A Pokemon Tale, Part II: The Rise of Team Rocket

Prologue

RECAP

Newly certified Pokémon trainer Red is traveling across the Kanto region aiming to collect the eight Gym Badges, which will grant him access into the Pokémon League Tournament. On par with Red is his rival, Green. Along the way, Red travels with his friend, Blue. Red, Green, and Blue each received a rare Pokémon from old Professor Oak, the nation's leading Pokémon researcher, and former Champion. Red and Blue have met new friends along the way, in the form of Gym Leaders, Pokémon, and even members of the prestigious Elite Four, and enemies: in the form of the wicked Team Rocket who aim to steal other Trainer's Pokémon for a profit.

The Elite Four, Lance, Lorelei, Agatha, and Bruno are operating in a covert mission to thwart Team Rocket and discover its master plan, which remains unknown. Meanwhile, the Elite Four suspect corruption in the nation's Gym Leaders, governors of each of their own cities, believing them to be in league with Team Rocket somehow. Meanwhile a rogue Pokémon Trainer with telepathic powers known as simply "The Phantom" has his own agenda with Team Rocket, for good or for evil.

The following is the continuation of Red's journey with Pokémon across Kanto as he works to achieve his goal of becoming Champion of the Pokémon League.

Prologue

Erika was tending and watering the plants in her Gym in Celadon City when the message arrived. Lorelei of the Elite Four was one of her oldest friends since she was the Gym Leader of Cerulean City. Erika made her way through the streets of the beautiful city known throughout Kanto for its shopping districts. When Erika became Gym Leader of Celadon, it was run-down and dirty. Erika's skills in battle and eye for beauty brought Celadon City back to life and now it bustled with good hearted people who love their Pokémon.

Eventually, she arrived in Celadon City's sparkling harbor just in time where she saw Lorelei, her old friend, riding across the harbor from the south on her trusty Lapras. Lorelei slid off Lapras's shell and recalled her Pokémon.

"You wanted to see me?" Erika asked. Lorelei had a sense of urgency in her voice.

"We need to call Koga," she said. "We need to know the Gym Leader of Fuchsia is not corrupted."

"What do you-"stammered Erika but Lorelei cut her off.

"No time to explain," she interrupted. "Call him through the secure Gym Leader hotline, I will listen."

Erika's eyes grew wide. "You know it is against the law for anyone other than a Gym Leader to be involved with a hotline call..."

"Erika," Lorelei put her hands on the Celadon Gym Leader's shoulder. "I was once a Gym Leader, and you are my best friend, please, I need this favor from you." Reluctantly, Erika agreed.

Back at the Celadon City Gym, a gigantic greenhouse with exotic plants and trees on the inside, Erika fired up the video monitor in her apartment within that provided the Gym Leader with a hotline to any and all of the other seven Leaders in Kanto. Lorelei stood hidden in the corner so that Fuchsia's leader couldn't see her. After three dial tones, a middle-aged, sharp-faced man appeared on the screen.

"Koga! How is Fuchsia's weather across the bridge?" Erika asked. Koga spoke sharply.

"Cloudy," he replied, "Though I might say the sun of enlightenment is beginning to shine through..."

Erika had a puzzled look on her face. Koga always seemed to speak in riddles. He was the Gym Leader of a town in Kanto called Fuchsia. Fuchsia and its surrounding area is, in fact, its own country and its leadership had passed through his family for generations. Its people were loyal to each other, and extremely suspicious of the outside world. Erika was about to respond when again she was cut off.

"I know why you called, Erika," Koga went on. "And I will spare you some time: Long have the leaders of Kanto desired the rare Pokémon that live within our borders, and now corruption has infected the Gym Leaders of your country. This corruption threatens the continuing sovereignty of my people. Our alliance with the people of Celadon ran the thickest as with any other city in your country, while still thin in itself. And now I come to find out that you have fallen into corruption."

Erika was stunned. What was this nonsense? True the road that was built between Celadon and Fuchsia that allowed Fuchsia to modernize created a special connection between the two cities, which eventually allowed the separate State of Fuchsia to be specially accepted into Kanto's Pokémon League. The link between the two cities was vital to the stability of Kanto.

"What are you-" cut off again.

"No matter its members, the Elite Four of Kanto has sought to fully control Fuchsia City and its resources to retain power and now I see it is true! You seek to control us and have brought one of the Elite Four into this message to deceive me!"

Lorelei gasped-how could he have known that she was in the room listening to the call. Koga continued on...

"I have recently come into contact with an organization known as Team Rocket, and this organization has promised in return for my loyalty, protection from the Elite Four and its schemes. As soon as this call ends, the road that connects our cities will be no more, and my people will live free from fear of tyranny."

The call ended as Team Rocket members blocked Cycling Road, the link between Celadon City and Fuchsia, the fragile link between not only two cities, but two different nations.