Nothing much to say, just so pleased I finally finished this chapter!

Hours of torture passed by, each burst getting longer and more painful, with less relief time. His own screams echoed back at the limp boy, and he hung against the metal wall. He winched, preparing for his next onslaught of pain, but it never came. He risked opening one tightly shut eye and looked over to the control panel were a few TR members muttered to each other, which Ash was sure he would never hear even if both his ears were ringing.

"Given up have you?" he called, using up all his courage. A small part of him knew the worst they could do was carry on with this form of punishment, since he was too valuable to be killed, and he had held up for the most part. He wasn't going to continue, but his words got the better of him. "You idiots realized that I don't have some ridiculous tie with the legendary guardian of our region?"

"We advise you to keep quiet, boy." Said the grunt to the left, with a cruel smirk growing on his face.

"Why? I'm not scared of you, or anyone." He spoke loudly, matter-of-factly.

"You should, foolish child."

"Thanks mate! I'm just the 'foolish child' your boss thinks is the most important person in the world, and the key to bringing back one of the most powerful Pokémon ever!" he called. The two frowned at each other, and glared at him with the upmost despising.

"Didn't you just say that you didn't have a tie with Ho-Oh?" the one to the right asked snidely.

"I said thinks, I never said I was. I was simply implying that you are all ridiculous and wasting your time."

"What do you know?"

"Oh, a lot, trust me." He gave them both a charming grin, and winked.

Misty was getting agitated and most of all, panicked. Ash wasn't exactly being quiet, and the piercing screams that followed sent shivers down her spine. She knew it was he, and a cold sweat grew on her brow. She paced, and even with the knowledge that she was terrifying the other two, (for she was the strongest of the three) she kept mumbling to herself, until she spoke up, addressing them both with a tone of panic imminent in her voice. "He's okay, isn't he?"

"Misty…" the brunette started in a comforting tone.

"You can hear him Ginger, so why ask?" the moody boy snapped at her.

"You're right!" she shrieked, dropping to the floor and gripping her hair, her head between her knees. "He's… He's going to die!"

"No! No! No, he's not!" May cried, rushing over to the shaking girl, sending Drew the dirtiest look possible.

"It's his fault we're in this mess, so you can keep your looks to yourself." He retorted.

"I have to get out." Mumbled Misty. "Need to get out…" she stood on her feet and started pounding against the hard door. "HEY! HEY! ONE OF US IS DYING HERE!" she screamed as loud as she could.

"No ones dying freak."

"Not yet," she replied sweetly to the now nervous boy.

"Leave him alone, he's always bitter."

"I've been locked up for about three weeks and you didn't even notice!"

"You are antisocial, you know? How was I supposed to know it wasn't one of your phases?" she bit back.

"Both of you shut up! I think I can hear footsteps!" She pressed her pale cheek up against the crack in the door and listened intently. Sure enough, she could hear a swift and repetitive beat of heels to floor as a grunt came to unlock the door.

"Who's dying?" he snapped, just outside the door now.

"Listen, I know we aren't priority, but we are close to Ash and we could help with his Ho-Oh thing and… and… please just help!" Misty said, feigning pure panic. She indicated for Drew to lay on the floor with May leaning over him, and for him to groan as if he was seriously injured.

"My friend, he… he's not well! You should have put us all together… The brunette, she… she had a knife… don't you even check? And she… he shouldn't have said it, I know but she lost her temper, and… and now he wont… he is loosing so much blood! Help, please!" May turned, and glared furiously at the redhead, who shrugged as if it was the only possible way for him to be injured.

"I'm coming in, move out of the way of the door." He grunted, and stuffed the key into the lock with a clang.

"Thank you, oh thank you, oh…"

THUD.

The grunt had barely stepped into the room when Misty punched him straight in the face. He fell back, taken by surprise, and swung for her. She ducked him easily and pushed him into the corner. May and Drew joined in at this point, Drew smashing the walkie-talkie he was about to speak into, and May grabbing the keys he so foolishly left in the large door. Misty got in a few more kicks and punches, before May pulled her out of the room, and effectively locking him in after.

"Go team!" She cried, laughing and running toward the other two, who both were smiling at her.

"Well, it's a start. Now we have to get Ash, and get the fuck out of here."

"You're the boss."

"Come on then," she nodded to a swirling staircase, and the three made their way towards it.

The corridors were relatively quiet, which was unnerving, but made them feel as though they had finally got a stroke of luck, so they didn't object. They passed the armory, and saddled themselves up with guns, feeling no remorse of their theft. They searched for their confiscated poké balls, but yielding no results.

"We'll get them as soon as we get Ash," the redhead promised. No sooner had the words left her mouth, Drew's head popped around the corner and said he had found what seemed to be an office. They all went to investigate, and found a large sum of poké balls, all locked in a large drawer. Misty aimed to shoot it open, but May thought better, knowing it might affect the Pokémon as they rested in the small red and white balls. She clawed at the edges of the tightly sealed draw, breaking several nails and actually ripping one off in the process.

"It's harder than it initially looks." She muttered, looking at Drew, as though it was his turn to find a way to open the blasted thing. He looked over it, and tried viewing it from different angles by tilting his head in strange ways, but he couldn't make out a better way other than to shoot it open, or get a crowbar and force it open. He knew May wouldn't approve of the gun.

"Any chance of a crowbar? Or something like that?" he asked the girls.

"Yes. I'm sure the guy who's office this is just leaves crowbars every where so people can break open his stash of stolen poké balls all the time."

May, however, got up and walked out of the room.

"There isn't a crowbar, but there's this?" she called, and held up a large brick through the doorframe, from a pile not far off. It seemed some sort of construction was undergoing in the corridors, and the brunette vaguely wondered if it were to be a prison of some sort. The measurements looked correct for it, anyway.

"How exactly will a lump of stone help us?" bit the other girl.

"Shut up, let me have another go." May made her way across the room, over to the still firmly shut draw, and pounded the corner of it with the brick. It made the horrible noise of scraping metal as she dragged it off, but no one seemed to hear. Again, the quietness unnerved them.

"Is it even working?" Misty asked impatiently.

"Shut it, look!" The top left hand corner of the draw had been mangled, giving an easy grip as to open the thing. It was still locked, but with another few hits the whole thing fell off its hinges and the balls came toppling out.

"May, you're a genius!" both the teens cried to her. A small blush rose to her cheeks, for she was rarely complimented, and was usually told to keep quiet. Once the three had found their respectable Pokémon, they let them all out and hugged them, for it had been what seemed like years since they had seen them. Despite being in the ball, they all seemed to know what was going on. They were smart like that. Misty gathered Ash's poké balls as well, and, while stuffing them into her back pocket to give to him later, followed the others out of the room in search of the boy in question, with the help of the Pokémon.

They took out a few grunts on their way up with ease, putting the unease of 'no guards' to the back of their minds for a bit. True, they didn't know were on earth they were, but they carried on searching all the same.

"Left or right?" the boy in the lead called back to either of the girls. Misty held out her hands in front of her with her thumbs sticking out. She cocked her head to one side, listening out for Ash.

"Left," she replied, and they all turned down the corridor. A single grunt was guarding the corner, but their Zubat wasn't really much of a challenge against the three of them, now armed with every there Pokémon. As they continued, they found it was pointless going either way, both led to the same destination: the test site. A large group of commanders and grunts were all gathered here, and the three were smart enough not to make their presence known. They were severely outnumbered, and didn't know how to get across the filled room to the door where they were sure Ash was being held, for moans and pleads were loudly passing through the lazily closed door.

"Any ideas?" the eldest whispered.

"Distraction?" the boy replied skeptically.

"If you're volunteering…"

"No. I mean what if we get like, a Pokémon to walk in and just distract them? Then we could quietly run for our lives?"

"Well aren't you the absolute prick." The reply didn't come, as expected, from Misty, but from May.

"What?" he asked shocked, flipping around to face the youngest.

"That's a horrible idea! I can't believe you would even think of that! We've only just got them back, and you want to offer yours up as bait so you can go and do what you have to? That's disgusting!" she said it with so much bile that he didn't doubt for a second she wasn't joking.

"…Sorry." Was all he could say.

"You should be," she sniffed.

"So then what's your fabulous idea?"

"I liked the idea of bait," she replied, but before he could even open his mouth, she quickly said "Don't worry, I won't suggest we send you. Well, I will, but with you dressed up as the grunt."

"What?!" he exclaimed, and instantly knew he had made a mistake. The large group of TR members all turned to the source of the noise, frowning slightly.

"What was that?" a purple-haired commander snapped.

"We aren't sure," replied a brave grunt.

"Well then go find out!" he nodded, and stepped tepidly toward the three teens. Not a better moment could have been chosen for the yellow duck to find it's way out of it's poké ball.

"Pysduck?" it asked its owner, who was no face palming.

"Shit." She quietly swore. The other two glared furiously at the small Pokémon.

"Pysduck?" it tried again.

"Get back in your ball!" The ginger ordered, but the duck shook its head, its little hands holding it.

"Do you really have to do this now?" she begged. Its only answer was the increased grip on its circular head, as if he was in some extreme pain. The grunt was closing in on the three now, and there was nowhere to hide. The centre was strategically place by two dead ends, so intruders couldn't do anything but get caught.

"When we die, I'm blaming you." was all the girl said.

"Me?" the green haired boy replied.

She snapped. "Who else?"

"Me too," piped up the brunette.

"Well fuck." The Team Rocket member opened the door, and saw the three crouching down.

"We've got the three prisoners here! God knows how they escaped."

"What?!" yelled the commander, hurrying forward, as though she didn't believe him.

"Its them all right," he muttered as she approached.

"Call security! Get them locked up a-" she was cut off, as the duck shook his head it agony. He closed his large eyes, and then as they opened, they glowed a familiar blue. A smile broke across the redheads face.

"What the hell is that?" the commander spluttered, before she and several others were levitated into the air.

Cries of panic and shock rung out around the room, and the three stumbled up, taking their only chance. They tore through the room as fast they could, followed by the small waddling Pokémon, still clutching his head. Futile attempts of stopping them were made by the enemy, but being levitated into the air effectively stopped them.

"Hurry the hell up!" yelled the leader of the three as he wrestled with the handle on the door. His hands shook slightly, so he found it hard to open the door correctly.

"Move over, idiot." Replied Misty, yanking open the door and streaked though, along with the other two.

"Pysduck, hurry up!" the small duck waddled as fast as it could, but along with the splitting headache he was currently weaning, it made it rather hard. She shook her head, and ran back in, grabbed him, kicking and elbowing several attempting captors in the process. One did, successfully grab her around her waist though, and held her. Pysduck's ability was wearing out, and more previously levitated TR members were falling down to the ground. Struggle as she may, he did have a firm grip on the pale girl.

"Go and get him then!" she yelled to the other two. She dropped the duck, which began clawing at her captor's leg.

"Go help Misty!" called May, releasing the poké ball from her hand. The insect Pokémon flew out, and rushed over to the two.

"REALLY MAY?" the girl shrieked, for she hated bug Pokémon, and having one set on her by her friend while captured by a man who wasn't the slightest bit phased, was all too much.

"Sorry! She's really lovely!" she called back, running away. May's Beautifly flapped it's decorative wings, causing a very strong gust, even before the others had time to get out their poké balls. It seemed the enemy holding her was at war with himself, against his want for a battle, and his need to keep her captivated. Fortunately, he wasn't the smartest person in the world; so, he thought that he could still keep a relatively firm grip on her, even with just one hand.

Never underestimate an angry girl.

The moment his hand left her waist she twisted, freeing herself, grabbed his arm that was still on her hips, and twisted it as far as she would. She then bent it at the elbow, and waited until she heard a satisfying crunch to know she had mangled the bones in his arm. She grabbed Pysduck again, and left May's bug type to what it was intent on doing, which seemed to be sending as many people as she could into a large tornado, she whipped up.

Again Misty made the journey to the door. The other two were in a battle with what looked like Professors, who must have been running the experiment on Ash.

She threw two poké balls in their direction and simply yelled "Help!" before rushing over to the tan boy in shackles at the end of the room. His face was scrunched up, as if he was still in agony. She guessed he wasn't, because no one was manning the panel of buttons, but she wasn't sure. Still, she grabbed his shoulders and began to shake him.

"Ash? Ash? Can you hear me?" he stirred.

"Mmm… Mist?" he mumbled almost silently. She felt her eyes twinge, and fill with tears. Usually she would have been disgraced with herself, because she never ever cried. But today was an exception.

"Yes! It's me! I'm here! I'm-" she was cut off by an immense cry, coming from behind her. She turned her form to see an enormous red-and-gold bird crash through the wall window to the left. It squawked and cried, pure pain and rage in the creatures eyes. In the corner of her eye, she saw Ash lift his head.

"You came…" He said, louder than he had when he spoke to Misty. Everything was silent.

"I told you not to." He smiled again at the big bird. It bowed it's head in his direction, and let out a softer cry. Misty glanced at him, then at Ho-Oh, then back to him.

"Whats going on?" she asked, more worried than she felt.

"He came." Was all Ash replied.

"I can see that… But why did the legendary Pokémon that once guarded Kanto come?" she pressed.

"He came…" Misty was about to loose her patience, "He came, because I'm dying."

"What?" she spluttered, the tears of joy in her eyes quickly changing to ones of pain.

"I'm dying, Mist."

"No you're not!" she managed to get out. "Y-You're fine! You're talking to me now! You're fine! You're fine!" She seemed to keep repeating this to convince herself more than anyone else.

"I'm not." He said firmly, but still in a caring tone, knowing this was killing Misty inside.

"How do you know? We can get you to a doctor, we can save you…" he shook his head.

"It's too late."

"But how do you know?"

"Remember when I told you I met Ho-Oh ages ago?" he began. She nodded stupidly, tears still streaming down her face, no idea where this was going. "Well, that night, he sort of, visited me. In my dreams. But, it wasn't a dream. It was real. Does that make any sense?" he asked. She shook her head, her messy ponytail flipping into her face. "Well, he came, and he told me that I would see him exactly twice in my life. Once, at the beginning. That day was the beginning. It was the beginning of my story, of my journey. And a second time, at the end. So, I guess, this is the end."

She cried harder. Her mind filled with everything she'd ever wanted to say to him, but her body would not let her articulate anything. So instead, she just cried.

"Don't worry, it's not the end of the world." she choked on the lump that had risen in her throat. He leant forward and pressed his forehead to hers.

"But we never got to have that battle…" she got out. A single laugh left his mouth.

"I guess we'll never know who's the best, hey?" she shook her head softly, which was with some difficulty, since she still had Ash's forehead on her own. She felt a warm, wet tear drip onto her nose. She wasn't the only one crying.

"Do you have to go?" she pleaded pathetically.

"I don't want too." He murmured. Another tear fell to her nose. She felt him leave her head. She wanted to say something, anything, to make him not leave her. She lifted her head, and he looked at her almost pityingly. He leant forward once more and kissed her. It wasn't a fabulous, passionate, long awaited kiss. It was a sweet, short and wet one, but it meant more to her than almost anything else. The tears that had almost subsided poured out again, and as she opened her eyes, she saw that the boy she had just kissed was now glowing. Faintly, but still glowing a strange, almost gold colored glow. The same color as the tips of the birds wings. She grabbed his hand again, more tightly this time, and looked him deep in the eyes. Somewhere, a million miles off from where her mind presently was, Drew grabbed Mays hand. The six spectators watched as the boy's light grew, and when it was almost blinding, he vanished. Not vanished, technically, but it was almost as though he had turned to dust, effectively leaving his body. Tiny, golden, floating dust. In a strange way, it was beautiful. They watched as the travelling dust floated over to the huge Pokémon and rested in a mist around it. Then, with an almighty flash, it was gone.

Ten years on:

The older, wiser girl entered her house on the beach. It was a lovely little cottage, with shell decorations and other various sea objects scattered around for decorative purposes.

This year's league had just finished, and yet another champion was crowned. She had another half a year to stay here, and then it was back to the Plateau, back to the training, back to the battling. She didn't complain though. She preferred it there, because she was always busy, and when she was busy, she didn't have time to dwell on her sad thoughts. Though nearly a decade had gone by, she couldn't find it in herself to let him go.

An open letter lie on her little Beachwood coffee table. It was a wedding invite. Drew and May's, no less. She was happy for the two of course, and was glad they were finally tying the knot, but she remembered how the night she got the letter all she did was cry herself to sleep.

She knew she would never truly move on from his death, but she could at least pretend. She sat down on her large windowsill, and looked over the crashing blue waves. She knew she would have to go to her friends wedding, out of courtesy and of friendship. They were there for her when she needed them most. It wasn't just her feeling the pain.

They missed him too.

Whew! The end of my first ever story! Yay! Sorry if the ending is a bit fluffy, I didn't really know what to do with it. Also, so sorry this took so long, I just couldn't get the story to go the way I wanted it to. It varied from an all out war, to Misty crying over his mangled body, and yeah. I have several different drafts of this on my computer, all with wildly different endings. This, I guess, was 'middle ground'. Anyway, thanks so, so, so much for sticking around this long, you have no idea how much I love you for that!

Yours truly,

Ruby