Thanks for your continuing reviews, everyone. Action is finally taken upon in this chapter to try and free the Fawnhearts from Team Rocket. But how can they get past the sensors? And what will happen with Pikachu's trauma? A lot of emotional arguments will ensue. Read on…

Chapter 3

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

There was a sudden silence around the table as everyone looked at each other in surprise. Even Brock and the pokémon were taken aback by Misty's unexpected statement. They certainly weren't aware that she wanted to help free the Fawnhearts from Team Rocket. But in any case, she seemed strongly determined about her decision.

Eventually Mr Fawnheart swallowed his spoonful of soup and said, "You? Help free us from Team Rocket's slave labour? Huh! And why would you want to do that, girl? You'd be risking your neck to go against Team Rocket."

"We've done it before and we can do it again," Misty said confidently. "It's wrong for you to live in your own home as slaves. We must put a stop to this."

Brock stood up. "Misty's right. We have to get you out of here so you can seek help from the police. Then they can shut down Giovanni's operations for good," he said equally determined. He was finally getting behind Misty.

Cody looked worried. "But Misty, I told you what happens to people who mess with Giovanni. I don't want to see that happen to you too."

"It's not going to happen, Cody. All of us are going to make it out okay. Everything's going to be fine," she told him. "Besides, I can't just leave you here as prisoners. I know we can get set you free one way or another."

Brock nodded in agreement and turned towards the parents. "Can't you phone the police?"

"Ha! Definitely not," Mr Fawnheart replied at once. "Team Rocket replaced our telephone with one of their own wee 'uns and rigged the lines so that we can only contact members of Team Rocket. We have no other ways of reaching the outside world."

"Then we'll go to the authorities ourselves."

"Oh aye?" Mr Fawnheart raised an eyebrow in amusement as if he'd heard the same suggestion repeated many times before. "You'll just go to town and tell everyone about our predicament? You'll never make it that far. Believe me, it's been tried before. Team Rocket has eyes and ears all o'er the shop." He cocked his spoon at them, similar to what he liked doing with his fork. "And even if you did make it to the police, Giovanni has ways of covering his tracks. He'll erase you and all records of your actions before a single officer could be sent here. I don't suppose I need to tell you youngin's what that means."

Mrs Fawnheart glowered at her husband. "Please, George, we don't need your threats!" She tried to regain her composure, then her wrinkles softened and she looked at Misty sympathetically. "I'm afraid it's no use, dear. Others before you have tried with no success. It's easy for Giovanni to catch on to us and stop us escaping from Team Rocket, since he can always find us here."

"That's probably because he expects you to be here," Misty noted, "which is why we have got to get you off this farm until Giovanni can be stopped."

"That's right," Brock said. "You can testify against him, but only if you manage to stay hidden from him in the meantime."

Now it was Simon's turn to argue in place of his father. "You want to try and bust us out of our own farm now? That's even more looney! We can't get past the fence because of them damned sensors. You know that."

"There has to be a way. If the alarm trips when you try to take out the sensors, then maybe we can try and re-route them without causing a break in security - create a gap of some kind for you to get out."

"Impossible!" Simon countered. "We don't have the tools for that kind of wizz-bang operation. D'you even know how the sensors work?"

"Well... no," Brock admitted. "But if you show us, we could try and figure something out."

Cody had listened to everyone voice their opinions with mixed feelings. On one hand he didn't want Misty to put herself in such a great danger for his sake. But on the other he felt that he should give the trainers a chance. After all, he so desperately wanted to be free, and they did save him back at the maternity pen. Finally, he made his decision and looked at his mother. "I guess it couldn't do any harm. Honestly, if they think they can help us out, we should at least let them try. They already saved my butt from ninety-nine at the pen."

Mrs Fawnheart glanced over the three expressions of appeal and sighed, "Ohhh... all right. I suppose you can have a look around. But not tonight. It's too late for that."

"That's fine," Cody said. "I'll give them full tour tomorrow. Thanks mom."

"Yeah! Thanks, Mrs Fawnheart," Misty and Brock thanked her in turn enthusiastically, then exchanged high fives.

Mrs Fawnheart smiled warmly and stood up. "Well, that's enough for tonight. You kids are excused. I'll clean up here."

The trainers piled up their bowls on the table and began to make their way upstairs under the soft, wrinkled eyes of Mrs Fawnheart. "They've got a lot of spirit, those kids," she said to her husband.

"Hmph! Young whippersnappers," Mr Fawnheart snorted. "They don't know what they're committin' themselves to."

"Maybe, maybe not. But they sure have their hearts set on helping us out. Please, George, give them a chance."

Mr Fawnheart looked away and groaned to himself. He never liked admitting defeat to his wife; and when she eventually left for the kitchen, he muttered something under his breath, too low to be heard.

Later upstairs, Brock was brushing his teeth in the bathroom with Misty. They all had been given rooms, and Ash was already in his, watching over Pikachu with Trixie in the dark. Brock's bed was next to Ash's, but due to space limitations, Cody had offered Misty to sleep in his room. (in a separate bed, you pervs!)

Misty rinsed her mouth and looked at her arm again. There was a big red mark where the bandage had been after she took it off in the shower. It was still a bit sore and hard to the touch, but it looked like it would be fine in another day or two.

Misty sighed to herself. She knew that Ash was willing to stay here on her behalf, but it was causing serious problems between him and Cody. She felt as if she was the source of all the conflicts. Should she just leave right away before Ash went and did something stupid?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Brock asked, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" He rinsed his mouth. "Breaking these guys out, I mean."

"Course I'm sure. It's only Team Rocket after all," Misty replied insouciantly. "It shouldn't be too much trouble."

Brock had known Misty for almost as long as Ash. And if there was one thing he knew, it was that when Misty put her mind to something, he could be sure she would go all the way. Sometimes she seemed almost as stubborn as Ash. Those two were more alike than they imagined.

"Great," he finally said, reaching for a towel, "now all we have to do is tell Ash."

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All was quiet that night. It was almost pitch black inside the house, with only a cluster of moonbeams shining pale rays of light into the darkened house. The dining room was tidy and the bowls were neatly stacked inside the cabinets, just the way Mrs Fawnheart liked them. The old grandfather clock's rhythmic ticking seemed to ease the cold loneliness in the halls, then the sudden chimes of midnight shattered the silence.

Outside, the rest of the farm had gone to sleep. The Miltanks had gathered in a group under a tree at the southernmost end, keeping as far away as possible from the noisy chirping of crickets in the northern fields. They all appeared to be resting soundly, until one of the calves raised its head when it noticed a light go on inside the house.

A dark shadow slid into the cross-shaped silhouette of the lighted window, and it reached for the telephone receiver. It picked up the phone and dialled a private number, someone who few people dared to call. The other end rang a few times, then came the clicking sound of the receiver being picked off the hook, followed by a deep and authoritative, but somewhat tired, voice.

"Hello?"

"Sir, this is Hypnodrone unit Fawnheart #0391 of the agriculture division," the shadow identified itself. "Sorry for ringin' you up at this hour. I know y'er a busy man and don't like to be disturbed and all, but I have some news I know you'll be pleased to hear. Now you're a businessman, and I wish to make a business proposal with you."

The other end was silent for a moment, then the voice spoke, "Go on."

"I know what's been happenin' in the other divisions, and I know that there's been a constant setback in your prime section. Well I have here the source of the problem," it said, glancing around to make sure no one was coming, "and I'll be willing to give it to you for a price."

"An arrogant bargaining posture for a slave," the voice sneered. "This information must be invaluable, otherwise you wouldn't risk wasting my time."

The shadow refused to lose its nerve. "Oh aye, it is. And if you meet me here, you can get y'er hands on the problem, and I can make sure that my demands are met." It paused and cast another glance around. This was the moment of truth. It had been waiting for this opportunity for years, and it wasn't going to let anything stand in its way. "Now here's the deal....."

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It was early next morning when Cody and Misty were having their stroll around the premises, occasionally stopping off at key areas of the farm and exchanging ideas. Misty was wearing her regular yellow shirt and blue shorts now that they were dry. Brock also had his usual clothes on, but he was still back inside where he had offered to help Mrs Fawnheart around the house, shamelessly donning his skimpy, pink apron. For some reason he could never resist doing housework.

Ash wasn't with them either. Misty assumed he was still in his room with Pikachu, although she didn't want to check. She felt that maybe she should leave them alone for a while longer after what's been happening lately. She hadn't told them about what she and Brock were planning either. She was going to wait until after she had inspected the security system with Cody, so that she might have something more concrete to tell him.

They passed round the Miltank maternity pen where Misty remembered about yesterday's incident. She glanced into the lean through the corner of her eye and spotted Simon working inside. He was busy pouring sawdust on the spot where the calf's blood had been running. The calf itself had already been taken away by Cody yesterday afternoon. He had chosen to do that without the trainers' help. He felt that they had seen enough already.

Cody noticed Misty's uneasiness around the place and decided to proceed with his explanation of the farm's security system. "There are two hundred and fifty-one sensors buried underneath the farmland's surrounding fence," he began, drawing Misty's attention. "They're linked together by a flexible power cable and require a powerful 3000V jolt of electricity to power them all. We would normally try to bypass the sensors with an alternate power source, but we can't generate 3000V of electricity with our shoddy equipment. And even if we could, Team Rocket automatically cuts off our power supply if they detect us trying to draw that much energy."

"What about the tractor?" Misty suggested. "That doesn't run off the farm's power supply."

"Nah. The tractor uses an old diesel engine. It doesn't have enough electricity to power a vacuum cleaner. Besides, even if we did have an independent machine that could generate 3000V, the sensors operate on distinct bursts of electricity every two seconds. A continuous current from attempts at tampering would trip the alarm, and nothing short of the power regulator at the Team Rocket base, which is controlling our energy supply, can deliver specific two-second bursts without blowing a fuse. It would be like trying to switch a power plant on and off like a light bulb.

"And there's a problem with getting to the sensors in the first place. Any hope of bypassing the system would have to be done from sensor 1, which is where the power source is first delivered."

"Okay, so where is it?" Misty asked.

Cody turned around and pointed across the wheat field in the distance at the stream running by the fence. "Over there."

"It's in the water?" Misty said, surprised.

"Not in it, but close enough. It's below a plate of granite just underneath the stream. It didn't always used to be there. Three years ago an earthquake hit this place, and sensor 1 slipped out of position and was knocked under that thick, vast granite plate. Somehow it still managed to stay functional with the others, but its new position prevented us from ever reaching it. We can't dig to where it is now."

"But Onix can!" Misty said.

Cody looked at her curiously. "What?"

"Brock has an Onix, didn't you know? It can dig through anything! We can reach that sensor easily with Brock's help."

There was a sparkle of hope in Cody's eyes. "Hey, yeah! I forgot Brock had rock pokémon with him. We never had a chance to use pokémon to dig before. Oh..." he paused uncertainly, "but there's still a problem. The stream bed might collapse and flood them in if we try digging underneath it. I don't think rock pokémon will last long down there if that happens."

"Well, can't you dam off the area until the job's done?"

Cody shook his head. "No, that could flood the farmland. And the crops after the dam will be cut off from the water supply. We can't allow that to happen. Digging an oxbow is a bad idea too, 'cause that'll cut into the wheat field. Pop won't be too happy about that. What we need to do is block off a gap in the stream over the sensor and pump the water from one side to the other continuously."

"Yeah! Then that will leave us with a clear shot at the granite for Onix. I'm sure that if Trixie and my water pokémon team up, they can keep the water running passed the gap."

"Okay, but what about a power source? We're still 3000V short, and there's nothing around here that can generate that kind of....." suddenly he stopped, hit by a brainstorm. Misty saw it too in his eyes, and they looked at each other for a moment excitedly.

"Pikachu!" they cried simultaneously.

Misty clasped her hands together in glee. "That's right! We can use Pikachu as a generator. It can come up with the 3000V we need, and it can control its energy for timed bursts better than any machine. If we do that, then we can bypass the system like you said and get you out of here!"

This was like music to Cody's ears. Using his guests' pokémon to help them out was a great idea. This kind of opportunity has never cropped up before, not with any of the previous visitors they've received. But this time they might have a real chance of escaping from their farm, then they can focus on exposing Giovanni's syndicate. He has been waiting for this moment for so long - a chance to finally see the outside world he had long forgotten.

"Oh, this is wonderful news, Misty. I have to go tell my family. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to hear about this," he said enthusiastically. "I can't thank you enough."

"Sounds like you just needed the right pokémon," Misty smiled.

"No," Cody smiled back, "I just needed you."

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"You did WHAT?" Ash howled.

"I've decided to help these nice people out," Misty repeated. "No need to get upset over it." She innocently cupped her hands behind her back. Maybe it was a little early to break the news to Ash. He was still kind of grumpy - a trait Misty often sees in him whenever he's losing - and their quiet afternoon stroll around the farmland together along with Togepi in Misty's arms didn't seem to be lifting the mood. Misty could tell his thoughts were still dwindling on Cody's defeat over him... on many levels, effectively.

"And when did you decide this?" Ash asked crossly, folding his arms.

"Last night. During dinner." She sat down on a bench underneath a willow tree and put Togepi down beside her. She looked away from Ash's scornful stare and turned towards the nearby small pond where Pikachu and Trixie could be seen. Trixie was enjoying her afternoon swim among the lilies, cooling off from the hot afternoon sun. She tried to amuse Pikachu with her aquatic dances and encouraged it to join in. But Pikachu just looked down sorrowfully and batted the water with little passion. Its face was very pale and glum. It hadn't slept a wink last night - plagued by constant nightmares of the incident in the lean - leaving it tired and lifeless.

"Misty, you can't just go and commit yourself to something like this on your own," Ash said angrily. "I mean, what about me? Didn't you even think about talking this through with your friends first?"

Misty frowned in annoyance. "You were... 'busy'. And Brock already knows. We talked it over with him too last night."

"Oh-ho, so you talked it over with Brock and not me?" Ash crowed. "Well I'm going to have a word with him too." He began to storm off towards the farmhouse.

"He's not in the house," Misty called after him. "You can't talk to him right now. He's out checking some more security specs he got from Cody."

Ash extended his arms and looked up at the sky. "Oh, Cody! Cody! Everywhere it's Cody!"

Misty's frown grew fiercer and she rose from her seat, marching up to Ash. "So that's what this is all about isn't it? You're acting like a... a jerk because of Cody, aren't you? What have you got against him anyway?"

"Misty, he's a puppet, for cryin' out loud! He's got that weird thing on the back of his head that makes him do anything Team Rocket want him to do. You can't trust him!"

"Ash, don't lie to me," Misty rebuked. "That's not what's bothering you. What have you really got against Cody?" She was sure she knew the answer to that one already, but she wanted to drive it out of him.

"Well, he's... he's..." Ash struggled to come up with the right word from his limited vocabulary, "he's a twip!"

"He's a what?"

"A twip! I mean, the guy acts like Mr Perfect all the time - like he thinks he can do anything. And you're encouraging him with the way you... you..." he made vague hand gestures, "... do things with him."

Misty placed her hands on her hips. "Cody is a kind and wonderful person, Ash Ketchum," she said sternly, "and what I do with him is none of your business."

"What, like your little plan to break him out of here? Fine! If it's none of my business, then why tell me about it?"

He had her there. Misty sighed, "Because I can't do this without you."

"Why not?" Ash demanded.

Misty looked down and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well... because we need Pikachu for the job. I know Pikachu will listen to me, but I knew I had to ask you first."

Ash breathed deeply and stared at her with a strong frown of discontent. He cast a look towards Pikachu, its back turned to him, and watched it lay down on the bank. It was out of earshot, and so was not aware of the argument he and Misty were having. He watched it gaze out into the pond and slowly become entranced in Trixie's dolphin leaps, kicking up trinklets of water that sparkled in the sun. Ironically, his pokémon seemed to be getting along with that of the person he resents. But as far as Ash was concerned, that was as far as the relationship would go.

"No," he said in a low voice. "No, I won't put Pikachu on the line for Cody. That's final." He turned and began walking towards the house again.

Misty started after him. "But Ash, we can't -"

"What!?" he suddenly spun round and faced her. "You can't what!? Help the guy I hate!? Put Pikachu in danger!? Just who do you think you are!?" His voice rose to a ferocious level and his eyes began to take on that glassy shine of distress. Then his voice became more desperate and cracked as he spoke. "We've been friends for a long time, Misty, and I thought we were going to stay that way forever. I have a vision, you know, a vision of us journeying the world on an exciting and endless adventure. But when I see you and Cody together, I feel like I have one less friend to share that with. You already seem prepared to give everything for this guy. Everything! And you're starting to forget about us - what we mean to each other. Don't you see? You can't just leap into danger for someone who's still a part of Team Rocket and then risk your friends lives too!"

"But that's what friends are for!" Misty shouted. Her eyes were starting to well up. It was no use trying to hide the fact that she was getting emotional over this, but at least she tried to compensate for it with her anger. "Friends are there to support each other in times of need! They're there to help each other out! But since you're keeping Pikachu to yourself, you obviously don't know the meaning of that! So go ahead! Isolate yourself! You're only pushing yourself further away from the friends you want to be with!"

Misty turned and marched over to pick up Togepi, who was watching them worriedly. With her back turned to Ash, she brushed away a tear from her eye, then started back towards the farmhouse in bitter anger and sadness. She didn't even look at him as she walked past.

"Hey!" he called after her. Misty stopped for a moment, but did not turn around to face him. Ash kept his eyes fixed on her. "My vision is slipping away and you're worried about a farmer."

And there Misty turned and looked straight at him. "Your friends are slipping away and you're worried about a vision."

And with that, she turned again and walked back up towards the house. And all Ash could do was watch her leave.

Cody could easily tell when Misty flounced onto the porch looking boiling mad that her request had not been taken well. He had been sitting there on the rocking chair outside for some time, watching the two trainers from afar. But he couldn't make out exactly what was going on between them by the willow tree; and he wasn't so nosey as to go fetch the binoculars and find out. He didn't say anything until Misty slumped down on the chair next to him and let out a deep groan.

"It went that well, huh?" he said.

"Oh, he's impossible!" Misty sniffed back a tear. "He won't let us use Pikachu. He can be so stubborn! Whenever things don't go his way, he just sits there and sulks, wanting everyone to feel sorry for him. He's such a baby!" Misty wished she had said that to Ash's face.

Cody looked down and sighed. A moment's silence passed as he contemplated the problem this created. Without Pikachu, he wouldn't be able to bypass the sensors' security system, and that would mean he would never be able to leave his own farm. Eventually he managed to smile weakly and placed his hand on Misty's. "That's okay. You tried your best."

Misty looked into his tender eyes, feeling totally helpless. She couldn't just abandon him here like this. The thought of walking out of the farm leaving his family as prisoners made her feel awful, but there was nothing more she could do. "I'm so sorry, Cody," she said in despair. "If only that idiot Ash wasn't so hard-headed we wouldn't be stuck now. I wish it didn't have to end this way."

"It doesn't," he said. "There's still something we can do."

"What's that?"

Cody looked out towards the willow tree, then back at Misty. "I'm going to try and talk to Ash."

"You?" she said in surprise. "But you're the reason why Ash doesn't want to help."

"Exactly. So I'm the only one who can talk him into trusting me," he told her. "I know we haven't been getting along very well. There's no use denying that. But if our plan is going to work, I need to convince him that I'm a good guy. It can't hurt to try."

Misty looked at Cody with some intrigue, yet couldn't help but admire his decision. "Well, if you say so," and she let out a shy grin.

Cody smiled at her. "Don't worry, Misty. It's like you said: everything's going to be fine."

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Ash's mood hadn't changed when he heard the sound of footsteps coming his way. He was sitting down on the bench where Misty had been, back slouched forwards, elbows resting on his knees, and with the same sullen frown he had worn during dinner yesterday. From the broken shadow of the willow tree, he had his eyes fixed on his little Pikachu resting on the bank. The poor thing was still exhausted from a sleepless night and ultimately couldn't keep itself awake any longer for fear of more nightmares. It drifted into deep sleep, not noticing the stranger arriving. Ash didn't even bother to turn his head to see who was coming, but when he saw Trixie jump out of the pond and run up to the person, he knew exactly who it was.

"Leave me alone, farmer boy," Ash muttered dejectedly.

"Ash, we need to talk," Cody said calmly, stepping up to him.

"I have nothing to say to you. Now leave me alone," he replied coldly.

But Cody tried again. "Look Ash, I think we got off on the wrong foot."

"Really? Now what foot was that? Ohhh, I get it!" he grinned cynically at him. "It was the one you used to rub my head in the mud to make room for your adoring fans."

"Please, Ash," Cody insisted, "will you let me talk to you or not?"

"Huh! I don't know. After how I've seen that works on Misty, I'm afraid I might become attracted to you too."

Ash was taking on a very caustic tone. After the events that had driven him to his wit's end, it seemed that a final attempt at sarcasm was the only way to show he was still cleverer than Cody.

Cody frowned. "C'mon, don't be like this. I want you to tell me truthfully what the problem is."

Suddenly Ash spun and looked at him furiously. "Oh, so you haven't figured it out!?" he replied in a high voice. "Gee, I really don't know either! Oh! Could it be because you robbed me of my friends, humiliated me in battle, and scared Pikachu to death!? Ding ding ding! Let's see what they've won, folks! Well, for pokémon trainers Brock and Misty, after falling for their new farmer friend's sorry, little situation, it's a lifetime of slavery in Team Rocket's exotic department of pokémon waste disposal!! That's right! And for Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, we have a special prize lined up for him today! Yes, it's an eternal holiday in the land of the fairies after repeatedly beating himself over the head with a toilet seat for even coming to this nasty, wretched prison of a farm!! Yaaay!! Thank you, ladies and gentlemen! And tune in next time to the Fawnheart Family's Foolish Fight For Freedoooom!!!"

A long silence ensued after that where Ash was left gasping for breath. But Cody refused to let himself be put off with such ghastly, frenetic sarcasm. He and Trixie moved closer and sat down on the bench beside Ash. The latter shuffled away resentfully and rested his chin in the palm of one hand, refusing to face the farmer.

Cody said, "Ash, I believe I owe you an apology for all the trouble I've caused you. I don't deny that I overstepped my boundaries earlier; I guess I kind of got carried away. It's my fault we ended up like this and for that I'm sorry. If you don't want to make peace, I can understand. But if you don't want to do it for me, please... do it for Misty. She's having such a hard time dealing with what's going on, and I know she'll feel much better if we all worked as a team and got out of this place altogether."

Ash stared down at the ground for a moment after listening to Cody's words, then slowly he turned around and looked at him. Cody's face was calm and unreproachful, and Trixie was sitting loyally at his side like man's best friend. He was selflessly speaking with all best intentions, and it did help ease the grudge Ash had against him.

"Listen," Ash said, "I can forgive you for the stress, I can forgive you for the pain, and I can forgive you for the humiliation. But if there's one thing I can't forgive, it's when another person hurts someone close to me."

"What do you mean?" Cody asked.

Ash looked ahead and beckoned towards the mentally traumatised Pikachu, still collapsed on the grass from exhaustion.

"Oh... right," Cody said grimly.

Ash continued, "Yesterday, a little mouse was crushed because you couldn't do your job. That's something I won't forget. Now you may feel sorry for the pain you've caused, but it won't change what you've done. You've hurt Pikachu, and in doing so you've hurt me. And I won't stand for that any longer."

Cody didn't like the sound of where this was going. "What are you saying?"

Ash stood up. "I'm leaving this place. Tonight, me, Pikachu, Brock and Misty are all going to continue our journey and head for the next city as usual. I appreciate you treating Misty's arm when she fell, but she's had enough time to heal and it's time for us to get going. I'd rather put this farm behind me." He looked at Pikachu again. "Too many bad memories..."

Cody sighed and looked at Ash in disappointment - the same look his father gave him last night. "Ash, leaving won't solve anything. Pikachu will still be like this, my family will still be trapped here, and... it might make matters worse with Misty. The problems will still be there," he told him. "Now I can't force you to stay, but I'm asking you to think this through. Sooner or later you'll have to make a decision. Do you want to face your problems or run away from them?"

Before either of them could say a word again, they were suddenly interrupted by what sounded like a telephone ringing. For a second Ash thought he was hearing things, but indeed there was a telephone ringing somewhere out in this grassy vastness, and it was coming from a cabin at the corner of a nearby field that Ash mistook for an outdoor toilet. In actual fact, it was a sort of telephone cabin used for communicating over the farmland's great distance.

"Excuse me," Cody said, then walked up to the cabin. He opened the hatch on the top half, revealing a radio device hidden inside, and lifted the receiver to his ear. "Yeah, what's up?"

It was Mr Fawheart on the line. "Son, I need your help down at the pen right away. One of the Miltanks is having trouble calving. It looks like it's goin' to need pulled."

"I'll be there in a second," Cody said as he was just about to hang up.

"No, wait! Y'er goin' to have to do this without me. Simon and I have to go to the platform right now for the next shipment. We can't afford to miss this one. It looks like y'er on your own, son."

Cody paused for a second. After yesterday's incident and what his father said to him last night, he wondered if this was the right thing to do. He was about to say something when Mr Fawnheart spoke to him again.

"Hey, son...."

"Yeah, pop?"

".... Good luck."

Cody sighed in relief. "Thanks, pop. I won't let you down." Then he hung up and walked back over to Ash. "Say, er, do you think you can lend me a hand? We've got a calf to pull down at the pen, and that's really a two-man job."

Ash looked at him for a second. "Well... okay. I guess it can't hurt," he said uncertainly.

"Great! I'm sure we can pull this one off together. Oh, and bring Pikachu along too. I think this is something it should see."

"Why's that?" Ash asked sceptically.

Cody smiled. "It might solve one of our problems..."

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Chasing the Miltank around the maternity pen and catching it wasn't nearly as hard as it was yesterday. The otherwise long and demanding task of rounding the animal into the lean only took a few moments. Ash thought it must have been because the mother was in labour. After clearing a space, the Miltank was locked in a standing position using a specialised set of reigns, and a few large tools were laid down behind it. Cody put on a plastic glove that went all the way up to his shoulder and was ready to begin the operation.

"Okay, you see that chain there in the middle? Tighten it up. We need to g-" Suddenly he paused. "Hey, where's Pikachu?"

Ash glanced around for moment and exchanged puzzled looks with Trixie. He was sure Pikachu was right behind him when they entered the pen. He checked outside and found Pikachu sitting down at one of the corner posts, staring at the ground in despair.

"Huh? Pikachu, what's wrong?" Ash asked.

"Chuuuuu..." it whimpered. Pikachu knew exactly what was going on inside the lean. It was still terribly upset over yesterday's incident and it didn't want to look at another Miltank for the rest of its life.

"Come on, you can't stay there all day," Ash said, pulling the mouse to its feet and bringing it inside. Pikachu was still very reluctant and tried to pull away from Ash's grip. And even as it entered the lean, it looked away once it saw the Miltank, keeping its distance in one of the far corners of the room.

Cody stepped out from behind the cow, wiping his hands with a cloth. "Right, now on the other side there's a winch. Make it nice and tight under her gut. She can't fall that way." Then he moved round to the back and Trixie handed him a small chain. Kneeling down behind the Miltank, he forced his arm into its uterus, passed the calf's legs. "Damn!"

"What?" Ash asked, stepping behind to see.

"He's backwards."

"Is that bad?"

"Grab that big winch with the bar over there. It's bad," Cody said, pulling his arm out of the uterus. "It's like one of those old furnace blowers. The calf's going to suck in all the juices."

Ash swallowed hard.

Cody pointed to a big, greasy tool and said, "Bring that thing over the top and loosen the winch. The hook's got to come off the latch or it'll jam. Trixie, can you go'pher another chain? We'll need to hook both of them to the winch."

Trixie darted off and returned quickly with a second chain in her mouth. Cody took it, then knelt down again behind the Miltank and looped both chains around the calf's legs, which were barely sticking out from the mother's uterus.

"Is this really going to work?" Ash asked worriedly.

"Let's hope so. Pass me the end with the two prongs. Yeah, that's it." Cody pressed the hook against the cow's buttocks and hooked the chains up. "Okay, here comes another contraction. Keep your end low and crank until he comes out."

Ash started cranking. The legs of the calf got straight, then slowly began to come out of the uterus. Cody and Trixie heaved against the chains, pulling as hard as they could. But they found themselves slipping and needed some more help.

"Pikachu, give us a hand here!" Cody cried.

Pikachu stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, then glanced at its master for support. It didn't find any, for Ash was too busy cranking to notice. It was only when Trixie repeated Cody's call that Pikachu found itself taking small, uncertain steps forwards. Eventually it managed to make its way over behind the Miltank, still feeling a desperate urge to shrink away. Cody told it to pull on the chains with him. It felt very uncomfortable near the cow pokémon, but Trixie's always-gentle aura over Pikachu helped calm it down a little.

Ash cranked faster. In a second, the calf's buttocks were visible, dripping with birthing fluids. Suddenly it began to slip and a rough sucking sound was heard from deep inside the Miltank's uterus. The mother bellowed in pain as the chest, neck, then finally the head of the calf came out; and Cody, Trixie and Pikachu jumped out of the way just before it fell three feet to the ground. It splattered heavily and didn't move.

"Sorry," Ash apologised for his clumsiness.

"We're not licked yet," Cody huffed. He dragged the calf a few feet away and pulled out the natural plug from inside its mouth. Then he started pressing on its chest several times. "Oh no you don't. Not after all that. C'mon, breathe! Breathe, dammit! I'm not going to lose another one!" He pressed harder, then cleaned its mouth again. For a moment Pikachu's face went bloodless as it stared at the motionless pokémon. It knew that if it watched another calf die, it was going to go insane.

Cody rubbed the calf's sides, forcing fluids out of its mouth. It was taking too long, far too long. Just as it seemed that all hope was lost, the calf suddenly moved its head and coughed roughly, spluttering out the last of the birthing fluids. It lay there for a moment and breathed again and again, something it would do for the rest of its life. Then it raised its head and started wailing for its mother.

"Good boy." Cody petted the calf.

Pikachu stared at the thing in bewilderment, then slowly began to approach it. It stopped right in front of the calf's nose and they cautiously sniffed each other out for a moment. Then all of a sudden Pikachu's eyes lit up and it started jumping up and down with joy. It was prattling its name in half-hysterical frenzy while embracing the calf so tightly that it would have asphyxiated any smaller animal. Ash was amazed. He hadn't seen Pikachu this happy in weeks. And among all the celebration, he spotted Cody - the one responsible for Pikachu's ecstasy - still sitting on the floor getting his breath back.

Cody was relieved. All that trouble and hard work had finally paid off, and Trixie was there to give him a congratulating series of licks on the cheek. He looked at his hands, and the blood of a dead calf that once covered them was replaced with that of a live one, healthy and safe. He was just about to stand up when he saw a hand reach down in front of him, and he looked up to see Ash offering his hand to him in a gesture that was not unlike Cody's own after their pokémon battle.

"Not bad, farmer boy," Ash smiled. "Not bad at all."

READ PART FOUR TOMORROW!!

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Phew! That was a close call. I didn't think that calf was going to make it, and I'm the author! It's a relief to see it turn out well and that it helped cure Pikachu. But it's not over yet! We've still got a long way to go before the end of this fic. Oh, and you may have noticed that I dismissed the silly theory from the game that all pokémon are born from eggs. A Miltank is a cow, and a cow is a mammal, and mammals don't lay eggs! I think Nintendo needs to go back to school.

Well, it looks like Ash and Cody are starting to make up. But the problem that has haunted Cody and his family still remains. Will the Fawnhearts finally manage to escape from Team Rocket's clutches? They certainly have high hopes, but who was that on the phone during the night and what were they planning? All of this will be revealed soon enough. Tune in tomorrow to the Fawnheart Family's Foolish Fight For Freedom! *ahem*