AN: Yeesh! *ahem* Thank you for all the good reviews. ^_^ Um, and also, please don’t mail me telling me to hurry up or anything-- No offense, person who did. It’s not like I was offended or anything, in fact I found it flattering... *smacks rapidly growing ego with mallet* Sorry about that. ^_^

Actually, I’m updating this pretty quickly for me. You should see how I’ve put the poor, defenseless Calvin and Hobbes fans on hold... ^_^;;

Oh yes, ages: Um, I don’t want to completely define the passage of time and ages, but I’ll tell you that everyone is old enough to drive, and Brock could drink if he wanted to. That’s as much as I’m telling you. ^^;

So, on with the fic!! Please R&R, and thanks for holding out through the fantasy!! I only hope you keep holding out through the stuff I have planned!!

Chapter Three: Sandstone

"Mime mime!!" yelled Mr. Mime cheerfully... Right into Mrs. Ketchum's ear.

"YIPE!! Mimey, would you please for the love of Articuno STOP THAT!!!" Mrs. Ketchum said, a bit frazzled. Mr. Mime continued sweeping, unfazed.

Delia sighed and turned on the morning news.

"--search has been instituted throughout Viridian City. In other news, rumors have continued about Team Rocket's ultimate goal. Unabated by the publication of To Protect the World From Devastation, a book allegedly written by a former Rocket member, stories have continued to circulate."

The screen changed to a fat lady sobbing into the microphone. "They killed my baby!! My husband, my daughter, they didn't care at all. Said we were in the way. Well, I don't CARE what they say, those [bleep] are evil and they want to destroy the world!!!"

"Here in the studio today is Dr. Rick Hayes, who has dedicated most of his career to finding the truth about Team Rocket."

Mrs. Ketchum watched while putting her hair into a ponytail.

"Doctor Hayes, I think what people want to know is, is Team Rocket a threat?" asked the reporter.

"Well, a threat to what?" Hayes evaded.

"To their families, political structure, finance--you name it."

"Well... No. Team Rocket started out as a band of elusive Robin Hoods, stealing items from the rich and selling them back at a profit -- which they DID use to help the poor," Hayes said. "They also became Pokemon activists, stealing abused Pokemon, healing them, and putting them up for adoption. In fact, the rumor is that its founder also founded the Abandoned Pokemon House near Lavender City."

"So, Team Rocket is not a threat?" asked the reporter.

"No...At least, they weren't before." Hayes furrowed his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"Well...I've found a shocking amount of stories, both from former Rocket members and alleged victims that have Team Rocket as evil. The ex-Rockets tell me that the management changed when the old Boss passed away. They say that the new Boss wanted profit, Pokemon--maybe even the world. Many people left."

"So, what conclusion do you draw from this?" asked the reporter.

"Team Rocket was not always evil. But I'm finding a startling amount of evidence that it is now. Many of the former Rocket members I've talked with talked from wheelchairs and hospital beds. The lucky ones are able to live a normal life, usually with their former partners. The unlucky ones...don't have any partners to go to anymore."

Delia shuddered and turned off the TV. "Y'know, I shouldn't watch this in the morning. It always gets me worried about Ash..."

The phone rang.

Mr. Mime picked it up and handed it to Delia. "Oh hi, Misty!" she said as she sat down it front of the video.

"Um, Mrs. Ketchum, I'm sure you saw the news and it ISN'T as bad as it sounds!!" Misty said, panicking.

"Well, the Team Rocket part WAS a bit disturbing, but I think we're pretty safe here in Pallet," Delia said cheerfully.

"Um..." said Misty. "Oh no, she didn't see it," she whispered to someone off-screen.

Delia's smile disappeared. "I didn't see WHAT?"

"Um... Nice weather we've been having, isn't it..." Misty hedged.

Mrs. Ketchum's blood ran cold. Something was seriously wrong. "What is it? Is it Ash?"

Misty sighed. "Yes..."

"What happened to him?! Was he shot?! Killed?! Got cancer?! Kidnapped???!!!!" she screamed frantically.

"Um, the last one."

"WHAT??!!" She was startled. You never really thought the calamities you reeled off were going to actually happen. "Which one was that???!!!"

Misty took a deep breath, deciding to get it over with. "Ash was kidnapped. We have Jennies form all over the place looking for him. We'll find him soon!! Please--"

Delia hung up. She stared at the floor.

~Ash...~

She snapped her head up. "Mimey, Teleport us to Viridian City."

"Mime?"

"Sure, the Pokemart if you have to, we just have to get to Viridian City RIGHT NOW!!"

Mimey put down his broom and started to concentrate. Delia bit her lip as a blue glow surrounded them, getting righter and brighter and finally absorbing all...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ash was in shock.

~I'm a...Dratini...~

He was still, floating in the blackness of the Pokeball.

All of a sudden, his survival instinct kicked in.

~Okay, so you're a Dratini, Ketchum. I suggest you get over it. NOW.~

~..I'm a Dratini...I'm... All right, I think I've got it...~

~Now put together the facts. 1): You're a Pokemon. 2): You're in the hands of Team Rocket.~

~Jessie and James? Maybe it isn't such a hard situation as I thought it was...~

~One problem, Ash; You AREN'T in the hands of Jessie and James, you're in the hands of Team Rocket. Remember the stories?~

~Come on, there's no way those could be true!......Could they?~

~You bet they could, Ketchum. So I suggest you regroup right now. You're gonna have to look hard for escape opportunities.~

~...What if there aren't any?~

~I don't know everything! WE don't know everything!!~

~I know...~

He looked around.

~So this is what a Pokeball looks like...~

~No wonder Pikachu hates them.~

It was completely dark. Inky and milky black spiraled around, creating a nightmare world.

Suddenly, he heard a voice.

"Well, well, my new pet, let's see how quickly you learn. Dratini! Go!"

Ash felt himself being sucked out of the Pokeball...and into a training area. Machamp were lifting weights in the corner; Golem battled Dugtrio in a ring at the center of the vast cavern.

"You're in luck, my little pet..." the boss drawled. "I have a Diglett I'm tryng to evolve that will be a perfect first match for you...Otherwise, I'd have had to start you on my Persian..." The Pokemon by his side purred.

<You _are_ lucky,> said a good-natured voice.

Ash looked around for the source and saw a Diglett tunneling towards him.

<That Persian of his is a killer. Literally. He sharpens those darned claws of his every day, just waiting till he has to dish out punishment...>

<Who are you?> Ash found that it came out in variations of the word Dratini, but he could understand it.

<HE calls me Diglett--or pathetic little runt when he's in a bad mood. Which is ninety-nine percent of the time. You, however, can call me Sandstone.>

<I'm Ash, nice to meet you.>

"Diglett, Dig attack!!" said the Boss.

<Sorry about this...> Diglett tunneled into the ground.

Ash looked around, confused. <Wha? Wha?>

Suddenly, he was knocked into the air. <HEY! That hurt!>

<Gee, really? I didn’t think it would.> Sandstone had a bitter note of sarcasm in its voice.

<Hey, stop with the sarcasm! Please, Sandstone!>

“Dratini! Wrap!” ordered Giovanni.

<Huh?> Ash said.

<You, you moron! I’d suggest you hop to it or he’ll change his mind about not using Persian!> Sandstone hissed.

<How do I do Wrap?> Ash was utterly out of his depth.

<WRAP ME!! God, how young ARE you?!>

“I SAID WRAP!!” roared Giovanni.

<Fake it!> Sandstone yelled.

<Um...> Ash tried to move towards Sandstone...and ended up tumbling head-over-heels through the room, hitting a Machoke as he went, causing it to drop the dumbbell it was holding on its head.

<Gack. That went well.>

<Ash, how in heaven’s name have you not learned to do Wrap yet?!> Sandstone yelled.

<It’s not like I’ve had time to practice!> Ash yelled, attempting to get up.

“Oh lord.” Giovanni put his head in his hand.

Meanwhile, Ash was putting up quite a show, trying to figure out how to get from place to place. <Gack!> he yelled as he fell into the pool.

He twisted, trying to swim, moving his snakelike body in curves.

<Whoa, cool! I can swim! At least I can swim now!>

<A DRATINI who can’t SWIM?! Okay, there is definitely something weird going on here,> Sandstone said.

<Well, I’ve never been it the water before. At least, not in this body,> Ash explained.

<‘In this body’?!> Sandstone said. <What in the... Oh no. Not another project!>

<Another project?> Ash asked.

<Yeah, we get these from time to time. Of course, most of them are freaks, but-->

<They’ve done this to OTHER people?!> Ash yelled. <Those JERKS! When I get back--If I get back--I am so gonna fire Giovanni!>

<Fire Giovanni?! You can DO that?!>

<Well, I can fire him as a Gym Leader...>

<Wait...That’d mean you were...> Sandstone stopped. <No way!>

<Well...>

<They wouldn’t kidnap the Pokemon Master! It’s way too high-profile!!>

<Well...They did.>

<Oh my-->

“Dratini! Use your Wrap attack!” Giovanni yelled.

<Um...> Ash levered himself out of the pool. He shakily balanced on his tail and attempted to hop--and, of course, quickly fell down.

<Pretend you’re swimming,> Sandstone suggested.

<Um...Okay...> He wriggled, snakelike, trying to go forward. Awkwardly, face to the ground, he did.

“Good, you imbecilic Pokemon, now Wrap!” Giovanni yelled.

<Oy vey...> Ash said.

<I’ll stand still for you,> Sandstone said helpfully.

<Thanks a lot,> Ash said, the sarcasm clear.

<You’re welcome.>

Ash wrapped his body--as much of it as possible--around Sandstone.

<Tighter, y’moron!>

<Okay, okay!> Ash said. He tightened.

Suddenly, something seemed to click in his brain, like a pathway or file being stored and opened.

~Is this what it’s like to learn a move?~ he wondered.

His musing was cut short as Giovanni yelled, “Diglett, burrow under him!”

Sandstone easily slid out of Ash’s wrap and disappeared under the ground.

“I grow tired of this. Diglett, finish this!” Giovanni yelled.

<Sorry...>

The ground exploded under Ash. He was partially caught in the explosion, but more seriously, the force threw him forcefully against the ceiling. He had already fainted when he hit the ground.

~

Ash slowly slurred into consciousness. ~Not again... Do I get frequent flyer miles for this?~

“Level WHAT?” Giovanni said.

“It may not seem like it, sir, but he is. Our data indicates that the order and level at which he learns his attacks is completely unpredictable. The next time you battle him, he may learn three moves. He may learn Tackle ten levels after he learns Dragon Rage.”

“Well, then, I’ll just have to train him.” Ash saw that they were still in the training room. “Let’s try this again...”

As Ash reluctantly slid in front of Giovanni, he could’ve sworn he saw tears in Sandstone’s eyes.

“Diglett, Dig attack!”...

~