*~*~*~*~*

A long overdue continuation…

A Second Chance

Chapter 7: A Traitor Among the Ranks

*~*~*~*~*

"I'm leaving."

"Just a few more tests…"

"Sorry, I've got better things to do." Brock bluntly stated as he picked up his bag and started walking out of the room. "Thanks for your help, but I'm leaving."

He really hated hospitals. As if the hideous hospital gowns and toxic food weren't bad enough, there was this constant smell of medication in the air and the somber feeling of death only a few inches away. Yeah… so he recovered from some incurable disease. It doesn't mean that he should be forced to be lock up in one little room all his life just so those insensitive doctors can satisfy their inexhaustible curiosity.

Brock smiled as he pushed the glass doors open to the dim sunlight. It felt good to have the sun on his face again… even if it was close to sunset. The one thing that he regretted was not seeing any of his friends around. Just how long was he out? As Brock started contemplating this, another question entered his head: Where was he going? Without having a clue as to the Rebel's whereabouts, just where should he head?

"Maybe Professor Oak knows…" Brock wondered as he walked over to a nearby payphone. After digging around in his pocket, he thanked God for remembering his silly habit of collecting loose change and stuffing it into his right jacket pocket. Inserting numerous small coins into the phone, Brock then dialed the number to the Oak laboratories, which he was incredibly glad he remembered. "Great no answer."

Pushing the release button, Brock's coins tumbled back into his hand. Who should he call? Who does he know around the area? The only people he knows around here is… Brock's face suddenly turned into a surprised, hormone-driven expression that we are all so closely familiar with. Gathering the pile of metal coin into his pocket, Brock took off in the direction of Cerulean Gym.

*~*~*~*~*

"She was right."

"Pika."

"No, I'm telling you, Lass was right."

"(Ash will be found.)"

"Yeah… like in a body bag." Misty grunted angrily. An exploration of the entire city yielded absolutely zero… nada… zip. The search of the Serpent building, after the police left; was a total waste of time. Everything, from hotels to stores, led to more dead ends. There was no way Ash could still be in the Saffron area.

Pikachu shook its head in frustration. Misty can't lose hope now! Ash felt so close…"(I have this strong feeling that he's alive… and nearby. I swear it.)"

"That's what you said three hours ago!" Misty screamed. She slammed her pack to the ground and gazed up at the starry sky. It was already evening… 7:00 pm. Pikachu's "feeling" had led them into the middle of a forest… in other words, in the middle of nowhere. Cooling down a bit, Misty sighed. "Well, it's dark and we are already lost… might as well set up camp here."

"(But, he's here!)" Pikachu frantically whimpered. By now, Misty wasn't listening… or even cared for that reason. Well, Pikachu had been saying that every now and then… ok nonstop for the past three hours. It's just… something… someone… was telling him that Ash was extremely close by.

Misty rolled out her sleeping bag and gazed at Pikachu. "Pikachu, I'm going to go get some firewood. Can you watch over the camp?"

"(But, I don't want you going out alone…)" Pikachu whispered. He always was the worried type.

Misty smiled and patted her belt. "Don't worry, I've got my pokemon with me. And, Haunter can keep you companion." Misty then dug the pokeball out of her pack and pressed the release button. The ghost tumbled out of the orb, barely visible against the black shadows. "You and Haunter stay right here until I come back, ok?" After two encouraging nods, Misty left the area.

"Damp… damp… damp… is there any dry wood around here?" Misty groaned as she continuously observed soggy wood on the ground… probably the worst type of firewood there ever could be. All the trees in the area were not only impossibly tall; their branches were as well. Holding the two only sticks of dry wood in the area, Misty trotted further away from camp. Her walk soon ended when she reached the sandy shores of a beach huddled beside the ocean. "We must be really far from Saffron."

With surprise, Misty turned to her left and discovered… a city? "It must be Vermillion City. I guess camping out would be useless if we're this close to a city."

Just as she was about to leave the region, the ground started to quiver. At first, Misty thought it was an earthquake, until she realized how weak the tremors were near her left and how violent they were on her right. It was as if something was digging just beneath the soil. Before Misty could question this phenomenon any longer, mounds of soil began to sprout from the ground as a dark creature peeked its body from above the dirt. "It couldn't be…"

"Dugtrio!" The massive three-headed Dugtrio exclaimed.

Misty blinked her eyes in amazement. "But, Dugtrio don't live near beaches… only in tunnels…" She continued to direct her gaze on the creature. The Dugtrio not only appeared healthy but it was at a high level… too high. Strangest of all, the pokemon seemed to recognize her… "You look exactly like… but that's impossible… They told me that all of Ash's pokemon died except for Pikachu and Haunter!"

"(Nope… Dugtrio survived too! Must find Ash… where is he?)" The creature chanted anxiously.

Misty couldn't take her eyes off the pokemon. Although she didn't understand one word it said, she couldn't get over the fact that Dugtrio seemed to know her. "You are Ash's Dugtrio, aren't you?" Dugtrio's cheerful grunts answered that question. "But how… how did you survive?"

Dugtrio shrugged two of its heads. "(Wish I knew.)"

*~*~*~*~*

"You what!" Tammy cried in a raspy voice. Her breath came in short painful gasps as she gritted her teeth into the fleshy part of her lip. Her olive-green eyes were clouded with a layer of blue flame. She slammed the receiver of the phone into the tabletop in order to release her irritation.

"What happened?" Jessie questioned curiously with a disguised trace of concern.

Tammy slowly nibbled on her index finger, as if trying to come to a decision. Finally, she shook her head and whispered in barely audible voice. "Nothing."

"You sure?" Jessie called with a rise of distrust flaring within her vocal cords.

Tammy turned her head towards her companion with a deadly serious look on her face. "Absolutamente."

"Huh?" Jessie murmured as she tilted her head to the side.

Tammy sighed in annoyance. "It's Spanish for absolutely, you baka!" Before Jessie had a chance to question, Tammy shouted. "It means idiot in Japanese, you uneducated fiend! Now get out of here, gaki, before I have to throw you out!"

Jessie placidly walked to the door and opened the door. Before leaving she crossly spoke. "Stop yelling at me in other languages! And what the heck does gaki mean?"

"Brat! Now leave!" Tammy furiously ordered as the door banged shut in response. She then turned back to the phone, which hadn't been hung up properly. Picking up the receiver, she growled. "How could you give yourself away like that, Joe?"

"Oh, would you calláte already!" Joe cried into the phone.

"I will not shut up… and when did you learn Spanish?" Tammy half-yelled, half-questioned.

A sly mysterious grin materialized on Joe's lips as he spoke. "There are many things you don't know about me." The grin slowly shimmered away as Joe sighed. "And, besides, it's not like I planned for the Professor to find out this way."

"Or have one of the Rebels walk in and see you tie up Pro. Oak!" Tammy snarled in disgust.

Joe nervously twitched his fingers. "Well, Giselle is knocked out now, so she won't be much of a problem."

"What if one of her team mate discovers that she's missing?" Tammy bitterly reminded him.

"Oh yeah…" Joe's voice trailed off. "Then, what am I supposed to do with them? I can't reach the Master and all of the bases have been destroyed except for the one at Serpent Island."

Tammy scratched her head in thought before answering. "You're going to have to bring them here, but be careful. Jessie is here and I have reason to believe that she shouldn't be trusted."

"Whatever you say." Joe mumbled. "The other Rebels, though, think that I'm trustworthy. Should I try to find their positions and lure them over there?"

Tammy, finally over her rage spell, slowly nodded. "Yes. Milk as much information out of the girl and find out where they are. Then, bring the whole group over to the island and let the Master deal with them. But, whatever you do, don't let anyone else know your Serpent identity. Got it?"

"One question." Joe slowly spoke as he turned his gaze over to the lifeless bodies of the Professor and Giselle. "What if the girl refuses to tell the whereabouts of her friends?"

The sides of Tammy's lips gradually tweaked upwards. "You should already know the answer to that question." A click was heard before the line went dead.

*~*~*~*~*

Run.

It wasn't a request… It was a command…

Blurring green mixed with astonished cries…

Rough tree barks… Smooth leaves…

Earth slammed against his feet…

Racing heartbeat… short gasps…

Had to keep running…

Had to keep…

Running… always was his favorite activity. Feeling as free as a bird… Getting away from it all… But this time was different…

He was running to return to it all… For reasons that defied even himself… He just had to get there… Someone… something… needed him…

He stopped… someone needed him now…

The sound he had previously heard amplified in volume. It was as if someone was calling his name… but it wasn't a human voice…

"(Ash)"

It was a pokemon voice… one that he recognized very well…

He looked around him… the voice was so close yet so far away…

"(Ash)"

Ash looked up to the sky. His eyes made out the image of a small bird in the sky. Thinking that it was just another Spearow, Ash was about to continue his run until he heard the flying creature speak his name for yet a third time. This bird knew him…

As it pokemon approached, Ash blinked in surprise. It wasn't a bird… it was a bat… his bat… "Zubat?"

Zubat screeched in glee as it made a nose-dive to the ground and straight to Ash's side. Zubat happily circled his trainer while Ash gazed, dumbfounded, at the pokemon. "But… you died… didn't you?"

"(I did… but I'm alive now.)" Zubat echoed as it landed on Ash's outstretched arm.

He continued to stare at the pokemon as if he were looking at a ghost. "This is impossible!"

Zubat simply shrugged its wings. "(Well, it happened. So, where are the others?)"

"Others? You mean my other pokemon are alive too?" Ash gasped. Didn't Misty say that his clone and his pokemon died that night? "How did you survive?"

"(Not sure… all I remember is blood seeping from my wings and then waking up in the middle of the forest with the others.)" Zubat quickly answered.

"Great… just great." Ash whispered not really listening to what Zubat was saying. His eyes gazed curiously at a bright light in the distance. Being the only source of light in the area, Ash ignored his talking bat and strolled forward, hoping to get a closer look. Zubat, wordlessly, flew above him until they reached a slight clearing within the darkened forest. "Hmm… must be Vermillion City. Better get going unless we want to spend the night out here."

"(Wait…)" Zubat spoke in a hushed voice as it rouse its body higher into the air. Through its vampire-like teeth, the bat shrieked a high-pitched cry into the murky sky. Invisible rays of sound bounced back to the little creature giving it an accurate picture of the region. "(There's someone over there… along with some pokemon… I think.)"

"But, who would be around here?" Ash turned his eyes towards the area. Though the dark masked just about everything in his vision, he still felt a trivial sensation that Zubat was right. "We better check it out, just to be safe."

*~*~*~*~*

"Come on… snap out of it already." Gary commanded as he violently shook the sleepy form of James. Not attaining a response, Gary angrily kicked his head. "If you don't get up, I'm going to have to kick you where it really hurts!"

That brought James from his drowsy state. His body bolted upright as he blinked at the sight of the luminous sunlight. After getting his bearings, James gazed up at Gary. "Never make those kind of threats when a guy is sleeping, got it?"

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Gary smirked deviously as he waited for James to get to his feet. "We both fell asleep watching Win and Julie after they entered that hotel. Come on, let's head over to the hospital."

"Tell me, what's with Brock's amazing recovery?" James questioned as the duo started walking towards the hospital.

Gary shrugged his shoulders. "If specially-trained doctors couldn't answer that question, what makes you think that I can?"

James curtly grinned. "Someone has to know why."

"I'm guessing that if you don't know anything then neither do the Rockets." Gary contemplated aloud.

"The Rockets have in the dark about Stellar from the beginning. A normal citizen probably knows more about the matter then the Rockets do." James growled silently.

"James, I have a question for you. We both saw the Serpents go inside the hospital yesterday and come out empty-handed. Instead of further questioning the hospital staff, how about we check out the city and see if Brock managed to escape somewhere else." Gary casually mumbled aloud.

James hesitated for a moment, trying to think of any counterarguments for his train of thought. "What if they are purposely came out of the hospital empty-handed in order to confuse us."

Gary's eyes darkened for a moment in thought. "No one knows we're here."

James shoulders drooped for a moment. No one knows that he is here, but what about Gary? Lass and her thugs have certain 'ways' of getting information out of people. But still… those agents didn't look that intelligent… could Gary be right? "I wouldn't be so sure about that. The Serpents are always ahead of the game."

Gary shook his head. "What are you saying? That someone followed me? That someone followed you?"

James slowly shook his head. "That's not her style. She likes to know everything that's happening… and I do mean everything."

"But the only way you can know everything is if…" Gary's voice trailed off into nothingness as amber eyes determinately locked with jade ones. "A spy?"

"She prefers the term 'trustworthy moles'." James monotonously remarked. "They are very good actors… too good at times. There is absolutely no way to spot them. As they say, trust no one."

"Then why should I trust you?" Gary demanded, clearly agitated by the very thought.

James slyly shook his head. "I guess you can't. But if you want your friend back, you're going to have to. I have a pretty good idea where he'd head."

"And where would that be?" Gary questioned as he nervously fidgeted his fingers.

Glancing around, James slowly leaned in and whispered in his ears. "Think pretty girls and water pokemon…"

A blank look entered his face until the light of understanding flowed into his very being. He knew exactly where Brock was.

*~*~*~*~*

"(Did you just hear that?)" Pikachu gnawed his rat-like teeth together in alarm.

Misty curiously stared down at rodent. "Hear what?"

Haunter paused for a moment before whispering. "(A bat.)"

Pikachu, ignoring Misty's dumbfounded look, determinately locked eyes with Haunter. "(You aren't suggesting that was Zubat… are you?)"

"(It certainly isn't impossible.)" Haunter merely mumbled as his eyes settled on the form of Dugtrio digging a shaky path just above the surface. His years of experience allowed the pokemon to follow the group without slowing them down in the least bit.

Misty quietly listened to the conversation, only able to understand one side. She tightened her grip on her tiny bag as she continued walking towards Vermillion City. The night completely enveloped the region though the slivery rays of a crescent moon rained down on the party. Lush pines loomed on all sides while the faint smell of the salty sea drifted through the humid air. For nearly the third time, Misty snapped her head back and narrowed her eyes. Was it just her imagination or was there something out there… watching… following her?

"And what might a young woman like yourself be doing out here all alone?"

"Huh?" Misty called and quickly turned around. Behind her, a tall man stood quietly with a sly yet friendly smile on his lips. A small dark bat floated on top of his head like a swirling halo. "It couldn't be… Ash?"

*~*~*~*~*

"Let's see… 12234… 12246…ah! Here it is! 12259!" Joe exclaimed proudly as he slipped the piece of paper back into his right pocket. He smiled happily as he gloated to himself over his recent accomplishments. Sure, he might have been friends with Giselle years before, but a few methods of torture ensured her immediate cooperation. That was one nice thing about the Serpents, they always had dozens of ways to milk information out of hostages. After learning that Misty was in Saffron on a wild chase for Ash, Joe decided to take on the rest of the gang in Cerulean. The gym seemed unusually quiet for the time-being. After a few attempts at knocking on the door, he decided to let himself in the old-fashion way, by turning the doorknob. It squeaked loudly, but he didn't care. Frankly, all he wanted was to get this mission over with as soon as possible.

The lack of noise combined with the absence of all life in the room created a strange atmosphere around the pool and the rest of the room. "Is anybody here?" Joe screamed to the desolate walls with no reply. The sound bounced around the room for a few minutes but what felt like a few hours. Thinking that this trip was a waste, Joe scampered back to the door.

"Who's there?" A shaky feminine voice whispered out of the darkness.

Joe once again searched the room but found no trace of the owner of the voice. "My name is Joe and I'm looking for a few friends of mine."

A few uneasy mummers were heard in the background before a brilliant light cascaded down on Joe. His vision was impaired for a few moments before it was replaced with a soft glowing light around the room. From that light emerged a group of 6 people, 3 guys and 3 girls, with a swarm of pokemon by their side. Joe smiled, recognizing 2 of the males' faces, for they were his intended victims. "Is he trustworthy?" One of the females questioned uneasily.

The others observed him quietly, trying to find some sort of incriminating evidence on him. "What is the nature of your visit?" One of the men asked, focusing an untrusting stare directly at Joe.

"I recently contacted Misty and learned that she has found Ash and that we are to change the meeting point." Joe simply stated.

"And why must we do that?" Gary questioned taking a step closer.

Joe sighed and quickly formulated an answer. "Giselle and Professor Oak have been captured by the Serpents. After relating this information to Misty, she told me to find Gary and perhaps Brock and change the meeting place."

The tension around the room diminished and the group all edged closer. Brock nodded back at the group. "He's trustworthy." He then turned to face Joe again. "Then, where must we meet?"

Joe smiled craftily. "At Serpent Island."

*~*~*~*~*

"Here are the prisoners you requested." A buff man spoke as he roughly pushed two cross people in front of him.

"Thank you. Please put them in the dungeon." Tammy simply requested, as the prisoners were lead away at gunpoint.

Jessie watched the prisoner retreat in pure surprise. She had not only recognized them, but knew that they were part of the Rebels. "And what was that all about?"

Tammy shrugged. "Just a hostage delivery. You should know that; you've seen it hundreds of times before."

Jessie icily replied. "But never without the Master's orders."

"Look Jessie," Tammy growled. "My job is to run this island, not your job. So, back off." Tammy walked off with an angry trot.

"I have to get them out of here." Jessie thought to herself as she stared at the hallway where she last saw them. Quiet as a field mouse, Jessie slipped down the hallway, avoiding the detection of dozens of guards, and over to the dungeons. Her search was a long and tedious one. Eventually, it led her to an empty row of cells where Jessie could hear someone calling for help. After a few dead end searches, she finally reached the cell of two people, an old weary man and a young desperate woman.

"Who are you?" Giselle whispered fearfully as she saw a figure approach.

"Shush!" Jessie ordered as she dug into her pockets and produced a lock pick. "Don't make a sound." The two-trapped prisoners seemed to understand the situation and acted accordingly. They kept quiet while Jessie fumbled on the lock and even when she opened the rusty metal door. "All right, follow me, but keep quiet."

"Well, well, well." A sinister whisper echoed through the cell. "What do we have here?"

"No." Giselle simply moaned as she recognized the figure standing before them.

Jessie gazed in curious surprise at Giselle sudden mood change. Why would Tammy scare her that much? Quickly turning around, Jessie barked in her bravest voice. "All right, Tammy, what's your problem?"

"The name's not Tammy." The figure simply stated as she walked into view as Jessie's face turned pale white with fear. "It's Lass."

*~*~*~*~*

"Ash, what are you doing? Vermillion city is this way." Misty pointed towards the dim lights on the horizon.

"But the ocean is this way." Ash slyly replied and started walking on the opposite path.

Misty gazed at him with frustration. After overcoming her surprise of seeing Ash again, they had been walking along in silence. Though she continually asked questions about his whereabouts within the last few days, he answered only a few of them with curt responses. She knew that he was ignoring her but as to why… she didn't have a clue. "And what's so special about the ocean?"

"You'll see when we get there." Ash turned and started walking down the path. Misty sighed and followed his lead, hoping that he had a good reason at least. Pikachu scampered to his side, just as confused as Misty was. The other pokemon had been placed back into their pokeballs. This included Dewgong and Feraligatr." Ash quietly ordered.

"But… why?" Misty questioned as she fingered the two pokeballs on her belt.

"We have to go to Serpent Island. Our friends are trapped on the island." Ash stated more to himself and turned his head back to Misty. "Release them now."

Misty pouted at this abrupt order. It was not in her blood to follow such stern orders. However, something told her that she should let this battle slip. It wasn't the time to argue. "Go Dewgong and Feraligatr!"

The seal-like pokemon and the rough alligator-like pokemon emerged on the sandy beach. They both gazed at their master curiously, awaiting their orders. Misty obediently sat atop Dewgong while Ash seated himself upon Feraligatr. This time, though, the creature submissively allowed him to do so without trouble. It was like both creatures knew that something big was going to happen.

"Tell them to head 5 degrees northwest. That should lead us to the island." Ash commanded, after briefly gazing at a map.

Misty nodded. "Do as he says." The pokemon splashed forward towards the unknown island.

*~*~*~*~*

"So, how far is it to this island?" Gary yelled against the screeching high velocity winds.

Brock and James glanced back at Joe who was staring at a map. "10 more miles."

Fearow squeaked in dissatisfaction. It had been carrying these four heavy bodies from Cerulean and it was far beyond tired. It had already been flying for an hour or two… maybe three, but who's counting? Though may consider the bird as one of the fastest flyers of the pokemon world, even it had trouble making a land trip and ocean trip at top speed with a heavy cargo. Gary calmly petted his creature on the head. "Just a few more miles. Then you'll get the long rest that you deserve." The pokemon wasn't too assured by such a statement; it had already heard that 5 times before. But what other choice did it have?

"Joe, I have a question for you." James quietly whispered.

Joe looked up from his map. "Yes James."

"How's life with the Serpents?" James sneakily questioned.

Joe bolted up, gazing at James' green eyes curiously. His years of training wiped any sign of fear upon his features. "What are you trying to imply?"

James, though he was in an uncomfortable position, continued to stare at Joe trying to observe any sign of lying. "There's a mole around."

"You think that it's me?" Joe asked in mock surprise.

James stared long and hard at him before he responded. "I'm still trying to decide."

"Turn around James. If there's a traitor here, he's in front of you." Joe viciously remarked.

"Did you say something?" Brock asked, obviously not hearing any of the conversation.

James seated himself properly on the bird and shook his head. "Nothing important."

"Hey guys… you're not going to believe this." Gary shouted from his position.

The other three passengers gazed ahead, startled at the sight in front of their eyes. There, blue and pink balls of light blasted at regular intervals slightly above a small land mass. "What are those… fireworks?"

"Look again. It's some sort of fight." Gary commanded.

Indeed, he was right. As Fearow neared the scene, it was evident that the pink and blue lights were directed at each other. The two individuals causing the racket floated in the air, both containing cat-like features and a long white tail. Psychic blasts of power slammed against each another, blinding the group, even though they were a few miles away from the island. Only when the group was less than a mile from the island did Joe gasp in shock. "It's Mew and Mewtwo…"

*~*~*~*~*

"Wake up." Ash ordered quietly as he shook Misty's still form.

"Five more minutes…" Misty murmured in her sleep, obviously enjoying her dream.

"Come on, Misty. We don't have the time… please wake up." Ash called.

Misty slowly shifted her body before opening her eyes. To her surprise, she was lying down on a grassy beach sitting directly beside the ocean with the bright sunshine tumbling atop her face. On her left were two pokeball, obviously containing Dewgong and Feraligatr. On her right, Ash was gazing up at something in the sky. Curious, Misty sat up and placed her eyes on the scene. It seemed like two cat-pokemon… two strangely familiar creatures… were fighting with powerful psychic blasts. "What the heck?"

Ash pulled his eyes off the scene and turned to Misty. "Run."

She didn't need to be told twice. Misty grabbed her pokeballs and hurried to her feet. Grabbing Ash's hand, the pair raced off the beach and towards some cover, which was a building atop a hill. Just as they dove behind the building, a large pink bubble of energy banged against the beach, which they were previously on, into obliteration. Both of them both tried to catch their breath when Misty huffed. "What's going around here?"

Ash sternly glared at her before responding. "Not so loud." Turning back to the scene, he whispered. "It seems that we've stumbled right into a fight between Mew and Mewtwo."

Misty curiously gazed at Ash. "Yeah and pink elephants fly at midnight."

His lips upturned slightly. "You don't believe me? Look for yourself."

Misty shoved her way forward and watched the fight. It was clear that both creatures were highly powerful and that neither of them was winning. Whenever one got the advantage over the other, they would lose it just as quickly as they had it. The brilliance of the attacks clouded the view of the actually attackers from her vantage point. However, that soon changed when one of the white cat creatures made a low dive to the ocean. It was just low enough and close enough for Misty to make out the white tail and feline body. Turning back to Ash, her face turned ghastly white. "And I thought that they only existed in fairy tales."

"I guess you don't remember then." Ash quietly whispered.

"What did you say?" Misty questioned.

Ash shook his head. "Nothing. Here, let's try to get in the building. Now… what would be the best way to get in?"

"We could follow them." Misty mumbled as she noticed 4 people get off a large bird.

*~*~*~*~*

"Let's find some cover!" Brock shouted as he raced towards a small group of trees. James, Gary and Joe soon followed. When they reached their destination, the group rested for a moment, catching their breaths. "Ok, what's the plan?"

"We've got to get inside the building." Joe panted as he pointed up to the Serpent's building. "Come on!"

Before the others had a chance to comment, Joe took off at full speed towards the building and to the entrance. As he waited for oxygen to fill his lungs, Joe blinked in confusion. "Ash? Misty? What are you doing here?"

"Long story. Where are the others?" Ash demanded until he saw the three running towards them. "Guess that answers my question."

"Ash? Misty?" The three exclaimed in unison as they tumbled beside the building's doorway.

"No time to explain." Misty quickly responded as she kept a cautious eye on the fight above. "We've got to get in. They have our friends trapped inside."

"What!" Joe cried, surprised not by the statement but at the information leak. He suspiciously glared at both Misty and Ash. "And how would you know that?"

Lacking an answer, Misty looked towards Ash, who seemed to formulating his thoughts. Rather than go into a deep explanation of Mew's encounter, Ash simply growled. "I have my sources."

Before they could question him further, a pink blast struck the earth barely a ½ mile away. Joe quickly glanced at the keyboard security lock and typed in the information while the group was distracted. The door eerily opened on its own, startling the Rebels immensely. "Are we expected?" James wily remarked.

Ash, taking his role as leader in the group, gave a slight nod. "We don't want to disappoint our audience, now, do we?" With that, he marched inside, with the group on his tail. Darkness blinded their vision as the 6 of them were forced to feel along the walls. "All right, everyone, follow my voice."

Everyone silently agreed and listened to Ash's rather soft commands through the blackness… everyone, that is, except for one. The devious traitor of the group smiled at his success. All he had to do was lead them towards the dungeon where the guards were sure to pick up on Ash's dry voice. All he had to do was slip away… and his mission would be complete. There was only one thorn in his perfect plan… and it went by the name of James. He was too smart for his own good. Joe reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He stared at it and was barely able to make out a thin spike that closely resembled a doctor's needle. Joe smiled slowly knowing that it was a good idea to grab a few poison spikes from that weakened Tentacruel. Though the dose in one needle was hardly enough to seriously injury pokemon, he learned, through experience, that the results were far different in humans… far different.

"Ah!!!!!" James let out a frantic scream as something was jabbed into his back.

"What's wrong?" Misty asked, somewhat frightened by the sudden outburst.

"Pikachu, soft flash." Ash whispered to his pokemon, who lit up accordingly, but not to its full extent. Praying that no one was around, Ash gazed questioningly at James. "Screaming now won't get you ice cream, James, only death."

"Something… is in… in my… back." By feeling around his back, James was painfully able to extract the foreign object. The needle, now covered with a fresh layer of rich blood, appeared in his hands. No sooner did he do this than his eyes glazed over and his legs collapsed under him. Joe, expecting this, caught him before his head banged against the cement floor.

"He's… he's been poisoned." Brock whispered, remembering his own similar experience quite vividly.

Gary knelled down and touched his forehead. "He's burning up… Looks like he has a fever."

"He's unconscious." Joe spoke with feigning sympathy in his voice. "His heartbeat is unusually fast. But, at least he's still breathing…"

Gary slowly rose from his position and gazed intently behind the group, trying to see if there were any invisible traps. "The Serpents…They must be around here somewhere."

Helping out Joe, Brock carefully placed the still body on the damp floor. "What are we going to do?"

Ash silently observed the scene before speaking. "This is too dangerous. We should get out of here."

For once, Misty shook her head in agreement. "If someone knows we're here, they're going to put up more traps like this."

Joe shook his head. "No. You said it yourself; we have no time. I'll stay here and watch over him. Everyone else should continue on."

Moans of protest erupted from the clan. When Joe continued to firmly defend his suggestion, the group unwilling consented. "You're a brave man Joe." Ash commented slowly. "There are not many honest, valiant people in this world. Never forget that."

"Stay safe." "Be careful." "Thank you." Were heard mumbled around the group as they followed Ash down the tunnel.

Joe glanced down at the dying man, feeling the pangs of guilt flow through his body. Trying to shake off such absurd emotions, he pulled out a pokeball. "Abra, come on out." The yellow, brown pokemon tumbled out of the ball. Closing its eyes to the black, the creature awaited for its orders.

Joe turned back to James and pulled out two thick strands of rope. While slowly tying it around James' ankles, a rebel tear reached the very corner of his eyes. He forced it to stay in place when he started working on his wrists. But no matter how hard he fought… Ash's words repeated themselves within his head. After finishing his task, Joe took one last look at his victim's before unwilling letting the salty water droplet slip from his moist eyes and into the air. The water rapidly spun through the air and landed on James' shirt where it disappeared from the shadows.

Abra unconsciously felt his master's pain and proceeded to crawl next to him. "(It doesn't have to be like this…)"

"Abra… tele… teleport… to… to…the…" Joe hesitated. Lowering his head to the ground, he whispered. "To the Main Control Room." The three bodies disappeared from sight.

*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Ok, a shorter part, but it's out. There should be about 1… maybe 2 more parts. However, I won't even think about writing until May 16… the end of all my AP tests. Terribly sorry, but I can't devote any more time to this story until that date. Thank you all for being so patient and for still sending me reviews. I probably wouldn't have finished this story at all if I didn't know that there were people that really cared for it that much. Arigatou to everyone!