I apologize for the long wait, school's been giving me such a hard time lately

Here's the first part of "Too Close" :)

Chapter 6 — Too Close

"Do you even have a plan for this?" Gary asked Ash skeptically.

As per Brock's suggestion, they had waited until the next morning to begin investigating things, just to make sure the police had cleared the area. Gary, for one, was still doubtful.

Ash cast him a dismayed look in reply. "Sort of."

The brunette boy rolled his eyes. "Here we go."

"Well, I have half a plan." Ash ignored the disgruntled frown and looked at the others. "Nurse Joy said the girl was taken yesterday morning at the park, right?" He waiting while they nodded. "Well, then we should look there first. For clues."

"And what makes you think we'll find anything?" Brock questioned. "The police have already looked there."

"Maybe we'll get lucky. Let's go!" He took off for the park.

"Ash!" Misty called out.

Ash stopped and turned around. "What?"

She pointed in the opposite direction. "Park's that way."

He blinked. "Oh. I knew that!" He rushed past them again, and Brock sighed, shaking his head.

"Come on, we'd better follow to make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

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The first words out of Ash's mouth when they arrived at the park were, "That's weird."

Even Raelin and Gary were in agreement. It was weird.

They had expected part or even all of the park to be sectioned off for an investigation, yet there wasn't a sign of warning tape anywhere. There were only posts placed in a square around a small area near some trees. Aside from being empty, the park looked normal.

"Come on." Ash clearly had his mind made up. He made his way over to the posts, the others following behind. He crouched down to take a closer look at the ground. "Look." He pointed to imprints of boots, only faintly visible in the dirt. They seemed to be leading straight into the trees. "You think that's from the kidnapper?"

"Looks too big to be a kid, so I'd say so," Misty agreed, crouching down to get a better look.

"But why would the police just leave it like that?" Raelin wondered, mystified. "It's evidence. They should've-"

"What are you kids doing here?" The group turned. Officer Jenny was strolling toward them briskly, Growlithe by her side. The blue-haired woman stopped short and peered suspiciously around at the group. "Well?"

Ash began, "We were just-"

"Admiring your amazing beauty!" Brock had zipped in front of Ash within seconds.

"Oh, really?" Jenny managed to cut Brock off before he started a rant. An eyebrow rose. "Are you kids aware that you're at the site of a crime?"

"That's what we wanted to talk to you about," Ash responded while Misty dragged a complaining Brock off. "We were just...just wondering why this whole place wasn't off-limits if you needed evidence."

"That's what I'm wondering too." Jenny knelt next to the posts, frowning in puzzlement.

"What?" Misty's head whipped around. "But I thought the police investigated this place yesterday."

"We did. But it appears that some things have changed..."

Ash tuned out the conversation. His attention was focused on Pikachu, who was shrinking back, almost slipping off Ash's shoulder. "Pikachu? What's wrong, buddy?"

"Pi-ika!" the Pokemon half-growled, half-whined. His ears were pressed flat and his cheeks sparked with electricity, which narrowly missed singeing Ash's hair. His narrowed eyes were fixed on the section of trees to the right of the posts.

"Pikachu..."

"Ash, watch out!" Misty yelled.

On instinct, Ash ducked to the left, throwing out his hands to catch himself. Officer Jenny's Growlithe shot past him, snarling in anger. It disappeared into the underbrush.

"Growlithe!" Jenny called, shocked. "Come back!" She raced for the trees and drew up short. Turning, she pointed at the group. "You kids stay there. I'll be back in just a minute." She followed after the distressed Pokemon, taking out a Pokeball as she ran.

As the sounds of the chase faded, Ash picked himself up and held out a hand. "Buddy? Hey, you're okay now."

"What's wrong with Pikachu?" Brock asked quietly.

"I don't know," he admitted, scratching the now semi-calm Pikachu behind the ears. "One minute he's fine; the next, I almost get shot with electricity and tackled by a Growlithe!"

"Umbreon's acting the same way," commented Gary. Ash glanced over, hearing the worry in his friend's voice. Gary was kneeling by his own Pokemon, who was obviously still distressed.

"Um, umbree..." Its ears flicked back once, lifted, and then twitched, as if it was listening hard.

'Ember?' Raelin asked silently.

I felt it too. Something bad, something powerful.

'But you couldn't tell what it was?'

No. The Mightyena's tail swished once before drooping in embarrassment.

"Ember saw it, too," Raelin told the others, putting a hand on her bonded's back.

"Saw what, that's what I want to know," Misty remarked, watching Ash and Pikachu poke around the site.

"Well, we aren't going to find out anything by standing around," said Gary. "Let's get looking."

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"Growlithe!" Jenny called, finally catching up to her Pokemon partner. "What in the world was that about?"

Growlithe whined, pawed at something on the ground, then picked it up and brought it to her. Jenny knelt down and took the object from her partner's mouth.

A black Rising Badge caught the filtering sunlight and glinted.

"But...Claire!" Jenny straightened, realizing she had an additional mission. "The badge still has a scent on it, I bet. Growlithe, can you track it?"

The Pokemon took an extra sniff at the badge. It barked and took off on the trail. Jenny followed, elated at the breakthrough. 'If this works, I might just have to thank those kids. Never would have found this if they hadn't been lurking around where they weren't supposed to. Of course, I'll still have to question them-'

Jenny slowed, realizing that not only were they deep into the woods, but that Growlithe had, for some reason, stopped running altogether.

"Growlithe? Is something wrong?"

Growlithe whined and circled; it seemed to have lost the trail, which was confirmed when the scent and sight of a powerful Smog attack surrounded them both. Jenny knelt on the ground, attempting to shield her eyes. "Growl...Growlithe!" she coughed, trying to speak through the smoke. The barks of her Pokemon filtered through the now dim surroundings.

Still coughing, Jenny crawled forward in an attempt to escape the smoke. Her eyes stung and began to water-she couldn't even see a foot in front of her now.

The barks that had been her beacon out of the smoke cut off abruptly. Jenny's pace slowed and she winced against the stinging in her eyes. Her partner was lost and she had no breath to call for him.

Before she could move, or decide to move, something heavy hit the back of her head. She twisted around; grey spots danced in front of eyes and she tried to blink them away.

Something behind a tree hissed. A shape slithered out from behind, drew itself up, and stepped through the remaining smog.

Jenny struggled as the net was thrown over her, but the swinging, jarring motion of being carried was too much for her already painful head.

She'd blacked out even before they'd reached the truck.

So, yeah, things are getting intense... :o

~DarkBloodbender937