Tracey sat in his cell, silently looking for a way out. A woman came in and placed a plate of scraps of food in front of him. Tracey looked up at her. It was Cassidy from Team Rocket!
"I see you've gotten yourself into a little dilemma." Cassidy snickered. "Enjoy your supper."
Tracey just stared at the plate of scraps. He was hungry, but he didn't want to eat what they gave him. He had learned from his months of imprisonment that his captors could have done anything to his food.
Looking up again, he watched as Cassidy turned to leave.
"What happened to Bitch?" He asked, hoping that would aggravate her.
Cassidy spun around. "WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL HIM?" She screamed angrily.
Jumping up, a plan popped into Tracey's mind. "You heard me. Isn't his name Bitch?"
Cassidy reached out to strangle him. He dodged and ran out the door.
"Get back here! I'm not finished with you!" Cassidy screeched.
Tracey eventually outran her. He peeked into rooms as he went. He had to find Ash before something bad happened to him! Suddenly, he heard voices. He screeched to a stop and leaned against the wall.
"I think we should just kill him already!" One voice argued.
"Yeah! Why don't we?" Another voice agreed.
Tracey held his breath. They were talking about Ash!
"No." A more authoritative voice spoke softly. "The child interests me. If he is the one the prophecy speaks of, why is he so weak?"
Tracey nearly groaned. Not another prophecy about Ash!
"True. The boy is weak. Which is why we should kill him now! Before he recovers!" The first voice pointed out.
"Perhaps, but I think we should watch him for a little while first. That way, we can figure out why the prophets chose him and not another." The third voice murmured.
"The prophecy also mentions a pokemon watcher helping him out. We haven't been able to figure out who that is yet." The second voice reminded them.
This time, Tracey couldn't keep quiet. He knew they were talking about him and he gasped out loud.
In an instant, a man had pulled him into a type of lab. In one corner, Ash lay flat on an examination table. The rest of the room was filled with machines of every kind.
The man grinned at Tracey's terrified face. "You wouldn't happen to know who this pokemon watcher is, would you?"
Tracey shook his head vigorously. No way was he going to tell them that he was the pokemon watcher they were talking about!
"I guess we're just going to have to force it out of you!" Another of the three men smirked.
The third man pulled out a knife, walked over, and held it against Tracey's neck.
Then, he said one word. "Speak."
Tracey eyed the knife nervously and gulped. "I… I…"
"Now." The man commanded.
"I… I heard what you said… about… about… about the pokemon watcher…" Tracey stuttered.
"Go on." The man ordered.
"I… I know who he is…" Tracey stammered.
The man pushed the knife a little closer. "Tell us."
"I'm… I'm a pokemon… watcher…" Tracey forced the words out of his mouth.
The man pulled the knife away and patted Tracey on the head. "Good boy. Lock him up in a cell with tight security. The second toughest to escape from. I want them separate."
Tracey moaned softly. So much for the find Ash and escape plan. This was going to be difficult.
Soon, he was sitting in a new cell. His escape from Cassidy had meant nothing, except, of course, learning new information.
He pondered the new info for a while, wondering what it meant. A prophecy? Was that why they'd killed Ash's family? Because of some prophecy?
He sighed. He would have a long time to think about it. He wasn't getting out of there anytime soon.
That night…
"Hey! Kid! Wake up!" A hand shook Tracey roughly. He opened his eyes to see a man leaning over him. "The boss wants you."
Tracey's eyes widened. What could their boss want with him? Memories of earlier flooded his mind. Was he in trouble?
The man yanked him up, tied his hands together and shoved him out of the cell, down several hallways, and into a different lab.
"Attach the machine!" Another man ordered.
The man who had brought him pushed him into a chair and tied him to it, while some other men prepared what looked like a helmet with wires attached to it.
Grinning, they put it on Tracey's head and strapped it under his chin. Unable to do anything, Tracey started wondering if they had done this to Ash. Electric surges pushed through his head as he started thinking.
"Is it working, boss?" Someone asked.
"I can hear his thoughts loud and clear. He's thinking about his friend. Perfect." The man who had ordered them to attach the machine, obviously their boss, snickered.
'I can't think about Ash.' Tracey thought. 'I can't think about his adventures or the pokemon he's met or the stories he's told me or… Grrr. I need to stop thinking about what I can't think about. Focus on something else." With each thought, Tracey felt himself getting weaker. 'What's going on? Why do I feel so…' His thoughts stopped.
The last thing he heard was the enemy's boss yelling to the other men that they were supposed to have tested the thing first and the other men yelling that they hadn't had time.
A year later…
Tracey awoke to find himself in a moving vehicle. He looked around and saw Ash sleeping peacefully nearby. Feeling groggy, he crawled over to his friend.
"Ash?" He whispered. "Ash, please wake up. I need to tell you something."
The next thing he knew, his friend's arms were around his neck.
"Tracey! You're awake!" Ash cried. "I was so worried about you!"
Tracey was confused. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Over a year." Ash answered. Tracey's mouth dropped open. "I'm so mad about that stupid prophecy thing! It got everyone hurt and my whole family killed!"
"You know about the…" Tracey began.
"Anyway, we've been moving from place to place ever since we escaped. Those crooks haven't been able to find us because of it." Ash continued, ignoring him. "Professor Oak! Professor Oak, pull over!"
The vehicle, which Tracey now realized was a van, pulled over, and Professor Oak turned around from the driver's seat.
"What is it, Ash? Oh! Tracey! Thank goodness you're okay!" Professor Oak said. He climbed in back. "Well, I'm sure you'd like something to eat. Ash, can you grab one of those meal packs we got from Professor Rowan?"
Ash pulled something out of one of the boxes and handed it to Tracey, who quickly realized it was food. As he ate, Ash and Professor Oak explained that the three of them were badly wanted by the criminal government, but no one turned them in because they were their last hope. Everyone had heard about the prophecy by now.
"You and I are the ones who are really wanted, but Professor Oak got wanted because he's been helping hide us." Ash told him. "We're the ones who have to come up with a way to stop the criminals."
"What about all the rebels?" Tracey asked. "What happened to them?"
"Most of them got arrested or killed. The rest just gave up." Professor Oak answered. "All our friends are either dead or in jail."
Tracey's heart skipped a beat. "Dead?"
"Cilan and May." Ash started to cry. Professor Oak pulled him into a hug.
"It can't be." Tracey whispered.
Suddenly, the back door of the van was yanked wide open.
"Freeze!" A familiar voice screamed.
"Office Jenny?" Tracey gasped in disbelief.
"Um… Must've been looking in the wrong car! Carry on!" Officer Jenny said. She ran away, yelling to her fellow police that there was nothing to be found in the van.
Professor Oak chuckled. "See? I told you that everyone is on our side!" He closed the back door. "Let's hurry up and get out of here before someone gets suspicious."
Tracey and Ash sat in the back silently for a while.
Finally, Ash spoke up. "We failed to protect the legendary pokemon. Many of them have been captured."
"No way!" Tracey cried. "Is there anything else horrible that I missed?"
"Let's see… The legendary pokemon have caused floods and earthquakes and fires and all sorts of horrible disasters that have killed thousands of people and pokemon." Ash replied.
"We have to find some way to help them!" Tracey yelped.
Ash was quiet for a few moments. "I've befriended many legendary pokemon during my journeys. If I can somehow get close… perhaps I can free them…"
The two boys started brainstorming, searching their heads for a plan that would work. Getting Ash close would be hard, that was for sure.
A few days later…
"I'm not so sure I approve of this plan of yours." Professor Oak murmured.
"It's the only way to get close to the legendary pokemon that were captured." Tracey protested.
"But turning Ash in? That's not only crazy, but dangerous too." Professor Oak worried.
"I'll be fine, Professor Oak." Ash assured him. "I promise."
Professor Oak hesitated. "I hope you two know what you're doing, because if you don't come back alive…" He shivered. This was a stupid plan and it wouldn't work. They would both get caught, and then they'd be in trouble and he wouldn't be able to help them.
"Don't worry, Professor Oak." Tracey said. "We've got everything under control."
A few hours later…
Tracey fell to his knees and leaned, trembling, over his hurt friend. Everything had started according to plan. Tracey, in disguise, had led Ash, tied up, into enemy headquarters. They had smiled at him and complimented him on capturing the boy, but one man, pretending it was an accident, had ripped off Tracey's disguise, getting him recognized. Now, the two were helplessly trying to fight off twelve legendary pokemon at once without their pokemon.
"Ash!" Tracey shook his friend. "Ash! You have to wake up!"
"Azelf!" One of the legendary pokemon they were fighting against cringed. "Azelf!"
'An Azelf?' Tracey remembered Ash once mentioning a special bond between him and an Azelf. 'This might just do it.'
"Azelf!" He yelled. "You have to help him! You two have a connection! You're meant to help each other in times of need!"
"Azelf!" Azelf seemed to be fighting something inside itself. "Azelf!" It, and all the other legendary pokemon in the room, released powerful attacks.
Tracey collapsed. He gritted his teeth. No! He wouldn't allow himself to be knocked out until he succeeded!
"Azelf…" He choked. "Please…"
One of the pokemon used a powerful attack. As Tracey's eyes closed, he saw a red and black light burst out of Azelf's body. It had broken free!
"Azelf!" Azelf hurried over to Ash and Tracey and healed them. Then, it dropped into Ash's arms.
"Good job, Azelf." Ash whispered. He turned to face the angered pokemon.
Facing them now were Zaptos, Articuno, Moltres, Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Latias, Ho-oh, Lugia, Mesprite, and Uxie. Even with Azelf on his side, Ash was terrified.
Gulping, he shouted. "Azelf! Use Extrasensory!"
Azelf obeyed, and the attack caused all the other pokemon to back up a few steps.
'They didn't do anything wrong.' Ash couldn't stop his thoughts. He stepped forward. 'Maybe there's another way.'
"Please! Don't you remember me? I've met almost all of you!" He cried.
"Ash! What are you doing?" Tracey yelped.
Pulling together all his memories, Ash managed to free each pokemon, one by one.
Suddenly, right after he freed the last one, Ash passed out. Tracey caught him and saw a poison dart in his neck.
"No!" He yelled. "Ash! Please, no!" The Latias grabbed him and pulled him away from Ash as the rest of the pokemon gathered around the unconscious boy.
Tracey noticed Ash's body start to glow.
'They're healing him!' He realized. 'Now that they're free of the enemy's control, they realize he's their friend!'
The enemy's boss came marching in.
"What's going on here?" He screeched.
The legendary pokemon turned and were immediately aggravated. They attacked the evil man.
Ash sat up, but couldn't bear to watch the scene in front of him.
It turned out gory. The enemy's boss… was dead.
An hour later…
Ash and Tracey watched the land far below them pass by as they rode on Ho-oh's back. In another situation, they'd be thrilled, but they, and the legendary pokemon around and below them, were being followed by helicopters.
It had been a narrow escape from enemy headquarters, seeing how angry the criminals had been when they'd found out their boss was dead, but they'd managed it. Now, it was just a matter of speed and stamina.
"They're catching up!" Tracey shouted, glancing back at the choppers. "Hurry!"
The pokemon sped up, trying to outfly the crafts that were pursuing them. Ash and Tracey held on tight.
The pokemon were starting to get tired, but the helicopters could go forever without getting worn out. Latias was the first to drop.
"Latias! No!" Ash cried as Latias was caught in a net. One by one the legendary pokemon were recaptured until Ho-oh was the only one left. Suddenly, it teleported. Ash and Tracey hadn't known it could do that. There were no legends about Ho-oh teleporting!
Ash and Tracey found themselves in the gardens behind Professor Oak's lab.
"A… a Ho-oh?" Gary, who had been taking care of the pokemon, gasped. "But how? And what's it doing here?"
Ash and Tracey quickly hid. Gary saw them out of the corner of his eye.
"You have to admit that I deserve some explanation, you two!" He yelled at them. Ho-oh took off.
Ash slowly crept out of his hiding place, although Tracey was shaking his head no.
"Ash? No! It's not safe for you here!" Gary gasped again. "That must mean Tracey's with you. Get out of here! Quickly! They're all over Pallet Town!"
"What about you?" Ash asked softly.
"I'll be fine! Just worry about yourself and Tracey!" Gary shouted.
"No! You're coming with us!" Ash replied.
Seconds later, an explosion sounded not far from them.
"That was in town!" Tracey cried.
"Let's go!" Ash put in.
"You can't go there! There are criminals everywhere!" Gary yelled at them.
Another explosion sounded.
"But we can't just stay here and do nothing!" Ash screamed back, already on his way there.
"That's what they want! They're setting off those explosives to lure you in! They know you're here!" Gary hollered.
Ash ignored him. "Tracey, are you coming?"
"Sorry, Gary. Those people need us." Tracey responded, holding up Marill's pokeball. He ran to catch up with Ash.
"Don't you understand it's a trap?" Gary called after them, his words having no effect whatsoever.
They understood, but they didn't care.