The Misdreavus Menace

Chapter Thirteen — Hijack Succeeded

The beeping receiver instantly woke the dozing Persian. After a few seconds a voice came over the speaker. "Reporting a sighting, east end of field, area S5." At last, after weeks of waiting, an opportunity finally came. He switched on his transmitter and relayed his commands.

"Attention all Rockets in area S. Gather out of sight at east end of S5. Wait for the Misdreavus to attack first before advancing. Repeat: stay out of sight. All other units report to base for further orders."

At the edge of a meadow near Saffron City, in the middle of the night, a group of Pokémon had congregated. The sky was dark and starless, the bright moon reduced to a dull glow in the cloudy canopy above. The group had come together to hear a pleading speech by a pair of Clefairy that had appeared out of a strange, large, weirdly glowing object and who were now standing outside a hatch at the top of a small ramp. Their audience had listened to their impassioned appeal for assistance against a ghostly menace that was endangering their society, perhaps even their whole planet. Some had started to leave, not wishing to risk their own safety, especially those that had young ones to raise. But a number of the more youthful, adventurous Pokémon among them found the chance to visit another planet appealing.

Suddenly, a dozen dark, distorted forms appeared between the Clefairy and their audience. Two of them immediately blasted the Clefairy with psybeams, sending them stunned onto the grass below. The rest shrieked and darted through the open hatch into the control room. Inside, a quick-thinking Clefairy headed straight for the control panel, but a sudden psybeam intercepted it and knocked it hard against the interior wall of the craft. It knocked its head and fell down unconscious. Another group of Clefairy had no time to defend themselves before they were struck by confuse rays, scattering them bewildered around the room.

Outside, most of the Pokémon audience had fled in fear. Two brave ones, a Geodude and a Pikachu tried to offer some defense against the apparitions, but the latter were too fast and entered the object's hatch before they could be attacked. The two willing helpers turned their attention to the pair of fallen visitors.

Meanwhile, three black-garbed figures who had been hiding behind a clump of trees heard the Misdreavus shriek. They took it as their sign to join the attack. They released a Pokémon each and made their move. A lithe Arbok and a slimy Muk were lead by a muscular Machoke and were followed by their human trainers.

When they reached the Clefairy's transporter, they saw the two Clefairy and their two terrestrial allies about to board the ramp. The Machoke leapt ahead and tackled the Geodude to the ground. One megapunch sent it flying into the nearby trees. Pikachu retaliated by thundershocking the Machoke. It staggered for a moment, and before it could regain its senses, the Pikachu quick attacked it. The Machoke lost its balance and fell onto its back.

The Pikachu was then sludged by the Muk. "Pikaa!" the small creature cried out, writhing in agony as the acrid toxins began to ooze through its fur and attack its skin. It sent out a thunderbolt in self-defense but missed its mark. At the same time, the Arbok had reared its flared neck and opened its mouth, ready to strike. It sprayed out a volley of venom at the two Clefairy. They tried hard to dodge the pellets of poison but only one successfully made it in through the hatch. The other was struck, once in the leg and once in the chest. It fell down in pain. It tried to get up, but the sinister snake slithered under its feet, knocking it over again. The Clefairy tried to crawl away, but its hurt leg was no match for the speed of the sinuous serpent as it curled itself around the helpless Clefairy.

The Machoke recovered from the Pikachu's attacks, got to its feet and kicked the writhing mouse away effortlessly. The Muk and Machoke entered the vessel to assist in the fray inside.

"Arbok, go help inside," came an order from Arbok's trainer. It obediently left the Clefairy and joined its other two fellow Pokémon.

The Clefairy was weakening further each moment as the Arbok's venom coursed through its small body. It saw a human being approach with an evil and greedy look on her face.

"What are you doing?" asked one of her two male partners.

"Go ahead, I'll only be a sec."

They left her and followed their Pokémon, while she kept her eyes on the fallen victim before her. Fear crept into its eyes. Weak as it was, it tried to crawl away. Then it saw her take out a small red and white sphere and hold it up. As she aimed to throw it, the Clefairy's heart sank. Some human weapon... all was lost, were its thoughts as it vainly tried to limp on all fours, bravely bearing the throbbing pain in its leg and chest.

The Clefairy saw her hurl the sphere. It hardly had time to feel its fear before its view of the scene around it dissolved into a blaze of crimson. It desperately tried to cling onto reality, but it was futile. All its senses of the world disappeared.

It instinctively struggled against the force that was trying to ensnare it. If only it had not been so weak, so hurt and poisoned, it could resist. And the battle over its body was echoed in its mind. The ensnaring force was altering its thoughts, seeking not only to capture, but to captivate, to make it a slave of the creature that had thrown the sphere.

The thought of its allegiance changing filled it with disgust. No longer would it support its own kind, fight for freedom from fear against the menace. Instead it would be the slave of a monster that allied itself with the enemy. As its strength waned, it knew it would lose the struggle. Yet somehow it would find a way. It would seek its chance... it would escape... it would... it would...

It would obey its new mistress.

The female Rocket picked up her prize with arrogant glee and followed her team members into the Clefairy's transporter.

By the time she had entered the control room, the battle had been won. A dozen or more Clefairy were lying unconscious. Half the Misdreavus had been sung to sleep and the Muk and Arbok had suffered some bruising, but the victory was theirs.

One of the Misdreavus pointed to the two Clefairy pilots, which the two male Rockets bound and gagged. The remaining Clefairy were thrown out the hatch, after which one of the Misdreavus operated a control that shut and locked it. One of the Misdreavus "spoke":

Wake pilots. Need know more about controls.

"What if they don't tell you?" queried the female Rocket.

Will get out of them.

She smirked at the thought of what that might involve. The two men shuddered inwardly.

"So you'll be able to control this machine?" asked one of the men.

Yes.

"And you'll be able to explain it to us?" he continued.

No problem.

The other man spoke. "Butch, better keep an eye out the window. Make sure the Clefairy outside don't wake up and cause trouble. Cassidy, can you help me wake these "pilot" things up? This transporter will soon be ours."

Do not forget agreement.

Butch turned back and looked at the Misdreavus.

"No problem."