Ash silently slips past the guards on the ground floor. Even though he was troubled at his mission, his face was determined. He had to find the cells that held Pikachu, Brock, and most important, Misty. He ran down the stairs leading to the basement, then he falls down backwards. He rubs his head and looks for what he had ran into. His eyes widen.

He had ran into Team Rocket Grunts. One was trying to help the other to his feet, which he did, although rather shaky. The one that was helping looks up at Ash and his face scrunches to a look of hatred.

“Who are you?! What are you doing here?!”

“I- uh...”

“We’re going to have to bring you to master now that you’ve broken into our hideout!”

They both approach him, reaching their hands out to grab a limb or anything to keep him from escaping. They land on him, but he quickly scrambles out of the heap and down the stairs.

He heard their voices fade as he raced down the stairs. “We have a code red! I repeat! We have a code red!” Ash shakes his head. Great. Now they know I’m here. I hope I can get to everyone in time.

The stairs lead him to a long echoing hallway. On both sides were cells, some occupied (not just humans, there were large sized Pokemon too), some empty.

He tried to hurry through so they could leave quickly but his heart wouldn’t. In one cell there was a middle-aged woman chained to the wall, slowly bleeding in different spots. Her head hung low, but from either hunger, from lack of hope, or both, Ash did not know.

“My... children... please... be alright...” she whispers. She then lets out a sob, one among the many she has had.

Ash’s heart wrenched at the thought of leaving her there, but he didn’t have a choice. He slowed his pace, but steadily made his way down the long hall.

Finally he reached it. Brock’s cell. Ash struggles and finally twists the iron handle and he opens the heavy door.

Sadness showers him. Brock looks terrible. Covered with bruises and blood, he hardly looked like he’s human. His shirt, ripped all around, barely counted as a shirt. Brock’s head, too, hung low.

Ash rushes to Brock and holds his head up for support.

“Brock?! Are you alright?!”

Brock slowly opens his eyes. He gives a small smile at the sight of his friend.

“Hey Ash. Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“What did they do to you?!”

Brock wanted to shrug right here in response but couldn’t because of his lack of strength.

“We need to get you out of here.” His face fell when he saw the locks holding Brock. What else could go wrong in one day?

He starts to look around for anything that might pick or, if necessary, break, the lock. Ash spots a medium sized stone in the corner. He picks it up and looks at Brock again.

“Clench you fists Brock.”

Brock was still partway out of it and didn’t understand his friend. “Huh?...”

Ash brings his arms back and begins pounding at the bonds (a/n: don’t worry! I won’t let Brock loose a hand!). After several minutes of the excruciating work it finally broke free. Brock’s arm fell and he hangs from the other.

“Try to stand against the wall for support Brock. I won’t be able to get the other one off if you just hang there.” Brock tried as best as he could to follow Ash’s instructions.

Ash began to pound again on the other bond. Questions swarmed inside his head. Where were the guards? Wouldn’t they have found me by now? And where’s Misty and Pikachu? I hope their alright...

Again, in a few minutes it also broke, letting Brock slide against the wall to the ground.

Ash puts down the stone. “Can you stand Brock?”

“If I’m living, anything’s possible.” he chuckles. Ash frowns.

“This isn’t the time to be goofing off Brock! I need to find Pikachu and Misty to get you guys out of here!”

Brock looks up at Ash, worry etched on his face. “Pikachu is on the end of the hall. And Misty...”

“What? What about Misty?”

“The guards took her out of her cell about ten minutes ago. Who knows where she could be...”

His eyebrows puckered. He was worried about Misty so much, and she could be in trouble. As much as he wanted to find her, he had to get Pikachu and Brock out of there. He sighs.

“We can’t worry about her now. Let’s get Pikachu and get out of here before the guards find us...” He takes one of Brock’s arms and holds it over his shoulders so Brock can have support.

They make their way to the end that Brock pointed to as fast as they could. After what seemed like an eternity, to Ash, they finally make it. He gasps.

There was perhaps hundreds of cages with Pokemon in it, in every shape and size imaginable. Ash sets Brock’s body against the wall so Brock’ll have support. He quickly scans for yellow fur. After a few Elekid, Electabuzz, an couple of Jolteons, a family Pichu, and one Ampharos, he finally sees a cage full of about twenty Pikachu.

With his hand on the glass door, he calls out. “Pikachu? Are you in there?” (a/n: well duh!) Through the glass were the sleeping bodies of Pikachus, snuggling next to each other for warmth and protection. Instinct to wild Pikachu.

“Pikachu? Pikachu can you here me?” Ash tries again. Coming from the heap of bodies emerges Ash’s Pikachu. A little worn-out, but alright.

“Pi pikachu.” he says with a tired smile.

“I missed you too buddy. But we need to get out of here, fast. Do you know where the guard put the keys?”

“Pi pika pi pikachu chu pi pika.”

“On a hook next to the desk, got it.” Ash rushes to the desk that stood nearby and quickly scans for the keys. On a hook by the desk, just like Pikachu said. He snatches the keys and sprints back to the cage.

Ash fumbles through each key, trying each in the lock, and finally it unlocks. He opens the door and Pikachu jumps into his trainer’s expecting arms.

“I missed you little buddy.”

“Cha!” he replies happily.

Pikachu’s ears unexpectedly perk up at a sound. Distant footsteps, running. Ash and Brock look in the direction Pikachu is, they, too, hear them coming.

“Ash, let’s get out of here!”

Ash nods then, with Pikachu in his arms, they both run up the stairs.