Jailed Body, Freed Heart

Chapter 5

He set to work instantly on his ankle chains. He pried at them for quite a while, biting his lip in frustration and grunting every so often with effort. His fingers were rubbed raw on the badge and the shackles, and still, he continued to work. Even when the lock grudgingly obliged, after at least two hours of hard, espionagical work, Ash would have still been willing to struggle at it for two more hours. He was filled with hope now. Bounding to his feet, assured that nothing could go wrong, he started for the lock on the cell door.

"You really are impressive."

Ash’s hopes sank. James stood watching him behind the cell door, a look of honest respect on his face. "I mean, you get more impressive every time I see you." He shook his head in wonder.

"You can’t stop me from saving my friends, James," Ash hissed vehemently. "Nobody can stop me."

James gave a sad half-smile. The bad-doer seemed slightly unhappy. "This door can," he said quietly, laying a gloved hand on one of the bars. "You might have bettered our shackles and chains, but you can’t fight your way out of these bars." He sighed deeply. "Then someone will discover that you’ve managed to slip out of your chains, and Giovanni will either put you under heavier lock and key, or just do away with you completely." James looked at the ground, almost ashamed. "Can’t you understand? You may be able to defeat Jess and me, but you can’t fool the entire Team Rocket."

Ash stood silently for a moment, apparently thinking. Suddenly he lunged forward with a furious yell, thrusting his arm through the bars, grabbing for the trainer’s shirt, hair, anything that might give him a chance to give James the beating Ash was desperate to give him.

The young man easily dodged Ash’s hand. "Give it up, Ash. There’s nothing you can do."

"Why do you keep coming here?" Ash blinked away angry tears. "To mock me? To prove your superiority?"

James hesitated. "I dunno," he finally answered. "I’ve just gotten a little fond of you over the years, I guess." He sighed again. "Look, I won’t report that you’ve broken free, but it’s only a matter of time before somebody else finds out." He turned to leave. "I’m really sorry this happened, Ash," he murmured. "I didn’t think I’d regret it this much."

Once again, Ash was left hearing James’ footsteps slowly walk away.

"He’s just trying to break my spirit," he muttered to himself when the footsteps had completely faded away. "I picked the lock of the chains, I can pick the lock of the door." Sticking his arm through the bars, he began to fiddle furiously with the lock on the massive door.

Pikachu blinked its eyes sleepily as it came to, its surroundings slowly coming into focus.

"PIKA!!"

The huge pair of yellow eyes, only inches from the Pikachu’s face, widened in surprise at the sudden outburst. The Persian grinned at having startled the small mouse. "Purr. . ." it purred, looking up at the intimidating man standing in the shadows of the room.

The man chuckled. "It seems our little guest has woken up," he said in a deep, harsh voice. The man turned to someone else in the room. "Good work, Meowth. You’ve finally captured the Pikachu."

Meowth, sitting patiently by the door, smiled nervously. "Does this mean I-I’m top cat again?" he ventured, eyes widened hopefully.

The man laughed once again. "Meowth, you’ve been after this Pokémon for months now, and when you finally manage to get it for me, you expect me to instantly replace my Persian with you?" He scratched the said cat behind its ears. "No, Meowth, I’m afraid that’s not how it works. You have yet to find yourself in my good favors again. I expect you to be back to work tomorrow." He eyed the Pokémon meaningfully.

The Meowth swallowed miserably. "Yes, sir," it replied unhappily before it trudged out of the room, tail dragging behind him.

The Persian snickered as it left. Pikachu, staring after Meowth, was suddenly struck with sympathy for the evil creature.

"Ah, Pikachu," The simple exclamation interrupted the rodent’s thought and struck chilling fear into its heart.

Giovanni, smiling maliciously, laid a heavy hand on the Pikachu’s head. "I have such plans for you."

Pikachu shrank in fear, despite itself.

"Pikachu, you’re finally mine."

Gathering up as much courage as it could manage, Pikachu readied itself for a Thundershock.

"Piiiiiikaaaaa. . ."

The man withdrew his hand quickly, smiling even more broadly. "Persian, incapacitate our guest, now," he said hurriedly.

Before Pikachu could even shock Giovanni slightly, the Persian set upon it with a rapid series of fury swipes.

"Piii!!!" Pikachu cried in pain.

The Persian intensified its attack, grinning as much as its master.

"That’s enough." Giovanni said finally. The Persian stopped immediately and slinked over to its master’s side, purring.

Pikachu, bloodied and bruised, managed a pathetic "Piiii. . ." before it blacked out once again.

Ash pulled his arm back into his cell for what felt like the twentieth time that night. Leaning against the bars, he rubbed his aching arm and sighed. "I know I can do this," he reassured himself, although an impending sense of failure had already began to settle on him. Slipping his arm through the bars again, he set to work once again on the lock, doing his best to ignore the dull pain in his tired limb.

"What’s this?" an unfamiliar voice laughed harshly.

The Rocket guard hurried down the hallway to Ash’s cell, dropping the plate of food he had been carrying to the prisoner. Before Ash could withdraw his hand, the guard grabbed his wrist. "Oh, so you’ve picked your locks, Pokémon master?" The guard smiled cruelly and tightened his grip on Ash’s wrist painfully. Ash winced in pain, but bit back his cries.

"It’s too bad, really. We could have used someone in Team Rocket with your skills."

"I’d never join Team Rocket!" Ash cried passionately. He spit at the guard through the bars.

The guard frowned. "Well, even the best thief can’t pick his way out of Team Rocket’s prison," he growled, anger thick in his voice. The guard wrenched Ash’s arm forward, ramming the boy up against the bars. "I imagine Giovanni’ll have a thing or two to say to you." Releasing Ash’s arm, the guard tugged a small handgun from a holster hanging at his side. "You come with me. And you’d better come quietly." He pointed the gun at Ash’s head.

Ash was captured.

Again.