Vanish

Chapter 22

"Manectric, use Thunderbolt!" Wattson commanded. He and the others had made it to where Team Rocket had stored the stolen pokéballs, and Wattson had found Manectric.

Manectric did as he was told, and Team Rocket got hit dead on.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again...!" And Team Rocket disappeared.

Misty smiled. "Now that's what I like to hear!" She grabbed up a few pokéballs and told the others to do the same.

"Here's Ampharos!" Watt cried happily, holding up a pokéball.

"And here's Dad's Slaking!" Max exclaimed, carrying another pokéball.

Brock hauled up the sack that was carrying the rest of the pokéballs and followed the others out of there. "We better help Ash now. I hope he and Pikachu are doing good...with each other that is..."

"Do you think Pikachu still doesn't remember?" Max asked.

"I don't know," Brock replied frankly. He then saw Watt and Wattson giving them all puzzled looks. "You know... I think it's about time we let you two in on the story..."
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"And remember that time when we were in the Johto League, and we were battling Harrison's Kecleon? That was great how you grabbed onto Kecleon's tongue and shocked him!" Ash said happily.

"Pika pika...," Pikachu replied with a smile. "Pik, pikachu pika pi pikachu. Pika pi pika kapi-" He cut himself off and began to sniff at the air.

"What's wrong, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

"Pika...," Pikachu growled.

Ash spotted what Pikachu smelled. At the mouth of the hole, Jessie's Seviper looked down at them predatorily. Ash frowned at looked back at Pikachu, whose cheeks were throwing off weak sparks. "You aren't going up there, Pikachu. You're too weak to battle. I'm not going to let you get hurt."

"Pika pika pikachu! Pika ka pikachu!" Pikachu shouted, climbing up out of the pit before Ash could grab him.

"Pikachu, no!" Ash yelled.

"Seviper!" Seviper cried triumphantly, engaging in battle with Pikachu. The snake pokémon wrapped her long body around Pikachu and squeezed tightly, making the little electric-mouse grunt in protest.

"Pika pika...," Pikachu said menacingly, trying to summon enough power for a Thunderbolt. Nothing was doing though. He did manage to gather enough strength to push himself out of Seviper's Wrap attack.

"Se sev seviper vipe viper?" Seviper hissed. She then made the weird purring-like noise that Sevipers sometimes make. She then lunged forward with a Bite attack.

A Bite attack that missed Pikachu by inches. Pikachu sweat dropped. He knew he didn't have enough energy for even his Quick Attack. But Team Rocket was going to pay for what they made Ash go through... "Pi pikachu!"

"Seviper!" Seviper's sword-like tail began to glow purple, and she slashed down on Pikachu mercilessly.

Ash was trying desperately to get out of the pit, but he just couldn't. He just kept digging his fingers into the dirt wall, trying to get a handhold. The wall was too solid. His fingers were almost bleeding in the effort. He then heard something-something that felt like a shot to the heart.

"Piiiikaaaaa!" Pikachu screamed in pure pain.

Ash had no idea what had happened. "Pikachu?! Pikachu, answer me! Are you alright?"

There was no response.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled again.

This time he heard a satisfied Seviper-purr. Jessie's pokémon slithered back over to the opening of the hole and began to crawl in.