A slender figure quickly made its way along the corridor toward the admin department where she had been summoned. Something about this scenario didn’t feel quite right. She had never been asked to visit this particular area before; while not as highly ranked as the department in which Giovanni and his many executives were situated the admin floor was still a rare place for anyone other than those working in the offices to visit. Either she had been chosen for a promotion…
…or something very bad had happened - she feared the latter. Still she refused to turn back, forcing her fears down and keeping a determined expression as she reached her clenched fist out to tap upon the door she was faced with. No sooner had her knuckles made contact with the shiny wooden surface than the door swung open and a large hand reached out to grasp the woman’s shoulder roughly and pull her into the darkness.
She blinked furiously, trying to make out who it was who had thrust her into the room in such an ill-mannered fashion. But it was almost impossible to see anything except a frighteningly wide grin upon the countenance sat behind a desk not too far away, backlit by a curious greenish glow.
“Hello Gloria…” came an icily vengeful tone.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Gloria recognized the voice immediately as belonging to none other than Genetic Studies Administrator Bonnie Radwell, and her eyes narrowed immediately in her realisation. She, like many others, bore a distinct disgust toward Bonnie for her incredible lack of conscience and her sickening treatment of both humans and Pokemon. Striving for Giovanni’s dream of an army of completely obedient, incomparably powerful and emotionless fighters, Bonnie had worked continuously to provide a success where those before her had failed. Rumour had spread she was the designer of the very machine that haunted every Rocket member’s nightmares - the Personality Reprogramming Optical Control Unit, or P.R.O.C.U for short.
Many lives were lost through the testing processes of this monstrous device. Almost a hundred ‘unacceptable’ operatives were taken by the P.R.O.C.U’s unstable force and the heartless woman who commandeered it. After two years of running the machine through its paces she deemed its performance satisfactory and ordered the first proper subject to be reprogrammed. This was to be her most atrocious act of all, for the unfortunate soul to lose their mind as the pitiless red laser emitted from the device burned away every last memory and feeling had been none other than Clyde…
…her own husband.
Gloria’s subconscious shudder was swiftly interrupted by a sharp shove in the small of her back, causing her to stagger forward into the pool of greenish light. In a split second she found the collar of her shirt tighten considerably as Bonnie pulled her toward the desk.
“I have reason to believe that you have been taking matters into your own hands recently” Bonnie remarked casually.
“I-I’m sorry?” Gloria inquired, a slight shake entering her voice.
“Between snatching the Kirlia specimen from the holding bay and using it to remove my prize experiment from its stasis tube…you’ve been making quite a nuisance of yourself.”
Before she had a chance to realise what she was doing, Gloria found herself glaring nastily into the eyes of her superior as equally cold words escaped her lips.
“That Meowth was not yours!” she snapped. “He belonged to no one but himself, and YOU took advantage of his sorrow and confusion!”
There followed the sound of an impact. Gloria stumbled back a little, clutching at the side of her face as her eyes widened with a mixture of shock and antipathy.
“You’re a traitorous wretch and you have no purpose in this organisation. I honestly cannot understand why they’ve kept you here for so long” Bonnie spoke, the curl of her lip indicating her level of patience was dangerously low. “You’d have been more useful dissected for parts, or as fodder for the P.R.O.C.U’s testing procedure.”
Bonnie reached out a hand and tightened it around Gloria’s face, her long nails burying deep into the skin of the woman’s cheeks.
“Still…” she smirked cruelly. “There’s no reason we cannot rectify that little situation this instant.”
***~~***~~***~~***~~***
Dat hoit Jess.
Dat really hoit.
Errol stormed down the darkened corridor, tears streaming down the sides of his face. He wasn’t certain whether they were angry tears or those of upset; right now it didn’t matter to him what they were tears of. Only one thing occupied the forefront of his thoughts.
Gloria.
Nothing was making sense any more. Why hadn’t Jessie just accepted him for who he was? He couldn’t bear to stay and discover whether James’ reaction would be the same, or worse. Errol needed some reassurance from somebody before he completely lost his mind out of upset and fear. Fear for his losses. He felt like everything he’d known had suddenly disintegrated before his eyes; his friendship, his identity…
…only Gloria remained. He had to find her.
It wasn’t until he skidded to a halt outside Gloria’s room that it had dawned on Errol that she probably wouldn’t be there. After all, she had said there was work to be done at the lab, but something inside the man had motivated him to check here first.
Battering his fists upon the door Errol drew back in horror when the face of a young man with russet coloured hair became visible through a slight crack.
“Whaddya want?” he snapped.
“Who are you?” Errol exclaimed in a panic. “What are youse doin’ in Gloria’s room?”
“Hey listen, bub.” the man sneered. “I bin waitin’ a year ta get a room of my own an’ now this one’s freed up I won’t be lettin’ it go to no one. No Gloria, no nuthin’.”
Errol’s mouth dropped open as the door was slammed shut in his face.
“No…Gloria?” he stammered, his shoulders beginning to twitch. The lack of any of the woman’s belongings in the room indicated something was seriously amiss. Errol didn’t waste another second; he threw himself down the corridor toward the laboratory.
***~~***~~***~~***~~***
“I knew you were the wrong type for your duties here” Bonnie continued as Gloria was forcefully led close behind by two wide-shouldered silent figures in suits. “Ever since your days as a junior there’s always been a compassionate streak in your work. It’s not a good asset to have in this profession; you start caring, you stop producing. You stop producing, you become an oppressive burden with a fruitless existence.
And I am here to make sure nothing is fruitless in Team Rocket. I am here to give everyone a purpose. Even sentimental people like you.”
***~~***~~***~~***~~***
Errol shakily reached the dim atmosphere the laboratory provided and no sooner had his sensitive eyes adjusted to the light levels he withdrew a breath of alarm as he took in the scene occurring several metres away, behind the glass. Yes, there was Gloria, held tightly by the arms by what looked to be two bodyguards and currently being addressed by a woman bearing golden hair and a smart grey suit. Errol found himself snarling under his breath upon sight of the final figure. That hair...
…it was the very same woman who had tricked him into lending his body for her selfish means.
At first Errol was frozen in disgust and horror. He had placed his life into the hands of those scientists and they were content to toss it away like so much worthless rubbish. Gloria had been the only one to show any compassion toward him and she too was being punished for her kindness. This seemed so unreal, so twisted.
Errol began to shake with a terrible rising fury, but was quick to push this feeling aside and devote his thought process to bringing himself closer to the scene. Edging across the wall towards the figures, the man slid through the entrance doors and crouched behind a computer terminal within hearing range. Errol wasn’t sure of what to do next; his head was still reeling from the nasty reception he had received from Jessie, but even so it didn’t take him long to be brought to his senses once Bonnie’s callous tones reached him.
“Removing that Meowth specimen from its containment cost me a lot of time and a good deal of important results,” she stated, waving a hand at one of the waiting assistants to scuttled away to pass on the order. “Have you anything to say for yourself over your actions?”
“Yes” Gloria remarked in monotone. “I regret nothing. In fact I would much rather have my mind taken from me than to have seen that poor creature suffer any longer. He deserved what I had to give him. I only wish I could have given him more…”
“How pathetic” Bonnie sighed with noticeable boredom. “I am so glad we shall be shipping you to Orre after your reprogramming is complete, I’m sick of hearing such weak-minded drivel from spineless ingrates.
Bring her this way.”
Reprogrammin’? Errol thought confusedly. Whatever it was couldn’t have been a good thing, especially as the one who had uttered it had borne distinct pleasure in her voice as she had spoke. He needed to keep the group in his sights.
Without a second thought Errol removed his boots and socks, leapt out from where he had been hiding and scaled the nearby metallic shelving units with feline ease. Once he had reached the peak the man quickly surveyed the area below as he searched for the whereabouts of Gloria and those who had detained her. It didn’t take long for him to spot the woman’s olive green ponytail as it swayed from left to right in time with her steps. Raising his head a little to get an idea of where Gloria was being taken Errol’s eyes widened in horror at what he saw.
From a distance it looked like a crudely constructed examination platform balanced atop a pivot, giving it limited movement. A thin mechanical arm stretched above the platform and sported a long metal bar which at first sight could have easily been mistaken for a lamp similar to those found over dentist’s chairs. Until one spotted the long probe-like armatures that protruded from it.
“Sixty seconds until full laser charge attained, ma’am,” a scientist instructed from the console he was standing at.
“Excellent” came the reply. “Strap this woman down and apply the eye restraints.”
Lasers? Restraints? Errol’s expression became more horrified by the second as his brain made the connection.
Dey’re gonna fire dose t’ings straight inta her eyes! he screamed inwardly. It wasn’t long before the rest of him joined in.
“NO!”
The figures looked up to see a shadowed figure dive from the shelving above, only to hit the arm of the P.R.O.C.U and cause the metallic laser emitter to tip upward. Gloria gazed from her bound position on the platform with a mixture of admiration and slight upset.
“Oh Errol…” she sighed as Bonnie yelled at the surrounding scientists to shut down the machine and remove ‘the pestilence’ from it. “You didn’t need to do this for me.”
“Whaddya mean?” came the slightly annoyed response as Errol reached forward and tore the apparatus holding the woman’s eyes open from her face. “Ya t’ink I’d let youse put yaself out dis much and jus’ sit around lettin’ youse get hoit? I’m not dat kinda guy!”
Gloria lay there staring back into the eyes of the man balanced so precariously but valiantly above her head and an almost mischievous smile emerged upon her face at his bravery. The aggravated atmosphere around them seemed to melt away, leaving nothing but the two figures as they continued to exchange deeply fond looks.
“Thank you, Errol” Gloria murmured. “I guess… I guess I’ve forgotten how it felt to have someone care for me the same way that I cared for them. Not since the other Errol, and that was a good few years ago.”
“I undastand” the man returned the smile. “It was da same fer me…
…until I met you.”
Errol let out a cry of surprise as one of the bodyguards tugged on his leg in a brutish attempt to get the man to let go. With a harsh whine the fully charged laser swung round on its axis, sending a startling streak of red light across the room.
“I said shut the blasted thing off, you idiots!” Bonnie screeched, dodging aside as the laser narrowly missed her head.
“We’re trying, we’re trying!” one of the technicians exclaimed in distress. “But the P.R.O.C.U isn’t designed to power down so quickly, ma’am”
“Don’t you ‘ma’am’ me!” the woman bellowed in reply. “Just do it! I don’t care if you have to cut the cables, if that laser hits me I’m going to personally disembowel you over the consequences!”
“Let’s hope that if it does hit that it hits the old Golbat in the face, then.”
Errol snickered as his enhanced hearing picked up the muttered remark of one of the junior scientists to his companion. Lifting his free leg the man buried his bare foot into the nose of the bodyguard who was trying to drag him from the P.R.O.C.U, causing him to let go with a yell of pain.
“Youse jus’ hang in dere, Gloria!” Errol grinned as he spun round for the second time. “I ain’t gonna let dese creeps memory wipe ya!”
“Memory wipe…” the woman repeated softly. “Wait… that’s it!”
“Wha?” came the puzzled utterance.
“Don’t you see?” Gloria told him. “The only way we’re going to stop this is to make everyone here forget about you. Everyone.”
“Buh-but…why?” Errol knew full well what she was implying. His voice had taken on an unnatural quiver. “Wh-why you too?”
Gloria looked back at him sadly. There was a distinct reluctance in her gaze, coupled with an acceptance that signified she knew what she had to do.
“If they ever try to find out what had happened to you the information would be all here waiting for them, in my mind” she explained. “They must never know of who you were. And…”
“And what?”
The woman’s eyes had become watery at this point. It looked as if she desperately wanted to reach out her arms and give Errol a comforting embrace.
“A-and neither must you.”
Before Errol had a chance to protest Gloria closed her eyes as she sent out a desperate mental call to the only figure she knew able to lend her assistance.
Kirlia… if you can hear me, please help us. Please give Errol the chance to live his life as a new man.
Please…don’t let anyone here remember who he once was.
Bonnie looked up as the P.R.O.C.U’s laser finally gave out and with almost perfect timing a flicker of blue light spattered into existence overhead. As the light faded slightly those whose attentions had turned toward the air could see the angered countenance of the Kirlia hovering above them.
“What the…?” the woman uttered in alarm. “I thought I’d had you contained! This is preposterous!”
“This is perfect,” Gloria smiled contentedly as the glow around Kirlia began to strengthen in intensity and the bonds keeping her wrists and ankles flat against the platform came free. Errol’s face became desperate.
“But Gloria…we can’t let it end like dis! I don’t wanna lose ya now, not afta all we’ve been through!”
The woman smiled faintly, her face lit by an aquatinted presence.
“You won’t lose me, Errol” she murmured, sitting up and placing her arms around the man’s neck. “I’ll still be here; maybe not in your mind…
…but nothing will ever remove my presence from your heart.”
With a sad smile of his own Errol clambered down upon the platform and finally resigned himself to the situation, watching as the ominous blue aura spanned the entire laboratory.
“At least we get ta watch a cool light show before we go, eh?” he chuckled half-heartedly. Gloria placed her head upon his shoulder and closed her eyes as the psychic energies brought on a soft warm drowsiness.
“Errol?” she murmured softly. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. At first… I wasn’t so sure… but now I know the reason for going to such lengths bore deeper meaning than I’d first realised. Errol?”
“Mmm?” came the torpid reply.
“I…” Gloria’s voice was growing steadily weaker at this point.
“I… .. “
Bonnie advanced toward the P.R.O.C.U only to stagger back in partial surprise as she made impact with a faintly blue coloured shield.
“I know you have something to do with this, Gloria!” she snapped as Kirlia looked up, somewhat frightened.
“But no psychic intervention is going to save you or that mutated specimen from what I’ll do to you once this is over! You cannot make me forget! I took precautions to make sure I would never forget!”
You shall forget…
The voice was unlike anything Bonnie had ever heard before. In fact she hadn’t even heard it; the very words had been forcefully implanted into her mind and continued to echo in a persistent thrum. Automatically assuming it had been the Kirlia, the woman looked up only to see that the pokémon whose face was now overcome with utter astonishment as the blue aura around her turned an intense white. A flicker behind Kirlia revealed, but for a moment, a smaller pokémon with a grooved circular helmet and two jagged tails that waved threateningly as if caught by a breeze.
You shall forget… it intoned psychically. Bonnie collapsed to her knees, clutching at her head as the same whitish glow began to emanate from her also.
“No...No!
NOOOOOOO!”
EPILOGUE
They found him, tattered and half-conscious lying in a mountainous pile of debris. Unsure as to his accommodative whereabouts, they checked for a form of identification, only to find he had none. Rose was certain that this abandoned Rocket grunt had been cast out of his rank and instructed Mondo, the one who had discovered him, to gather some type of Intermediate uniform for him to wear, now that he had nowhere else to go.
Errol awoke an hour later - his mind was blurred and his speech greatly impaired, so the occupants of the Intermediate Common Room decided it would be best to wait until he was truly brought to his senses. It wasn’t until the others had all left on their personal duties that Errol came round and it was then that he realised where he happened to be, and his first instinct was to run.
But then he remembered: where was there to run to? The memories in his mind where smeared and smudged out like so much paint.
He felt a terrible loss, for whom he wasn’t sure. He felt a burning anger and upset, a deep sense of rejection. He felt homeless and friendless, in an organisation that he had been in just about all his life.
The remaining occupants of the ICR returned, but when they stumbled upon Errol with questions of identity, he could not answer. A vast blankness now occupied his mind, blotting out much of what the man was certain he once knew. After much unsuccessful questioning his interrogators gave up hope and left Errol to his own devices; he seemed like a lost cause, no matter how hard the others wanted to believe otherwise.
There was one thing, one simple phrase that continued to repeat in the man’s mind. Errol fumbled in his trouser pocket and brought out the charm, a returned gift from someone that had meant so much to him.
And he couldn’t even recall who it had been. It had infuriated him to the point of sorrow
Over the passing months, Errol drifted further and further away from his previous companions. He spent his waking hours quietly slumped in a chair by the window of the ICR with a spike of metal in one gloved hand - scraping away at the back of his charm with such an intent expression of concentration upon his face that those around him felt obliged not to disturb the process. As though engraving that mental message meant a matter of life and death to him.
And in a way, it was all he had…
… for now.