Pokémon Pokemon Do-Over

[MarkL1987]

Pokemon Do-Over

Episode 1: Pokemon, I Choose You!

(Author's note: So, an idea came to me while at work today. I thought to myself, why not reboot the first few seasons of the anime, but with Ash having another friend to travel with. This is the result of that idea)

Late at night one evening in Pallet Town, young Ash Ketchum and his good friend Lucy Peters were at Ash's house watching a battle unfold on the television in Ash's room. Both of them were due to start their Pokemon journeys the next day, and so they had agreed that they would spend the night together at Ash's house.

"This battle between Nidorino and Gengar is certainly very thrilling." Said Ash. As he said that, Gengar used a Hypnosis attack on the Nidorino.

"Oh, that's not good for Nidorino." Said Lucy. Nidorino was quickly recalled and his trainer pulled out another Poke Ball.

"What's he going to send out now?" Ash wondered. The Nidorino trainer sent out the giant rock snake Pokemon Onix.

"Woah, that thing is huge." Lucy remarked.

"I can't wait until we start our journey tomorrow." Said Ash.

"It does help that we both turned ten just a couple of days ago." Said Lucy. Ten year olds are allowed to get a beginner Pokemon from Professor Oak, the town's local Pokemon expert.

"I hereby declare that we will both be Pokemon masters!" cried Ash.

"Pokemon masters! That's what we'll be!" declared Lucy. They then heard a stern voice behind them.

"Ash, Lucy, get to bed!" That voice belonged to Delia Ketchum, Ash's mother. "It's eleven o'clock, and both of you should be in bed sleeping!"

"But tomorrow, we both start our Pokemon journey." Said Ash.

"How can one sleep when they're excited about starting their training?" Lucy added.

"Well if you can't sleep, you should both get ready for tomorrow." Said Delia. She changed the channel on the television set. "Here, watch this instead." Instead of the battle, Professor Oak was now on the screen.

"Good evening, Pallet. Tomorrow is a big day for the newest class of Pokemon students." He said. "I'd like to introduce you to Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle." He pointed to each of the three different starters. "Which one will you choose?"

"Make sure you go to bed when this is done." said Delia. "And both of you remember to change into your pajamas, okay?"

"Yes, Mom." Said Ash.

"You got it, Mrs. Ketchum." Said Lucy. Later that night, both Ash and Lucy were sound asleep and dreaming of picking each of the different starting Pokemon. The next morning, a Dodrio called to awaken the town. Ash and Lucy were still fast asleep, though. In Ash's dream, he was picking Charmander and throwing the fire type's ball to start a battle. In actuality, however, he ended up tossing his clock against the window, which caused the clock to break. The noise startled Lucy and woke her and Ash up at the same time. Ash quickly looked around and saw the shattered clock on the floor.

"Oh no! What time is it?" they cried. They both sprang out of bed and hurried out the door to make their way to Oak's lab.

"Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, any one of them will do. Just please, save one for me!" he cried.

"You know, maybe if we had just gone to bed when we should've last night, we wouldn't be in a rush right now." Said Lucy. Ash didn't care about that right now. All he cared about was whether they'd both still be able to get a Pokemon. Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered in front of the lab to see another trainer off on his own journey. The trainer had a car, as well as a bunch of cheerleaders with him. Ash and Lucy cut right through the cheerleaders without paying any attention to them.

"Hey!" one of them cried.

"Sorry, but we're in a hurry." Said Lucy. They both bumped hard into the trainer, and he didn't look particularly happy with either of them.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" he cried. "Well, you must be Ash and Lucy. Better late than never, I guess. At least you get the chance to meet me."

"Gary?" Ash wondered.

"That's Mister Gary to you. Show some respect." Said Gary. "Well, Ash and Lucy, you both snooze and lose, and both of you are behind right from the start! For I've got a Pokemon and you don't."

"You mean…..you already got your first Pokemon?" Ash asked.

"That's right, losers, and it's right inside this Poke Ball." Gary answered. He spun the ball around on his fingertip.

"Hey, who are you calling losers?" asked Lucy, but Gary ignored her.

"Let's go, Gary, yeah!" cried his cheerleaders.

"Thank you fans! Thank you for this great honor!" cried Gary as he addressed the crowd. "I promise you that I will become a Pokemon master and make the town of Pallet known all around the world!" He posed triumphantly as the spectators cheered again.

"Excuse me?" Lucy asked him.

"Yeah?" Gary replied.

"Well, Ash and I were just wondering if you could tell us what kind of Pokemon you got." Said Lucy.

"None of your beeswax!" yelled Gary. "If you two had shown up on time, then you'd have seen that I got the best Pokemon from Professor Oak. It helps to have a grandfather in the Pokemon business, doesn't it?" He and his cheerleaders got into the car.

"Thank you for coming out to see history in the making! Now I, Gary Oak, am off to learn the ways of the Pokemon trainer!" He and the cheerleaders took off, leaving an angry Ash and Lucy behind.

"Oh, that Gary makes my blood boil!" cried Ash.

"We'll show him a thing or two." Said Lucy.

"So, you two decided to show up after all." Said another voice.

"Oh, Professor Oak." Said Ash. "Where's our Pokemon?"

"Your Pokemon?" Oak repeated.

"Yes, we're ready." Said Lucy.

"You both look like you're ready for bed, not for Pokemon training." Said Oak. "I hope neither of you plan to train in your pajamas."

"Oh no, Professor." Said Lucy. "Ash and I got a bit mixed up this morning, and that's why we were late, but believe me, we're ready for a Pokemon."

"Very well. Both of you come with me." Said Oak. He led the two friends inside his laboratory.

"Both of us have thought about this a lot, but I finally decided that I'm taking…Squirtle!" Ash declared. When he opened the ball, however, it was empty.

"Already taken by somebody who was on time." Said Oak.

"I bet that stuck up Gary took it." Lucy whispered.

"You don't know that." Said Ash. "But that's no problem, because instead I'll choose…. Bulbasaur!" Upon opening Bulbasaur's ball, however, he also found it empty.

"That was also taken by a kid who wasn't late." Said Oak.

"This doesn't look good for either of us, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Now I really wish we hadn't overslept." Said Ash. "No matter, because my Pokemon will be… Charmander!" However, Charmander's ball was also empty.

"The early bird gets the worm, or in this case, the Pokemon." Said Oak.

"Does that mean there are no Pokemon left for us, Professor?" asked Lucy.

"Now, don't panic quite yet." Said Oak. "I do still have two left, but…" Ash and Lucy's eyes lit up upon hearing that.

"Professor, we'll take them!" cried Ash. Two more Poke Ball emerged between the empty ones.

"I should warn you, there's a problem with one of them." Said Oak.

"We just have to have a Pokemon, professor." Said Lucy.

"Well then, here you are." Said Oak. He handed Ash a Poke Ball with a lightning bolt sticker, and Lucy a Poke Ball with a regular brown sticker. The Poke Balls both opened at the same time, and the one Ash was holding revealed an electric mouse, while the one Lucy had revealed a little brown fox.

"Pikachu." Said the mouse, which meant 'Hello.'

"Eevee!" squealed the little fox, which meant 'Pleased to meet you.'

"Those are Pikachu and Eevee." Said Oak.

"They're so cute, they're the best of all." Said Ash. Oak chuckled.

"You'll see." He said.

"Hi, Pikachu." Said Ash. When he tried to pick Pikachu up, however, he got zapped with an electric shock. Eevee, meanwhile, gave Lucy a playful lick.

"Pikachu is also known as Electric Mouse. It's usually shy, but can sometimes have an electrifying personality." Said Oak.

"I see what you mean." Said Ash.

"Shocking, isn't it?" said Oak.

"Eevee really seems to like me already." Said Lucy. Oak handed both of them some devices and five Poke Balls each.

"Now, take these. Those are your Pokedexes and Poke Balls." He said.

"Thanks, Professor." Said Lucy.

"You're welcome, Lucy." Said Oak. Ash, however, got shocked when he tried to pick up his things.

"I can already tell that you two need some work." Said Lucy. Outside, Ash's mom Delia and Lucy's father Zack were standing with a small group of people and making noises in celebration of their kids leaving for their journey.

"Mom!" cried Ash

"Daddy!" cried Lucy.

"Oh, Ash, I'm so proud of you." Said Delia.

"That goes for you too, Lucy." Said Zack.

"You two are finally fulfilling your dreams and heading off on your Pokemon journey. But, I'm going to miss you so much, Ash." Said Delia.

"I'm going to miss you too, pumpkin." Said Zack. He gave Lucy a huge goodbye hug.

"Dad, no! Not in front of all these people!" cried Lucy.

"Pikachu." Sighed Pikachu, which meant 'Dumb humans.'

"Eevee." Eevee squealed, which meant 'I know, right?' Delia and Zack handed their kids backpacks with essential supplies.

"We've packed fresh shoes, clothes, clean shirts and underwear, and your favorite snacks, and some hot chocolate in case you feel like drinking something hot, but be careful not to burn yourself." Said Delia. "There's also rubber gloves for doing your laundry, and a clothesline to hang it out to dry…"

"Mom, you're embarrassing us in front of all these people!" cried Ash. "We're big kids now, and Pokemon trainers can take care of themselves."

"I understand." Said Delia. She then noticed Pikachu and Eevee beside each other.

"Those two are your Pokemon?" asked Zack.

"Eevee's mine, and Pikachu belongs to Ash." Lucy clarified.

"Pi." Pikachu said, which meant 'I dislike Ash already.'

"Eevee!" Eevee barked at him, which meant 'Give the kid a chance, will ya?'

"With Pikachu at my side, I'll get all the Pokemon in the world!" Ash declared with confidence.

"Are you sure about that?" Lucy asked. Ash glared at her.

"I thought all Pokemon stayed inside their Poke Balls. How come these two don't?" Delia wondered.

"Oh yeah." Said Ash. He and Lucy grabbed the Poke Balls for their starters.

"Pikachu, get in the ball now." Said Ash.

"Same for you, Eevee." Said Lucy. They tossed the Poke Balls down to their partners, but refused to go in.

"Okay, Eevee, so we've established that you don't want to go in your Poke Ball." Said Lucy. "No problem, you can stay on my shoulder." Eevee smiled at that, but Ash wasn't getting the hint and kept trying to get Pikachu to go inside his ball.

"Oh, you're playing catch. You're friends already." Said Delia.

"Pikachu and I are real pika pals, right?" Ash wondered.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, which meant 'Wrong!'

"Oak did say that Pikachu's a little shy around new people." Said Lucy. "It'll probably take some time for it to warm up to you, Ash."

"You make a good point, Lucy, but still, it's a little weird." Said Delia.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'If she wants weird, I'll show her weird.'

"Hit the dirt!" Lucy cried. She dove quickly to the ground as Pikachu zapped everybody.

"Those rubber gloves your mom packed for you will come in handy." Said Oak.

"Why?" asked Ash.

"Rubber blocks electricity." Oak answered.

"Great!" Ash cried. Everyone except Oak and Lucy were electrocuted from the attack.

"Don't forget to change your underwear…. every single day." Said Delia.

"Got it." Said Ash. Later, after Ash and Lucy had gotten out of their pajamas and dressed into their regular clothes, they were both walking along Route One together. Eevee and Lucy were very much happy to be together, but Ash was dragging Pikachu down the path with a rope.

"Pikachu, are you going to be like this the whole way?" Ash asked.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Yes, sir.'

"It's because you don't like him, isn't it?" asked Lucy.

"Pika." Pikachu answered, which meant 'You got it.'

"Well I like you a lot." Said Ash. "And since you're the Pokemon I'm training, can't you just open your mouth and tell me what's wrong?" Pikachu opened his mouth very wide.

"That's not exactly what I meant." Said Ash. "Is your name all you can say?" Pikachu nodded his head.

"Then you're just like all Pokemon, and so you should act like one by getting inside your Poke Ball, just like it says in the Pokedex." Said Ash. He opened it up to demonstrate.

"While being trained, a Pokemon usually stays inside its Poke Ball." Said the Pokedex.

"There. You see?" said Ash.

"I think there's more than that." Said Lucy. Pikachu pressed a button and the Pokedex spoke again.

"However, there are many exceptions. Some Pokemon don't like being confined."

"Ok then." Said Ash. He untied the rope that was wrapped around Pikachu.

"That should make things better." He said. He took off the gloves too. "And I'll get rid of these." He put the gloves in his bag. "How's that?"

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'No way, Jose.'

"Still not good enough?" said Ash. Pikachu shook his head.

"I told you, it takes time for Pikachu to warm up to people when he meets them for the first time." Said Lucy.

"Well I hope he warms up to me soon." Said Ash. The two of them heard something in the bushes.

"What's that?" wondered Lucy. A bird Pokemon appeared in front of them.

"A Pidgey." Said Ash. He got his Pokedex out again.

"Pidgey is a flying 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."

"This is our lucky day!" cried Ash. "Pikachu, go get it!" Pikachu refused and ran up a tree.

"Aren't you ever going to listen to me?" Ash asked. Pikachu shook his head.

"Face it, Ash, that Pikachu of yours does NOT like you." Said Lucy.

"I can see that!" Ash replied. "You know what, Pikachu, I don't need your help. I'm going to get that Pidgey all by myself!" He took one of his spare Poke Balls out of his bag.

"I pledged to get all the Pokemon in the world. Now, I'm going to take the next step in becoming the best trainer ever." Said Ash. "Enjoy your last moments of freedom, Pidgey, because you're mine!"

"Ash, wait!" cried Lucy, but Ash was already starting to throw the ball.

"Poke Ball, go!" he cried. The ball sucked the little Pidgey inside.

"I did it!" he cried.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you." Said Lucy.

"What do you mean?" asked Ash.

"Look." Said Lucy. The ball started to shake, and Pidgey busted out easily.

"I blew it." Said Ash. Pikachu just laughed at him.

"Hey, Pikachu, that's not very nice to laugh at Ash like that!" Lucy yelled.

"To capture a Pokemon, you usually have your own Pokemon battle against the other." Said the Pokedex.

"Now he tells me." Said Ash.

"Correction, Ash. I was trying to tell you that first." Said Lucy. "You'll never catch anything otherwise."

"But I have to do everything myself because Pikachu won't listen to me." Ash countered. "Wait, I have an idea." He started sneaking up on the Pidgey with his pajama shirt in his hand.

"This isn't going to work." Said Lucy. Ash paid no attention to her for the moment.

"Hi, little friend." He said gently. He tried to capture Pidgey with the pajama top, but failed.

"Told you." Said Lucy. Pidgey then created a gust of wind to free itself.

"What happened?" Ash wondered.

"Pidgey's Gust power creates tornadoes. It also has a Sand Attack." Said the Pokedex.

"Sand?" Ash repeated. Pidgey used its Sand Attack to blind Ash so it could escape.

"I guess it's not my lucky day." Said Ash.

"If you think that's bad, look behind you." Said Lucy. Ash turned and saw a creature crawling into his bag.

"Get out of there!" Ash yelled.

"A Forest Pokémon, Rattata - it likes cheese, nuts, fruits, and berries." Said the Pokedex.

"Yeah, but this isn't a forest. It's an open field." Said Lucy.

"It also likes to steal food from stupid travelers." The Pokedex continued.

"Does that mean that we're both stupid?" wondered Ash.

"No, I think it's just you." Said Lucy. Pikachu was laughing at Ash being called stupid.

"You're in no position to say anything right now, mister!" Lucy yelled at Pikachu. A small group of Pidgey then popped up in the grass, and without thinking, Ash grabbed a rock and threw it at one of them.

"There! I got you this time!" he cried. Unfortunately, the Pokemon he hit wasn't a Pidgey.

"What is that?" asked Lucy. Ash got his Pokedex out again.

"Unlike Pidgey, Spearow has a terrible attitude. It is very wild and will sometimes attack other Pokemon and humans."

"This is what I was afraid of. Spearow are short tempered!" Lucy cried. The Spearow started attacking Ash, but soon changed target and attacked Pikachu instead.

"Hey, leave Ash's Pikachu alone! It didn't throw the rock!" cried Lucy.

"Wild Pokemon tend to be jealous of human trained Pokemon." Said the Pokedex. Spearow nearly knocked Pikachu out of the tree, but the electric mouse zapped it with a powerful Thunder Shock.

"You got it!" cried Ash. The Spearow recovered quickly, though, and called for its friends.

"Uh oh!" cried Ash.

"A Spearow cry can be heard from over a mile away, meaning that the friends it's calling for are going to come after us!" cried Lucy. Sure enough, a whole flock of Spearow started flying towards them.

"Uh, should we run?" asked Ash.

"No, we should gently soar into space." Said Lucy sarcastically. "Of course we should run! Go!" Soon, all of Ash, Lucy, Pikachu and Eevee were running as fast as they could to get away from the Spearow flock.

"Don't worry, Pikachu, no matter what, I'll save you." Said Ash. Pikachu ran a little ahead, however.

"Don't get ahead! I said I'd protect you!" Ash cried. The Spearows flew past Ash and Lucy and started attacking Pikachu and Eevee.

"Leave them alone, Spearows!" Ash yelled.

"They're certainly being relentless." Said Lucy. They scooped up their Pokemon and reached a waterfall.

"I guess there's only one thing for us to do." Said Ash. They jumped into the river and were swept downstream. On the way, they passed plenty of water type Pokemon. A little further along, a girl with red hair was fishing. She saw her rod shake and started reeling it in.

"Hey, I got a bite! This could be a big one!" she cried. The girl pulled up Ash and Lucy onto the shore.

"Nah, it's just two kids." She said. "Oh, and their Pokemon. Oh, are you okay?"

"Yeah, we're okay." Said Lucy. The girl smiled at Lucy before turning to Ash. "Look what you've done to that thing! Is it breathing?"

"I think so." Said Ash.

"Well don't just sit there, it needs a doctor right away!" the girl cried. "Your friend here should get her Eevee checked out too. There's a medical center not too far from here. You have to get moving now!"

"You mean a hospital?" asked Lucy.

"Yes, for Pokemon." The red haired girl replied.

"Okay. Can you tell us, which way do we go?" asked Ash.

"That way." The girl replied and pointed up the path.

"Thanks." Said Lucy. "By the way, miss, what's your name?"

"Misty." The girl answered. "What are your names?"

"We're Ash and Lucy." Said Ash. The Spearow flock started catching up to the two of them.

"They're coming back! Run!" cried Ash. He got onto Misty's bike and put Pikachu in the basket.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Misty cried.

"We're borrowing this." Said Lucy.

"But that's my bike!" cried Misty.

"We'll give it back to you at the Pokemon Center in Viridian City!" Ash cried. He started pedalling hard, with Lucy running beside him. Misty folded her arms angrily.

"Oh, you two!" she cried. A little further on, rain started to fall.

"Just hang on, Pikachu, we're almost there!" cried Ash.

"Eevee! Just hold on a little more." Said Lucy. The Spearows soon caught up to them, which made Ash go up a ramp and crash land, sending Pikachu flying out of the basket.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash. He crawled over to Pikachu as the rain kept falling.

"Pikachu…..this can't happen." Said Ash.

"Eevee?" Eevee squealed, which meant 'Will Pikachu be all right?'

"I hope so, Eevee." Said Lucy. Ash heard the Spearows and got Pikachu's Poke Ball out.

"Pikachu, please get inside your Poke Ball." Said Ash. "I know you're afraid of being in there, but if you're inside, maybe I can save you. Please, Pikachu, please trust me." Ash turned his attention to the Spearow flock, and Lucy watched with interest.

"Spearows, do you know who I am? I am Ash Ketchum from the town of Pallet!" Ash cried. "I'm destined to be the world's number one Pokémon Master. I can't be defeated by the likes of you. I'm going to capture and defeat you all! Do you hear me?"

"Pikachu, please get inside Ash's Poke Ball. It's the only way." Said Lucy.

"Come and get me!" Ash cried. The Spearows began charging at Ash, when suddenly, Pikachu jumped over Ash's shoulder and into the air and gave the Spearows a powerful Thunder Shock. Most of them fell to the ground in defeat, but one of them got sucked into a Poke Ball that belonged to Ash. It shook a couple of times and pinged, indicating a successful capture. The storm ended, and then Ash and Pikachu opened their eyes.

"Well, we beat them." Said Ash.

"That was the most powerful Thunder Shock I've ever seen!" cried Lucy. "You were amazing, Pikachu."

"I even caught one of the Spearow." Said Ash.

"Great job on your part, Ash." Said Lucy. She then saw that the bike had been charred to a crisp.

"Uh, I don't think Misty is going to like this." She said.

"We'll worry about that later." Said Ash. Just then, a majestic flying Pokemon soared past them towards the rainbow that was in the sky.

"What's that?" Ash wondered.

"There is no data. There are still Pokemon yet to be identified." Said the Pokedex.

"Okay Ash, we need to get Pikachu and Eevee to the Pokemon Center." Said Lucy. "And that Spearow you caught is also going to be joining us from the looks of it." Ash, Lucy, Pikachu and Lucy saw Viridian City ahead of them and started walking together. This is just the beginning of the adventures of Ash and Pikachu, as well as Lucy and Eevee. Their journey is destined to be packed with non-stop action, millions of laughs, heart pounding perils, and endless excitement. Together they'll encounter fantastic friends, evil enemies, and meet creatures beyond their wildest dreams. And as their story unfolds, we'll unlock the magic and mystery of a most wondrous place: the incredible world of Pokemon.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Party: Pikachu, Spearow

Lucy's Party: Eevee

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 2: Pokemon Emergency!

Last time, Ash and Lucy, our two heroes from Pallet Twon, chose Pikachu and Eevee as their starters. While Eevee was delighted to have Lucy as its new trainer, the same couldn't be said for Pikachu. They found themselves fighting a flock of Spearow, but Pikachu saved the day with a powerful Thunder Shock attack. However, the encounter left Pikachu severely weak and its fate in Ash's hands.

A police officer was stationed outside Viridian City and speaking into a microphone.

"Attention citizens of Viridian City! Attention citizens of Viridian City! We have reports of possible Pokemon thieves in our area! Be on the lookout for suspicious looking strangers! Repeat-be on the lookout for suspicious looking…" She stopped and noticed Ash and Lucy rushing to the Pokemon Center. "Huh? Speak of the devil?" She blinked her eyes suspiciously.

"Just hang on, Pikachu, we're almost there." Said Ash.

"The Pokemon Center shouldn't be too far from here." Said Lucy. The officer grabbed Ash and Lucy by their shirt collars to stop them.

"Hold it!" she cried. "And just where do you two think you're going with those Pokemon?"

"They're our Pokemon, and my Pikachu's hurt. I have to get it to the hospital right away!" Ash protested.

"We were attacked by a Spearow flock on the way here." Lucy explain. "We had to run for our lives. My Eevee got hurt a little bit too."

"I'm sorry. I thought you might be stealing them." Said the officer. "Just show me your IDs and you can go."

"ID?" Ash repeated. "You see, miss, the thing about that is…"

"You know, you're the fourth and fifth people that I've seen today from Pallet Town." Said the officer.

"Fourth?" Ash repeated.

"Fifth?" asked Lucy. "That means Gary Oak's already been here."

"It's very unusual for someone to be carrying a Pokemon in their arms and not in a Poke Ball." Said the officer. "How do I know you didn't steal those Pokemon, especially since you claim that you don't have any identification?"

"Please let us through." Said Ash. "We would never steal a Pokemon, and we have to get these two to the hospital. Please, miss." The officer then noticed a bright red device sticking out from Ash's jacket.

"Say, what's that in your pocket?" she asked.

"What? Oh, this." Said Ash.

"A Pokedex. This is perfect." Said the officer. "This will solve our little problem!" She grabbed the Pokedex and pressed some buttons.

"Now we'll see if you're the real deal." She said.

"I am Dexter. A Pokedex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokemon trainers Ash Ketchum and Lucy Peters of Pallet Town. My function is to provide Ash and Lucy with information and advice regarding Pokemon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."

"Oh, I didn't realize that our Pokedexes also served as our ID." Said Lucy.

"Can we please go to the Pokemon Center now?" asked Ash.

"I'll get you there in no time at all." Said the officer. She put Ash and Lucy into the side car of her motorcycle and got onto the seat.

"Sit back, hold on, and don't yell." Said the officer. She started the motorcycle and sped off down the road.

"WHOA!" Ash and Lucy cried. Unknown to them, however, Misty had caught up. She was holding the charred remains of her bike on her shoulder.

"Hey, what's the big idea? Come back here!" she cried, and started chasing after them. A fishing hook then grabbed hold of the wanted poster that was on the police station and pulled it up towards a Meowth shaped balloon.

"A wanted poster. How flattering." Said a female with magenta colored hair.

"Flattering? This picture makes me look terrible." Said a male with blue hair.

"Then you should be happy the photographer captured the real you." Said the female.

"Exactly." Said the male.

"We'll show these bumpkins." Said the female.

"The people of Viridian City will be sorry they ever saw this face." Said the male.

"We're all sorry to see your face." Said a cat Pokemon. "Stay focused. We're here to capture rare and unusual Pokemon. Don't forget. Meowth."

"Absolutely." Said the male.

"But of course." Said the male.

"And just remember, I'm the top cat." Said Meowth.

"You got it." Said the female. Back on the ground, Ash, Lucy and the officer were nearing the Pokemon Center.

"There it is." Said the officer. The center soon came into view.

"The Pokemon Center. It's gigantic." Said Ash.

"It's gargantuan." Said Lucy.

"This is tricky. Just hold on. Here we go!" yelled the officer. She hopped her bike onto the entryway.

"I'm not sure if this is really necessary." Said Lucy. The bike came to a screeching halt at the front desk.

"We have a driveway, you know!" the nurse yelled.

"It's a Pokemon emergency!" cried the officer.

"Please, help them." Said Ash.

"It looks like a Pikachu and an Eevee." Said the nurse. "We'll do what we can. I need a stretcher for two small Pokemon, stat!"

"Chansey!" cried the Pokemon helper, which meant 'Right away!'

"It'll be okay. Rush these Pokemon to the critical care unit." Said the nurse.

"Chansey!" cried Chansey, which meant 'Right away!'

"We'll begin the treatment right away." Said the nurse.

"Uh…..?" Ash stammered.

"Who are you two?" the nurse asked.

"Their names are Ash and Lucy. They come from Pallet Town. They're the trainers of those Pokemon." Said the officer.

"If there's anything Ash and I can do, just tell us." Said Lucy.

"For starters, you can be more responsible." Said the nurse. "If you both want to be Pokemon trainers, you don't ever let a Pokemon battle until it gets into that kind of condition."

"But you don't know what happened." Said Ash.

"Ash is right." Said Lucy. "We were practically chased here by a group of angry Spearow on the edge of Pallet Town."

"Thanks for telling me that, but what's past is past." Said the nurse, whose name was Joy. "Now we have to heal your Pikachu and Eevee."

"But what can we do?" asked Lucy.

"Just leave everything to me." Said Joy.

'Please, just let me see Pikachu." Said Ash.

"Joy has a point." Said Lucy. "It's best for us to let Pikachu and Eevee be taken care of while we recover from all the running we did to get away from that Spearow attack."

"It's in your hands. I know you'll give the Pokemon excellent care." Said the officer.

"You got them here just in time." Said Joy.

"That's my job!" cried the officer. "Oh my goodness! I left my motorcycle parked at the front desk!"

"Make sure you use the driveway next time." Said Joy. The officer giggled sheepishly before leaving.

"Ash, you and Lucy will have to go to the waiting room." Said Joy.

"Can't I just…..?" Ash started to ask, but Joy whisked them both to the lobby. Time passed, and both Pikachu and Eevee had yet to come out.

"It'll be fine, Ash." Said Lucy. "Pikachu and Eevee will both be okay. Nurse Joy is a specialist when it comes to treating Pokemon injuries. Thankfully Eevee didn't get hurt too bad, but I hope your Pikachu didn't get hurt that badly either." Ash looked over at the phones lined up against the wall.

"I think we should call home." Said Ash.

"Good call." Said Lucy. Ash and Lucy went over to the phones so they could call their parents. In Ash's case, his mom, and in Lucy's case, her dad. At Ash's house, Delia was just getting out of the shower when she heard the phone ring.

"Hello, this is the Ketchum residence." Said Delia.

"Hi, Mom." Said Ash.

"Hi, Ash. Is everything okay? Where are you?" asked Delia.

"I'm just fine, Mom." Ash answered. "Lucy and I are at the Pokemon Center in Viridian City."

"You're already in Viridian City?" Delia asked. "It took your father four days to get there when he was starting out as a trainer. He'll be so proud. You're the apple of his eye."

"A rotten apple is more like it." Said Ash.

"Oh Ash, don't get discouraged. You're doing just fine." Said Delia. "You're growing up right before my eyes. You're soaring high like a Spearow."

"A fallen Pidgey is more like it." Said Ash. While he continued talking wit Delia, Lucy was in the middle of talking to her dad.

"I guess you heard about the Spearow attack?" Lucy asked.

"I heard about it all right." Said Zack. "Thank goodness you and Ash are both okay. You both be careful out there." Back on Ash's phone…

"Are you changing your underwear every day like I told you?" asked Delia.

"Yes." Ash answered.

"Ok. Good night, son. I love you." Said Delia.

"Me too, Mom. Bye." Both trainers hung up at the same time.

"My dad's kind of like your mom." Said Lucy. "He's always supportive of me no matter what I do." They both had a good look at the stone Pokemon murals.

"Hey, look, Lucy. There's the flying Pokemon that we saw." Said Ash.

"I don't think any of those are what we saw yesterday." Said Lucy. "I recognize these from the books I have at home. Those Pokemon are the three legendary birds. Moltres, the bird of fire. Zapdos, the bird of lightning. And Articuno, the bird of ice."

"What's that last one on the bottom right?" asked Ash.

"That looks like an Arcanine." Said Lucy. The phone rang at Joy's desk. "Now who could be calling when Joy has patients to tend to?" Nonetheless, they both answered the phone.

"This is Ash and Lucy. Who's calling?" asked Ash.

"Here! I'm over here!" A stone picture moved to reveal Professor Oak talking through a video phone camera. "It's me, Professor Oak! Don't you recognize me?"

"No, professor, we didn't recognize the back of your head." Said Lucy.

"Oops, wrong camera." Said Oak. He quickly changed cameras so that they weren't looking at his head. "There, that's better. Now, I just spoke with both of your parents and they both tell me that you two have made it to the Pokemon center in Viridian City. Is that correct?"

"We wouldn't be talking to you if we weren't here." Said Ash.

"You wouldn't be talking if…. Oh, I get it. I dialed the Pokemon Center in Viridian City, and you were able to answer."

"Yes, because that's where we are." Said Lucy.

"I guess that proves that the other trainers made it there with no problem, and I'm pleasantly surprised you both got there so soon." Said Oak. "I must admit, I had my doubts about you being able to handle your Pikachu and Eevee, but when my grandson Gary said that you wouldn't have a single new Pokemon before you got there, I bet him a million dollars that he'd be wrong!"

"Well it looks like Gary's wrong because Ash did make a catch." Said Lucy.

"Is that so?" asked Oak.

"I caught a Spearow." Said Ash.

"Very impressive first catch, my boy." Said Oak.

"However, it's one of the Spearow from the flock that attacked us." Said Lucy.

"You were attacked?" said Oak. "Are you both all right?"

"We're just fine, Professor." Said Ash.

"What a relief." Said Oak.

"By the way, professor, Ash and I saw a flying Pokemon on the way here." Said Lucy. "It was all majestic and everything, and it was sailing over the rainbow."

"Don't be talking such nonsense." Said Oak. "You couldn't have possibly seen that Pokemon. Trainers have searched their whole lives and never seen it."

"It sure looked like it, though." Said Ash.

"You must be mistaken." Said Oka. The doorbell rang on Oak's end. "There's my pizza. Coming! It was very nice talking to you and Lucy. Good luck to both of you. Mmm, anchovy, spinach and pineapple pizza."

"Ew!" Ash and Lucy both cried. The call then went dead.

"Oak may not believe us, but I know we saw that Pokemon." Said Ash.

"I believe you." Said Lucy. Right at that moment, they heard a loud and angry voice.

"Now I've got you!" yelled Misty. She was carrying her burnt bike and huffing and puffing from all the running she had done.

"I knew I'd find you here!" she cried.

"Woah, Misty, what happened to your bike?" asked Lucy.

"What happened to my bike?!" squealed Misty. "You happened to my bike, you little losers! This is what's left of it after you stole it so you could save your Pokemon! Now I can see why your Pokemon is in the-whoaoaoaoah!" She fell to the floor due to the weight of the bike.

"Let us help you." Said Ash.

"I don't need your help!" Misty snapped. "And you two are going to pay for what you did to my bike."

"We'll make up for it." Said Ash. "We promise we will. But we can't do anything about your bike until….."

"I don't want any of your lame excuses, I just want a new bike right now!" cried Misty.

"Enough!" cried Lucy. "Arguing isn't going to solve this problem. Besides that, there's more important things to worry about right now. Like a Pikachu who's critically injured!"

"She's right. My Pikachu's not doing too good." Said Ash. Misty's tone changed dramatically.

"Is it very serious?" Misty asked.

"I think so, and there's nothing Lucy or I can do to help now." Said Ash.

"All we can do is wait." Said Lucy. The treatment light then went off and Pikachu and Eevee were rolled out on a stretcher.

"Pikachu! Are you and Eevee both all right?" Ash asked.

"Your Pokemon are both fine." Said Joy. "It's a good thing you got them here so fast. The procedure went well, and they should be fine."

"Thanks to the Pokemon Center." Said Misty.

"Yes, thank you very much." Said Ash.

"Eevee wasn't hurt too badly, Lucy, so she can go back to you right now." Said Joy. Eevee happily ran up to Lucy, and they hugged. "As for Pikachu, it needs a rest in the recovery room. You should go in with it, Ash."

"Thanks." Said Ash. "We're really sorry about your bike, Misty, but we need time to make things right."

"No way!" yelled Misty. "I fell for that last time. Well, you should take care of Pikachu now and we'll settle up later."

"All right." Said Ash. Officer Jenny's voice then came over the intercom.

"Your attention, please! Our Viridian City radar systems have detected an aircraft belonging to a gang of Pokémon thieves. If you have a Pokémon in your possession, exercise extreme caution."

"I guess we woke up this sleepy dump." The magenta haired female said.

"And how dare they treat us like criminals." Said the blue haired male.

"That's because we are criminals." Said the magenta haired female.

"They should welcome Team Rocket!" cried the blue haired male.

"We'll teach them to respect that name." said the female.

"Meowth, and when we snatch all their Pokemon, those scared little mice will know that I'm the top cat!" cried Meowth.

"We know, Meowth, we know." Said both team Rocket members. "Ekans, Koffing, attack!" They tossed down some Poke Balls through the Pokemon Center's sunroof, crashing it, and two poison type Pokemon materialized.

"What in the? Where did these two Pokemon come from?" wondered Lucy.

"Who are they? What are they?" asked Ash.

"Don't be frightened, little girl and boy." Said the female.

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

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

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

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Woah, that Meowth talks!" cried Lucy. "I've never seen anything like that before! Let's see what Dexter says." She quickly 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."

"What are you three talking about with all that blasting off stuff?" asked Ash.

"He just doesn't get it, does he?" said Jessie.

"How can I? You don't make any sense." Ash replied.

"We're here for the Pokemon." Said James.

"You're not getting Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"And you better keep your grubby mitts off my Eevee!" cried Lucy.

"Pikachu? Eevee? We're not interested in runts like those." Said Jessie.

"Eevee!" Eevee squealed, which meant 'I am not a runt!'

"We seek only rare and valuable Pokemon." Said James.

"You're both wasting your time. This is a center for Pokemon who are weak and injured." Said Joy.

"That may be so, but I wouldn't be surprised if we find some gems among all this junk." Said Jessie.

"You know, you're really starting to bug us." Said Lucy.

"Isn't that cute?" said Jessie.

"The lovebirds are bugged." Said James.

"Lovebirds?!" both Ash and Lucy exclaimed.

"But that would imply…." Stammered Ash.

"We are not boyfriend and girlfriend if that's what you're getting at!" cried Lucy. "We're just two friends traveling on a Pokemon journey together."

"Enough talk, let's just squash them." Said Meowth.

"Koffing, go!" cried James.

"Ekans, go!" cried Jessie. The two Pokemon unleashed their attacks.

"They're packing poison!" cried Lucy. "Run for it, Ash! And make sure you keep Pikachu away from them!" Koffing and Ekans lunged forward, with their attacks destroying the center's video phones and computer. Everyone went to hide in one of the rooms, and Misty noticed that the center had suddenly become dark.

"The lights!" she cried.

"They must've cut the power." Said Joy. "Fortunately, we have our own Pika power source." A bunch of Pikachu ran forward holding each other's tails and worked together to make the lights come back on.

"Look at all the Pikachu!" cried Misty.

"A Pikachu powered emergency generator." Said Lucy. "That's definitely cool!" They then heard a voice from the part of the computer that still worked.

"A crisis situation has arisen. Initiating Emergency Poke Ball Transport Sequence."

"We have to save those Poke Balls!" cried Joy. "This is the Viridian City Pokemon Center. We have an emergency situation! Transporting Poke Balls!"

"This is the Pewter City Pokemon Center." Blurted another computer. "Out-loader activated and ready to receive Poke Balls." As the Poke Balls were being transported, Ekans and Koffing burst into the room.

"They've spotted us!" cried Lucy.

"Grab those Poke Balls!" ordered Joy.

"Right!" cried Ash. He and Lucy picked up a few of the Poke Balls from the floor.

"This is war, you guys." Said Misty. "Don't just hold them, throw them!"

"All right. Poke Ball, here we go!" cried Ash. He threw a ball and a Pidgey materialized.

"That's what you were trying to catch earlier, Ash." Said Lucy.

"That thing can't beat us." Said Jessie. Pidgey flew away after seeing Ekans was bigger than it.

"Let's try this one instead." Said Lucy. "Poke Ball, go!" She tossed one of the balls she was holding, but nothing came out.

"Empty!" she cried.

"Some of the Poke Balls are empty." Said Joy.

"Now she tells us." Said Ash. "This one feels like a real winner. Poke Ball, go!" he threw it and a Rattata materialized.

"Pipsqueak." Said James.

"Meowth!" Meowth cried. Rattata was intimidated by Koffing's size and ran away.

"Looks like I'll have to take this into my own hands." Said Misty. "You both take Pikachu and Eevee and get out of here. I'll deal with these three clowns."

"That's pretty big talk coming from such a little lady." Said Jessie.

"At least you're right about the pretty part. Thanks for the compliment." Said Misty.

"The girl thinks she's pretty." Said James.

"I agree with her." Said Jessie. "She's pretty too. Pretty pathetic!"

"I'll show you." Said Misty. "Poke Ball, go!" A Goldeen materialized from the ball that she threw. Team Rocket laughed as it watched the small Pokemon flop around.

"That's seriously her best shot?" said Jessie.

"It's all washed up." Said James.

"Goldeen, return." Said Misty. Goldeen went back into the ball via red energy.

"You know as well as I do that water Pokemon can't battle on land." Said Misty. "I was just warming up."

"Warming up?" wondered Ash.

"Ash, you and Lucy take Pikachu and Eevee and get out of here." Said Misty. Ash and Lucy took their Pokemon and ran for it with Ekans and Koffing right behind them. Ash then tripped over something.

"Ash!" cried Lucy. The impact was enough to wake up Pikachu.

"Pika pi?" the little mouse wondered, which meant 'Where am I?' It got up and blasted Koffing, Ekans, Jessie and James with a Thunder Shock, with some assistance from the other Pikachu that had been powering the generator.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'I'm fully recharged!'

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Did you see what just happened here?" asked Lucy.

"I did, and it was awesome!" cried Misty.

"Looks like that jolt recharged Pikachu!" cried Joy.

"Do I have to do everything myself?" said Meowth. "That mouse is cat food, Meowth. Just you wait, Pikachu, you're mine!"

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'I want more power!'

"Pika power?" said Ash. "Oh, you want more power!"

"Pikachu wants more power?" asked Lucy. "He better know what he's doing." Ash got on the burnt up bike and started pedalling it, with Pikachu connected to it.

"What's this?" asked Meowth.

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

"Eevee, let's help Ash out." Said Lucy. "Help Ash pedal the bike to power up Pikachu." Eevee nodded and ran onto the bike to start pedalling herself.

"Uh?" Jessie wondered.

"Uh oh." Said James.

"Meowth?" Meowth wondered.

"Pika, Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'I have the power, Pika Power!' The shock hit Jessie, James, Meowth, Koffing and Ekans all at once.

"Whoa!" cried Misty and Joy. Lucy noticed Koffing spewing out some gasses.

"Uh oh! Once gasses get inside a Koffing, it can explode. Everyone hit the deck! It's going to blow any second!" she cried. Everyone ducked behind a desk to shield themselves from the explosion, which destroyed the Pokemon Center. Officer Jenny pulled up outside.

"Too late! But not for the fireworks." She said. Jessie, James and Meowth were hanging to a rope from their balloon.

"That's just great, a cat losing to a mouse." Jessie complained.

"That Pikachu is no ordinary Pikachu." Said Meowth.

"It's certainly very rare." Said James. "A perfect prize."

"Let's catch it, as well as that girl's Eevee." Said Jessie.

"Perhaps we will." Said Meowth. The balloon burst, sending Team Rocket sailing into the night sky. The next day, Nurse Joy was seen talking to another Nurse Joy on the only computer that was still working in the center after the explosion.

"Your Viridian City Pokemon were transported here safely." Said the Pewter City Joy.

"Thanks, sis." Said the Viridian City Joy. "Ash, Lucy, Misty, Pikachu and Eevee are all heading your way. If they can safely get through the Viridian Forest."

"Don't worry. From what I've seen, those guys can take pretty good care of themselves." Said Jenny.

"Well I hope you're right." Said Joy.

"And since the Pokemon Center has insurance, they'll be happy to pay for repairs so that the Center can get back up and running." Said Jenny. "We'll also need better security in case Team Rocket tries to come back."

"That's a given." Said Joy. Meanwhile, in the Viridian Forest, Misty gave a loud scream.

"What is it, Misty?" asked Lucy.

"Look over there!" cried Misty. Two small bug type Pokemon, one with a green colored body and one with a reddish-brown colored body, were staring at her.

"All right, a Caterpie!" cried Ash.

"And a Weedle!" cried Lucy. "Those are two bug type Pokemon, and some of the easiest to catch in general." Lucy got her Pokedex out and scanned the Weedle.

"Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokemon. Weedle are common in forests and eat leaves. It can defend itself by using the stinger on its head which can poison predators."

"Even if those are Pokemon, bugs are disgusting and I don't like them! Do something!" cried Misty.

"All right, stand back." Said Ash. "This'll be a piece of cake." Will Ash and Lucy capture the Caterpie and Weedle? What sinister plans are being drawn up by Team Rocket? And will Misty ever get a new bike? The answers on the next Pokemon!

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Party: Pikachu, Spearow

Lucy's Party: Eevee

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 3: Ash and Lucy Catch A Pokemon!

Deep in the dark Viridian Forest, Ash and Lucy have discovered a Caterpie and Weedle. While Ash already caught a Spearow, Lucy is looking to make her first Pokemon catch.

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

"You too, Weedle!" cried Lucy.

"Poke Ball, go!" they both cried. Both trainers threw their Poke Balls, which hit their targets. The Caterpie and Weedle struggled to break free, but were both captured. Both Ash and Lucy got very excited.

"Yes, we did it!" cried Ash. "I got Caterpie!"

"And I got Weedle!" cried Lucy.

"We did that all by ourselves!" cried Ash.

"But more important for me, I caught my very first Pokemon!" cried Lucy. They grabbed Misty's hand and started running around with her.

"This is step number one on the way to becoming master Pokemon trainers!" cried Ash.

"Hey, wait a minute. I'm getting dizzy!" cried Misty. "Ash, Lucy, you two are going to make me sick! Quit it!"

"Look out, Pokemon! Nothing's going to stop us now!" cried Lucy.

"Ash, Lucy, you're both acting like a bunch of…" said Misty.

"Look! Inside this Poke Ball is the very first Pokemon that I ever caught in my whole entire life!" cried Lucy. "I have every right to be excited."

"Great. Just, keep it away from me, will you?" asked Misty.

"You're not afraid of a little Caterpie and Weedle inside some Poke Balls, are you?" asked Ash.

"Bugs get me all bugged out! Even when they're in Poke Balls. Just keep them away!" Misty screamed.

"Seems to me like Misty has a case of Entomophobia." Said Lucy.

"Ento-what?" asked Ash.

"It's a fancy term for a fear of bugs." Said Lucy.

"I like bugs, even when they're not in Poke Balls. It must be nice for Caterpie and Weedle inside their Poke Balls, all cute and comfortable inside there." Said Ash.

"I love my new little Weedle." Said Lucy.

"I guess it takes a worm to love a worm." Said Misty.

"Very funny." Said Ash. "Pikachu, Eevee, we both have a new friend."

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'I love them already!'

"Eevee!" squealed Eevee, which meant 'I do too!'

"Oh, Pikachu, Eevee, I'm glad you like them." Said Ash. "And from now on, we're going to catch a whole bunch of new friends!"

"Caterpie, Weedle, you're both sticking with us." Said Lucy.

"Does that mean…." Said Misty.

"Caterpie, come on out!" cried Ash.

"You come out too, Weedle!" cried Lucy. As the Poke Balls containing the Pokemon opened, Misty ran for dear life.

"AAAAHHHHH!" she creamed. Caterpie and Weedle materialized.

"There's nothing to be scared of." Said Ash. "Come on, Caterpie, climb up on my shoulder."

"And Weedle, you can sit on my own shoulder." Said Lucy. The Caterpie and Weedle were about to do so, but they turned their attention to Misty instead and ran toward her.

"Hey, Caterpie, Weedle, come back!" cried Ash. Caterpie and Weedle began rubbing against Misty's legs.

"Hey, Misty. Caterpie and Weedle really like you." Said Lucy. "Isn't that cute?"

"Get these disgusting bugs away from me!" cried Misty. "Please don't come any closer to me!"

"You really think Caterpie and Weedle are disgusting?" asked Ash.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'That's not very nice.'

"Eevee." Squealed Eevee, which meant 'It certainly isn't.'

"I know. You be friends with those creepy bugs, and I'll be friends with Pikachu and Eevee." Said Misty.

"Nice try, but Pikachu only likes me and Lucy and zaps anyone else who tries to…." Ash started, but stopped when he saw that Pikachu was liking the attention Misty was giving him.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

"So much for that approach." Said Lucy.

"That doesn't change the fact that Caterpie and Weedle are still gross." Said Misty. "You two put those slimy things back in their Poke Balls. Bugs are one of the three most disgusting things in the world!"

"Aside from you, what are the others?" asked Lucy.

"Very funny." Answered Misty. "Carrots, peppers, and bugs. Everyone has something that they don't like and I don't like bugs!"

"Oh yeah, well Lucy and I both like carrots and peppers and bugs!" cried Ash.

"What we don't like is the way you're hurting both Caterpie and Weedle's feelings with your silly fear of bugs." Said Lucy.

"We don't think you two are ugly or disgusting at all." Said Ash. "Come on. Climb up on our shoulders."

"Chu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Go on, guys.' Caterpie and Weedle slowly climbed onto their trainers' shoulders.

"You two won't be scaring Misty anymore." Said Lucy.

"What do you mean they won't scare me?" said Misty.

"We'll go ahead without her." Said Ash.

"Chu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Fine with me.'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Same here.'

"Oh, yeah? I'll show you." Said Misty.

"Ash, I don't think leaving Misty in a forest full of bugs is a good idea." Said Lucy. Ash had already started walking ahead, however. "Hey! Wait up for me and Eevee!"

"Pi! Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash, look.'

"What's the problem, Pikachu?" asked Ash.

"Pika." Pikachu answered, which meant 'Look back there.'

"Looks like Pikachu senses that we're being followed." Said Lucy. "And I see exactly who it is!"

"Huh? What are you following us for?" said Ash.

"My bike. I'm holding the two of you responsible for my bike." Said Misty.

"When are you going to get over that dumb bike of yours?" asked Lucy.

"For your information, you're the dumb ones because if you hadn't totalled it, I could've ridden out of here by now." Misty answered.

"We said we'd make good on your bike one day, didn't we?" Ash countered.

"Not to mention that we don't have any money on us." Said Lucy. "And anyway, if we're so dumb, how come you're following us?"

"I'm not following you, this happens to be the fastest way through the woods." Said Misty.

"Fine, do whatever you want then." Said Ash.

"That's exactly what I'm doing!" cried Misty. Later on at night, the group stopped and set up camp in order to get some rest.

"We better get some sleep, you guys. Tomorrow's going to be a big day." Said Ash.

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Right.'

"We'd all get some sleep if you would just shut your big mouth." Said Misty.

"Don't let the bedbugs bite." Said Ash.

"That's enough, you two." Said Lucy. The three trainers fell asleep, while Caterpie and Weedle positioned themselves beside Pikachu and Eevee.

"Caterpie! Weedle!" squealed the two bug Pokemon, which meant 'Hey, Pikachu! Eevee!'

"Eevee." Squealed Eevee, which meant 'What's up, little ones?'

"Caterpie!" Caterpie squealed, which meant 'Look up there!' All four Pokemon looked up into the night sky.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Wow!'

"Eevee!" squealed Eevee, which meant 'It's beautiful, isn't it?'

"Caterpie! Weedle!" squealed the bug types, which meant 'You know what that moon reminds us of?'

"Pika Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Sure, tell us.'

"Eevee." Squealed Eevee, which meant 'What does it remind you guys of?' Caterpie and Weedle squealed again, which meant 'We both saw some flying Pokémon up there that were looking for bug types like us, but we were all safe and sound with all the Metapod and Kakuna around. But then our mommies appeared and gave us a warm cuddle!'

"Eevee." Squealed Eevee, which meant 'I have to agree, that's pretty cute and adorable.'

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'That means your mother must be a Butterfree then, Caterpie.'

"Eevee." Squealed Eevee, which meant 'And Weedle, your mommy has to be a Beedrill.'

"Caterpie!" Caterpie squealed, which meant 'That's correct.'

"Weedle." Squealed Weedle, which meant 'Do you think we'll evolve soon?'

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'I'm sure you will. That way you'll make both Ash and Lucy proud.'

"Weedle!" Weedle cried, which meant 'We hope to evolve soon. That way we can be beautiful for Misty and she won't be afraid of us anymore.'

"Eevee." Squealed Eevee, which meant 'Just give it some time. They say good things come to those who wait.' All four Pokemon then went to sleep, but the next morning, Misty woke up to find what was, in her opinion, quite a nasty surprise waiting for her.

"Ah!" she screamed.

"What's wrong? What's happening?" asked Ash. The loud screaming caused Lucy to fall out of the hammock she had been sleeping in.

"Ow." She groaned. "Misty, what's with all the screaming this early in the morning?"

"What are these things doing sleeping near me?" Misty asked.

"Caterpie and Weedle just want to be your friend." Said Ash.

"If those things want to be my friend, they can stop bugging me already." Said Misty. "If you two are Pokemon, then you can get out of my face and into your Poke Balls where you belong!"

"Oh, Misty, you are so unbelievable." Said Ash. "Caterpie and Weedle mean no harm. Why they like you, we'll never know." Caterpie started slumping over to the tree stump it had sat on the night before, with Weedle following behind.

"Hey, you guys. What's the matter?" asked Ash. "Hey, hold on there."

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Slow down.' Caterpie and Weedle crawled up the stump and into their Poke Balls. Lucy wasn't amused one bit.

"Nice going, Misty." She said. "You had to go and hurt the feelings of two bug Pokemon."

"Feelings?!" cried Misty. "Those things are gross, and I don't care about gross things!"

"That may be so, but you still owe Caterpie and Weedle an apology." Said Ash. "Pokemon have feelings too, you know!"

"Don't worry, guys, someday we'll show her." Lucy said to the two Poke Balls. Soon, two other Pokemon showed up.

"Wow, a Pidgeotto!" cried Ash.

"And a Bulbasaur!" cried Lucy. "You usually don't see that in this area." They both got their Pokedexes out, with Ash's device speaking first.

"Pidgeotto, an evolved form of the Pidgey. It is armed with sharp claws and dives from the sky to capture its prey. Unlike the gentler Pidgey, Pidgeotto can be dangerous, approach with extreme caution." Lucy's Pokedex spoke next.

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

"Pidgeotto sure sounds dangerous all right." Said Ash.

"We might be in its territory." Said Lucy. "After all, Pidgeotto can claim territory of more than one hundred kilometers, or sixty miles, and they'll defend it aggressively."

"I'll show Pidgeotto who the dangerous one is around here." Said Ash. "Poke Ball, go!" He threw a Poke Ball at the bird, but Pidgeotto slapped it away with his wing.

"You don't understand, do you?" said Misty. "You don't just throw a Poke Ball at a Pokemon and expect to catch it that way. You have to battle and weaken it first."

"That's what I told him." Said Lucy. "But did he listen? No, of course not because his IQ is the size of a raisin!" Ash gave Lucy an angry stare.

"Hey, when I want your opinions, I'll ask for them!" He countered.

"Anyways, you two only got to catch Caterpie and Weedle because they were already weaklings." Said Misty.

"She does have a point, Ash." Said Lucy.

"I know what I'm doing!" Ash countered.

"No, I don't think you do." Said Lucy.

"Look, Misty, just quit picking on Caterpie and Weedle." Said Ash. "And now, if you'll kindly keep your big mouth shut, you'll see how it's done. Go, Caterpie!"

"Go, Weedle!" cried Lucy. They threw the Poke Balls containing their bug Pokemon, much to the shock of Misty, Pikachu and Eevee.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'This could get really ugly.'

"I told you I knew what I was doing." Said Ash.

"You have no idea of the mistake you just made, do you?" said Misty.

"Did I do something wrong?" Ash asked.

"You're darn right you did." Said Lucy. Pidgeotto tried to strike Caterpie multiple times, but the bug type dodged every time.

"Weedle, use your Poison Sting on Bulbasaur!" cried Lucy. Weedle shot purple poison needles at the grass type, striking it. Meanwhile, Caterpie was starting to have problems.

"Caterpie!" cried Ash.

"It can't keep dodging forever!" cried Lucy.

"Caterpie, try to counterattack!" yelled Ash. Pidgeotto struck Caterpie and sent the small bug type into a tree.

"Caterpie!" Ash yelled.

"Call it back! Quick!" yelled Misty.

"Caterpie, return!" cried Ash. Caterpie was recalled just in time.

"Major bullet dodged." Said Lucy. Bulbasaur charged at Weedle with a Tackle attack.

"Weedle, use Poison Sting again!" cried Lucy. Weedle fired more needles. Meanwhile…..

"Pidgeotto's beak is stuck!" cried Misty. "Here's your chance!"

"Pikachu, go!" cried Ash. Pikachu charged ahead in a battle ready position. Pidgeotto freed itself from the tree as Pikachu ran towards it.

"Pikachu, Thunder Shock now!" cried Ash. Pikachu unleashed a powerful thunder shock attack on Pidgeotto, striking it.

"Poke Ball, go!" he cried. He tossed the same Poke Ball from before. This time, it struck Pidgeotto and sucked it inside. Lucy's Weedle, on the other hand, had weakened Bulbasaur with a barrage of poison needles.

"Poke Ball, go!" she cried. She tossed it at Bulbasaur and the gras type got sucked in. The two Pokemon struggled to break out, but ultimately, they were both caught.

"We did it!" Ash cried. "I got Pidgeotto!"

"I got Bulbasaur!" cried Lucy. Pikachu and Eevee gave victory poses and congratulated both of them.

"We're the greatest." Said Ash.

"Not yet you aren't." said Misty. "Neither of you have any idea what you're doing. It'll be a long time before either of you are master Pokemon trainers, like maybe a billion years."

"We're trying to….." Ash started, but Misty cut him off.

"You should try and learn something about Pokemon first." She said. "With Pokemon, you have to use strategy. Pidgeotto is a bird. Caterpie is a worm. Bug eat worms, mister!"

"Uh, Misty, how did I do?" asked Lucy.

"Well, you did better than Ash." Said Misty. "Except for the fact that, I don't know, Bulbasaur NEARLY ATE WEEDLE FOR ITS LUNCH!"

"Either way, we both got a new Pokemon." Said Lucy.

"If we try hard enough, things will just work out." Said Ash. "Won't they?"

"No, Ash, I'm afraid not." Said Misty. "The trainer's judgement is more important than anything else, but the trainer also has to have a brain, and right now, I can see that Lucy has slightly more of a brain than you do."

"You're one to talk about strategy and having brains when you tried battling Team Rocket with a Goldeen back at the Pokemon Center." Lucy pointed out.

"Well, I, uh….." Misty stammered. Soon, they heard familiar laughter.

"Ahahahaha." Said Jessie.

"So, we meet again." Said James.

"I know that voice." Said Ash.

"So do I." said Lucy.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"No, not this again." Ash complained.

"Tell me about it." Said Lucy.

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

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Listen, we're kind of busy right now." Said Lucy. "So if you could kindly…."

"Quiet, little girl." Said Jessie. "We don't care what you have to say. We're here to get your Pokemon."

"Hand over that Pikachu and Eevee now!" demanded James.

"These are our Pikachu and Eevee." Said Ash. "If you want them so bad, go out and find your own!"

"The only Pikachu and Eevee we want are those ones." Said Jessie.

"We're only looking for the rarest, most valuable Pokemon in the world, kid." Said James.

"And those Pikachu and Eevee are exactly what we need." Said Jessie.

"Stop giving away all of our secrets, you idiots!" yelled Meowth.

"Are our Pikachu and Eevee really that special?" asked Lucy. Jessie and James nodded.

"Pikachu especially." Said Meowth. "Its' power level impressed even me. I really got a charge out of its incredible attack the last time we met. Its powers exceed its evolutionary level. Your Pokemon….."

"Now you're the one giving away all of our secrets!" yelled Jessie.

"Shut up before you tell them everything!" cried James.

"I'm in charge! Cut it out!" cried Meowth.

"I think we already know about Pikachu's extraordinary power and smart thinking." Said Lucy.

"Enough talk. Make things easy for us and hand over the Pikachu and Eevee right now!" Jessie demanded.

"Forget it!" cried Lucy.

"Then you leave us no choice." Said James.

"Pokemon battle." Said Jessie. "Ekans, go!"

"Koffing, go and get them!" yelled James. Both poison types materialized.

"Hey, two against one is cheating!" cried Ash.

"Like we say, all's fair in love and Pokemon battles." Said Jessie.

"That saying's rotten, and so are you!" yelled Lucy.

"Of course we are. We're the bad guys." Said James.

"Well if they're going to use two Pokemon, I don't see why we can't use two Pokemon." Said Misty.

"But the Pokemon League rules say only one at a time." Said Lucy.

"Ash, Lucy, if you both follow the rules, you're going to lose all your Pokemon." Said Misty.

"Koffing, Sludge attack now!" James ordered. Koffing shot black sludge from its mouth, blinding both Pikachu and Eevee.

"Hey, that was a cheap shot!" yelled Ash.

"If you think you can use your dirty tricks to beat us, you're wrong." Said Lucy. They picked up Pikachu and Eevee and brought them over to Misty.

"They might try anything just to get what they want, but no matter what, don't let them have these Pokemon, understand?" Said Ash.

"Misty, come on!" cried Lucy. Misty gladly took the two Pokemon.

"But what about the others?" she asked.

"So, twerps, what's your big battle plan?" asked Jessie. Ash was forced to think.

"I can't send out Caterpie. It's still weak from the last battle." He said. "Pidgeotto, go!"

"Bulbasaur, go!" cried Lucy. The two Pokemon materialized.

"Koffing, it's grime time!" cried James.

"Ekans, go get your dinner!" cried Jessie. Pidgeotto and Bulbasaur easily dodged the poison types.

"Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!" cried Ash.

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" cried Lucy.

"Ekans, go underground!" cried Jessie. Ekans complied and dove under the ground.

"I forgot that Ekans can do that." Said Lucy sheepishly, making Ash groan.

"Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, watch out! Behind you!" cried Ash. Ekans struck the two Pokemon.

"Pidgeotto!" cried Ash.

"Bulbasaur!" cried Lucy.

"We're going to get two Pokemon!" Jessie, James and Meowth cried together.

"Gust counterattack, now!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto got knocked out of the sky, however.

"Pidgeotto, return!" cried Ash.

"Bulbasaur, return!" cried Lucy. The two Pokemon were recalled to their balls.

"We'll show you!" cried Lucy. "All right, put 'em up!" They charged in to try and fight Team Rocket themselves.

"Fools." Said Meowth. "In Pokemon battles, only the Pokemon can fight each other."

"Buzz off!" exclaimed James. He flicked both Ash and Lucy away.

"Are you guys okay?" asked Misty.

"Guess you have no choice." Said Jessie. "Let Pikachu and Eevee in and watch Team Rocket win." Pikachu and Eevee were itching to fight, but Misty wouldn't let them.

"No, you two. You can't battle in this condition." She said.

"She's right, we have to get that sludge off your faces." Said Lucy. "Be lucky neither of you got poisoned because we don't have any Antidotes with us." She and Ash grabbed another Poke Ball.

"What are you two…..?" Misty wondered.

"I know you and Caterpie still haven't finished resting up from the earlier battles." Said Lucy. "But now, you're our only hope!" They tossed the balls.

"Caterpie, go!" cried Ash.

"Weedle, go!" cried Lucy. The two small Pokemon materialized.

"What are those things?" asked James.

"It's two measly little bugs." Said Meowth. Team Rocket laughed at them.

"Get out the bug spray!" cried Jessie.

"Pika!" yelled Pikachu, which meant 'Stop that!'

"Eevee!" Eevee squealed, which meant 'It's not nice to laugh at the little guys like that!'

"Hang in there." Said Misty.

"Caterpie." Said Ash.

"Weedle." Said Lucy.

"String Shot now!" they both yelled together. The attacks blinded both Pokemon and at Ash's command, Caterpie used its Tackle attack to send Koffing flying into Ekans.

"All right! They got them both!" cried Lucy.

"Beaten by a Caterpie and Weedle?" asked James.

"That really bugs me!" cried Jessie.

"Now stand back and watch a real Pokemon in action." Said Meowth. However, he also got webbed up in String Shot.

"I think it's safe to assume that neither of you have any Pokemon left, which make Ash and Lucy the winners." Said Misty.

"It's time Team Rocket blasted off." Said Jessie. The trio started running off.

"You may have won this round, but we'll be back!" cried James.

"Come back any time. We'll be glad to beat you again!" cried Lucy.

"We did it! We won our first Pokemon victory fair and square!" cried Ash.

"Weedle, I'm very proud of you and Caterpie." Said Lucy. "You both did your best, and because of you, we won!"

"You're stronger than you look, Caterpie." Said Misty. "You too, Weedle."

"Well, Misty, I guess you feel different about Caterpie and Weedle now." Said Ash.

"In fact, I think you're finally warming up to them." Said Lucy.

"Well, I…" Misty stuttered.

"So why don't you just go ahead and make up with them." Said Ash. "All you have to do is pat Caterpie and Weedle on the head and thank them both for a really great job."

"It's only right to congratulate one when they do a good job." Said Lucy. "My dad taught me that saying."

"Your dad's certainly right." Said Misty. As she went to pick up the bug types, however, they both started spraying mist-like silk into the air, spooking her.

"Look, Ash, they're both evolving!" cried Lucy.

"Caterpie, Weedle, this is so great!" cried Ash. The silk encased Caterpie and Weedle in shells, creating their evolved forms. Afterwards, they both got out their Pokedexes.

"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."

"Kakuna, the Cocoon Pokémon, the evolved form of Weedle. When it comes time for Kakuna to evolve, its body gives off heat that makes it warm to the touch. It remains motionless as it waits for evolution and often hangs from tree branches by a thread of silk, defending itself with poisonous barbs.

"Maybe that means Caterpie can keep changing and go to the next stage right away." Said Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'You never know.'

"Nice to meet you, Metapod." Said Ash.

"And it's nice to meet you too, Kakuna." Said Lucy. "What, not in the mood to talk?"

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Congratulations, Kakuna.'

"I've never known anyone like those two. They really do like Pokemon a lot." Said Misty.

"Say, Misty, you were about to finally make friends with these two." Said Lucy. "You didn't forget, did you?"

"No, but I just….." said Misty. Another Pokemon started flying overhead, frightening Misty.

"There goes a Beedrill!" cried Lucy.

"I'll do anything, let's just get out of this forest!" cried Misty.

"No way! There's still plenty more Pokemon to catch in this forest!" cried Ash.

"Besides, it usually takes a couple of days to leave the Viridian Forest." Said Lucy. She and Ash started to take off.

"Hey, wait for me!" cried Misty. She raced to catch up with Ash and Lucy.

"Come on, we've got lots of Pokemon to catch!" cried Ash. The future may look bright for our heroes now, but up ahead, a new challenge awaits them.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Party: Pikachu, Spearow, Metapod, Pidgeotto

Lucy's Party: Eevee, Kakuna, Bulbasaur

Author's notes: Decided to take a page out of the Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee video game and have a wild Bulbasaur in the Viridian Forest. I also decided to have Lucy be the one to catch it so that she'll have something that can take on the Pewter gym. Ash will still get a Bulbasaur of his own later due to a major event that takes place during the first season.

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 4: Challenge Of The Samurai!

As Ash and Lucy's adventure began, they chose Pikachu and Eevee as their starter Pokemon. Eevee practically fell in love with Lucy, but Pikachu was less than thrilled with his new trainer. A flock of angry Spearows nearly finished them off, but Pikachu saved the day with a powerful Thunder Shock, and Ash also caught one of the Spearow. Pikachu and Eevee later regained their health at the Viridian City Pokemon Center, which soon found itself under attack from Jessie, James and Meowth of the notorious Team Rocket. The three of them attacked the center in the hopes of stealing some rare Pokemon, but Pikachu and Eevee thwarted their plans. Next, Ash and Lucy ventured into the Viridian Forest, where Lucy made her first catch, a Weedle. Ash also caught a bug Pokemon himself, the cute and adorable Caterpie, but the fun didn't stop there. After that, Ash caught a Pidgeotto and Lucy caught a Bulbasaur. Even more surprises were in store later when Caterpie evolved into Metapod and Weedle evolved into Kakuna. Now, it's the challenge of the Samurai!

"Ah!" screamed Misty.

"What's wrong now?" asked Ash.

"I think her fear of bugs kicked in again." Said Lucy.

"I see another bug over there, and it's just as gross as before!" cried Misty.

"Maybe it's a COWterpie!" Ash remarked. Lucy facepalmed.

"That was a really bad pun there, Ash." She said.

"That isn't funny! You know I hate bugs and I saw one right over there!" cried Misty. It was another one of the same bug Pokemon they had already encountered.

"Cool! Another Weedle!" cried Ash. He brought out his Pokedex.

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

"I already caught one for myself yesterday, and then it became a Kakuna." Said Lucy. "While that one had only one stinger, this one has two of them."

"Two stingers, huh? There's a challenge." Said Ash.

"Why are you excited about a bug with two stingers? Make it go away!" cried Misty.

"You've got to be kidding." Said Ash. "You don't expect a great trainer like me to let a Weedle escape, do you? I'm going to catch it!" he was about to get a Poke Ball before remembering what had happened the previous day. "I almost forgot. The Pokemon has to be weakened before it can be caught. Let's go, Pikachu!" However, Pikachu was fast asleep.

"Taking a nap, huh?" said Ash. "Suit yourself then, Pikachu. There's still Pidgeotto, Metapod and Spearow to do the job, and they give me the respect that I deserve."

"The only thing you deserve is to get your head examined." Said Misty.

"Remember, Ash, a Pokemon won't just give you their respect right away. You have to earn it." Said Lucy. Misty saw the Weedle next to her and screamed.

"Don't just stand there, Ash! Catch it!" she cried.

"Have no fear, Ash is here!" cried Ash. "Spearow, I choose you!" He tossed a Poke Ball and Spearow materialized.

"At least he's doing it right this time." Said Lucy.

"He's also remembering proper type match ups." Said Misty. "A slight improvement compared to yesterday."

"Spearow, Peck attack!" cried Ash. The attack hit, which made the Weedle get stung.

"That's the way to do it." Said Ash. He then noticed that Misty was gone.

"I wonder where she went off to." Said Lucy.

"This whole forest is crawling with slimy, disgusting Pokemon. I wish they would all bug off." Misty muttered to herself as she walked down a path. A young man then jumped out of the bushes and pointed his katana at Misty.

"Greetings, oh shrieking maiden. Are you by chance the Pokémon trainers who come from Pallet?" he asked.

"No, that's not me." She said.

"Alas, my search continues." Said the young man. "I advise you to refrain from further shrieking while passing this forest, unless your goal is to attract a swarm of Beedrill." He ran off on his own.

"What a weird kid." Said Misty. "Why in the world would he be looking for two trainers from…that's Ash and Lucy!" Meanwhile, the Weedle was charging with its front stinger pointed right at Spearow.

"Look out, Ash. That Weedle is using the two point stinger I was talking about before." Said Lucy.

"Spearow, watch out for its Poison Sting!" cried Ash. Spearow dodged in time.

"Ha! Nice work!" cried Ash. Spearow swooped in and knocked Weedle against a tree.

"Here we go." Said Ash, and he brought out a Poke Ball. "I've got you now, Weedle."

"Greetings. Am I addressing the trainers who hail from Pallet?" asked a voice behind him.

"I'm a Pallet trainer, but I'm a little busy right now." Said Ash.

"Hey Ash, who's this dude in the Samurai helmet?" asked Lucy. "I don't remember seeing him here before."

"I have found you at last!" he cried and unleashed his katana.

"Ash! Lucy!" cried Misty.

"Look out, he's drawing his katana! Whatever that is!" cried Lucy. They turned and saw the stranger pointing his katana at them.

"That sword doesn't scare us! There's no way you're taking our Pokemon either!" cried Ash.

"I am no thief." Said the stranger.

"Then who are you?" asked Misty.

"I am Samurai. I am also shrewd, fearless, and completely invincible in combat. I have been searching the forest for both of you." Said the stranger.

"Samurai? That name should be easy to remember." Said Lucy.

"What do you want from us?" asked Ash.

"A Pokemon match! Let us see who triumphs." Said Samurai.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'A match?'

"Eevee." Eevee squealed, which meant 'This is an unexpected surprise.'

"Don't look now, Ash, but the Weedle you were battling is getting away." Said Lucy.

"Oh no!" cried Ash. He turned and saw the Weedle trying to escape. "I forgot all about that. Poke Ball, go!" He threw the ball, but the Weedle ran away.

"That's why you focus on one thing first before switching to something else." Said Lucy.

"Spearow, return." Said Ash. The tiny bird was quickly absorbed back inside his ball. "That Weedle only got away because you mixed me up."

"Don't blame your failures on me." Said Samurai. "Your Pokemon handling is dimwitted and clumsy."

"What do you know about Pokemon? I bet I can beat you in a match blindfolded." Said Ash.

"Pika." Pikachu whispered to Eevee, which meant 'This sounds like a challenge to me.'

"Well, Samurai, you did get the attention of Ash and myself with that stupid katana of yours, but what's happened has happened." Said Lucy. "I'll battle you first. Misty, you referee for us."

"Well, I don't know…" said Misty.

"Come on, Misty, please?" asked Ash. Misty sighed, but agreed.

"All right." She said. Lucy and Samurai were positioned opposite each other.

"This match between Lucy and Samurai will consist of just one Pokemon each." Said Misty. "The first trainer to make the other one's Pokemon faint first will be the winner. Let the battle begin!"

"Eevee, front and center now!" cried Lucy. Eevee charged ahead to face the Samurai.

"For this match, I shall choose Beedrill!" cried Samurai. He threw his Poke Ball, and a bright yellow Pokemon with black stripes and a large stinger appeared.

"That must be the Beedrill." Said Lucy. She got out her Pokedex.

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

"I ought to know about Beedrill's stinger because I actually got stung by a Beedrill a couple of years ago." Said Lucy. "It really hurt too. But I'm not going to let this one beat me. Eevee, charge at it with your Tackle attack!" Eevee ran right at the large Beedrill.

"Beedrill, Agility now!" cried Samurai. Beedrill easily dodged the Tackle attacks Eevee kept trying.

"Now, use Poison Sting!" cried Samurai.

"Eevee, use your Reflect attack!" cried Lucy. A gold shield formed around Eevee to repel the needles and prevent them from hitting.

"Swift attack, now!" cried Lucy. Eevee shot rainbow stars at Beedrill, striking the Pokemon.

"Beedrill, time for the Twineedle!" cried Samurai. Beedrill shot more needles, and Eevee got struck with one barrage after another.

"Oh no, Eevee might be in trouble!" cried Ash.

"Eevee, quick! Use your Sand Attack!" cried Lucy. Eevee whipped up some sand from the grass and threw it in Beedrill's face, blinding it. Now, any attack Beedrill attempted to use missed its mark.

"Finish it, Eevee! Take Down!" cried Lucy. Eevee ran fast and smacked the Beedrill backwards so hard that it collapsed onto the grass in a heap. Misty quickly made the ruling.

"Beedrill can no longer battle! Eevee is the winner, which means Lucy wins the match!" she cried.

"We did it, Eevee! Our first win that's not against team Rocket!" cried Lucy. They both embraced in a hug. Samurai recalled his fainted Beedrill.

"Okay, Ash, now it's your turn to battle him." Said Lucy. "I'll referee this time." Ash and Samurai took their places.

"This match between Ash and Samurai will be a two on two battle with no time limit." Said Lucy. "Begin now!"

"Spearow, do your stuff!" cried Ash. He tossed a Poke Ball, and Spearow materialized, but it was very tired as evidenced by its heavy breathing.

"Uh oh." Said Ash.

"Ash, don't you know you should let your Pokemon rest once in a while?" said Misty.

"Well, I…." Ash stammered.

"Only a novice send a pooped out Pokemon into battle." Said Samurai. "Your blunder will cost you dearly! Pinsir, assume battle mode!" A huge, pink Pokemon with big, sharp claws materialized.

"Woah, he's got a Pinsir." Said Ash. He brought his Pokedex out.

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

"That Pinsir looks pretty tough." Said Ash.

"No kidding." Said Lucy. "That thing can lift other things that are twice its own weight! Since a Pinsir weighs a hundred and twenty one pounds, that means it can lift two hundred and forty two pounds!"

"It may be strong, but Spearow can beat it." Said Ash. "Peck attack!" Spearow went in for the peck, but it dropped to the ground before it could land due to being exhausted.

"That's child's play." Said Samurai. "Tackle it, Pinsir." Pinsir's attack knocked Spearow out in one fell swoop.

"But how?" Ash wondered.

"Probably because you used it to battle Weedle right before this." Said Lucy. "In any case, Spearow is out and Pinsir wins!" Samurai laughed.

"Your Pokemon is beaten!" he cried.

"Spearow, return!" cried Ash. He picked up Spearow's ball and the Pokemon was absorbed back in via red light.

"So, novice, do you surrender?" asked Samurai.

"Of course not. I was just getting warmed up." Said Ash. He grabbed another Poke Ball. "Metapod, I choose you!" Metapod materialized from the ball Ash threw.

"Watch and weep as your Metapod gets crushed in half by Pinsir's huge claws." Said Samurai.

"No!" cried Ash. He imagined what Pinsir's claws could possibly do to Metapod.

"Ash, call it back. Not even a bug deserves this." Said Misty.

"If he calls it back, he forfeits." Lucy pointed out.

"This match is already won!" cried Samurai.

"I have to think of something quick!" cried Ash. "Metapod, Harden now!" Metapod hardened just as Pinsir picked it up. The pointy ends on Pinsir's claws broke as a result.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Unbelievable!'

"Eevee!" squealed Eevee, which meant 'It worked!'

"Pinsir cannot continue due to injury!" Lucy declared. "Metapod wins!"

"Who's the novice now?" said Ash. Samurai recalled his Pinsir.

"Clever, quite clever." He said. "Poke Ball, go!" A Metapod materialized from the ball that was thrown.

"Metapod." Said Ash.

"Metapod, Harden like his." Said Samurai. His Metapod did so.

"Maximum hardness, Metapod!" cried Ash. Both Metapods hardened. Pikachu, meanwhile, was munching on some popcorn.

"Pika." He sighed, which meant 'We're probably going to be here a while.'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Yep.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, which meant 'You want some of my popcorn?' Eevee nodded.

"Eevee." She answered, which meant 'Don't mind if I do.' Time went on, and the heroes remained in place while the two Metapod continued to Harden.

"More power, Metapod! Samurai's is weakening!" cried Ash.

"Harder! You're the stronger Metapod!" cried Samurai. Elsewhere in the forest, Team Rocket was wandering around in a tank that they had made.

"I'm tired." Said James.

"Quit your whining!" Jessie snapped.

"But Jessie, what's the point of dragging this tank around?" asked James.

"To protect us from Beedrills." Jessie answered. "Ever been stung by one? It hurts!"

"Hey, down there! Quit chatting! Get a move on!" cried Meowth.

"What are you doing up there?" asked Jessie.

"Why don't you come down here and help us?" suggested James.

"I wish I could, but due to my height only being a foot and four inches, I'm riding lookout." Said Meowth.

"Oh yeah, well look out for this!" cried Jessie. She angrily tossed Meowth out of the tank.

"Hey, wait a second! Come back here!" cried Meowth. Meanwhile, the battle between Ash and Samurai was at a standstill.

"Just a little more!" cried Ash.

"Metapod, full power!" cried Metapod.

"We could be stuck in this forest for the rest of our lives." Said Misty. "Boys can be so stubborn." Ash and Samurai soon collapsed from all the standing.

"Cant…. give…up." said Ash. Misty had seen enough

"Okay, that's it." She said. "You two are clearly more hardheaded than your Metapods."

"I have to agree with Misty on this one." Said Lucy. "But it was Samurai who decided to match Pokemon for Pokemon. Since it's obvious that neither of these Pokemon are going to actually attack one another, I'm declaring this match to be a draw." Everyone then heard something in the distance.

"Huh? Anyone else hear that?" asked Lucy. The sound, which was a buzzing noise, got louder.

"What's that noise?" asked Misty.

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

"Correct! A Beedrill swarm is approaching us!" cried Samurai. "Metapod, return!" Samurai recalled his Metapod.

"There must be about fifty of them!" cried Lucy.

"The Weedle that got away from you has informed the rest of its kind! Good day!" cried Samurai, and he ran off as fast as he could to get away from the swarm. One of the Beedrill then grabbed Ash's Metapod and flew off with it.

"Ash, that Beedrill just Poke-napped your Metapod!" cried Lucy.

"Metapod, return!" cried Ash. His attempts to recall the Pokemon, however, were in vain as the Beedrill was moving too fast. It then flew away with Metapod in tow.

"Oh no! It got away!" cried Ash.

"Beedrill bomber at six o'clock!" yelled Lucy. Pikachu launched a Thunder Shock on the Beedrill, which zapped them, but it also got Ash.

"Nice move, Pikachu. But next time you do that, warn Ash first." Said Lucy.

"Come on! We have to move it!" exclaimed Misty.

"But what about my Metapod?" asked Ash.

"We'll come up with a rescue plan for Metapod later." Said Lucy. "Right now, we have to run for it!" Ash, Lucy, Misty, Pikachu and Eevee all ran as fast as they could. However, the Beedrill were faster.

"They're gaining on us!" cried Misty.

"Funny how a good Beedrill chase can give you an energy boost!" cried Ash.

"Less talking, more running!" cried Lucy.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Hurry up!'

"Everybody, duck in there!" Lucy instructed. They dove into a bush to hide from the swarm, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was a close one." Said Ash. Lucy then noticed something.

"Uh oh." She said. "Nobody make any sudden noises or movements." They soon saw what Lucy was worried about.

"It's a whole hive of Kakunas." Said Samurai. Misty let out a scream.

"Misty, shush! We don't want those things to see us!" cried Lucy. Ash got out his Pokedex.

"Kakuna. A transitional stage between Weedle and Beedrill. Kakunas remain inactive until they evolve into deadly Beedrills and hatch."

"Once a Kakuna gets hot to the touch, that's a sign it's going to evolve." Said Lucy. "Until that point, like Metapod, they can only defend themselves instead of attacking, either by hardening or using poisonous barbs." Ash soon spotted his Metapod.

"Hy, Metapod. Over here! It's me!" cried Ash.

"Keep your voice down!" cried Misty, but it was too late. One of the Kakuna started glaring in Lucy's direction.

"I think we've been spotted." She said. The Kakuna began to crack, and a glow formed from within.

"Now we're REALLY in trouble." Said Lucy. Right on cue, the newly evolved Beedrills emerged.

"Beedrills! They evolved!" cried Misty. The Beedrill went on the attack.

"Run for it! Again!" cried Lucy. Everyone started running yet again.

"How are we going to escape from them?" asked Ash. "This forest is huge!" They soon spotted a cabin up ahead.

"My cabin! I think we can make it!" cried Samurai.

"It'll be close. And they have their business ends pointed at us too." Said Lucy. Everyone got inside just as one Beedrill stuck its back stinger through the door.

"Phew. That was close." Said Ash.

"A little too close if you ask me." Said Lucy. Samurai took his helmet off.

"I hope you learned your lesson, novice." Said Samurai. "Your allowing that Weedle to escape almost cost us our lives."

"Take back that novice crack!" exclaimed Ash.

"Ash is right." Said Lucy. "You were the one who got his attention by drawing your katana on him."

"I take that back, but not even a novice would abandon their Pokemon like you did." Said Samurai.

"I tried to save Metapod." Said Ash.

"I fail to see how we possibly could've saved it without attracting the attention of all those Kakuna." Said Lucy.

"Your Metapod will pay for it's trainers' inexperience." Said Samurai. "The other trainers from Pallet would never have been so irresponsible."

"Other trainers from Pallet?" asked Ash.

"There were three spectacular matches, each one better than the last." Said Samurai. "All three really know how to raise their Pokemon. Even though I was defeated all three times, I was inspired to redouble my training. I had been eagerly awaiting the day when I would finally beat the next Pokemon trainers from Pallet."

"So THAT's why you were waiting for Ash and Lucy to show up." Said Misty.

"Correct. But compared to Lucy, novice here is a joke!" cried Samurai. Ash just looked down in disgrace.

"Don't worry, Ash, I'll help you get your Metapod back from the Beedrill." Said Lucy. "I promise."

"Thanks, Lucy." Said Ash. That night, all Ash had on his mind as he slept was his Metapod. The next morning, Ash and Lucy went to find Metapod.

"I hope Metapod is all right." Said Ash.

"I'm sure he's just fine." Said Lucy. She noticed the hive tree up ahead.

"Stay down and keep quiet." She whispered. "We'll just quietly sneak up onto Metapod, and…" Meowth then jumped down and landed on Ash's head.

"Do you know what Meowth's favorite game is?" asked Meowth.

"Get off me!" cried Ash. Meowth scratched Ash's face.

"Scratch, and sniffle!" he cried. He laughed, but Ash was in pain.

"Meowth?" wondered Lucy. "That can only mean one thing."

"Guess who, twerps?" said James.

"I knew it." Said Lucy.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To denounce all peoples within our nation!"

"No! Not again! Not now!" cried Ash.

"Never interrupt the Team Rocket motto!" yelled Jessie.

"That dumb motto's kind of unnecessary in my opinion." Said Lucy.

"Who asked you?" said James. Jessie cleared her throat.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Keep it down!" Ash whispered quietly. "You're going to wake up all the Beedrill!"

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

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!" The Beedrill woke up and spotted the intruders.

"Now you've done it!" cried Lucy.

"Little girl and boy, why don't you give us Pikachu and Eevee?" said Jessie. "There's no use trying to resist us, so just hand over the Pokemon."

"Pikachu and Eevee aren't with us right now!" yelled Ash.

"Even if they were, we'd never let you take them!" Lucy added. "Ash, I have a plan." Ash followed Lucy.

"Come back here!" Jessie and James yelled and gave chase after both trainers.

"If we can get past the Beedrill at just the right moment, they'll dive bomb Team Rocket." Said Lucy. The two of them kept running further down the path.

"This is going to be close." Said Lucy. "Okay, NOW!" They dove under the Beedrill at just the right moment, and the Beedrill started going after Team Rocket.

"The tank will surely come in handy now!" cried Jessie.

"It was worth the struggle dragging it here." Said James.

"Huh?" said Jessie. They looked and saw some Weedle eating the tank.

"Meowth! They're eating the tank!" cried Meowth.

"But we made it from paper to reduce the weight." Said James.

"Who knew?" replied Jessie.

"Numbskulls!" cried Meowth. The Beedrills continued chasing after Team Rocket, forcing them to retreat.

"That takes care of them." Said Lucy. "Quick, Ash, go get your Metapod." Ash spotted his Pokemon.

"There you are!" he cried. "Here, get into your Poke Ball, Metapod." Metapod shook his head.

"What do you mean you won't go in?" cried Ash.

"I think you just lost Metapod's trust, Ash." Said Lucy. They then heard a buzzing sound.

"Beedrill bomber coming in fast! Let's go!" she cried. Ash picked up his Metapod and tried to reason with it.

"I didn't abandon you, Metapod. I just got sidetracked, that's all. It wasn't my fault." He said. He then tripped over something and fell down. Metapod fell out of his grasp and Ash realized the truth.

"No. It wasn't Samurai's fault. It was my fault." He said. "If I were a better Pokemon trainer, I would stop making excuses. From now on, I'll never run away and leave my friends, human or Pokemon, behind again. No more excuses."

"I think Metapod understands how you feel since you just owned up to your mistake." Said Lucy. "I also think you got its trust back." They then heard more buzzing.

"We've got company!" cried Ash.

"Ash! Lucy!" cried Misty. Pikachu and Eevee were with her.

"Watch out for the Twin Needle attack!" cried Samurai.

"Pikachu!" the electric type yelled, which meant 'Get out of the way!' Metapod charged forward at Beedrill.

"I think Metapod will need help." Said Lucy. "Kakuna, I choose you!" She tossed a Poke Ball and her Kakuna materialized. It charged forward, only to end up injured with a cracked hole in their shells. Ash caught Metapod just in the nick of time, and Lucy did the same with Kakuna.

"Metapod!" cried Ash.

"Kakuna!" cried Lucy.

"Kakuna and Metapod sacrificed themselves to save their trainers." Said Misty. "Talk about brave and noble." Ash and Lucy were cradling their Pokemon tightly.

"Metapod? Are you okay?" said Ash.

"Kakuna! Please speak to me." Said Lucy. A glowing light suddenly began to shine from the cracks of the shells.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'No way!'

"Eevee!" Eevee squealed, which meant 'Could it be?' Butterfree and Beedrill emerged from the cracks and fading lights.

'Butterfree." Said Ash.

"And Beedrill too." Said Lucy.

"Butterfree is so beautiful." Said Misty.

"Beedrill looks so cool!" cried Lucy. Ash scanned Butterfree's entry with his Pokedex, and Lucy did the same with her Pokedex on Beedrill.

"Butterfree. One week after Caterpie evolves into Metapod, it evolves once again into Butterfree."

"Beedrill. The Poison Bee Pokemon and the evolved form of Kakuna. It can defeat any opponent with its poisonous stingers."

"It seems like only yesterday that Caterpie evolved." Said Ash.

"Dexter did say that it evolved faster than any previously discovered Pokemon of its variety." Said Lucy. Everyone heard buzzing in the distance.

"Here we go again!" cried Lucy.

"Here come the other Beedrill!" cried Misty.

"Free!" exclaimed Butterfree, which meant 'Let me fight them!'

"Yeah…" said Ash. "Okay, Butterfree, knock them out with your Sleep Powder attack!"

"Beedrill, while they're asleep, blast them away with Twineedle!" cried Lucy. Butterfree used its Sleep Powder as the Beedrill drew close. One Beedrill fell first, followed by another, and then another. Butterfree continued to use Sleep Powder, which put both the Weedles and Team Rocket to sleep.

"Yay, you put them all to sleep!" cried Ash. "Butterfree, you're the best!"

"Now, Beedrill!" cried Lucy. Beedrill used its stinger to blast a sleeping Team Rocket blasting off into the sky.

"That was incredible, Beedrill!" cried Lucy.

"You were both able to handle your Pokemon so well, even after they just evolved." Said Samurai. 'Most impressive!"

"Ash certainly has the makings of a Pokemon master." Said Lucy. Soon, Samurai, Lucy, Ash, Misty, Pikachu and Eevee were all at the exit to the forest.

"This trail will lead you right into Pewter City." Said Samurai.

"That's great, samurai. Thanks." Said Ash. "It's a shame we didn't get to have a proper finish to our match."

"Compared with you and Lucy, I am the novice here." Said Samurai. "I will continue to perfect my technique, and one day, we will meet again."

"I'm sure it will be a spectacular match." Said Ash.

"Just promise to never pit Metapod against Metapod again." Said Misty.

"Agreed." Said Lucy.

"Until next time, Samurai." Said Ash.

"See ya!" cried Misty.

"Farewell, Samurai!" cried Lucy. With team Rocket thwarted for now, Ash and his friends leave the Viridian Forest and set their sights on Pewter City. Meanwhile, Team Rocket was in a tree and wrapped up in cocoons.

"Do you have any more bright ideas?" asked James.

"Unlike you, I at least have ideas." Said Jessie.

"Yeah, and they're all bad." Said Meowth.

"Who asked you?!" cried Jessie. However, their fussing around caused the Beedrill and Kakuna in the tree to wake up.

"Uh oh." Said jessie and James. They cried in pain as the Beedrill and Kakuna stung them over and over again.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Party: Pikachu, Spearow, Butterfree, Pidgeotto

Lucy's Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Beedrill

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 5: Showdown In Pewter City

At nighttime just outside Pewter City, Jessie, James and Meowth were hard at work digging a pitfall trap.

"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!"

"Meowth!" cried Meowth. "I don't get why you two are always talking and I have to do all the work!"

"We haven't got much time. If they're heading for Pewter City, they'll have to pass this way." Said Jessie.

"And they'll fall right into our trap." Said James.

"Come on!" exclaimed Meowth. "Dig it deeper, and we'll cover it up so well, they'll never guess it's a trap. Ha! Perfect!" The moment they covered it, James instantly lost track of where it was.

"I can't even tell where the trap is!" he cried.

"Wasn't it here?" asked Jessie.

"Is this it?" asked James.

"Where did it go?" asked Jessie.

"I found it! It's over here!" cried Meowth.

"Hmm." They all said. The ground suddenly gave way beneath them and they screamed as they fell into the trap. Meanwhile, Ash and his friends finally found their way out of the Viridian Forest. No doubt some new and surprising challenges lay ahead for Ash, Lucy, Misty, Pikachu and Eevee.

"That must be Pewter City up ahead." Said Ash.

"I'm glad we finally got out of that forest." Said Lucy.

"Yay! Pewter City!" cried Misty.

"For a while, I thought we were going to be in that forest for the rest of our lives." Said Ash.

"Same here." Said Lucy.

"Pewter City is grey, the color of stone." Said an unknown voice. "This town has always been famous for stone."

"Who's this old guy?" asked Ash.

"Beats me. Never met him before in my life." Said Lucy.

"The name's Flint, and you're sitting on some of my merchandise." Said the stranger.

"Oh, sorry!" cried Ash.

"You actually sell rocks?" asked Lucy.

"Pewter City souvenirs." Said Flint. "Want to buy some?"

"No thanks. I'm traveling around trying to become a Pokemon master." Said Ash.

"I'm traveling with him." Said Lucy.

"Some of your Pokemon may be worn out, especially that Pikachu and Eevee there." Said Flint. "Why don't you all follow me? I'll show you to the Pokemon Center."

"Gee, thanks, Flint." Said Ash.

"He really is a nice guy after all." Said Lucy.

"Are you sure?" asked Misty.

"By the way, that's a two dollar charge for sitting on my merchandise." Said Flint. Everyone fell over in disbelief.

"Two dollars?! I don't even have a single cent on me!" Lucy cried.

"Maybe you should've thought of that before sitting on the rocks." Said Ash. Lucy simply growled at him.

"You're impossible sometimes." Said Lucy. The group made their way to the Pokemon Center.

"Please, revitalize our Pokemon." Said Ash.

"Sure thing, Ash, Lucy." Said Nurse Joy.

"Huh? Nurse Joy?" said Lucy.

"Yes, that's me." Said Joy.

"But this is Pewter City." Said Ash. "I know we saw you in Viridian City."

"I think you're mistaken." Said Joy. "The Joy that you saw in Viridian is my little sister. I'm the older one. My sister's told me nice things about you and Lucy, Ash."

"Uh, thank you." Said Ash.

"By any chance, did you two have a look at that poster?" asked Joy. Ash and company looked at the poster.

"The Pokemon Regional Championships! All right!" cried Lucy.

"Should we enter that?" asked Ash.

"Are you kidding me?! Of course we should!" cried Lucy.

"Then that's what we'll do. We'll enter the Pokemon league and win!" cried Ash.

"Let's head there right now!" cried Lucy.

"Guys, I hate to rain on your little parade, but you can't go there now." Said Misty.

"Why not?" asked Lucy.

"Because neither of you have any badges yet." Said Misty. "In order to compete in the regional championships, you have to beat trainers from different towns and win their gym badges as proof. Do the two of you think you can handle that?"

"Sure we can." Said Ash. "Oh, but that means Lucy and I could end up facing each other in that tournament."

"Don't think I'll go easy on you, Ash!" cried Lucy. She gave a playful wink as she said it. Flint gave a laugh.

"Don't tell me you two plan to challenge Brock, the Pewter City gym leader." He said.

"Of course we do." Said Ash. "Once Pikachu and our other Pokemon are better, we'll have no problem. Take us to this Brock guy's gym. Lucy and I will beat him!"

"Do you two really think you can win?" asked Misty. "Gym leaders are very much different than your average, every day trainer. They're much tougher. But I'll tell you what I'll do. If either of you ask me really nicely, I'll be more than willing to help you out."

"I've got that Bulbasaur that I caught in the Viridian Forest, so I'm set." Said Lucy.

"Thanks for offering, Misty, but I don't need your help." Said Ash.

"Is that so?" Misty retorted. "Fine with me then! You'll never win in Brock's gym!" She stormed out of the restaurant they had been eating at just as the check arrived at the table.

"Hey, you can't leave Lucy and I with the bill! Come back here!" cried Ash. Thankfully, Flint was kind enough to pay for the meal and then take them back to the Pokemon Center afterward.

"Good news, Ash and Lucy. Your Pokemon are all back to normal." Said Joy.

"Thanks a bunch, Nurse Joy." Said Lucy. Flint then led Ash and Lucy over to the Pewter gym. It was a huge building surrounded by giant grey boulders.

"So this is the Pewter gym?" Said Ash. Lucy let out a nervous gulp.

"It's much bigger than I envisioned it to be." She said.

"Eevee." Eevee cried, which meant 'The size of this building scares me a little bit.'

"It scares me too, Eevee, but we have to go inside if we want our first badge." Said Lucy.

"Are you two ready?" Flint asked. Lucy nodded with confidence.

"I know exactly who I'll be using." She said. Ash still looked a bit nervous.

"Let's just try our best, Pikachu." He said. They all burst in through the doors.

"Hello?!" Ash called out, but got no answer.

"Weird. The gym's open, but nobody's here." Said Lucy. An unknown voice bellowed out to them.

"Who goes there?" It called.

"You must be brock." Said Ash. "I'm Ash, from Pallet Town, and I challenge you."

"I'm Lucy, also from Pallet Town, and I challenge you too." Said Lucy. "You can go first, Ash."

"Thanks, Lucy." Said Ash.

"Is this your first gym matches?" brock asked.

"It is." Lucy answered.

"A gym match is different from regular battles." Said Brock. "This is for Pokemon League authorization. There are special rules."

"What does he meany by special rules?" asked Lucy.

"We'll use two Pokemon each." Said Brock. "Understood?"

"I think that answers your question." Said Ash.

"Well, Ash, how long have you and Lucy been with those Pokemon of yours?" asked Brock.

"About two weeks, I guess." Said Ash.

"Yes. I see that your Pikachu and Lucy's Eevee are both in their cutest stage." Said Brock.

"Pika." Pikachu blushed, which meant 'What can I say? Eevee and I were born cute.'

"They can't win." Brock added. Pikachu and Eevee nearly fell in disbelief.

"You worry about your Pokemon and we'll worry about ours, all right?" said Ash.

"Suit yourself. But as a gym leader, I'm required to accept every challenge." Said Brock. "So let's get this over with." With a snap of his fingers, the lights came on and the whole battlefield changed to reveal a bunch of rocks.

"Let the match begin!" Brock cried.

"Okay, Pikachu, I choose you buddy!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried the electric type, which meant 'I'm ready!' He ran out quickly into the battle area. Lucy had taken a seat in the spectator area.

"Why is he using an electric type in a rock gym?" she wondered to herself.

"Onix, go!" cried Brock. He tossed a Poke Ball and a giant rock snake creature materialized.

"So that's an Onix." Said Ash.

"It's huge!" cried Lucy. She grabbed her Pokedex and scanned it.

"Onix, the Rock Snake Pokemon. As Onix grows, its' body becomes as hard as diamond." Pikachu got intimidated and ran back to Ash. He then tried to tap the button on Spearow's Poke Ball.

"Pikachu, what are you doing?" asked Ash. "This is your battle, not Spearow's. Go."

"Pika." Pikachu shrugged, which meant 'Okay, if you insist.'

"I don't blame Pikachu for being intimidated by Onix's huge size and height." Said Lucy. "I would be too if I was staring a 28 foot and 10 inch tall rock snake right in the face. But besides that, Pikachu's electric attacks won't have any effect at all on rock types."

"Onix, Tackle attack!" Brock ordered. Onix went for the hard tackle, but Pikachu countered with its Agility to dodge the attack.

"That's really all Pikachu can do right now." Said Lucy.

"Onix, Bind it now!" cried Brock. Onix coiled himself around Pikachu and squeezed him tightly, making Pikachu cry out.

"Uh oh. Pikachu's in a lot of trouble." Said Lucy.

"Pikachu, try a Thunder Shock!" cried Ash. The move had no effect, however.

"Bad move, Ash. Rock and stone don't conduct electricity." Said Lucy.

"Your friend is right." Said Brock. "A weak attack like that can't possibly hurt Onix. You clearly haven't raised your Pokemon very well." Ash had to think fast.

'Pikachu, return!" he cried. He grabbed Pikachu's Poke Ball, but Onix's ongoing Bind attack kept blocking the recall beam.

"I can't bring it back!" cried Ash.

"I think he might just have to forfeit." Thought Lucy.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash, help!'

"CUT IT OUT!" Ash yelled.

"Do you surrender?" asked Brock. Ash sighed.

"I do." He said. The bell rang and Onix finally let go of Pikachu. Brock then recalled his Onix.

"Poor Pikachu." Said Lucy. She quickly got down from the spectator area and ran over to the battlefield.

"Okay, Brock, it's my turn now." She said. Ash went to where Lucy had been sitting so he could watch.

"Two Pokemon each." Said Brock.

"Got it." Said Lucy. Brock threw his first Poke Ball.

"Geodude, go!" he cried. A small, round rock with two arms materialized.

"Bulbasaur, go!" cried Lucy. The grass starter materialized from her ball.

"A much better choice for handling rock types." Said Brock. "Geodude, Tackle attack!" Geodude started charging at Bulbasaur.

"Quick, use your Vine Whip!" cried Lucy. Bulbasaur got his vines out and used them to block Geodude's attack.

"Poison Powder!" cried Lucy. Bulbasaur sprayed purple dust onto Geodude, making it cry from the purple bubbles that had formed from the dust.

"Oh no, it's poisoned!" cried Brock.

"That means its health will slowly go down after each subsequent attack." Said Lucy.

"Rock Throw, now!" cried Brock. Geodude threw small rocks at Bulbasaur, which hit the grass type and did some damage. The poison that was inflicted on Geodude weakened it more, however.

"Finish it with Razor Leaf!" Lucy ordered. Bulbasaur shot dark green leaves at Geodude, and the force of the attack, combined with Geodude's lack of speed, easily knocked out the rock type.

"Hooray! You did it, Bulbasaur!" cried Lucy. "Great job!" Brock recalled his fainted Geodude.

"I must admit, you're a much better battler than your friend." He said. But let's see if your Bulbasaur can handle my Onix!" He tossed Onix's Poke Ball and the giant rock snake materialized again. It gave a loud roar, slightly scaring Bulbasaur.

"Don't get intimidated, Bulbasaur." Said Lucy. "Just stay focused." Bulbasaur nodded and stared Onix down.

"Onix, bind that Bulbasaur." Said Brock. Onix tried to squeeze the grass Pokemon, but Lucy had other ideas.

'Oh no you don't." she said. "Razor Leaf, now!" Bulbasaur shot more leaves out, which struck Onix hard, but didn't do as much damage despite being super effective.

"You do know that Onix is much bigger than Geodude." Said Brock. "It'll take more than a simple leaf shower to take it down. Onix, dig underground!" Onix buried itself under the battlefield.

"Be careful, Bulbasaur." Said Lucy. "Onix can dig underground at fifty miles an hour, enough to cause a huge tremor! Try to stay alert so that you'll know when it pops up again." Bulbasaur kept its eyes and ears open, but Onix emerged again almost immediately, striking a surprised Bulbasaur and sending it to the ground.

"Bulbasaur!" cried Lucy. "Bulbasaur, can you get up?" Bulbasaur slowly started getting up, and then got back to its feet.

"There we go." Said Lucy.

"I thought for sure that Dig would've finished it, but I guess not." Said Brock.

"Okay Bulbasaur, use your Sleep Powder!" cried Lucy. Bulbasaur shot blue powder from his bulb all over Onix, sending it to the ground with its eyes closed.

"Onix, no!" cried Brock.

"Sorry, Brock, but it looks like this match is over." Said Lucy. Brock recalled the giant rock Pokemon and walked over to Lucy.

"You're one of very few challengers that was actually able to withstand Onix's powerful Dig attack." He said. "Your Bulbasaur battled very well for you too. For those reasons, I am happy to present you with the Boulder Badge." He handed Lucy a badge shaped like a grey boulder.

"Thanks a lot, Brock." Said Lucy. She held the badge up high.

"I got a Boulder Badge!" she cried. Eevee gave a victory pose, as did Bulbasaur, who Lucy immediately recalled. Ash got back down from the seats carrying Pikachu with him.

"Don't worry about your Pikachu, Ash, I'm sure he'll be fine." Said Lucy. Flint motioned for Ash and Pikachu to follow him.

"Come with me." He said. He took Ash and Pikachu to his shop, and Ash let Pikachu have a rest.

"Everyone loses sometimes. You can't let that get you down." Said Flint.

"But I didn't just lose, I flat out stunk!" cried Ash. "Brock's a lot better than me. I can't possibly enter a League match if I can't beat him."

"Your friend didn't seem to have any trouble with brock." Said Flint. "But that's likely because she used a grass type and they have an advantage over rock Pokemon. The point is, Brock's very good. His talent alone can take him much further than simply being the town's gym leader."

"But why has he never been in a regional championship himself?" asked Ash.

"He has his reasons." Flint answered.

"What do you mean?" said Ash.

"You'll see." Said Flint. Later, Flint and Ash saw Brock at home taking care of his siblings.

"I tore my skirt!" cried a child's voice.

"Don't worry, I'll sew it up for you." Said Brock.

"Is that really Brock in there?" Ash asked. Flint nodded.

"Is it done yet?" asked another child.

"Just a minute." Said Brock. Flint had seen enough and took Ash through the streets of Pewter City.

"Not only is Brock the gym leader, but he has to look after his family too?" said Ash. "I never thought of him like that."

"Brock has ten little brothers and sisters to take care of, so he could never leave town for a regional championship." Said Flint.

"He doesn't have a mom or a dad?" asked Ash.

"His good-for-nothing father left the family to become a Pokémon trainer and they never heard from him again." Said Flint. "Brock's heartbroken mother tried her best to hold things together, but, sadly, she passed away, Brock's the only one his little brothers and sisters have left."

"I don't think I should listen to any more sad stuff." Said Ash. "The next time I face Brock, I might not have the heart to beat him."

"I thought you said earlier that you could never win against Brock." Said Flint.

"I changed my mind." Said Ash. "If I can power up Pikachu, I can beat Brock for sure!" Flint pondered.

"I think I know a way you can supercharge Pikachu." He said. Later, Flint and Ash were at an unknown location.

"What's this place?" asked Ash.

"A hydroelectric plant." Said Flint.

"It looks more like a watermill." Said Ash.

"Well, some windmills generate electricity to power a town or city or any building that uses electricity." Said Flint. "A hydroelectric plant or a simple watermill like this does the same. The river turns the wheel and makes electricity, and if you hook Pikachu up to it, you might be able to give it a power boost."

"Thanks, Mr. Flint. That's a great idea!" cried Ash. "How do you know so much about Pokemon?"

"Uh…. well…I just got lucky. Yeah, that's it." Said Flint.

"Well, Pikachu, get ready to power up!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" yelled Pikachu, which meant 'Let's do it!'

"Just one problem." Said Flint. "The river is currently dry."

"Then what did we come here for?" asked Ash.

"Relax, I have another idea." Said Flint. Pikachu was soon attached to a small generator.

"Pikachu's all hooked up." Said Flint.

"Okay!" cried Ash. He struggled to get the wheel turning at first, but he was eventually able to get it to turn.

"All right!" he cried. Pikachu cried out in pain due to the high number of volts entering his body.

"Take it easy, Pikachu." Said Flint. "All this power may be shocking at first, but sooner or later, your body will get used to the high voltage." Misty and Lucy were watching everything from outside.

"Hey, Ash, wouldn't it be much easier to ask me for help instead of going through with this crazy plan of yours?" she said.

"She has a point." Said Lucy. "You may want to ask to use some of her water Pokemon. Or even better, you can even borrow my Bulbasaur if you want."

"Forget it, Misty! I'll win without your help!" Ash insisted.

"Fine! See if I care!" Misty cried.

"I'm going to win a badge by myself using the Pokemon that I'm training." Said Ash.

"He's being very stubborn right now, isn't he?" asked Lucy.

"That's one way of putting it." Said Misty. "You may have won with your own Pokemon, but that's because you had a type advantage, and Ash doesn't. It'd be a lot easier for him if he just used some of my Pokemon." As Ash kept going, Pikachu got more power.

"If I can take it, Pikachu, then so can you." Said Ash. "Just hang in there!" The generator soon hit the maximum amount of power it could hold.

"Huh?" said Flint.

"The generator's at max capacity." Said Lucy. "I think it's going to blow!" The whole plant was soon illuminated by a bright yellow light, and the next morning, Ash and his friends stood confidently outside Brock's gym.

"I'm back!" Ash yelled as he charged through the door.

"Haven't you learned your lesson yet?" asked Brock.

"We're ready for you this time, Brock!" cried Ash.

"he's way in over his head." Said Lucy. Misty nodded in agreement and the two of them went into the stands to watch.

"Two Poke Balls!" yelled Brock.

"Got it." Said Ash.

"I'll start with Geodude!" yelled Brock. He threw a ball and Geodude materialized. Lucy got her 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."

"He's likely saving Onix for last, like he did with me." Said Lucy.

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" cried Ash. The big flying type materialized out of the ball Ash threw.

"A flying type?" Lucy wondered. "That's not a good choice for rock types either."

"Go, Pidgeotto! Gust attack!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto whipped up a huge gust of wind at Geodude, but the move had little effect. Geodude charged at the flying type, and Pidgeotto tried to get away by flapping its wings, but that also didn't work.

"Bad strategy. Don't you know flying Pokemon are weak to rock types?" asked brock.

"I literally just said that." Said Lucy.

"Come on, Ash, use your head for once." Said Misty. Brock's siblings started to watch as well. Pidgeotto soon fell to the ground in defeat.

"Pidgeotto, return!" cried Ash. He quickly recalled Pidgeotto to its ball.

"You're not giving up again, are you?" asked Brock.

"Of course not." Said Ash. He pointed to Pikachu.

"Pikachu, I choose you!" he cried. Pikachu ran onto the battlefield. Lucy and Misty just shook their heads.

"This is going to be just like his first match." Lucy predicted.

"The Pikachu again." Brock remarked. "I feel sorry for it, being raised by such a weak trainer."

"Pikachu, now's our chance to show him how "weak" we are!" cried Ash. "Thunder Shock!" Pikachu launched the attack, which surprisingly, knocked out Geodude in just one hit. Brock, Misty and Lucy were stunned.

"That was unexpected." Said Lucy.

"Pikachu! Nice going." Said Misty. Brock held his Poke Ball out and returned Geodude.

"It looks like it's been trained better, but it's still no match for Onix! Go!" cried Brock. He tossed his other Poke Ball and Onix materialized again. Pikachu started firing electricity everywhere, hitting almost everything in sight.

"Hey Pikachu, watch where you're aiming!" yelled Ash.

"Yeah, you almost hit me and Misty!" yelled Lucy. Onix curled its tail around Pikachu to bind it.

"Pikachu, give it a Thunderbolt!" cried Ash. Pikachu pulled the attack off somehow, which made Onix cry out in pain.

"It's working!" cried Ash.

"Onix usually shouldn't be able to feel an attack like that." Said Lucy.

"Onix, Bind it!" cried Brock. Everyone watched in shock and awe at Pikachu's power, until Pikachu stopped due to the pain.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Onix, stop." Brock ordered. Onix let go of his tight grip on Pikachu.

"You should forfeit again." Brock advised. "Onix is clearly way too strong for your Pikachu to handle."

"No way, Brock. I want to play this match to the end!" Ash insisted.

"There's no point in going on. I don't want to hurt your Pokemon." Said Brock. Suddenly, a weird aroma started hovering around the ceiling.

"What's that smell?" wondered Lucy.

"It smells like smoke." Said Misty.

"Smoke!?" they both yelled in unison. The fire suppression system went off due to the smoke, sending water from the sprinklers spraying down onto the battlefield, making Onix roar in pain.

"Ash! Rock Pokemon are weakened by water!" Misty yelled from the seats.

"Water conducts electricity!" added Lucy. "This is your chance!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" cried Ash. Pikachu launched another attack, and due to mixing with the water, Onix fell to the floor in defeat.

"Onix!" cried Brock.

"You did it, Pikachu!" cried Ash. The celebration was cut short, however, as Ash was immediately jumped by Brock's siblings.

"How could you do that to Onix?" One of them yelled.

"Our big brother worked hard to raise him, you big bully!" yelled another one.

"Believe me, kid, I'm no bully." Said Ash.

"He's right." Said Lucy. Brock recalled his fainted Onix and addressed his siblings.

"Get off of him, all of you!" he yelled. "This is an official match, and we just finished it."

"But Brock, you love your Pokemon so much!" cried one kid.

"That's why we were shocked to see Onix suffer from that attack." Said another kid.

"I think I get it now." Said Lucy. "When Brock ordered for Onix to let go of Pikachu, he showed Ash mercy because he didn't want Pikachu to take another beating."

"The sprinklers going off may have been an accident, but I still won fair and square." Said Ash. Brock agreed and approached him gently.

"Since the sprinklers being activated was out of our control, and technically didn't break any rules, I can't issue any disqualifications." He said. "I didn't think Pikachu could actually beat my rock Pokemon, but just like your friend yesterday, I was quite impressed with how well you and your partner worked together. As proof that you won here at the Pewter gym, I hereby present you with a Boulder Badge." Ash held it up proudly, and Lucy and Misty smiled.

"He actually did it." Said Lucy.

"I got my first badge, the Boulder Badge!" he cried. Pikachu and Ash struck a victory pose. Lucy and Ash came down from the seats.

"That was an amazing battle, Ash." Said Misty.

"I can't believe you actually won despite not having a type advantage." Said Lucy.

"Honestly, neither can I." said Ash. Brock spoke up next.

"To tell you all the truth, I get more pleasure from raising Pokémon then from making them battle. I don't care about being a great Pokémon trainer, I wanna become the world's best breeder." He said. "Unfortunately, I can't leave here because I have to take care of my brothers and sisters."

"Brock, you just go and follow your dreams." Said a familiar voice.

"Hey, it's Flint." Said Ash. Flint removed his beard and hat, surprising everyone.

"My father." Said Brock.

"What?!" Misty said, clearly flabbergasted.

"You mean to tell us that Flint here is your dad?" Lucy asked Brock.

"You're the so-called good for nothing father that left and never came back?" Ash asked. He was clearly surprised by this turn of events, as was everyone else.

"That's right." Said Flint. "I couldn't become the great Pokémon trainer I wanted to, and because I was such a failure, I was too embarrassed and ashamed to go back to my family."

"But why did you help me instead of Brock?" asked Ash.

"Ash, you reminded me of myself." Said Flint. "You didn't seem to have a chance." Ash gave an embarrassing sigh.

"It's time I started taking care of my family." Said Flint. "Brock, you fulfill your dreams and I'll fulfill mine."

"First, there are some things that I have to tell you." Said Brock sternly.

"After all these years, I understand how you feel about me so I want you to get everything off your chest." Said Flint.

"Here." Said Brock. He handed Flint a needle and thread and started speaking again.

"Susie always rips her dresses, so you better learn how to sew, and Timmy only eats cold spaghetti for breakfast, Tommy likes cornflakes for dinner..."

"Slow down! I can't write that fast!" Flint cried.

"Cindy sleepwalks so you have to tie a bell on her wrist, and the twins never want to take a bath, so you have to..." Flint let out a sigh. He had a lot of work ahead of him. Later on at night, Brock was walking down the road with Ash and company.

"Hey Ash, are you sure it's all right if I go with you and Lucy on your Pokemon journey?" Brock asked.

"Sure we're sure." Ash answered.

"The more the merrier." Said Lucy.

"It'll also be nice for Lucy and I to have someone else to talk to." Said Ash.

"Say, who's that girl back there who keeps following the two of you?" Brock wondered. They looked behind them and saw Misty looking angrily at Ash and Lucy.

"Don't forget about my bike, Ash Ketchum and Lucy Peters!" she yelled. "I'm going to follow the both of you until you pay me back!"

"I know!" cried Ash. "Pikachu, let's try to lose her."

"Eevee, we should run too." Said Lucy. They started running down the road at full speed.

"Wait up, Ash, Lucy!" cried brock.

"You won't get away!" Misty yelled. With a new friend in tow, and Misty close behind, Ash and Lucy continue their quest to become Pokemon masters. Meanwhile, team Rocket finally popped up from underground.

"I told you I'd get us out of this." Said James.

"This was all….." said Jessie, but before she could finish, Ash, Lucy, Brock and Misty ran over Jessie, James and Meowth's heads, completely unaware of their presence.

"Your fault." Jessie finally finished.

"Hey, Ash!" cried Brock.

"Come on, Ash, wait up!" cried Lucy.

"You won't get away!" yelled Misty.

"Come back here!" yelled Brock.

"Ash, come on!" yelled Lucy. As the four of them raced ahead, the wind whistled above team Rocket and the hole they were stuck in.

"Buried alive and trampled." Jessie muttered.

"We've hit rock bottom." Jessie and James said together. As they did so, Jessie, James and Meowth all fell back down into the hole they had dug.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Party: Pikachu, Spearow, Pidgeotto, Butterfree

Lucy's Party: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur

 

[MarkL1987]

Character bios for Pokemon Do-Over:
Bio number 1 is for Ash Ketchum: 10 years old, and main star of the series. Wakes up late on his first day and ends up with Pikachu as his starter. Outfit consists of the same one he wore from the start of Kanto to the end of Johto

Bio number 2 is for the OC, Lucy Peters: 10 years old, and is smarter than Ash. Ends up with Eevee as her starter due to her and Ash both waking up late after having spent the night before the start of their journey sleeping over at Ash's house. Trainer outfit consists of a dark brown shirt, pink shorts and black hiking boots.

Bio number 3 is for Misty Waterflower: 10 years old (presumably) and leader of the Cerulean City gym. Expert on water types. Outfit consists of the same one from the series

Bio number 4 is for Brock Harrison: 15 years old (best guess) and the first gym leader Ash and Lucy face in Kanto. Loves rock types, especially Onix, and has ten other siblings. Outfit is the one he wore in the series

Bio number 5 is for Pikachu: Electric type, and Ash's first Pokemon. They don't get along at first, but starts trusting Ash after an incident with some Spearows.

Bio number 6 is for Eevee: Normal type, and Lucy's first partner. Unlike Ash and Pikachu, Eevee and Lucy hit it off immediately

Bio number 7 is for Jessie and James: Two main Team Rocket antagonists that Ash and his friends constantly have to deal with. Obsessed with trying to steal Ash's Pikachu and Lucy's Eevee

Bio number 8 (final one) is for Meowth: Third wheel of Team Rocket trio and is usually much smarter than Jessie and James

 

[Fennel]

Hello - I noticed that your fic hasn't received any reviews yet, so I'm dropping by to share some of my thoughts. I'm afraid I only have the capacity to look over one chapter today, but hopefully you'll find my comments helpful nonetheless.

I like the core concept of your fic, which is a rebooting of the anime but switching it up by giving Ash a new companion from the off. Things get off to a very quick start, with the reader being introduced to key characters like Ash, Lucy, Professor Oak and Gary in quick succession. The snappiness of how events unfold is a real strength here, and I felt nicely swept up in the progression of the plot, as the story felt like it didn't want to stand still for a moment longer than it had to.

The characters are also charmingly written, with it being obvious that Ash and Lucy are longstanding childhood friends who aren't afraid to say what's on their minds and have the odd moments of sass or talking back to each other. I think it's a nice way to shake up the formula presented in the anime and have Ash someone to bounce off of before we get to the point where (presumably) Misty and Brock will be joining him for his journey too. Similarly, Pikachu's rebellious antics are amusing and well-realised here.

One big question I am left with after reading the first chapter is how much to plan to deviate from the plot of the anime. You specify in your notes that this is a "reboot" of the show, and the piece is specifically titled a "do-over", but it seems like a lot of the story beats and plot points in the first chapter are almost identical to the first episode of the show, from Ash watching TV the night before he starts his journey, being given a Pikachu because he was late, his failed attempts to catch a Pidgey, being attacked by Spearow and eventually being saved by Pikachu, a mysterious mythical bird Pokemon appearing at the very end, et cetera.

I think a real benefit of fan fiction as a concept is the ability to take existing canon material and twist, change or otherwise totally re-interpret it with our own unique styles and ideas. As it is, I would love to see this fic make some interesting or exciting decisions to make itself feel more unique and distinct from the anime, as quite a lot of the story in the first chapter was hitting beats that I felt very familiar with. Some ways this could be achieved might be thinking about the characters: do they need to be written exactly as they're portrayed in the anime? Do all of the characters who appear in the show also need to be in the fic? Could some canon characters be replaced with OCs or removed altogether, and their role reinterpreted or shaken up? Similarly, it might be an interesting exercise to think about the new places we could take the plot and the story here instead of following Ash's anime arc super-closely.

Just to be clear though, there's nothing wrong with wanting to write a faithful text-based adaptation of the anime! I also realise that you're already five chapters deep into your story so it might be too late to take these thoughts into account - or you may have decided that faithfully retelling the story of the anime is definitely the direction you want to take with this fic, and that's totally cool too. But nonetheless, I finished the first chapter feeling like I would love to see what unique, distinct things might happen in your version of Ash's journey and what exciting and thrilling events might draw readers to your story that they wouldn't get from simply rewatching the anime again.

Moving on from plot stuff. I wanted to mostly focus on 'big picture' feedback in my review instead of nitty-gritty stuff, but I did want to briefly touch on a few pointers in regards to writing.

Firstly, I think there are some places in the text where dialogue feels slightly stilted and unnatural, which can break the immersion of the story a little. In particular, I felt this at the very start of the first chapter when Lucy interjects, "It does help that we both turned ten just a couple of days ago," which feels very much like a line of dialogue that solely exists to inform the reader of the fact that the characters just turned ten rather than being something natural or organic that a human being would say in this situation. I'm afraid I'm dreadful at giving specific advice on how to write realistic dialogue, but there are a lot of guides published online that can help give you pointers on how to write more natural and purposeful dialogue and also how to use dialogue to deliver exposition in a way that feels organic.

In a similar vein, I think there are some parts of the text that feel a little rushed and could benefit from some additional text, whether that be more information about what a character is doing or thinking, or more info about what's going on in a scene. For example, it would be interesting to see what sort of details we can observe within Oak's laboratory when Ash and Lucy enter it for the first time, or more about what the mysterious bird Pokemon looks like at the end of the chapter and how Ash and Lucy react to it after witnessing it fly past. Elaborating on key moments like these in your text can help give the reader a better picture of what a situation or the world feels like, which can add depth and richness to your writing.

I also noticed passages like this...

"You got it, Mrs. Ketchum." Said Lucy. Later that night, both Ash and Lucy were sound asleep and dreaming of picking each of the different starting Pokemon. The next morning, a Dodrio called to awaken the town. Ash and Lucy were still fast asleep, though.

... that have time jumps in them, or in this case, two. If a time jump occurs in your text, it's probably best to mark it with a new paragraph, as reading that time has skipped forward a few hours in a single line of text can be quite jarring.

I've already written quite a lot so I'll leave things there. Overall, I think you've done a good job of setting up your premise your characters and I'm definitely interested to see where you take the fic in subsequent chapters, whether or not you keep it very faithful to the anime or you take it in a different direction. Hope all that helps somewhat and have a great day!

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 6: Clefairy and the Moon Stone

Last time around, Ash and Lucy faced their toughest challenge yet, a match against a Gym Leader. Ash and Lucy were able to win a Boulder Badge, their first step towards competing in the Pokemon League. Now joined by brock, Ash and his friends continued their journey. But as they made their way out of Pewter City, little did they know that their next adventure would be out of this world!

Ash and his friends were hiking towards Mount Moon. Many strange tales have been told about the place, as the group is about to discover.

"Mount Moon!" Misty exclaimed. "Doesn't the name alone sound romantic?"

"They say that a huge meteor crashed into the mountain back in prehistoric times." Said Brock.

"A meteor!" exclaimed Ash.

"Is that really true, Brock?" asked Misty.

"The meteor is called the Moon Stone." Brock explained.

"Ah. Now that's romantic." Said Misty.

"Why would they call it the Moon Stone even though it's a meteor?" Lucy asked. But before Brock could answer that question, they heard a man screaming very loudly.

"Look! Over there!" yelled Ash as they dashed towards the scream. A colony of bats had surrounded the man, causing him to scream in fear on the ground.

"It's a bunch of Zubat!" Ash exclaimed.

"They're attacking that poor man!" cried Lucy. "Let's see what Dexter says about this." She quickly took her Pokedex out.

"Zubat, a flying Pokemon with supersonic powers. Zubat live in caves and hate to be outside in the daylight."

"Not these Zubat." Said Ash.

"Ash, this is no time for jokes." Misty snapped. "That guy needs our help, and he needs it now!"

"You're right, I'm sorry." Said Ash. "Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" Pikachu squeezed his cheeks together and unleashed the attack.

"Eevee, use your Swift attack!" cried Lucy. Eevee shot a barrage of yellow stars at part of the Zubat swarm. Pikachu's electricity sent the rest of the colony back into the cave whimpering.

"You did great there, Eevee." Said Lucy.

"That was awesome, Eevee." Said Ash. "You did well too, Pikachu." The man was now free from the swarm, but he was now lying face down in the ground.

"Are you okay, mister?" asked Ash.

"You guys are the greatest!" cried the man. He got up from the ground and hugged Ash and Lucy.

"Hey, easy on the hugs there, pal." Said Lucy.

"It was nothing." Said Ash. Lucy was able to free herself from the tight squeeze of the hug she had been given.

"Eevee?" Eevee asked her, which meant 'Are you all right, Lucy?' Lucy nodded her head in response.

"The only time I ever want to be hugged like that are from either you, Ash's mom or my dad." She said.

"I'm talking superfantabulastic!" the man exclaimed.

"That's not even a real word." Said Lucy.

"It is to him." Said Brock.

"I mean, two thumbs up! Way up! The best rescue ever!" cried the man. Pikachu had enough and squeezed his cheeks together, making them scream.

"I would've warned him about that, but…." Said Lucy.

"Yeah, I know." Said Ash.

"They say man's best friend is a Pokemon, and with you four, I believe it." Said the man.

"That's nice." Said Ash.

"I'm so moved!" he exclaimed to the siblings. "Such friendship that I never thought I'd see, when the Zubat began attacking me. I thought I was done for, when should arrive? Four heroes, thanks to whom I'm still alive! I'm alive! Thank you so much! Thank you!"

"He certainly doesn't look like the poetic type to me." Said Misty.

"Did I mention how grateful I am?" asked the man.

"Yes." Said Ash.

"Pardon me, mister, but why were the Zubat attacking you?" asked Lucy.

"Never call me mister!" cried the man. "Call me Seymour. Seymour the scientist. You want knowledge? You want research? Just ask me, Seymour the scientist!" Inside the cave, bright lights were hung up on the walls.

"The cave is all lit up inside." Said Seymour, pointing out the lights to Ash and the others. "Someone has strung these lights throughout the whole cave. But the Pokemon here need the dark. These lights are upsetting them and making them all confused."

"Which is probably why the Zubat left the cave and attacked you." Said Brock.

"Poor Pokemon." Said Lucy. Eevee sadly nodded in agreement.

"Look here." Said Seymour as they stopped by a group of Paras. "These Paras are planting their mushrooms everywhere, and the hot lights are drying up these Sandshrew."

"Pi." Said Pikachu sadly, which meant 'Those poor Sandshrew look so sad.' Eevee felt sympathetic for the Sandshrew too.

"That's why I'm here." Said Seymour. "I'm on patrol to protect the mountain from the troublemakers' attacks against these caves.

"I think I already know which troublemakers he's talking about." Lucy whispered to Ash.

"Why would troublemakers attack a cave?" asked Misty.

"I'm afraid it's because of the Moon Stone." Said Seymour.

"The Moon Stone?" both Ash and Lucy asked.

"Yes." Seymour answered. "The Moon Stone is an awesome boulder, a million years old or even older! Deep in these caves the meteor hides, though no explorer has found the place of the legendary rock from space! We've studied its fragments for many an hour and discovered that it increases a Pokemon's power! And that's why the attackers are here! They've come to take the Moon Stone, or so I fear!"

"Well, Lucy, did that answer your question?" said Brock.

"Yes, but he could've just explained it normally instead of rhyming the whole thing." Said Lucy.

"Ever since I was a little boy, I've believed for the Pokemon to come to Earth from outer space." Said Seymour.

"From outer space?" the group asked.

"Yes." Seymour answered, and then he continued. "And where, you ask, is the spacecraft that brought them here? Why in the cave! It's the Moon Stone!"

"It sure is an original theory." Said Misty.

"Yeah." Lucy replied in agreement.

"But don't you see? It means the Moon Stone belongs to the Pokemon!" Seymour explained. "We humans must not take it from them!" He then looked over at Ash and his friends.

"You agree with me, don't you?" he asked.

"Uh-huh." They all answered.

"Clefairy." Cried a high pitched voice, which belonged to a pink Pokemon with a spiral tail and small wings.

"That looks like a Clefairy." Said Brock.

"Aw, it's so cute." Said Lucy. Ash brought out his Pokedex.

"Clefairy. This impish Pokemon is friendly and peaceful. It is believed to live inside Mount Moon, although very few have ever been seen by humans." The Clefairy hopped away holding a rock in its hands.

"I've got to catch one." Said Ash.

"I want one of those too!" cried Lucy. Both of them grabbed a Poke Ball.

"You can't!" cried Seymour, grabbing both Ash and Lucy by the arm.

"Why not?" asked Lucy. The Clefairy hopped down a tunnel and out of sight.

"I'm sorry, but it's best if you both let the Clefairy stay here." Said Seymour.

"We understand." Said Lucy. Just then, the Clefairy screamed, and then gasped.

"Sounds like Clefairy is in trouble." Said Lucy. Further down in the tunnel, Clefairy was tightly holding its Moon Stone while being cornered by Meowth.

"Don't be scared of Meowth!" he exclaimed as Ash and the others ran into the room.

"It's Meowth!" cried Ash.

"Meowth! What are you twerps doing here?" Meowth bellowed.

"Looking for troublemakers like you." Lucy answered.

"Pika!" screamed Pikachu as he and Eevee ran over to the Clefairy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Don't worry, we'll protect you.'

"Fairy." Said Clefairy, which meant 'Thank you.'

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'No problem.'

"Clefairy!" yelled Clefairy, which meant 'Let's get rid of these troublemakers!'

"So, Team Rocket is causing all the trouble around here." Said Ash. "What a surprise."

"A silly surprise too, at that." Added Lucy.

"We've got to stop them before they cause any more trouble." Said Brock.

"Trouble?" wondered Jessie.

"Make that double trouble." Said James.

"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!" Jessie and James were holding a shovel and pick axe.

"They sure are show-offs!" yelled Seymour.

"Don't you three ever get tired of saying the same old thing all the time?" asked Ash.

"I was just wondering that exact same thing myself." Said Lucy.

"You're just jealous, boy." Said Jessie.

"Because we won't let you and your friend join us." Said James.

"Us? Join you? I think not!" proclaimed Lucy. Eevee gave a nod in agreement.

"We'd never join up with you anyway!" cried Ash.

"You put the lights up in this cave." Said Brock. "It's your fault that the Pokemon who live here are so confused."

"What a shame." Said Jessie.

"How will we ever forgive ourselves?" James sneered.

"We want to get our hands on the Moon Stone so we can power up our own Pokemon with it!" cried Meowth.

"With the Moon Stone in our possession, nothing will stop us!" Jessie added.

"Eevee." begged Eevee, which meant 'Please don't take the Moon Stone.'

"Huh?" asked Meowth. He looked over at Eevee. "Who are you?"

"Eevee." Said Eevee. She pointed to herself and Lucy.

"What's it saying, Meowth?" asked Jessie.

"It says that her name is Eevee and she belongs to that little girl over there." Said Meowth.

"And there's no way I'm letting you steal Eevee from me." Said Lucy. She wrapped her arms around her Pokemon.

"Oh, we will, little girl, because you don't have a choice." Said Jessie.

"We won't let you get away with it. You want a rock?" asked Brock. He showed them the rocks that were around them. "Take one of these. Then get lost."

"Get lost? How rude." Said Jessie.

"Let's teach that twerp some manners." Said Brock.

"Keep an eye on Seymour, Lucy and Clefairy." Ash instructed to Misty. "Make a run for it when you get the chance."

"Right." Said Misty.

"Let me help you, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Not yet, Lucy." Said Ash. He turned to Eevee. "You're our backup plan. Eevee, protect Lucy no matter what."

"Eevee." Said Eevee, nodding.

"Ready or not." Said Jessie. She and James jumped down and threw their Poke Balls.

"Ekans!"

"Koffing!"

"Butterfree, I choose you!" cried Ash, and he threw his Poke Ball.

"Here we go!" cried Brock, and he threw a Poke Ball of his own.

"Koffing!"

"Ekans!" Butterfree screeched loudly as it came out of its Poke Ball. Surprisingly, a Zubat also came out.

"A Zubat!" Ash exclaimed Ash, clearly surprised.

"I captured it just before we entered the cave." Said Brock.

"Aw man, I wish I had caught one." Said Ash.

"Koffing, Smog attack!" cried James.

"Koffing!" yelled Koffing as it released its smog.

"Butterfree, Whirlwind now!" cried Ash.

"Zubat, Double Team now!" ordered Brock. Both Butterfree and Zubat screeched loudly as they flapped their wings hard to push the smog back.

"What's this?" asked James as the smog came towards them.

"Not bad!" cried Ash.

"Quick, now's our chance!" cried Misty as she pushed Seymour. Lucy grabbed Eevee and followed Misty out of the cave. Ekans took a bite out of Butterfree.

"Butterfree!" Ash cried out.

"Koffing!" cried Koffing as it tackled Zubat.

"Zubat, hang on!" cried Brock. Unknown to them, Meowth snuck past them.

"Go Supersonic!" cried Brock. Zubat created a high pitched screeching sound, which confused Koffing and Ekans.

"Koffing?"

"Ekans?"

"Oh no!" cried James.

"Ekans! Koffing!" shouted Jessie.

"What's the matter with you weaklings?" asked James.

"Ekans and Koffing are getting confused." Said Brock.

"Butterfree, Whirlwind now!" yelled Ash. "Blow them all the way out of the cave!" Butterfree let out a loud screech before flapping its wings and creating a powerful wind at Team Rocket, causing them to scream.

"It's time Team Rocket blasted off." Said James.

"You may have won this round, but we'll be back!" James exclaimed at Ash and Brock.

"We did it! Yeah!" shouted Ash.

"Excellent teamwork!" shouted Brock. He and Ash proudly high fived each other.

"Hey, wait a second. Aren't we forgetting something?" wondered Ash.

"Yeah, something's missing." Said Brock. They both noticed it at the same time.

"Where's Meowth?" they asked.

"Clefairy!" cried Clefairy as it hopped out an opening.

"Oh no! Clefairy's getting away!" cried Misty.

"Wait for us!" yelled Lucy.

"Eevee!" Eevee called out after them.

"Clefairy!" cried Clefairy as it hopped away.

"Clefairy, come back!" yelled Seymour as he, Lucy, Eevee and Misty climbed after it.

"Meowth's got you now." Said Meowth.

"Fairy!" Clefairy screamed, which meant 'Help!'

"Clefairy!" shouted Misty as Clefairy jumped off the bridge. It hit Misty in the face, which caused Seymour, Lucy and Eevee to fall back and into the stream.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee. Lucy took Eevee's paw and helped her Pokemon up.

"All right, give Meowth the Moon Stone." Said Meowth. Lucy looked over at Clefairy.

"That's the Moon Stone?" Lucy wondered. "Knowing the Clefairy, I wouldn't hand it over either."

"Eevee." Said Eevee angrily, which meant 'Me either.'

"Meowth, I'm sure we can be reasonable about this." Said Seymour.

"No we can't." said Meowth. He got out his sharp claws.

"Not so fast there, Meowth." Said Misty, and she threw her Poke Ball into the water. A star-shaped Pokemon with a gem in the middle popped out of the ball.

"Staryu! Swift attack!" yelled Misty.

"Yow!" shouted Meowth as Staryu sent yellow stars out of its gem.

"Wow!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Nice work, Staryu!'

"Yow!" Meowth shouted again. He was now in pain.

"Water Gun, Staryu!" cried Misty. Staryu sent a powerful spray of water at Meowth, who started filling up with water and spit away.

"Bye Meowth, have a nice drip!" cried Misty.

"And don't come back!" added Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Stay away from here!'

"Clefairy!" yelled Clefairy, which meant 'Yeah, what Eevee said!'

"Staryu, return!" cried Misty. She recalled her Pokemon back to its ball.

"Is everyone all right?" asked Ash as he and Brock ran towards them.

"I'm fine." Said Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'All good!'

"We won't be bothered by Meowth anymore, thanks to Misty the mighty!" cried Misty. As the sun started setting in the sky, Ash and the others were sitting by the river.

"What's that?" Ash asked Brock, who was feeding his Zubat.

"This is special Pokemon food made from my own secret recipe." Said Brock. "The ingredients are specially blended for each Pokemon."

"Would you like to try some, Eevee?" asked Lucy. Eevee nodded and Brock handed Lucy a small portion of his Pokemon food. Lucy handed a piece to Eevee, who took a bite immediately. She gave a happy squeal afterwards.

"Looks like Eevee has a favorite." Said Brock, and he handed Lucy a can. Ash handed a piece to Butterfree, who ate it quite happily.

"How does it taste?" Ash asked Butterfree.

"Free!" Butterfree answered, which meant 'It's very good!'

"I've been developing it for years." Said Brock. "I keep improving on the recipe. I'll make a batch for Pikachu and Eevee."

"Eevee!" Eevee squealed, which meant 'Thanks, Brock!'

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, which meant 'Yeah, thanks a lot!'

"I'll try some." Said Seymour, and he popped some into his mouth. "Not bad."

"Really? Let me try." Said Ash. He tried one, but spit it out immediately.

"Ugh." He said. Brock noticed the look on Ash's face.

"Maybe you don't like it, Ash, but the Pokemon certainly do." Said Brock. Lucy tried one for herself.

"I think this batch is fantastic." She said.

"Glad you think so, Lucy." Said Brock.

"Eevee?" Eevee asked, which meant 'You're not going to eat that whole batch, are you?'

"Don't worry, Eevee, I'm not going to do that." Said Lucy. "I know it's for you."

"Pikachu." Pikachu said to Clefairy.

"Clefairy." Clefairy responded.

"Pika? Pikachu?" asked Pikachu.

"Clefairy." Said Clefairy.

"Pika." Said Pikachu.

"Pikachu makes friends so easily." Said Pikachu. "I wonder what they could be talking about."

"Me too." Said Lucy. Pikachu turned to the others.

"Pika, pi!" cried Pikachu, pointing to Clefairy.

"Clefairy!" cried Clefairy.

"What is it, Pikachu?" asked Ash.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee. She ran up to Pikachu.

'Clefairy." Said Clefairy, and it took off. The sun finally set, and Clefairy took them down a path.

"Pikachu, where in the world are you taking us?" asked Ash as Pikachu and Clefairy led them to a cave. Once they were inside, they let out a big gasp, for in the center of the cave was a huge Moon Stone.

"It's the core of the Moon Stone!" cried Seymour.

"That's big!" said Lucy. She and Eevee just stood in awe.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'That's the biggest stone I've ever seen!' She stretched out her paws to demonstrate the fact that it was bigger than both of them.

"This feels like a dream!" cried Misty.

"So the Moon Stone legend is true." Said Brock.

"Look, Clefairy's doing something." Said Ash.

"Clefairy!" cried Clefairy. It placed its portion of the stone next to he core, and then all of a sudden, all the fragments of the Moon Stone glowed, which made the core glow too. Then out of nowhere, more Clefairy stepped out from the shadows.

"There's so many of them." Said Misty. One of the Clefairy stepped forward.

"Clefairy." Said Clefairy. It bowed to Ash and the others.

"I think it's saying hello." Said Ash. Lucy and Eevee waved shyly at them.

"Yeah!" said Brock.

"Look at them." Said Misty, which caused the others to turn their attention to the Clefairy, who were hopping and spinning around the Moon Core.

"Amazing. These Clefairy have formed their own society." Said Seymour. "This is an incredible sight." Over on the side, Pikachu and Eevee were talking to Clefairy.

"Hey Pikachu, Eevee, what's Clefairy telling you?" asked Ash. Both of them began to tell Ash and Lucy what Clefairy told them.

"You understand them?" asked Seymour.

"Of course we do." Said Ash. "They're our Pokemon." Ash turned back to Pikachu and Eevee.

"The Clefairy collect all of these rocks and do the Macarena." He said. Eevee shook her head and Pikachu fell on his face.

"Eevee." Eevee groaned.

"Not it, huh?" said Lucy. Pikachu started picking up Clefairy.

"The Clefairy pick up?" asked Ash.

"A pick up truck?" asked Brock.

"Raising." Said Misty. Pikachu and Eevee both pointed to Misty.

"I got it." Said Misty.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'You're getting warm.'

"Sounds like raising." Said Misty.

"The Clefairy like raisins?" asked Ash and Lucy, then Pikachu pulled off a strand of Ash's hair. "Ouch!"

"Okay, raisins wasn't right either." Said Lucy.

"Pika." Said Pikachu. He showed the strand of hair.

"What rhymes with hair?" asked Misty.

"Good question." Said Lucy.

"How about hair?" said Brock. "That rhymes with prayer."

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'You're close.' He held up a sign with a letter O on it.

"The Clefairy pray to the Moon Stone!" exclaimed Ash.

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Right.' He held up another sign.

"Is that true, Eevee?" asked Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Very true.' Seymour looked up at the Moon Stone in the center of the cave.

"Is it because the Moon Stone fell from the heavens?" asked Seymour.

"Maybe the legends are true then." Said Misty. "Maybe the Moon Stone really did come from space."

"Yeah." Said Ash. Lucy gave an agreeing nod.

"Of course! It all makes sense now!" cried Seymour.

"What does?" asked Lucy.

"Outer space!" Seymour exclaimed. "Pokemon and the human race will ride into outer space! First to the moon! Then to Mars! Then together to the stars!"

"Stars? That's our cue!" Meowth shouted.

"You guys just don't know when to quit, do you?" asked Ash. Misty and Lucy stuck their tongues out at them.

"You guys better keep away from the Moon Stone or else!" cried Seymour.

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Scram.'

"Clefairy!" Clefairy yelled, which meant 'Yeah, keep away or else!'

"Or else?" questioned James.

"I think we're being threatened." Said Jessie.

"That Moon Stone belongs to the Clefairy, not you troublemakers." Said Seymour. His knees were now shaking. "Leave this cave at once!"

"What's that unusual sound?" asked James.

"His knees are shaking." Said Jessie.

"Sounds like a wimp." Said Meowth.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Weirdos.'

"Pika." Pikachu agreed, which meant 'Yep. Definitely weirdos.'

"I heard that, short stop!" yelled Meowth. "We are no weirdos."

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Don't care.'

"I'll show you!" cried Seymour.

"Seymour, don't." said Ash. Seymour started running towards Team Rocket, only to trip over Meowth's foot."

"Did you have a nice trip?" asked Meowth.

"My glasses!" cried Seymour. "I can't see a thing!" He looked all over the ground to find his glasses.

"Oh, Seymour." Said Misty and Lucy.

"That wasn't fair." Said Ash.

"All's fair in a Pokemon match, boy." Said Jessie.

"Enough talk!" yelled James.

"I agree! Let's go, Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Let's show these bad guys!'

"Go for it, Eevee!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" Eevee squealed.

"Onix, let's go!" yelled Brock.

"Koffing!"

"Ekans!" Over in the back, the Clefairy were whimpering. Onix was out of its Poke Ball as Pikachu and Eevee jumped onto his head.

"Let's show them that size doesn't matter!" cried Jessie. "Ekans, underground!"

"Koffing, Smokescreen!" shouted James.

"Ekans!" hissed Ekans as it went underground and Koffing spread its smokescreen.

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Yuck.' The smoke caused Ash and Lucy to cough.

"A little smoke won't stop us!" cried Ash. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!"

"Beedrill, come on out!" cried Lucy. Pidgeotto and Beedrill both materialized.

"Pidgeotto!" screeched Pidgeotto.

"Drill!" yelled Beedrill.

"Beedrill, help Pidgeotto with the smoke." Said Lucy. Both Pidgeotto and Beedrill easily cleared the smoke away. Then they noticed that something important had disappeared.

"The Moon Stone's gone!" cried Ash.

"Team Rocket stole it!" cried Misty.

"This match was just a trick so that they could sneak away with it." Said Ash.

"Oh, I hate Team Rocket so much!" cried Lucy. She stomped her foot angrily.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'So do I, Lucy.' She punched a space of empty air in protest.

"I don't blame you, Eevee." Said Misty.

"Us girls can beat Team Rocket together." Said Lucy.

"Eevee?" Eevee asked curiously, which meant 'You can?'

"That's better than what my idea would've been." Said Misty.

"Onix, follow them underground!" yelled Brock. Onix roared as it went.

"There's still a chance to catch them!" yelled Ash as they ran out of the cave. Meanwhile, Seymour was on his hands and knees trying to find his glasses when a Clefairy picked them up and handed them to him.

"Oh, thank you." He said. He took his glasses and put them back on. "But why aren't you chasing after the troublemakers who stole your Moon Stone?"

"Clefairy." answered Clefairy, which meant 'I haven't the foggiest.'

"The Moon Stone is important to you, isn't it?" said Seymour. "It's your responsibility to get it back from those robbers. Do you understand me?"

"Clefairy." Said Clefairy, which meant 'I understand.' Outside the cave, Team Rocket was sliding down with the Moon Stone.

"Nice guys always…" said Jessie.

"Finish last." Finished James.

"We just went from worst to first!" cried Meowth. Out of nowhere, Onix appeared, giving a roar as it surfaced and Team Rocket screamed as they crashed into Onix.

"Got them!" cried Ash.

"Nice work, Onix. Grab them now!" ordered Brock. Onix roared as it went for Team Rocket.

"Koffing, counter attack!" cried James.

"Koffing!" wheezed the poison type, but right when it made contact, Onix flipped it back into the ground.

"Onix!" cried Brock as both Onix and Koffing were on the ground.

"Hey, look!" cried Ash.

"It's Seymour." Said Misty as Seymour popped his head out of the hole. Lucy walked over to Meowth.

"Now this is what I call a surprise, Meowth." She said. She glared angrily at the cat as the Clefairy hopped out of the hole.

"Meowth! What's going on?" asked Meowth. Clefairy placed its index fingers in the air, and soon, they all began to sing.

"What are they doing?" asked Jessie.

"They're just waving their fingers around." Said James.

"This way, and that way, and this way, and that way." Said Meowth. They started following the waving.

"I'm getting dizzy." Said Misty. She and the others were doing the same motion.

"I find this quite soothing." Said Lucy.

"This is an attack that Clefairy use called metronome." Said Seymour.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'Metronome?'

"Eevee." Eevee squealed, which meant 'I've never heard of that attack.'

"I've never seen the Clefairy use Metronome before." He said. "Who knows what'll happen next?" Right as he said that, a bright white light appeared, the ground broke apart, a red light appeared in the sky and there was a boom.

"Well, it looks like Team Rocket is…" said Jessie.

"Blasting off again!" cried James.

"That was the Metronome." Said Meowth.

"I give it two thumbs down." Said Jessie.

"Me too." Said James.

"Meowth three!" cried Meowth.

"Wow!" cried Ash. There was now a hole in the ground.

"The Moon Stone." Said Seymour. Shards of stone fell from the sky.

"Clefable." Said one as it evolved. Several Clefairy also began to evolve into Clefable.

"The Clefairy are…" said Brock.

"Evolving." Said Lucy. She grabbed her Pokedex so she could get a scan.

"Clefable. An advance form of Clefairy. These unique creatures are among the rarest Pokemon in the world."

"The power of the Moon Stone did this." Said Seymour as the Clefairy and Clefable talked to each other. A Clefable suddenly walked up to Lucy and handed her a piece of the Moon Stone.

"Is this for me?" asked Lucy. The Clefable nodded.

"Clefable." It said, which meant 'It's a little reward for saving our home from Team Rocket.'

"Thanks, Clefable." Said Lucy.

"Clefable." Clefable replied, which meant 'You're welcome.'

"I've decided to live here with the Clefairy." Said Seymour.

"Huh?" the group said.

"It's been my life's dream to find the Moon Stone." Said Seymour. "Someday I will travel to the stars with the Clefairy."

"Wow." Said Misty.

"When you do visit outer space, I hope you send us a postcard." Said Brock.

"It would be awesome if all of us could go to the moon." Said Lucy.

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'I'd love to see the moon up close.'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'So would I.' The group was about to leave the cave when two of the Clefairy approached Lucy and Ash. They both hopped up and down excitedly and pointed to the two of them.

"What is it now, Clefairy?" asked Lucy.

"I think these Clefairy would like to go with you on your Pokemon journey." Said Seymour. "Think of this as them rewarding you for helping to protect their home."

"Is that true, Clefairy?" asked Lucy. "You really want to come with Ash and I?" The two Clefairy both nodded.

"We're glad to have you aboard!" cried Ash. He and Lucy both grabbed an empty Poke Ball and aimed them at the Clefairy.

"Poke Ball, go!" they both cried. The Clefairy were both sucked in, and although they both wiggled around a bit, both of the balls made the ping sound to signify a successful capture.

"We did it!" they both cried. "We caught a Clefairy!" They picked up the Poke Balls and held them up proudly. Pikachu and Eevee both struck a victory pose.

"The Clefairy will be very happy with the two of you." Said Seymour. "Goodbye, everyone."

"Goodbye, Seymour." They all said. They also said goodbye to the Clefairy before finally leaving the cave.

"Do you really think the Clefairy and Clefable came from outer space?" asked Lucy.

"It's fun to imagine that they did!" cried Misty. The foursome then came to a fork in the road.

"This way to Cerulean City." Said Brock. "Well, I guess we're heading the right way." He then noticed something scribbled on the sign. "There's something else written here."

"Well, they say that some kids like to write silly notes on these signs." Said Ash.

"I don't think you'll be happy with what's on this one, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'Why won't he like it?'

"You'll see, Eevee." Said Lucy. "You're lucky you haven't met this guy yet." Ash looked at the sign so he could see what it was saying.

"Gary was here. Losers?!"

"I think he's about to blow a gasket." Said Lucy.

"Oh, that Gary! I'll show him!" Ash yelled furiously. He started running off down the road.

"What's his hurry?" asked Misty.

"He'll never learn." Said Brock. Lucy took off after her friend.

"Ash, wait up!" she cried. As Ash tries desperately to catch up with Gary, the burning question is: Is he headed for victory, danger, or disaster?

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Party: Pikachu, Spearow, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Clefairy

Lucy's Party: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur, Clefairy

In response to the review that Fennel gave me earlier, which I do appreciate btw, I do have a flashback scene involving Lucy in mind that I will be saving for a future part. I won't go into detail about that specific sequence at the moment, however, as I don't want to spoil anything.

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 7: The Waterflowers Of Cerulean City

With the determination of becoming Pokemon masters firmly rooted in their minds, Ash and Lucy continue their journey gaining skill, knowledge, and a few new Pokemon along the way. Their fierce battles with Brock back at the Pewter City gym resulted in both of them earning a Boulder Badge as well as a new friend. Brock is hoping to become a Pokemon breeder, and so he decided to join Ash, Lucy, and Misty on their travels, along with many other friends like the Clefairy that Ash and Lucy obtained at Mount Moon. But with Gary way ahead of them, Ash and Lucy are still playing catch up. Who knows what lies ahead for them as the journey continues.

The group was calmly walking down the road and heading towards Cerulean City.

"It's a great day for Lucy and I to sit back and enjoy the sunshine." Said Ash.

"And while you're enjoying the sunshine, Gary Oak is out there somewhere catching more Pokemon." Said Brock. Ash almost fell over in embarrassing fashion.

"Brock does have a point, Ash, and a very valid one too." Said Lucy.

"But I guess it's also possible for a Pokemon trainer to capture Pokemon and enjoy the sun." Brock added.

"Also a valid point." Said Lucy.

"Pika?" wondered Pikachu, which meant 'How is it possible to do two things at once?'

"Eevee." Eevee answered, which meant 'I have no idea.' Misty soon came running up to them.

"Hey! Wait a minute! Where do you three think you're going?" she asked.

"Oh, I already know where we're going." Answered Ash. "Cerulean City."

"Cerulean City? What are you going there for?" asked Misty.

"It's really none of your business." Said Ash.

"Ash!" snapped Lucy. She then gave a proper answer. "Ash and I are going there to earn another trainer badge, and I already know who I'm going to use for the gym when we get there."

"Ash, Lucy, you really don't want any Pokemon from there. Trust me." Said Misty.

"Why not?" asked Lucy.

"Because they're all….." started Misty.

"They're all what?" Lucy and Ash both asked.

"Very scary ghost Pokemon that look like this!" she exclaimed. She made an expression as a demonstration. "Like monsters!" Everyone laughed, for the most part. Pikachu, Eevee, and Brock didn't find it so funny, though.

"Nice face, Misty." Said Ash.

"Everyone knows that all the ghost Pokemon live in Lavender Town." Said Lucy. "Now then, let's go."

"Hey! Wait a second!" cried Misty. She bounced in front of the group to block their path. "What about Vermillion City instead? It's right on the water and there are lots of neat Pokemon, and you can watch all the giant yachts pulling into the harbor. There's even a little park way up on a hill where you can just sit and watch the sunset, that's so romantic. It's much nicer than that old Cerulean City that you guys are talking about, so let's get going!"

"Misty sure is acting weird." Lucy whispered to Eevee.

"Eevee." Eevee replied, which meant 'That's putting it mildly.'

"Okay! Let's go!" cried Ash.

"Really?" asked Misty hopefully.

"To Cerulean City." Ash replied. Misty fell over in disbelief.

"Lucy and I have to earn more trainer badges, Brock." Said Ash. "And since Cerulean City has a gym…."

"It's the closest place for us to go." Said Lucy.

"Makes sense to me." Said Brock.

"Aw! I never wanted to end up back here!" cried Misty. She had done everything possible to try and stop her friends from going to Cerulean, but alas, her efforts were all in vain, and she would now have to return to Cerulean no matter what.

At nighttime, before the group's arrival into the city, Team Rocket was in the process of a robbery.

"The coast is clear." Said James.

"Nothing to fear." Said Jessie.

"Nobody here." Said Meowth. The three of them landed on the ground from a vent they had been crawling through and looked around the store until they found what they were searching for.

"Well, it looks like we found it." Said James.

"Just what we need to get just what we want." Said Jessie.

"Pokemon!" cried Meowth. The three of them left before they could be spotted.

The next morning, the group finally arrived in Cerulean City.

"So this is Cerulean City, huh, Brock?" said Ash.

"Pretty nice place." Brock answered.

"Yeah, pretty cool." Said Lucy. Ash then noticed that somebody was absent.

"Hey, this is weird." He said.

"What is?" asked Lucy.

"Misty's not following us anymore." Ash answered.

"That IS weird." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Very weird.'

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Indeed.'

"She really did say that she didn't want to come here, didn't she?" Said Brock.

"She was definitely against the idea." Said Lucy.

"I wonder why she hates this place so much." Said Ash.

"There has to be a reason." Said Lucy.

"Ah, we'll never understand her." Said Ash.

"Now, Ash, let's not be upsetting her." Said Lucy. "She is our friend, after all." They soon saw a crowd of people and the police standing outside of a vacuum store.

"Police? I wonder what happened here." Said Ash.

"Let's find out." Said Lucy. They approached the officers.

"Excuse me, do you know what happened here?" asked Ash.

"Some burglars broke into the store last night." Answered Officer Jenny.

"Burglars, huh?" Ash wondered.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'I bet I know who those burglars are.'

"Eevee." Eevee agreed, which meant 'I think I know too.'

"What do you kids know about burglars?" asked Jenny.

"Huh?" wondered Ash.

"You all look very suspicious to me." Said Jenny.

"Hey! We know you! You're the motorcycle officer Lucy and I met in Viridian!" cried Ash.

"Huh?" asked Jenny. "Oh, you mean my sister-in-law. If you know here, then that means you likely dealt with the police back in Viridian. Now, maybe you stopped to ask her for directions. Or maybe you found a wallet on the street and returned it. Or maybe you're all criminals that just broke out of jail!"

"I've never been to jail!" cried Ash.

"Neither have I." said Lucy.

"Sure. That's what they all say." Said Jenny.

"We only just got into town and we were wondering what was going on." Said Ash.

"The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime." Said Jenny.

"We're not…." Brock started, but Ash quickly interjected.

"Maybe this will clear things up." Said Ash. He brought out his Pokedex to verify his identity.

"I'm Dexter, a Pokedex programmed by Professor Oak for Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town." Lucy got her own Pokedex out and opened it up.

"I'm Dexter, a Pokedex programmed by Professor Oak for Lucy Peters of Pallet Town."

"And I used to be the leader of the Pewter City gym." Said Brock. He showed a Boulder Badge as proof.

"Well, that's enough evidence for me. I'm sorry I was suspicious." Said Jenny. "Now I'm suspicious of my sister-in-law. She sure has some weird tastes in friends."

"Uh, miss?" asked Brock.

"Yes?" asked Jenny.

"I was wondering, since I'm new in town, maybe we can get together for dinner tonight and you can show me around." Brock proposed.

"Oh great, he's a girl lover." Lucy groaned.

"I'm not off duty until it's past your bedtime." Said Jenny. "I might even have to work around to clock in order to catch these burglars."

"What exactly did they steal?" asked Ash.

"Here's what makes this even more strange." Said Jenny. "They didn't take any money, just a massive vacuum and a giant hose."

"What would anyone want that stuff for?" asked Lucy.

"I'm sure I don't know, young lady." Said Jenny. "What I do know is that I have no time to play any guessing games with you because I have work to do and you kids need to move along." She then gave a loud blow on her police whistle. "Okay, people! Nothing to see here! Show's over! Break it up!" The group made their way out of the huge crowd and went down the street.

"It's a good thing Lucy and I had our Pokedexes and you had your gym badge, Brock." Said Ash.

"Hey Ash, don't you think it's time we made our way to the Cerulean gym?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, you're right." Said Ash. "Hey Brock, you have any inside info on the gym leader here? I want to find out as much as I can about him or her before the match. Know yourself, know your adversary, and you hold the key to victory."

"You sure know some pretty deep stuff, Ash." Said Brock.

"I learned that from Dexter." Said Ash.

"Knowing you, Ash, you're probably going to use Pikachu." Said Lucy.

"Of course." Said Ash. "Now Brock, about that information on the gym leader here."

"Well, I never actually met the leader here, but I know their Pokemon's special move." Said Brock.

"Special move?" wondered Ash. "What is it? You have to tell me!"

"Ash, you can't just demand information like that." Said Lucy.

"Lucy's right." Said Brock. "I'm sorry, Ash, but I can't give you that information."

"Why not?" asked Ash.

"I'm a gym leader myself, so I can't tell you out of respect." Said Brock. "You understand that, don't you?"

"I guess." Said Ash.

"Well, I need to go. There's some stuff I have to check out." Said brock.

"What kind of stuff?" asked Ash.

"Just stuff." Said Brock. "I can't tell you what that is either. I'll see you later." He walked away on his own.

"Unbelievable. First Misty disappears on us, and now Brock is acting suspicious." Said Lucy. "This is certainly a strange day."

"Tell me about it." Said Ash. "Well, let's get going. That gym isn't going to find itself." Ash and Lucy were soon walking down the street trying to find the Cerulean City gym.

"It should be right around here somewhere." Said Ash. The gym soon came into view.

"There it is!" cried Lucy. They hurried inside, and right away, they noticed how big the place was.

"Look at all the water Pokemon that are here!" cried Lucy. She noticed a Dewgong, a Seaking and a Vaporeon swimming by. "They're all so adorable!"

"I think that's a strong clue as to what kind of Pokemon we'll be battling against here." Said Ash. They soon heard an announcer's voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the stars of our show, The Sensational Cerulean City Synchronized Swimming Sisters!" cried the voice.

"Sensational Sisters? What?" asked Ash.

"I guess we dropped in on a performance." Said Lucy. "It looks like in addition to this being a Pokemon gym, they do shows here too." The Sensational Sisters, according to the announcer who was introducing them, were named Daisy, Lilly, and Violet. Ash, Lucy, Pikachu, and Eevee all watched the show in awe. They were quite impressed with what they saw. After the show had finished, the sisters all complimented each other on how the performance had gone.

"The crowd was totally awesome!" cried Violet.

"I know, that was go great." Said Lilly.

"Daisy, that dive you did was super." Said Violet.

"The practice really paid off." Said Daisy.

"Excuse us." Said Ash. The sisters turned to look at Ash and Lucy.

"I'm sorry, but if you want an interview, you have to, like, call our manager." Said Lilly. "We also don't do autographs either.

"We don't want autographs." Said Ash.

"We're also not reporters either." Said Lucy. "All we want to know is if this is the Pokemon gym."

"It sure is." Said Daisy.

"Well then, can you tell us who the gym leader here is?" asked Ash.

"You're looking right at them." Said Daisy. "The three of us are the gym leaders here."

"We're the Sensational Sisters." Said Lilly.

"I'm surprised you haven't heard of us. We're world famous." Said Violet.

"What was with all the swimming earlier?" asked Lucy.

"It's, like, our hobby, and people pay good money to watch us do it." Answered Lilly.

"We pool our talents together to make a big splash." Added Violet. The sisters laughed, but Ash and Lucy didn't find the joke to be very funny.

"Enough nonsense! Lucy and I challenge all three of you!" Ash cried.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Let's go!'

"Bring it on!" cried Lucy. The three sisters quickly changed their tone to one of disinterest.

"We don't really feel much like battling anymore." Said Daisy.

"Why? What do you mean?" asked Ash.

"We just got beat three times in a row by kids from this place called Pallet Town." Said Violet.

"That's where Ash and I are from!" cried Lucy.

"It was one defeat right after another. My head was practically spinning from all the losses." Said Violet.

"We practically had to rush all of our Pokemon to the Pokemon Center." Said Daisy. Lilly held up a Poke Ball.

"This is all we have left." She said. She tossed the ball and out popped a Goldeen.

"You mean that all you have is a Goldeen?" asked Ash. Lucy took the opportunity to scan it.

"Goldeen, the Goldfish Pokémon. It is known as either the Water Princess, Water Queen, or Water Dancer because its tail fin billows like an elegant ballroom dress. It can also use its tail to swim at a speed of up to five knots." Lilly quickly recalled it.

"If it would evolve into Seaking, we could use it. But all it can do now is its Horn Attack." Said Violet.

"So, like, there's no point in battling." Said Daisy.

"Now, instead of having matches, we have time to make ourselves look more beautiful than ever." Said Lilly.

"I don't believe this." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Me either.'

"I know what you two want." Said Daisy. She clapped her hands twice. "Seel!" A Seel popped out of the pool with two badges stuck to its tongue.

"That Seel is so cute!" cried Lucy. She got her Pokedex out again.

"Seel, the Sea Lion Pokémon. The horn on its head is hard enough for it to bash through ice. It can also swim in water with a temperature of either 14 degrees Fahrenheit or forty below zero." Daisy grabbed the badges from Seel's mouth.

"This is what you both came here for, right?" she asked.

"Well yes, but….." Ash stammered.

"You can both have it." Said Daisy.

"Thanks for the offer, but I would prefer to earn my badges." Said Lucy. "I think Ash would prefer that too."

"You're absolutely right there, Lucy." Said Ash.

"I mean, there's no point in winning badges if the gym leader is just going to hand them over like pieces of candy." Said Lucy.

"Just take it. A badge is a badge." Said Daisy.

"I don't know about this." Said Ash.

"I feel just as guilty as you do, but I'm not going to argue with these girls." Said Lucy. She and Ash were about to take them when somebody familiar burst in.

"Hold it right there!" cried Misty. Everyone was very shocked.

"Misty?!" cried Lucy.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Misty! You're back!'

"All right, Daisy. If you won't battle them, then I will!" cried Misty.

"What do you mean?" asked Ash.

"You're a gym leader too, Misty?" asked Lucy. "You could've said something before.

"I'm sorry about that, but I'm telling you right now, straight up, and in person." Said Misty. "I'm a Cerulean City gym trainer too. I'm the fourth Sensational Sister!"

"Excuse me? There are only three Sensational Sister and one runt." Said Lilly. Misty let out an angry growl.

"Well, little sister, it's a surprise to see you back here so soon." Said Daisy.

"That little girl with the big mouth who vowed that she would never come back here until she was a great Pokemon trainer, wasn't that you?" said Violet.

"I guess I did say something like that when I left." Said Misty.

"So that was why Misty didn't want us coming here." Said Lucy.

"Misty, you left here pretending you wanted to become a Pokémon trainer because you couldn't compare with us because we're obviously much more talented and beautiful than you are." Said Lilly. Misty was more angry now. Ash wanted to interject, but Lucy stopped him.

"We should probably stay out of this." She said.

"That wasn't the reason at all!" exclaimed Misty.

"Well then, I guess, like, you came back because you couldn't cut it as a Pokemon trainer." Said Daisy.

"It wasn't my idea to come here!" screamed Misty. She pointed angrily to Ash and Lucy "I'm only here because these two wanted to come!"

"Well, Ash is totally not somebody I would choose to be my boyfriend, but you do you." Said Daisy.

"Boyfriend?!" cried Misty. "If I battle him, as well as his friend, it'll prove that I'm NOT a quitter and I'm just as good a trainer as you three!"

"Well, you are the only one with Pokemon that can actually battle." Said Daisy.

"Ash, can I go first this time?" asked Lucy.

"Be my guest." Said Ash. "I'll battle her afterwards."

"All right, Lucy, are you ready to rumble?" asked Misty.

"ready as I'll ever be!" cried Lucy. The two trainers took their spots on the field, with Daisy acting as the judge.

"This battle pits Cerulean City gym leader Misty against challenger Lucy from Pallet Town." She said. "You'll use two Pokemon each, with no time limit. A Cascade badge is at stake. Trainers, send out your first Pokemon and good luck."

"Staryu, go!" cried Misty. She threw the Poke Ball and her Staryu materialized. Lucy grabbed a ball and tossed it.

"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" she cried. The grass type starter materialized instantly.

"Staryu, start with Swift!" cried Misty. Staryu shot yellow stars out of its gem, striking Bulbasaur.

"Hang in there!" cried Lucy. "Use your Vine Whip!" Bulbasaur shot out its vines, but Staryu dove into the water to dodge the move.

"Maybe Misty's not such a bad trainer after all." Said Daisy.

"Water Gun!" cried Misty. Staryu fired a blast of cold water at Bulbasaur, but the grass type resisted the attack.

"Razor Leaf!" Lucy ordered. Bulbasaur fired dark green leaves at Staryu, striking the water type hard.

"Staryu!" cried Misty.

"Well done, Bulbasaur!" cried Lucy. "Looks like this first one's in the bag.

"Oh really?" said Misty. "Staryu, Recover!" Staryu shook off the effect of Razor Leaf and looked fresh. Lucy was surprised.

"That just negated all the damage we did." She said. "I'll have to try something else. Try using Stun Spore!" Bulbasaur fired gold dust at Staryu.

"In the air for a flying Tackle!" cried Misty. Staryu dodged the dust in time and flew across the field, knocking Bulbasaur off his spot and into the water.

"Bulba!" it cried.

"Bulbasaur, get out of there!" cried Lucy. The grass type quickly returned to his position.

"There we go! Now use Sleep Powder!" cried Lucy. Bulbasaur sprinkled sleep dust all over Staryu, sending the water type to dream land.

"Oh no!" cried Misty.

"Vine Whip again!" cried Lucy. With Staryu unable to move, Bulbasaur lashed out his vines and repeatedly struck Staryu with them until Misty recalled it.

"Round one goes to Bulbasaur." Daisy declared.

"Just one more, Bulbasaur." Said Lucy.

"This one is a bit tougher." Said Misty. She threw another Poke Ball and out came a similar shaped Pokemon, except it was bigger and had a bigger gem.

"Round two is Bulbasaur versus Starmie." Said Daisy. "Begin!"

"Go, Bulbasaur! Razor Leaf!" ordered Lucy. Bulbasaur fired its leaves again.

"Starmie, use your Harden!" ordered Misty. A small hard screen covered Starmie to give it some protection, resulting in fewer damage.

"Now, use your Psychic attack!" cried Misty.

"Psychic?" cried Lucy. Starmie fired a psychic beam from its gem, doing massive damage to Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, no!" cried Lucy. The powerful attack had knocked out the grass type.

"Bulbasaur is out of the match, and the round goes to Misty." Said Daisy.

"Yay, Starmie!" cried Misty. Lucy recalled her fainted Bulbasaur.

"While you were correct in choosing a grass type to take on my water Pokemon, you forgot one minor detail." Said Misty. "Staryu and Starmie are part psychic and Bulbasaur is part poison, which means psychic type moves have a much bigger effect on poison types."

"I see that now." Said Lucy. She grabbed another Poke ball and threw it.

"Clefairy, let's go!" cried Lucy. The adorable pink Pokemon appeared in a blaze of light.

"That's an interesting choice." Said Violet.

"Let's do this, Clefairy!" cried Lucy.

"Starmie, use Water Gun!" cried Misty. Starmie shot a stream of water at Clefairy.

"Clefairy, use Counter!" cried Lucy. Clefairy produced a shield that sent the Water Gun attack right back at Starmie and did a fair bit of damage.

"Nice work, Clefairy." Said Lucy. "Now, use Ice Beam!" Clefairy aimed a cold beam at the dual water and psychic.

"Starmie, use your Double Team!" cried Misty. Starmie made copies of itself, making Clefairy confused. It fired ice beams at the copies, making them disappear until only the real Starmie remained.

"Bubble Beam!" Misty ordered. Starmie swam up to Clefairy and fired a barrage of bubbles, hitting Clefairy and making it cry.

"Oh no, Clefairy doesn't seem to like those bubbles." Said Lucy. "I know how we fix that. Use your Pound attack." Clefairy used its fists to give Starmie a good pounding.

"Starmie!" cried Misty. "Time to use Recover."

"Not again." Said Lucy. Starmie shook off the hits and regained health.

"What do I do now?" Lucy wondered. An idea then hit her. "Okay, Clefairy, it's time. Use your Metronome!" Clefairy wagged her fingers back and fourth, and when the sequence finished, a powerful bolt of thunder descended down and struck Starmie, dealing major damage. Starmie's gem flashed, then went out, signalling that It had been defeated.

"Starmie can't battle any longer." Said Daisy. "Clefairy wins. The winner of the match is the challenger!" Lucy was thrilled, and gave Clefairy a high five before recalling it. Misty recalled Starmie and went over to Lucy.

"That was great battling, Lucy." She said. "As leader of the Cerulean City gym, I award you a Cascade Badge." Lucy gladly took the badge and held it up.

"I got a Cascade Badge!" she cried. She struck a victory pose. Once Misty's Pokemon had been healed, she and Ash took their places in the arena.

"I wasn't planning on challenging you until you and Lucy paid me back for my bike, Ash Ketchum, but this is as good a time as any!" cried Misty. "If you want that Cascade Badge, you're going to have to beat me!"

"It'll be my pleasure." Said Ash. "Pikachu, this one's a piece of cake. Pikachu shook his head.

"How many Pokemon?" asked Ash.

"Two against two works for me!" cried Misty.

"Pikachu, I choose you!" cried Ash. Pikachu wouldn't go into battle, however.

"It seems like Pikachu isn't too keen on battling against Misty since he considers her to be a friend." Said Lucy.

"Is that true, Pikachu?" asked Ash. Pikachu nodded.

"Well, I guess it's okay if you don't want to battle a friend." Said Ash.

"Thanks, Pikachu! You're a real Pika-pal!" cried Misty.

"Thanks a lot, Pikachu." Ash said in an annoyed tone. He grabbed a Poke Ball and tossed it.

"Butterfree, I choose you!" he cried. The beautiful and majestic Butterfree materialized.

"Okay then, Misty calls Staryu!" Misty cried. Her Staryu materialized out of the ball she threw. Lucy got out her Pokedex to scan it.

"Staryu, the core of this water Pokémon shines in a rainbow of seven colors. A core that is valued by some as a type of jewelry."

"Leave it to a girl to show off her jewelry." Said Ash.

"Quit stalling and let's get this battle overwith!" cried Misty.

"Do you really think Misty can win this time?" asked Violet.

"Like, in her dreams, maybe." Said Lilly. "You saw what happened in her battle with Lucy."

"Let's just see if Ash will find the same success that I did." Said Lucy.

"Butterfree, you can blow that thing away with one blast! Tackle it!" cried Ash. Butterfree's attack landed with ease.

"Staryu, counter attack!" cried Misty.

"Butterfree, dodge!" cried Ash. Every time Staryu attempted to attack, Butterfree kept sending it back.

"I'm going to win this!" cried Ash.

"Don't get too confident just yet, Ash." Said Lucy. "Staryu's and Starmie's core are there energy indicator, like you saw when watching my battle earlier. If it's not flashing, Staryu's got plenty of fight left. Plus, unless the core is damaged, if Staryu loses its appendages, the core will allow it to grow them back and keep fighting."

"Lucy's certainly one smart kid." Said Daisy.

"Staryu, Water Gun!" cried Misty. The attack landed a few times.

"In that case, Stun Spore now!" cried Ash. Butterfree flew high and dropped gold sprinkles all over Staryu, paralyzing it.

"Good move, Ash! Staryu won't be able to attack now." Said Lucy.

"Oh no, Staryu looks like it's in pain." Said Misty.

"It doesn't even have a face. How can you tell?" asked Ash.

"Because I'm sensitive to others' feelings." Misty answered.

"Oh yeah? Like I'm not?" Ash countered.

"Some of us also know when a Pokemon is feeling pain regardless of whether they have a face or not!" cried Lucy. Seel started clapping.

"Whose side are you clapping for?" asked Violet.

"Staryu, wash it off!" Misty ordered. Staryu jumped into the pool and washed away the Stun Spore dust.

"Yay! Too bad you didn't know that Stun Spore doesn't work if you wash it off with water!" Misty bragged.

"She thinks she knows everything." Said Ash. "Butterfree, use your Sleep Powder!"

"That won't work!" cried Lucy. "Staryu's just going to wash that off too like it did with the Stun Spore." Sure enough, Staryu dove into the pool to nullify the Sleep Powder.

"Tackle it from underwater!" cried Misty. Staryu attacked over and over but kept missing more than hitting.

"This looks bad for Butterfree." Said Lucy.

"If Staryu can get Butterfree into the pool and under the water, I win." Said Misty. "Water Pokemon always have the edge in the water!" She gave a loud laugh. Pikachu gave a cheer for Misty, which made Ash growl.

"Pikachu, you're supposed to be on my side!" he exclaimed.

"Misty's doing awesome." Said Daisy.

"Well, we three have the good looks in the family, so I guess she had to get some talent." Said Lilly. Staryu's tackle attack was powerful enough to knock Butterfree into the water, preventing it from moving due to its wings being wet.

"Butterfree, return!" cried Ash. He recalled Butterfree and grabbed another Poke Ball.

"Clefairy, I choose you!" cried Ash. The other Clefairy instantly popped out and assumed battle position.

"Looks like Ash decided to use his own Clefairy." Said Lucy. "Let's see how this goes, Eevee."

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'I hope his Clefairy wins.'

"Okay Clefairy, time to get revenge for Butterfree." Said Ash. "Use your Double Slap attack!" Clefairy gave Staryu lots of hard slaps over and over until the gem on Staryu's core started flashing.

"Staryu!" cried Misty. The core then went out entirely.

"Yes! That was a great job, Clefairy!" cried Ash. "I knew you could do it! Now we just need one more! Do you think we can do it?" Clefairy nodded.

"Then let's do it!" cried Ash. "Let's show Misty what you're made of!"

"He's getting in over his head again." Lucy commented. Misty recalled her fainted Staryu.

"You think you're such a hot shot, huh, Ash Ketchum?" she said. She quickly grabbed another Poke Ball. "Misty calls Starmie!" She tossed the ball and Starmie materialized, which prompted Lucy to get her Pokedex out again.

"Starmie. The Mysterious Pokemon and the evolved form of Staryu. Much like Staryu, Starmie's core is valued as a type of jewelry. Some believe Starmie and Staryu to be from outer space."

"Just like how that Seymour guy claimed the Clefairy to come from space." Said Lucy.

"Starmie, dive under and then up!" cried Misty. Starmie obliged.

"Clefairy, jump out of the way!" Ash instructed. Clefairy timed her jump perfectly to avoid being hit by Starmie.

"That's the way, Clefairy." Said Ash.

"Starmie, Water Gun on the double!" cried Misty. Starmie sprayed a cold line of water at Clefairy.

"Use your Defense Curl!" cried Ash. Clefairy curled itself into a little ball to soften the damage from Water Gun.

"Looks like Ash's Clefairy is just as good as the other kid's Clefairy." Said Violet.

"Use Sing!" ordered Ash. Clefairy belted out a sweet, soothing melody, which put Starmie right to sleep.

"Starmie can't attack if it's asleep." Said Lucy. "Time to finish it up, Ash!"

"Thunder!" cried Ash. Clefairy pointed to the ceiling, and a huge clap of thunder came down and struck Starmie hard. Its core flashed briefly, then stopped.

"Oh no, Starmie's energy has completely run out!" cried Misty.

"Excellent work, Clefairy!" cried Ash. "We just won a trainer badge!" Before Ash could celebrate too much longer, a loud rumble was heard.

"What's that noise?" asked Ash.

"I think it's an earthquake!" cried Lucy. Team Rocket then burst through the wall on their vacuum machine.

"Check out that hair." Said Violet, referring to Jessie's magenta colored hair.

"Like, who invited the party crashers?" asked Daisy.

"Sorry to drop in unannounced like this, ladies." Said Jessie.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves to you." Said James.

"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!"

"Team Rocket!" everyone cried.

"The water Pokemon have the advantage…." Said James.

"But if we steal that water away…." Said Jessie.

"Then the Pokemon are ours for the taking." Said James.

"And Meowth knows just how to do it." Said Meowth.

"What are they trying to prove?" asked Violet.

"You three have clearly never dealt with Team Rocket before." Said Lucy. "They're after any Pokemon they can get their greasy hands on, and this gym is their target!" All the sisters looked in and sounded surprised by Team Rocket's machine as it began to suck up all the water in the pool.

"A massive vacuum and a giant hose." Said Ash. He then let out a huge gasp. "You guys were the robbers who broke into that store!"

"Store/" asked Jessie.

"What store is he talking about?" asked James.

"The vacuum store that Ash and I passed by before coming to this gym." Lucy answered.

"You must be mistaken." Said Meowth.

"You're probably thinking of a different Team Rocket trio." Said Jessie.

"IT WAS YOU!" screamed Lucy.

"Our swimming pool is being totally drained!" cried Daisy.

"They're sucking it dry!" cried Misty.

"Like, that's our water!" cried Lilly.

"Right! I should give it back." Said Meowth. He put the machine in reverse and blew the water all over the room, causing it to flood.

"We have to protect the Pokemon!" Misty cried.

"Like, but what about my hair?" asked Violet.

"You can worry about your hair later, Violet!" cried Misty.

"All right! Now's the time to suck 'em up!" yelled Meowth. He put the vacuum back in forward and it started sucking up the water, as well as all the Pokemon that were trapped in it.

"Seel!" cried Seel, which meant 'Help me!'

"Seel, come back!" cried Violet. Pikachu and Eevee got knocked into the pool and dragged towards the center.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Lucy. Ash then remembered something important.

"Wait a second. Water conducts electricity. Pikachu, use your Thunderbolt!" he cried.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'On it.' He launched the attack and shocked Team Rocket.

"Smart move, Ash!" cried Lucy. Team Rocket screamed in pain.

"It's times like these that make me want to go straight!" yelled James. Team Rocket then fell into their own whirlpool.

"Now I know how it feels to be all washed up!" cried James.

"We'll never come clean!" cried Jessie. The three of them headed out the back of their machine and far off into the distance.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they cried.

"That's one problem taken care of." Said Lucy. "Now there's the matter of this machine that's still here. Ash, put it in reverse, and quick! We don't have a lot of time." Ash pulled the lever and put the machine in reverse. Pikachu and Eevee flew out and landed softly in Daisy's arms.

"That takes care of that." Said Lucy.

"Hey Ash, you had just won our match right before Team Rocket barged in." said Misty.

"It was a close one, but Ash got the upper hand in the end thanks to Clefairy." Said Lucy.

"That really was a great match." Said Misty. She held out her palm.

"For not only winning that match, but also saving the Pokemon in the gym from being stolen by Team Rocket, I hereby award you this Cascade Badge." Said Misty. "Congratulations, Ash."

"Thank you, Misty." Said Ash. He held up his badge proudly to Pikachu.

"Look at this, Pikachu! We won a Cascade Badge!" he cried.

"Congratulations, Ash." Said Lucy.

"It would've been a lot easier for Ash if Pikachu had agreed to battle from the start, but a win is still a win." Said Violet.

"That's why we have type advantages." Said Lucy.

"Misty, you just keep on trying to be a great Pokemon trainer." Said Lilly. "You might as well be good at something because you'll never be stars like us."

"You keep that up and you'll be seeing stars!" Misty yelled.

"Chill out there, Misty." Said Lucy.

"You know we love you." Said Daisy.

"Yeah, sure." Said Misty.

"I guess some sibling fights just can't be avoided." Said Lucy.

Later on, when the group had gathered outside the gym to leave, Brock caught back up.

"Hey there, Brock!" cried Lucy.

"How did it go, you two?" Brock asked.

"See for yourself." Said Ash. He and Lucy proudly held up their Cascade Badges.

"Cool, let's go." Said Brock.

"Right." Said Ash.

"Onward to our next adventure." Said Lucy. They were about to head out when Misty ran up to them.

"I'm not letting you leave without me!" she cried.

"Relax, Misty, we would never leave you behind." Said Ash.

"You're not going to be a sore loser now, are you?" asked Lucy.

"I didn't lose anything!" Misty insisted.

"Except maybe that argument with your sisters." Said Lucy.

"Well we're the ones who got the badges." Said Ash.

"Maybe so, but you still lost with Butterfree." Misty pointed out.

"That was just the first round. I made a great comeback!" Ash countered.

"He sure did." Said Lucy. "I saw everything with my own two eyes."

"That was then, but this is now." Said Misty. "If we had gone another round, I would've destroyed you!"

"You're lucky it was a best of three. I still would've won even under different circumstances!" Ash replied.

"Oh yeah?" said Misty.

"Oh yeah!" Ash answered.

"Oh brother." Said Brock.

"Here we go again." Said Lucy.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Party: Pikachu, Spearow, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Clefairy

Lucy's Party: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur, Clefairy

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 8: The Path To The Pokemon League

With two Pokemon badges in hand, we find our young heroes Ash and Lucy marching along the path to…. the path to…

"Where is it we're going again?" asked Ash.

"Vermillion City." Answered Lucy. "We've only told you that like about a million times!"

"They have a luxury cruise ship there, and I'm just dying to see it." Said Misty.

"There won't be time for sightseeing." Said Ash.

"What makes you say that?" asked Misty.

"Lucy and I have to earn more badges." Said Lucy.

"I hear there's a really great gym in Vermillion." Said Brock.

"A gym?" Ash and Lucy both asked.

"I'm going to win my third badge!" cried Ash.

"Same here!" cried Lucy.

"Don't get your hopes up, you two." Said Misty. "There's a lot of tough trainers around here."

"Bring them on! I bet none of them even have one badge!" cried Ash.

"I hate it when he brags like that." Said Lucy. A while later, Lucy and Ash were both battling some of the tough trainers Misty had been talking about. Lucy had battled seven trainers and was about to finish off her eighth battle.

"Bulbasaur, Sleep Powder!" cried Lucy. Bulbasaur sprayed sleepy powder all over the other trainer's Diglett, rendering it unable to battle.

"Great job, Bulbasaur!" cried Lucy.

"You're an excellent trainer, Lucy." Said the other kid. "Thanks for the match.

"No problem, kid." Said Lucy. Meanwhile, Ash and another trainer were engaged in a separate battle that had reached its final moments.

"Spearow, finish it!" cried Ash. The attack landed and the Rattata that had been battling Spearow was knocked out.

"Oh, Rattata." The trainer sighed.

"And that makes win number ten!" cried Ash.

"Another impressive win, Ash." Said Lucy.

"You're a really great trainer yourself." Said Ash's opponent. "You're just as good a trainer as your friend over there."

"Well, I guess I was pretty good back there." Said Ash. "I don't mean to brag, but I do have these." He flashed his two gym badges.

"Wow, you have badges." Said the kid.

"That's right." Said Ash.

"You have two of them!" Said the kid excitedly.

"He's bragging again." muttered Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'He's getting out of control with that.'

"I bet you could beat AJ." Said the kid.

"Who's AJ?" asked Ash.

"I've never heard of this AJ kid." Said Lucy. "Does he live around here?"

"Yeah, he lives over there." Said the kid. "AJ trains savage Pokemon in his own gym. He's never lost a single match."

"I've never met a trainer that claims they're unbeatable." Said Lucy.

"He's unbeatable?" said Ash. "Well, that's about to change. He hasn't come up against two people like Lucy and I yet."

"He's getting a big head." Said Lucy.

"But his brain is still the same size." Said Brock.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Yeah, a bit small.'

"Say what you will about Ash, say that he has an ego all you want, but I'm still his friend, so I have to support him." Said Lucy. The group soon arrived at said gym.

"Look at that. This gym isn't even licensed by the Pokemon League!" cried Ash.

"I still find it odd that he would open up his own gym and not tell the league about it first." Said Lucy.

"It doesn't matter. We'll still beat him." Said Ash.

"We?" wondered Lucy.

"Yes, you and I are both going to battle him." Said Ash. Misty looked at the sign hanging in front of the entrance.

"97 wins in a row." She said.

"He must've raised his Pokemon well." Said Brock.

"Ash, you and Lucy may have won a total of eighteen battles between the two of you, but this AJ guy's won way more matches than you guys have." Said Lucy.

"We go for quality, not quantity." Said Lucy.

"Are you two my next victims?" asked an unknown voice. Pikachu and Eevee were intimidated by it.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'This dude scares me already.' Eevee just growled at the strange boy.

"You must be the wild Pokemon trainer we've heard about." Said Ash.

"That's right." Said the boy. "Name's AJ. Beating chumps like the two of you is my hobby."

"For your information, I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." Said Ash.

"And I'm Lucy Peters, also from Pallet Town." Said Lucy.

"Big deal." Said AJ. "Are you two here ready to lose?"

"We're here to challenge you and win!" cried Lucy.

"We'll just see about that." Said AJ. The doors of the gym soon opened to reveal a big tent.

"Wow!" cried Ash.

"This isn't too shabby at all." Said Lucy.

"You're certainly doing this whole thing in style, AJ." Said Misty. A Butterfree soon flew in, picked up AJ's bag and took it into the tent.

"What's in the backpack?" asked Ash.

"The wild Pokemon that I just caught." Answered AJ. "There's a whole bunch more in the tent, and then some."

"Can we see them after the match?" asked Lucy.

"If you want to, sure." Said AJ. "So, which Pokemon are you going to choose for my ninety-eighth win?"

"Ninety-eight?" growled Ash. He stepped onto the battlefield and stared AJ down.

"Are you ready, Ash?" asked Lucy.

"Ready, Lucy!" cried Ash. "You'll have to change your sign after this match, AJ. You'll be formerly undefeated."

"You may think you're hot stuff, kid." Said AJ. "But as you're about to see, you're not playing in the Pokemon Little League anymore!" He loudly cracked his whip, making Ash and Lucy jump in surprise.

"Hey, watch it with that whip!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'That whip scares me.'

"After I win a hundred matches in a row, I'll start competing for badges." Said AJ.

"That means he's only three wins away." Said Brock.

"And he'll be extra psyched to win." Said Misty.

"Ninety-seven wins and you still don't have a badge?" said Ash. "Tough luck there, AJ. Lucy and I have a combined eighteen wins and both of us have two Pokemon badges."

"You shouldn't let your guard down even before a match starts, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Did you two buy those badges or steal them?" AJ asked. "Or better yet, you probably got them at some loser gyms. Where were they? Failure City or Wimpsville?"

"Now see here, AJ!" yelled Lucy. Before she could say anything else, she noticed angry steam coming out of Misty and Brock's ears.

"I've never seen that coming out of them before." Said Lucy. Pikachu and Eevee slowly backed away. Misty and Brock, on the other hand, were seething mad at AJ.

"What do you mean "loser" gyms?!" shouted Misty.

"Ash, Lucy, pulverize this guy!" bellowed Brock.

"It'll be our pleasure, Brock." Said Lucy. "Your reputation as Pewter gym leader and Misty's reputation as Cerulean gym leader are both at stake now."

"Let's get started then." Said AJ. "Sandshrew, go!" The Poke Ball he threw opened and a Sandshrew materialized from it.

"A Sandshrew." Said Lucy. She got her Pokedex out to scan it.

"Sandshrew, the Mouse Pokémon. It burrows deep underground in arid locations far from water and only emerges to hunt for food. When it gets cold at night, its hide is said to become coated with a fine dew."

"Sandshrew, huh?" said Ash. "This should be interesting."

"Be careful out there, Ash." Said Brock.

"Remember that Sandshrew's a ground type, so Pikachu's electricity won't do anything against it." Said Lucy.

"I know what I'm doing!" cried Ash. "Pidgeotto, go!" He tossed a Poke Ball, and Pidgeotto materialized.

"Ash is actually using his head for once." Said Lucy. "With Sandshrew being a ground type, his moves won't effect it. And unlike Sandshrew, Pidgeotto is an evolved Pokemon, giving it an even bigger advantage."

"Ash still has to be careful, though." Said Brock.

"Sandshrew, go!" yelled AJ.

"Pidgeotto, dive at it!" cried Ash. The two Pokemon went at each other but then AJ cracked his whip and Sandshrew rolled up into a ball.

"Too bad Sandshrew can't fly." Said Ash.

"True, but it can leap." Said AJ. Sandshrew, still rolled up, got into leaping position and knocked Pidgeotto down and out.

"Pidgeotto!" cried Ash.

"Finish it." Said AJ. Sandshrew delivered the knockout blow, prompting Ash to recall Pidgeotto.

"Wise move, Ash." Said Lucy. Ash got out another Poke Bal and tossed it.

"Butterfree, I choose you!" he cried. Butterfree materialized instantly.

"Flying against ground should be no problem." Said Ash.

"That's what you think, kid." Said AJ. "Now watch and weep!"

"Go, Butterfree. Stun Spore now!" cried Ash. Butterfree sprayed gold dust, but AJ cracked his whip and Sandshrew dug underground.

"That Sandshrew is pretty well trained." Brock observed.

"He controls it with the crack of his whip, like a lion tamer." Said Misty.

"It's a little frightening." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'It's both loud and frightening.' AJ cracked his whip again and Sandshrew burst up from the ground behind Butterfree to pin it down by its wings.

"Butterfree!" cried Ash.

"Heh, it's not so free anymore." Said AJ.

"Poor Butterfree lost….." said Lucy sadly. Ash started pulling Pikachu's tail to try and get him to battle.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, which meant 'No way, Ash! I'm not going to be a victim of that thing!'

"Pikachu, you've got to help out your friend." Said Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Let go of my tail!'

"Just let him go, Ash." Said Lucy. "If he doesn't want to battle, you shouldn't make him." Ash let go of Pikachu's tail, but not before being zapped by his starter's Thunderbolt.

"Are you all right, Ash?" asked Lucy.

"Yeah, Lucy, I'm fine." Said Ash. Lucy helped Ash up, and then stepped into the battle area herself.

"All right, mister hot shot, now you're going to battle me." She said.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Please don't put me in there, Lucy.'

"Don't worry, Eevee." Said Lucy. "With how good this Sandshrew is, I'm not going to subject you to humiliation like that. I'll just use a different Pokemon." She grabbed a Oke Ball and tossed it.

"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" she cried. Her Bulbasaur materialized.

"Grass types should have an advantage over ground types." Said Lucy. "Bulbasaur, Vine Whip now!" Bulbasaur nodded and aimed its vines at Sandshrew. AJ cracked his whip and Sandshrew repeatedly dodged the vines that came at it.

"This is no good. Razor leaf attack, Bulbasaur!" cried Lucy. Bulbasaur fired a leaf shower at Sandshrew.

"Ain't going to work, kid." Said AJ. He cracked his whip again and Sandshrew jumped on top of Bulbasaur to scratch its face.

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur cried.

"Fury Swipes!" cried AJ. Sandshrew kept striking Bulbasaur hard, forcing Lucy to recall it.

"You tried your best." She said. Outside, Team Rocket was watching from the trees.

"That Sandshrew is very tempting." Said Jessie.

"We should grab it." Said Meowth.

"It looks fat. You two will have to carry it." Said Meowth.

"The outfit that trainer is wearing is positively hideous." Said Jessie.

"That shirt looks like it's from a century ago." Said James. "He'd fit in perfectly at a museum."

"At least he doesn't look like he's trick or treating like you two do." Said Meowth. That remark insulted the two of them, and James bonked Meowth hard on the head, sending him crashing to the ground.

"MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOWTH!" cried Meowth. Back inside…..

"And that's victories number ninety-eight and ninety-nine!" cried AJ.

"It's not fair, Lucy and I are the ones with gym badges." Sobbed Ash.

"Quit your whining, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Your friend is right." Said AJ. "Nobody likes to compete against a crybaby."

"Something's definitely not right." Said Ash. "Lucy and I didn't have any problems until we battled in your ring. How do we know that this whole match wasn't rigged? That's it! You cheated! How else could Sandshrew possibly beat Pidgeotto, Butterfree and Bulbasaur? Flying and grass Pokemon always have the advantage over ground types!"

"Chill out, Ash." Said Lucy. "You just have to accept the fact that we both lost." But Ash wasn't having any of it.

"How about we do the match somewhere else?" Ash suggested.

"Ash just doesn't know when to quit, does he?" asked Lucy.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Not at all.'

"One more chance." Ash begged. "Please?" AJ shook his head.

"Come back when you grow up." Said AJ.

"It's not fair." Said Ash.

"Rule number one of Pokemon battles, Ash. Recognizing and accepting when you've been defeated." Said Lucy. Ash gave a disappointing sigh.

"Looks like you have to rethink how you train." Said Brock.

"What do you mean?" asked Ash.

"You call that last match a fight?" said AJ. "Now it's time for some serious training!" Lucy and Ash pulled back the tent's curtain and couldn't believe what they saw. Inside the tent, Ash, Lucy, Brock, Misty, Pikachu and Eevee saw all of the Pokemon AJ had caught and his Sandshrew going through some intense training.

"What in the world is this?!" asked Lucy. They then noticed Sandshrew diving into a pool of water. When it came out, AJ cracked his whip and told him to do it again.

"Knock it off!" cried Ash. He made a made charge toward AJ and both trainers fell into the pool.

"Now what do you want? A swimming race?" said AJ.

"Ash and I saw what you were doing!" cried Lucy.

"Yeah, you're hurting Sandshrew!" yelled Ash.

"You both mind your own business!" AJ snapped. "I don't need a pair of amateurs telling me how to train my Pokemon!"

"This isn't training. This is practically torture!" exclaimed Lucy. Ash looked over at where Sandshrew was.

"What's that?" asked Ash. "It looks like a straitjacket."

"It's actually a training intensifier." Said AJ.

"Who invented those things?" asked Brock.

"I did." Said AJ. "It's my own secret weapon for unleashing a Pokemon's powers. Sandshrew, back in the pool!"

"You're hurting it!" cried Lucy.

"Lucy's right. Ground types like Sandshrew are weakened by water." Said Ash.

"What's your game, anyway?" asked Lucy. "How do you do this?"

"Just watch." Said AJ. "Sandshrew, dive!" Sandshrew dove into the water.

"Nice dive!" cried Misty. Sandshrew then came back out of the water.

"Good work." Said AJ.

"The water doesn't weaken your Sandshrew?" Brock wondered.

"But I thought ground types were supposed to be weak against water." Said Lucy.

"You're looking at the only Sandshrew in the whole world that can withstand water." Said AJ. "Sandshrew, pick up your pacing!" Sandshrew rolled up into a ball and was passed around by three Rattata.

"Why are you so tough on Sandshrew?" asked Ash.

"A very valid question, Ash." Said Lucy.

"I have to be tough." Said AJ. "I ask no more of Sandshrew than I do of myself. Only the very best."

"But you aren't nearly as tough on any of your other Pokemon." Said Lucy.

"That's because Sandshrew was the very first Pokemon I caught." Said AJ. He started explaining everything he and Sandshrew had gone through.

"We promised each other that we would do whatever it took to become the best Pokémon and trainer of all time." Said AJ. "We were confident that nothing would stop us from reaching our dream no matter how difficult our path. We endured fierce storms and raging winds. We sacrificed everything to achieve our dream and it was worth it. Now, we're an unbeatable team!"

"Well I think what you're doing is wrong." Said Ash.

"A great trainer should make friends with their Pokemon, not put them through rigorous training exercises." Said Lucy.

"Brock, don't you have anything to say about this?" asked Ash.

"I do." Said Brock. "Your Pokemon are in great shape. What kind of Pokemon food do you give them?"

"My own recipe. I'll show you." Said AJ. He opened a cabinet filled with jars of Pokemon food. Each jar had pictures of different Pokemon on them.

"To get the results I want, I have to monitor their diets." Said AJ. "Of course, the recipe is secret."

"You know, I mix my own Pokemon food too." Said Brock. Pikachu and Eevee watched Sandshrew lift the dumbbells and tried to do it themselves, but failed.

"Pika." Pikachu sighed, which meant 'This is hard.'

"Eevee." Eevee agreed, which meant 'I don't understand how this Sandshrew is able to do it.' Outside the tent, Team Rocket got ready to capture Pikachu and Eevee.

"Insulated gloves?" said Jessie.

"Check." Said James.

"Big rubber ball?" said Jessie.

"Check-a-roonie." Said Meowth.

"Team Rocket will do what it has to do." Said Jessie.

"To snatch that little Pikachu." Said James.

"And Eevee too." Said Meowth.

"Maybe we should go back to our old motto. This one doesn't feel right." Said James.

"How about a little theme song? Everyone loves music." Said Meowth. "I can even do a little dance solo."

"A song's no good." Said Jessie. Meowth hummed a song to himself while rolling around on a rubber ball.

"A dance won't work." Said James.

"Here's a line you'll like." Said Jessie.

"What's that?" said James.

"Choreography killed the cat." Said Jessie. Inside, a bell rang to indicate that it was break time.

"Okay, wimps, you get a fifteen minute break!" cried AJ. All of AJ's Pokemon collapsed due to being exhausted.

"They're all wiped out." Said Lucy. "And there's no reason to call them wimps either."

"Hey!" cried Ash.

"Now what do you want?" said AJ.

"Like Lucy said, your Pokemon are all completely wiped out." Said Ash.

"You and Lucy better believe it!" said AJ. "In this gym, we live by the rule of no pain no gain." Lucy cringed in annoyance.

"But judging by your little stuffed Pikachu and Eevee over there, you two obviously don't follow any rules." AJ went on. Now Ash was getting angry. Lucy, on the other hand, was downright furious at AJ.

"You better take that back right now!" she yelled. "My Eevee is NOT stuffed!"

"Yeah, and neither is my Pikachu!" yelled Ash. Both he and AJ started to fight, forcing Lucy to try and pry the two of them apart. Meanwhile, Team Rocket rolled into the tent via their giant rubber ball.

"I'm getting dizzy!" cried Meowth.

"Stop complaining and look for Pikachu and Eevee." Said James.

"Roll over there!" cried Jessie. They rolled towards Pikachu, Eevee and Sandshrew.

"What's that?" said James.

"Could it be Pikachu and Eevee?" said Jessie.

"Yeah, that's them!" cried Meowth. "Now let's hurry! All that rolling made me nauseous!" James brought out a sack and used it to capture what he believed were Pikachu and Eevee. The whole ball then started to run away after Jessie and James busted it open.

"Got them!" cried James.

"Perfect. Let's go." Said Jessie.

"Hurry! I feel sick!" cried Meowth. Team Rocket ran out unnoticed and got rid of the rubber ball.

"My leg fell asleep." Said Meowth.

"I wish your mouth would." Said Jessie. The three of them ran off into the distance while AJ and Ash were still going at it.

"Why do you keep hanging around here? There has to be other trainers you can bother." Said AJ.

"Yeah, right." Said Ash.

"Both of you stop fighting!" cried Lucy. The bell then rang to signal the end of the break.

"All right, time to get back to work! All of you!" snapped AJ. "Hey, where's Sandshrew? And what are those two doing?" Pikachu and Eevee had gotten caught in two of the straitjackets and were now in awkward shapes.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Lucy. They tried to pull their Pokemon back into their regular shapes, but to no avail.

"It's no use, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Here, give them to me." Said AJ. He undid the strength intensifier, and Pikachu and Eevee took their regular shapes again.

"Pikachu! You and Eevee are okay!" cried Ash.

"The two of them somehow got stuck in those things." Said Lucy.

"Pikachu, have you or Eevee seen Sandshrew?" asked AJ.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'No.'

"Eevee." Eevee added, which meant 'Haven't seen him.'

"Sandshrew, where are you?" AJ called.

"Maybe it ran away." Said Ash.

"What are you talking about?" asked AJ.

"The way you treat your Pokemon, I'm surprised they all haven't run away on you." Said Lucy.

"Sandshrew and I have been together for a long time." Said AJ. "He would never break the promise we made. Not after all we've been through! Not just before our one hundredth win!"

"Just calm down now, AJ." Said Lucy. "Ash has some Pokemon that have the ability to search for missing items or Pokemon through the air." Ash nodded and grabbed a Poke Ball.

"Spearow, I choose you!" he cried. Spearow materialized instantly.

"Thank you, guys." Said AJ. He turned to the rest of his Pokemon.

"All right, guys, let's go find Sandshrew! Go!" he ordered. Meanwhile, team Rocket had stopped somewhere in the woods.

"Those clowns will never catch up with us now!" cried Jessie.

"I'm exhausted. You take the bag!" said James.

"A real gentleman always carries the bag." Said Jessie.

"Is that so? Well as you know, I'm no gentleman." Said James. Sandshrew suddenly burst out of the bag, landed on Meowth's tail and bit it before digging underground with Meowth following behind. Ash, on the other hand, was trying to reason with AJ's other Pokemon.

"You've all had enough of A.J. and the way he pushes you around, haven't you? Well, you don't have to put up with it anymore, because now you can come with me! Anyone who's coming with me, raise your hand!" But none of the Pokemon raised their hand.

"Just raise your hand. That's all you have to do. Get them up there!" cried Ash. Lucy simply shook her head.

"He's making a fool of himself again." She muttered.

"You see what happens when you try and start a mutiny in my gym?" said AJ. "My Pokemon are all loyal to me."

"Oh really? Well where's Sandshrew then?" said Ash. Spearow pointed to the ground with its wing. Sandshrew then popped out of the ground with Meowth on his tail, knocking out Ash in the process.

"Sandshrew." Said AJ. "You're back!" AJ hugged his Pokemon tightly, and his other Pokemon gathered around him too.

"AJ and his Pokemon sure are happy that Sandshrew's back." Said Misty.

"How could they pick him over me?" said Ash.

"AJ may be tough, but deep down, he cares about his Pokemon." Answered Brock. Eevee was soon seen trying to pull something off of Meowth's head.

"Hey, let go of that!" cried Meowth.

"That voice." Said Lucy.

"It's Meowth!" cried Ash.

"Then it must've been Team Rocket that kidnapped Sandshrew." Said Brock. Ash picked up Meowth by his tail.

"Wake up!" he snapped. Meowth did so, but he scratched Ash's face in the process.

"Where am I? What's going on?" wondered Meowth.

"What's going on is that you're in for a heap of trouble!" cried Lucy.

"Did that kid just say trouble?" said Jessie.

"Yes she did, and she can make it double." Said James.

"Team Rocket." Said Ash.

"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!"

"That felt great to do the old motto!" cried jessie. "We don't need some silly theme song."

"Our motto is a classic." Said James.

"These are the creeps that took my Sandshrew?" said AJ.

"That's right. There was a bit of an unfortunate mix-up." Said Jessie.

"We have no interest in a second rate Sandshrew." Said James.

"Second rate?" AJ repeated.

"The only Pokemon we want are Pikachu and Eevee." Said Jessie.

"You can keep all the other wimps." Said James. AJ was furious now.

"Nobody insults my Pokemon and gets away with it! Let's step outside!" Soon, everyone was outside. AJ cracked his whip even harder than before.

"Team Rocket insulted my gym, so now we'll answer them with my one hundredth win!" he cried.

"One hundredth?" said Ash.

"Then that means….." said Lucy.

"That's right! Just like Sandshrew and I vowed." Said AJ.

"Your small talk will cost you big time." Said Jessie. "Ekans, go!"

"You're up, Koffing!" cried James. The two poison Pokemon materialized.

"Sandshrew, go!" cried AJ. The Pokemon headed onto the battlefield.

"Ekans, use your Bite attack." Said Jessie.

"Koffing, use Sludge!" cried James.

"Sandshrew, dodge and then Tackle both of them!" ordered AJ. The small ground type nimbly dodged both attacks and lay a hit on Koffing and Ekans.

"Ekans, don't let that little Sandshrew get away this time!" cried Jessie. Ekans charged at Sandshrew again, only to get hit by a Tackle attack powerful enough to knock Ekans out.

"Sandshrew is so strong." Said Lucy.

"This battle isn't over yet." Said James. "Koffing, Sludge!" Koffing shot black sludge at Sandshrew, which hit, but Sandshrew simply shook it off.

"Don't you idiots know hat Sandshrew can withstand anything you try to attack it with?" said AJ. "Use Take Down now!" Sandshrew rammed hard into Koffing to take it down, knocking the poison type out. Meowth was simply watching everything.

"Don't just stand there, Meowth. Do something!" said James. Meowth started chasing Sandshrew around like a ball of string.

"Stop pussyfooting around!" cried Jessie.

"I'm just biting my time." Said Meowth. He bit onto Sandshrew's tail, but his teeth broke.

"Ow! My tooth!" cried Meowth.

"Finish it, Sandshrew! Fissure strike!" cried AJ. Sandshrew jumped into the air, pointed his left paw to the ground and spun around in a corkscrew towards the ground.

"Go, Sandshrew! Drill into the ground until it splits!" cried AJ. Sandshrew landed close to the center of the battlefield, causing it to split.

"Everyone back, it's going to give way!" Lucy cried. The ground did indeed give way, and once the dust had settled, Meowth climbed back up. However, he was severely hurt.

"THAT'S IT! I FORFEIT THE MATCH!" Meowth cried loudly, and he started to run off.

"Come back here, Meowth!" cried Jessie.

"Where are you going?" said James.

"To write us a theme song!" Meowth answered.

"Not that nonsense again." Said Jessie and James together.

"We did it, Sandshrew! That's victory number one hundred!" cried AJ. He started getting teary eyes. "All our sacrifices and hard work have paid off! Now we can start getting our badges!"

"Congratulations, AJ and Sandshrew." Said Lucy.

"Thank you, Lucy." Said AJ.

"Why don't you come with us?" said Ash.

"The more the merrier." Said Lucy.

"Thanks, but Sandshrew and I have to follow our own path." Said AJ. He, Ash and Lucy shook hands as a sign of respect.

"Someday, we'll meet again." Said Ash.

"Hopefully that meeting will be at the Pokemon League." Said Lucy.

"You just better be in shape next time because I only want to beat expert trainers." Said AJ.

"It's a deal!" said Ash.

"Same goes for me." Said Lucy.

"We won't lose to you next time, AJ!" cried Ash. "We'll keep training hard to be the greatest Pokemon masters in the world, following our own path!" Many paths lead to the Pokemon League, but Ash and Lucy were just starting to discover their own. What lies ahead on that path remains unknown, but what they do know is that they'll never forget the name of that place with the great gym ever again.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Pokemon: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Spearow, Clefairy

Lucy's Pokemon: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur, Clefairy

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 9: School Of Hard Knocks

As our story continues on, we once again find our heroes traveling together on their Pokemon journey in perfect harmony. Well, for the most part.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight Ash Ketchum until you and Lucy pay for my broken bike!" yelled Misty.

"My bike! My bike! That's all Ash and I ever hear from you lately." Said Lucy.

"Right, and while my name may be Misty, I'm perfectly clear about what you both owe me and I'm not going to allow you to get away without paying!" cried Misty.

"Maybe if you would spend less time arguing and more time paying attention to where we're going, we'd be in Vermillion City by now." Said Brock.

"Brock's right." Said Lucy. "We're late enough as it is. We have to start the chapter!"

"I think we could all use a little break." Said Brock. "Why don't I just throw a little something together?"

"What exactly do you have in mind?" asked Ash.

"Ah! There's nothing as satisfying as a cup of one hundred percent Cerulean coffee." Said Brock.

"Coffee? In the middle of the afternoon?" Lucy wondered.

"Of course." Said Ash. "Though, you and Ash are too young for this stuff, but it's really quite good. How about some prune juice for the two of you?"

"Ugh." Said Ash.

"I think I'll pass." Said Lucy.

"How about some herbal tea instead?" Misty suggested.

'Now that's a much better idea." Said Lucy.

"Not so fast, guys." Said Brock. "I brought my official Pokemon tea set!"

"Now that's definitely a surprise." Said Lucy.

"The key to good tea and coffee is good water." Said Brock. "And I just happen to have a supply of sparkling, delicious Mount Moon Pure Spring Water!"

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'That certainly sounds refreshing.'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'I could go for some of that.'

"And for ze special snack, I have for you some French crepes." Brock said in a French accent.

"You actually speak French, Brock?" said Lucy.

"Oui, mon ami!" Brock replied.

"I just love French things!" cried Misty. "They're so romantic, aren't they?" She pictured herself at a café table in Paris.

"Ah, it's so lovely here." Misty said in the dream sequence. Ash was crunching loudly on a chocolate bar, which interrupted Misty's daydream. She growled and whacked Ash on the head.

"All that loud crunching is ruining my romantic fantasy!" she yelled.

"Knock it off, Misty!" cried Lucy.

"By the way, I can't cook crepes or boil water if I don't have a fire." Said Brock. "Some of you will have to go into the forest and get some firewood for me."

"That's an excellent idea, Brock!" cried Misty. "I'm even willing to sacrifice the excitement of searching for firewood in favor of staying here and keeping you company!"

"Well then I guess that means." Said Brock.

"Yeah, Lucy and I are going." Said Ash.

A little while later, Ash and Lucy were walking through the forest together searching for firewood.

"Here, firewood! Here, firewood!" Ash called. "No firewood here, Lucy."

"You can't just call for firewood and expect it to come to you, Ash." Said Lucy. "You have to do this in steps, and step one is to find a dead old tree, like the one over there!" She pointed to a tree that was about ten feet in front of them.

"Now for step two: chopping it down." Said Lucy.

"How are we going to do that without a saw?" asked Ash.

"We don't need that, or any other tools." Said Lucy. She grabbed one of her Poke Balls and summoned for Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, chop down that tree with your Razor Leaf." Lucy commanded.

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur yelled. He shot out a barrage of leaves at the tree, which split it up into multiple logs.

"Now comes step three: carrying the logs back to the campsite." Said Lucy. "You, me and Bulbasaur will each take a pile."

"How's Bulbasaur going to carry them?" asked Ash.

"Like this." Said Lucy. "Bulbasaur, pick up the logs with your Vine Whip." Bulbasaur wrapped its vines around the logs and held them above his seed bulb.

"There. Now, back to the campsite." Said Lucy.

"What about me and Pikachu?" asked Ash. "Do we have to find any more dead trees? Why do I have to do all the dirt….." But before he could finish, Pikachu spotted something.

"Pika Pikachu!" cried the Pokemon, which meant 'Ash, look ahead!' They turned around to see a strange light looking at them.

"Hey! That looks like a fire!" cried Ash.

"Looks like we're not the only ones out here." Said Lucy. "Eevee, Bulbasaur, Pikachu, you three go on ahead back to the campsite. Ash and I will be there shortly."

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Right!' The three Pokemon headed on back, while Ash and Lucy investigated the light.

"Hey, check this out." Said Ash. He and Lucy looked through the fog and saw a boy running on a treadmill being quizzed on Pokemon.

"All right, what's this one?" asked one boy. He held up a picture with a random flying Pokemon on it.

"Is it a Zubat?" the treadmill boy guessed. One of the other boys shook his head.

"Just because it's foggy out here doesn't mean your brain has to be in a fog." He said. "Try again."

"It's a Pidgey!" cried the treadmill boy.

"Lucky guess." Said another boy.

"Now tell us what its' special attack is." Said the first boy.

"Pidgey's attack is Gust." Said the treadmill kid. "At level five, Sand Attack. At level twelve."

"Everybody knows that." Said a bigger boy. "Now, can tell me at what level Pidgey evolves? And what the name of Pidgey's advanced stage is?"

"Um….." The treadmill boy pondered.

"You better come up with answers quick, or you'll have to run faster." Said the first boy. The kid on the treadmill fell of and tripped onto the ground.

"I'm sorry. I forgot." He said. The other boys sighed.

"You forgot." One of them said. "And you call yourself a Pokemon Tech student? Well we don't want to study with the likes of you!"

"Hey, you leave that kid alone!" cried Ash.

"Knock it off, all of you!" cried Lucy.

"What's going on over here?" said Ash.

"And what's the big idea picking on this poor kid?" said Lucy.

"Well, you two, this is a private training session." Said one of the boys.

"Training?" said Lucy. "You were forcing that kid to run for his life on a treadmill in the middle of a fog. You seriously call that training?!"

"There's no room at our Pokemon school for losers who don't even know Pidgey's evolved stage. We have standards to maintain." Said the same boy.

"We don't know anything about this school of yours, but if it's turning out students like yourself, then I'd say the standards are pretty low." Said Ash.

"At the school Ash and I went to before we became trainers, this kind of behavior would get reported to the principal." Said Lucy. "I should know because I got involved in this kind of thing there once. I was seven when it happened."

Flashback Sequence

"It was recess time and I was using it to draw some pictures of Pokemon that I really love, like Pikachu, Eevee, Poliwag and so on." Lucy explained. "But then, one kid who was slightly older than me took one look at my drawings and crumpled them up. I was shocked and also very angry. 'Hey, you better stop doing that!' I yelled at him. 'Pokemon's for guys only.' He claimed. 'Losers like you should stick to jewelry and all that other fancy stuff.' He then called me plenty of names that I don't want to bring up, and I got quite upset. I told my dad about it, and his reply to me was to stick up for myself if he tried doing it again. When I went back the next day and tried to make new drawings, that same bully went for me again. 'I thought I told you yesterday to cut that crap!' I yelled at him. 'Come and make me, why don't ya?' he taunted. He then ripped up my other drawing notebooks and tossed them over the fence where they got run over by oncoming cars. At this point, I was more than upset. I was absolutely livid, and started chasing after him. 'Come back here!' I screamed. He tried his best to escape from me, but my quick legs caught up to him and I used a Tackle attack to jump him. 'I'll teach use not to destroy my stuff!' I was about to punch him when the teacher on recess duty stared at me angrily. 'Lucy Peters, how dare you!' she cried. Next thing I new, I was in the principal's office where I got a good scolding. Although I got suspended for a week, my dad was still proud of me for sticking up for myself.

End Flashback

"So my suggestion to you boys is this. You leave this kid alone, or I'll report you guys to your own principal." Lucy concluded.

"That's right, guys! You tell them!" yelled Misty.

"Misty?" Ash said, clearly surprised. Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Eevee and Bulbasaur had all caught up to them.

"I thought you were going to wait for us at the campsite with Brock." Said Lucy.

"I was, but then I heard a whole bunch of shouting and came to see what was up." Said Misty. "As for you boys, you better stop bullying that poor kid or you'll have to answer to us. Right, guys?"

"Misty, you just stay out of this and leave everything to us." Said Ash.

"Careful, Ash, we don't want to get into any trouble ourselves." Said Lucy.

"There's no reason for all of us to get into a fight." Said Misty. "It's very brave of you two to take on all five of these clowns here. I'll be on the sidelines cheering you on waiting to drag a carcass away at the end."

"Fighting is for cavemen. This isn't the stone age, you know." Said one of the boys.

"If we were to waste our time getting into fights with little insects like you, it'd just make Pokemon tech look really bad." Said another boy.

"We'll see you back at the tech, Joe." Said the first boy.

'Okay." Said Joe.

"Maybe you cowards are afraid to fight all of us!" cried Ash.

"Just drop it, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Who do those guys think they are?" Ash asked angrily.

"If they're guys who are just looking for fun, then they're clearly going for the wrong kind of fun." Lucy answered.

"So those are the infamous tech students." Said Brock.

"tech students?" said Ash.

"Pokemon Tech. I think that's short for Pokemon Technical." Said Misty.

"You mean they're students of the world renowned Pokemon Technical Institution?" asked Lucy.

"Yeah. It's a school for Pokemon trainers." Said Misty. "I think I have a flyer for it somewhere in here." She searched her pockets until she found it. "Here it is."

"Why would there be a Pokemon school in the middle of nowhere?" asked Ash.

"Let's see what it says about the place." Said Brock. Meanwhile, Pikachu and Eevee looked at the treadmill Joe had been running on, but in the process of investigating, they accidently turned it on and started running really fast.

"Pokemon Technical Institute, a boarding school for serious Pokémon trainer preparation." Brock read. "All students guaranteed to enter Pokémon League upon graduation. Pokémon Technical is the educational facility for exceptional students who want to be Pokémon trainers in a very short time, without having to travel on difficult badge collecting journeys." As Brock kept talking, he leaned on the treadmill to make it go faster until Pikachu and Eevee fell off.

"Oh. So that's the story." Said brock.

"Getting into the Pokemon League without badges is too easy." Said Ash.

"Tell me about it." Said Lucy. "There'd be no point in traveling in that case."

"Wait, there's more." Said Brock. "Student entrance fees and tuition are in keeping with the high standards set by Pokemon Technical."

"You know what that means, don't you?" said Misty. "It's one of those snobby private schools that only rich families can afford to send their kids to."

"Judging from that 'training session' earlier, I would say that some kids think they're so important that they can get away with doing anything they want." Said Lucy. "But as Ash and I saw earlier, that's not how it works."

"That really makes me mad." Said Ash. "Where is this place, anyway?"

"Right over there." Joe answered. The fog lifted and the main school building was finally able to be seen. A public address voice came on.

"Today's special class, fog battle techniques, is now over." It said. "Tomorrow's lesson will be snow competition secrets."

"Oh well. Looks like tomorrow they'll make me into a snowman again." Joe grumbled.

"You mean you know those guys?" Lucy asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." Said Joe.

"Do they treat you like that all the time?" asked Ash.

"My friends are just trying to help me." Said Joe.

"You call those guys friends?!" cried Ash.

"They're more like enemies to me." Said Lucy. "At least these ones don't go around trying to steal Pokemon that belong to others, unlike a certain trio of other enemies that we know." She was, of course, referring to Jessie, James and Meowth.

"But those guys helped me learn that Pidgey evolves into Pidgeotto at level eighteen, it learns Whirlwind at level 21, Wing Attack at level 31, and as its level goes up, it learns various tricks. After evolving into Pidgeot, it can fly at twelve hundred meters up to speeds of up to mach two!"

"You actually memorized all of that?" Ash asked.

"Sure did." Said Joe.

"And doesn't Pidgeotto evolve into Pidgeot at level 36?" asked Lucy.

"Yes it does." Said Joe.

"If you know so much about Pidgey, why didn't you just answer them before?" asked Ash.

"Sometimes I pretend that I don't know all the answers because if I do, they make the questions that much harder." Joe explained. "But I have to stay here at Pokemon Tech. My mom and dad worked hard to earn enough money to be able to send me to school here. You see that guy over there?" Joe pointed to someone who was clearly much older.

"He's an upper classmate, but the classes here are so hard that some students are held back for many years. Everyone's too ashamed to go home without getting a diploma." Said Joe.

"What class is he in?" asked Lucy.

"He's in the beginner class with me." Joe answered.

"I'm a bit surprised at that. With how much you know about Pidgey and its evolution line, I thought you'd be in a bit of a higher tier." Said Lucy.

"I know." Said Joe. "A beginner has the same qualifications as someone with two badges. The intermediate class has the qualifications of four, and the advanced students have the same as six. If you graduate, you can enter the Pokémon League without traveling around to collect the badges."

"Like Ash said earlier, getting into the League without badges is too easy." Said Lucy.

"Even though that guy is a beginner, he's so much older than everybody in the class, so they don't bother helping him like they help me." Said Joe.

"What do the teachers say about that kind of help?" asked Misty.

"They don't know about it." Said Joe. "And the ones that do pretend that they don't know either."

"I'm glad the students and teachers at the school Ash and I went to weren't like this." Said Lucy.

"I think this is a violation of students' rights that must stop immediately if not sooner!" cried Ash. "I want to meet whoever's in charge of this system so I can see that it gets stopped!"

"Who is the one that's in charge?" asked Lucy.

"Here's a picture." Said Joe. He held up a photograph in front of the group, and they were surprised at what they saw.

"It's a girl." Said Misty.

"Surprising." Said Lucy. A blush crept up on Brock's face.

"She can violate my rights if….." he said, but he was quickly interrupted.

"Don't even think about going there!" Lucy snapped.

"If she's making your life miserable, why do you keep her picture around with you?" Misty asked.

"I hate the way she treats us, but I like the way she looks." Said Joe.

"Well while you two are slobbering over some dopey picture, I'm going to find this witch and straighten her out!" Misty exclaimed. She angrily stomped towards the main dorm.

"Hey, Misty, wait!" cried Ash.

"Take it easy there, Misty!" cried Lucy. As the group went inside, Team Rocket watched the whole thing from afar.

"That place brings back memories, James." Said Jessie.

"It certainly does, Jessie. And they're all awful." Said James.

"Tell me your tale of failure again." Said Meowth.

"We studied for the big test." Said Jessie.

"Sure that we would beat all the rest." Said James.

"And here's the part I like the best." Said Meowth.

"We frolicked that night, for our future seemed bright." Said Jessie.

"But things weren't right." Said James.

"We got the lowest scores in the history of the school!" they both cried.

"You should look on the bright side." Said Meowth.

"What's the bright side." Asked Jessie and James.

"At least you guys were the top of the bottom." Said Meowth. James and Jessie hugged Meowth and complimented him.

"These two are worse than I thought." Said Meowth quietly. "I liked it better when they were nasty." Back at the school, Joe was leading the group to a room full of computers.

"Giselle always practices here by herself." He said. "Even if you beat her in a fight, it doesn't matter to her. At the Tech, it's your Pokemon trainer skill that counts more than winning in any one particular battle."

"That's what I'm hoping, because Lucy and I each have two badges." Said Ash.

"But Giselle is the top beginner here at the tech. That's better than having even three badges." Said Joe. "Even though I'm at the bottom of my class, I'm still powerful than someone with two badges."

"Hold on just a second. I learned to become a trainer at the Cerulean City gym." Said Misty. "Are you sure that you can beat me?"

"Oh. Cerulean City. Water Pokemon." Said Joe.

"How did you know that?" asked Misty.

"I always beat them on the simulator." Said Joe. On the screen, Joe's Weepinbell was facing off against a Starmie. The Weepinbell knocked out the Starmie with just one attack. Misty was flabbergasted.

"What is this?" she asked. "A simulator's one thing, but real life is completely different. Let's battle!"

"You'll be sorry." Said Joe.

"What do you two have to battle for, anyway?" asked Lucy.

"Butt out, Lucy." Said Misty. "I have the Cerulean City gym's reputation to defend here. And I'm going to defend it no matter what!" She brought out a Poke Ball.

"Misty calls Starmie!" she cried. She tossed the ball and Starmie materialized.

"Too bad your water Pokemon can't beat my plant." Said Joe. "Weepinbell, go!" He tossed a Poke Ball of his own, and Weepinbell materialized.

"So that's what a Weepinbell looks like." Said Lucy. She got her Pokedex out to scan it.

"Weepinbell, the Flycatcher Pokémon, and the evolved form of Bellsprout. Weepinbell often uses its body to camouflage itself in the forest in order to lure and trap prey by spraying it with Poison Powder to immobilize it before melting it with internal acids."

"I'll teach him about Pokemon!" Misty cried. "Starmie, go! Water Gun!" Starmie knocked out Weepinbell with a single Water Gun blast.

"A one hit knockout. That doesn't happen too often." Said Lucy. Even Joe was surprised.

"But Weepinbell is strong against water Pokemon!" he cried.

"True, but there's one thing you didn't know." Said an unknown female voice. "Your opponent is from the Cerulean City gym, and her Pokemon have had much more battling experience. You should've known that. You're an embarrassment to the whole school."

"But Giselle." Said Joe.

"So that's Giselle." Said Ash.

"She looks really pretty, doesn't she?" asked Lucy.

"Yeah, she looks just like a movie star." Said Brock.

"They like stars, do they? I'll be glad to show them some stars." Misty thought.

"You must be this Giselle person we've heard about." Said Lucy.

"That's me." Said Giselle. "I'm the top student in the beginning class of the most exclusive prep school in the world, Pokémon Tech. It's sad that others aren't blessed with my beauty, my talents, my humble attitude. People call me a star, but, I'm just Giselle."

"I think she's more conceited than we are." Said Jessie.

"Yes, but she's awfully cute, isn't she?" asked James.

"Not as cute as Meowth, though." Said Meowth.

"You're in the way!" cried Jessie.

"Stop bothering us!" cried James. Meowth screamed his name and flew upwards from the punches Jessie and James were throwing and disappeared in a twinkle of light.

"I want to continue helping my classmates to be the best that they can be." Said Giselle. "To teach each other, respect each other and ensure the Pokemon of tomorrow. But you're just a weakling!" Lucy and Joe gasped.

"I can't believe she'd say that about her own classmate." Said Lucy.

"You better get stronger fast, Joe." Said Giselle. "Otherwise, before you know it, your fellow students will turn their backs on you. For good!" She walked away angrily.

"I should battle her myself and teach her a lesson or two!" cried Lucy.

"Not so fast there!" cried Misty. Giselle stopped to face her. "A true friend wouldn't walk away from somebody who needs help." Misty continued. "You may look beautiful, but you remind me of the old saying that beauty is only skin deep."

"Jealousy's not very pretty either, is it?" said Giselle.

"I think I smell trouble." Said Lucy.

"Maybe you and I should do something, Lucy." Said Ash.

"Wise Pokemon trainers never get involved in a cat fight." Said Brock.

"Huh?" said Ash.

"Against your water Pokemon, I choose Graveler. Go!" cried Giselle. She tossed a ball and a Graveler materialized.

"That's Geodude's evolved form." Said Lucy. She got her Pokedex out again.

"Graveler, the Rock Pokémon, and the evolved form of Geodude. Due to its slowness, Graveler prefers to roll around rather than walk. It often feasts on rocks and rolls down mountain paths at high speeds, but is known to explode when it rolls into a river."

"Graveler? But rock Pokemon are weak against water Pokemon!" cried Brock.

"Wouldn't a grass or electric type be better suited to take on a water Pokemon?" asked Lucy.

"My Pokemon are at such an advanced level that they can beat water Pokemon." Said Giselle. Graveler jumped and tried to land on Starmie, but the water type evaded. Graveler than jumped backwards towards Starmie, who simply fired a Water Gun at it. Graveler tucked and rolled towards Starmie and slammed into it so hard that the jewel broke and Starmie was sent flying through the window and into the pool.

"Two one hit knockouts in one day." Said Lucy. Misty was in complete shock.

"I can't believe it." She said. The group headed to the pool where Starmie had landed.

"Now we're by the pool, your Pokemon's specialty." Said Giselle. "You can use a different water Pokemon if you want."

"Oh, and I suppose you're just going to pick another Pokemon that's weak against water." Said Misty.

"Pokémon are only as strong as the trainer that raises them. A Pokémon that's weaker but better trained can still win. It depends on the trainer." Said Giselle. "I hope you're learning something from this, Joe. A Pokémon's level of training is just as important to factor as a Pokémon's type when deciding a match. A first class Pokémon trainer can calculate that."

"Wait a second. There's more to Pokemon training than just calculating levels." Said Ash.

"I agree with Ash on that." Said Lucy.

"Who are you two?" Giselle asked.

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and I've already earned two badges." Said Ash.

"I'm Lucy Peters, also from Pallet, and like Ash, I also have two badges." Said Lucy.

"In other words, you're both beginners." Said Giselle. "And how long have you both been trying to become Pokemon trainers?"

"About two months, miss." Said Lucy. Giselle gasped.

"Two whole months and you allow those cute Pokemon of yours to walk free? You haven't been able to tame them yet.

"Eevee!" Eevee cried, which meant 'She's so full of herself!'

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Just like somebody else we know.'

"I don't want to tame Pikachu." Said Ash. "Pikachu's my friend and so are Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Spearow and Clefairy!"

"I'm friends with my own Pokemon too." Said Lucy. "In my case, that would be Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur and Clefairy. But more than that, they're all partners too."

"Are all the Pokemon you listed the only ones you have?" asked Giselle.

"Is that supposed to be an insult?!" cried Lucy.

"That's funny, because even new trainers usually have at least six Pokemon on hand, and you, Ash, managed to get two badges with five Pokemon, while your friend did so with just four." Said Giselle. "You sure were lucky, weren't you?"

"Every one of my Pokemon has their own strengths." Said Ash.

"As do mine." Said Lucy.

"I wonder, with two months of Pokemon experience for both Ash and Lucy, the Pikachu and Eevee you both have should be at least level 25 by now, but they're probably not there yet, are they?"

"Just drop it already!" exclaimed Lucy.

"I guess you don't know very much about Pokemon if you chose Pikachu and Eevee as your first ones." Said Giselle. "Pikachu tend to be hard to handle. It says so in any beginning Pokemon manual. You really didn't know that, yet you still got two badges? How funny!"

"Stop, please!" Ash cried, but Giselle went on.

"A Pikachu evolves into an electric Pokémon called Raichu, it gets to be about 2 feet, 7 inches tall. Pikachu can shock you, but otherwise its pretty cute, don't you think?" she said. "Eevee, on the other hand, can evolve into one of three different Pokemon depending on which stone you use. So if you don't let them evolve, they make great pets, especially for little girls. But I'm sure you knew that, didn't you? Really? You didn't? And you have two badges?" She laughed at both of them further angering Ash and Lucy.

"Knock it off!" they yelled. Even Pikachu was in a bad mood now.

"Pika!" he cried, which meant 'Enough!'

"Let's battle!" cried Ash. Giselle brought out another Poke Ball.

"For Pikachu, this should be more than a match." Said Giselle. "Go, Cubone!" She tossed the ball and Cubone materialized. Ash brought out his Pokedex to scan it.

"Cubone, the Lonely Pokémon. On its head, Cubone wears the skull of its dead mother as a helmet. Because of this, much of its actual face has never been seen, except for its triangular, black eyes and a small area surrounding them. It is called the Lonely Pokémon because of its tendency to keep to itself and avoid social situations, due to the trauma caused by the death of its mother."

"I feel sorry for that little guy." Said Lucy. "Ash, we'll tag team to beat her. Go, Eevee!" Eevee ran onto the field and into battle position.

"Pikachu is my friend, and it's different from any other Pikachu, as you're about to find out." Said Ash. "Thunder Shock!"

"Eevee, use your Tackle!" cried Lucy. Eevee gave Cubone a good tackle, but Pikachu's Thunder Shock had no effect.

"What?" asked Ash.

"Ash, electric attacks don't work on ground Pokemon, remember?" said Lucy.

"Your friend here is correct." Said Giselle. "Cubone, give them a taste of your Leer attack!" The attack made both Pikachu and Eevee dazed.

"Pikachu, stare it down." Said Ash.

"Same goes for you, Eevee." Said Lucy.

"Cubone, Bone Club now." Said Giselle. Cubone struck Pikachu and Eevee with its bone.

"Hey, that's a cheap shot!" cried Lucy.

"It's one of Cubone's attacks, and it's perfectly legal." Giselle countered. "Cubone, go for the Bonemerang!" The bone hit Pikachu and Eevee on the head, making both Ash and Lucy gasp.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Lucy. "Throwing that bone is a cheap way to win!"

"That's another one of Cubone's attacks, and it's authorized by the Pokemon League." Said Giselle.

"I still think they're cheap tricks." Said Ash. Cubone performed Bonemerang again and smacked Pikachu and Eevee hard.

"Pikachu!"

"Eevee!"

"Calling the Bonemerang a cheap trick simply proves your ignorance as trainers." Said Giselle.

"Hang in there, Pikachu and Eevee!" cried Ash. "If your opponent's attack is authorized, then fighting back is too!"

"Give it your best shot, guys!" cried Lucy. Cubone fired another Bonemerang, which Pikachu and Eevee dodged. They then jumped onto Cubone's helmet and twisted it backwards to blind him, much to Giselle's shock and horror. Eevee caught the bone with her tail.

"Okay, guys, give it all you've got!" cried Lucy. Pikachu started scratching Cubone and biting its tail. Eevee kicked away the helmet and made Cubone spin around until it fainted.

"Cubone!" cried Giselle.

"We did it!" cried Ash. "Pikachu, Eevee, you both were awesome!" Cubone started crying, prompting Giselle to recall it.

"None of the textbooks ever mentioned anything about Pikachu winning without using any electric attacks." She said. "And I didn't expect a normal type like Eevee to beat a ground type either."

"That was a once in a lifetime battle." Said Joe.

"And don't try to copy it." Said Misty. "That was just kind of a fluke."

"It was a cool fluke, though." Said Lucy.

"There's another way to win that's not in the textbooks too. Isn't there, James?" said Jessie.

"Let's show them." Said James. Giselle was weeping.

"I can't believe I lost a match." She said. "Huh?" Low smoke and fog rolled in.

"Not at a time like this. Not now." Said Lucy.

"It's not….." said Ash.

"Allow us to reintroduce ourselves." Said Jessie and James.

"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!"

"MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOWTH!" Meowth fell from the sky and into the water of the pool but jumped back out via a back flip.

"I just love a splashy entrance." He said.

"I've heard of team Rocket." Said Giselle. "You're the ones who got the worst grades ever on the entrance exams. How about your team against our team?" Everyone got out their Poke Balls.

"Two of us against all of them?!" cried Jessie.

"But the rules say one on one." Said James.

"Bad guys don't play by the rules." Said Giselle. She pointed to the students and heroes.

"Get them!" she cried. Everyone threw their Poke Balls at Team Rocket, sending them into the air.

"Too many Poke Balls!" cried Jessie.

"From now on, we play the rules!" cried James.

"At least for a little while." Said Meowth.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they cried.

"And don't come back!" cried Giselle.

Later that evening, Giselle and the others were watching the sunset.

"There are some things you just can't learn in school, and that's a good lesson." Said Giselle.

"I certainly hope you've learned yours." Said Lucy.

"Absolutely." Said Giselle. "From now on, I'm going to help all my fellow classmates in the beginner's class, and no more of that special training that you saw with Joe and the boys."

"I'm going back home to start from scratch with my first Pokemon, just like Ash and Lucy did." Said Joe.

"In that case, I wish you the best of luck." Said Lucy.

"Giselle, maybe we can meet in the Pokemon League someday." Said Joe.

"I hope so." Said Giselle. "If we do, I'll try to be a worth opponent for you."

"Is it okay if I keep your picture with me?" asked Joe.

"Sure. I have pictures of all my friends too." Said Giselle.

"Do you have mine?" asked Joe.

"We're friends now, aren't we?" said Giselle. "Good luck, Joe.

"Thanks, Giselle." Said Joe.

"See Misty? Why can't you be like that with Lucy and I?" asked Ash.

"I'll tell you exactly why." Said Misty. "He doesn't owe her a bike!" Ash and Lucy laughed sheepishly.

"Maybe we'll battle again someday." Said Joe.

"I sure hope so." Said Giselle.

"Me too." Said Lucy. As Ash and his friends went on their way, they took one last look at the school where they learned so much.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Pokemon: Pikachu, Spearow, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Clefairy

Lucy's Pokemon: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur, Clefairy

Author's Notes: The flashback sequence involving Lucy here is one of several that will be featured throughout this series, but for now, we move on to what I felt was one of the best parts of the early episodes, running into all three of the starter trio, starting with the Bulbasaur episode. See you next time!

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 10: Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village

Ash was leading his friends deep into the forest. The trouble was that he didn't have a compass on him, so he had to rely on instinct. And having to do that usually spells trouble.

"Ash, are you sure about this shortcut of yours?" asked Lucy.

"Don't worry, Lucy. I'm positive this will lead us back to the path." Said Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Whatever you say, Ash.'

"If you say so, Ash." Said Lucy.

"That's what you said an hour ago. I'm tired." Said Misty. "I told you to stick to the main road, but no, you had to insist on taking a shortcut."

"What do you mean? It was you who said to go this way." Said Ash.

"If I was the one leading, we wouldn't have gotten lost like this!" insisted Misty.

"Who says we're lost?" Ash snapped back.

"Looks like you forgot an important traveling rule, Ash." Said Lucy. "If you don't know where you are or where you're going, it means you're lost. All that matters right now is trying to find another way to get back on track."

"All right. But remind me to yell at Ash some more when we get to Vermillion City." Said Misty.

"Calm down, Misty." Said Lucy." Just because we're lost right now doesn't mean we're going to stay lost forever. Always think positive, guys."

"I think it's time for a break." Said Ash.

"I agree." Said Lucy. "My feet are killing me from all that walking." Ash suddenly spotted something behind him.

"Hey look, it's a Pokemon." He said.

"Oh, let me see!" cried Lucy. She grabbed her Pokedex so she could get a scan.

"Oddish. This Pokémon is typically found roaming the forest scattering pollen as it walks around."

"Oddish normally walk around at night until they've walked a thousand feet before finding a place to plant themselves." Said Lucy. "I guess this Oddish thinks differently."

"I don't care what it's thinking. I'm going to catch it!" cried Ash.

"Hold it!" cried Misty.

"What for?" said Ash.

"Yeah, what's the big deal?" asked Lucy.

"I'm going to catch it myself." Said Misty.

"What? No fair, Lucy and I saw it first!" cried Ash.

"But we found it around the water, and water is my specialty." Said Misty. "Go, Starmie!" She grabbed a Poke Ball and sent her Starmie out.

"Water Gun!" cried Misty. The attack sent Oddish into the air.

"Way to spray. Now Tackle it, Starmie!" ordered Misty. The attack landed and Oddish was knocked out.

"Nice work, Starmie!" cried Misty. "Now to catch it! Poke Ball go!" However, the ball she threw was swatted back at her by another Pokemon.

"Uh oh." Said Misty. Much to everyone's surprise, they saw a Bulbasaur standing next to Oddish.

"Well, this is a familiar sight for me as far as Bulbasaur is concerned." Said Lucy.

"What do you mean, Lucy?" asked Brock.

"I caught one in Viridian Forest a while ago." Lucy answered. The Bulbasaur used Tackle to knock out Starmie.

"Starmie!" cried Misty. "Are you okay?"

"Looks like it's my turn to try and catch it." Said Ash. "Butterfree, I choose you!" His Butterfree materialized out of the Poke Ball he threw.

"Sleep Powder." Said Ash. Bulbasaur just blew the sleep dust right back at Butterfree, making it fall asleep.

"Come on, Butterfree! Hang in there!" cried Ash.

"I don't think Butterfree can battle anymore after taking a Sleep Powder to the face." Said Lucy. Bulbasaur tackled Butterfree and sent it up in the air, knocking it out in the process.

"Oh no." said Ash. Bulbasaur and Oddish retreated into the forest together.

"The Bulbasaur!" cried Ash. "It's not fair! I want it!"

"On the other hand, that's one powerful Bulbasaur." Said Lucy. "Now I'm starting to wonder if it's even more powerful than the one I already caught." Further on, the group was attempting to cross a bridge.

"I bet there are Bulbasaur all over this place.: said Ash.

"But where even is this place?" asked Misty.

"It's not marked anywhere on my map." Said Brock.

"Nonetheless, we have to be very careful crossing this bridge." Said Lucy. The wind started to pick up and rock the bridge.

"Hold on tight, everyone!" cried Lucy. "Whatever you do, don't look down!" Brock slipped and fell into the rapids below.

"Brock, no!" cried Ash.

"Ash, you have to pull Lucy and I back up. It's our only chance!" cried Misty.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Hurry, Ash!'

"I can't!" Ash cried.

"Yes you can, and you will!" cried Lucy. "Just pull as hard as you can!" Ash did his best, and soon, he got them all up and over to the other side of the bridge.

"I've been in tight spots before, but never one like that." Said Lucy.

"We can't rest now, we have to find Brock." Said Misty.

"Let's go to the ground and see if he's somewhere along the river's bank." Said Lucy. "Maybe he managed to pull himself out."

"Hurry up!" cried Ash. They then heard Misty scream.

"Eevee!" Eevee cried, which meant 'Yikes!'

"Where'd Misty go?" asked Ash.

"Look down there. In that hole." Said Lucy. She and Ash noticed a hole in the ground beside them.

"Misty, how did you end up down there?" asked Ash.

"I fell, how else?" said Misty. "What's a trap doing here?"

"It seems pretty strange." Said Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'I bet it's a Team Rocket trap.'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'I wouldn't be surprised.'

"Just get me out, quick!" cried Misty. Lucy grabbed a Poke Ball.

"Bulbasaur, bring Misty back up here with your Vine Whip." She said. Bulbasaur materialized and used his vines to pull Misty out of the hole.

"Great job, Bulbasaur." Said Lucy. "Return!" She recalled her grass Pokemon, and the three of them started looking for Brock.

"Do you think he washed this far downstream?" asked Misty.

"I don't know." Said Lucy. As they kept walking, Lucy got caught in a foot snare trap.

"WHOA!" she creamed. Ash, Misty, Pikachu and Eevee then got caught in the trap themselves.

"Ah!" Misty and Ash screamed.

"How did we get up a tree?" Ash wondered.

"It's another trap! Do something!" cried Misty.

"What can I do?" said Ash.

"Try wiggling. See if the net will open that way." Said Lucy. Ash wiggled around but couldn't break the net.

"This is so dumb." Ash grumbled.

"If you have any better ideas, I'd certainly like to hear them!" Misty yelled. They then heard a familiar sound, which was that of the Bulbasaur from earlier.

"Bulbasaur!" cried Ash.

"And what's it doing all the way out here?" asked Lucy. Bulbasaur just smiled at them and walked away.

"Hold it right there, Bulbasaur! I want a match!" Ash cried.

"You're wiggling around too much." Said Misty. "Ow! Stop kicking me!"

"Bulbasaur!" cried Ash.

"Forget about Bulbasaur right now, Ash." Said Lucy. "Let's just focus on getting out of these traps, shall we?" Meanwhile, Team Rocket was wandering around looking for something.

"The village we're looking for should be n the other side of that bridge." Said Jessie,

"Let's just hope the rumors are true." Said James. Meowth started to laugh.

"Just wait until you see what Team Rocket's got planned for you, you delicious little village." As for Ash and his friends, they were still worried about Brock.

"I wonder what happened to him." Said Ash.

"I wonder too." Said Misty.

"Maybe the river carried him all the way to the ocean." Said Ash. "Then some pirates spotted him and brough him aboard their ship, and one of the pirates has a wooden leg.

"You have a crazy imagination!" cried Lucy.

"Then came the storm." Said Ash. Out of nowhere, a Razor Leaf snapped the net Ash, Lucy, Misty, Pikachu and Eevee had been caught in, freeing them. Brock then came into view.

"Hey, Brock!" cried Ash.

"There you three are." Said Brock. "Why are you all hanging around in that tree?"

"Never mind that right now, just get us down!" cried Lucy. "I'm afraid of heights!" Brock summoned Geodude to headbutt the tree and get Ash, Misty, Lucy, Pikachu and Eevee down from it. The five of them landed on the ground with a thud.

"Thanks, Brock, but next time, get us down more gently." Said Lucy.

"Yeah, sure. Sorry." Said Brock. He recalled his Geodude.

"We've been looking for you." Said Ash. "What happened?"

"You have no idea how worried we were." Said Lucy.

"Well, I was getting washed away by he rapids, and it looked like I was heading for disaster." Said Brock. "But then, an incredibly beautiful girl saved my life."

"Beautiful girl, eh?" said Ash. "That's even better than my theory about the pirates. Or maybe she's a pirate in disguise."

"You need a reality check." Said Lucy. "You're letting your imagination get ahead of you again."

"Brock, what's this about your life being saved by a beautiful girl?" asked Misty.

"I'll show you." Said Brock. The group followed him to a cabin where they saw the girl Brock was talking about.

"Melanie, this is Ash, Misty and Lucy." Said Brock, introducing his companions to her.

"Hello." Said Ash.

"It's very nice to meet you, Melanie." Said Lucy.

"Nice to make your acquaintance." Said Misty.

"So you three are all Brock's friends." Said Melanie. "He's told me all about you."

"That's great." Said Misty. "Oh, look at that!" The group looked and saw a whole bunch of Pokemon around them.

"There's quite a bit of Pokemon here." Said Lucy.

"Do all of these belong to you?" asked Misty.

"Oh, no." said Melanie.

"This is a place where Pokemon can rest and relax." Said Brock.

"You mean like a summer camp?" asked Ash.

"Sort of, except it's for the whole year." Said Brock. "You see, when Pokemon get abandoned or injured, they can come here. Melanie takes care of them until they feel better, then they leave."

"So this is a Pokemon Center, and Melanie's a Pokemon doctor." Said Misty. "Melanie chuckled.

"Oh heavens no, I'm unqualified to be a doctor." She said.

"This is more like a health spa." Said Brock.

"Huh?" said Ash.

"I get it." Said Lucy. "It's a place where an injured Pokemon can get healed, and also where abandoned Pokemon can rest until they get back on their feet as wild Pokemon."

"Here, the Pokemon don't battle with each other." Said Melanie. "They simply relax and try to enjoy themselves until they've recovered."

"Cool!" cried Misty.

"Melanie collects plants to use for medicine." Said Brock. "She knows which plants can help a Pokemon feel better or get stronger when it's too weak."

"So you and Melanie both like to take care of Pokemon." Said Ash.

"We do." Said Brock.

"I think you two have the makings of a strong friendship." Said Lucy.

"Well, it looks to me like there's something else Brock might love." Said Misty. Brock quickly covered Misty's mouth with her hand.

"Be quiet! She might hear you!" he cried.

"Yeah, don't go embarrassing Brock, Misty." Said Lucy.

"I wonder who put those nets and snares in the trees, though." Said Ash.

"Probably the same person or people who dug the hole I fell into." Said Misty.

"I still think it was Team Rocket." Said Lucy.

"I'm sorry. It was me who set those traps." Said Melanie. "I wanted to catch Pokemon trainers before they reached the village. Since you three got caught in them, I guess they really work."

"But why would you do that?" asked Misty.

"I'd kind of like to know myself." Said Lucy.

"There are so many injured Pokemon here. I have to protect them." Said Melanie.

"So the bridge was a trap too!" cried Ash.

"Yes." Said Melanie.

"Pretty clever security system in my opinion." Said Lucy. Outside the village, Team Rocket was trying to cross the broken bridge.

"Across this bridge lays a lifetime supply of Pokemon." Said Jessie.

"How are we ever going to carry them all?" asked James.

"Don't worry. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Said Meowth. Just then, the bridge broke, and Team Rocket went sailing down into the rapids below. Back at the village…..

"I promised Melanie that we wouldn't capture any of the Pokemon here." Said Brock.

"And did you seal that promise with a kiss?" Misty asked. She was greeted with a bonk on the head.

"Ow!" she cried.

"So that means you really do love her." Said Lucy. Now it was her turn to get bonked on the head.

"Ow!" she cried.

"Well, I guess we'll have to keep that promise." Said Ash.

"Only bad guys try to capture sick Pokemon." Said Misty.

"But are those traps really enough to keep robbers away from this place?" asked Ash. "I mean, one would have to be pretty stupid to fall into one of those holes."

"Hey!" cried Misty.

"Don't ever call Misty stupid again, Ash." Said Lucy. "However, you did bring up something important. Those traps have to keep robbers away, or the Pokemon here would be in real danger." Meanwhile, Team Rocket was screaming after falling into a pit trap.

"This is the third hole we've fallen into!" cried Jessie. "How come nobody falls into our traps, but we fall into theirs?"

"Well, this one was cleverly hidden and well made." Said James.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it so much!" snapped Jessie.

"Meowth!" cried Meowth. Soon, the trio ended up in a net, making them scream more.

"Get us out of here!" cried James.

"Ow! My tail! That hurts! Stop pulling on it!" cried Meowth. Back in the village, Brock was pouring some water from the lake onto Staryu.

"Do you feel any better yet, Staryu?" asked Lucy. Misty was apologizing to the Oddish from before.

"Sorry about what happened in the forest." Said Misty.

"Oddish." Oddish answered, which meant 'It's okay.'

"I shouldn't have surprised you like that." Said Misty. "You must've been scared."

"Oddish." Said Oddish, which meant 'I was.'

"Melanie told me your old trainer got rid of you." Said Misty. "Was it really because he thought you were too weak?"

"Oddish." Oddish answered sadly, which meant 'Yes.'

"Some trainers can be so insensitive." Said Misty. "But not all of us are mean like that." She started petting Oddish. "You just need to find a trainer that understands you. Anyway, I'm sorry for what I did and I hope we can be friends." She started crying.

"Oddish." Said Oddish. It wiped away the tears that were falling from Misty.

"Oddish." Said Oddish, which meant 'Friends. Please don't cry.'

"You're so sweet, Oddish." Said Misty. "All I think about lately is winning. I hope I'm not becoming heartless."

"You're always heartless, Misty." Said Ash. Lucy smacked Ash on the back of the head for that remark.

"Mind your own business, Ash." Said Misty.

"You're not heartless at all, Misty." Said Lucy. "I think you're very nice."

"Oh, that's so sweet, Lucy." Said Misty. Bulbasaur ran in and tackled Misty from behind.

"Hey! It's rude to tackle people!" cried Misty.

"Misty's right." Said Lucy. Bulbasaur moved his right front leg back and kicked up some dust, showing that he was ready to charge.

"I get it. You're mad because I was going to beat you, but you chickened out and ran off instead.

"That must be it." Said Misty.

"Actually, I think Bulbasaur's telling us to back away." Said Lucy.

"Then let's see how tough you really are." Said Ash.

"Please, wait!" cried Melanie. "Bulbasaur is only trying to protect Oddish. Bulbasaur volunteered to guard our whole village."

"Huh?" Ash and Misty both said.

"Bulbasaur protects all the injured Pokemon when enemies try to attack them." Said Melanie.

"That's why it responded so quickly when Oddish was in trouble earlier." Said Lucy.

"Bulbasaur is the bravest and most loyal Pokemon that I know." Said Melanie.

"That's why it attacked me." Said Misty. "It thought I was taking Oddish away from the village." Ash saw Bulbasaur pushing his legs.

"Now what?" said Ash.

"Bulbasaur doesn't like Pokemon trainers. It wants you to leave the village now." Said Melanie.

"I'll have you know, Melanie, that I caught a Bulbasaur already." Said Lucy. "Not here, but somewhere else. And it likes me a lot."

"That was a regular, wild Bulbasaur, though." Said Melanie. "This one feels very differently."

"And besides, we're not here to capture Pokemon." Said Misty. "We want to help you."

"It's true, Bulbasaur." Said Melanie. "These are our friends."

"Bulbasaur was worried about the other Pokemon, so it decided to be the village bodyguard." Said Ash. "Now that's what I call bravery. It would be great to have a Pokémon like that." Up above the village, Team Rocket floated in on a floating stadium.

"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!"

"We've said our line, time to attack the village!" cried Jessie.

"Those village idiots thought their measly traps would stop us, they thought they had the home team advantage." Said James.

"No such luck, we're the home team now." Said Jessie.

"I congratulate myself for this brilliant scheme." Said James.

"Don't forget, it was my idea to tie balloons to the stadium roof." Said Meowth. The Team Rocket trio landed their stadium, with the heroes watching.

"Here we go again." Said Ash.

"Don't they ever get tired of the same motto?" said Misty.

"My thoughts exactly." Said Lucy.

"Today, only at Jessie Stadium, it's the Team Rocket Pokemon challenge." Said Jessie.

"The flying stadium was my idea." Said James.

"Oh." Jessie muttered. A giant vacuum hose then extended from the stadium and started sucking up the Pokemon in the village.

"All Pokemon are invited to enter the stadium." Said Jessie.

"Step right up!" cried James.

"Yeah, we're not hosing you." Said Meowth. "Or maybe we are." Oddish started getting sucked up, but was stopped by Lucy due to her grabbing it in time.

"Oddish." Said Oddish, which meant 'Nice save.' Ash grabbed and held onto Staryu before it got sucked in.

"They never run out of ideas, do they?" he said.

"Hurry, everybody get in the cabin!" cried Brock. Oddish started getting pulled in again.

"No, Oddish!" Misty cried. At the last second, Bulbasaur used Vine Whip to save the small Pokemon.

"Bulbasaur!" cried Misty.

"Right on time, just like in the movies." Said Lucy.

"Take Staryu!" cried Ash.

"Ash, what are you doing now?" asked Lucy. Ash ignored her and started pushing Bulbasaur forward.

"Keep going, Bulbasaur!" he cried. Everyone finally got inside Melanie's cabin safely.

"Those rotten little pests. They're always ruining our plans!" exclaimed Jessie.

"Not this time. They've gathered them all in one place for us." Said James.

"Our super vacuum will suck them up." Said Meowth. The hose got closer to the cabin and started sucking up everything and everyone inside it.

"Let's go team! To steal them is our dream! Let's go rocket! Put Pokemon in our pocket!" cried the Team Rocket trio. Bulbasaur jumped onto the roof of the cabin and tried knocking the vacuum away with its Vine Whip.

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" cried Ash. The flying type materialized.

"Gust attack!" yelled Ash. The bird Pokemon used its Gust as a tornado to blow the vacuum away. The tornado headed right for Team Rocket.

"The tornado's winding up." Said James.

"But will it strike us out?" said Jessie.

"There goes the whole ball game!" cried Meowth. The three of them screamed as both them and their stadium got blown away by the tornado.

"What are we going to do now?" said Meowth.

"We can try and take up windsurfing." Said Jessie.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" cried Meowth. The tornado carried Team Rocket and their stadium away.

"And it's a home run!" cried Lucy.

"Is everyone okay?" asked Melanie.

"I just had the wind knocked out of me." Said Ash. "This village is well protected with Bulbasaur here."

"Ash, don't you think Bulbasaur would be a great addition to your team?" asked Melanie.

"Oh, would he ever?!" Ash cried.

"I think Bulbasaur should go with you." Said Melanie.

"But what about the village?" asked Lucy.

"Bulbasaur stayed here to protect the weaker Pokémon, but this village is too small, the bulb on its back can't grow, it needs to go out into the world now. And I know you'll take good care of it. Please do me this favor, Ash. Take Bulbasaur with you on your journey, he'll be a good companion." Said Melanie.

"But what will happen to the village without Bulbasaur?" asked Misty.

"He's the village bodyguard." Said Lucy. "What'll happen without him here?"

"More important, who's going to protect you?" asked Brock.

"It's true that Bulbasaur has done a great job, maybe too great a job. You see, these Pokémon shouldn't remain in this village forever and ever. After they recover, the Pokémon are supposed to leave, but it's too safe here, so none of them wants to go away. They don't want to return to the outside world." Said Melanie. "But I think its important that all of them return to the wild, that's where Pokémon belong. And hopefully, someday, they'll find good trainers like all of you."

"That's really nice of you to say about us." Said Lucy.

"Of course, taking care of sick Pokémon will always be my mission, but I know that my job isn't finished until they return where they came from. So its the day a Pokémon leaves that is the most rewarding to me." Said Melanie. "So, you see, its time for Bulbasaur to leave here. Please take it with you. It won't be a burden, I promise. Bulbasaur still has a lot of growing to do. I want it to be in a place where I can be sure it can grow strong and happy. I'm sure that place is with you, Ash."

"Well, if you really want me to." Said Ash.

"Bulbasaur." Said Bulbasaur, making Melanie let out a chuckle.

"What did it say?" asked Ash.

"I think it wants to challenge you to a battle." Said Lucy.

"Is that right, Bulbasaur?" asked Melanie. "You want to challenge Ash?"

"Bulba." Said Bulbasaur, which meant 'That's right.'

"If you want a match, you'll get one." Said Ash.

"Oh Ash, let me battle it. Pretty please?" Misty begged.

"No way, Misty." Said Ash. Soon, Pikachu and Bulbasaur were standing off against each other.

"Pikachu, go!" cried Ash. Pikachu charged, while Bulbasaur used Vine Whip to attack. Pikachu used its speed to avoid it. Bulbasaur then charged in for a tackle which sent Pikachu flying.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"That's a strong Tackle attack." Lucy remarked. "Then again, Bulbasaur's a tough Pokemon."

"Look out, Pikachu!" cried Ash. Bulbasaur sent Pikachu flying again with another Tackle attack, but Pikachu straightened himself out and landed on his feet and charged at Bulbasaur with its own Tackle. However, Bulbasaur got back up and wrapped its Vine Whip around Pikachu and slammed it to the ground. Ash, Misty and Lucy gasped.

"Vine Whip is Bulbasaur's special move!" cried Misty.

"And a powerful move too." Said Lucy. Bulbasaur slammed Pikachu down with Vine Whip multiple times.

"Ash and Pikachu need to improvise, and quickly." Said Lucy.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" cried Ash. Pikachu unleashed the move, sending the attack through Bulbasaur's vines and shocking it into submission.

"Nice improvising!" cried Lucy. Ash wasted no time grabbing a Poke Ball.

"Poke Ball, go!" he cried. The ball hit Bulbasaur, sucking it inside. The ball wiggled for a few seconds before pinging for a successful catch.

"We did it!" cried Ash. "We caught Bulbasaur!"

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Congratulations!'

"Nice going, Ash!" cried Lucy.

"Bulbasaur, I'll miss you." Said Melanie.

Soon, the group got ready to leave the village.

"I promise to take good care of Bulbasaur for you, Melanie." Said Ash.

"Thanks, Ash." Said Melanie. Oddish hopped over to Misty and smiled at her.

"Oddish, what is it?" she asked.

"I think Oddish is saying that it wants you to be its new trainer." Said Lucy. "I know it's not a water type, but it does seems to like you a lot.

"Can't argue with that." Said Misty. "You really want to come with me, Oddish?" Oddish hopped up and down excitedly.

"I think that's a yes." Said Brock. Misty got out a Poke Ball and gently tapped Oddish with it. Oddish sucked itself inside, and the ball pinged right away.

"It may not be a water type like Lucy said, but it's still very cute." Said Misty.

"Oddish, Bulbasaur, I'll miss you both." Said Melanie.

"Hey, Melanie, I've been thinking." Said Brock.

"Yes?" said Melanie.

"Since Bulbasaur and Oddish are leaving, I wouldn't mind staying and helping you out." Said Brock.

"It's very nice of you to offer, brock, but I think I'll be okay." Said Melanie. "I wouldn't want to keep you and your friends from all your wonderful adventures."

"I guess you're right." Said Brock.

"Goodbye, Melanie!" cried Ash.

"Take care out here!" cried Lucy.

"Goodbye! Good luck!" cried Melanie.

"Bulbasaur!" cried Ash's new Bulbasaur, which meant 'Bye Melanie!'

"Don't worry, Bulbasaur, you'll see your other friends again." Said Ash. "Once they feel better, they'll be able to leave this village."

"Bulba." Said Bulbasaur, which meant 'I know'.

"Take care of each other!" cried Melanie. "Goodbye!" Brock sighed.

"I wonder what's with Brock." Said Lucy.

"What did Melanie say when you said you loved her?" asked Misty. "Did you give her a goodbye kiss?"

"Misty!" cried Lucy.

"That's enough stupid questions!" cried Brock. "Would you just stop embarrassing me already?!" Brock went on talking, leaving Ash, Lucy and Misty standing and watching in confusion.

"Did I miss something?" said Ash. "What's going on?"

"For Brock's sake, I say the less we know, the better." Said Lucy. Now that Bulbasaur is at Ash's side, he's starting to form his own dream team. Now they can keep making their way to Vermillion City. I just hope they don't take anymore shortcuts, or they may never get there!

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Pokemon: Pikachu, Spearow, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Clefairy, Bulbasaur

Lucy's Pokemon: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur, Clefairy

Author's notes: Next up is what I thought was one of the more serious of the early episodes, the encounter with Charmander. I'll just give a bit of a heads up right now that I'll be tweaking the ending of that one a bit, and you'll see what I mean once I post my version of that episode's events.

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 11: Charmander, The Stray Pokemon​

With Bulbasaur as Ash’s newest Pokemon, he and his friends are triumphantly making their way to Vermillion city. Aren’t they?

Ash was watching a flock of Spearow through Lucy’s binoculars.

“There’s nothing but Spearow around here.” He said.

“That’s the least of our worries right now.” Said Misty.

“Just because we’re a little lost doesn’t mean we have to stop catching all the wild Pokemon we can, does it?” said Ash.

“It’s not always about the destination, it’s also about the journey.” Said Lucy. Well, it seems the group has gotten off track just a little bit.

“I can’t go a single step further.” Said Misty. “We’ve been looking for Vermillion City for ten whole days!”

“Uh, there’s a bug right on your……” said Brock.

“Ah! Get it away!” cried Misty. She jumped onto Ash’s back for protection.

“It was just a piece of grass.” Said Brock.

“Talk about your false alarm.” Said Lucy. Brock gave a loud laugh, but Misty kicked him square in the face.

“Eevee.” Squealed Eevee, which meant ‘That had to hurt.’

“I’m going crazy!” exclaimed Misty. “Where are we?!”

“According to my calculations, we’re right in the middle of nowhere. But route 24 leads us to Vermillion City.” Said Ash.

“Does this trail take us to route 24?” asked Misty.

“According to my calculations it does.” Said Ash.

“I think your calculations need serious work there, Ashy boy.” Said Lucy.

“Hey, only Gary’s allowed to call me that and you know how I can’t stand him!” cried Ash.

“Will you two quit arguing already?” said Brock.

“Brock’s right. Let’s get this show on the road.” Said Misty.

“We’ll have to be careful.” Said Lucy. “Aside from Spearow, we don’t know what other Pokemon are out here.” Misty soon saw a shadow in the way.

“Huh?” she said. “Hey Ash, Lucy, come over here and take a look at this thing!” Ash and Lucy saw what Misty was talking about.

“What in the name of Dragonite is this?” asked Lucy.

“It looks like some kind of giant Pokemon.” Said Ash. Pikachu and Eevee gasped when they saw the creature and hid behind Brock’s backpack.

“Oh, wait! I know what this is.” Said Lucy. “Ash, you and I saw this on your television the night before we started our journey. That’s a Charmander.” Ash brought out his Pokedex.

“Charmander. A flame burns on the tip of its tail from birth. It is said that a Charmander dies if its flame ever goes out.”

“This thing can die if it ever loses its flame?” said Lucy. “That’s so sad.”

“When Lucy and I went to get our first Pokemon from Professor Oak, I was disappointed that I couldn’t get a Charmander.” Said Ash. “Now I can make up for that by catching one of my very own.”

“I don’t know. It looks like it’s in bad shape.” Said Misty.

“Yeah. Catch it in a Poke Ball and then we’ll take it to a Pokemon Center so it can get help.” Said Brock.

“Good idea, Brock.” Said Lucy. “Go for it, Ash. Ash grabbed a ball and started throwing it.

“Poke Ball, go!” he cried. Charmander simply used its tail to swat the ball back to him.

“He looks pretty healthy to me.” Said Ash. “You think I should have Pikachu battle it and weaken it so that it’s easier to catch?”

“Let me catch it.” Said Misty. “My water Pokemon would be strong against Charmander.

“herein lies a problem, though.” Said Lucy. “If the water were to hit Charmander’s flame and make it go out, it would die, just like the Pokedex said.”

“Good point.” Said Misty.

“Hold on a second.” Said Brock. “The flame on his tail is already pretty low. There’s no way it can still have the strength to battle. Ash, try the Poke Ball one more time.”

“Would it just be the same result again?” said Ash.

“Just trust him on this, Ash.” Said Lucy.

“All right, I will!” cried Ash. He tossed the same Poke Ball again and this time, it hit Charmander.

“All right!” cried Ash. However, Charmander broke out immediately and the ball bonked Ash on the head.

“It sure has a lot of spunk.” Said Brock.

“A little too much if you ask me.” Said Lucy.

“I think this Charmander has an attitude problem.” Said Misty. Pikachu and Eevee walked up to the Charmander and started talking to it.

“What could they be talking about?” Ash wondered.

“Who knows?” said Lucy. Pikachu and Eevee listened carefully to what Charmander was telling them. Once he finished, Pikachu and Eevee nodded and went back to Ash and Lucy respectively.

“What’s the scoop, guys?” asked Ash. Pikachu and Eevee filled Ash in on what Charmander had told them and tried to translate.

“Okay, I think I understand.” Said Ash. “Pikachu and Eevee say that Charmander’s waiting for somebody to come and get it.”

“You mean it belongs to someone?” asked Misty.

“It must’ve been waiting a pretty long time if its tail flame is that low.” Said Lucy.

“All the same, if it’s waiting for somebody, I think we should leave it.” Said Brock. “It’s probably best if its own trainer takes care of it.”

“I hope its trainer comes back soon.” Said Ash. The group walked away, also Lucy took one more look at it. Soon, everyone spotted a Pokemon Center along the road as some clouds built up to signal a storm.

“Look over there, guys! It’s the Pokemon Center!” cried Misty.

“The one on the map!” exclaimed Ash. “Route 24 can’t be too far now.”

“Just in time too. I think a storm’s coming!” cried Lucy. Rain started falling, which made electricity come out of Pikachu’s cheeks.

“Let’s make a run for the Pokemon Center, posthaste!” cried Lucy.

“Hurry!” cried Ash. They all started running in order to get themselves inside and out of the rain.

Later on that night, Charmander tried to keep his flame from going out by shielding it with a leaf.

“We’re lucky that we’re nice and dry in her and not out in that terrible storm.” Said Lucy. Misty brought over some bowls to everyone.

“Here’s some nice hot soup.” Said Misty.

“Thanks, Misty.” Said Ash.

“Yes, thank you very much, Misty.” Said Lucy.

“Have some soup, Brock.” Said Misty. Brock was looking out the window in deep thought.

“You okay there, Brock?” asked Lucy.

“Is something wrong?” asked Misty.

“I wonder. Do you think anybody picked up that Charmander yet?” Brock asked.

“I hope so. That storm is way too dangerous for it to be out all alone like that.” Said Lucy.

“What if its trainer just left it there?” asked Brock.

“You mean that poor little Charmander may have been…….” Lucy started. She gave a nervous gulp before finisher her sentence. “ABANDONED?!”

“I don’t know, guys. Its’ trainer must’ve gotten it by now.” Said Brock. They soon heard laughter and commotion.

“You sure have a lot of them.” Said trainer number one.

“For sure!” said a second trainer.

“Just look at them. It’s a pretty cool collection.” Said trainer number three.

“Way cool!” cried a fourth trainer.

“You’re the man, Damian.” Said a fifth.

“I thought you also had a Charmander.” Said a sixth trainer.

“Yeah, I did have one.” Said Damian. “But that puny thing was so weak, it couldn’t even beat the weakest opponents!” He laughed about the whole thing.

“I don’t like that guy’s attitude.” Said Misty.

“That’s no way for a trainer to talk about their Pokemon.” Said Lucy.

“Eevee.” Said Eevee, which meant ‘I hope you don’t talk about me like that.’

“Of course not, Eevee.” Said Lucy. “I would never treat you so terribly.”

“Charmander may be weak against water Pokemon, but if their trainers work hard, they can be strong.” Said Brock.

“So, what did you do with the Charmander?” asked one of the trainers from Damian’s posse.

“Ah, I left it on some rock in the woods.” Said Damian. Everyone in Ash’s group gasped loudly. They couldn’t believe what they had just heard.

“Did he just say……..” Ash started.

“That he’s the one………” Misty continued.

“Who left it on the rock?!” Lucy finished.

“That thing is so stupid.” Said Damian. “No matter what I do, it keeps on following me! I finally got rid of it by promising I’d come back for it. It’s probably still out there waiting for me!” Damian laughed again, but Lucy didn’t find the situation funny at all.

“So he’s the one who abandoned that Charmander.” Said Ash.

“I should’ve known it was him!” yelled Lucy.

“Poor Charmander’s still out on that rock.” Misty said softly. Lucy’s face turned a bright shade of red. She quickly got up from the table.

“Lucy, where are you going?” Ash asked.

“I’m going to have a serious talk with this guy.” Said Lucy. She angrily marched over to Damian, who was still laughing about the whole thing. Brock gave a snarling glare, and Lucy grabbed Damian by his shirt.

“Go and get it!” she yelled.

“Huh?” Damian said, dumbfounded.

“That Charmander’s still waiting for you on that rock! Go and get it now!” yelled Lucy.

“Why should I?” asked Damian.

“You blatantly lied to your Pokemon and promised you’d go back for it.” Said Lucy. “Now it’s out in the rain all by itself, and if its flame goes out, it’ll die! Don’t you feel any sort of guilt for your actions?!”

“What I do with my Pokemon is none of your business, you little pipsqueak!” cried Damian. That remark got Lucy even angrier.

“You heartless jerk!” she cried. “And you call yourself a Pokemon trainer. You’re disgusting. If you care about your Pokemon at all, you’re going to do what I say and go and get that poor Charmander right now!”

“Pika!” Pikachu yelled angrily, which meant ‘You sick jerk!’ Damian grabbed a Poke Ball.

“You want to fight me?” he asked.

“You better not mess with Damian.” Said one of the trainer. Lucy didn’t care whatsoever.

“Let’s go!” she yelled. She prepared to face off with Damian until Nurse Joy came out to stop the noise.

“Break it up!” she cried. “You know the rules!” Everyone stopped to look at Joy.

“Pokemon are never to be used for personal fights.” She said. “It’s disrespectful to the Pokemon and their trainers!”

“Yeah, well they’re the ones who started it!” Damian claimed, referring to Ash and his group. Joy turned to Ash and his friends.

“You’re better off not to get mixed up with them.” She said. “They have a very bad reputation.”

“I can see that.” Said Brock. “Thanks for the advice.” Joy laughed and walked away.

“She sure is pretty. I’ve never seen anyone as pretty as her.” Said Brock.

“What are you talking about? She looks like all the other Joys.” Said Misty.

“Yeah, it’s a Joyful world.” Said Ash.

“Okay Brock, snap out of it.” Said Lucy.

“Quit spacing out! What about Charmander?” said Misty.

“That’s right. We’ve got to help it!” cried Brock. Our heroes ran outside wearing rain jackets to shield themselves from the rain. They hurried toward the spot where they had left the Charmander.

“This is dangerous going out into a storm like this!” cried Misty.

“She’s right. What if we all catch colds?” asked Lucy.

“Well nobody asked you to follow along.” Said Ash.

“Got to help a Pokemon in need.” Said Misty. She gave a smile and a wink. Charmander was trying to keep himself alive when a flock of Spearows began attacking it. Ash broke it up by throwing a rock at them.

“Knock it off!” he cried. The Spearow attacked Ash instead, but brock blocked the attack with his coat.

“Pikachu, Thunder Shock!” Ash cried. Pikachu launched his attack, frying all the Spearow. However, it also hit all four of the heroes.

“Next time, make sure you don’t shock us too, Pikachu.” Said Ash.

“Focus, Ash! We’re almost out of time.” Said Lucy. Ash then saw that the flame was even weaker.

“Oh no! The flame on its tail is almost out!” he cried.

“Let’s get it to the Pokemon Center!” cried Brock. Ash wrapped his raincoat around Charmander.

“I’ll make sure its’ tail flame stays lit!” he cried. With the storm worsening, they ran back to the Pokemon Center quickly.

“Hold on, Charmander! You can make it!” cried Lucy. In the Pokemon Center, Joy was looking out the window with a worried look on her face.

“I hope they were able to get to it in time.” She said. Just then, the four of them burst inside.

“Joy, please help us!” Ash cried.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” cried Joy.

“This Charmander’s in bad shape.” Said Brock.

“The flame on its tail.” Said Ash.

“It’s almost gone.” Lucy sobbed. Joy saw how small Charmander’s flame was and gasped.

“There’s not much time!” she cried. Outside, the wind whooshed hard as Joy worked on Charmander.

“Nurse Joy, how is Charmander?” asked Lucy.

“Will it survive?” asked Brock.

“Charmander is very weak.” Joy said softly before changing her tone. “How could you let it get into that condition?”

“It wasn’t our fault.” Said Ash. “Damian was the one who abandoned it.”

“What?!” Joy asked. This was the first time she was hearing about the situation.

“Damian promised Charmander he’d come back for it.” Said Ash. “Charmander’s loyal to Damian, so it believed him.”

“That’s right. That’s why I confronted him earlier.” Said Lucy.

“Poor Charmander.” Said Joy. “And Damian just left with the rest of them.”

“Joy, we’re begging you, please save it!” cried Brock. “Charmander’s got to get better.”

“I’ll do whatever I can.” Said Joy. She started treating Charmander.

“All we can do now is wait.” Said Lucy. “Oh, Charmander, I hope you’ll be all right.”

Time passed, and the group continued to wait. As they waited, Lucy and Ash made a couple of calls. One was to their parents to let them know they were okay, and the other was to Officer Jenny to report Damian for his actions. Once the calls were done, they went back to where Brock and Misty were.

“Damian can’t get away with what he did to Charmander.” Said Lucy. “Now he’s going to pay for what he did.” Brock was in deep thought.

“Charmander, you’ve got to hold on. Please, keep your flame burning.” He thought. The treatment soon finished and Joy stepped back into the waiting area.

“Well, how is he?” asked Lucy. Joy smiled and gave the peace sign.

“Charmander’s recovering. It should be fine by morning.” She said.

“That’s great news!” Misty cried. Lucy, Ash and Brock were relieved too. They all went to sleep in a much better mood.

The next morning……….

“Everybody, wake up!” cried Brock. Ash, Lucy and Misty rubbed their eyes to get sleep dust out of them.

“What is it, Brock?” asked Ash.

“It’s Charmander! Charmander’s disappeared from the ER!” cried Brock. Everyone ran to the ER and saw that the window was open.

“I bet it went back to that rock to wait for Damian.” Said Ash.

“We have to go back!” cried Brock.

“That’s no good. We can’t force Charmander to come with us if it wants to wait for Damian.” Said Misty. “Even if he is a creep and a liar.”

“Why would he ever go back to that sick, disgusting brute who almost left him for dead?!” screeched Lucy.

“Because Charmander’s loyal to Damian.” Said brock.

“He’s right. There’s nothing you can do until Charmander realizes the truth.” Said Joy. Charmander was walking back to the rock to wait for Damian. The foursome walked away from the Pokemon Center.

“I thought Charmander understood that we cared about it.” Said Brock.

“Charmander did care.” Said Ash. “It couldn’t forget about Damian. It’s still loyal to him.”

“Chu.” Said Pikachu, which meant ‘Yeah.’

“Eevee.” Squealed Eevee, which meant ‘And that’s why it went back.’

“Come on. Route 24 is just ahead.” Said Misty. “Once we get to vermillion City, there will be plenty of Pokemon.”

“Charmander has to realize the truth sooner or later, though.” Said Lucy. Brock sighed, knowing that Lucy was right. Meanwhile, Team Rocket has set up a new mecha and launched right into their motto.

"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!"

“Mind if I cut in?” said Meowth. “Huddle up, they’re going to be here soon!”

“Finally, a foolproof plan to capture Pikachu and Eevee.” Said Jessie.

“I’m so excited!” cried James. “I can't wait to test our new automatic, high speed, super-duper, whatchamacallit!”

“Start it up!” they both yelled. The machine powered on, which worried Meowth a bit.

“What does this thing do, anyway?” he asked. The mecha started drilling a hole in the ground.

“Not another hole driller! We tried that already!” cried Meowth.

“If at first you don’t succeed.” Said jessie.

“This time, we’ll remember where the hole is.” Said James. Jessie and James started covering the hole.

“Are you sure you’re going to remember where the trap is?” asked Meowth.

“Meowth, don’t you think we’re smarter than that?” said Jessie. Meowth fell over in embarrassment.

“The trap is set.” Said James. Meowth spotted the group walking down the road.

“Here they come!” cried Meowth. They hid themselves and the mecha in the nearby forest so that they wouldn’t be seen.

“They’re getting warm.” Said Jessie.

“Warmer.” Said James.

“They’re burning up.” Said Meowth. Pikachu and Eevee walked over without any problems, much to Team Rocket’s surprise.

“It’s too strong. You used too many branches!” cried Jessie.

“Me? You’re the one who covered it with too much dirt!” cried James. Meowth scratched them both.

“Quiet.” He said. As the heroes walked over the trap, a slight rumble was heard.

“You feel something?” said Ash.

“I did.” Said Brock.

“Feel what?” said Misty. The ground rumbled more and the four of them fell in. Pikachu and Eevee looked back and just shook their heads.

“Pika.” Said Pikachu, which meant ‘Not again.’ Pikachu and Eevee soon noticed that team Rocket was wearing rubber suits.

“I can’t believe they fell for it!” cried Meowth.

“Our invention worked, we’re geniuses.” Said Jessie.

“What are those voices up there?” wondered Lucy. She then gasped. “It’s Team Rocket!”

“Come with us, Pikachu and Eevee. You two belong to us, now.” Said James. Pikachu tried to shock him, but it didn’t work.

“We call these our anti-Pikachu suits.” Said Jessie. “We made them ourselves. I must admit, I don’t think this is really my color at all.”

“Enough talk. Let’s just get the Pikachu and Eevee and get out of here.” Said Meowth. Pikachu and Eevee started running.

“We'll use our anti-Pikachu rubber balloon bazooka!” cried James.

“Ready? Aim! Fire!” yelled Jessie. They launched the balloon, and despite the best efforts of Pikachu and Eevee, the balloon soon engulfed both of them. Pikachu tried an electrical attack, but it was useless.

“We got you now, guys.” Said team Rocket.

“Eevee!” Eevee squealed, which meant ‘Somebody help us!’ Meanwhile, Ash and Lucy tried to climb out of the trap so they could save their partners.

“Pikachu!” cried Ash.

“Eevee!” cried Lucy.

“Come on you guys, get up.” Said Ash. “We have to do something!”

“We’d love to get up, Ash, but unfortunately, you and Lucy are standing on us.” Groaned Misty. Jessie laughed at the four of them.

“Hello down there.” She said. “Thank you so much for dropping in.

“Don’t worry, Pikachu and Eevee are safe with us.” Said James. “We won’t lose them like you did.”

“You crooks! Just wait until we get out of here!” cried Lucy. “Eevee!”

“Pikachu!” cried Ash.

“Let’s get out of here!” cried Meowth. They were about to leave when they saw Charmander barring their way.

“Charmander!” it cried, which meant ‘Stop right there!’

“What’s that thing?” asked Jessie.

“Char charm Charmander!” it yelled.

“It’s saying you better give Pikachu and Eevee back to those guys right now!” cried Meowth.

“It’s got to be kidding.” Said Jessie.

“Step aside, you insolent little fire bug.” Said James. “We haven’t got time to play with you.”

“Team Rocket plays rough, so get moving!” yelled Meowth. Charmander grew angry, powered up and fired a powerful Flamethrower, causing James to drop the ballon that Pikachu and Eevee were in. The three of them started running to get away from Charmander.

‘Didn’t I tell you that we needed fireproof uniforms?” said James.

“Shut up and keep running!” cried Jessie.

“Some geniuses!” cried Meowth.

“Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off again!” they all yelled. Damian came out from the bushes having seen everything.

“Charmander beat them?” he said. Brock climbed up to the edge of the hole.

“Thanks for the help, Charmander.”

“See, Brock? Charmander knew we cared.” Said Misty. “That’s why it’s here.

“Say, Charmander, how’d you like to join up with us?” asked Lucy. “I don’t think your “trainer” is coming back.” But she was wrong, because Damian appeared right in front of them.

“Hey there, Charmander. Been looking all over for you.” He said.

“Damian, it’s you!” cried Ash.

“What do you want, Damian?” asked Lucy.

“I’m here to get Charmander, just like I promised.” He said. Everyone gasped.

“So let’s go.” He said. Charmander was confused about what it should do.

“Careful. He’s already abandoned you once before.” Brock whispered to it.

“I’d think about this if I were you, Charmander.” Said Lucy.

“Charmander’s mine. I’m the one who caught it.” Said Damian.

“You bragged about how you abandoned it!” cried Ash.

“Good thing I did. That toughened it up.” Said Damian. “Besides, what’s wrong with dumping off a weak Pokemon?” Charmander was shocked at what Damian had said.

“Charmander is not weak!” cried Lucy. “All you’ve proven is that you don’t have any heart or compassion!”

“I wasn’t going to come back for it originally, but now that I’ve seen what it can do, I’m glad I ran into you guys.” Charmander finally realized that Damian never cared for it at all.

“And the best thing is, I didn’t even have to raise it myself.” He said.

“What’s the point of being a Pokemon trainer if you won’t help your Pokemon become stronger?” Ash asked.

“You really are mean!” cried Misty.

“Raising a Pokemon is the best part about being a trainer.” Said Brock.

“Are you kidding? It’s the most boring part of the job.” Said Damian. The look on Lucy’s face turned to shock and anger.

“What did he just say?!” she screeched.

“Damian doesn’t care about you at all, Charmander.” Said Misty. “He just wants to use you to win matches.”

“You’re a disgrace to trainers everywhere!” Brock shouted at Damian.

“You already got rid of Charmander once.” Lucy pointed out. “Who’s to say it won’t happen again? You don’t deserve to be a trainer at all!”

“I highly agree with that!” said a voice behind the group. They turned and saw a very stern looking Officer Jenny.

“Uh, hello there, miss.” Said Damian.

“I’m not in the mood for sweet talk, young man!” she yelled. She then pointed to Ash and Lucy. “Especially after the report I got from these two last night! What do you have to say for yourself?!” Damian was at a loss for words. Then he turned to Ash and Lucy.

“You! You two squealed on me, didn’t you?!” he yelled.

“We didn’t have a choice!” cried Ash.

“We couldn’t stand to see that poor Charmander suffer, so we had to do what was right.” Said Lucy. Charmander cheered loudly for Ash and Lucy.

“Ash, Lucy, the two of you did the right thing by calling me.” Said Jenny. She then turned her attention back to Damian and resumed her angriness. “And as for you, Damian, you’re under arrest for Pokemon abuse!”

“No! Please don’t!” cried Damian. “I swear I’ll bring out every other Pokemon I have to battle those two kids if I have to.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary because your trainer license is also being revoked.” Said jenny. She quickly put handcuffs on Damian and led him away.

“Charm!” Charmander called after him, which meant ‘Serves you right, you monster!’

“Way to go, Charmander!” cried Ash. Charmander looked happily at Ash’s group.

“Go ahead, Ash. You get Charmander.” Said Brock.

“But you saved it, so you deserve it.” Said Ash.

“Right, but you’re the one who kept the flame on its tail lit.” said Brock.

“And if it wasn’t for your heroic efforts, Ash, Charmander wouldn’t even be alive right now.” Said Lucy. “I think you should be the one to have it.”

“Thank you, Brock, Lucy.” Said Ash. He held out a Poke Ball. “Come on, Charmander, welcome to the group!” Charmander happily jumped into Ash’s Poke Ball.

“You’ve got a Pokemon, and a new friend.” Said Lucy. And so, Charmander has now officially joined Ash and company on their travels. Maybe getting lost isn’t so bad after all, especially when you’re lost with your friends. Of course, finding your way with your friends is better.

TO BE CONTINUED​

Ash’s Pokemon: Pikachu, Spearow, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Clefairy, Bulbasaur, Charmander

Lucy’s Pokemon: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur, Clefairy

Author’s Notes: Okay, so as you see, I decided to have Damian arrested for the abuse he gave to Charmander. In my opinion, he deserved it for what he did. Anyway, the encounter with the Squirtle Squad is next, so stay tuned!

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 12: Here Comes The Squirtle Squad

In an earlier adventure, Ash achieved his dream of catching a Bulbasaur. Then after that, Ash, Lucy, Brock and Misty lost their way, but found a Charmander. Braving a fierce storm, Ash and his friends came to its rescue and saved it from an abusive trainer named Damian, who was arrested for the way he had treated it. As a result, Charmander became Ash's newest Pokemon. He was very pleased with himself as he and Lucy skipped down the road. Being a trainer looks like it'll be a snap for both of them, but can things continue to go smoothly? That's what we're about to find out. Ash and Lucy better keep their eyes glued to the road ahead because who knows what kind of danger may be lying in wait to swallow up our young heroes? Well, they were skipping and humming when the ground gave way, causing them to land in a pit. Now you see, that's the kind of danger I was just talking about.

"No! Not another hole!" cried Misty.

"Ow! I landed on my head!" cried Brock. Ash and Lucy simply groaned.

"Who dug this pit, anyway?" Lucy asked.

"It has to be a prank." Said Brock.

"Someone has a bad sense of humor." Said Misty.

"Who would play such a rotten trick?" asked Ash. A group of Pokemon looked into the hole and laughed at Ash and his friends' clumsiness.

"Who are you?!" screamed Brock.

"That's not funny. We could've been hurt!" cried Misty. The Pokemon kept laughing while Ash and Lucy climbed out of the hole.

"Dangerous practical jokes are nothing to laugh about!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'I agree!' Misty and Brock climbed out of the hole and saw who was responsible for the prank.

"Well I'll be. It's a group of Squirtle." Said Lucy. Ash brought out his Pokedex.

"Squirtle. This tiny turtle Pokémon draws its long neck into its shell to launch incredible water attacks with amazing range and accuracy. The blasts can be quite powerful."

"With my very own Squirtle, Gary will never beat me." Said Ash. "Go, Pikachu!" Pikachu aimed a Thunderbolt at the leader but another Squirtle got in the way and took the attack instead. Pikachu, and Eevee for that matter, stared down the Squirtles old Western style until a police siren was heard, causing the Squirtle to retreat.

"That was sure weird." Said Ash. Officer Jenny then rode in on her motorcycle.

"Are you guys all right? Has anyone been hurt here?" she asked.

"Officer Jenny!" Ash and Lucy cried.

"Huh? Have we met before? Your faces don't look familiar to me." Said Jenny.

"We met you back in Viridian City." Said Lucy. "Don't you remember that?"

"Oh, you must mean my cousin." Said Jenny.

"Cousins?" asked Ash and Lucy together. Jenny showed them a picture.

"My cousins are a lot alike, we're all police officers, plus we're all named Jenny." Said Jenny.

"Talk about family resemblance." Said Lucy.

"At least they remember all their names." Said Misty.

Soon, the group arrived at the police station where Jenny worked.

"The Pokemon gang you four ran into call themselves the Squirtle Squad." Jenny explained.

"Squirtle Squad?" Ash repeated.

"I've never heard of a Pokemon gang." Said Misty.

"They're all Squirtles who were deserted by their trainers." Said Jenny.

"Deserted?" said Lucy. "That's terrible."

"They don't have a trainer, so they just run wild and play tricks on the whole town." Said Jenny. "It's really kind of sad because if they had a trainer to love them and care about them, they wouldn't have turned out to be as bad as they are. It's a real shame." Meanwhile, up on a hill, Team Rocket was spying on Ash and his friends as they got ready to leave to head back on the road.

"There! I see them!" cried Jessie. "The little brats! And Pikachu and Eevee are with them."

"Do you see a restaurant? I'm really starving here." Said Meowth. Jessie knocked Meowth on the head with a paper fan.

"But no more pizza!" James pointed out. He was also hit with the paper fan.

"I'm sick of pizza every meal!" he complained.

"You'll never eat again if we mess up this mission!" yelled Jessie.

"Can we order Chinese food?" asked James.

"Or maybe tacos?" asked Meowth. Jessie hit both him and James with the fan again.

"Am I the only one on this team who thinks world domination is more important than what's for lunch?!" she yelled. "Now let's focus on what really matters and that's how we're going to capture Pikachu and Eevee!" Her stomach started growling just then, much to her embarrassment.

"Now my own stomach says it's time to eat." She said.

"Yes!" James cried.

"Yeah!" cried Meowth. "We're gonna have a picnic!" The three then spotted the Squirtle Squad surrounding them.

"You guys got a problem?" Jessie said to them. The lead Squirtle pointed to Team Rocket's picnic basket and yelled out instructions.

"Meowth, what's it saying?" asked James.

"It said 'Give us your food, or else.'" Said Meowth.

"You're threatening us?!" cried Jessie. "You don't understand. See, we're Team Rocket. We're supposed to be the ones threatening you."

"Squirtle squirt." Said the lead Squirtle, which meant 'Don't say I didn't warn you!'

"Let's show these little creeps." Said James.

"I'm game." Said Jessie. Team Rocket stepped forward but fell into a pit. Soon, the Squirtle Squad started munching on the picnic lunch Jessie had packed. Team Rocket could only watch as they were tied to a tree.

"Oh no! They're eating all the jelly doughnuts and eclairs!" cried Jessie.

"They're drinking all the lemonade!" cried James.

"This is cruel and unusual." Said Meowth.

"Those aren't Squirtles. They're piggles." Said Jessie.

"They're starting on the sandwiches! We have to do something!" cried James.

"Wait! I've got it!" cried Jessie. "Hey Squirtles, how'd you like to do a little job for us?"

"Squirtle." Said the Squirtles, which meant 'We're listening.'

"There's these four kids with a Pikachu and an Eevee." Said Jessie. "Our boss would be most appreciative if you helped us capture them. He'd make it worth your while."

"Squirtle squirt." Said the lead Squirtle, who immediately shook his head at the offer.

"What did the Squirtle answer?" asked James.

"It said 'Forget it, we know humans can't be trusted.'" Meowth answered.

"So make them trust us." Said James.

"That won't be easy, but I'll see what I can do." Said Meowth. "Squirtles, both of these humans belong to Meowth."

"Belong to?!" James repeated.

"They'll never trust you two, you've got "liar" written all over you." Said Meowth. "Let me handle this."

"Oh, you little!" cried James as he struggled to free himself in order to get to Meowth.

"These humans are my pets." Said Meowth. "I trained them, but they're pretty stupid."

"Squirtle." Said the lead Squirtle, which meant 'Prove it!'

"Don't ever raise your voice to me again, you bad human!" cried Meowth. He hit James with his feet. "Bad human!"

"Squirtle!" cried the lead Squirtle, which meant 'All right, you're square! You there, untie that Meowth!'

"Squirtle!" yelled a Squirtle Squad member, which meant 'You got it, boss!' The squad member lowered Meowth to the ground, proving the ploy to be true. Meowth gave a satisfying laugh.

"See? You guys can trust me." He said.

"Squirtle." Said the lead Squirtle, which meant 'I guess so. Dig in!'

"Don't mind if I do." Said Meowth, and he joined in the picnic.

"Meowth, what about us? Untie us too." Said Jessie.

"I want a donut!" cried James. Meowth climbed onto jessie and James' shoulders.

"Be quiet." He said. "We have to keep up this act until the Squirtles trust me and that's going to take a little time." He proceeded to polish off a rice cake.

Meanwhile, Ash and his friends were resting at a nearby lake. Misty was fishing when one of the Squirtle Squad members popped out of the water.

"I caught something!" Misty cried. Ash and the other looked and spotted the Squirtle as it fired a Water Gun attack and then laughed.

"I'm soaked!" cried Misty.

"Me too." Said Ash.

"Me three." Said Lucy. Fortunately for Eevee, she had dodged the attack. The same couldn't be said for Pikachu, and he dried himself off with a towel before letting loose a powerful Thunder Shock, zapping everyone.

"Knock it off, Pikachu!" cried Ash. Pikachu stopped and looked over at a soaking wet Ash, Misty, Brock and Lucy.

"Wet clothes conduct electricity." Said Brock. The Squirtle jumped out of the water and onto the road.

"I've had just about enough of your pranks, Squirtle!" cried Ash.

"You and your buddies had better stop it with these practical jokes or else!" cried Lucy.

"Pikachu, it's out of the water now!" cried Ash. Pikachu charged, but the Squirtle jumped, ducked into its shell, started spinning around it and headed right for Pikachu.

"Huh?" said Ash. "The attack hit Pikachu directly, sending the electric mouse into the lake.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"I hope Pikachu's a good swimmer." Said Lucy. A Goldeen came up.

"Oh, it's a Goldeen! Watch out for its horn!" cried Misty.

"Swim to the shore, Pikachu!" cried Ash. "Hurry up!" Pikachu swam as fast as its little legs allowed.

"Faster!" cried Ash. Pikachu couldn't swim fast enough, however, and got hit by Goldeen's Horn Attack. Everyone looked on in shock as Pikachu got knocked out of the water and landed on the shore.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash. Eevee ran over to check on her little buddy.

"Eevee?" she asked, which meant 'You okay?'

"Pika." Pikachu groaned, which meant 'I think so.' Ash tried to run over to check on Pikachu, only for him and the rest of his friends to be caught by a lasso by the Squirtle Squad.

"They got us." Muttered Ash. The Squirtle Squad members wrapped the ropes around the four of them until they were all tied together. Meowth laughed and appeared from behind a tree.

"You kids ain't gonna be able to Squirtle out of this one!" he cried.

"It's Meowth!" cried Misty.

"Meowth?" said Ash.

"Why am I not surprised?" groaned Lucy.

Later, the friends were tied up to a rock inside a cave.

"I'm the Pokemon in charge here." Said Meowth. "Just wait until my human pets get back."

"Did he just call his own teammates his pets?" said Lucy. Meowth poked his tail at Ash and taunted him, prompting Ash to bite down on it.

"Ouch!" cried Meowth.

"Don't believe him, Squirtles!" cried Ash. "Meowth's just a big liar! Those humans aren't his pets, team Rocket's just trying to trick you into doing their dirty work for them."

"Attaboy, Ash." Lucy whispered.

"Quiet, human!" Meowth cried, scratching Ash's face in the process. "Who are you going to believe? This human, or a fellow Pokemon?" Lucy looked over at Pikachu.

"Ash, Pikachu's in bad shape!" she cried. Ash looked over and saw Pikachu breathing hard. He didn't look good at all.

"We've got to do something?" cried Misty.

"We have to heal Pikachu with Super Potion before it's too late." Said Brock.

"Do we even have any Super Potion?" Lucy asked.

"No, but a shop in town sells it." Said Brock.

"In town?" said Ash. "Squirtle Squad, please, you have to let me go into town. If I don't get the medicine, Pikachu's in real trouble!"

"Oh, I hope they listen." Lucy whispered. The Squirtle Squad members all shook their heads.

"They know you humans are only trying to get away." Said Meowth.

"I won't run away." Said Ash. "I promise as soon as I buy the medicine, I'll come back." The lead Squirtle shook his head again and said something Ash couldn't understand.

"Squirtle says that promises are cheap." Said Meowth.

"I'm begging you! Please, trust me." Said Ash. Tears ran down his face and onto the ground. Squirtle looked at him, and then at Pikachu. He untied Ash, but was given a strict ultimatum.

"The Squirtle says that if you're not back by noon tomorrow, the two girls over there get their hair dyed purple." Said Meowth.

"Purple?! Why, you mangy little flea trap!" cried Lucy.

"Lucy, don't worry. I'll be back." Said Ash.

"Just don't forget about us, Ash." Said Misty.

"I won't." he said, and quickly ran out of the cave.

"Back in a flash!" he yelled.

"Even if he does make it back, we'll all be long gone!" thought Meowth. Ash tore down the path at full speed.

"Just hang in there, Pikachu. I'll get you that Super Potion!" he cried. He then tripped on a rock, but got right back up.

"Pikachu's counting on me to get that medicine, so I have to keep going." He said. He then approached an old bridge that looked like it was about to fall apart. He gulped nervously.

"Just don't look down." He said. He started to cross slowly, but one of the boards broke under his foot.

"Ah!" he cried. He looked like he was about to fall into the river, but he didn't. he sighed and continued crossing. The bridge broke some more, but Ash managed to grab hold of one of the ropes.

"That was close." He said. The rope broke apart, and Ash went tumbling down. He fell into the water, but was sent back out by a Horn Attack from the same Goldeen as before. Soon, he reached a town that looked like an old western town.

"There's the store up ahead." He said. Right as he was about to go in, Gary came out and slammed the door in Ash's face.

"I beg your pardon." Said Ash as he collapsed to the ground.

That night, back at the cave, everyone else was waiting for Ash to return.

"Pikachu, don't give up." Said Brock.

"Ash will be back soon with the medicine, just hold on." Said Misty. Even Eevee was concerned. She looked over at Pikachu again and frowned.

"I hope he's okay." Said Lucy. "The Squirtles gave him until tomorrow afternoon, and it's already nighttime."

"Where are Jessie and James already?" thought Meowth.

The next morning, Ash was still lying on the ground unconscious. Inside the store, a familiar voice was heard.

"All right, freeze!" cried Jessie.

"These are ice packs we're gunning. I mean, ice guns we're packing!" cried James.

"It's Team Rocket!" cried a store customer.

"Cool, we're just like those super villains in the comic books, except better looking." Said Jessie.

"And even meaner." Said James. Ash heard the voice and woke up.

"Listen up. We want all the flash powder you've got!" cried Jessie.

"And a large roll of dental floss." Said James.

"What do you need them for?" asked the shop owner.

"You want to get rid of the Squirtle Squad, don't you?" asked Jessie. "The flash powder will scare them out of town. The floss is for our teeth."

"The Squirtle Squad." Said Ash. Jessie and James left the store with their stolen loot.

"Ciao, for now." Said James.

"Farewell." Said Jessie. She fired her bazooka, but snow came out from the business end. Team Rocket then took off in their balloon.

"Team Rocket! I've got to get back before they get my Pikachu and Lucy's Eevee!" cried Ash. He quickly rushed into the store.

"Super Potion, please!" he cried. Guns started being aimed at him.

"No wait. I don't. Need a new. Gun." He said slowly. "Don't shoot me please. I just-" Officer Jenny ran in.

"Stop!" she yelled. "Drop those, he's not with Team Rocket!" Soon, Jenny was giving Ash a police escort back to the cave where Pikachu was. He had his Super Potion in hand.

"Step on it, Jenny. I have to be there before noon." Said Ash.

"Just hang on, Ash!" Jenny cried. She gasped and stopped the motorcycle.

"A dead end." She said. She turned the motorcycle around to go down another path. Unknown to them, Team Rocket was flying overhead.

"These flash blasts will scare the pants off the Squirtle Squad." Said James.

"And in the confusion, we'll snatch Pikachu and Eevee." Said Jessie. Meanwhile, Jenny and Ash found something at the back of the cave.

"Here's the secret entrance to the cave." Said Jenny.

"There's not a lot of room." Said Ash.

"The path's way to narrow for an adult, but maybe you can squeeze through." Said Jenny.

"I can do it!" cried Ash.

"Be careful, Ash." Said Jenny. Ash entered the cave entrance and noticed the lack of light.

"It's too dark in here." He said. "Hey, I know!" He grabbed a Poke Ball.

"Charmander, I choose you!" he cried. Charmander materialized.

"Charmander, lead the way." Said Ash. Charmander nodded and used the flame on his tail as a flashlight to guide Ash down the path. When they got to where they were supposed to be, Ash moved a rock and found an empty room instead.

"They're gone!" Ash cried. "Pikachu?!" He then heard some screaming.

"Misty! Lucy!" he cried. "Okay Squirtles, I said I'd be back by noon and I am. What did you do with my friends?"

"We're right here." Said Lucy. "Where's the Super Potion for Pikachu?" Ash grabbed the Super Potion bottle out of his pocket and handed it to Misty.

"Here, let's spray it on Pikachu." Said Misty. She applied the potion onto the electric type to heal its wounds.

"So, Misty, Lucy, your hair isn't purple." Said Ash.

"Nope, I'm still a redhead." Said Misty.

"I wouldn't want my hair to be any other color." Said Lucy.

"The Squirtle Squad was bluffing." Said Brock.

"They play tricks, but they'd never change a girl's natural hair color." Said Misty. An explosion was soon heard.

"That blast!" cried Ash.

"It has to be Team Rocket!" cried Lucy.

"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!"

"Squirtle Squad, it's payback time for insulting Team Rocket." Said Jessie.

"Bombs away!" cried Jessie and James. They dropped more flash blasts.

"Meowth! Carry Pikachu and Eevee up the ladder!" Jessie ordered.

"And the rest of you are in for a real blast." Said James.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Lucy.

"Run for cover! Head for the cave!" cried Ash.

"Hurry!" cried Misty. She and brock ran into the cave for cover, but Ash and Lucy heard a couple of the Squirtles calling for help, as they were on their backs and couldn't get up.

"Squirtle!" cried Ash. Team Rocket dropped more flash blasts.

"Here we come!" cried Lucy. They dove in to protect the two Squirtles.

"Ash! Lucy!" cried Misty. When the dust had settled, Ash, Lucy and Squirtle were all right, but they were covered with dust and rocked by the blast.

"Are you okay, Squirtle?" asked Ash.

"Squirtle." Said the squad leader, which meant 'Barely.' Team Rocket continued dropping flash blasts.

"Here come some more!" cried Misty.

"Ash! Lucy! Get out of there now!" cried Brock.

"Save yourselves, Squirtles." Said Lucy. "Run for it." The Squirtles looked at both of them and decided what they were going to do. The lead Squirtle lifted up Ash and the other one lifted up Lucy over their heads.

"Woah, Squirtles." They both said. As the Squirtles ran for the cave to dodge the bombs.

"Look out!" cried Misty. Team Rocket hovered over the area.

"No more Squirtle Squad." Said Jessie. "The town's going to give us medals and we'll be heroes."

"Not so fast!" cried Lucy.

"Who said that?" asked Jessie. She looked to her left and saw Ash and Lucy standing side by side with the Squirtles they had saved.

"Weren't they?" said jessie.

"Didn't they?" said James.

"How did they?" said Meowth.

"Squirtle, Water Gun now!" Ash and Lucy cried. The two Water Guns popped a hole in the balloon, making James drop Pikachu and Eevee.

"Come back here!" cried James.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Lucy. They both ran down the side of the hill and jumped to catch and save both Pikachu and Eevee.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" cried the Theam Rocket trio. Smoke was now burning from the forest above them.

"Ash! Look at all that smoke!" cried Lucy.

"I bet those bomb lasts from Team Rocket caused that fire!" cried Ash. Jenny rode in on her motorcycle.

"If it keeps burning like that, the whole town could go up in smoke!" she cried.

"Jenny, I think Lucy and I have an idea." Said Ash.

"Listen, if you Squirtles work together, you can combine your Water Guns to put out the fire." Said Lucy. The squad nodded and combined their Water Guns to douse the flames that were burning. The town was thus saved, and the Squirtles were rewarded.

"And so, we gratefully award this certificate to the Squirtle Squad." Said Jenny. "Thank you all for saving our town form the fire. Because of your skill and bravery, you are hereby appointed the town firefighters. In addition, I have medals of bravery for both Ash and Lucy." Jenny pinned the medals to both of their shirts.

"You and Lucy definitely deserve those medals." Said Brock. "After all, you two both helped protect them from Team Rocket." Ash and Lucy smiled.

Later, the group was walking down the path when Misty spotted something behind her.

"Hey Ash, Lucy, the Squirtles are following us." She said. Sure enough, the leader of the Squirtle Squad and his friends was following the heroes.

"I wonder what they could want." Said Lucy.

"I think a couple of them want to join us." Said brock.

"Is that right, Squirtles?" asked Lucy. The Squirtles all nodded.

"Hey Squirtles, how would some of you like to come with me?" asked Misty. "You're all water types, and I happen to specialize in training water Pokemon. I can definitely teach you a few things." The Squirtles shook their heads to say no. The leader then ran up to Ash, and another one up to Lucy, and hugged both of them tightly.

"Looks like we both got a Squirtle, Lucy." Said Ash. Misty, not surprisingly, was angry about this.

"No fair! How come they chose you two and not me?" she asked.

"Because we helped them out and they like us." Said Lucy. "Especially since water Pokemon tend to work better with trainers who are level headed and calm, unlike you." She then playfully stuck out her tongue at Misty, which only got her more annoyed at not getting a Squirtle.

"Welcome to the team, Squirtle." Said Ash.

"We both caught a new Pokemon." Said Lucy.

"Caught?! What do you mean caught?" said Misty.

"Oh, what's the difference, Misty? It's on our side now." Said Lucy. One more adventure, and one more new friend. But more excitement waits in the next episode.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Pokemon: Pikachu, Spearow, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Clefairy, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle

Lucy's Pokemon: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 13: Mystery At The Lighthouse

"The road's got to be somewhere." Said Ash.

"Everything has to be somewhere." Said Brock.

"Ash, have you gotten us lost again?" said Misty.

"Yes he has." Said Lucy. Well, here's a familiar scene. Wandering around in a forest, our heroes have lost their way once again.

"Pika." Pikachu sighed, which meant 'What do you expect?'

At any rate, it's been a while since both Ash and Lucy left Pallet Town, but a lot has happened already. They've both captured a few Pokemon, and they've also earned two of the eight qualifying badges for Pokemon League participation, a Boulder Badge and a Cascade Badge.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" said Ash. I'll say that's impressive all right. What's also impressive is all the Pokemon they currently have on hand. What are their names again?

"Mine are Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander." Said Ash. "I also have a Spearow and Clefairy."

"And the names of mine are Eevee, Beedrill, Clefairy, Bulbasaur and Squirtle." Said Lucy.

"And we caught them all, fair and square." Said Ash.

"Caught them?!" Said Misty. "Ash, your Pokemon all followed you. Same with Lucy's Pokemon."

"Well, the point is, they're all ours, and that's what counts for a Pokemon trainer." Said Ash.

"Ash did catch his Butterfree legitimately when it was still a Caterpie, Misty." Said Lucy. "He also did catch Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur and Spearow. Charmander, Clefairy and Squirtle chose to follow him, though. Out of mine, only Clefairy and Squirtle followed me." Ash sighed.

"You never give me a break." He said.

"Because you keep bragging about those two badges." Said Misty. "You don't see Lucy bragging like that on a consistent basis."

"It's also not unusual for trainers to catch about twenty or thirty Pokemon." Said Brock.

"You're lucky your Pokemon follow you around." Said Misty.

"You watch what you say about Ash, Misty." Said Lucy. "Like I said before, Charmander, Squirtle and Clefairy chose to follow him, and aside from Pikachu being his starter, half of the eight Pokemon he's obtained were caught."

"Well don't forget that Ash also had our help." Said Misty.

"Yeah, don't forget about that, Ash." Said Brock.

"Misty, the only Pokemon you helped him catch was Pidgeotto." Said Lucy. "Unlike you, I don't give him any negative feedback about any of the Pokemon that he's caught! I, on the other hand, believe he can be a great trainer!"

"You really think so, Lucy?" asked Ash.

"Of course, Ash." Said Lucy. "I may be a trainer myself, but I'm also your friend, so I have to support you no matter what."

"Thanks, Lucy." Said Ash. "You're a real friend."

"Hey, what about us?" said Misty.

"Yeah, we're your friends too." Said Brock.

"They're both right, Ash." Said Lucy.

"They always put me down." Said Ash. "No real friend would ever do that."

"Well, I still believe in you." Said Lucy.

"Brock, Misty, I'm going to prove to you that I can do it!" cried Ash. "Stand back and watch me go to work!" Ash ran off through the forest on his own looking for a Pokemon to catch, but all he found was an ocean.

"I don't want to watch the sunset, or go for a swim in the ocean." Said Ash. "I want to catch a Pokemon." Lucy soon caught up to him.

"If you want a Pokemon, Ash, there's one walking right between your legs." She said. Ash looked down and saw that it was a Krabby.

"Hey wait! Stay here! Don't go! Come back!" cried Ash. "I've got to catch that Krabby. But first, I should find out about it." He got out his Pokedex.

"Krabby lives near the shore. It's average height is about sixteen inches." Lucy observed the Krabby herself.

"By the looks of things, this little guy seems like it's under that height." She said.

"A Pokemon's a Pokemon, I guess." Said Ash. "It sure is shrimpy, though." Krabby started bubbling foam from its mouth and aimed it right at Ash.

"I think you just made it mad." Said Lucy.

"Uh, I didn't mean to insult you, Krabby." Said Ash. "You're a cute little Pokemon." Krabby was still mad and pinched Ash's finger, causing him to wince in pain. Eevee simply shook her head.

"Eevee." She sighed, which meant 'He'll never learn, will he?'

"Of course he will, Eevee." Said Lucy. "You just have to believe in him like I do." Ash and Krabby had a standoff against one another.

"Showdown time." Said Ash. "Tiny or not, you're still a Pokemon and I'll show Misty and brock that I can catch you!" he started to get an empty Poke Ball ready before Lucy stopped him.

"You have to battle it to weaken it first, remember?" she said. Ash blushed and grabbed one of his Poke Balls.

"Spearow, go!" he cried. The small bird materialized.

"Use your Peck attack." Said Ash. Spearow pecked Krabby with its beak, but Krabby countered by spraying bubbles at Spearow.

"That's Krabby's Bubble attack." Said Lucy. Then, the Krabby stepped on Spearow with its foot.

"And that's Stomp." Said Lucy.

"Spearow!" cried Ash. The little bird had gotten stomped into the sand, but it pulled itself out.

"There you go." Said Ash. "Use your Whirlwind." Spearow flapped its wings and blew a blast of wind at Krabby, sending it flying into the sand. It struggled to get up after that.

"Poke Ball, go!" cried Ash. He tossed an empty ball and it sucked Krabby inside. A few shakes later, and the ball pinged for a successful catch.

"Yes! I just caught a Krabby!" cried Ash.

"Wow, he actually managed to catch it on his own." Said Lucy. "Nice job, Ash.

"Thank you very much, Lucy." Said Ash. He praised Spearow for its good work before recalling it.

"Good try there, Krabby, but not good enough." He said. The Poke Ball then vanished from his hand.

"What happened? Where did Krabby go?" he wondered. He searched all around where he was standing, but Lucy just facepalmed. Brock and Misty soon appeared.

"He seriously doesn't know that he can only have six Pokemon on him at a time?" Lucy asked.

"What are you talking about, Lucy?" Ash replied.

"Trainers are only allowed to carry a maximum of six Pokemon with them at any given time, and the rest are transported." Lucy answered.

"She's right." Said Brock. "But, you can switch out one Pokemon for another by pressing the white button inside your Pokedex."

"Let me show you, Ash." Said Lucy. She took his Pokedex out and showed him the button Brock was talking about.

"That button there?" said Ash.

"Right. It sends a signal that activates the system to make the exchange." Said Brock.

"But I don't want to exchange any of my Pokemon." Said Ash.

"Then close your Pokedex and quit whining." Said Misty.

"I wasn't whining, I just wanted to know where my new Krabby went." Said Ash.

"You don't have to worry about that." Said Misty. "It got transported to a place for safe keeping."

"Where does it get transported to?" asked Ash.

"Wherever you got your Pokedex from." Said Brock.

"Oh." Said Ash. "Where would that possibly be?"

"Think, Ash." Said Lucy. "Where did we get Pikachu and Eevee from when we started our journey?" It suddenly dawned on Ash.

"Krabby's with Professor Oak!" he cried.

"Right." Said Lucy. "It just got transported there automatically to Professor Oak's Pokemon lab. So don't worry about it. It's perfectly fine." Ash started to get thoughts in his head about Krabby.

"On second thought, I'm worried about it now." He said.

"Why?" asked brock.

"He probably thinks Oak is going to cook it for a meal or something." Said Lucy.

"Exactly." Said Ash. "Is there any way I can make sure that Krabby's safe?"

"We could always call Professor Oak." Said Brock. "But we haven't passed a phone in a while and this beach is pretty far out of the way."

"There has to be a phone around here somewhere." Said Ash. "I just have to know if Krabby's okay."

"I'm more worried about having to camp out again tonight." Said Misty. "I'm sick of sleeping in sleeping bags!" Just then, Lucy spotted something coming out of the ocean. They ran to have a look at what it was, and Misty and Lucy both smiled.

"Hey look, a Staryu!" cried Lucy. "I ought to catch one of those for myself."

"Go for it." Said Misty. "I already have a Staryu, so I don't need another one." Lucy grabbed a ball and got ready to battle Staryu.

"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" she cried. Bulbasaur materialized.

"Vine Whip time, Bulbasaur." Said Lucy. Bulbasaur stuck its vines out and lashed them towards Staryu. The Pokemon jumped and sent a Water Gun into Bulbasaur's face. Bulbasaur just shook it off.

"It's a good thing Bulbasaur can withstand water attacks." Said Misty.

"Razor Leaf!" cried Lucy. Bulbasaur fired leaves at Staryu, which took a brunt of damage from the attack. It then fired its Swift attack and hit Bulbasaur with yellow stars.

"Since Staryu is on the beach, status effects should be effective." Said Lucy. "Stun Spore, now!" Bulbasaur fired gold dust on Staryu, paralyzing it.

"Finish it with Tackle!" cried Lucy. Bulbasaur tackled Staryu into the sand. Lucy then grabbed an empty ball.

"Poke Ball, go!" she cried. The ball hit Staryu and sucked it in. The ball shook several times before pinging.

"I just got a Staryu!" cried Lucy.

"Great catch, Lucy." Said Ash.

"Remember that Staryu's part psychic, so that can help it in future battles." Said Misty. Lucy nodded in acknowledgement before getting Bulbasaur's Poke Ball.

"Thanks for the help, Bulbasaur." Said Lucy. "Return!" Bulbasaur was sucked back inside. Soon, it was Pikachu's turn to spot something.

"Pika!" he cried, which meant 'Look over there!'

"It's a lighthouse!" cried Misty.

"Every lighthouse has to have a keeper." Said Ash. "I bet he'll have a phone. And if he does, I can use it to call Professor Oak."

"And there'll probably be extra beds." Said Lucy. "Good thing, because camping out is no way for girls to get their beauty sleep."

"Yeah, and there'll be someone to tell us where we are." Said Brock.

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Lucy.

"Let's go!" cried Ash. The group quickly rushed over to the lighthouse.

"Phew. That was a lot farther than it looked." Said Ash.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'That lighthouse looks very tall.'

"All lighthouses are tall, Eevee." Said Lucy. "Something seems odd about this one, though."

"You're right, Lucy." Said Brock. "This one looks weird." The group spotted a bunch of Pokemon pictures on the door.

"I guess we have to ring the bell." Said Misty. Ash rang the doorbell. The sound of it creeped everybody out. Pikachu and Eevee hid behind their trainers.

"It's okay, Eevee." Said Lucy. A voice was then heard.

"Who's there?" it cried.

"Excuse us, sir. But we're travelers and we're lost." Said Brock.

"We have a small emergency and we need to use your telephone please, sir." Said Ash.

"We've been camping out for quite a while, and we could sure use a nice, comfy bed." Said Lucy.

"And I wonder if I could use your kitchen to make some double bacon cheeseburgers for our group." Said brock. "And I'd be more than happy to make something for you."

"Bacon double cheeseburgers would sound really good right about now." Said Lucy.

"That's great. Can you cook without using tofu?" said the voice.

"Oh, sure. I can cook lots of things without using tofu." Said Brock.

"That's good. I've been eating nothing but tofu since my cook went on vacation." Said the voice. "Come on in." The door opened, and the group entered.

"Would I be able to borrow your phone?' asked Ash.

"There's a phone right near you." Said the voice.

"Look to your left, Ash." Said Lucy. Everyone looked to the left and saw the phones.

"It's a video phone." Said Misty.

"And part of it looks like a Bellsprout." Said Lucy.

"I'll call Professor Oak and see if he has my Krabby." Said Ash.

"I'm sure Krabby's in great shape, Ash." Said Brock.

"Well I need to make sure." Said Ash. "The Professor won't mind if I call collect." He made the call, and once he saw Oak cooking something, he feared the worst.

"Hello there, Ash. You got me while cooking dinner." Said Oak. "My cook is on vacation, and I have to cook for myself until she gets back."

"Wait a minute, Professor, you're not eating my Krabby, are you?" Ash cried.

"Don't worry, I'm taking good care of your Krabby." Said Oak. "It's right here." He showed Krabby inside a bag filled with water. "Anyway, that Krabby of yours if much too small for a hearty meal. On the other hand, the Krabby that Gary caught would make for an excellent dinner. Much better than tofu."

"What?! You mean Gary caught a Krabby too?!" cried Ash.

"It's quite a catch." Said Oak. "See for yourself. He revealed Gary's Krabby, which was significantly larger than Ash's. Lucy just about freaked out when she saw it.

"HOLY MOTHER OF SNORLAX!" she cried. "That looks like the size of a Kingler! It's huge!"

"Oh hello there, Lucy." Said Oak.

"Hi, Professor." Said Lucy. "I want you to know that Ash and I both have two badges."

"That's very good, Lucy." Said Oak. "The bigger question is, how many Pokemon have you each caught?"

"I have six Pokemon, and Ash here has nine." Said Lucy.

"Well, it seems like you've both caught a fair amount of Pokemon between you two, and I'm very pleased to hear about that." Said Oak. "On the other hand, Gary has already caught 45 Pokemon."

"45 Pokemon?!" cried Ash.

"You'll get to that point one day, Ash." Said Lucy.

"By the way, Ash, just where are you and Lucy calling me from?" asked Professor Oak.

"We're at an old lighthouse way up at the top of a cliff." Said Ash.

"Oh. That must be Bill's lighthouse." Said Oak. "He's a young Pokemon researcher who knows even more than me! See what you can learn from him, he can teach you everything about Pokemon, and then some!"

"This is Bill, Professor Oak." Said the voice. "Good to hear from you."

"Hello, Bill. I'd like you to give my friends a crash course in Pokemon." Said Oak. "Uh oh! Tofu's done! Got to run!" He blew on the tofu to cool it down and ended the call.

"Well there's no way I can turn down a request from the great Professor Oak." Said Bill. He turned on all the lights. "I am Bill of the lighthouse!" The foursome looked and were shocked to see a giant Kabuto standing at the top of some stairs.

Outside….

"According to the phone book, that lighthouse belongs to Bill, the famous Pokemon researcher." Said Jessie.

"Then I guess we've come to the right place." Said James.

"There must be zillions of rare Pokemon stored inside that lighthouse." Said Jessie.

"Then there's only one thing for us to do!" cried Meowth.

"Right! Sneak in and take everything we can grab." Said James.

"How shall we sneak in?" said Jessie. "We could take the road, or risk our lives by climbing up the cliffs."

"Well we certainly can't take the road." Said James.

"Which means we have to go up the cliffs." Said Jessie.

"Because we're the bad guys, and bad guys always have to sneak in." said Meowth.

"It's time for us to rain on someone's parade again." Said Jessie. "James?"

"Jessie?"

"We're back so prepare for trouble! Watch us or we'll make it double!"

"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!"

"To be truly great criminals, we have to do things the hard way." Said Jessie.

"And then we'll become hardened criminals." Said James.

"But it'll be tough to reach the top." Said Jessie.

"Because we're afraid of heights!" Jessie and James both cried.

Inside the lighthouse…..

"It can't be!" cried Brock.

"That's the biggest Kabuto I've ever seen." Said Lucy.

"I wonder what it's doing here." Said brock.

"No! You have it all wrong!" cried Bill. "I'm not a Kabuto, I'm Bill the Pokemon researcher!"

"Wait, are you a human or a Pokemon?" asked Ash.

"This is a costume. I'm stuck inside it!" cried Bill.

"Do you need any help getting out?" asked Lucy.

"Yes. Step right up there." Said Bill. Ash and Lucy went over to where Bill wanted them to stand.

"Tell us what to do." Said Ash.

"One of you press that button over there." Said Bill. Lucy found the button.

"This one?" she asked.

"Yes." Said Bill. "These arms are too short. I tried to get out but I couldn't reach the button." Lucy pressed the button and Bill was able to get out of the costume.

"Thanks for helping me get out." Said Bill. "I've been stuck in that costume for hours."

"Why were you even wearing it in the first place?" asked Lucy.

"Did you come from a costume party?" asked Misty.

"No, it's not for a party." Said Bill. "This is a special costume I wear for my research. Getting inside its skin helps me get inside its head."

"What do you mean?" asked Ash.

"I think I know the whole point of him wearing the costume." Said Lucy. "It's so he can know what a Kabuto would do from day to day."

"Precisely." Said Bill. "There are many different extinct Pokemon, and I want to understand how they lived. Putting on a costume is one way of figuring out what they were like."

"You can understand what a Pokemon was like by just wearing a costume?" said Ash.

"Correct. This planet was created over 4.6 billion years ago. During that time, all kinds of Pokemon existed. They had many ways of living."

"All kinds of Pokemon?" asked Ash.

"Exactly how many are we talking about?" asked Lucy.

"On this planet, there are currently 150 known species of Pokemon." Said Bill.

"150?!" cried Ash.

"That's quite a lot of Pokemon." Said Lucy.

"You're lucky to be Pokemon trainers." Said Bill. "Your goal is to catch all of these different kinds of Pokemon. That's a great task."

"There sure are a lot of Pokemon." Said Ash.

"Yes, but the 150 that roam this region are just the ones we currently know about." Said Bill. "There's still many more that haven't been discovered yet, so we have to keep looking."

"How many could there possibly be?" asked Lucy.

"No one knows exactly." Said Bill. "The search goes on. There's always something new to look for in our lives, and in ourselves."

"Something to look for?" asked Ash.

"Yes, a lot for us to look for inside and outside ourselves." Said Bill. "There's meaning for every creature. A meaning for all the Pokemon, and a meaning for all of us humans too."

"A meaning for all." Said Ash.

"You know, Bill, one day, I'd love to see and catch a Dragon type Pokemon." Said Lucy. "I think dragon Pokemon are some of the most beautiful Pokemon in the whole world." Bill chuckled.

"I'm glad you think so, young lady, but dragon Pokemon are very rarely seen." Said Bill. "People have looked their whole lives for them and haven't had any luck." Meanwhile, outside on the cliffs and under the lighthouse, Team Rocket was making their way upwards.

"Sometimes I wonder what the meaning of it all is." Said Jessie. "Why do we go to all this trouble just to be bad?"

"It's so we can get other people's Pokemon." Said James.

"I'm all for it, as long as there's some for Meowth." Said Meowth.

Back inside the lighthouse….

"Keep looking for new Pokemon to catch." Said Bill. "It's something very important for Pokemon research. It's a vital to me as it is to you."

"Is there any specific Pokemon that you're looking for, Bill?" Lucy asked.

"Just one." Said Bill.

"Which one is it?" asked Ash.

"Follow me to the light of the lighthouse and I'll explain." Said Bill. The group followed Bill all the way up to the top of the lighthouse.

"It's probably the biggest Pokemon ever." Said Bill. "Bigger than all of the rest! And nobody has ever seen it. In fact, I theorize that it's been wandering the Earth for years looking for friends.

"But doesn't that Pokemon have any friends or family?" asked Misty.

"According to my theory, the Pokemon wanders because it's alone." Said Bill. "It's the only Pokemon of its size in its species, if not the only of its species. One of a kind. One night, I heard this very strange sound coming across the ocean." He got out a remote control, pressed a button and a sound was heard.

"What's it saying?" asked Lucy.

"I think it's saying, 'I want to meet you.'" Said Ash.

"Yes, that's exactly what it's saying." Said Bill. "Some time ago, I recorded a similar sound and played it from the lighthouse to the ocean. One day, I heard the same voice calling back to me from over the ocean. Some foggy night, that Pokemon might come here to meet a friend its been seeking for a very long time. I would be so happy to meet that Pokemon!"

"But will you try to capture the Pokemon?" asked Ash.

"Why do I need to capture it?" said Bill. "Meeting it would be enough for me. Just a chance to study it would make my wait worth while." Everyone soon heard the Pokemon calling out over the ocean, signaling its arrival.

"Look! Out on the water! Here it comes!" cried Lucy. The giant Pokemon started to walk towards the lighthouse.

"It's here! The signal!" cried Bill. He pressed a button on his remote and the lighthouse light started to change colors, and the same sounds the Pokemon made were heard.

"It sounds like its singing!" cried Misty.

"Care to dance?" asked Brock.

"Thank you." Said Misty. The two of them started dancing.

"Lucy, get a look at this!" cried Ash. Lucy was surprised when she saw what the Pokemon was.

"No way! That's a Dragonite!" she cried. "I can't believe I'm actually seeing it in person!" She quickly grabbed her Pokedex.

"Dragonite, the Dragon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Dragonair. A kind-hearted Pokémon with human-like intelligence, Dragonite shows signs of altruism: it is said to save humans from drowning and lead lost or floundering ships to safety."

"If that's a Dragonite, then it's definitely the biggest of its whole kind." Said Lucy. She and the others were amazed at the mere sight of the gigantic Pokemon. Meanwhile, down on the cliffs below them…

"What beautiful music." Said Jessie.

"It's very haunting, yet so sweet." Said James. Meowth turned to see the Dragonite.

"Look! It's coming from that thing!" he cried. Jessie and James turned and were both scared and amazed at the size of the Pokemon.

"That's a big Pokemon!" cried Jessie.

"So size does matter after all." Said James.

"Something so rare and unusual." Said jessie. "You know what that means. Let's get it for ourselves!"

"Quite right! I'll attack it at once!" cried James. "But it seems like such a shame to aim at such a sweet creature."

"Of course it's a shame, we built our fame on shame!" cried Jessie.

"Go on! Fire! It's all the same to me!" cried Meowth. Team Rocket fired bazooka shots at the Dragonite. It felt the shots and cried out in pain. Everyone ran out of the lighthouse and took cover as the giant Pokemon destroyed the beacon.

"Please don't go, Pokemon!" cried Bill. "Please stay with us! I've waited so long for a chance to see you here!" The Pokemon shook its head and started leaving.

"Pokemon, wait!" cried Bill.

"Too late, it's preparing to go." Said Lucy. Team Rocket was attempting to attack the Pokemon with bazookas.

"Do we always have to ruin everyone's plans?" said James. "Even I think this is rotten."

"Quit complaining! We can score big with this Pokemon!" cried Jessie.

"Let's just bring it down and go!" cried Meowth. The Pokemon hit Team Rocket with its tail and sent them flying.

"We're blasting off again!" they cried. The giant Pokemon then turned and walked out into the ocean before disappearing into the fog.

The next morning, the group got ready to depart the lighthouse.

"What kind of Pokemon was that?" asked Ash.

"According to my Pokedex, it was a Dragonite." Said Lucy. "My dad's going to freak out when I tell him that I actually met one!"

"Pokemon live in more ways and places than humans may ever learn." Said Bill.

Out on the beach…..

"What in the world was that?" asked James.

"One of the rarest Pokemon around, that's what." Said Jessie. "It's exactly the type we've been trying to capture!"

"We missed our chance, but we can keep dreaming!" cried James.

"When our Pokemon dreams come true, it's going to be somebody's nightmare." Said Jessie.

"After all, tomorrow is another day!" cried Meowth.

Back with Ash's friends…

"Last night was an experience I don't think any of us will forget." Said Brock.

"A Dragonite is normally seven feet and three inches tall, but the one we saw was way bigger than that." Said Lucy.

"It may be waiting and looking for friends, but I think looking for and catching Pokemon should help bring us all together." Said Ash.

"Right. Learning to raise Pokemon is another way of understanding how to live with them." Said Brock.

"True. And Pokemon are always lots of fun to play with." Said Misty.

"Bill, do you ever think we'll find all the Pokemon there are?" asked Lucy.

"No, Lucy." Bill answered. "There are probably as many as we can imagine. Maybe many more. Maybe there's no limit to the Pokemon we can actually find on this planet. Lucy, you and Ash are Pokemon trainers just like your friends here. I'm a Pokemon researcher, seeking out all kinds of life on this planet. Even if our paths are different, I think our goals are the same." Everyone waved to Bill as they left the lighthouse. As time goes on, we uncover much more knowledge about Pokemon than we currently know now. And so, the journey of discovery continues in the incredible world of Pokemon.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Pokemon: Pikachu, Spearow, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Clefairy, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Krabby

Lucy's Pokemon: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 14: Electric Shock Showdown!

After two weeks of being lost, Ash, Misty, Brock and Lucy had finally arrived at Vermillion City, much to their relief. Congratulations, you four, you finally made it!

"Hip hip hooray!" they all cried.

"I can't wait to take a relaxing bubble bath!" cried Misty.

"I could use a bath myself. My hair's a bit messy from all the camping we've had to do." Said Lucy.

"I got to hit the laundromat." Said Brock.

"You'll have plenty of time for a bath later, Lucy." Said Ash. "You and I both need to find the Vermillion City gym. Right now!"

"I'll race you there, Ash!" cried Lucy.

"You're on!" cried Ash. They started running, only for Brock to grab them by the back of their shirts.

"Hold it!" he cried.

"What's the matter, Brock?" asked Lucy. She saw Pikachu and Eevee in a heap on the ground and their stomachs were growling.

"Oh dear." Said Lucy.

"I think they're hungry." Said Misty.

"We haven't eaten anything decent for three days now." Brock pointed out.

"Hey, Pikachu. You feeling hungry there, buddy?" said Ash.

"I bet you're hungry too, aren't you, Eevee?" said Lucy. The two Pokemon gave weak nods. Ash's own stomach growled, as did Lucy's.

"I guess we're all a little hungry, aren't we?" said Ash.

"I think we should go to the Pokemon Center first so we can eat and get our Pokemon looked after, and then we can go to the gym after that." Said Lucy.

"Lucy certainly has the right idea." Said Misty. The group soon arrived at the Pokemon Center.

"Nurse Joy, I think Pikachu and Eevee are hungry." Said Ash.

"Don't worry, we'll fix them right up." Said Joy. Everyone looked surprised at how Joy looked.

"I know why you're surprised. I look like all the other nurses, don't I?" said Joy. "My first cousin works in Pewter City, and my second cousin works in Viridian City. I think I'm the prettiest one, don't you?" She gave a little giggle. Just then, the doors burst open and a young boy rushed in with a Rattata being wheeled in on a stretcher.

"Hurry! You'll be okay, Rattata! Hurry!" he cried.

"Oh my!" cried Lucy.

"That Rattata's in rough shape." Said Brock. "I wonder what happened."

"That's the 15th one brought in this month." Said Joy.

"What?" asked Ash. Joy took them to the recovery room, and they couldn't believe their eyes.

"This is just terrible." Said Brock.

"They all lost to Lieutenant Surge, the Vermillion gym leader." Said Joy.

"Whoa! He must be a great trainer." Said Ash.

"He HAS to be if he can send fifteen Pokemon to the Pokemon Center in one month alone." Said Lucy.

"So Ash, Lucy, you two scared already?" asked Misty.

"No way!" cried Ash and Lucy together.

"You both talk big, but this guy's probably your toughest gym opponent yet." Said Misty. "Maybe you should quit now."

"You better watch it, Misty." Said Lucy. "Ash isn't a quitter, and neither am I. Just be glad that you're not challenging him. Your water Pokemon would have a tough time against his electric types."

"Lucy, how do you know that?" asked Brock. Lucy showed him a pamphlet she had picked up at the Pokemon Center entrance with info on the Vermillion gym.

"It's all right in here." She said, and opened up the pamphlet. "Surge. Electric type gym leader."

"What does it say in there about the Pokemon that Surge uses to battle with?" asked Ash.

"I think we're better off finding that out for ourselves." Said Lucy.

"Well, based on what we know, you two will have to be tough to take on this Surge fellow." Said Brock.

"You really think he's that tough, Brock?" asked Ash.

"Well then, Pikachu and I are going to have to really lock in to win this one." Said Ash.

"I still don't know who I want to use." Said Lucy. "I know I can't use Squirtle or Staryu, though, because they're both water types. And as we know, water and electricity usually don't mix well."

"Surge may be a gym leader, but I'm still going to win!" cried Ash.

"There he goes being overconfident again." Said Misty. "It's that attitude that's going to get you crushed by Surge."

"Oh yeah, Misty? Well we'll just see who ends up doing all the crushing." Ash countered. A sound soon went off.

"That signal means your Pokemon has recovered." Said Joy. Pikachu and Eevee were happily munching on some apples together.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Lucy. "I'm so glad to see that you're both feeling better after that snack."

"I hope you're full, Pikachu, because we have to win big at that gym today!" cried Ash.

"Same with us, Eevee." Said Lucy. "What do you think? Are we going to beat this Surge guy?" Eevee gave a confident nod and high fived Lucy with her paw.

"That's a winning attitude right there." Said Lucy. "Come on, let's go win ourselves a badge." Right as they were about to leave, another trainer burst in with a badly hurt Pidgey.

"There's number sixteen." Said Brock.

"That kid obviously forgot that you should never put a flying type Pokemon into battle against an electric type." Said Lucy. Eevee was a little frightened now, and gave a squeal.

"What's wrong, Eevee?" Lucy asked. "Don't you want to battle Surge?" Eevee shook her head.

"But why?" Lucy asked.

"Eevee." Eevee answered, which meant 'I don't want to end up like the poor Pidgey and Rattata.'

"You're not going to end up that way at all, I promise." Said Lucy. "In fact, if you're that worried, I can just use one of my other Pokemon to battle him instead."

"Eevee." Eevee said, which meant 'Thanks, Lucy.' Lucy smiled at her Pokemon.

"Pikachu, you're not going to end up like that either because I know you're going to win!" cried Ash. Once Ash and his friends had chowed down on a meal themselves, they made their way to the gym.

"So this is the Vermillion gym, huh?" said Ash.

"It's not too late for you two to back out." Said Misty.

"Why would we do that?" said Lucy. "Ash and I are going to win."

"That's right." Said Ash. "Just stand back and watch us."

"I'll stick around to see your faces when you both get creamed." Said Misty. Lucy gave Misty an angry death glare.

"If you think we're going to get creamed, you'll be very disappointed!" cried Ash.

"Aren't we ever going to go inside?" asked Brock.

"Brock's right." Said Lucy. "Come on, Ash, that gym badge is practically calling our names." The doors opened and the group entered the gym building.

"Hello! My friend and I have come for a Pokemon battle to earn our Thunder Badges!" cried Ash.

"Hey boss, looks like two more victims for the emergency room." Said one of Surge's assistants.

"Which ones?" asked Surge. He turned himself around so that Ash and company could get a good look at him.

"He's huge!" cried brock.

"Is this the gym leader that you two have to beat?" asked Misty.

"I sure is." Said Lucy. She shuddered at the thought of seeing Surge's massive height.

"Welcome to Vermillion gym." Said Surge. He looked over at Misty. "Oh, looks like my next challenger is a cutie. Don't think I'll go easy on you."

"I'm very flattered that you think I'm cute, but I'm not the one challenging you." Said Misty.

"Then who is?" said Surge.

"I am, and so is my friend Lucy." Said Ash.

"You two, huh? Get ready to lose, babies." Said Surge.

"Excuse me, but Ash and I are NOT babies!" cried Lucy. "We're both ten for crying out loud."

"I call everybody who loses to me 'baby', so you better get used to taking a beating." Said Surge. He then noticed Pikachu and Eevee hiding behind Ash and Lucy's backpacks.

"Oh isn't this cute? The babies brought along baby Pokemon to play with!" cried Surge. He and his cronies laughed, but Lucy didn't think it was funny at all.

"Quit it! Why are you making fun of our Pokemon?" she bellowed.

"I'll show you for yourselves!" cried Surge. "Poke Ball, go!" A Raichu materialized out of the Poke Ball that Surge tossed.

"It's a Raichu!" cried Lucy. She brought out her Pokedex.

"Raichu, a Mouse Pokémon of the electric element. Raichu is the evolved form of Pikachu. It can shock with more than 100,000 volts, enough to render a Dragonite unconscious."

"Okay, babies, if you want to quit, this is your chance to do it." Said Surge.

"There's no way we're quitting now!" cried Ash.

"Yeah, we've both come too far to quit!" cried Lucy. Surge just scoffed at the two trainers.

"What could two babies like them do?" he said. "If you both want to be Pokemon masters, you should make your Pokemon evolve as soon as you catch it."

"There's more to raising a Pokemon than forcing it to evolve!" cried Ash.

"He's right." Said Lucy. "My Eevee's just fine the way it is."

"So is my Pikachu." Said Ash.

"Wrong!" cried Surge. "Electric Pokemon are only useful once they've learned all their electrical attacks. If you both keep Pikachu and Eevee puny like that, they're no more than little pets." That remark made Pikachu and Eevee mad.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked angrily, which meant 'Pet, am I?'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Don't listen to him, Pikachu.'

"Can Pikachu and Eevee both beat that Raichu?" asked Misty.

"If it's learned all its electrical attacks, I seriously doubt it." Said Brock.

"Okay, babies, did you come here just to show off your little pets, or are you here to battle me?" said Surge.

"Lucy and I came here to earn our Thunder Badges!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'And we're going to get them!'

"Pikachu?" said Ash.

"Looks like Pikachu really want to battle." Said Brock.

"I'm not surprised." Said Misty. "He's all fired up after Surge angered him by calling him and Eevee pets."

"Pikachu, I'm counting on you." Said Ash.

"I guess you're going first this time, Ash?" said Lucy. Ash nodded.

"You can go after me." He said.

"Suit yourself, kid, but now you're going to learn that playing with the big boys is a shocking experience." Said Surge. The lights came on and one of Surge's cronies acted as the referee.

"This Pokemon battle will now begin." He said. "Only one Pokemon may be used. The gym leader, lt. Surge, will be using Raichu. The challenger, Ash, will be using Pikachu. No time limit. Let the battle begin!" The bell rang to begin the match.

"Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" cried Ash. The attack landed, but much to everyone's surprise, it failed to damage Raichu.

"What the?!" cried Ash.

"Raichu didn't even flinch!" cried Lucy.

"Raichu, show them a REAL Thunder Shock!" cried Surge. The attack landed with much more power and knocked Pikachu down and out.

"It's over, baby." Said Surge. "You seriously didn't think your puny Pikachu could beat my powerful Raichu, did you?"

"Call Pikachu back, Ash!" cried Brock.

"But…" said Ash.

"Raichu's shocks are way too powerful for Pikachu to handle!" Said Lucy. "This is a complete mismatch!"

"Pikachu, return!" cried Ash. However, Pikachu refused to quit.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'No way.'

"It still wants to fight?" said Misty. Surge laughed.

"It's pretty gutsy, for a toy!" he cried.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'You take that back!' It charged forward at Raichu.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"I enjoy playing with toys, but playtime's over." Said Surge. "Raichu, Mega Punch!" Pikachu took the attack on the chin.

"Now a Mega Kick!" cried Surge. Raichu laid a powerful kick onto Pikachu sending him across the battlefield.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried again. Outside, Team Rocket was watching the whole thing unfold.

"Pikachu's really getting pounded." Said Jessie.

"That Raichu must be really strong." Said James.

"I just thought of something." Said Jessie. "If Pikachu loses this battle…"

"You're right!" cried James. "Then he and the Eevee wouldn't be worth stealing after all. We've wasted all this time!"

"Maybe you can steal Raichu instead." Said Meowth. Jessie and James glared at Meowth and attacked him.

"Come on, Pikachu, can't you just zap it like you always do?" said Jessie.

"Surge is about to finish it off." Said James. Jessie gasped.

"Give us the big finale Raichu!" cried Surge. Raichu unleashed its most powerful electric attack.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"The poor thing just couldn't handle it." Said Lucy sadly.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Poor Pikachu.'

"Pikachu is unable to battle. Raichu is the winner." Said the cronie. "Victory goes to the gym leader, Lt. Surge."

"So that's it, Ash lost." Said Lucy. Ash picked up his unconscious Pikachu.

"Pikachu." Said Ash softly.

"Sorry, Ash." Said Lucy. "Pikachu's a great fighter, but he just isn't powerful enough."

"We've got to get it to the Pokemon Center!" cried Ash.

"But what about my own battle?" asked Lucy. "I still have to face him."

"Ash, Misty and I will go and get Pikachu taken care of." Said Brock. "You stay here and have your own match." Ash, Misty and Brock raced out of the gym, leaving Lucy to face Surge by herself.

"Okay, Surge, how are we battling?" asked Lucy.

"How does three on three sound?" asked Surge.

"Okay by me." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Try not to end up like Ash and his Pikachu did.'

"I won't." said Lucy. "We're going to do our best so that we win." The same cronie went back into the referee spot.

"This will be a three on three match." He said. "At stake for the challenger is the Thunder Badge. Trainers, pick your first Pokemon!"

"Voltorb, front and center on the double!" cried Surge. He tossed a ball and Voltorb materialized. Lucy got her Pokedex out.

"Voltorb, the Ball Pokémon. It is usually found in power plants. Easily mistaken for a Pokéball, this Pokémon has zapped many people."

"He's choosing Voltorb." Said Lucy. She grabbed a Poke Ball and threw it.

"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" she cried. Her Bulbasaur materialized.

"Let the battle begin!" cried the cronie.

"Voltorb, Tackle attack!" cried Surge. Voltorb started to charge at Bulbasaur.

"Counter with your own Tackle!" cried Lucy. Bulbasaur ran at Voltorb, with both Pokemon hitting each other at the same time.

"Try again, Voltorb!" cried Surge.

"Vine Whip!" cried Lucy. Voltorb tried to tackle, but Bulbasaur struck Voltorb hard with its vines.

"Voltorb, no!" cried Surge.

"Sleep Powder!" cried Lucy. Bulbasaur sprayed sleep dust all over the weakened Voltorb, knocking it out.

"Voltorb is unable to battle. Bulbasaur is the winner!" cried the cronie.

"Very good, Bulbasaur!" cried Lucy. "We just have to get by two more." Surge recalled Voltorb.

"Your Bulbasaur's a tough fighter, kid." Said Surge. "A lot more of a worthy opponent than your friend's Pikachu. But this next one will be a real shock!" He tossed another Poke Ball and Electabuzz materialized. Lucy got her Pokedex out again.

"Electabuzz, the Electric Pokémon. When a storm arrives, it competes with others to scale heights that are likely to be scaled by lightning bolts. Some towns use this Pokémon in place for lightning rods."

"Bulbasaur, you can keep going, right?" asked Lucy.

"Bulba!" cried Bulbasaur.

"All right, go!" cried Lucy.

"Thunder Punch!" cried Surge. The attack landed, but Bulbasaur barely felt it.

"Good thing grass Pokemon resist electric attacks." Said Lucy. "Bulbasaur, Tackle it!" Bulbasaur charged at Electabuzz and knocked it down.

"Come on, Electabuzz, don't just sit there!" cried Surge. "Get up and use your Thunderbolt!" Electabuzz launched the attack, which hit, but once again, it barely damaged Bulbasaur.

"Leech Seed!" cried Lucy. Bulbasaur shot a seed out of its bulb and wrapped it around Electabuzz, sapping its energy away.

"Electabuzz, no!" cried Surge.

"Finish it, Bulbasaur!" cried Lucy. "Body Slam it!" Bulbasaur ran at Electabuzz and hit its body hard, knocking it out.

"Electabuzz is unable to battle." Said the cronie. "Bulbasaur wins!"

"Nice job, Bulbasaur!" cried Lucy. "Only one left, but I think I already know what it's going to be." Surge recalled Electabuzz.

"I commend you on bring down two of my three Pokemon." Said Surge. "But I think you know what's coming next." Surge threw another ball and his Raichu re-appeared.

"Let's go, Raichu!" cried Surge. "Mega Kick!"

"Block it with Vine Whip!" cried Lucy. Raichu tried to kick Bulbasaur, but the grass type blocked the move with its vines. It wrapped the vines around Raichu's foot and tried to throw it, but couldn't because of Raichu's size.

"Mega Punch!" cried Surge. Raichu fired up, and before Bulbasaur could react, the attack landed with force, knocking Bulbasaur out.

"Bulbasaur can no longer battle." Said the cronie. "Raichu wins. Surge chuckled.

"Face it, kid, this Raichu's way too strong for you or your friend to beat." Said Surge.

"We'll just see about that, Surge." Said Lucy. She recalled her fainted Bulbasaur and grabbed another Poke Ball.

"Clefairy, go!" she cried. Clefairy materialized.

"Fire Punch!" cried Lucy. Clefairy gave a powerful flame punch to Raichu, but the big Pokemon didn't suffer much from it.

"Not even a scratch?!" cried Lucy.

"Told you, this Raichu's the most powerful Raichu in the world." Said Surge. "Thunderbolt!" Raichu unleashed the attack, causing Clefairy to cry in pain.

"Clefairy, no!" cried Lucy. Clefairy fell backwards, but got back up.

"That's it." Said Lucy. "Now, Metronome time!" Clefairy started wagging its fingers, and after finishing the move, an explosion went off that resulted in both Pokemon being sent back. Clefairy fainted from the move.

"Was that an Explosion attack that came out of the Metronome?" Lucy wondered.

"Yes it was, and sadly for you, it knocked out your little Clefairy there." Said Surge.

"Clefairy is unable to battle." Said the cronie. Lucy recalled her Clefairy.

"You did your best." She said to it. She then turned to Eevee.

"I know you said before that you didn't want to be in this battle, but I really need you now." Said Lucy. "I'll treat you to an ice cream if you do this for me." Eevee pondered briefly before running into the arena.

"Thanks, Eevee!" cried Lucy. "And look, Raichu's already weakened from the explosion that happened, so all you have to do is just finish it off. Swift attack!" Eevee fired rainbow stars, which hit Raichu and sent it to the floor.

"I don't believe it!" cried Surge.

"Raichu is unable to battle." Said the cronie. "Eevee is the winner. Victory goes to the challenger Lucy Peters from Pallet Town!"

"Eevee, you're the best!" cried Lucy. She ran into the battle area and hugged Eevee. Surge recalled Raichu and walked over to Lucy.

"That was one of the most intense battles I've ever had." Said Surge. "You were definitely more serious than your friend. You're also the first challenger in quite a while to beat me on their first try. Here's your Thunder Badge. Wear it proudly."

"I will!" cried Lucy. She held the badge up high.

"Look, Eevee, a Thunder Badge!" she cried.

"You and your Pokemon all worked well together." Said Surge.

"Thanks, Surge." Said Lucy. "I have to be going now. Ash is going to need me!" She hurried out of the building and ran down the street to the Pokemon Center. She burst through the door and ran into the recovery room where Ash, Misty, Brock were. Pikachu was lying in a bed.

"Hey, Lucy, how did it go?" asked Ash. Lucy held up her new badge.

"You actually beat Surge?!" Brock cried.

"I did." Said Lucy. "It was a close one, but Eevee came through for me at the end." She then saw the state Pikachu was in.

"How is he?" she asked.

"He's still unconscious." Said Ash. Eevee looked over worriedly at Pikachu.

"Eevee." She said, which meant 'Pikachu, please wake up.' Pikachu soon woke up.

"Finally, he's awake!" cried Misty.

"Pikachu." Said Ash. "I'm glad you're okay." Pikachu turned over onto his side.

"Pikachu got hurt pretty badly." Said Brock.

"I can see that." Said Ash.

"No, I mean his spirit." Said Brock.

"What do you mean?" said Ash.

"Think about it." Said Lucy. "Pikachu was completely overpowered by that Raichu."

"Lucy's right, Ash." Said Misty.

"Pikachu will win next time." Said Ash. "We'll just try harder, and then maybe we'll win."

"Ash, just trying your hardest won't get the job done." said Lucy.

"Lucy's right. Pikachu was trying its hardest the last time." Said Brock.

"There's one way you might win, Ash." Said Joy. Everyone looked over to her.

"I'm sorry. I overheard what you were talking about and I thought that maybe…."

"How can we win?" asked Ash.

"A little while ago, I happened to come across this." Said Joy. She opened the box that was on her tray to reveal an evolutionary stone.

"Wow! A Thunder Stone!" cried Brock.

"Thunder Stone?" said Ash.

"That stone can make certain electric types evolve." Said Lucy. "It can also make my Eevee evolve into a Jolteon."

"Yes, and Ash could use it to make Pikachu evolve into a Raichu." Said Brock. Ash picked up the stone.

"I can make Pikachu evolve into Raichu?" he repeated. "If I do that, Pikachu might be strong enough to win."

"If you make Pikachu evolve, Ash, you can't change it back." Said Misty.

"Exactly. Evolution is permanent." Said Lucy.

"Pikachu will never be the same." Said Brock. Ash pondered over the situation.

"If Pikachu becomes a Raichu, I might be able to win that badge." He said. "On the other hand, if I make it evolve simply to fight, I'd be just like Surge."

"Think carefully about this, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Pikachu, what do you want to do?" asked Ash. Pikachu looked carefully at the Thunder Stone.

"I really want you to beat Surge, but I also don't want to force you to evolve if you'd be happier staying the way you are." Said Ash.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'You would never force me to evolve against my will, would you, Lucy?'

"Of course not, Eevee." Said Lucy. "You can evolve whenever you feel you're ready." Team Rocket was watching everything from outside.

"The boy's letting Pikachu decide." Said Jessie.

"If it becomes Raichu, it'll be stronger." Said James.

"What's it going to do?" wondered Meowth. Inside, Pikachu got up.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Save your strength!" cried Misty.

"You need to rest!" cried Lucy. Pikachu looked at the Thunder Stone again before slapping it away with its tail. Ash gasped.

"Pikachu!" he cried. Pikachu started yelling and insisting on rematching Raichu as it was. Outside, Meowth was tearing up.

"It's so brave!" he cried.

"What did it say?" asked Jessie.

"Pikachu says he won't change. He says if he's going to beat Raichu, he wants to do it as it is."

"You mean it's going to battle again as a Pikachu?" said Jessie.

"It's going to fight in the name of all Pikachu!" cried Meowth. James began tearing up himself.

"Really?! That's so beautiful!" he cried. Inside, Ash took Pikachu's paw.

"Pikachu, together, you and I will find a way to beat Surge and his Raichu." He said.

"You're both crazy!" cried Misty.

"You should change your strategy, Ash." Said Brock. "Maybe use one of your other Pokemon instead."

"It's hard, but not impossible!" cried Ash. "Pikachu and I will find a way to win!"

"Pika pi Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'I'll prove I can beat Raichu! I'll defend both mine and your honor!'

"Huh?" Jessie wondered from outside.

"Pikachu will prove it can beat Raichu." Said Meowth. "It'll defend his honor and Ash's."

"Oh dear! That's magnificent!" cried James.

Inside the Pokemon Center…

"Okay, Pikachu, are we all charged up?!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Yeah!' Pikachu suddenly fainted from exhaustion.

"It hasn't fully recovered its stamina yet." Said Joy. "You should let it rest a little while longer." Soon, Ash and his friends were in the hallway waiting for Pikachu's recovery to finish. Lucy helped herself to a soda from the vending machine.

"This whole thing has me nervous." Said Misty.

"Since when did you decide to worry about Ash, Misty?" asked Lucy. She took a sip from her drink.

"Not him! I'm concerned about Pikachu." Said Misty. "I hope he'll be okay."

"Hey, Ash." Said brock. "Didn't Surge say he evolved his Raichu as soon as he got it?"

"Yeah." Ash answered.

"Then maybe there is a way." Said Brock. Lucy then saw a poster for something on the wall that drew her attention.

"Check this out." She said. "This is a poster for the Pokemon Fan Club."

"The Pokemon Fan Club?" said Misty.

"Pokemon trainers from all over the world come here to Vermillion to check out the fan club." Said Lucy. "Since we're all trainers, and we're all fans of Pokemon, I say we check this place out."

"That's not a bad idea, Lucy." Said Brock. "We'll go later on so that Pikachu can finish resting."

Later, once Pikachu had fully recovered, the group left the Pokemon Center with Pikachu standing by Ash's side.

"Pikachu, our lucky star is shining today!" he cried. Pikachu looked into the sky but couldn't see anything except the sun.

"How can you see a star in the middle of the day?" said Misty.

"I think that's a figure of speech." Said Lucy.

"Lucy's right. I don't mean that it's actually shining." Said Ash. "Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash, Pikachu and the rest of the group marched down the street when they saw three figures dressed as cheerleaders.

"Huh? Who are you guys?" said Ash.

"You look very familiar." Said Lucy. Jessie and James started into their motto.

"To protect the world from devastation!" they cried, but Meowth cut them off.

"Ixnay!" he yelled.

"We forgot!" cried Jessie and James. Meowth cleared his throat.

"We're the challenger's cheerleaders, and we're here to show our support for the brave Pikachu and Ash!" he cried.

"Ra!" yelled Jessie and James.

"In honor of the great Pikachu's bravery, we wish to offer a cheer!" cried Meowth. They did multiple cheers at the same time, surprising the four heroes.

"Okay, let's split." Said Meowth. They started running away.

"That was sure weird." Said Lucy.

"Thanks for the support!" yelled Misty. "Bye, Team Rocket!" The disguises Team Rocket had been wearing fell off.

"How did they know it was us?" said Meowth.

"Lucky guess." grumbled Jessie. Ash let out a chuckle.

"All right, off to the gym!" he cried.

"Not yet, Ash." Said Lucy. "We're going to the Pokemon Fan Club first." The group continued walking down the road.

"Just where is this fan club, Lucy?" asked Misty.

"It's a bit past the gym in this direction." Said Lucy. They walked past lots of houses and other buildings until they finally arrived at the club.

"Well, here's the place." Said Lucy. They made their way inside. The chairman greeted them warmly.

"Ah, you must be here to join the Pokemon Fan Club." He said.

"Not exactly." Said Ash. "We're just visiting, and so we were hoping to make this a quick visit."

"Well if you want to make this worth your while, then you'll need to listen to a story about some of my favorite Pokemon." He said. "But first, can I offer you some snacks. Maybe some cookies?"

"Yes, please." Said Misty.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Don't forget about the promise you made me, Lucy.'

"Don't worry, I didn't." said Lucy. "One ice cream for my Eevee please." The chairman brought out their snacks in no time and began to tell his story.

"When I was a little boy, the very first Pokemon I saw was Ponyta." He said. "My mom thought that was something more suited for girls, but I didn't think so. After riding on it a lot, I fell in love with it so much that it became one of my favorite Pokemon. There's lots of great qualities about that Pokemon that I think…."

"He could go on like this for a while." Said Lucy. The chairman continued talking, but the longer he went on, the more bored Ash and his friends became. Lucy even let out a yawn and nearly fell asleep. Finally, after an hour, he finished his tale.

"Oh my goodness, look at the time." He said. "I'm sorry I went on so long, but I just love Pokemon as you can tell.

"Don't we know it." Said Lucy.

"As a reward for listening to my tale all the way through, which almost nobody does, I have a couple of bike vouchers." Said the chairman.

"Thanks, mister." Said Ash. He took the vouchers and handed one to Misty.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"You did say that Lucy and I owe you a new bike, so this voucher will enable you to get a new one for free." Said Ash. Misty couldn't believe it.

"I…..don't know what to say." She said.

"You could try thank you." Said Lucy.

"Thank you, Ash. Thank you, Lucy." She said.

"You're welcome, Misty." Said Ash. He put the other voucher away in his bag.

"Where would I go to redeem this?" asked Misty.

"There's a bike shop in Cerulean City." Said Brock. "You can always redeem it there."

"I'll do just that." Said Misty. They thanked the chairman again and then headed over to the gym for Ash's rematch with Surge. Once inside, Ash and Surge took their spots on the battlefield.

"Hey look, the baby's back for another beating!" cried Surge. "And you didn't even make your Pikachu evolve. You haven't learned anything yet."

"Don't be so sure, Surge!" cried Ash.

"I think you'll be quite surprised at what Ash is capable of." Said Lucy.

"Okay. Well let's see then." Said Surge. The cronie from earlier acted as the referee again.

"The gym leader, Lt. Surge, is using Raichu. The challenger, Ash, is using Pikachu. The Pokemon will battle one on one with no time limit. Let the battle begin!" the bell went off.

"Use the strategy we planned, Pikachu!" cried Ash. "You can do it!" Pikachu charged forward.

"A strategy. So they've been planning a new way to lose." Said Surge. "Go, Raichu!" Raichu charged, Pikachu jumped, but Raichu whacked at Pikachu with its tail. Ash gasped.

"He can't lose his composure now after the planning that we did." Said Lucy. Pikachu kept getting smacked repeatedly by Raichu's tail.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Hang in there, Pikachu!" cried Misty.

"Roll to the side and break away!" cried Brock.

"It can't lose!" Jessie yelled from outside.

"Not after the cheer we did for it." Said Meowth.

"Maybe we did the wrong kind of cheer." Said James. Inside….

"Do it, Raichu! Give it the Body Slam!" cried Surge. Raichu landed on Pikachu's back, making everyone gasp.

"Finish it, Raichu! Another Body Slam!" cried Surge. Raichu tried to hit with the attack again, but Pikachu was too quick.

"Uh, Raichu?" said Surge.

"It's working! Just like Brock said!" cried Lucy.

"Right. Raichu evolved too fast, so it never learned the speed attacks it could only learn at the Pikachu stage." Said Brock.

"Okay! Use all the Agility you got!" cried Ash. Pikachu started going faster and ran circles all around Raichu, making it dizzy.

"Your Raichu's way too slow Surge! That's it's weakness!" cried Ash.

"Okay, Raichu. Give it a Thunderbolt. Shut it down!" cried Surge. Raichu let out a very powerful Thunderbolt, destroying the windows, the battlefield, and scaring everyone, including Eevee. She whimpered and hid behind Lucy.

"Aren't you glad we already battled and won?" Lucy asked her Pokemon. Eevee nodded slowly.

"The end of the match!" Surge declared.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Said Lucy. Once the dust cleared, Pikachu was standing on its tail.

"What?" said Surge.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"All right, way to go!" cried Brock.

"How did Pikachu survive that?" asked Lucy. "That Thunderbolt attack was very powerful."

"Pikachu used its tail as a ground to dodge the electric shock." Brock explained. Outside….

"What a shocking story." Said Jessie.

"That was quite a 'tail'". Said James while holding Koffing. Meowth attacked both of them.

"And now, you've both been 'pun'-ished." He said, and he chuckled loudly. Inside…

"Raichu, give it another Thunderbolt!" cried Surge. Raichu tried twice to unleash the move, but he couldn't, leaving Surge very confused.

"Do something!" he cried.

"It's over." Said Brock. "Raichu ran out of electricity."

"That last Thunderbolt used up 10,000 watts of electrical power." Said Lucy. "Raichu's nothing but a sitting duck now."

"Quick Attack!" cried Ash. Pikachu picked up speed as it charged at Raichu.

"Raichu, Take Down now!" cried Surge. Raichu tried to grab Pikachu, but Pikachu was too quick and nailed Raichu in its chest. Pikachu then charged up his tail with electricity and attacked Raichu with it. Raichu fell to the ground swirly-eyed.

"Unbelievable!" Surge cried.

"The match is over!" the cronie cried. "Raichu is unable to battle, and Pikachu wins, so the victory goes to the challenger, Ash Ketchum!"

"We did it, Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Way to go!" cried brock.

"That was fantastic!" cried Misty. Outside…..

"Hooray!" cried Jessie and James.

"Victory!" cried Meowth. Inside, Surge shook Ash's hand.

"Congratulations, Ash, Pikachu. Nice job." Said Surge. "As proof of your victory here, a Thunder Badge."

"Thank you." Said Ash. He looked at his new badge. "I can't believe it. It's really a Thunder Badge."

"You should be proud. You and your Pikachu worked well together." Said Surge.

"Thanks." Said Ash. He held up the badge proudly.

"A Thunder Badge! And it's all mine!" he cried.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'We did it together!'

"Nice victory, Ash." Said Surge. "Like your friend, you're no baby."

"Congratulations, Ash, Pikachu." Said Brock.

"Congratulations, guys." Said Lucy. Ash hugged his Pikachu.

"This was your victory, Pikachu." He said.

"Pika." Pikachu corrected, which meant 'No, Ash. It belongs to both of us.'

"Now we can see lots of lucky stars!" cried Ash.

"With an electrical hug like that, you can practically see a whole galaxy." Said Lucy.

"Those two really are quite a team." Said Misty.

"Yes indeed." Said Brock. As the group headed to the Pokemon center, team Rocket walked off toward the sunset.

"That Pikachu really is special, and so is that Eevee." Said James.

"That's why they're worth snatching." Said Jessie. So, Ash and Pikachu won a Thunder badge, as did Lucy and her Pokemon, in two very impressive performances. But they still have a long way to go to reach their goal, as does Team Rocket. And so, the adventure continues on. James then realized something important.

"Drat! We wasted this whole episode rooting for the good guys!" he cried. Jessie and Meowth groaned upon realizing that.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Pokemon: Pikachu, Spearow, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Clefairy, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Krabby

Lucy's Pokemon: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 15: Battle Aboard The St. Anne

As their Pokemon journey continues, Ash and Lucy are one step closer to achieving their dream of becoming Pokemon masters. In the last episode, Ash and Lucy defeated the Vermillion City gym leader Lieutenant Surge and earned their Thunder Badges.

Ash and Lucy looked at their Thunder Badges and then noticed something.

"Oh wow!" cried Lucy. Has Ash ad Lucy's ship finally come in? Or are they cruising for a bruising?

"Gosh!" cried Lucy.

"Wow!" cried Ash.

"Beautiful!" cried Misty.

"I've heard about this ship." Said Lucy. "That's the world famous St. Anne."

"I'd love to cross the ocean on a ship like this." Said Ash.

"Just think of all the Pokemon we'd be able to see along the way." Said Brock.

"Oh for sure." Said Misty. "Just imagine, sunbathing on deck all day. Just a nice, long, relaxing cruise."

"But think about it, guys. We could never afford a cruise like that." Said brock. The group realized he was right and walked away frowning.

"Reality can really bum you out." Said Ash.

"Congratulations! You guys are way lucky!" said a familiar duo. "You can go on a super deluxe sea cruise!"

"A sea cruise?" everyone asked.

"Well, it's like, we have these super incredible tickets for you." Said jessie.

"Cool!" cried James.

"Cool, huh?" said Jessie.

"What?" said Misty.

"These tickets are for the biggest party ever on board the St. Anne cruise liner." Said Jessie.

"The famous St. Anne?" said Ash.

"You mean that same ship we were gazing at before?" said Lucy.

"Cool!" cried James.

"The coolest ship on the sea." Said Jessie.

"Oh." Said Brock.

"Everyone's going to be there and have, like, the coolest party." Said Jessie.

"Cool!" cried James.

"And the party is for Pokemon trainers only." Said Jessie.

"Cool!" cried James.

"Step this way." Said Jessie. "It'll be a totally radical party. All the most radical Pokemon trainers will be there."

"Does anyone even say radical anymore?" asked Ash.

"Not that I know of." Said Lucy.

"Okay, here are your tickets." said Jessie, handing them the tickets.

"We'd love to go on the cruise, but we don't have the money to pay for it." Said Brock.

"Like, you don't understand." Said Jessie. "They're totally free."

"Huh?" said Ash.

"Totally free." Jessie repeated.

"For free? Why are you just giving them away?" said Ash.

"Like, we have to go out with our boyfriends, but we wanted to give our tickets to cool Pokemon fans." Said Jessie.

"Cool!" cried James.

"We saw you and thought you looked really cool." Said Jessie. "Just take these and have a really cool time." Ash gladly took the tickets.

"Thanks a lot!" he said.

"No sweat." Said Jessie.

"Cool!" cried James.

"Have a nice day, for sure!" cried Jessie. She and James ran away.

"This really is cool, isn't it, guys?" said Lucy.

"Eevee!" Eevee cried, which meant 'Tell me about it!'

"The St. Anne. Wow." Said Brock.

"Yeah, and that Pokemon party." Said Ash.

"I wonder which of these ships is the St. Anne." Said Lucy. Misty looked to her right.

"I think that's it over there." She said.

"Wow, it's incredible." Said Brock.

"It's huge!" cried Misty.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Giant.' Meanwhile, the two girls with the tickets had really been Team Rocket in disguise, but Ash and his friends had been unaware of that.

"We did it! We got them!" cried Jessie. James' voice was still high pitched and girly.

"Like, don't I make the coolest girl?" he said. Jessie attacked him.

"Stop being an ignoramus!" she snapped as she dragged him away.

"Ow." James muttered. In the lighthouse, they prepared to talk to their boss.

"We got a call from the boss." Said Meowth. He pressed a button to bring their boss on screen.

"Greetings, sir." Said Meowth.

"So, the team is all there." Said Giovanni.

"Sir." Said Jessie and James. A Persian made his way onto the screen and started rubbing Giovanni.

"Meowth! What's with the Persian?" cried Meowth. Giovanni started stroking the Persian.

"Hey boss, aren't I your favorite anymore?" said Meowth.

"I'm totally disgusted watching the three of you fail when I expect total perfection." Said Giovanni. "Purr-fection, just like this beautiful Persian."

"But Meowth." Said Meowth.

"If you want to make me happy, you can make sure our latest plan succeeds." Said Giovanni. "Have you handed out all the tickets to the St. Anne cruise?"

"Yes. All of the Pokemon trainers were delighted to take them." Said Jessie.

"Was it really all right to give all those tickets out for free?" said James.

"A small price to pay for what I'll get in return." Said Giovanni. Jessie and James let out a gasp.

"My men have already secretly boarded the St. Anne." Said Giovanni. "When I give them the signal, they will take the Pokemon from all the trainers we tricked into boarding the ship."

"That's the boss for you. A real genius." Said Meowth.

"This time, failure is out of the question." Said Giovanni.

"Aye aye, sir." Said Jessie and James.

"We can do it!" cried Meowth. Giovanni chuckled and smiled. Meanwhile, Ash and his friends were already on the ship and had entered its main hall.

"Wow! Look at this!" cried Ash.

"It's huge." Said Lucy.

"It's like one big Pokemon convention." Said Ash.

"Everyone here is a Pokemon trainer." Said Misty.

"Take a look at the smooth skin on my Charmander. That shows how healthy it is." Said one trainer.

"Look at the flame on my Charmander. There's orange mixed in with red." Said another. "Cool, huh? Check it out!"

"Wait, look how hard the shell is on my Squirtle." Said a third trainer. "Tough, huh?"

"My Charmander and the Squirtle that Lucy and I both have are much better than theirs are." Said Ash.

"A hundred times better." Said Lucy.

"Okay, bring them on!" said two voices.

"Where's that coming from?" said Lucy. Ash and company went to the source of the voices and saw two trainers battling with a Starmie and Raticate.

"Raticate, Jump Kick!" cried one man. Raticate charged.

"All right, Starmie. Tackle attack!" cried one kid. The two attacks collided with each other and they both landed on their feet.

"All right, a match!" cried Ash.

"Perfect timing for some entertainment." Said Lucy.

"Raticate, Super Fang attack, now!" cried the man. Raticate charged at Starmie, bit on its jewel and knocked it out.

"That was some battle." Said Lucy.

"Are you okay, Starmie?" the kid asked.

"Don't feel badly about that, young man." Said the gentleman. "It was only a practice match, anyway, and I just happened to be lucky."

"My, how gracious." Said an elegant woman.

"Not at all, miss." Said the gentleman. "Keep working on your Starmie's strength there." He said to the kid. "Well, now, is anyone else here brave enough to challenge my Raticate? Ash jumped at the opportunity.

"How about battling against my Butterfree?" he said.

"As you wish." Said the gentleman.

"I hope Ash knows what he's doing." Said Misty.

"May I remind you that he raised it all the way up from a Caterpie?" said Lucy. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Still, that Raticate looks pretty strong." She got her Pokedex out.

"Raticate, the Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Rattata. Raticate's teeth are strong enough to gnaw through steel and their constant growth means it often needs to gnaw on something, like rocks and logs. It may even chew on the walls of houses and is capable of chewing through cinder blocks and toppling concrete buildings."

"I guess that's why my dad wouldn't let me get a Raticate for a house pet." Said Lucy. Jessie and James soon walked onto the ship wearing waiter costumes.

"Say, Jessie? This place is packed." Said James.

"Yes, and it's packed with Pokemon." Said Jessie.

"And soon, all these Pokemon will be ours! All for us." Said James.

"Shut up! They're not for us, they're for the boss." Said Jessie.

"I forgot." Said James. Meanwhile, Ash's battle was starting.

"Raticate, Jump Kick!" cried the gentleman. Raticate jumped forward.

"Butterfree, Tackle!" cried Ash. Butterfree dove toward Raticate and they collided with each other five times.

"Does Ash's Butterfree even stand a chance against that Raticate?" asked Misty.

"Sure. It's a good match, really." Said Brock.

"In that case, let's just enjoy the battle." Said Lucy.

"Finish it, Raticate. Hyper Fang attack!" cried the gentleman. The attack landed but Butterfree was still standing.

"Butterfree, Stun Spore!" cried Ash. Raticate was soon stunned by the gold dust that had been sprayed on it.

"All right, now the Whirlwind!" cried Ash. But before Butterfree could perform the attack, the gentleman picked up his Raticate.

"I think that's enough." He said.

"Huh?" said Ash.

"Let's just call it a draw." Said the gentleman, and he walked away with Raticate in his hands.

"But I was winning." Ash grumbled as he recalled Butterfree.

"Never mind, Ash." Said Lucy. "You fought well, and so did Butterfree. You should be proud of yourself." Meanwhile, James was walking around in the concession area.

"Boy. Hey, boy! Come here!" said a man's voice.

"Are you addressing me?" said James.

"Yes. I want you to have a look at this Pokemon." Said the man. He pointed to a small Pokemon that looked like a goldfish.

"What is this thing?" said James.

"The king of all carp. A Magikarp." The man answered.

"What do I do with it? Eat it?" said James. The man chuckled.

"See how healthy it is?" he said. He handed the Magikarp to James.

"It certainly is lively." Said James.

"Just between you and me, this Magikarp is like a Pokemon gold mine." Said the man.

"Gold mine? "Right." Said the man. "A Magikarp lays about a thousand eggs at a time. Each of those 1,000 baby Magikarp lay 1,000 more. 1,000 times 1,000 is 1,000,000! Every one of those 1,000,000 lays another 1,000! That's a billion Pokémon!"

"A billion?!" cried James.

"You can sell one Magikarp for one hundred dollars in three generations. You have tons of money. Billions and billions!" cried the man.

"Billions?!" cried James.

"You'll be so rich, you can go on a Pokemon shopping spree!" cried the man.

"Rich!" cried James.

"I normally charge one hundred dollars, but for you, I'll throw in an egg laying set, childcare set and an indication set for only three hundred dollars! How about it?" said the man.

"I'll take it!" cried James.

"I can tell you're going to be a rich man. A very rich man!" cried the man. James laughed in greed and excitement.

Meanwhile, Ash and his group were enjoying all the delicious food that was being served.

"This chicken is amazing!" cried Ash.

"So is this fried rice." Said Lucy.

"The potatoes are very good too." Said Brock.

"The salmon's delicious!" cried Misty. Pikachu and Eevee were enjoying the goodies too.

"Try not to stuff yourselves too much, you two, or you'll pass out." Lucy told them.

"So, are you having yourselves a good time?" asked the gentleman.

"Yes, sir. We're having a great time." Said Ash.

"You know, that Butterfree of yours is quite extraordinary." Said the gentleman.

"It's incredible." Said the woman who was beside him.

"It's more than incredible. It's beautiful." Lucy added. "He caught it when it was just a Caterpie, and after a few days, it became the Butterfree that you saw in the battle." While Lucy talked, Brock was spacing out.

"She's beautiful." Said brock. He was, of course, referring to the gentleman's lady friend.

"Hello in there!" said Misty.

"Beautiful." Said Brock. Misty simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Here we go again." She sighed. Meanwhile, the conversation about Butterfree was still going on.

"His Butterfree's one of the most dependable Pokemon he has right now." Said Lucy.

"Well, I did put a lot of work into raising it." Said Ash.

"What did you think of my Raticate?" asked the gentleman.

"It looked great, and it really put up a tough fight." Said Ash.

"In that case, I'll be direct. Why don't we trade?" the gentleman suggested.

"Trade Pokemon?" said Ash.

"When two people find out they like each other's Pokemon, they trade." Said the gentleman. "It's a common practice everywhere."

"Everywhere?" said Ash.

"You see, friends who trade end up trading with their other friends and so friendships grow deeper and continue to spread wider and wider. Trading and making new friends is one of the best things about having Pokémon. That's how Pokémon friendships get to spread all around the world." Said the gentleman.

"Friendship is wonderful, isn't it?" said the gentleman's lady friend.

"Yeah, why don't you and I start a friendship right now?" said brock.

"But Brock, we're already friends." Said Lucy.

"I meant the lady." Brock clarified.

"I don't really know." Said Ash. "Should I trade, Brock?" But Brock was too focused on the gentleman's lady friend to answer. Ash then turned his attention to Lucy.

"What do you think, Lucy?" he asked. "Should I go ahead and trade?"

"That's up to you, Ash, but just remember that if you do trade Butterfree, it won't be your Pokemon anymore." Said Lucy. Ash was still uncertain about what to do.

"Pikachu, I'm leaving it up to you to decide." He said. "Should I trade with this guy?" Pikachu thought for a second before answering.

"Pika." He said, which meant 'Try it and see what happens.'

"Well, okay then." Said Ash. Soon, Ash and the gentleman were standing beside a trading machine. They placed their Poke Balls on opposite ends.

"Here we go." Said the gentleman. He pressed the button, and the Pokemon were traded.

"And that's all there is to it. Raticate is your new Pokemon." Said the gentleman. He walked away holding Butterfree's Poke Ball, while Ash gave a said sigh.

"I hope I did the right thing." He whispered to himself.

Meanwhile….

"You idiot! Can't you see you were tricked?!" yelled Jessie.

"What a dope!" cried Meowth.

"You don't understand." Said James. "Magikarp is a gold mine. The guy that sold it to me said so. Even its' Poke Ball is solid gold."

"It's just gold plated!" yelled Meowth. He scratched the ball to prove it. James, upon realizing that he had been tricked, gave a horrifying scream.

"Magikarp is a no talent Pokemon that can only flop around." Said Jessie. "How could you possibly expect to be able to sell it?"

"I was tricked." Said James.

"The more important, question, is how did you get the money to pay for it?" asked jessie.

"Well, the advance on my salary didn't quite cover it, so…" he started to answer.

"So what?" said Jessie.

"So I used the advance on your salary!" James cried. Jessie was furious upon hearing that and attacked James.

"You go return that stupid fish and get my money back right now!" she snapped.

Meanwhile, Ash was staring at his new Pokemon's Poke Ball. Misty and Lucy noticed this and went over to him.

"What's the matter, Ash?" asked Misty. "You look so serious."

"That's not like you at all." Said Lucy.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Lucy's right.'

"I was just thinking, guys." Said Ash. "I wonder if that guy is going to take good care of Butterfree."

"Oh." Said Misty.

"I traded with some guy I don't even know just because he seemed to love trading so much." Said Ash. "I don't even know if he'll take care of Butterfree the same way that I did."

"Pika pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'I'm sure Butterfree will be fine, Ash.'

"On the bright side, Ash, you got yourself a pretty cool Raticate." Said Lucy. Ash let out a sigh.

"I guess you can't get Butterfree out of your mind, can you?" said Lucy.

"It's just that when I was trading it away, I remember the time when it evolved into Butterfree." Said Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Me too.'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'I also remember that.'

"Well, if you try telling him how much Butterfree means to you, I'm sure he'll understand and trade it back." Said Lucy.

"I really hope so, Lucy." Said Ash.

Meanwhile, Givanni was bringing up surveillance videos aboard the St. Anne. He chuckled, his Persian yowled, the doors on the St. Anne closed, the curtains drew in and Team Rocket revealed themselves.

"Hey!" Ash cried. James, on the other hand, was trying to find the Magikarp salesman.

"Hey! Hombre? I want my money back!" he cried. Jessie grabbed James by his jacket.

"Are you crazy? This isn't the time for that!" she cried.

"But you said to…" James stammered.

"Later! Right now, we have work to do!" Jessie cried. The lights went out and Team Rocket went into their motto.

"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!"

"Team Rocket will now take possession of your Pokemon!" cried Jessie. The passengers were all confused as to what that meant until they saw the grunts begin to suck up their Poke Balls using backpack vacuum devices.

"Give me your Pokemon!" demanded a grunt.

"No way!" cried Misty.

"Don't make me take them!" yelled a second grunt.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash. Pikachu zapped the grunt with a Thunder Shock. A third one tried to grab Lucy's Eevee.

"Don't you dare!" she cried.

"If they're going to try and rob our Pokemon, we may as well make it a battle!" cried Ash. The passengers agreed with him.

"We can't just surrender!" One of them yelled. The passengers united with the heroes.

"Suck them up! Suck them all up!" cried Jessie. Some Poke Balls got taken, while others materialized the Pokemon that were in them.

"Way to go, guys! Keep sucking them up! Make sure you get every last one!" cried Meowth.

"Squirtle, go!" cried Lucy. Her Squirtle materialized.

"We have to fight them together!" cried Brock.

"Pikachu, go!" cried Ash. A Pikachu pyramid formed to deliver a super powerful Thunderbolt attack. The Rocket grunts got hit by the combined attack.

"We have to keep fighting!" cried Lucy.

"Charmander, I choose you!" cried Ash. He threw a ball and Charmander materialized. Ash's Charmander as well as the other Charmander combined their Flamethrower to burn more Team Rocket grunts to a crisp.

"Meowth! This can't be happening!" cried Meowth. A storm began to brew outside the ship.

"Geodude, go!" cried Brock. His Geodude united with the others to form a Geodude ring and bash into the grunts.

"Bulbasaur, go!" cried Lucy. All the Bulbasaur used a combined Vine Whip to smack away more grunts.

"Butterfree, go!" cried the gentleman. The other Butterfree on board used Stun Spore, along the gentleman's to stun the grunts.

"My turn now." Said Ash. He grabbed a Poke Ball and threw it.

"Butterfree, go!" he cried. Much to his surprise, Raticate popped out instead.

"Ash, you traded Butterfree away earlier, remember?" said Lucy.

"Oh yeah." Said Ash. He then remembered all of the times he had enjoyed with the Pokemon, including when it first evolved into Metapod, and then into the Butterfree.

"I raised Butterfree all by myself." Said Ash. "I have to get Butterfree back!"

"Worry about that later, Ash." Said Lucy. "We're not done with Team Rocket yet."

"Hand over the Poke Ball." Said the grunt. Ash threw another one.

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" he cried. His Pidgeotto materialized.

"Pidgeotto group Gust!" Ash cried. Ash's Pidgeotto got together with the others to blow the grunts away with a giant wind tornado.

"Pikachu, all together, Thunderbolt!" cried Ash. All the Pikachu united to zap the remaining grunts with a powerful attack.

"And that's a wrap!" cried Lucy. The passengers all celebrated.

"We did it! Great job, everyone!" cried Ash.

"I'll say it was a great job." Said Lucy.

"We should all be very proud of our Pokemon." Said Ash. "And we taught Team Rocket a lesson they'll never forget!" Jessie, James and Meowth limped away after their defeat.

"I can't wait to get off this lousy bucket." Said Jessie. The storm outside caused the boat to pitch from the waves, making James drop his gold Poke Ball.

"Wait, there goes my salary advance!" he cried. He started running after the ball.

"That's my money too!" cried Jessie.

"Meowth!" cried Meowth. Our heroes suddenly began to feel the storm rocking the ship.

"Oh no! It's a big storm!" cried Misty.

"It'll be tough to be back with big waves like this!" cried Brock.

"What?!" cried Misty.

"Brock does bring up a good point, but regardless, we don't want to end up like the Titanic." Said Lucy.

"Hey, wait a minute! Where's Ash?" said Misty.

"He said something earlier about going to get his Butterfree back." Said Lucy.

"We have to find him and get out of here!" cried Misty. The three of them started running down the hall.

Over at the trade machine…..

"So you want to go back on our trade/" said the gentleman. Ash nodded.

"Butterfree was one of the first Pokemon that I ever captured." He said. "I worked very hard to train and raise it into the Pokemon that it is now. Please, can I have it back?"

"I understand where you're coming from." Said the gentleman. "I guess you leave me no choice."

"I'm sorry." Said Ash.

"No need to apologize, son." Said the gentleman. While the trade was going on, the passengers stated their fears to the captain and began to panic.

"Now, calm down everyone!" said the captain. "The high seas have just pushed us a little off course. There's nothing to worry about! We're heading for port now, and besides, the ship is unsinkable. There's absolutely no need for alarm!" Another big wave crashed into the ship. The captain had gotten into one of the lifeboats.

"Now there's no reason to panic, I just thought I'd test out one of the lifeboats." He said. As the passengers started getting into the lifeboats, Misty, Brock and Lucy found Ash at the trade machine.

"Come on, Ash! We have to go! The ship is sinking!" cried Misty.

"Worse than that, it's going to capsize!" cried Lucy. "We have to get off the St. Anne immediately!"

"Hold on a second!" cried Ash. The trade completed and Ash picked up Butterfree's Poke Ball.

"Butterfree! Please forgive me." He said. Another wave crashed into the ship, making Ash drop Butterfree's Poke Ball.

"Butterfree!" cried Ash.

"Ash!" cried Misty. Ash raced after his Butterfree, with the others following him. Team Rocket was chasing Magikarp's Poke Ball through the ship's kitchen.

"Wait! There goes my next paycheck!" cried James.

"Who cares about your paycheck?! What about mine?!" cried Jessie.

"We got to get out of here!" cried Meowth. Another wave crashed into the ship, causing it to capsize.

"I got it!" cried Ash, picking up his Poke Ball.

"Good. Now let's get off the…." Said Lucy, but before she could finish, they all felt the ship start to capsize. Ash and Pikachu were blown into one room, with Misty, Brock, Lucy and Eevee following suit. As for Team Rocket…

"Got it!" cried James, picking up Magikarp's ball. They also felt the ship start to capsize and were knocked out cold. Outside, everyone watched the ship fully capsize and sink down to the bottom of the ocean.

"May I have your attention please?" said the captain. "Did anybody see any passengers that didn't get off the ship in time?" Nobody gave a response.

"Everyone got off? Good. Well done. Everybody is safe then." Said the captain. Contrary to that statement, not quite everybody was safe. Ash and his friends were still trapped inside the ship and unconscious, as was Team Rocket. How will they escape this watery fate? If you want to find out, then make sure you're here for the next episode.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Pokemon: Pikachu, Spearow, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Clefairy, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Krabby

Lucy's Pokemon: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 16: Pokemon Shipwreck

Holy Titanic! Last time, disaster struck the St. Anne. The ship capsized with Team Rocket and our four heroes still trapped somewhere inside it. This can't possibly be how it ends, can it?!

The storm from earlier had passed, and it was now the next morning. Some grey clouds still hovered overhead in the sky, and a police boat had gathered at the sight of the capsizing. Officer Jenny was leading the gathering.

"At first, we thought everybody had gotten off the ship, but we have just found out that there are still six people missing. Ash, Misty, Brock, Lucy, Jessie and James." She said. "It makes all of us said to think that these aspiring Pokemon trainers have had their careers cut tragically short. May these flowers honor your memory." She placed a bouquet in the ocean.

"A salute." She said. Jenny and the other officers played Taps as a final farewell to the supposedly fallen heroes.

However…

"Hey, Ash! Answer me!" cried Brock.

"Wake up, Ash! Wake up!" cried Misty.

"Ash! Speak to me!" cried Lucy.

"Pika pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Please wake up, Ash.'

"Open your eyes, Ash!" cried Lucy. Ash had been unconscious for a while, but at last, he finally opened his eyes.

"Are you feeling okay, Ash?" said Brock.

"What? What are you talking about "am I feeling okay"?" said Ash. "You guys are the ones who are upside down.

"Correction, Ash. You're upside down." Said Lucy.

"Huh?" said Ash. He realized that Lucy was right. Ash started to drop down.

"Look out!" Lucy and Misty cried. Fortunately, Pikachu broke Ash's fall.

"Pikachu." He said, which meant 'I got you.'

"Thanks, buddy." Said Ash. "Now, will someone tell me what in the world happened?"

"Look out the window and see for yourself." Said Lucy. Ash stared out the window and was shocked at what was in front of him.

"Fish swimming? This can't be!" cried Ash. "But that means this ship has sunk!" Jessie and James, on the other hand, were in a daydream state where they believed themselves to be on a beach.

"To protect the world from devastation." Said Jessie.

"To unite all peoples within our nation." Said James.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love. To extend our reach to the stars above." They both said.

"Jessie."

"James, with a perfect tan."

"There's nothing like a tropical vacation." Said Jessie.

"The blue sea." Said James.

"The white sand." Said Jessie.

"And the blazing sun above." Said James.

"The sun." said Jessie.

"Yes, the blazing sun." said James. "Fiery and burning. And burning. Burning!"

"Something's really burning!" cried Jessie.

"You picked a bad place for a nap!" cried Meowth. The two of them woke up and saw streams of fire burning their hair and started screaming in pain and panicked until they put the flames out using two burst water pipes.

"Why is everything upside down?" asked Jessie.

"The ship capsized and sunk while the two of you were sleeping." Meowth answered.

"What?" cried Jessie.

"We have to abandon ship immediately!" cried James.

"I'm afraid it won't be so easy to get off the ship while it's underwater." Said Meowth.

"The ship sunk!" screamed James. "We're doomed!"

"Calm down, James. I've already thought of a way to get us out of here." Said Jessie. "Ekans!" Ekans materialized from the ball she threw.

"Ekans, use Acid." Said Jessie. "Open up a hole in the floor, we'll use it to escape."

"Wait, don't do that!" cried Meowth, but he was too late. Ekans used the attack and water came shooting out of the hole, resulting in Team Rocket having to block it.

"Didn't I tell you numskulls that we're sinking?!" cried Meowth. "You think we need another hole on the ship?"

Meanwhile….

"What are we supposed to do?" asked Ash. "The ship's leaking everywhere!"

"We've got to keep calm." Said Misty. "As long as there's air in here, it'll take time to fill up with water."

"Sure, but we better not waste any time escaping." Said Brock.

"We need to find a way out before the ship sinks even deeper." Said Lucy.

"Well, we can either go up or down." Said Misty.

"If we're sinking, then up would definitely be better." Said Ash. "And if the ship is flipped upside down…"

"The deck is below us, and the ship's bottom is up above our heads." Said Misty.

"Then we have to dive down to the deck!" cried Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Smart idea.'

"Water's my specialty." Said Misty. "Go, Goldeen!" Her Goldeen materialized.

"Good thinking, Misty." Said Lucy. "I choose you, Squirtle!" Squirtle materialized out of the ball that Lucy threw.

"Goldeen, you and Squirtle dive down to the deck." Said Misty. "If you find a way off the ship, bring something back from outside." The two water Pokemon nodded and swam away. All they found was a dead end and a drowning Team Rocket. Goldeen and Squirtle alerted each other of this and grabbed a hold of the trio.

"What's taking them so long?" said Ash.

"Maybe they couldn't find a way out." Said Misty. Right then and there, the two water types emerged and brought Team Rocket to the surface with them.

"Those guys look terrible." Said Lucy. Team Rocket spit water out of their mouths like a fountain.

"Prepare. Prepare for trouble." Jessie said weakly.

"Make it double." Said James in a weak voice. They then realized who they were staring at.

"You!" they cried, and they stood up.

"We've got you brats cornered!" cried Jessie.

"So, you followed us all the way to the bottom of the sea!" cried Brock.

"Ekans!" cried Jessie.

"Koffing!" cried James. The two poison types materialized. Ash, Brock, and Lucy all grabbed hold of a Poke Ball and threw them.

"Bulbasaur!" cried Ash's Bulbasaur.

"Charmander!" cried Charmander.

"Squirtle!" cried Lucy's Squirtle.

"Geodude!" cried Geodude.

"All right, a match!" cried Ash. Before any attacks could be launched, however, the ship started tipping over and everyone started sliding.

"If we don't do something fast, the ship will roll!" cried Misty.

"Then we'll REALLY be sunk." Said Lucy.

"Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Geodude, Koffing, Ekans, to the other side of the ship!" cried Ash. The Pokemon all ran to the other side, only for everyone else to slide towards them.

"To the other side!" cried Lucy. The Pokemon all ran back to the other side.

"Geodude, come back to this side!" cried Brock. Geodude went back to Brock, but the whole ship rocked back and fourth with all the Pokemon going from one side to another.

"You guys, call back your Pokemon!" cried Misty.

"But Team Rocket will beat us if we call our Pokemon back!" protested Ash.

"He's right." Said Brock.

"We have worse problems than that right now." Said Lucy. "Like, I don't know, sinking even deeper than we already have!"

"Yeah." Ash and Brock agreed. The two boys called their Pokemon back. Misty turned her attention to Team Rocket

"Call your Pokemon back too." She said.

"What's more important? A Pokemon battle, or your lives?" said Lucy.

"They're right. Good point." Said Jessie. She and James recalled their Pokemon too. The ship leveled out, much to the relief of everyone.

"Okay, we all agree that there won't be any battles for now." Said Misty. "Let's work together."

"That may be easier said than done." said Lucy. She and Misty saw the boys and Team Rocket stare down each other angrily.

"Get a hold of yourselves and shake hands!" Lucy ordered. Ash and Jessie shook hands.

"This is just a temporary truce until we get out of this mess." Said Jessie.

"You better believe it." Said Ash. Brock shook hands with James. Both of them gave a firm grip. Pikachu and Eevee also shook, but Pikachu mischievously zapped Meowth in the process, earning him a scolding from Eevee.

"It's agreed, we work together." Said Jessie.

"Now we have to think of a way to escape." Said Ash.

"Leave it to me. I built my own St. Anne once." Said Misty. Everyone was shocked to hear that.

"You mean you made your own model of the ship from scratch once?" asked Lucy.

"Correct." Said Misty.

"Funny thing is, I also built a model of the ship once myself." Said Lucy. "It was for a school project last year."

"Building the model was how I learned about the structure of the St. Anne." Said Misty. "Since the way to the deck is blocked, we'll have to climb to the bottom of the ship. We can cut a hole in the hull. That's how we'll escape." Lucy understood the idea, but the boys and team Rocket were a bit confused.

"At least it's a plan." Said Ash. Brock pointed out some stairs.

"Look! Over there!" he cried.

"Good thinking, Brock, but how do we get up there?" said Ash.

"I'll show you how." Said Brock, and he grabbed a Poke Ball. "Onix, make a stair case!" Onix materialized and formed a stair case for everyone to climb.

"Let's hurry!" cried brock.

"Right!" cried Ash.

"Move it or lose it!" cried Misty!

"Yes, ma'am." Jessie, James and Meowth replied. After everybody had climbed up Onix, they came to a dark corridor.

"The lights are out." Said Brock.

"I can't see a thing." Said Lucy.

"Leave this to me." Said Ash. "Charmander, I choose you!" Charmander materialized out of the Poke Ball.

"Charmander, lead the way for us." Said Ash. Charmander nodded and used his tail flame as a lamp to guide everyone.

"Where does this hall lead to?" asked Ash.

"This corridor leads straight to the engine room, and that's where the hull is the thinnest." Said Misty. "With a little luck, we should be able to cut our way through." The group entered another room, only to find a fiery inferno beneath them.

"This is no good. It's impossible to get to the engine room!" cried Ash.

"Not even all of our water Pokemon combined can put out a fire that big." Said Lucy.

"Jessica?" said James.

"Yes, James?" said Jessie.

"Whoever said beauty doesn't last must've been thinking of us." Said James.

"I'll always remember what a wonderful dresser you were." Said Jessie.

"So will I." said James.

"There must be some angle we haven't tried yet." Said Lucy. Ash tried to think of something, but had difficulty doing so.

"Think, Ash." he said to himself. "Pikachu, give my brain a jump start."

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Okay.' He gave Ash a small zap to his brain, and an idea suddenly came to mind.

"Thanks, Pikachu. That's just what I needed." Said Ash. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" He threw a Poke Ball and Bulbasaur materialized.

"Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip. Extend the whips to the other side." Said Ash." Bulbasaur latched his whips to the door frame to form a tightrope.

"Good job!" cried Ash.

"That was a brilliant idea, Ash!" cried Misty.

"Now we can cross the vines to the other side!" cried Brock.

"Let's get out of here!" cried Lucy. As the heroes started to cross, the flames scared James.

"I can't cross that scary inferno!" he cried. "Jessie, you and Meowth go ahead. I'll just stay right here!"

"Snap out of it, James!" snapped Jessie. "How long do you think you'd last on this side?"

"Probably not very long." James answered.

"I thought so." Said jessie. "Now let's go. We'll cross together."

"Jessie, please don't abandon me!" cried James.

"Don't worry, I won't leave you." Jessie assured her teammate.

"Hey, Team Rocket!" called Ash. Team Rocket looked and saw that everyone else had crossed to the other side.

"I figured something wasn't right when you didn't cross." Said Lucy. "Stay there while Bulbasaur sends some vines for you to cross on."

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur cried, which meant 'Come on, guys!'

"Wait, don't leave! Send back the vine!" Team Rocket cried. They quickly hurried across Bulbasaur's vines, but they were exhausted by the time they reached the other side.

"Now I now what a toasted marshmallow looks like." Said Meowth.

"This is no time for a break!" cried Ash.

"We have to get off the ship quickly!" cried Misty.

"And the only way to do that is cutting through the hull above us." Added Lucy. Ash grabbed Charmander's Poke Ball and summoned the fire type.

"Charmander, I need you to wield through the hull of the ship with your flame." Said Ash. Charmander acknowledge the instruction and used a low power Flamethrower to start cutting through the hull.

"Okay, listen up everyone!" cried Misty. "Grab hold of a water Pokemon and swim to the surface!"

"Right!" cried Brock. "You got that, Ash, Lucy?"

"I'll be okay with my Squirtle." Said Ash.

"I should be fine using my Staryu." Said Lucy.

"Hey, don't forget about us!" cried Jessie. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Just grab a water Pokemon!" cried Misty.

"And do it quick!" cried Lucy. "The hull's almost burned through." The hull was soon burned all the way through and a rush of water started pouring down and filling up the room. Team Rocket panicked and Charmander had to make a run for it to avoid being soaked.

"What have you done?!" Meowth cried.

"Charmander, return!" cried Ash, quickly recalling the fire type so that it wouldn't get drenched by the water. Everyone that had a water type on them, which was Ash, Lucy and Misty, tied ropes to those who couldn't carry their trainers.

"Let's go, Squirtle!" cried Ash.

"Squirtle squirt!" yelled Squirtle, which meant 'Surf's up, dude!'

"Ready to go, Staryu?" asked Lucy. Staryu nodded using the tip of one of its points. Ash, Misty and Lucy started swimming up the stream.

"So long, Team Rocket!" cried Lucy. They disappeared into the stream.

"Come back! We don't have the right Pokemon!" Team Rocket cried.

"I hate water! Especially wet water!" Meowth complained.

"We're in big trouble. We can't escape without a water Pokemon." Said Jessie. James started laughing.

"I don't see what's so funny, James." Said Jessie.

"The poor guy must be cracking up, just like the ship." Meowth remarked.

"You really made fun of me, but who's got the last laugh now?" said James. "Well a true genius is never appreciated until there's trouble." He turned to his teammates with a sparkle in his eyes. "I knew we'd need this in a tight spot. Look!" he showed the gold plated Poke Ball.

"Hey!" cried Meowth.

"Could it be?" cried Jessie.

"Feast your eyes on the king of carp! Magikarp!" cried James.

"You're the best, James!" cried Jessie.

"I take back the jokes." Said Meowth. "From now on, I'll treat you with the respect you deserve!"

"Better late than never." Said James. "It's time, Magikarp!" Magikarp materialized out of the ball.

"Lucky for us that I bought this." Said James. "Even if it did cost next month's salary."

"Enough bragging, just tie yourself on!" cried Jessie.

"We got to escape!" cried Meowth. James tied a rope between himself, his teammates, and Magikarp.

"All right, Magikarp. Let's escape!" cried James. However, Magikarp didn't move at all, leaving a look of shock and surprise on James' face.

"Don't tell me this fish can't swim!" cried Jessie.

"Forget about swimming, it can barely splash." Said Meowth.

"We're doomed!" cried Jessie. More water poured into the engine room.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" all three of them cried. The St. Anne tipped over and sunk into a trench.

Meanwhile, Ash and his friends had found a raft of driftwood.

"I wonder why Team Rocket still hasn't surfaced." Said Ash.

"Do you think they're still trapped inside?" asked Misty.

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Possibly.'

"That's just a secondary concern right now." Said Lucy. "The main concern is trying to find land and getting to a town or city so that Ash and I can call our parents."

"Lucy's right. There's nothing we can do right now except try and find dry land." Said Brock. Ash surveyed the ocean carefully.

"Let's see. Nothing but ocean in every direction, and no way to tell which direction to go." Said Ash.

"I remember my dad telling me the story of Noah when I was little." Said Lucy. "When he had to find dry land, he sent a bird to find it, and the bird came back with an olive twig."

"Great idea, Lucy!" cried Ash. "We'll do the same thing Noah did. Pidgeotto, I choose you!" Pidgeotto materialized.

"Pidgeotto, bring us back whatever you find!" cried Ash. "Hopefully it'll lead us to land!" Pidgeotto nodded and took off.

"I'm counting on you." Said Ash. Pidgeotto flew high overhead across the ocean looking for everything and anything he could find. While the Pokemon was searching, it spotted the Team Rocket trio. They were all unconscious and still tied to James' Magikarp. Pidgeotto screeched loudly, grabbed a hold of them and brought them back to Ash's group, all of whom presumed Team Rocket to be dead.

"I didn't think Pidgeotto would find something this terrible." Said Lucy, referring to the rough shape Team Rocket was in. She started sobbing a bit.

"The poor guys." She said sadly.

"They weren't able to make it." Said Misty.

"Not even Team Rocket deserved something like this." Said Lucy.

"Yeah." Said Brock.

"The only thing we can do now is give them a traditional burial at sea." Said Ash. "It's our duty, even though they were our enemies."

"Allow me to say a few final words for them if I may." Said Lucy. She tried to avoid tearing up as she spoke. "Jessie, James, Meowth, even though we clashed on many occasions, you will always be remembered, even though you were criminals. This is the only decent thing we can do for you, and I hope that you appreciate it in the skies above." As she pushed Team Rocket towards the edge of the raft, Jessie, James and Meowth suddenly woke up, scaring the living daylights out of everybody.

"AH! ZOMBIES!" they all screamed.

"Who are you calling zombies?!" James cried.

"We're not zombies!" cried Jessie. Meowth slipped off the raft and into the water.

"Sorry I tried pushing you guys off the raft." Said Lucy. "I thought you didn't make it.

"Somebody help! My fur's getting wet!" cried Meowth. He then climbed back abord himself.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried angrily, which meant 'Darn it!' The day eventually changed over to night, and everyone slept on the raft while Magikarp simply flopped around. The next morning, Lucy kept watch for a passing boat or ship while everyone else just watched Magikarp splash up and down. Their stomachs then started growling.

"I'm so hungry." Said Brock. Eevee and Pikachu were also very hungry. They wanted desperately to be fed.

"It seems like forever since we last ate." Said Brock.

"If I had known we'd be starving, I would've eaten much more than I did on the St. Anne!" cried Misty.

"Misty! Pull yourself together! You're losing it!" cried Lucy.

"I want some food." Said James.

"Stop it." Said Jessie.

"That whining only makes you feel even hungrier." Said Meowth. Everyone started looking very strangely at Magikarp.

"Gotta. Eat. Something. Like, fillet carp." Said Ash.

"Or fried carp." Said Brock.

"Fresh marinated carp." Said Jessie.

"Carp flambe." Said James. Everyone started thinking of different ways to use Magikarp for food.

"That does it! Dinner is now served!" cried Meowth. He tried to bite into the Magikarp, but his teeth broke, which made him scream in pain.

"I wouldn't try that again if I were you." Said Misty. "Ash, Lucy, one of you check your Pokedex because Magikarp is just scales and bones." Lucy brought her Pokedex out.

"Magikarp, the Fish Pokémon. Although Magikarp is considered the weakest and stupidest Pokémon in existence, it is actually a hardy Pokémon by surviving in dirty waters, and it can't be eaten by humans."

"I wish you had told me that sooner." Said Meowth. James was agitated now.

"Now only can this fish not swim, it's not even good for eating!" he yelled.

"I told you buying it was stupid!" cried Jessie. James stared angrily at Magikarp.

'You good for nothing fish!" he yelled. "I DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR MASTER ANYMORE!" He kicked the Magikarp into the sea.

"I don't think he should've done that." Said Lucy.

"I feel sorry for it." Said Misty. Lucy then noticed a white glow on Magikarp's body.

"Everybody, look at this! Something's happening to Magikarp!" she cried. They all looked at what was going on with Magikarp. It started growing much, much bigger. After the glow dissolved, a bright blue, more scary looking Pokemon had taken Magikarp's place.

"Now you've really done it, James!" Cried Lucy. "Magikarp has evolved into Gyarados!"

"Gyarados?! I miss Magikarp!" cried Jessie. Lucy quickly brought her Pokedex out again.

"Gyarados, this Pokémon has a vicious temperament, so use extreme caution. It's fangs can crush stones and it's scales are harder than steel."

"That makes it one of the toughest Pokemon in the whole sea." Lucy pointed out. James tried being friendly to it.

"I'm James, your master. Obey me." He said. Gyarados roared at James, which scared him.

"You dimwit! If you're the master, don't act like you're scared of it!" cried Jessie.

"I am scared." Said James.

"Never mind that! We got to get out of here!" cried Lucy.

"Goldeen, Starmie, Staryu!" cried Misty. The three Pokemon materialized from their balls.

"How will you battle it?" asked Brock.

"My strategy is…RUN AWAY!" Misty screamed. Her water Pokemon were all tied to the raft so they could start swimming away from Gyarados.

"I hope these water Pokemon can swim fast enough to get us away from that Gyarados!" cried Ash. Everyone except Meowth, Pikachu and Eevee paddled as hard as they could to make the raft speed up.

"Heave ho! Heave ho! Heave ho!" they all shouted. The Gyarados was still on their tail, however.

"It's gaining on us!" cried Lucy.

"Faster! Faster!" they all cried. They Gyarados eventually slowed down and let out a mighty roar, leaving everyone confused.

"What's it doing?" Ash wondered.

"It just evolved, so maybe it's tired out." Said Brock.

"I wouldn't bet on that." Said Lucy.

"We made it!" cried Jessie and James.

"Unless the stories are true." Said Misty.

"Then that's the reason it stopped." Said Lucy. Everyone looked at the two girls.

"What are you talking about, Misty, Lucy?" asked Ash.

"I've heard rumors about the Gyarados from sailors, so this can only mean one thing." Said Lucy.

"You're right." Said Misty. "Sailors have told terrible stories about Gyarados. I think this could be…."

"Not could be, Misty." Said Lucy. "It is. It's Dragon Rage!"

"Dragon Rage?" asked everyone else.

"One of the most powerful Dragon type moves in the world!" cried Lucy. The waves began to pick up as four more Gyarados surfaced, making everyone scream.

"One Gyarados using Dragon Rage is bad enough, but FIVE of them using the move together?!" cried Lucy. "That's even more dangerous!"

"Help! We're Gyarados bait!" cried James.

"We're doomed." Said Meowth.

"Eevee." Squealed Eevee, which meant 'Looks like it.' The Gyarados began to swim around in a circle. They swam slowly at first, but then they started going even faster to create a large water spout and combine their Dragon Rage attacks into one.

"Here it comes!" cried Ash.

"Let's go!" cried Brock.

"There's nowhere we can go, Brock!" cried Lucy. "We're nothing but sitting ducks!"

"Nobody's ever gotten away from Dragon Rage!" cried Misty.

"This is it!" cried Ash.

"If this really is the end, it was nice knowing all of you!" cried Lucy. The attack hit and everyone got sucked inside. As Team Rocket got sent upward, the heroes all joined hands and attempted to hang on to each other.

"Misty, Brock, Lucy! Whatever happens, don't let go!" cried Ash. However, everyone lost their grip and got pulled farther into the cyclone. Well, this is certainly a fiendish twist of fate. Will Ash and his friends ever get to dry land again? Find out in the exciting conclusion to the St. Anne arc next time on Pokemon Do-Over!

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Pokemon: Pikachu, Spearow, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Clefairy, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Krabby

Lucy's Pokemon: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu