Blasting Off! (Pokemon)(Team Rocket OC)

The things that they'd found down in Oak's secret lab… they turned Bill's stomach. It was one thing to experiment with Pokemon. But with living people? Oak's little clone project had gone too damn far by half. The old man had gone crazy. And… what he'd done to Gary was unforgiveable, just as Bill had told Cam.

He was glad to have Cam at his back on this. If they were going to put a stop to all of this, then Bill knew they would need Cam's strength before all was said and done. Quite frankly, without Cam, Bill wasn't sure he could have mustered the courage to storm the Elite Four and try to get ahead of things before it was too late. He probably would have turned around and just gone home, and let things play out.

As it is, he and Cam race into the first chamber with those two gals that Cam seems to drag everywhere on their heels, only to come face to face with the first of the Elite Four, Lorelei. The red-head's brow raises at the sight of them, and she pushes her spectacles up the bridge of her nose.

"First Oak, now you Bill? And with some kid who looks like he's Giovanni's nephew along with two Rockets? What the hell is happening?"

Smiling a crooked smile, Bill shrugs his shoulders.

"Wish I had the time to explain Lorelei, really I do. But we need to keep going if we're going to put a stop to this travesty."

Lorelei's eyes narrow at that, and she crosses her arms over her chest.

"If you mean the Elite Four Challenge currently taking place, it's on the up and up as far as I'm aware. That Red chick is terrifying, a force to be reckoned with, but she had a Pokemon License and all eight badges. Who are you to say that she can't compete?"

Bill just shakes his head.

"For starters, there's more here than meets the eye. More than you're aware of. But c'mon Lorelei. You know this shit isn't kosher. Blue Oak JUST became Pokemon Champion an hour ago. Having to defend his title this soon… it's unprecedented."

Lorelei's lips thin out, and Bill knows he's hit the nail right on the head. The Ice Type Trainer isn't happy about any of this, but in the end, she just shrugs her bared shoulders.

"This whole situation is unprecedented, Bill. Hasn't been a new Pokemon Champion in eighteen years. And this will be the first new Champion since Kanto surrendered to Johto. Can't rightly say what is and isn't kosher, can we?"

… This was a distraction, one that Bill and Cam could scarcely afford. Belatedly, Bill comes to a realization that makes him feel like an idiot.

"You can't stop us anyways, can you? Red just got done thrashing you."

And there it is. Lorelei's turn to offer him a crooked smile and another shrug. Looking towards Cam, Bill nods.

"C'mon, Cam. We need to keep moving."

And with that, they race past Lorelei and into the next chamber.

There, Bruno sits on his ass, looking altogether nonchalant. His eyes light up in recognition at the sight of Bill, and his brow raises just as Lorelei's did at the sight of Cam and his Rocket flunkies. In the end though, he makes no move to stand, gracing Bill with a tired grin.

"Ya know, I think it might just be about time for me to retire. Not one, but two challengers in one day each with an Alakazam prepared to send my team into psychic stupors with blood coming out of their every orifice."

Bill winces, and if it were under any other circumstances, he might have more sympathy for Bruno. As it is, he recognizes that, same as Lorelei, the man can't stop them. Sure, he might be physically tougher than all of them, but they had fighting fit Pokemon. He did not.

"Sorry Bruno, but we're on something of a time table."

Bruno just grunts, as they move past him, ever onward.

The next room, however… well, even Bill wouldn't just run past Agatha without paying her some respect. And yet, she doesn't so much as notice him. She only has eyes for Cam.

"Ah, we meet again, Cam. Hm, I didn't expect to see you here. But then… today is full of surprises, isn't it?"

"… Yes."

Smiling, Agatha leans on her walking stick.

"How is my granddaughter, by the way? How is Daisy?"

Whoa, what? Did Cam and Daisy have some sort of thing? Bill's eyes ping pong back and forth between the two as both of Cam's flunkies cringe. Cam himself though, just nods his head.

"She's well."

"Good… that's good. You know, I was so proud when Blue came through here a little while ago. He's come a long way, hasn't he? To think I would live to see my great-grandson not only surpass me as a Pokemon Trainer… but also surpass everyone in Kanto. Hearing he took down Lance and became Champion… why, it was the happiest moment of this old lady's life."

Oh shit, there was a blood connection there, wasn't there? It was so easy to forget Agatha and Oak's old relationship, given their long estrangement. Fuck, they really didn't have time for this…

"That Red girl though… hm, I feel like I missed the boat on her. She was too young to spend much time with Daisy, and too old to spend much time with Blue… so I never really got to know her in all my visits to Pallet Town. She… seems like a different beast altogether. The way she took apart my team… it reminded me of someone else I thought long gone…"

Oak. She was talking about Oak. Not the cowardly Professor she thought she knew of the modern era, but the Pokemon Champion who had once ruled Kanto from on high. Red was his clone, albeit a female one with some Pokemon DNA as well. Bill's lips thin out, as Agatha sighs.

"Well… I do hope Blue manages to hold his own. But I can tell you all are here for something. Don't let me stop you… it's not as though I could, now is it?"

Even though she says that… Bill doesn't get the feeling it's true. Unlike Bruno or Lorelei… Bill wouldn't put it past Agatha to have another full team of Pokemon, hidden under that skirt of hers. Tch, still, it was precisely the opening he was looking for. Giving the old lady a wary glance, Bill jerks his head to Cam.

"We need to go, Cam."

And go they do, with Agatha's eyes on them all the way. Bill leads Cam out the door behind her, down the hall to the final room of the Elite Four… Lance's room.

As they step inside, the former Pokemon Champion and Dragon Type Trainer of no small amount of renown goes wide-eyed at the sight of them. However, just like Agatha, he only has eyes for Cam… more than that, unlike Agatha, Bill sees FEAR in Lance's eyes.

"What?! You again?! As if having to let that bastard of a Pokemon Professor pass by wasn't bad enough… Team Rocket, walking the halls of the Pokemon League Building itself! Can no one around here do their damn jobs?! Has no one even tried to stop you stinking terrorists?!"

"Lance! This isn't the time! We need to get to the Champion's Chamber, before it's too late!"

If you'd told Bill that he would be backtalking Lance like this just a few days ago, he would have laughed in your face. He liked his head on his body, thank you very much. But every second is precious. And even as Lance's eyes dart over to him and narrow, Bill… surprisingly isn't afraid. Maybe it's because he has Cam by his side. Or maybe it's because he knows that just like Lorelei, Bruno, and Agatha… Lance already lost to Oak's amalgamation of a Pokemon Trainer.

"Bill… you scheming bastard. If I had any fighting fit Pokemon left, I'd teach you and your Rocket allies a fucking lesson!"

Bill smiles a caustic smile at that, shaking his head.

"But you don't, do you? So you can get out of our way… or Cam can MAKE you get out of our way."

As expected, that makes the former Champion flinch away from them both, even as he scowls angrily, both at Bill and his own reaction to Bill's words.

"… Damn you all. Kanto rats…"

But he does indeed step aside… and with the final obstacle removed, Bill and Cam can finally race forward unopposed.

… Unfortunately, they're too late.

As Bill and Cam step into the final chamber of the Pokemon League, they're just in time to hear Professor Samuel Oak's voice, his tone one of forced cheer and grandfatherly warmth.

"Red!"

Beyond Professor Oak, one can see two people occupying the center of the Champion's Chamber. There's Oak's creation, his back-up that had taken the place of the original after it got lost in the woods and ostensibly died. 'Red'. The young woman stands there, looking back at Professor Oak. Meanwhile, across from her is Blue Oak, the boy… on his knees, tears down his face, his Pokemon obviously defeated.

Striding forward, Professor Oak beams happily.

"So, you've won! Sincerely, congratulations!"

There are, of course, cameras all over the place, even if the chamber is otherwise empty. A Champion Battle like this would have been broadcast across the Region. Bill wants nothing more than to race forward… but there's no point now.

"You're the new Pokemon League Champion! You've grown up so much since you first left with Charmander to work on the Pokedex."

Oak's words sound so practiced, plastic, and fake. Real showman-type shit. It's so blatantly obvious… from Bill's point of view, anyways. He knows that everyone watching will likely be eating this up. Sure, Samuel Oak was the coward who betrayed them all by turning Kanto over to Johto seemingly without a fight.

But in the past eighteen years, he'd been 'The Pokemon Professor!', quietly plodding his way along in the background, inventing things like the Pokedex that he was shelling to the whole Region with his words right now.

"Red, young lady… with this, you've finally come of age!"

It's the classic rags to riches tale, isn't it? Red wasn't a kid, not like Oak's original plan called for, but she was a young woman who had just turned eighteen this year. She'd gotten a late start on her Pokemon Journey, only to sweep the entire Region in just a few short months. It's obvious, to Bill and his genius intellect at least, precisely what Oak is doing. His stupid fucking master plan… it's all coming together.

The thing is, for Red's rags to riches story to be truly believed, to have it set in the hearts and minds of Kanto's residents… there needs to be a villain. It should have been Lance. But Lance was too easily beaten, wasn't he? In the end, the only one who had given Red any sort of a real fight… was Samuel Oak's own great-grandson.

… That bastard wouldn't dare, would he?

"Blue…"

Bill's heart damn near stops, as Oak turns to the defeated young boy. Blue's tear-streaked face turns to look at his great-grandfather, the man who he thinks is just his grandfather.

"I'm disappointed in you."

There's a snapping noise, and Bill looks to his left to see Cam standing there, shaking with rage. Did… did the young man just clench his fist so hard he broke a f-finger?!

"I cam as soon as I heard that you'd beaten the Elite Four. But, when I got here… you had already lost!"

No way. No fucking way.

"Blue, do you understand why you lost?"

Because you literally set a fucking robot clone on him! You made a lab experiment and unleashed her on the world, you bastard! Bill wants to say these things… but he can't bring himself to speak.

"You have forgotten to treat your Pokemon with love and trust. Without them, you will never become a Champ again!"

… It was all part of the narrative, still. Oak didn't believe a single word of his own shit that he was shoveling. That wasn't stopping the old man, however.

"Red. You understand that your victory was not just your own doing. The bond you share with your Pokemon is marvelous."

Clasping his hands behind his back, Oak suddenly breaks into a wide, grandfatherly grin.

"Red! Come with me!"

With that, he turns and leads the young woman to the Champion's Hall in the back of the chamber. The door closes behind them, as Bill watches wordlessly.

"I-I… I… I don't understand! G-Grandpa! Please, c-come back! I did everything you told me! I treated my Pokemon with l-love and respect! I did, I swear! Grandpa! GRANDPA!"

Bill cringes as Blue Oak has a full-blown breakdown in the middle of the Champion's Chamber. Luckily, a glance at all the unmanned cameras ringing the chamber shows the red lights have gone off. They're not broadcasting live anymore at least… though that's nothing but a small consolation prize, all things considered.

… They'd lost. They'd failed to get here in time. Oak's pet, 'Red', was the Pokemon Champion now and there wasn't anything any of them could do about it. Cam was strong. He might have been able to put a stop to this… but he wasn't an official Pokemon Trainer. He couldn't challenge the Elite Four like Red and Blue had done. He… he was just as powerless as Bill was.

He- Bill blinks, as Cam suddenly steps past him. He almost calls out to the young man, almost calls for him to stop. They needed to… they needed to retreat and regroup. They couldn't afford to be captured here. Couldn't afford to be caught like this, right? But Bill doesn't say a word. He just watches as Cam makes his way to the center of the chamber… and drops down to his knees in front of Blue.

"C-Cam? I…"

But the pink-haired Rocket just leans in and wraps the eleven year old boy in a hug. The youngest Champion in Kanto's history… and likely the shortest lived too. Bill's heart goes out to the kid, really it does. Blue… was nothing but another victim of Samuel Oak's hubris and arrogance. Just like his father.

Hugging him tightly, letting him sob it out into his shoulder without a care to how the child's tears are ruining his incredibly expensive suit, Cam speaks clearly and concisely.

"You did well."

Blue's sobbing only grows louder, as Bill watches in wonder one of the most emotionally stunted people he knows comfort Blue Oak.

… What was this feeling in Bill's chest? Hope? Resolve? Raw determination? Maybe… maybe all wasn't lost just yet. Maybe they still had a chance, somehow.

-x-X-x-

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