"Ok, Burnstryke," Kevin told his Charizard. "Cease Flamethrower!"

Charizard stopped, and Kevin went over to test the bars. Slamming his fist down on a red-hot bar, he found it bent easily. He didn't even have to use Strength!

"Doesn't that hurt your hand?" Tracy called up to Kevin.

"Normally, when you've got a fire Pokémon, you can take the heat!" Kevin called back. "Ok! I don't know how far it will fall before getting stuck by the dirt, but you might want your grass-type down there to help support it!"

"What do you mean?" Ash asked Kevin. "Who are you?"

"Later! Get out your grass-type!"

"Ok… Come out, Blubasuar!" Ash said. Throwing the ball onto the dirt of the pit, Ash's Bulbasuar popped out. "Ok, he's out, what do you want him to do?"

"I want your grass-type to use Vine Whip to stop it's fall. It does know how to use it, right?" Kevin asked through the bars.

"Of course it does!"

"All right then! Here goes!" Kevin said, then moved off the grating. "Burnstryke!" he yelled, as he called to his Charizard, "Jump onto that grating!"

Burnstryke let out a roar, then leaped onto the grating. The bars that Burnstryke had burned only bent for a moment before snapping like twigs.

"Aaaahh!" Ash, Tracy, and Misty screamed as the bar dug it's way further down into the pit. It stopped falling just inches before their heads. Burnstryke flew off the grating and pulled it out.

Cevan opened up his waist pack and pulled out a rope, lowering it to the three. "Here, climb up."

Tracy looked at the rope, and looked back at Kevin, who was still holding it, and with one hand. "Uhh," Tracy began, "Shouldn't you tie it to something? You might get pulled down and then we'll be stuck down here for a while."

Kevin gave them a cold stare, but knew they couldn't see it through his hood on his disguise. "Would you rather I didn't help you?"

"Well, at least he's helping. here goes…" Tracy began to climb up.

"Not much else I can do. Oh well…" Misty followed and began climbing up as well.

Ash clutched the rope, and looked up at the face shrouded in mystery. :Who is this guy, anyway?: He thought. He watched the others climb up as the shadowed man held on, unfazed by their weight. :He certainly is strong, and his Pokémon are the same… And… Pikachu…:

"Are you coming?" The man yelled down, sounding slightly irritated.

"Yeah… wait, hang on…" Ash turned around and recalled Bulbasuar. He then climbed up.

Once Ash had moved into arm's reach on the rope, Kevin grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

"Thanks for your help," Ash commented. "I only wish that the same could be done with my Pikachu…" Ash looked toward the ground.

"Pika-Pi!"

Ash looked up and turned around. "Pikachu?!?"

"And Scyther!" Tracy exclaimed. Scyther was still covered in goo, but was now out of the net. Misty got her Poliwag out and washed off Scyther, then Tracy recalled Scyther to his Pokéball.

"You train a Scyther, huh?" Kevin, still remaining anonymous to them, looked at Tracy. "It almost reminds me of my…" Kevin suddenly stopped talking.

You blew it once, don't blow your cover again! Cevan warned him.

"I don't think we met," Tracy said, looking at me.

"Same here," Misty said, agreeing. "But how did you know my name?"

:Uh-oh… Didn't see that one coming. Think fast, Kevin!: He thought to himself. He then spoke.

"Oh please… who could forget the famous Cerulean City Gym Leader Misty?" Kevin said, half-forcing a laugh. "I could recognize your face a mile away!"

Good one, Cevan remarked.

"Nice excuse," Misty remarked, "but I don't think I'm famous. Besides, I don't run the gym, my sisters do."

"Really?" Kevin scratched his head, thinking hard. "Huh… Maybe I was mistaking you for someone else. Anyway," Kevin started, not waiting for an answer, "may I ask who you travelers are?" Kevin decided he should play it safe.

Tracy was actually the first to respond. "My name's Tracy. I'm a Pokémon watcher!" he said to Kevin.

"Well, I guess you already know who I am," Misty said with a shrug.

"And my name's Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town! It's nice to meet you," Ash said, holding his hand out to Kevin.

Kevin took a step back, slightly startled.

"What's the matter?" Ash asked.

Kevin was silent for a moment. Then he seemed to snap out of a trance and shake his head. "Ahh… sorry, I was deep in thought. I'm kind of not used to meeting people like this," he said.

Try to get him to not shake your hand, Cevan warned Kevin. If he feels your hand in its natural state, he may think something's different about you!

"Well, we could at least shake hands," Ash said. He still held out his hand.

:Well, he already did feel my hand. Besides, if I don't, he will know!: Kevin thought. He began reaching towards Ash's.

Kevin stopped moving his hand toward Ash's, and pulled it back. "Danger," said Cevan's senses. Kevin began looking around.

Ash had no clue what was going on. "What's the matter?" Ash repeated.

"I…" Kevin thought quickly. "I… thought I heard something," He said. Quickly, Kevin thought, Did you sense that, Cevan?

Yeah, I felt it. Seemed strong, too, Cevan thought back.

"I didn't hear anything," Ash said with a frown. "Did you Pikachu?"

"Pikachuu…" Pikachu shook its head.

"Hmm…" Kevin thought aloud. The danger seemed to disappear. "That's odd… I'm sure that I… heard something!" He scratched his head, confused.

"Danger," Kevin's senses said again. This time, he heard a far off rustle.

"Ok, now I know I heard something!" Kevin exclaimed, looking around.

"Are you sure it isn't your hood?" Misty added with a snide look. Another rustle.

"Now I hear it!" Tracy said. Kevin continued looking around. Finally, looking down the route to Pewter City, Kevin saw a small black mass.

"What is that?" Misty asked, pointing. She could see it too, as it grew rapidly.

"Hmm… looks like a storm," Tracy concluded.

Kevin didn't think so. "Tracy," he said, facing him, "You said you're a Pokémon watcher, right? Do you have some binoculars I could borrow for a second?"

Tracy seemed hesitant. "Uhh…"

"Look, Tracy," Kevin said, a very slight note of irritation entering his voice, "trust me on this one. I'll give them back."

"Here, then," Tracy said, after digging through his pack. Kevin took the binoculars and looked at the cloud. All the while, "danger" kept hammering into him. It grew louder as the cloud grew.

After getting the adjustments and focusing the image, Kevin finally got a clear image of the growing mass. The movement within the cloud, though, prevented Kevin from figuring out what it was before he finally saw the beaks.

It was a group of Fearow. A large group of Fearow. A very big and enormous group. Kevin thought there was more than a hundred. He was not the only one stunned; Cevan was stunned, as well.