Chapter 26
*Somewhere in Unova Region*
"And when I tried to call Ash, no one answered the phone. Not even Nurse Joy! [due to Jigglypuff's doing] Though after that she did answer the phone, but she said Ash and his friends never came back to the pokémon center that night!" Professor Oak finished telling everything to Delia, whose face was pale throughout. She took in a deep breath to calm herself down as she tries to register what she have just heard.
"I'm terribly sorry, Delia. I should have told you sooner. But I was still concerned on whether Ash would want to talk to you himself instead. I'm so sorry…"
"It's not entirely your fault, Samuel, don't blame yourself. Let's just hope that Ash will be okay…" Delia said simply.
Professor Oak nodded, and decided to keep quiet. They are now in a car, on their way to the pokémon center in Undella Town. With a bit of luck they may still be able to track down where Ash and his friends have gone.
"He's my only son…"
Professor Oak looked up and saw Delia crying. She quickly wiped her tears away and continued, "I love and treasure him so much ever since he was born… I can't afford to lose him…"
Professor Oak sighed and held Delia closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder as she sobbed.
"Ash… Please be okay…"
*In a storage room*
"I've got it!" Pikachu hurriedly jumped into one of the boxes containing pokeballs. He picked up a random one and tossed it upwards. The pokeball opened and a Rhydon appeared.
"What are you doing, Pikachu?" Piplup asked, as he watched the Rhydon fearfully.
"Master, master! Where are you?" Rhydon looked around confusingly, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Rhydon, we need your help! You've been stolen here along with all these other pokémons. You've got to help us escape!" Pikachu explained. Piplup's face brightened up as he realized what Pikachu has in mind.
"What are you talking about? Wasn't I suppose to be at the pokémon center? Where's my trainer? What's going on?!" Rhydon started pacing about nervously, but was stopped by Pikachu.
"Rhydon, you have to calm down! Don't you want to get out of here?"
"Yes! Okay, what am I supposed to do?"
"Look, my best friend is in danger, just like us. I need your help to blow this place up!"
"Erm…Okay!"
"RHYYYYYYYYDON!" Rhydon used rock blast right inside the storage room. When the smoke disappeared, the room is a huge mess, and the door is blasted open.
*In the airship's control room*
"Hey, that room just exploded!"
Jessie and James looked towards one of the boxes on the screen that Meowth pointed. True enough the room was totally damaged, and a Rhydon could be seen inside it.
"Well, must be that Rhydon's fault. Oh well, back to business!" Jessie said, as she clicked a few buttons, and the images on the screen changed.
"There! There's the twerps!" James pointed out. Jessie clicked on the box, and the screen zoomed in on it.
"Oh, seems like they've been caged up! Meowth said.
"Never mind them, we have to find the main twerp first. He's probably in much more danger than they are." Jessie said. She was about to click away, but James stopped her.
"Wait! Look, the twerps are crying."
"Oh yeah, and they're all looking outside too."
"You're right Meowth! And I bet they must be looking at their friend!" James said, "Come on Jessie, the main twerp should be there!"
"Hold on, James! Be a little smarter! Let's look for the key to that cage too."
"But we've got no time! What if-" wailed James, as his eyes widened, "What if they're killing the main twerp now?! We've got to go!"
"WAIT! Not so fast!" Jessie shrieked, grabbing a card by the side of the desk just in time as James pulled her away. Meowth hurried along behind them.
*Another part of the airship*
'I can't let them win. I have to… stop it… somehow…'
Ash has lost most of his strength for now. He had to struggle just to keep his eyes open, for he knew once he shuts them, he'll be gone from this world forever.
"ASH!" May cried. Dawn and Max were sobbing and begging for them to stop. Brock had released his pokémons to help. But the result was the same; they were all taken away, or even taken out, by the grunts and henchmen.
"Ash… Please don't die… Please hang on…" May whispered to herself. She clutched her hands tightly onto her chest as she felt the pain in her heart. 'I love you, Ash. I haven't even got the chance to tell you that yet… So you better not die on me!'
'…hang on… I love you, Ash.' May's voice ranged in Ash's mind. He didn't even realize that he was sub-consciously reading her mind. But then again, he was too weak to know what he was doing.
'I won't die, May. I won't let them get my aura…I won't… I won't!'
A whiff of conscious struck upon Ash, as he felt his energy slowly building back up again.
'The machine…stopped?'
"What the hell is going on?! Why have the machine stopped?!" Giovanni demanded. The grunts swallowed as their boss looked towards all of them, seemingly looking for an answer. However none of them knew how to operate the machine.
May and the others heaved a relief when they saw Ash with his eyes wide open.
"You two, bring that doctor here!" two grunts rushed out and returned with a beaten-up Dr. Kroaf.
"You! Examine this stupid machine!" Giovanni commanded. This time he drew out a gun and pointed it right at Dr. Kroaf's head, "Do it!"
The terrified doctor started checking on the machine. After a while he turned towards Giovanni, "The-the machine stopped…b-because this boy stopped it."
"WHAT?! How is that possible?!"
"I won't…let you get my aura… No way…" Ash said weakly.
Giovanni gave him a hostile look, before turning back to Dr. Kroaf, "Explain!"
"H-he stopped it…somehow…with his aura…b-because now it's totally inaccessible."
In a flash, Giovanni pushed the doctor away and pointed the gun at Ash. But before he could say anything, Ash beat him to it.
"Not over my dead body…"
Hunter J immediately ordered a grunt to open up the lock. She pulled May out, with the rest too shock to do anything, and held her at a head lock. With her other hand, she pointed her gun directly towards May's head.
"Then what about her?"