Team Rocket, in the meantime, had managed to escape from Vulpix, but was now at the wrath of Ivy's mutated Gyarados.

"Do something!" Jessie yelled at James.

"Why is it my fault!?" asked James. "Whose idea was it to come down here!?"

The Gyarados lunged, striking all three with its tail. Jessie and James were stopped by the wall, but Meowth was knocked right to the feet of a woman who had just entered.

"That's enough, Gyarados," she ordered, and the creature backed down.

"Who… who are you?" asked Jessie. "How could you control that monster Gyarados?"

"I created that Gyarados," said Ivy, picking up the dazed Meowth. She examined Meowth. "Hmm… this Meowth is incredibly weak…"

"Well, he's not ours," insisted Jessie. "He just travels with us."

"Really? Then would you prefer him to be… stronger?" Ivy asked.

Jessie's eyes sparkled.

"What do you mean?" she asked Ivy. "Can you make him into one of those--?"

"Jessie!" exclaimed James, looking at her with disbelief. "What are you saying!?"

"I'm trying to buy some time…" she muttered to him in an undertone.

"No!" snarled James, fearing that Jessie might end up liking the idea of having Meowth take the serum. "We're taking Meowth and leaving right now."

Jessie stared at her friend's angry expression; seldom was he like this, which was why she decided to go along with him for once.

"On second thoughts… we'd have a pretty tough time explaining to the boss about what happened to his Meowth," said Jessie. "And… he might show up here to take a look for himself… Trust me, you don't want that."

"So we'll just take Meowth back," said James. He took a step forward, and the Gyarados roared.

"You're right…" said Ivy, softly. Then, her voice rose louder and louder as she spoke. "I wouldn't want your boss nosing around here, would I? So it stands to reason I can't have you running off to tell him. My entire experiment was designed as a backup plan against your pathetic Team Rocket! Never shall I allow Giovanni to steal my work!"

She reached for a vial on the table and slipped its contents down Meowth's throat.

"What…?" asked Meowth. "What is this stuff…? It's so… so…"

Meowth trailed off, as he began to grow. His musculature increased with every passing second. His claws grew longer, his teeth sharper. Within minutes the formerly small cat had grown into a monstrous cougar-like creature.

Meowth roared as he turned to Jessie and James.

"Meowth?" Jessie asked.

"Get the intruders, Meowth!" Ivy ordered.

Jessie had to pull James out of the way as Meowth pounced. The two made it to a narrow passageway that was too thin for Meowth to follow. His paws swiped at the passageway.

"Come on; we've got to get out while we still have the chance," said Jessie.

"Jessie!" said James, as she forced him to run. "We can't abandon him like this!"

"I… I know…" Jessie replied. She refused to look back at the swiping paws as they ran, fearing that the sight of them would release the tears she was so desperately trying to hold back. "I take it back, Meowth…" she whispered. "You were ours."

"There may be a way to get Vulpix back to normal," Pikachu explained to the assembled humans. "But… it will be dangerous…"

"I'll do anything…" said Brock.

"I know; I just had to get the disclaimer out of the way…"

"Pikachu," said Ash, trying to be patient. "Please?"

"OK, OK… there's supposedly a place called Wish Cave," explained Pikachu. "And within it, pieces of something called the Wish Stone. It is said that one shard of the wish stone has enough power to grant a dozen wishes."

"And we can wish Vulpix back to normal with it!?" asked Misty.

"I don't see why not."

"OK, listen," said Brock. "You guys go find a piece of the Wish Stone. I'll be waiting here--"

"Actually, you need to come, since you are going to be making the wish," said Pikachu.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I don't know where Wish Cave is," he admitted. "That knowledge rests with a few Pokémon. There's a highly respected Alakazam who lives in Pokémon Square. He could tell you where it is, if you prove yourself worthy."

"Worthy of what?" asked Ash. "We want to free Vulpix; what can be more worthy than that?"

"The Pokémon who live in the Square have never come into contact with humans… I'm breaking protocol by telling you that such a place exists," said Pikachu. "A few years ago, that was where I was headed to find a place to live… but I was captured by Professor Oak before I made it there. And then I met you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Ash. "I… I would've let you go to the Square if you really wanted to…"

"Well, it didn't seem to matter anymore, and I'm actually glad it turned out this way. Life's more interesting with you all, to say the least…"

"So can you take us to Pokémon Square?" asked Brock.

"I can," answered Pikachu. "There are portals to there scattered all over the place, courtesy of some helpful Psychic Pokémon. But I'm just worried about what'll happen to you. I think there was only one case of a human showing up in the Square, and that didn't end well, as I'm told… He was alright at first; he'd come and go as he pleased, but then one day, he supposedly got on the bad side of a Ninetales…"

"Ouch…" sympathized Ash.

"But you mean well, and hopefully Alakazam will see that."

"Then let's go," said Misty, but her thoughts were sidetracked by two people careening by them.

"Out of the way!" yelled Jessie, as she ran by.

James said nothing, only casting a backwards glance as he followed Jessie towards the lab exit.

"What got into them?" Ash wondered aloud.

His query was answered by a loud yowling that signaled the appearance of the monster Meowth, who had tracked his former teammates down.

The friends decided that following Team Rocket may be the best option for them. Pikachu covered the retreat, keeping Meowth at bay with Thundershock.

"Pikachu!" Ash called. "Come on!"

"Coming! Just give me a second!"

"Ash!" yelled Misty, from the mouth of the exit.

"I'm waiting for Pikachu!" he yelled back.

"That's enough, Meowth," a voice said, and Meowth backed down.

Pikachu collapsed, exhausted.

"Pikachu…" said Ash, not taking his eyes off of Meowth and Ivy. "Come on; we've gotta get out of here..."

"Nice to see you after so long, Ash," said Ivy. "How was your stay in the Orange Islands?"

"Don't talk to me!" Ash snarled. "I thought you were a respectable Pokémon specialist! But you're nothing but a Jekyll and Hyde!"

"Ash, can't you see I'm doing this for Pokémon trainers like you?" she asked. "How about your last match in the Indigo League? Your Charizard refused to listen to you. Well, if you had had given it one of my transmitters and a little bit of serum, it would obey your every command."

"Oh, yeah? Well, Charizard listens to me now, just so you know, and I didn't have to do anything but gain his trust!" Ash retorted. "Want me to prove it?"

"No, no," said Ivy. "I'll take your word for it."

"Then put Vulpix and Meowth back to normal!" Ash ordered.

"Normal? My young friend, this is the new normal!"

"What's taking you so long, Twerp!?" came Jessie's impatient yell as she reappeared. "Your entourage is waiting for you…"

She trailed off as she saw Meowth.

Ivy stepped forward and picked up the exhausted Pikachu, who made an attempt to escape.

"Let Pikachu go!" yelled Ash.

"Well, you see, my friend, I have need of great electric power for this little hideaway," said Ivy. "And your Pikachu will foot the bill very nicely once it has been improved."

"I don't wanna! I don't wanna!" yelled Pikachu, as he tried to fight back. He came up empty; his battle with Meowth had wiped him out.

"No!" yelled Ash, he made a move to free Pikachu, but Meowth blocked his way.

"You shall not disrupt the master's plan!" he snarled.

Ash distinctly heard Jessie sniffle; but he was too concerned about Pikachu to bother.

"Down the hatch, Pikachu," chanted Ivy, as she gave him the serum.

"No! No! I don't…"

Pikachu's eyes glazed over as he began to grow like Meowth did.

"Don't watch, Kid," said Jessie, her voice hollow.

Ash couldn't look away; that was all he could do. Meowth blocked him from trying to reach his friend, who was transforming before his eyes into a large, monstrous wolverine.

"Pikachu… Pikachu!" he cried.

Pikachu growled, sparks surrounding him.

"Kid, you have to get out of here!" said Jessie.

"I'm not abandoning Pikachu!" Ash retorted, angrily.

"If you don't get out of here, she's going to set Pikachu on you!" Jessie countered. "She did the exact same thing to Meowth! You can't help Pikachu if you're trapped down here!"

"At least I can try!"

"Pikachu, go!" ordered Ivy.

"Arbok!" called Jessie, summoning the serpent.

"Don't attack Pikachu!" said Ash, turning to Jessie.

"What makes you think I'm going to?" she countered. "Arbok, use Glare on everyone!"

"What!?" Ash yelled. "What are you doing!?"

He was frozen as the serpent's gaze pierced him, as well as Pikachu, Meowth, and Ivy.

"Take him with us, Arbok!" said Jessie, indicating Ash.

Arbok wrapped Ash in its coils and carried him as it followed Jessie out of the hideout.

The moment Ash regained the ability to move, he rounded on Jessie.

"Thanks to you, I've lost Pikachu!" he yelled.

"There was nothing you could've done to stop it!" she snapped back. "I was doing you a favor!"

"Ash, I hate to admit it, but Jessie's right," said Misty, softly. "She was only trying to help."

"Believe me, I didn't want to leave Vulpix behind," added Brock.

"I… I know…" said Ash, the anger leaving him, being replaced by guilt. "I'm sorry, Jessie."

"Whatever…" she sighed. "Come on, James."

"What about Meowth?" asked James.

"We have to come up with some sort of plan," she said.

"Actually," said Amanda. "We were going to…"

"Save it," said Jessie. "We work by Team Rocket's standards. But I hope one of us succeeds."

"Good luck," added James.

The two left.

"What now?" asked Ash, miserably. "Pikachu was the one who was supposed to show us to that Alakazam."

"We'll just have to bank on the hope that one of our other Pokémon knows the way," said Brock. "Vulpix, Pikachu, and the others depend on it. Amanda, can you keep an eye on things here while Ash, Misty and I try to figure this out?"

"Of course," she promised, and she left to keep sentry near Union Cave.

"I think we'd better go to the Pokémon center and heal the rest of our Pokémon," said Misty. "It's going to be tougher from here on out, and we can also contact Professor Oak for help."

Brock and Ash agreed, and the trio returned to town on the swiftest of wings.