Disclaimer: Pokemon do/does not belong to me, never has, and never will. (At least not yet.) (Mwahahaha!) D.J Thunderston, and Ashly Greene are my personal characters (My babies, almost!) and please do not use them without my permision. If you want to ask me questions, or just chat with me about Pokemon, you can e-mail me at pamcam@sprint.ca The song at the end is from Sailor Moon (Ya, I like Sailor Moon!). It's called 'Nothing at all'. Now sit back, and enjoy the show...I mean, Story. "It's all set." Ash said quietly."They'll come." "You're sure you want to do this?" Ashly inquired. "Get Pikachu back? Yep. Keep him with me? You bet. Tell them who I am, and why? Noooo, not really. But, I have to. It's the only way any of us will ever be happy again." Ash sighed."Now, let's go!" "Yeah!" Ashly crowed happily. "Atta boy, Ashy!" Duplica cheered. "Now let's tell Officer Jenny about this, first!" Ash said, grabing his female companions by the arms, draging them to the police station. *************************************************************************** "Are you sure this will work?" Officer Jenny asked, skepticly. "Of course!" Ash said,"And all the pokemon that were stolen from their trainers can finally be returned to them." "Alright. The police will back you." "Oh, before I forget, some other trainers will be coming, and we'll need their help. Tell them to wait until I give the signal, before they go in." Ash added. "Okay. What is the signal?" Officer Jenny asked. "I don't know, but it'll be good." "Okay..." "See you later, Jenny." "Good luck, Ash. I'm glad you're back." "Thanks." *************************************************************************** "Remember, we've got only one shot a this whole plan!" Ash hissed, as soon as they had passed the gaurds outside the gym. *************************************************************************** "Okay, getting in was the easy part, but how do we find our way to where they keep the Pokemon?" Ash muttered. "Why? Is your Primeape tired?" A voice inquired from behind them. They turned, and saw a young Rocketeer standing there. She had a Flareon with her. "Uh, yeah! That's it! He's very, VERY tired, RIGHT Primeape?" Ash said from between clenched teeth, smiling. Primeape/Ditto stared, and Duplica poked him in the back. "Prraahh!" It nodded furiously. The Rocketeer blinked, and then smiled. "Well, then come with me!" She said cheerfuly. She led them to a large room, full of cages, and shelves of pokeballs. Opening one of the cages, she put the flareon inside. "Now just put it in one of the cages. I have to go now, but I'll talk to you later." She left, leaving them to gaze around the room. It was full of Pokemon! "Great! Now how're we supposed to find pikachu?" Ash muttered. "Well, we can start by looking in the cages, because he's a pokeballess pokemon." Ashly hinted. "Right!" **************************************************************************** "Are you sure it was him?" Mrs.Ketchum asked franticly. They were driving to Viridian City. "Of course!" Misty insisted."I'd know his voice anywhere!" **************************************************************************** "Good thing my sister could fill in!" Nurse Joy said. "Yeah!" Brock agreed. **************************************************************************** "Hey! I found him!" Ash shouted. He was kneeling beside a small cage. Inside with Pikachu, was a growlithe, and an Eevee. "Okay, Ditto. Transform into a key to fit the lock!" Duplica comanded, ditching her uniform. Ash and Ashly followed suit, letting down their hair. "Ditto!" Ditto replied, changing into a key. In a few minutes, Ash was holding Pikachu in his arms. Ash frowned. "I can count all his ribs!" Ash hissed."What have they done to you, little buddy?" "Pika-Pika..." Pikachu whispered, opening his blurry eyes. He saw someone he hadn't seen for over four years."Pika...Pikachu..." (Ash...You came back...) "Yeah...Of course I did." Ash said, snuggling Pikachu to his face."I missed you, Pik." "Pikachu, Pika pika pika...Pika?" (Ash, can we free my friends...please?) "Yeah! All these pokemon need to be free!" Ash said, releasing Chansey. Ashly followed suit. "Chansey, use your tail to pick the lock's on these cages." Ash said, trying to keep his voice down. Soon they had all the Pokemon free. **************************************************************************** "What?!" Brock exclaimed. Officer Jenny had tracked down both groups, and had told them what to do. "That's right. And you need to wait for the signal." "Huh? What's the signal?" asked D.J "He doesn't know yet, but it'll be good." Everyone fell down anime style. **************************************************************************** "Okay, now that signal!"Ash muttered."What are we going to use?" "I've got that covered!" Duplica smiled."Ditto, transform into a flare, please?" "Ditto!" "Ditto, ready, aim, f-" "I don't think so!" a nasty voice said from behind them. They turned slowly, and behind them was almost a hundred members of Team Rocket, and Giovani. "EEEEEPPPPP!!!" They screamed. Duplica turned to the Ditto-flare. "Fire! Out that window!" Duplica shouted, pointing to a small window, up near the roof. "DITTO!!!" the Ditto-flare ignited, and broke through the window, exploding outside. "You just sealed your fate!" Giovani snarled."Suround them! First I want them hurt, then I want them killed!" "Our pleasure!" **************************************************************************** They saw the flare explode, and Ditto tumbled down in front of them. "That's it! That's the signal!" Brock shouted."Release your Pokemon!" Vulpix, Zubat, Onix, Geodude, Chansey, Staryu, Starmie, Psyduck, Togepy, Jolteon, Ponyta, Clefable, Diglett, and Raichu ran forewards with their trainers. Mrs.Ketchum sent her Pokemon, too. "Mimie, go help them. My baby is counting on it!" She sniffled. "Mr.Mime!" he responded, and ran after the others. Brock gave Onix the command. "Onix! Break down this wall!" Onix roared afirmativly. Swinging his tail like a wreaking ball, Onix burst a hole in the wall. They were nearly trampled by hundreds of frightened Pokemon, who ran towards the police, and to safety. Then they entered. **************************************************************************** Ash, Ashly, Duplica, Pikachu, and the Chansey's were surounded, back to back, helpless, but calm. "As I said, you have sealed your fate." Giovani repeated, with an evil smile. Ash's Answer was calm and serene. "We know, but we don't care if you kill us, as long as all the other Pokemon are safe. You can call us the Poke-freedom fighters." "And know this: we'll fight until our last breath!" Ashly added, cracking her knuckles in grim happiness. "Heh! Now, I'd like to see them squirm, Cassidy. Try your blow torch." "Yes sir!" Cassidy replied, and walked towards them. As she did so, Ash and Ashly clasped hands and gathered all the love energy they could from their pendants. They formed it into a powerful beam, aimed, and fired it at Cassidy. She screamed, and died, and a few other Rocketeers went with her, including Butch. "Yay! There goes Cassy-D, and Botch!" they could hear James cheer in the background. (Note: Ash and Ashly have figured out how to use their pedants as weapons of mass destruction to those who have no love.) "Oh, just kill them!"Giovani grumbled,"I grow tired of these games!" All of Team Rocket rushed towards them, with sophisticated weapons, or just pieces of chains or plywood. One man hit Ash with a lead pipe across the chest, snapping one of his ribs like a twig, but Ash ignored the searing pain, and hurled him over his head, and into a wall. When one of the women grabbed Ashly by the hair, Ash went wild, and dug his nails into the womans face, and tore her off of his girlfriend. Duplica was having a ball, duplicating the Rocketeers, and driving them insane. By the time Brock and the others (Let's just call them the new Poke-freedom fighters) had arrived, things were not looking up for the defending champions. Duplica was exausted, Ashly was desperatly trying to keep Giovani away from her, and Ash, who had taken the blunt end of the attacks, was just barely hanging on. )One more hit, and it would be the end of the fight for Ash. Brock had just enough time to run over to Ash as he collapsed, clutching his sides, and catch him before he hit the floor. "Oh, God! Why didn't you tell me, Ash?" Brock whispered. "I-I- c-couldn't."Ash stuttered, as blood ran red from his mouth. Pikachu, who had been with Ash the whole time, pulled Brock back into the fight. There seemed to be more Rocketeers than Poke-freedom fighters now, and the Pokemon were slowly failing to do any damage. All three Chansy's were defeated, and had to be recalled. Mr.Mime was using all his energy up defending everyone else, and Ashly was backed into a tight corner with poor Vulpix, who was desperatly blasting at anyone who came close to them. Misty, D.J, and Joy were back to back, fending off Jessie, James, and Meowth, as well as at least twenty others. Brock had come back to Ash, and dragged him over to a safe spot, and then he dove headlong into the struggling pack of freedom fighters and Rocketeers. Soon, all the Pokemon had been so beat up, that they had had to be recalled, and only Brock, D.J, and Ashly were still standing. Giovani was the only baddie, but he still had some surprises left. Pulling out a gun, he aimed it for Ashly's head. "Call a truce, or the pretty little miss gets it." he called. Ash slowly raised himself up, until he was level with Giovani's eyes. "Then I'll hate until the moment I die, Giovani!" "Well, then, We'd better get this over with!" Giovani said, cocking the gun. He lowered the gun level to Ashly's chest, and squeezed the trigger. Ashly screamed, and Ash pushed her out of the way. The force of the bullet impacting his chest, pushed Ash into a wall, where he sank to the floor, leaving a smear of blood on the wall behind him. Pikachu cried out and used the last of his energy to K.O Giovani. There was chaos. Everyone was screaming and yelling, as Officer Jenny and Mrs.Ketchum made their way in. The first thing Mrs.Ketchum saw was Ashly cradling Ash in her lap, muttering to herself. "It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault. He did it to save me. It wasn't his fault. Gary...Pikachu...bad. It wasn't his fault." Mrs.Ketchum stiffled a scream, and went to Ashly, pulling her away from Ash with a sob. ******************************************************************* "Is he going to be okay?! Is he going to be okay?!" Mrs.Ketchum screamed hystericly. She had grabbed the doctor by the collar, and was proceding to cut off his air supply. (Un-intentionally, of course.) "Mrs.Ketchum! Please! Show some control!" the doctor gasped, pulling out of her grasp."We don't know yet. All I know is the bullet came within a centimeter of his heart, and he's lucky to be alive. Now, I have to leave. Just stay put." He left, leaving a group of very worried people in the waiting room. Ashly and the other freedom fighters were huddled together, seeking comfort. But Ashly sat ridgidly staring at the clock, blue-ish brown eyes shimering with un-shead tears. Un-conciously stroking the ring on her finger. The ring. The ring that ment so much between the two of them. They had become one. Ash and Ashly. Ashly and Ash. The ring proclaimed this. If he was going to die, then... *So must I...* ******************************************************************* Ash sighed, and opened his eyes. The ceiling came into focus. Everything hurt, and his chest tingled. Then from the doorway... "Doctor Chiba! He's regained conciousness!" ******************************************************************* "Good news!" Doctor Chiba greeted the un-happy group."Ash has regained conciousness." They all began to cheer. "And," he added."he's asking for Ashly." "Oh?" Ashly said standing up. "Please come with me." Doctor Chiba led Ashly to Ash's room. She slipped in, and stood by his bed. Ash reached up, and pulled her down beside him. "I was so scared, Ash. I thought he had killed you!" Ashly said, struggling not to cry, but hot relentless tears fell down her face. "Don't cry, Ashly. We made a pact, a pact that nothing can break." Ash raised Ashly's chin so she was looking into his eyes."Not even death." He pulled her closer, and she let the tears fall, lying safe in her lovers arms. Soon, both were asleep. ******************************************************************* "She sure is taking a long time." Brock commented."I'm going to see where she is." "Me too." Misty said. D.J nodded and sood up. It turned out that everyone wanted to go, and they made their way to Ash's room. What met their eyes enchanted everyone but Misty. Ashly was sleeping peacefully in Ash's Arms, and Ash had a look of pure happiness on his face. *I've lost him!* Misty thought."I can never have another chance with him!* ******************************************************************* Ash' recovery was slow and painful, but Ashly and his mother made life bareble.One afternoon, Misty overheard Ashly singing to Ash, which made her sad. "You've been there for me no matter what the cost My best friend since when we believe in Santa Claus You have always stood beside me And I want to let you know I'll be the one who hears your prayer Don't have to ask me, I'll be there I'll be the friend, you'll never have to do without When you have nothing at all You'll still have nothing to worry about When I was lost inside a forest of dismay You always knew just how to help me find my way In a world that's so uncertain I will promise this to you I'll be the one who hears your prayer Don't have to ask me, I'll be there I'll be the friend, you'll never have to do without When you have nothing at all You'll still have nothing to worry about." Ash smiled. "That was lovely, Ashly." "Thanks, wildfire." Misty came to a sad conclusion. *Who am I kidding? They stuck on each other!* ******************************************************************* "Are you sure you want to do this?" Mrs.Ketchum asked, holding her tears at bay. "Yeah. I have to, mom. I've got a job, and all those Pokemon need me. At least this time I have Pikachu and the others with me." Ash smiled at the thought. Gary had been cought and denounced as a criminal, and Ash got to choose his punishment: Gary had to work cleaning out the Poke-waste resepticals at his grampa's lab for the rest of his life. "Alright, be careful, sweetie. I'll miss you!" "Goodbye, mom! Ashly and I will come back to visit!" ******************************************************************* Ya-hoo-sah! This is it! I've finished this saga! All that remains is the epilogue, and the sequel! (Ohhh! All those keys! And letters!) But, lucky for me, it's already half-written! Hee-hee! I'm going to give it a rest, for awhile, before sending in the sequel. But, don't get upset, I have some other stories that I've typed, so I'm going to send those in. Now, there's somthing I'd like you to do for me...I WANT YOUR COMMENTS!!! I'M GOING FREAKING NUTS!!! (Pardon the casual swearing, puh-lease!) If I don't hear from you, it makes me feel sad, 'cause I can't tell if it's any good, or if you're ridiculing me. (Wah!!!) All comments are acceptable, but please be kind. (This is the first story I've ever gotten posted on the net.) So, Tootles, y'all! See you in the epilogue! (It'll be nice and short.) ()