The Mask Maker

The Test: Part 1

Morai looked around, suddenly suspicious of the dark corners of the cave where Team Rocket Grunts could be hiding. In the corner of her eye she noticed that one of her masks, the one made for her by Team Rocket, was blinking. It's eye was blinking, anyway. She picked it up and examined it. Suddenly she heard a faint voice coming from it. 

Right, I forgot. In the past I've pressed the button on the clasp to call the Team Rocket HQ. I guess they can just call in whenever they want to. 

"Hello? Two Face?" 

"Yeah yeah, I'm here," Morai said with a slight roll of the eyes. Given the nickname, Proton was clearly on the other line. 

"Two Face! It's nice to hear your voice again."

"I have to say, I'm not thrilled to hear yours after what you and your grunts did, what, a week ago?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I was, uh, I was following orders." 

Morai looked to the sky in disbelief. 

"Sure," she sighed, "but that doesn't excuse you from outing my identity to an entire island of people! I know you're a criminal and a very good one at that, but I thought you were better than that, Proton. Now I've got to cover a giant trail and—" 

The trainer felt something graze right by her neck. It was a dart. She jumped up and put her mask on and her eyes began to dart around, finally landing on the shapes of two Rocket grunts in a dark corner on the upper level. They both paused, then one of them slapped the other on the shoulder.

"Dang it! This could have been so easy, Jim!" he called.

I didn't know they could use darts. That makes things a bit more difficult. 

"Hey! You're bringing shame to your own team by fighting from afar like cowards," Morai yelled. "Why don't you come down here and fight me head on?"

It was funny. Morai had spent enough time with her two counterparts in their dream realm to recognize which of her actions were influenced by Shadow Morai or Light Morai. She knew Shadow Morai would be thrilled to fight two people head on, which is why she herself felt a tinge of excitement and adrenaline. Shadow Morai was a personification of her own psyche, after all. 

The two grunts unsheathed their electric batons and jumped down. They began to charge Morai from both sides, but one changed courses and hit the other hard, knocking them both down. They sat up, confused. 

I did it. I can do it in this realm now, too.

"Geez, didn't they tell you not to look me in the eye?" 

A grin spread across the trainer's masked face. Proton's voice sounded in her ear again.

"Well would you look at that!" Proton cheered. "It looks like we're ahead of schedule! We can finish our conversation later. Now's the time to choose your one Pokémon. The others will be kept safe here. That's a promise! Once you've picked it, I'd recommend starting your journey to the Crown Tundra as quickly as possible. See ya!" 

Which one should I choose?  I can't fly, so Corviknight is out. I shouldn't be battling either, so I guess that leaves...

"Espurr! You're coming with me!" 

Morai tucked the small cat Pokémon in her bag and left the other Pokémon with the rest of her things. She clipped the other masks to her belt and began to run toward the exit, but she stopped. 

All of my things...my old suit, my Pokémon...should I really leave them behind? 

The trainer turned around and began to run toward her campsite, but the two Rocket grunts had already gotten up and were running toward her. She turned on her heel and booked it for the cave exit.