~AN: To one review: The ending was like Pearl Harbor? Really? I dunno why it reminded you of that, I never even saw the movie.

And to another: Thanks, Dragoness, I needed something else to put in this chapter!! ^^ And...no, that's not it...'Twas spur-of-the-moment... --;;;Eh-heh... Waaah, you're gonna kill me... --;; ~

~*~

Pikachu looked out of the window. The sky was infinitely blue, with gorgeous white clouds drifting innocently across it, unaware of how they were breaking the heart of the Pikachu in the Pokemon Center below them.

All of a sudden, he felt the breeze through the open window. Though it was warm, there was a hint of cold, of autumn in the air. The leaves hadn't fallen yet, but one could always tell by that wind that the season of change was coming near. How appropriate.

"Toki." <Pikachu.>

Pikachu turned around. "Pika, pikachu." <Hi, Togetic.>

<Pikachu, I need to tell you something...>

<What is it?>

<Well, I was talking with Misty-mommy a few years ago, back when I was still a Togepi...>

<Yes?>

<Well, she was talking about Ash-hu--Ash, as usual. And then she said, "Togepi, I know you don't understand this, and I hope you never will, but I have to give up on Ash.">

Pikachu just stared. <She said that?>

<Yes. Then she said, "He's just so far up there, you know? He's too--angelic for me--Oh, Togepi, I don't know how to say this. It's just better for both of us if I just let him go. It'll never work. We don't have a chance, and I know that...">

<Oh, jeeze...> ~So THAT'S why!~

Pikachu had been wondering why on earth Misty had started to go out with Darien when Brock and himself had been sure she and Ash had been destined for each other. Pikachu was afraid he had been wrong, but maybe... Maybe there was still hope.

<Ash, I'm not going to let you down yet. I'll straighten this out, or die trying,> Pikachu said aloud.

<What?>

<Nothing, Togetic.> Pikachu smiled. Now if he could only--

He stopped as he looked out of the window. There was no way it could mean anything--after the way the weather had been matching his mood, probably exactly the opposite of what it seemed--but...

A line of black storm clouds was just visible on the horizon.

~

Little did Pikachu know, Misty was watching him as he stared out of the window. Just in case someone was watching, she turned her eyes to the novel she had in her hands, randomly picked from the library.

'Why? Lisa yelled at herself. Why does she have to manipulate him, and why does he always fall right into it, and why am I chasing him now when he's chasing her?'

She remembered the second time they'd met Melody, shortly after Ash won in the Johto league. It had been all nervous smiles from Ash, all annoyingly familiar "Eek, there's a Pokemon, save me Ash!"s from her. Misty had looked on, both angry and depressed--'That stupid girl, look what she's doing, oh, it's all my fault, why can't I tell him?'

That was when she had told Togepi that--

She flipped to another page.

'It is you I miss.

It's you who's on my mind,

It's you I cannot leave

behind.'

The trouble with serendipity.

Stupid kid, he was so darn sweet, and then in a second he'd turn annoying. And then make up for it all with an unmatchable display of courage.

'The end of the world, Lisa cried to herself.'

And wasn't it?

Darien... Misty sighed. Darien was nice, Darien loved her, she liked Darien...

And still she couldn't get Ash out of her mind...

' "It's a pipe dream, and I know it." '

It was hopeless. What chance did she have, an orange-haired tomboy against practically all the women in the world?

'She allowed herself a rueful half smile. I guess when the aces were dealt out, it just wasn't in the cards for me to get the one I want.'

She sighed and looked at Pikachu. With some apprehension, she saw that he was talking to Togetic. What if...

'Before you can love someone, you have to like them.'

Just give it up, Misty, she chided herself, it's just causing you pain. You'll get married, and you'll finally forget him.

Is that good?

'He shouldn't have the power over you, Claudia wanted to tell her. You shouldn't permit him that power! But her heart understood all too clearly.'

It didn't matter anymore...

'It's me who's lost--

The me who lost her heart--

To you who tore my heart

apart.'

'But loss was the world's new theme; loss and betrayal, anger and regret. And what could she hope to achieve against such malignant power? She had tried and failed, and the day would come soon when song itself was but a memory.'

She looked at that paragraph for several minutes.

And then she turned to the beginning of the book, sure that there was something worth reading in this novel after all.

'There was something new in the cool summer night skies of 2012...'

~*~

Jessie and James stepped off of the train.

They had run in silence through Viridian Forest all the way to Pallet Town, stopping at a stream to put on some disguises. No one suspected the pretty girl with the front part of her hair cut so it hung around her face, with two bunned ponytails at the back, much less that blue-haired dude with her, of doing anything, especially not being in Team Rocket.

Even the Pallet Station operator knew that they had come on with perfectly legitimate passes. Nothing was suspicious at all...

Even so, the Nurse Joy looked at them slightly suspiciously. No one that old had ever just waltzed in to her Pokemon Center. But... She shrugged. Maybe, if she tried, she might just have a home for her Pokemon...

"Hello," Joy said brightly. "Welcome to the Pokemon Center!"

"Sey?" A Blissey poked its tearstained face out from the broom closet. Joy had told it that SOMEONE had to take the new Chansey graduate from the nursing school, and she was sure Blissey would find a good home.

Just then, she saw a familiar face.

"SEY!!" Blissey ran into Jessie's arms.

"Blissey?!" Jessie cried. She hadn't known that they'd come to THIS Pokemon Center again!

"Oh, do you know Blissey?" Joy asked.

"Yes," Jessie said. "She and I were--"

"Will you take her?! Yes?! Good! Now, I'll just register you two as trainers, here's a Pokedex, food, and a guide to the Pokemon Leagues. Have fun, there's a booth over there, why don't you have some lasagna?!" Joy was relieved. Blissey--well, Blissey just wasn't cut out to be a nurse.

"Er, okay..." Jessie, James, and Blissey blinked as they were pushed towards a corner booth by Nurse Joy.

After they finished sorting everything, Jessie raised an eyebrow. "I think it's time to ask our Pokemon what the heck happened in there."

James nodded in agreement. They let Arbok, Wheezing, and Meowth out of the Pokeballs.

"Me-owth, don't you eva put me in onea those things again!" Meowth said, slightly dizzy.

"Meowth. What. Is. Going. ON?!!!" Jessie screamed.

"Well, ya see..." Meowth laughed nervously. "Arbok, Wheezing, could you fill me in a bit?"

Meowth had a long whispered talk with the other Pokemon while Jessie and James waited impatiently.

"Okay." Meowth took a deep breath. "Thetwerpsadragonairanhesavedourbutts."

"WHAT?"

"Okay, okay! You know the twerp who disappeared?"

Jessie and James nodded.

"You know those rumors about d'Boss's experiments?"

They shuddered and nodded.

"Well...That Dragonair saved our butts, y've managed ta figure that out?"

"Yeah."

"Well...That Dragonair...Was that twerp with the Pikachu we chased around for years."

"WHAT?!"

Meowth, Arbok, and Wheezing all told their stories. Unlike Brock, Jessie and James knew to believe it. They'd heard way too many rumors not to.

<You know what's worse?> Arbok hissed.

"What?" asked Jessie.

<He asked me to call his friends...>

There was a moment of silence.

"Well," James cried, "We can call all of the Pokemon Centers!! One of the nurses must know something about them!"

"Yeah!" Jessie said. "We owe that much to the twerp!"

They ran to the pay phone, looking up numbers in the light of the setting sun.

~*~

<Oog...> Ash materialized on the ground, faint memories of a song with a nice melody and a zealous background playing through his head.

<ASH!!!!>

<Oh boy.>

Sandstone tunneled up to him. <WHAT IN THE UNHOLY CRIMSON HECK WERE YOU THINKING?!>

<Was I supposed to let them die?!>

<Y--no--but--Dangit Ash!! You're going to be the death of me!!>

<Yeah. I plan to be.> Ash shakily lifted his head from the floor. <If Giovanni doesn't get you first for that everstone stunt...>

Sandstone laughed nervously, then sobered. <Hey, Ash, what the heck were you talking about back there? That chess stuff?>

Ash laughed. <Brock tried to teach me chess once...He said it would help if we ever went to war against Team Rocket...Yeah, sure. I was just sitting innocently in my office, when he came in...>

~

"Ash Ketchum, I swear, it is your duty to learn some military strategy!" Brock yelled.

"But CHESS, Brock?" Ash moaned.

"Yes, chess! It'll teach you strategy! Now, mister Pokemon Master, you get over here!"

Ash sighed and walked over to Brock's chessboard.

Brock smiled. "Okay. I'll be black, you be white."

Ash shrugged. "Kay."

"Now--" Brock lifted up a thing that looked like a tower of a castle. "This is a rook, Ash. Repeat after me: A 'Rook'."

"A rook, Brock, it's a rook, yeah, sure."

Brock lifted one of the many small pieces in the front row. "This is a pawn. A PAWN, Ash. Remember this. Now say it..."

"A pawn, Brock, I get it, it's a pawn."

Brock took one of the pieces that looked like a Ponyta. "This is a KNIGHT. A knight, Ash, a knight. Say it..."

"A KNIGHT. IT IS A KNIGHT."

"Good." Brock picked up a piece with a notch in the top. "This is a 'bishop', Ash. It's a bishop. Now--"

"IT'S A BISHOP!!! OKAY!!!"

"Now this is a queen, Ash." Brock smiled, pretending not to notice Ash's irritation.

"Yeah. Kakkoii." Ash muttered.

Brock lifted his head. "What did you say?"

"Yeah, cool," Ash said, puzzled.

"I could've sworn you said something different...Oh well. This piece with the cross on top is the king. Got it?"

"Yes, Brock..."

"All right. Now, the pawn can only move one square forward, except when it hasn't moved yet, when it can move two, or when it takes a piece, where it moves diagonally. If it gets to the other side, it can become a queen, knight, bishop, or rook. Now, when the knight--"

"What?!" Ash yelled.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped up. He began a long speech.

"Oh, I see!" Ash said when Pikachu finished. "So if my pieces were here..." He moved some pieces.

"Pika. Pikachu!"

"And the bishops move like this?" He moved one on a diagonal line.

"Pika!"

"Sugoii! I think I've got it!"

"What?" Brock asked.

Ash looked at him strangely. "Sweet! I think I've got it!"

Brock shook his head. "I could've sworn you didn't say 'sweet'..."

"Okay, I get chess, Brock, do I have to play it?"

"Er...No.."

"Ok then! Bye!!" Ash and Pikachu ran out of the room.

"ARRGH!" Brock yelled.

~

Sandstone laughed. <Cool!>

Ash sighed. Thinking about those days tended to be a bit depressing. <So, the boss beat me up pretty good. You think he's done yet?>

Sandstone sighed. <Probably not. He yanked you out of Serena's place way too soon. I haven't seen him this mad since that Master revoked his budget!>

Ash moaned. <Gee, I have a singular talent for ticking him off, don't I?>

<Oh yeah, I forgot, that was you.>

<Yeah, it's easy to forget...>

<Ash...>

"DRAGONAIR!!" Giovanni roared. "Match with Machoke One!! NOW!!"

<Aw crud, Ash, this is not going to be pretty...>

Pulling up his strength, Ash formed a ball of some kind of energy, too tired to care what it was. As quickly as he could, he added an Ice Beam, praying he wouldn't have to withstand any attacks.

<...Ash...I think it worked...> Sandstone said, amazed. <No way...Someone finally beat Machoke...>

Sure enough, Machoke was frozen. Ash sighed in relief.

Suddenly, the world was engulfed in white as pure energy emerged from his soul.

He noticed too late Giovanni scrambling for a remote control. He noticed too late the insane amount of power he was building up.

And a Mew with the wings of a Dragonite tottered on the floor.

<Ash!> He vaguely heard Sandstone yell in awe.

And then the combined energies of a thousand psychic Pokemon invaded his head. Completely confused and weakened, he had no idea what to do as the energy built up.

And all of a sudden, Ash Ketchum was a prisoner in his own mind.

~*~

The phone at the Viridian City Pokemon Center rang. Brock answered.

Ten seconds later he was throwing on a jacket.

"Brock?!" Misty asked.

"I got a lead on Ash!" Brock said.

Pikachu leapt from the windowsill and Togetic teleported to Misty's side.

Within a minute of Jessie and James' call, Brock, Joy, Misty, Pikachu, and Togetic were running through the night to the Viridian City Gym.

~*~

<Ash!> Sandstone yelled. <Why won't you answer me?!>

~Sandstone!~ Ash tried to yell. It was no use. He still had no control over himself.

"Mew. Use Recover."

The thousand psychic Pokemon knew how to perform the technique. And, in Ash's body, they did.

<What did you do to him, you--> Sandstone uttered many words peculiar to his language. Of course, he got no answer.

The door flew open. A cold wind blew down the corridor.

"Giovanni!"

"Pika!"

~Brock! Misty! Pikachu!~ Ash tried to yell. ~Let me go, you morons!~

"What did you do to Ash?!" Misty yelled. For a second, one could've sworn she was fighting down something. She quickly turned that energy to the task of finding Ash and getting him out of this place.

"PIKA!!!" Pikachu yelled.

"So." Giovanni's manner was aloof, not quite cold. "You know that the child is here."

~Child?!~ Ash continued to struggle.

"Child?" Brock asked in confusion, then quickly resumed his aggressive stance. "That's right!! Now will you tell us where he is, or do we have to beat you up?"

Giovanni rolled his eyes. "Oh, heaven...Was I ever that melodramatic?"

<You still ARE, you moron,> Sandstone yelled.

"It shall be a fight, then." Giovanni smiled, seeing the perfect way to get sadistic revenge. "Mew!"

~Is that me? Darn, it IS, isn't it? MAN I hate him!!~ Ash sighed in frustration.

<You melodramatic superficial odiferous jerk moron sadist devil evil-person pond-scum annoying evil satanistic rodent illegitimate child!!!!> Sandstone screamed, knowing there wasn't anything he could do except curse Giovanni.

"A _MEW_?!!!!?" Brock said. "HOLY MILTANK!!!"

"...Isn't that supposed to be...very rare?" Misty asked, trying to remember the rumors Darien had told her.

"Yeah!" Brock said.

"This Mew is special," Giovanni half-gloated. "My Mew is a hybrid, with both Dratini and Mew DNA."

"PIKA?! PIKAPI!!!" Pikachu screamed, still remembering that Dratini that had refused to fight him.

~Pikachu!! Dangit!!~ Ash cursed. ~Why can't I say anything?!~

"You can do that?" Misty asked.

All of a sudden, Brock was remembering Pikachu's story of the fight at Viridian Gym as well. It couldn't be true...Could it? Those two people on the phone HAD been awfully reluctant to tell him how Ash was doing, only that he was still alive. But...

"My Mew, shall we say, has a ... rebellious spirit. I've had to enlist quite a lot of Pokemon to restrain him." Giovanni smiled. Why not show a few cards? He still had an ace up his sleeve.

<Stupid stereotypical villain!!> Sandstone yelled. <You aren't supposed to tell them your plan!! Oh, you don't HAVE a real plan...Wonderful...BUT STILL!!>

~Psychic Pokemon?~ Ash thought. ~Oh, WONDERFUL!~

Pikachu's eyes widened further. "Pika! Pika pikachu Pikapi!! Pikachu!" <Oh! I'll get you out, Ash! I swear!!>

~Pikachu!~

"All right, enough of the small talk. Mew! Dragon Rage!" Giovanni smirked.

~What? No! Don't do that! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!~

The psychic Pokemon let loose a huge Dragon Rage.

"Eeee!" Misty yelled. "That thing knows Dragon Rage!"

Ash's friends struggled up.

"We can't go one-on-one against that Pokemon," Brock said. "Onix! Vulpix! Go!"

"Staryu, Togetic, Starmie, Seaking, Poliwrath, Golduck, go!" Misty yelled, letting loose all of her Pokemon.

Joy looked doubtful that her one Pokemon would help, but yelled, "Chansey, go!"

~Ooohh, boy,~ Ash thought, looking at the Pokemon ranged before him.

He felt himself preparing a Thunderwave. ~What? NO!! You are NOT attacking them!!~

He fought with all his might.

Staryu threw itself at him, and the psychic Pokemon brought up a bubble just in time.

~Those are my FRIENDS!!~ Ash yelled inside his mind, struggling hard, a point of saffron in a cloud of darkness.

He watched in horror as HE launched a Thunderwave straight at Misty...

~*~