COMPLETE: The Skull Gang (Page 1)

[bursegsardaukar]

The Skull Gang

THE SKULL GANG

By Bursegsardaukar

Author's note: This is my first fan-fiction and there are some written scenes of graphic violence, minor swearing and some mushy stuffs. Pokémon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo and Game Freak.

INTRODUCTION:
THE SKULL GANG ORGANIZATION:

Skull Gang is a secret organization like Team Rocket but with a different ideology. Many years before the formation of Skull Gang, a group of people had decided to take the law into their own hands and formed various vigilante groups to fight Team Rocket. Under the leadership of a man named Takada Sugihara, all the vigilante groups were merged into one powerful organization called Skull Gang. Skull Gang's only goal is to protect all Pokémon from human cruelty and to destroy Team Rocket. They have no qualms of killing people to achieve their goal and their bloody and murderous methods had branded them as an extremist group by the law and Skull Gang had to fight Team Rocket while hiding from the law. However, Skull Gang had created many subgroups that appeared legally in society as political parties, industrial enterprises, Pokémon welfare organizations, etc. The subgroups were used to recruit followers and to fund Skull Gang's war effort against Team Rocket. With their immense wealth from their economic and industrial activities, they had secretly purchased military hardware and high-tech weaponry to rival Team Rocket's. Skull Gang had created their own military to fight Team Rocket and they have an arsenal of high-tech weaponry from army vehicles, aircraft, and navy vessels to orbital spy satellites that were all purchased from the black market. All Skull Gang members and soldiers are fiercely loyal and have an almost suicidal disregard for their own personal safety to serve the Skull Gang's cause. Skull Gang will stop at nothing in their crusade against Team Rocket.

CHAPTER ONE

A Kangaskhan was wandering inside a forest that was part of the Safari Zone. The Kangaskhan was searching for its baby that had been separated from it. The Kangaskhan had wandered very far away from the rest of the herd but it must find its baby. Suddenly, the Kangaskhan could hear a soft whimper that sounded like its baby's. It quickly went over to the source of the sound and it found its baby with its leg in a trap. The Kangaskhan went over to its baby to try and free it. Suddenly, a net fell on top of it and the Kangaskhan struggled to get out. Two men and a Houndoom came out of the bushes and laughed when they saw the Kangaskhan that was trapped in the net. The two men are Team Rocket poachers that had came into the Safari Zone to catch some rare Pokémon like Kangaskhan.

"We got a big one, Carl," said one of the men. "The Boss will be giving us a bonus for this one."

"Hurry up and catch it, Garson," said Carl. "The ranger could be on her way here soon!"

Garson took out a Pokéball and threw it at the Kangaskhan. The Kangaskhan hit the Pokéball away.

"Stupid fool! You have to weaken it first then throw the Pokéball!" shouted Carl as he took out a device from his pocket. "I'll weaken it myself!"

Carl pressed a button on the device. The Kangaskhan howled in pain as the net started to release an electrical shock that coursed through the Kangaskhan's body. Carl smiled as the Kangaskhan slowly got weaker and weaker from the electric shocks. Carl then threw another Pokéball at the weaken Kangaskhan. The baby Kangaskhan watched helplessly as its mother was caught inside the Pokéball. The Houndoom stared at the baby Kangaskhan and felt pity for it but it couldn't do anything because it has to obey its master.

Garson saw the baby Kangaskhan and went over to it. He kicked the baby Kangaskhan in the stomach and watched as it sobbed in pain. Garson chuckled when it saw the baby sobbing in pain at his feet.

"What should we do with it, Carl?" asked Garson.

"It has no value like its mother," said Carl as he put the Pokéball that contained the Kangaskhan into his pocket. "I heard that a baby Kangaskhan could not survive without its mother. Let's sell it to a restaurant. I heard that Kangaskhan meat are served at a large price."

"And we don't have to use a Pokéball because it's going to be on a dinner plate soon," said Garson as he took the same net that trapped the Kangaskhan and walk towards the baby Kangaskhan.

Suddenly, there was a gunshot and Garson collapsed to the ground. Both Carl and his Houndoom were shocked at what had happened.

"Garson!" Carl shouted as he and Houndoom rushed over to Rob that was lying motionlessly on the ground.

Carl checked Garsn's breathing and found out that he was dead. A bullet had gone through his head. Suddenly, there was another gunshot and Carl felt something entered his head. Then his vision melted to black and he fell on top of Garson's body. A masked man that was wearing a black military uniform climbed down a tree with a sniper rifle in his hand. The Houndoom snarled at the man and charged at him. The man aimed his sniper rifle at the Houndoom and pressed a button on a device that was fitted beneath his sniper rifle. A red beam of light came out of the device and hit the Houndoom. The Houndoom fell to the ground and it couldn't move a muscle. The man took out a Pokéball and threw it at the Houndoom. The Pokéball hit the Houndoom and it was captured. The man was a Skull Gang commando named Kusugo Kane. He had been hunting down those two notorious poachers for days and had finally put a stop to their activities.

"You will feel the sweetness of your freedom once you are rehabilitated," said Kusugo softly as he picked up the Pokéball and put it inside the backpack he was carrying. "Until then, you are my prisoner."

Kusugo walked towards the baby Kangaskhan. The baby Kangaskhan tried to crawl away but it squealed in pain because its leg was still caught in the trap. As it struggled to get away, the trap bit deeper into its flesh and blood began to ooze out.

"Stop struggling! I am trying to help you," said Kusugo as he opened the trap and freed the baby Kangaskhan's leg.

Kusugo took out a first aid box and opened it. He took a canister and sprayed some chemical on the wound. The baby Kangaskhan whimpered in pain as the chemical stung it. Somehow the wound on its leg stopped bleeding and began to heal. Kusugo then wrapped a bandage around the wound. He went over to Carl's body and reached into the pocket. He took out the Pokéball that contained the Kangaskhan that had been captured by Carl. He pressed the release button and the Kangaskhan came out of the Pokéball. The Kangaskhan saw its baby and went over to it. It picked up its baby and they hugged each other. Kusugo was about to walk away when a policewoman, Officer Jenny, appeared in front of him. She pointed a rifle at him.

"Halt!" shouted Officer Jenny. "Drop your weapon and put your hands on your head!"

Kusugo quickly took out a capsule and he threw it to the ground. A thick smoke came out and Officer Jenny fired her rifle blindly. When the smoke cleared, the Kusugo was gone.

*********

Two days later, at the Skull Gang Kanto and Johto Military Command Headquarters. Kusugo was walking down a hallway until he reached the infirmary that was part of the headquarters. Kusugo walked towards a door that had the words 'Dr. Giler Johnson' written on it. He knocked on the door.

"Come in," said a voice from the other end of the door.

Kusugo went into the room and there was a man in a lab coat inside. The man is a Pokémon doctor that works for Skull Gang.

"Good evening, major," said the doctor. "The usual checkup for Josh?"

"Yes, doctor," said Kusugo. "Please be gentle with it. My Charmeleon is quite sensitive especially when it is with a doctor."

The doctor went over to an examination table that was inside the room. He turned on the large overhead lamp that was suspended above the table. He then pushed a trolley that had all his tools on it towards the table. Kusugo took out a Pokéball from the pouch that was attached to his belt and send out his Charmeleon.

"Char!" said the Charmeleon as it appeared in front of Kusugo. Kusugo squatted down in front of the Charmeleon and patted it on the head.

"Josh, the doctor will be giving you your monthly checkup today," said Kusugo, calling his Charmeleon by its nickname. "I know it will be a little uncomfortable for you but I just want to make sure you are healthy. Is that OK with you?"

The Charmeleon looked at Kusugo for awhile and then nodded its head. Kusugo slowly stood up and picked the Charmeleon up and placed it on the table. The Charmeleon lay down on the table as the doctor took a stethoscope from the trolley and placed it to his ears. He put the chestpiece to the Charmeleon's chest and then its stomach. After that, he put on rubber gloves and uses his left hand to open the Charmeleon's left eyelids while he holds a small flashlight in his other hand and shine it into the Charmeleon's left eye. He did the same thing to the Charmeleon's right eye.

"Please sit up and open your mouth," said the doctor.

The Charmeleon got up into a sitting position on the table and opened its mouth. The doctor took a spatula probe and uses it to press the Charmeleon's tongue down while he checked its throat with the flashlight. Suddenly, a beeping sound came out of Kusugo's PokéGear. Kusugo took it out of his pocket and pressed a button on it.

"Major Kusugo Kane please report to General Sakata's office immediately," said a voice from Kusugo's PokéGear.

Kusugo put the PokéGear back into his pocket and looked at the doctor that had just finished checking his Charmeleon.

"How is it, doctor?" Kusugo asked.

"It is in good health and in perfect condition like usual," said the doctor as he turned the overhead lamp off. "Please bring it to me for another checkup next month."

"Thank you, doctor," said Kusugo as he went over to his Charmeleon.

He took the Pokéball that was lying on the desk and recalled back his Charmeleon into its Pokéball. He opened the door and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. He put the Pokéball back into the pouch that was attached to his belt and made his way to the general's office.


CHAPTER TWO

Half an hour later, Kusugo was walking down a hallway until he stopped in front of a room that was guarded by two Skull Gang soldiers that were armed with M16 assault rifles. There was also a Psychic Pokémon named Kadabra standing next to the soldiers. The soldiers demanded Kusugo to show them his ID. Kusugo rolled up the sleeve on his right arm to reveal a Skull Gang insignia that had been tattooed on his arm. One of the soldiers took a handheld electronic scanner and scanned the tattoo. There is a special microchip that was surgically implanted into Kusugo's shoulder and was used as his ID. The Kadabra stared at Kusugo and its eyes began to glow. It was reading Kusugo's mind to check if he was a spy or a traitor. The Kadabra's eyes then stopped glowing and it raised its right thumb. All of this security is meant to prevent spies and traitors from endangering Skull Gang's security and its most guarded secrets. Kusugo opened the door and stepped into the room. General Sakata was inside the room sitting behind a desk.

"Major Kusugo reporting for duty as ordered, sir," said Kusugo as he saluted to the general.

"Please sit down, major," said Sakata as he returned the salute.

"Thank you, sir," said Kusugo as he sat down in front of the general.

"How was the mission in the Safari Zone, major?" asked Sakata.

"Not much, sir," said Kusugo. "I killed those two Team Rocket poachers as ordered, sir."

"Excellent. I have reviewed your performance during your last solo missions and I have decided to promote you to be the leader of one of our new Special Forces commando team code-named Shadow Scorchers," said the general. "You will be in charge of the team starting tomorrow and continue to do so until you are either dead or relieved of your command, major."

"Very well, sir," said Kusugo. "Would there be anything else?"

"There is one more thing, major," said Sakata. "Skull Gang Intelligence had reported a Team Rocket smuggling freighter that will arrive at Vermilion City in two days. The ship will dock at the Vermilion Port to refuel and secretly loaded with Pokémon that will be smuggled to Johto. I'm giving you and your team the task of raiding that ship and rescue all the Pokémon onboard. I'll brief you on your mission tomorrow, major."

Sakata opened the drawer and took out a file.

"This is the file on the commandos that you will be under your command," said Sakata. "I suggest that you read it so that you will be familiar with their background. That will be all for today, major."

"Yes, sir," said Kusugo as he took the file from the general.

Kusugo got up from the chair and saluted to the general. He then left the room with the file. He made his way to his living quarters. He unlocked the door and pushed it open and stepped inside his room. He then closed the door behind him and locked it. He put the file that he was carrying on his desk. He took the Pokéball out of the pouch that was attached to his belt and let out his Charmeleon, Josh. He went over to the cabinet and took out a box of Pokémon food and poured its contents into a bowl. He put the bowl onto the floor and his Charmeleon went over and started eating. While his Charmeleon was eating, Kusugo sat down on the chair and turned on the table lamp. He took the file that was on his desk and opened it. The file contained the names, photographs and backgrounds of every member of the Shadow Scorchers team:

NAME: Ralph Goro
RANK: Captain
GENDER: Male
AGE: 34
HAIR: Black
POKEMON: Arcanine
BACKGROUND:

Ralph is a former police SWAT team member that never killed anybody. During a raid on a Team Rocket hideout, his Growlithe was badly wounded when a Team Rocket member shot it several times in the abdomen. The sight of his Growlithe lying in a pool of blood was enough to harden his heart against the natural repugnance of killing for the first time. He killed the Team Rocket member even though he was ordered by his superiors to capture him alive. He was court-martialed for insubordination and was kicked out of the Police Force. He was recruited into Skull Gang because of his extraordinary skills as a marksman. Over the years, he had learned to accept our views.

NAME: Shindo Harasaki
RANK: First Lieutenant
GENDER: Male
AGE: 32
HAIR: Brown
POKEMON: None
BACKGROUND:

Shindo was a Pokémon trainer that had won the 4th place in the Johto League and 2nd place in the Indigo League. He was on his way to compete in the Orange League but three Team Rocket members ambushed him and stole all his Pokémon and then ran away. With anger in his heart, Shindo joined the Skull Gang and after years of relentless training, he has become a Skull Gang commando.

NAME: Shiratori Moriyama
RANK: First Sergeant
GENDER: Female
AGE: 28
HAIR: Black
POKEMON: Nidoqueen
BACKGROUND:

Shiratori was an orphan and lives in an orphanage in Fuchsia City. She had no friends and was often bullied by the other children in the orphanage. Her only friend was the Nidorina that was given to her by her father before he died in a road accident. The Nidorina was like an older sibling to Shiratori and was always there for her. One day, Shiratori and her Nidorina ran away from the orphanage. A Skull Gang member named Jackson found Shiratori and her Nidorina that were almost buried in a layer of snow inside an alley. They were both lying close to each other in a desperate attempt to keep warm from the bitter cold. Both of them were rescued and were nursed back to health. With nowhere to go, Shiratori joined Skull Gang and had been trained to be one of Skull Gang's Special Forces commandos and also a talented field medic.

NAME: Yuriko Ikichi
RANK: Master Sergeant
GENDER: Female
AGE: 25
HAIR: Blonde
POKEMON: None
BACKGROUND:

Yuriko's father was a police detective that had exposed many of Team Rocket illegal activities. One day, Yuriko and her mother were shot several times by Team Rocket members inside a speeding car. Yuriko miraculously survived the shooting but her mother died on the spot. Overcame by grief, Yuriko's father committed suicide. Yuriko believes that Team Rocket was the cause of her parents' death and she joined Skull Gang for a chance to avenge their deaths.

Kusugo closed the file and put it inside the drawer. He then got up from the chair and lay down on his bunk. He sighed deeply and covered his face with his hands. Suddenly, he felt something snuggled up next to him on his bunk. It was his Charmeleon, Josh, who was looking for some attention from Kusugo. Kusugo smiled and got up into a sitting position on his bunk. He hugged Josh to his chest.


CHAPTER THREE

Two days later in Vermilion City…

It was midnight but there was a group of people that were still working in Vermilion Port. Those people are Team Rocket members that are busy loading things into a large freighter named the S.S. Illusion that was anchored at one of the docks at Vermilion Port. Several large metal cages were loaded into the ship's cargo hold. Inside the cages are Pokémon. As soon as the last cage was loaded into the cargo hold, the hatches are closed. The ship was ready to sail for Johto. The ship weighed anchor and its diesel engines roared to life. The ship slowly moved out of the harbor and headed for the open sea. The ship's captain was on the bridge with several other officers.

"Full speed ahead," ordered the captain as he uses his binoculars to lookout for any passing ships.

The first officer went over to the telegraph machine and set it to FULL. Soon, the ship was sailing at 16 knots and headed out to sea.

*****************

Meanwhile, inside one of the cabin that was part of the ship. A sailor was lying down on his bunk reading a magazine while the other sailor was reading a newspaper. The two sailors are actually Kusugo and Ralph in disguise. When the ship was still at Vermilion Port, Kusugo and his team killed five of the S.S. Illusion sailors that were working at the dock. They then disguised themselves as the dead sailors and boarded the ship. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," said Kusugo as he got up into a sitting position on his bunk. He reached for his pistol that was hidden under the pillow.

The door swung open and three sailors stepped into the cabin. They are Shindo, Shiratori and Yuriko in disguise.

"We've taken care of the generator and the engine room, major," said Shindo. "The explosives will go off in ten minutes."

"Alright, let's start the mission," said Kusugo as he got off his bunk and landed on the floor. "Did you brought the things?"

"Yes, sir," said Shindo as he pointed to the five backpacks and suitcases that were outside the cabin. They carried the backpacks and suitcases into the cabin and locked the door.

Kusugo and his team took off their disguises to reveal the black Skull Gang military uniforms they were wearing inside. They went over to the suitcases and opened them. They took out body armors from the suitcases and put them on. They then took out five MP5 submachine guns that were also kept inside the suitcases. Each MP5 submachine guns had a device called the 'Paralyzer' attach to it. The Paralyzer is a non-lethal weapon that shoots out electrical charges to make a human or an animal paralyze or unconscious for hours. Skull Gang had a policy of not killing any Pokémon even if they are Team Rocket Pokémon and all Skull Gang members are equipped with the device to paralyze the Team Rocket Pokémon they encounter. The Paralyzer can paralyze a Pokémon of any type including Rock and Ground types. Because of its small size, it can be fitted to any kind of guns or weapons and it has a special power source that gives it unlimited firing. Kusugo and his team took the backpacks and carried them on their backs. The backpacks are heavy but Kusugo and his team were trained to carry heavy loads on their back while fighting.

"The C4s will blow up at any moment now," said Kusugo as he looked into his wristwatch.

****************

The captain and the other officers are inside the bridge. The captain was enjoying a cup of coffee as he looked into the night sky. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the ship and the lights went out. The whole ship was in darkness but the emergency lights inside the bridge automatically activated themselves. The red emergency lights illuminated the dark room. A few seconds later, an another explosion rocked the ship and the ship started to lose speed and slowly came to a halt. The captain realized that the explosion came from the engine room. He navigated his way through the poorly lit room and went over to the telephone. He called the engine room to find out what was happening.

"Hello, engine room?" said the captain through the phone. "What is happening down there?"

There was no answer.

"Hello, is anyone down there?" the captain said through the phone. "Answer me!"

Suddenly, gunshots are heard and the sound of people screaming and yelling could be heard. Kusugo and his team were attacking the crew with their MP5 submachine guns. Their night-vision goggles helped them to see in the dark. While the sailors were running around in the dark, Kusugo and his team killed them one by one. Some of the sailors released their Pokémon to fight the commandos. Kusugo and his team paralyzed the Pokémon and captured them with empty Pokéballs. They then executed the sailors. After 15 minutes, Kusugo and his team searched all the cabins to make sure that they had executed all the sailors that were onboard the ship except the captain and the other officers that were inside still the bridge. They also took all the dead sailors' Pokéballs and put them inside their backpacks.

"Let's split up," said Kusugo. "I'll go up on the bridge and take care of the captain and the other officers up there. The rest of you go down to the cargo hold and rescue the Pokémon down there."

Ralph, Shindo, Shiratori and Yuriko made their way to the cargo hold to rescue the Pokémon while Kusugo went up to the bridge. They opened the hatch that covered the cargo hold. Ralph and Shindo used a ladder to climb down inside. The cargo hold was full of cages and inside each cage is a Pokémon. They went over to the cages.

When the Pokémon saw Ralph and Kusugo, they started frantically pawing at the doors to their cages and they shouted at them. Ralph took a Pokéball out of the pouch that was attached to his belt and send out his Arcanine, Tina.

"Tina, I need you to tell those Pokémon that we are here to rescue them and no harm will come to them," said Ralph to his Arcanine. "But they have to cooperate with us if they want us to help them get off this ship and to freedom."

The Arcanine nodded and it went over to the Pokémon that were inside their cages. It communicated with the Pokémon and told them what Ralph wanted it to say to them. However, the Pokémon didn't know if they should trust him because they had been mistreated by Team Rocket for a long time and they are still traumatize by that experience. After some time, they decided to cooperate with Ralph and Shindo. Ralph and Shindo opened the cages and all the Pokémon came out. They opened their backpacks and took out some Pokéballs.

"I need all of you to enter these Pokéballs so that we can get you off this ship," said Ralph.

The Pokémon nodded and they all entered the Pokéballs. Ralph and Shindo marked the Pokéballs with a black stripe so that they would not get mixed up with the other Pokéballs that they had taken from the dead sailors.

*****************

Kusugo entered the bridge and killed all the officers that were inside. Suddenly, a Scyther appeared in front of him. The Scyther uses its ninjalike speed and knocked the MP5 submachine gun out of Kusugo's hands with its blade-like arm. The captain that was hiding under a table got out from his hiding place.

"Kill him, Scyther!" ordered the captain to his Scyther.

The Scyther charged at Kusugo and it took a swipe at Kusugo with its blade-like arm. Kusugo dodged the attack but the Scyther was able to scratch his left shoulder. Kusugo move about the room to try and dodge the attacks. Finally, he took out the Pokéball that contained his Charmeleon, Josh, from the pouch that was attached to his belt.

"Josh, I need your help now," Kusugo said softly as he send out his Charmeleon.

"Fire Spin!" ordered Kusugo as soon as Josh came out of its Pokéball.

Josh opened its mouth and let out a blast of flame at the Scyther. The Scyther was hit by the attack and was burned pretty badly. It started attacking the Charmeleon that burned it. Josh let out another Fire Spin attack and knocked out the Scyther. Kusugo picked up the MP5 that was on the ground and fired it at the captain. The captain was shot to death. Kusugo then took out a Pokéball from his backpack and threw it at the Scyther and captured it. Kusugo recalled back his Charmeleon and took out a wireless radio set from his backpack.

"Trojan Horse to Tenedos, Troy has been taken," said Kusugo through the radio. "Requesting permission to leave the ship."

"Message received," said a voice from the radio. "Rescue team will arrive in 28 minutes,"


CHAPTER FOUR

A submarine surfaced a mile away from the S.S. Illusion. The submarine commander, Captain Crawford and three sailors made their way to the conning tower and to the bridge. They turned on a spotlight and aimed it at the S.S. Illusion. Kusugo and his team saw the spotlight that was coming from the submarine. Kusugo took out a flare gun and shoot out a green flare into the sky. A few seconds later, another green flare was fired into the sky from the submarine.

"Alright, we're leaving," said Kusugo. "Let's get into a lifeboat."

Kusugo and his team quickly made their way into a lifeboat and they lowered it into the sea. They took the oars and started paddling towards the submarine that was waiting for them. Kusugo and his team got out of the lifeboat and climbed on board the submarine. They quickly went into the submarine through the conning tower. Captain Crawford and the sailors closed the entry hatch and went down to the control room.

"Dive!" ordered Crawford as he entered the control room. "All ahead two thirds."

Within seconds, the submarine submerged and started moving. Captain Crawford went over to the periscope and looked through it. He could see that the disabled S.S. Illusion was in front of the submarine.

"A sitting duck," said Crawford as he continued looking through the periscope. "Fire tubes one and four."

Two torpedoes were fired from the submarine and headed towards the ship. The torpedoes hit the ship and exploded. The S.S. Illusion burst into flames and it slowly sank into the sea.

"We got them, Gentlemen," said Crawford as he saw the sinking S.S. Illusion through the periscope.

"Great shot, Captain," said Kusugo who was standing next to the captain.

"Lower the periscope," Crawford ordered and the periscope was lowered. "Send out the success codes to HQ immediately."

"Down to ninety meters and head back to base," said Crawford.

"Major, I want you and your team to follow me to the Teleporter Room." said Crawford as he went over to Kusugo. "General Sakata had given orders that all the Pokémon that you rescued must be transferred to one of our sanctuaries immediately."

"Yes, sir," said Kusugo as he and his team followed the captain.

The captain led Kusugo and his team through the tight passageway and they stopped in front of a door marked TELEPORTER ROOM AUTHORIZE PERSONNEL ONLY. He took out a card and swiped it through a machine that was at the side of the door. He then pressed his thumb on the fingerprint scanner and entered the access code. The door opened and they went into the room. The room is where Pokéballs could be transferred to other places using the same transportation machines that Pokémon trainers used. Skull Gang uses a secret transportation route that is protected by many security systems so that the police will never be able to trace them and also prevent Team Rocket from hacking into it.

"Tilson, contact the sanctuary at island no.543," said Crawford to the officer that was inside the room. "Tell them we're sending over some Pokéballs to them. The Pokéballs with stripes are those that contained the Pokémon that were rescued and the ones without a stripe contains Team Rocket Pokémon that needed to be segregated from the others."

"Yes, sir," said Tilson as he went over to a computer and typed something on the keyboard.

"Major, please put all the Pokéballs that contained a Pokémon into this basket," said Crawford as he placed a basket in front of Kusugo and his team.

Kusugo and his team opened their backpacks and took out all the Pokéballs they had on them. They placed the Pokéballs into the basket. Crawford took the basket and placed it on a table.

"This is island no.543," said a voice that was coming from the computer. "We're ready to receive Pokéballs."

Tilson pressed a button on the keyboard and a mechanical arm began lifting up the Pokéballs that were inside the basket one by one and put them onto a metal platform that was a part of the transportation machine. A beam of light hit the Pokéball that was on the platform and the Pokéball disappeared. The mechanical arm placed another Pokéball onto the platform. The same beam of light hit the Pokéball and it disappeared. Half an hour later, all the Pokéballs were transferred to another location.

"Transfer completed," said the voice from the computer. "All Pokéballs have arrived safely to the sanctuary."

**********************

Meanwhile at island no.543, all the Pokéballs that were transferred to the island appeared one by one from the transportation machine that was inside a building. The building is a Skull Gang facility that was built on the island. The island is a Pokémon Sanctuary that was one of the hundreds of sanctuaries that was used by Skull Gang to release all the Pokémon they had taken or rescued from Team Rocket. The sanctuaries are mostly large man-made islands that were secretly built by Skull Gang. Each sanctuary was built with different types of habitats like caves, lakes, fields, forest, etc. The different types of habitats are made to suit the different types of Pokémon. A group of Skull Gang soldiers and high-tech security systems guarded the sanctuaries round-the-clock from inside the facility.

The Pokéballs with a stripe and without a stripe were separated. All the Pokémon that were rescued from the S.S. Illusion were taken to the infirmary inside the building and given a medical checkup to make sure that they are okay. They will then be quarantined for a few weeks before they are allowed to be release into the sanctuary. The quarantine procedure is to prevent diseases from spreading into the sanctuary. The Team Rocket Pokémon had to be segregated from the other Pokémon and transferred to a rehabilitation center that was part of the facility. Skull Gang knows that some Pokémon would always be loyal to their masters even if they were mistreated. As long as the Team Rocket Pokémon are loyal to their former masters, they are considered as a threat to Skull Gang. However, Skull Gang had ways and the resources to handle the long, delicate task of rehabilitating the Pokémon and released them from Team Rocket's control. After the Pokémon had been rehabilitated, they will be released into the sanctuary.


CHAPTER FIVE

Four months later, inside a Team Rocket research facility. A Team Rocket scientist, Dr. Ogata and a group of other scientist are conducting a top-secret project called the G.E.M (Pokémon Genetic Enhancement and Manipulation) project. The project is funded by Team Rocket to create an army of genetically enhanced Pokémon to take over the world. Dr. Ogata was an expert in genetic engineering and the chief scientist of the project. During the last five years, he and his fellow scientists had worked hard to create a machine called the Bio-Enhancement Machine. It is a machine that is able to alter the DNA of a Pokémon so that it will become stronger, faster and even more aggressive than normal. The machine was already completed but all they need now are some Pokémon as test subjects for the project.

***************

A Typhlosion sat inside a cage in a dimly lit room. For the last two years, it had been left inside its cage ever since it was taken away from its trainer. There were other Pokémon inside the room as well that were either stolen from their trainers or captured from the wild. All of them knew that they are going to be used as test subjects for Team Rocket's cruel scientific experiments. Suddenly, two scientists in lab coats came into the room with two Machamp. The scientists opened the cage and the two Machamp took the Typhlosion out of its cage. The Typhlosion struggled for its life because it knew that they were going to do something horrible to it. One of the scientists took a sponge that was soaked with chloroform and covered it over the Typhlosion's nose and mouth. The chloroform knocked out the Typhlosion.

The Typhlosion woke up in a large room with its body strapped down to an operating table by leather straps. Electrodes were attached to its body and were connected to a machine that displayed the Typhlosion's heartbeat on the monitor. Suddenly, a door opened and five scientists that were wearing surgical gowns, rubber gloves and masks entered the room. They went over to the table and stood over the Typhlosion. One of the scientists was Dr. Ogata. He took a syringe and a vial that contained a blue liquid. He tipped the vial upside down and stuck the syringe needle into it. The syringe was slowly filled with the blue liquid.

"It's just a little shot. It will hardly hurt at all," said Dr. Ogata as he put down the vial and squeezed a drop of the liquid out of the tip of syringe needle.

He took the Typhlosion's arm searched it until he found a fat juicy vein in the Typhlosion's arm. He pierced the needle into the vein and emptied the contents of the syringe. This infuriated the Typhlosion, it opened up its mouth to do a Flamethrower attack on Dr. Ogata but only a puff of smoke came out.

"Don't ever try that again. I have administered a special drug into you that will temporarily disable all your special attacks," said Dr. Ogata as he put away the syringe. "Once you wake up from this operation, you'll be more obedient to us."

He took an anesthesia mask and placed it on the Typhlosion's face. It tried to shake its head but Dr. Ogata firmly held its chin and held the mask tightly over its face. Then, a strong smelling gas began to fill the mask. The Typhlosion was forced to breathe in the gas that was coming through the mask. It struggled against its restraints to get free. Soon, the Typhlosion began to feel drowsy and its eyelids became heavy. It stopped struggling against the restraints and fell asleep. Dr. Ogata reached for his microrecorder that was on the table. He clicked it on and spoke into the recorder.

"This is March 25 and we are beginning phase one of the G.E.M project," Dr. Ogata said into the recorder. "The subject is a Fire Pokémon named Typhlosion. We will begin by implanting a prototype mind-control microchip called the B35 microchip into its brain. The microchip will keep the Pokémon under our control as we use it to do our bidding."

The Typhlosion's head was placed head into a clamping device that was bolted to the operating table. The clamping device is to prevent its head from moving during the operation. Dr. Ogata took a scalpel and made an incision on the Typhlosion's scalp. Retractors are used to hold the wound edges to expose the skull. An air-powered surgical drill was used to make a hole into the skull. He was careful not to damage the brain. Once the 1cm hole is completed, a cannula (a tube designed for insertion into a body cavity) is passed through the brain to the ventricles. A surgeon that was standing next to Dr. Ogata took a small silver disc that was about 7mm in diameter out of a plastic bag and handed it to him. Dr. Ogata used an endoscope to insert the disc into the brain. Once the disc is in place, the endoscope and the cannula were removed from the brain. A special titanium plate was used to cover the hole in the skull and the scalp wound was then closed up using stitches.

**************

Ten days later, at the same laboratory. Dr. Ogata and his fellow scientists were beginning phase two of the G.E.M project using the Typhlosion that had survived the brain surgery ten days earlier. The Typhlosion was floating inside a glass tube that was filled with a purple liquid that was part of the Bio-Enhancement machine. It has electrodes and wires attached all over its body and a breathing mask that gave it its only source for air.

"How is the subject, Vostok?" asked Dr. Ogata as he stared at the scientist who was at the computer console that was connected to the Bio-Enhancement machine by cables.

"In stable condition," said the scientist as he looked into the computer monitor. "Its attack strength had been increased by 14%, its speed by 12%, its special attacks by 18% and its defense strength by 15%."

Dr. Ogata walked towards the Bio-Enhancement machine and stared at the Typhlosion that was inside the tube. Dr. Ogata could taste the sweetness of the success of his experiment. Suddenly, an alarm was heard and Dr. Ogata went over to the main computer console inside the lab. He pressed a button on the computer.

"What happened?" Dr. Ogata said through the computer.

"Two Pokémon have escaped the confinement area!" said a voice from the computer.

****************

An Espeon and an Eevee was running through the dense undergrowth inside a dark forest. The thorns and branches of the undergrowth scratched their bodies but they keep running. They both knew if they were captured, they will be taken back to the lab and suffer again in that horrible place. Not far away, a Team Rocket soldier and his Houndoom are looking for the two Pokémon that escaped. The Houndoom has an extraordinary sense of smell and was able to pick up the scent that came from the Espeon and Eevee. The Houndoom went through the undergrowth following the scent with the soldier behind it. After running for a long time, the Espeon could sense that their pursuers were coming closer and closer. The Espeon knows that they could not outrun their pursuers.

"Es... Espeon... Eon!"(Split up, little sister, it's the only way) said the Espeon to the Eevee.

The Espeon ran towards their pursuers that were only a few feet away. It was going to sacrifice itself to try and distract their pursuers so that its sister could escape.

"Espeon..,"(Goodbye) said the Espeon softly as it ran towards their pursuers.

The Espeon jumped out of the bushes and attacked the Houndoom with a Psybeam attack. However, Dark Pokémon are immune to Psychic Pokémon attacks and the Espeon's Psybeam didn't even slow it down. The Houndoom pounced on the Espeon and pinned it down. The Houndoom started biting the Espeon mercilessly.

"That's enough!" a voice commanded the Houndoom. "Dr. Ogata wanted this Espeon to be recaptured alive!"

The Houndoom got off the badly wounded Espeon and move away as the Team Rocket soldier walked towards it. The Espeon was too weak to try and escape. It turned its head and could see the Eevee looking at it from behind a tree.

"Esss...," (Run) said the Espeon softly before it fainted.

The Eevee watched helplessly as the soldier took a Pokéball and threw it at the helpless Espeon. The Pokéball opens and captured the Espeon. Suddenly, the Houndoom spotted the Eevee and ran towards it with the soldier behind it. The Eevee quickly ran away as fast as it could. Soon, the Eevee found itself standing at the edge of a cliff. It looked down and it could see the ocean below the cliff. It could hear the Houndoom and the soldier not far away. If the Eevee gets captured, the Espeon's sacrifice will be for nothing and if it jump over the cliff, it could die from drowning. The Eevee took in a deep breath, closed its eyes and jump over the cliff. The Houndoom and the soldier arrived just in time to see the Eevee plunged into the ocean and disappeared into the sea.

******************

The Espeon slowly regained consciousness and soon realized that it was inside a medical tube like those that were used in Pokémon Centers to heal injured Pokémon. It noticed that the wounds on its body have healed up without leaving a scar. Suddenly, it could hear a tapping sound from outside the tube. It was Dr. Ogata that was looking down at it through the glass cover of the tube. The Espeon wanted to use a Psychic attack on him but it felt an excruciating pain inside its head.

"You have been a very naughty girl, Espeon," said Dr. Ogata as he looked down at the Espeon that was inside the tube. "You tried to run away from me with your little sister but failed. For that, you will be the next test subject for the project. Don't try running away again, the suppressor band on your head will keep your psychic powers and other special attacks at bay and also give you a nasty headache if you ever try to use them. We are taking extra precautions to prevent you from running away again. Those metallic bracelets around your legs will paralyze your legs if you try to run away again."

The Espeon looked at its legs and it could see the metallic bracelets that were bolted to its legs. It put its paw on its head and could feel a metallic ring that had been placed around its head. Dr. Ogata was right; the Espeon could not run away again or use any psychic powers or special attacks.

"And I'm very sorry to hear about sister, Espeon," Dr. Ogata said sarcastically. "I heard that it had fallen off a cliff and disappeared. But don't worry, I'll make sure that we find its body so that you could attend its funeral."

Hearing the news of its sister's death was like having a sword plunging into its trembling heart. The Espeon closed its eyes and started to cry. Dr. Ogata walked away laughing while the Espeon continued sobbing inside the tube.


CHAPTER SIX

A few days later

Yuriko was at the beach on one of the Seafoam Islands. This was the place where she and her parents always visited when she was still a child and before they died. Yuriko disguised herself by wearing civilian clothes and dyed her hair black. She looked over the beach and could see children swimming in the water with their parents and several other families that were having a picnic on the sandy beach. Suddenly, she heard a child crying loudly because he cut his leg on a broken seashell. Yuriko watched as the child's mother went over to him and treated the wound. Yuriko then turned her head and walked away.

Yuriko walked along the beach for hours until she reached the part of the beach that had very little people. Suddenly, an old man came over to her and said that he was a peddler and wanted to sell some things to her. Before Yuriko could say anything, the peddler opened his large sack and took out a variety of things like seashells, shoes, combs and other things. The last object that was taken out of a sack was a cage with an Eevee inside. Yuriko was shocked to see the Eevee.

"Where did you get that Eevee?" Yuriko asked the peddler.

"My brother and I found it floating in the sea when we were fishing," said the peddler. "Do you want to buy it?"

Yuriko looked inside the cage and saw the Eevee with wounds all over its body. She could see that the Eevee was badly hurt and needed help immediately. She took out her credit card from her wallet.

"Sorry, miss," said the peddler. "I don't take credit cards."

Yuriko don't have any money with her now but the peddler said that she could trade something for the Eevee. The only valuable thing she got was a gold necklace that belonged to her mother before she died. It was a tough decision for Yuriko. Should she trade the necklace for the Eevee or keep the necklace and let the Eevee lose its life? There was only one answer. She removed the gold necklace from her neck and handed it to the peddler. Saving the Eevee's life was more important than the necklace that she had kept with her for so many years.

"Will this do?" asked Yuriko showing the necklace to the peddler.

"It's a deal," said the peddler as he snatched the necklace from Yuriko. He opened the cage and gave the Eevee to her.

Yuriko cradled the Eevee in her arms as she ran all the way to the nearest Pokémon Center that was on the island. She entered the Pokémon Center through the front door and went over to the nurse that was sitting behind the counter.

"Please help this Eevee, Nurse Joy," said Yuriko to the nurse, knowing that her name was Nurse Joy.

Nurse Joy took one look at the Eevee and gasped when she saw how badly hurt the Eevee was.

"I need a stretcher now," said Nurse Joy to her Chansey that was wearing a nurse's cap.

The Chansey went away and then came back with a stretcher. Yuriko placed the Eevee on the stretcher.

"You'll have to wait outside, miss," said Nurse Joy.

Yuriko watched as the Eevee was wheeled into the Emergency Room. She waited outside the Emergency Room.

Two hours later, the Chansey and Nurse Joy came out of the Emergency Room with the Eevee on the stretcher. Yuriko went over to Nurse Joy.

"Is the Eevee okay?" Yuriko asked Nurse Joy.

"Luckily we were able to save it in time before its heart stopped beating," said Nurse Joy. "Why do you have to push it into this condition?"

"You'll have to ask the peddler that sold me this Eevee," said Yuriko. "And I've sacrificed my mother's necklace to buy the Eevee from that peddler and got it here for medical treatment."

"A noble deed indeed," said Nurse Joy. "I'm sorry that I misjudged you."

"No hard feelings," said Yuriko. "I'm just glad that you are able to save the Eevee's life otherwise my little sacrifice would have been wasted."

Nurse Joy and the Chansey wheeled the Eevee to the recovery room. They placed the Eevee onto a hospital bed and covered it with a white sheet to keep it warm. Yuriko was allowed to stay with the Eevee inside the ward. She took a chair and sat next to the Eevee's bed. It took five hours for the Eevee to regain consciousness.

"Eeeveee?" (Where am I?) said the Eevee as it slowly opened its eyes and saw Yuriko sitting next to it.

Yuriko went over to the Eevee and wanted to pat it on the head but the Eevee jumped off the bed and tried to run out of the recovery room. The Eevee was not strong enough to push the door open and it was also too short to reach for the doorknob. Yuriko went after it but the Eevee was too fast for her. Yuriko eventually cornered the Eevee in the far corner of the recovery room. The Eevee growled at Yuriko and was ready to fight to the death. Suddenly, Nurse Joy and her Chansey came into the room and they saw the Eevee growling at Yuriko. The Chansey went over and started talking to the Eevee to try and calm it down.

"Chansey. Chan. Chan," (Calm down. That woman will not hurt you) said the Chansey soothingly.

"Eeveee! Eevee! Eeevveee!" (She's a human! Why should I trust a human like her?) the Eevee shouted at the Chansey.

"Chansey. Chansey. Chan," (She was the one that brought you here and saved your life. Why would she hurt you?)

The Eevee was silent for awhile until it slowly walked towards Yuriko. Yuriko opened her arms and the Eevee snuggled up to her.

***************

Meanwhile, the Espeon was strapped on an operation table inside a large room. Dr. Ogata and his fellow scientists that were wearing surgical gowns surrounded the Espeon. They were going to do the same brain surgery that was done on the Typhlosion on the Espeon. Dr. Ogata leaned over and looked down on the Espeon. The Espeon wanted to get up from the table and bite him but the leather straps held it down the table.

"Don't worry, Espeon," said Dr. Ogata as he put on his rubber gloves and then his surgical mask. "You'll feel no pain at all when we put you to sleep. Once you wake up, you will be 100% loyal to us."

Dr. Ogata placed an anesthesia mask over the Espeon's face and sleeping gas was pumped into the mask. The sleeping gas doesn't take long to make the Espeon feel drowsy. The Espeon forced itself to stay awake. It struggled against the restraints but the straps were too strong for it to break. Finally, the Espeon closes its eyes and a tear rolled down its cheek as it drifted off to sleep.


CHAPTER SEVEN

Three weeks later

Kusugo was at the Game Corner in Goldenrod City playing with a slot machine. He was hoping to win enough coins to get some TMs (Technical Machine) for his Charmeleon that had just evolved into a Charizard. He was able to get two correct matches and he needs to get another correct match to win some coins. He watched the spinning reel very closely and he was ready to push the button to stop it. Suddenly, his PokéGear made a ringing tone and he accidentally pushed the button too early. He lost the game.

"Damn!" Kusugo shouted.

Kusugo stood up and walked away from the slot machine. He got out of the building and took the PokéGear out of his pocket. He clicked a button on the PokéGear.

"Major Kusugo Kane, please report to HQ," said a voice from the PokéGear.

"I'm on my way," said Kusugo as he put the PokéGear into his pocket. Kusugo then headed for the Goldenrod City Station to take the next train to Saffron City.

Yuriko was inside the Celadon City Department Store with the Eevee walking next to her. She was going to buy some things for her new Pokémon. She never had a Pokémon before and this is the first time for her to try and raise one. She decided to get all the necessary things that are needed for to raise a Pokémon. She took the elevator to the Fourth Floor. She got out of the elevator when it stopped at the fourth floor. She read a sign that was posted on the wall:

4F:WISEMAN GIFTS
Evolution Special!
Element STONEs on sale now!

She went over to a man behind a counter and asked for some elemental stones. The man took out several glass cases that contained elemental stones and placed them on the counter. Yuriko knew that Eevee could evolve into three different Pokémon using three special elemental stones. It can also evolve into two other forms by mood. Yuriko bought the Water, Thunder and Fire Stones from the man and paid him by credit card. Yuriko then took the elevator to the Fifth Floor where she bought some vitamins and minerals for Eevee. After that, she went over to the rooftop floor that had a variety of vending machines. She bought some Lemonade from a vending machine and went over to a dinning table. She took out the cases that contained the three elemental stones from her shopping bag and placed them on the table. She then picked up the Eevee and placed it on the table.

"Eevee, would you like to evolve into a Flareon, Jolteon or Vaporeon?" she asked the Eevee.

The Eevee looked at the three stones and it shook its head.

"Eevee. Eevvvee. Eeevee," (No, I prefer to stay the way I am) said the Eevee.

"That's too bad, I was hoping that you would evolve into a Jolteon," said Yuriko sadly as she put the stones back into her shopping bag. "Looks like we will have to wait until you evolve into an Umbreon or an Espeon."

When Yuriko mentioned the word 'Espeon', the Eevee jumped down to the floor and hide underneath the dinning table. The Eevee started to sob uncontrollably. It remembered its older sister that was separated from it. It hated itself for being a weakling and didn't try to help its sister.

"What's the matter, Eevee?" said Yuriko as she went under the table and saw the Eevee sobbing uncontrollably.

Suddenly, the PokéGear inside Yuriko's pocket made a beeping sound. She took out the PokéGear and pressed a button on it.

"Calling Sergeant Yuriko Ikichi, please report to HQ, immediately," said the voice from her PokéGear.

"I'm on my way," said Yuriko through the PokéGear.

Yuriko put the PokéGear back into her pocket and stared at the Eevee that was still sobbing away. She took out a Pokéball and recalled back the Eevee. She placed the Pokéball into the pouch that was attached to her belt. She then grabbed her shopping bag and made her way out of the Department Store.

*******************

Kusugo and his team are inside a meeting room with General Sakata briefing them about their next mission. General Sakata took a device that looked like a TV remote and pressed a button on it. A picture of an island appeared on a white screen that was on the wall.

"This is an island that you'll never find on a map," said Sakata as he took a pointer and pointed it at the picture. "Skull Gang Intelligence had found out that Team Rocket had build a research facility on this island to conduct a top-secret project code-named G.E.M. The purpose of the G.E.M project is to create an army of unstoppable genetically enhanced Pokémon so that Team Rocket could use them for global domination."

The general pressed another button on the device that he was holding and the picture on the screen changed.

"This is a picture of the facility that was taken by our satellites," said Sakata. "The entire research facility is guarded day and night by Team Rocket soldiers inside and outside the building. According to Intelligence, there are about 53 Team Rocket personnel inside the facility that are mostly scientists. Our plan is to send in a Special Forces commando team to raid the facility by surprise. You have been selected for this mission."

"What do you want us to do, sir?" asked Kusugo.

"One of our C-130 transport planes will fly you over the island at night and you will have to parachute down to the rooftop of the research facility," said Sakata. "Once you have landed, disable the satellite dish on the rooftop and then made your way into the facility through the rooftop access. Somewhere inside the facility, there is a machine like this one in the photographs."

The general took out some photographs from a file and handed them to Kusugo and his team. Each photograph had a picture of a machine on them.

"That is the Bio-Enhancement Machine and it is the machine that was used to create genetically enhanced Pokémon," said Sakata. "Your mission is to find it and destroy it and also execute every Team Rocket personnel that tries to stop you. Once the machine is destroyed and all Team Rocket personnel had been eliminated, leave the facility immediately."

*******************

A C-130 transport plane was flying in the night sky at the height of 11km above sea level and with the speed of 335mph. Kusugo and his team are inside the cargo compartment of the transport plane. When the plane was nearly reaching the Team Rocket research facility, the cargo ramp behind the plane was slowly opened. Kusugo and his team leaped out of the aircraft through the cargo ramp. A large container was also dropped out of the plane. Kusugo and his team plummet towards the ground at breakneck speed. However, the goggles that they were wearing shielded their eyes from the strong wind and the oxygen-breathing equipment provided them with oxygen. Kusugo and his team had to keep their eyes on the altimeter, an instrument used for showing the height above sea level. When they are 760m off the ground, they deployed their parachutes and they slowly descended towards the ground. The parachute that was strapped around the container mushroomed open and the container slowly descended towards the ground. Kusugo and his team steered their parachutes so that they are able to stay close to each other. However, they have to be careful not to get too close or they will collide into each other and get entangled into each other's parachutes. Kusugo could see some Team Rocket soldiers at the rooftop with his night-vision goggles.

"Ralph, I want you to take out the soldiers at the rooftop," said Kusugo through the headset inside the helmet that he was wearing.

Ralph steered his parachute towards the rooftop of the research facility. His night-vision goggles helped him see in the dark and he spotted the Team Rocket soldiers on the rooftop. He took the L96A1 sniper rifle that was secured to his body armor by two hooks. He looked into the telescopic sight that was fitted to the rifle. He took aim and fired at the unsuspecting Team Rocket soldiers on the rooftop. He killed all the soldiers one by one.

"Rooftop clear, major," Ralph said through the headset inside his helmet.

Kusugo and his team soon landed on the rooftop safely but Shindo almost rammed into the satellite dish. The container that was dropped out of the plane with them landed safely on the rooftop with them. They quickly folded their parachutes and took off their parachute packs and all the other equipment that they no longer needed after they have landed. Kusugo went over to the container and opened it. He took out five Ultimax 100 light machine guns from the container and handed four of them to Ralph, Shindo, Shiratori and Yuriko. Each machine gun had a Paralyzer that was attached to the machine gun's barrel. Shindo and Shiratori took the two M72 single-shot anti-tank rocket launchers as their secondary weapon while Ralph, Yuriko and Kusugo took the Mini-Uzi submachine guns. They took the backpacks from the container and carried them over their backs. Kusugo went over to the large satellite dish that was on the rooftop and he placed a C-4 plastic explosive on it. He set the C-4 to explode in 10 minutes.

"Let's go!" said Kusugo to his teammates.

They went over to the far end of the rooftop. They soon found the rooftop access that will lead them into the building. They opened the door and made their way down the stairs.


CHAPTER EIGHT

Dr. Ogata and his fellow scientist were inside the lab with a Team Rocket Executive named Demert. Demert was the Team Rocket Executive that was in charge of the G.E.M project.

"How are they doing?" Demert asked Dr. Ogata.

"In stable condition," said Dr. Ogata as he looked into the computer monitor and wrote something into the clipboard that he was holding. "Phase three is completed. It's a pity that out of 23 Pokémon only a handful survived the process."

Dr. Ogata then walked towards the Bio-Enhancement machine. There are five Pokémon floating inside the glass tubes that were filled with a purple liquid. Dr. Ogata stared at the Typhlosion, Espeon, Tyranitar, Golduck and Nidoking that were sleeping inside their tubes.

"These Pokémon will be the greatest weapon ever created by Team Rocket," said Demert. "The Boss will be satisfied that the G.E.M project is successful. He will soon have his army."

"I can hardly wait to test them," said Dr. Ogata who was standing next to Demert.

Suddenly, an alarm blasted through the lab. The main computer console inside the lab flickered to life and the words 'Intruder Alert' appeared on the display monitor.

"Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert!" shouted a voice that echoed through the lab.

Demert quickly went to the main computer console and pressed a button on it. The face of a Team Rocket soldier appeared on the monitor.

"What's happening up there?" asked Demert.

"A group of commandos are attacking the facility!" said the Team Rocket soldier. "They are killing everybody in their path. We're suffering heavy casualties and I don't know how much longer we can hold our positions. I don't think we can slow them down either!"

"Hold your positions no matter what happens! That's an order!" Demert shouted.

There was a loud scream and the picture on the monitor faded to black. Demert tried to contact the Team Rocket Headquarters for help but only static appeared on the monitor.

"I can't contact HQ! They have disabled the satellite dish!" said Demert as sweat was forming on his forehead. "We are going to be slaughtered!"

"Calm down, sir," said Dr. Ogata. "We are not beaten yet. Let this be the opportunity to test our new weapons."

"Are you sure they are ready, doctor?" said Demert.

"They are ready," said Dr. Ogata as he went over to his fellow scientists. "Activate the Pokémon."

Dr. Ogata and his fellow scientists went over to a console that was connected to the Bio-Enhancement machine by cables. The five tubes began to glow in a yellow light. All at once, the Pokémon inside the tubes began to move slightly. Their eyes opened with a zombie-like stare. The purple liquid was drained out of their tubes. The breathing masks on their faces and the electrodes on their bodies were removed. The glass covers of the tubes were then opened and the five enhanced Pokémon stepped out of their tubes. The Pokémon stared at the scientists and slowly walked towards them. The scientists started to move backward in fear but Dr. Ogata didn't. He took a device that looks like a calculator and pressed a button on it.

"Stop! I command you!" said Dr. Ogata. "Kneel down!"

The Pokémon stopped moving and they knelt down in front of Dr. Ogata. Dr. Ogata smiled knowing that the B35 microchips in their heads are working. He can now control the Pokémon by using the device he was holding.

*************

There were bodies of dead Team Rocket soldiers and scientists all over the place as Kusugo and his team searched the building for the Bio-Enhancement machine but they found nothing. While they were searching, they also took all the Pokéballs that the dead Team Rocket soldiers and scientists were carrying on their bodies. After a while, they heard a moan coming from one of the rooms. They went inside a room and saw a Team Rocket scientist lying on the floor with bullets lodged in his legs. Kusugo put his machine gun onto the floor and went over to the wounded scientist.

"Where is the Bio-Enhancement machine?" said Kusugo as he stepped on the scientist's leg, knowing that it had a bullet lodged inside it.

"Aaargh!" the scientist howled.

"Tell me and I will stop the pain," said Kusugo as he lifted his foot off the scientist's leg.

"T-the basement. There's a lab down there. You won't miss it!" said the scientist as he took out a card from his pocket. "Here's the access card."

Kusugo snatched the card from the scientist's hand and took out a pistol from the holster that was attached to his belt. He pointed the pistol at the scientist's head and pulled the trigger. It was a mercy killing.

"The deal is done, I have stopped the pain," said Kusugo as he put the pistol back into the holster.

Kusugo picked up his machine gun from the floor. He and his team made their way down to the basement using the stairs. Soon, they found a metal door that was blocking their way. The door requires an access card to open it. Kusugo swiped the access card on the machine at the side of the door.

"Access allowed," said a voice.

The door opens and they went inside. They walked down the long corridor and were sickened at what they saw. Built into the walls were large, glass tubes and inside the tubes were dead Pokémon floating inside a yellowish chemical. Kusugo guessed that the chemical is used to prevent the dead bodies from rotting. Suddenly, a scientist with five Pokémon behind him appeared in front of Kusugo and his team.

"These are the Pokémon that didn't survive the procedures to that would have transform them into mindless, obedient warriors," said Dr. Ogata. "They all could have become the most powerful beings on Earth."

Ralph aimed his machine gun at Dr. Ogata and pulled the trigger. Bullets came out of the machine gun and headed for Dr. Ogata. However, the bullets bounced off the invisible protective shield that was somehow formed in front of Dr. Ogata. Suddenly, a blue light covered the machine guns that Kusugo and his team were holding. The machine guns flew out of their hands and were crushed into balls by some kind of psychic power. The blue light disappeared and the balls dropped onto the floor. Then, their pistols flew out of their holsters and were crushed as well.

"Good work, Espeon," said Dr. Ogata. "Now teach our uninvited guests some menace."

The Espeon glared at Kusugo and his team. Its eyes glowed with a blue light. A blue light surrounded Kusugo and his team and they floated into the air. They were hurled across the corridor and crashed against a wall. The Espeon hit them repeatedly against the wall until Dr. Ogata ordered it to stop when he saw that Kusugo and his team had already passed out. The light disappeared and Kusugo and his team fell down onto the floor, unconscious. Then the blue light surrounded their bodies again and they were lifted into the air.

"Finish them one by one, Espeon," Dr. Ogata ordered. "Kill the major first. I know that he is the one in charge and he will have to pay for the damage he and his teammates had caused. Fold him up!"

The Espeon lifted Kusugo up into the air and started to bend him backward like folding a piece of paper. The sharp pain on his back woke up Kusugo.

"Yaargh!" Kusugo yelled as he felt his body being bend backwards. If this goes on, the Espeon will break his backbone and kill him.

Suddenly, the Pokéballs that Kusugo, Ralph, Shiratori and Yuriko were carrying came out of their pouches and fell to the floor. The Pokéballs opened and a Charizard, Arcanine, Nidoqueen, Ariados and Eevee came out. The Pokémon had sensed their masters' distress and decided to take action. The Charizard and the Arcanine both used a Fire Blast attack on the Espeon. The Espeon created a protective shield with its psychic power and the Fire Blast attacks were blocked. However, to create the shield in order to protect itself, the Espeon had inadvertently released Kusugo and his team from its psychic power. They fell onto the floor and their Pokémon went over to them. Kusugo slowly got up to their feet but the pain in Kusugo's back had not subsided. The other Pokémon revived their masters that slowly regained consciousness.

"So your Pokémon want to play," said Dr. Ogata as he pressed a button on the device that he was holding in his hand. "Play with them."

The Typhlosion, Golduck, Tyranitar, and Nidoking charged at the Pokémon but the Espeon remained with Dr. Ogata to protect him. Kusugo's Charizard fought with the Typhlosion. Ralph's Arcanine fought with the Tyranitar. Shiratori's Nidoqueen fought with the Nidoking. Shindo's new Pokémon, an Ariados, fought with the Golduck. Yuriko's Eevee, whom had no experience in battle, decided to hide behind Yuriko's legs. Josh and the other Pokémon fought valiantly against their opponents to protect their masters but the enhanced Pokémon that was faster and stronger than they were.

In the midst of the battle, the Eevee saw the Espeon that was standing beside Dr. Ogata and soon realized that it was its older sister.

"Eevee. Eevvee. Vee!"(Sister, I'm so glad to see you again!) said the Eevee as it ran up to the Espeon.

However, the Espeon saw the Eevee and it let out a Swift attack on the Eevee. The attack hit the Eevee and the Eevee was thrown against the wall. The Eevee stared at the Espeon with a puzzled look on its face.

"Eevee! Eeeve! Eeevee!"(Why did you do that?!) the Eevee shouted at the Espeon.

"Is that your sister, Espeon?" Dr. Ogata asked the Espeon when he noticed that the Eevee was quite familiar.

The Espeon nodded its head.

"Well, well-I would never have guessed that you're still alive, Eevee," said Dr. Ogata when he saw the Eevee. "Your sister had just received the treatment and it is now under my control. Why not you join your sister and be one of the strongest Pokémon in the world?"

The Eevee shook its head. It refused to accept Dr. Ogata's offer.

"Very well, I need to be a bit more persuasive!" said Dr. Ogata as he pressed a button on the device. "Espeon, kill the woman with the blond hair. Kill her slowly."

The Espeon heard his command and it rushed towards Yuriko. It jumped on her and clutched her throat with its jaws. Yuriko fell to the floor and the Espeon pinned her down. Yuriko gasped as she tried to get the Espeon off her body but it was no use. She choked as the Espeon tightened its jaws, crushing her windpipe, squeezing the very breath of life out of her.

"If I kill your new master, perhaps you will join me instead," said Dr. Ogata to the Eevee that was lying on the floor. "Don't forget that I WAS your master before you ran away."

Meanwhile, the enhanced Pokémon were already wearing down their opponents. The Typhlosion's Mega Punch attack knocked out Charizard. The Arcanine was taken out by a Night Shade attack from the Tyranitar. Shiratori's Nidoqueen fainted from the Mega Kick attack by the Nidoking. The Ariados was no match for the Golduck's Hyper Beam attack. The Eevee watched as the enhanced Pokémon defeated their opponents. Finally, the Eevee couldn't take it anymore.

"Eeeevee!!" shouted the Eevee as its body began to glow with a white light. When the white light faded, Eevee was gone. In its place is an Umbreon.

"Umbreon!"(Leave her alone!) shouted the Umbreon as it rushed towards the Espeon.

The Umbreon uses a Headbutt attack and knocked the Espeon off Yuriko. The Espeon fired a Psybeam at the Umbreon but the Umbreon jumped out of the way and the attack missed its target. The Umbreon uses its Agility technique and rushed towards Dr. Ogata. Quick as a flash, it leaped towards him and sank its teeth into his arm as hard as it could.

"Eeeyooowww!" Dr. Ogata screamed. "Let go!"

Dr. Ogata dropped the device that he was holding. The Umbreon let go of his arm and dropped to the floor. It fired a Night Shade attack at the device that was on the floor.

"Nooooo!" shouted Dr. Ogata as he saw the attack hit the device and it exploded.

The Typhlosion, Espeon, Tyranitar, Golduck and Nidoking collapsed to the ground and lay motionless. The remote control was destroyed and the B35 microchips inside their heads ceased to function. The Umbreon snarled at Dr. Ogata and slowly walked towards him. Dr. Ogata slowly backed away with blood dripping from his fingertips onto the floor. He watched as the Umbreon stepped on a glass tile on the floor. He quickly pressed a button on the wall and the Umbreon was trapped in some sort of an energy field that came from the tile on the floor. The tile on the floor was a trap that will release an energy field to trap a Pokémon that stepped on it. Dr. Ogata went over to a machine that was bolted to the wall.

"You have ruined everything!" Dr. Ogata shouted at the Umbreon. "You will have to pay with your life."

Dr. Ogata turned the dial on the machine from low and all the way to high. The Umbreon squeezed its eyes shut and shrieked in pain as the energy field released about a million volts of electricity into the Umbreon's body. Suddenly, the Umbreon felt something pushed it out of the energy field and it landed on the floor. The Umbreon opened its eyes and could see the Espeon trapped inside the energy field. It had pushed the Umbreon out of the field and took its place instead. The Espeon let out a pitiful wail as the electricity surged into its body.

Dr. Ogata stared in disbelief. "What the-"

Before Dr. Ogata could finish his sentence, Kusugo took the Mini-Uzi submachine gun that was inside his backpack and fired it at Dr. Ogata. The bullets went into his chest and Dr. Ogata fell to the floor, dead. Kusugo quickly went over to the machine and pressed the button on it. The energy field that imprisoned the Espeon faded and it fell to the floor. The Umbreon slowly got up to its feet and went over to the Espeon that was lying motionless on the floor. The Espeon was unconscious and blood is dripping out from its mouth. The amount of electricity was enough to kill a large Pokémon like Gyarados, no less a small Pokémon like Espeon. The Umbreon licked the Espeon's cheeks to try and wake it up. The Espeon didn't wake up and the Umbreon tried again. Tears flowed down the Umbreon's cheeks as it tried to wake the Espeon. Shiratori went over to them and put her finger on the Espeon's neck to look for a pulse. Shiratori had some knowledge about Pokémon anatomy and healing. Its pulse was very weak.

"It won't make it, Umbreon," said Shiratori sadly.


CHAPTER NINE

Inside the lab, Demert and the other scientist had seen the entire battle through the monitor of the main computer console. After seeing that Dr. Ogata had lost the battle, he quickly ran towards the elevator and entered it. He knows that there is a helicopter hidden inside the facility and he could use it to escape. The scientists also ran towards the elevator but they stopped halfway when Demert took out a pistol and shot one of the scientists.

"There's not enough room for all of us in the chopper," said Demert as he pointed the pistol at the scientists. "It's every man for himself!"

Demert pressed a button and the elevator doors closed. At the same time, Kusugo and his team stormed into the lab. Kusugo, Ralph and Yuriko killed the scientists inside the lab with their Mini-Uzi submachine guns. The Mini-Uzi submachine guns are the only weapons they had left after the Espeon destroyed their pistols and machine guns.

"There it is!" said Kusugo as he saw the Bio-Enhancement machine that was in the center of the lab. "Ralph, Shindo, Shiratori, watch the entrance while Yuriko and I strapped some explosives on this infernal machine."

Ralph, Shindo and Shiratori went over to the entrance of the lab and stood guard. Kusugo and Yuriko took out the seven C-4s that they had left and placed them on the machine. Yuriko noticed something at the far corner of the lab. She could see three medical tubes that were used to heal Pokémon.

"Yes!" Yuriko shouted as she went over to the medical tubes. "Major, we could use one of these to heal the Espeon."

"But we have orders to destroy this machine and then leave this place," said Kusugo. "An order is an order."

"But if we don't help it now, it will die before we could make it back to HQ, sir," said Yuriko. "This is about life and death, major. Isn't it one of our laws to protect all Pokémon even if they are Team Rocket Pokémon."

"I could get court-martialed for this, sergeant," said Kusugo. "Alright, you have one hour and that's it."

"Thank you, sir," said Yuriko.

"Shiratori, go and help her," ordered Kusugo.

Shiratori went over to one of the tubes and she pressed some buttons on it. The glass cover slowly opens. Yuriko took the Pokéball that contained the Espeon and she send out the Espeon. She carried the Espeon and placed it into the tube. Shiratori pressed some buttons and the glass cover closes. She then activated the healing process and the medical tube started healing the Espeon.

*****************

Meanwhile, Demert was at the top floor standing in front of a wall, looking at a painting. He tilted the painting to one side and the wall opens to reveal a secret passageway that was hidden behind the wall. He stepped inside and the secret passageway closed behind him. He made his way through the passageway and into a large room with a steel shutter on the ceiling. There was a helicopter inside the room. He went over to a lever and pulled it down. The steel shutter that was on the ceiling slowly opens. Demert walked towards the helicopter and entered the cockpit. He put on the helmet that was on the control panel and started the engine. The rotor blades and tail rotor started spinning. He grabbed the joystick and the throttle as the helicopter started to rise into the air and went through the hole in the ceiling.


Yuriko watched as the tube slowly healed the Espeon inside. It would take another 25 minutes before the Espeon is fully healed. Suddenly, the main computer console crackled to life and Demert's face appeared on the display monitor.

"I congratulate all of you for being able to capture this facility but unfortunately, you will not get out of here alive!" said Demert as the picture on the monitor faded to back.

"Self-destruct countdown started," said a voice. "All personnel have 20 minutes to evacuate facility."

"We are leaving this place now!" Kusugo shouted as he quickly went over to the C-4 explosives that were placed on the machine and set the timer to detonate in 19 minutes. "We got 19 minutes to get out of here! We'll take the elevator over there."

"But, sir," said Yuriko as she walked up to Kusugo. "The Espeon needs more time to heal! We can't take it out of the tube now!"

"Shiratori, could the medical tube work without being connected to the power cable?" Kusugo asked Shiratori.

"Yes, it could, sir," said Shiratori. "The tube has an emergency power supply inside that could give it enough power for about an hour. But I'll have to set it to life-support that will only keep the Espeon alive and stop the healing process because the healing process with eat up a lot of energy."

"Disconnect the tube from the power cable and set it to life-support. We have to carry it out of here with the Espeon inside as soon as possible," ordered Kusugo. "Do it!"

Shiratori did as she was told and disconnected the power cable from the medical tube and set it to life support. Shiratori and Yuriko tried to carry the tube but they could hardly lift it. The tube was too heavy for them. Kusugo saw the two struggling women and he went over to them.

"Hold this for me, sergeant," said Kusugo as he handed his Mini-Uzi to Shiratori. "Ralph, Shindo, come here and give me a hand."

Ralph and Shindo went over to Kusugo. Ralph handed his Mini-Uzi to Yuriko. Kusugo, Ralph and Shindo summoned all their strength and they lifted the tube. They quickly carried the tube towards the elevator. Yuriko pressed the button at the side of the elevator and they waited. A moment later, the elevator doors opened and they went inside. Yuriko pressed the button marked 1F and the elevator doors closed.

A few seconds later, the elevator reached the first floor and the doors opened. Yuriko and Shiratori stepped out of the elevator first and were followed by Kusugo, Ralph and Shindo that are carrying the medical tube with the Espeon inside. They quickly got out of the building through the front doors and went into the compound. There are a few Team Rocket soldiers in the compound but Yuriko and Shiratori spotted them and they killed them. Kusugo looked around the compound and could see that a concrete wall surrounded the area and there was a metal gate in front of them. The gate was blocking their only way out.

"Shiratori, blast that gate with your rocket launcher," ordered Kusugo.

"Yes, sir!" said Shiratori as she opened her backpack and took out her rocket launcher.

She aimed the launcher at the gate and fired. A rocket flew out of the launcher and hit the gate. The rocket exploded and the gate was destroyed.

"Let's go! We only got 5 minutes!" Kusugo shouted as he, Ralph and Shindo carried the tube out of the compound with Shiratori and Yuriko in front of them.

Five minutes later, there was a big explosion and the building was engulfed in flames. Kusugo and his team were at a safe distance from the building when it exploded. They watched as the burning building collapsed to the ground.


EPILOGUE

Two weeks later, Yuriko was inside an elevator with her Umbreon standing next to her. She was holding a box in her hand. A moment later, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Yuriko and her Umbreon stepped out of the elevator and they entered a large lobby with many doctors and nurses inside. Yuriko and her Umbreon was inside the facility that was built on one of the Skull Gang's Pokémon Sanctuary. Yuriko went over to the counter and talked to the nurse that was sitting behind it. She took out a card from one of the pockets of her off-duty uniform and handed it to the nurse.

"Permission to visit a Pokémon in quarantine," said Yuriko.

The nurse looked at the card and swiped it into a machine.

"Permission granted, Sergeant Yuriko Ikichi," said the nurse as she handed the card back to Yuriko.

Yuriko took the card and she and her Umbreon walked towards a door and they opened it to reveal a hallway behind it. They walked down the hallway that that had many Pokémon inside separate rooms. This was the place where Pokémon were quarantine for several weeks before they were allowed to be release into the sanctuary. Yuriko and Umbreon stopped in front of a door that had the letters PR-5634 on it. Yuriko placed a card into a slot and the door opened. Behind the door was the Espeon with a bandage around its head. It was the same Espeon that was rescued from the research facility two weeks ago. After the five Pokémon were rescued from the facility, Skull Gang medical personnel had surgically removed the B35 microchips in their brains. The Pokémon were then given a detoxification process to remove the chemicals from their bodies. The procedure was a success and the Pokémon were back to normal.

The Umbreon stepped into the room and went over to the Espeon. They licked each other in the face to show their affection to each other. Yuriko went over to them. She opened the box that she was carrying and there were two dog collars inside. One of them was pink and the other was yellow. Each of the collars had a small plaque on it that was made of gold.

"I got these collars for you," said Yuriko as she showed the two collars to them. "I hope you would like to wear them."

The Umbreon and Espeon looked at the collars and they nodded their heads. Yuriko put the pink collar around the Espeon's neck and she put the yellow collar around the Umbreon's neck. She then took a mirror and used it to let the Umbreon and Espeon look at themselves with the collars. Both of them smiled when they saw their reflections. They snuggled up to Yuriko.

"Thank you, Yuriko," said the Espeon using telepathy.

"I didn't know that you could use telepathy, Espeon," said Yuriko to the Espeon.

"All psychic Pokémon can use telepathy to communicate with humans but I only use it when I wanted to communicate with a human that I trust the most," said Espeon telepathically. "And you're the only human that me and my sister trust the most."

"Thank you for telling me that," said Yuriko as she patted the Espeon on the head.

"When can I be out of this room, Yuriko," said Espeon telepathically. "It's so lonely and quiet in here."

"Just two more weeks," said Yuriko. "After that you will be free with your sister."

"Umbreon...Umbre...on," said the Umbreon to the Espeon.

"What did Umbreon say, Espeon?" asked Yuriko.

"My sister said that she prefer to be your Pokémon and serve you forever," said the Espeon telepathically. "I was thinking the same thing too."

"Oh, dear," said Yuriko. "Keeping one Pokémon is one thing but keeping two is another thing all together. But I think I could manage that."


THE END

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