It was a long boat ride to Celadon city. Not that Ellie minded. The sea was so vast and pretty. Cinnabar Island was pretty, too. It was small, and a bit cramped at times, but even Cinnabar was more lively than Lavender Town. And now she was going to Celadon City. Commander Keith had chosen them specially. She had made Commander Keith proud. Commander Keith was letting her go on a special mission.
It was dark by the time they arrived in Celadon City. It was rainy too. Yet the city was still alive. Lights blinked everywhere, and there were still people out, enjoying the night. "Alright, this place is crawling with trainers and police. We're going to have to sneak in the long way. Rockets split up, you three with me. You two with Lieutenant Arnold, you two with Lieutenant Adrian. Stick to the backroads, we meet up at the game center. Are we clear?"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
Ellie couldn't believe her luck. "Mikaela, Jonathan, you're with me."
Mikaela. Mikaela. She had gone by Ellie ever since joining the rockets because no one could ever pronounce her name right. But Lieutenant Adrian did. This assignment meant that she wouldn't see him again for a while. But she had to do what they commanded. She was a servant, a tool, a pawn to be moved and sacrificed at whim. Indeed, Ellie felt lucky to have such kind masters. Lieutenant Adrian was the one who gave her Ponyta and Pidgey. (She had cried when she was forced to give the bird up. It wasn't that she had grown attached to the pokemon, but she considered it a gift.) He taught her how to evolve her Nidoran. When she failed a mission, he made sure she got patched up after they beat the snot out of her. "Yes sir, Lieutenant!"
The alleys were lonely, but that was good in their situation. It took them 10 minutes to get to the door and meet up with the Commander and the other Lieutenant. They checked their appearances, and the Commander rapped on the door. "Steal Pokemon for profit. Exploit Pokemon for profit. All Pokemon exist for the glory of Team Rocket." Commander Keith went in first, followed by his two Lieutenants. The grunts were last. They were pretty much expected to go and behave off in the corner. It suited Ellie fine. She took out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one there in front of the stairs. Before she could even take a single breath, the man who must have been Executive Petrel looked up. When he saw the cigarette in her hand, she swore his eyes turned to daggers. She knew well enough what that look meant. "Sorry, sir." Back up the stairs it is...
Back into the rain. She was used to the cold, and being wet. Still, imagine her surprise when Lieutenant Adrian Sabre himself came up a few minutes later. "You got another smoke?"
"Yes, sir, lieutenant."
He took it and lit it, not saying another word. The soft glow lit up his sharp feaures, casting strong shadows on his face. His dark eyes just stared up at the sky. A few minutes went by, and he threw it into a puddle. He nodded to her and went back inside. As soon as he left Ellie took her cigarette and put it out on the back of her hand. The burn stung, but she didn't release it. Why didn't she have the courage to say anything? When he was around, it was "Yes Lieutenant", and "Of course, sir". It didn't matter. He would probably end up going out with Marie, or Chelsea, or Andromeda. They had loads more skill than she had, and they were prettier. That was, until she became a Lieutenant herself. Her subservience only extended to Rockets above her in rank, after all. And when that day came, they wouldn't be so pretty anymore.
