Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon. They belong to gamefreak, wb, etc.

Part Six: Release

Tossing the faded green tennis ball I watched Jazz enjoy himself. He'd
scooped it up and brought it back proudly. Then I would toss it again. A boring
and repetitive game, but it helped to pass the time.

"On your feet prisoner." a cruel voice snarled outside my barred door.
Learning for my previous mistake I slowly pulled myself up. Jazz dropped his
ball and launched himself into my crossed arms. Startled I barely caught him.

A large man with the trademark R on his chest entered. He was nearly bald
and wore a bushy mustache. Heeling him was a equally large Arcanine. It eyed Jazz
with intent, dark eyes. I felt the little eevee shrank back against my chest.

"Sir?" I asked in a properly meek voice. I sensed that this man wouldn't
react well to my usual cheek.

"The Boss would like to see you. Follow me." the burly rocket commanded
then added to his Arcanine, "Ripper, if they attempt to escape give 'em you namesake."

Jazz shivered and I couldn't blame him. I followed the big man up a well
lit corridor into a spacious hall. The plush carpet felt good under my bare feet
and the warm air was pleasant.

The man then led me to a smaller room. He pointed to a chair then left.
His Arcanine sat in the doorway filling it up. The wolf like gaze never left my
face. A moment later the man returned with a small woman. Her ninetales eyed
me carefully with ruby eyes. Ripper and his master left leaving me with the
woman. She smiled although the action didn't reflect in her dark green eyes.

"So you've been here for how long now?" she asked sitting in the chair next
to me.

"Awhile." I answered careful scooting my chair a few inches away.

"Awhile." she repeated before continuing gracefully, "What was your crime?"

"You know already." I told her.

"Your right." she sighed before trying another tactic, "Has your stay been
pleasant?"

"Wonderful. Loved the air-conditioning in the 105 degree weather. The cold water
was a nice touch."

She gritted her teeth briefly before going on, "What pokemon did you have?"

"Before they were ripped away from me to do a life of crime under cruel
trainers? I had a pikachu, pidgeot, lapras, ninetales, and a ivysaur. Would you like
to know their names too? Country, Blues, Rhythm..."

"Thier names are not important. Assuming from what you just told me you
were a pokemon trainer. Bound for the big league, huh?" she asked smirking. It
didn't matter. I had figure a crucial piece of information out. The woman's ninetales
was Rhythm. As I was listing I noticed her reaction to the name.

"Say, where'd you get your ninetales?" I asked and she frowned.

"Retrained from the rocket pool of stolen pokemon." she said before
realizing that she was suppose to be asking the questions.

"What would you do to get out? That's the real question." the woman asked
me intently leaning forward.

Suspiously I whispered in what I hope sounded like desperation, "What's the price?"

She smiled and rocked back into her chair, "Not a large one. Infact it's rather simple."

I didn't like it. Nothing is that simple. Freedom would not come cheap. "How simple?"
I noticed that Jazz had exited my lap and was making a cautious approach to the
ninetales. He was wary of any pokemon since the imprisonment.

The woman didn't notice. She gave another fake smile, "Join the ranks of
Team Rocket and your free."

"Never."

Obvously the woman was expecting my response because she had an
immediate answer, "Think it over." she urged.

Closing my eyes I felt like crying. Were morals really so important to me?
To waste my life away never again having freedom. What about Jazz? He hadn't
seen grass for a long time. Was I wasting his short life as well?

"Is that it?" I asked the green eyed woman. She looked questioningly at me.
I decided to make myself clear, "Do I get my pokemon back? What about lodging and food? What if a friend recognizes me?"

"Get your pokemon back?" she scoffed, "Like they would even recognize you. Our retraining is very through."

A small smile crossed my face and I asked, "Would you like to test that
boast?"

She cocked her head and asked in a puzzled voice, "How?"

"Tell you ninetales to attack me." I said confidently. Her face was filled with
what almost looked like horror.

"Ninetales, quick attack that eevee." the rocket ordered catching me off
guard. I leaped forward trying to snatch Jazz, but had too much ground to cover. In
horror I watched the cream fox pokemon dash forward towards poor Jazz.

"Rhythm stop." I ordered not knowing what else to do. To everyone's surprise
Rhythm nimbling leaped over Jazz in a move I had seen countless times. She turned
gracefully and snarled menacingly at the rocket.

For her part the rocket acted well. She didn't panic. "Ninetales return."

Rhythm dodged the thin red beam and continued snarling. Her fur was raised
in spikes along her back and all nine tails were raised.

"Do I get my pokemon back?"

"Laura, is she ready yet?" a dark, deep voice asked from behind a closed door
that I hadn't noticed before.

"Sir..." Laura began before she was cutoff, "Send her in anyway."

"You heard the boss." she said halfheartedly giving me a poke.

The man behind the desk was just as intimidating now as he was before. Dark features watched me coldly and a sneer covered his broad face.

"Leave us." Giovanni said waving the rocket off. She backed out hesitantly.

"Why is your ninetales not following you?" he snapped noticing Rhythm who had taken a defensive position in front of me. She too remembered him.

Taking pity on the rocket I said, "Rhythm is mine."

Rather than calming him down the news upset him, "YOURS! You are mine. The ninetales is mine! Even the tiny eevee is mine!" he bellowed.

Laura had made a wise escape leaving me alone with him. After a moment he calmed down and said, ÒHow many other pokemon do you have in service?"

"I guess four." I said helpfully, "A raichu, lapras, pidgeot, and a ivysaur."

He seemed to be tally things up in his head. Frustrated he shook it violently.
"You leave me in a perilous position. If any of your pokemon meet you in the field..." He didn't have to finish the sentence. I understood. If they saw me it could be disastrous.

"How about letting me go?" I suggested as a joke.

"It's possible."

"What about me knowing..." I asked in confusion.

He sighed tiredly before answering, "Everyone knows now. I've lost my gym and all my wealth save what I escaped with."

"So..."

"Don't pressure me." he snapped and then came to a decision. Anxiously I waited for it.
"You will be escorted out with your ninetales and your eevee. From there you are free."

I wanted to ask what about my other pokemon but common sense held me back. Instead I smiled and nodded to Giovanni in what I hoped was a acceptable manner.

He picked up the phone and held a quiet conversation. I waited nervously expecting a trap.

The rocket with the Arcanine enter and saluted. He then pulled out a blindfold. ÒReturn your pokemon to their balls. He handed me two pokeballs and I complied. He then tied the blindfold over my eyes and led me out of the room. We walked for a indeterminable period of time before the blindfold was removed.

As I started walk off the man called out, "Wait!"

Slowly I turned around to face him. He gave a semi-smile and revealed a hand full of pokeballs. ÒHere, they are yours."

Stunned, I took them and asked, ÒHow? Does Giovanni know?"

The man shook his head, "Your old guards gave them up. I could do no less. Your lapras missed you and I know she will be happy once again." he said then added, "Your Ivysaur has had no trainer. He has some catching up to do." Have finished the man disappeared into the gloom leaving me alone...and free.

Author's note: Finished. Finaly. So it a happy ending. There's nothing wrong with that.