And here we go. I think some violent content and potentially disturbing imagery is all to warn for here.
-:-
CHAPTER 14: Goldenrod City Under Siege (Part 1)
-:-
Deep beneath the temple Bunny had briefly visited, there was a vast network of caves. One such chamber within the depths of the temple opened up to a great subterranean lake, filled with clear, sparkling water that chilled to the touch. Huge stalagmites peppered the lake, rising up toward the impossibly high ceiling.
The Tenganist prophet stood between her followers and the water, slowly walking to each of them and setting a hand on each of their left shoulders. One of the other Tenganists followed closely behind her, carrying an ornate golden pot containing water taken from the lake. Before touching each follower, the prophet returned to the pot and wet her fingers with its contents.
"Carry the spirits of our brave ancestors inside your hearts," she powerfully said, addressing them in a fashion meant to rally them. "Our people must once again rise up in battle to fight for our survival. Like the courageous warriors who came before us, we must fully believe in our cause. What we will do will be violent, and people will die, but we do not take this action because we want to. This is what we must do to save our people from extinction. We must strike against Polaris. We will strike them quickly and powerfully, then retreat with our spoils as quickly as we came."
As she said the last line of her speech, the prophet looked to the side of the cave, where a Gardevoir and Gothitelle were waiting.
-:-
The next morning in Goldenrod City was a dim one, as the sky was blotted with clouds that diminished the sun.
Nearby the Pokémon Center was a grand hotel that stood taller than a good number of the buildings in central Goldenrod. Before he had gone over to the Gym from the Battle Factory the previous day, Matt had rented a suite, intending it as a surprise reward for Olivia after she won.
"Goal! And with that goal, the Roshan Glaciers take a one to nothing lead, combining the strength of their Beartic's goaltending with Cryogonal's agile shots! After this break, we'll see if the Dendemille Icicles can tie the score. You're watching international Pokémon Baccer on GlobalNet."
Olivia and Bunny were sitting on the plush couch opposite the large plasma-screen television, but looked away as the sports they had been watching gave way to commercials. Matt's coat was lying folded over next to them.
"Wasn't that something?" Olivia beamed. "That Cryogonal's spin shot… I've been watching Pokémon Baccer for years and that stuff always impresses me!"
"You're right, Olivia, that was pretty cool," Bunny replied, smiling.
Suddenly, a great crash pierced through the suite as the door flew open. Olivia and Bunny jumped off the couch, and Matt ran in from the small kitchen adjacent to the room.
What they found was Nekou lying face-first on the floor with a bottle in her hand. Simultaneously, they all grimaced.
"Well I know what you did last night," Matt sighed.
"A night not spent drinking is a night wasted," she slurred back, into the floor.
"I guess it's good to have a motto," laughed Bunny.
"Olivia, step back. Bunny, help me get her up."
Following Matt's direction, Olivia went back to the television, while Bunny joined him in lifting Nekou up from under her arms. They helped her stumble over toward another chair near the television, but they didn't know what was inside their seemingly drunk friend's mind.
The night of binge drinking was a complete lie. Nekou had only been drinking right before going up to the room, and she took satisfaction at how easy covering her tracks had been. In reality, she had spent the night at Team Rocket's hideout at Ada's request. As Matt and Bunny dropped her on the chair, they had truly no idea what she had really done. She rationalized her baldfaced lie by telling herself that she was still acting to protect her friends, assuaging the guilt she did feel for misleading them so badly.
"It's tea time! The best water, the finest leaves, warmed at the right temperature… Striaton Brothers Tea. Have a taste today!"
"That's some good fucking shit…" Nekou groaned at the television.
"We're not going anywhere now," Matt asserted. "She's got to get sobered up first, and besides, I have to finish working on my coat. The weather's getting too cold for this body to take."
"And I want to watch the rest of this Baccer match, anyway," Olivia added.
"Fair enough. I don't think any of us had any plans until meeting up with Monroe at the Department Store this afternoon anyway."
-:-
Meanwhile, on the same floor of the hotel and not far from Matt's group's suite, a beautiful woman with jet-black hair was sitting at her laptop, speaking to another individual on a video call. She was wearing a white bathrobe and drinking a cup of coffee as they talked.
"It's today, like I said, Secc," she informed the party on the other side of the call. "Polaris has publicized an event at the plaza outside the Global Terminal, to address the growing division between the poor and privileged. I intend to film as much of it as I can and maybe grab a few interviews if possible."
"Fine by me, Rowena," the young man on her computer screen replied. He brushed a lock of his green hair from his face, then adjusted the headphones he was wearing. "ONBS always seeks to broadcast the truth, and this story is something I've had my eye on since Polaris first entered the public sphere. With Marcia off covering stories on the other end of Orre, we have to rely on our freelancers, and you're the finest one to ever file a story for us."
"Of course, on that note, we have to talk compensation," Rowena said with a wink.
"File the story and we'll talk, but rest assured that if it's the caliber of your previous work, the payment will be quite handsome. I understand you intend to reconnect with the source you used for the story on Everton International's corruption?"
"Yeah, Matt Chiaki is staying in this very hotel. He had a rather nasty encounter with Polaris in Violet City, so I believe he'll be worth interviewing again."
"Do what your journalistic judgment tells you is right to get the story. I'll be looking forward to it."
Secc disconnected from the call, cutting off the video stream on Rowena's computer. Seeing that her trainer was finished with her conversation, a Pokémon similar in appearance to Minccino but wrapped in luxurious white fur jumped onto Rowena's shoulder.
"Cinci?"
"This is a big one, Cinccino," Rowena gently said, scratching her Pokémon on the chin. "You and I are going to get a full-fledged expose on Polaris."
-:-
Getriebe, Jeunes, Colress and Meowth had been joined by Zinzolin, who was facing Ghetsis via the main communication screen in the control room of the Purine Base. The Third Chromosome was reclining comfortably in a throne-like chair, leaning on his cane.
"You know what our message is, Zinzolin. This is the day when it reaches the people, and you have a vital role to play in that. I cannot stress that fact enough."
"I understand, Lord Ghetsis," Zinzolin answered, not flinching from bowing before Ghetsis despite how much it pained his back. "My speech is prepared. It would appear that there is significant interest in the event, as well, so I fully expect that everything will work out as we hope."
"For your sake, I hope it does. Don't leave me another mess I have to clean up myself."
-:-
"Twelve o' clock," Ada announced to the others in Team Rocket's hideout from her seat at the computers. "High noon…"
"It's time to get started," Giovanni declared, staring out over the city. "Pierce, you're up first. Rosalie, give him his gear."
Pierce remained rigidly still, so Rosalie guided her wheelchair to him. She handed him a device that resembled an electronic compass with a small computer attached to its bottom.
"That is programmed to detect even latent Meteonite energy," the professor explained between puffs of her pipe. "You are to use it and track down where Polaris is keeping the large Meteonite they took from the Ruins of Alph. The upper portion is both a map of the city and a compass, so when you find the location, make sure to mark it down. That data will be transferred to our computers here, allowing us to begin planning a takedown."
"You are to begin your part of the mission now, Pierce," Giovanni added when he didn't hear Pierce leave immediately.
A slight flush came to Pierce's cheeks. He always stuck rigidly to rules, and everyone in the room knew it, but he had feared accidentally leaving during his briefing so much that he ended up missing the cue to do just that.
"Y-yes, Giovanni, sir!" he stammered, embarrassed at his failure to live up to his own standards, before turning and quickly leaving.
As the door slammed behind Pierce, Rosalie took notice of Ariana, who was sitting nearby and weakly propping herself up on the wall. Concerned, she rode over to the Executive to speak to her. Meanwhile, Jessie and James joined Giovanni at the window.
"Your part of this mission will begin soon as well," he informed them. "Rosalie will be bringing you to prepare your equipment shortly."
"We got it, boss!" Jessie determinedly replied.
"Meowth, you'll be home soon…" James whispered, his gaze not breaking from the expanse of the city.
-:-
The trip to the Department Store wasn't a long one, as it was directly across Goldenrod's main street from the Pokémon Center and thus only a few blocks from the hotel. The day had turned dim as the hours passed, with more clouds gathering to completely block out the sun. As a result, the lights shining through the windows of the six-story building turned it into a beacon within the city.
Matt, Nekou, Bunny and Olivia entered through the sliding glass doors and glanced around their surroundings. The store was packed with shoppers, making it difficult for them to find Monroe.
"Where did he say he was going to meet us again?" Olivia asked.
"By the first floor escalators," Matt answered, looking around for a guide. "There's got to be something here to tell us where everything is, an information desk or something."
Their search was abruptly halted when a song began playing rather loudly right near them.
"Cover me with kisses, baby, cover me with love, roll me in designer sheets I'll never get enough… emotions come I don't know why, cover up love's alibi…"
"Oh shit, that's me," Nekou realized. She pulled her phone from her uniform, looked at it, and found that it had a tab reading 'accept holo clip.' She started to walk away and said over her shoulder, "I have to take this. Go find Monroe and I'll meet up with you."
Needing a place that was quiet, Nekou slunk off toward the closed-off area in the corner of the lobby. She hesitated at the door marked with "Staff Only" for only a moment. Producing a blue card imprinted with the Team Rocket insignia, she swiped it through the door's electronic lock to allow herself access to the dim hallway beyond.
She took several steps into the tunnel, then took out her phone again. However, before she could answer it, she was accosted from behind by a male voice.
"Hey! You can't be in here!"
Nekou didn't turn around to face the security guard immediately. A plan instantly took shape in her head, and the brief look of surprise she had gave way to a devious smirk.
"Oh my, officer, did I do something wrong?" As she turned, she put on her best seductive voice and glared at him through half-closed eyes. "Tell me. I was bad, wasn't I?"
Clearly unnerved, the guard stammered, "Y-You can't be back here. This is a s-shipping area. Staff only. You don't have one of our uniforms so I know you aren't…"
"And I think I'm already shipping you and me," she whispered, continuing to draw closer to him.
"You won't get out of trouble with this. I'm a happily married…"
Nekou was practically in his face now, and she was clutching one of the open folds of her uniform. He realized what she was intending to do and turned beet red.
"Then just have a quick look."
She started to pull back the opening, but before the guard could see anything, a puff of light-blue vapor burst out. As soon as he inhaled it, he blacked out and collapsed.
"Sweet dreams, fucker," Nekou grumbled, taking her phone back out. Before she answered it, she thanked her luck to have Rosalie on her side.
~:~
Before Nekou left the hideout that morning, Rosalie had pulled her aside to show her a small vial containing the light-blue liquid.
"I call this perfume Meromero," the wheelchair-bound scientist explained. "It's substantially derived from Mental Herb, with a dash of White Herb as well as liquefied Lax Incense extract added. Hit someone with one dose of it and they'll be out like a light, but additionally, they won't want to wake up easily because they'll be dreaming of the person they're most physically attracted to."
"Neat," Nekou said, taking the vial. She pulled open the right side of her unbuttoned uniform and attached it to a mechanism within, consisting of a small clamp and a tube that led to a spray device attached to the strap of her black brassiere. After fixing the one button she ever cared to close, she picked up a nearby beer bottle. "I'm sure I'll put this to good use."
~:~
When Nekou finally pushed the 'accept holo clip' button on the screen of her phone, the lens on its top generated a hologram of Giovanni in his chair.
"Lalume, what took you so long to answer the call?" he growled.
"Had to deal with an unforeseen interruption, boss. What's up?"
Giovanni sighed and shut his eyes for a moment before speaking. "I have commenced the mission, so your role is now active. Keep Matt Chiaki and his friends away from Polaris's event site. We cannot risk any interference. It has to be us against Polaris."
"I think that ought to be easy to do."
"Then go do it. I'll communicate with you again at an appropriate…"
"Wait, before you go, boss… tell Rosalie that Meromero worked like a charm."
"Fine."
The hologram disappeared, and Nekou put her phone back in her uniform. She took another look at the sleeping guard, shrugged and straightened out her uniform before going back out into the lobby. She knew where the escalators were, so she immediately made her way toward them, hoping that Matt and the others would already be there.
Instead, she simply found Monroe standing there by himself.
"Nekou, you made it!" he said in a manner that was unusually cheery for him. "Where's Olivia and everyone else?"
"Geez, you sure are hyper today," Nekou sarcastically replied. She set her hand on her hip and looked around. "I guess they got turned around looking for you."
Nekou's words seemed to summon Matt, Olivia and Bunny, as they turned up as soon as she spoke. She stepped back, sighing to herself as she did so.
"Monroe!" Matt exclaimed. "We had a hell of a time finding you in this crowd."
"Th-that's okay," Monroe said back, reverting into his usual nervous self. "A-as long as we all meet up with each other, right?"
"Come on, let's just get going." Olivia charged forward, in the direction that a nearby sign indicated would lead to the elevators. "I need to go find a new coat."
Monroe flinched, but quickly recovered and followed her. Matt, Nekou and Bunny went after them, with Matt and Bunny chuckling to themselves about Olivia's forceful mood. Nekou, on the other hand, simply chewed on a handful of potato chips she'd gotten from somewhere.
"So I guess I'm the only one who noticed Monroe blush before he followed Olivia?" she deadpanned.
"Are you serious?"
"Matt, wait," Bunny cautioned him. "She might be onto something. Didn't you notice as we approached that he seemed comfortable talking to Nekou?"
"Come to think of it…" Matt rubbed his chin in thought. Bunny was right, but he hadn't quite taken conscious note of Monroe's actions before.
"Well it looks like Olivia's got her first boy crushing on her!" Nekou suddenly and loudly exclaimed, making Matt and Bunny cringe with the volume of her voice. As she walked behind the others, though, Nekou was grateful that Olivia preferred to stay at the Department Store, as it made her mission much easier.
-:-
Down the street from the Global Terminal stood a two-story, gold-brick building whose sign bore the words "Magnet Train station" below an appropriate image of the vehicle. Looker and Silver were sitting and drinking coffee together in the small second-floor café near the boarding area. Their table was next to a row of large windows, permitting them an unobstructed view of the road below.
"I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Silver said as he watched the flow of people toward the Global Terminal plaza. "How many do you think there are going to be?"
"If I was to work into myself giving an estimate… a number touching into the range of hundreds sounds like it is correct." Setting down his smartphone, Looker shut his eyes and rubbed his chin. "And if the Team Rocket should make an appearance…"
"Why do you think I insisted on coming with you?!" Silver snapped, slamming his fist on the table. "You're the one here concerned about whatever those Polaris idiots are doing, but I just consider them bait. I know that Team Rocket won't be able to resist showing up for this."
"Do not be getting ahead of your own position," Looker warned. "Action that is reckless will lead to only more problems…"
-:-
Meanwhile, Pierce was making his way north, concealed by his own trench coat and following the signals from the device Rosalie had given him. He was near the line where the central city area gave way to the northern slum, yet the device urged him to go further still.
"They hid it where nobody would think to look…" he thought, seeing that the brightness of the readout was intensifying as he went into the slum. "The attention of the poor in this city will be on their speech, making it easy for them to move something out of this area…"
-:-
"So what do you guys think? You like it?"
Olivia was standing before Matt, Bunny and Monroe in the Department Store's clothing shop.
Having spent some time searching for something she could wear in the increasingly cold weather, she'd chosen a simple gray leather jacket.
"It's… different," Matt answered, "different for you, anyway."
"I like it, though," added Bunny. "What made you choose it?"
"I wanted something more simple, you know? It's surprisingly warm, too."
"I…I… I have something I want to say…" Monroe fumbled.
"What?"
"Don't… don't you think it clashes with your hair?"
Matt and Bunny looked to Monroe, confused by what he was saying. Olivia, on the other hand, actually seemed to understand. She walked to a nearby mirror and considered her appearance.
"You know," she said after a moment, "I think I actually see it. I'll have to let my hair down tonight and see how it looks." Turning around, Olivia smiled at Monroe, making him nearly jump from his nerves. "Thanks."
"I think it'll look good."
While Olivia had been considering her new look, Nekou had come out from the dressing rooms as well. She had replaced her uniform and kneesocks with a black, waist-tied trench coat of similar appearance and a pair of knee-high boots.
"You think so?" Olivia glowed in the praise her friend was putting on her. "Thanks!"
"Gladly." Directing her attention to Matt, Bunny and Monroe, Nekou asked, "So what do you guys want to do now?"
Bunny opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by an audible gulp next to her. Looking down, she saw Monroe staring at the floor. He had his arms pinned to his sides, and his whole body was trembling.
"Monroe?"
"I…I…" After gulping again, Monroe took a deep breath, shut his eyes and forced himself into saying what he wanted to. "Olivia, I really liked your battle with Whitney and I want to know if you'll go to a movie with me!"
Monroe's face went bright red as soon as he coughed up his request, matched only by how flush Olivia's turned. Matt and Bunny could only watch with their mouths agape, while Nekou, having been the one to figure out Monroe's feelings first, just smirked wryly.
Slowly, Olivia approached Monroe, her every step sending a chill down his bones. He was already embarrassed but his fear kept rising until she was right in his face, staring into his eyes. To Monroe, it felt as if Olivia was staring right into his soul.
"Well of course you liked how I battled!" Olivia suddenly and proudly exclaimed, pulling back and shrugging her shoulders. "You're nice enough, so sure, why would I say no? But I get to pick which movie."
Feeling a weight lifted from his shoulders, Monroe gasped in relief and said, "Oh, of… of course. Your choice."
"Olivia's got herself a boyfriend!" Nekou playfully cheered as she threw herself onto Olivia and Monroe's shoulders, nearly knocking them to the floor.
"Aw, Nekou, come on!" Olivia growled, her face turning red again. Though he didn't speak, Monroe was similarly embarrassed.
"I'm just playing with you guys," Nekou assured her as she rose back to her full height. "Come on, let's hit the road."
As the group started walking, Matt and Bunny looked at each other and smiled. They needed no words to communicate how happy they were that Olivia was reaching out to others.
Unfortunately, the peaceful scene wouldn't last. As they stepped out of the clothing department, the sound from a nearby television caught their ears.
"We're seeing literally hundreds of people, many of them from the slums, flowing into the central area of Goldenrod City for Polaris's speech. The best estimates are that a crowd of around three hundred is now gathered outside the Global Terminal…"
Immediately upon hearing the newscaster's words, Nekou became completely serious again. Even while the others just listened to the broadcast, she said, "It might get dangerous out there. Olivia, Monroe, go to your movie later. For now, let's get something to eat here."
"A-Actually, that's a good idea," Monroe said in agreement. "I'm kind of hungry."
"There's a burger stand I want to try in the food court here," Matt piped up.
"Then that's where we'll go," Nekou concluded. "Come on. They have TVs up there, so we'll see everything that goes on."
-:-
The newscaster's estimate of about three hundred people in the crowd was fairly close to the actual number, and indeed, most of them were from the slums. Lysandre was also present as he had promised, standing out among the crowd due to his great height and well-tailored clothing. As he waited for the speech to start, he carefully scanned the crowd, looking to see if Matt and the others had shown as well. It disappointed him somewhat when he couldn't find them.
Also in the plaza was Rowena, now concealing her identity behind a hooded coat and large, dark sunglasses. She was hiding in an alley near the crowd with her video camera out, Cinccino sitting on her shoulder.
The crowd was gathered before a makeshift stage set up in the plaza. Zinzolin stood behind a curtain on the stage, looking out at the audience he was to address.
"Lord Ghetsis's expectations for this event were met," he nervously mumbled to himself. After looking up at the clouds that provided him a rather ominous backdrop, he fumbled with the papers Ghetsis had written his speech on. He then reached to his collar and triggered a device hidden within, which generated a holographic prompter loaded with the same speech. Pleased that his equipment was working, he sighed in relief and stepped out from behind the curtain.
The response from the crowd was immediate, but it wasn't the reaction Zinzolin was anticipating. He thought he would be greeted by cheering, but instead, the crowd's loud chattering gave way to a silence that unsettled the elderly man. He flinched but quickly recovered and reactivated his prompter, which also had a microphone built into it.
"Welcome! Welcome, citizens of Goldenrod City!" Once he had begun speaking, Zinzolin started to settle into his comfort zone. While he was no master of giving speeches like Ghetsis – and he knew as much – he felt confidence in his ability to deliver Ghetsis's words. "Each and every one of you deserves applause for coming this far. I know it was not easy for you, perhaps near impossible for some, but the calling of justice brought you all here today. As you know, my name is Zinzolin, and I am here as a representative of Polaris. I am here to speak to you today about the injustices visited upon you, who you should hold responsible, and what you can do about it."
A murmur went up from the crowd. Zinzolin regarded it as a good sign – he knew that they were interested in the lead of his speech, which meant they were listening. All that was left was to sell his case.
"People of Goldenrod City, I ask you to look around yourselves. Are you pleased with the state of your city, divided as it is? Where we stand now, we are at the heart of this corrupt, diseased beast created by the Pokémon League! Why, just observe our surroundings as I speak to you." The crowd was enraptured with Zinzolin already, and their collective gazes followed his sweeping gestures. "The Magnet Train station, where the wealthy and privileged who have oppressed you travel freely across these regions, while you are left with only your own feet… the Game Corner, where those people and their decadent families while away their time and ill-gotten money on frivolous games without a care in the world… the Radio Tower, which serves to further spread the siren song that calls our young people to the foolish path of the Pokémon League… and finally, I can think of no more perfect a symbol for the derelict, bloated order of the Pokémon League than the building right behind me, the Global Terminal. Behind me, hundreds if not thousands of Pokémon are traded daily by those who can afford the equipment necessary to capture them. Those individuals can easily acquire a wide variety of Pokémon from throughout the world, and every species they collect makes it easier for them to obtain even more. Not only that, it is those with the widest variety of Pokémon available to them that have the easiest way in this world. But what opportunity do those who are not permitted to even get their feet into the door have? That promise of false opportunity is what has led to the despicable status of this city! The facilities that benefit those who have grown fat on the backs of you, the people, are clustered in this neon hell at the center of Goldenrod City. Meanwhile, you are kept out of that opportunity, that gilded life, and exiled to the decrepit slums where you are neither seen nor heard! But today, that will change! Today you will be seen and you will be heard!"
That last proclamation was what it took to finally get the reaction Zinzolin had expected all along from the crowd. A great cheer rose from the people, one that showed they were hungry for more of what Zinzolin was feeding them. Before moving to the next point in his speech, Zinzolin took a moment to bathe in the eager adoration of the crowd before him.
"Yes, you know it all to be true! For decades, generations now, this regime known as the Pokémon League has kept you down. Through all matters of media, they present to you an idealized image, a dream, of life under their control. Pokémon Master…" Zinzolin coughed scornfully before continuing. "I must scoff at the very notion. We see media telling you day in and day out that all you need to reach a life of luxury is belief… belief in yourself, but more wickedly, faith in their leadership. They will give you everything, they claim… free care at the Pokémon Centers? A lie, such benefits are reserved only for the privileged few who qualify for a Pokédex. How about Poké Marts stocked with all the resources trainers could ever need? Another lie. The products sold to trainers at these corrupt establishments are by and large rationed in favor of those with more Badges. Good point about that, let's talk about Badges for a second. To get a Badge, you have to defeat a local Gym Leader in a Pokémon battle, as you all already know. Of course, you are all smart enough to see the problem with this. To have the best chances of defeating Gym Leaders, you must have the leg up offered to only those already in the upper crust of society! And of course, these Gym Leaders… they are contributing to the culture of corruption keeping you in second-class status! We of Polaris have come here before you to present the truth that has been hidden, and we urge you to rise! Join us and make your voices heard! Tell the Gym Leaders and the Pokémon League that you will soon be at their doorsteps!"
By this point, Zinzolin was getting so worked up that he was becoming short of breath, but the growing noise from the crowd afforded him a chance to recover. He gestured for calm and was met by just enough of a decrease in volume to allow him to continue.
"So in order to ensure that their rule is unchallenged, the Pokémon League has rigged the system to make it nearly impossible for the average person to capture powerful enough Pokémon. Polaris… we intend to change that." Zinzolin turned and called out, "Meowth, it's your turn!"
As Zinzolin turned back to the crowd, Meowth slowly shuffled out from behind the curtain. He moved with deliberate steps until he was parallel to but still several paces behind the old man.
"This Meowth is an example of our work," Zinzolin explained. "We now possess an artifact of incredible power, one that will soon allow us to awaken the true strength within each Pokémon. When that day comes, we will give the Pokémon we strengthen to those of you who join our cause. Stand alongside us and we will give you the tools to change your lives! We will give you what the Pokémon League has kept out of your hands for generations! And when that day comes…"
All of a sudden, a number of blue fireballs descended from the sky in a ring, settling around the stage. The Will-O-Wisp attack was followed by several blades of air striking the stage, forcing Zinzolin to stumble backward and away from Meowth. When he looked up, he saw a Swoobat and Cofagrigus descending from the sky, and moments later, four laser beams shot down from above the clouds to surround Meowth. A box of light formed around him when the lasers faded.
"Th-those Pokémon…" Zinzolin stuttered. "Who is so bold as to do this…?"
"Do you really need to ask that question?"
"If you really want to know, the answer is here!"
Behind Swoobat and Cofagrigus, who were laughing at Zinzolin, Jessie and James –still wearing their trench coats, hats and sunglasses - descended using jetpacks strapped to their backs.
"Prepare for trouble, soaring from the sky!" Jessie shouted to the assembly.
"And make it double, over the earth it flies!" James enthusiastically added.
"You can NOT be serious…" thought Zinzolin.
Not caring what their foe thought, the two Team Rocket members continued their motto, with Jessie saying, "To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
With that, Jessie and James tore off their disguises, revealing their customized black Team Rocket uniforms underneath.
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
While Jessie and James struck dramatic poses in the air, the crowd looked on in disgruntled silence. Zinzolin gazed at them in a cold fury.
"How dare you come here!" he roared, finding a new strength in his voice. "You two are the prime example of what goes on unchecked in this failed society!"
Ignoring the old man's rant, Jessie said, "It sure felt good to do that in front of them, but don't you think something was missing?"
"You're right, Jessie. Meowth was missing…" Turning down to the stage and its occupants, James took a deep breath and yelled, "He's missing because you Polaris creeps took him from us! And we're here to take him back!"
"Do you really think you can take me on after the lashing Mercury dealt you?" Zinzolin scoffed, pulling a Poké Ball off his coat. "Cryogonal…"
"Dusclops, Rock Tomb!"
All of a sudden, a flurry of stones flew from somewhere in the crowd and crashed onto the stage, extinguishing Cofagrigus's flames but locking Zinzolin in tighter. A Dusclops rose from the assembly, holding Proton by the shoulders, and floated toward the stage.
"Rock Tomb, once more!" Proton called.
More rugged stones materialized around Dusclops, and when her eye flashed, they started to rain down.
Zinzolin growled and quickly lashed one of his Poké Balls toward the threat. "Weavile, Ice Shard!"
As soon as she burst from her ball, Weavile brought her claws together and launched a series of sharp-edged ice chunks toward the Rock Tomb. When they hit the stones, both attacks exploded into dust. Though they'd been shocked still so far, when the explosion rang out over their heads, it was like a switch was thrown in the minds of the crowd.
Three hundred people turned and attempted to flee the Global Terminal plaza as complete chaos broke out. Zinzolin didn't care. His mind was filled with rage, all directed at Jessie, James and Proton.
Rowena retreated slightly into the alley, avoiding the flood of people just beyond her hiding place. Her resolve to continue pursuing the story quickly returned, though, and with a new burst of courage, she approached the crowd again and grabbed at the first arm she could reach, pulling its owner toward her. It turned out to be the homeless trainer Team Rocket had helped.
"Who are you?" he coughed as he stumbled into the alley.
"A reporter," Rowena answered. "I want to ask you some questions when this is over."
The trainer shrugged. "I guess I can do that."
"Good, thank you. Now to just finish recording this…"
Rowena returned to her vantage point, catching the fight just in time to see Zinzolin's Weavile fighting Proton's Dusclops while his Jynx and Cryogonal struggled with Swoobat and Cofagrigus. The entire plaza was coated in a thin layer of snow and ice from the attacks being carelessly thrown about.
"Cofagrigus, use Toxic Spikes!" James ordered as he flew out of the way of a Shadow Ball from Jynx.
"Cryogonal, take them out with Frost Breath!"
Cofagrigus swept his four arms out, throwing forth several sharp traps glowing with poison, but Cryogonal immediately countered by exhaling an icy wind over them. The spikes ended up frozen within the ice as they fell to the ground, sealing in their toxicity and rendering it useless.
"Shadow Ball!" both Jessie and Zinzolin shouted in unison.
While Swoobat and Jynx's attacks met in a midair explosion, Looker, Silver and several others – including Lysandre – were watching the chaos from the second floor of the train station.
"I knew they'd show up," Silver growled. "It's go time."
"It is that it is," Looker responded, frantically dialing a number with his phone. "Greetings, it is I, with the codename of Looker! I am needing warrants of arrest for the members of the Team Rocket, as their plea bargain has been violated!"
"Calling up the data on Team Rocket right now, Agent Looker, please stand by…" a female voice said on the other end of the call. The sound of a computer keyboard clicking could be heard, followed by an audible gasp. "A-Agent Looker… there is… there is no logged data of any crime for any of them! According to our database, the members of Team Rocket are completely clean!"
"What?!" Looker nearly crushed the phone in his hand, and he had screamed so loudly that everyone in the room was staring at him. "How is that possible to be happening? The Team Rocket… cleared of all crimes?!"
"What the hell did you just say?" roared Silver. He was so overcome with rage that he put his hands on his head and pulled his own hair. "Impossible, I won't accept it! Just arrest them for what they're doing now!"
Putting away the phone, Looker stared out the window and said, "If they haven't been acting to violate the plea bargain we gave to them… then what are they happening to be doing, precisely?"
"Are… are you actually serious? Disrupting the peace, if nothing else!"
Looker rubbed his chin, images of the past flashing through his mind. "Polaris's speech event was occurring to already disrupt that peace, though… and that man named Zinzolin… he is still wearing on his self the crest of the Team Plasma and working with the man named Ghetsis… I am not trusting the situation. Not to be mentioning, the Team Rocket did not harm anyone called a civilian. They only targeted that Meowth, which I am being able to tell you for quite certain does belong to them. I want to see how this will end up being played out…"
Seeing that he was getting nowhere with Looker, Silver went back to fuming and watching the battle.
"Jynx, use Avalanche! Cryogonal, team up with it and use Flash Cannon!"
Leaving Weavile to spar with Proton's Dusclops on her own, Zinzolin focused his attention on Jessie and James. His Cryogonal and Jynx aligned with each other and then delivered their respective assaults; the latter sent a rain of icy boulders toward her enemies, while the former fired a single ray of bright, silvery light from its mouth.
"Air Slash!"
"Shadow Ball!"
Swoobat and Cofagrigus weren't afraid, however, and they met Zinzolin's offense with a spirited counterattack. Swoobat cut down the ice chunks with blades of air lashed from her wings, while Cofagrigus drifted right in front of Cryogonal's Flash Cannon and used a Shadow Ball to nearly completely block it.
Much to Zinzolin's surprise, Jessie and James then recalled Swoobat and Cofagrigus, and after recalling his Dusclops, Proton flew up on his own jetpack alongside them.
"What are you doing now, you Team Rocket cowards?" Zinzolin shouted up into the air. "Are you surrendering?"
"Oh, we're not surrendering," Jessie smugly said.
"You might call it more of a tactical retreat…" added James, "…with our spoils of victory!"
"Stop being theatrical," Proton warned them. "We're at the endgame of phase one. It's time."
"Got it." Putting her finger to her ear, Jessie called out, "Yoo hoo, Wobbuffet!"
A great roaring sound filled the air, and when Zinzolin looked up past the Team Rocket members, he saw the clouds beginning to part. Stunned, he could only watch as a hot-air balloon equipped with jet boosters on its basket descended, piloted by Jessie's Wobbuffet. It was only when he saw the red Team Rocket insignia on both the metallic blue basket and the dark purple balloon itself that Zinzolin truly realized how coordinated the attack on the speech was.
The laser cube containing Meowth began to rise off the stage, heading for the bottom of the balloon's basket. This snapped Zinzolin out of his daze, and he gestured wildly to Weavile.
"Don't let them get away!" he snapped. "Destroy that balloon with Blizzard!"
"Oh no you don't!" Jessie countered. "Wobbuffet, Mirror Coat!"
Weavile aimed her icy blast squarely at the balloon itself, but it met resistance when Wobbuffet, glowing brightly, jumped from the basket. As soon as the Blizzard hit Wobbuffet, its energy enveloped him, only to be blasted back moments later, and Weavile was cut down by the counterattack.
While Zinzolin tried to regroup, Jessie recalled Wobbuffet and landed in the balloon's basket with James and Proton. The laser cube had also reached and attached itself to the bottom of the basket. Jessie and James leaned forward and waved at Zinzolin.
"Well then, toodle-oo!"
"We'll see you soon!"
Using not only the boosters on the basket but a larger one installed on the back of the balloon itself, the craft surged back into the clouds and vanished, leaving Zinzolin alone with his exhausted Pokémon.
"I just can't catch a break," he sighed to himself, already dreading whatever punishment Ghetsis would level out. Looking around, he realized just how empty the plaza had become, and seeing no further point in staying himself, recalled his Pokémon and fled for a car hidden behind the stage.
Meanwhile, in the train station, the argument between Silver and Looker was coming to a boil.
"You saw it, you have to arrest them!"
"Yes, I did indeed happen to be seeing it, but I cannot say I support that conclusion."
"Why?!" Silver raged, stomping his foot on the tile floor. "They're criminals, just as much as that Team Plasma is!"
"That they are. But we just were seeing and witnessing them not harm anyone who is not also a criminal suspect. They were attacking only the stage and struck a retreat after taking something that rightfully was precisely their own."
"So what?"
"They may be worth taking and bringing in… but first, I want to see with my own eyes their interactions with the Polaris group. They may be leading us to the answer regarding greater mysteries." Adjusting his tie, Looker then said, "Some civilians may have taken on injuries in the plaza. Let us go inspect for such cases, then I will have to be departing for Kanto."
-:-
"Things appear to be returning to normal following Team Rocket's attack on the speech being given by Polaris. Stick with us throughout this breaking news story as it unfolds…"
All of the televisions hanging over the Department Store's packed food court were tuned to the news, and an unsettling quiet had set into the shoppers, who had seen the entire incident from the beginning.
"What is all of this…" Matt murmured, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. "I'm getting really nervous about Polaris. Did you hear those things Zinzolin was saying? Especially after he attacked us in Violet City…"
"And Team Rocket, too…" Bunny said, her voice low and wavering. "I don't know if you know about this, but a few years ago in Unova, there was a war between Team Rocket and Team Plasma, the group Zinzolin and Ghetsis used to lead. If that's still going and is coming to Johto, we might get caught up in the middle of it…"
"You've got to ask yourselves the hard fucking question," Nekou chimed in. She was visibly tense, and was boiling with anger internally, though Bunny had no idea it was what she said that caused it. "Who is worse here, a gang of common thieves or actual fucking terrorists who are trying to overthrow the government?"
"I guess you have a point there…" Matt mumbled into the table.
"But on the other hand," Olivia piped up, "How do we know it's as simple as it looks? What if this is a trick, and they're working together?"
If it had been anyone other than Olivia saying that, Nekou would have attacked them on the spot. She had to restrain her reaction to what she considered an insulting implication, keeping her rage in check by breathing heavily and clenching her fists so tightly that her palms bled slightly.
"Not everything has a conspiracy behind it, Olivia," Nekou said, managing a fairly gentle tone. "I think what we saw on the TV was what really happened."
"You're right." Turning away from her friend, Olivia slumped in her chair. "But this is just so scary, all of it... is what they're saying true, that so many people have it that bad? Am I really that well off?"
"Yeah, I'm a bit scared too," Monroe said in glum agreement. "My dad's job has made my life pretty easy, so my sisters and I could be targeted…"
"So you're in a similar position as me, then," Olivia commented.
"But, Monroe, do you consider yourself better than others because of your comfortable life?" asked Nekou.
"No…"
"So then at least from a moral standpoint, you're fine. Now, honestly, I think now that all fucking hell isn't breaking loose out there anymore, we should stop obsessing over things we can't help and go about our business."
"So you are capable of good ideas," Matt joked. Nekou looked at him with a start, but quickly caught on and laughed. He took out his tablet and asked, "Olivia, Monroe, you guys still want to go catch a movie, right?"
"Yeah!" they both said together.
"Then let's have a look…" Thumbing through movie directories on the screen, Matt noticed something that he thought Olivia and Monroe would like. "There's a showing of Fossil Island in a little while at the movie theater in this very Department Store."
"Oh, that sounds fun," Monroe beamed, his usual nervous demeanor disappearing briefly. "But… O-Olivia, if you don't…"
"I probably would have chosen the same thing, so don't worry about it."
"Good! Then you two have fun, and Bunny and I can go visit the Name Rater about Ayin… Sigilyph's nickname. Nekou, are you coming with us or going to the movie with Olivia?"
Nekou sighed and shut her eyes. "I'm tired. I just want to go back to the hotel and rest."
-:-
As the evening sun began to sink in the sky, Pierce found himself at his destination. The radar had led him deep into the northern slum, to a nondescript warehouse with a cargo truck parked outside.
"Got you," Pierce said to himself. He touched the radar device's screen at the point where its readings were most intense, marking the warehouse with a small Team Rocket logo.
All of a sudden, he heard the sound of tires screeching up the street. Concealing himself behind a dumpster, Pierce watched as Zinzolin's car tore up and parked next to the truck. The old man climbed out and quickly entered the warehouse, but Pierce was still able to catch a clear sight of him.
"And there's the smoking gun. Caught you red-handed, Polaris."
-:-
Jessie and James backed through the doorway of Team Rocket's hideout, the latter using the R-Pad to guide the laser box containing Meowth. Once they were all inside, Jessie stopped walking abruptly, causing James to crash into her.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, James!"
"If you didn't stop behind me, that wouldn't have happened."
"Both of you, quiet!" Giovanni commanded, with Persian meowing to punctuate his speech. "I see you got Meowth back here safely."
"Good work," Rosalie complimented, "I'm impressed. Now…"
After placing a container on her lap, Rosalie moved her wheelchair toward Jessie and James. Once she reached them, she handed the cube to Jessie, who opened it to find a single blue rock.
"That's a Chargestone we had left over from Unova," explained the scientist.
"I know," Jessie sharply replied, "we mined those for Dr. Zager."
"Well, in that case, just put it in the cube with Meowth. We have a small trigger inside the Chargestone to manipulate its energy flow, and your R-Pad has a program to control it. Some exposure to the Chargestone's energy will reverse the effects of the Meteonite's energy on Meowth."
"Let's get to it, then." By tapping several buttons on the R-Pad's screen, James caused the top of the laser box to disappear.
Jessie took the Chargestone out of its case and dropped it into the box, where it rolled over next to Meowth. She then nodded to James, who closed the container again, then activated the device within the Chargestone.
The rock sparked to life with an electrical glow. Its light got brighter and brighter as it discharged more energy, forcing Jessie, James, Giovanni, Rosalie and the other Team Rocket members to cover their eyes. At its most intense point, Meowth could be heard screaming, and shortly after that, the light began to fade.
The laser box, left cracked by the intensity of the energy, shattered and dropped Meowth to the floor. Jessie and James watched him, barely able to contain their anticipation.
Finally, he slowly stood up, rubbing his head. "Ugh… where am I? What happened?"
"Meowth! You're back to normal!"
"We finally got you away from Polaris!"
Meowth turned around and saw Jessie and James. Realizing what had happened, he jumped into their arms, and the three of them all started crying in joy.
"You two guys really saved me!"
"We can't terrorize Polaris if we aren't a trio!"
"James is right, and now we can even say the motto the right way again!"
"G-Giovanni, sir?" Ada piped up from her seat at the computer terminal.
"What?"
"We… we've confirmed that the Magnet Train has departed from the station…"
"Very good." Turning to Jessie, James and Meowth, Giovanni said, "Pierce isn't back yet, so you'll have to go after the Meteonite…"
"…b-but it's not the train we were watching."
"What?" Ariana ran up next to Ada so she could look at the computers.
"I've been watching RChannel for the signal, and… a-and there, you can see it. 'I missed my train, what can I do until the next one leaves tomorrow?'"
"It's a trap," Ariana growled. "They knew we would be watching them. I don't know how, but they did."
"Rosalie, contact the Tenganists," Giovanni directed. "Tell them to call it off."
"Got it." Rosalie hit several buttons on the arm of her wheelchair, opening a hologram window that displayed 'audio only.' "Come in, this is Goldenrod…"
What neither Rosalie nor Giovanni were expecting was to be met with static.
"Come in, this is Goldenrod!" Rosalie repeated.
There was no response. The silence sent a chill down Rosalie's spine, and behind her, Giovanni scowled and leaned on his arm.
She turned her head and nervously said to him, "Sir, we can't get them to respond… we might not be able to stop this…"
"So be it," Giovanni growled. "We'll have to take what losses happen and go to a backup plan…"
-:-
"Cordelia, huh?"
"Yeah, he thought she would like it and she did."
Matt and Bunny were walking out of a shop on the northern end of the town's central area, discussing the renaming of his Sigilyph. They were so engrossed with their conversation that they didn't notice Rowena step out in front of them until they had nearly walked into her.
"Oh, sorry about…" Matt cut his apology short when he saw the face of who he was talking to.
"Wait, you…"
"It's good to see you again too, Matt, Bunny," Rowena said with a slight bow of her head.
"You're the reporter from Whitegold City, aren't you?"
"Rowena, right?" Bunny guessed.
"You got it. I came out here to report on Polaris's speech, and when I found out about you being here, I wanted to conduct an interview with you about it. You had quite the encounter with them in Violet City, after all."
Matt chuckled nervously, then put Cordelia's Poké Ball away and scratched the back of his head.
"I guess I can do that. Sorry for almost walking into you… and sorry for forgetting your name, too."
-:-
Back at the hotel room, Nekou had tossed her clothes about the bronze-colored bathroom so she could soak in the tub. She had placed pots of incense around the room and sprinkled flower petals in the water, all to help her meditate.
"I can't lose myself to… that… again," she said out loud, taking deep, cleansing breaths. "For Olivia's sake, I have to control it."
Between the hot water and the pleasant scents she'd surrounded herself with, Nekou did what she could to relax her mind. As she sat and soaked, she did her best to push everything out of her head, knowing that it would be the only way to reach her dark, violent side without degenerating into it.
She sat in the tub, breathing and meditating, for around an hour before she found something deep in her mind. It wasn't clear to her what it was, just that it gave her a very uncomfortable, nervous feeling.
"So you came without being about to die for once, huh?"
"The fuck? Who said that?" In truth, Nekou knew who it was. The voice she heard in her head was her own voice, just with a more hissing, feral tone.
"You know me. Or is it just uncomfortable to see what kind of a monster you really are?"
"Oh, I know I'm a monster. But what fucking right have you got to take over my body like you own it?"
"Because I do own it, you dumb bitch. Why do you think I'm so deep inside of you? You know, just worked nice and deep in there… at the core of your being…"
Nekou sank lower into the bath. She knew that the entity in her mind, her berserk, animalistic side, was right.
"As much as you want to deny it, it's true. Everything about you is a lie. Lies you built around yourself to hide from what you really are."
"Fuck you. Why am I arguing with voices in my head again? Just shut the fuck up and behave. I'm in charge, not you."
"Oh, ouch. As always, you've got quite the sharp tongue. But you know, you're the one who should be behaving. The reason you get so violent every time I come out is because you keep struggling to control me."
"No, fuck you. Stop taking over what belongs to me."
"You're so trapped in your illusion that you don't see how truly deep the shit you're in is. You want to stop having problems with me? Give yourself up to me then. I see everything you want, don't worry. I'll take everything you want. You're a monster, so start acting like one. I would have just broken the glass and taken that coat today. You just don't get it…"
"No, no, no!" Nekou screamed, pulling at her hair in anguish. She could feel her muscles beginning to tense and swell, a fact that made her realize she was losing control. "Shut the fuck up! Just stop it!"
Ignoring her pleas, the voice kept on, "We'll have to find somewhere to live, too. There's plenty of rich assholes in this city, we can kill one and take his shit and nobody would be any the wiser. Of course, we'd need to surround ourselves with things we like, too. Maybe we can take that guy you've got your eye on and that girl and make them ours, whether they like it or not…"
"Shut the fuck up!"
Regretting having ever tried to reach her vicious side deliberately, Nekou flipped over and hit her head against the side of the tub in a desperate attempt to escape. It didn't help, as she could hear the twisted version of her voice laughing at her in her head.
Suddenly, music filled the room.
"Cover me with kisses, baby, cover me with love, roll me in designer sheets I'll never get enough… emotions come I don't know why, cover up love's alibi…"
The ringing of her phone, which had been sitting on the side of the tub, snapped Nekou out of her increasing insanity. As she flopped back over in the water again, she thought she heard the voice one last time.
"I'll see you again…"
Pushing the whole thing out of her mind as much as she could, Nekou sank down in the tub until the water was at her neck, then hit her phone, activating the hologram function. Another projection of Giovanni materialized just in time to see her reaching for a beer can on the other side of the tub.
"Drinking again?" he sighed.
"Oh come on, I'm off the clock now. Cut me some slack."
"No, Lalume, you aren't," Giovanni reproached her. "Polaris found out about our plans somehow and sent a decoy train. The mission isn't over."
This news prompted Nekou to sit up slightly. "Well, shit. Did you manage to at least call off Pierce's friends?"
"No. They cut off contact. This is about to get much, much worse. Be careful."
"What's…" Nekou paused to take a nervous sip of beer before finishing her question, "what's our move now?"
"Stand by. I will have more orders tomorrow."
-:-
A three-car train sped over the plains on its way into Kanto under a clear, early night sky. Aboard were Looker and several other International Police members, with two prisoners in their custody. Looker was riding in the back car with Jacob, while in the middle car, the other officers were holding a rigid-faced man with disheveled blue hair and a matching beard. From their car, Looker and Jacob could hear the prisoner ranting out loud.
"I see Ecruteak City burning… and I see this region falling to its knees… listen to me, we're all going to die!"
Looker sighed. "That man, whose name is Grings Kodai… he is still thinking he can see his vision into the future?"
"We're all going to die, listen to me! There's going to be a big explosion, and, and…"
"Wait…"
"Alexison, you should best keep your mouth shut."
"No, I'm serious." Though he couldn't move much due to being handcuffed to a rail, Jacob stared straight at Looker with a fire in his eyes. "Listen to what he's saying."
"They're going to bomb the train!" Kodai screamed, under the audible sounds of the officers trying to calm him.
"Looker, if you've never thought about anything I say before, do it now. There might be something to what Kodai's yelling about. He did see the future at one time."
Looker considered what Jacob was telling him. He couldn't deny his prisoner's passion for what he believed, but Looker wasn't sure what to make of it. Standing, he walked over to a phone and picked it up.
"Hello, this is codename Looker in car three. That is what they all call me, yes. Did you manage to happen to sweep the train for anything of suspiciousness before we departed? …I thought so."
"What did they say?"
"This train does not have one spot against its record of safety…"
In a cruel fit of irony, within seconds of Looker's statement, a great explosion rocked the train. The bombs weren't on the train itself, but on the tracks, decimating them just in front of the speeding vehicle. With no chance of stopping, the train plummeted off the destroyed tracks and crashed into the ground. The locomotive at the front split into two parts from the impact, while the middle car smashed into it at an angle and broke apart as well. As for the third car, it slammed into the back of the second, destroying the side that was attached to the rest of the train. Looker and Jacob were violently thrown across the car, the latter taking the broken bar his handcuffs were latched to with him.
As smoke rose over the Kanto countryside from the combination of the bombs and the destroyed train, a thick fog suddenly began rolling in. Several men and women emerged from the fog into the site of the crash, accompanied by a Gardevoir and Gothitelle. Both Pokémon had their eyes glowing as they used their psychic power.
"What a mess…" one of the women uttered.
"The Prophet's words are absolute," another said. "We aren't targeting anyone but Polaris, and we have to fight if we're going to survive."
One of the men stepped forward and clasped his hands together. "Transcend the confines of time and space! Show me the terrain!"
The Tenganists waited in silence for the results of their survey of the area. The man using his Transcendence took several minutes to complete the task, but when he did, he was visibly unnerved.
"The Meteonite isn't here… and these aren't Polaris members, they're the International Police…"
"Oh damn it!" another man shouted before taking out a handheld radio. "It was a trap! We bombed an International Police convoy train!"
"Polaris figured us out," the Prophet said through the radio. "Are there any survivors?"
"Two in the back car," the man who had scanned the area reported. "Everyone else is gone already…"
"Take the two who survived and bring them back," came the order. "Retreat before Polaris finds you. We'll have to heal the survivors and talk to them."
Several of the Tenganists made their way to the wreckage of the third car, where Looker and Jacob were unconscious on the floor. They pulled the two survivors up and dragged them out of the train. With nothing more at the site for them, the Tenganists then fled back into the fog, and once they had disappeared with their Pokémon, the fog lifted, leaving no evidence they'd been there.
END of CHAPTER 14