Disclaimer: Though it is my strong belief that the series would improve should I become the owner of all the copyrights, I must unfortunately admit that I have neither to money, nor the connections required for such a wishful thought to come true.
Rating: PG-13 (let’s face it, it’s about Team Rocket, a criminal organization)
Category: Team Rocket
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Before the
Fight, Kane’s Side
By WeirdDutchGuy, swampthing1132[at]hotmail[dot]com
Chapter
Three: A Daring Escape
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The pursuit had been going on for a while now, and Kane was getting increasingly annoyed with the police’s persistence. Add to that Jack’s complaints about his driving, and it made him quite moody, on a day that already started out bad. He growled as he gripped the wheel harder and jerked it left, the truck skidding through yet another sharp corner.
“Blasted country roads, those hicks should learn how to properly pave them!” He cursed at no one in particular. The sirens of the pursuing squad cars were just as load as before, signaling another failed attempt at losing them. “Jack, there’s another straight end coming up, could you actually shoot one this time?!”
“I would if you kept driving in a straight line! My bruises have bruises!” Jack yelled over the engine sounds and the sounds of frightful cries coming from the cages. He lined up his gun again, hoping a sudden bump wouldn’t throw his aim off again. The closest police car slowed down to create more space, but it wouldn’t matter. Jack grinned as he squeezed the trigger. As his arms shook with the recoil the bullet pierced the front right tire of the braking car, causing it to spin out of control and block almost the entire road when it stopped right in the middle. The blockade caused a chain collision, with several squad cars piling up on it.
“I think that should be enough!” He yelled to the front, where Kane smirked, satisfied at yet another successful escape. But it didn’t last, as Jack let loose a barrage of cusses when Officer Jenny’s motorcycle sped around the mountain of cars. Kane slowed the truck, keeping a close look at Jenny in his mirrors.
“What the hell are you doing Kane? She’s catching up!” Jack asked in surprise. Kane just continued at a slow pace, eyes glued to the mirror. Jenny was surprised at first, but soon started to try and get in front of the truck, bringing her beside it. Kane chuckled as he slammed his foot on the accelerator and turned the wheel towards Jenny. The Officer hardly had any time to brace herself as the truck roughly bumped her off the road, motorcycle and all.
“Oh, I see. Heheh, nice move!” Jack laughed as he closed the canvas cover, having no need to peer out the back anymore. He eyed the Pokémon, who were moving as far back as the cages would allow. Yes, the boss would pay generously for their loot. The day was almost spoiled, but successful in the end. Pulling out a tranquilizer he moved closer to the cages. They couldn’t risk the Pokémon escaping.
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“The nerve of that guy! Running me off the road like that!” Officer Jenny complained as she got up after falling off the motorcycle. She wasn’t hurt too bad, not as bad as some of the officers in the cars. This was certainly not her day, losing two of the most wanted criminals in the neighborhood as well as several cars, a motorcycle, and some good policemen for a few weeks. And most of all, they failed to recover even a single of the stolen Pokémon in the truck.
“Come on, pick up…” She said as she glared impatiently at her cell phone. “Hi, it’s Jenny. Listen, those Rockets you told me about, they’re heading your way… I know, but they slipped past me… Yes, and could you do me one more favor? … Send an ambulance and a few tow trucks… Yes, a few as in more than one. There’s been a pile up. Good luck with those Rockets, they’re armed and willing to use force. Jenny out.”
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Jack made his way into the cabin of the truck as the shaky ride continued. Just as he attempted to sit down the truck hit a ditch and caused him to bump his head into the ceiling. “Aw! Oh for crying out loud Kane, they’re no longer on our tail. You can slow down now.” He said as he rubbed his head.
“Hmm… they might not be behind us, but I bet they’ll be setting something up ahead. Did you secure the cages?” Jack grunted at his partner’s response, and noticed the truck wasn’t slowing down. “We might have to punch our way through a blockade later on, it would be a shame if we lost cargo because of that, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I tied them all down. No movement whatsoever.” He said before reviewing the day’s events. “You know, those kids had some pretty strong Pokémon for a bunch of beginners. If only we covered the hole up better, they might’ve fallen for it. The boss would love those Pokémon.”
“We should be glad with what we
did get. If we noticed the police one minute later we would’ve had to leave
empty handed, or even get caught. The boss will have to do with the ones we
got. And even if he doesn’t we’ll have enough prizes to last the Game Corner
for another week or so.” Kane reasoned as he kept up the speed. They had to get
to Celadon as fast as possible, but it meant going through
“Starting the Game Corner must’ve been our best idea ever.” Jack smirked as the thought of the casino in Celadon. “I mean, not only does it bring in the cash big time, but it’s a brilliant cover for our main base too. I’m surprised we didn’t get promoted right off the bat.”
“Snap out of the day dream Jack,
and look ahead.” Kane growled as he shifted into a higher gear and sped up.
Ahead was
“Stop the truck now! This is the police!” One of the officers yelled through a megaphone before running away in terror as the truck almost ran him over. Kane didn’t notice the spike strip until he ran over it, but it didn’t slow him down as the truck kept going on flat tires, pushing aside the car blocking his side of the road. The truck almost spun out of control as Kane battled the wheel to keep it going straight.
“Blast it, get out of the way!” He yelled while he sounded the horn only moments before he continued over the sidewalk where people buried themselves into porches or dived onto the road to avoid the truck’s bumper. The police cars that made up the blockade quickly pursued the rampaging vehicle. Kane quickly steered back onto the road, but with great difficulty as the truck pretty much steered itself due to the popped tires. Looking in the right mirror – as the left had been smashed off against a wall – Kane saw the cars were catching up. “Jack, deal with them!”
“Got it.” Jack replied as he made his way into the back of the truck again. Pulling out his gun, he opened the canvas cover to take aim, but the truck swerved dangerously, knocking him into the side. The collision made him drop the weapon and he watched wide eyed as it clattered onto the pavement.
“So far for that idea.” He muttered as he looked around for anything else that could serve as a deterrent. He smirked as he eyes fell on the cages.
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“Look, that guy’s threatening to toss a Pokémon at us!” The driver of the pursuing squad car exclaimed as he watched Jack lift a cage above his head in the back of the truck before making throwing motions suggesting he’d throw it if they got closer. “Do we keep going or do we abort pursuit?”
“We keep going, he won’t dare throw that. It would make his record look even worse.” The officer next to him replied. The driver gulped as he kept up the speed and watched for the criminal’s reaction. To their great surprise Jack actually tossed the cage at the car. The heavy metal collided with the windscreen, breaking it before knocking the wind out of the driver, who lost control and crashed the car into a building.
“Ha-ha-ha, how do you like that, copper?!” Jack screamed as he saw the effect of his action. He looked back behind him and opened another cage. He pulled out the sleeping Pokémon and stuffed it in another occupied cage. Just like he had done with the cage he threw earlier. He couldn’t toss away the loot, but he could toss the wrapper. Picking up the now empty cage, he headed back to the opening to see if any other cars wanted to share the fate of the last one. Hopefully it would take them a while to realize he wasn’t actually throwing Pokémon and they’d give up pursuit. The other cars seemed to have stopped to aid their crashed colleagues.
“Jack, we can’t go on in this thing. We need to find a new transport; I can barely keep this scrapheap on the road.” Kane said through gritted teeth as he attempted to turn into a parking garage. The truck miraculously made it through the entrance without grazing the side. They waited for the remaining police cars to speed by before making a move.
“Let’s see now, Jack, get those cages unloaded, I’ll see if I can get that van over there to work.” Jack started pulling out cages while Kane walked over to a parked van and took out a lock pick set. After a few minutes of tinkering with one of the doors the van opened and Kane climbed in to get it started. Meanwhile Jack pulled open the back doors and took a look at the loading space.
“Hmm… we have ten cages and enough room for eight. Oh well, I guess two more of these weaklings will have to share their cage.” He snickered before starting the process of loading again. “These things had better be worth the trouble.”
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A police officer eyed all the traffic that went by, but none of the vehicles fitted the description he’d been given. He hadn’t even seen a single truck, let alone an old model with popped tires. He raised his hand and sighed as a blue van drove past, the driver greeting him from behind the window. In his eyes there seemed to be no reason to watch this road. If those crooks had kept going they would’ve been long gone by now anyway. Pulling his feet up on the dashboard he leaned back into his seat while reaching for the donuts on the seat next to him. “Not that it matters, I’m getting paid for this anyway…”
“He could’ve recognized you, you
know. There was no reason to greet the guy.” Jack grunted after Kane raised his
hand to the officer. Kane just smirked as they drove out of the city back into
the countryside, passing a sign that read ‘
“Have you no sense of humor Jack? They’re being complete idiots so I just thought I’d rub it in some more.” He finally replied after ensuring himself they weren’t spotted or being followed. In their short career as Pokémon thieves they’d been quite successful, but never had they been this close to being caught. On the other hand, this was one of the biggest hauls in a while, and thought it could’ve been bigger, Kane didn’t feel that disappointed.
The remainder of the trip was silent, for a while at least. Not too long after leaving the city limits some of the Pokémon started to wake up. Their cries quickly got on the nerves of the Rockets. Jack’s threat to toss about the next one to cry out only succeeded in shutting them up for fifteen minutes at most. Then he was required to set an example. After an hour of driving the van made it to Celadon. Kane steered it over to a warehouse with an open door.
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“Finally, I thought this drive was never going to end. And believe me, with you driving every minute in anything with wheels seems like an eternity!” Jack exclaimed as he opened the door and got out. Kane walked over to the warehouse door and pushed a button, causing the door to close.
“You’re exaggerating, it can’t be that bad.” Jack smirked at Kane’s response, following the exact conversation they always had after a chase.
“The hell it can’t, like I said, my bruises have bruises.” He said, to which Kane huffed before heading to the phone in the warehouse office. He dialed a number and waited for the phone to ring. After several rings a young woman answered the call.
“Hello, could you give me Giovanni? … I don’t care if he’s busy, tell him it’s urgent and it concerns business. … My name? Kane.” He said into the horn, after which he waited for a while muttering about blasted secretaries. After a while he finally got Giovanni on the line. Jack just entered the room, so he switched on speaker.
“What do you want? I was about to seal an important deal.” Giovanni said with a gruff voice.
“Hello Sir, you’ll be pleased to hear the operation was a partial success. We have twelve new Pokémon at starter level.” Jack reported.
“Humph, it’s partial alright. The number we aimed for was much higher,
what went wrong?”
“Well, there was a minor complication during the act. We sort of lost the truck as well,” Kane replied, but he quickly added more. “But we acquired replacement transportation on the site. We’re the proud new owners of a blue van.”
“Good, at least it wasn’t a total loss. You can use the Pokémon as slot prizes; I can’t be bothered to have them trained right now. However, I want you two at my desk tomorrow afternoon. We need to discuss some issues I’d rather not speak of over the phone.”
“Yes Sir, we’ll be there.” Jack answered, and with that the conversation was cut off. He quickly ordered some grunts to unload the Pokémon and take them to the Game Corner. Meanwhile Kane was pondering why the Boss would want to see them in person. After a few moments he gave up, figuring they’d hear it all tomorrow. With that he walked off to get some sleep in. Stealing for a living could be hard work, especially if you have to pull of daring escapes like that on an almost daily basis.
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To Be Continued…
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AN: Well there you have it, the longest chapter so far. Although with only three down and plenty to go it figures they’d lengthen up a bit. I expect the following chapters from now all up to the already written epilogue to be of similar length. I just figured I’d write the epilogue to know where I’m going. Yeah, I’m not very keen of planning in advance; I tend to think these things up as I go along. Worked fine so far, but I need to keep in mind that I have to end up where FFF picks up. Anyway, reviews are appreciated, as always. Flames shall light my barbeque, criticism shall be used to improve the overall quality of all my work, and praises shall be framed as a reminder to actually finish.
WeirdDutchGuy