A week later…
"Yohana, dear, why don't you go get something to eat? You've barely left Ash's side since we got here, probably before that too." Delia told Yohana.
Yohana felt a sense of foreboding, like something would happen if she left. "No thank you, Mrs. Ketchum. I'm fine."
"Yohana, honestly!" Misty said. "You're sleep-deprived; you're hungry; you need a break! We'll watch over Ash while you're gone! Don't worry about a thing!"
"But…" Yohana began as Misty pulled her to her feet and pushed her towards the door. "I…"
"Don't worry! We'll be fine!" Misty assured her.
"Fine. I'll be back in half an hour. Don't go anywhere." Yohana said sternly.
"We won't! Have a nice break!" Misty replied as Yohana left the room.
After the girl was gone, the rest of the group gave a sigh of relief.
"It's about time she took a real break!" Brock said. "She's only left the room to go to the bathroom the whole time Ash has been in his coma!"
"Is it just me, or is that girl hiding something?" Professor Oak asked. "When she visited us to get her pokedex and all, she asked us not to tell anyone she'd been there. Then, this all starts up. What's going on?"
"Yohana told you not to tell anyone she'd been there?" Brock asked in disbelief.
"Yes, she said it was important no one knew where she'd been." Delia replied.
"Was she challenging the gyms?" Brock asked. Delia nodded. "That makes me wonder… I'll be right back!"
He returned a few minutes later with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Where'd you…" Misty began to ask.
"It's just as I thought." Brock interrupted. "Yohana made the same request at the Pewter City Gym. Except she admitted to my dad and Forrest that if anyone found out she was challenging the gyms, they'd know where to wait for her. What could that possibly mean?"
"It means that Yohana's in danger and she knows it." Misty said.
"But who…" Brock began, but was stopped by the sound of shattering windows.
Team Rocket had found them.
Meanwhile…
With her enhanced hearing, Yohana heard the windows shatter from downstairs. Immediately, she got up and, abandoning her half-eaten meal, raced towards Ash's room. She heard a gunshot just as she arrived.
"NO!" She heard Delia, Professor Oak, Brock, and Misty yell in unison.
She peeked through the cracked door. There was an almost invisible, tinted blue shield covering Ash.
"You're awake." She said to Ash telepathically.
"Yes. Now help me pretend to die. I can't hold the shield up forever." Ash replied, eyes still closed.
Yohana gave a slight nod and, at the next gunshot, made the illusion that the bullet had hit Ash instead of bouncing off the shield. She made pretend blood leak through his shirt.
The lead rocket put his gun away and smirked. "There's no chance of saving him now. Come on. We'll take the witnesses with us. Bait for the girl."
Yohana felt anger burn through her, but managed to focus on the task at hand.
"Yohana, you have to help them. I'm too weak. It has to be you." Ash thought to her.
Yohana gave another slight nod and flung open the door. "You're not taking them anywhere." She panted as if she'd just been running, although running didn't usually make her tired.
"You're too late, girl. Your boyfriend is dead. You can't possibly save him." The lead rocket sneered.
"Maybe I can't save him, but I can save them! Leafeon! I need you now!" Yohana shouted.
(A little caged up right now, Yohana!) Leafeon pointed out, dangling from a cage in one of the rocket grunts' hands.
"I'm afraid your Leafeon isn't able to help you right now, girl!" The lead rocket snickered. "You'll have to use some of your own moves, won't you?"
"Gloom! Come on out!" Yohana yelled, yanking a pokeball off her belt and throwing it.
"Alrighty then. Come on out, Geodude." The lead rocket threw a pokeball as well. "Use Rock Throw!"
"Gloom! Dodge and use Sleep Powder! Then, use Acid!" Yohana commanded.
The Sleep Powder missed and soon the battle was rapidly turning for the worst.
Yohana was astonished when the lead rocket returned his pokemon. "Wha-what are you…" That was when she noticed Delia, Brock, Misty, Professor Oak, Pikachu, Leafeon, and the Team Rocket grunts were gone.
"We'll meet again, girl." The lead rocket sneered, jumping out the window.
"NO!" Yohana cried. She ran to the window just in time to see the rockets getting away in a helicopter. "No…"
She sank to her knees. "I… I failed…"
Someone put their arm around her shoulders and whispered. "We'll rescue them. Together."
"You should be in bed, Ash." Yohana said half-heartedly. "You said yourself that you're too weak right now to help."
Ash blushed and crawled back over to the bed.
The doctors arrived just then. Two helped Ash back into bed while three others inquired about what had just happened.
Yohana explained the best she could, to the doctors then, and to Officer Jenny later.
"I tried to save them, but they distracted me while they got away." She whispered. "They took my Leafeon too."
(I'm sorry I let you down, Mistress Yohana.) Gloom mumbled sadly.
"Oh, Gloom. It's not your fault. You did everything you could to help." Yohana told her. "It was your first real battle too. You did so well in holding up the fort. I just wish I'd noticed what was happening in the background." The last part was to both Gloom and Officer Jenny.
"Thank you for telling us what you know. We'll do our best to find and rescue them." Officer Jenny said, standing up.
"I want to help." Yohana announced, also standing up. "And I know Ash will too once he's better."
"It's best we don't involve Ash in this. He's still hurt." Officer Jenny responded.
"These are his friends and family we're talking about. Knowing Ash, he won't take no for an answer. Also, by the time you locate them, Ash will be well enough to handle it." Yohana argued.
"Neither of you should be involved. You're children." Officer Jenny replied.
"We can handle it, Officer Jenny. Neither of us will take no for an answer. Either you involve us, or we go it alone. Your choice." Yohana told her.
Officer Jenny sighed, defeated. "If Ash is well by the time we find them, you can both come with. If not, I'll have to ask you to stay behind and watch over him."
"Deal." Yohana agreed, putting out her hand.
"Good." Officer Jenny said, shaking Yohana's hand.
"Come on, Gloom. Let's go back to Ash." Yohana said, turning and heading for the door, Gloom following.
Officer Jenny watched her leave. "Poor kids. They shouldn't have to be dealing with such a serious matter at their age. I just hope they'll be all right."