't, got a chance to challenger her authority. No one who did so survived the encounter. After seeing the first few fall, the rest of us who disagreed hid, though Zangoose's goons slaughtered most of us. Finally, it was just down to Zangoose and eleven others, who escaped the room. Me and Bagon stayed behind."
"But we can't just wait it out!" Bagon yelled. "Something bad is gonna happen to this place, I told you! First those weird humans who weren't with the black-uniformed ones, then those other creatures... this place is not going to last! We have to get out of here!"
"Yes, we do!" Shrew said firmly. "This wasn't exactly according to my plan, but it'll do. If the two of you want to live, follow me. We can help each other out."
"Speaking of which," Quill said. "Um, Shrew, would now be a good time to tell us your plan?"
"Right, yes," Shrew said and cleared his throat. "Well, uh, we head on to the last remaining place where they keep Pokémon – it's at the end of the tramway. We tell the other Pokémon what they have to gain by joining us and we'll form a group big enough to ram through the humans and break free."
Quill, Bagon and Pachirisu stared at Shrew. Quill was blank-faced, Bagon seemed to be on the verge of shrieking something and only contained her frustration due to fear, and Pachirisu contemplated Shrew's words.
"Uh, Shrew?" Quill asked quietly. "Is that really... all you got?"
"Yes, I know it doesn't sound like much," Shrew said quickly. "But it's the best we got. Plus we have something the humans want, they won't dare break it!"
"Where?" Bagon asked. "Show me!"
"Quill, don't," Shrew said. "Sorry, but you need to calm down first. Are you in on the plan?"
"Plan?" Bagon said in a shrill voice. "You're dooming us all, you... what are you anyway?"
"Oh, a Sandshrew, but, call me Shrew for short," Shrew said. "And this is Quill."
"Whoever!" Bagon screamed. "Your plan is just gonna get us all killed! You're just as bad as that Zangoose!"
"Bagon!" Pachirisu reprimanded. "You know that's not true. And I was originally planning on waiting this out, but I think you're all right that we need to get to the surface. You two seem to know what you're doing, at least on some level, and your plan is still saner than Zangoose's. I'm in."
"But... fine," Bagon sighed. "Me too, but I don't see the point. Zangoose and her minions have probably reached the other Pokémon and there could be a massacre happening there now!"
"We'll find a way," Quill said. "And me and Shrew have fought off humans as well as Pokémon bigger than a Zangoose. It's just a little, furry, wormy kind of thing, right?"
"That's a Zigzagoon," Pachirisu said. "Zangoose is like, between four and five feet tall, can make huge leaps, claws that are incredibly long and sharp and in the case of this one, a taste for blood."
"All right, we'll lead the way," Shrew said. "But we have to take turns carrying this thing we have. It's called the 'Griseous Orb' and it's... well, we, uh, don't know what it does, but it's clearly valuable to the humans and potentially dangerous. Don't worry, it looks big, but it's very light. You, Bacon or whatever your name was, carry it first. Also, keep an eye out of for any of the scientists. We may need them to get an antidote for..."
Shrew had to avoid looking at Quill.
"...for all the Pokémon hurt by the food. Now lead's head to the elevator!"
~o~O~o~
At level B2 of the main facility, the elevators opened with a satisfying ping-sound, and Wes instantly rushed in, revolvers at the ready. Making sure the corridor was safe on both sides, he let out another Pokémon: a Zebstrika, a large black electric-type with white stripes across its body. Rosa had decided to go with a Gurdurr, a fighting-type that was imposing despite its silly name. The others didn't have their Pokémon out yet, but kept their weapons at the ready nonetheless.
"Over there," Wes said, pointing to the left side of the corridor, a sign pointing at 'trams'.
The group started walking towards the direction the sign pointed at, weapons raised while still keeping their pace brisk. Getting bombed and reduced to a messy pile wasn't on anyone's agenda list at the moment, and time was running short, though Rosa and Bianca assured that if anyone, Hilda could negotiate more time for them.
Another sign signaled them to take a right turn, so the group did so, then had to stop as they saw a dead Team Rocket Grunt right behind the corner.
For a few seconds, the group wasn't sure how to react, until Cal spoke out:
"Ha! Serves 'em right."
"That about sums it up," Wes said. "Come on, we have to keep moving!"
"Wait!" Bianca said.
To the surprise of the rest, Bianca rushed to the body and started inspecting it. Rosa sighed in annoyance.
"Bianca, he's... she's... the Rocket's dead!" she snapped. "And even if not, we have no time to stop and help our frickin' enemies."
"He wasn't killed by our guys," Bianca said curiously. "And not by feral Pokémon either, as far as I can tell, not by normal Pokémon. He has a huge hole in the middle of his body and his... his..."
"What?" Wes asked.
"His organs aren't... there. Just a puddle of blood and some, ugh... remains. But he's been sort of... hollowed out."
Wes had to hold back a gag reflex, Rosa shuddered a bit while Professor Krane started breathing heavily, wiping sweat off his face.
"Bianca..." Wes said sharply after pulling himself together. "That's weird, but we really don't have time to think about that. Come on."
"Oh, sure."
The group resumed advancing towards the trams, though Wes was still bothered by the sight and couldn't help but to turn and look at the Rocket's body as he passed it, though he quickly looked away once he had confirmed Bianca's observation.
"Do some Pokémon eat humans?" Wes asked Krane.
Jasmine, however, was surprisingly quick to answer: "There are no known instances of Pokémon consuming human flesh. They have been known to kill humans, usually in self-defense, and during the war thirty-five years ago, but never consume our flesh, as it would most likely have harmful effects on their neurological system."
Everyone stopped for a moment to look at Jasmine, who sort of half-shrugged.
"...just thought you'd want to know," she said quietly and looked at the ground.
"Thanks, Jas," Wes muttered, not sure if he should be creeped out, and started walking again.
"Oh, this isn't good at all," Krane muttered to himself, still breathing heavily. "What have we done? This is all our fault. We should have never accepted the Griseous Orb, we should have never treated the Pokémon so horribly. There's always another way! That's why I became a researcher, I wanted to find ways to do things differently, do them better, oh no-"
"No need to cheer us up, prof," Wes interrupted harshly. "No offense, but you've done it already. You can't change it. Try to live with it."
"Yes," Krane sighed. "Yes, I know. But I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry! Sorry you all have to be in this mess. You are part of the E4 Strike Team? Trained in the Pokémon League by experts to do this kind of stuff, wetworks, things that the 'nice, normal people' shouldn't know about? Yeah, I'm the same way, I took the job here at Navel Rock to do research that was ethically murky, but necessary, or so I thought, so I'm like you, right?"
"You're not like us," Rosa hissed – she hadn't gotten herself together yet, but that just seemed to increase her determination. "You let all this happen. We're here to clean up your mess."
"Oh, yes, of course, I didn't mean that. I just – holy Crystal Dragon Jesus!"
The group had taken another turn, and the corridor they had just turned to was a mess. Pipes and wires exposed with chunks of walls gone, many lamps broken, blood smeared across the floor and walls and doors smashed in. At the end of the corridor, there was a pair of double doors that were still closed – the entrance to the tramways.
And there were bodies.
This time, Bianca just quickly checked the pulse of the first victim, a dead scientist, shook her head sadly and allowed the group to move on and make their way to the double doors. Just a few feet from them were two dead civilians in red, cafeteria worker uniforms and a dead security guard. Apparently they were trying to escape through the trams.
Krane marched over to the double doors, used his swipe card on the reader and placed his thumb on the scanner, but nothing happened as a red light blinked continuously on the reader. Grunting in confusion, Krane did it again, but got the same result. After staring at the reader for a few seconds, he made an 'ohhhhh' sound.
"Please tell me that's a good sound," Wes said.
"Uh, not in a sense," Krane said bashfully. "See, this light shouldn't blink all the time. I think the Rockets did something to it so we couldn't get down."
"Well, that's our department," Rosa said. "Come on, Jas. Uh, Jasmine!"
Rosa and Jasmine started working their magic on the scanner, Krane looking over their shoulders and giving the occasional pointer, desperately trying to be of use. Cal sighed and lit a cigarette while Bianca crouched next to the apparently dead civilians, inspecting their bodies.
"You smoke?" Cal asked Wes, offering him one.
"Nah," Wes said casually as he leaned against the cracked wall. "I'm a man free of any vices. Well, except the occasional getting plastered. And peyote. It gets really boring on the desert, you know. But I don't take it while on the job... except that one time."
"So what did you do?" Cal asked. "I didn't think the Committee would ever bring an outsider along to something this sensitive."
"Desperation makes you do strange things," Wes said with a tone he apparently believed to be sage. "And I've mostly traveled around Orre, righting wrongs and occasionally wronging a few rights – it's a balance thing. I'm not proud of all my jobs, but there's plenty of work in Orre that's on the shady side. The only safe places there are three towns and the research village near the Pokémon HQ – and even then I use the term loosely."
"Honestly, I'm just glad there's a guy like you here," Cal grunted and turned to look at Bianca. "Find anything?"
Bianca just muttered something in response, inspecting the bodies with a little more interest than Wes thought normal. Still, it's not like he was one to talk.
"What about you?" Wes asked, taking a liking to the guy. "Been on the team long?"
"I'm pretty new," Cal admitted. "Worked a while in Unova before this, but got bored of my old life and sought out new experiences. Transferred to this unit like a month ago, but I've made friends quickly. Like Bianca here, though I'd like to see someone who she can't make friends with. Oh, and Ye... 'Amarillo'."
Wes frowned.
"I call her Yellow sometimes," Cal clarified with a smirk. "Not sure she likes that, but whatever. I didn't actually know her beforehand, but we got into the team at the same time, so we sort of bonded over that, I guess. Quiet one, that, but not in the same way as Jasmine here. Have you, uh, talked to her?"
"Not yet," Wes said. "There's something odd about her. I think Hilda can keep her in line if something happens, but still-"
"Holy crap!" Bianca shouted suddenly.
Everyone turned to look at her. She got up, though still staring at the bodies of the civilians with her mouth open dramatically. When no one else did it, Wes was the first to ask:
"Uh... what? They dead?"
"Oh, totally," Bianca said casually. "But I just... they weren't killed by bullets or Pokémon attacks either, nor were they carved up like that Rocket earlier. They have some internal burns, like from an electrical shock-"
"So, an electric-type Pokémon has gotten out and zapped 'em," Wes suggested with a shrug. "Sucks, but not a huge deal or anything."
"Can't be," Krane pointed out. "Their powers have been suppressed, remember?"
"Right," Bianca said, "and they have markings that could have only come from an energy-firing weapon. Like..."
Cal and Rosa looked at their own blasters.
"So, what does that mean?" Bianca wondered. "Did Team Rocket steal some weapons from the Beta team?"
Wes was about to offer his own comments, but was interrupted by the ringing of his Xtransceiver. Wes raised his hand for the group to be quiet and clicked a button on the Xtransceiver's earpiece.
"'Sup?" he asked, believing Hilda to be calling.
But instead of Hilda, Wes instead heard a young, smooth male voice, talking overly formally, sounding like someone fresh out of law or business school.
"Ah, Mr. Marston – or you seem to prefer Wes. This is mission command speaking. Are you out of eavesdropping range right now?"
Wes looked at the rest of the team, who went back to working on the door or inspecting the bodies, Cal doing so with Bianca.
"Then please move away from your teammates, if this is the appropriate time. Though from your reports, it seems that you've infiltrated the facility with ease and are making your way towards the objective."
"Well why should I move anywhere? You're just a voice, and I don't care about the specifics of this mission. I'm just here to do my job and get paid."
"Yes, your compensation is exactly what I was going to address – something that will make what Lance offered you seem like chump change."
Wes tensed up and looked at his teammates again.
"I, uh... have to take this call," he told them. "Important from mission command, I'll tell you when I've finished. Just keep working the door!"
Wes practically ran behind the corner and back to the corridor with the dead Rocket Grunt, though he kept his distance from that.
"Okay, what? How much are you willing to offer?"
"Ten times the value of the contents of that duffel bag Lance was toting around, plus whatever loot you wish to take from the facility – and don't act like it didn't cross your mind. Well, the Griseous Orb you'll have to give us, of course, but everything else is yours – no investigations will be taken, no one will come after you."
"If I do... what? Just exactly who are you?"
"I can't tell you my name. But you have probably guessed that I am not with the Pokémon League – well, not a such."
"...this 'Committee' I've heard so much about, huh? I've done business with you guys before."
"Not directly, you haven't, nor are you doing it now. I'm merely an operative, though this is the closest you'll ever get – you should be honored. As for your task – well, as of know, you've probably seen more than a few people who witnessed the incident firsthand."
"Yes..."
"Pardon me for occasionally resorting to euphemisms, but I don't get any pleasure from this. Any information about the Griseous Orb must be kept from the public at all costs. We have our ways of keeping any surviving staff from speaking up, but we can't take any risks. Yet, we nonetheless need one person to make it out alive besides Dr. Kaminko, as that person has to deliver the doctor and the orb for us."
"One person?"
"Surely someone with your experience has already wondered why we sent a team of twelve rookies to deal with the situation – and why we contacted you in the first place. I'm sure they will do what they have to – but after that, there's no more use for them."
Wes wasn't sure what to say. Right after 'ten times the value', he had gotten all sweaty and got a tingly feeling around his stomach, almost willing to say yes to whatever this person had to say.
But he wasn't stupid, and at that moment, he realized he wasn't dealing with people he could toy with. Who was to say that taking the offer wouldn't cause him to meet a similar fate.
But still... ten times.
And Wes had anticipated that most of the team wouldn't make it back – not these rookies. It was just important to make them believe otherwise as long as possible. And one of them, most likely Hilda or Rosa, would definitely raise hell if he tried to steal anything from the facility.
And after that, my choices would be limited.
"Can I... call you back on that?" Wes asked carefully.
"Of course. We understand that even someone who has done what you have would have second thoughts. Nonetheless, we strongly recommend taking the offer. We'll call you again once you have the Griseous Orb. Trust me, we'll know."
And with that, whoever was on the other line hung up. The words 'ten times' echoed in Wes' head as he leaned against the wall.
But can I really do that to these people?
And what's that rumbling sound?
His head close to the wall, Wes heard strange rumbling from whatever room was behind him. Trying not to look at the remnants of the Rocket Grunt, Wes pressed his other ear against the wall while plugging the other one with his finger. Whatever it was, it was getting closer.
Suddenly realizing what it probably was, Wes took a few steps away from the wall and whistled.
His Zebstrika galloped towards him right away, just as something crashed through the wall Wes had leaned against, arriving to the corridor from a hole right next to the dead Rocket Grunt.
Wes almost let out a high-pitched shriek as he saw what it was: it was a gigantic skeleton of a Pokémon Wes had only seen in pictures of his mother's books: Kabutops, an extinct species. Its sharp scythes were raised as it stared at Wes – or at least its empty sockets were facing him. Somehow, the air around it seemed distorted, too.
"Zebstrika, Discharge!" Wes yelled the moment Zebstrika arrived.
Wes himself took a dive and covered his face as Zebstrika released multiple bolts of lightning from its thunderbolt-shaped horns. As the bolts hit the Kabutops skeleton, they exploded, covering the skeleton with smoke.
"Yes!" Wes cheered. "Way to go Ze-"
But as the smoke cleared, the Kabutops skeleton still stood tall, without even a dent on it.
"F**k!" Wes yelled. "What is that thing? Zebstrika, Wild Charge!"
Enveloping its body with golden electricity, Zebstrika started galloping towards he skeleton, while the skeleton started to approach Wes. As soon as it passed the dead Rocket, Wes noticed the Rocket's body sort of warped and distorted, as did the walls around it somehow.
"Zebstrika, stop!" Wes yelled quickly. "Don't touch that thing! And, uh... run!"
Wes started running back towards his teammates, Zebstrika following obediently. The others stared, wondering where the commotion was coming from as Wes approached them, screaming as he ran:
"Jas! Now's the time to show me what you got and GET THE DAMN DOOR OPEN!"
~o~O~o~
As the others traveled in B2, Hilda's group arrived one floor below them.
A Rocket Grunt stood in guard by the elevator, reacting with confusion as it arrived silently and suddenly opened behind him. But before he could yell out at his comrades, Hilda had grabbed him in a stranglehold, and a second later, she had snapped his neck with one quick motion.
"Come on," she whispered at Hilbert, Buck and Amarillo, weapon at the ready. "We can catch these guys by surprise."
Hilda's group sneaked around a corridor, only to quickly hide behind it again after they found they were near a lobby that connected to the living quarters and offices of some of the scientists, as well as an entrance to the hangar. In the lobby were around seven Rocket Grunts, patrolling around while in the middle of a ring they had formed, there were a dozen hostages, consisting of ten scientists and two security guards.
"All right, Kaminko is probably with those hostages," Hilda whispered as she, Hilbert, Buck and Amarillo flatted themselves against the wall. "We have to go the other way to see if we can sneak in."
"Poké Balls?" Buck asked.
"Too much noise and light," Hilda argued. "Whatever we do, we have to be quiet!"
And as she said it, something smashed through the wall between Buck and Amarillo. A Pokémon's red hand appeared through the crack in the wall, grabbing Buck by the chest with its long claws. Unable to contain himself, Buck screamed in anguish as the Pokémon's claws sunk into his chest, blood spurting out of his mouth as he screamed.
Hilbert and Amarillo managed to pull Buck away, but he had already gone limp, blood pouring from the hole in his chest. Hilda used the butt of her gun to smash the wall, revealing the red eyes of a Zangoose, alongside other Pokémon hiding in the crawlspace. Hilda fired her blaster, but Zangoose and the others managed to flee by slipping into the air vents.
Buck's scream had also alerted some Rockets, as two ran from the lobby along with a Raticate. Hilbert tranquilized one, while Hilda's blaster took care of the other one and the Raticate. Immediately afterwards, Hilda sent out her Emboar.
"Amarillo, help Buck!" Hilda yelled in a daze. "Hilbert, don't do anything yet," she ordered as Hilbert was about to send out Samurott. "We'll go through Scenario Eight!"
Hilbert sighed. "Fine, but be quick," he hissed.
Hilda ran around the lobby to get to the other side, while Hilbert raised his hands in the air and quietly walked around the corner.
He was greeted by five Rocket Grunts, a Muk and an Arbok, four of the Rockets' weapons aimed at Hilbert while the fifth held a knife at one of the hostages' throats. Hilbert was surprised at what he saw: the Rockets were jumpy, almost as if they were scared, despite their overwhelming advantage.
"No further!" yelled the female Rocket Grunt holding the knife. "We hold this floor, and we will kill these people, we have plenty of where they came from!"
"Easy," Hilbert said, trying his best to sound calm while hoping Hilda was on her way already. "I'm surrendering. My people are hurt, and I'm outmatched. I can help you negotiate with-"
"Negotiate!" spat the male Rocket Grunt closest to Hilbert, an Arbok besides him, holding a hostage in a stranglehold with its tail. "Didn't you see those things that attacked this place? We lost five of our own people to them!"
"Things?" Hilbert asked, partly out of genuine concern, partly to keep them going. "What things?"
"We need to get out of this floor!" the female grunt yelled, fear making her lose her composure. "I swear, walk away and let us leave or-"
With all eyes on Hilbert, no one noticed a tranquilizer dart flying from the side at the female grunt's shoulder, causing her to drop the knife. She had time to turn and see who fired it at her before passing out. The others turned to look at Hilda as well, allowing Hilbert to fire a dart at the male grunt's neck, knocking him out and causing Arbok to loosen its grip.
This was Hilbert's cue. "DOWN!" he yelled at the hostages, who quickly complied while the other three Rockets attacked Hilda.
Hilda's Emboar swept the room with its flamethrower attack, taking out Arbok, Muk and one Rocket. Hilbert was about to run to help Hilda, only to see her knock one grunt out with a well-placed punch while tripping another one with a sweep kick before stomping on the grunt's head, quickly ending the conflict.
"All right!" Hilda yelled, breathing heavily as she calmly kicked away the grunt whose face she just squished. "We're in a hurry here: does anyone know where the administrator, Dr. Kaminko, is?"
The hostages were still on the floor, bewildered by their rescue, but after Hilda spoke, the tallest, oldest scientist of the group got up on his feet.
"I'm Kaminko," he said with odd tranquility and a loud, commanding voice.
"Good," Hilda said simply. "You're coming with us."