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Chapter 4: Rocket Headquarters

Ash, Misty, and Brock hid behind some plants and watched Jessie and James along with Meowth check out.

Jessie:  I can’t believe the neighbors next door.  So loud and noisy, could barely get any peace around here.

James:  I know what you mean Jessie.  All I hear is yelling and screaming.

Meowth:  Not to mention all that pounding.

Ash and Brock rubbed their heads and looked at Misty.

Misty:  Sorry.  But you deserved it!

Jessie:  Hope hotels at the resort are more peaceful than this one.

James:  You said it.

Clerk:  And how will you pay sir?

James:  Credit.  Rocket Express Card, Team Rocket never leaves home without it.

*****

Jessie and James left in their Meowth balloon heading towards Rocket Headquarters.  Ash, Misty, and Brock followed bellow on a bus watching carefully in any change of route.

Ash:  It looks like they’re heading more north.

Brock:  Let’s get off at the next stop and see if we could follow them on foot.

The balloon started to descend, where are they going?  The balloon landed not too far away and started to deflate.  Team Rocket placed the balloon in the basket and carried further down into the woods.  Ash and others carefully followed them, making sure they weren’t seen.  When they got there they saw Jessie and James looking around with Meowth just lying back in the basket.

James:  Where is that switch.

Jessie:  Meowth, you could help us find it.

Meowth:  I’m on vacation.

James:  I found it.

Jessie:  Alright now open the door.

James:  Roses are red, violets are blue, who rules pokemon, Giovanni that’s who.

A part of the land then turned up and revealed a stairway going down.  Jessie and James grabbed the basket and headed down, right before the door closed Ash and the others jumped in.  The passage lead to a Team Rocket subway.  Several minions of Team Rocket were seen entering and leaving the subway like businessmen, all of them in uniform.

Brock:  Drats, if we are seen it’s instant chaos.

Misty:  I know, don’t we still have those Team Rocket customs the time we were with Dupleeka?

Brock:  Right.  Hope it works, everyone here is wearing black except Jessie and James.

With a quick change they were in Team Rocket clothing, now they started to head in.  They tried to walk casual, it was working till Brock saw how beautiful one minion looked.

Brock:  Hello there.  What’s your name?

RocketGirl:  Get lost!

Brock:  Actually I am lost, lost within your beauty, how about going out with me?

The RocketGirl took out a bazooka and fired it right at Brock’s face.  He was left singed and half baked but still smiling.

Brock:  You really have an explosive personality.  Was that a yes?

Ash and Misty dragged him in and settled in the subway.  They took their seats and looked around for Jessie and James.

Misty:  Do you see them?

Ash:  Nope, but they shouldn’t be too hard to spot since everyone but them are in black.

Misty:  Not to mention us.  They said they were heading to Rocket Headquarters, maybe we’ll know when we see it.

Brock:  Isn’t that risky, I mean this subway probably has stops practically all over, the reason why they are always a head of us.

Ash:  Well let me ask someone.  Excuse me.

Misty:  ASH!!

Misty was worried that if they asked where Rocket Headquarters were, that would be a dead give a way that they weren’t part of Team Rocket.

Ash:  This rust bucket is going as slow as a slowpoke!  We need to get to Rocket Headquarters fast, how long do you think we get there!

Misty sighed.

Rocket1:  I would say about twenty minutes.  Are you part of the Chrono Shift Project?

Ash:  Uh yeah we are.  We shift chronos all the time!

Misty grabbed Ash’s mouth and nervously laughed.

Misty:  Ha ha ha, what a lame joke huh.  Excuse my friend here.

*****

Twenty minutes five minutes passed and the subway stopped.  A lot of Rocket Minions started to exit.

Misty:  I guess this is it.

Ash:  What a lousy subway!  Took too long, now we’re late to shift those chronos!

Misty bonked Ash and started to drag him in.

Misty:  I said enough “of the lame joke.”

Misty *whispering* :  We’re going to have a talk about your vocabulary.

The three followed the crowd up and into an underground building.

Brock:  So this is Rocket Headquarters.  Wow.

They approached and saw two guards standing by the doorways.  The three casually went in but were stopped.

RocketGrd1:  Hey, hold it.

Ash:  Is there a problem?

RocketGrd2:  I don’t recognize you.  And you’re in Rocket X clothing.

Brock:  Yeah so.

RocketGrd1:  We know all Rocket X people.  Show us some proof that you are from Rocket X.

Misty:  Um wait, give us a moment.

They huddled up.

Misty:  Okay now what.  These costumes didn’t come with any I.D.s

Brock:  Wait, I got a plan.

Ash:  Great what is it.

They broke their huddle and stood far apart from each other with their backs turned to the guard.  Pikachu provided a flash with his thundershock and . . .

Ash:  Prepare for trouble!

Misty:  And make it double!

Brock:  To protect the world from devastation.

Ash:  To unite all peoples within our nation.

Misty:  To denounce the evils of truth and love.

Brock:  To extend our reach to the stars above.

Ash:  Ash!

Misty:  Misty!

Brock:  And Brock!

Ash:  Team Rocket blasts of at the speed of light.

Misty:  Surrender now or prepare to fight!

Brock:  That’s right!

Pikachu:  Pika pika!!

RocketGrd1:  Okay, perfect, you may pass.

RocketGrd2:  That’s good coordination.  Almost better than the other two members of Rocket X.

RocketGrd1:  Yup, Jessie and James is hard to beat.

Brock *thinking* : I should have known Jessie and James were the only members of Rocket X.

Ash:  You’re going to let us in or what?

RocketGrd1:  Sure go on right in.

Once inside they searched around for Jessie and James.

Misty:  Didn’t they say they had to report in and pick up passes.

Ash:  Okay let me ask someone.

Misty grabbed Ash and held him from going anywhere.

Misty:  No you don’t, trying to shift chronos.  That’s so stupid!  First of Chrono means Time you idiot, how can you shift time!

Ash:  I don’t know, maybe if we had a real big clock we could.

Misty gave Ash another pound on the head.

Misty:  You’re impossible.  Now let me ask someone.

Ash stood by as Misty went to the information desk.

Misty:  Hey you!  I’m tired of doing wrong for a while.  I need a vacation!  Get me a vacation!

RocketInfo:  Oh shut up.  Go complain to Billy or Gunn in 202, I’m tired, I need a vacation.

Misty:  Hmph, I will!

Brock:  Room 202 huh.  Well let’s go!

They walked down the halls and it wasn’t far till they got to room 202.  They leaned against the door and listened in.

Billy:  Okay sign here and here and here.

James:  Done.  Now give us those passes.

Gunn:  Here, take it.  Now get out.

Jessie:  With pleasure.

Jessie and James merrily hopped to the door and quickly opened it.  Just as they were going to head to transport room a pile of three fell in front of them, and one had a cap that resembled . . .

James:  It’s the brat!

Jessie:  What?  How did they get here!

Meowth:  Get them, if the boss finds out we lead them in here then there’ll never be a vacation ever!

Ash:  Runnnnn!!!

Next Issue:  Red Alert