Enjoy!

Chapter 88
Undercover

For the next couple hours, Marina wandered the many floors of the Goldenrod Department Store. She purchased a few TMs at first, checking out the new selection of them at the TM Corner kiosk. But after that, she passed shop windows without focus.

Why didn't Chris say anything about Latios? She wondered.

Deciding to take a rest, she sat down at a bench and sent out King. He settled on her lap while she petted his burgundy fur. Pleasant music from the radio played on the intercom, echoing across the hallways filled with customers.

I can understand why he didn't talk about Bugsy since that was supposed to be a secret, but...

The Johto Tournament wasn't far off. If Chris wanted to keep his place as the title-holder, he'd have to participate. With how proud he was of his achievements, she was sure he would. The thought excited her, but also brought a sense of reluctance. She'd set her heart on the Elite Four, not the Johto Tournament. Her mother's encouragement of the latter bothered her somewhat.

"Marina, is that you?"

She looked up. Seeing a teenage girl with a familiar green hat and an Ivysaur standing at her side, Marina smiled.

"Gina!"

Gina closed the gap between them at a brisk trot.

"Nice to see you! You look really cute!"

"Thanks!"

"Magu!" chirped King. Gina shifted the books she carried into one arm and scratched behind his ears.

"I'm so surprised that your Quilava hasn't evolved yet. Ever since we first met, he's been like this."

"Oh, I know!" Marina said. "He evolved from a Cyndaquil really early, too. But I think we're close; I've been training him more, and he's eating a lot lately. Once he's ready to evolve, he'll be too big to fit on my lap, so for now—!" She hugged King, and he snuggled back. "I'm gonna enjoy his last days of being a cute Quilava!"

"Rashi!" he barked, fire seemingly burning in his eyes.

"So what have you been up to?" she then asked.

"Ahh," Gina made a longing sigh, "I've given up battling for the moment. I really wanted to challenge Morty in Ecruteak again, but my mom just said, 'Team Rocket's everywhere nowadays! You're staying home!' So I went back to school."

"Oh, really? I'm sorry."

"I mean, I get she wants me to be safe, but being a Trainer's a bit dangerous in the first place."

"I know." Marina crossed her arms. "It's so frustrating because you don't want to say anything to hurt her feelings after being gone for so long, right?"

"Ex-act-ly! But..." Gina lifted the thick book in her arm. "For now, I'm learning about protons and neutrons."

"What?" As the other girl was several years older than her, Marina stared blank-faced at the terms Gina casually mentioned.

"Oh, it's just physics. Protons and neutrons are parts of an atom."

"There are parts of an atom? Wow, they must be small!"

Ear-wrenching screeches interrupted them. The noise blared from the intercoms as though someone had turned on a megaphone. Gina and Marina exchanged confused glances with each other and the people around them. Thumps and clicks became drowned out by new music.

A confident voice snickered into the microphone.

"Ahem! Attention, Goldenrod City! We are Team Rocket!"

"What...?!"

Marina couldn't believe her ears. Concerned murmurs rumbled amongst the crowd. The voice on the intercom continued with gusto.

"After three years of preparation, we have risen again from the ashes. We are pleased to declare that this Radio Tower now belongs to us! And soon...the city! Do as we tell you and I guarantee you'll be in good hands. For now, relish in the glory—!"

"Let's go, King!"

Guiding the Quilava to jump down, she took off at a sprint. She weaved through clusters of people, some stunned stiff while others laughed at the announcement or looked at their cell phones. Her haste drew a couple looks of panic in her direction, but their faces blurred into the background. She and King ran inside an elevator, and she pressed the button for the ground floor. Gina emerged from the crowd.

"Marina!" she called. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to fight Team Rocket!" Marina replied.

"What?! How? You can't just go without a plan—!"

The metal doors closed, cutting off Gina's words before she could reach the elevator. Marina jumped to search the control panel for the right button, but the elevator had started moving.

"Oh!" exclaimed Marina. "Sorry, Gina..."

She glanced away at the window displaying the bulk of the mall. From a distance, the hubbub of worry and confusion seemed silent and calm.

Usually I think pretty well on my feet, she thought. I'm not just running in; battling them is a plan, right? But...They should be at the Radio Tower. I'll clear the way for Lance when he gets here!

Oh, wait, I'll call Kenta!

Reaching into the messenger bag, she took out her PokéGear. However, upon selecting Kenta's name, it nagged her with an obstinate bleep. No matter how many times she attempted, she couldn't make the call. A red "X" covered the reception icon in the corner of the screen.

"No signal? What?" Marina gawked and checked her radio.

"—you hear, Giovanni? We did it! Where is our boss? Is he listening?"

The suspicious broadcast continued with pristine clarity.

That's weird...

When the elevator doors opened, Marina rushed into the lobby swarming with people and ran outside.

The sunny city was quiet. Its usual constant murmur had vanished, its busy streets empty. Even the Department Store and the Pokémon Communication Center across the street were devoid of people coming or going. She stood in the middle of the cobblestone street, dumbfounded.

"Magu!" King snapped her out of her daze. She flinched, but nodded.

"Right!"

She spotted the steel tower in the distance. Trying to remember her way there, she dashed down the main road. Her new shoes slid uncomfortably against the back of her heels. Each step she and her Pokémon took echoed in the emptiness. Occasionally, the streets they passed revealed one or two characters in shady uniforms. Many stood in front of shops. And before she could worry about where to turn, a wall of black caught her attention. Dressed in full uniform, Team Rocket members guarded the entire stretch of the road in an uneven line.

There's so many of them! How many are in the city?

Discomfort shifted in Marina's gut. Still, she took a deep breath and approached more than a dozen glares that came her way.

"Hey, brat," one snapped at her. "Get lost."

"Yeah, you don't belong here. Beat it!"

Marina defiantly put her hands on her hips. "What are you doing?"

"We've finally taken over the Radio Tower!" another answered her cheerfully. "Now everyone will get to experience the true terror of Team Rocket!"

"Taken over?" She then gasped.

Radio? Wait, weren't Team Rocket messing with radio signal stuff in Mahogany Town? She realized with a start. The Pokémon in the Lake of Rage were suffering because of it. Does that mean they're...going to do that here, too?!

What if they came up with something worse? Then even the Elite Four won't be able to fight!

"This is wrong," she declared. "You need to stop this! All you're going to do is hurt Pokémon!"

"Oh, really?" A man laughed. He stepped forward holding a Poké Ball. "Sounds like you need to be shown how scary we are!"

"King, go!"

"Magu!" With a ready howl, King bounded in front of his Trainer. Before him, a large brown rat appeared and stood over him.

"Flamethrower!" Marina ordered.

The flames on his head and rear exploded to life. A second later, King inhaled and fired a bright inferno. Before the enemy's Trainer could speak, his Raticate was engulfed by flames, and he and his colleagues leaped out of the way of the attack. The flames dissipated, and Raticate collapsed face-first onto the ground.

"Oh, oops. I guess that was overboard," Marina laughed awkwardly to herself.

"You...!" The man went red in the face, astounded and furious. He recalled his Pokémon and sent out another Raticate. "Go! Crush it with Hyper Fang!"

"Lava Plume!"

Raticate bounded toward King baring its large fangs. The air visibly flickered, and the rat faltered a little when it noticed the sweltering heat. King smirked. A blast of fire erupted from the ermine, and Raticate stumbled into the attack. It cried out and scurried away, quickly fainting from the burns.

"Good job!" Marina praised. King took on a proud pose.

"What?!" exclaimed their opponent, who clutched his black hat in frustration.

King took on a proud pose, but fidgeted unnaturally. A powerful light flashed from him, blocking everyone's view. Unlike the flames he summoned, it shined white and covered the entirety of his body. The brightness twisted and grew, and Marina shielded her eyes. Her concern turned to excitement as she made a wide smile.

Within a minute, the light faded to unveil King's new form. Coated in his unique burgundy fur, he towered over his young Trainer. He glanced around at himself then cast a confident look at the surprised Rocket members in front of him.

"Oh, King!" Marina bounced excitedly. "Just when we were talking about you evolving!"

"Bakuu!" he belted out a roar, calling forth crimson and azure flames around his neck. She pointed at the adults in front of her.

"Who's next?" she asked.

They were silent. At least, for a moment.

"Too strong!" one shouted. The others followed suit.

"We must warn the others!"

"You're that kid! Why does there always have to be that kid?!"

"Our dream's finally going to come true. It was such a long struggle...! We have to fight!"

"EXACTLY!" bellowed one woman over the rest of her comrades. "Send out everything and charge!"

Marina stepped back as she and King were suddenly surrounded by battle-hungry Pokémon. Several Golbat took to the air, causing her to freeze in both fear and shock.

"Wh-What?!" she exclaimed.

"We must not repeat the mistake we made three years ago! Attack!"

The horde and its masters ran towards them. King began torching the enemies, but the massive number of them out of his range overtook him. Attacks bombarded him, scratching and biting and weighing him down. The remaining Pokémon and Trainers began to circle around to close in on Marina. She searched about in panic at first, but spotted an open area.

"King! No good! Lave Plume! Then Flamethower this way!"

King forced himself free with a barrier of flames, blasting away the others. He ran back toward Marina, passing by toward the escape route she pointed out. With shaking hands, she grabbed a Poké Ball just in case. She followed after King's large form, his endless flames forcing both Pokémon and people away. When they finally escaped the ambush, she turned around.

Team Rocket members and the Pokémon they commanded faced her like an impenetrable wall. Several more had leaked out of the alleys around them, having heard the commotion. They began stampeding toward the girl and her Typhlosion. Marina gawked helplessly. She yelped and continued running.

"This isn't fair!" she whined.

"We're not fair!" someone behind her exclaimed back. "We're Team Rocket!"

"King," she called to her partner, "Smokescreen! Everywhere!"

With a sharp bark, King whipped around and stopped for a short time. Smoke balls flew from his mouth, covering the area. Much of the smoke became disturbed by the Golbat, and she still saw movement within the cloud.

"Come on!" Marina urged.

She bolted down the street. The instant she saw an alley clear of Team Rocket, she entered it without thinking. She saw odd homes and shops. But she approached a sign that she recognized from a different part of the city.

Goldenrod Underground! I've been there! This must be the other end of it!

With a nod toward King, who kept up loyally, she entered the building and descended the wide staircase inside. The silence that greeted them reminded Marina to breathe again. Dim lights revealed a long tunnel—an underground mall. All of the shops had been locked up, and unusual trash littered the floor. No one was here. Marina put her hands on her knees, easing the nerves that made her tremble.

"Geez, that was a total failure. I hope we lost them..."

"Baku…" King mumbled.

"Just when you finally evolved, too! That was supposed to be amazing! Like, we'd blast through each of their Pokémon and make it to the Radio Tower... Who was I kidding?"

King sidled up next to her, giving her a comforting nudge, and she moved to hug him tightly. He'd grown much taller as a Typhlosion, but she felt his genuine and determined energy all the same.

"We'll get them next time, King," she promised. "You'll get your chance to shine."

"Bakufu!"

With one last proud look at him, Marina continued down the hall. Considering that Team Rocket had infested every nook and cranny above ground, it now made sense to her why the streets were abandoned. She readied herself in case she saw someone down here as well.

Florescent lights poured out from one of the larger shops, and Marina naturally wandered toward it. Bright colors and picture frames adorning the back wall informed her that it was a photo studio. The door leading to the storage room was left wide open, and clothing spilled out onto the front desk. Oddly, most of the costumes were black. She grabbed one of the shirts, which had an infamous red "R" emblazoned across the chest.

"These are Team Rocket uniforms," she said to herself.

The one in her hands was rather small for an adult, however. The inside tag indicated a costume brand.

I wonder if these belong to the shop?

Marina took a moment staring at the pile of uniforms. She looked up at King with a rare smirk.

"I've got a plan."

With her bag and shoes set to the side, she gathered up a complete outfit and worked the Rocket uniform on over her current outfit. It took some effort; she felt a tad hot with the extra layers on, and the long over-the-knee boots for the female uniform made her stumble a bit. However, she found herself smiling. Holding the brim of her black hat, she whirled around.

"How do I look?" she asked. "Now I can walk right in!"

"Baku!" King barked with enthusiasm.

"Oh, I should probably hide my hair though." She stuffed her conspicuous pigtails up inside her hat. They weren't completely hidden, but she hoped it was enough. Satisfied, she placed her shoes in her bag and slung it back on her shoulder.

"Hey."

Marina turned around. A Rocket grunt peered at her while munching on potato chips. She strained to keep calm and fight the instinct to begin battling him.

Uh oh...hope this works!

"Sorry. Was in the bathroom. Also getting snacks. You a new recruit?" he asked.

She nodded a little too vigorously.

"Pretty young though."

Marina clumsily saluted. "Pokémon are just tools for making money!"

King snorted beside her. She bit down a laugh. The Rocket grunt uttered a hum while he finished his snack.

"Okay. Uniform looks good. Adorable on a kid. Know where to go?"

"Yeah! The Radio Tower!"

"No," he replied. "Don't need newcomers there. Only higher ups. Recruiters told you that?"

"Uh, y-yeah. I'm good at battling, though!"

"Okay. Will report them. Now what to do with you...are you good with directions?"

"Not really. I-I mean, I get lost easily. But really, it's okay! I'll just go to the Radio Tower—."

She began to walk away, but he stepped in front of her.

"Warehouse is good. Radio Tower Director is being kept there. Looks like you take good care of Pokémon, so you can take good care of people. Give him food and water, talk to him, keep him locked up."

"The Radio Tower Director...?"

"Kidnapped him two months ago. Replaced him with an imposter to get access to Radio Tower's security. Very effective."

Without waiting for a response from the confused girl, he handed her a gold-colored card.

"You need this to get in the Warehouse," he explained. He backed away and pointed down the hall. "Keep going until you find another hallway. Only other hallway in Underground. Can't get lost even with bad sense of direction. People down there are sick of him so they'll gladly give him to you. Understand?"

"I..." She paused, but nodded. "Yeah! Understood!"

"Good. Nice to have you on board."

Marina quickly walked away from the Team Rocket member, who returned to his post next to the spare uniforms. She looked over at King when he caught up with her, and they shared a smile.

"We're in!" she said. She held up the card. "Let's go save the Director first!"

"Bakufu!"

A long hallway appeared at her left, just as she was told. She approached the only door and unlocked it with a slip of the card key. The door opened up to a vast room. Storage units lined the area in several rows, kept secure by steel shutters. She could already see two or three people who worked for Team Rocket. She gulped.

Maybe I'll see Lance again, like last time.

Marina ran a hand down her Typhlosion's back. Then, when a man noticed her lingering, she stepped forward. He crossed his arms. His crude, skeptical face was put off only by her uniform.

"What're you here for?" he asked.

"I'm here to take care of the Radio Tower's Director!" she stated and fixed her posture.

"Oh good," he shrugged toward the path on his right, "keep going. You'll get to him eventually."

"Understood! I'll be right there!"

At her eagerness, he gave her an odd look. She smiled and turned away as evenly as possible. But, she only managed to take a couple steps before a piercing shout erupted behind her.

"Hold it!"

Marina flinched, frozen in panic. However, found the man directing his attention toward the entrance. A boy with red hair marched through the open door. It took all her strength to stop herself from calling out his name.

Silver?!

"Doesn't Team Rocket ever learn?" he spat. "Look at how Silph Co. and Saffron City worked out. How do you expect to do more than bother people for a couple of hours? Just give up already!"

The Rocket grunt curled his upper lip and struck a fierce glare at the boy. "The hell did you say, brat?! We've got a lot more in store than 'bothering people'! We—."

"Your boss isn't going to come back. No matter how much you whine on the radio, he isn't. He won't. Even he knew to cut you weaklings off when he realized you were weighing him down."

"HEY! Don't you dare talk about our Boss like that! How would you know?! With him back, we'll be unstoppable!"

Silver scowled. His narrow eyes, still and cold with contempt, made Marina shirk away. The few seconds of silence were deafening. The man clicked his tongue and scoffed.

"You must have ice in your veins to diss Team Rocket," he said. "But if you show up here, you're nothing but a victim!"

Without hesitation, they both sent out their Pokémon. The gang member's tiny Rattata became overshadowed by another purple creature, one Marina hadn't seen with Silver before. Wielding dangerous spikes on its back, Nidoking thrashed the Rattata in a single hit. Even when the Rocket grunt released several more Rattata in resistance, they were taken out instantly.

"...Urk! Yeah, you think you're cool, huh?" The man focused his frustration on Marina. "What are you doing?! Battle him!"

"U-Uh—! I was—ordered to get the Director!"

The man ignored her objections and bolted down the hall in the direction of his co-workers. After a few moments, they all nodded in agreement and began to approach with Poké Balls ready. Nidoking roared, rattling the shutters around them.

"Hey."

Marina looked back at Silver. He scowled at her with the same amount of disgust as he had with the other man.

"Are you going to fight me?" he asked. "Or are you going to run like—?"

His words cut short. The malice in his expression disappeared, replaced by quiet suspicion. He slowly turned toward her.

"Marina?" he uttered. "What...are you doing?"

A/N: Oh boy here we go.

Hoping to get the next chapter out by Monday. I ran out of my buffer of new chapters so it might take longer. See you soon!