Chapter 28: Rescues and Recaptures
Damians Golbat flew back to Saffron City where its trainer was waiting in the lobby with many of the others. Ash and his friends sat by the TV, watching events that were taking place across various regions.
"The Team Rocket force in Goldenrod City of Johto have successfully been driven out thanks to the brave trainers of this city and Gym Leader Whitney."
A familiar red head was visible on screen with a Miltank at her side.
"I remember her! She was tough!" Ash said.
"Took three of your Pokemon to bring down her Miltank, and that wasn't even an official Gym battle!" Misty said.
"Hey, I still managed to win most of my Johto battles fair and square!" Ash said.
"Yeah, but you were so much of a novice back when I first met you!" Misty said.
"Hey leave him alone Misty!" May said. "We were all novices at some point!"
"Not me! I actually studied Pokemon in school unlike you sis!" Max said.
"Oh shut up you little know it all!" May shouted at her brother.
"Okay okay, lets try and get along we don't have time for sibling quarrels right now!" Brock said before he spotted someone familiar coming.
"Hey guys!" Damian shouted.
"Damian!" Ash said looking.
"My Golbat said it found the location of that Prison Team Rocket was at!"
"Ah excellent!" Professor Oak said. "Now we can go and rescue your mother and May and Max's parents as well. But how are we going to get there?"
"I could fly on my Charizard!" Ash said.
"I have Togekiss but I don't think its strong enough to carry me," Dawn said.
"I don't think any of us have flying Pokemon that are strong enough to carry us," Max said. "
"I think we can use some police choppers!" Professor Oak said.
"Actually, I have a suggestion!" came a new voice.
Everyone looked and saw a woman with dark hair approaching them, a Haunter floating by her side.
"Sabrina!" Ash exclaimed.
"I think I can have my Kadabra teleport us to the Prison," Sabrina said. "But there is a maximum I can take, only fifteen."
They looked around counted themselves up. Ash, Pikachu Misty, Brock, Tracy, Professor Oak, May, Max, Dawn, and Piplup, and that was just everyone Ash had ever traveled with. The whole room was full of other trainers on standby, but many noticed Sabrina enter the room and got up.
"Sabrina what's going on?" Richie asked.
"We're working on a plan to rescue some of Team Rocket's hostages," the Gym Leader said.
"That means my father!" Rebecca said.
"I want to help! I'm sure I could disguise myself and get them out with a Team Rocket Uniform!" Duplica said.
"I'd wouldn't mind another go at Team Rocket for insulting my gym years ago!" AJ stated.
"Or trespassing on our school!" Giselle stated.
"Thank you for all your bravery, but we can only take a total of fifteen people. Ash's group makes counting the Pokemon they keep outside their Pokeballs. And it will be me, Kadabra, and Haunter as well will make thirteen so we can only have two more at maximum."
Damian stepped forward. "I'd like to volunteer to go with them!"
Everyone looked at him in surprise while Pikachu narrowed its eyes, as did Brock.
"I want to fight those evil doers who would enslave Pokemon!" Damian stated. "I was a pretty bad trainer years ago, and I want to find atonement."
Ash looked at him. "Alright, I guess."
"Pika," Pikachu sounded uncertain.
"Hmm." Brock hummed lowly.
"Well that makes fourteen, we can take one more," Sabrina said.
"I'm going!" Rebecca said. "My father was captured and I want to help save him!"
"Rebecca, you're not a trainer!" Brock said. "Please let me get your father back for you!"
The girl shook her head. "No Brock. I appreciate the offer but I can't simply sit back and rely on you. Besides, I've been taking self defense classes with fighting Pokemon for a long time! Please let me come Sabrina!"
Sabrina looked at the girl. "You have spirit. Very well then."
She turned to the rest of the trainers there. "We'll be counting on all of you here to help protect this city from any more attacks by Team Rocket!"
They all nodded. Ritchie, Duplica, AJ, Giselle, Samurai, and all the others.
"Lets save our parents!" Max said.
Ash and May nodded and Sabrina let her Kababra out.
"What way was the prison Damian!"
"My Golbat headed in the direction of the forest to the north," Damian said.
Sabrina nodded. "I think I know the one. Kadabra, teleport us all there!"
"Kadab!"
Its eyes lit up and Ash's friends, Professor Oak, Sabrina and all their Pokemon vanished from the center.
…
Butch, Cassidy, Phantom, Annie, Oakley and Iron Masked Marauder were as ready as they could be. Along with Anthony and his fighting Pokemon students, and some Team Rocket grunts that had just arrived. They would take Ash Ketchum back and he would aid them in their conquest of the world. Things weren't going well right now since there had been Pokemon Trainer Alliance created and the trainers were fighting back across the regions. They'd heard Giovanni was working on a new weapon to crush the resistance with Professor Namba.
But that didn't matter to Phantom. For he had other plans. He looked on the roof which had a ladder going up it. On top of the roof was a few helicopters left.
"Alright, they'll most likely come by either helicopter or Pokemon," Cassidy said. "Watch the sky."
The villains all turned their eyes skyward. It was a clear day, not a cold in the sky. They waited, keeping their eyes upward when suddenly-
"Pikachu thunder bolt!" Ash called.
The villains had been focused on the sky, they were shocked when they saw Ash Ketchum, with all of his friends from Kanto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, Professor Oak, Sabrina, a Kadabra, Haunter, and Damian there with his Golbat. Pikachu began to spark dangerously, and many of the villains prepared for impact, not knowing how many of them would get hit with that all too familiar attack many of them had been hit with at least once before.
"Golbat use supersonic on Pikachu!" Damian said.
"Gol-BAAAT!" Golbat screeched.
The ears of Pikachu, Ash and many of the others filled with loud screeching. Pikachu failed to release the thunderbolt to hit any of the enemies.
"Now's our chance Butch!" Cassidy stated.
"Hypno! Time to put those kids back under our control again!" Butch said.
"Hypno!" the yellow pokemon raised its arm which was boosted by the machine.
"Oh no you don't!" Sabrina said, able to use her psychic powers to ward off the supersonic. "Haunt use nightshade on that Hypno! Focus on its arm!"
"Haunter! Haunt!"
The purple gas Pokemon had been just out of range of the supersonic. It fired the nightshade at the yellow psychic pokemon, hittings its arm where the machine was. The small machine exploded and Hypno was left without its extreme power.
"Kababra use Psychic on Golbat!"
Kadabra's eyes lit and Golbat was thrown to the ground. Brock rounded on Damian.
"I had a feeling we couldn't trust you!"
"You got that right!" Damian said, dropping the façade. "You really think I would change. Being evil with Pokemon is just the best! You trainers always waste your time with the boring part to raise them!"
"You're a disgrace Damian!" Brock said as he drew a Pokeball to fight.
All of the others were ready for battle as well. Drawing their pokeballs. They'd nearly been hypnotized again, but now the device on Hypno's arm was destroyed, and with it… Team Rocket's hold on the fighting Pokemon trainers. Anthony and his students looked around.
"Daddy!" Rebecca exclaimed as she ran to her father.
"Rebecca! What are you doing here!?" he asked.
"Saving you!" she said.
"That's my girl," Anthony said. "Well, I think I better help out here! What do you guys say!"
"Yes master!" His karate students said.
And so the fight began. With Anthony's students free though thanks to Sabrina, the tide was even. Brock took on Damian, while May, Misty, and Max took on Annie, Oakley, and Iron Masked Marauder with their Pokemon. Professor Oak and Sabrina held back the rocket grunts with Dragonite, Haunter, and Kababra with the aid of Anthony and his group. Ash meanwhile was focused on Butch and Cassidy who had Hypno and Raticate out. Seeing Pikachu was outnumbered, Ash called out Snorlax.
There was one person not fighting, who had retreated out of sight. Phantom watched from the woods just a short distance away, hoping for the chance.
Attacks of nearly every kind flew everywhere, like an all out war. Fire, water, poison, psychic, ghost, electric, fighting type punches and kicks. For a moment it seemed unclear who would win. Even with Anthony's team they were still outnumbered. Then the door to the prison opened.
"Well, looks like we made it just in time!" Norman said as he with his wife and Delia at his side.
"Dad!" May shouted in relief.
"Mom!" Max and Ash said.
The two mothers smiled at their sons. Then another familiar trio squeezed through the door behind the three parents.
"Prepare for trouble, we're here to back the good guys up!"
Make it double, cause the bad guys always lose!
Time to do a little good now that we're not on Team Rocket
Surrender now or prepare to fight fight fight!
Meowth that's right!
Wobbafett!"
"Jessie! How'd you escape!" Cassidy exclaimed.
"Oh just my annoying but helpful Wobbaffett!" Jessie said. "Now we're gonna help the twerp bring you down!"
"Huh?" Ash said.
"You decided to work with the law finally huh? I knew were a failure!" Cassidy said.
"You're mine Cassidy!" Jessie said.
"And I'll take Butch!" James said.
"Caroline! Delia, you two run for cover and I'll help the kids out!" Norman said, drawing one of his pokeballs that he'd retrieved while escaping.
"Right!" the two woman said.
They ran as the battles continued. Phantom watched, waiting for the chance to take his bait to reclaim what he saw as rightfully his. Then a new idea occurred to him.
A few minutes passed with many Pokemon being worn out. But with the addition Norman and his Slaking as well as Jessie, James and Meowth, they had victory all but guaranteed. Delia and Caroline hid in bushes near the prison along with Rebecca. Even though she was a martial artist now she knew it was better to stay out of the way of Pokemon battles, she wouldn't interfere unless she had to.
Soon all the members of Team Rocket were defeated. Damian, Oakley, Ashley, Iron Masked Marauder and the many grunts all lay with wounds they'd received after their Pokemon had gone down. The heroes pokemon were all battered from the battles as well. But they stood proud and victorious for a moment. The battle seemed over. Ash looked at all his friends with a smile. May looked at him with a blush, and he looked back at her.
"Ash!" a familiar voice called.
Ash looked and saw his mother coming out of her hiding place.
"Mom!" he ran over and hugged her.
"Max, May!" Caroline followed Delia going to her own children.
"Mom!" May said like Ash before hugging her mother.
She was joined by Max who had just finished applying a potion to his Ralts.
"Mom I was so worried about you!" Max said.
"I'm okay Max," Caroline said as the three embraced.
Norman joined the family hug as well. Days ago May had been mad at him for not letting her be with Ash. But now she was happy to see him.
"Dad, I-
"Its okay May. I know," Norman said. "Ash is a remarkable young man. If there's any I would approve of for you to date it would probably be him. But only when you're fourteen."
May pouted. That was still several months away. Ah well, she didn't want Ash to get in trouble. She'd come this far and confessed her feelings. She smiled at her father, glad to finally be back with him.
Rebecca now came out of her hiding place and hugged her own father while Brock, Misty, Tracy, Professor Oak and Sabrina watched the families reunite. It was a heartwarming scene that made them smile.
Then a familiar voice broke the silence.
"Parasect, spore!" Phantom commanded.
The Giant Mushroom Pokemon released its attack into the air. It hit all the humans and pokemon, instantly putting them to sleep. The only exceptions was Primeape (who got hit but remained awake thanks to its Insomia ability that prevented sleep effects). It looked around in astonishment as Phantom walked forward. Recognizing a new foe, the Pig Monkey readied itself to battle.
"Pinsir come out and take a hostage!"
The long horned pokemon emerged from its ball and placed its horns over the nearest unconscious person. Misty. Primeape froze.
"You stay right there! Or that little red head gets it."
Primeape looked at the pirate in fury, but relented. Primeape called out his Feralligator as well.
"Take the girl over there!" Phantom ordered.
Feralligator did as it was bid, grabbing May who lay unconscious while Phantom took Ash, hoisting the boy over his shoulder. Then they climbed the ladder to the choppers, taking the two teenagers with them. Phantom recalled Pinsir from the roof into its pokeball. Primeape rushed to follow but wasn't quick enough as the propellor spun and the chopper rose. It watched in dismay as its old trainer was flown away.
Well here we go. Ash and May managed to save their families, but now they've both been captured! What perils await our duo as their mutual archenemy takes them away? I had originally planned for just maybe Ash getting captured and May would have to be the hero and rescue him this time. But as I wrote this chapter I liked the idea of them both being captured together… alone. Who will rescue them this time? Or maybe they're on their own? Well, this will probably lead them to reunite with Manapy. And they will likely bond more as well. I'd hoped to show off Rebecca using her martial arts, but that didn't occur as I wrote. Ah well, maybe another time. The battle kinda passed by as I didn't want to go into long descriptions of all these characters fighting, unless I wanted to wait another few days or so and miss my deadline. Do you guys think I did the right thing? Or should I have taken it more slowly? Let me know in your review. I'm in Oregon right now on vacation and began typing the last nearly 2000 words of this up after dinner a few hours ago. Ah well. I'm posting and then going to bed. Don't get to check out my other Advanceshipping story as well! Ash and May Love in Hoenn. Hope to see your reviews in the morning. I know I thought I might only have 10 chapters left a while ago, but now I feel like I'm getting into the final act at last. Now that they went through this big battle and got their families back, as well as destroyed the hypnotizing device we just have Phantom and then Giovanni. To quote Andros, one of my favorite power rangers, I have a feeling the final confrontation is drawing near.