Chapter 10- Dark Specialist 1/2

The signs of change are all there. It's not just in Kanto. Not just Johto. It's not just the Indigo.

It's like the entire world is changing all of a sudden. Just look at what all the news reporters are saying on TV.

"Team Aqua launched-"

"-Lilycove Invasion-"

"Death toll is estimated-"

"Bodies are still being found-"

"Why did the Thirteen Pillars not-"

"ACE forces arrived only-"

"What about Team Magma?"

Team Aqua. Just yesterday, Team Aqua from the Hoenn region had just done one of the biggest siege ever conducted on a city in recent history. They launched a full scale attack on Lilycove without seemingly any reason at all. Every news channel I tuned into is talking about it.

The whole world is talking about it.

It is also the only thing the Rocket members are talking about. I walked into the lounge in the Celadon hideout only to find members resting there talking about it, the TV there turned on and the reporter on the news channel still reporting on the Lilycove Invasion. The Rockets in the lounge were debating if our organisation are going to do something like what Team Aqua did because we are Team Rocket, because we are the biggest terrorist organisation in the world and there's no way we should let some small time wannabe terrorists from another region upstage us.

Team Aqua had just sparked a worldwide fever for terrorists around the globe to try and emulate them, because if they did it, so can anyone else.

The world will soon be plunged into chaos if nothing is done soon.

Unsurprisingly, the default reaction of the various regional governments worldwide is to order a lockdown on their borders and to put in place emergency measures, stepping up security at wherever is needed and conducting more stringent checks. The paranoia is feeding on itself in an endless cycle. Measures that were previously considered a hard handed approach and infringe on privacy is now allowed in the name of security.

It reminds me a little of the aftermath of the 9/11 incident in my previous world. I don't have much recollection of it, but I think the exact same thing was what happened.

Team Rocket is now forced to lie low for the moment. All of our businesses, legal or not, are now being conducted very carefully. This would have been a good time to strike, to bring down Team Rocket if only I had concrete and indisputable proof that Giovanni is the true leader of Team Rocket.

Unfortunately, I don't, so I can only continue to wait.

I could opt to just reveal everything I know about Team Rocket right now and that alone can deal a lot of damage onto the organisation. So much damage that Team Rocket will never recover, but that is not what I am aiming for. Team Rocket is like a stubborn weed. If you don't uproot it immediately, it will simply grow again and be reborn anew.

I'm not giving it even a chance to rise again. I want to see Team Rocket gone. Exterminated.

For that to happen, Giovanni must go. He must be dead.

I'm an Elite Officer, so naturally some of the bolder grunts approached me and asked if we would be attempting something similar to what Team Aqua did. I simply gave some vague answers because there had been no instructions from the Executives. I cannot just assume. Heck, even the President is silent and had not been giving me orders or asking for updates. He must be currently too busy to care about me.

However, I'm willing to bet that the Lilycove Invasion is also everything the Executives are talking about right now. Team Rocket has the ability to easily take over an entire city if it ever so chooses. Doing something even bigger than the Lilycove Invasion is definitely possible.

It's just a matter of whether there is a benefit in them doing so.

"Elite Officer Plague."

The time eventually came about two weeks later, not long after Team Aqua and Team Magma were almost entirely eradicated by the Hoenn League in vindictive revenge. Weird how the Hoenn League didn't do this sooner when they obviously had the capability to search and destroy them long ago, but who am I to ask?

I have too much to handle as it already is. Another new mission.

"This is your new assignment." Executive Archer, the one in charge of the Celadon hideout, passed to me a folder. I opened it up to read the mission details and my heart dropped.

My worst fears came true.

"Sir, this…"

Archer gave me a grin, one that I will make sure to wipe it off his face someday.

"The time is right. Strike fear into the Indigo, Plague. Make people fear us. It's time for Team Rocket to remind the world who we are again. We need you, our Exterminator."

Johto National Park.

The Johto National Park's Bug Catching Contest.

That is the location of the next big performance that we will be putting up. This is not a raid. This is not a mission that conducts petty stealing or shady dealings. Archer said that the leader wants us out in the open to make a statement, proving that the Indigo is inept at protecting its citizens.

Given what little I know about Giovanni after our little heart-to-heart talk, he chose the location to be in Johto for a reason. He has something against Johto and I will find out what that is.

The National Park's Bug Catching Contest is a big event that attracts locals and tourists alike, held once every single month, once everyday for the duration of a week. Depending on the season, the variety of bug type pokemon one can find there can greatly differ.

Which also translates as a prime location for a terrorist attack if all they want is to rack up the body count. Lesson learnt from this experience is to never attend such events if I ever have the chance to live a normal life. My life is short enough as it is.

I had immediately informed the President about this attack the moment I had the chance, but given that the scheduled date of attack is just a mere two days after I was given the task by Executive Archer to bomb the National Park and capture/steal any pokemon we can find there, there is no way we can cancel the high profile week-long event in time without raising some serious questions. Doing so will also raise suspicions and Team Rocket will know for certain that there is a mole in their upper ranks.

The only choice left is to make sure that there will be STAR and Ranger forces who 'happened' to be stationed nearby and will be ready to be mobilised at a moment's notice. A large number of cops will already be there thanks to the ongoing contest, so all the President needs to do is to somehow ensure that there will 'somehow' be more manpower there that day.

I surmised that if Team Rocket's main objective for this mission is to make a statement, then all we need to do is to incite fear. Fear can be incited through many other ways other than senseless killings. In fact, not killing everyone may be more effective. I would just make this a very terrifying experience for everyone unlucky enough to be at the park that day and they would automatically spread the word for us when they escape back home with their lives intact, telling stories on how efficient and terrifying Team Rocket can be, that Team Aqua has nothing on us. I would make sure that the exit out of the park is accessible for them, but not overly so that it might raise suspicions from my Rocket superiors on my end. I have to make my reasoning sound logical and convincing to them while fulfilling my duties as a spy whose true interest is to protect Indigo.

Another absolutely difficult situation thrown at my face, but what's new? It's always mission impossible for me.

This arrangement is the only way I can think of to keep the casualties to a minimum. I will try my best on my end too without raising suspicions from the Executives and also from Giovanni, but what I can do is limited if I want to keep my cover.

I had really tried my best. I really did. Even then, there will be many who will die that day, there is no changing that. No matter what I do, the death toll will be high. Blood will stain my hands red once more because the Rocket's Executioner is needed for the job.

It's all for the greater good.

The President had ordered me to keep my cover at all costs. At this point, I am inclined to agree because I am so close to getting the evidence that I need. I will just accept whatever punishment is meted out to me to atone for my sins when it's finally time for me to go to hell.

Infiltrating the National Park was simple. All of the members involved simply waltzed in there with their casual clothes, wearing their Rocket uniform underneath and hidden from view until the time came. I myself had been sitting on a bench in the middle of the park for the past hour, watching people come and go and watching the disguised Rocket members discreetly moving to their respective positions for the big display later.

I really hope that the STAR and Ranger forces the President promised me can make it in time. Deaths will be unavoidable today, but I would like to keep the deaths of innocents to as low as possible.

Although from what I can see thus far, the President had already failed to get more cops here like he had promised. Bastard probably has another excuse for not doing so, and then justify it by saying that 'It's all for the greater good'.

Motherfucker.

"Not a lot of youngsters like to come to the park nowadays to simply hear the bugs sing for us." An elderly man with white hair and mustache combined with a beer belly commented as we shared the bench, listening to the melody sung by the various wild bug types hidden by the tall ground around us. We had been conversing with each other for the past fifteen minutes when he took a seat here to rest his weary legs.

If only he knew that I am a Rocket and what I am about to do today.

"For that to happen, it must be peaceful here."

"That it is!" The old man cackled as an aipom scampered around us in a playful manner. "You not interested in the contest? Youngsters like you always flock there to look for a scyther or a heracross!"

"No. Not really." I said as I watched the clouds floating lazily in the sky. "Not a fan of bugs."

"Not many are." The old man chuckled as he fed the aipom a few treats from the palm of his hand. "But that doesn't stop us from appreciating the songs they sing for us. It's beautiful, how pokemon and humans can coexist with each other if we put our hearts into it. Pokemon are such wonderful creatures, are they not?"

My hand went down and patted houndoom on the head, who is napping beside my feet. I can feel gengar in my shadows, also enjoying this brief moment of normalcy and peace. A small smile graced my lips.

"They are. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve them. Maybe I really don't."

"Cheer up, laddie!" The old man gave a loud pat on my shoulder and did some weird actions. "If today's the worst day of your life, then tomorrow can only get better! Come on, give me a smile!"

I cannot help but choke out a laugh at his hilarious actions.

"There, better?" The old man laughed heartily as he patted his bulging beer belly.

"A little." I admitted before looking up at the clouds again.

"A storm is coming. You better get going if you don't want to get caught in it. It's going to be huge."

"Eh?" The old man squinted his eyes as he looked up into the bright sky. "But-"

"Trust me, I work at the weather forecast department. You really need to get home now."

"Well, if you say so. Who am I to dismiss the words of a pro? I for one don't fancy the rain, don't go well with my poor old joints." The old man laughed heartily again and whistled for his aipom, who scampered back and immediately climbed onto his shoulder. "See you, lad! I hope whatever is troubling you goes away soon!"

"Thank you." I replied sincerely with a small smile on my face. At least this kind old man will live. One less life weighing down on my conscience. There is still fifteen minutes left, more than enough time for him to get out of here.

Even if it is just one, if I can reduce the body count by just one without blowing my cover, I will do whatever it takes to do so. Like this, I can sleep slightly better at night. Like this, I can increase my chance, even if it's just a little, to join Jane in heaven when it is time for me to go.

We are supposed to be a band. The Twin Js. For that to happen, we must be together, not separated by heaven and hell.

Silence returned after the old man hobbled off. Houndoom lazily jumped onto the unoccupied section of the bench and rest his head on my lap, giving me some comfort. The only sounds left are the unseen bug types singing away happily, putting up a free concert for us. That beautiful sounds will leave me soon.

"I can never get used to this. I wonder if this is a blessing or a curse."

Blessing because it means I still have a conscience somewhere deep in my muddled heart. Curse because what I had done will forever weigh on me even after I'm long gone.

Houndoom lifted his head and licked my cheek, trying to lift my spirits up.

"Thanks, bud."

The smartwatch on my wrist has a countdown timer ticking. The moment it hits zero, someone contacted me through the comms and the wireless earpiece that I am wearing crackled to life.

"Sir. We are all in position."

I look up to see the huge number of people gathered at the plaza not far from where I am, many of them are participants and spectators of the Bug Catching Contest. The organiser is now giving out the prizes to the Top 3 winners. The large number of people gathered there right now is the only reason why we had been waiting for this exact moment. It is to make sure that our attack will rack up a huge enough body count, so that we can make an effective statement.

Team Rocket is still here, watching you, and the Indigo cannot protect you

I silently sucked in a breath before giving my command.

It's all for the greater good.

I really hope this is the case.

"Do it."

Chaos. That's the only thing I see around me.

I am technically not needed here. I'm just here to supervise the entire operation and ensure that it goes smoothly since I was the one in charge of planning this whole attack. There are a few objectives Team Rocket wants to achieve in this attack on the National Park.

One, capture any wild pokemon found in the park. Two, steal any pokemon you can from any trainers you find along the way. Three, remind the world why Team Rocket is still the strongest underground power in Indigo

Objective #3 is the main priority for this attack. Hence, everything must be flashy. There must be wanton destruction. People must die. Everything must look horrifying on camera when the media arrives after this is all over. It must be picture perfect.

Bombs are the best and easiest way to do so. Sometimes, we don't even need to make them. Unstable geodudes and voltorbs did the trick and geodudes multiply by the dozen, they are easy to breed. If we need something with more oomfph, there's always gravelers and electrodes. Sometimes we may even use golems.

We had planted a lot of them at various spots of the National Park prior to the start of the attack. The cops and the Rangers patrolling the area had missed them because gengar was going around tricking their minds with Hypnosis while the grunts were doing the manual job.

I simply stood hidden at an untouched corner of the park, watching everything unfold as zoroark hid me, houndoom, and exeggutor with a cloak of illusion. If all goes well, I would not need to physically do anything, which is a good thing for the innocents.

People die the moment the Exterminator has to be called upon, so it's best if the Exterminator need not be called upon in the first place.

"Ah, shit."

I swore under my breath when a Flying Specialist somehow managed to quickly organise a counterattack with whatever trainers there are in the plaza. Then right after, she and her flying types literally carpet-bombed the entire area where a sizable group of my men were at.

She's too strong for anyone else assigned on this mission to handle. At this rate, I will definitely have to be called upon. Great, there goes my daydream of things going right for once. If I don't want to act, I might have to sound the retreat earlier than expected. I better use this short period of time to think of a convincing excuse that can fool Archer.

I facepalmed in resignation when I spotted a familiar looking aerodactyl taking down my men left and right, flying beside the Flying Specialist who is taking a ride on her pidgeot.

Must be that Ranger I met when I poached the mamoswine. She really lived through our previous encounter? What a small world.

"Sir! The Flying Spe-"

"Stop relying on me for everything. She's not even that strong, use your own head and figure it out."

I cut off whoever had requested my help. Hopefully with this, I can delay my appearance for as long as possible. I don't want to kill such a skilled and courageous trainer, it will be a pity.

The trainer who I am now certain was that Ranger I met back at Cherrygrove a few months ago dove in and out of the battlefield, saving as many as she can. If it wasn't for her, the death toll will definitely be a lot higher. Such courage and bravery are rare to find now. With each passing second, I find myself more and more reluctant to act because I am impressed by her selfless actions.

But with each passing second, it also became more and more obvious that I have to act if I want to maintain my cover.

My only consolation is that the device at the corner of the park that is supposed to block any electrical signals to go in or out of here had been secretly destroyed by an 'unknown individual' (which is actually my gengar) the moment the attack started. With this, there will definitely be someone out there who will call for help from STAR, the cops, or Rangers, whatever. At least there will be someone to save them. This is all I can do on my end.

Assuming that the President really did make sure that STAR and Rangers forces 'happened' to be stationed nearby. The amount of trust I have in him is as far as I can throw a mountain, which isn't really much. Bastard always screw my plans somehow.

In that case, I will screw my plans right back on track. Enough destruction had been caused to keep Team Rocket very happy while also low enough for Indigo's sake. Like it or not, this is the best balance I can strike right now.

I spoke to my direct subordinate through the comms. At least the Rocket's Exterminator didn't have to act. Something actually went right for once. What a miracle.

"Rainer, sound the retreat. We've accomplished what we came here to do. Make sure our stolen goods get back to base undetected and untracked. League forces will be arriving soon. No Rocket left behind must be alive. Either they escape alive or they stay dead here or we are all screwed when the League's psychics pick their minds to locate our base of operations. Should be a good enough incentive for the morons to double up and move. Make sure you do a thorough job, or your head will be the first to go."

"Roger that, Sir."

A faction of Team Rocket's Psychic Team that specialises solely in swift transport and fast retrieval began to rapidly teleport any Rockets that are still alive out of the park. Unfortunately, I know I have to act when the Ranger's crobat prevented a small group of my men from teleporting away with Mean Look. I cannot let them be captured alive. I cannot let any Team Rocket members be captured alive. Either they retreat safely with their lives intact or they remain here dead. It is still too early for anyone else not in the loop to learn more about Team Rocket. The timing is still premature.

And here I thought that I was having a good day, that something actually went right for once. I should have known that was too good to be true.

I have to act. My plans cannot be foiled.

"Exeggutor."

In the blink of an eye, I now stood on the battlefield facing the Ranger, who is looking down at me from where she is soaring with her flying types, the sun rays shining from behind her and casting a shadow on me. I looked up with my hands in my pockets, my face largely covered by the high collar shirt and large breton cap that I usually wear. My attire is slightly different from the usual Rocket grunts, a privilege for being an Elite Officer within the organisation. I stood in front of my fallen men, preventing the Ranger from arresting them.

"Rainer, hasten the retreat. I'm not accepting any objections."

"Roger that, Sir. And you?"

I looked back up in the sky at my 'fated' enemy. Seriously, what a coincidence.

There won't be anymore coincidences after I'm done with her. I need to make sure that the Rockets behind me that are still trying to retreat are able to make it out safely. As the organisation's Exterminator, this is my job. Team Rocket cannot suffer heavy losses from this operation if I want to maintain my cover and advance my own plans.

I'll apologise to the Ranger in the afterlife.

"I'll secure your retreat and clean up any mess left behind. Just hurry."

"Copy that. I'll pull the guys out ASAP. Good luck, Sir. For the glory of Team Rocket."

"For the glory of Team Rocket."

The Ranger and I stared at each other for a few seconds, assessing each other. I saw her eyes widened in realisation when she spotted houndoom beside me, fangs bared and snarling. There's no way she is going to forget about him when he had made such an impression on her by taking out her entire team alone.

Or at least that was how she saw it when under the influence of zoroark's illusionary capabilities. Zoroark had already gone into hiding, spreading a large blanket of illusion to hide the area we are at from view. Exeggutor is beside me, but there's no way the Ranger and her pokemon can see exeggutor because of zoroark's illusion at work.

All she can see now are me and houndoom. In actuality, I have more than just one pokemon fighting for me right now. She's fighting three instead of one.

Her team immediately dashed off and spread themselves out just as houndoom fired a Dark Pulse. She does display good judgements in battles, but still not good enough. A pity that I have no choice but to kill her today. She had forced my hand because she is too good in what she does.

An assortment of attacks bombarded us on all sides as her flying types streaked across the sky above us. It didn't hurt us at all thanks to the Light Screen and Reflect combo exeggutor had put up, placing us in an impenetrable barrier that keeps us safe. Of course, the only thing the Ranger will be seeing is how houndoom had somehow impossibly set up a barrier around us when his species is incapable of such a feat. She still doesn't know of exeggutor's presence right beside me. She won't know unless zoroark allows her to see him, which is never. She will never know unless she realise that there is a zoroark hiding himself under layers after layers of illusion.

Like I said, it's three instead of one. How we made her believe that she is only fighting one pokemon is because of our impeccable teamwork. Everything in our teamwork must be flawless, from the exact movement to the timing itself. Even the details must be perfect so that our secret to victory will never be uncovered. The moment when our secret is found out is when we had lost.

Dark types never fight fair. As a Dark Specialist, I must embody that very statement. A true Dark Specialist absolutely abhors the League regulated battles, because in those battles we are never allowed to fight fair. Rules never work in our favour, rules are our greatest enemy. That's why so few skilled Dark Specialists would choose to work with the League, because their rules never allow them to use their full strength.

But I'm a villain. Rules don't apply to me. Fighting dirty is what I do best because it is how I crawled my way to survival thus far. I'm no Gym Leader. A Dark Specialist will never have the kind of firepower that other Specialists boast because most dark types are born weak.

I'm not strong, but I'm dangerous. There's a difference between the two. That's why I'm one of the best Dark Specialists currently walking around in Kanto. I would know, I abused my double agent status and checked every single records the League has on every notable Dark Specialist in their history, living or dead. It doesn't matter if these people are the League's enemies or their allies. All I need is to learn from these records, whatever information that is available about them. Videos of their battles, preserved handwritten training notes, types of pokemon used, how they were used, how they were finally taken down. Everything and anything about how to handle and use dark types, I devoured them just so that I can survive and crawl my way up in this hell that is my reality.

As I soon realised, all of the truly skilled Dark Specialists share the same common trait. It's all in the realisation and mindset of what a Dark Specialist should really be.

To be a true Dark Specialist is to be dangerous, not powerful. It was through cheating, lying, fooling, tricking, and using all the dirty little tricks in our little bag that we win our battles. I had to do whatever it takes to learn all I can on how to be a true Dark Specialist, just so that I can stand here today as a one man army.

Yes, army. I don't need a super soldier with the strength of a thousand. I just need an effective and flawless army made up of weak soldiers.

I don't need a pokemon that is strong enough to take down a group of trainers by itself. I simply need an effective pokemon team whose teamwork can topple nations. Dark types are renowned for their impeccable teamwork. You can see it from how they behave in the wild, how they hunt their prey. Individually, they are too weak, but together, they are crazily dangerous.

Dark types never fight alone. To be a true Dark Specialist you need to understand this very concept. You need to understand the three basic concepts of 'weak', 'unfairness', and 'teamwork'. You need to first recognise and accept the fact that you are weak, only then can you accept that you have to fight unfairly to win, to realise that if you cannot win a fight alone, you have to be a part of a highly effective team to reach your own goals. It is why dark types in the wild tend to live in packs, not alone. Only a few species have the required strength to survive alone.

If you don't have this mindset, then no matter how hard you try, you can never be a true Dark Specialist. Oh sure, they are plenty "Dark Specialists" running around in the world, but they are just phonies. Truly skilled Dark Specialists are rare in any League because you need a twisted kind of mindset to be one. Karen, Sidney, Grimsley. In the entire Pokemon World League, among their numerous Thirteen Pillars right now, only three Dark Specialists qualify to sit in their ranks. There is a good reason why this is the case, a reason very few ever thought to think about.

It is easy to be a dark type trainer, but not everyone has the right to call themselves a Dark Specialist. The value of the word 'Specialist' had been greatly undervalued because everyone is using it, thinking that they are an expert in their fields simply by having many pokemon of a similar typing in their team.

Morons.

Anyone who calls themselves a Dark Specialist simply because they have a team of dark types are an embarrassment to our title. They always try to compensate for their firepower by adding the typical tyranitar or hydreigon. Sure, it helps to have a pokemon like that on your team, but if you cannot make such overly powerful and prideful pokemon to work as a team with your other dark types, then what's the point?

Ever wonder why even the likes of Karen, Sidney, and Grimsley hesitated on adding a pokemon like a tyranitar or a hydreigon to their team? Even when they are also dark types and possess the overwhelming firepower that many other dark types lack? This is the answer.

To date, I believed only Grimsley among the three mentioned trainers got around to make one of these prideful creatures to work flawlessly with his own team. Pride kills teamwork. To work well in a team you need to first remove your own sense of pride. The stronger species of pokemon have too much pride to truly work well in a team. They tend to be solo players, so adding them in might be detrimental instead. The team would do better without them.