Betrayl Written By: Kitsune-chan (kitsune-chan@trust-me.com) Official Webpage: http://www.angelfire.com/pokemon/orG Oh, and BTW, the kidnapper was supposed to want Mewtwo AND Pikachu. Ciao, read on, Poké-people! "What's going on?" Ash asked. He tried to move his wrists, but found that they were tied tightly behind his back. He also tried to move his ankles, but found that they were also bound tightly. He tried again, "Hello? Is anyone there?" Silence. He couldn't see, for he was blindfolded, "I'll let you go once I get Pikachu and Mewtwo." A vaguely familiar voice snapped. "Who are you?' Ash asked, trying to place the voice. More silence. "I'll make this easy for you Ash." The voice replied. Ash felt hands at the back of his head and the blindfold came off. He turned his head, but still could not see his captor. Slowly, his kidnapper stepped from the shadows so that he was standing in front of Ash. Ash gasped in shock and recognition... "Why? Why? Why?" Misty sobbed, rocking back and forth in her sister, Violet's arms. The youngest Cerulean Sister had been inconsolable ever since Ash had disappeared the day before. Brock was on the phone with Officer Jenny while Daisy, Lily and Violet tried to console their sister. "This is the first time she's cried so much in years..." Daisy whispered in Lily's ear as they stared at Misty. She looked terrible. Misty's hair was down from its usual ponytail style and was stringy, hanging in her face. With a normally tanned face, she looked as pale as a ghost did now and her cheeks were streaked with tearstains and grime. Her eyes were filled with a bottomless pool of tears. "It's okay Misty, we'll find him...It's okay...Shhh...Everything's gonna be all right now." Lily hugged her sister, attempting to calm her. "Well..." Violet trailed off and looked at the doorway to see Brock standing there, Togepi in hand. "Brock!" she exclaimed jumping up, happy for a distraction. "What's the news?" "There is none." Brock sighed heavily and sat down on a chair. "Officer Jenny said she'd get right on it." "All we can do now is pray..." Daisy said quietly, taking Misty's hand in her own, "All we can do..." "Where's the boss?" Meowth asked. "I don't know and I don't care." Jessie replied lazily, opening one eye to fix the cat with an icy glare, "We haven't had to do any work for almost three days." "I'm bored," James whined, "now that the boss has told us never to go near those kids again, there's nothing else we can do." "Maybe they know where the boss is?" Meowth questioned. "He probably went to visit them at the Cerulean Gym." James spoke. "Why don't we go there and ask him what he wants us to do?" Jessie suggested, leaning lazily back against a tree. "Fine with me." James sighed and got up from the grass. "Fine." Meowth agreed and also got up from the green ground. "Arrrhhh." Jessie grumbled as she got up slowly. "What's the matter Jess? Too lazy to get up?" Meowth teased. "You'll be the one who's gonna be lazy once I'm done with you!" Jessie shouted, her eyes filed with rage as she started to chase the cat around. "Jessie!" James whined, "We have to go find the boss..." "Fine. But when we get back, that furball is in for it." Jessie growled as she reluctantly gave up the chase. "Prepare for trouble and make it double!" two familiar voices rang out from Misty's balcony. "I thought you were ordered to leave us alone!" Brock shouted angrily as the three Team Rocket members walked into the room. "We don't want to steal that Pikachu." Jessie said, pointing to the Pokémon that Ash had left behind, "Or any other Pokémon." "We just wanted to know if our boss was here visiting you." James finished, his hands held up in surrender. "Well, like, he isn't, like, here. Can't you see that?" Lily snapped. "Ash isn't here either." Misty replied quietly, tears still running silently down her cheeks. "Neither of 'em?" Meowth blinked in surprise. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu suddenly shouted. The air near Misty's bed was starting to shimmer. Within moments, the fierce Mewtwo had appeared. His eyes landed on Misty and he started to glow with a blue aura. Within seconds, the aura had also spread to Misty. "Do you have any idea what that thing's doing, Meowth?" Jessie asked curiously. "Not a clue." Meowth replied snidely. "Where?" Misty suddenly asked, her eyes were dry now. She crawled to the edge of the bed to sit closer to Mewtwo. "Okay." Misty nodded, then hopped out of bed and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She quickly splashed water on her cheeks and raced out to her balcony, Mewtwo at her side. "Misty! Like, where are you going?" Lily called after her as she followed her sister and Mewtwo to the balcony. "To find Ash!" Misty called out, a smile lighting up her face as she grabbed hold of Mewtwo's neck. "Misty! Wait!" Brock shouted after her as he raced out onto the balcony. He was just in time to see them start to fly through the air. "Great, like, now how are we supposed to follow them?" Violet asked. "In our balloon!" a voice exclaimed. The four on the balcony looked down to see a hot-air balloon in the shape of a Meowth's head rising towards them. "Great! C'mon Pikachu, Daisy!" Brock shouted, hopping into the balloon with Pikachu as it neared the balcony. "Bye Lily! Bye Violet! See ya soon!" Daisy called excitedly as she too hopped into the balloon piloted by Team Rocket. Moments later, they were still on the trail of Misty and Mewtwo, but they were almost out of sight. "This isn't gonna work!" James shouted in exasperation. "We need someone to go up ahead, then lead us to them." Brock suggested. "Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, then started to tap on one of Ash's Pokéballs that Daisy had brought. Out burst... Pidgeotto! "Great idea, Pikachu!" Brock exclaimed. "You, like, can follow Misty, then, like, lead us to them! Okay, Pikachu?" Daisy suggested. "Kachu!" Pikachu called out gleefully as he hopped onto Pidgeotto's back and flew away, following Misty and Mewtwo. "I hope he's all right." Brock muttered to himself, concentrating on keeping the two flying groups in his eyesight. "Dad?" Ash gasped as he saw his captor, "What...How...Why?" he finally stammered out. Giovanni didn't answer his son for a moment. He turned his back to him and sighed heavily. He finally turned around. Ash searched for any sign of emotion on his father's face, but there was none. He finally cleared his throat and started to speak, "Ash, I'll give you two choices; One, you give me Mewtwo and I let you go free or; Two, you keep your Pokémon and become a member of Team Rocket." "Dad!" Ash struggled with his bonds. "Those are your choices, Ash." Giovanni said in a voice as hard as ice. He then walked around to the back of Ash and untied his wrists and ankles. "You may stay in this room until you decide." He then left the room. Ash stood there as he watched the door close, then heard the click as it locked. He sat heavily on the bed in the room and leaned against the wall. "Two weeks ago, I had just met my father. Now he kidnapped me for my Pokémon?' Ash spoke aloud, his voice full of anguish. "Now I wish I had never met him at all..." "Are you sure this is the way, Mewtwo?" Misty asked the psychic Pokémon that was flying her to where Ash supposedly was. "Yes." Mewtwo answered. There was no more talking until they reached a large castle-like building in the middle of the forest. "Whoa! That's where Ash is being held hostage?" Misty gasped. "I believe so. Try the second window on the third floor." Mewtwo replied as they flew close to the building, just under the third floor windows. Misty glanced in the second one. It was dark, but the window was open, allowing light to filter in. Sitting hunched up on the bed was... "Ash!" Ash looked up as he heard his name called. He sighed heavily, "I must be imagining things." "No you aren't, Ash." Misty's voice called out from outside the window. He walked over to it and looked down. There he saw Mewtwo with Misty riding him. They were floating a good three storied off the ground. "Misty, you've gotta get outta here!" Ash whispered hoarsely. "Why?" Misty asked in confusion. "Ash! Who are you talking to?" a voice shouted from the other side of the door. Ash's face went pale, "Misty, just get outta here now!" he whispered. "No way! I'm gonna teach your kidnapper not to mess with me." Misty replied hotly. She climbed through the window with Mewtwo behind her. "Ash!" the voice called again. There was a click as the door unlocked and a tense silence as the door opened. Giovanni stepped into the room, "Well, well, well, hello again Misty. I see you've brought me the ransom." He sneered. "No way! You aren't getting any of Ash's Pokémon!" Misty shot back, her voice full of anger. Why had Giovanni kidnapped his own son? she looked at Ash, expecting him to back her up. He just stood there, his head bowed and eyes fixed on the carpet. "Well, your little friend has a choice now." Giovanni then turned to Ash, "What'll it be, Ash? Give me Pikachu and Mewtwo or become a Team Rocket agent?" "What?!" Misty exclaimed, "You either want Ash to give up his best friend and most powerful Pokémon or become a member of Team Rocket?" "That's what I said, little brat. Keep your nose out of family business and go away like a good little girl." Giovanni spoke harshly. "Don't talk to Misty that way!" Ash shouted, the first words he had spoken since Giovanni had entered the room. "What're you going to do about it? You have no Pokémon." Giovanni turned to Ash. "The police are on their way, Mr. Ketchem." Misty informed Ash's father, trying to keep the terror out of her voice. "Is that so?" Giovanni turned to Misty, hatred burning in his eyes. "Why did you do that?!" Ash asked, turning to Misty. "I...I.." Misty stammered, "he kidnapped you!" "But he's also my father!" Ash shot back. As they continued their argument, they didn't notice as Giovanni slipped away. "STOP IT! He's gone!" Mewtwo shouted suddenly. Ash and Misty looked away from each other and glanced at the spot where Giovanni had been last. "You better not tell anyone about this, Misty." Ash ordered her. "Why?" Misty asked. "Because he's my father." Ash finally replied, "And I don't want anything to happen to him." "Omigod! Ash, are you, like, all right?" Daisy asked as she, Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Brock, Jessie, James, Meowth and Officer Jenny burst into the room. "I'm fine." Ash replied quietly, looking out the window. "Did you see who kidnapped you?" Officer Jenny asked as she whipped out a pad of paper and a pen. "No." Ash replied after a long silence, "I was blindfolded the whole time until Misty came and untied me." "Is that right, young lady?" Officer Jenny turned to Misty. "Yes it is." Misty quickly confirmed. She glanced at Ash who gave her a small smile. He crossed the room to the window and stared out there for a long, long time. "Officer Jenny?" Brock asked. "Yes, Brock?" Jenny asked, looking up from her writing. "Will you go out with me?" Brock asked, his eyes hearts and his face red. "There he goes again..." Ash sighed. "Like, let's go." Daisy suggested. Brock and Ash nodded and Officer Jenny led the way out. Misty bent down to tie her shoe and noticed a small, shiny object. She picked it up and slid it in her pocket. Ash and Misty were standing on the balcony outside her room as they watched the Team Rocket balloon fly away. Jessie and James had told them that as soon as they stepped off the balloon, the truce was over. They had obliged to that and got off the balloon safely. "Misty?" Ash asked after a long moment of silence. "Yes, Ash?" Misty replied, looking out at the sunset. "Um...thanks." Ash muttered. Misty turned to look at him with surprise, "For what?" "For everything..." Ash murmured to himself, then straightened up and spoke so that Misty could hear, "For rescuing me." "You're welcome, Ash." Misty smiled, then remembered the object that she had picked up out of the room. She fished in her pocket and held it out to Ash, "here, I found this." "It's my dad's ring." Ash whispered as he took the ring in his hand. It was a large gold band with a large shiny black stone set in it. Engraved in red on the stone was a large red 'R'. He impulsively hugged Misty. Caught be surprise, Misty just stood there. Then she hugged him back. "Ash?" she asked hesitantly. "Yeah?" he repled softly. "I-I-I-" she stammmered. "I know." Ash smiled, lifting Misty's chin so that they could look each other in the eye. He closed his eyes and leaned closer until his lips were touching her own. Misty closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. They stayed like that for a long time. Brock was peeking out the glass door of Misty's room and he saw Ash and Misty kissing. He turned to Pikachu who was smiling happily on the bed, "You know what this means, don't you, Pikachu?" "Pika?" Pikachu asked in confusion. "Ash has a girlfriend before I do!" Brock wailed. Heehee. Poor Brock, never gets a girlfriend. Yes, I'm a hopeless romantic. I believe that Ash and Misty belong together. For all of you who don't think so, listen to 'Misty's Song' on the 2.B.A. MASTER CD. It clearly says there that Misty loved Ash. /^\ /^\ \__\ /__/ \ \ / / \ \_______/ / \ / ¦ /\ /\ ¦ ¦ ^ ¦ ¦O \_/ O¦ \_______/ Misty Ketchem signing off....until next fic! C ya!