Capturing the Heart [Re-write]

1. Caught by a Mob Boss

   Ash peered around the corner evaluating the situation. Pikachu held onto his hair to keep from slipping, perched on his shoulder. The Silph Co. building loomed in front of them across the street from the alley. Team Rocket's goons were crawling all over the front entrance. At this rate it would be impossible to get near the building. Ash cursed under his breath, so close but it would do him no good to get caught here. He crouched against the alley wall, waiting... waiting... waiting... now! The goons left at the door were quickly dispersing, mostly to different cars scattered on the other side of the road, or had already disappeared into the building.

No one was looking as Ash darted forward, straight for the door. He used the trees and benches lining the street to cover himself as much as possible, keeping low to the ground, until he made a last mad dash to the entrance.

Only to stumble to a halt as the doors were flung open by two underlings. The head of Team Rocket, Giovanni himself, stepped out of the doors immediately after.

Shit

Ash couldn't stop in time, tripping over his own two feet as he barreled into one of the Rocket grunts who followed Giovanni out the door. Pikachu tumbled off his shoulder smacking directly into the Rocket boss, fainting instantly.

Giovanni's head snapped around, meeting Ash's eyes for a fraction of a second as he scrambled to his feet and fled, scooping Pikachu up as he did.

The Rocket goons were after him just as quickly. The sound of pokeballs breaking open, and chasing footsteps was immediate and loud. Ash had no time to think, barely enough time to escape around one corner before trying to find the next. He could feel pokemon, rattata, ekans, zubat, nipping at his heels every time he tried to slow down long enough to make a plan.

Of course he'd left his pokemon in the bottom of his backpack, he hadn't wanted it to be so obvious he was a trainer. He hadn't wanted to put the unsuspecting gang on edge. He hadn't thought he would be running face to face into the leader of Team Rocket himself

Damn it, Damn It, DAMN IT, I was so close

Ash was so caught up being angry at himself for the slip up, and slightly preoccupied with the zubat that had just gotten so close it knocked his hat off, that he didn't notice the person around the corner until he ran into them. He fell backwards, Pikachu dropping from his hold.

Giovanni stood above him, Nidoking towered even further still above Giovanni. Before Ash could react in any way to defend himself Giovanni leaned down and grabbed Pikachu by the scruff. He smirked at Ash, "a pikachu and a novelty hat, Ash Ketchum, lovely to make your acquaintance. I think you may want to accompany me back to Silph Co. for... well, your own safety". At the smallest twitch of Giovanni's fingers Nidoking raised a hand, claws glowing a sickly purple, prepared to make Ash follow by choice or by force.

Ash slowly stood, keeping his hands visible and his eyes on Nidoking, "if i disappear people will come looking for me".

Giovanni smiled at him, so warm unless you looked into his eyes, cold and calculating. He assessed the risks versus the reward in seconds before waving at someone to step forward behind Ash, "thank you for the heads up, very sportsmanlike of you. I'll just have to make sure they're taken care of as well".

Ash felt a pit settle into his stomach at the threat of Giovanni silencing anyone who looked for him. He let the few Rocket grunts who came up behind him pull his hands behind his back without a fight. Their pokemon now surrounded him, keeping him in line as Giovanni sent Nidoking back into his pokeball.

Ash was stripped of his backpack, wallet, and phone before being marched down back alleys back toward Silph Co. Giovanni didn't stay with them, disappearing into a car that Ash hadn't noticed parked on the side of the street he had been intercepted on. With his pokemon and belongings completely out of his reach Ash had no choice but to let the thugs take him back. He didn't know if it was poor luck or Team Rocket's influence but he didn't see another person the entire way back.

Once Silph was in sight the grunts took him to the side of the building, to a hidden employee entrance Ash assumed. One of the men holding onto him let go to use a key card, or maybe a badge, to open the door. He was marched through hallways and past normal people in business formal clothing that didn't even bat an eye at the situation. Ash was beginning to think that every single person who had ever worked at Silph Co. might have started out as Team Rocket instead of the other way around.

For a fleeting second Ash wondered what the pay was like, if there was any at all. But then he was shoved into an elevator. He was shoved against the wall, away from the button panel, while they loaded in and the doors shut. Ash couldn't see the panel but he knew they were going down, probably to a private "staff only" basement. He could feel that pit in his stomach growing the further they went, although it probably only took a minute it felt like they were miles underground.

He was pushed right back out of the elevator when it stopped. Concrete walls, floor, and ceiling, surprisingly well lit even though it gave away no detail at all, both directions looked exactly the same. He was taken even further into this maze of the same hallway, maybe they were taking him in circles, until they stopped at another door with a key card pad. The same grunt from before stepped forward and swiped his, Ash was sure now, badge to open the door.

It wasn't a small room really but Ash had a feeling he would find it cramped. When they first stepped in they were in a small section of the room that was clear of everything but a couple small chairs. The rest of the room was taken up by two separate areas, blocked off by prison bars. It would have been ridiculous to think of a bad guys lair actually having a prison cell room but now that Ash was looking at it, the stains on the floor, the cracks in the ceiling, the thin mattress shoved into the corner, and the toilet just sitting across from it, the more he found it menacing instead of amusing.

He was pushed into the left cell hard enough he went sprawling, barely catching himself on the wall before he face planted. The door was slammed shut behind him before he could react, the lock thudding into place with a finality that told Ash he should make himself comfortable in this shit hole, since they certainly wouldn't.

He was left alone after that.

He paced.

Why would they keep me here? I mean, I obviously pose a threat, but they have no idea what I do or don't know. I don't even know if what I know is a threat. Why not just dump me somewhere no one will find me? What does Giovanni want? Where are they keeping Pikachu? Is he safe? Am I safe? They didn't kill me but they might change their mind on how useful I am.

He sighed and resigned himself to sitting on the dirty mattress, he was here now whether he liked it or not. He wasn't going to lie, he was scared. For himself, for his pokemon, for anyone who might come looking for him. It seemed that Giovanni was going to keep him here under tight wraps.

He hoped they would at least feed him, it would be even more cruel than he thought they could be to keep him here just to starve him to death.

Nothing to do but wait.

He was trapped here.

Waiting for them to decide if he was worth keeping alive.