Ash watched the skies impatiently. Danny and Talonflame had been gone for a long time. He was getting worried and was seriously considering sending Noivern after them. Clemont had deemed that Shuppet was fine, just shaken from the experience of being hunted. The ghost type was currently playing with Pikachu, Dedenne and Bonnie. Squishy was sunning itself. Serena and Clemont were watching with smiles while doing something for themselves. Clemont was tinkering with a few spare parts, inspired by what Danny had said about his parents creating a ghost portal. Serena meanwhile was making a small flower crown from wild flowers she'd gathered from the field they were in.

Ash glanced at the sun. It was way past noon.

"If they're not back soon, I'm sending out Noivern," Ash decided worriedly. Serena and Clemont looked up.

"I'm sure they're fine Ash. Danny is probably just taking his time to search for Team Rocket and those ghost pokémon," Clemont reassured him. Serena nodded.

"Besides, if they did run into any trouble, Danny could handle Skulker and Talonflame can easily handle Team Rocket," Serena added. Ash shook his head.

"They should have been back by now," Ash muttered, getting a bad feeling in his stomach.

Shuppet suddenly stopped playing with Pikachu, Dedenne and Bonnie and looked around itself.

"Shup?" it muttered confused.

"Gen! Gengar!" a Gengar shouted as a number of ghost pokémon ran across the field to the group. They leapt to their feet and grinned at the sight with relief. Danny must have found the ghost pokémon and released them. Shuppet smiled happily and floated over to join the ghost types coming to find it. Ash sighed with relief and looked up to the sky and saw Talonflame flying high above the approaching pokémon.

However as the pokémon drew closer, Ash and the others realised something wasn't right. Talonflame landed beside Ash.

"Talon flame flame ta talon flame! Talonflame talon lon ta ta lon flame," the flying and fire type told its trainer urgently. Ash crouched down to the pokémon's level.

"What's wrong? Where's Danny?" Ash inquired worriedly, already wondering why the half ghost wasn't with the pokémon. Talonflame shook its head and jumped back into the sky and seemed to want to lead Ash somewhere.

"What's wrong with Talonflame?" Bonnie asked. Ash frowned and turned to Clemont.

"I think something happened. Talonflame wants us to follow," Ash replied. Serena gasped and pointed to a Trevenant that was nodding at Ash.

"Isn't that the Trevenant that helped Danny!?" she realised. Ash looked at the pokémon and saw that Serena was right.

"What happened?" Ash asked the group of pokémon. Trevenant used its root-like foot to sketch a cage in the dirt. Ash frowned.

"Danny released you from cages?" Ash guessed. Trevenant frowned and drew another cage and drew a rough image of a person inside. Ash gasped and glanced at the others.

"Are you saying Danny got caught?" Ash exclaimed and Trevenant nodded and pointed up to Talonflame who kept trying to fly off and was forced to return as no one was following it.

"Talonflame does want to lead us somewhere!" Serena gasped. Trevenant nodded again and Ash, Bonnie, Squishy and Dedenne scrambling into Bonnie's bag, Pikachu, Serena and Clemont ran after Talonflame. They followed Talonflame for what seemed like an hour before Talonflame landed and pointed with its wing towards a field.

Peering through the bushes, Ash, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie saw Team Rocket's balloon in the middle of the field. Beside it were three cages, two of which filled with ghost pokémon and third looked empty from this distance. They saw Skulker and Team Rocket talking off to one side. Clemont pulled out a pair of high-tech binoculars from his backpack and used them to see the scene better. He gasped.

"Ash, you need to see this," Clemont whispered and handed him the binoculars and pointed to the third cage.

Ash brought the binoculars to his eyes and saw the cage in question. At first he didn't understand what Clemont saw before he saw Danny Phantom huddled in a corner shivering with a rag in his mouth and his arms held behind his back, clearly bound. The half ghost's white hair seemed to shimmer and Ash released that it was coated with frost and there were even icicles present. Danny's skin had also turned slightly blue. Danny opened his eyes and looked up and Ash followed the halfa's gaze to see that he was glaring at Skulker. Skulker turned, possibly knowing that Danny was looking, and grinned at the halfa.

Ash lowered the binoculars and handed them to Serena. Danny was in trouble. Ash scowled with determination and scanned the surroundings. The balloon and cages were completely exposed, impossible to sneak up on. Ash suddenly smiled and turned to Clemont.

"Clemont, send Bunnelby out to dig a tunnel there. Bunnelby can get the cage open for Danny and they can escape," Ash whispered. Clemont frowned.

"I have a feeling it won't be that easy Ash. What if Bunnelby can't open the cage? There has to be something special about those cages or whatever Danny's bound with for him to look so bad," Clemont replied quietly, taking the binoculars from Bonnie after she got a look of her own.

Ash bit his lip and glanced back to the Meowth balloon and the cage holding Danny.

"Clemont, it's worth a try. Bunnelby might be able to find a way to get us closer," Ash retorted softly. Clemont followed Ash's gaze before nodding.

"Maybe, but I'm sending Chespin too. I'd feel better if Bunnelby wasn't alone," Clemont decided. He brought out both pokéballs and in a flash of light both pokémon joined them.

"Listen carefully you two. Bunnelby I need you to take Chespin with you and dig a tunnel to those cages over there. Danny and ghost pokémon are trapped. You mustn't be seen and be careful. If you can't find a way to open the cage, see if there's a way for us to get closer. Danny can understand ghost type pokémon," Clemont explained, adding the last piece of knowledge in case they had to ask Danny to do something. Chespin saluted dutifully and Bunnelby nodded.

Then Bunnelby jumped into the air and dove to the ground, rotating rapidly and began to dig a tunnel to the cages, Chespin jumping in afterwards. Clemont used the binoculars and watched the ground around Danny for any sign of his pokémon emerging.

And a rescue attempt is underway. If it works though…

Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.

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Until the next chapter.