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Part Twenty Four

The darkness is overwhelming. It washes over his consciousness and hangs heavily over him. He is cold; so cold that his nerves burn. There is tugging at his arm, but after a moment it fades. He feels numbness expanding from his fingertips until there is nothing left to feel; just emptiness. His consciousness begins slipping from his body.

Then the fight begins.

He feels his heart beating forcefully; cold blood being pushed through his body. It isn't his body doing the work though. He fights to feel beyond the emptiness. He feels pressure jabbing over his entire body repeatedly. All he can manage is to hold onto the feeling of the pressure against his chest and the cold blood coursing through his body.

In his exhaustion, he lets go of his only foothold. The emptiness swallows him whole. There is nothing left. No life; no willpower.

Then a new, fresh warmth radiates from his chest; bringing him back from the brink. Warmth begins to rush through his body as his heart pumps the warm blood forcefully into his brain.

With it, the pain returns; the pain of being blown off a rooftop. He doesn't yet hold the consciousness to open his eyes, but he feels tears dripping onto his cheeks. Over the returning ringing in his ears, he can hear someone sobbing distantly.

Then firm but gentle hands push and pull against him. He feels his body rising off the ground. The ringing in his ears fades slightly. He hears the chopper blades beating the air, but can't quite identify the sound.

The light of dawn seeps into his eyes as he manages to crack them open just enough to see his surroundings. He slowly turns his head to look around. He finds Hydreigon first and wonders when his evolution happened. Then he sees his team and his buddy, Raichu, rubbing the back of a very familiar person who is kneeling on the ground weeping.

His weak heart forces a strong thud when he realizes that the familiar person is none other than his beautiful, orange-haired best friend.

"Misty?" He breathes softly in relief and confusion staring at her until she is no longer in his eyesight.

Then he is inside of a helicopter; far away from her.

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"We interrupt your scheduled programming for breaking news." The television blares inside the living room. Delia Ketchum, still dressed in her nightgown, peers into the room from the kitchen where she is making her breakfast as her favorite show is interrupted.

"There are multiple reports that the missing Pokemon Master, Ash Ketchum, has been found alive, but in critical condition. It is rumored that Mr. Ketchum and a team of strong trainers infiltrated the Team Rocket Headquarters inside a supposed abandoned building off the Cerulean Cape in Cerulean City, Kanto. People in Cerulean reported seeing flashing beams of light relating to an intense Pokemon Battle. Not much is known at this time. Let's check in with Peter Canon at the scene."

At the news, Delia rushes to her couch where she sits on the edge. She forgets about her breakfast cooking in the kitchen. She stares at the screen hoping for better news.

"I'm Peter Canon here on an island off the coast of the Cerulean Cape. We arrived here after multiple reports of an intense Pokemon battle happening over the sea that was visible from the city. We found Ash Ketchum in critical condition as well as a team of strong trainers and Pokemon that were allegedly working with him to infiltrate and destroy Team Rocket." The screen shows a middle-aged man standing near helicopters. The rain pours deafeningly behind him. The man notices something off camera and starts running. He catches the attention of another man with grayish hair and a long blue robe that Delia doesn't recognize.