Chapter Four – Team Rocket
Much to Ash's relief, the nurse had said Fearow was going to pull through. The care was not going to be cheap or quick, eating up all of the money Ash and Misty had recovered from the dead trainers earlier in the day and then some, but Ash was happy to pay the cost and Misty had contributed her spoils. Now, Misty having gone off to do a little shopping for the road with what money she had left, Ash sat with Growlithe and Pikachu in the lobby of the hospital wing of the Pokémon Center.
The room was large and spacious, more of a lounge than a waiting room, decorated with airy pastels and sporting several TVs along one wall. Numerous couches and comfortable armchairs dotted the floor space and Ash occupied one of the latter, sitting and not paying much attention to anything except the Pokémon around him. With one hand he rubbed Pikachu under his chin and with the other he scratched Growlithe behind the ears, much to the joy of the half-dozing canine beside the chair. Only vaguely was the trainer aware of the dozen other people in the room, all of whom, he imagined, were in a situation somewhat similar to his own.
Nevertheless, even Ash noticed when the lobby's frosted glass doors opened and three figures, two humans and a Pokémon, strutted in noisily and, with absolutely no grace about them, paced to the counter. Ash glanced up, having picked a chair that faced the nurse's register behind the counter, and instinctively sized up the noisy new arrivals. The first things he noticed about them were their hairstyles and their gaudy clothes.
The man wore his sapphire blue hair short and unkempt and the woman wore her unnaturally red hair in a thick ponytail that dropped passed her waist. Both of them wore black, calf-high and brightly polished boots, and white shirts emblazoned with a massive 'R' an even brighter shade of red than the woman's hair. Based on their outfits and the feline Meowth standing between them, Ash could only guess at their occupation. Circus performers maybe, he thought.
Growlithe, stirred by the obtrusive entrance, took immediate notice of the Meowth and began to growl quietly to himself as his eyes focused on the cat. In response, Ash put his hand on the scruff of Growlithe's neck. "Easy," said the trainer.
"Is that all?" said the man with the blue hair, loud enough for everyone in the spacious lobby to hear plainly. "The service here is so inexpensive. We couldn't ask for a better deal, could we Jesse?" He turned to the redhead beside him who vigorously shook her head.
"I don't think we could James," Jesse responded, equally as loud. "The service here is just too good to be true."
Ash twitched as James looked his direction and caught Ash's eye. The man with the blue hair glanced between Ash, Pikachu, and Growlithe several times in rapid succession and then grinned too widely to be genuine. Much to the young Ketchum's despair, the two noisy trainers and their Meowth turned from the counter and began walking his direction, making sure to greet everyone they passed by as cheerily as possible.
Oh god, Ash mentally braced himself as Jesse and James sat down next to each other on the sofa adjacent to his armchair. Without really thinking Ash pushed his backpack, which till now had sat undisturbed on the ground between his feet, a little farther under the chair.
"Are you new around here?" asked James amicably, at a much more reasonable volume. "You look familiar but I don't think we've met," James extended his gloved hand. "My name's James. I represent Team Rocket and it's a real pleasure to meet you."
Team Rocket, Ash thought. The name stuck in his mind, though he had no idea why, as he reached out, smiled, and shook James' hand. "I'm Ash Ketchum," he responded. "And I'm not really new; I'm just passing through on my way to Cerulean."
"Ketchum," Jesse hummed as though thinking. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"
"I don't know Jesse," said James. "It does ring a bell though."
Ash grinned just a little. "Well, my grandfather is Professor Oak," he said. Ash had never been ashamed of his lineage and he'd never hesitated to tell someone about his grandfather.
"That must be it!" James exclaimed. "That's right I knew it all along," he went on, putting his hand up behind his head and laughing once.
Are these guys for real, Ash wondered as he forced himself to grin.
"So you're the famous Ash Ketchum," said the man with the blue hair, "the one from Pallet Town, which certainly explains why you can be so calm about making a journey as dangerous as the one to Cerulean City. What are you doing in Viridian though? Are you just stopping in for the night?"
Ash nodded, relaxing just a little. "Mostly," he said. "I caught a Fearow earlier today," he watched as both Jesse's and James's eyes widened. "But it got hurt in the process so I brought it here to the hospital. The nurses said that I'd probably be here overnight but that's alright with me. I'm in no real hurry and it's not too expensive to stay here."
"That just won't do," said Jesse, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small billfold. "Will it James."
James shook his head as Jesse pulled out several colorful banknotes and held them out, motioning for Ash to take them. "Of course it won't do," he said. "The grandson of the great Professor Oak shouldn't have to pay for a thing while he's here… and Team Rocket will most certainly see to it that he doesn't."
"No," said Ash, holding up his hand to decline the offer. "I really couldn't."
"Of course you can," said Jesse, beaming as she thrust the money into Ash's palm and closed his fingers around it with her other hand. "That is unless it's not enough."
Ash glanced at the denominations on the bills and gawked. "It's way too much," said the trainer. "This would pay for all of my expenses ten times over. I can't-"
"Team Rocket wouldn't have it any other way," said James as Ash relented and accepted the bills to Jesse's ostensible delight. "Really we should probably pay for it twenty times over but we need to save a little to donate to the homeless shelter."
"I guess, if you guys insist," said Ash, slipping the money into the pocket on the side of his pack. "So you two mentioned that you were with Team Rocket?" he probed, wanting a little more information on the organization. "What exactly do you do?"
Eyes lighting up, James stood up from his chair and proudly crossed his arms. "Team Rocket is an organization working for the betterment of people and Pokémon everywhere," he declared. "Using whatever means available we boldly serve whatever community we find ourselves in and put all of our strength towards making people and Pokémon safe and secure from the wilds of the world. Here," he said quickly, pulling from his pocket a white pen decorated with red Ts and Rs. "Have a complimentary pen, courtesy of Team Rocket."
Ash took the pen, not sure what to make of it, and slipped it into his backpack.
"Team Rocket," said Jesse, standing up to join James and speaking loudly again now, "is a group of civil servants dedicated to the protect the world from devastation-"
"and to unite all people into one nation," said James.
"We fight to extol the virtues of truth and love," continued Jesse, nearly musical now.
"And to extend mankind's reach to the stars above," James broke in.
"Team Rocket will blast off at the speed of light!" they said in unison standing and pointing off into space. "So heed the call and join the fight."
"Meowth!" added the feline Pokémon. "That's right."
If everyone in the room hadn't been looking at the two Rocket members before they began their performance, every eye in the lobby now trained on them and, due to his proximity to them, Ash. The young Ketchum sank a little lower into his chair as his face reddened. I don't know these people, he wanted to say.
"My," said Ash, regaining Jesse and James's attention, "you two certainly are… fervent."
"We believe in the cause," said James. "Everyone in Team Rocket joined the good fight because their heart goes out to the cause."
"Say," said Jesse, putting one finger on her cheek. "You seem like a guy with his heart in the right place. Would you be interested in joining Team Rocket? We have an amazing dental plan."
"Yeah," said James enthusiastically. "Professor Oak's grandson would make a great addition to the good fight. What do you say? Want to join?"
Ash made himself smile but put up his hands. "Not today," he said. "I'll think about it though. You guys seem honest enough." Even if this is a totally transparent attempt to recruit me…
"Alright," said James. "Well, if you ever change your mind Team Rocket is never hard to get a hold of. You can find our representatives almost anywhere and if you ever mention us to any other Team Rocket member they'll be more than happy to help you however they can."
"That's right," said Jesse as both she and James turned for the door. "We really hope to have you join the Team Rocket family sometime in the future!"
After a quick wave to the still staring spectators and another extended goodbye with Ash, Jesse and James made a quick exit and the lobby went quiet again. Once he was sure that they were gone and wouldn't be back anytime soon, Ash got up and walked to the nurses register.
"Excuse me," he said to the brown haired nurse across the counter. He handed her the small paper he'd been given to identify him as the trainer who had dropped off Fearow. "I'm going to leave for a bit. Is there any way for you to contact me if anything comes up with my Fearow?"
The nurse took a quick look at the paper and glanced up at him. "Ash Ketchum," she read his name. "Are you registered and staying in this hotel?"
Ash nodded.
"Well then there's no problem. If we get any news on the condition of your Pokémon we'll have a message sent to your room."
"Thanks very much," said Ash, turning away and walking for the exit, tailed by Growlithe. "I think I need to get some fresh air."
SC
"… flashlights, batteries, tinder, matches, antiseptic," Misty muttered to herself, ticking off each item on her mental list as she left the store and tucked the plastic bag of new supplies into her backpack. "I think that's everything… but I can't believe how expensive the trail rations I bought were." She started down the busy sidewalk, taking care not to jostle into anyone as she made for the Pokémon Center. She crossed the street and stopped on the other side, seeing a militia surplus store and finding herself walking towards the door by instinct.
It's not like I have anywhere to be, she told herself, opening the glass door and walking inside the shop. I'm in no rush and these places always have useful bits. She greeted the aged storekeeper who sat half asleep behind the counter next to the door, then began browsing the racks of camouflaged clothes, hats, masks, combat boots, and various semi-military-grade supplies. The nearly empty store smelled of musty canvas and metal, aromas that Misty readily breathed in deep.
"I love shops like," she stopped, turning a blind corner created by two shelves of canteens and backpacks and nearly tripped over a hunched figure. Her knee knocked him in the shoulder, pushing the figure to the ground, and Misty stumbled, grabbing onto a self to catch her balance. "Sorry," she uttered quickly. "I didn't see you there."
"It's alright," said Ash, standing up just as he realized it was Misty that had almost knocked them both to the ground. "Oh," he blurted. "Hi. This is kind of a pleasant surprise."
Realization dawned across Misty's face as she recognized Ash and helped him to his feet. "Likewise, what are you doing here?"
Ash shrugged, then gestured down to the rack he'd been examining. On the rings were numerous short-bladed tools of all different makes. Batons ending in steel tips hung next to hatchets which hung next to long knives. "I was thinking about picking up a knife or a hand axe or something," he said. "It never hurts to have one," he paused as Misty knelt down and began picking through the implements. "Plus I just really like stores like this. There are always cool little odds and ends to look at."
"Hmm, yeah. I've always had a thing for surplus stores," Misty acknowledged. "Well since we've met up again," she changed subjects. "Why don't we get something to eat? There are a few good restaurants around here and we're probably going to be staying the night… I assume," she probed for an answer.
"Yeah, Fearow is going to be a while…" Ash confirmed and reached down, taking a composite-handled knife from the rack as Misty examined some of the other merchandise. "Did you have anything in mind as far as food goes?"
"Anything that's edible," said Misty
Ash looked the blade over for a minute, noting the serrated back, the especially fine edge, and the odd, almost obsidian look of the knife. The tool felt like a brick in his hand and when he glanced at the rating of the steel he knew why. "Check this out," he said, holding the knife for Misty to see. "Tungsten-carbide," he said as Misty read the rating stamped on the side of the blade. "How a thing like this wound up in a place like this I'll never know, but it's mine."
"Wow," muttered the girl. "Wow," she repeated as she grinned. "It's your lucky day." Picking up a hatchet for herself and standing up Misty turned to Ash and felt the tool in her hand, twirling it around once as Ash made himself familiar with the odd balance of the extremely heavy knife. "I think this will do," she said, satisfied with the hatchet. "Ready?"
"Yep," Ash nodded as they both turned to the counter.
As Ash approached the counter, he grabbed a simple canvas sheathe from a rack near the store's collection of boots, and set both items on the counter in front of the sleepy old man, rousing him from his lethargy. "C'mon," Ash motioned for Misty to put her hatchet among the merchandise. "My treat," he said.
"If you insist," said Misty, setting the tool down next to the knife. "I thought you were broke?"
Ash shook his head. "I had a little more than I thought." He also wanted to get rid of the money Team Rocket had given him… partly on principle but mostly because he wasn't sure it was legitimate.
Nonetheless, the old man rang up the price, accepted Ash's money, and gave him back his change. Both trainers thanked the shopkeeper and left. Ash was thankful to be rid of at least some of the suspect money, and overjoyed to have found his new favorite toy. Misty hadn't said anything as her companion had paid the exorbitant price for the merchandise, but commented on it when they were outside.
"I'm surprised you could afford that," said Misty. "That kind of cash could have paid for a night's stay in a really nice hotel."
Ash grinned a little. "I really wanted it," he said. "And it's not like there are any really nice hotels in Viridian anyway. The Pokémon Center is about as luxurious as you'll get here and it's still pretty bare. Besides," he trailed off for a second. "My dad had something kind of like this once. It's silly but he had a tool set with a bunch of drill bits that were tipped in carbide so… you get the idea."
"Yeah," said Misty. "I think that's sweet," she paused, "in a roundabout sort of way."
"So what did you want to eat?" Ash asked, changing the subject.
Misty blinked as the sun came out from behind a cloud and lit up the streets. "Whatever we can afford," she said. "The food at the Center is pretty good and it's not that expensive and with as much as I'm going to be eating that's a good thing."
"Sounds good to me," Ash nodded as they changed direction and began walking back towards the big building which, in all likelihood, was the most prominent structure in the town, minus the Viridian Gym. Ash and Misty passed the by the Gym on their way back to the Pokémon Center, stopping for a minute to allow Ash to remark on the imposing edifice.
Built mostly in the style of a gothic church the façade of the building was carved from solid rock, faced with limestone, and accented with black obsidian that ran up the pillars like necrotic vines. Green verdigris framed the multicolored windows which all sat high on the walls, just beneath the spires which stuck up in the air like teeth and sported ornamentation of the same black stone that twisted decoratively up the pillars. The most outstanding feature of the gym from ground level was without any doubt the colossal double door. Massive wooden slabs comprised the main structure of the portals, though this could not be seen from the outside of the building for the huge steel scales bolted to the door.
"This is amazing," Ash muttered. "I've only ever seen it from a distance but … wow."
Misty slowed but kept walking. "Yeah," she said, not stopping to look at the gym. "It's impressive but we should keep going." She quickly got ahead of Ash and the younger trainer had to jog to catch up.
"Whoa," he said when they were again walking together. "What's the rush all of a sudden."
Misty looked over her shoulder. "Nothing. I just don't want to stop around there."
Ash didn't press the issue and they kept moving, reaching the Pokémon Center just as Ash explained, after Misty inquired, that he'd left Pikachu and Growlithe in the rented room to rest up. The trainers walked together into the dining facilities of the Center, quickly discovering that the food court was all but abandoned. All but one or two of the fast-food stops lining the back wall of the room were shuttered and closed down. Only a few people sat at the tables and booths dispersed throughout the room, and most of them weren't having much to eat.
"This isn't quite what I expected," said Ash as he and Misty made their way to the counter.
The clerk by the register, a bright-eyed teenage girl with blonde hair and a white uniform greeted them warmly. "What can I get you today?" she asked, quite obviously focusing her attention on Ash more than Misty.
Scanning through the items on the illuminated menu on the wall, Ash raised an eyebrow. There were of course all of the items one could expect to find at such an outlet; cheeseburgers, fries, shakes, hotdogs and the like, but the food was not Ash's focus. The prices listed next to each item had a few digits too many, Ash thought. "How can you charge that much for a meal?" he asked. "Don't you think your costs are a little… excessive?"
"Is there some kind of shortage?" asked Misty.
The girl's face fell as she looked across the counter at the trainers. "I wish I could say no," she muttered, nodding to the shuttered stalls along the wall. "But you nailed it. There's a big food shortage in town and it's making running this restaurant a real problem."
"I noticed it earlier when I went to replace the rations we ate yesterday and the day before," Misty said to Ash. "When I went to the store, food was the most expensive thing there." She turned to the clerk. "Does anyone know what's causing the shortage?"
"I don't know," she said. "I imagine that if someone did then someone would be trying to fix it but I haven't heard anything on the news. All I know is that the only people selling food around town are Viridian Gym members, and their prices are so high that it's driving a lot of restaurants and grocery stores out of business."
"What?" Misty blurted. "Since when has the Viridian Gym been in the retail business?"
"Don't look at me?" said the blonde clerk, crossing her arms. "The only thing I'm sure of is that all of the farms and ranches around town have stopped selling to the local grocers. They're all selling their products to someone else and damned if I know who. The Gym must've put back a lot of food 'cause they've been the only supplier for five months. It wasn't too bad at the beginning but prices have been going up and up and up and it seems like half of the money everyone in Viridian makes has to go to buying food anymore.
"The Gym must be making a killing," she said bitterly. "So," the clerk turned back to Ash and Misty. "Is there anything you two'd like?"
Misty fell silent as Ash, partly out of pity and partly because of the growling in his stomach, placed an order which the clerk quickly relayed to the kitchen. After the clerk told them it might be a little bit the trainers walked to an empty booth along one wall and sat opposite each other. For several minutes neither one spoke and Ash decided that something was bothering his partner. What it was though, he couldn't tell.
When it became apparent that Misty wasn't going to strike up a conversation, Ash leaned one elbow on the table, rested his cheek on his knuckles, and cast about the room, scanning the faces of the other patrons present. He suddenly found himself missing Pikachu and Growlithe and wishing the two Pokémon were at his side. I'm really glad Growlithe is taking to me so well, he thought with a grin. He's a good Pokémon and when he grows into Arcanine he's going to be a powerful addition to the team.
Ash's eyes wandered across the face of a newcomer to the food court, a woman with cropped hair the color of ale. She met his glance and for a moment the two looked at each other as they both examined the other. Ash, realizing that he was being impolite, averted his gaze and immediately the woman walked to the counter of the solitary restaurant and placed an order.
Ash watched with little interest as the woman walked towards his and Misty's booth, but straightened up and paid more attention when she stopped right next to the two trainers and cleared her throat. Ash gave her another quick glance, examining her a bit more closely now and determined that she was in her early twenties, probably. She was remarkably pale and her eyes were an off shade of pale orange.
"Mind if I sit here?" she asked.
Her husky voice took Ash somewhat off guard. "Uh, sure," he said, glancing about at all of the open tables. "Go ahead."
"Thank you," she replied, not impolitely as she sat down next to Ash who scooted over just a little and turned to face both Misty and the newcomer. "My name's Jennifer," said the woman, giving Ash a courteous nod and smiling at Misty. "I work with the Viridian Police Department. Are you two new in town?"
Police, Ash noted. He glanced down at the pokeballs hanging at Jennifer's belt. I missed those, he chided himself. For only a brief second he glanced a little farther down her leg to where her short skirt ended and her alabaster thigh began. "Not really," he said quickly, looking up to make eye contact. "We're passing through."
"We're only staying the night," Misty added some emphasis.
"Ah, gotcha," said the officer. "Well, I hate to do this but would you two mind answering a few questions for me?"
"What?" Ash and Misty both asked in unison and in equal degrees of surprise. Misty went on, "we haven't done anything wrong."
"I don't suspect you have," said Jennifer, holding up her hands in a placating gesture. "But I am heading up an investigation in town and it's a new policy at the department to question anyone who's new to Viridian about what they might know about the growing food crisis. I'm not going to get too personal; I just want to see if you know anything that could help us out a little."
Misty pursed her lips but Ash spoke amicably. "Well, if that's all you need I guess we can both answer a few questions."
"Good," said the officer. "First and foremost, I need to know if either of you have information pertaining to the recent food shortages… any knowledge about who the northern farmers and who they might be selling to?"
Ash shook his head, judging from Misty's reclusiveness that he'd be doing most of the talking at this point. "I'm from south of here," he said, "Pallet Town actually. I've only been north of Viridian once or twice and even then I never stopped at any of the farms or plantations."
"Alright," said Jennifer autonomously. "Next question…"
The questions continued for the next several minutes, during which time Misty excused herself to go pick up the meals and bring both hers and Ash's and the officer's back to the booth. Jennifer ran through a dozen different questions concerning an equal number of topics and problems plaguing Viridian and Ash answered to the best of his abilities. For the most part however he could only nod or shake his head or convey his ignorance on the matters. Throughout the interview Jennifer seemed to become increasingly relaxed around Ash and Misty and even asked if they'd mind her eating with them. Neither Ash nor Misty protested.
"I'll admit," said Ash as he neared the conclusion of his dinner. "I don't know a whole lot about Viridian. Could you tell me a little about the town, officer?" he asked.
"Sure," said Jennifer. "I'd be happy to. What would you like to know?"
"For starters," said Ash. "What exactly is this 'food crisis'? You've been talking about it a lot but I have no clue what it's really about. Would you mind explaining it to me?"
Jennifer nodded and ate a french-fry. "Well, it's more complicated than this," she began, "but basically… where do I start? Viridian is a fairly big town as far as settlements on the frontier go. We get most of our food from the farms and plantations to the north and west. Those farms can afford to produce a lot of food because of the protection afforded them by the Viridian Gym which in turn kept the price of food low here for as long as I can remember. In exchange for keeping everyone safe the Gym would exact a small fee, it was never anything big, from both the farms and the people of Viridian… we just thought of it as a tax and the police let it slide since the Gym was generous and paid a lot of our expenses.
"Recently though the farms have started selling all of their produce to another buyer. Nobody knows who it is, but now the only people who can keep Viridian fed are the Gym and all of the other people who stocked up on food before the farms started selling elsewhere. To make matters worse, the Gym has gone dark. All but a few of its trainers have vanished or moved elsewhere. The only people who've stayed at the gym are some of the more charitable folks who are trying to keep the grocery store's shelves stocked and even then… it's simplest just to say that things are getting really bad. It doesn't matter how strong the economy is when ninety percent of someone's earnings have to be spent on food."
"Wow," said Ash. "I had no idea it was like this?"
Jennifer shrugged. "That's only part of it. I've been getting reports from some of the other city police departments in the region that the same problem is starting to pop up elsewhere. Farms aren't selling to the populace anymore. They're only selling to some unknown group of people who aren't passing the food along to the people… It's worst here in Viridian but… it's a worrisome problem."
"I can only imagine," said Ash, glancing outside through the floor to ceiling windows opposite their booth. It was a few hours before sunset and the sky was still bright and warm. "Do you have any suspects? Does anyone have an idea who is creating the shortage?"
"Suspect isn't quite the right word…" said Jennifer. "It's not a crime to buy food. But we do think-" She stopped. "I'm sorry," she rapidly adjusted her tone. "I really can't talk about an ongoing investigation."
A thought occurred to Ash. "Do you think Team Rocket is involved?"
Both an uncomfortable Misty's and a surprised Jennifer's ears perked up, though it was the officer who spoke. "What makes you think it was Team Rocket?" she probed. "Most people think they're just a bunch of clownish community organizers and charity folks."
"I didn't say I thought they were involved," said Ash. "I just asked if you thought they were involved."
Jennifer stared at Ash for a moment, then realization rolled over her face. "Ash Ketchum," she said. "I knew your name was familiar. You're the grandson of Professor Oak."
Ash nodded. "That's me," he said. "And I don't really know anything about Team Rocket. I've just heard the name around and threw it out there as an idea."
Smiling just a little Jennifer shrugged. "Well, I won't presume to ask what you're doing in Viridian, but since you brought it up, yes… we do have some suspicions about Team Rocket."
"What kind of suspicions?" asked Ash.
Again, the officer shrugged. "On the surface, Team Rocket is a group of people who work as community organizers. They try to get people together and active in their local surroundings, ya' know, they do all sorts of charity work. But, what has a lot of police officers scratching their heads is how Team Rocket pays for all of its activities. Someone has to give them the money that they so readily give to anyone who will take it… but no one can get a look at their books to track all of their money. Team Rocket is an organization that works in multiple cities so as soon as one city tries to get a look at the money stream Team Rocket just shifts all of its funds to another location."
"Isn't that illegal?" asked Ash. "I thought that was called money laundering."
"There isn't much we can do to stop it," said Jennifer. "Viridian Police don't have jurisdiction in Saffron and Saffron Police don't have jurisdiction in any other city… you get the idea."
Ash nodded. "So, the police suspect Team Rocket," he said. "But there's no evidence and nothing anyone can do to get any evidence." He paused for a moment. "What do you think is going on? What's your take on the whole situation?"
By now Jennifer had leaned back in the booth and crossed her arms, making herself comfortable. Ash guessed the officer had all but forgotten about Misty and that Misty was perfectly fine with that. "My take on the issue…" said Jennifer. "The police don't pay me enough to have a solid opinion, but if I had to take a guess, I'd say that Team Rocket is the one buying up all of the food, selling it in small shipments at exorbitant prices to anyone who will buy it, and taking the ludicrous profit they make on the sale to buy up even more food."
Ash exhaled and put one hand up to his face. "Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this."
"It's just an idea that's been turning over in my head for a while," she said, looking between Ash and Misty, then turning to look across the dining floor. "But knowing Team Rocket, that wouldn't surprise me at all. They've got all kinds of weird projects and messed up activities going on around the region, but they're keeping it all quiet."
"What kinds of projects?" asked Ash, even more curious now."
"Well the most recent one I've heard about is that they've set up a barricade around Cerulean Cave."
"What?" asked Misty. Ash glanced at Misty and suppressed a look of surprise. He hadn't expected that she'd speak at all, much less to the officer. "What are they doing up there?"
Jennifer held her cup and looked at the ice settled at the bottom. "Hell if I know," she said. "Why anyone would even go near that god forsaken cave is beyond my understanding. Team Rocket has set up all kinds of defensive measures around the entrance and posted guards around the perimeter. They say it's to protect the local community but from what the Cerulean Police are reporting, all of the barricades are facing outwards, away from the cave, and Team Rocket is regularly sending heavy equipment and armed envoys down into the cave."
"Wow," muttered Ash. "I've heard rumors about Cerulean Cave from my grandfather but even I know going down there is just asking to get yourself killed."
The officer agreed. "Anyway, I think I've eaten up enough of your time," said Jennifer, scooting to the edge of the booth and standing up. "And I should be getting back to the station. If either of you learn anything, please, let me know or let a police officer know."
Ash nodded. "If we figure anything out that might be useful we'll be sure to let you know."
Jennifer left the trainers after a quick salute and paced silently from the room. It wasn't until she'd left that Ash turned to Misty, who avoided making eye contact. To Ash's chagrin Misty spoke before he could ask her what was bothering her.
"Do you think your Fearow will be ready to go tonight?" she asked.
Ash shook his head. "I doubt it," he said. "The nurse made it clear to me that Fearow was going to be an all night operation. They told me it would probably be before noon tomorrow that they'd be done."
"Alright," Misty said. "Still, I'd like to go back to the room and make sure that no one left us a note or something… just to be on the safe side."
"Right," confirmed Ash, masking his hesitancy, "just to be on the safe side."
SC
Jennifer walked quickly down the sidewalk towards the police station. She was in no hurry, but years of working on the force had instilled in her a strong desire to get where she was going as efficiently and quickly as possible. She scanned through the faces that passed her on the sidewalk, autonomously recording distinctive features until she arrived at the station and disappeared inside, unaware of the eyes watching her from one of the high hotel windows across the street.
From their rented corner suite, Jesse and James could comfortably survey all of the main roads between the Pokémon Center, the Police Station, and even as far as the Viridian Gym. Furnished as more of a barracks than a hotel suite, within the room there was only a single twin bed in one corner, a simple table in the corner opposite the bed, and a refrigerator next to the table.
"Why are we fucking waiting like this?" Jesse growled, pacing from one end of the room to the other, never letting her gaze turn inwards but always looking outside through the wall to wall, floor to ceiling windows that afforded her such a perfect view of the city. "We know where she is, we know she's on to us, and we know she's made contact with Ketchum and Misty. We should just go kill the bitch now and be done with it." The scarlet hair on the back of Jesse's neck bristled as she spoke.
James, sitting comfortably with one leg crossed over the opposite knee in the chair by the table, sighed and took a sip from the crystal wine glass. Eyes closed he appeared almost asleep. "You'll get your chance," he said with casual ease, his voice devoid of emotion. "But right now the commander asks simply that we observe the situation. Also, killing a police officer in the middle of her own city would only draw attention we don't want.
"Besides," James went on, without opening his eyes, after another sip from the glass. "We have the Police Station bugged, we have men inside the Pokémon Center. No one in either location can so much as go to the bathroom without us knowing so there's no problem."
"I hate it," said Jesse, "that's the problem. It doesn't matter if we always manage to stay one step ahead of the police as long as there are police who are suspicious of us. We should just kill this bitch and disappear like we always do. No one would suspect us."
"They might if you just turn Arboc loose like you always do," James said. "Mangled bodies, pools of acid, and venom and blood splattered across the walls tend to draw suspicion. It doesn't matter anyway. Command will eventually order us to eliminate Jennifer, thusly you'll get your chance to kill her. Until then, the commander simply wants us to wait."
"I know, I know," said Jesse. She crossed her arms and continued pacing. "When I do get to kill her though," she grinned a little to herself. "I'm going to have Arboc only bite her in the ankles or somewhere where she won't bleed out. I want to poison to do the job so I can watch the life drain out of her paralyzed little body. Maybe I'll even let my beautiful Arboc play around with her first, like a cat and a mouse… I do so love when my pet is having fun with people."
"Again, just be patient until we receive the kill order," said James, opening his eyes and staring across the top of his wine glass at Jesse. The redhead couldn't help but stiffen just a little as James spoke. She stopped pacing and gave him her absolute attention, waiting to speak. "We don't need our spotless record smudged by your zealotry."
Jesse nodded, then relaxed as James closed his eyes again and finished off the glass of wine. She smiled just a little and walked across the room and sat on the bed. "Fine, fine," she said. "But until the orders do come, how about we kill some time?"
James set the empty glass on the table and stood up. "Jesse dear," he said. "You read my mind."
SC
There had been no note on the door when Ash and Misty returned to their rented room on the Pokémon Center's second floor, but Misty still seemed insistent that she and Ash wait inside for news pertaining to the Pokémon's condition. The room was furbished comfortably and was only just large enough that neither trainer felt claustrophobic. There were two twin beds on opposite sides of the room, a small bathroom, and a kitchen area with a refrigerator, a table with three chairs, and a stove.
Pikachu and Growlithe had been asleep on one of the beds, curled up next to one another when the trainers arrived. Pikachu immediately leapt up into Ash's arms and skittered up to sit on his shoulder while the orange canine, panting happily enough, jumped down from the bed and walked over to the door. He sat on his haunches as though he were going to keep watch over the room and prevent any would-be intruder from entering.
"I guess this will be my bed," said Ash, sitting down on the one which Growlithe and Pikachu had occupied a moment earlier. He brushed some of the cast off orange fur from the comforter. "Do you have a minute Misty?" he asked as politely as he could.
Misty sat down on the bed opposite him and pulled her legs up indian style. "I think I can spare a moment," she said. "What's on your mind?"
Ash thought for a moment, planning out exactly how he was going to ask, and then threw all thoughts of cunning and caution from his mind. "I need to know what you know about Team Rocket," he said, point blank. No one in the room missed that Misty twitched uncomfortably. "I don't know anything about them but I still get the feeling that they're totally rotten. You on the other hand seem to be at least familiar enough with what's going on to know about Cerulean Cave, and a little about Team Rocket."
Misty didn't respond and Ash let the statement hang in the air for several long seconds. "I'm not accusing you of anything," said Ash. "I just don't feel entirely comfortable travelling with someone when I don't know whether or not they're involved in something they're not telling me about."
"I've saved your life more than once," said Misty, her voice icy. "And I've agreed to help you take this Pokedex thing to Professor Oak's friend. Isn't that enough to prove that I'm at least on your side?"
"I'm not saying you're not on my side," said Ash, trying to sound less confrontational now. "I'm not even saying there are really any sides to take. I do trust you. We've only been travelling a short time but you've already shown me that I can trust you with my life… I just need to know if you know what's going on."
Again Misty didn't answer, and again Ash just let the statement hang. He desperately wanted to ask her to tell him her story, to tell him why she was mistrusting of the police and how she knew as much as she did, but now, he told himself, would be a very bad time to press the matter. He did notice however that Misty had not made a move to go for any of her pokeballs. Growlithe and Pikachu both watched the exchange with caution and guarded interest.
"You trust me with your life." Misty said.
Ash couldn't tell whether she had made a statement or asked a question, but he nodded. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," he responded.
Misty took a deep breath and stared down at the floor for another few minutes and Ash gladly let the time pass and the atmosphere warm up a little more. "I can't say a whole lot," began the orange haired trainer. "There are things I'm not going to tell you but I need you to trust me when I say that nothing I'm leaving out affects you. It's just little details about my life that are my business. Can we both agree to that?"
Ash nodded immediately. "Absolutely," he said. "How you know isn't any of my business anyway. I just need to know what you know."
Misty sighed and straightened up as if to brace herself. "Alright," she said. "I've known about Team Rocket for a while and you have to believe me when I say that they are rotten to the core. They're responsible for a lot of bad things and the world would be a much better place without them. They have people who patrol the wilds and the roads and will kill travelers without any hesitation to get at their money and take their Pokémon for themselves.
"Team Rocket is evil," she emphasized each word. "And I'm positive that if nobody stops them then something terrible will happen. I don't know what, and I don't know when, but I'm sure they're planning something bad and whatever it is, it has to do with whatever is in Cerulean Cave."
Ash opened his mouth to speak, wanting to ask her why she hasn't gone to the police with that information, but it immediately occurred to him that she wouldn't talk to the police for the same reason she was being so elusive with him; it would drudge up details of her life that she obviously didn't want out in the open. So why do you suddenly trust me? he wanted to ask, though that quickly became apparent also. She must not have anyone else,he realized. She's travelling with me for the same reason I'm traveling with her… neither of us really have anyone else.
"I've been trying," Misty went on, "for quite a while now to do whatever I could to just stay out of everyone's way, but I'm thinking that living like that isn't really an option anymore." She looked up and met Ash's gaze calmly now. "Ash, Team Rocket has to be taken care of. I can guarantee they're the ones causing the food shortages and this is only the beginning. They won't stop until someone actively puts an end to whatever they're planning…" she took a steadying breath. "What else do you want to know?"
Ash sat back against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. "Well, right now all I really need to know is how we're going to stop Team Rocket when the police can't do anything and we can't go to the with what you know." This wasn't entirely true; Ash all but had to bite his tongue to question her on the source of her knowledge.
"That's the problem," said Misty. "If I knew what anyone could do to stop them I'd have done it already. But to the masses at large Team Rocket is just a group of community organizers and charity workers. We can't just go around trying to expose them…"
"Well from what officer Jennifer said," Ash mentioned, leaning forward again and resting his elbows on his knees, "it seems like they're pretty desperate to get into Cerulean Cave."
"Which is nuts," said Misty. "That place is like a pit of pure hell. Acid rivers, clouds of toxic fumes, and viciously wild Pokémon are some of the less dangerous features of the cave. No one even knows what's at the bottom, but if they're taking heavy equipment and guards in then you can bet they're trying to get to whatever is at the bottom."
"Is there any other entrance to the cave?" asked Ash, wondering if Misty, again, knew more than she was letting on.
"Not to the cave per say," she answered. "But there is another route to the lower levels.
"Which would be…" Ash prompted.
Misty laughed a hollow laugh. "There's a reason Team Rocket is taking the route they are… the other entrance to the lower level is guarded by the Elite Four."
"Hold on," said Ash. "How did we go from talking about Team Rocket and Cerulean Cave to the Elite Four?"
"I'll get there in a minute," said Misty. "I'm just trying to explain everything as best I can."
Ash shifted back onto the bed and folded his arms again. "Sorry," he said. "There's just a lot to understand."
"I know," said Misty, "but you're the one who wanted to know." She didn't give him time to respond before she went on. "Connected to the lower chambers of Cerulean Cave there's a tunnel leading up to a massive funnel shaped complex of caves and passageways that are collectively called 'Malebolge.' These tunnels all converge into one big passage near ground level and then they form a cave that's located high up on a mountain to the west. Malebolge is home to some of the most ferocious and powerful Pokémon in the region, but despite that, Indigo Plateau, the biggest and most prosperous city in the known world, has sprung up just outside of the entrance to Malebolge.
"This is possible because of the Elite Four," Misty continued, adopting an almost lecturing tone. "The entrance to Malebolge is sealed off by a huge series of vaults and buildings that the Elite Four run and manage in an effort to keep Indigo Plateau, and the rest of the world for that matter, safe from the dangers of the caves."
"And with the most powerful trainers in the world right there," said Ash, catching on, "Indigo Plateau is safe enough that it can grow and thrive. That makes sense, so what we have to do is get to the Elite Four, tell them what Team Rocket is up to, and let them take care of it."
Misty shook her head. "I don't think it will be that simple," she said. "The Elite Four never leave their posts. It's routine for them to fight off monsters, but if something ever managed to get through them then the city would be destroyed. So naturally they take their jobs pretty seriously."
"Great," Ash muttered. "So I guess we'll have to go through Malebolge ourselves and get to whatever's at the bottom of Cerulean Cave before Team Rocket."
Misty cracked a grin but shook her head. "Even if that wasn't suicidal, there's another problem… The Elite Four don't let anyone go into Malebolge. It's just not done. They guard the entrance with their lives and live by the principle that nothing gets out and nothing gets in… We'd have to fight our way through them if we wanted in."
Ash flopped back on the bed and put his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. "I'm starting to see why nobody's tried this before." He paused and looked over at Misty. "So, what would you recommend we do?"
"Get passed the Elite Four," said Misty. "And if it were possible I'd like to see them attack Team Rocket."
"I thought we decided both of those were impossible," said Ash.
"We did," said Misty. "And that's why I'm at a bit of a loss. I can't think of any way to do anything useful."
Ash and Misty sank into a third long silence. Growlithe panted at the door, dutifully listening for any trouble, and Pikachu curled up on Ash's chest, comfortable enough to begin napping. Ash ran what he'd just learned over and over in his mind and scrutinized every detail for possible solutions. After the sun had dipped lower in the sky, signaling the onset of evening, Ash sat up and stretched, making Pikachu scamper down to his lap.
"I don't think there's any quick way to fix this," he said, getting Misty's attention. "But maybe there's a way that would work even if it would take a little longer."
"What are you thinking?" asked Misty.
"The other Gyms," said Ash. "Every major city has one to defend it from the surrounding wild Pokémon and marauding gangs. No two gyms are alike, but all of them answer to, or at least listen to, the Elite Four according to my grandpa. I was thinking that you and I would travel to each one and do whatever we could to earn the respect of the leader of each gym. We'd convince each leader to give us some kind of recommendation that we could show the Elite Four and impress them enough that they'd let us into Malebolge."
"Do you have any idea how hard that would be?" asked Misty. "Gym leaders are some of the toughest people around. It wouldn't be easy to convince them to give us their backing."
"I know," said Ash, "but I don't really see anything else we can do. Also, even if we can't earn recommendations from each leader, it would still be a great way to travel all over the region, collect data for the Pokedex, and train up our own Pokémon. And who's to say that during the trip we don't uncover some more information on Team Rocket and find ways to set their plans back? We can always be working on that no matter where we are."
"Team Rocket is everywhere," said Misty, thinking about what she'd heard earlier from Jennifer. The orange haired trainer laid back on the bed and looked around for a minute. "I think that's the best idea we've got," she said. "So the general plan is going to be to visit every major city's gym, complete the Pokedex on the way, and hurt Team Rocket however we can in the process of trying to get to the bottom of Cerulean Cave through the entrance at Indigo Plateau."
Ash nodded. "I like the sound of that," he said. "It's not going to be quick or easy, but if it work then there's no downside."
Misty smiled a little and got up. "Well now that we have a plan," she said. "I'm going to go get a shower in. We can work on the details as we go." She made for the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
Ash sighed and laid back on the bed. Immediately Pikachu hopped onto his chest, curled into a yellow ball of coarse fur, and went to sleep. Ash grinned and petted the little Pokémon as Growlithe, stoic as ever, continued sitting by the door to keep watch.