Ash cried out as the Arcanines teeth dug deep into his flesh, shutting his eyes tight and focussing on withstanding the pain. The giant dog blinked twice, as if surprised, then released his jaw lock, just as a jolt of electricity from the clone Pikachu struck it on the side of the head. Yelping, the Arcanine leapt to the side, turning to face the small mouse with a growl.
"Arcanine, what are you doing?"
Ash sat up and cringed, holding his forearm as Absol trotted up next to him, nudging him lightly with concern. "I'm ok..." he whispered, smiling slightly, before turning his gaze to the Arcanine. The fire pokémon's trainer emerged from the forest behind the giant dog and Ash's eyes grew wide. "Gary?"
"Ash?" Sure enough, it was Gary Oak, Ash's childhood rival and famous Pokémon researcher. Unlike his grandfather, Gary traveled the country learning and discovering all he could about Pokémon by raising and studying them. Tracy Sketchit had taken over the job of caring for trainers Pokémon back at Pallet Town.
"What are you doing here?" Ash asked, pulling himself to a sitting position with one hand for support, the other crossed over his chest.
"Hey, you're not the only one sent off on secret missions." Gary replied with a smile, walking over and taking Ash's wrist, turning his arm slightly to check the injury. "You may have been sent to find Team Rocket, but I'm here to find out what's going on with all these Pokémon mutations." He took off the bag on his back and knelt next to Ash. Rooting around until he found a first aid kit, he started to clean the wound off. "Some people think it's some sort of radiation, but I'm not convinced. Stop whining." He quickly starting bandaging the wound, ignoing Ash's hiss of pain.
Ash narrowed his eyes. "Hey, it's not my fault your Arcanine attacked me."
"Well as a Pokémon Master you should have known what to do." Gary replied with a smirk.
"Well as a trainer you should be able to control your Pokémon."
Gary shook his head as he tied the bandage. "We don't have time for this, so let's just say you win this round, ok?" Pulling himself to his feet he took Ash's good hand and pulled him up also. "Mind if we join you? You don't seem to be doing to well."
"Neither do you," Ash retorted. Did Gary think he couldn't take care of the job himself? "That's rich! Coming from the trainer who I've beaten too many times to count!" Ok, maybe that wasn't true, but he was still a much better trainer then him.
Gary sighed. "You're not gonna start this again are you?"
"Start what?"
"Acting like a five-year-old."
"I do not!"
"There you go..." Gary said with a shrug. "Look, fine. You can do what you want, I'm not hanging around any longer. Either you come with me and help me find Team Rocket's H.Q. or I'll find it alone, your choice." And with that, he turned and left. Arcanine, who had been sitting silently, stood and padded after his trainer without a second glance at the Pokémon Master.
Ash frowned, thought for a few seconds, then sighed. "Gary!" he called, running to catch up with his life-long rival (his Pokémon followed). Stopping next to him, he folding his arms, slightly annoyed he was even considering getting help when he knew he didn't need it. "I... suppose it would be faster if we worked together..."
Gary smiled and continued on. "I knew you couldn't do anything without my help."
"Hey! Take that back!"
"Why don't you try an make me?"
The clone Pikachu twitched his ears and tilted his head in confusion as he trotted after the trainers. Looking up at Sceptile, he asked, [How old are they again?]
[You wouldn't believe me if I told you.]
Pikachu growled, sparks flying as the Rocket walked towards him. All the other Pokémon had gone with the other rockets willingly, knowing it was pointless trying to fight them, but Pikachu wasn't going to listen to the enemy. Mewtwo stood in the corner, watching the fight with interest (no one would bother Mewtwo, they were all to scared of him).
"Come on you stupid little rat..." the rocket growled, making another grab for Pikachu, but recieving a shock insteed. "Ok, thats it." he took out a small control pad and pointed it at Pikachu, causing the Pokémon to freeze. Pressing the button, an electris shock charged from the machine on the Pokémon's stomach, causing the little electric Pokémon to yelp. When the shock died, Pikachu's eyes had turned a deep red. "Come on." the rocket grumbled, and Pikachu followed obediently. The machine had complete control over his mind.
Mewtwo frowned and shook his head, watching the electric mouse pokémon as it trotted past him after the Rocket.
"Arn't you going to join your friends?"
"Hmph..." Mewtwo closed his eyes and turned his head away from the voice. "I know what you're planning Giovanni."
"Oh do you?" Giovanni smirked, leaning his arms on the railing as he looked door at the phychic pokémon from a higher platform. "Enlighten me."
Mewtwo glanced up at the Rocket leader and narrowed his eyes. "You're just trying to irritate me. I know you wouldn't dare attempt to create another mutation using my DNA, as you're planning to do with the other Pokémon. Strong as your machines are, they couldn't control a stronger clone of myself, not to mention my DNA is unstable as it is. You couldn't clone anything from me, no matter how hard you tried."
"Well I see your brain-power hasn't lessened over the years," Giovanni chuckled, straightening up. "Not that it's any use to you now. Just don't attempt any futile resistance and you won't have to suffer."
Mewtwo turned his head away again as Giovanni turned and left. "What am I going to do? I can't control my actions, and I'm unable to help defeat Team Rocket in any way..." he opened his eyes and looked at a barrel across the room, focussing his anger into a Phychic attack. A blue glow surrounded the barrel for a second, then it was crushed, as if by a giant invisible hand. He watched the barrel fall and frowned sadly. "I used very little of my power there. Under their control... What am I going to do to all those innocent people and Pokémon?"
"Ok Psyduck, Psychic!"
"Psy?"
"Ahh!" Misty pulled at her hair in frustrion as the yellow pokémon tilted his head. "Why don't you understand?" she yelled in anger. Reguardless of the years she spent with Psyduck, the Pokémon was still as clueless as ever. "Psyduck, don't make me hurt you..."
"Psy?" Psyduck tilted his head, still confused.
She groaned and slid down the wall again, sitting on the floor. "I'll give Ash half an hour, then I'm afraid you're going to be in for a terrible headache..."
"Duck?!"
"What is it about these Rocket's that they never try to hide their Headquarters?" Ash mumbled as he peered out from behind a tree. In front of them, surrounded by the forest, was a large grey building. It was boring to look at, a simple, tall rectangular building with numerous windows dotted around it.
Gary narrowed his eyes. "They usually do; they must be feeling pretty confident."
"What? In thinking we'd never reach or find it," Ash asked, raiising and eyebrow at his rival, "or that we'd run into trouble inside."
Gary shrugged. "Probably both. We'll have to be careful." He reached back and plucked a pokéball from his belt, turned away from the building and held it out. "Umbreon I choose you!"
Gary's Umbreon appeared in a flash of red light, standing much like a feline, with one front foot in front of the other. It looked very sleek and balanced; Ash could tell it was fast just by looking at it. "Umbreon, uses your faint attack to sneek around and search for and entrance into that building."
The dog-like Pokémon nodded and leapt off, somehow managing to keep completely silent as it's feet bounded off the ground. Gary leaned against the tree and stared at the building.
"So now what, we're just going to sit here?" Ash asked, agrivated. He wasn't one for logic.
"That's the plan," Gary answered. "Umbreon will find the safest way in; there's not point in rushing into things, we'll get caught and you know it."
Ash growled but he knew Gary was right. He had, on more then one occassion, run straight into trouble; maybe it was best to take his rivals advice for once. He leaned against the tree and sighed heavily, praying in his mind for the safety of Pikachu, his best friend, and Misty, the love of his life.
"Umbre..."
Gary looked back at the Umbreon standing behind him, how had whispered to catch his trainers attention. "You found a way in?" The Pokémon nodded. Gary petted the Umbreon and smiled. "Good job, boy." He picked his bag back up, which he had emptied of what he didn't need, and turned to Ash. "Ready?"
"Ready," Ash nodded, and they set of, followed Umbreon at the dark pokémon lead them slowly through the forest, out of sight on guards and cameras. Gary had trained his Umbreon well; they'd have put Team Rocket's best spies to shame!
After a few minutes of sneaking at a crawling pace through the forest, they made their way towards the building, but stopped short, standing twenty feet shy of the building, still hidden in the forest. "What is it?" Ash asked impatiently.
Umbreon stood, gaze fixed on the ground, then perked his ears, looking back at Gary. Confused, the trainer walked forward and knelt next to Umbreon. "What is it boy?" he asked. The Pokémon nodded towards the floor and dug his paw at it. Gary brushed the dust away and his eyes grew wide. "A trap door?"
A metal trap door was hidden under the dust and leaves that had settled on it. Gripping the rusted handle - it looked old and unused - he plled it open and peered in. "And you're sure this leads inside?" he asked the Umbreon, who nodded. "Well, you've never let me down before, so I trust you." he looked back at Ash and smiled. "Feel like chancing a mysterious tunnel."
"If it'll get me to Misty and Pikachu, yes." Ash nodded. Umbreon leapt into the hole first, followed by his trainer, then Ash, who closed the trap door behind them. The patterns on Umbreons body lit up and illumminated the tunnel, which looked like it hadn't been used in years. Ash stepped up beside the Pokémon and his trainer. "Let's go, we don't have a minute to lose."
And so the group darted down the corridor.
Unaware that someone was watching their every movement...