Chapter 70: Rumble in the forests
I have left White to defend Pallet Town with about 2 dozen troops. It's not much and I'm unsure if it's enough to hold off the enemy, but it's all we got and I can only hope that from reasonable assumptions they won't be attacked, until at least I can get back.
I have left with much of the revived troops and we've obtained the necessary supplies from the drop off point. I hope we'll be able to get another batch when we need it, though I'm confident we will as we're able to deliver without the enemy knowing. Although right now we have plenty of food, and other vital supplies right now, and we also carry with us perk a colas disguised as regular drinks that we've drunk out of, I do find myself being hungry and perhaps thirsty wishing we could have breakfast right now. I'm sure the other guys feel the same way about it though. But none the less I try to ignore it, it could be worse as it's not like we're starving and I try and say to myself that with regards supplies, there have been other people who had it worse. It makes me think about the lack of food the people in Lowee could have, or even those in Planeptune. Perhaps they have silly rules that mean Neptune gets to have all the food where as her people aren't allowed to eat, it wouldn't surprise me. How despicable and it frustrates me that it'll probably be a long time if anything, before we can do something about this. I look forward to getting to eat again as well as feeding our allies in Lowee, especially with how tasty and mouth-watering it is as well as how varied the food is, and how it's all healthy and the tastes can be to anyone's liking. It's such a contrasting world but it pleases me that while Lastation is the most prosperous, we do what we can to share our wealth to all those that need it, but it's too bad our enemies try and stop us from doing so.
It is now we're rushing in the forest with my troops, going as quickly as we can. Because Uni is forced to divert her attention to the defence of Lastation, I've no idea how well our troops ahead of us are doing, as well as whether they're in combat or not. I just hope they're ok, in fact I hope everything all's right. I hope the Loweeans in Route 22 are in one piece. I hope White won't be invaded during my absence. There's a lot to think about, but all I can do is my best as we rush to our troops. I need to be positive, the few hundred enemy troops that march through the forest are going at a slow pace, and even if we had to spend time capturing Pallet Town they can't have advanced far from their initial position. And as for White we've dealt with all the reinforcements and cut of their communications. It's just the Loweeans in Route 22 that we need to save, though I'm sure they can hold out just a little longer, I just hope they're not being attacked right now.
Thanks to my HUD I then see my 20 troops in the distance. They're hiding amongst the trees in a line, looking ahead in front of them as they aim their weapons ready for the enemy army to come through. One of them looks in our direction and I see him relieved to see us. Upon seeing them we rush towards their position, only for us to climb the trees that they're in as we make ourselves comfortable while aiming our guns outwards.
It's rather unfortunate that we have no surveillance of what's ahead of us. We've no idea of where the enemy troops are, just that we know they are coming but we don't know when. I wish we could just go down and advance and attack them there, but there's too many of them and we'd need the element of surprise and being hidden to even out their numbers. With the thought of us being in combat soon after dealing with the enemy in Pallet Town, it makes me wonder when we'll get a chance to eat. I'm wondering whether we should eat now, so that we can keep our strength up as breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
I wonder what supplies we do have for breakfast, I like to think that the breakfast is easy to eat on the go; it'll certainly be extremely nutritious. I decide to look in my supplies to find that our breakfast consists of cobs full of sausages, bacon, egg, mushrooms and tomatoes, as well as different fruit like apples, bananas, melons and strawberries, there's even a few drinks in here like Pepsi, a few milkshakes and different smoothies. I'm sure it'll be very nice and I certainly look forward to eating this.
After looking at the delicious food I decide to eat some of it, while saving some for the Loweeans we will hopefully meet here soon. I also order my troops to do the same as me. As we eat the wonderful food we have, I find it to be nourishing, tasty and filling. It's great how even out here I get to eat the heavenly food of Lastation, and it's of the same experience as there. I also can't wait to be able to give this delicious food to our allies allowing them to appreciate it, but right now we have to wait for the enemy to come.
I suppose it's just as well they haven't arrived yet, as our troops are eating right now and I'd hate the idea of having to interrupt the most important meal of the day. I do notice that as I drink some Pepsi I see the troops finding themselves to be enjoying their food supplies, just as I am though I appreciate how there are a few that look through their scopes to see if they can see the enemy army that is approaching us, but still there's no sign of them. I must admit it's a nice place to have breakfast, in the trees overlooking the view of the forest as I see the sun rising in the sky. But as time passes I find myself more and more concerned about how is White doing? How are my friends doing in Lastation fending off a Leanbox attack? And how are the Loweeans doing that we'll hopefully meet or anyone else for that matter? It certainly does make me wonder whether there are many Loweeans left here that are still alive, let alone not starving. I end up sighing as I think of all the suffering that goes on in this world, and how I wish there's more that could be done about it. To think how every minute that passes someone is either dying or perhaps worse.
I mustn't let that bother me now because at least we are trying to do something about it, even if right now we're just waiting for the enemy to come. Eventually we finish our delicious breakfast, and we have ensured that we have enough supplies to give to the Loweeans that we hope to encounter. But I can't help but feel that despite us still having ample supplies I do feel that we could do with more, I just hope that Lastation can hold off Leanbox's attack so that they'd be able to give us more supplies and troops and that we can hold out until then.
Ah at last. As if on cue one of the soldiers gives me a signal indicating that the enemy army has in fact arrived at our location. With this I give the order to our snipers to pick them off one by one, which they do and I'm relieved to be able to see them. I notice that despite the trees being fairly dense, they still manage to walk together in formation as they walk around the trees together.
Upon realising that they are being attacked they panic quite a bit as they try to hide amongst the trees, but this doesn't prove useful for them as they still get shot when they try to find us as they can't see us at all. They even try charging out to find us, but they too get shot down by us.
Eventually as their numbers fall they realise it's best to hide behind the trees, at least now they shouldn't be outnumbering us as much. So I decide to give the order to climb down the trees in formation looking through our magnetic vision, closing in before we'd be able to fire our bullets so they'd penetrate through the trees and kill them.
We have the advantage as no matter where they are, we're able to shoot them down be it whether they expose themselves to shoot us, or whether they try and hide. Eventually they decide to call off the attack and they end up fleeing in retreat back to route 22.
With them fleeing as they've not managed to even fire a single shot at us, I decide to order my troops not to give chase as no doubt there'll be a trap. It does frustrate me how Uni's surveillance would be ideal here, but I'll manage and I can't blame them as they need it to help them defend Lastation. We just need to advance slowly and use our visions to determine whether an enemy will attack us. I can't help but wonder what enemy reinforcements might be coming our way in an attempt to avenge their comrades? Thinking about it makes me wonder when my ally White will be attacked? Because I know for sure that it is inevitable and probably sooner than I'd like.
What I find myself not liking is that I find ourselves walking pretty slowly towards route 22, as we look around on all sides as I can just predict that they'd ambush nearby. But as we walk slowly I realise that while it makes it easier for us to spot an ambush, we'll be taking much longer to reach our position. And who's to say that how fast we reach our allies here will mean the difference between saving them and being too late?
I also happen to realise that it doesn't help that White doesn't have a system to warn her of an attack long before it arrives, but even then I'm not sure I'd be able to assist in time even if she did. Although I am concerned I have to stick with the plan, even if the conditions are not that ideal. Still at least it provides a challenge for me.
After a while of walking with my troops in a cautious manner and though I understand the circumstances, I find myself not liking how long it's taking. It doesn't help that my HUD is unable to tell me the distance to route 22. I suppose it could be worse I mean White appears to be safe, and it's not like any of us are hungry from this delicious breakfast. But this feels like it's the calm before the storm and I dislike this uncertainty, it's like I'm anticipating some sort of jump scare to come at us.
Eventually I see the forest come to an end so we just need to reach the final trees. We must be getting close to Route 22 now and hopefully our allies there. As soon as we reach the edge we climb up so that we are able to view what's ahead of us better.
Hmmm. It is then I realise that there's a massive rocky hillside. I notice amongst it that there is a cave with an entrance. It does make me wonder if there any Loweeans inside this cave. If so I hope that they're alright, it's probably not ideal as they'd need a source of light which I'm unsure if they have. It makes me feel even more terrible for them as they may be forced to be stuck inside a cave, with no source of natural daylight for them to see. It makes me wonder if they know how to get out or if they could without getting into trouble. Those poor guys what conditions must they be living in, with the darkness and the lack of food, warmth, maybe shelter and perhaps the impending threat of the grunt patrols. I do worry about whether I'll be able to navigate the cave as we do have the vision to see, but not necessarily the means to navigate inside. I hope it's like in Pokémon where there isn't too many routes in this cave. Somehow I'm unsure if it's the case though as this isn't even accessible in the game itself. I feel like the conditions we have to deal with are getting a bit worse but neither the cave, nor the grunts nor any other concerns will stop me.
With the fact that there are no grunts in sight, I order my troops into the cave with our special visions switched on. But suddenly out of the blue I notice with my vision plenty of enemy troops with their guns aiming at the entrance, they intend to ambush us. Fortunately I am able to order my troops to stop just in time before they get within range of their guns. It's a good thing I was able to give them a signal that isn't too conspicuous too, or else they perhaps would have engaged us without ourselves being in an ideal position.
With their ambush discovered I order my troops quietly to surround the outside of the cave, with their backs to the rocks themselves so we can ambush them. I mean while get out a grenade and place it at the end of my rifle.
I must admit I am unsure if I'd be able to wipe out the entire enemy ambush in there. I mean they've got mounted LMGs, plenty of grunts armed with Arisaka's with bayonets, and even a new type of unit for us to encounter: bikers that are armed with revolvers ready to pounce should we enter, and even dozens of Zubats though it would be nice to think that their levels are fairly low. But even then how are we to take them down? Can my shot gun take out a group of them at once? Hmmm I dunno.
But never the less what choice do I really have if they're standing in our way? After thinking about this I fire my grenade at the enemy inside the cave. Although it kills a good number of them there are still loads of troops inside, and I realise that the remaining troops consist of the very crack troops I am wary of dealing with. As a matter of fact they all come out together bikers, banzai charge and Zubats and all.
I rush to where my friendly troops are as I switch to my shot gun, realising it will be my best weapon against those guys. It's a pity that my troops are only armed with pistols and Arisakas, and I'm unsure if they're any good against the Zubats and the bikers. Hmmmm we'll just have to do the best we can, although I predict that we may end up losing a good number of our troops. I said it before and I'll say it again not having surveillance is not ideal.
Before long they all come charging outside of the cave, and while initially our troops are able to wipe out a good number of the bikers and infantry, the Zubats prove quite challenging and they end up distracting my own forces, allowing the rest of the enemy army to come out and cause havoc.
I find that the Zubats rely on their agility as they fly too fast for our troops to aim. It's only when they attack that our troops are able to shoot them down, and it's a good thing that one bullet is all that's required to take one of the deadly poisonous bats down, but it's not that often that such an opportunity occurs. The problem is that it's not ideal to ignore the creatures as their attacks do hurt quite a bit.
It is now that I see the enemy infantry trying to charge at us, stabbing my allies to death with their bayonets while the bikers try to encircle us, taking pot shots at us and doing hit and run attacks. Although they're dying slowly but surely I am starting to get concerned with my own troops, as just as I anticipated we'd be losing a good portion of our soldiers to these sorts of enemies.
I decide to try and take out this enemy ambush one type at a time as I work out, out of the 3 who is the biggest threat? I realise that the bats are the biggest threat as their numbers aren't dwindling as fast. With the decision made I attempt to shoot the bats that are attacking my allies off with my shot gun.
Astonishingly my shot gun has the ability to deal with multiple bats that are grouped together at once, with just one shot. It's not long before I am able to defeat the entire squadron of enemy bats. With the bats taken care of my troops cheer briefly in appreciation of my efforts. I then order them to deal with the enemy infantry while I engage the bikers. There's still about a dozen of them driving around taking shots at our troops that deal quite the damage to them, and there's about a hundred enemy infantry that try to wipe out our forces, mostly by charging into them with their bayonets, although right now they are surrounded by our forces.
As I try and kill each biker with my shot gun I find myself too hesitant, as I don't want to miss but I do find that aiming at them isn't easy considering their speed. Because of this I decide to switch to my pistol, hopefully their health won't be too much and the faster rate of fire will mean I won't need to aim as accurately.
My technique appears to work as one by one I manage to kill the bikers although it does take a good portion of my pistol bullets, which concerns me as now I don't have many left and it appears to be an effective weapon against these bikers.
By this point the enemy infantry have also been dealt with but at quite the cost as well, as half of our troops remain standing. This doesn't look good if we've just left the forest and already we've lost half of our forces. Apart from the remaining gunners which we can just pick off with no trouble, who else is in the cave and where are the Loweeans? Though that is assuming the Loweeans are still alive, if only there is a way to find them.
After dealing with the gunners which I suspected was no trouble, I now attempt to devise a strategy for dealing with the enemy inside the cave. I realise that if we are to head inside this cave we'd probably lose even more men, even with our perk a colas and superior vision. There's bound to be plenty of patrols inside this cave, as well as an army of them that are attacking the Loweeans right now. I need to find the location of them and quick. I decide that it's perhaps for the best if I was to go in the cave with just one of my soldiers on a bike, while the rest of our troops wait outside. Hmmm although I'd probably get overwhelmed at least I'd have the agility, should they view me as a threat. It would be ideal if they didn't though as, if I am to find the Loweeans I'd need to ask someone in there.
I have no idea if this will work but it's all I got as I order one of the troops to assist me as I go on a bike ride. I can't help but hope that White's ok, it makes me wonder how much longer will she be able to hold out or the Loweeans for that matter.
Upon looking at the bike although I don't recognise it, I find it to be quite old fashioned but it is a motor one and it comes with head lights. I also pick up a revolver which is actually a Type 26 revolver which happens to carry 60 extra bullets as well.
With my new assistant on the driving seat and me sat behind with my back to him, to cover his rear we drive into the cave at quite a fast pace. Meanwhile we switch to our night vision which proves to be useful for seeing once we reach the cave.
Upon entering inside the cave we approach what appears to be a make shift check point, as there is a machine gunner, a rifle man and what can I only see are a group of bikers ready to give chase if required. It is then one of them walks towards our bike as we stop at the checkpoint. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm unable to bluff my way past this guard, but it's worth a shot.
"Greetings. I don't think any officers have been sent to the forest or at the entrance, may I ask who exactly are you?" The guard asks me with much suspicion.
"I'm Bruno I am indeed an officer of Team Rocket." I answer the guard with confidence.
The guard then returns to his hut, perhaps to look at a manifest or get a radio or something. Hmmm would they be able to communicate by walkie talkie in here? I'd like to think not, I whisper to my assistant to drive off as unfortunately it's not practical to kill them all there. No doubt they'll probably give chase as well as alert other people who have access to walkie talkies, assuming of course they work in here.
I'm pleased that my driver is able to handle this old motorbike very well, and despite the speed of this thing I am able to hold off the enemy bikers that pursue us. I would have expected to be shot a few times by them but due to my ally weaving in and out, it makes it much harder for them. With this said however as more bikers approach, they do some weaving of their own making it harder for me to shoot them, and I find myself being less accurate as I decide to spray and pray as best I can.
Though eventually one by one the bikers get shot and it's amazing how I've not been shot yet myself, they just keep coming and it just astonishes me how there's so many of them, let alone them being stationed at various strategic points. My only guess is that they pretty much know their way around these caves, it makes me wonder just how many of them are there. In fact how many soldiers does Team Rocket have all together?
As my driver does quite a bit of turning as he negotiates through a narrow part of the cave that consists of quite a few corners, we end up finding a few bikers trying to engage at the front. I just hope he doesn't get shot or we might be done for.
But fortunately even that doesn't prove to be trouble as the narrow passage allows us to shoot them quickly again, though as if on cue I hear the familiar sounds of Zubats approaching our location and they fly in packs. How many of them are there? I hope their levels aren't too high.
Upon seeing them with my magnetic vision coming from the front, I then switch to the shot gun and try to shoot them off. I do my best as I fire shot after shot of them, and though I manage to wipe out small groups of them there's still plenty of them.
Fortunately we're able to drive past them although they're still pursuing us, though at least it's at the rear now. I find though that they're not just able to keep up with the motorbike, but they're able to advance closer and closer. It concerns me that it will only be a matter of time before I get bitten by one of them, as I reload my gun and try to fire more of them off.
I must admit fighting them off in a place like this is a real pain literally as now they bite me. Surprisingly it doesn't hurt me that much, but the immense number of them attacking me as they are all over me trying to bite me is quite overwhelming. I hear the driver screaming in pain too as they're all over my friend as well. Eventually he's forced to stop the bike due to his overall health deteriorating from the relentless biting of these accursed bats. As we're covered in these bats we attempt to shoot each other in an attempt to kill the creatures, but while I manage to get groups of them off my friend eventually dies due to the bites being too much for him. They then encircle me and I try and shoot them off, but I just know that I'm going to die incredibly slowly from the bites, the bits of damage that will all add up.
It is then I remember how I can actually shoot myself in an attempt to kill them, as I cannot harm myself. So with my shot gun I somehow manage to aim at my chest and fire killing a good number of them off, before reloading again. Although it's quite awkward to do it seems to work as I slowly but surely get them off my chest, my back as well as my arms and legs.
After that all of the bats are now dead, and I've appeared to have survived although my entire body aches from all of the biting. I'm in quite a lot of pain right now but at least thanks to the physics of this world, my body will heal up and in a couple of hours I'll be fine. But I cannot afford to wait for a couple of hours as I need to rescue the Loweeans now, but unfortunately I've no idea of where they are or even where the Team Rocket base is, as a matter of fact I don't even know where I am.
I guess I have to keep going, I wonder how these grunts would react to seeing me injured? It's worth trying to ask someone again. I decide that it's best to walk now even if I'm hurt as hopefully it can help in my story to tell them. I find that as I walk the pain helps me to act, but I end up realising that I've been attacked by Zubats which are from Team Rocket, and due to the physics of friendly fire they would only harm enemies of Team Rocket. Hmmm come to think I'm not sure if I can convince them of this story. Never mind it's always worth a try.
I then walk along the path and it's not long before I can hear a few grunts talking to each other, though they're too far away to fully make out what they are saying. I reckon there must be about at least a few of them. After a short while of walking I eventually approach this group. They carry torches due to the darkness of this cave, and they point them at me as they see me approach them.
"Are you alright mate? You look as though you've been attacked?" One of the guards ask me.
Good they don't suspect a thing but how long will this last?
"I have been attacked by squadrons of Zubats, do you know where the nearest base is so I can recover?" I reply to them, grunting in pain.
"Sure just keep following this path, then turn left and keep going….wait how can an officer like yourself not know your way around here. And how can you possibly be attacked by Zubats they belong to Team Rocket. Who on earth are you?" The grunt explains happily before immediately becoming suspicious of me.
Well at least I've got my answer but while I decide to try and keep up my cover, I think it's clear it's not going to last much longer but I wasn't really optimistic regarding my cover anyway.
"I'm Bruno and I think these must have been Zubats from the wild." I explain knowing that they probably won't believe me.
"I don't think I know of a Bruno here or of any Zubats from the wild in this cave, they all belong to us. Anyway I best get confirmation. Wait here." The guard orders me.
Well I can't allow him to call for reinforcements so I then decide to shoot him, before killing his accomplices which thanks to my surprise proves to be easy.
Hopefully I'll be able to reach this base in a short amount of time, but what concerns me is the amount of troops that could potentially be guarding this place, as well as how they have easy access to reinforcements. I don't think I'm in the best of shapes to take enemies of that number on, nor do I think I have enough bullets for it but again I have do this, if I'm ever to find the Loweeans. Though this is assuming they'd have a map of this cave let alone a location of the Loweeans. I'd like to think so but I'm not sure if they'd have one, but just as everything it's always worth a try. Though even for this universe I find it be a tad too convenient for there to be a map of their base, in this base that happens to be near my location. Speaking of which it makes me wonder whether it's their main base or if it's a small one. Hmmm.
In any case I hope to be able to find them in time as I go as quickly as my body allows me to, to where this nearest base is. I can't help but hope once again, hope that White is ok, hope that Uni is ok, hope that the Loweeans here are still alive, and hope that I am able to find this map, as well as to not find myself at a last stand with numerous enemy Team Rocket troops. I'm doing a lot of hoping as I do my best to find my way to this base, because my concerns and worries are always on my mind.