Chapter Three

Fueling the Fire

The mood of the island had changed once Ash and Misty took flight, abandoning the shadowy lagoon. Tension had bubbled to the surface and it wasn't because of the mermaids' standoffish unwelcome to Misty.

The mermaids had retreated to the depths of the lagoon, disappearing from sight when the massive black sails, eclipsed the sun. Ash had a change in mood too. He had been chipper since he brought Misty to Neverland, but upon seeing the pirate ship beyond the lagoon and into the ocean, Ash had become more cautious and silent.

Misty didn't like the aura that was emanating throughout the sky. She and Ash flew close by, looming over the lagoon and ultimately up into the clouds above the pirate ship.

"Let's watch from up there," Ash instructed, pointing upward to the nearest cloud. He and Misty then plopped onto the cloud, to Misty's amazement. When Misty first arrived in Neverland, she flew right through the clouds, getting soaked in the process. But these clouds must've been different if she and Ash were able to put their weight on without falling.

Misty sank into the cloud, which felt like a cushy foam. The texture was fluffy and very soft; Misty could have sworn if she closed her eyes, she would have fallen asleep on the spot.

Pikachu bounced off of Ash's shoulder, inching over the edge of the cloud, trying to get a closer look. Ash crawled to the edge near Pikachu. He reached over to his Pokebelt and brandished a spyglass, using it to snoop on the crew aboard the ship.

Misty strained her eyes to get a look at who was there. She was able to make out a couple of normal looking pirates (normal in a fantasy sense at least). Misty's face brightened. Even in stories, Misty knew that pirates were no good, but she couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline at the thought of getting in close proximity to these high sea ruffians.

"May I? Misty said, reaching her arm out to the spyglass in Ash's grasp.

Ash raised a brow at his friend's fascination, but obliged and let her use his spyglass.

Placing the copper spyglass close to her right eye, Misty pointed it down.

Yep, they were indeed pirates. They were mostly men, at least that Misty was able to see, and all draped in lace and blazers that had been drenched a few times by the water. A few of them had dirty bandanas tightly wrapped around the tops of their heads. Others had adorned their heads with massive hats, some with feathers, possibly worn to shield themselves from the blazing sun.

The spyglass gave her a clear view of the crew but she was unable to hear any of their conversations. Looking around to see anything else on the ship, Misty's eye stopped when she noticed a bird-like Pokemon, hobbling on a peg.

"They've got an Archen!" Misty exclaimed; her voice laced with intrigue.

"It can barely fly though," Ash noted, still staring off to the ship with a rigid gaze. Clearly he knew about these pirates for a while now.

Misty continued to look on with the spyglass, trying to spot anything else of interest. Then, her eye stopped once more at another Pokemon. This Pokemon however was clothed, wearing a blue and white striped tee and a red cap. Following the Pokemon, a man with purple hair. The man was also wearing similar stripes but instead of a red cap, he wore a blush colored bandana. Misty let out a gasp, recognizing who these two were.

Keeping the spyglass directed at them as the two were talking discreetly as the other pirates went about their business, Misty cried out, "It's James and Meowth!"

Ash swiftly took the spyglass and peeked through it again, before nodding in confirmation. "Yep."

"But then," Misty started, stealing the spyglass back and looking for a sign of someone else. "Where's Jessie?"

Ash's eyes narrowed in a scowl when Misty brought up Jessie's name, his face becoming more twisted in contempt.

Misty searched, pointing the spyglass in this direction and that. But she never found a sign of Jessie, but assumed that she was around. She handed Ash the spyglass and he placed in back on his Pokebelt.

"Wow…" Misty trailed. "Team Rocket are pirates." Misty felt a mix of stupor and confusion. Team Rocket to her weren't exactly the brainiest, but they were thieves and the role of pirates seemed to fit. "Well that's a bit exciting."

"I guess," Ash said, resting his face in one hand. "More exciting for us, I'd say."

"How do they fare as pirates, anyways?" Misty couldn't help ask. She imagined Team Rocket looking the part and acting lordly about it. But when it came to actual action, Misty still thought that Team Rocket were more like the Three Stooges.

"Uh, surprisingly—better than I would ever admit…" Ash replied awkwardly.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried out, causing Misty and Ash turn their attention back on the ship. And in a split second they saw a cannonball flying towards them, then Misty, Ash and Pikachu were thrust in the air, narrowly missing the cannonball. Misty was cart wheeling in the air and luckily she found the ability to stop her body from spazzing out of her control.

The impact tore through the cloud they were resting on, but in a matter of seconds the cloud reshaped itself back to its original state. They had been spotted. Misty's fascination was replaced with utter terror. She swore she saw her life flash before her. Her hear pounded so hard in her chest, it actually hurt.

Misty loomed over to the cloud they were just on to find Ash and Pikachu just fine. Ash wasn't anywhere near as shaky as she was. Instead, he had a smug look on his face. Oh, no. What was he planning on doing?

"Okay, pirates, let's play!" Ash said, zooming downwards with the speed of a shooting star.

"Ash! Ash!" Misty screamed, her voice quavering. She couldn't help but think that he was about to do something reckless. Acting on impulse, Misty plunged to where Ash and Pikachu disappeared. Misty didn't even realize that she was flying with complete control and ease.

As she closed in on the pirate ship, another cannonball shot in her direction. She dodged it quickly, not losing her balance. She ascended a little higher to avoid the eyes of the pirates, and spotted Ash and Pikachu on the ship! They were standing on the tallest totem, hiding behind the black sails.

Not wanting to draw attention, Misty waited for a moment, vanishing in the clouds. Once the cannonballs stopped flying, Misty peeked behind a cloud to see that the pirates had stepped away from the cannons, stumped as to where Misty went.

Once in the clear, Misty flew to where Ash and Pikachu were hiding. She landed behind them roughly, almost falling backward, but Ash grabbed her arm to help remain on the sail.

"What're we doing here?" Misty murmured, looking down. The pirates were all standing by the edges of the ship, looking out but none looking directly up.

"You'll see," Ash responded with an impish smirk.

"Don't doing anything to get us killed!" Misty scolded quietly.

"We won't," Ash rolled his eyes. "Just follow me, okay?"

"If I die, Ash…" Misty said harshly, following close by him as they hopped down the pillar and right in front of the wheel, in the open and with nowhere to hide. There went Misty's heart again, racing past endurance. Ash stood with his arms crossed, amused as the crew scrambled to the sides of the ship to see where they were.

"Where'd they go?" one pirate grunted, leaning over the side of the boat.

"I think they flew away," another one yelled, standing in the middle of the ship, staring straight up.

"Have you tried checking the ship?" Ash disguised his voice to sound as rough as the pirates'.

At the suggestion by one of their "cohorts", the pirates started checking the deck; some looking into barrels and others checking the portside then the starboard then back to the portside.

Misty was amazed at how…stupid the pirates were. She sweat dropped and actually felt a little embarrassed for them, not longer feeling as worried as before.

The scrambling caused the watercraft to tip back and forth with more force. Ash, Misty and Pikachu remained where they were. Doors then flew open with a clatter, assuming from below. James and Meowth had emerged, clueless as to what was going on.

"What's with all the ruckus?" James demanded.

"You guys are going to get this ship toppled over!" Meowth yelled. "Which is not fun…trust us we know".

The pirate grunts froze, but all erupted in chatter trying to explain what they were doing.

"Let's take a better look," Ash suggested, floating above the ship again, Misty right by him. They had a bird's eye view of the whole thing. Ash and Pikachu were chuckling at the chaos they had caused.

James and Meowth tried to regain order, but it was futile; their voices deafened by the banter that trembled the boat.

"QUIET!" shrilled a voice from behind James and Meowth. Everyone paused in response to this powerful voice. Emerging from the Captain's quarters was a tall figure with long, dark pink hair. The figure wore a tailored, knee length maroon blazer and blue tight bottoms. The massive, tricorne hat covered the figure's face.

Stepping passed James and Meowth and finally coming into view, the figure looked up to face the pirate's, holding up a hook for hand threateningly.

Misty, without thinking lowered herself a little to get a look of this person's face and saw that this hook-handed figure was a woman she knew: Jessie of Team Rocket.

"What's with all the noise?" Jessie demanded, no longer needing to scream, as it was dead quiet.

The crew seemed to cower before her, not wanting to say anything that would provoke a reaction from Jessie. The woman stood looking harshly at the other pirates for a moment, her eyes demanding for an explanation.

James and Meowth, who were more composed than the pirates, stood behind Jessie. "C'mon out with it!" James ordered but was nowhere near as fearsome as Jessie.

At James's words, one pirate grunt spoke up. "We saw the boy." The other pirates nodded in agreement.

Jessie's face stiffened at the revelation. Misty looked on, assuming that the boy must be Ash. She side eyed him and he appeared to be more amused than ever.

"Where is he?" Jessie commanded between gritted teeth.

"He was on a cloud," explained another pirate meekly. "We shot our cannonballs at him, but…"

"You missed?" Meowth concluded sounding unimpressed and not surprised.

Misty could hear Ash laughing beside her. She began to worry that his laughing would reveal themselves. She was still dumbfounded that not one person on that ship bothered looking up, as she, Ash and Pikachu were hovering nearby, behind one sail.

"Was Pikachu with him?" James implored.

"Of course!" a different pirate piped.

Jessie was looking annoyed. Her shoulders were squared and her whole body tensed up. Her one fist was clenched so tight her knuckles were white. The other hand where the hook was shook in irritation. She opened her mouth to shout something, until the first pirate that spoke, revealed another major detail to the Ash sighting.

"There was a girl with him."

Jessie, James and Meowth stood flabbergasted. Misty gulped, not likely the looks on their faces. She assumed Ash being accompanied by someone other than Pikachu meant something major.

"He's never with anyone but that Pikachu," Jessie said, her tone still in shock.

Misty listened on, trying to understand why they appeared…worried, perhaps? Her gaze swept over to Jessie's and thought she noticed an eye twitch.

"What did the girl look like?" Jessie asked.

"All I could see of her was red hair," a new pirate noted.

Jessie exchanged looks with James and Meowth. They all looked as though they had a moment of realization. Jessie turned to the pirates again, her smile contorting into a wicked smile. "Oh, he's brought that big mouthed brat," Jessie said silkily, turning her hook hand in front of her.

Misty felt her head heat up in rage, but not wanting to expose herself, bit her tongue.

Jessie went on. "We know who this red haired twerp is…" She continued to look at her hook, almost bored. "We don't have to worry that much about her. We need to find him and capture Pikachu. And I devised a plan to ensnare them at the perfect place."

"How?" Meowth asked baffled.

"Quiet!" James told it. "Let Jessie speak."

Jessie's lips curled into another devilish smirk, her face hinting something in the works. "You will find out soon…"

Hobbling over to where everyone on the ship was gathered, the Archen cried out, grabbing everyone's attention, including Misty and Ash's.

"Archen! Archen!" it squawked, flapping its wings madly before pointing one of them up where Misty, Ash and Pikachu were floating. "Archen!"

The Captain and her crew all looked up, discovering the boy, his Pikachu and his friend in question.

"It's the twerps!" James gasped.

"And Pikachu!" Meowth shouted.

Misty flinched upon being noticed and looked to Ash to get a sign for their escape, but he remained hovering. His laughter had dissipated some, as his lips were still in a smile.

"How nice of you to come visit us, little boy!" Jessie snarled, motioning forward, once again brandishing her hooked hand. "Now surrender, or—"

"Or what?" Ash challenged, his arms crossed and his face in mock curiosity.

"I wouldn't try anything, twerp!" James warned with irritation. He turned to the other pirates and gave them a signal with a salute, and they all scrambled over the deck. A few of them stationed at the cannons and the others tossing out Pokeballs, releasing their Pokemon for a fight.

"Don't let them escape!" boomed Jessie, her eyes locked on Ash with such a fiery glower. Everyone scattered, Pokemon of the pirates included, launching cannonballs and attacks at Ash, Misty and Pikachu.

Out of nowhere a black cannonball nearly grazed Ash's hat, but missed striking the pole that held a sail in place. There was a loud crack, as the wood splintered started to timber backwards. More shots were fired, despite the ship dipping slightly into the water.

"Toss that sail overboard!" James shouted, racing to where the pole had crashed, a few pirate grunts helping out.

The others however tried their best to aim a cannon at the trio as Ash (Pikachu gripping tightly on his shoulder) and Misty dodged attacks in the air.

A large Golbat appeared in front of them, its mouth gaping wide, emitting supersonic waves. Misty and Ash clamped their ears shut, trying not to succumb to the earsplitting screech.

"Pika—chu, thundershock!" Ash commanded, holding his head tightly between his hands. His Pokemon partner shot an electric attack directly at the winged bat; causing it to falter downwards and ceasing its supersonic shrill.

They were not out of the line of fire, though. More cannons were flying towards them, narrowly missing each time. A few of the cannons continued to do more damage to the boat as Ash and Misty tried avoiding the blows behind the sails. Once most of the sails were destroyed, they had nowhere else to hide, especially since the previous Golbat had recovered instantly accompanied by another Golbat and a few Murkrows this time.

The Pokemon swarmed Ash and Misty, circling them in the sky and altogether whipped up a powerful gust attack. The wind lashed Misty's face and whipped debris into her eyes. With her eyes shut tightly, she lowered an arm to her waist, grabbing something. But then Misty just remembered that she had no Pokemon with her, only feeling the soft fabric of her pajama bottom.

"Ash! Let's get out of here!" Misty said, still unable to open her eyes fully without getting powerful wind blown right into them.

All three of them were still caught in the gust, making flying almost impossible.

"Pikachu, another thundershock!" Ash commanded and Pikachu leapt off his trainer's shoulder and emitted another, yet more powerful shock, rendering the flying Pokemon unconscious as they landed on the deck, paralyzed.

Taking the initiative, once they were free from the flying Pokemon, Misty lunged towards Ash and beckoned for them to fly away.

"No you don't!" Jessie shouted threateningly. She marched passed her cohorts and stood behind the largest cannon they had, pulling the rope, sending another cannon approaching.

As the cannonball grew closer, Misty commanded Pikachu in haste, "Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu sent one final electric shock, aiming it at the approaching cannonball, causing a giant explosion in the air. Luckily, for Misty, Ash and Pikachu, they were able to fly out of harm's reach, fleeing the ship's premises.

The explosion caused more sails to collapse and some caught fire; the whole deck shrouded in thick, choking smoke. The pirates were coughing and in frenzy, trying to put out the fires.

Jessie emerged from the smoke with James and Meowth by her side, all blackened from the smoke. Jessie glared into the cloudy abyss, feeling more rage than before. "He'll pay."

"W—wha—what are we going to do?" James coughed, holding onto his chest.

Jessie did not turn to look at James or Meowth. She scowled resolutely, her mind in a reverie. "We go after the redhead, first."

Ash, Misty and Pikachu had flown at a considerable speed. They retreated back to the campsite in the middle of the jungle.

Misty's feet crashed onto the leafy surface, her legs staggering at the pull of gravity. Ash, landed on his feet with ease as Pikachu hopped off.

"That was quite a show," Ash mused.

Misty was crouched, holding onto her knees for support as she tried to catch her breath. Who knew flying could be so exhausting? After another moment of collecting herself, Misty looked at Ash in bewilderment. "Does this happen all the time?" she panted. She traveled with Ash long enough to be familiar with Team Rocket's antics. But this time was different. She was stunned that Team Rocket still had it out for Ash, but this time they had more support.

"Sometimes," Ash replied simply, walking over to two trees nearby that held a makeshift hammock. He settled himself there, his arms behind his head for support and one leg touching the ground, swaying the hammock back and forth. "But this time was way more exciting than normal."

Misty cocked a brow in confusion. This little excursion to the pirate ship was pretty exciting by her standards. She didn't know whether to feel angry at Ash for leading them into trouble or glad that she had the opportunity to encounter pirates; be it Team Rocket or not.

"You know you could've gotten us killed?" Misty said.

Ash stopped swinging the hammock, locking eyes with Misty's. "But I didn't. You can trust me, Misty." His lips stretched into a cocky smile.

"I can always trust Pikachu," Misty corrected.

Ash flinched at Misty's comment. He knew she was right. If not for Pikachu, they would have been seriously hurt and likely in the hands of Team Rocket.

Misty gave him a "you-know-I'm-right" face. Ash huffed, agreeing. "Yeah…" He turned to Pikachu, who was now in Misty's arms. "Thanks, buddy," he said warmly. Pikachu only returned Ash's thanks with a cheery "Cha!"

"So now what?" Misty asked, thinking about the event. "Are they going to come looking for you?" Her face looked worried. Team Rocket was persistent, never knowing when to throw in the towel.

"Don't worry," Ash said, his relaxed nature returned. He began to sway the hammock back and forth again, staring up into the leaves that shaded him from the hot sun. "You know Team Rocket…"

Misty looked down at Pikachu who seemed not too worried at all like its trainer. "Yeah." Misty sighed, taking a seat on the soft ground, rubbing the top of Pikachu's head. "Let's just take a breather for now."

"Mhm," Ash concurred, his eyes getting droopy. "It sure is quiet right now."

"I'll say," Misty, agreed absentmindedly. But, Misty then noticed that it was too quiet. They were just in this very campsite not too long ago, and it was bustling with chatter. She looked around her, only seeing Ash and Pikachu. The whole campsite was deserted, but there was still evidence of people staying here.

"Where is everyone?" Misty said out loud.

Ash, who had been in a daze, perked up, raising his upper body to check around him. "Uh…"

There was no one sight but Misty, staring at him oddly. There was something strange about this picture.

"Did everyone venture off somewhere?" Misty asked, thinking it might be the norm for Ash's friends to meander through the island. After all, they ran into Bonnie in the Fairy Hollow, and she went back after lunch. So perhaps everyone else did the same?

"I don't know," Ash said, looking puzzled. "I can't help but think that…"

"What?" Misty said her voice with a hint of worry.

Ash turned to her with a weak smile, scratching the back of his head. "N-nothing," he stammered.

Misty knew something was up. Even Ash felt weary about the whole thing.

"They could've just gone exploring," Misty suggested, trying to suppress her worries. "I mean Bonnie heads out on her own, right?"

"Yeah, but…" Ash got off the hammock, looking around for signs of any of his friends. "I'll check the treehouse." Ash soared up to the treehouse, disappearing briefly.

Misty got up as well, walking around the campsite. She noticed that the fire in the pit was put out and the pot and dishes were cleaned. Then her eyes diverted to the curious metal contraption that Clemont was working on earlier.

Ash descended back to the jungle floor. "No sign of them."

"Then they must have headed out," Misty deduced, sounding a little calmer. "They're boys. I don't think anyone of them would want to stay here all day."

"I know," Ash agreed, though still looked stumped. "It's just that there's always someone here. And I just have a weird feeling."

Misty's calm demeanor melted away again. Ash was usually on the optimistic side and this time he was having doubts. She didn't know what to say for a moment, her gaze swept the jungle ground.

"Hey look," Misty said abruptly, bending down to what looked like Tracey's sketchbook, which featured a half finished sketch of Spritzee. "This is Tracey's."

"What's his sketchbook doing here?" Ash asked, looming over Misty. "He never goes anywhere without it."

Misty agreed silently. Tracey always had it with him. Anytime he visited the Cerulean Gym, he had a sketchbook in his possession, even if just running an errand or dropping by for a visit.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out from across the campsite. Ash and Misty rushed over to see what Pikachu had discovered. It was pointing towards a wide opening that was not there before. It looked as if it had been created by something.

Misty took a step forward into the clearing, looked straight ahead. She couldn't see much of anything or any other sign of Ash's friends. She did, however, catch a whiff of fire. "It smells like something burned."

Ash stuck his nose in the opening and sniffed. "It does." Both were now examining the clearing from where they stood, hesitant to make another step. "Was there a fire?" Ash wondered, lifting himself off the ground and touching the charred leaves, before wincing at the contact. "It's hot!"

"Of course, it was burned," Misty, reminded. "It must've been a fire type Pokemon."

"A really strong one," Ash said tersely.

Pikachu's ears suddenly picked up the sound of something faint. Misty and Ash looked over to the electric rodent, watching it closely as it examined the opening further. Then they heard it. It was like in the Fairy Hollow, the sound of rustling branches.

The sound of footsteps was approaching and Misty and Ash both assumed that their friends had returned at last, giving them a piece of mind.

Pikachu didn't think so. It got into a threatened stance like it did back in the Fairy Hollow.

"Brock, Tracey?" Misty called out. "Is that you?"

"Max? Gary? Hellooooo?" Ash crowed, cupping his hands around his mouth. His voice echoed, but it did not mask the footsteps that were closing in on the campsite.

From ahead in the dark clearing, Misty and Ash saw a few figures. But they didn't seem to match the profiles of their friends. The figures were rushing now, and another inhuman silhouette appeared behind them, the creature's strides causing the ground to quake.

Ash and Misty took a few steps backwards, awaiting the incoming visitors. But for Misty this was beginning to feel like déjà vu and she didn't think this time a young girl like Bonnie would emerge.

"Let's get out of here," she said harshly.

Ash nodded, calling Pikachu. "Pikachu, come here!" Pikachu obeyed his partner's request and jumped right into Misty's open arms, as she and Ash both took flight.

Not after a moment in the air, though, Ash and Misty were whacked with something heavy and they crashed onto the ground. It happened so fast. Ash winced as he got up, helping Misty onto her feet and checking on Pikachu.

"Ow, what was that?" Misty groaned in pain.

Ash stood frozen, not responding to his friend; his baleful eyes fixated to something in front of them. Misty flinched upon seeing a group of humans she was not familiar with.

Standing in front of them, four men and one woman. They were all draped in cloaks and looked fiercely at Ash and Misty. The woman looked to be an elderly woman with a coral colored head wrap, which was adorned with a green necklace at the top. The four men all dressed similarly to one another, wearing matching dark cloaks that fell just an inch above the ground, exposing their bare feet. One man stood out from the rest as he was tall and masked his mouth with a white beard.

These strangers were not the most terrifying things present, however. Next to the bearded man was a towering dragon Haxorus. It stood with its large hind legs. Its talons were as red as its sharp tusks, which were easily the scariest feature it held.

Landing behind Ash and Misty was another dragon. It was a Flygon, the thing that attacked Ash and Misty in midair.

Despite the fearsome dragons surrounding them, Ash bravely demanded, "What do you want?"

Haxorus growled loudly, but it did not render a flinch from Ash. Pikachu glowered at the dragon, sparks emitting from its electric sacs.

"You ought to know," the bearded man spat. The others nodded in agreement. The tension that had built was extremely thick. "Tell us where she is."

Ash looked at Misty with a confused look. Misty was equally as baffled. She returned her gaze back at these strangers. "Who is she?" she said meekly.

The bearded man scoffed, causing his Haxorus to hiss. "Don't play any games, girl."

"But we're not," Misty retorted, her voice not as quiet as before. "Wait a second, where's our friends!" Misty assumed that either Haxorus or Flygon had burned that opening in the jungle.

"Where is she?" the bearded man growled, ignoring Misty's question.

"We don't know who you're talking about!" Ash snapped, stepping ahead of Misty. "What did you do to our friends?"

"Answer my question boy!"

"Answer mine!"

There was an echoing silence after the spat. Ash had gotten much closer to the bearded man, trying to stare him down. And after a moment's silence, the bearded man formed a smirk. "You're very brave for a young boy. But that doesn't mean I'll take it easy on you."

Ash remained resolute, not moving his gaze anywhere else. Through gritted teeth he demanded once more, "What did you do to my friends?"

The bearded man looked at Ash in astonishment, almost as if he was impressed with Ash's determination.

"Well?" Ash prodded.

"We seized them," the bearded man said simply.

"What for?" Misty spoke up after a while.

The bearded man finally redirected his eyes at her. She only returned his frigid stare with a look of utter courage.

"We kidnapped them for ransom," the bearded man went on, turning his face to his Haxorus. He rubbed the dragon's broad, armored shoulder with pride. "They were all so scared of Haxorus here," the man snickered wickedly, his members laughing alongside him.

This only infuriated Ash, Misty and Pikachu all the more. They weren't going to cave in so easily.

"Ah, the spiky-haired boy was a lot like you," the bearded man continued, pointing to Ash. Misty had assumed that the man was speaking of Gary. "He demanded to know why we were here. But, once I explained to them the reason for our presence, they all yammered about they don't know about the girl."

"For the last time, who is the girl?" Misty bombarded the bearded man's story with agitation.

"The dragon Princess!" the man snarled. "Iris!"

"What happened to Iris?" Ash asked, looking concerned.

"Stop acting stupid," the man scoffed once more. "You kidnapped her!"

"We did not!" Ash screamed, stomping his foot. "Iris is a friend of mine, and I would never do anything bad to her!"

Misty listened on. The name Iris was familiar to her. She remembers hearing about her in one of Ash's letters. From what she can recall, Iris was a dragon trainer. And now she was missing and Misty felt her heart ache with worry.

"Tell us where is now, or you'll join your friends!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried, hopping in between Ash and the bearded man. Haxorus stepped in for his master, hissing loudly at Pikachu. Pikachu wasn't scared at all, though, its tail began to glow, ready to strike with an iron tail, if need be.

"Drayden stop!" a young male's voice called out from afar. Everyone, person and Pokemon tried to find the source of the voice.

Emerging from the gaping opening in the jungle, a Dragonite flew out, carrying a red haired man that Misty recognized. The man on the Dragonite flew over to where the stand off was taking place. The mighty Dragonite's wings batting a light gust as it hovered between the dragon trainers and Ash and Misty.

"They're telling the truth!" the red haired boy said, his cape flowing in the breeze that his Dragonite created.

"But Lance, where could she be then?" Drayden asked, with a look of doubt on his face.

"I know them," Lance answered, looking down at Misty and Ash with a smile. "Ash and Misty are good people and Ash is friends with Iris."

Drayden still wasn't convinced. He and his fellow dragon trainers shared an inquisitive look.

"Trust me," Lance begged. "They would never."

Drayden gave Ash and Misty another look, before trusting Lance's judgment. The tension began to melt away but everyone was still in frenzy about where Iris was. And Ash and Misty still demanded to know where their friends were and if they were all right.

"Where are our friends?" Ash asked, looking up Lance.

Lance couldn't respond and instead shot Drayden a harsh look.

"They're back in our village," Drayden spat, still not one hundred percent trusting of Ash.

"Take us to them," Misty said.

"But what about Iris?" Drayden interrupted. "No one's getting loose until we know where Iris is."

Lance sighed, feeling as if anything he said was futile. Drayden was a hard person to convince, but Lance knew that Ash and Misty were innocent and he would defend them at all costs. "I'm sure their friends didn't take her either."

And with a gesture to Ash, Misty and Pikachu to climb onto Dragonite's back, Lance ordered his dragon to lead the way. "I'll take you to your friends. And sorry about Drayden." Lance whispered the last part. They all vanished into the clearing, en route to the village.

The village was not too far from the campsite, which is probably why Drayden ambushed their friends. It was much bigger than the campsite, having enough room for various small huts, a long stream running though most of the village. The village was very quiet at the moment, a few villagers hanging out in the center.

The villagers greeted Lance with warmth as he soared closer to the ground. Passing by several huts, Dragonite finally landed right in front of the most lonesome hut in the village.

Clambering off the dragon Pokemon, Misty followed Lance and Ash (Pikachu running along) inside.

There their friends were, tightly bound in a circle with rope and their mouths gagged with handkerchiefs. Upon seeing Ash and Misty, everyone began mumbling loudly.

Lance untied them and the boys removed their gags. They all stretched out their limbs, feeling relief to be unbound at last. Clemont, however, rushed to Ash, grabbing hold of his shoulders with a look of sheer worry on his face.

"Where's Bonnie?" he cried out.

"You mean she's not here?" Misty asked, her eyes shaking.

Clemont shook his head, which dipped down. He was trembling, causing Cilan to put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We're going to find her, and Max," the green haired boy said.

Ash's eyes widened in disbelief. "Max isn't here either?"

"No," Brock said solemnly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What happened?" Misty asked sounding distressed.

"Bonnie had returned from Fairy Hollow," Clemeont whimpered. "But she and Max went into the jungle to go pick some berries for the Pokemon."

Clemont did not look up. His voice was beginning to crack at how distressed he was over his sister's disappearance.

"Then what happened?" Ash implored, looking over to his other friends for the rest of the story.

"Not long after they left, we heard screaming," Gary said, tilting his neck to one side, relieving the stiffness. "Sounded like Bonnie and Max."

"We all ran out to look for them, but fell in this hole," Tracey continued.

Brock nodded. "Then we were captured by some of the dragon villagers. Accused us of taking Iris."

"I asked them if they had seen my sister and Max, but they said they didn't."

"Dedenne's missing too," Cilan said. "Spritzee took off a while ago. Maybe back home."

Misty's heart wrenched at the idea of three people missing; first Iris, now Bonnie, Max and Clemont's Dedenne.

"I'll find them!" Ash stated with a determined glow in his eyes. "I'll find Iris, Bonnie, Max and Dedenne!"

"We'll all look," Lance said for the first time since entering the hut.

"I'm going to look too!" Clemont said, his head rising. "Ash take me with you."

Ash shook his head, waving his hands in front of him. "You and everyone else check the jungle, the hollow and the beach."

"But—B-" Clemont stuttered, not understanding why he couldn't accompany his friend on his quest to find Bonnie.

Ash grasped Clemont's shoulders gently, giving him a sincere gaze. "I promise I'll find her Clemont," Ash said kindly. "I'll search the island by sky."

Clemont nodded, trusting his friend. At least he and the other boys were now free to search on land.

"Dragonite and I will look too," Lance said.

"Right!" Ash said with a curt nod. "Everyone check the island for any sign of them."

"Right!" the boys agreed affirmatively.

Ash lowered his arm to let Pikachu crawl onto his shoulder. "Let's go buddy." Pikachu obliged, climbing on swiftly.

"I'm coming too," Misty said as she followed Ash outside of the hut.

Ash paused before leaping into the air, turning to Misty. "Huh? You look with the others on land."

Misty rolled her eyes. "I'm coming."

"Misty…"

"Shut up," Misty said at once, already knowing what sort of speech Ash was going to recite. "If I don't come, you're sure to get captured too." She gave him a playful sneer.

Ash sighed, putting his hands up in surrender. "Fine, let's get going."

"Right!"

They kicked their feet off the ground; flying passed the village. Misty followed Ash's lead. She couldn't help but wonder that he had an idea where to start.

"Where are we going first?" Misty asked, reaching Ash's pace.

"I know where they are," Ash said.

"What'd you mean?"

"I know where they are," Ash repeated, giving Misty nervous look.

"Where?" Misty asked.

"Team Rocket has them."

Team Rocket? It made sense to Misty, as she knew the kind of people they were. But she still had a weird feeling about whether they were able to kidnap three people, especially a dragon princess, so easily.

"Why didn't you tell us back there?"

"I didn't want Clemont to worry any more than he already is."

Misty couldn't help but admire her friend's concern for another friend. And Ash was worried about Iris, Bonnie, Max and Dedenne. He was very determined on finding them and bringing them back safely.

"Then where are we going? Back to the ship?"

Ash shook his head, looking down as they were now above the lagoon once more. "We're going inside the cavern."

TO BE CONTINUED…