Chapter 16 – Team Rocket's shocking new recruit V

THE GNN NEWS HOUR

With Chloe Talbot

Good morning – our top story this hour…

The trial of the twelve scientists and one Pokémon poacher accused of Pokémon experimentation on a Mew, Darkrai and Pikachu, has gotten underway at the Supreme Court in Castelia City.

One of the scientists, Dr. Sheldon Cooper, a Texan, plead guilty to all charges on the indictment and agreed to turn states evidence.

Sheldon is due to take the stand later today after the prosecution concluding their opening submissions. He is expected to the crown's most important witness.

Other indicted as part of the conspiracy include the Dr. Sauboh Faba, the former branch chief of the Aether Foundation, and Dana Scully, a doctor and former investigator with the FBI.

The indictments allege the thirteen defendants were involved in a conspiracy to conduct experiments on Pokémon on an island in Unova.

These experiments allegedly involved a Darkrai named Shadow, the legendary Pokémon Mew and a Pikachu named Hikari, amongst others.

The prosecution's case is expected to last five days.

For an in-depth look at the case, you can tune into the law report at 8:00.

The trial is the first following a series of indictments issued by special prosecutor Heather Dunbar, in investigating the government's involvement in the creation of Type: Null.

[Pokémon]

"Dat's it," Meowth groaned as he pulled himself out of the brambles. "Next time I drive!"

"Oh, my head!" Ashachu rubbed his temples with his paws as he steadily opened his eyes. His head was throbbing and something sharp and painful was sticking into his sides. As his vision came back into focus, he saw the wreckage above him.

The canvas of the Meowth head balloon was lying stretched and punctured in the canopy of a large tree. The basket was hanging lopsided below it. He looked around to find that he was lying in the middle of a bush. A branch was sticking into his back.

Tilting his head back, he saw Meowth behind him, stretching the crick in his back and pulling thorns from his fur.

"Uh help!" he cried out feebly.

"Huh…Oh, you okay there twerpachoo." Meowth promptly reached into the bushes and pulled Ashachu free, before setting him on his feet in the grass.

Ashachu breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks man…What happened?"

Meowth shrugged. "James can't fly dat thing to save his life!"

Ashachu looked back up at the balloon. Sure enough, one of the rocket engines on the side of the basket seemed to have exploded, leaving just a knobbly blob of melted metal and wires clinging to the side.

Ashachu thought back. He vaguely remembered Charizard disappearing behind them. Then a flash of light. Then the loud bang and the sensation of falling. Then blackness before he had awoken in the bushes.

That left one question… "Where are Jessie and James."

As if on que, he heard a groaning coming from nearby. He looked over his shoulder to see a human shaped hole in the trunk of a grand oak tree. And stuck in the middle a human figure in a white outfit and with flowing pink hair.

"James…I don't know how to say this, but. I've never felt this closed to you!"

"I feel the same way about you Jessie…And Wobbuffet!"

"Wobbuffet."

One by one, Jessie, James and Meowth fell out of the side of the tree and into a heap on the ground, where they gingerly got to their feet, stretching and groaning. Cover in bruises and cuts, and with their uniforms ripped in some places, they looked almost as bad as Ashachu felt.

"What on earth happened," Jessie exclaimed angrily after she had collected herself. She gazed up at the tree to examine the damage.

"I dunno," said James "I think we may have been attacked?"

"No maybe about it," grumbled Meowth. "I saw it coming from a mile away. Weren't you watching or listenin' to me!"

"Well, it doesn't matter now," said Jessie hurried, as James glowered at Meowth. The last thing they needed now was an argument. "The question is what do we do now. If we were attacked then we can't stay here. Whoever fired that attack might see the balloon."

"And why do I get the feeling there's supposed to be one more of us," asked James.

Ashachu suddenly felt a lurch of sickness in his stomach. "Hunter!" he cried out. "Where's Hunter." Oh Arceus, if anything had happened to the Riolu, then it was entirely his fault.

Thankfully Hunter wasn't hard to find. He way laying in the tall grass, having been thrown from the balloon upon impact. His paws and feet were stilled tied and the ball gag secured around his muzzle.

"Hunter!" Ashachu was horrified to see the trickle of blood and drool flowing from his maw and staining his muzzle red. "Hunter, are you alright?"

Ashachu ran over to him, turned Hunter over so he was lying on his back, and tried to remove the gag. His clumsy paws and short fingers weren't able to undo the strap. Desperate, he bit down on the strap and tried to break with his teeth.

Success…He felt the strap break his mouth and the gag slackened on Hunter's face. He quickly pulled the ball gag out of Hunter's maw. No sooner had he done so than he heard Hunter draw a deep breath. That was good, he was still breathing.

"Hunter…Hunter. Please, please wake up."

Ashachu slapped Hunter repeatedly on the side of the face.

"Our…" After an agonising few second – which to Ashachu felt like an eternity – Hunter started to stir. With a soft moan, Hunters eyes flickered open.

Ashachu felt relief wash over him. "Hunter. Thank goodness." A broad grin spread across his face. He couldn't help himself. He was just so happy and relieved; he gave Hunter a sweet lick on the end of his nose.

This proved to be exactly the wrong thing to do…

As Hunter's eyes met Ashachu's, an angry snarl formed across his face. He gnashed his teeth as Ashachu's tongue touched the end of his nose. Ashachu recoiled, narrowly avoiding having his tongue bitten out.

"Pika!"

"Ashachu! What the fuck is wrong with you!"

Ashachu sat up on Hunter's chest and raised his eyebrows. "Hunter? What's wrong."

Hunter's snarl deepened and he bared his teeth, distorting his face almost beyond recognition. How could the usually sweet, loving Riolu give him such a look.

"What's wrong," He braked incredulously. "What's wrong. You know exactly what's wrong. First you join team Rocket. Next you kidnap me. Then your goons tied me up. Now this. What the fuck have you done to me. Have you." He moved his tongue around in his maw. "Oh Arceus, I chipped a tooth."

"Hunter. Hunter, I…" What. He was sorry. It was going to be alright. I didn't mean it. Ashachu had no idea what to say.

"And after doing all that, you go and lick me!" Hunter continued angrily. "As if we're still together. As if I still have any interest in being your boyfriend. And you're sitting there on my chest. What are you going to do rape me? If I wasn't tied up, I'd give you such a thrashing."

Ashachu quickly hopped off Hunter's chest. The Riolu's words hit him like a close combat attack from a raging Lucario. He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Hunter…What are you saying…" As if Ashachu didn't know already.

"What I'm saying is that I don't like you anymore," growled Hunter. "You aren't my best friend. In fact, I hate you. I HATE YOU, ASHACHU! Now let me go, then stay the fuck away from me!"

Ashachu would never forget it. The moment his heart broke in two. Earlier the rifts in the relationship had felt, almost like a physical pain. Like being stabbed in the chest. Now, strangely, Ashachu just felt…empty. Like his heart had not so much broken but disintegrated.

He stood there for a moment, unable to move. His brain almost refusing to process what Hunter was saying.

And then Team Rocket descended. He felt Meowth clasp a paw on his back. "Ooh. Tough break there, kiddo!"

"Such a feisty little pup," commented James. "He really will make a fine edition to Team Rocket."

James picked Hunter up the scruff of his neck while Jessie held open a large black sack. Hunter's eyes widened as James begun to lower him inside.

"No. No don't put me in there. Let me go."

Hunter struggled and squirmed but was unable to get loose from his bonds, as he was lowered into the dark bag. Jessie pulled the ties around his head, sealing him inside. Ashachu had no idea what the sack was made of, but no sooner had the ties closed than the sounds of Hunter's protests were cut off.

James picked up the sack and slung it over his back. "Right. Shall we get going then?"

[Pokémon]

It was like something inside Ashachu had reverted. Like his brain had turned off all of his feelings and emotions – everything that made him Ashachu – and just left his basic pika instincts turned on.

The ache in his heart had become a dull throb as his instinct took over and his thoughts and feelings went unheeded. He had become essentially, a Pikachu on autopilot, as he wandered through the trees with Team Rocket.

Meowth kept up a stream of what he evidently believed, was comforting commentary.

"Don't ya fret 'bout Mr. Riolu. He's just bein' dramatic. He don't really mean dat. I'm sure he'll be beggin' ya to take him back soon enough. And hey. If it don't work out between ya, dare's plenty of other Pokémon left in da wild. Blade seems to really like ya. The two of you would make a great couple."

Ashachu ignored him for the most part, not really hearing or understanding his words. He let out a small cry of "pi" or "chu" or "pika" every now and then. Which Meowth could interpret how he pleased.

Ashachu had no idea how long they had been walking for when the trees finally gave way to an opening and the start of a small town. There was a sign by the side of the road. Ashachu read it but understood none of it.

PETALBURG CITY

"Where people mingle with nature"

"Petalburg City," said James. "Why does that name sound familiar."

"Cause it's da hometown of the twerpette and the mini-twerp," Meowth replied.

Jessie frowned at him. "Which twerpette and mini-twerp."

"There have been a few of them," agreed James.

"Ya know. Da one who used to dress in red and wear dat hair band. I t'ink she joined Team Flare."

"You mean Misty," asked Jessie.

Meowth shook his head. "Nah, da other one. May!"

Jessie and James both nodded.

"Ah yes!"

"I remember."

"And if I'm not mistaken," Meowth continued. "Da gym leader 'ere is there father, Norman…Dis gives me an idea."

[Pokémon]

"Uh-uh. No way!"

Poor Hunter…He really wasn't having a good day. Betrayed and hurt by Ashachu, hogtied and shoved into a dark smelly bag, and not Team Rocket wanted him to…

"There is no way on earth, I am helping you do that. N-O."

Still tied and with no means of escape, he turned his nose up, not looking at any of the trio who were standing in front of him. Jessie, James and Meowth let out a chorus of sinister sounding laughter.

"ahahahaha."

"Hey Riolu," taunted Meowth. "It's not like you have a choice here."

Ashachu watched from the sidelines, still feeling numb and empty inside. He was watching what was happening but not really processing it. A voice in his head, probably his conscience, was telling him he should intervene, to help Hunter. But each time he felt any empathy, the memory of Hunter snarling at him resurfaced in his mind.

'I hate you. I HATE YOU, ASHACHU…'

"Inkay, in…"

Hunter looked up to see a little squid like Pokémon floating above his head. It has a transparent mantle with a rounded, pink body inside that had several yellow, circular lights – oh how they flashed.

Attached to the mantle were two tentacles; its remaining tentacles were part of its main body. It had a pink-like maw and a its eyes – oh its eyes. They were soft and brown. No, yellow and brown. No red. They kept changing colour.

Hunter felt his brain go fuzzy. Everything was slowly being driven from his mind. Ashachu, Team Rocket. He couldn't even remember his own name. All that matters were those flashing multicoloured eyes.

"O-Olu." His body was feeling heavy. Like he was sinking into himself… "Ri-oo."

And then a voice drifted in from far away. "'Unter, can you 'ere me!"

"Olu!"

"When I snap my paws, ya gonna be a member of Team Rocket. And your gonna do what we say. Understand."

"Rio-lu."

SNAP!