Nothing bad happened. I expected something bad to happen. Maybe, wanted that, but it did not. The door clicked, flashed with green and silently opened.
This time I wasn`t joking with letting ladies go first, and stepped inside quickly and confidently. Things got serious now as we entered the territory where anyone can easily shoot us down.
"Be quiet and follow me." I whispered to Erika and proceeded into the hideout.
This place literally tells us with all its view that it is something evil. We walked downstairs to the first floor of this crazy structure. Another ladder on the lower level was right in front of us, but the corridor to the right was leading to the large hall where we could hear some people talking.
We carefully hid behind the corner and looked over it. Two Team Rocket grunts in their notable uniform were standing right in the center. I counted two rooms that we could get into if we somehow pass these guys, but Erika touched my shoulder and pulled a bit back.
"Wait, maybe we should search the lower level?" She whispered pointing at the second ladder.
"And what if they keep the pokemon right here?"
Erika thought about that for some seconds.
"But those guys will definitely notice us!" Erik replied worried. And she is right; this place is too open for us to stay unseen. We could organize blackout or something like that, but we have no idea where their energy sources are.
"You know what? They will notice us anyway." I stood up and opened my greatcoat revealing nice set of pokeballs on my shoulder belt. "We can fight through them."
"This is madness! You told me that…"
"Ha! A person worthy of listening… I tell many things. Too many. Also, the cameras have already spotted us and those two are getting the instructions to get us right now." I pointed at the grunts. One of them was talking with the radio while the second is looking around.
"Damn it…" Erika swore and released her Vileplume from the ultraball, giving me some serious look. "So let`s strike them first."
The grunts released their pokemon too, appearing to be Drowzee and some creepy purple sludge pokemon – I guessed a Grimer in it - and headed right in our direction. Well, we have some experience battling Drowzees but I know that four of five my pokemon are actually weak to psychic attacks. So my choice was simple.
"Reaper, let`s go! Twineedle on Drowzee!" I threw the pokeball right in the center of corridor, in front of the enemies. They were surprised by our sudden attack, but they counterattacked.
"Grimer, use Pound!" The first grunt ordered to his sludge pokemon.
"Use Confusion on him, Drowzee!" Another one commanded too.
"Vileplume, Sleep powder on Drowzee!" Erika rushed into the battle with her pokemon too, surprising the foes very much too.
The battle begun. My Reaper was first to strike the opposing Drowzee with his sharp needles. The hit was super effective as our opponent grunted and retreated back, but then quickly recovered and summoned the purple explosion in Reaper`s head. A super effective hit on us too. Then Grimer joined the party by stretching his liquid arms and slapping Reaper into his face. My Beedrill retreated back after that pretty good attack, but was still standing. In the end, Erika`s Vileplume shot the cloud of green powder at Drowzee, but for some reason it missed and hit the walls behind him.
"Repeat the Confusion, Drowzee!"
"Another Pound on Beedrill, Grimer!"
They focused on my pokemon! Not a very good thing, actually. I don`t want to lose him already. He may not survive the next round.
Erika looked at me with understanding and nodded. She knows what to do.
"Use Giga Drain!" The gym leader gave her command. And then I joined her and commanded too.
"Reaper, hit Drowzee with Twineedle again!"
The strike was very powerful as my Beedrill pricked Drowzee with his needles and made him fall back. The long arm of Grimer hit Reaper again, throwing him back too. Barely alive, the psychic pokemon raised his hands to attack in return, but Vileplume`s Giga Drain hit him first, finishing him at last. Erika`s pokemon was a bit hurt after the previous battle and now healed himself a bit. There was not much to suck from Drowzee anymore.
At least, we have disposed of the pokemon that actually is dangerous to me. But the grunt wasn`t beaten yet as he got another pokeball without even returning the lifeless body of his first battler.
"Machop, let`s go!"
I noticed how well these two look together, like a brothers. And the younger one was sent to battle… That`s some strange thoughts come to me lately.
"Reaper… Use momentary substitute!" I shouted while returning Beedrill back and sending Moment to battle. This is a perfect pokemon to dominate over the field now.
"Vileplume, let`s Giga Drain that Machop!" Erika actually felt victorious already.
"Grimer, Disable the Vileplume!" The second grunt cunningly commanded.
Disable? That`s arguably the worst thing I could hear now. What the heck can it do? Defeat him at once or what?
"Machop, use Karate Chop on Golbat!"
"No chopping my Golbat! Defeat him with Wing Attack, my boy!"
I wished this battle to end. Every second of delay makes our chance for survival less and less. Erika understood that. Our opponents understood that. Our pokemon understood that. And that is why in this battle Moment gave really all he`s got, smashing the small Machop with his mighty wings and sending that little bandit to the doom. One-hit-critical-hit-knock-out!
His master shockingly began to retreat back behind his partner that still had him Grimer in battle. And that Grimer suddenly shoot something shiny into Erika`s Vileplume exactly at that moment when the flower pokemon was going to launch his own attack. This somehow interrupted him, and he could not perform Giga drain anymore.
"Then we`ll just have to attack you with Acid!"
Now I get it, the Disable move can actually disable the using of a specific move. And, as I can remember, Erika`s Vileplume have no other attacking moves but Acid and now disabled Giga Drain. This would be not very effective on Grimer anyway.
"We will do the job. Wing Attack, Moment, once more!"
Our cooperative attack made some good damage on that disgusting Grimer, and finished him at once.
"Why you…" The grunt just said and made a step back.
"Retreat, you idiot! You won`t beat them!" The first criminal advised him. Actually a very good advice from his side.
"No way! Not until we stand! Go Koffing! Tackle Golbat!" He furiously threw the second pokeball on the field to release a purple round pokemon. This thing looked even worse than Grimer, with all these holes in his body with poisonous gas flowing out. And the smiling face of Koffing made me feel really uneasy. But at the same time… I liked that pokemon somehow.
"I`m not going down together with you." The first grunt waved to the second one and tried to run away.
"Oh, you ARE going down together with him!" I shouted to the running criminal and threw my scratched pokeball at him. The capsule opened in the air releasing Harry outside, and my pokemon immediately understood what he needs to do. The long vines of Weepinbell stretched to the very legs of Team Rocket grunt and caught him on place, making him fall down on the floor.
"Moment, deal with that Koffing already. Bite him!"
"Well, it`s better than nothing. Vileplume, use the Acid!"
Our attack on this gas pokemon was powerful. Moment crunched him with the mighty jaw, leaving some bad marks on the body. Koffing had just some time to hit Vileplume with himself before the powerful trained pokemon shot him with the acid and defeated with a non-effective move.
"Damn you!" The grunt swore to us when my Harry was wrapping his legs and dragging to the first one. When the two of them were stuck together, I approached them for a quick interrogation.
"So, gentlemen… Where are your commanders?" I asked them with a smile.
"Com… manders? Ha, this one wants to see the Boss!" The first grunt laughed.
"We`ll tell you nothing!" The second one roared and suddenly spit at me.
"That… was… not nice." I slowly swept my face and smashed his face with my foot from rotate. He immediately blacked out, and the second ne twitched.
"Ven, they`re coming! We have no time for this!" Erika warned me. She was right, the distant steps now worry me much.
"Okay. Do it." I walked away from these two bastards to give the gym leader her job.
"Sleep powder!" She commanded in the end, and her pokemon sent the two dirty bandits to a deep slumber.
"Good job, you two." I praised my pokemon and raised pokeballs to return both of them, but then changed my mind. "I think I`ll keep you with me for now…" And returned just Harry. A bat pokemon hovering behind my back gives me some more confidence.
I turned to Erika and her Vileplume.
"Maybe you should take someone less… volumetric, don`t you think?"
"Maybe…" She thought this through. "Okay, Tangela, you`re the star! Vileplume, have some rest for now."
Erika quickly returned her ace pokemon back and switched to the small vine pokemon accompanying her.
"Not bad. Your Tangela will be useful in catching criminals." I nodded to her approving the choice.
"And not just that…" Suddenly Erika looked forward to the large hall we were in. "Where to now?"
That`s some good question here. As I can hear the steps of reinforcements approaching us from the direction of the hall, the one possibly safe way is the ladder to the lower level behind us.
"Let`s go." I grabbed her hand and ran to the ladder observing the construction by the way. I tried to understand what we could break to bring down this ladder and block the way to our awesome followers. I was sure that there is another way back to the surface – another ladder or, maybe, an elevator. But the time was too short to think more.
We ran down to the lower level where we found another ladder over the wall that would lead us even lower. But this exact floor interested us – the corridor after a couple of turns led us to the large hall. Lots of small walls and columns were placed here, partly covering the opposing side from my sight. And on the other side we saw another corridor and a laughing Team Rocket grunt. A small Zubat was hovering near him. What`s strange – the floor was made of strange tiles, some of them were steel, and some of them had some symbols. Well, I can`t judge the architectural taste of these guys as I know NOTHING about this.
"You came here for nothing, punk! Too bad you took Miss Erika with you. It`s a pity we have to kill her too now!" He madly shouted to us.
At least, now Team Rocket officially threatened me with death. I can count this as a war declaration.
"I`ll show you what I came here for! Moment, take care of Zubat. That moron`s mine." I walked forward while rolling up my sleeves and looking forward to a nice fist fight.
"Ven, stop!" Erika suddenly shouted to me, but it was too late. As I stepped on the nearest shining tile, it sent me moving forward to the next with so high speed I couldn`t understand what the heck is happening, not to mention trying to stop.
This was like a damn conveyor, but incredibly fast. The flat tiles on floor sent me to unstoppable ride, sliding over the floor until I crushed into the wall.
My Moment carefully approached me from behind and helped to unstick myself from the wall. Damn this was hurt… And my nose is bleeding now. But what`s worse – the Team Rocket grunt enjoyed this too much.
"Ah-ha! Welcome to our Rocket playground, suckers!" He announced. "This is a challenge only we can pass!"
Oh no, I came here definitely not to entertain some assholes. So I got up, swiped the blood from my face and cunningly smiled to him. I have no idea what these bastards built here and what is this 'playground' actually is, but this won`t stop me. I`ll just imagine this being another crazy gym challenge, nothing more.
"Look at the panels." Erika advised me obviously.
Yes, the secret was in the panels. They are pretty large, so I can`t just jump over them. Now I realized what the symbol on the shining panels mean – they are actually boosters, and the pointer shows the direction of movement. If I will learn how to ride these lines of panels safely – I`ll find the way out. This looks like actually a good training for vestibular apparatus. The thing that astronauts usually need to train a lot… Team Rocket… Space…
HELL NO these things are not connected!
"Moment, continue hitting that Zubat with Wing Attack until the end." I gave the command and looked over the field. I guess the steel tiles are actually used to slow down the movement. This is where I can stop without crashing into the other wall.
"I`m coming!" Erika suddenly reminded me of her existence and hopped on the booster line, quickly moving to me. I caught her on the end, so she managed to avoid the wall crash. "Where to now?"
"Does it matter? On the line straight to him!" I pointed at the panel line that are directed to the other side, released Erika from my grip and carefully stepped on the line. The momentum immediately sent me forward, trying to break the balance, but for now I stand. Maybe this isn`t that hard…
"Guys, spoil their fun!" The grunt threw two pokeballs into the air, releasing Grimer and Koffing outside.
"Okay, is this what you want? You`ll get some! Reaper, let`s go!" The time has come for my Beedrill to have some fun. It`s been a while… "Fury attack on Koffing!" I gave the command and looked at Erika. She understood that the remaining Grimer is on her now.
"Tangela, use Constrict!"
Too bad her Tangela is at complete disadvantage now, but I`m sure the gym leader can handle some sludgy bastard. Anyway, battling three-on-three is not a thing usual Team Rocket grunts train to do.
"What are you?.." As I expected, the grunt was confused by the sudden appearance of so many pokemon against him. What did he expect? "Grrr… Zubat, Supersonic on Golbat! Koffing – Smog on Tangela, and Grimer… Sludge on Tangela too!"
Oh, that`s what it is? Focusing attacks again? I had a feeling that grass-type gym leader will mean some troubles…
"Moment!" I distracted my Golbat from furiously smashing the almost lifeless Zubat. "Cover Tangela with your wings!"
I knew that Tangela may not survive the cooperative attack of two super effective moves, and we had to help Erika. This gave us time to stop on one panel and look for the other one. I released Erika again and stepped on the next line. This time I felt myself much more confident on it – I think I begin to get used to it. But when the line ended, I didn`t stop but moved forward by the inertia and got to another line leading not forward but to the right. I didn`t notice as this line brought me to another that turned me straight back and threw to the entrance.
"This is wrong line, I guess…" Erika said musingly and returned her attention to the battle.
My Moment bravely saved Tangela from the damage and suffered himself, but that was not that painful for him. Tangela tried to squeeze Grimer with vines, but sludge pokemon easily slept away. That was an unreasoned choice from her side. At least, Reaper managed to strike Koffing pretty good and throw him away. The situation is still not very promising…
"Erika, I can`t protect your Tangela all time!" I cried to my companion making her think about the strategy. But she was too into battle now.
"Tangela, use Giga Drain on Grimer!"
That`s better, I guess. Giga Drain is a pretty powerful move, and even when not very effective, it still damages more than Constrict.
"Okay… Moment, cover Tangela again! Reaper, finish off that Zubat with Fury Attack!" We continued moving forward both in battle and space. I jumped on the first line and then – on the second to return to the place where I was misdirected from. Erika already found another line to move and was already ahead of me.
I raised my head to watch over the battle. Looks like my Reaper managed to defeat Zubat, so it's one opponent less on the field. But my Golbat tanking all the damage from two pokemon at once during two moves in a row begins to show fatigue.
"Now we will focus our attacks. Reaper, repeat the Fury attack on Koffing this time! Moment… Let`s destroy Grimer first. Wing Attack!"
And right after the order giving I returned back to the crazy labyrinth. Some panel lines from my position lead straight to the columns, and using them would be very hurt for me. But what if I will walk between them and begin from another line? Some usual walkable tiles are connected to mine, so I can try this.
I jumped on the line, but the loud cry startled me. I turned my head to the source of this and saw Erika`s Tangela falling on the ground, covered in poisonous stuff and fainted.
My Moment didn`t protect her just for one turn, and that was enough for two poison pokemon to put an end to Tangela. Well, here goes the opponent underestimating. But instead of defending the position my Golbat rushed to Grimer and streak him hurtfully, with all sludge flying around. But this move has to be the last one.
"I`ll take care of this, Erika." I stopped her from taking another pokemon. It was a fair fight three-on-three, and my conscience just can`t let me break the rules. Even in a battle against Team Rocket. "Moment, Wing Attack on Grimer. Reaper…" I noticed how well Koffing takes the physical attacks. This thing seems to be pretty solid and have nice defense… What could we do to finish him in one hit?
My eyesight slowly descended on the booster lines.
This. Is. Just. Perfect.
"Reaper, use those to strike!" I gave the command to Beedrill and pointed at the booster lines. He understood my plan just immediately and descended on the line that accelerated him right at the direction of the opposing Koffing that was so conveniently flying near the end of one line. And I didn`t lose time too while the Rocket grunt is trying to control the battle progress and jumped to another line leading straight to him.
I finally got the control over my movement and was riding the booster line like a surfer rides the wave. Together with my Reaper, both at the light speed we approached our foes, with my partner raising high up his stings and me raising my fist. And that was a powerful double knock-out!
Both Koffing and his master were thrown back at the wall and fainted.
"Great job, Reaper!" I praised my pokemon and raised arm to give him a high-five, but then changed my mind. I understood that giving a high-five to a creature with stings instead of arms threatens me with some wounds. "Anyway, you may have some rest now."
I returned roaring Reaper back and then looked at Moment. He got some damage in that battle, but I really wanted to leave him outside with me for now.
"Can you accompany me for some more, Moment?" I asked him. He just screeched quietly to me, with a complete indifference in his voice. Something is bothering me about him. "Okay, okay, have some rest. Dumpling will deal with the rest. Come here for a second."
I approached Moment with a bottle of potion in my hands. After some sprays the medicine quickly ended, but it seemed not enough now for him. The wounds were small but numerous, after all. I remembered how professor Oak said me that stronger pokemon usually need stronger medicine.
"So, boy, you grew out of simple potions, yeah? I think I`ll need to buy some supers for you." I sprayed another bottle of usual potion and threw away the bottle, then returned my healed pokemon back into his pokeball.
"Dumpling… Your turn." I said and cautiously released my Dumpling. Maybe he is still upset after his loss during the gym battle, but I need him now. He guiltily turned away from me as I closed his pokeball and hid it on my shoulder belt.
"Oh, stop this! Be a man!" I tried to cheer him. "This is not the first time you personally lost. Not the last time either. Anyway, our TEAM won in the end!"
This didn`t seem to help, so I just waved at him and walked away promising myself to deal with this later.
Erika was already near the Team Rocket grunt, trying to wake bastard up by ferociously slapping his face.
"Come on, woman, stop this! You`re not going anywhere with a slap like this!" I carefully moved her away from the unconscious body. "Let me show you…"
And with such a great pleasure I gave that poor grunt SO good slap that the red mark on cheek will remain forever. He couldn`t stay unconcerned after this.
"OUCHshit…" He swore and made hand to his cheek.
"Hey, watch over your tongue! There`s lady here!" I pointed at Erika. The grunts pulled his hand to the pokeball belt, but the remaining two were providently taken away by my nice companion.
"Where is your commander?" Erika joined the interrogation together with me and seriously roared at the criminal.
"I`m not telling anything about boss!" He replied arrogantly.
"Seriously? How about another punch in the face?" I prepared my fist for this, and waited. He just stared at me, ready for anything. These guys really can keep their mouths shut. And I don`t neither have time nor will to continue this. Someone will be more talkative.
I finished what begun with another nice punch, sending this moron to black out. Again.
"Great. What`s next?" Erika asked me with interest.
I already knew the answer – we crossed this crazy 'playground' and got to the other side of hall. And there is the only corridor - to the left from us. There`s no another way now.
"Let`s go." I commanded to Dumpling and Erika and we headed into the next corridor in this damn underground maze.
Some time we were cautiously crawling through the shaded area of the base, looking around and listening to distant steps. But it seemed to be quiet… For now…
"Why you`re so complicated?" Suddenly Erika asked me.
"What do you mean?"
"Sometimes you perform so… great battling skills. Your pokemon are well trained, and during our battle you really gave everything you`ve got!"
Her words made me smile. In fact, I do not like flattery, but I can`t say that I don`t enjoy listening to it.
"So what?" But I still couldn`t understand her.
"But sometimes you do so stupid things!" Suddenly she started to shame me. That scared me quite a lot.
"What did I do wrong, woman?"
"You used ghost-type move on a normal-type pokemon!" She sounded like on the edge of hysteria.
"Are you talking about…astonishing that Raticate?"
"Yes! Ghost-type moves have absolutely no effect on normal-type pokemon! And vice versa too!"
"Oh… So that`s why that Raticate didn`t feel a thing…" Finally, I realized my mistake. Quite interesting moment, I have to say. "Now I know that."
Finally, the corridor led us to another hall, much smaller than the previous one. And the only notable thing here was… the elevator.
"I bet this one will lead us straight to their boss!" I supposed. My Charmeleon roared in agreement.
"Don`t you think they will wait for us down there?" Erika asked worried.
"Of course, they will. But we will be ready. Take out your best…" Suddenly the thought about Vileplume in an elevator made me feel bad. "…and compact pokemon."
"Got ya." Erika nodded and grabbed her pokeball from small pocket and released… an Ivysaur!
"Not bad. At least, you will not get super-effective hits from those poison-types these guys use…"
"Ha! Don`t worry about them. When we will have some more space – I will take my special pokemon to fight them!" Erika just laughed. Damn, this woman is self-confident. Hope this will not lead us straight to doom.
Dumpling and her Ivysaur looked at each other and nodded. For some reason this made remember Leaf`s Zaura. I wonder what evolution stage she is now at?
"Are you ready?" The gym leader asked me.
"No. Let`s go." I answered and pressed the button.