Update Fifteen: Infiltration
The Team Rocket Hideout was a bit more tame than what I had expected. It had basically all the trappings of a common office building, and not much else. The real problem, however, could be found in the sheer number of Rocket grunts swarming the place. Luckily for me, nobody had heard the commotion at the top of the stairs, and were going about their business as if nothing was wrong.
I was definitely nervous, there was no denying that. If I was caught here, getting into a simple Pokemon battle was probably the least of my worries. I had to stick to the shadows and keep as silent as possible, which was certainly not a skill I practiced often. Nonetheless, I did my best and slowly made my way through the base, taking care to remain out of sight. Things were going relatively smoothly until I heard an unfortunate shout from the staircase I had descended from.
“HEY!” a female grunt bellowed. “The topside lookout got taken out! We might have an intruder in the Hideout! Find them!”
I quickly panicked and ran into a nearby empty closet, shutting off the lights as I did so. The second I managed to find a spot to hide in the corner, cloaked by shadows, a small squad of Team Rocket members ran by in the hallway, hot on my trail.
As soon as I thought the coast was clear, I reached for a Poke Ball and called out one of my team members. In a quick flash, Kai emerged in his new Kadabra form. “You called?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I answered. “I’m in a bit of a bind here. We’re deep in Team Rocket territory, and if we get caught it could be really bad. Can you use your psychic abilities to help out here?”
Kai sat in thought for approximately three seconds before giving a succinct, “Yes.” His eyes glowed a clear blue in the darkness of the closet for a few more seconds before he spoke again. “I’ve set a marker for us in this location. The next time I use my Teleport ability, it will take us back here.”
“Good thinking,” I praised quietly.
“If you give me a few more moments, I can use my Future Sight to figure out where we need to go,” the Kadabra continued. I breathed a sigh of relief. Having a Psychic type Pokemon like Kai around was a serious blessing for this team. His sharp mind and powerful abilities were useful both on and off the battlefield.
After a short time of planning and plotting, I waited until I thought the coast was completely clear to exit my hiding spot and continue the infiltration. Along the way, Kai and I noticed an elevator tucked in the corner of the floor. I could hardly believe that this place went any further underground than it already did, but that was because I wasn’t aware of the full extent of Team Rocket’s influence. Upon stepping into the elevator, I noticed that there were three floors underneath. The button designating the lowest floor wasn’t lit up, and a keyhole was placed next to it. This posed a problem. If I was going to find out anything interesting about Team Rocket from this investigation, it would most likely be down there. However, to find a key, I’d likely have to blow my cover.
Just then, another Poke Ball from my Bag popped open, and Darwin came out. “Ooh! Ooh! I have an idea!” he shouted.
Out of instinct, I panicked and reached to grab Darwin, but he was too quick for me. “I’ll distract them! Leave it to me! Find the key! I’ll meet you guys outside!” Before I could object, Darwin was gone. Kai and I watched his sprint down the hallway, and then he rounded a corner. As worried as I was about him, running interference was perfect for someone as speedy as Darwin. However, I didn’t want to leave him to fend for himself since he was still pretty new to the team, so I got out yet another Poke Ball and threw out Javelin.
“Follow Darwin, and make sure he doesn’t get hurt,” I instructed quickly. Javelin nodded wordlessly, quickly observing and taking stock of the situation. With a quick flap of her powerful wings, the Fearow was off to catch up with Darwin. Checking my remaining Pokemon, I still had Caesar, Bepis, Kai, and Sylvester. Bepis wouldn’t be able to battle effectively in the cramped space, so I would have to rely more heavily on the remaining three.
Down the hall, I saw some more Rocket Grunts running in multiple directions, Pokemon at their sides. Satisfied with the team’s handiwork, I got back into the elevator and shut the door. We still didn’t have the necessary key, but an idea popped into my head. I turned to Kai. “Can you use your telekinesis to move the elevator?”
“I suppose I could, though it would be pretty difficult to do accurately,” he hypothesized. “You would have to let me rest for some time after I finish.” After focusing once more, Kai’s eyes shot open, glowing a brilliant blue. “Hang on,” he said, and as he did the elevator began to shake. I braced on the handrail as the car screeched and groaned, violently making its way down to the bottom against its will. Kai was visibly straining, but managed to get us all the way to the very bottom floor and pried the door open.
With his task completed, Kai’s eyes returned to normal as he slumped down to the ground. I smiled and returned him to his Poke Ball. “You did well,” I assured him. “Get some rest.”
The bottom floor of the Hideout was pitch dark and dead quiet, but the sounds of the struggle on the upper floors could be picked up if one listened hard enough. I could only hope that Darwin and Javelin would be able to hold up on their own, but the occasional blast of thunder was reassuring. As I tried to adjust to the darkness, I was blinded by a bright light turning on across the room.
"So, you've made it here."
The voice was deep and smooth on the surface, but cold and intimidating undertones were clearly present. As my vision returned to me, I could make out the features of the man behind the voice, who would turn out to be one of my greatest adversaries. He had very short, nearly buzz-cut black hair, and dark brown eyes that felt like they saw through me entirely. He was wearing a very expensive looking black suit with a red shirt underneath, and a red letter R was embroidered on the pocket.
“Not only did an intruder make it all the way to me, but they’re a young child!” he continued. “Tell me, what’s your name?”
Politeness stood in the way of common sense as my mouth opened before my brain could even process. “My name is Marshal,” I said. “I’m here to…”
“Battle me?” the man asked, attempting to finish my sentence for me. “A foolish endeavor, to be sure.”
“Actually, I just wanted to figure out who you were,” I admitted. “I had no real intention to battle anyone except Erika today.” There was some truth to that, but two halves of me were screaming different things at each other.
“Run!” said one.
“Test yourself!” said the other.
The boss smirked. “Amusing. I have a proposition for you, though. I’ll tell you a little bit more about myself if you battle me. Does that sound reasonable?”
The half of myself wanting to measure my abilities won in that moment, reason be damned. “I’ll agree to your terms, sir.” I grabbed two Poke Balls and threw them out, revealing Caesar and Sylvester. They both looked at the Rocket Boss and snarled, instantly perceiving him as a threat.
The dark-haired man shook his head. “Decent selection,” he admitted. “I suppose we’ll do this the Hoenn way, then.” Taking out two of his own Poke Balls, he summoned two Pokemon I had never seen before. One was a quadrupedal Pokemon covered in rocky plating and a pointy horn at the tip of its face. The other was a marsupial-like Pokemon with a pouch that looked like it was there to house its offspring.
“Rhyhorn and Kangaskhan,” Caesar said, helping me out. “One is Ground and Rock type, and the other is Normal type, respectively.”
I nodded, trying my best not to acknowledge that I understood my Ivysaur in front of the dangerous looking man. The strategy here would be simple, in other words.
Without warning, the battle began. Rhyhorn charged straight into Caesar with reckless abandon, attempting to stab him with its sharp horn. It was so sudden, Caesar wasn’t able to react, and stood frozen as the enemy charged at him.
In a flash, Sylvester sprang into action. “A real hero is always prepared for danger!” he shouted, suddenly between Caesar and Rhyhorn. With a swift motion, the little Machop struck the attacker with a powerful Low Kick, knocking Rhyhorn off its feet and into the air. As the spiked Pokemon sailed over Sylvester and toward Caesar, he turned around. “You can take it from here!”
Caesar quickly managed to focus. “Right!” he shouted. “Marshal, if you please!”
I nearly felt it was unnecessary to give orders at this point, but I still shouted, “Caesar, use Vine Whip!” for the sake of keeping up appearances. Before I even finished speaking, Caesar’s vines were extended, grappling Rhyhorn while it was still in midair. In one swift move, he reared back, using every bit of might he had to toss Rhyhorn behind him and slammed him into the ground with a mighty suplex maneuver.
Sylvester, meanwhile, was more focused on keeping Kangaskhan at bay. The large Parental Pokemon thrashed about, attempting to flatten Sylvester, but he was too quick. He bobbed and weaved through every stomp and slam while simultaneously sneaking in a few good jabs. He looked like he was perfectly comfortable fighting an opponent that was much larger than him, as there was at least a five foot difference between the two. Assuming that he was alright fighting on his own, I turned my attention back to Caesar. “Okay, Caesar! Like we practiced!”
“Right!” Caesar confirmed. He shook his body, and a few leaves began to fall from the bud on his back. Instead of falling to the floor, however, they floated around him for a moment.
“Now, Razor Leaf!” I shouted, debuting Caesar’s new move. The leaves surrounding Caesar shot straight towards Rhyhorn, making noticeable scratches and scrapes on its armor plating. The Pokemon gave a pained cry before crumpling to the ground, unconscious and unable to continue.
I would have taken a moment to celebrate, if I hadn’t looked over to see Sylvester get tossed into Caesar like a ragdoll. It seemed that Kangaskhan was able to wear him down, and grabbed him while his guard was down. Now both of my Pokemon were prone on the floor, as the boss smirked from the opposite side of the room.
“Now, finish it with a Mega Punch.”
The mere mention of the move was enough to send a chill down my spine. That same attack was what Lt. Surge had used when Gonz was killed. It was very powerful, and could potentially spell the end for anyone on the squad. I had to do something, but I couldn’t get in the way of the battle, and it looked like we were out of options. Whoever was getting hit by that attack would surely be injured beyond belief. Kangaskhan rushed straight into Caesar and raised a fist. All I could do was outstretch my hand and scream, “No!”
The pressure released from the impact was like a shockwave, causing me to wince from shock and fear. However, when I opened my eyes, I realized that the scene had played out differently than I expected.
Kangaskhan’s attack hadn’t connected with Caesar, but instead was blocked by a trembling Sylvester. He was visibly bloody from the impact, but was keeping the giant’s fist at bay with his own hands. “Heh,” he chuckled. “I made you a promise, remember, Chief? I always keep my promises…”
Caesar and I looked on with shock as Sylvester began to physically push back against Kangaskhan’s Mega Punch. With a roar and a burst of explosive energy, he managed to push away the attack completely and retaliate with his own in an immaculate example of a perfect Counter.
“...because that’s what a REAL hero does!”
An actual shockwave, twice as powerful as the one before, rocked the room as Sylvester’s fist made contact. Kangaskhan’s eyes nearly bugged out of its head as it shot across the room and slammed into the wall behind the Rocket Boss, unable to continue.
As we all stood in disbelief, Sylvester began to glow. It was sudden, but I was getting experienced enough to recognize the light of evolution when I saw it. After the light completely enveloped Sylvester, he quickly began to grow two feet taller and bulked up considerably. His face protruded a bit, becoming almost reptilian. A little set of fangs now became visible as well. As the light faded, a few other changes became noticeable. Dark red, vertical stripes now presented themselves on Sylvester’s arms, almost as if the sudden explosion in growth had torn them open. He had also gained what appeared to be a pair of briefs, held to his waist by an impressive-looking belt. With that, Sylvester’s transformation into a Machoke was complete. He turned back to face us, and immediately grinned. “How about that?” he asked, giving a powerful flex.
Meanwhile, the Rocket Boss returned his Pokemon to their Poke Balls. With a sigh, he spoke up. “I have to admit, you’re pretty good.”
“A deal’s a deal, Boss,” I replied.
“You’ve got me there,” he admitted. “Remember the name, ‘Giovanni.’ This won’t be the last you’ll see of me.”
I was about to tell him about the police squadron that was surely barrelling down on his Hideout, but before I could, the lights were off again. A few seconds later, they came up again, but dimly. Giovanni was gone, and we were alone in the room. As I took a moment to take stock, I began to hear an even louder commotion coming from the upper floors. It seemed the police had finally arrived. I decided that being down here was no longer a good idea, so I quickly returned Caesar and Sylvester and brought out Kai. He still seemed a little drained, but was able to Teleport us back to the closet on the upper floor.
The second we jumped out into the hallway, Darwin and Javelin were waiting for us. They looked a little frazzled and roughed up, but were otherwise alright. I smiled and patted them both on their heads as I returned the rest of the team to their Poke Balls and headed out of the Hideout. We had much to discuss.
