Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ LIFE without ROCKET ❯ Deal in Darkness! ( Chapter 4 )

AUTHORS NOTES:
Two chapters in one update, aren't you guys lucky *lol* This chapter not only reveals the motives and identity for Bashou's little trench coat friend but also has a bit focused on both Cassidy and Meowth, I especially put Meowth in cos I was ignoring him slightly *pets Meowth* Poor thing...
Had a fun time with what currency I wanted to use for the Pokémon Contest prize money too XD I was gonna keep it Japanese and use Yen, but after using an online currency converter and realizing 5000 yen was equal to 25 pounds in English pounds I decided to stick with what I know and change the currency to English pounds cos I suck XD Ah well...I don't know anything about currency's in other countries.... ^_^;;

*~ LIFE without ROCKET ~*
By Togepi

Chapter Four: - Deal in Darkness!

In Team Rocket, Cassidy always seemed like a willing and active person, eager to do her part for a mission and always put the effort in, but times had changed the once feisty ex-Rocket member not only in looks but in attitude as well. Her orange hair was still held in pig tails but were now a third of the length she used to have and she had become extremely lazy, or so it seemed to the others. The fact of not working and having all day to do stuff she wanted seemed to appeal more to her than actually finding a job, much to her friends dismay, they even had to force her to do housework on occasions...
...but although the freedom was good the fact she had no money wasn't the best so did attempt to look for a job occasionally but she was so picky and refused to do anything that required her to cook or clean or be stuck in some supermarket for the rest of her life.
For Cassidy anyway to make easy money would be perfect for her, that's what drew her attention to an article in the paper early one Thursday morning after finishing washing the dishes that Butch had forced her to do.

"Hummm...what's this...?"

Butch, who was cleaning the small living room across from her looked up curiously.

"A Pokémon Contest hall is opening tomorrow" Cassidy announced. "Says here everyone who registers and enters in the first Contest is up for winning 5000 Pounds!"

"Urg! You're not thinking of entering are you?" Butch moaned rolling his eyes at her. "I really don't think we have Pokémon that would do well in that sort of thing... they have to be cutesy"

"They don't have to be cutesy at all!" Cassidy snapped. "It's about the beauty of their attacks.....although entering a cute Pokémon would probably help..."

"You probably couldn't even win a beauty contest for humans..." came Bashou's voice as he left the boys' bedroom tightening the bandana he had around his head. "....let alone one for these pathetic creatures..." with that he gestured towards Meowth who was sat shining his charm in a mirror on the kitchen table. The cat pokémon gradually looked up and glared at Bashou.

"Watch who you're calling pathetic!"

Bashou grunted as he walked over to the door flinging a bag over his shoulder as he left.

"I'm going out for a while...."

"Wonder where he's going..." Butch mumbled as soon as Bashou had left. Cassidy just shrugged.

"Maybe to shoot little baby Eevees or something, who knows with him..."

Butch grunted amusingly at Cassidy's remark then continued to clean the living room.

"Come on Cassidy, the kitchen won't clean it's self!"

"Meh, I'm done with cleaning" Cassidy replied, pulling off the apron she had been wearing. "I need to do some preparation for this Pokémon Contest, bye!"

With that she grabbed her coat and quickly made an exit through the door before Butch could protest against it.

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< br> The park in Viridian City was a clam sight as Bashou walked slowly through it, a few pokémon trainers were playing with their Pokémon by the lake and a nearby old couple were taking a walk with their sweet little Vaporeon. Looking up between the trees that lined the dirt pathway bashou could see the strong winter's sun shining through it.

He always preferred to spend his Thursday's off work in the park when not many other people were about as most were at work themselves and children at school so he could just sit in peace with no one to bother him. He soon found his favoruite spot on a small grassy hill with a single tree stood on the top. He slowly sat down taking his bag off, placing it beside him he then took out a walkman and began listening to it to drowned out the nearby drone of the passing cars in the city.

As he listened he soon became aware of a whispering sound. Quickly pulling out the earphones out of his ears he listened carefully and looked around but could not see or hear anything. He was about to go back to listening to his walkman again but suddenly spotted someone he recognized sitting on a bench at the bottom of the hill feeding some Pidgey, a man wearing a long brown trench coat.

Stuffing the walkman into his bag and throwing it back over the shoulder he marched down the hill until he was beside the figure on the bench.

"HEY!"

Bashou stepped back in shock when the person who looked up was only some old man who looked at him curiously.

"Can I help you?" he asked in a frail sounding voice. Bashou just cursed and walked away without even apologizing to the old man he just disturbed. It was then the whispering in his head began again, clear this time.

"I'm watching you.... watching..."

"He's playing with my head..." Bashou thought to himself, glaring around the park. "...most likely using a Psychic Pokémon.... bastard...."

The Ex-Rocket member began to walk, hoping to find some clue to where the man was, he had to be near him somewhere for the mind tricks to work.

He soon reached the edge of the park and looking across the road he spotted the Persian that had followed him to work a few days ago. It glared at him before walking down an alleyway behind it. It seemed to want Bashou to follow so after crossing the road he made his way down the tiny alleyway, a street meowth yelping and bombing out of a nearby trashcan as he did. After he got a decent way in the voice belonging to the man in the trench coat spoke out, although bashou could not see him.

"Welcome, I knew you'd come to me, sooner or later..."

"I came to know what the hell your playing at!" Bashou snapped. "Playing with my head like you are and giving me this!" With that he held up his right wrist to reveal the "R" like scar on it. "If you think you can just screw around with me like this then forget it!"

"AH, but that's why I chose you..." the man replied. "...your cold and arrogant, you want power...your Team Rocket spirit hasn't faded one bit..."

Bashou suddenly gave the darkness he was facing an amused smirk before he leant against one of the walls of the alleyway, crossing his arms as he did.

"Team Rocket ey?" he said coolly. "Heh, thought so. You don't need to hide, I've already figured out who you are.... Giovanni..."

With that a figure began emerging from the dark depths of the alleyway into the light revealing the features on his face as none other than the leader of Team Rocket himself. Behind him followed his Perisan and a Drowzee.

"Figured it out...clever..."

"Not really!" Bashou snorted. "Wouldn't of taken a genius to figure out it was you, thought you died in the destruction of Team Rocket anyway..."

"In honest truth I was no where near the building when it was destroyed" Giovanni replied. "I managed to get it out that I had died in there so I could continue Team Rocket's operations under the noses of Aqua and Magma..."

"I see..." Bashou replied. "So what do you want from me?"

"Unlike the other's that escaped that day you still have a high passion for Team Rocket, you keep yourself at a distance from other people and have no friends to speak of... therefore you shouldn't have too many second thoughts about my plan. Plus you have the ability to read Ancient Text which will come in quite handy..."

With that Giovanni pulled out a piece of paper from underneath his coat and handed it to Bashou who took it and discovered that written on it was a passage of Ancient text.

"What do you see?" Giovanni asked while watching Bashou read the text closely.

"Some kind of incarnation..." he replied. He then lifted his head up to look at Giovanni. "....but an incantation for what?"

With that Giovanni handed him another piece of paper, this time it was a picture of the very fossil they had met at the other day.

"The fossil of Mii-Kahn..." Bashou said. "...you plan of resurrecting the beast Pokémon in it..."

"YES!" Giovanni said eagerly. "Just imagine the power we will have in our hands! Together the two of us will not only take over Aqua and Magma but the whole world..."

Bashou looked back down at the picture of the fossil, excepting Giovanni's plan would mean betraying Sally, the one person in the museum who was willing to give him a chance and who he gave his solemn word too that his Team Rocket days were over.

"You don't have to agree to my plan if there is someone you wish not to betray..." Giovanni told Bashou, watching him muse over the picture in his hands. "...although now you know my plans I'd have to kill you if you decide not to agree to help me"

Bashou eventually looked up at Giovanni and gave him a small confident sneer before holding out his hand.

"No need..." he said. "...you've got yourself partner"

"I knew you'd make the right choice" Giovanni replied, shaking Bashou's hand. Then as soon as they let go he began walking back into the darkness of the alleyway. "Our plan takes place at 3am the Sunday after next, until then continue to raise the trust the manageress there has in you..."

With that Giovanni vanished into the darkness, leaving Bashou standing on his own. Suddenly finding any doubt he had about stealing the Fossil of Mii-Kahn had disappeared and was now replaced with a lust for the power he soon would have.

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

Later that day Cassidy returned to the apartment to see no one in the place besides meowth who was sat in his usual spot on the kitchen table, playing with some cards.

"None of the others here?" she asked him as he placed a nine of hearts down onto the table.

"Buson is in the bedroom..." Meowth replied not looking up.

"Great!" Cassidy sniggered happily as she placed a small bag on the floor and after delving her hand into it she brought out a pretty pink ribbon and placed it on top of Meowth's head much to the cat pokémon's shock.

"Why did you put that on my head?" he asked, glaring at her. Cassidy just happily held out her Pokémon contest pass and smiled.

"Because tomorrow, the two of us are competing in the Pokémon Contest!"

"WHAT!?!"

"What?" Cassidy asked. "I think we'll do great, I've already memorized the attacks Meowth's have so all you have to do is do them when I call them out"

"Ah, ya see dat's da thing, I can't do...."

"Oh it's going to be so cool!" Cassidy squealed, interrupting Meowth, while hugging her contest pass. "We're gonna knock them dead!"

"Yeah...with laughter..." meowth replied. "I don't have ta agree ta do this!"

"If you do I'll give you a good sum of the money"

On the mention of money, meowth instantly forgot how he was going to compete in a Pokémon Contest with knowing just one attack and agreed to go with Cassidy.

"But just keep it to yourself okay" she told the cat. "I want it to be a surprise for the other's"

"Oh yeah...it'll be a surprise alright..." the cat moaned before Cassidy cheered and ran into the girls bedroom to plan some more. As soon as she left meowth just slumped back on the table and groaned.

"Da things I do for money! Dis is gonna be so degrading, not ta mention embarrassing...."

Just then Buson walked out of the guys bedroom and curiously looked at Meowth.

"What's with the pink ribbon?" he asked, sounding quite amused. Meowth just glared at Buson before taking the ribbon off his head and throwing it onto the floor.

****************************************************
The next day approached fast and Cassidy had invited all the others to watch the Pokémon Contest, utterly convinced she was going to win and wanted to prove to them all that she was good for something.

"I wonder what Pokémon she's using?" Jesse wondered out loud as the contest was getting ready to start.

"Well she only HAS Hitmontop" Butch replied. "Guess she's using that..."

"Talking of Pokémon, has anyone seen Meowth today?" James asked, the others just shook their heads as the lights in the arena faded down.

"I don't see why I have to be here..." Bashou moaned. "It's a waste of my time..."

"Hello and welcome to Viridian City's first ever pokémon Contest!" the announcer on the stage called out through his microphone. "We have four entries going for the top prize of 5000 Pounds, those entries are, Josh and Machamp, Sabrina and Beautifly, Ruki and Pichu and Cassidy and Meowth!"

"MEOWTH!?!"

All the others in the audience besides Bashou just sat there with their mouths wide open as they watched Cassidy and a very disgruntled looking meowth on the stage. Bashou just sat back in his chair crossing his arms with a smirk on his face.

"Maybe this won't be a total waste of my time..." he said, crossing his arms and sitting back in the chair. "...this could turn out quite entertaining..."

"Urgh!" Jesse moaned as she placed her hands over her face in pure disbelief. "Cassidy must not know that Meowth only knows Fury Swipes..."

"This is going to be a disaster!" James cried out, equally as shocked as Jesse.

"Now the competitors will display for us their Pokémon's most beautiful techniques!" The announcer told the audience. "Starting with Josh and Machamp!"

The three competitors took it in turns to give amazing displays of attacks to the audience, Domino, clutching her Teddiursa who was sat on her knee, watched the displays with amazement, while Buson found himself not as quite thrilled and almost fell asleep a few times if it wasn't for Jesse continually poking him to stay awake.

Soon enough it was Cassidy's turn as she confidently marched on stage with meowth following, now starting to feel the pressure on him.

"Okay Meowth! Lets start off with PAY DAY!"

The arena fell deathly silent as Meowth did nothing.

"Meowth what are you waiting for? Use Pay Day!"

"Heh, 'ere's da thing..." meowth began as he sweatdropped and turned towards Cassidy, blushing with embarrassment. "...I...don't know Pay Day...."

"Faint Attack?"

"Not...really..."

"Bite?"

"Nope!"
< br> "Slash?"

"Heh, no..."

"Then what DO you know?" Cassidy snapped, placing her hands on her hips, looking irritated at meowth.

"Erm...Fury Swipes and...dat's it..."

"That's ALL you know? Why didn't you TELL me that?"

"Well I TRIED too!" the cat snapped back. "but you wouldn't listen....then you promised me money...."

Cassidy just groaned and slapped her hand over her face, as the crowd around them started to get impatient.

"Oh okay okay! Just use Fury Swipes!"

Meowth smirked and bared his claws, he used Fury Swipes but got carried away and didn't realize until the last minute that he had jumped and clawed the very person who was judging the show.

"No! not the judge!" Cassidy screamed.

"This is a calamity!" James cried out in pure horror as Cassidy and meowth were booed at from the audience. Meowth stood in the middle of the stage feeling both humiliated and extremely guilty for not telling Cassidy the truth and only thinking of himself. He looked over to where Cassidy was now sat looking completely mortified.
Meowth, feeling ashamed of himself, lowered his ears and slowly walked over to her.

"Look, I'm sorry I never told..."

"Just save it CAT!" she snapped back, looking like she was almost on the verge of tears. Meowth just sighed and sat beside her, wanting to experience every single bit of humiliation she was, for he deserved it.

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

Walking home half an hour later the other's were trying their best to cheer Cassidy up and make her feel better but with no luck.

"I can't believe I was humiliated in front of so many people..." she cried. "I was doing that to show you guys that I'm not completely useless..."

"Personally I found your act extremely amusing" bashou replied as he walked a few feet behind the others, hands in his coat pockets. "Next time you should use a Magikarp, they're just as useless as the cat... but at least their attacks won't hurt anyone..."

Cassidy suddenly turned around and lunged for bashou who didn't flinch at all when he saw her coming for him, he simply stood still glaring at her with his freezing cold expression. She was only stopped an inch from him when Buson and Butch managed to grab hold of her and hold her back.

"LET ME GO!" She screamed, trying to get out of their grip. "LET ME HURT HIM!!!"

Bashou just raised his eyebrow and smirked.

"Let her go, I'm sure her attacks aren't as much better as the mangy fur ball down there..." he said looking towards meowth who was stood by Jesse's leg. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't of given a second thought to swiping at Bashou's face, but he felt he'd done enough damage for one night so held back and just stared at Bashou.

"You always make everything your own personal joke!" Cassidy yelled at him, still being held back by Buson and Butch. "Your an ignorant, self-absorbed Bastard who thinks of nothing but himself! I was really trying tonight to prove something, to prove I'm not useless!"

"Heh, instead you proved your even more useless than we originally thought" bashou scowled back coolly.

"Hey! We never once thought of Cassidy as useless, okay!" Butch growled back at the defense of his friend. "I swear! if you keep saying things like this then you can go find somewhere else to live"

"Heh, don't worry, you soon won't have to worry about me living with you anymore" Bashou snarled before turning his back on them and walking off the way they had come.

"HEY! BASHOU!" Buson yelled, but his yelled were completely ignored by his former partner. Butch just shook his head and told him to leave Bashou alone before they all began walking back up the street again.

"I wonder what he meant by "You soon won't have to worry about me living with you"? James asked as they walked. "Is he getting a place of his own, if so where'd he get the money...?"

"Somehow I don't think that's what he meant..." Buson replied. "Although I'm sure we'll find out what he did mean soon enough..."

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NEXT EPISODE: -

Christmas is approaching and the gang face the agonizing approach of a holiday they can't afford to enjoy, but when they hear the Fossil of Mii-Kahn has been stolen at the same time Bashou mysteriously disappears, the gang fear the worse.
Has their cold hearted roommate really gone back to a life of crime?
Next Chapter is "Sudden Revelations!"