8:00 pm…

"We're here." Pallet Town Officer Jenny announced.

"How long did it take to get here?" Ash asked, yawning.

"Did you fall asleep?" Yohana asked. Ash nodded and Yohana hit her head. "It's been about an hour. Wake yourself up, because things get serious right here and now."

Ash nodded again and got out of the car.

They walked for about twenty minutes before sighting the Team Rocket base through the trees.

"It looks like an old power plant." Yohana noticed.

"That's because it is." Vermilion City Officer Jenny said. "An abandoned power plant that hasn't been used in years. Team Rocket is using it as headquarters. How could we have not thought to look for them here before?"

"Probably because this wasn't always their headquarters." Yohana said. "It used to be in Viridian City before it got blown up during a captive jailbreak."

"You're talking about the gym? The gym was Team Rocket's headquarters?" A normal officer asked. "How do you know this?"

"I rescued Ash from there. That was the same night it was blown up." Yohana explained.

Everyone except Ash gaped at her.

"We'd best continue before we're noticed." Yohana added quickly, drawing them back to the present.

They began executing the plan. Each pair had come up with an excuse as to where they'd been and why they were coming back. Ash and Yohana used the excuse that they'd been searching for Entei, were in the area, and decided to report back to the boss about their progress.

The guard gruffly instructed them to an area where they could wait until Giovanni was done dealing with some prisoners. This information was passed on to a pair from Group B once inside.

"Let's start by searching this way." Yohana suggested in a whisper. She and Ash took a left. They'd been searching for quite a while when Ash realized something.

"What the… I'm so stupid!" He groaned.

"What is it?" Yohana asked quietly.

"My aura! We can find them with my aura!" Ash replied hitting his head.

Yohana shoved him. "You idiot! Why didn't you think of that sooner?! Never mind! Just lead the way!"

Ash closed his eyes, and, grasping Yohana's hand, took off in the direction they'd been going. He took the first right then the second left then the next right and finally crashed into a door.

"Ash! Be careful!" Yohana spoke telepathically.

"Sorry, I…" Ash's reply was cut off when the door swung open to reveal a very angry Giovanni.

"What do you want?! You know not to disturb Prisoner Questionings!" Giovanni hissed.

"We're sorry, Sir." Ash replied in a very gruff voice that sounded nothing like his own. "We're new here and lost our way. We were headed to the holding cells to take over for…"

"Never mind your excuses! The holding cells are down this hall, take a right, down the stairs, and to the left! Take this stubborn brat down there while you're at it!" Giovanni shoved Misty into Ash's surprised arms. "Get on it!"

"Yes, Sir!" Ash nodded quickly and started dragging Misty down the hall.

"Let me go!" Misty shouted. "Unless you want a black eye, I suggest you…"

"Shut up, girl!" Yohana yelled, also using a false voice. "We don't want to hear your crap!"

This angered Misty more. "I don't care if my hands are tied behind my back! I am so going to beat you up! Just you wait! I'll…"

They turned the corner and came face to face with two more grunts wearing blue wristbands.

"Beautiful weather today, isn't it?" The male grunt asked.

Ash looked around. "I thought I saw a rainbow earlier."

"You seem to have had success so far." The female 'grunt' said.

"Huh?" Misty was confused. "What do you mean by…"

"Giovanni's an idiot!" Yohana interrupted in a whisper. "He handed us Misty and told us exactly where the holding cells are!"

Misty turned to look at her in surprise.

"Where are they? We'll spread the word and get Misty out of here." The female 'grunt' said.

"Down those stairs and to the left." Ash pointed.

Misty recognized his voice. "Ash? But you were…"

"I'll explain later. Go with them. You can trust them." Ash told her.

"Alright… but you should know that your mom, Brock, and Professor Oak were in that room with me." Misty said.

"That reminds me." Ash said, turning to the two 'grunts'. "Send us Group B. We know where Giovanni is."

The 'grunts' stared at him in surprise.

"Who know the two non-officers would be the most successful?" The female 'grunt' shook her head in disbelief. "Wait here. We'll get both groups to come meet you here. Come on, Misty." She pushed Misty lightly in the other direction.

"But I want to help!" Misty protested.

"You don't even have your pokemon. How are you going to help?" The male 'grunt' said. "Now come on. We're going to get you out of here."

"My pokemon…" Misty said.

"We'll get them to you, but you need to cooperate." The female 'grunt' replied.

Misty bowed her head in defeat and murmured to Ash and Yohana. "Good luck you two."

"We won't let you down." Ash told her.

Misty smiled at him before walking off with the other two.

Ash and Yohana waited a full half an hour for the groups to come meet them. Finally, they heard footsteps, but it wasn't the officers.

Giovanni frowned at Ash and Yohana. Brock, Delia, and Professor Oak were standing behind him, being held by a bunch of real grunts. "I thought you two were taking over for some guards at the holding cells."

"You must have us confused with someone else." Yohana said in her false voice.

"No no. I know it was you two I gave that stubborn girl to." Giovanni circled the two. "What might you be doing up here? And where, may I ask, is the girl?"

"Well, we took her down to her cell and then went to take over the post, but it ended up we weren't needed. We didn't know what to do, so we decided to just hang out here." Ash attempted in the gruff voice.

"Why is it I don't believe you?" Giovanni asked, getting up close to Ash, who closed his eyes and looked away.

"I don't know, Sir. I'm telling you the truth." Ash said.

Just then, a large group of grunts rounded the corner. Half were wearing blue wristbands and half were wearing green.

Giovanni stood up straight and turned to face the grunts. "What are you all doing away from your tasks? Get back to work."

"Beautiful weather today, isn't it, kids?" A grunt, whose voice Ash and Yohana recognized as Lance's, said.

"I thought I saw a rainbow earlier." Yohana replied as calmly as she could. She then added. "Down the stairs and to the left."

Most of the blue wrist banded 'grunts' raced down the stairs.

"What's going on here?!" Giovanni demanded as Ash and Yohana ran towards the 'grunts' that were left.

"Simple!" Yohana grinned. "You're being arrested!"

"Not on my life! Persian! Use Fury Swipes on the girl!" Giovanni hissed.

Lance went to protect Yohana, but he wasn't fast enough. Fortunately, Ash put up an Aura Shield just in time.

The shield became visible with each swipe.

"Persian! Keep it up! He'll tire out eventually!" Giovanni ordered.

"Ash, drop the shield." Yohana ordered.

"But…"

"Drop it!"

Ash dropped the shield and Yohana used Dynamic Punch on Persian. The powerful, extra-effective move knocked out Persian in one hit.

Everyone except Ash, Yohana, and Giovanni gasped in amazement. Yohana blew on her hand to cool it off.

"Impressive! Let's see you face all of our pokemon!" Giovanni released all the pokemon he had on him, the grunts behind him doing the same. "Attack the girl!"

Lance stepped in front of Yohana and sent out his Dragonite. "I won't let you hurt her!"

Ash and Yohana exchanged glances and nodded in sync.

"You want to face off against me? I accept your challenge. However, you must let a few friends of mine come to help." Yohana said, winking at Ash.

"And what friends might they be?" Giovanni growled.

"If I win, you have to disband Team Rocket immediately and surrender yourself to the police right away." Yohana said.

"No friends. Just you against our pokemon." Giovanni said. "If you lose, you join Team Rocket."

Yohana gritted her teeth. "If I accept your terms, will you accept mine?"

Giovanni grinned. "Shake on it." He held out his hand.

Yohana reached out to take it, but Ash swatted her arm away.

"Yohana, think about this for a moment!" He cried.

"I have thought about it. I'm going to defeat Team Rocket. For my parents." Yohana said calmly. "And for you."

"For me?" Ash asked.

"They tried to kill you. They'll spend a lot of time in jail for it." Yohana said. "I won't lose."

She pushed him out of the way and shook Giovanni's hand.

She could feel Ash's fear for her, but she ignored it.

"We'll do this on the battle field." Giovanni smirked.

"Okay." Yohana agreed.

Everyone went to the battlefield. A large array of pokemon faced Yohana.

"Yohana, don't just use grass-type moves. You need to use everything you know." Ash spoke in her head.

"Don't worry about me, Ash. I'll be fine. I'll show them what the girl with pokemon powers can really do!" Yohana replied.

"Be careful. I can't lose you. I… I love you too much." Yohana's heart leaped at the words she hadn't heard from Ash in five years.

"And I love you too. I'll come out of this alive and victorious. I promise." She grinned at the pokemon.

"I'll trust you with that, Yohana. I just hope you can keep that promise."

"If I can't win, I'll go down fighting! Team Rocket will never get their hands on me as long as I live!"

"Are both sides ready?" The referee asked, snapping Ash and Yohana out of their telepathic conversation. Yohana stretched, took a look at the stands that were filled to the rim, and nodded to the referee.

"Good! Battle, commence!"