route_1065 | A Murderer and a Terrorist Walk Into a Training Room...

Entry tags:

cobra commander | g.i. joe

A Murderer and a Terrorist Walk Into a Training Room...

Who: Caster (

wheresmyholyvirgin) and Cobra Commander (

cobraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)
Where: Rocket Base
When:Earlier Today
Summary:Cobra Commander attempts to teach Caster about his role in Team Rocket.
Rating:Potentially PG-13 because Caster.
Log:

Unlike nearly everyone else, Cobra Commander didn’t have any downtime. No R and R here. Instead, he received a flight back to Goldenrod and the resumption of his training duties. He wasn’t about to complain though. Training was something he actually enjoyed. The concept of indoctrinating the new recruits appealed to him. After all, if things every go his way, the Rocket Grunt of today could prove to be the Cobra Trooper of tomorrow.

A quick check of his Gear revealed that is was almost time for the next session. He figured he’d start with the basics, what Team Rocket was, why they were here, what was expected of them, and of course, the fact that they can expect to be chased to the ends of the earth if they go AWOL. He never forgot what happened in the past, and certainly wasn’t going to let a single Rocket escape his classes without knowing about that particular incident.

If the recruit showed promise, he was more than willing to teach some additional, unorthodox lessons. Things from his world that weren’t necessarily mandatory Rocket material, but necessary nonetheless. Like how to torch a building or the proper technique for throwing a grenade. Useful every day skills that he felt everyone should know.

Of course that all depended on what sort of Grunt was going to show up for today’s training. Admittedly, he had no idea. Presumably one of the newer recruits. That Agnus person maybe. Or that other one that wanted pictures of the people on his list. The woman he spoke with on the helicopter was also a possibility. Of course, it could also be someone else entirely. He'd been out in the field for a while now, so he was hardly up to date on any new arrivals. There was pretty much nothing he could do but watch, wait, and mutter under his breath about what a terrible place Diglett’s Cave was and how he’d like to see it wiped from the face of the Earth.

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He'd been incredibly excited by the chaos that had occurred, and even more delighted by the fact that Jeanne had appeared to him in this world as well. There seemed to be some strange inconsistencies, and he was still horribly confused as to where exactly he was and how he'd gotten here, but he had more important things on his mind.

Namely, finding Jeanne again and convincing her of her real role. To do this, he'd have to be doing something... other than being stuck in this room. But this organization was with insistent that he wait here, and he'd been stripped of his powers upon arriving in this world.

As much as he'd tried to leave -- may have even ended up hurting a Grunt or two in the process -- he hadn't actually succeeded.

So instead, he took to slowly pacing around the room.

He had no idea who this person was. None whatsoever. He couldn’t recall ever seeing that face on the Network which was a bit strange. Usually, the newer Grunts made a video broadcast or something asking where they were and what was going on. So, this was a bit strange. Maybe they weren’t a Grunt. Maybe it was one of the higher ups sent to spy on him. He mulled his options over for a moment or two before deciding to just ask.

“Is there ssssomething I can help you with?” he asked, trying to sound as neutral as possible. If they weren’t a Grunt, and were in fact some sort of higher up, the last thing he wanted to do was snap at them. “Were you ordered to report here? For training?”

He'd appeared amidst the chaos caused by the Trubbish and Grimers, and hadn't exactly taken the time to get to know his surroundings. He'd never needed to use any sort of communication device in the past -- there'd never been a need for them; either that, or they had never been invented... -- and so picking up the 'Gear to ask questions wasn't something that had occurred to him.

Caster turns when he Cobra speaks. He's calm and collected when he speaks. But ignores the question posed completely. "I ask you, what is your name? What is your connection to the Holy Grail War?"

“The Holy Grail…War? I can’t sssay that I have any sort of connection to anything like that.”

The mask hides his expression, but his confusion should be pretty clear from his tone. He’s never heard of such a thing. He’s familiar with the Holy Grail, of course, but not any sort of war over it. As far as he knows, the cup either doesn’t exist or simply hasn’t been found by Cobra yet.

That pretty much answered his question about the man’s rank though. There weren’t any wars in Johto, and if there was an equivalent to the Holy Grail, it’d probably be called something else. The Hoppip Grail, perhaps. At any rate, he’d go ahead and answer the Grunt’s question. “I am Cobra Commander. For the next two weeks, I will be in charge of teaching you about thissss world and your place in it.”

So he hadn't been summoned here for the war? That did make a little bit of sense, considering how, the last time he'd been summoned, he had been given a great deal of knowledge as well. But this time, he'd simply appeared.

Or perhaps this is the strange gateway between the two.

"Oh?" He pauses, trying to size up this Cobra Commander. "What would you have to teach me?"

What would he teach? Well, he’ll start with everything he wished someone had told him back when first arrived. “First, the basics. This world is called Johto. In Johto, there are creatures called Pokémon. These creatures are mostly similar to animals. Unlike normal animals, they possess a variety of strange abilities and traits. Allow me to demonstrate.”

The Commander retrieved a Pokéball from his bag and activated it, bringing out his Skarmory to show the trainee. Strato-Viper took a moment to preen its metal feathers before tilting its head and giving Caster a curious look.

Cobra Commander paid little attention to his Pokémon and continued his explanation. “This particular Pokémon is called a Ssskarmory. As you can see, it resembles a bird, but manages to be made of metal. And no, it’s not mechanical. You will probably find a number of contradictions between these creatures and whatever animals you had in your world. Try not to dwell too much on them.”

He’ll stop there for now. Hopefully, he hasn’t lost him yet.

Caster isn't foreign to the concept of strange creatures. In fact, he's summoned quite a few tentacle monsters in his time. However, he'd become keenly aware after arriving here in this place called 'Johto' that he no longer had the ability to summon his monsters.

He approaches the Skarmory with fascination. He's not scared of it, or put off by it in the least. Simply... fascinated. It is nothing like his monsters, but it looks quite impressive.

When he speaks again, Caster sounds enthusiastic. "Tell me, Cobra, was it? How do we summon these... Pokemon?" They could prove to be useful. Very useful. Before he could rescue Jeanne, he would have to figure out how to summon these creatures. "What sorts of sacrifices must be made?"

It'd been the lives of children for his monsters. Caster wouldn't mind sacrificing those again for these creatures.

The bird takes a step back, unsure what to do. Cobra Commander primarily uses it for attacking and transporting items, so this is a bit different. Its trainer hasn’t issued any sort of orders, so it’ll just watch and wait for now.

“Sacrifices?” And now the instructor is the one who’s lost. “The main thing ssssacrificed when dealing with these things is time. It takes time to train them. To unlock their true potential. And you’re certainly going to want to do that. I don’t know what sort of world you come from, but these creatures are the closest thing to weapons we have.”

He raises the Pokéball towards Skarmory before continuing. “If you’re done admiring the creature, we can move on. Next, I would like to explain exactly what Team Rocket is, and what will be expected of you.”

He stares curiously at the Pokeball. He'd seen something like it before, in the room that he'd appeared in. In a bag that the ones who'd brought him here had also brought.

Curious, indeed. But he has to make sure: "Does it not take human lives to summon these creatures?" He's never heard of creatures that appeared in any other way. Sure, he could train them. But how would he get them...?

Caster remains calm. He doesn't have the means to mass sacrifice as he did before, and he no longer has his powers. This man and his Skarmory seem to know how this world worked and why he was brought here. It wouldn't hurt to hear him out.

Cobra falls silently for a moment, trying to figure out why anyone would think human lives are needed to summon Pokémon. He shakes his head dismissively and recalls Skarmory. Just another strange person from a strange world. “No. It does not.” And quite honestly, he’s thankful for that. Not because of any moral or ethical problem with doing such a thing, but mostly because it would be an incredible hassle to require something like that every single time.

He takes a moment to place the ball back in his bag, and resumes the lesson. “In Johto, you’ll find that there are three classes of people. The Trainers are the most common. They wander the land earning badges and training their Pokémon for various reasons. Second, you have the Breeders. Thissss group specializes in breeding Pokémon and raising the eggs. Third, and most importantly, are the Rockets. You belong to this group as do I.”

His voice becomes more energetic as he talks. He’s done this before and quite honestly, he feels he’s rather good at talking up criminal organizations. “While the other two groups are mostly benign, we are not. Team Rocket exists for a simple reason: to dominate the world! We will do anything to accomplish this goal. Anything! Team Rocket agents willingly break any law, violate any trust, and perform any action that spreads the organization’s influence!”

His tone quickly changes, becoming darker and much more serious. “Do you have a problem with any of this?”

Breeding Pokemon and raising eggs. So they're more... like animals, then. Out there in the wild, waiting to be domesticated? That works just fine for Caster. Though, he can't help but be just a little disappointed at the lack of sacrifices needed.

He listens, growing more and more fascinated with this world as Cobra speaks. Honestly, he doesn't care for world domination. He's already gotten all that he needs: Jeanne is here in this world as well. But this Team Rocket has interesting philosophies, and ones that he's not averse to.

He laughs. It's excited, and a sound that only someone who's not quite all 'there' could make. "No, no problems at all."

His laughter calms, and he's suddenly gone from crazy to serene in a matter of seconds. "That is fine. I would be happy to serve your cause." He supposes, then, that the Holy Grail War had already concluded. He wasn't summoned here to fight it, that's for sure. The Grail must've noticed that he'd already won.

... It's a pity, though. Caster wonders what had happened to his Master. Did he end up getting everything that he'd wanted...?

“Good, I’m glad to hear that.” Now there was no need to get into the penalties for leaving. It spared Cobra Commander from having to explain the penalties for leaving. No need to talk about potential jail time or worse, the risk of forced retrieval and detainment by Team Rocket itself. That was hardly a fun experience for the first group of deserters.

The laugh does throw Cobra Commander off for a second, but not too badly. Team Rocket’s has definitely had its share of crazies over the past two years. One more isn’t too much of a surprise.

“Now then, I suppose we should cover what will be expected of you. All recruits are required to attend two weeks of mandatory training. During this training, you’ll learn most of the skills needed to perform your duties in the outside world. Basic Gear operation, including how to filter things to teammates, picking locks, pickpocketing skills, that sssort of thing. Upon completion of your training, you will be required to provide one rare Pokémon a week as well as reports on your current situation. Other than that, you’re free to do as you please, ssso long as you don’t end up in jail or outing yourself as a member of this organization. Also, if orders come down from above, you need to follow them. To the letter. Disobedience is not sssomething taken lightly around here. Did you get all that? Do you need me to repeat anything?”

Two weeks of training sounded incredibly unappealing. There were so many things he could do with two weeks' time... but at the same time, Caster understands enough to know that there's very little he could do in this world. He's without his power, and without his status and wealth. These strange creatures were the only things he'd have, and here was someone willing to teach him how to utilize them.

He only really pays attention to half of what Cobra is saying; the important bits. He honestly doesn't care at all about ending up in jail or any punishments Team Rocket might have for him for disobeying. But he nods along enthusiastically anyways.

Okay, good. The Grunt seemed to be following along. That’s a good sign. Now with all the Johto out of the way, they could move on to the next topic. “Let’s sseee. Do you have your Pokémon with you? I’d like to know what you have to work with. I might be able to provide you with some tips on using your Pokémon correctly.”

Which in this case, not only meant against other Pokémon, but also against enemy trainers if needed. Cobra Commander had absolutely zero qualms about blasting someone in his way, and figured that if someone’s going to be in Team Rocket, they shouldn’t have any problems with doing so either.

Sitting on a table not too far away is the bag that he'd appeared in this world with. Inside would be two Pokeballs containing a level 15 Tangela and a level 5 Koffing.

... Too bad he doesn't actually realize this. So Caster simply shoots Cobra Commander a blank stare. "My Pokemon? How do I summon my Pokemon?"

“How do you summon your Pokémon?” Somehow, Cobra Commander is starting to get the feeling that this might be a long two weeks. With a sigh, he sticks his hand back into his bag and grabs a Pokéball at random. “Did you get anything like this in your bag? These things are used to store your creatures.”

Just don’t expect an explanation of how they actually work. Cobra Commander doesn’t care, and hasn’t asked how anything fits in these things. He’s guessing it’s some sort of shrinking mechanism, but since it doesn’t seem to work on people, his interest is limited. “You push this here, and the creature comes out of the ball. When you’re ready to return it, you simply do the same thing.” He took a moment to demonstrate, sending out Trubbish from the Pokéball and calling it back. “Sssee? It’s simple. Anyone can do it!”

Caster is familiar with magic, so he'll just assume that's what's running the whole system...

In any case, those do look rather familiar, so he'll go digging around in his bag until he comes out with a handful of Pokeballs. ... He pushes each individually until a level 15 Tangela and a level 5 Koffing appear.

He spends a good minute staring at both. Neither of them look as intimidating as the one Cobra had introduced him to earlier. Were they supposed to actually help him? He doesn't really see how they could.

Cobra Commander stood silently for a moment, trying to figure out what to do with these things. It was difficult to be a Rocket and not be familiar with Koffing, so he had little difficulty with assuming that one. The other one though, he wasn’t so sure of. He’d seen it before, but as to what it could actually do, he had no idea.

“The purple one is called a Koffing. It’s a Poison-Type. As the name implies, it’s useful for producing smog and other toxic gases. At later levels, it evolves into a different creature and can explode. The other one…” He trails off and looks at it carefully. Eyes are obvious weak points, and are those shoes? The vines might be promising though. “I’m assuming the other one attacks with those vines that make up its body. Most likely a Grasssss-Type.”

Toxic gases and vines? He could definitely make use of both of them, then.

Though... Caster can't help but continue to stare at his Pokemon questioningly. "Without a Noble Phantasm, how does one control these creatures?" He's searched, and he can't find his spellbook anywhere.

“A noble what?” Another blank stare from behind the mask. He was familiar with the word phantasm, but there wasn’t really anything like that here. Besides the Pokémon, of course. “The only phantasms, or ghosts, here, are Ghost-Type Pokémon. And I would hardly consider any of those to be noble.” Or any ghosts at all for that matter. If you’re looking for one of those, I could probably give you a list of where to look, but don’t expect any help capturing one in the near future! After all, you’re ssspending the next two weeks here. You’ll have plenty of time to catch ghosts, if that’s what you’re talking about, afterwards.”

"Two weeks...?" He takes some time to mull that over, glancing from Cobra Commander to his Pokemon and then back to Cobra Commander. He doesn't exactly want to spend two weeks stuck here, doing whatever that they have planned.

"And after these two weeks? What will be the result?" He's itching to get out again. The thought of Jeanne... "Will I... have the ability to bring my beautiful holy virgin to her senses?"

He doesn't have his Noble Phantasm. He's without his magic. He'd been here before, and it'd taken years of hard work and sacrifices for a whole lot of nothing. These Pokemon, however... if he could learn how to use them...

But two weeks. It is a long time.

“Yes, two weeks. And the result will be that you’ll be a fully trained Rocket Grunt ready to go out and carry out the Executives’ will in the outside world. As to whether or not you’ll be able to bring this….” He trails off, as he realizes what he’s being asked. How does he answer this? Why is he even being asked this? He doesn’t even have the slightest idea who the Grunt is referring to. Ugh, from now, he’ll only take questions at the end of the class.

Shaking his head, he tries to answer it again. “As to whether or not you’ll be able to bring this person to her senses, I have no idea. That depends on whether or not she’s even here in Johto. And unless she’s known to Team Rocket, or part of it, it’ll probably be something you’ll have to deal with on your own time.”

He's not interested in doing someone else's bidding. But he's not against having resources, seeing as he's currently without any.

To agree to anything, however, he'd have to better understand these 'Executives' and their desires. "What exactly is this 'Executives' will'?"

“As I sssaid before, they want control of the world. Ssssince this world revolves around Pokémon, they want to achieve their goals using that. It’s really quite simple.” It’s not how he’d do it, but he’s not the one in charge here. Not yet, anyway.

“To put it bluntly, what they want is for you to use what you learn over the next two weeks and your own skills, whatever they may be, to help Team Rocket prosper.”

"Control the world." He mulls over this thought for a moment. "Wouldn't it be easier to do so if you... instilled fear in your enemies?" The notion of wanting to take over the world isn't something Caster finds familiar. But he is a fan of fear... fear is a beautiful thing, really.

"Fear is the best motivator, after all."

“Yes, it certainly would. Instilling fear and terror in the opposition is always a good idea. Why just the other day, I was having a conversation with one of our researchers about that very idea.” He trails off, not really seeing the need to go in detail there. It’s not part of the training, so it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that this guy might want to go out there and start trouble, and who is Cobra Commander to say no to that?

“I’m ssssure the Executives would like to see their enemies sssscared. I know I would!”

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A Murderer and a Terrorist Walk Into a Training Room...

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