New Discoveries
“Well, where are they?” Jessie fumed.
“Dey gotta be somewhere,” said Meowth.
Do these people know the meaning of “give up”? Celestia wondered.
The alicorn princess was currently resting atop Team Rocket’s Meowth balloon, enjoying the warm afternoon sun even as she craned her neck to look down at the ground far below. Down the basket, Jessie, James, and Meowth lacked the benefits of alicorn eyes or the Foresight move, so they were stuck with simple binoculars. Three days had passed since their initial attempts to follow Cassidy and Bill, but they had no intention of letting a little thing like orders prevent them from one-upping their hated rivals.
It wasn’t that Celestia necessarily disagreed with their decision – obviously this Team Flare had to be stopped and wasting agents for simple petty humiliation was wrong – but the trio’s way of going about it…
She sighed.
The two humans and catlike Pokemon hadn’t so much as landed their balloon since taking off from the beach. They ate, they slept, they did everything in a tiny green basket, barely even pausing for the slightest break. Even at night at least one of the three was awake and on watch at all times, scanning the land with binoculars for the slightest trace of their fellow agents. By her count, since emerging from her Poke Ball early that morning the three of them put together had barely so much as sat down for fifteen minutes out of nine hours. Their dedication was admirable, but their monomania reminded Celestia a little too much of some “episodes” of a certain former student back home. How much could they physically take?
“So what’d you say they look like?” a voice jogged her from her worries.
Celestia looked back at the wild Pidgeotto currently sharing the balloon with her. “Cassidy is a blonde-haired woman with long twin tails, pink triangle earrings, long white gloves and boots, and an impractical-looking black minidress with a prominent “R” on her chest. Botch has green hair, wears a long-sleeved black uniform very similar to the man in the basket, and is perpetually angry about people getting his name wrong.”
“Hmmm…” Pidgeotto rubbed his chin with one wing. “Nope. Can’t say I’ve seen anybody like that ‘round these parts.”
“What about Lysandre? Bright red hair styled like a mane, prominent beard, wears a red-lined black suit with fur trimming about the collar? I hear he’s very famous.”
“Can’t say I’ve heard of him. Don’t get much news out here in the forest.”
“But have you seen anyone that looks like that?”
“Sorry,” Pidgeotto shook his head. “I ain’t seen hide or hair of any human lookin’ like that fella.”
“I see. Well, have you seen any humans wandering around in ridiculously tacky orange suits? They also seem to enjoy orange sunglasses for whatever reason.”
“You mean the wanderin’ clown posse? Yeah, I’ve seen ‘em.” Pidgeotto pointed a wing in a roughly northeastern direction. “Bout half an hour or so that way, two days back as I recall it. Maybe ten of ‘em, loadin’ something or other into some trucks by the road. They had some Pokemon on patrol that didn’t look hospitable-like, so I didn’t stick around.”
“Understandable,” Celestia replied. “Has there been anything else unusual of late? Anything at all to do with the clown posse?”
“Hmmm… welp, I don’t rightly know if it had anything to do with them, but a few days back heard some weird stories about a chunk of the forest just plum up and freezin’ over. Took a look yesterday, but I guess it’d all melted ‘cause all I found was a big blotch of dead brown trees and mud. Don’t know any critters ‘round here strong enough to do something like that. Or any Ice types at all, really. Could just a been some stupid trainer kids throwin’ down where they don’t rightly belong again.” He snorted.
“I see. Is there anything else you can think of? Anything at all?”
Pidgeotto thought a moment, then shook his head. “Not really. Losin’ a chunk of the forest to some vandals is about the biggest thing that’s happened in the last few months. ‘Sides you guys hoggin’ the skies today.”
“In that case, thank you for telling me what you did.”
“You shared yer lunch with me, it was the least I could do. Why are you lookin’ fer these fellows so hard anyway?” He looked down at Team Rocket, hunched over the edge of their balloon’s basket with binoculars pressed hard against their faces. “Are your friends down there okay?”
“We think that Cassidy and Braden may be in danger from the clown posse,” Celestia explained. “We’re… friends, you see.”
Pidgeotto looked down at the trio, then back up. “Well, you’re some pretty devoted friends alright.”
“You could say that.”
“Anything else you wanted ta know? I know a few decent waterin’ holes I might share with a nice gal like you. Couple a’ trees where lots a Caterpie gather too.”
“Tempting as the offer is, I must decline. My thanks for your assistance.” Celestia answered politely, trying not to think about why he knew where Caterpie lived.
“Welp, if that’s all ya wanted ta know I suppose I had better be getting’ back ta the missus. Gotta help find a good nest ‘fore eggs come out.”
“Best of luck to you.”
“And same to you,” Pidgeotto nodded, spreading his wings. “Oh, an better watch yerself. Some Pokemon ‘round here ain’t as hospitable as me.”
You wanted to blow us out of your sky with Gust before I invited you to lunch. Celestia felt a drop of sweat forming on her neck.
Pidgeotto took off with a single beat of his wings, circling the balloon once before beginning a descent, waving one wing as he did so.
“Take care, Ms. Celestia. Good luck findin’ yer friends!”
Celestia waved goodbye to her newfound acquaintance, watching him slowly drift down towards the trees below, before turning her attention back to the trio below. She stood up, stretched her wings, and then proceeded to float gently down to the basket.
“Meowth?” she poked the cat softly on the shoulder.
“Yeah what is it?” he grumbled, not looking at her at all. “I’m busy.”
“I think I have some information that might aid our search.”
Meowth humphed indignantly, prying the binoculars off his face momentarily. Celestia winced at the red indents in the white fur around his eyes.
“Dis had betta be good, princess.”
An hour, an argument, and a frantic skirmish with a hive of wild Beedrill later, Jessie, James, Meowth, and Celestia stood amidst an ugly splotch of brown amidst a sea of green. All around them were dozens of dead trees of all sizes, some toppled and many full of holes. Lesser vegetation lay scattered about in clumps, brown and dead, torn out by the roots or simply torn to pieces by the sheer force of whatever had done this. Celestia grimaced at the destruction, though she felt some relief at the lack of any bodies.
“Well it’s obviously something unnatural,” Jessie said, hand on hips “but how do we know it has anything to do with Cassidy and Hutchison? Any number of Pokemon or trainers could have done this.”
“Well we won’t know til we look fa clues, will we?” Meowth retorted. “May be somethin’, may be nothin’, but it beats spendin’ anudda minute in dat balloon.”
“Well aright, but only half an hour you hear? I don’t want that stuck-up prima donna Cassidy gaining one second of a lead on us while we scrounge in the dirt!” She eyed James. “Your Pokemon had better not be leading us off course.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t have brought it up if she didn’t think it was important somehow,” he said hastily, hands up in front of his chest.
Jessie snorted. “Alright, split up and search! I want to know who did this and where they went, and I want to know now!” She pointed grandiosely.
“Ma’am yes ma’am!” James and Meowth shouted at the top of their lungs, dashing headlong into the shattered forest.
Celestia made to go with them, trotting a few steps in that direction before noticing something. She turned her head around.
“Aren’t you going to-”
Jessie was propped up against the balloon, already sound asleep.
Celestia sighed.
“Well that was a whole lot of nothing.” James moaned, halfheartedly kicking a passing pebble.
“I am reluctantly forced to agree,” said Celestia, walking by his side.
“If I weren’t so tired I’d be furious,” Meowth muttered from atop Celestia’s back.
The three of them had spent the past hour or so meticulously combing through the shattered forest, but to no avail. If there ever had been any evidence of what exactly had happened here, the freezing torrent and the passage of time or the whimsy of scavengers had stolen it away. There was nothing left but dead plants and broken wood tossed haphazardly about or sticking miserably out of the slightly-damp earth. The alicorn had even had the presence of mind to take a look at the dirt trail beyond the wreckage, but it was so tightly-packed and cluttered with debris that she didn’t see anything meaningful. Even Foresight failed to offer any real clue. And she had so been hoping for some good luck for once.
When the three of them made their way back to the balloon, they found Jessie exactly where the princess had left her, contentedly catching up on the nap time she had missed the previous days. James’ left eye twitched. Meowth, from his comfortable position between Celestia’s wings, was less restrained.
“HEY!” he yelled, the force of it flattening Celestia’s ears. “What the heck do ya think you’re doin’, sleepin’ on da job like dat?!”
“Huh? Wha…” Jessie blinked several times, yawned, then stretched her arms behind her head.
“You just decided to take a nap while we slaved digging through the muck?” James said, wringing his hands.
“Why you little…” Meowth growled, unsheathing his claws.
In a flash, Jessie regained her feet. “Team, report!” she snapped in a commanding tone, as if nothing had happened. “Any clues to the location of Cassidy and Biff?”
“No! No thanks ta you, sleepin’ beauty!”
“I’ll have you know that a well-rested commander is vital to the success of any team!”
“Who died and made you queen?”
“Well I don’t see any of you coming up with any bright ideas,” Jessie crossed her arms. “And from what you just said this whole thing was a complete waste of time, so I suggest that we get out of here right away and get back to-”
“Hey, Jess,” James said, anger gone from his voice. “What’s that under your foot?”
“Huh?”
Jessie, Meowth, and Celestia looked down at where James was pointing. There, in the churned earth beneath the former’s boot, was a slight glint. Jessie bent down and seized it, while the others walked over. Celestia could see that it was a small bit of reflective black fibers, only slightly coming out of the earth. Jessie tugged at the little bit of rope, but it stuck fast. Jessie grabbed it with both hands and tried harder, but it remained where it was.
“It’s under there pretty good,” she announced. “Feels like it’s buried under something heavy. Help me out, would you?”
“Uh, guys?” Celestia interjected.
“Not now, princess,” Meowth said as he and James took up position behind Jessie.
“On three,” Jessie ordered. “One. Two. Three. Heave!”
“Ho!” answered James and Meowth.
The three of them pulled, straining with all their might against the cord buried deep in the earth. At first their strength was rewarded, a foot or so of rope now revealed to be fastened to a network of other ropes emerging from the earth. However, very soon the rope stopped coming, but that did not deter the intently focused trio. If anything they simply redoubled their efforts.
Do they even realize their balloon is directly on top of it?
Although it took the three around five minutes of sweating and straining before they finally realized the source of the problems, at least they did manage to haul their prize out of the dirt. Inspection revealed that it was a large, tough fiber net easily big enough to trap any one of them, or perhaps all four of them together. James knelt beside it, running his fingers along the dirty ropes.
“Hmmm… I’d say this is a standard capture net,” he said. “Looks to be pretty new and in good shape.”
“Set up but not activated, by the looks of things.” Celestia added her own observation. Meowth translated.
“Sounds about right.” James stood up. “It doesn’t have any surefire markings but it definitely looks like something Team Rocket would issue.”
“So Buffy and Cassidy were here!” Jessie growled.
“Well if they were dose two sure got more than dey bargained for.” Meowth looked around at the devastated forest. “But what happened to ‘em next?”
“Do you think they won?” asked James.
“No.” Jessie shook her head.
“How do you know?”
“Because I know Cassidy,” she growled. “If that insufferable woman had taken Lysandre back to the boss then there’s no way she wouldn’t have called us to gloat about it. Then demanded her oh so glorious ‘victory party’.” Jessie crossed her arms and snorted. “No, there’s no way they won if they were here. So that leaves the question: did they lose, or did they just run away?’
The four of them had just a moment to ponder that question when there came a familiar beeping from inside their balloon’s basket. Their projector was receiving a call.
“Gah!” James jumped. “Of all the times…”
“Don’t tell me it’s Cassidy and Benjamin,” Jessie fumed.
“Just shut up a second!” Meowth hopped inside, then came right back out a minute later with their small device. Setting it on the ground and pressing a button, it only took one moment for the projective screen to come online.
Jessie took the initiative, pointing right at the projection. “Now look here you horrible little-” Her voice trailed off as she realized just who was on the other end of this call.
“Finally,” said Giovanni, shadowed but unmistakable in his shrouded office. “It’s about time someone answered.”
The Persian in his lap hissed in sympathy.
“Boss!”
All three members of Team Rocket dropped to their knees in an instant.
“What is that supposed to be?” Giovanni said, looking beyond his kneeling subordinates to the still-standing alicorn now visible behind them.
Celestia didn’t know quite why, but she didn’t like the way he said that.
“Bah,” before anyone could answer, Giovanni waved a dismissive hand. “There are more important matters to attend to right now.” He stared the trio in the eyes. “As of right this moment, I have every reason to believe that you three are the last Team Rocket members active in Kalos. It seems I may still need you after all.”
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Poor Billy, no one can ever get his name right.
8317366
'Cept Lysandre, for some reasons.
All rigth, two updates in a row, that is what I'd call good news isn't it?
Sorry, Team Rocket, your day of glory hasn’t come yet... again.
But I have a feeling the newly quatuor is going to succeed in doing something that counts soon!
8317366
The name is Pouch!
8317389
I thought it was Mitch.
I love how Giovanni doesn't even care about Celestia.
8317366
Yea, everyone does seem to butcher his name.
Already another update. Are we to expect things to accelerate to this point now?
Well it seems Celestia's social skills and Jessie's, James' and Meowth's legendary luck has put them back on track.
I do hope will soon have a chapter on Twilight's and Luna's situation. We haven't heard about them for a while now.
8317423
Wasn't it Buck?
Mistakes found:
Meowth
they
waste
Yay, more updates! Let's see what JJM and Celestia will do to Team Flare.
But first, I must concur: an update on the other alicorns, plz?
8317506
Twilight was caught by Ash after having been hurt by houndooms, so her pokeball could be teleported to Oak’s lab, and she could be healed in time.
Let’s be patient, I’m sure another chapter showing the other princesses will come in due time.
8317469
I think he normally would seeing as how she is a unique pokemon he has never seen before, but having every member of his organization in the Kalos region disappear apart from his three most incompetent agents (who are admittedly so loyal that they refuse to accept being fired and keep working for him) is probably far more important at the moment.
Team Flare really works fast when it comes to eliminating the competition.
Liked the Pidgeotto.
Hehehe
img.wennermedia.com/social/rs-12278-082013-insane-clown-posse-624-1377012134.jpg
Woo, a quick update! Thank you for that.
8318098
Fuckin' magnets
Fast update! I'm thrilled to see this story is still going - definitely worth a reread. So many things I can't wait for. Keep up the good work!
You know, it wouldn't be much fun mislabeling Bot if he didn't throw an unholy fit each time.
Oh, and on the subject of unholy fits, I still wonder, in the canon of the anime, whatever became of Professor Ninny?
8317485
no silly it was black
The last active members.. Desperate times call for desperate measures
.. Tho as much as they lose they aren't put out of commission for too long. Indestructibility by default
9041411
I’m pretty sure it was Butler.
I kind of feel like Cassidy and Blowtorch got what was coming to them. Maybe I’m just biased.
Poor Cassidy and Bluetooth