A Second Chance

by Starmist

A new disease is decimating the population and an organization emerges that's even more deadly than Team Rocket. It's all up to our heros to save the world...

3. Chapter 2: The Mission

A/N: Well, here's my second fic. I want to thank everyone that reviewed my last chapter! You all are so nice! You all really made this author's day! It was so pleasant coming home from such a stressful week and reading all these great reviews! However, I did notice that a lot of people had questions about my story. Actually, that's what I was counting on. There are going to be certain parts of my stories where you might get slightly confused, but don't worry. They should all be answered at the end of my series. Also, another comment. Many people have been asking when I'm going to bring Jessie, James and Meowth into the story. It took me a while, but I've finally figured out a way to place them into the story. At least one of these 3 will be in my 4^th chapter; I'm almost positive on that. So, all of you Jessie, James and Meowth fans, sorry about that.

Disclaimer: What? You mean that you didn't think that that I own pokemon? You mean that you actually think that Satoshi and those other companies own pokemon? Well, if you think that then you are 100% correct, so, um… no suing me, got it? Besides, if I owned pokemon, we'd be watching a continuous AAMR show.J

A Second Chance

Chapter 2: The Mission

*~*~*~*~*~*

Ash Ketchum… AK… why didn't I see it before?

Misty groaned at her own stupidity. She should have seen it. Who else would own a Pikachu and not carry it in a pokeball? Who else would have caught a Caterpie as their very first pokemon? Who else would have known both herself and Brock so well? Only Ash… and she never did see it.

But what happened to him? Why would he join Team Rocket? Team Rocket always was his enemy, considering how many times they tried to steal Pikachu from him. Yet, she couldn't deny the fact… Ash was in Team Rocket now… an Elite member at that. He has changed so much… there was no determination that sparkled in his eyes, no silly attitude echoed from his face, no immature manner dawned his personality. It couldn't be Ash… it just couldn't be.

Yet, he still had the same compassion for his pokemon. He still kept the same principles of never stealing or hurting pokemon. He still had that same lust for battle. Unbelievable… Ash grew up, but into what? He didn't seem happy like he was all those years ago. There was something almost frighteningly sad about him that she saw back in that old building. Perhaps he needed something. Perhaps he needed a friend. Perhaps he needed the Rebels as much as the Rebels needed him…

"Misty are you ok?" Brock asked, noticing the blank expression on Misty's face.

Misty snapped out of her thoughts and glanced around in confusion. "Huh? What?" Remembering Brock's question, she added. "I'm fine. Just thinking, that's all.

Brock smiled knowingly. "About Ash, right?"

Misty nodded slowly. "Yes."

"It's incredible, isn't it? Talk about coincidence!" Brock exclaimed. "He really has changed."

"No kidding." Misty remarked. "But, something doesn't seem right about him. Didn't you notice that he looked sad, like he wanted something that he couldn't have."

Brock shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure. I never really examined him that closely back there." Brock then placed a gentle hand on Misty's shoulder. "Come on Misty, let's catch up with the others."

Misty looked ahead and noticed that they were falling behind Gary and Giselle, who were looking for a hotel to spend the night in. "I guess so." Misty and Brock then dashed ahead to catch up to their companions.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"What a day!" Brock exclaimed as his head hit the pillow. In this comfortable position, in a bed, Brock's mind wandered to the previous events of the day. It had all started out normal. A couple of battles here and there, nothing unusual, but it ended with a new journey, a new destiny and the reunion of his best friends… well, sort of. Will tomorrow be as crazy?

"Gee, ya think so, Brock?" Gary snickered sarcastically and also collapsed into his bed. What worried him the most was this disease. What makes the victims so aggressive? How does this damn bacteria control the victim's behavior? I wish I had studied more about the brain back in medical school, but how was I to know that I'd be faced with a life-threatening disease that may soon spread as an epidemic? Maybe AK… I mean Ash knows.

And that's another thing. How does Ash fit into all of this? Wasn't he dead by now? Gary smiled and immediately pushed that thought aside. Even as a kid, Ash always had the weirdest luck. Well, at least he's working for our side now… hopefully.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"I wonder if I can get any sleep tonight." Giselle sighed and lifted the covers. She and Misty were sleeping in the room right next to Brock and Gary. She then slipped off her high heels, making a mental note to herself to wear her tennis shoes tomorrow.

"Me too." Misty closed her eyes, hoping to see a beautiful dream that would make her smile. But all she saw was blackness… nothing but the dark. She tried her very best to get some shuteye, but she couldn't. Misty tossed and turned from one side of the bed to the other. She then opened her eyes abruptly. "Giselle, are you awake?"

"Not really." Giselle groaned and rolled out of her relaxed position. She then forced her eyes open and glazed at Misty. "What's the matter?"

"I can't sleep." Misty simply stated and rolled out of her bed. "I'm going to go get something to eat."

Giselle yawned. "Misty… there's no food in the room."

"Fine, I'll go downstairs then." Misty declared and hurriedly placed on some decent clothes. She walked out of the room and set her ear next to Brock and Gary's door. Snoring… they must be asleep. She then backed away from the door and crashed into something.

"Oh, I'm sorry." A guy's voice sounded from underneath her.

Misty jumped to her feet and helped the guy up. The hall was so dark; she couldn't even see this guy's face. "Yea, sorry about that." Misty then stared at the dark figure she had tripped and gasped in surprise. "Gary, is that you?"

"Misty? What are you doing?" Gary called.

"I was getting a snack. You?" Misty questioned.

Gary shrugged his shoulders. "I couldn't sleep. Do you mind if I come with you?"

Misty nodded. "Sure. I doubt that I can get any rest tonight. Do you know where they would keep some midnight snacks?"

Gary shook his head. "Sorry, but we'll just wander around. They have to be somewhere around here."

"Yea." Misty started walking further down the hall, followed by Gary.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"You would think that this hotel would at least have a snack at night." Misty remarked. The pair had been wandering for quite some time but with no luck.

"I know what you mean. There isn't even a person around that we can ask." Gary moaned as he glanced around. The lobby was completely empty, besides the two of them. "Do you want to go get something from a nearby store?"

Misty sighed. "I guess."

Misty and Gary exited the hotel and glimpsed ahead. They were situated on a street where the moon was their only source of light. For two blocks, the duo walked in silence with the dark as their only companion. It was like they were the only two people alive in the world.

However, this idea quickly disappeared when the quiet pair spotted two men in the distance. They were draped in thick brown coats. Misty and Gary were about to say a friendly greeting until they heard them whisper. "I say that we should break into Team Rocket's headquarters tonight."

At this statement, they quickly hid behind a trash dumpster and strained to listen to more of the conversation. "No, the others aren't ready yet."

"So what? We can easily beat them and destroy the building! Why do we need the rest of the Serpents?" One of the men pleaded. He was slightly shorter than the other one and had light brown hair that trickled from his head.

The other man looked down at him. He seemed much older and wiser than his companion. His rich and neatly combed black hair blended into the night. "We need the Serpents. Would you like to face the Elite members and Giovanni all by yourself? You know what they can do."

The brown-haired man nodded reluctantly. "Ok, you have a point, but I still say we should do it tonight and catch them off-guard. Headquarters was hard enough to find and we ought to finish this assignment as soon as possible."

The older man grinned at his younger companion. "Eager, aren't we? Save your eagerness for tomorrow, when we blow up the lab, and kill the top members."

Misty and Gary gasped. Who were the Serpents? Why would they want to destroy Team Rocket's headquarters and kill all the top members? Misty nudged Gary in the shoulder. "They want to destroy Ash."

Gary nodded and whispered. "Yea. Ash needs to know about this."

"But how? We don't even know where to look for him?" Misty murmured.

Gary opened his month and was about to say something when the two men started talking once again. "How are we going to kill them, anyway? They are so powerful!" The younger man exclaimed.

"They are still human… all humans can die by a gunshot." The black-haired man stated.

"So, when will we attack?" The younger one questioned.

"I'll inform the others of our plans. We'll attack in the early morning, when they're all still asleep in bed." The older man commented.

"And what will I be doing in the meantime?" The younger one asked.

The older man smiled wickedly. "You will be on stakeout by their hideout and inform us by radio if any complications in our plan occurs. Be sure to find a good lookout spot for the night."

The younger man groaned. "Great. Thanks." After a moment of silence, he added. "What if I run into any Rocket agents?"

The older, black-haired man was starting to walk away, turned around at this question. "You have pokemon, use them." With that, he disappeared into the night.

The younger lad was left all by himself and grumbled. "Sure, stick me with the boring job." He then walked past Misty and Gary, but he was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he never noticed them. When he was out of sight, Misty and Gary emerged from their hiding spots.

"Well, that was close." Gary remarked, keeping a close eye on the retreating figure.

"No kidding." Misty whispered. "Let's follow that guy to headquarters. We have to warn Ash. He could be in danger."

"Misty, Ash has survived six cruel years without our help. I'm sure that he can survive a few more hours." Gary sighed.

Misty turned to her companion, anger flashing in her eyes. "What! You mean that you're just going to let them kill Ash!"

Gary shook his head. "Misty, calm down! They might still be in listening range." After seeing Misty relax, Gary added. "No, I just meant that we shouldn't follow him. The others will get worried about us and we can't risk getting separated from our group at this moment."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Misty questioned.

Gary cupped a pokeball in his hand and smiled back at Misty. "You're not the only one with pokemon. Go Fearow!" A giant orange bird materialized. Its long beak and tiny head made it appear dense and even stupid but its impressive wingspan and massive body gave it a terrifying and malicious appearance. "Fearow, follow that man over there, but make sure that he doesn't see you. He should lead you to an immense building in the forest. Come back when you spot that building."

Fearow jumped into the air and issued a battle cry into the night sky. It then set out on its appointed task and searched for the dark figure. Misty grinned back at Gary. "Nice thinking. Are you going to wait here until Fearow returns?"

Gary shook his head. "No, my Fearow is smart enough to find me in the morning. This isn't the first time that I've asked him to perform tasks like this." He then glanced back at Misty. "I think that we should get some sleep while we can. It's already late."

Misty nodded. "Yep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Ash sighed. This was starting to get annoying. He must have been sitting in this horrible position for 15 minutes and yet those guards still won't move. The last thing he wanted was to fight these guards and have them blab to Giovanni that he was a traitor. But he couldn't stay like this forever.

Pikachu started getting restless. He wanted desperately to zap those guards and go into that room that they were defending. There was only one problem… Ash. He just had to specifically order him not to do that and just wait… wait till the end of time, probably.

"(Ash, why don't you use one of your other pokemon as a distraction?)" Pikachu suggested.

Ash grinned at the thought. "That's a great idea, Pikachu!" He then quickly enlarged a pokeball from his belt and released the pokemon it contained. A giant Beedrill jumped out. This super-sized version of a bee contained three menacing stingers, two on its forearms and an immense one on its tail. The pokemon hovered in the air, waiting for Ash's next command. "Beedrill, serve as a distraction to those guards by using your fury attack on them."

Beedrill flapped its wings even harder and approached the two goofy-looking guards on patrol. "Hey, what's that?" The first guard shouted in terror, pointing in Beedrill's direction.

"A Beedrill? How did it get in here?" The second guard questioned.

"I don't know, but it doesn't look friendly." The first guard remarked. He didn't know how right he was. Beedrill started using its fury attack on the two, jabbing them with its deadly weapons on its forearms and tail. The two guards screamed in panic and raced down the hall.

Ash smiled and emerged from his hiding spot, along with Pikachu. "Great job, Beedrill." He then recalled the bee pokemon to its pokeball and placed it back on his belt. "Ok, now comes the hard part." Ash remarked when he saw the high-tech security system that was situated the door.

"(Do you remember the password?)" Pikachu asked.

Ash pondered this for a moment. "Let's see… I think so." He then typed a few things into a small keyboard panel and tried the door handle… locked. "Shoot! That's not right! Maybe, it was this." He then typed another set into the keyboard panel and tried the door handle… unlocked. "Yes! We're in!"

The two entered the room. The place looked like a laboratory filled with test tubes, beakers, and Bunsen burners. In addition, there appeared to be other strange things like guns, computers and a safe. Ash marched up to the safe and groaned. He didn't know what the password was this time.

Pikachu tried its luck with the safe by jumping on top of it and pressing the buttons. Unfortunately, Pikachu's luck decided to take a break today.

"I guess I'll have to resort to old fashioned methods." Ash commented and pulled out a sword that was hidden under his black cloak. The sword sparkled in the light and the golden handle rested comfortably in Ash's hand.

Pikachu watched the golden weapon of destruction jump to Ash's hands and yawned. The sight didn't interest Pikachu that much; he had seen it too many times before. Ash swings a sword, slits anything in its path… wait a second, what is he doing? There isn't any need for the sword; it wasn't like there were any enemies in the room. Hold it… why was Ash staring at him? Why was he raising his sword at him? What is he doing? Is he going crazy? Is Ash trying to kill him? Oh no… "(AAAAASSSSSSHHHHH!!!!)"

The door of the safe split open while the metal hinges dropped to the floor. Ash smiled at his accuracy then noticed Pikachu's horrified expression. "Oh, sorry Pikachu. Didn't see you up there. Are you ok? You didn't think that I was actually going to hurt you, did you?"

"(N… no. Of… co….urse…. n… not.)" Pikachu trembled. He then regained his composer and added. "(After all, anyone can get Stellar.)"

Ash laughed. "Stellar? You thought that I was actually afflicted with that? You know that symptoms for the disease as well as I do." He then turned this attention back to the safe. Inside were dozens of black boxes that were neatly stacked with one on top of the other. Ash grabbed one of the boxes and smiled. "We have what we came for. Now, we'll just dispose of the rest of these and be on our way."

"(Ok, then let's get to work.)" Pikachu stated and grasped some of the boxes in his paws. Noticing the blank expression on Ash's face, Pikachu questioned. "(You ok?)"

Ash glanced again at the small box in his hands. "Yea, I was just thinking. That's all."

Pikachu glanced at him curiously. "(What about?)"

"This bacteria… I don't get it. How come it makes some people go crazy while others aren't even affected in the least bit." Ash sighed and then continued. "It almost seems like someone is controlling this thing; as if someone is working behind the scenes."

Pikachu shook his head. Ash could get so paranoid at times. "(Controlling a disease? Working behind the scenes? I think that you've been watching too many X-files episodes.)"

Ash smiled at the silly joke but still couldn't shake off the feeling. Something was going to happen… something he wasn't going to like one bit.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Well, it's about time!" Gary huffed angrily in the early morning fog. An enormous orange bird bowed its head down in slight regret. It hated making its master mad. "Why did it take you so long to get back here? We need to know where headquarters is! A life hangs in the balance!" In a softer tone, Gary asked. "Well, did you find it at least?"

The massive bird, Fearow, nodded. "(Yes. It's located about 4 ½ miles from here.)"

Gary, of course, couldn't understand this, but gathered that Fearow had found it. "Good. Here, why don't you get some rest for a few minutes? The others haven't even woken up." The bird soon returned back to its home.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"What's the matter, Gary? What's with the hurry?" Brock yawned and tried to rub the sleepiness out of his eyes with no success.

Gary didn't even listen to Brock and asked. "Is Misty and Giselle up?"

Brock shrugged his shoulders. "How should I know? You just woke me up about 5 minutes ago! Would you mind telling me why you are in a hurry?"

Gary stopped his activities. "Fair enough. Well, Misty and I took an evening walk together last night. We were talking and then we saw…"

"What does this have to do with waking me up so earlier?" Brock interrupted as a yawn escaped from his lips.

Gary moaned. "Stop interrupting! I was about to say that we saw these two guys talking about bombing Team Rocket's headquarters and killing their top agents!"

Brock blinked his eyes, trying to interpret what Gary had just said. "Oh… oh! You mean they are trying to kill Ash? Who were they? Why were they doing this? When are they doing this? Did you find Team Rocket's headquarters? Is that where we're going now?"

Gary groaned in confusion. "… Too many questions. Look, all we found out was that these two people are planning this raid early in the morning today and that they belong to a group called the Serpents. My Fearow followed one of them and found headquarters."

Brock grinned. "Nice thinking. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go get Misty and Giselle and visit headquarters."

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Pikachu, it's time." Ash firmly stated after pacing for what seemed like hours. "We have to do it, now."

Pikachu nodded. "(It's about time. You've already delayed it for way too long.)"

Ash sighed. "Indeed. I've been hiding here, thinking that I'll do it tomorrow. It would be a suicide mission, you do know that, right?"

"(But, it's the only way.)" Pikachu added.

"Still, there has to be another way…" Ash's voice trailed off. After a brief moment, he turned to face Pikachu. "If it doesn't work, then we're all goners. There is no second chance."

"(But if it does work, then we can help rid the world of Stellar. We have to do it, Ash! We have to make sure that the Rockets and the Serpents alike can't hurt others and the only way to do so is to go on with the plan.)" Pikachu jumped into Ash's outstretched arms.

Ash involuntarily shivered at the thought. Pikachu had hit a nerve. "Ok, I guess you're right. I'll do it. As long as I can end all of this, I'll do it. Even if it means risking my own life…"

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Gary, are you sure that this Fearow isn't leading us in circles?" Giselle asked as she brushed a tree branch out of the way. They had been traveling for a while now causing Giselle to whine more than usual.

"Are you going to whine every time we take a hike?" Misty groaned. She just had to be walking right next to the most annoying girl in the world… make that the universe.

"(Over there! It's right over there!)" Fearow howled excitedly and started flying faster.

"I think we're getting close!" Gary exclaimed as he jumped into the lead, pushing Brock and Misty out of the way.

"Calm down Gary!" Brock ordered and tried to catch up with the fleeting figure, followed by Misty and Giselle. "Gary? Where did you go? Ga…" Brock's voice trailed off as he stopped dead in his tracks. He stood on a cliff, overlooking a vast green valley below. In the mist of it stood a tall building that soared above the treetops. Surrounding the building was a great black mass that smeared the otherwise peaceful nature of the area. As Brock examined it closer, he was amazed to find that this black glob was really hundreds, perhaps thousands of people fighting like rabid animals.

"I guess we are late." Gary declared as he recalled Fearow. He was standing only a few feet away from Brock, and just continued to watch the vicious fight take place below.

"So, what's the plan?" Misty questioned as she and Giselle entered the scene.

After a few brief moments of curious viewing, Giselle asked. "Who's fighting? And why are they fighting? It's like World War III is going on down there!"

"I think we missed a lot." Misty commented.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Ash's brain raced as he walked down the hall. Leaving Team Rocket… quitting… it sounded so easy back in the room, now it seemed like a nightmare. Rockets never quit; they were killed. He passed by Rocket after Rocket; people whom he once considered as allies. In a few short minutes, they will be his eternal enemies, that is, if he even survives long enough for that.

Pikachu crackled threateningly. Today was finally the today. Ash was finally going to leave this horrid deathtrap. Why didn't he do it before? Oh yea… Ash met her. That little vixen… if Ash hadn't met her, he would have probably had left Team Rocket within the first week. At least now she wasn't around anymore and couldn't interfere with this plan. True, everyone who had tried this plan before never survived, but it was the only way.

However, an unexpected twist in the plan arose. A battle cry bounced through the air and invaded their thoughts. The two stopped in total confusion for a moment. Ash soon regained his senses and quickly rushed down hallway after hallway until he reached a small window barely larger than a computer screen. A swarm of troops were surrounding the building and attacking any Rocket member that they could get their hands on.

"A raid? Now?" Ash questioned, watching the bloodshed below.

"(Those snakes? Attacking now? I didn't think that they would be stupid enough to try again so soon!)" Pikachu exclaimed as he peered down at the scene.

"I know what you mean. Oh no!" Ash yelled and pointed below. "See? They are gaining ground! We have to get out of here!"

Pikachu strained his eyes and could barely made out what Ash was talking about. "(You're right, but I still don't get it! How come the Rockets can't keep them at bay? They did so in the past!)"

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows? The Rockets are probably weaker than before. But, with this raid in progress, we can easily sneak out!"

"(Good! It'll take them longer to figure out that we quit.)" Pikachu grinned in glee.

Ash nodded. "Then we have to find Misty, Brock and the rest of the Rebels. They'll probably be in Viridian. Let's get out of here!" The pair soon rushed away from the window.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Well, now what are we supposed to do?" Misty inquired, growing even more bored by the minute.

Brock shook his head. "Um… we could try to sneak past them."

Giselle groaned. "Yea, and get our heads chopped off."

"Even I have to admit, that does seem like the best course of action. We need to obtain samples of this bacteria and find Ash." Gary sighed.

"We should probably use a distraction." Giselle stated monotonously.

Gary rolled his eyes. "Gee, that's original."

Giselle growled. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Misty grew uncomfortable at the scene. It felt so weird watching a fight rather than being in one, which she usually was. She looked over at Brock, who simply ignored the scene, as if he had seen it hundreds of times before, which he has. Misty sighed. "Guys, chill out. We need to focus on our task."

Brock smiled significantly at Misty's statement. She literally took the words right out of his mouth. "Yea, a distraction was a good idea, anyway. Does anyone have any pokemon that could help us out here?"

Misty twisted in Brock's direction and turned deadly white. "Um… Brock…"

Brock glazed at Misty, confused by her sudden mood swing. Not even girls change moods that quickly. Something was wrong. "Misty, are you ok?"

Gary and Giselle noticed this strange conversation and faced Brock. Each of their faces shirked in horror. "Brock…."

By now Brock was getting worried. Something was definitely wrong. Seriously wrong. "Is there something behind me?" A dazed nod came from each of them as Brock slowly turned around. There, he came face-to-face with a dozen soldiers, all armed with guns. "We're in trouble."

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Pikachu, is the coast clear?" Ash glanced around him like he was being hunted.

After a moment of gazing around outside and cautiously peering in the distance, Pikachu nodded. "(Yea. Let's go. No one's in sight.)"

Ash started walking out of the room and onto the grassy plane. Only a few more steps to freedom… the hard part was over… he was home free. "AK! What are you doing there?" A voice echoed within the building that Ash had barely taken two steps away from.

"Um… helping out the others… yea, that's right." Ash hastily responded while mentally kicking himself for not getting away sooner.

The man nodded. He was obviously a Rocket agent. "Well, the Boss wants to see you. It appears that he has a job for you."

"A job? Now? But I'm needed out there!" Ash shouted, hoping that this futile argument would work. It didn't.

"Sorry, AK, but you know the rules." The man sighed, talking to Ash like he was a mere child.

Ash groaned. There was no way he could get out of this. "Fine, let's go. Boss' office, right?"

The man shook his head. "Nope, the Execution Room."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Giselle blinked and opened her exquisite eyes. The room was incredibly dark and she couldn't even see her feet or her hands… wait a second… handcuffs? How did she get handcuffs on her hands? And why does her head hurt? Where was she? What was going on?

"Giselle, are you awake?" Misty asked. She edged closer and tapped her with one of her feet.

At first Giselle was startled; her eyes still hadn't adjusted to the darkness. But, when they did, she could see that Misty was sitting right next to her with a concerned look in her eyes. "Yea, Misty, I'm fine, just a little confused."

Misty nodded sympathetically. "Aren't we all?"

Giselle turned to face Misty. "Misty, what's going on?"

Misty shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. I just woke up a few minutes ago myself. It appears that we are in a jail cell. Brock and Gary woke up before me and are over there discussing a plan to get out of here."

Giselle groaned. "Any luck?"

"Nope." By now, Gary and Brock both crawled over to the girls.

Giselle sighed in disappointed. Remembering the aching pain all over her body, she whispered. "Did they beat us up?"

Brock looked down at his own body and slowly nodded. "I guess so. All I remember is being clobbered by a club."

Misty smiled. "Same here. It feels weird receiving a concussion rather than giving it."

Gary giggled. "Oh yea, your mallet. With all those years that Brock was pounded by that thing, it's no wonder he woke up first!"

The group laughed at this. However, the moment didn't last. The dreary atmosphere crushed their happiness and hope. Silence drowned the four but it soon ended with the gentle pitter-patter of footsteps. Someone was coming.

"This cell, right?" A husky voice rang through the air.

"Yea. The Boss said cell number 13, two guys and two girls." Another voice echoed from the shadows.

"Ok, you all! Let's get going! Don't make any trouble." The two figures emerged into view, pointing guns at the prisoners in order to clarify their point.

The Rebels rose to their feet and patiently waited for the men to open the door and lead them out of their prison. The journey from their cell to their final destination was a long and anxious one for the group. Each of them was wondering what was going to happen and if they were even going to survive this experience.

Finally, they surfaced into a different area, away from the dreary prisoner cells. Soft light enveloped the scene. After seeing many signs painted in dark red featuring the letter "R", the group knew for a fact that they were inside Team Rocket's Headquarters, the place where they wanted to be in the first place. The little trip ended as one of their the captors opened one of the many doors in the area.

Inside, was a shady room that was poorly lit from above. The room was very plain, a little too plain. All they could see was guns, bombs and other weapons that were thrown haphazardly along the side of the walls. A bright light soon flashed on, illuminating a darkened corner of the room. There, they could see a luxurious red chair with a devilish man seated upon it.

"These are the prisoners that you requested, Boss." One of the men declared and pointed to the four.

Giovanni grinned slyly. "Ah, yes. The meddling group that was supposed to be taken care of."

The other man reluctantly stepped back. "That was AK's job, sir."

Giselle perked her ears at the familiar name. "AK? You mean…"

Gary quickly silenced her by elbowing her in the stomach and whispering. "Shut up!"

Giovanni gazed curiously at the Rebels before continuing. "Has he been sent for?"

Both of the men nodded. "Yes, he should be coming any minute."

As if on cue, Ash walked into the room, through another door, followed by Pikachu. He didn't even notice his friends trembling a few feet away. Instead, Ash turned to face Giovanni. "What did you want?"

Giovanni smiled malevolently. "AK, I need you to finish up your job." Turning to the other two, he shouted. "And you two many leave." The two Rockets quickly raced out of the room.

Ash's upset attitude changed into a confused one. "What job are you talking about?"

Giovanni pointed to the opposite side of the room. "That one."

Ash stared at the four prisoners and gasped in horror. He immediately recognized Misty and Brock and concluded that Giovanni somehow captured the Rebels. He was in trouble now. Big trouble. "B… but, sir, th… there's a raid going on right outside. Let's delay this and use all available resources to… to help our soldiers battle."

Giovanni shook his head. "No, we are doing this now. That is an order."

Ash's voice faltered and his brain raced in panic. He had to get out of this, somehow. "But… I don't have a weapon with me now." He was lying through his teeth as his fingers brushed against the small sword attached to his belt.

Giovanni pointed to a huge group of pistols, rifles and other types of guns that lay nearby. "Your choice."

"You know how I hate guns." Ash glared, speaking the first words that came out of his mouth. Maybe if he kept this tough guy appearance up, Giovanni would get bored of this game and take his advice.

Giovanni himself threw a sword, not unlike Ash's, to his feet. "There you go."

"How about using my pokemon against them? It won't be so bloody and they can gain some experience points." Ash quickly suggested, desperately hoping that Giovanni would listen to him.

The other four watched the deadly game of cat and mouse. Each was hoping that Ash wouldn't blow it and say something stupid. They were surprised, however, when he didn't. All of his excuses were top-of-the-line and would have gotten him off the hook anywhere else. But, Giovanni was different; nothing got past him… nothing.

"AK, no more excuses. You have your weapon, now, finish your job." Giovanni growled.

Ash definitely stood his ground. He was hoping against hope that a miracle would occur and save him. "I can't kill them! Killing them would be the biggest mistake of all!" Ash shouted, surprised by his own words and the confidence in them.

Giovanni raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "And why is that?"

Ash searched hard for a good lie and blurted. "For your information, sir, I have been following them for a couple hours. In that short period of time, they have discovered valuable information. They already know about the Serpents. They know all about Team Rocket, and where headquarters is located. They even know all about the microbe. That information is top secret and only a few Rocket and Serpent members know about it, yet I bet they are clever enough to already know the name of the microbe. If you don't believe me, just ask any of them the name of the microbe."

Everyone, including Pikachu, stared in shokc at Ash. Even Ash seemed a little taken back by his own words; they were so powerful. Misty whispered to the other three. "I think it's pretty obvious who wrote that part on the last page of the documents."

Giovanni stuttered for a moment; something he probably has never done in his entire life. "Well, AK, I am certainly surprised at you. Let us see if you are correct." He then turned to the other prisoners. "What is the name of the microbe?"

"Stellar." The four moaned in unison.

Ash sighed in relief. His plan had worked. It was a good thing he told Misty and Brock to 'beware of the Stellar microbe' before he last saw them. "You see, sir. I speak the truth! We don't need to kill them. They know a lot of vital information that could help us in the long run. We really ought to question them further and see what else they know."

Giovanni blinked in disbelief. Ash had proven his point. However, his manipulations weren't going to work on him. "AK, I told you in the beginning that your mission was to kill the meddling group trying to interfere with our plans. You haven't even done that. I rarely ever give second chances in Team Rocket, but I'm making an acceptation just this once. Kill all four of them, now!"

Ash and the others gasped. They thought that Ash's speech would surely at least delay their deaths. Ash bent down to Pikachu and whispered in his ears. "It's time to activate our plan."

Pikachu cocked its head in confusion. Was Ash really going to go through with the plan now? This didn't really seem like an ideal notion considering the fact that Giovanni had taken all of their friends as prisoners.

Ash then turned to Giovanni. "What makes you think that I'll accept your second chance?"

The Rebels stared at Ash in alarm. He was saying that to Giovanni? Even they could grasp just how powerful Giovanni was and… Ash was standing up to him? Was he crazy?

"Are you disobeying my command?" Giovanni roared at Ash, his anger flaring to an unimaginable level.

"What do you think?" Ash defiantly yelled back.

"Do I need to remind you of the consequences of not obeying my commands?" Giovanni threatened, rising from his comfy chair.

"Should I even care?" Ash sarcastically replied.

"Do you want to die or are you just crazy?" Giovanni questioned, amazed at the stupidity that Ash seemed to possess.

Ash snarled. "Is that a threat?"

"Do you have a death wish?" Giovanni warned in a deadly voice.

"Why do you want to know? And why are we talking in questions all of a sudden?" Ash snickered at his own corny joke.

Giovanni howled. "Either you kill them now, or I'll kill you! Your choice!"

By now, Ash was on a roll and couldn't stop. "Or how about option number 3? I quit Team Rocket and never have to listen to your orders again!"

"No one quits Team Rocket! The only way out is with death!" Giovanni barked and shouted into a small microphone. "All Guards! Come to the Execution Room, immediately!"

Over a dozen guards poured into the room. Ash threw two pokeballs in the air. "Zubat, Dugtrio! Come on out!" Two pokemon dived out of their pokeballs. The first, Zubat, was a blind purple bat that hovered in the air. Its eyes were nothing but slits, while menacing teeth blazed from its mouth. "Zubat, use your supersonic attack!"

Zubat did so and a loud ear-deafening, high-pitched sound swept threw the air. The guards, Giovanni and the others covered their ears, while Ash turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, use your flash on them to confuse them." Pikachu did so and a blinding light glowed from his body, making the others in the room unable to see. Ash then turned to the last member of his team. "Dugtrio, dig a hole out of here!"

The pokemon nodded and set to work. The three-headed creature made up of three little brown lumps used the technique it was most famous for: dig. It created a hole in the floor, tossing debris and dirt onto the already confused people. While all this chaos was going on, Ash ran to his friends and led them towards the newly built tunnel, created by Dugtrio.

The group, although tremendously bewildered, still managed to descend into the hole. When everyone was in the tunnel, Ash turned to Zubat. "Good job, Zubat! Now, return!" Ash quickly returned Zubat back to its pokeball while Pikachu stopped its flash and scampered into the tunnel after Ash.

The guards and Giovanni regained their senses a moment later only to find that Ash and his friends had disappeared. Giovanni howled in rage. "Go after them and kill them all!"

Just as the guards were about to plunge into the inky darkness where Ash and the others lay, a door flew open and over a dozen people marched into the room. "Giovanni! It's time to face the wrath of the Serpents. Go, Voltrob! Explosion!" The pokemon hopped out of the ball and concentrated in preparation for its most powerful attack. The guards withdrew their distance from the pokeball look-alike and the hole. A light enveloped Voltrob as the pokemon spread this white light outwards. Like an earthquake, the building rocked furiously as Voltrob exploded into the air. People and pokemon flew unceremoniously out of the building as it shattered into bits.

The Rebels weren't faring well underground. The attack reached them as it spread throughout the tunnel, clogging parts of it with debris. The world soon went pitch-black for our heroes.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Misty's eyes fluttered open. The strong light in the area forced her to close them soon after, but it gave her time to think. What happened? Where was she? These haunting questions compelled her to shift her head in all directions and move her small hands. Grass? She could feel the grass into prickling her back and dancing amid her fingers. Regardless of the strong light, Misty opened her eyes once again and realized that she was on a grassy plain nearby a dirt road.

"So, you're finally awake?" A deep voice called behind her.

Fear and anxiety rushed down her spine as she tried to twist her body to an upright position. Misty immediately regretted doing this, though, for pain shot down all over her sore body.

The person realized her panic and confusion. He gently placed an arm on her shoulder and moved so that she could see him better. "Calm down, Misty."

Misty smiled as she looked up at his face. "Hello AK, or should I say Ash?"

Ash grinned in embarrassed. "So, you guys figured it out?"

Misty shrugged her shoulders… although it was sort of hard to do in her position. "Well, with some help."

"I'm surprised. I would have never guessed that it was you until you listed your dislikes. I probably would have had to have someone tell me your identity or… I don't know, read something about you… like a profile." Ash stated, not noticing the humor in his statement.

Misty sweatdropped and whispered. "Well, actually, we did. Joe, back in Pallet, broke into Team Rocket's profile section and we read yours. However, until we saw that picture of you at 15, none of us figured it out."

"Oh… yea, that thing. That was a good idea, actually." Ash commented, not knowing what else to say.

Misty glanced at her hands feeling like something was missing. "Where are my handcuffs?"

"Looking for these?" Ash held up four pairs of handcuffs. "It helps when you have the key."

Pikachu jumped onto Ash's lap and smiled at Misty. "(Misty!)"

Misty giggled. "I guess Pikachu is happy to see me." In a serious tone, she asked. "Where are the others?"

Ash pointed a little ways away. "They're still out cold. Pikachu and I awoke a while ago and we dragged all of you guys out of the hole that my Dugtrio made."

"Where are we, anyway?" Misty asked and slowly raised her body. This time, she did it carefully and managed to sit up and confront Ash face-to-face.

"Um… I think that we are near Pewter City." Ash replied.

The silence soon built up. It was an awkward one for neither of them knew how to act around the other. Pikachu glanced at the two, wondering why each of them seemed uncomfortable. He remembered that as kids, these two would talk… or should I say argue like there was no tomorrow. Misty finally broke the silence by murmuring. "By the way, thanks for getting us out of there and not killing us."

Ash laughed shyly. "No problem. You don't have to worry about me killing you anymore." Ash started playing with a piece of grass and then imposed a delicate question that he had on his mind. "So, how have you been these past six years?"

Misty pondered this for a minute. "Well… okay… I guess. As you already know, Brock and I survived the shots. What you probably don't know is that the whole town searched for you for over 2 months. When that failed, Brock and I conducted our own search for a few months. Finally, Brock decided that he ought to go back to Pewter City to take care of his family and run the gym, like before. I went back to Cerulean and stayed with my sisters for a while, but I hated it, so, I ran away. I did achieve my wish though, I became a great water trainer." After catching her breath, she softly inquired. "And you?"

Ash smiled. "You should already know. After all, you did read my profile!"

Misty nodded. "Oh yea… right."

"But, you want to know why I ran away, never came back to Pallet and joined Team Rocket, right?" Ash questioned, noticing the look on her face.

Misty bit her lip. She never was very good at hiding her emotions. "Something like that."

Ash sighed. "Frankly, I was scared and stupid that's all. I thought that the police were after me and that my life was gone. Jessie and James found me and the next thing I knew, I'm standing next to Giovanni as a Rocket member."

"So, many years… it's hard to believe, huh?" Misty said, trying to keep the conversation going.

Ash nodded in agreement. "Yes… and I've hated every minute of it. The only thing that kept me sane was Pikachu and the rest of my pokemon." Ash stopped, knowing that if he said anymore, he'd break down.

Misty realized how much this was affecting Ash and decided to change the topic. "So, Ash, what are we going to do next once the others wake up?"

Ash shook his head. "I don't know. We might want to tell Prof. Oak that I'm back."

Misty grinned. "Sounds like a good plan to me. I know Brock will like it, although Gary and Giselle are probably going to disagree."

"Gary?" Ash turned to look at the others and his eyes rested on Gary. "You mean that's Gary? My old rival? That arrogant bully that used to tease me all the time when we were kids?"

Misty nodded. "Well, now he's an excellent scientist and is probably one of the top in his field."

Ash sighed. "Amazing… I guess a lot of things have changed."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Ash looked behind him. The four were far away him, clumsily bumping against the forest vegetation. Ash smiled at the sight and stopped in his tracks. It looks like the others weren't used to long hikes through dense forests. That certainly wasn't the case for him. Ash had been doing this for years and considered this as an easy course. He was somewhat amazed that the others were having such difficulty keeping up with him even at his slowest pace. "How are you guys doing?"

"Fine." They all huffed in unison, tired to say the least.

"(Come on guys! Pewter's probably only another mile away, or so!)" Pikachu yelled, but it only sounded like he was saying his name really fast.

Ash nodded and translated what Pikachu said. "Yea, Pikachu's right. Pewter should be only a mile away."

"A mile! My poor little feet can't take another step." Giselle moaned as the four finally reached Ash.

Gary grinned devilishly and pushed her. "There, you took another step."

Giselle fumed in anger. "How dare you push me!"

Gary stuck his tongue out at her. "And what do you plan to do about it?"

The fight continued as Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu all glanced at the scene and sweatdropped. Brock then smiled and pointed at the two. "You know, this reminds me of the way that both of you guys used to fight."

"Is not!" Ash and Misty cried together.

Brock grinned. "Want to bet?"

Misty angrily glanced back at Brock. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that."

Pikachu smiled. "(Brock is wise behind his years.)"

Ash snickered. "I heard that!" Pikachu hid behind Brock's leg, hoping to avoid Ash's evil glare. "Well, at least our arguments were quick. Just look at those two go!"

"Never insult my fashion! After all, a person with no fashion can't insult someone with it!" Giselle shouted.

Gary yelled. "Fashion? You call that fashion? I call it clothes covered in bird poop!"

Ash turned to Brock. "Um… Brock, would you like to do the honors?"

Brock grinned and did a quick bow. "It would be my pleasure, Ash." Turning to the bickering pair, Brock yelled. "Guys, chill out!"

The two stopped their arguments, but continued to stare at each other angrily. Pikachu sighed. "(Great! Just what we need! Another Ash and Misty!)"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Pikachu, you are starting to get on my nerves! They are not…" Ash's voice trailed off as his expression changed to a deadly serious one. "Did you guys just hear that?"

Misty and Brock started searching around the area, wondering what Ash was talking about. Gary and Giselle forgot about their fight and did likewise. Pikachu jumped up, ready for battle. Just behind them, a strange humming sound grew louder and louder. Misty cocked her head in confusion. "What is that sound?"

"Sounds like a mosquito." Gary commented as he starting staring at the woods behind him.

Giselle nodded. "Or even a bee."

Remembering their unfortunate encounter a few years back, Ash and Misty shuddered. "Did you say bee?"

Giselle turned to them with an odd look on her face. "Yea, why?"

"I guess you never had an encounter with a Beedrill." Misty stated and groaned. "I really hate bugs, especially Beedrills!"

Brock gasped as the buzzing sound grew even louder. "Isn't this the part where we run?"

Brock barely finished his question before the source of the noise emerged from the forest behind them. A large Beedrill, much like the one Ash owned, glared threateningly at the group. The bee pokemon, without warning, sprinted towards them for an attack. Everyone jumped out of the way as the giant bee pokemon prepared for another attack. Pikachu shocked it with a thunderbolt as Ash started running out of the area. "No, Brock. Now we run!"

The others followed Ash's lead as the pokemon shook off the attack. Although weak, it sprung into the air and took off after the Rebels. The chase was an exhausting one; the group was already tired and now they had to run for their lives. Beedrill grew increasingly annoyed by its victims and tiny yellow spikes shot out from its body.

"Oh great! That's pin missile! Avoid the spikes!" Brock yelled, dodging one right after that statement.

"Like we weren't doing that before!" Giselle groaned.

"We can't… can't keep this up forever." Gary huffed, getting exhausted from the life-and-death struggle.

"Pikachu, try another thunderbolt attack." Ash suggested.

Pikachu glanced back at Ash and shook his head. "(Not this time.)"

Ash stared at his pokemon in confusion. "What do you mean you won't do it? Pikachu!"

Pikachu glared at Ash, but didn't say a word. Humans just couldn't understand sometimes.

Ash then turned his head and stared into the distance. "Look! Pewter's just ahead!"

Indeed, the city stretched out straight before them. The houses were cast in gray and numbered in the dozens. The streets were nicely paved while curious pedestrians glanced back at the frantic group. Ash and company raced into the city while Ash increased his speed. "Must… keep… running."

"Ash! Stop!" Misty called from behind him beckoning him to slow down.

Ash shouted. "Sorry Misty! That Beedrill…"

"We aren't being chased anymore, idiot!" Misty interrupted.

Ash halted his in tracks. "W… what?"

Misty pointed towards the entrance to Pewter. "Just see for yourself."

On the street lay a lifeless pokemon, a Beedrill. Its wings flapped slightly, the only sign that the pokemon was still alive. Ash and Misty ran back and sighed. Brock, Gary and Giselle and the pair circled around the unfortunate pokemon wondering what had happened.

Misty panted. "Is it going to be all right?"

Giselle bent down and examined it in detail. "I'm not sure. It might be in a coma, but that's weird since it was just chasing us."

"What's wrong with it?" Brock asked.

Giselle shrugged her shoulders. Her experience as a doctor wasn't helping them out now. "I can't say. Further tests need to be conducted. I'm no expert in Beedrills so I can't tell what happened it to."

Misty turned to Pikachu. "And that was why Pikachu didn't attack again. It knew that Beedrill was incredibly weak another thunderbolt could kill it." Pikachu nodded and smiled back at Misty. Finally, someone understood him.

"It wasn't weak! That thing was putting up a good fight, if you ask me!" Gary declared. He also bent down, trying to study it even closer. Gary was about to reach out and touch the Beedrill when he was stopped by Ash.

Ash pulled him away and backed away from the scene. "Everyone, move away from the Beedrill and, whatever you do, don't touch it!"

Misty glanced back at Ash. "Why not?"

Ash, however, wouldn't say. "Look, we have to get out of here. There is nothing we or anyone else can do for it. That Beedrill is long gone."

"What! Are you just going to let a pokemon die! How cruel are you?" Giselle exclaimed.

Ash sighed. "Don't you see? It isn't alive. First of all, it isn't breathing. Second, if it were alive, it would be trying to attack us. Third, the wings aren't being moved by the Beedrill, it's being moved by the wind!"

The others glanced at the pokemon. The wings were in fact moving in sync with a steady gust of the wind that swept through the area. Ash was right; the Beedrill was dead. Unknown to the Rebels, a group of people in dark blue suits drove into the area. Their suits resembled spacesuits; it was like these people had just been to the moon and back. They parked their matching blue van nearby the scene and jumped out of it. "Nothing to see here. Nothing at all." A woman stated as some of her other peers hurriedly picked up the giant pokemon and dumped it in their van. A man then came back to the area where the Beedrill previously lay and sprayed something over the area. Not even glancing back at Ash or the others, the man ran back to the dark blue van, as did the others. They then drove out of the area as fast as they had arrived.

"Well, that was weird." Misty stated.

"Those were the same people from the Pokemon Center in Viridian!" Gary yelled.

Ash nodded. "Yea, they always do that. Actually, they were pretty fast today. Normally, it takes them around a quarter of an hour to remove the body."

Giselle turned to Ash. "What do you mean?"

Ash sighed. "That Beedrill had Stellar."

"What!" The others cried in disbelief.

Misty then whispered. "But, that would mean…"

"Yes." Ash nodded, answering Misty's question before she could even finish it. "Since we all had contact with that pokemon, we all might be infected."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Misty paced restlessly back and forth. Her thoughts started wandering as she sighed in regret. Why did that stupid Beedrill attack them? Why did it have to be infected? Now, they are probably all go crazy and kill each other. Great… that's what they needed. How are they going to know who is infected and who isn't?

Misty then glanced at the others. Gary and Giselle were arguing again. Brock was, as usual, was trying to be the referee without much success. Her eyes then wandered over to the newest member of their team. Ash didn't even notice the argument taking place or even seem to care for that matter. His attitude was completely calm, the exact opposite of Misty's. Ash was simply sitting in a chair apparently in the middle of a deep conversation with Pikachu.

Misty then gazed around the rest of the area. They were in a Pokemon Center in Pewter making a videophone call… well, sort of. She finally grew tired of the bickering and typed in a set of numbers on the videophone's keypad. The fight ended when Joe appeared on the screen. "Well, how are you guys doing?"

Misty gave a weak smile and replied. "Okay, I guess. Where's Prof. Oak?"

Joe shook his head. "You've got me. He's somewhere in the lab and should be meeting me any minute."

Gary raced to the phone. "Hey, Joe!"

"Hi Gary!" Joe smiled and then added. "So, what's new in the mission? Did you find Ash yet?"

Ash smiled as his name came up and walked over to the screen. "Does this answer your question?" Pikachu jumped up to his shoulder and waved to Joe.

Joe's eyes widened in amazement. "You guys already found him? That's amazing!"

Misty shrugged her shoulders. "Well, actually, he was the one who found us by rescuing us from Team Rocket's headquarters."

Joe dropped the phone in shock and picked up the phone with an embarrassed look on his face. "So soon? That's amazing!" Joe then turned to Ash. "Ash, after all these years… and I thought that you were dead!"

Ash nodded. "A lot of people did." In a deep voice, he added. "Seriously, where is Prof. Oak? I need to ask him about something."

"Did someone call my name?" Professor Oak inquired as he entered the room and walked right beside Joe. "Ash? Is that really you?"

Ash sighed. This was starting to get annoying. "Yes, it's me. Is it that hard to believe? Have I changed that much?" Not even giving the others a chance to answer, Ash quickly turned to the Prof. "Prof. Oak, do you know the last location that this disease popped up?"

Prof. Oak shook his head. "Sorry, Ash. I can't say, but Joe might be able to help. Joe?"

"I'm on it." Joe quickly started typing on the computer. After a few clicks of the mouse, Joe smiled. "Done."

"You're better than I thought. So, where is it?" Ash inquired.

Joe glanced again at the computer screen. "Hold on it's loading… okay, just finished. It appears that there have been a lot of recent attacks near Cerulean City. The most recent 'outbreak of strange behavior' this article says is about 5 miles east of Cerulean."

Ash grinned. "I think we know where we're going to next. The Serpents have been experimenting a lot lately with Stellar and now we have a pinpoint on the location of their Headquarters."

"Um, Ash, who are the Serpents anyway?" Giselle shyly asked.

Ash gasped. "You mean that you guys really don't know who the Serpents are?" After seeing 6 nods, including Prof. Oak and Joe's, Ash groaned. "I can't believe my ears. How did you guys make it this far without knowing who the Serpents were?"

Brock sighed. "Remember, Ash, you probably know more about this mission than all of us combined."

"I guess you're right, still that's pretty surprising. Anyway, the Serpent Clan is a group even more evil than Team Rocket." Ash declared.

Joe blinked in astonishment. "What? I thought that Team Rocket ruled the underworld of crime."

"That's what they want you to think. Team Rocket is an infamous and a dangerous group. Because of their public nature, most people know about. However, the Serpents are very secretive. They are much deadlier for they use stealth to murder people and pokemon alike. The group is nothing more than a killing machine obsessed with power. They will destroy anything that stands in their way; not even Team Rocket does that." Ash stated drearily, like he was a kindergarten teacher trying to explain to his class how to color within the lines.

"So, Team Rocket and the Serpents are enemies?" Gary asked.

Ash groaned. This was common knowledge to him. "Yes, of course. Since each group wants power, they always fight. Before they used guns to fight; now they use pathogens."

"So, Stellar was created as a weapon. But, why is it so vital that we break into the Serpent's H.Q.?" Misty questioned.

Ash turned to face her. "The Serpents have the antidote. They were the one who created it in the first place." Looking back at the videophone, Ash produced a small black box. "And they also created this."

"What's that?" Prof. Oak interrogated, edging closer to the screen.

Ash opened the box and showed its contents to the others. The only thing that it held was a test tube filled with a bluish substance. "Meet Stellar." He then closed the box and added. "I'll transport it to you right now. Run some tests on it." With that, Ash ran out of the area and over to the section that held the transporting machines.

Prof. Oak smiled. "This is amazing. Not only do we have the microbe, but Ash joined the group."

Misty sighed. Her mind wandered away to the past as she dreamily responded. "I know what you mean." Snapping out of her daydreaming mood, Misty continued. "Professor, we have a problem here."

Prof. Oak raised a questioning eyebrow. "What problem?"

Brock raced to the screen. "Um… we might all be infected with Stellar."

"What!" Joe and the Prof. Oak cried in unison.

Misty nodded. "Yes, it's true. On our way to Pewter City, our current location, we met with a crazy Beedrill. This thing chased us all the way into the city and then died on the street. According to Ash, the Beedrill had Stellar and we all had close contact with it, in some way or another."

Prof. Oak glanced back at the group with a pitiful expression pasted on his face. "This is horrible! I can't risk you guys infecting the people in Pewter or Cerulean. You are all have be quarantined now. This is going to delay the whole mission, drastically."

"What's going to delay the whole mission drastically, sir?" Ash asked, walking back into the area.

"Since we all might be infected, Prof. Oak says that we have to be quarantined." Gary explained.

"No, we don't have to be quarantined. By the way, I just transported Stellar to you." Ash quickly stated with confidence flooding his voice.

"But, we might spread the disease to a local population! Not to mention kill ourselves or others in the process!" Giselle moaned as the others nodded in agreement.

"The nice thing about Stellar is that we can't infect a local population. You see, Stellar is similar to rabies in that respect; transference between humans is incredibly rare. The disease is mainly spread when an infected pokemon attacks other pokemon or humans." Ash simply stated.

"But, couldn't the infected person kill themselves or other people?" Misty inquired.

Ash nodded. "Yes, that part is a problem, but we are going to have to live with those risks. That Beedrill could have spread Stellar to us when it used its pin missile attack."

"Still, why risk going on to Cerulean? Why risk endangering our lives and other people's?" Giselle questioned.

Ash sighed. "If we don't continue, then we can't get the antibiotic. If that happens, we are dooming a few people in this group to certain death. Do you really want that?"

"No." The others whispered.

Joe sighed. "Ok, this is going to get tricky. I have studied Beedrills before and I heard that their pin missile has poor range. Considering the fact that this Beedrill was barely alive when it attacked you all, only one of you, in all probability, is infected. I'm pretty sure that you guys can restrain one person from a killing rampage."

Prof. Oak walked out of the room and returned with the box that Ash held before. He then grasped the test tube and sighed. "We are going to do everything in our power to find our own antibiotic, in case something goes wrong. Call us when you get to Cerulean, okay?"

"Sure." The Rebels answered and hung up the phone.

"Well, that went well, right AK?" Giselle playfully asked.

After a moment, Ash murmured. "Please, just call me Ash. I feel like I'm dealing with those Rocket retards again if you call me AK. I really hate that name."

"Then why did you use it for 6 years?" Misty questioned.

Ash bit his lip as he was engulfed in his own thoughts. "Well, it was a nickname given to me."

"By who?" Brock asked as his interest peeked.

Ash lowered his head to the ground suddenly finding the ground tiles incredibly interesting. "Oh… no one in particular."

Gary snickered in his usual arrogant manner. "Oh come on! You can tell us."

"That last thing I want to talk about is her. She ruined my life!" Ash cried and forcefully shut his eyes, trying to stop the painful memories from surfacing.

A silent moment passed as the other four made a silent agreement with one another. An issue this painful to someone as impassive and stubborn as Ash must be tearing him up inside.

Trying to change the subject, Gary then turned to Ash. "Ash, just how much do you know about Stellar? If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you were an expert on it!"

Ash slowed opened his eyes, glad to get away from those painful memories. A slow shy grin crept onto his face as he simply stated. "That's because I am."

"What!" Gary gasped in shock, and then added with a smirk smile on his lips. "Ok, Ash, prove it."

Ash walked up to Gary with a puzzled look on his face. "Prove it? In what way?"

Gary crossed his arms across his chest, trying to look intimidating, but failing miserably since Ash was a full inch taller than him. "Explain in detail how this bacteria makes you aggressive."

Ash sighed. "If that's the way you want it…" Taking a deep breath, he continued. "The bacteria enters your bloodstream and travels to your brain. It then attaches onto the amygdala; why it attaches here and not to any other part of the brain is currently unknown. It feeds on glutamate…"

"Isn't glutamate that amino acid neurotransmitter that participates in a wide variety of brain functions, especially in the central nervous system?" Gary interrupted.

Ash glanced at him in surprise. "Yes, it looks like you are familiar with the brain. Anyway, this bacteria feeds on this amino acid, so that, for a while, the amygdala's activities decrease and the victim becomes a little tamer than usual. However, once the white blood cells find this pathogen and make antibodies, things change. When they try to destroy Stellar, the bacteria burst open and spew its meal, glutamate, all over the amygdala. This, in turn, activates this part of the brain and since this part…"

"… of the brain controls aggression, fear and anxiety, the victim becomes paranoid and violent." Gary continued, but then added. "But doesn't the amygdala control other emotions like happiness?"

Ash nodded. "Yes, but it only affects the part of the amygdala that controls these negative emotions."

"Oh, I understand now." Gary smiled.

"Well, I certainly don't!" Giselle screamed.

"You lost me on the onramp." Brock stated.

"And in English that would be?" Misty questioned.

Ash sighed. "Basically, it means that the bacteria attaches to the part of the brain that controls aggression, fear and anxiety. When the immune system tries to destroy the invaders, Stellar activates this part of the brain so you tend to be more violent and paranoid than normal. In fact, it can make you so violent and paranoid that you try to kill others, including yourself. In pokemon, Stellar causes you to bite other creatures as well as humans. Basically, when you get Stellar, you go crazy."

"Oh… I see." Misty and Giselle murmured together.

Brock was silent for a moment with a look on his face indicating that he was in deep thought. "So, in other words, Stellar makes you aggressive and anxious?"

"Gee, how did you come up with that conclusion?" Misty scoffed.

Gary then turned to Giselle. "Giselle, I thought that you were a doctor?"

"I am, it's just that I didn't study the brain that closely in school!" Giselle moaned.

"Ok, we ought to get going." Brock commented and then persisted. "I really want to see my family again. We can stay the night at my house."

"That sounds like a good idea." Ash stated and started walking out of the Pokemon Center, followed by the rest of the Rebels.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Timmy, that's got to be the best meal that I've ever had!" Gary cried as he slammed his empty plate on the table. Sighing in content, Gary leaned back in his chair as his eyes drifted around the room. The place was a basic living room with a huge table, numerous chairs and small decorations brightening up the area. Remembering how small Brock's house looked from the outside, he was pleasantly surprised at the size of this room. When Gary glanced at the others, he grinned. The rest of his friends seemed just as relaxed and content as he did.

Brock smiled proudly at his younger brother. "Well, Timmy always was good with a pan."

"I guess it must run it in the family, right Brock?" Ash grinned as he thought of all those fabulous meals that Brock used to make when they were kids.

Timmy's face turned red in embarrassment as he murmured. "Well, I don't know about that…"

"Timmy, you just have to give me the recipe for this! This is so much better than my cooking!" Giselle screeched as she licked her lips, eager for more.

Gary snickered in a sarcastic voice. "And why doesn't that surprise me?"

Before another fight arose, Misty quickly spoke. "Um… I think the phone is ringing."

The others glanced at her in surprise and the room quieted to a silent hush. In the background, there was a small humming sound that could only be described as a phone. Half in humiliation and half in annoyance, Timmy raced to the videophone. The image was blank on the screen; whoever was calling didn't want to show their face. "Hello? May I know who's speaking?" Time ticked by as the seconds transformed into minutes. By the time Timmy returned to the dinner table, a bizarre expression graced his face, bestowing an unnerving feeling in the air.

"Is something wrong?" The anger that previously clouded Giselle's face vanished like a white rabbit placed in a magician's black top hat.

Timmy removed his traumatized appearance at the sight of a room filled with compassion and concern. "That was a strange call. Must have been a wrong number or something."

Curiosity assumed responsibility over Brock's better judgment. "What did they say?"

Pondering this question for a moment, Timmy replied slowly. "All they said was 'river 12 lace' and hung up. Weird, don't you think so?"

"Lace! Did you say lace! Are you sure they said lace? Sure they didn't say something else like… late?" Ash exclaimed hastily as eyes bulged to an unnatural circumference.

"Yes… they said lace. They said river 12 lace, whatever that means." Timmy replied trying to sound nonchalant but clearly failing as he stared at the peculiar expression glued to Ash's face.

Misty blinked in total bewilderment. "Are you ok, Ash?"

Confusion flooded Ash's face as he remembered his abnormal behavior. Hiding his face by staring at the ground, Ash searched his mind for a reasonable response. "Me? Oh, I'm fine. Yeah… perfectly fine. I just… I just have a headache. Perhaps I should turn in early. Um… where are the guestrooms?"

Brock glanced skeptically at Ash. "Here, follow me." Brock then led Ash out of the room.

The others watched the two wander out of the area. Still paralyzed by the sudden outburst, the occupants in the room never even twitched a muscle; it was like time had frozen for these four. Timmy finally broke the silence by sighing. "That was weird."

"Extremely weird." Misty narrowed her eyes as she stared at the place where the odd event had recently occurred. It was extremely obvious that Ash was lying but why? What was the big deal about lace? Tossing these questions aside, Misty continued. "Perhaps getting some shuteye might not be a bad idea."

"I think I'll get some sleep as well." Giselle and Gary both commented. Giving an utterly scornful glare to one another, Gary and Giselle followed Brock and Ash out of the room.

Misty sighed and strolled out of the room but she couldn't shake off this curiously foreboding feeling that consumed her thoughts.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"No!!!!!!" screaming, Misty jerked upright as beads of sweat poured down her neck. Panting slightly, like she had just run a marathon, Misty gripped the covers tightly. Danger seemed to manifest itself into the shadows that circled the room. Trying to mentally calm herself down, Misty swallowed large gulps of air and turned her head towards her roommate. Giselle seemed unaffected by Misty's shrieks of terror and continued snoring as loud as a blender placed right next to the eardrum.

Relieved and annoyed at the same time by Giselle's unbearable snoring, Misty slipped off the numerous blankets piled on top of her and placed her delicate feet on the floor. With that the horrible dream… more like horrendous nightmare… still fresh in her mind, Misty tried to make sense of it. Images of a crumbling world bubbling with belligerence flickered within her alarmed mind. Her hands trembled at the pain in the dream, her breathing transformed into quick gasps at the blood that was omnipresent within her vision, her heart rate intensified at the death that flooded her nightmare. Fear clutched her body as the nightmare continued to replay in her mind. When she finally had enough strength to stop the vivid memories, Misty still couldn't escape from the horror of it. After all, nightmares about the end of the world are hard to forget.

Misty staggered out of the room, careful not to wake up Giselle, although that seemed incredibly difficult to do considering the degree of sound echoing from her throat. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to get any sleep if she stayed in the room, Misty decided to take a walk outside. Walks always calm her down.

Once she reached the fresh air outside, Misty smiled. The black night cloaked her in peace while the cold wind twirled around her body. Placing one foot in front of another, Misty gracefully skated across the grassy plain that surrounded the area. A crisp forest glowed in the darkness, watching Misty through its shrewd eyes. The moon was the only source of light in the area and it seemed to follow Misty like a spotlight.

During her serene moment of bliss, Misty glazed around curiously and noticed something stir in the shadows of the trees. Like a reflex action, Misty quickened her pace to a sprint and dashed to the spot. When she arrived there, she discovered that whatever it was had disappeared. A little disappointed, Misty started walking away that is until she saw some movement deeper within the woods. This time, she scuttled towards it even faster than before. To her relief, Misty found that she was catching up to this speedy entity. Although the dark shadows managed to conceal the object's appearance, Misty could make out that it was a person. Confused to say the least, Misty forced her legs to continue her outlandishly fast pace. Thankfully, the person stopped after what seemed like eternity by a nearby river. Misty tilted her head in puzzlement. She never knew that there was a river near Pewter.

Now that the figure was cast in the moonlight's glow, Misty could examine this person properly. It was clear that it was a man, but that wasn't what surprised her. What surprised her was the fact that she recognized this man. "Ash? What is he doing here?" Misty whispered to herself as she hid behind some local vegetation.

Ash cast his weary eyes along the darkened stream. The small river twinkled like a star, dividing the forest and the grassy plains as well. The area was peaceful, yet Ash twitched impatiently. He didn't even want to be here. He didn't even know why he came here in the first place. Ash sighed in regret when he looked at his shoulder. Pikachu was fast asleep back in the house and Ash didn't want to disturb the little rodent in its slumber. Besides, this should be quick, hopefully.

"I see that you got my message." A strange feminine voice floated through the air.

Ash growled as his mind remembered the times when he heard that wicked voice before. "You know that we shouldn't meet."

A beautiful woman a few years older than Ash glided to the stream, seemingly suspended in midair. The trees bowed to her presence as she slipped past their branches. Dark black hair flowed from her head and silky sapphire eyes stared at Ash. However, Ash didn't even glance in her direction. He just gazed at the grassy plain straight ahead of him, wishing that he were somewhere else. The woman, obviously upset at Ash's attitude, strolled to his side. "But you came, didn't you?"

Ash's features hardened as he turned to face this young beauty. "What do you want?"

"What? No small talk? What's the world coming to nowadays? Can't one person just have a simple conversation with another person?" The ravishing woman remarked sardonically.

Ash's eyes narrowed until they were no more than slits. "What do you want, Lass?"

Lass smiled wickedly at the sound of her own name. "I'm glad that you remember me. Like my message? River 12 Lace? I thought that it was clever considering that very few people know about this river and that no one comes here, especially at midnight. Lace… remember the days when you used to call me that?"

"You're stalling." Ash simply commented.

"Me? Stall?" Lass giggled in a childish tone. Seeing the serious expression still dawning Ash's face, Lass held in her hands up in mock surrender. "Ok! Ok, I give up! I was stalling before, but do you have to be so harsh?"

Ash shrugged his shoulders as a lifeless expression masked his face. "Why did you want to meet?"

"To discuss some things. I heard that you quit Team Rocket and joined a new and useless group." Lass rudely stated in a carefree manner. It almost seemed that insulting people was her fulltime hobby.

Anger quivered through his blood as Ash snarled. "They're called the Rebels and they aren't useless. In fact, they are strong enough to stop this whole business, with my help, of course."

"With your help? They don't stand a chance! Remember Ashy who really gave you all your information and kept you in the game. Without me, you'd be just as hopeless as your friends. I bet that you haven't even told them about me. Am I right, Ashy?" Lass cooed in a singsong voice laced with a sinful pitch.

"There was no need. Those details are unimportant." Ash quickly replied as an aura of cold hatred surrounded him.

Lass tauntingly shook her head. "On the contrary, Ashy, they are much more important than you think."

"And is that why you arranged this whole meeting? To point out my mistakes and tell me what I don't know? If that's so, then I might as well just leave." Ash started walking towards a dirt path in the woods.

Lass glared at the retreating figure. "You know, as well as I, that I don't plan insignificant meetings when we both could get easily killed!" Her lighthearted attitude vanished from sight.

Ash stopped in the path and slowly turned around. "Then get to the point."

Lass fiddled with her hair before speaking. "Well, I have some information for you."

"Go on." Ash raised his head, slightly intrigued by her statement.

Lass shrugged her shoulders and playfully smiled. "It's about Stellar."

Ash groaned. You just couldn't have a straight conversation with Lass; it takes her forever for her to get to the point. In a threatening tone, Ash scowled. "Lass…"

"Ashy, a little impatient, aren't we?" Lass mocked in a childish voice before continuing. "All I wanted to say was that one of the people in your group is infected, and I even know which one."

Ash opened his mouth as a baffled expression splashed across his face. "How do you know which person it is? None of my friends have been properly examined, especially by you."

Lass placed her delicate hands on her hips and stared at Ash conceitedly. "I have my secrets, Ashy."

"Who is infected?" Ash inquired as he crossed his hands across his chest.

Lass smiled maliciously. She knew that she had caught his interest. As if she were playing with a toy, Lass approached his side and shook her lovely head from side to side. "I can't tell you that. It would ruin the suspense, don't you agree?"

Ash backed away from Lass with an angry snort. "I already knew that information. If all you want to do is play tricks on people, then stay away from my friends and me. Good bye, Lace."

"Hold it! Would you stop trying to get away from me?" Lass whined stubbornly. "I'll admit, that wasn't the reason why I called you here."

Reading the expression pasted on Lass' face, Ash murmured in an insensitive voice. "I'm not joining you."

Lass glanced innocently back at Ash. "Ashy, already denying my request? We work well together, why do you refuse? You know I could give you anything you want."

Ash nodded. "I know, but I don't want anything except to stop you and the Serpents. I still don't understand how you could have joined such an evil organization in the first place. I'm sticking with the Rebels all the way." It was clear that he had made up his mind.

Knowing how stubborn Ash could be, Lass coaxed. "You sure?"

"Absolutely." Ash simply replied and started walking away from Lass.

Lass sighed in disappointment. She then yelled. "Ok, if that's the way you want it, then so be it. But, be careful! The contaminated person is a very good friend of yours. The last thing that you'd want is to get killed by one of your best friends."

Ash trembled at the thought but continued walking out of the area. He knew that he shouldn't have come.

Lass watching him depart; slightly sadden, like she had lost something that she never really owned in the first place. In a flash, she disappeared down another trail.

Misty finally emerged from her hiding spot and brushed off the leaves that stuck to her clothes. Forcing her now sleepy eyes to open, Misty tried to focus on the path ahead of her but she couldn't help thinking about the previous conversation. Who was this Lass person and why didn't Ash tell them about her before? Trying desperately to sort out the numerous facts in her mind, Misty started regretting that she didn't wear shoes. The little pebbles were torture on her bare feet. During this lonely walk, one question in particular stuck out in her brain. Why was it that during her nightly strolls, she somehow always gets stuck eavesdropping on people and gaining valuable knowledge?

*~*~*~*~*~*

If any of you played Pokemon Red/Blue, you might remember Lass as one of the trainers that you have to battle. Just to avoid some confusion in this chapter, let me clarify some parts. Remember when Ash was explaining how Stellar actually works? Well, that part is 100% true; the amygdala really is a part of your brain that is known to control emotions like aggression and fear. It's also thought to control other emotions like happiness, but not as much. Glutamate is the real name of a neurotransmitter that is used in the brain. I actually did some research on the brain, so, there is a chance that a disease like Stellar could really occur in nature. (Scary thought, isn't it?) Since I'm betting that most of you really didn't know exactly what Ash was telling Gary, I made Ash make a statement to Misty, Brock and Giselle that explained it in a simpler way. Also, I know that Brock's dad, Flint, and the rest of his millions of brothers and sisters should be at home now. However, I really didn't think that they were necessary so, let's just assume that they all went on a trip somewhere… Another thing: the code "River 12 lace" means the following if you didn't get it. River= a small unknown river near Pewter (location where Lass wanted to meet Ash). 12= 12 o'clock, midnight (time Lass wanted to meet Ash). Lace= a nickname that Ash made up for her before (this was put into the code in order for Ash to know who was sending him the message). He doesn't call her Lace that much in the last section because he's basically hates her guts at the present moment. Okay, that about wraps thing up. Please continue sending me reviews. I love getting them! J I'll try to bring out the next part ASAP, but it'll probably take a couple of days because writing, editing and reediting takes FOREVER to do! Oh, feel free to email at starmist@freeze.com with any comments, criticism, questions or anything else.