Chapter 15 – Team Rocket's shocking new recruit IV

Ashachu ducked and rolled as flames descended. He felt the heat against his fur, but he wasn't hit. When he got back to his paws, the world had become one of smoke and embers. Through the ash and soot, he saw Charizard land in the clearing with a dull thud.

Charizard was an orange and white scaled dragon like Pokémon, bipedal with two massive wings. The ground seemed to tremble as his two large foot claws hit the grass. He let out a roar loud enough to cause the leaves of the trees to shake.

"Charrr!"

"Ah crap," Ashachu heard Meowth say from somewhere behind.

Ashachu took a quick look around. The tree behind them had been set ablaze. Fire was licking its trunk, slithering up to the branches, causing the leaves to fall in a flurry of embers. He tensed himself…Was he really about to have to fight Charizard!

Also, where were Ash, Pikachu and the others?

"Guys…Get out of here!" Blade leapt into action at once. Whether acting on instinct, or something else, he launched himself at Charizard. His claws were raised above his head and there was a nasty snarl across his face.

"Zarr!" Charizard brought his right claw up to meet Blade as he closed in. There was a sickening thumping sound as it made contact beneath his chin.

"Pika!" Ashachu watched in horror as Blade arched backwards from the force of the impact and landed hard on his back in the grass. "Blade no."

Ashachu scurried towards him, but suddenly found he couldn't move. A firm hard hand or paw seized a hold of his tail and he heard a voice shout "Not Ashachu, we need to get out of here!"

Next thing he knew was being lifted into the air. The world around him inverted as he was turned upside down. He watched as Blade scrambled to his feet and took another run at Charizard battered him away with a swing of his tail.

This was followed up by another jet of Flamethrower.

"BLAAAAADE!"

Blade used what remained of his strength to prop himself up on his elbow. Looking down at his body, he could see an angry red burn across his stomach and chest. He was in pain. The blows to his chin and chest had left him feeling dizzy and his skin felt as though it were melting off him.

As he stared back at Charizard, the reality of the situation hit him with a dull sense of realisation – He was facing an opponent far stronger and more powerful than himself. He knew he stood no chance against the flame Pokémon.

His instinct was telling him to run. To flee and to save himself. But at the same time, what about Hikari and Meowth. Geyser and Hunter too, plus the two humans, though he didn't really care for any of them.

Charizard had lost interest him in. Thinking him down and out, he had turned his attention back to the other. Blade couldn't see where they were. He assumed that they must had fled the scene, as Charizard at that moment let out another roar and gave chase.

The ground shook violently as he ran into the trees.

"No. Not Hikari…" Blade knew what he had to do. There might have been nothing he could do, but he had to try. He would never be able to live with himself if he didn't try. And it was at that moment that he knew – He cared for Hikari. Really and truly cared for him. Cared for him as much, perhaps more, than he did Shadow. "Y-you're not having him…"

And with that realisation he suddenly found his strength. Blade forced himself back up, and leapt at Charizard again, this time aiming at his tai. And again, he was beaten back. Charizard noticed or sensed him coming, and his reflexes were fast…

Faster than any Pokémon Blade had encountered before. Before he knew what was happening he was hit with another blow from Charizard's claw, followed up by another flamethrower. His body slammed into something hard. A boulder or the trunk of a tree, he wasn't sure.

When he opened his eyes, his vision was out of focus. He saw the orange blur coming towards him, and then felt the pain of yet another blow. Charizard had slashed him across the chest, the fur and skin ripped open and blood soaking his fur.

Then THUMP… Charizard swung his tail hard into Blade's stomach. The tree, or boulder, or whatever was behind him, shattered. The Sneasel found himself airborne – he had been sent blasting off like Team Rocket. The rushing air tore and his broken body.

He lost consciousness soon after and so didn't have any knowledge of memory of landfall…

[Pokémon]

Despite never having a chance against Charizard, Blade had achieved what he had intended to…He had bought sufficient time for the others to escape. Jessie, James and Meowth had bailed into their balloon and taken to the skies.

Dragging a concerted Ashachu and a reluctant Hunter with them…

"Get off me. Let me go," the Riolu protested, thrashing about as he tried to get loose from Jessie's grip.

She had wrestled him to the floor of the basket, with his hands pinned by his back and his legs pinned under her knees. With a nod of her head, she beckoned James to help her. He crouched beside her and secured Hunter's paws and feet with cable ties.

Hunter continued to squirm and growl. "Get off. I said get off!" He gazed up at Ashachu who was perched on the side of the balloon with big sad eyes and barked desperately, "Ashachu, are you going to let them treat me this way. ASHACHU."

"Oh, be quite," said Jessie. "He's one of us now." She slipped the gag back into Hunter's maw, silencing him.

Ashachu wasn't listening or paying attention. His attention was drawn to the forest far below…And to the sighted of the black figure flying out of the trees. His heart skipped a beat as he realised what it was.

"Blade…Oh Arceus no!"

What had happened to him? What had Charizard done to him? Why was Ash doing this?

"Guys, we need to go after him."

"I t'ink we may have bigger problems," said Meowth popping up beside him and pointing at something in the forest.

Ashachu noticed it a second later. Charizard was rising out of the trees toward the balloon. Despite Blade's sacrifice, they were not out of the woods just yet…quite literally!

As the fire type drew closer, Ashachu watched him open his maw, and a large ball of fire form between his teeth. He braced himself waiting for the impact. James took a remote control out of his pocket and pushed red button.

The rocket engines on the side of the baskets powered up with a whir. A split second later the balloon shot through the air like a bullet. The flames missed the balloon by inches

"So long Lizard boy," Meowth taunted, waving at Charizard as the flame Pokémon got smaller and smaller.

Ashachu had not been expecting. It nearly caused him to fall from the side of the balloon – he would have plumped into the trees below had Meowth not grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him back inside.

"Whoa, you wanna be careful dare, twerpachoo!"

Ashachu experienced a lurch in his stomach. He looked up at Meowth and breathed, "thanks!"

Had Meowth just saved his life – now there was something that didn't happen every day.

[Pokémon]

Ash and Jimmy arrived in the clearing a minute after Charizard. There he found Geyser waiting for him under the smouldering tree.

"Geyser," Ash exclaimed in some relief as Pikachu gave a happy cry of "pika."

"You're alright. Thank-goodness. But where are Ashachu and Team Rocket."

As if to answer the question, Charizard returned to the ground. With a roar of "zard," he pointed up at the sky. In the distance Ash could just make out the balloon streaking away.

"Bummer," he said with a sigh. "How are we supposed to find them now."

"Don't worry. We'll think of something," replied Jimmy, though he didn't sound too convincing.

And then Charizard pointed started pointing into the forest frantically. "Zarr…"

Ash raised his eyebrows. "What is it Charizard."

"Pikachu Pika."

"Char…" Charizard turned and beckoned for Ash to follow…

[Pokémon]

A little while later…

Blade steadily regained consciousness…He had expected to be in pain after the blows he had taken from Charizard. But he wasn't. He didn't feel any pain at all. In fact, he felt quite the opposite – as if here were brimming with energy.

That was until he tried to stand up…And realised that he couldn't move his arms or legs. This caused him to let out a cry of "Snea…"

"Ah, so you're finally awake."

With a jolt Blade looked up and found himself surrounded by a small group of Pokémon and…on no…two humans. His heart sank as he recognised the Charizard from earlier. Also present were Pikachu, Typhlosion, Cyndaquil, Sylveon and a very familiar Dewott.

"Wh-what's going on here…Geyser?"

So that must mean that that one of these humans was Ash. His eyes settled on the boy with the untidy raven hair. Hair the same colour as the tuff on the top of Hikari's head. And then Blade spotted the Z shaped birthmarks on his cheek. Identical to the one on Ashachu's chest. Yup, this was Ash alright.

He stared directly at the boy and said, "Ash, I presume."

Ash gave him a smile. "Well, he sure knows who we are. It's Blade isn't it."

Blade gave a cursory nod. There was no point in denying who he was. "What do you want with me," he snapped. "And what have you done to me. Why can't I move."

"I'm afraid your paralysed," said Pikachu sicking up his paw. "Thunder wave. I'm very sorry, but it was the only way we could make sure you wouldn't run away or attack any of us when you woke up."

Blade grimaced.

"Now tell us," said Ash. "Where's Ashachu."

Ashachu! There was that name again. Why did people and Pokémon keep referring to Ashachu as Hikari. First that Riolu – and now Ash, Ashachu's parent and trainer. Something was going on.

"You mean Hikari?"

Ash shook his head, "Nope, I mean Ashachu."

"Don't play games with us," Charizard growl. It was a deep menacing note that sent an instinctive shiver through Blade's spine. "You know exactly who we are talking about."

Pikachu stepped forward and gestured to himself with his paws. "He looks a lot like me, except he has a Z shaped mark on his chest."

Blade sighed. Ordinarily he might have enjoyed pissing them around a little bit. But he didn't want to annoy Ash or his Pokémon. Not with Charizard leering at them. "Yes, I know exactly who you mean. He told me his name was Hikari. He's still with Team Rocket. Don't know where they went, okay."

"Like the distortion world you don't," Charizard growled making Blade flinch.

He blurted out desperately, "Look, they just flew off in that balloon of theirs. I attacked Charizard to give them time to get away. I was trying to protect Hikari…err Ashachu."

Pikachu gave him a curious expression. Coxing his head, he asked, "you were trying to protect him?"

Blade nodded. "Yes. Believe it or not, I really and truly care about your kit. I-I love him."

Blade had never said those words about Ashachu before. He did not know why he had said that. It had just come out of him before he had time to truly think about it. As he spoke, something broke deep down inside him and his eyes begun to feel wet.

He was actually crying. Blade hadn't done that in a while. He wanted to wipe the tears away, but couldn't move his paw, so they just welled up in his eyes. Stinging and blurring his vision. He gritted his teeth and continued, "happy. I love him."

The Pokémon all started murmuring with each other as Ash and Jimmy exchanged looks.

"So, this is the Sneasel Ashachu's been playing with behind your back," Jimmy said. "And I think now we know why!"

Ash let out a sigh. "I'm such an idiot! I should have talked to Ashachu about this. Asked him rather than just assuming Blade was dangerous."

Jimmy clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Well, we don't know he's actually telling us the truth. Sneasel's are well known for being sneaky."

"So, what do we do with him?"

"Hang on to him for the time being," Jimmy suggested. "He could be a way of getting Ashachu back from Team Rocket, if he's one of them. Then once we get Ashachu back, we hand him straight over to the Aether Foundation."

"Great," Blade grumbled. "Just great!"