Their eyes refused to move from the small pokemon, but they couldn't run to him and save him just yet. All the blind men's eyes were on them and they were unable to move. Should they have a moment of semi-clear sight.
They waited painfully for them to turn from them, back to whatever they were doing. As soon as their eyes left them they ran to the pods, staring at Pikachu. The pokemon stared up at them, crying out to them. But his voice was silenced.
"It's alright Pikachu. We'll get you out. Relax and stay quiet alright?" May whispered, leaning closer to the pod. She felt cruel, watching him struggle behind the glass while all she could do was stand there and watch him. Turning her back to him she left from the corner, heading to an empty station. Presuming that was where those two had come from.
They waited a painfully long time for the scientists to leave the room, one speaking to them as he left.
"You're working through lunch? That's strange."
Ash coughed, covering his face as he spoke in an overly gruff voice. "We have a lot of work to be doing. We'll catch up with you later." It seemed to appease the man as he left without another word. The doors closed behind them leaving the two alone.
Leaving their disguises by their stations they ran to Pikachu, crouching down before him and trying to find the release button on the pod. But everything was blank, meaning they had a one in ten chance of picking the right button.
Pikachu cried out to them, urging them to hurry but they couldn't hear a word from him, using all their concentration to try and decipher the detach button.
Ash couldn't look up though he was trying to stop himself from looking down too. All the pokemon, ones he'd never even imagined existed, looked broken and defeated. It was heart breaking. He wanted to close his eyes and refuse to look but he couldn't. They deserved that much.
"Ash, there must be some kind of instructions somewhere. Find it for me." More than grateful for the chance to leave he righted himself, moving between the stations trying to find anything useful. Pulling open every drawer and barely remembering to close them afterwards. He found books that appeared to be instructions but the ink inside was always runny from excesses of whatever experiments they were doing dripping onto them. They were near intangible. "Ash."
"I'm looking, I'm looking. Just press some buttons while I am. We've not got long."
She contemplated it for a minute before deciding to trust him and did just that, pressed the first button she could see. Nothing happened and if she was honest that caused her heart to pound more than if something had happened. For all she knew she'd called them back to the room, for all she knew she'd just condemned him to death.
"There's nothing there. Everything is either unreadable or just not there." Ash answered dropping beside her and staring at Pikachu who was sitting on the base of the pod, his feet stretched out towards them.
"Then help me press buttons, try and get some of the others out too." She instructed, pressing button after button. Attempting to press all at once. One of them had to work. As she pressed the final button the pod opened, the sound of decompressing filling the near silent room. "Ash," she called as the pokemon dived out, hugging her close.
"Pikka!" He cried, holding onto her neck as though she were his mother.
"Which was it? I'll free the rest." She pointed out the button and he set about on his job, jabbing at it as he passed, watching with barely contained glee as the pokemon jumped from their cells and ran across the floors. A chorus of happy sounds following them.
"How much longer till they come back?" May asked, stroking all the pokemon and watching as they jumped around. More alive than they'd seen them during their short time together.
"I don't know but I don't want to hang around here for them to come back." He muttered, looking through the door as he spoke. He couldn't see anyone and was sure it would take them a while to return through the maze.
"I agree, round up the pokemon and let's set out." May held Pikachu close as she stood, wading her way through the crawling mass of multicolours, fur, shells and clipped claws. She stood by Ash at the door, peering out and prying it open that bit more. The pokemon pouring out too. She followed them, leaving Ash to push the rest out.
They entered the maze once more. Trying to follow it as closely as they first had. They were sure that should they be wrong they'd be returned to the lab doors. May was glad she was out front. She wouldn't trust Ash to guide them away.
"Ash, when we're in a more open space use the poke ball on Pikachu. Alright?" She asked, it would have been impossible in the lab. Too many pokemon moving around. But before the maze there was far more room.
He didn't answer but she was sure he'd heard. The maze was solved far easier the second time and the two came out the other end all the pokemon standing by the lift door.
May ushered Pikachu over to Ash, turning her attention to keeping all the pokemon contained while he attempted to catch him. However he was meant to do that.
The boy stared down at him, crouching down to look Pikachu in the eye. Pulling out the poke ball he raised a brow. How was he supposed to catch him with this tiny little ball? Looking over the ball his finger caught the button upfront the device growing exponentially.
Gasping in shock he jumped backwards, catching it with panicked hands.
"Uh, this is a lot weirder now." He muttered, holding the ball out to Pikachu. "So, uh, I need to catch you. Do you mind?" Pikachu tilted his head to the side in confusion, looking over the poke ball before leaning in closer and tapping his forehead against the button. His body being sucked inside.
Ash jumped back, dropping the ball and shouting in confusion and shock. The ball rolled for a second before stopping, shaking from one side to the other a few times before falling still.
"What the hell just happened? Where's Pikachu?" May asked, looking around for the yellow creature.
"H-He's in there."
"What? Don't treat me like an idiot, where is he?"
"I told you, he's in here, he got absorbed." Ash picked up the ball, staring at it with confusion. "Don't believe me? Here, look." He tossed her the pall, though before it connected with her hand Pikachu burst out, landing in her arms, the poke ball bouncing from his head and into his lap.
A loud gasp followed as she held onto him, blinking stupidly as though she expected the image to change suddenly.
"What?"
"Told ya."
Ash took the poke ball away, tucking it into his pocket as it reverted to miniature size, leaving Pikachu out for fear of never being able to release him again. Turning his attention to the rest of the pokemon he heaved a heavy sigh.
"How are we going to ship you out without everyone seeing you. No doubt the boss of his place is finished with Gary, who knows how he's doing. And I doubt a big crate would do the job."
"Take them like this."
"Were you not listening May? We need to sneak out."
"I am, but that's impossible, why not head out like this and let them get some much deserved revenge." He couldn't find an argument, and the smirk May gained said she knew she'd won.
They entered the lift, the larger pokemon staying at the back and packing in tight. May and Ash brought up the back, selecting the ground floor and letting the doors close behind them once they checked no one was there.
The doors opened and May pocketed the card, staring out at everyone who turned to look at the completely perplexed, even more so when they saw the mass of pokemon stream out, jumping on everyone and cheering as they ran through the doors.
Outside a frustrated boy sat slouched on the floor, jumping to his feet with a shout of shock as pokemon pounced on him.
The two followed after the pokemon, staring down at the boy being bombarded with pokemon.
"Gary! That's where you ended up, I was beginning to worry." Ash cheered, dropping down beside the boy to help remove the pokemon. "You alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. You were only supposed to free your pokemon. So, tell me, did you capture him?"
"Sure did, don't know what the hell I was supposed to do but I managed to put him inside this ball."
"I'm glad you figured it out, after the boss had me kicked out I was sat here worrying for you both. He didn't seem to notice you were gone though." Gary pushed himself away from the pokemon, dusting himself down from where their dirty paws had been grabbing at him. "You should release these guys, let them go back to their actual owners."
"How do we do that?"
"Just shoo them. Send them back." Seeing the lost looks on their faces he proceeded to do the task for them, sending the pokemon off without much trouble and leaving only Pikachu behind. "I'm guessing you're Pikachu, their pokemon." The yellow creature beamed up at them, nodding softly. "I don't see why he was so special, there are dozens just in the next field over."
"Dozens?" May asked, something clicking in the back of her mind.
"Yeah, they're all new-borns and their parents too."
"Can we go there?" The boy nodded, shrugging his shoulders, he didn't see the point but if it would keep them quiet and let them leave him alone for the rest of the day he'd do it.
"Follow me."
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