//------------------------------// // Enemies // Story: Celestia's Rocket Adventures // by Snake Staff //------------------------------// “Surely you must see the direness of your situation?” Luna asked. “The peril that you and all your kin now must face?” “I really don’t,” said Snubbull The princess kept her voice and face level with some effort. “Ruthless slave-makers roam your home even as we speak, seeking those they might steal away. Uncounted Pokémon have already been taken, their wills stripped and replaced with mindless violence and servitude. Every passing day brings them further into the forest and closer towards the territories claimed by your clan.” “I don’t really see how that’s my problem,” the pink Pokémon replied. “If humans come in numbers, we hide in our nests until they go away. If there aren’t any other Pokémon around there’s more food and space for us.” “The fact that your fellow Pokémon are having their minds violated is of no concern to you?” “Well…” Snubbull looked down a little. “It’s not like I like the idea or anything, but you know what I like less? Having my clan’s minds violated. Because if what you’re saying is true, we should hide until they leave this place. Fighting them will just get us captured too.” “Why is it you assume hiding would work?” Luna asked her. “Is it not so that these humans already display technological terrors beyond the rest of their kind?” “Assuming everything you’re saying is the truth.” “On my honor, it is.” “Well, just granting that for the sake of it,” she eyed the princess warily, “we still have a better chance if we run and hide than if we fight. There aren’t enough of us to fight humans. Especially if these humans really can take over a ‘mon’s mind or see you wherever you go like you’re saying.” Not exact what Luna had said, but she thought better of correcting it for now. “Have you ever heard the phrase ‘stand together, fall apart’?” the princess asked. “No. Why would I have? What does it even mean?” “It means that the multitudes rising as one are a nigh unstoppable force, but can be picked off one at a time if they foolishly separate themselves from one another.” Luna shook her head. “These humans… they intend to suck the Pokémon they capture entirely dry. I heard it attested to by their own lips. For what purpose I know not, but merely enslaving the Pokémon of this forest is just the beginning. We must work together, now, to put a stop to this plan or else we shall all be overtaken and consumed in our turn.” Snubbull cocked her head a little, an uncertain expression on her face. “I know that the idea of working alongside Spearow is very foreign to you,” Luna continued, “but you must believe me when I tell you that the alternative is horrible beyond imagination. Imagine your kin taken, their very wills stolen away, and then their lives expended in some insane scheme. I know that you may not wish to believe it, but I swear by my honor and my life that everything I tell you is true. Unless we work together, your time will come, and far sooner than you believe.” “…How do I know I can trust you? What proof do you have of any of this? Besides little pieces of black human stuff you say are shards of these ‘Dark Balls’?” “I thought you might say that. Fearow,” Luna glanced over her shoulder, “why don’t you tell her all about what happened when you met those two humans?” “I think I can do that,” he said. “Now this is what I call a good spot!” Jessie smiled, as she and James unfolded and laid out a ground cover. The two humans were still in the forest, but a couple of different moves around had brought them closer to some of the main trails that ran throughout it. But it was a warm and sunny day, without a cloud in the sky. Their balloon was safely hidden amongst the trees. And there was no one around. What harm could a little break do? “Meowth, you have our lunch?” James asked. “Right here!” Meowth patted the picnic basket in his right arm. “Grub is ready ta go!” Jessie and James nodded to each other and reached for their belts. Four Poke Balls flew up into the air, and Pumpkaboo, Inkay, Wobbuffet, and Celestia all appeared in a row with a flash of silver light. “Alright everyone,” Jessie said with hands on hips, “you’ve all been training very hard over these past few days, and we thought you deserved a reward.” “And to work hard you have to eat hard!” James smiled. “So we three-” “Just me,” Meowth interjected. “Meowth here made us all some lunch while Jessie and I supervised! So who’s ready for a good old-fashioned spring picnic?” “I am!” cheered two Pokémon and an alicorn. “Wobbuffet!” “Great! Now come over here and we’ll get you all a plate. I know you’re all going to love this one!” “Course ya will. I made it!” Meowth boasted. “Not to rain on anyone’s parade,” Celestia suddenly spoke up, ears standing on end, “but if I’m not mistaken I hear the sound of human voices.” One translation later and everyone was staring at her. “Not your voices.” Twilight blinked when she saw it. It was simply unbelievable. The princess did a double take, rubbing her eyes hard with one wing to make sure that she wasn’t hallucinating. But when she opened them again, they were still there, plain as day for all the world to see. Sitting there in full were two humans, one a blue-haired man and the other a magenta-haired woman, alongside a Meowth curled up in the sun. Sure, the man was wearing cargo pants and a polo shirt alongside sunglasses and a mustache. Yes, the woman was wearing shorts, a light pink blouse, and a wide-brimmed tan hat. But all three together, with the same facial profiles and general appearances as the images she’d so obsessively memorized? You would have to be a lunatic not to recognize them immediately, even out of uniform. And such brilliant criminals would have to know these “disguises” were incredibly obvious as well. So, what was their angle? Why put on a pretense of rolling out a mat and setting up a picnic in the middle of nowhere? Was this some twisted mind game, intended to mock her with how little they feared a princess of Equestria? Or maybe some sort of minuscule step for larger master plan her immortal mind could scarcely begin to fathom? “Hey there!” Twilight musings were interrupted by the sound of Ash’s voice. When she looked briefly away from her adversaries, she saw the trainer walking ahead and waving cheerfully. Her jaw dropped. “Why hello there young man,” the woman said pleasantly. “Lovely day for a walk in the woods, don’t you think?” “Allow us to introduce ourselves,” the man added. “This is Jessiella, and my name is Jamison. And this is our beloved pet, Meowth.” He gestured to the apparently napping Pokémon. “Nice to meet you, my name’s Ash,” the boy introduced himself with a smile. “And I’m Serena,” the girl behind Twilight said. “My name’s Clemont, pleased to meet you.” “I’m Bonnie.” “You can call me Pikachu.” “Are you people insane?” Twilight gawked. Pikachu turned around to look at her with a puzzled expression, but none of the humans seemed to pay the least mind. Presumably they thought she’d just introduced herself. “Well, it’s certainly nice to meet a nice group of young people who love being in nature as much as we do,” “Jessiella” said. “Can we help you with anything?” “Actually we were looking for someone. A really bad bunch of Pokémon thieves called Team Rocket. They go by Jessie, James, and Meowth. They’re always after my buddy Pikachu here and they stole another Pokémon we need to get back to help Twilight. Maybe you’ve seen them?” “Hmm…” the woman put a finger to her chin. “Nope, can’t say we have. They sound fiendishly powerful and intelligent, though.” “And handsome,” the man added. “Are you sure?” Serena asked. “It’d mean the world to us if you even have a vague idea!” “They like to fly around in a Meowth head balloon,” Clemont added. “Does that help any?” “Sorry, can’t help you with that,” the blue-haired man shook his head. “Haven’t seen anyone out here but ourselves and a wild Wurmple.” The whole gang’s faces collectively fell. “Am I crazy or are you guys actually getting fooled by this?!” Twilight managed despite her hanging jaw. “Fooled by what?” Pikachu turned his head to regard her with a puzzled expression. “Them!” Twilight gestured at the picnickers with one hoof. “That’s obviously Team Rocket! Right there!” “Huh?” Pikachu looked back over at them. “What are you talking about?” “A magenta-haired woman, blue-haired man, and a Meowth all of the correct age just sitting around having a picnic in the middle of nowhere? Exactly where we’re supposed to be looking for Team Rocket?! How can you not connect the dots instantly?” “Well, thanks anyway,” Ash continued. “I’m very sorry we couldn’t help. Would you like to stay for lunch?” the man offered, to a glare from his partner. “Sorry, but we’ve gotta find Team Rocket before they can get away with Twilight’s friend.” Ash shook his head. “But thank you very much for the kind offer,” Serena said. “Oh, no problem at all. Anything help a group of youngsters in need.” “Bye now!” both man and woman waved as Ash walked a little dejectedly away from the trailside picnic. “Alright guys,” he began. “We-” Whatever Ash was going to say was cut off as Twilight barged right past him with a deep scowl on her face. The alicorn pointed one accusing hoof at the trio. “I have no idea what kind of evil mind-control rays you’re using to make people buy such garbage disguises,” she barked at them. “But it doesn’t work on me! You’re Team Rocket and if you’re smart you’ll release Princess Celestia from captivity right now and turn yourselves in!” “What’s it saying?” the woman asked. “Maybe it’s hungry?” the man guessed. “I’m not falling for any mind games you want to play!” Twilight shouted. “If you won’t come clean I’ll just have to make you!” A charge of white light tinged with all the colors of the rainbow began building around Twilight’s horn. Before anyone could move to stop her, the alicorn unleashed Psybeam. It ate up the distance between the parties in a flash, striking Meowth firmly on the backside. “YOWCH!” the cat Pokémon screamed in a voice loud enough to wake the dead. “Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!” Meowth danced around for a moment on his two hind legs, frantically rubbing his smoking hindquarters with his two front paws. “Alright which one a’ you just did dat?!” he demanded, one paw bunched into a fist and other showing claws. “Because whoever did is gonna a Fury Swipes so bad dat… dat…” Meowth’s voice trailed away as he stared at the smug-looking alicorn and the slowly dawning comprehension on the faces of the others. “Uh… I mean Meowth… Meowth?” he tried. “You’re Team Rocket’s Meowth,” Serena said. Clemont picked up. “So that must mean the rest of you are…” The man and woman took one look at each other, at Meowth, and then nodded. Both humans rose as one, grabbed their clothing, and cast it to the wind with a single practiced fling. Beneath, the same white Team Rocket uniforms Twilight had seen in images gleamed proudly in the sunlight. Including in areas that had previously been bare skin. Somehow. Maybe Pinkie could explain it. Twilight thought. “Prepare for trouble and watch where you shoot!” “And make it double or we’ll give you the boot!” “To protect the world from devastation!” “To unite all peoples within our nation!” “To denounce the evils of truth and love!” “To extend our reach to the stars above!” “Jessie!” “James!” “Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!” “Surrender now or prepare to fight fight fight!” “Meowth, dat’s right!” “Wobbuffet!” A Poke Ball at James’ waist burst open, and a white alicorn appeared in a blaze of silvery light. “Wait!” Celestia managed. “I’m not… ready… yet….” She hung her head and sighed.