"Pikachu quick attack!" Ash commanded as one of the Rockets sent out their Poliwhirl.

Rick faced another Rocket who sent out a Rapidash. "Use Thunderbolt Raichu!"

Pikachu bent down on all fours and shot forward at great speed, slamming into the Poliwhirl's stomach.

Poliwhirl stumbled back but regained its balance. It shot a bubble towards Pikachu who easily dodged with an agility. Raichu's checks sparked and it shot a blast of electricity at the Rapidash.

The Rapidash was hit and fell back. It tried to move but was paralysed.

Suddenly every Rocket in the Room sent out their Pokémon including Jessie's Arbok, James' Victreebel, Cassidy's Raticate and Butch's Hitmontop.

Pikachu and Raichu jumped back and stood in front of their trainers.

Ash glanced over at the computer again. Two and a half minutes. He turned his attention back to the battle. "Everyone go!"

Bulbasaur, Pikachu, Cyndaquil, Bayleef, Totodile and Noctowl ran forward firing thunderbolts, vine whips, razor leafs, flamethrowers, water guns and confusions at the Rockets' Pokémon.

Rick turned to Ash. "You try and shut down that machine..." He held up a few Pokéballs. "I'll keep these guys busy" He threw the Pokéballs and a Kingdra, an Umbreon, a Scizor, a Charizard and a Venasaur appeared.

Ash nodded and ran over to the machine. He looked around the control pad. There were hundreds of buttons. He didn't know what to do so he starting pressing all of them.

"One minute in counting"

Ash heard a voice come from the computer. He pressed the buttons faster but nothing was happening. He could hear the Pokémon fighting behind him.

Pikachu and Raichu both shot a thunderbolt at some approaching Pokémon.

"Thirty Seconds"

Ash began to panic. He glanced back at the battle just as Rick's Umbreon shot a confuse ray at the Rockets and their Pokémon.

"Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven....."

The Captureballs opened and the Legendary Pokémon came out.

"Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One."

The walls of the Energyball turned red again and nine red beams shot towards the Legendaries.

Ho-oh flapped its wings to try and escape the beam but was hit in the stomach.

Ash fell onto his knees in pain. He shut his eyes tight, trying to withstand the pain.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu ran from the battle and over to his trainer's side.

Rick ran over and knelt beside Ash. He put a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Ash hang in there" Pikachu narrowed his eyes and jumped up onto the control pad. His cheeks sparked.

Raichu jumped up beside him. They nodded to each other and Raichu's cheeks sparked too.

"Pika..."

"Rai..."

"CHU!"

The two Pokémon released a thunder attack on the control pad, cutting right through it. Sparks flew around the machine and the power cut out.

Pikachu jumped down beside Ash. "Pika chu Pikapi?" [You ok Ash?]

Ash looked up. "I think so" He said weakly.

Rick sighed. "That's a relief"

Pikachu turned to the battle. "Pikachu!" [Bayleef!]

Bayleef jumped away from the battle and ran over to them. She released her vines and slowly pulled Ash to his feet. She walked over beside him.

"Thanks guys" Ash smiled and looked up at the battle. The Rockets were retreating along with their Pokémon. Cassidy and Butch were the last to leave.

Ash's Pokémon ran over to him. They were all burnt, cut and bruised, but the smiled all the same.

Rick's Pokémon walked over to them. Rick congratulated them then returned them into their Pokéballs. "We still have work to do. We've gotta get the Legendaries out of the thing" Rick said pointing to the Energyball.

Ash nodded and turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, you and the others go look for the main control room, it should be somewhere around the back of the lab. Try that door over there" He pointed to a door across the room.

Pikachu nodded and turned to the others. "Pika pika chu" [Let's go guys]

Bayleef looked up at Ash worriedly.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine" He smiled and patted Bayleef on the head.

Bayleef nodded and withdrew her vines. She followed the other Pokémon around the back.

"We can look around here" Rick said when the Pokémon left.

Ash nodded but before he could move he saw a large beam shooting towards him. He tried to dodge it but his shoulder was hit. He slammed against the side of the Energyball and held his arm. He looked up and saw Rick not to far away. He must have gotten the full blast of the attack because he looked a lot more injured than Ash did. Ash looked around to see were the blast had come from. He saw Giovanni with what looked like a red bazooka with blue and yellow buttons on the top. He was looking at Rick.

"Looks like those Pokémon pack quite a punch when they're combined, wouldn't you say?" Giovanni said grinning.

Rick scowled up at him.

"I wouldn't mind finishing you off with it but..." He faced the bazooka towards Ash. "Maybe the brat should go first"

Ash stiffened up. One blast of that thing would finish him off for sure. His head said to move but his legs weren't listening.

"No, leave him alone" Rick said.

Giovanni's grin widened and he turned back to Rick. "Yes, you should go first. You survived Team Rockets' attacks once, but that won't happen again. Those two should have finished you off in the Viridian Forest last year when they had the chance"

Ash eyes went wide. Now it all made sence. The reason Rick knew him was because he was Ash's father. The reason he had never heard from him was because he was in hiding, trying to make Team Rocket believe he was dead.

Giovanni looked from one to the other. "Like father like son" He pressed a button on the bazooka and pointed it at Rick. "Say goodbye"

Ash panicked for a second before jumping up. He ran forward and rammed into Giovanni just as the bazooka fired.

The beam shot, but narrowly missed Rick's head, and slammed into the Energyball. Rick pushed himself up onto his feet.

Giovanni pushed Ash off and pointed the bazooka at him. "You want to go first?" He began to pull the trigger.

Rick punched Giovanni in the face, causing him to fall over and drop the bazooka.

Ash picked up the bazooka and pointed in at Giovanni. For a second, he thought of pulling the trigger and getting rid of Giovanni once and for all, but he couldn't do it. Instead, he pointed it towards the Energyball and shot a beam at it.

The beam shot right into the Energyball and there was an explosion. When the smoke cleared, all the Legendary Pokémon walked threw a huge hole that had appeared in the side.

Ash raised the bazooka above him and then slammed it into the ground. There was a loud rumbling noise and nine lights, two red, three blue, two yellow, a pink and a reddish gold coloured beam shot out towards the Legendaries. As soon as the beams hit the Legendaries they began to glow. When the glow faded the Pokémon stood, fully restored.

Ash himself was feeling a bit better. He smiled and turned to Rick, who smiled back.

The Legendaries let out happy cries. Mew twirled around in the air, the Dogs barked and the Birds flapped their wings happily.

"So you think you've won?"

Ash turned around and saw Giovanni standing, a few Pokéballs in his hand.

"I said I was going to finish you and I plan to. Go!" He threw the Pokéballs and five Dragonite appeared. "Hyper Beam those two!"

The five Dragonite all began to power up.

Ash narrowed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists.

The Dragonite shot the Hyper Beam attacks at Ash and Rick.

Suddenly, Ash saw a rush of colours as Ho-oh, Raikou, Moltres, Entei, Lugia, Suicune, Zapdos, Articuno and Mew jumped in front of them, using there attacks to repel the Hyper Beam attacks.

Giovanni froze as he saw the Dragonite fall to the ground. He returned them and looked at the Pokémon nervously. He took out another Pokéball and threw it. An Alakazam appeared. "Teleport me out of here!" He yelled at it. There was a flash and Giovanni was gone, along with the Alakazam.

"Ah no, he got away!" Ash moaned.

Rick walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get him next time"

Ash looked at him and grinned. "We look a right mess"

He was right, the two of them were bruised and cut, not to mention covered in dirt.

Rick looked himself over and laughed.

Ash looked up at the Legendaries. "Thanks you guys"

They nodded and turned to a wall. Lugia used and Aeroblast and smashed the wall open. Lugia, Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno flew out. Entei, Raikou and Suicune ran out and Mew flew out after them, waving to Ash and Rick. Ho-oh sat with its wings folded, watching the others leave.

Ash turned to Ho-oh. "Aren't you gonna leave too?"

"Yes, but would you two like a ride back to Phoenix Mountain first?" Ho-oh tilted it's head.

"Sure, but wait, where's Pikachu and the others?" Ash asked looking around.

As if they were waiting to be mentioned, the Pokémon appeared as soon as be finished the question. "Pikachu pika pikachu pi pika cha pika" [Guess you got them out without us] Pikachu smiled and walked over to him. They others followed.

Ash smiled and patted Pikachu on the head. "I hope none of you get air sick coz we're riding back on Ho-oh"

After a few minutes Ho-oh took off over the land. It flew slowly, so that Ash, Rick or the Pokémon wouldn't fall off.

It flew high above the clouds, so no one below see it. It took them an hour or so to reach Phoenix Mountain. When they landed, the Pokémon were first to get off, followed by Ash, and then Rick.

"Thanks for the ride Ho-oh" Ash said as Ho-oh entered the cave.

Ho-oh nodded before it disappeared into the cave.

Ash turned to Rick. "Were do I go now? I don't have a clue were Brock and Misty are"

Rick took out a Pokéball and threw it. Raichu appeared. "I'm sure my Raichu will be able to find your friends"

Raichu smiled and punched the air with its fist before starting to walk down the mountain.

Ash followed, along with Rick and the other Pokémon.

"So why didn't you ever come to see us?" Ash asked Rick as they walked down.

"I couldn't make contact with you because I thought Team Rocket would find out, and that would put you and your mother in danger" Rick replied.

"Oh..." Ash looked down the side of the mountain.

They walked on for a few more hours, stopping for rests every now and then. Around 6pm, they reached the bottom of the mountain. They walked down the road and by 6:30, they reached a Pokémon Center.

"Raichu!" Raichu cries happily pointing at the Pokémon Center.

The Pokémon began to push Ash forward towards the Pokémon Center.

"Hey, quit shoving" Ash said.

Rick smiled and shook his head as he followed.

The doors of the Pokémon Center opened and Ash walked in. He looked around and spotted to people sitting with their backs turned. He knew that they were Brock and Misty. He grinned and walked slowly up behind them. He stopped behind them and grabbed their shoulders. "Guess who!" He yelled.

Misty and Brock jumped up with fright and turned around.

Misty was the first to speak, "Ash you little......Ash?!"

"The one and only" Ash said grinning at the shocked expressions on their faces.

"How did you escape" Brock began.

"Got a little help" He looked back as Rick walked over to them. "Guys, meet my dad"

"Hello" Rick greeted.

"Your dad?" Misty asked.

"And number one Pokémon Master" Ash continued.

"He's a Pokémon Master too?" Brock said.

Ash sat down on one of the benches. "Yup" He sighed and noticed his Pokéballs on the table. He picked them up and returned his Pokémon.

"So what happened?" Misty asked sitting back down.

"I'll tell ya later, right now I'm gonna eat, I'm starving" Ash said as he stood up and headed for the cafeteria.

After Ash had eaten half the food in the cafeteria, he had told Brock and Misty the whole story. Afterwards, Rick rented out a few rooms in the Pokémon Center and they had gone to bed.

Ash had a strange dream. He dreamt he was in Ho-oh's cave. He looked around him and then at Ho-oh. "What's going on Ho-oh?" He asked, but he got no answer. Ho-oh was asleep. There was a rumbling noise and a Jolteon walked in, accompanied by many other electric and water Pokémon. They all shot their attacks at Ho-oh and, once again, Ash could feel Ho-oh's pain. As Ho-oh's left wing was hit by all the attacks, his left arm began to hurt. He yelled as Ho-oh tried to escape the attacks. It fired a Fire Blast at the Pokémon, which sent them all back, but then a cage closed up around it.

"ASH!"

Ash's eyes shot open and he sat up. Misty, Brock and Rick were standing around him. "Wh-what happened?"

"You were yelling in your sleep" Misty explained. "Are you ok?"

Ash suddenly realised his left arm was really sore. He jumped out of the bed and pulled on his jacket and shoes.

"Ash?" Brock gave him a confused look.

Ash didn't answer them.

Rick stepped forward. "There's something wrong with Ho-oh isn't there?"

Ash nodded and picked up his Pokéballs.

"Let's go then" Rick grabbed his Pokéballs too.

"Hey, what about us?" Misty asked.

"You two stay here, it's too dangerous" Rick said.

Ash glanced back at his friends before running out of the room, followed by Rick and Pikachu.