Petrel's Poison

As I walked out of the Olivine gym, building ablaze, and sirens piercing through the air, I looked and beamed at my shiny new badge. That made 7 total. One more and I could gain entrance into the Pokemon League, and I'd do it right this time! I'd defeat the Elite 4 and champion.

"And that marks badge number 7!" I said to Flint as I put the badge in my pocket.

"Only one more!" He stated enthusiastically.

"You're doing really well Hank!" Lyra said. "The final gym in Johto is in Blackthorn City. If we head back to Mohaganny Town, we should be able to reach Blackthorn by going through the Ice-Path.'

"That sounds like a pl-" My voice was cut off by my phone.

"It better not be Joey again." Lyra said.

It wasn't Joey. It was Looker.

"Hank…Check your radio." He said.

Lyra took out her radio and tuned it to DJ Ben. Only, he wasn't there.

"Umm..Hello? Is this on?" A faintly familiar voice said. "Yes, brace yourselves citizens of Johto and Kanto. Team Rocket is back! We were gone for three years but we are back now! Giovanni, if you're out there please come and join us again! I wonder if he heard that…"

The same message kept playing over and over.

"That does not sound good." Lyra said.

"That sounds pretty bad." Flint agreed.

"So am I heading to Goldenrod?" I asked as I got Talon's pokeball ready.

"Hank, this is important. You won't get into the Radio Tower unless they believe you are a part of Team Rocket. There are many costumes of a Rocket Grunt's uniform in the Underground Path."

"I understand." I said. "I'll find one and pose as a Rocket grunt." I turned to Lyra. "You should head to New Bark Town."

"But I want to go with you!" She protested.

"I know! I know! But Team Rocket would have no qualms about killing not only both our pokemon, but us as well."

Flint gulped.

"Fine" Lyra sighed. "Just be extra careful and please for the love of Arceus call me if anything happens!"

*Goldenrod City Radio Tower First Floor*

As Flint and I walked into the Radio Tower, again, I noticed that the atmosphere seemed incredibly different from the time way back when Gabriel and I came here for a radio card to put in our pokegear. This Rocket uniform was rather snug on me. I couldn't wait until I could take it off. I put the most serious look on my face as Flint and I walked up to the man guarding the staircase upward.

"Ah, yet another new recruit assigned to this mission." The man said recognizing the uniform, but not my face. "Very well, I'm sure Petrel has something for you to do." So it was Petrel I was up against. That normally isn't very much of a challenge for me. I relaxed myself a bit.

That was a big mistake.

"Hank?! No Way! Hank is that you?!" I heard Silver's angry voice ask. I did my best to avoid eye contact. "What, you think you're strong now that you're in a group like team-rocket? Just being in Team Rocket does not make you strong, and relying on them makes you weak!" He said as he tore off my uniform.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked.

"You have the only Quilava in all of Johto, Hank." Silver turned to the guard. "This boy is Hank Coro, the number one enemy of Team Rocket. Use any forces necessary to dispose of him. I have other matters to attend to." He said as he stormed off. Dick.

"Well well, someone trying to impersonate a Team R-" The Rocket Grunt's voice was stopped by Flint's Flame Wheel. While he lay on the floor unconscious, I returned Flint and got Scarlet's pokeball ready. We were confronting Petrel.

"Petrel!" I yelled as I kicked down the door to find Petrel sitting in the director's chair.

"Little Brat!" He held up a mug of coffee at me as he welcomed me in with a smile. "Please, come and pull up a chair! I've been expecting you!"

"I'm sure you have." I said, still standing. "You even went through the trouble of rounding up the worst guards for this tower mission."

"Oh! That is just precious!" Petrel smiled. "You actually think that this whole thing is my idea. You flatter me too much, Bratt."

"You didn't plan all this? Then who did? Ariana?"

"Oh, no not all of it was her idea. I mean, she certainly made it all possible, but a very old friend of yours actually thought this gem up. You may recall a nervous grunt guarding a poster back in Celadon City…"

I remembered him. His name was Archer, but he wasn't…well…

"He doesn't seem like boss material…" I finally said.

"Maybe not back then!" Petrel chuckled. "Oh, but you should have seen the way he trained. All of this." Petrel outstretched his arms. "All of this is, The Radio Tower, The Slowpoke Well, The Lake of Rage and Mohagony Town's hideout, at the Kimono Dance Theatre, Even just being in Johto! It was all his idea! A brilliant mind! A brilliant man! And you were the one who sent him here in the first place!" Petrel giggled. "You really fucked up!"

I clenched Scarlett's pokeball. "Tell me what you did with the director."

"Oh, you mean the weak old man that I threw into the basement of the underground path? Yeah, I through him into the basement of the underground path. Of course, you'll need this!" He tossed me the key.

"Why did you give this to me? And why are you telling me so much?"

"My dear boy…" Petrel said. "Whatever in the world gave you the notion that you would be getting out alive?" He sent out 5 Koffings. "Suffocate that kid!" He yelled.

"Scarlett!" I called as I sent out my red Gyarados. "Use Dragon Rage!"

I could see the smile widen on Petrel's face as one by one, his Koffings fell to the floor.

"A different region, a different team, a different color, but still has a Gyarados…" Petrel shook his head. "Are you trying to be stupid?!" He yelled as he sent out a Weezing.

"I'm trying to defeat you once and for all!" I yelled.

"Very well…" He said. "But if I'm going down…I'm taking you with me! Weezing! Self-Destruct!"

*Scarlett has fainted*

The explosion was enormous. Half of the radio-tower was now in pieces, Scarlet, Weezing, and Petrel were now piles of ash. At least that was the last of Petrel. As for me, the explosion sent me crashing down into the Underground path. I saw someone in a traditional outfit and sandals come up to me before I lost consciousness.

"Wake up!" I heard a voice say.

"Hank wake up!"

"Is he awake yet?"

"He looks like he's coming to."

"Hank? Has Hank woken up yet?"

"Uhh…Where…Where am I?" I asked as I opened my eyes to see Powerball the Electrode looking down at me. His grin got even wider.

"Oh my Arceus what a miracle!" Flint the Quilava said as he ran up to me.

"So he finally woke up." Liteweight the Jumpluff said as he hopped toward me.

"Master woke up?" Twinkle the Staryu asked curiously.

"Of course he woke up." Talon the Pidgeotto said as he flew onto me.

" A Kimono lady brought you here." I head Chuck, the Cianwood Gym Leader say.

I sat up and noticed I was in a cave.

"This is Cliff Cave." Chuck said as he left. Once you leave you should fly back to Goldenrod. That explosion didn't stop all of Team Rocket, only half of it."

I nodded to him to show thanks as he left the cave.

"It stands to reason that Scarlett has… y'know…right?" Asked Twinkle.

"I saw it happen." I said. "She's no longer with us."

"Well then, I know what we ought to find before leaving this cave!" Powerball said. "Put on your searching glasses everyone, we're looking for a pokemon!"