Primary Colors III: The Grey Squadron
Chapter Two
By: Sforzie
"Well aren't you a nice little prize?" a male voice said.
"The spoils of war are nothing to be sniffed at," another male voice agreed.
Jessie opened her eyes slowly. Two tall men stood in front of her. One had black hair, the other grey, and both wore Pokemon League uniforms.
"What the hell do you want?" Jessie whispered. The grey haired man frowned while the other smirked. Jessie recognized them both. The grey haired man was the President of the IPL, and the black haired man the vice-President. President Glover tugged the gag back into Jessie's mouth. She grumbled against the cloth.
"I told you we should have just shot her," VP Drivel said snidely. Jessie glared up and him and kicked him in the knee. He cursed something terrible and sat in a chair across the room.
"Now, now," Glover wagged a finger in front of Jessie's face. "I went to a lot of trouble to get you."
"Mmph?" Jessie said into the gag. Glover tugged it back down.
"What did you say?"
Jessie licked her lips. "I said 'Why?'" Glover leaned back.
"Because I need you."
"Why... why would you need me?" Jessie snapped. He smiled thinly.
"Your husband is a little weakling," Glover said pointedly. "Since our attack on your dirty little compound didn't do any good, we got you."
"What good is that supposed to do?"
Glover set a hand on Jessie's red hair. "Because I know that any minute now, the great James Rochester, leader of the oh-so-wonderful Team Rocket, will come storming in here." He rested a finger on Jessie's cheek. "Isn't that right, precious?"
Jessie closed her eyes and turned her face away. "I find it ironic that the good guys have become the bad guys, and the bad have become the good."
He grabbed her by the chin and wrenched Jessie's face back in his direction. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"You are a coward, mister Glover."
The President resisted the urge to smack his captive.
"You would know nothing of that," Glover said. He stepped away, looking pensive.
"Why are you doing this?" Jessie called after him. Glover kept his back to Jessie.
"Team Rocket has troubled the law long enough," he said. "I swore when I became president that I would rid the Pokemon League of Giovanni. But even with him in jail Team Rocket sticks around like an annoying little bug." He crossed his arms. "Bunch of do no-gooders."
"That isn't true," Jessie snapped. "We have worked hard to change-"
"I don't care if you've changed," Glover snapped back, turning on Jessie. "Nothing that your new Team Rocket can do will ever make up for the decades of trouble that Team Rocket caused in the past."
Jessie curled her nose at him. "Well don't blame me and James, we sucked at doing bad things right."
"Dat's right, Meowth," Meowth was saying. "Right?"
"Sure, Meowth," Seleca said. The cat tracked behind Seleca as she paced the length of James' office.
"Please sit down, Seleca," James said, a phone tucked under his ear. "Just watching you pace is making my knee hurt."
"Sorry," Seleca said, sitting down. Meowth jumped into her lap.
"Sit Meowth," Meowth said. "Meowth sits, dat's right."
"Sometimes I wish you would know when to shut up," Seleca said to the feline. He just blinked.
"Meeeowth."
"Be quiet you two," James said. "I think I'm finally getting through."
Seleca and Meowth sat quietly, as directed.
"This is the International Pokemon League Headquarters, Indigo Plateau, how may I help you?" a chirpy sounding voice said. James winced.
"You sound like an annoying orange-haired girl I knew once," James muttered.
"Hey, do you need help or what?" the voice on the phone sounded annoyed.
"And she had some annoying boyfriend that we stole a Pikachu from," James continued to himself.
"Hey!"
"I think you stole the rest of their Pokemon once, Seleca," James said, forgetting the phone.
"Huh?" Seleca looked up from where Meowth was making cute faces.
"Hey! Do you need help, sir?"
"Oh, yes," James said. "I need to speak with the League President."
"He isn't in today, sir," the phone-answerer said.
"Where is he?"
"He's out of town on business."
"Business my ass."
"Would you like to leave a message?" she asked.
"No, thank you."
"Have a nice day," she said chipperly. James growled and hung up.
"So?" Seleca took a ball of yarn from Meowth and threw it for him.
"The President is out of town on business," James said in falsetto.
"At least we know where he is," Seleca said.
"Saffron City, here we come," James said, drumming his fingers on the phone.
The next afternoon, James and Seleca, plus Meowth and several other black-uniformed members of Team Rocket all stood outside the Saffron City Gym.
"Alright, everyone check their radios," James said. He pointed to a collection of trees near the Gym. "Wait there until I give the signal."
All the black uniformed members went to lurk in the trees, while James, Seleca, and Meowth went into the Gym.
"This place gives me the creeps," Seleca said.
"Meowth want pokeball," Meowth whined.
"Fine, return Meowth," Seleca said, pulling out his pokeball. The cat returned. Seleca tucked the pokeball away as she and James entered the fighting field. It was still decked out as it had been several years before, when Sabrina had been saved from her own psychic powers. The room still had a creepy and imposing psychic feeling.
"Sabrina?" James called. There was a glimmer and the said trainer appeared.
"Yes?" she said, smiling. Her green-black hair was still long, and her blue eyes were still cold, but she wasn't as frightening as she had been in the past.
"I need to know if you've seen the Pokemon League president," James said, approaching the tall chair where Sabrina sat.
"Recently? Yes," she said.
"Do you know where he went?" James asked.
She smiled craftily. "Yes, I do."
"He's here, isn't he?"
Sabrina pulled at the red sleeves of her jacket. "Mm, I can't tell you where he went."
"Why not?"
Sabrina shrugged. "Just can't."
"We need to know," James said. "It's important."
"It's always important," Sabrina said dryly. She looked thoughtful. "I know, I'll tell you where he is, under one condition."
"What's that?"
"Beat me in a Pokemon battle."
"I didn't bring any Pokemon," James said in frustration.
Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Well, then I guess you just won't find out."
"I'll fight you," Seleca said from a few feet behind James.
"You?" Sabrina laughed lightly. "You can barely stand."
"My health does not reflect that of my Pokemon," Seleca said. Sabrina pursed her lips.
"As you wish." Sabrina looked at James. "Do you accept her as your defendant?"
"Of course," James said.
"Good, I could use a battle," Sabrina stood. "People quit coming to battle me for some reason." She shrugged again. "Don't know why."
"Can we just battle?" Seleca said.
"Impatient, aren't we?" Sabrina stepped down to the floor level. "Alright, a one on one battle. Choose your Pokemon."
"Fine," Seleca said.
"For this battle, I will chose... Kadabra!" Sabrina said brightly, and threw her Pokeball.
"Kadabra!" the Pokemon said.
"Is that like the only Pokemon you have?" Seleca sighed.
"Your Pokemon," Sabrina said.
"Go, Chansey!" Seleca said, throwing her pokeball.
"Chan-seeee!" Chansey said brightly. It hopped onto the field.
"A Chansey? You expect to win with that pink thing?" Sabrina sounded disbelieving.
"I've won five other badges with the help of my Chansey," Seleca said defensively.
"We'll see," Sabrina said.
"Chansey, double-slap!"
"Teleport, Kadabra!"
"Chan!" Chansey jumped at Kadabra and got several good smacks in before Kadabra teleported away. Seleca though, had developed her Chansey's speed, and the Pokemon quickly jumped at Kadabra and issued several more hits. Every time Kadabra zapped away, Chansey was quick to follow.
"Recover, Kadabra!" Sabrina shouted.
"Pound it, Chansey!"
"Kadabra..aaaah!" Kadabra howled as its recover was interrupted by Chansey running into him.
"Minimize, Chansey!" Seleca shouted.
"Chansey Chan!" Chansey said, and shrunk down to a size smaller than her trainer's hand.
"Psybeam, Kadabra!"
"Kadabra..." the Pokemon launched its shimmering waves at Chansey, but the opposing Pokemon was so small that the attack missed.
"Double edge now, Chansey!"
"Chaaaan-SEY!" the tiny Chansey glowed and shot a huge blast of energy at Kadabra.
"Ka-da-braaah!" Kadabra wailed, unable to teleport away from the blast. It fell onto its back, knocked out.
"All right, Chansey!" Seleca hooted.
"Chaaaan!" Chansey said happily, returning to its proper size.
Sabrina was gaping. "Well, I guess that will teach me to go against people with high level Pokemon." She held up her pokeball. "Kadabra, return!"
James and Seleca walked up to Sabrina.
"Our deal?" James said evenly.
"Mm, yes," Sabrina said. She dug something out of her pocket, and handed it to Seleca.
"A Marsh badge?"
Sabrina gave another shrug. "You earned it." She pointed to the exit. "Go down that hall. The President is in the fifth room on the left." With a shimmer, the trainer disappeared.
"She was weird," James noted curiously.
"I heard that!" a voice said out of nowhere. Both jumped.
"Right now I kinda wish I had a pokeball to hide in like Meowth," Seleca said.
They went down the hall, as instructed.
"Three... four... five..." James said.
"Did she say on the left or the right?" Seleca wondered.
"Right," James said.
"Right," she agreed.
James opened the door, and they peered in. The room was dark. Three girls sat in front of a television. They were surrounded by a collection of Jigglypuffs. The girls (and probably the Pokemon too) didn't notice the opening of the door, as they were engrossed in watching "Earth Girls Are Easy." James quickly pulled the door shut.
"I think it was the left," Seleca said.
"Yeah..." James nodded absently. Seleca pulled out a pokeball and recalled Meowth.
"But Meowth is tired," the cat whined.
"We might need your help," Seleca told him.
"Meowth help?" Meowth smiled.
"Yeah," she nodded.
"Okay, what Meowth do?"
"For now you just be quiet, okay?"
"Okay," Meowth nodded. He followed James and Seleca across the hall. "Gonna get Jessie-Meowth?"
"That's the idea," James said. Meowth nodded and went quiet.
James opened the door, revealing a long dark hallway.
"Why do I hate dark hallways?" James muttered.
"Because they're dark?" Seleca suggested.
"That's probably it," James said.
"Do we call in the reserves now?" Seleca said as they peered down the corridor.
"No, not yet," James shook his head. "We haven't located Jessie yet."
"Right. So what's your plan?"
James blinked. "Plan?"
"Our course of action."
James raised a finger. "We go in, find Jessie, and get the hell out."
Seleca considered this. "It'll have to work."
Seleca followed James down the hall, with Meowth trailing silently behind them. At the end of the hall was a desk in front of a door. Behind the desk sat another Jigglypuff. On the desk was a small sign that read: "Guess My Name."
"Guess your name?" James said doubtfully.
"Jigg!" the Jigglypuff nodded.
"Let me guess," James said. "If we don't guess right, we don't get to speak with the League president?"
"Glee!" it nodded again.
"I'm willing to bet that its name isn't Jigglypuff," Seleca said, crossing her arms.
"Jigglypuff!" the Pokemon tittered.
James tapped his chin. "This is annoying."
"Well you haven't even guessed yet," Seleca pointed out.
"Right." James looked down at the Jigglypuff. "Is your name Jigglypuff?"
"Jigg."
"That mean no," Meowth whispered, covering its mouth with its paws.
"It is... Jiggly?"
"Jigg."
"Puff?"
"Jigg."
"Wigglytuff?"
It made a face. "Jigg!"
"Umm... Harry?"
"Jigg."
(About twenty minutes and names later)
"Jaws?"
"Jigg." The Jigglypuff looked bored. Seleca had sat on the floor and was rolling a ball of yarn to Meowth.
"Zippy?"
"Jigg."
"Will?"
"Jigg."
James was looking flustered. "Umm... Steve?"
Jigglypuff looked surprised. "Puff!"
James blinked. "Your name's Steve?"
"Jigglypuff!" Steve the Jigglypuff nodded brightly.
Seleca got up. "Interesting name for a Jigglypuff."
"Puff," Steve said pointedly.
"Was Steve's uncle name, Meowth," Meowth stated.
"So can we go in now?"
"Jiggly!" Steve nodded, hitting a button on the desk. The door could be heard unlocking.
"Thanks, Steve," James said. He turned to Seleca. You go out and get the others. I don't trust Glover any more than I'd trust my own mother."
She tsked but was smiling, "such a horrible thing to say."
"Such a true thing to say," James amended. "I'm going in. Keep your radio on. If something goes wrong, just make sure everyone gets out safely. I'll get Jessie."
"Right." Seleca turned and started back down the hall. James went past the Jigglypuff and opened the door.
Inside was a small darkly lit room. President Glover sat behind a desk, puffing on a cigar. He was the only person in the room.
"Ah, Mr. Rochester, I was expecting you," Glover said in a gruff voice. "Take a seat."
"I'll stand, thank you," James said. Glover shrugged, and rifled through a few papers.
"Now, is this about your requests for getting an official Pokemon gym?" Glover said, settling on a piece of paper.
James crossed his arms, his right hand feeling the gun underneath his jacket. "You know why I'm here. Where's my wife?"
"The red haired one?" Glover puffed on his cigar. "Quite a bitch. Not here, I'm afraid." James balled his fists, and Glover exhaled a cloud of smoke. "She's being held elsewhere."
"Why are you doing this?" James shouted. Glover sneered at him.
"I'll tell you what I told your wife," he said. "I hate Team Rocket--I hate every single last one of you. When I get Team Rocket finally disbanded I will have you all arrested for crimes against the state."
"You can't do that," James protested.
"Oh, I can and will," Glover continued sneering. "I'm very good friends with the heads of state."
"You're insane!" James yelped, backing toward that door.
"Maybe. But I will deal with you and Jessie personally." He pulled a gun from under his coat. "I'll kill you now, and the rest will be easy to deal with." James quickly pulled his own gun, leveling it at the League President. Glover chuckled. "I've already sent my men out to dispose of your little welcoming party."
"You would," James spat. "I knew it was a mistake when the committee made you President of the Pokemon League."
There they stood, or rather James stood and Glover sat, guns pointed in each other's faces. Glover smirked.
"I'll give you to the count of three to run," Gloved said snidely. To rub it in he added: "I'm giving you to three because I know you won't make it. If you're still in the room on three, you get a nice shiny bullet in the back. If you're out of the room, you'll probably get a nice bullet in the head."
"Sounds fair enough," James said grimly.
"One... two..." Glover blinked. "Three." He looked in surprise at where James had been standing. He'd been out the door before Glover had finished saying two.
On the other side of the door, James panted nervously. "All that time running when we were the bad guys must have paid off."
True to Glover's word, James heard gunfire at the far end of the hallway. James clicked on his radio, and heard shouting. There was the indistinct sound of a Meowth howling and of Seleca yelling orders out to an unseen person.
James activated his end. "Seleca?"
"Not now!" Seleca's voice came screaming through the radio. James winced and clicked it off.
"So much for that," he said, tapping his gun on his hip. The floor shook under his feet from an explosion. James paled as he walked, grabbing Steve the Jigglypuff for defense.
"Jiggly!" the Jigglypuff squirmed but James held fast.
There was smoke in the main hall, making it hard to see. James found Seleca crouched behind a large potted plant.
"Sorry about yelling," Seleca muttered in greeting, aiming her gun over the rim of the plant pot. She had a cigarette hanging out of the corner of her mouth, which only helped to add to the smoke.
"Things aren't going good are they?" James said, a bead of sweat on his forehead.
"They've been better," Seleca said. She finished off the cigarette after firing a few shots into the smoke. Seleca stubbed out the cigarette with the butt of her gun and then reloaded.
"What happened?"
"They ambushed us," Seleca said simply. She squinted at a shadow darting across the hall. "Those weird girls with the Jigglypuffs."
"Glover sent them after you," James said. "He's trying to get us all killed."
"What about Jessie?" Seleca asked.
"She wasn't in there," James said. "I have to go find her."
Seleca ducked as bullets grazed past through the leaves of the plant. "What makes you think that Glover didn't kill her?"
"I just don't think he did yet," James snapped at her. "Can you handle things here?"
"What's to handle?" Seleca was sour. "We're just being shot at and I don't know where the rest of our people are."
"Good," James didn't seem to hear her. "I'm going to go find Jessie."
"James, you're crazy!" Seleca hissed. "You don't even know where to look first!"
He blinked. "I think I might."
Jessie felt uncomfortable in her new surroundings. First off, she didn't enjoy being teleported that much. Second was the fact that she was alone in a big strange room with her only company being a strange looking woman with dark green hair.
After a few minutes of study, Jessie finally recognized the other woman.
"Sabrina," Jessie called.
"Yes?" the gym leader looked up from where she was filing her nails.
"What am I doing here?"
Sabrina shrugged. "Waiting to be killed."
Jessie swallowed. "What do you have to do with it?"
"I'm supposed to be guarding you," Sabrina said in a sing-song voice.
"Lucky you," Jessie muttered.
"Yes, I know," Sabrina sighed. "Personally I could think of other things that I could be doing right now."
"Then why don't you let me go so you can go do them?" Jessie suggested, sounding half-hopeful.
Sabrina waved the file at her. "Nice try. President Glover wouldn't like it if I did that."
"Why do you care what he thinks?"
Sabrina pursed her lips. "Because he's in charge."
"But this is your gym, isn't it?" Jessie said, looking around.
"It doesn't matter if it is my gym," Sabrina said. "He has the power and authority to take that away from me." Her tone was bitter.
"You don't sound too happy about that."
"It isn't something to be happy about," Sabrina said. She rose from her seat. Pacing up behind Jessie, Sabrina waved her hand and a comb appeared. "Let me comb your hair."
"What?" Jessie blinked in mild confusion. "Why?"
"It just looks a little mussed," Sabrina said in a soft voice. At a funny look from Jessie she added, "I'm not going to kill you."
"Is that supposed to reassure me?"
Sabrina tilted her head. "Yes." Jessie bit her lip and considered this. Finally she leaned back into the chair.
"Alright."
A smile crossed over Sabrina's face. "Thank you."
Sabrina stood behind Jessie and ran the comb through her long red hair. Jessie's shoulder's tensed at the first contact.
"You're nervous," Sabrina stated. "Why?"
"I... I'm not nervous," Jessie said, staring straight ahead.
Sabrina laughed softly. "That isn't true. You'd jump out of the chair and run away, except for the fact that your ankles are tied up."
"Maybe."
"Don't worry, I don't want to hurt you," Sabrina said.
"But you don't care if I get killed."
"I've only just met you," Sabrina pointed out. "Although I am quite sorry about the fact that President Glover wants you dead."
"How nice of you," Jessie said, exhaling slowly. Sabrina's combing was having a strange effect on her, like she was using some strange psychic power on her to make her relax. "You're not playing mind games with me, are you?"
"Do you think I am?" Sabrina said, pausing.
"A little," Jessie admitted. Sabrina smiled.
"I wouldn't do that."
"I believe you," Jessie said after a moment. Sabrina resumed her combing.
"You have nice hair," she said.
Jessie's vanity kicked in. "Thanks!"
"You're welcome." There were several minutes of silence, and then Sabrina cleared her throat. "So... when is the baby due?"
Jessie made a choking noise. "Uh, what do you mean?"
"You are pregnant, aren't you?" Sabrina asked, leaning her face down level with Jessie's.
"How'd you know that?" Jessie asked in surprise.
"I just know," Sabrina smiled, touching the side of her nose.
"You psychic people always have freaked me out," Jessie said. Sabrina laughed.
"I'm taking that as a compliment," she said. "Knowing that you're pregnant makes it even worse for me to think that Glover wants to kill you."
"Then why don't you do something about it?" Jessie said.
"If I don't let Glover kill you he'll kill me and then you won't be any better off," Sabrina said. "And neither will I."
"What about that weird teleporting thing you can do?" Jessie wondered. "Can't you just teleport me out of here?"
"And then who would James have to rescue?" Sabrina said off-hand. Jessie sat up a little straighter.
"James? He's here?"
"Yes," Sabrina nodded. "He challenged me to find out where President Glover was, although a girl named Seleca fought for him. Quite an impressive Chansey."
Jessie's eyes darted around. "Where are they?"
"Outside, in the main hall I think," Sabrina replied. The comb disappeared from her hand. "These walls are sound-proofed, but if you listen very carefully..." Sabrina rested a hand on Jessie's ear.
Quite clearly, Jessie could hear gunfire, and shouting.
"Fighting?" Jessie said in surprise. Sabrina nodded. She had come about to face Jessie again.
"There are several of your men, and several of the League's as well. James is trying to find you without getting shot."
Jessie turned her face to the door. "Can't you direct him?"
Sabrina smiled, and rested a hand over her heart. "He already has all the direction he needs."
"Sabrina, can't you stop Glover?" Jessie said thoughtfully. Sabrina considered this.
Her voice went rough: "The only way I would be able to stop him would be to kill him. That crone of his too."
"Can't you?" Jessie whispered.
"Why would I want to?" Sabrina said evenly.
"Sabrina," Jessie's voice turned into a plead. "President Glover is mad. He wants to destroy everyone in Team Rocket. But he wants to destroy the past, because we aren't the people we once were."
"I know," Sabrina said.
"Look at what he's done to the Pokemon League," Jessie said insistently. "He's turned you into the bad guys."
Sabrina looked surprised. "Really?"
"He had a group of his men attack our Headquarters," Jessie said. "His men killed at least one person and hurt a few others just to get to me!"
Sabrina paled. "I didn't know about that part."
"How can you take orders from him?" Jessie said. "You should be giving orders."
"I... I could never control the Pokemon League," Sabrina said. "I couldn't leave my gym."
"You're afraid," Jessie said.
"I am not!"
"Then prove it."
Sabrina looked around the room, and then back at Jessie. "I'll see what I can do."
"Good," Jessie smiled. "Could you start by untying my ankles?"
"Sure," Sabrina said. She focused on the binds and they disappeared in a flash.
"Thanks," Jessie said, rubbing her feet. "You have no idea how big of a pain it is to have swollen ankles tied together."
"Well it was quite inconsiderate of your captors," Sabrina said.
"So, what's your plan on beating Glover?" Jessie asked, shakily getting to her feet.
"I think I have an idea," Sabrina said.
End Chapter Two