Pokémon Amanda's Johto Journey

[MarkL1987]

Hey all. So, we have just wrapped up Amanda’s trek through the Kanto region in the last episode of the previous story and that means it’s time to start Season 2, which will see Amanda and her friend Michelle trek through the Johto region together. With that said, here’s a preview of our cast of characters to start off the Johto section of our series.

Main characters​

Amanda Cooper: Our main character of the show, and the Ash Ketchum of the series. She hails from Fuchsia City and has just finished up competing in he first ever Pokemon League tournament in which she was eliminated in the round of sixteen. She is now striving for more success in the Johto region. Her partner Pokemon is Pikachu, having obtained him during her childhood. She is eleven years old.

Michelle Greenwood: Amanda’s best friend and the Misty of the series. She and Amanda met in episode three of the first season. In the episode, Michelle challenged Amanda to a simple one on one battle between Amanda’s Pikachu and Michelle’s partner Pokemon, Eevee. The two have been best friends since that first meeting, and Michelle is now able to earn gym badges of her own. She is ten years old.

Conrad and Sally: The two main team Rocket grunts, these clowns serve as the Jessie and James of the series. The pair have been following our heroes around for a while and have tried a number of different schemes to steal Pikachu and Eevee, but without any success. Now, the pair have followed the girls to the Johto region.

Recurring characters​

Mark McDavid: Another friend of Michelle and Amanda, and the Brock of the series. He loves Pokemon a lot, and at the end of the first season, developed a passion for wanting to know more about Pokemon in ways that don’t involve traveling around and battling. For this reason, he will now be working for Professor Oak at his laboratory in Pallet Town by serving as his assistant. Mark is ten years old.

Professor Oak: An expert on Pokemon, and is also the man responsible for sending out new trainers on their adventures. He gave Amanda a Squirtle at the start of her journey to go with the Pikachu she already had with her. The Squirtle is now a Blastoise and is currently being looked after by both Mark and the professor. He is also the grandfather of Gary Oak, who was seen a few times during the first season.

Professor Elm: Like Oak, Professor Elm is tasked with sending out new trainers. He is also a colleague of Professor Oak as well as one of Samuel’s former college students. The one weakness of Professor Elm is that he tends to get distracted by other things going on instead of focusing on his research.

New character​

Laura Meyers: Laura hails from new Bark Town and loves anything to do with Pokemon. You could say it’s her number one interest. Aside from Pokemon, Laura’s other interests include reading, traveling around on her bike, and baseball. Laura is a huge fan of the Starmie baseball team and always makes sure to attend at least one game per year. We will meet Laura in the first episode of the season. She is ten years old.

And that’s our cast for the new season. The first episode of Season 2 will get going in the next post, so please look forward to it

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode Fifty-Three​

Ah, New Bark Town. Many people refer to it as the town where winds of new beginnings blow. However, it’s also the place where trainers who reside in this lovely little town start off their Pokemon adventure. One of those trainers is Laura Meyers, who had just turned ten two days ago. She loves Pokemon and has had a high interest in it ever since she was just a baby. She also enjoys being out on her bike, and on this sunny morning, Laura was happily riding away down the path that went from New Bark Town to Cherrygrove City and vise versa. All that was on her mind right now was which of the three starter Pokemon that she wanted to select to get her started. She was so excited that she was almost tempted to speed things up and get back to New Bark faster. She didn’t want to risk hurting herself, though, so she rode at the normal speed. When she arrived back, she made sure to greet her mother.

“I’m back from my bike ride, Mom!” she cried.

“Did you have a good time?” asked Mrs. Meyers.

“I had an excellent time.” Said Laura. “I still don’t know which starter Pokemon I want, though, and I’m supposed to be at Professor Elm’s laboratory any minute now.”

“Well, you better get a move on then.” Said Mrs. Meyers. Laura gave her mother a Snorlax sized hug and then hurried off towards the lab.

“Any one of them would do, really.” She said. “It just depends on suits my personality the best.” She reached Professor Elm’s laboratory in no time, but as she was about to go in, she noticed that something was a little bit off.

“What’s that weird guy doing by the window?” she asked herself. The boy had red hair and was wearing a dark black shirt with a bright red R on it, which meant that he was part of Team Rocket. Laura wasn’t aware of this, though. She slowly approached the buy and tapped him on the shoulder, which made him jump backwards a bit.

“What are you looking at?” Laura asked him.

“Uh…. nothing.” the boy stammered.

“Don’t you tell me it was nothing. I saw you looking into that window!” Laura cried.

“What window?” the boy asked. Now he was trying to play dumb.

“The window that we’re standing in front of right now.” Said Laura. “And if I were you, I’d get out of here before Professor Elm sees you.” The boy wanted to speak, but he knew that Laura was right. She waited until he had disappeared out of sight before putting on a smile and happily skipping up to the lab’s entrance. She burst through the door excitedly, anxious to get her starter.

“Yoohoo! Professor Elm!” she called. “I’m here to get my Pokemon!” Instead of the professor, one of his assistants came up to her.

“I’m afraid the professor is currently occupied right now.” He said. “However, I’ll let him know that you’ve arrived and he’ll be with you as soon as he’s available. In the meantime, take a seat on the bench here while you wait.” Laura sat down and glanced at some of the pictures that were on the wall. While some of them were pictures of Pokemon that she was already familiar with such as Lapras, Eevee and Starmie, a couple of specific pictures got her interest. The Pokemon in those pictures were Ho Oh and Lugia, the two legendary birds of the Johto region.

“Those Pokemon look so beautiful.” Said Laura. “I hope I get to meet them during my travels.” Ten minutes later, Professor Elm finished on the phone and went over to greet Laura.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” He said. “One of my colleagues discovered something amazing the other day and he insisted on telling me about it. My apologies again.”

“That’s okay.” Said Laura. “You have some really cool Pokemon pictures on your wall.”

“Those were all taken by a professional Pokemon photographer.” Said Professor Elm. “If you ask me, he certainly did a very good job. His name is Todd Snap. I would highly recommend him.”

“I’ll definitely keep that in mind if I ever want to get my photo taken.” Said Laura.

“Anyway, I think that’s enough chit chat for now. Let’s focus on what you came here for, which is your starter Pokemon.” Said Elm. He led Laura over to a table in the middle of his research room. Three Poke Balls sat on there, all of which had a different Pokemon inside.

“Do you know which starter you want to pick?” Professor Elm asked.

“Not exactly.” Laura answered. “I was hoping to wing it and choose whatever I feel suits my personality.”

“Every beginning trainer feels the same way.” Said Professor Elm. “Allow me to go over all of them for you. That might help you make a better decision.” He opened up all the Poke Balls one at a time and the three starters appeared in a blaze of light.

“On the left over here is the grass type, Chikorita.” Said Elm. Chikorita gave Laura a smile before trying to knock her down with its Tackle attack.

“It’s certainly got a lot of energy in it.” Laura chuckled.

“Well, Chikorita do tend to be quite energetic.” Said Elm. “Now, in the middle is the fire type, Cyndaquil.” Laura smiled at the fire type, and in return, it smiled back.

“Aw, you’re such a cutie.” Said Laura. She picked Cyndaquil up, only for a Flamethrower to shoot out of the top of its body. Laura had to duck to avoid being scorched by the flames.

“Is it supposed to behave like that?” she wondered.

“Yes. This is normal behavior for Cyndaquil whenever it meets a new trainer for the first time.” Said Professor Elm. “I should warn you, however, that the last one is quite feisty. On the right is Totodile, a water type.” Totodile carefully looked at Laura before jumping up and trying to clamp down on her hair. However, she held her hand out firmly to stop him.

“Don’t even think about it, Totodile.” She said. “My mom did my hair for me today in a special style, and I’m not going to let you ruin it.” She grabbed the Totodile and put him back on the table.

“Okay, Laura, which of these three would you like?” asked Professor Elm.

“Well, Cyndaquil almost barbecued me and Totodile tried to give me an unwanted haircut.” Said Laura. She then looked over at Chikorita. “But this one is the most well behaved to me, and I feel that it suits my energetic personality the best.” She picked up Chikorita and gave her a big hug.

“You’re the only one of these three that didn’t try to melt me or bite me.” She said. “Okay, Professor, I think I’ve made up my mind. I officially choose Chikorita as my starter.” Chikorita gave a loud cry. She was very excited over being chosen as Laura’s partner.

“Chikorita definitely looks like she’s pleased with your choice.” Said Professor Elm. He handed Laura a few things from his desk.

“Here’s your Pokedex, which has all sorts of information about the Pokemon that you’ll come across.” Said Elm. “Not only that, but here’s six empty Poke Balls for you that you can use to capture new Pokemon.”

“Thanks, Professor.” Said Laura. She gladly took the items and placed them in her bag.

“Before you go, I have one last thing that I need to give you.” Said Elm, and he gave Laura an electronic device that she wasn’t familiar with.

“What’s this?” she wondered.

“That’s called a Poke Gear.” Said Elm. “It has a map of all the cities, towns and routes in the region, as well as phone numbers that belong to both me and your mother. Call those numbers in case you run into any trouble.”

“I will.” Said Laura. She held out Chikorita’s Poke Ball and pointed it at her new Pokemon.

“Chikorita, return!” she cried. Chikorita was absorbed into the ball via red energy. Laura placed the ball on the waist of her skirt and shook the professor’s hand.

“Good luck out there, Laura.” Said Elm.

“Thank you, professor.” Said Laura. She ran out of the lab as quickly as she could and hopped onto her bike. She was eager to visit all sorts of places now that she had Chikorita by her side. The strange boy waited until Laura was clear out of view before changing into a disguise. Meanwhile, Professor Elm got to work on some research by pulling up some things on his computer. He was so engrossed in his work that he almost didn’t hear the knock on his back door.

“Come in.” he said in a monotone voice. The boy entered the room sporting a large trench coat over his regular clothes so that way Elm wouldn’t recognize him. The boy cleared his throat and then began to speak.

“Hello, I’m from the Pokemon Inspection Agency.” He said in a deep voice. “We need to make sure that the starter Pokemon are fit to be given out to new trainers before they’re allowed to be handed over.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that.” Said Elm.

“It’s a new rule.” Said the boy. “And if you don’t comply, you’ll lose your license.”

“I certainly don’t want that.” Said Elm. “You just missed Chikorita, but you can take one of the other two.” The boy looked at both Cyndaquil and Totodile carefully before shaking his head at the fire type.

“Not bad, but not what the Pokemon Inspection Agency is looking for.” Said the boy. He then carefully picked up the Totodile off the table.

“We’ll just get this little guy checked out as quickly as we can and then you’ll have him back when we’re finished.” Said the boy.

“All right, see you later.” Said Elm, who hadn’t looked up from his book even once. The boy left the room with a firm hold on Totodile before ripping off his disguise.

“That was too easy.” He snickered. “Conrad and Sally will be very pleased.” He ran off into the open area where he found the two Team Rocket agents waiting for him.

“Excellent work, Shadow.” Said Sally. Meanwhile, Laura had stopped someplace in the middle of the route that linked New Bark Town and Cherrygrove City together. She and her new Chikorita were looking for some Pokemon to catch, but she couldn’t find any.

“That’s strange, I thought there would be a Pidgey here or something.” Said Laura. “Well, it’s pretty early in the day, so they might still be sleeping. What do you think, Chikorita?”

“Chika.” Her starter answered, which meant ‘I think you’re probably right.’

“We’ll try again a little later.” Said Laura. “Right now, let’s just sit here and enjoy the view.” They both sat down on the grass together and looked up at the sky.

“Do you think we’ll get to see any of the legendary Pokemon that I saw in the picture at the lab?” Laura asked.

“Chika.” Chikorita responded, which meant ‘I’d love to be able to. It would be so cool.’

“That’s exactly what I was saying at the lab.” Said Laura. They continued looking up at the sky, and a short while later, a Pidgey flew down towards her.

“Finally, a Pokemon.” Said Laura. “Okay, Chikorita, time for your first fight. Are you ready?” Chikorita nodded.

“All right, here we go.” She said. Before she could order an attack, however, her Poke Gear went off.

“Just a moment, Chikorita.” She said. Professor Elm’s number flashed on the screen.

“This is probably important, so sit tight while I take this.” Said Laura and she answered the phone.

“Hello?” she said. “What?! Okay, hold tight, Professor, I’m on my way!” She hung up the phone and turned to Chikorita.

“Sorry, Chikorita, but we’ll have to take a rain check for now. There’s an emergency at Professor Elm’s lab, so we have to go.” She recalled her Pokemon, got onto her bike and pedalled away back to New Bark Town as fast as she could. Meanwhile, Amanda, Michelle, Pikachu and Eevee were sailing on a ferry that was just setting foot in the Johto region.

“I can’t wait to see all the new Pokemon that are here!” Amanda cried.

“I know you’re excited about that, but don’t forget that we have to stop by Professor Elm’s laboratory first.” Said Michelle. A voice came on over the ship’s public address speakers.

“This is your captain speaking. We are now arriving in New Bark Town. Please make sure you have all of your belongings with you as you leave the ship.” Once the ship docked, Amanda and Michelle started walking towards the lab.

“I wonder if it’ll be nicer than Professor Oak’s laboratory back in Pallet Town.” Said Amanda.

“I heard that it’s even bigger than the lab that Oak has.” Said Michelle. They passed a sign that read Welcome to New Bark Town.

“We’re officially here in the Johto region, Pikachu.” Said Amanda. “That means a chance to compete in the Johto Leage. Look out Johto League because Michelle and Amanda are coming!” Amanda started running off, but Michelle grabbed her backpack.

“Hold on a second, miss energetic.” She said. “I know you’re excited about the prospect of competing in a brand new Pokemon League, but we both have to register first.”

“Oh.” Said Amanda. “Well then, look out Johto League because we’re going to register! By the way, do you have any cash on hand in case they charge a fee?” Michelle facepalmed.

“There’s no fee. We just have to sign up at the Pokemon Center.” She explained.

“Then why don’t we go there first?” Amanda suggested.

“Because we have to see Professor Elm first.” Michelle answered. “He’s expecting us and we don’t want to keep him waiting.” They started running towards the lab as fast as they could. When they got close, though, they were greeted by the loud sirens of police cars.

“What in the world happened here?” Amanda wondered.

“That’s what I want to know.” Said Michelle. They ran up to the entrance and saw a building that looked like the size of a college or university.

“Woah, this place is huge.” Said Michelle. “This can’t be the lab, can it?”

“I don’t think so.” Said Amanda. “I’ll ask somebody.” She spotted Officer Jenny writing things down in a notebook.

“Excuse me, officer, do you think you can tell my friend and I where the Elm laboratory is?” Amanda asked.

“You’re actually right in front of it.” Jenny answered. Michelle was stunned.

“No way! This is the famous Elm laboratory?” she asked.

“It is indeed.” Said Jenny.

“All right, we’re here then.” Said Amanda. “Come on, Michelle, let’s get inside and meet Professor Elm.”

“You kids can’t go in there.” Said Jenny. “We’re in the middle of a police investigation.”

“Investigation?!” Michelle and Amanda asked simultaneously.

“What happened?” Amanda asked.

“One of the starter Pokemon that a new trainer is supposed to get tomorrow morning is gone.” Jenny answered. “Somebody snuck in here and stole it.”

“Oh no!” Amanda cried.

“Who would do such a terrible thing?” Michelle asked.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.” Said Jenny. Just then, Laura came up on her bike right at the same time that Professor Elm came out.

“Professor! Is this the emergency you called me about?” Laura asked. Elm nodded his head.

“You wouldn’t happen to know anything about a Pokemon being stolen from here, would you?” he asked.

“That depends.” Said Lura. “Which Pokemon was it?”

“It was Totodile.” Elm answered.

“Totodile?” Amanda asked. “I haven’t heard of that Pokemon before.”

“Neither have I.” said Michelle. Elm looked at both Amanda and Michelle.

“You two must be the trainers that Professor Oak mentioned would be coming by here.” He said. “You’re Amanda Cooper and Michelle Greenwood, right?”

“That’s right.” Said Amanda. “And I take it that you’re Professor Elm?”

“The one and only, at your service.” Said Elm. “I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, but as I just mentioned, a Totodile has been stolen from the lab. I blame myself for this because I was too engrossed into a good book to pay attention to what was happening.”

“Maybe if you had been paying better attention, professor, this wouldn’t have happened.” Said Jenny. “The new trainer that’s supposed to get Totodile tomorrow is going to be very upset when you break the news to her.”

“I know.” Said Elm.

“I still don’t know what Totodile is.” Said Michelle.

“Come inside with me and I’ll explain things more fully.” He said. Amanda, Michelle, Laura and Officer Jenny all followed Elm into his research room. He pulled out pictures of each of the three starters of the region and showed them to Amanda and Michelle.

“New Bark trainers get to select from one of these three Pokemon.” He explained. “Chikorita was just picked up by Laura earlier today. By the way, how are the two of you getting along so far?”

“We’re doing just great, Professor.” Said Amanda. “We were actually about to battle a Pidgey when you called me back here.”

“I apologize again for that interruption, but emergencies take priority over training and battling.” Said Elm. “The other two Pokemon in these pictures are Cyndaquil and Totodile. Cyndaquil is safe, thank goodness, but Totodile is out there somewhere with the thief.”

“Don’t you worry, Professor, because we’re going to find that Totodile for you.” Said Amanda.

“Oh, thank you so much.” Said Elm. “I appreciate this very much.”

“I’ll help too, Professor.” Said Laura. She glance over at Michelle and Amanda. “And who might you two be?”

“I’m Amanda, and this is my friend Michelle.” Said Amanda. “Professor Oak sent us here so that we can explore the Johto region together.”

“That’s wonderful.” Said Laura. “Hey, I know. Instead of splitting up to look for Totodile, we can search together.”

“That sounds like a great idea.” Said Michelle.

“You know, Professor Elm, new trainers in Kanto get to choose a starter Pokemon themselves.” Said Amanda. “They get to pick from Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle. But I got Pikachu as my first one when I was very little. He and I have been pika pals.”

“Then I guess Pikachu is very special to you, isn’t he?” Elm asked.

“He sure is.” Said Amanda. “The two of us have been through a lot together, and we just finished competing in the Indigo League not too long ago. I placed in the top sixteen.”

“That’s a pretty good accomplishment for a young lady like yourself.” Said Elm.

“All right, kids, we need to start looking for Totodile or else we’ll never get it back.” Said Officer Jenny. Once the four of them were out of New Bark Town, Jenny grabbed a Poke Ball and released Growlithe from it.

“Growlithe, we need you to sniff around for any trace of Totodile and the thieves that took him.” She said. Growlithe nodded and began to sniff.

“With Growlithe’s sniffing ability, we should be able to find Totodile in no time.” Said Jenny. They walked all along the route, searching every patch of grass and every tree, but there was no sign of the missing Pokemon. Growlithe started to frown, but Amanda gave him some encouragement.

“I know this is a tough search, Growlithe, but we can’t give up.” She said. “Totodile’s out there somewhere waiting to be rescued and we’re not going to rest until we know that he’s safe!”

“I like that attitude of yours, Amanda.” Said Jenny. The four of them continued to search, and Laura even let Chikorita out so that she could join in on the search party.

“Chikorita, use your Sweet Scent to try and find those thieves.” Laura instructed. Chikorita obeyed and sprayed a simple scent in front of them that would lead them down the right path. Growlithe used the scent to sniff out a potential location, and then he started barking loudly.

“I think Growlithe has spotted something.” Said Michelle.

“Great! Let’s get a move on!” Jenny cried, and the four of them ran off. In an open park somewhere else on the route, Totodile had gotten attached to Sally as it was clamping down on her hair with its teeth and refused to let go.

“Augh!” she cried. “Conrad, get this thing out of my hair!” Conrad pulled on the back of Totodile, with Shadow giving some assistance, but it did no good. Totodile still wouldn’t let go of its grip. Sally tried to shake Totodile off by spinning her hair around, but that didn’t work either.

“So, which one of us should make the call to the boss to tell him that we’ve got a rare Pokemon for him?” Shadow asked.

“I think I should.” Said Conrad.

“Absolutely not!” Sally protested. “I know exactly how you operate, which means if you make the call, you’re going to take all the credit!”

“No I won’t!” Conrad argued.

“Yes you will!” Sally argued back. “You’re going to tell the boss that capturing Totodile was your idea and not even mention us!”

“Me, leave you out?” Conrad said. “Never!”

“Oh yeah, well I beg to differ!” Sally exclaimed. While the two kept their argument going, Shadow secretly slipped over to the phone booth that was nearby. He placed a quarter into the slot, but then he realized that he was missing something important. He quickly turned to Conrad and Sally, who had gotten tangled up with each other on the ground.

“By any chance, do either of you know the boss’s area code?” he asked. Both Conrad and sally facepalmed and went back to arguing. The yelling was broken up by the sounds of Growlithe’s barking, and footsteps belonging to Michelle, Amanda, Laura, Chikorita and Officer Jenny.

“There they are!” Michelle cried. “Give that Totodile back right now, you thieves!”

“Oh, you mean this thing?” Shadow asked, pointing to the Pokemon. “Yeah, it belongs to us now, so why don’t you all just go home.” Jenny immediately took out a set of handcuffs.

“All three of you are under arrest for stealing that Totodile from Professor Elm’s lab.” She said firmly.

“Also, that Totodile doesn’t belong to you at all!” Amanda cried. “It belongs to Professor Elm. Now, don’t you feel bad about stealing from a very kind and very sweet man?”

“Well, maybe I do feel a little bad.” Said Conrad.

“Just hand over Totodile and there won’t be any trouble.” Said Laura.

“I’m afraid there’s a little bit of a problem with that.” Said Shadow. “It kind of has a thing for Sally’s hair.” Sally was still trying to get Totodile off of her but with no luck.

“All right, you’re asking for it now!” Laura cried. “Chikorita, use your Vine Whip to grab Totodile and pull it away from Sally.” Chikorita obeyed and wrapped light green vines around Totodile’s body. She pulled and tugged with all her might but Totodile was determined to not let go. Chikorita had to work hard, but at last, she was able to get the water type off of Sally and send it flying into the air.

“Don’t worry, Totodile, I’ve got you!” Michelle cried. She held out her arms and Totodile landed in them safely.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Said Michelle. Sally was checking on the bottom of her hair and was disappointed at the teeth marks that Totodile had left.

“These split ends are terrible now.” She said with a sigh.

“Okay, Pikachu, you know what we do with thieves, don’t we?” said Amanda. Pikachu nodded.

“All right, then let the three of them really have it.” Said Amanda. “Thunderbolt attack!” Pikachu unleashed a powerful bolt of yellow energy at the three of them, zapping the trio and leaving them with painful shock marks.

“Chikorita, finish them off with your Tackle attack!” Laura cried. Chikorita rammed right at the three Team Rocket members and sent them flying into the air.

“What do we tell the boss now?” Conrad asked.

“You can make the call this time, Conrad, and you can tell him the same message that we always have to give him.” Said Sally. “We’re blasting off again!” DING!

“Bye-bye!” Amanda cried happily.

“Great job, guys.” Said Michelle. Jenny was a bit disappointed.

“I wish I could’ve made an arrest.” She said.

“But on the plus side, we did get Totodile back.” Said Michelle.

“Let’s get it back to the lab.” Said Jenny. They hurried back in record time, and when Elm saw Totodile, he was thrilled.

“You managed to save him!” he cried happily. “Thank you all so much!”

“You’re very welcome, Professor.” Said Laura. “We’re glad to have helped.”

“Amanda, Michelle, I can’t thank the two of you enough for rescuing Totodile from Team Rocket.” Said Elm. “To show you both how grateful I am, I have a special reward for the two of you. I’d like you both to have the two remaining starter Pokemon that I have.”

“That’s so nice of you, Professor. Thank you!” cried Amanda. She looked carefully at both of the Pokemon before picking up Cyndaquil. The fire type took an immediate liking to Amanda.

“Wait, it didn’t try to kill you with fire like what happened with me earlier?” Laura wondered. “What’s with that?”

“I guess it likes me better.” Said Amanda. “Professor, I’d like to take Cyndaquil with me.”

“Then that means I get Totodile.” Said Michelle.

“I think Totodile is definitely suitable for you, Michelle.” Said Professor Elm. “After all, you were the one to officially rescue it from those thieves. And, I have something else for you.” He went back into his drawer and pulled out a Pokedex and six more empty Poke Balls.

“Since you’re now able to compete in a League yourself, I think it’s only fair that you have these.” He said.

“Thanks a lot, Professor.” Said Michelle.

“Now then, I believe the two of you wanted to go to the Pokemon Center and register for the Johto League.” Said Elm. “You should register too, Laura.”

“I was going to do that, anyway, so this works out perfectly.” Said Laura. “I know. Since the three of us worked well together rescuing Totodile, we can go together.”

“Just where exactly is the Pokemon Center, Professor?” Amanda asked.

“It’s actually right next door to here.” Said Elm. The three girls went over to the center and found Nurse Joy behind the counter as normal.

“Welcome to the Pokemon Center.” She said in her cheerful voice. “How can I help the three of you today?”

“The three of us would like to register for the Johto League.” Said Amanda.

“Well then, I’ll just need your Pokedexes from each of you.” Said Joy. The girls handed their devices over and Joy placed them into the slots in each of the computer terminals. A voice came onto the computer to verify their identification.

“Amanda Cooper of Fuchsia City. Michelle Greenwood of Viridian Forest. Laura Meyers of New Bark Town.” After a few seconds, the screens flashed O.K. “Welcome to the Johto League.” Joy took out the Pokedexes and gave them back to the girls.

“Well, that’s all there is to it. All three of you are now fully registered to compete in the Johto League championships.” Said Joy.

“How many badges are needed for this League?” Amanda asked.

“Once the three of you earn eight badges, you’ll be qualified to compete against other trainers in the tournament.” She said. “I’d say that the best place to start earning your badges is at the gym in Violet City.”

“Then that’s where we’ll go.” Said Amanda.

“Also, I want to ask the two of you a small favor.” Said Laura. “Would it be okay if I traveled with the two of you?”

“What do you think, Amanda?” Michelle asked.

“Well, she’ll certainly need some guidance and teaching since she’s just starting out.” Said Amanda.

“Pikachu.” Pikachu agreed, which meant ‘That’s a very good point.’

“Okay, Laura, welcome to the group.” Said Amanda.

“Thank you both so much!” Laura cried. She gave the two of them a big hug and then the trio left the Center. Well, now that Amanda and Michelle have set foot in Johto, it’s off to new adventures and new Pokemon. They also have a new friend to travel with too. Plenty of new and exciting things are just waiting to be discovered as our heroes travel along the road towards Violet City. What kinds of adventures lay ahead for our friends in Johto? Find out next time.

TO BE CONTINUED​

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode Fifty-Four

Last time, our heroes Michelle and Amanda made it to the Johto region where they met a new trainer named Laura. The three of them were put to work right away as they had to work together to rescue a Totodile that Team Rocket had stolen from Professor Elm's laboratory. But thanks to a Sweet Scent from Chikorita and some excellent tracking work from Growlithe, Totodile was safely rescued and brought back to the lab. As a reward for their hard work, Professor Elm allowed Amanda and Michelle to take Cyndaquil and Totodile with them on their journey. With some new Pokemon by their side, as well as a new friend, some exciting new adventures lay ahead as they travel the road through Johto.

As today's episode begins, we find the three girls walking along down the road towards Cherrygrove City. Laura is still learning the ways of being a Pokemon trainer, and she's lucky to have two experienced companions by her side.

"So, Amanda, how long have you been a Pokemon trainer?" Laura asked.

"I would say a little bit over a year at this point." Said Amanda. "I've caught lots of Pokemon and battled a lot of trainers."

"You probably don't know this, but Amanda and I first met in the Viridian Forest." Said Michelle. "She and I had a friendly battle with each other."

"Who won that battle?" Laura asked.

"Michelle did." Said Amanda. "That was one of the first trainers battles that I had, and we both became best friends after that. It's because of Michelle's help that I was able to win a good amount of battles."

"It's always good to have a friend to help out." Said Laura. "I'm only a rookie, so I'll need all the help I can get."

"Well don't you worry because Michelle and I are going to teach you all you need to know about Pokemon." Said Amanda.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, which meant 'Eevee and I will help too.'

"That's really generous of you guys." Said Laura. They continued to walk around, but a short time later, they heard some rustling in one of the bushes.

"What's that?" Laura wondered. The rustling slowly got a bit louder, and all three girls were worried about what would appear. Once the rustling stopped, a small mammalian Pokémon covered in brown fur came out from the bushes. The Pokemon also had long, dark brown ears with dark pink interiors, beady black eyes, and a small mouth.

"Hi there, fella." Said Laura. "You look a little shy." The Pokemon stood on its tail to get a good look at where it was.

"I wonder what kind of Pokemon this is." Said Michelle.

"Let's see." Said Amanda. She took out her brand new Pokedex to find out some information.

"Sentret, the scout Pokemon. Sentret are very cautious and will give a loud warning cry to alert its kind about possible intruders."

"I guess that's why it's standing like that." Said Michelle.

"Don't worry, Sentret, we're not intruders." Said Amanda. Sentret gave a happy smile.

"Look how much energy this Sentret has." Said Laura. "It would be a perfect fit for my team." She grabbed out a Poke Ball and got ready to throw it.

"Wait a second, Laura. What are you doing?" Amanda asked.

"What every trainer does when they see a wild Pokemon." Laura answered. "I'm going to catch it, so stand back." She gave Sentret a good look. She was very determined to make her first capture.

"I hope you enjoyed your freedom while you could, Sentret, because you're coming with me." Said Laura. She leaned her arm back and threw the capture device.

"Poke Ball, go!" she cried.

"No!" Michelle and Amanda both cried. The Poke ball hit Sentret on the back, and it got sucked inside. The ball then started to shake a little bit and the girls stood nearby waiting to see what the results would be. After a few shakes, the ball burst open and Sentret popped back out. The ball flew back to Laura and Sentret quickly disappeared back into the bushes.

"That's not fair. Why didn't the Poke ball work?" she wondered.

"First, you have to weaken the Pokemon enough to be able to catch it." Amanda pointed out.

"You could've told me that a second ago." Said Laura.

"We tried to, but you jumped ahead and tried to catch the Sentret before we could do that." Said Michelle.

"If you want to become a good trainer, I suggest that you listen to our advice." Said Amanda.

"I will." Said Laura. The three of them continued walking along down the road, but after a while, their stomachs growled.

"Is anybody getting hungry?" Michelle asked.

"I could definitely use something to eat." Said Amanda.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Eevee and I are hungry too.'

"We'll stop for some lunch and then we'll continue looking for Pokemon." Said Amanda. The three girls set up a small campsite and Laura took out some ingredients to make a meat chili.

"That smells really good." Said Amanda.

"Let's just hope it ends up tasting good." Said Michelle.

"Don't worry, it will." Said Laura. Once the chili was ready to eat, she scooped it out of the pot and into some bowls. Upon tasting it, Michelle and Amanda were very impressed.

"Where did you learn to cook so well?" Amanda asked.

"Right before I left on my journey, my mom had me help her cook a few meals because she wanted me to be able to prove that I can fend for myself while out traveling." Said Laura. "I think I did a pretty good job, don't you think?"

"You sure did." Said Amanda. "This chili's excellent!"

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, which meant 'May I have some?'

"Yes, Pikachu, you can have some of the chili." Said Amanda.

"I guess I'll let Eevee have some as well." Said Michelle. "Do you have any spare bowls on you, Laura?" Laura nodded her head.

"My mom always told me to keep extras of everything on me when traveling." She said.

"That's certainly good advice." Said Amanda. Laura brought out two smaller sized bowls for Pikachu and Eevee and served both Pokemon.

"I think they should both be happy now." Said Michelle. Pikachu and Eevee happily squealed, which meant 'Thank you, Laura.'

"You're welcome, guys." Said Laura. After their meal was over and the dishes had been cleaned up, the girls began to look for some Pokemon.

"There's one specific Pokemon on this route that I want to try and catch." Said Laura. "It's called a Hoothoot."

"I don't think I've seen that one before." Said Amanda.

"But don't Hoothoot only appear at night?" Michelle asked.

"I think so." Said Amanda.

"If you don't know what it looks like, I can show you." Said Laura. She took a scrapbook out that was filled with pictures of some of her favorite Pokemon. She turned the pages until she found the Pokemon that she was talking about. It closely resembled an owl and had a round body. It had brown feathers and a cream colored belly. Its eyes were large and red, its beak was small and pinkish, its wings were stubby and it had a fan-like tail with three feathers. Black rings encircled the Pokemon's eyes, with the lower rims of each ring having three protrusions that resemble the teeth on a gear and the upper rims of the rings having extensions resembling the hands of a clock. Both of its feet were also a pinkish color, with each foot having five-clawed toes.

"That's Hoothoot." Said Laura. Amanda took out her Pokedex and pointed it at the picture.

"Hoothoot, the owl Pokemon. Hoothoot always tilts its head in the same rhythm due to a special ability that allows it to keep track of time. This Pokemon is nocturnal, meaning that it will only appear when it is dark out."

"Well, that answers your question, Michelle." Said Amanda.

"That means we'll have to stay here until nighttime if we want to see or catch one of them." Said Michelle. "I'm not sure if I want to wait that long."

"We could, but I want to keep moving and see what else we can find." Said Laura. The three girls started walking again, and a little further ahead, they saw a young boy wearing a baseball shirt, red shorts and bright yellow shoes.

"I wonder what he's doing out here." Said Laura.

"Probably the same thing that we're doing." Said Amanda. A round, pink plant Pokémon with long green leaves growing on top of its head flew down near the boy.

"Looks like I just hit a home run!" he cried. "I've been looking for one of these all day."

"What's that Pokemon?" Laura wondered. She brought out her Pokedex to find out about it.

"Hoppip, the cottonweed Pokemon. Hoppip likes to float and drift with the wind. It also forms clusters to avoid being blown away."

"I wonder which Pokemon he's going to use to battle the Hoppip." Said Michelle.

"Okay, Pidgey, you're up to bat!" he cried. He threw a ball and the small flying type appeared.

"Good choice. A flying type like Pidgey should have an advantage over a grass type such as Hoppip." Said Michelle. Laura immediately recognized which Pidgey it was that had been summoned.

"That's the exact same Pidgey that Chikorita and I were going after earlier today." She said. "He must've gotten to it after I had to postpone because of the situation that happened."

"Watch how this guy battles so that way you can learn how to capture a wild Pokemon." Amanda advised.

"Okay, Pidgey, we're up to bat first." Said the boy. "Tackle attack!" Pidgey flew in towards Hoppip for a hard tackle.

"Why is he using baseball terms to command his Pokemon?" Michelle wondered.

"He must be a baseball fan." Said Amanda.

"He's just like me, then." Said Laura.

"You like baseball, Laura?" Michelle asked. The rookie trainer nodded her head.

"Baseball is my number one favorite sport ever!" she cried. "My favorite team in the league is the Starmie team. They've got some really awesome sluggers on that team that I'd love to meet one day. I love them so much that I always wear the team jersey whenever I'm out. Take a look for yourself." The jersey that Laura was sporting had a purple and red color pattern on the front, and an actual Starmie patch on the left shoulder.

"That's a really cool jersey, Laura." Said Amanda.

"My mom took me to a game last year, and that's where I got it from." Said Laura.

"Okay, let's get back to watching the battle." Said Michelle. Hoppip answered Pidgey's Tackle with one of its own.

"Not a bad counter from Hoppip, but it needs a bit more juice on its pitches." Said the boy. "Pidgey, blow Hoppip out of the batter's box with your Gust attack!" Pidgey blew a gust of wind at the Hoppip, but the Pokemon floated around it and aimed gold dust at the flying type.

"That's Stun Spore!" Amanda cried. "Pidgey better be careful."

"So, you think you can throw a curveball at us like that, do you?" the boy asked. "Pidgey, Whirlwind now!" Pidgey quickly whipped up a wind tornado to override the Stun Spore. Hoppip then rammed towards Pidgey with its head lowered.

"That's Hoppip's Headbutt." Said Michelle.

"Steady. Eye on the ball, Pidgey." Said the boy. "Now, use Detect!" A bright silver glow appeared in front of Pidgey, causing the Headbutt to fail.

"Nice work." The boy said. "Now, let's make use of your basepath speed. Quick Attack!" Pidgey flew in quickly at Hoppip, landing a major strike. Hoppip fell to the ground, but quickly got up. It tried using Stun Spore again, but once again, the boy ordered a Whirlwind to blow the gold dust away.

"That boy definitely knows how to command Pidgey." Laura observed.

"Now for the finishing hit." Said the boy. "Use your Wing Attack!" Pidgey spread out its wings and delivered a devastating attack on the grass type.

"Yes!" cried the boy. "That was a great hit, Pidgey." He was about to throw a Poke Ball when Hoppip slowly got back up.

"How can Hoppip still fight after getting hit by a super effective move like that?" Laura wondered.

"It's because of Endure." Said Michelle. "Any time that's used, the Pokemon will always have one health point remaining after being hit. Hoppip must've used it right before Pidgey's Wing Attack struck." The small grass type went in for another Headbutt, which did some small damage, but not enough to defeat Pidgey.

"All right, bottom of the ninth and the other pitcher's out of energy. Time to strike while the iron is hot, Pidgey. Peck attack!" Pidgey used its beak to peck away at Hoppip's now weak body. The grass type wearily floated to the ground in a defeated state.

"Great job, Pidgey." Said the boy. He threw his Poke Ball, and Hoppip got sucked inside via red energy. The ball wobbled and shook a few times, with the girls watching anxiously to see if the catch would be successful. A few shakes later, the ball clicked shut and dinged.

"Yes! Team Pidgey wins again!" the boy cried. He recalled his Pokemon and picked up the ball containing his newly acquired Hoppip. He was about to walk off when he spotted the three of them.

"Have you been keeping an eye on me the whole time?" he asked.

"Well, maybe." Said Laura as the girls stepped forward to face the boy. He then looked at Pikachu and just about flipped out.

"I can't believe it! An actual Pikachu, right here in Johto!" he cried. "I've heard great things about you but I never thought I'd get to meet you in person!"

"This guy must be obsessed with Pikachu or something." Said Michelle.

"I've always wanted to see a Thunderbolt attack in action." Said the boy. He carefully picked up Pikachu so that the little electric mouse wouldn't get frightened.

"That's a high voltage Pikachu." Amanda warned him. "I'd be careful if I were you." The boy was too excited to heed the warning, however.

"Come on, Pikachu, lay it on me! Give me a taste of what a Thunderbolt looks like!" he cried. Pikachu hesitated a bit before getting ready to start the attack.

"Wait, Pikachu, he doesn't know what he's saying!" Amanda cried, but it was too late. Pikachu unleashed his powerful Thunderbolt attack, not only zapping the boy, but Amanda as well.

"Oh boy." Said Laura, and she gave a facepalm.

"I tried to tell you." Said Amanda.

"Thanks for the warning." Said the boy. Once they had shaken off the effects of the attack, the boy properly introduced himself.

"My name's Adam." He said. "I'm a big baseball fan.

"No way! I'm a baseball fan too!" Laura cried.

"Which team do you root for?" Asked Adam.

"The Starmie." Laura answered.

"I think I've seen a few of their games." Said Adam. "But are they good enough to beat the Charizard team?"

"You mean the same Charizard team that's won the World Series five years straight?" asked Laura.

"They're the ones." Said Adam. "I take good pride in my team."

"So do I." said Laura. "The Starmie may not have won a series yet, but I have full confidence that it'll happen someday."

"Give me a break." Said Adam. "The Charizard will just crush the Starmie again like they have each of the last few years. Compared to the Charizard team, you guys are only second rate." This got Laura steamed.

"You have no right to make fun of my team that way!" Laura exclaimed. "You had better apologize to me right now!"

"No way!" Adam exclaimed. "Besides, I know exactly what's going to happen this year with the Starmie. They'll make the playoffs like they always do only to get clobbered again. You better go home and give up on your dreams of the Starmie winning a title because as long as the Charizard are number one, you may as well go back to the minors." Laura was even madder now, so Amanda decided to intervene before things got worse.

"Listen here, you!" she yelled. "You have some nerve insulting my new friend and her team and I won't stand for that!"

"I don't care what you have to say, and besides, the last I checked, boys have a higher interest in baseball than girls." Adam countered. "I bet your Pokemon skills are second rate too, just like your friend's baseball team."

"For your information, I finished in the top sixteen in the Indigo League!" Amanda responded. The two of them continued to bicker, with Michelle looking on anxiously.

"This could go on a while." She said to Eevee.

"Eevee." Squealed Eevee, which meant 'They really are being stubborn and hot headed, aren't they?' Michelle nodded. Adam ended the argument by bringing out a Poke Ball.

"There's only one way to settle this little dispute between us." He said. "You and I are battling, right here, right now!" Michelle and Laura gasped.

"I don't think I expected that to happen." Said Laura.

"But Adam, you don't stand a chance against me. I'm an experienced trainer!" Amanda cried.

"I don't care." Said Adam. "The way I see it, you're just a little shrimp who knows very little about baseball and probably even less about Pokemon." Amanda was even more steamed up.

"All right, you're on!" she cried. "How many Pokemon do you want to use?"

"Two each should do." Said Adam. "What do you think?"

"Fine by me." Said Amanda.

"Amanda, do me a favor and pulverize this guy." Said Laura.

"I'll definitely do my best." Said Amanda. Michelle started to step forward.

"What are you doing?" Laura asked.

"They're going to need an umpire." Said Michelle. "Watch Eevee for me, will you?"

"Sure thing." Said Laura. Michelle stood in the center of the field where Adam and Amanda were standing.

"This is a two on two Pokemon battle between Amanda and Adam." She said. "The first trainer to win two times wins the match. No substitutions allowed until a Pokemon has fainted. Let the battle begin!"

"All right, Pikachu, this is our first battle here in the Johto region." Said Amanda. "Are you ready for this?" Pikachu nodded his head excitedly.

"In that case, I choose you!" Amanda cried and Pikachu sprung into action.

"Pidgey, get off the bench and onto the diamond!" Adam cried. He tossed a Poke Ball and his Pidgey popped out in a blaze of light.

"Ah, a Pidgey. That takes me back to when I was just starting out as a rookie myself." Said Amanda. She would've continued on further, but Laura stopped her.

"This is no time for a nostalgia trip, Amanda." Said Laura. "Concentrate on the battle."

"Oh, right." Said Amanda. "Pikachu, use your Thunderbolt!" Pikachu unleashed his powerful electric bolt right at the small flying type bird.

"Pidgey, fly away." Adam ordered. Pidgey quickly flew out of the range of Pikachu's attack and dodged it.

"All right, now throw a dirt pitch at her. Sand Attack." Adam instructed. Pidgey whipped up some sand and threw it towards Pikachu.

"Quick, Pikachu, block the sand with your tail! Pidgey won't be able to blind you that way!" Amanda cried. Pikachu nodded and stuck his tail out to deflect the sand and send it in another direction.

"Great job. Now, use your Quick Attack!" Amanda ordered.

"Pidgey, use your own Quick Attack too!" Adam cried. Both Pokemon ran toward each other and collided, which caused the attack to be cancelled out.

"Pikachu, are you all right from that?" Amanda asked. Pikachu picked himself right back up and gave Amanda a thumbs up.

"Way to rebound, buddy." Said Amanda.

"Come on, Pidgey, don't let that Pikachu strike you out." Said Adam. "Gust attack!" Pidgey whipped up a gust of wind and sent it towards the electric type.

"Agility, now!" Amanda called. Pikachu used his speed to avoid the gusts and get up close to Pidgey. Then, he started preparing an attack that looked like it was about to shoot out from a cannon.

"What's Pikachu doing?" asked Laura.

"I think that might be a new move." Said Amanda. She quickly got her Pokedex out to verify.

"Zap Cannon. This strong electrical attack does major damage and can also leave its opponent paralyzed."

"That's certainly quite powerful." Said Amanda. "Okay, Pikachu, launch the Zap Cannon!" Pikachu fired off the attack so fast that Pidgey didn't get to react. The small flying type collapsed onto the ground in a heap and was in no shape to get up.

"Pidgey struck out!" Adam cried.

"Pidgey is unable to battle. Pikachu wins." Said Michelle.

"Great work, Pikachu." Said Amanda. "We just need one more win." Adam recalled his Pidgey and reached for another Poke Ball.

"It looks like I'll have to send in a pinch hitter if I want to win this game." He said, and he threw the ball. A small, blue bipedal semi-aquatic rodent Pokémon popped out in a flash of light. The Pokemon had a nearly spherical shape with a white belly and round ears with red insides.

"Aw, that one's so cute." Said Laura. "I wonder which Pokemon it is." Amanda was wondering the same thing herself, so she took out her Pokedex.

"Marill, the aqua mouse Pokemon. Marill's water-repellent fur allows it to swim in strong water currents. Its ears can detect sounds from far off distances."

"It's a water type." Said Amanda. "All right, Pikachu, you're staying out there." Pikachu happily smiled at the decision.

"Okay Marill, I need you to start a rally for me." Said Adam. "Water Gun!" Marill shot a stream of water from its mouth and fired it right at Pikachu.

"Dodge it!" Amanda cried. Pikachu rolled to one side to avoid being splashed by the water.

"Thunderbolt attack!" Amanda ordered. Pikachu unleashed a powerful electric bolt.

"Defense Curl." Adam ordered. Right as the attack was about to strike Marill, the water type curled up into a ball to protect itself before standing up again.

"Is Marill's skin made out of rubber or something?" Laura wondered.

"No, it's just a move that helps deflect electric attacks." Said Adam. "Rollout attack!" Marill curled into a ball once more and started rolling towards Pikachu.

"Pikachu, look out!" Amanda cried. Pikachu jumped to the left right in the nick of time to avoid being struck.

"Rollout only gets more powerful the more its used to the point where it can knock out its opponent in one hit." Said Laura. "Amanda had better be careful."

"Keep swinging, Marill." Said Adam. "Continue with Rollout."

"Pikachu, keep dodging!" Amanda ordered. Pikachu swiftly avoided each of Marill's Rollout moves that were coming toward it.

"Enough with the Rollout, Marill, it's not working." Said Adam. "Bubble Beam!" Marill shot a stream of bubbles out of its belly, and the attack finally hit Pikachu. It wasn't enough damage to knock it out, however.

"Zap cannon, now!" Amanda cried. Pikachu unleashed the powerful yellow cannon, striking Marill with a ton of damage, knocking the water type out.

"Marill, no!" Adam cried.

"This match is over!" Michelle declared. "Amanda and Pikachu win!"

"We did it, Pikachu! We won our first Johto region match!" Amanda cried. The two of them high fived excitedly, but Adam looked very despondent.

"I can't believe it was a complete shut out." He said dejectedly. "Marill, return." He sadly recalled his water type and then Laura approached him.

"That was a really good try, Adam." She said.

"Yeah, especially for someone who's just starting out. Amanda then walked over to him.

"That was a great match." She said. "And now that it's over, let's shake hands and be friends. What do you think?"

"I think I just want to be left alone right now." Said Adam, and he ran off in a different direction. Laura just shook her head.

"Looks like someone doesn't know how to handle losing very well." She said.

"And I thought I was a sore loser when I lost at the Indigo League." Said Amanda.

"That's because you were a sore loser." Said Michelle. Adam was crying as he ran through the woods.

"Dad, I'm sorry I failed you." He said. "Your boy's just not cut out to be a trainer." But then, a realization occurred to him which made him stop running. "Wait a second. Even the Charizard team finds themselves in tough situations sometimes and they never give up. They always find a way to bounce back." He wiped the tears away from his face and got a more determined look on him. "Yes, I can be just like my favorite baseball team and find a way to recover and win!" He then heard some applause, followed by a voice.

"Spoken like a true Charizard fan!" the voice, which was female, cried out.

"Who said that?" wondered Adam. "Whoever you are, show yourselves this instant!" Conrad, Sally and Shadow suddenly appeared on the scene, but instead of Team Rocket uniforms, they were sporting baseball uniforms.

"We're also supporters of Team Charizard, and we couldn't help but observe every waking moment of that battle you had." Said Conrad.

"Gee, thanks." Said Adam. "I'm glad to have some fans who like the same team that I do."

"And kid, just between you and me, there's a little unknown rule of Pokemon that the twerp who beat you wasn't following." Said Shadow.

"What unknown rule?" asked Adam. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Everyone should know that it's against the rules for a high level Pikachu to be used against new trainers." Said Sally.

"You mean to say that Amanda's a cheater?" asked Adam.

"Yes, and a big one at that." Said Shadow.

"Well then, what do you guys think I should do?" Adam asked.

"You battle her again, but more aggressively than the first time." Conrad answered. "That'll teach her that she can't get away with those cheating tricks of hers." Adam suddenly had a lot more confidence.

"That's a great tip." Said Adam. "Thanks a lot, guys." He ran back to find Amanda, while Shadow, Conrad and Sally snickered. Meanwhile, Amanda, Laura and Michelle were planning out what to do next when Adam returned to them.

"Back for another round?" Amanda asked.

"I want big time redemption on you, Amanda." Said Adam. "I don't want to say any names, but a certain someone told me that using a super strong Pikachu was forbidden against a newbie like me."

"You must be crazy." Said Michelle. "Amanda didn't cheat. She and Pikachu won that match fair and square."

"Yeah, that's right!" Laura cried.

"That's not what I heard." Said Adam, and he held out another Poke Ball. "You and I are going to rematch."

"Well if we're going to do that, we should probably find someplace that's a lot more open." Said Michelle. The four of them soon found themselves on a wide open baseball field.

"Well, Pikachu, do you think we can sweep a double header?" Amanda asked.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, which meant 'We sure can!'

"This time, it's a simple one on one battle." Said Adam. "Go, Hoppip!" His newly acquired Pokemon popped out in a blaze of light. Amanda grabbed a ball from her waist.

"I choose you, Cyndaquil!" she cried. Her fire type starter appeared instantly.

"Come on, Adam, you can do it!" Laura cried.

"I thought we were supposed to be on Amanda's side." Said Michelle.

"We are, but occasionally, I sometimes root for the underdog, and the underdog in this case is Adam." Laura pointed out.

"Cyndaquil, start with your Tackle attack!" Amanda ordered. Cyndaquil went in for a hard tackle, but Adam was ready.

"I'm not letting you beat me so easily this time." He said. "Hoppip, use your Sweet Scent." Hoppip sprayed a small aroma right onto Amanda and Cyndaquil, leaving them both mesmerized by the smell.

"While they're admiring the little scent, strike with a Tackle attack!" Adam commanded. Hoppip went in for the move and easily hit Cyndaquil. Shadow, Conrad and Sally were watching the action unfold from a small window inside the electronic scoreboard.

"This is off to an interesting start." Said Conrad.

"It'll be even better when we swipe their Pokemon." Said Shadow. He pressed a button on his remote control, which activated a group of robotic Charizard fans. All of them started rooting for Adam.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, guys." He said.

"Cyndaquil, use your Flamethrower!" Amanda ordered. Cyndaquil shot a powerful fire attack towards Hoppip.

"Use Protect!" Adam ordered. A silver shield covered Hoppip, which blocked out the fire move, leaving Amanda stunned.

"All right, Tackle attack one more time!" Adam ordered. Hoppip went in for the strike again, which once again hit the fire type, causing him to cry in pain.

"Cyndaquil!" Amanda cried. Right then and there, Conrad, Sally and Shadow turned on a giant batting machine.

"What in the world is that thing?" Amanda wondered.

"It's a machine that proves once and for all that you're a big cheater." Adam answered.

"Now just a second. I never cheated in our last match!" Amanda protested.

"I don't believe you for even a smidge of a second." Said Adam.

"After the Hoppip!" Sally ordered.

"You got it!" cried Shadow. He sent the machine after Hoppip, who quivered in fear.

"This could be bad." Said Laura. However, Pikachu jumped in front of Hoppip to protect it from being struck by the machine.

"I can't believe Pikachu would do that." Said Adam. The machine soon scooped up both Pokemon and sent them towards the Team Rocket trio.

"Okay, just what is going on here?" Laura demanded. Evil laughter from all three members gave her the answer she needed.

"Not you three again!" Michelle cried.

"You're the three baseball fans I met earlier in the forest!" Adam cried. "Why are you trying to steal our Pokemon?"

"They're not really baseball fans, Adam." Said Amanda. "Those three are really Team Rocket."

"That means I've been tricked this whole time." Said Adam. "I don't know what you're planning to do with those two Pokemon, but you had better return them right now!"

"The only place these two Pokemon are going are to the boss with us." Said Sally.

"But since you like baseball so much, see if you can hit these!" Shadow cried. He pressed another button, which sent a flurry of baseballs towards the two of them. One of the balls hit Adam on his ankle, which made him fall to the ground. Laura and Michelle ran over to him.

"Are you all right?" Michelle asked.

"Yeah, but I just feel like giving up." Said Adam as he picked himself back up.

"You can't do that. Otherwise, Team Rocket will beat us as well as take our Pokemon. We can't allow them to do that." Said Amanda. "A Pokemon match is a lot like baseball, where you have to give it your very best until it's all over." She picked up a bat that was nearby and gave it to Adam.

"Use this to hit all of those baseballs." She said. Adam nodded and sent all of the baseballs back at team Rocket, leaving them very angry.

"And to think that we were rooting for him earlier." Shadow grumbled.

"Okay, Totodile, you're up to bat!" Michelle cried as she sent the water type starter out.

"Pidgey, Marill, we need your help too!" Adam cried. He threw his other two Poke Balls and both his flying type and water type appeared instantly.

"Totodile, use your Water Gun to send the rest of the baseballs back at team Rocket." Said Michelle.

"Marill, you use your own Water Gun." Said Adam. "Pidgey, use your Wing Attack!" All three Pokemon obeyed and sent the remaining balls right back at the Team Rocket trio, causing them to get more angry. The onslaught resulted in a button being hit, allowing Hoppip and Pikachu to slide out of the machine. Both Pokemon happily reunited with their trainers.

"I'm glad you and Hoppip are okay, Pikachu." Said Amanda. "Now, are you ready to send Team Rocket to the showers?" Pikachu nodded and stared at them angrily.

"I'll help you out." Said Laura, and she threw a ball. "Chikorita, I choose you!" The grass type appeared in a blaze of light.

"Okay, Pikachu, use your Thunderbolt!" Amanda cried. "Cyndaquil, Flamethrower!"

"Totodile, Water Gun." Said Michelle.

"Chikorita, Razor Leaf!" Laura ordered. All four Pokemon launched their attacks simultaneously, causing the machine to explode and send the Team Rocket trio into the sky.

"Looks like this game's called on account of rain." Said Sally.

"And I never got to have any snacks." Said Conrad.

"Hey, you're not the only one who's hungry." Said Shadow.

"Team Rocket struck out again!" they all cried. DING!

"Great job, everybody!" Amanda cried.

"That was awesome, Chikorita." Said Laura.

"Cyndaquil, you were amazing." Said Amanda.

"Totodile, that was beautiful." Said Michelle.

"And Pikachu, you're definitely an MVP: Most Valuable Pokemon." Said Amanda. Pikachu smiled at the compliment. Later, after everybody had recalled their Pokemon to their balls, sands Pikachu and Eevee, Adam gave out a nervous sigh.

"I'm sorry about earlier, Amanda." Said Adam. "I never should've let Team Rocket trick me into thinking that you had cheated."

"Michelle and I have been tricked by them plenty of times, so you're certainly not alone." Said Amanda. "Maybe we'll get to battle at the Johto League."

"That would certainly be nice." Said Adam. Laura cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry I insulted your baseball team, Laura." Said Adam. "I shouldn't have said all of those things that I did."

"Just make sure you don't do that again." Said Laura. "Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise." Said Adam. He waved to the girls and headed off down the path.

"Adam really is a terrific trainer, isn't he?" asked Laura.

"He sure is." Said Amanda. Many roads lead through Johto, but sometimes the best roads are the ones taken by friends traveling together. Stay tuned as the journey continues.

TO BE CONTINUED

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode Fifty-Five​

Previously, our heroes ran into a hotshot trainer named Adam. Not only was he just starting out on his Pokemon journey like Laura, but he turned out to be a huge baseball fan just like Laura is. A heated argument, however, resulted in a battle between Amanda and Adam, which Amanda won heavily. Shortly afterwards, Adam encountered Team Rocket, who had convinced the youngster that Amanda had violated an unwritten Pokemon code of conduct. He went back to battle Amanda again, but Team Rocket interfered and tried to get away with Pikachu and Hoppip. As usual, however, they failed and Adam went off separately from his new friends on his own path.

As out three heroes continue on towards the first Johto gym in Violet City, Laura was engaged in a conversation with Amanda.

“How long have you had your Pikachu?” Laura asked.

“I first got him when I was four years old.” Amanda answered. “In fact, he’s the very first Pokemon that I ever owned.” Pikachu gave Laura a light smile, and she smiled back.

“You know, Amanda, I’ve read in books that most Pokemon usually stay in their Poke Balls whenever they’re not being used.” Said Laura. “How come Pikachu doesn’t do that?”

“Because he prefers to be out here with me.” Said Amanda. She turned to her partner and said, “Don’t you, buddy?”

“Pika!” Pikachu answered happily, which meant ‘I sure do!’

“My Eevee’s the same way.” Said Michelle. “Although, I did keep her in a Poke Ball at first, I decided that it would be better to let Eevee roam free, which is why I don’t keep her in her ball.”

“Do you think I should consider doing that with my Chikorita?” Laura asked.

“That’s up to you to make that kind of decision.” Said Amanda. “After all, it’s up to the trainer to decide what’s best for their Pokemon.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Said Laura. “Well, I certainly have something to think about.” As they continued to walk, they found a group of trees all clustered together along the path.

“That’s funny, I thought most trees had brightly colored leaves on them.” Said Michelle. “But I don’t see any leaves on these trees at all.”

“At least there’s no other damage.” Said Amanda. Suddenly, she spotted a horde of Pokemon that they hadn’t seen before clamped onto the trunk of one of the trees.

“I wonder what those are.” Said Laura. Michelle took out her Pokedex and aimed it at the new encounters.

“Heracross, the single horn Pokemon. Heracross can lift and throw objects one hundred times its own weight. It is very docile in nature, but doesn’t like being disturbed while sucking on tree sap.”

“So that’s why there’s a group of Heracross all grouped together.” Said Michelle. “It must be their snack time.”

“Even so, I can’t miss a chance to get a new Pokemon.” Said Amanda. “Come on, Pikachu. Time to battle.”

“Wait a second, Amanda.” Said Michelle. “If you try to catch one of them, the rest of the horde might get angry and chase us away.”

“Your friend here is correct.” Said a voice they didn’t recognize. The person stepped out from behind the tree where the Heracross had gathered. She was wearing a bright red uniform and dark black boots.

“While I can’t legally stop you from capturing these Pokemon, doing so will only do more harm to this forest than good.” She said.

“I’m sorry.” Said Amanda. “I thought we would be helping the Heracross if I caught one.”

“I can understand your thinking, but your mind is in the wrong place.” Said the person. “My name’s Ruth, and I’m the ranger for this forest.”

“I’m Amanda, and these are my friends Laura and Michelle.” Said Amanda.

“Pleased to meet you, Ruth.” Said Laura.

“What’s so special about these Heracross?” Michelle asked.

“These Pokemon are very important to the natural balance of the entire forest.” Ruth explained. “Not only that, but they also share a commensalistic relationship with the Butterfree that populate here.”

“Commensalistic?” Amanda repeated.

“Pika.” Said Pikachu, which meant ‘I’m confused too.’ Even little baby Elekid had never heard a big word like that before.

“What does that mean?” asked Laura.

“It’s when members of one Pokemon species benefit while members of the other species don’t benefit but also don’t get hurt either.” Ruth answered.

“Do the Butterfree also feed on the tree sap?” Michelle asked.

“Of course they do.” Said Ruth. “The Heracross always enjoy sharing their snack, but unlike Heracross, the Butterfree aren’t able to break into the tree trunk. Since the Heracross are more powerful, they dig into the trunk of the tree first so that they can start the sap flow and have their share and then the Butterfree come and feed on the sap.”

“That’s nice that Heracross and Butterfree share with each other.” Said Laura.

“Wouldn’t that hurt the forest, though?” asked Amanda.

“I don’t think the Heracross and Butterfree have to worry about that.” Said Ruth. “Although, we did have some invaders recently that threatened to disrupt the balance of nature here in the forest.”

“Those invaders didn’t happen to be wearing any black clothes with a big R on them, did they?” asked Michelle.

“Believe it or not, Team Rocket had nothing to do with this.” Said Ruth. “It was a different group of invaders.” Pikachu’s ears perked up and detected a sound from far away.

“Looks like Pikachu is sensing something.” Said Amanda. Just then, a herd of bipedal, coleopteran insectoid Pokémon with wide dull-brown bodies divided into segments by lines started stampeding towards the tree.

“I think we’ve got some unwanted company!” Michelle cried.

“What kind of Pokemon are those?” Laura asked. Amanda checked her Pokedex to get an answer to Laura’s question.

“Pinsir, the Stag Beetle Pokemon. Pinsir can use its pincers to crush, toss, bludgeon, or tear opponents.”

“Are those the invaders you were talking about?” Michelle asked.

“Those are the ones.” Said Ruth. “Just like the Heracross, Pinsir also like tree sap. Unlike Heracross and Butterfree, however, the Pinsir just try to steal all of it for themselves.”

“Don’t those Pinsir know about saying please?” Laura wondered.

“I guess they don’t.” said Michelle.

“Well we can’t let those Pinsir get away with what they’re doing.” Said Amanda. “Fearow, I choose you!” She reached for Fearow’s Poke Ball, but didn’t find it there.

“Huh? Where’s Fearow?” Amanda asked.

“Amanda, don’t you remember? You left Fearow at Professor Oak’s lab.” Michelle pointed out.

“Oh yeah, I forgot.” Said Amanda sheepishly. Pikachu just face palmed. Amanda reached for Cyndaquil’s Poke Ball but Ruth held up her hand.

“The Pinsir are on a rampage. Battling them won’t do any good.” She said.

“Maybe reasoning with them will work.” Said Laura. The Pinsir jumped onto the tree so fiercely that all the Butterfree got frightened.

“It’s going to take quite a bit of reasoning.” Said Amanda.

“Hey Pinsir, leave the Heracross and Butterfree alone! They didn’t do anything to you!” Michelle cried.

“Michelle’s right!” Amanda added. “You wouldn’t like it if your home was destroyed, would you?” The Pinsir stopped to think about the question.

“Okay Heracross, now’s your chance to show those Pinsir who’s boss.” Said Michelle. “Whatever you do, don’t let them take over your territory.” The Heracross were all encouraged by Michelle’s words and flew up to start attacking them.

“That’s it, Heracross!” Laura shouted.

“Go get ‘em, Heracross!” Amanda cheered. Even Pikachu, Elekid and Eevee gave their support to the Heracross. Just when things seemed to be going well, though, the Pinsir retaliated by attacking with their giant pincers, which caused all the Heracross to fly away.

“Well, that didn’t last long.” Said Laura.

“What happened?” Amanda wondered.

“The Heracross are too peaceful to attack all of the Pinsir.” Said Ruth.

“But if the Heracross just sit there and not offer any sort of response, the whole forest will be destroyed.” Laura pointed out.

“Right, and that’s what worries me.” Said Ruth. Amanda looked up in the tree and saw one of the Butterfree still trapped in the branches.

“Oh no, that poor Butterfree!” she cried. A single Heracross that had watched the earlier attack jumped in front of the Pinsir that was guarding the trapped Butterfree.

“That’s very brave of Heracross to defend Butterfree like that.” Said Michelle. However, Heracross was immediately attacked by the giant spiked pincers that belonged to Pinsir.

“That’s so unnecessary for Heracross to be ganged up on!” cried Laura. “All right, enough is enough!” She grabbed Chikorita’s Poke Ball and threw it.

“Chikorita, help them out!” Laura cried. The grass type emerged from her ball in a blaze of white light.

“Chikorita, use your Vine Whip attack!” Laura ordered. Chikorita shot its vines out to send all of the Pinsir away, and the Butterfree was able to escape.

“Great work, Chikorita.” Said Laura. “Maybe now those Pinsir will think twice before trying to attack again.” Heracross tried to follow the Butterfree, but it was way too weak.

“Poor Heracross. It’s super exhausted from dealing with Pinsir.” Said Michelle.

“I hope they’ve learned their lesson.” Said Amanda. Suddenly, all of the Pinsir returned and began to ascend up the tree trunk.

“I guess they haven’t.” Said Laura.

“All right, Pikachu, your turn to deal with them.” Said Amanda. “Thunderbolt attack, now!” Pikachu unleashed a strong yellow bolt at the Pinsir, which did strong damage but not enough to deter the Pinsir. As their attack continued, Heracross looked on carefully as Amanda defended the bug type’s home.

“Thunder attack!” Amanda ordered. Pikachu fired a strong lightning zap at the Pinsir to defeat them and scare them away.

“Nice work, buddy.” Said Amanda.

“And don’t you ever come back!” Michelle cried, but the Pinsir were well out of earshot.

“Okay Heracross, you can come down from there now.” Said Amanda. Heracross happily flew down from the tree and walked over towards both Pikachu and Chikorita.

“I think Heracross wants to thank both of them for helping him out.” Said Amanda.

“Think again.” Said Michelle. Amanda looked over and saw Heracross sucking all the pollen off of Chikorita’s body.

“Hey, cut that out, Heracross!” Amanda cried. Chikorita didn’t like being used as a treat and used her Vine Whip to knock Heracross off her body. The bug type was sent onto the ground and it started crying in pain.

“Heracross just learned a hard lesson. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Said Laura.

“We learned something too.” Said Michelle. “All Heracross wanted was some more tree sap.”

“I don’t think it matters that Heracross wanted some free food.” Said Amanda. “It did scare off all the Pinsir, and now everything should be fine.”

“We’re okay for now, but it won’t be long until the Pinsir return.” Said Ruth.

“Why are the Pinsir even here to begin with?” Michelle wondered.

“The Pinsir and Heracross live here together because they each have their own forest.” Said Ruth. “Just recently, though, something’s been provoking the Pinsir to invade Heracross’ territory. I don’t know why they keep coming here, but I’m going to do everything in my power to find out.”

“It’s a bad situation, isn’t it?” asked Laura.

“I’m afraid so.” Said Ruth.

“Well, I think we should get going.” Said Michelle.

“Not so fast, Michelle.” Said Amanda. “We have to help or else this whole forest will be destroyed.”

“Oh yeah, right.” Said Michelle.

“If you’ll let us, we’ll help you save this forest no matter what it takes.” Said Amanda.

“Great. Off to the Pinsir forest we go.” Said Ruth. As they walked along through the path of that section, they noticed that the underbrush was very thick.

“Chikorita, use your Razor Leaf to clear the path!” Laura ordered. Chikorita nodded and shot out her leaves to get rid of the blockage. Laura gave her a friendly pat on the head.

“See, Ruth, we’re helping already.” Said Amanda. She then noticed that Heracross was following behind the group.

“Don’t look now, but we have some company.” Said Michelle.

“Maybe Heracross wants us to be its protectors.” Said Laura.

“Or maybe it wants Chikorita to be a nectar protector.” Said Amanda. Chikorita perked up and fired another Razor Leaf at Heracross, which the bug type dodged by ducking his head. When he got back up, the gang had gotten a bit further ahead.

“The path should be all clear now.” Said Ruth. “We’re through the thickest part of these woods.”

“That’s good news.” Said Laura, and she held out a Poke Ball. “Chikorita, return!” The grass type got sucked back into the ball via red light.

“You did great.” Said Laura. “You can take a good rest now.” Soon, the group came across a gorge that was pretty deep. The three trainers gasped as they looked down below.

“That’s quite a drop.” Said Ruth. “The Pinsir forest is on the other side of this river.”

“Do we have to climb all the way down there just to cross and then come all the way back up?” Amanda asked.

“Oh no.” said Ruth. “That would take far too long. The fastest way across is the rope bridge nearby.” When they got to the bridge, however, they found that it was completely torn apart.

“You can’t be serious.” Said Ruth. “This bridge was fine when I was here last week.”

“Maybe all the ropes holding the bridge together wore out.” Said Laura. Michelle looked downward at the cluster of trees and saw the Pinsir herd.

“Look down there!” she cried. “The Pinsir have their own way of getting across.” The Pinsir hopped gracefully from branch to branch.

“I bet those Pinsir tore up the bridge to prove how tough and nasty they are.” Said Amanda.

“I don’t know, Amanda.” Said Laura. “I highly doubt the Pinsir would take the time to do something like that.”

“It wasn’t the Pinsir.” Said Ruth.

“How do you know that?” Michelle asked.

“Pinsir don’t cut things like this.” Said Ruth. She held up a piece of what remained of the bridge to prove her point. “These ropes were torn up by human beings.”

“What kind of people would do something like that?” Laura wondered.

“Probably someone who doesn’t want anyone snooping around here.” Said Amanda.

“They won’t stop us, though.” Said Michelle.

“We’re going to that Pinsir forest no matter what!” Amanda cried.

“But Amanda, how are we going to get there?” Michelle asked. “That river is way too far down.”

“There has to be a way across.” Said Amanda. The three of them heard something behind them.

“What was that?” Laura asked. They turned around and found Heracross pushing on a tree.

“Excuse me, but we’re trying to save the forest here!” Michelle cried. “This is no time for a snack!”

“Calm down there, Michelle.” Said Laura. “Heracross seems to have a plan, otherwise it wouldn’t be pushing against that tree.” Heracross continued to push its hardest, until the tree finally started to fall over, causing the gang to run out of the way in order to avoid being crushed.

“See?” said Amanda. “Heracross built a bridge for us so that way we can walk across.”

“Pika.” Said Pikachu, which meant ‘That’s really clever.’ They walked carefully across so that they wouldn’t fall. Michelle stayed clear back, however.

“There’s no way I’m walking across that!” she cried. Even Eevee was a bit afraid to cross the bridge.

“Come on, Michelle, it’s easy!” Amanda cried.

“Not when there’s a steep drop below if you’re not careful!” Michelle countered. Elekid then fell out of Amanda’s arms and started playing around on the tree bridge.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Said Amanda. Elekid didn’t care, though, and kept jumping around until he started to fall. Amanda had to quickly grab him before he could drop any further.

“Don’t you ever do that again.” She said.

“See? That’s exactly what I mean.” Said Michelle.

“But if you don’t cross, then we’re not going to be able to get to the Pinsir forest.” Said Laura. Michelle sighed, but reluctantly started to walk across. She took deep breaths to try and keep herself relaxed, and before she knew it, she had made it safely to the other side.

“See, Michelle? That wasn’t so bad.” Said Laura.

“Are you coming with us, Heracross?” Amanda asked. Heracross was munching on some sap, but when he looked up, he gave a smile.

“Some things just never change.” Said Michelle. The group walked further along, with Heracross trailing behind them.

“Heracross keeps following us.” Said Amanda.

“Maybe it think the three of us are sappy enough for it.” Said Michelle.

“Stay on alert.” Said Ruth. “We’re almost at the Pinsir’s forest now, and if I know anything about Pinsir, they won’t exactly be playing nice.” They continued walking along the path until they had entered the Pinsir territory.

“Here we are.” Said Ruth. “That tree ahead is the tallest one. That’s where all the Pinsir live.” Amanda and Pikachu were in awe as they had never seen a tree so big before. Even little Eevee was impressed.

“Eevee?” she squealed, which meant ‘Why is that tree so big?’

“I think it’s just how it grew.” Said Michelle.

“Hey guys, look up there!” Amanda cried and pointed to the top. “There’s a giant Pinsir.”

“I didn’t think Pinsir were that big.” Said Laura.

“They’re not.” Said Ruth. “That’s also not a Pinsir. It’s a mechanical robot that only looks like it’s a Pinsir.”

“It’s so huge.” Said Michelle.

“It’s practically a monster.” Said Amanda.

“Eevee.” Eevee squealed nervously, which meant ‘I don’t like monsters.’

“Who in the world would build something like that?” Laura wondered. Her question was answered by the sound of a familiar laugh.

“Hello kids, glad you could drop by while we’re in the woods.” Said Sally.

“Team Rocket!” Michelle cried.

“So, you’re the ones responsible for that mechanical Pinsir.” Said Ruth.

“That’s right.” Said Shadow. “We saw an ad for this in the back of a popular Pokemon magazine and it looked too good to pass up.”

“So we had to spend all of Sally’s projected salary for the next year to purchase it.” Said Conrad. Sally glared at him angrily.

“All three of us were hungry two days ago when we thought of this.” Said Shadow.

Flashback to two days prior​

Conrad, Sally and Shadow all groaned as they trudged their way through the forest.

“I thought this hike through the woods would be a cinch.” Said Conrad.

“This is a fine kettle of tea for Team Rocket, isn’t it?” Shadow asked.

“We’re in a pickle.” Said Conrad.

“We have to stop.” Said Sally. All three of them collapsed onto the ground.

“I’m too starved to eat.” Said Shadow. Then, a sweet aroma emerged from under his nose. “Hey, that smell could be our breakfast.”

“French toast?” Sally cried.

“Belgian waffles, perhaps?” Conrad wondered.

“Follow me!” Shadow cried. The three of them ran off towards an open clearing.

“Look, the smell’s coming from over there.” Said Shadow. The three of them saw drips of sap scattered all over the tree, with the Pinsir guarding it very closely.

“That gloomy goop looks terrible.” Said Sally. “Are you going to have some, Conrad?”

“I’m not going to have any of that stuff.” Said Conrad. “Let Shadow try it.” Shadow walked up to the tree and took a lick of the sap.

“I like this!” he cried. Sally and Conrad went over to the tree.

“If I wasn’t so hungry, I wouldn’t even consider having any of this.” She said. She grabbed some sap with her finger and gave it a taste. “Not bad.”

“It’s sweet, and it’s tasty too.” Said Conrad. “It tastes exactly like how honey tastes. Nutritious and delicious at the same time.”

“This is a lot better than maple syrup.” Said Shadow.

“You’ve given me a brilliant idea.” Said Sally. “I open up a pancake restaurant, but instead of syrup, we slap on some sap. I’ll also add in some of my own ingredients. I’ll call it the International House Of Sally.”

“One slight issue with that.” Said Shadow. “That name is already trademarked by IHOP, which means you would get sued for trademark infringement.”

“And besides, that would probably be a disaster.” Said Conrad.

End of Flashback​

“Yummy.” Said Amanda.

“We decided against the pancake house idea, so we came up with a better one and built our own mechanical Pinsir to suck up all the sap in the forest.” Said Shadow.

“We’ll use it to make our own sweet snack called Rocket Sauce.” Said Sally.

“Then we put it in bottles and sell it in all night convenience stores.” Said Shadow.

“And then we’ll be drowning in money!” Conrad cried.

“Now I see what happened.” Said Laura. “The Pinsir invaded the Heracross territory to find food because Team Rocket was sucking all of their own food away.”

“If they steal all the sap, the whole forest could be destroyed!” Michelle cried.

“This is what happens when people use nature for their own needs without thinking about the potential consequences!” Ruth exclaimed.

“The Pinsir and Heracross were getting along just fine until you three came along and ruined all of that!” Amanda cried. “You bring in your sucking machine just to make a few quick bucks not realizing that you’re destroying the entire balance of the forest’s nature!”

“Who cares about that?!” Sally countered. “The only thing that we care about is the balance in our bank account.”

“Which, I might add, is a little on the low side.” Said Conrad.

“This situation’s about to be a very sticky one.” Said Shadow.

“Arbok, go!” cried Sally.

“Golbat, I choose you!” cried Conrad. Both Team Rocket grunts sent out their Pokemon, but before they could issue an attack, they noticed something was a little off.

“I wonder why they’re not attacking.” Said Sally. She then saw that both of their Pokemon were licking on the sap that was on the tree.

“Hey, you’re eating up all our profits, you sap suckers!” Conrad cried.

“What are you doing?” Sally cried. “You’re supposed to attack the twerps, not suck on a snack!”

“Since the Pokemon are out to lunch, I’ll have to call on super Pinsir.” Said Shadow. He grabbed a remote control and made the mechanical Pinsir face Amanda and her friends.

“This beauty was made for collecting sap, but it’s a neat crusher in a pinch.” Said Shadow. He used the remote to force the robot Pinsir to attack. Laura quickly grabbed a Poke Ball off her waist.

“Chikorita, I choose you!” she cried. The grass starter appeared and stared at the robot Pinsir.

“Razor Leaf attack!” she cried. Chikorita shot out her leaves, but the robot used its steel pincers to negate the effect of the attack.

“Chikorita thought it could stop this thing by putting her petal to the metal.” Said Shadow.

“Good one.” Said Sally.

“Chikorita, use your Vine Whip!” Laura ordered. Chikorita shot her vines out to wrap up the robot and send it spinning.

“Your turn, Pikachu.” Said Amanda. “Thunderbolt attack!” Pikachu unleashed its yellow bolt, but the mecca absorbed all the electricity.

“Just fill ‘er up, Pikachu.” Said Shadow. “This thing absorbs all electric attacks and when it gets enough stuff, it can shock right back.” Soon, the mecca’s tank was completely full.

“Now, let the bug juice flow.” Shadow commanded. The robot unleashed a full power electric attack, shocking Ruth, Amanda, Pikachu, Laura, Michelle and Eevee.

“That cut those saplings down to size.” Said Sally.

“Zap ‘em again, even harder this time.” Said Conrad.

“Now those twerps will know how it feels to have a real power failure.” Said Shadow. The robot started marching towards Amanda and the gang.

“It’s coming this way!” cried Michelle. They all cried out, until they suddenly saw Heracross pushing back against the robot.

“There’s Heracross!” cried Amanda.

“Pika!” cried Pikachu. Heracross continued pushing back against the giant Pinsir.

“That robot should be able to stomp all over Heracross and squish it like a bug.” Said Shadow. The mecca pushed Heracross for distance, but the bug type responded by gathering up strength and pushing it back the other way.

“You can do it, Heracross!” cried Amanda.

“Keep pushing!” cried Laura.

“You’re our hero, Heracross!” cried Michelle.

“Pika!” cried Pikachu

“Eevee!” cried Eevee, which both meant ‘Go Heracross, go!’

“If we hurry, we can take that robot Pinsir’s sap away!” cried Amanda. They ran over to the robot and started grabbing it.

“We have to stop them, Shadow!” cried Sally.

“Do something before they get away with our hard earned sap!” cried Conrad.

“I’m trying!” cried Shadow. “The stick is stuck!” Sally grabbed the remote away.

“Let me handle this.” She said. Conrad grabbed hold of the spare stick.

“I want to try this, Sally!” he cried.

“Hey, get your hands off of that and give it back!” cried Shadow. The three of them kept grabbing at the remote, resulting in the sticks popping right off.

“Ah!” Shadow cried. “You broke my toy!” Meanwhile, Amanda, Michelle and Laura had removed the sap tanks from the back of the robot.

“Okay Heracross, we got rid of the robot’s tanks and we’re ready to go!” Amanda cried. Heracross smiled. He then lifted the robot off the ground and hurled it into the air. It came back down onto the three Team Rocket members, sending them flying into the air.

“We’re blasting off again!” they cried. DING!

“And Heracross is the winner!” Amanda cried.

“You’re awesome, Heracross!” cried Michelle. The Pinsir then popped out from behind the bushes.

“Now that team Rocket’s gone, the Pinsir are all coming back.” Said Laura.

“You know what they say. There’s no place like home.” Said Michelle.

“That’s right, Michelle.” Said Ruth. “These Pinsir won’t have to leave their habitat now and the Pokemon can live in harmony.” The Heracross, Pinsir and Butterfree all happily munched on the tree sap together.

“Now the Butterfree and Heracross can live in peace again, just as it should be.” Said Amanda.

“The trees are all safe and the balance of nature is restored.” Said Ruth. “Things are back to normal, just as they should be.” The Heracross that had battled Team Rocket walked up to Amanda and smiled at her.

“You did great, Heracross!” Amanda cried. “You stood right up to the Pinsir and everything worked out perfectly.”

“You were really brave, Heracross.” Said Michelle.

“Pikachu.” Said Pikachu, which meant ‘We’re all very proud of you, Heracross.’

“You and Pinsir are terrific Pokemon, and we’ll miss both of you a lot.” Said Amanda. They waved goodbye to Heracross and Ruth and went on their way.

“Thank you all so much, and good luck on your journey!” Ruth called out to them.

“Thanks, Ruth!” Amanda called back. The friends left the forest and continued on their way. They hadn’t been out of the forest too long, however, when Pikachu turned around and spotted something.

“What is it?” Amanda asked. Pikachu pointed and saw both Heracross and Pinsir coming toward them.

“What are both of them doing way out here?” Michelle asked.

“Pikachu.” Said Pikachu, which meant ‘Beats me.’

“Where are you going, Heracross? Aren’t you and Pinsir going to stay with your friends?” Laura asked. Both of the Pokemon shook their heads.

“I’m a bit confused.” Said Laura.

“I think both of those Pokemon want to come along with us.” Said Michelle.

“Is that what you want, Heracross?” asked Amanda. “You want to be with me?” Heracross nodded.

“I guess the same goes for you too, Pinsir?” Laura asked. Pinsir nodded his head also.

“All right then.” Said Amanda. She grabbed a Poke Ball and threw it at Heracross. The bug type Pokemon sucked himself inside before the ball flew back to Amanda. Laura did the same thing and aimed an empty ball at Pinsir. It sucked itself inside without a fight and the ball flew back to Laura.

“Looks like Heracross and Pinsir chose both of us.” Said Amanda.

“More importantly, that Pinsir is my very first capture.” Said Laura.

“Congratulations, Laura.” Said Michelle. “I think you’ll raise Pinsir to be a terrific Pokemon.”

“It definitely won’t be attacking any forests under my watch.” Laura chuckled. With two new additions to their circle of Pokemon friends, Amanda, Michelle and Laura continued onward down the path towards Violet City.

TO BE CONTINUED​