PMJ
Silhouette Gloom of the Sundown Lands
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One day, I felt like writing a short story where Ash goes up against Team Rocket and loses.
So I did.
According to TextPad, it's exactly 4,000 words (lol), but the actual count is probably a little less due to inconsistencies with word counting things.
Enjoy, and let me know what you guys think. No, there won't be a sequel.
For Ash Ketchum, life was good. After conquering the Sinnoh League, Ash had decided to take a break from Pokemon training and just live the good life in his Pallet Town home with his mom.
Team Rocket had all but disappeared from the radar. A full year since they were last seen, many had presumed them dead, Ash included. He, like a lot of others, assumed they were the victims of one too many blastoffs, nearly all of which Ash himself caused.
He didn't particularly feel remorseful about causing their deaths; they were thieves, after all. Bad people who got what was coming to them. If you'd asked him, he'd tell you the world was better off without Jessie and James.
On this particular morning, Ash was sitting at home with his beloved Pikachu, watching a Pokemon Contest. His former traveling partner and close friend May was battling against Harley, one of her fiercest rivals. From what Ash could tell, she seemed to be doing well.
A loud knock was heard at the door just then. It sounded like whoever was on the other side of that door was in a real hurry, but Ash found no reason to rush to see who it was. Recognizing the face through the eye hole in the door, Ash was glad to open his home to his mentor.
Professor Oak was not here for a casual visit, however. "Ash!" he exclaimed, thankful the young trainer was around. "It's an emergency! All the Pokemon in the lab are gone!"
"They're what?" Ash asked, dumbfounded. Those Pokemon were kept under strict guard that Ash himself had hired. How could every single Pokemon be gone?
"Gone," Professor Oak reiterated. "Someone broke into the lab last night, knocked out the guards - who are still out cold, mind you - broke into the vault using their prints, and stole every single Pokemon while we slept."
"I see." Ash considered who could have done the deed. While it wasn't possible to pinpoint the one who did, it was easy to determine who didn't. "I guess Team Rocket's out of the question," he said with a laugh.
"Actually..." the professor trailed off. He handed Ash a piece of paper. "Take a look at this. I found it this morning, at the scene."
Ash analyzed the document, immediately recognizing the insignia at the top of the paper. "No way." He read the note aloud. "We missed you, Ash. We doubt the feeling is mutual, but that's okay. We've been working very hard this past year and we want to show you just what we've learned. If you want your Pokemon back, come alone to Seafoam Islands and take them back by force. We'll be bringing our A game. We suggest you do the same, or the consequences will be dire. We can't wait to see you! Yours... Jessie and James."
"It appears the rumors of their deaths were untrue," Professor Oak said, noticing Ash's confusion. "Surely you're going after them?"
"Duh," Ash said, heading straight for his room. He picked up one of the four rows of Poke Balls that lay on his desk and set them on his belt. Pikachu alone would probably be enough, but he didn't want to take any chances. They seemed serious enough in their letter, but this was Team Rocket. A paralyzed Magikarp seemed more deadly.
He came back downstairs and walked past Professor Oak out the door, releasing his Staraptor as he did. As the large Pokemon stretched its wings, preparing for flight, Ash gave one last word to his mentor. "Notify the Fuchsia City and Cinnabar Island police departments. Explain the situation and have them back me up at Seafoam Islands."
"You got it," Professor Oak said as Ash's bird carried him into the sky and towards the island where his Pokemon were being held captive.
The Seafoam Islands were a short flight away from Pallet Town, and so within an hour, the young boy had arrived on the shoreline.
Two familiar faces were there to greet him. Jessie and James, long thought dead but very much alive, were sitting atop two crates that Ash assumed were filled with his Pokemon.
"Long time no see," Jessie said to the young man.
"Not nearly long enough," Ash spat back. "Give my Pokemon back or I'll be forced to attack you."
James laughed a hearty laugh. "Did you hear that, Jessie? He's going to attack us!"
"Yes, I heard him, James. Well, you little brat, you'd better hope you brought all the Pokemon we didn't take, because you'll need them for the new and improved Team Rocket."
Ash noticed there was someone missing, and his curiosity got the best of him. "Where's Meowth?"
"Thought you'd never ask," James began. "Meowth evolved a couple months ago. The boss offered him a spot at his side, and Meowth just couldn't say no. It's been his dream to get recognition from the boss, and now that he's gotten it, we couldn't be happier for him."
"Enough small talk! Return my Pokemon now!" Ash seethed. Staraptor let out a loud screech, equally infuriated.
"Didn't you read our note? If you want them back," Jessie said, standing up and taking a Pokemon from her belt, "you'll have to take them back by force! Arbok, let's go!"
Just then, Wobbuffet emerged from his Poke Ball.
Jessie sighed. "You still don't know what wait means, do you?" She put Arbok's Poke Ball back on her belt and grinned. She wasn't planning on using him just yet, but the look on Ash's face would be worth the setback. "Okay, Wobbuffet. You can fight first. Your move, twerp!" Jessie called out to the young man from Pallet Town.
Ash wasted no time. "Staraptor, Brave Bird!"
Staraptor flew as high as he could before beginning his terrifyingly fast descent. Wobbuffet stared back, bracing itself for the attack. He knew this was going to hurt. "Wobbuffet, get ready," Jessie said. "Okay, Counter!"
Wobbuffet exploded in a fierce blue aura and stretched his arms out just as Staraptor crashed into him. Wobbuffet grabbed Staraptor by the wings as the bird drove Wobbuffet into the ground, sending them a hundred feet into the distance.
When the dust settled, Wobbuffet, still glowing, had an unbreakable hold on a panicking Staraptor.
Ash nearly fainted. Staraptor had done one of the most powerful shots of Brave Bird he'd ever seen, and Jessie's Wobbuffet caught him. Not only that, but Wobbuffet didn't even seem to be winded. This was very bad. Ash held out Staraptor's Poke Ball. "Staraptor, return!"
The red beam of light hit Staraptor dead on, but Wobbuffet's grip remained firm. He spun around several times, holding Staraptor with outstretched arms, and with a fierce grunt, threw the bird into the cave wall so hard that he left an imprint in the stone. The force of the impact crushed Staraptor's spine, and the bird Pokemon fell to the ground, dead. "For a trainer with your experience, you should know that once Wobbuffet sets his eyes on an opponent, it fights until it's defeated," Jessie said. She looked down at Wobbuffet, whose aura had dissipated and he was breathing a lot heavier than she would have liked. She put Wobbuffet back in his Poke Ball. "I was hoping he wouldn't be out of commission after a single move. I suppose I underestimated the strength of your Staraptor, but it looks like you have underestimated us as well, and Staraptor paid the price."
James laughed. "Look at you, Ash. I'm surprised at you. Why would you use Staraptor to battle after forcing it to carry you all this way? You had to have known it was tired."
Ash didn't know what was more infuriating - that these people had just killed one his Pokemon, or that James was actually right in his assessment. "Shut up! You guys are both going to pay! Infernape, Gliscor, get out here!"
"Two at once? I can handle you both," James said. "Let's see... for this, I will use Carnivine. Could I borrow Yanmega, Jessie?"
"Certainly," the woman obliged him, tossing him the Poke Ball.
As James released the two Pokemon, Ash noticed a few things. Most obviously, Carnivine didn't jump on James's face. Secondly, he noticed James was using two Pokemon that had a huge disadvantage against both of his Pokemon. Yanmega was a Flying-type, so he'd have to be careful against that, but Gliscor could easily cover Infernape. After giving that lecture on training, Ash knew James had to have something sneaky planned.
James gave a small bow to his opponent. "I'll give you the first attack, Ash."
This also gave the young man pause. James could not be at a bigger disadvantage right now. Why was he letting him go first? He wasn't about to waste any more time trying to find out. "Infernape, Flamethrower, hit Carnivine!"
James took all of one second to deliver his order. "Carnivine, Protect!" Carnivine's shield was up in no time, and Infernape's powerful move reflected harmlessly off it. "Ready for this, Ash? Carnivine, Bullet Seed on Infernape!"
Ash saw his opening and took it. "Burn him to the ground, Infernape! Flamethrower!"
Infernape's stream of fire completely incinerated Carnivine's Bullet Seed attack and connected with the Grass-type with searing intensity. He smiled at this direct hit, but James seemed unfazed. "Yanmega, Air Slash!"
Yanmega, who had been biding its time up until now, delivered the attack at such a speed that Ash didn't even know it had attacked until Infernape was on the ground, doubled over in pain. James recalled his Carnivine as he gave another order. "Air Slash again! Make sure it faints this time!"
With another throaty grunt, Yanmega fulfilled the order given before Gliscor could even react, and this time, Infernape was not so lucky. It did not suffer the same fate as Staraptor, but it was very much fainted, wounded with several shallow cuts and a few deep ones.
"Do you see what I did there, Ash?" James asked, a smile slowly coming across his face. "I hope you don't think me such a novice that I would knowingly send my precious Carnivine to its doom in battle. Are you familiar with Yanmega's Speed Boost ability? The longer it stays in battle, the faster it gets. It's an incredible ability for a Pokemon to have, and it's taken us a long time to maximize its potential. You see, Ash, Infernape is quite a threat to our teams, and I wanted to eliminate it as soon as possible. By attacking it with Carnivine, I knew you'd go for the easy KO. In doing this, however, you left Yanmega be, giving it more than enough time to gain enough speed to overcome Infernape's naturally impressive speed. After that, simple type matching was all I needed to render it obsolete."
Ash was done listening to this drivel. He was not going to lose here. Not to them. His Pokemon's lives were at stake. "Gliscor, Aerial Ace!"
"Good choice, Ash. It was wise to use a move like that in this situation. It won't save you, though. Yanmega, take the attack, then use String Shot!"
Gliscor's speedy attack struck Yanmega hard, sending the dragonfly to the ground. At the same time, Yanmega's gooey String Shot began to affect Gliscor. His claws were completely bound by the stuff, rendering them useless. His wings were also covered in it, preventing any sort of flight.
Ash wasn't giving up yet. "You can still run! Fire Fang, Gliscor!"
Yanmega avoided this without even being told to by simply rising in the air. James shook his head. "Finish him, Yanmega."
One blindingly fast Air Slash later, Gliscor was down for the count.
Ash was surprised (and as much as he hated to admit it, very thankful) when James recalled Yanmega. What else did Team Rocket have? Jessie's Arbok, who could get defeated easily by Torterra. If James was using Weezing as well, Torterra would stand no chance; he'd have to use Floatzel or Pikachu. As if on cue, Pikachu burst from his Poke Ball, unable to handle being in there any longer.
"Ah, there's our little prize," Jessie said sweetly, walking towards Pikachu. The mouse retaliated by firing a warning shot of Thunderbolt at her, blackening the sand where it hit. She jumped back and feigned surprise. "Ah! Gosh, so powerful! I simply must be more careful." She removed a Poke Ball from her belt and presented it to Ash. "On loan from the boss," she said, tossing it casually in the air. "And the solution to all our problems. Rhyperior, come say hello!"
The enormous Pokemon let out a triumphant roar as it was released. Ash looked up at the menacing beast and felt more than a little worried at its presence. "Evolves from Rhydon," Ash went over in his head. "Ground/Rock type." He glanced at the Pokemon's impressive horn and smiled. "Well, it worked once before, so maybe -"
"You can stop trying to figure out your game plan, O Lord of Twerps," Jessie said. "Rhyperior isn't your opponent. He's just here to make sure things go smoothly for us, and I'm sure you'll see why very soon. Now then, our battle isn't finished yet. Are you going to fight with Pikachu or not?"
By now, Ash was livid. This was unnatural. This was not the Team Rocket he knew. It was like they were possessed by a powerful Ghost-type and they were being forced to do its bidding. That had to be it... he resumed going over his course of action. He noticed, with some surprise, that up until this point, Team Rocket had been fighting him fairly. One versus one, two versus two. It was a huge change from their old days, when they would foolishly send their Pokemon to a certain loss, even against their worst matchups.
His mind flashed back to James's cunning ploy to take out Infernape. As much as he hated to admit it, James was right again - Ash had acted irrationally, and his Pokemon was knocked out as a result.
This time, he'd have to be sure to think things through. "Pikachu, stand back," he said, reaching for two more Poke Balls. "Torterra, Floatzel... I choose you!"
Jessie clapped. "My turn!" She thought a moment. "Ooh, and I've got just the strategy." She turned to her partner. "James, may I borrow Weezing for this?"
"You most certainly may," James said with a grin as he handed the girl the Poke Ball, fully aware of what Jessie had planned.
"Thank you, James," she replied. "Okay, twerp, it's time to lose! Arbok and Weezing, get out here!"
Ash couldn't help but feel a little nostalgia at seeing the two familiar faces. It had been a long time since Arbok and Weezing had done any battling... or so he thought. Knowing full well that Weezing was still fresh, Ash would end up kicking himself for once again playing right into Team Rocket's trap once he knew what Jessie was up to.
Unfortunately for him, it would be far too late once he did.
"You can attack first," Jessie said sweetly, which only made Ash even madder.
Ash considered his options. Weezing was a Levitator; Ash knew this much. Torterra's Earthquake wouldn't even hit it. He looked over at Arbok. "Arbok can't fly, though. Might as well take one down now." "Torterra, Earthq-"
He stopped mid-command as he realized what would have been an enormous error on his part. While it is true that Arbok would be severely damaged, if not KOed outright, by the powerful earthquake, Floatzel would also take a tremendous amount of damage.
"Glad to see you're finally thinking things through," James said.
"You stay out of this!" Ash screamed. Fortunately, he had a backup plan, a move Ash picked up while on vacation in Johto. "Torterra, Earth Power, hit Arbok! Floatzel, Aqua Jet, hit Arbok too!"
Jessie burst into laughter. This was almost mean. "Arbok, Protect! Weezing, Explosion!!"
Before Floatzel's speedy attack had hit its mark, Arbok's barrier of protection nullified it as well as Torterra's Earth Power, which deflected harmlessly off it. Weezing zoomed directly into the fray while Arbok's Protect shield was still up and exploded viciously, completely obliterating Floatzel and bringing Torterra to within an inch of its life.
This stroke of luck, however, would not save Ash, who was still in shock from the unexpected attack. Jessie wasted no time in claiming victory. "Arbok, finish him off with Sludge Bomb!"
The enormous snake shot the flurry of venomous balls directly at the fallen Torterra, giving it no chance at recovering. Within seconds, the last of Torterra's strength was sapped, and he fell to the ground, fainted.
Pleased, Jessie brought her two Pokemon back into their Poke Balls. "Well done, you two," she said to them. "Looks like you're down to just Pikachu," Jessie said as she stepped a little closer to Rhyperior.
"You wish. I have more in my pocket," Ash lied.
"No you don't," James interrupted. "You know how we know you don't? Lots of reasons. First of all, as a trainer, you know you're only allowed to carry six Pokemon. Staraptor, Infernape, Gliscor, Torterra, Floatzel," he counted on his fingers. "Including Pikachu, that's six. You're such a stickler for following the rules and doing the right thing that you wouldn't dream of breaking them, even if it was to save innocent lives."
He paced back and forth as he continued. "I'll be honest with you, Ash. We're out of Pokemon. I only have Weezing and Carnivine with me. Jessie has Yanmega, Arbok, and Wobbuffet. As Jessie said, Rhyperior is on loan to us from the boss. If your Pikachu can manage to defeat Rhyperior, you will have defeated us and we will return all these Pokemon to you." He pointed towards the two crates that Rhyperior and Jessie were guarding.
"Not like that'll happen, though," Jessie said calmly. "Rhyperior is your opponent. Again, the first move is yours."
Ash looked down at Pikachu, who was staring down Rhyperior with no fear, despite being at a type disadvantage. He'd taken down bigger and badder Pokemon than this. Multiples at one time. Sure, he couldn't directly attack with electricity, but that nice horn sure looked like a great target. Pikachu crackled with power, anxious to get started.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. "Aim for the horn!"
That was what Pikachu wanted to hear. He loosed a huge burst of electricity, expertly directing it straight for Rhyperior's massive horn.
With a wave of Rhyperior's rough hand, Pikachu's powerful shot instead struck Rhyperior's rock-hard body, doing a grand total of zero damage.
Ash cringed. "Lightningrod," he mumbled as he gathered his thoughts. Okay, so indirect lightning attacks wouldn't work. Volt Tackle might be able to hit the horn, but Rhyperior could likely just bat Pikachu away before he hit. Luckily, Pikachu wasn't completely helpless against Ground-types. He gave the last order he would ever give. "Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
Game over. Pikachu leaped high above Rhyperior's head and came down hard, Iron Tail prepared. Rhyperior lifted his massive arms above his head and took the blow like a champion, not even flinching from the super effective hit. With alarming speed, Rhyperior reached down and scooped Pikachu up by the tail. He raised the much smaller Pokemon over his head and slammed it repeatedly into the ground with tremendous force.
"NO!!!" Ash screamed, running straight for his Pokemon. "STOP IT!!!"
Ash grabbed onto one of Rhyperior's rocky limbs in a pathetic effort to get his Pokemon back. With minimal effort, Rhyperior threw Ash off of him as he continued his relentless beating. He grunted as he chucked Pikachu high into the air, using both hands to summon an enormous, jagged boulder. He heaved it straight up as Pikachu fell to the ground, broken and in huge amounts of pain.
His pain would not end there, as a few moments later, the Rock Wrecker attack made direct contact, crushing Pikachu under its rough edges and giant weight. Ash could only stare on in horror as his Pikachu was dismantled effortlessly by the much more powerful Rhyperior. The Rock Wrecker vanished, and Rhyperior rested as all could see his handiwork.
"You are defeated," James said, stepping over to the bloodied and beaten Pikachu. "We claim this as our prize." He scooped the nearly dead Pokemon into his arms, and that sent Ash over the edge. He rushed at James, but was promptly stopped by Rhyperior's stony arm. "Rhyperior, knock him out," James said. "Be gentle, though. He's fragile."
A nod and a snap of the wrist, and Ash was out cold.
Ash came to a short time later, surrounded by police and their Pokemon. Relieved that the two crates Team Rocket had been guarding were still there, he made to get up and go after them, but he was still seriously injured and he winced in pain.
"You're injured, Mr. Ketchum," one of the many Officer Jenny on patrol warned him. "We've secured the area, and-"
"Pikachu," he groaned. "They... they have Pikachu..."
"It's okay. We'll get him and the rest of your Pokemon back," Jenny reassured him.
"What? N-no, my Pokemon are over there," Ash motioned towards the cave entrance.
"You mean in those crates? They're empty," Jenny said. "All that was in them was a note addressed to you." She reached into her pocket and produced said note.
Ash unfolded and read it, recognizing the large letter R at the top.
"If you're reading this, then you have lost your battle with us. As I'm sure even you have figured out by now, your Pokemon were never here. Would you have looked past your anger and hatred for us and used the skills we know you have to beat us, we would have informed you that your Pokemon were safe and sound in your very own house, in your basement. We did not steal them; we simply moved them in order to draw you out.
Unfortunately for you, this is not the case. We have deemed you unfit to be a trainer and, at our order, your Pokemon have been taken to our headquarters, where they will serve our needs.
We want to especially thank you for Pikachu. With our original mission complete at last, you will never hear from us again. We're moving on to bigger and better things (finally!).
We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. It's been fun. Yours, Team Rocket."
Ash looked up at Officer Jenny. "Send everyone to -"
"We already did," she stopped him. "Saffron City, right? It looks like Team Rocket is one step ahead. They're gone. Completely gone. We did a full sweep of their HQ and not a single member remains. It's like they dropped everything and vanished. I'm sorry, but right now, there's nothing we can do about your missing Pokemon."
Ash slammed a fist into the warm sand as the tears began to flow. It was horrible that his Pokemon had been stolen, and worse that one of his Pokemon was killed, but losing Pikachu hurt the most of all. The way Team Rocket had taken advantage of his emotions and manipulated him so magnificently was nothing less than mind-blowing. He recalled James's words again. He knew what Ash was going to do. Every move had been planned in advance, and Ash played right into their hands, just as James knew he would.
And now, with this note... Ash could only accept the simple truth at this point.
Team Rocket - those bumbling fools who a year before couldn't beat him on their best day - had played him like a fiddle.
They had him beaten physically.
They had him beaten mentally.
Ash Ketchum was completely and totally broken.
Defeated.
So I did.
According to TextPad, it's exactly 4,000 words (lol), but the actual count is probably a little less due to inconsistencies with word counting things.
Enjoy, and let me know what you guys think. No, there won't be a sequel.
Defeated
by PMJ
by PMJ
For Ash Ketchum, life was good. After conquering the Sinnoh League, Ash had decided to take a break from Pokemon training and just live the good life in his Pallet Town home with his mom.
Team Rocket had all but disappeared from the radar. A full year since they were last seen, many had presumed them dead, Ash included. He, like a lot of others, assumed they were the victims of one too many blastoffs, nearly all of which Ash himself caused.
He didn't particularly feel remorseful about causing their deaths; they were thieves, after all. Bad people who got what was coming to them. If you'd asked him, he'd tell you the world was better off without Jessie and James.
On this particular morning, Ash was sitting at home with his beloved Pikachu, watching a Pokemon Contest. His former traveling partner and close friend May was battling against Harley, one of her fiercest rivals. From what Ash could tell, she seemed to be doing well.
A loud knock was heard at the door just then. It sounded like whoever was on the other side of that door was in a real hurry, but Ash found no reason to rush to see who it was. Recognizing the face through the eye hole in the door, Ash was glad to open his home to his mentor.
Professor Oak was not here for a casual visit, however. "Ash!" he exclaimed, thankful the young trainer was around. "It's an emergency! All the Pokemon in the lab are gone!"
"They're what?" Ash asked, dumbfounded. Those Pokemon were kept under strict guard that Ash himself had hired. How could every single Pokemon be gone?
"Gone," Professor Oak reiterated. "Someone broke into the lab last night, knocked out the guards - who are still out cold, mind you - broke into the vault using their prints, and stole every single Pokemon while we slept."
"I see." Ash considered who could have done the deed. While it wasn't possible to pinpoint the one who did, it was easy to determine who didn't. "I guess Team Rocket's out of the question," he said with a laugh.
"Actually..." the professor trailed off. He handed Ash a piece of paper. "Take a look at this. I found it this morning, at the scene."
Ash analyzed the document, immediately recognizing the insignia at the top of the paper. "No way." He read the note aloud. "We missed you, Ash. We doubt the feeling is mutual, but that's okay. We've been working very hard this past year and we want to show you just what we've learned. If you want your Pokemon back, come alone to Seafoam Islands and take them back by force. We'll be bringing our A game. We suggest you do the same, or the consequences will be dire. We can't wait to see you! Yours... Jessie and James."
"It appears the rumors of their deaths were untrue," Professor Oak said, noticing Ash's confusion. "Surely you're going after them?"
"Duh," Ash said, heading straight for his room. He picked up one of the four rows of Poke Balls that lay on his desk and set them on his belt. Pikachu alone would probably be enough, but he didn't want to take any chances. They seemed serious enough in their letter, but this was Team Rocket. A paralyzed Magikarp seemed more deadly.
He came back downstairs and walked past Professor Oak out the door, releasing his Staraptor as he did. As the large Pokemon stretched its wings, preparing for flight, Ash gave one last word to his mentor. "Notify the Fuchsia City and Cinnabar Island police departments. Explain the situation and have them back me up at Seafoam Islands."
"You got it," Professor Oak said as Ash's bird carried him into the sky and towards the island where his Pokemon were being held captive.
The Seafoam Islands were a short flight away from Pallet Town, and so within an hour, the young boy had arrived on the shoreline.
Two familiar faces were there to greet him. Jessie and James, long thought dead but very much alive, were sitting atop two crates that Ash assumed were filled with his Pokemon.
"Long time no see," Jessie said to the young man.
"Not nearly long enough," Ash spat back. "Give my Pokemon back or I'll be forced to attack you."
James laughed a hearty laugh. "Did you hear that, Jessie? He's going to attack us!"
"Yes, I heard him, James. Well, you little brat, you'd better hope you brought all the Pokemon we didn't take, because you'll need them for the new and improved Team Rocket."
Ash noticed there was someone missing, and his curiosity got the best of him. "Where's Meowth?"
"Thought you'd never ask," James began. "Meowth evolved a couple months ago. The boss offered him a spot at his side, and Meowth just couldn't say no. It's been his dream to get recognition from the boss, and now that he's gotten it, we couldn't be happier for him."
"Enough small talk! Return my Pokemon now!" Ash seethed. Staraptor let out a loud screech, equally infuriated.
"Didn't you read our note? If you want them back," Jessie said, standing up and taking a Pokemon from her belt, "you'll have to take them back by force! Arbok, let's go!"
Just then, Wobbuffet emerged from his Poke Ball.
Jessie sighed. "You still don't know what wait means, do you?" She put Arbok's Poke Ball back on her belt and grinned. She wasn't planning on using him just yet, but the look on Ash's face would be worth the setback. "Okay, Wobbuffet. You can fight first. Your move, twerp!" Jessie called out to the young man from Pallet Town.
Ash wasted no time. "Staraptor, Brave Bird!"
Staraptor flew as high as he could before beginning his terrifyingly fast descent. Wobbuffet stared back, bracing itself for the attack. He knew this was going to hurt. "Wobbuffet, get ready," Jessie said. "Okay, Counter!"
Wobbuffet exploded in a fierce blue aura and stretched his arms out just as Staraptor crashed into him. Wobbuffet grabbed Staraptor by the wings as the bird drove Wobbuffet into the ground, sending them a hundred feet into the distance.
When the dust settled, Wobbuffet, still glowing, had an unbreakable hold on a panicking Staraptor.
Ash nearly fainted. Staraptor had done one of the most powerful shots of Brave Bird he'd ever seen, and Jessie's Wobbuffet caught him. Not only that, but Wobbuffet didn't even seem to be winded. This was very bad. Ash held out Staraptor's Poke Ball. "Staraptor, return!"
The red beam of light hit Staraptor dead on, but Wobbuffet's grip remained firm. He spun around several times, holding Staraptor with outstretched arms, and with a fierce grunt, threw the bird into the cave wall so hard that he left an imprint in the stone. The force of the impact crushed Staraptor's spine, and the bird Pokemon fell to the ground, dead. "For a trainer with your experience, you should know that once Wobbuffet sets his eyes on an opponent, it fights until it's defeated," Jessie said. She looked down at Wobbuffet, whose aura had dissipated and he was breathing a lot heavier than she would have liked. She put Wobbuffet back in his Poke Ball. "I was hoping he wouldn't be out of commission after a single move. I suppose I underestimated the strength of your Staraptor, but it looks like you have underestimated us as well, and Staraptor paid the price."
James laughed. "Look at you, Ash. I'm surprised at you. Why would you use Staraptor to battle after forcing it to carry you all this way? You had to have known it was tired."
Ash didn't know what was more infuriating - that these people had just killed one his Pokemon, or that James was actually right in his assessment. "Shut up! You guys are both going to pay! Infernape, Gliscor, get out here!"
"Two at once? I can handle you both," James said. "Let's see... for this, I will use Carnivine. Could I borrow Yanmega, Jessie?"
"Certainly," the woman obliged him, tossing him the Poke Ball.
As James released the two Pokemon, Ash noticed a few things. Most obviously, Carnivine didn't jump on James's face. Secondly, he noticed James was using two Pokemon that had a huge disadvantage against both of his Pokemon. Yanmega was a Flying-type, so he'd have to be careful against that, but Gliscor could easily cover Infernape. After giving that lecture on training, Ash knew James had to have something sneaky planned.
James gave a small bow to his opponent. "I'll give you the first attack, Ash."
This also gave the young man pause. James could not be at a bigger disadvantage right now. Why was he letting him go first? He wasn't about to waste any more time trying to find out. "Infernape, Flamethrower, hit Carnivine!"
James took all of one second to deliver his order. "Carnivine, Protect!" Carnivine's shield was up in no time, and Infernape's powerful move reflected harmlessly off it. "Ready for this, Ash? Carnivine, Bullet Seed on Infernape!"
Ash saw his opening and took it. "Burn him to the ground, Infernape! Flamethrower!"
Infernape's stream of fire completely incinerated Carnivine's Bullet Seed attack and connected with the Grass-type with searing intensity. He smiled at this direct hit, but James seemed unfazed. "Yanmega, Air Slash!"
Yanmega, who had been biding its time up until now, delivered the attack at such a speed that Ash didn't even know it had attacked until Infernape was on the ground, doubled over in pain. James recalled his Carnivine as he gave another order. "Air Slash again! Make sure it faints this time!"
With another throaty grunt, Yanmega fulfilled the order given before Gliscor could even react, and this time, Infernape was not so lucky. It did not suffer the same fate as Staraptor, but it was very much fainted, wounded with several shallow cuts and a few deep ones.
"Do you see what I did there, Ash?" James asked, a smile slowly coming across his face. "I hope you don't think me such a novice that I would knowingly send my precious Carnivine to its doom in battle. Are you familiar with Yanmega's Speed Boost ability? The longer it stays in battle, the faster it gets. It's an incredible ability for a Pokemon to have, and it's taken us a long time to maximize its potential. You see, Ash, Infernape is quite a threat to our teams, and I wanted to eliminate it as soon as possible. By attacking it with Carnivine, I knew you'd go for the easy KO. In doing this, however, you left Yanmega be, giving it more than enough time to gain enough speed to overcome Infernape's naturally impressive speed. After that, simple type matching was all I needed to render it obsolete."
Ash was done listening to this drivel. He was not going to lose here. Not to them. His Pokemon's lives were at stake. "Gliscor, Aerial Ace!"
"Good choice, Ash. It was wise to use a move like that in this situation. It won't save you, though. Yanmega, take the attack, then use String Shot!"
Gliscor's speedy attack struck Yanmega hard, sending the dragonfly to the ground. At the same time, Yanmega's gooey String Shot began to affect Gliscor. His claws were completely bound by the stuff, rendering them useless. His wings were also covered in it, preventing any sort of flight.
Ash wasn't giving up yet. "You can still run! Fire Fang, Gliscor!"
Yanmega avoided this without even being told to by simply rising in the air. James shook his head. "Finish him, Yanmega."
One blindingly fast Air Slash later, Gliscor was down for the count.
Ash was surprised (and as much as he hated to admit it, very thankful) when James recalled Yanmega. What else did Team Rocket have? Jessie's Arbok, who could get defeated easily by Torterra. If James was using Weezing as well, Torterra would stand no chance; he'd have to use Floatzel or Pikachu. As if on cue, Pikachu burst from his Poke Ball, unable to handle being in there any longer.
"Ah, there's our little prize," Jessie said sweetly, walking towards Pikachu. The mouse retaliated by firing a warning shot of Thunderbolt at her, blackening the sand where it hit. She jumped back and feigned surprise. "Ah! Gosh, so powerful! I simply must be more careful." She removed a Poke Ball from her belt and presented it to Ash. "On loan from the boss," she said, tossing it casually in the air. "And the solution to all our problems. Rhyperior, come say hello!"
The enormous Pokemon let out a triumphant roar as it was released. Ash looked up at the menacing beast and felt more than a little worried at its presence. "Evolves from Rhydon," Ash went over in his head. "Ground/Rock type." He glanced at the Pokemon's impressive horn and smiled. "Well, it worked once before, so maybe -"
"You can stop trying to figure out your game plan, O Lord of Twerps," Jessie said. "Rhyperior isn't your opponent. He's just here to make sure things go smoothly for us, and I'm sure you'll see why very soon. Now then, our battle isn't finished yet. Are you going to fight with Pikachu or not?"
By now, Ash was livid. This was unnatural. This was not the Team Rocket he knew. It was like they were possessed by a powerful Ghost-type and they were being forced to do its bidding. That had to be it... he resumed going over his course of action. He noticed, with some surprise, that up until this point, Team Rocket had been fighting him fairly. One versus one, two versus two. It was a huge change from their old days, when they would foolishly send their Pokemon to a certain loss, even against their worst matchups.
His mind flashed back to James's cunning ploy to take out Infernape. As much as he hated to admit it, James was right again - Ash had acted irrationally, and his Pokemon was knocked out as a result.
This time, he'd have to be sure to think things through. "Pikachu, stand back," he said, reaching for two more Poke Balls. "Torterra, Floatzel... I choose you!"
Jessie clapped. "My turn!" She thought a moment. "Ooh, and I've got just the strategy." She turned to her partner. "James, may I borrow Weezing for this?"
"You most certainly may," James said with a grin as he handed the girl the Poke Ball, fully aware of what Jessie had planned.
"Thank you, James," she replied. "Okay, twerp, it's time to lose! Arbok and Weezing, get out here!"
Ash couldn't help but feel a little nostalgia at seeing the two familiar faces. It had been a long time since Arbok and Weezing had done any battling... or so he thought. Knowing full well that Weezing was still fresh, Ash would end up kicking himself for once again playing right into Team Rocket's trap once he knew what Jessie was up to.
Unfortunately for him, it would be far too late once he did.
"You can attack first," Jessie said sweetly, which only made Ash even madder.
Ash considered his options. Weezing was a Levitator; Ash knew this much. Torterra's Earthquake wouldn't even hit it. He looked over at Arbok. "Arbok can't fly, though. Might as well take one down now." "Torterra, Earthq-"
He stopped mid-command as he realized what would have been an enormous error on his part. While it is true that Arbok would be severely damaged, if not KOed outright, by the powerful earthquake, Floatzel would also take a tremendous amount of damage.
"Glad to see you're finally thinking things through," James said.
"You stay out of this!" Ash screamed. Fortunately, he had a backup plan, a move Ash picked up while on vacation in Johto. "Torterra, Earth Power, hit Arbok! Floatzel, Aqua Jet, hit Arbok too!"
Jessie burst into laughter. This was almost mean. "Arbok, Protect! Weezing, Explosion!!"
Before Floatzel's speedy attack had hit its mark, Arbok's barrier of protection nullified it as well as Torterra's Earth Power, which deflected harmlessly off it. Weezing zoomed directly into the fray while Arbok's Protect shield was still up and exploded viciously, completely obliterating Floatzel and bringing Torterra to within an inch of its life.
This stroke of luck, however, would not save Ash, who was still in shock from the unexpected attack. Jessie wasted no time in claiming victory. "Arbok, finish him off with Sludge Bomb!"
The enormous snake shot the flurry of venomous balls directly at the fallen Torterra, giving it no chance at recovering. Within seconds, the last of Torterra's strength was sapped, and he fell to the ground, fainted.
Pleased, Jessie brought her two Pokemon back into their Poke Balls. "Well done, you two," she said to them. "Looks like you're down to just Pikachu," Jessie said as she stepped a little closer to Rhyperior.
"You wish. I have more in my pocket," Ash lied.
"No you don't," James interrupted. "You know how we know you don't? Lots of reasons. First of all, as a trainer, you know you're only allowed to carry six Pokemon. Staraptor, Infernape, Gliscor, Torterra, Floatzel," he counted on his fingers. "Including Pikachu, that's six. You're such a stickler for following the rules and doing the right thing that you wouldn't dream of breaking them, even if it was to save innocent lives."
He paced back and forth as he continued. "I'll be honest with you, Ash. We're out of Pokemon. I only have Weezing and Carnivine with me. Jessie has Yanmega, Arbok, and Wobbuffet. As Jessie said, Rhyperior is on loan to us from the boss. If your Pikachu can manage to defeat Rhyperior, you will have defeated us and we will return all these Pokemon to you." He pointed towards the two crates that Rhyperior and Jessie were guarding.
"Not like that'll happen, though," Jessie said calmly. "Rhyperior is your opponent. Again, the first move is yours."
Ash looked down at Pikachu, who was staring down Rhyperior with no fear, despite being at a type disadvantage. He'd taken down bigger and badder Pokemon than this. Multiples at one time. Sure, he couldn't directly attack with electricity, but that nice horn sure looked like a great target. Pikachu crackled with power, anxious to get started.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. "Aim for the horn!"
That was what Pikachu wanted to hear. He loosed a huge burst of electricity, expertly directing it straight for Rhyperior's massive horn.
With a wave of Rhyperior's rough hand, Pikachu's powerful shot instead struck Rhyperior's rock-hard body, doing a grand total of zero damage.
Ash cringed. "Lightningrod," he mumbled as he gathered his thoughts. Okay, so indirect lightning attacks wouldn't work. Volt Tackle might be able to hit the horn, but Rhyperior could likely just bat Pikachu away before he hit. Luckily, Pikachu wasn't completely helpless against Ground-types. He gave the last order he would ever give. "Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
Game over. Pikachu leaped high above Rhyperior's head and came down hard, Iron Tail prepared. Rhyperior lifted his massive arms above his head and took the blow like a champion, not even flinching from the super effective hit. With alarming speed, Rhyperior reached down and scooped Pikachu up by the tail. He raised the much smaller Pokemon over his head and slammed it repeatedly into the ground with tremendous force.
"NO!!!" Ash screamed, running straight for his Pokemon. "STOP IT!!!"
Ash grabbed onto one of Rhyperior's rocky limbs in a pathetic effort to get his Pokemon back. With minimal effort, Rhyperior threw Ash off of him as he continued his relentless beating. He grunted as he chucked Pikachu high into the air, using both hands to summon an enormous, jagged boulder. He heaved it straight up as Pikachu fell to the ground, broken and in huge amounts of pain.
His pain would not end there, as a few moments later, the Rock Wrecker attack made direct contact, crushing Pikachu under its rough edges and giant weight. Ash could only stare on in horror as his Pikachu was dismantled effortlessly by the much more powerful Rhyperior. The Rock Wrecker vanished, and Rhyperior rested as all could see his handiwork.
"You are defeated," James said, stepping over to the bloodied and beaten Pikachu. "We claim this as our prize." He scooped the nearly dead Pokemon into his arms, and that sent Ash over the edge. He rushed at James, but was promptly stopped by Rhyperior's stony arm. "Rhyperior, knock him out," James said. "Be gentle, though. He's fragile."
A nod and a snap of the wrist, and Ash was out cold.
Ash came to a short time later, surrounded by police and their Pokemon. Relieved that the two crates Team Rocket had been guarding were still there, he made to get up and go after them, but he was still seriously injured and he winced in pain.
"You're injured, Mr. Ketchum," one of the many Officer Jenny on patrol warned him. "We've secured the area, and-"
"Pikachu," he groaned. "They... they have Pikachu..."
"It's okay. We'll get him and the rest of your Pokemon back," Jenny reassured him.
"What? N-no, my Pokemon are over there," Ash motioned towards the cave entrance.
"You mean in those crates? They're empty," Jenny said. "All that was in them was a note addressed to you." She reached into her pocket and produced said note.
Ash unfolded and read it, recognizing the large letter R at the top.
"If you're reading this, then you have lost your battle with us. As I'm sure even you have figured out by now, your Pokemon were never here. Would you have looked past your anger and hatred for us and used the skills we know you have to beat us, we would have informed you that your Pokemon were safe and sound in your very own house, in your basement. We did not steal them; we simply moved them in order to draw you out.
Unfortunately for you, this is not the case. We have deemed you unfit to be a trainer and, at our order, your Pokemon have been taken to our headquarters, where they will serve our needs.
We want to especially thank you for Pikachu. With our original mission complete at last, you will never hear from us again. We're moving on to bigger and better things (finally!).
We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. It's been fun. Yours, Team Rocket."
Ash looked up at Officer Jenny. "Send everyone to -"
"We already did," she stopped him. "Saffron City, right? It looks like Team Rocket is one step ahead. They're gone. Completely gone. We did a full sweep of their HQ and not a single member remains. It's like they dropped everything and vanished. I'm sorry, but right now, there's nothing we can do about your missing Pokemon."
Ash slammed a fist into the warm sand as the tears began to flow. It was horrible that his Pokemon had been stolen, and worse that one of his Pokemon was killed, but losing Pikachu hurt the most of all. The way Team Rocket had taken advantage of his emotions and manipulated him so magnificently was nothing less than mind-blowing. He recalled James's words again. He knew what Ash was going to do. Every move had been planned in advance, and Ash played right into their hands, just as James knew he would.
And now, with this note... Ash could only accept the simple truth at this point.
Team Rocket - those bumbling fools who a year before couldn't beat him on their best day - had played him like a fiddle.
They had him beaten physically.
They had him beaten mentally.
Ash Ketchum was completely and totally broken.
Defeated.
