A/N: I am sorry that this chapter took me over 50 days to write. Real Life and I got into a bit of a fight and Reality does not pull its punches. It's good though, I'm back on my feet…mostly...and the scars will eventually fade…or I'll just look more badass…either way…onwards we go
The Zeppo
She looks small as she walks out of the tunnels, Ash decides, like a pichu staring up at a gyarados before a battle. Ash shudders as he thinks it. That's not a battle the pichu can win, not even with type advantage on it's side. It's awful, really, her going by herself. But...she hadn't even let him walk with her to the tunnel's exit claiming he was safer hanging back at the fires with everyone else.
Misty turns just before she steps outside into the dark and waves and Ash waves back, smiling when Pikachu jumps on his head to see just a little further. Ash even lifts Togepi to wave, but the baby pokémon can't see much further than Ash's hands in front of him. Misty smiles brightly back, her teeth glinting in the warm light of the campfires behind him, and then straightens up, stepping into the dark.
Ash sighs and stares after her, glaring at the tunnel entrance long after she leaves. He can't see her anymore. He hasn't really been able to since she'd stepped into the dark, but still; he watches all the same. She'll come back through soon.
Right?
She has to.
Suddenly, in the semi-light of the tunnels, Ash trips, stumbling over his feet and a...rut in the ground? He must have start pacing at some point, the dip he'd tripped over perfectly traces a path between the two walls of the tunnels opening.
But when?
Ash blinks, glancing around in a tunnel somehow darker than he'd remembered.
He must have been pacing for a while.
Togepi is snoring in his arms and Pikachu is….somewhere….
A frustrated bit of chatter bursts from Ash's feet and looking down, he has to smile. Pikachu is covered in dust and gesturing almost wildly his arms. His eyes meet Ash;s and for a moment Ash is positive that Pikachu rolls his eyes before the small pokémon shakes off the dust and runs off towards the fire, spouting an annoyed pikachupi as he does.
Ash shakes his head at the mouse, turning his head back towards the dark with a grimace.
Pikachu is probably right.
She's Misty, she'll be fine. She's always fine..but…
Still.
Ash can't help but feel…
He doesn't know the word and wishes, for the millionth time that Misty would just hurry back. She would know the right word. She usually does.
But...it's weird, really. His skin is crawling like it's covered with weedle. It's almost all Ash can do to keep rocking Togepi and not rub his arms.
At the same time though his stomach is sinking, like the SS. Anne filled with snorlax. It just feels….
Wrong.
Something is wrong.
He definitely should have followed Misty.
But she'd told him not to.
Though...when had he ever listened to her about something like this?
His head throbs and swaps Togepi to one arm, clutching his head in the other. It'll be all his fault if something does happen, he "should've followed her, no matter what she'd said" he thinks, groaning in a near blinding pain from his head.
"Did you say something Ash?" Brock asks from somewhere behind him. Pikachu echoes Brock's concern with a worried chuu.
"What?" Ash asks, turning towards Brock. It;s a decision he almost immediately regrets. After staring out towards the dark of the city, the fire where Brock is sitting is painfully bright.
"You said something before, I think." Brock states, Pikachu agreeing firmly.
Ash shrugs. He hadn't thought he'd said anything, but maybe….maybe he had? "I was thinking about Misty." He admits.
"Oh," Brock sighs, "Come and sit down, Ash. We can wait for her together."
"I don't want to wait for her though." Ash whines, beginning to turn around again. "I should have gone with her."
"And done what, exactly?"
"I don't know." Ash moans, throwing up his hands and causing Togepi to cry. "Helped her somehow."
"How?"
"I don't know." He grumbles again, rocking Togepi sullenly. The baby pokémon quiets in his arms, slowly drifting back to sleep. For a moment, Ash is jealous of Togepi sleeping even though Misty is out doing something crazy. Though, if he's honest, it's not just Togepi that Ash is jealous of. No, he's jealous of all the Strayanthe trainers really. They're deeper in the tunnels, huddling with friends and family and not pacing in the tunnels like a crazy person waiting on Misty to come back.
Or.
Well.
They are waiting, he supposes, for the supplies Misty will bring. But it's almost a celebration for them. If he listens carefully, tilting one ear back, Ash can hear them laughing and talking and running. It almost sounds like they're playing, Though Jackson had assured Ash and Brock both that all the trainers did anymore was train so that they could fight. If they are playing, Ash doesn't blame them. He knows as well as anyone else that sometimes you need a break and with the promise of food on the way, it must seem like a holiday.
A holiday Misty has to provide. His stomach churns and Ash swaps Togepi to one arm, clutching a hand to his middle. "I feel like I should do something though." Ash offers, glancing a tired eye over Brock's fire.
"Ok." Brock nods, as though this makes sense. As though any of this makes sense. "Then sit down. It's cold and you freezing isn't going to make her come back any faster."
"No…" Ash begins, only trail off with a shiver. Brock raises an eyebrow the same way Misty always does when Ash doesn't listen to her, and Ash finds himself walking to sit down in front of the fire before he's even thought to argue. As soon as he sits down he realizes how cold it is. The fire is so nice and warm, Ash's eyes nearly drift shut and if it weren't for Pikachu jumping on his lap, he'd probably have fallen asleep.
His eyes shoot open and suddenly all he can think about is the fact that Misty had walked off in the clothing she always wore; definitely not something warm enough for the night. "Brock she's going to freeze."
"She'll be fine, Ash." Brock says, shaking his head.
Ash sighs again, setting Togepi down to sleep on his bag. His arms are filled by Pikachu almost as soon as Togepi is out of them. He pets Pikachu absentmindedly, staring into the fire. His stomach flips again and he breathes out heavily. "How does she do this?" He whispers.
"Do what?" Brock asks.
"Wait for me."
"When has she ever waited for you?"
Ash takes a deep breath and blows it out slowly, scratching Pikachu as he does. "Shamouti, Saffron City, On the SS. Anne, " He ticks off his fingers as though reading off some large list, looking up in surprise when Brock breaks out into deep laughter, near doubling over as he tries to laugh and breath at the same time.
"Arceus, Ash." He forces out, catching his breath. "She didn't wait any of those times. She ran after you almost as soon as you were out of sight." He coughs, still laughing hard enough that he's having trouble breathing. "It was a good thing she did too, you would never have made it out if she hadn't."
"What?" Ash cries, standing up. Pikachu tumbles from his laugh and sparks up, angrily chattering at Ash for moving him. "Sorry, buddy." He pats Pikachu soothingly before reaching for his bag. "I have to go after her."
"Ash," Brock calls, moving to his feet.
Ash glares at him over the fire, "No," he shouts. "I have to help her. I can't believe you let me sit and wait. She would never have waited"
"Yes but, Ash, you take stupid risks. She won't."
Ash shakes his head and grabs his hat, moving around the fire. He's nearly past the log Brock is sitting on when a hand hits his shoulder, hard, and forces him back down. Ash looks up, hands tensed at his side as he does. He's not as good in a fight as Misty, but he can throw a punch and he will.
His hands come up, balled in a fist as his eyes meet Jackson's. For a moment, Ash isn't sure what to do. He could finish the punch or...not.
His hand stops midair and his arm hangs limply in the air before dropping to rub a knuckle against the log he's sitting on. "I have to go." He repeats sullenly.
Jackson just shakes his head, smiling sadly as he does. "Don't go off and do anything reckless." he says, his deep burr almost hidden by the crackling fire. "Your girlfriend will be fine."
Girlfriend.
Is that what she'd be if they ever got to talk?
Beside him, Brock takes in a deep breath and then holds it like he's waiting for something. But, what?
Maybe an answer?
Should he agree that he won't go after her? Ash's stomach flips uncomfortably and his whole body sags. He wants to go after her but...Jackson is probably right. He shouldn't, "Yeah," he replies numbly, hardly paying attention to the words as he says them.
Jackson nods at this and walks away, heading towards the back of the tunnels to help with the training going on. Or join in the games.
Ash scratches his nose as the older trainer walks away and turns to Brock, surprised to find a concerned look on the other boys face.
"Are you feeling alright?" Brock asks, reaching forward as though to feel Ash's forehead. Pikachu echoes his concern with a worried chu.
Ash draws back, blinking at them in confusion. "Yes? Why?" He asks, brushing Pikachu's paws away.
Pikachu rocks back, away from Ash's hands and raises his ears in a question, chattering out a confused pikachupi
"Yeah, Ash." Brock nods in agreement. "Jackson called Misty your girlfriend."
"So?"
Pikachu scampers towards Brock, chattering indignantly all the way and the two of them look at Ash with equal expressions of confusion.
"You didn't complain?" Brock replies, speaking over Pikachu's response. The mouse nods at Brock's words.
Ash looks between the two of them for a moment before looking away, casting his eyes towards the light dancing across the tunnel walls. He feels his face warm up and he knows it has nothing to do with the fire in front of him.
"Arceus," Brock laughs, punching Ash's shoulder. "Did something happen?"
Ash clears his throat and forces his eyes to stay locked on the wall despite the fact that his face feels somehow warmer.
Pikachu chatters out an excited chuu and Ash can practically hear Brock grinning. He looks down, refusing to meet either of their eyes with his face growing still hotter.
"No way, when?" Brock asks, punctuated by an excited Kaa chuu.
Ash coughs. He doesn't know. Not yet anyway. And really, what would he say? They hadn't talked yet, he and Misty, just...agreed that they should. And that's not….
It's not anything….
...is it?
Ash sighs and opens his mouth to say something, anything, to stop Pikachu and Brock from asking more question but whatever he's going to say is covered by a deep rumble from somewhere beyond them. He blinks and looks at Brock.
Brock shrugs and smiles. "Wow, Ash. We just ate, I didn't think even you could be hungry again that quickly."
Ash huffs out a laugh and begins to say something about Misty disagreeing with him but it never makes it out of his mouth, swallowed instead by another deep rumble from the back of the tunnels. Ash has just enough time to think that he really should have gone with Misty before the world goes dark in a rush of dust and noise, knocking him over into a gritty ocean. A gritty ocean that's...wet…
Hang on.
He blinks his eyes open and near screams as they fill not with dust but with salt and water. He opens his mouth to breath and shuts it again almost as soon.
His mouth and lungs and nose fill with water. Struggling he flails, his arms and legs moving strangely. Like they're weighted down by something pressing against them. All around them.
His head spins and instinct takes over; he reaches to pull a pokeball from his belt-which is ridiculous. He doesn't have any pokémon with him except Pikachu, and Lapras. But Pikachu is...was? Beside him and Lapras is with Misty. Still he reaches for a pokeball and barely keeps from shouting in shock when his hand closes around one. Uncertainly he pulls it out and in an arc of red, Squirtle appears before him.
Squirtle. He hasn't seen Squirtle in….years…
Squirtle doesn't wait for Ash to give a command, instead reaching forward and tugging Ash up through the surf. Ash shuts his eyes against the water…
...and opens them to dust and noise.
Dreaming.
He must have been dreaming.
Panicking, he drops to the ground hoping that the dust will work like the smoke in a fire and rise up. It doesn't. The ground is dusty and loud and dark. The fire's gone out. He pulls his shirt over his mouth and breathes slowly. With the air in his lungs, his hearing slowly comes back. It's loud, the uproar of a million doduo in unison. Ash can barely think past it, the roar of rocks sliding over one another fills everything. Except...except it doesn't. In the cracks between a wall of rocks pouring down, little sounds slip though. Little sounds like Brock screaming his name and Pikachu coughing and Togepi crying and more voices than Ash can name screaming. Ash blinks back dust and sound. It's not the rocks falling that Ash can't hear past; it's the screaming.
Slowly, forcing himself up onto his forearms, Ash crawls towards Togepi's cries, carefully avoiding the pit that the fire had been in. On the way he hits something small and furry. It coughs in response and sparks dance over its coat. If he squints, Ash can just barely make out yellow through the dust.
"Pikachu!" he chokes out. The sparks stop and Pikachu coughs a weak ka. Ash places Pikachu oh his back and keeps moving towards the cries. His hand hits the rough fabric of his bag and Ash sighs in relief. He drops to his stomach and reaches out blindly, stopping when his hand brushes something smooth and cool.
Togepi coos at the touch and Ash pulls the baby pokémon towards him. The crying stops and suddenly, it's quiet.
Eerily quiet.
There's no rocks grinding, no crackling fire, no crying, no screaming. It's as though the whole tunnel has taken a breath.
"Ash?" Brock screams from somewhere in front of him.
"Here." Ash coughs back, wiping dust from his face.
"You alright?"
Ash nods and then realizes Brock can't see him in the dark. "Yeah." he chokes. "You?"
"Fine."
"What happened?"
"Cave in, I think." Brock responds. Ash can hear him moving in the dim. Pikachu sparks up once more and faintly, Ash can see Brock through the slowly settling dust.
Footsteps sound behind Ash and he turns to see a light bouncing towards them.
"Ash, Brock? Are you alight?" Jackson's voice calls towards them.
Again Ash nods but is saved from having to reply by Brock calling back that they're both fine.
"Good," Jackson says, glumly, walking into their sight. "You can help with the cleanup."
"Cleanup?" Ash asks.
Jackson nods, stopping just in front of the wrecked fire pit. In the shared light of Pikachu and Charmander, Ash can see him covered in dust. One of his eyes is shut, already looking bruised in yellow orange light of the pokémon. "Yeah. We have to dig out who we can." He reaches out an arm to Ash who takes it after shoving Togepi in his bag.
Together he and Brock and Jackson walk towards the back of the tunnels where only moments before so many of the trainers had been playing and laughing and sharing food. There's a faint light as they get closer and breathes out a sigh of relief, a smile tugging at his face. If there's light there must be people. They must be fine.
They round a corner into the glow and...it's empty. There's nothing there beyond a few torches hastily flung towards a sloped wall and a stack of haphazardly thrown rocks. At first, Ash's eyes refuse to take it in. It just looks like so much rock. But then, like glittering nightmares, he starts to see hands and arms and legs and tails in the stone. In the wet stone.
Quietly, Ash looks around. There's no water anywhere. HIs head spins and the world before him blurs for a moment. It's not water that's wet the stones.
And then there are the screams.
Ash had thought it had been quiet at first. But it's not. It's not at all.
There are people in there.
And they are screaming.
Jackson steps forward and carefully feels around the stones, pulling some here and there as he begins to dig towards the loudest of the cries.
Ash swallows.
Hard.
"You ok?" Brock asks, halfway between Ash and the wall.
Numbly, Ash nods and whatever is on his face must be enough because Brock turns from him and walks towards the wall, testing stones as gingerly as Jackson.
"Call out your pokémon." Ash says after a few moments of watching Brock dig.
Brock shakes his head. "They're too big. Too heavy. I don't know how stable it is back here.'
"Oh." Ash responds, returning to dig. It's exhausting work. And dirty. And sticky in ways Ash would prefer not to think about. They pull some people from the rubble, Pikachu digging his way ahead to find them. They pull bodies too. And Pokémon. They dig and search until Ash's hands are thick with dust and...other things. Even Pikachu's fur is …
But there are still screams and so they'll keep digging.
At least they do until a rumble starts again, deep and low from somewhere nearby.
"We need to get out." Jackson shouts, moving towards the opening of the tunnel.
"No." Mari responds. They'd dug her out only moments before. Her arm hangs oddly and there's a deep cut down her leg. Her whole body is pale and shaking even as she stands toe to toe with Jackson, demanding that they stay.
"We can't help them by dying here." Jackson responds, through gritted teeth. He picks up some of the children they'd found. The kids moan at the motion but barely move, they'd been deep under. "Get her out of here." He says quietly, looking at Ash.
Brock is already leaving, people leaning heavily on either side of him and other are staggering out ahead of him.
Ash nods and, placing PIkachu on his shoulder, walks over to Mari and grabs her about the waist. "Come on." He says as another rumble starts behind him.
She sags into him and together they limp out.
And meet Team Rocket's waiting army.
Without even pausing Ash ducks behind a boulder, taking Mari with him.
They can't fight. Not and win. It's a literal wall of Team Rocket grunts and there are...well Ash isn't exactly sure how many of them have made it out of the tunnels but it can't be enough. Even with all of them it wouldn't have been enough.
"What are you doing?" Mari hisses at him, peering around his shoulder.
"Thinking." Ash hisses back.
"Well don't hurt yourself." Mari scoffs and Ash bites back a laugh. It's exactly what Misty would have said. "What are you even thinking about? We need to get out there and fight"
Ash pushes her back and peaks around the rock. Brock is fighting, his Onix wrapped around some pokémon Ash can't see while Brock himself is trading punches with someone in a Rocket uniform with blue hair. Jackson is on the ground, face down in front of two crying children. Many of the other trainers are in similar states, fighting or losing.
Ash swallows, air sticking in his throat like so much stone. "We can't go out there."
"Maybe you can't," Mari exclaims, pushing unsteadily to her feet. "But I'm going to fight. I suggest you do the same."
Ash shakes his head. "We'll only lose."
Mari nods, pulling a pokeball from her pocket. "At least we'll lose together."
Ash sighs, mouth set in a grim line. "Pikachu?" Pikachu jumps up beside him, chuuing fiercely.
Mari grins to see it, seeming to take it as Ash agreeing to join the fray. "See you out there." She murmurs, pushing past him to dash out into the fight.
Ash watches her go before pulling Togepi from his bag. Pikachu chatters in confusion but Ash raises an eyebrow at him and the electric pokémon rocks back to wait on his haunches, watching Ash with a confused expression on his face. Ash sighs and turns his attention to Togepi. The baby pokémon trills at him excitedly but Ash placing a finger against his mouth. "Togepi, I need you to do me a favor, ok?" he whispers. Togepi coos back at him, waving his arms happily. Ash smiles at him and pulls an empty pokeball from his backpack. "Togepi I need you to go in this pokeball, ok?" Togepi shakes his head, eyes screwing to cry. Ash bops him lightly on the head and Togepi's eyes open wide, confused and scared. "Togepi, it's the only way to keep you safe. So you can see Misty again." Togepi looks from Ash to the pokeball in his hand and trills once more; a high whining sound that has Ash wishing he didn't have to ask this of such a young creature. It's an unfair decision; but he stays silent watching Togepi make his choice. The baby pokémon shakes in his hands, trying to get away and Ash sighs. He's failed Misty once more.
He moves, beginning to put the pokeball away when Pikachu bounds up to Togepi and hits him, gently, on the head with a stream of chatter too fast for Ash to understand. The baby pokémon still in his arms and looks at Pikachu with wide eyes. The whining stops and the crying and Togepi turns to the pokeball. Ash takes a deep breath and holds it, watching as Togepi reaches forward and taps the button, disappearing in a beam of red.
Pikachu looks up at Ash with a questioning pika. He wants to fight now that Togepi is safe but Ash shakes his head. "I need a favor from you too." Pikachu shakes his head, sparking up and Ash immediately puts his hands up in defense. "Not going in a pokeball. I wouldn't ask you to do that." The sparks die and Pikachu's ears push forward in a question. Ash breathes out. "I need you to take Togepi to Misty."
Pikachu blinks and Ash can practically hear him preparing to argue. Pikachu breathes in and Ash puts a hand to his mouth.
"Pikachu, I need you to do this. Find Misty, keep her safe. Please, Pikachu." He holds out the pokeball and the breath seems to go out of Pikachu. He reaches forward, takes the pokeball in his mouth and rushes away in the night.
Sighing once more Ash turns to join the fight only to come face to face with a young trainer in a Team Rocket uniform. The trainer glares at Ash, smirking.
"Are you Ash Ketchum?" She asks.
Ash shakes his head, looking around for an escape. He can't get past her, but maybe he can run around the other way. He turns to run but his path is blocked by a cubone. "You don't have to do this." He whispers to the pokémon but it doesn't listen, or care. Too fast for Ash even to duck, the cubone brings its bone club down on Ash's head and everything explodes in pain. HIs head hurts, the world blurs and Ash's eyes drift shut.
And open in a stone room. There are pokémon everywhere; in the fountain and on the ceiling and running around on the stone floor in front of three trainers that seem somehow familiar. He's about to run forward to introduce himself when something stops him. Behind him, or maybe beside him, there's a sound like someone swallowing a scream. He turns and comes face to face with a sea of yellow. He glances up and swallows a gasp. It's Misty...except... he has to look up at her.
Up.
He hasn't had to do that since they were kids.
And she looks so….young…
He's going to tell her that. He's going to ask her when in the world she grew...except he sees her eyes. She looks so...lost…
"You ok, Mist?" He asks, putting a hand to his throat as soon as the words are out of his mouth, his voice is so high. And young.
"I'm fine" she groans back, anything else she might have said swallowed in the excitement of the new trainers running forward to introduce themselves. Their names pass in a whirr of sounds, but Ash is hardly paying attention. His eyes are locked on Misty as she shakily holds herself upright beside him. Which is ridiculous. She's exhausted, and he's standing right there, if she would just lean against him he could hold her up. At least for a little while. Of course, they'd never have done that at...well they have to be younger than thirteen, Ash had grown four inches that year and ended it with almost a head on Misty's height. Still, now Misty wouldn't even think before leaning over to rest. Rolling his eyes, Ash grabs her arm again and pulls her towards him. She stiffens for a moment before relaxing into his side. Ash lays his head against hers and closes his eyes for a bare second.
Opening them to a bright, white room.
Ash blinks, raising his hands to block his eyes against the harsh light. He's on his back, up against something hard and flat like a sleeping roll on a pokémon center's cot. He turns his head and the room spins threateningly. Everything hurts. He winces and slowly, carefully, sits up.
He's on a bed in an empty room with white walls and white floors.
He's still in his clothes, at least, the same jeans and black jacket and shoes he's started the day in, but his bag is….somewhere…
Slowly, he turns his head. Nothing to his left but white walls and floor.
Nothing in front of him.
Nothing to his...hang on… there's something green and shredded beside a large silver door.
Green...like his bag?
Groaning, he swings his legs over the edge of the bed and pauses, regretting his choice. His stomach drops to his feet and the room fuzzes around the edges. But his bag, he has to his bag.
And the door.
Gingerly he places his feet on the floor and pushes himself up to a swaying stand.
He takes a step and the room stays where it is.
Good
He takes another.
And another.
And another.
Until he's in front of the door. Taking a deep breath, he grabs the handle and turns.
It's locked.
Of course it's locked.
His legs wobble and, before he can kneel, Ash crashes to the ground catching sight of the green thing he'd seen.
It's his bag. Thank Mew it's his bag... though it has definitely seen better days. Still, he must have something useful in it.
Excitedly, he opens the bag only to groan in frustration when all he finds is an extra pair of clothing. He'd been hoping for an escape rope or...well, it'd been a stupid thought. He'd never been good at packing for emergencies. It had always been Misty who had the knife to cut the net traps or bobby pins to pick a lock or even just a hammer that she never felt the need to explain. Arceus, even Brock usually had his cooking supplies which had gotten them out of cells before.
And he is in a cell, Ash Ketchum has been in enough of them to know what they look like.
He's feeling around the edges of the door,looking for...he's not sure, but it's something MIsty had always done when they'd gotten locked in rooms together. Almost always she had been able to find some crack or break in the door that had led to them getting out in some way or another, though if he's honest, Ash isn't sure how. Still, he's searching the door when he hears a laugh echoing from behind it. It's a familiar laugh, high and cruel and instinctively, Ash glances around for Pikachu even though he knows that the pokémon is with Misty.
Or hopes he is anyway.
Swallowing hard, Ash makes his way back to the bed and lays down. Maybe, if he pretends he's still asleep, whoever it is will leave. He clenches his eyes shut as the door swings open, grimacing at the loud crash of it hitting the wall.
"Hey, twerp." Calls a cruel voice edged in laughter. Ash can't help himself, he opens his eyes and is shocked to find Jessie leaning against the doorframe. His mouth falls open. She looks...fine. There's no blood or scars or...anything. There's not as much as a bandage anywhere on her body that Ash can see.
"Wakey, wakey." Another voice comes from behind her, deeper but just as cruel. James pushes past Jessie to lean on the other side of the door. Together they frame Ash's only escape from the room, grinning as he looks between them. Ash looks down and sighs, what do they want?
"It's time to meet the boss." A final voice calls and Ash doesn't even have to look to know that Meowth has stepped between them.
It's just like old times only instead of being stuck in a hole while Pikachu angrily shocks whatever rubber covered contraption Team Rocket has concocted, Ash is stuck alone in a room with Pikachu hopefully miles away.
OK, it's nothing like old times. But Pikachu is safe. And Misty.
"Twerp?" James asks sounding bored.
"The boss won't be happy if he got his head messed up." Jessie adds, giggling at the end of her words.
Meowth scoffs and stalks towards the bed with his claws out. "Da boss won't care so long as the machine works." He says as he reaches a claw out to swipe. Ash ducks to the side and Meowth grins, baring his fangs. "He's fine anyway."
"Good." Jessie laughs. "Come on, twerp. You've got an important meeting."
"And if I don't want to come?" Ash asks, glaring at Meowth. The cat pokémon narrows his eyes and swipes Ash again, drawing a thin line of blood from his leg.
"We make you." James states, boredly twirling a rose.
Ash sits as straight as he can, raising his chin towards them. "I'd like to see you try." It's a mistake, he knows it as soon as he says it. The three Team Rocket members smiles at each other fiercely and walk towards him in step with one another. Ash swallows hard, glaring at them as they advance. James hits him first, a punch to the gut that has him doubled over before he can even think to strike out. Jessie's elbow hits his face next. His nose crunches under her blow and Ash is positive it's broken. He tilts his face forward, waiting for the blood to start. His vision fades, the room grows black and he feels like he's sinking into the bed. He doesn't even feel Meowth's attack as he drifts down and down and…
Up? He's looking up at strangely colored pokeballs flying everywhere. There are two pokeballs in his hands and somehow Ash knows that they contain Squirtle and Bulbasaur. And they're safe. At least, he's sure they're safe until those strange pokeballs open and engulf the pokeballs from his hands.
Which is impossible.
Yet...Pikachu screams from somewhere near him; an alarmed string of chatter that ends in an electric shock and dozens of those wrongly colored pokeballs hitting the ground. Pikachu runs, darting up a staircase with a flock of the pokeballs chasing him.
Ash follows, feet pounding on the stone painfully. Running shoes would have been smart, but he can't think about that now. Not when Pikachu is tiring out. Pikachu reaches the top and jumps, calling to Ash to catch him.
Ash looks down, Misty is shaking her head but it's Pikachu and Ash has already jumped, arms stretched out to grab him.
He catches a pokeball instead.
It shakes him, twisting all about in the air but Ash holds on, soaring with the pokeball into a strange room with computers all over.
Vaguely, he recalls passing Jessie and James and yelling about them that he can't handle them today-something he wishes he could still do-but it's a passing moment.
Pikachu's pokeball is dragged into one of the strange machines and an outline appears on the screen and then….PIkachu screams.
Ash clutches his ears and watches looking for some way to get his pokémon back. Eventually, Pikachu reappears, popping out of the computer like groceries on a checkout line. But it's not his Pikachu and when the rodent turns, sparks flying from his fur, Ash cringes and clenches his eyes against the pain.
Pain that explodes like being dropped on a floor. Ash opens his eyes against a rough carpet, his arms and legs ragdolled around his body. Everything aches. He groans and sits up, slowly hauling his legs beneath him. The room spins and briefly, Ash is sure he's going to puke. He takes deep breath and the room slows. It's not the cell he'd been in. There's a carpet beneath him, rough though it is, it seems expensive; something his mom would want in her home. And the walls; they're not white. They're wood of some kind. Mahogany maybe? They're dark anyway, paneled. And there's furniture. Desks and bookshelves and...feet?
Four pairs at least.
Ash takes a deep breath and sound fades back in.
"...mean it's not working?" A deep male voice states.
"I'm sorry sir." A high voice returns. It's followed by a light smack and papers fly to the ground.
Jessie and James laugh as an old man with white hair kneels to grab the scattered pages.
"There's something about him that interferes with the machine." the high voice continues from the kneeling man.
The deep voice laughs. "Then fix it." Jessie and James laugh with him.
"Who'd thunk it?" Meowth asks over their mirth. "The twerp, important."
"And the twerpette." Jessie agrees.
"Very." The kneeling man agrees, rocking back to his feet. A white coat brushes his legs as he stands. A scientist then. Or a doctor.
"Hush." The deep voice replies and the laughter stops. "He's awake."
Ash freezes. He should have stayed down.
"I've been waiting a very long time to meet you." The man says. Ash looks up and once again is surprised. The man with the deep voice is wearing a bright orange suit just like Misty had described the old Viridian Gym Leader wearing. What was his name again? Something with a G...like Geoffry or Grant or…Ash's eyes widen.
"Giovanni." He whispers.
Giovanni smiles, baring his teeth. "So you've heard of me."
"Barely." Ash replies. His head feels heavy and full of static.
Giovanni laughs, "Spirit. I like that." he kneels down in front of Ash, grabbing Ash's face in his hands. "So tell me, how are you breaking my machines."
"Not until you tell me where Brock is." Ash replies.
"Brock?" Giovanni asks, turning Ash's head in his hands.
"The other Kanto trainer we brought in." Jessie supplies.
"Oh, he's fine" Giovanni drops Ash's head and stands up, wiping a hand on the scientists coat. "For now."
Ash swallows. "What about the other Strayanthe Trainers?"
"They're less fine." Giovanni replies. "But Brock, he's still ok. Unless my machines keep breaking."
"Sir, I don't think he's doing it." The scientist interrupts. Giovanni looks at him and then shakes his head slowly.
"Jessie?" He whispers.
Jessie moves, a blur of motion that leaves the scientist on the floor. Ash gasps.
"What a shame." Giovanni states, turning around. "He was one of my best geneticists. No matter, he'll be a good…inspiration for the others." He turns back to Ash, a smirk gracing his face. "Work with my machines or Brock...well...there are no more of him. James?"
Ash turns just in time to see James raise a hand behind him before everything goes dark.
A bright purple light fills his eyes. Ash winces, stepping back and narrowly out of the way of a streak of pink. He blinks, focusing on a distant battle. There are pokémon everywhere, slamming into each other like him and Gary when they were kids before their journeys. Something flies into him and he slams into the ground, groaning when he connects with the stone floor. On top of him, Misty moans. Ash pushes her off him and sits up, eyes locked on the fight. She asks him something, checking that he's ok, but he doesn;t respond.
"We've got to stop this." He hears himself say, "Someone's gotta take a stand. Someone's gotta say 'no' and refuse to fight." He scans the battling pokémon, finding Pikachu among the fray, the small pokémon isn't fighting. Instead he stands before another Pikachu, a clone his mind supplies, and does nothing. "Just like Pikachu." He looks towards the ball of purple and pink and sighs, shaking his head. Someone has to stop them.
Stop Mewtwo.
Mewtwo?
For a moment, Ash is confused. He's never heard of Mewtwo, though it must be the giant purple pokémon in the middle of the fight. And then… he gasps, Mewtwo, New Island, the clones. He remembers it all and he knows how it ends.
Grinning, he glances back at Misty. "Sorry." He says, though the words never pass his lips, and turns to run towards the fight. "You've gotta stop right now!" He screams. A bolt of purple shoots towards him and doesn't duck, standing instead in the energy's path as he shouts at them to stop. The words never finish, the energy hits him in a roar of noise white hot pain, spilling down his nerves like boiling water. His slam shut….
And open to blaring alarms. His white cell is bathed in flashing red and sirens are screaming. Out past his door, explosions sound, bringing with them a rattling shake that lurches his bed away from the wall. The lights flicker threateningly and Ash smiles. That has to be Pikachu, he and Misty must have come for him. But they still have to find him. He needs to get their attention. Ash swings his legs off the bed and promptly drops to his knees. His legs hurt and the room is shaking. Ash takes a deep breath and stands again, slowly limping his way to the door.
There's no window and so he can't see into the hall that he's sure lies past it, but he bangs against his door, screaming against the noise.
A knock comes back.
Ash swallows his breath.
"Ash?" A girl's voice shouts, her voice coming through the door despite the steal and explosions.
"Yes." Ash screams back.
"Thank Arceus. Listen, Ash? Step away from the door."
Ash steps back and away, barely past the door when it bursts inwards in twisting steel and sparks. Misty steps through the scrap, Pikachu at her heels. She's covered in scrapes and soot and her hair is hanging wildly around her face but Ash has never been happier to see her. He crosses to her in barely two steps and throws his arms around her, burying his face in her slightly singed hair.
"What took you so long?" He asks, arms still around her. Pikachu jumps onto his shoulder, nuzzling into his hair.
Misty laughs, thumping his back, "Shut it, Ketchum. I'm here aren't I?" Pikachu agrees with a happy kaa.
"Misty." A voice calls from the hallway. "What is taking so long, we must go." A large purple Pokémon enters the room just behind Misty.
She doesn't move but Ash…
Ash freezes.
This is bad. They can't fight Team Rocket and Mewtwo at the same time.
They need to get out.
To get away.
And Misty doesn't even seem worried.
Arceus, does she even remember how dangerous the pokémon is?
"Mewtwo." He hisses, grabbing Misty by the arm and pulling her behind him. His body tenses, muscles all freezing like he's made some terrible mistake. It suddenly feels like…he's surrounded. But the only thing behind him is Misty.
Misty.
She would never hurt him…unless he treated her like something to be rescued.
Which…well…he may have just done that.
But it feels like he's done something much worse.
He pivots, turning his body so that he and Misty can Mewtwo at the same time.
And he can see her.
Some of the tension eases and it must show in his face because Pikachu trills confusedly on his shoulder and Misty….
Misty blinks completely black eyes at him.
Ash shivers. Those eyes, they're pools of black…and not Misty.
Slowly her strange eyes flick over his shoulder and then she puts her whole face in her palm, shaking her head like Ash is doing something completely ridiculous.
When she looks back up, her eyes are blue and she's smiling like a fight is just seconds off.
He must have hit his head harder than he thought.