Fallen Friends

     Ash couldn't tell what was happening. He was to dizzy to know the
difference. He couldn't tell where up was. Until something plucked him out of
the air. Ash groaned. He looked at his spinning world. He down to see himself
suspended 2 feet off the ground. He looked behind to see the grim face of a
Machamp. It effortlessly held him there with one hand. But not for long, as
it clenched its fists together, and delivered a blow to Ash's head, knocking
him unconscious.

     Ash woke up in the middle of a dark room. H was laying face down in the
floor. He got up. Something warm trickled down his lip. He wiped the blood
away. "Where am I?" He couldn't see anything, not how big the room was, not
even his hands in front of his face. "Hello, Ash." Ash looked around. He
knew the voice, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Long time, no see"
The voice said. He heard footsteps. "Who are you?!" Ash yelled. Suddenly, the
room lit up. He blocked the light from his eyes until they adjusted. Ash
looked around. The room was huge! At least a 50 x 50 x 50 ft room. Then Ash
looked at the man standing in the center of the room. He squinted. "It's me,
Ash" the man said. " Giovanni?" Ash wasn't sure. "That's right, Ash" Giovanni
said. "What do you want with me?" Ash asked the nefarious leader of the no
longer existing Team Rocket.
     "You probably didn't know, Ash, but Team Rocket has been working secretly
underground. And we're after more than just 'rare pokemon', we are going much
farther than that. Bank robberies. Jewel heists. Breaking and entering for
valuables. We may even kill if we have to. We still go after rare and
valuable pokemon, but now we do much more. " "And you haven't been caught?" "
Team Rocket isn't stupid, Ash. We plan months ahead of time to make sure that
it goes smoothly. Oh, and I'm sure you remember Jesse and James, right?
They've been fired." Ash stood still. "And we've made new shirts." Giovanni
held up a black shirt with the letters TR on the front. "The $5.95 if you
want any." Ash looked at Giovanni." Anyway, I'm sure you're wondering why you
are here. I know you remember that you have created more than 20 new moves
for pokemon. Well, I have to. You see, We all know how smart Alakazams are,
right Ash?'" "Yes..." "Well we've made use of the 5,000 IQ they have and came
up with 2 new moves. Brainwash and manipulate. I'm sure you can guess what
they do. Anyway, you being the worlds greatest pokemon trainer, I mean
master, would make a great asset to Team Rocket. " "You plan to brainwash
and/or manipulate me to work at Team Rocket?" "Simply put, yes. " "I'd kill
myself before that would happen." "Then, I have something I want to show
you." Giovanni drew a glass vial from his pocket. A clear liquid was inside
it."How about you give me all the pokemon on you, and I give you the antidote
for your friends' sleeping sickness?" "Does that mean....?" "Yes, Ash, of
course!" Giovanni started laughing." I shot down your friends." "Why did you
shoot them down?" "To get them out of the way. They'd only get in the way."
Ash started to really get mad. Giovanni continued to laugh."And I'm sure you
remember how Raichu was sent to jail." "That too?" "That too. heh heh. We
simply rigged the pole and sent electrical signals through it and now..."
Giovanni reached into his pocket and pulled out a red and blue pokeball."Now
we have the pokemon that Jesse and James and Meowth were always trying to
get. It was simple to get it out of jail and replace its ball with a painted
one. Of course, we did it this way so there was no threat of you, your
pokemon, or Raichu. " "Why you..." I'm sorry, but I cannot print the words
that Ash used right here. "So" Giovanni said." Your pokemon, or your
friends. Which will it be?" Ash got mad. Real mad. Then he gave a sigh.
"I can't let my friends just die." Giovanni took out a sack. "Good boy,
you made the right choice." Giovanni walked over to Ash. "Here's
Charizard."He took a pokeball and dropped it in the sack."Blastoise." He took
another."Venusaur" Another."Gengar." Another. "And Articuno." He dropped
another. "Wait Giovanni said." There should be a sixth." " You already have
it. Raichu. " "Right." Giovanni walked away. "What about the antidote?" Ash
said. Giovanni didn't answer. "WELL!?!?" Still no answer.

     "Articuno, GO!!!!!!!" Ash yelled, echoing in the room. He took a
pokeball in back of his belt and threw it. "Quick, get the other pokemon
back, and the glass vial. " Articuno flew to Giovanni. "I should have known
you'd keep an extra pokeball." " I gave you the one that was originally for
pikachu" Ash said. Giovanni watched. He dropped the sack, which Articuno
took to Ash. He knew he couldn't face the bird. Then he took the glass vial
and threw it to the floor. "NNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" Ash yelled, watching, almost
in slow motion as the glass vial shattered, along with his hopes of rescuing
his friends."YOU'RE MINE!!! I challenge you to a pokemon battle!" "Well now,
something interesting." He snapped his fingers and sliding doors on either
side of the room opened as members from TR (Team Rocket) filed in. "Now, Ash
, we all know how powerful your pokemon are. So lets make this more
interesting." Giovanni said. He snapped his fingers . All the doors shut, and
he could here the electronic locks locking. " You will fight us as we send
out many pokemon at once. You win, and you get out alive. You lose. And you
become a member of Team Rocket." Giovanni said." Fine then." Ash said. The
battle begun.

To be continued.....

(It's not over yet! Hows it going? Tell me at
ZEEJ11@aol.com)