Chapter 2
"Surrender at Camp Bastion"
How should I begin this story, you might say? Well, at the beginning of course, but not at the beginning, beginning. Everyone knows how it all started on that day in 2001, when 3,000 men, women and children were slaughtered like innocent animals. Ever since then, the United States and its allies had been at war with Al-Qaeda and Team Rocket in the Middle East in an effort to eradicate terrorism once and for all.
However, there have been other similar attacks in cities like Madrid in 2004, London in 2005 and many others with similar circumstances. But, it wasn't until after nine airliners were blown up over the Atlantic Ocean on September 11, 2006 that Team Rocket and its affiliates was thrusted into the public eye and everyone started to know the truth about their involvement in the 9/11 attacks. But, we at the Pokemon Crime Bureau seemed to know the absolute truth right from the beginning, however, we kept it quiet from the public as to not cause any false alarms.
Our main targets were the five Pokemon crime leaders of the five terror groups that we were hunting down: Team Rocket headed by Dr. Giovanni Sakami; Team Aqua headed by Admiral Archie Aorgro; Team Magma headed by General Max "Maxie" Matsubasa; Team Galactic headed by Dr. Cyrus Akagi and Team Plasma headed by Ghetsis Harmonia.
Each suspect was wanted by the American and British governments for crimes of terror against Pokemon and Humanity and ever since the 9/11 attacks, we had been monitoring their every move and in the spring of 2011, we had gathered enough evidence to finally issue warrants for their arrests as well as those who carried out the atrocities. But, we had to take out their main ally, Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda and the most wanted man in the world who came to embrace Pokemon as a way of carrying out terrorist atrocities against the west. Earlier, in the fall of 2010, one of our spies had made a discovery that Team Rocket and its affiliates were hiding out with Bin Laden in a compound in the town of Abbottabad, Pakistan. The decision was made by our superiors in Washington, London and Tokyo to have the Navy Seals kill Bin Laden, but capture Giovanni and his fellow leaders and their associates.
So, in the early morning hours of May 2, 2011, a group of U.S. Navy Seals, acting on the orders of President Barack Obama, stormed the compound in a cover of darkness and killed Bin Laden as he hid in his bedroom with two of his wives. After killing Bin Laden, the Seals stormed each room, looking for Pokemon Crime Members and while some like Cassidy Minamoto and Butch Yamamoto attempted to fight back, others like Jessie Musashi and James Kojiro just gave up without a fight.
However, the main targets who were the five Pokemon Crime leaders were nowhere to be seen. Little did anyone know that high over the southern parts of India, Giovanni's personal plane, Rocket One, was en route to Abbottabad, Pakistan after a flight from Tokyo where the leaders were to meet with Bin Laden on a terrorist plot to bring down more jetliners from Europe to the United States. Sitting in his office, Giovanni was watching the latest news from Abbottabad, Pakistan and he knew almost immediately that his days of terror were over upon seeing President Obama announce Bin Laden's death to the world.
"I can't believe this," he thought to himself as he stared at the television screen. "My greatest friend and ally is dead, murdered by the Americans who so desired to hunt and kill us all."
He then saw the scenes of people in the streets of America, cheering over Bin Laden's death and this gave him a sickening feeling in his stomach, realizing that the next phase of the war was about to begin and it wasn't going to be on the battlefield like it had always been.
"All I wanted was to change the world," he continued to think. "I wanted us to rule the world with Pokemon and make the United States the next capitol of Team Rocket and its affiliates. But, it looks like those plans are ruined."
Giovanni then looked down at his Persian that he always kept at his side and began to wonder what was going to happen now. Many of his best agents were already dead or captured and he was all out of options for what to do next. Giovanni rose from his office and walked towards the cockpit of his plane and knocked on the door.
"Enter," called the pilot and Giovanni entered the cockpit of his personal Boeing 747. The flight crew was surprised to see their leader walk in so melancholy and Giovanni rarely entered the cockpit. The only time he would do so was to personally talk to Air Traffic Controllers.
"Dr. Sakami," said the pilot. "What brings you here?"
"My friends," he sighed. "Bin Laden is dead, we've lost the war."
A hushed gasp came through the flight crew and before they could speak another word, Giovanni issued a direct warning to them.
"In light of what has just happened," he said. "You are to take us to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan and we are to surrender to the allies who fought against us."
"There has to be another way, sir," gasped the pilot. "Can't we do something about it?"
"I'm afraid not, my friend," replied Giovanni. "The time has come for us to enter the vanquished stage and prepare ourselves to be persecuted by the American and British Governments. You are to fly to Camp Bastion and from here on in, they will be your commanders."
But, before the pilots could change course, Giovanni had one more thing to say to them.
"Furthermore," he continued about to reach the radio. "It has been an honor to have you all as my pilots. You are the best fliers in this organization and Team Rocket and its affiliate's thank you for your services to our cause."
So, Giovanni grabbed the radio and contacted the air traffic control tower at Camp Bastion, a British military base that was the main base of British military operations in the Middle East. It was here that the Pokemon Crime captives from the Bin Laden compound were being brought to face justice. Upon arrival, the agents were forced to surrender their Pokemon and were verbally stripped of their rank.
"Okay, Gents, Come On! Come On!" called the British Commander. "Separate the agents and scientists for interrogation."
Apparently, several scientists were also hiding in the compound and were now among the captives that were being processed. Just as the British Commander was about to face the prisoners head on, a British soldier ran towards him almost out of breath.
"For God's sake, man," he said, shocked by how fast the soldier ran. "What is the meaning of this nonsense?"
"It's the tower," he said, handing his commander a transmission. "They are saying that Rocket One is on its way. Giovanni and his fellow commanders are coming here to surrender."
The commander looked at the transmission again and then handed it back to the solider; realizing that the most wanted man after Bin Laden was coming here.
"Are you sure that they are coming here?" he said. "They are not going to Bagram Airfield and surrender to the Americans?"
"They say they want to surrender to the British," replied the soldier. "That means us. We are witnessing history here, sir."
"Very well then," said the commander. "Tell the base to prepare for the plane's arrival."
A message soon came out that Rocket One was nearing the airfield and under a cover of darkness, Team Rocket's personal plane landed on the main runway and then came over to the main portion of the base before coming to a stop. The soldiers in jeeps had their guns at the ready in case of a surprise attack from Giovanni and his fellow associates.
Opening the main passenger door, Giovanni and his fellow commanders, stepped down the stairs with their hands in the air as a sign of surrender. The British commander could hardly believe what he was seeing before him.
"Well, I'll be damned," he gasped walking over towards the Pokemon Crime Leaders.
"Captain Innes," said Giovanni. "We meet at last."
"Dr. Giovanni Sakami," he remarked. "You and your fellow commanders have come here to surrender."
"Well, you and your American allies have killed Osama Bin Laden and wiped out most of our forces," replied Giovanni. "Even so, we'd prefer to surrender to a British Military Commander."
He handed Captain Innes his Pokeballs and soon afterwards, the other commanders handed in their Pokeballs as well. It was over, just like that, it was over. The five most wanted men in the world after Bin Laden had surrendered and soon, the news spread around the world like wildfire that Team Rocket was dead and its people were now in the custody of the American and British governments.
Now, it wasn't long before we were about to get the message and the greatest trial of our lives that we would oversee was about to begin…