"What!" Giovanni smiled indulgently at Ash's shock.
"Has Gary ever mentioned his parents to you, Ash?" he said.
"Only his... Oh. Ohhhh. You're not - you can't be."
"Yes, Ash, I am Gary's father."
"Oh. Oh, that's just - oh." Ash closed his eyes tightly, and shook his head. It would be typical Gary to be the son of Team Rocket's boss.
"So are you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?" Ash said, opening his eyes.
"The location of my son." Giovanni's voice was patient, but ash didn't trust that.
"No. I mean - I can't - I don't know," Ash said. It wasn't a lie - not really. He couldn't be -sure- Gary was still at Pallet Town, not after a...
It wasn't even a day.
"Really?" Giovanni asked.
"Really," Ash said, feeling guilty. Gary may've been a bastard, but Ash still wasn't going to sell him out to a father who was an even bigger one.
"That -is- a pity," Giovanni said, "Too bad. I'll have one of my members escort you out." Giovanni turned away from Ash, and pressed something the boy couldn't see.
Ash was going to leave, when something occured to him.
"What about Pikachu?" he asked.
"-What- about the Pikachu?"
"Can I..."
"No. I will be keeping your Pikachu until such a time that you wish to disclose the location of my son. Now, please leave me office and wait outside for your escort. Unless, of course, you have something you wish to tell me."
Ash hesitated. Was it worth it?
When Misty entered the Pokémon Center later that evening, she had intended to go straight to bed, and leave in the morning.
They had lied. Her sisters - half-sisters, they had lied.
The 'Three Sensational Cerulean Sisters'. Hah.
"Misty, we need to talk." Misty looked up at Daisy, who was blocking the door to the guestrooms.
"I don't want to," Misty said, and tried to push past.
"Misty," her sister warned. Misty repeated her refusal, and tried pushing past again.
"Misty, I don't care if you want to or not, we -need- to talk."
Daisy could be scary sometimes.
"Misty, I know you're not very happy with us. I wouldn't be either."
"You lied," said Misty. Daisy sighed.
"I know. We - your parents thought it would be better."
"And no one was ever going to tell me. Right." Misty finally managed to get past her sister.
"Is it -really- that big a deal?"
Misty stopped.
"So we're your half-sisters. Mum is still your Mum, and your Dad is still your Dad."
"Except they're not, 'cause they're dead," Misty said bluntly. She knew she was being horrible, over-reacting, but she didn't care.
"I know that, Misty. I've never forgotten! How could I forget my own mother had died? The man I considered my father had died? And that my real father had killed them! Do you think I could forget something like that!"
Misty said nothing, and walked down the hall to a spare bedroom.
She went to bed feeling like a monster, and woke up much the same.
Ash walked out Giovanni's office with a heavy heart. He was met by Simond, who blindfolded him, and led him through the maze that was the Team Rocket Headquarters.
Ash tripped a few times, walked into things. Simond was being less careful. Or maybe, Ash thought, it was on purpose.
Simond said nothing the whole time, simply led Ash through.
The room he was in now was cold, and Ash shivered. Simond laughed, and took off the blindfold. They were outside. Ash was handed a pokéball, and they stood staring at each other for a few seconds. Anger, hurt, both.
And then Ash ran.
He ran to the cover of the forest, and stopped, looking back. Simond was still there, and Ash ran further into the woods, till he couldn't see the Rocket anymore.
Stupid, Ash thought, to let me go like that. I could memorise the location, and then were would they be?
But Ash knew he wouldn't, couldn't. He slumped down beside a tree, and looked at the pokéball. The catch had a pikachu on it. Ash smiled wearily, and threw the ball.
"Hello Pikachu," he said, as he caught the rebounding pokéball.
"Pika!" came the answer, "Chu pikapi-ka?"
"I'm fine, Pikachu."
"Piiii," Pikachu intoned. Ash shook his head. Pikachu had a point. They were somewhere in a forest by the Team Rocket base, which was God-knows-where. Simond must have taken his bag, and, Ash realised, his pokéballs.
Ash looked down at his watch. It blinked back at him, '1:45'. He stared back at it a moment. He hadn't realised how late it was - how tired he was.
The worst of all Ash's problems though, he was not thinking about.
"Pika?"
Ash smiled.
"Yeah," he answered, and lay down to sleep, Pikachu cuddled close.
Soon, it was morning.
Misty left early, before her sisters, or even Nurse Joy, were up. She left a note on the table, saying that she had to get away, to think.
And also, that she was sorry.
It was a nice day, she thought,as she pedalled down the main road of Cerulean, and out. So early it was, the sun only just up, and everything dew-wet. Misty intended on being at Mount Moon before lunch. Nobody spent a night in the mountains, if they could help it.
I have been a bitch. The thought came suddenly to Misty, though she'd known it all along. They'd only wanted to protect her - they'd meant no harm.
But still, think of how they'd treated her her whole life. The three sensational Cerulean sisters, and the runt.
But how, she argued, was it such a big deal? This was all before my time, she thought, it doesn't really matter.
I wonder why they split up, she thought, and what got him so mad he...
He killed them.
"Mum," she whimpered, and got off her bike. She sat down in the grass, dew-soaked though it was, and she started to cry.
When Ash woke his first thought was that he had to find Gary. His second thought was that it would be too late.
They probably already had him.
And, Ash thought, it's my fault.
You have a choice, Ketchum. You can go home, forget this ever happened. Or you can go rescue Gary! Ash laughed aloud at the thought. Why would he want to rescue Gary? He's always been horrible to me. He deserves what he gets, Ash thought, although from the sound of it, he wouldn't. The heir to Team Rocket. Gary.
Does that mean Professor Oak once owned Team Rocket? Ash laughed, and remembered what Giovanni had said. No, Team Rocket certainly wasn't from the Professor's side. And they wanted Gary. Ash still couldn't quite believe that. Gary. Son of the Rocket boss.
"It's ridiculous," Ash muttered, when another thought struck him. Gary was his cousin.
It wasn't a comforting thought.
"Pikachu kapi?" Ash almost jumped at the voice, but relaxed when he remembered.
"I didn't know you were awake," Ash muttered, patting his pokémon.
"Pii," Pikachu answered, and flicked an ear.
"I know. Pikachu, what -am- I supposed to do? Whatever Gary's done to me, I still - I can't leave him to Team Rocket."
"Kachu," Pikachu said coldly.
"No, I can't. I won't." Ash stood up. Pikachu wasn't usually so nasty...
"Come on. We'll go find some food." Ash pushed the thought aside. Anyone would feel bitter if they'd been in the clutches of Team Rocket.
Misty sighed. Mt Moon Pokécenter. Finally. Not that it had taken that long - it was only about noon.
Misty hopped off her bike, walked it to the stands. She wasn't sure what to do with it in Mt Moon - the paths weren't always the best, and it -was- dark. She certainly couldn't ride it through.
Misty shrugged, and locked the bike to the stands. Whatever she's do then, she wouldn't have her precious stolen now.
"Misty! What're you doing here?"
"Ah - hi Nurse Joy," Misty said, without looking up. She recognised the nurses' voices, even if she couldn't differentiate between them. She was no Brock.
"I thought you'd be in Cerulean longer." misty stood up, blushing.
"I - no. It's just - too much." Nurse Joy smiled, sympathetic,
"I know. I guess you're going back to Pallet Town then." Misty nodded.
"How did you guess," she muttered. Nurse Joy laughed.
"I have my ways."
Misty looked at Nurse Joy strangely. And just what was that supposed to mean?
"Are you going to come in? I could do with some company, out here." Misty nodded - the nurse hadn't noticed the look then - and went inside.
Ash frowned. Stupid forest. Only a few dumb berries, and some roots. Pikachu had dug those up.
Okay, he admitted to himself, it's my own fault. I did eat everything else.
"It'll just have to do," Ash said out loud, startling Pikachu. The rodent jumped off his lap and glared at him, still in a foul mood.
"Sorry Pikachu," Ash muttered.
"Pika. Chu -pika!" Pikachu insisted. Ash nodded, and handed Pikachu one of the roots. He shoved the others in his pockets, and started walking towards the Team Rocket base.
"Pii?" Ash gritted his teeth.
"I have to, Pikachu. I know what he's done, I'm going to help him anyway."
"Chuu. Pi-pii!" Oh. Pikachu was talking about the time. The daytime.
"Fine then. We'll wait."
Walking into Mt Moon, Misty felt somewhat happier. Nurse Joy was a great cook, and a great listener. It was only 1 o'clock, her pokémon were fully healed, and Misty felt like she had been too. She just hoped Nurse Joy wasn't a gossip.
Since she felt so good, she let out most of her pokémon, those that would appreciate it. Which was less than one might think, seeing she was a water trainer. But Pysduck was runing about happily, and that small thing made Misty smile.
They'd installed lights. It wasn't so easy last time she was here. The paths were smoother, and the main ones were lit like any ordinary street. Misty wasn't sure she preferred it, but it still made everything easier.
The last time she'd been here was a few years back now, with Ash. It felt good, Misty reflected, to travel alone. Sure, Ash was her friend, but he could be a nuisense, and sometimes one was better alone. He would've been useless with what had just happened. He had no tact, Ash, and he was so keen to run into danger.
"It'll kill him someday," Misty muttered.
So far, Misty's journey through Mount Moon had been unremarkable. Maybe there were less trainers than she expected - but nowadays most of them would be off the main path, searching for wild pokémon.
It was nice though. Misty could remember a time when you couldn't walk 10 metres in here without being attacked, or challenged.
So when she heard yelling, she assumed it was a particularly involved trainer battle.
Then she heard what exactly was being yelled.
"No! No, let Seadra go! Seadra - oh - do something! Ye - oh - oh god, Seadra! Oh - oh - ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
Misty covered her ears, and ran off in the direction of the screams that echoed in the caverns.
"Stop!" Misty yelled. Two figures turned towards her, laughing.
"Another runt? Parasect, you know what to do," said the taller of the figures. Misty was glad she's returned her pokémon - not long before. It would be that much harder for Team Rocket to grab them. She was sure it was Team Rocket.
"Go, Staryu!" Misty yelled, "Light screen, then tackle." Instantly, the cave in front of Staryu lit up, and Misty could see three people shielding there eyes. Two Rockets, as she'd guessed, in black uniforms, and a young girl cowering in a corner.
Staryu rammed into the parasect. Misty ran and grabbed the girl, pulling her back behind Staryu, and blinking her eyes back to normality.
"Stun spore," a voice commanded. Misty took a deep breath, and held it. She didn't want to breath in the spore. The girl looked at her, strangly, and Misty mimed what was happening. The girl nodded, and held her breath. Misty knew the attack wouldn't harm Staryu - he didn't breath the way most creatures did.
Staryu ignored the spores, and let out a hydro pump. Misty grinned. Her Staru wasn't stupid.
Then Misty remembered, as she watched the tiny spores that lingered in the air.
"Oh - goddess," she whispered, "Goldeen, Poliwhirl, go." Misty threw the two pokéballs, and hoped they would be enough. She heard the balls clatter along the ground, and she slipped into unconsiousness.
A day took so long, Ash thought, when you were alone and waiting. Well, not alone, he admitted, looking at Pikachu. But Pikachu just wanted to go - Ash didn't blame her. Invading the Team Rocket base wasn't a very good idea, especially with only one pokémon and no idea of where anything was.
"Enough," Ash said, "Pikachu, come on." Pikachu glared, and followed Ash out of the woods.
It was an amazingly clear night, crisp and cool. The stars were brighter than Ash had ever seen them, and he quickly found the compass stars. The base was north-east, it seemed.
Suddenly, Ash felt like running. Not from anything, not to anything, but just for the sake of running. So, Ash ran, ignoring Pikachu's protests.
Running was so good, with the night air rushing about you, and clearing your mind of worries. It only took Ash a minute or two to reach the base. He sat against the stone wall, and waited for Pikachu to catch up.
Only when his pokémon was beside him - though she made her reluctance known - did Ash enter the base. There were no guards, which Ash thought was strange. It was like the whole building was asleep.
Maybe, Ash thought, the building doesn't need guards. Maybe I'll walk five bases, and it'll collapse on me.
Ash took five steps, and the building didn't collapse. He kept on walking, with no idea where he was going. Ash knew Giovanni's office was up, but that was about it.
Ash stopped. Voices. He slid against the wall, and motioned to Pikachu. She looked at him strangely, and muttered something.
Ash told her to shush.
Pikachu pointed to the wall, glaring at him. Ash turned around, hoping he wasn't heard.
The wall wasn't a wall, it was a door. Ash sighed.
As Ash began to hear footsteps, faintly, he was sliding through the soor, shutting it carefully behind himself, and Pikachu.
He waited, hoping the door wouldn't open, that he hadn't accidently stumbled into a trap, that there wasn't anyone else in here.
The footsteps passed.
"Pikachu, light," Ash whispered. Electricity flickered around Pikachu's form, and Ash could see, dimly. He was in a supply closet, thank the goddess. Nothing but a bunch of uniforms.
Uniforms...
"I didn't think stun spore last'd so long," Misty said to herself, and sat up. The Rockets were gone, and she was alone with the girl.
"I wouldn't know," the girl said. Misty wondered how old she was. Young enough to yell at Team Rocket, old enough to be scared.
Really, the girl looked about twelve, with long blond hair which looked like it hadn't been washed, let alone brushed, in months. She was about as tall as Misty, taller. She looked worried.
"You're Misty, aren't you? From Cerulean City." Misty nodded. It had always seemed strange, people she'd never met knew who she was.
Well, she was the youngest registered gym leader, although sometimes Misty wondered why.
"I'm Atala. Um - thank you."
"What for?" Misty wondered out loud, "the Rockets took my pokémon, and they must have taken yours. Why're you saying thank you?"
Atala looked uncomfortable.
"What?" Misty asked, rubbing her head. She must've hit it, when the stun spore knocked her out.
"Actually - they only took my seadra. I still have three others, in my backpack."
Misty swore, and Atala blushed, guiltily.
"Which way did the Rockets go?" Misty finally asked. Atala pointed in a direction Misty figured to be east.
"Just great. Tell me, Atala, if you've still got pokémon, why couldn't you stop them?"
The girl shook her head, like she was ashamed. Well, Misty thought, she should be. I came to help her, and she let them steal my pokémon when she could've done something. She should be ashamed.
Misty sighed. She wanted to follow the Rockets, get her pokémon back, but that was stupid. She'd most likely end up dead.
Misty eyed Atala up.
"How old are you?"
"Thirteen," the girl answered instantly.
"What are your pokémon?" Atala blinked at Misty.
"With me, I have Tangela, Gloom and Dratini." Misty whistled. A dratini wasn't something most thirteen year olds had. Atala blushed, but this time, it wasn't for shame.
"Well then, Miss Atala, we're going Rocket hunting."
"What?" Misty grinned,
"You heard me. As you're responsible for the loss of my pokémon, you can help me find them."
"And if I don't?"
"What do you think I'll do, Atala? What could I possibly do?"
The girl stood there for a moment, and nodded.
"Lead on."
"Has Gary ever mentioned his parents to you, Ash?" he said.
"Only his... Oh. Ohhhh. You're not - you can't be."
"Yes, Ash, I am Gary's father."
"Oh. Oh, that's just - oh." Ash closed his eyes tightly, and shook his head. It would be typical Gary to be the son of Team Rocket's boss.
"So are you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?" Ash said, opening his eyes.
"The location of my son." Giovanni's voice was patient, but ash didn't trust that.
"No. I mean - I can't - I don't know," Ash said. It wasn't a lie - not really. He couldn't be -sure- Gary was still at Pallet Town, not after a...
It wasn't even a day.
"Really?" Giovanni asked.
"Really," Ash said, feeling guilty. Gary may've been a bastard, but Ash still wasn't going to sell him out to a father who was an even bigger one.
"That -is- a pity," Giovanni said, "Too bad. I'll have one of my members escort you out." Giovanni turned away from Ash, and pressed something the boy couldn't see.
Ash was going to leave, when something occured to him.
"What about Pikachu?" he asked.
"-What- about the Pikachu?"
"Can I..."
"No. I will be keeping your Pikachu until such a time that you wish to disclose the location of my son. Now, please leave me office and wait outside for your escort. Unless, of course, you have something you wish to tell me."
Ash hesitated. Was it worth it?
When Misty entered the Pokémon Center later that evening, she had intended to go straight to bed, and leave in the morning.
They had lied. Her sisters - half-sisters, they had lied.
The 'Three Sensational Cerulean Sisters'. Hah.
"Misty, we need to talk." Misty looked up at Daisy, who was blocking the door to the guestrooms.
"I don't want to," Misty said, and tried to push past.
"Misty," her sister warned. Misty repeated her refusal, and tried pushing past again.
"Misty, I don't care if you want to or not, we -need- to talk."
Daisy could be scary sometimes.
"Misty, I know you're not very happy with us. I wouldn't be either."
"You lied," said Misty. Daisy sighed.
"I know. We - your parents thought it would be better."
"And no one was ever going to tell me. Right." Misty finally managed to get past her sister.
"Is it -really- that big a deal?"
Misty stopped.
"So we're your half-sisters. Mum is still your Mum, and your Dad is still your Dad."
"Except they're not, 'cause they're dead," Misty said bluntly. She knew she was being horrible, over-reacting, but she didn't care.
"I know that, Misty. I've never forgotten! How could I forget my own mother had died? The man I considered my father had died? And that my real father had killed them! Do you think I could forget something like that!"
Misty said nothing, and walked down the hall to a spare bedroom.
She went to bed feeling like a monster, and woke up much the same.
Ash walked out Giovanni's office with a heavy heart. He was met by Simond, who blindfolded him, and led him through the maze that was the Team Rocket Headquarters.
Ash tripped a few times, walked into things. Simond was being less careful. Or maybe, Ash thought, it was on purpose.
Simond said nothing the whole time, simply led Ash through.
The room he was in now was cold, and Ash shivered. Simond laughed, and took off the blindfold. They were outside. Ash was handed a pokéball, and they stood staring at each other for a few seconds. Anger, hurt, both.
And then Ash ran.
He ran to the cover of the forest, and stopped, looking back. Simond was still there, and Ash ran further into the woods, till he couldn't see the Rocket anymore.
Stupid, Ash thought, to let me go like that. I could memorise the location, and then were would they be?
But Ash knew he wouldn't, couldn't. He slumped down beside a tree, and looked at the pokéball. The catch had a pikachu on it. Ash smiled wearily, and threw the ball.
"Hello Pikachu," he said, as he caught the rebounding pokéball.
"Pika!" came the answer, "Chu pikapi-ka?"
"I'm fine, Pikachu."
"Piiii," Pikachu intoned. Ash shook his head. Pikachu had a point. They were somewhere in a forest by the Team Rocket base, which was God-knows-where. Simond must have taken his bag, and, Ash realised, his pokéballs.
Ash looked down at his watch. It blinked back at him, '1:45'. He stared back at it a moment. He hadn't realised how late it was - how tired he was.
The worst of all Ash's problems though, he was not thinking about.
"Pika?"
Ash smiled.
"Yeah," he answered, and lay down to sleep, Pikachu cuddled close.
Soon, it was morning.
Misty left early, before her sisters, or even Nurse Joy, were up. She left a note on the table, saying that she had to get away, to think.
And also, that she was sorry.
It was a nice day, she thought,as she pedalled down the main road of Cerulean, and out. So early it was, the sun only just up, and everything dew-wet. Misty intended on being at Mount Moon before lunch. Nobody spent a night in the mountains, if they could help it.
I have been a bitch. The thought came suddenly to Misty, though she'd known it all along. They'd only wanted to protect her - they'd meant no harm.
But still, think of how they'd treated her her whole life. The three sensational Cerulean sisters, and the runt.
But how, she argued, was it such a big deal? This was all before my time, she thought, it doesn't really matter.
I wonder why they split up, she thought, and what got him so mad he...
He killed them.
"Mum," she whimpered, and got off her bike. She sat down in the grass, dew-soaked though it was, and she started to cry.
When Ash woke his first thought was that he had to find Gary. His second thought was that it would be too late.
They probably already had him.
And, Ash thought, it's my fault.
You have a choice, Ketchum. You can go home, forget this ever happened. Or you can go rescue Gary! Ash laughed aloud at the thought. Why would he want to rescue Gary? He's always been horrible to me. He deserves what he gets, Ash thought, although from the sound of it, he wouldn't. The heir to Team Rocket. Gary.
Does that mean Professor Oak once owned Team Rocket? Ash laughed, and remembered what Giovanni had said. No, Team Rocket certainly wasn't from the Professor's side. And they wanted Gary. Ash still couldn't quite believe that. Gary. Son of the Rocket boss.
"It's ridiculous," Ash muttered, when another thought struck him. Gary was his cousin.
It wasn't a comforting thought.
"Pikachu kapi?" Ash almost jumped at the voice, but relaxed when he remembered.
"I didn't know you were awake," Ash muttered, patting his pokémon.
"Pii," Pikachu answered, and flicked an ear.
"I know. Pikachu, what -am- I supposed to do? Whatever Gary's done to me, I still - I can't leave him to Team Rocket."
"Kachu," Pikachu said coldly.
"No, I can't. I won't." Ash stood up. Pikachu wasn't usually so nasty...
"Come on. We'll go find some food." Ash pushed the thought aside. Anyone would feel bitter if they'd been in the clutches of Team Rocket.
Misty sighed. Mt Moon Pokécenter. Finally. Not that it had taken that long - it was only about noon.
Misty hopped off her bike, walked it to the stands. She wasn't sure what to do with it in Mt Moon - the paths weren't always the best, and it -was- dark. She certainly couldn't ride it through.
Misty shrugged, and locked the bike to the stands. Whatever she's do then, she wouldn't have her precious stolen now.
"Misty! What're you doing here?"
"Ah - hi Nurse Joy," Misty said, without looking up. She recognised the nurses' voices, even if she couldn't differentiate between them. She was no Brock.
"I thought you'd be in Cerulean longer." misty stood up, blushing.
"I - no. It's just - too much." Nurse Joy smiled, sympathetic,
"I know. I guess you're going back to Pallet Town then." Misty nodded.
"How did you guess," she muttered. Nurse Joy laughed.
"I have my ways."
Misty looked at Nurse Joy strangely. And just what was that supposed to mean?
"Are you going to come in? I could do with some company, out here." Misty nodded - the nurse hadn't noticed the look then - and went inside.
Ash frowned. Stupid forest. Only a few dumb berries, and some roots. Pikachu had dug those up.
Okay, he admitted to himself, it's my own fault. I did eat everything else.
"It'll just have to do," Ash said out loud, startling Pikachu. The rodent jumped off his lap and glared at him, still in a foul mood.
"Sorry Pikachu," Ash muttered.
"Pika. Chu -pika!" Pikachu insisted. Ash nodded, and handed Pikachu one of the roots. He shoved the others in his pockets, and started walking towards the Team Rocket base.
"Pii?" Ash gritted his teeth.
"I have to, Pikachu. I know what he's done, I'm going to help him anyway."
"Chuu. Pi-pii!" Oh. Pikachu was talking about the time. The daytime.
"Fine then. We'll wait."
Walking into Mt Moon, Misty felt somewhat happier. Nurse Joy was a great cook, and a great listener. It was only 1 o'clock, her pokémon were fully healed, and Misty felt like she had been too. She just hoped Nurse Joy wasn't a gossip.
Since she felt so good, she let out most of her pokémon, those that would appreciate it. Which was less than one might think, seeing she was a water trainer. But Pysduck was runing about happily, and that small thing made Misty smile.
They'd installed lights. It wasn't so easy last time she was here. The paths were smoother, and the main ones were lit like any ordinary street. Misty wasn't sure she preferred it, but it still made everything easier.
The last time she'd been here was a few years back now, with Ash. It felt good, Misty reflected, to travel alone. Sure, Ash was her friend, but he could be a nuisense, and sometimes one was better alone. He would've been useless with what had just happened. He had no tact, Ash, and he was so keen to run into danger.
"It'll kill him someday," Misty muttered.
So far, Misty's journey through Mount Moon had been unremarkable. Maybe there were less trainers than she expected - but nowadays most of them would be off the main path, searching for wild pokémon.
It was nice though. Misty could remember a time when you couldn't walk 10 metres in here without being attacked, or challenged.
So when she heard yelling, she assumed it was a particularly involved trainer battle.
Then she heard what exactly was being yelled.
"No! No, let Seadra go! Seadra - oh - do something! Ye - oh - oh god, Seadra! Oh - oh - ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
Misty covered her ears, and ran off in the direction of the screams that echoed in the caverns.
"Stop!" Misty yelled. Two figures turned towards her, laughing.
"Another runt? Parasect, you know what to do," said the taller of the figures. Misty was glad she's returned her pokémon - not long before. It would be that much harder for Team Rocket to grab them. She was sure it was Team Rocket.
"Go, Staryu!" Misty yelled, "Light screen, then tackle." Instantly, the cave in front of Staryu lit up, and Misty could see three people shielding there eyes. Two Rockets, as she'd guessed, in black uniforms, and a young girl cowering in a corner.
Staryu rammed into the parasect. Misty ran and grabbed the girl, pulling her back behind Staryu, and blinking her eyes back to normality.
"Stun spore," a voice commanded. Misty took a deep breath, and held it. She didn't want to breath in the spore. The girl looked at her, strangly, and Misty mimed what was happening. The girl nodded, and held her breath. Misty knew the attack wouldn't harm Staryu - he didn't breath the way most creatures did.
Staryu ignored the spores, and let out a hydro pump. Misty grinned. Her Staru wasn't stupid.
Then Misty remembered, as she watched the tiny spores that lingered in the air.
"Oh - goddess," she whispered, "Goldeen, Poliwhirl, go." Misty threw the two pokéballs, and hoped they would be enough. She heard the balls clatter along the ground, and she slipped into unconsiousness.
A day took so long, Ash thought, when you were alone and waiting. Well, not alone, he admitted, looking at Pikachu. But Pikachu just wanted to go - Ash didn't blame her. Invading the Team Rocket base wasn't a very good idea, especially with only one pokémon and no idea of where anything was.
"Enough," Ash said, "Pikachu, come on." Pikachu glared, and followed Ash out of the woods.
It was an amazingly clear night, crisp and cool. The stars were brighter than Ash had ever seen them, and he quickly found the compass stars. The base was north-east, it seemed.
Suddenly, Ash felt like running. Not from anything, not to anything, but just for the sake of running. So, Ash ran, ignoring Pikachu's protests.
Running was so good, with the night air rushing about you, and clearing your mind of worries. It only took Ash a minute or two to reach the base. He sat against the stone wall, and waited for Pikachu to catch up.
Only when his pokémon was beside him - though she made her reluctance known - did Ash enter the base. There were no guards, which Ash thought was strange. It was like the whole building was asleep.
Maybe, Ash thought, the building doesn't need guards. Maybe I'll walk five bases, and it'll collapse on me.
Ash took five steps, and the building didn't collapse. He kept on walking, with no idea where he was going. Ash knew Giovanni's office was up, but that was about it.
Ash stopped. Voices. He slid against the wall, and motioned to Pikachu. She looked at him strangely, and muttered something.
Ash told her to shush.
Pikachu pointed to the wall, glaring at him. Ash turned around, hoping he wasn't heard.
The wall wasn't a wall, it was a door. Ash sighed.
As Ash began to hear footsteps, faintly, he was sliding through the soor, shutting it carefully behind himself, and Pikachu.
He waited, hoping the door wouldn't open, that he hadn't accidently stumbled into a trap, that there wasn't anyone else in here.
The footsteps passed.
"Pikachu, light," Ash whispered. Electricity flickered around Pikachu's form, and Ash could see, dimly. He was in a supply closet, thank the goddess. Nothing but a bunch of uniforms.
Uniforms...
"I didn't think stun spore last'd so long," Misty said to herself, and sat up. The Rockets were gone, and she was alone with the girl.
"I wouldn't know," the girl said. Misty wondered how old she was. Young enough to yell at Team Rocket, old enough to be scared.
Really, the girl looked about twelve, with long blond hair which looked like it hadn't been washed, let alone brushed, in months. She was about as tall as Misty, taller. She looked worried.
"You're Misty, aren't you? From Cerulean City." Misty nodded. It had always seemed strange, people she'd never met knew who she was.
Well, she was the youngest registered gym leader, although sometimes Misty wondered why.
"I'm Atala. Um - thank you."
"What for?" Misty wondered out loud, "the Rockets took my pokémon, and they must have taken yours. Why're you saying thank you?"
Atala looked uncomfortable.
"What?" Misty asked, rubbing her head. She must've hit it, when the stun spore knocked her out.
"Actually - they only took my seadra. I still have three others, in my backpack."
Misty swore, and Atala blushed, guiltily.
"Which way did the Rockets go?" Misty finally asked. Atala pointed in a direction Misty figured to be east.
"Just great. Tell me, Atala, if you've still got pokémon, why couldn't you stop them?"
The girl shook her head, like she was ashamed. Well, Misty thought, she should be. I came to help her, and she let them steal my pokémon when she could've done something. She should be ashamed.
Misty sighed. She wanted to follow the Rockets, get her pokémon back, but that was stupid. She'd most likely end up dead.
Misty eyed Atala up.
"How old are you?"
"Thirteen," the girl answered instantly.
"What are your pokémon?" Atala blinked at Misty.
"With me, I have Tangela, Gloom and Dratini." Misty whistled. A dratini wasn't something most thirteen year olds had. Atala blushed, but this time, it wasn't for shame.
"Well then, Miss Atala, we're going Rocket hunting."
"What?" Misty grinned,
"You heard me. As you're responsible for the loss of my pokémon, you can help me find them."
"And if I don't?"
"What do you think I'll do, Atala? What could I possibly do?"
The girl stood there for a moment, and nodded.
"Lead on."