The Team Takes Over Part Two


"…Musashi-san…"

Musashi moaned softly and tried to force her eyes open. She finally managed to do it, and through blurred vision she saw Kojiro sitting beside her. As her sight began to clear, she saw a concerned look on his face.

"You okay, Musashi-san?" She pushed herself up, but winced in pain as she did so and sat back down. "What happened?" He shook his head. "You lost."

She frowned at him. "I know that!! What happened after that?" A sweatdrop formed above his head. "Um…we ran away. Or at least I did, after I grabbed you." "You RAN?! I gave you Pokemon to fight with! I told you to fight!" He threw his hands over his head defensively and began to whine as usual. "I don’t know the attacks of your Pokemon!

I only know Wheezing’s! And a couple of Arbok’s.."

"Baka," she muttered. "If I weren’t in pain I would smack you! You could have beaten him! Hey…" She looked around the room.

"Where’s that dumb cat?"

"You don’t know?" Kojiro seemed surprised. "I thought he’d told you where he went!" Just then Nyase walked into the room, looking blank.

"Nyase!" Musashi threw a pillow at him. "Where have you been?" Nyase batted at the pillow, shredding it to bits. "That’s one of your business." He turned and walked out of the room, still looking lost.

***FLASHBACK***

"Come here, Nyase."

Nyase cowered under a table, unsure of what was happening.

"I SAID come here!!"

Nyase shot out from under the table, rushing over to Sakaki. He was taken by surprise when Sakaki reached down and stroked his furr.

"Maybe you aren't the loser I thought you were, Nyase." Nyase simply purred. A moment later Sakaki's Persian appeared, and it growled as it saw Nyase with his master. Sakaki smirked. "Perhaps we should see hiw much you've really improved." He nodded to his Persian. "Attack." The Persian snarled and pounced at Nyase. Moments later it was on the floor with spiraling eyes . Nyase rolled h is small eyes and retracted his claws. "Hmph."

Sakaki appeared genuinely impressed. "Persian was one of my strongest Pokemon!" Nyase continued to look smug. Sakaki stroked Nyase gently. "It's time for you to come back. You shouldn't have to stay with those pathetic fools who call themselves Rocket Gang."

Both sat silently for several moments, Sakaki looking throughtful and Nyase seeming troubled. Before Nyase could say anything, Sakaki spoke again.

"No...maybe you should go back to them."

Nyase looked up at his master curiously, although trying to appear nonchalant as usual. "Go back? To them?! Why?" Sakaki's eyes had a strange glow in them, a look similar to the one that had come across his face when he beat Musashi. "Those pests will be back again. They may be idiots, but they are persistant idiots. That's why I hired them in the first place. If you stay with them, it will give then a false sense of security and then they return to fight me...we'll destroy them."

Nyase's ears drooped slightly, but it was hardly noticable. "Destroy them?"

Sakaki simply ran his undex finger across his throat. He didn't need to say another word.

***END FLASHBACK***

Nyase sat curled up in Musashi's apartment after kicking Vulpix off a comfortable pillow. He found himself very deep in thought, despite what should have been a very simple situation. It was true that he wasn't really fond of the human members of his team, but they had taken care of him for several years. He and Musashi fought almost constantly, but the two did seem to have a kind of mild respect for his intellect, no matter how little it showed sometimes. And although they always lost, they almost always had fun. At that moment Musashi walked in, her left ankle wrapped in a bandage. she balanced herself precariously on her right foot and stood in the doorway. "Thinking about something? Now there's a new experience for you." Nyase was too worn out to make a wisecrack about this. "What do you want?"

"We're working on a new plan to beat Sakaki. You should be in here helping us."

Nyase remembered Sakaki's last words to him. He stood and walked to Musashi, making her shudder. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Hm?" Musashi looked down at him. "Since when do you care what happens to us?"

The beige cat smirked and turned away. "I don't. But I don't want to get killed if you two goofballs screw up." Musashi's pride took over. She whipped out her mallot and clobbered him over the head. "Fine! You don't have to come, we'll win without you!" Musashi spun on her one good heel and limped out of the room. Nyase growled at her back. "Fine! I don't care what happens to you! I don't even care if he rips you to shreds!" Musashi turned and stared at him with hurt and shock. Nyase felt a slight twinge of remorse for saying such a thing, but did not let it shine through his cool composure. He instead watched silently as Musashi turned yet again and marched out, infuriated.

Kojiro looked up from the bed as Musashi slammed the door behind her. He stood and walked to her. "What happened?" Musashi walked right past him and flopped down on the bed. "I don't want to talk about it." Kojiro sighed, walking back to the bed and sitting down beside her. He carefully put his arms around her, afraid the slightest thing might make her move away.

Musashi looked up at him, not quite knowing what she should say. She was used to treating Kojiro as an inferior, the weak counterpart of the team. She, in reality, did not actually feel this way. She found his meekness very attractive, although she would never admit it. She had been hurt by a man before, she had promised herself it would never happen again... She finally spoke. "Uh...thanks for helping me back there."

Kojiro smiled weakly. "You'd do the same for me, right?" Actually, Kojiro wasn't sure she really would. He and Musashi had been friends since they were young, but when it came down to life and death, Musashi's philosophy was "every Rocket for themselves". He felt he made it apparant that he cared for her deeply, but he also felt she made it apparant that the feeling wasn't mutual. They found themselves staring into each other's eyes, unable to pull their gazes away. Kojiro weighted his options, not wanting to lose everything they had due to one wrong decision. He finally decided to risk it. He leaned forward and kissed Musashi sofly on the lips.

Musahi was completely caught off guard. A certain fear swept over her, but soon the feeling melted away as she felt herself becoming drawn into the kiss. She closed her eyes and began to kiss him back. Nyase watched from the doorway, obviously unnoticed. He smiled grimly as the scene. "It's about time," he thought, walking out the door to leave them some privacy.

the next morning, Nyase walked in to find Kojiro and Musashi asleep in each other's arms. He sighed and batted Musashi's dangling foot, which woke her up. She and Kojiro both sat up, and when they saw the situation, they both began to blush furiously. Then they realized that they were both fully clothed and remembered that they had simply fallen asleep. They breathed a sigh of relief and looked to Nyase. "What is it?"

"Time to get up, you lovebirds," he replied, smirking as they turned red once more.

Later that morning Musashi looked through her collection of Pokemon, trying to decide which six to use. She knew she HAD to use Articuno, but what else? She selected her Charmander's ball from the rack. "Level 68. Perfect." Kojiro peeked over her shoulder. "A level 68 Charmander? Why hasn't it evolved?"

"I don't want it to evolve. A Pokemon's levels increase faster when in their first form. Don't you even know that?" Kojiro nodded, even though he hadn't.

Soon Musashi had Articuno, Charmander, a level 79 Arbok, a level 74 Nidoking, and a level 64 Dragonaire. She looked at her remaining Pokemon and tossed a few of the stronger ones to Kojiro. She then saw that her left over Pokemon were not adequate to fight with. She suddenly felt a small tug at her boot. She looked down and found her small pet Vulpix. "Vulpix!" It smiled sweetly and looked up at Musashi with its big, black eyes.

Musashi laughed and picked up her littlest Pokemon. She looked at it for a moment, then hugged it close to her. "What do you want, Vulpix?"

"Vulpix vulpix vul vulpix!"

"It says it wants to go with you," Nyase translated, coming up behind them.

"Fight? You can't fight, Vulpix..." Musashi ruffled her pet's hair. "You'll get hurt."

Vulpix frowned at her. "Vulpix vul vul vulpix! Vulpix vulpix vul!!" (I can so fight! and I won't get hurt!!)

"Oh yeah? What level are you?"

"Vulpix vul.."

"98?!" All three members of the team fell off their feet. Musashi sighed and pulled out a ball. "Here. Get in." Vulpix just shook his head.

"He says he's not getting in," Nyase smirked.

Musashi began to get angry. "You'll get in or you won't come at all!"

Soon the team was walking back to headquarters...with Vulpix trotting along happily behind them.

"Way to contol your Pokemon, Musashi." Nyase walked along beside her.

Musashi did not reply; she didn't even bother to look at him.

Nyase stepped in front of Musashi, forcing her to stop.

"Get out of my way, you mangy furrball," Musashi glared at him. "What are you doing coming with us anyway? Why aren't you with your beloved master?"

Kojiro whirled around to face them. "Musashi..." Before he could finish Nyase leapt up and tackled Musashi, knocking her to her back hard. He pulled out his claws, which were far larger and sharper than his former ones had been, and held them just inches from Musashi's face. His normally black eyes flashed red, and the claws on his other paws began to dig into Musashi's skin. While Kojiro watched helplessly, a strange smile came over Nyase's face as Musashi's eyes widened in fear. He pushed his other three sets of claws deeper into Musashi, feeling them penetrate her skin. He brought his claws gradually closer to her. When they were barely touching her face, Nyase shook his head. He suddenly realized what he was doing and jumped off Musashi quickly, ashamed of himself.

Kojiro ran to Musashi and helped her up. By the time they looked back, Nyase was gone.

Part 3

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