Chapter 39

There were very few things in life that truly managed to intrigue Gary Oak. However, James's question was one of them; and Gary couldn't help but raise an eyebrow of interest at the Rocket.

"Do I have a large trust fund?" Gary chuckled lightly under his breath; he was more than just a little amused. "You want some payback for your good deed, huh? Saving my life wasn't out of the goodness of your heart I take it?"

James glared down at the arrogant young man who was crouched on the floor before him. Gary had a bloody lip, he seemed too frail to even stand, and his body was noticeably shivering from the frigid temperature in the cell. Despite all of these physical debilitations – Gary was irritatingly smug, bossy, and his mind was sharper than the talon of a Sneasel. James could not understand how Gary had determined himself to be in the position to be taking charge.

James put his hands on his hips defensively; his tone was scolding. "I was just wondering. Geeze. So, how about it, twerp? A little 'thank you' in the form of cash never hurt anyone. You're an Oak after all, I'm sure you can spare a little something."

Gary sneered haughtily, James did not like it. Why was this twerp so confident all the time? It wasn't natural. And yet . . . on some level Gary's annoying over-confidence was reassuring. Heck, if he could be hopeful when his future practically held certain death, then there was certainly hope for Team Rocket to get out of this mess in one piece.

Still beaming through his blood-spattered lip, Gary commenced to tilt his head from side to side as though weighing the consequences of his next words. "I'll tell you what, Team Rocket: after you've helped me make certain that Ash loses our match; and after I get out of here, of course, I will reward you handsomely."

James squealed excitedly, bouncing up and down on his toes. The word 'reward' was near and dear to his heart. "Will you give us enough money to buy a car? Even a used car would be okay. You see, we have to walk everywhere all the time because Pikachu is always destroying our machines and-"

Jessie clasped a hand over James's mouth. James wriggled against the death lock she had on his lips. "Be quiet, moron," she hissed in his ear. "Do you want us to look totally desperate?" she fixed her curious emerald eyes upon Gary.

Gary glanced up at her with equal query. At first the kid seemed as if he were going to attempt to stand up, however, raw distress flashed briefly across his face and he abandoned the idea. James looked to the side, awkwardly trying to pretend that he had not noticed Gary's weak moment.

Jessie also decided against commenting on Gary's weakened physical state; instead she took her turn at bartering. "We already said that we'd help you for free, but, now that you've offered us money we are intending to take you up on that. So, no backing out, got it, Oak? We do your dirty work and you compensate us later."

Gary nodded, a devilish smile flickering across his face. "I'm a man of my word."

James huffed quietly.Gary was irritating him again.

Squirtle and Meowth swapped impatient glares. "Uh, we'd betta get goin' here. Squirtle needs ta fill in da other Pokemon ASAP. Ya know?"

"Meowth's right. We've gottah get out of here," Jessie agreed, she and James waved an uncomfortable farewell to Gary and headed towards the door. Squirtle and Meowth scrambled madly – wanting to beat the humans into the hall.

"Hey, wait," Gary's voice was strangely thin, yet still managed to snag Squirtle's attention. "Squirtle, on second thought. . . I have a much better plan for the Pokemon outside. I have a message for you to give my Blastoise, one that I know he'll appreciate and abide by."

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"Well as rotten as this is – and it is certainly very rotten – at least we're together, Misty," Brock smiled warmly, tenderly pulling his dear friend into a hug. He'd missed her desperately, and was incredibly relieved to finally have a night to talk to her and find out how she was doing.

Misty sighed softly, letting her whole body sink to Brock's secure arms. "Me too."

The air in the cell was bitterly cold, and it felt wonderful to submerge into the warmth of one another. Brock pressed his face into Misty's tangles of fiery-orange. Her hair, surprisingly, smelled like sweet citrus. He wondered if she'd somehow managed to get a hold of some real shampoo? All this time he was only given a bar of bland dry soap to clean up with. He was certain that he did not smell nearly as pleasant; if anything he probably reeked of sweat or blood. Regardless, Misty was polite enough not to complain. At times she could have temper that matched the flames of her hair, but when it came down to it she was the most genuine and kindhearted girl that he knew. It wasn't fair that she was here. It wasn't fair that any of them were here!

"Damn," Brock cussed bitterly as he released her. The airs icy-bite was quickly replaced by the heat of rage. He began desperately pacing the meager twelve square feet of the cell. "God, I hate it here."

Moments ago a duo of Revivalists had crammed Brock and Misty together in this cell. The losing trainers were being paired off together. Apparently the remaining victors: Lance, Agatha, Ash, and Gary were being held in solitary confinement; the Revivalists probably didn't want them communicating with their opponents.

Brock and Misty had been corporative with the Revivalists once they realized that they were being locked up together, and the result had been the Revivalists actually only shoving them around a handful of times instead of the usual dozens.

"Can you believe the battles today?" Brock asked nervously as he plopped down on the cold dirt floor. Brock's left pant leg had somehow been tore from the ankle up to the knee, and it was creating a mighty distressing draft. "Ash was awesome with that Onix," Brock smiled lightly. "I mean, Ash really proved just how good he was today. And Gary – whow! He totally annihilated Richie . . . it was intense, huh? I couldn't believe how angry he seemed. I wonder if Gary's reached his breaking point or if someone just did something to really tick him off?"

Misty swallowed noticeably hard, only offering a meek shrug in response.

Brock cocked his head with concern. "Misty, are you okay? Every time Gary's name is mentioned you clam up. Is . . . is Gary okay? The other day when I saw him he was black and blue and could barely walk, then, miraculously he was one hundred percent better today. He was at the top of his game; I've never seen him fight like that, not even in the league games. Didn't Derrick supposedly beat the hell outta him last night? I think the Revivalists are overdoing the infusions with that beast's blood on Gary. I've been infused with the blood, it's the weirdest stuff. It heals . . . everything," Brock realized he was blabbing on clumsily; but Misty's silence was unnerving.

Misty shivered, more from stress than from cold, and slumped down a few feet from Brock. "Yeah," she breathed, unable to muster a further reply.

Brock shuffled forward and gently held her hand – her fingers felt like they'd long been frostbitten. "You're thinking about the battles tomorrow? Ash verses Gary?"

Misty shook her head slowly, avoiding Brock's probing eyes. Pools of sadness were welling in her eyes, but she was doing a stellar job of blinking them back.

Brock smoothly stroked her knuckles with his thumbs. He wasn't exactly certain as to how he should bring up the topic of Gary Oak . . . but he sensed that Misty would feel better if she could talk about her ex-cellmate. "Misty, I know that you and Gary have become close. And, as Lilly and I noted earlier, I can tell that you've developed feelings for him. I KNOW, Misty, okay? So don't even bother denying it. Just be straight with me. I'm not casting judgment here – just advice. You're one of my best friends and I just want to know what's eating you up inside?"

Misty's eyes grew wide with a sensitive blend of embarrassment and shame. "Feelings for Gary Oak?" her tone was melodramatically surprised. "No, Brock-"

Brock deliberately cut her off – she could not fool him. "Misty! You all but admitted it earlier. Remember, Lilly could see it too! You have feelings for Gary. Is that so hard to admit to me?"

"Brock!" Misty's eyes were darting nervously from side to side. She honestly could not bring herself to look at him. "Gary Oak is stubborn, pig-headed, cocky, bossy-"

"That sounds like someone else I know," he didn't care if she took it as an insult.

"Hey!"

"Well, it's true! And you're being like that right now."

Misty's cheeks were burning with mortification; it was as though Brock had somehow disgraced her name with his inquiries.

"Fine, okay," she spat the words like stinging venom. "I admit it, Gary has some . . . qualities similar to mine – he has an . . . independent sort of nature . . . and. . . and, oh, Brock, he's really a good person. He's just misunderstood."

Brock smirked knowingly, leaning his head back against the stone wall. "Ah ha, Misty Waterflower IS praising the character of Gary Oak!" his grin melted away when he realized that Misty was not joking along with him. "So, um, how long have you two been locked up together anyway? How close did you and Gary become?"

Misty finally met Brock's eyes earnestly. "I've been in a cell with Gary since I've been here. . . I'm not even sure if it's been just days, or if it's been weeks. But he's been there for me, through everything. He's defended me, held my hand when I needed him, made me laugh, he's even taken beatings because of me. Brock, he and Ash are both only battling because of me! Because The Seer is blackmailing them with my safety. I don't know what to think or feel right now. I'm so confused."

"I understand," Brock raked a steady hand through his raven spikes of hair. "I'm sorry that you've been going through all of this extra turmoil alone. Lord knows you don't need it on top of all our other more obvious miseries. . ." Brock hesitated gawkily for a moment.

"What?" Misty raised a suspicious eyebrow. "What else? I can tell that you've got something else to say. Spit it out!"

Brock sighed in defeat, closing his eyes. "Misty, I- I just never thought that you'd lose your heart to Gary Oak, especially not this fast . . ."

"I know . . . neither did I."

"Ash is my best friend."
"I know that. He's mine too."

"He's my best friend and you, Misty, you mean everything to him. Everything."

Misty clenched her jaw; Brock only stared blankly in her direction. "Brock, Ash and I have a date planned when we get out of here. We're going out to dinner and a movie. We're going to have a great time. I intend to go on that date. I'm looking forward to it! It's not like I don't have feelings for Ash."
"I want Ash to be happy-"

Misty severed his words brusquely. "So do I, Brock. Ash means the world to me."

"Misty," his voice was stern, but his warm smile lessened the blow. "You're also my best friend. I want you to be happy too. And if you're certain that Gary is the one who makes you happy, well, then you should be with him."

Misty's head lurched back with surprise. "W-What? Brock what are you-"

"But, Misty, listen: you need to realize that if you decide to pursue your feelings for Gary, then you are giving up Ash forever. Ash will be crushed beyond words – he's crazy about you! I mean, I've always sensed that the two of you were meant for each other. Ash will never ever want to get involved with you once you have chosen Gary over him. Maybe it will just be a matter of pride, or anger, but believe me, you're relationship has gone beyond the point of no return. You agreed to a date with Ash, and that is HUGE to him! You agreed, and yet now you are second guessing that decision. When we get out of here, you'll have to decide between them, and my advice would be to do it sooner rather than later. The longer Ash thinks that you two are going to be together, the tougher it will be on him when he realizes that you've fallen for someone else – especially Gary Oak."

Misty bolted upward, slamming her foot into the dirt. "It's not like that! Damn, Brock. You make it sound like I've already made up my mind, like I've already decided that I want Gary and that's that!"
Brock stared at her, his face void of expression. "Well, haven't you?"

"No!"

Brock exhaled loudly, he joined her standing and began pacing the cell again. "Gary Oak, though, Misty? Are you sure you really like him? That guy has a reputation for taking girls out and then never calling them again. And I'm not sure I like the idea of you dating him. He's a brilliant trainer, a brilliant researcher – but, c'mon his people skills are terrible! He's obnoxious, conceited, annoying to be around . . . I just don't like the idea of it. You're like a little sister to me, and I don't think I can approve of you being with him."

Misty smiled thoughtfully. "I know that you want what's best for me, and thank you for looking out for me. But . . . it's not up to you, Brock."

Brock blushed fretfully; he knew that she was right. "Yeah, I know. I guess I just see Ash as such an upstanding kid. I feel that Ash is actually worthy of you. Not Gary. After all, you deserve the best."

Misty reached up and gently squeezed Brock's shoulder, forcing him to face her. "Do you know what my sister Daisy's favorite saying is?"

"Well, I'm hoping it's 'Brock is a hunk' because in that case I might have a chance with her," he teased meekly.

Misty shoved him. "No. Daisy use to always tell Lilly and Violet to listen to their hearts when they had trouble selecting between the millions of guys who were lusting after them," a soft smile played on her lips at the memories. "And, I know that if she were here now then that's what she would say to me."

Brock sighed again. "In that case, you already know the answer. What is your heart telling you, Misty?"

She frowned attentively. "Brock, Gary doesn't even know that I feel this way about him."

Brock hesitated. "Y-Yes he does. I saw Gary looking at you - during that meeting when you first saw Ash – and I actually knew then that he'd fallen for you. I could see it in his eyes. Only, back then I didn't think there was a chance in hell that you'd ever feel the same, so I never gave it a second thought until now," Brock looked down, shuffling his feet nervously as though a part of him regretted giving Misty the priceless information.

Suddenly, an inviting gleam of tranquility shimmered across Misty's face. She exhaled as though the burden of all the world's woes had been lifted from her; and in that moment, Misty smiled . . . it was a timid smile at first – finding her lips slowly like the relief of raindrops on a parched desert. Her eyes blinked with uncertainty, but were gaining beautiful confidence every moment as the magnitude of Brock's words sunk in. " . . . Really?"

Brock couldn't deny that he heard the innocent hopefulness in her voice. "Yes, really," Brock whispered. "I think you're the first person who's ever been able to turn Gary's hard eyes into mush."

Misty giggled freely, dabbing a few tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. "His eyes are not hard. They are beautiful and crystal blue and dreamy. Although, he does have very firm muscles. I should know, I've been sleeping against him for warmth every night."

"Blah, I don't wanna hear about Gary's muscles," Brock crinkled his nose with disgust. "I'm not one of your sisters or girlfriends, you know."

"Too bad, I like to talk about Gary. And I haven't been able to at all. Plus, I have no one else to talk to and I don't want to talk about the Revivalists any more," she mocked, a broad grin filling out her lips.

Brock shook his head, laughing for a reason he couldn't quite pinpoint. "You really do like Gary, huh?"

"Yes," there was zero delay in her response.

"And not just because he has some muscles and has dreamy eyes, I hope?"

"He's and incredible guy," Misty stated honestly. "There's no one else like him. Just like . . . there is no other guy quite like Ash either."
Brock was glad to hear her mention Ash's name; and he wasn't about to count Ash out just yet. "So, then, what is your heart telling you?"

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Team Rocket had dumped Squirtle's Pokeball down the garbage shoot.

Squirtle had trustfully gotten inside his little ball and then, down he was sent . . . Squirtle was sucked down the garbage shoot to who-knows-where.

Team Rocket had assured the water Pokemon that the garbage and litter was drained out into a stream by the forest outside. However, in actuality they were only about fifty percent sure as to where the trash shoot ejected its contents. . . but, they decided that it was Squirtle's best chance on getting out of the base undetected and back to the other Pokemon to inform them of Gary's orders. They knew for sure that the garbage was sent someplace outside . . . well, they were mostly sure anyway . . . besides, Squirtle was quite resilient, and Team Rocket had the utmost faith that he'd find his way back to his friends.

Currently, the Rocket trio was huddled away inside a random broom closet. They were trying to keep their secret plotting out of sight; thus, the three of them were crammed into a space so tight that it would make a Pikachu feel claustrophobic. They had only the weak beam of a dollar store flash light to accompany them.

It was odd, but they felt strangely at a loss without the little Squirtle's company. They had all grown rather fond of him of late – though, of course, none of them would ever actually admit that.

"James," Jessie's voice held command, she was squatting on a box of laundry detergent, and a heavy black cloak was continually flopping over her face due to the fact that it was on a close-hanger far to flimsy to support its weight. "We have exactly thirteen hours before Ash battles Gary. That means we've got to think up a way for me to get back inside that Pokeball prep room so that I can rig the balls."

"Um, Jessie-" James muttered pathetically, he didn't even have the luxury of a box of laundry detergent to sit on. He was squished between Jessie's legs and Meowth's furry stinky feet on the floor.

"Not now, James! Don't speak up unless you have a real idea."

"But, Jessie, I do!" he whined, shoving Meowth's feet away from him. They smelled like sour cheese and James couldn't stand to have them touching his arm.

"Well, let's have it. And no suggesting that we dress up like office plants and try to blend in with the furniture – that never seems to work," Jessie pointed out.

James nodded quickly. "Instead of risking getting caught by sneaking inside the prep room, why don't we rig the balls before they get to the prep room?"

Jessie quirked her eyebrow. "I'm listening."

"Well, since we work in the Pokeball storage room. Why don't we just scratch all of the Blastoise and Alakazam balls?"
"No dat would neva work," Meowth sulked, slapping James back with his tail. "Think of it: we got no guarantee dat da Revivalists will even decide ta toss a Blastoise or an Alakazam in da bag."

James whimpered at having his idea shot down. He plugged his nose with his right hand and jostled Meowth away from him with his left – the feline's cheese feet stank to high heaven, he feared he would begin gagging soon.

"Good point, Meowth," Jessie noted. "We have to get into the actual prep room and we have to actually get access to the official sack."

"But how?" James was nearly in tears from frustration, he hated this rotten old broom closet . . . he really wished that it had not been his idea to plot in here. "If we don't rig those balls then we may be responsible for the Ash twerps' death, and then Gary will never pay us enough money for a real car, not to mention we'll never impress the boss by proving to him that we figured out his deception! And- Oww!"

Meowth bit him. "Don't touch me, Jimmy! Stop shovin' or I'll bite ya again!"

"Hang on," Jessie raised a proud finger, ignoring the boys fighting. "I know what we can do. But it will require the skills of a Pokemon with some hand-eye coordination, and some sharp claws to do this job."

Jessie and James's eyes fixed upon Meowth.

Meowth staggered backwards nervously, falling into a mopping bucket. "What do ya have in mind?"

Jessie grinned gleefully. "We are going to have to put you in a Pokeball."

Meowth waved his hands defensively. "What? Nah, no way."

"Just think of it Meowth, if we add you to the crate of Pokeballs that the Revivalists take from the storage room as 'considerations', then you have an easy, automatic way into the prep room. Even if they don't choose you for the sack, you'll be left alone in that room WITH the sack all night. You can easily release yourself when the coast is clear and weed through the sack to see what's in it. If you find a Blastoise or an Alakazam then take out your claws and scratch its ball. If you don't find any, then search through the crate of rejects until you find them. As long as you get back into your ball and back into the crate when you're done you'll be returned to us in the storage room tomorrow morning. See? Brilliant, isn't it?"

Meowth pressed his lips firmly together; he wasn't indicating one way or another how he felt about Jessie's plan.

"Just think of it, Meowth," James grinned merrily, he had found a box of baking soda and began slyly sprinkling it on Meowth's feet. "Keep your eye on the prize: a new car! No more walking! I'll bet Gary gives us enough cash to buy a convertible! We'll be cruising in real style then. Oh, please, you can do this, Meowth. I know you can. I'm counting on you."
Meowth sighed reluctantly, eyeing James's with extreme confusion. "Alright, but time is tickin' away, so let's hurry up. And for da love of gawd, stop puttin' that crap on my feet. What do I stink or somethin'?"

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AUTHORS THANK YOUS:
Alex Warlorn—Hiya. Thanks for the great review. Let's see I can answer your comment on how Gary commented that TR is 'notoriously crafty'. I have him playing on their egos and aspirations here. Basically, he knows of TR because they are obsessed with stalking Ash, plus there are TR wanted posters hung up in various town in the video game and cartoon, so I'm assuming Gary has seen these and heard plenty about TR from his granddad or Ash. You are right that Gary did not tell TR to exclude Charizards or a select few other Pokemon from the sack. It's going to be an interesting battle, I;m working on it now actually. And thanks also for your well wishes! I;m doing pretty good these days and the fic is mere chapters away from completion, so yeay!

Midnight Mist- I LOVE your fic! It so rocks! & as far as mine goes you are right that Ash is known for pulling off miracles, you'll just have to wait and see if his luck runs out. Gary is VERY determined to win this round. Well, as usual thanks for the super encouraging review! Until next time!

Crazy4TR112- Hey! Wow, you were the first to review again. Thanks. Yeah, I felt bad for the Aipom too in the last chappie, heh. But I gotta do what I gotta do. & thanks also for your positive feedback on how I mixed Gary's thoughts with the battle, I was kinda taking a chance there because it was a chapter unlike the 'flow' of the rest. Thanks again.

CrystalRose727- hee hee, thanks for liking Gary's insults to Ash, lol. Poor Ash. Gary can be really mean to him at times, haha. Well, I updated so now it is your turn!

star's dreams- Hey there, Star & Lime! Hee hee, thanks for finding Gary's mental rambling entertaining, I was really hoping it would be, so that makes me feel good. Only a few chapters left to go, thanks!

Pikajenn- Haha, nice 'email address' lol! You're too funny! Heh, yaeh I do make Gary go though angsty situations. I can't help it, I'm a angsty sort-of fan I guess. I can't wait for you to write some Gary-centered stories sometime in the future. I'll look forward to them. :)

Windstar- Hiya! I know that there was not a ton of Gary in the chapter, BUT, he was talked about quite a bit, hee hee! Thanks for being such an awesome supporter. You rock!

Mika- I'll certainly see what I can do as far as May Oak goes: ) Ty again for the reviews.

Kanu Wolf- You make a good point: Pikachu and Charizard are dead set on saving their Ash. You'll just have to wait and see what Gary's plan of action is and IF Squirtle can get everyone to wait. Thanks for the great and encouraging words.

shadow/phantomness- Hiya! I know, it seems that poor Lance's fate is sealed in doom. Alas, the destiny of the greatest champion. You'll just have to keep reading to find out!

Alexis Ludd- You are SO sweet! I wish I could bake you a huge tray of cookies as a thank you! I just love your reviews with all my heart. Thank you for the positive comments on Gary's thoughts as he battled, I wasn't sure if that would end up reading smoothly or not, but I decided to go ahead with it. So, I'm relieved that it was well-liked. As far as your question goes: the fic is almost over, I think there are about 6 (or less) chapters remaining. Thanks again.

kitsune07- Hello! Your review made me so hyper and happy. Hee hee! Thanks for thinking the chapter was awesome. That made my day. I hope you also liked this one.

DarkAngelTorchic- Hiya! Wowzers! Thank you SO much for the super review. I really appreciated all your great feedback and comments. I'm glad to hear that despite your computer-groundedness, you can still get online: ) you're so sweet! Until next time!

KawaiiCherryBlossom-aka-BWF- Aw! You are SO thoughtful. You write such kind, well-spoken reviews and I absolutely take every word into thought. Thanks for liking Jessie & James in my story, they are fun to write about. & also I wanted to thank you specifically for your positive comments on Gary's thoughts throughout his battle against Richie. I was hoping that would be well-accepted. Ty again.

Dave Behave- Haha, don't be so mean to James. Haha! Well, if he makes you cringe then forgive me for spotlighting him so in this latest chapter. Thanks for the great comments (as always!) You're so awesome.

Raevn- Yippie! I got 2 reviews from you. That is doubly exciting! Hee hee. Your review was SO terrific for me. It got my fingers itching to type, and I have been little by little. It took forever to update because of that dumb summer class, ga! At least it's over & I passed, so yeay, lol. I'll be writing and updating faster now. Thanks for liking Team Rocket in my fic. I'm glad I've shed some light on them for you, hee hee.

L' Fleur Noir- I'm sorry I've had a lot of GAML in here lately, but that is just the way it's going right now. I must stick to my story plans, I can't help it. But don't worry, like Brock said, we can't count Ash out of the game yet. Thanks again for your unwavering support. You are so wonderful.

The Golden Dove- I really like your pen name, so pretty! Thank you VERY much for the great review. I really appreciate your thoughts and comments and I can't wait to read your review of this chapter. I can't promise you that this will be AAML or GAML, I can't divulge the ending, so you'll have to keep reading to see, hee hee! Thank you so much!

Smileyaili- Hiya, honey! How are ya doing? Thanks for your kind review. You are so thoughtful to be thinking of my health. I have been doing better & I plan of staying this way as long as I can! You're so sweet!

EagleFox- Hey! Sorry this update took a few days longer than normal, my next one should be up quicker since my summer class is over now. Thanks for the encouragement and super comments. : )

Moomoomoothegirl- Hiya! Hee hee, your review seriously made me giggle. 'please don't kill lance kill ash he's weird...' hee hee, thanks that made my day. You're so funny! I hope you review again.

evryluvsmisty- Hey, honey! How are you? Well, as always you have given me a wonderfully thoughtful and inspiring review. I loved how you started out asking what was wrong with Tracey, lol. & Yup, we will certainly have to cry together, because I have to crush the heart of one character and I actually feel bad about it! Wa! We'll also have to cry because the fic is so close to being over (prolly about 6 chapter left) and I will miss writing it when it is finished.

MagRowan­- Ga! I must need glasses, so many annoying little type-os. How od I miss them? I can understand a few of them like forgetting an apostrophe or something but writing gapping instead of gaping! Blah! Anyways, --; when the fic is over I may have to go back and use your reviews to correct them all. Well, I'm quite flattered that I have you second guessing your usual fic pairings. It's although write for me because half my reviewers are rooting for Ash & the others for Gary and, well, I can't make everyone happy! So I am just sticking with my original tragic story line & not changing anything. I laughed when I read this 'Guess they have a twisted sense of hero worship or something.' Haha, good line. You have a great wry wit! I swear you should be writing fics, you'd rock!

Subieko- Thanks for ALL the reviews! Wowie! That was kind of you & so fun for me to read. : ) Thank you for saying the fic is suspenseful and for your positive comments on Team Rocket. I always work hard on writing them, but, I'm never sure if they come across accurately or not. I'm not a Team Rocket expert by any means. Ty again.

MagCat- Hey there! Okay, I totally loved this line of your review: "Gary's starting to realize that maybe what he feels for Misty is more than a friendship forged in moments of utter despair and misery in a dank, cold, dark cell at Derrick's utter amusement and torture" Haha, wow! You sure create the angsty images. Poor Gary! I feel so bad for him! I really appreciate your keen eye and how you noticed Gary's reluctance to mention Misty's name and how some life came back to him as he began to scheme a bit. You're great (duh!)!

Cosmic Mewtwo- Ga! Your last update was SO GREAT! I hope you will update SLY again soon (hehehe. . . 'sly'). Thank you for liking Gary's inner monologue in the last chapter, I was kind unsure at how well that would be accepted by my reviewers but, so far so good! I'm relieved! I get nervous when I try something that has unique flow from the rest of the piece. Hee hee, glad you also liked TR in the last chapter. They are a fun batch of wack-o's. Read ya soon!

Kagome1015- Thanks for the review! I hope you're enjoying our last few weeks of summer too. It's actually chilly here today.

Ninetalesuk­- Whow, poor Labramon, talk about intense exercise! Thanks a bunch for the review. I hope you liked this update.

megs626- Hey, thanks for the review! I hope you had fun on vacation. : ) I'm also glad you liked the Garyness and the appearance of Team Rocket. Thanks again.

EVERYONE: Thank you all for the unwavering support! My summer class ended on the 14th so I should be able to update more frequently. I don't go back to the University until the 6th of September. . . so that gives me over 2 weeks to crank out as many upadtes as humanly possible, and I will continue to update even after school starts back up, so don't worry, the fic will still be completed sometime this fall. Maia