I don't own Pokémon or anything related to it. This story is for personal enjoyment, is non-profitable, and I am only doing it to enhance and work on my writing capabilities. That is all, I think.
Part 1
"So, just out of sheer curiosity, I have to ask…" I leaned back in the cell bed as I tried my hand at casually conversing with the Rocket grunt watching over me.
"What is it?" he replied hastily. He said it as if he had to be somewhere quick, though he didn't, so I guess he just wanted to be done with talking to me.
"What's in it for you?"
"Huh? Whuddya talkin' about?"
"I mean, working for Team Rocket. Whether it's out of desperation for a job, or just to be in on the secret, there must be something that made you join. You do realize that they're doing horrible things to whomever they please, right?"
"Are you just tryin' to get on my nerves with this "unethical" crap? I've had plenty of people ask me about it." he inquired, turning around in his seat to look at me.
"Why would I? I don't want to burn bridges with the only guy that I can chat with. I'd rather have someone to talk to than be by myself." I honestly stated. I know, it's ironic to what I've been doing all this time, but since I've got nowhere to go, I might as well try to just have a pleasant chat with someone. Even if I hated his guts…
He took the answer rather well, lowering down in his chair to ponder over my question. After a moment's time, he gave his reason.
"I dunno…I was just pretty desperate at the time for the money. I have a girlfriend that I'm trying to help with her own business, and, well…this was the only opportunity I had to get us some dough, that's all."
I simply responded with empathy, "…she doesn't know about this job, though, does she?"
The grunt turned down to his lap, either to avert gaze with anyone around or to find any possible answer in his clenched hands. For a split second, his eyes shut, as if in shame, only to continue looking to his hands. Even with the gloves on, I could tell they were probably white from squeezing together so much.
"I just…I needed the money," was all he could say in his defense. I lost anger towards him, understanding that he didn't want to do such a job. He only wanted to seek the best for the two of them.
"But is it worth all the suffering you put Pokémon through? Or me?"
He didn't say anything. He only looked down the hall, like there was someone coming along, or something that could take his attention away from this topic. I didn't press any further, I had done enough to unease his conscience. He probably had the same internal conflict when signing up for the job.
Some time passed since then, and I hadn't slept a wink. Despite it being nighttime, I just couldn't seem to go to sleep. The bed was fine, but my mind was unable to pull away from anything negative. I don't know what is was, but just knowing that you're being moved to a worse place than before to be tested on isn't really something nice to have on your mind when trying to rest. There's that, and the fact that the bed wouldn't stop swaying. I forgot to mention, I was on a colossal plane, bring transported over some sea east of Johto. There were a number of other test subjects being moved to the greater facilities, just like me, so they preferred to not only do it in one round trip, but also under the cover of night, so nobody would notice.
Realizing I wasn't going to get any sleep, I rose from my bed to look over at the grunt that I had been talking to previously. The fact that his head was dipped to the left suggested that he had an easier time with sleeping. Arceus knows how he can after our little discussion. Regardless, that didn't pique my curiosity as much as the fact that he was asleep. This seemed to remind me that he had a card key on him; one that could open up the cell. Should his card have been in reach…I could…just possibly…
Slowly advancing towards the unconscious guard, I checked to see if his card was in reach. Peering through the right side of the bars, I got a look of his uniform. Fortune seemed to be on my side tonight, for it was on the left side of his belt.
"Okay…you've got a shot. You can do this…make this work!" I encouraged myself as I proceeded. Without as much as a sound, I put my hands through the bars and reached down to the card. I was taking my time with it too, seeing as though I didn't know when I'd get another chance like this.
That was probably the worst tension I ever had. My hands were shaking slightly, as if they wanted me to get caught. My breaths became more noticeable, and it felt like the grunt's became quieter as I leaned in. Steadying myself, I put one hand on the card, and the other moving to the latch on it. Taking my time, I opened it up to slip the card off the belt.
Randomly, the guard moved his head to my side. Not knowing whether or not he was awake, my heart felt like it stopped. I held still, paralyzed in place by absolute shock. One moment passed after another, and I concluded that he was still asleep, thank Arceus. I wanted to smack him upside the head for nearly giving me a heart attack, but you know that wouldn't end well. Proceeding with the card, I simply pulled it off after a split second. I slid back from the grunt quietly, calming down from the 'thriller'. My breath went to normal, and I looked down at the ticket to escape in my hands, still in disbelief that I actually succeeded.
"I did it…I can't believe I got it!" I assured myself. Though I had the card, I still though it to myself, not wanting to alarm the guard. Even so, I couldn't help but crack a smile on my face; the first smile I had in what seemed like forever.
Moving over to the other side of the bars, I ran the card through the reader on the wall. Following a simple beep, the bars raised up, sliding with little sound. Relieved to know that they were so, I put one foot out in the hall in caution. My head followed, gazing left to right as quietly as possible. As far as I saw, there wasn't anyone else nearby. I'm pretty sure they would have noticed by now if there were.
I stepped out completely, checking again that the guard was still sleeping on the job. Though the lights were very faint, I made out three hallways in different directions. One went to my left, the second went to the right, and the third branched off of the right one and went left from there (so pretty much straight). I had no clue as to which one may lead me to an exit, so I decided not to think about it too much. I just chose right, past the guard. While passing him, I noticed a small stack of clothes next to him. A pair of jeans, a green t-shirt, socks and shoes, no doubt my size. The admin probably wanted me to look my best when delivered to the new facilities, just so it would look like they treated me well. Picking them up, I quickly changed into the new fresh set of attire. I didn't really care if it looked good or not, but rather that it felt far better than the tattered remains of that previous. Feeling content with the new clothes, I proceeded along, wherever the dim corridor took me…
It had been a minute or two, and I still didn't see any sign of an exit to the airship. It surprised me how big it was, yet there was few people patrolling. There was one or two that I had to hide in the doorways for, but that was it. I assumed it was probably night time, so most of the workers were sleeping.
"You'd think they would have maps set around the place, or even distributed to the guys. I can't imagine how someone can get through this place without having trouble," I noted absentmindedly. Either way, I had to put up with the situation and press on.
For the most part, the walls were aligned with posters depicting rules in the aircraft, images of some tall, close-to-being-bald guy in a suit (I'm guessing he was the boss of the group), and miscellaneous diagrams of common Pokémon used by Team Rocket, just for informing them the strengths and weaknesses. I saw ones like Zubats, Koffings, and Rattatas. It really disturbed me how
Turning another corner, however, there was one sign that caught my eye in particular. Rather than the background black of the previous diagrams, there was a vivid red that surrounded the wording.
LEGENDARY BRANCH
NO PERMISSION WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION AND
COMPANY OF 4 STARS OR GREATER
Nothing other than the lettering and red, yet it certainly sparked my interest. Had it been possible that they actually captured some of the legendaries? I know it's possible, but after my first experience at their sort of power, it seemed like kind of a stretch. Nevertheless, I decided to pervade and explore for a moment, just to satisfy my wonder.
Another dozing guard, another swiped card [in both senses], and I was in the exclusive chambers. Seriously, you'd think that the guys would have coffee or something to stay up late for their shifts, or perhaps I was just lucky to encounter two in a row. Even so, I was happy enough that the security left much to be wished for.
The cells had thicker, shinier bars than the previous one, probably made of more expensive material to withhold more damage. Passing by one after another, only vacant spaces were shown for the classified corridors, making me wonder whether or not they actually had any on this trip. Cell after cell, they just went by faster as I made more diverted inspections as I approached the end of the branch. Only when a flash of blue, contrasting with the usual silver lining, was noticed in the corner of my eye did I stop in my tracks. Three steps back, a turn of my head, and there I was, face to face with a Pokémon I had only seen pictures of.
The blue quadruped rested unconscious in the far left corner of the cell, its thin legs crossed in the front to rest its white snout. The seemingly cumbersome mane that usually flowed in the wind lied flat upon its back, rising up and down to the silent rhythm of its breaths, along with the two thin, white tails that extended to the front, right next to its forepaws. The great crest upon its forehead was a slightly darker shade of blue than the skin, creating a tall hexagonal shape. These graceful features, with the peaceful slumber being experienced at the current moment, made Suicune seem undisturbed by the status of its environment.
I didn't want to awaken it, so I kneeled down in front of the bars to take a better look at it. I didn't know if it was a male or female, partly because I hadn't heard it speak before. Xerneas did once, so I could tell that it was a girl. Each legendary has a gender, though it's not known by most because they have not ever come up to one. I was soon going to find out Suicune's gender, however. Upon making a noisy exhale, its eyes opened.
Red eyes, cutting though the darkness, leered at me for a moment's time. I froze again, though this time I returned the stare to the other, trying to hold my ground (which is odd enough, considering that Suicune was the one who could gain no more ground). Its head raised, keeping vigilance while doing so. It went on for a minute or so, just staring back at one another in silence, until Suicune finally spoke.
"…and to whom do I owe the pleasure of sharing this evening with?" A feminine voice asked with a tone.
"It's only if you wish to share the evening. Some prefer to reside in solitude," I responded with a humble voice. If you're going to converse with a legendary, it'll probably be in your best interest to be respectful at all times.
"Oh, please. You humans come by whenever it is convenient for you. Either that, or for just the feeding rounds, which are just as bad." I could tell that her stay was less than pleasant within the confines.
"What kind of food?" I asked rather dumfounded. She gave me a suitable, contorted expression for a visible response.
"What difference does it make?" she spat out.
"Well, just for the sake of a conversation, not to mention sheer curiosity, I wanted to ask," I answered. Frankly, I had no idea why I asked. Probably just to try and act friendly however I could.
Turning her head to the side, giving me a moment's ease out of her glare, she sighed and obliged my question.
"Just berries, water, some vegetables…whatever will let us get by. Usually, it's not enough, since I need to eat more."
"Such is the cost of being grand in physical appearance," I said out loud.
"And what would you know of it? You're not that big yourself, from what I see," she noted.
"I knew someone once. He was roughly six and a half or even seven feet tall, and had the girth and weight to go with it. He ate like a Snorlax when it was meal time."
"It does not concern me. I don't care for your stupid recollections," she insulted. I was lucky enough to even remember the details of that era, after all this time.
"Just thought that you would want to chat, that's all."
"I don't want to "chat", I just want to be let out of here," she said, turning back to face me with the same stare as before. She continued.
"You people just bar up us Pokémon like beasts and run your tests and experiments, like we're nothing better. Each time I have come to face one of you, it's always the same thing. Either, 'You would be great for my team', or, 'I must get such a rare Pokémon', and never something that would be spoken to an equal. You are all the same; selfish, immoral, uncaring, and thinking of nobody but yourselves! Why Arceus would even think of leaving such creatures on the face of the earth is something I cannot fathom to understand!"
She was slightly panting after her quick rant. It wasn't loud enough to alert the other guards in the far distance, but it was loud for me. I just stayed there in silence, letting what she said register in my head as I looked down in shame for my kind. It hurts me to accept that she was right for the most part, that we could not see past our own desires.
"…is that what you truly believe?" I asked in confirmation, looking up at her.
"It is all that I have seen, wherever I go. Not once has a human done anything for someone other than themselves. And now, this happens to me- a legendary, nonetheless." She looked down in shame as well, but then back to me. "But why would you care? I'm wasting my breath on you, Rocket grunt!"
"…well, that's one thing that you have wrong, Suicune," I simply stated.
"What do I have wrong?" she demanded.
"I'm not part of Team Rocket. I honestly hate their guts as much as you do for what they do," I concurred.
"What makes you think that I would fall for that!?" she said, insulted.
"Do I have one of their uniforms on?" I reasoned, raising my arms up and looking at my apparel. "Each one of the grunts wears it, yet here I am without one."
"Wha- then why are you here?" she asked, not understanding why I was here.
"Tests, samples, experiments…that sort of stuff you specified earlier," I answered.
"You mean they test on their own brothers and sisters!? How could they…" she said, horrified at this.
"I'm no luckier than you are right now. Er, except for opposable thumbs," I explained, looking down at them.
"What makes that so important?" she continued with an irritated tone.
"Well, it lets me grab things that I need, like this." I held up the guard card for the legendary branch.
"I don't get it, what is that?" She probably didn't see one of the cards before, so it was understandable.
"It allows access into this area, and, if I'm not mistaken, it also works to open the cells in this section, meaning that…" I waited for her to finish the sentence.
"…I could get out and leave?" she inquired.
"You said you wanted to be let out of here. I can do that for you," I said, trying to give a content smile.
"Then do it! Let me out, I need to get out of this nightmare!" She took a few steps towards me, the desperation shown in her eyes for freedom.
The hand I had the card in fell down beside my waist.
"I though you also said that all humans thing of nobody but themselves, and that they should be cast from the face of the earth, did you not?" I stated.
Upon realizing this, Suicune froze where she was, remembering her choice words just moments ago. She tried to speak, but couldn't in defense.
"Why would I want to help someone who despises me like that!? Why should I put myself out there for you when you would rather see me dead?" I said harshly, letting the words sink in.
"Y-you haven't been what I've been through! You don't know what it's like to see the cruelty of humankind!" she said in protest. I grit my teeth at the fallaciousness of that statement. I just couldn't let that slide.
"I know exactly what it's like!" My other hand grabbed the bar in front, startling Suicune where she was. "I have been at the point where I could do nothing to help those that were in need of it. I have been torn twice from what I've witnessed, making me hate even the fact that I am human. The only difference between you and me in this aspect is that I am one of them. I've lost faith in my own kind because I've seen them harm each other for their own desires, yet you see them as an enemy that you and your own can stand against. I have nothing to turn to."
Suicune just stared at me with a mix of regret, horror, sympathy, disbelief…anything that wasn't from her stare before. She had nothing to say.
"You may be a legendary, but right now, you're nothing without me. I can just walk away and forget you because you see me as one of them. I'll ask once more…why would I want to help you when you have labeled me as no better than the ones who imprisoned both of us?"
Nothing but silence in answer. She couldn't take to defending her own words, yet she knew she couldn't take them back.
"…I don't know." She didn't look me in the eye, humiliated, and waited for me to leave her.
With my message gotten across, my hand fell from the bar, limp, as I stood there down at the ground the same. I didn't know what to do. She was broken from what I said, and her realization at how powerless she was. Such a feeling…I remember that…the only difference from mine was…I had nobody to turn to, yet Suicune had someone to help her through it…
The card was swiped through the reader, and with an exhaustion of air pressure, the bars came down, removing the barrier between me and the legendary, who, at this time, looked up at me in disbelief.
"W-why...why would you…" She couldn't seem to put the words together, but the message was gotten across nonetheless.
"Because, I know the feeling of helplessness. You lose faith when you can only rely on yourself. I don't want someone else to lose trust in others like me.
"…here I thought…that all humans pursued their own desires…why couldn't I see anything else?"
"You never saw the better of humankind. A good portion of us are like that, but…you just have to search for those who would lend the hand."
A simple, slow nod was her acknowledgement to my point.
"Not everyone is bad, but you must find those who would lend a hand by yourself. Always strive towards that which is worthwhile. Now, how about we get out of this place?"
With the first small smile I had seen from her muzzle, Suicune replied,
"Sounds good. You lead the way."
If anyone has been interested in the continuation of this story, I apologize for the excessive delay in a new chapter. I'm getting ready for college, including SATs, showcases, finishing school with a 3.9 (apparently, colleges like that sort of thing), etc. It will probably be a while before another one, but nothing is certain. Anyways, thank you for reading, please leave a review, and stay awesome.
