Well, here it is, folks - the final chapter, including the epilogue. This is where we find out whether or not all your suppositions on how this is going to end come true. First, let me just warn the sensitive readers among you that there are some more 'disturbing' scenes in this chapter. But if it's some reassurance, they're not as graphic as the episode with the dead calf. I know some of you will hate me for what happens in this chapter, but it's necessary to evoke the story's message at the end. Read on....
Chapter 5
THE LAST STRUGGLE
No... it couldn't be! After being sent blasting off well over the horizon, they couldn't have returned here so soon! Was it really them? Jesse and James?..... No, it wasn't!
"Cassidy!" Cody exclaimed.
"And Bitch!" Simon added.
"The name's Butch, toe rag!" Butch lashed out, not bothering to finish the rest of the motto.
The trainers gasped. As hard as they found it to believe, they weren't staring at the bumbling Jesse and James, but their much deadlier rivals Cassidy and Butch. This pair wore the elite Team Rocket uniform, recognised by its black suit with white gloves and boots. They were highly regarded by Giovanni as two of the best members in the team. Cassidy was a beautiful, young rogue with two long, blonde ponytails that shot out in a star shape at the ends. Her counterpart, Butch, was a wily outlaw with short, green hair and a gruff smoker's voice. Ash, Misty and Brock had encountered them on two separate occasions in the past while they were stealing pokémon. But fortunately they managed to stop them both times, and they were arrested for their crimes. The big question was, what were they doing here now?
"I'm sure you remember my two guests," Giovanni smiled evilly at the trainers. "They certainly remember you. And they have a score to settle." Then he turned to Cassidy and Butch and said, "Well, which one is it?"
The pair checked each of the three trainers, then they looked down at Ash and saw Pikachu guarding its master at his feet.
"That one!" Cassidy pointed. "It's that Pikachu that ruined our plans in the past."
Ash froze. Were Cassidy and Butch here for his Pikachu?
Giovanni grinned and knelt down in front of the little, yellow mouse. "So, this is the Pikachu that managed to defeat two of my best recruits on two occasions. Such an extraordinary victory can only come from an extraordinary pokémon. No doubt you'll make a fine addition to my collection once my scientists have finished analysing you for your anomalously high power."
He reached out with his hand to try and touch Pikachu, but the latter quickly snapped out with its teeth to try and bite Giovanni's finger off. He managed to withdraw just in time and moved back a distance. Ash felt like doing the same to him.
Giovanni frowned in annoyance. "Hmmm, feisty too. Well I suppose that's a good thing. You will, after all, be fighting for me from now on."
Ash shouted, "Well I won't let you have Pikachu! You'll have to get past me first!" He bravely managed to stand up despite the pain in his arm, and then made a running punch at Giovanni. But the attack was clearly foolhardy. A hand to the left of Giovanni caught Ash's fist before it made contact, and Ash turned only to receive a powerful punch by Butch right in the face. He fell back down to the ground and rolled over onto his stomach.
"Ash!" Misty cried in dismay.
"Pikapi!"
Pikachu dashed over to its master apprehensively. Misty tried to do the same, but she was quickly cut off by several Team Rocket members, and Brock was still pinned to the ground.
Ash, trembling, reached for his face and felt that his nose was bleeding. He grit his teeth, feeling a sense of both anger and fear welling up inside him. The physical and emotional pain hurt terribly, but he wouldn't dare show any signs of tears in front of his enemies. He had to be strong. For himself and for his friends.
"Enough of this nonsense," Giovanni said sharply. "Move our guests into the vans. I'll deal with them later."
"Wait a minute," Misty intervened, "I still have one question: How did you know what we were planning tonight?"
"Oh, that," Giovanni said rather casually, "that was easy." He cracked a cocky smile at the corner of his mouth that almost reminded Ash of his rival Gary. Giovanni knew someone would eventually ask him that, but he paused before speaking to keep a close on the trainers' reaction.
"The information came directly from an insider."
Ash, Misty and Brock were stunned. An insider? That meant.... one of the Fawnhearts was a traitor! But after the shock of the news had sunk in, Ash realised that he suspected as much. It all made sense now. He understood why one particular Fawnheart had always showed the same pessimism and doubt towards the escape plan. From the first day he bore an unjust hostility towards the new arrivals on the farm, and it was inevitable that he would take action upon that sooner or later. When he was told about tonight's plan, Ash now realised that he was just waiting for a chance to prove the presumptuous, young trio wrong. Ash didn't need to wait for Giovanni to tell him who it was. He already knew.
Pulling himself to one knee from him knockdown, Ash turned and pointed an accusing finger at Mr Fawnheart. "You! How could you betray us? We tried to help you!"
"Me?" Mr Fawnheart said, offended. "I had nothing to do with this! I'm no traitor!"
Then another voice said, "No... it was me."
And all heads turned at once, turned and faced the real traitor to the cause. There was a sort of silent gasp from the stunned trainers and Fawnhearts alike as they saw who the insider really was. Then everyone exclaimed at once:
"Simon?!"
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"Yes, it was me," Simon said gravely. "I informed Giovanni about our escape."
Everyone was still taken aback by this revelation. It was Simon who had betrayed them? But why? It didn't make sense.
Finally, Mrs Fawnheart managed to speak, "S-Simon... why?"
"Please don't hate me, mom. I did it for a good cause," he said, seeking approval. "I had to do it because... it was the only way to buy our freedom."
And everyone gasped, "What?!"
Giovanni, who had been watching all this to his amusement, cackled and said, "Yes, that's right. This fine young man contacted me two nights ago with the unusual proposal of making a deal with me. He said that if my scientists were to surgically remove all four Hypnodrones from him and his family and release them from Team Rocket, he would hand me over the pokémon that managed to beat two of my finest subordinates. I accepted."
Then Butch stepped forwards, cracking his knuckles from his punch. He said in a rough voice, "Yeah, an' Ah've been waitin' for a chance to get back at that Pikachu, so me an' Cass had to come along. You can be sure we'll take good care of it. Heh heh."
Ash, horrified, didn't know what to say. He faced Simon and asked, "B-But, how did you know we defeated Cassidy and Butch before?"
Simon frowned as if Ash was taking him for an idiot. "Oh c'mon, d'you think I was born yesterday? Everyone who's had the slightest connection with Team Rocket knows about that. You don't just put a stop to two of Team Rocket's best members and expect it to go unnoticed. That story spread throughout the organisation like wildfire, and you can be sure it reached our distant farm too."
Cody let out a sigh. "Yes, it's true. We all knew that your Pikachu was the one to defeat Cassidy and Butch. But we didn't want to say anything. That might have made you suspicious of us at the beginning."
Misty said in a low voice, "And now the one we tried to save has stabbed us in the back." She was crushed from having been so cruelly deceived. "Why didn't I see it coming? If only I wasn't so.... so...." her voice trailed off in sorrow.
Yet Giovanni remained cold to Misty's despair. Soon, he grew impatient and said, "Enough delays. Cody, since it's you who had the audacity to face me earlier, you will be the one to arrest your friends."
A member next to Cody handed him a pair of handcuffs, and Giovanni's Hypno forced him to obey. Cody found himself unwilling moving in to arrest the injured Ash. Pikachu didn't know what to do. It wanted to stop Cody from hurting its master, but it couldn't bring itself to electrocute him. That's what made the Hypnodrones so redoubtable - it was impossible to fight those close to you. Pikachu could only watch as Cody knelt down next to Ash with the handcuffs held out. But as he did, he whispered something to both of them without anyone else noticing.
"Ash, I have the map in my inner jacket pocket. Use it to get to the hideout, and take Trixie with you. We'll figure out what to do about me and my family later. Pikachu, I want you to use Flash to blind Team Rocket. It's your only way of escaping now. Good luck."
"Thanks," Ash whispered back.
When he saw Cody lean forwards to put the handcuffs on him, Ash spun round and snatched the map from his jacket pocket. There was an immediate outroar from Team Rocket as they moved in beat Ash into submission. But they flinched when they saw Pikachu's cheeks sparking with growing electricity. Brock and Misty realised what was going on and they quickly shielded their eyes. Suddenly Pikachu released a dazzling flash of light that illuminated everything within a half-mile radius, sending everyone reeling back with their hands covering their eyes. Even the Hypno that was controlling the Fawnhearts was temporarily blinded and lost control over its hosts. Pikachu had managed to create a short window of time for it and its friends to get away.
Brock, now free from his assailants, stood up and cried, "Onix! Use Dig!"
Onix immediately charged in and drove its head straight into the ground, throwing up large clumps of dirt and rocks as it buried into the earth. In a second it was gone, leaving a wide underground tunnel that the trainers could use to escape to the hideout. Meanwhile, the trainers recalled all their pokémon back into their respective pokéballs. There was no time for fighting anymore. This was a full-scale retreat.
"C'mon!" Brock called to his friends as he jumped into Onix's hole. "Let's get outta here!"
"Wait!" Ash cried. "There's still something I need to do."
Misty said, "Ash, what do you think you're doing? We have to go now!"
"Just get into the hole, Misty! I'll catch up with you later. Pikachu, come with me!"
Instead of heading towards the hole, Ash and Pikachu ran away from it. They needed to find Trixie before they could leave. They fought their way through the half-blinded crowd without too much difficulty, and soon they spotted Trixie's body, still lying unconscious by the rock.
"Pipi!" Pikachu cried distressfully as it ran up beside her. "Pipi, Ka-Chu-Pi!"
"She's okay, Pikachu," Ash said. "C'mon, let's get her out of here."
He knelt down and hoisted Trixie onto his shoulders. But as he turned to head back to the hole, he found that Butch and Cassidy had recovered earlier than the others and were blocking his way.
"Urgh! That really stings," Cassidy groaned as she blinked the blurriness out of her eyes.
Butch rubbed his eyes too. "Don't worry, Cass. Ah'll get that brat!"
Once he managed to blink the last of the dazzle out of his eyes, Butch focused on Ash and made a running charge straight at him. But just before he made his dive, someone else caught him first and tackled him to the ground. It was Cody who had come in from behind and caught Butch by the legs, for he was still temporarily free of the Hypnodrones.
"You again!" Butch yelled angrily.
Cody paid him no attention. "Go! Now!" he shouted to Ash as he fought to keep Butch on the ground. "You can come back for me later!"
Cassidy was already coming to her partner's aid, and Cody knew he wouldn't be able to hold both of them off on his own. Ash and Pikachu wasted no time. They dashed back the way they came and leapt into Onix's tunnel, where they found Brock and Misty waiting worriedly for them.
"What took you so long?" Misty asked.
"Never mind that," Ash said. "Let's go!"
Among the chaos above, Giovanni rubbed his sore eyes until he could see clearly again. Then he shouted, "Well don't just stand there, you idiots! After them!"
The gang got to their senses and headed down the underground tunnel after the trainers. Giovanni clenched his fist in anger. Nobody pulls a trick on him like that and gets away with it. When he gets his hands those trainers, he would be sure to make them suffer for their insolence.
Giovanni suddenly became aware of something below nudging his leg, and he looked down to see his Hypno wobbling back and forth as it tried to rub the dazzle out of its eyes.
"Snap out of it!" he barked, slapping the Hypno violently across the cheek. "We don't have time for fooling around! We still have four slaves to control. I'll show those trainers what happens to those who mess with Giovanni!"
Deep into the tunnel, Onix incessantly ploughed ahead at a fantastic speed as the three trainers ran along behind it. But they soon became aware of the army of outlaws in hot pursuit of them. With no way of losing them in this narrow tunnel, the trainers needed to find a way to cut them off. Suddenly Brock had an idea.
"Onix," he shouted, "aim a Rock Slide behind us!"
Onix heard the order and struck the tunnel wall with its massive tail. It sent a shockwave in the Earth's crust, centring on a spot between the trainers and Team Rocket. The ground started to shake threateningly and bits of rock were coming loose from the ceiling. But alas, bad luck appeared when a curious Sandshrew popped up behind the trainers to find out what all the noise was about. And when it did, Togepi spotted the beady-eyed, little pokémon and took it for a new playmate. Without warning, the baby egg hopped out of Misty's arms and ran back towards the Sandshrew, chirping excitedly.
Misty stopped and gasped, "Togepi, no! Come back here!" She began running back towards her pokémon even as the tunnel ceiling started to collapse.
Ash and Brock stopped when they realised what was going on. "Misty, don't!" Ash called after her. "It's too dan-"
But it was too late. Misty managed to reach Togepi in time, but the powerful Rock Slide had reached its full effect. The ceiling broke away and came crashing down behind Misty, cutting her off from her friends in an avalanche of rocks and dust.
"Misty!" Ash cried. He passed Trixie over to Brock, then ran back to the pile of rocks blocking the way. He started scrabbling away at them with his bare hands. Ash didn't care that the hard, sharp rocks cut his hands as he pulled and clawed away. He needed to reach Misty somehow. But he paid the price for his rashness when the searing pain in his shoulder returned, and he clutched it, gritting his teeth.
Brock reached him and pulled him back. "Ash, it's too late. We'll have to come back for Misty later. Let's get away now while we still can," he said urgently.
Ash knew Brock was right. They couldn't help Misty now. All they could do was retreat to Cody's hideout until things settled down and pray that she was all right. Ash promised that he would come back for Misty soon. He wasn't going to let her down.
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The clouds of dust swelled up in thick, greyish-brown clouds, obscuring everything from view. While nothing could be seen, a lot of choking coughs could be heard resonating through the cut-off part of Onix's tunnel. When the clouds finally began to settle down, Misty was left spluttering the last of the dust out of her lungs as she clutched Togepi tightly. The Sandshrew was gone, no doubt after nearly suffering the same fate as the cat for its curiosity, but something else still remained. As the last of the dust disappeared, the silhouette of a coughing band of Team Rocket came into view, and they were standing in the way of Misty's only escape route. When they eventually came to their senses, they glared angrily at her and began to advance on her menacingly.
Misty started to tremble. There was nowhere to run, and there were too many of them for her and her pokémon to take on by themselves. As Team Rocket drew closer, nobody seemed to notice that Togepi had begun to wave its hands back and forth playfully, summoning a power that the little egg had no awareness of. The tension mounted and Team Rocket was just a few feet away from their prisoner, ready to grab her and drag her out of the tunnel. Still blind to the oncoming danger, Togepi finally stopped waving its hands and they began to glow blue. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a Fissure attack appeared and caught everyone by surprise. The whole tunnel ruptured in half and the ceiling caved in between Misty and Team Rocket. Misty shielded Togepi and herself from the falling rocks as the whole place came apart in a shower of earth and stone. And eventually, once the cataclysm had died down, Misty found herself isolated in a sealed off part of the tunnel in between her friends and Team Rocket.
Huh? What was that? she thought to herself.
But now was not the time for questions. Just as she was beginning to think she was trapped in this underground cavity, she looked through the high crack in the ceiling and spotted moonlight shining through. The Fissure attack was so powerful it broke through to the surface. It was her only escape.
Misty didn't hang around. She put Togepi in her backpack and quickly started climbing up the side of the crack towards the surface. When she finally reached the top, she poked her head up through the hole and cautiously looked around. She was in a grassy field, and the farm was still in sight, but she was much further away from it than she was before. More importantly, Team Rocket was still there, and they were crowded around the hole where Onix had broken through. They hadn't noticed her presence and she was over a hundred feet away. Behind her, the dark silhouette of the vast forest loomed over the moonlit hills. If she could just make it there, she could lose Team Rocket for good. Then she could find a way of getting back to Ash and Brock.
Slowly and quietly, Misty pulled herself out of the hole and started to move silently away. She hadn't gone ten feet before someone shouted, "Look! She's over there!"
So much for that plan. There was no time for stealth anymore. This was an all-out sprint to safety. Misty ran. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She was scared now. She didn't want to be turned into a slave by Team Rocket. What would happen is they captured her? Would they have a Hypnodrone drill into the back of her head like the Fawnhearts? She was terrified of the thought. And Cody - whatever happened to him? She felt terrible at having to leave him behind like this. If only she could see him one last time before she left.
As if her prayers had been answered, Cody suddenly caught up with her from behind and grabbed her by the arm. Being quite a fast sprinter, he made it to her well before the others. But it wasn't for any desirable purpose. He tugged sharply at her arm, spinning her round to face him.
"Cody!" Misty said in surprise. "What are you -"
Cody quickly cut her off. "Misty, I'm sorry. It's the Hypnodrone!"
Misty could feel Cody's hand tightening around her arm, and she realised that Cody wasn't kidding about this. She glanced behind him and spotted Team Rocket catching up fast. Misty had no choice. As much as she hated and feared to do it, she had to fight Cody, or at least try and fend him off, if she were to escape to the forest.
Cody pulled on her arm again to try and get her into a submission position, but Misty struggled feverishly against him. When he tried to grab a hold of her other arm, Misty managed to trip him up in the same manner as the time with the sprinklers, and they both tumbled to the ground. Cody rolled a short distance away, and something fell out of his jacket pocket. Scrabbling to her feet, Misty immediately recognised what it was - it was Cody's revolver.
She grabbed it and spun run to face Cody, who had just gotten to his feet and was blocking her path to the forest - her path to freedom. She raised the gun to him in defence with shaking hands, making sure to keep her distance. Misty was frightened. She didn't want to be in this situation. This was too much for her. How could things have become so bad that she'd find herself pointing a gun at Cody? The answers were beyond her grasp.
Team Rocket was seconds away behind Misty. She couldn't just stay there, or else she'd be captured. Her only means of getting away was to go through Cody, and she had the weapon to do it. Her trembling hands clutched at the revolver, and her finger began to squeeze the trigger. Her eyes, full of fear and confusion, were fixed on Cody's. She needed to do it. She needed to shoot Cody, or it might mean the end of her.
Cody cried, "Do it, Misty! Shoot me! It's the only way you can escape!"
Misty's mind was torn in two. She wanted to do it, but she just couldn't go through with it. She couldn't bring herself to killing Cody. Maybe just an injury? A shot at his shoulder should suffice. No, it was too risky. Not only had she never taken a shot in her life, but her hands were too shaky to make any chance of an accurate shot non-existent.
"Shoot me, Misty! You have to!" Cody stressed.
Cody cared more for Misty's life than his own, there was no question about that. He would rather he be dead than her. But if Giovanni got his hands on Misty, it could mean a fate worse than death for her. Misty shut her eyes to try and block out Cody's image - tears of fear escaping as she did - but it didn't help. She just couldn't pull the trigger. Her head was swirling in the terrifying dilemma. To think. Just to think for a fraction of a second - to find the courage to pull the trigger. She needed to draw strength from every inch of her body to perform this momentous task - to kill Cody.
But she hesitated too long.
Misty felt something hard club her on the back of her head, and she lost conscious.
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All was silent in the depths of the forest. Concealed from the outside world, any creature could easily find refuge among the mighty trees dominating the darkened land. Above and below, the pokémon slept soundly, knowing that their hideout would be safely concealed from any intruders. But in one particular hideout, things weren't quite so calm.
In the large cavity of a great oak tree's roots, cleverly camouflaged to blend in with the undergrowth, lied the Fawnheart's birdwatching hideout. It was practically invisible from the outside, but inside a very different sight could be found.
The hideout was a bit of a relic, half of which was dug below the surface to increase space. Deprived of its owners for ten long years, it's no wonder how dusty everything was. Stepping inside was like stepping into a tomb. Sealed off from light and air, the hideout carried a familiar musty smell, somewhat reminiscent of the Motherwell farm barn. That said, there was a lot of useful equipment there. Most of the items were dust covers, binoculars, and medical equipment. But there were also layers of shelves, on which rested long-expired tins of food; and a trio of sleeping bags were rolled up somewhere in the corner - obvious signs that this camouflaged shelter was designed for long-term use.
Ash and Brock had no trouble finding the hideout thanks to Cody's map. Within half an hour they had set up a little camp inside to hold out in until they could get themselves together. In the light of his camper's lamp, Brock was busy treating the wound on Ash's shoulder, thanks to the sterilised equipment in the first-aid box that was still usable. A few other pokémon were also waiting in line to have their wounds tended to after the big fight. The battle with Team Rocket had really taken a toll on the trainer's pokémon, and some of them probably won't be able to fully recuperate until they got professional help at a pokémon centre.
"Ah! Hey, watch it!" Ash lashed out rather sharply at Brock for causing another pain in his shoulder.
"Sorry, I'm being as careful as I can," his friend apologised, slightly startled at Ash's aggression.
Ash was in a foul mood. He clenched his fists as thoughts of what Team Rocket could be doing to Misty occupied his mind. He hated himself for leaving her in the hands of those gangsters. But there was nothing he could have done about it. He was injured, his pokémon were exhausted, and they were outnumbered ten to one. If only he had stuck closer to her, none of this would have happened.
Trixie was still unconscious. Pikachu had watched over her for the whole journey, and was now resting by her side while she lay in a warm sleeping bag by the lamp. Brock had wrapped a bandage around her head for her concussion, and she looked like she was going to be all right when she wakes up. But Pikachu still felt sorry for her, watching over her injured body as she rested in deep sleep. It cared for her more than anyone knew. Somewhere deep inside.
"We should never have left her behind," Ash growled in a low voice.
"Ash, if we had stayed there any longer, we would have been captured too," Brock told him as he finished tying on the bandage. "Don't worry, I'm sure Misty's okay. We just need to wait until things settle down before we can help her."
"We've waited long enough!" Ash said impatiently. "Don't you understand? That's our friend in there! I'm not just going to sit here quietly while they could be planning her execution right now!" He stood and grabbed his backpack sitting on the stool. "You head for the nearest city and get help from the police. I'm going back for Misty. With Pikachu and all the pokémon by me, nothing's gonna stop me from getting her out of there."
"Now hold on a second, Ash..." Brock began.
"What? You don't like my idea?" he raised his voice. "Fine! I don't care! I'm not going to wait around any longer! Misty needs my help, and I'm going back to rescue her!"
"No, Ash, what I wanted to say is," Brock said calmly, "I want to go with you."
Ash fell silent for a moment. "What?"
"Misty's as much my friend as she is yours. I don't want to see anything happen to her either. If we all work together, I'm sure we can manage a quick break-in to free her from Team Rocket. And we might be able to do something about the Fawnhearts too. Besides, looking for help from town will take too long. You'll be much better off having me by your side."
Ash's expression softened, and he managed to say, "Thanks, Brock, I knew I could count on you."
"Hey, what are friends for?" Brock smiled. "Just let me finish treating these other pokémon, then we can be on our way."
Just then, Trixie started to turn in her sleeping bag; and with an uneasy groan and a flutter of her eyelids, she finally awoke from her unconsciousness.
"Pipi, Chu-Pi-Pi!" Pikachu cried excitedly.
Slowly and uneasily, Trixie lifted her head and looked around. For a moment she thought she was in a dream, lost in this unfamiliar environment. Then suddenly she came to her senses. She wasn't sure how, but it was like passing from a world of misty unreality to one of harsh sunlight. Trixie realised she wasn't anywhere on the farm anymore. This place was different - cold and unknown. Her heart started to race in panic, then she turned and recognised Pikachu sitting beside her, the sight of whom managed to calm her down. Pikachu licked her cheek happily.
"Well, look who's back," Ash said. "How do you feel, Trixie?"
Trixie gave a soft purr signifying that she'll be all right. Pikachu was relieved.
Brock poured out the contents of one his poké-chow containers and offered the food to Trixie. "Here, you'd better build up your strength. I'm afraid Misty and your masters are being held by Team Rocket back at the farm, and we're going to have to get them out of there. Do you feel up to the task?"
Trixie purred again and nodded her head. Vaporeons were well-known for their stamina. (A/N: It's true!) Thanks to that, she was able to recover quickly from her injury.
Suddenly Trixie's fins flicked once, twice, then started to vibrate. It grew faster and faster, producing a light shimmering sound, sort of like a rattlesnake. For a second, Ash was confused at this strange behaviour, then he remembered what Dexter said about that in the pokédex. Brock, however, didn't realise what it meant.
"What's that all about?" he asked Ash.
Ash was a bit surprised at his friend's question, coming from an expert on pokémon behaviour. But then again, Brock still had a lot to learn. "Well, I suggest we take one of these old umbrellas with us," Ash said. "It looks like were in for a downpour."
While Brock continued to treat the other pokémon, Ash's thoughts were still focused on Misty. He would get her out of there no matter what.
Hold on, Misty, Ash thought. We're coming.
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The world seemed dark and uncomfortable when Misty came to. There were voices talking somewhere around, one she recognised as Cody. The other took her a while to figure out - Giovanni. She stirred in discomfort only to find that she couldn't move. She was tied down by a multitude of leather straps, and her hands were cuffed at the wrist to the cold, wooden table.
Misty looked around and realised that she was inside the barn. It appeared that Giovanni had set up some sort of a camp in this spacious shelter. But where was everyone? There wasn't a single member of Team Rocket in sight. Misty guessed they were probably outside on guard, but she still felt uncomfortably alone in this huge barn. It was like she was being watched by invisible eyes all around, staring at her as she lay helplessly tied to the table.
No, now was not the time for paranoia. Misty had to be brave. She had to figure a way to get out of these restraints. Her backpack containing her pokéballs (and Togepi) was nowhere to be seen, so it looked like her pokémon weren't going to be able to help her out here. Her only chance was to try and free her hands from the cuffs. If only she could just reach them....
"So, Cody, I'm told that you were the one who revealed the Hypnodrone to those three brats, is that right?" Misty heard Giovanni's interrogation.
"Yeah," came a contemptuous reply.
"And you were also the one who helped that Pikachu escape into the forest," he said more accusingly.
"Yeah, and I'm thankful for that. It'll be a cold day in hell before I let you get your damned hands on Pikachu."
Heh! Keep it up, Cody, Misty thought. Buy me some time. She bit into the topmost strap and easily undid the buckle. That's the first one down; two more to go. But one thing still puzzled her: Why was she restrained to a table instead of tied up with a rope? What did Giovanni have in mind?
"I'd watch my tone if I were you," Giovanni said threateningly. "It'll only make matters worse for you. Last chance - where is that Pikachu?"
A long silence ensued, and Misty wondered if Cody was going to reveal her friends' location. Then came the sound of Cody's voice again.
"Rot in hell, boss," he growled.
Misty breathed a sigh of relief. She focused on freeing herself again and tried at the next strap. After several attempts she just managed to snag it. Pulling hard on the strap, the buckle came undone. That's two.
"Very well," Giovanni said unperturbed. "No Pikachu, no deal, no freedom. Oh, and incidentally, I wouldn't count on seeing your family again."
There was an alarmed gasp, quickly followed by Cody shouting vehemently, "You son of a bitch! What have you done with them?"
"Oh, nothing yet," Giovanni smirked. "Soon they'll be transported off this filthy estate back to my office where they'll be issued new, more demanding assignments. But to avoid another insurrection like this again, you'll be working separately from here on end."
Before Cody could hurl another insult, Misty heard the barn door opening, and in stepped a Team Rocket member with some news for his superior. It was something about Cassidy and Butch having left ahead to perform their pokémon book scam on the road to Goldenrod City. Meanwhile, Misty tried struggling to get her arm free, but it was no use. She needed to unbuckle the last strap before she could get loose. She tried at the next one just passed her bosom, but missed.
What now, Misty? she thought. She began squirming deeper to get close enough to undo the last strap. She tried at it again, and this time just barely managed to catch it with her teeth. She started to pull hard on the strap, but paused, noticing the sudden silence.
Suddenly Cody shrieked in terror. "No! You wouldn't dare!"
His reaction startled Misty and she accidentally let go of the strap. It slipped back down past her bosom and came to rest further away than it was before. The restraint had come loose a little from the stress, but it was not enough for Misty to get her hand out.
"Don't make me do this!" Cody snapped, his voice quickly succumbing to despair. "Don't you dare make me do this!" Giovanni cackled it off. "Don't you dare!"
What was going on over there? It sounded like Cody was in trouble. Misty needed to hurry. She stretched as far as she could to reach the final strap. It looked impossibly far, but she tried nonetheless.
C'mon, Misty! she encouraged herself. C'mon! C'mon!
Millimetre by millimetre, Misty drew closer to reaching the last strap. She held her breath, her head was sweating, she streched as far as she could go to reach the strap. But alas, after her hardest try, it was still an inch away.
"I gave you the chance," Giovanni said coldly. "Now begin!"
Just as Misty was about to make another attempt, she stopped when she noticed Cody's shadow moving on the wall. He was being controlled by the Hypnodrone again.
"I'll tell you where they are!" she heard Cody cry. "You stop this and I'll tell you!"
"Too late, slave," Giovanni sneered. "It won't matter after you've completed your task."
Cody moved into sight with a sort of truncheon or club in hand. Misty saw the look of regret and terror on his face as he drew closer to her. "I'm sorry. I am eternally sorry," he said sadly.
Misty swallowed worriedly. "What are you going to do to me?"
"I'm sorry," he forcefully repeated. That was definitely not what she wanted to hear. She tried to reach the strap again, but it was still too far. "I'm going to try not to make it hurt too much."
"Cody!" Misty cried desperately. "Don't do this! You have to fight the Hypnodrone! Please! You have to try! Please!"
"I'm sorry," was all Cody could say. He stepped up beside her. Then, directing his voice back to where he appeared, he shouted, "Please, I'm begging you, stop this now! I'll do anything! Anything!"
"Silence!" Giovanni barked. "This is your punishment for your crime. And it will teach that meddling girl a lesson too. Now unfortunately I have other matters to attend to, so I won't be able to stay and watch. But I'll leave my Hypno here to help you out. Have a good time, you two!" he laughed.
And he was gone.
Cody continued, powerless to stop himself. He lifted the club and their eyes met. Misty saw the pure terror and began to tremble with fear.
"Please..." she said in a small, frightened voice.
Cody struck quickly.
Misty regained consciousness in a moment. It was horrible. She felt him on top of her, taking more than just advantage of her. She screamed desperately, fighting to free herself, but her cuffs and restraints held fast. The last strap on her wrist, while rattling on the verge of coming loose, still remained fixed. He didn't let up. His hands were all over her, hurting her. The fear, the pain, the horror, him......
"ASH!" she choked, then broke down into torturous sobs. "No-oh-oh..."
Suddenly she felt the sharp pain of the club again, and it was dark.
--------------------------------------
The next thing she knew, Misty was being carried away from the Mothwe... Mother... Moth... It didn't matter anymore. Her half-torn clothes and the blanket around her flapped in the wind. The rain splattered against them, making them stick to her convulsing form. She sobbed against Ash's chest, holding on to him tightly.
The barn roof behind them caved in on the fire. It had been a gruelling fight to free Misty from Team Rocket's clutches. The chaos raged back and forth as each side fought to gain the upper hand. The battle seemed endless.
But it was all just a blur now.
Everything happened so fast that nobody was sure what caused the accident. A stray electric spark or a wrongly aimed fire attack somewhere, and the soon the whole barn was burning. While Team Rocket fled the scene, abandoning their captives to the fury of the fire, Trixie had gone after her masters. That was a mistake. Somehow she got cut off from her friends. Perhaps a burning support beam crashed down between them, or the fire became so intense that there was no way through it. It didn't matter. Ash and Brock had lost her in the flames.
But it looked like Misty had lost a lot more...
Ash eventually came to a stop where Brock was waiting for them. He was watching over Pikachu and Togepi. With one hand he kept Misty's backpack slung over his shoulder, and with the other he held an old, black umbrella. Ash let Misty down to her feet, and she quickly sunk, defeated, to the ground, burying her face in the folds of the blanket. A desperate urge told Ash to stay with her, but he knew that he had to go looking for survivors first. Brock would take care of Misty. He gave her a final glance, then made off into the inferno again. Misty shivered in her blanket, sobbing like a baby. It had felt so terrible... so terrible...
"Toge-Toge?" Togepi whimpered, taking small steps forwards.
Its face was drenched in rain, and it was scared. It had never seen its mother like this before. All Misty could do was lie there curled up in a ball and cry, shaking her head. Brock came and put a wet arm around her, and Pikachu lent a paw. But Misty pulled away from them.
"No-oh-oh-oh..." she choked, barely audible over the rain. She sobbed even harder, crying tearful hiccups.
After a moment, Ash returned out of the blazing barn and stopped beside his friends, gasping for breath. He rested his hands on his knees and beads of sweat poured off his brow.
Brock asked, "Did the Fawnhearts make it?"
Ash took a moment to regain himself. Then, facing his friend with a look of chagrin, he shook his head.
Brock paused. "... And Cody?"
Ash didn't say anything. He glanced at Misty, still weeping in her blanket, and felt helplessly lost inside. He had yet to utter or word or motion a reply, but by the look in his eyes, Brock knew what the answer was.
"Come on," Brock finally said in a low voice, "the Ilex Forest is not far from here. We can camp out there for the night. It'll be safe there."
Ash and Brock helped Misty to her feet, and they began to walk away. Yet in the silence, one little, yellow mouse remained behind, staring into the fire with a shattered heart.
"Pipi..." it uttered - its voice frail and trembling. It gazed at the burning barn, and a tear escaped down its cheek, flowing away with the rain.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried from afar. "C'mon, we have to go!"
Pikachu glanced in the direction of its master, then back at the barn. Finally, after one long, last look, it began to move away.
EPILOGUE
"Forget it, Ma'am, there are no signs of life here. The joint's one big pile of rubble."
"That's clear, re-con twelve. Gather up your team and we'll head on home," Officer Jenny spoke into her walkie-talkie.
She hung the device back on her belt, lifted her flashlight, and gazed around in the night at what used to be a lush, green farm. Now all that was left was parched land and blackened rubble from the fire that swept the whole area. It took a whole day for Captain Russell and Team Wartortle to put it all out; and by nighttime, there was little left for the police to investigate. They probably would have arrived sooner had they known of this place before. It was quite a mystery how no one did.
"Strange. I wonder what happened here," she said to herself. Then, on a sadder tone, "It's a shame. It looks like we'll never know."
Eventually, everyone on the police force had mobilised back into the vans. One by one the engines revved to life, and the police began to drive off. Soon they were gone in the distance, leaving the unexplained tragedy that struck the Motherwell farm far behind.
Suddenly there was movement.
The wreckage of the barn shifted, and something came out. It felt around for something to grab hold of, then began to pull hard. There came a head, shoulders, torso, legs, struggling to pull all the way out of this terrible destruction. She was in great pain, and she let herself collapse on the debris in exhaustion. After catching her breath, she raised her head and scanned the area. The whole place was a wasteland. There was nothing she could have done to prevent it. Not even last night's rain was enough to douse the fire. Now she had nothing left. Everything was lost. She lifted her head and gazed up at the starlit sky; and with deep cry of despair, she howled in the emptiness at the full moon.
She was going to be very lonely from now on.
End...
Thus, our story draws to an end. The consequences of these sad turn of events came not without a reason. I wanted was to teach you one thing - not all relationships end how you'd hope or expect them to. Tragedy and misfortune are not uncommon in the real world, and things don't always turn out as well as you'd see on television. So next time, spare a thought for those who have been scarred by a sad end to their relationship. Like Misty.
