Brock and Ash had been walking for a good portion of the night. Brock, who 
wasn't used to being up all night, was quickly becoming tired. 

Trees cast long shadows across the road from the moon light. Brock felt the hair 
on the back of his neck stand up as he saw the red eyes of a nocturnal pokemon 
silently watching him. He was extremely relieved when Ash pointed to a small 
cave in the forest and said, "We'll camp there for the day."

The cave was damp and smelled as though some sort of pokemon recently vacated 
it. Brock was exhausted and he slept most of the day. He was finally awakened 
around five o'clock, to the sound of two familiar voices. He quickly stood up 
and saw Ash standing near the entrance to the cave, his arms crossed, and 
Pikachu at his heels. 

"What's the matter?" Brock heard Ash ask. "Team Rocket run out of <real> 
assassins?"

The people outside answered rather rudely, calling Ash some obscene names. Brock 
began to walk to the entrance, ready to help.

Ash glanced over his shoulder and saw Brock coming towards him. *Pikachu, keep 
him back there.*

Pikachu didn't answer, but he turned and scampered towards Brock. 

"Pikachu, what are you doing?" Brock asked as the little pokemon blocked his 
path, refusing to let him through.

Ash, certain Pikachu would keep Brock out of sight, returned his attention to 
the blonde woman and the green haired man that stood before him. The woman wore 
a black skirt and a shirt that exposed most of her midriff. On her shirt a red R 
was emblazoned. The man also wore black, the R on his shirt matching the 
woman's. Sunlight streamed through the trees creating a visible line between 
them and Ash. 

The woman laughed haughtily. "Your precious pikachu just ran off. Now you 
shouldn't be any problem to dispose of."

"Cassidy, you underestimate me. As usual," Ash said, his voice steady.

"Ashton," the man said, his voice so scratchy that Ash wanted to cover his ears 
to avoid the awful sound. "I don't know why the boss is so adamant about having 
you killed. I don't see you as a threat."

"You don't Butch? I would think you would, the number of times I sent you to 
jail," Ash mocked.

Butch and Cassidy gritted their teeth as their faces flushed a bright crimson. 
"Enough talking, let's do this," Cassidy said. 

"I'll give you ten seconds to run away, if you choose to stay, remember, you 
were warned," Ash said, his voice low.

Butch snorted. "Do you think you scare us?"

"I don't right now, but by the time this fight is over, you will be terrified." 
Ash assumed a fighting position.

Cassidy laughed again. "If you think <we're> going to fight you, you're sadly 
mistaken." She and Butch grinned widely as they each pulled out a pokeball. 
Simultaneously they threw the red and white balls, which landed on either side 
of Ash. The balls opened with a crack and two large rhyhorn materialized. They 
stood about twenty yards away from him, one on his left and one on his right, 
each sizing him up with narrowed eyes. 

"Rhyhorn," Cassidy said to her pokemon. "Take him out with your takedown 
attack!"

Ash watched as the large rock pokemon on his right began to charge at him.

"Gore him with your horn drill!" Butch cried to his pokemon. 

The rhyhorn on his left also began to charge. Ash looked from one side to the 
other, and when the two rhyhorn were about ten feet away he leapt high into the 
air. Ash grabbed hold of a low tree branch, and hung in the air, out of the 
reach of the pokemon. 

The two rock pokemon skidded to a stop, their large feet desperately trying to 
gain traction on the dirt. They looked around, confused as to where their quarry 
had disappeared to. Cassidy let out a scream of indignation and cried, "Knock 
down that tree, Rhyhorn!" Her rhyhorn charged the tree and rammed it so hard 
that it began to shake. 

"Help him!" Butch commanded his pokemon, who immediately ran, and also began 
attacking the tree. The tree was taking a beating and began to teeter slightly.

Ash pulled himself up onto the branch, then leapt out of the tree, just as it 
began to fall. He landed on his feet, then rolled away, to avoid the falling 
mass of branches that was approaching him quickly. The tree landed with a crash 
in the exact spot Ash had been standing. 

Ash turned to face the rhyhorn, who were standing next to their trainers, 
snorting angrily and pawing the ground. He silently wished he had Pikachu, but 
if Butch and Cassidy saw Brock, Team Rocket would think he was in contact with 
all of his old companions, and go after everyone he loved.

"Takedown!" Butch and Cassidy cried in unison.

Ash's eyes widened as once again both rhyhorn charged him. When they neared him 
he leapt into the air, and over their heads. The large pokemon stopped and 
turned to him again, resuming their charge. 

Cassidy smiled as she watched Ash dodge yet another charge from their pokemon. 
She said to her partner, "We've got him. He's completely on the defensive. He 
hasn't even tried an attack."

Ash leapt into the air again, but this time he miscalculated and landed on the 
back of one of the large rock pokemon. The rhyhorn he was on didn't appreciate 
the rider, and began to buck, trying to throw him off. The rhyhorn launched Ash 
off of him, and sent him flying backwards, into a tree. Ash blacked out upon 
contact, and slid, unconscious, to the base of the trunk.

The rhyhorn stopped attacking once their target was immobilized, and began to 
peacefully graze. Butch walked carefully over to Ash and examined the tree, 
which had a streak of blood running vertically down it's bark, most likely from 
the back of Ash's head. Butch raised his limp arm and felt for a pulse. "He's 
dead," he announced to Cassidy. They both broke into triumphant smiles.

After recalling their rhyhorn they began to climb gingerly over the earlier 
fallen tree. They entered the cave, looking for Pikachu, and stopped upon seeing 
Brock. He was standing near the center of the cave with Pikachu in front of him, 
still blocking his path.

Brock had tried to get past the little electric rodent, but the red sacks on his 
cheeks sparked, warning him he would be shocked.

"I remember you," Cassidy said, studying Brock. "You were that guy who traveled 
with Ashton when he was younger." 

Butch grinned wickedly. "You're not much of a friend. Ashton was just killed by 
a raging rhyhorn and you did nothing to stop it."

"You son of a bitch!" Brock's voice was low and deadly.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried, upon hearing this. He tried desperately to connect with 
Ash but received no response. 

Brock slid his hand into his jacket and fingered the pokeball with his Golem in 
it. He was about to release it when he saw something behind Butch and Cassidy 
that caused him to freeze. Butch and Cassidy, noting his sudden change in 
countenance, looked behind them. Their faces turned to fear and they began to 
back away.

Ash was hovering two feet off the ground, his arms spread out next to him. His 
body was glowing the way Pikachu did when he powered up, his eyes closed in 
concentration. The golden glow surrounding him crackled, reminding Brock of the 
sound of raw electricity. Without warning, Ash's eyes snapped open and Brock 
dove to the floor, covering his head with his hands. Ash released a powerful 
attack that was similar to Pikachu's thunder. Bolts of lightning arched all over 
the cave, some flying dangerously close to Brock. 

Brock looked up carefully, when he felt the lightning stop. "Ash!" he said, 
running to his friend, who was now on his hands and knees. "Ash are you okay?"

"Yeah. Electric attacks drain a lot out of me. I try to leave them to Pikachu if 
I can." 

*Ash!* Pikachu thought, jumping into his arms. *I was afraid you were... I 
couldn't connect to you.*

"Sorry about that, Pikachu. A rhyhorn slammed me against a tree, knocked me out 
cold." 

"That attack was amazing," Brock said, helping Ash to his feet. "What happened 
to your head?" he asked, noticing Ash's black hair was matted with blood. 

"Hmm?" Ash said feeling his head. "Oh, the run in with the tree I suppose," he 
said absently. They stepped over Butch and Cassidy who were now laying 
unconscious in a tangled heap on the floor. "Let's get moving, it's almost dark 
anyway."

Ash gathered up the few things he owned and put them in his bag. Brock also 
packed up his things, and before long they were once again walking through the 
darkened forest, heading to Pewter City.

Ash looked at Brock, sudden realization flashing in his eyes. "Did those two 
morons see you?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Damnit!" Ash cursed. "We need to get to Pewter as fast as possible."

"Why?" Brock asked, completely confused.

"That business I have to take care of just became more urgent."

Brock frowned at him, knowing he wasn't getting the entire story. They walked on 
in silence.

Pikachu was perched on Ash's shoulder when he thought, *Ash, what does Butch and 
Cassidy seeing Brock have to do with saving Mewtwo?*

*Because, now Team Rocket will go after everyone I ever cared about.* Ash 
explained.

*I still don't understand what that has to do with Mewtwo.*

*Pikachu, I'm not only going to Pewter to save Mewtwo,* Ash thought, looking the 
pokemon in the eye. *I'm going to destroy Team Rocket once and for all.*





A/N: I seriously debated whether or not to leave it as a cliffhanger on that 
paragraph where Butch said Ash was dead. Then I realized that that would have 
been extremely evil. Of course that wasn't what bothered me! If I had stopped 
the chapter there it would have upset the flow of chapter 6. So consider 
yourselves lucky! Please review, and if you flame me, keep the heat down. 
Sunburn is about the extent of my thresh hold of pain. ;(

Disclaimer: Well the owners of Pokemon finally called me back about my offer to 
buy it. They said they had a better offer. Apparently someone gave them ten 
bucks and a whole bag of Kitkats. Too steep for me.