Hope you enjoy, everyone! As always, feedback is greatly appreciated!


A light, soft drizzle poured outside of the Pokemon Center as our heroes returned from getting their room in order. After speaking to the Nurse Joy at the front desk to get their room key, they had found out the Saffron Contest wouldn't be for another two days. That left them with this evening and tomorrow to do what they wished.

Of course, they would do some training, but Saffron had many sights to see. Dawn wanted to get in a little shopping, too.

Walking side by side under an extra large umbrella held up by Empoleon, they enjoyed the surprisingly cool evening. The weather certainly had been warming up lately. They were headed into the last half of spring, though.

"I think you could use some new shoes," Dawn confessed. "The same kind, if you want, but you're so rough on them. I mean, I'm rough on mine, too, but they're rubber all over. You can't tell!"

Not too terribly eager to get dragged into the mall he knew very well was in Saffron, Ash wildly grasped for something else to do. "Uh… What about Silph Co.?" he asked. "Don't you wanna see what that's about?"

Cocking her head, Dawn thought about it. "I would like to know… I've heard they make technical machines! Maybe they've got some new ones?"

"Why don't we go see? I know the ones we bought back on Cinnabar were great!"

"Alright, let's head there!"


After walking a bit, the rain finally let up. By then, though, it was already a well into the evening. The street lights were on. All the same, Dawn was cooing as she read the signs.

"'An invention even greater than the Silph Scope'," she read aloud. "'A treasure so good that rare candies will be rendered obsolete'!" Dawn continued. She looked to Ash. "It's that good?! Rare candies are so luxurious… I've never even had one! Only people with very high level Shuckle get them!" she complained.

"I don't think that's how they're made," Ash muttered.

"Then how are they made?" Dawn inquired.

Ash paused. "... The same way a rage candy bar is made…"

"And, how is that?"

He crossed his arms, averting his eyes from the bluenette.

Pikachu shook his head at his trainer's antics.

"If they said it's impressive, it's got to be impressive!" Dawn whined.

"Let's just go in and see!" Ash suggested. He quickly walked up the few steps elevating the Silph Co. office from the rest of the sidewalk.

Dawn and Empoleon joined him and Pikachu in the surprisingly empty lobby. The only person there was a single tour guide. She kept glancing, out of the corner of her eye, at the wall partition to her right.

"G-Good evening, children! How can I help you?"

"We're here for the tour!" Dawn chirped.

The guide clearly stiffened up. "I'm sorry, but we aren't offering any more tours today." She paused. "Actually, I don't know when we'll be offering tours again. Here, why don't I walk you out? I ought to lock the door."

"Oh, no need to worry," Dawn said, disappointed. "We'll see ourselves out."

"No, I insist!" the tour guide said, her heels tapping against the tile floor as she walked towards Ash and Dawn.

"I've been thrown out enough to tell when it's about to happen. C'mon, let's beat it," Ash muttered.

He, Pikachu, and Empoleon quickly exited the building. Dawn did the same, though she paused ever so briefly after exiting. She could have almost sworn that, half-hidden by the glare thrown on the glass windows and doors thanks to the street lights, she could see the guide gazing intensely at Dawn.

Unnerved, the girl sprinted to catch up. "Wait for me!"


"What a bummer," Ash complained, sinking into a sofa into the lobby of Saffron's pokemon center. "I really wanted to see what the big change in battling was gonna be. Guess we'll just be in for the night, after all." The teen pouted, folding his arms behind his head.

Even if they wanted to go shopping, it was getting a little late, anyway.

"I guess I could spend the night planning contest maneuvers," Dawn figured, pacing around the tiled form with a small notepad and a pen tapping against it in hand. With nothing to do, she was growing a little restless… Maybe Ash was starting to rub off on her.

Before the duo and their pokemon could sink more comfortably into their quiet routines, a blaring tune from across the lobby grabbed their attention, drawing the group's eyes to the television stationed on the wall of the center.

"We're in with a breaking news bulletin!" A reporter spoke up, stiffly shuffling her papers with furrowed brows. "Saffron's own Silph Company, home to many exceptional advancements in technology, has been wrapped up in a hostile takeover! Details are still coming in, but the culprit is believed to be Team Rocket."

"What!?" Ash's fists clenched, teeth gnashing together.

The large, red "R" emblem was shown behind the reporter. "Local police have are in a stand-off with agents outside of the building, and we've had no luck contacting anyone on the inside. Team Rocket's demands, so far, are unclear. Our local Officer Jenny has advised residents to stay calm, stay put, and keep clear of the scene."

"Like hell," Ash muttered, putting his cap back atop his head, setting it straight.

Dawn needn't even ask what was running through the trainer's mind. "I know what you're thinking, Ash… But, you heard them. There's no way we'd even get in. The police already tried." As much as she really wanted to put those creeps in their place… the memories of Fuschia still made her cringe. "I don't think we'd be helpful just storming in."

"We can't just sit here," Ash countered, slinging his backpack over his shoulders. "Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted, a paw thumping his chest. They had to do something!

Dawn exhaled. "There probably are a lot of people in trouble, and pokemon, too… We have to do something." Who died and made them the evil team babysitters?

"Knew you'd come around." Ash stood after Pikachu had boarded his shoulder. "We'll find way!"

"You bet," Dawn agreed, calling back Empoleon. "I'd love to have you out, buddy, but we can't afford to stand out."

"Now, hold on a second!" Nurse Joy shouted, slamming her hands down on the counter. "You heard that reporter. No one's supposed to go near the area, let alone get involved! I wouldn't be doing my job if I let you two walk out that door."

"Sorry, ma'am, but I can't just sit here." Ash frowned, nervously adjusting his cap. He bowed his head before turning the headgear backwards. "Don't worry, we'll be fine!"

"Pika!"

Dawn followed soon after, bowing similarly to the nurse. "No need to worry. We know what we're doing!"

Before the coral-haired nurse could get out another word, the three had slipped through the glass sliding door. She exhaled, a hand held over her chest. "Oh, Mew… Trainers always get ahead of themselves past a certain age." In this situation, she was helpless, really.

She could only hope that the police would handle this.


By time they'd passed the Pokemon Center, Ash had broken out into a sprint. "Is it just me, or does it feel like they're up to more than usual!?" Glaring at the approaching building, Ash bared his canines. "I'm really getting sick of 'em, walking around like they own the ground they walk on."

"Come to think of it… That receptionist was acting awfully strange. Do you think she was trying to keep us out of trouble!?" Dawn huffed, doing her best to keep up with Ash. Her eyes grew wide at her own revelation. "Maybe once we left, she managed to call the police!?"

"Pika-Pika…" Pikachu bore a large frown, his cheeks crackling. The poor woman must've been terrified. Being at their mercy must've been no fun at all. They'd do something about this!

"If she did, they'll be fine. One way or another!" If Officer Jenny couldn't figure it out, she'd have help.

When the crime scene came into view, though, the group skidded to a halt.

"Once again, it's an order! Let everyone inside out of the building. Be reasonable, and you might not see life behind bars!" Tightly gripping a megaphone, Officer Jenny shouted to the offending agents blockading Silph Co. An Arcanine bore its sharp fangs, stepping forward with a growl.

"Ahaha! In ya dreams, Officah Killjoy! Team Rocket's callin' da shots around here!" An upright, two-foot tall Meowth cackled, pulling down an eyelid to mock the authority figure.

Around him stood a duo of young adults, a woman with long, scarlet hair, and a man with lavender. Each stood with a confident hand on their hips, and a Magneton and a Wobuffet beside them.

"Then you've given me no choice! Arcanine, Flamethrower!" Jenny ordered.

"Arrr!" The Legendary pokemon howled, shooting off a hot stream of flames.

"Wobbufet, take care of that!" Jessie countered, a smirk on her cherry-red lips.

"Wobbu-Wobbu!" The Patient pokemon flung himself in the fire's path with glee, his body glistening with a multicolored coat. Flamethrower crashed into the Mirror Coat, forcing the blue pokemon to contort before bouncing the flames back.

"Agh!" Jenny quickly shrunk to guard herself from the flames, scowling in frustration.

James's lip quivered, the red rose in his hand trembling. The outright success they were having in repelling the cops… "Can you believe it, Jessie? The boss trusted us to stay on guard, and we're not letting him down!" The thought alone was enough to make the man sob into his glove. "I've always wanted to escape failure…!"

Jessie groaned, reaching over to yank James by the ear. "Pull yourself together! We can't go looking soft in front of the cops. Besides, we'll have plenty of time to celebrate our success once he gets what he came here for!"

"O-of course!" The softer man sniffled, turning back towards Jenny and the surrounding cluster of cop cars. He wore a haughty grin, pointing forward. "Now, Magneton! Metal Sound attack!"

"Ton…!" The Magnet pokemon screeched, exuding horrible, ear-splitting sound waves upon the scene. Jenny was forced to shield her ears, and Arcanine whined in irritation. The windows on the cop cars even began to crack.

"Team Rocket…!" Ash hissed. "Why, those rotten… Let's get 'em, Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

Just as he lurched forward, a hand yanked his jacket, holding him in place. Naturally, it was Dawn's.

"Hold on, Ash. Believe me, I want to get at them as much as you do, but you heard the news. We wouldn't be allowed near there! Besides…" She put a hand to her chin, her eyes scanning the scene. "We might find out a lot more by sneaking in… If we could just find a way to get around them."

"I guess you're right," Ash admitted begrudgingly, folding his arms over his chest. "But how?"

"Extremespeed!" Jenny could be overheard.

Arcanine stampeded towards the steps in a blur, ready to crash into Magneton.

"Zap Cannon," James countered with a hand forward.

The three heads of Magneton spun, hissing as a crackling orb was fired.

An booming explosion followed, burying the scene in smoke and ashes.

"Now's our chance," Dawn insisted, pulling again on Ash's collar. "We can get into the alley!"

"Good idea, Dawn," Ash praised. "C'mon!"

The duo rushed down the street, making their way into the ashened clouds.

"Pikachu, mind lighting things up for us?"

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, his cheeks crackling. Golden flashes guided the group through the debris. Spotting a corner to the building, he perked up, pointing forward. "Pika-Pikachu!"

"Good eye, Pikachu!" Dawn praised. "There's got to be an alleyway there… Come on, Ash!"

"On it!" He turned on his heel to run past the corner, only skidding to a halt when the smoke faded. He coughed and hacked into his sleeves, eyes tearing from the smoke. He reached to wipe them with his glove.

As it turned out, that wasn't a very good idea. "Crap, that stings." He blinked his now red eyes.

"Here," Dawn reached into her pocket, pulling out a handkerchief to hand to Ash.

"Thanks." He took the cloth, gently rubbing his eyes with it. "How'd you know to have that on you?" He reached up to use the clean side to rub Pikachu's eyes, as well.

"Chuuu," Pikachu purred, using his stubby arms to rub his face clean.

"I came prepared!" Dawn declared proudly with a raised finger. "I'm sure you know that practicing appeals can get pretty messy, especially with moves like Smokescreen. If we weren't in such a rush, I would've brought eye drops…"

"I'll be fine," Ash assured. "Now, let's find a way in!"

"There's a window!" Dawn pointed to the side of the large structure, where a glass window closed off what looked to be a dark and dingy supply room. "I told you we'd find our way!"

Pikachu was suddenly passed to Dawn while Ash adjusted his cap, securing it on his head.

Stepping forward, Ash put his hands on the window pane. "I'll go in first." Pushing it in, he was relieved to see it was unlocked. The question was if the space would be big enough for him to go through. Heaving himself up and then through the small window, he found that once he got his shoulders through, the rest was relatively easy.

Landing on his hands before gently letting himself down and tumbling through, he spoke back.

"Hey, it's clear! Send Pikachu through and then I'll help you!"

"Okay!"

Poking his head through the window, Pikachu was pleased to see the room really was closed off. Filled with cleaning supplies but otherwise harmless, this was an ideal entry point. They could gather their thoughts.

"Here I come," Dawn announced as her head poked over the window sill. Soon, she was crawling through.

Ash held his hands out to catch her…

But, she wasn't budging.

"...I'm stuck!" she whimpered, realizing that, while her top went through easily, her bottom wasn't having it.

"Are you kidding me?!" he hissed in a whisper. "C'mere!" Tugging on his girlfriend's arms, he tried to bring her on through.

"Ow! Be gentle!"

"What's even stuck?! You're not that big!"

While the two were struggling to get all the way in, the closet door opened.

"Hey! We've already been chided for messing around in-... the…"

Looking behind them, Dawn and Ash spotted a female grunt with a flashlight. Beside her, a Zubat fluttered.

"... Ah… Ah! Intruders!" she shouted, making an attempt to dart out of the closet.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Ash snapped, letting go of Dawn to grab the grunt and pull her into the closet. He kicked the door shut as he did so.

Meanwhile, Pikachu sparked in anger as the Zubat attempted to rescue its trainer.

"Ah!" the grunt screamed. "Lemme go, lemme go, lemme go!"

Finally falling through, Dawn rubbed her shoulder before standing. "What're we gonna do with her?! She's getting loud."

"...! I've got an idea. Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

"Pika-chu!" Jumping up, whirling, and knocking the little bat down, he put a decisive end to that battle.

"Great!" Standing up and letting the girl go, Ash stood against the door while she sniveled. "Dawn, c'mere."

"Hm?" She walked over.

Once there, Ash whispered into her ear while the grunt looked on in fear.

"Is that what you and Bertha were doing that night?!"

He nodded. "Hehe, yeah, sorry!"

Shaking her head, Dawn walked over to the grunt. "Ash, we're gonna talk about this later… But, you, grunt!"

"P-Please don't hurt me!"

"I won't! … If you've got a spare set of clothes."

Blushing, the grunt looked to the side. "A-Actually, I've just got on a pair of shorts and a tank top on under this. T-The material chaffs…"

"Ugh, really?" Dawn whined.

"Dawn!" Ash quickly reminded.

"Fine, fine. Alright, look, if you give me that uniform and leave through the window, we'll let you go. Is that a deal?"

The grunt hesitated.

"If you don't agree, we'll tie you up with a rope a smidgen on the tight side and leave you here for the police to find," Dawn said in a deadpan.

"F-Fine! But, he has to turn around!" the grunt squealed.

"Deal!" Ash agreed before turning to face the door with his arms crossed. Pikachu mimicked him, giving the girls their privacy.

After some brief fluttering of clothes and the clatter of the grunt grabbing her Zubat before leaving, it grew quiet.

"Houndoom, come on out!"

Assuming that meant it was fine for him to turn around, Ash found himself taken back by the sight of Dawn in the uniform. With her characteristic bangs tucked away into the hat and her long hair gone, she could easily blend in with the others!

Nodding in approval with his shock, she explained. "No one on Team Rocket has an Empoleon, but I've seen a few Houndour around! Houndoom works, doesn't he?"

Barking happily, the dark type wagged his tail at Ash.

He scratched the dark type's chin. "You're gonna help us out a lot, aren't ya, buddy?" Turning back to Dawn, Ash spoke again. "I can't go with you, so why don't we split up? I'll take out Rosa. We'll sense out for you every few minutes so we can both search for clues. If you find anything, try to get excited. We'll meet up."

Ash frowned. "... Buddy, you're really bright. Here, get in my backpack."

Frowning, but in no place to disagree, Pikachu waddled over and tucked himself into Ash's backpack. Meanwhile, the Riolu was released.

"Hey, Rosa!"

Taking a quick survey of her surroundings, the fighting type didn't even take time to greet Dawn back. ~Again?!~ she whined.

"Yeah… I'm sorry," Ash apologized.

"Well, let's get going," Dawn said as Ash opened the door.

"You take the right. I'm sensing some more people that way. I'll take the left."

"Got it!"

With that, the two departed.


Keeping to the shadows and pressing one shoulder to the wall at almost all times, Ash found that the hairs on the back of his neck stood with his heightened awareness while a light sweat was working up along his brow from constantly using his aura sensing abilities. Similarly, from her perch on his shoulder, Rosa's feelers were wiggling almost non-stop.

Within Ash's bag, though, Pikachu grew cramped and discontented. When could he go ahead and get out?

"Alright, first group," Ash muttered as he picked up on the aura signatures of strangers. "I'm clocking in three. How about you, Rose?"

"Rio," she yipped quietly in agreement.

Crouching down down at the corner of the passage, Ash tried to figure out how exactly he was going to handle three at once. He could fight them, sure, but they'd call for help, no doubt.

Instead, he looked above him. The hall light! Forming a very small bundle of aura, he launched it towards the fixture. It shattered almost quietly and then suddenly the hall was taken over by darkness.

"What the heck was that?" called one of the grunts.

Backing off into the darkness he'd created, Ash was suddenly extremely grateful for Riley's training. Closing his eyes and relying on his abilities, he tapped occasionally along the hallway to lure them in further.

"Sounds like a lost Rattata," one of the grunts grumbled. "One of you go get it before it chews up every wire in the place."

"... Me? I don't wanna!"

"Scared of the dark?"

As one of the three walked into Ash's waiting trap, the trainer supposed they really should have been more afraid. Still, he waited. It was only when the grunt was right in front of him, blind in the darkness but clicking his tongue for a Rattata that wasn't there that Ash struck.

One swift punch did it. Connecting against the grunt's chin, the poor guy went down easy. Ash carefully caught him, not trying to hurt the underling more than necessary.

"... Was that a smacking noise?"

"Y'think it maybe used Fake Out on him?"

"Can Rattata learn Fake Out?"

"Well, if it can, it can only use it once. I'll go drag the big idiot out. You go ahead with the patrol."

As the first grunt walked away, the second stepped into Ash's darkness.

"Here, y'little rascal. You aren't supposed to use moves on us, y'know. We're your masters."

Once again, the darkness was on Ash's side. Aided by aura detection, he delivered another swift blow to the grunt. With a strangled cry, this one went down as well.

Shaking his fist after, Ash walked down to the end of the hall.

"Alright Rose… Four halls meet here. I know which way they came, but where did our guy go?"

~To… The left!~ she conveyed.

Walking briskly down the hall, Ash soon saw the grunt before him.

Without turning around, the grunt spoke. "You got him, I guess? … Hey, why aren't you-"

Another slug took down the final grunt.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu complained from within the bag.

Rosa giggled. ~It is like Power Up Punch!~

"Yeah, yeah, but my knuckles are gonna be cracked by the end of this," he grumbled. "Oh! Hey! An elevator!"

Walking over, Ash supposed this was what they were all headed to. He could just use this and meet up with Dawn on the second floor!

However, Ash found that the buttons didn't respond to him. Furrowing his brows, he looked back at the grunt. Did they have a card key on them or something? As he walked back over, he spotted something more revealing.

"Dammit… They had walkie talkies. I can't call for an elevator." Shaking his head, he looked around. "Let's keep looking. We may find a stairway. Dawn's looking, too."


Meanwhile, shortly after exiting the closet, Dawn ran smack into a pair of other grunts.

"What'd you scream for?!" one of them demanded.

"Yeah, did you see someone?!" the other asked.

Scrambling for an excuse, Dawn held her hands up. "O-Oh, no!"

"Then, what'd you yell for?!"

"Um… I… Got spooked by a Rattata," she weakly replied. "Yeah, that's why I got out my Houndoom. I didn't want it to Bite me, so I scared it off."

Grunting, the underling put his hands on his hips. "I've heard of girls who were afraid of bugs, but Rattata? What kind of grunt are you?"

The other shrugged his shoulder. "Zubat are more popular among girls. That's probably why."

"Well, why don't we keep this between us?" Dawn pressed.

"Sure, it's not worth bringing up."

"The uppers sure wouldn't care."

"Great!" Dawn sighed in relief.

"C'mon," one of the grunts said. "We're gonna see who's gonna relieve the others on reading duty."

"Reading duty?" Dawn echoed, but followed the two boys all the same.

"Yeah, you know they told us they couldn't afford to bring in the scanners or any big tech this mission. We'd have to be real discrete." He huffed. "We convinced the boss to come, but before the scientists snuck in, that witch of a woman called the police!"

"What a coward! We weren't doin' nothin' to her!" the other grunt snarled. "Anyways, because we can't just download the information, we're all remembering it. If we all know, it won't matter if we get split up… Or, caught." He shook his head. "But, I ain't gettin' caught!"

"Me neither!" the other grunt insisted. "Aight, shortie, we're here! Maybe we'll all get reading duty together? Or, we'll relieve someone on patrol…"

Standing among a small group of grunts, Dawn noticed that her Houndoom was the only fully evolved pokemon there. That was, of course, aside from the overseer who was speaking to the group.

The woman, dressed differently from the grunts only in that her uniform was white rather than black, adjusted her glasses. "The boss is still negotiating with the president of Silph Co. As such, floor eleven is absolutely vital to guard. Elevator service is still strictly forbidden. You all will continue to memorize pokeball data so that we may improve our Rocketballs. Now, if…" she paused. "Hm. You there, in the back with the Houndoom."

Had she been caught already?! Dawn nervously nodded. "Yes?"

"You'll be on patrol duty."

While Dawn resisted sighing in relief, the two boys beside her snickered.

"Don't get spooked," one muttered.

"As for the rest of you, break's over. Return to reading duty."

As the crowd parted, Dawn decided to take a gamble.

"Um, miss?" she asked, walking over. "Where should I patrol? If the elevators aren't working, I should stay on this floor, right? But, if it's another, how do I get there?"

The superior narrowed her eyes. "... You're very pretty but very dull. Who have you been brown nosing to get that Houndoom?" There was a pause. "Don't get ahead of yourself. One of the admins or executives may have given you a spare Houndoom, but I doubt they'd give you a lift key. Only competent grunts need apply." She furrowed her brows. "Now, hurry along your patrols before you're less than competent or useful."

"Right," Dawn meekly said, though her pride was crying out for her to attack the woman. Who was she speaking to as if they were stupid?! Sure, Dawn had played dumb to get information, but it still grated on her nerves!

Still, she had to keep up the act. "Houndoom, let's go find some sneaks, okay? I want to be praised again!" Running off, she figured it was time to finally find Ash.


"There… Sorry, Pikachu." Ash shut a door behind him as Pikachu sprung from the green backpack, gasping for breath. Sure, he had air, but man, was that sack cramped.

"Piiii," Pikachu purred as he shook his body out, spare electricity crackling off as he let off a good bit of movement that the knapsack had denied him. It was nice to be active again, even if only for a minute. He couldn't wait to get to the bottom of this, he was ready to get out of this joint.

"This floor looks kinda empty. Maybe nothing important's going on here." Ash reached to wipe some sweat from his forehead, stretching his back out. Getting a minute away from the action was nice. The room seemed to be air conditioned, judging by the hairs standing up on the back of his neck, and the scent of cheap air freshener passing the group. A few desks with ordinary-looking computers were scattered around. "Must be a bunch of regular old offices around here. Figures that Team Rocket'd leave it alone."

A wooden creak sent a chill down the trio's spines, all six eyes flicking toward the other side of the room. Each tensed, ready to leap at the next agent to pop out and bust them.

Meanwhile, all they heard was a strained gasp.

"Who's there!?" Ash barked, scrambling to his feet. If their plans got spoiled by one rotten…

"P-please… I didn't mean to get caught up in this," a feeble, vaguely masculine voice cracked. Slinking up from behind the desk was a trembling man, looking to be in his thirties, with a white-collar outfit complete with glasses and a buzz cut. "I'm just an office guy, please-"

"Hey, it's fine," Ash interrupted, raising a hand in a weak attempt to reassure the hostage. "You can calm down, I'm not one of them." Even as he denied hostility, his fist tightened. Too much so, probably. "We came here to kick those creeps out and help out whoever's trapped in here."

"Pika-Pika!" Ash's companion asserted in tandem, climbing up his trainer's back to sit atop his shoulder, raising a paw to attest to their peaceful message.

"Rio!" The pup joined them, punching a fist in the air. These jerks popped up way too often!

The worker slid down against the wall, letting out a pained breath of relief. "Thank Mew… I thought I was done for. Look, kid, that's noble of you, but you'll get yourself killed! I can't even get out of here. I… I tried to sneak out, but the elevator's busted! Going down the stairs is way too risky. Run into just one of those thugs, and-"

"Pull yourself together," Ash interrupted, doing his best to use a calming voice. He was used to looking out for startled pokemon, but humans even older than him… He wasn't particularly used to it. "Don't worry. I've dealt with these guys plenty. Soon as I get to the bottom of this, you guys'll be good to go. There may be a lot of 'em, but it's not everyday they meet a trainer like me!" Or Dawn, for that matter. Arceus, he hoped she was doing alright.

"Thank you," the man swallowed, beginning to calm down. "You're a lifesaver. Just be careful, huh? Is there anything I can do?"

"Unless ya know something, not really," the trainer admitted. "But hey, don't sweat it. I wish I could get you out of here now, but havin' someone else with me would bring on more attention." Already feeling guilty, he yanked up his backpack, rummaging through it before pulling out a sandwich coiled up in plastic wrap. He tossed it to the anxious worker. "You might be in here a lil' while longer, so it's the least I can do."

"Pika-Pikachu!" The electric mouse waddled over to the man, patting him with his tail. Rumors said that Pikachu were good at soothing people, right? Or maybe one of his kind had just said that to play the species up. In any case, it didn't hurt to try.

This day'd been hell… But maybe there was hope of him walking out of here alive, after all. "Thanks, kid. You've got a good heart in you. I'll be rooting for you three."

"You can count on us!" Ash pumped a fist, flashing a confident smirk at the man. "Hey, Rosa, could ya check out the rest of the floor? I think it's about time we get out of here."

Mew forbid any other hostages were suffering under this operation.

~Roger!~ The Emanation pokemon yipped. She let her gray lids fall shut, each nerve bundle on the sides of her head levitating as a paw was pressed to the floor.

A low hum came from the pup, mono-colored blueprints growing outward in her mind. Things seemed relatively quiet and uneventful in the general area… At least for a moment. Her heart began to pick up paces when a great deal of activity began to emanate from down the hall. A lot of signals…

Way too many auras. Erratic, racing pulses that turned a hum into a high-pitched whine. Her eyelids clenched painfully tight, nerve bundles standing straight up. Anxiety thrived… Enough to cause the pokemon's eyes to shoot open, a high-pitched anxious howl alerting Ash and Pikachu alike.

"Hey, hey, Rosa!" Ash rushed to the Emanation pokemon, scooping her into his arms. He lightly stroked the trembling pokemon's ears, brows knit downward. He bit his lip, doing his best to keep his breathing steady. Extra stress was the last thing the pokemon needed. "It's fine, it's fine… No need to worry. It's just us, over here."

"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu fretted, rushing over on all fours to pat the pokemon's rather slim back.

"W-what's wrong with her?" The man present stammered, having nearly spit bread out of his mouth. He'd managed to swallow. "Did they do something!?"

Ash shook his head. "She's really sensitive to a lot going on at once. Especially if other people are making her anxious… Or pokemon. There's gotta be a lot of one of 'em gathered somewhere."

~S-scared…~ The fighting type whimpered. ~Not good.~

"I was worried about that… Someone's in trouble, I bet. More than just someone. We've gotta go! ...If you can handle it, right now," he froze in his tracks, peering down at the Riolu.

~I… I'll be fine!~ Rosa huffed, trying to regulate her breath. If she could do this at a big contest like the Wallace Cup, she could hold herself together, here. ~We gotta help!~ She insisted with furrowed brows, staring Ash right in the face.

"Hah, I really rubbed off on you, huh?" Ash couldn't help but smile from cheek to cheek. Was that a father's pride setting in? He'd outright raised her, after all. "Alright, let's do it! C'mon, Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu howled in agreement, running up Ash's back to slip into the main compartment of Ash's backpack. He pulled the flap halfway shut, ready to keep his eyes open for danger.

"Don't worry, buddy. Once we find the top Tauros, you'll get to beat 'em good."

"You can do it," the worker encouraged, crawling back into his hiding spot behind the desk in the corner of the room. "Everyone working for Silph Co. would be rooting for you!"

"We won't let 'em down," Ash flashed a thumbs-up as he stepped out, shutting the door behind him. Sliding up against the wall, he inched towards the center of the floor. "Alright, Rosa. Show the way!"

She huffed, pointing to the hallway to the left. ~T-There! The far door to the right!~

"There's gotta be some people hurting… Or pokemon!" Ash growled, caution pushed to the backburner of his thoughts. He hurried down the brightly lit corridor, swerving on his heels to turn his attention to the wooden door with a faded glass window. Some looseleaf sheet of paper was blocking his view in; probably taped up at the last minute. A plate on the door read " 503 - Product Test Room."

"This it?" Ash checked with the Riolu on his shoulder.

"Rio," she nodded, still a bit shaken.

"Then let's bust it open," he grunted, jiggling the handle. He grimaced. "It's locked… C'mon!" He jammed his foot against the wall, yanking on the door with all of his might. "Gnh…! No luck. Hey, Rosa, mind helpin' me bust this thing open?"

"Rio!" The pokemon yipped, leaping at the wooden barrier to deliver a fierce kick.

The wood began to show cracks.

"Good, you're getting there… Give it another go-"

"Hey! What the hell's going on down here!? If any of you are interrupting our procedures, that'll count as insubordination! I'm sure you wouldn't want Giovanni to..." A lanky man cloaked in a white, clearly outstanding Rocket outfit and short-cut teal hair stepped out. His eyes narrowed upon the red-cloaked trainer and his pokemon. "Looks like we've got a Raticate that crawled in through the cracks. You should know what happens when you get in Team Rocket's way."

"Shoot," Ash spat, letting go of the handle to eye the Rocket. He tightened his fist.

His time sneaking around had run out.