Jake was going to sit in the ocean for a while and clear his mind. 
Thoughts about Zed plagued him. Zed seemed to have no remorse for what he had 
done to Kim. 
       Jake was beginning to unbutton his shirt, and walk into the shallows 
when he heard a voice. “Jake!”
       Jake turned to see Kim running up the beach. She must have followed 
him. Not even most of the citizens of Cianwood knew about this place.
       “Where…are we?” She asked breathing heavily. She must have ran all 
that way just to keep up.
       “One of my secrets. I hide here when I’m bein’ chased by fan girls.” A 
chill ran down his spine as he remembered a flock of fan girls who chased him 
up and down Main Street the last time he was here. “Bwahahah…” Jake 
shuddered, “fan girls.” Jake thought out loud.
       “Popular I suppose.” Kim said with a little smile.  
       Jake felt blood rush to his cheeks and ears. “In another time and 
place.” He thought to himself, but he instead answered, “With the girls, 
yeah.”
       “IDIOT!” Jake thought to himself. He couldn’t believe he just said 
that. It made him sound egotistical. 
       When Kim blushed slightly, Jake put the thought in the back of his 
mind.
       Kim grumbled something at her GS Ball. 
       Jake assumed she was talking to the Ho-oh inside of it though. =Do we 
do that?= Jake asked Sundance in his mind.
       =Well there was that time in Cherrygrove City…= Sundance replied.
       =Yeah don’t remind me.= Jake chuckled.
       Kim heard Jake chuckle, and got even redder.
       “Hey…that’s kinda cute.” Jake said, now embarrassed by his western 
droll. He sounded like a hic. Out of sheer impulse, Jake walked over to Kim 
before she could say anything. He was taller that her by a whole head. Jake 
leaned forward and kissed her soft lips.
       When he straightened up, all he could do was grin at her. He braced 
for a smack across the mouth, but instead received a fearful look from her 
eyes.
       Suddenly he felt like ice was being pumped through his veins. Jake 
spun around to see it. The black Lugia from his nightmares was ten feet away. 
       Even though he had never met the pokemon, he already knew its name. 
“Blackheart! So Nikolai’s come for me here? While I’m unarmed? Hardly a fit 
way to go don’t ya think?”
       An amused look flashed through Blackheart’s eyes. =Don’t you worry, 
Nikolai isn’t here. I’m off on a sight seeing journey before I tear this 
world to the highest reaches of heaven.=  He took flight, and disappeared 
into the setting sun. 
       
       Cianwood Police Station
       
       “Have you been to the hospital yet?” Ben asked in a hushed tone as 
they sat in the Cianwood Police Station.
       Jake smiled faintly. “Y’know, you’re the second person to ask me that 
today.”
       “You can’t push yourself like this, Jacob. You’ve been runnin’ on luck 
these last couple of days, but one day your luck is gonna run out.” Ben 
huffed.
       Jake thought for a minute. “What would my ol’ man tell you, if you’d 
told him that just now?”
       Ben sighed. “That’s the thing. He wouldn’t have pushed himself this 
far.” 
       “I’ve cheated death one too many times to be afraid now.” Jake 
responded. 
       Jake nodded off to sleep in the chair he sat in. He was so very tired. 
       Ben’s cell phone rang. “Hello? Yes this is he. What!?” Ben’s face 
turned from a flushed color, to an ashen gray.
       “What is it?” Jake asked with worry. 
       “Ash Ketchum’s been killed.” Ben said sullenly.
       “Where? How?” Jake asked. A flood of anger rose in him. 
       “I don’t know.” He reached into his pocket, and pulled out three 
folded papers. “But I have a pretty good idea. These are warrants for their 
arrest. I wasn’t going to give them to you until after you got out of the 
hospital.”
       Jake shuffled through the three papers. One was for Giovanni, another 
was for Ryeland Trent, and the last was for Nikolai Kruschev. “I’ll start out 
with Trent.” Jake paused for a minute. “I need another badge. I’m gonna need 
someone who’s fast, and can think on their feet.”
       “Jake, you’ve got Jenny.” Ben protested.
       “I was thinking of someone else.” Jake replied. 
       “Alright.” Ben sighed as he pulled another badge out of his pocket, 
and handed it to Jake. “Good luck Sergeant.” He said mocking an official 
tone.
       “Thanks…Captain.” Jake chuckled at the thought.
       Jake walked outside, where he bumped into Kim. 
       “Oh, h-hi Jake.” She said looking down at her feet. 
       “Kim, I’m gonna be gone for a while.” Jake said with a stern look in 
his eyes. 
       “Where are you going?” She looked worried. Before Jake could answer 
she added, “Are you even well enough to travel?” 
       “I told you, Sundance has got me covered.” Jake lied. He knew Sundance 
could only use Recover on himself, but Jake knew it would be a comfort to 
Kim. “Stay here, and stay safe. Ben and Jenny can keep you out of harm’s way 
as long as you’re with them.”
       Jake looked up. Dark clouds were forming in the sky. He released 
Sundance from his GS Ball. 
       “Sundance, we need to go to Mt. Silver.” Jake said.
       Sundance flapped his wings. Before Jake got on Sundance’s back, he 
handed Kim a note. “Don’t read it until I’m gone. I like you Kim. That note 
will help you understand a little bit about me.” Jake said. Then he looked at 
Sundance. “Let’s ride!” Jake called to the large bird. In two flaps of his 
massive wings, he disappeared into the darkening skies.
       
       Mt. Silver
       
       In a dark cave deep in the heart of Mt. Silver, a boy named Red hid 
from the rest of the world. After the Elite Four defeated him, self imposed 
exile seemed to be the only way to live his failure down. 
       Red’s thoughts flashed back to the day Lance encased him in a prison 
of ice.
       The next time he ever saw daylight again, was the day his friends 
rescued him.
       Red’s eyes closed for a minute.
       “So is this how you spend your time these days?” a dark voice came 
from the shadows. 
       Red’s fingers tipped his Poliwrath’s pokeball. It had been three 
years. There was no way it was who he thought it was. “You’re trespassing. 
Leave now.”
       “Is that how you welcome an ol’ friend?” the voice asked.
       “I have no friends.” Red replied impatiently.
       “You know better than that.” He stepped into the light. “After all we 
been through together.” It was Jake Brooks.
       Red opened his eyes. “Jake!” He jumped off of the ground, and ran to 
Jake happily. “How have you been you old cowboy?” 
       “All right I guess.” Jake said grimacing as Red gave him a bear hug. 
“Damn it!” he cursed.
       “What is it?” Red let go quickly.
       “I got a cracked rib.” Jake replied as he pulled up his shirt to look 
at the bruised area, where his rib was cracked.
       “How did that happen?” Red took a long look at the bruised area also.
       “I was in a hideout of Team Rockets, and I got ambushed by an Espeon.” 
Jake regaled Red with his story of being made a Federal Ranger, and then 
finding Kim injured, and taking a Hyperbeam to the ribs. 
       “So what are the Federal Rangers?” Red asked suddenly.
       Jake thought for a minute, remembering what Ben had told him in the 
helicopter. “Well, we can investigate crimes any where in the four regions.”
       “So you cover a lot of ground.” Red was preoccupied with a bug that 
began crawling across the floor.
       “Red I didn’t come out here on a social call. Ash Ketchum’s been 
killed. I’ve been given three warrants to arrest the prime suspects.” Jake 
said.
       Red’s attention turned quickly to Jake at hearing about Ash’s death. 
“Ash Ketchum was my friend.”
       “I know; that’s why I came up here. I came to see if you would help me 
get them.” Jake’s eyes hardened, as he tossed a badge to Red. “I don’t know 
what it pays, or even if we get paid, but that badge makes anything we have 
to do legal.”
       Red clipped the badge to his belt. “I’ll help you any way I can.”
       “Thank you.” Jake smiled slightly. 
       
       Cianwood City
       
       Kim sat in the lobby of the Pokemon Center. She turned the note over 
in her hands. She was afraid to read it. 
       Slowly with a trembling hand, she unfolded the paper. 
       
       Dear Kim, 
       
       I found it easier to put this on paper than to tell you straight out. 
       I’ve tried to put some bad times behind me, but they won’t stay behind 
me. If you can forgive me for the things I’ve done, than maybe this will be a 
little more bearable.  Basically I’m sorry for not being around long enough 
to get to know you. If I do come back alive, maybe we could spend a little 
time together. 
       
       								Jake
       
       Kim looked around. Jake was going to get himself killed.
       
       Team Rocket HQ
       Saffron City Branch
       
       Jake and Red walked quickly through Saffron Square. Jake glanced over 
at the Saffron Gym, which was destroyed by Team Rocket. The double doors of 
Team Rocket headquarters slid open with a loud whirring sound. 
       In the lobby there was a reception desk in the center of the room. 
About ten feet behind it was a pair of escalators which led to the 
surrounding balcony. 
       “May I help you?” A male receptionist asked.
       “I’m here to see Ryeland Trent.” Jake said not wasting time or breath. 
       “Do you have an appointment?” A female receptionist interrupted.
       “Right here.” Jake said flashing his badge.
       “I see.” The male replied with suspicion. He picked up a phone and 
dialed a bunch of numbers. After a long pause, he said “Yes, Mr. Trent? Mr. 
Smith is here with the package.” 
       After realizing that that was code for “send security,” Red’s left 
fist swung out and connected with the receptionist’s left eye.
       Jake released Rascal and Lucario, and Red released his Poliwrath and 
Pikachu. Not long after that an alarm sounded, and six Rockets filed out of 
each of the two elevators that were on either side of the room. “Well this 
couldn’t have gotten off to a better start.” Jake said sarcastically with a 
lop-sided grin.
       “We need the practice.” Red answered, standing at Jake’s back facing 
the opposite direction. 
       “Rascal, use Thunder! Lucario, Aura Sphere!” Jake commanded.
       “Pika, Thunderbolt! Poliwhirl, Force Palm!” Red barked hoping to have 
the thugs beaten down before Jake beat his six down.
       Rascal’s Thunder attack brought down a Golbat, a Rattata, and an 
Arbok. The force from Lucario’s Aura Sphere, took out another Golbat, a 
Solrock, and a Mightyena.
       In about forty-seven seconds, all of the Rocket’s pokemon were taken 
out. “Looks like we win.” Jake said grabbing one of the grunts by his collar, 
and slamming him against a wall. “Where’s Trent?” Jake asked forcefully.
       “He’s up stairs, on the fifth floor. You’ll meet heavy resistance up 
there though.” The Rocket whimpered. 
       “Get outta my sight.” Jake pushed him out of the way and headed for an 
elevator. Rascal, Lucario, Red, Pika, and Poliwhirl, all stepped into the 
elevator with him. 
       “Goin’ up!” Jake said as he pushed the button that would take them to 
the fifth floor.