Chapter 7
	
	Misty scrambled to her feet -- dashing to the farthest side of the room from the 
potentially dangerous guy. 
	Out of no where the lights inside the room flickered off as the thunderstorm took 
its toll on the towns electricity. It was extremely dark inside the room, and Misty could 
barely see where she was going. Yet, she was grateful that this creepy old man could not 
see her either.
	"Don't be afraid, Misty," the man snarled.
	Misty ducked down behind a chair of some sort and snatched a Pokeball from her 
backpack. It was too dark for her to tell which one it was . . . but she didn't care. She felt 
instantly safer just holding it.
	She struggled to remain somewhat calm. She didn't want him to hear her uneven 
breathing; he might discover her hiding place that way.
	 *Why didn't I listen to Ash?* she scolded herself. 
	"Misty, come out, come out where ever you are!"
	She squeezed the Pokeball tighter in her hand. *Please don't be Psyduck. . .*
	"Misty!" the man screeched her name hysterically. "Come out now or Tracey will 
die."
	Misty gagged. *Tracey? What? What has he done to Tracey?*
	Misty slowly stood up, the moonlight out side was just enough for the man to 
make out her position. She could see his frightful shadow quiver on the wall. The very 
shadow seemed to be smiling.
	"Where's Tracey?" she charged.
	"Bring him out!" the old man hollered towards a door on the opposite side of the 
room.
	The door burst open and two men dressed in shrouds of black entered. Each man 
was carrying a flash light in one hand . . . and one of Tracey's arms in the other. They 
dragged his body into plain sight.
	Misty gasped. Tracey was hanging helplessly in these men’s arms as though he 
were dead.
	"W-what have you done to him?!" she took a startled step forwards.
	"Put him down," the old man ordered the two others.
	The men clothed in black roughly dropped Tracey on the ground. Instinctively 
Misty crawled over to him. The two men in black shone their flashlights on Tracey's 
body -- spotlighting him so that Misty could see how grave this situation truly was.
	She lifted his unconscious head carefully onto her lap. Tracey's left eye was 
swollen and purple. Fresh blood clung to his lower lip and chin. 
	Terrified, she glared up at the three intimidating men. "What have you done to 
him? I-I though this was a school?!"
	The elderly mans proud smile transformed into a sly grimace. 
	Misty shook Tracey gently. "Tracey, wake up!"
	Tracey mumbled and his eyes opened into slits. Though his vision was no doubt 
blurred, his eyes fixed instantly on Misty and a desperate groan escaped him.
	"M-Misty? No," Tracey choked out. He was struggling frantically to stay 
conscious.
	"What's going on, Tracey?" she was begging him for an answer.
	"Misty. . . I-I'm sorry . . . they m-made me get you here. . . they were going to kill 
my Pokemon. They had to get y-you out of Pallet. T-They knew I could get you here. 
They made me lure you here . . .they promised not to hurt you. But Ash doesn't know 
where we are . . . they won't get him, Misty . . . t-they won’t risk going to Pallet a third 
time. . ."
	*But I told Ash where I was going. . .*
	 Misty shook her head in dreadful understanding. "What have they DONE to 
you?"
	The aged man took another menacing step towards her.
	Misty glowered up at him in disgust. She heard Tracey's ghostly words over and 
over in her head like a haunted broken record.
	"Oh my . . .  you are behind . . . the kidnappings?"
	The man shrugged. "Me? Oh no. I'm just a little guy doing the Masters bidding. 
My job was to get a hold of the four trainers of Cerulean. And to find the location of the 
Pewter City Gym leader. I'm sorry to say that is all I’ve been up to around here."
	Misty blinked back tears. "W-Why?"
	"That is for me to know, and for you to find out,” he chuckled, amusing only 
himself with his eerie expression.
	"Where are my sisters? Where is Brock? Are they ok?"
	"How am I supposed to know?! I’ve been working here for weeks," the man 
actually screamed these words. "I just baited Tracey here with a lot of whistles and bells. 
He fell for it, I snagged him, and though it took a bit of. . ." the man peered down at 
Tracey with loathing. "-of convincing, I managed to get him to not only tell us where 
Brock was, but how to get you to come right to us!"
	Misty shuddered. Her eyes took in how severely injured Tracey was. He must 
have endured many harsh beatings, refusing to give up any information about her.
	 Misty stroked Tracey's forehead, grief and guilt consuming her. As she caressed 
his brow, his yellow bandana-like bandage accidentally slipped off. Beneath it was an 
enormous skull gash. The wound was undeniably infected. Misty could tell by the intense 
crimson shade of the flesh of the wound.
	"Let him go now!" Misty commanded. "He needs a doctor.”
	*How am I going to escape? Can I save Tracey? How serious is his head injury?*
	Misty eyed the red bandanna around the insane old mans head. She recognized it 
at once as Tracey's own bandanna. *This man is sick -- he's wearing Tracey's bandanna 
like a victory crown!*
	The man gestured to the solo Pokeball in her little hand. "Are you planning to 
escape with THAT, Misty?" he snickered wickedly.
	Misty narrowed her eyes at him. His laughter continued -- it taunted her until she 
could no longer stand it.
	She propelled her hand forward, chucking the Pokeball into the dismal air.
	"Pokeball, go!" Sse screamed.
	To her relief, out popped Staryu.
	"Hi-ya!" Staryu cried bravely.
	Misty retained a fighting pose and pointed her finger at the old sneering man.
	"Staryu, hydro pump!" Misty was not about to take any chances.
	Stayu flew up into the air with uncanny speed and struck the old man down with 
its most powerful water attack.
	The mans body was slammed forcefully against the back wall. When his fatigued 
body collapsed to the ground he proceeded to gag on the large amounts of water which 
were forced into his lungs.
	Misty spun around to face the two men dressed in black shrouds. Both of the men 
appeared somewhat startled that Misty had ordered her Pokemon to conduct such a 
devastating blow to their boss.
	"Staryu, tackle them down!"
	Her starfish Pokemon projected its body into the air and began to spin as though it 
was a piece off an out-of-control merry-go-round. Then, Staryu abruptly launched its 
spiky wet body in the direction of the two men; knocking them both instantly senseless.
	The old guy had now recovered and managed to climb to his feet. He was 
laughing zealously, proving his lack of sanity.
	Misty turned and scowled at him. "Why are you laughing? You've lost!"
	He ignored her and continued to laugh until (though it was dark) Misty could 
make out tears slipping easily from his wrinkle coated eyes.
	Misty staggered back cautiously, careful not to trip over Tracey. Staryu was 
positioned protectively by her side.
	Once his composure was regained the man lanced her with a terrifying look. 
	"Misty, you will make the Master very happy."
	Before she had even a second to react, a savage snarl ricocheted throughout the 
entire room. The mere sound of this unnaturally familiar noise flooded her eyes with hot, 
desperate tears. Next to her Staryu squealed with fright. 
	Misty’s body froze. Since her sisters had vanished all she had longed for was a 
moment with this beast. Just ONE lousy moment to identify it. ONE lousy moment to 
spit on It. To just Punch It. . .kick It. . . anything!
	 Only now that It was mere inches behind her . . . she didn’t want to turn around. . 
. .  she didn’t want to see Its face. 
	The massive creature behind her hissed sinisterly. Every sound which erupted 
from its mouth was a painful reminder of her sisters. . .
. . . of Brock. . .
. . .of Richie. . .
. . .of Gary.
	Burning breath began panting against her bare shoulders. The air from Its mouth 
was so scorching she thought her flesh was on fire; yet her arms were numb and 
shivering. More tears surged in Misty's eyes; she bowed her head carefully to check on 
Staryu. 
	 Staryu was already lying motionless on the black floor.