A/N: For the purposes of my story I have made up some pokemon attacks. They will only apply to Pikachu, and I will explain them so you understand what they do. I watch the show and have played the game but I am not a pokemon expert. I do have a guide book for the game which I have used for ideas, and I'm sorry if during pokemon battles I screw up. I will try to be as accurate as possible. Please read and review, but if you're going to flame me be gentle, I got a whopper of a flame on another story and my self esteem still hasn't completely recovered. Another heavy blow could be fatal. ;) Disclaimer: I am still waiting for the owners of pokemon to call me back with their decision. I offered them three bucks and a lollipop for the whole kit and coboodle. Upon arriving at Lindham Scientific Industries, Ash noted two things. One, it wasn't very well guarded. Two, the rather large building sat next to the Cerulean City Gym. "You've got to be kidding," Ash muttered under his breath. He shook off the sudden wave of sadness that threatened to overwhelm him, and set his mind on the task ahead. Ash used telepathy to communicate with Pikachu in order to remain quiet. *We have to get to the seventh floor, free all the pokemon and destroy the lab.* *And exactly how do you plan on doing that?* Pikachu asked, knowing Ash had a way of making things sound much easier than they actually were. Ash grinned and headed towards the building, which cast a long rectangular shadow over the street. *Pikachu, Stealth now,* he silently commanded. During the past three years, Pikachu had grown stronger and learned many attacks, some unknown to anyone but Ash and himself. Stealth was one of those attacks. It allowed any type pokemon to become invisible. Pikachu had become strong enough that he could use it, not only on himself, but on Ash too. Pikachu used his attack, causing Ash to disappear from view. Ash strolled up to the front door and quietly opened it. Once inside Pikachu allowed him to become visible. *That was easy,* Ash thought. *Nothing is ever easy Ash,* Pikachu thought from within his bag. *Let's get going.* Ash walked through the empty hallway, his black boots making little sound on the polished tile floor. Everything was dark, which was the way Ash preferred it. *Elevator or stairs?* he asked Pikachu. *Do you really want to climb up seven flights of stairs?* Pikachu thought. *Point taken.* The elevator ride was long and slow, but fortunately there wasn't any music playing. With a slight ding, the doors opened to reveal a darkened hallway with several closed doors. Ash walked slowly, examining each door until he came to the one he was looking for. It was made of solid steel and had a keypad lock. Painted on the door, stenciled in black, were the words Lindham Labs. Ash glanced up and down the hallway, making certain no one was in the building working late. Satisfied, he reached out and touched the keypad. Electricity flowed from his hand to the lock, causing it to short circuit. The large door slid slowly open and Ash walked in, ready to set to work. The sight that met him appalled him. Fifty or so cages were lined against the wall, most were only just big enough for the pokemon contained in them to fit. The pokemon looked miserable. The cages were stacked in columns of five, and their bottoms were nothing more than bars. This meant that anything from the cage above them would fall through, onto the pokemon below. Ash shook his head as anger and sadness filled him. For someone who loved pokemon as much as he did, seeing this breaking his heart. Pikachu slowly crawled out of Ash's bag, his face a mixture of strong emotions. *Ash, how will we get them all out?* Ash didn't answer the question, instead he walked to the center of the room. "Everyone," he addressed them, his voice shaking in what was unmistakably grief. "I came to free you. I know you have been hurt, especially by humans, and I am sorry. Anyone who could harm such peaceful creatures as pokemon deserves to be punished. And I promise you, I will seek revenge on the people who did this to you." A few weak "Chars" and "Bulbas" as well as other pokemon speech emitted from the cages. *Pikachu?* Ash said, in need of a translation. *They said thank you.* Ash smiled and began to unlock the cages the same way he had unlocked the door. Pikachu shook his head. Only Ash could get fifty pokemon, who were abused and tortured by humans, and should by all rights hate every human that they laid eyes on, to trust him by only saying four sentences. ~*~*~ Misty was sprawled upon her bed, her long legs dangling off the side as she thought about the last person she expected to on the night she became engaged. Ash Ketchum. So many memories in one name. He had done what no one else in the world had managed to do. He became a master at age fourteen. He had also stolen Misty's heart. They had been romantically involved when Ash had become master, and their relationship was put under constant strain due to his duties. After five years of the pain and heartache caused from trying to hold their relationship together, Misty gave up. She wrote a mean and spiteful letter to him, ending their relationship permanently. Not a day had passed during the last three years that Misty hadn't regretted sending that letter. She hadn't meant the things she had written, and when Ash had returned from his business trip she had planned to tell him that. But he never did return home. At the age of nineteen, the greatest Pokemon Master ever, disappeared, never to be seen again. Misty looked at the faded newspaper article in her hand. It was smuged from over use, but she could still make out the words, for she had most of them memorized any way. Ash Ketchum, the Pokemon Master, vanished from the Indigo Plateau over four months ago. Ketchum, probably the most popular master ever, was well known for his famous victory over Gary Oak when he was only fourteen, making him the youngest master in history. After the Master's disappearance, a large search party was assembled, being coordinated by over twenty five Officer Jenny's. For the past four months the great search to find the man, who some call a legend, has turned up nothing. Ketchum's powerful and well known pikachu is also missing, causing some to believe he ran off, unable to cope with the stress of his high priority job. This is just a rumor, and most people believe that Ketchum was abducted, though obviously not for ransom, since there has been no demand for money. The search is now beginning to quell, as the legendary Ash Ketchum is now believed to be dead. Tears began to fall down her cheeks. Misty wiped them away with a swipe of her hand. "That was the past," she said aloud to no one in particular. "I have to move on with my life. I need to let it go and look toward the future. Toward Chris." ~*~*~ Everything had been going according to plan. All of the pokemon were gone, with the help of the flying ones. They were now safe and far enough away to not have to worry about being recaptured. Ash was down to the final part of his mission, destroying the lab. "Pikachu, I choose you," Ash said aloud, his voice steady and calm. Pikachu leapt off his shoulder and stood at his feet, in a ready position. "Thunder wave now!" "Piiikaaachuuu!" the little rodent cried, releasing a powerful wave of electricity into the lab. Instantly machinery caught fire and began to explode. "Hey you!" a new voice yelled. Ash turned to see a man dressed in a guards uniform running towards them. *Busted.* Pikachu stopped his attack, satisfied it had done the job. *Time to go,* Ash thought to Pikachu. *I would have to agree.* Pikachu jumped on his shoulder as Ash whirled around, running towards the window at the end of the hall. "Oh, no you don't," he heard the guard call. Then Ash felt a pokeball go whizzing by dangerously close, past his head, before opening in front of them with a crack. A rounded creature materialized, blocking their path. "Ha!" the guard said smugly. "Electricity is weak against rock. You'll never get by Graveler." "Grav," the round rock pokemon agreed. Ash turned and looked at the guard in sympathy before throwing Pikachu high into the air. "Pikachu, thunder bomb," he said, his voice low, and deadly. The guard watched him, perplexed. Was thunder bomb even a move? His eyes widened in horror as the pikachu did a somersault in midair, glowing an intense golden color. He then converted all his electricity into what appeared to be a yellow ball and threw it at the Graveler. The ball of electricity hit the rock pokemon with such a force that it sent him flying, back towards his trainer. It skidded to a stop in front of the guard, who stood in the hallway, stunned. A large groove was cut into the floor where the pokemon had slid, it's rock body crashing through the floor. "Sorry," Ash said, shrugging. He gave the guard a mock salute, as Pikachu once again assumed his position on his shoulder. Then he turned and began to run toward the window, once again, his trench coat flying behind him. As Ash ran, Pikachu thought, *Where to after we get to the window? It's a seven story drop.* *I'm thinking, I'm thinking.* Pikachu rolled his eyes, not surprised at his master's lack of planning. They made it all the way to the window before the guard recovered from his stupor. "Stop, or I'll shoot!" he cried, struggling to pull his gun out of the holster that was hanging around his rather excessive waist. Ash, of course, didn't stop, he opened the window instead. He climbed onto the windowsill, preparing to jump to the roof of the next building. It was a good deal lower than the seventh story, but it was also a good deal higher than the ground. *Pikachu get in the bag,* he thought urgently to the little pokemon. Pikachu scrambled into his pack. "Stop!" cried the guard again. Ash was about to jump when he heard the gunshot. He cried out in pain as a bullet tore through his side. Instinctively, both of his hands flew to his injured side, but this caused him to lose his balance and fall out the window. He had fallen past the fifth story before doing a flip in midair, trying to balance himself a bit. Ash somehow managed to land on the roof of the other building, although it was less than graceful. He fell to his knees as the wound in his side sent a searing pain through his body. He felt his pack moving as Pikachu climbed out quickly. He looked at Ash, concern etched in his brown eyes. "Pikapi?" "I'm okay, Pikachu," Ash said, grimacing. *Don't lie, Ash.* Pikachu suddenly perked up his ears, as he often did when he sensed someone's presence. Ash looked at him anxiously. *What is it Pikachu?* Pikachu ignored him and continued to listen. Then, he took a protective position in front of Ash, his cheeks sparking. "Who's up here?" they heard a feminine voice ask. A woman emerged from behind a door. Her long red hair hung around her shoulders, and the wind was whisking it across her face. She tucked her hair behind her ears as she examined the odd pair that had landed on her roof. She was wearing black sweatpants and a baggy blue T-shirt. Her sleeping attire no doubt. *Ash...* Pikachu thought. *I know Pikachu. I knew when I heard her voice.* *So much for luck,* thought Pikachu sadly. Misty looked curiously at the man on her roof. He was on his knees and both his hands were covering his left side. His head was down, and he appeared to be in pain. "Are you ok?" she asked, walking closer to him. "Pika, pika chu!" his pikachu cried at her. He blocked her way, sparks emitting from his cheeks. "Pikachu," the man said calmly. "Let her come." The pikachu glared at her for a moment, looking like he dearly wanted to shock her, before scampering back to his trainer. "What happened?" Misty asked, kneeling to the left of the injured man. His pikachu stayed on the right, his eyes narrowed at her. "Nothing, I'm fine," the stranger said, trying to stand. She heard him gasp as the pain apparently worsened. "Pikapi, chu pika pika!" the pokemon chattered, obviously scolding him. The man turned his head toward the pickachu saying, "I am NOT lying." Misty was amused by the little rodents ranting. It reminded her of a pikachu she once knew. "Let me take a look at that," she said, trying to pry the man's hands away. After much insisting and a thundershock that came dangerously close to Misty, he finally relented. "You've been shot!" she gasped. Pikachu rolled his eyes and the man broke into a fit of painful laughter. "You're kidding," he said between laughs. Misty sighed. "Okay, I take it you knew that," she said, feeling rather stupid. "Come inside and I'll bandage you up." He stopped laughing. "No that's okay. I really need to be going." He attempted to stand again, having no better luck this time then the first. "Pikapi!" the pikachu cried at him in exasperation. Misty watched as the two seemed to carry on a silent conversation. Then she understood. They were connected, they could read each others minds. She was surprised. Very few trainers connected with pokemon, and if they did they were usually masters. Even then, they had to be connected with a pokemon that they had trained for a very long time. The pair apparently came to a conclusion because the man sighed and said, "Fine, let's go inside." She laced her arm under his right shoulder and helped him walk down the stairs into the gym. They walked through darkened hallways, as Misty guided him to the room used to heal pokemon after battles. "We have a Nurse Joy," she said. "But she isn't here at one o'clock in the morning." Misty tried to get a good look at the stranger, but he kept looking down, making it impossible to make out his features, other than his black hair. "Take off your shirt," she instructed him, turning her back to get some supplies. Ash looked up at her, his brown eyes widened in surprise. He knew she didn't know who he was, but hearing her say that... He silently obeyed the command, first taking off his trench coat, then gingerly taking his shirt off, being careful not to disturb his injury. He sat down on a table and looked around. Pikachu jumped up next to him and sat down, obviously reminiscing. Ash recognized the room, when he and Misty used to battle they would bring their pokemon here to be healed. The room was mostly white and reminded him of a hospital. Misty turned towards him and faltered. He had a nice body, muscular but not excessively so. She came over to him and began to clean the wound. "There's an exit wound, that's good, the bullet isn't in there." He simply nodded. "So where are you from?" she asked, trying to make conversation. "No where in particular," he answered. "You don't have a home town?" "Everyone has a home town," he said, flinching as she began wrapping the bandages. "I just don't think of it as my home anymore." "Why?" Misty asked as she finished wrapping the gauze. He didn't answer her question, instead he simply raised his head, allowing her a good look at his face. Her eyes widened and she took a step back from him. His black hair, his pointy chin, his golden eyes. It was him. "Ash?" she asked in a whisper. He said nothing, only looked away, at Pikachu. He aimlessly reached out and pet the yellow pokemon between the ears. Misty continued to stare. After recovering from the initial shock she said, "I...everyone thought you died." Ash looked up at her, his face was hardened and emotionless. "Obviously, they thought wrong." "Where have you been?" Misty asked. She saw his eyes flash briefly with an emotion she couldn't place. Panic? His eyes returned to there normal coldness and he stood up slowly, wincing at the pain in his side. They stood a foot apart, Misty gazing up at him. She momentarily remembered when he had had a growth spurt at sixteen and finally surpassed her in height. It was hard to believe he used to be the short, scrawny, ten year old she had fished out of a river. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Ash shook his head. "This was an accident. I had no intentions of seeing you, but," he motioned to his bandaged side. "Leave it to me and my luck." "Why didn't you call? Write? Let us know that you were alive?" Misty asked, trying not to let her emotions show through her tough exterior. Ash slowly began to pull his shirt over his head, saying nothing. Misty assumed he wasn't going to answer when he suddenly said, "Ash." She looked at him in confusion as he fixed his shirt, then reached for his trench coat. Then Misty felt her heart wrench as he continued. "I cannot say Dear Ash, because you are not dear to me anymore. In fact I hate you." He folded his coat over his arms and looked at her, his head cocked. Her hand flew to her mouth, and she closed her eyes, knowing what would come next. He blinked at her then continued to recite. "I hate you with my mind, heart, and soul. You love your work more than you love me. I never see you anymore and in recent weeks I have found that that doesn't even bother me." He paused here, and she kept her eyes closed, though silent tears now began to flow from them. "Goddamn you Ash! We had something and YOU ruined it. You and your Goddamn dream. I can't stand the sight of you anymore. You are an idiot! Our relationship was falling apart and you didn't even notice. Now it is too late. We don't have a relationship anymore, and you have no one to blame but yourself. Goodbye, Master Ketchum. -Misty." Ash stopped speaking and looked at Misty, his expression one of contempt. She stood there in the middle of the room, numb from her emotion. 'God,' she thought. 'God what did I do? He memorized it.' What Ash had just recited was the cruel letter she had written to him two days before he had vanished. "Ash, I'm so sorry," Misty said, her voice shaking. He looked at her long and hard before slipping on his trench coat. Then he said, "I didn't disappear of my own free will, Misty. And if I hadn't been so upset because of that letter, I never would have been taken by surprise." Ash began walking towards the door, Pikachu running at his heels. "I have to live with the fact that I ruined our relationship for the rest of my life." He stopped, his hand on the door knob. Pikachu, knowing what he was thinking, jumped onto his friends shoulder. *Ash, don't. You will regret it.* *I have to, Pikachu.* Pikachu sighed, his long pointed ears flattening to his head. Ash continued his talk with Misty, never turning to look at her. "Now for the rest of your life you can live with the knowledge that because of that letter, because of YOU, I have been tortured to near death, and I will be hunted by Team Rocket until I am killed." Misty let out a strangled cry as Ash pulled the door open and walked out, Pikachu sitting sadly on his shoulder.