Chapter Text
Our duo were just a days walk outside of Saffron City, the road feeling longer than normal even as a cool breeze rustled the tall grass. Ashley could barely keep her cap on her head, her skirt ruffling in the breeze.
“Honestly, it’s… Honestly it’s very quiet without Brock or Giselle by our side, and… You know, it’s strange how just a couple days with someone can become normal to you,” Erika mused.
“Yeah…” Ashley sighed. “Do you think I was holding Giselle back, because I kinda got that impression.”
“No, you weren’t,” Erika said, soothingly. “You were just what Giselle needed, to make her not just a better trainer but a better person. And baby Pidgeys always have to leave the nest eventually.”
“It’s like that old saying, when you love something, you have to set it free, right?”
“Love, huh?” Erika arched an eyebrow, teasingly.
“Oh hush, it wasn’t like that! I’m a girl, she’s a girl, and we’re just good friends!”
“Uh-huh, because that kiss she gave you sure looked really friendly,” Erika said, and watched as Ashley blushed all of the way to her ears making a little whine that sounded like a tea kettle. “Anyways, I have to ask, why’d you want to go to Saffron? Celadon’s closer, and it’s usually the fourth gym people go to, after beating Surge.”
“That’s just it, Erika, you’re like… y’know, my mentor and I want to battle you at your full strength,” Ashley said. “Like I said before, I want to battle you last, when I’m at my best so I can challenge you at your best.”
Erika flushed, looking rather touched. “Okay then, I’ll make sure to battle you with a full 8 badge level team, my strongest blooms.”
“Alright!” Ashley said, punching the air. “Alright, we’re almost to Saffron City where my next gym battle awaits! My next victory!”
“One track mind that girl,” Erika said as she shook her head fondly. “Ashley you better be careful, Sabrina is a very strong gym leader. Probably the second strongest in Kanto besides Giovanni. Certainly the prettiest…”
“Awesome, I love a challenge!”
“Heh, I suppose you do. Her Pokemon are not pushovers, but honestly I’m looking forward to seeing how you’ve grown,” Erika said before smiling a little to herself. “...and I’m looking forwards to seeing Sabrina, maybe this time I can finally work up the nerve to talk to her and…”
“Work up the nerve to what?”
“Oh don’t mind me, just talking to myself…” Erika said, flushing a light pink and hiding her face behind her fan. “Anyways, after you beat Sabrina, I want to stop by Celedon. There’s something I want to take care of, and I need to check up on some of my blooms as well.”
“Yeah well I'll be ok even if I lose, I can just bounce back stronger again!” Ashley said, and Hope looked ready to agree with her. But before the little mouse could say anything, a sharp scream was heard from somewhere just up ahead.
Erika sighed fondly to herself, as she joined Ashley in a run. “Here she goes again, rushing into danger. That’s just like her, isn’t it?”
—--
A woman, in a wheelchair was being chased by a massive, and rather angry Ursaring. The woman had long brown hair, and wore a light blue kimono. Rolling her wheelchair as fast as she could, behind her a larger, dark brown feathered Farfetch’d was swinging around a massive leek knocking the Ursaring back.
However, the duck was clearly injured, covered in bruises and scrapes and panting and sweating hard. The woman had fallen out of her wheelchair, desperately reaching for a pokeball and tossing it.
A Spearow burst free from the woman’s Pokeball, and it let out a low cry before swooping in wings spread wide.
“Musashi, use your Peck attack now!” the woman said, in a stern but sweet voice as the Spearow flew upwards with its beak aimed like an uppercut punch.
“URSSSSAAAAAAAAAA!” the massive bear growled, charging up a powerful Hyper Beam.
“PIKA!” Hope said as she leaped into the air, swatting at the Ursaring’s head with her Iron Tail. The Ursaring stumbled back, as Hope landed on Ashley’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry, we’re here to help!” Ashley said. “Hope, Electro-Web now!”
“Chu-pi!” Hope said, springing off her shoulder and firing golden webbing from her tail, trapping the Ursaring against a tree.
“URSSAAAAAA!” the bear growled as it pulled itself free, only to find itself face to face with a massive leek. The leek was swung rapidly towards the bear, the tiny by comparison Wild Duck Pokemon not even remotely unnerved.
“That’s a Brutal Swing,” Ashley gasped. “I’ve never seen a Farfetch’d with a leek that huge!”
Said Brutal Swing slammed into the Ursaring’s gut and it was clearly a critical hit judging by the roar of pain.
“Mustard, help him out!” Ashley said, tossing the bee’s Pokeball. “Sludge Bomb, now!”
“Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Mustard buzzed, gathering a glob of poison in between his stingers and launching it at the bear.
“Ursa!” the bear roared, realizing it was outmatched and stomping off into the woods.
The Farfetch’d walked over to both Ashley and her Beedril and did a respectful bow, letting out a thankful quack. It then stumbled and staggered, letting out a cry of pain.
“Boy, you got beat up badly, didn’t you?” Ashley said, spraying the Wild Duck with a potion she’d gotten from Brock. “Still, you did great, you’re like an honorable samurai, refusing to lay down your blade to protect your trainer.”
If she didn’t know better, Ashley would have sworn the Wild Duck was blushing at the praise.
The woman, still on the ground crawls towards Ashley in a panic, tears falling from her eyes. “PLEASE I NEED YOUR HELP I HAD TO LEAVE NOBUNAGA BEHIND!”
Ashley blinked, completely confused and she topples backwards. The strange woman was clinging to her, and was on top of her even as Erika walked up to see this scene.
“I see flirting with strange girls now are we? You’re a real casanova, sis,” Erika deadpanned “So what happened here anyways?”
“Oh thank Arceus, a gym leader!” the woman said. “Please please help Nobunaga! I don’t have much but I’ll pay you whatever I can! Just please, you have to help him!”
“Hey hey it's ok we will help just tell us what's going on alright?” Ashley said, soothingly as the woman sobbed into her chest. She hiccuped, and tried to compose herself.
“R-Right, yes, apologies,” the woman said, with a nod. “My name is Keiko Masamune. I’m from azure village and I recently started my pokemon journey and I was looking for an Abra when I was attacked from out of nowhere by Team Rocket!”
And so she explained what happened…
A Sirfetch’d, somewhat larger than normal, knocked down a Kingler with one stroke of his blade. Holding his blade in both of his wings, he slashed downwards knocking out the giant crab.
There were several grunts, along with a well-dressed man in white in front of her. The grunts were taking a few steps back in fear The Sirfetch’d tapped his blade on his shoulder, flashing a co*cky grin with his bill.
“How are we losing to that wild duck? Farfetch’d may be rare Pokemon, but they’re some of the weakest around!” the man, obviously a higher ranking member said, pulling out strands of cyan blue hair.
“Actually that's a Sirfetch’d, they are typically found in the Galar region,” one of the grunts had the courage to comment.
“I DON'T CARE IF IT'S A TALKING PIXIE WHY ARE WE LOSING TO IT?” the Rocket in charge shouted. “Fine then, it appears I’ll have to do this myself! Houndoom, go get him! Crunch Attack, now!”
Yasuke burst out of his pokeball to challenge the beast, quacking out: “Fetch’d fetch!”
The Sirfetch’d stared at him hard before then looking to his trainer, Nobunaga nodded. “Ok, Yasuke looks like you're gonna get to fight.”
The Houndoom leaped forwards into his Crunch attack, only for Yasuke to knock him back with his massive leek.
“Houndoom,” the executive said. “Taunt!”
The Houndoom grinned, pulling a face and driving Yasuke into a rage. He swung his leek wildly, with the Houndoom dodging every time.
“Shadow Ball!” the executive cried even as Keiko said: “Swift!”
Shadow Ball met golden stars, the attacks canceling each other out.
“Crunch, again!” the exec said, only for his Houndoom to be knocked into a tree. However, Yasuke was panting hard, and was getting tired.
“Okay then… Houndoom return,” the exec said. “I’ve got just the Pokemon to wipe the floor with this snot-nosed brat. Go get him!
And with that, he sent out an…
“An Eevee?” Ashley blinked. “An Eevee did all that?”
“This… no that wasn’t any ordinary Eevee…” Keiko said.
“This’ll be a perfect time to see the results of my experiments! Eevee, evolve now!”
The Eevee let out a cry of pain as she forcibly changed, on cue and going against all rules of evolution. She became taller, her skin pinker with a red gem on her forehead. In the background, most of the grunts looked on in awe. One however, with long brown hair, looked horrified.
“Espeon, use Psychic, now!” the executive cried out, and Yasuke was lifted into the air. “Slam him into the ground, now!”
And Yasuke fell, crashing into the dirt.
“Sir!” Nobunaga said, drawing his blade for what was probably an impossible fight even as the Eevee shifted again. This time into a Sylveon, looking far more frightening than any cutesy Fairy-type had any right to.
“Sir!” Nobunaga said, looking back at his trainer.
Keiko nodded, she understood.
“And that’s when you found me, that guy… Archer, he said his name was, he sent his Ursaring after me. Leave no witnesses I guess.”
“...holy sh*t,” Ashley breathed out, her fists clenching. “Team Rocket… they did that to a poor little Eevee? But… why? How could they? That’s cruelty!”
“It’s Team Rocket,” Erika said, barely managing to hold back her own rage. “They don’t care about the Pokemon they’ve captured, all they care about is power. They want to control all of Kanto, never mind who or what gets hurt in the process.”
“We’ve got to stop them!” Ashley declared.
“We don’t even know where they are!” Erika said. “Think about it Ashley, they could be miles away by now!”
“Nidoqueen, go, right now!” a female voice called out, and Ashley turned to see a Rocket grunt, maybe two to three years older than her walking up.
“...or they could be right nearby,” Erika amended her statement. “Meadow, go!”
“Come on Tadashi, I need your help!” Ashley said, letting out her Charmander.
“NIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiddddddoooooo!” the Nidoqueen snarled, appearing from inside a black and gold-banded luxury ball.
“Tadashi, Flamethrower!”
“Meadow, Razor Leaf!”
Both Pokemon attacked the massive blue poison-type, which suddenly morphed and changed.
“Huh?” Ashley blinked.
“Wait a moment… that’s a Ditto!” Erika said as the Pokemon changed into a Manectric standing tall and proud. “Just who are you? You’re way too young to be a member of Team Rocket!”
“Guess they’re really desperate, and the pay’s great,” the grunt snarked. “So are you going to battle me, or can I just take your Pokemon?”
“Oh we’ll beat you, and then you’ll tell us where Archer’s hiding out!”
“Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I could tell you right now, and take you there, if you just hand me your Pokemon,” the girl said, spinning in place. “I mean, nothing in life is free after all and my Ditty can change into any Pokemon it wants. So, you really don’t have much of a chance.”
She smiled flirtatiously.
“You’re both cute and all, but like let’s be honest here, you’re facing a member of Team Rocket. I’m not like those idiots who keep stalking you, I’m way more competent.”
“And plenty full of yourself!”
“Ditty, show them I’m not just talk!” the grunt said. “Transform again, and transform into something really impressive this time!”
A loud screech filled the air as Ditty leaped into the air, and grew wings which quickly ignited into flame.
“A… a Moltres!” Erika said, stunned. “But Ditto can only change into Pokemon they’ve seen! Then that must mean…”
“Yeah, to put it simply, I’m way above both of your levels. So,” the Rocket grunt said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes and a smug little smile. “What will it be? Die, or let me have your Pokemon?”
“I’d rather die than do that!”
Erika gasped, and even the grunt looked shocked and was that horror on her face?
“Nah, no need to resort to such bloody tactics, I’m a grunt but I’m not a monster. I’m not going to kill a fellow trainer. Honestly, I was just joking about the killing you part!”
“You don’t train Pokemon,” Ashley growled. “You use them for your own desires!”
“Believe it or not, not all of us treat Pokemon like tools, I love mine and I can tell you do too,” the grunt said, and something in her eyes made Ashley almost want to believe her.
There was something else as well, Ashley couldn’t describe it exactly but something in the grunt’s eyes made her know she could be trusted.
Ashley sighed. “...fine, have it your way.”
She swallowed, right now she knew she didn’t have much choice and fighting that Ditto would only get her and her Pokemon hurt.
So this was the real Team Rocket huh? She had to admit, she could see why they were so terrifying. If this was the power they held, and the lengths they were willing to go to.
How could anyone ever beat them?
—--
“Draaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggoooooooooooooooon!”
Lance strode into the room, and eyed his starter as it thrashed around madly in a dragon sized temper tantrum.
“What’s wrong with you? What is it?” he asked. “You’re never like this, something… something’s calling out to you, isn’t it? What is it girl? What can you hear?”
His Dragonite roared, thrashing about and Lance thought fast and enlarged a Pokeball.
“Niohoggr, let’s go! Calm her down!” Lance said, releasing a pure black Haxorous which quickly grappled with Fafnir pushing her backwards.
“Come on girl, speak to me… what is it? Who’s calling you, huh?” Lance said even as Fafnir quickly blew violent winds about the room.
Niohoggr stumbled back from the violent Hurricane and braced for impact as Fafnir charged up her Hyper Beam.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Lance said. “Too many Pokemon have been hurt by humans already. Humans, we don’t deserve you, we’re too cruel and too selfish to see you as the beautiful graceful creatures that you are. But… if I have to…”
He sighed.
“Breaking Swipe, now!” he ordered, and Niohoggr slammed a claw into the outraged dragon-type.
Fafnir let out a cry of pain and Lance’s heart broke. He was no better than all of those other humans, hurting his own Pokemon.
“Please, don’t make me hurt you again!” Lance said. “Listen to me girl, whatever’s got you this way… I know you’re still in there! Remember, it’s me! Lance, your friend, your father! I hand-raised you, bottle fed you when your parents were killed by a Hydreigon!”
“Drag…” Fafnir moaned, finally realizing what she was doing and really looked at Lance, a guilty expression on her face.
Lance slid off Niohoggr’s back, and placed his hand onto Fafnir’s chest. The Blackthorn clan, his people, they’d always had this special ability to look into a dragon-type’s heart.
And right now, Lance could see what Fafnir’s heart wanted.
“A… Oh I see, you don’t want to fight, you want to fu… But it’s nowhere near your mating season yet!” Lance said. “Unless…”
He frowned.
Someone clearly wanted his attention.
They’d be sorry they got it.
—--
As the group moved through the forest, Ashley’s eyes drilled into the back of their captor’s skull.
“Gee lighten up,” the grunt said, turning back to her with a cheeky flirty grin on her face. “You looked like I just kicked your Growlithe or something.”
“YOUR STEALING OUR POKEMON WHY SHOULD WE LIGHTEN UP!?!” Ashley snapped at her.
“PIKA!” Hope shouted in agreement, cheeks igniting in short bursting sparks of electricity.
“I bet you feel so tough, stealing a disabled girl’s Pokemon as well,” Keiko said, in a perfect deadpan. “Like does it make you feel like a big girl or something? So, does it? Having powerful Pokemon just given to you, stolen from trainers who probably cared about them very much?”
“I caught my own Pokemon,” the grunt said. “I don’t need to steal any of them, honestly I hate stealing Pokemon. It feels like a cheap way to get stronger, using others’ strength instead of your own.”
“And yet here you are, in Team Rocket,” Ashley said, sassily. “I think you picked the wrong career if you hate stealing.”
Erika just glared spitefully at the young woman. “You’re an embarrassment to female Pokemon trainers everywhere, throwing in your lot with Team Rocket. If you care about your Pokemon so much, ditch them unless you’re just all talk. Meaningless platitudes to make yourself feel better.”
“Ugh, I’m not going to take your Pokemon, I was joking about that too! Sheesh, you people ruin all the fun of things, I’m not even with Rocket, I’m a spy okay?” the grunt said. “I’ve got my own reasons for working with Team Rocket.”
“For a rival organization?” Erika surmised.
“Something like that, yeah,” the grunt replied.
“Quit being evasive!” Ashley snapped. “And another thing! YOU WERE JOKING!?! WHY WOULD YOU JOKE ABOUT STEALING POKEMON?”
She cuddled Hope close, along with Tadashi as Erika let out a sigh of relief. Keiko let out a happy little cry as she held her own Pokeballs close, even as Erika raised an eyebrow. “And I don’t suppose you’re going to tell us what those reasons are?”
“Nope it's a secret,” the mystery Rocket smiles cheekily at Erika. “As is my name.”
Eventually, the mystery girl led them inside an old bunker, probably left over from some war ages ago.
“Here we are, I’d be quick and be gone,” the mystery girl said. “Like get that Sirfetch’d back, and get out of here. Someone’s coming, and you don’t want to be here when he gets here. He’s powerful, so are his Pokemon.”
“You don’t mean…” Erika’s eyes widened.
“No, not the Boss, as much as I’d like it to be, no, it’s someone else. Someone much stronger, well he is a boss but he isn’t Team Rocket’s. Those idiots got his attention,” the ‘grunt’ said. “And now that they have it, well they’re going to regret that.”
She chuckled.
“Down those stairs, and keep hanging left. You’ll know that duck when you see him. Still, gotta keep my cover and well you three are all competent enough trainers, so you should be fine. …probably.”
“Huh?” Ashley asked and Erika groaned knowing what was coming. She wasn’t disappointed.
“Intruders! Intruders!” the female grunt said, before dashing off as more grunts showed up.
“HEY GET BACK HERE YOU… YOU… GRAH!” Ashley shouted before her eyebrow twitched. “Tadashi, help me clear a path!”
“Chaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!” Tadashi said, firing off a blast of his Flamethrower scorching the grunts’ Pokemon to a crisp.
The threesome made their way through the hideout, before a much larger, much burlier member of Rocket blocked their path.
“You!” Ashley gaped, seeing Cliff in front of her.
“Yes, me. So, I didn't think I’d be seeing you again, little miss,” Cliff said, tipping his hat and enlarging his partner’s Pokeball. “You’ve got a death wish or something kid? Because challenging Team Rocket like this… it’s not healthy for anyone in the long run.”
“Yeah, well, there’s a Pokemon who needs our help, so I’ll gladly do whatever I can to help or I’d never be able to call myself the World’s Greatest Pokemon Master!”
“You’ve got big dreams, huh don’t you kid?” Cliff said. “I gotta admire that, you know what you want in life but you’re taking the wrong road to get there.”
He wore a sympathetic expression, a honest genuine look of almost parental disappointment in his eyes.
“If you knew what was best for you, well you’d stay out of Team Rocket’s way. Don’t try to play hero kid, in the old stories those heroes never last long. But, I suppose I’ll indulge your fantasy for a little bit. Tyrannitar, help me out here.”
He threw his ultra ball, and the massive green reptilian Pokemon let out a roar.
“Don’t bust them up too badly, okay? Even if they’re complete idiots, they’re still just kids,” Cliff said. “Iron Head.”
The kaiju-like Pokemon let out another roar and charged forwards at the group’s Pokemon.
“Tadashi, slow him down with a Flamethrower!” Ashley said, and Erika released her own Beedrill.
“Venom! Use your Sludge Bomb!”
Tadashi released the strongest Flamethrower he had in him and the Tyrannitar let out a roar of pain. It didn’t do a lot of damage to the pseudo-legendary but it definitely did some.
Then, a ball of sludge landed on the reptilian Pokemon, and purple ooze dripped out from between its scales. Poison began to sip at, and eat away the rock/dark-type’s health.
“Knock that little salamander back with an Aqua Tail, half strength!” Cliff said, and his Tyrannitar’s tail glowed blue, dripping water all over the floor as it slammed into Tadashi.
The Charmander flew back, into Ashley’s arms and let out a little cry of pain.
“...if that was only that attack at half strength, then…” she swallowed. “Holy crap, that thing’s a beast. I might be in over my head here.”
“You see now the difference in strength between you and I?” Cliff said. “I’m a wall in your path, and you’re never going to break me down. You should have turned and ran when you had the chance, kid. Now don’t make me hurt you further.”
“Pikapi!” Hope said to her trainer.
“Right!” Ashley said, understanding immediately. Hope did possess one move that would definitely help here.
“That little mouse, against my Tyrannitar?” Cliff said. “Are you sure about that? Or are you just trying to get another one of your partners hurt?”
“Just watch, this little mouse is going to really shock you!” Ashley said. “Hope, you know what to do right?”
“PIKA!” Hope cried and broke into a sprint, racing all around the Tyrannitar with the much larger Pokemon unable to keep track. The reptilian Pokemon looked to be plenty confused, trying to keep eyes on the little mouse.
“Now, Iron Tail!”
“Dragon Claw when she strikes!” Cliff said and his Pokemon let out a roar, his claw glowing with a violent purple energy.
“Hope, slam your tail into his attack! Cancel it out,” Ashley said. “Knock it back!”
“Chu!” Hope said, smacking her tail into the attack and making it fizzle out.
“Now, before he has a chance to react… Iron Tail again!” Ashley said and Hope leaped upwards slamming her tail down on the Tyrannitar’s head.
Hope flipped backwards, skidding on the ground as Tyrannitar staggered from the poison.
“Far!” Yasuke said, stepping up to the plate in front of Hope.
“You sure?” Ashley said. “That guy looks tough.”
“Far…” Yasuke said, taking his leek into his beak and pulling out two smaller leeks sharpened to a point like blades.
“Yeah, you’ll be fine, Ashley,” Keiko said. “Yasuke… he’s got it in his head that he’ll be like the honorable and noble samurai of old. Or at least the ones from Kurosawa’s old jidaigeki films.”
“Oh, one of those types, huh?” Cliff said. “Well, everyone’s got their quirks I guess.”
“Okay then…” Keiko said. “Yasuke, mix your Rock Smash with your Fury Cutter!”
Yasuke struck again and again, with the power of Rock Smash mixed with the unrelenting speedy swipes of the bug-type Fury Cutter. His ‘blades’ were a spinning storm of slashes, cutting into the Tyrannitar’s hide.
“Unbelievable!” Cliff said as the massive rock-type fell backwards into a faint. He sighed. “Very well, that other duck is yours. Still, I’d get out of here fast. Archer’s already coming to see what all this ruckus is. If you thought I was tough, then you haven’t seen anything yet. He’s much tougher.”
Keiko, after freeing Nobunaga from confinement, hugged the other duck close to her chest.
“Honestly, thank you all so much…” she said, tears leaking from her eyes.
“Don’t thank us yet,” Erika said. “We’ve still got to get out of here.”
“Just go back the way we came, right?” Keiko said.
“We need to quit talking, and start running,” Erika said. “We’re losing valuable time, and that Archer guy… he could be on top of us any minute now!”
“Right!” Ashley said as the three went for the exit, passing through a laboratory with various Pokemon floating inside tubes. “Oh what the hell… that’s… none of this is right.”
Mismatched Pokemon, revived from fossils, floated inside the tubes. One had a fish’s head, put on backwards and another was a tiny golden raptor stuck to the back end of a much larger Pokemon.
“By Arceus…” Erika said, reading over the names. “Dracozolt… Dracofish… These aren’t Pokemon, these are just mismatched creations! Living abominations!”
Ashley let out a sob at the sight, before spotting an empty tank.
“Hey, what was in this one? Mew? MEW?” Ashley’s eyes widened. “...wait, Team Rocket stole fossilized Mew DNA from the Pewter Museum, didn’t they? Are they trying to…?”
“Yeah, play god,” Erika said. “I’m willing to bet that Eevee that you described Keiko, it was a test bed for the DNA to see if it was even viable. We… yeah, we really need to get out of here.”
“Umbreon, Shadow Ball!” called a voice, and Keiko’s eyes widened as a machine exploded covering the whole room in smoke.
As the smoke cleared, Archer was revealed with a menacing gleam in his eyes as Umbreon ‘devolved’ into an Eevee.
“Like them? You’re not going to get to appreciate them for much longer, but I have to ask… What do you think of my work?”
“You’re sick!” Ashley said.
“No no no, I’m perfectly well. I’m not insane, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Archer said. “My parents had me tested for that, I was given a clean bill of health. I just like playing with DNA, seeing what happens. Personally, I think they’re magnificent creations if you’re asking me.”
He sucked in a breath.
“But like I said, you won’t be able to appreciate my work for much longer. Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick and painless for you. I commend you for even getting this far,” Archer said. “So it’s the least I can do, as a show of mercy. Now, what form should I use here… Eevee’s got so many different possible evolutions, including some we’ve yet to even discover! I can’t wait to find out what they are!”
Yasuke’s blades gleamed as he stood in front of our heroes protectively.
“You didn’t stand a chance before, so what makes you think you’ll stand a chance now?” Archer laughed. “But, very well, I’ll entertain your delusions. Espeon, Psybeam!”
“Eeee… Espeon!” the Eevee said, forcibly evolving herself into the Sun Pokemon.
“Yasuke, hit her hard and don’t give her a chance to fire off another attack! Fury Cutter Rock Smash combo, again!” Keiko said, and Yasuke leapt forwards spinning like a drill through the Psybeam and slicing into the Espeon’s body.
The Espeon slid backwards, hit with critical hit after critical hit and Yasuke pointed one of his leekblades at the Espeon as if to say ‘bring it’.
Then, Yasuke began to glow, growing larger with his main leek turning sharper like a blade.
“SIR!” Yasuke said, his dark fur now a golden color as he held out his new blade.
“Huh, I wondered when he’d finally evolve,” Keiko said. “Galarian Farfetch’d, they evolve only after scoring enough critical hits in battle. And Yasuke’s been training hard, to match his teacher’s blade and even developing his own unique three sword style.”
“Evolution or not, it still won’t be enough!” Archer said, before the whole base shook. A wall was blown open, a very familiar man behind it with a larger than usual Dragonite gently flapping behind him.
“Lance!?!” Ashley and Erika said, stunned.
“Hahaha, now all the pieces are falling into place!” Archer said. “You came, just like I predicted! And now, I can steal your Dragonite in the name of Team Rocket!”
“Giving off a false mating call to lure my Fafnir here to you,” Lance said. “You may regret that. If you’re a member of Team Rocket, then I’ll just send you blasting off into outer space and rescue all of the Pokemon you’ve hurt.”
“Lance, wait!” Ashley said, in alarm knowing what Archer’s Eevee could do. “It’s a-”
“Eevee, evolve into Jolteon and fire off your Thunderbolt!” Archer commanded and Lance’s eyes widened.
“JOLT!” the electric fox said, sparks flying everywhere…
—--
An explosion erupted from within the forest, Lance and his Dragonite flying higher as a golden bolt of electricity tried to reach them.
Archer was standing atop the hole of his exposed hideout, his Jolteon/Espeon by his side.
“Fafnir, Hyper Beam! Finish it in one shot!”
Down below, Ashley watched as the battle truly got underway.
“Come on, we shouldn’t stay here,” Erika said, grabbing her hand. “This whole bunker’s probably going to collapse all around us with how powerful Lance’s Dragonite is!”
Except it wasn’t Erika, Ashley knew Erika’s voice and that wasn’t her.
“It’s you!” she said, and Erika’s ‘face’ melted to reveal the ‘rocket grunt’ from before with the goo pooling around the older girl’s feet.
“Ditto!” the pink ooze chirped.
“...right, that’s just creepy, but why are you helping me?” Ashley said. “And where’s the real Erika and Keiko?”
“They had the good sense to get going and get gone!” the agent said. “Look, my codename, it’s-”
“Sylveon, Moonblast!”
The two attacks collided, an explosion erupting.
“Damn, that’s not good. Fafnir needs to recharge after a Hyper Beam,” the agent said. “Get out of here Ashley, I mean it!”
“No way, Lance needs help!” Ashley said, scrambling up towards Archer and his mutating Eevee.
“...I swear, this girl, she doesn’t have any sense whatsoever. It’s always the brave ones,” the agent mused, as she went over to a computer, and injected a thumb drive. “...still, the files said she’s helped Lance before, dealing with Rocket’s tree-cutting operation in Viridian…”
She paused, seeing one heavily encrypted file marked only with the codeword “Orion”.
“No way I’ll have time to decrypt this here, I’ll just download it and run…” the agent said as the battle rumbled up above her and she heard the distinct sharp ‘clang’ of an Iron Tail attack. “...still, all the same… Goddamnit it, I hate having a conscience.”
Up above, Hope flipped backwards from a now dark-typed Eevee.
“How dare you interfere! Eevee, offense! Kill that brat! She’s been a thorn in Team Rocket’s side for far too long!”
“Eeeeeve…” the little sand fox cried out in pain, as she shifted from Umbreon to… something. Her whole body seemed to be changing rapidly, shifting from one form to the next and looked half melted.
The parts that weren’t melted were a mix of mismatched DNA creating a truly horrifying sight. The being, it couldn’t be called an Eevee anymore, had the electricity-charged fur of a Jolteon, the rings of an Umbreon, the forehead gem of an Espeon and the tail of a Vaporeon.
“By Arceus, what is that?” Lance gasped, Fafnir still clearly recovering energy. “What have you done?”
“Damn it, not now…” Archer said. “Her DNA had to break down now?”
“Hope, Electro-Web!” Ashley called, as Hope fired golden webbing from her tail at Archer pinning him down. The not an Eevee cried out in pain and Ashley didn’t know what to do even as Archer managed to release his Houndoom.
His Houndoom which was rapidly changing, growing and becoming more demonic, with longer horns.
“Meet Mega-Houndoom!” Archer cackled. “Rip her to shreds!”
“Ashley!” Lance cried out, even as Fafnir swooped in.
Then, two things happened at once. One, a Wigglytuff slammed into the Mega-Houndoom coated in a gold aura. Giga Impact, a part of Ashley’s brain remembered. Secondly, the ‘rocket agent’ ripped off her disguise to reveal a slinky black dress underneath.
“Traitor!” Archer gasped out even Mega-Houndoom fainted.
“Sorry, hard to be a traitor when I was never on your side,” the agent flashed him a smile. “Now, you sit right there and shut up. No really, just shut up. Thanks Jiggly.”
She recalled her Fairy-type and then injected something into the Eevee and it seemed to… stabilize for lack of a better word. The rapid mutations began to slow, and it started to look more and more like an actual Pokemon than a creature from a fever dream.
“What was…?”
“D-Cells, pure D-Cells. Ditty, she used to be unable to stabilize herself, and I’ve kept some on me ever since,” the agent explained. “They should be bonding with this poor Eevee now, and while she’s not out of the woods now, she’s not going to just melt down anymore.”
Ashley still looked a bit green, even as Lance landed nearby.
“Hello again, Ashley. Sorry if we had to meet again like this, I guess we’re just both drawn to crisis against better sense,” Lance said. “Still, without you… Well, Team Rocket’s going to have serious trouble recovering after this. Executive Archer, at last. Agent Green and I have been after this bastard for months.”
“I told you I hate that codename! Why’d you have to name me after a color? Like what, do you name all your agents like that?” Green deadpanned. “Gold, Platinum, Red, Silver, Blue… We’re not a Sentai y’know!”
In spite of herself, Ashley couldn’t help but laugh.
—--
Sun set over the grasslands, the lights of Saffron City glowing in the distance.
“...Thanks,” Keiko said. “You two are just… well, you’re something else. Crazy, stupid, I’m not sure what.”
“Heheh, yeah, well I guess I’ve got a severe lack of self preservation,” Ashley said as Hope snuggled in her arms and Erika gave a ‘you think?’ sort of look which Hope quickly mimicked. “Still, this is about par for the course for me by this point.”
“What do you mean?”
Erika giggled behind her fan. “She means that on the first day of her journey, she threw herself in front of a Spearow flock to protect Hope, who still hated her.”
“And now we’re best buddies!” Ashley said, rubbing Hope’s head which made her ears perk up and made the mouse give out a happy little ‘cha!’ sound.
“Oh my god… that was you…” Keiko whispered. “Just before I started my journey, I was given a Spearow. My Spearow, Musashi, and all I knew was some trainers had captured a whole flock of them and…”
Her eyes were a bit wet as she wheeled herself over to Ashley and hugged her.
"You caught it for me, and… well, I kinda have to repay you. Musashi, he was my starter thanks to you.”
“Yeah?” Ashley said. “I just… I was just helping to deal with a mess, those Spearow have been a problem for years.”
“And now disabled people like me have their first Pokemon, in Spearows, in Minior and in Beedrill. I mean, you did all that work for no reward,” Keiko said. “That’s just not right, in my eyes. I’ll trade… no gift you one of my new catches later, make it official.”
“You don’t have to-”
Then, Yasuke walked up, and bowed to her in respect and Keiko smiled. “...oh, it’s like that, huh?”
“Eh?”
“Yasuke, he saw how you fought, and fought well against superior opponents. He, well needless to say you’ve won his respect. He wants to be your Pokemon now, I think,” Keiko said.
“SIR!” Yasuke nodded in confirmation.
“He’s at your command,” Keiko said. “So what are you going to do first?”
“I think,” Ashley said with that excited look in her eyes. “It should be master against student. What do you say, huh Yasuke?”
“Sirfetch!” the duck quacked, his leek blades sharp as ever.
“Okay then, Nobunaga, let’s see if your student has what it takes to leave the nest on his own!” Keiko said, and tossed a Pokeball…
—--
“Sir, Executive Archer, he’s been…”
“I know,” Giovanni said. “Continue with Project Orion, on schedule. Archer, I didn’t tell him everything, he never even saw me face to face. Still… that’s three times now we’ve run into that little Ketchum brat. She’s beginning to become quite the pain, she always seems to show up wherever we are. Looks like Champion Lance, he’s got a new student…”
The man chuckled, stroking his Persian.
“How interesting indeed… Jessie, James, they’re stalking her and Erika right? Contact them, tell them their top priority is to capture that brat, and her Pikachu and bring them to me!”
