Deep Space

Team Galactic Barracks. Wednesday, 1 PM.

Ghetsis raised his head from a sink, looking at his reflection. Water droplets dripped from his face as he hucked another wet paper towel into a bin.

“C’mon Ghetsis, you can go back in there,” said Ghetsis, staring into his own eyes. “It’s for Charon, not you. Charon needs to be saved. He needs to be, he needs to be,” he smiled, backing up. “He does!”

Putting on his new coat, he stepped towards the door, when the mirror came crashing down. Ghetsis ducked, a trash bin collapsing on top of him, trapping him between the tile and the floor.

He only lie there for a moment, as the trash bin was lifted from him. The stranger hoisted Ghetsis by the collar to his feet, pulling his head back to take a good look at his face. “Ghetsis? Fascinating, you’re a hard man to find alone. Looker, pleased to meet you.”

Ghetsis dropped onto his feet, immediately tipping over and grabbing onto the archway. “Looker? Who are– Why–?” he found himself hyperventilating.

Looker leaned over the sink, pulling out a pillow case and dumping it’s contents into the upright trash bin; hundreds of bent metal spoons. With his balance restored, Ghetsis walked over to the hollowed mirror frame, finding the concrete walls inside had been hollowed out by thousands of tiny pockmarks. Ghetsis looked over to a bent spoon on the floor, crusted with concrete.

“My name is Looker, I am a special agent of the International Police Force,” he said. “My special detail is– Hey! Stay out of there!”

Turning, Ghetsis saw Looker within an inch of his face. “Sorry?”

“My special detail is Team Galactic,” said Looker, climbing into his tunnel. “It seems as though my mission is over, though you seem to have a crucial role in all of this.”

“Well, it’s all fairly relative– Hey!” Ghetsis protested. Looker held him by the shoulders, inspecting the outer hall. He stepped out and took Ghetsis to the nearest window.

"Look! Something serious is brewing," said Looker. Ghetsis stumbled forward by force of Looker's hand. He caught himself on the window, looking down at the ground where several grunts were chatting with concern. Both Ghetsis and the grunts looked to where a flash of light came from behind a fence, direct light shielded by steel sheets. "The Galactic Shuttle..." Looker breathed. For the first time, Ghetsis saw his stern expression fade to fear.

"The Galactic Shuttle? I didn't think they could leave."

"They're not allowed to," said Looker. "But someone has the startup sequence."

Ghetsis looked back down the grunts, searching the area for clues as to what they were concerned about. He spotted a thin trail of smoke from the console on the door, wall lined with soot-colored blast marks. Looker leaned in beside him and spotted it too.

"What would be in there that they could want?" asked Looker, scratching his chin.

"Charon," Ghetsis said. "Mars is saving Charon. I knew about this, it's okay."

One of the grunts approached the door, and met with the snapping jaw of Skuntank. The grunt was sent reeling back onto it's back, slithering away on his hands, as Skuntank retreated through the door slowly and snarled.

"Uh oh," said Ghetsis.

Looker pushed Ghetsis back, leaning him against a desk and staring with an inch of space between their eyes. "What? Something not to plan? How are you involved?"

"How could Jupiter be involved? That doesn't make sense," said Ghetsis, lost in thought. "I just asked Mars to get him, why would she need help?"

The bright flash  of light returned from the fenced area. This time, it was followed by a loud engine rumble. A computer monitor lit up in the office, beeping a static alarm. "Warning," said the computer, "Galactic Shuttle Typhoon is not clear for launch. Clear all personnel from tarmac."

         Looker leaned over the desk to read the tiny yellow scrawl on the black monitor, inspecting the odd keyboard. When he turned to Ghetsis, he was sprinting to the exit. "You! Ghetsis! Stop there!"

Ghetsis did not stop. "I have to go stop Mars, figure out the shuttle!"

         "I'll get the Commanders, you stay put."

         Just as he had left the room, Ghetsis poked his head around the corner of the door. "You and I both know two is better than one," he said, wheezing slightly. "It's also more likely you'll know how to deactivate a Shuttle. Is that correct?"

         Looker nodded. "But-" he started, but Ghetsis left before he could finish the thought. He dropped the keyboard on the desk and ran to the far window where they had been. Down on the ground, Ghetsis pushed past the grunt Skuntank had toppled over and into the fried doorway.

Inside, the lights were still on. A loud alarm was ringing, as well as an automated voice box that Ghetsis couldn't understand over the ringing. Loud hydrolic clamps whined as they rose from the floor and secured the warheads. The ground was shaking gently over the roar of engines outside the door. Ghetsis looked back to the doorway and saw a grunt shielding his eyes from the whipping winds.

         With his back turned, Ghetsis suddenly felt a huge force knocking him to the ground. Skuntank's gnashing teeth made wet crushing noises next to his ear, her whole body weighing down on Ghetsis. She rolled off him, relieving the vacuum in his chest. He clung for a support on the clamps, and then immediately felt his arm kicked away.

"Oh you don't want to touch that," Jupiter said, walking over to him. "Knock the core around and you'll set them all off."

         Ghetsis felt his stomach shoot into his throat. "Hello Commander," he choked.

         "Aren't you just part of the problem?" Jupiter shouted, head tilted back over shoulder as she glared at him. "The failure of Team Galactic, charming."

"We've been over this before, haven't we? I wouldn't get ahead of myself just yet, it wasn't sequel worthy."

She squatted down to his level. "We have a guest listening, don't you know what that's like?"

         "Do you?" asked Ghetsis, rolling over. Between Jupiter and Skuntank, he could see Charon standing and listening with a frown.

"Mister Ghetsis," said Charon, wandering over. "Were you aware of the conspiracy here? It seems something has passed under my nose unwittingly. I have very low tolerance for such a thing, if you could assist that would be most pleasing," he said. As he approached, Ghetsis saw him shaking, voice wavering. Charon's eyes were blood shot and squinting.

"No... I wasn't aware of any conspiracy... The only conspiracy-"

Charon lifted his leg stiffly and slammed down on the side of Ghetsis's stomach. He groaned loudly, clutching his side and looking up to Charon.

         "Jupiter... She's been taking your medication..."

"That is where you'd be wrong," said Jupiter. "Saturn needed a scapegoat to pin any incident that would happen on the premises during lockdown that would threaten the terms of surrender. So, he took my canteen and said it smelled different. Notice how he didn't ask anyone else to fact check him? He knew about the medication, and was going to catch Charon red-handed and blame his failure of leadership."

         "That's... No... " said Ghetsis, fighting to get up. He propped himself up against the hyrdralic clamps, looking up at them and fighting to swallow. "Saturn's not that kind of person... He genuinely cares about the well being of all of us... You were clearly drunk!"

"Psywave, Saturn lied again. Anyone who was there knew that the wave built up beside me, it's a rule of prolonged exposure that doesn't come up in normal battles. This is why you don't place your faith in humans," said Jupiter, stroking Skuntank's head nuzzling against her thigh. "You're exactly what Team Galactic needs, someone who doesn't understand why we do what we do."

Charon attempted to bend down on his knees, but the audible creaking and his cries of pain caught Jupiter's attention. She reached down and yanked Ghetsis from the floor, standing him up on his legs. "I have very little in this life," Charon hissed. "Are you going to take more from me? Again?"

Face pale and breathing heavy, Ghetsis looked him in the eye. "It depends... What do you plan to do next?"

         Gripping his collar with a trembling hand, Charon pulled him close. "I intend to never be bothered again. To never be pinned for anything ever again. And I want them to know, all of them to know, there are serious consequences for their actions."

The rumbling of the engine was much louder now, but then stopped. A final gust of wind blasted through the doorway. Ceiling lights swung and flickered under the force that rattled the floor. Another alarm filled the warehouse, signaling both Jupiter and Charon's attention. A thin line of panels dropped through the floor, and the whirring sound of motors pulled the secured warheads from the warehouse floor and down a neat line out the door.

         "They're lying Ghetsis," said Saturn, leaning over a balcony, lights flickering behind him. "You too Charon, it's all a lie. Jupiter wants your loyalty, and she wants you to take it from me to do that."

The balcony creaked. In a panic, Saturn turned to the rail behind him, examining the pink glow surrounding the bars briefly, before they snapped. Saturn had just enough time to grip the opposite rail before the path beneath his feet dropped out and the entire balcony rolled sideways.

         "Saturn... No!" Ghetsis shouted, fighting Jupiter's grip on him. She released and he stumbled forward, landing on his chest and sliding forward gently. Something hard hit his forhead, and when he looked up he was face to face with his own Pokeball belt.

         "Ghetsis!" Saturn said, voice straining. Ghetsis looked up and saw his feet kicking to get support on the torn housings of the rails. "Move your Pokemon! I'm going to drop!"

Looking down, Ghetsis saw Zwellious looking up with both heads, snarling at Saturn's legs. Each head made his own attempt to stretch up and snap at Saturn. Ghetsis looked back and saw Jupiter rolling his Pokeball his way.

"Commander, you wish to stop us? Just as you have all along?" said Jupiter.

         "Hrrrggh," groaned Saturn. "You can't take the shuttle... I will absolve all charges, it was a misunderstanding! Charon, you don't have to do this, just don't break the terms... Aaaghhh..."

Jupiter led Charon on the track behind the last warhead. "Well Saturn, I'm not the one you should be pleading with. It's Ghetsis's Zwellious beneath you, and it's his Pokeball," she said, calling up to Saturn. She then turned to Ghetsis. "Choose wisely Ghetsis."

         Ghetsis hoisted himself to his knees, gripping the Pokeball. "That will not be a hard decision to make," he said, steadying his finger on the button.

         "Will it?" Jupiter smirked. "Let Saturn down and you'll have all of us arrested."

         "That does not concern me."

         "Along with Commander Mars," she finished. "Unless you want to give her enough time to escape and live a happy free life, you may do the honors of handing her over."

The breath escaped Ghetsis's chest. He pulled his finger from the button, but did not lower his arm.

         "AAAAGGHH!! Ghetsis! Let me down! They will escape!" Saturn shouted, kicking the balcony floor and making a loud rattling sound.

Charon crossed his hands behind his back, leading himself up the ramp to the shuttle, obscured from sight by the large white paneled engines. Just before Jupiter dipped behind the engine, she winked at Ghetsis, and the ramp raised up into it's locked position.

The Pokeball laser captured Zwellious, clearing the space below Saturn, who immediately dropped down from the balcony. Saturn collapsed through his knees and rolled to the side. Before he could pull himself back on his raw hands, a huge blast of wind rolled through the warehouse. The engines coils engaged and roared their deafening roar.

Minutes later, Ghetsis pulled his head out from between his legs, uncovering his ears. A thick dust cloud surrounded him and darkened the room. A thin stream of light trailed in through the door as the only source of light. Feeling for support on the ground, Ghetsis felt the thousands of little glass shards from the overhead lights.

         Ghetsis looked up from the glass shards just in time to see Sneasel's dark silhouette fly in and knock him to the ground. He slid across the glass covered floor and slammed his arm into a raised platform for the warheads. Wincing in pain, he quickly got up to his feet and retrieved Zwellious's Pokeball.

Sneasel leapt out again and Ghetsis raised his good arm over his head. When Sneasel's limbs curled over the arm and sank it's claws in, Ghetsis flung it far from him and bounced him on a platform.

Saturn sprinted in and pushed Ghetsis back, knocking him over the platform and forcing him into a flip. Ghetsis slid back further on his chest, this time feeling the cuts going deep into his shirt. He looked up and saw Saturn leaping up and reactively tossed his Pokeball.

The Pokeball hit the platform on the release button. Saturn was still in mid-air when Zwellious materialized beneath him, and as Zwellious reared it's head back it rammed between his legs and tossed him the other direction. Saturn let out a cry of pain he landed on his shoulder blades.

Zwellious was midway into a victory screech when Sneasel came bounding back. She was met with a hot stream of flames from Zwellious's other head. A Pokeball laser shot into the fiery fray and returned to it's origin deep in the dust cloud. Flames stopped, Sneasel had disappeared.

It was silent, until another bright light erupted in the diffusing dust, far off with the pressurized release sound. Ghetsis stepped up onto the platform with Zwellious, squinting.

Saturn cleared a small path of dust as he stepped carefully into view. "Who are you loyal to?"

        "Saturn, I share the interests of your people, you have to-"

"Who are you loyal to?" he asked, voice shaking. "Who did you say you were loyal to?"

"I-" Ghetsis protested. His eyes flicked to the heavy stomping to the right.

"You swore to help us!"

"AND WHAT? YOU SIDE WITH THE- THE CHAOS? THE ONES WHO WANT TO DO WHAT THEY WANT? EVEN IF IT HURTS US ALL?"

Saturn was getting increasingly close. Ghetsis signalled to Zwellious to step forward, until he was yanked into the darkness by a thick rocky claw. Pale, he turned back to him. "Saturn, it was for the best interest of everyone."

"Do you think I'm any different?" he bristled. "Do you think I don't have the same interests?"

"No! You don't understand," Ghetsis pleaded. He sank to his knees, looking up at him. "I made a promise, don't you remember? I would," he swallowed. "I would help this community at all costs. Your community. It's what I do."

Saturn's face was stern. "I know that's what you do. I know a broken when I promise. I know a person's special talent when I see it. I know when it's not being used."

"Then you know I'm the protector, it's what I do," said Ghetsis. "Saturn, please. Let me do my job. Let me continue."

"I know we're done," said Saturn coldly. He looked up over Ghetsis's head. "Rhyperior?"

Ghetsis's chest sucked in by force of a stone claw. His legs dropped out underneath him, his back bouncing against Rhyperior's stone chest.

"Courtesy of Charon. It's always great to have collector friends around."

"I bet you learn a lot from your colleagues," Ghetsis wheezed.

Saturn nodded. "You can understand why I'd like to keep them out of trouble. Even if they were safe in prison I can always know where they are."

"Understandably. I've learned a lot from them too," said Ghetsis. He twisted hard in Rhyperior's grip, knocking a Pokeball to the ground. Eelektross materialized in an instant and immediately swept it's thick wet tail into Rhyperior's knees.

Rhyperior wailed, and Saturn screamed. Ghetsis rolled out of his grip and onto a glass drift he had created. Just as he returned to focus, Saturn was leaping down to his level.

His fist curled, Ghetsis hopped up and delivered a hard blow into his stomach. Saturn took the opportunity to wrap his arm around Ghetsis neck as he barreled blindly over him.

Ghetsis's head was slammed into Saturn's knees by raw force. Blood streamed from an open cut on his forhead, as he looked up just in time to see Rhyperior's massive body grip Eeletross's and leap over the Saturn and him on the floor. Saturn broke Ghetsis's awe with another slam into his knees.

         "See? The type match-up just doesn't work," Saturn said, breathing heavily. His head rattled on the floor with Rhyperior's ground collision. "Basic mistake, just like th- AAAGH!!"

Ghetsis punched his thigh and then hit upwards, flipping Saturn's legs over. He then took advantage of Saturn's dazed look and punched his head in.

With a howl, Saturn launched full speed into Ghetsis and pushed him into the floor. Flipping Ghetsis onto his chest, he slid him along the glass-strung floor. His grunts of pain distracted him enough to have his arm pulled by Saturn into a restraint.

“Looks like we’re almost done here,” Saturn said. “Let’s watch the rest of this?”

Rhyperior’s stone fist smashed down into the ground, sending shockwaves down the warehouse floor. Eelektross leaped to the side and returned a thunderbolt. The attack missed Rhyperior’s legs, and diverted it’s attention to where Eelektross was.

Ghetsis struggled beneath Saturn, trying to get his chin upright. “Eelektross!” he wheezed.

Eelektross’s wide set eyes turned to Ghetsis, and then immediately up to Saturn. “Eeellelelekkktt!” he screeched, flinging an arm his way and sending an arc of intense electricity.

“Aaaagghhh…” Saturn said, sighing. “Who… Why…?”

         Ghetsis’s arm released from Saturn’s grip, before the commander slumped over unconscious. “Excellent work, Eelektross,” he smiled, shaking Saturn off him.

         “Rrrrrhhuuhhppp…” Rhyperior groaned. The entire floor reverberated the Pokemon crashing to his knees.

         “Wow, an outstanding job. Doesn’t seem like we’ll be talking about accuracy issues for a long time,” chuckled Ghetsis.

         Eelektross’s fish eyes slid down with a sleepy look. “Trooooooosss…”

         Ghetsis scratched his chin, and then wiped the blood from his hands on his shirt, picking out glass shards. He turned to Saturn, but his eye was drawn up to one of the lamps that had caught fire. When he looked back at Saturn he noticed that the thunderbolt had only singed the top of his hair. Then his eyes were drawn to the syringe embedded deep in his chest.

         “Troooosseeeellleeekk….” Eelektross moaned. His right arm fell beside Ghetsis’s leg, brandishing a syringe sticking out of the top.

         *Fwip

         Reaching around, Ghetsis felt an object drive into his backside. He let out a gasp as he tore it out. The syringe was completely drained of it’s contents, and Ghetsis let it drop as he fell to his knees. Turning around, Looker was walking in from the open warehouse door, brandishing a tranquilizer rifle.

         “L-Looker? What…?”

         Looker picked up loosely strewn Pokeballs off the floor and retrieved the fainted Pokemon, tossing them back down on the floor in neat piles. He came over to Ghetsis and eased his head back down. “Easy now, you are in a lot of horrible pain now,” he said.

         Ghetsis fought to keep his head up, reaching his hand out blindly. “What… Why…?”

         “Nothing wrong here Ghetsis,” said Looker. “Get rested. I’m now in charge.”

         With a final groan, Ghetsis shut his eyes.