The whole thing initiated so fast that Anya didn't even have time to get her bearing before Giovanni was dragging the group along, they entered his private elevator hidden behind a bookshelf immediately after Anya had given her support and soon they were storming through an underground passage.
Petrel was the first to split from the group as Giovanni gave him a subtle order to deal with someone whose name Anya had never heard of.
Anya did wonder what her purpose in this group was, she felt so out of place following Giovanni, everyone else seemed to know what they were supposed to do, leaving Anya confused without a purpose.
The winding tunnels finally ended as Giovanni, Ariana, Archer and Anya entered a brightly lit room, Anya could see that they arrived at the same time as another group of people entered the same room. The other group were clad in the classic black rocket outfits with a red letter R shown on various places, these were Team Rocket members.
In the middle of the group was a black haired woman in high heels, sporting a red jacket, her presence contrasting the all black team rocket members. There was a small exchange of glances between Giovanni and the woman in red, the woman gave him a scowl while Giovanni smirked.
"Leave this to us!" said one of the Rockets.
"You can go ahead Boss, we will catch up" said another. While the pair of them put their hands on their belts and positioned themselves so that the woman could leave the room from the other entrance.
Archer stepped forward to the challenge, he intoned his intentions to Giovanni with a simple nod of his head, he was going to battle 2 on 1. Giovanni moved to the side moving past the opponents, who tried to block his advance with a hastily released Arbok, before the giant snake could even move, a black shape slammed into it. "Eyes over here, dimwit" said Archer as his Houndoom growled near him, Archer's Golbat was also in the air harassing a Raticate with barely visible blades of air, making shallow cuts whenever they hit.
"Good work A..." Giovanni paused for a second before continuing "Apollo" he corrected as he ran past him.
"Thank you Boss!" Archer smirked
As Giovanni exited the room with Ariana and Anya in tow, while Archer covered for them allowing them a safe passage through.
Final glance at the room, Anya saw that the two Rockets were seething with anger.
The chase after their target continued, there was another similar encounter as they managed to catch up to the female who was still running away from them in heels. On the second catch up, Ariana took on a group of Rockets. With the parting words from Giovanni "Keep them busy, Athena" before a flashy explosion cut off the access to the service tunnel they were taking.
Giovanni increased his pace, Anya easily keeping up with him following only a few steps behind. The service tunnel soon transitioned into a rocky cavern-like surface instead of neat concrete tiles and brick walls. The lighting changed too, instead of evenly lit hallway, there was only a dim lamp attached to the electrical cords lining along the walls giving the place an eerie atmosphere. A realization struck Anya, the explosion that sealed the entrance to this tunnel might have caved them in as she had not seen any branching paths or splits afterwards.
After a few more minutes of running, they managed to catch up and Anya could hear again the tell tale sign of running in high heels. They were catching up to her, a moment later Anya saw a bright light at the end of the tunnel, even Giovanni slowed his pace as he wanted to catch his breath, he even quickly dusted his clothes with the back of his hand and straightened his jacket. He said "It's showtime"
Slowly entering the room while running fingers through his hair, stopping still at the entrance, just so that Anya couldn't be seen from behind him, Giovanni was emitting the aura of a person in control, the room froze for a moment as the small group of Rockets turned their attention towards Giovanni, even the lady in the heels was looking at Giovanni, while all of their attention was focused on him, Giovanni pointed one hand towards the woman while his another hand was unveiling a small piece of paper behind his back, a paper only Anya could read, on the paper was simple message 'Take hostage'.
"Madame Boss, I am here to takeover the all of Rocket" He said while posturing and releasing two of his Pokémon a Nidoqueen and a Nidoking, who both stomped at the ground causing a small dust storm to lift into the air obscuring. Giovanni took a step forward, allowing Anya to move about in the distraction. The Rockets released their Pokémon a group of Weezing and Arboks appeared with some Golbats flying on top.
"To protect the world from devastation." he said commandingly as he gestured Anya to act. Giovanni's Persian appeared in front of the crowd and shouted something at the enemy Pokémon, causing them to flinch and focus their attention to the Persian. Anya herself sprang into action amidst the confusion, she scaled the walls quietly while Giovanni was making a distraction.
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"To unite the people within our nation" Giovanni's voice was heard loud and clear, a shiver ran through Anya's body, the words seemed all too familiar.
"To extend our reach to the stars above" Anya was almost at the other side of the room.
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" as if rehearsed both of the Ground-types stomped their feet in sync causing the dust to explode outward. Anya's body tensed in the moment as she prepared to lunge at the Boss.
"Checkmate" Giovanni proclaimed, indicating that this was the signal to move. Anya pounced as fast as she could, toward the Boss, she was about to reach her but was intercepted by a large rock suddenly appearing in front of her, a Graveler hidden under the ground had halted Anya's advance towards the Boss.
As every second was crucial to ending this conflict Anya steeled herself and prepared to finish the Graveler as quickly as possible, it being extremely weak to grass-type moves gave Anya some hope for a fast takedown. Anya swung her cutters to launch razor sharp leaves at the Graveler who launched a series of rocks in return, the leaves and rocks clashed in mid-air, the flying rocks split in halves reducing the power of the launched leaves to harmlessly bounce off of the Graveler's stony skin.
Not wanting to waste time, Anya quickly sprang into action again, she knew that most of her learned kit wasn't really good for combat, the normal type moves were not that effective against the rock and ground type. The Graveler did not sit idly either and proceeded to rip a chunk from the ground and throw it at Anya, Anya stepped out of the rock's way and counter attacked with another series of sharp leaves. This time the leaves connected and the Graveler grunted in pain, Anya kept up the assault, the stumbling four armed rock crouched down and lifted a piece of the floor in front of it to protect itself from the leafy assault. Its plan did have some success as the leaves stuck into the piece of floor.
Graveler put its free hands into the ground and Anya noticed something in the Graveler, she saw a glimpse of the offensive matrix of the Graveler charging with what she identified as either rock or ground type-energy, she wasn't sure but something in her urged her to copy what the Graveler was doing, the Graveler sank into the ground, Anya too she let her instincts guide her as she too stabbed both of her cutters into the ground, she felt her body push and pull on her internal energies, to mold it into something it was not supposed to be, before a blink of an eye, she sank underground while repeatedly stabbing the ground she moved around. She could feel something else moving underground, it was most likely the Graveler, she thought. After getting underground, Anya stopped in place, waiting for the Graveler to make the first move, the Boss all forgotten for now.
A small rumble and Anya could feel the Graveler exiting the underground, few shuffles of its feet indicating confusion. Anya prepared to move again, launching herself into digging herself out underneath the Graveler. Caught by a surprise the Graveler was launched from the ground as Anya exited underground. She took her stance and instinctually lowered her body, ready for action.
Then there was a shout, "Stand down!" shouted the Boss, stopping the fight. Anya looked at the situation around her, she noted that one of the rocket's accompanying the Boss had betrayed her and had put a knife next to her throat.
This sudden act of betrayal didn't seem to move the Boss at all, in fact she seemed calmer than before.
"Congratulations my boy, I didn't think you had it in you, yet you proved me wrong" she said almost cheerfully, totally ignoring the knife and Anya saw Giovanni scowl.
The room was still for a moment, the Boss, waiting for Giovanni to say something.
"What? Nothing to say now that you have won?" a smile still on her face.
"You knew?" Giovanni asked the Boss.
"Of course my boy, it wasn't a matter of if, but rather when you would betray me. After all it was me who raised you" she said proudly
"Then, everything? Everything was part of your plan? It makes sense now, it all makes sense" Giovanni said, while palming his face.
"Well, not everything my boy. Your fling with the League wasn't part of my plan nor was that thing" she said while pointing at Anya.
"All in all, everything went well enough"
"Now, Giovanni my boy, the whole of Rocket is now yours to rule, I know you will make it rise and so I'll take my leave" she said, before a flash of light lit the whole room up for a moment, everyone grunted as their eyes burned.
The light disappeared and the Boss was nowhere to be seen. The rocket who was holding the boss with the knife was unconscious on the ground.
"I hate that woman" Giovanni voiced out. "I bet she got bored with the company and wanted me to take over the whole thing" he said to no one in particular.
The rockets suddenly started to kneel in front of Giovanni, "It's good to have you, Boss" one of them said.
Anya was looking after the unconscious rocket, she wasn't sure but the rocket member seemed familiar, the rocket stirred and soon woke up alertly.
Seeing Anya, the rocket released his breath and calmed down. "Oh, it is just you Anya" he said to Anya's puzzlement.
He caught on quickly "Oh, the disguise is still on" he said and took his hat off to reveal a familiar tuft of purple hair, it was Petrel all along.
"[You okay?]" Anya Asked Petrel, who just waved her off.
"Seems like we won?" Petrel said to no one in particular as he looked at the other rockets kneeling in front of a perplexed Giovanni.
"Sorry boss, she got away" Petrel said while scratching the back of his head.
"No worries, Lambda, you did great and now the Rocket is mine." Giovanni said as he motioned the others to clear the room.
When the others had left, leaving Giovanni, Anya and Petrel inside the room. "Unfortunate as it was that Madam Boss got away, but I don't think she is going to be a problem in the future at all. Considering she admitted scheming for me to takeover anyways."
"Come, we have a lot to do" he said as he exited the room, Petrel following right after him and Anya wondering what she kind of trouble she put herself into before going after Giovanni.
