Johto Chapter 3 - Mission Improbable
"Well, her showing up was certainly a stroke of dumb luck."
Thea and Shane watched Amber and Freddie disappear from sight.
"Luck … coincidence … an act of Arceus damn divine intervention if you believe in that." Shane replied not taking his eyes from where he last saw the two trainers.
"So … what are we going to do about Master Lance?"
Shane ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah … heh … it never occurred to me when we tipped off the league about Team Rocket's plans, ol' Dragon Master Lance come by himself … I really was banking on Champion Ketchum and that Pikachu of his. … Fortunately, we got the next best thing … Maybe even better!" He turned to his fiancé. "We're doing this. This is happening!"
Thea tenderly reached out and grabbed the hand of her love, giving it a sincere squeeze. She looked him in the eye.
"It is all in theory you know … the abandoned research we uncovered … we don't know for sure if …"
"No. Her being here … showing up right now. … It'll work. I just know it will." The young man smiled, a far off look in his eye.
Thea gave a weak smile back and slight nod, hiding the negative feeling chewing away at her stomach.
"… But back to Lance …" Shane paused and gave his partner a big wolfy grin. "Let's put him to some good use, shall we? Shame to have a member of the illustrious Elite Four go to waste, no?"
Thea smirked back. "I'm on it, Shaney Baby."
Pulling out big red R stickers and sticking them to their black outfits, Thea and Shane gave each other nod. Time to put their plan in motion.
"Well. Here goes nothing."
"Let's go do what we do best."
"Being good at being bad, for doing right."
"And righting wrongs."
"Right!"
Shane leaned in and gave his fiancé a kiss for luck before parting ways.
Thea headed off and soon arrived at her destination. She knocked 3 times in rhythm on the door of the surveillance room.
"What's the passcode? Identify yourself."
"Raticate, Omastar, Cloyster, Kadabra, Ekans, Tangela. It's Agent … Bonnie. I'm here to take over from you."
The door clicked then opened as a rocket member peeped out. "Agent Bonnie …?" He looked the young woman up and down, she was unfamiliar to him but she bore the Rocket uniform and was alone. He opened the door wider. "I wasn't notified."
Thea held up a comms device. "You want to call it in? Be my guest, if you want to bother to question Officer … Clyde's … orders, rather you than me. Your call."
"Officer Clyde?" The man arched his eyebrow. "You know I think I'll do just that." As he turned to pull out his comms device, Thea lodged her foot in the door, her Golbat appearing over her shoulder. "Confuse Ray."
"What the!"
The wings of the large bat pokémon smacked together and a ray of alternating light hit the Rocket. He immediately held his head and shook it. "Wha what's happening?!"
Thea recalled her friend and walked over to the man, putting a hand confidently on his shoulder. "I'm taking over from you Sir. Remember? By the looks of things you really need a break."
The man looked the agent up and down. He didn't know her … but his head was spinning … he was so mixed up … and she was wearing a Team Rocket uniform … … "Yeah … yeah. … I guess I do need a break …"
The attractive young woman lead the man out the room, pushing him out and placing herself inside in his former place. "Don't worry, I'll take it from here. You go get yourself a drink and have a lie down Sir."
"Yeah … I'll do that … thanks." The Rocket stumbled down the corridor struggling to get his bearings.
"You go relax, you've earned it . Leave all this to me." Heh all too easy … Thea smirked and closed he door behind her locking it.
She spun on the chair over to the screens and flicked through all the monitor channels, enlarging them. "Where … are … you … bingo!" Zooming in, she confirmed a cloaked figure stealthily making his way around the storage room. It had to be Lance.
She picked up the intercom mic and switched it to feed into only that room.
Amber and Freddie continued their way up the floor levels, keeping a low profile to avoid unwanted attention.
They reached the last door leading to the top floor. "This is it." Freddie paused as Amber reached for the handle to open it. The fire trainer reached forwards over her and held the door shut.
"Huh?"
"Amber. Your friends back there … can we really trust them?"
The redhead paused and stared at the boy before her. She looked pensively to the floor before back to him. "We have our past … Thea, Shane … and me … but whenever it's counted, they've come though. So, yes, I trust them." Amber once again went to open the door.
"Ok … so then." Freddie put his hand over Amber's on the door handle stopping her again. "Do you trust me?"
Amber looked Freddie in the eye.
Lance looked around the darkened room. There wasn't a soul about. Good for him … but there was something unnerving about the quiet. Soon it was interrupted by a crackling. A voice came through a small intercom speaker high up on the wall. "Master Lance?"
Lance looked up, his stance defensive at the surprise. "You know me?! Who are you?!"
"Just call me a friend. I'm your informant on the inside. Listen the machine causing this is located near the top of the radio tower, heavily guarded by Team Rocket agents. The machine and tower are powered by enslaved electric pokémon located on the basement level. As all the Rockets are above protecting the machine, the lower levels are fairly sparse, you should be able to go down and free the pokémon with little difficulty … No power source means the machine will cease working, from there you'll have your pokémon's abilities back to take Team Rocket down."
Lance raised an eyebrow. It sounded almost too easy. He looked around … it was true though, where he was there were no bodies around … could this information be accurate? "How do I get to the pokémon?"
"I'll light the way."
With that the lights in the room went off bar one above the exiting door.
Lance looked up at the intercom speaker and back at the door. His gut feeling was gnawing away at his insides … it felt like he was walking straight into the Pyroar's den … but he couldn't afford to let this opportunity pass, especially if captive pokémon needed his help. Swishing his cape behind him, Lance walked over to the lit-up exit and left the room.
Amber and Freddie opened up the stairwell door and ducked inside. Voices echoed around the corner and became louder as shadows grew smaller on the adjacent wall.
"Hey, did you hears something?" "No" "Well go check it out anyway." "What why me?" "Cause I out rank ya and it's not like you gots anything else to do." "Ugh fine … waste my time why don't ya ..."
"Look out someone's coming!" Freddie ducked into a storage space and pulled Amber in with him, pulling her tight against him as the two held their breath waiting for the Rocket Grunts to pass, praying they didn't notice them.
A Grunt walked by them. "Meh, nothing here … just as I fricken knew …" The annoyed man grumbled under his breath. Not even glancing in their direction, he soon passed by.
The two trainers let out a sigh of relief in unison, before turning their heads to face each other, upon the realisation on just how close in proximity they were, the two stood completely still, awe struck. Noses almost touching, Freddie's hand still wrapped around Amber's lower back and waist, her hands flat on his shoulders.
Being so close, Amber really took in Freddie's eyes for the first time. They were a deep, yet vibrant burgundy red, with flecks of a brighter red almost dancing like fire, drawing her in closer like a venomoth to a flame … His wild messy dark hair just threatening to hide them behind haphazard bangs. Jawline strong and defined. His shoulders felt deceivingly broad and square on his athletic frame.
Freddie in turn stared at the Kanto famous girl before him and for the first time, really studied her face. He never realised how invitingly warm her big bright brown eyes were. The perfectly even bone structure of her cheeks and petite face, her nose cute as a button. Skin clear and smooth as porcelain. He hadn't paid much attention before, but now, as he stared, he couldn't find a single flaw in her natural appearance.
The two blushed as the moment between them had lasted longer than the time they could afford right now. Awkwardly shuffling and turning away from each other, hopelessly trying to create some distance from one another in the tight space, the two clumsily fell out onto the floor.
"Oww!" Amber grumbled. She opened her eyes, which widened at the realisation of the position she found herself in, laying back flat on the floor with Freddie on top of her, his forearms either side of her head. He lifted his upper body using his hands and looked down at her, his eyes wide.
"Um ... Thanks for the soft landing." Freddie looked down at her and grinned cheekily.
"Your welcome." Amber deadpanned, his joke completely breaking the tension of the moment.
The fire trainer was the first to stand. "We must be getting closer, there's more grunts around now." Freddie pulled Amber up on her feet. "We better be careful."
"Umm yeah …" Amber rubbed the back of her head.
"Let's go … this way."
The two continued up to the next floor.
In the control room, Thea continued to manipulate the ceiling lights of the Radio Tower to guide the way for Lance, using the CCTV monitors to follow and guide him to the room of the power source. She ensured he met no Rocket Grunts along the way by turning the lights off when to halt. Lance instinctively picking up on the luminous queues from his secret new "friend."
Thea watched through the screens as Lance was nearly at the target. She paused smirking to herself. Now to keep you busy and outta our way Master Lance …
She pressed a button sending out a discreet alarm signal to all the Rocket Grunts aiming at the basement room. Casually getting herself up out the chair, she stretched a little to loosen her muscles after sitting, giving the CCTV screens one last glance before smiling and leaving the room, fully aware of the chaos she'd just ignited.
Lance now in the basement level, opened the final door and immediately adverted his eyes, the light of the room was much brighter than outside it. As his eyes adjusted to the new lighting level the master gasped. Before him were at least a dozen Electrode all plugged into a system, feeding into it their combined energy against their will.
"All these Electrode! They're using them!" Lance gritted his teeth. "Don't worry, I'll free you all."
"Yeah, an how ya gonna do that Gramps?"
Lance swirled his cape and turned to the aggressor. He narrowed his eyes, his composure unmoved.
Three Rocket Grunts stood in the room, two men and a woman. Their arms folded, sneers on their faces. One of the Rocket Grunts panicked slightly. "No way you're … you're … Dragon Master Lance of the Elite Four!"
Lance merely nodded, not adverting his steeled gaze. He was not a member of the Elite Four for nothing.
The second Rocket Grunt sweat dropped and looked at his teammates before looking back at the man. He gulped but regained some confidence. "It … it doesn't matter! You can't use your pokémon, and without them you're … just … you're just any other man!"
Lance turned slightly, fully facing the three grunts. "You care to test that theory?" Lance pulled out a pokéball and released his Dragonite. The large Dragon pokémon stood tall and intimidating, with a menacing growl.
"No … no way!" The female grunt took a step back in disbelief.
"Make your move …" Lance took a step forwards.
The first Rocket Grunt looked to his pokéball and back up at Dragonite. He repeated the action and gulped. "Ummm … … I'm not paid enough for this! I'm out!" He turned on his heels and ran out the room.
"He-ey! …" The second male grunt turned to watch his runaway comrade and back to Lance with the Dragonite. "… … Wait for me!" He also followed suit, leaving the female grunt as the last one standing. She sweat dropped nervously. "Um you wouldn't attack a lone woman now would you …?"
"I believe in equal opportunity." Lance smirked.
The last grunt looked between Lance and Dragonite … she knew the machine stopped pokémon attacking … should stop pokémon from attacking … but that Dragonite looked anything but confused and helpless.
"Your entire operation is finished here. Now leave." Lance demanded, his large Dragon scowled, baring teeth. After a small awkward stand-off, the woman panicked. "Guys! Don't leave me come backkk!" She bolted after her teammates.
Lance smiled to himself, their perfectly successful poker faces worked. He recalled his Dragonite, who began to look to the ceiling, a confused look upon his face, clearly still affected by the waves. "Lucky those grunts didn't call our bluff, eh old friend ..."
The master pulled out his rotom device and dialled into Amber. "I've discovered the source of the waves, we're taking it down."
Amber and Freddie looked up at the wall map of the tourist viewing deck. They were now at the top of the Radio Tower.
"This floor … it's bigger than I thought …" Freddie dismayed at the large layout.
"If we go in the wrong direction …"
"We're wasting time we don't have …"
Freddie and Amber turned to look at each other.
"We gotta spilt up."
"Hm?" Amber looked down at her rotom phone going off, she held it up. "It's Lance!"
"I've discovered the source of the waves, we're taking it down."
"Huh?" Amber and Freddie exchanged glances.
Suddenly everything fell into darkness as all the lights went out.
"The powers down!"
"That's the signal!"
"We have to get to that machine right now and fry it for good! We'll catch up with Lance later."
"Right!"
"You go left, I'll go right! Whoever reaches a dead-end, doubles back pronto!"
"Got it!"
Amber released Ampharos and Freddie released his Charizard.
"Charizard, I need your tail flame as a torch." "Ampharos, use flash to light the way." The duo separated into the darkness.
Lance stood as the newly freed Electrode all bounced around him. "Now to get you all out of here. … Hm?"
The Master looked up as the door of the room opened revealing more Rocket Grunts. They bounced pokéballs up and down in their hands.
"I just knew it sounded all too easy …" Lance sighed, realising he was trapped in a boxed room with the only one way in or out blocked by the many assailants. He once again pulled out a pokéball. "Ready Dragonite, with that machine now down we should have no problem …"
"Yeah … no problem pops." A grunt sneered as pokéballs flew releasing multiple pokémon out. "For us, that is."
Lance readied himself and his Dragonite for battle.
Amber and Ampharos pounded along the floor running as fast as they could, time was running short, they had to get to the machine and fry it before power came back on and rendered her pokémon's attacks useless. Finally, Ampharos illuminated a large round grey machine.
"That must be it!"
The teenager released more pokémon revealing Raichu, Electabuzz and Jolteon. "Ok Raichu, Geodude, Ampharos, Jolteon, all together, Thunder attack!"
The pokémon charged up and unleashed a combined powerful attack on the machine.
The machine began to whirr again, and lights appeared on the panels.
"Keep up the juice! Let's overload this sucker! Full power!"
The pokémon increased their attacks into the machine.
It shook violently, taking in the abundance of electricity before going blank. Amber held up her hand, signalling her pokémon to cease their onslaught. "Alright we've done it!"
Suddenly the object fully booted back up, brighter and louder than before, a weird, unnerving glow radiated from it.
Raichu, Geodude, Jolteon and Ampharos all sniffed and looked around the air in total confusion.
"Huh? …" Amber's face fell, and her eyes widened. "… The … the machine … it's still working?!"
Authors note - I have no idea what's going on with the stat and traffic pages on this site, but I can't see if anyone is actually reading this story T_T
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