Chapter 26 Trainers Unite:

Giovanni sat in his chair. He'd seen the news, Professor Oak was calling for a Pokemon trainer Alliance. Now he would have to rethink his plan. He still had Butch's Hypno, but could it really control all the people who stood against him? Maybe not.

He would just have to inspire enough fear in the trainers to make them lose their hope. The attack on Saffron had made many afraid, if not for Sabrina's testimony Ash Ketchum and all his friends that had briefly worked for Giovanni would still be viewed as criminals. Giovanni would need his strongest agents to inspire the greatest amount of fear. However, Butch and Cassidy always seemed to fail the same as Jessie and James whenever it came to Ash Ketchum. That boy was always disrupting the operations of Team Rocket. He was a skilled trainer, with powerful pokemon.

But Giovanni had his own powerful Pokemon that he'd acquired over the years. This was a task he would have to see to personally. Time to stop relying on his minions to do his dirty work. He'd enter the fight himself, soon.

"If you want something right, you must do it yourself. But first, maybe I can have an eye put in the alliance."

He got up and walked out of his office.

…

At the Saffron Pokemon Center, Ash woke up in the room he was sharing with Brock, Max, and Tracy. They got up and headed down to the center lobby for breakfast and were surprised to a lot of trainers there standing in front of Professor Oak and Sabrina.

"Ash!" a voice called.

Ash looked at the source of the voice and was surprised to see an old friend. Like Ash he had on a hat, and a Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Ritchie!" Ash exclaimed.

"Been a long time, haven't seen you since the Johto Silver Conference," Ritchie said. "I heard you went to Hoenn and Sinnoh."

"Yeah," Ash said.

"Hey Ash! I see you changed your wardrobe!" a female voice said.

Ash gaped as he found himself looking at a person who looked a lot like him, except for wearing the clothes that he had back when he'd first started his journey. Though there was one big difference. The person had blue hair. Ash remembered her.

"Duplica!"

Looking around, Ash saw a quite a few familiar faces. AJ, his Sandshrew which had evolved to a Sandslash, Samurai whom he'd met in Viridian Forest, Giselle and Joe from Pokemon Tech, even some who weren't trainers were here. It was like a gathering of old acquintances that Ash had met here in Kanto.

"Ash! I heard you were with my father when he disappeared!" another female voice asked.

A girl with brown hair fashioned in a ponytail over her shoulder came forward.

"Uh? Who are you?" Ash asked, at a loss.

"Rebecca!" Brock exclaimed.

"Who?" Ash asked.

"Remember, she's Anthony's daughter! The guy you left your Primeape with!" Misty said.

"Oh, right," Ash looked down as he recalled how he'd left Primeape behind and forgotten about it.

"You are still as lovely as I remember though Rebecca!" Brock said as he took the girls hand.

"Oh, um thank you," Rebecca said with a blush. "And thanks for helping me with my father all those years ago. But where is he now? Do you know?"

Brock stiffened. "My memories are a little hazy, everything happened so fast when we were freed from the hypnosis. But I think he and his friends were captured by Team Rocket."

Rebecca looked worried and put her hands to her mouth. "Oh no! Dad!"

Brock put his hands on her shoulders. "Fear not Rebecca, we will get your father back for you again! Aah!"

"Cro. Cro!" Croagunk stood over Brock.

"Oh Brock are you okay?" Rebecca asked as he was dragged away from her.

"Just fine, its nothing that'll keep me down forever," Brock said.

"Don't you worry though Rebecca, we'll get your dad back!" Misty said.

"They have my mom too!" Ash said.

"And our parents as well!" Max said.

"Well don't worry! Now that all these trainers have come here Professor Oak will come up with a plan!" Tracy said.

"That's right! In fact I already have something in mind!" Professor Oak said. "Okay everyone listen up! Our first priority is to find those that are still being held prisoner by Team Rocket and forced by hypnosis to fight for them. Ash, can you or your friends tell me where it was that Team Rocket took you?"

"It looked like an old prison," May said.

"Yeah, we didn't much of a good look at it on the outside though. At least not that we can remember since we were hypnotized!" Ash said.

"An old prison eh? There's one in the mountains not far from here. It went out of service years ago," Professor Oak said. "Alright, I want someone to send a flying Pokemon out to search for that prison and see if it is where the hostages are being kept."

"I'd be happy to do that!"

A man with blue hair stepped forward. Ash recognized him, but he wasn't a friend.

"Damian! Its you!" he exclaimed, much like he had the last time they'd crossed paths.

"Well, been a long time. How's my old Charmander?" Damian asked with a wicked smirk.

Ash snarled at him. "If you must know it evolved into a Charmeleon and a Charizard!"

"Really? Hmm. I'm surprised. But then, I wasn't a very good trainer back then," Damian said. "A horrible one to be honest."

Ash's expression softened. Back when he'd first met this man had been the original owner of his Charizard, who had been a Charmander at the time. He'd abandoned Charmander since it was weak, and Ash, Brock, and Misty had saved it.

They all looked at him in surprise as he spoke the words. Had he changed?

"I don't expect you three to forgive me. But our region is at stake and we all have to band together," Damian said.

"He's right, Ash," Brock said.

Ash nodded. They had to fight Team Rocket now. And if Damian helped them save everyone Ash would consider forgiving him.

"Alright, Golbat come on out!" Damian threw one of his pokeballs into the air.

A blue bat pokemon with purple wings appeared.

"I want you to find a prison in the mountains," Damian told his pokemon while pointing with his finger toward his pokemon.

"Golbat! Gol!" It began flying.

"Thanks Damian," Ash said, trying to be civil.

"No problem!" Damian said. "I have to use the bathroom. Be right back."

…

Damian headed into the restroom at the center then reached into his pocket, pulling out a walkie talkie.

"Hello Giovanni sir. As you ordered I have joined the Alliance as your spy!"

"Good. What news."

"They are attempting to rescue hostages right now," Damian told him.

"Well, we'll just have to have to move them then!" Giovanni's voice said.

Uh oh, Giovanni has a spy in the alliance! Maybe more then just Damian. I'd wanted to bring back a whole bunch of the characters of the day for a while. Finally got around too it. Also I'd wondered about someone for Brock to end up with and I kinda liked the idea of Rebecca from the very first season. What do you guys think? Don't worry, it won't be much longer before Ash and his friends save the hostages. Maybe a couple chapters, and with help from a certain group that are there as well. Guess who? Also, I've started a second Advanceshipping fanfic. Ash and May: Love in Hoenn. Check it out! Now that I'm writing six stories I will update every three weeks or try to.