A/N: Just as a warning, I feel the need to warn you that there are mature themes and events in this story. So far it's been nothing too serious, but this chapter is where things are going to start getting a lot darker I apologize if it offends anyone, just don't tell me that you haven't been warned.
As far as environments go, Viridian Forest is one of the most treacherous. An extremely thick canopy of leaves, plus the webs and nests of countless bug types made it so that sunlight rarely ever reached the ground. Temperatures on the floor of the forest regularly dropped to freezing temperatures, leaving any ground travel a risk at best. At worst, traveling through the forest on foot could be considered suicide.
That is how Misty would have described the journey through the forest. She had purposely skirted around the forest, taking the long road around to avoid getting stuck in the middle of it. Now she found herself huddled around a fire with three boys who barely understood the danger and severity of the situation. She glanced at the boy scratching the growlithe behind the ears. He was wearing a smile and attempting to make jokes to the other two. The brown haired boy didn't look impressed, glaring at the other two in between jokes. The boy with the pikachu was clearly enjoying the journey, smiling and laughing at the jokes. She hadn't bothered to pay attention to their names. As soon as they got her into Pewter it wouldn't matter anyways. She would point them at Bill and send them on their way.
After yet another joke about bug pokemon, she stood up and snapped. "How about we actually make a plan to get into the city?" Her voice was fiery, drawing awkward glares from the boys. "When I came out of the caves under Mount Moon, Pewter City was under siege. The roads to the city were blocked by Rockets. I tried to get into the city, but the closest I could get was barely within eyeshot. Pewter City looked bad enough then. That was last week." The awkward stares were gone, replaced by much more serious stares.
"How do we even know if Pewter is still standing?" Gary asked. "If it looked bad last week then what chance do we have?"
"On top of that" Ash added "Why is Team Rocket even attacking Pewter? From what you've told us they're an underground organization, not an army."
Misty shook her head. "They used to be. They always were annoying. As far as I can tell, a few months ago they moved away from petty crime and into full fledged paramilitaries. My mother and I shut down some sort of facility south of Cerulean last month. We found a whole armoury full of weapons and pokemon. Some rare ones, and all of them clearly mistreated." Misty hung her head. "My mother thought that they would leave Cerulean alone after that. We did shut down what seemed like a major facility. We must have just pissed them off though." She raised her head. "As to why they're attacking Pewter, it should be clear. The Takeshi family is an old and proud family. They're stubborn and unmoving. Team Rocket likely sees them as a threat to any operations in Viridian and Cerulean."
Ash shook his head. "So they control two cities for sure, maybe a third one by now. How the hell are we supposed to stop them?"
Misty smiled, chuckling. "That's cute, you think this problem is small. As far as I can tell, they control 5 cities right now. Fuchsia, Vermillion, Saffron, Viridian, Cerulean, and possibly Pewter as well." She smirked at the shocked looks on their faces. "Fuchsia City has been under Rocket control for years, ever since Lord Koga up and followed Lance into hell. Vermillion's new ruler is a Rocket executive, he took over in a coup last year. Three months ago, a bunch of Rocket troops moved into Saffron. The city has been cut off from the world since then. The last I heard from Lady Erika was that Rocket troops were starting to probe Celadon's defences. I didn't even know about Viridian being under control, so it had to have been recently. That makes Pewter one of the last free cities in Kanto. I have to get inside the city. I need the Takeshi army to take back my home." Her voice rose to a peak, emotion swelling inside her.
Gary scratched his head. "So how do you suggest we get inside Pewter? Four people and a few pokemon against a besieging army, I apologize but our chances aren't that great. Especially when you consider that two of our pokemon barely listen to us and we'll have no help until we're already inside the city."
Jay spoke up with a smile. "I have an idea." He turned to look at Misty. "You said that Rocket troopers aren't a match for any of us. What if we used you as bait to lure a few troops away from the gates? One of us sneaks inside, and we get whatever army is stationed inside the city to hit the Rockets when their backs are turned."
Misty didn't answer for a moment, deep in thought. "I don't know, what if the army can't get to us in time. We don't know how many Rockets are actually here. Furthermore, there's probably a Rocket agent or two here to command the siege. I don't like our odds against an agent even if the numbers are equal, which they are not. No, there's got to be a way into the city. Maybe a hidden tunnel or a hidden gate."
Gary piped up. "Gramps once told me that Pewter is built over a massive cave network. Apparently the city was built as a mining town over some mineral deposit. I'd bet that there's an entrance to those caves outside the walls."
Jay smiled. "I never thought the random crap that the professor taught us would come in handy. At least one of us listened." He turned his head to look back at Misty. "Better plan than dangling you in front of their noses?" He asked.
She nodded in agreement. "A much better plan." She stood up, stretching her back. "You two had better get those Nidos to listen to you. We're gonna need everything if this is gonna work." She pulled her bedroll out of her bag and set it out.
Jay and Gary looked at each other. "Guess we'd better get started. How many sugar cubes do we have left?" Jay asked. The two set off, attempting to train their new pokemon.
Ash simply leaned back against a tree, allowing pikachu onto his lap. They dozed off, Ash scratching his pokemon behind the ears.
Two days later they were ready to make their move. They had emerged from the forest and camped on the fringe of the trees to stay hidden. From the top of the closest hill they could tell that Pewter was still alive and fighting. The northern side of the city was glowing with the lights of dozens of small fire. As well, parts of the western half of the city were giving off plumes of thick black smoke. Some quick reconnaissance by Sawyer, Gary's pidgeotto, revealed that the Rockets were mostly concerned with the North and Eastern gates. There wasn't more than a dozen Rockets guarding the road south.
"It's still a dozen more than I'd like to face." Misty was face down on top of the hill, eyeing the city and the smoke above it. "The entrance to the caves is probably hidden. Get your pokemon searching." She ordered before turning back to watch the roadblock.
The three boys returned to the bottom of the hill and released their pokemon with flashes of red light. The Nidos came out with angry snorts, but upon seeing their masters they settled down. Pikachu leapt down off Ash's shoulder and joined the rest of the pokemon.
Ash took charge, issuing orders to all the pokemon. They bounded off into the grass to search for an entrance into the caves. Ash turned to Jay and Gary, looking up at the girl laying in the grass. "I don't like her. She's clearly just using us for Pewter's army." He said.
"Just like we're using her to get to Bill." Stated Gary. "This goes both ways. We don't have to like her, we just need to tolerate her until we get to Cerulean."
Jay turned away, walking back to their camp in the trees. "Just come get me if you guys find the caves." He called back.
It took until a few hours after sundown that night. Pikachu came back chittering and squeaking madly until Ash followed his pokemon to a hole in the ground that was less than a foot wide at any point.
After a quick search for all the boys' pokemon, they gathered around the hole, pokemon safely returned to their balls.
Misty motioned to the boys, clearly intending for them to go first. "Keep an eye out. We don't know what's down there. Could be Rockets or a bunch of wild pokemon."
Before she could even finish, Jay squeezed himself through the hole. They heard him scraping and grunting, then a crash and a muffled shout. "I'm ok!" Jay's muffled voice came from the hole. Be careful, there's a big drop a few feet down."
Slowly, and with plenty of grunting, the other three made their way through, joining Jay in a massive cavern. Crystals were poking out of the wall, giving off just enough light to illuminate the cavern.
Misty made her way over to one of the crystals, admiring it. "How are they glowing? They're beautiful…" Her eyes never left the crystal and she brushed it with her fingers. She was jerked back to reality by a shout.
Jay tackled her to the ground, shoulder driving into her stomach and knocking her to the ground with him on top of her .
"Motherfu…." She started.
"Shut up." He hissed in her ear. "Don't move, there's a squad of Rockets coming this way. I think they heard us come down here." He craned his neck to get a glimpse of Ash and Gary. The two were pressed into a rock, not daring to move.
"I'm telling you I heard something. Sounded like voices." One of the Rockets said.
"What? You think there's Takeshi soldiers down here?" Another one answered.
"Well who else could it be? They know their way around down here, and nobody's come through the blockade since those two nut jobs got here." He answered. "Let out your golbat. If there's anyone in here, it'll find them."
Jay tensed up. He could hear the two walking towards their hiding place, but he hadn't managed to spot them yet. Where Ash and Gary sat, he could see Gary reaching slowly towards his belt. Before he could motion for Gary to stop, a black boot stepped into view.
"Holy fuck there actually are people down here. Did we interrupt something little ones?" His voice was booming, echoing through the cavern.
Jay cursed as he felt himself being lifted up, rough hands grabbing him. Misty was yanked to her feet by a second Rocket. Their bags were torn off and taken, tossed off to the other members of the Rocket squad.
"Search those bags." The man holding Jay ordered. He pulled Jay around to face him. His face was scarred above his left eye, clearly burned by a fire pokemon. He kneed his captive in the stomach and laughed. "What have we here? Two little kids out to play? Don't you idiots know there's a siege? It's not safe for children here."
Jay doubled over, sick to his stomach from the pain. His vision was swimming and the man's laughing was ringing in his ears. He felt his knife and his pokeballs get ripped away from the sheath on his belt. He looked up, attempting to find Ash and Gary. They were gone from their hiding spot, only the lack of shouting telling him that they hadn't been found. He heard a slap from behind him, and a muffled squeak of pain. Jay shouted in anger, attempting to throw off his captor. Another blow and Jay's brief resistance was brought to an end, sent crumpling to the ground in a heap.
"Well boys, let's have some fun with this one!" He punctuated the sentence with a laugh that was joined by the rest of the squad. "Get her pants off Joren." A scream followed by another slap and muffled resistance echoed across the cavern.
Jay struggled to roll onto his chest, feeling the back of his head throb. He pushed himself to his knees, struggling and grunting with every movement. His pokeballs and knife lay discarded on the ground. He reached for them before a foot made contact with his back, knocking him back to the ground.
"I don't think so you little twat." The Rocket trooper grabbed his right arm and planted his foot above Jay's elbow.
Jay screamed in pain, feeling and hearing the bones in his arm snap. He reached desperately managing to reach his fingers to one of the balls. Not caring who was inside he tapped the button, releasing the beast inside. "Kill." He ordered. Before he saw who he had released, his vision swam and he nearly passed out again.
His nidorino growled, low and angry before plunging his horn into the Rocket's leg. He pulled back before stabbing its horn into the falling man's chest. When he pulled his horn back out it was dripping with blood and poison. Nidorino growled again and bit into the fallen Rocket's neck, tearing through flesh.
What happened next was a flurry of motion that Jay wouldn't fully understand until days later. The Rockets on Misty turned and within moments were rounding on Jay and his pokemon. Without realizing it, Jay managed to release his growlithe as well. His two pokemon faced off against several pokemon. Two raticate and a trio of golbat let out their cries of anger. All was silent for a moment, save for Jay's frantic grunting and the death moans of the Rocket nidorino had attacked.
"The fuck are we waiting for?" One of the Rockets yelled. "That fucker can barely stand. He killed Riley, fucking tear him to pieces." The man was shouting, attempting to push past his squad mates.
A bolt of electricity and blast of water answered him. One of the golbat dropped out of the air instantly, unconscious or worse. A wartortle took one of the raticate by surprise, leaping onto its back and alternating bites and jets of water strong enough to break the pokemon's hide. A nidorina leapt from the shadows, biting and scratching at the second raticate. Another blast of electricity lit the cavern, knocking a second golbat to the ground.
Finally the attackers revealed themselves. Two boys and a pikachu stepped into the light. With a shout, they charged the group of Rockets. The pikachu shot another bolt of electricity, taking the last golbat down. The pikachu shot forwards, dodging into the battle and joining against the raticate.
Jay opened his eyes, taking in the scene. The golbat trio were down, still crackling with electricity. Nidorino and growlithe were tearing apart one of the raticate. Wartortle and nidorina were ripping into the other one. Pikachu was bringing down Rockets with blasts of electricity and making their lives a living hell. Ash and Gary were tangling with two of the Rocket troops, wrestling them to the ground.
Jay forced himself to his feet, grabbing his knife on the way up and holding his arm close against his body. One of the Rockets was still standing over Misty, keeping her from releasing any of her pokemon. Her arms were pinned to her side, and pokeballs discarded beside her. All Jay could see was red, the outline of the Rocket trooper's back barely visible. He let out a feral growl and rushed the Rocket as quickly as he could.
He was screaming for help, calling for other Rockets through his radio. Jay needed to stop him. More Rockets would be the death of them, and with him barely able to fight, they had to leave immediately. All that mattered was stopping the Rocket on the radio. So Jay stopped him the only way he could. With his good arm he drew back the knife and plunged it into the man's back.
The man flailed around, knocking Jay back by smashing against his broken arm. Misty took the opportunity, kicking the Rocket's legs out before he could regain his senses. The last thing Jay saw before he drifted off was Misty pull her own knife out and repeatedly stab the man in the chest while tears streamed down her face. He heard a roar that shook the walls of the cavern, and then he heard nothing at all.
Well now that we've arrived at Pewter the hard part begins. Thank you so much to everyone who read this and I'm so sorry that I didn't manage to make the deadline I set. Please leave a review for me, it's always nice to know that your work is appreciated and how it could get better. On a side note, I went back and rewrote the first three chapters. Hopefully they're more entertaining now. Thanks everyone, and see you next time!
