Author's note: The opening scene of this chapter is in homage (a euphemism for 'ripped off') to one of my favourite scenes from a film. If anyone can guess what it is, award yourself with 100,000 points and a big bowl of raspberry jelly.

Misty thought she was going mad as Ash and Pikachu landed in front of her eyes in an ungainly sprawl. The two of them groaned a little, then began climbing to their feet. The Team Rocket members seemed just as bewildered, and they stared, eyes wide and mouths open but they were silent. Only Giovanni, Nidoking, Rhydon and Persian were facing away from him and unaware of his presence.

Ash turned and smiled almost sheepishly at Misty, and she realized then that she hadn't gone mad and he was really there, as large as life. He'd come to save her.

The young trainer turned away from her with a last reassuring glance, then spoke to Giovanni's back.

"Eheh…hi".

In an instant, the circle of terror sprang to life. Rhydon and Nidoking switched about and faced him, teeth bared, claws extended, heads lowered with their horns pointing to his middle. They growled threateningly.

Persian hissed and spat at him, hair standing on end. The Rocket members finally seemed to realize where they were and what they were doing, and tightened the circle again, enclosing him and Pikachu in.

Giovanni turned slowly to look at him. While everyone else in the room was astonished to see him there, the crime lord did not even flinch. Not even a muscle twitched on his face twitched in surprise as he stared hard at Ash.

"Ash Ketchum", he said in a tone of voice people use when they meet someone on the street they privately dislike but maintain politeness for the sake of good manners, "You are a bold one".

Rhydon and Nidoking seemed desperate to attack, twitching and itching to tear the boy to pieces. Giovanni laughed slightly, low and menacing

He took a step back to allow Nidoking and Rhydon to advance on the boy, "Kill him".

As if grateful for something to attack, the two massive Pokémon stomped towards him, snarling eagerly and brandishing their horns threateningly.

Ash looked at them. Both ground types. Pikachu would be disadvantaged against them. On the other hand, he always had…

When the two murderous beasts were a few feet away from him, his hands flew to his belt and he produced two Pokéballs. He threw them onto the floor and they burst open with a flash.

"Bulbasaur, solarbeam! Squirtle, hydro pump!"

His two friends emerged, and in an instant there was a flare of luminous green light, and powerful jets of water slamming into Giovanni's guards. The two brutes flew through the air, stunned, and crashed into the ranks of Rocket members, sending them scattering like skittles.

The Rocket members murmured in surprise. They backed off a little, warier now of this boy. Seizing her advantage, Misty wrenched free of Cassidy's grip and leapt free to stand just behind Ash.

One of Giovanni's eyebrows was lifted in a look of slight surprise. This boy was getting stronger and stronger. Certainly, he was stronger now than he had been two years ago. He looked at the knocked out Rhydon and Nidoking once, shaking his head.

"Very impressive, Ketchum".

Ash stood to face him defiantly, "Let Misty go! She's not the one you want, it's me! Let her go!"

"Ash, no!" Misty said, horrified.

"I've no intention of letting either of you go, I'm afraid. Ash Ketchum, you've just managed to get yourself captured. Congratulations".

Misty's head was swirling. The events of the last few seconds were staggering. She was confused and scared. She just let herself go, and do what she did best.

So she turned to Ash and yelled at him.

"Nice work, Ash! Look what you've managed to do!"

"Hey, I was just trying to help you!"

"Oh right. Sure. What do you do for an encore, throw me into a river full of wild Gyarados?"

Ash and Misty both knew neither meant it. It was a comfort thing, something they did in unfamiliar and bad situations. To let the other know the other was there for them, just like old times.

"Well, I wasn't the one who managed to get captured in the first place!"

"Yeah, I got captured because I was trying to help your sorry butt back in the forest! You'd be mince meat without me, Ash Ketchum!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Um…oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Giovanni and the other Rocket members stared in disbelief. For the first time, Giovanni looked positively bewildered. He slowly shook his head, as if trying to contemplate the two youngsters and what made them tick.

"Do you two never get tired of this pointless banter?"

"No. Never", was Ash's defiant response.

The gangster shifted in an irritated matter, "Well, I do. Remove them, put them in a cell while we figure out what to do with them".

Ash considered ordering Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Pikachu to unleash attacks on the Rocket members so they could escape, but he knew it would be futile. The Rocket members would have hundreds of Pokémon between them, and they would be overwhelmed. So he simply recalled Bulbasaur and Squirtle, and allowed himself to have handcuffs strapped on by Rocket members. Without another word, Misty, Ash, Togepi and Pikachu were led away by a dozen sinister gangsters.

Giovanni watched them go. One of his top members approached him.

"Uh…boss?"

"Yes?"

"Don't you think it's a bit risky to hold those two here?"

"No, why?"

"Well, that kid's got skill. What if he escapes? He could stall our operations".

"Don't be absurd. He's skilled, yes, but he's just a kid. Nothing can stop the march of Team Rocket now, including him. We'll hold him there until I figure out how best to get rid of him".

The Rocket member knew better than to question any further, and he inclined his head in response and walked away. Giovanni grunted and glared at nothing as he contemplated how best to destroy Ash Ketchum in a suitable manner.

OoOoOoOoOo

Ash, Misty and Pikachu suddenly found themselves being hurled into a dark, dank cell in one of the corridors of the Rocket Headquarters. An instant later, and the little birdcage holding Togepi was opened, and Togepi tottered out into the cell with them. The Rocket members glared at them mockingly, having now deprived them of their Pokéballs, they now were less wary of Ash. Butch and Cassidy in particular seemed to take great delight in sneering at them as they locked the cell door and marched off. One Rocket member seated himself some distance away on a rusty metal bench, evidently acting as a guard.

Ash slumped down in a corner, his earlier bravado beginning to evaporate. He took off his hat and placed it on the floor in front of him. Pikachu walked over to comfort Togepi. Misty sat down next to Ash.

"Ash…you came for me", she whispered.

The boy's head and eyes were down, "Yeah. I did".

"Thank you".

"No sweat, Mist".

Misty picked up his hat in her hands, "Ash, are you okay?"

He looked up and locked eyes with her, "I came for you, but I screwed it up. Remember what your sisters said? About me being a loser? What if they were right and…"

"Ash, stop right there! I've told you before you're the one for me, and I meant it. How many guys would break into a building to face off with dozens of hardened criminals just to save their girlfriend? You're no loser, Ash".

Ash shook himself, "Eheh. Thanks Mist. You're right, this is no time to...um…you know…self-misery…thing".

Misty rolled her eyes affectionately, "Wallow in self pity?"

"Um, yeah! That's it".

They were cut in by the Rocket Guard's voice. Apparently, he had been listening more intently than they had thought.

"Well, well. Despairing, huh Ashy boy?"

Ash stared, "Ashy boy…?"

Misty gasped, "I know that voice!"

The Guard stood up and took off his cap, "That's right. Good to see ya, losers".

Pikachu leapt up and his fur stood on end. Ash gaped, open-mouthed, at the Guard.

"Gary? How…why…did you sneak in to save us?"

There was a harsh burst of spiteful laughter, "Oh yeah. That must be it. I'm here to save you".

Misty had caught on much quicker than Ash, "I can't believe it! I knew you were slime but I didn't think you'd betray everything your grandfather stands for!"

Gary sneered, "You're breaking my heart. You think I care what my grandpa does? No, what I want is to become the greatest Pokémon Master of all time, and this is the way to do it. Giovanni says I have talent. He says I'll go far under his wing".

"You idiot!" Misty fumed, "That's obviously how he gets everyone to join Team Rocket! You think he cares about you and your Pokémon? He's just using you".

The sly boy snorted, "You think I've been duped? Well, I'm the one learning from the world's strongest trainer and getting paid to work for him, and you're the two fools who are on his bad side".

Ash didn't say anything. He couldn't bring himself to. He watched the exchange between Misty and Gary silently, still trying to convince himself that this was some kind of absurd joke.

"Wait a minute!" Misty snapped her fingers, "It was you! You tipped off Biff and Cassidy. That's how they found us!"

Gary nodded, "That's right. It's about time you got what was coming to you, Ash. Everybody worships you. Well, you've made a lot of enemies too. A lot of powerful enemies".

"You're just jealous of Ash! You joined to get revenge on him", Misty raged.

"I'd never be jealous of a little moron like him. Look at him, sitting there like a gormless Magikarp out of water".

The tone and intensity of Ash's reply surprised everybody, himself included, "You're going to regret this, Gary".

Gary took a step back, as if he had been physically threatened. But Giovanni had taught him well; in an instant he regained his smooth composure.

"Sure, kid. You just keep on thinking that. I'm not the one who's going to end up as chow for the Boss' Pinsir".

They were cut off as several more Rocket members entered. Gary saluted at the lead officer.

The officer looked at Ash and Misty, then back at Gary, "The Boss wants to see you. Two of my men will take over guard duty. We caught these two sneaking around. The Boss said for us to chuck them in here".

Brock and Tracey were chucked into the cell with Ash and Misty, who looked at them incredulously. They smiled sheepishly.

Gary saluted and marched out of the room with most of the Rocket members. Two of them sat down on the rusty bench and began muttering amongst themselves.

Misty looked at Brock and Tracey, "I had a feeling you two might show up".

"Eh…well we tried to come in and rescue you but we were caught", Tracey said, embarrassed.

"Never mind that", Brock growled, "What do you think you were doing, Ash? Disappearing like that without us".

"Um…well you see…um…I didn't think…"

"That's right. You never do", Tracey admonished.

Misty interrupted, "Can this wait? I've already lectured Ash for doing crazy things".

"Yeah, Misty's right! We need to focus everything on how we're going to escape from here", Ash screwed his face up in concentration, "I'm just going to have to think about this for a while…"

Misty rolled her eyes, "Well, we're all saved…"