Outlaw

Chapter 6: Two-Faced

Ash had just finished putting Dawn to sleep after another midnight sickness situation. He stared intently at her as her eyes drifted off and she was welcomed to dream land. Her midnight sickness had been happening since she was a month and a half pregnant, and even though they had been slowly diminishing, he knew he still had six months to go. He waited until he was sure she was sound asleep before repeating his routine of the past two days: wake up in the middle of the night and lock himself in his office.

After he had received Gary's letter he had not been able to stop looking for information about the names Gary had mentioned. He had confirmed that Jake Dragon's battling sign-up sheet did involve a person named Emily Dragon as one of his references. He had also been surprised to see his fiancée's name listed as one of the references as well. "How do they know each other?" He had wondered for almost 36 hours.

He had wanted to ask her the moment he found out about a possible connection between Dawn and Jake, but he knew that if he brought it up, he would surely look suspicious. She would probably wonder why he wanted to know about it, and probably ask how he knew about their relationship, if any. He still needed more information before starting pointing fingers. He could not leave something so important to luck.

Dawn finally gave in to sleep, and Ash wasted no time to run to his office. He locked himself inside it and opened his laptop. The computer quickly returned to a usable status from hibernating and before he knew it, he was already typing names and looking for addresses and associations. He had found very interesting information that corroborated what Gary had said in his letter, and God only knew how Gary had gotten hold of all the specific details of the life of Jake and Emily Dragon.

Ash, on the other hand, had found out that Jake's parents died when he was seven and Emily was seventeen. They had taken a flight to one of the Orange Islands to fight for another gym but their plane crashed before they even arrived to the place. After the accident, their names were not mentioned again until Misty's parents died exactly two years after their death, and in a similar manner. According to the newspaper article he had found, Misty's parents were to attend a convention in Indigo Plateau. They had decided to take a helicopter rather than a regular plane, and it crashed before it reached the home of the Elite Four.

He was not satisfied with this information, so he dug a little deeper. When Misty and Jake were only two years-old, her parents and Jake's parents had competed to gain control of the Cerulean Gym. The Pokémon League had begun expanding, and a new water-type Pokémon Gym had opened in Cerulean. Among other qualifications, the owners of the Gym had to be natives of Cerulean, and be capable to train water-type Pokémon. Both families had been finalists, but in a twist of faith, Misty's mom defeated Jake's dad. The Waterflower family took over the Cerulean Gym.

The Dragon family had nowhere else to go as they had invested all of their money in training and bettering their Pokémon. They had been sure they would end up in the Gym and when they did not, they went bankrupt and traveled to many different cities, trying to rebuild their lives. They settled in Celadon City where Jake and Emily attended school, and only a few months after this, they were invited to run a Gym in the Orange Islands.

Needless to say, they did not make it.

Misty's parents continued to take over the Gym until their death exactly two years after the Dragons' death. Some people had believed that the Cerulean Gym was cursed, and no one else wanted to take over. The League decided to leave the Gym to the older Waterflower sisters, and they in turn took the responsibility of taking care of their younger sister: Misty Waterflower.

Ash had been able to pull some strings and had found the school records of Jake Dragon. He had also pulled out the names of classmates in the same generation and two names had stood out: Dawn Hall and Becca Gall.

He knew that speaking to Dawn at the moment was not the best thing to do, but he knew that he could pay a visit to Becca Gall in the jail in Celadon City. She had been awaiting trial to be moved to Indigo Plateau's new Pokémon League prison. However, the judges needed Misty and Gary to be taken into custody to begin the trials. While Misty and Gary did not appear or turn themselves in, neither Becca, nor Bryan, Jennifer, Britt, Professor Oak or the Waterflowers sisters could be tried. For their sake and his short time, he hoped that Gary or Misty did not decide to turn themselves in any time soon.

His plans for today were to visit Celadon's county jail and speak to Becca. He would then take a detour and visit Cerulean City to visit James at the hospital. He knew Dawn would be asleep until the middle of the day, and he could use his private jet to easily get to and back from these cities before dinner. If she asked, he knew he only had to say he was paying a visit Gym Leaders to see how they were surviving the battle scarcity. "She believes everything I say."

A few weeks after he had found out that he was going to be a dad himself, Ash had decided to make it official for his unborn child. Memories of how his own father had eventually abandoned him and his mom flashed before his eyes. He had never forgiven his father for choosing Pokémon over his own family, and even though he had made a similar decision the last time he left Pallet Town, he was not going to worsen his past mistake.

Needless to say, Dawn had been delighted to become the, back then, future Pokémon Master's wife. Marriage had not been in her plans, but given the current situation, she decided it would be the best thing for her –perhaps not for him, but for her. The wedding was going to be very small, perhaps only ten people, and there was going to be no reception. The wedding was more of a formality than a celebration. The League was breaking down, and she was tired of the side effects of pregnancy. There was nothing much to celebrate in her eyes.

Ash shook his head that had begun wandering as it always did when he was nervous. He jotted down several notes, names and addresses before stuffing down papers in his portfolio. He then picked up his phone and called Celadon's jail. He scheduled a visit with Becca at 7:30 a.m. After this, he called Cerulean's hospital and informed the administrators he would be paying James a visit at around noon. The reasons for his visits were not asked, but the people who took the messages knew that it had to do something with the Pokémon Master's former girlfriend legal status.

He yawned as he turned off his laptop and placed it inside his portfolio. He closed it and took it with him to his room. He carefully made his way around his bedroom trying not to disturb Dawn's sleep, though he knew that she was everything but a light sleeper. He took a quick shower and changed into clothes that were more formal. He was wearing brown khakis, a green shirt and a tie. He then grabbed his dress shoes and portfolio and made his way out of the League's main building. It would take him about two hours to get to Celadon, and it was almost five in the morning. If he wanted to be on time for his scheduled appointment with Becca, he had to leave as soon as possible. In a matter of minutes, Ash Ketchum was aboard his private jet and on his way to Celadon City.

As he stared down to look at the tiny cities, cars and people, he rehearsed his questions to Becca. He did not want to make any suggestions to her as to what he wanted to hear from her. He did not know Becca that well, other than the few times they had met while she was visiting Maya, or during the convention that was held months ago. He did not have anything against her either; otherwise, he would have not rented that car for her and Bryan.

On the other hand, he did not want make the mistake of not asking the right questions. He knew that she had valuable information that only she could provide him. While he did not want to seem desperate, he also did not want to let any piece of information go. He knew that Gary had entrusted him with valuable information that could possibly be the only way to defend themselves and allow for him and Misty to keep their freedom for the rest of their lives.

Ash sighed as he realized where these leads were taking him. He knew that by investigating and interrogating all these people he was jeopardizing his new title. However, after everything had been said and done, he had realized he had not wanted this position as much as he thought. He knew that it was because of what he had left behind and had lost in the name of getting where he was now that made him realize that fame and fortune were not the same as happiness of the heart.

Ash pulled out the papers and decided to arrange them in the order he would need them. He had printed copies of official Pokémon League documents that were marked confidential, as well as printed several pictures and profiles of all the parties involved in what Gary had called a set-up. He knew that everything he had in his possession could get him arrested as removing sensitive materials from the League's ground was a violation of his contract. If Maya knew what he was doing, she would find a place right next to Gary's future jail cell.

As he finished organizing his papers and made sure only the ones he needed for Becca's questioning were at arm's reach, he realized that he had arrived to his destination. He quickly arranged his portfolio to make sure nothing escaped him before standing up and getting off his plane. It had landed on the roof of Celadon's jail. A police officer welcomed Ash and asked him to follow him to the interrogation room. The police officer had assured him that the questioning would take place in a private room that the officers used to question prisoners without incriminating or recording them. Ash could only wish this were true.

Ash followed the officer down the stairs for several floors. They finally entered one of the doors and continued walking down a very bright but filthy and lonely hall. There were several doors surrounding them, but no one exited through these doors while they were around. Ash looked around him and felt sorry for Becca and Bryan being locked up inside a place like this. While the place was decent compared to other jails, the building did not feel like a homey place for him. He could only imagine the frustration both of them were going through by being here with no fault at all.

"Mr. Ketchum, this is as far as I go."

Ash looked up to stare at the officer who extended his hand and gave Ash a card key. "Take this card key with you."

Ash grabbed the card.

"You've got to go inside and go down the hall until you reach the end. Take a left and go down the stairs. You will reach a locked door. This is where you use this card key. Walk inside the room and you will find Ms. Gall inside."

Ash nodded. "Thank you. How much time do I have?"

"As long as you need. I'm sure your visit is very important to the League. Come back out the same way. Someone will be here to make sure Ms. Gall is sent back to her cell once you're gone."

"Thank you."

The officer opened the door for Ash and he went in, following the path he had been told. The conditions of the route he was taking deteriorated with every step he took. There were holes on the floor and stains of what he could only assume were dried-up blood on the walls. He hoped none of these stains belonged to Becca herself. He sped up and found the end of the hall. He turned to his left and saw the stairs were right in front of him. The metal of the steps was rusty and very old. He carefully made his way down, hoping his feet would not end up in the middle of the steps. He made it to the locked door and he did not waste any time to use his key card to open it. He placed his key card back into his pocket and opened the door.

He closed the door behind him as he reached for the lights. The room was completely dark until he was able to find a switch. He flipped it and a single old light turned on in the corner of the room where the entrance was. The light was not enough to illuminate the entire room but it was enough for him to find Becca Gall.

She was sitting on the other side of the cheap table in the middle of the room. There was another chair for Ash's use, which had questionable stains and marks on it. The table had holes and termites were having a feast of it. The room had more stains on the walls and floor. Water dripped from the opposite corner where the light was. There was a smell of rotten flesh that he knew he could stand for only so much time. Becca had not even acknowledged his presence. She was sitting with her head down, her blonde hair covering most of her face. Her hands were handcuffed together, and then handcuffed to the back of the chair. Her feet were handcuffed the same way to the legs of the chair. Her clothes were ripped and dirty. Ash could no help to feel guilty for this.

"Becca, it's me…Ash."

Ash could not tell, but Becca's eyes had been closed until she heard his voice. She had been a guest of this room several times for other members of the League. This was not new to her, but hearing his voice made her nervous to be there. She had trusted Ash before, but now, after all the illegal beating, she did not know who to trust or believe.

Ash watched as she slowly looked up and stared at his eyes as they widened at the sight. She had a big bruise on her cheek, old blood dried on her forehead, and a swollen upper lip. They had just brought her down to this room three days ago to be beaten by the so-called Pokémon League's officers. The evidence of their presence did not have enough time to be erased from her body in only three days. She did not smile nor frown. She kept a straight face and did not say a word.

"My God! What have they done to you?"

Becca did not speak.

"Becca, I…know what happened….how someone is tricking you…all of you."

Becca had heard a similar argument before and did not want to offer any facial expression to him. The Pokémon League's officers had tried to get information of Gary and Misty whereabouts several times using a statement like the one Ash had said. She had refused every time and every time it had earned her a good beating. Never in her life did she think she would hate working for the Pokémon League so very much.

Ash was not sure why Becca was just standing there and not reacting to what he had just said, but he could assume that she was trying to protect herself from another beating like the one she had obviously received recently. "I need you to trust me. I need your help."

Becca stared at the walls. Ash sighed.

"I know it's hard…but look…I need your help so I can help Gary and Misty…if I can help them, I can get everyone out of here."

Nothing. Ash growled. He took a deep breath and asked the almighty for patience. He took out some of his papers and began shuffling through them. This was going to be a difficult conversation if Becca did not want to help.

"Alright, just listen to me, ok? Gary sent me this letter," Ash said as he placed the letter in front of her. "You may read it if you want."

Becca looked down at the letter and saw it was typed. She then looked up at Ash and could not believe he would try to trick her. Anyone could have typed that letter. There was no proof that Gary had written –typed, that. She stared down at the letter again and saw Gary's signature at the end. Ash could have gotten someone to forge Gary's signature. At the moment, no one in the world had a lower opinion of Ash than Becca.

"Don't want to read it? Ok, I'll read it for you."

Ash grabbed the letter and began reading it aloud. Becca never looked at Ash and pretended not to care, but her ears were attentive to what the supposed letter had to say. Once he finished, he waited a few moments to see if Becca had anything to say but when she did not, he continued speaking.

"I did some research, and I found out that Emily Dragon does exist, and that she's related to Jake Dragon. He also knows Dawn Hall. I haven't asked Dawn how he knows her because I don't want her to suspect anything. But I also know that you, Dawn and Jake went to the same high school. Do you know him?"

She did not move at all.

Ash took out pictures of Jake Dragon and placed them in front of her. "This is Jake. You know what Dawn looks like, right? Please, please help me out."

Becca continued to be still.

Ash began becoming frustrated with the lack of cooperation from Becca. He stood up and began walking around the room. "Becca, why aren't you saying anything? I'm not here to hurt you. I want to help you, Gary, Misty, and everyone else who got caught in this shit!"

"If you want to help us, you should go ask Dawn for help."

Ash stopped walking around and sat on the chair again.

"I can't ask Dawn…I don't…trust her that much. Misty is relying on Gary, Gary is relying on me, and I'm relying on you. Please, please…help me to help you.
Becca's eyes were filled with tears. She began sobbing and Ash could only place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I didn't know you were in these conditions. I'll make sure no one lays a hand on you…I'll have the League officers protect you…"

"Bullshit! The League officer's are the ones doing this to me! Can't you see the League is corrupted? Are you that blind, sitting comfortable in your sweet little office?"

Ash was taken aback. She was right. He had gotten the best out of everyone, and everyone else was getting the short end of the stick. "I didn't know…"

"What? That Misty was beated to a pulp? That she almost died there? Did you think that renting us that car was all you had to do?"

"You think I set you up?"

"I don't…I don't know…I can't trust anyone…"

"Trust me, Becca. Please…trust me…"

Becca continued to sob as her head fell. Sobbing made her swollen lips hurt but she did not care. Ash Ketchum had to witness with his own two eyes the consequences of his selfishness. "If I speak…do you promise to keep me…us…safe…Bryan and me?"

"I promise…I swear on my unborn baby's life."

Becca nodded in compliance. She was not very sure she could trust him or anyone else but Gary himself, but she had nothing else to lose. Ash sat down again and laid out the copies of the information he had found on Jake Dragon.

"Do you remember him from school? It seems he was in your class…"

Becca laughed, dismissing the paper Ash was offering to her. "I don't need that paper. I know Jake Dragon very well…and so does Dawn. They used to date when we were in high school."

"What?"

"Yup. And I'm sure your honey hasn't told you that we used to be best friends…"

"You and Dawn?"

"All three of us…Dawn, Jake and me."

"How come she's never mentioned you?"

Becca smiled. "She wasn't very mature back then. She stopped talking to me when we both applied to Pokémon College. I got in and she didn't…she hated me since then."

"What about Jake?"

"Jake dropped out from high school. He didn't get to graduate. I lost track of him after that…his sister also went MIA."
"Sister?"

"Yeah, you know…Emily Dragon. She was very quiet…rarely spoke to us when we visited Jake at his house."

"How does Emily know Misty?"

"That, I don't know."

"I found out that Jake and Misty's family battled for the Cerulean Gym."

"Maybe that's how they know each other. However, I don't see why Emily would want to hurt Misty. It must be Jake's idea so he can cover his ass. He's always been a jerk."

"That sounds plausible."

"I can tell you where Jake lives. His sister moved to the Orange Islands and no one heard from her ever again, but Jake still leaves in the same house here in Celadon."
"Yes!" Ash took out a pen and flipped over the copy of Jake's profile. Becca gave him the address as he jotted it down. "Thank you…you have no idea how much this helps!"

"I think I have an idea."

"Is there anything else I should know about?"

"Yes."

"What is that?"

"Do not trust the League."

Ash nodded as he stood up and placed all his papers inside his portfolio. "I have to go talk to James from Team Rocket."

Becca nodded. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"I hope I do, so I can get you all out of here."

Ash bowed to Becca as he exited the room. He followed the same path and when he found himself out again he gave the officer a bag with cash. "I will send someone to check-up on her, randomly. If she has any more pieces of her body out of place, you and your station will regret it. Tell the League's officers the Pokémon Master is after their ass."

The officer grabbed the small bag as he nodded. Ash returned the card key to the officer as he made his way to his private jet. He quickly got on it and ordered his pilot to take him to Cerulean's Hospital right away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

James was being held in an isolated room in the very last floor of the hospital. The League's officers were present all around the place, making sure anyone around the area belonged to the floor. The League had marked James as a witness of Misty's insanity and it was not going to let their main witness suffer an accident of any sort. The security in the hospital was very high and everyone had to check-in and check-out. There were cameras everywhere and even doctors and nurses had to be checked on by the officers of the League.

The League's officers closely followed Ash until he reached the door of James' room. He had been waiting for approval for this visit for more than half an hour now. They had given him all kinds of tests to make sure that he was in fact the Pokémon Master himself, and not someone disguised pretending to be him. After their encounter with Copycat in Saffron, the League had been extra precautious and had not taken any more chances. After he had been given clearance, he had been followed around everywhere and had to wait for doors to be unlocked in several ways: keys, card keys, fingerprints, etc. He was glad he was finally stating at the door were James was kept. The officers nodded at him as he opened the door. He walked inside and locked the door behind him. He stood at the entrance and stared at James. The former active member of Team Rocket looked at him before looking down in shame.

Ash left his portfolio on the desk next to the door as he scratched his head and slowly walked around the place. There was a tray of cold food near the window, and several other untouched food trays around the room. He had been told that the patient was unstable and had tried to kill himself in several occasions. He had been advised to keep his distance away from him.

Ash took a good look at James. While the injuries from the fire were quickly disappearing, his face denoted a deeper injury within his mind and soul that no amount of time would completely ever cure. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was dirty and tangled up. He could not tell when was the last time the nurses had attempted to wash him up before they had given up based on his hostile attitude. His clothes were dirty and wrinkled. His eyes stared at the floor as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, twerp. Is she ok?"

Ash looked up and stared at James pained face. While it was true that he and James were not best buddies forever, he had seen James in much better conditions. The two members of Team Rocket had saved his life as many times as they had also tried to steal Pikachu from him. The love-hate relationship that had been established between them and his former group was a weird bond that no one else but them would ever understand.

"She's fine."

"I'm glad."

Regardless of his dreary state, James looked much better than when he was first pulled out of the fire. The firefighters had found him at the entrance of the Gym, surrounded by debris that prevented him from going anywhere. He had spent all this time in the hospital, waiting to know what future had in store for him. Yet, he never though that Ash Ketchum himself would appear in front of him. "I heard 'bout Pikachu…Meowth died too, y'know."

Ash ignored his comment. The last thing he wanted to think about was his lost friend. He returned to the entrance and took a peak outside to see what the officers were up to. He was glad to see they were minding their own business. He grabbed the portfolio from the table and then pulled a chair close to James. He sat on it and placed the portfolio on his lap as he crossed his arms and stared at James.

"We didn't want to do it…"

Ash frowned at James' statement.

"But you still did…"

James nodded and felt shame invade him. There was nothing he could say or do to make it up to Ash. Even if Misty was alive, she could have easily not made it if it had not been for Jessie and him. He did not want to sound as if he was trying to make excuses or justify himself, he just wanted to make sure that Ash knew that it was nothing personal, and that neither of them had wanted to go through with it in the first place.

"We tried to save her…Jessie tried…and she….she…"

James' head fell. Ash could tell that he was trying to hold back the tears. He did not know if Jessie and James were ever an item, but he surely knew that they were really close to each other. "I don't even know how she died…but I know she did…I've heard it…"

Ash nodded. "She was stabbed…she bled to death before she burned."

James could not help to cry, sob, and hit his legs at the same time. He had wanted to believe that she had died a quick and painless death, but he knew that life would have not been so kind. No one had wanted to tell him anything about her until he heard in the news that she, Cassidy and Butch were all dead. He honestly could not care less about Cassidy and Butch, but hearing that Jessie –in a horrible manner nonetheless, had died pained him to no end.

Ash allowed him to mourn a little longer before starting the interrogation he had come for. He cleared his throat to catch James' attention before speaking again. "Why did you change your mind?"

James cleared his throat and wiped his nose with his blanket. He took a deep breath as he wiped his tears with the back of his hands. "We didn't want to do it in the first place…but she told us that if we didn't, she would turn us in to the police…"

"She? Who did?" Ash asked, hoping to hear the name he had longed to hear from him.

"This lady…God…if we hadn't listened to her in the first place…Jessie would still…."

James began sobbing as he had every day since he woke up from the fire. Jessie and James had been long-time partners in crime, and while they were not the best of citizens, they had limited their crimes to Pokémon robbery. The day of the fire in the gym of Cerulean had been their first attempt to end a person's life. They had failed miserably. They had failed and it had cost Jessie her life.

"Sometimes I still hear her…telling me how clumsy I am…"

Ash was mad at him, but he also knew that he regretted everything he had done. While Ash had lost Misty to his own acts, he knew that she was still out there somewhere, alive and well. On the other hand, James had lost Jessie to a greater fate from which there was no return. No matter what James did, Jessie would never return to him. James took deep breaths to stop crying. Crying was not going to get Jessie back.

"Do you know why I'm here?"

James shook his head. "To ask me why we did it, I guess."

Ash nodded. "That's part of it…"

"The boss is very sick…he is dying…this new lady took over…she is very mean…"

"You mean Team Rocket's boss?"

"Yes. He has cancer…he is probably dead by now. I haven't heard from him since that night."

"And?"

"There was this lady…a new member of Team Rocket. She was with the secret forces department of the team. She quickly climbed up and became one of the Boss' favorites. There was a rumor she had killed people before. She rarely spoke of what she did."

"What's her name?"

Ash stared at James, as he looked reluctant to speak her name. The last time her name had been said Jessie had died. He did not want anyone else to die again, but he feared that if he did not tell him the truth, Misty would be the next one to die. If anyone could do anything to help out Misty, it was Ash Ketchum. James knew the pain of losing the person who you care about the most in the world. Ash was not his best friend, but he could not allow him to suffer the same pain.

"She told us her name was Emily Dragon, but she made us call her Boss."

Ash furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why did she send you to kill Misty?"

"She promised us a lot of money and a promotion if we made it seem that she had an accident. She told us that if we didn't, she would turn in the entire organization to the law."

"But she would turn herself in too!"

"No…she's got connections…they would have never touched her."

"Why does she want to kill Misty?"

James shrugged. "I don't know. But she hates her very much. She is ruthless. She even sent her own brother to try and kill her. Kid screwed up, though."

"Jake Dragon."

"Yes."

"Do you know where she is?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me?"

"No."

Ash peeked outside and saw the officers still standing right outside the door. He then walked to James and took out a paper and a pen. James reluctantly picked up the pen and wrote on the back of the paper. He folded the paper and gave it to Ash. Ash placed the paper and the pen back in the portfolio before heading to the door and peaking outside again.

"Why are you helping me?"

James' eyes filled with tears once again. "Nothing I can do will bring her back…but I won't let her die in vain."

Ash stared at James in a thankful manner. He then repeated his final question to Becca to James. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Yes."

"What is that?"

James hand waved at Ash, asking him to get closer to him. Ash thought about it for a second, fearing for his safety for a few seconds but finally decided to lean. James looked around the room, as if he felt someone invisible was inside. He then placed a hand on Ash' ear before whispering words that sent chills down Ash's spine.

"All of these League officers are members of my team."

"Team Rocket?"

"Yes. She brought them here."

"Emily Dragon?"

"Yes. She works for the League."

Ash sighed as he moved back from James' reach. He bowed to James before heading to the door and returning to Indigo Plateau.