Misty, Brock and Seymour went around helping as many Pokemon as they could to the point they were almost out of Pokemon supplement medicine. Brock wondered how much longer they could carry on doing this with the bright lights on, even he was starting to feel the heat. Misty had taken to wetting one of her scarves and tying it around her head to keep herself cool. Seymour was helping in carrying around the more exhausted Pokemon towards the bowls of water so they could rehydrate. As they worked they heard voices coming from ahead and the Pokemon who were no longer feeling exhausted scattered as if spooked. Misty and Brock returned their Pokemon before grabbing Seymour and rushed to hide behind one of the acloves in the tunnel away from their sight.
Brock peeked out of his hiding place and cursed, 'Dammit, those aren't poachers, they are Team Rocket. Ash better be safe.'
Misty came out glaring at the two grunts as they left, "Should we follow them?"
Brock, "No!"
Seymour, "Why not? They are the reason the Pokemon are suffering."
Brock, "Because they aren't simple poachers, they are Team Rocket. They would have no qualms in burying all of us alive in here if it meant, we are out of their way."
Misty, "Well I say we follow them at a distance, they are going the same path we are. We might as well find out how many people are their first."
Brock shook his head, "Bad idea, Misty. That could and will go wrong in many ways. But you have a point, we should find out how many members there are, then call the league."
Misty shivered, "Good idea, I don't want to be the one to tell Ash's older brothers why he was involved in this and we didn't inform them."
Seymour looked at Misty curiously, "Who are his brothers?"
Misty, "Viridian Gym Leader."
Demo gaped, "That sadistic gym leader?"
Brock gave a wry smile, "I wouldn't call him sadistic..... OK maybe a little. But he knows what he's doing and he fought with Team Rocket before, so yeah."
They decided to follow them and after a while the glow of the bulbs started to dinner, getting a sigh of relief from the three but a string of curses from the grunts. The two separated, one went towards the generator while the other decided to go to the base and inform them of the problem.
Misty whispered, "Oh no! She'll run into Jessilina and the others."
Brock held her, "Calm down, they are good trainers, for all we know they probably left that area already. Look it's actually dark now, if you rush around in the dark you'll get hurt and caught."
Misty breathed in and out, "Okay, okay, so we follow the other guy."
Seymour, "We follow the other guy."
While they were following one grunt, Ash, James and Jessie had managed to shut down the generator and leave the second level quickly as possible. Lucario took point and used aura sight to ensure no one was on the path they took but informed them there was someone coming from the other tunnel. They hid behind an aclove away from sight and Ash saw a grunt with blond hair walking by while cursing. He also noticed Jessie glaring at the woman as she walked by.
Ash, 'Huh? Does she know her?'
Jameson held her hand, "Let's go Jess!"
Jessilina took a deep breath and let it out, "Yes let's go.", 'But why is that bitch here?'
Ash spoke after covering some distance, "Do you know her Jessilina?"
Jessilina, "We used to be friends before she started to become arrogant and take my achievements and claim them as hers. Of course she didn't get away with it much. The truth soon came out, but instead of apologizing she claimed, I betrayed her when it was the other way around."
Ash frowned, "That's fucked up!"
Jameson smiled, "You're telling us?"
Ash shook his head, "I hope the others are okay and she will not figure out how to fix the generator."
Jessilina pat his head, "Don't worry about it, our Pokemon worked hard to destroy the main power cable and take some of the important looking fuses and broke them. Replacing them is going to be a headache and a half."
Ash nodded and proceeded to move down the dark tunnel following Lucario, he half wondered how he knew where Lucario was but chalked it up to the training they did together. He figured he was bound to be able to notice him in the dark too thanks to the training he did blindfolded. Although that training was a pain in the ass, Lucario seemed to have enjoyed being the teacher a lot. In the back Jessie and James were having a whispered conversation with each other.
Jessie, "You know what, I think I'll get involved a little."
James, "What are you saying Jessie?"
Jessie, "Well she and her partner Lurch, caused problems for us last year in our mission that almost caused us the boss's trust. Why don't we pay them back?"
James gave a grin, "They shouldn't have messed with us. We lost three good men and two women that day."
Jessie's bangs covered her eyes, "They lost their lives so we could complete our mission. Let's do this James! Personal revenge for them. Let's make them fail to a bunch of kids."
James, "They are lucky we are not crazy murderers."
Jessie, "I do have standards you know!"
Ash, "Hey you two, over here! Look I think we found their base operandi."
James caught up to him and peeked, "I think you are right, how many are there?"
Ash, "I can see twenty of them, probably more if we count the ones patrolling."
Lucario, -Twenty eight!-
Ash, "Twenty eight total. We can't take them all on. That's impossible but, we can take proof."
Ash sat and took out his digital camera and changed the settings to silent as well as closed the flash option and started to record the caged Pokemon and trainers. Ash back tracked he didn't remember Team Rocket taking hostages before he noticed even James and Jessie looked disturbed by what they were seeing. They knew some of the grunts were crazy borderline psychopath but this was too much. Two trainers did not look well if their heavy breathing was anything to go by and the way their Nidoqueen and Maganium looked between them and the grunts, from worry to anger. They had to do something about this, they knew their boss well and he would never condone this.
Jessie, "You know what I can't just stand here, I'm going to go and see if we can mess with them more. Also, I can see the changing area and the keys from here."
Ash, "Wait Jess.... And she's gone!"
James glared at what was happening below, "I don't blame her, this is inhumane.", 'Boss will be upset, his kid saw this. Dammit, I'm upset. We are supposed to knock trainers out and leave, not keep them as some toy. If I had to make a guess, we are dealing with the darker faction.'
Ash, "I think I see Misty and Brock. Let's go meet them."
James, "You go Ash, I'll make sure Jessilina is okay."
Ash was reluctant to leave but nodded and left with Lucario leading the way towards the other three. Misty was wearing a blue sequin dress with black wig, while Brock had a suit on with a blue wig and Seymour looked like a high school student with white hair. Ash sweatdropped at the costume choices, but he figured it could be worse. Misty, Brock and Seymour were equally horrified and disgusted with what they were seeing. When they followed the dark haired grunt to their base, finding kidnapped and tortured trainers were not what they were expecting. Seymour almost threw up when he saw the bad condition some trainers and Pokemon were in. He almost jumped in surprise when Lucario joined them with Pikachu on his shoulders and Ash with Magnemite beside him. Seymour couldn't help it and he hugged his Pokemon close to him, shaking like a leaf, Ash gave him an understanding look.
Brock, "Where are Jessilina and Jameson?"
Ash pointed at the base, "They went there, stole some uniforms and are pretending to be one of them to get the keys to the cages."
Misty, "Whaaaaat? That's crazy and ballsy."
Ash, "Yeah I have recorded the whole base here and will send it as soon as I get a signal..... Wait I got one? How?"
Ash looked around and saw James disguised as a grunt by one of the computers, "Jameson you crazy mf. Alright it's sent to my brothers. I hope they can help us."
Jessie on the other hand had managed to push the keys to some of the trainers who were still standing winking at them and motioning to keep quiet. They nodded and sat as if nothing happened and she searched for their pokeballs, which were unfortunately locked up in the storage. She saw the girl she had noticed earlier wake up from unconsciouness, she winced seeing the electric burn marks on her body. She passed her a Cheri berry when she noticed her and motioned her to be quiet.
At the gym Blue got the email while he was finishing his paperwork, unlike what most think, it was his trainees that handle the gym battles, most trainers did not get past his fourth trainee. At the lab Red was pretty pissed but the Professor calmed him down and let him borrow Alakazam to teleport him to the mountain after he informed Lance about what was happening. To say Lance was surprised and shocked at the contents of the mail was an understatement. He didn't expect Red to contact him over this, usually the Champion went and dealt with it on his own, something must have happened. He agreed to allow Red to handle it at his discretion and just like he expected he received another mail from Blue about joining Red in the mountain.
Ash, "Red is coming, let's see if we can help them."
Brock, "You mean grab some more disguises?"
Ash, "Yeah or destroy more lights."
Brock, "Golbat's screech attack is powerful and with your Fearrow to help."
Ash nodded and released Fearrow quietly getting a curious look from him, "Fearrow, we are in enemy territory right now. Listen carefully, I want you to use gust to create a smokescreen of dust. Do not be seen, okay?"
Brock, "Good idea, Zubat help Fearrow out while Golbat is blowing up the lights."
The Pokemon nodded and got to work getting surprised shouts from the grunts. The dust smokescreen was thick enough to cover Golbat's movement and she destroyed every light bulb except for the one in the corner that lit the base up in a dim light. Brock and Ash returned them after thanking them and in the process noticed, Jameson and Jessilina walk towards them from the dust screen holding the hurt trainers. Their pokeballs were being held by a Nidoqueen and Maganium who supported them as they walked.
Ash, "Seymour, help them out of here, we'll get the others out."
Seymour nodded, "Can you two walk? Come with me quick, let's get you out of here."
The girl, "Thank you, my name is Celine."
The boy, "Yes thanks, I'm Ben."
Seymour turned to the Pokemon, "If you have another Pokemon small enough to carry the pokeballs it would be better, you can carry them and we could get out faster."
Nidoqueen and Maganium nodded and tapped one pokeball each releasing a Clefairy and a Wigglytuff who took one look at their trainer and started to freak. The grass and poison type calmed them down and explained to them what was going on getting growl from both fairy types. They followed Seymour while the others stayed behind after promising the researcher they will be careful. Seymour quickly took them through the tunnel where they ran into the Champion and the gym leader getting surprised looks from them.
Red, "Where is Ash?"
Seymour snapped out of his daze, "He stayed back in there to help the other trainers."
Blue, "I see, good thing I had called medical to come here as quick as possible. Alakazam take them there."
Before the three could protest they had all been teleported outside of the cave entrance where the medics waited them. They were surprised but got to work upon seeing how badly the trainers were hurt. They asked them questions on what happened and the two gave a summary on the methods Team Rocket would use to make their Pokemon obey them. Some of the newer medics blanched while the older ones looked grim and took them and their Pokemon for check up. Seymour hurried back into the cave saying he has to help the Pokemon.
Once Seymour had left the smokescreen started to dissipate bit before it could the five of them could hear the release of Pokemon. It seems Jessilina and Jameson had not only opened the cages but returned the pokeballs back to the owners. Ash marvelled at the quick work the two showed in the way they messed up the base without raising a suspicion among them. He wondered if that was why in the anime Team Rocket kept them despite their failure to capture a Pikachu.
Ash, 'I really want to change from this orange dress and blond wig. It's a miracle they didn't notice me when I'm a walking colour target.'
Ash watched as the trainers and the grunts battled and motioned Pikachu and Lucario to get ready to throw either a shadow ball or an electro ball. The two nodded and crouched down preparing to fire, Jessie in the meantime had Wobbuffet out ready to deflect any attack coming their way. James was keeping an eye out on the grunts or rather the executives who seem to be in charge. Misty had her water Pokemon out as well creating distractions to occupy the grunts as the trainers fought. Brock had joined Jessie in keeping theur corner safe using his Pokemon. The trainers with the hurt Pokemon soon realized it was a safe zone and joined them to let their hurt Pokemon rest.