They left the Pokémon Center and dashed towards Phoenix Mountain. Rick choose his Charizard and a Pidgeot. Ash got onto the Pidgeot with Pikachu and Rick got onto the Charizard. The two Pokémon shot up towards the top of the mountain.

As soon as they reached the top, they saw Ho-oh locked up in a cage, a person standing next to it.

Ash jumped off the Pidgeot and landed in front of the person. "Let Ho-oh go Giovanni!"

Rick landed beside him. "You just never give up, do you?"

Giovanni turned to face them. "No, but this time I'm not capturing Ho-oh for it's power" He looked at Ash. "I'm catching it to get rid of you"

Ash looked back at Ho-oh, who was trying to break the cage, but it was surrounded by a barrier.

Giovanni continued. "You destroyed my lab, all Team Rocket members have disappeared after your attack, and I lost the most powerful weapon in the world. All because of you two!" He glanced back at Ho-oh. "But no one makes a fool of Giovanni. I've want revenge and I'm going to get it. If this Ho-oh goes" He glared at Ash. "Then so do you"

The cage Ho-oh was in began to spark and electricity shot around the cage, shocking Ho-oh and weakening it.

Ash fell back, but the attack only lasted a few seconds. Then it paused, but started up again.

Pikachu growled and his cheeks sparked.

Charizard and Pidgeot landed beside Pikachu, ready for their trainers commands.

Rick took out a Pokéball and threw it. Raichu appeared and jumped up beside Pikachu.

The machine stopped and Ash sighed. He stood up and wobbled a bit, but steadied himself. He sent out all his Pokémon, and they all lined up beside Pikachu, Raichu, Charizard and Pidgeot.

Suddenly the ground began to shake under the Pokémon. In a split second, two Onix and a Steelix had shot up out of the ground, using wrap on the Pokémon.

Pikachu and Raichu tried shocking the Onix, but it had no affect.

Charizard and Cyndaquil tried to use flamethrower, but the Steelix tightened its grip so they were paralysed.

Rick took out three Pokéballs and returned his Pokémon.

Ash took out his Pokéballs as he saw that all his Pokémon were unable to escape from the Onix or Steelix. He returned them and took out Pikachu's Pokéball. "Pikachu return"

The beam shot towards Pikachu, but the Onix blocked it out and tightened its grip.

"Pikachu..." Ash looked over at Rick. "We gotta help Pikachu"

Rick nodded and took out another Pokémon, but before he could throw it, the Onix swung around and tossed Pikachu into the side of the mountain.

"Pikachu!" Ash ran towards were Pikachu had landed.

Giovanni grinned, but made no attempt to stop Ash as he ran past him towards Pikachu. He turned to Rick. "Onix, Steelix, Dragonite, get him!" He said.

Two Dragonite flew out of the cave, and flew beside the Onix and Steelix.

Ash picked up Pikachu. "Pikachu, are you ok?"

Pikachu opened his eyes weakly and smiled. "Pika pika chu" [I think so]

Ash smiled and looked back to see a Dragonite tackle Rick. This was followed by an Iron Tail from Steelix and then a Rock Throw from the two Onix. Rick was able to dodge most of the attacks but he got hit by some of the rocks from the double Rock Throw. Ash looked up at Ho-oh's cage. He ran over and pulled the bars. "Ho-oh you got to try and get outta there" He heard a sound that told him the Steelix was using another Iron Tail.

Ho-oh slammed against the side of the cage, but nothing happened. It tried to use Flamethrower, but it was took tired.

Ash put Pikachu down and took out two Pokéballs. He opened them and his weakened Cyndaquil and Totodile appeared in his arms. "Totodile, try to use a water gun on that machine to break the barrier. Cyndaquil, I need you to use Flamethrower on this cage"

Totodile nodded and shot a water gun at the machine. A few sparks erupted from it and the barrier disappeared.

Cyndaquil looked over at Ho-oh and jumped out of Ash's arms. Flames burst out of its back and it took a deep breath. It shot a Flamethrower attack at the cage and the bars began to heat up.

Giovanni laughed as the Steelix used a crunch on Rick, then leaving Rick go and watching him fall to the ground, to weak to move.

Ho-oh looked at the bars and pulled its head back, it dove forward as best it could and slammed into the bars.

Giovanni grinned. "You should have never tried to stop us. Now for the brat and Ho-oh" He turned around to face the cage......but instead came face to face with Ho-oh.

Ho-oh's eyes were glowing an evil red and it made a sort of growling noise.

Ash ran past Ho-oh and Giovanni, Pikachu in his arms, Cyndaquil on one shoulder and Totodile on the other. He ran over and knelt beside Rick. Cyndaquil and Totodile jumped down and stood beside him. He placed a hand on Ricks shoulder and shook him. "Hey dad, wake up" He looked behind him at Ho-oh and Giovanni.

Giovanni looked to afraid to move as the large Fire Legendary Bird took a step towards him.

Ho-oh narrowed its eyes and lunged forward, beak open.

Giovanni tried to move, but his was too late, as Ho-oh grabbed him and lifted him off the ground.

Ho-oh began to close it's beak on Giovanni.

Ash shut his eyes and turned away. He heard Giovanni yell in pain, there was a sickening crack, and then silence.

Ho-oh threw the limp body of the now dead Team Rocket leader up and caught it as it feel down, swallowing it whole.

Ash looked over at Ho-oh, it's eyes still glowing. This is a side of Ho-oh he'd never seen. He hugged Pikachu a little as he looked at it, a little afraid.

Ho-oh's eyes stopped glowing and it's legs gave way. It fell and landed with a thud close to Ash.

Ash put Pikachu down beside Rick and crawled over to Ho-oh. He placed a hand on Ho-oh's beak. "Hey, you ok?"

Ho-oh opened it's eyes a little and looked at him. "Are you?"

"Good point" He smiled a little "But I don' know about him" He said, glancing back at Rick worriedly.

Ho-oh raised his head and looked at Rick. "He may not make it"

Ash looked back at Ho-oh. "What? What'll we do?"

Ho-oh closed it's eyes for a while. "Well, if you and I work together, we may be able to help him, but......"

"But what?"

"But it may put our own lives in danger" Ho-oh finished. "It's your choice Ash"

Ash looked back at Rick. He wouldn't mind risking his own life for his dad, but it wasn't just him. He would be risking Ho-oh's life too. "I-I dunno"

Pikachu walked over to him and placed his paw on Ash's hand, trying his best to comfort him.

Ho-oh spoke up, "You have to decide soon Ash, he doesn't have much time"

Ash looked at the ground and closed his eyes. He couldn't just let his dad die like this, he had to do something, even if that meant putting his own life in danger. He looked up at Ho-oh. "If your up to it, lets do it"

Ho-oh nodded and shuffled forward a little and placed its beak on Ricks back.

Ash placed his hand on Ho-oh's beak. For a while, nothing happened, then a bright red glow appeared under Ash's hand and a lighter glow covered Ho-oh's beak. He felt as if his energy was being drained out of him slowly, as if he was running. He began to breath deeper and sat down, keeping his hand on Ho-oh's beak.

After ten minutes or so, the glowing stopped and Ash fall back onto his back. Ho-oh lay its head on the ground and closed its eyes.

Pikachu's ears lowered as he looked at Ash and Ho-oh, but perked up again when he heard something behind him. He looked back to she Rick pushing himself up. "Pika, Pika chu" [Rick, your awake]

Rick looked over at him. "What happened? Where's Ash?"

Pikachu's ears lowered again and he lowered his head. He pointed to Ash that lay behind him.

Rick froze for a second, and then he understood what had happened. He stood up and walked over to Ash and knelt down beside him. He pulled him into a sitting position.

Pikachu, Cyndaquil and Totodile walked over beside him.

"Ash, are you ok?" Rick asked.

Ash opened his eyes and looked at Rick. "Get Ho-oh.....to Professor Oak's" He managed to say before passing out.

Rick looked at Pikachu and the others and then at Ho-oh. He took out a Pokéball and threw it at Ho-oh. Ho-oh was sucked in and the red light went out. He picked it up and clipped it to his belt. "Lets go you three" He said to Pikachu, Cyndaquil and Totodile. He took out a Pokéball and released his Charizard. He picked Ash up and climbed on. Pikachu and the others jumped up and held on. "Lets go Charizard"

The Charizard nodded and spread its wings, it ran forward and leapt of the side of the mountain, gliding threw the air. It flapped its wings and began to pick up speed.

"Hang in there Ash" Rick whispered as they flew east towards Pallet Town.