Chapter 20

*Undella Town*

"WHAT?!"

Everyone turned and saw Ash rushing towards them upon hearing what the girls said.

"Where are they now?!"

"They took off! We were just talking then all of a sudden this mechanical hand came down and grabbed Pikachu! We-" Dawn explained, but was interrupted half way.

"Why didn't you stop them?!" Ash asked frantically

"We tried to, Ash! We-we just couldn't! They were really fast; before we could react their airship just disappeared!" May said

"What do you mean disappeared? How could it have just disappear?!"

"I don't know it just did it!"

"Then-"

"Ash, calm down!" Brock said.

"How do you expect me to calm down?!"

"This has happened before! Don't worry we can get Pikachu back, just CALM DOWN!" Brock said, holding on to Ash by his shoulder and shaking him slightly. But the latter simply pushed him away.

"Ash, we're really sorry!" May said, totally disappointed that she couldn't save Pikachu. Ash didn't even respond to her. He just stood there with his hands on his waist as he starred at the ground.

"Come on guys, we should start looking for them!" Max said

"Wait, we need a plan! I suggest we let our flying pokémon to search from air while we search around the place." Brock said.

"Okay!" the others agreed in unison

"I think there's not a need to…"

"Ash, what are you talking about?" Dawn asked with bewilderment. Ash didn't say a word. He looked anywhere except the concerned faces of his friends. He swallowed back his tears and took in a deep breath as he tries to explain himself.

"I'm just…thinking that it might not be Team Rocket who got Pikachu."

"Then who do you think it is?" Dawn asked softly.

"It might be Hunter J…" Ash said, trying to control his tears from falling. 'How could I have neglected that?!'

"But why would you think it's Hunter J?" asked Max.

"Who else's airship would just vanish into thin air like that…?" Ash barely whispered out his answer.

"I think we should just wait." Ash suggested, after a long pause of silence, "I'm sure she'll come back again, since it's not Pikachu she wants."

"We should inform Officer Jenny about this." Brock offered

"Okay…"

*Certain airship*

"Pika! Pikachuuuuuu! Pika!"

"Shut it you!" Giovanni shouted at the yellow mouse pokémon, who tried and tried to escape from the container. Despite the electric efforts, the container showed no sign of breakage at all.

"Tell me again, Giovanni, how would this pathetic Pikachu help us in any way of getting the boy?" Hunter J asked, as Pikachu glared at her, with electric sparking at his cheeks.

"According to these fellow members," Giovanni pointed to the usual Team Rocket trio, "the boy never gives up on his pokémon. And since this Pikachu is closest to him, we may as well use him to bait for the boy."

"Good. I guess all we have to do is to wait for the boy to come to us now instead."

"That's right. And then, I shall proceed with my plan…"

"And eliminate the boy."

"Excuse me?"

"The boy would be useless once you retrieve aura power from him. Why would there be a need to keep him?"

"That's true."

"Well then if you excuse me, I shall proceed on to get him." Hunter J said, proceeding back to her airship. The Team Rocket trio gulped as she walked past them.

"You three, good information you've provided, now get out and wait for other instructions." Giovanni said, waving them off.

"Yes sir! Thank you sir!" Pikachu watched as they walked off. He glared back at Giovanni, who simply looked at his documents and smirked. Pikachu could only sit in the container, since he had lost all energy trying to break free.

'Pikapi…'

*Outside the airship*

"Did you hear what J said?" Jessie whispered, since there were still some guards around.

"Yes, she wants to eliminate the twerp. And her eliminate means…" Meowth said.

"Kill! Murder! She wants murder the twerp! However annoying the twerp maybe, I don't think he deserves to die!" James exclaimed. Meowth quickly slapped his mouth shut with his paws, "Shut it James! Wait till we get further from this place!"

Jessie looked around. Team Rocket's airship is still behind them, but Hunter J's one is nowhere to be found.

"What do we do? I don't think I can take it! It is cruel to kill someone when they've done nothing wrong!" James continued once Meowth let go of him.

"What do you think we can do? It's already good enough that we've finally got a recognition from the boss, are you going to spoil it?!" Jessie said.

"Of course I won't want to spoil it. But, I don't think I have the heart to see an innocent boy die either." Meowth said, shedding a tear.

"Well, me too… But like I said, it's not like we can do anything. Even if we rebel, we'll just get kick out..." Jessie said sadly.

"Is rebel really all we can do?" James thought out loud, as the trio walked on in silence.