Eleven
Ash looked around as best he could. He could not fully move his head, as if it were restrained. All around, blurred shapes were mumbling incoherent things. The boy could discern nothing being said, nor could he tell who his captors were.
And yet, he was not scared. Ash had the reassuring feeling that he knew these people, and that whatever they were doing was necessary. He thought he saw his mother, but he was not sure.
Suddenly, one of the shapes came into focus, and he recognized Misty. He frowned, realizing she was dressed in a lab coat, a clipboard in her hands. She was speaking urgently to a blurred blob, continually brushing her orange hair behind her ear.
That's odd, Ash thought. I've never seen her with her hair down before. It's kinda cute.
Misty abruptly looked away from the blob and met Ash's eyes. For some reason, her gaze made Ash go cold, and he fidgeted in his seat.
She came and knelt next to him, her face displaying a serious expression Ash had never seen her wear. "Are you ready?" she asked him placidly, and her voice sounded strange, leaving Ash wondering if it was really her speaking to him.
Nevertheless, he nodded as best he could with his head strapped in place. Misty grabbed something that glinted in the fluorescent lighting and inserted it in Ash. A bright light quickly overtook his vision. The mumbling of the blurs got louder now that he could not see them, and then, the light intensified.
Ash jumped into wakefulness, panting with fright. He'd had that dream before, certainly, but the part with Misty was new.
"Pika!"
Startled, Ash looked down to see Pikachu glaring furiously at him, his little yellow arms folded in a gesture of anger. "What?" Ash asked.
"Pi pi pika," complained the mouse.
"I move too much when I sleep?" he interpreted, staring at Pikachu in bewilderment. "You're one to talk! Every time you have a bad dream, I get electrocuted! Not the best way to be woken up at two AM."
"Cha!" argued the Pokemon.
"Oh yeah? Well 'cha' you too," Ash snapped. He snuggled back down in his blankets. When he had discovered he was able to understand Pikachu, he'd thought it was the coolest thing since skateboards. Now, he longed for Pikachu's indecipherable babble. Hearing his Pokemon cuss him out every time he pissed it off (which, incidentally, happened a lot) was not fun.
However, he now had more pressing things to think about. Like the dream, and why Misty had been in it.
Maybe tomorrow, Ash thought as he yawned. He pulled his blankets up closer and let his eyes shut, slipping back into the sweet unconsciousness of sleep.
"Gary!" Paul shouted, causing the researcher to jump. "Where were you yesterday?"
Gary blanched. "I, uh, had a Chemistry project," he said.
"A project that leaves bruises on your neck?" Paul inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Embarrassed, Gary reached up to cover the marking on his neck. "Yeah, you see, I was distracted, so I mixed the wrong chemicals and the beaker exploded, and a piece of it hit me."
Paul continued to scrutinize him before talking again. "Well, since you missed yesterday, this is Norman." Paul held out his hand, gesturing to the older, navy haired man. "He's our newest team member."
"Hoenn guy," Drew clarified for Gary.
"Oh yeah," said Gary, recognition in his eyes. "I remember you. How's Birch?"
"I think he went a whole week without running over a squirrel last month," Norman replied, earning a chuckle from the Gary.
"Who's Birch?" Ash questioned curiously. "Does he run over squirrels often? I don't get it."
"It's not important," Paul said, cutting off Norman as he was about to explain the joke to Ash. "What's important is that we start planning our mission."
"Why is this one so much different than all the others?" Drew asked lazily. "Don't we usually wing these things?"
Ash nodded in agreement. "Yeah, why all the advance planning?"
"Were you guys even listening on Sunday?" Paul said in exasperation.
"The part about this being the biggest mission we will ever perform? Or the part about your model boat?" wondered Drew.
Norman snickered lightly, finding humor in all this.
"You're not helping," Paul told him.
"You didn't want me to help," Norman replied.
Paul sighed, massaging his eyes. "Okay, guys, listen. We need to plan this out now so we can do trial runs in the Maze." He went over to the wall, where a large paper was pinned. "This is a layout of Richardson's building. We need to plan out a route so we can set it up here, in the Company, and practice what we'll do, understand?"
"Aw, but the Maze is so stupid!" Ash complained.
Paul shot him a death glare, causing Ash to shrink back and revert to silence.
Drew kicked his chair back and put his feet up on the table. "I think we should enter through the main doors," he stated.
"Are you stupid?" said the other four.
"I prefer 'crazy,' or 'daring,'" Drew said, smiling.
Paul stared at him incredulously. "No," he said, as if this were remarkably obvious. "We're going to disable the security as best we can, and then go in through an entrance that's not blatantly obvious."
At this, Drew raised his hand, like a boy in school. Paul rolled his eyes. "I'd like to make a request and put Gary in the sewer this time," Drew informed them.
Gary blanched. "No," he said firmly.
Paul, however, looked as if he were considering this. "You did miss the briefing yesterday," he reminded him.
"That was one time!" cried the researcher. "Drew's missed way more than me!"
"But he was here yesterday," Ash pointed out.
"Why are you taking his side?" Gary hissed at him.
"As long as it's against you, I'm for it," replied the assassin.
Seething, Gary turned his attention back to the front of the room and fell silent.
There was an awkward silence, broken only by Paul. "Okay. Ash, you and I will draw out the route. Gary, I want you to research security, and Drew, go to the lab and see what Oak has for us in terms of equipment."
Gary and Drew nodded and left the room.
"Norman," Paul sighed, frustrated. "Uh, I suppose you can help Ash and me."
Norman just smiled. "Righto."
With a roll of his eyes, Paul pulled out a magic marker. "So, we should start with the security system…"
Drew entered the lab with a flip of his hair. "Hey, Oaky, whatcha got for us this time?" he called.
The professor turned around. "Oh, Drew, good evening!" he greeted, whipping off his glasses. "I suppose Paul sent you?"
"He's the only one who can," Drew replied. He stepped over to the lab table Oak was at. Brock and Leonard were working a few yards away. "Yo guys," he said.
"Hi Drew!" Leonard exclaimed. He was cupping his Sentret in his hands. "Isn't she adorable?"
Brock grinned. "We're working on fish now," he informed Drew.
"That's… totally cool," Drew murmured sarcastically. He drummed his hands across the table. "Anyways. We're breaking into Richardson's and I was wondering what sort of weapons you'd had in mind."
"Oh, well, it all depends on the route you're going to take. Who's planning it?" Oak inquired.
"Paul and Ash," Drew told him. He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Cuz Ash is the 'secret weapon.'" He said these last words with air quotes.
Something broke over by Brock and Leonard. Immediately Drew and Oak looked up, concerned. "Is everything alright, boys?" Oak asked.
"Oh, yes sir," Brock called over his shoulder. "I just dropped a beaker."
The other two shrugged it off. "Anyways," continued the professor, "if you're going in through a window, you'll want an SE and then a WCI. Once you're in, it'll take…"
"Brock, are you feeling alright?" Leonard asked worriedly as the others continued discussing infiltration plans.
Brock grinned at his friend. "Yeah, don't worry. Dropping the beaker kinda scared me." He looked down at his shaking hands. "Perhaps I shouldn't handle anything breakable."
"You can take a break," Leonard told him, concern evident on his face. "I'll finish with the fish."
Brock gave a laugh. "You just want to name it," he snickered.
Leonard smiled sheepishly. "Well, that too."
"I'll take a break if you tell me what you're going to call it," Brock offered.
"Fine," Leonard surrendered. He looked positively ecstatic, and pursed his lips as if trying to hold it in as long as he could. "Magikarp," he said finally.
Brock nodded with a smile. "Fitting, since it so far doesn't do anything," he acknowledged.
"Just wait," Leonard told him. "I've got a good feeling about this one."
Misty and Dawn wore identical expressions of shock, their jaws as low as May's had been. The four were at May's house, hiding out in her blue room and discussing their latest escapades. "And then?" Dawn pressed, pleading for details.
Leaf shifted uncomfortably. "And then we… kinda…" She touched her lips nervously.
Misty reeled back, laughing in her shock. "No way!" she exclaimed. "Not only did Gary have the guts to ask you on a date, but he had the courage to make out with you!"
"I didn't say 'make out,'" Leaf snapped, suddenly defensive.
"Sure," Dawn said slowly. Playfully, she pointed out the red mark on Leaf's neck. "And that's not a hickey."
"It's not!" Leaf protested, now clutching her neck.
"Well, now that Leaf has her man," Misty began, "it's time for the rest of us to get a move on. I mean, we were outdone by a geek!"
"You are the meanest girl in the world," muttered Leaf, who was currently turning several shades of red.
Misty grinned. "I've got to keep my reputation," she said simply.
"I wonder how I'll get Paul," Dawn said. Her eyes rolled up to the ceiling as she brainstormed ideas.
"May has a date this Friday," Misty remembered, whipping around to look at the fourth member of their group.
Cautiously, May scooted back farther on her bed. "It's not really a date," she argued softly.
"Oh, it totally is," Dawn replied certainly. "You're going to a guy's house to look under his hood." She paused. "Well, normally it'd be the other way around, but either way, you're going to a guy's house alone."
"Sh!" May hissed, looking around warily. "My parents will hear you!"
With a grin, Misty twirled around and sat down hard next to May, causing the bed to jolt slightly. She draped her arm over her friend's shoulders, intentionally making her uncomfortable. "May, May," she said in a pitiful tone, "they're going to find out sooner or later. And dating guys isn't sacrilege. Neither is touching them." To make her point, Misty leaned closer to her.
May threw her arm off in disgust. "Do you like to annoy me?" she snapped.
"Yes," all three answered.
Angered, May crossed her arms and focused on a hole in her sock. "You guys are mean," she huffed.
"You know what we need to do?" Dawn said, smirking.
"Oh no," moaned Misty.
"Shopping!" cried the blunette.
"I do need shoes," Leaf remarked.
"And I need to torment Misty for a few hours," May stated. "Let's go."
Misty fell back on the bed, her arm over her face. "No!" she whined. "I don't want to shop!"
"Ash will like you more if you shop," Dawn argued.
"Guys hate going shopping," snapped Misty. "Your argument makes no sense."
Dawn sagged with exasperation. "Come on, Misty, please? I've got a flashy new credit card and it's burning a hole in my pocket!" She stepped over to the bed and proceeded to yank her friend off. "Please please please please please please?"
"Please please please no?" Misty said back. She simply laid there as Dawn attempted to drag her off. Despite Dawn's most strained efforts, Misty did little more than budge.
Eventually, Dawn gave up and folded her arms crossly. "Fine. You can stay here with Max, then." She spun around. "Come on, girls."
"Bye—!" Misty broke off. "Wait, Max? Hold on, Dawn! I'm coming!"
Ash stood with Pikachu outside a rather formidable wall. "Paul!" he called. "What do I do?"
Paul appeared beside him, his pokeballs in hand. "A bird would be nice…" he observed.
"Can't we use a grappling hook?" asked Ash.
"Drew and I tried that last time," said Paul. "It didn't work."
"How does it not work?" Ash said, astounded.
Annoyed, Paul swung his head around to look at him. "There's no window, and I can't throw that high, can you?"
Ash gave Paul a sideways glare. "Well, sorry, I mean, it's not like I knew." He paused. "Then why are we trying the roof?"
"Because it has the least security!" snapped Paul.
"Ne ne ne," Ash mocked, looking abashed.
"DREW!" Paul yelled.
"Ow," came Drew's voice from their earpieces. "My God, Paul, I'm right here. What do you want?"
"Go get us a bird from Oak," he instructed.
"But I don't want to," Drew whined.
"You sound just like Gary," Paul teased. "Speaking of which, where is Gary?"
Ash started snickering.
Paul stared at him. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing," Ash snorted. "Just a… cartoon reference."
"Fine, I'll get your stupid bird," Drew complied, and they heard a chair scraping as he left the observation room.
"So, do you guys still want to go this route?" Norman asked. "Or would you like to try my suggestion?"
"We cannot go through any of the ground entrances because we do not know what sort of security they have," Paul said through gritted teeth.
They could hear Norman smirking. "But we could cut the power to the building and—."
"I though we went over this," Paul muttered, his tone irritated and getting slightly higher with each word.
Ash, however, had been concentrating on Norman's words, and suddenly had an idea. "But it could work!" he cried, grinning at Paul. Before the assassin could interrupt, Ash plowed on. "See, we could stage a power outage through the city for just long enough to get us past security. It's summer. No one will question it, cuz they'll be outside."
"And even if they're not, power outages are very common in the summer," Norman supplied.
"The place will have backup security," Paul argued.
"Won't we be facing security anyways?" questioned Ash. "I mean, backup security is never as good as the real stuff. We should be able to skirt it no problem, right?"
Paul hesitated. He did not like the idea. Too many things could go wrong. The power could come back on, the building could be on its own generator, there could be way more security than they were anticipating, any number of things. And yet with his own plan, there were similar flaws.
Grimacing, Paul looked up at Ash. The kid was grinning eagerly, apparently pleased with the plan he had formed. And it was Ash's assessment. Paul needed to let him take control for at least some of it.
Besides, he thought, smiling slightly. We have Pikachu. He can take care of anything electric.
Paul was more than a little shocked to notice the little rodent staring at him knowingly, as if it knew he was thinking about it. "So?" Ash pressed. "What do you think?"
Pikachu and Paul's eyes remained locked as the assassin answered. "I think we should try it."
The man stood at the window, staring out at the dreary landscape before him. Rain raced down the window, the droplets absorbing each other and leaving sketchy trails in their wake. His red hair was rather messy today from the several times he had run his hand through it, though it was a welcome splash of color against his black Champion attire.
A young girl with purple hair came flying into the room, her pink scarf flapping out behind her. "Lance!" she cried urgently.
Lance drew his eyes away from the window and looked at the girl. "Yes, Janine?" he inquired somberly.
"We've searched the whole city," she reported, her eyes fearful. "No sign of him."
Lance's eyes lost what little light they'd had. "Very well." He sighed heavily. "I don't like to broadcast that we lost a Gym Leader, but it seems we have no choice." Lance paused, clearly deliberating with himself. "Go to the police and tell them we have a man missing. Tell Blaine to send a message to the other branches to be on the lookout for him."
"Yes sir," Janine obeyed, and she sped out of the room again.
Lance watched her go before turning back to the window. The past three months had been a nightmare with their Gym Leader gone. Clearly, it wasn't going to get any better.
*AN: Man, this would be so much more fun if the world didn't already know Pokemon! I mean, that last bit was SO obvious, it's killing me! But if no one knew Pokemon, everyone would be like, "Omg who is the Gym Leader they're missing?" Dang. Well, whatevs. I gotta get a move on with my immense amount of Biology homework (cuz my teacher is the devil) and then chapter 12. I'm also sick, though, and have to write an essay and do an eight page packet and read three chapters. Ugh. Gonna be a looong break.*
