"Are you sure he'll be here, Meowth? You know we'll never hear the end of it, if we show up empty-handed." James complained, even while intermittently pressing and releasing the gas pedal, navigating the winding forest paths northwest of Viridian. An upcoming cluster of trees forced him to quickly swerve to the right.

"Watch your driving, James!" Jessie shouted, from the passenger's seat. "I'd like to make it to the Twerp in one piece… But, he's got a point. If we have no idea where he is, now, we might be wasting precious miles… and the Boss's patience."

"We ain't wasting a t'ing," Meowth dismissed, sitting just behind them. "Viridian City's the go-to! Remember, the Twoip's been battlin' his rear off in the Gym Challenge, again. He was in Celadon, then Fuschia, and den the Twoipette did us a huge favor by winning dat Wallace Cup again. So, he's definitely been around Cinnabar! No doubt he fought that old coot wit' da Magmar."

"That'd be the furthest Gym out from Pallet Town," James recalled. "So, that very well could've been the last one. I still think him being at home is our best bet."

"Well, you'd be thinkin' wrong, Jimmy. Remember, they barged in and blew Operation: Augmented Rocket in Saffron! The Blue Twoipette probably had another one of her contests there."

"So, they could be anywhere, if she's still collecting ribbons," Jessie replied.

"Could be," Meowth said, "but you're forgettin'. He fought us for his eighth badge, back in the day, in the Viridian Gym! It's got da reputation for being the strongest one. You know how he does things; he'll wanna face that one, last!"

"You know, this was a lot easier when we were following them on a daily basis," Jessie scoffed.

"I personally could go without the joint pain from all those blast-off's," James quipped. "Meowth does have a point, though," he conceded, making yet another turn. The truck rattled from running over a root, but he paid it no mind. If they wanted to find the Twerp, then they'd be better off doing it before nightfall. "Then, that just leaves…"

"...Actually capturing Pikachu," Jessie finished.

"Ain't dat a boon," Meowth sighed. The usual pep and enthusiasm that they'd always carried for their jagged-tailed golden goose was suspiciously absent, today. It all came down to the Donphan in the room that Meowth held in his paws, and had tried for the longest to ignore.

An eerie, purple Poké Ball with black framing twisting around it like bars to a cage. It looked unnatural, and frankly, gave Meowth the creeps, looking at it. But, reality was often more strange and frightening than imagination and fiction.

"...Are we still sure we should be usin' this thing?" Meowth asked, hoping that perhaps this time, someone would speak up and show greater decisiveness than him. Probably Jessie. "I really don't like it."

"Boss's orders, I'm afraid." James sighed, slumping his shoulders. He almost wished that they were wrong about where they'd find their target. It'd help them put off the inevitable. "I still don't see what's wrong with the old, reliable electricity-proof cage."

"The problem with those was that they weren't reliable," Jessie snapped back. "Besides. You heard the Boss. He was crystal-clear about our mission. It's also the one time he's wanted us to capture Pikachu! It's our big chance to capture him, once and for all!"

"Yeah," Meowth acquiesced. "But, we've seen dese things in action before… I really don't like 'em… But on the other paw, this might be my one and only chance to sit in da Boss's lap, and dethrone that mangy Persian!"

"And our ticket to fat wallets and notoriety among members of Team Rocket, everywhere!" Jessie replied. "That witch with the cowlick may be the one to get her grimy paws on Pikachu, but we'll reap the benefits! So, let's quit the belly-aching and focus!"

"And-how!" James chanted.

Although the trio had agreed, none of them felt much better about their predicament. But, there was no time left to dwell, it seemed. In the far-off distance, an easily-identifiable band of twerps was out in a clearing, and out in the open.

"Twerps, at one o'clock!" Jessie pointed as soon as she spotted them.

"Let's put the pedal to the metal!" James said, and did exactly that. Their targets grew ever closer, before a sharp turn of the wheel sent the truck into a swerving spin.

"Watch the metal; I ain't that durable!" Meowth complained, clinging to the seat. But, as soon as that nauseating turn started, it was over.

"We're here, they know it," Jessie rehearsed, "so let's get out and make the most of it!"

"Haa-ha-haha!" The three announced themselves with a nefarious laugh, and several smoke bombs, just to provoke the usual Twerpish exchange. There was a routine to these things, after all!

"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Ash deadpanned, grimacing. Just moments after he'd forsaken his fixation with Team Rocket, their least favorite band of thieves decided to show up.

"What do you three want, this time!?" Dawn demanded, already preparing for battle.

"What a question, twerpish indeed."

"We'll answer those questions when we feel the need!"

Three silhouettes stood out among the dust and ash; two tall ones, and one shorter.

"Bringing the blinding white of evil into the future!"

"Thrusting the hammer of justice down onto the black darkness of the universe!"

"Carving our names in the Rock of Eternity!" Razor-sharp claws sliced through the smoke, revealing the sinister gleam of gold atop a grinning bipedal feline's head.

A figure with long, scarlet hair twirled out of the debris. "The fiery destroyer, Jessie!"

A black rose was flung into plain sight, its stem catching in the dirt. The lavender-haired man, clad in black, walked suavely onto the scene. "And with thunderous emotion, I am James!"

The feline touched down before Jessie and James, with one paw planted on the broken ground. "Wisest of the wise, Meowth!"

The three agents struck a pose together, forming a giant 'R' with their silhouettes.

"And now, gather under the name of Team Rocket!"

"Y'know, I'm really not in the mood to deal with you guys!" Ash barked.

"Yeah, so get lost!" Dawn shouted.

"Pika-Pikachu!"

"Empol!"

~Yeah, beat it!~

"Says the Twoips who like to meddle in our business!" Meowth cackled.

"Interfering with Silph Co. was extremely rude," James replied. "But lucky for you, we're in a good mood! So, just hand over that Pikachu, and that'll be the last we see of you!"

"At least for a while," Jessie taunted, clutching a Poké Ball in her gloved hand. She tossed it enthusiastically. "Yanmega, I choose you!"

The giant, dragonfly-like insect buzzed fiercely, hovering around Jessie. Her many red eyes focused intensely on the gang of five.

"You too, Carnivine!" James spun around, slinging his own Poké Ball forth… only for the man-eating plant that appeared to live up to its name, zipping right back towards James.

The result was a loud, upsetting 'crunch.' Carnivine was now chomping on the entire upper half of James' body, leaving its trainer to flail around and squeal in pain.

"Get serious, will you!?" Jessie barked, tugging on Carnivine.

"Dis is why no one takes us seriously!" Meowth shouted. Unlike Jessie, he declined to help, rubbing the back of his head with one paw.

"And I can totally see why," Ash deadpanned, frowning.

"No matter how strong you get, you're still annoying and pathetic," Dawn added.

"Cute," Jessie replied, "did you get that from the plum-headed Twerp?"

Meowth then grinned, a gleam in his eye. "But, if anyone's been played for a fool…"

"...It's you!" James boasted, prying Carnivine off his head, as Jessie threw the Pokémon towards the group.

"Huh!?" Ash and Dawn both exclaimed. Was that not just their usual routine!?

"You fell for it!" James said, and gleefully pointed forward. "Carnivine! Sleep Powder!"

"Carni-viiiine!" The venus flytrap opened his gigantic mouth, spraying the band of heroes with a pink, somnifying cloud of spores.

Ash coughed, guarding his face with his arm. "Everyone! Don't breathe it in! I'll get Pidgeot!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Jessie shouted. "Yanmega, just like we practiced!"

Yanmega moved in, quickly picking up speed to fly circles around the trainers and their band of walking Pokémon. Moving so quickly, in fact, that she started to brew a twister of her own design. Howling winds surrounded the group, and kept Sleep Powder contained within the vacuum.

"What the…!?" Ash held a deep breath, covering his mouth with his hand. 'They've never tried something like this, before…!'

"I… can't even see!" Dawn tried to speak past her hand to keep herself awake, but it was a failing effort. Her vision was becoming blurry, and her knees were getting weak.

~I… I got 'em!~ Rosa drew back a paw, summoning a teal flash of Aura within it. It grew and came close to taking mass before flickering out. With her waning cognizance, her concentration couldn't hold. ~I… got 'em..!~

"Pi… Pika!" Pikachu tried to right himself, and sparks danced off his cheeks. Ultimately, he started to feel faint, and fell flat on his face in the dirt.

"There he is!" Jessie shouted.

"Now's our chance!" James added.

"Right…!" Meowth swallowed heavily, and held the twisted Poké Ball in both of his paws. "Er…" Starting to sweat, he turned and tossed the ball to his comrade. "You're up, James!"

"Eh!?" James squealed, catching it in his hands, wide-eyed. "Oh, no… you do the honors, Meowth!" He tossed it back.

Meowth quickly returned it. "If anyone's honorable here, it's you, Jimmy!"

"Oh, no, no. I kindly insist!" James urged, tossing it back.

Watching their mission quickly turn into a game of hot potato, Jessie growled, and snatched the sphere. "You idiots… If you won't do it, I will!" Winding up, she pitched it into the tornado of spores.

Ash was already on his knees, struggling to stave off slumber, when a foreign object came into his line of sight. A dark, round object that he swore looked familiar, coming towards Pikachu.

His feelings played out, then, in slow motion. Confusion, first. Then worry, when the ball neared Pikachu. Rather than the predictable net or trap, its latch popped open like a Poké Ball.

Then, to his horror, he could watch Pikachu start to back away. The terror playing out on his own partner's face, before he became a flash of red light. Pikachu retreated, disappearing into the ball. It hit the ground, rocking. Rattling.

Against all of Ash's most desperate wishes, it stopped with a 'click.'

"Pikachu!" Ash screamed, his voice deafened by the whirling winds that finally came to a close. Every thought, every synapse of his screamed to stay awake, in spite of the spores that left him grounded and weak.

"...And, there it is!" Jessie walked over, and snatched up the sphere that now contained Team Rocket's ultimate prize. "See? It was as easy as that."

"Easy for you to say," James replied.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get movin', before we get losin'!" Meowth barked, and the three fled for their truck at a breakneck pace.

"Team… Rocket…!" Ash growled out, clawing his fingernails into the dirt. His head was foggy. He had no idea whether Dawn, or Rosa, or Empoleon were even still awake, themselves. There was no time to plan, or think. All he could do was force himself to his feet, and stumble after their vehicle.

He didn't understand what'd just happened in the least, but as he lunged for the back door to the truck, he knew only one certain thing. His best friend was in grave trouble, and he needed him.

That much gave Ash the willpower to pry the door swinging open, nearly flinging him off-board.

Ash dug his fingers into the cold metal handle until it hurt; it did the slightest good in keeping him awake when he swung his weight inwards, and flung himself into the large box car. He hit cold, metal flooring, rolling across its interior until he hit a wall.

His vision was awfully blurry, by now, but the bright, orange light of late day was displaced by darkness. Content, now that he'd covered his tracks, Ash couldn't fight slumber, anymore.

"What was that!?"

"I heard it, too…"

"I'm sure it was another root. No thanks to your rotten driving, James!"

"Don't be so glum. It's time to celebrate!"

"Right! We finally got Pikachu!"

"Our key to speedy success!"

Muffled voices could just barely be heard through the steel walls. Ash ignored them, drifting off with only one thought on his mind.

"Pikachu…"


The fog of spore-induced sleep had started to loosen its grip on Dawn. Deep, uninterrupted slumber was on its way out, and she clawed feebly at the dirt. "Ugh…" She groaned, blinking her eyes repeatedly. Still feeling far sleepier than she'd like, and not quite remembering why, Dawn forced herself to sit up. She yawned. "Why am I in the middle of the…"

Nearby her, Empoleon laid asleep. On the other side of her, Rosa had her face in the grass. The pieces were starting to come together, and she gasped. "Team Rocket!" They'd been ambushed. And even worse, was the complete absence of two of their friends. "Ash… Pikachu! Oh, where did they go!? What'd we even miss!?"

"Pol…?" Empoleon groaned, slowly sitting up. He seemed to snap back to his senses, too, squawking in horror. "Empoleon!" Back on his feet, he scouted for anything amiss.

"Lu…" Rosa grunted, third to rise. She gasped. ~Papa! Uncle Pikachu!~

"That attack must've knocked us out… But who knows how long ago?" Night had fallen, already. Dawn did her best to collect her thoughts, and piece a foreboding story together. "I just… only remember that Sleep Powder. And Ash shouting something, or another.. Maybe he went to stop them on his own!" Unfortunately, that was exactly in character for him.

Dawn sighed. "Rosa, can you see if you can feel them out?"

~Roger!~ The Lucario crouched, and pressed her paw to the ground. Closing her eyes to the world, she cleared her mind, and scanned her surroundings. Trees aplenty, and the occasional wild Pokémon… But, none that felt like a Pikachu. Her ears fell when she felt no surge of Aura like her trainer's, either. ~...No luck.~ She shook her head. ~I don't feel either of them!~

"Great… just great." Dawn furrowed her brows, and smacked her cheeks. "No need to worry! We just have to put our heads together, and start looking." Reaching for her bag, she was relieved to find that none of her Poké Balls were missing. "Togekiss, come on out!"

"Kiss~!" Togekiss soared into the air before looping back around. "Toge?"

"We're looking for Ash and Pikachu," Dawn explained. "Something fishy happened with Team Rocket, but we were knocked out, so we're not sure what. Can you search from them from the air?"

The Jubilee Pokémon instantly gained an air of determination. "Togekiss!" Dutifully, she started soaring over the trees.

"C'mon," Dawn rallied Rosa and Empoleon. "We've got six eyes between us, and Rosa's Aura. We're not going to find them standing still!" With that said, she had no idea where to start… All she could do was charge into the forest, and hope for the best.

'Ash… Please don't be in over your head, this time. Just hang on, until I find you!'


"I'll admit, I'm surprised. You three are back on time. A lot earlier than expected, actually." Ariana addressed Jessie, James, and Meowth with both of her arms folded behind her back. She'd met them halfway in the middle of a narrow, sterile hallway with white walls and the occasional black banner sporting the iconic red 'R.'

It felt suffocating, Meowth thought, and he was the smallest among them.

Jessie, meanwhile, was violently grinding her teeth at their superior's condescension.

"Was I right to take my precious time to meet you…? Or, do you three have another excuse for why you just couldn't get your hands on that damned freak-of-nature rodent?"

That was the last straw for Jessie, apparently, who stepped out of lock from her two peers to snap at her. "That's awfully bold coming from the same Executive who she, herself, failed to—"

"Failed to properly evaluate our experience with dealing with just that rodent!" James wheezed out, hastily yanking Jessie back alongside him, like a feeble elder trying to reel in their ornery Granbull. He realized, afterward, that his phrasing wasn't much better, but what was done was done. "But, do remember that we've spent most of our careers doing just that!"

"Might not wanna bring that up, given our track record," Meowth whispered. Sighing, he decided to take control of the situation. "But, all of dat's water under the bridge, now! We got just what da Boss ordered, for the power and glory of Team Rocket!" He nudged Jessie's shin.

"See for yourself~!" Jessie sing-songed in the most facetious of sickeningly sweet voices, presenting the eerie-looking Poké Ball to Ariana.

"...Hmph." Ariana's cat-like eyes narrowed. She snatched the ball out of Jessie's hand. "Feel fortunate that I can't admonish you for a job adequately done. That'll be all, then."

The three of them went quiet, staring at Ariana with some measure of disbelief. Deflated, and finding this all a bit anticlimactic. James was the first to speak up. "...That'll be all?"

"You can find your way back to the exit, can't you?" Ariana replied, turning her back to them. "Now that I have this Pikachu, I have work to do. Giovanni will want whatever data I can parse from this little terror. Besides… I've been curious about it, myself, for quite some time."

"...N-now, wait a minute!" Jessie blustered. "We've spent the past four or five years chasing that Pikachu!"

"I don't see how your abysmal time management skills are my problem." the Executive dismissed, starting to walk away.

"It's just… dat Pikachu's been our woik! We'd like ta… I don't know," Meowth stammered, turning the ball of his foot against the tiled floor. "...See the fruits o' our labor, ourselves, y'know?"

If looks could kill, the piercing, red-hued glare that Ariana cast over her shoulder would have turned the bundle of agents to stone. "'The fruits of your labor' will be dodging yet another demotion… That is, unless you insist on talking back to an Executive. Any further time spent in my base will be considered insubordination. Do I make myself clear!?"

"Y-yes, Executive!" All three of them sputtered in unison.

"...Good. Now, then," the scarlet-haired Rocket said, before returning to the hidden base's many corridors. Not sparing the trio of misfits another glance.

"We'll just… be going now," James said meekly, slowly stepping away from the scene.

"Outta your hair," Meowth added.

"Bon voyage!" Jessie sing-songed, working her way backwards until they found a forked path. She swiftly rounded it, and yanked James and Meowth along with her to hide behind it.

"That pompous, silver-tongued, black-hearted witch," Jessie hissed. "Does she remember that she's only one rank above us!?"

"Dis is why I hate bureaucracy," Meowth sighed.

"But, more to the point," James said, "what now?"

"Now, we do a little bit of espionage, of course," Jessie replied.

"On Team Rocket!?" Meowth blurted out, albeit in a whisper. "You herd 'er. That's insubordination!"

"She's the insubordinate," Jessie huffed. "The Boss gave that mission to us! So, it's our responsibility to make sure that the Pikachu project is carried out properly!"

"Yeah," Meowth purred, starting to catch on. "I mean, if she can't even catch us, how can we trust 'er to not lose Pikachu?"

"But, we don't know if she'll catch us yet," James pointed out, ever the realist.

"Then it's our job to not get caught," Jessie replied. "Besides…"

"Pikachu's still in dat dingy t'ing," Meowth said somberly. "And you know what they can do…"

"Turn a perfectly good Celebi into a freakish mess of roots," Jessie shivered. Being assimilated by that mangled titan of forestry was a nightmarish occurrence she'd never forget. Nor would she forget the blank, creepy look in the time traveler's eyes.

"And a soulless vegetable to boot," James added.

"So, maybe we should keep an eye on Pikachu… Or at least whatever information they find," Jessie suggested. "We can't trust that witch to not screw up a mission so delicate."

"Yeah… Sounds like a good idea." Meowth frowned, poking his paws together. Who knew that winning would feel so complicated?


Cold, hostile steel wasn't what Ash expected to feel, the moment he started to wake. Nor did he prepare himself for the awkward, tangled sleeping position he'd found himself in. He couldn't quite feel his right leg at all, scaring him into truly feeling conscious, until he realized that he'd been leaning his entire weight on it somehow.

He sat up suddenly, and regretted it; his neck felt stiff and sore. 'I feel like hell… Wait. Pikachu!' His eyes snapped open, as the memory of what'd happened to his partner was more than enough to make him stand up. Unfortunately, his leg was still asleep, forcing him to stumble and clutch the closest wall to him.

He grumbled, irritably shaking out his leg. There was no time for this. No time to laze around and get comfortable. The image of Pikachu disappearing into a cryptic device was playing on loop in his mind. Getting snagged by Team Rocket was one thing, but his aversion to Poké Balls made this ten times worse! Ash punched the metal container, making it rattle. The floor beneath him wobbled. "Pikachu…! I swear, Buddy, I'll get you, if it's the last thing I do."

His knuckles hurt, but he shook them out. He'd left a dent in the wall. 'Those three have really gone and done it… But if I'm still in this thing, then they never found me. Which means they can't be too far off.'

The car attached to the back of the truck was dark; Ash had no clue what time it was. Judging by a mild emptiness in his stomach, it'd probably been a few hours, at least. Regrettably, he checked his backpack to find that he had no food on him.

'Damn it. At least I have my Poké Balls… But, Rosa was out when they got us. Pikachu's not here either, so I've got Torterra, Pidgeot, Tauros, and Misdreavus… Misdreavus! That's it.'

He took Misdreavus's Poké Ball off his belt, and clicked the center button, releasing her.

The dark teal ghost materialized, and immediately looked confused. "Mis…?" She cooed, checking her surroundings. Nothing about this seemed familiar. It was pretty ominous, in fact. "Misdreavus."

"We're in a bit of a bind, now, Misdreavus. Team Rocket took Pikachu from us!"

"Dreav?" The ghost tilted her head.

"...Right. You've never dealt with 'em, have you? You weren't out when we fought them in Viridian Forest. But, that's besides the point. Our pal's in trouble, and I need your help, okay?"

"Dreavus!" She cooed adamantly.

"Thanks. Now, I need to figure out where we are… But I don't wanna risk getting caught, right away. Do you think you could make us both go ghost for a second, and check out our surroundings? I'm not sure if you know how, but Gengar knows…"

"Mis!" Misdreavus nodded. "Mis-dreav." She didn't look terribly confident, but it was at least worth a try, Ash figured.

"We'll just start out with this scout, alright? Here." He placed his hand on Misdreavus's head.

He watched the Ghost-type concentrate, and shortly after, he felt the same odd, flighty feeling that he'd experienced twice before. Looking down at his free hand, he found it to be transparent.

"This is still weird… but it'll do. Let's check it out." Recalling the far-off experience at Pokémon Tower, Ash kicked his legs around in an attempt to climb on air, until he willed himself to float. "C'mon, ghost body… Don't fail me, now!" Scooting slowly through the air, he passed right through the truck's exterior, and entered open air.

The area they'd come to was mostly surrounded by forest, pardoning a large, mountainous rock formation. Off in the distance, Ash could see Mt. Moon. Most notable of all, though, perhaps, was a small building carved into the rocky exterior, and two strange antennae sticking out of the ground. Ash wasn't even going to bother guessing what those were.

"This has to be a Team Rocket base, or something. Come to think of it… Didn't Rosa sense something off around here, once?" It was a thought that Ash dismissed when he saw the visible strain on Misdreavus's face. "I guess we'll have to break in. There's no time to go find Dawn and the others."

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a few odd lenses on the side of the building. "Security cameras… Misdreavus, bring us up close, so we can hide up against the wall. They won't catch us, there!"

"Mis," Misdreavus huffed, flying Ash more steadily than he knew how towards the hideout. Once they came close to the exterior, Ash felt himself fade back into a mortal state, and stuck the landing, pressing his back up against the wall.

"Alright… that's one step forward. Hey, girl, are you alright?" He asked, frowning.

"Misdreav," Misdreavus nodded, but she didn't quite look it.

"This must be tough for you, since you haven't had a whole lot of practice… I don't wanna push you and make it worse. I guess I'll just have to think of a new way in." Frowning, he crossed his arms, propping his back against the wall. There had to be a safe way to barge in…

"Mis! Mis!" Misdreavus cried in protest. Before he could ask her anything further, he felt his backpack slip off his shoulders, and then saw it hovering in front of them. It was illuminated by the blue glow of Misdreavus's Psychic.

"What're you… Oh! I think I get it." He opened his knapsack, and rummaged through its contents. After a bit of poking around, he found it. "There," he said, pulling out what he was sure she was after: the Dusk Stone he'd shown her, earlier this afternoon. "Were you looking for this?"

"Mis!" She affirmed.

Ash's eyes widened, as he truly put the pieces together. "Misdreavus… Are you trying to evolve so that you can do what you just did more easily?"

Misdreavus nodded.

"You are… I guess I owe you an explanation, Misdreavus." Ash frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Earlier today… I was trying to become stronger so that I can fight people like these guys. To stop them. But when we brought it up earlier, I guess I was afraid to push those feelings on you by making you evolve."

"Mis, mis…" Misdreavus's eyes widened. She hadn't known this, of course, and went on to speak passionately. 'Dreavus! Mis-dreav. Misdreavus!" They were words that Ash couldn't parse down to the letter, sadly. But, he was fairly sure he understood.

"I think I get it, Misdreavus…" Ash hummed. He could only think back on a poem, then.

'A Noctowl's wisdom. Not a product of its own, but born of its flock.'

"I worry a lot about pushing you guys, but you have your own feelings and wants. Especially when someone we care about is in trouble, right?"

"Dreav!" Misdreavus agreed.

Ash could only smile, and bite back the tears he felt coming. He was so, so grateful for his Pokémon. "In that case… Then, let's do this, Misdreavus! Together!" In his open hand, he held the deep violet Dusk Stone. A symbol of their commitment.

Misdreavus honored it, by pressing her forehead to the stone without hesitation. A bright, warm glow wrapped around the stone, and then around the ghost, herself. Evolution's gentle embrace lit the scene, and expanded to accommodate the ghost's transformation.

Flowing, ghostly shapes expanded into a long cloak with new arms. The wisps on Misdreavus's head bloomed into a wide, triangular shape atop her head. The ghoul grew in size, until the light faded. She was now a bold purple, rather than blue, and sported a huge witch's hat, with pink spikes, much like the wisps she'd formerly worn. Her eyes were halfway hidden by her headgear, and her red gems had split into just three larger ones framing her cloak.

She lifted her head, and met Ash with the same yellow eyes with ruby irises. Somehow, she carried a more mature, witch-like look to her, though he still saw the same kindness in her eyes. Her smile now sported a feline-like curve to it; surely meant to look all the more mischievous.

In that moment, though, Ash only saw pride. He felt it, too.

"Misdrea… Mismagius. Congratulations," Ash said fondly. "I'd love to tell you how awesome you are later, but I guess we should get to work, huh?"

"Mag," Mismagius said curtly. Her voice carried something of a deep, ghostly echo, now.

"Right… Then, let's head inside. Go!" He signaled, placing his hand atop her hat. Once again, he felt the odd sensation of becoming intangible, and levitated off the ground. Holding onto the brim of her hat, he was pulled through the door, and down a set of stairs. Narrow, sterile hallways with tiled floors and Rocket banners were their initial path forward.

"Creepy place," Ash muttered to Mismagius. "It seems clear for now, so let's keep going." He floated alongside her in a straight path, until a couple of Rocket grunts passed by. A young man and a young woman.

"I can't believe it," the man said. "They finally got that Pikachu?"

"Some of the older recruits say they've been at it for years. Those losers should've done it sooner, though."

"Hey, easy," the man hushed, whispering to the other. "They're Admins, now. If word gets back to them-"

"Who even cares?" She scoffed, waving an upturned hand. "Word is, most of the Execs hate them. Besides, if they had, things would've gone smoother at Silph."

"I wonder what's so special about that thing, anyway? How strong can a Pikachu be?"

"Bet that's why it's here. You know Executive Ariana likes to know how things tick."

The conversation playing out below made Ash's blood boil. His noncorporeal fist tightened, and he had half a mind to demand answers from those two, right now.

"Mis?" Mismagius asked.

Ash inhaled sharply. "...Not yet. Those two don't sound like they know anything. We'd be revealing ourselves for nothing. We've got the name of who we're looking for, so let's go a little further and see if we can find a place to settle for a minute."

The two kept floating, moving past the grunts. They rounded a corner and their chatter became indistinct. With no immediate company, Ash scouted the hallway. There were a couple of small lenses that were definitely security cameras. "I've got an idea. If you can bust a few of those, we can cause some confusion and let your powers rest for a minute."

"Mag!" Mismagius agreed.

"Mismagius, use Power Gem!"

Red projectiles fired from her gems, shooting at lightning speeds; far quicker and more forceful than before, Ash noticed. Each of the security cameras was shattered in succession, bursting into broken glass and plastic, and red shimmers.

"Perfect. Let's rest for just a sec, now that they won't see us," Ash suggested. Gravity had its grip on him again, and he landed on his feet.

Mismagius became visible again, too, exhaling after showing a mild amount of effort.

'I really wanna just charge the place, and find Pikachu as soon as possible,' Ash thought to himself. 'But that could land us in some real trouble… Oh, duh! I could just sense him out!'

It was a good idea, perhaps, but Ash didn't have the time to pull it off, uninterrupted. He heard footsteps approaching, and grimaced. Without anytime to waste, he reached for Mismagius's sleeve, and took it. Once again, they disappeared, just in time for company.

"What even happened, here…?"

"The security cameras. They're all busted!"

"Think they short-circuited or somethin'?"

"All at once? Doubt it. Something fishy's going on, here…"

"There could be an intruder. Keep an eye out!" One of the Rockets ordered the others around, walking down the hallway with eyes sharp as a Spearow's. They approached a door and turned the handle, pulling it open. From Ash's point of view, it seemed to be a supply closet. "Nothing out of order, yet… But, we'd better be thorough. Keep moving!"

Ash exchanged a look with Mismagius, and nodded towards the closet. "They've already checked, so we should be safe. Let's settle in there." Hearing an affirmative "Mag" from his Pokémon, he floated along with her into the enclosed space. It was dark and cluttered, but it'd do.

Mismagius released her supernatural grip on Ash, and he slumped into the corner of the closet, with her as close-kept company. He scooted over to press his ear to the door. The footsteps they'd heard were getting further away.

'Okay… So, we should have a few minutes of safety in here. Now's the perfect time to look for Pikachu!' Ash thought to himself, and took a deep breath. Shoving the anxiety and anger he felt onto the backburner, he did his best to clear his mind.

There were a multitude of Aura throughout the base, ranging from neutral to wicked. The ill will leaking off of some of them sent a shudder down Ash's spine. 'I can just feel how rotten these guys are… 'It made him wonder if this was what Rosa had experienced. But, more to the point, there was a glaring absence. One that whittled his concentration down by the second, allowing worry to seep into his consciousness.

He couldn't sense Pikachu's familiar presence, at all.

'Pikachu… You've gotta be here. You've just got to! But, if I can't feel you, then… why?'


Sweat drenched her. Dawn finished another lap around the wilds bordering Viridian City. She doubled over, hands on her knees and her face red from exhaustion. Togekiss, who had been flying above them all, keeping an eye out for hide or hair of Ash or Pikachu, landed beside her trainer, cooing softly in worry. She desperately wished, now, that she'd had Houndoom on her.

Her lugs burnt, and her legs felt like jelly. Empoleon had been returned some time ago, unable to keep up on his feet. She looked to the Lucario, who'd been darting every which way, and planting her paw to the earth to feel for any signs of familiarity. Her endurance was infinitely greater, but the same couldn't be said for her composure. Dawn didn't have to ask, when tears trickled from Rosemary's glassy, far-off eyes.

~Nothing… I don't feel 'em, anywhere! Not a damn sign!~ Rosa punched the dirt. It splintered into a crater beneath her paw.

Dawn felt dizzy. She'd worked her way around more bushes and roots than she could count. She could swear she'd seen the same stump five times over. Every minute that slipped by was another minute that Ash and Pikachu could be further away, or worse off, and that fact made it hard to even focus.

"No… No, no! Come on!" Dawn cried. Her eyes were glassy, and tears of frustration started to spill down her cheeks. "We can't be this helpless! Can we…? They need us, and we're just running in circles!" Ash's Pokémon League cap crunched in her hand, and stained with her tears. She hadn't released it from her grip since they'd started searching.

~Ma…~ Rosa stumbled over, with no purpose or direction in her steps. She threw her arms around Dawn, burying her head in her shoulder. Dawn paused before cradling her with her arms. Comforting others wasn't something she was particularly good at. But, she was very clearly needed.

While she wasn't a nurturer, though, Togekiss was. She tip-toed over towards the two, wrapping her plush wings around them. "Toge…"

Dawn sighed, still clutching Ash's cap in her hand. She'd put this off for too long, fixed on not wasting any time. But, they were running low on options. "I guess we'd better go and talk to the police."


"Officer Jenny!" Dawn stumbled through the sliding double doors to Viridian's precinct, stopping halfway into the lobby to catch her breath, with her hands on her knees. "Officer…!'

Sitting at the front desk, the blue-haired officer frowned, standing upright when the distressed teenager staggered in. "What seems to be the problem, young lady? You look distressed."

"I…" Dawn took a moment to think while she composed herself. Come to think of it, what had happened? The way she'd just slept through it all was something she was still beating herself up for. "I don't know," she admitted. "I didn't see what happened, and it was maybe a few hours ago, but…! I think I have an idea of-"

"Miss," Jenny interrupted gently. "I'm sure you're rattled, but let's see if we can work through this. Take a deep breath, and tell me what you know, okay?"

"Okay," Dawn agreed. She gently squeezed Rosa's paw to calm herself. "It was… the sun was still setting, I think. It couldn't have been later than five or six. Me and my boyfriend were out walking towards city limits. Team Rocket showed up, and attacked us!"

"Team Rocket!?" Officer Jenny's brow furrowed. "To think they'd be causing trouble again, so soon… There's been no shortage of their terror, in these past few months," she mused to herself. "Sorry. Keep going."

Not wanting to incriminate herself, or Ash, who likely had enough problems, Dawn only nodded to that. "They were after his Pikachu… like they always are. We told them to beat it, but we got hit with a Sleep Powder from them! The next thing I knew, I only had my Pokémon, and his Lucario," she gestured to the Fighting-type accompanying her. "Ash and his Pikachu were missing."

"Ash and Pikachu?" Officer Jenny echoed, eyes widening. The memories were faint, after maybe five years, give or take. But, it was hard to leave an impression much greater than the ten-year-old with a battered Pikachu who'd accidentally left the Pokémon Center a pile of rubble. It could just be a coincidence, but it was doubtful. "Could you tell me about these Team Rocket agents? Was there anything notable about them? You've said that they're 'always' after Pikachu."

Dawn nodded. "They tailed us most of our way through the Sinnoh region last year, and he says that they've always followed him. It's a group of three; a red-haired woman named Jessie, a purple-haired man named James, and a talking Meowth."

"Jessie, James, Meowth… I believe those descriptions match those of the three that attacked the Pokémon Center, all those years ago! And if I'm not mistaken, they're at large for the recent attack on Silph, among many, many other crimes… So, all signs point to them taking Pikachu, but that doesn't explain Ash, himself." Jenny surmised, writing down the new information into her report as it came.

"Knowing him, he found a way to stay awake and chase after them," Dawn mused. "...I hope."

"I really should call in some help from the force," Jenny said. "It sounds like we're going to need a search party. But, it would be great if we could have any leads at all."

The officer's amber eyes fixed on Dawn; surely, Dawn knew she was looking to her for any sort of answer. She thought hard about the encounter. "They came out of the woods in a truck to attack us, but… everything else after that, I can't say. I'm sorry."

~I tried to sense in the direction they came from,~ Rosemary volunteered, ~But there were no signs of anybody! No Pa, no Pikachu, no villains… Nobody but wild Pokémon!~

Tense silence hung in the air. Even with joint minds, and the law on their side, the search party for Ash and Pikachu was back to square one.

That silence was broken by the loud buzz of a phone, jolting Officer Jenny to attention. "Just a moment," she said, and tapped a button to accept a video call on the monitor behind her desk. "Officer Jenny, Viridian City Police Department. Can I be of assistance?"

"I would certainly hope so, Officer." A gruff voice sounded over the phone, which Dawn was sure she recognized. "It's a slim chance, but reaching out to the local Pokémon Center has brought us no luck. You wouldn't happen to know of the location of the trainer, Dawn Tsumura, would you?"

"Actually, as luck would have it…" Officer Jenny started.

"Professor Rowan!?" Dawn swerved around to lean over the countertop. Indeed, the gruff, stern-looking professor with snow-white hair and a prominent mustache was on the other end of the call.

"Ah, Dawn. Thank goodness," Rowan breathed a sigh of relief. There was an acute tiredness in his voice. "It seems luck is finally on our side."

"What seems to be the problem?" Officer Jenny asked. "I was actually in the middle of discussing a rather pertinent situation with Dawn, right now. I can't imagine our concerns are connected, given your phone number indicates that you're all the way in…"

"Sinnoh, yes," he finished. "And they very well might be."

Beyond Rowan's voice, distressed reassurances and angry snarls overlapped in the background. One of the lab's assistants jolted into frame, wrestling with what turned out to be an Absol, roaring and shoving her way towards the camera. She'd been held back by two, ultimately, but shook free, standing on her hind legs so that her blood red eyes took up a majority of the screen.

"Absol!?" Dawn exclaimed. Meanwhile, Jenny saw it fit to open the gate to allow Dawn behind the front desk, and see her own Pokémon face-to-face. What's gotten into you!?"

She recognized Dawn's face, and cried in distress.

"Your Absol has been in disarray for the past several hours," Rowan could be heard answering in the background. "We fear it has something to do with you, given Absols' reputation for foreseeing disasters… Your mother informed us you'd be in Viridian City, and we've been trying to reach you."

'Absol… She must've seen this coming,' Dawn thought to herself. The fact that she could sense it in an entirely different region, though, was a little terrifying.

"Then I take it that Absol's aware of what's happening here," Jenny voiced Dawn's thought aloud. "In that case, they might be our only lead in this case!"

"This case?" Rowan recounted, disgruntled. "What case?"

"Ash and Pikachu are missing," Dawn answered. "We're sure that Team Rocket's involved."

"I think it's best you send Absol over," the officer urged. "Luckily, we have an exchange device installed in the precinct."

"That's fine with me," Dawn agreed. "Listen to Rowan, Absol, okay? We could really use your help!"

That was enough for Absol, who promptly backed away from the screen. In short order, one of the assistants returned her to her Poké Ball, looking awfully disheveled. She handed the ball to Rowan.

As always, his expression was unreadable. "Then, make haste, and we'll wish you our best." He placed the sphere into something offscreen.

Jenny showed Dawn to the groove where her own Poké Ball went, and she quickly considered her options.

'Who to put through… I hate to put away Clefairy, but we might need all the battling power we can get, right now,' Dawn thought to herself, frowning. Mentally apologizing to the dancer, she placed her Poké Ball in the slot provided. "We're ready!"

The Poké Ball then disappeared, and was replaced by another. Dawn picked it up, and tapped the center button. A flash of light materialized to summon Absol, in the center of the lobby.

"Thank you, Professor," Jenny addressed Rowan. "We'll update you, when possible." With the man's acceptance, she ended the call. "...I'm afraid it's going to take a short time to organize a team. But I can't help but feel like any time spent waiting is time wasted."

"Then, we'll go!" Dawn volunteered. She stepped out from behind the desk, and stood beside Absol. "Absol, you can lead us to whatever's happening, can't you?"

The Disaster Pokémon looked up to Dawn and nodded her head. Though, Dawn soon realized she was gesturing towards her own back. "Sol!"

"You… want me to get on?" Dawn asked.

"Ab!" Absol nodded. Dawn then tentatively climbed atop her back. She felt some concern for putting her weight on a Pokémon shorter than her, but Absol didn't buckle at all.

"It's risky," Jenny said, "and I have some reservations about sending you out to do this on your own… But we don't have much choice, right now." She offered Dawn a small, handheld radio. "Keep this on your person, and contact us as soon as you find anything. We'll track the signal and catch up to you, ASAP."

Dawn took the radio, and placed it inside her bag. "I will. Rosa, you can keep up alongside us."

The Lucario said nothing, but nodded.

Dawn tapped her foot against Absol's side. "Alright, Absol. Lead us to Ash and Pikachu!"

Absol galloped out of the sliding glass doors, and through the streets of Viridian, while dodging passers by, left and right. Luckily, in the waning hours of the night, they didn't encounter much of a crowd. Lamp posts lit their way through the city into its northern sectors, and Absol then found her way out.

On the edge of the horizon, over scaling trees and shrubbery, Dawn could see Mt. Moon. For the briefest of moments, she could see herself dancing with Ash under the stars, again. His flailing, and clumsy moves, and his sweaty palms. Him accidentally tripping her off her feet. Him catching her in his arms afterward, as a gleam of lively blue shone in his chocolate hues.

That brief look of cockiness he had, knowing he'd saved her; probably the hundredth time, in their many dangerous escapades and adventures, be it as mundane a danger as her ornery Mamoswine, or as titanic as the gods of creation themselves dragging her into their battles.

Dawn never quite felt helpless; her pride wouldn't allow it. But today, perhaps, was the closest she'd ever come to it. She leaned forward on Absol, her sapphire hues gaining a steely stern resolve. 'Just wait, Ash. This time, you can count on me saving you.'

Riding with a purpose, Dawn kept her chin up and her eyes ahead. Leading Absol's charge, she could put her faith in her Pokémon who'd only ever pulled her out of a bind.

Rosemary, though, couldn't say she felt the same. Carried by her powerful and reliable legs, she sprinted alongside the Disaster Pokémon, only passively involved. Her mind was clouded, and she wished she could say she was as clear in her purpose.

"Hey," she addressed Absol. "How come you know where to look?"

Absol's red hues drifted back to her, eyes widening a bit in seeming confusion.

"I've been training in Aura for my whole life. Training to use my powers for good, and keep people safe. And as soon as I need it most, I come up blank! Why do you know where it is!?"

Absol diverted her eyes back towards the way forward, silent for a moment, as she picked her words. "If your purpose is to prevent disaster, then ours overlap. Are you not grateful?"

The answer made Rosa choke on her words. She had no adequate answer. "I want to save them. I want to do something!"

"If you want to save them, then do what I can't," Absol replied. "I can foresee disaster. The very first time I laid eyes on my trainer, I saw a walking procurer of misfortune. Someone who needed an extra eye. But, perhaps… that's all I am. An eye."

Her forced draw against Meowth came to mind. As did her feeble, scraping-by victories in Contests. "At a young age, you can do much more than see. Cherish your gifts accordingly."

"I don't know what that means!" Rosa shouted back. But, she wasn't a liar. On some level, she felt motivated by Absol's confidence in her. "But, I'll do whatever I can."


Ash could only make out the golden gleam of Mismagius's eyes in the storage closet, which was pitch-black, pardoning a little bit of light slipping under the crack of the door. Bunched up and cramped in total darkness wasn't ideal, but it was necessary if he wanted Mismagius to recover her strength.

He wanted to ask her if she'd recovered her strength, yet, but if someone heard him… Well, he didn't mind battling. In fact, he was raring to. But, he couldn't miss his chance to figure out where Pikachu was.

Unfortunately, while he wasn't doing any talking, his stomach did for him. A loud, drawn out grumble reminded him of his growing hunger pains. 'Shut up, already. I know this sucks, but I can't do anything about it, now… Ugh, but I really am hungry.' It was a petty complaint that he felt embarrassed of, with Pikachu in peril. But he couldn't help feeling weak and feeble from hunger, nor could he help his fingers starting to tremble. The ache was a near-constant reminder, and it was the last thing Ash needed. But, it did remind him of a conversation from several months ago.

"You need to know discipline, so you can be at your strongest. Besides, you never know; one day, you might not have the privilege of comfort, and you'll need to be prepared for that. Others might need you. That is the code of the Aura Guardian; to protect those we treasure, no matter the sacrifice."

"Well, that got dramatic. Talk about a worst-case scenario."

"Perhaps. But sometimes life throws things at us that we'd never expect."

At the time, Ash had been too angry to fully take those words to heart. He'd agreed on principle, but grumbled through it. 'It's been too long since the last time we were in real danger, huh…? Or, maybe not long enough.' He sighed. 'I've toughed out the worst, before. Time to put your training to work, Riley. I won't give up that easily!'

"Ugh. Where he!? That Pika-prize was …, before we got our hands on him."

'Is that Jessie!?' Ash's eyes snapped open. He promptly pressed his ear up against the door.

"Well it ain't …. around askin', without ….. gettin' tipped off."

"It's been hours. I ….. need to ….. more proactive approach."

"Jim's right. Dey're … somewhere, right?"

'That's them, alright… They're still here, and it sounds like they don't even know where Pikachu is.' A fact he'd write up to their incompetence, if he didn't have more pressing concerns. 'If they're looking for him, though, then we should follow.' Making his decision, Ash wordlessly pressed his hand to Mismagius's cap; a signal they'd decided on, minutes ago.

Once again, they both lost tangibility, and floated out of the supply closet. Two agents dressed up like grunts in all black were gathered, and a Meowth hiding behind one of them. On any other day, those disguises might've fooled him, if not for Meowth in the open… Or their voices.

Meowth, for his part, shuddered.

"Hm? What's wrong, Meowth?" James asked.

"I… can't quite put my paw on it. But, it feels like we're bein' watched."

"You're just being paranoid," Jessie scoffed. "Now, let's go."

"Whatevah. The sooner we're in 'n out of here, the better," Meowth agreed, and the trio of thieves continued on through the small maze of a hideout. With Ash and Mismagius in tow, they rounded corners, stopping at each door for signs of their number-one target.

By Ash's estimation, the three had been wandering for a while; they discounted paths, and strayed clear of any unwelcome company. Jessie even muttered something about trying a certain 'Research Center,' when Ariana wasn't present to catch them.

Shortly after, that was where Jessie, James, Meowth, and their guests found themselves. A door with exactly that nomer on a plaque, with a blacked out window. Jessie jiggled the knob, but it had no give. "Ugh, it's locked."

"Leave that to me," James replied with a smirk, pulling out a key card with a crimson 'R' printed on the front. "This may not be our territory, but that's nothing a little Rocket ingenuity can't handle." He slipped the card into the slot on the door, and a flash of green light blipped.

Successful, James turned the door, and pulled it open. Inside was a dimly lit room with a multitude of colorful monitors, desks, devices, and microscopes. About as eerie, cold, and sterile as it got, complete with a bespectacled man in a lab coat, jolting in surprise when fluorescent light filtered into the room.

"E-executive…! You're hasty, I see. But you'll be happy to know that the sample has…Hey! You grunts weren't given permission to interrupt my work. State your business, immediately!" The scientist barked, raising his hands frantically to cover the information displayed on the monitors.

"Oh, but we were," the redhead in black cooed, linking her hands together. "It just so happens that wi— I mean, our dear Executive sent us to check in on your progress."

"She's quite a busy woman, as we all know,": the man accompanying her added. "She can't afford to spend every waking moment checking in on you data punchers."

"You've got a lot of nerve, for grunts, talking to me like that," the scientist spat. Spotting the tail poking out from behind the two, he grimaced. "...You! You're not grunts at all! You're those three!"

"Well, looks like the jig's up," Jessie snorted in annoyance.

"And so is our friend's part in this conversation!" James added, throwing a Poké Ball. "Carnivine! Sleep Powder, now!"

The snapping venus fly trap shot out of its capsule, mouth opening wide to spray a fine pink mist.

For a second time, Ash watched James deploy the nasty tactic; this time, though, he was only a witness. The scientist uttered feeble protests, asserting they'd pay, but it amounted to naught, the lanky man collapsing in a heap near his station.

Jessie grunted in annoyance, kicking him aside on her way in. "Idiot."

"Now, let's see what dey've got on Pikachu," Meowth mused, hopping atop one of the desks for a better gander around. He peered into a microscope, and saw a collection of cells. "Hey, they got some Pika-DNA, over here. I wondah what for." After studying colorful cellular structures, the feline decided he didn't understand it, and pulled the miniature glass slide out of its fixture.

"Let's find out," James said, stepping in front of the collection of monitors, and started tapping away at the keys. Long sequences of DNA flashed on the screen at a rapid pace, and test results, graphs, and notes interchanged with James' scrolling. "Now, what's this…?"

"What, what?" Meowth hopped off the desk, and atop another to get a closer look at the screen. "Well… what do you know?" His thin slit eyes widened considerably, and the glass slide slipped from between his paws, hitting the space beside the keyboard with a 'clack.'

'What…? What is it?' Ash frowned, floating over to see the screens for himself, along with Mismagius. He looked the graphs and notes up and down, and saw a plethora of scientific jargon that was beyond him. 'Genome,' 'anomaly,' 'hyperconductivity,' among many others.

If there was anything special to parse, here, Ash didn't see it. But, he did feel a special kind of sickened at the cold and detached way Pikachu was being studied. God forbid he think about how his poor partner was handled to get it…

"What? What is it?" Jessie urged, just as clueless.

"It ain't much at a glance," Meowth answered. "But I t'ink we might have the answer to what makes those Thunderbolts rattle us extra special. Dis ain't no ordinary Pikachu!"

"Which we've told them, for half a decade," James replied. "But, now we have proof!"

"Now, Ariana has proof," Meowth corrected, "unless we can keep it out of 'er hands… But y'know, we've made a hell of a mess here." He frowned, inching away from where he'd been, and shuffling out of the monitor's light and towards the door. "Maybe we should, ah… check in on security and make sure we're not busted, ya think?"

"Right," Jessie agreed. "And if they caught us, we can take care of that problem, too." With a grunt, she dragged the unconscious researcher into a chair, leaving him slumped as if he'd simply slept on the job.

"It seems like we're getting closer and closer to full-on mutiny," James sulked. He took one last look at the monitor, and slowly pulled away. "But, in for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose."

"We ain't loyal to her," Meowth reminded him, shuffling out after Jessie. "We're loyal to the Boss."

That was the last Ash heard, before the door clicked shut behind them. "Alright, we're good for a minute," he said, and then became material, once more. He landed from a slight altitude, looking over the room. Microscopes, needles, and computers… it all gave him an unpleasant chill.

Mismagius, meanwhile, slumped over with a coo of relief. "Mag…" She felt quite winded, but she was content to float about, in the meantime. "Mismagius?"

"Yeah, I heard 'em," Ash answered, assuming what his Pokémon had asked. "We're putting ourselves in plain sight, but those three already made a mess for themselves. We can just vanish and leave the blame on them. After all of this, it serves them right," he noted bitterly.

"Besides," he continued, looking up at the monitor. The screen's display was different, now, but the text made little difference to his squinting eyes. "You heard that goon. He was expecting the Executive. if we just wait here…"

The 'click' of the door behind him jolted Ash alert, and he turned to face it. With a painfully slow, drawn out 'creak,' hostile white light nearly blinded him after sitting in the dark. A black silhouette stood out against the outside, with accents of bloody red.

"Somehow, something amiss has succeeded this long in slipping right under my nose." Red eyes stood out as Ash's eyes adjusted, framed by crimson, horned bangs. "Show yourself, immediately, you rotten traitors… oh?"

Ariana's eyes narrowed. With her top mind slumped over, unconscious, she was faced with but two foreign presences; not three. The red-cloaked rebellious boy, and a Mismagius. "You… How on earth did you manage to slip into my base!?"

It was a question a snarling Ash wholly ignored. "Give me back Pikachu!"

Ariana scowled. "I'll write this up to those three's incompetence… I'm already certain they're giving me trouble as we speak, but I didn't expect them to let sniveling, upstart kids into our midst. But, this may actually be a great opportunity," she said wickedly.

"Forget why I'm here. Where is my best friend!?" Ash snapped again, ignoring her.

"You want to see your dear rat…?" Ariana, unexpectedly, smiled. But, even at a glance in poor lighting, Ash could see the cold, eerie indifference behind it. "Follow me, then." She said, and turned to leave the laboratory.

Ash couldn't shake the itching feeling that this was some sort of trap, but he really couldn't care less, either. He wanted Pikachu back, desperately. He nodded to Mismagius, and followed Ariana.


Dawn's mission was far more straightforward, with Absol drawing their path. The Disaster Pokémon winded and darted through wilderness, but with a clear sense of purpose and direction. Ultimately, it couldn't have taken more than a few minutes, Dawn thought, when they'd spotted the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

A cliffside laid straight ahead, though it was difficult to make out in the dark. The two peculiar devices jutting out of the ground, on the other hand, were easy to spot, even now. "There! This is it, right, Absol…?"

Absol nodded, and came to a halt outside the perimeter of the strange antennae. She snarled, gesturing her head towards what Dawn could make out to be a door of some kind.

"Thanks, girl. Why don't you rest for a while? We can call you if we need you," Dawn suggested.

Absol nodded, and subsequently disappeared into her Poké Ball.

"It looks like we've found the place," Dawn said aloud to Rosa, walking towards it. A loud crackling, ear-splitting sound made her flinch, and reach into her bag. She pulled out the small radio, wincing at the sounds. "It's… some kind of interference! It sounds awful." She pressed the button on its side meant to reach the police, but the same awful sound persisted.

"It's… some kind of interference!" Dawn switched the radio off, and the noise ceased.

Rosemary, who'd taken the assault worst of all, held her head. ~Interference? Then, we can't reach Officer Jenny…?~


Ariana led Ash down several bends through her base, until she found black, solid double doors. She didn't once look back to her enemy who followed her every footstep. She could hear his shoes against the tiled floors, and moreover, she knew how pitifully loyal young trainers were to their teams. Him, especially, by reputation. She scanned her card key, and the doors slid open.

"I don't mean to flatter you," she started, "but rumors of your little rodent have circled in this organization for years. Mostly because of those misfit fools, but more recent events have brought his true nature to light. Like your attack on us at Silph," she hissed venomously.

Ash flinched.

Beyond Ariana, herself, was a conservatively sized indoor battlefield. Complete with drawn boundaries, barriers to protect the base's integrity, and many cameras. She walked towards one end with a hand on her hip. "But, even before that, I'll admit, I was curious. A Latios, brought to heel. Upon more inspection of your records, a Regice, as well…?"

Ash fell into the script of the scene being woven before them, and walked towards the field's opposite end. If this was unfolding to be a head-on confrontation, he could easily work with it. But, he couldn't shake a sickening, uneasy feeling. "And, what about it!?"

"Team Rocket is an organization of many facets. But, having the power to crush our opposition beneath our heel is among our highest priorities. And a seemingly common Pokémon with that much power… It sparks my curiosity. Why it's so strong. How it could be made even stronger."

Her cherry red lips twisted into a malignant sneer, as she held a wicked-looking Poké Ball with her fingertips. "How we could repurpose that power as our own." With a backhanded toss, she slung the grim capsule into the fray, spinning. Playing on Ash's every anticipating nerve, it opened. A flash of light materialized before her.

Ash's breath caught in his throat, drawing a stunted, choked sound out of him. His eyes grew wide, and his heart sank like a stone. 'No, no…' He shook his head, trying to deny the sight before him. But, when he opened his eyes again, the truth rudely persisted.

Opposite of Ash, Pikachu did indeed stand before him, again. But, his posture was anything but welcoming, or relieved. On all fours, tail alert, and fangs bared, he was hostile. His ordinarily vibrant yellow fur was tainted with a sickly, grim orange. His ever-rosy cheeks were crimson, generating wild, violent sparks. Most striking of all, though, perhaps, were his eyes.

Ordinarily shining and vibrant, they were empty. The light Ash saw so often in his eyes was absent. But, describing his expression as vacant wouldn't do it justice. The glare he shot Ash was visceral. "Pikaaaa…." A low, uncharacteristic growl rumbled in his throat.

"Pikachu…" Ash shook his head again, trying to will the sight away. "Pikachu, no!"

"Mismag…!" Mismagius hung close to her trainer, hovering between him and her companion. Even she, meeting his eyes, felt far worse than uneasy.


Rosemary was already sprinting towards the door, when she felt an absence of company. Turning back, she called out to Dawn. ~Ma, c'mon! What're you waiting for!?~

"We were supposed to reach out, remember!?" Dawn snapped. In her distress, she'd come off harsher than she'd meant to. "Officer Jenny should know, and come for help." She turned to walk further from the base, remote in hand.

~...Yeah. I guess.~ Rosemary relented. Every second spent doing anything else but helping was driving her ballistic. But, that urgency couldn't compare to the sudden, rotten surge that brought the Lucario to her knees. ~Agh!~

"Rosa!" Dawn gasped, running to her aid. "What's wrong!?"

The Lucario held her head, processing the presence that'd just now reached her mind. The complete absence of Aura from this direction had suddenly filled in, with Ash showing up immediately. But, he wasn't alone. ~I can sense Pa, now… And Uncle Pikachu, too! But…~

"But?" Dawn urged anxiously.

~But, Pikachu… His Aura feels horribly, horribly wrong!~