Chapter Four: The Battle for Pikachu


The red Jeep pulled to a halt outside the Viridian City gym. Inside, two Pokemon trainers named Jenni and Allan turned to face their passengers. "This is the place, Ash." Allan said as Ash grabbed his backpack.

"Thanks a lot for the lift." Ash replied. He and Brock had had been walking for a solid day when they happened to meet these two trainers on their own journey. After sharing a picnic lunch, they had found out that Jenni and Allan were on their way to Pallet to meet Professor Oak, and to have him take a look at Jenni's Eevee, which had some strange markings unlike any they had seen before. Of course, the trip to Pallet would take them straight through Viridian City, and Jenni had offered to give them a ride. Ash had agreed, knowing it would be much quicker to accept than to try to walk. Brock had agreed very happily too- although it seemed that his gratitude was spurred more by the fact that he'd get to stare at Jenni some more than by the issue of time they would save. In fact, that's just what he was doing at that moment.

"Yeah... thanks for the ride...." He babbled through a large goofy smile. Turning beet red, he once again asked for Jenni's number, to keep in touch. For about the millionth time, Jenni simply laughed and told him that she was sure they'd meet sometime again in the future. Ash walked around to the side of the Jeep, and Jenni leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Is he always this bad?"

Ash smiled. "No. Usually he's worse."

Jenni laughed, and the jeep drove away toward Pallet Town. Brock stared dreamily after the jeep. "Wasn't she great?" he asked.

"Sure, sure. Now come on, Romeo. We're here for a reason." Ash said, slapping Brock on the head. Brock snapped back to reality and looked at the large building before them. Ash started up the stairs. Two burly guards holding axes blocked the door.

"What do you want?" the first guard grunted threateningly.

"I am Ash Ketchum from Pallet, and I have business with the leader of this gym." Ash said boldly.

The guard sneered. "Our gym leader is too busy to deal with anyone unless you want to challenge him to a battle."

"If that's what it will take, then I challenge him!" Ash stated.

The guards chuckled, and parted to let Ash and Brock pass. "Hope you have a will made out, kid." one guard called as they entered the foyer and walked to the gym doors. As he entered the gym, lights snapped on with a loud click. From over a loudspeaker came Giovanni's voice.

"Who comes to challenge me?" he roared.

Ash was a bit unsettled by this, but he continued anyway. "I am Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and I demand a Pokemon battle!"

A door slid open at the far end of the gym, and Giovanni entered wearing his usual Armani suit. "You? Ha! Better hurry home, little boy. You'll get hurt here."

Ash glared at Giovanni. "I don't think so. Are you going to battle or not?"

Giovanni smirked. What hope did Ash have without his Pikachu? "Fine." he replied. "One Pokemon each."

"Agreed." Ash said angrily.

"Then choose your Pokemon now. I don't have all day." Giovanni said smugly.

Ash turned the bill of his cap around, and said loudly, "Pikachu, I choo- uh... I mean, Charmander, I choose you!" Ash quickly grabbed Charmander's Pokeball off his belt and threw it into the arena.

"Char!" Charmander yelled as he materialized out of the ball.

Giovanni simply smirked. "And I choose.... my super Pokemon!" The smoking form of Mewtwo lowered from the ceiling, its eyes glowing a bright blue.

Ash went wide-eyed. "What the heck is that?" he asked, pointing Dexter at the Pokemon.

"No data available" Dexter stated.

"Oh, great." Ash muttered. "Um... Charmander, Flame-thrower!"

"Char!" Charmander squealed as the spit out a trail of fire. The fire simply hit Mewtwo with no effect at all. Ash was dumbfounded.

"Oh, please." Giovanni sneered. "Pokemon, attack!" Mewtwo's eyes glowed malevolently as it floated toward Charmander with a psychic maneuver. Suddenly, the usually brave Charmander screamed, and turned tail to run back to Ash

"Ugh... Charmander, return." Ash said as he held out Charmander's Pokeball. Charmander was all too happy to jump back in.

"Do you forfeit?!?!?" Giovanni yelled.

Glaring at him, Ash finally nodded. "I don't have anything strong enough to fight that Pokemon."

"Then get out and be on your way." Giovanni turned to leave.

"Of course, I might have a super Pokemon too, if I were in charge of Team Rocket." Ash blurted. Giovanni froze. He turned around slowly, staring angrily at Ash, who didn't budge an inch. "What did you just say?" he demanded.

"You heard me." Ash said smugly. "And I know all about Misty too. You don't really think she'll stay with you, do you?"

"Actually, yes, I do." said Giovanni smugly. "What little girl would leave her dear old Daddy?"

Ash looked at Giovanni with eyes full of hate. "I know you don't care about her! You're just using her to get Pikachu- who I'm taking back now!"

"So you know the truth, eh? Well, it doesn't make a difference." Giovanni replied. He reached over to the wall and hit a large red button. A shrill alarm sounded, and the doors to the foyer slammed shut. Butch and Cassidy stormed into the gym wearing their black Team Rocket uniforms.

Giovanni pointed at Ash and Brock. "Take them down to the holding cells!" He ordered.

"Right." Butch replied in his raspy voice. He grabbed Brock, and Cassidy charged at Ash. Brock and Ash tried to resist, but Butch and Cassidy grabbed small tube-shaped devices off their belts and pressed them against Brock and Ash's arms. A powerful knockout drug shot through their arms and they crumpled to the ground.

Butch and Cassidy laughed as they started to drag them back. Suddenly, an evil smile crept onto Giovanni's face. He picked up a phone by the door. "Have my daughter sent to my office at once. Tell her Daddy needs a favor...." He laughed darkly as he walked back to his office.

He arrived at his office a few minutes before Misty. Quickly, he loosened his tie and mussed his normally perfect hair. He sat down, and pretended to be out of breath when Misty walked in. Misty saw her father looking disheveled, and ran quickly to his side. "Daddy! What happened?" she asked, obviously very concerned. Giovanni acted as if it hurt to talk or move. "Oh, Misty...." he began in a pathetic voice. "Your old friends arrived at the gym... they tried to challenge me to a battle.... of course I knew they'd only get hurt, so I tried to refuse, but then that Ash just ordered his Charmander to attack me. He kept screaming that he was going to take you and Pikachu away... Oh, God, please don't go away..." He started to sob into his hands.

Misty looked at Giovanni, who was sobbing on the desk. "Oh, Daddy... she said sadly, overcome with pity for her father. "What happened to them?"

"They were so crazed, so intent.... I had to have Butch and Cassidy sedate them and put them down in the holding cells. Misty, I need to ask a favor of you... can you please watch them for me? I need Butch and Cassidy elsewhere." He looked at his daughter, his eyes puffy with fake tears.

Misty smiled at her father. "Of course, Daddy.... I'll get down there right away." With that, she turned and walked out of the office to head down to the holding cells.

Giovanni smiled as she left. If anything would prove her loyalty, this would.

A few minutes later, Misty arrived at the holding cells in one of the basement levels and relieved Butch and Cassidy, telling them that Giovanni said he needed them for something else. Butch shrugged, and started to walk off. Cassidy looked at Misty, and said, "Should be a while before they wake up, Hun. You got your Pokemon on you just in case?" Misty nodded and patted her belt, where a single Pokeball containing a nasty Beedrill hung. Cassidy pointed to the corner. "All right." she said. "There's their stuff." Misty looked at the corner and saw Ash and Brock's back packs- and her own. He mouth dropped slightly, but she quickly recovered. She nodded at Cassidy, who turned to leave.

As soon as they were gone, Misty looked into the cell at Ash and Brock and shook her head. "Oh, guys, I know you miss Pikachu, but how could you attack my father?" She sighed, and suddenly remembered her back pack was stacked in the corner with the others. She walked over, and opened it. Inside, she saw a set of her old clothes- her shorts, suspenders, and yellow halter top. She smiled fondly as she held them. She then began to go through the other items in her backpack- there were the photos of her sisters and her mother.... there, the letter that had started it all... and her Pokeballs! She smiled happily as she pulled out her Pokeballs and released her faithful Pokemon one by one. It was like seeing old friends again- friends who wouldn't turn on her or attack her father. She was even happy to see Psyduck again, who scampered around the holding cells muttering, "Psy.... Psy.... Psy...."

It was then that she noticed that Ash and Brock were starting to stir. Quickly, she recalled her Pokemon and threw the balls back into her backpack.

"Uhhhh...... what happened?" Ash asked as he sat up and looked around. He realized he was in a detention cell, and for a second, he thought Giovanni had had them thrown into jail. That's when he turned around and saw Misty standing guard in full Team Rocket uniform. Startled, he took a leap back, falling over Brock in the process, who was also just starting to come to. Ash and Brock looked at Misty, who looked back at them coldly.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the traitor." Ash said spitefully.

Brock nodded. "I guess she just can't see the forest for the trees." he said.

Misty glared angrily at Ash. "I had to leave. I knew you wouldn't understand."

Ash stared straight back. "You may have had to leave, but you didn't have to sell us out and let Team Rocket get away with Pikachu!"

"I did it to protect you!" Misty snapped. "Without me there to hold them back, Team Rocket could have gotten a lot nastier. You could have been hurt!"

"And what do you think is happening to Pikachu right now?" Ash snapped right back. "Who knows what they're doing to him!"

For your information, Ash," Misty growled, "Team Rocket has been treating Pikachu very well. I made sure of that."

"Misty, are you blind?" Brock said, stepping into the conversation. "Team Rocket is evil. They steal Pokemon, only to use them for their own gain!"

"You're wrong!" Misty screamed. "My father isn't mistreating any Pokemon!"

"Oh, your father?" Ash said icily. "You mean the great gym leader who threw us down here because we know he's the head of Team Rocket?"

"Nice try, Ash. I know he threw you down here because you attacked him without reason!" Misty yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Brock asked, dumbfounded.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! You had Charmander attack him when he was totally defenseless!"

"Did he tell you that?" Brock asked. "Misty, you should know Ash better than that. He doesn't use his Pokemon to settle personal matters."

"And I'd never have a Pokemon attack a person without a reason." Ash said. "Now come on. You have to let us out of here. We have to save Pikachu and get out of here!"

"No!" cried Misty. She yanked the Pokeball off of her belt. "Pokeball, g...." she started to say. Suddenly, a flash of light appeared out of her back pack and Psyduck materialized in front of her. "Aaaaaarrrrggghhh!" she screamed in frustration.

Psyduck waddled up to her. "Psy? Psy-duck? Psy? Duck? Duck?" it said.

Suddenly, Misty sank to her knees, overcome by frustration and the way she missed her old life. She began to cry in big sobs. Psyduck waddled up to her and patted her on the back.

Quietly, Ash said to her, "Please, Misty. We need to get out of here. I need to get Pikachu back. He's being mistreated, I know it."

"No, no, no...." Misty sobbed, not wanting to believe it. "My- my father promised.... I made sure when we got back...."

"Misty.... If I'm wrong.... We'll leave... and you can stay and keep Pikachu." Ash said.

"What? Ash, no..." Brock began.

"Yes, Brock.... If Pikachu really isn't being mistreated, I'll leave him here with Misty and we'll go." He looked at Misty. "Does that prove to you that I'm serious?"

Misty looked at Ash with teary eyes. "All right, Ash." She reached for the keys and opened the cell. "Let's go." They started to walk out of the cells and towards the elevator to take them to the Pokemon area where Pikachu was being kept.

Meanwhile, Giovanni was watching them on a monitor. His hand clenched into a tight fist as he watched.

Loyalties Chapter Five: The Truth