Thank you, to everyone who stuck through the grit of chapter 59! We guarantee you'll enjoy what follows. As always, feedback and reviews are very much appreciated.


The pitch black of Ash's lids gave way to windows of light, slowly bringing him back to the sterile, uncomfortably bright room that held him captive. He winced, blinking to adjust to his surroundings. What time was it, even? Wherever he was being held, it was impossible to tell.

Even just out of slumber, the teen watched his hands tremble. His stomach ached from deprivation. "Urgh… so hungry…" He whined, slinking himself up against the wall. Sweat had drenched his skin, and some of the spilled food had stained his pant leg. He still felt disgusting.

But, on the other hand, his head was clear. "Looks like whatever they gave me wore off…" Even his complaints came together as coherent thoughts he could grasp, rather than fuzzy notions that slipped through his fingers.

Now, he could focus on his priority. Saving Pikachu and the others, and getting the hell out of here. "There's gotta be a way… Before anyone pops up. I've gotta reach Pikachu." Even if, by some miracle, he did break out, without his team, he'd be defenseless. Especially with the state he was in. "But, how…"

His dark brows furrowed. 'Hold on… Reaching him. I know Riley said something…'


Sinnoh's horizon had swallowed the sun, delivering the region a time of rest. A rather chilly breeze brushed over Iron Island, rustling a crackling campfire that lit one of its craggy outcrops.

Ash had been eager to scoot closer to the fire, basking in the warmth. Pikachu sat curled up in his lap, and Rosa nestled into the mouse's fluffy hide, sound asleep. An occasional meek whistle of a snore ruffled Pikachu's yellow fur.

"Hey… Riley?" Ash looked up from his companions, inquisitive eyes turning to his mentor, who ate a modest meal of rice and berries.

The navy-haired man politely swallowed before answering, quite unlike his protégé. "What is it, Ash?"

"You know how Rosa, you know, talks to us… Like, through our minds? What's the deal with that? It's not like she's a psychic type."

"Although the answer may not surprise you…" Riley failed to conceal a smile. "She's relaying her thoughts through aura."

"Relaying her thoughts?" Ash echoed.

"Well, we all know that pokemon can't speak our languages naturally."

Ash neglected to name the feline who would say otherwise.

"But, like you've seen, aura is a measure of life. It allows a user to perceive vitality. Strength. Temperament. Movement. Even thoughts. To one with talent, like a Lucario, or latent abilities honed by practice… You, potentially… One's aura can be a window to their very being. Rosemary allowed us to see that, as some Riolu and Lucario do."

Ash's mouth hung open. Pokemon were amazing. "I think I know what you're talking about. Around a year ago, we had to rescue a different Riolu, and I could see its thoughts and memories. Before I learned any of this stuff… But, you said I can do that with practice, right?"

"That's a great example." Knowing that Ash was well on his way warmed the guardian's heart. He nodded, laying a hand on his Lucario's shoulder. "You can… But, it's not as simple as reading minds at will. As far as I've known of our lore… It involves one opening their heart willingly. Trusting another to open that window and forge that link."

"That's incredible…" Ash looked back to his pokemon. Pikachu nestled into his shirt. "So, is that just with Riolu and Lucario?"

"That's usually the case. They're both natural channelers of the energy. Often, they're conductors of links. If they choose to, they can initiate these mental bonds. But, not every aura guardian partners with them. In these cases, they can conduct the link… It's important to remember, that even in the scheme of these great natural forces that guide us… Empathy is the key to it all. Loving and understanding one another. Seeing another's perspective."

Normally, Riley's words would be a little flowery for Ash's tastes. But, he found Pikachu's round, beady eyes looking back up at him. His curved smile was contagious. "Well, I may have a lot to learn about aura, but I get that!" He gave Pikachu a playful pat on the head.

"Cha~!" Pikachu cooed, craning his head back. If he shared trust with anyone, it was Ash!

"And, that's the key. Someday, I'm sure that gift will come to fruition."


"Things were easy back then, huh…" His biggest complaint was not having home-cooked meals. Making the mistake of eyeing the slob on the floor, Ash was already counting his blessings.

"But, Pikachu probably has it worse…" His fists tightened enough to yank on his cuffs, the metal digging into his wrists. By now, they were aching. Nonetheless, Ash exhaled, his eyes falling shut. His breathing slowed to a gentle pattern, tuning out the agonizing conditions that surrounded him.

A sickening feeling quickly overwhelmed the trainer again. Feelings of fear, pain, anger… They swirled among a web of life forms. Most human, some shaped more like pokemon, here and there. Staying focused was getting increasingly difficult. The teal blobs of light began to fuzz and scatter in Ash's anger. His eyes shut painfully tight. It was a good thing Rosa wasn't here.

"For Pikachu…" His best friend had to be out there. His pride and joy. Those positive thoughts would guide him. If he knew his companion, he'd still be holding onto hope.

A small, glowing form grabbed his attention. An extremely familiar one. His focus flooded him with a feeling of disgust. But, it wasn't overwhelming. If he could just reach him…

~Pikachu… Pikachu, can you hear me?~

An Oran Berry was held between two paws, nibbled at with little enthusiasm. Pikachu did his best to avoid eye contact with a nurse who occasionally lifted one of his paws or inspected his tail for injuries. The urge to let out a charge was overwhelming, but she was hardly the worst of the Rockets to handle him. If this was the worst of being prepped for their sick test battles, he'd endure until there was a way out.

A voice rang through his head that nearly made him choke on the berry. "Pikapi!?"

The mouse's sudden outburst startled his temporary caretaker. "Now, take it easy. If you're half as remarkable as your presence here suggests, you've got nothing to be afraid of."

~Ash!?~ Astonished as he was, a sense of relief flooded Pikachu. He could only figure to respond with his own thoughts. However Ash reached him… He felt like he knew this. But, there was no time to dwell. There were more important matters. ~Where are you!?~

Ash blinked. Receiving Pikachu's thoughts in a language he could understand… It was startling. His squeaky, familiar voice was constructing words in his mind. He must've been right about the opening of his heart. ~I'm cooped up in some cell, right now… But, forget that, what about you!? Are you alright, buddy?~

Ash's tendency to cover up his own worry was nothing new to the mouse, and today was no different. He'd turned straight to Pikachu's predicament. Like he had a level head about this. But, whatever his trainer was doing, his own anguish was leaking through. A sensation of fear made his fur stand on end. The poor guy had clearly been terrified.

~I've… Been better.~ He felt no need to worry his best friend further. ~I'm in okay shape… But I… I want out, Ash. I don't want any more of this. This is worse than usual!~

The squeak his constructed voice let loose spilled tears from Ash's ducts. He swallowed. Pikachu was trying to play tough, too, but Ash knew better.

~We'll get you out,~ Ash assured. He still trembled, but that much, he'd promise. Even if it was the death of him. ~I just wanna know your situation. We need a plan.~

~We're both getting out,~ Pikachu sternly reminded him. Selfless heroics were the last thing he wanted to see today. And, that was quite a feat. He noted the nurse's skeptical observation of his changing expressions. A faceless grunt coming through a door tipped him off. ~I'm… About to be sent to the pits to fight again.~

The captive's nostrils were flaring. Those no-good, slimy…

Pikachu's thoughts began to waver, and Ash struggled to calm himself. ~...Can you escape?~

The mouse's thoughts turned reluctantly to the pit where he'd been coaxed to battle. Surviving and winning had been a breeze. Being pitted against other innocent pokemon made his skin crawl and his little heart ache. Ash could probably feel his pain.

~I might. But, if I do, I need to find you.~

Ash grimaced. ~Well, my cell…~ His eyes darted around the room for a quick image, peering past the bars for good measure. If it was the focus of his thoughts, then maybe…

It was blurry, distorted, and poorly constructed, but bright white lights and bars made it as far as Pikachu's imagination. ~That's not a lot of help…~

Ash whistled, leaning back against the cinderblock wall. This link was already wearing on his mind. He was beginning to get a headache. ~If you can… Just run away. Get out of there!~

He winced at the incoming ferocity of Pikachu's thoughts.

~I said, we're both getting out! I'm not abandoning you, and you're not going to give yourself up! If we're leaving, we're leaving together!~ He hated to scold Ash. But, the fury that boiled at the boy's martyrdom was hard to ignore. He loved Ash. Staying behind would hurt him just as much as being here!

Pikachu's outrage translated to guilt, for Ash. His eyes dipped towards the floor, as if he had to avoid eye contact. Riley had said to consider other perspectives… Here, he had to consider Pikachu's. ~You're right… Sorry, buddy. We're busting out of here as a team! And, we're taking the others, too!~

Pikachu's fury ceased. He exhaled, just as he was being coaxed by the pesky man in black. ~I'll get out of this place. If you need help… I'm not out of shape.~

He really, really didn't want to fight. But, he might not have a choice.

~I'll count on you, buddy… Once I can, I'll pay you back.~

~I'll hold you to it.~ With that vote of confidence, Pikachu was hurried along.

Way too many Thunderbolts were long overdue.


Shaded in the emerald light filtering between the tree leaves, Dawn and Rosa wandered around the woods west of the Viridian Forest. Dawn looked over the ground, occasionally seeing bald spots that marked where tires had scarred the earth. There were also unnaturally bare portions of the forest, trees obviously cleared to help make a path.

All of this faded into nothing as Rosa's aura feelers lifted.

~Papa!~ she yelled, grabbing Dawn's hand. ~I felt Papa!~

Dawn's heart swelled. "Ash…!" Nodding, the coordinator adjusted her backpack. "Let's go!"

Letting go of Dawn's hand, Rosa ran, sometimes dropping down onto all fours to speed the process along. Dawn did her best to keep up, though two legs were no match for four when Rosa got particularly desperate to make it there quickly.

The coordinator's brows furrowed. She hoped Ash and his pokemon were alright. They only needed to hold out for a bit longer! Help would arrive soon!


The nurse was gone. Instead, Pikachu found himself face to face again with the overzealous scientist and his indifferent Marowak.

The man was cooing as he spoke to Pikachu. The electric type pressed himself as far back into his cage as he could.

"Oh, do not be afraid, you lovely beast. Oh… How lucky am I! You are a throwback! Your electric sacs are so productive… The rate they produce electricity is just magnificent! It's just like the old, truly wild Pikachu." The man laughed. "Oh, you wouldn't know, would you? Most of the Pikachu, even in the wild… They're not feral. Pikachu got so popular with people that the domestic variant outdid the wild variant." He clicked his tongue, cocking his head. "It's a shame you don't have that characteristic white belly. Oh well. That's extremely rare. I shouldn't be picky. Your electric sacs are enough!" He rubbed his hands over each other. "Now… To see what you do against your modern brothers!"

Pikachu's ears pinned back. Against his modern brothers…? Were there other Pikachu trapped here? Fat chance that he'd compete against them.

As the scientist opened Pikachu's cage, the little electric type noticed the door handle to the observation room he was being held in turning. If he could time this just right, he could escape! He allowed the scientist to grab him, knowing the grip would be looser.

Then, lo and behold, Pikachu was out of the cage, dangling in the air as the grunt walked into the room. His tail gleamed silver and he twisted in the scientist's hand, using Iron Tail to knock himself loose. Using Quick Attack, he darted over the grunt's shoulder and into the hall before anyone could do more than react in shock.

The Marowak tried to follow, but the grunt didn't move out of its way quick enough. Pushing past the underling's legs, it only saw Pikachu round a corner.

"Don't just stand there!" the scientist shouted. "Sound the alarm, sound the alarm!"

By now, Pikachu's heart was hammering in the corner he'd rounded. He darted around another corner, knowing he had to get out of sight in the halls. He looked up, spotting an air duct. Using Quick Attack to bounce off the walls, he cut it to pieces with Iron Tail. Thankfully, his velocity knocked the metal panel into the duct, rather than allowing it to drop to the floor.

Scarcely breathing, he listened for the pitter-patter of Marowak's feet.

It never arrived. Marowak was not there to witness Pikachu's second corner turn and continued on in vain. For now, Pikachu was safe.

As the alarm siren began to blare within the compound, the mouse began walking on all four paws through the air ducts. He had to find Ash quickly.


The sirens had not yet gone off when the grunts were trying to convince Ash to eat again. It was a simple meal of bread and water. It was absolutely appetizing to Ash after having nothing to eat since yesterday's breakfast, though.

He'd been convinced to drink water, but that was strictly because they presented him with a sealed bottle. The front of his shirt was drenched with their sloppy efforts of letting him drink from it. He would not, however, eat from their hands.

So, when the alarm went off, the uneaten bread was removed from his stubborn sight.

"Ugh… That's the lockdown alarm. Wonder what happened?"

"Probably a ghost type slipping out of containment," the other grunt answered the first. He shook his head. "Kid, you should have eaten when you had the chance. Oh well."

As the duo locked Ash's cell back up, he felt a sudden sense of contentment. It was no ghost type which had escaped. It was Pikachu. Ash knew it in his heart. That was the only thing it could be. Resting his head against the wall, the trainer sighed.

"Buddy… Do what you've got to. Just don't get caught…"


By now, our heroines had stopped on the edge of a clearing, breathing heavily. Before them was a small wood cabin, even smaller than the one Samurai lived in back in the Viridian Forest.

"Is that really it, Rosa?" Dawn quietly questioned, watching the door with an untrusting glare. "It's so small… How would they keep him in there? Pikachu would have torn the place apart." Though tiny, the mouse's destructive potential was practically limitless if he could get just a few feet of running space or you didn't fully encase him in rubber or glass. A swing of his Iron Tail or a jolt of his Thunder was enough to destroy mechas, much less this tiny shack.

Rosa, however, bristled her fur at the sight of the cabin. ~Papa is in there…! Far below it! Underground…!~

"... It's a cover up, then," Dawn mumbled, thinking of some science fiction films she'd watched when she was younger. "That's just the entrance."

As if to prove their point, a faint whining sound not unlike an alarm echoed from the cabin, muffled by wood and perhaps stories hidden from view. Unaffected by the noise, a grunt walked out of the door, looking calm and confident. His walkie-talkie still blared with new information.

"- Make sure to guard the exit. We're on lockdown. Someone else is going to go watch the catacombs. Do not leave your post."

Lockdown?! This was their only chance, then!

However, before Dawn could say a word, Rosa trembled just once. Then, she dashed forward, fist blazing with crimson fighting-type energy.

"Rio!" she snarled, jamming her fist into the gob smacked Rocket grunt. The man gripped Rosa's paw for a brief moment as he slouched over, looking ill before he passed out.

"Rosa!" Dawn chided, running out from her hiding spot to meet with the pup. "You've gotta calm down!"

~But… But Papa!~ she whined, looking at Dawn with fear. She was still shaking. ~They're going on lockdown! What's that mean?! You got worried, I thought that meant that they… They…!~

Dawn reached out and put her hands on the fighting type's shoulders. "We'll get Ash. You have to calm down, though. Listen to me, alright."

Dawn looked over at the grunt and saw he was breathing. She shook her head. "C'mon. Let's see how we get down there."

The two entered the cabin, looking over the floor. Immediately, a thick rug in the middle of the room stood out to them.

"... Well, that's a tell if I've ever seen one." Walking over to the rug, Dawn snatched a corner back. A metal trap door gleamed up at them. Dawn caught Rosa's eye. "You mind lifting that up?"

~Got it!~ Rosa agreed, picking up the door with ease.

Once Dawn had jumped down, the Lucario followed after…

Jumping immediately into the line of sight of a grunt with his Drowzee.

"Intruders! Drowzee, use Hypnosis!"

Dawn gulped. "Ah, Rosa, use Detect!" Would Ash's pokemon listen to her, though?

Rosa did, to Dawn's relief. Feelers gleaming and floating, the fighting type jerked Dawn to the side when she dodged the hypnotic beam.

The grunt frowned. "Tch… That Pikachu's running loose and now we have intruders?! Great… Drowzee, use Disable!"

The Lucario flinched as she felt a tweak within her mind. She tried to think of her Detect move, but the thoughts of it were sealed.

"Rosa…!" Dawn glared at the grunt. "Fine… Let's take him out. Rosa, use Aura Sphere!"

"A fighting type move against a psychic type?!" the grunt asked with a laugh. "Are you stupid?!"

Dawn thought it over, then pursed her lips. "... I'd say I'm the opposite, honestly." She grinned.

By then, Rosa had finished charging the Aura Sphere. She launched it. It crashed into the Drowzee with a magnificent blast. Smoke clouded the air as the Drowzee was knocked back into its trainer.

That was what Dawn was banking on. With their opponents blinded by the smoke from the explosion, Rosa had the upper hand with her ability to sense aura!

"Now, use Power-Up Punch!"

Darting into the obscuring smoke, Rosa found her target with ease. A quick jab and she landed a critical hit on the Drowzee's jaw. As the smoke cleared, the trembling grunt was revealed. Dawn walked forward, glaring down at him.

"You can drop all your pokemon here and run, or you can get your butt kicked." She held out her hand. "Your choice."

"... I'm going!" he said, unbuckling his belt and putting it in Dawn's hand. He walked over to the trap door and scrambled up and out of it.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "I need to find a safe place to leave this and the walkie-talkie for Officer Jenny to find." Speaking of which, she tried to use the device. It didn't relay any signal. Dawn sighed. "I guess it's got blocking capabilities, huh? Must be why no one found this place…" She shook her head. "Empoleon, come on out!"

Eye still puffy from crying, the steel type looked fondly upon Rosa and Dawn when released, only to grow alarmed at their surroundings.

"We're in a Team Rocket base," she clarified, bringing the water type up to speed. "Empoleon, we're going to face some trouble. Rosa's going to lead us to Ash, but I need you to bring up the rear for safety. Can you keep us safe?"

Clanging his steel flippers against one another, the starter cooed. "Empo!" He'd protect them until the very end!

"Great! Now, Rosa, lead us to Ash!"


Pikachu didn't know whether he was in the air ducts until he heard the cries of a pokemon beneath him. Looking through the metal slits to his right, he saw the pits. Grimy, uncleaned, and stinking of the ichor of battle, the pits were everything awful about battling when done for the wrong reasons. He watched in disappointment as a Rapidash tried to battle against a Nidorina, but found itself constantly held off by ground type moves.

There were others here suffering… Surely Ash would understand if Pikachu was held back for a minute to liberate and ally with his peers.

A burst of electricity marked his grand exit from the air duct. He landed in the middle of the field, surrounding by the three current fighting pairs. He laid his eyes on the shoddy imitations of the Silph Co. level limiter prototype. He shuddered at the sight of them, but at once used Thunderbolt on the one hooked onto a Girafarig's neck.

The previously dropping, dark head of the beast lifted with joy, strength renewed. The yellow head's eyes glowed blue. It smiled gratefully at Pikachu. "Gira!"

The scientists, meanwhile, gasped. "... The Pikachu! So, it's here!"

"Koffing, use-" one began to say.

Girafarig, however, was having none of it. Using its unleashed Psychic attack, the giraffe threw the purple sphere into the wall, stunning it for a moment.

"Gira!" it challenged. The scientists were done hurting it and its friends!

Pikachu's eyes gleamed. Maybe they could make it out of here if they worked together. "Chu!" he called, frying the level limiters on the other two captive pokemon.

The Rapidash and Sandslash both gratefully sighed when they felt their true power returned.

"I knew we should have put one on him, too!" one of the Rocket geniuses growled. "Research be damned, he's a menace!"

"Don't worry! We've still got Nidorina and Gloom, and even Koffing's coming back around! We'll catch them, don't worry!" another assured.

Hearing their conspiring, Rapidash stepped forward. Stomping its hooves down, it created a mighty wall of fire with its Fire Spin attack. It was merely a diversion, though, enough to make their enemies step back and think about how to approach the fleeing pokemon.

"Dash!" the horse neighed, looking at Pikachu and Sandslash.

The two nodded at each other. While Pikachu used Iron Tail on the door locking them all into the room, Sandslash used Crush Claw. With a boom and a crash, the door was not only open, but forever ruined!

"Pika!" Pikachu called, alerting them to the fact that it was time to go. The four passed what was left of the door, and the mouse hesitated. "Pikachu… Pika-Pika!"

He was very grateful for their help, but he needed to find his friend, now. They'd have to run on ahead without him. "Pikachu!" And, they'd better find their freedom!

"Girafarig!"" "Slash, Slash." "Dash!" The trio vocalized, wishing Pikachu luck. They were in his debt. But, with that, they had to sprint down the halls, pursued by swearing scientists and their pokemon. The smoke and furor must have left them less than observant, because they were too clueless to catch Pikachu running in the opposite direction.


The droning, ear-ringing pattern of alarms was beginning to give Ash a headache. He groaned, leaning back against the wall. 'If it's still goin', then Pikachu's gotta still be on the loose... '

There was a definite silver lining.

~Papa!?~

And, things were starting to look better. The familiar raspy cry flooded Ash with relief. ~Rosa!?~

Ash was pretty sure he heard sniffles and hiccups through their link. Waves of relief had reached him in no time at all. No doubt, she'd been terrified.

~Papa…! Y-you're here!~ The Lucario was dropping full-fledged tears as she ran, ducking past a Sludge attack, only to pummel an offending Weezing with an Aura Sphere. Even in the midst of battle, her heart swelled with joy. It was a miracle to hear his voice again!

~D-Dawn 'n me 'n Empoleon are coming for you! Don't worry!~

He knew it. A smile spread from ear to ear under tired, red eyes. ~I'll meet you guys… Have you felt Pikachu, yet? He's escaped wherever he was being cooped up!~

~Uh-uh.~ Rosa denied. ~I'll look!~ The biped skidded to a halt, pressing her back up against a wall, much like she'd been taught on her first stealth mission. ~H-hold on, Dawn!~

With the coordinator and Empoleon stopping in their tracks, the Lucario exhaled, a paw raising to slowly scan the base, up and down. Predictably, she whined and squealed, losing focus.

The pokemon's anguish made Ash's own head ache. He winced. ~I know, it's tough… Do what I did, and look for any positive feelings! Anything that feels right… Pikachu's free. You'll find him.~

~O-okay…~ The Aura pokemon complied, doing her best. A scurrying bundle of familiarity soon stood out. Her nerve bundles on the back of her head stood, and Pikachu's being became recognizable. ~H-he's farther down! One, two… Th-three floors down!~

~That's a great start.~ Ash breathed a sigh of relief. ~You've gotta be better at this stuff than me… You think you could get Dawn and Pikachu in on this, too?~

~I'll try!~ That would be something new to attempt… But, if they could save Ash and the others…

~P-Pikachu!~

Creeping through yet another hallway lit by fluorescent lighting, Pikachu felt relief when he heard the familiar call. ~Rosa? You're here, too?~ Maybe, now, Ash wouldn't be defenseless.

~Uh-huh… Dawn 'n big bro are with me!~ She patted Dawn's arm, trying to coax her into the conversation. ~Right, Dawn?~

Dawn blinked. Now, she was going to share her thoughts, too? This was too strange… But, that thought was shoved aside. ~I'm… I'm here, I think. Can you guys hear me~?

~Dawn!~ Ash could feel his lips curving into a smile. Miserable as he felt, things were getting better and better. ~I knew you guys would get here!~

~We can hear you!~ Pikachu stated the obvious. ~But, I need a way to find you guys.~

~Rosa said you're three floors down from me,~ Ash relayed.

~I'm on my way!~ Pikachu promised, making a dash for the next split in the hallway. If he could just find a stairway…

~We'll meet up with you guys, then.~ Dawn promised. ~Ash, do you think you could get out of your cell?~

~I doubt it, but I'll try.~ A deep breath came into Ash's lungs, and was then exhaled. He tightened a fist before opening it, making a painstaking effort to channel force into his palm. It was meant to stay tranquil and steady. But hunger and disgust made it tremble. Little more than a flicker of teal appeared in his glove. With a heavy breath, Ash slumped again.

~No good. I'm too weak… I haven't eaten anything, and I have no room to move.~

Pikachu's cheeks inadvertently crackled, and Dawn's lips pursed. ~We could try to break them ourselves, but we can't risk hurting you… Especially like this. We need keys.~

And, by now, she'd grown used to breaking and entering. ~I'm on it!~


Dashing between Empoleon's strong, sure presence behind her and Rosa's determined, fleeing form, Dawn's heart pounded. They seemed to be on the same floor as Ash, so that was of some comfort!

What wasn't of comfort, though, was the open door at the end of the hall. The three-way break in the middle of the halls stood just before what was probably a guard station, considering the small lockers and the number of grunts lingering within it. Dawn, Rosa, and Empoleon skidded to a stop just as the grunts were moving to greet her - if one could call their cruel smiles and harsh glares a greeting.

Mind whirling, the coordinator turned to Rosa. "Go!"

~H-huh?~ Rosa asked, feeling confused.

"One of us has to get to Ash! I can't find him without you. We'll hold these thugs off!" The coordinator winked. "Plus, maybe we can find the rest of Ash's team!" She frowned. "Plus… If we have to carry Ash out, we won't be able to with all of these guys running around."

~Carrying Papa?~ Rosa echoed, knowing their time together was growing short.

"He couldn't use his aura, Rosa. He's probably too weak to run, too."

Was Ash really in that much danger?! Rosa nodded, taking off down the hall to the right.

"Hurry!" Dawn called after her. "I'll come with the keys later!"

"Not so fast!" one of the grunts called, releasing a Zubat to chase after the Lucario.

"Empoleon, Ice Beam!" Dawn called.

The steel type hit the little poison type with amazing accuracy, sending the grunt's pokemon down to the ground in a ball of ice.

Empoleon lifted a flipper, squawking as the grunts released their pokemon. An Electabuzz, a Golbat, a Beedrill, and a Magmar all lingered, each grimacing at the sight of the fully evolved starter.

Dawn stomped her foot and raised her fist. "Your opponent is me!" she yelled. "Start with us, before you bite off more than you can chew!"

"You want us, girly?" one of the grunts growled. "Fine. You got us. Electabuzz, use Thunder Punch!"

"Empoleon, Whirlpool!" Dawn yelled.

When Electabuzz lunged forward, it found itself swept up in the Whirlpool Empoleon had created. Standing proud and safe on the other side of the water trap, Empoleon watched his opponents puzzle out a solution. Golbat was the first to figure out that flying around the narrow base of the Whirlpool would grant safe passage, and the Beedrill followed after. Only the Magmar remained beyond the watery barrier, uninterested in risking the contact Electabuzz was already suffering.

"Just 'cause we can't see past this Whirlpool don't mean we can't battle!" a grunt yelled, voice muffled by the roaring water. "Golbat, Confuse Ray!"

"Beedrill, use Poison Sting!"

Empoleon found himself circled by two mesmerizing orbs of colored light. His vision became blurred by them. A slight pain alerted him to the fact that something had touched him, but he wasn't sure what.

Dawn frowned. "Guess they don't know much about Empoleon's typing… Works out for me," she murmured. "Empoleon, don't move but use Steel Wing!" If he didn't move, he wouldn't trip!

"Empo!" the water type yelled, swinging his flipper.

The Beedrill which had used a futile Poison Sting against him was flung back and into the Whirlpool. Being the weakest of the group, it was soon knocked out among the waves. Dawn grinned victoriously upon seeing the grunt return the pokemon. One down, three to go!

"Electabuzz, use Swift!" a grunt called.

"Right! Magmar, use Flame Burst!"

"Golbat, Astonish!"

Dawn's eyes widened. Three attacks at one time?! "Empoleon, use Ice Beam!" He wouldn't have to move if he used that, and it wouldn't matter where he aimed as long as it was forward.

Thankfully, as the Golbat came forward to use Astonish, it never got to Empoleon. A wing was clipped by Empoleon's Ice Beam, which continued on to hit the Whirlpool. The Golbat's wing was frozen, as was the huge water vortex.

This was perhaps perfect for Magmar's Flame Burst. It bounced around, hitting all on the battlefield, friend and foe alike. Electabuzz was safely trapped in the now frozen Whirlpool, so all it did was free him from the trap. Golbat, on the other hand, was engulfed in flames, unable to escape, thanks to Empoleon's ice coating its wing.

"Gooool!" it cried in anguish before fainting.

Empoleon, for his part, flinched. The fire hurt, but not too terribly. Being part water type was not a bad asset for a steel type.

However, with Electabuzz now finally free, it was able to use Swift. That knocked Empoleon onto his rear with surprise. Where had that come from?! He was too confused to make heads or tails of the situation.

"We've got 'em on the ropes!" a grunt bragged. "Electabuzz, use Thunder Punch!"

"Magmar, you use Fire Punch!"

The two pokemon ran at Empoleon. Dawn furrowed her brows. What would be best?

"Use Steel Wing!" she called, winging it.

Empoleon wildly swung, completely missing his opponents as they were not nearly close enough yet. Though he was back on its feet, he staggered upon being hit by Electabuzz's Thunder Punch.

Crackles of electricity danced down his body, but he was not paralyzed - not this time, anyway. Magmar followed up with Fire Punch, knocking the penguin back in the other direction. His feathers crisped, but did not burn.

The hits, however, served to wake him from his confusion. Mind clear, he glared down at his smaller opponents.

"Empo!" He'd crush them!

"Mag…"

"Buzz…!"

They challenged him back, welcoming him to try to beat their magnificent tag team.

"Low Kick, Electabuzz!"

"Smokescreen, Magmar!"

Suddenly, the hall was shrouded in smoke. Dawn listened in horror as Empoleon's metallic body clanged, letting her know he'd fallen. She stepped back, thinking. Then, it hit her. She knew this move! And, the grunts were idiots for using it when they had allies and she didn't!

Grinning, she spoke up. "Empoleon, use Steel Wing and spin!"

Standing, Empoleon trusted Dawn. He couldn't see anything, but he stood on his tiptoes, wings held out from him. Even in the obscuring darkness, they gleamed a silvery gray. He span and twirled, turning into a turning top of destruction. Satisfaction rattled through his flippers as he felt them hit their mark. His opponents might not be visible to him, but as he span through the hall, they'd still get hit!

"Electabbuzz, use Thunder Punch!" a grunt called.

"Fire Punch, Magmar!"

There was a pause. Dawn listened for sounds of movement. There were none. She smiled.

"Electabuzz?!"

"Magmar!"

She ran into the smoke, knowing her opponents were knocked out. She dashed towards the light of the room.

"Empoleon, use Whirlpool on those grunts!" she called.

Meeting her at the entrance, Empoleon took the grunts by surprise.

Peering into the darkness of Magmar's smoke, all they would see us Empoleon's sudden, gaping maw releasing a flood of water to rock them around the room. Pummeled by the wave, none were left conscious.

With that, the Whirlpool dissipated.

Dawn stepped into the room, grinning. "Good job Empoleon!"

"Empoleon," he cooed, proud of himself.

"Alright… See if you can break into those lockers. I'll bet anything Ash's stuff is in one of 'em. We need his pokemon and… Probably his backpack? I'll look for the right keys." Hopefully he'd forgive them for drowning his clothes. It just hadn't been avoidable.

As Dawn looked among the sleeping bodies for a set of keys and scoured the walls for labels, Empoleon hacked open the lockers. He looked among the many revealed belts and bags, suddenly wondering how many people were trapped here.

Finally, his eyes settled on three items all in one locker. It was Ash's bag and his pokeballs, as well as his hat. The penguin felt guilty. Ash really liked that hat, but now it was very wet. He picked all of them up, holding the belt, bag, and hat on one arm.

"Poleon!" he said, calling to Dawn.

She tilted her head, looking over the keys. One was for a private cell, but the others were general keys for shared cells. Ash hadn't mentioned that he was with anyone, so she grabbed the private cell key.

"Yes, Empoleon? Did you find it-" she asked, only to stop when she saw how many other pokemon and bags were within the locker. She walked over, eyes wide and throat dry. Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. "One… Two… Four. There's four other people trapped here…" She shook her head. "We've got to give them a fighting chance, too, Empoleon," Dawn insisted.

Empoleon nodded. "Empo."

Grabbing one pokeball from each of the remaining lockers, Dawn released the first.

The pokemon took a defensive stance immediately. Dawn's heart sank. They must remember what happened just prior to being taken.

"We're not with Team Rocket!" she quickly clarified. She looked to the side. "Your trainers… I don't know where they are. There are keys right over there," she said, pointing to the wall. "Find them if you can. There's… a lot happening right now. I've got to find my friend. Good luck."

The pokemon - a Primeape, a Farfetch'd, a Golem, and a Chansey - looked among each other, seeing strangers. They then looked at their trainers' things, grabbing the appropriate pile. They had their teammates and their trainer's things. They looked to Dawn and Empoleon, deciding that this was enough. They could carry on from here.

Dawn held onto the private room key tightly. "I wish we could do more for them… But, you need a rest, Empoleon, and… I… I'm not leaving without Ash." She looked to the side. She could only do so much. She frowned. "... At least… this isn't as bad as Fuschia…"

Putting a hand on Dawn's shoulder, Empoleon cooed. "Pol…" She was doing what she could. She was only one girl.

Dawn smiled up at Empoleon. "Thank you. Now, give me that stuff. I'm going to switch you for Quilava. I'll let you see Ash once we've got him, okay?"

He nodded. "Empo…!" He wanted to see Ash very badly.

With that, Dawn slugged Ash's wet backpack over her own and clipped his pokeball-carrying belt around her waist. With nowhere else to put his hat, she begrudgingly flopped the wet cap on her own head. She returned Empoleon and released Quilava.

She nodded. "C'mon, Quilava. We've left Rosa alone for quite a while. Let's go."


He felt like a Rattata in a maze, however unhappy he was with that analogy. For an underground base, this place was surprisingly complex. But, Pikachu had finally found the stairway, and he darted up the steps as fast as his four, short limbs could take him. They'd said three floors, right…?

Now, this was one, two… Three flights! Confident he'd counted properly, Pikachu crept into the next hallway, pressing his yellow, pudgy form up against the wall. He didn't see any Rockets…

A blue blur sprinted past him, though, and grey feelers swinging from its head tipped Pikachu off. "Pika! Pika!" It probably wasn't wise to call out in here, but he just couldn't help himself. The mouse sprinted for his companion, leaping towards her.

~H-huh!?~ The Lucario skidded to a halt, turning just in time to catch the mouse that dove into her arms. ~Pikachu!~ She cooed, spinning with the mouse's momentum, hugging him tightly to her chest. Of course, mindful to avoid the spike. ~W-we found ya!~

"Pika! Pikachu~!" Overwhelmed with joy, Pikachu nuzzled into her neck, letting loose harmless sparks. Thank Arceus she was here! "Pika-Pika…" It was wonderful to not be alone, again. He could just about cry.

In fact, he was pretty sure tears were spilling down his cheeks.

~I was scared… Really scared 'bout you!~ The Lucario sobbed. She'd missed the crackling of his cheeks. She frowned, then. She hated to break up this reunion. ~B-but we gotta get to Ash. He's close!~

"Pikapi… Pika!" As much as he wanted to continue hugging it out, Ash came first. He hopped out of her arms, telling her to lead the way. "Pikachu!"

The two-mon team sprinted on down the hallway. They were intercepted by a pair of agents guarding yet another doorway, one man and one woman. They had to be guarding the cells!

"Ey, looks like we found the rat!" The male barked, sporting a particularly devious grin. If they stopped him here, this could mean a big promotion! He was seeing dollar signs as he flung his pokeball. "This is as far as ya get!"

"And, one of the intruders," his partner pointed out. "Go, Rhydon!"

The aforementioned pokemon appeared alongside a Magneton. The former roared and the latter let out a metallic screech.

Inside the guarded area, meanwhile, Ash could just barely overhear the goings on outside. A quick survey of the immediate area allowed him to sense Rosa and Pikachu. His heart felt a lot less heavy, now. ~Pikachu, Rosa! I can't see what's goin' on, so I can't help you… But I've got faith in ya. Knock 'em on their behinds!~

The duo acknowledged Ash's words, even if the Lucario trembled.

Pikachu hadn't missed this. "Pika Pika!" She just had to follow his lead!

~O-okay…!~

"Thunder Wave, on that Lucario!"

"Rock Blast on Pikachu!"

Magnetone unleashed a modest, but stunning discharge. Rhydon, meanwhile, fired a large boulder, already preparing a second to launch.

"Pikachu!" Get rid of those rocks, he told her, sprinting out of the way of the first. Before his companion would even have a chance to respond, he dove in her path. Thunder Wave's static enveloped him… And, did absolutely nothing. He landed at Rosa's feet with ease.

But, that didn't put a stop to the hunk of rock that was hurtling towards them.

A scratchy roar accompanied a fiery Power-up Punch. Rosa's fist smashed through the projectile with only mild difficulty. Through the dust and debris, an Aura Sphere was charged, subsequently flung at Rhydon.

The rock type was in the midst of charging a third boulder when the blast struck. The booming explosion elicited a roar of pain. Despite being guarded by its own attack, it was ailing.

"Pika!" Pikachu praised the Luacrio, flinging an Electro Ball off the end of his tail.

"Magnet Burst!" The male Rocket ordered.

A silver shot of energy intercepted Electro Ball. The explosion rattled Magneton, though, still.

"Pika, Pikachu!" Pikachu addressed Rosa, gesturing his tail at Magneton. Meanwhile, he sprinted towards the dizzy Rhydon, coated by a silver glow. He used his speed to vault, swinging his tail at his adversary. "Chua… Pika!"

"Don!" Rhydon groaned in agony, knocked clean through the door guarding the cells. The metal enclosure crumbled under its weight. Unconscious, it vanished into its pokeball.

Before Magneton could think to act, a paw was held in front of all three of its bodies. Striking with vengeance, Rosa used her Power-Up Punch without holding back in the least. After using it so much, the move was absolutely devastating. It sent Magneton crashing into the ground and then bouncing up again.

"W-Well, crap!" one of the grunts yelped, returning the Magneton. "We gotta get outta here! We gotta let her know!"

With that, both grunts turned tail and ran.

With no further interruptions, Rosa and Pikachu darted to the bars outside of Ash's cell.

~Papa!~ Rosa cried, putting her paws against the bars. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu pressed his paws against the bars as well, smiling.

The trainer breathed a sigh of relief. "Guys…!" He wished he was free so he could hug them.

Seeming to sense his wishes, Pikachu looked up at Rosa. "Pikapika! Pikachu!" he explained, putting his paw against the bar. He used Iron Tail against the metal, but was discouraged to see that it didn't relent. His eyes widened. What?! The doors had yielded! But, that'd been with the Sandslash's Crush Claw, too.

Rosa snorted. ~I'll help!~

Ash shook his head. "Where's Dawn?! Does she have keys?! You'll break your paw! Pikachu's Iron Tail couldn't break this… Gah, Empoleon would be good right about now…"

Just then, the smack of rubber soles against the floor along with the pitter patter of paws approaching them could be heard. It was Dawn and Quilava!

"Heard my name!" she cheered, holding up the key. She stopped, grinning. "I even found an exit map! If we go down one floor, there's an exit out into some catacombs! I guess even bad guys gotta have fire escapes," she said. "... Thank goodness this is all going to be over, soon."

Rosa and Pikachu breathed a sigh of relief, eyes shut to relax a moment. After all this stress…

The last thing they wanted to hear was Dawn yelp and the sound of her hitting the floor.

"Augh!" she yelped. She looked over her shoulder and saw a Persian's maw inches from her face.

"Quilava!" the little fire type growled, jumping at the normal type with Flame Wheel to get it off of Dawn.

Just as Dawn was starting to get up, a foot was placed between her shoulders, pinning her down again. The black pointed sole belonged to a tall woman cloaked in white, sporting devilish scarlet bangs.

"You little bitch!" Ariana snarled, digging her heel into Dawn's back.

She cried out. "Stop! Get off me!"

~Momma Dawn!~ Rosa voiced, standing and trembling again. No, not again, not more of her family hurt…!

Pikachu bristled, treading backwards with bared canines. As much as his heart willed him to help, the dimly lit halls, the cells… Even the Rocket who'd ordered he be made into a lab rat, causing pain to another person he cared about. All of these things began to make him dizzy.

His breathing accelerated, and his heart pounded with it. He wished that he could close his eyes and that this would all be gone. That they'd be back in Viridian, safe and sound, and this'd all been a bad dream.

Rather, it was more like a nightmare.

Still unable to see what was happening in the hallway beyond the bare sight of Dawn and Ariana's foot, the trainer tried to pull at his shackles. "Dawn…! Hey, Pikachu, you up to taking care of this? Soon as they're out of the way, this'll be over."

"Pika!" The mouse furiously shook his head, tears staining his cheeks. ~I'm sorry, I… I can't! All of this… It's too much. Way too much! I can't fight!~ Pikachu exclaimed, trying his hardest to take slow, deep breaths.

"Pikachu…" His companion's anguish crashed upon Ash like a torrent smashing through a dam. His own lip began to quiver, and his heart ached. If only he could do something…!

A keychain was tossed at Rosa's feet. Both of them looked to the girl, and Pikachu's panic was dulled momentarily.

Dawn's blue eyes reflected determination as much as they did unspilled tears. "Get Ash out of here! You guys need to run, too! Rosa… I know you're scared, but you've got to help Pikachu. Ash is hungry and weak!"

"We're not leaving without you, Dawn!" Ash argued.

"No one's going anywhere!" Ariana yelled.

"I'll catch up!" Dawn insisted, finally getting enough momentum to sit up, knocking Ariana off her back and off balance. "But, I can't battle her and help you! You've gotta get out of here so I can take care of this!"

With the way Dawn was talking, it sounded like she was going to sabotage the halls. Letting out a huff in another attempt to reclaim control, Pikachu nodded. "Pikaka!" He trusted her. He'd get Ash out of here, so she could work without worry. It was the least he could do.

Content to know her time fighting was done, Rosa grabbed the keys from the floor and opened the cell door. Then, she and Pikachu rushed into the room and began to unshackle Ash.

Quilava returned to Dawn's side as Persian returned to Ariana's side. The coordinator unbuckled Ash's belt and threw it behind her along with his bag and hat.

"Dawn… You better make it out of here!" Ash snapped, worry turning to anger. He was so mad at himself for being too weak to help, and even madder at Team Rocket for putting them in this situation.

She nodded. "No need to worry." She spread her legs, taking a battling stance. "We've still gotta go to the Grand Festival and the conference! So, don't doubt me!"

With that, Ash let Rosa put his cap back on his head. The Lucario shrugged on his backpack and then put his arm over her shoulder as they started walking. Pikachu dragged the pokeball belt behind him in his teeth. Ash held the map in his spare hand. They began walking away, trusting that Dawn would keep Ariana off their backs.

"You…!" Ash snarled at the Administrator when her face came into view. The one who he'd been dumped off to. "Beat her good, Dawn."

"Oh, little girl, little girl," Ariana chided, "You're about to get the beating your mother apparently didn't know you needed. You need to learn your place!"

Though intimidated, Dawn wouldn't back down now. "Quilava, use Swift!"

"Pay Day!" Ariana called.

As Quilava's golden stars flew around, so did Persian's glittering, golden coins. Fortunately for Dawn, Quilava's Swift was stronger than Persian's Pay Day! All of the coins were tossed off their intended path while some of the stars buffeted the cat's side!

This wasn't lost on Ariana. She furrowed her brows. "Nasty Plot! Screech!"

The cream colored cat lowered its head, a wicked glint in its eye marking the plotting it was doing. From now on, any special moves it performed would no doubt be more dangerous. After that, it yowled so terribly that Dawn had to cover her ears while Quilava pinned hers back.

"Flame Wheel!" Dawn ordered. Right now, Smokescreen wouldn't do any good. Persian didn't have a give like Quilava did.

The fire starter tucked into itself, rolling towards the Persian.

"Play Rough!"

Just when contact should have been made, the Persian jumped up, dodging the attack. It landed, however, just behind Quilava and swatted the ball of fire off course, causing her to spin out. The moment the flames dissipated, Persian was atop the little fire type. It pinned Quilava on her back, a paw upon the fire type's throat.

"You're next," Ariana said dully. "Persian, finish that thing and then finish the girl."

Fear for herself and her trainer turned Quilava's blood cold as the Persian stretched its maw wide. The fear turned to bright light. She gave into it. She was evolving! She was going to grow stronger and bigger!

As the light faded, she realized something else. She was absolutely going to demolish this Persian.

"Typhlo!" she growled, now much bigger than the creature that was trying to pin her.

Dawn's eyes widened. She wanted to get out her PokeDex to check Typhlosion's new moves, but there was no time. "Uh… Get 'em!" she called instead.

Though Dawn wouldn't know it now, Typhlosion prepared to use Double Edge. The attack was purely reckless. Typhlosion sat up, Persian falling off her stomach. Before the cat could flee, Typhlosion grabbed the normal type in a mighty bear hug. Running at the wall, Typhlosion slammed into it once, twice, and thrice. Though her arms were bruised for her effort, the cat was completely knocked out for it.

"Typhloooo!" she roared, glaring at Ariana.

"Good girl, Typhlosion!" Dawn praised. Her heart swelled with pride. This was the power of the egg she'd hatched, huh?

The administrator narrowed her eyes, returning her defeated normal type. "Arbok, I've got a job for you."

Upon release, the snake immediately snarled at the overgrown badger. Typhlosion, in turn, bared her fangs. If the poison type wanted a fight, then it'd certainly get one.

"That last move hurt Typhlosion… We won't use that again until I know what it is," she whispered to herself. "Flame Wheel!" she ordered.

"Arbok, Poison Sting!" Ariana ordered.

Though Typhlosion essentially ran over Arbok in using Flame Wheel, the snake got its revenge. Once Typhlosion untucked, Arbok at once bit down upon her flank. Typhlosion roared in pain, pushing the snake off her thigh. Arbok hissed, coiling away. Typhlosion's eyes grew baggy beneath. She'd been poisoned.

"No, no, use Wrap!" Ariana ordered.

Reluctantly, Arbok raced back to Typhlosion, coiling around the fire type's body.

Dawn furrowed her brows. Typhlosion was already poisoned and now she had this creature wrapped around her. Dawn hated to do it, but they had to end this and quickly. "Typhlosion, the move you used before!"

Still able to walk, Typhlosion once again rammed into the wall. Arbok hissed in pain at the first blow. At the second, its grip became looser. At the third, it fell off of Typhlosion's body. It slithered away while Typhlosion fell over, knocked unconscious.

"Crap, I didn't guess right," Dawn muttered. Still, she was buying Ash some time to run. That was all she had to do. That, and actually defeat Ariana…

Ariana lifted her chin as Dawn returned her Typhlosion. "A bit reckless, aren't you?"

Dawn gritted her teeth. "This isn't my ideal battling situation," she snapped.

"It is mine," Ariana retorted.

"Empoleon, I need you!" Dawn yelled.

As soon as the steel type touched down, Ariana's eyes widened. "Are you kidding… Why do you have two starters?! What region are you from, again?!"

Dawn tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I'm just that good!"

"I'll show you good, girlie… Arbok, use Glare!"

Flaring its hood out, the cobra hissed at Empoleon. The penguin went stock still, an ancient and primal fear of snakes activated by the false eyes within Arbok's hood.

"Well, there went our advantage," she mumbled. With how weak Empoleon was, she'd been counting on his steel typing and mobility to carry them over. "No need to worry, he can't poison you! You can outlast him! So, use Steel Wing!"

The penguin didn't move.

"Darn it!" Dawn squealed.

Ariana grinned. "Well, that works out. Arbok, use Crunch!"

Arbok slithered over, maw wide as it bit down on the paralyzed water type. The tang of salt and metal was terrible, but it did some damage.

"Ice Beam!" Dawn yelled.

Now, that, Empoleon could do. It looked down, blasting Arbok with a burst of ice. The snake recoiled once more, hissing.

"Alright! Let's try Whirlpool!" Sure, Empoleon couldn't move or he'd risk paralysis kicking in, but there was plenty Dawn could have him do without moving!

"Wrap!" Ariana ordered.

It was a race against time. As Empoleon began to form the Whirlpool, Arbok began to wrap around the penguin. However, its tail was snatched up in the vortex. Therefore, the rest of its body was also snatched up. Both women watched in shock as both pokemon were caught up in the vortex.

"Empoleon!" Dawn cried, eyes darting to and fro as she looked for her starter.

Abruptly, the Whirlpool dissipated. Empoleon and Arbok fell in a heap. Both were unconscious. Arbok hadn't been able to handle the conditions, while Empoleon had been squeezed too much. Neither had fared well there.

"Thanks, Empoleon… Return!" Dawn recalled her starter, tossing another pokeball. "I need you, Togekiss!"

"Kiss!" The Jubilee pokemon appeared, perplexed by the narrow corridor she'd been called to fight in. It was narrow for her, at least.

Ariana called on another of her own without a word. A slimy, putrid-smelling Muk appeared. With a gravely cry of its name, it cast a predatory leer towards Togekiss.

"Air Slash, Togekiss!"

An angelic wing was twirled, conjuring a contained whirlwind that was flung at Muk.

"Minimize!" The Administrator ordered.

The pile of sludge swiftly retreated into his own slime, allowing him to safely avoid Air Slash.

"Now, Sludge Bomb!"

The shrunken poison type belched out a mass of sludge, landing a direct hit on Togekiss.

"Kiss!" The fairy type let out a sickly cry, a discolored streak across her face indicating poison. She hovered weakly above the ground, using her wings to wipe the muck from her feathers.

Dawn grimaced, running a hand through her hair. "I should've used Safeguard… Sorry, Togekiss. But, we can still protect the others!"

As a maternal figure above all else, Togekiss wouldn't think to defy Dawn's request. With a coo, she called upon a glimmering green aura that surrounded her. Ironically, the purple sickness of poison bubbled to the surface, making the pokemon wince in pain.

Togekiss' suffering brought a sick look of smugness to Arian's face. "Rock Tomb!"

"Muk!" The pokemon roared, calling several boulders to crash down upon Togekiss.

The rocks pinned the pokemon to the ground, tumbling afterward to reveal her unconscious.

"Togekiss… That was my fault. But, don't worry!" She recalled the fairy type, her eyes caught on the metallic orb with her brows knit in guilt.

A black hunk of sludge forced Dawn out of her thoughts, and only barely failed to graze her. Her heart hammering, she'd managed to swerve out of the attack's range.

"If you're going to be that sentimental, you're not going to last here." Ariana tutted.

Shame was quick to wash over Dawn when she realized her mistake. She was practically hanging herself out to dry for them! Her gaze hardened and she called her next pokemon. "Houndoom, it's your turn!"

The heavyset canine appeared, snarling at the Rocket before them. His teeth gnashed, his hunger for payback not yet sated. Anyone who put their hands on Dawn's companions would pay dearly.

"Rock Tomb!"

A second swift barrage of boulders crashed upon the fire type.

"Houndoom!" Dawn bit her lip. This wasn't in her favor. "Are you alright, in there?"

She had her answer when the canine bucked off his enclosure, letting out a whine of pain. He was standing, but that attack had done quite a bit of damage. Dawn and Ariana were both going for the jugular.

"Use Smog!" The coordinator ordered.

Houndoom didn't hesitate to spray thick, poisonous clouds at Muk.

The redhead cocked a brow. Were they getting desperate? "Muk, use-"

"Flamethrower!"

This time, a stream of fire came from Houndoom's mouth, quickly igniting the clouds.

A booming hellstorm followed that swallowed the corridor in heat.

Having ducked behind Houndoom, Dawn prepared for the worst. She winced from the heat, but felt nothing worse than that. Flash Fire had protected her. "Thank you, Houndoom."

Ariana, on the other hand, emerged with a multitude of burn marks on her outfit, and ashes smearing her visage. Her teeth were bared in a snarl. "You wretched, underhanded little…! You might've made a fine agent, in another life. Pity you won't get the chance. Muk, Sludge Bomb!"

Hearing that a second time left a bad taste in Dawn's mouth. "Houndoom, dodge that!"

"Muuuk…!" The pile of sludge groaned, opening its mouth wide, only to collapse.

"I've got better things to do with my talent! And, I'd never snub my pokemon by sinking to your level." Using pokemon to kidnap other pokemon was an insult, to say the least. "Great work, boy!"

A bark from Houndoom acknowledged Dawn's praise, and a spit of flames accompanied it.

"The sooner you learn that pokemon are tools for our benefit, the better." Ariana recalled Muk, calling on a Slowking next. "Not that you'll have the chance to absorb that."

Dawn swallowed, as if the Rocket's speech was a disgusting pill to down. Every fiber of her being was begging her to march over and beat on this slimeball personally. With a hiss and a huff, the coordinator did her best to keep herself under control. "Use Crunch."

Eager to back up his trainer and protect his friends, Houndom was eager to lunge at Slowking, chomping down on the Royal pokemon's tail. He showed no mercy, flinging his prey at the wall.

Slowpoke was embedded in the wall in a small crater, groaning in pain.

Ariana grimaced. "Disable!"

"Slow…" The pokemon's eyes gained a bright blue glow, casting a mysterious ring upon Houndoom that homed in on its skull.

The hellhound shook its head, looking rather clueless.

"Shoot," Dawn muttered. "There goes our best move… Use Smog!"

A cloud of toxins surrounded the recovering Slowking, who stumbled out of the grimy air with a bad cough. A purple streak across his face indicated poison. "Slow…" He groaned.

"Don't just stand there. Nasty Plot!" The scarlet-haired authority ordered.

Even in his sickly state, Slowking startled Dawn and Houndoom alike with a disturbing leer.

"Not the kind of face I want to run into a dark alley… But, here we are." Dawn sighed. "Flamethrower!"

"Hou!" Houndoom obeyed with stream of fire.

"Water Pulse!"

"Slowww…!" The water/psyhic hybrid raised its paws toward the ceiling, conjuring a spherical mass of water. "King!" He chanted as he flung it forward, splashing right in Flamethrower's path.

The crashing waves ate through the flame, pummeling Houndoom, to boot.

The unconscious canine was washed up at Dawn's feet, unmoving.

"You did your best… Come back!" Dawn recalled him. "Absol, I need you!"

Claws clacking on the floor, Absol's eyes gleamed with anger. Every member of Dawn's team had a heart burning to defend their trainer and her friends. Absol particularly felt a bit of guilt. She was supposed to be able to sense oncoming disaster, but her absence for the prelude to this madness had left her trainer and her trainer's adored one vulnerable.

She would definitely make up for it now, though.

"Swords Dance!" Dawn called. "We're putting an end to this!"

Ariana lifted her chin. "Water Pulse."

Absol tossed her head to and fro, after images resembling long, silvery swords fluttering through the empty air. Meanwhile, Slowking fired off another mind-numbing barrage of water. Though it soaked Absol's thick white coat, she remained resilient.

"Attagirl!" Dawn praised. "Night Slash!"

Absol rushed forward and leaped. Her long, perfect horn curved, cutting through the air with dark energy. The arc of energy blew across Slowking, knocking the Rocket pokemon onto his rear.

"Nasty Plot!" Ariana yelled. There was no way that Absol was stronger than her Slowking, type advantage be damned.

"Swords Dance!"

A brief break in the fight occurred as Slowking crossed its arms, thinking over the most effecient way to attack Absol. She skipped across the floor, a fierce dance lifting her feet above the watery floor.

Noting the water, Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. She could run away, soon. Ariana probably had two more pokemon left after Slowking, and if Dawn could leave only one left, that'd be good enough. The water was what she'd desperately been hoping for. The floor was soaked and was likely flooding down to the floor below them.

"Water Pulse!" Ariana called out once more.

Dawn grinned in relief. Did Ariana know what a favor she was doing for her enemies? "Night Slash!"

Rushing forward through the torrent, Absol held her breath. Pummeled by the wall of water but still going, she arced her head. She slashed at Slowking, finally making it fall after being hit with a crescent of dark energy.

Panting, she snarled at the knocked out pokemon. "Ab…"

"Great job, Absol!" Dawn praised. "You're doing great!"

"Don't get so excited!" Ariana snapped, seeing the relief flooding over Dawn. "You aren't free! I'm not going to let you go!" The administrator returned her Slowking and released a Vileplume. "I'll show you the true power of the leading lady of Team Rocket!"

The leading lady…?! So, was Ariana the most powerful woman within Team Rocket? That didn't matter. Dawn would make sure to beat her. Ariana may have been defending her pride, but Dawn was defending something so much more important.

"Sweet Scent!" the red haired woman called.

"Razor Wind!" Dawn called.

Absol stood motionless, concentrating on the air around her. Vileplume wiggled a bit, releasing a noxiously sweet smell from its blossom. It was like hot candy, overwhelming but almost inviting.

"Sleep Powder!"

Dawn's eyes widened. "Absol, you gotta use Razor Wind now!"

It was too late. Lulled by the scent Vileplume was letting out, Absol shook her head, trying to concentrate on activating her Razor Wind. However, the powder burst up from Vileplume's blossom, landing on Absol with ease. The dark type's eyes fluttered twice before the creature fell over, sleeping.

"Absol!" Dawn yelled.

Ariana cackled. "You had a good run, girl! Now, use Mega Drain!"

Absol did not rouse as gleaming green lights formed within her body. Vileplume began to draw them to her, stealing Absol's vitality.

"C'mon, girl, you gotta wake up!" Dawn begged.

"Acid."

Vileplume's face did not once drop from the cheery, almost plastic smile that marked it. Bowing its head, the grass type's blossom let loose a wave of poisons. The air took on a sharp, bitter smell as the chemicals leaked out.

Absol finally woke when that touched her, howling in pain. Steam rose from her at contact with it. Her claws clacked against the floor as she stepped away from the Acid. Instinctively, she finished the Razor Wind she had started using earlier.

Vileplume, finally, did squeal and whine as it was knocked upside down, wiggling and writhing to right itself. It fell on its face before standing.

"Thank goodness…" Dawn whispered. "Night Slash!"

"Mega Drain!"

Leaping over the puddle of Acid on the floor, Absol set off the dark arc of energy at Vileplume. It blasted the grass type back a bit, but the orbs of life energy began to glow within Absol and were drawn to Vileplume. Absol struggled to stand, her breathing becoming labored. By the time Vileplume finished the Mega Drain, the dark type flopped over, knocked out.

"... That's plenty! Thank you, Absol! Return!" Dawn ordered. Ariana still had one pokemon hidden, but it was time for Dawn to retreat.

"That's five," Ariana noted, a hand on her hip. "I've still got two left, Vileplume and another you haven't even seen. Why don't you give up? All we wanted was the boy. We could probably wipe your memories and give you a nice life among us. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"Why don't you take that idea and eat it!" Dawn snarled. "Mamoswine, I need you!"

Ariana and her Vileplume both stepped back, taken off guard by the sight of the giant pokemon. His massive form took up the entire hallway, blocking off Dawn from sight.

"Ancient Power!" Dawn called.

Summoning huge boulders, Mamoswine launched the rocks as accurately as he could within the tiny area. Ariana and her Vileplume both retreated yards back, fleeing from within range of the rocks. However, the hall was partially sealed off now.

"Sweet Scent!" Ariana called.

The hall was flooded with the same sickly sweet scent as before.

Dawn wasn't sure if Ariana knew what she was up to or not, but it didn't matter. It was happening. "Blizzard!" Dawn yelled.

"... What?!" Ariana yelled, eyes widening at the approaching white cloud. She crossed her arms in front of her face, feeling a chill go down to her bones as the storm hit her pokemon. When Ariana opened her eyes, snow was up to her ankles and Vileplume was knocked out. The hall itself was sheeted in ice; Slowking's Water Pulses left plenty of water for that. Some of Mamoswine's Ancient Power stones sealed off portions of the hallway. It would be difficult to get to Dawn.

And, it was then that Ariana realized Dawn was getting ready to bolt.

"No! No! Murkrow, go!" she yelled, hastily returning Vileplume to let out Murkrow.

The dark type flapped its wings, cawing at the sight of the enemies.

"Dig!" Dawn yelled.

Mamoswine obeyed, stomping both forefeet before slamming his tusks down on the floor. With a bomb, he dropped down onto the next floor. Dawn jumped down after him, landing on his back before sliding off.

"C'mon!" she yelled, leading the way in front of the ice type.

"After them!" Ariana ordered, stomach sinking now that she no longer had visuals on the girl.

Murkrow swiftly darted through the obstacles Mamoswine had left behind, flying through the hole in the floor with equal grace.

Hearing Murkrow's cawing, Dawn looked over her shoulder. "Mamoswine, Ice Fang!"

Turning around was difficult in these narrow hallways, but Mamoswine managed just barely. Murkrow could not slow down in time and was smacked down to the floor with Mamoswine's icy tusks. A layer of ice formed over the flying type's body, freezing it into place.

"Great job!" Dawn praised. "... I need to hurry, though. Return!" She could make better time if she was traveling alone.

By the time Ariana realized that Murkrow was not returning, Dawn was on the right floor to rendezvous with Ash.


Dawn shut the door to the Rocket hideout behind her, running into the dark catacombs. The soft yellow light that marked that exit soon faded among the winding, dark cavern paths. Dawn was beginning to weigh the risk of being spotted due to using her PokeDex for light with the risk of stumbling down a hole here.

Just as she was beginning to think of calling out for Ash, she was grabbed around her waist. She tensed before feeling a furry muzzle against her shoulder. "Rosa?" she asked upon feeling wetness on the muzzle.

~Dawn…~ The Lucario sobbed through the mental link. ~Papa… Papa can't move!~

Dawn's heart sank. "No. No, no, take me to him, Rosa." What had they done to Ash?

Rosa led Dawn through the darkness. She held the coordinator's hand and her aura feelers lightly glowed blue among all the black of the catacombs. Soon, the two reached the part of the catacomb halls that Ash had been laid down in. Pikachu glowed a pale yellow, electricity running through his fur to keep the area light. Ash, meanwhile, trembled when he lifted his hand to greet Dawn.

Realizing what the problem was, she sighed in relief as she knelt by his head. "Oh… Oh thank Arceus, you're just hungry." She reached out, taking his hand in her own. It made sense for him to be hungry. He was always so active, and even at the best of times, his metabolism kept a crazy pace. "I've got some food."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "G-Good… The service in this hotel s-sucks…"

Dawn smiled before reaching into her bag. Finding the food, her smile dropped. They were sandwiches. Those weren't going to be easy enough for Ash to eat, nor were they going to give him energy quickly enough for them to escape. "... You need something easier to eat. But, Rosa, you haven't eaten since that little breakfast we had this morning… Here, you take one." Dawn passed the Lucario a sandwich.

Rosa took it before immediately taking it apart. She didn't like her food touching, nor was she sure what this sandwich was made of.

"Pikachu, you want one?" Dawn offered.

The electric type shook his head. "Pika… Pipi, Pikaka."

~He says they gave him plenty of pokechow,~ Rosa clarified.

Nodding, Dawn shifted around until Ash's head was propped up in her lap. It wouldn't do if he would choke eating. "Let me look for something else for you to eat," she muttered.

As she searched, Ash rolled his head so that it was facing her stomach. He sniffed. She was sweaty, but she smelled better than he did or the cell had by a long shot. She smelled like the woods above. He wanted to smell that again.

"Thank you for coming for us," he said softly.

Dawn stopped rummaging. She smiled down at Ash, playing with the little sideburns of hair poking out from under his hat. "You knew I was going to come for you. Wild Rapidashes couldn't keep us apart if you were in trouble."

She went back to looking inside the bag, pulling out the walkie talkie from the Officer Jenny and her poffin bag. She looked at the radio first. "Can you hear me now?" she asked. The feed was static filled, but it was something.

"Dawn?" the Officer Jenny replied.

"Hey. We made it to the Rocket Base," the girl replied.

"...! We're on our way!" Jenny's tone became urgent immediately.

"We already left it," Dawn quickly answered. "Listen, we're in some… Caves, maybe three hundred feet from it. Can you figure out where the signal from this is coming from?"

"Yeah," Jenny replied. "... Are you underground? You said caves?"

"Yes. There's this cabin above it, marking the entrance."

"That's plenty, Dawn. You get yourself and that boy somewhere safe. Me and the force'll be there within thirty minutes."

Putting the walkie talkie aside so that it could continue to serve as a signal to the officers, Dawn cracked open her poffin case. She paused. They were easy to digest, being very similar to bread, and were absolutely full of energy because of all the sugar.

As if reading her mind, Ash laughed. "Never thought I'd be this excited to eat pokemon food."

She smiled before breaking one in half. "You ate it in Sinnoh, didn't you?"

She pressed the half of the poffin to his lips and he ate it greedily, savoring the first good flavor he'd had in nearly two days. The girl reached into her bag for a bottle of water, helping him to drink it between halves of poffin. He went through three within ten minutes, and soon his energy had returned enough to where he could sit up.

"You want the sandwich?" Dawn offered.

"D'ya have to ask?"

He was still the same old Ash. Dawn smiled, even if now wasn't the time to make wisecracks back. "It's all yours, hot-shot." The morsel was handed over to the weary teen.

The sandwich was gripped as if it were the last piece of sustenance on Earth. That sanctity hardly held up, though, when Ash ripped it apart with his teeth. The familiar taste of lettuce, dressing, and lunchmeat made him feel less like he was far away from home.

"I hate to rush you, but we need to high-tail it out of here. It's been a few minutes, and there are only two exits. We're bound to run into some grunts if we stick around."

"Just our luck, huh?" A self-deprecating laugh followed, and Ash pushed on his hands, doing his very best to steady himself and stand. Weary legs got him that far, and he felt a burst of confidence.

That was, of course, before he began to stumble, saved from a fall by Rosa scrambling to support him. ~Papa!~

"Guess I'm still not in the best shape, huh… You guys think you can lend me a hand?"

"We'll get you out of here." Dawn closed her bag, standing up. "Rosa, let's help him out." She slipped over to Ash's side, slinging his right arm over her shoulder. "But, it's still pretty dark…"

"Pikachu…" Ash stood again, now with both his pokemon's and his girlfriend's support. "I know you've had enough of this… But, can you lend us a hand lighting the way? There'll be no more fighting, I promise."

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed. His furrowed brows and upright posture were enough to give an affirmative without needing words. He still trembled now and then, but the worst of this was over. After all the others had done, he'd do his best to help. His cheeks crackled again, a golden glow lighting the catacombs.

With that, the group marched on, one sure step at a time. Corners were rounded, and any rise in altitude was taken with gratitude. But, the climb was growing weary.

The pitter-patter of feet, and a high-pitched chant, though, put the four on edge. Dawn and Rosa tightly clutched Ash, the aforementioned teen was already reaching for his reclaimed belt, and Pikachu took one step back after another.

"...Clefairy!" A daunting shadow that stretched over the cave walls turned out to just be a tiny, pink Clefairy. It greeted the four with a cheer, tilting its head when it wasn't met with similar enthusiasm. "...Fairy?"

"Pikaa… Pika!" Having recovered from his near-heart attack, Pikachu eased. He recognized that Clefairy!

"Fairy! Clefairy!"

"Huh?" Ash blinked, clueless. "What's goin' on?"

"Fairy-Fairy! Clefairy!"

Rosa opted to translate. ~H-he says that he's from the colony that you guys helped!~

"No kidding… Good to see you again!" Ash felt a smile pull at his lips. Some more familiarity was extremely welcome, at this point. "But, you better get going. We got into some trouble with Team Rocket, and they're bound to escape through here, soon."

"Fairy!?" The pokemon quickly recoiled. It was distant, but he remembered the three that terrorized it. There were more of them on their way!?

"They're running scared, I bet." Dawn reassured. "But, it'd still be for the best for you guys if you steered clear."

Understanding, the pokemon nodded, its expression stern. "Fairy! Fairy!"

~He says thank you! He's gonna warn the other pokemon, and he'll help us get out of here for warning them!~

"Things are finally looking up." Ash exhaled. "Thanks, Clefairy. Lead the way!"


The light at the end of the tunnel wasn't sky blue, as expected. Vibrant oranges greeted Ash, Dawn, Pikachu, and Rosa, who were bathed in the intense lights as they neared the surface. Finally, with Clefairy's directions, they emerged into open air. A warm, late day breeze passed over the four, all of which opted to collapse and rest against the side of the cavern.

The sun was setting over Kanto. Oranges and yellows were overwhelmingly bright for the maladjusted eyes that'd grown used to fluorescent lights and dingy caves. Ash was content to pull his cap down over his head. Without a word to speak, he opened his arms up to Pikachu.

The mouse, who had sat behind him, couldn't climb into his lap fast enough. Grimy clothes or not, he couldn't keep himself from nestling into the warmth of Ash's shirt. His tail curled in, allowing his trainer to wrap his arms tightly around him. He swallowed. "Pikapi…"

"Pikachu… I missed you, buddy." His lips tugged up in a smile that was bittersweet, his copper pools patient to take in his companion's yellow fur, and every colored pattern on his body. He looked for bruises and scars, but there were none. He only noticed a tiny mark on his cheek pouch.

But, Pikachu was alive. He was okay. His worst fears had been blown out of the water.

His worst fears that crept back into his thoughts, like the noxious gas that had ensnared him and made him vulnerable to begin with. The idea that Pikachu would be forced to submit to Team Rocket's wishes. The idea that he'd be whisked off to Giovanni, and that Ash would never see him again. The idea in the back of his mind that he might not've lived to reunite at all.

His breaths became haphazard, his chest tightening with them. Tears began to spill down his face, rolling from his cheeks to his jaw, and finally landing upon Pikachu's fur. His shoulders jerked up with his sobs, rising with every awful thought that'd been suppressed by his stubborn will to survive.

"Ash…" Dawn swallowed, reaching to rest her hand atop his shoulder.

He jerked back, hugging his companion tighter to his chest.

Dawn recoiled. This wasn't their ordinary world-saving crisis.

This had hit far deeper.

"Pika-Pika…" Pikachu felt salty tears drop upon his head. A chain reaction followed, his fur dampened by his own sobs. They trickled down his electric pouches, triggering static that snapped at Ash's jacket.

Neither would complain. The familiar sensation only meant that they were reunited.

Suddenly, every accidental Thunderbolt felt like a blessing.

The scene was too much for the accompanying Lucario. An overload of anguish forced the pokemon to retreat into herself with a whine, hugging her knees to her chest, her face buried in them.

Dawn bit her lip. She'd been able to save them, with help… But, there had to be more she could do to comfort them. "Rosa…" She stood from the opposite side of Ash, walking over slowly to sit between him and the Lucario. Learning her lesson from Ash, she cautiously opened her arms. "C'mere."

Puffy, red eyes peered up from the comfort of blue fur, taking in the sight of her second caretaker beside her. She sniffled before throwing herself into the coordinator's arms, burying her face in Dawn's chest with a whine. ~D-Dawn, I...! Papa 'n Pikachu, I… It's so scary!~

"I know… I know it is." Dawn acknowledged with a whisper. She lightly rubbed the pokemon's back, her eyes flicking about. Affection wasn't difficult for her, but playing this sort of maternal role was a bit foreign. Her mother had always been a bit on the 'tough love' side. That was the last thing anyone needed. She muttered a gentle shush to the Lucario, easing her panic.

Overhearing his pokemon ease and grow quiet, Ash felt his body relax some. "I'm sorry, Pikachu…" He could feel the inquisitive eyes of his companion, and continued. "I'm sorry I got you into this… I'm sorry I insisted on egging those guys on."

"Pika!" Pikachu shrieked back, his voice hoarse.

A series of syllables told Ash enough to clear his mind and listen.

~and I said it at Silph, too! Everything we do, we do together! I wanted to kick them out just as much as you did! You can't just put everything on your own shoulders all the time.~

Pikachu climbed out of Ash's grip, leaning up to lick the tears from his cheek. ~It's their fault… Not yours, or mine.~

"Thanks... " Grateful, Ash gently stroked the fur atop Pikachu's head. "You always know just what to say." Ash smiled, however briefly, and his eyes turned upward. "I just… If they're gonna play like this… How can we stop them? I thought we could take anything they dished out… But, it gets so much worse." His hold on Pikachu tightened again. He didn't ever want to relive this.

Dawn was convinced enough that Ash had calmed some. She released Rosa to drape one arm carefully over Ash's shoulder, the other wrapping around Pikachu and his waist.

Ash instinctively nestled his face in her shoulder. Even muddied by the horrors of today, the scent of whatever hair care she used made him feel at home.

He had no words, so Dawn spoke instead. "No need to worry," came the familiar phrase.

Ash hugged around her waist. For once, he didn't want to argue that point.

Pikachu nestled between them.

"Where should we go, now?"

"I wanna go home."

"That's fine," Dawn agreed, lifting the brim of his cap to kiss his forehead. "...But, I only have one Full Restore. We can walk, or ride on Mamoswine, if you want."

Ash lightly pet Pikachu, and pulled Rosa in. He paused. "I've got Pidgeot. We can fly there, if you heal Togekiss."

"Good idea." Dawn pulled back to stand, reaching for a pokeball, tossing it.

Togekiss appeared in a slump, barely conscious. "Kiss…"

The coordinator knelt down beside the fairy. "Hey, girl. I know you're tired, but we're in a hurry… Are you okay with me using a Full Restore on you? We've got to get to Pallet Town right now."

The flying type turned her weary eyes upon Ash. He was safe? They'd rescued everyone, then. She let out a tired coo. "Toge…" She could do this. She could do a little more work today. "Togekiss," she agreed. She could rest once these young ones were safe. Ash's mother lived in Pallet Town, didn't she? They would be safe there, then.

"Thank you, Togekiss," Dawn said, spraying the bird. The potion glittered lightly as it began to heal the bird.

After a moment, she flapped her wings, standing tall. "Toge!"

"Thanks, Togekiss," Ash agreed. He turned to Rosa, then. "Sorry, girl. I gotta put you away while we fly."

Rosa's ears fell. ~... You'll take me out again soon, right?~ she inquired.

"Once I'm sure we're safe," he assured.

She relented and then was absorbed in red light. Shortly after, Pidgeot was released. The Kanto native bird briefly greeted the fairy type, both pokemon looking each other over.

"Alright, Pidgeot. You know the way home?" he asked.

The normal type nodded its head.

Ash mounted the bird and Dawn mirrored this. With a flap of wings, the party took off into the sunset sky.


Rinsed dishes sat in the sink, cleansed after another dinner alone. The kitchen was now empty, and Delia sat on the couch in the living room, watching the evening news. Mimey sat beside her, doing his best to make heads or tails of a book in his hands.

"...In other news, yesterday, a missing person's report was filed in Viridian City! No further details will be disclosed at this time to protect the investigation, but the Viridian Police Department was willing to inform us that the victim is now allegedly out of harm's way. We'll be sure to give you further details as they come, on channel 12 Local News!"

"How awful," Delia remarked, sipping from a cup of tea. "I sure hope that the crime over there doesn't reach Pallet Town." The small village, after all, persisted to remain free of crime over its long, mundane history. That pattern changing would be a real cause for alarm.

"Mime ," the Barrier pokemon agreed, clutching at the pages he held.

Their thoughts were put on hold by a knock on the door.

"Who could be here at this time of night?" Delia blinked, standing up to approach the door.

When she turned and pulled the handle, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. "Oh my!"

In the doorway stood Ash and Dawn, accompanied by Pikachu. But, it didn't take a second glance to discern that something was amiss. Ash looked dreadful, with dirtied clothes, puffy eyes, and a slacking gait, and smelled awful, to boot. Dawn lacked her usual energetic glow, dark rings under her eyes saying it all. Pikachu, who was held securely in Ash's arms, was dirtied with ruffled fur, and he clung to Ash's jacket in a way she'd never seen.

"What happened!?" Was all the mother could exclaim before Ash scrambled inside past her, only waiting for Dawn to follow to slam the door shut.

Heart hammering, the teen rushed to pull the curtains closed before sliding down to the floor, letting out an exasperated huff. He was trembling.

"Ash, what in the…" Delia started, stopping when her eyes met the television screen. The color drained from her face immediately. "...Oh dear. Ash, honey…"

Dawn's eyes turned between Delia and the television. The news was on. It clicked for Dawn, too. "I'll explain, Miss Ketchum. But Ash needs to cool down, right now. So does Pikachu."

The matriarch's heart had sunk into her stomach. She'd never seen Ash looking so miserable, even with the worst of fevers. Resisting her maternal instincts took about as much strength as she could muster, but she took Dawn's word. "...I'll run a bath for him. Can you stay here with him and Pikachu?"

"Of course," Dawn agreed. She approached her companion, holding a hand out. Ash took it, and she pulled him to his feet. He was escorted to the couch, where both sunk into the cushions.

"Mimey, could you heat up some leftovers for them? I'm sure they're hungry." Delia gripped the railing of the stairs painfully tight as she made her request.

"Mime!" The Barrier pokemon rushed into the kitchen, and Delia continued up the flight.

An uncomfortable silence followed. Dawn tapped her fingers on her knees. Seeing Ash in such a listless state was disturbing, on Dawn's part. "...Do you think it's okay that we're here?"

An unenthusiastic shrug was her answer. "It's the only place I can think to go."

The faint sound of running water could be heard, and Delia's heels clacked against the steps. "Your bath's ready, honey. I doubt Pikachu wants to take one, but you probably want to be together."

"Pika-Pika." A warm bath actually sounded pretty pleasant, right now.

"Thanks, Mom. C'mon, Pikachu." Ash stood, cradling his companion as he ascended.

"If Pikachu wants, I'll be happy to groom him afterwards!" Dawn chimed in.

That, surprisingly, left Pikachu with a smile. "Cha~!" A bit of pampering sounded good, right about now.

Ash and Pikachu were out of sight, and Mimey entered the room, placing a plate of roasted chicken and carrots in front of Dawn. "Mime!" He was eager to help in any way he could!

The girl's stomach growled at the sight. "I haven't eaten all day… Thank you!" She lifted the plate with care, rushing to down the food with appreciation. Still, she couldn't help but notice that the hand holding her fork was trembling. "My nerves must be catching up with me…"

She huffed, looking up to Delia after another bite. "Would it be alright if I let my pokemon outside to rest? They could probably use something to eat, too…"

The mother raised a finger to her lip in thought. "It might be better if we ask Professor Oak to do it." Especially given the circumstances. "I'll call Tracey to come get them after you fill me in."

Delia sat on the couch beside Dawn, her fingers linked in her lap. It ached to know her pride and joy had been suffering, and she was hardly comfortable not even knowing why.

"Thanks." Dawn nodded, looking up into the amber eyes of her companion's mother. She winced at the idea of relaying such an awful story right to her face. But, it was the least she could do. "It all started a week or two ago, in Saffron City…"