'Hi Ash! Congratulations on becoming World Champion! I've been taking care of the Cerulean Gym as you know and my sisters have kinda become fangirls of yours, although unfortunately they won't be able to come to the Celebration, who knew that the Inexperienced Trainer who I fished up back then was going to eventually become the Monarch? Crazy right? Anyways, me and Brock have some specially ordered made gifts for you, authentic gifts from an old friend of ours, not telling you what they are of course. I still can't get over the fact that you won, I'm personally glad to see that you have not only grown as a trainer, but as a person, although I won't know how much you've grown until I see you again, at that point we could have another battle? I hope the event will be even better for you then it'll be for us, We will see you soon! Don't know when 'soon' is, but soon. Bye!'
-Misty...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"WHAT! How is he alive!" yelled Giovanni
"I don't know either, but I have security on standby waiting on your order" says Matori
"Wait a minute, what ARE they doing bringing him in here? I know they wouldn't betray me, If they wanted to they would have done so ages ago?" asked Giovanni
Matori doesn't know the answer, she just hit the button and called the guards to bring them in
"Attention all agents! Intruders have been spotted in the building! I repeat, Intruders are in the building, capture them and bring them into the Bosses quarters!" Yells Matori, speaking throughout the building
Before the group knew it they we're surrounded by agents, however the Rocket Trio had a plan...
"Don't worry, we captured them already, go on, shoo, we're taking them to the boss ourselves" says Meowth
Matori had forgot to mention that the Trio were with the intruders
"Sorry, the Bosses room is on the top floor, take a left at the elevator" says the grunt
"Thank you" says Jessie
"Move it" says James bumping Ash lightly
The group continued to walk upstairs, succeeding in reaching the door to Giovanni's room
(Knock Knock Knock)
"Come in" orders Matori expecting her agents to bring the group in, instead seeing only the 5 enter, much to their shock and disgust
"Ash Ketchum, you should b-" Giovanni was cut off
"I wish to join Team Rocket" flatly says Ash not caring what Giovanni wanted to say
This caught the both of them off guard, eventually Giovanni started to laugh
"You expect me to believe that? you have thwarted my plans ever since I met you, what reason would you ever have to join Team Rocket?" Asks Giovanni trying to humour Ash before sicking the entire building on him
"Because this is the best way of getting revenge on those that killed my family" says Ash
Giovanni was confused, HE killed Ash's family, even set up Ditto's to frame his friends-
Then it hit him
Giovanni's Ditto plan might not have worked on framing Ash's friends to the law, but this may have accidently worked on Ash, he had to test his theory out
"And who are these people who killed your family?" asked Giovanni knowing damn well who it was
"Those traitors I called friends, I saw them smiling as the building burnt, those smiles... they saw my family perish, they saw me laying there slowly dying... and they smiled... I know they had to have done it, there was no-one else around" says Ash
Giovanni was astounded, his initial plan didn't work the way he thought it would, but it worked nonetheless! And now he wants to join Team Rocket out of revenge, he would have the current Monarch on his side!
"So, what do you plan to do when it comes to taking revenge on them? what's your goal?" asked Giovanni making sure he wasn't delving into a trap
"Take their Pokemon, Put them where they belong, make them suffer for what they have done" says Ash making Gary very uncomfortable, he wanted them to face the same things Ash did, but all that coming from Ash, the innocent boy who was completely different not even a day ago, he didn't like those words coming from him, he worried
"Now tell me, why should I be inclined to care about your revenge?" says Giovanni asking 1 last question to determine if he was lying or not
"If you accept me, I'll have no qualms doing your dirty work until my goal is complete" says Ash
Giovanni laughed
"You realize once you join, you can't leave right?" asked Giovanni smirking
"Do you want my help or not?" asked Ash getting annoyed at all the questions
"Do you want your revenge or not?" asked Giovanni keeping his authority over Ash
Ash, now pissed, eventually agreed to Giovanni's terms
"Fine, I accept" says Ash
"Giovanni, you can't possibly be accepting this runt into our ranks!" says Matori
"Silence, I have tested him already, I know he is telling the truth" says Giovanni
Matori hated this, she knew Ash and his friend had something up his sleeve, she had to figure it out
"Don't forget me either, I want revenge on them too, they killed my grandpa, and whilst I don't exactly want to join you, I need to take care of Ash, and if that means joining up with you guys, then so be it" says Gary
Giovanni was stoked
"Well then, I can't just let you in, first your going to have to prove your worth, I have a list of grunts who haven't sent any Pokemon to HQ in a while, I want you to... Motivate them" says Giovanni
"Give us the list and we'll do it" says Ash
"Good, Matori" ordered Giovanni
"Hnnng" grunts Matori as she begrudgingly gives Ash the list
Ash took the list and saw 3 members, 3 random grunts, shouldn't be too difficult
"We're on it" says Ash as he and Gary walk out the door
As soon as the two walk out the room, Giovanni speaks to the Trio
"What made you three think bringing him in before questioning was a good idea!?! He could have been lying for all you knew!" Yelled Giovanni
"Trust us boss, we've known that kid longer then anyone else here has, we know when he tells the truth, and we know that he wanted revenge" says Meowth
"That still doesn't excuse you three for brining him in here unannounced!" yelled Matori
"Matori, I understand your frustration, but think about how useful having the Monarch in our ranks, and considering the fact that we know he wants revenge on his friends, he will be a great asset" says Giovanni smiling
"So Boss, now that our mission... can't be completed, what shall you have us do?" asked the Trio
"For now, you 3 can stand there and listen to me giving you a pay-cut for interfering in another Agent's mission, especially after I told you 3 not to draw any attention!" yelled Giovanni, the Trio dropped the ground comedically crying...
Ash and Gary had head out into the middle of the night and started to traverse their way out of the rocky terrain and into the woods to find these Grunts...
POV switch to Rocket Trio...
The group had finally finished being yelled at by Giovanni and Matori...
"Guess its back to rations for us..." Says James
"Well if Meowth didn't come up with the stupid plan to try to capture their Pokemon maybe we wouldn't be here in this situation" says Jessie annoyed
"Oi, you two are the ones who came up with the plans!" Yelled Meowth
"Forget about that, so... Today narks the day where we start working with the twe- I mean... Ash" says Jessie
"It's gonna be a while till we get used to calling him that" says James
"So, our next goal... We're joining the battalion under the command of Domino..." Grunts Jessie
"Yes, the boss told us that Team Rocket as a whole is putting all it's resources into capturing Legendary Pokemon, why they didn't tell us about it before is beyond me" says James
"Because we always screw up?" Asked Meowth rhetorically
"So, how long will it take for Ash and his buddy to return?" Asked James
"All the members that they were sent to 'Motivate' are currently all residing in Lavender Town, meaning they'll need to pass through the Rock Tunnel to get there" says Jessie
"Lavender Town huh? Let's hope they can stomach the ghost types..." Says Meowth...
The group would hop in their bunks to sleep for the next few days, atleast... Until their next mission, the mission to recapture Mewtwo...
Next Morning
Ash and Gary had taken shelter under a tree not far from the entrance to the Rock Tunnel
It was 5am, the two young boys began to pack up their camp
"Ash, you ready? There's going to be some strong Pokemon in there" Asked Gary
Ash would look at his 3 occupied Pokeballs and realize that he hasn't had any training with them
"It'll give these Pokemon some experience in battle, I'll need your help if we encounter any strong Pokemon" says Ash
"Blastoise!" Yelled Gary as he released the Water Tortoise
"Stoise" nodded Blastoise looking at the tunnel
"Bagon!" Yelled Ash releasing the Dragon Type
"Ba!" Exclaimed Bacon
"Alright Ash, let's head through" says Gary
"Yeah" says Ash as he and Bagon followed
The two boys began to walk through the Tunnel
Their spelunking efforts were going well enough, Blastoise and Bacon we're wiping the floor with most of the Geodude and Machop that inhabited the area, little did they know, they we're being watched by all the Zubat's on the roof of the tunnel, all laying in wait...
"Gary, how far until we reach Lavender?" Asked Ash
Gary would have a look at his map of the Rock Tunnel
"We should be-" said Gary being interrupted by a Golbat taking his map
"Hey!" Yelled Gary as he shined his light towards the Golbat who landed on the roof, where Gary and Ash had finally realized that they were surrounded
Ash shined his light all around him, there were Zubat's everywhere
"Ash look!" Yelled Gary as he pointed to the Golbat that took the map, showing 4 other Golbat, 1 who looked saddened
"Arcanine!" Yelled Gary as he released the Fire Dog
That's when Ash's Eevee come out of its ball by itself
Ash smiled
"Eevee use Helping Hand!" Yelled Ash as Eevee helped out Arcanine
"Arcanine use Flamethrower!" Yelled Gary to which Arcanine sprouted the powered up Flamethrower, knocking out most of the Zubat's in the area
"Gol Golbat!" Yelled the leader Golbat as the rest of the Zubat's attacked Ash and Gary, some getting hit by Blastoise's Water Cannons, and Bagon's Ember
After all the Zubat's had fallen, the leader screeched at the other 4 Golbat's to attack Ash and Gary, however whilst 3 did as they were asked, 1 didn't, the saddened looking one grew angry with the leader and started attacking the Leader Golbat, angered by the betrayal
"Arcanine use Flame Wheel!" Yelled Gary as Arcanine immediately knocked all the henchmen Golbat on the ground
"Eevee use Tackle!" Yelled Ash to which Eevee charged headfirst into the Golbat's, making them faint
"Ash look!" Yelled Gary as he pointed to the 2 Golbat's fighting, ultimately the leader had the upper hand and knocked the saddened Golbat to the ground, standing on it
"Bagon use Ember!" Yelled Ash as Bagon spewed the fiery flakes, hitting the Leader Golbat, knocking it out
The Saddened Golbat looked at Ash, to which both Ash and Gary braced for an attack
The Golbat proceeded to rush for Ash, to which he didn't have enough time to react, he braced for the impact... That never came
Ash opened his eyes to see Golbat right in front of him, eying him
"Uhhhh, you okay?" Asked Ash confused
"Golbat!" Thanked Golbat who went down to Ash's belt and tapped on one of Ash's Pokeballs, being caught in the process
Ash smiled at the ball that now contained Golbat
Gary looked around and found the map
"Ah there it is, anyways, it looks like we're near the exit, not far now!" Says Gary as he and Ash start running thought the Tunnel only to start hearing motions in the caves structure
"What's that!?!" Yelled Ash
That's when a long Stone Snake emerged from the ground, blocking the exit
"Onix!" Yelled Gary
"Zorua!" Exclaimed Ash as he released the mysterious Pokemon
"Zorua!" Responded the strange variant of Zorua
"Arcanine use Flamethrower!" Yelled Gary to which Onix shrugged it off and used stone edge on Arcanine
"Arcanine dodge it!" Yelled Gary which Arcanine was able to do with some difficulty
"Zorua use Scratch!" Yelled Ash as Zorua hopped onto the Onix and started to scratch it, with little effect
Onix would get annoyed with the scratches and would start to attempt to throw Zorua off
"Hang on Zorua!" Yelled Ash as Zorua kept hanging on
"Blastoise use Hydro Cannon!" Ordered Gary as Blastoise fired groups of high pressured water at the Onix, doing insanely super effective damage
"Now Arcanine! Use Flare Blitz!" Yelled Gary as Arcanine threw the Fire Symbol at Onix, whilst not doing much damage, Lowes it to the brink of Fainting
"Now Zorua! Use Scratch again!" Yelled Ash as Zorua Scratched the Onix's eye, knocking the Rock Snake unconscious
"Phew.... Ash, let's hurry before more of them show up!" Exclaimed Gary
The two boys thanked and recalled their Pokemon and ran to the end of the Tunnel, finally reaching sunlight at 11am, 5 hours after they had entered, now they just had to make their way through the rest of route 10...
"Ash..." Said Gary
"Yeah, I know" says Ash as the two bring out their Pokemon to defend them...
POV switch to Ash's friend's
The group had been waiting for any news of Ash or Gary, unfortunately for them, they had not had such news
"No... No news yet, they have checked the area, but any evidence that could have told us anything about him has been erased due to the heavy rain that happened last night..." Says Jenny to the group as they continued to comfort each other, still wanting to believe Ash was around
As the group continued to shed tears in silence, a man busted into the Pokemon center, they ignored him
"Where are they!?!" Asked the Man
"Where are who?" Asked Jenny
"Where are Delia and Ash Ketchum!?!" Asked the Man
The group overheard Ash's name being spoken
"Your name?" Asked Jenny suspicious
"Ghota Ketchum!" Said the Man
The group were now actively listening to the conversation
"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Ketchum, please, let's talk in private" says Jenny as she led Ghota to an empty room...
"You don't think?..." Asked Brock
"I have heard stories about him from Ash, but to actually see him..." Said Misty
"Ash's Father..." Says Tracey
The rest of the group had questions, but they would have to wait until the man finished his business with Jenny...
POV switch to Ghota
"So, where are they?" Demanded Ghota
"Sit down..." Says Jenny to which Ghota obliged
The two sat down
"Would you prefer me just be straight with you?" Asked Jenny
"Yes..." Says Ghota
"Ash... We couldn't find him at the scene, for all we know he could still be alive" says Jenny
"Oh thank god..." Sighs Ghota
"Unfortunately, we haven't been able to locate him" says Jenny
"And what about... Delia..." Asked Ghota
"...I'm sorry" says Jenny as she passes him the picture of Delia's blanket covered body
"God dammit..." Says Ghota crying a bit
"We're waiting until we find Ash to start the funeral... Unfortunately, due to how these things work, if we can't find Ash soon... We'll have to classify him as deceased..." Says Jenny to her sadness
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Asked Ghota
"Unfortunately we cannot allow you to help us in the investigation, I know your occupation of Pokemon Ranger, but unless your actively part of the Police Force, we can't allow you to help..." Says Jenny
"I see" grunts Ghota still tearing up
"Don't worry, we're looking all over the area, all the way to Viridian City" reassures Jenny
"Anyone else?" Asked Ghota
"Professor Samuel Oak has also passed from the event, Gary Oak has also not been found, Ash's Pikachu has also been found in the rubble, poor Pokemon..." Sighed Jenny
Ghota stayed silent, he wanted to see Pikachu, but not like this
"We're looking for those who did this, rest assured Mr. Ketchu-" Jenny was interrupted
"It was Team Rocket" said Ghota clenching his fist
"Do you have evidence?!?" Asked Jenny looking for any way to find the culprits
"Call your sister in Viridian, ask her about a Team Rocket grunt that she and I had interrogated, he had confessed that the organization were going to blow up the Research lab before it happened" explained Ghota
Officer Jenny did just that and called Viridian Jenny, who confirmed the fact and even sent video footage of him confessing...
"Alright, I believe you, we'll try our best to take down these criminals" says Jenny
"I'm... I need to just think..." Says Ghota as he gets up and leaves the room
Ghota began to exit the building before he got a tap on the shoulder by a tall dude with green hair
"Excuse me sir, we were sitting nearby when you said the name Ash Ketchum" said the green haired man
Ghota was silent for a few seconds, reflecting on his son...
"Yes, that boy is my son..." Says Ghota turning around to see a group of kids and teens looking saddened
"We're his friends, we all travelled with him at some point or another, we just wanted to say that we're sorry we couldn't arrive any sooner..." Says the green haired man
"It's okay, it wasn't your fault, it was Team Rocket's" says Ghota
"Team Rocket!?!" Asked the group
"Yes, I was in Viridian City yesterday, I got information from a member of Team Rocket about them blowing up a research lab in pallet, and I came right away... I tried the warn them... It tried" said Ghota in tears, beginning to slump down on a chair
"I tried... I tried...." Repeated Ghota
The group didn't know how to help the Ghota, they could only reflect upon their friend, some continuing to shed tears
"He's gotta be alive, he's gotta be, I know Ash, this is not a way he would go out..." Says Misty
"We'll all welcome him back when he's found, we'll all be there for him..." Says Dawn
"Well... I know I'm not the only one grieving here, let's go to the my home, the Ketchum Residence" says Ghota
The group silently thanked the man and began to walk with him back to Ash's home...
1 hour later...
The group had reached the Ketchum Residence and began reflecting on all their moments together, all the pictures of them, the gifts they gave Ash, the times they had together, Ghota had began making a pumpkin soup to give to them all as a way to help them feel happier
"You know... It only just occurred to me, I never actually asked any of you for your names, I've heard of some names here and there, but I don't know who's belongs to who" says Ghota
First was the boys helping him cook
"My name is Brock" said the closed eye one
"My name's Cilan" said the green haired boy
"I have heard many tales about you Brock, same with you Cilan" says Ghota
"My names Lana, great to meet you finally" said the blue haired girl
"My names Misty, I have heard tales about you too" said the orange haired girl
"Ah, Misty, another who I've beard many tales about, I have heard a few tales about you too Lana" says Ghota
Next the three kids spoke up
"My names Max" said the little boy
"My names Bonnie" said the little girl
"My names Mimo" said the other little girl
"I see, you all don't look like your old enough to be trainers yet, am I correct?" asked Ghota
The three silently nodded
"Well, don't let a situation like this get you down, whatever happens... Is in the past... Always think of the future" said Ghota still tearing up thinking about Ash being gone...
"Sorry about that... Anyways, let's continue..." Says Ghota
"My names Iris" silently said the long purple haired girl
"My names Goh, I'm sorry this was the way we had to meet" says Goh
"Ah Iris, I heard you became champion of Unova, quite the achievement, also Goh, I have heard about you quite recently, I'm glad Ash made a friend with someone who's name is similar to mine" named Ghota
Goh chuckled a bit
"My names Lillie, are you aware of the aether foundation?" Asked the girl in all white
"The names Gladion" said the edgy looking boy
"Well nice yo meet you two, and yes, I have worked with the aether foundation many times, not directly, but our missions do sometimes overlap" explains Ghota
"My names Mallow" said the girl helping him with cooking
"I take it your the cook of the group, these berry additions you make to the food are astounding" says Ghota tasting the soup
"Yeah, my family runs a restaurant in the Alola region" explains the green haired girl
"Your parents must be proud of you" said Ghota to which the rest of the Alola group panicked
"It's okay guys... He didn't know" stated Mallow
"Is there something I'm missing?" Asked Ghota
"Its just that... My mother..." Says Mallow
"I... I see, sorry about that comment" apologized Ghota
"Its okay, and thanks, she would have been" says Mallow smiling a bit
"Well, I guess we should continue the introduction train" says Ghota
"My names Kiawe, Mimo over there is my little sister" says the shirtless boy pointing to Mimo
"My names Sophocles" stated the short boy
"I have hears some tales of you two, I heard your Turtonator is strong" says Ghota
"Thanks, it really is" says Kiawe
"My names Clemont, that girl over there is my little sister" says Clemont Pointing to Bonnie
"I recognise that name, as much as I like the tales about you, please refrain from building inventions here" jokes Ghota making Clemont smile a bit
"I'll try not to" says Clemont earning a smirk from Ghota
"My names May, Max over there is my Little brother, you may know me as-" May was Interrupted
"Ahh yes, Hoenn Princess, huge fan of your work, and yes, men can watch contests and performances aswell" states Ghota earning laughs from the Coordinators and Performers
"My names Dawn, unfortunately I don't have a fancy title like May does" explained the blue haired girl with a beanie
"Don't worry. I have heard many tales of you, and not just from Ash" said Ghota
"My names Serena" said the blond girl
"My names Chloe" said the girl in pinkish haired girl
"I heard about you Chloe, your family is the Cerise family correct?" Asked Ghota
"Yes" simply replied Chloe
"Also, so your Serena huh?" Asked Ghota
"Yep, that's me" sweat dropped Serena
"Welp, now I know who has a crush on my little boy" says Ghota making Serena blush immensely, earning giggles from the rest of the group
"I'm Tracey, I'm Professor Oak's assistant, I met Ash when he entered the Orange League, we've been friends ever since..." Said the boy wearing a headband, thinking back on his friend and mentor
"Good to meet you Tracey, I'm sorry about the situation we're in, have you contacted the champion to see if you can have a replacement lab built?" Asked Ghota
"No... No not yet... It hasn't been on my mind..." Explained Tracey
"That's fair, I'm happy to have any of you here for any amount of time you need, especially you Tracey, since I don't exactly know your other options" says Ghota
"Thank you Mr. Ketchum" said Ghota bowing
"Oh please, just call me Ghota, its easier" smiled Ghota
The group all agreed and Ghota and Mimey began serving the soup to everyone
The group sat in sombre silence, all thinking of Ash, hoping he would just pop in through the door, which unfortunately never happened...
"So.. I take it by now the news has hit the other regions... Your parents are most likely coming to get you all as I speak" said Ghota
"Yes... She told me this morning that she'd come see me in a few days..." Said Dawn
"Mine should be here in a couple days..." Says Chloe
"Alright, well, your all welcome here, I have already began ordering extra keys for this place should any of you be in the area..." Said Ghota, earning thanks from the group
"It's just... What if he-" Lana got interrupted
"Don't think like that Lana, we know he's got to be alive, he's Ash Ketchum, he has survived the unsurvivable" says Misty reassuring her water type friend
"Exactly, we all need to have faith in Ash" says Gladion
"I couldn't agree more" says May
"You all really care about Ash... Thank you all for being with him while I couldn't..." Said Ghota, regretting his absence
"Don't worry, we all loved his company, we all loved him, some more literal then others" says Dawn looking at Serena, who's still blushing
"He will be back with us, we know it..." says Brock
The group would have their Pumpkin Soup and continue waiting for the news...
POV switch to Ash...
Ash and Gary had finally made their way through route 10, beside them stood a mountain of Nidoran's, Machop's, and Rattata's, even a few Raticate's
"Your Pokemon doing okay Ash?" asked Gary
"Yeah, although they'll need some time to heal up once this mission's over and done with" replied Ash
"Golbat really has proven itself" stated Gary looking at the grinning Bat Pokemon
"You did great Golbat, return for some rest" said Ash as the red light enveloped the Bat Pokemon
"We're less then a few kilometres from Lavender Town, you can even see the Lavender Tower from here" stated Gary as he looked at the haunted building
The two would begin running towards the Town, entering through the North side...
"Okay, I suggest we split up, I know you can take on a grunt or two, even with your untrained Pokemon" said Gary
"They'll require some training, but they'll be able to handle those low-lives" said Ash as he went east
"In that case" said Gary beginning to walk west...
Gary had been walking through the Town, hearing strange sounds from what he suspected was Ghost Type Pokemon, he ignored and continue trying to find the address of the Grunt
"Arcanine!" ordered Gary releasing the Canine
Gary hopped on Arcanine and not to long later, he would be standing on the front porch of the Grunt
"You ready Arcanine?" asked Gary
"Nine" nodded the Canine
"Knock this door down" yelled Gary as Arcanine rammed through the door, breaking the lock and forcing it open, looking around, he was surrounded by Raticate's and Golbat's, the Grunt was waiting for him
"You really think I'd let HQ take all my Pokemon from me?!? I do the taking here, not them!" yelled the grunt as he ordered his Pokemon to attack Gary
"This should be entertaining" said Gary readying himself...
POV switch to Ash...
Ash had looked around for a little while, eventually coming across one of the Grunts in the street, drunk out of his mind
"Beat it brat, can't you see I'm busy trying to get up here" said the man almost passed out
"What are you on about?" asked Ash
"Beat it!" yelled the man slumping forwards
"Well, I can't, you haven't paid your Tithe" said Ash
"My what?" asked the man barely hearing Ash
"You have yet to send Pokemon to HQ" said Ash
"Oh... your with Team Rocket, did I really forget to send Pokemon back to HQ?" asked the man
"Just give me the Pokeballs and you'll be fine" explained Ash getting annoyed
"Yeah, sure here, now buzz off, I want to party more" said the man slumping back down
Ash collected the balls and checked each of them to see what they we're containing
"Zubat, Clefairy, Jigglypuff, Pidgey, Metapod and Growlithe" said Ash as he returned all the Pokemon to their balls, since they weren't registered as his, they didn't vanish
"I'll just have to pretend they're empty" said Ash as he walked towards the last address, crossing off the man he just finished
"Now to move on to the one above, apparently this one has some tough Pokemon, I'll have to be careful" said Ash as he walked off to the Address...
POV switch to Gary...
"Golbat!" yelled the man as his last Pokemon fell to the ground
"I wanted that to be a fight, but your Pokemon couldn't even touch my Arcanine" said Gary with disappointment
"You dumb Bat!" yelled the grunt as he went to stomp on the poor Pokemon, Gary grew angry
"Arcanine use Take Down on that man!" yelled Gary as Arcanine hit the grunt with a the force of a car, knocking the man unconscious
"Good job Arcanine, return" said Gary as he walked up to the man and took his Pokeballs, returning all his fainted Pokemon"
"Okay, that's him down, I can move onto the one below" said Gary walking out of the building and towards the next Grunt...
Gary found himself staring down the doorway to the Man's house, big burly fellow, strong Pokemon
"Gary" said Ash coming in from the side
"You got the other one?" asked Gary
"Yep, he didn't put up a fight, dude was to busy drinking to care" said Ash
"Your left arm doing okay?" asked Gary looking at the bandaged up arm being covered
"It hurts to do anything with it, but I'll manage" says Ash
"Well, anyways, this dude is tough, I say we both head in together" said Gary releasing his Tyranitar
"You read my mind" said Ash releasing his Bagon
Gary looked at the Bagon and thought about before the fire, shaking the thought away, they both entered the house, the door was unlocked, and the lights we're cut
"Of course they came for me" said a figure in the dark
"Come out, why haven't you given HQ any Pokemon?" asked Ash
"Why? because I hate working for Team Rocket, truth be told, I want to quit, you guys caught me in the middle of packing up my things to run" said the man snapping his fingers, causing the room to be ingulfed in light, blinding Ash and Gary
"Really? they sent two little runts after me? this might be easier then I thought" said the man, revealing to have a Houndoom, Mightyena and Manectric
"Houndoom use Crunch on Bagon!" yelled the man, Houndoom obliging
"Bagon dodge it!" ordered ash as Bagon jumped up to avoid the hit
"Tyranitar use Smack down!" yelled Gary as Tyranitar caught Houndoom and slammed it to the ground
"Now Bagon use Bite!" ordered Ash as Bagon fell from above and clamped down on Houndoom's tail, Houndoom responding by using Fire Spin, engulfing Bagon
Bagon would come out of the fire with minimal damage due to it resisting fire
"Now Houndoom use Fire Blast!" yelled the Grunt as Houndoom retreated and fired the fireball at Tyranitar, dealing mediocre damage due to it's power
"Tyranitar use Take Down on Mightyena!" yelled Gary
"Mightyena, use Iron Tail!" yelled the Grunt as the Dark Canine smashed into Tyranitar before Tyranitar could use Take Down, effectively slamming Tyranitar into the ground
"Tyranitar!" yelled Gary as Tyranitar stood up weakly
"Tyran..." said Tyranitar
"Tyranitar return!" ordered Gary
"Go Umbreon!" Yelled Gary as he released the Eeveelution
"Umbre" growled Umbreon in attack stance
"Bagon use Ember on Mightyena!" Yelled Ash
"Bagon!" yelled Bagon spreading embers all over the Mightyena
"Manectric use Thunderbolt!" commanded the Grunt as Manectric hit Bagon with the full force of the attack, knocking it out
"Bagon!" yelled Ash in worry
"Umbreon use Confuse Ray!" yelled Gary
Umbreon activated the move and hit Manectric head on, confusing the Electric Canine
"Bagon return!" Said Ash as he reached for another Pokeball
"Go Zorua!" yelled Ash releasing the strange variant of Zorua
"Zorua use Hone Claws!" commanded Ash as Zorua bared it's claws and sharpened them
"Houndoom use Fire Fang!" Yelled the grunt as Houndoom went to bite on Zorua
"Zorua Dodge and use Scratch!" yelled Ash as Zorua leapt up and scratched Houndoom's head, knocking it out
"Houndoom!" yelled the grunt in annoyance
"Manectric use Thunderbolt that Zorua!" yelled the man as Manectric fired a bolt of lightning at the Zorua, hitting dead centre
"Umbreon use Shadow ball on the Manectric!" yelled Gary as it launched the purple ball at the Manectric
"Manectric dodge it!" yelled the grunt as Manectric attempted to dodge the ball but instead rammed into the Mightyena due to it's confusion, resulting in both Pokemon being hit with the Shadowball
"Damn it!" yelled the man as the two canine's continued staying up, Manectric looking bad and Mightyena looking decent
"Mightyena use Crunch on that Umbreon!" Ordered the man
"Mightyena!" yelled Mightyena as it dashed forward and Bite down on Umbreon's back, dealing severe damage
"Now Manectric use Discharge!" Yelled the grunt as Manectric discharged it's electricity and released it all on Umbreon, who took the full force and fell unconscious
"Umbreon!" yelled Gary
"Mightyena use Iron Tail on that boy! Manectric use Thunderbolt on the Zorua!"
"No! Zorua use Scratch on the Mightyena!" Ordered Ash desperately to save Gary
Zorua would leap towards the Mightyena before looking at the Manectric beginning to activate it's attack, fortunately it hit itself in confusion, unfortunately it looks like it became a bit more powerful, albeit on the verge of collapse
Zorua would slam into the Mightyena and scratch it with the Honed claws and jump back to safety
"You did great Umbreon, return" said Gary as he got up and thanked Ash for covering him
"Electivire!" yelled Gary releasing the big furry electric Pokemon
"You still good to go Mightyena?" asked the Grunt to which he received a weakened nod
"Alright, you okay Manectric?" asked the man, receiving a very weak but fierce snarl
"Alright then, Manectric use Discharge once again on Zorua!" ordered the Grunt
"Electivire block it!" yelled Gary
"Fool" said the old man
"Mightyena use Crunch on the Electivire!" yelled the Grunt
"Might!" yelled the canine as it bit down hard on Electivire, all while Electivire was getting hit by the Discharge, lowering it even more, whilst it was on low health, it now felt a surge of speed
"Electivire use Thunder!" yelled Gary as Electivire took aim at the two remaining Canine's, knocking Manectric out and leaving Mightyena on the verge of collapse
"Manectric!" yelled the man now crying, leaving his guard open
"Zorua use Scratch!" yelled Ash as the Zorua slashed it's claws at the Mightyena, knocking it out aswell, leaving the Grunt defenceless
"Please... Please don't take them..." said the Grunt in tears
"I just want to live my life with them..." explained the Grunt bawling his eyes out in fear of his Pokemon being taken away
"Ash... what do we do?" asked Gary
Ash struggled to answer, the other one didn't care for his Pokemon, but this one loved his... He couldn't just take them from him like that...
"Please... just let me go..." said the man once again
Ash thought about his choice, but in the end, he took the three Pokeballs and returned all 3 of the Canine's to their balls
The man smiled
"Heh, I guess you guys really are Team Rocket material..." said the man
"Huh?" asked Gary
The TV screen that had been darkened suddenly turned on, Giovanni presented himself
"So, it turns out you two really are serious to join Team Rocket" says Giovanni pleased with Ash's actions, although Ash was confused, he was going to give them back after returning the Canine's to their balls
"This was a set-up?" asked Gary in annoyance
"Yes, it's a test to see if you truly have the skills and grit to join us" says Giovanni
"And you two passed!" excited exclaimed the man
The other two Grunts would show up behind Ash and Gary, entering the house, Ash's one still drunk
"Damn it Petrel, did you get drunk again?" asked the big burly dude they just beat
"Shut it Tyson, It's been a tiring day" said the drunk man who's name was apparently Petrel
"I must admit Petrel, your drinking has been pretty heavy the past few months" said the third man who Gary knew as the first man he saw
"See? even Proton agrees, and he drinks quite a bit" explained Tyson
"Fine, fine, I'll slow down on the drinking..." said Petrel as the three gave a hearty laugh to eachother
Ash and Gary would look away from the group and continue listening to Giovanni
"Now that I know you are both serious, I have a mission for you when you get back" explained Giovanni
The TV would turn off, Gary and Ash would begin to talk about what has happened
"So, we're officially in..." said Gary in disappointment but also eager to make those fiends pay for their crimes
"Yep... so, about making our way back..." said Ash
"You two kids don't worry about walking back, we all have to report back in with you, so we may aswell give you a lift" grinned Tyson, who seemed to be the lighthearted jokester
"Hop on in" said Proton, who seemed to be the calm and collected one in the group
"Hurry up, my headache ain't going away sitting in here" complained Petrel, who was the drunk one
Ash and Gary took no hesitation in hopping in and in less then an hour, were back to base
"So, you two are on your first mission, best not screw it up, it'll make you look bad" said Proton
"Thanks, but we intend on keeping our end of the bargain, as long as Giovanni keeps his" says Ash
"Welp, we're off" says Petrel waving them off nonchalantly
"You ready Ash?" asked Gary
"Yes" said Ash as he started stepping out of the elevator, ending up at the door of Giovanni
Suddenly the doors opened up to see Giovanni holding some paper's and Matori begrudgingly holding two uniforms
"Congrats you two, you're now part of Team Rocket, before I brief you on your first real mission, I have a few things to provide" said Giovanni as he motioned Matori to walk up to the boys and hand them perfectly sized Team Rocket uniforms
"Whilst you are in this building you are expected to wear this attire, think of it like a school uniform but... professional... and besides, I reckon you'd much rather wear this then those ruined fancy clothes of yours" pointed out Giovanni
Ash hadn't realized it, but he was still wearing the clothes he wore from last night, the clothes May got him, the clothes that Traitor got him, Ash clenched his teeth before asking a question
"Are there any area's that allow Fire Type Pokemon to use their moves?..." asked Ash
"We have an area for training, its just outside the back exit, although If your thinking of burning your current attire I can also have that covered, there are also a few other things I need to provide you with, one of which is having someone teach you to drive a car, since I don't think either of you would know how to do so" said Giovanni
"Actually sir, I do, I can easily teach him the basics" said Gary
"Brilliant, there's also the matter of boring stuff, Radio's, Reports, Schedules, stuff like that you will learn over time, but, there is one thing that can benefit us both here, and those, are new names, or, should I say codenames" said Giovanni
"Why would we need those?" asked Gary
"Because I have looked into what's happening in Pallet Town, It seems like everyone thinks you're both dead, we can use that to both our advantages, It'll allow me to send you both on more risky missions, and It'll allow you to easily make those old friends of yours pay for their crimes,
It's really simple
"So, what names have you come up with?" asked Ash
"Well, I haven't come up with them myself, I am an honourable man when I want to, therefor you can pick your own names, we also have a disguise floor on floor 7, Hair dye, outfits, hair gel to change your hair's look, make up, anything to change your appearance" said Giovanni
Ash wanted to keep his name, for his mother... But a codename would do, he's no stranger to changing names, thinking back to the 'Ashley' incident that Team Rocket made him do, although he did get to battle the Celadon City Gym because of it
"Of course, you can still use your real name with those you trust within the organisation" explained Giovanni
"We'll need some time to think about the name thing, what of this mission you have for us? asked Gary
"Your mission is a relatively simple one, there's a new Pokemon Beauty place opening up in Celadon City, I want you to infiltrate and snatch up any Pokemon you see, You will be assisted by none other then..." paused Giovanni as the doors opened to reveal 3 figures
"Jessie, James, Meowth, Your next mission is with Ash and Gary, I suggest you keep an eye on them and train them to use any equipment necessary" ordered Giovanni
'Okay, this is the coincidence to end all coincidences' thought Ash
"Yes Boss Sir!" said the three as they looked to Ash and Gary with soft eyes
"Also, you're going to need this, It's a Pokedex upgraded with Team Rocket tech, it can tell you the details of every Pokemon from Kanto to Paldea, Past and soon to be future, it also has access to your Pokemon reserves that are stationed here, just place the Pokemon you want to teleport to base here and choose the Pokemon you want here, it will switch them out" said Giovanni as Ash brought out his strange Zorua and pointed the new black Pokedex at it
"Zorua, the Spiteful Fox Pokemon, this particular variant of Zorua is from the Sinnoh region 150 years ago when the region was called Hisui, it is speculated to be extinct or in hiding" Explained the Pokedex in a female voice
"Huh, so Professor Rowan was right after all" said Ash as he returned the now confirmed Hisuian Zorua to it's ball
"You five are dismissed until the mission begins, I expect you all to be well rested for tomorrow" explained Giovanni
Ash would walk out of the room with Gary, Jessie, James and Meowth, the door closing behind them
"So, your first mission is with us... I never thought this day would come" said Meowth
"I sorta wish it didn't, I don't want him facing the horrors of this job" said Jessie becoming protective of Ash, which Gary had noticed
"I never thought I'd be officially working with you either, but here I am, so, about our Job..." asked Ash
"Don't worry, it's a simple process when you don't have a Monarch messing the plans up" said James in a snarky tone, earning a punch on the head from Jessie
"Anyways, basically, we scout the building, find a vent that leads outside, climb through at night, steal all the Pokemon, and leave quietly, It's quite simple" explained Meowth
"Well, I was told that I needed to come up with a codename that can be used on mission's, I think I've come up with a few" said Ash
Gary was also conflicted but let Ash suggest
"I have thought of Vapor, Static, Smoke or Root" said Ash
"Where did those names come from?" asked Gary in disbelief and disappointment, those we're terrible names in his mind
"Actually, Static doesn't sound half bad..." said James
"I agree on that" said Jessie
"Static it is?" asked Meowth
Gary relented
"Static it is then, I would have picked something cool like Alpha or Red or something along those lines" said Gary
"Nah, too cliché, much like the whole 'fake your death' thing, but it makes sense, so we're doing it" said Ash
The group headed towards the dorms, where they had found a state of the art Pokemon Healer, James explained that it's communal and that it fully restores a Pokemon's health and status in just under 5 seconds, unfortunately due to it's size you can't exactly travel with it, Ash healed his Pokemon up and sat down on his bunk bed, Gary getting the top bunk, the duo sleeping next to Jessie and James on the adjacent bunk bed
Ash looked at the time, 5pm, time really sure goes past when your battling
"So this is where you'll be sleeping whilst in the headquarters, I know, nothing special, but trust me when I say the Café is out of this world" says James putting a smile on Ash's face, even after all he went through, he was still a kid at heart and loved a good meal
The Penta went towards the Café to get their dinner, surprisingly getting what seemed to be a decently healthy, tasty and filling meal
"Wow, you weren't kidding out the food here" said Ash to James
"It's actually uncanny when you think about it, why would an evil organisation spend so much money on food like this?" asked Gary
"Simple really, Giovanni needs everyone to be on their best performance, the diet helps with that, a full and happy stomach will always work better then a empty and sad stomach" said Meowth finishing his meal
The group would continue eating their food, eventually finishing and going back to their dorms, where Ash had been thinking of his plan to get justice for his dead friend, mother and partner, eventually giving up as nothing seemed to be punishing enough
Ash would check the time again
7pm...
"So, what time are we heading out for the mission tomorrow?" asked Ash
"6am, bright and early" replied Jessie
"So we're going to get some shut eye, I suggest you do to, It's a long ride" says James
"Will do" says Ash as the light turns off and Ash is left alone with his thoughts
Ash would hear Gary's snoring from above, leaving Ash to think alone
It hadn't even been ten minutes of Ash thinking about his past few days
"Mom... I... I'm sorry" whispers Ash
Jessie would be the only one to hear this, saddened, as she herself lost her mother
Ash continued thinking of those he lost that night, Professor Oak, Pikachu, Delia...
Ash let streams of tears go down his face, making sure not to audibly cry, he cried silently, and would continue to do so throughout the night...
POV switch to Giovanni
Giovanni was looking at the giant screen in his quarters, he was plotting his next move...
"Hmmmm, to catch a Lugia, this is ironic... the last time I tried to catch a Lugia I was thwarted by that brat, but now he's on our side, this is very much a twisted turn of events" said Giovanni
"Pardon me for my opinion, but I would've just killed the brat once he came in" said Matori
"I understand your concern, but I know for a fact he's telling the truth, the mind of a ten year old isn't exactly known for being rational, remember his words when he showed up here?" asked Giovanni
"Of course, I just can't help but feel he's lying" says Matori
"He said that his friends killed his family by planting bombs, completely failing to realize kids of any capacity wouldn't be able to get their hands anywhere close to getting bombs" says Giovanni
"What are you saying?" asked Matori
"I'm saying that we have accidentally tricked him into thinking his friends killed his family, friend and partner, he said that he 'saw them smiling at the burning building', that is exactly what I ordered the Ditto to do, unfortunately the Camera that was supposed to capture them on video was destroyed, but nevertheless, we may have not been able to trick the world into believing that they bombed it, but we instead managed to convince the brat that they did it" said Giovanni
"So basically, you know he's telling the truth because his words line up with what you ordered?" asked Matori
"Yes, but enough of that, I must figure out where Lugia's going to be, it's going to be in Johto, but where?..." said Giovanni
"If I may sir, I have some information on this, you know how I have scouts all over Kanto, Johto and the Sevii Islands? Well I've got reports from these three area's in Johto about alleged sightings of Lugia" said Matori zooming into the far left side of Johto, focusing on Goldenrod, Cianwood and Olivine city's
"There..." said Giovanni looking in the middle of the three city's
"Islands?" asked Matori
"The whirlpool islands..." said Giovanni before getting up from his chair
"Inform everyone on their Pokedex's, they leave for the Whirlpool Islands in a week" said Giovanni
"I'll get to doing that now, I'll also inform Domino and Pierce of this aswell" said Matori
"Don't bother, I'll give them the news directly" said Giovanni...
POV switch to Ash's Friends
The group wasn't in high spirits, still they have yet to hear news of Ash's return...
"Big brother..." Said Bonnie silently
"Yeah Bonnie?" asked Clemont comfortingly
"I..." said Bonnie barely speaking
"I wanted to know, can I stay up later? I want to hear Ash's return..." said Bonnie, basically breaking Clemont's heart in two
"I know... me too..." said Clemont hugging his little sister...
"Hey Lana?..." asked Misty
"Yeah?" replied Lana
"What rituals do you Alolan's perform to make sure someone comes back safely?" asked Misty
"We usually pray to Tapu Lele and Tapu Fini for these kind of events, Tapu Lele for Life, and Tapu Fini for healing, here, follow my moves" said Lana as she taught Misty how to do the Alolan ritual for a safe return...
Gladion, Brock, Cilan and Kiawe were sitting with Ghota, talking about the worst possible scenario...
"If he's gone... I don't know what I'd do, my love for nurse joy's wouldn't even budge my sadness..." said Brock hoping for the best
"I know that as a father, I shouldn't be talking about him not being found, but I need to prepare myself mentally in the case of it happening..." said Ghota
"I must say, life would lose all it's colour without Ash, I don't know if I'd be able to continue being a Connoisseur if he isn't found..." said Cilan
"Damn officers, we may have found him already had they just let us help them!" said Gladion angrily, Ghota feeling the same...
"We just have to keep hoping, that's all we can do" says Kiawe earning nods from Brock and Cilan and Saddened looks from Gladion and Ghota...
May, Dawn, Serena and Chloe were all sitting with each other, consoling each other so that they don't break down completely, although they were most definitely close...
Max and Mimo decided it was best to sleep for the night in hopes that they'd wake up to good news...
Iris, Goh and Tracey were discussing what will happen once he returns, full medical examinations, therapy, counselling, platonic support, all of which Tracey said was going to be paid by him, as he had access to the funds of the Lab, he knew that's what Professor Oak would want...
Lillie was sitting alone on the front porch, snowy by her side, she went to touch some Pokemon, attempt to get over her fear for Ash...
Mallow and Sophocles were at the dining table, still looking through the albums of Ash and his friends, thinking of their adventures and classes...
Ghota got up to walk up the stairs to talk privately and called all the children's parents, whom gave him their numbers, catching up with the Cerise's and Lusamine in the process, who both sent their deepest condolences, he called them about picking their children up and to ask for their addresses so that he can send each of the children a key to the Ketchum Residence, he was then called up by Officer Jenny regarding the funeral, if they couldn't find Ash within the next twenty four hours, he'll legally be considered deceased
"There has to be some way to extend the time of search?!?" Exclaimed Ghota
"Unfortunately not, if we can't find him in the next day well... I'd get some funeral planning done..." Said Jenny
"I... Please, tell me your doing absolutely everything you can to find him?" Asked Ghota
"Absolutely, we've checked here, Viridian City, the surrounding forests, hell... We've even gone all the way to Pewter City, still no signs..." Said Jenny
"I won't accept this..." Mumbled Ghota
"He must have escaped and got captured, he must have been..." Said Ghota trying to find any hope in Ash being alive
"That doesn't match up with what their goal was, even if he did escape the building, if they saw him, they would have killed him and his buddy on the spot" explained Jenny
"Right..." Said Ghota remembering their plan was to kill Ash, not capture him
"Anyways, we'll be working overtime, I don't hope for this to be the case, but I would start doing preparations for the funeral" said Jenny as she hung up, leaving a crumbling Ghota sitting on the top stair, looking at the railing as he remembered him teaching Ash how to ride down the railing, Delia telling him off for encouraging it
"I'm sorry Delia, I won't give up on him, never" said Ghota...
Ghota wiped his tears and went back downstairs to explain to them about the keys and that he's going to plan the funeral
"Ash..." Mumbled Gladion
"I... I need some rest, I hope those inflatable beds help..." Said Ghota as he headed up the stairs to sleep
The rest of the group sadly began to slowly fall asleep one by one, until only Gladion remained, who went outside to speak with Lillie
"He better be alive..." Said Gladion
Lillie stayed silent as she pet the Caterpie that crawled on her lap
The two sat in silence looking at the moon, eventually going inside to sleep, tomorrow would be one of the worst days of their lives...
END CHAPTER 9...
I'll keep this short, you know the drill, tell me if you see any mistakes, I'm going to sleep, sleeping tablets doing its thing, night