Setting:
•Kanto Ops Training Room, Viridian City, Kanto•
•March 1st,After 1 pm•
•Amber (Wolfe Alias) POV•
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The Long Way Back to Trouble
I honestly couldn't believe where I was: back in my old classroom where I learned the basics of stealth as a Kanto Op. Only that time, I had been at a desk staring blankly at the whiteboard. This time, I was standing at a podium, eyeing my single, snarky student, whom I could tell was not enthused about this whole training thing one bit. I couldn't blame him; we were mutual, there.
Damn it! Darrius is punishing me for my slip-ups! That has to be it! I slipped up too many times in front of Silver, and now, Darrius is having me teach him so that I absolutely can't afford to slip up. Character building? Ugh, this sucks!
"Well? Are you going to train me or not?" Silver glared at me.
"Not with that attitude I won't," I retorted.
"Guess I'll go back to my cell then," he smirked. "And I suppose you'll get one as well."
Silver's words struck home there.
Damn it! I can't screw this up. I forgot that D will have me imprisoned with Silver if I refuse to train him. But, didn't Darrius mention something about Silver respecting me?
I smirked. "Actually, I'll just tell D that you're being an ass." I gave him the best shit-eating grin I could muster, and it appeared to have worked.
Silver grimaced as he sat back at the uncomfortable wooden desk, which was way too small in my opinion. I knew; I sat in one similar to it for my own training. "Fine. Whatever. I'll cooperate for now, but don't expect me to be friends."
"I never was. Whoever said I wanted to be friends with a jerk like you, anyway?" I growled.
"Isn't there some kind of rule regarding a teacher calling her student names?" He smirked.
"Get this straight now. I'm no teacher; I'm a secret agent of the Kanto Police. We are like the military, so I can call you whatever the hell I want!" I knew I had to be strict. Silver knew my teaching methods all too well; he was once my student for real—a top student at that.
Damn that Darrius. I really can't afford to slip up in anything. He's really punishing me… If he knew that I told Gold, Liza, and Bill, I think I'd be in far worse trouble, though.
"Whatever. Just get on with it so I can go back to my cell." Silver sighed.
"Why don't you just go back to your cell right now, then?" I asked seriously.
"Fine. I'll do that." He got up, exited the room, and I could hear a police officer escort him back to his cell.
I groaned.
That went bad.
I figured I had too much on my mind to teach him anything at the moment, anyway. Besides, I had no lesson plans whatsoever, and my mind was still foggy from the pain meds, which luckily were working rather well; I didn't feel my ribs hurt at all. I rested my head on the podium; it hit with a rather loud "thunk."
Thoughts were whirl-winding inside of my head at a crazy pace. Even I couldn't make sense of half of them. After a few minutes, I decided to exit the classroom, which was located in the basement complex of the station, and made my way back to the main entrance.
Officers and desk clerks nodded to me as I walked. A few who knew my identity winked or grinned slightly at me as I passed. I nodded my head to the ones who knew me. I still felt like crap; I was still in my destroyed clothes.
I need to do something about this.Where's Darrius?
I entered Darrius' office, which doubled as his room since he only stayed at the Viridian City station sometimes, without even knocking.
"Darrius! I need clothes!" I barged in to find him on the phone, and he glared at me; his icy blue eyes were rather menacing. I stopped in my tracks, a bit frightened at the lecture I was certain to get.
"Yes, I understand. Thanks. I'll call you later," he hung up. "You really need to learn to knock. What if I were getting dressed or something?" His tone actually seemed friendly.
"Psh, come off it, D. Your schedule here is practically like clockwork. You get up at like seven in the morning, get dressed after breakfast, play guitar when you have the chance, read, do business stuff, and then take a shower at nine at night and go to bed by ten." I said leisurely.
He raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like someone has been spying on me."
"Nah. I just know that since that was your schedule when I used to be your student as a kid, remember?" I grinned.
The eyebrow arched even more. "And you remember that from that long ago?"
"It's only been a few years. Learn a person's lifestyle, and you'll understand them better," I smirked.
"And now you're quoting me… Shouldn't you be with your own student?" He asked calmly as he relaxed.
"I'm not in the mood for training him; he wasn't in the mood, either." I shrugged.
"So you're telling me you refuse to train him? You know that will get you locked away."
"I'll train him later today. My mind is still numb from those pain meds. What'd you give me anyway?" I asked curiously.
"They're just regular strength pain meds, Wolfe. Nothing special about them." He shrugged.
"Oh. Anyway, I have no lesson plans, and I look like crap. Can I go shopping? Please?" I made the "please" part very sweet, to where I almost sounded like a kid begging her dad for a pet Ponyta.
"Will you be able to function better if I let you go?" He asked skeptically.
"Yes sir!" I said seriously.
"Ugh, fine. But be back by three; when you return, meet me in Silver's cell room. I'll discuss the matter with both of you about your training as well as give you lesson plans." He sighed.
"Understood. One more thing, sir, are you punishing me? Is that why you're making me train Silver?" I decided to ask.
"Punishment? No. You know me better than that, Wolfe. You're the only one I trust with him. Everyone else at the station knows who he is, and a lot of them want him locked away for good simply because of the ties to his family that he cannot help." Darrius explained.
"Wolfe, you're the only way to rescue him." He replied, his gaze softening just a bit. I knew he still cared about his old student.
"Rescue him by letting him join the Ops? Still, I know it seems the only way, but it's still such a risky move. I'm just saying what if Team Rocket manages to get a hold of him?" I asked seriously.
"I trust Silver, Wolfe. I thought you did, too. I'll have that tracker anklet on him not only so you can know his location, but also so he can use it as a ploy if he is captured. He can say he was bait for the police to bring Team Rocket out of hiding. Really, that's not a bad idea. We could probably obtain our next lead like that..." He trailed off under his breath.
"Darrius! I won't let you use him as some pawn!" I couldn't believe D would go that far.
"I never said he'd be used—chill. I'll explain more when you return, alright?" He sighed softly.
I sighed as well. "Fine."
I exited the room, shutting the door firmly behind me. I from there got my ATM card out of my bag and left the station. To be safe, I also grabbed one of my pokeballs as I left, just in case something came up. I looked down to see the figure was Lizardus, my Charmander. I stuffed the ball in my pocket as I walked into the central district of Viridian City, where the shopping mall was located.
I passed the gym as I went, and I felt a really strong urge to stop by and see if the rumors about my rival, Blue, really becoming the Gym Leader were true. I knew he'd somehow know it was me, though. Blue was always good at seeing through disguises—just like his grandfather, Professor Oak.
The shopping center of Viridian was fairly large, though Viridian really wasn't too big of a city in itself. I shopped at that mall a lot as a kid thanks to the fact that it made a great mini vacation spot due to its location in relation to my old home.
I first hit up an ATM for funds before I passed a few stores before entering Trainers R' Us.
Guess I'll make a few modifications to myself right here.
Along the back wall of the store were belts—trainer belts which had six holders in which a trainer could place his or her pokeballs for safekeeping. Trainer belts were a must for the busy trainer, and I certainly was finding out just how much I needed one. Looking at the selection, I couldn't help but gasp in awe as I saw a black leather one with a metal shuriken buckle—a very familiar Metallica logo.
I am SO getting that! I don't care if Darrius bitches about it. It's mine!
I took down the belt, just about shouted in glee as I found it to be the perfect fit, and then I continued to the running shoe department. Running shoes were definitely a must for a trainer, too. I needed a new pair—a pair that hopefully would last longer.
A box caught my eye: "Water-Proof, Durable, High-Quality Material Guaranteed to Last for Years Despite Whatever You Run Through". I took out the box to realize that it was a pair of imported shoes from the Hoenn region, created by the Devon Corporation, similar to Kanto's Silph Corporation. From what I understood, the two companies were rivals. My uncle was actually the company president. He must've been doing pretty well for his products to make it out of Hoenn and into Kanto.
Hmm, I think I might actually try these. Test out that guarantee.
I took the box, put my Metalli-belt into it, and continued browsing.
From there, I found my standard equipment, which I was painfully low on. I grabbed myself a shopping cart since I soon was realizing that I couldn't hold all the things I needed. I grabbed some Potions, Super Potions, Full Heals, spare Pokeballs, and they even had a berry counter, so I stocked up on some Oran, Sitrus, Leppa, and Lum.
Happy that I had my trainer stuff all replenished, I checked out, paid, and carted away my goods in some nice-sized bags. I then located the clothing store, where I made my next stop.
I decided that I just needed one pair of clothes; I was certain Dad would bring some from home when he came back to the station, so really maybe two pairs at the most would be good enough until then. I did have a few pairs in my quarters as well, so that would work.
I was pretty lucky that it was still the beginning of the year, since there were a few jackets left on the clearance rack. A sleek black one caught my attention. It would hug my body nicely, I realized, and that would be good for optimal movement. After all, I needed to be lithe if I were to train Silver in the physical aspects of being a Kanto Op. I picked up the jacket, which was a perfect fit, and grabbed a slightly baggier gray one as well.
I then located the shirts, where I found a nice, black sleeveless shirt. It would go well with the black jacket. I picked up another in a dark red color for the gray jacket. I then meandered my way to the jeans, where I picked out some that were not really my taste; I wasn't big on the skinny jeans thing, but if I were to get my normal style, Silver would have definitely noticed.
Satisfied, I paid for my clothes, which were put in bags for me, and I left the store. I was practically skipping on my way back to the station. I decided to take the long way back, very happy to just skip along on my merry little way. That was, until I went down the wrong alleyway. Blocking the exit was some thuggish guy. I could tell he was probably in a street gang—some sort of scum that roamed Viridian.
"'Ey yo, pretty girl. Hol' up!" He called as I started to back out of the alleyway.
I turned and ran as fast as I could, but another guy, this one on a motorcycle, even though it was turned off, blocked my path. I groaned.
Great going, idiot.
The first guy approached me. "'Ey, yo. I told you to wait up! Now why you go an' run off like that, huh?"
"Look, you look around my age, so why don't you use some proper grammar and talk to me like an adult, m'kay?" I asked calmly.
Maybe I could get myself out of here without a fight; it'd be nice.
The guy started laughing this gut-busting laugh. "Ah, this one got jokes! 'Ey, I like that. How about you and me go some place a little private, get mah drift?" He grinned what I guessed to him was a charming grin, but really, this guy was not charming in the least. He had a missing front tooth, which only made him look more thuggish.
"Sorry, honey, but I already got me a man, and he's waiting for me," I smirked back, easily coming up with a story on the spot. Oh, how I loved mind games. It was all the fun of being a Kanto Op. I could practically be whomever I wanted to be.
The guy laughed again to the point of snorting. The other guy on the motorbike approached me from the other end.
Something tells me this is about to turn into a hostage situation…
"You got jokes, little lady. I'll have you know back in mah day, I was a scary-ass Pokémon traina' in Team Rocket," stated the one with the missing tooth.
Oh-ho…Team Rocket, huh? Thank you, Amber for your stupidity.
"Never heard of them," I grinned nonchalantly.
"Wha? You kiddin' me! Team Rocket was the baddest guys around these parts. Just the name made grown guys shake like kids." Toothless growled.
"Sorry, never heard of them. If they're so fierce, where are they now?" I asked with false curiosity.
"Like I'd tell you! Some punk-ass chick wiped 'em all out. So she thought anyway," he gave a menacing laugh.
"So you say you're in Team Rocket? Psh, I don't believe that," I smirked.
"Hells yah we are, sweetheart. An' I think I might take you back to my place and show you what I mean," the guy on the bike chimed in as he turned it on and revved the engine.
The guy in front of me then lunged out in front as to grab me, but I was already on to him and swiftly dodged to the side. The bike's engine roared as I heard the other guy curse.
"Lizardus, help me!" I called.
My little Charmander appeared with a cry.
"We need to corner them before they escape. Dig!" A plan formed suddenly in my mind.
"Ah, shit! She's a trainer?!" The guy on the bike cursed. "Let's get out of here, man!"
"Nah way. You a chicken? No little girl is gonna scare me off! I'm a Team Rocket guy, after all! You too! You want me to tell the boss you ran away like a lil' bitch?" Toothless snarled.
"Hell no, man!" Biker guy agreed.
The engine roared again as the bike came speeding down the alleyway directly at me. I jumped in the way of Lizardus' hole, which he had dug just deep enough to trip up the tires and make the guy crash if my plan went accordingly. I stood my ground and just moments before the biker would have snatched me up, I moved out of the way. The tire of the bike hit the hole dead-on, leaving it to do a front-end wheelie, tossing the guy off head over heels.
I grabbed at the pokegear on my wrist and immediately began dialing. As soon as it picked up, I didn't even give Darrius time to respond. "D! Emergency now! I need backup! I may have gotten you a lead."
"Where are you?!" For one of the few moments in the long time I had known Darrius, he actually sounded surprised.
"An alleyway. Downtown. Off Main and Center. Two males. One is trying to run me down with a bike, or at least he did before I crashed it," I smirked even though I knew he couldn't see me.
"On my way. I'm bringing your student as well." Darrius was clearly taking me seriously.
I restrained a groan. "Fine. Wolfe out."
"Calling yo' boyfriend?" The larger, missing tooth thug asked with an amused expression on his face.
"Yeah. Maybe I am," I smirked back.
"Shit, man! Let's go before we get our asses whupped!" Biker guy groaned as he got to his feet.
"Are you a boy or a man?! I'm not going nowhere. This girl don't scare me." Toothless held his ground.
I smirked. "No?"
"No," he reinforced the point as he approached.
The guy who crashed was recovering his bike. Sadly, he hadn't been going fast enough to do any real damage, so he got back on it and started it up again.
Damn it! D, hurry.
"Whatever, yo'. I'm splittin'. What if the cops come?" Biker guy asked.
"Fine, I'll take this girl back for mahself." Toothless shrugged.
What a pig! Ugh, Team Rocket scum. Not even Grunts; lower than those—otherwise they'd send their Pokémon out on me.
"Not so fast! You got to get through me if you want to leave!" It was a bold plan but very poorly thought out—and it was a bit suicidal. I stood my ground.
The guy revved the engine. "You asked for it, little girlie!" The engine roared again, and the bike sped straight for me.
"Liz! Now, use Flamethrower on the back tire!" I commanded.
Oh how I loved my little Charmander at that moment; he had good aim, and a gush of flame was rushing towards the bike's back tire. I hated the smell of burning rubber, but at least the guy wouldn't get away.
"Hell nah you don't!" The other thug who was on foot replied as he tackled my Charmander to the ground. I had to face it, the guy was like three times the size of my little flame lizard, and I knew it was beyond Lizardus' will to injure a person, even if the person were hurting him. He was just a baby after all—too innocent.
The good news, Lizardus got free by whipping his tail a little too closely to the thug who was pinning him down. The bad news, the bike's tire didn't pop or really take any damage at all. And even worse, my impulsive nature got the best of me as I jumped after the bike hoping I was fast enough to hop on as the guy was speeding away to my left.
I had made it…or at least part of the way. I held on to the guy's shoulders with a fierce grip, and the guy seemed pretty shocked since he started yelling incomprehensibly at me as I was starting to get dragged and the bike was leaning precariously.
From there, it all went downhill. The guy let go of the handlebars in a panic, and the bike on its own was leaning even worse. Also, since I was getting dragged on the ground, my already beaten up pants were getting worse off. Luckily, my shopping bags were all untouched by the entire ordeal. Lizardus hid them in a hole underground after digging that first pothole.
My being dragged on the ground didn't last long. The bike came crashing down right on top of both the guy and me. Luckily the guy had the sense to turn it off right after we fell, though the engine was still piping hot.
I wasn't sure if it was the pain meds wearing off or not, but I was in a whole new sense of pain at that moment. I was certain I was scratched up somewhat badly, though I was certain the guy couldn't have been going more than twenty MPH at most. Still, I broke his fall, and he was struggling to get the bike off of him so he could escape. I held firmly onto him and nearly laughed in relief to hear approaching footsteps.
"What's going on here?" Darrius' commanding voice took over.
"They're from Team Rocket. Get the other guy. I got this one," I was surprised how weak I sounded. Really, my head was spinning just a bit, and I guessed it might have had to do with hitting the ground, on my right side no less. I tried my best to protect my head, but before we came to a complete stop, my face skidded across the cement. I was certain it was bleeding.
Already I knew that Darrius and some other officers from the Ops were apprehending the other thug. The guy in my arms began struggling, kicking me as to get away. I didn't exactly feel like holding on much longer. Something wet licked my bleeding cheek, and I looked up to see Lizardus looking worriedly at me. "It's okay, Liz. We got the bad guys," I grinned to him.
"You're good at getting yourself injured, aren't you?" Silver's voice chimed in from above me.
"At times, sure. I did what had to be done. It's my job." I retorted.
"Hmph. Pretty impulsive to jump onto a speeding bike like that." I felt the guy get wrenched from my grip.
I looked up to find that Silver was holding him by his shirt, staring directly into his eyes. "You, weakling. You think it's fun to pick on others, don't you? I bet that's why you joined Team Rocket. Team Rocket is all weak. Get them alone, and they're weak. The weak picking on the weak is just pathetic."
The guy seemed pretty intimidated by Silver's crimson eyes. I didn't blame him. Silver also had to be over six feet tall, too. He definitely grew up in the two years I had been gone.
Darrius walked up to me and helped me stand; more or less I was leaning on him. "Well done, Wolfe. Although, you didn't exactly ask for my directions. It was stupid of you to throw yourself in danger like that. What if you would've gotten yourself killed?"
"It's not like I had the opportunity to call you sooner, D. Besides, I wasn't going to let that guy get away. I remember the oath I took. You'd have me go against it just to save my own hide? You know that's not how I operate!" I said defensively.
Darrius smirked and chuckled. "Ah, fine. If it were someone else, I'd have you stripped of your rank and sent straight to boot camp, but, it's you, Wolfe. I understand your thinking. You always have been a little too selfless; just don't do it again. I don't want your student picking up on your bad habits," he scolded.
"Yes sir," I hung my head a little.
I didn't really feel enthused about getting chastised in front of Silver. I thought I had done the right thing, but apparently, I should have been more concerned about orders.
The oath of the Kanto Ops, though. We swore that even if it endangers our lives, we'd stop at nothing to capture Team Rocket—rid the world of their corruption. Why would Darrius get mad at me for following the code? Am I really that important in his operation?
I looked at the two thugs, who glared at me as they were surrounded by some of our very best police officers and Kanto Ops. They were handcuffed and wouldn't be seeing the light of day for a long time.
No matter. I'm happy that I got that scum off the streets. I'm sure that I won't be getting a lead for my own investigation in Johto, but at least maybe it'll help the Kanto forces discover who's in charge here.
With that, I smiled to myself as I solemnly walked back to the station behind Silver, who was just as silent.