"Before I Turn this Tassel," written by Freedom Fighter

After a delay of more than three weeks, here's the finale you've all been waiting for!

Disclaimer:  I do not own Pokémon or any of the characters associated with the show.  All
names and likenesses are copyrighted by Nintendo, 4Kids Entertainment, and anyone else who
had a hand in creating the show.

======

Chapter Nine - Rocket Recruiter (01.10.03)

It was Thursday, the last day of exams, and for many students, it would make or break them.
But for 15-year old Giselle Gravelpot, all it meant was one last obstacle standing between
her and becoming Tech's first ever female valedictorian.

She stood in the east courtyard as she watched the matches of fellow classmates come to an
end.  In one match, an Octillery was getting the best of a Rapidash.  In another, two
Hitmonlee traded punches with each other.  And in a third, a Pikachu and a Weepinbell waged
battle.  She was paying extra attention to that one.

Probably a bit too much attention...

"Pikachu, thunder wave!"

"Pika!"

"Weepinbell, counter with razor leaf!"

"Bell!"

To any average person, the two battling trainers didn't hold any major significance to them.
But to Giselle, she looked at them as if they were Ash and Joe, and they were battling just
for her.

Meanwhile, Pikachu's thunder wave proved ineffective, but the electric mouse was conscious
enough to dodge Weepinbell's razor leaves.

"Alright Pikachu, try a thunder bolt!" 'Ash' yelled.

"You fool!" Giselle shouted.  "Electric attacks don't work on grass types!"

'Ash' had his Pikachu had attack, but all 'Joe' did was watch as his Weepinbell absorbed the
thunder bolt.

"Nice try, but you'll have to do better than that!"  'Joe' then turned to his Weepinbell.
"Vine whip!"

It looked as if Joe had the perfect opportunity to attack, but there's one thing he forgot to
take into account.

"Pikachu, use agility!"

Pikachu began to dash here and there, moving way too fast for Weepinbell to attack accurately.

"It's too fast!" Giselle shouted.  "Try a counter attack!"

"Too late!" 'Ash' exclaimed.  "Quick attack!"

"Weepinbell!  Cut Pikachu down to size!"

It seemed like time stood still as Pikachu and Weepinbell met at mid-field, trading hits as
they passed each other.  Both Pokémon landed on the ground, exhaustion beginning to kick in.

"Hang in there, Pikachu!"

"You can do it, Weepinbell!"

Giselle was a bit befuddled as to why the two trainers she knew and had great respect for were
battling completely out of the blue.  It didn't help that both trainers weren't fighting a
smart match... something she regularly looked down on as wrong.  And she wasn't going to stand
there like a lawn ornament and watch the battle go one move further.

"Why are you two battling like this?" Giselle asked loudly, breaking the two trainers'
concentration as they turned to look at her.  "You're wasting your time battling each other."

"But Giselle," 'Ash' spoke up.  "We're battling for you."

Giselle seemed to be shocked by that comment.  "For me?" she asked aloud, making sure she had
actually heard those words from 'Ash.'

"Of course," came the answer, this time from 'Joe.'  "We're fighting to see who has the right
to be your boyfriend."

To that statement, Giselle was in dismay.  "I'm not some prize to be won, okay?"

"You asked us to battle for you, and so we are," said 'Ash.'

"We will do whatever you ask of us," 'Joe' added.

"Whatever I ask?" Giselle smirked.  "Hmmm... maybe this isn't so bad after all."  But then
Giselle shook her head and got serious, realizing she was about to make the only two guys
she ever cared for in her life her slaves.  "Cut that out!"

"You wish for us to stop?"

"Yes!  Are you deaf or something?"

"Very well.  We will think of other ways to impress you."

'Ash' and 'Joe' quickly recalled their Pokémon to their Pokéballs and then ran off.

"Wait a minute... I thought Ash didn't have his Pikachu..."

Before Giselle could finish her thought, 'Ash' and 'Joe' returned.  'Ash' was holding a
heart-shaped box of chocolates, while 'Joe' presented a bouquet of roses.

"Now this is too weird," Giselle noted, not even noticing the redness of her face.

"Here's a gift that's as sweet on the inside as you are," 'Ash' said with a smile.

"And these will help accentuate your radiant beauty," complimented Joe.

"Okay you two," interrupted Angela, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Angela, I'm busy here!" Giselle yelled.

But instead of explaining herself, Angela stepped up and snapped her fingers in front of
Giselle's face.

======

In an instant, Giselle found herself in the middle of a crowd of people.  Angela was
still in front of her, with 'Ash' and 'Joe' on either side of her, and still with the
gifts in hand.  But they no longer looked like Ash or Joe, but just two of the latest
upperclassmen trying to hit on her.

"Girl, you're slipping," Angela remarked.  "You let these two on you so easily."

Giselle blinked.  "You mean... it was all a dream?'

"What was a dream?"

Giselle smirked as she returned to her confident and somewhat arrogant self.  "I have
more important things to worry about than you two."

Giselle waved the two guys off, who with heads lowered, walked away... the former opening
the box of chocolates and eating one, while the other throws his bouquet on the ground.

"You can't be spacing out," Angela said to Giselle.  "I told you that you shouldn't have
had the chicken turnover for lunch."

"You worry too much," Giselle responded as she glanced to the ring in front of her, where
a Pikachu and a Weepinbell were actually battling.  "Then again, maybe I'm worrying too much."

"It looks like it.  You sure you're ready for your match?"

Giselle clenched her fist.  "I'm physically and mentally ready.  Whomever my opponent is
going to be better watch out... 'cause Giselle's gonna be number one!"

"Attention upperclassmen," a voice shouted through a bullhorn.  "Would trainers 85 through
96 please report to the judges' table to pick up their random Pokéball belts?  I repeat,
trainers 85 through 96 please report to pick up your Pokéball belts."

"You won't be number one if you stand there getting full of yourself!" Angela shouted,
pushing Giselle to the judges' table.

"Angela, I can walk by myself!" Giselle objected, although she knew it was useless stopping
Angela when she was in her 'happy place.'

======

"Good luck," wished Angela.  "I just hope I do as well in my match as you do in yours."

"This'll be a cinch," Giselle smiled.  "You just go and do what you need to do, okay?"

Angela nodded, then ran off across the courtyard to where her match was going to be held.
Giselle turned and then stepped onto the battlefield, buckling the belt around her waist.
She then glanced over at her opponent, a 19-year old high-class guy who seemed to be
even more overconfident than Giselle... if that were humanly possible.

"Ah Giselle, the school's resident diva," the guy commented.  "I've been waiting since
I first arrived here three years ago for a worthy challenger such as yourself."

Giselle decided to play into the guy's ploy by slowly running her left hand back through
her hair and smiling heavenly, grabbing the attention of every teenage male in the area.

"You can call me whatever name pleases you.  Personally, I prefer to be just Giselle, if
that's fine with you."

The guy smiled.  "Whatever you say, Giselle.  Allow me to introduce myself..."

"Emmanuel Chavez, 19-year old expert level trainer from Celadon City.  Non-social, yet very
friendly with the ladies.  Started off slow, but have improved since your beginner year,
as you're now ranked fifth in our class."

Emmanuel began to applaud.  "You've done your research.  I must say, you're everything I
expected."

"Don't try to flatter me, Emmanuel.  I don't flatter easily.  I don't take flirting by
random guys either."

"In that case, let's skip the pleasantries and get to the match."

A referee stepped forward as both Emmanuel and Giselle reached for one of the Pokéballs on
their belts.

======

From the roof of a nearby classroom building, three individuals in Rocket uniforms look on
from overheard.  The two males and the lone female seemed to have an interest in Giselle's
match... particularly the female, who ran her finger up and down a black tulip.

"Today's the day," the yellow-haired female announced.  "Team Rocket always gets what they
want."

"But Domino," the taller of the two males of objected.  "This girl... she's not exactly a
pushover.  I know that for a fact... I've seen her battle before."

"And so have I!" Domino shot back.  "You don't think I know what she's capable of?"

"We can't take her on by ourselves," the shorter male spoke up.

"If you two are scared, then you should've stayed at headquarters!"

"But the boss asked us to come!  Just in case you needed help."

Domino grabbed the shorter guy by the collar and slammed him onto the ground.  The taller one
stepped back for his own safety as Domino smirked evilly.

"I'm the Black Tulip!  I'm one of Team Rocket's top agents!  And you may have been assigned
to help me... but trust me, I can more than handle myself.  As well as that girl Giselle.
She'll make a great partner once she's brainwashed."

"You can't brainwash her!" the tall one exclaimed, feeling concerned for Giselle even though
he knew how Domino was going to respond... by slamming him on the ground.

"Of all of the rookies I've ever worked with, you two are the worst!  Forget it... you two
stay out of sight!  I'll take care of Giselle alone."

Domino headed for the stairs as the two male recruits recovered from their respective sidewalk
slams.

======

"Let the match begin!"

The battle had just begun as Giselle and Emmanuel had drawn a Snubbull and a Eevee,
respectively.  The two trainers frantically tried to remember what attacks their Pokémon
could do.

"Ladies first," Emmanuel shouted.

"Okay then, Snubbull!" Giselle ordered.  "Start off with a tackle attack!"

"Eevee, use growl!"

"Snubbull snubbull snubbull!" repeated the pink canine Pokémon as she charged at the brown
fox.

"Veeee!" Eevee growled, weakening Snubbull's attack power slightly.  Not enough for Snubbull
to completely miss, though.

"Bite it, Snubbull!"

"You too, Eevee!  Give that Snubbull a taste of her own medicine!"

As the two Pokémon charged at each other, both ready to sink their teeth into the other's skin,
a black tulip flies in out of nowhere, landing at the Pokémon's predicted clash point.

"Where did that come from?" Emmanuel and Giselle yelled simultaneously.

Suddenly, several black sparks of electricity leap from the tulip, instantly paralyzing
Snubbull and Eevee on the spot.  As everyone looked on it confusion and fear as the sound of a
female cackling fills the air.

The portion of the crowd to Giselle's right parted right down the middle, revealing the
identity of the heckler.  But she wasn't dressed in a Tech uniform.  She was in a black Team
Rocket uniform.  And this yellow-haired, violet-eyed maiden was definitely here to cause some
trouble.

"This girl's with Team Rocket," Giselle thought.  "But why is she here, and all alone at that?"

"I'm sorry to break up the festivities of your joyous make-or-break exams, but I have some
business to attend to," Domino stated aloud as she marched up to the battlefield.

"Pardon me miss, but as you can see, we're in the middle of a battle here," Emmanuel said.

"Don't mind me," Domino said sweetly before developing a scowl on her face.  "I'm not here for
you, you twit."

"Watch your tongue!  I've never heard such words from a proper female."

"There's nothing proper about me, buddy," Domino shouted as she pulled out a metallic hula
hoop and flinged it at Emmanuel.  It wrapped him up at chest level, bounding his arms as well.
"Team Rocket never does things in a proper fashion."

"Who are you and what do you want?" Giselle asked defiantly.

Domino smiled as she began her introduction speech.  "My fellow agents know me as 009, Domino.
But my adversaries simply known me as 'The Black Tulip.'"

"'The Black Tulip?'" Giselle repeated, making sure she heard right.

"That's right.  And I've come for you, Giselle Gravelpot!"

======

At that exact moment, Joe had just walked past the entrance gate.  He was now wearing a
visitor's badge above his left breast pocket.  He had been directed off towards the courtyards
where the expert trainers were battling, in hopes of finding Giselle.

"It sure is more crowded here then I remember," Joe told himself, noting the large crowds of
students gathered in the south courtyard, the one closest to the main entrance.

It was then that he noticed just ahead that the central part of campus was absolutely jammed
with people, both students and students' family members.  Most of it was coming from the east
portion of campus, where the guard had told Joe where most of the expert trainers were
battling.

"Could it all be over already?  Maybe Giselle's already done for the day."

Joe headed in that direction, unaware of the danger that awaited him.

======

Over in the east courtyard, most of the crowd was fleeing in fear, not wanting to stick around
in case more Rockets decided to appear.  But there was a small group of individuals, including
professors, Giselle's most dedicated fans, and Giselle herself, that weren't budging.

"Don't anyone take a step closer!" Domino threatened, pulling out a bunch of black tulips and
positioning one between each of her fingers.  "Unless you prefer a bit of shock therapy, that
is."

"I say, I won't stand for this foolishness any longer," Emmanuel spurted as he tried to break
free.

Domino smirked before firing a tulip into the ground, right in between Emmanuel's feet.  And
just like the Snubbull and Eevee before, the tulip's black energy bolts paralyzed Emmannuel,
forcing his knees to buckle and causing him to fall to the ground.

"That's what will happen to all of you if you try anything funny," Domino told the others.
She then turned to Giselle.  "Now, join Team Rocket or else!"

"Join Team Rocket?  As if!  They stand for everything a Pokémon trainer shouldn't be!"

"Team Rocket needs people like you.  Only trainers with superb skills are even offered the
chance to become members of our elite organization.  You should consider yourself very lucky."

"You should consider yourself lucky!  Lucky that I haven't sent my best Pokémon out on you!"

"So, you want to do this the hard way?  Fine!  But you're looking at one of Team Rocket's top
operatives.  Even at your high level of skill, you don't stand a chance against me!"

Suddenly, one of Giselle's 'groupies' steps up, raising one of his Pokéballs into the air.

"We'll take care of her," he said.

"You shouldn't expend your energy on a witch like her," a second shouted.

"We'll take her down!" a third exclaimed.

Without warning, the group of about 15-20 infatuated boys threw out all of their Pokéballs in
the direction of Domino.  Quickly activating the jetpack on her back, Domino dodged the first
wave of Pokéballs, then flew around cautiously avoiding the rest.  She watched as dozens of
Pokémon materialized on the ground beneath her.

Quickly going to work, she tossed out black tulips as fast as possible, eventually immobilizing
all of the Pokémon and leaving stunned faces on all of Giselle's groupies.

"Is that all the graduating class of Pokémon Tech has to offer?" Domino asked aloud.
"Pathetic!"

"Come down here and fight like a man!" the first guy yelled.

"Why should I?  I'm not a man anyway!"

Domino then pointed behind them.

"But those two are."

Utilizing their Rocket training, the two lackeys tossed more metallic hula hoops around,
ensnaring the small group.  They then proceeded to do the same to anyone else still in the
area.

"Nice fan club you have there," mock-complimented Domino as she landed back onto the field,
just a few feet in front of Giselle.  "Not too smart though."

"You do realize that I don't approve of their undying worship for me," Giselle admitted, which
was very much true.

"It's obvious they don't adore you because of your skills."

"I could've told you that."

"You see?  That's why you're perfect for Team Rocket!  You're just like me... you've got
beauty and brains... a deadly combination!"

"People like you and me are very rare.  It would be nice for the two of us to be a team.  We'd
be unstoppable."  Giselle's face grew serious.  "Still, I'm not going to join Team Rocket and
that's final!"

"You're not as smart as I thought," quipped Domino.  "Don't you realize that you're delaying
the inevitable?  I will make you join Team Rocket!"

Giselle then turned and reached for her purse, which was on the ground and ten feet away.

"Oh no you don't!" Domino yelled, throwing a black tulip in that direction.

Giselle made a leap for her black purse, grabbed the handle and tossed it aside just as the
tulip hit the ground next to her.  Lying frontside on the ground, Giselle found herself unable
to move as Domino walked towards her, laughing maniacally the whole way.

"Nice try, but you'll have to be faster than that to outsmart me!"

Giselle gritted her teeth as she glanced up at Domino, who had stopped right in front of her.

"I'd rather not have to explain to the boss why I had to kill you, so save yourself the trouble
and surrender!"

"Never!" Giselle said defiantly as she tried to use her arms to push herself up from the
ground with little success.

"Area secured!" one of Domino's lackeys reported, saluting to her as he arrived.

Giselle gasped.  "Ronaldo?  Is that you?"

The sad face of the taller of the two henchmen glanced at Giselle, confirming her suspicions.

"Yes, it is me.  What do you think?"

Giselle shook her head.  "I can't believe this!  First, I give you a piece of advice that I
didn't even think you were going to follow!  Then you follow it, and join a crooked
organization like Team Rocket?"

"Hey!" Ronaldo objected.  "They gave me a hefty salary and a great health and dental!"

"You're just like all the other guys," Giselle said angrily, comparing him to the 'groupies.'
"You pay more attention to my looks than my words!"

"That's not true at all!"

Giselle pounded her fist into the ground.  "I can't believe I even had feelings for you."

That caught Ronaldo by surprise.  "You... liked me?"

"Yes!  And I'm not lying either!  But Angela was right about one thing.  I was a fool to like
someone much older than me.  I still can't believe that you were the one that saved my life a
week ago."

Ronaldo stood there stunned, still trying to take everything in.

"So sorry to break up your little forgiveness session," Domino smirked, "but I have a job to
do here.  Ronaldo, grab her purse!"

Ronaldo stood there for a second, turned to Domino and responded with a single word.

"No."

"No?  NO?!  I order you to... oh, forget it!  I'll get it myself!"

Domino then saw an arm reach in and snatch the purse from the ground.  Giselle saw it as well,
as her face lit up with relief when she noted that it belonged to Joe.

"Looking for this?" Joe asked slyly, holding the purse up for all to see.

"Okay brat, hand it over if you don't want to get hurt!" Domino threatened.

"You want the Pokéballs, right?" Joe reached into the purse and started to search for them.
"Aha!"

Joe pulled out... a small jar of facial cream.

"Gee... I didn't know you could keep a Pokémon in a jar!" Domino said mockingly.

Joe tried again, and this time succeeded in pulling out a Pokéball.  "Here we go!  You're in
trouble now!"

"You don't know who you're dealin' with here, do you?" Domino asked, pulling out another black
tulip.

"Are you sure, 'cause I'm betting otherwise!" Joe shouted as he threw the Pokéball as hard as
he could towards Domino.

The Pokéball hit the ground just in front of her, as Giselle's Graveler came out.

"Grav!" the rock Pokémon sounded off.

"Like that scares me!" Domino shouted defiantly, spiking her tulip into the ground and then
hopping out of the way.

"Rollout!" Giselle quickly yelled at Graveler.

Graveler curled into a ball and rolled away before the tulip could paralyze him.  He rolled
in the direction of Domino, who screamed as she realized she didn't have any time to dodge.
But instead of being rolled over, Domino tried to leap at the last second, which resulted in
her being sent flying halfway across the courtyard.  She landed hard on her back and rolled
for a bit, stopping just short of a wall.

Meanwhile, Joe had called out his Victreebel and had him use his razor leaf to cut the tulip's
stem and deactivate it.  Able to move again, Giselle stood up and dusted herself off.  At the
same time, she saw that Domino was struggling to get back to her feet.

"I thought you were an elite trainer," Giselle said, smirking as she walked towards Domino.
"Or maybe all of your parlor tricks are just hiding the fact that you don't have a single
Pokémon to help you!"

"Damn you!" Domino cursed, gritting her teeth.

"Again with the profanity?" Emmanuel, who everyone had forgotten was still there, muttered from
his lying position on the ground.

"Should've known better than to depend on rookies," Domino said aloud.  "Where's Bucknell
anyway?"

======

Over in the south courtyard, Bucknell is running with his hands over his head as he is pelted
with Pokéballs from hundreds of Tech students and other trainers.

======

Back in the east courtyard, Domino managed to get to her feet, but was visibly in pain, as
evident by the bumps and bruises over her body.  She stood there as Giselle, Joe, Graveler,
and Victreebel came ever closer.

"Rest assured, you won't be so lucky next time!" Domino roared as she reached for the on
switch on her jetpack.  In an instant, Domino was flying off to safety, out of the reach of
Giselle's and Joe's Pokémon.

"Good riddance," Giselle said, recalling Graveler to his Pokéball as Joe did the same with his
Victreebel.  "Now, for you..."

The two of them turned around to look at Ronaldo... only he was gone.

"Where did he go?" Joe asked.

"He ran out of here pretty fast," Emmanuel said, still struggling with his bonds.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue, Joe," complimented Giselle.  "Should've known it would happen
again."

"Again?  What do you mean again?"

Giselle quickly waved it off.  "It's a long story.  Besides, we've got more important matters
to take care of."

"Such as?"

Giselle snatched her purse from Joe's grasp and swung it at him.  Joe barely ducked in time.

"Don't you know that a guy is to never look into a girl's purse?"

"I was just trying to save you, Giselle!" Joe yelled as he turned to run.

"I have personal belongings in there!" Giselle yelled as she gave chase.  "Can't you respect
a girl's privacy?"

Joe ran as fast as he could from Giselle, who continued to swing her purse in an attempt to
bean him with it.  As the two ran out of sight, Emmanuel shouted after them.

"Hello!  I'm still tied up here!  I say, don't leave me here by myself!  I'm afraid of being
alone!"

******

Flip the chapter to see the epilogue and my personal commentary on the fanfic!