Chapter 10

Land of the Ninja

The Inn South of Lavender Town-

            Red and Blue arrived at the Inn in the early morning hours.  Red was still soaked from head to toe and shivering from the river.  When they walked into the lobby of the cozy wooden building they had to wake up the attendant who was sleeping (rightfully so) at the front desk.  They rented two separate rooms and promptly got their eight hours of beauty sleep, which ended up being more like ten hours of beauty sleep. 

            The attendant (who just so happened to be the owner as well) banged on the door demanding payment.  Blue promptly answered her door and paid him for both of the trainers with some of the winnings they had earned during Pokémon battles.  Unable to go back to sleep at two in the afternoon, Blue decided to go down to the lobby for the complimentary breakfast (more like lunch). 

            She happily released her Pokémon when Pokémon food was also provided.  Nidorina, Ivysaur, Poliwag, and Butterfree were happy to stretch their legs from being inside their Pokeballs.  She was about to open her fifth inhabited Pokeball, but decided against releasing Snorlax indoors, if at all. 

            Red wandered down as they were eating.

            “Where’s da pancakes?” he sniffled.  Red had caught a little cold.  “I wanted da breakfast…”  He settled for a sandwich and released his Pokémon to eat too. 

            Blue jumped right into the days plan.  “Fuchsia is about a day’s walk away.  If we just follow the shoreline like it says on the map we can get there with minimal trouble.”

            The inn they were at was the end of a road.  If they walked south for a couple of hours, they would end up at the southern shore of Kanto.  Then they would turn west and right into Fuchsia.  Red traced his finger along a more direct path through a large green area.

            “Why can’t we just cut through here?” he asked.

            “That’s the Safari Zone,” she said.  “The last unmapped area of Kanto.  I did some research on one of the computers in the lobby here and it’s pretty much like the Amazon rainforest.  It could get pretty dicey in there because no one really knows how strong the wild Pokémon that live there.”

            “Well I could go for some strong Pokémon!” sniffed Red proudly.  “Maybe I can get a Snorlax of my own!”

            “I wouldn’t go through there,” said the inn owner.  “That area is protected by the Fuchsians.  They’re very territorial about the Safari Zone.”

            Blue leaned over and whispered to Red as he blew his nose in a napkin.  “How come everybody always overhears our conversations?”

            “Don’t cross the Fuchsians,” the owner continued.  “Sometimes they come up this far north… Ninjas: that’s what they are.  Strange folk and skilled fighters and Pokémon Trainers in their own rights.”

            They finished eating and recalled their Pokémon into their Pokeballs, except for Butterfree and Pidgeotto.  They would flutter and fly ahead at their trainers orders to scout out the land and warn them if any “ninjas” were wandering about.

            The journey was quiet as they walked along the coastline.  Not many trainers travel to Fuchsia from the east.  Most of them that went to challenge the Gym cycled down the long bridge from Celadon City.  The sky began to turn orange when Pidgeotto let out a cry, Butterfree flew back to Blue very quickly, urgent to alert its master.

            Butterfree swiftly led them to where Pidgeotto was standing on the ground with wings spread, two black dressed Team Rocket members blocked their path.  Red instantly released Pikachu, who sparked its cheeks intimidatingly at the Rockets.

            “Well, well, well,” said one of the members.  “The higher ups were right! The two pests would come right to us!”

            “You should just get out of our way!” said Red.  “Pikachu!”  The little yellow mouse put out more sparks before Red felt himself grabbed from behind, he looked to Blue who was held the same way, a bandana put around her mouth. 

            The Rocket member spoke again.  “Why don’t you just recall your Pokémon into their balls and hand them over, then we’ll let you go back on your way.”

            A different voice spoke, a female voice a few years older than Red and Blue.  A young woman dressed in black with her head wrapped tightly so only her eyes showed through.  “No, you know the agreement.  They will be taken to Koga.”  The Rocket member scowled but agreed.

            The small woman led the way followed by the two Rockets, and finally the two taller ninja-dressed men who held Blue and Red’s arms behind their backs.  They were briefly allowed to recall their Pokémon before they were blindfolded. 

            They walked for another hour.  Red had gotten a quick glance of the men and the woman who had apprehended them.  They were dressed in black, but not Team Rocket members.  Their heads were covered like the pictures of ninjas read had watched in movies when he was younger.

            Blue could sense the hostility between the woman and the Team Rocket members.  The woman and the two men didn’t like working with the Rockets, who didn’t much like following the ninja’s rules.

            Eventually, they felt themselves walking downhill.  Their blindfolds were removed.  Fuchsia was an old town.  The buildings were built like the stereotypical Japanese thatched roofs.  A sparkling ocean and dock rested to the south; old wooden boats were roped to the piers.  What stood out to Red and Blue the most, however, was the prevalence of Team Rocket members everywhere.  They stood in the open, leaning against doorways.  The inhabitants of Fuchsia whispered to each other in disgust as they would pass the Rockets in the Streets. 

            They were led to a large, three storied palace.  It shared the similar architectural features of the rest of the town, and a large wall surrounded the inner complex.  They walked up many steps to the great wooden doors.  Once inside a large hall was lined with statues of ninja-clad figures and their Pokémon.  At the far end, a grim-faced man with ninja robes sat on a throne.

            “Finally you’ve arrived as the Rocket King foretold,” he said standing from his chair.  “I am Koga, Gym Leader and King of Fuchsia.  LET ME SPEAK.”  Red was going to respond and ask why they were being held captive, but Koga had more to say.  “I know you are traveling Kanto seeking Gym Badges, and as a Gym Leader I will oblige you to a battle.”

            “Now?” asked Red.  “We just got here-“

            “AND YOU WILL FIND NO WELCOME FROM ME.” Koga wasn’t quite shouting but the anger and distrust he had for the two trainers, whatever the reason, was obvious.

            “My friend the Rocket King desires you as his enemies,” he continued.  The ninja woman made her way up to Koga’s right hand.  Strangely, she wasn’t looking at Red and Blue with glaring eyes, but the Team Rocket members who lazily filled the halls.  “Yet, I am a man of honor, should you defeat me, I will give you my prize: the Soul Badge.  Should you lose, you will be my prisoners and the Rocket King can continue his focus on bringing down the corrupt Kanto nation.”

            The giant doors swung shut with a thud.  The ninjas released Red who was led by Koga behind his throne and out to a wide open, dirt battle plane surrounded by the palace walls. 

            “This is where we do battle!” said Koga.  “Call forth your first Pokémon!”

            Red was still in shock on being challenged to such a high stakes battle, forget the fact he had no preparation.  All around the palace walls, Team Rocket members surveyed him, seemingly ready to pounce upon defeat.  Blue was still gagged with a bandana and held by one of the ninjas. He decided he would go with his trusty Wartortle first.  The blue turtle struck a proud pose.

            “I was warned about your strategy by the Rocket King,” Koga said with his arms folded.  “We will each use two Pokémon in succession, classic Gym battle.  Bring me Muk!” Three of his ninja servants brought out a large metallic barrel with a tap at the bottom and set it in front of their master.  Koga snapped his fingers and the cork popped off the tap and a purple ooze sprawled out from the tap until the glob made itself in a rather strange shape.  Red could make out eyes. 

            A few seconds later, everybody covered their noses because of the stench emanating from Muk overpowered the entire palace.  Wartortle scrunched its face and charged but stopped as the smell was too powerful for it to get closer.

            Koga let out a laugh.  “It’s hard to fight something when you can’t get close to it!”  Muk slowly oozed its way towards Wartortle who ran back by Red.  It used its Water Gun attack to spray its enemy, but the Muk contorted its “body” to avoid the spray.  The resulting water that lay on the ground allowed Muk to travel over it, moving faster.  Wartortle tried to leap over it as it closed in, but the purple blob shot out a “hand” and snatched it out of the air slamming it to the ground.

            Wartortle tried to pull away from Muk but the oozy Pokémon was too sticky to separate from.  Red grimaced as his slowed Pokémon was eventually overcome by Muk.  The smell knocked out Wartortle first, and then it was covered in Muk’s purple gelatinous body.  Muk passed again over the Water-Pokémon and stood in front of its Trainer again.  Wartortle was unresponsive, knocked out.  Red recalled it.

            “One down, one left,” mocked Koga.  “As someone with four badges I expected more from you.”  Red saw someone creep onto the palace wall.  Walking along in front of the Rockets who lined the wall was the woman who aided in their capture.  She caught Red’s eye and nodded. He turned to Blue, she was still gagged but relaxed.  The ninja still held her.

            Red was confident, he didn’t know why.  He sent out Pikachu, trying to use the same strategy he had used to defeat Brock: get it wet and zap it.  Pikachu sensed the situation and sent powerful electric bolts at Muk.  However, it moved with a previously unseen speed and tossed some its own oozy body at the sparks, absorbing the shock.  It flung another of its ooze at Pikachu’s head.  Its aim was perfect, purple globs of smelly ooze covered Pikachu’s red spark-producing cheeks.

            “Try and shake it off, Pikachu!” said Red.  This was getting out of hand.  He didn’t know what was harder to fight: Koga’s Muk or the smell. 

            Pikachu tried to zap off the ooze to no avail.  It was stuck.  Finally, the unbearable stench caught up to Pikachu’s sensitive nose.  It inhaled a deep breaths trying to avoid the smell. 

            “Finish it,” Koga said to Muk.  The Team Rocket members leapt off the palace walls surrounding the battle field in anticipation, ready to apprehend their Boss’s enemies.  Muk tossed more and more sludge rapidly at Pikachu.  It was difficult to tell what had caused Pikachu to collapse first, the smell or the combined weight of the heavy purple ooze.  Red had lost.

            “You may take them,” said Koga turning his back.  Team Rocket members rushed Red, who recalled Pikachu just in time.  He may have lost the Gym fight, but he still had Machop and Pidgeotto to help him get out of trouble.  Just as he grabbed their Pokeballs a popping noise was heard and a dark haze filled the battlefield.  He felt something hit his neck from behind, then something else pick him up by the shirt and carry him away into the air.  In a few seconds he was unconscious.

            He awoke in a dark house, someone was by his bedside.  Red was sore, he made out the figure of…

            “Blue!” he said.  “What happened? Where are we? Are our Pokémon safe?”

            As if hearing the noise ninja-dressed woman and her two comrades walked into the room.

            “You’re awake,” she said.  “Yes, you are safe along with your Pokémon.  Though many of my men were caught, and my entire squad is now labeled as traitors to Fuchsia.”

            Red and Blue were both confused.

            “Who are you?” asked Blue. “You brought us all the way out here, now what do you want?”

            All the way out here?  Red must have lost track of time since he was knocked out.

            The ninja woman spoke.  “We are, or were, Koga’s elite Ninja Commando Trainer unit.  And we need your help to get Team Rocket out of Fuchsia.  They’ve poisoned my father’s mind and oppressed my people.”

            “Wait,” said Blue standing up.  Red sat up in his bed in sudden realization.  “So you’re-“

            The woman lowered the coverings on her head, her face was grim like Koga’s. 

            “I am Janine, princess of Fuchsia.”

Saffron City-

            The Boss sat in an office at a building in Saffron.  He gazed out the window at the towering Silph Company Building in the middle of the city.  His phone rang.

            “What news from Fuchsia?” he asked.  He listened before slamming his phone on the table.

            A flash of light.  Sabrina had appeared beside her Boss. 

            “Those two kids are slippery,” he said.  “They are becoming quite an unexpected thorn in my side.”

            “Don’t worry,” said Sabrina calmly.  “All the preparations are finished.  We are ready to take over Silph Tower.  Soon you will have that which you seek.”

            The Boss turned back towards the desk. Classified Silph blueprints of a special Pokeball showed on his computer screen.

            “With the Master Ball finally in my possession I can finally reclaim what had originally escaped from me.  Then finding those kids, and all of my enemies, will be a walk in the park.  Commence the operation immediately.”

            “Very good, sir,” said Sabrina.  She teleported away in a flash of light.  The Boss once again looked towards the Silph Tower.

            “Knock, knock,” he said.  “Your new ruler has come.”