Chapter 13

The Rescue and Revelation

Red's Charizard and Blue's Pidgeot were flying high over Kanto. They were looking for Team Rocket's headquarters but they had no success.

'Do you see that?' Red asked. He spotted what looked like a giant Meowth.

'Is that Team Rocket's balloon?' Blue asked.

'I think so,' Red replied. 'Charizard go down.' Charizard started to descend and Pidgeot followed. Not far from where they landed they could see the Viridian Gym, Blue's gym, formerly Giovanni's gym. Team Rocket had been here before. They came across a patch of much softer sand than the sand that surrounded it.

'Steelix,' Red said, 'dig down on this spot.' They followed after and kept burrowing down until they found a door. They opened it and saw some corridors.

'We'll split up,' Blue said, 'I'll go this way and you go that way.' They walked in different directions and then Red saw some grunts walking down the way. He even saw Proton looking out for any intruders but he managed to stay away.

After a long time searching heard someone whimpering. He walked closer and saw a girl with fiery red hair sitting face down in a corner facing the wall.

'Charizard use Ember,' he whispered. He then creeped in and got closer and saw that this girl was Misty, 'Misty'

'Red!' Misty exclaimed. Her sadness turned to joy even though her face was still tear stained. They embraced each other and then started walking out.

'We'll go and find Blue,' Red said. 'Do you know where they were holding Leaf?'

'No,' Misty said. They kept walking and then found some people they didn't wan to see.

'Prepare for trouble!'

'Make it double!'

'To infect the world with devastation!'

'To blight all peoples in every nation!'

'Cassidy, Buford,' Red started. 'I don't have time to hear your motto.' Red pulled out an escape rope and he and Misty were gone in a flash. Butch was just left saying, 'It's Butch not Buford.'

Elsewhere Blue was quietly creeping the corridors not being seen by any Rockets but then he got a call on his Pokégear.

'This had better be quick,' Blue whispered.

'We were seen,' Red said. 'I found Misty and got her out but we got caught by Butch and Cassidy so we had to use an escape rope to get out.'

'Are you coming back?' Blue asked.

'We can't,' Red replied. 'I can ask Brendan to come and help out but right now you're on your own.'

'I'm not far from the holding cells from what I can see,' Blue said.

'Good luck,' Red replied.

'Smell ya later,' Blue joked. He kept walking and nearly got caught by Jessie, James and Meowth. He even walked past the door to Giovanni's office. He considered himself to be very lucky that he didn't get caught once until he saw some bars and Leaf was sitting behind them.

'Blue!' Leaf said.

'Leaf,' Blue said. 'Alakazam use Psychic to bend those bars!' Leaf ran out and they grabbed onto Alakazam and teleported away.

They landed near the Viridian River and sat down. There was nobody else nearby.

'I know you were expecting Red,' Blue said.

'I like him,' Leaf said sadly. 'A lot.'

'I know,' Blue said. 'I see how you look at him and how you act towards Misty.'

'That little b-'

'He likes you,' Blue said. 'Just as a friend.'

'I'll never have him,' Leaf said. 'He'll never like me that way.'

'You should give up on him,' Blue said, 'and settle for someone who does like you.'

'Who?' Leaf asked. The next thing she knew Blue was kissing her and this answered her questions.

'You?' Leaf said. The two of them started laughing and she asked, 'For how long?'

'A long time,' Blue said. 'Let's go back to Pallet Town.' The two of them mounted Blue's Pidgeot together and they flew back to Pallet Town as boyfriend and girlfriend.

In the Team Rocket Headquarters Butch and Cassidy were in Giovanni's office.

'Red knows where we are,' Butch said.

'I'm sorry we failed,' Cassidy said sadly.

'Cassidy you mustn't blame yourself for Red finding us,' Giovanni started.

'He rescued his little girlfriend as well,' Butch said. 'We found him and we let him escape.'

'How did you let him escape Butch?' Giovanni asked.

'He used an escape rope,' Cassidy said.

'You didn't let him escape then,' Giovanni said. 'You had no control over him using a coward's escape.'

'Sir,' a voice said behind an opening door revealing James.

'Get out,' Giovanni said tersely.

'But sir,' Jessie said. 'It's important.'

'What is it?' Giovanni sighed.

'The twerpette, Leaf, escaped,' Meowth said.

'Did it happen under your watch?' Giovanni asked angrily.

'No we just walked past her cell and it was empty and the bars had been bent,' Jessie said.

'You're very lucky,' Giovanni said. 'Now all three of you get out.'

'I don't know how you're still part of Team Rocket Jessie,' Cassidy remarked.

'Same for you Jack,' Butch added.

'I've been here longer than you Cassidy,' Jessie yelled.

'It's James not Jack,' James said back.

'Now you know how I feel,' Butch said.

'Jessie, James, Meowth,' Giovanni said, 'Get out of my office.' It was at this moment that Giovanni's Persian purred and Giovanni stroked it. Meowth leaped at Persian with its claws out and suddenly landed head first into Giovanni's Rhydon.

'Get out,' Giovanni was fuming with rage. The three of them left quickly.

'You two can leave as well,' he said to Butch and Cassidy. When they left he turned off all the lights except for one that shone onto his mouth. The than called a number on his videophone and was talking to Petrel. He activated the machine that altered his voice so Petrel would here his voice being distorted.

'Boss,' Petrel said. 'Good news?'

'Not so much Petrel,' Giovanni replied. 'It's an emergency. I need you back in Kanto.'

'Who's gonna be in charge of Hoenn?' Petrel asked.

'I'm sending the Elite trio, Ken, Al and Harry to be in charge of Team Rocket in Hoenn,' Giovanni said. 'We have been discovered so I want to start my next plan earlier than intended.'

'What is it?' Petrel asked.

'I can't say it over the phone,' Giovanni said. 'Someone could be listening. It will involve you, Proton and Ariana. I still wish that Archer was one of us.'

'Wishful thinking,' Petrel said.

'I need to accelerate my plans so I'm sending over a boat to collect you and bring you to Kanto by tomorrow morning,' Giovanni said. 'Are you in Lavaridge Town or Lilycove City?'

'Lilycove City,' Petrel replied.

'Stay there,' Giovanni told him. 'You need to return as soon as possible. Once you are back my plans can be out into action.'

In the dead of night a boat was speeding away from Kanto as fast as possible. It arrived in the Rocket Hideout in Lilycove City within two hours. Three Team Rocket agents disembarked. They wore the standard grunt's uniform with a red scarf tied around each of their necks. One had short black hair. This was Ken. The next had short blonde hair. This was Al. The last one had a blonde mullet. This was Harry.

'Good to see you three,' Petrel said.

'How have things been since we left?' Harry asked.

'Fairly quiet,' Petrel said. 'But we did have an intruder but most of my men sent him away.'

'Who was it?' Ken asked.

'The Petalburg City gym leader,' replied Petrel. 'Norman his name was.'

'Why did the boss send us here?' Al asked. 'And why does he want you in Kanto?'

'Even I don't know that Al,' Petrel said. 'He didn't want to tell me over the phone. Somebody could have been listening in.'

'Petrel sir!' a voice called out. The driver stepped out of the cockpit and walked onto the deck of the boat. 'I got a message from Giovanni. He wants you back in Kanto by three o'clock.'

'We should go now then,' Petrel called back. 'Good luck you three. I will see you some time soon.'

'Thanks Petrel,' Harry said.

'Good luck to you too,' Ken said.

'Let us know what the mission is,' Al said.

'You'll find out once we've succeeded,' Petrel said with a smile. He walked onto the boat as it backed out of the dock and sped from Hoenn back to Kanto.'

Giovanni had finally reached his destination, alone. He didn't even have Persian by his side. He was quite confident that his mission would succeed and when he did the glory that would follow would be tremendous. It would not be long now.

When I had Red call Butch "Buford" that was a Back to the Future reference because earlier someone had called him "Biff". You may see "Griff" later on.