Blasting Off! (Pokemon)(Team Rocket OC)

"You did it! You fucking did it!"

As he and Fuji rush up to the beach where Cam is standing, only the younger man's look keeps Bill from literally giving him a hug. Not that Cam looks any different than he ever does, but that flat, somewhat emotionless stare is a blatant reminder that he's not the touchy feely type.

Not that Bill is either! No, the Pokemon Collector is an intellectual, and a cerebral type of man! He definitely doesn't need any sort of physical affection or anything like that. Certainly not with another guy either! Though if he DID hug Cam, it would be completely platonic! A bro hug, if nothing else!

… But obviously, Cam wasn't the type to go for bro hugs. And that was perfectly fine.

"Er-hem. I mean… of course you did it. Of course WE did it, in fact. This was an achievement by all of us after all. Still… well done, Cam! Well done!"

In the end, he settles for reaching out and clapping a hand on Cam's arm, giving him an approving smile and a nod. He likes to think Cam nods back, ever so slightly, the pink-haired Rocket Executive still holding the Master Ball containing the Catastrophe in his hand. His Dragonite, meanwhile, stands beside him, looking as majestic and powerful as ever.

Bill should know, he's not liable to forget the beatdown that Dragonite gave him! Not any time soon!

But really… he knew he was right to give the Master Ball to Cam when the time came. Sure, there might have been a part of him that wanted to keep it for himself. Sure, he might have even had a couple of flights of fancy, a daydream and fantasy where he himself faced down the Catastrophe and used the Master Ball on it.

Luckily, he hadn't tried to make that a reality, because it would most definitely not have gone well. When the time came, when the world itself had begun to split and split and split, when everything had stopped making sense… Bill had frozen up. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He certainly couldn't have faced down that reality-breaking abomination of a Pokemon they'd created, let alone throw a Pokeball at it.

The Catastrophe's power had been beyond even their worst expectations. Cinnabar Island had immediately begun coming apart at the seams, and if not for Cam's timely arrival and the Master Ball that Bill, Blaine, and Fuji had created together, then he's not sure what would have happened. For a heart stopping moment even after Cam's arrival, Bill had feared that the Master Ball might not even work.

All was well that ended well though. The Master Ball had in fact worked, and Cam now held one of the most terrifyingly powerful Pokemon in the world in the palm of his hand. Bill would be lying if he said he wasn't a little jealous… but at the end of the day, it was fine. Cam had more than earned it. And besides, Bill could always make another Master Ball.

It would be costly, incredibly expensive even, and even with all the Pokedollars in the world, it would probably take Bill months if not years to procure the resources again. Only with him, Blaine, and Fuji pooling all their resources and connections, as well as the resources and connections of the Pokemon Laboratory here on Cinnabar Island, had they been able to get this one made. By himself, it wouldn't be nearly as easy… but it would be possible.

Out of the corner of his eye, Bill sees those two female Rockets Cam had left behind carefully and cautiously making their way over as well. He doesn't really know their story, doesn't really care to know… but they seem to be personally loyal to Cam at least, or Giovanni would already have swooped in, if he'd caught wind of what they were up to.

Indeed, the looks of awe on the faces of the two women certainly seem to make it clear that they both feel a… certain way about the young Rocket Executive. Heh, Cam you lucky dog…

"Yes. Good. Great, even. You captured that menace, well done Rocket. Now we can destroy it."

And there's the fly in the ointment, of course. Fuji finally pipes up, the cantankerous old man no longer able to hold his silence. Whipping around, Bill scowls at him.

"What?! Don't be ridiculous! We're not destroying it!"

Fuji has the balls to scowl right back, the old man sneering at him.

"Don't be ridiculous?! Listen to yourself, Bill! Look around you! A few moments ago, that damn menace nearly split this island in half! It's too dangerous to leave alive and you know it!"

"It's contained, Fuji! Cam used the Master Ball, for Pete's Sake! The thing isn't getting out, I can promise you that!"

"Quit being a child for one second, Bill! Not everything is about your obsession with collecting rare Pokemon! Some things aren't MEANT to exist! The Catastrophe was ALL our mistake. And now we finally have a chance to correct it and you want to make it worse by using the damn thing instead?!"

If there's one thing Bill has always hated, it's how the other brightest minds in all of Kanto have looked down on him as little more than a child. Even eighteen years later, when Bill is well into his late thirties, the older scientists and even Giovanni, all see him as nothing but a precocious fucking kid. It was irritating back when Bill was a brilliant young adult, and it's infuriating now that he's damn near middle-aged!

"If I'm a child, Fuji, you're off your fucking rocker! Imagine the power that lies in Cam's hands right now!"

Bushy brows furrowing, Fuji shakes his head furiously.

"I AM imagining it! Unlike you, Bill, I've SEEN what this young man is capable of. And it's nothing good! This type of power is too dangerous to be left in his hands, in ANYONE's hands!"

There's a tense silence that follows, as Bill just stares at Fuji. Slowly, a small smirk spreads across the Pokemon Collector's face. His eyes flash as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"Then take it from him and destroy it yourself, old man."

Bill's words have a sense of finality behind them. And that's because they are VERY final. He watches as Fuji blanches, his countenance turning pale. He watches the older scientist look over at Cam. The young man is still standing there, his pink hair jutting every which way. In need of a haircut, Cam might be… but at the same time, he was very much radiating strength and power just by being there.

The Dragonite standing at his side helped, of course, and Bill can see how Fuji shrinks away when he sees it. Yes, Fuji had already had his own run-ins with Cam. Unlike Bill, however, it seemed to have completely soured the old man on the young Rocket Executive. But then, Fuji always was a short-sighted fool. He couldn't see the potential that Cam represented, staring him right in his face.

Bill sees the exact moment when Fuji's shoulders slump, and he takes a dismayed step backwards, all but giving up right then and there. Smirking mirthlessly, Bill shakes his head.

"The future is now, old man. With the Catastrophe on his team, Cam can do whatever the fuck he wants. He could challenge Lance and the Elite Four, even. No one can stop him. Not me… and certainly not you. So really, who are you trying to convince here, huh? If Cam doesn't want to give up his new Pokemon… then he doesn't have to."

Cam doesn't say anything, but when Fuji has the gall to shoot an imploring look to the young man, even after his badmouthing, the Rocket Executive's fingers clutch a little harder on the Master Ball, a note of possessiveness that gets an approving nod from Bill.

Shoulders hunching in, Fuji lets out a disgruntled sigh.

"Fine. If that's the way it is… you've made your point clear. I cannot stop you. I shall endeavor to stay as far away from you lot as possible, so that I don't get caught in the fallout when you finally implode in on yourselves. Good luck… not that it'll help."

With that, Fuji summons a Pidgeotto and hops on it, flying off right then and there. Bill and Cam and those two Rocket Grunts watch him disappear into the distance for a moment before Bill chuckles and looks to Cam.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say. It's a shame that Blaine got called into the Gym to meet with a Challenger right before all this madness started. Not sure if it affected them or not in there, but he really missed out on the sight of a lifetime. You were amazing, Cam. Standing there, fearlessly staring down the Catastrophe like it was nothing. Don't let Fuji get to you. Power belongs in the hands of those willing to use it and strong enough to hold onto it. You… you're both."

Cam cocks his head to the side and opens his mouth to speak. Bill would be lying if he said he wasn't VERY interested in hearing the taciturn, stoic young man's response. Alas, before any words can come out, a young voice calls out from behind them.

"Yo, what the heck was all that, huh?"

Bill blinks, and looks to see a familiar young kid, no older than eleven, no younger than ten, has just exited the Cinnabar Island Gym. For a moment, Bill is struck speechless… what was Blue Oak doing here? The kid looks like the spitting image of an old friend of Bill's from a long time ago. Younger than Bill by a few years, Gary had nevertheless been just as much of a Pokemon Fanatic as Bill was, really. Even more so, in a way. He'd challenged Gym after Gym and been well on his way to getting all eight of Kanto's Gym Badges when he'd just up and vanished.

The last Bill had heard from him, he'd been waxing poetic about some girl…

When Blue had first shown up at Bill's house North of Cerulean weeks ago, Bill had been struck speechless by the similarities. When he'd found out who Blue was and who his 'grandfather' supposedly was, he'd been suspicious. Unfortunately, he hadn't had the time or patience to investigate. In truth, he hadn't thought much of Blue at the time. But now… had he just beat Blaine?

"Hey! It's you again! Wow, you've really changed, Cam! Did you get a promotion, or something?"

Blue completely ignores Bill, in favor of zipping over to Cam and grinning up at him. From behind the kid, stepping out of the Gym looking somewhat disgruntled and disheveled, is Blaine. Bill doesn't have to ask to know that somehow… Blaine just lost a Pokemon Battle to this boy. He knows what a defeated Gym Leader looks like, and Blaine has that look written all over his face.

"Yes."

Cam's one word response draws a noise of awe from the kid, who's looking at him as if he's some sort of combination of role model and best friend. Just what was Cam to Blue Oak, huh?

"Wooow. Well, I just got done wiping the floor with this old guy here! Apparently, he was the Gym Leader. Heh, he was specialized in Fire Type Pokemon though, so my Blastoise made quick work of him and his team!"

Blaine grumbles at that and shakes a sleeve that looks drenched from an errant water type move.

"Yes, well… sometimes the match up just isn't very good, you see."

Bill raises an eyebrow at his fellow scientist, meeting Blaine's eyes behind his glasses and grinning wickedly. 'Beaten by a kid, huh?' The unspoken message is intentionally clear, and Blaine scowls, his large bushy mustache wiggling in irritation.

"Anyways, it sounded like some crazy shit was going on out here as well! What happened, huh? I thought it might be a Legendary Pokemon or something, but I was too busy winning my Gym Battle so I couldn't come check or I'd forfeit!"

Unable to help himself, Bill chuckles.

"You could say it was something like that. Cam here captured it though, I'm afraid. So, it's all his."

Finally paying him some mind, Blue doesn't look like he even remembers him. To be fair, they'd only met the one time and he was just a little kid. A little kid with a Blastoise. A little kid who had just 'wiped the floor' with Blaine.

"Oh. Well, that's too bad for me then, I suppose!"

Bouncing back right quick, Blue gives Cam a cheery grin.

"Hey, can I see it really quick? I just want to see what you caught!"

Bill blanches at that. Not because he thinks the kid might try to steal the Catastrophe, but rather, because he's not sure what will even happen when Cam releases the thing from its Ball. Just seeing it might do irreparable damage to Blue, to all of them even.

"Cam, I'm not sure-!"

"Sure."

But before he can caution against it, Cam pops open the Master Ball. The Catastrophe unfurls from within, landing on the ground and… well, being incredibly hard to look at. It really does have a 'face' only a mother could love, and since it has no mother, it's going to go loveless for a long, long time. Though, as insane as the reality-breaking Pokemon looks… the Master Ball capture seems to have dulled its harmful effects massively.

Bill isn't bleeding from the eyes, ear, or nose at least, and neither is anyone else, including Blue Oak. The kid just stares at it for a moment in abject shock, before Cam finally recalls it.

"Wait… but… but I've seen that before."

Excuse him?! Bill's eyes go wide in shock, and so do Blaine's as both of them look at the kid in alarm.

"You?! You've seen the Catastrophe before?! Where?! How?!"

Scratching the back of his head in a move that is once again eerily reminiscent of Bill's long-gone friend, Blue shrugs his shoulders.

"I dunno. I was really young. I was playing in the basement under grandpa's lab, and I got to see lots of cool Pokemon while he did his experiments. I remember one like that. It was super freaky, just like that one was."

Bill's eyes damn near bulge out of his head as Blaine gapes at Blue.

"Basement area?! In all my years collaborating with Professor Oak, I never once saw a… a BASEMENT AREA! Was that the secret lab he talked about all those years ago?!"

Blue just shrugs, looking one second away from sticking his finger in his nose as he gazes at them all blankly. Not the impassive, emotionless sort of blankness that Cam exuded on a regular basis, but more just a child's blankness.

"I dunno. I'm not really a science guy, ya know? I just like Pokemon. Grandpa had a big basement for Pokemon Experiments and that's all I remember. Oh, and that the lever to open it up was behind a book shelf in his lab."

Right. Yes. Blue was a child. Before Blaine can continue trying to interrogate said child, Bill grabs the old Gym Leader by his arm and stops him in his tracks, giving him a sharp shake of his head. Luckily, Blaine gets the hint and falls silent.

Seeing that everyone is done questioning him, Blue gives Cam another cheery grin.

"Right! Well, I gotta get a move on, Cam! Just one more Gym and then it's on to the Elite Four for me! You keep up your hard work too, alright! And once I'm Pokemon Champion, you better not do too much crime or I'll have to stop ya, heh!"

And with that… Blue leaves. Bill stares after the kid for a long moment even after he's gone, before jerking himself back to the matter at hand.

"That secret lab… it must have the answers to all of Oak's plans. Whatever he's been up to… the proof will be there. Cam… you need to go and break in. To get to the bottom of this, once and for all! Can you do that?"

Cam is silent for a long moment, and briefly, Bill feels like his very soul is being analyzed by the young man. But finally, Cam nods.

"… Yes."

Then, he truly surprises Bill, by looking past him at the two female Rockets who have been watching on from a distance.

"You two. With me."

Cam giving orders? That was… new. Right? Truth be told, Bill hadn't been around the Rocket Executive long enough to know for certain. Still, the Grunts look surprised, but also eager to follow. As Cam leaves with the two women in tow, Bill looks to Blaine, and Blaine looks back to Bill.

"Do you truly trust him with a Pokemon as powerful as the Catastrophe?"

Bill scoffs at Blaine's cowardly question. It's almost as bad as Fuji's, though at least Blaine isn't acting like they should destroy it.

"It's not a matter of trust, you old fool. Are you strong enough to stop Cam, even without the Catastrophe? Because I know I'm not. No, rather… it's not about trusting Cam. It's about following in his wake. Someone like Cam is an unbridled motherfucking force of nature. A relentless fucking experience. He's going all the way to the top, don't you see? And I'll be there right alongside him. He's going to need help organizing his new empire once he's done, after all."

Blaine winces at Bill's crass language, before perking up at the end there. Ultimately, the old Gym Leader is just as greedy and self-serving as Bill expects him to be. He'll fall in line, so long as there's a place for him in whatever Cam ends up building.

Still, a secret lab… Bill always suspected Oak hadn't just rolled over to Lance for the fun of it. Now he was certain of it. But then… what had Oak's real plan been? Why had he done nothing in eighteen long years?

Soon, they would know. Cam would find out, if nothing else…

-x-X-x-

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