Chapter Four: Gym Battle 
 
I'll never give up! Never give in 
Won't stop believing cause I'm gonna win 
-Masterplan 
 
The screen bleeped into a fuzzy existence. Patiently, Ash waited as the line 
made it way down the screen in quiet rendering. Pikachu was asleep so now was 
the perfect time to make a call without be disturbed. It wasn't long until 
the Professor's face came into view, wrinkles quietly creasing the edges of 
his mouth as he smiled.  
 
"Ash!" said the surprised old man. "Oh, Ash. It's been quite awhile. Where 
are you?" 
 
"Algersa." 
 
Ash shifted the hat on his head. He hoped that Oak couldn't see the bandages 
he was hiding. His jaw had healed nicely. That left only the bump on his head 
and his swollen wrist to hide from view. He was sure that word would travel 
fast if Oak saw he was injured. He didn't want to give his mother another leg 
to stand on.  
 
"Algersa. Wow. That's a fair distance from here."   
 
"Yeah. I know." He was supposed to be heading back to Pallet town now, wasn't 
he? Trapped in a hospital bed for the past few days had cost him valuable 
travel time. It was a fact Oak would be better off not knowing. "I guess I 
forgot." 
 
Professor Oak sighed. Ash resorted to fussing with his hat again. The 
bandages were really starting to itch against his forehead.  
 
"Deliah will be disappointed." 
 
"Yeah." Ash said nothing else. He must have looked as uncomfortable as he 
felt because the professor suddenly sounded concerned. 
 
 "Ash, are you okay?" His brow had furrowed and his smile that had been 
pleasantly and politely visible faded into a mess of wrinkles.  
 
Ash paled and nervously readjusted his hat. "Of course I'm okay." 
 
"What happened to your wrist?" 
 
Ash dropped his hands. "Nothing."  
 
Oak made a peculiar sort of face but didn't press it. He wasn't a 
confrontational sort of man, unlike his grandson.  
 
"So what were you calling about, Ash? I can't believe you'd just be calling 
to let us know you'll be late."  
 
"You're right. There's something more. I'm looking for someone." 
 
"Hold on... Okay. Alright- And who would that be?" Ash heard the clicking of 
a keyboard as Oak was obviously opening a database.  
 
"A trainer. A pokemon trainer that was in Algersa about twenty to thirty some 
years ago." 
 
"A trainer from Algersa? Even in that time period there's a lot of pokemon 
trainers to go through. Does this trainer have a name?" 
 
"Yes, his name is John Ketchum."  
 
Oak stopped typing. There came a long and very awkward silence. Then Oak 
released a breath he didn't know he had been holding. 
 
"Pardon?" he croaked.  
 
 
The room was a hexagon. There were no lights in the low hanging ceiling. The 
only light came from the seven ten inch monitors flashing various locations 
of the property in artless progression.  
 
Before the light show of varying degrees, stood a lone leather armchair with 
wide backing and tall headrest. An ottoman of considerably high quality. In 
it sat a man with stooped shoulders and twitchy anxious fingers. These 
fingers went over the control panel to cause the spontaneity. His face was 
set in with lonesome age and scarred by years of refusing to let go of futile 
dreams.  
 
His eighth monitor was out. He could see his reflection in its inky black 
depths. He refused to look at himself. The eyes that stared back scared him. 
They were the eyes of a dead monster.  
 
"Master Giovanni."  
 
"Yes." said the man without even bothering to see who it was. The Persian on 
his lap yawned piteously. Giovanni set a heavy hand on its head reminding it 
to keep still.  
 
"The challenger to the gym has arrived, sir. Should I see him in, sir?" 
 
"Yes, yes. Do as you wish."  
 
Giovanni flashed two more monitors again. The way he so thoroughly searched 
the grounds, it was if he had lost something. Or was expecting someone. 
 
"Sir. The challenger..." 
 
"What about them?"  
 
"Well sir. It's the boy with the pikachu. The one you sent Agent Jessie and 
James to retrieve?"  
 
Giovanni stopped fiddling with the cameras. His hand stretched down the 
Persian's back, causing it to unconsciously purr with pleasure.   
 
"I know." 
 
"Would you like us to remove him of it?" 
 
"What?" 
 
"Would you like us to take his pikachu for you, sir?" 
 
Giovanni said nothing for a long moment. Then he resumed clicking his 
cameras. "No," he said at last. "I don't care for a pikachu any longer." 
 
"As you wish, sir."  
 
The agent left. Giovanni waited for the door to shut before changing all the 
cameras once more to the front gate. There a smiling and dashing young man 
stood complete with a yellow mouse perched precariously on his forehead. 
There was a red haired girl with him, yelling at him, causing him to laugh.  
 
Giovanni focused his camera and freeze-framed the boy's face. The smile 
spread over to Giovanni's face too- but his was far less sincere. It was a 
tired smile. A smile that had given up trying to be one.  
 
"I've been waiting for you, kid."  
 
 
"What do you mean?" 
 
Professor Oak sighed. Ash had moved too suddenly and static disrupted the 
picture. It would take a few minutes before the connection had settled again. 
The Professor wasn't very too fond of these visual phones. Confound the 
coming of technology and give him back his old Panasonic handhelds. At least 
their ring tones didn't annoy the hell out of him.  
 
Oak could see Ash's face again. He could also see the boy still hadn't calmed 
down any. The Professor couldn't blame him. He knew full well what it was 
like to have lead and then to hit an utter dead end. 
 
"I told you Ash. I haven't found anyone by the name of John Ketchum in my 
database."  
 
"What about in..."  
 
"In any of the regions. I checked Johto and Kanto- Hoenn too just for good 
measure. Ash, the only Ketchum I found in the database is you."  
 
"What about inactive ones?" 
 
Oak hesitated. His cursor hovered over a name. A surprising one that he 
himself hadn't expected to be there. He debated over whether it was wise to 
give such potentially dangerous information unwarranted. But the 
circumstances of the inactivity bothered him. Was it really his place to dig 
up dirty family secrets? Oak decided on the latter and exed out of the 
window.  
 
"No one." 
 
"Really?" Ash sank back into his seat. "I can't believe it." 
 
"Don't be so upset, Ash. Just because your relatives weren't so big on the 
pokemon scene doesn't mean that you can't be."  
 
Ash looked up. Oak knew the boy was searching his face but did nothing.  
 
"Did you know my father, Professor Oak?" 
 
"Regrettably, no. I did not have the pleasure of knowing the man."  
 
"Pleasure?" Ash snorted.  
 
"Was something I said funny?" 
 
Ash fell silent. Even though Oak hadn't really known the boy well when he was 
growing up, it didn't take a genius to see exactly what a missing father 
meant to a child. Oak could see that Ash hadn't just happened upon that name. 
He had definitely found a lead.  
 
"Look, Ash. Don't believe everything you hear about your father. Not even 
what your mother says." 
 
Ash looked up in surprise. Oak nodded understandingly, "You don't know this 
man. You might never know him. And while you might think that no reason can 
excuse the fact that your father was absent in the process of raising you- 
you don't have his side of the story. And until you have his side, you 
shouldn't make any wild conclusions about who he is."  
 
Ash didn't respond. His opposite hand lowered the receiver.  
 
"Ash... I can't stop you from chasing after your father. But please, promise 
me you'll leave your mother out of this. I think she has good reason for 
keeping the truth from you." 
 
Ash closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, "I have to go. Pikachu's waking up."  
 
Then, before Oak could say anything more, Ash hung up. Oak was left staring 
at a blank screen and listening to a dreadful monotonous dial tone.  
 
"Ash..." breathed the old man. 
 
He stared at the screen for only a moment more before dialing his grandson. 
He'd have to make up a convincing lie to get that boy here quickly. He used 
mono last Christmas and he was saving hypothermia for next Thanksgiving.  
 
But he hadn't used the arthritis excuse yet.  
 
 
The building looked even more impressive than he remembered it being. With 
its long walkway and huge marble columns stretching up in to the sky. The 
large wooden doors stood in the same place with the same pokeball symbol over 
the top.  It was untouched in time, the entrance surrounded by a garden that 
was surreal in its protective beauty. It was hard to believe it belonged in 
the same cozy town he had known to exist only a day's journey away from his 
home.  
 
But yet there were things he didn't remember. The columns looked ill cared 
for. The walkway, while impressive from a distance, had become cracked and 
worn through neglect. And the intimidating guards were either absent or had 
completely abandoned their posts. In fact, upon closer inspection it was 
clear that time had indeed passed and not all necessarily for the best.  
 
Considering that they had caused it to collapse upon itself the last time 
they were here, it was understandable that not everything could be built up 
to the grandeur it once was. 
 
Ash knew this gym was run by Team Rocket. That's why he had to be careful. 
But that's also why he had come. Ever since his dreams had started, he had 
been looking for some lead- some connection to why he might be having such a 
reoccurring nightmare. He had found it through these doors, through Gary, 
although Gary himself might not have been aware of it.  
 
No one knew what Ash had been doing the past several years. The only persons 
with contact with him were Professor Oak, with the occasional blacked out 
visual phone call and transferred pokemon, and Gary Oak. A remarkable 
trainer, much like himself, who had sought out after Ash's disappearance to 
find him, kick his ass, and drag said ass back home.  
 
Of course that never happened, thought Ash with a sly grin. He had been able 
cover his tracks from his rival for quite some time. But it was guilt that 
made Ash call Oak on occasion. To let him, of all other people, know that he 
was all right. He owed it to Gary for making a promise to him he knew he 
couldn't keep.  
 
And something had happened to him here. Something so terrifying that it had 
left him unable to say much about it for years. It was also the first time 
Gary saw Ash battle... and the first time that Gary was actually nice to him.  
 
This place was filled with memories. And one of them was the one he wanted to 
get to the bottom of. He hoped he would, or else coming back to Kanto would 
have all been for not.  
 
"This is it Pikachu."  
 
Pikachu perked up his head. His ears twitched with interest. 
 
"This is where we find answers."  
 
That pokemon that attacked Gary and left him comatose on the cold gym battle 
floor- the one that scared Gary so bad that he refused to even talk to Ash 
about it. That was until Ash described his dreams. Gary and Ash's 
descriptions of the creature were similar... chillingly similar.  
 
If this pokemon was still here, there was a chance that there could be danger 
beyond these doors. Gary could have come off easy in his match. There was no 
telling what might be waiting for him this many years later. And if that 
pokemon was that strong then, even after all of Ash's training, could his 
pokemon compete? Could Ash compete?  
 
Ash nearly jumped a foot when someone grabbed him by his shoulder. He spun 
around wildly nearly clocking Misty upside the face.  
 
"Ah~! Ash! What the hell-?!"  
 
"Mist!" Ash swallowed hard. "Geez. Don't scare me like that." 
 
"Don't scare you like that? How the hell was I supposed to know you're a 
complete spaz? Honestly. I called your name like three times."  
 
Misty crossed her arms. It was in such a way that Ash knew he was in trouble. 
He sighed and shook his head.  
 
"What are you doing here?" 
 
"What else? I came to watch your match." 
 
"To watch my match or to make sure I was really going to a match?"  
 
Misty scowled. 
 
"To watch your match." Ash chuckled but Misty ignored him, "I haven't seen 
one of your gym battles in years. Remember... I used to have a front row seat 
to them all. The first two years, I watched you go through three different 
leagues." 
 
"Until you left."  
 
"Until you left," came Misty's retort.  
 
"Funny. I distinctly remember someone leaving for a pokemon gym just after 
Johto..." 
 
"Oh shut up, Ash. You know full well it wasn't of my own accord." 
 
"Neither was mine."  
 
Misty wanted to say that she begged to differ but she didn't want to start a 
fight with Ash. That and the way he had said it made her actually feel bad 
for him. For whatever reason, Ash had thought he had done his best by not 
letting anyone else get involved with his family problems. He was willing to 
isolate himself to keep from bothering the rest of them. If only he knew that 
they were apart of his family as much as he was.  
 
"Hey... What were you saying earlier?"  
 
Ash blinked and looked back to her. "What?" 
 
"You were talking to yourself." 
 
Ash blushed visibly. "Uh, no. Well... sorta." 
 
"What were you saying? Something about answers? What answers?" 
 
"Nothing Mist, nothing. I was just rambling to myself, it was nothing."  
 
Ash had a feeling she didn't buy it, but she didn't bully him about it 
anymore. Instead she looked around them with the same nostalgic look in her 
eye that Ash himself held only moments before.  
 
"Never thought we'd be coming back here. They sure did fix this place up, 
huh?" 
 
"Well, it is Team Rocket. They probably have a lot of money to spare."  
 
"Right... Team Rocket." Misty bit down on her bottom lip. "You be careful 
okay? They tricked you last time, I mean, they even got Gary. They don't 
always fight fair."  
 
They never fight fair, thought Ash with a dry smile. "That's why I wanted you 
to wait behind in the pokemon center, Mist." 
 
"I'm touched," She didn't look touched. "But you don't have to worry about 
me. I've handled my fair share of the terrible trio over the years too, you 
know?"  
 
"It's not those three that I'm worried about."  
 
"Ash Ketchum?" 
 
For the second time that hour, Ash jumped. The two of them turned around to 
face a burly looking man in a dark suit. Dark shades hid his eyes from the 
two in his audience. His appearance made not only Ash and Pikachu nervous, 
but even Misty ducked behind Ash's shoulder. She anxiously eyed his jacket 
where his hand was concealed. Misty had even enough movies where guns would 
come out of similar hiding place.  
 
"Are you Ash Ketchum?" The man asked again. 
 
"So what if I am?" said Ash defensively. His eyes were on the concealed hand 
too.  
 
"Ah. Good then sir. The gym leader is waiting for you. Please follow me." 
 
His face had softened but the hand still remained hidden. He used his other 
hand to push open the large oak doors. Beyond, just like before, no light 
filtered in. But at least this time there was no body laying on the floor 
beyond. Ash hesitated behind with Misty before finally following the man into 
the lion's den.  
 
They hadn't taken more then five steps inward, when the guide turned around 
and glared at the red head hiding behind Ash.  
 
"Is something wrong?" Misty snapped back at the man.  
 
He didn't address her. Instead he turned to Ash, "I'll have to request that 
you tell your friend to leave. There's no audiences allowed in this gym." 
 
"W-what?"  
 
"That wasn't like that the last time I was here!"  
 
"I'm sorry. My boss is particularly firm with the rules. We've had incidents 
in the past because the challenging trainers had audiences with them."  
 
Both Ash and Misty blanched. Obviously they were the cause of such a rule. It 
was Gary after all that caused things to not go the way Jessie and James had 
planned. But that just increased Misty's worry. Then that meant nothing could 
stop them from cheating this time.  
 
"I'm not an audience!" barked Misty suddenly. "I'm a challenger too! I want 
an earth badge!" 
 
Ash blinked. "You do?"  
 
"Of course!" Misty shot her gaze back to their guide. "You'll accept my 
challenge?" 
 
"It's the policy of gym leaders to accept every challenge issued. But all 
other such challengers must wait outside the gym- for their turn." 
 
Misty scoffed. It was evident that she wasn't going to win this one. With a 
huff and one last bitter curse over her shoulder, she turned on her heel and 
left the gym. But only just so. She turned back just past the doorframe, arms 
crossed and face set.  
 
Ash watched as the doors shut behind them. He watched until he could no 
longer see Misty's face. Concern filled her face just before he disappeared 
beyond.  
 
"Good luck," she mouthed. The doors closed, and Ash hadn't the chance to 
respond.  
 
 
High above the Viridian Gym hung a large balloon in the shape of a tan 
colored cat- a Meowth of course. For who else but Team Rocket would announce 
their presence so definitely.  
 
Jessie leaned over the rim of the basket, staring with her deep blue eyes at 
the scenery that lay below. Meowth was curled up in the corner dozing, which 
left only James manning the balloon. He was used to it after all. Both of his 
partners rarely did anything that required physical labor. That was his job, 
since thinking wasn't something he was known to do well.  
 
James pulled on the cord releasing more to the flare. Their balloon lifted 
and glided directly over the gym. Their home base, completely rebuilt. It had 
been years since they'd actually seen it.  
 
"How's it looking, Jessie?"  
 
"It's... lookin'," replied Jessie with a low sigh. "I wonder why the twerpest 
came back here of all places. And now the red haired twerp is with him. It's 
like one huge dŽjˆ vu."  
 
"Well he's been retracing his exact steps lately... maybe he lost something." 
 
"I... I don't think that's it, James. If he did why would he be getting all 
the same badges he did before?" 
 
"Yeah. Good point. It is a complete dŽjˆ vu. Except this time, he's plucking 
up gym badges like a spendthrift millionaire in a flea market." 
 
"Nice analogy, James." 
 
"Thanks," said James cheerfully, completely missing the sarcasm of his female 
companion's comment.   
 
Jessie sighed again. The weather was beautiful and the wind calm. It made for 
a very sleepy sort of drift around the Viridian area. Jessie nearly gave a 
start when she heard something ringing from inside their basket.  
 
"Hello?" said James. He was holding a cell phone of sorts. Jessie's eyes 
widened. It was their emergency phone. The one they were never allowed to 
use- only allowed to receive calls on. It had to be something important.  
 
"What's dat? Huh?" yawned Meowth.  
 
"Shush!" shushed Jessie. "It's the emergency phone!" 
 
"Emergency? Does dat mean we be ambushin' da twerp in dat dere gym again?" 
 
"Shut up, will you?"  
 
"Yes. Yes, we understand. Will do, sir." James closed the top of the cell 
almost sullenly. 
 
"Who was it?" chirped Jessie sweetly.  
 
"Da boss, who da yah tink it is?"  
 
"New mission orders." 
 
Jessie and Meowth immediately fell silent. Suddenly they were sharing James' 
sullen expression.  
 
"You mean, something new dealing with the twerp's pikachu, right?" asked 
Jessie nervously. She already knew the answer. 
 
"No. The boss wants us to... travel to Lavender and help a small team capture 
some of the ghost pokemon there- for research purposes." 
 
"What about..." 
 
"The boss... has no interest in the twerp's pikachu anymore. We are to leave 
our posts here immediately." 
 
The silence ensued. The three members stared at each other and neither knew 
what to say. For seven years they'd been on a single mission. For seven years 
that phone never rang. And now, in the flash of a moment they'd be leaving 
the twerp alone forever.  
 
"I guess that's it then."  
 
"I don't like it," said Jessie. "What would make him change his mind so 
suddenly? Is he going to take the twerp's pikachu in the middle of the gym 
battle by himself?" 
 
"I don't think so. It's strange but I don't think that's it at all... It's 
just... over."  
 
"Just over..." 
 
"Yeah..." James cast his gaze over the basket.  
 
Somewhere below, the twerp would be starting yet another pokemon battle. He'd 
be using his same line up. Getting stronger all the time, and now they'd 
probably never see him again.  
 
This was the start to something. Everything before now had been so 
predictable. Now James wasn't sure where they were going to go from here. For 
some reason, James felt sick to his stomach.  
 
"Goodbye Ash." 
 
"Goodbye Ash," agreed Jessie.  
 
"Goodbye Ash. Goodbye Pikachu." 
 
The room they had walked into was warehouse size. The same beautiful 
architecture that had graced the outside had traveled in. The atmosphere of 
this place had always set it apart from the previous gyms. Ash had been to 
greenhouses, aquariums, even a gym set inside a volcano. But this gym was the 
only gym he had been in which appeared to have been built with nothing 
whatsoever to do with pokemon.  
 
Lights flared on. There was balcony directly in front of him, and in the 
perch slowly a pair silky red curtains drew back. The large glass window 
hidden behind the curtains poured in so much sunlight that Ash couldn't 
exactly tell what was up there. He squinted up at what he thought was a 
silhouette of a man and his Persian sitting in an armchair. 
 
"Challenger Ash Ketchum," introduced the guide.  
 
The shadow didn't respond. The guide probably didn't expect one. Ash was 
surprised when the guide walked away into the shadows of the building beyond. 
Apparently he wasn't even going to referee the battle. Ash wasn't quite sure 
how he felt about that.  
 
"So you're Mister Ketchum," said the shadow at last. "I've heard a lot about 
you... You're quite popular with the gyms you've been at. Especially here in 
Kanto." 
 
Ash grinned, but it wasn't a pleasant one. "And you're the bastard in charge 
of Team Rocket." 
 
If the man was upset, his voice didn't show it. He only continued to pet his 
Persian. "I wonder how you came upon that conclusion." 
 
"I wonder how a criminal can continue to run a pokemon gym." 
 
"I wonder how a murderer can continue to train pokemon." 
 
Ash scowled. Pikachu leapt off his shoulder, snarling and cheeks sparking. 
Ash did nothing to calm it.  
 
"I don't know how you know about that, and I don't care. I don't have to 
justify myself to you." 
 
"Nor I to you, Mister Ketchum. So let's leave our identities behind us, and 
have a good old fashioned pokemon battle."  
 
"Hm," Ash smiled. "At least we have one thing we can agree upon."  
 
Ash plucked a pokeball off his belt and held it out in front of himself, just 
like all the times before. Pikachu on his head, smiling. 
 
"Let's kick some Team Rocket ass." grinned Pikachu.  
 
"Let's battle!"  
 
Even though Ash couldn't see the man's face, Ash had a feeling he was smiling 
too.  
 
"Let's start then. " said the man. A pokeball appeared in the man's hand, and 
he tossed it up into the air. Out of it came crashing a large and impressive 
boulder pokemon. It roared ominously from its small leathery head. A golem, 
the pokemon that always reminded Ash of a lizard trapped inside a snowball.  
 
"Six on six pokemon battle. To the knock out. Choose your pokemon."  
 
The pokeball in his hand would be fine, Ash surmised. He tapped the white 
button and tossed it up. Out spat the familiar red beam, snapping the 
pokeball right back into his hand. 
 
"Wassaaaaaaaaap!" said the turtle pokemon.  
 
"Squirtle, watergun!" 
 
"Will do Ash." Squirtle inhaled deeply and shot out a torrent of cold pokemon 
born water.  
 
The man in the shadows didn't say anything. Instead he only snapped his 
fingers. Golem immediately withdrew inside the boulder that was his shell. 
The water splashed harmlessly against its side.  
 
"Rollout." 
 
Golem startled moving. Both Ash and Squirtle stood ready as the boulder came 
crashing their way.  
 
"Squirtle! Jump and withdraw!" Ash shouted as the Golem came right before 
them. Covering his face with his arms, Ash had no time to check if Squirtle 
obeyed. Pieces of the floor kicked up and bit sharply at his exposed flesh. 
Pikachu hid its face into the nook of Ash's shoulder.  
 
And Squirtle kicked up high off the gym floor, above the Golem. He had 
withdrawn into a spinning projectile.  
 
"Hydro pump!" Ash shouted without looking.  
 
Water shot out from the holes in Squirtle's shell, causing the rotation to 
increase. Soon he was a shuriken of water and shell, slicing down to the 
waiting rock surface below. The blades of the water struck golem's spinning 
shell and broke through his rollout attack like a knife cutting through 
butter.  
 
Golem was thrown backwards. Squirtle landed easily on his back legs with a 
snide smile similar to the one still on Ash's face.  
 
Ash threw out his arm and shouted an attack that Squirtle himself knew was 
coming.  
 
"Squirtle, waterfall! Finish it off!"  
 
Squirtle pushed itself off its legs and landed in a handstand right before 
the bewildered opponent. With a quick spin of its agile body and a large 
expelling of water into the gym battle floor, Squirtle went spinning upwards 
into the air. He landed painful blows to the golem's face before completely 
encompassing the pokemon in a mountain of water.  
 
The water tower collapsed. Squirtle fell easily back down onto earth. Water 
soaked over the now muddy field. And Golem lay in the middle of the pool of 
water unconscious.  
 
"Yes!! We won!" Ash cheered as Squirtle ran through the splashing mess and 
leapt up into his master's arms. They spun around in circles, mud and all, 
giggling. 
 
 Like children, thought Giovanni. His relationship with his pokemon is like a 
child with their best friend.  He moved his hand to the next pokeball on his 
belt.  
 
"Great job Squirtle!" congratulated the young trainer. 
 
"Well, what'd you expect? I never lose."  
 
"Oh really?" retorted Pikachu with sparking cheeks. 
 
Squirtle made a face at Pikachu involving his tongue and exposing his 
eyeball. Pikachu gave chase around Ash's legs, playfully attempting to catch 
the Squirtle and just slightly smother his ego. Lucky for Squirtle, Ash 
rescued the turtle with a flash of a capture beam.  
 
"You're up, Pikachu."  
 
Out on the now wet battlefield appeared a Kingler. The field was a perfect 
conductor now for Pikachu to help take another win.  
 
Pikachu leapt out into battle position, its cheeks sparking.  
 
And Ash hesitated. It certainly seemed easy. He hadn't really thought about 
it, what with the ease that he had with all the previous gyms. But this gym 
wasn't supposed to be this easy. It was as if the gym leader was playing with 
him- handing the battle to him. 
 
He couldn't see his opponent's face. They had no referee. There were a lot of 
things about this gym that didn't add up. The darkness crept around the 
corners of the room like a coming unconsciousness. Was he going to be 
ambushed here? Was the pokemon from his nightmares waiting just beyond the 
shadows?  
 
Kingler fired a bubble beam. Pikachu waited for a order that Ash almost 
forgot to give.  
 
"Pikachu dodge!"  
 
Pikachu didn't really need the order, but Ash's hesitation concerned Pikachu. 
If his master didn't give any orders, spooked by something unspoken, then it 
meant that pikachu himself would had to be cautious.  
 
The jet of bubbles passed on Pikachu's left, just grazing him. Ash still 
seemed overly nervous. Was there something wrong that Pikachu himself hadn't 
caught up on?  
 
"Pikachu... Thunder shock." said Ash. 
 
Pikachu did a double take. "Thunder shock?! I haven't used that little power 
in years!"  
 
Ash's expression was stern. His eyes weren't on the battle. They were on his 
opponent and flirting briefly with the shadows.  
 
Pikachu understood. Ash was expecting something to happen. And he wanted 
Pikachu to conserve every bit of strength he could. A gym battle wasn't as 
important as whatever might happen afterwards.  
 
Pikachu released the electricity. Kingler shook it off. The claw shot forward 
to clamp around Pikachu's midsection. Pikachu easily dodged it. Another order 
for a thunder shock. Pikachu resisted the urge to blow the pokemon away. More 
elusive dancing around the larger pokemon. Slowly they were wearing the 
Kingler down.  
 
And then Pikachu sensed it. Whatever Ash had been waiting for had come.  
 
"Pikapi! It's he-!!!" 
 
There was a crunch as a thick claw collided with Pikachu's face. Blood 
sprayed from Pikachu's mouth. It sent the little mouse violently tumbling and 
sliding across the gym floor.  
 
"Pikachu!" Ash cried. Then he saw it.  
 
A discolored smoke poured down from the rafters and over the sides of the 
wall. Ash's first reaction was cover his mouth and hold his breath. But it 
wouldn't reach him first. It crept across the floor in thick waves, towards 
Pikachu. And Pikachu couldn't move. 
 
Ash's insides went cold. The blood pounded in his ears. He was screaming but 
he couldn't hear his own voice. His legs pushed himself forward. He thought 
he heard another voice beyond his own. A voice shouting his own name.  
 
And Ash's arms went around Pikachu. His hands went around Pikachu's nose and 
mouth. Pikachu spit out a tooth and blood ran down Ash's hands. Ash closed 
his eyes. The fog went over them. 
 
"Don't breathe," he whispered as his head started to swim. "Don't breathe, 
Pikachu. Just wait..."  
 
And as his vision started to blur, Ash saw two more shapes form beyond the 
smoke. The man in the chair was standing and shouting. It wasn't until they 
came out onto the floor that Ash understood why.  
 
They weren't Team Rocket. Their uniforms were bright white.  
 
"Congratulations, Mister Ketchum," said one of them as they approached. Ash 
had trouble understanding them through the gas mask on their face.  
 
"You're under arrest."  
 
To Be Continued 
Please R & R!