Chapter 5

Somewhere on the top floor of the Sylph Corp Water Pokemon R&D branch's main building, three figures emerged from the darkness. The trio crept silently from their hiding place in one of the air vents, and quickly scanned the fish tank filled room.

"This is it?!" exclaimed James in a harsh whisper, "Nothing but magikarp!"

"Pokemon, are pokemon," replied Meowth with a shrug as he walked around there corner, "Besides, there's more than just magikarp here."

"You're just bitter," chuckled Jessie, turning on a of the computer terminal, "And you know better than anyone what magikarp evolve into."

"Quiet you!" the man demanded, turning his back to her and glaring disapprovingly at pitiful looking fish, "Am I not aloud to make one little mistake?"

"One?" inquired Meowth with surprised sarcasm.

"Hey, I think I got something!" interrupted Jessie, causing her companions to crowd in close.

"What is?!" they demanded in unison, the glow of the monitor illuminating their faces in the dim light.

"There's another pokemon they're not keeping out in the open like the others, " replied Jessie, her gloved fingers flying across the keys as she broke through a surprisingly easy password encryption.

The screen shifted, and a window popped up showing a live feed view of a huge tank of water, taking up at least two floors of the building. The camera panned down towards the water, showing a dark shape looming ever closer, causing the trio to lean in expectantly, waiting for the pokemon to become visible.

"It's-!" began Meowth as another image transposed itself on the screen.

"That stupid porygon!" all three Rockets exclaimed.

"Porrrry!" warned the pokemon on the screen, closing the window behind him.

"Oh, you think so, do you?!" growled Jessie, bringing up a rocket launcher.

"Don't you think that's a bit excessive?" inquired Meowth, backing away slowly.

"No one keeps secrets from Team Rocket!" she proclaimed, pulling the trigger, and sending a high-powered projectile through the monitor and into the wall behind it.

"I wonder if she got it?" pondered James as he ran from the flying rubble.

"I'd better have!" grumbled Jessie as the smoke cleared and she found herself covered in soot.

"Well I suppose it was therapeutic," commented Meowth.

"You fools!" exclaimed a voice, ending further speculation, "What have you done?!"

The trio turned to the sound, and saw a diminutive figure approaching through a cloud of dust and smoke.

"You're the fool if you think you can oppose Team Rocket!" countered James, striking a dramatic pose.

"Idiot!" Kathy growled, startling James as she came out of nowhere to grab him by the lapels, "I am a member of Team Rocket!"

"Oh no," muttered Meowth, burying his face in his hands, "Not again!"

"Now look what you've done!" exclaimed Kathy, pointing to where Jessie had partially blasted a hole in the concrete wall, "You're on the verge of ruining over twenty years of careful plotting!"

The small crater sent out small cracks in all directions, which then began to spray water. As the water increased in pressure, more fissures appeared, threatening to flood the room.

"We're going to be fired for this, aren't we?" asked James rhetorically as sirens and klaxons began sounding all around them.

"That's the least of your worries!" assured Kathy, dropping James and running towards the door as two sheets of metal moved to seal the only way out.

"We're going to drown again!" gasped Jessie, running for the exit, only to find herself banging futilely against the blast doors.

"It's all your fault!" accused James, grabbing up Jessie's discarded rocket launcher and glaring evilly at one of the trapped pokemon, "Stupid magikarps! If I have to die, I'm taking you with me... !"

Miranda led the way from the living quarters to the main lab building with Nezumi on her shoulder, and a thinly veiled anger. Misty found herself staying a step behind the woman, carrying Umi over her shoulders, with Wraith trailing behind. She knew better than to ask Miranda what was wrong. The images Wraith had sent to them seemed to loose their impact when they saw the pokemon Kathy Forester had locked up and tortured for the last two decades.

"So, what exactly are we going to do?" inquired Misty carefully.

"If she's lucky, I'll have her charged with breach of contract," grumbled Miranda as the building loomed ahead, "But I don't think this is her lucky day."

Just outside the lab was mostly deserted, those not on duty were hanging out on the beach, listening to music or fishing off the dock, so Misty and Miranda were the first humans to see what caused the noise they all heard.

The East-facing wall of the building suddenly blew out, sending chunks of concrete in all directions, and a cloud of dust into the air. Miranda grabbed Misty by the hand and ran back the way they came, just in time to be missed by one of the larger pieces of wall, and turned back in time to see a jet of water blast out the large hole.

"What are they doing up there?" asked Misty rhetorically, as the water filled with a horde of flailing magikarp, most falling to their deaths as they hit the ground.

"Nothing good!" commented Miranda, glancing at her rattata, "Nezumi, I need you to dig a hole where those pokemon are falling! I don't want any more to die than have to!"

"Nez!" the rodent exclaimed, bounding off and burrowing into the ground.

"He's fast," commented Misty in amazement as the rattata disappeared under the soft, muddy ground.

"I just hope he's fast enough," commented Miranda, taking Misty's hand and giving her a concerned look.

Misty gave her a grim smile, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "I think he was, " she commented, pointing to the flood of pokemon just as the ground gave way beneath them, carving out a pool of water at the base of the building.

Miranda smiled. "That's my Nezumi," she replied as the rattata leaped out of the water and shook himself off.

"Hey!" called a familiar voice, "What's going on?!"

Misty and Miranda turned in time to see Dave leading the group from the beach. "I'd say your boss just had a little accident," explained Miranda, "Do you have access to the top floor?"

Dave shook his head. "Only Kathy and Victor do," he explained, looking up at the impromptu waterfall in dismay, "But if they're up there, they're going to need help. Anyway, I can get you most of the way."

"Great!" replied Miranda, "I knew we could count on you. Now let's get in there!"

Dave nodded and headed towards the front doors, followed by Miranda, Misty, and several curious on lookers. "Do you think they're still alive?" one of the off duty scientists asked.

"It'd take more than a little water to kill Kathy!" assured Dave over the alarm bells that filled their ears the instant he flung open the front doors.

As they crossed the lobby, the group found their passage momentarily hindered by a flood of escaping lab technicians, fleeing from the water that was draining down from the upper floors.

"I think you'd all better join them!" cautioned Miranda, giving the rest of her entourage a concern look, "I think the three of us can handle it."

"This installation's our home," replied an older man, "Sylph Corp's taken care of us for a long time. We owe this company, and we owe Kathy. She's not all that friendly at times, but she's a good scientist. And I for one respect that."

Miranda nodded. "As you wish," she commented with a shrug, silently hating to have to shatter so many people's allusions.

"We'll have to take the stairs," came Dave's concerned tone, "The elevators shut off in case of fire, flood or plauge."

"That's just brilliant," muttered Misty, waiting for Miranda to follow Dave up the stairs, "And I'll bet the all the doors seal themselves too... !"

By the time the assembled group had reached the small foyer on the top floor, the stairs were flooded with water up to their ankles, causing several people to fall back and head for safety.

"Beyond this door is Kathy's lab," explained Dave over all the noise, pointing to the impressively armored door, "The only problem is, is that none of us have the pass code to open it."

Miranda gave a sly smile and glanced over at Wraith. "You know what to do," she replied, bringing a wide grin to the gastly's face.

"Gaa!" he replied happily, phasing into the electronic locking mechanism.

"This may take a minute," commented Miranda, as the machine made several distressful sounds and a few sparks shot out from it.

"Gastly!" came Wraith's triumphant exclamation as he popped back out and the door hissed open, only to reveal a set of sealed blast doors just beyond.

"Couldn't you have opened those too?" inquired Miranda, giving Wraith a disapproving look.

The gastly pouted as he shook his head. "Wra, ga..." he muttered sadly.

"I see," commented Miranda thoughtfully, turning to Dave. "It seems that your porygon doesn't want us to get in there," she explained.

"Why not?" asked Dave, full of concern.

Miranda shrugged. "Apparently he doesn't like Dr. Forester too much," she commented.

Dave's eyes widened with concern. "He'd let her die?" he gasped in surprise.

"Well he was programmed by her ex-husband," offered Misty as Dave ran over to the intercom beside the door and frantically hit the button.

"Porygon! Can you hear me?" he called into it frantically.

The little wall screen came to life, and an image of the porygon appeared in it. "Pory?" he inquired politely.

"You can't do this!" exclaimed Dave half panicked, "There's someone in there, porygon, and she'll probably drown if you don't open the doors!"

"Polygone," corrected Misty, "He was named Polygone by the scientists who made him."

Dave nodded, and was horrified as the pokemon turned away and the screen began to fade. "Polygone!" he beseeched, "Don't you understand? If you let someone die, they'll take you off-line!"

The porygon turned back and did his best imitation of a shrug.

Dave took a step back. "Don't you even care about your own survival?" he implored, "It's bad enough you're killing a human, but come this time tomorrow, you'll be joining her!"

Polygone looked away sadly and nodded. "Pory..." he muttered defeatedly.

"You don't want to die? Do you?"

The pokemon shook his head in dismay.

"Then why?" inquired Dave compassionately, "Tell me why you're doing this?"

The porygon gave him a meaningful look and faded out as a window popped up. The assembled group gasped as one at what they now saw on the monitor.

"It- it's just like what Wraith showed us..." commented Misty sadly, glancing up at Miranda who seemed on the verge of tears.

On the little monitor was a real-time image of a haggard looking dragonite. Dozens of wires and tubes were hooked up to it in various places as it floated in stagnant looking water, kept in place by heavy chains and shackles. Small mechanical orbs armed with vicious looking serrated blades and horrifically long needles floated around it, poking at the poor creature now and then, making it whimper as it could no longer scream. All the while the tubes and hoses that had been cruelly implanted into its body took samples, weakening the dragonite all the more.

"Tha-that can't be real!" exclaimed Dave in disbelief.

"I'm afraid it is," replied Miranda grimly, drying her eyes and turning to the group. "This is the secret that Dr. Forester has been keeping here. This is her plan to breed water pokemon that aren't affected by electrical attacks. By torturing this poor creature and extracting it's DNA in the cruelest possible way, then torturing the captured pokemon with blasts of electricity. Not just low currents, but near lethal dosages! This goes way beyond inhumane, but I'm willing to put that aside to save someone's life if you're all willing to help me free that dragonite."

There was next to no discussion, and Miranda couldn't help but smile as the group's disbelief became support. "We're with you, miss," assured the old man from before, "But how do you suggest we get that door open?"

Miranda looked thoughtful for a moment, and was about to speak when a tall figure emerged from the stairwell. "Stand aside!" he ordered, his deep voice on the verge of controlled panic.

"Dr. Victor!" gasped Dave in surprise, "I thought you were in there too!"

The man smiled confidently in an attempt to reassure the others. "No, I was downstairs conducting some very important experiments," he explained, "But I hope I'm not too late..."

With that, the scientist took out a pokeball and tossed it into the air. "Tashiro! Go!" he commanded, causing the ball to pop open and send out a familiar red glow that soon coalesced into a tall, muscular, green skinned pokemon.

Miranda gritted her teeth taking a step back, as Nezumi growled a low warning. Even Umi let out a hiss and Misty felt her body tense as Wraith moved to protect them.

"I hate those things," muttered Miranda, moving protectively closer to Misty.

Victor's machoke flexed his muscles and grinned broadly at his master. "Tashiro," Victor ordered, "Take down that door!"

The machoke nodded, banging a fist into his open palm before turning to the door. He looked thoughtful for a moment, before pulling back his fist, which suddenly burst into flame before hitting the blast doors with all his might.

A series of loud clangs filled the room, making everyone's ears ring as Tashiro battered a dent in the center of the blast doors until water sprayed out into his face. "Machoke!" he growled, reaching forward and prying the two halves apart with his bare hands. With a loud grinding protest the doors gave way under the pokemon's strength, sending a torrent of water into the small room and down the stairs.

"Misty!" exclaimed Miranda, grabbing the girl's hand as she caught the worst of the blast.

"Sorry about that!" apologized Victor as Miranda pulled Misty back from being carried back down the stairs.

"Whatever," grumbled Miranda bitterly as the water died finally died down and the room ceased to be flooded, "You okay, Misty?"

Misty nodded. "I'm a water trainer, remember?" she teased with a reassuring smile, "I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about."

She motioned towards the proud looking machoke as his trainer recalled him. "I'll be fine," replied Miranda unconvincingly, "I just don't know how anyone can use those things."

Victor ignored the comment, rushing into the room as soon as he could, followed by the other concerned scientists. "We'd best get in there," replied Misty, "I don't think a lynching is what you had in mind."

Miranda shook her head. "No, I'm willing to let the authorities take care of this so long as we can set that dragonite free," she replied warily, following Misty into the unsealed room.

The once sinister lab seemed to loose a lot of it's dread ambiance once Miranda and Misty saw the condition it was now in. The florescent lights along the ceiling had all died, and only one or two of the emergency lights flickered dimly, casting and eerie red glow over everything. There was shattered glass and bits of broken wall everywhere, with several floundering water pokemon that were quickly being saved by compassionate Sylph Corp scientists.

The banks of fish tanks had all been broken open by the blast that had blown a hole in the outer wall, and the first breach in the room's central pillar had finally stopped leaking.

It was there that Wraith headed to, making encouraging noises as he motioned for Miranda to follow. "Is that were it is?" asked Miranda, carefully picking her way thought he debris.

Wraith nodded by bobbing up and down before moving out of the way. His trainer leaned forward over the blackened husk of a computer terminal and looked through the window-sized hole in the wall behind it.

"This is it," she replied grimly, "Wraith, think you can find the door?"

"Ga!" the gastly assured, floating up to one of the security cameras near the ceiling and phasing into it.

A moment later, he returned with Polygone. "You!" exclaimed Dave, spotting the AI and running over.

The pokemon gave a frightened noise and hid behind the gastly. "Go easy on him, " cautioned Miranda, "He was only obeying his conscience."

Dave nodded and smiled reassuringly. "It's okay, Polygone," he said calmly, holding out his hand, "I forgive you."

"Pory!" the porygon exclaimed, leaping into Dave's arms and making happy noises.

"I think he likes you!" laughed Misty.

"Well, I hope he likes me enough to help out a bit more," Dave replied nervously, unsure about how do deal with the peculiar pokemon who seemed intent on making the bewildered scientist his trainer.

"Porygon!" assured Polygone in a strange tone, turning his attention to the remains of the computer terminal.

After a moment's concentration, a beam of amber light shined from his snout, hitting the wall socket where the device had been plugged in. A second later, the sound of stone on stone filled the suddenly shaking room as a section of wall slid open in the room's central pillar. From within the secret alcove, came a pitiful cry for help, sending nearly everyone running to look.

"Just as I said," replied Miranda sadly, staring down at the chained dragonite who rested half submerged in fowl smelling water in dismay, "This is what Kathy called 'Specimen Mv04'."

The room filled with various comments of disbelief as several people moved to free the trapped creature, and Dave politely walked up to Miranda with a concern in his eyes.

"Do you think it will forgive us, Ms Lilcamp?" he inquired meekly.

"I'm sure it will," she responded, watching the dragonite with the greatest of concern, "They're extremely intelligent, and I'm sure this one knows who's to blame. Speaking of which!"

She turned away from the scene, satisfied that the others could handle it, and marched off to find Victor and Kathy. She found them standing near the hole in the outer wall. Kathy looked like she'd live once she'd forced the remaining water from her lungs and dried off, and Victor seemed full of concern despite the smug look on his face.

"It's over Dr. Forester," said Miranda in her most authoritative tone, Nezumi posing dramatically on her shoulder to add effect, "No more innocent creature will suffer at your hands. The Lilcamp Trading Company here by finds you in breach of contract, and thus forth will afford no support to you or your cohort. This will of course not effect our contract with the rest of Sylph Corp, but I'm sure they'll still have a thing or two to say to you."

"Oh, boo hoo!" replied Kathy sarcastically, "This operation is over anyway! What do I care?"

"You'll care when the police arrive," responded Misty, walking up behind Miranda.

"Let them!" laughed Kathy as a dark shape rose up outside the hole in the wall, "Cause we're out of here!"

"I don't think so," glowered Miranda, all three of her pokemon giving their most menacing looks.

Kathy smiled broadly as Victor picked her up from behind. "Catch us if you can, Ms. Lilcamp," the man chuckled, leaping backward out of the building, and landing in the basket of a rapidly rising hot air balloon, "But I doubt you want to share your Father's fate!"

Miranda stopped and stared in stunned silence at the comment, but Nezumi needed no encouragement. He leapt to the floor and ran to the opening in the wall.

"Nez!" he exclaimed threateningly at the laughing group of five Team Rocket members as they floated way, "Nez! Nez!"

The rattata took a deep breath, and sent out a stream of bubbles that impacted harmlessly against the balloon's surface.

"Is that the best you can do?" taunted James as the others laughed.

"Nezumi..." whispered Miranda, barely able to move as she realized just who Kathy and Victor were.