Pokémon A Special Kind Of Journey

[MarkL1987]

A Special Kind Of Journey

Prologue

Everything seemed to be quiet in the house where Cassie Quinn and her older sister Laura lived. Although Laura was several years older, being fourteen compared to Cassie's age of eight, they both loved Pokemon a whole lot. Although it looked quiet, Cassie was shifting around on the couch in the living room. Cassie was on the autism spectrum, so when she got impatient, she tended to do the kind of things that she was doing. And on this day, she was waiting anxiously for her mother to return home with something.

"When's she going to come back, Laura?" asked Cassie.

"You need to have a little bit of patience, sis." Answered Laura. "Sometimes it takes a bit of time for you to get the things you want. Remind me again, what was it that you wanted Mom to get for you on her way home?"

"It was a Dratini that I wanted." Answered Laura.

"But why do you want one?" asked Laura.

"Because it's so beautiful, and when it evolves, it becomes Dragonite!" cried Cassie. "Oh, how I'd love to own a Dragonite!"

"I bet you would, but dragon Pokemon like that aren't easy to find." Said Laura. "If she gets home with something else, and it's not a Dratini, please don't get upset. There's plenty of other Pokemon out there that would be much easier to get."

"Like what?" asked Cassie.

"Well, for starters, Eevee's one of the cutest Pokemon there is." Answered Laura. "It's got several different evolutions, too, depending on how it gets raised. I guess we can talk about it more when Mom gets home." Their mother worked at Pallet Town's local diner, and she was very good at her job. While she had only been employed at the diner for about five months, she had already become very good friends with one of the cooks. That cook was Delia Ketchum. While Cassie's mother had an easy time making friends, it was more difficult for Cassie herself because of her autism. In fact, her first attempt to make friends hadn't gone very well. That was because the boy she tried to make friends with, Gary Oak, kept bullying her constantly. But that bullying only stopped because Gary's grandfather, Professor Oak, along with Gary's sister Daisy, had both stepped in. But thankfully for her, one other boy that lived in Pallet Town liked her very much and was more than happy to be friends with her. That boy was Ash Ketchum. He was the same age as Cassie, and they both had the same goal, which was to be the best Pokemon trainer they could be. In fact, just a few days ago, they had both had a pretty interesting conversation.

Flashback

"Ash, have you ever thought about what kind of trainer you want to be when you get old enough?" asked Cassie.

"I know exactly which kind." Answered Ash. "What I want to be, is a Pokemon master."

"A Pokemon master?" questioned Cassie. "How does that happen?"

"With lots of training, and lots of patience." Answered Ash. "I know there's one Pokemon I'd like to have someday that would be great for my team."

"Which Pokemon's that?" answered Cassie.

"Charizard." Ash simply answered.

"Hey, that's the one that evolves from Charmander, right?" asked Cassie.

"Right." Confirmed Ash. "Although, Squirtle would be great too."

"I know about that one also!" cried Cassie. "It shoots big, powerful blasts of water, and then when it becomes Blastoise, it gets those super cool cannons on its back!"

"Yes, that's right." Said Ash. "How do you know so much about Pokemon?"

"I've been reading a lot of books and also seen a lot of Pokemon documentaries." Answered Cassie. "I know all about types, evolutions, just about everything." Ash chuckled.

"You'd make an excellent trainer when you get older." He replied.

"Ash, let's make a pact that when the time comes, we go on our Pokemon journeys together as friends." Suggested Cassie.

"Going on a journey together. I like the sound of that." Said Ash. "Okay, that's a promise, Cassie." They both laid back on the grass and looked up at the clouds.

"Hey, that one up there looks like a Pikachu." Said Ash.

"Pikachu's super cute!" cried Cassie. "I'd love to have one!"

"I suppose that's possible." Said Ash. "To tell you the truth, I wouldn't mind having a Pikachu myself." Then they saw another cloud that got Cassie excited.

"That one up there looks like an Eevee!" she cried. "Maybe that'll be my starter Pokemon."

"I don't know about that." Said Ash. "Professor Oak usually only gives one of Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle."

"All three of those are fine Pokemon, but I still love Eevee a lot!" cried Cassie. And then, another cloud that passed got Cassie even more excited.

"Ash, look at that one!" she cried. "Have you ever seen a Pokemon as beautiful as the one in that cloud?"

"Which one's that?" wondered Ash.

"It's a Dratini!" cried Cassie. "It's the most beautiful thing ever, and I want one!" She stood up proudly. "That settles it, I'm going to look for a Dratini right now!" she started running off before Ash stopped her.

"Wait a second!" he cried. Cassie quickly turned back to look at him.

"I get that you're excited, and that's great, but we don't have our trainer licenses yet." Replied Ash.

"I don't care!" cried Cassie. "I've already made up my mind. I want to get a Dratini, even if I have to ask my mom to get it for me." She happily skipped off.

"She sure is one determined kid." Said Ash.

End Flashback

"Ah, Dratini, one day you'll be mine." Said Cassie. "I just hope that today will be that day." She continued to wait as patiently as she could, but sometimes, patience for a child, even for an autistic child, is a little thin.

Later that evening, it was getting close to the time that Cassie was supposed to go to bed.

"Where's Mommy already?" Cassie wondered. "She usually gets me ready for bed."

"I don't know what's keeping her, but since she's still not home, I'm going to have to be the one to get you ready for bed." Replied Laura. "Come on." The two of them headed up the stairs to start the routine. The first thing Cassie did was brush her teeth. Cassie took a lot of pride in how she looked, and part of that was making sure that her teeth stayed clean. Next in the routine was getting Cassie into her pajamas, which were full of Pikachu and Eevee patterns.

"Read me a story, Laura!" cried Cassie.

"Ah, what do we remember to say for something like that?" replied Laura.

"Can you read me a story, please?" replied Cassie.

"That's much better." Said Laura. "Now, which story do you want?" Before Cassie could pick, the phone rang from downstairs.

"I'll be right back, Cassie." Said Laura. "I have to answer the phone really quick." She disappeared quickly, and all Cassie could think about was Dratini. It had been on her mind ever since her conversation with Ash a few days ago.

"Some people think I'm crazy for wanting a Dratini, but I'll show them!" cried Cassie. And then the next voice she heard was her sister's but it was a loud one.

"WHAT?! WHEN?!" Laura was in disbelief over what she was hearing, and being the ever curious one, Cassie ran downstairs to where her sister was.

"Laura, what's going on?" she cried.

"Just hang on a second." Answered Laura. She listened carefully to what was being said on the phone. After taking everything in, she slowly hung up.

"Cassie, get your jacket on, now!" cried Laura. She quickly grabbed their jackets and they put them on.

"Where are we going?" Cassie wondered.

"You're about to see." Answered Laura. They rushed out the door and ran as quickly as they could to the grassy area on route one just outside of Pallet Town. They were horrified at what they saw.

"Is that…..?" cried Cassie. She tried to get a closer look, but was stopped.

"Don't." said Laura. "Just wait. Professor Oak will be here shortly." So Cassie and Laura waited, and fortunately for Cassie, they didn't have to wait too long. Professor Oak, Delia and Ash soon arrived.

"I hope I didn't wake any of you up." Said Professor Oak.

"Not al all, Professor." Replied Delia. "I was just about to put Ash here to bed."

"Same with me and Cassie over here." said Laura.

"I just want to say again that it's so nice to see my son be friends with your sister." Replied Delia.

"If you ask me, Mrs. Ketchum, it's almost like they're best friends." Said Laura. Professor Oak went to inspect something, and Ash and Cassie both wanted to see, but they both had to be restrained.

"Stay back here, kids." Said Delia. "There's something over there that we don't want you to see."

"But I want to see!" cried Cassie. "Let me see! Please?!"

"Cassie, if Delia says no, then it must be pretty bad." Said Laura. Cassie and Ash were left to simply speculate.

"What do you suppose could've happened?" asked Ash.

"I have no idea." Answered Cassie. "But, I have a theory. What if some super rare Pokemon was sighted? Do you think that could be it?"

"Probably not." Said Ash. "I may not know too much yet, but I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be any rare Pokemon on this route."

"So, no Dratini?" Asked Cassie.

"I don't think so." Said Ash. "Professor Oak says that Dratini haven't been sighted in years, and I'm inclined to believe him."

"I mean, anything the professor says has to be true, right?" asked Cassie.

"They don't call him Professor Oak for nothing, you know." Answered Ash. Speaking of the professor, he finished his inspection around thirty minutes later and gave Cassie the grim news.

"Young lady, I'm afraid your mother's…..well, let's just say…" stammered Oak. He wasn't quite sure how to finish.

"Just spill it out, Professor!" cried Cassie. "She's dead, isn't she?"

"Well, there's no easy way to put this….." replied Oak before letting out a sigh. "Yes, she is." Cassie let out a gasp of disbelief, as did Ash.

"No! I don't believe you for one second!" cried Cassie. "She can't be dead!"

"She can, and she is." Answered Oak.

"Professor, what exactly happened?" wondered Delia.

"Well, I'm no Officer Jenny, but I have every reason to believe that all of this is Team Rocket's doing." Oak speculated.

"Who or what is Team Rocket?" wondered Ash.

"You're better off not knowing, trust me." Said Oak. "All you need to know is that they're very dangerous." He showed Cassie the now badly injured Dratini that was lying on the ground. She almost threw up upon seeing it.

"So a Dratini WAS here after all!" cried Ash.

"What in the world happened to that poor thing?" cried Laura.

"Professor, it looks like it's badly hurt!" Cried Delia.

"But how did this happen?" cried Cassie.

"He already told you, Team Rocket did it!" answered Laura. They all saw some crews and trucks heading their way.

"That must be the news team." Said Oak. "You kids should be on your way." Ash, Delia, Laura and Cassie quickly hurried back home. Now, the girls were completely distraught.

"I almost can't believe it." Said Laura. "Our mother's gone."

"What's going to happen to us now?" asked Cassie.

"To be honest, Cassie, I don't know." Replied Laura.

"Are we going to have to lose the house?" asked Cassie.

"I don't think so." Answered Laura. "We're pretty well off financially, so we should be okay."

"That's a relief." Replied Cassie. Her eyes then began to fill with tears.

"Is it all right to cry?" She asked.

"Of course it is." Said Laura. Cassie let out all her crying onto her bedroom pillow, and Laura was right there to comfort her.

One Month Later

Time had passed since the funeral, and although it had been a lovely celebration, Cassie still had trouble letting go. She was sitting in her room by herself, weeping, when she heard a knock on her door.

"Cassie, you have a visitor!" cried Laura.

"I bet it's someone with more bad news." Sighed Cassie.

"Not at all." Replied Laura. "It's your friend Ash." The door to the room opened and Ash stepped inside.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" he asked.

"All right, I suppose." Said Cassie. "Although, it didn't help that Gary kept trying to bring my mood down during the funeral."

"He didn't even want to go according to what my mom told me." Said Ash. "But both Daisy and Professor Oak forced him to, and his behavior showed it. Daisy and Professor Oak gave him a stern lecture about it afterward."

"I would hope so." Replied Cassie. She almost let out a tear.

"I can tell that you're still upset." Said Ash. "And that's okay. Everyone gets upset for different reasons. Even I got really upset once a couple of years ago."

"What happened?" asked Cassie.

"It was my sixth birthday, and I remember my mom had made the biggest Charizard sized cake ever." Replied Ash. "That was the one thing I wanted most. But Gary, being the jerk that he was, cut in front of me so he could get the first piece. There were so many things I wanted to discuss to him to show my anger, including punching him, but my mom said that violence isn't the answer."

"Moms are always right." Said Cassie. "Did he apologize at least?"

"No. You know how Gary is." Answered Ash. "Anyway, I'm sorry again for your loss."

"Thanks, Ash. You're such a great friend." Said Cassie.

Later, after Ash had gone, Cassie was thinking about things.

"You still miss mom, don't you?" asked Laura. Cassie nodded, and then she burst into tears.

"It's not fair that she had to die!" she cried.

"Life isn't fair, sometimes, Cassie." Replied Laura.

"But why did she have to die?" cried Cassie. "She didn't deserve it!" Cassie cried so hard that some of the tears landed on Laura's sweater.

"I'm sorry." Apologized Cassie.

"Don't worry about it." Said Laura. "Look, I miss mom too, but I've already gotten over it. I don't know why it's taken you longer."

"There's one thing I do know." Replied Cassie. "After seeing the condition that Dratini was in, I don't think I want to be a Pokemon trainer anymore!" She cried again.

"Oh, now don't say that!" Replied Laura. "You've loved Pokemon ever since you were four years old. Don't you remember when we went into the Viridian Forest together and you saw a Caterpie?" Cassie nodded.

"That was the first Pokemon you ever saw, and you've fallen in love with them ever since!" Replied Laura. "You're practically destined to be a trainer, Cassie. It's what mom would've wanted."

"It is?" asked Cassie.

"Of course it is." Said Laura. "Mom might not be with us anymore, but that's no reason to give up your dream. She would want you to go on that journey, wouldn't you think?"

"You're right. I think she would." Replied Cassie. "From what I remember, I have to wait until I turn ten, right?"

"That's right." Said Laura. "However, because of your autism, you would be more vulnerable to all sorts of danger."

"What does vulnerable mean?" wondered Cassie.

"It means you could get hurt more easily." Answered Laura.

"That would be bad, wouldn't it?" asked Cassie.

"Very bad." Answered Laura. "We already lost our mom, and I don't want to lose my little sister on top of that. So I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'll go on the journey with you."

"You don't have to do that." Said Cassie.

"I feel that I need to, though, for your own safety and protection." Said Laura. "The Pokemon world is a big place, Cassie, but it can also be a scary place if you're not careful. You need that extra layer of protection because of your autism. If anything were to happen to you out there, well, I don't even want to think about that. But it's for the reasons I just mentioned that I'm going to go with you on the journey. Mom would want me to, anyway. What do you say?"

"I say, let's do it!" cried Cassie.

"That's the bright, cheerful and happy Cassie that I know." Said Laura. The two of them embraced in a hug.

"Look out, Pokemon world, because my sister and I are coming for you!" cried Cassie.

 

[MarkL1987]

The First Day

"And Nidorino begins the battle with a Horn Attack! Oh, but Gengar bounces right back!" Cassie, now ten, was eagerly watching the battle play out on the television that was in her room.

"Wow! So this is what a Pokemon battle feels like!" She cried.

"Oh, and there it is, the Hypnosis power of Gengar!" Cried the announcer. "The trainer is recalling Nidorino! What Pokemon will he use now?" The Nidorino was recalled and out came an Onix in its place.

"Whoa, that's one intimidating Onix!" Cried Cassie. Over the last couple of years, she had thought long and hard about which starter she wanted to pick. In her mind, all three starters would make great partners, which was what made the choice even more difficult.

"Tomorrow is finally the big day." She Said to herself. "I wonder if Laura has decided which of the starters she wants for herself." She picked up a toy Poke Ball that was on her shelf and held it up high.

"I, Cassie Quinn, vow to capture as many Pokemon as I can and become the greatest trainer in the world. But not just a great trainer. A Pokemon Master!" cried Cassie. "That's what I'll be!"

"Cassie, get to bed right now!" cried the voice of her sister Laura, who was now sixteen. "It's just about eleven o'clock! You should've been in bed much earlier than this! Now turn that off and get to sleep!"

"But tomorrow's an exciting day!" Cassie protested. "I can't sleep!"

"I get that you're excited, and I am too. But if you're late, you might not be able to get the starter you want." Said Laura. "Speaking of which, have you decided who you're going to pick?"

"I'm trying to, but all the starters are so good that it's hard to choose." Answered Cassie.

"I'll tell you what. Since you can't sleep, and since you're having a bit of trouble making an informed decision, I'm going to put the channel onto something more informative." Said Laura. The station she changed it to showed Professor Oak on the screen.

"Good evening, Pallet. Tomorrow's the big day for the newest class of beginning trainers." Bellowed Oak's voice. "I'd like to introduce you to Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Each one is available for new trainers. Which one will you choose?" Laura went over to where Cassie's Spearow shaped alarm clock was and fiddled around with it for a couple of moments.

"I've set the alarm on the clock for seven thirty tomorrow morning, so make sure you get up the moment it goes off." Laura instructed. "And make sure you go to bed when this is done!"

"Yes, ma'am." Replied Cassie. As the night got later and later, the young autistic trainer-to-be got even more excited. Her excitement level was so high that she kept tossing and turning in her sleep.

"Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander. Any one of them would be perfect for beginners." She whispered to herself. Then she began to dream. In her dream, she was standing on the battlefield of the Indigo Plateau stadium and about to launch a final attack on her opponent.

"Go! Water Gun!" she cried. The water blast was so powerful that her opponent's Pokemon went down in a heap, and Cassie was declared the winner.

Back to reality….

"I hope that actually happens." She whispered before finally settling down to sleep.

The next morning, the sun began to rise bright and early, and a Dodrio that was perched on top of a fence. It gave a loud screech to indicate that it was time to wake up. Thankfully for Cassie, it coincided with the sound of her alarm clock going off.

"Time to start my first day as a trainer!" she cried excitedly. The way she bounced out of bed was a clear indication of how excited she was. She got changed into her favorite blue sweater with a Pikachu in the middle, bright pink jeans, grey socks and red sneakers. Her favorite cap sat on top of the chair that was at her desk. After she had gotten herself ready, she made a mad dash down the stairs. But she wasn't quite watching where she was going and almost crashed right into Laura.

"Whoa there, kiddo, where's the Flamethrower?" asked Laura.

"I've got to get to Professor Oak's lab right away!" replied Cassie. Laura just chuckled.

"Now slow down there, sis." She said. "I can tell you're excited, but we need to have breakfast first. The Pokemon aren't going anywhere."

"But what if Professor Oak doesn't have any Pokemon left by the time we get there?" asked Cassie.

"I'm sure he'll still have at least a Pokemon left, now let's eat." Replied Laura. Their breakfast consisted of some sunny side eggs, strips of bacon and a piece of toast.

"Well, what do you think of my little breakfast?" asked Laura.

"It's okay, but the eggs Mom used to make were a lot better." Said Cassie.

"You still miss her, don't you?" asked Laura. Cassie sadly nodded.

"Maybe just a little bit." She replied.

"I wanted to make this breakfast extra special since we're going to be on the road for a long time." Asked Laura. "Mom would've done the same thing." They made sure to take a bit of time with their breakfast, but once they had finished, they made their way out of the house together.

"There's just one more thing I need to do before we go to Professor Oak's." said Cassie.

"What's that?" asked Laura.

"I have to wait for Ash." Answered Cassie. "We promised we'd go on our journey together." Laura looked at her watch.

"It's eight o'clock already, and we're supposed to be at the lab before nine o'clock." Said Cassie.

"Are you sure?" asked Cassie.

"Yes. That's what Professor Oak told me." Said Laura. "I'll tell you what. We'll wait as long as we can for him, but then we have to go."

"That seems fair." Replied Cassie. "I just hope he didn't forget about today."

"I'm pretty sure he didn't." said Laura. So, the two of them waited around. But the longer they had to wait, the more impatient Cassie got.

"Come on, Ash, where are you?" she grumbled. Once it got past eight thirty, Laura shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but we can't wait anymore." She said. "Let's get going." The two of them started making their way to the lab, which wasn't too far of a walk from where their house was. But when they got there, Cassie was in for a shock. For there was Gary Oak, already stepping out of the lab.

"No! Don't tell me….." said Cassie. She grabbed hold of her sister's hand and started dragging her up the steps with her as she ran.

"Cassie, wait, slow down!" cried Laura. But she refused to slow down, and this time, she bumped right into Gary.

"Hey! Watch you're going!" he cried.

"I'm sorry, mister….." said Cassie. "Uh, what was your name again?"

"It's Gary Oak! Show some respect!" cried Gary. "Well, if it isn't little Cassie. Apparently, you're not safe enough to go out on your own so your sister has to babysit you."

"Listen here, Gary!" cried Cassie. Laura quickly intervened before things got worse.

"Don't start picking fights with him." She said. "It's not worth it."

"Your sister's right." Said Gary. "Well, Cassie, you snooze you lose, and you're both behind. I have a Pokemon and you two don't."

"Well good for you!" growled Cassie through gritted teeth.

"Cassie! Be nice to him!" Laura warned. "I apologize for my sister."

"It's fine, but she needs to learn to control herself." Replied Gary.

"Just one question, Gary." Said Cassie.

"Yeah, what?" asked Gary.

"Could you tell me what Pokemon is inside that Poke Ball?" Cassie asked curiously.

"None of your business!" cried Gary. "If you'd shown up a few minutes earlier, then you'd have seen that I got the best Pokemon from Professor Oak! It helps to have a grandfather in the Pokemon business, isn't it?"

"But I thought…" said Cassie. Then, it hit her. "Oh no, don't tell me he….."

"Grandpa has a lot of things to do today, so he decided to start this earlier to get it overwith." Gary replied.

"Why didn't he tell me?" asked Cassie.

"How should I know? I'm just the professor's grandson, after all." Gary replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some Pokemon training to do."

"One more thing, Gary." Said Cassie. "If you happen to run into Ash, can you tell him that I said hi to him?"

"Oh, you mean Ash the loser?" Gary replied.

"He is NOT a loser!" yelled Cassie. "Ash is my friend, and I like him a lot. Don't you be calling him a loser!" Right as that last bit of yelling came out of her mouth, Professor Oak came up to them.

"Now then, children, what's all the commotion?" he asked.

"Oh, Professor Oak!" cried Cassie. "Is it true that Gary already got his Pokemon?"

"Yes, and it's partly my fault for not telling you I was changing the time." Oak answered. Cassie, Laura, I apologize to you both for not communicating."

"But you said…" replied Cassie.

"I know I said one time, but after I saw how much work I had to do, I knew I was going to have to start earlier. I should've informed you, but I never ha a chance to." Said Oak. "Well, come on in, and we'll see about getting your starter Pokemon." Cassie and Laura followed the professor into the lab, which was among the biggest buildings in all of Pallet Town. Pokemon stuff was everywhere regardless of where you looked. Cassie got even more excited by the minute. Three Poke Balls came out of a glass cage next to the professor's desk.

"I thought about it while sleeping last night, and I think I know which starter I want." Said Cassie. "I choose, Squirtle!" But when she opened the Poke Ball…

"Already taken by someone else who remembered the start time change." Said Oak.

"Oh." Sighed Cassie.

"We could always end up finding a wild Squirtle." Said Laura.

"I suppose that's true." Said Cassie. "But that's no problem because my Pokemon will be…Bulbasaur!" However….

"That was also taken by another kid who showed up right before you did." Explained Oak.

"Not again!" cried Cassie.

"Just calm down." Said Laura. "I'm sure he probably still has something left."

Oh, I really hope there's something in this last Poke Ball." Said Cassie. She nervously pressed the button on it, and fortunately, something did come out this time, which was a Charmander.

"Aw, you look so adorable!" cried Cassie. "I guess you're my partner, Charmander."

"Hold on, sis." Said Laura. "I actually kind of wanted Charmander for myself."

"But I saw it first!" cried Cassie.

"Yes, but I'm older than you are, remember?" Laura replied. "Professor, I'd like to take Charmander."

"Very well, Laura." Said Oak. He handed her Charmander's Poke Ball.

"But now this means there's none left for me!" cried Cassie. "Oh dear, now I'll have to wait until more starters come in!"

"Normally that would be true, but I do still have two extra starters left." Said Oak. Cassie breathed a sigh of relief as the professor pressed a button to reveal two more Poke Balls, one of which had a lightning bolt sticker on it.

"I know these two aren't traditional starters that I normally offer, but I have a feeling you're going to be a special one, Cassie." Said Oak. "For that, I want to give you a special starter." He handed Cassie one of the Poke Balls, and when she opened it, an adorable fox Pokemon with brown fur popped out.

"Aw, you're so cute!" cried Cassie.

"That, young lady, is an Eevee." Said Oak.

"She's so adorable!" cried Cassie. Eevee gave Cassie a playful lick on the hand.

"You really like me, don't you?" asked Cassie. Eevee nodded, and Professor Oak handed her Eevee's Poke Ball.

"You and I are going to be best friends together, Eevee." Said Cassie. She placed the Poke Ball down in front of the little Pokemon.

"I'm going to give you a choice, Eevee." Said Cassie. "You can stay in the Poke Ball if you want to, or if you prefer, you can ride on my shoulder. I'll leave it to you." Eevee looked at both Cassie and the Poke Ball several times before making up her mind. She ran up to Cassie and happily nestled onto her shoulder.

"Okay, shoulder it is then." Said Cassie. The professor handed Cassie and Laura an electronic device and several empty Poke Balls.

"Those Poke Balls are for catching other wild Pokemon you come across." Said Oak. "You're free to catch as many Pokemon as you want, but do keep in mind that you can only carry six at a time."

"Only six?" said Cassie. "Are you sure you can't make an exception or something?"

"No, I most certainly cannot." Answered Oak. "The Pokemon League has this limit in place for legal reasons, and all trainers have to abide by that. Now, those Pokedexes will give you all sorts of information about all the different Pokemon you come across. They also serve as your identification and are hard to replace if they get lost, stolen or damaged, so make sure none of that happens."

"We will, professor." Replied Laura. "Well, Cassie, let's get going." The two of them made their way out of the lab, down the stairs and through the gate. But as they headed out into route one, they heard someone making a mad dash toward the lab.

"Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander! Any of them is fine! Just please, save one for me!" the voice cried.

"Was that Ash?" asked Cassie.

"That definitely looked and sounded like him." Answered Laura.

"So he did oversleep." Replied Cassie. "Well, he's going to be in for quite the shock when he gets to the lab."

"Let's get a move on." Said Laura. "Ash can catch up to us later." The two of them started making their way through one. It was a peaceful little area with lots of grass and trees, and all the while, the two girls were looking for some Pokemon to catch.

"I wonder what my first catch is going to end up being." Said Cassie. "I hope it'll be something cool."

"This route is supposed to have plenty of Pokemon on it, so I'm sure we'll find something." Replied Laura. Eevee kept an eye out for any wild Pokemon that might pop up.

"This route's pretty big." Said Cassie. "Maybe I'll find a Pikachu or something out here."

"Don't count on it." Said Laura. "Pikachu are almost rarely found in the wild, and I don't think any would be found in such an early route like this."

"Maybe you're right." Said Cassie. Eevee then heard some rustling in the grass.

"Vee!" she cried. (Look there!) Casie turned around and saw a small bird Pokemon.

"A Pidgey! That would be a pretty good start." Said Cassie. She flipped her Pokedex open.

"Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokemon. Among all Pokemon of this type, it is the gentlest and easiest to capture. The perfect target for the beginning trainer to test their Pokemon's skills."

"It's my lucky day!" cried Cassie. "Eevee, let's go get it!"

"Vee!" (Right!) Eevee hopped off Cassie's shoulder and ran onto the field.

"Use your Tackle attack, Eevee!" cried Cassie. Eevee charged in at Pidgey and nailed the flying type. Pidgey got a bit angry and responded with a Quick Attack, which Eevee easily dodged.

"Use your own Quick Attack!" cried Cassie. Eevee charged in quickly again, but Pidgey flew out of the way and then blew up a wind tornado.

"That's a Gust attack!" cried Laura. The attack came so fast at Eevee that she couldn't dodge and it struck.

"Eevee!" cried Cassie. Eevee got sent flying backwards a bit.

"Vee!" (I'm just fine!)

"Great! Now use Take Down!" cried Cassie. Eevee charged at Pidgey again and nailed the Pidgey with a powerful hit. Cassie reached for a Poke Ball.

"Pidgey, you're about to be mine!" she cried. "Poke Ball, go! The ball sucked Pidgey inside, wobbled a few times, and then pinged.

"All right! I caught my first Pokemon!" cried Cassie.

"Great job, sis!" cried Laura.

"You were great, Eevee!" Cassie praised. They kept walking along the route, and a bit further onward, they spotted a small rat Pokemon with dark purple fur.

"It's a Rattata!" cried Cassie. She got her Pokedex out again.

"Rattata is a forest Pokemon. It likes cheese, nuts, fruits and berries."

"But we're not in any forest. It's a wide open field!" cried Cassie. Laura took a couple of berries out of her bag.

"Here you go, Rattata." She said. The small rat Pokemon gladly took the berry, and while it was distracted, Laura had Charmander battle it and knock it out with a couple of Tackle attacks. One Poke Ball throw later, and Rattata was caught.

"Now we've both caught a Pokemon." said Laura. As they continued walking, they passed by a river bank. Sitting at the river was a girl with a red drawstring bag.

"Where are all of those fish?" she wondered. Cassie decided it would be a good idea to introduce herself and her sister to the girl.

"I wonder what she's doing." Said Cassie. "Let's go see."

"Hang on there." Said Laura. "I'm not sure if we should bother her. She looks focused."

"Maybe, but I want to make as many new friends on this trip as I can." Said Cassie. Laura wasn't about to argue, so the two of them carefully approached the girl.

"Whatcha doing there?" wondered Cassie.

"I'm trying to find some cool water Pokemon, but nothing's biting." The girl replied. "What are you two doing?"

"We're traveling along on a Pokemon journey that we just started." Answered Cassie.

"It's nice that you're traveling together." The girl replied. "My name's Misty."

"I'm Cassie, and this is my sister Laura." Said Cassie.

"It's nice to meet you both." Said Misty. She then noticed the Eevee that Cassie had with her.

"Ah! That's the most cutest thing ever!" she cried. "Oh, I want one so much!"

"Huh?" said Cassie.

"I thought you said you were looking for a water Pokemon." said Laura.

"I am, but Eevee becomes a Vaporeon with a Water Stone, and Vaporeon is a water type!" answered Misty.

"I kind of knew that already." Said Cassie.

"You must've studied up before you set out." Said Misty. "Not many trainers bother doing that because they think they can get by with learning on the fly. But they're in for a harsh reality later when they find out that's not the case. Good for you on actually doing your homework beforehand." Misty then had an idea herself.

"You ever been fishing before?" she asked. Cassie shook her head. Misty placed the rod in Cassie's hand.

"Here, give it a try." She offered. Cassie tossed the line into the water.

"Maybe I'll have some luck finding a water type of my own." She said. "If I'm really lucky, I could end up getting a Gyrados." Misty froze up upon hearing that.

"G-G-Gyrados?!" she stammered.

"I don't think she likes Gyrados too much." Said Laura.

"Let's just say that something happened with me and a Gyrados when I was younger that left me terrified of that Pokemon." Misty explained. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"It's okay, Misty. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Said Laura.

"I appreciate you not trying to press me for the full story." Said Misty. She and Laura watched Cassie fish.

"I wonder what she's going to pull up." Said Misty. For a while, nothing bit.

"Misty, I don't think this rod is working." Said Cassie.

"It just takes a while sometimes." Misty explained. "Don't give up." With that encouragement, Cassie kept at it, and after ten more minutes passed, she felt something tugging at the line.

"Hey, I've got something!" she cried. "This could be a big one!"

"Pull hard!" cried Misty. "Let's help her, Laura." The three of them worked together to help Cassie pull whatever she had caught out of the river. But much to their surprise, instead of a Pokemon, something different came out instead.

"It's Ash!" cried Cassie. Ash coughed to try and get some of the water out of his mouth.

"Yeah, it's me." Sighed Ash.

"Oh, and he has a Pokemon with him!" cried Misty. "Oh, are you both okay?"

"I think so." Ash answered. Cassie and Misty then saw how the rough shape that Ash's Pokemon, which was a Pikachu, was in.

"Look, Laura, he has a Pikachu!" cried Cassie.

"It doesn't look too good, though." Laura replied.

"Let's just say I woke up late and we've been through a lot to get here." said Ash.

"I figured you'd overslept." Said Cassie.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting." Ash apologized.

"It's fine, Ash." Said Cassie. "At least you're here now." Misty cleared her throat.

"Well, as nice as this is, that Pikachu's in bad shape. There's a medical center in Viridian City. Take Pikachu there and get it looked after."

"You mean a hospital?" wondered Ash.

"Yes, for Pokemon." Misty replied.

"Those are called Pokemon Centers." Cassie added. "Every city and town in this region has one."

"Good to know." Said Ash. Then, he saw a flock of angry bird Pokemon coming toward them.

"Those are Spearow!" cried Cassie. "Come on, Ash, we've got to get out of here!" Ash quickly hopped onto the bike that was beside a nearby tree.

"Hey, wait a second! That's not yours!" cried Cassie.

"She's right. It's mine!" cried Misty. But Ash had started pedaling away.

"I'll give it to you and the Pokemon Center!" he called toward her. Misty didn't like this at all.

"Oh, that kid!" she Grumbled.

"We better go after him." Said Cassie.

"Good idea." Replied Laura. The two of them chased after Ash and tried as hard as they could to catch up to him.

"Ash, wait up!" cried Cassie. The Spearow were closing in on the three of them.

"You Spearow better back off!" cried Cassie.

"Eevee!" (Leave us alone!) The Spearow circled in more on Ash and sent him tumbling off the bike. And to make matters worse, rain started pouring down.

"These Spearow don't give up!" cried Cassie. "Maybe the Pokedex could….."

"Not right now!" Cried Laura. "If that machine gets wet, it'll break. Remember what Professor Oak said earlier? The Pokedex can't get damaged." Eevee looked over at Pikachu.

"Eevee?" (Are you all right there?)

"Chu." (No)

"Pikachu, get inside the Poke Ball." Ordered Ash. "I know you don't like being in there, but if you're inside, maybe I can save you."

"Pikachu, please listen to Ash." Cassie pleaded. "He's responsible for your well-being." Ash placed Pikachu's Poke Ball on the ground and faced the flock.

"Spearow, I am Ash from the town of Pallet!" he cried. "I can't be defeated by the likes of you. I'm going to capture and defeat you all! Come and get me!"

"He's risking his life to protect Pikachu!" cried Cassie. "Ash, you're so brave!" Pikachu darted ahead and delivered a powerful Thunder Shock that knocked out all the Spearow.

Later, the sun was back out.

"Looks like Pikachu beat them." Said Cassie.

"Yeah, I guess he did." Replied Ash.

"You shouldn't really be surprised." Said Cassie. "Spearow is a flying type, so it gets zapped easily by electric attacks."

"She's right." Said Laura. A gorgeous flying Pokemon then went flying past them and toward the rainbow in the sky.

"What was that?" wondered Ash. Cassie flipped her Pokedex out.

"NO DATA." It beeped.

"I guess that Pokemon, whatever it is, isn't native to this region." Said Cassie. She then looked over at the bike, which was charred to a crisp.

"Ash, I think we might have a problem." Said Cassie. Ash looked over and just about freaked out.

"Oh no! The bike!" he cried.

"Misty's not going to be happy about this!" cried Cassie.

"We'll worry about that later." Said Laura. "Getting Pikachu to the Pokemon Center is more important right now." The three of them all held hands and walked toward the Pokemon Center together.

The journey continues next time…

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu

Cassie's Current Party: Eevee, Pidgey

Laura's Current Party: Charmander, Rattata

 

[MarkL1987]

It's An Emergency!

Viridian City. The first major stop for any new trainer in the Kanto region. And it's here where we find Officer Jenny blasting into a megaphone with important information.

"Attention citizens of Viridian City! Attention citizens of Viridian City!" Cried Jenny. "We have been made aware of potential Pokemon thieves in this area! If you have a Pokemon, make sure to keep it in its Poke Ball!" She was about to go through the whole spiel again when she saw Ash, Cassie and Laura running up the road.

"I wonder….." she said with a hint of suspicion.

"Just hang in there, Pikachu! We're almost there!" cried Ash.

"Thank goodness we got away from all those Spearow!" cried Cassie. They ran right past Officer Jenny, who stopped the three of them immediately.

"Hold it!" she cried. "Just where do think you're all going with those Pokemon?!"

"They're our Pokemon, and his Pikachu is badly hurt! It needs medical attention immediately!" cried Cassie.

"Oh, my apologies. I thought you might be stealing them." Said Jenny. "Just show me your ID and you can go."

"Our ID?" repeated Cassie.

"Oak said that our Pokedex serves as our identification, remember?" asked Laura.

"Oh yeah, I kind of forgot." Said Cassie sheepishly. All three trainers took out their Pokedexes.

"Now to find out if you're the real deal." Said Jenny. She pressed a button on all three devices, starting with Ash's Pokedex.

"I am Dexter, a Pokedex programmed and designed for Pokemon trainer Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. My job is to provide Ash with information and advice regarding Pokemon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced." Cassie's Pokedex beeped next.

"I am Dexter, a Pokedex programmed and designed for Pokemon trainer Cassie Quinn of Pallet Town. My job is to provide Cassie with information and advice regarding Pokemon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced." Finally, Laura's Pokedex beeped.

"I am Dexter, a Pokedex programmed and designed for Pokemon trainer Laura Quinn of Pallet Town. My job is to provide Laura with information and advice regarding Pokemon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."

"Well, all three of you check out." Said Jenny. "You're all good to go."

"Thank you." Said Cassie.

"You know, you're the fourth, fifth and sixth trainers that I've seen come through here today." Said Jenny.

"But then that means…" Said Laura.

"It means Gary Oak has been through here already." Said Ash. Eevee pointed at something on her leg.

"What is it, girl?" asked Cassie. She noticed the little peck marks.

"Oh dear, looks like those Spearow got you a little bit." Replied Cassie. "We'll have to get that looked at when we get to the Pokemon Center."

"Jenny, we just have to get there soon. Otherwise, who knows what could happen to Pikachu." Said Ash.

"I'll get you all there in no time at all." Replied Jenny with a wink. She led the threesome over to her motorcycle, which had a fairly large sidecar attached. Ash, Cassie and Laura all climbed in.

"Just hang on tight and try not to yell." Said Jenny. She started up the vehicle and tore down the road very quickly.

"WHOA!" the three trainers cried.

"This is too fast!" yelled Cassie.

"She has to go fast in order to get Pikachu and Eevee to the Pokemon Center." Explained Laura. The motorcycle disappeared in a cloud of dust, and shortly afterward, Misty emerged with the charred remains of her bike in tow.

"Just you wait, Ash Ketchum!" she cried. "You are going to pay for this!" She ran down the road still carrying her bike, and up in the sky, a Meowth shaped hot air balloon floated through the air.

"Oh, look, a wanted poster." Grumbled a woman with magenta colored hair.

"That picture makes me look terrible." Replied a man with blue hair.

"At least the photographer captured the real you." Replied the female.

"Certainly a lot better than your own picture." Said the male. "Your face looks terrible."

"Hey, speak for yourself." Came a third voice, which belonged to a cat Pokemon.

"Who asked for YOUR opinion?!" cried the female.

"Stay out of business that doesn't involve you." Replied the male.

"So much for freedom of speech." Replied the Pokemon. "Don't forget that we're supposed to capture rare and unusual Pokemon. And don't forget, I'm the top cat!"

"We know, Meowth!" cried the male and female.

Meanwhile, Jenny kept speeding down the road at a quick pace.

"I see the Pokemon Center up ahead!" cried Cassie. Jenny popped a wheelie and the end result was the motorcycle bursting through the front door, much to the shock of the Nurse Joy that was stationed behind the desk.

"We have a driveway for a reason!" cried Joy.

"Sorry, but this is an emergency!" Replied Jenny.

"More specifically, a Pokemon emergency!" cried Cassie. "Look at what happened to Pikachu and Eevee!" Ash and Cassie placed the Pokemon on the counter so that Joy could look at them. She assessed the situation and then placed the two Pokemon onto a stretcher.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of them." Assured Joy. She wheeled the Pokemon into the recovery area before coming back. "Now, how long have the three of you been Pokemon trainers?"

"We only just started today." Answered Laura.

"How are Eevee and Pikachu?" wondered Cassie.

"Eevee's injuries are relatively minor, so its recovery shouldn't take very long." Joy answered. She then turned to give Ash a stern look.

"Pikachu, however, is a different story." She continued. "You should never, ever let a Pokemon battle until it gets into this condition! Just look at the state the poor thing is in!"

"But Nurse Joy, you don't know what happened!" cried Ash.

"He's right!" cried Cassie. "You see, we got attacked by a bunch of Spearow, and then a storm came and we had to shield ourselves. But then Pikachu blasted all the Spearow away with his powerful Thunder Shock. We're okay, but the attack left Pikachu badly hurt because of what the Spearow did. So it's not all Ash's fault."

"You know, we've been meaning to do something about that flock for a while." Said Jenny. "I'll have to have that looked into further."

"I'm glad you're all okay, but the important thing now is to make sure that Pikachu and Eevee get healed properly." Said Joy. "Just stay here and leave everything to me."

"But can't we at least see them first?" asked Ash.

"I think it would be a much better idea if we let Pikachu and Eevee recover." Said Laura. "Besides, we have to recover ourselves from all that running we had to do in order to get away from the Spearow."

"They'll be well taken care of, trust me." Said Jenny.

"That's because you got them here in time." Replied Joy.

"That's what police officers are supposed to do!" cried Jenny. She then realized something.

"Goodness me, my motorcycle is still parked at the front desk!" she cried.

"Make sure you use the driveway next time!" cried Joy. Jenny laughed sheepishly as she made her exit.

"The three of you are going to have to go into the waiting room." Said Joy. She ushered them into the lobby before they could say or do anything. As they sat in the lobby, all that was on Ash and Cassie's minds were the well-being of their Pokemon.

"Cheer up, you two." Said Laura. "Everything's going to be fine."

"I feel like a failure of a trainer right now." Said Ash.

"Don't go saying that, Ash!" cried Cassie. "I'm sorry that your Pikachu got hurt, but you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Things like this happen, and when they do, we have to respond by bouncing back."

"She's right, Ash." Said Laura. "If you were to quit right now, then that would show that you can't cut it. And we've known you long enough to know that you're not a quitter."

"I guess when you put things that way, you both have a point." Replied Ash. He then studied the video phones that were on the wall.

"Maybe I should call home." He said.

"That wouldn't be a bad idea." Said Cassie. "I'm sure your mother will want to know that you arrived here safely." They went over to the phones so that Ash could call his mom. Delia was taking a shower and had just finished when she heard the phone ringing.

"Ketchum residence!" cried Delia.

"Hi, Mom. It's me, Ash!" cried Ash.

"Oh, Ash! I was just thinking about you." Said Delia. "Where are you right now?"

"I'm in Viridian City." Answered Ash.

"You're there already?!" cried Delia. "When your father was training, it took him four days to reach Viridian City. He'll be so proud of you. You're like the apple of his eye."

"A rotten core is more like it." Sighed Ash.

"I told you already, don't talk about yourself that way!" cried Cassie.

"Hi there, Cassie!" cried Delia. "Nice to see you again!"

"It's nice to see you again too, Mrs. Ketchum!" cried Cassie. "We got attacked by Spearow on the way over here, but we're all doing just fine now."

"I'm glad to hear that!" cried Delia. "You make sure that my Ash gets looked after. If there's anything you kids need, just let me know."

"Will do, Mrs. Ketchum." Said Cassie.

"And all of you be careful out there." Added Delia.

"You can count on us, Mrs. Ketchum." Said Laura.

"Well, it's getting a bit late, so I'm going to go, but I love you all!" cried Delia.

"I love you too, Mom." Said Ash.

"Oh, and one more thing, Ash." Said Delia. "I meant to remind you this morning, but you tore out of the house so fast that I didn't get to. Make sure you change your underwear every day."

"Mom!" cried Ash. Cassie and Laura laughed.

"We'll make sure to remind him, Mrs. Ketchum." Said Cassie.

"Great. I knew I could count on you kids." Replied Delia. "Well, good night." The phone call ended. After they had hung up, the three of them hand a look at the murals that were on the wall. All of them had legendary Pokemon in them. One in particular got Ash's attention.

"Look, Cassie. There's the flying Pokemon we saw." Said Ash.

"No, these Pokemon are completely different than what we saw." Replied Cassie. "All of these Pokemon are the legendary birds. I should know all about them because I've read up on them. The fire type is Moltres, the electric type is Zapdos, and the ice type is Articuno. If you had bothered studying like me, you would've known about those too." Ash just growled at her.

"That one on the bottom right looks interesting." Said Laura.

"What is it?" wondered Ash.

"It's called an Arcanine." Said Cassie. "Oh, how I'd love one of those!"

"Maybe you'll have a chance to capture one." Said Laura. The phone on Joy's desk rang.

"I wonder who that is." Said Ash.

"I don't think we should answer a phone that doesn't belong to us." Cassie pointed out.

"But there's nobody at the desk, so I think we'll have to answer it." Said Laura. They went over to the phone and answered the phone.

"Hello? May I ask who's calling, please?" asked Cassie.

"Here! I'm over here!" A picture moved out of view to reveal Professor Oak talking on another video phone. "Kids, it's mee! I thought you'd be able to recognize me!"

"Kind of hard to do that when only the back of your head is showing." Said Cassie.

"Oops!" cried Oak. He quickly changed camera so that Ash, Cassie and Laura could get a better look at him.

"That's better." Said Oak. "Now, may I ask where you three are?"

"The Pokemon Center in Viridian City." Answered Laura.

"If we weren't here, how would we be able to talk to you?" asked Cassie.

"Ah, fair point." Said Oak. "You know, I'm quite surprised that you got there so soon. Sometimes it takes trainers at least a couple of days to reach Viridian City because they like to take their time exploring and seeing what's around them. They also like to catch some beginning Pokemon too. Speaking of captures, have either of you caught a Pokemon yet?"

"Ash hasn't had any luck yet, but I caught a Pidgey, and my sister caught a Rattata." Answered Cassie.

"That's very good news." Said Oak.

"What's not so good is that we got attacked by Spearow coming here." said Ash.

"Goodness me." Replied Oak. "Are you all okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine now." Said Laura.

"That's a relief." Said Oak.

"But that's not the only thing that happened, Professor." Said Cassie. "We saw a flying Pokemon on the way here. It was gold, very majestic, and we saw it sailing over the rainbow."

"Impossible. There's no way you could've seen a Pokemon like that." Replied Oak. "Trainers have been trying to find Pokemon like that for years and they haven't succeeded yet. What you're describing is a bunch of nonsense."

"But we know we saw it, Professor!" cried Ash.

"You have to believe us!" cried Cassie.

"I wish I could." Replied Oak. His doorbell then rang. "That must be my pizza. It was very nice talking to you kids. Good luck. Oh my, looks like we have ourselves an anchovy, spinach and pineapple pizza." The call went dead.

"Ew! Just the thought of that combination of toppings makes me gag!" cried Cassie.

"Even if Oak didn't believe you, I believe you both." Said Laura.

"Thanks, Laura." Replied Cassie.

"No problem." Said Laura. "That's what big sisters are for." Just then, they heard a booming loud voice behind them.

"So this is where you all are!" yelled Misty. She was huffing and puffing from the excessive running she had done, and she was quite angry.

"Uh oh!" cried Ash.

"I think she's mad!" cried Cassie.

"You're darn right I'm mad!" screamed Misty. She showed the three of them her bike, which was now completely charred to a crisp and completely unrecognizable.

"What is the meaning of this?!" she roared.

"Whoa, that damage looks bad." Said Laura.

"It's more than just bad." Said Misty. "Just look at this! Bikes like these cost a lot of money, and I only just got this one not too long ago! Now, this is what remains of it after Ash here stole it!"

"I didn't steal it, I borrowed it!" Ash protested.

"Last I checked, borrowing would imply asking someone else's permission first." Said Cassie. "You didn't do that, which means you stole it."

"Your friend over here is right." Replied Misty. "I want to know what happened right now!"

"A whole flock of Spearow started attacking us, and we had to get away as fast as we could." Explained Ash. "Pikachu was able to drive them away with a Thunder Shock, though."

"And where's Pikachu right now?" asked Misty.

"In the recovery room, along with Cassie's Eevee." Ash answered. "They both got hurt from the attack. Eevee was okay, but Pikachu got the worst of it. Not only that, his Thunder Shock kind of fried your bike. It was an accident, I swear!"

"An accident? An ACCIDENT?!" cried Misty. "You guys were almost killed, not to mention that my bike is wrecked, and you SAY it was an accident?!" Ash gulped.

"All right, we'll call it a mistake!" he replied.

"A very big mistake!" snapped Misty. "You are going to pay me back for this, and until you do, I'm not leaving your side!"

"Wait, does this imply that you're going to be traveling with us?" asked Cassie.

"I think that's what she's saying." Replied Laura.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying!" cried Misty.

"Even if I could pay you back, I can't right now." Said Ash. "At least, not until…."

"No excuses, mister! You're going to get me a new bike this instant!" cried Misty.

"I just said I can't right now!" cried Ash. "So why don't you just back off?!"

"No, Ash, I won't back off until I get a fresh bike!" cried Misty.

"Stop arguing!" cried Cassie. "Our mother always said that arguing never solves any fights. Sadly, she's not around anymore." Misty's tone changed significantly.

"Oh, may I ask what happened?" she questioned.

"I would rather not talk about it." Answered Cassie.

"She's a little sensitive about that kind of subject." Added Laura.

"I see." Replied Misty. "As for your Pikachu and Eevee, let's just hope they'll be okay."

"I really hope Pikachu pulls through." Said Ash. "There's nothing any of us can do now, though, except to wait." So they all waited, and after some more time had passed, the treatment light went off. Pikachu and Eevee were then rolled out onto a stretcher.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash. "I'm so glad you're all right!"

"How are you holding up, Eevee?" asked Cassie. Eevee raised a paw.

"They're both doing fine." Said Nurse Joy. "The procedure went extremely well, and so they should be fine."

"Nurse Joy, would I be able to have Eevee back right now?" asked Cassie.

"Since its injuries weren't too bad, yes, Eevee can go back to you." Said Joy. Eevee hopped off the stretcher and ran to Cassie. The two of them embraced in a hug.

"Aw, that's sweet." Said Misty.

"Pikachu, though, needs to rest some more, and the recovery room is the best place for that." Added Joy.

"I should probably go in with it." Said Ash.

"Misty, we're sorry again about what happened to your bike." Said Cassie.

"Well, I guess I can accept your apology, but I'm not letting this go. I hope you know that." Replied Misty. Then, they noticed a poster on the wall advertising the region's league championships.

"What's this?" wondered Ash.

"It looks like a poster for the Pokemon League." Said Cassie.

"That's exactly what it is." Answered Misty. "If you guys really want to test how well you stack up, I would recommend trying the gym challenge."

"That seems like a good idea, except that I don't how many gyms there are." Said Ash.

"You would have if you had studied!" cried Cassie. "Since I have, I can tell you that there are eight gyms scattered across the region. If we win battles there, we get a badge, and winning eight of them qualifies us to participate in the Pokemon League championships."

"Yes, that's all correct." Nurse Joy confirmed. "But in order to be eligible for that, you have to register first, and you can do that right here. I just need your Pokedexes first."

"What do you say, Ash?" asked Cassie.

"You don't have to tell me twice. I'm in!" cried Ash.

"Me too!" cried Cassie.

"I guess I'll do it too." Said Laura. "Mom would've wanted us to, after all." The three new trainers gave their Pokedexes to Nurse Joy so she could enter their information. The process was quick, and a minute later, they got their Pokedexes back.

"There you go. You're now all registered to compete in the gyms as well as battle other trainers you see." Replied Joy.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy." Said Cassie. "Misty, why don't you give the challenge a try yourself."

"Uh, I can't." said Misty. "You see…" But she was interrupted by the voice of Officer Jenny over the loudspeaker.

"Attention, please! Our radar systems have detected an air vehicle that belongs to three Pokemon thieves!" cried Jenny. "If you have a Pokemon in your possession, place it into its Poke Ball immediately!" Just the mention of a Poke Ball caused Pikachu to tense up.

"This could be a problem." Said Laura.

"Pikachu doesn't exactly like being in a Poke Ball." Ash explained.

"We don't have a choice, Ash!" cried Cassie. "We have to keep Pikachu and Eevee safe." Ash attempted to recall Pikachu into its ball, but Pikachu kept dodging the beam.

"See?" said Ash. Then, two more Poke Balls came crashing down through the roof of the Pokemon Center, followed by the three thieves in question. Two poison type Pokemon materialized out of the Poke Balls.

"Where did these Pokemon come from?" cried Cassie.

"Who are these guys?" cried Ash.

"No need to be scared, little ones." Replied the female.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves." Said the male.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!" Cassie was thrilled at the sight of hearing Meowth talk.

"I've never seen anything like that before!" She cried.

"I didn't know Meowth could talk." Said Laura. Cassie got her Pokedex out.

"Meowth, The Scratch Cat Pokémon. Meowth withdraws its sharp claws into its paws to slinkily sneak about without making any incriminating footsteps. It is also active during the night as it wanders the streets in search for dropped loose change, as it loves circular and shiny objects."

"Do any of you know what they're talking about with that blasting off stuff?" asked Ash.

"Not a clue." Replied Cassie.

"They just don't understand." Said Jessie.

"It's hard to understand when you all talk nonsense!" cried Cassie.

"Look kid, we're just here to take the Pokemon." said James.

"You had better not take Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"And Eevee's off limits!" cried Cassie.

"Oh, don't worry. We have no interest in stealing runts like those." Said Jessie.

"Eevee!? (Who are you calling a runt?!)

"We just want rare and valuable Pokemon!" cried James.

"You're wasting your time, then, because this center is for weak and injured Pokemon!" cried Nurse Joy.

"That may be so, but that won't stop us from trying to pick out some gems among all the scraps." Replied Jessie.

"You guys are really starting to annoy us, you know that?" said Cassie.

"Stop talking! Time to squish them!" cried Meowth.

"Ekans, go!" cried Jessie.

"Koffing, go!" cried James. The two poison types fired their attacks.

"They're packing a lot of poison!" cried Cassie. "Run! And make sure Pikachu doesn't go anywhere near them!" Koffing and Ekans lunged toward the trainers, and their powerful attacks caused damage to a lot of things in the center, including the computer and video phones. They all went into one of the rooms to shield themselves.

"The lights!" cried Misty.

"They probably cut the power and caused the blackout." Said Nurse Joy.

"I hate blackouts!" cried Cassie.

"Now just stay calm, sis." Said Laura.

"Luckily, we have a Pika power source." Replied Joy. "We'll get everything up and running again in no time." Sure enough, a group of Pikachu ran forward with their tails linked together, and they worked their hardest to get the lights to come back on.

"There's so many Pikachu!" cried Misty.

"A generator that's completely powered by Pikachu. I don't think I've ever seen that before." Said Cassie. But then she realized something else.

"I never scanned those two poison types." She said. "Well, this is a good time to find out more about them." She got her Pokedex out again.

"Ekans, the Snake Pokemon. It has the ability to move silently and stealthily beneath the tall grass and unhinge its large jaws. Ekans is also known to swallow the eggs of flying Pokemon, such as Spearow and Pidgey, whole."

"That's kind of gross." Said Cassie. Next, she looked up Koffing's information.

"Koffing, the Poison Gas Pokemon. Koffing embodies several types of poison gases and substances, especially in hot places, so it is prone to exploding without any warning."

"It can explode?!" cried Cassie. "I wouldn't want to be near a Koffing if it does that." One part of the computer still worked, which was a huge sigh of relief for Nurse Joy.

"A critical situation has come up. Starting Emergency Poke Ball Transport Sequence." The computer beeped.

"We've got to save all those Poke Balls!" cried Nurse Joy. "Hello, this is the Pokemon Center in Viridian City. We have a crisis situation! Transporting Poke Balls now!"

"Hello, this is the Pewter City Pokemon Center." Another computer replied. "Our out-loader is activated and ready to receive the Poke Balls." Ekans and Koffing burst into the room as the Poke Balls were being sent over.

"They found us!" cried Cassie.

"We'll have to battle them!" cried Laura.

"Grab some Poke Balls!" cried Joy.

"Right!" cried Ash. He and Laura grabbed some Poke Balls from the floor.

"Don't just stand there, guys!" cried Misty. "Throw the Poke Balls now! And Cassie, why don't you have one of the Poke Balls that got knocked down?"

"Because I have another Pokemon on me besides Eevee." Said Cassie. "Poke Ball, go!" her Pidgey materialized.

"Hey, I tried to catch one of those earlier today." Said Ash. "But I failed."

"You probably tried catching it without weakening it first, didn't you?" asked Cassie. Ash sadly nodded.

"Looks like I'll have to teach you about the right way to catch Pokemon." said Cassie.

"That little bird can't defeat us!" taunted Jessie. Pidgey was intimidated by Ekans and quickly flew back into its Poke Ball.

"I'll try one now." Said Ash. "Poke Ball, go!" But much to his surprise…

"Empty!" he cried.

"Unfortunately, some of them are empty." Said Joy.

"Now she tells us." Grumbled Ash.

"My turn." Said Laura. She tossed one of her own Poke Balls and her Rattata appeared.

"What a pipsqueak of a Rattata." Said James.

"Meowth! It'd make for good cat food!" cried Meowth. Koffing's size scared Rattata and it ran back into its Poke Ball.

"Guess I'll have to handle them myself." Said Misty. "You both take Pikachu and Eevee and get to safety while I deal with these clowns."

"That's some big talk from such a pretty little lady." Said jessie.

"You've got the pretty part nailed down." Said Misty. "Thanks for saying that."

"Hear that? She thinks she's pretty." Said James.

"Oh, she's pretty all right." Said Jessie. "Pretty pathetic!" Misty growled at Team Rocket.

"I'll show you guys exactly how pretty I am!" she cried. "Goldeen, go!" Her Goldeen materialized, but it simply flopped around on the floor. Team Rocket simply laughed.

"Is that really all she's got?" asked Jessie.

"It looks like it's washed up." Said James. Misty recalled her Goldeen.

"That was just a warm up." Said Misty. "Besides, you should know as well as I do that water Pokemon can't battle on the land."

"What did she mean by warming up?" wondered Cassie.

"Never mind that." Replied Laura. "Let's just grab Pikachu and Eevee and get out of here." Ash and Cassie grabbed their Pokemon and the three of them made a break for it. Ekans and Koffing were still right behind them. Ash then tripped over.

"Ash!" cried Cassie. "Here, let me help you up." She grabbed Ash's hand and got him up off the floor.

"Thanks." Replied Ash. The noise woke up Pikachu, who sprang into action and blasted Koffing, Ekans, Jessie, and James with a Thunder Shock. All the other Pikachu that had been powering the generator helped out too.

"Misty, did you see all of this?!" cried Cassie.

"I did, and it was so cool!" cried Misty.

"That jolt recharged Pikachu's batteries!" cried Laura.

"I have to do this myself then." Grumbled Meowth. "You're going to be cat food when I'm done with you, Pikachu!"

"Pika!" (More power please!)

"Looks like Pikachu wants more power." Said Ash.

"He better know what he's doing." Replied Cassie. Ash got onto the burnt up bike and started to pedal it, and Pikachu was connected to it.

"What's going on?" cried Meowth.

"Let's just say that Pikachu and I are going to generate a little excitement for you, Meowth!" cried Ash.

"Uh oh!" cried Jessie and James.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu. (I need more power!) The shock hit Jessie, James, Koffing, Ekans and Meowth all at the same time. Koffing then started to spew out some gases.

"Uh oh, it's going to explode!" cried Cassie.

"Everybody duck!" cried Laura. They all took cover under a desk to protect themselves from the ensuing explosion that destroyed the center. Officer Jenny then pulled up on her motorcycle.

"What could've happened there?!" she cried. "At least I still get to see the fireworks show!" In the sky, jessie, James and Meowth were clinging to a rope from their balloon.

"You're a cat! How could you lose to a mouse?!" cried Jessie.

"That kid's Pikachu is an extra special Pikachu." Replied Meowth.

"It's rare and valuable all right." Said James. "A perfect Pokemon to give to the boss."

"Then it's agreed." Said Jessie. "We'll capture Pikachu, and perhaps the kid's twerpy friend's Eevee too." The balloon then burst, which sent them into the sky.

"Team Rocket's blasting off!"

Back in the center.

"Are they gone?" asked Cassie.

"Yes, the bad guys are gone." Answered Laura.

"Thank you all so much for saving the Pokemon Center." Said Nurse Joy. "If it weren't for you, there might not be a center left."

"We were happy to help, Nurse Joy." Said Ash. Cassie gave a yawn.

"It's getting pretty late. Why don't the four of you stay here for the night?" Joy offered.

"Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy." Said Laura. "We can definitely use the rest."

"How much do we have to pay?" asked Cassie.

"Oh, the rooms are free for trainers." Joy explained. She gave them a key for a room on the second floor. The four of them grabbed their belongings, headed up to the room. There were two beds for the four of them, which meant that they had to share. Ash and Misty slept together in one bed, while Cassie and Laura slept in the other one.

The next morning, they woke up again feeling refreshed, and after a good breakfast, they left the center.

"So, which gym should we challenge first?" wondered Ash.

"According to what I've studied, there's a gym in Pewter City." Answered Cassie. "But to do that, we have to go through the Viridian Forest." Misty gulped upon hearing that.

"Misty, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?" asked Ash.

"Forests mean bugs, and I hate bugs!" she cried.

"But the forest is our only way to Pewter City, so we don't have a choice." Said Cassie.

"I haven't caught any Pokemon yet, so maybe I can find one there." Replied Ash. "Who knows? One of them could be a bug."

"Don't you mention bugs around me again, Ash Ketchum!" cried Misty. Cassie just let out a sigh as they made their way out of the city and toward the Viridian Forest.

The journey continues next time….

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu

Misty's Current Party: Goldeen, Staryu, Starmie

Cassie's Current Party: Eevee, Pidgey

Laura's Current Party: Charmander, Rattata

 

[MarkL1987]

Viridian Forest Adventures

The Viridian Forest is an exciting spot for new trainers to visit so they can catch some Pokemon and train up their own. Cassie and Ash were looking forward to it, but the same couldn't be said for Misty.

"Why do we have to go through there of all places?" She Groaned.

"Oh, come on, Misty." Said Cassie. "How bad can those bugs possibly be?"

"If you're like me, then they're quite bad." Replied Misty.

"Well I think bugs are pretty cool." Said Ash. Upon their arrival into the forest….

"Ahhhhh!" screamed Misty.

"Pika?" (What's wrong?)

"What is it?" asked Laura.

"Look, right in front of you!" cried Misty. Ash and Cassie soon saw for themselves what Misty was screaming about, for right in front of them was a small bug Pokemon that resembled a caterpillar. Its body was green, and it had some of the most adorable eyes imaginable.

"All right! A Caterpie!" cried Ash. "Cool!"

"It may be cool for you, but definitely not for me!" cried Misty. "Bugs are one of the creepiest and slimiest things in the whole world! Do something, quick!"

"All right, stand back." Said Ash. "This should be a piece of cake." He got a Poke Ball out.

"Caterpie, you're mine!" Cried Ash.

"Uh, don't you think you should….." Said Cassie, but Ash had already prepared to throw.

"Poke Ball, go!" he cried. The ball hit Caterpie and sucked it inside. It wobbled several times before finally making a pinging noise.

"I…I can't believe it!" cried Ash. "I caught my first Pokemon!"

"Congratulations, Ash!" cried Cassie.

"Thanks a lot, Cassie!" cried Ash. He was so excited about the catch that he grabbed Misty by the arm and started celebrating with her.

"Hey, wait a minute!" she cried. "Ash, slow down! Cool it! I'm getting dizzy from all this spinning around you're doing to me!"

"Don't be such a wet blanket, Misty." Said Cassie. "He's obviously very excited."

"I get that, but he doesn't have to get all crazy!" cried Misty.

"To be fair, Cassie's done that to me a few times whenever she gets excited about something." Replied Laura.

"Well, I guess I can let it slide this time." Said Misty. Ash finally let go of Misty and held the Poke Ball up high.

"Inside this thing is the very first friend that I've made!" cried Ash.

"Pika Pi!?" (I beg your pardon!?)

"Oh, sorry, I mean first friend other than Pikachu." Ash quickly corrected.

"Pika!" (That's better!)

"Uh, Ash, Laura and I are your friends too." Said Cassie.

"I meant in terms of Pokemon friends." Replied Ash.

"Well, in any case, just keep that thing away from me, will ya?" cried Misty.

"Surely you're not afraid of a little Caterpie inside a Poke Ball, are you, Misty?" asked Cassie.

"I'm afraid of bugs, period! Even when they're in Poke Balls!" cried Misty. "Please, whatever you do, keep them away from me!"

"Just for the record, I think bugs are pretty cool." Said Laura.

"So do I." said Ash. "I just bet Caterpie's all cute and comfortable inside there. Aren't you, Caterpie?" But there was no response.

"Ash, you're just talking to your Poke Ball." Replied Cassie. "Caterpie won't be able to hear you from in there."

"In any case, we have a new friend." Said Ash. "What do you guys think?"

"Pika Pi!" (I love it!)

"Vee!" (Me too!)

"I'm glad you like them because we're going to be catching a whole lot of new friends from now on!" cried Ash.

"So, I take it Caterpie's sticking with us?" asked Cassie.

"You bet he is!" cried Ash.

"Oh great, so I suppose this means….." said Misty.

"Caterpie, come on out!" cried Ash. Caterpie materialized, and Misty ran for dear life.

"AHHHHHHHH!" she yelled.

"There's really nothing to be afraid of, Misty." Said Laura.

"That's right, there really isn't." said Ash. "Here, Caterpie, you can go onto my shoulder if you want." However, Caterpie's attention turned to Misty instead and it ran toward her.

"Uh, Caterpie, I don't think you should do that." Said Cassie. But the Caterpie didn't care and started rubbing itself against Misty's legs.

"Aw, that's cute." Said Laura. "Caterpie likes her."

"I don't care how cute it is, just keep it away from me!" cried Misty. "It's creepy and disgusting and I hate it!"

"Caterpie is NOT disgusting!" cried Cassie. "It's only trying to show affection for you. The least you could do is be nice to it."

"Vee!" (That's right!)

"See? Even Eevee agrees with me." Said Cassie.

"Well then, you two can be friends with it, and I'll be friends with these two over here instead." Said Misty.

"I'm not sure if you should pick up someone else's Pokemon without permission." Said Cassie.

"She's right." Said Ash. "Pikachu only likes me, and will zap anyone else wo tries to pick it up." But then he noticed the attention Misty was giving to Pikachu, which the electric mouse liked. She also gave the same attention to Eevee.

"So, you were saying about Pikachu zapping others who try picking it up?" said Laura.

"Okay, so I guess I was wrong." Said Ash.

"But I'm not wrong about Caterpie being gross." Said Misty. "In fact, bugs are one of the most disgusting things in the whole world!"

"So, what would the others be?" asked Ash.

"Besides you, of course?" added Cassie.

"Carrots, peppers, and bugs." Misty replied. "Everyone has things they hate a lot, and for me, that thing is bugs!"

"Well what we hate is how you're hurting Caterpie's feelings." Said Laura.

"I don't think you're ugly at all, Caterpie." Said Ash. "Climb up onto my shoulder."

"Pika." (Go on, Caterpie) Caterpie was a bit hesitant at first, but it slowly climbed onto Ash's shoulders.

"Misty's not going to be afraid of you anymore." Said Ash.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" asked Misty.

"We'll just continue on our own." Answered Ash.

"Uh, Ash, I don't think it's a good idea to leave Misty in a forest all by herself with so many bugs around." Said Cassie. Ash, however, had started going ahead.

"Hey! Wait for us!" cried Cassie. A little bit of time passed, and then Pikachu and Eevee spotted something behind them.

"Pi Pika!" (Look there!)

"What's wrong?" Asked Ash.

"Eevee!" (See yourself!)

"They sense that someone's following us." Said Cassie. "And look at who that someone is!" That someone turned out to be Misty.

"Why are you following us?" asked Laura.

"Because of my bike." Said Misty. "I'm holding him responsible for my bike."

"Will you get over that silly bike already?" cried Ash.

"No, Ash, until you pay me back, I will NOT get over it!" cried Misty. "And, you're also forgetting that you're the silly one because if you hadn't ruined it, I could've been out of here by now. Instead, I'm stuck traveling with a clueless newbie!"

"He can't pay you back without money, which he obviously doesn't have!" cried Cassie. "Also, if he's so stupid like you say he is, then why are you following us?"

"I'm not following you, I'm trying to get us to take a shortcut." Answered Misty.

"You do whatever you want." Said Ash.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do!" cried Misty. She stormed off in a huff.

When nightfall came later, the foursome set up camp to get some rest. The four trainers all fell asleep, but Caterpie couldn't sleep. It had something on his mind.

"Pika Pi?" (Something troubling you?) Caterpie nodded.

"Eevee Vee?" (Want to talk about it?) Caterpie motioned to the moon.

"Vee." (It's so beautiful up there)

"Caterpie." (That moon reminds me of something)

"Pika Pi?" (Oh really?)

"Pie." (It reminds me of my mommy, Butterfree. That's what I want to become when I evolve. I hope that I'll evolve soon)

"Eevee." (I'm sure you will) Eevee and Pikachu gave Caterpie encouraging words.

"Pie." (If I'm able to evolve, maybe Misty won't be scared of me anymore)

"Pikachu." (I'm sure you'll evolve soon. You just have to give it some time) The three of them yawned and went to sleep.

Early the next morning, however, Misty found a nasty surprise waiting for her beside her sleeping bag. At least, nasty according to her. She screamed so loud that it startled Ash, Cassie and Laura. Ash shot up like a lightning bolt.

"What happened?" he cried. Laura and Cassie were both sleeping in a hammock, but the loud noise made them both fall onto the ground.

"Misty, what's the big idea waking us up like that so early?!" cried Cassie.

"How's a girl supposed to get her beauty sleep?" added Laura.

"Why is that thing sleeping beside me?" cried Misty.

"It just wants to be your friend, Misty." Said Ash.

"Some friend." Groaned Misty. "Listen, Caterpie, just do me a favor and stop bugging me! Or better yet, you can go right back into that Poke Ball of yours, which is where you really should be!"

"Come on, Misty, Caterpie doesn't mean you any harm." Said Ash. "Why it likes you so much, I don't know, and I'm not sure if I'll ever know that." Caterpie, having heard what Misty had said about it, slowly slithered away toward its ball.

"Caterpie, wait!" cried Ash, but Caterpie hit the Poke Ball button with its nose and slunk itself inside.

"That's just great, now Caterpie's feelings are hurt." Said Cassie. "All right, Misty, you owe Caterpie an apology right now! Pokemon have feelings too!"

"I will NOT apologize to some creepy little bug!" cried Misty. "I warned it several times to stay away from me!"

"You know, I never thought you'd be so heartless, but boy am I wrong!" cried Cassie.

"Don't worry, Caterpie, everything will be okay." Said Ash. And then, at that moment, two new Pokemon showed up. One was a flying type that was like Pidgey but bigger, and the other one was a grass type that had a bulb on its head.

"Look! A Pidgeotto!" cried Ash.

"And there's a Bulbasaur!" Cried Cassie.

"Wait a second, isn't that one of the starters Professor Oak usually gives out?" asked Laura.

"Yes, it is." Cassie answered. "But what's one doing out here?"

"Beats me." Answered Ash. "But still, a good chance to check these out." They got their Pokedexes out so they could get information on the two encounters.

"Pidgeotto, an evolved form of the Pidgey. It is armed with sharp claws and dives from the sky to capture its prey. Unlike the much gentler Pidgey, Pidgeotto can be dangerous. Approach with extreme caution."

"Bulbasaur. It bears the seed of a plant on its back at birth. The seed slowly develops. Researchers are unsure whether to classify it as a plant or animal. Bulbasaur are extremely tough and are very difficult to capture in the wild."

"We'll just show them who the dangerous ones are around here." Said Ash. "Poke Ball, go!" But the Pidgeotto deflected the ball with its wing and it was sent back to Ash. Cassie shook her head.

"You just don't get it." She Said. "You can't expect to capture every single Pokemon you come across just by throwing Poke Balls at them."

"What do you mean?" asked Ash.

"She means that you have to battle them first so they can be weakened enough when you go to catch them." Answered Misty.

"You only got to catch Caterpie because it was already on the weak side, which is why it was easy to catch." Replied Cassie. "Bulbasaur and Pidgeotto are more difficult."

"I think I know what I'm doing, thank you!" cried Ash.

"I'm not sure about that." Said Cassie.

"Ash, just let her help you." Said Laura.

"Maybe we should battle these Pokemon side by side so we can compare." Suggested Cassie.

"That's not a bad idea." Said Misty. Cassie faced the Bulbasaur, and Ash faced the Pidgeotto.

"Okay, Bulbasaur, time to do this." Said Cassie. "Pidgey, go!" Pidgey materialized. As for Ash….

"I choose you, Cater….." he started.

"Wait! Wait!" cried Caterpie. "Don't use Caterpie, Ash!"

"Why not?" asked Ash.

"Because Pidgeotto is a bird, and Caterpie is a worm. Buges DEVOUR worms, mister!" cried Misty.

"Good point." Said Ash. "Okay, Pikachu, go!" Pikachu nodded and faced Pidgeotto.

"Pidgey, use your Gust attack!" cried Cassie. Pidgey fired off the attack.

"Bulba!" cried Bulbasaur as the attack hit.

"Pikachu, use your Thunder Shock!" cried Ash. Pikachu's electric attack zapped Pidgeotto and sent it to the ground.

"Poke Ball, go!" cried Ash. The ball hit Pidgeotto, and the flying type got sucked inside. The ball wobbled a few times before it pinged.

"Yes!" cried Ash. "I got Pidgeotto!"

"Pika!" (Great job!) Back at Cassie's battle, Bulbasaur had retaliated with a Vine Whip and was smacking Pidgey up and down due to the fact that its vines were wrapped around it.

"Hang in there, Pidgey!" cried Cassie. Bulbasaur finally let go, and Pidgey shook it off.

"Use your Quick Attack!" cried Cassie. Pidgey flew in quickly and smacked Bulbasaur, who fired a barrage of leaves.

"It's Razor Leaf!" cried Cassie. "Get away!" Pidgey flew up and away from the leaves.

"Whirlwind!" cried Cassie. Pidgey launched another attack, which sent Bulbasaur flying into a tree and knocked it out.

"Poke Ball, go!" cried Cassie. The ball struck Bulbasaur, wobbled and then pinged.

"I got myself a Bulbasaur!" cried Cassie.

"Vee!" cheered Eevee. (Congratulations!)

"I told you I knew what I was doing!" Ash bragged.

"Only because Misty and I stopped you from making a dumb mistake!" cried Cassie. "If you had sent Caterpie out, Pidgeotto would've killed it for sure!"

"Well, either way, we both got ourselves a new Pokemon." replied Ash.

"Yes, you're right about that, but you're forgetting one crucial detail." Said Misty. "The trainer's judgment is important, and the trainer also needs to have a brain. Cassie did well using Pidgey against Bulbasaur since a flying type has the advantage over a grass type, while Pikachu's electric attacks can smoke flying types."

"So it's basically like rock, paper scissors?" wondered Ash.

"More or less, yes." Answered Cassie. "Although, if I recall, you tried using Goldeen to fight Team Rocket in the Pokemon Center."

"Did somebody mention our names?" asked Jessie.

"I know that voice." Said Ash.

"I think we all know that voice." Replied Misty.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

"Do we really have to hear this stupid motto again?" groaned Cassie.

"The Team Rocket motto is NOT stupid!" cried Jessie.

"I say it is!" cried Cassie. "Now if you don't mind, we're a little busy here."

"Be quiet!" cried James. "Just hand over Pikachu and Eevee!"

"No! They're ours!" cried Ash.

"That's right! Go and find your own!" cried Laura.

"We only want THOSE specific ones!" cried Jessie.

"So hand them over!" cried Meowth. "Those two Pokemon are extremely special. Especially Pikachu. I really got a jolt out of it when we met at the Pokemon Center. Its power are much higher than what its level suggests. Now as for Eevee….." Jessie and James shushed him by covering his mouth.

"Shut up before you tell them all our secrets!" cried James.

"Make things easy and hand those Pokemon over now!" cried Jessie.

"Forget it!" cried Cassie.

"Then we have no choice but to battle you." Said James. "Koffing, go!"

"Ekans, go!" cried Jessie. The two poison types materialized.

"Hey, you can't send out two Pokemon at once!" cried Ash.

"Yeah, that's against the rules!" cried Cassie.

"Team Rocket plays by their own rules, kid!" cried James.

"If those losers are allowed to use two Pokemon, then you guys should be allowed to use two Pokemon." said Misty.

"But the league rules say we're only supposed to use one Pokemon at a time." Cassie pointed out.

"But if you guys follow the rules, you're going to lose all your Pokemon!" cried Laura.

"Koffing, Sludge attack!" cried James. Koffing fired black sludge at Pikachu and Eevee, which blinded them.

"Hey, what's with the cheap shots?" cried Cassie.

"It'll take more than cheap shots to beat us!" cried Ash. He and Cassie brought Pikachu and Eevee to Misty.

"Don't let Team Rocket take these two away under any circumstance." Said Cassie.

"So, what's your battle strategy going to be?" asked Jessie. Ash reached for a Poke Ball.

"Caterpie, go!" he cried. Caterpie materialized, which made Team Rocket laugh.

"A measly little bug?!" cried Meowth. He burst out laughing too.

"Don't laugh! You'll hurt Caterpie's feelings!" cried Ash. Pikachu and Eevee wanted to get in there, but Misty wouldn't let them.

"You guys can't battle like this." She said.

"Bulbasaur, go!" cried Cassie. Bulbasaur materialized.

"Use your Vine Whip!" she cried. Bulbasaur did so.

"Ouch! Ow!" cried Team Rocket.

"String Shot, and then tackle!" cried Ash. Caterpie launched its string and blinded both Koffing and Ekans. It then charged in and sent both poison types flying back into Team Rocket.

"We got beaten by a Caterpie?!" cried Jessie and James.

"Don't worry, Meowth's got it!" cried Meowth. But Caterpie launched a String Shot on Meowth to completely cover him up.

"Time to retreat, team, but we'll be back!" cried Jessie.

"We'll be glad to beat you again if you do!" cried Cassie.

"Well, Caterpie's a lot stronger than it looks." Said Ash. "Now Misty, you were about to make friends with Caterpie."

"Well, I…." said Misty. She was about to pet the bug type when….

"Ash, look! Caterpie's evolving!" cried Cassie.

"Oh, wow!" cried Ash. Caterpie was now encased in a shell and it looked completely different. Ash got his Pokedex out.

"Metapod. Caterpie's next stage. It has encased it's body in a hard shell. This specimen reached this stage faster than any previously discovered Pokémon of this variety."

"I wonder if that means it can change to the next stage right away." Said Ash.

"You never know, Ash." Said Cassie. "But I do know that there's more Pokemon for us to catch." A yellow Pokemon with black stripes flew overhead, which scared Misty.

"Like that one there?" asked Laura.

"It's a Beedrill!" cried Cassie. "Let's go after it!"

"I just want to get out of here!" cried Misty.

"No way, Misty, not when Ash and I have more Pokemon to find!" cried Cassie. They ventured further into the forest, and Ash encountered another bug type that was similar in size to Caterpie, but it had a stinger on its head.

"Ah! Another bug!" cried Misty. "It's just as gross as Caterpie!"

"It could be a COWterpie." Replied Ash.

"That wasn't funny." Said Cassie.

"Which Pokemon is it this time?" wondered Laura.

"It's a Weedle!" cried Ash. He took his Pokedex out.

"Weedle. The stinger on this Pokémon's head guarantees that any attacker will get the point right where it hurts."

"And you're excited about another bug, why?" asked Misty.

"It may be a bug, but it's still a Pokemon, and I can't let it get away." Said Ash. He got a Poke Ball out and was about to throw it until…

"Ash! Remember what I told you yesterday?" asked Cassie.

"Oh yeah, I'm supposed to battle it first." Said Ash.

"That's right." Said Cassie. "Now, go for it."

"Aren't you going to help me?" asked Ash.

"I only helped you yesterday because you looked like you needed it." Replied Cassie. "Now, I want to see if you can do this without my help."

"Okay, Pikachu, let's do it!" cried Ash. However, Pikachu was happily snoozing away.

"Nap time, huh?" said Ash. "Suit yourself. I still have Pidgeotto and Metapod to take care of this. At least those two respect me."

"If that's what you think, then you should have your head examined." Said Misty.

"Pokemon won't respect you right away, Ash. You have to earn their trust, just like how you had to earn Pikachu's trust." Said Cassie. Misty screamed upon seeing the Weedle next to her.

"Ash, do me a favor and catch this creepy thing!" she cried.

"Ash Ketchum to the rescue!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto, go!" Pidgeotto materialized.

"Okay, Pidgeotto, strike it with your Peck attack!" cried Ash. The attack hit, which stung the Weedle.

"That's it!" cried Ash.

"Hey, where did Misty go?" asked Cassie. She had noticed that Misty was nowhere in sight.

"This whole forest has nothing but bugs in it. I wish they would all bug off." She muttered. A young man then jumped out of the bushes and pointed a katana at Misty.

"Greeting, shrieking young lady. Are you by any chance among the trainers that come from Pallet?" he asked.

"No, that's not me." Misty answered.

"Looks like my search continues." Said the young man. "I would also advise you to not scream. Otherwise, you might attract a whole swarm of Beedrill." He then took off.

"That's such a weird kid." Said Misty. "I wonder what he meant by trainers from…..wait a minute, he means Ash and Cassie!"

Meanwhile, the Weedle was charging at Pidgeotto.

"Careful, Ash! That Weedle is using its stinger!" cried Cassie.

"Watch out for Poison Sting!" cried Laura. Pidgeotto was able to dodge in time.

"Great work, Pidgeotto!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto charged in and knocked Weedle against a tree.

"Okay, Weedle, I've got you now." Said Ash.

"Greetings. Am I talking to the trainers that come from Pallet?" asked a voice from behind.

"Yes, but I'm a little busy here, so if you'd kindly wait a little bit." Said Ash.

"Who is this guy?" asked Cassie.

"I don't remember seeing him in this forest." Said Laura.

"Cassie! Ash!" cried Misty.

"He's drawing his katana!" cried Cassie. "I don't even know what a katana is!" The turned and saw the stranger for themselves.

"I bet he's coming to steal our Pokemon too." Said Ash.

"I am not a thief." The stranger assured.

"If you're not a thief, then who or what are you?" asked Misty.

"They call em Samurai." Said the stranger. "When it comes to battle, I am practically invincible! I've been looking through this whole forest for you!" cried the Samurai.

"What do you want with us?" cried Cassie.

"I hope he's not her to kidnap any of us." Said Laura.

"Oh no, I am no kidnapper." Replied Samurai. "I am a trainer, and I would like to have a match!"

"Pika." (That's an unexpected surprise)

"You're telling me." Said Ash.

"Hey, Ash, weren't you about to catch Weedle?" asked Cassie.

"Oh shoot!" cried Ash. He saw the Weedle attempting to escape.

"Poke Ball, go!" he cried. But the Weedle ran away, which made Ash growl at Samurai. He recalled Pidgeotto first, however.

"You made me lose that Weedle because you distracted me!" he cried.

"And what if it was a shiny?" asked Cassie.

"Do not be blaming me for your failures." Said the Samurai. "Your Pokemon handling needs work."

"And just what makes you a Pokemon expert?" cried Ash. "I bet I could beat you with my hands tied behind my back!"

"I'll battle you first." Said Cassie. She and Samurai were soon standing opposite of each other.

"For our match, I choose Beedrill!" cried Samurai. Beedrill materialized out of the Poke Ball he threw, which prompted Cassie to get her Pokedex out.

"Beedrill. This Pokémon is an evolved form of Weedle, following its Kakuna stage. Its sting is highly poisonous."

"Eevee, let's go!" cried Cassie. Eevee jumped off Cassie's shoulder and onto the battlefield.

"Start with your Tackle attack!" cried Cassie. Eevee charged at the Beedrill and nailed it.

"Beedrill, Poison Sting!" cried Samurai.

"Use your Reflect!" cried Cassie. A gold shield formed around Eevee and deflected the stings.

"Great job! Now use your Swift attack!" cried Cassie. Eevee struck Beedrill with rainbow stars.

"Twineedle attack!" cried Samurai. Beedrill shot more needles, and Eevee got hit over and over.

"Oh no!" cried Cassie.

"Eevee's in trouble!" cried Laura.

"Use your Sand Attack!" cried Cassie. Eevee struck Beedrill with some sand.

"Now, while it's blinded, Quick Attack!" cried Cassie. Eevee ran fast and smacked the Beedrill hard that it landed on the ground defeated.

"Great work, Eevee!" cried Cassie. The fainted Beedrill was recalled.

"Your turn, Ash." Said Cassie.

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto materialized, but it was breathing heavily.

"Ash, you should let your Pokemon rest once in a while after it's battled." Said Cassie.

"Only a novice sends a tired Pokemon into battle." Said Samurai. "Pinsir, it's time for battle!" A pink Pokemon with big, sharp claws materialized.

"Ash, that's a Pinsir!" cried Laura. Ash got his Pokedex out.

"Pinsir. This fearsome Pokémon uses its powerful claws to put the squeeze on its opponents."

"It may be a strong Pinsir, but I know Pidgeotto can beat it." Said Ash. "Peck attack!" Pidgeotto went in, but it stopped short due to being exhausted.

"Pidgeotto's cooked." Said Cassie.

"Tackle it!" cried Samurai. The attack struck and Pidgeotto was knocked out.

"If you had let Pidgeotto rest, then it would've done much better." Said Cassie. Pidgeotto was recalled and Ash reached for another ball.

"Metapod, I choose you!" Metapod materialized.

"Pinsir's claws will completely destroy your Metapod!" cried Samurai.

"No! Metapod's done for if that happens!" cried Ash.

"Call it back! Metapod doesn't deserve this!" cried Misty.

"He'll forfeit if he does that." Said Cassie.

"Metapod, use Harden!" cried Ash. Metapod did so just as Pinsir went in to attack. As a result, the sharp ends on Pinsir's claws broke, and Pinsir was knocked out.

"Okay, that happened." Said Cassie.

"So, you were saying about me being a novice?" replied Ash. Pinsir was recalled.

"Maybe you're not as dumb as I made you out to be." Said Samurai. "Metapod, go!" His own Metapod materialized.

"He has a Metapod too?" cried Cassie.

"Metapod, harden like this newbie's Metapod!" cried Samurai.

"Maximum hardness, Metapod!" cried Ash. Pikachu and Eevee munched on some snacks.

"Pika." (This could take a while) Cassie took a seat beside Misty.

"We could be here all day at this rate." She said. Now as any trainer knows, a battle pitting Metapod against Metapod can take forever due to Harden being Metapod's only move.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket had built a makeshift tank and were wandering through the forest in it.

"I'm getting tired in this thing." Said James.

"Stop your complaining!" cried jessie.

"But why do we have to drag this tank around in the first place?" asked James.

"So that we don't get stung by Beedrill." Answered Jessie.

"Quit your yapping down there!" cried Meowth.

"Meowth, why are you up there?" cried James. "Get down here and help us!"

"I'd love to help, Jimmy, but due to my small height, I'm riding lookout." Said Meowth.

"Oh yeah? Well, look out for my fist!" cried Jessie. She threw Meowth out of the tank.

"Wait a minute! Come back here!" cried Meowth.

Meanwhile, Ash and Samurai's battle was at a stalemate.

"Just a bit more, Metapod!" cried Ash.

"Full power!" cried Samurai.

"When is this match going to end?" cried Cassie.

"Whenever those two decide to quit." Answered Misty. "Boys can be so stubborn sometimes." Ash and Samurai soon collapsed.

"We can't give up" sighed Ash. Misty finally got up and yelled at them.

"You two are more hardheaded than your Metapod are!" she cried. Then they heard something in the distance.

"Is that…?" wondered Misty.

"It's a Beedrill swarm!" cried Cassie.

"Metapod, return!" cried Samurai. He recalled his Metapod.

"There's got to be at least a hundred of those things!" cried Cassie.

"Looks like the Weedle that got away from you has informed the rest of its kind!" cried Samurai. "Good day to you!" He ran off to avoid the swarm, and then one of the Beedrill grabbed Ash's Metapod and flew away with it.

"Metapod, no!" cried Ash. He tried recalling the Pokemon, but was unsuccessful as the Beedrill was flying too quickly. It then soared off with Metapod.

"The Beedrill got away!" cried Ash. "Pikachu, use your Thunder Shock on them!" Pikachu unleashed the attack and zapped all the Beedrill. Ash quickly got out a Poke Ball and captured one of them.

"You're mine now, Beedrill!" cried Ash. He then saw that Cassie and Laura had been zapped.

"Pikachu, next time you use your electric attack, warn us first." Sighed Cassie.

"Pika." (Oops)

"We have to get away from here!" cried Misty.

"But what about Metapod?" cried Ash.

"Forget about Metapod for now, Ash!" cried Cassie. "We have to run for it!" They all started running as fast as they could, but the remaining Beedrill were faster.

"They're catching up to us!" cried Misty.

"Just keep running!" cried Laura.

"Let's hide in here!" cried Cassie. They all jumped into a nearby bush to hide from the Beedrill, and they breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close." Said Ash. Cassie, however, was worried about something.

"We've got more company!" she cried. "A whole hive of Kakuna!" She got out her Pokedex.

"Kakuna. A transitional stage between Weedle and Beedrill. Kakunas remain inactive until they evolve into deadly Beedrills and hatch."

"Kakuna start to evolve once they get hot to the touch, but until then, all they can do is defend themselves." Said Cassie. Ash then saw his Metapod.

"Hey, Metapod, over here." he whispered. "It's me." Despite trying to be quiet, the Kakuna soon spotted them.

"This isn't good." Said Misty. The Kakuna then started cracking.

"We're in trouble now!" cried Cassie. Once all the Kakuna had cracked, brand new Beedrill emerged.

"Run!" cried Laura. The group began to run again as the Beedrill went on the attack.

"This forest is too big!" cried Cassie. "We'll never escape them!" They soon spotted a house ahead.

"That's my cabin!" cried Samurai. They made it inside just in time.

"That was a close call." Said Cassie.

"Too close." Said Laura.

"You letting that Weedle escape almost got us killed!" cried Samurai. "No novice would abandon their Pokemon like you did."

"I didn't abandon it, I tried to save it!" cried Ash.

"The other trainers from Pallet would never have shown poor judgment." Said Samurai. "They were three excellent matches, and while I lost each one of them, they were all very good matches. I then waited for the day when I would finally beat the next Pallet trainers to come through."

"Is that why you were waiting for my sister and her friend to show up?" asked Laura.

"That is correct." Answered Samurai. "But unlike her, the male novice here is a complete joke!" Ash felt disgrace.

"Ash, I promise you I'll help you get your Metapod back." Said Cassie. Metapod was the only thing on Ash's mind as he slept that night.

The following morning, they went to look for Metapod.

"Please be okay, Metapod." Sighed Ash. They then spotted the hive.

"We have to keep quiet." Said Cassie. "We'll sneak up carefully on it, and then we'll…." Meowth jumped onto their heads.

"Guess what Meowth's favorite game is." He said.

"Get off, right now!" cried Cassie. Meowth scratched both of their faces.

"If you said scratch and sniffle, you're right!"

"But if Meowth's here…." said Cassie. "Oh great."

"Guess who?" cried Jessie and James.

"Team Rocket!" cried Cassie and Ash.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"Not now!" cried Ash.

"Do NOT interrupt the Team Rocket motto!" cried Jessie.

"It's a silly, dumb motto anyway!" cried Cassie. The Beedrill woke up and spotted the intruders.

"Now look what you did!" cried Cassie.

"Just give us Pikachu and Eevee." Said James.

"They're not with us right now!" cried Ash. "Just go away!"

"Hey Ash, I have a plan." Said Cassie. The two of them went off, much to the anger of Jessie and James.

"Come back here!" they yelled. They chased after the trainers.

"We have to get past the Beedrill at just the right moment." Said Cassie. They kept running down the path.

"Okay, NOW!" cried Cassie. They dove under the Beedrill, and the swarm started chasing after Team Rocket.

"That tank would certainly be handy now." Said Jessie. They then saw some Weedle.

"Hey! Stop eating the tank!" cried Meowth.

"We made the whole thing from paper so that the weight would be lowered." Said James.

"You idiots!" cried Meowth. The Beedrills kept chasing after Team Rocket, which made them retreat.

Meanwhile, Ash went to get his Metapod.

"There you are, Metapod." Said Ash. He tried recalling his Pokemon, but it wouldn't go in.

"I think you lost Metapod's trust." Said Cassie. "It thinks you abandoned it."

"I didn't abandon you, Metapod! I just got distracted by other things." Said Ash. "Metapod, I'm sorry. I'll never run away from you going forward."

"Well, that's one way to get a Pokemon's trust back." Said Cassie. There was more buzzing.

"Look out for the Twin Needle attack!" cried Cassie. The attack hit the hard shell.

"Metapod!" cried Ash. "Please be okay!" A glowing light began to shine from the cracks of the shells.

"Metapod's evolving!" cried Laura. Butterfree emerged from the crack.

"Wow, look how cool Butterfree is!" she cried. She got her Pokedex out.

"Butterfree. One week after Caterpie evolves into Metapod, it once again evolves in Butterfree."

"That was fast." Said Ash.

"Bug Pokemon do tend to evolve quickly." Said Cassie. There was more buzzing in the distance.

"Here come the other Beedrill!" cried Laura.

"Okay, Butterfree, knock them out with your Sleep Powder!" cried Ash. Butterfree sprayed its sleep dust, which put the Beedrill and Team Rocket to sleep. One of the Beedrill poked Team Rocket with its stinger and sent them flying.

"That was incredible, Butterfree!" cried Ash.

"You were able to handle your Pokemon very well!" cried Samurai.

"It sucks that we didn't get to finish our battle." Said Ash.

"But if you two do battle again, don't pit Metapod against Metapod again." Said Misty. The group then reached the exit to the forest.

"This is where you will find the entrance to Pewter City." Explained Samurai.

"Pewter City. Our first badge awaits us there!" cried Ash.

"Let's go!" cried Cassie. The four of them left the forest and set their sights on Pewter City.

Meanwhile….

"Any more bright ideas?" asked James.

"At least I have ideas, unlike you!" cried Jessie.

"And they're all bad!" cried Meowth.

"Shut up!" cried Jessie and James. But their fussing around made the Beedrill and Kakuna wake up.

"Uh oh!" cried Team Rocket. They screamed in pain as they got stung.

The journey continues next time…..

Ash's Party: Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Beedrill

Cassie's Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Pidgey

Misty's Party: Goldeen, Staryu, Starmie

Laura's Party: Charmander, Rattata

 

[MarkL1987]

The First Gym

Though the trek through Viridian Forest had been long and difficult, Ash, Cassie, Misty, and Laura finally managed to find their way out and were looking forward to the challenges that awaited them.

"I'm glad we're finally out of that stupid forest." Said Misty. "I don't think I want to see another bug Pokemon again for a while."

"Seriously, Misty, what is it with you and bug Pokemon not mixing?" Asked Cassie. Before Misty could answer, Pikachu and Eevee spotted something running toward them. It had a bright yellow color on its body, and orange cheeks, but there were some differences.

"Hey, Ash, this Pikachu looks almost like the one you have." Said Laura.

"Except that it's smaller." Replied Cassie. "The tail is also a different shape. That means this Pikachu is female."

"How can you tell the difference between them?" wondered Ash.

"The shapes on their tails give it away." Answered Cassie. "The tail on your Pikachu has a straight line on it, which means that it's a male. But this one has a heart shape on it, which means that it's a female. You know, I meant to catch one when we were in the forest, but I never got to. Since I have a chance now, I can't let it pass me by. Are you ready to battle, Eevee?"

"Vee!" cried Eevee. She hopped off Cassie's shoulders.

"Okay, Eevee, Tackle attack!" cried Cassie. Eevee charged in and nailed the wild Pikachu, who retaliated with a Thunder Shock.

"Dodge it, Eevee!" cried Cassie. Eevee did so and awaited the next command.

"Use your Swift attack!" cried Cassie. Eevee shot a barrage of stars at Pikachu one after another. The Pikachu was tough and ran at Eevee like a blur.

"That's Quick Attack!" cried Laura. The move came so fast that Eevee didn't have time to dodge, and it got sent reeling.

"Eevee, get up!" cried Cassie. Eevee struggled a bit, but got herself up.

"Okay, Eevee, let's show this Pikachu what real power looks like!" cried Cassie. "Take Down attack, now!" Eevee charged at Pikachu with just as much speed and nailed it.

"Poke Ball, go!" cried Cassie. The ball sucked Pikachu inside, then wobbled and pinged.

"I did it! I caught my very own Pikachu!" cried Cassie excitedly.

"Eevee!" (Congratulations!)

"Thanks, Eevee! You were great!" cried Cassie. After walking a little further, the four of them finally made it to the entrance to Pewter City.

"Here we are at last." Said Ash. The group sat down on some rocks. "But why is it called Pewter City?"

"Stone. Pewter City is known for stone, so everything here is made of stone." Answered a voice.

"I guess that's why there's rocks everywhere." Replied Laura.

"That's exactly it, miss." Replied the stranger. "The name's Flint, by the way. What brings you to Pewter City?"

"Ash and I are here so we can win a badge from the gym leader here." Answered Cassie.

"Oh, you mean Brock." Replied Flint. "He's a bit of a tough one, especially when it comes to his rock Pokemon. Speaking of rocks, I actually sell them myself."

"You mean as souvenirs?" wondered Ash.

"That's right." Replied Flint. "Say, that Pikachu and Eevee you have look a bit worn out there. I'll take you to the Pokemon Center and you can get them rested up there."

"I don't know." Said Cassie. "My sister and I have always been told not to accept invitations from strangers because we don't know how good or bad they could be."

"Don't worry, miss, I'm a good fellow." Replied Flint. "I said I'd bring you to the Pokemon Center, so that's what I intend to do. Just trust me."

"Well, we do need a little breather ourselves." Said Misty.

"All right, we'll go with you." Said Ash.

"Oh, one more thing." Replied Flint. "That'll be a two dollar charge for each of you for sitting on my merchandise." The group fell over in disbelief.

"Two dollars just to sit on rocks?!" cried Cassie. "I don't have any money on me at all! Not even two cents!"

"Perhaps you should've thought of that before we sat down." Said Ash.

"Not helping, Ash!" cried Cassie.

"Good thing I have money with me." Said Laura. She took out eight dollars and handed the money over.

A little later on, the group reached the Pokemon Center.

"Nurse Joy, can you revitalize our Pokemon please?" asked Ash.

"Sure thing, kids." Answered Joy.

"Hey, I think I recognize you!" cried Cassie.

"What are you talking about?" asked Joy.

"Aren't you the Nurse Joy that we saw at the Pokemon Center in Viridian City?" asked Cassie.

"Oh, I'm afraid you're mistaken. That Nurse Joy is my sister." Explained Joy.

"Your sister?" asked Ash. Joy nodded.

"She's younger than I am, but she did say some nice things about you guys." She replied. "She also mentioned that you were planning to compete in the gym challenge."

"Why didn't you sign up for that, Laura?" asked Cassie.

"I meant to, but I guess I forgot about that." Laura replied.

"No worries, I can get you registered for that right now." Said Nurse Joy. "I just need your Pokedex." Laura handed her Pokedex over, and once the information had been entered, she got it back.

"You're all set now, Laura." Said Joy.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy." Replied Laura. Then, another voice called over from a corner of the center.

"Hey, kid." He whispered.

"Who, me?" asked Cassie.

"Yes, you. Take a look at this Pokemon." Replied the male voice.

"What kind of Pokemon do you think he has?" wondered Cassie.

"Let's go take a look." Answered Laura.

"I'm curious too." Said Misty. "Let's all look." They made their way over to the stall so they could see the Pokemon.

"Inside this tank is a Pokemon gold mine, Magikarp." Replied the man.

"And how is this Pokemon a gold mine?" asked Laura.

"Magikarp lay over a thousand eggs at a time, and out of those eggs come more Magikarp! You'd have more Magikarp than you can count!" cried the man. "My normal price for the Magikarp is a thousand dollars, but since you all look like good kids, I'll give it to you for five hundred, and I'll even throw in the starter kit and the Magikarp eggs for free. What do you say about all of that?" Cassie didn't have to think twice.

"I'll take it!" she cried.

"No, you won't." replied Laura. "Excuse us for a moment, sir." She pulled Cassie to the side and started giving her an earful.

"Are you out of your mind?!" she cried. "Magikarp is one of the worst Pokemon ever! All it can do is just flop around like nothing!"

"That may be so, but it's still a Pokemon that I don't have yet." Replied Cassie. "And when it evolves, it'll become a powerful Gyrados!" Misty freaked out again upon hearing that.

"Please don't mention that Pokemon around me again!" she cried.

"Sorry, Misty." Cassie apologized. "I know Magikarp would be tough to raise, but I know I can do it."

"I'm pretty sure you could, but I'm not letting you waste five hundred dollars on it." Said Laura. "If you really want a Magikarp that badly, you can easily catch one in the wild just like any other Pokemon." She turned back to the salesman.

"I'm sorry, but we'll pass on the Magikarp, thank you." Said Laura. They started walking away, but Ash still had his eye on the Magikarp. He was tempted to pull the trigger, but Misty grabbed him by the ear.

"Oh no you don't!" she cried. She then dragged him away from the salesman.

"Ow! Watch the ear!" cried Ash.

"I'm sorry, but I don't want you throwing money away on a Pokemon you can easily catch yourself!" cried Misty. "Speaking of Pokemon, have you and Cassie thought about which ones you're going to use at the gym?"

"I already know which ones I'm using." Said Cassie. "The gym we're facing is a rock type, so Bulbasaur for sure is going to be one of them."

"But I thought rock Pokemon were only weak to water." Said Ash.

"They're weak to grass too, Ash." Said Cassie. "You seriously need to study more. Now that I know who I'm using, which ones are you going to sue?"

"Well, I was kind of hoping to use Pikachu…." Said Ash.

"Not a good idea." Said Cassie. "Electric attacks are no good against rock types. It's obvious that you have no clear plan."

"Cassie's right." Said Misty. "Gym leaders are much different than normal trainers. They're much tougher. But, I'll make a deal with you. If you ask me really nicely, then maybe I'll help you out."

"I don't need your help." Said Ash. "I'll beat Brock my own way, thank you."

"Is that so?" cried Misty. "Well if that's your attitude, then I hope Brock crushes you in the gym!" A chime then went off.

"All of your Pokemon are recovered." Said Joy. She returned the Poke Balls, along with Pikachu and Eevee.

"Thanks, Joy." Said Ash.

"Misty, you think you could help Laura and I out?" asked Cassie. "We both need some battling experience before taking on the gym. Eevee can definitely use it."

"Sure I'll help. I'll go easy on you two." Said Misty.

"Cool! Thanks a lot, Misty!" cried Cassie. The three girls went off, leaving Ash alone.

"Where do you all think you're going?! Come back here!" he cried.

Later on, Misty, Cassie and Laura had returned from their practice battle.

"You did well in that one, Eevee." Said Cassie. "Now let's hope we can carry over that success to the real gym battle."

"Rattata probably won't be too helpful in the gym, but I do have something for Charmander that could help him out." Replied Laura.

"Oh?" wondered Ash.

"I'm going to leave that a surprise." Replied Laura. They all made their way to the Pewter City gym, which was much bigger than any of them expected.

"So this is the gym, huh?" wondered Ash. "Pretty big place." He and Cassie opened up the doors, and inside, they found it was a bit dark inside.

"Hello!" Cassie called out. Eevee looked around and whimpered a little bit.

"Eevee!" (It's a bit scary!)

"Who goes there?" cried a loud voice. Cassie screamed a bit and hid behind Laura.

"It's all right, sis." Laura assured her. "That's just the gym leader here."

"Oh." Said Cassie. Ash wrapped an arm around her.

"Don't be scared, Cassie." Said Ash. "The gym leaders may seem intimidating at first, but they're not bad people."

"You must be Brock." Said Laura.

"I'm Ash, and the two girls are Cassie and Laura." Said Ash. "We challenge you!"

"Is this your first gym match?" asked Brock.

"It's a first for all of us." Answered Ash.

"Gym battles are very different from regular trainer battles." Explained Brock. "This match is for Pokemon League authorization. There are special rules."

"What does he mean?" asked Cassie.

"I think it means that there's a limit as to how many Pokemon we can use." Explained Laura.

"That's exactly correct." Said Brock. "We'll use two Pokemon each." He then Pikachu and Eevee.

"How long have those two Pokemon been with you?" asked Brock.

"About a couple of weeks now." Replied Ash.

"Your Pikachu and your friend's Eevee are both in their cutest stage." Said Brock. "They can't win." Pikachu and Eevee fell in disbelief.

"Listen, just worry about your own Pokemon, okay?" cried Cassie.

"Suit yourselves, but I have to take challenges from all trainers." Said Brock. "That's part of the business of being a gym leader." He snapped his fingers, and the lights in the gym all came on. The whole battlefield then changed to reveal some rocks. Casie and Lucy took some seats in the spectator area.

"The match will begin now!" cried Brock.

"Okay, Pikachu, go!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu. (Let's do this!) Pikachu ran into the battle area, which baffled Cassie.

"Despite me telling him about the type matchups, he's still going to use Pikachu anyway?" wondered Cassie.

"Vee." (This won't end well)

"No, it definitely won't." replied Cassie.

"I choose you, Onix!" cried Brock. A giant rock snake Pokemon materialized from the Poke Ball.

"So that's what an Onix looks like." Said Ash.

"That thing's huge!" cried Cassie. She quickly got her Pokedex out.

"Onix, the Rock Snake Pokemon. As Onix grows, its' body becomes as hard as diamond." The huge size of Onix intimidate Pikachu and he ran back to Ash. He tried tapping the buttons on the Poke balls belonging to Beedrill and Pidgeotto.

"Pikachu, what are you doing?" cried Ash. "This is your battle to fight, not Pidgeotto or Beedrill's. Now go."

"Pika." (Okay, if you say so)

"Vee." (Pikachu's scared of Onix, isn't he?)

"I would be too if a huge rock Pokemon like that was staring me right in the face." Said Cassie.

"Onix, use your Tackle attack!" cried Brock. Onix charged in.

"Pikachu, use your Agility!" cried Ash. Pikachu dodged the attack.

"Onix, Bind it!" cried Brock. Onix wrapped himself around Pikachu and gave him a tight squeeze.

"Pika!" (Let go of me!)

"Oh no! Pikachu's in some real trouble!" cried Cassie.

"Try a Thunder Shock!" cried Ash. Pikachu launched the attack, but it had no effect.

"No good, Ash!" cried Cassie. "Electricity doesn't work on rocks!"

"She's right. A weak attack like that can't hurt Onix." Replied Brock. Ash tried hard to think of something, and then he did the only thing that he could do.

"Pikachu, return!" cried Ash. He tried recalling Pikachu, but Onix's tight grip prevented the beam from getting through.

"I can't bring it back." Sighed Ash.

"Pika!" (Ash, do something!)

"STOP!" cried Ash.

"Do you give up?" asked Brock. Ash was reluctant, but then gave a defeated sigh.

"Yes." He replied. The bell rang and Onix let go of Pikachu.

"Aw, that's too bad." Said Cassie. Brock recalled Onix and Cassie made her way into the arena.

"Okay, Brock, it's my turn now." She said. Ash went into the spectator area.

"We use two Pokemon each." Said Brock. "Geodude, go!" A small, round rock Pokemon with two arms came out.

"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" cried Cassie. Bulbasaur materialized.

"A grass type. Your preparation is much better than whatever it is your friend was doing." Said Brock. "Geodude, Tackle attack!" Geodude charged in at Bulbasaur.

"Use your Vine Whip to stop Geodude's attack!" cried Cassie. Bulbasaur got its vines out to stop the attack.

"Now use Stun Spore!" cried Cassie. Bulbasaur sprayed gold dust on Geodude, which paralyzed it.

"Oh no!" cried Brock. "Geodude, try a Rollout attack!" Geodude attempted to attack, but it was fully paralyzed.

"Now to finish it with Razor Leaf!" cried Cassie. The force of the attack, combined with the paralysis, knocked out Geodude.

"You did it, Bulbasaur!" cried Cassie. "Great job!"

"Bulba!" (Thanks, Cassie!) Geodude was recalled.

"Your battle skills are much better than Ash's." said Brock. "But can that little Bulbasaur handle my giant Onix?" The giant rock snake materialized again.

"Don't let that Onix scare you, Bulbasaur." Said Cassie. "Stay focused, all right?" Bulbasaur nodded.

"Onix, use your Bind attack!" cried Brock. Onix attempted to squeeze the little grass type.

"No way, Brock!" cried Cassie. "Razor Leaf attack!" More leaves shot out, and although it was super effective, Onix stood tall.

"Onix is much more sturdy than Geodude is." Said Brock. "It'll take more than that to take it down. Onix, use Dig!" Onix buried itself underground.

"be careful, Bulbasaur!" cried Cassie. "Watch out for any place Onix might pop up!" Bulbasaur did so, but Onix popped up again right away. Bulbasaur was struck and sent to the ground.

"Oh no!" cried Cassie. "Bulbasaur, can you get up!" Bulbasaur got back to its feet.

"Now, use Sleep Powder!" cried Cassie. Bulbasaur sprayed sleeping dust on Onix and sent the giant rock Pokemon to slumber land.

"Onix, no!" cried Brock.

"Now, go for Leech Seed!" cried Cassie. Bulbasaur shot a seed out and it wrapped around Onix, sapping its remaining energy until at last, Onix fainted.

"We did it again, Bulbasaur!" cried Cassie. Brock recalled Onix.

"You battled well, and so did your Bulbasaur." Said Brock. "Here's your Boulder Badge, proof of victory here at the Pewter gym." He handed Cassie a badge that was shaped like a grey boulder.

"Thanks, Brock." Said Cassie. "I got a Boulder Badge!" cried Cassie. Laura came down from the seats.

"Congratulations, sis!" she cried.

"Thanks so much, Laura!" replied Cassie. She recalled Bulbasaur, and Ash came down from the seats carrying Pikachu.

"Well, Laura, would you like to have your battle now?" asked Brock.

"Actually, if it's okay with you, I want to wait until tomorrow." Replied Laura. "The Pokemon that I have aren't really equipped for handling rock types."

"A wise choice." Said Brock.

"Your Pikachu will be fine, Cassie." Said Cassie. Flint motioned for Ash and Pikachu to follow him, while Cassie and Laura went off on their own.

"I want to take you somewhere." Flint said to Ash and Pikachu. He took them to his shop, and Pikachu took a rest.

"Don't let that loss get you down, kid. It happens to everyone." Said Flint.

"But I didn't just lose. I got destroyed!" cried Ash. "brock's much better than me, and if I can't win a gym match, there's no way I'd be able to win a league match."

"Brock is quite good." Said Flint. "Although, your friend didn't seem to have too much trouble beating him."

"That's because she used a grass type." Said Ash.

"Which is very impressive, but Brock is still quite talented. He can be more than just a local gym leader." Explained Flint. "The problem is that he has a lot of brothers and sisters to take care of, so he wouldn't be able to win a league championship himself."

"Doesn't he have a mother or father to look after them?" asked Ash. Flint shook his head.

"His deadbeat father left to become a trainer years ago and never returned." He answered. "His mother got heartbroken and passed away, so brock's all they have left."

"My friend and her sister lost their own mother a couple of years ago." Said Ash.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Said Flint. "Tell them I send my condolences."

"Thank you." Replied Ash. "But I don't want to talk about any more sad stuff, otherwise I might not be able to beat Brock."

"But I thought you said you couldn't beat him." Said Flint.

"Well now I changed my mind." Said Ash. "I can win if I can power up Pikachu."

"I think I know a way you can do that." Said Flint.

Later, they were at a hydroelectric plant.

"This place looks more like a windmill." Said Ash.

"Some windmills generate electricity to cities and towns." Explained Flint. "A hydroelectric plant like this serves the same purpose. The river turns the wheel and makes the electricity. If you hook Pikachu up to it, you can give it a power boost."

"Thanks, Flint." Said Ash. "Pikachu, it's time to power up!"

"Unfortunately, the river's currently dry." Said Flint. "Thankfully, I have another idea." Pikachu soon got hooked up to a small generator.

"Here we go!" cried Ash. He started turning the wheel, and Pikachu started crying out in pain.

"Just relax, Pikachu." Said Flint. "It's a bit shocking at first, but your body will get used to the high voltage sooner or later." Misty, Cassie, and Laura were watching everything from outside.

"Ash, you're crazy to do this!" cried Cassie.

"Wouldn't it be easier to borrow some of my water Pokemon instead of going through with this crazy idea?" cried Misty.

"No way! I'll win it on my own!" cried Ash.

"Fine! See if I ever offer you help again!" cried Misty.

"I'd rather win the badge with my own Pokemon!" cried Ash.

"Ash is certainly being stubborn." Said Cassie.

"That's putting it lightly." Said Misty. "You had a type advantage, but he doesn't. This would be a lot easier for him if he just borrowed some of my water Pokemon." Pikachu kept getting more powerful.

"The generator's at max capacity!" cried Flint. The plant was soon taken over by a bright yellow light.

The next morning, Ash and company stood outside the gym.

"I'm back!" cried Ash. "We're ready for you this time!"

"I'm definitely ready, especially after catching something last night that I think will help a lot." Said Laura. "Ash, I'll battle him first if you don't mind." Ash went into the seats.

"Two Pokemon." said brock. "Geodude, go!" Geodude came back out.

"Charmander, go!" cried Laura. Her Charmander materialized.

"Sis, why are you using a fire type for a rock gym?" asked Cassie.

"You'll see." Said Laura.

"Geodude, use your Tackle attack!" cried Brock. Geodude charged in.

"Charmander, wait for it to get close." Said Laura. Charmander did so.

"Okay, Metal Claw!" cried Laura. Charmander struck Geodude with a steel claw and Geodude took a lot of damage.

"Oh, I get it. A steel type attack against a rock type." Said Cassie. "Great strategy for type coverage."

"Geodude, use Rock Throw!" cried Brock. Geodude grabbed a pile of rocks and threw them at the fire lizard. The attack hit.

"Charmander!" cried Laura. Charmander took a fair bit of damage, but got up.

"Great job. Use your Metal Claw again!" cried Laura. Charmander ran in and struck Geodude with another steel claw, which knocked it out.

"Well done, Charmander!" cried Laura. Geodude was recalled.

"It's not very often a challenger can beat a rock type with a fire type." Said Brock. "Onix, go!" Onix materialized.

"Charmander, return!" cried Laura. Charmander was recalled.

"What could she be doing now?" wondered Cassie.

"Vaporeon, I choose you!" cried Laura. A bubble jet Pokemon appeared, which made Eevee squeal.

"It's your water evolution, Eevee!" cried Cassie.

"It's so cute!" cried Misty.

"Vaporeon, use your Water Gun!" cried Laura. Vaporeon sprayed a powerful blast of water at Onix, which soaked it and sent it down in defeat.

"That's it?!" cried Cassie. Onix was recalled.

"A one hit attack. That also doesn't happen often." Said Brock. "Here's your Boulder Badge, Laura."

"Thank you, Brock." Said Laura. "We both have a Boulder Badge now, sis."

"Okay, Ash, let's see if you can do it now." Said Cassie. Ash headed down to the field, and his battle got ready to start after Brock's Pokemon were healed.

"I'm ready for you this time, Brock!" cried Ash.

"I just hope he's learned his lesson on type matchups." Said Cassie.

"Two Poke Balls!" cried Brock. "I'll start with Geodude!" Brock's Geodude materialized once again, which prompted Ash to get his Pokedex out.

"Geodude, the Rock Pokemon. Geodude is commonly found in fields, mountain trails, and the like. Hikers carelessly step or trip on them from time to time, mistaking them for boulders."

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" cried Ash, Pidgeotto came out.

"He's using a flying type now?!" cried Cassie. "He really hasn't learned at all."

"Use your Gust attack!" cried Ash. But the move didn't do very much at all.

"Bad strategy. Flying Pokemon are weak to rock types." Said Brock.

"Come on, Ash, use your brain." Whispered Misty. Pidgeotto was soon knocked out after taking a Tackle from Geodude.

"Pidgeotto, return!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto was recalled.

"Pikachu, go!" cried Ash. Pikachu ran onto the field.

"Here we go with Pikachu again." Sighed Cassie.

"I feel sorry for that thing, being raised by a weak trainer." Said brock.

"Weak?!" cried Ash. "Pikachu, we're about to show them about weak! Thunder Shock!" Pikachu unleashed the attack, which managed to knock out Geodude in one hit. Brock, Misty, Laura, and Cassie were stunned.

"Maybe this is a new Pikachu we're seeing." Said Cassie. Geodude was recalled.

"It's better, but still no match for Onix!" cried Brock. Onix materialized. Pikachu fired its electricity in all sorts of directions.

"Hey, watch that aiming!" cried Laura.

"Yeah, you almost hit us!" cried Cassie. Onix curled its tail around Pikachu and binded it.

"Pikachu, use your Thunderbolt!" cried Ash. The attack made Onix cry in pain.

"How is Onix feeling that?" cried Cassie.

"Onix, Bind it!" cried Brock. They all watched in shock and awe at Pikachu's power.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash

"Okay, Onix, stop!" cried Brock. Onix let go.

"I don't see any point in continuing." Said Brock. "I don't want your Pokemon to get hurt." A weird smell started coming from the ceiling.

"Is that smoke?" wondered Cassie.

"I think so." Replied Laura. The sprinklers went off due to the smoke, and Onix roared in pain.

"Ash! Rock Pokemon get weakened by water!" cried Misty.

"Here's your chance, Ash! Water conducts electricity!" cried Cassie.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" cried Ash. The attack sent Onix reeling to the floor due to Pikachu's attack mixing with the water.

"Onix!" cried Brock.

"We did it! We won!" cried Ash.

"They actually did it." Said Cassie. Onix was recalled and brock approached Ash.

"I didn't expect that to happen, but you showed me that I still have a lot to learn when it comes to raising Pokemon." said brock. "Here's your Boulder Badge."

"Thanks, Brock!" cried Ash. "I got a Boulder Badge!" Cassie, Laura, and Misty came down.

"I can't believe it. You won without a type advantage." Said Cassie.

"Crazy, isn't it?" asked Ash.

"To be honest, I care more about raising Pokemon than battling with them." Said brock. "My dream is to become the world's number one Pokemon breeder, but I can't leave here."

"Brock, just go and follow your dreams." Said Flint. Brock couldn't believe it.

"My father." He sighed.

"You mean this guy is your dad?" asked Cassie.

"That means you're the deadbeat that left and never came back." Said Ash.

"I was too ashamed to say anything, but I guess the secret's out now." Said Flint. "Now, it's time to start taking care of my family. You go after your dreams, Brock."

"First, there's some things I have to tell you." Said Brock. "Susie always rips her dresses, so you'll need to learn to sow. Timmy only eats cold spaghetti for breakfast. Tommy…."

"Slow down! I can't write that fast!" cried Flint. He was going to have a lot of work ahead of him.

Later that night…..

"Are you sure if it's okay for me to go with you guys on your journey?" asked Brock.

"Of course it's okay!" cried Cassie. "You'll be like a big brother to me!"

"It'll also be nice to have somebody new to talk to." Said Ash.

"But what's with the girl following behind us?" wondered Brock.

"I haven't forgotten about my bike, Ash Ketchum!" Misty cried. Ash gulped.

"Let's try and lose her, Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"We should run too, Eevee." Said Laura. They took off running down the road, with Brock, Laura, and Misty in hot pursuit.

The journey continues next time…..

Ash's Party: Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Beedrill

Cassie's Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Pidgey, Pikachu

Misty's Party: Goldeen, Staryu, Starmie

Laura's Party: Charmander, Rattata, Vaporeon

Brock's Party: Geodude, Onix