Freedom of the Phoenix - Part 4

The plane continued on, over the cities, towns and forests of Johto. Eight Captureballs, containing all the legendary Pokémon, lay locked away in a safe by Giovanni's chair, and Ash sat locked in an empty room near the back of the plane.

Ash had been sitting in the same place for an hour or so. There was no way out for him. Even if he could get out of the room, the plane was swarming with Rockets, and they were hundreds of feet in the air. He had no Pokémon, he had no way of escaping, he was all alone.... his life had reached a new low.

He was about ready to give up, let Team Rocket do what they wanted. He was tired, hungry and sore.

There was a sudden thud and the plane began to slow down. Ash looked up and noticed the plane wasn't moving. They must have landed. He heard the sound of Rockets walking past the door. The door opened and James walked in. Butch followed.

He heard Butch whispering, "This kid's gonna be no bother to us anymore"

He narrowed his eyes. So they thought he was beat? Well they had another thing coming. He wasn't going to be beat, not by them.

"Come on kid" James stood in the doorway.

Ash looked away and didn't say anything. He wasn't going to let them control him.

"Didn't you hear me?" James asked.

Ash still didn't answer.

"Looks like he doesn't wanna move" James said.

"Well then we'll make him move" Butch took a step forward.

Ash pushed himself up onto his feet, this time looking at Butch. When Butch made a grab for his arm he jumped to the side. He was about to run for the door when James grabbed onto his right arm. He tried to pull away but James' grip was too tight.

James pulled Ash's arm up behind his back and put his hand on Ash's shoulder.

Ash cringed in pain, and was forced to walk forward. He glared back at Butch and James before he was forced out of the room. He kept trying to stop, but James forced him forward by pushing his arm up again.

"Get moving twerp, the boss wants a word with you" James said as he forced Ash off the plane and into a corridor.

They approached two large brown doors. Jessie and Cassidy stood waiting for them. James and Butch walked up to them.

"Is the boss ready? This kid's getting annoying" James moaned as Ash began to try and pull away again.

"Yeah, let's go" Cassidy opened the door and the five of them walked in.

Jessie closed the doors and locked them. Butch and Cassidy stood by the door and James pushed Ash to the ground before walking over beside Jessie, who was also standing by the door.

Ash groaned and pushed himself up onto his knees. He looked up and saw Giovanni, his arms resting on the desk. He scowled at him.

"You do look a lot like him you know?" Giovanni said to him.

Ash stood up. "Who?"

"Your father" Giovanni replied. "He was always messing up our plans for taking over the world, just like you. I hear the last time you saw him was when you were..... five is it?"

Ash looked down at the ground. It was true. The last he had heard from his dad was when he was only five. His father left to battle in the Pokémon League, but he never returned home. They had received a few letters from him but that was all.

Giovanni nodded. "Well Cassidy and Butch did a great job of getting rid of him"

Ash's head jerked up. Did he mean.....?

"That's right, about a year ago Cassidy and Butch caught in him the Viridian Forest. I hear he was great target practise for their Pokémon" Giovanni grinned. "He couldn't have reached help in time the way they let him. Barely breathing, blood covering the ground, unable to move. I just wish I had been there"

Ash stood frozen to the spot, his hands clenched in fists, shaking with anger. Without realizing what he was doing, he ran forward towards Giovanni. He raised his fist to punch, but both his arms were grabbed. Jessie and James pulled him back as he struggled to get free.

Giovanni laughed and stood up. "Take him to the lab, let him see how the legendaries are doing"

Jessie and James nodded and pulled Ash, who was still struggling, towards the door.

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They walked down the corridor until they came to a large metal door. They pushed it open and walked in. It was the lab. The Energy Ball sat in center.

Ash noticed a Rocket walk into the Energyball with two Captureballs. He tried to run forward, but Jessie and James kept a hold on him.

They brought him into a room with a television. It showed the inside if the Energyball. Two Captureballs sat in the centre. Jessie and James sat Ash down on a chair and tied him to it.

The Energyball closed up fully and Ash saw the Captureballs opening. Articuno and Suicune appeared and looked around. There was plenty of room for them to move around but they instantly began to slam against the walls. The walls of the Energyball glowed red and two red beams shot out of nowhere. One hit Articuno, and the other hit Suicune. The Pokémon cried in pain for a few minutes and then collapse, fainted.

Ash watched, horrified, as the two legendaries were returned into the Captureballs. "Wh-what happened to them? What's going on?"

Jessie stepped forward. "That red beam sucks the power of the Pokémon. The power is collected from every Legendary and stored away. When all the power's been collected, the Pokémon will be given time to recover. While they are recovering. The energy will be focused into one powerful blast. With a weapon that strong Team Rocket wont have any trouble taking over the world" She grinned.

"You can't do this!" Ash yelled.

"Watch us" James smirked.

Ash watched Zapdos and Raikou go into the Energyball and go threw the same thing as Suicune an Articuno. So did Moltres and Entei, and Mew and Lugia. Last was Ho-oh. Ash struggled with the ropes that tied him to the chair but he still couldn't move. He looked back at the T.V. just as the walls turned red again.

Ho-oh looked at the walls and narrowed its eyes. The beam shot out and hit it straight in the chest. It yelled in pain.

Ash yelled as a sharp pain came in his chest. It felt like his insides were on fire and being ripped apart at the same time.

Jessie and James jumped and looked at him.

"What's with you?!" Jessie yelled.

Ash couldn't hear anything around him. He just continued to yell in pain until he couldn't take it anymore. Everything went black and he slouched in the chair. He had passed out.

Jessie looked at James, confused.

James shrugged and looked back at the T.V. "Hey, that Ho-oh fainted too" He looked back at Ash.

"What should we do?" Jessie asked.

"Uh...Your asking me?" James said scratching the back of his head.

Jessie sighed and shook her head and walked over to Ash. She bent down and placed her hand on his forehead. "He's burning up. Maybe we should tell the boss" She stood up and turned to the door. "You stay here" she walked out the door and closed it behind her.

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Ash stirred and opened his eyes slowly. He held his head and pushed himself up. He was lying in a bed in a dark room. He looked around and noticed a light switch. He got up and turned it on, still feeling weak. He looked around the room. The door was made of metal and the windows were bared. There was a bed, a chair and a table beside the bed. His cap and jacket were on the chair. He stumbled over to the bed again and sat down. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was Ho-oh in the Energyball, and getting hit by that beam. He had felt the pain too, the pain Ho-oh felt. Then it all went black.

"Why me?" He moaned.

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"Sir, why do you care if the twerp is hurt or not?" Cassidy asked. Jessie stood beside her.

"I don't. I couldn't care less for that little brat, but I know that he and Ho-oh are joined in some way. And I can tell when Ho-oh can be put in the Energyball. When the boy fully recovers, put Ho-oh in the Energyball again" He ordered. "The boy must be punished for his and his fathers mistakes. Never mess with Team Rocket. This faith is worse than his father's"

"Yes Sir" Cassidy nodded and left the room. Jessie followed.

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The metal door opened and Jessie walked in. She had a tray with a little food on it. She walked over to the bed were Ash was sitting. "Hey kid, you'd better eat something, you've been out for three days"

Ash looked up at her. "What's gonna happen to me?"

Jessie set the food down on the table. "I'm afraid that that wasn't the first time you'll be feeling like that. Giovanni's gonna put Ho-oh in that Energyball every time you heal up"

Ash looked at the ground. "For how long" He asked wearily.

Jessie shook her head. "I don't know" She turned and left the room.

Ash looked at the food but felt more sick than hungry at the moment. He turned and looked at the bared window. He just had to find a way out of this.

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To Be Continued

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Well Ash is in a bit of trouble, wouldn't you say? Heehee, I'm gonna start workin' on the next chappy as soon as possible. Oh, and in responce to a review I got, of course Ash is always the Chosen One, there's only one Chosen One. And its sorta in the job description for him to be the hero. Heehee. Well, till next time!
Bay Bay!
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adorable_chickorita@hotmail.com