Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Goodbye Raichu ❯ Tim ( Chapter 5 )

That night, at ten o'clock, Ash, Misty and Pikachu approached Pallet Park. Ash and Misty were both dressed in some of Ash's dark-coloured clothes, and Ash had a Spearow perched on his shoulder.

"Good," said Ash, "the show's not over yet. Pikachu, you hide in a tree on that side of the park."

"Pika pi!" agreed Pikachu and ran to hide.

"Misty, if you go hide over that side, I can hide in this tree here. Spearow and I can see both of you and keep a look out for the poacher."

"OK," said Misty and went off.

Ash heard the sound of applause from the Poké Ball-shaped dome. He hurried up the tree. Soon the crowd came out and began to spread through the park. Ash looked intently for any sign of the poacher, but it was difficult to identify anyone in the moving crowd.

Ash continued to look. He glanced to the right to where Pikachu was hiding. He could make out his cute yellow form, which he had come to know so well over the last six years. Pikachu wasn't as sullen as yesterday, but he sure was more anxious. Could Ash rely on him not to slip up? Ash guessed that he could, since Pikachu knew that this was his only hope of saving his new friend. Neither Pikachu nor Ash had any choice but to rely on each other now as they had always done in the past.

Ash looked to the left to try to see Misty. He couldn't make her out in the dark clothing she was wearing, but that was a good thing in itself.

The crowd of spectators was thinning now. There was Gary with another girl. How many girlfriends can a guy have at the same time, anyway? Ash couldn't hear their conversation, but it was clearly dominated by Gary, and his movements and gestures sure made it look like he was bragging about something again.

All of a sudden, Ash heard a sound at his feet. It made him start and almost lost his foothold. "Meow," went a voice. Ash looked down and saw a Persian looking up at him.

"Hey, Persian, what's up?" called a familiar voice from among the dispersing crowd.

Ash frowned. "So much for trying to hide," he muttered.

Tim ran up to Persian and looked up the tree. "Hey Ash, what on earth are you doing up there?"

"Thanks for blowing my cover, Tim!" said Ash with obvious annoyance. Ash came down, as he realized that it would draw less attention if two kids were seen talking on ground level rather than half-way up a tree.

Ash figured it would take less time to explain the situation than to try and get rid of Tim, and he didn't want to hurt his friend in any way. So Ash took his copy of the poster out of his pocket and explained what he was doing.

"Can I help?" asked Tim eagerly.

"Uh, I don't know, Tim. You better go home," urged Ash.

"You could use someone else to help you keep a lookout."

"I guess we could, but I think these guys might be dangerous."

"I've got Persian with me. And I'll be all right with you, won't I Ash?"

Ash felt flattered, the way Tim looked up to him, but, hard as it was for him, this time he had to be objective.

"Look, Tim. We could use your help to keep watch, but once we've seen him, you've got to go home."

"OK, Ash," said Tim.

When the park had cleared, Ash went back up his tree. Tim and Persian went to hide somewhere else. The sounds from the circus lessened as the time passed, and lights here and there gradually went out.

"It must be nearly eleven," Ash thought. "Where is he?"

Spearow flapped his wings. Ash looked around. It was Misty in the distance, waving her arm in the tree.

"Spearow, go and get Pikachu," ordered Ash softly.

In a few moments, Ash, Misty, Spearow and Pikachu were together.

"He went that way," whispered Misty, pointing.

"OK, quick, before we lose him," said Ash. "Spearow, you go and follow him."

"No!" came a loud whisper from behind. It was Tim, who took one of his Poké Balls and let out a Zubat.

"Ash, Batty's darker, he can see better at night, and he flies quieter," said Tim.

Ash and Misty exchanged glances. They had to agree. The group proceeded down the street as quietly as they could. When they saw the poacher from behind, Tim ordered his Zubat:

"Batty, follow that man and let us know where he's going. And don't let him notice you."

The Zubat flew off to follow Brent, and the group followed the Zubat. They continued in this way for several minutes, the Zubat flying backwards and forwards, guiding them along. Around a corner they could see Brent waiting outside a darkened building. Tim recalled his Zubat back into its Poké Ball.

"OK," whispered Misty, "we've found it. Let's go get the police."

"You and Tim go," said Ash. "I better keep watch."

"Well keep out of sight," advised Misty, and left, keeping in the shadows.

"Tim, you go with her," commanded Ash. "It's too dangerous here."

Tim reluctantly agreed to obey. He signalled to Persian and they began to follow Misty, but the lights and sound of an approaching vehicle startled him. Not wanting to be seen, Tim and Persian ran back to Ash and crouched low.

The same open utility truck that Ash and Misty had seen in the woods stopped on the road next to Brent. Without exchanging words, Brent opened a roller door, while two other men came out of the truck's cabin. The three entered the building and moments later came out, one of them driving a fork lift. What looked like Raichu's cage was being driven out towards the truck.

"Oh no, Misty'll be too late," whispered Ash anxiously.

"Chuu!" echoed Pikachu with a worried tone.

"Can't we do anything, Ash?" asked Tim.

"We've got to do something quick," said Ash.

Raichu's cage was almost loaded onto the back of the truck.

"When I give the signal," said Ash, "send Persian to attack the poacher. My Pokémon'll get the other two. We've got to overpower them, or stall them until we get the cage away."

"OK, Ash. I'm ready," announced Tim, with confidence in his older friend.

"Pikachu, Spearow, tackle them," Ash commanded.

"Go, Persian," ordered Tim in the same commanding tone.

The three Pokémon speedily advanced towards their targets. Persian pounced towards Brent, Pikachu towards a second man, Spearow towards the third. Ash threw another Poké Ball and out of it materialized Charizard. Charizard was a six-foot high, fire-breathing reptilian with strong limbs and powerful wings.

"Go, Charizard!" called Ash. "Bring me the cage off that truck."

Pikachu ran with all his speed, struck his target with all his might, and knocked him over. Spearow attacked the other man with his powerful beak and claws. Charizard flew over and grabbed Raichu's cage.

Meanwhile, Persian slammed into Brent, knocking him off his feet and pushing metres along the footpath. The powerful Pokémon primed itself for another attack. But Brent was scarcely winded. Pulling out a knife, he cautiously got to his feet and slowly advanced towards Persian. Persian took aim, pounced again, and passed just out of Brent's reach. As Persian took a moment to turn around and regain his stance, Brent seized his chance and lunged with the knife.

"No!" shouted Tim, running towards his Poké friend.

"Come back!" called Ash, but to no avail.

Persian jumped back out of Brent's reach, but ended up several metres away from Tim. Brent saw his opportunity, tackled the young boy, and pulled him up with his left arm around his neck. Putting his knife at the boy's head, he shouted:

"Call back your pets, or I'll kill the boy."

The fighting instantly stopped, all eyes fixed on Brent.

"I mean it, kid," he shouted to Ash. "No tricks."

Ash resignedly took out two Poké Balls and recalled Charizard and Spearow.

"The other two," yelled Brent, touching the side of the boy's head with the sharp blade. Tim started shaking in terror. Ash felt sick.

"They don't have Poké Balls," said Ash firmly, his hands by his side.

"I said no tricks, and I mean it," he menaced.

"N-no, i-it's true," uttered Tim, not knowing how he managed to do it.

"OK, kid. You and the other two go for a walk down the road. Don't look back or you won't see the boy again." Brent turned to the other men, who were nursing their wounds. "Get up and get the cage back on."

The men did as they were told. Ash and Pikachu reluctantly obeyed. Persian growled as he walked past Brent, looking at him menacingly. But a threatening motion from Brent towards his captive made even the boy's lifelong protector obey this beast of a man.

With Raichu on the truck, the two men jumped into the cabin, while Brent forced Tim to get onto the back of the vehicle with him.

"Sit down," ordered the man to Tim, who, still shaking from the ordeal, cowered in a corner. Brent knocked on the back window twice to indicate that he was ready, and the truck took off.