A man crouched in the darkness next to his bisharp. Neither he nor his monster wore any variety of night vision goggles; such things might be detected by the members of Team Rocket bustling to and fro in the cave around them.
Besides, his targets lit themselves. All he needed to do was locate the target and then strike swiftly and surely, cutting the thread that held the tapestry of Team Rocket's plan together.
The man crept closer and his bisharp followed. It was almost time to stri-
"The boss has his mask off!"
"What really? Do we finally get to know- Holy shit! Giovanni's the boss?"
The gym leader of the Viridian City gym strode through one of the Rocket encampments on the first level of the Cerulean Cave, walking among the rank and file of the organization without wearing a mask for the first time. Grunts stared in awe as they realized that the mysterious leader of Team Rocket, the true identity of whom had only been known to the higher ups, was actually a senior gym leader.
The cave was a sea of darkness with islands of bright light wherever the Rockets had been able to set up their equipment. There was a constant reverberation throughout the cave as the constant sounds of battle from outside, the sounds of the rampaging pokemon deeper in the cave, and the roar of the underground waterways mixed. The air was still, cool, and moist.
Giovanni reached the center of the camp where machinery that consisted of numerous reflective panes and antenna dishes stood.
"Have we been able to secure the sites for all the components of the capture device?" Giovanni asked the local admin in charge.
"Affirmative," they nodded. "And we've already got the teams who will be setting up the second stage ready and waiting."
"Good," Giovanni nodded. "How soon will we be able to begin the first phase?"
"Momentarily, sir."
Giovanni nodded again and then grabbed a pokeball from his belt. Ignoring the surprised look from the Rocket Admin the gym leader called forth his rhydon with a blaze of white light.
"As we've been practicing," Giovanni told his pokemon who took a wide stance in response and then closed its eyes.
"Sir…?"
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," Giovanni told the admin. "Proceed when ready."
The admin shrugged and turned back to the machine. There was a crackle of static as a radio came to life and the admin began to communicate with the others in charge of the other sites. With a whirring hum the machine came to life, the antennae emitting a soft red glow, and the reflective panes shone with a harsh crimson light.
"Establishing outer capture net," the admin said. "Status is green. Outer capture net will be fully established in-"
He was cut off by a sudden crash as Giovanni's rhyhorn stomped its massive foot into the ground, the appendage glowing gold.
There was a great cracking of stone as a pillar of golden energy erupted like a roaring geyser on the other side of the cavern, shaking the cave and sending shards of rock flying. Silhouetted by the energy were the forms of a man and bisharp sent soaring throug the air by the attack.
"Finish them with Fissure!" Giovanni commanded and his rhyhorn bellowed in acknowledgment. Another stomp and then the earth opened up below the man and the bisharp, letting them fall into the gap before it slammed shut with a crunch and a squelch.
"Who? What?" The admin looked over at his boss while the nearby Grunts rushed over to Giovanni and the others to the final resting place of the intruders.
"We've had a leak for some time now," Giovanni said, giving the admin a mirthless grin. "I haven't been able to pinpoint the source, but I have noticed how it has been exploited. There was always an agent arriving after our operations began whose goal was to sabotage some small yet critical part of our overall plan… I figured that they would show up today. I prepared a countermeasure."
"How'd you know that they were enemy combatants?"
Giovanni frowned.
"I couldn't be one hundred percent sure," he confessed. "But all of our forces should be using lights and there shouldn't have been any civilians down here in the first place. There was a possibility of friendly fire, if one of our units had lost their lights." Giovanni then shrugged. "But that's one of the risks we take. And this close to achieving our ultimate objective…"
"I understand," the admin nodded. "I'll also remind everyone not to go off without a light source."
"Good man," Giovanni said and then glanced up. A mist glowing with a soft purple light had appeared, lapping against an invisible barrier with gentle yet roiling waves.
The head of Team Rocket smirked. The abomination's influence was contained. It was almost captured.
Do Super-Potions taste any different than the regular sort? Ash asked as he went through the Cerulean gym's supplies. He, Brock, and Misty had split up to pack and prepare before they sortied out to the Cerulean Cave. Misty's sisters were trying to plan the best route into the cave for their strike and were waiting on more reports from their scouts. All three of the trainers were taking the opportunity to give their pokemon a light meal before the fighting started.
Oh, yes, they taste awful, Pikachu said, sticking out his tongue. Just be glad that you don't have to put up with them.
I don't know, having a human medicine that heals me as fast as a Super-Potion heals you would be great.
No, it would encourage you to get into more trouble.
I hate to agree with the rodent, Bulbasaur said as he munched through a small bowl of poke-chow, but he ain't wrong.
Hey! Charmander exclaimed. Unless the injury stops him from moving it doesn't stop Ash from getting into more trouble.
I hadn't considered that, Bulbasaur said, rubbing the bottom of his chin with a vine.
It doesn't stop him, but it does slow him down, Squirtle pointed out. Well, it used to, but now he can just ride Pidgeot I guess.
I'm not carrying him if he's injured unless it's an emergency, Pidgeot said between pecks at her food.
I don't get in that much trouble, Ash protested.
I agree, Magikarp said, flopping over to him. After all, I'm still alive, so he couldn't have gotten in too much trouble.
That reminds me, Ash said, turning to the water-type. You're not allowed to die today, got it?
Oh fine, Magikarp sighed. If you need me to stick around that badly.
You dying would ruin the victory celebration, Primeape said.
Anyway, it's not like Ash means to get into so much trouble, Butterfree trilled consolingly. He just stumbles across it a lot.
Misty stumbled over this trouble, Ash grumbled, crossing his arms. Not me. I'd like you all to remember that.
Yes, she's picking up your bad habits, Pikachu said casually. We'll have to find her a new pokemon to look after her now.
Well, maybe I can't argue with you, Ash said, corners of his lips twitching. After all, there was a lot of trouble at the very start of my journey.
Yeah, with those Rockets stealing the caterpies! Butterfree said.
Oh, no, the very start, Ash corrected. When I got insulted and then attacked by my very first pokemon. The boy clutched a fist to his chest. I should have known then that my journey would be nothing but trouble, he exclaimed, but alas, I was naïve to the ways of the world.
Oh, you had it coming for that trick you like to pull on every pokemon you meet, Pikachu said, glaring at Ash.
You expected me to speak properly in front of Professor Oak?
Oh, don't even pretend you wouldn't have pulled that trick if he hadn't been there.
I wouldn't have! Honest!
I don't believe you.
You hurt my feelings, Ash huffed, before turning away in a mock pout.
Your feelings have it coming.
Ash returned to gathering gym supplies while his pokemon ate. He didn't have room in his pack for everything he wanted to bring, but he could at least replace some of his supplies with high quality versions from the gym's stores.
While his pokemon were eating and he was packing, Fire of the Forest Moonrise wandered over.
What's up? Ash asked her when she arrived. Does Brock need something?
No, Moonrise shook her head. He's packing too.
Oh, Ash shrugged. Do you need something then?
I-I don't' know.
Huh?
Brock's not taking me with because I'm not a fighting pokemon, Moonrise said, looking down and shuffling her feet.
That makes sense, Ash nodded.
But even if I'm not a fighting pokemon I could still be useful… or at least that's what I thought, Moonrise said, still looking at the floor.
Yeah, but he probably doesn't want you to get hurt or taken by Team Rocket, Ash said.
Well, I don't want him to be hurt by Team Rocket either and I'm more durable than him, the vulpix shot back. But fine, she huffed, I'm not a fighting pokemon. I get that. But what about him? What about you? Why are you fighting? I thought you humans weren't supposed to fight?
Fires of the Forest Moonrise raised her head and looked Ash right in the eye.
Isn't that why you left the forest? So you wouldn't have to fight?
Ash was silent for a moment, looking away from the vulpix and fiddling with the pile of supplies without doing anything with them.
He had left the wilds because he didn't want to put up with the violence there, where his friends had killed another one of his friends out of hunger, where the need to survive drove a cycle of violence without beginning or end.
And then Ash had come to the human world where violence was occurring without the excuse of hunger or survival to drive it.
But he had expected that. Poison Lance, Pocket Watch, Flygirl, and Mismagius had told him what the human world was like, about the violence they had encountered traveling with Luke. While Ash hadn't expected to partake so soon after his journey began he had been under no illusions about the human world.
At the same time the stories that his parents had told him weren't enough to prepare him for the reality of the world. The multiplication of his nightmares, the scars on his body, the pain he saw in those around him- things he never could have imagined back in the wilds.
And if he had never left, never started his journey then Ash would have been spared that suffering.
But those he had helped wouldn't have been.
It hasn't been easy, Ash said eventually, meeting the fire-type's eyes again. But it's what I needed to do. In the wild the violence happens because that's how pokemon and animals survive. I can't stop it, it wouldn't be right to stop it.
But here? Ash continued. In the human world? It's not necessary. I can stop it. I can stop people and pokemon from getting hurt. I can make friends and know that even if they do end up fighting I can stop them without needing to choose between the life of one and the death of another. Human civilization is a complicated, broken, painful, and strange place, but it's a place where we can choose to be better.
It's a place where Tail in the Grass wouldn't be expected to die, Fires of the Forest Moonrise said, her voice soft and quiet. Even if he still died, it wouldn't be expected.
Yeah, Ash nodded.
It was a place where I wouldn't starve and I wouldn't have to fight to eat, that's why I came here, the vulpix sighed. That's all that I was thinking about. And now, instead of fighting to eat, my human, his team, my old friend who speaks properly, and his team are all about to fight for some reason I can't even understand while I either stay here or find a way to sneak after Brock so I can be a nightlight or the absolute last line of defense.
I'm sorry.
No, Moonrise shook her head. What's that human saying? There's no such thing as a free lunch? Well, I knew that joining human society would have some hurdles. I'll pay my dues one way or another. I've got it better than a lot of other pokemon at least.
Well, I'll do my best to make sure Brock makes it back safe and sound, Ash said, giving her a small smile.
And you better make sure that you come back safe and sound too, Moonrise said, narrowing her eyes. I've heard some of Brock and Misty's complaints about you, buster.
Oh, we'll keep an eye on this idiot, Pikachu said, jumping onto Ash's shoulder and casually leaning against his head, forepaws crossed. Don't you worry about that.
You better do a good job, you hear, Moonrise told the electric type. I don't want to have to tell meema the bad news.
"You packed?" Misty asked when Ash returned to the command room. Ash nodded in answer.
"All of our scouts reported in and we think we've got an idea of Team Rocket's deployment," Daisy said, leaning over a digital display on a central table, with known Rocket positions marked in red.
"Our scouts weren't able to penetrate into the cave so we only know what's on the surface," Lily added from next to Daisy.
"But our seismic sensors have managed to pick up on some movement," Violet said from Daisy's other side. "We think we know where their active forces are on the first layer."
"So, then we should be able to bypass their defenses on the surface and in the cave?" Brock asked.
"No, we can just, like, guarantee that you won't enter the cave right in the middle of a manned Rocket fortification. You'll still need to watch out for rampaging wild pokemon," Daisy told him. "Once you're in the cave you're on your own, but it's a good environment for you and Misty. Try to stick to the waterways if you can, between your rock types and her water types you should be able to deal with whatever the cave has to throw at you."
"And Aaron will deal with any wildcards," Lily added with a smirk.
"Okay," Brock took a deep breath and then placed a finger on the display. "If we go underground here and then we start heading east…" His finger traced a path through the maze of Rocket positions. "Yeah, this will get us through. Small patrols will be a problem, but Zubat can keep an ear out…. It's not great, but it'll do."
"When has it ever been great?" Misty asked, rolling her eyes. "We'll make do."
"Yeah!" Ash exclaimed. "We've done it before, we'll do it again."
"The last time you did something like this you almost died," Brock said, glaring at the boy and then turned the glare on Misty. "And this time we'll be outnumbered in the heart of enemy territory with no intelligence-"
When has that ever stopped a human? Pikachu asked from Ash's shoulder.
"- and no backup or extraction," Brock continued. "And we're up against Giovanni, an experienced gym leader who specialized in ground type pokemon, while we're underground. Our only hopes are to avoid him entirely or take him by surprise and kill him quickly."
"Then that's just what we'll have to do," Misty said, punching into her palm, her eyes narrowing. "He attacked my town. He attacked my sisters. He doesn't get to just walk away after that. If he wants whatever's in the cave bad enough that he'll betray Kanto then we need to make sure that he doesn't get it."
Brock looked at her, sighed, and then turned to Ash.
"This is your last chance to back out."
"We do this quick and then the fighting's over," Ash nodded. "We need to try. I'm not backing out."
"I don't know why I expected anything different from you," Brock sighed again. "Well, I tried."
"Are you ready? We don't have any time to spare," Daisy said, looking up from the map. "They've cut off communications and we don't know how far out reinforcements are, if any are coming."
Ash nodded, anticipation visible in every fiber of his being.
Brock nodded, looking resigned.
"Let's kick these bastards out of my town," Misty growled. "Come on, let's get going."
AN: Once again I'd like to thank Amationary for beta reading.
Another Ash motivation section, but this time it was for the benefit of Moonrise.
We're getting ever closer to the end.
The next chapter will be released on May 22nd 2024.