Goodbye, Raichu

Chapter Three -- The Trap

"Hi Misty!" said Ash on the videophone.

"Oh, hi Ash," answered Misty. "Where are you? I thought you are on the way here."

"I'm at the Pokémon Centre at Viridian. Something happened on the way." Ash went on to explain the morning's events. "So it looks like Wartortle has to stay here the rest of the day. I might as well stay here overnight. I'll hang around until Mr Grey comes back in the morning and see how his Onix is doing."

"OK, Ash. How's Pikachu?"

"He didn't get hurt, but he's been kind of gloomy. I can't figure it out."

"Hmm... I don't know, Ash. Well, see you tomorrow," finished Misty.

"Bye."

Ash hang up. Misty sounded kind of disappointed. "I guess she's eager to get things sorted out," he reasoned to himself. "I wonder what's eating Pikachu."

For once, Pikachu seemed to have no way of letting Ash know how he felt. It was as if something outside their common experience was involved, so the Pokémon had no way of letting his master know what was wrong.

"Maybe you're hungry," suggested Ash. "After this morning, I feel like I could out-eat a Snorlax. Let's go get something to eat."

Pikachu jumped up on to Ash's back, but his head hung low. They went and got themselves lunch, a Pikachu could only manage a few bites.

"Well, whatever's wrong, I hope you get over it soon," said Ash caringly. "I can't bear to see you unhappy." Pikachu looked up at Ash, and soaked in the sympathy. He appeared to be comforted, at least for a while.

The next morning, Ash was about to leave the Pokémon Centre, when Misty walked in the door, panting.

"Huh!? Misty?" exclaimed Ash.

"I came over by bus," explained Misty. "I'm taking the day off, so I thought I'd catch you before you left. We can go back to Cerulean together."

"Well you only just made it. Mr Grey just left with his Onix, and I was about to leave."

Misty noticed straight away how Pikachu wasn't his usual self. Normally, he would have run over excitedly to greet her, but this time he only looked at her absently.

"Hi Pikachu," she said gently as she approached. Misty had a lot of compassion and sensitivity when it came to Pokémon. "What's the matter?" she asked, crouching down to Pikachu's level.

Pikachu looked Misty, and uttered an almost sighing "chuu". Misty couldn't tell for sure, but she felt a connection with Ash's Pokémon she had never felt before, as if some experience he had somehow coincided with some experience of her own. Misty almost felt as if she understood, but couldn't quite put words to the feeling.

Her thoughts were broken when a policewoman entered the Pokémon Centre to put a sign up on a noticeboard. She made an announcement:

"Attention everybody! Excuse me nurse, I hope you don't mind but we need some help from the public. I just put up a sign showing faces of what we believe to be Pokémon poachers. Anyone seeing any of them should contact the police immediately. Thank you for your co-operation." She briefly thanked the nurse on duty and then went off.

Misty and Ash went to look at the pictures.

"Hey, I think I recognise one of these guys," remarked Ash. "Now where have I seen him?"

"Maybe Pikachu will have some idea," suggested Misty. "He goes practically everywhere to do."

"Good idea. Pikachu," called Ash, "come here and look at this picture."

Pikachu came over and looked thoughtfully. All of a sudden, his eyes lit up and his mood improved noticeably.

"Pika, pika," he called, waving his arms.

"Now where was Pikachu last his usual cheerful self," Ash questioned himself. "It was in the woods yesterday."

"I think I remember," said Ash aloud. "He looks like one of those guys from the Pokéball circus. But I can't be sure."

"OK. Let's go tell the police, Ash," said Misty.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure. I have an idea, Misty. Mr Grey wanted to meet you to talk about water Pokémon. How about we go and visit him. We can have a look around, and if we see that guy, we'll call the police from my place."

"I don't know, Ash."

"Well, I promised Mr Grey I'd try to arrange you to meet him anyway."

"All right then," said Misty, still unsure but nevertheless resigned.

Ash, Misty and Pikachu followed the road from Viridian City to Pallet Town. It was not particularly far, and the familiarity of it seemed to make the time pass quickly.

"You know," mentioned Ash, "I've been thinking about you and me."

"About us?" Misty's eyes opened wide.

"Well, kind of. Am I the right person you need for Cerulean Gym? I mean, I don't know as much as Daisy does about water Pokémon."

"Oh, is that what you mean." Misty's eyes fell.

"Don't be sad, Misty. If you really want me, I'll be glad to help. I could sure use some money, anyway."

Misty forced a smile. "Well Ash, there's more to Pokémon training than specializing in one type. You're one of the best trainers I known, Ash, and I'm sure you'll make a fine gym leader too."

Ash was pleased at the compliment, and felt satisfied.

As they walked past a hill, Ash noticed that the countryside had been disturbed.

"Hey Misty!" announced Ash, "this must be where that Onix attacked us yesterday. We were on the other side of that hill."

Pikachu recognized the place too. "Pikachu!" he shouted excitedly, stretching his arm out and pointing.

"What, you want to go and have a look again?" asked Ash. "I'd rather forget!"

"Kachu!" Pikachu really sounded urgent. He looked with a worried face towards the hill, then towards Ash, as if trying to figure out how to convince his master to let him go.

"Looks like Pikachu really want to go," said Misty.

"Yeah, but we've got to check this poacher out."

"Ash, we might be able to find out what's been upsetting Pikachu. Isn't that important too?"

"I guess you're right," admitted Ash. "Okay, Pikachu, lead the way."

Taking full liberty of his master's word of approval, Pikachu bolted ahead of them and around the hill.

"Hey, hold on," yelled Ash, "wait for us!"

There was nothing for Ash and Misty to do but to run after the racing Pokémon.

As they raced around the hill, they could see Pikachu across the field running into the woods. They ran after him, but they had to stop and rest when they reached the trees.

"We'll never find him in here, Ash," said Misty, trying to get her breath back.

"What's gotten into that guy?"

"Ash, we better be careful. There are Beedrill in these woods."

"We'll just have to move slowly and quietly."

The two moved carefully, straining their eyes for any sign of Pikachu. A few minutes later they heard his voice.

"Pika, pika!" Pikachu sounded in trouble.

They followed his voice through the trees. Finally they saw him coming towards them.

"Pika, pika!" he said again, sounding urgent and worried.

Pikachu motioned his friends to follow him. They continued behind the worried Pokémon, and encountered a box about a metre high, coloured in shades of brown and green as if to offer some camouflage among the trees. They walked around, and, to their gasp and surprise, they saw a Raichu trapped inside. Given Pikachu's behaviour, and considering that Raichu were not all that common, it must have been the same Raichu that Ash saw the day before.

As soon as the Raichu noticed the humans, it hunched its shoulders, narrowed its eyes and started spitting sparks from its yellow cheeks. Ash and Misty ran for cover as they heard a "Chuu!" amongst crackles of electricity. But to their surprise, they felt nothing.

"Pikachu! Pikachu!" cried the yellow Pikachu as he waved his arms, trying to calm his friend down, as if to say that the humans were there to help.

"It must be an insulated cage," said Ash. "I didn't feel a thing when it Thundershocked us."

"Look at the size of that cage," said Misty. "You know, I think that this is a trap specially designed to catch Raichu."

"It must've been those poachers," said Ash.

"But how would they know there was one here?" wondered of Misty.

"Hey, maybe that circus guy saw it when they were looking for their Onix. Yeah, it all fits in! He's the poacher and he must have come back and set a trap."

"That means he'll be back to collect it," Misty pointed out.

"Can we free it? I can't seem to find a way to open it."

Ash and Misty looked all around the cage.

I don't know Ash. There's nothing here that looks like a switch or lock or something."

"I bet you need an electronic device, like a remote control," deduced Ash.

Pikachu looked really upset and worried. "Pi," he said sadly, his ears drooping. Ash and Misty turned to him.

"You really like this Raichu, don't you Pikachu?" said Misty.

Pikachu nodded forlornly.

Ash squatted next to his Pokémon "Don't worry, Pikachu," he encouraged. "We'll get it out." Then, under his breath, "somehow."

"Pika!" Pikachu pricked his ears.

Ash and Misty heard a vehicle approaching.

"Quick," said Misty, "let's hide."

Pikachu looked uncertain.

"Come on, Pikachu!" called Ash.

Pikachu was still unsure. Should he stay to help his new friend, or obey Ash?

"Pikachu, they might be dangerous," insisted Ash. "Come and hide."

Pikachu decided to trust his master. He jumped onto Ash's shoulders, and they hid behind a bush.

"Raichu!" called the Raichu, not understanding why Pikachu left.

The poachers approached, slowly wheeling a small utility truck around the trees. They stopped in front of the trap. As Ash and his companions looked on, they saw two men come out, but their backs were turned to them.

"Looks like a beauty," said one of the men. "It's a full-grown female."

"Cut the chatter. Hurry up and load the cage," said the other man coldly.

The two men worked silently, loading and securing the cage onto the back of the utility. They ignored the Raichu's helpless cries and her useless electric blasts. She tried to slam the cage with her strong tail, but to no avail.

As the men got into the cabin, Ash saw their faces.

"Yes!" he whispered, "That's him. Let's follow them."

"And how do you expect to chase a truck, Ash Ketchum?" whispered Misty in reply.

"Oh. Well then, let's go to the circus, see if we can figure out what they're going to do with her."

"Ash, reproved Misty, "I think you better call the police."

"If we call the police, they might catch them before we find out what they've done with Raichu. Then Pikachu might never see her again."

Misty didn't know what to say or how to argue. They walked silently the rest of the way.