 |
| The One |
| Chapter 11 |
| Brock and Pikachu had just left the Pokemon Storage Room and were trying to get their bearings. After a moment of contemplation, they turned left down a long corridor into a dark abyss, taking slow careful steps so as not to alert any nearby Rockets lurking in the passageways. Brock was trembling from fear with each shakey step forward, as Pikachu hovered near Brock's legs. They kept trudging forward, until they heard a noise. Brock: [knealing down to Pikachu, whispering quietly] "Don't make any sounds or any sudden movements..." *Bang!* Not a second after Brock warned Pikachu, he had to eat his own words. Brock: [silently cursing,Pikachu's paws over his mouth] "Ahh, $%!^, that hurt!" A door had just flown open from the left side of the hallway that the two had been walking down, just in time to meet Brock's head as he was whispering to Pikachu to keep quiet. Now, it was all he could do to keep to his word. Girl: "Did you hear something?" Brock: "..." ~Wait a minute. That voice sounds really familiar...~ "I didn't hear anything, Cassidy. You're just imaging things." Cassidy: "This coming from the guy who was chewing his nails off the entire flight in the helicopter." Butch: "It only took us twenty minutes on the Super Copter. You're one to talk anyway. I wasn't the one twisting my hair in knots and having to rip them out because they were beyond tangled." Cassidy: [enfuriated and nervous] "Oh, Okay! Enough with the arguing. We both know that we're nervous wrecks. Let's not make this any worse. Now c'mon [motioning him to follow her], we need to get to the secret room that Madame Boss told us about so we can release the...muffmuffmwah!" Butch: [hand over Cassidy's mouth] "That's enough. You know how Rockets are. Do you want to give away everything?" [letting go] Cassidy: "Let's just go!" With that, the two marched down the hallway in the direction that Brock and Pikachu had been going, leaving the door they had emerged from wide open. Brock stood up from his kneeling position on the floor. Looking up the hallway in the direction Butch and Cassidy had run off and scouring the hallways behind them, he saw it was safe for the time being. Brock: [looking up at the door] "What is this room? It says, "Pokemon Lab". A lab?! What could they possibly be doing with a Pokemon lab?" Pikachu: [pulling on Brock's pants leg] "Pikachu, pika pikachu!" Brock: [looking down] "What is it, Pikachu?" Pikachu: [pointing frantically toward the dim passageway behind them] "Pika Pika CHU!" Brock: "Somebody's coming?!" Pikachu: [nodding frantically] "Pika!/Yes!" Brock: [grabbing Pikachu and hurling him inside] "C'mon, we have to hide in this room!" Brock and Pikahu hid against the wall parallel with the door, leaving it open halfway as it was so as not to draw attention in case Cassidy and Butch came back, but also to get a bit of light into the room and to hear what was going on outside. Taking a moment to observe his surroundings, Brock noticed a door toward the back of the room on the left side, on the wall adjacent to the wall with the door they had entered. He looked hard at the door and made out the words "Helicopter Landing Pad". He imagined that that is where Cassidy and Butch entered. He could also faintly make out another sort of door near that one in the back, on the wall directly across from them at the end of the room, but this door looked more like a prisoner cell with metal bars and a huge lock. Pikachu: [whispering] "Pika pika!/voices!" Brock: [whispering] "Sounds like voices outside the door." Pikachu: [sighing/sweat-dropping] "Chu..." In the hallway... "So what are we going to do now?" "Do I always have to know what's going on?! Why don't you try using that pea-sized brain of yours for a change?" Brock: ~that sounds just like...~ [whiny, with big watery eyes] "Jessie, why do you always have to be so mean to me?" *scratch, scratch!* "Do youse guys always hafta be jabberin' when we gotta develop a plan of action?" Jessie: "Well Meowth, since you have so much to say, why don't you think of a plan to get us ahead of that stupid Cassidy and Butch and put us back in the boss' favor? Then you can talk." Meowth: "As a matter of fact, I was just thinkin'." James: "Oh, what? What? Tell me, tell me. What's your fabulous plan. I wanna know. Tell me!" Jessie: [slapping James to the floor] "Oh James, shut up! [to Meowth] What's your plan Meowth? Tell me, tell me!" Meowth: "Like I was saying, I was thinking..." Jessie/James: "Yes?" Meowth: "And I haven't gotten past that step yet." *Bam!* Meowth: [sprawled on the floor] "Hey, youse guys didn't have to hit Meowth, so hard, uhh..." Jessie: "Now what are we going to do James? We know that Cassidy and Butch are up to something, but we just can't let them win. We can't!" James: [looking at Jessie with concern, and awkwardly hugging her] "Hey Jess, we always think of something sooner or later, right? And besides [lifting her chin up so their eyes could meet], we're the only ones that ever manage to meet the brats. We'll meet up with them again and beat Miss Bad Bleach Job and Wheezing Rat Boy at their own game." Jessie: [blushing and smiling] "Hey, don't insult Wheezing like that." Brock: [still hiding inside of room] ~Eww, did I just witness Team Rocket having a 'touching moment'? I'm going to have to go to therapy after this. But...I think what they just said can help us get to Ash and Misty.~ Brock: [picking up Pikachu, whispering softly] "Hey, Pikachu. I think I have a plan." Giovanni: [smiling] "I'm sorry, but I can't help myself." Ash: "What's so funny?" Giovanni: "You two remind me so much of me and Delia when we were young." Misty: "You mean, Mrs. Ketchum?" Ash: "Mom? Wha! [blushing furiously]" Misty: [looking back and forth between Ash and Giovanni] "Wait a minute. You and Mrs. Ketchum were together?" Giovanni: "That is right, young miss." Misty: "It's Misty. So, um, were you all together long? Did Ash know about this?" Giovanni: [chuckling at the girl's childish innocence] "Well I should say so. Delia and I were married and have been for many years now." Misty: "Really? Wow, I...Wait. Oh my gosh! Then you're, you're..." Ash: [looking into Misty's eyes] "He's my father." Misty: [looking at Giovanni] "You, Ash's...[looking at Ash] Ash?" Giovanni: "It is true. And while I couldn't be prouder of my son, I haven't been able to be there for him like I would have liked to be these past ten years, for reasons that you two wouldn't understand, and probably wouldn't want to know. But that is why I want to speak to you now. [very seriously] It is very dangerous for the two of you to be here, especially you Ash. You need to leave imediately, for if they find out that you're here..." The flourescent lights overhead suddenly ceased to shine, and the room was consumed by darkness. A new lavender light slowly flickered on overhead, and a small red light on the far wall below Giovanni's elevated office switched to green with the sound of an electronic click, as the concrete seemed to split apart slowly from the middle to reveal a sinister new aparition of darkness in the form of an unknown monster. Giovanni: [shakey and barely audible] "Too late." Brock: "So, are you in?" Jessie: "You do know that under normal circumstances, we would never be on the side of the twirps." Brock: "You've done it before." Meowth: "But in case you didn't realize, we always had something in it for us, just like we do now." James: "But we also have to admit that as much as we love trying to steal Pikachu..." Pikachu: [really P.O.ed] "Pikaaa.../What..." James: [laughing nervously] "Not now! You, you know what I mean, dontcha, little "Chuy" [trying to pet the yellow mouse]..." Pikachu: [really irritated, cheeks sparking] "Pika pikachu pika pika chu CHU/I'm not some stupid Star Wars ape man!" James: [reaching to pet Pikachu] "Aww, how cute. Pikachu's trying to rap." Brock: "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Pikachu looks a little..." James: "Oh nonsense. Pikachu and I are friends, right buddy. Boom chicka boom chicka chika boom boom..." Pikachu: [really ticked off, preparing to fire] "Pi-kaaa-chuuu.../Ka-maaaaay-haaaaaa..." James: "Boom chick boom chick boom, look Jessie I'm beat-boxing!..." Pikachu: "kaaaaaaaa.../maaaaaaaay..." Jessie: "Shut up 'Timberlake' before..." Brock: "Uh, James? He's about ready to..." Pikachu: [full throttle Thunder attack on James] "CHUUUU!!!/HAAAA!!!" Brock: "Ah, the Ka-may-ha-may-ha attack. [high-fiveing Pikachu] Works every time!" James: [charred, still smoking] "I guess, I'll never be 'n sync with my dream of being a pop star..." Jessie: [kicking James] "Get up you 'Justin wannabe'! This is no time to loaf around like some untrained pokemon. Anyway, [now talking to the others] I think what James was trying to say was that as much as we act like we're tough and mean, we can't let you all get hurt." Brock: "You really mean that?" Jessie: "Yes well, if you all got hurt or, um, worse, who would we have to pick on?" Brock: [rolling his eyes] "Gee, thanks for the concern." Meowth: "C'mon youse guys, let's get going. If we know Cassidy and Butch, they're probably getting pretty close to damolishin' your friends right about now. We need ta hurry and get our plan underway." Brock: "So let me get this straight one last time." Jessie: "Ok, but make it quick." Brock: "Alright, so you guys know that secret room they went into and you're gonna over-write something? You're gonna ruin their instructions or something?" Jessie: "'Override' you idiot! But, I guess you could say that about the instructions." James: "Instructions won't help them after we get through with them." Brock: "How can you all possibly know a secret method to foiling their plan?" Meowth: "Kid, obviously you haven't really been there these past years, cause in case you didn't realize, these two are pokemon masters when it comes to messing up pokemon plans." Jessie: [whacking Meowth over the head] "Why you little...!" James: "Let's just say this one is common sense." At James' words, Brock broke out into histerical laughter. Brock: [tears in his eyes] "Since when...did you three...EVER...haha...have...common sense...ha!" Jessie: "Let me ask you something you little ball of hormones! Do you think that tampering with a pokemon's mind and disrupting it's natural life style would make it angry?" Brock: "Of course." Jessie: "Well let me tell you something. There is a pokemon they are about to unleash that can quintuple the strongest level of damage that your powerful little Pikachu can in a lifetime. Those other Rockets are well on their way to infuriating the beast and using its anger to desimate your friends." Pikachu: "Pikapi, Kachupi.../Ash, Misty..." Brock: "No, Ash, Misty..." Jessie: "Listen, you want to save your friends, right? Then you stay here and do as we say. You turn on that moniter and watch for the signal. Then, you open that large cell door over there and you go inside and do exactly what we said." Brock: "Will it work?" Meowth: "Don't worry. They already know that something is wrong with their natural balance, and with Pikachu their to help, they'll know to trust you. You just follow the plan." Brock: "Got it. I'll be here, waiting. And you guys." Jessie/James/Meowth: "Yes/yeah?" Brock: [winking, thumb's up] "Good luck?" Just as the three were about to leave the room, Brock remembered. Brock: "Hey, wait a second! There's something I wanted to ask you. You remember when I told you that I heard Cassidy and Butch talking about planning to release that creature or something?" Jessie: "Yes, that's why we agreed to listen to what you had to say instead of just turning you in." Brock: "Right. Well, I heard them mention this lady. They were talking about a Madame Boss. Who is she? Um, guys?" Brock stared into the terrified faces of the three Rockets who looked like they had just been stricken across the face by a powerful blow. James: "What name did you say?" Brock: "Ma, Madame Boss. Who is she?" Jessie: [composing herself, a little] "She is the boss' mother..." James: "The Big Guy, the Big Kahuna, the Head Hancho, the...Owwwie! Jessie that hurt!" Jessie: [after hitting James over the head] "Enough! [looking back at Brock] She is the highest authority of Team Rocket, and we'll leave it at that." Meowth: [whispering] "She's got camaras in the strangest places. She could be listening to us right now." Brock/Pikachu: *gulp* Jessie: "This is serious. You don't know what you and your friends have gotten yourselves into. You know this goes against a Rocket's beliefs but, [whispering] you better pray." As soon as the three Rockets left the room, Pikachu jumped up into Brock's arms. Pikachu: "Pika pikachu, pikapi, pi kachupi." Brock didn't understand Pikachu's words any more than he had before, but for once he understood their meaning. Brock: "Don't worry, Pikachu. We'll help Ash and Misty. We're all gonna get out of here and save our Pokemon too. We'll get um back." ~We just have to...~ |
 |