"I still can't believe he'd do this Samuel. He was always such a good boy." The brown haired woman cried over the phone.
"I know Delia. I can hardly believe it myself. Did Brock tell you who else he was with?" The elder man asked. "Gary's over in that region somewhere maybe I can get him to track Ash down."
"No. Brock just told me he saw Ash running out of a building with two sacks of money. Pikachu was holding one too apparently. If you could get Gary to do that I'm sure things would go lots smoother." The woman smiled at the idea, tears still running down her face.
"Right. I'll just set this to conference call and give Gary a buzz. Brock told me that May was with him. The girl who was killed by her father not even three days ago." Samuel said as Gary's line went from static to a close up of the junior researcher's face.
"Was sup Gramps?" The brown haired young man asked as buildings and people moved by around him.
"Hi Gary." Delia said before she responded to Samuel. "How is that possible?"
"Hello Mrs. Ketchum. How is what possible?" Gary asked.
"Gary. Sorry I just need to ask you to find Ash for us. Call me when you find him alright? I have to get going now. Tracey needs my help with Ash's Tauros again." Samuel told his grandson as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Come on Professor they're heading for the food storage again." Came a voice from the background.
"Coming Tracey. Here Gary this is Ash's last known location according to Brock. And Delia your welcome at the Oak ranch anytime you need help." Professor Oak said as he ran off.
"Don't worry Mrs. Ketchum. I'll find him." Gary said before cancelling his connection.
Delia Ketchum was left holding the phone in her hand as the other connections went to static. She began to cry.
"Looks like we're coming up on the Hoenn region" Ash noted. "Look there's Mount Pyre."
May let out a surprised shriek. "Ash I'd be more focused on what's up here with us." She said pointing past his head.
Jesse and James looked in the direction she was pointing and screamed.
Meowth grabbed Ash and May and pulled them down. "You two wanna lose ya heads? You're doing it right then."
Jesse and James dropped to the floor of the basket just as a Helicopter flew past and cut two of the ropes holding the basket to the balloon.
Ash looked down. "We're over water. Jump!"
May's Pokémon instincts took over and she jumped out of the basket and dove towards the water.
Meowth did the same thing as Ash pulled Jesse and James up to the edge and pushed them off. He checked on the position of the helicopter and noticed it was coming back to cut the last two ropes.
"This is gonna be close." He said to no one in particular. He launched himself out of the basket just as the helicopter came back around and cut the ropes.
One of the blades cut the straps on the back up backpack he had brought with him and sent it hurtling towards the earth.
Ash twisted in midair as Pikachu poked his head out of the backpack. "Pikachu!" Ash called to his Pokémon.
"PikaPi!" The mouse Pokémon called back.
May heard the dilemma and shifted into a Swellow and executed a U-climb, using the momentum she had picked up while diving to turn and climb straight up.
The Helicopter opened up and an Officer Jenny with a sniper appeared and took aim. "Bean bags loaded, aiming at the Swellow."
Back at the abandoned Galactic building in Veilstone Sergeant Jenny responded to the transmission, giving her subordinate clearance to fire.
As May reached Pikachu the Jenny fired and hit Mays left wing causing her to shift back to her human form.
"Pikachu jump out of the bag!" May called out to the frightened mouse.
Pikachu did just that. May caught the mouse with her right arm and turned to dive as her left arm hung limp, broken from the impact of the bean bag on her arm while she was a Swellow.
Meowth hit the water face first while Jesse executed a perfect dive. James did the same thing as Meowth as Ash continued to fall backwards.
Ash watched as May saved Pikachu and tried to yell a thank you up to her.
The sniper Jenny reported the hit and loaded live rounds into her rifle. "Aiming at primary target one, male suspect." The response came almost immediately.
"Green light to fire, take him out corporal." Sergeant Jenny responded.
May noticed the Jenny aiming at Ash and told Pikachu to reach into her bag and throw something at her.
"Pika?" the lightning mouse asked as it pulled out a Rice cake.
"It'll have to do." May shrugged and angled them towards the open hatch of the helicopter. "Now!"
"Pi Pikachu!" The Pokémon yelled as it threw the rice ball at the Jenny's face.
The rice ball hit Jenny in the face as she pulled the trigger. Her aim disrupted the shot hit Ash in his right knee, shattering the bone.
"Ahh!" The trainer screamed as the G's of the fall caught up with him. Knocking him out. The wind now blowing his cap off.
"I can't transform with a broken arm." May told the Pokémon as they fell.
"PikaPiiii!" the electric type called out to his trainer.
Meowth rolled over as Jesse surfaced and James floated over to them before Jesse rolled him over.
Meowth looked up and saw Ash falling towards them. "Incoming Twoip!" Meowth called out.
Jesse and James swam around to get into a position to catch him.
Meowth noticed Ash's shadow as it moved directly on top of him and stopped. "Why does dis always happen ta me?" He whined as Ash landed on top of him.
May and Pikachu hit the water hard knocking May unconscious causing her to revert back into Mew. Pikachu grabbed her and pulled her to the surface.
Jesse and James grabbed Ash off Meowth and carried him to a nearby island.
Pikachu dragged Mew through the water to the same island albeit on the opposite end.
May regained consciousness shortly after reaching shore and looked over to Pikachu who was watching the ocean, looking for Ash. As she tried to get up she looked down at herself and discovered she had turned back into mew. Levitating herself off the ground she floated over to Pikachu and tried to comfort it.
On the other side of the island ash regained his consciousness too and tried to pull himself up.
James noticed and walked over to him "Easy. You have a broken leg so You can't move. We'll have to get you to a hospital when we make it back to the mainland."
Pikachu noticed something floating out in the waves and directed Mays attention to it.
May flew out and looked at it before realizing it was Ash's cap. Quickly she picked it up and brought it back to Pikachu who took it and began to cry for fear that his trainer had drowned.
May began to cry next to him.
