Chapter 12 - No Survivors

It took me the entire day, running in Pokemon World, to finally arrive at the mapped location of Laramie Ranch. However, all I found upon arrival were the remnants of a building, burning wildly.

The building itself looked as if it were once an enormous mansion or more likely a community building. However, it's current appearance was as though it were hit repeatedly on one side, by something akin to a giant wrecking ball. Wreckage from the building was strewn out for a large distance on the opposite side of where the building once stood.

In the surroundings were various fencings which lacked any of the Pokemon which were meant to be within them.

'Damn it, can't anything ever go right for me.'

I took Machop with me and we searched through the remnants of the building for any survivors.

I used my mental energy to smother the flames in the areas we passed through, and we yelled out to see if we could get any responses.

For the most part, all we found were ashes and bodies, strewn about.

However, I checked on each of the bodies we found just in case, and found two who happened to still be breathing, albeit unconscious, in bad shape. It was an old Uncle and a young girl.

Using water and some of the cloth and wreckage I roughly cleaned their wounds and bandaged what I could, with some help from Machop.

The older man had a more serious injury on his arm, which began to bleed significantly after removing him from the wreckage. I hastily tied off the arm to cut off circulation with an improvised tourniquet, but I that is a dangerous method to use in itself, I would have to get him to some real professionals or he would eventually have to lose the arm.

Considering the precarious situation they were in, and that there were no phones around, all I could do was carry them somewhere safer and try to get help.

I pulled the man's good arm over my shoulder and lifted him up in a carry, having Machop carry out the other survivor. I headed back towards the road, hoping to find someone to call for an ambulance, but the man woke up shortly after I carried him out of the wreckage site.

"Stop! Put me down! Stay off the road!"

The man yelling in my ear startled me, but I set him down just after he asked it.

The man steadied himself on his feet after I let him down, but his face was still very pale due to his blood loss and injuries.

"This was not an attack anyone was meant to survive, their intent was to exterminate anyone related to our Ranches, there will be Agents waiting on the roads, I remember, they said, no survivors... I know another way, through the forest, to a nearby Hospital. If you wouldn't mind, could you help us a bit more and come along."

I nodded in understanding.

"Of course, however I can help. Please tell me about the situation as we move though. I need to know what we are dealing with here."

"Of course"

I urged him to be in more of a hurry because of the turinquet, and quickly affixed his injured arm to his chest with an improvised cast, and we moved through the forest towards the hospital.

As we moved he told me what had happened.

Team Rocket had came for revenge.

Giovanni himself appeared, together with Mewtwo. Giovanni and an Army of Team Rocket Agents and Grunts appeared in the middle of the day, out of nowhere, announcing their arrival and reason for their appearance.

Four Grunts had been killed on a Bus to their Ranches, someone had to be held accountable.

He directly told them that they all must die, and that Laramie Ranch as well as the other surrounding Ranches must be destroyed. All of their Pokemon would also belong to Team Rocket, hence forth.

Immediately after his speech, and before any rallying cry could even be issued, Mewtwo flew up into the air and cast out three shadow balls. As those three balls curved through the air they grew at a rapid pace until they eclipsed even the building itself in height.

They smashed through the building with immense force, killing everyone in contact with it. Most all within the building died in that instant, and many were also pierced or crushed to death from the rubble and shrapnel from the impact.

Only a few trainers and their pokemon managed to escape the building, and they were then besieged by the Army of Rocket Agents and their Pokemon. Who killed all those remaining. Then, a few of their pokemon set fire to what little remained, and they left.

This was what it meant to be held responsible for the Death of Team Rocket members, that was the message Giovanni wished to spread.

Aside from the Ranches, the only person involved in any other factions would be me, and I was counted as a part of the police-force and state, likely presumed dead. Since they did not have the strength to overthrow the current government of the region just yet, Giovanni directed the anger of his subordinates towards the Ranches.

The savage and decisive nature of The Team Rocket of this world was shocking. They would slaughter a large community of the Kanto Region, just to send a message. This would definitely invite outrage and a call to action when it came out.

We made our way quickly through the forest, following directions from the Uncle. He was clearly very experienced moving within these woods, and led us through the unbeaten brush with practiced ease. However, as we moved, one could see smoke rising in the distance, off in many directions.

Presumably the other Ranches, or at least their Main Buildings.

The man proclaimed that the Hospital was not far, and at the very least no smoke appeared to be coming from that direction. We could only hope it was still safe, but if Team Rocket is careful, they may still have people posted there.

Or at least, so I thought.

However, we arrived without any bad encounters.

A Nurse appeared (Unfortunately, not Nurse Joy) and took the Uncle into the ER at the first moment we arrived. Then another Nurse came and brought the little girl into a room to check her wounds and get her into a bed.

There were a large numbered of injured patients within the Hospital already and the Doctors and Nurses were hurriedly moving about, prioritizing the more seriously injured.

A few minutes after I arrived, the local Officer Jenny appeared and I approached her.

"Hello Officer Jenny"

"Hello there! Do you know what is going on!? I saw the smoke while on patrol and when I got there, I found there was nothing left! I visited three different locations to check for survivors before I came here to see if anyone made it out!"

"Yes, a number of people seemed to have made it out from some of the nearby buildings and made their way here. This was an attack by Team Rocket. They are simply going around, killing anyone in the area.

Even their leader, Giovanni, is here."

"Giovanni!! A Pokemon Master is here!?! We need to evacuate these people now then! If he shows up here, we will stand no chance against him!"

"I've already talked to the Nurses, many of these people simply cannot be moved. None of the survivors were Pokemon Trainers, the more seriously injured are unlikely to survive if we tried moving them to a hospital outside of this danger zone."

Looking at this Officer Jenny, she was visibly shaking in fear.

"Shape up Officer Jenny, we can still evacuate those who are able to be evacuated. Take a look at those Doctors and Nurses, they know just as well as you do the danger they are in, and they have not stopped doing their job for a moment."

She nodded her head, but her fear clearly didn't abate, she was merely trying harder not to show it. I sighed, this woman would likely be useless if a combat situation arose.

"Right, so Officer Jenny, how about you start with evacuating those with worse injuries that aren't critical. I'll ask one of the Nurses to help pick them out, and you can drive the Ambulance, that way more can fit in with you."

Her mouth still closed taught, she nodded again and followed me over to the Nurse and I worked out the plan with them on who would be sent out.

"Thank you for all the help, I called for back-up a while ago and told them to come here when they arrive. Unfortunately, because a Pokemon Master is involved, there won't be any back-up until one of the Pokemon League Masters arrive.

They don't want to uselessly throw away Police lives.. without a Master you cannot fight a Master. I'm sorry, but if they come here, please try to help whoever you can to escape from here."

"At least, there will be back-up, right? That's Great! If some Team Rocket Punks show up in the mean time, or even if its Giovanni himself, I'll make sure to hit them once or twice. Show them not to mess with me, or to show him bullying the common people isn't so easy."

She sighed, and said with a worried tone in her voice, "I mean it, if you encounter them, run! You won't be able to deal with a group this powerful!"

She looked away for a moment, wiping away the tears appearing in her eyes, she stopped for a moment, shaking.

"Sorry, sorry, I've seen too many people die today. People I know well. People I saw every day, but now I won't, I won't see them smile, never again.

I just, I don't want to see anyone else die today.. you seem like a good guy, it's such a bad situation but your so calm, everyone else is so calm too. I'm supposed to be the strong one here, I'm a policewoman, but I'm not!

Who are you, to be so calm in a situation like this!?!"

"My name is Grey, I'm an officer-in-training I guess, so we could be considered as colleagues. I am calm because this isn't a hopeless situation, there is still a very good chance for everyone here to survive. So long as we work together, there is no need for panic. What is your name?"

"I.. I'm Officer Jenny?"

"Your first name."

"Oh" she blushed, "I'm Kirsten."

"Okay Kirsten, let's talk again after all this, okay?"

I shook her hand as I said this, and shut the door to the Ambulance as the last of the evacuees got in.

Her face went red, "O- of course! You can count on me to get them to safety! Hahahah."

She waved goodbye as she got into the drivers seat as they started up the engine to leave.

However, as she began to drive out of the lot, a figure appeared and four hands stretched out. The figure grabbed the Ambulance and held it in place as the wheels spun helplessly against the ground.

However, the figure smirked and held firm with ease with all four arms despite the wheels sending dirt flying, digging into the ground as it desperately tried to move. Kirsten's face was pale as she desperately continued to press the gas as hard as she could, but the Ambulance refused to move, and wheels stopped moving altogether after sinking into the ground too far. Officer Jenny's face was filled with Despair.

Two more figures appeared from out of the woods in a relaxed manner, one puffing a lit cigarette in a casual manner as he approached with his female companion. They both wore white get-ups with Red R's on them.

The man took a long puff from his cigarette and then blew out a large cloud of smoke.

"Heya Kiddos, having fun with my Machamp? Tsk, tsk, helping the innocent bystanders escape? How heroic! Right Andrea?"

"Yeah, very Heroic. Makes me want to puke, Jeriah."

I agree entirely! Wow, I hate heroism though, you know? So annoying! Ah~ Machamp doesn't like heroes much either.

Besides, we were waiting for all the survivors to gather here before killing them. It kinda ruins the point if we let some of them leave, so..."

"Well, you will all get to die at the hands of two Official Agents of Team Rocket. It's a greater honor than your status deserves, so receive it gratefully."