I wrote this chapter while listening to Friend or Foe, from T.A.T.U.

by lord Martiya

TALE 05: VS WARTORTLE

That period was maybe the happier of my life, but it was even the worst one, the one in who I recorded various thiefts and Pokemon poaching. But I was happy: for the first time in my life, I had friends to help and be helped, play and fight with, and we were quickly promoted to S-rank Agents, just a step before the Executives ranks. Then, arrived the day. Rose and I operated yet from the Academy, and my father was visiting it. With Meowth now goofy and distracted by the antistress Persian.

"What I have to do with him?!" my father ranted, while Rose, I, the principal and Viper were in briefing with him and after that Meowth dropped five very hot coffees on his head and ran away apologizing. "Well, I hope that there's no problem with the trainees."

"Well, there's one little problem..." Viper admitted.

"MA SANTO CIELO(1), WHAT'S HAPPENED?! A REVOLT?!"

"Er..."

"A very talented trainee, Jesse Clyde, is totally unable to learn teamwork..." the principal explained.

"How much unable?" my father asked.

"As much a girl dumped monthly for a year can be." I answered.

"Wow! Now I understand why she gone throug twelve partners..." Rose exclaimed.

"Sigh... Sack her." my father ordered. "Or there's another chance?"

"Well, the other top contender of the Red Team, James O'Brien(2), made all his partner faint from exaustion(3), I thinked that he and Jesse can go along..." Viper said.

"And why you didn't do?"

"We did it, but we also need a Pokemon who could go with those two overactive people!"

"Meowth." I suggested. "He need some gymnastic, but he can go with those two."

"But why a Meowth?" the principal asked.

"THE Meowth. The talking one."

Karen and Viper looked at me like I was an alien, but my father said: "Do it. At least he won't burn me anymore, and he may also take them as his henchmen(4). Anything else?"

"No, sir." the principal answered.

"Good. Karen, Viper, you're dismissed."

After the exit of the principal and the drill seargent, my father asked: "Do you know about Aura?"

"Aura is a form of energy p..." I began, but my father interrupted me.

"Good, you know. Folk tales say that some humans are sensitive to Aura too, expecially the one born in some place like Viridian Forest or the Dragon's Den near Blackthorn City, but I never seen evidence. However, Lucario has a total sensitivity to Aura, like some Riolu. Normally Riolus are less sensitive than Lucarios, but I known as sure that in Cerulean Cave there's a Shiny one able to use Aura Sphere(5). You'll capture him."

"Yes, sir." I answered.

"May us know why Team Rocket didn't captured him yet?" Rose asked.

"Lance." my father answered. "At the moment Lance is in Candraca and won't interfere, but he left a girl of his clan and her boyfriend, and they're a bit though, so be cautious."

We went to Cerulean Cave, and managed to pass the guards without problems. After entering, we heard a girl talking to the Pokegear with somebody, and telling him the reason because she didn't bring her Pokemons to Orre (I discovered this some time after): "Yes, uncle Lance sent me to Orre without my Pokemons simply for an innocent pratical joke to auntie Clair! Only for a simple putting of firecrackers on her chair(6)... Oh, now I have to leave, there are two intruders..."

We then heard the rumor of a Pokeball releasing a Pokemon and the command: "Blast Burn in that direction!!", and, turning to them, I somehow saw a Charizard charging the attack at us THROUGH THE ROCKS. I immediatly dived in a nearby channel taking Rose with me, just in time to escape being incinerated by the Blast Burn. The rocky terrain, instead, melted, and the water partly evaporated. Then, the trainer of the Charizard shouted: "Intruders, come out of the water! I know you're alive! I'm Rui(7) of the Dragon Clan, and I'm also a Pokemon G-Woman! Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

We emerged from the water, and I replied: "We are two against one, you are the one who have to surrender."

"But my knight in shining armour is coming." she replied, smiling.

"DITTY, STRANGLE THAT CHARIZARD!!" Rose ordered, completely mad.

Rose's right glove retransformed in Ditty and attacked the Charizard, while Rose barked: "Get that here she used a word that you don't need to know Riolu, I will deal with this pesky girl!!"

I followed the order, not wanting to mess with a mad Rose, and instinctively come near the Riolu. And an heavily customized Harley-Pokeson Softail hovering motorcycle(8) near-missed me. The biker cursed for the miss, then said: "Rocket, surrender now to Wes(9)."

My answer was releasing Snyer and Federico, to which he replied releasing his Espeon and his Umbreon. We battled for a while with nobody gaining the upper hand, his Espeon unable to get a psychic strike on Federico (all Psychics and Psybeams striked Snyer) and Federico unable to use his powerful Earth-type(10) attacks. You know, a Gym can resist an Earthquake attack without problem(11), and Viridian's Gym can even resist some Fissure in a row without noticeable damage, but a cave... This was the reason because I did the thing that I regret the most.

"Wes, surrender now or I'll do a thing that I don't want to do!" I ordered.

"Do it." Wes replied.

"Federico, destroy the hoverbik..."

"I SURRENDER! I SURRENDER!!"

You know, a real biker REALLY loves his motorcycle, and Wes is a famous one. So, he recalled his Pokemons and even knocked out himself to save his bike. I really regret that bluff... What?! It's OBVIOUS that I wouldn't really destroy a motorbike! I'm a biker, too, with a lightly customized Dogati Hypermotard S(12) with an added sidecar, and even MENACING to destroy a motorbike it's... It's... I don't know the words... And during the battle Wes went away from his one to protect it from a stray attack.

However, I managed to defeat him, and I even knocked out the Riolu: he watched the battle, and for some reason its result nearly suffucated him with laughs. I was about to catch him with a TRBall when a Pokeball catched it. I turned in the direction, and then I narrowly dodged a Skull Bashing-Wartortle who received orders from his trainer with a radio.

"Ostrega(13), that damned Blue Leaf..." I commented.

Uh? Well, from a few months various TR missions were thwarted by a radio commanded-Wartortle who every time leaved a blue leaf in exchange for the Pokemons of the TR member. Group of less of ten Grunts and single pairs of B-rank and A-rank agents had the order to escape on sight. And I was attacked from that danger. My reaction? Two words: "Federico, Thunder!"

Yes, I counterattacked, wanting to rid the world from that menace to Team Rocket. The Wartortle used Dig and evaded the attack, and then tried to counterattack, only to be blocked by Federico who catched his head. Federico was preparing to Thunder him, but the Wartortle began to rotate and then used Hydro Pump. You know, a point-blank Hydro Pump from a fresh and strong Wartortle on a very tired Nidoking it's an immediate KO, and Federico was no exception. But the Wartortle paid for that hit: Federico managed to discharge on him the incomplete Thunder, hitting him very harshly.

I carried various Snagball and tried to capture him, but the Wartortle repelled my attempt with his Water Gun. Then I decided to attack him with Snyer and his Dark Pulse (my favourite, at the time), but the Wartortle evaded with his Protect. Then began a fierce exchange of strikes, and after a while the Wartortle seemed to prevail. I was about to recall Snyer and sending Raimondo, when Snyer surprised me and the enemy with a Razor Wind(14). The attack damaged the Wartortle and cutted his radio, stopping his trainer to send orders. I believed to have captured at least the Wartortle. I was so wrong...

Why? Do you know why Cerulean Cave collapsed? Because that Wartortle, after reviving Wes with his Water Gun, used Rock Smash on the main pillar to cover his retreat. I only had the time to shout 'blasting off' in my radio before running away for my life.

After exiting I observed the remains of the cave, wondering if Rose made it, when she, fresh as a rose, appeared at my back asking if I succeeded.

"I encountered Blue Leaf." I answered.

"You what?" she replied.

"Why do you think the cave collapsed? The Blue Leaf Wartortle smashed the wrong pillar to cover his retreat. I don't know who's the Blue Leaf, but he's reckless as you. What about you?"

"I obviously won. Now tell me something: how you managed to see that Charizard through the rock?"

"You won't tell it to anybody. You can tell why, but not what."

"Uh?"

"My mother had her labour pain outside Viridian City, and failed to reach the city. So, she gave me birth in Viridian Forest."

"Are you t..."

"I'm sensitive to Aura. I'm not very expert, so for now I can barely see shapes through walls, but I'm a sensitive."

"Oh... Wait, do the boss know this?"

"Obviously, not. I don't want to be a guinea-pig."

"Well, if this is the trust that you have in your father, why did you joined Team Rocket?"

"I only want to be the strongest of all, and this is a very good way. A way that my father offered to me so I can take over his organization, but I don't care, I care only to become strong and pay him working for him."

"And for the future?"
"Who knows?"

footnotes

(1)Literal translation from Italian: Holy Sky. I chose an Italian curse (a weak one) to remain in his 'Italian Mafia' theme begun with the U.S. release of Pokemon Red & Blue.

(2)This surname is an homage to Paddy O'Brien, a character in the novel Il Re del Mare (King of the Sea in the English language release), by Emilio Salgari. Paddy O'Brien, self-appointed 'Demon of the War', is a mad scientist who went to Sandokan and joined his vengeful cruise with the promise of make explode the gun magazines of the British ships. In the final battle of the novel, Sandokan give him the chance of do this, and he manage to destroy one of the five enemy ironclads before being killed by a shrapnel who destroyed his machine.

(3)In Training Daze wasn't explained why James was partnerless, so I invented something basing on his first appearances.
(4)Giovanni is really prophetic: in the first episodes, Meowth was the boss of Jesse and James, giving them orders and costantly remembering them that he was the Top Cat.

(5)I admit, I got the idea from the double episode celebrating the release of Pokemon Ranger Batonnage.

(6)Donald Duck's nephews did exactly this joke to their father, and they were sent to the brother of their mother, Donald Duck.

(7)Yes, this is the same Rui from Pokemon Colosseum. With Pokemons on her own, finally.

(8)Little homage to the famous Harley-Davidson Softail. You know, Wes's hoverbike reminds to me to a motorbike with a softail frame...

(9)And this is the same Wes from Pokemon Colosseum, with a team composed of his Eevolutions and some of his snagged Pokemons.

(10)I know, it's supposed to be Ground-type, but sometimes Enrico and other Viridian's Gym-related characters will say Earth-type.

(11)See first chapter.

(12)Another motorcycle homage, this time to the Ducati Hypermotard S.

(13)Another Italian weak curse, this time a Venician one. It's one of my two favourites.

(14)I know, Sneasel is not supposed to be able to use Razor Wind, and this is why Enrico, the Wartortle and his trainers are surprised. BTW, Razor Wind's original name is Kamaitachi, a misterious and legendary cutting fenomenon alleged to happen sometimes on Japanese mountains and sometimes attributed to weasel-like beings, beings who inspired the creation of Sneasel and Weavile, and this is why at least one Sneasel in this story had to use that move.