Rose signing on.

For those who insist on me doing this, I don't own Pokemon! Now! On to the good stuff!

“Uh…” Oh… my head…

I felt on my head for the place the pain was coming from. When I touched the knot on the back of my head I winced in pain. I must’ve fallen on my head.

Fallen?

My eyes started to adjust to the dark. As I look around I knew I was in trouble. My emergency kit was missing.

At least my bag is still on my back.

As I stood up I leaned against a tree for support. The bump was making me feel dizzy.

When the sensation had passed I started walking. I had no clue where I was. I decided that the only way to get out of here and away from the place that Ashley will come back to and kill me at.

After several minutes of wandering aimlessly I had almost given up hope. With my feet still moving one in from of the other, my mind wandered from my feet.

Why am I alive? What happened to Celebi? And Ashley?

All I remember is that bullet coming closer… then nothing.

How am I going to get out of this forest…?

Will Ashley be waiting for me when I get out? Yes. Without a doubt in my mind she would have enough backup that an entire army would be dead before they even had time to react. That was for certain.

And most importantly, how am I going to stay alive?

What’s that?

My head straightens and my eyes become alert.

What is that? That… sound?

It’s… it’s laughter!

There was a glow from a fire that playing peek-a-boo between the leaves.

Was it safe? It could be a trap set by Team Rocket.

With great caution, I crept to as close to the leaves as I dared.

With the light of the fire in my eyes all I could see were the shadows of three figures.

They’re too few in numbers to be members of Team Rocket. They must be travelers. And they must be brave to be laughing as if they were free. They would be able to help me!

I step out of the forest, quickly, but quietly, to the nearest figure I could see.

A young boy.

With hesitation, I interrupted the group’s conversation.

“Excuse me young man, are you three travelers?”

I must’ve given him a scare, because he turned to look at me with big, brown eyes.

“Sure, if you want to call us that. In a way we are. We’re actually Pokemon trainers.”

Trainers?

At the next moment I was on the ground with someone on top of me.

“You’rethemostbeautifulwomanI’veeverseenandmyname’sBrockanddoyouhaveaboyfriend?”

As I try to push this Brock off at the same time someone is hitting him with a mallet.

“BROCK! Get off of her and be a gentleman for once! Can’t you see she’s been lost in the woods!”

“Pikachu…” I look and see a Pikachu sitting next to Ash, sighing a mushroom cloud.

The other boy gave a small laugh. “Gee Misty, cool down. She’s alright, aren’t you miss?”

He gets up and helps me to my feet.

“By the way, I’m Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and I’m training to be a Pokemon Master. And this is Pikachu.”

“Pika pika!” he gave me a peace sign.

Misty, who was still hammering Brock, suddenly stopped to give me a sweet smile. “I’m Misty and I’m training to become a Water Pokemon Master.”

“And I’m Brock. I’m trying to be an expert Pokemon breeder.” Said the voice underneath Misty’s foot.

Ash Ketchum?! No! It can’t be!

I look at him with suspicion. I pull him closer to the fire. I need a good look at him.

I had seen his picture several times, so I knew what I had to look for.

Black hair… brown eyes…

My eyes widen in horror. “You ARE Master Ketchum!”

“Master Ketchum?” He gives me a funny look.

I look at the girl and put my hand over my mouth.

It can’t be! Madam…

“Madam, please be merciful on me! I never wanted to go against you word! It was the rebels that tried to get me to go against Team Rocket!”

“Team Rocket? What about them?” She then grew a dark look… that familiar look. “Are you a member? Tell us! Because if you are we’re going to get Officer Jenny!”

I stagger back at her yelling and trip over a log.

“Miss! Are you ok?!” Brock asked as the tried to help me up.

Oh… my head is killing me again…

I must have blacked out.

@---}-----

“Thorn.”

“Yes Madam?”

“Meet with me, now.”

“Yes, Madam. Right away.”

Darkness, and cold, is all I feel as I make my way to her office. It’s way I feel everyday. I pass people in dark clothes. Some with a smug look; those who are truly Team Rocket members, and were proud of it. The others, although they all wear the same clothes, had the looks of deep sadness.

I ride the only elevator to her office.

*Bing*

This is her floor. As I enter into her familiar office I look at her now familiar pictures. A lot of Pokemon, some in battles and some in their natural habitat, and the very few that aren’t Pokemon are people. No one knows who they are except Madam. The one that always intrigues me the most is the picture of a young man with black hair and brown eyes. In this picture he has a look of determination. I feel like I’m connected with him because of that. I’ve never asked Madam where her pictures came from, I don’t ask questions. I just do what I’m told to.

I open one door of the double doors and enter to see her.

She sat in her chair, her hands steepled, and her eyes closed. But even with her eyes closed she still gives me the willies.

“Madam, you called for me.”

“Yes, I did. I called you up here because I have an assignment for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You know as well as anyone in Team Rocket that almost all captured Pokemon are destroyed and all wild Pokemon are dead, except one. You know which one.”

“Celebi.”

“Yes. And that is your assignment, to find and destroy Celebi.”

I bow low. “Yes Madam. Right away.”

But before I could leave she stops me.

“Thorn, one more thing.”

I turn to face her once more. “Yes Madam?”

“As you know Ashley is now old enough to be a Grunt, so I’m going to assign her to be one of your assistants in your field.”

“Yes Madam, it’ll be an honor.”

She gives a small smile.

“You may go Rose.”

She called me by my first name? “Thank you… Madam.”

No matter what, I could never call her by her first name.

And there is the end of another part ladies and gentlemen. I hope you continue on to the next part of this exciting adventure I'm conjuring up. Comments welcome and I hope they're the good kinds.

See you in the next part!

Rose signing off.

Rose signing on.

As usual, I don’t own Pokemon, blah blah blah, Wizards of the Coast does, blah blah blah, but I don’t, blah blah blah, so don’t sue me cause all I have is a couple of bottle caps (sorry James, you’ll have to fight me for them) and some Pokemon cards (my ever expanding collection). But I do own Professor Rose Thorn, her Pokemon nicknames, and anything else I think of as I go along with this exciting adventure. I hope you like it as much as I have been while writing it! And now! On to the story and the adventure! Mhahahahaha!

"Uck! What a disgusting overrun forest!" Came a voice ahead of me.

Yes it was apparent that the forest was full of life. But at the same time it was not. Besides the sounds of leaves crunching and twigs snapping from being stepped on, it was dead quiet.

Not a sound in the forest, which is strange for any forest. But I failed to notice the silence; I was accustomed to it.

But it was different twenty years ago. This same forest was probably full of the sounds of Pokemon. It was safe then.

I swallowed a sigh before it could escape, but I do sigh inwardly.

"Professor!" A call came, interrupting my thoughts. "Professor Thorn over here!" It was one of my assistants, my newest one, Ashley Ketchum. I give a small shutter at the name.

As soon as I see her I jog towards her. She had an excited look on her face.

“Professor Thorn, look!” She points to a clearing just beyond a few trees. What I see next took my breath away. In the middle of the clearing was a single red rose. And what excites me more was a trail of even more flowers, leading to the end of the clearing and into the far side of the forest.

I absentmindedly put my hand into my pocket and fingered my gold fairylike necklace. It's true! It IS true!

Can I trust Ashley? Yes, she has been with me long enough for me to trust her. I turn to Ashley and put my hands on her shoulders.

"Ashley, go to the jeep and bring the emergency kit. And Ashley?" She looked at me with big brown eyes as she suddenly stopped.

"Bring my bag."

She nodded, knowingly, and then disappeared into the forest.

I close my eyes and then this time I do sigh.

I knew what I had to do. Even though I was sent to destroy the only wild Pokemon left on the planet, I knew I could not do that. I had to capture it in order to save Pokemon kind. Or at least... what's left.

I shake my head, anger arising within myself. I could be put to death for this. If anyone besides my most trusted assistants found out I even kept Pokemon, not only would I be put to death, so would my Pokemon.

But I don't know how I'm supposed to do it without facing her. She would never put up with the thought of having one of her most loyal subjects keeping pocket monsters.

I close my eyes tightly. She will surely destroy me. If not her, he will...

"Professor?" I look up at Ashley and give a weak smile. She holds up the kit and my favorite red bag in one hand and makes a peace sign with her other hand. "No sweat!" I grab the items from her and put my bag on my back.

"Tell the other assistants where I went ok?

"Sure Professor." I smile then turn and run along the path of flowers. They continued into the forest, several different flowers in every color imaginable. After several minutes the forest grew thicker and the path of flowers ended.

I don't understand... how could it just disappear? As I thought this several more flowers grew up from the ground and then went into full bloom. I smile. It had just passed minutes ago. But I knew I would never find it by following a trail that is just now appearing. I had to look for it myself.

But how am I going to find it without a trail leading to it?

I was thinking hard for several minutes when I noticed the smell of flowers. From the trail of flowers, obviously.

No, wait! Am I sure it’s the flowers? What if it was the Pokemon that made the flowers?

I smile. So I do have a path, just not a visual one.

When I came to the new end of the flowers I started to follow the fragrance.

It was a beautiful aroma. Even more wonderful than the very hard-to-find perfume made by Erika herself, which I was lucky enough to know someone that actually has a small bottle.

After several minutes the smell disappeared. And with no flowers to follow I’m at a dead end.

“Oh...”

No! I can’t believe it! It’s gone, and my only chance is gone with it...

I drop to the ground and tears start to fall. Why am I like this? Why do I care about Pokemon so much that I want to put my life on the line for them?

All I know is I love them too much to see them go extinct...

*Glow*

What...? What is that...?

I look up and see a glow disappear behind a tree.

Was that... the Pokemon?

I get up from the ground and carefully step to the tree. As I look behind it a breath catches in my chest. There it is. There on the ground was a glow so bright that I couldn't’ even see the Pokemon. But I knew what it was.

“Celebi...” And its head pops up at my voice and it spots me. But strangely enough, it doesn’t move.

“Celebi, I need to battle and capture you, it isn‘t safe for Pokemon any more.” I get into my battle position, but Celebi doesn’t move. It just keeps looking at me.

“Put that Pokeball down on the ground Professor!”

I turn around and see Ashley.

“Ashley? What are you doing here?”

“I‘m here to stop you from capturing Celebi by destroying it.”

I finally understand now. Celebi wasn’t looking at me; she was looking past me at Ashley, the larger threat. “So that’s why your mother put you on my team of scientist, to spy on me.”

A smirk appears on her face. “Mother was suspicious of your loyalty to Team Rocket. And it appears she was right.”

“But you can’t stop me, even if you’re on my team, you’re still a Grunt.”

“True, that is the law. But Mother has made this case special. When she found out you true colors, through me, she announced on live TV that anyone that sees you must shoot on sight.” She then raises a gun level to my head. “There is also a reward of 3,000 Gold Rocket Chips to anyone that brings in the body. And I intend on getting that money.”

“Please don’t Ashley…”

She smirks once more. “Too late Rose.” And I hear the blast of the gun as the bullet races toward my head.

Then… nothing…

So? Whacha think? Is it good? Tell me honestly. I hope you like it, ‘cause I do! Please send any comments on any of the parts. I want to improve on my writing skills and I can’t do it without your advice. Just place your comments and/or flames (winces at the last word) in the appropriate places and everything will be peachy keen! And thanks for your part in this adventure! Hope to see you for the next part!

Rose signing off.