Mr. S's Story

He sat concealed in the dark, his back to the door and his face to the wall, as he sat behind a huge desk crafted from the finest metals and glass money could buy (which was situated in an office underneath the Rocket Game Corner). The room was quaint, walls plastered with old Team Rocket memorabilia and rhetoric. Shelves lined the walls with books as far as the eye could see; stories and legends of faraway lands and Pokémon. Myths of ancient artifacts and other bedtime stories that Team Rocket among others had chased throughout the years. Even those stories that led to some truths didn’t end well for the lot of them, and because of this, he knew it was time for a new approach. He’d bided his time in Alola and struck fear in the hearts of everyone that crossed paths with him. Thus far, he came across as nothing more than a whisper, a boogeyman with no face. Some even questioned if he existed at all. But not a crime went unnoticed in Alola without his say so, and there was little he wouldn’t get involved with for a profit. He had no morals, no code, and little honor. Whatever it took to win and come out on top. This visit to Kanto was no different. Business, nothing more. It was time for a smooth transition of power so that a new generation could rise up from the ashes and reclaim old glories. Failure was no longer on the menu.

As the door swung open, the shadowy figure in the doorway would soon realize the lights didn’t work, and as she crept ever closer to the desk, an ominous voice followed her footsteps. “You’ve been sloppy, Monica.” She tensed, and reached for her belt to produce a Poké Ball. The only sound that followed was the hammer being pulled back on the gun the seated gentleman had in his hand as he turned around, resting the firearm on the table as he stared up from the shadows with nothing more visible than a maniacal Cheshire grin. There was rustling behind the woman before a Weavile appeared, disarming the woman of her Pokémon before skittering out of the room. The woman’s eyes were locked on the weapon, her teeth gritted and fingers clenched. “Oh, this? Don’t worry. I didn’t come to shoot you. If I had, you’d already be dead.”

Setting the weapon in front of him on the table, he stood, still masked by the shadows and appearing as nothing more than a silhouette. He had pierced daggers for the woman however, his eyes settling on her sternly. “There was a time when Team Rocket spread fear. When children went to bed hoping they didn’t cross us. We kept things quiet and under control, but you’ve let things get out of hand Monica.” He paused and tapped his fingers across the surface of the table as if perplexed about what to do next. “Y-You have no right! This is my office God dammit! I’ll be the one who decides the direction of Team Rocket, not you Mister-…” Before she could finish, a person emerged from behind her, their fingers cupping her mouth. “What have I told you about saying my name out loud? Tsk tsk. I really wanted us to be friends Monica. You think because you’re in charge, you play by a different set of rules? Well, you’re WRONG!” Slamming his fists into the glass table in front of him, it shattered against his skin, shards hitting the ground in one loud noisy commotion. The man was severely angered as he came around the edge of the desk. There still wasn’t much to be seen, outside of the fact he wore all black, and his ginger locks covered most of his face.

His fingertips graced the woman’s cheek, and she tried to pull away from him but the figure behind her kept her steady. “Consider this your notice. You're fired!” The figure behind her pulled away, disappearing about as quickly as he or she appeared. The woman finally uttered the words she’d been itching to say. “Mister S!” No sooner than she uttered those words, a large creature appeared behind her with nothing more than a massive set of jaws and claws that lifted her up. Bones cracked as the creature snapped her in two, practically folding her in half as the creature swallowed her whole. Blood splattered across the walls and even went as far as to paint the gentleman, now referred to as Mr. S, on the face. He smiled as he slid his fingertips over the crimson liquid, smearing it as he looked around. “And they said I was crazy…”

“They could be right…”

A yacht quietly pulled into the harbor in Olivine City; there was no press or any word of its arrival, nor any sign of who was inside. It was typical enough but massive and easily worth a fortune. On the back of the boat, painted in orange, it read The Ariados, which would bear no meaning to anyone. The boat was otherwise unmarked, owned by a shell company out of Alola that was as clean as a whistle. There was only one name a person would come back to if they were looking hard enough, which was Cadmus. As far as anyone was concerned, he was a rich playboy who lived in Alola and had interests in some sort of foundation that cared for hurt Pokémon as well as conducted other relevant research. To most, he appeared to be a saint, with no known criminal affiliation.

Sitting in the veranda on the second deck, overlooking the ocean, a man with long flaring orange hair sat in a white pinstripe buttoned up suit, with black wingtips that had a mirror shine. Legs crossed, he reached for the small tea cup on the table beside him, sipping slowly. Pulling back the cuff on his left wrist, he looked at his watch patiently, smiling as he folded his hands in his lap, a sigh of relief escaping him. It was going to be a busy day, but it was nothing that he wasn’t already prepared to handle.

He had been expecting a guest, or family rather. The man had been fond of picking up broken things throughout his life, and not just Pokémon for that matter. It was only when he was in his early twenties that he came across a girl, orphaned without a soul in the world to care for her. There was a potential there, one hidden from the prying eye; but he’d always had a way of sniffing out talent, so he nurtured it, sending her to the best school’s money could afford. It was an investment to be sure, but it was time to collect. She was like a daughter to him, although he’d never truly been the compassionate type. Perhaps it was true that he had a soft spot for the girl, but only time would tell.

A girl with long blond hair walked briskly through the cool night. She wore a white sundress with brown sandals, and a dark purple, wide brimmed hat. She grabbed onto her satchel tightly, but walked with her head held high so show confidence. Tonight was a special night for her. Someone she truly cared about was coming into port; someone she hadn't seen in awhile. She walked down the sidewalks, under the light of the streetlights, down her way to the pier. When she got to the large opening of the pier she looked around for the boat she was told about. After spotting the vessel she hurried her way to it's docking station.

"Hey kid! You lost?" A sailor carrying two large buckets called out to her. This sudden voice made her jump a bit, and turn towards the voice.

"Oh, no, I..I know where I'm going sir." She replied back to him.

"Well alright then. Just be careful ok. This place can be a bit rough at night." He said, shrugging and going about his way to the other end of the dock.

"Y..Yes, thank you. I will." She said back, bowing a couple of times. She then stood and watched as the man boarded his ship before turning around to go to her destination. Once at the rail boarding of her desired ship she was stopped yet again by the man standing guard at it.

"Hey kid, unless you have some kind of proo..." was all that he managed to say before the girl's eyes lit up, and froze the man where he stood.

"Once I have boarded the ship you are to also board, and pull the railing. You will do as I say." The girl told him in a low growl. Once she had gone up the railing the man did as he was told, and had regained his composure after she had rounded the corner to go up the stairs to the second deck. When she had gotten there she saw the man she recognized, smiled, and slowly walked up to him.

"Hello Sir. It has been done." She said simply. As if this was the code phrase a small cry came from her hat as two large eyes peered from the seam of the hat. Slowly the hat left the girls head, and formed back into a mismagius to the right of her revealing the girl's real identity. The girl had long purple hair that matched her soft, childlike, purple glazed eyes. She wore a black dress with black flats, and was rather plain looking. Just an ordinary girl to main people's standings.

"Well, then, this is a fine place to spend a night. Watching the stars..." an old man with a long, decorated pipe said, a Growlithe by his side as he leaned against the cliff face. Or at least, that was his intention, until the long-haired stranger showed up.

"Ahoy there. You don't seem to be from around here, so...welcome to Johto. Come, sit with this old man. Let him regale you with tales of the old ways, lest they die with him. Of the days before Poké Balls, when humans listened to Pokémon and what they think about the world's affairs. Growlithe, if you would be so kind as to start a little campfire for us?" He wasn't ready to share the peace pipe just yet...

The puppy Pokémon was happy to oblige with an Ember attack, even if it was worded more as asking for a favor than a typical Trainer giving it like a command.

Emiko Touko protested as she was escorted out of the Frontier, but the timing was excellent. Already she was getting reports on her Xtransceiver about NRE troop movements now that she was out of the cellular dead zone, as well as possible targets. "This isn't good. I might be stuck here when Unova needs me...Cheren, you better not fuck this up."

Wait...there was something missing here...WAKATA! "Unfezant, I know you're tired, but time is short. Let's go home."