//------------------------------// // New Mission // Story: Celestia's Rocket Adventures // by Snake Staff //------------------------------// “Well,” James said after a moment had passed. “Since you’re going to be part of Team Rocket, Celestia, you’ll need to remember some of your moves.” “You’re darn right it will,” Jessie mumbled. James glanced at her, then back at the princess. “So I guess that means I had better start training you.” “That seems reasonable,” Celestia agreed. “Starting right now,” James began walking towards her. “Oh no you don’t!” Jessie grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pulling him back toward her. “I am not going to sit here and sew this old thing back together while you run off and play with-” she paused and looked at Celestia appraisingly. Then she returned her gaze to James, a malicious-looking smirk on her face. “James,” she asked. “That is your Pokemon, correct?” “Yes, I suppose so,” he answered, a large bead of sweat rolling down the back of his head. “And it’s being excused from helping on grounds of disability, right?” “I don’t think I’ll like where this seems to be going, will I?” “So wouldn’t it be fair if you covered, say…” Jessie grinned. “All its share of the work?” “What?! That’s not fair at all!” “Life isn’t fair!” “But you were just making an argument from fairn-” “DO IT!” “You know,” said Celestia, several hours later, as the sun was setting. “It probably isn’t a good idea to let her push you around like that.” James sat beside her on the grass, nursing his hands. The two were huddled with the remainder of Team Rocket around a campfire, cooking something or the other in a rather small pot. After many hours of work, the Meowth balloon had at last been re-stitched into tiptop shape, ready to fly again in the morning. Celestia was still a little unclear as to how it had gotten so bad, beyond a vague memory of that horrible yellow rodent flash-frying the lot of them with electricity. She assumed that that had done the deed. The princess put a gentle hoof on James’ leg. “If I had a healing spell, I would use it on you right now,” she bowed her head slightly. “I do apologize for your being made to do extra work on my behalf.” “Yeah yeah, spare us all da act,” Meowth grumbled, taking a quick peek into the slightly-steaming pot. “You ain’t got me fooled, lady.” Celestia ignored him. James looked down at her leg. “Oh my, where are my manners? Here I’ve been so busy wallowing in self-pity that I’ve completely neglected to begin your training!” He stood up, hands on hips. “Well, let’s remedy that right away!” “No, it’s perfectly alright, I can waaaaa-” Celestia’s remark was cut off by a surprisingly powerful tug on her mane. Out of half-surprise, half-instinct, she rose to her hooves and began to follow him. The man seemed so enthusiastic as he pulled her along that she didn’t have the heart to tell him that yanking her flowing mane in that manner was rather painful. “That’s the boss,” Inkay chirped as she was dragged off. “Always looking out for his team!” Jessie and Meowth looked at each other. “More for me!” they cheered simultaneously. James seemed not to hear as he led Celestia by the mane to a hill a short distance from the campfire. Once he found a spot that he deemed satisfactory, he released his grip, allowing the princess to resume her full height. The two stood eye-to-eye. “Now then,” James said, tapping his chin. “Where to begin? Well…” he looked her over. “I’m not exactly familiar with your species, and I haven’t been able to find any data on it so far.” “That’s because I’m the only Celestia there is,” she felt compelled to reply, despite knowing the futility of the gesture. “So I don’t really know what kind of moves you naturally can learn.” “That makes two of us.” “So I think we’ll start with the move you used earlier today: Hyper Voice. Do you think you’re up for it?” “I don’t know.” “That’s the spirit!” he clenched his fist. “Always stay positive! Never give up!” “I really wish you could understand me.” “This move should be easy enough. Just try making the loudest noise you can and focusing your energy into it!” “Are you sure this is a good idea?” James bent over and whispered into her ear. “And if you can help it, aim for Jessie.” Celestia put a hoof up to her mouth and sniggered. “Your wish is my command.” “Now,” he straightened out, putting one hand on his hip and pointing dramatically into the distance with the other. “Let’s do this together! I know deep inside my heart and soul that you can!” “Maybe…” James said, about three hours later. “This wasn’t the best way to go about learning Hyper Voice.” “You think?” Celestia retorted. Or, rather, would have retorted had she not succeeded in screaming herself hoarse some time ago. What came out instead was more of a “horrible hacking cough” -type sound. “Perhaps we should move onto something else for now.” Celestia’s ears folded back. James got up from where he was sitting in the grass and circled around Celestia, hand again on his chin. After a few laps, he paused by her sides, staring. Then he gently pulled her right wing from its folded resting position. “Hmmm…” he ran two gloved fingers through her swan-white feathers, tickling slightly. “These aren’t just vestigial, are they?” Celestia shook her head. “Great!” he smiled. “That means you should be able to learn Fly!” “That’s distinct from normal flight how?” she tried to ask, only to wheeze rather pathetically instead. “That will let you soar through the sky at far greater speeds than normal, as well as unleashing a powerful physical strike against opponents, whether on the ground or in the air!” “So I just fly into people?” Celestia wondered. "How is that something special?" “So are you up for it?” The princess hesitated. James clasped his hands together and looked her in the eye. “Pretty please with a cherry on top?” Celestia stared back boldly, mustering all her willpower to deny his request. … Her wings twitched, then drooped, and she nodded. “He looks like a colt asking his mother for a cookie,” she thought with a sigh. “And I really need to stop falling for such things.” “Wonderful!” he smiled. “Now, let’s start this show by-” “Hey!” came Meowth’s voice. “Birdbrains!” “Hmmm?” Both James and Celestia looked in his direction. “Not dat I don’t enjoy watchin’ little miss princess dere make a fool outta herself, but we got a call comin’ in!” “A call?” James asked. “From da boss! So get over here, on da double!” “Coming! Coming!” he rushed back towards the campfire. “Sorry Celestia, we’ll have to continue this a little while later!” The princess breathed a quiet sigh of relief. At a slow, sedate pace Celestia followed James back down the hill. As she did, she spied Jessie, James, and Meowth placing a small, flat device along the ground. It lit up, projecting what looked to be a thin, glowing screen around two feet off the ground. At the moment, it was blank. The trio knelt around it, having a hurried whispered conversation. Celestia’s keen ears could nonetheless make it out easily. “Do you think we should tell the boss about Celestia?” “Tell him we got a crazy Pokemon what don’t know any moves?” Meowth scoffed. “He’d tink we was insultin’ him!” “Meowth’s right,” Jessie said. “Remember that Togepi. The boss doesn’t want just rare Pokemon for the team; he wants rare and powerful Pokemon. And your little horse friend there isn’t that.” “Okay! Okay!” James waved his hands. “Just asking,” he looked up towards Celestia. “If you wouldn’t mind, please stay of the view of this, alright?” She nodded. Apparently their boss was a rather picky man, and she had no wish to anger someone who might be able to help her. “There’s a good girl,” he smiled, then turned his attention back to the moniter. Celestia sat down in the grass and watched as the projected screen soon flickered to life. The image of a brown-haired, hard faced man in what looked to be an expensive black suit and red tie appeared, seated behind a desk. A white catlike Pokemon heavily resembling Meowth sat in his lap. Jessie, James, and Meowth immediately snapped to full attention, giving off crisp salutes. “Giovanni, sir!” they said as one. “At ease,” he said in a deep, rough, and yet calm voice. The trio sank back to their knees in order to be better level with the screen. Jessie began. “Sir, our travels throughout the Kalos region have been very productive, including-” “I haven’t called to ask for a status report,” Giovanni cut her off. “I’ve contacted you to assign you three a new mission.” “Anything you say, boss!” Meowth said. “Quite right,” he replied. Giovanni paused for a moment to stroke the Pokemon in his lap, which stretched leisurely and yawned. Celestia could have sworn that she heard the faintest of growls from Meowth. “Now then,” the Team Rocket boss continued. “I have recently been receiving a number of disturbing reports from sources within the Kalos region concerning the rise of group known as Team Flare.” “You mean dose red-suited weirdos that like ta hang out at cafes in Lumoise City?” Giovanni nodded. “The same.” “No offense to your sources, sir,” said James. “But how could they possibly represent any kind-” “Do not be fooled by appearances!” Giovanni snapped, sounding genuinely irritated this time. “No matter how ridiculous they may be!” His cat growled at the screen, as if in empathy. Suitably chastened, the trio fell silent and lowered their heads. “That’s better,” their boss nodded. “Now then, according to my sources – very reliable sources, I will add – this Team Flare is far more dangerous than it may first appear. If some of the more outrageous pieces of information are true, it poses a serious threat to the Team Rocket presence not just in the Kalos region, but in every region,” he paused. “And perhaps even to the world itself.” In the distance, Celestia’s eyes went wide. Her ears twitched, straining to pick up every last little detail. “It goes without saying that such a group cannot be ignored,” Giovanni went on. “After your recent performance during Operation Tempest, and then in the conflict with Team Plasma, I have decided to send you three in first.” “It’s our honor, sir!” chanted all three at the exact same moment. Their boss smiled and nodded. “Very good,” he stroked the cat again. “Now, I want you to obtain as much information on Team Flare’s plans as you can and report back to me. If you are able to determine the location of their headquarters or the identity of their mysterious central commander, that will be a mark in your favor going forward. And of course, if you should happen to find yourselves in a position to counter any of their plans,” he glanced at each of the three. “I give you permission to deal with them as appropriate.” “Sir, yes sir!” they snapped off a unified salute. There was a momentary silence. “Uh, Giovanni, sir?” James spoke up. “Is there anything in particular that we should be looking for? What exactly is it that makes this group such a threat to Team Rocket?” “Yes, I was just getting to that,” Giovanni replied. “Unfortunately, on this subject I have only whispered thirdhand information, at best. Nonetheless, the risk to us all is serious enough to warrant further action, even on such sketchy intelligence.” Yet again, he stroked his cat. “The reports I have read suggest that Team Flare seeks, or perhaps has already found, a legendary item from three thousand years in the Kalos region’s past.” Giovanni’s face was grim, and serious. “An ultimate weapon, said to be capable of unimaginable feats of destruction…” In the darkness, Celestia shivered.