A Second Chance

Chapter 19

"Um. . . no."

"What?"

"No," Lance said.

"Why not?" she asked.

"First, I don't even know your names. Second, why offer me this? And also, taking this offer would just slow me down. I can do jobs faster on my own without having to listen to orders."

The woman looked somewhat flustered. She wasn't used to recruiting, apparently. The other guy finally had a chance to explain now. 

"My name is Steven Stone. I'm the Hoenn champion. She's Whitney, a gym leader from Johto. We're here offering you this position because of you becoming champion. Before you ask, we are aware of your past, but that's something we're willing to overlook due to recent circumstances. And finally," he said, taking a breath, "The pokemon G-men operate through obscure sources and tips. When we receive info, we pass it on to the agent best suited for the job, or the one closest to the catastrophe."  

"You're the Steven Stone?" the first one asked him. "I had no clue. . . I just got partnered with you, and I hadn't met you before, so I thought you must be a rookie. I'm sorry, sir!" 

Lance was beginning to wonder just how disorganized this group was. "Whitney, just try to act professional, okay?" Steven said. 

"Fine ," she replied. The pink-haired girl huffed sassily. 

"Even if I were a rookie, you shouldn't be bossing others around. I'm still your senior in both rank and age."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Allow me to apologize for my companion's actions. She's in that awkward stage of childhood. We fear she might be going emo."

Lance face palmed. Whitney tried unsuccessfully to keep from laughing. Steven just gave them them both a look. 

"Well, we can give you a few days to think about it. After that, we'll need a definitive answer," Steven said. 

"Hey, if it would help you make up your mind, we have a mission you could go on just to get a feel for it," Whitney said. 

"Um, okay."

"Great, let's go!" the pink haired girl cried, grabbing his hand and tugging him after her. 

"Wait a second, I need to tell Yellow!"

"Who's Yellow? Oh wait, you mean that girl who defeated you at Cerise Island? Wow, are you two dating or something?" Whitney wanted to know. 

Lance sighed and went inside. Yellow was sitting on the couch, arms wrapped around a pillow. "Who was it?" she asked, seeing him. 

He explained briefly, finishing with the news that he'd be gone for a few days because of this. He didn't know exactly how long the mission would take, but it should be over before too long. 

"I'm so happy for you!" Yellow said. 

"But this means we won't have as much time together," Lance said, "If I decide to accept the offer, that is."

"Seriously? Getting recruited by a top secret agency, fighting evil across the region, even the world? Awesome!"

"You're certainly excited," Lance said. 

"Yup! Have fun, babe."

"You must really want me out of here."

"Maybe."

He made a face, and she took pity on him and kissed his cheek. "Be safe," Yellow whispered. 

"I will," he assured her. 

"A lake in the Johto region has been experiencing strange evolutions recently. We think Team Rocket might be involved," Steven told Lance. They were riding in the back seat of a big black van, Whitney sitting next to Steven with some earbuds in. She seemed to be doing her best to ignore them. 

"I thought they were disbanded," Lance said. 

"We think they're trying to regroup. We received our information from a boy named Gold, who had a run in with them recently. Apparently, they were cutting off Slowpoke tails to sell."

"That's horrible!"

"It's Team Rocket for you."

"So what is my objective?"

"Your mission is to infiltrate their base and attempt to shut down the generators for whatever is causing the evolutions. It's some form of sound wave, but that's all we know."

Whitney pulled an earbud out, frowning at the floor. "I still don't get why I can't go."

"You can't exactly blend in, Whitney. As if they bright pink hair weren't obvious enough, your small stature will stand out. Anyway, we'll need you as backup in case anything goes wrong."

She perked up instantly at that. "You got it, boss!" 

Steven smiled at the girl's antics. The car stopped, and he handed Lance a bundle of clothes. "Here. You may find these useful. These clothes are made to be easy to move around in."

"Plus there's a cape!" Whitney added. 

Lance took the bundle, thanking Steven. Then it was time for him to go. 

The car had parked a ways away from the actual lake, for safety purposes. They couldn't risk detection. That also meant Lance had to hike through the brush on foot to reach the lake. Flying in on the back of a Dragonite would probably be a little conspicuous, so he decided against it. 

The only good thing Lance could say about the new clothes was that they came with a cape. The colors and style weren't very appealing to him, but they were rather comfortable. At least he could change as soon as he found a Team Rocket uniform, but he wasn't sure it would be a major upgrade. 

All too soon, he had reached the lake. Lance took a minute to survey his surroundings. Across the lake from him was a large building with several vans parked outside it. Trees ringed one side, while the other was mostly open. 

He went with the forested side, since it would provide more cover. After sneaking his way to the building, it was a simple matter to jump a Team Rocket member and steal their uniform. He locked the man in a storage closet. He'd wake up soon, or someone would open the closet looking for something. 

Next, Lance walked through the base, scanning each room for some form of generator. Outside, he'd seen what appeared to be a huge satellite disc, only it transmitted waves instead of collecting them. It was pointed at the lake, but they could target anywhere, turn the pokemon of an entire town hostile. 

This was way bigger than anyone had imagined.