Proving Grounds - the Reunited

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

theoleung@sprint.ca

"Miss me?" Carter asked, arms crossed, admiring the scene. He smiled lightly, stepping into the room as his companions watched in awe and surprise.

"C-Carter…" Tim stammered, wondering why he was here, let alone how he found them with such random movement on their part. The one known as Carter was beside Des, the sniper sleeping peacefully.

"No time to talk," Carter told the other conscious Human in the room. He glanced towards the shotgun on the table, the nodded. "Get packed up, immediate evacuation time," he muttered, audible enough for Tim to hear. He was about to protest, but decided against that, taking Carter's word and beginning to clean up their mess. In the meantime, Carter withdrew a small com device from his belt, speaking into it. Static noise returned his command, though Tim could faintly make out the words. Approving, Carter belted the item, glancing towards Tim again, who was now tying up his shotgun to remain hidden.

"You two sure left behind a few bloody messes that were easy to trace," Carter joked lightly, pointing out towards what Tim believed to be the direction of the beach. Tim didn't reply, wondering how his companion could act so…casual…at a time like this.

"Desperate times calls for desperate measures," Tim replied softly, shouldering the weapon. Carter took Des' weapon of choice and shouldering that. He beckoned towards Des, Tim nodding and heading over to his unconscious form. The pair hefted their companion, Tim by the legs, Carter by the arms. The Pokémon watched silently, helpless to do anything.

"Our ride is waiting thou-…GET DOWN!" Carter ordered, cut off by something he heard. He quickly pushed Des, and with that, Tim back into the room as a Flamethrower attack ripped across the hallway they were suppose to evacuate to. "Well…so much for that…" Carter muttered, drawing a Damium OHSMG Feza 'Gangster' Submachine Gun from under his jacket, followed by another.

"I thought you don't do small arms," Tim replied dryly, considering the situation. Carter didn't reply, instead, threw Tim one of the one handed submachine guns and taking his com device with a free hand.

"I need some backup, wanna give it to me?" he spoke into the com device, getting a brief affirmative from the other side. He clipped the device again, pressing his back towards the wall, holding the SMG close. He glanced out, before retreating back into the room as another Flamethrower ripped across the room. "They're advancing, slowly, cautiously. I think they learned since their last encounter with you."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Tim replied bitterly, throwing the SMG back to Carter. He caught it, nodding as Tim removed the shotgun from its covering. "Now that I think about, you seem to be into Damium weapons a lot…"

"Damium weapons are easy to get a hold of, it's as simple as that," Carter answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "Come on…where are you…" The soldier glanced out and without remorse, opened fire with the pair of SMG, emptying the clips all too quickly. He quickly leaned back into the room, cursing at his lack of damage. "My aim is off…horribly…"

"The Feza is generally off target," Tim consolidated, siding up beside Carter and pumping his shotgun. He glanced towards the Pokémon. "Keep Des protected, alright?" They all nodded slowly, especially Klik. Rocky and Slasher were pretty useless in this case, being so close combat oriented. The distance would be suicidal to run. "Now, where's that back-up of yours?"

As if on cue, the back-up came, in a semi-spectacular display of glimmering light. A Bulbasaur appeared by the window of the room, and in her vines was a closed duffel bag. She tossed it to Carter, before falling over a bit, fatigued from the teleport.

"Hey, are you alright?!" Slasher questioned, rushing towards the fallen Bulbasaur, and helping her up gently with his claws. She nodded slowly, pressing closer to Slasher.

"Just…not used to teleporting…yet…" she replied, falling unconscious against the Sandslash's chest. It was almost apparent the Ground type blushed, though no one really noticed with the confusion. Carter was going through the bag quickly, taking out many parts and sliding over so Tim could cover the door.

"Er…when has a Bulbasaur been able to use Teleport…?" Tim asked, catching a Flash Bang tossed in his direction, as well as a Smoke Grenade.

"Psy is a special Bulbasaur," Carter plied, taking the parts and beginning to assemble them quickly and efficiently. "Fire support, blind them for a bit," Carter suggested to his companion, shaping the weapon he was assembling, though it wasn't clear what it was, yet. To pass time, and ensure their own safety in that matter, Tim did as suggested, throwing the Flash Bang out into the hallway. He plugged his ears as blaring noise and blinding light blasted across the hallway. The blast subsiding, Tim glanced out, seeing the Rocket members, dressed in police officer uniforms with a few Growlithe's by their side.

"They must have sealed up the area with those disguises…" Tim concluded, pulling back into the hallway and glancing towards Carter. The other soldier only nodded, finishing his weapon of choice. "A Gelanic SAR D34D 'Assassin' Assault Rifle?" Tim asked, surprised. "I never knew you could assemble those so quickly, yet alone use one."

"Times change," Carter replied, dipping his hand into the duffel bag and taking out a silencer, placing it at the tip of the barrel. His hand dipped back in, taking a Gelanic RG EXP01 Grenade Launcher from it an attaching it beneath the barrel.

"Okay, now you're scaring me," Tim muttered, though was relieved when Carter loaded the grenade launcher accessory with only a Smoke Grenade. He slammed the chamber down, the rifle prepped and ready. Carter stood up, glancing back at the Pokémon who guarded the unconscious trainer, as well as the weak Bulbasaur.

"A van is waiting for us at the entrance of the Pokémon Centre," Carter informed the group. "Rocky, Slasher, take Des. Klik, help Psy to the exit. Tim and I will be providing covering fire." The Pokémon nodded…reminiscent of previous missions. Carter turned his gave to Tim. "I'm rear guard," he told his companion, taking the Wild Fire shotgun from Tim and placing it in his duffel bag. A slight protest was halted when the shotgun was replaced by a pair of pistols from under Carter's jacket.

"SPT SHW 'Silencer' .45 Pistol," Tim whispered, identifying the pair and donning them without hesitation. Both pistols were silenced, and both were customized with extended clips. Tim nodded, seeing the need for stealth above all else - best not alert the real authorities of their presence until they were safely stowed away on the van. Tim nodded, agreeing silently, finding a little peace with the choice of weapons. Being point man, Tim threw out the Smoke Grenade he was handed prior, a screen to block their progress down the other side of the passageway. The smoke gathered enough to allow them to press out, though that idea was cut short when another Flamethrower cut right through the smoke, dissipating it and destroying their cover. "Well…so much for that…" Tim muttered, grenade-less now.

"If only we had a way to get through the walls of these rooms, travel from room to room safely behind the walls," Carter replied, tapping his knuckle against the wall they pressed their back against. "I'm sure the Rockets anticipated the current residence. It's still pretty early in the day, and the Trainers haven't started checking in to the rooms yet, so it's pretty empty up here." Tim thought of that for a second, and came up with their escape plan.

"And who says we can't punch through these walls?" Tim asked, standing up and throwing Carter one of the Silencer pistols. The Assault Rifle user caught it in surprise, wondering what went through Tim's mind. Tim approached the wall of the room, leading to an adjacent room opposite of where the pursuit was coming from.

"You can't possibly be serious about punching a hole through that wall…" Carter replied, unable to believe the plan. Tim glanced back, grinning.

"You better believe it," Tim answered, placing a fist against the wall, tapping it gently. He pulled his hand back, and then slammed his fist into the wall.

The wall crumbled like shattered glass, blasting outwards and throwing shrapnel to the opposite wall of the room they just punched into. Carter gasped in surprise, frightened by the sudden explosion of wall.

"I hope the staff doesn't mind," Tim replied, stepping through the newly made hole and beckoning for his companions to follow. Rocky and Slasher had no quarrel, seeing such power before, though the others were shocked for a moment before regaining their composure.

"We're going to need a LONG talk when we get to safety!" Carter shouted to his companion up ahead, following behind through the fissure in the wall, though it was clear he was regaining his optimism in the situation with the new development.

* * * * * *

Tim pressed his back against the wall, looking across the corner and seeing a pair of uniformed guards positioned by the stairs. There was a Growlithe by their side, as they secured the area. He beckoned for Rocky and Slasher to stop, needing a rest from carrying/dragging Des' unconscious form. Carter took rear guard, pointing his assault rifle back towards the hallway they were just in. Hopefully, if their pursuit was still going as slowly as they saw before, they would be far off.

"Down the stairs, and we break through the main hall," Carter told the head at the front of the chain, knowing where they were located. Tim glanced around the corner again, seeing one of the guards listening to one of his headsets, probably for communication. Something urgent seemed to have come up, though Tim wasn't sure.

"Carter, Smoke Grenade, up front and centre," Tim told his other Human friend, beckoning him forward. Carter didn't protest, stepping forward and bouncing the Smoke Grenade from his rifle out into the next passageway. In the meantime, Tim took the only Pokéball with a Pokémon in it from Des' belt. The smoke began to emerge from the canister, blocking the view, and - of course - getting the attention of the guards. With enough cover, Tim release Blaster from his Pokéball, behind the guise of smoke.

"Hydro Pump, straight down the hall," Tim told the Blastoise. The Water type found it a bit odd, seeing as Tim wasn't his trainer. However, he nodded, taking under Des' request to help out his companions if he was ever going to rekindle the relationship between them. Levelling the pair of cannons, he took aim, spraying the hallway with high pressure water. A cry of panic plus the sound of tumbling something got Tim to move, taking a deep breath and rushing through the smoke, pistols drawn, though both guards were sufficiently 'shoved' down the stairs. The rest followed behind, Tim not waiting for them and rushing down the stairs to blaze a path. He was satisfied by a pair of guards and their Growlithe sprawled over another pair and their Growlithe, all dazed. That satisfaction disappeared with the appearance of more guards and Growlithe's into the entrance.

"Go, get to the van!" Carter shouted from behind, firing a Concussion Grenade into the crowd and dazing them from the result. Tim was about to break through, though that honour was taken by a pair of Pokémon.

A Hitmonchan knocked the first pair of guards with a strong tackle, followed by grabbing another pair and placing them in a headlock, pulling them away as they struggled meekly. The Growlithe group was handled by an Eevee, using Head Butt on the first one and promptly soaking the next Growlithe with a Water Gun attack. The group at the entrance dispersed. Shouts and orders were all around now when the escaping group hit the floor, as panicking Trainers and their Pokémon retreated or face the wrath of collateral damage. The 'officers' were trying to organize themselves, not expecting the fight to come here.

"Ripper, take Des and escort him to the van!" Carter shouted to the Hitmonchan, who nodded in acknowledgement. He collected Des from the pair of Rocky and Slasher, taking the arm over his shoulder and tugging along on the unconscious Human. "Void, flank guard!" The Eevee responded by using Agility across the room and keeping some confused guards distracted and tied up.

"Rocky, Rollout!" Tim ordered, taking a pot shot at the guards who seemed threateningly able to do some harm. The Graveller did as ordered, curling up into a ball and blasting forward, bowling over a few guards and blazing a trail for Ripper and Des to get home free. The rest of the group wasn't far behind. The confusion gave enough time for the escaping group to rush out the door, where they saw Ripper opening the door to a black, unmarked van outside. He placed/threw Des in, as Rocky leaped aboard, the second on one. Ripper followed next, leaving a few stragglers. Klik was next in line, and then Psy and the Pokémon now escorting her, Slasher, both covered by Tim who was walking backwards, picking off targets with his pistols. He recalled Blaster to his Pokéball before heading into the van. Carter still had rear guard.

"Void, move it! We're getting out of here!" Carter shouted to the Eevee, though it wasn't clear if the Pokémon heard or not. It did become apparent, when the Eevee back flipped off one of the entanglement participant and then disappeared from existence. In the next instance, the Eevee was right beside Carter, hitting a pouncing Growlithe with a Faint Attack combined with the speed of an Agility attack. The Fire type soared backwards and into another 'officer', Void landing gracefully.

"Er…thanks," Carter told the Eevee, and telling him to get into the truck, Carter quickly closing the door and going to the other side, slotting himself in front of the wheel and gunning the pedal, the gas still on since he started this extraction process. He threw his assault rifle to Tim, who was in the shotgun seat at the front. Tim needed not an explanation, glancing at the open space between the s eats and seeing another duffel bag of items. He dipped into the supply and pulled out a High Explosive grenade, opening the grenade launcher of the rifle and loading it. The ex-special forces leaned out the window, taking aim for any pursuing vehicles that may come. He made sure to keep the weapon hidden, of course, until it was needed.

* * * * * *

Tim emptied the unused grenade into the duffel bag, leaning back against the van chair, breathing hard. Carter was concentrating on driving to their destination, giving Tim time to relax from sentry duty.

The sentry glanced back towards the Pokémon and lone Human in the back, analyzing the condition. Ripper sat in a corner, meditating, and it seemed like Rocky was doing the same. Klik was by Des' side, waiting patiently for his wakening. Void joined his Eevee 'brother' at waiting, silently watching, and silently waiting. That leaves one more pair, the pair of Slasher and Psy, who were chattering softly in the corner, away from the rest of the group as possible. It made Tim wonder…

"Well, here we are," Carter spoke, getting the attention of all. Tim gazed back forward, seeing them approaching the pier with a small ferry docked to it. There was a guard by the entrance who glanced up at the approaching van. Carter ducked his head out the window and gave a thumbs-up, getting one in return. The sentry stepped out of the way, letting Carter drive the vehicle on. Behind them, the platform slowly raised, blocking their entrance, though Tim felt comfortable and safe within the confines, especially since it would prove difficult to pursue over the sea. One of the crew members approached the van.

"We'll be approaching base in a few hours, might as well relax for a bit," he told Carter. The companion of Carter glanced into the van, seeing the unconscious Human. "And I think we better fix him up." Carter and Tim turned their gaze towards Des, nodding with the fact. They both departed from the van, knowing they would have to do something over the next few hours - it was going to be a long wait.

* * * * * *

Des slowly aroused from his slumber. He tried to sit up on instinct, but a sharp pain up his chest stopped him from such. He groaned in pain, flopping back down on the bed below him.

"Des!" a familiar voice exclaimed as another body leaped onto the bed. The sniper glanced up, seeing his partner, Klik, on the bed as well, overjoyed. The Flareon snuggled up against his trainer. Des, chuckled a little, wrapping an arm around Klik's body and pulling his companion close. The Trainer glanced towards the table of the room, seeing his Pokéball with Blaster on it. "Hey, Des, I'd like you to meet someone," Klik told his partner. Des sat up a little, trying to get a better look as another form leaped onto the bed, an Eevee.

"…hi…" the Eevee spoke, sort of emotionless, possibly just shy, though Des couldn't really tell.

"This is Void, and he works for Carter," Klik informed Des. The Trainer nodded, leaning back a bit, but then processed the information.

"Carter!" he exclaimed, bolting up, but the pain shoved him back down onto the bed as he cringed.

"I wouldn't try that again…" Void told Des, glancing away and trotting off the bed. "The doctor said you should rest and wait until we get back to base, where we can get better treatment for your injuries." Though not without silent protest, Des quieted down from the pain he experienced and just lay there, knowing he would be bored for a long time.

* * * * * *

Rocky slowly opened his eyes, seeing himself still in the back of the van, devoid of anyone else aside from Ripper, who was also still meditating. The Rock type was about to leave as well, but was stopped by the other Fighting type.

"It is a long ride, just relax and meditate," Ripper suggested, opening his eyes momentarily to glance at the other in the van. A protest from Rocky was cut short, seeing as there was little else to do right now, he decided at that, sitting down again and focussing.

* * * * * *

"How are you feeling?" Slasher asked the female Bulbasaur. The Grass type nodded slowly, feeling better since before, pulling a bit closer to the Ground type.

"I've felt better, but I'm recovering," Psy answered, leaning herself against Slasher, though neither felt uncomfortable at all. "Thank you…" The Sandslash nodded slowly, knowing the Bulbasaur could sense out his thoughts. Once more, she drew slightly closer, enjoying the warmth of the Ground type against her body, sensing for the first time from someone…something beyond friendship…

* * * * * *

Tim buckled the pair of holsters behind his back, placing the pair of silenced, extended clip 'Silencer' pistols into the new locations. His pistol count was now five and one shotgun, reminiscent of pervious adventures he had. The ex-special forces stepped up beside Carter, who was waiting outside the bridge, assault rifle slung over shoulder. Tim nodded his ready.

With that, the pair entered the room, getting a few glances from various crew members, though they quickly returned to work after glancing out. The one person who kept his gaze was the captain, who saluted them. The pair returned the gesture, standing at attention.

"At ease, soldiers," the captain spoke, glancing towards the pair, then the newcomer. "So, you're the one Carter speaks so highly of…or…at least one of them…where's the other one of your trio, Carter?"

"He got injured in a prior…mission…before we evacuated them," Carter answered briskly, not breaking stride despite the pause. The captain grunted, looking up and down Tim.

"And this is your star hacker?" the Captain remarked, looking up and down the soldier again. "Doesn't look like the type."

"That's because I'm the demo man, sir," Tim answered, not breaking his gaze at the captain while responding. "The third of our party is the hacker expert. I just blow everything to smithereens." Once more, the Captain grunted.

"I don't see what kind of great team this is," he remarked, obviously directed to offend them. "Your hacker is injured even before the mission began. You disappoint me…"

"With all due respect, SIR…, we can take anything you throw at us," Tim challenged, taking the bait from the Captain. In response, the cap grinned, springing his trap.

"Get the man in the infirmary a laptop, let's see if he can hack it," the Captain told one of the officers on the deck. A quick salute, and that officer was off. The Captain returned his gaze towards Tim. "I'm Captain Weisman, the one in charge of this sorry crew of slugs. I must say, from what was transmitted from your extraction process, you handled yourself well. And you have guts to stand up to me, unlike a lot of these spineless worms. We'll see if your hacker friend can make the cut for it as well."

"I'll guarantee he'll hack anything," Tim replied, getting an agreement from Carter. The Captain smirked, though it was a friendly one.

* * * * * *

Des was now sitting up straight, back pressed against the bed frame, a laptop in his lap, connected to the mainframe of the ship. Tim and Carter were near by, as were Klik and Void, watching the sniper work intently on his computer.

"None of our top hackers could crack that code, so, I recruited you to open it up for us," Carter told Des, though the sniper didn't seem to hear. Without a response, Carter turned to Tim. "And you, my friend, well…it's been so long. We should be working together again for old times sake."

"For old times sake, yes…" Tim answered, sighing softly. He took out his wallet and flipped it open towards the picture of himself and her. He gazed at the photo, remembering, not wanting to return to the battlefield, but ended up as such.

"Eh, no problem to hack!" Des spoke aloud, getting the attention of all. The other Humans quickly rushed over, seeing the classified information on the Team Rock mainframe.

"Good job, old friend," Carter answered, preparing to message the communications officer on deck.

"I'm not that old, old man," Des answered, getting a chuckle from the trio. "Actually, it was relatively easy to hack, considering part of the algorithms were mine, so I just cracked that, and the rest of the system eventually fell apart."

"Pays to have an ex-Team Rocket on our team, especially one that made the TR network," Tim joked, semi-seriously. "Find Ryna for me." Des did as asked, while Carter made his status report. In a matter of seconds, the field of search was narrowed onto the Trilands, though nothing was specified aside from the three facilities on the continent that Team Rock controlled.

"We got the location for each, so we can assume she's in one of them," Des told Tim, who nodded slowly. The ex-special forces soldier was glad to have narrowed the field so much already, he just wished he knew which one. Upon hearing the news, Carter sent another report, and was quickly answered. Shutting of the com, he gave Tim the news he wanted to hear.

"We're going to be taking one of the bases down," Carter told the remaining pair. "And Captain Weisman has given our team permission to search the facility before we blow it. Let's make the chance count, team." The word 'team' rang through the trio like a nostalgic bell.

Fin