Carl Sandrock

Carl Sandrock was the head of Soil Colossus Inc, a company that appeared to specialize in the usage of Dugtrio to subvert Team Rocket by instigating prison breaks. In reality, Soil Colossus, Inc. was a proxy through which Sandrock intended to get revenge on Team Rocket, due to an accident that occurred whilst he was in their employ in the earlier years of their reign.

History[]

Start of Darkness[]

In Team Rocket's early days, Carl Sandrock worked as a scientist for the organization, and was in charge of developing a mind control project originally commissioned by Joker. After numerous experiments that resulted in more harm than good, Carl was ordered on multiple occasions to shut down the project, though refused every time.

Eventually, Joker ordered an elimination of Carl Sandrock. The resulting conflict destroyed Carl's research data and resulted in the deaths of his prized Alakazam and Eevee. This embittered him, and so he swore to get revenge on the Shadow Admins, blaming them collectively for his loss.

Carl devised the idea for Soil Colossus, Inc., and in order to create the group, contacted former Rocket Scientists Portia Raven and Nemo Buck. The two assisted him in designing and building their initial base of operations, and later their main base, Colossoil, as well as helping him in hiring agents for their operations. All of this occurred roughly thirteen years before the beginning of Team Liberty's Operation R.A.L.L.Y.

Once Team Rocket rose to power and their conflicts with numerous rebellion groups began, Carl found use of Soil Colossus's resources by offering to break captured rebels from Team Rocket prisons. The organization also expanded to become a pseudo-crime syndicate, operating primarily in Sinnoh's underground black markets.

The Manaphy Arc[]

The Attack on Paradise[]

Several months after the beginning of Team Rocket and Team Liberty's recruitment efforts, Carl Sandrock was contacted by Team Liberty Executive Scott Stone. Team Liberty had just failed in an attack on the Rocket's Hoenn base, Paradise, and as a result Liberty Leader Silvermind had been captured. Stone thus requested Carl and Soil Colossus, Inc.'s assistance in rescuing her from captivity.

Carl agreed and quickly organized a number of his Agents to meet with Team Liberty, though planned to utilize the situation to further his own goals. Together, the two groups launched a second attack on Paradise, this time managing to engage in combat with Shadow Admin Buzz. During the skirmish, Buzz and Carl were both injured, though Carl's forces nonetheless managed to make their way to Silvermind. Instead of retreating with Team Liberty, however, the Soil Colossus team teleported out with Silvermind, taking her hostage and abandoning their "allies," most of whom managed to escape.

The Alpha Manaphy[]

Soon after, Carl contacted Team Liberty and Team Rocket, offering them a deal: Whichever team could secure the Alpha Manaphy of the Unovan Ice Geode first would be allowed to take Silvermind. To this end, Carl invited roughly five Agents from each group to accompany himself, Nemo Buck, Portia Raven, and several other Soil Colossus Agents to the region, with the stipulation that Joker must be sent to represent Team Rocket. Both groups agreed and began to organize their respective teams. For Team Liberty, this group consisted of Scott Stone, Jayron Aaron, Sonja Baron, Ryan Sanders, Jake Soren, and Alex Lockwood. Team Rocket's group was composed of Joker, Ben Grindport, Dack Majors, Ray Hakuda, Calvin Noren, and Jason Alco.

The groups convened in Rustboro City, where they then took a plane to Unova. On the way, Carl noted that they would have to act inconspicuously due to the heavy foreigner surveillance in Unova--a result of Team Plasma's distaste for the Rocket-Liberty War. The group stayed a night in Castelia City before traveling to Undella Town, where they traveled underwater to reach the Ice Geode. Once there, they engaged the Alpha Manaphy in combat, quickly throwing the place into chaos. They were interrupted by the arrival of Maxie, leader of Team Magma, who managed to capture and steal the Alpha Manaphy with the use of a Master Ball before escaping. Shocked by this turn of events, Carl and his team of Soil Colossus agents teleported away, leaving Team Rocket and Team Liberty behind.

The Trade[]

Several weeks after returning to their base in Rustboro, Carl was contacted directly by Maxie. In a surprise twist of events, Maxie offered Carl the Alpha Manaphy in exchange for custody of Silvermind, citing the "rules" of the original hunt. After some consideration, and discovering Maxie's intent to ally with Team Liberty, Carl agreed. The two met up, and Carl delivered Silvermind for the Manaphy, as promised.

For the next few months following that, Carl used the Alpha Manaphy as the basis for continuing the development of a unique machine: A blood-based mind control device originally planned for construction, and then abandoned by Team Rocket. Carl planned to use the Manaphy as the control mechanism that would bring it together, and to this end devoted many of his available resources into finishing the device.

The Dismantling of Soil Colossus, Inc.[]

Feud[]

Even amidst the growing presence of the Ancient Darkrai, Carl continued to act against Team Rocket. From the end of the Manaphy Mission to the destruction of Soil Colossus, Inc., Carl assigned numerous agents to lead attacks against at least nine of Team Rocket secondary and tertiary bases and agents, primarily in Johto. These attacks were noted by Team Rocket for their increasing brutality, many of them leaving even non-combatant Rocket personnel in critical condition, or else permanently crippled.

Along with this, Carl worked to improve Colossoil's defense systems, in the hopes of fending off the Darkrai threat in their immediate area. These attempts proved successful, as the base remained standing long after the rest of the region had become shrouded in darkness.

Eventually, Shadow Admin Sleight grew wearisome of Soil Colossus's actions. Upon hearing an attack report from Sabrina, in which she revealed to Sleight the location of Soil Colossus's main headquarters, Sleight declared that he would personally lead an attack against them.

Destruction[]

Around Christmas time, Team Rocket's attack force--consisting of Shadow Admins Sleight and Buzz, Rocket Executive Matthew McKlellen, Gym Leaders Lt. Surge and Sabrina, Elite Four member Koga, and a group of Rocket Elites led by Captain Jessica Ortrune and including the assassin Lafoyae Belrose--traveled to Rustboro City. Colossoil was swiftly enveloped in an anti-teleportation field by Sabrina, and the base's power supply sabotaged by Surge. After receiving initial reports of the attack, Carl retreated underground, to the Colossoil Command Center, where he felt himself protected by the facility's nuclear-proof blast doors.

Sleight immediately headed for Carl's position, meeting Lt. Surge and Buzz just outside of one set of blast doors. Carl activated a comm screen through which to speak with Sleight. In the ensuing conversation, Carl attempted to stall Sleight while his technicians worked on reactivating the other doors for an escape, or else to work through Sabrina's anti-teleportation field. Carl informed Sleight that there was no possibility of him getting through the blast doors, shutting off the comm when Sleight stated that he would manage. Troubled, Carl ordered two of his technicians, Kent and Gordon, to prepare the Manaphy device.

In short order, Sleight successfully broke through the blast doors, allowing his group to enter. There, Carl greeted them, and after reminding the group of the earlier expedition to Unova, planted the Master Ball containing Manaphy into the mind control machine. The device instantly allowed him to stop the Rocket Agents in their tracks, and he further proceeded to demonstrate its power by compelling Surge to shoot Buzz in the chest, fatally injuring him.

To his surprise, Sleight managed to break through his control mid-gloat, and proceeded to chide Carl for his failings whilst slowly approaching him. Carl and his guards were too stunned to act, and because of this were able to be injured by Sleight's Magmortar--except for Carl himself, whom Sleight proceeded to draw his gun on. Carl diverted all of his power into stopping Sleight, though to no avail, as Sleight pulled the trigger, shooting Carl in the head and deactivating the machine. After taking the Master Ball containing Manaphy and activating Colossoil's self-destruct mechanism, Sleight and the others departed, leaving Carl's body and the remainder of Soil Colossus's agents to their fate.

Afterwards[]

Carl's death marked the absolute end of Soil Colossus, Inc., as virtually all of their resources were destroyed along with Colossoil.

Shortly after Soil Colossus, Inc.'s destruction, Sleight delivered a televised speech citing the Ancient Darkrai as the means of the organization's fall, along with Carl Sandrock's and Shadow Admin Buzz's deaths, effectively rallying support from the public against the threat. Team Liberty Executive Red and Liberty Leader Silvermind watched the report, noting the subtle cues that suggested Team Rocket's involvement. Both silently applauded Team Rocket's choice to act against the organization.

Carl Sandrock was mentioned by Quincy Adams during her attack on Havoc and Team Magma, citing him as an example of the corruption that manifested through the Liberty-Rocket War.

Appearance[]

Carl was a tall man with pale, nearly white skin--a reflection of his preference for underground activities, and possibly the result of staying so often in Colossoil's lower levels. He exclusively wore black business suits and a pair of sunglasses, only rarely removing the latter--notably, when he was shocked by the discovery of Sleight's attack on Soil Colossus, Inc.'s headquarters. He had orange hair and a Dugtrio tattooed on the back of each hand.

Personality[]

Carl had a tendency to portray himself as a calm, collected, and dignified individual. The truth of the matter is that he was only partially possessive of those traits. Carl was a man bearing a significant degree of anger and ire toward Team Rocket, to the point of working to build a business with the sole purpose of getting back at them for their slights against him in the past. He was thus an obsessive and determined individual who would not give up until he was certain that he had completed his goals. Carl cared little for individuals outside of that goal, and would manipulate anyone for anything as long as it propelled him forward. He possessed something of a superiority complex over his enemies, seeing himself as above their power regardless of whether this was true or not. This eventually proved to be his undoing, as his self-assured attacks on Team Rocket resulted in a much larger and heavier counterattack than he had anticipated.

Pokémon[]

Carl's repertoire of Pokémon was based around Ground-Types; however, the majority of these were never shown before his death, as he had instead begun to make use of a more diverse team. In the past, Carl also owned an Alakazam and an Eevee, which he greatly valued; however, these both died as a result of Team Rocket's first attempt to eliminate him, fueling his hatred for the organization later on. All of Carl Sandrock's Pokémon died as a result of Sleight's attack on Soil Colossus's main headquarters.

Garchomp
Deeper-than-normal fin dent.		Nickname: Don Superior	Gender: Male	Specialty: Strong, fast, and precise.
Deeper-than-normal fin dent.		Species: Garchomp	Ability: Sand Veil	Personality: He had a coldly ADAMANT personality, serving his trainer with utmost loyalty. He was said to be tamed by Carl personally as a Gabite.
Moves:
Swords Dance (TM)	Earthquake (TM)	Dragon Rush	Experience: x	Trivia/Misc./Other: Died along with Sandrock during Sleight's attack on Soil Colossus, Inc.
Stone Edge (TM)	Crunch	Aqua Tail (MT)	Obtained at: Starter.

Electivire
Don Tesla's tails had specialized crystal-shaped metal "tasers" attached to the tips, said to allow it to emulate the move Volt Tackle. It also had lime-green eyes.		Nickname: Don Tesla	Gender: Male	Specialty: Physical attacks and speed.
		Species: Electivire	Ability: Motor Drive	Personality: Don Tesla was morbidly JOLLY, loving battle and ruthlessly chasing down foes.
Moves:
Thunder Punch	Ice Punch (EM)	Fire Punch	Experience: x	Trivia/Misc./Other: Don Tesla was capable of emulating Volt Tackle via the devices on his tails. He died along with Sandrock during Sleight's attack on Soil Colossus, Inc.
Earthquake (TM)	Cross Chop (EM)	Volt Tackle (SM)	Obtained at: Starter.

Banette
		Nickname: Don Tosh	Gender: Male	Specialty: Weak in direct combat, and thus served more as a support/preliminary weakening agent.
		Species: Banette	Ability: Insomnia	Personality: Banette was quite HASTY, but would slow down if it was required.
Moves:
Pain Split	Icy Wind	Substitute (TM)	Experience: x	Trivia/Misc./Other: Died along with Carl during Sleight's attack on Soil Colossus, Inc.
Will o' Wisp	Shadow Sneak	Shadow Ball	Obtained at: Starter.

Tailow
Permanent burn marks on feathers. Darker red on chest than normal.		Nickname: Don Falcon	Gender: Female	Specialty: Very fast, and made great use of her Ability.
		Species: Tailow	Ability: Guts	Personality: Don Falcon was perhaps a little more honorable than the other three members of Carl's team.
Moves:
Facade (TM)	U-Turn (TM)	Aerial Ace	Experience: x	Trivia/Misc./Other: Died along with Carl during Sleight's attack on Soil Colossus, Inc.
Brave Bird (EM)	Quick Attack	Roost (EM)	Obtained at: Starter.

Trivia[]

Neya expressed interest in having Carl Sandrock negotiate with the Shadowed Man, but this never came to pass.
Carl had a sense of irony that he intended to use to "punish" the Shadow Admins for their involvement in his Alakazam and Eevee's deaths.
- Joker, the primary offender in his eyes, would have been the first victim of the Manaphy Control Experiment, and thus killed as a result of a psychic feed.
- Sleight would have been shot execution-style with the same gun that had been used to kill Giovanni at the start of the Shadow Admins' rise to power.
- Bounty would have suffered "the direct subversion of the ideals that he believed in more strongly than the other Shadow Admins" and then killed using Steel-Type Pokémon.
- Ace, the only Shadow Admin in favor of his mind control experiments, would have "only been somewhat humiliated."