Categories > Anime/Manga > Pokemon > Don't Give Me Diamonds
Don't Give Me Diamonds
Diamond 09: Give Me Inspiration
"The police are coming!" Giovanni alerted, "escape plan C!" The Team Rocket members called back their pokemon and scrambled in separate directions to throw off the police, as previously discussed in plan C.
Delia had not been present when the escape plan was explained and she didn't know what to do, but she knew this was trouble. She was trying to save pokemon from an evil gang that the police didn't or couldn't stop, this time Team Rocket were the good guys from her point of view. Besides, those terrible people had set fire to their hideout and warehouse, sacrificing so many pokemon and risking humans. Delia could not forgive them, but with the arrival of the police, she remembered that vigilantes are also outlaws.
"Delia, call them back!" Giovanni urged.
"Cloyster, Kingler, return!" Delia recalled her pokemon and stood unsure until Giovanni took her hand and led her away in a rush; they ventured into the wilderness and disappeared from the view of the police.
They ran like they never ran before for many hours. Night fell and they continued running non-stop. Delia's confusion slowly melted away, she wasn't a criminal, just a vigilante, an outlaw, but not an evil one. She couldn't live in doubt so she forced herself to make up her mind, this was the only option for her now so she embraced it; she couldn't leave her work unfinished.
xoxox xox xoxox
Exhausted, Giovanni and Delia had hastily bought some food and supplies at Celadon City, then promptly left, walking the rest of the way to the meeting point in the coast of the peninsula south of the city. It would be terribly unsafe to stay in the city; it was enough of a risk to enter it, even if it was only to approach a small kiosk in its outskirts, their disheveled state made them look too suspicious.
They had avoided all the main routes, venturing through the wilderness, the shallow scratches all over their bodies and the thorn fabric of their clothes bared witness to harsh terrain they crossed. No one said the life of a vigilante or a thief was glamorous, at least not now.
Giovanni knew one day he would have minions to do his dirty work while he lounged in a luxurious yacht somewhere near Cinnabar Island. Somehow Delia appeared in the metal picture as well, vacationing with him. She was even braver than he thought; she had been surprising him ever since the incident at the beach east of Cerulean. She was clearly set on turning Team Rocket into a team of vigilantes to protect pokemon, but that aside, she could be cunning and reckless when she wanted to be and he liked that.
"Where is the meeting place? Is it this beach?" It was certainly a desolated region, the rocks near the sore made it impossible to surf or swim, thus the area was rejected by tourists and locals alike. Even so, Delia was expecting a place that was more covered.
"We're almost there, it's just ahead," though Giovanni said that, Delia saw nothing but rocks ahead. "Here's the entrance." Behind a rock formation there was a cave, the rocks kept the tide from invading it, though it would surely flood if the tide rose too much.
"Is it safe?" Delia felt silly asking that question. Of all the things they had been doing lately this had to be the safest.
"It's a big cave, even if it doesn't look it from the entrance. There are some high places inside; if the tide goes up we'll have to go deeper and wait it out, but I don't think that will be necessary in this season," Giovanni assured.
They entered the cave, walked to the higher sub-terrain area and sat down. "I didn't realize how tired I was until I finally sat down. I don't think I'll be able to get up for a while."
"We can rest here, the others should join us soon, our paths are different to throw off pursuers," Giovanni explained.
"I hope they make it here alright. Our poor pokemon must be so hungry and restless. For how long did we run? I lost track of time. Poor pokemon, they must be famished," she paused as if remembering something, "and so must we."
"We must be," he agreed, "it's odd how you forget about those things sometimes."
"You're the one who told me not to let myself get sick," Delia called out her pokemon, reminding Giovanni to let his out as well.
While the pokemon ate from the supplies purchased at Celadon, the pair of humans ate as well, devouring the food as if it were the best they've ever tasted, though they would have thought differently if they weren't so hungry.
"This is a relaxing place," Delia observed after her hunger and thirst had been satisfied. "Sitting here with the sound of the ocean," she closed her eyes, savoring the moment and focusing only on the present. Giovanni placed his arm around her shoulders, pleased that she naturally leaned on him. "How did you find this place?"
"Luke told us about it," Giovanni remembered, "we were talking about were we should meet if for whatever reason we had to escape in an emergency. We decided on moving separately to make it easier to lose anyone after us. Luke suggested this place because he said it was his favorite, I chouse it because it's so well hidden."
"What about everyone's escape route? Is it very different?" Delia inquired.
"Yes, but the longest doesn't take most than a day in comparison to the others. We were actually not supposed to be the first to get here judging by distance, but I'm sure everything is fine, we just ran the fastest."
"I hope it's only that. Are you calm because you trust them or because you'd leave them behind?"
"Which do you think?"
"I'll make sure you never abandon a comrade," Delia decided. "You know them well and they look up to you a lot."
"I only know the basic stuff I need to know to put them into a strategy."
"Tell me about them, about our comrades."
Giovanni wasn't sure about the source of Delia's interest, but he told her anyway. "Let's see, Luke is good pokemon trainer but not a very good strategist. Things that require planning are more Leah's field; she's a big strategist and good at sneaking around, but it's easy to forget she's even there, those two work very well in a team complimenting each other. Binks is kind of clumsy, but he's very loyal and has some good scientific knowledge. Aayla is respected among the team so she's good to relay orders when I'm away, she used to be with Tempest but now she hates them, I don't know the specifics but it looks like a personal grudge against Venom. Either way, the point is she won't betray Team Rocket, that's what really matters."
"Venom is terrible, leading his gang to kill all those defenseless sick pokemon in the warehouse and they're just as bad for following him. The world needs heroes!"
"You need a reality check."
"Believe in yourself just like your team does!" Delia encouraged, with an inexplicable determination.
"You lost me," he wondered where she got all that optimism.
"You are lost, but I found you and I'll show you the way!" Delia insisted. "I know the life of a vigilante won't be easy, but I know you can do it. It's clear the team will follow you and it's your responsibility to lead them well. I'll help in any way I can!"
She had wondered why despite being the leader, he didn't carry many pokemon. There was a shortage of healthy pokemon and he didn't want any of the little sub teams the gang was divided into to go without them. It would not be effective to keep them all to himself during the shortage, it was a good strategy.
He had rushed back to the hideout blowing their cover, a hasty bad move, but it was for a good reason, more casualties might have occurred if they haven't arrived when they did. He might be aiming to be a rich crime lord, but the fact still stood he had the skills and intellect to do something great. She just had to show him how to care, guide him to the light. She would remain by his side and do so.
"I don't know about that, but you did really well back there. You were fearless, also reckless, but we won in the end."
Despite all the negative things that happened, even if there were tragedies that couldn't be forgotten, Delia smiled proudly. She wasn't a weak sheltered girl with nothing but dreams; she was living her life and reaching out for her goals, noble goals of justice for pokemon.
It gave her a certain satisfaction to be recognized. She rested her head on his shoulder, not minding the closeness, she was comfortable and that's all that mattered. Her breathing was even and calm and she drifted off to sleep.
xoxox xox xoxox
Delia slowly woke up, she was comfortable and she didn't want to move, but her pillow wasn't a pillow, because pillows don't have a heartbeat. "Hmm..." She finally opened her eyes, Giovanni was still sleeping, his arms tightly wrapped around her.
It must be uncomfortable for him to sleep on the hard cave floor, but he was sleeping soundly none the less, his deep slumber fueled by over-exhaustion. Feeling a bit guilty about using him as a pillow, Delia set her head down again and relaxed, drifting off to sleep once more.
When she woke up again, there was a small fire burning a few feet away with the pokemon sitting around it, but Giovanni was still playing the part of her pillow so he couldn't have started it. Upon closer inspection, she found that he was awake this time, "sorry about that," she got off.
"I don't mind, you can sleep on me whenever you want."
"Chill out Charmander, we have company, who is it?" She curiously inquired, knowing it had to be someone from the team.
"Leah, it shouldn't be long before they keep on arriving. We've been asleep for about twelve hours, though I can't be sure," He sat up and stretched, feeling stiff as an effect of sleeping on the cave floor.
"Well at least I feel refreshed. A warm bubble bath is too much to ask for, but a shower would be nice."
"We are at a beach and I never got to see you in a bikini last time," he reminded.
"I told you to stay cool Charmander," she giggled, no longer feeling the annoyance she did before when he tried to flirt with her before.
"By any chance is the Charmander in your dream related to that nickname?" Giovanni inquired with a tone of innocence that hid mischief.
"I'm sure it's just a coincidence," Delia was quick to reply, hiding her blush. "Besides, the dream was blurry, it could have been a Parasect for all I know or maybe it was a Vulpix or a Flareon. Anyway, thanks for making my nap more comfortable. I could give you a massage if you think that will make you feel better. Don't get any ideas I just thought I owed you at least that much."
"How's the party going dudes?" Luke's voice echoed from outside, followed by his cheerful entrance to the cave. "I'm like totally tired, you know? That was a wild fight, man!" Giovanni glared at the interruption, casing the still miraculously energetic Luke to let out a little yelp and rush to another section of the cave as he apologized. "Sorry dudes, I didn't mean to like kill the atmosphere, you know?"
"What atmosphere?" Delia called after Luke, following him to the adjacent section of the cave were Leah was.
"The one he just murdered," Giovanni muttered as he followed Delia, who had seemingly forgotten about her offer to give him a massage.
xoxox xox xoxox
The other members of the team eventually arrived, telling stories of their aching feet and sore bodies. "Like seriously dudes, what are we, old?"
"Shut it Luke," Aayla growled, "anyone would be sore after all that running, but we made it here, we were strong enough, that's what counts."
"Touchy," Luke teased.
Aayla consequently picked up a small stone and threw it at him. The small rock flew over his shoulder like a bullet and shattered upon impact on the cave wall behind him. "The next one won't miss," after Aayla's warning, Luke wisely decided to remain quiet.
"We are homeless," Leah grimaced, though no one really heard her.
Even Aayla who spoke to Leah seconds later missed her comment about their lack of place of residence. "Hey Leah, could you go to Celadon and get a few things," the rest of Aayla's request was a very quiet whisper.
Leah looked like she was about to point out that this was not the time for that, but nodded anyway and snuck out of the cave unnoticed. The team needed to keep up their morale after all.
Tempest was a powerful gang and to see their leader humiliated was a big triumph, one that made them temporarily forget about the possibility of future consequences while they were caught up in the celebration.
Everyone congratulated each other on some special move that had stood out during the chaos. Delia received a lot of praise for her courage in facing Venom; she had been called an inspiration. Predictably, Giovanni got most of the credit for everything despite his late arrival; he gave the team a feeling of security just by being there. Delia understood that better now and regardless of what the future might hold, she knew she had found inspiration in Team Rocket and she would follow it.
To be Continued
Disclaimer, I don't own Pokemon. Plot bunnies take on life of their own sometimes.
Diamond 09: Give Me Inspiration
"The police are coming!" Giovanni alerted, "escape plan C!" The Team Rocket members called back their pokemon and scrambled in separate directions to throw off the police, as previously discussed in plan C.
Delia had not been present when the escape plan was explained and she didn't know what to do, but she knew this was trouble. She was trying to save pokemon from an evil gang that the police didn't or couldn't stop, this time Team Rocket were the good guys from her point of view. Besides, those terrible people had set fire to their hideout and warehouse, sacrificing so many pokemon and risking humans. Delia could not forgive them, but with the arrival of the police, she remembered that vigilantes are also outlaws.
"Delia, call them back!" Giovanni urged.
"Cloyster, Kingler, return!" Delia recalled her pokemon and stood unsure until Giovanni took her hand and led her away in a rush; they ventured into the wilderness and disappeared from the view of the police.
They ran like they never ran before for many hours. Night fell and they continued running non-stop. Delia's confusion slowly melted away, she wasn't a criminal, just a vigilante, an outlaw, but not an evil one. She couldn't live in doubt so she forced herself to make up her mind, this was the only option for her now so she embraced it; she couldn't leave her work unfinished.
xoxox xox xoxox
Exhausted, Giovanni and Delia had hastily bought some food and supplies at Celadon City, then promptly left, walking the rest of the way to the meeting point in the coast of the peninsula south of the city. It would be terribly unsafe to stay in the city; it was enough of a risk to enter it, even if it was only to approach a small kiosk in its outskirts, their disheveled state made them look too suspicious.
They had avoided all the main routes, venturing through the wilderness, the shallow scratches all over their bodies and the thorn fabric of their clothes bared witness to harsh terrain they crossed. No one said the life of a vigilante or a thief was glamorous, at least not now.
Giovanni knew one day he would have minions to do his dirty work while he lounged in a luxurious yacht somewhere near Cinnabar Island. Somehow Delia appeared in the metal picture as well, vacationing with him. She was even braver than he thought; she had been surprising him ever since the incident at the beach east of Cerulean. She was clearly set on turning Team Rocket into a team of vigilantes to protect pokemon, but that aside, she could be cunning and reckless when she wanted to be and he liked that.
"Where is the meeting place? Is it this beach?" It was certainly a desolated region, the rocks near the sore made it impossible to surf or swim, thus the area was rejected by tourists and locals alike. Even so, Delia was expecting a place that was more covered.
"We're almost there, it's just ahead," though Giovanni said that, Delia saw nothing but rocks ahead. "Here's the entrance." Behind a rock formation there was a cave, the rocks kept the tide from invading it, though it would surely flood if the tide rose too much.
"Is it safe?" Delia felt silly asking that question. Of all the things they had been doing lately this had to be the safest.
"It's a big cave, even if it doesn't look it from the entrance. There are some high places inside; if the tide goes up we'll have to go deeper and wait it out, but I don't think that will be necessary in this season," Giovanni assured.
They entered the cave, walked to the higher sub-terrain area and sat down. "I didn't realize how tired I was until I finally sat down. I don't think I'll be able to get up for a while."
"We can rest here, the others should join us soon, our paths are different to throw off pursuers," Giovanni explained.
"I hope they make it here alright. Our poor pokemon must be so hungry and restless. For how long did we run? I lost track of time. Poor pokemon, they must be famished," she paused as if remembering something, "and so must we."
"We must be," he agreed, "it's odd how you forget about those things sometimes."
"You're the one who told me not to let myself get sick," Delia called out her pokemon, reminding Giovanni to let his out as well.
While the pokemon ate from the supplies purchased at Celadon, the pair of humans ate as well, devouring the food as if it were the best they've ever tasted, though they would have thought differently if they weren't so hungry.
"This is a relaxing place," Delia observed after her hunger and thirst had been satisfied. "Sitting here with the sound of the ocean," she closed her eyes, savoring the moment and focusing only on the present. Giovanni placed his arm around her shoulders, pleased that she naturally leaned on him. "How did you find this place?"
"Luke told us about it," Giovanni remembered, "we were talking about were we should meet if for whatever reason we had to escape in an emergency. We decided on moving separately to make it easier to lose anyone after us. Luke suggested this place because he said it was his favorite, I chouse it because it's so well hidden."
"What about everyone's escape route? Is it very different?" Delia inquired.
"Yes, but the longest doesn't take most than a day in comparison to the others. We were actually not supposed to be the first to get here judging by distance, but I'm sure everything is fine, we just ran the fastest."
"I hope it's only that. Are you calm because you trust them or because you'd leave them behind?"
"Which do you think?"
"I'll make sure you never abandon a comrade," Delia decided. "You know them well and they look up to you a lot."
"I only know the basic stuff I need to know to put them into a strategy."
"Tell me about them, about our comrades."
Giovanni wasn't sure about the source of Delia's interest, but he told her anyway. "Let's see, Luke is good pokemon trainer but not a very good strategist. Things that require planning are more Leah's field; she's a big strategist and good at sneaking around, but it's easy to forget she's even there, those two work very well in a team complimenting each other. Binks is kind of clumsy, but he's very loyal and has some good scientific knowledge. Aayla is respected among the team so she's good to relay orders when I'm away, she used to be with Tempest but now she hates them, I don't know the specifics but it looks like a personal grudge against Venom. Either way, the point is she won't betray Team Rocket, that's what really matters."
"Venom is terrible, leading his gang to kill all those defenseless sick pokemon in the warehouse and they're just as bad for following him. The world needs heroes!"
"You need a reality check."
"Believe in yourself just like your team does!" Delia encouraged, with an inexplicable determination.
"You lost me," he wondered where she got all that optimism.
"You are lost, but I found you and I'll show you the way!" Delia insisted. "I know the life of a vigilante won't be easy, but I know you can do it. It's clear the team will follow you and it's your responsibility to lead them well. I'll help in any way I can!"
She had wondered why despite being the leader, he didn't carry many pokemon. There was a shortage of healthy pokemon and he didn't want any of the little sub teams the gang was divided into to go without them. It would not be effective to keep them all to himself during the shortage, it was a good strategy.
He had rushed back to the hideout blowing their cover, a hasty bad move, but it was for a good reason, more casualties might have occurred if they haven't arrived when they did. He might be aiming to be a rich crime lord, but the fact still stood he had the skills and intellect to do something great. She just had to show him how to care, guide him to the light. She would remain by his side and do so.
"I don't know about that, but you did really well back there. You were fearless, also reckless, but we won in the end."
Despite all the negative things that happened, even if there were tragedies that couldn't be forgotten, Delia smiled proudly. She wasn't a weak sheltered girl with nothing but dreams; she was living her life and reaching out for her goals, noble goals of justice for pokemon.
It gave her a certain satisfaction to be recognized. She rested her head on his shoulder, not minding the closeness, she was comfortable and that's all that mattered. Her breathing was even and calm and she drifted off to sleep.
xoxox xox xoxox
Delia slowly woke up, she was comfortable and she didn't want to move, but her pillow wasn't a pillow, because pillows don't have a heartbeat. "Hmm..." She finally opened her eyes, Giovanni was still sleeping, his arms tightly wrapped around her.
It must be uncomfortable for him to sleep on the hard cave floor, but he was sleeping soundly none the less, his deep slumber fueled by over-exhaustion. Feeling a bit guilty about using him as a pillow, Delia set her head down again and relaxed, drifting off to sleep once more.
When she woke up again, there was a small fire burning a few feet away with the pokemon sitting around it, but Giovanni was still playing the part of her pillow so he couldn't have started it. Upon closer inspection, she found that he was awake this time, "sorry about that," she got off.
"I don't mind, you can sleep on me whenever you want."
"Chill out Charmander, we have company, who is it?" She curiously inquired, knowing it had to be someone from the team.
"Leah, it shouldn't be long before they keep on arriving. We've been asleep for about twelve hours, though I can't be sure," He sat up and stretched, feeling stiff as an effect of sleeping on the cave floor.
"Well at least I feel refreshed. A warm bubble bath is too much to ask for, but a shower would be nice."
"We are at a beach and I never got to see you in a bikini last time," he reminded.
"I told you to stay cool Charmander," she giggled, no longer feeling the annoyance she did before when he tried to flirt with her before.
"By any chance is the Charmander in your dream related to that nickname?" Giovanni inquired with a tone of innocence that hid mischief.
"I'm sure it's just a coincidence," Delia was quick to reply, hiding her blush. "Besides, the dream was blurry, it could have been a Parasect for all I know or maybe it was a Vulpix or a Flareon. Anyway, thanks for making my nap more comfortable. I could give you a massage if you think that will make you feel better. Don't get any ideas I just thought I owed you at least that much."
"How's the party going dudes?" Luke's voice echoed from outside, followed by his cheerful entrance to the cave. "I'm like totally tired, you know? That was a wild fight, man!" Giovanni glared at the interruption, casing the still miraculously energetic Luke to let out a little yelp and rush to another section of the cave as he apologized. "Sorry dudes, I didn't mean to like kill the atmosphere, you know?"
"What atmosphere?" Delia called after Luke, following him to the adjacent section of the cave were Leah was.
"The one he just murdered," Giovanni muttered as he followed Delia, who had seemingly forgotten about her offer to give him a massage.
xoxox xox xoxox
The other members of the team eventually arrived, telling stories of their aching feet and sore bodies. "Like seriously dudes, what are we, old?"
"Shut it Luke," Aayla growled, "anyone would be sore after all that running, but we made it here, we were strong enough, that's what counts."
"Touchy," Luke teased.
Aayla consequently picked up a small stone and threw it at him. The small rock flew over his shoulder like a bullet and shattered upon impact on the cave wall behind him. "The next one won't miss," after Aayla's warning, Luke wisely decided to remain quiet.
"We are homeless," Leah grimaced, though no one really heard her.
Even Aayla who spoke to Leah seconds later missed her comment about their lack of place of residence. "Hey Leah, could you go to Celadon and get a few things," the rest of Aayla's request was a very quiet whisper.
Leah looked like she was about to point out that this was not the time for that, but nodded anyway and snuck out of the cave unnoticed. The team needed to keep up their morale after all.
Tempest was a powerful gang and to see their leader humiliated was a big triumph, one that made them temporarily forget about the possibility of future consequences while they were caught up in the celebration.
Everyone congratulated each other on some special move that had stood out during the chaos. Delia received a lot of praise for her courage in facing Venom; she had been called an inspiration. Predictably, Giovanni got most of the credit for everything despite his late arrival; he gave the team a feeling of security just by being there. Delia understood that better now and regardless of what the future might hold, she knew she had found inspiration in Team Rocket and she would follow it.
To be Continued
Disclaimer, I don't own Pokemon. Plot bunnies take on life of their own sometimes.
Sign up to rate and review this story