Ok, so like I said last time, this chapter goes to a very dark place. I tried to make it a serious as I could, but also remove some of the bad at the same time. I hope it turned out okay. This is a fair warning to all, so I hope I don't scare anyone off after this chapter.
"So what's the plan then boss" Kyle asked as he flipped a few switches on the control panel to his helicopter.
"Get away from these Sandshrew. Contact Lucian, if he's still alive. Meet up somewhere safe, help evacuate Rowan, his research, and the Darkin to Unova, then find Red".
Kyle sneered as he began to rise the helicopter into the air, "really don't like that guy for ditching us like that".
"Won't do us any good to be angry over it now" Lance reasoned, unable to keep his own anger from his voice.
"Hate to interrupt" Rowan spoke up, "but who's Red"?
Kyle side glanced over to the Dragon Master, who rubbed the bridge of his nose. Turning around to face Rowan, he opened his mouth to speak. A loud ping, and tear of metal stopped him from uttering a sound, and then the helicopter stalled in place, jolting the passengers.
"Kyle"?
"Something's got us hooked" the blonde stated, throwing dozens of different switches.
Lance peered out of the cockpit window, and his expression shifted to pure rage.
"Team Rocket" was all he said before he unfastened his belt, and was rising to his feet.
Unclipping a PokeBall, he threw open the side door and released Dragonite. Spotting a Scyther and a Scissor, Lance ordered, "stop those bugs"!
Dragonite blasted out of the helicopter, and launched a HyperBeam as it did so. A grappling hook zipped past Lance, clinking into the metal roof. Two more followed suit, and the first Rocket Grunt responsible appeared over the edge, pointing his handgun straight at the Dragon Master. The Scientists behind him gasped aloud, but Lance sidestepped the gun, and with his cape twirling behind him, roundhouse kicked the Grunt square in the chest. knocking him flying backwards out of the chopper.
Two more lunged over the edge, barging into the helicopter before Lance could retaliate The nearest one pointed his gun at the Champion, but he sidestepped to avoid the shot. With a deafening bang, the Grunt pulled the trigger, and the bullet ricocheted off the opposite wall. It struck one of the Scientists in the chest, earning panicked shouts from the others.
Rowan made to stand, but the second Grunt shoved his pistol in the Professor's face and fired. Blood burst against the window, and the Professor collapsed back into his seat. Lance swung his cape around, wrapping around the Grunt's armed hand. With a mighty tug, he yanked the handgun away, and it clattered to the floor. One of the Scientists lunged for it in a mad scramble. The second Grunt saw this, and pointing his pistol, pulled the trigger. More blood splat through the helicopter as the Scientist dropped dead, and Lance threw another roundhouse kick to the second Grunt, making him pull the trigger again on accident. The stray bullet caught his partner in the arm, and he collapsed beside the dead Scientist on the floor. His handgun fell, and Lance went for it.
Once he heard the first gunshot, Kyle immediately began to set the chopper down. It landed in the mud, and he had just let go of the controls when two hands gripped his shoulders and hauled him from his seat. Lance threw him out of the chopper, and then his eyes frantically searched for his last Pokemon...he saw it. Dragonite was sprawled in the mud, with a bloody hole through his forehead. Hearing the clicks of other pistols being pointed his way, he jumped down from the chopper, and bolted for the tree line. Kyle scrambled up out of the slosh and followed his friend as the gunshots blasted loudly.
Bullets whizzed by, some hitting the ground and flinging mud into the air. Lance reached the trees, and bark chipped off the nearest one as a bullet blew by. Kyle sidestepped behind a tree to give himself more cover, and continued to race after the Champion. The gunfire stopped, but they did not. Their clothes catching on low hanging branches and ripping in small places as they ran, they pressed on. Kyle felt one twig scratch across his cheek, and it burned immediately after. After what felt like forever, they stopped, breathing heavily, but tried to maintain their breaths to keep the noise to a minimum.
"What now" Kyle whispered as he gasped for air, "we're not getting to Unova".
"And they have Rowan's research" Lance returned grimly, taking a long inhale through his nose to help with his breathing, "we can't let them keep it".
"You want to go back"?!
Shaking his head, Lance said, "no, that'd be suicide. What we need to do is follow them for now. We'll get the research back when the time is right".
"Shouldn't we call for back up"?
"Want to tell me how we do that? Most of Sinnoh will be evacuated, and I no longer have any Poke-".
He cut himself off, feeling a burning in his chest that he was unfamiliar with. He knew the feeling, he just didn't experience it as often as he had in the last twenty four hours. His Pokemon...all of them...and not just his Pokemon. So many others had died in that same time frame. Too many, and now Professor Rowan and his assistants were added to that list.
Kyle picked up on Lance's emotion, and remained silent. Letting his friend have the moment he needed. He knew how much Lance hated to get emotional, crying was something the man never did. It was almost enough to break Kyle as he watched his longtime friend clench his jaw from the pain in his heart.
"Move it! The tracks go this way"!
Both men tensed up rigidly. Rocket Grunts! Lance whistled quietly to get Kyle's attention, and when he had it, pointed up into a tree. The Pilot got the message, and shuffled his way up, perching up among the many branches.
Lance slunk back into the shadows of the morning sun, crouching behind a large tree trunk. They waited silently as the movement of the Rocket's grew closer and closer. The Dragon Master's eyes narrowed, trying to pick up any physical movement. Up above, Kyle gripped the branch he clung to tighter, could today be the day he died? There had certainly been a few times he had already thought that.
Finally, the squad of six Grunt's came into view, rifles pointed forward and eyes scanning the trees. Lance waited, letting them draw nearer for his perfect opportunity. The first Grunt passed by, followed by the next two. They stepped carefully, twigs cracking beneath their feet, eyeing the surrounding shadows with unease. When the last Grunt was just about to pass, the first Grunt halted.
"The tracks double back here...".
Now! Lance sprung out of his hiding place, whipping his cape forward to wrap it around the last Grunt's neck. The man yelped in surprise, but Lance caught the other end. With a heavy yank, he snapped the Rocket's neck. The other five turned to the commotion, but Lance had already scrambled for the dead Grunt's fallen rifle. He crouched on one knee, and pulled the trigger. In a burst of bullets and blood, the remaining five Grunt's hit the ground with heavy thumps.
Lance did not stop however. He held the trigger, emptying the clip into the five Grunt's, peppering their bodies in holes filled with lead. Even once the clip was empty, Lance still held the trigger, and the rifle clicked repeatedly.
Kyle watched from above, wanting to say something, but not knowing what. Lance had never before been so...brutal. Guess it was just the aftermath of today...
The Dragon Master ceased pulling the trigger, and looked over what he had done. Horror was the first emotion to rush through him, but it was quickly replaced with anger. Why should he be upset for what he just did? These men had probably deserved worse...Standing up, he turned to the trees above, "alright Kyle"?
"Better than those guys" he jumped down, landing on his feet beside his friend, "I think it's time we get a move on".
"Agreed, but we need to circle back" Lance said, "we do need to follow them back to their base if possible".
"Got it...think we should scavenge their bodies"?
Kyle uneasily pointed back towards the dead Grunt's. Giving them a once over, Lance nodded, "good idea".
His expression clearly showed that Kyle did not necessarily like his own suggestion, but desperate times right? Rifling through their pockets, they didn't find much of use. More ammunition for Lance's rifle, and a two way radio, was all. Kyle twiddled with the radio, and stated happily, "you've just been Kylenated! It's a one way radio now, we'll be able to hear what the Rocket's are up too".
"Good job Kyle...here".
Lance handed over another one of the Rocket rifles, which Kyle took hesitantly. Grimly, the Dragon Master added, "you'll need it".
With a heavy sigh while he took the rifle, Kyle replied, "yea, I guess so".
"Stay right behind me, and keep the noise down" Lance told him before turning off, pointing his rifle, and carefully walking away.
Ash jolted awake from the electrical currents surging through his body. Trying to gasp for breath he discovered he was floating in a large tank filled with water, stark naked, and had dozens of wires connected to him.
"Oh good, you're awake"!
That voice...Ash turned his head in the water...an older man, with a scar running down his face, grinned at him from the outside of the glass.
"You're brain activity has been off the charts" Giovanni said, "been dreaming have we"?
Then the reality of his situation came back to him. The Dominion invasion, his mother, Pikachu, Dawn and Misty...where were Dawn and Misty?! Giovanni grew a wicked smile on his expression as Ash's eyes traveled the room. You know...being captured by Team Rocket was not the worst part...no...it was seeing the Darkin connected to a computer that was the worst. How did Giovanni get that? Did that mean...
"Lance is still alive" the Rocket Leader answered Ash, following his eyesight, "he got lucky".
"Where are Dawn and Misty" Ash tried to shout, but all that came out was an incoherent mass of bubbles.
"The two women" the Rocket Leader guessed, a sickening smile spreading wide, "I suppose you're curious about the pretty ladies and your Pokemon. They're fine, so long as you cooperate".
Ash glared down at the man, hating every inch of that wicked grin plastered on his face, wishing he could bitch slap it right off.
"Now I suppose you're wondering what I mean by cooperate, am I right" looking Ash over he continued, "you remember that old man-oh what was his name-Everett? Wasn't it"?
Ash twitched angrily, slamming his fist against the glass.
"I wasn't lying when I said he wasn't able to give us much" Giovanni sighed, "he did however, tell us you have some kind of an immunity to these Dominion's. An immunity for what though? I'm curious".
Not changing his facial expression so Giovanni couldn't guess, Ash pondered over what Everett could've men't. He didn't have any immunities to those things...or did he? They couldn't foresee his future, apparently because of being a pure heart...whatever that still men't. Everett didn't know about the pure heart piece, but he knew the Dominion's had trouble when it came to Ash.
"We are going to find out what kind of immunity" said Giovanni, "and I can promise you, you won't enjoy this. Be a good sport though, and I'll let your pretty girlfriends go".
"And my Pokemon" Ash tried to say, only to cause more bubbles. Giovanni, however, got the message and laughed, "your Pokemon?! This is Team Rocket! None of your Pokemon will be going free".
Ash slammed his fist into the glass again and stared with pure hatred towards the older man just on the other side of the see though barrier.
"Now now" Giovanni smirked, "remember, cooperation or your girlfriends will suffer".
Realizing he had to play along for now, Ash inhaled deeply from the tube connected to his nose, and did his best to calm his itching nerves. The Team Rocket leader beamed menacingly, "good boy".
Ash took the opportunity to study his surroundings more clearly. He was definitely in a small lab of some kind, sitting right in the center of the room. Various pieces of equipment that he didn't recognize were scattered all around, and of course there was the Darkin still connected to the computer. On the monitor, wavelengths were spreading across from the right to the left. Each wave a different color, and a different frequency of ping would sound with each passing one. What were they doing with that?
Speaking of the Darkin, Giovanni hadn't seemed to make the connection that the artifact affected Ash, and if somehow he did, he began hoping that he wouldn't notice it affected Dawn too.
Four armed Rocket Grunt's lined the room, and a short man in a white overcoat sat at the computer, scribbling away furiously on a notepad. He had scraggly grey hair, a round baby face, and massive glasses that magnified his eyes.
"Fascinating" he exclaimed, spinning around in his chair to face Giovanni and Ash, "sir, this is truly interesting"!
"Have you discovered the immunity" Giovanni couldn't keep the childlike tone of a kid in a candy store out of his voice. He turned his back to Ash, facing the odd little man.
"No I haven't the slightest clue what that could entail, BUT! I have translated these wavelengths"!
He waved his notepad on the air, beaming with accomplishment.
"Translated" Giovanni questioned, stepping away from the giant tank towards the researcher, "what do you mean"?
"Well at first I thought they were nothing more than visible spectrums of energy that were radiating from this magnificent artifact" the little man rambled, "but I found a pattern, and using Professor Rowan's research data, I have discovered that they are not waves of energy at all! But a message on repeat! A transcript if you will".
Ash didn't like the sound of any of that. The most troubling part was hearing they had Rowan's research as well...did that mean the Professor was dead?
"What does it say" Giovanni asked, clearly not as excited as he was ten seconds ago.
The little researcher cleared his throat, then read off, "in a rough translation, it says: Creation will fall, when Darkness arises. Hearts will falter, when Darkness is entered. Only when three hearts of pure control the powers of the world, can Darkness be removed from the universes soul. But only one can turn the tide between night, and light. Only one heart, in the purest form, can impede the entrance of Darkness for us all. Hearts will falter, when Darkness is entered. Creation will fall, when Darkness arises".
A silence followed, not that Ash could say anything anyway. The researcher too, sat quietly, letting his boss process the words. Finally Giovanni spat, "so what the hell does that mean"?!
"I don't know" the scientist shrugged, "but I'll find out with more time".
"Drop this" the angry Rocket Leader commanded, "focus your efforts on finding Ketchum's immunity to Dominion's"!
Smugly, the researcher nodded, "right away sir".
"Call me when you have something" Giovanni snapped, and turning to Ash reminded him, "cooperation".
Then he headed for the door and left with a powerful slam.
"Asshole" the scientist mumbled, then stood up to walk over to Ash's tank.
"First we need to see what makes you tick" he said more to himself than to Ash.
Oddly enough, he then began to read from another page in his notepad, reciting, "Ash Ketchum, age 25. Born in Pallet Town, Kanto. Fathered by Richard Eugene Denton, mothered by Delia Marie Ketchum-".
His father! He had nearly forgotten about him...where had he been during the Dominion assault at the Temple?! He was with them when they left Indigo...
"-Mother kept last name for undisclosed personal reasons. Starter Pokemon from Professor Oak, Pikachu, deceased-".
Pikachu...
"-earned a total of 60 badges across 7 leagues and the Battle Frontier. Seen every Legendary Pokemon on record...you are a very interesting person Mr. Ketchum".
The man adjusted his glasses as he looked up and studied over the naked Ash. His eyes traveled everywhere, and Ash found himself severely wishing he at least had on underwear.
"Still, not sure what you possess that makes the Dominion's so interested in you, but I'm sure we'll find out"!
'Oh no you won't' Ash thought.
"Servant" the researcher snapped to the closest Rocket, "bring me my scalpels and narcotics"!
Bring him his what?!
"Opening you up won't be fatal" the research said, seeming to try and comfort Ash with no success, "I know what I'm doing, do not worry".
'Why do you even need to open me up'?!
A tiny ping sounded from the floor, directly beneath the scientist. Hearing it, he looked, and squinted his eyes. Bending down, he picked up a lone screw that had apparently fallen. He turned his head upwards, and Ash did too out of indirect instinct.
"NOW BUTTERFREE" a voice shouted down from the ventilation shaft directly above them.
The grate was knocked loose and the Butterfly like Pokemon swooped in, flapping its wings fiercely and spreading a light blue powder across the room.
"SLEEP POWDER" the little researcher bellowed, but it was too late. The guards were falling against the wall and slouching to the floor.
Unable to fight against it, the scientist too wavered in place, then collapsed to the hard tile. He was snoring almost immediately. Ash, being submerged in a tank of water, merely watched as the sleep powder floated aimlessly around him.
"Ok, now use Gust lightly" the same voice from above directed, and the Pokemon obeyed.
It flapped its wings, sending waves of air around the room, and dispersing the hovering powder. Once all of it was gone, a pair of legs appeared out of the vent. Ash watched in shock and awe as his father dropped before him.
"Good to see you're ok Ash" Red smiled, "now how to get you out of there...".
A large lever was connected to a device attached against the side of the tank, and Red reached out for it.
"Here's hoping this won't hurt you" he said as encouragingly as he could, then pulled it.
A massive hiss spewed out from beneath the tank, and Red jumped back. Panic raced through Ash as the tank began to rumble, but he soon relaxed, if only just a bit. The water level began to shrink, and his head broke the surface. Taking a gulp of fresh air through his mouth he coughed as it burned his throat. The water continued to drain until all of it was gone and Ash was crouching on the tank floor.
He began to rip the wires from him, tossing them aside with tiny clatters against the glass. Red searched the outside of the tank, looking for a hatch of some sort. Finding none, he realized that the only way in was through the top.
"Alright then, Tropius, I need you buddy" he said, unclipping the PokeBall and calling out the Fruit Pokemon, "raise me up to the top with Vine Whip".
Obliging, Tropius wrapped its vines tightly around its master, and picked him up. Ash stood to his full height as Red touched down on the tanks roof. Pulling open the hatch, he lied across the surface and reached down into the tank, "grab on".
Ash had to jump, but he closed his fingers around his fathers wrist. Red grunted as he pulled, but soon Ash was sprawling out on the tanks roof.
"Where were you" Ash asked in a low voice, glaring at his father.
Looking at his son quizzically, Red frowned, so Ash iterated, "where were you? We could have used your help at the Temple"!
His voice climbed with each passing word, but Red did not appear taken back.
"Take their clothes" Red told Ash, motioning towards the asleep Rocket's.
"Answer me dammit"!
Red jumped down from the tank, and recalled his two Pokemon, "find the girls, and then get out of here".
And he was gone out the door before Ash could say another word. Every part of him wanted to scream, throw a tantrum, punch holes in the wall, ANYTHING! He debated about chasing after his father and beating a few answers out of him….but that would leave Misty and Dawn to Giovanni's devices even longer. That he could not allow!
Jumping down with a wet slap, he landed on the tile beside the sleeping scientist. He was too small, so Ash moved on to the Grunt's, and thankfully found one about the same size as him. In a few minutes, he was wearing the outfit of a Rocket. Every nerve in his body crawled under his skin, he would be burning this thing the first chance he got! Placing the cap on his head, and pulling it low to help hide his face, he turned to the Darkin. Which was glowing a feint blue now the Ash was much closer to it.
Taking one of the other Rocket's shirts, Ash approached the artifact. He carefully wrapped the shirt around it, and pulled it away from the computer, disconnecting the device that was monitoring the rock like thing. Gingerly, he pocketed the Darkin, making sure that the shirt would remain covering the artifact completely.
His eyes turned back to the little scientists notepad lying on the floor beside the sleeping man. Remembering that Misty had once helped him find Blaine's Gym by solving all his riddles, he figured she could figure out the Darkin's message better than he could. Snatching it up, and putting it in his other pocket, Ash raced over to the door and exited the lab.
"Status report Matilda" Giovanni asked into his phone as he walked down the hall.
"We're at Shamouti Island now" Matilda's voice came from the other end, "Anni and Oakley are scouting the Pallet Town group now. If they see the baby Mew, they will report in immediately".
"Excellent" Giovanni stated, "keep tabs close tabs on them, move in the second you spot the Mew".
"Sir, what if the Dominion's arrive before we can secure the baby"?
"Don't be killed. Keep tracking them, and follow them wherever they go, I wan't that Mew".
"Yes sir".
"What of our former employee"?
"Maintaining their cover" Matilda said with venom, "their game of make believe will come to an end soon sir, don't worry".
"Good, get the jobs done".
The line beeped to signal Matilda had hung up, so Giovanni pocketed his phone and approached the doorway that was his destination. He stepped into a quiet viewing room, shutting the door behind him loudly. The researchists sitting in there jumped from the sound, one even dropped his clipboard. Not looking at any of the men, Giovanni stepped straight past them, and up to a thick layer of glass. The room beyond it was rather dark, illuminated just enough to be able to see the Sandshrew like shapes slinking in the shadows.
"Reports" the Rocket leader demanded.
Stammering, the nearest scientist said, "initial studies are inconclusive. They appear to be ravenous, bloodthirsty beasts. Scans of them reveal their genetic makeup to be that of a Sandshrew, but warped, twisted into these things. How or why will need to be studied further".
"Can they be controlled"?
"At the moment, we do not know. Any attempts to get near them have resulted in a few employee limb loss incidents".
A smirk cracked across Giovanni's lips that the scientists could see reflecting off the glass.
"Have them transported to the main base back home" he ordered, "run every test you need to learn what their is to know. If they can't be controlled, then I want their DNA used to create more powerful Pokemon".
"Right away sir"!
A pager clipped to the Rocket Leader's belt went off, beeping loudly. The Sandshrew on the other side of the glass shrieked wildly, one assaulting the others. In a ravenous display of dominance, the other mutated Sandshrew turned on the lone creature, and ripped it apart with their teeth. Watching silently, Giovanni removed his pager and read the message.
"I wan't those creatures home by the end of the day" Giovanni ordered, then turned and walked out of the room.
He gripped his pager tight, so tight it cracked the screen. He let it fall to the tile, further shattering the device. Those girls were putting up a fuss, and making things hard for his guards. It seemed he would have to put them in their place.
"Will you just SHUT UP" the Grunt roared, slamming his fists against the bars.
Dawn jumped at the noise, further huddling herself into the corner. For the past twenty minutes she had been crying, unable to make herself stop. Misty lie motionless on the floor beside her, a bright bruise forming on her temple.
When they arrived at the cell, with no regards for Misty, the Grunt dropped her to the floor and let her smack into the pavement. She was already unconscious from the man hitting her, and couldn't slow her fall. Dawn went to see if her friend was alright, but the Grunt who shoved her into the cell kicked her hard in the side, sending her into the wall and popping her shoulder. That was when the tears started, and she completely broke down.
She tried to stop crying, multiple times. Anything to keep those guards from storming into the cell and causing them more harm, but nothing she tried was working. The tears just fell, and she couldn't hold back her sobs. The cell door creaked open, and Dawn heard the Grunt's footsteps walk right up to her.
"I SAID TO SHUT UP" he roared in her ear, and then grabbed a handful of her hair.
She was yanked to her feet with a painful yelp, and tossed against the far wall. Before she could fall to the floor, the Grunt had her pinned by her shoulders. His face was centimeters from hers, his hot breath tickling her face.
"If you don't stop that fucking crying, I will find a way to permanently shut you up".
"I-I-I-I'm tryi-i-i-ing" she stammered, blinking rapidly from the tears, but mainly from the pain coursing through her.
"Let her go Burt" the Grunt still outside the cell said, "the Boss is on his way, and want's to deal with them himself".
With a menacing growl, the Grunt called Burt dropped Dawn, and she thudded onto her rear.
"You think you've gotten lucky you're dead wrong" he said to her, "the Boss will make your life more Hell than I could".
Spitting on her before he walked away, he cracked his knuckles and slammed the cell door as hard as he could. Dawn, finally able to control a bit of herself, crawled toward Misty. She lifted her friends head, and placed it in her lap. Aside from the massive bruise forming on her face, she almost looked peaceful, like she could be sleeping without a care in the world.
A sniffle escaped from the bluenette, and she brushed Misty's hair from her face. After everything she had taken on already, to be unconscious on the concrete floor seemed pitiful to Dawn. Her eyes flickered over the still spreading bruise, and she clenched her teeth together angrily. Another sniffle came out, her thoughts traveling to Ash and their Pokemon. Where were they? Why wasn't he tossed into the same cell as them?
The sound of a heavy door opening pulled her from her thoughts, and it was followed by the sound of footsteps headed their direction. The guarding Grunt's took a step back, and Giovanni appeared around the wall, studying the women behind the bars.
Misty stirred with a tiny groan, and Dawn momentarily forgot about the small smile plastered on the Rocket Leader's expression.
"Misty"?!
The red head's eyes slowly fluttered open, and her aquamarine eyes turned to Dawn.
"That hurt" she attempted at humor, which didn't work.
Dawn placed her hand on Misty's back for support as she tried to sit up. A sharp pain shot through her abdomen, causing her to inhale sharply and clutch her stomach.
"Misty"?
"I'm fine" she said with a ragged breath, "just a bit of pain".
"Seems I should up the training for my employees if that's all it hurts" Giovanni remarked.
Misty turned her glaring eyes on the Rocket Leader, and he burst into booming laughter.
"If looks could kill" he chastised, "hm…you seem to have quite a bit of fight left".
"If you think I won't fight, if you think you can break me, you're dead wrong" Misty spat.
A wide sneer cracked Giovanni's face, and he said back, "we'll see".
Cocking his head back slightly, he nodded backwards to the Grunt called Burt, who moved forward and unlocked the cell door. Stepping inside, followed by other two Grunt's, they roughly grabbed Dawn and hauled her to her feet.
"Hey, leave her alone" Misty shouted, but Burt grabbed a handful of orange hair, and pulled her up.
Some of the hairs ripped audibly, and Misty couldn't help the cry that escaped her. The other two Grunt's shoved Dawn against the wall, and one placed the tip of their elbow into her throat. She gasped for air, barely pulling in enough to breathe.
"I SAID LEAVE HER ALONE" Misty roared, turning her head to look straight at Giovanni.
Calmly, he replied, "who said I was going to hurt her? Her spirit it crushed, look in her eyes".
Misty did, not sure why she was obliging the bastard, but her heart panged with guilt when she finally noticed the petrified look behind Dawn's dark blue eyes.
"You're the one who claims can't be broken" Giovanni continued, "why try to break a will that's already shattered, when I can enjoy tearing yours to pieces".
Dawn's lower lip quivered as she gasped for more air, her face beginning to turn a shade of blue. Misty gave her the most encouraging look she could muster, then spat back at the Rocket Leader, "try all you wan't! But if there's one thing I've learned from Ash, it's to NEVER give up"!
The toothy grin that spread across Giovanni's face was unsettling, but Misty didn't let it show.
"Now there, there lies what I hope to accomplish" he said with enthusiasm, "breaking you, will break him. And I need him broken beyond repair".
With a swift motion of his head from the Rocket Leader, Burt yanked Misty across the cell by her hair.
"No! Misty" Dawn gagged out, pushing against her captive with all she had.
He, however, proved the be much stronger. Shoving her back into the wall so hard her shoulder blade popped, he threw a punch into her gut, knocking all the breath out of her. She dropped to the floor as he let go, desperately trying to breathe in air that refused to enter her lungs. The two Grunt's walked out of the cell after Burt and Misty, slamming the iron door behind them.
"Take her to interrogation room 14" Giovanni instructed, and Burt nodded, pulling Misty along with him as he left.
She screeched and fought back as hard as she could, but the position in which he had her hair locked in his grip didn't allow her to be successful. The Rocket Leader lingered for a moment, waiting for Dawn to finally catch a single breath, and exhale in relief as the oxygen flowed into her lungs.
"If she acts up again….use your imagination" he told the remaining two Grunt's, who smiled wickedly and gave Dawn an excited look that paralyzed her to her core.
Then Giovanni marched away, following after Burt and Misty. A sob formed in Dawn's chest, but she locked it down, unwilling to provoke the Grunt's in anyway.
Ash moved swiftly through the Rocket building, completely unsure of where he was going or even where he should be going. Finding Dawn and Misty was his priority, but if he happened to find their Pokemon, then that would be a massive help.
A pair of Rocket's marched by, and he lowered his head to hide his facial features under the black cap. Once they were behind him, he looked back up and picked up his pace. Time was ticking, once those sleeping Rocket's back in the tank room woke up, the jig would be up and the base on high alert. He had to find the women before then!
If only his father hadn't rushed off like he had…of course, wasn't that his MO? He could have stuck around and helped find them?! He could have answered his questions! Who the Hell did he think he was anyway? Showing up out of the blue like that, and thinking he could just vanish once again?! Ash growled out loud, and the audible noise snapped him from his angry trance. Taking a long sigh, followed by another, he calmed his nerves. Now was not the time for these thoughts, he couldn't get distracted.
"The Charizard won't be useful, its injuries are too dramatic. The other's are in great health however, and can certainly be of use".
Ash stopped when he heard the voice. Taking a moment to listen further, he heard a different voice coming from a door ahead that was slightly ajar.
"Send the Gyarados to our retraining facility. They are severely loyal to their trainers, and can be destructive. We should expect this one to be inconvenient for a while".
Ash crept up the door, peering inside carefully. Two men in lab coats were hovering over sixteen PokeBalls, holding clipboards and making notes. One had black hair, and the other had green. They were in a fairly small room with one table, upon which the PokeBalls sat. Each one was labeled by trainer, and what Pokemon it contained. Behind the men on the far wall was a metal shelf that held various tools for what Ash didn't want to know.
"Most of them should be very well trained" the green haired man said, "Ash Ketchum is supposedly a very powerful trainer, and the Misty woman is a Gym Leader. The Coordinator's Pokemon can be toughened up if needed".
"Assume we will need to use the prototype injections on the Piplup and Buneary" the dark haired man added.
In truth, Ash should probably have come up with a stealthy way to handle this situation, but his anger caught up with him. He slammed open the door, causing both men to shout in surprise, and he rushed them before either one could react. Shoving the green haired man against the table, Ash snatched the clipboard from his hand and swung it around, smacking the black haired man across the face. He stumbled into the wall, and Ash turned back to the other man.
The man tried to run, but Ash reached out and gripped his lab coat violently. Dropping the clipboard and wrapping his arms around the green haired man, Ash lifted him off his feet and threw him into the metal shelf. With a loud crash, the shelf caved in and tools fell over the man with multiple thuds against his head.
The dark haired man rose to his feet, only to have Ash grip the back of his head, and slam it against the wall twice. He hit the floor limply, limbs sprawled randomly across the tile. Taking a minute to catch his breath, Ash surveyed the two Rocket's, who were both unmoving. Finding himself hoping that no other Rocket's heard the commotion, Ash quickly minimized all the PokeBalls, shoved them in his pockets, and rushed out the door. Making sure to close it behind him lest another Rocket walk by and see inside.
Red peered around a corner slowly, making sure there wasn't a patrol making their way down the hall. He had moved to the outer edge of the building, and the hall he was looking down had only glass along the left wall. The noon sun shone brightly through it, reflecting off the white color of the interior. Seeing no Rocket's, he moved out into the open, and quickly rushed down the hall.
He glanced to this left, seeing the outside clearing and surrounding forest. The view was perfect for spotting any trespasser, as Red could see everything on the north side of the building. He'd bet money that on at least one of the floors there was a lookout facing each direction.
Returning his attention forward, he raced on, running as silently as possible. In the time frame since he left Ash to his own agenda, Red had only seen two patrols. That seemed a little odd for what appeared to be a major Rocket base. Of course with the world under assault, maybe most of the Rocket forces were deployed elsewhere. Interesting thought….how long would this place hold out if those creatures assaulted this building? Too bad he probably wouldn't get to find out.
Just at the end of the hall, a male scream of rage rang out, coming just up ahead. The sound put every one of Red's nerves on edge, something was wrong. He moved in the direction he thought he heard the shout, and he found himself to be correct when another one echoed down the hall. This one was worse…full of the same rage, but mixed with an agonizing pain…Red picked up his pace, losing all care for stealth.
"You think this it it" Kyle asked warily, eyeing the massive building under the noon sun.
"Positive" Lance assured him, "every track leads here".
"Excepts for those dead Rocket's way back there".
After they began their way back to the campsite, two more squads of Rocket Grunts assaulted them. Lance disposed of them fairly quickly while Kyle worked as the distraction. The Dragon Master had been expecting to run into more of them, but since then, they had yet to see anymore. He assumed they found something they were after, so they pulled out. Searching for a clue to follow, Lance found vehicle tracks and led the way, following them to this building they were now watching carefully.
"So, how are we getting in" Kyle asked.
"Working on it".
There had to be a way…if only they could fly up to roof…Hell, that seemed to be the only way in without being seen. The building sat in a rather large clearing among the forest, and the majority of outer walls were made of glass, so they would be seen no matter which way they came from. Wait a minute….that was it!
"Got it" Lance suddenly exclaimed, "Kyle, I need you to be another distraction".
"Guess I'm good at it…".
"I need you to be seen! Once they know you're here, you come running back. Hopefully they'll drive out here, and we can hijack the vehicles".
"Won't they see the vehicles coming back without their Rocket pals"?
Lance gave Kyle a tiny smile, "yea, they will. We have no way in without being seen. So, we're going on the offensive. We're going to give them an all out assault".
"Just the two of us"?
"Just the two of us"!
Kyle raised a brow at Lance incredulously, then sighed, "guess if I have to die today, better do it in style".
Rising to his feet from his hiding place among the bushes, he shouted loudly, "prepare to be Kylenated"!
Throwing open the door with a loud bang, Burt shoved Misty inside the tiny empty room. She fell to the floor, hitting her elbow trying to stop her fall. The pain caused her to hiss and close her eyes to block it out.
"Leave us" Giovanni's voice commanded, and Misty reopened her eyes when the door closed.
The Rocket called Burt was gone, and Giovanni stood perfectly still in front of the door, staring down at her with a look in his eye Misty could not place.
"So full of fire" he commented at her glare, and took a step towards her.
She rose to her feet, feeling all the pain in her body fully. The throbbing of her temple, the stinging on her elbow, not to mention all the other scrapes and bruises she acquired fleeing from the Dominion's.
"It's inspiring in a way" Giovanni said, his voice unnaturally calm, "I admire the passion, the will power".
He began to circle around her, never once taking his eyes from her, but they did travel the length of her body. She did not turn with him, merely standing in place clutching her elbow, only turning her head slightly to keep him in view.
"Such qualities make fine leaders" he continued, stepping slowly, "only people as strong as you are ever able to accomplish anything worthwhile".
"And you think of yourself like that" she snorted, turning her head to the other side to keep him in sight.
He did not answer, completing his circle and stopping directly in front of her. For the first time she noticed how tall he was, towering about a foot and a half over her. A musky cologne that wrinkled her nose wafted by, but she did not step back. She would not give him any satisfaction in thinking she was scared.
"This is such a shame" he added, his voice still strangely mild, "you would have made an excellent Rocket. My successor even".
Misty laughed, a loud laugh that was both fake and genuine. Giovanni raised a brow, but kept silent so she could speak, "I've met some crazy people in my life, but you take the cake. The amount of delusions in your head must be off the charts to think I would've ever been a Rocket".
"Whether you would have or not is unimportant for here and now" he said very low, setting her nerves on fire, "we are here to break you".
Misty instincts revved up from the tone hidden under his flat vocals. Telling her to run, to get as far away from this moment as she could, but she couldn't. There was no where to go! She was trapped in a small white room in which she couldn't out maneuver him. Her only option was to fight, as hard as she could!
Giovanni had apparently predicted her movement, because when she swung her fist, he caught it with his hand. She yelped as his vice tight grip closed around her wrist. Throwing back her other arm to swing, he pulled her so hard her feet left the ground. Her back was pushed into the wall, and Giovanni pressed himself up against her, placing his face centimeters from hers.
Suddenly his intentions became clear when his breath hit her face. Panic, it its purest form, swept through Misty when she noticed the lustful look behind his eyes. Thinking quickly, she pulled her knee straight up for his groin, but he predicted that move too. Maneuvering swiftly, he dodged her knee, and jerked her from the wall. He twisted her arm behind her back, and gripped her shoulder with his other hand. In a resounding crack, the bone in her upper arm snapped in half.
Misty's mouth opened to shout in pain, but only a silent scream escaped her. The burning was unlike any other she had ever felt before. The pain shooting through her arm was almost enough to cause her to pass out, if only the adrenaline coursing through her wasn't keeping her conscious.
Giovanni wrapped his foot around her's and knocked her legs out from under her. She slammed into the tile face first, and his crushing body weight pushed against her back.
She jerked fiercely, trying desperately to break free from him, but also to mainly remove her broken arm which was pinned between him and her. The side of his cheek brushed against her hair, and his warm breath blew across her ear.
Her other arm broke loose from under her, and she swatted backwards, trying to rip his face with her nails. The attempt was in vain as Giovanni's hand gripped her wrist and shoved it to the floor. His other hand snaked its way into her hair, then his fingertips slid down the nape of her neck. Goosebumps spread across her body from the slimy feeling.
His hand moved down her back, and down to the bottom of her shirt, pulling it up just enough to give his fingers access to her skin underneath. Giovanni readjusted himself so that he could pull Misty onto her side, but only enough for his hand to explore the front part of her torso.
Tears fell from her eyes by now, fast and heavy. She tried to scream, tried to shout, but all that she could muster were silent whimpers of terror. Any attempt she made to fight back was fruitless, the man was unbelievably strong, and that was saying a lot as Misty was no weakling. The sheer uselessness of her own strength against him was terrifying.
His fingers bumped against the bottom edge of her bra, and forced their way underneath, fondling her breast roughly. Hot breaths on her ear quickened, and he pressed himself into her more firmly. She jerked her unbroken arm once again in a last ditch attempt to retaliate, but he pulled it in such a way that if she jerked it again, it would surely break too.
When his teeth nibbled on her ear, all hope she had of escape vanished…one of her worst fears in life was about to be realized….and all she could do was feel every moment of it.
He fondled her breast for a moment as he nipped on her ear and planted soft kisses on her neck that caused her to wince. Suddenly he pulled his hand out from under her shirt and placed it between her legs, rubbing her woman hood through her jeans. A disgusting chuckle rumbled in his throat, causing a sob to convulse Misty's chest.
Her button unsnapped, and the zipper was pulled down. She swallowed, desperately making attempts to remove her conscious self, taking her mind to her fourteenth birthday. Hoping beyond hope that one of the happiest memories of her life would numb her senses to the man having his way with her.
Ash pulled Misty away from her birthday party, leading her to the lake outside of Cerulean City.
"Where are we going" Misty asked.
Giovanni pulled both her jeans and her underwear down in one swipe, slowly pulled his fingertips across her now bare clit, and then fumbled with the belt to his slacks.
Ash stuttered, but got out, "I just thought we could get away from everyone and everything for a while".
Slipping his slacks down to his knees, Giovanni pressed Misty firmly against the tile, and position himself at her entrance.
Misty dipped her toes in the water, discarding her shoes to the side. She sighed at the warm tingling sensation of the ripples against her skin. Ash leaned back on his hands, staring up at the colorful sky. A breeze whisked by, ruffling their hair, and sending a shine off of Misty's.
"Hey Ash".
"Hm"?
The Rocket Leader grunted as he inserted himself inside of Misty, exhaling a satisfied breath on the back of her neck. Pushing in and out of her, slowly at first but gaining pace as he went, he groaned in the back of his throat, then pressed his face into Misty's hair and took a long whiff.
"I know I already said thank you, but...thank you".
"It was no big deal" Ash waved it off, but Misty stopped him, "don't ruin this, let me say what I need to say".
She saw Ash trying to hold back his smile, and she lightly reached out and tapped him with her fist, "what I'm trying to say is...Ash, I know I give you a hard time, but you really are the best. Thank you for being my friend".
He grunted loudly as he released inside of her, continuing to rock his hips against her rear and fondle various regions of her body. Once he was completely finished, he gave her one last kiss on the neck, then removed himself from inside of her and stood up. Feeling the weight lift off, Misty found herself curling up into a ball, her head ducking close to her chest. Every part of her felt inhuman, tainted in every aspect of the word.
A chuckle escaped Giovanni's lips as he re buttoned his pants and gazed down at the orange haired woman.
"I told you I'd break you" he said victoriously, then spit down on her, his saliva splatting on her cheek.
The door suddenly opened, and Giovanni's anger flared.
"Who said you could enter Grunt-" he spun around, ready to tear into the Rocket called Burt, but discovered it was not Burt who had entered.
Ash stood frozen in place, his hand gripping the door handle so tight the metal began to creak. His eyes combed over Misty, taking in every detail. Her hair frizzled and scraggly in places, the massive bruise on her temple, her arm bent at an awkward angle, the spit on her face, the disheveled appearance of her shirt, her pants and underwear pulled down to her knees, but most importantly the way she was curled up into ball…defeated, broken, and sobbing uncontrollably.
"Misty…." his voice was weak, and shook terribly, but it caused her to look up and see him.
Her bloodshot eyes, full of tears and pain, looked at him in horror. Scared of what he just walked in on, terrified that the man she loved looked so hopeless and broken.
Giovanni cracked a disgusting smile, spread his arms wide, and said, "the true look of a defeated man".
Then Ash roared a sound that shook Misty deep down to her core. It was twisted, and almost demonic even. A behemoth roar of pure, primal rage that was heard throughout the building.
Giovanni was unable to react as Ash moved faster than he had ever before, shoving his elbow into the man's throat and pushing him against the wall. In the blink of a blink of an eye, Ash removed his elbow and smashed his knuckles into Giovanni's wicked face. Once, twice, five, nine, fourteen times. The Rocket leader finally was able to counter attack, getting one hit in on Ash's jaw before the infuriated man caught the second attempted punch. Throwing the bigger man to the floor, and twisting his arm at a ninety degree angle, Ash snapped Giovanni's forearm.
He screamed in pain, but Ash snarled back in a threatening roar so loud it drowned Giovanni out. Cutting off the Rocket man from making any more sound, Ash cracked his fist into Giovanni's jaw, breaking his jawline and sending teeth flying across the room.
In a flurry of dozens of punches, over and over and over, Ash hit every part of the bastard he could. His face, his chest, his arms, everywhere! Giovanni's unbroken arm clawed at the younger trainer, pressing into Ash's face to obstruct his vision. Opening his jaw wide, Ash caught the assaulting fingers in his teeth, and clamped shut. Blood gushed onto his tongue, and soaked his teeth as the fingers popped and cracked under the pressure. Giovanni's hand pulled away, his first three fingers still inside of Ash's mouth. He spit them out onto the Rocket Leader's face, covering the man in his own blood.
Red….pure, unmatched, dark, crimson red clouded Ash's vision, and he lost all control of himself. Screaming, punching, ripping, tearing, growling, and hissing he tore into Giovanni, unleashing every ounce of anger built up since Mark attacked them at Misty's Gym so long ago.
Suddenly he was sitting perfectly still….breathing heavily, and covered in soaking wet dark liquid. His hands felt slimy, and covered with mucky material. The red faded away, and Misty came into view, still huddled into a ball staring at him, but looked absolutely at a loss for any emotion.
"Ash…".
He heard the voice, but it did not come from Misty, it came from the doorway. Turning his head slowly, feeling something drip from his hair, he found the owner of the voice. His father, standing in the doorway with the same lack of emotion expression Misty was wearing.
Red's eyes left Ash's and looked down, causing Ash to follow and see what he was looking at….
Giovanni…or what was left of Giovanni, lay beneath him, a mass of blood, and pummeled meat. His skull was beat in, completely unrecognizable as the man who once ran Team Rocket. The torso was ripped open, revealing internal organs that were ripped apart, and pulled from his chest cavity. Realizing that his hands and he himself were covered completely in Giovanni's blood, Ash stood up off the dead man slowly. What had he just done….
His eyes traveled to Misty once again, and she was still staring at him with that blank expression. He wanted to go to her, to pull her close and comfort her, tell her that what she had just seen wasn't real….that any of what just happened wasn't real. Would she pull away from him? Did she think he was a monster? Was he a monster….
Every nerve in his brain was telling him to help her, but he couldn't move. His body wasn't listening….was he a monster….
Red fully entered the room, passing Ash and walking over to Misty. He crouched down, gently taking her hands and helped her to her feet. Her eyes never left Ash's, seeming to stare past him and into his soul….was he a monster….
Red looked away as Misty reached down to pull her pants up and re buttoned them.
Finally, Ash found his voice, "Misty…I-".
A siren blared around the building, followed by an intercom saying loudly, "all employees to Red Alert zones".
This certainly puts them in a bad place, don't you agree? As if they didn't have enough screwing with their minds already. Guess I'm just a bad person lol
Why did I put an lol?! There is nothing funny about this right now...I'm pretty distraught actually. I don't know what to do with myself, so I'm going to take a shower, and try to rid myself of this terrible feeling.
Next chapter will still be with Ash and Misty. The back half of it might jump back over to Brock and his group, but we'll see how the story flows.
Very eager to see what everyone thinks of this terrible chapter