Disclaimer: Once again, I own Lily and nothing else.

Well, here's another chapter for all you wonderful people out there in fan fiction land!

                                               

Chapter Ten: Despair

            Back home, Professor Oak was watching the news while Ash's mom paced back and forth. They had called the TV station, asking them to get viewers to call with any information about Team Rocket's secret headquarters. That news segment had just ended, and Delia was trying to be hopeful. "We'll have Ash back in no time!" she exclaimed with a cheerfulness she did not feel. She'd been trying to hide her fears from everyone, but it was getting harder as the hours passed with no word from the police.

            Oh, Ash, my poor baby! She thought. Please be all right! Stay safe until we can rescue you!

                                               

                                               

            Ash sat on the bed in his small room. Cell's more like it, he thought. He looked up at the window high in the wall. He hadn't cried through everything that had happened, not even when he'd been whipped with Giovanni's belt, even though it had really hurt. It had been hard, but he'd held back the tears somehow.

            But he cried now. He missed his mom and his friends and Pokemon. Most of all he missed Pikachu. He buried his face in his sleeves.

            "Hey, twerp," a familiar voice called softly from the window. Ash jumped up and wiped his face quickly with one arm. There in the window was Jessie!

            "What do you want?" Ash asked angrily. "Go away! You're the ones who got me into this mess!"

            "Just listen!" Jessie snapped. "Do you want us to help you or not?"

            "Why would you help me?"

            "Hurry up, Jessie!" Ash heard James call from below. "You're too heavy!"

            Ash smiled. He knew that Jessie was on James' shoulders. Meowth was probably on the ground.

            Jessie seemed to ponder Ash's question. "Well, if you were here forever, who would be around for us to steal from?"

            Meowth called out, "Yeah, without you, we'd have no fun anymore."

            Ash grinned. "Well, what do we do?"

            "Here's the plan. When the Boss lets you out of the room, you make a run for it," Jessie said.

            "I tried that already. It didn't work," Ash said. "I hope you have a plan B!"

            "Hmm," Jessie thought. She whispered down to her companions. "How about if we talk to the Boss tomorrow and try to get him to let us see you, and then we can all run for it!"

            "Are you crazy?" Ash yelled. "That will never work!"

            Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching. Team Rocket did, too, and they disappeared. Ash spun to face the door as it opened.

            "What's going on?" Giovanni demanded. "Who were you talking to?"

            Ash thought fast. "Um, uh, Jimmy?" He pointed at an empty corner of the room.

            Giovanni looked where Ash was pointing. "There's no one there."

            Ash tried to look upset. "You mean you don't see him? He's right there! He's waving at you!"

            Giovanni looked at Ash like he'd sprouted horns. "Don't tell me you have an imaginary friend at your age!"

            "Well, he only comes around when bad things are happening to me," said Ash. "It makes him mad when people are mean to me."

            By now Giovanni looked like he couldn't believe his terrible luck to end up with such a weird, crazy son. Eager to get away from Ash's obvious insanity, he just said, "Well, when you're talking to your little friend, try to keep your voice down." Then he left.

            Ash breathed a sigh of relief. He looked up at the window again. "Team Rocket?" he called as loudly as he dared. "Are you still there?"

            There was no answer for a minute. Then Jessie's head popped into view again. "Phew! That was close!"

            "Now I know why you guys are so afraid of your boss," Ash said. "He's mean! Does he ever hit you?"

            "No, but he yells at us all the time," James called from below.

            "Not to mention that he pays our salaries," Meowth added. The other two agreed.

            "So what are we gonna do?" Ash asked. "Hurry up and think of something!"

            "Well, we are good at disguising ourselves…"

            "Think of something else!" Ash said quickly.

            Jessie got mad. "Well, you try to think up a plan in only a few seconds!"

            Ash put a finger to his lips. "Shhh! I'm sorry, guys, but I really want to get out of here, fast!"

            "What's so bad about here, anyway?" Meowth asked. "And why did the Boss want you? He never told us."

            "He said…he said he's my…father," Ash mumbled.

            "WHAT?!?"

            "Shut up!" Ash cried. "Do you want to get me in trouble? And anyway, I don't believe him. Not really."

            "Wow!" they kept saying. "I can't believe it!" Then they started planning again.

            "Okay, here's the plan. Tomorrow morning, we'll distract the Boss and the guards—"

            "How?"

            "Never mind that," Jessie said. "Anyway, while we're doing that—by the way, you'll be out of your room then—you run. We'll take care of the rest."

            Ash wasn't sure. Jessie, James and Meowth weren't the brightest creatures in the world. What if it didn't work?

            "What if it doesn't work?"

            "It will!" they assured him.

            Ash sighed. "Okay," he said. What else could he do? "Tomorrow morning."

                                               

                                               

            Giovanni got Ash up early again. This time Ash quickly obeyed when he was ordered to follow. He was nervous but happy. Soon he'd be free!

            When they got to the training room again, Ash went inside first. Giovanni was about to follow, but one of the guards called him. Giovanni called to a nearby Team Rocket trainee and ordered her to watch Ash for a minute. Then he left with the guard. Ash eyed the young Rocket warily. She looked tough.

            "Hey, Katie!" a voice called from the shadows. The Rocket turned toward the sound. Jessie stepped out into the light. "It is you, Katie! I haven't seen you in ages!"

            Katie smiled. "Jessie? How have you been?"

            "Keeping busy. Listen, Katie, could you help me with something?"

            "Sure, Jess. What is it?"

            "Well, I know you're good with Pokemon. I've got a sick Meowth in the infirmary, but those idiots don't know how to help it. Could you go look at it?"

            Katie hesitated. "But the Boss told me to watch this kid. I can't leave him."

            "No problem," Jessie said. "I'll keep an eye on the kid while you're gone. Please? I'm really worried about Meowth."

            "Wait a second, Jessie. You're the one who went to a Chansey nurse school. You take care of your own Meowth."

            Jessie started to panic. "Please, Katie! I just want you to go look at it for a second!"

            "Sorry, Jess, but I've got my own job to do," said Katie. "And I'm sure you must have work to do, as well."

            "But—"

            "Jessie! I said no!"

            Jessie looked helplessly at Ash. His heart sank.

            Just then, Giovanni stormed back into the room. He looked at Jessie. "You're not supposed to be in here. What are you doing here?"

            "I—I was just leaving, sir," she said quickly. She ran off, and with her went all of Ash's hopes.

                                               

                                               

Wow! I finally finished Part One of this story! Hooray! Now, on to Part Two! As always, please review! Those reviews are like oxygen to me! I need them!