Chapter Five: Kidnapped No time for goodbye, he said As he faded away -Three Days Grace The smoke was a vivid range of the color wheel. Giovanni recognized it immediately. Splashes of color charged through its innards like electricity- too much like electricity. The side effects of inhaling the smoke was a full body paralysis that lasted far longer than any stun powder or electric attack. Giovanni knew because he funded the project of its creation. The plasma clouds: easy to contain and even easier to capture wild pokemon by. Team Rocket used it effectively to capture herds of wild pokemon or more efficiently for robbing unsuspecting trainers. It poured from the walls like a thick bounding waterfall muted in its terrifying decent. Its first hapless victim would be the pikachu, realized Giovanni impassively. Probably an uncalculated causality of the battle. His own kingler would be next in line. Not too much of a loss. A simple returning to the pokeball would assure its immediate wellbeing. He followed through with the thought calmly. Kingler escaped into his capture beam and out of harm's reach. Giovanni, himself, was high up enough to escape the slow moving vapors. And his opponent too, being on the opposite end of the field gave the boy plenty of time to avoid it. It was a foolish plan, amateur at best. The only ones in line of fire were easy enough to retrieve with a simple capture beam. If the intruder was after the pokemon, they weren't very bright doing so with the two humans still conscious. If the intruder was after something else then clearly their aim had been off. Unfortunately, Giovanni didn't realize how very well the plan worked until it was too late. The stupid boy ran into the danger zone for his pikachu. And then something unprecedented happened. Giovanni found himself up out of his armchair, knocking the disgruntled persian clear off his lap. 'Master?' said the persian. Giovanni's eyes frantically scanned the smoke. He couldn't see the boy anywhere. Knuckles turning white in his grip against the guardrail, Giovanni called out to the trainer. "Ash! Ash where are you?!" The smoke rose like a filling sea. It seeped up to the edges of their balcony then to the toes of Giovanni's wingtips. Persian exhaled a deep hiss and retreated behind its master's legs. But his master on the other hand, remained resolute and firm. He pulled a remote from his pocket and calmly hit a button. The sea of smoke drained out through the doors Giovanni opened- expelling the smoke. And beneath it laid the white-garbed people he suspected were in charge of the whole fiasco. "Congratulation Mister Ketchum. You're under arrest." Giovanni overheard one say. Ash was lying motionless on the floor. Two white ice agents crossed the gym floor, one approaching Ash and the other guarding the exit. "Don't touch him." The nearing white ice member glanced up at him. The voice that came through was filtered, deeper and distorted by the mask on his face. "Ah. Giovanni. It's a pleasure to see you again. Keeping out of jail, are we?" The intruder continued as he spoke. He grabbed at Ash's arms but was startled as electricity shot up his gloves. The bolt was enough to blow a grown man off his feet. The man was very grateful for the extra protection his partner had suggested. So the trainer wasn't entirely stupid. He had protected his pokemon. Even though he was helpless, his pokemon was only mildly intoxicated by the smog and evidently more than able to protect his trainer. "Not bad, hotshot." There was a loud click from the balcony. The intruder looked up to see that Giovanni had removed a pistol from his jacket pocket and aimed it at the man. "I said don't touch him." He was trapped between a gun and a drowsy but fairly infuriated pikachu. The man knew when he stood no chance. He raised his hands in good humor. "I guess I surrender then." Giovanni kept his gun trained on the main man. He glanced in the other one's direction just to notice he was no longer there. Only momentarily panicked, Giovanni made sure not to let the other one out of the sight of his gun. "Don't move." Giovanni climbed into the open side elevator. He kept his arm steady and the man obeyed Giovanni's command. Neither said anything until both Giovanni and the persian were before the gas masked man. Giovanni glanced at Ash. The boy was watching the whole procession from his downside position. He was limp as a rag doll and unable to do anything about it. But at least the pain hadn't knocked him unconscious. "Getting awfully worked up about a stranger aren't you, Mister Giovanni?" "I don't like to be interrupted in my pokemon battles." Giovanni nodded the gun at the man. "Take off your mask." The man complied. Giovanni's eyes met with a suspicion he already had. A young man with dazzling blue eyes and fine blonde appeared from behind the mask. Ash himself made a small noise in surprise. The boy had to have been only sixteen years old. Perhaps even younger. "Which one are you, hmm? You must be Clark." "At your service, Giovanni," He grinned. "Or well, not this time unfortunately. It looks like I decided to turn to the side of the law. Crime doesn't pay as well these days." Giovanni scowled. "What you do isn't exactly a step above crime." "Fine, be particular. But technically speaking, I'm on the good guy side." "Technically speaking, you're kidnapping my gym challenger." "Kidnapping is such a strong word. And technically I'm arresting him." "On what charges?" "Well, he's a suspect in the recent pokemon robberies..." Ash squirmed and moaned. His face set into a grimace. Pikachu bared his teeth. They both knew full well of what they were being accused of. "...And unfortunately," continued the agent. "He ran away when we attempted to interrogate him." "I don't blame him... if this is how you interrogate people." "Not normally, no." Clark leaned closer to Giovanni as if to share a secret. "Just between you and me," he whispered. "I know he's not the vigilante." "Then why detain him?" "Because those are my orders." "From who?" "Telling you that would be against my orders. Even if you were my old boss." Giovanni cocked his gun. Clark only shook his head, bemused but lips completely sealed. "There are at least a hundred other young men in the area that fit the description of the vigilante. Why are you after Mister Ketchum?" "Think hard, Giovanni. I'm sure you can come up with the answer to that yourself." Giovanni face remained set but he gripped the gun harder. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the pikachu doing something with his trainer's backpack. He made sure not to let his eyes linger. "By the authority of this gym, I must ask you to leave... without Mister Ketchum." "You intend to shield him from the law-" "I don't intend to do anything. But I have the authority to control this gym and its occupancy. I was battling with this trainer and so long as he remains housed in this facility he is granted my protection." Clark laughed. And then he moved too fast for Giovanni to react. Another gun was withdrawn and now Giovanni had a gun to stare down the barrel off. "I'm sorry to break it to you, boss," said Clark with particular venom cocking the newly retrieved weapon. "But your authority waned to lack luster long ago." "If you won't accept authority then maybe you can understand this. I have men guarding this gym inside and out. Once I give the word, I can have you and your partner easily done away with." "You mean the six men with the hand guns that we disarmed at the back entrance?" said Clark smugly. "My partner easily took care of the last few guards at the front way too. What kind of game do you think we're playing here, Giovanni? These are the big leagues now. You just don't cut it anymore." "Perhaps not," interceded a new voice. "But he doesn't have to." There were two loud cracks of pokeballs hitting the gym floor. Thick bonds fastened themselves around Clark before he even had a chance to see the red flash. Clark's pistol fell harmlessly to the floor. Clark looked up. The trainer he had targeted was standing erect and fastening the now empty pokeballs back to his belt. He had released two very powerful pokemon. The vine wrap was compliments from the trainer's bulbasaur. A squirtle and a pikachu stood in apt preparation for whatever use their trainer had in mind for them. Not to mention the persian which had now bared both teeth and claws. "You really are quite good." Ugh. These things are nasty, Ash thought as he spit out the excess of the cheri berry. His mouth felt as though it was on fire. His eyes were even watering slightly by the sheer power of the chili-pepper-like-fruit. He wasn't sure how pokemon could ever manage to eat the things. At least it worked; the paralysis seemed to have gone. He still felt a little lightheaded but at least most of the effects had passed. Ash bent over to pick up the gun that had been dropped. Fingers grasped at the handle grip, carefully away from the trigger. And after he had it, he wasn't sure what to do with it. He held it at arms length, attempting to find the cartage and then empty it. Unfortunately, he didn't know where it was. "What's a'matter?" taunted Clark. "First time holding a gun?" Ash scowled. "It doesn't take a genius to aim and squeeze." "But apparently it takes one to empty a gun of ammo." Giovanni took the gun from Ash's hands and easily snapped out the magazine. Bullets clattered messily to the ground. The rest of the gun Giovanni tossed aside, pointing his still loaded pistol at the now captured agent. Clark noticed that the pikachu was drawing nearer. When the flustered trainer was standing before him again, Clark knew the interrogation was about to begin. He made himself comfortable- or as comfortable as one could get trapped in the vines of a pokemon. "You're name is Clark?" said Ash skeptically with a half glance at the Viridian City gym leader. Clark said nothing. Ash nodded to his electric mouse that immediately drew into position. Clark only laughed in response. "My clothes are completely retardant to electric attacks. We had to protect ourselves from the plasma gas after all. Your pet can't hurt me-" Before Clark could finish that thought, he was suddenly dosed in a heavy amount of water. Spitting out a mouthful, Clark turned his bitter glance to the grinning turtle pokemon. "Do you know what happens to a non-conductive when covered with a conductive?" said Ash with a nasty grin of his own. Pikachu was too close for comfort now. Electricity practically dripping from the power sacks in its cheeks. "I believe my name is Clark, yes," said Clark rather quickly. It was just the answer Ash wanted to hear. He called off Pikachu who sulked in disappointment. Even Bulbasaur sagged with relief. "And you're a member of White Ice." "Last I checked." "Why do you guys keep coming after me? I'm not the vigilante. Hell, you can see yourself I don't even know how to hold a gun." "You could have been acting." 'He can't act,' said all three of Ash's pokemon in complete unison. "I'm not- sheesh. I thought this was already over with. I've had alibis for the nights that this guy has attacked your facilities. I know that I resemble him but why can't you all just leave me alone! I'm not him!" "The facts are this. You are an excellent trainer. Have a grudge against white ice members. And have a criminal record. So we have orders to capture you." "But you can't do that! I haven't done anything!" "You killed a man." "I- I was cleared from that... I did not steal any pokemon! So stop harassing me!" "That's not why they are after you Ash." Ash turned his attention for the first time since the battle was interrupted completely back on his previous opponent. The way Giovanni spoke was soft- almost unassuming. It was that deep voice curled into anxiety that gave Ash chills. Giovanni knew more about this than Ash did. He was involved. Ash wasn't keen about trusting Giovanni with the pistol. He wasn't exactly okay with trusting the Team Rocket member at all. But Ash was a very trusting person. Especially when the man had previously fought to save him from being kidnapped. Giovanni appeared to have no benefit for saving him. He just did it. And for that, Ash granted the man temporary trust. Now the trust was waning. "What? Did you hire them to come after Pikachu?" Pikachu's cheeks sparked angrily. Giovanni couldn't help but back up at the sight of the Pikachu nearing him. Persian stepped forward hissing and spitting. The pokemon were at a stalemate. "Jessie and James fail too many times? So now you're hiring these guys to kidnap me?" "As much as I'd love to see you tear into Gio," interceded Clark. "I hate to be thought a lackey of his. I dumped his ass long ago. I don't need to be carrying around baggage from my previous employment, thank you very much." "Then... if it isn't because you think I'm the vigilante and not for pikachu..." Ash looked between the two before him confusingly. "Why are you trying to kidnap me? You can't possibly think you can ransom me for anything." "That's exactly what they plan to do." said Giovanni. "What?! Why? I don't understand-!" "It's clear there are many things you don't understand, Mister Ketchum. But you know what? It really doesn't matter if you understand. You're just the victim." Clark's little speech concluded with the entrance of two people he was clearly waiting for. They appeared across the upper balcony. Pushed along by a young man, almost identical to the one wrapped in bulbasaur's vines, was a disgruntled red head cuffed by the hands. "Misty!" Misty looked down. Her irritated expression instantly turned to that of endearment. Ash was there. He would rescue her. "Ash! Ash, you gotta help me. This idiot took my poke-..." The look-a-like grabbed Misty hard and pulled her close next to him so there was no mistake who was hostage to who. Instead of looking concerned, Misty's hero scowled. "Ugh. Misty. Why'd you have to go and get yourself caught?" All endearment quickly went out the nearest window. "Get myself caught?!" snapped Misty. "Well that's a mighty fine way to- I didn't seek this guy out. Hell, if I wanted to be kidnapped I'd go get myself kidnapped around people who cared about me... unappreciated... bunch of morons... If I could kick your ass right now, Ash... I'd kick your ass... and his ass... and everyone's asses.... I'd get my pokemon... have them kick your ass. And I'd kick everyone else's asses... Then I'd take what's left of your asses and shove them in a jar... and play yahtzee! I don't appreciate..." She rambled on and most of the occupants of the gym didn't hear half of it. Ash was kind of curious about the mention of yahtzee but he also wasn't sure if it was exactly a metaphor. Obviously Misty's captor didn't take to the girl's ranting as well as Ash did. He pulled out a switchblade and neatly pressed it against Misty's throat. Silence followed. Now Ash was concerned. They weren't like the Rocket-dan after all. "Let's negotiate," said Clark evenly. "You for the girl." Ash and Misty both visibly paled. Giovanni was calculating a move but Ash reacted yet again in a way he hadn't anticipated. The boy snatched the gun from Giovanni's grip and thrust the pistol against the Clark's forehead. "Let her go or I kill him." The boy with Misty hesitated. The look in Ash's eyes was unnerving. Even Misty was daunted by how dark his gaze appeared. The Ash she knew would never threaten- never gamble another person's life. The change scared her. He seemed serious. "Don't..." began Giovanni. "Go ahead." Attention turned back to Clark. He was smiling despite the pressure against his forehead. He stared down Ash's own glare confidently. "You won't pull the trigger. Even when your girlfriend is in danger you can't. It's just not in you. You're soft- a weakling. You're not desperate enough- you don't even know the meaning of desperate." "Don't egg him on!" Clark sent a spiteful glare in his partner's direction. Ash didn't look away, pressure still firm. "You should listen to your friend. I don't even have to aim this time, just squeeze." "Then by all means. But you'll be living with two new murders over your head. Mine and your girlfriend's over there." Ash mistakenly glanced at Misty's captor. The man pressed the knife tighter against her throat. Blood beaded by the tip of the blade. "Oh yes," Clark smiled, reading Ash's thoughts. "He's killed people before. Quite a few more than you. He wouldn't hesitate pushing that girl off the balcony there. In fact, I'm sure nothing would give him more pleasure." "Let her go. She has nothing to do with this." "You're the only one making this difficult, Mister Ketchum." Ash lowered the gun. Giovanni moved to take it from him but Ash quickly turned the gun on him instead. "Don't do this, Ash." "Shut up. Just stay out of this. I don't need to worry about anymore hostages," snapped Ash bitterly. Pikachu stepped forward to guard Ash against the gym leader. Giovanni was helpless again. Ash emptied the gun of its ammunition and kicked its remains away from himself. He looked expectantly from twin to twin. It was Clark who spoke despite his disadvantaged position. "Return your pokemon." "Not until Misty is safe." "Return your pokemon or we'll kill her." said the boy with the knife. "You kill her and I'll have Pikachu here send you the best thunder attack he can muster." Pikachu was still watching Giovanni. He took the time to turn and smile vindictively, 'With love, of course.' "Fair enough," responded Clark with a quick nod to his twin. The twin pushed Misty along to the staircase. They made their way down before being ordered to stop a few yards away from where Clark, Ash, and Giovanni were. "Return your pokemon." "Put away the knife." The boy closed the blade but he kept it at hand. His other hand was at the cuffs around Misty's wrists. She stayed obediently still. Like Giovanni, Misty was waiting for an opportune moment. "Now return your pokemon." Ash did what he was told. First squirtle and then bulbasaur. Both pokemon were reluctant to go, but they never fought Ash's orders. Once free from the vines, Clark stretched. He noticed pikachu. "You missed one." 'I don't think so, buster,' responded the pokemon. "Pikachu doesn't go into pokeballs." "Make it, or we'll kill her," said Clark. There was no arguing against that. Slowly and reluctantly, Ash retrieved the pokemon marked with the lightning bolt. Pikachu watched nervously as Ash slipped on the long pink latex gloves. Putting pikachu in his pokeball was never an easy feat. Ash hadn't done so in several years for good reason. "Pikachu return." The capture beam zapped around the pokemon. It wailed as the beam sucked it in. Electricity shorted and danced out from the pokeball and across the gloves. It was several long moments of the ball struggling in Ash's hands before it finally came to a quiet end. "I'm sorry buddy." Ash said shrinking the ball into its portable form. "Now remove your pokeball belt and set it aside." He slipped off the latex gloves. With a slight of hand, minimized the pokeball into an even flatter form. A special benefit for having a custom pokeball made for pikachu excessive voltage. He slipped this unusual sized pokeball between the cloth of his fingerless glove and skin of his palm. The white ice agents didn't notice. All they saw was Ash removing his pokeballs. They didn't bother to count them. A mistake they'd probably soon regret. The belt was set aside. Eyes were on Ash and not on the gym leader. Which gave him ample time to retrieve a small peashooter from his back pocket. He held it tight, waiting for Misty to be out of range. "Now let Misty go." "Sure, sure," said Clark. "Quite the persistent fellow isn't he?" The opposite agent pushed Misty in front of himself and forced her forward. Ash stood ready to make the same exchange. But Clark was behind him. Giovanni saw what was going to happen too late. Clark grabbed Ash from behind. Misty screamed. The agent near her hit her over the head with the handle of the switch blade. She fell. Ash's shouts were smothered by a single cloth forced painfully over his mouth and nose. The sweet smell emanating from it instantly brought Ash unconsciousness. Ash dropped heavily into Clark's arms. Only now was Giovanni able to pull out his concealed firearm. "Stop!" He shouted. He had a perfect shot of Clark's head. Persian leapt forward. Clark only smiled. And his twin released a heavy smoke bomb. Fog instantly erupted once again over the gym floor. Persian crashed into the opposite wall. Giovanni fumbled with his own pokeballs for one suitable to remove the hindrance now set upon them. He came up short changed. Glass from the skylight showered down from the ceiling like pieces of the falling sky. Clark shot up out of the smoke by a hook shot. His brother followed with the limp pokemon trainer in his arms. Giovanni aimed up with his peashooter. His shots missed and Clark only laughed back at him. Clark fished into his jacket and tossed down an red envelope. The letter fell expertly at the gym leader's feet. Giovanni only glanced at it to know it was a ransom note. "Andy sends her love!" called Clark. Giovanni took a few more pot shots. Clark swung around them. His twin was looking anxious- they weren't climbing fast enough for his liking. "If I were you, Gio-love. I'd do what that letter tells you. That is if... and I hate to be clichˇ," Clark added with a spiteful grin. "If you ever want to see your son alive again." Giovanni continued to fire up at them, even when it was clear they were no longer in range. They reached the roof. Giovanni ran out of bullets. The sounds of a distant helicopter brought on the definite feeling of defeat. He ripped open the envelope. The letter fell out, folded like a paper fan. And upon reading it, the gym leader hit his knee. It was over. His beloved cat pokemon was crumbled against the wall, unconscious. The woman hostage was starting to come to. Giovanni didn't answer her groans. He didn't move although he wished he could have. She sat up, disgruntled, and rubbed her head. "What's going on? Where's Ash?" Her confusion quickly changed into fear. She scrambled over to Giovanni, grabbing firmly onto his collar. "What did you do to Ash!" She shook him. Giovanni let her do so. "He's gone." "Gone?" "Gone." Giovanni numbly handed her the letter. "I'm sorry. But I'm afraid your friend has been kidnapped." To Be Continued... Please R & R!