Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ TEAM ROCKET 2036 ❯ INTRODUCTION, CHAPTER ONE-CHAPTER FIFTEEN, AFTER WORDS ( Chapter 15 )

THE TEAM ROCKET TRILOGY BOOK I: TEAM ROCKET 2036

By Adam Kyles

INTRODUCTION

Hi. This story is not written for profit and I do not own Pokemon. Also Yuri and Cloud are real people who I have talked with on a website called Rocket Base Omega. I would like that thank them for (hopefully) not beating me up if they ever read this. Unless I say otherwise all other events and people which are not taken from the TV series of Pokemon or real life are my own ideas so don't steal them!

I'll tell you a secret: some of my ideas actually belong to other people. In fact Kendrick was also taken from another source. He was a character from a film called A Few Good Men and he was played by Jack Nicholson (Note: if I spelt his name wrong I'm sorry but I don't have anything I can check its spelling from.) If you're reading this Jack I'd like to say that I tried to keep the spirit of you're character and I'd like to thank you also for the same reason (see above.) Those ideas of "mine" which don't come from others come from my own vision of what my stories would be like if they were made into films. I think of a specific actor and then I try to make the character fit with the sort of roles that person usually plays. As I have said Kendrick was based on Nicholson, Hans on Gotz Otto (who played Stamper in Tomorrow Never Dies for those who only know famous actors) and Eddington was based on Morgan Freeman (everyone has heard of him right?.) Mr. Robinson was just based on most action film villains. Cloud and Yuri you know about. The main character, Richard Green, is based on me and would probably be played by me. His name however is taken from Richard Gear's but defiantly not his personality! I intend this story to be part of a trilogy, each other part of which will also have Richard Green in it. There is one more thing I would like to say before I move on to other matters (I don't think this introduction is to long. The intro for The Hunchback of Notrodame was about 90 pages as far as I can remember and it was very boring!) That last thing is that I would like to thank Andy McNab for being alive so I could mention him, and also another few good authors. First Lee Pfeiffer and David Worral, who know how to spell Gotz Otto. James Patterson inspired me to write this, so thank you for giving Along Came a Spider to the world. Finally the computer company Spectrum HoloByte, whose manual for the game Star Trek: The Next Generation-A Final Unity, allowed me to see what sort of stuff a computer should have (I would thank my own computer for this too but it can't read.)

At the begging of this book you'll find a history of Team Rocket in the form of an important dates time line. Later on in this story there are several other dates involving the details of the characters in this story, or at least some of them. These dates are probably hard to keep track off so I may write a history of my own story eventually just to sort it out, or, at least make it permanently confusing and wrong. The point is this: if we are to take it that parallel universes exist, and that the Pokemon TV series is set in one then this is set in another one. Not the TV show universe. I have changed some of the continuity of the TV series and the Pokemon computer games because I wanted to create my own complex universe and some continuity details in the TV series would have messed that up. Believe me when I say that continuity is the worst enemy of a serial writer (someone who writes more than one story set in one place with one set of characters. It has nothing to do with cereal.) This is especially true when someone else has already written about that place and those characters.

The universe this story is written in isn't our universe either. It is now 2002 and I certainly haven't heard of a war in Cuba in 1998, and yet I have mentioned one. In other words you can't say "Ha! That didn't happen!" This is a another universe and I can say and do what I like with it. This is also my excuse for most spelling mistakes. How do we know how things are written in another universe.

I most apologise for a few more things before I stop and I no longer feel guilty. Firstly there is a lot of describing personal effects. I'm sorry about this but I had hopes that it would work for me in the same way it worked for Ian Fleming (another person I should thank.) Secondly there is a list of the systems in Richard's computer which some of you might not be able to understand, instead choosing to say: "What? What is he babbling about?" in a confused and hurt tone of voice. I will not explain them firstly because I'm not certain I understand all of them myself even though my own computer has them. If you don't understand ask anyone you know who is into computers and he'll explain them to you and possibly point out where I was wrong as well. I have tried to explain any references which you can't find out anything else about until a mind reading machine is invented. They have been made up by me and I have tried to explain them as well as I can so don't complain!

I'm sorry if I've gotten you too interested only to let you find out that this book isn't suitable for you. I'm afraid it occasional bad language and some descriptions of violence in the later chapters-which I call crisis time. Crisis time is the last half hour of a action film where the hero goes into the villain's lair, kills his henchmen and kill him in fact as well. I really like crisis time but its very nature means it must have violence in it and I apologise. There is some bad language but only very occasionally. I tried to only let this happen in extreme situations in which I would use such language. Apart from that I don't think there is any more adult material. I would probably rate this story PG-13. Before you start reading the actual story rather than hearing me rant on here I should also warn you that this story is quite long and also it may be to involved and complex for younger readers. Sorry. As I may have mentioned it will probably be a trilogy but the other stories won't be so long. I haven't mention that have I hmm? Unfortunately this is not just about the story but also about the history of the characters. Normally a first book is longest unless its sequels have more events in them and this is because setting scenes and creating backgrounds for characters takes a while.

I wrote this intro part way through the story. At that point it was already the longest thing I have ever written and it showed no signs of stopping soon. Because of this the final thing I wish to say is: do you have a good editor?

Adam Kyles, 6th January 2002

PROLOGUE

7.10.2004 Pokemon first discovered by Professor Oak and Doctor Anderson.

Team Rocket created by Madame Boss and Number One.

Pokemon Ownership Law 2007 passed-it becomes illegal to "own" Pokemon.

Team Rocket begin to steal Pokemon now that "ownership" is illegal.

Dark Pokemon cloning begins.

Cloning experiments successful. Pokemon Genetic Laboratories built.

Government Operation "Light" begins. Labs destroyed. Team Rocket disbanded.

19.6.2013 Giovanni re-creates Team Rocket and re-starts cloning projects.

James Steel defeats Team Rocket at Saffron City. Team Rocket disbands.

The Executive Officer re-creates Team Rocket and re-starts cloning experiments.

Kyle Adams defeats Team Rocket. Team Rocket disbands.

Giovanni comes out of "training" and re-creates Team Rocket and re-starts cloning experiments.

25.12.2023 Megamon City opened and attacked by Team Rocket. Dark Pokemon wars begin.

Team Rocket defeated by Ash Ketchum at Edge Hill. Dark Pokemon wars end. Team Rocket disbands.

4.8.2032 Yuri re-creates Team Rocket and changes original rules. Team Rocket officially stops all use of Pokemon.

12.4.2035 Team Rocket 30 year celebration begins.

PART I:

HIS FIRST DAY

CHAPTER ONE

5.1.2036

"Have you ever been to the Orange Islands before" Cloud asked, turning his head so he could see the man behind him. The man's name was Richard Green and he had been a lieutenant in the British Army. He was now on his way (literaly) to becoming Field (Field meaning anywhere outside the base) Operations Command Officer. This meant basically that he would commander operations outside the base from the orders of an Internal (Internal meaning in the base) Operations Command Officer. Richard looked out of the helicopter window at the sea below. Occasionally they had passed islands. Each island seemed to have its own weather. Some were tropical but others were like huge blocks of ice. Most were in between. Richard shook his head in response to Cloud's question. Cloud was a Secondary Base Command Officer, which meant he took charge if the Base Command Officer could not control the base for whatever reason and it was only Cloud's easy going nature which stopped him being annoyed at have to ferry people from Kanto to Rocket Island. He knew that one of his closet friends, Senior Field and Internal Planning and Command Officer Jonathan James Kendrick (who had formally been in the US army as a Commander and who still liked to wear his dress uniform and be called Commander Kendrick) wouldn't have enjoyed flying Richard across from Kanto to the islands. He probably would have resigned rather than do that. A Senior Field and Internal Planning and Command Officer created mission plans and then carried them out as Field Command Officer rather than just carrying them out or planning them. There

were a lot of ranks in Team Rocket. Another friend of Cloud's,

Internal Security Command Officer Hans Stressman, who was responsible for internal security might or might not have minded. Hans would not let people in. He was silent most of the time and he NEVER revealed anything about his past. Only Base Command Officer, Team Rocket Commander Officer and Senior Team Rocket Board Member Yuri knew about Hans past and only because she had recruited him. A Base Command Officer commanded a base,

in Yuri's case the base was Rocket Base Omega, the secondary head quarters of Team Rocket. A Team Rocket Commander

commanded the whole of Team Rocket and a Senior Board

Member was one of the six oldest members of the twelve member board which

decided what Team Rocket did if it concerned more than 5

bases (there were 298 bases in total.) There were two branches within each base: Internal Officers and Field Officers. Internal Officers dealt with internal operations and External Officers dealt with missions. Only Yuri was neutral and only she wore a special uniform and badge instead of the separate uniforms and badges for Internal and External Officers which everyone else wore.

"We're here" Cloud said turning back to Richard. He set the helicopter gently to rest on a helicopter pad beside a large castle. The castle, which had been abandoned till January 2033, was now Rocket Base Omega. As well as the base there was a grey stone building to the east of the helicopter pad which housed the power generator for the base.

"Welcome to Rocket Island Mr. Green."

CHAPTER TWO

Two guards with AK 47's waited outside the drawbridge of the castle.

"Its ok. Let us in" said Cloud to the guards and they moved away from their usual positions, which blocked the drawbridge. In front of the bridge was a fence with an electronic lock. Cloud typed a code into a small keypad on the lock and the code appeared in green on a computer screen underneath the keypad. A door, which you would only distinguish from the fence if you knew it was there swung open and Cloud led Richard through it and into the base. Cloud led Richard through corridors, with a few people walking about in them, to a door with a gold sign at eye level which read: Base Command Officer's Office.

"This is it" Cloud said, opening the door. The room was an office with filling cabinets, a desk behind which a young woman with brown hair and ears which were strangely like an animals, was sitting and a picture of a man and a woman with a caption underneath reading: Number One and Madame Boss. There was an unoccupied wooden chair facing the young woman's chair, and two leather seats with a man in each. One of the men was in his 50's with arrogant and angry eyes. He was dressed in a military dress uniform. He was about 5 feet, eight inches tall. The other chair was occupied by a younger blonde man. He was approximately six foot, two inches tall. He also looked the toughest. The young woman shook Richard's hand.

"Hi. I'm Yuri. Welcome to Rocket base Omega. This is Hans Stressman (she gestured to the blond man) and this is John Kendrick. Cloud you already know. You must be Richard Green" she said.

"Commander" said Kendrick.

"What?" Yuri asked annoyed.

"I prefer to be called Commander Kendrick" Kendrick said.

"Sorry. Commander Kendrick" Yuri said sarcastically.

"I have some questions to ask…" Richard began but Kendrick interrupted him: "Unfortunately Base Command Officer Yuri dose not have time to answer you're questions son. She not only has this base to run but also Team Rocket. She is currently the commander of the entire organisation. I have been instructed to show you around and I will answer you're questions. You are unlikely to see Yuri again. Please come with me" Kendrick said and he led Richard out. He showed him the weapons room, the recreational facilities and the mess hall. Also an "Operations Room" with computers and a monitor screen which covered one wall. Whilst they walked Kendrick answered Richard's questions with the same bluntness with which he had spoken earlier. Here is a transcript of their conversation:

RICHARD: You don't have to be so blunt.

KENDRICK: I don't know you son. I've been asked to give you a tour that's all. Yuri is always very busy so she asked me to deal with any new recruits. I'm not happy with it so I'll do it but don't expect me to be polite about it. That's not one of my duties.

RICHARD: So you intend to do it half assed?

KENDRICK: Half assed? Were do you get these phrases from kid?

RICHARD: Don't call me kid or son or junior or anything like that. I'm a Filed Command Officer, a former British Army Lieutenant and my name is Richard Green. Not kid. You like to be called Commander Kendrick and I like to be called Richard ok?

KENDRICK: Very well. I don't do anything half assed as you call it. This is the mess hall. No one is in there at the moment because its night in Team Rocket time. We have our own clock system. It suits us to do things at certain times. There are very few personnel members around at this time.

RICHARD: Its a large room. How many members of Team Rocket work here?

KENDRICK: 250.

RICHARD: Ok. What's next?

KENDRICK: The recreation area. Its this way.

RICHARD: What time is it now in Team Rocket time?

KENDRICK: Five past one.

RICHARD: Wow. How long dose it take to get used to this time system.

KENDRICK: I got used to it in about a two weeks. I don't know or care how long it takes you kid.

RICHARD: Richard is my name. Or you can called me sir, or Mr. Green or Lieutenant Green or Field Command Officer Green.

KENDRICK: This is the recreational area. As you can see we have a gym, computers, TV, a net ball court and a pool table.

RICHARD: Very impressive.

KENDRICK: This way.

RICHARD: What do you know about Yuri and Hans and Cloud?

KENDRICK: You asked a lot of question don't you s…Field Officer Green?

RICHARD: Yes.

KENDRICK: Yuri took over from our old leader 4 years ago. I've been here from the time Giovanni took over Team Rocket in 2013. Before that I was a solider but I didn't fight for the right side, i.e. Team Rocket, until 2023. Before I joined Team Rocket I commanded a post in Cuba. Yuri was a special agent in the FBI but she lost faith in the government and re-started Team Rocket as a rebellion against the local government of Kanto and the Orange Islands. She was born in 2007 I think. She became leader at only 25. This is the operations room. From here we control and monitor the base.

RICHARD: Its very impressive.

KENDRICK: Yuri is an inspiration to me and you too I hope. Cloud is her boyfriend who helped to re-organise Team Rocket. She wanted to run one of the bases and she let him be Secondary Base Commander of the same base so she could be close to him. Before that he was a teacher but he's still good at his job here. This is the weapons room. We have everything from pistols to Rocket launchers.

RICHARD: Cool!

KENDRICK: Um, yes. Cool. Anyway, Hans joined in us in 2035, just before a big celebration we had to commemorate 30 years of Team Rocket's existence. Do you know Team Rocket's history?

RICHARD: I know most of it…

KENDRICK: Good. I don't know much about Hans before he joined us. I think he was a Neo Nazi. The only other thing I know is he was born in Germany in 2000. I have read the personal reports on all senior staff but that was 4 years ago. I don't remember much but you're room has a computer with all our files on it. You can check it when you get there.

RICHARD: Is that were we're going now? To my room?

KENDRICK: Yes.

Richard liked Kendrick less and less as the conversation continued. Kendrick clearly enjoyed snapping at people for no reason. After about ten minutes of walking they came to a door with a sign like the one for Yuri's office reading: Field Command Officer's bedroom/office.

"This is you're bedroom. Goodnight."

CHAPTER THREE

Richard's bedroom/office consisted of three rooms, each one leading off from the last. The first was an office with the same desk, chairs and picture. There were also three other pictures. One of a man with dark hair and eyes in a suit with the legend: Giovanni, written underneath it. The second picture (they were arrange in order with Madame Boss first, Geovanni second, the third third and the fourth last) was of Yuri. The final one was of a battle filed with the legend: A Representation of the Battle of Edge Hill written underneath. The desk had, like Yuri's but which wasn't was covered by stacks of paper, a computer. It was a PC, which had, Richard discovered by playing around with it, 16MB RAM, a double speed CD ROM drive, a Gravis UltraSound card, an AllVision video card and a hard drive with almost 4 GB free disk space. It also had a Cannon colour printer, internet access and a disk reader/writer (most computers just had a reader.) When he switched the computer on it had asked him to register a password and username. When he licked ok a screen with two spaces for writing came up. Above this were the words: please type in password and username below then click ok. He put in the password: "TR2036" and his name. There were several files stored in the computer's memory including: A History of Team Rocket, Personnel and Equipment Files, Maps and Base History, Personal Files and Budgets and Current Accounts. As well as the computer there was a telephone. The only other thing on the desk was an A3 piece of paper which read: From Yuri: welcome aboard Mr. Green. You will meet Senior Field and Internal Planning and Command Officer Kendrick tomorrow at 14:00 Team Rocket time in briefing room 7. You'll find a map in the Maps and Base History file stored in the computer. The Personal Files are for you to use as you wish. They have nothing in them at the moment. You can create the budget for future operations involving yourself using the Budget and Current Accounts file, unless you want someone else to do it. I'm sure you can figure out what everything else dose. Goodnight Mr. Green. The second room was a bedroom with a bed, a bed side table and a wardrobe. The table had a digital clock (saying 1:21 STRT-probably standing for Standard Team Rocket Time), a thriller by Andy McNab, and a watch which also read: 1:21 on it. The wardrobe contained one normal suite, several Team Rocket uniforms (including a more fancy looking one which Richard guessed was worn on special occasions), several pairs of shorts and T-shirts with the R logo which stood for Team Rocket, a pair of shoes and a pair of trainers and two sets of pyjamas with the R logo on them. Richard could find the washing area tomorrow. The third room was a bathroom with a toilet, a sink and a shower cubical. It also had soap, a flannel with the R logo on it, a towel with the R logo on it, some toothpaste with the R logo and a toothbrush. Richard had been told to bring nothing with him. Now he understood why. Even if everything didn't suite Richard's taste's, there was every personal object he needed.

Richard checked his normal time watch (a Casio). It was 11:35. He put on pair of the Team Rocket pyjamas (which were grey and plain except for the R logo) and went to sleep within about 10 minutes.

PART II:

DEEPER QUESTIONS

CHAPTER FOUR

Richard woke up at 10:32 STRT. After wondering for a few moments about where he was he remember both where he was and that he had a meeting to go to at 2 o'clock. He had 3 and a half hours to find out anything about Team Rocket which he hadn't found out last night. He wondered, for some reason, about the book. Andy McNab wasn't one of the most famous thriller writers in the world. He was British like Richard but Richard didn't like him very much. It might be standard issue in every room he thought but he just had a feeling about it. Never mind. He couldn't find out anymore about it at the moment he decided and put it to the back of his mind. He wondered if he should ware the suit or the uniform. He decided on the uniform, which was black with gold trimming leading from each side of the collar down to the center of the bottom of the tunic-like top. The uniform had a name tag which also included Richard's rank pined to it. There was also a badge with a circle around an "O" which Richard guessed stood for Omega. Rocket Base Omega. There was an arrow pointing outwards from the bottom center of the circle. The circle formed the badge so the arrow stuck out separately. Kendrick had worn a badge like it but not the uniform, instead wearing an army dress uniform. Hans and Cloud on the other hand had worn a blue uniform with the trim in a circle underneath the collar. Also there was trimming going from the shoulders down to the cuffs on Hans' and Cloud's uniforms. The badge was also different. There was a triangle overlaid on the circle and the arrow pointed inwards instead of outwards. Yuri had not worn a badge and her uniform was also different. There was a skirt instead of trousers but Richard suspected that was standard girls issue. It was the top which was different. It was a red tunic with different coloured trimming. Also she had no name tag. He, Richard, would ask Kendrick about it at the meeting.

At 10:44 Richard switched on his computer and put in his password and username. He noticed that there was a tray of food and a note on his desk which read: From Yuri: on future occasions you must go to the mess hall to eat but you'll probably want to have it in there today since you're not used to Rocket Base Omega yet. First he checked the internet connection on the computer. The server was a special one created by the base called Rock-It! There were only shopping sites and specially created Team Rocket sites available. If he tried to go anywhere else on the web a screen flashed up with the words: level 3 clearance required. Please type in a level 3 password. Richard's password was apparently only level 2. The only shopping sites he could get into with level 2 clearance sold weaponry. Nothing else. There was also an e-mail branch of Rock-It! Which he could get in to. There was only one message, which read: From Yuri: I will send you assignments and meeting alerts by e-mail. You may do the same but only reply to my messages if you have an idea for a mission. I will then discuss it with the planning staff (Kendrick, Cloud, Hans Eddington-who you haven't met yet and myself.) If you have an more questions about the base ask Kendrick. He's usually in his office. End of message.

Next Richard tried the files stored in the computer's memory. He tried the Budgets and Current Accounts file first. It contained the sub-files: draft budgets, suggested budgets, actual budget, and personal budget. The draft budgets were for missions and could be filled in using an "options" menu. The suggested budget had been created by a member of staff, probably Kendrick, and it had the budget the member of staff who had created it thought would be needed for the mission Richard was seemingly inevitably about to go on. Richard guessed Kendrick had created it because it allowed him to spend as little money as possible but he would still have "enough" equipment as the author put it. That seemed to fit with Kendrick's personality. The actual budget was the final version of the draft budgets, and like the draft budgets it still had to be filled in. The personal budget was for items Richard intended to buy for himself for use in the base. Assuming that weaponry was only for use outside the base Richard decided he'd ask Kendrick where he could buy everything else from. Apparently he had 700 Rocket credits-which Richard assumed worked like regular money. Next he checked the Personnel and Equipment files. There were sub-files in Personnel and Equipment as well. The Internal Personnel file was divided into ranks. Richard looked at the clock to see how long he had left because he guessed there would be files for all 250 personnel. It was 12:17. He guessed that the equipment sub-file would contain the equipment the base currently had available. It might even contain a suggested equipment file for the mission, again probably written by Kendrick. Richard could imagine that. He decided to concentrate on Personnel. He decided he should just try to find out about Kendrick, Cloud, Yuri and Hans. The two sub-files contained sub sections for Senior Field and Internal Planning and Command Officer, Internal Security Command Officer, Secondary Base Command Officer and a separate file for Yuri entitled Yuri. He also found one for his own rank. He skimmed read the file for Yuri. She was Japanese and had been born on the 5th of March 2007. She had moved with her parents to New York when she was twelve because her dad, a brilliant engineer, had been offered a very prestigious and well paying job but one which had to be done in a building in Manhattan. She had joined the FBI in 2024. She had not been good at school but she was physically and mentally tough. She left the FBI in 2030, just after her partner was sent out on a dangerous mission despite the fact that a recent case had badly wounded him. He had died and Yuri had begun to despise the government. After another two months she left. She had investigated during her time a possible re-creation of Team Rocket which had turned out to be a hoax and it gave her an idea. She re-formed Team Rocket as an anti-government radical group.

It was 12:24 STRT. Richard checked Hans' file. He was born in 2000 in Germany but had moved to Australia in 2018 because he decided he wanted to travel. He had started out as a fisherman but soon he got tired of it. It wasn't really what he wanted. He started his own business in 2023 in the hope that it would one day become international so he could travel frequently. In August 2025 the bank closed it down whilst it was still only a small business. Hans attacked a bank manager a few days later and he was arrested. Physiological tests perform at the time revealed a deep physiological unrest. Basically Hans was ok until you pushed him hard enough, and it would have to be very hard, but once he was pushed enough he would become extremely violent. He was sent to a mental hospital in January 2026. He escaped in 2027 and moved to Montana in order to re-start his life and escape the authorities. He heard discreetly (it wasn't public knowledge yet-not until Team Rocket's first major operation) about Team Rocket in 2034 and he had just turned up in 2035. No one except himself knew how he had found Rocket Base Omega.

The time was 12:30. Richard checked Cloud's file. His life story was more simple. He had been born in 2005 on Kanto. He had become interested in Pokemon by the time he left school but he didn't want to train or bread Pokemon. He was quite interested in Pokemon research but he lived in Cleadon City and he didn't want to travel to either of the closest Pokemon labs: the one in Cinnabar or the one in Pallet Town. So he became a teacher of other people's research in Cleadon City Pokemon Collage and did research himself just because he wanted to in his spare time. He had met Yuri just after she left the FBI. He helped her re-create Team Rocket and he had gone with her to the Orange Islands to help run Rocket Base Omega. He had been there since then.

It was 12:34. With more interest than he had when he checked the other files, Richard checked Kendrick's. Kendrick had been born in Washington DC in 1980. He lived in Washington until 1998, but in 1998 he and his friend Andrew Surge left to join the war which was brooding in Cuba. It lasted until August 2003, at which time Andrew Surge left to go back home and then on to Kanto after a few months. Surge liked fighting but he also liked a Raichu he had kept as a bet from age 16, and which had saved his life a few times during the war, so he became a trainer, with Raichu as the main Pokemon of his "squad." Surge became a gym leader in 2008 after becoming Pokemon Champion. Kendrick became a drifter after the war but he arrived at Surge's house on the 7th of April 2009 and Surge offered him temporary lodgings and the job of vice gym leader. In 2011 Kendrick bought his own house using the money Surge had paid him for being vice gym leader. Giovanni started recruiting soon after he re-created Team Rocket and he approach Surge as one of the three best candidates for the job of Junior Planning Officer (the original name for the rank Junior Internal and Field Planning and Command Officer) for Rocket Base 00.1-the head quarters of Team Rocket. Surge refused because he wanted to continue to be a gym leader. One of the other suitable candidates was Kendrick, who agreed to be the Junior Planning Officer. Kendrick stayed loyal to Giovanni even after Team Rocket disbanded however he obviously couldn't continue to be part of Team Rocket so he re-joined the army as a royal marine. He was station in Cuba at Quontomino Bay and there he rose through the ranks to become a Commander. When he heard that Giovanni had returned from hiding in 2021 he left the army because of the loyalty he still had. He fought for Team Rocket during the Dark Pokemon Wars. Once they were over he decided to become a Pokemon trainer because he had been helped during the war by a Dark Pokemon given specially to him by Giovanni because of his years of loyal service. He set out with the Pokemon, an Umbreon, but he wasn't a very good trainer. He then went back to drifting, considering it the only thing that he had left which he was good at (before he decided to become a Pokemon trainer he tried to rejoin the army but he was refused because he had worked against his "own countrymen" during the Dark Pokemon Wars.) Because of his years of service he was offered, by Yuri, a post at Rocket Base Omega in 2032 and he accepted. Because his old post had changed slightly and Yuri wanted everyone except Cloud to be given their positions through merit, Kendrick started off as a Junior Filed Operative (the lowest rank in Team Rocket) however his years of experience as both a military man and a member of Team Rocket, and because he was the oldest member of Team Rocket (the second oldest was Richard Hart, who was born in 1995) meant that he rose to become Senior Field and Internal Planning and Command Officer just before the 30 year celebration of Team Rocket's formation in 2035. At the bottom of Kendrick's file were the words: Note: the details given about Lt. Surge are included because of their affect on Senior Field and Internal Planning and Command Officer Kendrick's personality. Lt. Surge is, according to Senior Field and Internal Planning and Command Officer Kendrick, his main inspiration and so it is noted.

It was 12:46. Richard was getting hungry. He decided to check two more files. The first was one chosen at random from the lower ranks to see if the amount of information varied depending on rank. The file he looked at was Junior Filed Officer Ostan Gruber and it appeared to be the same size as Cloud's (the shortest of the files he had checked before Gruber's.) Richard deduced that the size was based on how much had happened to the person in question. Gruber was only 21 so his life so far had been understandably unremarkable. The last file Richard checked was his own. Everything was there. Born in England in 2006, high IQ, went to Oxford, joined the army in 2024 to fight in the Dark Pokemon Wars. Decided to stay on Kanto and become a Pokemon trainer. Join Team Rocket on the 5th January 2036. Richard guessed that it would be almost impossible to update each file every day so the files most be created when the member of Team Rocket joined up. He had told Cloud about himself. Everything he had said was in the file. Or most things anyway. Things which were considered important.

Richard check the clock. It was 12:54. He ate some launch and went back to the computer at 13:16 to check the Maps and Base History, and personal files. The Maps and Base History file contained a map and a history of Rocket base Omega. Since there wasn't much time before the meeting and the base history was twelve pages long Richard decided to skip it. He printed out the map for future reference. The personal files were empty. They could be organised into sub-topics by using the "options" menu. He decide not to write anything yet. It was 13:33. Three hours since he had woken up. He read some more of the Andy McNab book and left with the map at, according to the new, STRT watch he had put on, 13:53, to try and find Briefing Room 7.

CHAPTER FIVE

Richard found Briefing Room 7 down a number of long corridors. The briefing room door, like every single other door in the base, had a sign with the name of the room printed on it. Inside was a large table with twenty leather chairs slid partially under it, ten on each side. The room was at the edge of the building Richard guessed because a window covered most of the left wall. The view through the windows was of the jungle which covered most of the island which didn't have buildings on it. The actual base was on a beach. Kendrick was sitting on the right side chair most far away from Richard and a tall black man, with a moustache and beard in his 50's was sitting in a chair opposite Kendrick's.

"Welcome son. This is Senior Department Command Command Officer John Eddington. Yuri thought you should meet all of the senior staff. Personally I don't see why" Kendrick said, indicating the black man. To Richard's surprise the black man stayed sitting still instead of getting up and shacking Richard's hand. The fact that Kendrick didn't do this fitted with Richard's assessment of his personality so that didn't surprise him.

"I have some questions before you begin Commander" Richard said.

"Very well then. I'll try and answer them."

Here is a transcript of the rest of the conversation:

RICHARD: Firstly I've check you're file Commander and it says that you're the oldest and the second oldest person here was born in 1995 but, with no offence meant, Senior Command Command Officer Eddington looks like he was born in the 80's or 90's.

EDDINGTON: I'm a new arrival.

KENDRICK: Yes. Its clear that the file for myself hasn't been updated since 2032 which is when Yuri set up the file system. Senior Department Command Command Officer Eddington arrived in 2035 after out 30 year celebration.

EDDINGTON: I am, or was, a specialist. They called me in for a special task but I decided to stay and I moved through the rank to end up here.

RICHARD: What dose a Senior Department Command Command Officer do?

KENDRICK: A Senior Department Command Command Officer is the head of the heads of department. He's in charge of each department together not just each one separately. He's the third most high rank in the chain of command at Rocket Base Omega, after Base Command Officer Yuri and Secondary Base Command Officer Cloud. I'm number 7, just after Junior Department Command Officer. Any more question?

RICHARD: Yes. Why are there three different uniforms and two different badges?

KENDRICK: We have two types of personnel. Internal personnel and external personnel. They both have different uniforms and badges. Yuri is the only person at the base who is neutral so she wares a different uniform and doesn't have a badge. Everyone knows who she is anyway so she doesn't even have a name tag.

RICHARD: Were things always this complicated?

KENDRICK: I've already warned you about asking two many questions haven't I?

EDDINGTON: Just answer the kid's question Kendrick.

KENDRICK: Very well. I'm quite sure I've earned the right to be called Commander.

RICHARD: And I'm not called kid.

KENDRICK: To answer you're questions: Yuri made many changes, among them she changed the ranking system and the uniforms.

RICHARD: Why can I only get onto certain web pages?

KENDRICK: We let you go to pages to buy items which can be used during mission. Also you can buy things for you're self from the Team Rocket web sites. You can download the money to the Team Rocket base accounts and you'll be sent the item. Each new member of Team Rocket gets a certain number of credits based on their rank. Most get 150 credits because they're just Junior Field Operatives. If we get specialist like you and Mr. Eddington and they decide to become members we give them a rank which we believe will allow them to use their speciality in the best way they can. We give them an according number of credits. I believe you have 700. If Yuri were brought in like that her rank would let her have 1500 credits. It increases more rapidly within the five highest ranks. She wasn't of course but I believe she has more than 2000 credits stored up anyway. Some things are given automatically. Like the uniforms. A few depend on you're rank. For example most of the base personnel has a smaller room than yours because they are of a lower rank. The majority are Senior and Junior Filed Operatives. The lowest ranks.

RICHARD: That answers most of my questions but what about this level clearance stuff?

KENDRICK: Each member of this base and indeed of Team Rocket has a clearance level based on what they need to know. If you're in the lower ranks you'll be given things for the mission automatically so you only need to go onto the Rocket sites. That's why most of the lower ranks only have level 1. It lets them look at what they need. Level 2, which I believe you have, lets you into Rocket sites and sites for buying mission items that are useful for you're position. The items you can look at are programmed into the computer. For some its weaponry, for others its other equipment. Level 3 lets you look at all equipment sites in case your a Senior or Junior field or Internal Command Officer like me. I did have level 3. Level 4 lets you look at possible future recruits. I have that although my rank should only give me level 3 because I sometimes help Yuri deal with personnel. For some sites after you're level 3 status had been confirmed you'd then also need a level 4 or 5. Level 5 gives you access to links to other Team Rocket sites for other bases. Only Senior and Junior Board Members and Team Rocket Command Officers have level 5 clearance. Yuri has level 5. Even I'm not sure what exactly is in level 5. Obviously I can't get in them but Yuri told me basically what's in them. Also if there's an emergency the level clearances are used. Level 1 clearance gets you into some room but not main ones like the Weapons or Operations Room, although it would get you into here. Level 2 lets you unlock all doors. All doors lock in the face of such an emergency. Level 3 lets you switch off some defences but not all. Level 4 lets you switch all off and level 5 lets you use the central computer, giving you access to all systems of any kind. Its in case the emergency is an intruder who, of course, won't even have level 1 clearance.

RICHARD: There was a book in my room…

KENDRICK: Standard issue but you can purchase more books using you're credits. You can earn more credits by completing a mission. That's how most external offices get extra credits. Also every year you're with us you get double how ever many credits a person of you're rank would have gotten when they entered. Most Internal officers earn their credits that way. Occasionally you'll get them for a special reason. I don't know what sort of reason that would be. Things are normally inexpensive. Most Rocket members can survive on 200 credits per year although they will have fewer luxuries than they'd like I'm sure. Its a good way to motivate people at the bottom. But with you're rank you can normally be very free with money but by the time you get there the job's normally exciting enough to motivate you by itself. No one ever gets punished by going down in ranks. Any more questions?

RICHARD: There are some places I can't find…

KENDRICK: Look on the map.

EDDINGTON: As interesting as this is I'd like to begin the briefing.

KENDRICK: Very well…

CHAPTER SIX

EDDINGTON: A few months ago a small group of Team Rocket's members rebelled. They killed 40 people at Rocket Base Gamma and formed their group. The group was known as the Shadow Lords.

KENDRICK: Arrogant fools! They thought they could defeat us.

EDDINGTON: They are defeating us.

RICHARD: Wait a minute. I don't understand.

KENDRICK: They have attacked several of our own bases. They intended to fight us until they destroy us.

EDDINGTON: Now we have to stop them.

RICHARD: One word, three letters: how?

KENDRICK: We, you and I-it must be a small operation so its less risky, will infiltrate their base and destroy it using a small explosive charge. We will be blow them away. Literaly. Understand. We can get in through the ventilation system. There are laser beams in the ventilation system but we can cut the power in a separate building. That will not set off the alarms but touching the laser will. We will go to the place where the structure is weakest and plant the bomb there. That will be somewhere in the middle. Our first job however will be to check on their security measures.

RICHARD: When do we do this?

KENDRICK: Today. At 15: 15. You'd better get packing.

CHAPTER SEVEN

First Richard took four guns and ten grenades from the Weapons Room, two weapons for himself and two for Kendrick, and five grenades for himself and five for Kendrick. He took two AK 47's, the standard Team Rocket weapons, and two Walther PPK's. The grenades were customised and had the R logo on them. He also took two pairs of night vision goggles, which also looked like they were customised. Kendrick had given him a written form allowing him to take the weapons. Then he went to his bedroom to pack. It was 14: 55 STRT. He found a bag with the R logo on it in his bedroom waiting and a note on his desk which read: From Yuri: check the computer. You'll find a detailed map of the building and the exact plan. Also a history of the Shadow Lords. There is a combat uniform in the bag. Good luck Richard.

First he check the e-mails and found the map of Shadow Lord's headquarters in the Black Mountains in Johoto. Also there was basically the same plan which Kendrick had told Richard. He decided that he didn't have time to read the history before he left so he printed it for future reference. Next he packed into the bag in his room the weapons, and goggles and the Andy McNab book to give him something to do on the flight (he presumed they'd be going by the helicopter he had arrived in yesterday because he had seen no other vehicles on the island.) He also took the history, map and plan. Then he put on the combat uniform, which he found in a side pocket in the sports bag like Rocket bag he found in his `room. It was black but with no other colours. It was one piece unlike his uniform and it had a lot of pockets. There was the R logo but it was black but raised by about an inch so you could see it but only if you were up close. It was 15: 07. He walked back to Briefing Room 7 and met Kendrick. About 8 minutes later they set off from the island in the helicopter.

PART III:

STAKEOUT

CHAPTER EIGHT

"How long is this trip going to take?" Richard asked as the helicopter whirred into the air. Kendrick was driving with Richard sitting next to him. Kendrick disliked both Richard and flying the helicopter himself but Yuri had suggested that they should involve as few people as possible in case there was a Shadow Lord spy in the base disguised as a member of the personnel. Although Kendrick wasn't quite as nasty as he tried to make it appear he would still be willing to beat the spy up if one was discovered.

"You arrived here from Kanto didn't you?" Kendrick asked.

"Yes" Richard replied.

"Then this trip will take about two hours longer than your trip to Rocket Base Omega. Approximately six hours in total. We have to cross from the end of the islands nearest to Kanto" Kendrick explained. Richard looked at his watch. They would arrive at about 21:25 STRT. Most of the rest of the trip passed in silence. Richard couldn't believe, even if he could understand, why he had to go with Kendrick. Kendrick was an experienced military officer so he would be good at combat. Yuri needed to be at the base to run it. Cloud was just a teacher and although Hans looked like he could do a lot of physical damage he was also young. Eddington, Richard assumed, had little combat experience and Richard had a lot because he had been in the army. Also there was the fact that it was Richard and Kendrick's job to carry out field operations. Richard however didn't believe that the ranking system had anything to do with why he and Kendrick had been chosen however. Firstly Yuri didn't seem like the sort of person who was interested in rules and regulations and secondly she was clever enough to send the officers who were best for each operation despite their ranks. Also it was possible that Yuri had sent them on this mission in the hope that it would make them get on better with each other. Even if she hadn't seen them together she was probably clever enough to guess how people would respond to each other. Richard suspected that there was a lot of sides to Yuri which should didn't let anyone know about. See might have many, many secrets. There was little hope of Kendrick getting along with him as far as he could see. Kendrick was arrogant and bad tempered and if Richard started out disliking someone his feelings didn't usually change. Richard suspected Kendrick thought he was just another kid. One who was good at theory but not practice. A hot shot but not an experienced adult. Since this was not true but most people believed it and were proved wrong Richard resented this view of himself. After a few more moments of thinking Richard asked about the book. He didn't believe that it was standard issue for no reason.

"Yuri likes Andy McNab. I have no idea why and she thinks the things he writes about are relevant to our own situation at the base" Kendrick explained. After that a real silence began, broken only by Richard asking a minor question about Team Rocket and getting a curt reply from Kendrick. After a few hours they arrived above Johoto. Eventually Kendrick said "we've arrived" and forwards, through the glass from of the helicopter, to a large, black mountain. They flew over some of it, and came to rest on a ten feet square ledge of rock. Kendrick brought the helicopter to the ground and they climbed out.

CHAPTER EIGHT

It was only just light enough to see so Kendrick first unpacked a pair of flashlights from a pack back on the back seat of the helicopter. He then took out the AK's, the PPK's and the grenades. He also took out a map of the mountain for himself and Richard and one communicator each as well.

"Put those in your pockets" Kendrick ordered and Richard did so.

"I've also got a tent and a few other supplies. We walk from here. Its about half a mile up very steep hill but if you can't handle this then you shouldn't have come. Yuri would have over estimated you're abilities" Kendrick said.

"I can do what you want me to. I promise" Richard said defensively.

"Good. If we go any further in the helicopter then their radar will detect us. We need to move on foot to be low enough" Kendrick.

It was a difficult climb but it was still up a hill and not a rocky mountain side. After a long time Kendrick said "stop!" In front of them were two boulders, which were about four foot high. Kendrick looked over the top of them for a moment.

"No one can see us. Time to do our jobs" Kendrick said and looked over the top again. Richard did the same an firstly that they had reach the summit (because the ground was flat) and secondly there was a massive building with mini guns attached to the walls, about ten feet up. The building was squat and black. They could only just see it, even with the torches. There were two guards on the roofs as well as barbed wire (so the guards would presumably radio the inside of the building with they saw anything.) Fortunately the guards clearly didn't take their jobs seriously because they did not have torches and they certainly couldn't have seen Kendrick and Richard without them.

"I bet those guns would go off with we tried to shoot someone" Kendrick said.

They observed the guard for a few moments and duct down behind the rocks again.

"Even if the guards don't look like their doing their jobs they'll still shoot at us if they spot us and we can't shoot at them because of the mini guns" Kendrick said and Richard nodded.

"So what do we do?" he asked.

"We go round the side"

They moved quickly round to the right side of the building with their guns ready just in case. On the wall which they were soon looking at there was a ladder and no barbed wire. Richard crossed out his idea that the guards would radio for help with they saw anyone.

"If we go up this way we'll be above the guns" Kendrick observed.

"Its still dangerous" Richard.

"What choice do we have son?" Kendrick.

"My name is Richard Green"

"Just let me call you son ok? We have to be able to communicate quickly" Kendrick.

"Ok" Richard.

"Good. Now lets set up camp and communicate with Base Commander Yuri. We're not going to do this tonight. We've been ordered on recognisance" Kendrick.

"Ok" Richard.

They moved behind the base without being seen and pitch the tent as far away as possible. It was still dangerous in Richard's opinion but that was the best they could do according to Kendrick. They would plan the operation in the morning. Richard feel asleep at 22:47 STRT.

CHAPTER NINE

Richard woke up at 9:13 STRT the next morning to find Kendrick already up. Richard could easily imagine that Kendrick never slept an entire night through. Kendrick was studying a map of the inside of the base.

"Good morning. I've worked out the plan. I hope you approve of it because its not only the best way but the only way as far as I can see" Kendrick said.

"Ok. Tell me the plan." Here is a transcript of Kendrick the "plan:"

KENDRICK: We'll go up the side of the building and kill the guards. From there we'll switch off the security systems inside the ventilation shaft. There should be a switch somewhere on the roof. We'll go straight to where the building is structurally weakest, somewhere in the middle. We'll plant a bomb there and set a timer of exactly ten minutes. Then we'll go to the computer room and download any information we can find on the Shadow Lords onto this computer disk. Then we'll get out the same way we got in. Understand?

RICHARD: Yes. Why can't we just blow it up. Surly we already know everything we need to know about the Shadow Lords?

KENDRICK: Although we know their history we don't know they're future plans. If we know when they're going to attack then we can probably stop them. Yuri says we should get the information for these reasons so we'll get the information.

RICHARD: Its dangerous.

KENDRICK: What's the matter with you? According to you sleeping here is dangerous, going up the side of the building is dangerous, this plan is dangerous…being attacked by your enemy without warning is dangerous.

RICHARD: Point taken.

KENDRICK: Good. Are you ready to go?

RICHARD: Yes.

KENDRICK: Good. Then lets go.

They set off. Kendrick used a rope and grappling hook to go up the building. He killed the guards before they could kill him and then Richard went up after him. They found a switch on the floor near the atrium which the ventilation system went from. Once the switch was had been pulled downwards from its usual position of standing up right, the red laser beams inside the atrium disappeared. They blow up the glass that block them from going through the vents and then went in. Kendrick used his torch and the map to find out where to go and they planted the bomb in the place Kendrick had suggested. They then went through more tunnels and eventually were looking through a man hole cover down into a room with a super computer and several PC's. There was no one in the room, and Kendrick removed the cover and dropped down followed by Richard.

"You download the files, I know you know how to do that and I'll watch the door" Kendrick said. He was right. Richard had majored both in military history and IT. He accessed the system, which didn't seem to need a pass word for some reason and then downloaded a file called "Current Operations" into the computer disk Kendrick had given him. At this point six men dropped down through the ventilation shaft. Where Kendrick wasn't watching. Where no one would have gone unless they knew that someone was coming in. All six men had GL 40 rocket launchers and riot shields.

"Oh shit" said Richard.

PART IV:

THE MISSION

CHAPTER TEN

They were lead through long corridors, with people passing them every few minutes. Richard considered the situation as he walked. The guards had shields and guns and there were too many of them for Kendrick and Richard to knock out or kill without guns anyway and his guns and the other things he was carrying had been taken but one of the guards. He defiantly couldn't even try to escape now. Later however…he'd have to see. For now he memorised the path he was taking. Soon they arrived at a door with Head Office on a sign on it. The entire base seemed very similar to Rocket Base Omega. One of the guards shoved Richard through and another did the same to Kendrick but none of the guards came in with them. The room was large with pictures of landscapes on three of the walls and a window on the fourth which took up most of it. There was a black, oak desk with some paper, a PC, a phone and a cup of coffee on it. There was a swivel chair behind the desk and two ordinary, grey coloured chairs in front of it. Everything in the base reminded Richard of Rocket Base Omega except the colours. They were all greys and blacks whilst Rocket Base Omega had bright primary colours. The chair behind the desk and the man sitting in it faced towards the window, not them.

"Welcome to my world Mr. Kendrick, Mr. Green. What an entirely expected annoyance to see you here. Please sit down" the voice said with a dangerous softness and calmness about it. They sat down. The figure swung the chair round so he faced them. He was tall and thin but not gaunt. He was young, maybe only a few years older than Richard. He had swept back, black hair which was very short. His eyes were a cold blue. They looked supercilious and arrogant. He smiled at them like a predator with a can-opener.

"Well this is a party isn't it?" he asked/stated.

"Who are you?" Kendrick asked angrily.

"I am Yuri's counterpart. The commander of this base and this organisation but you can call me Mr. Robinson" he answered. He had a cool but sarcastic attitude. He was not angry but he was nasty and probably vicious.

"I'm sure you have questions and I certainly have time so please ask me. Then I think I will paint you. Capture you forever, just to make the point that it would be an ironic marriage of subject and media. Ask away."

"How the hell did you knew we were here?" Kendrick asked. Mr. Robinson laughed.

"I'm surprised you don't remember your self in fact. Surprised and hurt. In case I spoil something let me just say this: you have been betrayed by you're own side. Anything else?"

"What's going to happen to us? and Team Rocket itself?" Richard asked.

"To answer those questions in reverse order: we believe that Yuri has spoilt Team Rocket. It was meant to exist for profit, personal advancement, telling the world that everything is not all right, that we are out there and for advancing our own territory. I like things like that. Of course we enjoy showing up the government but Yuri has taken it too far. She has ruined it (he let some anger show in his voice for the first time.) It is not about getting revenge on someone just because they have let your partner die, (the calm manner was back again) yet her new policies of all for one and one for all are meant just for that. She has lost track of what's important. Has lost track of Team Rocket's roots. We intend to solve this problem. We are the new Team Rocket and we will continue along side them till one of us fails. We will see you rots first. Its us vs. Them. As for you: I will kill you. You have nothing I want and believe me when I say that's its too late to pull any tricks. You are going down. Any more questions? Ask and they will listen you know?" he asked/stated. Richard realised part way through the speech that Mr. Robinson meant what he was saying. It was personal to him. That gave him and idea.

"Why do you keep saying we? Its you isn't it? You want revenge on Yuri but you claim that's not what its about. You liar. You just want to get you're own back don't you?" Richard said. It looked like it was working. Mr. Robinson eyes began to show hatred. It was still as suitable as raw hatred could be but it was there. Mr. Robinson camp up to Richard and hit him hard on the neck. This was Richard's opportunity, which he had been patiently waiting for. He kicked Mr. Robinson in the stomach at the last moment at which he would be off-balance and vunrable. Mr. Robinson fell back and as he was doing so Richard hit as back. He was now in a potion to grab Mr. Robinson's head and he then twisted it round so he went spinning for a moment and crashed into the desk. He was now unconscious.

"We have to get out of here" said Richard, moving towards the door.

"Wait" said Kendrick.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

RICHARD: What do you mean wait? The guards will be here any minute.

KENDRICK: Why would they be kid? No one knew he's knocked out.

RICHARD: He knew we were coming Kendrick. H knew we were coming and he was waiting understand?

KENDRICK: My name is Commander. Haven't I earned it?

RICHARD: My name's not son but we don't have time to talk about this anyway. We must get out.

KENDRICK: He said we'd been betrayed and it'd like to get out of here as much as you so I can kick the collaborator's ass but we have things to do.

RICHARD: We need to leave.

KENDRICK: Even if we do leave this room the mission isn't done yet. We have to destroy the base and that's what I'm going to do. I don't think I can do it without you and I don't think you want to abandon this task any more than I do.

RICHARD: Of course I want to destroy the base but how? We are trapped behind enemy lines with no weapons, no where to plant the bombs which we don't have because the chances are they'll guard the computer room heavily. We don't even have an escape root.

KENDRICK: He has a gun.

RICHARD: I knew. Its a 9 millimetre berreta but its one pistol between two of us.

KENDRICK: Just listen to me. I have a plan. We use this gun to kill one guard and then take his GL 40. Everyone seems to be carrying them. You remember on the map there was a nuclear reactor in one of the room's to power the base?

RICHARD: Yes. Its in room 14D.

KENDRICK: I though I could rely on you're memory. If you could use its control system to turn it into a bomb and give us time to get out it would not only explode but leave this base useless due to the radiation.

RICHARD: Its risky.

KENDRICK: But you will work. How ever hard its is you must trust me.

RICHARD: Ok. Lets go.

KENDRICK: Do you know the way?

RICHARD: Yes. We passed it on the way here.

KENDRICK: Good. I'll follow you.

So armed with one 9mm Berreta they left.

CHAPTER TWELVE

They stood on ever side of the door.

"Ready?" Kendrick asked. Richard nodded. The door was automatic and once Kendrick stood close enough to it for it to open. He and Richard jumped into the corridor, each facing the opposite way to the other. Before the one guard in the corridor had time to react, Kendrick, who had the gun, shot him. He ran forward, grabbed the guards' GL 40 and threw it to Richard.

"We have to shoot everyone before they get too the alarms" said Richard, revering to red buttons which were fixed to the wall every few hundred feet. Kendrick nodded. They ran forward till they reached the left hand wall of the sharp bend into the next corridor, labelled "F." They could not see if any guards were in it because of the angle of the wall but that didn't stop Richard. He steeped into the corridor slightly and started firing at the twelve guards there. Three rocket's fell in their general direction and with three they were all dead.

"If this is f then there are two more to go" said Richard, Kendrick nodded. The next corridor was seemingly deserted. One guard came round the corner but Kendrick shot him quick. It was good thinking too because the guard was so close to corridor D that firing the GL might have informed the corridor D guards that there were intruders. Although Richard still didn't like Kendrick's manner he realised that Kendrick was clever and a good fighter. Richard did his best to look into the next corridor without being seen. Unfourtunaly the GL, due too the size of the shells it carries only had six rockets in each round and Richard had no spare ammo. The good news was he wasn't seen and there were for some reason two large, wooden crates in the corridor which he and Kendrick could hide behind. The bad news was there were nearly twenty guards.

"It looks bad but there are some boxes we can hide behind. As soon as you get in start shooting" Richard said.

"Right."

He and Kendrick leaped behind the boxes and then Stuttered firing with just there heads and arms above the boxes. A few of the guards were killed by Richard's rocket launcher but most by Kendrick.

"Good work" Richard said to Kendrick. He was gaining a bit more respect for him.

"Same to you. Now lets go" Kendrick said in his usual tone of voice but Richard could read between the lines. He smiled.

Room 14D was large with a nuclear reactor in the center. Around it stood several computer consoles. There were only two people in the room who were part of the base personnel. They were technicians but for some reason Kendrick used two of his reaming four ammo clips on them.

"I'm sorry about that but they might have set off the alarm and we can't afford to be interrupted now. We don't even have enough ammo." Richard nodded and started looking at each computer console and then moving on to the next one.

"I've found it" he said and started working. Kendrick watched the door. To him the next few minutes seemed like years. At last Richard said: "I've done it. This reactor will blow up in three minutes."

"Good. Now get down on you're knees" Kendrick said, pointing the gun and Richard.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

RICHARD: What are you doing?

KENDRICK: This is what Mr. Robinson meant about being surprised I didn't remember. I was the one who informed him about our arrival here.

RICHARD: Why?

KENDRICK: Before I answer you're question can I ask you why? Why you didn't want to know why we were really fighting the Shadow Lords. Why you didn't ask why we can't see Yuri's computer files.

RICHARD: I believed you.

KENDRICK: I believed too. Oh yes: I believed. They all believed.

RICHARD: You traitor!

KENDRICK: I'm no traitor. I had to kill them to make it look real.

RICHARD: You'll get blow up in two and a half minutes.

KENDRICK: No I won't. Once you're dead I'll leave.

RICHARD: Even if you didn't betray them you still betrayed Team Rocket. I trusted you.

KENDRICK: I betrayed no one. You see I found out what the level five clearance code is. Its 12345, name: Alpha 2 Omega. I suggest you try it you're self. As I read it I realised how much my own side had done to hide its self. It betrayed me. Yuri betrayed me and then she tried to hide it from all of us. She's the traitor. She's not who she claims to be.

RICHARD: Is that what happened in 2013? When you joined Team Rocket.

KENDRICK: What happened was this: I realised that I was on the wrong side. Not because my side couldn't win but because we were wrong. Morally wrong. That's why I'm a "traitor." Because I wanted to do the right thing. That's all.

Richard flung himself towards Kendrick, knocking into him. He grabbed the gun, said with genuine feeling "I'm sorry" and shot him. Kendrick was dead. Richard continued to stare down at him for a moment, then rose and ran. There was one minute and fifty five seconds to go.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Richard ran. He knocked into people, fired the reaming shot in the Berreta and even ignored bullets if they hit him. He had to get out. He didn't stop running until he reached the ventilation system in the computer room. There was one minute and two seconds to go. He go into the shaft and crawled as fast as he could. Eventually he reached the helicopter. He was in great pain by this point. He had been badly hurt and shot three times but he had to get out of there. By the time the helicopter took off there were six seconds to go. Richard counted them under his breath. Sex, five, four, three, two, one. There was a sound behind him and he turned to see the base turn into a massive wall of flame. He had a long way to fly but he knew he would make it. There was still one thing and only one thing keeping him going: he had to find what Yuri's secret was.

PART V:

THE TRUTH

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

7.1.2036

Yuri came into her office to find Richard there, sitting in her chair and reading the files in her computer. How dare he? She was the boss! This was insubordination!

"What are you doing there? You're suppose to report in, not take my place. No one sits there but me. He looked at her and as there eyes locked she could see something in his. They were as cold and unforgiving as ice. When he spoke his voice was the same.

"Hi. I've been doing some reading. Its quite interesting."

Some of the colour drained from her face.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I think you already know. Tell me why this says you're a gym leader called Jasmine. Tell me why you lied to us. Tell me why I was so nieve to trust you. Why?"

She sighed. She didn't like having to betray people but she didn't like having to tell him this either. She certainly didn't like what she was about to tell him. About her past. It was wrong.

"About twelve years ago, when I was seventeen I became a gym leader. I started using rock type then switched to steel when the steel type was first discovered. One day the town I was the gym leader in, Olivine, was attacked by Team Rocket. It was almost destroyed. Eventually a group of freedom fighters, led by me, managed to fight them back. It was then, in 2028, when I joined the FBI. I thought that I would be safe. It turned out I wasn't. My partner was killed by a Team Rocket member. I realised that the only way I could stop what happened to Olivine from happening again was to re-create Team Rocket so it would no longer be concerned with attacking hopeless innocents. I knew Team Rocket had disbanded so with some connections I still had at the FBI despite the fact that I had quit, I re-started the organisation with my own vision of the way it should work. That's the truth. Now, if you don't mind, tell me what happened to Kendrick and how you know all this" she said.

"He's dead" Richard replied simply.

"How did it happen?" Yuri asked.

"and I'm leaving" Richard continue as if she hadn't spoken. He started to walk towards the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked. He turned towards her and there was a look in his eyes so filled with both bitterness and sorrow that she hoped she would never see a look like it again.

"I'll be back. I just need some time to think" and he left.

AFTER WORDS

There you have it. 12,545 words, 276 paragraphs, 41 pages. It has taken me 2 months and eighteen days to write, although I did not write on some of those days. Kendrick is dead, Richard has left and the Shadow Lords have been destroyed…maybe. The last hope now is that enough people will read and review this story to inspire me to write the next one soon. As for what will happen in the next story: you'll just have to wait and see.

Adam Kyles, 24th February 2002.