“What time is it?”

“Half past.”

Gary resumed his pacing. He felt like he might be digging a trench with his footprints for long as they had been waiting. The sun was high and the skies clear. At least weather was on their side. They really didn’t need inclimate weather added to the odds already stacked alarmingly in the other side’s favor.

The coordinates had led them to Johto alright. And to that of a condemned building just outside of Goldenrod. Misty had suspected it to be a old casino with its high arches and the obnoxiously large neon sign shaped in a boomerang; its missing bulbs framing the sign like a toothless grin. Giovanni confirmed her suspicion. Apparently it was also a front for a Team Rocket operation many years ago. Misty had made a face at that news. And Gary immediately shared Misty’s distaste for it.

It was run down, reclaimed by the forest that had grown up around it. A small tree was growing through the window of the first floor. The windows had all been left with just their frames. And the roof had long since collapsed into the tenth floor.

There had been no safe way inside the building, Giovanni assumed that the meeting point must be on what remained of the roof. There still remained part of the helipad in the part of the roof that hadn’t sloped into the floor below. So with their flying pokemon, the trio ascended the tower. And that’s where they waited.

While Gary paced, Giovanni sat on a jutting piece of the building’s frame, leaning over his knees in quiet contemplation. He said nothing, except to answer when Gary asked for the time. Misty sat on the roof’s edge, dangling her legs over and staring down into the sun-dappled forest below.

Gary kicked loose a bit of rubble and watched it roll down the slope of the roof. The skies were still empty and the forest clear.

“What time is it?”

“Three minutes since the last time you asked,” Giovanni answered patiently.

Gary let out an exasperated sigh and sank to the floor. “They aren’t coming.”

“They will come,” Giovanni knocked the rolled up poster board knowingly to the beam on which he sat. “They want this.”

“How long are we supposed to wait?”

“For however long it takes,” Misty snapped, not even bothering to turn around. “Until they bring us Ash.”  

Gary slipped into a somewhat guilty silence. He hadn’t meant to sound petulant. He just had the jitters. He had been ready to pull off their plan the moment they had come up with it two days ago. And now that they were already here, sitting in the middle of nowhere- it was like sitting on a bomb that hadn’t yet started ticking down.

Gary climbed back up to his feet, fully intending to return to his pacing. He hadn’t made another lap before Misty’s voice interrupted him.

“What’s that?”

Misty was pointing to a glint above the trees. As they watched, it grew larger- closer. Giovanni climbed to his feet staring out at the same strange object. No, it was definitely a plane. Except it was the sort of plane Gary had never seen before. Almost a flying saucer variety, shaped like a silver bullet gliding above the trees.

“It’s a White Ice plane. Get ready. They’re here,” said Giovanni, slapping the blueprints into Gary’s hands. “You’re on.”

Gary wasn’t sure what to do with himself. While Misty and Giovanni clambered into position behind him, Gary was left feeling exposed and vulnerable on the front lines. He couldn’t keep the jitters from his hands as he wrung the posterboard back and forth. Any second now, they’d be getting Ash back. Or so he hoped.

The plane was twice the size of a helicopter, but somehow managed to neatly position itself just above the crumbling mess of a helipad before them. It kicked up an excess of air and dust and yet made next to no sound. It had the same basic shape of a plane with very short stubby wings. The top was domed with what appeared to be one sided glass- it reflected their frightened faces back to themselves. And like a gliding kite, it touched down before them.

Gary stood in front, wielding the rolled up blueprints like a unsheathed sword. He could sense Misty right behind him, undoubtedly holding a waiting pokeball. Giovanni was on his right, looking completely out of place in his dusty suit. He didn’t seem to have anything on him, but his hand went to his pocket. For either pokeball or firearm, Gary didn’t know nor did he care. So long as it was used in their favor.

There was a pneumatic hiss as the door locks released and a ramp lowered down from the bottom of the plane. And from that ramp came a stream of WI agents in riot gear, with pokebelt full and gleaming across their waists. Gary could count at least five as they lined up threateningly before them.

“Where’s Andromeda?” Giovanni barked at them.

One of the guards, the only one not helmeted, smiled an unkind smile. “She couldn’t make it.”

“Where’s Ash?” It was Gary’s turn to shout.

The young man nodded back to the ramp where a sixth agent descended. The final agent looked alarmingly similar to the one who had addressed them. But more distressing was the man he was helping down the ramp.

Gary felt his heart twinge at the sight of his old rival. Ash had clearly been treated poorly in their care. The young man was covered in bruises, including a prominent one on his cheek. His skin had taken on a sickly white pallor and Gary could see clumsily tied bandages poking out from his shoulder. Ash drunkenly stumbled from the plane’s slippery ramp, only able to stand thanks to the support of the man leading him by gun point.

It was curious, but Gary could swear he noticed the agent whispering something to Ash. Ash’s expression seemed so vacant and unfocused, it was unclear if he could hear. But then, there- a subtle nod.

“Thank you, Lewis. That will be all,” The first man hissed, pulling the weakened hostage from the other man (Lewis)’s grasp. Undoubtedly he noticed the hushed conversation as well. And even more curiously, he hadn’t seemed to approve of it.

Lewis gave a curt nod to his lookalike, holstered his gun and rushed back up the ramp. It closed up after him. The man in charge had a tight painful grip on Ash’s arm and his own gun withdrawn. But where Lewis had been just leading with the gun, this man pressed it hard against Ash’s temple. Gary felt Misty tense behind him but thankfully didn’t move from her position.

“Let him go,” Gary hissed.

The man looked from Gary and Giovanni in turn with that simpering smile still on his face. He briefly gestured the gun in Gary’s direction, “You taking orders from kids now, Gio? I hadn’t realized you had been dethroned.”

“There’s nothing to be dethroned from, Clark. Team Rocket is dead.”

“Oh, I know. It’s why I left,” He glanced Gary’s way and then Misty’s. “Hey sweetheart. How’s your head?”

“Go choke on a stick.”

“Ash missed you. Didn’t you, Ash?”

Ash said nothing. He wasn’t gagged or restrained in any way that Gary could see. But he remained silent and demure. Only cringing as Clark gripped his throat harder and pushed the gun closer.

“He missed you,” Clark interpreted, still not releasing his grip. “You’ll be happy to note we took real good care of him. He only cried when it really really hurt, right Ash? Such a big boy.”

Clark was evidently hurting Ash now; pulling him so close and gripping his bandaged shoulder. Ash winced but couldn’t pull himself free. He almost hung in Clark’s grip, completely at the man’s mercy.

“Stop it!” Gary snapped before Misty could. The girl was visibly shaking with rage, and it was only a matter of time before she released whatever pokemon she had waiting in its ball. And Gary didn’t want to risk Ash’s safety to a fit of misguided revenge. “Just… let him go. We’ve got what you want.”

Clark looked at him like he was something stuck to the bottom of his shoe. He clearly wasn’t pleased to be dealing with an outside party. “Who are you?”

“I’m the guy with your ransom. So how about you let Ash go and we can make a trade.”  He held up the blueprints for Clark to see giving them a little shake. Gary didn’t like how the man’s smile got wider.

“We’ll see,” He nodded to the guards on either side of him. Immediately, several things happened all at once. First, the plane took off, blasting the group again with dust and air. As the plane did so, all the waiting agents raised their weapons, much to the group’s alarm. Misty immediately enlarged her pokeball and Gary thought he saw Giovanni withdraw his own pistol.

“Woah woah. What is this?” Gary shouted. The plane shot up and was already making its way up over the treetops. He waved at the escaping plane. “Where is he going?”

“Calm down. My brother has plans elsewhere. And this,” He waved to the line of armed agents, “This is just insurance,” Clark nodded the gun in Gary’s direction. “This is how we are going to do this. You. Only you. Come over here. Let’s trade.”

Though it was hardly ideal, Gary suspected he would be forced to approach. And once within range, he’d be completely at their mercy. Gary hesitated. “Meet me halfway.” 

Clark rolled his eyes. “I can shoot you from here.”

“You can try,” Misty snarled. Gary gently held out an arm to hold her back, to remind her. He had this. This was his part to play, not hers. It’s what they all agreed to.

“Fine. Halfway,” He took a step forward, pushing Ash with him. “Start walking.”

Gary did. Even though his legs felt like they were turning to lead, Gary walked down the slope of the roof; just shy of the helipad. Clark rose to meet him. And as he did, Gary's heart hammered harder and harder. He couldn’t help but fear the firearm that was pressed to Ash’s head. There was a thin thread of life stretched taut between them but Gary had yet to know who it belonged to; him or Ash. To keep from staring at the gun, Gary stared at Ash. Ash, who met his gaze, with eyes as calm as a still lake. Even in the situation he was in, Ash had a level of composure that Gary couldn’t even begin to emulate. But he could try.

Gary stopped just within arm’s reach of the agent and his hostage.

“Ransom, please.”

“Give me Ash first.”

“Fine.”

Clark practically threw Ash at Gary. Ash stumbled and crashed into Gary’s waiting arms. Gary was surprised by the ferocity with which Ash clung to him. As if he might suddenly wake up and find himself ripped away again. He was breathing heavily and trembling but still not speaking. Instead he buried his face into Gary’s shoulder and just held on.

“It’s okay man. I got you. It’s over now.”

“Now the ransom.”

Gary glared up at Clark and tossed the rolled up poster board. It fell just short of Clark’s waiting hand. Clark scowled in response.

While Clark fetched the fallen blueprints, Gary gently helped Ash back to his feet. It was as he was doing so that Gary realized that Ash’s lips were moving. He was rapidly repeating a word that Gary couldn’t hear nor understand. Still the urgency in which Ash gripped Gary’s arms translated the danger he was trying to warn of.

Clark had unfurled the blueprints and was examining them, his gun still idly trained in their direction. And, of course, the other agents had their guns leveled and ready. The danger was already everywhere, clearly apparent. What other danger could there be that Ash wouldn’t even be able to put his voice behind the warning?

“You’re lucky. Giovanni upheld his end of the bargain,” said Clark as he quickly rolled the blueprints back up. He once again gestured the gun in their direction. “We’re done here.”

This was the point Gary had been the least sure of. There was a big risk that both he and Ash could be killed now that WI had what they wanted. He tensed, waiting for the bullets to start flying. But remarkably, Clark just turned and walked away. Gary couldn’t believe their good fortune. Ash was here. He was safe.

They had rescued him.

Gary quickly helped Ash stumble to where the others were. But he kept dragging his feet, constantly twisting at his arm. While Gary had just been trying to pull them both back to safety, Ash was determined to draw attention back to his voiceless warning.

It was then, when Ash had used most of his remaining strength to yank Gary back, with an accompanying gesture of a fist erupting into a spread palm- that Gary understood the warning. Bomb.

Bomb. In the building.

Gary hadn’t even the time to curse before the first tremor nearly knocked both him and Ash off their feet. Misty screamed. And Giovanni had fallen hard onto his back.

All the agents had retained their balance as they summoned their flying mounts. A nasty assortment of bug and bird fliers, with vicious looking beaks, stingers and claws. But they weren’t getting on to run away. They knew they’d be dealing with pokemon trainers… they were intending to chase- to fight. If they dared to outrun the explosion.

“I hope you didn’t think it’d be that easy,” Clark called summoning his own nasty looking Fearow.

The second tremor shook Gary from his thoughts and nearly tore Ash from his arms. The whole building was shuddering now, as if trying to catch its breath.

“The building is going to go!” Gary screamed out to Misty and Giovanni where they swayed uncertainly at the edge of the roof. “You two need to get out of here!”

Misty shook her head, but Giovanni had her by the arm. He was urgently relaying instructions into a microphone just below his collar while simultaneously trying to drag the stubborn red head with him.

“Ash!” Gary shouted over the roar of the third explosion. It exploded higher in the building now, causing the whole foundation to sway. “Ash, we need to fly out of here. But those bastards are going to knock us from the sky. I’m nowhere good enough a flier on Fearow. You need to use Pidgeot and get us the hell out of here.”

He ripped Pidgeot’s ball from his overloaded pokebelt and held it out to Ash. Ash looked between him and the pokeball, his gaze lingering oddly long on the ball. As if he couldn’t quite tell what it was. But then he nodded.

He reached out but scooped the air just left of Gary’s waiting hand.

“Ash?”

Ash swayed through no fault of the explosions rippling under their feet. He fell backwards and then swung forward, landing hard on his knees before crashing to the ground.

“Ash!” Gary heard Misty’s scream over his own. Gary had only just wrapped his fingers around Ash’s clammy ones, unable to get a full purchase of the boy’s hand before the roof gave way. A gaping hole split open right where Ash and Gary had been standing, tossing them both in it. Though it nearly tore his arms from their sockets, Gary somehow managed to keep both himself and Ash from falling to their death. The drop had to be at least three stories, though it ended in fire and smoke from the continued explosions.

Gary screamed out just as another explosion nearly tore his fingers from the concrete slab he was clutching. The rebar was digging into his back painfully. But worse of all was trying to hold on to Ash. With what little bit of Ash’s hand he had been able to snatch up before they fell, Ash was slipping. His dead weight was practically prying him from Gary’s grip.

“Ash! Ash, buddy! You need to wake up!” Gary shouted down at the young man, coughing and choking on the rising plumes of smoke, “I need you to wake up! Ash! Please! Wake up!”

Ash was swinging in the dead air like a pendulum. His head lulled down to his chest and limbs nothing more than dead weights. He wasn’t waking up and Gary could feel himself losing him, inch by inch. Misty was screaming wordless noise over the roar in Gary’s own head. She had him by his other arm, trying to pull both of them back up- with no success. There couldn’t be. There was no way she could lift two grown men up by herself.

As Gary stared down at Ash’s unconscious face that he knew why Ash had been so calm. He knew he wouldn’t be going home. The tears burned angry in Gary’s eyes. All they had done had been for nothing. They were going to lose him after all.

“No. No, Ash!” Gary cried as the boy slipped slowly out of his hand. Like sand. Unable to be caught back up again.

In the moment that Gary had lost Ash, he screamed and looked away. Away because he couldn’t bear to watch his best friend fall to his death. His empty hand hung light and useless, thrown back by the sudden release of Ash’s weight. He used it to hold back the screams inside that were choking him now. The tears were threatening to overwhelm him. Through the grief and smoke, Gary could barely breathe.

He really hadn’t time to mourn Ash’s death. His arm was going numb from holding all his weight. He knew it wouldn’t be long before his own strength gave out and he joined Ash. And then remarkably, the feeling spread- tingling all over his skin. Gary knew this feeling. A psychic attack.

Gary’s eyes flew open, seeing the familiar glow encasing him. And, in the air next to him, floated a miracle. Ash was still alive, suspended in the glow of psychic energy. Before Gary could even come to grips with what was happening, he felt himself being lifted out of the hole and lightly deposited next to Misty… and Golduck.

Her eyes were the same eerie blue as the golduck she had clutched in her arms. He could feel the waves pulsating off her, like electricity. It lifted her red hair in the airless wind, swaying as she gently guided Golduck with her own hand. Ash’s body followed Gary’s own, drifting down like a wayward leaf. Once he was down, Misty’s eyes returned to normal. Her hair dropped. Her smile lit up a face stained with tears. She returned her pokemon, quickly slid over to Gary’s side and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Thank god! I thought I lost you both!”

She smelled of sandalwood and smoke. And he guiltily enjoyed the feel of her arms around him. Before Gary could get too flustered about the hug, she had ended it. Gary’s own gratitude hadn’t quite gotten out of his mouth before she crawled over to Ash’s side. He stuffed down the green burn that flared in his chest, returning to the task at hand. Saving Ash. Misty was feeling for a pulse, gauging Ash’s shallow uneven breaths with her careful eye.

“What’s wrong with him?” She said.

“I don’t know. He- He wasn’t talking. And then he just collapsed. Do you think-”

He was interrupted by the sound of someone sliding down the broken slabs of the roof. Giovanni landed just a few feet away and rushed over.

“Delia is on her way.”

“Good. She can take Ash and Misty out of here.”

“What about you?” Misty cried.

Gary climbed to his feet and wiped the soot and sweat from his eyes. He yanked Ash’s pokeballs from his belt and dropped them into Misty’s lap. “You get Ash out of here, Misty. Protect him. You can’t let them take him again.”

“But what about you, Gary!”

“Someone has to stay and fight White Ice so they don’t follow.” Gary nodded to Giovanni. To the man’s credit, he immediately withdrew one of his own pokeballs. It wasn’t quite part of the plan, but Gary had prepared for this eventuality.

“No,” Misty said, climbing to her feet. “No no no no. Gary, dammit. I can’t let you-”

“You said it yourself. The only flying pokemon you’re getting on is the one with Ash.”

Misty’s eyes were filled with tears. Gary couldn’t bear looking at her or at the man she loved dying at their feet. So he looked ahead at where the agents were swarming on the flying pokemon- hovering and waiting for them to take to the skies themselves.

“Go with Ash. Please, Misty.”

“I can fight with you.”

“Ash needs help now. He’s sick… or something. Something’s wrong and the longer we wait, the more chance we might lose him. So please. Go.”

Misty swallowed her tears. She nodded but he didn’t see it. Another explosion rocked at their feet prompting both Giovanni and Gary into action. Giovanni unleashed a giant Ryhorn who dashed across the rubble with ease, hefting up chunks of the broken floor to fling at the pokemon above their heads. Gary tossed out his favorite, a pokemon Misty knew too well. After all, he was brother to her own. His star, Jolton.

“You ready, Starfish?” Gary shouted. “We’ve got some bad guys to fry!”

The Jolton crackled with blue sparks, giving his master a toothy smile. “My pleasure.”