A/N: More death is coming in this chapter, be prepared you have been warned. I am proud of how this chapter came. Please have a fun time reading this please leave a review or like.

Once Ash had placed the call, it was Brock who came to their aid, retrieving Ash and Pikachu from the edge of the cliff. He escorted them back to the sanctuary of a well-secured hotel, complete with a luxurious swimming pool, a haven that Brock had previously arranged for them. Regardless of his sustained injuries, which were far from being fully healed or even managed, Ash was adamant about his need to swim. Brock and Pikachu could only look on as he waded into the water, concern etched on their faces. To an uninformed observer, it would seem as if Ash was trying to emulate Misty in her swimming competitions.

As he swam, it was as if Ash was transported to another world. With each push against the water, each kick propelling him forward, it felt as if he could see Misty swimming beside him. It was a powerful illusion, one that made the watery world around him seem more comforting, familiar, and intimate. With every lap he took of the pool, he felt her presence more and more, as though her spirit was with him, motivating him, guiding him. In this world, the harsh realities of his injuries seemed to fade into the background. His gunshot wounds, though they seeped a small trail of blood into the pool as he moved, didn't deter him from continuing his solitary journey. His resolve was stronger than the pain, pushing him forward, one lap after another.

Steven and Jenny found themselves standing at the scene of the horrendous car crash, sifting through the remnants of the wreckage, trying to make sense of what had transpired there. The forensic team had just finished their grim task of carefully collecting what remained of the driver's charred body. With a sense of finality, they zipped up the black body bag, sealing away the horrific evidence of the driver's fate.

It was during this examination that Steven's keen eyes noticed something out of place. It was an ID card, half-buried in the debris. Picking it up, he felt a jolt of recognition – the face on the ID was Tyson's, one of the individuals from the files he had shared with Ash during their discussion. Was this just a coincidence, or was there a more sinister connection? As his gaze swept the area, it landed on a burnt piece of paper, barely discernible amidst the wreckage. As he picked it up, he recognized it as the license plate lookup report he had previously given to Jessie.

Without a moment's hesitation, he swiftly pocketed both the ID and the report into his jacket, ensuring they would not be found by anyone else at the scene. Looking at the vehicle's remnants, it was clear that the car, though it had retained some of its frame, was utterly destroyed. It was an unrecognizable hunk of scorched metal, a shell of its former self. No one would ever use this vehicle again.

Parts of the wreckage were still smoldering, small flames stubbornly clinging to the metal despite the best efforts of Team Wartortle, who were busy trying to extinguish the last remnants of the fire. A bitter taste filled Steven's mouth as he took in the scene. He was irate, realizing that Ash had taken matters into his own hands, opting for a path of vigilantism and recklessness. What made it worse was that he had done it without giving Steven any sort of warning or heads-up. With his jaw set in a tight line, Steven left the scene, his mind already racing to figure out their next move.

On the following day, with the morning sunlight illuminating the city, Ash stood before the designated location of the rave, his eyes unblinkingly focused on the structure, mentally mapping out the different entry and exit points. Pikachu was comfortably positioned on Ash's shoulder, sharing his gaze and occasional silence, their usual lively chit-chat supplanted by a mutual understanding of the gravity of the task at hand. Their day passed with minimal sustenance, as they committed every observable detail of the building to memory, wanting to be as prepared as possible for what lay ahead once the rave began.

Ash was well aware that his mission required discretion; he'd need to use the throbbing beats and the exuberant atmosphere of the rave as a smoke screen for his covert actions. He deliberated over his outfit, eventually choosing attire that would enable him to merge into the crowd as just another reveler. His chosen ensemble included a bandana to conceal his head, a pair of dark aviator sunglasses to hide his eyes, a flamboyantly designed graphic t-shirt layered over a long-sleeved, white compression shirt, and practical cargo pants and sneakers. Pikachu, on the other hand, opted for a more festive look, adorning glowsticks around his neck and paws, and featuring a star-shaped face paint around his right eye.

As the evening rolled in, the rave was bustling with a teeming crowd of partygoers dancing their cares away both inside and outside the venue. More excited revelers were still queuing up, eager to join the festivities. Ash and Pikachu, blending effortlessly into the crowd, navigated their way through the sea of bodies until Ash's gaze fell on their intended target – the Butcher. The man was oddly slim for someone with such a hefty nickname, his green hair and maroon eyes standing out in the dim lighting. Ash's presence initially went unnoticed by the Butcher until he subtly showcased a significant wad of cash, which instantly caught the man's attention, signaling Ash over.

As they gained entry past the gate, Ash wasted no time. He produced a picture of Misty from his pocket, demanding information about the girl from the Butcher. When he claimed not to know her, Ash's response was swift. He swiftly produced a gun from his pocket, pressing it against the Butcher's abdomen. The Butcher's eyes fell to the gun, then quickly returned to Ash's determined gaze, his voice failed him. He wordlessly guided Ash through the pulsating crowd towards the backstage of the rave.

The scene was a chaotic cacophony, flashing lights intermittently obscuring Ash's view, the sight of couples entangled in various states of undress against walls, and others using illicit substances along with their Pokemon. Eventually, they reached a nondescript door where the Butcher knocked. Pikachu, vigilant as ever, kept a close watch on the Butcher from his position on Ash's shoulder, as Ash fished a sawed-off shotgun from his pants. A peephole in the door slid open, revealing only the Butcher's nodding figure to the occupant inside. The moment Ash heard the raspy creak of the locks disengaging, he sprang into action, bulldozing his way into the room and slamming the door into the face of the unsuspecting man behind it.

Upon his entry into the space, Ash took in the sight of a man of advanced age, his hair a disarrayed mess of fiery orange, in stark contrast with the clear signs of encroaching baldness. This man lay sprawled out on the cold, hard floor, his skin, from Ash's cursory observation, appearing to bear the warm hue of a sun-soaked tan. Directing his gaze upward, he then noticed a female figure. Her hair shimmered with the luster of pure gold, and her eyes held the mysterious allure of the deepest shade of purple. She was in the midst of an attempt to flee, her body poised in a state of flight.

Without a moment's hesitation, Ash leveled his shotgun. A powerful blast rang out, shredding through the plaster of the nearby wall, the lethal hole appearing right where the woman had been headed. This sudden, terrifying spectacle brought her hurried flight to an abrupt halt. She complied, lifting her hands above her head in a sign of surrender, and declared in a voice laden with trepidation, "Ok, ok. Don't shoot, don't shoot."

In the wake of this exchange, Ash motioned for her to advance toward him. He directed her to a nearby chair and made her sit. He then turned his attention to the individual known as the Butcher, drawing him closer and situating him in a chair adjacent to the woman. His final act involved the older man, the one with messy orange hair. After applying a firm set of zip ties to secure their hands behind their backs, he hoisted the man onto his feet and settled him into his chair.

From there, Ash initiated steady pacing, striding to and fro in front of the restrained trio. His interrogation was straightforward, his question the same each time: "Do you know this girl?" He received a consistent response from all three captives; their heads shook in denial. However, it was the balding man who offered a differing reaction. Only once did Ash see what he interpreted as a glimmer of recognition flit across the man's features when Misty's image was flashed before them.

"Ok," Ash voiced his acknowledgment. He then acted in a sudden, brutal fashion. The shotgun was raised, and the trigger pulled. The Butcher received a lethal blow to his midsection, his body crumpling to the ground, lifeless. The bald man and the gold-haired woman recoiled, their expressions twisting in horror at the violent act they had just witnessed.

Next, Ash instructed Pikachu to stand vigilant and watch over the woman. His focus turned to the remaining prisoners. He produced a roll of duct tape, securing a strip over the bald man's eyes, effectively blinding him. He then repeated this action with the woman, her vision also getting robbed by a layer of grey adhesive. Once blinded, Ash guided the woman back to her chair, using an additional amount of duct tape to bind her securely to it, thus ensuring her immobility.

Ash continued his ruthless procedures, this time focusing on the elder, bald man. He unspooled more of the grey adhesive and applied it with a steady hand across the man's eyes, plunging him into a world of darkness. Despite his lack of sight, the man was made to remain upright, held in a tight, restrictive stance, his limbs bound securely to prevent any potential escape.

A sharp intake of breath sounded from the woman in response to the harsh metallic click of Ash's shotgun being reloaded. The grizzled man's mouth was stained red with blood, a stark remnant from the earlier abrupt and violent entrance of Ash, who had forced his way in through the door, striking the man in the process. The man addressed Ash with a query, "Hey you're from Kanto aren't you?"

In response, Ash tossed his question back, an echo of the previous inquiry. "Yes, you from Kanto too? What's your name?"

"Namba, I used to be a doctor," the man revealed his identity, attaching a past profession to it.

Ash received this information, and replied with a hearty, "Awesome Namba, alright listen." His tone shifted then, a veneer of sympathy glossing his words, "Tell me how it works. The whole thing. Tell me how it works."

In response, Namba drew in a deep breath before offering up his explanation. "Everything is done by phone. We wait around for calls, we don't even fuckin have the number."

The follow-up from Ash was prompt. "Who pays you?"

"We have an ATM card, every two weeks they give us our meager pay," Namba confessed, a slight sniff punctuating his revelation.

"Meager, huh?" Ash echoed, seeking confirmation.

"Yep," Namba affirmed.

Without missing a beat, Ash dived into his next question. "Ok, what's the PIN?"

The bald man disclosed without hesitation. "It's 4747." And with that information, Ash discovered the mentioned card nestled within the confines of Namba's wallet.

"4747, alright you wouldn't lie to me, right?" Ash sought reassurance, his question hanging heavy in the air.

In response, Namba offered a single, decisive word. "No." He understood his position was one of vulnerability and resistance was futile.

The interrogation rounded off with a poignant question from Ash. "You didn't kill her, did you?" The atmosphere was tense, and the silence was expectant, waiting for Namba's response.

"No," Namba replied Ash fired off a shot at the floor making him yelp slightly. The gold-haired woman yelled slightly at the actions as she couldn't see but also couldn't move.

Once more, Ash demanded, his tone fraught with tension, "Did you kill her?" He reiterated his query, leaving no room for evasiveness.

In response, Namba's voice wavered, fear seeping into the edges of his words as he stammered, "Ah, come on man, you are making me fucking nervous."

Ash did not yield. His inquiry sliced through the thickening air, stripped of all pretense of empathy, "Did you kill her?"

A burst of denial erupted from Namba. "No way, the fucking boss did or his son," he shouted, his voice echoing around them.

Intrigued by this revelation, Ash pounced on the newfound information. "Who's the boss?" The query hung heavy in the air, and Ash found himself repeating it, the words growing more insistent with each utterance.

But Namba's answer was far from satisfactory. "I don't know, we never see his face," he admitted.

Unconvinced, Ash shot back, "You're not lying to me, are you?" His doubts took on a more physical form as he punctuated his words with another ear-splitting shotgun blast into the ground. The resulting shockwave caused Namba to jerk in surprise. "How do you not see his face?" Ash demanded.

Namba started to narrate, his voice a trembling whisper, fear saturating every word that slipped past his lips. "We were in the other room," he explained. "He was yelling at the girl because his nephew got killed and the money got stolen from him."

Ash seized onto a keyword from his rambling. "Stolen?" he echoed, his curiosity piqued. "What got stolen?"

"The ransom money at the drop," Namba responded. "He said some crooked cop took it."

This new detail prompted another question from Ash. "Who? Which crooked cop?" he inquired.

"Nanu," Namba offered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Nanu?" Ash sought confirmation. Once he received a nod of agreement from Namba, he swiftly tore the duct tape from Namba's eyes, eliciting a sharp yelp of pain. "Alright?"

"Yes," Namba confirmed, meeting Ash's gaze directly. "This Nanu guy, he is a lieutenant for the anti-kidnapping division."

"Nanu is?" Ash repeated, seeking further affirmation.

"That's right," Namba confirmed again, the assertion hanging heavy between them.

Ash had one final question for Namba. "What did you do?" he asked, the air charged with anticipation.

Namba muttered a disheartened, "Ah man," while averting his gaze to the floor as if seeking solace from the cold, hard surface beneath him.

Probing further into the situation, Ash demanded, "Tell me about the girl, what did you do?"

The bald man responded, his tone carrying a raw sincerity as he confessed, "I just do what they tell me."

Undeterred by this evasive answer, Ash drilled in again, his question more pointed this time. "What did you do?" He went further, attempting to break through Namba's defenses, "You do what they tell you to do, did you say goodbye to her?"

With the lack of a satisfactory response, Ash found himself repeating the inquiry, each repetition hitting harder than the previous one. "Did you say goodbye to her?"

A solitary denial came from Namba. "No."

Accepting this, Ash responded with a command. His words were unequivocal, "Well say goodbye to her, right now."

"Oh shit," Namba responded, the panic in his voice rising like the mercury in a thermometer under a blistering sun.

Ash was relentless. "Say goodbye to her," he reiterated, his voice echoing in the quiet space.

Defiance took hold of Namba as he yelled, "No, just fucking let me go!" The words rang out in a desperate plea for mercy.

Ash did not waver. The picture of Misty was secured safely in his pocket as he prepared for the inevitable. The click of the shotgun filled the room, followed by the deafening roar of a single, fatal shot. Namba took the bullet to his chest, his body crashing down onto the ground, creating a dull thud as it made contact with the hard floor.

Ash's gaze shifted to the window, where the pulsating lights and euphoria of the ongoing rave outside filled his view. It was a stark contrast to the somber scene within these walls. Not a single soul outside had a clue of the events unfolding inside; their attention was solely on their hedonistic revelry. Not one of them had glanced towards this backroom, nor had they heard the fatal shot that had echoed within. The only witnesses to the gruesome scene were Ash, Pikachu, and the woman with golden hair, her eyes covered by duct tape.

Deciding it was now appropriate, Ash carefully peeled the tape from her eyes. It was just the trio now, tucked away in the confines of the backroom. He studied her, observing her reaction as he shifted her bound hands from behind to in front of her, using the same zip ties to secure her. Horror was etched on her face as she regarded Ash, who remained silent, his thoughts veiled behind his stoic expression.

Without any prompt, the woman began to speak. Her voice was shaky as she recalled the horrifying events, "They threw her against the wall. She wasn't moving. They threw her body in the trunk of the car and then they drove away."

Perplexed, Ash asked, "Who? Who's they?"

The woman managed to answer between sniffles, as she tried to hold back a wave of tears. "The boss's son. I recognized his voice," she revealed.

Shifting his approach, Ash softened his voice. He leaned in, drawing his face close to hers, "Ok, now listen to me." He proposed a deal, his tone as calm as a still pond, "If you can tell me where to find the boss, I'll let you live."

Fear gripped the woman as she stammered, "But I don't know." The realization of her precarious situation was terrifying.

With an undertone of empathy, Ash asked, "You don't know?"

In a desperate attempt to save herself, the woman offered, "No, I don't. But I'll give her to you." Her purple eyes were wide with a pleading gaze.

The confusion caused Ash to seek clarification. "Who is her? The girl?" At the mention of a girl, his mind began to race, his heart pounding in his chest. Pikachu too, responded to these words, a distinct chatter emerging from him.

The woman reiterated her offer, "I will give her to you." She questioned Ash, "Do you want her?"

His response was immediate, "Yes, yes, but what girl? What are you saying?" Ash found himself drowning in a sea of confusion and anticipation.

"The girl, I will show you," the woman promised.

Seeking to confirm her words, Ash asked, "Here?"

With desperation creeping into her voice, the woman agreed, "Yes."

Still riddled with uncertainty but willing to go along, Ash conceded, "Show me."

Guided by the golden-haired woman, Ash navigated the labyrinthine layout of rooms within the building, his heart pounding with anticipation. The possibility of finding Misty lurked in his mind with each door they approached, the thought intensifying his hope. Room after room, however, yielded nothing but emptiness, stoking his anticipation while simultaneously sparking a growing sense of disappointment. Finally, they entered a room where a young girl with hair as blue as midnight and eyes the color of stormy skies huddled. This wasn't Misty, but the realization that he was able to rescue at least one innocent soul from this dreadful place instilled in him a sense of relief. He studied the girl, seeing shades of Misty in her youthful innocence, and fervently hoped that no other girls would ever be forced to spend a day in this hellish environment.

The woman was instrumental in guiding the girl, and as they prepared to leave, Ash turned his attention to the propane tanks tucked away in the back room. He opened the tanks, their hiss filling the room as he saturated the place with the flammable gas. A matchstick in hand, he struck it, its tiny flame flickering ominously. Pikachu scampered off, tailing the woman and the girl as they made their exit, while Ash dropped the match, setting the room ablaze. His conscience, however, wouldn't allow him to risk the lives of the oblivious revelers outside. He needed a plan to evacuate the building.

Bursting onto the rave stage, Ash brandished his shotgun and fired a shot into the air. The booming sound was initially ignored by the crowd, their focus locked onto their rave-induced trance. But a second shot ripped through the deafening music, catching the attention of the ravers. Gradually, they began to filter out of the building, their intoxication slowly giving way to the realization of the danger they were in.

Ash, the woman, and the girl moved through the crowd, Pikachu perched securely on his shoulder. The building rumbled as an explosion echoed within its walls, triggering a rapidly spreading fire. The building was quickly consumed by the flames, an inferno in the night, while the erstwhile revelers watched, now continuing their rave outside the flaming structure. The rhythm of their dance was now punctuated by the crackling fire consuming the building they had just exited.

The rave's pulsating beat now faded into the night, Ash took a moment to resecure the golden-haired woman with zip ties. He wanted to ensure that she wouldn't seize this moment of distraction and chaos to make a break for it. At the same time, he kept the dark blue-haired girl – possibly a recent kidnap victim - close to him. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out his mobile device and dialed a number. The call was quickly answered.

The voice on the other end of the line, unmistakably Jessie's, cut through the background noise. She sounded somewhat wearied, possibly woken from sleep or caught off guard.

Ash, without any preamble, plunged into the reason for his call. He asked her if she had any information about a teenager, specifically a sixteen-year-old girl, who had recently been abducted.

Jessie confirmed the information, giving the girl a name, Dawn, and mentioning that the kidnap had taken place just the previous night. Her voice became perceptibly sharper as she queried whether Ash knew something about the incident.

Turning to the young girl beside him, Ash queried whether her name was Dawn. The girl, seemingly eager to affirm her identity, responded with an emphatic 'Yes'.

Satisfied with the confirmation, Ash relayed the news to Jessie over the phone, stating simply that he had Dawn with him. Jessie's surprise was evident as she hurriedly asked about Ash's location.

Upon reaching the rave's aftermath, Jessie instructed her bodyguard to remain behind. She noticed remnants of small fires still being extinguished and saw no trace of Ash. Ash spotted Jessie, pounded on a piece of metal to draw her attention, and appeared from his hiding place nearby. She approached him, asking, "Ash, what transpired?"

"It's all under control," Ash replied. He was sitting in a deserted car with Dawn and the woman with golden hair who was restrained by a seatbelt. "Take a seat and unwind."

"Is that you, Dawn?" Jessie queried, stunned to see Dawn with Ash.

Dawn gave a confirming nod. Ash resumed the conversation, "She's okay. Do you have banking contacts?"

Taken aback by his question, Jessie still responded affirmatively. She was amazed at Ash's audacious move to recover a kidnap victim without paying a ransom. Ash handed her an ATM card.

"The PIN is 4747," Ash informed, "I aim to track the source of the funds in this account."

Jessie swiftly jotted down the PIN.

"Can you share any information on a policeman named Nanu?" Ash questioned.

"He heads the anti-kidnapping squad, the one who took Tracey to the drop-off point," Jessie explained.

"Nanu?" Ash sought confirmation.

Jessie affirmed with a nod, then turned her attention towards the other woman, asking, "Who is she?"

"You can ask her directly, she'll reveal whatever you need to know. Can you share more about Nanu?" Ash refocused their discussion.

"Years back, they caught him with a significant sum of money and a corpse in his car," Jessie revealed. Ash took it all in, nodding in acknowledgment, "He wasn't charged; the officer who arrested him couldn't testify as he was deceased."

Ash then queried Jessie, "Is he a member of the brotherhood?" Jessie confirmed, prompting Ash to further ask, "Do you know his place of residence?"

"He resides in a military compound," Jessie responded with a tinge of disbelief in her voice, "He moves around in a motorcade, Ash, he's more heavily guarded than Steven Stone."

Ash retrieved his shotgun, allowing Pikachu to clamber back onto his shoulder. "He'll need it. Can you look after her?" Ash asked, referring to Dawn.

"But how can I reach you?" Jessie questioned.

As Ash started to walk away without turning back, he replied, "I'll find you."