emsiecat
July 2nd, 2008, 04:04 pm
The Kantonian scholars have an old and well used saying:
'Where light shines shadow cannot be far away.'
Many people throughout the regions will nod in agreement if you quote this particular proverb to them. After all it's not being cynical to believe that no matter how much good there is in the world there will always be some form of evil, it's just common sense.
Such is true of this world and any other world that can be inhabited.
In this world the evil, for the most part, is well hidden. It lulls people into a false sense of security. Of course there is corruption and greed just as any other world. However it is uncommon to find true evil; which is why the general public is often so surprised when they are struck at by one particular organisation that thrives on wrong doing.
Team Rocket is an organisation run by one known only as 'Sakaki' or to his followers 'The Boss'. He and his loyal supporters are responsible for crimes including: burglary, blackmail, fraudulence, illegal experimentation on both humans and Pokémon, and torture.
Although Sakaki is a shrewd and cunning man he has failed to note one thing about his organisation: Not all his employees are as loyal as he would like to think…
***
It was dark. The lab always had darkness to it, even if it wasn't night. Liana sighed and muttered to herself as she walked with practiced steps across the cold tiled floor. On her shoulder a small bird Pokémon by the species name of Chattot ruffled his feathers and squawked in a choking raspy voice.
"In space no one can hear you scream!"
Liana winced as the harsh noise echoed raucously around the clinical room before she glared at the bird.
"Quiet you nut! Do you want to get us thrown out?"
"Please accept my most sincere apologies my dear; for I never wished to cause you any grief." The voice this time was well spoken and simpering with a slight lisp. It sounded so much like Professor Fujishima it was unnerving.
Liana groaned and rolled her eyes, a gesture which the parrot-like creature on her shoulder promptly mimicked. Trust Ryoji to lend her a Pokémon that was completely insane! She'd have words with him later.
Glancing down, Liana looked at the digital read out on the lit up face of her watch.
23:46
Just a few more minutes and she'd be off duty.
The young woman ran an absent hand through her auburn curls before turning on her heel and walking back towards the exit of the lab. She hated this place and spent as little time in it as possible, though the machinery was rather interesting to behold.
She touched a gloved palm to one of the computer monitors trying to make head or tail of the readouts that continuously fluctuated across the display. The computers were always left on and heaven help anyone who turned them off!
Liana wrinkled her nose as she failed at keeping pace with the complicated numbers and symbols flying up the screen and turned away, patting Chattot in a self-assuring gesture.
There had been a time when she'd wanted to be a scientist. To sit in one of these labs creating miracles and advances to medicine or technology that would leave people amazed. That little fairytale had ended almost the moment she'd arrived here. Genetic mutations, thoughtless experimentation and torture had not been in the job description.
The moment the head honchos had heard of her seeming compassion towards test subjects and her failure to comply with the 'standard procedures', Liana had been marched to a ridiculously well furnished office and told to sit and wait rather like a disgraced school-child.
It hadn't taken long, and had been a very loud, angry rebuke that consisted of: no the test subjects did not have any rights, no if she couldn't work to their rules then she couldn't work in the labs at all, and no she sure as hell couldn't leave.
She had been given a change in position, in uniform and a considerably unpleasant change in wages, and told to get out and get back to work.
Two days and she'd managed to get herself demoted, it must have been some kind of record!
That was four years ago, and now the young woman was seriously regretting not reading that infamous fine-print on the contract she'd signed.
"It's like the mafia, once you're in you're in!"
Liana recalled that particular phrase from an overly chipper acquaintance on her first day of lackey duty.
Liana grumbled and pulled a face at her own reflection as she passed one of the lab's stasis tubes, currently void of any experiment.
You really are an idiot.
With a snort and another roll of the eyes at that self-depreciating thought, Liana strode purposefully out of the lab and back into the corridors of the Headquarters.
***
"Rise and shine! It's Wednesday do you know what that means?" Without waiting for a reply the speaker answered his own question, "It's time for lectures, huzzah!"
Ayumi fell out of bed with a pronounced thud! Even so it was hardly audible over Ryoji's resonating bellows.
"Ryoji, what the hell!? Do you even know what time it is? And how the heck did you get in here!?" Ayumi was promptly on her feet and matching Ryoji's shouts with some of her own. Her hair was suitably rumpled and matched her sour mood rather admirably.
"Swiped a card key." Ryoji grinned proudly at this particular accomplishment and threw himself onto Ayumi's now unoccupied bed, using the poor abused mattress like some kind of trampoline.
Liana growled at sat bolt upright, eyeing her foolish colleague evilly.
"Some of us had guard duty last night you know."
Ryoji stopped mid-bounce and offered the irate woman a sweeping bow.
"Liana, my dove! A thousand pardons for interrupting your beauty sleep, but the fervent call of education beckons us. We must answer it!"
The guy always had had a flair for the dramatic.
Ayumi groaned at Ryoji's spectacle and set about forcefully pushing the idiot out the door, muttering about exactly where he could shove his 'thousand pardons'.
"B-but Ayumi-san, I only wanted to wish you both good morning!"
"Good morning and goodbye." Ayumi growled shutting the door in his face.
Ayumi sighed leaning against the doorframe as she listened to the whining protestations of the twit who stood outside.
"As much as I hate to agree with him, he's right y'know. If you don't hurry you'll be late for the lecture."
Liana all but whimpered under the sheets she'd thrown back over her head once Ryoji had left.
She peered out at the older woman whom she shared the offsite apartment with. Ayumi was three years older than Ryoji and far more accomplished at her work than either of them.
Although she was a decent sort of woman, she had what she lovingly dubbed a 'killer instinct' and had made it to the Elite ranks of their organisation; whereas Ryoji and Liana were still floundering around as Intermediates.
Liana had been lucky not to be thrown in with the rest of the Intermediates in their cramped dorm rooms within the walls of the Team Rocket Headquarters. By the time Liana had been demoted all the dorms were full. As it was Ayumi, who had taken a liking to the girl, had offered the spare bed in her own more spacious room set a half hours walk away from the main building.
Lucky, lucky me! Though I could do without Ryoji's wake-up call every freakin' morning!
***
Liana had finally extricated herself from the blankets and was sipping some coffee on Ayumi's small balcony. She was breathing the fresh air that was a welcome respite from the recent heat-wave that had hit the region. Leaning against the railing she peered over, lost in her own thoughts.
"Liana-chan!" Ayumi called out to the young woman. "I'm off now. I have some work in Ecruteak that needs taking care of, I'll probably be gone a couple of days. You okay to make it to the main building? You haven't got much time."
Liana knew very well, being in Team Rocket, what 'some work' would probably entail. Though she slightly envied Ayumi, despite the dealings of their organisation, Liana would give almost anything to get outside and explore a bit.
"It's okay Ayumi, I can walk it." Liana smiled to herself as she took one last glance over the balcony. Even from this high up, six floors to be precise, Liana could see people running back and forth frantically through the streets. Each person living their own epic tale and trying as best they could to achieve dreams and aspirations.
Life, as confusing as it is, is amazing.
'Where light shines shadow cannot be far away.'
Many people throughout the regions will nod in agreement if you quote this particular proverb to them. After all it's not being cynical to believe that no matter how much good there is in the world there will always be some form of evil, it's just common sense.
Such is true of this world and any other world that can be inhabited.
In this world the evil, for the most part, is well hidden. It lulls people into a false sense of security. Of course there is corruption and greed just as any other world. However it is uncommon to find true evil; which is why the general public is often so surprised when they are struck at by one particular organisation that thrives on wrong doing.
Team Rocket is an organisation run by one known only as 'Sakaki' or to his followers 'The Boss'. He and his loyal supporters are responsible for crimes including: burglary, blackmail, fraudulence, illegal experimentation on both humans and Pokémon, and torture.
Although Sakaki is a shrewd and cunning man he has failed to note one thing about his organisation: Not all his employees are as loyal as he would like to think…
***
It was dark. The lab always had darkness to it, even if it wasn't night. Liana sighed and muttered to herself as she walked with practiced steps across the cold tiled floor. On her shoulder a small bird Pokémon by the species name of Chattot ruffled his feathers and squawked in a choking raspy voice.
"In space no one can hear you scream!"
Liana winced as the harsh noise echoed raucously around the clinical room before she glared at the bird.
"Quiet you nut! Do you want to get us thrown out?"
"Please accept my most sincere apologies my dear; for I never wished to cause you any grief." The voice this time was well spoken and simpering with a slight lisp. It sounded so much like Professor Fujishima it was unnerving.
Liana groaned and rolled her eyes, a gesture which the parrot-like creature on her shoulder promptly mimicked. Trust Ryoji to lend her a Pokémon that was completely insane! She'd have words with him later.
Glancing down, Liana looked at the digital read out on the lit up face of her watch.
23:46
Just a few more minutes and she'd be off duty.
The young woman ran an absent hand through her auburn curls before turning on her heel and walking back towards the exit of the lab. She hated this place and spent as little time in it as possible, though the machinery was rather interesting to behold.
She touched a gloved palm to one of the computer monitors trying to make head or tail of the readouts that continuously fluctuated across the display. The computers were always left on and heaven help anyone who turned them off!
Liana wrinkled her nose as she failed at keeping pace with the complicated numbers and symbols flying up the screen and turned away, patting Chattot in a self-assuring gesture.
There had been a time when she'd wanted to be a scientist. To sit in one of these labs creating miracles and advances to medicine or technology that would leave people amazed. That little fairytale had ended almost the moment she'd arrived here. Genetic mutations, thoughtless experimentation and torture had not been in the job description.
The moment the head honchos had heard of her seeming compassion towards test subjects and her failure to comply with the 'standard procedures', Liana had been marched to a ridiculously well furnished office and told to sit and wait rather like a disgraced school-child.
It hadn't taken long, and had been a very loud, angry rebuke that consisted of: no the test subjects did not have any rights, no if she couldn't work to their rules then she couldn't work in the labs at all, and no she sure as hell couldn't leave.
She had been given a change in position, in uniform and a considerably unpleasant change in wages, and told to get out and get back to work.
Two days and she'd managed to get herself demoted, it must have been some kind of record!
That was four years ago, and now the young woman was seriously regretting not reading that infamous fine-print on the contract she'd signed.
"It's like the mafia, once you're in you're in!"
Liana recalled that particular phrase from an overly chipper acquaintance on her first day of lackey duty.
Liana grumbled and pulled a face at her own reflection as she passed one of the lab's stasis tubes, currently void of any experiment.
You really are an idiot.
With a snort and another roll of the eyes at that self-depreciating thought, Liana strode purposefully out of the lab and back into the corridors of the Headquarters.
***
"Rise and shine! It's Wednesday do you know what that means?" Without waiting for a reply the speaker answered his own question, "It's time for lectures, huzzah!"
Ayumi fell out of bed with a pronounced thud! Even so it was hardly audible over Ryoji's resonating bellows.
"Ryoji, what the hell!? Do you even know what time it is? And how the heck did you get in here!?" Ayumi was promptly on her feet and matching Ryoji's shouts with some of her own. Her hair was suitably rumpled and matched her sour mood rather admirably.
"Swiped a card key." Ryoji grinned proudly at this particular accomplishment and threw himself onto Ayumi's now unoccupied bed, using the poor abused mattress like some kind of trampoline.
Liana growled at sat bolt upright, eyeing her foolish colleague evilly.
"Some of us had guard duty last night you know."
Ryoji stopped mid-bounce and offered the irate woman a sweeping bow.
"Liana, my dove! A thousand pardons for interrupting your beauty sleep, but the fervent call of education beckons us. We must answer it!"
The guy always had had a flair for the dramatic.
Ayumi groaned at Ryoji's spectacle and set about forcefully pushing the idiot out the door, muttering about exactly where he could shove his 'thousand pardons'.
"B-but Ayumi-san, I only wanted to wish you both good morning!"
"Good morning and goodbye." Ayumi growled shutting the door in his face.
Ayumi sighed leaning against the doorframe as she listened to the whining protestations of the twit who stood outside.
"As much as I hate to agree with him, he's right y'know. If you don't hurry you'll be late for the lecture."
Liana all but whimpered under the sheets she'd thrown back over her head once Ryoji had left.
She peered out at the older woman whom she shared the offsite apartment with. Ayumi was three years older than Ryoji and far more accomplished at her work than either of them.
Although she was a decent sort of woman, she had what she lovingly dubbed a 'killer instinct' and had made it to the Elite ranks of their organisation; whereas Ryoji and Liana were still floundering around as Intermediates.
Liana had been lucky not to be thrown in with the rest of the Intermediates in their cramped dorm rooms within the walls of the Team Rocket Headquarters. By the time Liana had been demoted all the dorms were full. As it was Ayumi, who had taken a liking to the girl, had offered the spare bed in her own more spacious room set a half hours walk away from the main building.
Lucky, lucky me! Though I could do without Ryoji's wake-up call every freakin' morning!
***
Liana had finally extricated herself from the blankets and was sipping some coffee on Ayumi's small balcony. She was breathing the fresh air that was a welcome respite from the recent heat-wave that had hit the region. Leaning against the railing she peered over, lost in her own thoughts.
"Liana-chan!" Ayumi called out to the young woman. "I'm off now. I have some work in Ecruteak that needs taking care of, I'll probably be gone a couple of days. You okay to make it to the main building? You haven't got much time."
Liana knew very well, being in Team Rocket, what 'some work' would probably entail. Though she slightly envied Ayumi, despite the dealings of their organisation, Liana would give almost anything to get outside and explore a bit.
"It's okay Ayumi, I can walk it." Liana smiled to herself as she took one last glance over the balcony. Even from this high up, six floors to be precise, Liana could see people running back and forth frantically through the streets. Each person living their own epic tale and trying as best they could to achieve dreams and aspirations.
Life, as confusing as it is, is amazing.