The Hero Villain Game

by KazunaPikachu

They were always trying to steal Pikachu – and were laughed at for their failures. But what happens when they finally succeed? Do they really realize just what kind of bond they're breaking – and about the hate they invoke in a hero?

The Hero-Villain Game

A Pokémon Fanfiction

By KazunaPikachu

-x-

Summary: They were always trying to steal Pikachu – and were laughed at for their failures. But what happens when they finally succeed? Do they really realize just what kind of bond they're breaking – and about the hate they invoke in a hero?

A/N: Had this little thought while I was watching the first few episodes of Pokémon Advance. Seriously, Team Rocket is a failure of a group, with their mistakes repeating over and over again mercilessly. But if I were Ash, I'd hate them anyway for even TRYING to separate me from my very best friend. I wouldn't care that they never succeeded, or that things always happened to 'go my way.' Some of their schemes get a little too close to succeeding for comfort and I'm surprised Ash is so civil towards them considering.

And when I watched those episodes, I didn't care that Team Rocket was 'essentially good inside' and that they were just a bunch of ill-intentioned goofballs. The fact of the matter was that they never stopped trying to separate Ash from his best friend. They were pathetic, yes, but they were persistent, and if I were Ash, I'd be paranoid every day – because they seriously pop out of nowhere constantly. And what was his motto? That determination, persistence and belief was the key for success – to achieve your dreams.

So it would be logical for him then to think: why couldn't it finally work for Team Rocket?

And this small but utterly real threat to his and Pikachu's relationship wouldn't surprise me if it resulted in Ash actually hating Team Rocket to his very core. A concept that will be explored in this fic shortly.

Hope you like it, even though the A/N really does sound rather pessimistic and Team Rocket-bashing. But really, they're not portrayed as blackly here as I made them out to be – just see and find out :)

-x-

He woke up with a forward lurch – ready to leap out of his sleeping bag or futon within a blink of an eye.

But before he impulsively moved into action, he quickly glanced to his right, spotting a yellow mouse Pokémon lying next to him peacefully in slumber.

Ash let out a ragged breath – he didn't realize that he'd broken out into a cold sweat. Trying to calm himself down, he laid back and rested his head against his pillow. He placed his arm over his eyes and for a moment, darkness claimed him.

And also for a moment, he thought he fell asleep.

But within that brief period of darkness – beneath the lids of his eyes – he suddenly saw a flicker of red and purple, the passing flash of three familiar faces, unwelcome and leering; and he suddenly heard the distressed cry of a Pokémon. The cry was all too familiar; it was his beloved Pikachu, its voice slowly becoming incoherent as if it was being taken further and further away from him.

Ash sat bolt upright again, looking frantically left and right, and realizing again that he'd only just imagined it once he spotted Pikachu in the same position as before – at peace and resting cosily by his side. He mumbled a quiet curse and laid back down.

This was getting ridiculous.

But he'd do it again and again and again without fail – because he couldn't risk that chance.

Because Team Rocket was ridiculous and they would do anything to achieve their ambitions, especially when he least expected it.

And Ash refused to take any chances – not when it involved losing Pikachu.

-x-

"I… I can't believe it. Jessie, am I really seeing this?"

"I-I think you are, James. Meowth?"

"Ow. Well, I just pinched myself and it hurt. We're not dreamin', you guys."

Team Rocket stared at the glass container imprisoning a furious yellow Pokémon. Its red cheeks crackled with electricity but no matter how many times it released a Thunderbolt, the container which entrapped it did not crack nor open. Its three captors gathered around it like moths to a lantern flame, eyes wide and disbelieving. The yellow creature growled an indignant "Pika, pikachu!" Let me out of here!

They ignored it. Instead, they looked around. They managed to escape into a quiet cave beneath a cliff, overlooking a giant forest. They didn't quite know where they were, actually, since they were too busy making their hasty getaway with their prize to really pay attention to where they went. They just knew that they needed to go – and go they went.

It was nightfall now and after six long hours, Team Rocket had yet to spot an annoying Staravia or endure the sudden appearance of a twerp. It seemed – to them – that they had actually… managed… to flee.

With Pikachu.

They had managed to steal Pikachu – and gotten away with it.

It was almost too incomprehensible to take in.

"YES!" James cried, jumping up in the air. "If the twerp and his friends haven't appeared by now, then that means… that means…"

"WE'VE FINALLY DONE IT!" Jessie finished, just as ecstatic. She jumped around with James and high-fived him, beyond cheerful. "It was inevitable, really! We've tried so hard! Our efforts have finally – finally – paid off!"

"Hold it!" Meowth stood in between them, keeping them apart and stopping their random jumping. Although it, too, was happy, it was still wary and cautious – it had tasted defeat due to carelessness far too many times to do it again now. "Do you really think that the twerps are going to give up that easily? No doubt they're still looking for us, even though it's already dark! We need to get away from here and fast! We should go to the Team Rocket headquarters to hand over Pikachu to Giovanni, before the twerp and his friends have a chance to take it back!"

Jessie hit her fist softly into the palm of her hand. "You're right, Meowth. Now's not the time to be celebrating! First we need to hand over Pikachu and get our reward!"

"And perhaps even a promotion!" James piped in eagerly. "Then we'll be debt free and we'll have money to spare to celebrate!"

Meowth smirked and crossed its arms. "That's right. So what do you say we ditch this joint and start flying even further away from Pikachu's pals already?"

The two human members of their team saluted. "Let's do it!"

As they went to prepare the Meowth air balloon, Meowth didn't have anything to do but simply keep vigil at the mouth of the cave – just in case the annoying kids actually did turn up at the last minute again. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Pika, pika, pikachu!" Meowth! Let me out of here!

Meowth glared at the yellow electric mouse situated beside him. "Shut up, rodent! You know as well as I do that that isn't going to happen!"

"Pika pii, pika pikachu!" You have to! My Trainer is looking for me right now!

The cat Pokémon snorted. "Of course he is. He's a really scary kid sometimes – no doubt he's probably fumbling in the dark looking for you. But really – it's pointless. He ain't gonna find us, especially up here." Meowth smirked coyly. "However, being so slow and stupid, he probably won't give up any time soon anyway, eh? That's why we gotta keep moving."

Pikachu's cheeks were crackling again, its usually round eyes narrowed in fury. It bared its fangs and growled, "Pi pikachu pii!" Don't you dare insult my Trainer!

Meowth yawned and glanced behind it. The balloon was almost ready. "Ah, you should quit your worrying too, Pikachu. You're going to be handed over to Giovanni soon – definitely a better Trainer than your previous one was."

Pikachu roughly body slammed into the glass surrounding it. "Pika pii!" I'll never obey him! He's not my Trainer! When body slamming didn't work, Pikachu's tail became an eerie white, and it used Iron Tail against the glass. Again, it didn't break. "Pi pika pika pii!" My Trainer will come for me! Out of desperation, it used Thunder. The mechanism at the top of the containment glowed slightly, absorbing the energy – otherwise, this too had no effect. "Pika pika pikachu!" I will escape and I will return to Ash!

Meowth saw the conviction in its eyes, saw the determination in its stance and face. The cat frowned and picked up the container, walking towards the ready and blown up air balloon. "Yeah, yeah," Meowth chided. "You keep telling yourself that."

But truthfully, Meowth had felt a shiver run down its spine when Pikachu had said those words and stared at it with those eyes.

Eyes that said that their bond – the bond that they were trying to break – could never be broken.

And once they were together again, there was going to be Hell to pay.

-x-

"P-PIKACHU!"

Immediately, May, Max and Brock woke up from their sleep. They sat up quickly, looking for whatever made that scream. Then they spotted Ash, sitting up from his sleeping bag, panting heavily and with his arms tightly around a confused and newly-woken Pikachu. Instantly concerned, the three friends got up from the comforts of their own sleeping bag and gathered around Ash worriedly. They didn't care that it was still in the deep hours of the night. Their only concern was the state of their friend.

Brock was the first to speak. "Ash, are you alright? Was it another nightmare?"

Ash breathed in deeply, trying to calm himself down. But even as his breath evened out, the grip he had around his Pikachu did not loosen. "Y-Yeah… I guess you can say that." His eyes were frightened and he laughed shakily. "Sorry, everyone, for waking you up so late at night." He looked down at his precious Pikachu and forced his arms to let go of it. "And sorry for frightening you like that, Pikachu."

"Pika pii," the Pokémon answered, still worried about its Trainer.

"What was your dream about, Ash?" Max asked curiously, kneeling beside the older Trainer.

Ash clenched his teeth. It wasn't a dream – it was more like a memory. Of when Team Rocket almost succeeded in capturing Pikachu, but Pikachu and Meowth had somehow gotten separated from Jessie and James. Then there was that whole deal with the electromagnetic field and Pikachu getting ill because of it – which then almost resulted in Pikachu getting blown up.

"It was… nothing."

No, it was not nothing. Because Team Rocket was stupid and careless and persistent. That time, they'd almost gotten away with Pikachu. That time, they'd almost killed Pikachu.

Ash couldn't help the hate that swelled in his chest. Unconsciously, his arms went around his Pikachu again.

"Pika pii…" And somehow, Pikachu seemed to know what was troubling Ash, and this time it didn't complain when he hugged it tightly to him –

Because maybe it was beginning to hate Team Rocket too.

-x-

The three merrily made their way down the city streets, waving paper fans that had the kanji for VICTORY painted on them. The people around them glanced at them strangely but nevertheless went their own way without so much as a second glance.

"The boss seemed really pleased with Pikachu, didn't he?" Jessie grinned.

"I'll say – I think he was really impressed that it was a Pikachu that knew Volt Tackle!" James answered brightly.

"Although, I do feel kind of bad for it," Meowth muttered lowly, not loud enough for its human companions to hear.

After giving the Pikachu to Giovanni, the boss immediately wanted to test its strength (after all, the three numbskulls practically dedicated their entire Team Rocket lives to stealing it, and he wondered if their admiration and desire for it was misplaced – which wouldn't be too surprising). They had taken the stolen Pokémon to a closed-off battle arena and pitted it against a couple of Team Rocket Grunts. Needless to say, Pikachu managed to hold its own even without a Trainer. In fact, Pikachu's display of speed and power was so impressive that Giovanni decided to battle the Pokémon himself.

He'd chosen his Rhydon – obviously holding an extreme advantage over Pikachu. Meowth was certain that Pikachu was going to get knocked out – for sure, definitely. So it was surprising when Pikachu managed to survive for so long, dodging the ground attacks with lightning fast speed. Although, that wasn't to say that Pikachu didn't suffer from any damage. It got hit a couple of times – but those two or three powerful ground attacks took its toll on its health. Meowth was sure it would end with Rhydon as the victor, but Pikachu surprised them all with a powerful onslaught of Iron Tail. Metal attacks being effective against Rock, Rhydon – with all its advantages – fainted first.

Giovanni was clearly impressed. Here was a mere Pikachu, without its Trainer, managing to defeat one of his strongest and most reliable Pokémon. Not only was it strong and quick – it was smart as well, actually familiar with Pokémon typing. He'd smirked then and sent out an even stronger Pokémon – his Tyranitar.

Pikachu, exhausted from its previous battles, looked like it was going to faint after taking one attack from Tyranitar. But, surprising them all again, it began to spark with electricity, and with a cry of "Pika pika pikachu!" it charged at Tyranitar with a Volt Tackle. It was probably out of desperation by then – Meowth mused – because everyone knew that electric attacks didn't work on ground types; Pikachu was at its final stretch. But even though the electricity had no effect on Tyranitar, the force and the power behind the Volt Tackle had it staggering back, clearly taking damage (not significant but damage nonetheless) despite everything.

By then, Giovanni had seen enough. He ended it with Tyranitar sending Pikachu a powerful Hyper Beam, which the tiny mouse Pokémon was too exhausted to dodge – although it tried. He had Grunts take Pikachu away, gave the three Team Rocket members their reward (no promotion, sadly) and dismissed them without another word.

However, he left with a disturbing smirk on his face.

Meowth sighed. Even though its human companions were cheerfully chattering away, the fearsome battles Pikachu fought in kept repeating inside its mind – like a movie being replayed over and over again. And Pikachu's final cry – it resounded inside its mind like the echo of a storm.

I'm going back to Ash and nothing is going to stop me!

-x-

"Team Rocket is so pathetic!" Dawn laughed, clutching her sides. "How long have they been doing this again?"

"Ever since I started my journey," Ash mumbled in reply, not sharing in Dawn's hysterics.

Team Rocket had just tried – for the umpteenth time – to steal Pikachu, failing like usual. Not too long after they blasted away, Dawn erupted into laughter, falling on the ground with the force of it. "Seriously, they need to get a life! If they had any brains, they would've given up ages ago!"

Ash didn't respond.

He didn't find the fact that they never gave up funny at all.

-x-

Jessie hummed to herself as she strolled through the city markets. She had cash in her pocket and she was going to spend it full-heartedly on jewels and dresses and cute accessories for her upcoming Contest participations. 'With all the money that the boss gave us, we've managed to clear our debts and have money to spare!' she thought giddily. "Stealing that Pikachu was the best thing that could've happened to us!"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Jessie stopped in her tracks, her euphoria dissolving into annoyance. 'That sounded like a twerp.' She coolly turned around and sure enough, it was a twerp. Luckily, it wasn't the twerp, so she wasn't too worried.

It was the redhead – the one Jessie hadn't seen traveling with the main twerp for a long, long time. What the heck was she doing here? She was just standing there, a fierce glare in her eyes that was almost enough to match Jessie's own. "Ash's Pikachu. Give it back!"

'Figures,' Jessie inwardly snorted. 'Even after a week and a half, they're still looking for that yellow rodent.' "We stole it fair and square, sister." She poked out her tongue at the kid, haughtily placing a hand on her hip. People looked at her strangely. "Sorry for you, but he's never going to see that Pikachu ever again."

Misty's gaze was murderous. "GIVE. PIKACHU. BACK!" And then she charged.

Jessie's eyes went as wide as saucers and she immediately turned and sprinted away. 'That girl is CRAZY!' She ran for her life because surely enough, the look on the girl's face promised hurt and pain. The two redheads ran, one running away and one chasing, until they were sprinting away from the city and into the surrounding wilderness. Jessie was huffing, getting quickly exhausted by the relentless chase, and she glanced behind her.

Misty didn't look tired at all. In fact, she looked as if she hadn't even been running. There was a prominent glare in her eyes, the determination shining like a star. Jessie had encountered her stone-hard determination a number of times but it never failed to both frighten and awe her.

"T-That's enough!" Jessie growled, swiftly turning and taking out a Pokéball. "Seviper! Go!"

"I choose you, Politoad!" Once the Pokémon were released, Misty was the first to send out an attack.

But for some reason, when Jessie commanded her Seviper to dodge, Seviper didn't move. The snake Pokémon was looking at its Trainer with a confused and puzzled look. Meanwhile, Politoad was getting closer and closer for its attack. "Move, Seviper!" Jessie screeched, not knowing what was wrong with her Pokémon. "To the right! The right!"

Seviper did as it was told – hesitantly – and narrowly missed the attack from Misty's Politoad. Misty stared at the Pokémon with scrutiny. "I think your Seviper is sick, Jessie. I'm not going to battle a sick Pokémon!"

"Seviper is fine!" Jessie grit out. "Seviper! Poison Tail!"

But Seviper merely looked at its Trainer again, perplexed and frightened. After shouting more commands with the same result, Jessie groaned and returned Serviper to its Pokéball. 'I don't understand,' Jessie thought in frustration. 'Seviper didn't look sick… I'll have to get it checked by the others later on.'

"Well, that's it then. You have no Pokémon to battle with. I suggest you hand over Pikachu now." Misty returned her Politoad and walked up to Jessie threateningly.

Jessie glared at the girl. "In your dreams! I told you once and I'm going to tell you again, that runt isn't going to get it back!" Because she didn't want to seem inferior, Jessie straightened and looked down at Misty, who was a head shorter than her. "So get lost!"

"Not until you give it back!" Misty retaliated with equal fire. "Unless you want me to bring out my Pokémon again? Because I'll do it! I'll strap you up and hand you over to Officer Jenny if you don't give back Pikachu!"

"I don't have Pikachu!" Jessie screamed. She was furious about how this girl looked down on her, even though Jessie was the older one and the more beautiful! "We've already given it to our boss! That's why you're never going to see it again!"

Misty's eyes widened momentarily before they narrowed again; she seemed even angrier than before – and a bit more scared. "Your boss? You mean the leader of Team Rocket? The international criminal Giovanni?"

Jessie smirked. "Exactly. Do you realize how hopeless your cause is now?"

Misty stomped her foot in indignation. "Not a bit!" She glared right into Jessie's eyes without a falter. "I can't believe you people! You've been trying to get Pikachu ever since the beginning – and you're still at it! Why don't you ever give up? Don't you realize how much you're hurting people – how much you're hurting Ash?"

The Team Rocket member crossed her arms defencively. "Hey, kid, we're criminals. We really don't care, as long as it brings in the dough."

Even though Misty knew she shouldn't be shocked at this response, she still was. "But I thought… that you guys were different." She didn't look away, didn't fidget – she stared right into Jessie as if she was trying to read her soul. As if she could. "You've helped out before. You've even saved us a couple of times. Even though you were 'bad'… I always thought that you were still good inside."

Jessie coloured and she didn't know why. "W-Well, you thought wrong, obviously!"

Misty clicked her tongue, disappointment flashing across her expression; this only served to annoy Jessie further. "I thought you of all people would understand how much pain you're causing by taking Pikachu away. Didn't you feel sad when you released your Arbok, your companion from the start? Didn't you feel sad when you released your Dustox and gave away your Lickitung?"

Surprise decorated Jessie's face and made it pale at the same time. "How did you…?"

"You felt sad, right?" Misty pushed, unrelenting. "But you also felt as if you could accept it, right? But that's only because you chose to part with them, to be separated from them. You felt horrible… but at the same time, you felt closure, didn't you? Well," her tone darkened, "could you then imagine how Ash would feel if Pikachu was stolen from him? Could you imagine all the pain and the sadness he'd feel? Ash isn't ready to be separated from his Pikachu like you were with your Pokémon… and I doubt he ever will be. So, knowing all this… can you really be that heartless?"

Jessie was speechless. This was the first time… that a twerp had tried to speak to her heart – and it was working. Because she did remember when she released her beloved Pokémon, she did remember how bad she felt. But… at least she was ready. So how much more hurtful would it be… for someone unwilling to let go like Ash?

"When I saw your air balloon flying overhead Cerulean City," Misty said, her tone softer than before – it was probably because she could see that she was actually getting through. "I didn't hesitate to follow. If I'm like this, surely Ash wouldn't give in so easily either. So… please… tell me where Pikachu is."

Perhaps it was because she was a woman that she suddenly felt empathetic and wanted to tell the water Gym Leader what she wanted to hear. But perhaps it was because she was actually good inside that she felt the urge to, as well. She clenched her hands by her sides and looked away. But that would be betraying her organization, wouldn't it? Revealing the secret location of Team Rocket's base. She wasn't a traitor, she wasn't, so she couldn't possibly tell the girl anything, no matter the feeling – the regret? – that ate away at her heart.

'Besides,' she thought, 'this has been our goal for the longest time. I'm not just going to throw away a butt-load of work just because I feel suddenly… suddenly…'

Jessie shook her head and glared hotly at Misty, although the intent in that gaze was a whole lot weaker than before. "Sorry, twerp," she forced herself to sneer. "But that isn't going to work on me."

And she ran.

When she looked back, the girl wasn't there anymore.

-x-

Ash had a choice now.

He could either continue to live as he was, falling asleep fearing that he'd wake up to find that Pikachu was not there beside him…

Or he could let them die and let his hate and nightmares drown with them.

Forget that – there really wasn't a choice. It was obvious what he would choose.

-x-

"BUWAHAHAHA!" James laughed hysterically. "This is better than trying to make you learn Pay Day!"

"Definitely!" Meowth inhaled the sweet scent of money that it gripped tightly in its paws. "We're gonna be living the good life from now on!"

'Or until the supply of reward money runs out,' they both thought in unison. But they dismissed it quickly. Now was a time for celebrating – they could think about what they'd do afterwards later.

"I wonder how Jessie is going with her solo spending spree," James pondered out loud. "Do you think she's spent it all yet?"

"Probably," Meowth grumbled. "And she'll try to take our share if she has! I'm telling you – she isn't going to get her hands on these babies!" It hugged the cash to itself with a sigh. "So what are you spending your money on, James?"

"I had my eye on some rare and limited edition bottle caps," James grinned. "What else did you think? Oh, and of course, food!" He laughed loudly, in a merry mood, but then his laughter was cut short as if he was suddenly being strangled. His eyes widened when he spotted a figure in an alleyway on the city streets. He recognized that person. It was the oldest twerp – Brock, wasn't it?

He stopped in his tracks and Meowth stared at him with a frown. "James? What's the matter?"

"O-One of the twerps are here," James whispered. His eyes and Brock's shadowed gaze connected; the fear that surged through him was indescribable. Why was he feeling so frightened? It was only a twerp. But he grabbed Meowth's arm anyway and bolted in the opposite direction. "We can't let him catch us! And he definitely saw me! I know it!"

"E-Eh? James, what-!"

"And if he's here," James continued frantically, "no doubt that kid is too! They're hardly ever apart! This is bad, Meowth! They're going to catch us and… and…!"

And what? It wasn't like they could take back Pikachu.

Meowth voiced this out promptly, its voice irritated. "James, relax! They're not a threat anymore, not if we don't have Pikachu! We've already handed it over to the boss!"

James slowed down but didn't stop. "Y-You're right," he said. He let go of Meowth and stood there for a moment, simply pondering on his strange reaction. But then, just as Meowth was going to say something, a hand shot out from the alleyway where they were standing next to and grabbed James' arm. "E-Eh!" the man shrieked as he was dragged into the alley. Before he knew what was going on, he was being dragged deeper into the spaces between buildings until he could no longer see Meowth's puzzled face.

James clenched his teeth and ripped his arm away from his captor. "You filthy robber! Do you know who exactly you're stealing from? I'm from Team Rocket!" He went for his Pokéball, determined to beat the thief to a pulp.

But he froze mid-action when he realized just who exactly dragged him into the alleyway.

Brock.

What?

"Relax, James, I'm not going to hurt you." The young man's voice was smooth and indeed, he didn't seem like he was going to hurt him or release one of his Pokémon. He had his arms crossed and was simply staring at James with those squinted eyes of his.

Although James didn't want to stick around the oldest twerp, he forced himself to stay put. After all, Meowth was right after all. What could they possibly do to them now since they didn't have Pikachu? They wouldn't willingly hurt another person needlessly or steal from them either. It just wasn't them. "Well? What do you want? Spit it out!" James growled.

"He hates you."

The statement was so blunt, spoken so carelessly, that James was actually taken aback. "Huh?"

Brock stared at him without waver. "He hates you," he repeated again, slowly this time.

James narrowed his eyes – and pretended that those three simple words did not affect him. "So?" he spat. "I don't care what he thinks! He's only a kid anyway – he'll get over it! It's only a little Pokémon."

Something flickered in Brock's impassive stare. Was it anger? Or disgust? "He hates you, and you don't care?" he asked, his voice still calm. "He's a kid… who actually hates you. He's a kid, a gentle yet temperamental kid, who doesn't usually hate anybody. But he does. He hates your team… and what you guys do to him and Pikachu."

James glared defencively. "I-I don't…"

"But you know what? What he feels about you doesn't really matter. Because I know it and you know it – that even though he hates you guys, and rightfully so, he's a hero." Brock lifts his arms and linked his hands behind his head casually. "Ash is a hero – and I suppose it's only right that heroes hate the villains. But you also know it, don't you? That heroes even save the villains when they're in trouble without hesitation, no matter what personal relationship they may have. Because just that's what heroes do, right?"

With James folding his arms, all he could do was tighten his hands around them – was he… insecure? "I don't know where you're going with this."

"Hate… is a very powerful emotion. And truthfully, I for one believe you don't deserve it. Especially from Ash." Brock turned around and started to walk away, missing the surprised look on James' face. "Because I can see it. That you admire that kid for his integrity, that you wish you could be as brave and as strong as he was. And I can see… that you don't want to cause him pain. Not really."

"Ridiculous!" James shouted, his face flushing. "You have no idea what you're talking about!"

"And following this pattern, the next step should be obvious, shouldn't it?" Brock continued without looking around. "That eventually… the villains turn to the good side, transformed by the hero's courage. You've already decided… to help Ash save Pikachu, haven't you?"

Because he couldn't bear the thought of a hero – a hero that would save dirt like them – truly hating him.

Because he couldn't stand the thought of that same hero being in pain, when all he ever did was show mercy and forgive them.

Because James could not take the thought of seeing Ash without his number one sidekick and best friend – otherwise, the kid just wouldn't be the same.

The hero wouldn't be the same.

And he hated the thought of being the cause of it.

James blinked and Brock was gone. He rubbed his forehead and placed his hand over his eyes, chuckling low and bitterly.

How the heck was he going to explain this to his other two companions?

-x-

Ash dived.

And even though the icy waters burned his skin and his eyes stung with the saltiness of it all, he swam as deep as he could go, towards the sinking machine.

And he would save them, because even though their faces were the faces of his nightmares, his hate was not greater than what he knew was right, his fear did not cloud what he knew was ultimately the right thing to do.

He saved them, because even though he knew that they wouldn't change their ways, even though they threatened the relationship he had with Pikachu, he also knew that he was stronger than they were, that even though they tried to steal his Pokémon, he was going to try even harder to protect it.

He hated them and he feared them – but he would never give up either.

That was what Ash decided.

-x-

Meowth was hallucinating.

As it wandered around the city looking for Jessie and James, it kept thinking that it saw Pikachu – around the bend, behind a trash can, on the shoulders of another person. And the electric mouse's expression was always the same: imploring, disappointed, expectant and exasperated, all mixed together to form a face that always made Meowth's chest ache.

Because whenever it saw that expression on Pikachu's face, it was reminded of all the times when Pikachu came to its rescue. When Meowth was separated from Jessie and James, just like it was now, Pikachu was always there to lend it a helping hand. Didn't the Pokémon know that Meowth was trying to do the complete opposite when it involved Pikachu? That Meowth was trying to separate Pikachu from its friends? Why was Pikachu always helping Meowth reunite with its own friends, knowing all this?

"Pika pika pikachu!"

I'm going back to Ash and nothing is going to stop me!

Meowth owed a lot to Pikachu and it'd be blind if it couldn't see the bond between it and its Trainer. A bond so strong that it could even touch a criminal's heart.

And Meowth thought to itself – did it really want to break something so beautiful and striking?

Could it actually? Was it possible?

And when Meowth finally met up with Jessie and James – who'd somehow managed to find each other – it realized: even if it was possible… Meowth didn't want to even try.

And when Meowth looked into the eyes of its human companions, it realized that they felt the same too, just by a single look in their despondent, weary, smiling eyes.

-x-

Ash stormed the place. A couple of days ago, he'd gotten an anonymous tip of where Team Rocket's secret base was located. He didn't really care where it came from – as soon as he got it, he rushed over to the place which was written down on the paper, not even questioning the reliability of the information.

Besides, he already knew who it was from. It was hard not to recognize the giant Meowth air balloon which tried to float quickly away after dropping off the letter while he and his group slept. Ash didn't sleep much lately – or at least, he didn't sleep very lightly – and when he heard the soft thud of a weight land beside him, he'd snapped his eyes open quick enough to see the retreating silhouette of the air balloon.

So here he was, at the secret headquarters of the Team Rocket base, wreaking havoc within the building, along with his companions.

Ash's eyes stormed with a fury, of pure determination, as he took down Grunt after Grunt after Grunt, not messing around with his Pokémon battles this time around. He was relentless and he would stop at nothing –

His eyes spoke it all.

"Team Rocket!" he screamed. "GIVE ME BACK MY PIKACHU!"

-x-

The three members of Team Rocket made their way towards the ruins which was Team Rocket headquarters. They thought it was their duty as part of the organization to at least see if they could help rebuild in some way. When they arrived, they were surprised to see Giovanni sitting at its front steps, leaning his forehead against his clasped hands.

Jessie and James glanced at each other. "Boss? Are you alright?"

Giovanni surprised them again by chuckling. "It was very… nostalgic. The way that boy just charged into my secret base and took down all its members. It reminded me of another Trainer…" A young boy with striking red eyes flashed into his mind's eye but he quickly dismissed it with a growl. "Do you know how they found out about us?" Giovanni asked instead, glaring up at the three who stood before him.

"N-No, not at all," Jessie replied, scratching the back of her head.

"But don't worry boss!" Meowth piqued a little nervously. "You'll find whoever leaked the information, definitely!"

"Hmph." Giovanni's eyes gleamed. "I want that Pikachu," he said. "The Pokémon isn't that special, not by itself. But that Trainer… I wouldn't mind seeing him again."

The three glanced at each other, a decision passing between them silently. They grinned and turned back to their boss. "Don't worry! We'll surely get that Pikachu for you!" James smirked. "We've done it once and we'll do it again!"

Giovanni cracked his own crooked smile. "Good."

-x-

And true to their word, Team Rocket continued to try and steal Pikachu.

However, this time around, they conveniently 'forgot' to oil the machine parts, so they broke rather easily; they attacked only when they were sure to get noticed; they loosened up the container ever so slightly, just allowing Pikachu to escape by itself in the best of times.

And Ash didn't have nightmares anymore. The hate he felt slowly began to heal itself.

When he saw Team Rocket now, he would smirk and they would smirk – and he would tackle the challenge like a battle.

Because it wasn't the same as before. Now, it was just a hero-villain game, in which neither really wanted to hurt the other.

Because they realized that the bond between them was too beautiful to break – that it simply could not be broken anyway, so what was the point?

Because they realized that the object of their nightmares could have a change of heart – that they were human too, and why take their goofiness so seriously?

And it was just that – just a game, not at all serious, and both parties realized… that they liked it better this way.

-x-

KazunaPikachu

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