The Year of Rocket's Revenge
Session: May, Part 4 (05.16.06/05.18.10)
Two members of Team Rocket could be seen walking out of the locker room. But what was more important than what they were about to do was what they had just done seconds ago.
Throwing their old orange-colored uniforms into the trash.
Saturday, May 24th, Vermilion City Pokémon Center
Nurse Joy was in the emergency room, sewing in the last few stitches to complete an operation near a Rattata's right ear. As she did, Chansey ran into the room, waving her arms in a panic to get Joy's attention.
"Chansey! Chansey chansey chansey, chansey!"
Joy finished the operation, then beckoned Chansey to lead the way. The pink Pok mon did, Joy finding the time to remove her gloves and toss them aside as she exited.
The two of them made their way to the front desk, where an alarm was audibly and visibly ringing from the desktop computer. About twenty people of various ages were in the lobby at time, including a Pok mon League soldier who was having his Pok mon healed, and given the tense situation out on the streets, all of them were visibly worried about what this warning siren meant.
Upon viewing the graphics screen and seeing Pok ball after Pok ball appearing from the Center's teleporter, Joy came to the only reasonable conclusion given the situation.
"It's... a Pokémon emergency!"
Cerulean City Pokémon Center
Sure enough, to the north of Vermilion, the Pokémon Center in Cerulean was facing an emergency situation. An invasion by Team Rocket operatives, who had stormed the place and had, in a matter of minutes, wiped out and captured all of the able-bodied Pokémon and had subdued their trainers. The operatives had begun searching the building to search for the local Nurse Joy, who wasn't in the lobby at the time of the infiltration.
But it was only a matter of time...
"It's the only room unaccounted for..." one grunt said.
"And it's locked," stated a second after testing the doorknob.
"Just kick it down, you fleabags!" shouted a third.
One kick. Then two. Followed by a third...
And then on the fourth attempt, the hinges on the door finally snapped, causing the door to break in half almost exactly halfway up. No less than nine Team Rocket grunts rushed into the room, quickly surrounding the occupants. Nurse Joy, Chansey, and Blissey were all by a Pokémon teleporter, which was currently on and actively transmitting Pokéballs.
"Step away from the teleporter, and no one gets hurt!" one of the grunts ordered.
"Not so fast!"
Several of the grunts' heads turned to the side of the room where there were still many shelves filled with Pokéballs to be extracted out. And standing among them was another pink-haired woman. It was Lily, the second-youngest of the Cerulean sisters, and she had a Pokéball in hand.
"No one's taking over Cerulean City while I'm around! Not before I get a chance to peruse the new outlet center on the south-side and ogle all the new teenage male workers there! Go, Pokéball!"
Lily tossed the Pokéball to the ground and out of it came... a Goldeen!
"Goldeen goldeen! Goldeen, goldeen!"
"Wow... talk about deja vu..." commented Joy.
Unfortunately, one of the grunts ruined the moment of reminisce as he pulled out a small handgun and fired one shot at the teleporter, disabling it instantly. He then pointed the gun at Lily.
"Unless you want to end up like that machine, I suggest you give up!"
Lily mumbled a few unladylike words under her breath as two of the grunts advanced on her.
Cerulean City Gym
"It's Day Twenty in the battle in Vermilion, and the Pokémon League forces continue to fight on despite having completely lost control of the harbor and a good portion of the high-class south-side," stated the on-site TV reporter matter-of-factly. "But all hope is not lost, as for the second time in as many days, a League offensive led by Lieutenant Surge had beaten back Team Rocket squadrons based on Route 6 in order to allow much-needed food, supplies, and reinforcements from Saffron City and the League itself to reach the suffering citizens of Vermilion. Hope is high, as it is rumored that Agatha of the Elite Four had accompanied the supply party. With her help, the League feels confident that they now can drive Team Rocket from the bustling seaport.
"Meanwhile, Surge is still refusing to be interviewed, and no one in the League seems to want to confirm to the truth that former Pok mon Junior Master Marco Pereira is indeed the man..."
"IS THAT ALL YOU'RE GOING TO DO ALL DAY AGAIN? JUST WATCH THE NEWS?"
Daisy turned her attention from looking at the TV and towards the door, where an irate Misty was standing there, holding an open folding chair over her head.
"Where did you get that from? I, like, thought we got rid of all of those flimsy things..."
"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT!"
Misty threw the chair at Daisy, who... surprisingly, caught it with her bare hands.
"I caught... wait a minute, YOU COULD'VE TAKEN MY HEAD OFF!"
"WELL, MAYBE YOU'D BE ABLE TO BE FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND BETTER IF YOU HAD SOME COMMON SENSE KNOCKED INTO YOU! YOU KNOW HOW SAD YOU MAKE EVERYONE BY MOPING AROUND AND WATCHING ALL OF THE BAD NEWS REPORTS?"
"FINE, BUT WHEN WAS IT COMMON SENSE TO THROW A CHAIR AT SOMEBODY'S HEAD?"
Before Daisy and Misty could get to exchanging blows with their fists, cooler heads prevailed... thanks to the two of them getting surprised by a Water Gun courtesy of Violet, who had come running after hearing all of the screaming from down the hall.
"What is wrong with you two?" Violet asked them. "The end of the world is upon us, and look at you two! Daisy, you've just been sitting around waiting for the inevitable, and I barely recognize you! When's the last time you put on make up, or brushed your hair? And have you even changed your clothes at least once since you woke up?"
Daisy looked at herself, and nearly cried at the state of disarray she had fallen into.
"And Misty... well, you've never had any fashion sense to begin with. But here you are, trying to kill your sister when your boyfriend, who I recall, used to be much dumber and more immature than Daisy, Lily, and myself combined the first time we met him, has been patrolling the city 18 hours a day and trying to keep all of the Pokémon in the gym happy and healthy! Which is supposed to be your job, by the way!"
Misty winced, the painful truth dawning upon her.
"Now, you two can hoot and holler and sulk and cry until Team Rocket comes and smashes the whole gym to pieces, or you can join the rest of us and put a fight, like all gym leaders should!"
Daisy and Misty looked at each other, and after thinking about it for a few seconds, both sisters gathered themselves and nodded in agreement.
"You're, like, right, Violet!" Daisy exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Misty pumped her fist. "It's going to take all of us to keep the Cerulean gym from falling under Team Rocket's clutches!"
Violet smiled. "Now that's the beauty of the Waterflowers shining through!"
The three sisters raised their right arms into the air, each with four fingers sticking up.
"We're the Sensational Sisters! Four strong, four-ever!" they yelled.
"Hmmm..." Misty remarked, "that doesn't work as well without Lily here."
"Chill, Mist," Violet said in reply. "So Lil misses one cheer. It's not like it's the end of the world..."
Outside the gym, Ash and Pikachu were hard at work reinforcing a wooden barrier that had been built several weeks ago. Nearby, Bulbasaur was in a lookout position from atop a makeshift observation tower, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity.
"That should it do!" Ash announced, hammering in one last nail. "We're ready for whatever Team Rocket wants to throw at us!"
Suddenly, Pikachu's ears perked up, as he heard the sound of a Pokémon heading their way.
"Pika pi!"
"What is it, Pikachu?"
"Bulba bulba, bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur shouted.
Ash climbed up to the top of the tower to see what was going on. Once there, he turned his head towards downtown. Once he did, he saw Noctowl flying towards the gym, as fast as his wings could flap.
"Whoa... something sure's got Noctowl freaked!"
It only took a few seconds for Ash to find out what, as about half a dozen jeeps began to appear on the horizon. When he saw the giant red 'R' on the lead vehicle, he instantly knew who was coming.
"They've finally come," Ash noted, before looking down to the ground and seeing Pikachu standing by the ladder. "Pikachu, go warn Misty!"
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, before taking off for the gym's front door.
Ash then turned his attention back towards Team Rocket, as he began formulating a plan to defend the gym in his head.
As the gym began to come into view, one of the Rocket operatives in the lead jeep raised his left hand in the air. The driver of the vehicle began to slow it to a stop, and all of the trailing jeeps took that as a signal to do the same.
"Get me in touch with the commanders," the operative told his driver.
He then peered ahead at the gym and the barrier that surrounded it, as he waited for instructions on what to do next.
A few minutes had passed before Pikachu returned, with Misty, Daisy, and Violet right behind him. Ash was waiting for them at the bottom of the ladder leading up the tower.
"They've finally, like, come?" inquired Daisy.
Ash nodded in reply. "Probably about 30 of them."
"That seems a bit much," Violet remarked. "For our small little gym?"
"It's not, considering that they probably know what they're up against," Misty said aloud.
"That's what I figure," Ash added. "I bet they know we're both here."
"So, what's the plan, fearless leader?"
"We wait for them to make the first move."
"What did the commanders say, sir?" one of the operatives inquired.
"Prepare the scout team," the lead operative replied. "The commanders want to make sure that our chance of success is 100 percent."
The operative turned to one of the teams and gave them a three-finger salute. That was the signal for that team to pull out four Pokéballs and release the Pokémon inside. Out of them emerged four Kecleon, who immediately camouflaged themselves and started heading for the gym.
"Team leaders, prep for invasionary measures! We're going in once the commanders arrive on site!"
As Team Rocket rushed to get ready, the Kecleon had made their way to the barrier wall. They changed color to blend in to the wood as they climbed up and over. On the other side, they stayed attached to the barrier as they attempted to find a safe place to jump down and onto the ground undetected so they could continue their approach to the gym.
One of the Kecleon looked ahead, where the three present Waterflower sisters were calling out some of their Pokémon.
"Vaporeon and Golduck, let's go!" Misty shouted.
"C'mon out, Dewgong!" Daisy exclaimed.
"Starmie, you're on!" yelled Violet.
The four water-types emerged from their Pokéballs, all charged up and ready for battle.
"That's a good start for a defense," commented Ash, before glancing down towards Pikachu. "Ready to back them up, Pikachu?"
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, clenching his fist with determination.
"Everyone be on the lookout..."
Suddenly, both Pikachu and Vaporeon's ears popped up. They had both sensed something unfamiliar nearby. Then, without warning, Pikachu fired a thunderbolt to his right, while simultaneously Vaporeon took aim with water gun. Both attacks resulted on contact hits with two Kecleon, each of whom lost focus and became uncloaked upon being hit by thunderbolt and water gun, respectively.
"Like, a sneak attack?" Daisy thought out loud.
The other two Kecleon revealed themselves and both moved to make a retaliatory strike on behalf of their comrades. But...
"Dewgong, Ice Beam!"
Daisy's Dewgong fired, and the ice beam struck both of the Kecleon before they had a chance to dodge, knocking them off their feet.
"Staryu, Bubblebeam!"
"Golduck, Confusion!"
Violet and Misty moved quickly to take down the first pair of Kecleon, with each of their Pokémon's respective attacks blasting them towards the second pair, still dazed from Dewgong's Ice Beam.
"Alright, Pikachu, you know what to do!" Ash called out.
Pikachu charged up and unleashed a massive thunder attack on the four Kecleon.
"CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
The four Kecleon were sent flying all the way back up the hill, where Team Rocket was finishing preparations for the attack.
"Take cover!" one of the grunts yelled.
The operatives quickly scrambled as the four Kecleon came crashing down, all landing in a heap inside a small crater formed by the impact, and all unconscious.
"How did... what the heck kind of power are we dealing with?" one of the other operatives asked, shaking in his boots.
"We can't wait for team leader," the lead operative stated. "Everyone, charge! We'll take them out with mass force!"
A large amount of Pokéballs were thrown in the air, and numerous Pokémon emerged from them. In addition to scores of poison-types like Golbat, Arbok, and Muk, there were also dark-types such as Houndour and Houndoom, as well as fighting-types that included Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Hitmontop. A total of nearly five dozen Pokémon had been called out, and they all looked battle-tested and ready for a fight.
"Like, here they come!" Daisy shouted, as the Pokémon began to descend the hill towards the barrier surrounding the gym.
Misty gasped. "If they all make it to the fence, they'll knock it down, no doubt!"
"Then it's time to level the playing field!" Ash smiled as he whipped out two Pokéballs. "Heracross and Charizard... come on out!"
Two of Ash's most physically imposing Pokémon appeared, both happy to have been chosen.
"Charizard, separate them all by using Fire Spin!"
Charizard complied, utilizing the attack to separate the charging mob into more manageable groups, and all becoming trapped within the rings of fire.
Except for the Houndour and Houndoom, which charged through without problem.
"I've got this, Ash!" Misty shouted. "Golduck and Vaporeon... use Hydro Pump!"
Misty's two Pokémon used their most powerful water-powered attacks to stop the Houndour and Houndoom in their tracks. As they were being taken care of, Fire Spin began to dissipate around some of the trapped Pokémon.
"Ash!"
"Got it, Misty! Charizard, use Seismic Toss!"
Charizard flew to one of the groups, grabbed an Arbok, and used Seismic Toss on it! But instead of throwing straight into the ground, it threw at some of the other Pokémon, taking out six or seven in one swipe.
"Heracross, Horn Attack!"
Heracross followed right behind Charizard, punishing the leftovers by ramming into their stomachs with his horn. Another Pokéball could be heard opening, as Ash had decided to bring his Pidgeot into the fight.
"Pidgeot, Pikachu! You know what to do!"
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded.
Pikachu hopped on Pidgeot's back, and the bird Pokémon took to the skies. Pidgeot went straight for the group of Zubat and Hitmonlee.
Then, as they got close, Pikachu leaped off and into the air.
"Alright! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on the Zubat! Pidgeot, Wing Attack on the Hitmonlee!"
"CHUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
Pikachu zapped the Zubat, frying them all with one blast. Meanwhile, with wings spread, Pidgeot flew through the group of Hitmonlee, knocking them all of their feet.
Back at the top of the hill, the operative leader and one of his subordinates watched the battle unfold. And he wasn't getting any happier, as their numbers advantage quickly was becoming a non-factor.
"Radio to the squadron leaders! Our only hope of winning this battle is to knock down that barrier!"
Sure enough, in moments a number of the Rocket grunts were turning their attention away from the Pokémon battles and instead taking it upon themselves to try and knock down the wooden fence using their own human bodies.
But Daisy and Violet were adamant about defending their gym.
"Like, we hate to do this," Daisy exclaimed, "but we have our livelihood to protect here!"
"Not to mention our home," added Violet before turning to Staryu. "Staryu, Water Gun!"
Staryu hopped on top of the fence and sprayed away at the Rocket grunts. Even for just Water Gun, the force of the water coming out was so strong that it was not only soaking them, but keeping them staying on their feet.
"Now that they're drenched... Ice Beam, Dewgong!"
"Dewgong!"
Dewgong's Ice Beam went to work encasing all of the grunts' feet in solid ice. Once that was done, Dewgong stopped her attack. Daisy and Violet high-fived as the grunts examined their predicament.
"Face it!" Violet told them. "Like, the only thing you're getting today are those two seasons way-past-cool footwear!"
Meanwhile, Pikachu, Pidgeot, Charizard, Heracross, Vaporeon, and Golduck were making their way through the enemy Pokémon, two-thirds of which were already either knocked out or severely weakened.
"You might as well give up!" Ash yelled. "We're not giving up this gym, no matter what you throw at us!"
Pikachu and Charizard nodded in agreement, just as they were taking out two more Pokémon each.
But then, without warning, Ash did find something being thrown at him. A plastic case, which he caught right in his breadbasket. But Misty quickly noted the important thing wasn't the case itself, but what was in it.
About a pound of pink hair.
"This belongs to..."
The three sisters eyes quickly shot towards the top of the hill. Their worst fear had come true! Lily had been tied up and her hair...
...was perfectly intact, though ruffled and messy thanks to the rough treatment she had received.
"For a minute there, I thought they'd sunk really low and shaved Lily bald," Violet sighed with relief.
"I share the sentiment, sis, but that's not the worst of her worries right now," snapped Daisy.
Lily was also gagged... which explained why her screams of fear were muffled when a gun was pointed at her head.
"Unless the Waterflower quartet wants to be cut down to a trio, I suggest you surrender."
"Why does that voice sound familiar?" Ash asked aloud.
Misty squinted as she tried to get a better look at Lily's captor. Or captors, as a second figure appeared next to the first. She then recognized green hair and glasses on one and pink hair, albeit in a normal style rather than all balled up like she remembered.
"No way! It's Jane and Calamity!"
Ash gasped. "But the last time we saw them, they were put in a Maximum Security Prison on Trovita Island!"
"Look who it is!" Jane pointed out. "Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower!"
"Talk about two teenagers we feel like killing right about now!" Calamity growled menacingly.
Ash and Misty kept both eyes on the two Rockets, who were now in traditional all-black Rocket uniforms instead of the orange they had always worn before.
"But we're willing to spare your lives and the gym," Calamity said to them. "Only on one condition, though."
"That the two of you come with us!" exclaimed Jane.
"Why would we do that?" Ash asked in defiance.
"Well, to be frank, I love your little water ballet shows. I'd be willing to let you continue them. After all, I'm sure the many members of Team Rocket would like to have a fun source of entertainment in the new world! Of course, as the new owner of the gym, I'll have full control of what happens in the shows..."
"Wait... what?" Daisy shouted. "Since when?"
"Since we're taking over this city! Your shows are the only reason we're letting the gym stand rather than be reduced to rubble!"
"I'm talking about why you want us to come with you?" redirected Ash.
Calamity shrugged his shoulders. "Apparently, the boss wants you alive for some reason. Oh, and before I forget... or else!"
Calamity cocked the handgun and pulled the trigger.
CLICK...
Nothing come out of the gun, to the good guys' relief.
"I will tell you that this is a seven-round chamber in this gun, and that I only have one bullet left in it," Calamity smirked. "But where is it? It could be the last one... or the next one!"
"You're bluffing!" Violet shouted.
"You really wanna test me?"
Calamity squeezed the trigger twice more in quick succession.
CLICK, CLICK...
"Two more misses. One-in-four chance the next squeeze kills pinky here."
More muffled screaming could be heard from Lily.
"Now that I think of it," Jane said, placing her hand on Lily's head. "Given we have the same hair color, maybe after you kill her, Cal, maybe I can take her place in the Waterflower sisters."
"If you think we're gonna let you..." Daisy shouted.
"Kidding! I'd much prefer to be hands-off, anyway."
"Enough!" yelled Misty. "This ends here and now!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!" laughed Calamity.
CLICK.
"One-in-three-e-e-e-ee!"
"What are we going to do?" Misty asked Ash, more worried than ever.
Ash scowled. "The only thing we can do."
He pulled out three Pokéballs from his belt...
"Pidgeot! Charizard! Heracross! Return!"
The three Pokémon returned to their Pokéballs without question. A little confused, Pikachu ran back to Ash.
"Pika pi!"
"I'm sorry, Pikachu," apologized Ash.
"What are you doing?" questioned Misty. "Don't tell me you're..."
"Giving up? I don't want to, but unless you see some other way of saving Lily..."
Misty went silent, as she couldn't think of a response. Then, after a few seconds, she motioned for Daisy and Violet to do the same.
"That's more like it," Jane said with a smile as Misty, Daisy, and Violet recalled their Pokémon.
"Nice to see you all not trying to stop us for once," Calamity commented.
Ash and Misty both growled in frustration.
A few minutes later, a safe and sound Lily was seen hugging her sisters Daisy and Violet. But it was hard to happy over their reunion, given the fact that Rocket grunts were behind them, hard at work destroying the defensive barrier Ash and his Pokémon had put all their sweat and blood constructing the past two weeks.
Not to mention their gym's new owner, Jane, keeping a close eye on them.
Meanwhile, Ash, Misty, and Pikachu, all handcuffed together, were being escorted to a waiting black van. But right before they were shoved in, Calamity walked over with a gift for them.
In the form of remote-control explosive collars, which he attached to both Ash and Misty's necks.
"Just to make sure you don't get any funny ideas on the way back to Team Rocket's own maximum security prison," Calamity explained, "these collars are rigged to go off if the wearers get more than ten feet away from each other. So I suggest you two lovebirds snuggle up on the trip... if you wish to live through it!
"Also, I would suggest not tampering with the collars, as they are also rigged to go off in anyone tries to take them off!"
Calamity then showed off the remote to them.
"Of course, if I so choose, I can detonate them remotely as well. But seeing as the boss wants you alive, that's an option that I'll sadly never get to utilize."
Ash, Misty, and Pikachu were guided into the back of the van, and then the doors were shut closed behind them, Calamity laughing maniacally as they were.
Saturday, May 31st
A monitor replayed the images of Ash, Misty, and Pikachu being led into the van, followed by a cutaway to the van driving away from the Cerulean City gym minutes later.
The video was replaced on-screen by a female news reporter, on location near the aforementioned gym.
"That was the scene a week ago today," she explained, "and that was the last time anyone has seen former Pokémon Junior Master Ash Ketchum or Cerulean City gym leader Misty Waterflower. Two operatives have claimed responsibility for their kidnapping..."
Mug shot photos of Jane and Calamity were displayed onscreen to the reporter's right (viewer's left).
"Only known as 'Jane' and 'Calamity,' they are high-level Team Rocket operatives that had escaped from the Trovita Island Maximum Security Prison almost exactly eleven months ago. No one knows why they have eluded being found by the police for so long, or why they suddenly decided to reappear. No doubt Team Rocket's current in-motion plan to take control of the entire Kanto region has something to do with it."
The reporter then motioned the cameraman to follow her up the hill, where at the top they could see down towards the gym. The wooden barrier that once stood surrounding the building had been replaced by a more menacing barbed wire fence. No less than half a dozen Rocket grunts were patrolling outside and inside the fenced area, and that was just what could be seen from the front.
"Cerulean City was the latest city to fall under their control, and those escapees, Jane and Calamity, have taken over the Cerulean City Pokémon gym and made it their 'home away from home,' so to speak. Since seizing control of the gym, no one has left or entered the building..."
Vermilion City
Somewhere in the trenches on the city borders, Lieutenant Surge was watching the live news report along with his Raichu and members of the local militia.
"The Pokémon League has not responded since this incident, most likely because all of their resources are dedicated to stabilizing the Vermilion City conflict area and attempting to retake captured cities such as Celadon and Fuchsia..."
Meanwhile, in some secret unknown location, Cassie was also watching the news as she sat beside the bed in which the still-comatose Giselle currently laid.
"Many people around the region, including those in cities not yet under Team Rocket's control, are beginning to lose faith in the League, and pleas for help to the rest of the world are multiplying by the hour."
Back with the reporter, whom with her cameraman, was heading towards the front gate, where a podium had been set up.
"The silence from the League forced Jane and Calamity to issue a written statement of their own three days ago. It demanded that the Pokémon League be disbanded immediately and that the members of the Elite Four, as well as any of the region's still uncaptured gym leaders surrender themselves to Team Rocket. The statement also said that failure to comply will lead to the complete destruction of the Kanto region!"
Suddenly, she saw the front door to the gym open as she and her cameraman came to a stop a few feet from the podium and the gate, where four Team Rocket members stood guard. Two of them opened the doors of the gate.
"Jane and Calamity are going to come out here to address the League's non-compliance of their demands, and, at the risk of the lives of my cameraman and myself, we were allowed to exclusively show this so-called press conference live."
A few people stepped out of the gym, but it wasn't Jane, Calamity, or anyone in a Rocket uniform. It was Daisy, Violet, and Lily, and they surprisingly looked to be unharmed. In fact, there were no restraints on them at all, save for the booby-trapped collars around their necks.
"It's the Waterflower sisters, Misty's elder siblings. It was rumored that they were prisoners of Jane and Calamity, but this is the first visual confirmation we have of that fact. But... they look as if they aren't prisoners at all! What's going on here?"
The trio walked past the guards at the gate and stepped up to the podium in a calm, orderly manner. Once at the podium, Daisy motioned for the cameraman to get a little closer to make sure what she and her sisters were about to say could be heard clearly.
Lily started things off.
"You're, like, probably wondering why we look like we just got back from the spa. Well, the truth is that, despite holding us hostage, Team Rocket has allowed us to continue with a daily beauty regiment. Isn't that, like, the best? Tee hee!"
Violet then took over, with a more serious look on her face than her younger sister.
"All kidding aside, you're probably wondering about our latest fashion statement."
Violet pointed to the collars.
"These things are rigged to explode, killing us if any one of us tries anything funny. So, for the sake of our own lives and, like, my hairdo, please don't try to do anything to save us!"
Daisy was the last to speak, and she was the most stoic of them all. She looked directly into the camera, but in actuality her focus was only on one person... the lone news reporter.
"Team Rocket has sent your TV station a videotape, which they should play live on the air after I finish my next sentence. And I quote, 'If the Pokémon League and the gym leaders our previous statement were sent out to do not all surrender by 5 pm tomorrow, this will happen to Ash Ketchum and our younger sister, Misty...'"
Intrigue turned to horror when both Lieutenant Surge when the tape the station that started playing turned out to be the video of Giselle being electrocuted by the Dissolution Chamber two months ago, but on a continuous loop that showed only the electrocution and nothing else.
The reporter, which was on the phone with her producer live, started freaking out when she heard nothing but silence on the other end.
"Sir, what's going on?" she asked aloud. "What's on that tape?"
Daisy, Violet, and Lily all looked quizzically at each other. They had no idea what was on the tape they had been ordered to tell the whole world to watch. And even if they thought whatever was on it was bad, they had no real idea of how bad.
Suddenly, two of the guards ran up to the podium and, with rifles pointing at them, hastily ordered the girls to get back inside. They quickly complied, though not without fuss.
"No!" Daisy cried out, realizing what was about to happen. "You can't do this!"
The news reporter drew her attention away from her phone as the sisters were taken away. The other two guards walked towards them.
As the video ended, the TV feed was returned to the live camera... just in time to hear Daisy's last words before she was pushed back through the gym doors.
"YOU CAN'T KILL THEM! NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Before the doors were closed, viewers around the world watched as the reporter was executed with a shots to the head. Before the cameraman could react, another shot was fired...
And then all that could be seen on the live feed was static...
End Session: May
Storyline to be continued in Session: June!
Author's Notes for 'Session: May':
I guess we're gonna start pushing that PG-13/T rating, huh?
A cameo appearance from all of Brock's siblings starts the notes off for this session. It's sad that this will most likely be their only appearance in this fic (except for may the epilogue?), and it had to be in such a sad situation. And that was only the first of many in this session full of despair.
As what is to be expected of famous Team Rocket duos, Belle and Starr are named after a famous Western outlaw. As what was not to be expected... they were undercover as Team Rocket operatives, but actually weren't! Someone should've figured that out when it was revealed their mascot was Pidgeot, especially since it is the evolved form of the mascot of an actual Team Rocket duo in this story.
Fun fact of the session: Angela, Belle's real name, is actually named after an old classmate of mine from high school. As you'll see next session, Angela here has something in common with her... and hint, it has nothing to deal with hair color.
For some reason, imagining dub-voiced Butch saying "'Cause I'm starting to get a lust for blood!" is just funny to me. I dunno why.
More oddity... despite being afraid of the current situation, Stephanie and Amber took time to change into their cheerleader outfits. Stephanie's easy to explain away, but... you think Amber would willingly be here if she had finally figured out what she wants to do with her life?
Here's the debut of another cross-bred Pokémon thanks to Team Rocket's experiments... this one of the three first-generation starters' fully evolved forms! Talk about a dangerous combination!
So, Part 2 of this session showcases the more mature Ash and Misty in battle for the first time (especially in Ash's case). This is where the two of them come into their own as the best teenage trainers not only in the Kanto region, but the entire world!
Volt Tackle also makes its debut in this session, and you definitely will be seeing a lot more of it. I believe this is also, and the only, third-generation attack you'll see in this story, which sticks loosely to the first- and second-generation games only.
I bet you're wondering who the 'Mistress' is...
It's hard to watch my characters Arius and Cassie fight against each other, so writing the entire sequence with them wondering what the other's doing there wasn't easy to write. Not to mention the fact that they also had to deal with the dangerous Domino, and the arguably even more deadly Pauly shortly thereafter.
That reminds me... who has the brains in the couple? Apparently it's Cassie, with Arius' escape plan involving jumping out a 17th floor window with his partner AJ and a comatose Giselle... not very well thought out.
"And do you have every guy within 15 miles in your employ? Even ones twice your age?" Did anyone actually giggle about Domino's observation? You can admit it... but for a girl with a lot of strengths, Cassie is assisted a lot by boys, isn't she?
Pauly was not there to help, though, that's for sure. He's Arius' older, eviler brother. Want to know where he came from? All the way back in Episode 11 of "The Adventures Series." Go read that if you want to know why he was locked up (though his actions in this session help in that explanation, if you hadn't noticed).
Speaking of flashing back to the far past... hopefully really old school fans of the Pokémon anime will recognize some similarities between the Pokémon Center opening scenes and Episode 2! Yes, that Episode 2 way, way, way back then! Nostalgia's great sometimes...
Though Lily certainly wouldn't agree...
Jane and Calamity had been wearing orange-colored Team Rocket uniforms for the longest time. The fact that they have finally switched over to the more standard black unis definitely means trouble with a capital 'T.' As if they weren't a lot of trouble already...
Calamity playing Russian Roulette with a handgun he has pointed at Lily's head... not originally the plan. But, during writing, I figured it upped the tension even more. It especially helps, given that Ash and Misty are forced to surrender despite being strong enough to take down Jane and Calamity themselves.
The explosive collars were added to make the surrender more believable as well.
Oh... if you thought what Team Rocket did at the end of this session was cruel... well, let's just say this story will start to feel damn unpretty really, really soon...
'Session: June' Trailer:
The Kanto region is on the verge of a complete collapse. The public is starting to turn on the Pokémon League, and all hope seems lost. As the people turn to a new third party to save their lives, Ash Ketchum knows there's only one group who can save the world... and he's a part of it. But before he can help, he'll have to keep from being executed by the one and only Pokémon Junior Master.
'Session: June' is next. Thus the Earth shall not turn to Ash.
