"Ash!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

"Squirtle!"

"Ash, wake up!"

". . . Huh?" Weakly Ash opened his eyes. Father Joe, Squirtle, and Pikachu were both looking down at him. "Pikachu?!" Immediately Ash was completely awake. "How did you get here?! Oh, Pikachu!" He reached for his beloved first Pokemon and Pikachu joyfully leaped into his arms.

Father Joe rocked back in relief. "You're just lucky the hurricane deposited all of you back here. As for Pikachu, I think Tyson was awfully dismayed when the wind and the waves blew his boat here as well! He took off running as soon as it crashed and Pikachu threatened to Thundershock him."

Ash sat up. He was laying on the dock. Nearby, Misty was sprawled on her stomach with both Staryu and Starmie trying to rouse her. Onix was curled around Brock. Team Rocket was in a heap, with Jynx poking them and trying to net some response.

"Is everyone okay?!" Ash gasped.

"Miraculously, you're all alive," Father Joe said. "We saw you coming in and ran out to help you."

"Oh . . ." Brock moaned.

Onix growled a happy growl.

"Huh? . . ." Misty slowly opened her eyes. "What's going on?"

The starfish Pokemon perked up and hugged her.

Misty managed a sleepy smile. "Hi, you two. . . ."

"Did we really get caught up in a second Dragon Rage?" James moaned.

"Did we really survive a second Dragon Rage?!" Meowth countered.

Victreebel screeched. Arbok hissed.

Jessie leaped up. "We're alive! We made it!"

Ash's eyes widened. "The gem!" He reached into his pocket and soon relaxed. It was still there.

"You'd all better come inside and get warmed up," Father Joe said.

"But we have to put the gem back," Ash protested. "We'll just have to get wet again anyway."

"You need to regain your strength before you go back out in that." Father Joe's voice had gained an edge. "Don't argue with me."

"No, Sir!" Ash gulped.

xxxx

It wasn't long and everyone was in the house, gathered around a roaring fire as they burrowed under blankets and drank hot cocoa. Father Joe and Jynx paused to observe them, each holding another armload of blankets. "We have more if you need them," Father Joe said.

"Th-Thanks," Ash shivered, reaching for one. "We really need to get going. . . ."

Father Joe sighed. "It's going to be a lot harder now."

Ash blinked. "What do you mean?"

Father Joe looked to the window. Outside, it was almost black from the storm, aside from the flashes of lightning and something else that looked almost like fire. "The gem has been away too long. The Pyros have started their reign of destruction."

"But . . . Starmie," Misty protested. "They won't hurt Starmie." She looked to the lavender starfish, who had dried off and then come away from the fire before it could dry her out. Staryu likewise was sitting next to Misty but not under the quilt.

"If only the Gyarados hadn't attacked," Father Joe said morosely. "If you could have delivered the gem then, it probably would have worked. But by now, the Pyros are attacking almost mindlessly. I don't think even Starmie will be able to keep them at bay now."

"So how are we supposed to get up there?!" Misty cried.

"I don't know," Father Joe admitted. "You can only go ahead with your original plan . . . although I hate to see any of you try it under the circumstances. This isn't a job for children."

"Hey, we've done a lot of dangerous things," Ash protested. "We've had to save parts of the world before. And the whole world once! If we don't do this, who will? And who's had more experience around here?"

"Unfortunately, no one," Father Joe conceded. "You're right that you're very likely the most qualified."

"Well, count us out," Jessie frowned. "We're not going back to that island."

"I don't know why you guys were along the first time," Ash retorted. "You probably just wanted to show up Tyson!"

James was silent, staring into his mug of cocoa.

Meowth frowned, looking up at him. "Hey, Jim, you're not thinkin' of going along again, are you?"

"I don't know what I'm thinking of, Meowth," James countered. "But the twerps might need back-up. . . ."

Jessie whipped around to look at him. "Hey, we're Team Rocket, remember? We don't go risking our necks for foolhardy causes!"

"We do sometimes." James leaned back. "When we have to. And it seems to me, Jess, that we have to again. At least, I'm going to. I can't ask you or Meowth to come along."

Jessie stared at him. "James . . ."

"How long do you think the damage will be contained just to this area?" James said. "It will spread out! Eventually the whole world will be in danger again, just like before!"

"That's true," Brock nodded. "The bad weather is probably already starting to spread."

Father Joe flipped on the television to find out.

"This is April O'Neil, reporting live from St. Matthew Beach," a red-haired reporter intoned. "This part of the country has already seen more than its share of trouble this year, but it looks like it's seeing more. The violent storms are traveling up the coast. By tomorrow, they may have spread all the way North."

"Uh oh," Ash gulped.

Brock was staring at the screen. "She's sure got a lot of guts, to come all the way down here for a live report."

"Brock, keep your mind on what's important!" Misty shrieked. "Not your latest crush!"

Ash stood. "Well, I'd say this tells us all we need to know. We have to stop this now!" He clenched his fists.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu gave a firm nod.

"Squirtle!" said Squirtle.

Misty pushed back the quilt and stood. "And we're coming with you."

Staryu and Starmie came to attention, giving their battle cries.

"And us too, of course!" Brock smiled.

Onix growled in agreement.

"And you?" Father Joe looked to Team Rocket.

James hesitated, then stood. "I don't know how much help I can be, but I'm going to try."

Jessie and Meowth looked at each other and finally got up.

"And you won't be doing it alone," Jessie promised.

"That's right!" Meowth said.

Victreebel screeched.

"Charbok!" Arbok declared.

"Lickitung and Weezing will agree too," Jessie said.

James gazed at her in amazement. "But . . . you didn't want to do this. . . ."

Jessie looked away in a show of haughtiness. "It's the same as last time," she said. "None of us want to see the world destroyed." Hesitating, she added, "And . . . we don't want you to go off without us. . . ." Slowly she turned back.

"Yeah," Meowth said. "We're a team, remember?"

"But . . . we're not hero material," James stammered.

Father Joe smiled. "I think you'll find that there's no rules on what heroes should be like. Anyone who's fighting for a righteous cause, big or small, is a hero. Every one of you is a hero right now, whether you're on a Pokemon journey or with Team Rocket, because you've united in a very righteous cause-protecting our world from devastation." From the way he spoke, he had chosen that phrasing on purpose.

Jessie looked to James in surprise. ". . . Everyone else in Team Rocket wondered why we chose to say our motto that way. . . ."

"Let's show them why," James said.

"Just be very careful," Father Joe cautioned. "The Pyros are Fire types, but they're very strong. And they have other, stranger attacks as well, ones that don't have anything to do with fire."

"Like what?" Misty frowned.

"They seem to have some Psychic powers," Father Joe said. "And other moves that can't be categorized very well. They can trap opponents in unbreakable bubbles."

"Then how do they get out?!" Jessie exclaimed.

"The Pyros have to choose to want to open them," Father Joe said. "Or become so weakened that they can't sustain them any longer."

"That . . . doesn't sound pleasant," Jessie grimaced.

"No, it doesn't," James frowned.

"We can deal with it!" Ash insisted. "We've got to!"

Brock looked worried. "It's true that there isn't much choice. But it sounds like we're probably going to be outmatched."

"And then some," Meowth groaned.

"Alright!" Ash hurried to the door. "Let's get going before anything else goes wrong!"

"Oh, it's gonna go wrong when we get there," Meowth said.

"Good one, Meowth," Jessie said without humor.

"God be with you all," Father Joe said softly as the others ran to join Ash.

Brock looked back. "We'll need Him," he said.

xxxx

This journey to the island was far more difficult. Not only was the storm raging more ferociously and the boat was flying to and fro on the ocean, they had to be on alert for rampaging Gyarados as well as the enraged Pyros.

"Be careful, everyone!" Misty called as the boat lurched again. "We don't want to lose anyone!"

"I feel like I'm gonna lose my lunch!" Meowth moaned. "This boat barely knows up from down right now!"

"Neither do I!" James whimpered.

"Well, don't anyone let go of the railing!" Jessie snapped.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed in agreement.

"I don't think anyone's going to let go if they can help it!" Ash retorted.

Brock stayed silent. There wasn't much opportunity to talk, what with the crashing waves and rocking boat, but he was keeping a close eye on everyone, wanting to make sure they were indeed all there. The deeper they plunged into this nightmare, the more concerned he grew. They had come through so many horrible experiences alright, but there had been more than a few close calls along the way. Someday one of those calls might not just be close. That was unacceptable, though. He had to look out for the others and try to make sure they all came through safe, just as before.

"Is that a volcano?!" Misty looked over at a smaller island, her eyes wide at the sight of smoke wafting from the top of another steep mountain.

"It looks like it," Ash said. "Wow, I wonder if the Pyros caused that to start getting ready to erupt. . . ."

"Who cares?!" Jessie retorted. "Let's just do this quickly and get it over with!"

"I'm sure it's not going to be that simple," Brock finally spoke. "We all heard what Father Joe said."

"Well, maybe he was wrong!" Jessie snipped. "Is that too impossible to believe?!"

"No, but he knows this area better than any of us," Brock said. "I'm sure he's studied all about the Pyros and that gem and what happens when one or the other is removed."

"That's right, Jessie," James said.

Jessie didn't answer. It wasn't her bitterness that made her question Father Joe's knowledge.

The boat reached the shore and everyone hurried to pull it up. They had landed right at the base of the mountain, which was on the opposite side of the island to where they had been before. Unfortunately, the Pyros were right ready for them and not ready to listen to reason. They screeched and swooped down, fireballs in all of their mouths.

"Starmie, you're on!" Misty called, desperately praying that this would work again.

But as Starmie swirled into view, the Pyros were unmoved. They blasted, forcing Starmie to counter with Water Gun. Staryu and Squirtle joined in.

Suddenly all three of them were enclosed in separate bubbles, each of which began to rise off the ground.

"Starmie! Staryu!" Misty cried.

"Squirtle!" Ash exclaimed. "What the heck kind of attack is this?!" He held up Dexter.

"No known attack," Dexter intoned.

"It's the attack Father Joe told us about!" Brock said.

"Aww!" Ash cried in frustration. "Everybody, try to get out!"

The bubbles were too small for very strong attacks. And using Water Gun only filled the bubbles with water. It didn't cause them to crack, break, or sink.

"What are we going to do?!" Misty burst out. "How can they be doing this?! Starmie is too heavy to float in mid-air! Actually, all of them are!"

Starmie banged on the bubble with one point. Nothing happened.

"We'll just have to try even heavier Pokemon!" Brock declared. "Onix, I choose you! Get them out of there and stop the Pyros!"

Onix roared. But even a swipe of his mighty tail wasn't enough to shatter the bubbles, which soon floated out of his reach. And as he turned his attention to the Pyros, about to attack, they enclosed him in a bubble as well. Instead of floating up, he crashed to the sand.

"Onix!" Brock burst out.

Onix snarled in frustration.

"Alright, let Team Rocket handle it this time," Jessie growled. "Arbok, Lickitung, go!"

Arbok's Poison Sting at least made enough of an impression that one of the Pyros screeched and fell back momentarily. But the other two immediately picked up the slack and blasted back at Arbok and Lickitung before sealing them in bubbles.

"Oh!" Jessie cried. "What is wrong with you two, that you couldn't see that coming?!"

"Charbok," Arbok said sadly.

"Tung," said Lickitung.

"I'll try Weezing and Victreebel," James said. "And Victreebel, don't try swallowing me this time!"

To Victreebel's credit, she didn't. But she and Weezing didn't have much better luck. One Razor Leaf clipped a few feathers from a Pyros, but Victreebel was soon sealed in a bubble. And Brock quickly realized the folly of using Weezing to combat the Pyros' fireballs.

"He'll cause an explosion!" he exclaimed. "We'll all be hurt!"

"I'll just have him use a Sludge Attack," James retorted. "Weezing-"

But before he could finish, Weezing was trapped in a bubble too. "Weezing-Wee!" he called in defeated dismay.

"Weezing!" James wailed.

"It's hopeless, ain't it?" Meowth groaned.

It certainly seeemed to be. It didn't matter what Pokemon were used; the Pyros avoided their attacks and sealed them in bubbles, then tried to torch the humans, who desperately tried to dodge . . . and didn't always succeed.

"AUGH!" Jessie shrieked as her hair caught on fire. She rushed down to the water's edge to put it out. "My hair takes so much damage on these escapades!"

"Yeah, and then so does whatever ruined her hair," Meowth said.

"But I'm afraid this time it's a lost cause," James groaned. "We can't touch those Pyros!"

"Alright!" Ash finally cried. "I'm going to fight fire with fire!" He pulled out a particular Pokeball. "Charizard, go!"

The mighty and at last obedient dragon roared as he appeared from his Pokeball. But the Pyros didn't seem intimidated. They charged while Charizard took flight to meet them halfway. The sky soon exploded in a burst of fireballs.

"Ash, Charizard is outnumbered!" Misty exclaimed.

"And Vulpix was already bubbled!" Brock reminded him. "She can't help!"

"Vul!" the fox called from her floating bubble.

When the smoke cleared, Charizard was crashing to Earth to join Onix in a new bubble. He roared in defeated anger.

"Charizard!" Ash cried helplessly.

The Pyros let loose with a new attack on the humans, again forcing them to dodge and singeing more than a few of them nevertheless. They were soon sprawled in every direction, along with Meowth, the only Pokemon besides Pikachu who was not in a bubble.

"What the heck are we gonna do?!" Meowth moaned. "They're whipping us good."

"It's not over yet," Ash said in desperation. "There's still Pikachu."

"Pikachu?" Meowth looked to the electric rodent. "Are you really brave enough to go out there and let them torch you too?"

"Pikachu," Pikachu mumbled. He shuddered and tried to burrow into the stone plateau.

Ash looked at him sadly. "Pikachu . . ." He hated to ask his friend to risk his safety, especially when it seemed so hopeless, but he was just about out of options. They all were.

"Maybe Meowth should go," Jessie said, but without real hope.

"I don't wanna end up like them!" Meowth protested.

"You won't have to, Meowth." James struggled up. "I'll be back," he promised. With that he leaped down to the ground and ran over to the beached boat. In one swift movement he pushed the boat into the water and leaped inside. Then the engine was revved and he was zipping towards the mainland.

"James?!" Jessie cried. "What are you doing?! Where are you going?!"

Meowth looked defeated. "All that talk of bravery and he's the one who calls it quits," he sighed.

"We're not licked yet!" Ash vowed. "Pikachu, Thundershock now!"

"Pika-CHUUUU!" Pikachu yelled. But even as the electricity sparked from his body, a bubble came up around him and sealed itself shut. To the rodent's alarm, he began to rise off the ground.

Ash ran forward until he was underneath the rising bubble. "Pikachu!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu looked down at him, banging desperately on the bubble before trying Thundershock, to no avail.

"Ugh!" Ash desperately searched his Pokedex again. "There's gotta be something in here about the Pyros that can help us!"

But there wasn't, only a blurb Ash had read the previous day.

"Pyros," Dexter intoned. "A rare Pokemon that lives only in the vicinity of St. Matthew Beach, Florida. It is very aggressive and dangerous when it is disturbed. No further information available."

Ash slumped back in despair. Everything they had tried had failed. The Pyros were in turmoil, soaring through the air as the storm raged. Lightning split the sky while an earthquake rumbled through the ground. In the distance, the volcano was clearly about to erupt.

James had still not returned. Maybe he wasn't going to. And Misty, Brock, Jessie, and Meowth were all sprawled hurt on the stone plateau. They were barely able to roll out of the way of the next Pyros attack. Ash stared at them in growing horror, clenching a fist around the precious gem in his hand. "I'm the only one left," he whispered. "I have to put it back. . . ."

But he had no way to get up the mountain. It was slick and smooth, hopeless where it came to grasping it and getting a foothold. The captured Pokemon were still floating in the air, trapped in their bubbles as they helplessly gazed down at him.

"Pikachu," Pikachu called. He pounded on the bubble and even tried shocking his way out of it for the umpteenth time, all to no avail.

"Pikachu!" Ash called back. He gritted his teeth. He had to get up the mountain somehow!

Suddenly a rope got in his face and he looked up with a start. The Team Rocket balloon was directly above him, but looked ready to blow away in the wind. James was leaning over the side, gripping the rope with both hands. "Come on!" he cried.

Ash didn't protest. He placed the gem in his pocket and hurried up, soon climbing safely into the basket. "When you left . . . I thought you'd split for parts unknown," he said in bewilderment and surprise.

"You really thought I'd leave Jessie and Meowth?!" James retorted. His hair was blowing wildly into his face.

"Well, no, not really," Ash said slowly. "But . . . with the storm and everything, there's no way this is gonna stay on course for long. I mean, just remember what happened to the helicopter! And that was when things weren't as bad as they are now!"

"I just have to get you up there." James worked the release on the balloon, sending it higher and closer to the top of the mountain. "I don't want the world destroyed! Especially not with my best friends in it!"

Ash blinked then smiled. "Thanks."

At last the top was reachable. Ash jumped out, rushing towards the pedestal where Tyson had stolen the gem and sent everything into chaos. One of the Pyros shrieked and lunged towards him. In desperation he threw up his hands to shield himself.

"No! You don't understand," he cried. "I'm trying to help!"

The Team Rocket balloon was suddenly in between him and the enraged Pokemon. "You're not getting through me," James snarled.

The Pyros shrieked again and barreled towards him, its beak sharp and cruel against the heavily overcast sky.

James went stiff. "What was I thinking?" he whispered. "I don't even have any more Pokemon after that last catastrophe. . . ." But it had to be done. He closed his eyes and shuddered, giving himself over to the mercy of the quite merciless creature. "Alright," he said softly. "Do your worst. But I'd rather not watch."

On the ground, Jessie revived enough to look up at the sight. "James," she choked out. "No. . . ." Desperately she reached up with a shaking hand, despite knowing it was futile.

Meowth stirred as well. "What's he doing?!" he cried. "Don't he know he's a sitting duck?! Don't he know he's gonna die?!"

The tears fell freely from Jessie's eyes. "He knows."

Misty stared. "He can't do it," she gasped.

"He has no choice," Brock said grimly. "Not if he's going to give Ash a chance to set that gem in place."

"But . . ." Misty trembled, bringing a hand to her face.

"Well, do something, Jessie!" Meowth cried. "Scream at him, yell at him, make him stop!"

Jessie curled her hand into a fist on the stone plateau. "I can't," she said through clenched teeth. There was no way she could physically make James stop what he was doing. And deep in her heart, she knew these were critically desperate times. James was making a last-ditch gamble to protect Ash's life and thus in turn save all of them . . . except him. If he didn't do it, they would all die. Part of her wanted to scream at him, but the other part was hopeless and defeated. She didn't want to remember in years to come that the last thing she had ever said to him was angry-even if prompted by heartbreak. For once, she wanted to be mature.

"I can't," she repeated.

"What do you mean you can't?!" Meowth shrieked. "Just do it! Or I'll do it! I'll make him stop! I'll get up there somehow and I'll scratch all of this self-sacrificin' out of him! I'll . . ."

"Meowth." Jessie sounded as though she was barely controlling her feelings. "Shut up."

Something in her tone shook Meowth up more than if she had started to snarl at him. He fell silent, staring at her with wide and disbelieving eyes.

James opened his eyes one brief moment, looking down at the two he treasured most. "Goodbye," he said softly.

Lightning struck the balloon at the same moment the Pyros fired. The explosion was deafening.

At the church, Father Joe was in the bell tower and observing what was happening through his telescope. It magnified things enough that he could make out Ash on the mountain, the red Pokemon bearing towards him, and James interfering with the attack in the Team Rocket balloon. As the bird fired and the balloon erupted, Father Joe crossed himself and whispered a prayer under his breath for the boy who had just sacrificed himself.

Note: Please don't throw things at me yet!