The Search for Celebi
By: Misty101803
Category: TR

Author's Note: This was in fact an entry in the Guess the Author contest held periodically on TPT Forums and I thought I should submit it here as well. This story was written in December 2005.

When it comes to being in Team Rocket, it's not all it's cracked up to be. At least that is what Mark had been thinking over the past few weeks. He'd been demoted too many times over the past month for simple mistakes, and now he was really starting to get annoyed by it.

"Watch where you're going, Grunt!" another more burly member yelled in disgust as Mark accidentally ran into him. Mark had just been contemplating the prospect of somehow finding a way to go into hiding and finally leave Team Rocket for good, but alas, he couldn't figure out how to make it work.

"Uh, sorry sir!" He bowed deeply, waiting for him to leave so he could just get on with his life.

"Yeah, you better be sorry." The other Rocket sneered and pushed his head hard, forcing him to fall to the ground. "Get back to work, Grunt, and never bother me again!"

"...Yes...sir." Mark was defeated. 'Was there even a reason to get off the floor anymore?' Mark thought to himself. 'What was the point in still being in Team Rocket when this stuff happens to me...'

"Hey, if you don't get off the ground, you'll have people walking all over you your entire life," Mark heard a soft voice say from above. He turned his head to see a young Rocket girl standing over him; she was a Grunt as well, he could see.

"Yeah well people have been walking all over me for my entire life already. This is no different."

"If you keep thinking like that, you won't have a reason to live."

"No I have a reason to live, and if I could only leave Team Rocket then I could fulfill my real dreams.

"What are--?"

"Not important right now." Mark got up from off the floor and brushed himself off.

"I could help you with that."

"Oh really, and just how will you do that?"

"I'm going on a mission; a really dangerous one that might even get me killed, but if you come with me and help me complete it, I'll help you escape Team Rocket, for good."

"Tell me more."

"Not here. Let's go to my room." Mark followed the girl back to her room, never talking once on the way there. Once inside, she locked the door, and took off her hat to reveal long purple hair, which flowed back down to Earth as soft as the wind.

"Alright. I was given the mission of finding a Legendary Pokémon and capture it to bring back to Giovanni."

"And only you were chosen for this mission?!"

"Yeah well, I'm not as weak as you may think I am. I have the firepower and all I need you to do is help me with the capture."

"And you'll help me leave Team Rocket if I do?"

"Exactly. So, will you do it?"

"Yes, of course; whatever you need, I'm there. Anything to get me out of Team Rocket for good."

It was starting to warm up, now that the fire was drawn. Mark sat next to it, warming his hands, while Julie got ready for the hunt once more.

"Tell me again why we have to do this at night in a creepy forest?"

"Because for one, that's were the Pokémon is and two, it'll be easier to capture in the dark since it'll be easly scared and won't know where to turn. Plus those traps we set will come in handy if we can corner it into one of them. Now let's go already. We've almost got it, I can feel it."

Mark got up from the campfire, picked up his tranquilizer gun, slipped on his backpack, and then with a nod to Julie, set off once more tonight to try to find that elusive Pokémon that meant the key to victory for Team Rocket: Celebi.

After spending several days setting traps, mapping out the area and getting prepared, tonight was the night all of it was put into action.

"How much farther do we--"

"Shh!...I see it," she whispered. She and I had our nightvision goggles on and she pointed out where it was. Sure enough, I could see a small Celebi sitting high up in a nearby tree, apparently sleeping. "What are you waiting for? Shoot it." Mark lifted the tranquilizer gun towards Celebi and aimed it carefully before--

BANG!! The gun off, but unfourtunately missed by mear centimeters. The Celebi instantly woke up, startled by the sound, and before Mark could shoot again, took off, flying through the woods.

"Well let's get a move on!" Julie started to run through the trees with Mark a few steps behind trying to keep up with Julie and keeping his sights on the Celebi as well.

The chase ensued for several more minutes before the Celebi knew that if it didn't do something soon, it'd all be over for it. It let out a shrill cry as if in terrible pain and all the trees around it glew with an ominous light. Both Julie and Mark had no idea what was going on, but were not about to let this opportunity pass them by.

A sound of bells ringing instantly started up and it was hard to concentrate on eveyrthing happening around them. Mark was finding it especially difficult trying to follow Julie's orders of "Keep up!" or "Shoot now!"

The Celebi popped into a nearby clearing and rose up higher into the canopy of trees. Julie burst through first, followed close by Mark.

"Give me that gun, now!" Julie grabbed the gun forcefully as waitied to see if Julie would prevail over the Celebi this time.

The light all around them became a blinding light and both the Rockets were temporarily blinded since they had the night vision goggles still on. They both ripped them off and tried to see, but to no avail.

Another shrill cry from the Celebi and seconds later, the bells stopped, the light dimmed and their eyesight was once again restored. Julie instantly put the goggles back on and scanned the surrounding. After a few passes through the area, she swore loudly at the neighboring trees.

After calming down a bit, she turned back to Mark, who was just standing there waiting to see what she'd say next.

"Don't even think this means you're off the hook either! There's still at least one Legendary Pokémon left in this forest, and we're not leaving until we capture it. Once we do that, you can leave and I'll just tell them you were killed in the process."

Mark, annoyed that they weren't able to capture Celebi, which meant of course he was still stuck with Julie for the time being, sighed and nodded in agreement.

"And what Pokémon is that?"

"Why the embodiment of the North Wind of course--Suicune!"

'This is going to be a long month,' Mark thought to himself.

So there you have it; my rather short first TR fic. The reason it is rather short, compared to my other stories, is that at the time I didn't think I'd want to post it here afterwards, but it was the longest Guess the Author entry I've written, and since I've never posted a TR story either, I decided to post this. Tell me what you thought about it if you like. Gotta Catch Ya Later! Misty101803 signing off.