Thanks to some quick thinking by Ash, both Charizard and Noctowl had saved the five humans from falling.
Returning Charizard and Noctowl, Ash patted himself down and sighed. "That Whirlwind was strong."
"I hope Brendan's going to be alright." Dawn said quietly. "Zygarde seemed strong."
Ash nodded. "If he's smart, he'll see when it's best to escape."
"What happened back there? Why a Zygarde?" Misty asked. "Also, how strong can a Zygarde be anyway?"
"Like I said, one almost destroyed the Kalos region." Ash repeated. "I don't want to think what would have happened if we stayed and fought."
"Why would a Zygarde be over here anyway?" Brock asked. "Especially if it's from Kalos."
"If it's attacking people for no reason, it can't be good." Ash answered.
"Can't we contact the Elite Four?" Dawn asked. "Won't they be able to help?"
"Dawn, the Elite Four are missing." Brock revealed. "One of the Gym Leaders went to get them, but she found nothing. No Indigo Plateau. No Elite Four. No Champion."
Dawn lowered her head. Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder and into Dawn's arms. Dawn felt a small smile creep onto her face. "You always know what to do Pikachu." Pikachu smiled as Dawn rubbed his head. "So without any Elite Four, what can we do?" Dawn asked as Misty sat down by a rock.
Misty looked at the other girl. "I don't know. Something like this would have been reported to the Elite Four, but without them, I don't know who we could tell."
"What about the Johto Gym Leaders?" Tracey asked. "Sabrina is trying to rally the Kanto Gym Leaders, so can't we try the same thing with the Johto Leaders?"
Brock looked at Professor Oak's assistant. "Sabrina has the advantage of having psychic powers alongside her Psychic Type Pokémon, we'd have to do it the hard way. All that travelling on foot and trying to stay away from anything to do with Team Rocket."
"It took months to travel all of Johto." Misty sighed.
"But that was when we were exploring it." Brock remembered. "We'd just be going straight from one town to another."
"That's what we always do." Ash argued. "But it still always took us a long time to get anywhere."
"Not in Kanto." Misty countered. "We made it from Viridian City to Cerulean in about a week. And that was including a Gym Battle and dealing with Team Rocket inside Mt Moon."
Ash shook his head, took off his cap and rubbed his hair. "But we also weren't working against a time limit without knowing why Team Rocket is doing what they're doing."
Everyone remained silent at Ash's statement. Even Pikachu remained silent in Dawn's arms. No-one expected Misty's question. "When has that stopped us before?"
"What?" Brock asked his friend.
"I can't speak for your time with Dawn, but during our travels, there were several times we didn't know what was happening, but we pulled through." Misty answered.
"Name one." Ash grumbled.
"What about when those other two Team Rocket members turned our Pokémon against us?" She reminded him. "There's also that thing with that girl who made the Entei. Little Sammy's adventure with us and Celebi."
"Sammy and Celebi?" Tracey asked.
"I remember that." Brock said. "A boy was brought through time saving a Celebi from a hunter, but another hunter, I think he was a hunter anyway, caught Celebi in something called a Dark Ball and turned it evil."
"That's horrible." Dawn commented.
Brock nodded. "It was, but thanks to Ash, Sammy, a Suicune and several other Celebi, that specific Celebi was saved." Dawn sighed in relief. "Unfortunately, when we had the chance, we tried to find out about Sammy, but we realised that we didn't know his last name."
"You never told me that." Ash said.
"We only wanted to say something to you when and if we found anything about him." Misty added.
"You still should have told me." Ash said, starting to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Dawn asked.
"I'm finding a cave so we have somewhere to sleep tonight." He replied. "Unless you want to sleep out in the open."
"If we can't find a cave, I'm sure Steelix can dig one out for us." Brock offered.
Luckily, Steelix wasn't needed to dig out a cave and thanks to Pikachu, the few Pokémon that were in the cave let them stay in exchange for some of Brock's handmade Poké food.
A heavy rainfall put any plans of Ash sleeping under the stars to rest. A roaring fire helped keep the humans warm. Ash rested his hands behind his head, thinking about his day.
It started out so normally. Go to see his Pokémon and then see Brock or Misty. Then suddenly, Team Rocket attacks and needing to rush to Cerulean City to help Misty and now, thanks to circumstances he didn't know, he was camping in a cave as a possible fugitive trying to get to Johto to warn the Gym Leaders about a possible Team Rocket takeover.
"Ash?" Dawn whispered. "Are you awake?"
Ash turned his head and looked at his friend from Sinnoh. "I can't sleep. Today's been too weird."
"It does sound like a big day." Dawn agreed. "Bigger than usual anyway."
Ash turned onto his side and looked across the fire at Dawn. "What is a Zygarde doing at the Johto-Kanto border anyway? They're supposed to be in Kalos."
Dawn smiled. "We'll find out why. No need to worry."
"I hope so." Ash sighed. "It's bad enough when Groudon and Kyogre start fighting. I don't want to know what could happen if Legendary Pokémon start behaving like this. Celebi was scary enough."
"What happened with Celebi?" Dawn asked, turning her left arm and hand into a headrest.
"Like Brock said, Celebi was turned evil by this really bad guy." Ash explained. "Celebi gathered all the nearby twigs and grass and made it into a ball that turned into this massive thing that looked like a Scyther. Squared. When Sammy and I managed to break Celebi free of control, it had used up too much of its power and began to wither." He recalled. "We thought that we lost Celebi. Then, a bright light shone and, I don't know if they were different ones, or the same from different times, but about a dozen other Celebi came and healed our friend."
Dawn smiled at the end of the story. "It's a shame Brock and Misty couldn't find anything about Sammy."
Ash nodded in agreement. "All I would want to know is if Sammy had a good life."
"I'm sure he would have." Dawn comforted. "Something like that would change anyone. He travelled through time."
"So did we." Ash reminded her.
"But we also had other crazy things happen to us." Dawn countered. "Who else sees two Darkrai with completely different personalities? Most people never even see one Legendary Pokémon in their entire lives."
"I saw one on my first day as a trainer." Ash revealed. "The only person I ever told was Professor Oak and he said he didn't know what it could have been. But thanks to going to Johto, I found out it was a Ho-Oh."
"You're certainly lucky Ash." Dawn smiled.
Ash sat up, letting Dawn see his exhausted face. "Dawn, ever since I went to Hoenn, some evil team or another has begun their plans for Legendary Pokémon. I happen to be the one who stops them. Is that lucky?"
"That doesn't sound lucky, but look what could have happened if you weren't there to stop them." Dawn argued. "The climate would have been a mess with Kyogre and Groudon and Sinnoh would have been the start of the total destruction of the world."
"But the point is that the Legendary Pokémon are becoming more easy for the wrong people to corrupt." Ash continued. "Sure, they're grumpy when they're woken up, but they generally know good from bad. Eventually."
"Well, in the morning, we'll talk to Brock and the others and we'll talk about your feelings." Dawn offered.
"What feelings?" Ash asked.
Dawn gave him a small smile. "That whole 'The world on my shoulders' thing we were just talking about." She simply said before turning around to go to sleep.
Ash looked at his friend, stunned into just staring before deciding to try to sleep for the day ahead.
At the Viridian City Pokémon Centre, Daisy, Delia and Gary had checked in for the night. To save rooms for younger trainers, Gary volunteered to sleep on a couch in the Centre's main area. Whilst Nurse Joy was grateful for the offer, she had agreed to a compromise that Gary would find the nearest Chansey if he had any problems.
In their shared room, Delia was trying to understand Daisy's reasons for finding Misty. Whilst she truly believed she was concerned for her sister, Delia knew there was something else.
Eventually, Daisy just broke down. "I'm a horrible sister."
"No, you're not." Delia replied. "You're going to the Indigo Plateau to find a way to help Misty."
"But is that enough?"
Delia smiled sweetly. "It's more than enough."
Daisy shook her head and pulled her hair back. "I'll never make it up to her."
Delia looked Daisy straight in the eyes. "If this is about you leaving the Gym all those times, Misty doesn't care. She admits she was annoyed at the three of you leaving the Gym, and I'm sure she's told you."
Daisy laid down and pulled her bed cover over her head. "I'm sorry Mrs Ketchum, but you won't understand."
Delia left it at that and knew that Daisy would reveal what was really troubling her when the time was right.
In a small, make-shift cave, Jessie and James were sound asleep while Meowth and Victreebel were having a little talk.
"So what really happened?" Meowth asked the Grass Type.
Victreebel looked at Meowth, letting out a quiet screech. Well, it sounded like a screech to humans, but to Meowth, and any other Pokémon, the sound was clearly understood as 'With what?'
"With the Trevenant." Meowth replied.
'I don't want to talk about it.' She replied.
Meowth sighed. "Come on, it can't be that bad."
Victreebel turned her narrow eyes and looked at the feline Pokémon. 'We both agreed to separate. I missed you all and he found love with a Trevenant.'
Meowth nodded in understanding and left the conversation at that.
Early the next morning, Ash was woken by Pikachu.
"Another five minutes." Ash yawned. Pikachu sighed and give Ash a small electric shock to wake him up. He quickly sat up and looked around. When he saw Brock and Tracey at a table, he knew Pikachu was waking him up for breakfast. "Where's Misty and Dawn?"
"They're getting themselves sorted outside." Brock answered.
Ash stretched as Brock poured some breakfast into some bowls. He slumped down as he sat on a folding stool.
"Something wrong Ash?" Tracey asked.
"I was hoping this was a dream." Ash admitted.
"So were we." Brock sympathised.
"So what's the plan for today?" Ash asked.
"Hopefully we'll get to somewhere in Johto where we can get some help." Brock answered.
"Where are we anyway?" Ash asked, seeing Tracey was now looking at a map.
"I'm not sure." He replied. "It's hard to pinpoint where the train was stopped. But I've narrowed it down to between Routes 45 and 46 and Mt. Silver."
Brock nodded. "So that leaves us with one question. Do we go down and head for New Bark Town or up to get to Blackthorn City?"
"I'd say Blackthorn City." Misty answered, re-entering the cave with Dawn.
"Why Blackthorn City?" Ash asked.
"Well, there's Clair in Blackthorn City." Misty answered. "Hopefully, she may be in contact with Lance."
"Remember what Sabrina told us." Ash said, putting down his spoon. "She couldn't sense any brainwaves. Neither could her Pokémon."
"She's choosing to believe that Lance and the others are alive." Misty added. "And I am too."
"But we need to be realistic." Ash told his friends. "Yes, they could be alive, but we also need to think about the alternative."
"Well, I don't want to think about the alternative." Dawn said, making sure she had her Pokémon. "Can we just go to Blackthorn City now?"
"Let me get a wash then we'll head out." Ash sighed, walking out of the cave.
"What's wrong with Ash?" Misty asked.
"It's a long story." Dawn said.
Mesprit woke Johanna up, accompanied by a similar Pokémon. Where Mesprit had a pink head, this Pokémon had a yellow head and kept its eyes closed.
Johanna rubbed her eyes. "Are you Uxie?" The yellow headed Pokémon nodded. "Thank you for coming. Mesprit brought me here so I could ask you for help."
Uxie held up a hand, and using its telepathic powers, like Mesprit, told Johanna that Mesprit had explained the situation. Uxie understood the situation, but there was nothing it could do to help her.
Johanna lowered her head. She looked again at the Pokémon of Knowledge. "Please Uxie, there has to be something that can be done. My daughter and her friends are in trouble." Uxie turned its head to Mesprit. Johanna guessed that they were having a private conversation. The two Pokémon looked back at Johanna.
"What's happening?" Johanna asked.
Uxie and Mesprit joined hands and extended a hand each to Johanna. Slowly, she took the hands and felt herself shift slightly.
She looked at her surroundings. It was still a cave, but something seemed different.
She gasped when a third Pokémon flew into her face. She took a step back, getting her footing. She smiled when she realised it was only Azelf; the Being of Willpower, and the third member of the Psychic legendary trio of Sinnoh.
Reaching the former site of the Indigo Plateau, Gary, Delia and Daisy took a moment of silence then decided to look through the rubble.
Mr. Mime used its Psychic to lift some of the larger rocks while Gary's Electivire, Blastoise and Umbreon helped with the other bits of rubble.
"There has to be something here." Daisy insisted. "I need something to be here."
"Don't worry Daisy, we'll find something." Gary reassured.
A siren began to sound. Delia looked to see a police officer riding a motorcycle. She waved her hand to flag her down. Despite that there were men in the police force, more often than not, it was the female officers that most people remembered.
The officer stopped her bike and removed her helmet. "Can I help you?"
"Officer Jenny, what happened here?" Delia asked.
Officer Jenny sighed. "We don't know. Indigo Plateau was destroyed at the same time Pewter City was attacked." She then looked around the scene. "I thought this area was blocked off."
"We didn't see any police tape." Gary said.
"Someone must have removed it." Officer Jenny guessed. "I suggest you three leave the area whilst the incident is under investigation."
"Officer Jenny, something strange is happening." Daisy spoke up. "The Indigo Plateau has been destroyed, and both Pewter City and Cerulean City are being taken over by Team Rocket."
Officer Jenny widened her eyes. "Team Rocket? They'd never do anything like that."
Gary nodded his head. "It's true. I also have a contact in Hoenn who told me that Team Plasma have resurfaced."
"When did that happen?" Delia asked.
"Early this morning." Gary replied. "Listen. Something big is happening."
Jenny looked around the area and walked towards the three. "Between you and me, there are a few Jenny's beside me who think that Team Rocket is teaming up with Teams from other regions for a total takeover."
"That's horrible." Daisy said. "Why would they do something like that?"
"Who knows why they do things like that?" Gary replied. "As far as I'm concerned, they're just bullies."
"Bullies that are starting to slowly regroup." Delia agreed. "We have to find Ash and tell him about this."
Officer Jenny looked at Delia. "Ash? Ash Ketchum?"
Delia nodded. "Yes. Ash is my son."
Officer Jenny took out a radio. "Listen up Jennies. I need anyone who sees Ash Ketchum to tell me instantly. This is the Viridian Jenny." Jenny looked at Delia. "Does he still have the Pikachu?" when Delia nodded again, she added the detail of the Pikachu.
"How do you remember his Pikachu?" Gary asked.
"It's not every day a ten-year-old comes for help with his Pikachu and destroys the Pokémon Centre roof." Jenny smiled.
"He told me that it was Pikachu's electricity mixing with a Koffing's gas." Delia recalled.
"Well, it still helped to protect the rest of Viridian City." Officer Jenny smiled. "It's still remembered between myself and the Viridian City Nurse Joy."
"Let us out of here!" May called, for what Max guessed to be the twentieth time within the last hour.
"Give it up May." Max sighed. "We're not going to get out of here."
May turned to face her brother. "What?"
"He is right May." Serena agreed. "Without our Pokémon, we can't really do much."
May looked across at the other cell, the long, red-haired woman listening to the conversation. They were introduced to the other occupants in the surrounding cages. All had agreed that if a viable escape plan was made, all would participate.
"There has to be a way." May muttered.
"Give it up girl." A gruff man in another cell told her. "None of us even have our Pokémon. If there are any battles, it's going to be your Pokémon that will take the force of it."
"Our Pokémon can handle anything." May defended. "We have unique experience in unusual situations."
"Like what?" the red haired woman asked.
"We were a part of the incident with Groudon and Kyogre in Hoenn." May answered, gaining a noise of interest from another cell. "We've also protected a Manaphy and Jirachi and helped reunite two Deoxys."
"And saved another when it was lost on earth." Max added.
"I helped to protect an artificial Pokémon." Serena added. "And save an entire town that was almost destroyed."
"Alamos Town?" May asked.
"Dahara City." Serena corrected. "It was actually Hoopa's home."
"Hoopa?" asked a mature female voice. "The Pokémon that brought you here?"
"Yes." Serena answered.
"You would befriend an evil Pokémon?" the gruff voice asked.
"Quiet!" Scolded an even older voice. "No Pokémon is inherently evil. There are only two explanations. Either it is being coerced into doing these deeds, or it is being controlled by evil forces."
"Whatever Hoopa's circumstances, we have to get out of here." May insisted. "There has to be a way."
"We've been here for days. I doubt you three showing up will make any difference." The gruff man said.
"Instead of finding faults in us, how about you use those muscles of yours to break out?" May snapped back.
"I can't." he replied. "They made this cage especially for me. Super strong metal that I can't bend."
"And the rest of us can't even pick these locks." The red haired woman added. "Believe me. We've tried."
"So it is hopeless." Max and Serena agreed.
"No it's not!" May snapped. "There is a way out of here. We just have to find it."
"That's easy for you to say kid." The oldest prisoner said. "You've still got that childish optimism."
"And so do you." May countered. "Look at who you are and what you've all done. You can't tell me that you're giving up on that."
Though their faces did not show it, the other prisoners were impressed. What little they could see of each other, all had the same look; scheming.
"How do you propose we escape?" asked an aged male voice.
"I haven't figured that part out yet." May admitted. "If only… never mind."
"What?" Max asked. "If only what?"
"It doesn't matter." May denied.
"What was it?" Serena pressed.
"I was hoping Ash was here." May admitted. "He would have got us out of here by now."
"Not alone." Max added. "He would have at least had Pikachu."
May nodded, agreeing. But she thought of something else. "But wouldn't they have taken Pikachu? He would be in the same situation we are."
"And he'd try everything possible to escape." Max smiled, thinking of what Ash would do. He walked to the door and looked at it.
"What is it Max?" Serena asked, curious.
He placed a hand near the doorframe. "I can feel a draft."
"So?" May asked, folding her arms.
Max slowly applied pressure to the door, feeling no resistance as the door opened. The two girls in the cell let their mouths drop, seeing the open door.
"You have got to be kidding me." May whined.
"Seriously?" Serena asked.
"What is it?" called a voice.
The three youngest looked around the door. Seeing no-one, they cautiously stepped out, seeing the row of cells that housed experienced Pokémon trainers.
"Where do we go?" May whispered, not wanting the captors to know they had escaped.
"There's only one way in and out of here." Informed the elderly voice.
"And no offence, but the three of you can't handle all those grunts." The gruff man added.
"You're right." Serena agreed, walking away from May and Max.
May and Max began looking for keys to open the other cells. They both agreed that it would be so much easier with their Pokémon.
"We can't find any keys." May told the cell occupants.
"That's alright." Said the voice of the red haired woman May saw when she first looked out of the cell. "We'll find another way out."
"But we can't leave you in here." May argued. "We've got to get you out of here."
"I don't see how." Added the elderly voice.
"What about this thing?" Serena asked smugly, showing May and Max a small device.
"Is that the…?" May asked.
Serena nodded and pressed it. She picked a Poké ball and pressed the button, smiling wider as the ball enlarged. She threw the ball, releasing a small panda looking Pokémon with a pair of red sunglasses on its head.
"Cute." May observed.
Serena looked at the cells. "Where's the one with the super strong bars?"
"Over here!"
"Pancham, use Arm Thrust on that cell door." Serena told the small Pokémon.
Pancham walked to the door and looked at it. He looked a little worried but with a little encouragement from Serena, he raised an arm, which promptly glowed white. He pulled back his glowing arm and quickly thrust it forward, denting the door.
Pancham repeated the move another three times, finally making a hole large enough for him to go through if needed.
Pancham jumped back in shock as a pair of eyes appeared at the other side of the hole. "Nice work little guy."
"Is that any use to you?" Serena asked.
"Stand back." He simply said, Pancham quickly running back to Serena.
With a mighty roar, the door was quickly torn open, revealing a very muscular man, with some of his hair tied back into a ponytail. The man stepped out and looked at the corridor and cell doors.
"Thanks kids." He said, knocking at a door. He let out a roar and instantly broke the door. "Guess my door was reinforced."
The red haired woman delicately walked over the door and joined the small group in the corridor. "Thank you. Now let's get out of here."
"Pancham and I will help get the others out." Serena volunteered, with Pancham already breaking down the door for the elderly woman, who needed a walking stick to help with her movement.
"Funny how it's the younger generation that helps us out these days." She observed. "I feel like I'm a relic." She quickly threw a warning glance at the muscle man who had a small smirk on his face.
"So what's the plan?" Max asked.
"We need our Pokémon." The old woman instantly said.
"Where are they?" Max asked.
"We're not sure." The red-haired woman answered. "They used a psychic Pokémon to hypnotise us until we were locked in our cells."
"And it clearly wasn't long enough." Commented a voice.
The group of seven turned their attention to a woman with purple hair. May and Max each held a Poké ball, ready to release their Pokémon.
"I demand you give our Pokémon back." The eldest instructed.
"Sorry old lady." The woman smiled. "I'm under orders not to do that."
"You clearly don't know who you're talking to." Max inputted.
"Some old fossil who the boss wants locked up." She answered.
The old lady walked forward and stared the purple haired woman directly into her eyes. "Well then, this 'old lady' will have to put you in your place."
"You don't have your Pokémon with you."
"True, but you really shouldn't have let me keep my necklace." She smirked, reaching up to her neck and revealed a small Poké ball attached to a chain. "My other Pokémon may be strong, but I never let this Pokémon out of my sight. Our bond is too strong." She tapped the ball twice, causing a purple Pokémon to be released. It was easily recognised as a Haunter.
"Hypnosis." Was the simple command.
The purple haired woman began to feel sleepy. She quickly dropped to her knees and before she fell asleep, uttered the words 'Curse you Agatha'.