Hello everyone, I'm so sorry that it took longer than expected to get this chapter out. Unfortunately, even though I'm on vacation with no college courses atm, work has been really hectic recently. Thankfully, I've managed to scrounge together the time to get this done. With luck, it won't take this long to get a chapter out again for a while.
Anyway, enjoy!
"What's the plan, Looker?"
Looker let out a tired sigh. Anabel had put a lot of pressure on him to come up with a plan to save Ash from his impending doom. He was the senior operative between the two, so he was ultimately responsible for devising any strategies and leading them in the middle of operations. She was emotionally invested in this operation though. Whatever her past with Ash was, she was determined to save him once she knew that he was innocent. Chances were good that if Looker didn't come up with a convincing plan to save him, she'd have rushed off to do something stupid.
She was still a rookie. She didn't fully understand the subtleties that their job required yet despite her previous missions. She didn't understand that morals sometimes needed to be bent and emotions had to be ignored. In time, she would learn that emotions were their worst enemy. Especially in a case like this when it was pushing them to risk their original mission in order to save one person. He couldn't blame her, though. He wanted to save the boy as well.
After learning that Ash had been taken control of, Looker had ordered Anabel back to their hotel room. After conducting a sweep for bugs and finding none, they were ready to discuss what they had planned.
"I've spoken with the director. Given Team Rocket's connection to Ash Ketchum and his own involvement in the defeat of other criminal organizations, he's given us the go ahead to conduct a rescue operation." Looker raised a finger to prevent Anabel from interrupting. "However, he's made it clear that if we go through with it that we will have to leave Viridian city for the time being. Team Rocket won't be fooled. They'll know that someone helped him escape and it won't take them long to link it back to us."
Anabel grimaced. "And any plans we had would be ruined. I'm sorry, Looker."
A small laugh escaped past his lips. "Don't be. You may be the one pushing for us to save him, but I want to protect him as well. Any agent of the International Police would want to. It's why the director is allowing us to perform this little rescue."
Anabel nodded. "And after?"
He shrugged. "We'll likely be reassigned. Team Rocket is a problem in multiple regions. Wherever we go, we'll likely be dealing with them somehow."
It was the sad truth, but with how exponentially Team Rocket had grown in size and power the last few years, most law enforcement agencies had to focus entirely on dealing with them. It wasn't that they were the only criminals in the world. Minor crime rings, remnants of other evil teams, and lone offenders still existed. None of them were causing nearly as much damage as Team Rocket though. Like an infection, they had festered and gained power in the shadows while the worlds attention had been on other, more apparent dangers. By the time the International Police had realized the true extent of the threat they'd ignored for years, it was too late. Team Rocket were now the undisputed kings of the underworld.
It took everything they had - the combined efforts of the International Police, Rangers, local law enforcement, Pokemon League, and anyone else willing to help - to combat the interests of Team Rocket. It was delaying tactics at best, and they all knew it. Unless they could find a way to truly thwart a major Team Rocket operation or capture a high-ranking member of the organization, it was possible they could become unstoppable.
Looker gestured to the map he'd set up while Anabel had been away. It showed the layout of the entire city. "At around 10 tonight, alarms are going to go off across the city. Banks, prisons, museums, the power plant, Pokemon Centers; anywhere of importance. It will seem like there's a city-wide catastrophe striking. The police will be forced to send every single unit they can to try to respond to them all."
Anabel frowned and leaned forward to look closer at the map. "What happens if there's a real emergency? With all first responders being sent to these false alarms, we could be leaving people in genuine danger."
"That would be true, but it won't take long for the authorities to realize that none of these alarms are real. A few minutes at most before they arrive on scene to find confused bystanders or receive calls detailing that it's a false alarm." They would then be free to be sent to any real emergencies that could happen. "This means that by then, you need to have Ash out of his cell and guide him to the north of the city. You'll notice we've left a corridor out of the city for you two free of any police presence. We'll have a vehicle there ready to him to Viridian Forest and then out of Kanto soon after."
Not that it would be so simple. Even if they did manage to get him out of the city and lose the authorities in Viridian Forest, the boy would be a wanted criminal. No matter where he went, he would always have to look over his shoulder worrying about the day someone recognized him. That wasn't even mentioning the difficulty of getting out of the region in the first place.
Anabel nodded. "Understood, sir. What happens if we do run into police though?"
That was not something they could allow to happen. "I'll leave that up to your discretion since you'll be the one escorting him. If you decide to fight them and protect him, though, I ask that you not cause any permanent harm to them." He advised. "Whether Ash is innocent or not, these officers won't know that. They'll only be doing their job to take in a criminal."
"I won't hurt them, sir. No more than I have to." She sighed. "Can I assume that if I'm caught with Ash, I'll be considered a co-conspirator?"
He grimaced. "Unfortunately, yes. If you're caught and arrested, we'll have to treat you like a criminal with him. I may know you're not - the director and anyone else in the loop may know the truth - but the public won't. We can't risk a scandal by officially backing or defending you. I'm sorry."
"It's alright, sir. I'm prepared to accept whatever consequences come with this. It's the risk I take trying to do the right thing." Anabel patted him on the shoulder. "One last question, sir. How are we doing this? From what I understand, we're the only agents in the city. How are we going to pull all of this off?"
He laughed. "We've got friends willing to go the extra mile and help us, even though they may not know what for." He informed her. "With how often we get involved in dangerous situations, we always end up meeting people in need of a hand. Those people may then want to help us later however they can whether it be with a small favor or outright joining us. Giovanni is one of them."
Anabel smiled. "Maybe Ash will be willing to do the same when this is all over."
Perhaps. He certainly wouldn't be opposed to having a strong trainer around he was certain he could trust. "Let's rescue him first before we try the recruitment speech."
"Speaking of Giovanni, though, is he involved in this plan?"
Looker shook his head. "No, I thought it best we keep him in the dark. This way he won't be implicated if we get caught. At least then we'll still have one ally in the city willing to fight Team Rocket." One that had their complete trust. Giovanni wouldn't let Team Rocket take Viridian without a fight. "If you run into him, you have my permission to inform him of everything you know. A battle between you and him would do far more harm than good."
The only sounds that Ash could hear from his cell was water dripping from a leaky pipe above his cell and the indistinct chatter of the police in the station. This late at night, most officers were either at home sleeping or out patrolling the streets. Those few still in the station - officers, desk jockeys, and dispatchers - were uninterested in him. Locked in his cell with no Pokemon to help, he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Not that he would have had anywhere to go even if he did somehow escape his cell. Not after what he'd been accused of. Anabel may have claimed that he hadn't been responsible for the murder of that woman, but that didn't do much besides ease the burden on his mind. The doubt that had plagued him before had been soul crushing. For a moment, he had honestly believed he could have committed the murder. Knowing he was innocent helped assuage his guilt.
That didn't help with anything else though. He was still locked in a cell. The world still wanted him to rot for what he'd been accused of. He still didn't know why Anabel had taken the chance to test his innocence, even if he appreciated it. He might never see Pikachu or any of his other Pokemon ever again. Worst of all though... worst of all was that he had lost the faith of his friends and family.
They'd come to see him not long after his meeting with Anabel. Any relief or joy he might have felt seeing them was dashed the moment he saw the looks on their faces. Nothing but disgust, anger, and mistrust had been in their eyes. They demanded to know why he had killed that woman and accused him of having hidden his true nature. They demanded he tell them just what he'd planned to do if he'd gotten away with it. It had hurt to hear his friends - the people he loved and travelled alongside for years - honestly believe he was capable of this. He could feel his heart breaking in two with every accusation.
Nothing they said could ever have possibly hurt as much as the state his mother was in though. He thought she'd be angry. That she would scream and rage at him for what she believed he'd done. Or maybe that she would be a broken, sobbing mess who could barely look at him. He hadn't expected the blank, soulless look in her eyes or the monotone voice that said the one thing no child ever wanted to hear from their parent.
"I'm disappointed in you."
Those four words were enough to shatter his soul. It didn't matter that Anabel claimed he was innocent. It didn't matter that his friends all believed he was guilty. Knowing that his mother believed he was guilty and that he had disappointed her... it was too much. His mother had raised him on her own and supported him in everything he did. She would have blamed herself for this and believed that she could have prevented it somehow. He could only imagine what was going through her head.
Not that he blamed any of them for believing he was guilty. If the police had told them even a tenth of what he'd been shown, he knew it wouldn't have taken long to convince them. He'd certainly been willing to believe he was responsible for it. Any reasonable person would have.
Mercifully, the group hadn't stayed long. The officers had forced them to leave him in his cell. He was thankful. He couldn't handle being around them. Not when they believed he was a monster, and he didn't have any satisfying answers to any of their questions. That was hours ago, and he still couldn't stop thinking about it.
Shouting drew his attention away from his thoughts. He couldn't tell what it was about, but it sounded serious. Ash could hear people rushing out the doors, shouting over one another to be heard. This continued for a few minutes before it abruptly stopped as everything went silent. He frowned in confusion. What was going on? What had happened to send everyone into a panic and why were they now as silent as a ghost?
He didn't have to wonder for long when an Espeon wandered through the doors and stood in front of his cell. Ash blinked in confusion.
"What are you doing here?"
The Espeon didn't respond. Instead, its eyes glowed a faint purple. The door to his cell began to creak and shake as the same mystical power the Espeon was enveloped in began to overtake the cell. Ash took a step back quickly in fear of its power. This Espeon was using Psychic on his cell, and he wasn't sure why. He didn't have to wonder for long. The door was ripped from its hinges and crushed into a ball before being tossed aside.
The Espeon let out a low growl and gestured with its tail towards him. The message was clear: follow.
For a brief moment, Ash considered staying. He was innocent, or so Anabel had said. If he stayed, he could try to clear his name at trial and get his life back. If he ran, all he'd be doing was confirm to everyone that he was guilty. Only the guilty ran, or so the old saying always went. Staying wasn't an option, though. Not when there was such convincing evidence against him. He didn't doubt that if this went to trial that any jury he got would convict him within seconds of seeing the evidence no matter what kind of defense he made.
After all, who would be willing to believe he had been controlled by a Psychic?
With his mind made up, he gave the Espeon a nod and followed it through the station. As the two of them walked through its halls, Ash saw that it had been practically abandoned. Doors left wide open, papers scattered on the floor, faucets left running, even food left lying around uneaten. He frowned when he saw the crumpled bodies of police on the floor or slumped over their desks. He rushed towards one in worry and checked for a pulse.
It wasn't hard to find it. The officers were unconscious, not dead. He glanced at the Espeon and rushed to catch up to it.
"You're behind whatever happened here, aren't you?" He waited for the Espeon to nod. "I hope nothing bad happens while they're asleep."
The Espeon pushed open the doors to the station. Ash hesitated at the threshold, looking back at the unconscious police station. This was it. The moment of truth. Once he stepped outside, he'd officially be on the run. He took a breath... and stepped outside.
When he wasn't dogpiled by a battalion of police waiting for him outside or a crowd of angry trainers nearby, he felt a rush of relief. At least one thing had gone right today. This late at night, the streets were clear of anyone who could have seen and recognized him. Knowing his luck, that wouldn't last long the farther he got from the station but at least he didn't have to worry about it right away.
The Espeon lead him through the empty streets to an alley not far from the station. A voice in the back of his mind was telling him to steer clear of the alley. The last time he'd gone into a dark alley, he'd woken up hours later covered in blood and accused of cold-blooded murder. He'd already come this far, however, and put his faith in this Espeon. There wasn't much worse that could happen to him at this point by trusting his rescuer.
Thankfully, this time it seemed he didn't have anything to worry about. Instead of an ominous and empty alley, Ash saw Anabel hidden in the shadows. She rushed out when she saw him, stopping not far away with Espeon rushing towards her. At her side was large, black duffle bag. What surprised him most was-
"Pikachu? What are you doing here?"
His oldest friend and most trusted partner raced up his body and seated himself on his shoulder. He nuzzled Ash's cheek, stray sparks of electricity flying from his body. He must have missed him. He understood. He honestly believed he'd never see Pikachu ever again. He looked towards Anabel.
"Anabel? You're the one who helped me escape?"
She offered him a smile. "I did. You're welcome."
All he could do was frown. "But why? Helping me makes you a criminal." He grimaced. "Even if you believe I'm innocent, helping me isn't worth your own freedom."
He appreciated her help. Truly, he did. When everyone else had abandoned him, having someone willing to believe in him and go to these kinds of lengths for him helped. A far as he knew, though, Anabel was a member of the police. By helping him she was risking not just her job, but her freedom. If they were caught then chances were high she'd end up in a cell right alongside him.
"I'm not doing this because you're innocent, Ash. I'm doing this because if I don't, you'll die." His eyes widened in shock. "You may not be willing to believe it, but I have evidence that Team Rocket is behind this. That they framed you. With what we know about how they operate, they'd have killed you long before you saw trial."
"That... that's impossible. Team Rocket wouldn't do that."
They couldn't. Team Rocket were a harmless group of... well, idiots. They showed up to harass him and his friends to steal their Pokemon, tricking them into traps that were obvious in hindsight. They could barely even feed themselves! Even the other members of Team Rocket besides Jessie, James, and Meowth weren't any more threatening. They were regular Pokemon thieves with a flair for the dramatic. Sure, they could be dangerous when they caught you unaware, but they weren't a threat to anyone who knew what they were doing.
They weren't the kind of people to commit murder, least of all frame him for it. They weren't dangerous like the other evil teams he'd met over the years. Not by a long shot.
Anabel sighed. "Maybe not those three clowns you're used to following you everywhere, but they're not the true Team Rocket." She passed him the duffel bag. "The real Team Rocket are a dangerous group of cutthroats. Murdering a woman and pinning the death on someone is the least of what they're capable of. Whatever you've done to earn their attention, you're now suffering the consequences. Put on what's in that bag."
Inside the bag was a leather jacket, a pair of sunglasses, and a plain, brown flat cap. As much as he didn't want to abandon his hat, he knew that it would be too recognizable. As it was his face would be plastered all over the city once those police woke up and realized he was gone. At that point, anyone on the street actively looking for him would find him easily. Donning a disguise was his only option if he wanted to stay free.
He tossed his old hat to the ground and began to put on the disguise. If Team Rocket really did want him dead, then this would be his one shot at survival.
"What's the plan, Anabel?" He had to assume she had one if she'd been willing to break him out.
"We're getting you out of the city. The distraction my associates created won't last long, so we need to make the most of it." Anabel gestured for him to follow her. "Once you're out of the city, there will be a car waiting nearby. It'll take you to the Viridian Forest and a safe house from there. After that, we'll figure out a way to get you out of the region."
Ash frowned. "You mentioned you had friends who helped you. Who are your friends?"
She glanced back at him. "The International Police." She sighed. "We believe that you're innocent and we won't leave you to die. Not when we can help it. Now let's move. I promise you'll get answers to all your questions once you're safe."
It was said that Pokemon would flee before disaster. That they would flee sinking ships or burning buildings long before humans realized what was happening. When floods were about to strike or earthquakes were about to shake the land, people would find Pokemon dens abandoned and hordes of Pokemon migrating away. When hurricanes were imminent, Pokemon would hoard any food nearby and fight to gather materials to strengthen their homes.
In a way, criminals were the same. Whenever danger came around, they would do their best to either flee or stand their ground if they had no choice. Most were self-serving to a fault and wouldn't do a thing unless it benefitted them. If they had to, they'd leave someone else to be arrested by the police so long as it meant they could get away. If it meant earning more of a profit for themselves, they would crush those beneath them without a second thought. It was just how criminals were. When you chose to work and live in a world that meant harming others for your own personal gain, it was to be expected.
Which is why when Domino saw the other Team Rocket agents refusing to meet her gaze or avoiding her entirely, she should have taken it as a sign that something was wrong. She should have immediately confronted them and demanded they tell her what was making them act like this.
But she hadn't. Instead, she had to find out by being called into the Giovanni's office.
Being summoned to personally meet the boss was usually because of two reasons. If an agent performed exceptionally well on a mission or went out of their way to benefit the organization, he'd call them into his office for a reward. Usually, a bonus to their pay or their pick of rare, powerful Pokemon. Sometimes if they proved themselves to be exceptionally skilled, he'd offer them a promotion and special training with him. Praise from the boss was rarely given out and only ever for a job well done. Those that received these rewards usually went on to become the most powerful members of the organization.
The other reason someone would be summoned to see the boss - the reason that usually left people terrified - was when they had failed him. Or rather, they had failed him in a such a way that it would put future operations at risk or jeopardize the future of the organization. In these cases, the punishments were always severe. They ranged from immediate demotion to far crueler punishments. The worst thing was these people were never heard from again.
It wasn't hard to imagine what happened to them. She would not be one of them. She would not allow it.
Domino stepped into Giovanni's office, arms fixed at her side. She was stiff as a board when she saw her boss. Giovanni did not look happy. His eyes appeared calm, but beneath the surface she could see a smoldering rage. It was the kind of rage she had only ever heard of. Having it aimed in her direction... it put her on edge.
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
Giovanni nodded. "Have you seen the news recently, Domino?"
She frowned. "No, sir. Should I?"
He didn't say a word. Instead, he gestured to the TV on the wall and turned it on. Her stomach dropped at what she saw.
"The police are reporting that the suspect in the murder of Elizabeth Burk has recently escaped police custody and disappeared into the city. This all happened in the middle of a city-wide emergency when alarms went off across the city. All have been confirmed to be false alarms done with the explicit purpose of drawing law enforcement away from the station and its surrounding area." The reporter on screen intoned. "It is believed that this was done by previously unknown co-conspirators to free Ash Ketchum. He is highly dangerous and likely armed with at least one Pokemon. It is suggested that civilians stay in their homes until his capture. If you are unable to stay in your homes, it is suggested you travel in groups with Pokemon at your side. If you see him, you are encouraged to report him to-"
Giovanni switched the TV off. "As you can see, our dear Ash Ketchum is no longer in jail and will soon be out of our reach."
That wasn't her fault! How could she have prevented someone from breaking the brat out of jail? She did her job! She made the alliance with the mob. She found out where that woman was staying. She even controlled the kid and forced him to attack the woman! She couldn't say that to the boss, though. Giovanni was forgiving, but hearing people make excuses - even if they were justified - would not help her situation. She needed to be proactive.
"What do you need me to do, sir?"
"Get out there and find him." Giovanni sighed. "The police are incompetent fools. Usually that works to our favor, but not this time. I'll be sending out grunts disguised as trainers to help, but you will be in charge. We cannot allow him to escape."
Domino nodded. "Understood, sir. This should be simple enough. Whoever helped him escape, I'll deal with them. They'll regret messing with our plans."
Giovanni frowned. "It may not be so simple. I believe his escape was orchestrated by the International Police."
The International Police... if there was any group that deserved to be considered a threat, it was them. They were different than most other law enforcement. They were crafty and competent in more ways than one. Where the police would be busy doing patrols or the Rangers would be out focusing on protecting nature, the International Police brought the fight to them instead of waiting for Team Rocket to make the first move. Where the police or the Rangers were blunt instruments that demanded attention, the International Police were group that valued secrecy and weren't afraid to... bend the rules, so to speak. They were the one's willing to do whatever it took to protect others, even if their heroics were never heard.
If the police and the Rangers were a bandage, then the International Police were a scalpel. One merely covered up the problem while the other cut it out. She'd never tangled with that group herself, but she'd heard the stories. Agents hidden within Rocket cells thwarting schemes that took years to complete. Valuable, powerful Pokemon had been within their grasp... only to be snatched away at the last moment. That wasn't even mentioning the number of their people who had been imprisoned by them.
"Are you sure it's them, sir?"
Giovanni scoffed. "No one else would be capable of pulling off a scheme like this in such a short amount of time. It just so happens that I know they have agents within the city as well." He sighed. "Why they're trying so hard to save this boy is lost on me. They may suspect we're behind all this, though I'm not sure how."
"How would they even know we're behind this? I wiped his memory just like you ordered me to!"
Giovanni hummed in thought, stroking the Persian at his side. "They may have found his lack of any memory suspicious. Suspicious enough to do some digging and look for witnesses to your hypnosis."
Her heart skipped a beat. "There were no witnesses! I swear on my life that there wasn't another Human around who would have seen us!"
He held up a hand to stop her. "Regardless of what they know, they're involved and causing us trouble like they always do."
She frowned. "Should we really be getting more involved then? If they already suspect us, sending out agents at this point may make things worse."
Giovanni shook his head. "If they escape with the boy, they'll tell him that we were behind this." He looked out the window towards the shining city in the night. "They may not have evidence to clear his name, but the boy will believe them. Convincing him to join them won't be difficult. And with how much of a role he played in the defeat of our rivals..."
"We can't allow the International Police to recruit someone like him." She finished. "I understand. I think I know where to start. I'll see to it that he's in police custody and the agents who helped him dealt with. Count on it, sir."
"Don't disappoint me, Domino."
The news that Ash had escaped from the police had sent a shockwave through the group. They were still struggling to come to terms with the fact that Ash was even capable of killing someone, let alone the fact that he was guilty. It was hard to deny when they'd been told of the evidence against him. Officers having to pull him off the woman, photos, recordings, eye-witness reports, not to mention defensive wounds and DNA evidence... it was all damning. They hadn't been shown any of it, but the confidence of the police in the evidence was enough.
For many of them, they were left without a clue about how to feel.
Angry? Betrayed? Disappointed? There were so many possible emotions they could have felt and yet they were all just left in a state of limbo. Until they saw the news and heard that he had escaped. After that... the only emotion any of them had felt was anger. If there had been any lingering doubts about Ash's guilt beforehand, they were wiped away at that point. Even with the news telling them to stay inside, no one planned on following those orders. Instead, they were all going out into the city to search for him themselves. They may not have been able to see what kind of person he really was, but they'd be damned if they let him escape without doing anything to stop him.
Or at least... that's what the others felt.
Iris wasn't entirely so certain. Ash was many things - a bit childish sometimes, hyper-focused on Pokemon, dense as a rock - but one thing that she would bet her life on was that he was no liar. It wasn't that he couldn't lie. She'd seen him do it in the past. It was just that he never did it without a reason or when there was evidence that he was lying. Yet back in that station, Ash had claimed to be innocent. He claimed that he didn't remember anything about the murder. Even with all the evidence against him, he still claimed to be innocent.
Those claims had made the others furious, but Iris had taken time to think. Ash was the last person she would ever have thought capable of murder. He spoke with such conviction in the belief that he was innocent that it made her doubt everything she had been told by the police. The boy she knew when they travelled together in Unova wasn't just incapable of hurting another person, he was the first one to put himself in danger to rescue someone else. Even if he didn't know them - even if they had hurt him or his friends - he would still risk his own life for them.
That image of Ash was completely incompatible with the one the police had claimed to have found in that hotel.
She let out a sigh. Wandering through Viridian city at night gave her a lot to think about. If only she could think about anything besides her now criminal friend. Truthfully, she wasn't sure what she would do if she found him. The part of her that still saw him as a friend - the part that doubted Ash's guilt - said she should let him go if she found him. The moral part of herself told her that she would capture him and bring him to the police to face justice for what he'd done. It wouldn't have been difficult since as far as she knew, the only Pokemon he had with him was Pikachu. When the news had said that he would have a Pokemon by his side, she knew where Pikachu had gone.
Even with Pikachu - even if he had a full team on him - Iris was confident that she could take him. Ash was a skilled trainer. In fact, he was one of the most skilled trainers she had ever met. The trust he had in his Pokemon was unmatched. The strategies that he could come up with were the kind that one had to see to believe. His instincts were second to none. Truly, if there was anyone in the world who had the capability to become a Pokemon Master it would be him. With his recent victory in the Alolan League, he was well on his way to accomplishing that.
Yet despite all that, she knew she could win. She'd been meaning to keep it a secret for when she challenged him to a match back in Pallet Town, but she had become the Champion of Unova recently. She was the first to beat Alder in years. While she still had a long way to go before she was a Dragon Master, her skills as a trainer were still elite. Iris was confident that even at Ash's best, she could win. Handicapped as he was with only a single Pokemon by his side, she knew she could win. With her authority as Champion, none of the police would question her bringing him into custody.
It was unlikely she'd be the one to run into him, though. Viridian city was huge. Ash would know how to hide in a city like this. With so many police officers searching for him as well as all the others in the group, the chances of her finding him were all but impossible-
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me."
She almost couldn't believe her eyes. She wanted to believe that it was just a trick of the light. It wasn't though. Across the street from her - hidden behind an imposing looking woman in the shadows of the night - was Ash. She almost didn't recognize him in that outfit he was wearing, but it was impossible to mistake the Pikachu riding on his shoulder. Or that nervous energy that he was giving off by looking everywhere.
Instinctively, her hand reached for Haxorus' Pokeball. This was it. With a single command, she could capture Ash and put an end to all of this. She wasn't sure what that woman was capable of, but Iris was sure that she could handle her. She was the Champion, after all. She grasped her Pokeball-
And paused. Her eyes met Ash's. Even behind the glasses, she could see that he recognized her. Ash was frozen on the spot, hands shaking at his side. Pikachu must have been curious why its trainer went rigid because it followed Ash's gaze to her own. Unlike its trainer, Pikachu wasn't frozen. Its eyes narrowed and sparks began to fly from its cheeks. Its intent was clear: if she made any attempt to capture Ash, it would make her regret it. Its care for Ash far outstripped any friendship she may have developed with it over their travels.
For a moment, she prepared herself for what would no doubt be a difficult battle. Then Ash placed his hand atop Pikachu's head and whispered a few unheard words to it. Even though Pikachu clearly wanted to fight, it stopped letting off electricity. It didn't stop glaring at her, despite whatever Ash said to it. Her attention was focused more on Ash, though.
He had taken off his sunglasses, allowing her to see his dark brown eyes clearly. Instead of the fear at being caught or anger at seeing her, all she found within those familiar eyes was acceptance. The message was clear: if she was going to try and capture him, he wouldn't put up any resistance.
She should have taken advantage of that. Anyone else in her shoes would have captured him immediately. It would have been so easy to arrest him then and there, even if that companion of his tried to intervene. Not everyone had the same history with him that she did or the understanding about what kind of person he was though.
She sent him a nod... then turned and walked away.
If she was wrong about this and Ash ended up hurting someone else... no, she couldn't think like that. She had to trust her gut and her gut was telling her to trust Ash. It had never led her astray before and she wasn't about to start doubting it now.
"You'd better not make me regret this, Ash. Or I swear, I'll hunt you down myself."
"That was a close one."
"I'm surprised she didn't try to capture me."
Anabel scoffed. "We got lucky your friend was willing to look the other way. We can't count on anyone else being willing to do that." She frowned. "We need to hurry. If your friend was able to find us, chances are we'll be spotted by the police soon."
Ash nodded and followed her through the streets. For the most part, Anabel and he had managed to make their way through the city without any major problems. This late at night, large crowds of people weren't a problem so long as they steered clear of casinos or clubs. There were a few people on the streets - wandering trainers and people looking for work - but they never paid any attention to them. As far as those people were concerned, the dangerous killer on the loose would have been on his own and attacking everyone in sight, not calmly walking down the street with a friend.
They hadn't run into any police yet, thankfully. With how large Viridian city was and how short-staffed their police department was, it wasn't surprising. They must have been spread thin splitting their time between looking for him and responding to other emergencies. Anabel had told him this wouldn't last, though. If they wanted him to escape, they needed to do it before the police could lockdown the city and set up checkpoints at all the exits to the city. The way Anabel explained it meant they'd only have a few hours at most before the city went into full lockdown.
He frowned. "Anabel, can I ask you something?"
She glanced back at him. "Keep it quiet. We don't want to risk anyone overhearing us and bringing the authorities down on us."
He nodded. "It's just... what's going to happen if we escape? I know you said you'd help get me out of the region, but what happens here? What happens to my friends?"
It had been bugging him ever since Anabel had told him the plan. Escaping was all well and good - especially since he didn't want to be put in prison for a crime he was innocent of - but if his friends or family were going to suffer for it, he'd stop this right now. He'd find the nearest police officer and throw himself at their feet. He wouldn't hurt his friends any more than he already had.
Anabel hummed. "That depends. If we can get away without being seen, the city may stay in lockdown for a few days searching for you until the public and local government demand it be lifted. If we're seen, then they'll send people after us - so losing them in Viridian Forest is essential to a successful escape." She shrugged. "And after all that? Well, the city will be in chaos. The public will lose faith in the police, the local officials will investigate how this could have happened, and the police themselves will feel the pressure to make up for this by either catching you or cracking down hard on local criminals."
So... not all bad then. He felt guilty knowing that the police might lose face because of him, but if it ended with more real criminals in prison than there otherwise would have been then he could live with it.
"As far as your friends and family go, chances are they'll be questioned. The authorities will want to know why those alarms were set off and how you escaped. They'll come out the other end no worse for wear though. There's no evidence that will point to them." Anabel told him. "At most, they'll be kept under surveillance in case you try to contact any of them."
Which meant he couldn't see or talk to any of them ever again. It hurt to know he'd never be able to share stories with his friends or hug his mom again... but if it kept them safe, then it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.
He was content to leave it at that, but Anabel clearly wasn't. She went on. "What I'd be more concerned about is Team Rocket." She let out a tired sigh. "They've already shown they want you gone. They'll hunt you down for this. Next time they won't give you the luxury of framing you for a crime - they'll kill you outright."
Ash couldn't help it. He lout an exasperated laugh of despair. "So that's it? Even if I escape, my life is over?"
"Not quite. It's possible that the International Police can-" Anabel came to a sudden stop, sticking her arm out to stop him behind her. "This... may be a problem."
Ash leaned around her body to see what she saw. In the distance was one of the exits of the city and just beyond lay the Viridian Forest, beckoning him towards it. With no police in sight, they were practically in the clear. That was when he saw what had made Anable stop them in their tracks: a crowd of over a dozen people stood around the gates.
"Can't we just sneak through? With this disguise, most people won't recognize me."
Anabel shook her head. "That won't work. Maybe if they were moving themselves, but they aren't." She gestured to the group. "They're standing guard. If I had to guess, these are trainers who've decided to help the police look for you. That disguise you're wearing won't help when they ask to see what you look like underneath. Normally good samaritans are something I'd applaud, but in this case..."
In this case, it just made things more difficult for them. "What should we do?"
Anabel released Espeon from its Pokeball. "We can't waste time trying to find another exit out of the city. We'll have to fight our way out. Our getaway driver will hear the sounds of battle and know to come meet us halfway."
Ash frowned. "But they're just trying to help. We can't hurt them."
"We won't. The most we'll do is try to rush past them and their Pokemon." She narrowed her eyes at the group. "Although its suspicious... most trainers wouldn't be out against the orders of the authorities or have the patience to stand guard around an exit. Something feels off about this."
"What do you mean?"
She shook her head. "Nothing you need to worry about. Get ready to move on my signal."
Ash took a breath. He looked to Pikachu on his shoulder, a questioning look in his eyes. Pikachu was the picture of determination. Even if Ash felt hesitant about fighting his way out, it was clear that Pikachu didn't. Seeing his long-time partner's confidence was enough to bolster Ash into moving forward. Even if he didn't want to hurt these people, he'd do whatever it took to escape.
"Okay... move!"
On Anabel's order, the two of them sprinted towards the exit. It didn't take long for the crowd of trainers to notice them. They didn't try to stop them or ask who they were. Instead, they reached for their Pokeballs and released their Pokemon. An array of Raticate, Golbat, Arbok, and Muk all instantly appeared, roaring in anticipation.
Anabel ushered her Espeon forward. When it began to glow with a mystical energy, the Pokemon that stood in their way were all thrown aside like they were nothing. This shocked their trainers who all rushed to get out of the way. It must have been shocking to see a Pokemon owned by a trainer attack without an audible command. He knew that he had been when he first battled Anabel all those years ago in the Battle Frontier.
"This must be that brat!" One of the trainers shouted. "Alright everyone, you know what the boss lady said! Raticate, Hyper Fang!"
"Golbat, use Air Slash!"
"Arbok, use Acid!"
"Muk, Sludge Bomb!"
Ash didn't have any time to wonder what they meant by 'boss lady'. Not with a veritable horde of Pokemon rushing towards him and Anabel. He was forced to jump to the side, narrowly dodging the attacks that shock the ground and destroyed where he had previously stood. He panicked when he saw a trio of Raticate leaping towards him, fangs glowing a bright white. These things weren't trying to capture him. They were trying to kill him!
Pikachu leapt from his shoulder towards the Raticate. He didn't wait for a command or for the Raticate to strike. Instead, he simply unleashed its attack. One moment he was flying through the air, the next he was unleashing a Thunderbolt so strong Ash could feel his hair standing on end and so bright that he had to shield his eyes from the light. All he could hear was the sizzle of electricity striking flesh and the cries of pain from the Raticate. When he opened them again, it was to see the Raticate thrown back. Charred, scarred, and down for the count.
He felt a hand on his shoulder yank him to his feet. "No time to sit around in shock, Ash!" Anabel dragged him to his feet. He finally noticed that even with those Raticate out of the fight - along with a few others Anabel had bested - there were still enough to surround them. Worse, there was no way they would be able to fight without leaving themselves exposed on a different side.
Not unless they had a way to deal with multiple opponents.
"I have an idea, Anabel." He whispered. "Be ready."
He turned his attention to Pikachu. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the ground! Kick up as much debris as you can!"
It was a testament to the trust they had that Pikachu didn't hesitate. His tail glowed, shimmering like steel, and radiating pure power. Pikachu leapt straight up into the air, only to come back down and slamming his tail into the concrete ground beneath them with all the power and momentum that he could harness. Huge chunks of concrete was thrown into the air above them, forcing the surrounding Pokemon and trainers to shield their eyes from any possible debris.
Unluckily for them, Anabel had caught on to what he was doing. Instead of raining down upon them all, Anabel's Espeon had taken hold of the debris and suspended it in midair with its Psychic. There wasn't a moment of hesitation before the debris was launched towards their enemies, whistling through the air, and slamming into their enemies with enough force to shatter the concrete and send them flying backwards. Some managed to avoid the debris... only to have it redirect itself and slam into them from behind with double the force.
Some bits of debris even went towards the trainers themselves. Some managed to jump out of the way in time, cowering on the ground with their arms shielding their heads. Others had their Pokemon leap in front of them to protect them from harms. The rest weren't so lucky and took the full force of the concrete striking them in their chest. He did his best to ignore the loud cracking and the cries of pain that he heard. These trainers may have been trying to help the police with the best of intentions, but they were still trying to kill him. He couldn't show them any empathy.
Not until he was safe.
"Come on, Ash! This way!"
With most of the Pokemon down for the count and the trainers too wary to try and stop them, now was their chance to escape. In the distance, he could hear sirens wailing. The police were fast approaching. It was now or never. He and Pikachu sprinted after Anabel and Espeon past their injured foes.
"There's our get away vehicle, dead ahead!"
He saw what she meant. A truck was in the distance racing towards them, kicking up a trail of dust behind it. For the first time since he'd woken up in a cell, he finally felt a spark of hope blossom in his chest. Just a few more yards and he'd be able to make his escape. Then after that, answers to all of his questions.
"There he is! Stop, now!" He heard an Officer Jenny shout. The police had arrived. "We can't let him escape!"
He couldn't let them get in his way.
"Pikachu, use Electro Ball on the arch of the gate!"
Pikachu leapt from his shoulder. He channeled all of his electricity into his tail, forming a massive ball of yellow and orange energy that was bright enough to illuminate the entire area. With a roar of defiance, Pikachu launched his attack towards the arch of the gate. It travelled with such speed that Officer Jenny and the other police barely had enough time to register what was happening and move out of the way, let alone do anything to prevent it from striking. When it hit, the arch collapsed in on itself and took the entire gate with it. In its place was a pile of rubble, preventing the police cars from following and blocking the police from following fast enough on foot.
Pikachu landed on his shoulder just as Anabel pulled him into the back of the truck. Once he was in, the driver quickly spun the truck around and sped away from the city. Soon enough, the police and the city they served became mere specks in the distance. He leaned back, letting out a tired sigh.
His eyes drifted to Anabel. "We made it." A semi-hysterical laugh escaped past his lips. "I can't believe we made it!"
Anabel sighed, pulling Espeon close to her chest. "It's not over yet, Ash. We still need to get you to a safe house and then out of the region soon after." She smiled at him. "Just get some sleep. I get the feeling you need it after the day you've had. I'll answer any questions you have tomorrow."
She had no idea how right she was. He was so tired... so long as he got the answers he wanted tomorrow then he wouldn't say no to a little rest.
"I'll do that... thanks, Anabel. For everything."
"Don't mention it, Ash. It was the right thing to do."
And that's the end of the chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, and any suggestions you may have for the future. Other than that, I do have some questions for you all. Nothing too serious, just something to engage with you all and get to know my readers a bit better. I may do this every chapter, depending on how well its received.
So: Aside from Starters, Legendaries, and Pseudo-Legends, what is your favorite Pokemon and why?
Other than that, I'll see you all next chapter!