Rapture

Omission

Lance looked over his design specifications. He’d made all the necessary changes, had everything in place… He was very meticulous about the things he did though, he always got things right the first time. It was his take on life.

A Dragonite came flying in from above it landed by Lance making low pitched sound, “What?” Lance looked oddly at his pet and placed his hand on its head. The images within Dragonite’s mind rushed into Lance’s. Across the island his fellow members of the Elite Four were battling with intruders… and apparently losing…

Lance clenched his fist, “So someone’s actually daring to invade my domain?!”

“Indeed someone is…” Startled Lance’s spun around finding Giovanni himself only a few feet behind him.

“Your prowess is worthy of much praise, no ordinary person is capable of sneaking up on me like that…”

Giovanni grinned smugly, “Sneaking up on anyone is far from difficult when they’re sufficiently distracted in what they’re doing.”

Lance nodded studying the man in front of him for a moment, a grin grew quickly across his face, “Now this is a surprise… having the sudden company of Mr. Giovanni.”

“Ah so you’ve heard of me,” Giovanni never broke his posture.

“Yes I have… I had actually been hoping for a chance to meet with you soon… Giovanni, the missing Gym Leader from Viridian City. Rumored to be undefeatable… You just up and disappeared off the face of the earth almost ten years ago…” Lance slowly walked to Giovanni’s side, neither taking their sights off the other, not even long enough to blink.

“Has it really been that long… wow… I suppose so… I was just a boy back then after all… I’m surprised you know the story and all… One would think it’s rather boring.”

“Boring? A story of a boy who leaves on his Pokémon journey and never loses a single battle… He returns to his hometown a hero and becomes the greatest gym leader to have ever lived, only to one day vanish without a trace… I don’t just know the story… I lived it! Followed it myself… I too am a boy from the Viridian Forest. After hearing of your story I climbed the steps of challenges refusing to lose a single one! Years ago the thought even struck me of perhaps taking up your mantle and becoming a Gym Leader for the Viridian Gym. I wasn’t satisfied there though… I had further to climb, and I ascended to where I am now as the leader of the unstoppable Elite Four!”

Giovanni laughed, “I should feel flattered I suppose, being the role model that lead to all this and all… The Elite Four unstoppable though? Hardly…”

“Ah yes…” Lance nodded knowing of the attacks on the other Elite Four members on the island, “it makes sense now… to most of the world the Gym Leader of Viridian simply went missing… but in actuality you continued to progress didn’t you? Yes Gym Leader wasn’t enough for you either. No… I can see it now… You are quite deserving of it… the title of leader of the notorious gang Team Rocket!”

“Observant too I see…” Giovanni removed his business coat, his vest underneath with the large “R” patched into it showed proudly with his Poké Balls at his side.

Lance scowled, “Tell me though, do you really believe your blundering Team Rocket peons to be capable of defeating the Elite Four?!”

Giovanni laughed, “I’m sorry to burst your high floating bubble; however by now my generals have already defeated your other Elite Four members.”

“I seriously doubt that, they aren’t the type to fall easily.”

“I never said they fell easily… you just have to understand that separated, Team Rocket has the Elite Four completely outclassed.” Giovanni chuckled, “Now then, you all stole a device that belongs to me. I want it returned with everything that was in it.”

Lance assumed a defensive position, “One does not simply walk into my domain and make demands Mr. Giovanni…”

“And what happens to those who do?” Giovanni asked coyly.

Lance scowled at the man, “That’s a bold question for someone who doesn’t even have a Pokémon out and ready to ask.” Giovanni smirked still as confident as ever, “Well then I’ll let Dragonite answer for me!”

Dragonite jumped in the air and dove for Giovanni. Giovanni stood tall and merely tapped his foot on the ground. Lance’s eyes widened as he felt a slight vibration in the ground, “Pull back Dragonite!” An enormous Dugtrio emerged from the ground in front of its master leaving only centimeters between it and the startled Dragonite who slid to a halt.

“Rock Tomb,” Giovanni commanded. The Dugtrio kicked up solid rocks from the earth below throwing enough rocks onto the Dragonite to knock it over and nearly bury it.

The Dragonite slowly climbed back up to its feet and stared down the Dugtrio, “Show that Dugtrio that you’re prepared for a ground assault! Use Aqua Tail!” The Dragonite sluggishly charged towards the Dugtrio, a wave of water building behind it.

“I’m afraid Dragonite is just too slow to get to my Dugtrio like that… Dig!” The Dugtrio burrowed underground, evading Dragonite’s attack.

“Dig is useless against an enemy that can Fly!” with a flap of its wings, the Dragonite lifted from the ground, keeping itself hovering several feet above the battlefield out of Dig’s range.

“Then let’s up the stakes a bit!” Opening his coat, Giovanni quickly removed and tossed a Poké Ball into action. The Poké Ball opened releasing a Rhyperior.

Lance’s eyebrow twitched, impressed with the amazingly fast movements Giovanni used to throw the Poké Ball in. Shaking it off Lance shouted to Giovanni, “Impressive, but Rhyperior still has many weaknesses!”

“This may be true, but unfortunately for your Dragonite, Fly is not one of them,” Lance gritted his teeth realizing he’d have to make Dragonite land to use more suitable moves for this battle… however landing would put Dragonite in range of Dugtrio… “Hesitant are we? Fine I’ll move, Stone Edge!”

The Rhyperior trudged toward the Dragonite in all its armored glory. Taking a great leap it flew through the air, its extended elbow hardened to stone and smashed into the Dragonite. The Dragonite became partially dazed from the effect of receiving a critical hit. Rhyperior landed shaking the ground below it, and immediately turned to face Dragonite again.

“Just because I can’t use a move your Rhyperior is weak against does not mean my Dragon’s power in insufficient to take it down! Dragon Rush!” The Dragonite’s eyes began to glow. In a burst of energy and speed it dashed through the air impacting Rhyperior with its Dragon aura.

Rather than stopping after the first pass, Lance’s Dragonite came around and dove against Rhyperior again. Back and forth, again and again, the Dragon was pounding Rhyperior from the sky.

“Rhyperior, you’re going to have to time this right, get ready for the next pass Dragonite makes!” Dragonite made a wide turn in the sky, its body still aglow with its Dragon power, “Get ready for it…” Dragonite began its approach, “Ready…” The Dragonite was only a moment away from range, “NOW! Giga Impact!”

Glowing with an incredible power of its own, Rhyperior headbutted the Dragonite as it flew in with another Dragon Rush. The impact of the two moves created a shockwave uprooting small trees from the ground around them. As the energy from the attack subsided, Lance’s Dragonite was lying unconscious several meters away while Giovanni’s Rhyperior sat to recoup from the attack.

Lance gritted his teeth, recalling his Dragon, “Don’t go thinking I’m finished…”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Giovanni chuckled.

Throwing in a different Poké Ball, Lance called out his Salamence. The great blue Dragon spread its wings and let out a mighty cry. “While Rhyperior is still recovering, hit it with Dragon Breath!”

Taking to the air, the Salamence sped toward the downed Rhyperior, not stopping until it was in the Pokémon’s face. It quickly gathered energy in its mouth and fired it all at once rolling the Rhyperior away.

“Don’t give up Rhyperior!”

Lance laughed, “That Pokémon is slow, charge it again and hit it with Zen Headbutt!”

Salamance zoomed in to carry forth its order. It cut through the air and was only inches away from its target.

“Scary Face!” Giovanni shouted. The Rhyperior made a hideous expression causing the Salamence to hesitate in its attack. “Now Take Down!” With the Salamance right in front of it, Rhyperior smashed its body into the dragon, sending it rolling across the ground however taking a good amount of recoil itself Rhyperior didn’t look like it was getting back up.

Lance smirked, “You sacrificed your Pokémon for a killing blow? Charming, however I’m afraid Salamance is a little more durable than that!”

“I’m well aware of that,” Giovanni nodded slamming his foot on the ground. Dugtrio took its que and like a missile shot out of the ground beneath the standing Salamance launching it airborne with a cry.

The Salamance tried opening its wings to glide to a safe landing, in its disorientation however it flew straight to the ground, landing on its head. The Pokémon hit the ground with a sickening crack sound and collapsed.

Lance ran to his Pokémon quickly. Placing a hand on it he breathed a sigh of relief that it had indeed survived the fall. He returned it to its Poké Ball and turned angrily to Giovanni. “You will pay!” Lance grabbed two Poké Balls this time, throwing them in at the same time. A Dragonair and Shelgon appeared.

Giovanni shook his head, “Pointless really… this entire time already I could have been using this,” Giovanni opened another of own Poké Balls releasing his Cloyster.

Lance stepped back in shock at the Ice Pokémon in the Ground Pokémon master’s possession.

“Cloyster… oh just use Blizzard on them both, this battle is boring me…” Temperatures immediately dropped and ice formed on the ground as Cloyster summoned up an incredible Blizzard.

Lance’s Dragons huddled away not able to deal with the extreme cold, “No! Don’t give up, fight back!” Lance commanded.

“Not a chance…” Giovanni pointed to the Dragonair first, “Ice Beam.” Cloyster struck Dragonair with an attack concentrated ice energy. The Dragon fell to the ground and noticeably stiffened.

Shellgon being the hardier of the Dragons began slowly marching toward Cloyster. “And still it comes…” Giovanni whistled, impressed with the creature.

“Shellgon, warm yourself with Sunny Day!” Shellgon howled to the sky, and beams of light penetrated the effects of Cloyster’s Blizzard, reenergizing the Dragon. “I’m afraid Shellgon is a little more prepared for those icy water types than you realize, Solar Beam!” Absorbing light energy from Sunny Day, Shellgon released it all onto Cloyster.

“What?” Giovanni looked surprised for the first time. Cloyster was engulfed in a blistering light. Once the energy faded Cloyster was on its side, singed and sapped of energy.

Lance beamed with renewed confidence but then noticed Giovanni himself had gone missing from where he was standing before the attack, “After all that mouthing off, the great Giovanni runs away?!” Lance yelled and started to laugh.

“Not at all, but the vantage point seemed much more well off over here,” Lance jumped with a yelp as Giovanni’s voice came from behind him.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Lance barked at the man.

“Watching your Shellgon’s last moments I believe,” Giovanni motioned with his face to the battle scene.

Feeling the ground tremble, Lance quickly turned back to the battle. The trees on either side of his Shellgon were snapping like twigs and falling. From within the foliage emerged a Nidoking on the right, and Nidoqueen on the left.

“Dragon Breath!” Lance shouted to his Shellgon. The Pokémon surrounded itself in the attack, however the Nidos simply walked through it, not taking enough damage to even make them flinch.

One Nido stood on either side of the Shellgon, “I would return Shellgon to its Poké Ball if I were you…”

“What?” Lance looked angry to Giovanni.

“Do it!” Giovanni shouted. The two Nidos nodded to each other each put one hand on the shellgon’s shell holding it in place, and pulled their other fists back. Incredible energy began swirling around their fists. Shellgon desperately blew its Dragon Breath to the left and to the right hoping to shake the two large Pokémon off of it, but having a head which didn’t extend past its shell made it impossible to turn enough to hit them.

The energy continued to build around the Nido’s fists. A bright glow indicated the attack was ready. Giovanni looked to Lance, took note of his indecision and shook his head, “This was a poor judgment on your part, Focus Punch!”

“NOOOO!” Lance yelled. The two Nidos fists connected with the shell at the same time causing the tough boney structure to collapse. The Shellgon howled in pain as it sank to its knees. The unstable cellular goop beneath the shell began to ooze out like egg yolk. Shellgon’s eyes closed and it fell to the ground, lifeless.

Lance shook his head, “Y… You… Monster!”

Giovanni shrugged his shoulders and recollected his Pokémon, “This was your doing, you could have simply given me what I wanted in the first place…”

Lance clenched his fist tight. Turning, Lance ran up a set of stairs to a platform. From on top of the platform Lance looked down at Giovanni, “You want your precious contraption Gym leader?! Come take it! Get it out of here, I don’t care anymore!”

Giovanni smirked and climbed the stairs.

“That’s it… come on up here you murderer…” Lance mumbled under his breath.

Giovanni stepped up to the next to last step and looked around the platform. Lance gritted his teeth praying the man wouldn’t realize what it was. From the vantage Giovanni had he looked out as far as his range of sight would allow in the different directions.

“I see, so this is the very center of the island,” Lance cursed realizing Giovanni must have figured it out, “You really have turned the entire island into an enormous badge amplifier, I’m impressed.” Giovanni looked to Lance and smiled, “Ah but this being the center of the island must mean you have just one piece still missing to complete your device, am I right?” Giovanni held out an Earth Badge he had in his possession for emphasis.

Lance clenched both fists tight as he stared angrily at the man.

“Oh what could you possibly be planning to do with a Badge amplifier this huge?” Giovanni gave Lance a pensive look, “I know! How about as an apology for our intrusion here today, I give you the piece you’re missing to activate it?” Giovanni immediately tossed his badge into the air over the center of the platform.

Shocked would be an understatement as Lance watched the badge fly through the air and stop over the center of the machine. The amplifier activated, and beams of energy connected all the badges where they rested in key locations across the island. All the energy built up in the center of the island and shot skyward.

“Ooooh,” Giovanni looked up and watched the beam clear a path through the clouds in the sky. Energy began to swirl over the entire area.

“You fool!” Lance chuckled at first, but soon began to laugh hysterically, “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! All my preparation, all my efforts… they’ve all been for this! You’re doomed now without a hope! I never thought you’d willing play right into my plan!” Lance’s sides began to hurt he found Giovanni’s overconfident downfall so amusing.

“Oh Lance my boy… There’s something you have failed to realize in this situation…” Giovanni smiled wickedly from where he stood at the younger man.

Lance’s hysterics slowed and he met Giovanni’s gaze, “What?”

“It’s not obvious?” Giovanni shrugged, “What could the master of Dragons possibly want with a gigantic amplifier used for summoning forth Legendary Pokémon of incredible power? Before I even arrived I was already aware that you had set up this entire island for the sole purpose of summoning down the Dragon King Rayquaza from far above the clouds.”

Lance took a step back, a twinge of fear creeping up his spine, “How could you have known…”

It was Giovanni’s turn to laugh as he pointed to his head, “I have my ways. So… as you can see… this is no longer your plan as much as it now is a part of mine.”

Lance gritted his teeth, “We’ll see, I’m the dragon master here, as soon as Rayquaza comes down to earth it will be I who takes control of the great god of the sky! And I will use its power to destroy you first!”

Giovanni shook his head, “Unfortunately Rayquaza will never make it to the ground for either of us to even try…”

“WHAT?!” Lance asked furious at the insinuation.

“Just watch and you’ll understand…” Giovanni grinned.

Lance looked up the sky. It was dark and thick clouds were everywhere. Radical lightning filled the air as the Badge Amplifier continued to pump energy up to the far reaches of the atmosphere. A loud roar was heard as Rayquaza’s body finally dropped below the clouds.

“Here it comes…” Lance watched preparing himself.

“Heh…” Giovanni continued to watch with confidence.

Another spec dropped from above the clouds in pursuit of Rayquaza. Lance squinted his eyes trying to make it out, “Is that… an Aerodactyl?”

Up in the sky, Red rode his Aerodactyl down through the clouds, only meters away from the gigantic dragon he was chasing, Pika seated firmly on Red’s right shoulder. Red watched as the grand dragon flew without wings. Its body seemed segmented into many sections and it mystically contracted them and expanded them as it slithered its way through the air.

Red caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a soft patch of scales between the harder plates of the dragon’s head and the back of its neck. “That’s our ticket through!” Red exclaimed. Pointing to the spot Red shouted, “Pika, ground yourself onto Rayquaza’s body at that spot!”

“Pika!” the yellow rodent acknowledged, and as Aerodactly flew them in closer, Pika lunged for it, angling its small body to cut through the air it landed perfectly on the spot his master indicated.

From below Lance chuckled, “What do you possibly think a pathetic Pikachu could do against such a beast?”

“We’re here sir!” Lance and Giovanni turned to see the other three generals of Team Rocket standing below the platform. Each had a member of the Elite Four securely restrained.

“Good, then commence the next phase of the plan,” Giovanni ordered.

“Right!” Lt. Surge acknowledged first and threw a Poké Ball releasing a Politoad. Sabrina and Koga each added a Politoad of their own into the mix.

Lance looked completely dumbfounded at Team Rocket’s tactics, “What on earth are you up to?”

“Rain Dance!” The three gym leaders commanded at once, and their Politoads began to dance in unison bringing about heavy torrents of storm.

“This is pointless…” Lance mumbled. His eyes widened as a crack of thunder echoed across the island from his left. Turning quickly he looked up at the beam of light emitted from the amplifier. The disturbance of the weather combined with the energy output of the amplifier was creating a massive electrical storm.

“But still…” Looking back to the incoming Rayquaza, a small yellow tail became visible sticking out behind Rayquaza’s neck.

A massive bolt of lightning struck the tail, Pikachu being grounded into Rayquaza channeled all of the electricity through its body and down into the dragon. The Dragon let out an incredible howl as it was shocked by such a force. Another bolt of lightning was quick to follow, Pikachu’s tail acted as a lightning rod, drawing all the lightning to it and channeling it through the enormous Pokémon it clenched on to. With every strike of lightning Rayquaza howled louder, its flight patterns becoming erratic.

“Almost…” Giovanni grinned up at the spectacle taking place, “You’ve got it!”

Rayquaza moved madly, swinging its head back in an attempt to crush the Pikachu on its back. Pikachu however was too small for the Rayquaza to do much more than squeeze him snugly. Two bolts of lightning struck at once and Rayquaza started to fall.

“That’s it!” Red shouted and maneuvered Aerodactyl to freefall alongside it. Rayquaza was paralyzed from the voltage and unable to keep flying. Pikachu held on for one more bolt for good measure. Rayquaza groaned loudly and its eyes slid shut. Pika leapt off of the dragon, lining up perfectly for Red to catch him on their rapid decent.

“Good job!” Red patted his Pokémon companion, “NOW!” Red leaned forward coaxing Aerodactyl to fall faster, passing by the falling downpour of raindrops as if they were stopped in midair.

The large dragon turned and flipped limply as it fell to the surface of the island. Lance stared wide eyed as the huge dragon descended rapidly upon them.

“YOU’RE MINE!” Red shouted throwing his Poké Ball at the falling legendary. The Poké Ball hit its target making Rayquaza’s body glow as it tried to pull the amazing dragon inside. The Poké Ball shook violently as it attempted to compress the large Pokémon’s matter. Red stared at it willing it to close. The small ball managed to fully demolecularize Rayquaza and snapped shut, beginning the domination phase of the capturing process.

All eyes turned to the falling Poké Ball. The light on the front blinked a bright red as the ball vibrated harshly. The shaking caused it to roll randomly across the sky as it fell.

“Come on… DO IT!” Red shouted. The ball continued to shake and spin in the air. The Poké Ball gave off a blinding spark of light and stopped moving. The light on the Poké Ball turned green, “YES!!!” Still moving at incredible speed from the plunge Red pulled back on Aerodactly and swooped in catching the Poké Ball only feet above Lance’s head. The young trainer circled the platform as the amplifier’s energy died down, doing a victory dance on top of Aerodactyl’s back. “WOOHOO!”

Lance shook his head, “I can’t believe this…”

Giovanni cuffed Lance’s hands behind his back, “Get used to it.”

Red flew in finally making his landing on top of the platform. He jumped off his Aerodactyl and ran to Giovanni. In his excitement he jumped onto the man closing his arms around him in a tight embrace. Giovanni smiled at his wet Pokémon Master; lifting his head he kissed Red fully on the lips.

All three of the Team Rocket generals looked up in shock in either that their leader would do such a thing… or do such a thing in public…

The hours of the night passed, and the day light found Team Rocket finishing up their operation, “This is all of their Pokémon,” Sabrina announced as Surge carted several crates of Poké Balls over to the group.

“Good and the badges?” Giovanni turned to Red who yawned and held out a box with all eight badges inside. “What about the original amplifier?” Koga emerged with the amplifier tucked safely under his arm.

“Looks like everything then!” Red smiled.

“Swell, then let’s get going man, I’m beat!” Lt. Surge started walking away dragging the carts filled with hundreds of Poké Balls behind him.

“Wait! You’re not going to leave us like this are you?” Lorelei asked fearful.

Koga shook his head, “Your binds have an electric lock that will release you in about two hours… if it doesn’t malfunction.”

That was pleasing news, “How do you expect us to get off this island?!” Agatha shook in exasperation against her binds. “You’re stealing all of our Pokémon that we use for transport!”

Giovanni gave them all a sarcastic smile, “You all are so friendly to visitors, I’m sure someone will come by to rescue you soon.”

The Elite Four gave them all a death glare as Team Rocket started to walk away.

Red smiled and waved to the bound elites, “Bye!” he called before catching up with Giovanni to walk alongside his team.

The five of them loaded everything up into their amphibious personnel carrier, and drove back out to the ocean. Surge fell asleep almost immediately as he took his seat and Koga drove being the most awake of the group.

Red yawned loudly as he leaned back in his chair. Giovanni moved to sit by him and put his arm around the boy, “With the Elite Four out of the way, I’m making it your responsibility now to deal with our other… obstacles.”

Red closed his eyes and nodded, “Sure thing, as soon as we get back.”

Giovanni chuckled at Red’s reply. Pulling the boy’s cap from his head he absently ran his hand through Red’s messy hair as the boy drifted off to sleep.

____________________________