Ash restlessly looked back to Gary, who was trying to untie his hands. " Hurry, or they'll get away with Pikachu! Untie it!"
Gary was still trying to untie it. " I know, calm down a bit!"
" I can't calm down! Team Rocket's gonna get away! And we haven't even started on the ones around my arms, let alone my wrists!"
Gary met Ash's gaze. " Ash, take a deep breath. Slowly."
" Bu-"
" Ashy, please."
Ash took a shaky breath, his eyes darting nervously toward the distant figures of Team Rocket, who were already retreating with Pikachu in tow. His heart raced as panic set in again, and he tugged desperately at the ropes around his wrists. "Gary, we’re running out of time! Pikachu—"
"I know!" Gary snapped back, his voice tinged with frustration, but there was no anger. Only urgency. "But if you keep rushing me, I'm gonna mess this up, and we’ll be worse off. So take a breath, Ash. Trust me."
Ash felt the tightness in his chest, but Gary’s calm voice did have a way of cutting through the panic. With another quick glance at Team Rocket, he closed his eyes and forced himself to take a deep, slow breath, letting it fill his lungs, then exhaling just as slowly.
"Good," Gary said, his tone softening, but still focused as he worked on the ropes. "Now, we’re gonna get out of here, okay? I need you to focus with me. We’ll get Pikachu back. But we can’t do that if you’re losing your head."
Ash nodded, biting his lip, trying to steady his racing thoughts. "Right. Focus." He opened his eyes, glancing around. The ropes felt tighter now as they dug into his skin, but the panic slowly ebbed away as he calmed himself.
Gary’s hands moved deftly, the knots around Ash’s wrists slowly loosening as he worked his way through them. "You’ve got to stop thinking like you’ve already lost," Gary said, his fingers pulling one of the last stubborn knots free. "Team Rocket’s not invincible. We’ve beaten them before."
"I know... I just..." Ash clenched his fists, frustrated. "I can’t lose Pikachu again."
Gary gave a small nod of understanding, his expression serious. "We won’t. But you need to trust me when I say we’re not doing any good if you don’t stay calm."
Ash met his gaze, his eyes intense but now full of determination. "You're right."
Gary exhaled with relief as the last knot came undone, and the ropes around Ash's wrists finally fell away. "There. Now for your arms—"
Ash didn't waste any time. With a quick motion, he shook off the ropes completely, stood up, and scanned the area. "They’re still getting away!"
"Yeah, but now we can do something about it," Gary said, straightening up and patting Ash on the back. "Let’s get going."
Ash nodded, adrenaline flooding his body once again, but this time, the fear was gone. Replaced by the resolve to do whatever it took to stop Team Rocket and get Pikachu back.
With a shared glance, the two of them raced off, no longer hindered by the ropes that had bound Ash. They would catch up, they would save Pikachu. Because together, they could do anything.
"Ready?" Gary asked, already getting into position for their next move.
"Ready!" Ash replied with renewed confidence. And together, they charged after Team Rocket.
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